VOL. 126, NO. 33

$1.25

Section A

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 2, 2011

VILAS COUNTY

NEWS-REVIEWEAGLE RIVER, WI 54521 • (715) 479-4421 • www.vcnewsreview.com

HALLOGRAS FUN — Hundreds of youths turnedout for the Hallogras Halloween party sponsoredby the Eagle River Lions Club Monday night at

Northland Pines Middle School. The studentsplayed a variety of games, including bowling.

--Staff Photo By GARY RIDDERBUSCH

ST. GERMAIN FIRE — A fire at 1779 Moon Road in St. Germainlast Thursday left a house and one vehicle completely destroyed,

according to the Vilas County Sheriff’s Department. There was noreport of any injuries. --Staff Photo By ANTHONY DREW

Austin Wierschke, a junior at Three Lakes High School,won the national texting championship.

--Staff Photo By MARIANNE ASHTON

Three Lakes HighSchool Junior AustinWierschke was taken bysurprise when he recentlywon first place at the 2011LG U.S. National TextingChampionship held inNew York, N.Y.

Austin said he got hisfirst cell phone when hewas in seventh grade.While he never set out tobe a fast texter, he justtexted a lot.

He first learned aboutthe contest from a com-mercial on the MTV tele-vision network and foundmore information on Face-book.

After entering the con-test, he had to qualifythrough several roundsusing his cell phone totext and was one of thetop 12 contestants tomake it to the champi-onship contest.

“I never thought I’dwin, it was really a sur-prise!” exclaimed Austin.

“The trip to New York wasenough of a prize already.”

Austin said he eventexted a little more slowlyduring the contest, sincehe had to be 100% accu-rate. At one point, he sawthat his speed was up to6.3 characters per second.

He felt that he hadsome pretty stiff competi-tion, with some of the con-testants returning fortheir second year.

As the winner, Austinreceived $50,000 in prizemoney. He said it has allbeen put into a savingsaccount, and his plan is touse it for his college edu-cation. While he’s made nodefinite plans on where hewill attend, he would liketo study architecture.

He said he really likedthe experience of going toNew York and seeing all ofthe people. He will returnthere in February whenhe will represent the

Texting champ!Wierschke wins $50,000

___________BY MARIANNE ASHTON

LIFESTYLE EDITOR___________

While some say a bill thatwould vastly change the regu-latory process and rules pro-tecting water and otherresources in Wisconsin isbeing fast-tracked throughthe Legislature, a NorthWoods senator said thetimetable is uncertain.

The new regulations wouldaffect navigable waters andenvironmental protectionsprimarily through the permit-ting process, with many orga-nizations calling the legisla-tion a mining bill.

Opponents say the bill cre-ates a culture of permitting bydefault, eases restrictions ondredging or filling on publiclakebeds, makes it easier to

gain permits for high-capacitywells, changes standardsregarding size and placementof piers, and changes stan-dards regarding repair andmaintenance of boathouses.

The Senate Committee onNatural Resources and theEnvironment and AssemblyNatural Resources Committeeheld a joint public hearing onSpecial Session Assembly Bill24/Senate Bill 24 last Wednes-day in Madison.

Sen. Jim Holperin (D-Conover), a member of theSenate Committee on NaturalResources and the Environ-ment, said he expected thetwo committees will meet inexecutive session to discussthe bill and any amendmentsbecause the legislation was sowide ranging.

“There were probably 125people at the hearing andabout 75 expressed an inter-est in testifying. Of those,about 40 to 45 testified and Iwould say 90% of those wereagainst the bill,” said

Holperin.Holperin said the problem

with the bill, written at therequest of Gov. Walker, includ-ed at least six different topics,including dredging inlakebeds.

“Some of the things inthere, like grandfatheringpiers or adjusting the permit-ting process, I think peoplecan agree to, but when youlump five or six things intoone bill, it’s hard to approvethe entire bill,” said Holperin.“I think people could agree toabout 60% of what is in it.”

Holperin suggested that

the committees find out whatpeople can agree to and thencreate a whole new bill.

“Some people are callingthis a mining bill, but I reallydon’t think this legislationreally creates enough jobs tocall it a mining bill,” saidHolperin. “Our regular sessionends this Thursday and wewill come back in January. Ibelieve at that time we willhave a separate mining bill.”

More public inputToni Herkert, policy direc-

tor for Wisconsin Lakes, astatewide nonprofit organiza-tion with more than 1,000members, said two of the bill’schanges are particularlyalarming.

“First, public input wasseriously curtailed, with onlythe one public hearing,” saidHerkert. “Secondly, if theDepartment of NaturalResources fails to meet thetighter timelines for process-

Environmental protectionswould be relaxed under billDredging, fillingalong lakeshoreswould be allowed

___________BY GARY RIDDERBUSCH

NEWS-REVIEW EDITOR___________

Since the Eagle RiverChain of Lakes began beingmanaged for Eurasian watermilfoil (EWM) four years ago,a total of 857 acres have beentreated at a total project costof more than $1 million.

Those statistics and otheraquatic invasive species (AIS)treatment results from theEagle River Chain will be dis-cussed at a public informa-tional meeting Thursday, Nov.10, at 7 p.m. at the LincolnTown Hall, located at 1205Sundstein Road in Eagle Riv-er.

Tim Hoyman, aquatic ecol-ogist from Onterra LLC, willconduct the meeting. OnterraLLC is the lake managementconsulting firm hired by theUnified Lower Eagle RiverChain of Lakes Commission

(ULERCLC) responsible forimplementing the AIS treat-ment program on the EagleRiver Chain.

Onterra applied herbicideto about 270 acres annuallythe first three springs of theproject to reduce milfoil densi-ties on the 11 lakes that makeup the lower Chain. In 2010,about 66 acres of colonizedmilfoil were treated. Hoymansaid the 2011 strategy includ-ed funds to treat about 145acres, attacking both colo-nized EWM and areas con-taining clusters of single

plants.Hoyman’s presentation

Nov. 10 will provide a summa-ry of the Aquatic InvasiveSpecies Management Plan2011 Phase 4 project thatoccurred and an overview ofthe proposed 2012 treatmentprogram on the Eagle RiverChain.

“His discussion willaddress the Eurasian watermilfoil treatment areas in2011, rationale for selection oftreatment areas and results of

Chain group sets meetingon milfoil project Nov. 10Over 850 acrestreated in past

___________BY GARY RIDDERBUSCH

NEWS-REVIEW EDITOR___________

To AB24, Pg. 2A

To TEXTING, Pg. 3A

To AIS, Pg. 2A

“Some people arecalling this a min-ing bill, but I reallydon’t think this leg-islation really cre-ates enough jobs tocall it a miningbill.”

JIM HOLPERINState senator