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All-Northwest football: Chi-Hi's Olson a consummate leader
Found: 4 Days 12 Hours 21 Minutes ago
Leader-Telegram - Mitch Olson grew up in Bloomer.But he received his football education on the Chippewa Falls football sidelines."I was always a Chippewa kid," said Olson, who started attending Chippewa Falls schools in eighth grade. "I was on the sidelines as a ball boy ever since first grade. Always grew up around Chi-Hi football. "It was nice to be able to play at such a special place."Olson, whose father, Bart, is a Chippewa Falls assistant, did more than just wear a Redbirds jersey. He was on the varsity as a sophomore, was an all-conference defensive back as a junior and rarely left the field as a senior. He played an integral role in what one of the best two-year runs in Chippewa Falls history. The Cardinals went 17-3 in Olson's junior and senior years, including two victories over rival Menomonie and a perfect 14-0 mark in the Big Rivers Conference.That was more than enough to make Olson the 57th annual Leader-Telegram All-Northwest player of the year."He was 100 percent dedicated to the sport and Chi-Hi football," Cardinals coach Chuck Raykovich said. "His success was not an accident."He was a three-year varsity player at Chippewa Falls, playing on offense, defense and special teams after spending his childhood tagging along with his father, Bart, a Cardinals assistant.It was at quarterback where Olson's true football smarts shone through. Raykovich and offensive coordinator Ed Watkins added some new looks to the Cardinals' offense to take advantage of Olson's athleticism, sometimes straying away from the traditional double-wing look. But even in the double-wing, Olson needed to be on his game. He had the responsibility to look over the defense and make adjustments if necessary."If they had (Hudson's) Seth Stanchik or (Menomonie's) Kyle Ahrens on one side, you'd go up to the line and flip it," said Olson, who has a 3.98 GPA.The best example of Olson's leadership came in a 28-27 overtime victory over Superior at Dorais Field. The Cardinals blew a 14-0 lead and found themselves trailing by a touchdown with 4 minutes, 24 seconds left. The offense, which gained just one first down since the middle of the second quarter, took over at its own 45."We never thought we were going to lose," Olson said. "We came out and played hard and did what we needed to do. Everyone knew it was time to go to work."Olson was the firestarter. He wasn't perfect, but he made things happen. First it was a 9-yard screen pass to running back Michael Adams. Then it was a 14-yard strike to Cole Zwiefelhofer on third-and-10. A pass interference call on Superior gave the Cardinals another first down. Then Olson capped the drive with one of the gutsiest 7-yard runs you'll ever see a quarterback make. The Cardinals went on to win the game in overtime, with Olson throwing a touchdown pass."He has credibility because of the time and effort he put into the program," Raykovich said. "He wasn't just a shouter. He was a doer. It's easy to believe people like that."Olson was named co-offensive player of the year in the Big Rivers and was first-team all-Big Rivers at both quarterback and defensive back.The only thing missing from Olson's resume is playoff success. The Cardinals were ousted in the first round the past two seasons. Olson had to watch as his boyhood teammates from Bloomer made a run in the Division 4 playoffs, beating St. Croix Falls and Mondovi before falling to Baldwin-Woodville.But Olson doesn't think about what could have been