G-E-T School Board Upholds Mask Mandate Through June 3

May 19, 2021 $ 50 Vol. 11, No. 20 1 Per Copy 715-538-4765 • 36435 Main St., Whitehall • www.trempcountytimes.com In Your Board drops Times… idea of gun NEWS law public hearing By Debbie Foss Times Staff County supervisors nixed the idea of giving residents the chance to weigh in on whether Trempealeau County should be a Sec- ond Amendment sanctuary county, opting instead to vote on the idea without further Page 2: After diffi cult public comment. upbringing, IHS student Board members Monday earns Kohl scholarship evening appeared to back Page 3: County vaccine the idea of including a rates slows as case rate resolution that declares the remains low county would not enforce new state and federal gun Page 4: Galesville coun- laws in a regular meeting and cil passes fraud policy restricting comments. Based Page 10: Whitehall, on a recommendation from a county agree to close Park county committee, a public hearing on the resolution had COURT tentatively been set for June Page 7: Sheriff’s Log 14. Protestors demonstrated against the Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau district mask mandate prior to Thursday’s re- Having the resolution be Page 8: Criminal Court scheduled school board meeting outside G-E-T High School. After nearly two hours of public comment and board a regular agenda item means discussion, the board opted to maintain their masking protocols. (Times photograph by Zac Bellman) SPORTS “we can comment on it,” said supervisor George Brandt. “It’s difficult to function with people screaming in the background.” G-E-T school board upholds Other board members said the resolution, which has been before the executive mask mandate through June 3 fi nance committee and the By Zac Bellman masks in the vestibule during public comment. emergency management and Times Staff “The reason that I sat out in this gallery, wasn’t that I’m law enforcement committee, After hearing nearly an hour of public comment for necessarily against masks or for masks,” Kopp said later has had suffi cient airing. and against the district’s mask mandate, the Gale-Ettrick- when he returned to his board seat. “I do not believe that “It is not our policy to Trempealeau school board opted to keep it in place through we put a barrier between us and the good people of this Page 11: Raiders win two have three public hearings on the end of the school year on June 3. district. We’re all in this together...By sequestering us into in CC play something,” said supervisor The layout of the meeting itself was a refl ection of the groups, keeps us polarized as groups.” Page 12: Thompson Jeanne Nutter. Neither committee voted community division on the issue of masks: those willing At the conclusion of public input, board president no-hitter caps 3-0 week to abide by district masking protocols gathered at one end Gene Hogden solicited each of the board members for for B-T for or against the resolution. Dave Estenson, an orga- of the performing arts center lobby, those who were not their individual thoughts on the mask mandate. Board Raiders fi rst at Page 14: nizer of the group Liberty were provided seating within a vestibule facing the board member Larry Moore, who was among the fi rst to speak, home course Alliance that co-endorsed behind a set of glass doors. asked district administrator Michele Butler for her recom- OBITUARIES the resolution, said he un- Those in the performing arts center lobby, including a mendation. contingent of current students as well as parents, spoke “So, in knowing that part of my job is to protect the Page 19 derstood the decision. “I completely understand given largely in support of the school board and the protocols that school district, and the liability of the school district. Coming the emotion surrounding this they felt helped maintain a rate of in-person instruction of purely from that perspective, obviously it’s that we need issue,” he said. Estenson said over 70 percent for the year. to hold the course,” Butler said of maintaining the mask he was thankful for the two Parents seated in the vestibule universally condemned protocol. hearings already held and is the mask mandate, citing lower COVID-19 mortality rates Board member Paul Kinzer also pushed back vigorously optimistic the resolution will among children, as well as other arguments that ranged on comments from the public suggesting they were not pass. from the legality of instilling such measures to anecdotal within their legal rights to impose such a mandate. Supervisor Sally Miller, experiences of their own children’s frustrations with masks. “I want to make that clear too, just to read what (Wis- a member of the emergency The board sat in a