Referto ad on GET BREAKING NEWS HEART OF ACHAMPION DEAL OF THE DAY page 2 Text OSHBREAKING Oshkosh North senior Kellyn Cameron’s stel- SUPER TUESDAY to 44636 to receive lar season startedwith troubling diagnosis news alerts on your and heart surgery. »PAGE B1 MARCH 6TH cell phone. WI-5001463201

www.thenorthwestern.com MONDAY,MARCH 5, 2012 School turnover troubles board

By Adam Rodewald January after about 18 months of The Northwestern Viegut’sdeparture revives concerns on the job. His last day with the district will be June 30. An effort to halt turnover The board has been holding among Oshkosh school district The district has struggled to Only two of the district’stop buildings, leaving only six who workshop discussions on the leadership has been revived fol- hold on to its principals and ex- eight administrators have been have been in their current posi- issue in tandem with starting its lowing Superintendent Don ecutive administrators in recent in their positions more than two tions more than two years. search for anew superintendent. Viegut’sannouncement in early years. Low pay and difficult years, and, 11 of the district’s21 The problem had been on the The board also approved aself- January that he is leaving the working conditions have been principals were hired within the school board’sradar but became district at the end of the school cited as reasons for the high past two years. Several other more urgent after Viegut an- year. turnover. principals have moved to new nounced his resignation in early TURNOVER, Page A8

COVER STORY: MISS AMERICA VISIT Hotel owners moving forward Financing first, then renovations

By Jeff Bollier of The Northwestern

If there was one thing about the condition of the former City Center Hotel that almost made Rich Batley happy,itwas that he didn’thave to worry about what to keep. After decades of only minimal investment and upkeep, there was little left of value for the hotel’snew owners. “I’m almost glad it’sinthe shape it’sinbecause then you know you’re starting from scratch,” Batley said. “There’s no question about holding on to anything.” Batley,John Pfefferle and the University of Wisconsin- Oshkosh Foundation partnered to buy the 179-room, downtown hotel for $2.1 million last month From right clockwise: Miss America Laura Kaeppeler, right, crowns Raeanna Johnson as the new Miss Wisconsin during the Miss America and immediately set an aggres- homecoming gala Sunday at the Grand Opera House in Oshkosh. Miss New York Kaitlyn Monte, second runner-up in the Miss America sive schedule to finance, gut, pageant, sings Katy Perry’s “Thinking of You” on Sunday. Miss Arizona Jennifer Sedler, third runner-up in the Miss America pageant, performs renovate and re-brand the prop- adance number Sunday during the Miss America homecoming event. PHOTOS BY ADAM JUNGWIRTH/OF THE NORTHWESTERN erty by early 2013. Batley and Pfefferle, who are partners in Appleton’sCopper Leaf Hotel and Neenah’sBest Western Bridgewood Resort, have their work cut out for them, but they Crown comes home look forward to the challenge andthe potentialtheir partner- ship with the UWO Foundation holds in store. truly helps ner-up Jen- “We’re taking nothing for NewMiss America young women ONLINE nifer Sedler, granted. I’m confident we will do realize the sky is See more photos and Miss Arizona, agood job making this hotel look the limit.” video from the event: danced to Kaeppeler has www.thenorthwest- Latin-flavored HOTEL, Page A8 performs at Grand already traveled song “Hip Hip ern.com to 14 different Chin Chin”; By Charles Greenley Fortunately Smokey,a1½- states in the past second run- of The Northwestern year-old Shih Tsu/Maltese, re- five weeks for ner-up Kaitlin INSIDE membered her. numerous appearances, includ- Monte, Miss New York, sang Laura Kaeppeler was The way Kaeppeler sees it, ing Sunday’sstop in Oshkosh. In Katy Perry’s“Thinking of You”; crowned Miss America in Jan- many others will, too. addition to the brunch, she at- and runner-up Miss Oklahoma, uary,but she was still worried “My name will never not be tended aVIP lunch and an after- Betty Thompson, performed an her dog would give her the cold associated with Miss America noon homecoming show at the Irish step dance. shoulder. for the rest of my life,” she said. Grand Opera House. Kaeppeler sang two opera She’d been away from home When she was declared the The show at the Grand fea- songs and also passed down her for afew months, but was back winner of the annual beauty tured nine women performing, Miss Wisconsin crown to Raean- in Kenosha Saturday for apep pageant, Kaeppeler said her life including all four runners-up na Johnson, which elicited a rally at her old school, St. changed in an instant. Though from this year’sMiss America standing ovation and raucous Joseph Catholic Academy. she will be in high demand over pageant. Among the perfor- cheers from the audience. “I was petrified he wouldn’t the next year,Kaeppeler stays mances: Fourth runner-up Karen Tessier of Oshkosh, Noelle Freeman, Miss Califor- who attended the homecoming know who Iwas,” said Kaeppel- upbeat. USE OF IEDS IN SYRIA er,who attended aSunday “No matter how long the days nia, performed atraditional gala, admired the poise, brunch at LaSure’sBanquet can be, Iwake up happy to be dance where she tapped and RISES SHARPLY kicked atambourine; third run- Experts think rebels are getting Hall in Oshkosh. Miss America,” she said. “It WINNER, Page A7 outside help. >> PAGE A6