had he stayed in Bloomer."I never once regretted my decision," Olson said. "So happy I went to Chippewa Falls. Tons of great opportunities and lots of great people I had a chance to meet."There will be football in Olson's future. He's just not sure where. He's taken official visits to Minnesota-Moorhead and Winona State, both Division II schools. He's going to take three more.Most of the schools are looking at him to play defense, but now that film from his senior year is starting to circulate, some may want him at quarterback."I want to keep my options open," Olson said. "I just love playing football. Whatever side of the football that may be on, I just want to play at the next level."Olson's cousin, Brett Olson, was the All-Northwest player of the year in 2004. Brett Olson was a quarterback for Eau Claire Regis.Running backsOlson heads a backfield that include's Zack Pomputis of Owen-Withee, Levi Johnson of River Falls and Bucky Dixon of Hayward.Pomputis, runner-up for player of the year honors, moved up from last year's second team. He led the Blackhawks to a 7-3 record as the team's MVP.He carried 244 times for 1,824 yards and 24 touchdowns at a 7.5 average per carry. He also caught nine passes for 172 yards and totaled 166 points."He is the complete running back - speed, quickness, vision, balance and a great knowledge of where his blocks are coming from to give him the cutback lanes he is looking for," coach Terry Laube said.He led northwest Wisconsin runners with the aid of five games of more than 200 yards, including a high of 266 against Wisconsin Rapids Assumption. In his final game, he rushed for 117 yards against Division 6 state finalist Edgar. In his three-year career, he totaled 4,728 yards and scored 56 touchdowns.Johnson averaged 7.7 yards a try against big school rivals, totaling 1,541 yards on 199 carries and scoring a total of 23 touchdowns.The senior rushed for a high of 247 yards against Eau Claire North, scoring four touchdowns. He scored a high of five touchdowns in just nine rushing attempts in a win over Rice Lake in which he played in only the first half. "Levi has speed, toughness and the ability to stop and start on a dime," North coach Dean Rosemeyer said. "He is always a threat to score."Johnson was selected co-offensive player of the year in the Big Rivers Conference and raised his two-year career total to more than 2,700 yards."He runs with incredible determination, great lateral movement, tremendous burst and great toughness," River Falls coach John Bennett said.Dixon was a literal workhorse for Hayward, which fashioned a 9-0 regular season and won the Heart O'North Conference.The senior rushed 339 times for 1,780 yards and 24 touchdowns at a 5.2 average per carry. In those 339 carries, Dixon fumbled just once. He hit a high of 57 carries for 252 yards and scored both touchdowns in a key 14-7 win over Ladysmith."A very durable running back." Barron coach Chad Buss said. "He helped carry Hayward to the conference championship."Dixon finished his career with 3,051 yards and 42 touchdowns.Wide receiversThe receivers are Jarrod Martell of Chippewa Falls McDonell and Joel Effertz of Ladysmith.Martell, a second-teamer a year ago, helped McDonell gain a spot in the playoffs with his offensive fireworks.He caught 47 passes for 775 yards and 13 touchdowns and totaled 16 touchdowns in all. The figures represented Marawood Conference highs."He's just a great athlete," McDonell coach Todd Brown said. "He goes after the ball. He's very athletic."He upped his two-year totals to 94 catches for 1,630 yards.Effertz drew rave notices from