Incumbents, Schools Win
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*****************ECRWSS**** PRST STD U.S. POSTAGE POSTAL CUSTOMER PAID SHAWANO, WI PERMIT NO. 135 NOVEMBER 11, 2020 x OSHKOSHHERALD.COM VOLUME 3, ISSUE 45 An early deadline due to no mail delivery on Veterans Day prevent- ed any sports results in this issue. Incumbents, schools win out running from Murdock Avenue up Bowen Voter support shifted Inside Street and over to the Oshkosh Defense NSIDE plant, remain so closely divided? I from 2016 election Schools get green light / Page 2 Local election roundup /Page 8 The answer was – not by a long shot. By Miles Maguire In 2016, Ward 25A cast 227 votes, 114 of them for President Trump. This time Herald contributor returned the local incumbents to the state around voters there cast 311 votes, with 56 Legislature. Turnout wasn’t as high in the city as you percent going to former Vice President Joe Late last month The Washington Post might have thought. Oshkosh residents are Biden. featured Oshkosh on its front page, focus- surprisingly supportive of local schools. Those votes helped to improve the Dem- ing on a single ward where in 2016 Hillary And yard signs don’t matter. ocratic margin among Oshkosh voters in Clinton lost by the slimmest of margins — Those were some of the takeaways from the presidential contest from 1,365 in 2016 one vote — to Donald Trump. the Nov. 3 election, in which city voters to 2,777 this year, according to unofficial more than doubled the Democrat’s margin The question the paper raised was what Next round in the presidential race, gave the green light would happen this time around–would SEE Election lessons ON PAGE 14 North golfer waits to two school construction projects and that same neighborhood, an inverted “L” for opportunities Page 16 Judge looks back on time well served Home expansion Karen Seifert steps down Sex offender residence from Winnebago bench addition backed By Jack Tierney Oshkosh Herald Page 4 Judge Karen Seifert is resigning from her position Jan. 4 after nearly 30 years in Winnebago County’s judicial system. “It has been an absolute privilege to be Students will in this position,” she said. “The world has changed so much in the years I have been be back in a judge. I’m sure we will continue to see amazing changes.” Of notable changes throughout her ca- class Thursday reer, Seifert spoke about drug court, which Oshkosh Herald was introduced in Winnebago County 15 years ago to curb tough-on-crime drug Oshkosh Area School District students prevention programs. Seifert has presided will be back in the classroom on a limited over the court the past five years. basis starting Thursday for all grades, the “I have seen it change lots of people’s district announced Nov. 4 as it tries to find lives in amazing ways,” she said. “People a balance between pandemic precautions getting their children back in their homes, and the overall goal of getting students finishing high school degrees or college back to face-to-face instruction. degrees. Really amazing things have hap- The hybrid learning model being used pened with the drug court program.” was adjusted from an earlier format by She described the treatment-based having the two alternating groups attend program as the best community effort to classes on the same two days each week. prevent a crisis during her time in Win- Revised Model 3 sets Mondays and Thurs- nebago. days for Group A attendance, Tuesdays A second major change Seifert experi- and Fridays for Group B. Wednesdays will enced through her time in the judicial sys- be a virtual learning day for all students. tem was the introduction of electronics. District administrators have been hear- “We went from paper filings to electron- ing opposing views from groups repre- ic filings,” she said, laughing at the memo- senting hundreds of families and students ry. The electronics have resulted in a less who either support getting back to class- crowded court building, allowed electron- room instruction or see the virtual model ic signatures to validate warrant requests, as an important health precaution for vul- and helped prepare the court to operate nerable residents. during the coronavirus, she said. Additional information was provided to The Winnebago County judicial system Photo by Michael Cooney district families and staff and is available is a court of general jurisdiction and sub- Winnebago County Judge Karen Seifert is retiring at the end of the year after serving nearly on the OASD website. sequent cases, Seifert said, which is one three decades in the local judicial system. The Lourdes Academy school system, of the reasons she appreciated her career which has had in-classroom instruction here so much. trials. Seifert said she recognized that her time this semester, will shift to online learning A general court