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20122012 CHEC VY SILVERADO 2012 GMC SIERRRAA % % GM of Oshkosh MOS* 0 FOR F 72 MOS* 0 FOR F 72 355 N. Washburn St. in + ** (920) 966-1166 in $6,000 savings! + $6,000 savings!** *Toapproved credit. **Includes all applicable rebates and incentives. Ends 3/12/12. bergstromauto.com WI-5001464117 A8 Monday,March 5, 2012 PAGE ONE INSIGHT www.thenorthwestern.com •Oshkosh Northwestern

and on weekends, Director ard, Young, Attea and As- øßÕH> “From œÓÙáßÒHÙ of Curriculum andInstruc- ONLINE sociates told the board re- tion Shelly Muza said. tention issues usually stem Continued from Page A1 everything Continued from Page A1 “That’snot to say that See the database for from micromanagement, a I’m hearing, others in comparable pub- teacher/ administrator lack of strategic direction like new and we’ll have the evaluation policy and is lic or private-sector jobs pay: www.thenorth- and not having an ade- right rate structure to be downtown working on an overhauled aren’tworking long hours, western.com/ interac- quate workforce. competitive,” Batley said. will be superintendent evaluation but putting in that time tive/article/99999999/ He said the board must “But nobody is going to in effort to improve gover- consistently every single OSH0101/399992112/2 take ownership of the issue give it to us. We’re going to supportive nance practices. day starts to become a 010-2011+Oshkosh+ and serve as amodel to the have to go out and earn it. and they’ll The issue will come up problem,” Muza said. Teacher+Salaries rest of the district on how But we expect that and again Tuesday during a Oshkosh spends the least to change the culture caus- we’re OK with it.” embrace this special board meeting at 6 money on administrative ing the turnover. Demolition and financ- project. It p.m. in the District Admin- costs on aper-student “Again, it starts with the ing are likely to preoccupy istration Building, 215 S. basis out of all 424 districts tense worked environment board. The board sets the the partnersand their should really Eagle St. in the state, according to a where they’reontheir toes tone,” Attea said. community partnersfor bring more Administrators remain- Wisconsin Taxpayers Al- all the time and can’tget the next month or two be- ing in the district said they liance analysis. The dis- work done. Ithought that Adam Rodewald: (920) 426- fore actual remodeling can lifetothe think others are leaving trict spent $592 per stu- was interesting that only a 6632 or arodewal@thenorth- begin. whole area.” because of long hours, a dent, compared to the state small minority had some- western.com. Oshkosh Area Communi- tense environment and low average of $913. thing to say about compen- ty Foundation CEO Eileen RICH BATLEY, pay. “That’snothing to be sation,” Dedow said. Connolly-Keesler said she City Center Hotel owner, “I don’tbelieve pay is proud about,” board mem- The district has typical- expects to meet with po- ever the number one issue, ber Stephen Dedow said. ly paid administrators FoxTax partner with John Pfef- www.foxtax.com tential investors by the end ferle Ibelieve it’samixture of “Weare way under- near or below the state me- staffed.” dian despite Oshkosh of the month. Connolly- working conditions and the $ Keesler said many of the difficult realities of what Dedow said he has ob- being one of Wisconsin’s SHORTFORM - 35 &UP potential investors in the we’re dealing with in served and interviewed larger districts. $ The board last discussed LONG FORM - 50 &UP project are the same ones about re-establishing the school systems today,” central office administra- administrator retention who committed to the pro- convention business.” said Deputy Superinten- tors about retention issues $ during aJan. 31 meeting BIZ/RENTALS - 85 &UP ject last fall before the Casper added that every- dent Dave Gundlach, who and found people feel over- with aconsultant from a Prices include both Federal &State Wogernese Hotel Group thing from the river walk oversees principals. worked and disrespected, and UWO Foundation with- Administrators consis- particularly at board meet- superintendent search Preparation with E-Filing