opponents for his all-around ability on both sides of the ball and as a kicker."He's the best player in the whole area," said Woody Keeble, Ladysmith coach. A tight end, Effertz caught 32 balls for 547 yards and nine touchdowns for the Lumberjacks. He also averaged 38.9 yards on 52 punts.He's going to Arizona on a baseball scholarship.Offensive linemenThe interior line includes Nate Dahl of McDonell, Bryan Witzmann of Somerset, Luke Johnson of River Falls, Joe Krumrie of Mondovi and Chris Shriver of Bloomer.Dahl excelled on both sides of the ball and was named the Marawood Conference lineman of the year.His path-clearing blocking in the offensive line opened the way for the passing of quarterback Andy Davis and the running of Alex Hiess."He was the team leader who got everybody going," Brown said. "He dominated both sides of the ball and could dominate a game when he wanted to." Witzmann led the way in Somerset's unrelenting triple option attack."He's the best lineman in our league," Baldwin-Woodville coach Dan Keefer said. Luke Johnson was River Falls' best lineman on both sides of the ball and acted as team captain and leader."He has incredible quickness, strength and explosiveness into the block," Bennett said.Krumrie has been an all-Dunn-St. Croix first-team selection on both sides of the ball for the past two seasons with his intimidating presence."He cares about his teammates and he has just one goal in his mind and that is for us to win on Friday nights," Mondovi coach Fred Schmitz said. "He doesn't care if he gets credit for anything or glory."Shriver was a 6-foot-2, 245-pound tackle that led the way for an offense that averaged 416 yards a game and had a high of 569 in a 42-24 loss to Hayward.PlacekickerThe placekicker is Collin Schindler of Chippewa Falls. He kicked 27 extra points and was named to the all-Big Rivers first team.Defensive linemenThe defensive line includes Hudson's Seth Stanchik, Chippewa Falls' James Rowley, Stanley-Boyd's Ryan Ericksen, Ladysmith's Zach Anderson and Shell Lake's Luke Gronning.Stanchik, the defensive player of the year in the Big Rivers, had nine sacks and returned his own blocked punt for a touchdown."He's a great athlete and Big Ten-caliber player," Menomonie coach Joe LaBuda said.Rowley moved up from last year's second team. He excelled as a defensive end and also played some tight end on offense, making his presence known on both sides of the ball."Big, physical presence," summed up the feelings of Hudson coach Adam Kowles.Ericksen led Stanley-Boyd to 10 wins, losing only twice to Colby, the Division 5 state champion. The second loss came in the quarterfinals of the playoffs.Through the regular season, he was credited with 32 solo and 15 assisted tackles, 17 sacks, 22 tackles for loss, an interception and two blocked punts."He was an excellent defensive end for three years," Altoona coach Gary Pszeniczny said.Anderson was a giant in the Lumberjacks defense. He was credited with 31 solo and 22 assisted tackles, 13 1/2 sacks and seven forced fumbles."He was the best defensive tackle in the conference the last two seasons," Buss said. "He was a man among boys in the Heart O'North."Anderson verbally committed to Northern Illinois.Gronning, a four-year player, was the horse in Shell Lake's march to a sixth-straight unbeaten Small Lakeland championship and an undefeated regular season. He stood out as a running back on offense and a rushing lineman on defense. LinebackersJake Frazier of Chetek, Steve Pax of Elmwood, Jake Keefer of Baldwin-Woodville and Austin Keys of Mondovi make up the linebacking corps.Frazier is a