allows a judge to pre- Seifert said negotiating processes can on the bench had come to an end when beginning Nov. 30 to the end of the se- side over civil, criminal, felony and juve- take time to begin, however, and that the pandemic changed the world. She did mester Jan. 15. nile cases, and requires a judge to study without a judge motioning for a jury trial, not want to end her career during a term, Lourdes president John Dinegan said multiple disciplines, which Seifert called parties will not proceed their civil cases but in Wisconsin judges are elected to in a message to families that the holidays, exciting. speedily. six-year periods, and she said it was hard along with cold and flu season, were fac- Seifert said a noticeable change in the “People want control over the out- to predict how her life would change six tors leading them to take some “preemp- court recently has been from civil cases. come,” she said, “and mediate an outcome years ago. tive steps of precaution” before returning She said plaintiffs and defendants prefer rather than leave it to a jury.” She said it’s SEE County judge ON PAGE 15 to in-person learning. to negotiate privately, without civil jury up to a judge to get the case going. PAGE 2 x OSHKOSHHERALD.COM NOVEMBER 11, 2020 School district gains facilities funding $7.95 million annually through the 2029- committed to engaging with community Two-part referendum OK 30 school year, passed with 57 percent members and helping the public connect allows for $115M initiative approval (22,242 votes) to 43 percent with and better understand our schools against (16,680 votes). Funds will support — that includes the incredible things hap- 923 S. Main St. Suite C Oshkosh Herald academic programs, technology for learn- pening every day, as well as the challenges Oshkosh, WI 54902 ing and student support services, and will and opportunities we are navigating. As The Oshkosh Area School District involve no tax increase because it renews we move through the implementation of General information/customer gained the needed public approval for funding previously approved. our capital referendum we will continue service: Julie Vandenberg $115 million in facilities and operations The $107 million question passed by to listen and provide opportunities for [email protected] funding to begin safety and infrastructure a similar margin — 57 percent (21,985 feedback.” Phone: 920-508-9000 work in schools as early as next spring. votes) to 43 percent (16,832 votes) — Property taxes will increase $4 per Website: www.oshkoshherald.com A two-question referendum approved and gives the green light to phase one of month for each $100,000 of home value last Tuesday included $107 million in the district’s long-range facilities plan to next year, then by $6 per month in 2022 News tips and story ideas capital spending on a long-range facilities improve and modernize schools. and $7 per month in 2023. [email protected] plan that includes about $35 million for a Funds will impact most all schools in A community-based Facilities Adviso- new elementary school and $53 million the district except Oaklawn Elementary, ry Committee developed the long-range Support the Oshkosh Herald for a new middle school among other fa- which is the newest. A new middle school facilities plan by reviewing documents, cilities improvements. The other request at the Merrill location and a new elemen- data and community input to determine Membership was for operational funding of $7.95 mil- tary school at the Webster Stanley site a strategic approach for dealing with the A $50 annual membership lion for annual support of programming are among the three locations that house aging and small schools. The oldest school supports receiving the newspaper and operations that had been approved in what have been deemed aging or outdated was built in 1880 and the average age of weekly. Call 920-508-9000 or visit 2014 and 2016 referendums. facilities for five schools. The other proj- district schools is 66 years. www.oshkoshherald.com/store “We are so grateful to our community ect emphasis will be on enhancing school Within the plan was a focus on equity /membership. for this show of support, especially during safety and security, and catching up to that add an emphasis on east-side schools, a pandemic,” said Vickie Cartwright, su- deferred maintenance and infrastructure which are among the oldest and serve the perintendent of schools, in a statement. work. most diverse children in the district. Subscribe “Both our strategic plan and our facilities Deputy Superintendent David Gund- The resulting facilities plan was unani- For $70 annually the Oshkosh mously approved by the Board of Educa- Herald is mailed to non-delivery plan were developed with help from our lach said immediate safety upgrades out- areas via first-class mail.