urban trail system to the WI-5001443715 firm. drew their offer to pur- reconstruction of North tently work 10-12 hours in ings. Senior Associate Bill 566 N. Main St., Oshkosh chase the propertyinlate Main Street and redevel- the office and then bring “They talked about trust. Attea from the firm Haz- 920-235-7077 October. opment efforts along Mar- work home in evenings They talked about areally “Most never left the ion Road and in the South table,” Connolly-Keesler Shore were key selling said.“They wereall still points as they talked with hoping we weregoing to the Pfefferle and Batley. Major pull adeal together.” Batley said when he and It took hope from the Pfefferle saw UWOand Sunglass community,the involve- the community founda- FIRST TIME ment of both the UWO tionsactively involvedin Blowout Foundation and OACF,the the effort to revive the EVER!! Sale city’sinvestment in down- hotel, it helped convince town revitalization, the them to take another look groundwork laid by the at putting adeal together. Wogernese partnership “With both of those foun- and awell-timed call to dations coming in, that bring Batley and Pfefferle convinced us to take anoth- 40% OFF back to the table almost er good look at this,” he four years after they first said. “Even back in ’07 and attempted to buy the prop- ’08, we knew we’d have to Sunglass Sale erty.Atthat time, the hotel have people from Oshkosh was in foreclosure and was involved.” (prescription and non-prescription) owned by Bankers Bankof Connolly-Keesler said Madison. Oshkoshis“very lucky to In-stock items only.Some restrictions apply. “Weprobably camewith- have them at the table,” in 30 days (of buying it) in and she’ssure Batley and late ’07 and early ’08,” Bat- Pfefferle had to put alot of This offer cannot be combined with insurance, coupons, ley said. time into making the deal previous purchases and other discounts. Terms of that deal could workfor them, too. not be workedout, but Bat- “I’m sure several people ley said he and Oshkosh were workingonthis for Chamber of Commerce 40 hours aweek for sever- $7-65'6 3(.+2 !*%( ,*'& 1%((6+& 6!62-5'' )(6'1(.)&.*+9 CEO John Casper would al weeks to make this March 1to31, 2012 call each other every three work,” she said. “I’m hop- $8!62-5'' ')61.5-.'&' 5(6 *+"'.&6 #.&0 5-5(26 '6-61&.*+ or six months to stay in ing that we’ve uncovered Aurora Vision Center *4 /6'.2+6( 4(5,6'9 touch. all the challenges and dealt inside Aurora Health Center Casper said he and with them early on.” Stop in for aFREE OshkoshArea Economic Batley said he’sgrowing 700 N. Westhaven Drive eyeglass adjustment. ©AHC Development Corp. Exec- more anxious to get start- Oshkosh, WI |920-456-2002 utiveDirector Rob Kle- ed and recently brought al- (02/12) man spent the last two or most two dozen managers Aurora.org/VisionCenter Payment options: Visa, MasterCard, check or cash. three years talking with from theCopperLeafand b120232 four or five different Bridgewood down to tour groups that had expressed the site to help generate CHECK OUT OUR COMPETITIVELYPRICED CONTACT LENSES. Current prescription needed. an interest in the hotel, but ideas and suggestions for adeal could never quitebe ways to improve the site. WI-5001463862 stitchedtogether.And “From everything I’m when the WHGproposal hearing,downtown will be fell through,Casper said supportive and they’ll em- Pfefferle and Batley were brace this project.It Imagine being... the first people who came should really bring more to mind. life to the whole area,” he “Welookedatthe prop- said. “The propertyhas erties they own and felt it great views of the river.It was important to have just needs that interior im- Mortgage someonelocal and some- provement and moderniza- one whose properties have tion. And I’m sure our de- the reputations that the sign team will do agreat Copper Leaf and Bridge- job with that.” wood have,” Casper said. Free! “They certainly saw the Jeff Bollier: (920) 426-6688 or opportunities here and the [email protected] city’srenovation of the Convention Center helped been waiting for the right seal that deal. It showed If you’ve them the city was serious is it! PLAYERS ! LowRate Locked in time to refinance, this Serving Serving for10Years 11AM-10PM ‘til 11PM Imagine the money YOUcan save when you refinance Sun-Thurs Fri&Sat WI-5001464014 ! 10 Ye ar Amortization Auto Collision YES! We have PANPIZZAS! to this life-changing low rate. Being mortgage free 5th &Ohio | Oshkosh Best of Oshkosh 303-1400 ! Just $500 Closing Costs might allow you to remodel your home, take adream Hwy 41 *Oshkosh WI-5001466000 vacation or maybe even retire early–you decide.

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