repeater from last year and his reputation preceded him throughout the Heart O'North. He was credited with 72 tackles, 100 assists, three sacks and eight fumbles caused or recovered. He also doubled as a fullback, running for 1,005 yards and 15 touchdowns."He was considered the hardest-hitting linebacker in the conference," Chetek coach Jay Dachel said. "He can run from sideline to sideline to make plays and come up with the big plays when we need a stop."Pax was a two-way standout for Elmwood and was voted the MVP of the South Lakeland Conference. He had 70 solo and 46 assisted tackles, 10 tackles for loss and three interceptions. Offensively, he ran up 1,486 total yards and scored 21 touchdowns."Steve is so versatile he can play any position on both sides of the ball," Elmwood coach Jerry Hannack said. "He makes everyone around him better."Keys made the all-Dunn-St. Croix team on both sides of the ball and was all over the field defensively."He may be the best athlete in the conference," Spring Valley coach Matt Ducklow said.Keefer was selected although he is only a sophomore. He was credited with 36 solo and 60 assisted tackles, four interceptions and four fumbles caused or recovered during regular-season play. He also was used liberally on offense, both as a receiver and running back."He was the best middle linebacker I saw all year," Amery coach Josh Gould said. "He can do it all. Team advanced to Level 4 playoffs largely because of him."Defensive backsThe defensive backs are Colby's Jordan Rahm and Thorp's Taylor Turrene.Rahm needs little introduction. He was the quarterback and all-around standout of the Division 5 state championship team that went through the Cloverbelt unbeaten. Besides passing for more than 1,000 yards and rushing for more than 400, he was all over the field on defense."He was the most dangerous player on the best team I saw all year," Regis coach Bryant Brenner said.Turrene led the Thorp defense with six interceptions. He was called "outstanding" by Thorp coach John Goodman and was touted by many Cloverwood coaches.PunterA repeater as punter is Chippewa Falls' versatile Cole Zwiefelhofer, who averaged more than 40 yards a punt for the Cardinals, who went 9-0 through the regular season with the help of field position provided by Zwiefelhofer.He also could have been selected as a receiver, where he unofficially caught 30 passes for 486 yards and nine touchdowns.Second teamThe second-team quarterback is Altoona's Brodie Johnson, who completed 117 of 197 passes for 1,738 yards and 18 touchdowns. He also ran for 416 yards and five more scores for the playoff team.The running backs are Adam Esselman of Colby, who scored three touchdowns in the state championship game; Bloomer's Jordan Koehler, who rushed for 1,595 yards and 19 touchdowns, and Chippewa Falls' Michael Adams, who averaged 7.0 yards rushing with 706 yards and stood out with his all-around play.The receivers are Baldwin-Woodville's Wade Schlichting, who had 38 catches for 610 yards and seven touchdowns in regular-season play, and Altoona's Josh Kriesel, 37 catches for 633 yards and eight scores.Linemen are Dustin Wozniak, Stanley-Boyd; Mike Kernstock, Plum City; Jordan Dewitz, Altoona; Jake Marten, Thorp and Spencer Corey, Baldwin-Woodville with Dustan Zach of Gilman the placekicker.The defensive team consists of linemen Kyle Ahrens, Menomonie; Dustin Winkel, Greenwood; Jesse Hoff, Gilman; Wade Sebold, Colby and Kyle Gillis, Plum City; linebackers Lucas Ruhl, Menomonie; Isaac Hunter, Regis; Luke Haarsma, Blair-Taylor and Nathan Samplawski, Stanley-Boyd; backs Tyler Bosshart, Spring Valley, and Matt Vold, Osseo-Fairchild and the punter is Eau Claire North's Weston Kirby, who had a 40.1 average on 37 punts....