semicircle of tables between the two consin Association of School Boards legal counsel) wrote management committee, groups, knowing full well their choice on whether or not to us: ‘School boards may require students to wear face said she recommended a to maintain masking protocols would send one group or coverings at school. A requirement that a student wear a hearing before the full board the other home unsatisfi ed. mask at school is part of the student code of conduct, and because “it was not at all fair While a microphone and speaker setup were provided to would be enforced like other rules,’” Kinzer said, before to send this to fi ve people ensure residents in both parties were heard, board member going on to cite Wisconsin State Statute 120.13 (35)(a) as who had the bear the weight Mark Kopp took things a step further. Kopp, who also re- the board’s legal backing to require masks at their meet- of this decision.” mained in the room at last Monday’s originally scheduled ings. (continued on Page 3) meeting that was derailed by unmasked protestors, left (continued on Page 4) his seat on the board to go sit with those gathered without MAKE YOUR FAMILY’S VISION A PRIORITY Schedule your appointment today! THOMAS KOLLODGE, OD (715) 538-4330 Page 2 Page 2 Trempealeau CountyTrempealeau Times County Times Wednesday, MayWednesday, 19, 2021 May 19, 2021Wednesday, May 19, 2021 Trempealeau County Times Page 3 After diffi cult upbringing, IHS student earns Kohl scholarship County gun law proposal By Andrew Dannehy ing a $10,000 scholarship in his application for the years, but had to return and “Since I arrived in Mexico “It seems like he gets (continued from Page 1) tions Clubs of Trempealeau Times Editor from the Herb Kohl Educa- scholarship. had totally forgotten how to I had to help my grandfa- along with just about every- County, said neither God nor When Favian Flores tional Foundation. A personal situation that speak English. ther with work, livestock, one, and his ability to make The executive finance “us versus them” is part of came to Independence High “I had to face many ob- involved the death of his “At fi rst when I entered corn cultivation,” he wrote. connections with others will committee sent the resolu- the resolution. “We’re not School two years ago, he stacles that have sincerely mother meant Flores had to school, I was very sorry and “Thanks to the values that I allow him to fi nd his niche tion to emergency manage- changing laws.” didn’t know English, but that made me cry and have hurt, move from the United States felt inferior to others for not learned from my grandpar- in college or a workplace,” ment for consideration. In response to comments was only part of the journey but these obstacles helped to Mexico when he was six. knowing English,” Flores ents he helped me change the Guza said. The resolution states that from the Rev. Mary Ann that now includes him earn- me to mature,” Flores wrote He stayed in Mexico for 10 wrote. “I had to go through bad attitude and education Hovell said his experience the county would not enforce Bowman, the on-call clergy moments where I challenged that my father had taught teaching Flores has stood out. or fund enforcement of any for the sheriff’s department myself to lose my fear and me.” “Favian is one of the law that violates the Second who said she has seen too overcome my obstacles.” While he was in Mexico, most conscientious and Amendment. Backers say it many “horrendous” circum- His teachers noticed the Flores wrote that his father respectful students that I would change no existing stances due to guns, Prudlick work he put in. Amber Guza did not help with his upbring- have come across in my laws, but protect against said every law officer with has had Flores in chemistry, ing and did not send money to 17 years of teaching, and threatened changes. Oppo- whom he has spoken backs medical terminology and help pay for clothes or food. a very-deserving recipient nents said the county had no the resolution. biology classes. Flores had adjusted to of this scholarship,” Hovell authority to pick and choose David Frahm asked the “There are a few things life in Mexico, but when said. “It’s students like Fa- which laws it enforces. committee whether the re- that really stand out about he turned 16 years old, he vian that make teaching so In response to a comment ligious arguments violated Favian: his work ethic, would have to return to the rewarding, and when you from Brandt that the resolu- the “separation of church positive attitude, and ability United States to renew some see a student choose to go tion was largely symbolic, and state.” to work with others,” Guza documentation.

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