2008 Leader-Telegram All-Northwest football team
Found: 4 Days 12 Hours 22 Minutes ago
Leader-Telegram - FIRST TEAM OFFENSEWR Jarrod Martell CF McDonell 5-10 165 Sr.WR Joel Effertz Ladysmith 6-4 235 Sr. OL Nate Dahl CF McDonell 6-3 230 Sr.OL Luke Johnson River Falls 5-11 215 Sr.OL Joe Krumrie Mondovi 6-5 260 Sr.OL Chris Shriver Bloomer 6-2 245 Sr.OL Bryan Witzmann Somerset 6-8 255 Sr.QB Mitch Olson Chippewa Falls 6-1 200 Sr.RB Bucky Dixon Hayward 6-2 200 Sr.RB Levi Johnson River Falls 5-7 165 Sr.RB Zack Pomputis Owen-Withee 5-10 180 Sr.PK Collin Schindler Chippewa Falls 5-10 154 Sr.FIRST TEAM DEFENSEDL Zach Anderson Ladysmith 6-2 295 Sr.DL Ryan Ericksen Stanley-Boyd 6-3 190 Sr.DL Luke Gronning Shell Lake 6-0 220 Sr.DL James Rowley Chippewa Falls 6-4 285 Sr.DL Seth Stanchik Hudson 6-4 240 Sr.LB Jake Frazier Chetek 5-10 195 Sr.LB Jake Keefer Baldwin-Woodville 6-4 210 So.LB Austin Keys Mondovi 6-1 210 Sr.LB Steve Pax Elmwood 6-0 190 Sr.DB Jordan Rahm Colby 6-2 190 Sr.DB Taylor Turenne Thorp 5-11 180 Sr.P Cole Zwiefelhofer Chippewa Falls 6-4 190 Sr.SECOND TEAM OFFENSEWR Josh Kriesel Altoona 5-10 165 Sr.WR Wade Schlicting Baldwin-Woodville 6-1 170 Sr.OL Spencer Corey Baldwin-Woodville 6-0 210 Sr.OL Jordan Dewitz Altoona 6-3 260 Sr.OL Mike Kernstock Plum City 5-11 205 Sr.OL Jake Marten Thorp 6-3 260 Sr.OL Dustin Wozniak Stanley-Boyd 6-1 215 Sr.QB Brodie Johnson Altoona 6-0 195 Sr.RB Michael Adams Chippewa Falls 5-8 160 Sr.RB Adam Esselman Colby 5-9 210 Jr.RB Jordan Koehler Bloomer 5-10 175 Sr.PK Dustan Zach Gilman 6-0 165 Sr.SECOND TEAM DEFENSEDL Kyle Ahrens Menomonie 6-3 218 Sr.DL Jesse Hoff Gilman 6-2 205 Sr.DL Kyle Gillis Plum City 5-11 205 Sr.DL Wade Sebold Colby 6-4 225 Sr.DL Dustin Winkel Greenwood 6-2 215 Sr.LB Luke Haarsma Blair-Taylor 5-8 205 Sr.LB Isaac Hunter Eau Claire Regis 5-10 180 Jr.LB Lucas Ruhl Menomonie 5-11 210 Sr.LB Nathan Samplawski Stanley-Boyd 5-11 205 Sr.DB Tyler Bosshart Spring Valley 5-9 150 Sr.DB Matt Vold Osseo-Fairchild 6-1 175 Sr.P Weston Kirby Eau Claire North 6-1 165 Sr.SPECIAL MENTIONOffenseWR - Levi Kraft, Menomonie, sr.; Mark Van Den Broeke, Hudson, sr; Nick Bowe, Eau Claire Regis, sr.; Brandon Johns, Barron, sr.; Jake Mack, Elk Mound, sr.; Jake Espeseth, Clear Lake, sr. OL - Alex Roppe, Lake Holcombe, sr; Donnie Hissa, Northwestern, sr.; Matt Clark, Hayward, sr.; Joe Larson, Mondovi, sr. QB - Dylan Demotts, Baldwin-Woodville, sr. RB - Alex Wolf, Mondovi, soph.; Trevor Morning, Bloomer, sr.; Jake Wilson, Menomonie, sr.; Alex Hiess, McDonell, jr.; Tim Wayne, Plum City, jr.; Dan Sailer, Regis, jr.; Kyle Hetke, Chetek, sr.DefenseDL - Jesse Krizan, St. Croix Central, sr.; Darrin Emmeck, Somerset, sr.; Tony Mikula, Shell Lake, sr.; Alex Knutson, Hayward, sr.; Kyle Gillis, Plum City, sr. LB - Michael Ludgatis, Hudson, sr.; Josh Hodd, Colby, sr.; Trevor Odeen, Loyal, sr.; Kevin Haglund, Pepin, sr.; Joshua Segerstrom, Eleva-Strum, jr.; Marty Guza, Independence, sr.; Jake Sullivan, Chippewa Falls, sr. DB - Nathan Prissel, Durand, sr.; Cody Gerich, Hayward, sr.; Bryce Lunzer, Baldwin-Woodville, sr.; Coltan Ellis, Rice Lake, sr.; Nick Shouten, Glenwood City, jr.; Dave Simenson, Owen-Withee, jr.; Kenny Chowa, Menomonie, sr. P - Kurt Gehrman, Amery, jr.HONORABLE MENTIONAlma: Tyler Fink, sr. Alma Center Lincoln: Tim Leis, soph. Amery: Mitch Kendzior, sr.; Tanner Tryggestad, jr. Altoona: Ben Devine, sr. Barron: Kurt Wohlk, sr.; Josh Davidson, sr. Baldwin-Woodville: Jesse Rose, sr., Hunter Campbell, sr.; Cody Ninneman, sr. Blair-Taylor: Hank Kujak, soph.; Ryan Nerby, sr., Shay Benedict, sr. Bloomer: Erik Reischel, sr.; Jon Barlow, sr., Wesley Stuckert, sr. Boyceville: Jack Duerst, sr.; Joe Larson, sr. Bruce: Kurtis Johnson, sr., Tyler Zimmerman, jr. Cadott: Greg Burish, jr. Cameron: Derrick Bender, sr., Joe Spanel, jr. Chetek: Morgan Neuman, jr., Nate Collier, sr. Chippewa Falls: Adam Street, sr., Kyle Michels, sr. Chippewa Falls McDonell: Ben Rubenzer, jr. Clear Lake: Matt O'Connell, soph.; Darrin Lee, jr., Jake Leintz, soph.; Woody Reindahl, sr.; Brayden Wienke, jr.; Mitch Warner, sr.; Jordan Olson, sr. Cochrane-Fountain City: Kevin Weis, jr.; Justin Scheel, jr.; John Schmidtknecht, sr.; Brent Gabrick, sr. Colby: Mitch Norbisch, sr.; Derek Johnson, sr., Michael Reischel, sr.; Brandon Guy, jr. Cornell: Dyllan Smith, sr. Durand: Dusty Poeschel, sr. Eau Claire Memorial: Greg Antonson, sr.; Joe Detrick, sr.; Eric Hutchinson, sr. Eau Claire North: Matt Heath, sr.; Brett Bodenburg, jr.; Nate Bollinger, sr. Eau Claire Regis: Hank Hougen, sr.; Hayden Hougen, jr.; Steve Mertens, sr.; Jone Brantner, sr. Eleva-Strum: Brad Nicolet, sr.; Shane Knudtson, sr. Elk Mound: Dan Hayden, sr.; Jake Mack, sr.; Derek Susa, jr. Fall Creek: Shannon Herrick, jr.; Andy Kragness, jr.; Jordan Reetz, jr.; Matt Dickinsen, jr.; Erik Gajewski, sr. Gilman: Landon Trawicki, sr. Glenwood City: Garrett Bonte, jr. Hayward: Nick Wampole, sr. Hudson: Ryan Hanes, sr.; Chase Graskewicz, sr. Independence/Gilmanton: Drew Bautch, sr., Ryan Guza, sr. Elmwood: Curtis Schultz, sr.; Nick Kernstock, jr.; E.J. Wolske, jr. Flambeau: Levi Felske, jr.; Cody Volk, jr.; Clarence Fawley, sr. Frederic: Brent Crandell, sr. Greenwood: Brandon Nigon, sr. Ladysmith: Ryan Rands, sr., Jake Nelson, sr. Lake Holcombe: Lee Kostick, sr. Loyal: Michael Kaiser, jr., Cody Halpin, jr. Luck: Nick Morgan, sr. Mondovi: Soua Yang, sr; Keegan Crist, sr. Neillsville: Anton Saute, jr. New Auburn: Caleb Trowbridge, sr., Mike Farrell, sr. Northwestern: Ryan Miesbauer, jr. Northwood/Solon Springs: Ryan Quigley, sr. Osceola: Trever Foss, jr. Osseo-Fairchild: Matt Vold, sr.; Nick Hammer, jr. Plum City: Alex Hartung, jr., Andy Heath, sr., Jesse McKune, soph., Dana Derricks, sr., Zach Gilles, sr. Pepin: Joe Marks, sr.; Jordan Haake, sr.; Shawn Meizner, jr. Prescott: John Kariesch, sr.; Brian Panek, sr.; Mike Feriancek, sr. Rice Lake: Tanner Cernick, sr. River Falls: Quinn Everson, sr.; Sean Gilbert, sr.; Eric Gilbertson, sr. Shell Lake: Jake McQuade, sr.; Brady Marschall, sr.; Evan Fox, sr. Somerset: Taylor Drabowski, sr.; Eric Walczak, soph., Rob Wendt, jr. Spring Valley: Brian Colbenson, sr. Stanley-Boyd: Max Goettl, jr.; Scott Burzynski, sr. St. Croix Central: Luke Brown, jr.; Andrew Thomley, jr.; Cody Olson, jr. St. Croix Falls: Chase Bushweiler, sr.; Andy Laurison, sr.; Sam Schmidt, sr.; Ryan Larson, jr.; Joe Raygor, jr.; Zach Foeller, sr. Thorp: Ari Pszeniczny, sr.; Brandon Falkenberg, sr.; Tyler Lewien, sr. Turtle Lake: Reed Molls, sr.; David Sollman, sr.; Jordan Rush, sr. Unity: Dustin McKinney, jr.; Jason Visnenick, soph. Webster: Dan Pope, jr.; Jordan Werdier, sr.; Grant Hutler, sr.; Travis Moser, sr.; Zach Quigley, sr. Weyerhaeuser/Birchwood: Marcus Olesiak, sr. Whitehall: Tyler Bortle, sr.; Chad Stellpflug, sr.; Ross Sygula, sr. Winter: Ryan Ewert, sr.Teams selected by Ron Buckli and John Casper Jr. with input from other Leader-Telegram staff members and area coaches. Players on first two teams arranged in alphabetical order by position. Players designated for special mention received significant consideration for first two teams....
Surviving Main StreetWest-central Wisconsin small towns make best of ...
Found: 5 Days 9 Hours 7 Minutes ago
Leader-Telegram - We know the big cities have been hit. Wall Street's nosedive, Citigroup's 53,000 bank layoffs, the fall of Lehman Brothers, Wachovia, Merrill Lynch and other financial institutions, and the struggling U.S. automakers.The U.S. economy is hurting, all the way down to midsize metropolitan areas like Eau Claire, which has had several restaurant closings and much higher-than-normal rates of home and business foreclosures.But what about rural America, where one-street downtowns remain the lifeblood of small cities and villages with a few hundred to few thousand people? Are they insulated from the problems or are they also feeling the pinch of what many are calling the country's worst economic crisis since the Great Depression?It appears the theory of trickle-down economics works not only in good times but in bad times as well. The strained U.S. economy is starting to affect Main Street USA and their residents too."We'll really feel it this coming year - it will be a tough year," said Rob Baecker, mayor of Independence, a Trempealeau County city of 1,262."I think the slowdown hits the smaller towns a littler later. We'll see more of the changes this coming year. That will ripple down to us then."Baecker cited workers he knows who are getting less overtime or have had their hours cut at nearby manufacturing plants, saying the "whole economy has slowed down around here," although he's thankful no businesses have closed in the main business district, which follows Highway 93 past Bugle Lake and through downtown Independence.Baecker's thoughts seem to echo those of officials in other small cities in the region, many of whom are worried, especially with winter looming.'Pretty dramatic change'Five miles east of Independence on Highway 121, the county seat of Whitehall, population 1,671, has lost at least three businesses in the last year, two downtown and Keenan Ford GMC just north of the city on U.S. 53.Keenan held a going-out-of-business auction Nov. 15, according to the River Valley Business Report. Keenan also sold farm equipment. Owner Dan Keenan, whose father, Dave, opened the dealership in 1970, cited the slower economy as a factor in the closing.Betty Tulley is the outgoing Whitehall Chamber of Commerce president and also owns Totulley By Hand, a gift and antique shop. Her business, dependent on tourists and discretionary spending, is down significantly."We've had a pretty dramatic change from two years ago, the amount of people coming through town. My business is down about 50 percent," Tulley said. "I think people are very cautious with their money, even more so than last year. I believe every (business) in Whitehall is down to some degree."Although the raw number of scheduled foreclosure sales, 62, this year in Trempealeau County isn't staggering, it's nearly double the 35 from 2007, according to Sheriff's Department figures.In Dunn County, the village of Boyceville, population 1,063, just had its first home building permit taken out in almost a year, and last week a winter clothing repository gave out 177 coats to needy residents, Village President Gib Krueger said."It's pretty obvious money is tight. It's been no cakewalk for the businesses we've got here, but we're treading water right now," Krueger said, adding that this week's gun deer season always is a boost for businesses.Boyceville - with some increased business - and surrounding farmers have benefited from the 2006 opening of the Western Wisconsin Energy ethanol plant nearby, but in recent years Boyceville has become much more of a bedroom community to Menomonie, 12 miles south, once major retail chains began opening there, Krueger said.The days of farm families coming into Boyceville to do their weekend shopping are long gone, especially since Boyceville no longer has a grocery store.'Holding our breath'Businesses in the Chippewa County city of Bloomer, population 972, also seem to be surviving the slowdown so far, according to Chamber of Commerce Director Rod Turner."We haven't had any closures on Main Street. One thing about a small community, when the gas prices are higher that helps the local economy. People aren't as apt to run to a bigger city to shop," Turner said, referring to when gasoline prices topped $4 a gallon earlier this year."Like everyone else, we're holding our breath and hoping to get through the winter."To the north of Bloomer, officials in Chetek and Rice Lake haven't seen a major impact. Chetek, population 2,207, where the economy largely is driven by tourism, seemed to have good summer traffic but has had more business turnover than usual downtown, said Chamber of Commerce President Mary Gustafson.A Chetek convenience store, Gas Plus, closed about 10 days ago.In Rice Lake, population 8,636, a regional hub for retail, manufacturing and health care, one of the city's bigger employers, Mastercraft Industries, laid off 35 workers in early October. Mastercraft, which makes kitchen and bathroom cabinets, has been affected by the slumping U.S. housing industry.Business owners, in general, are wary, said Karen Heram, Rice Lake's chamber executive director. "They're all thinking conservatively when it comes to advertising," Heram said.No big downturn yetAround the state, Frank Frassetto, Wisconsin director of Rural Development, a U.S. Department of Agriculture program, believes residents in small towns and rural areas are nervous, but he hasn't seen a significant downturn in activity - yet.Some farm commodity prices were at record high levels early this year but since have fallen.Rural Development, which has backed or guaranteed bank loans in lesser populated areas to individuals, businesses and communities since 1939, said its business actually is up because credit availability and risk factors "still look good. It's heartening to see that. We're inundated by people looking for direct loans. I'm surprised by the amount of new construction out there."From Sept. 30, 2007, to Oct. 1, Rural Development in Wisconsin, which has six state offices including one in Menomonie, backed a record 17 business loans, double from the previous year. It also backed about 1,500 home loans, up from about 900 the previous year, Frassetto said.Despite the greatly increased loan activity, the delinquency rate has remained stable, he said."Just based on the numbers we're looking at, the (economy) is not as bad as everybody seems to think, but the qualifier to that is you can find certain areas in Wisconsin where there clearly are problems," Frassetto said, citing the Fox River Valley, which relies heavily on the now-slumping paper mill industry.Around the Midwest, the Rural Mainstreet Index, a monthly Creighton University survey of bank CEOs in an 11-state region, hit an all-time low of 45.2 (on a 100-point scale) in November. The index began in 2005.New hiring, farm equipment sales, retail sales, home sales and confidence indexes all fell in the rural areas.The RMI, which surveys communities with an average size of 1,300 people, doesn't include Wisconsin but includes states south and west, including Minnesota, Illinois and Iowa.Poling can be reached at 830-5832, 800-236-7077 or jerry.poling@ecpc.com....
Council adopts final budget; library defends appropriation
Found: 6 Days 4 Hours 31 Minutes ago
Barron News Shield - Council adopts final budget; library defends appropriation...
Regional ADRC plans underway
Found: 6 Days 4 Hours 36 Minutes ago
Barron News Shield - Regional ADRC plans underway...
Freeman named assistant police chief
Found: 6 Days 4 Hours 36 Minutes ago
Barron News Shield - Freeman named assistant police chief...
Citizens give input into Comprehensive Plan
Found: 6 Days 4 Hours 38 Minutes ago
Barron News Shield - Citizens give input into Comprehensive Plan...
Routine traffic stop ends in suicide
Found: 1 Week 10 Hours 13 Minutes ago
Barron News Shield - Routine traffic stop ends in suicide...
Bloedorn confirms mayoral candidacy
Found: Minutes ago
La Cross Tribune - A La Crosse common council member with a reputation as a fiscal conservative announced his candidacy for mayor Wednesday....
Barron Man Faces Child Porn Charges
Found: 1 Week 11 Hours 32 Minutes ago
WEAU 13 News - Police have arrested a 39-year old man who investigators say may have given kids alcohol and had pictures of them engaged in sexual contact....
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