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The Freeman - 04/21/2021 Page : A01
April 21, 2021 8:55 am (GMT -5:00) Powered by TECNAVIA
By Nikki [email protected]
262-513-2651
WAUKESHA — The Com-mon Council voted 13-2Tuesday night to removemandatory masks in pub-lic spaces within city-owned buildings by May
15, with theexclusion ofthe Wauke-sha TransitC e n t e rbuilding andthe Wauke-sha PublicLibrary.
The twono-votes were AlderwomanCassie Rodriguez andAlderman Jack Wells.
The item was put on theCommon Council agenda byAlderman Eric Payne andAlderman Cory Payne.
Cory Payne said he felt itwas time to put it on theagenda after receivinginquiries on the mandateand there being no enforce-ment on the county level.
Mayor Shawn Reillyasked that the item excludethe transit building, as itcould have major financial
implications related toCOVID-19 funding for thecity. Reilly clarified at themeeting that departmentheads are able to make theirown rules in relation tostaff, as the vote applied topublic spaces.
Alderman Rick Lemkeoriginally asked not to haveto wear a mask in thelibrary and said individualsare not prevented fromwearing a mask if theywish to do so.
Alderman Frank McElder-ry also voiced his agree-ment with Rick Lemke andsaid several county build-ings have not requiredmask mandates for weeksnow.
A Trusted Tradition since 1859
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Business...................4BClassified..................7BCommentary.......4A, 5ACommunity...........3BCrossword..............3B
Lottery........................2ANews2Use................ 6BObituaries................ 7ASports........................1BWeather.....................8A
See MASKS, PAGE 8A
By Jake [email protected]
262-513-2657
PEWAUKEE — Waukesha CountyTechnical College on Friday hosted apresentation focusing on women inwelding and the opportunities await-ing prospective students.
WCTC instructor Karen Felicianosaid she got into welding by accident.Initially exploring engineering at thecollege in 2007, she was deterred bythe longer timeline of that program;when her advisor suggested welding,she jumped in.
“I fell in love just by looking at themachines because I’ve always likedworking with my hands, I’ve alwaysliked getting dirty,” she said. She’sbeen teaching at WCTC for six years.
Mike Cook, another WCTC weldinginstructor, said he sees more andmore women going into the field.
“In this area, we have such good jobplacement, we get to see how what weput into them has a direct influenceon their lives,” he said, noting that injust two or three years in the field,students’ lives are noticeably impact-ed in a positive way.
The welding options at WCTC arevaried, ranging from a certificaterequiring only nine credits to a tech-nical diploma requiring about one to1.5 years of study, to an associate’sdegree which usually takes about twoyears.
“This is really a great program thatallows you a lot of different avenuesafter you graduate,” Cook said. Heemphasized even with a focus onwelding, students have gone on towork as engineers or program lasermachines.
The presentation included uniquecapstone projects from former stu-dents, who created custom tables,
benches and more. Students haverecently even made barbecue grillsthey can take home to cook on thissummer.
Two current students shared theirexperiences as well.
“I love it,” said Chianti Kirk. “Itstarted out pretty challenging but I’vehad some great instructors thatencouraged me (and) now I feel I’mcontinuously growing, I’m gettingthere.” She said she’d recommendWCTC’s welding program to otherwomen.
Shirley McCullum, another stu-dent, said she feels the courses arepreparing her for real world jobs.
One prospective student on theZoom presentation said she’s a 32-year-old social worker and wants toget into welding but wanted to seehow that works if she’s working fulltime. Kirk and McCullum offeredreassurance, saying they both workfull time and haven’t had issues.
“Women who weld, it really is athing,” Cook said. “It’s a real phe-nomenon going on, there’s a lot ofladies in welding... we get a lot of peo-ple who just fall in love with it.”
WAUKESHA COMMON COUNCIL
Taylor took time for everyone
By Katherine [email protected]
262-513-2644
WAUKESHA — From lawyers to elected offi-cials and bank customers to nonprofit leaders inWaukesha County, Don Taylor served as a men-tor and an inspiration, always willing to listenand to help those who came to him with a ques-
tion or in need of assistance.Rick Kobriger first got to know Taylor through
his Waukesha law firm, which counted Taylor’sWaukesha State Bank as one of its clients. Lateron, they both were in the Waukesha Rotary Clubtogether.
“He truly led by example. He was like an uncleto me,” Kobriger said. “If I asked him what hethought, he would tell me what he thought. He
was just a role model for me. I always felt that ifI practiced law the way Don ran his bank, I prob-ably wouldn’t turn out too bad.
“I never will be a Don Taylor. There is no otherperson like Don was.”
Don Taylor of Waukesha died Friday sur-rounded by his family at the age of 88. He wasborn in Waukesha on Dec. 16, 1932, the son ofCarl and Alma Taylor. Taylor’s father, Carl,founded Waukesha State Bank in 1944, and, whenCarl retired, Don succeeded him, leading thebank as president and CEO for 25 years from 1969until 1994.
Former Waukesha State Bank president, local GOPchairman inspired generations to serve community
WCTC highlights
Submitted photo
Waukesha County Technical College Instructor Joe Chaney speaks with student Kasey Wilichowski during a welding coursebefore COVID-19.
Technical college showcasescareer opportunities
WOMEN IN WELDING
DON TAYLOR Dec. 16, 1932 — April 16, 2021
County ceasing Expovaccinations once 60%of eligible populationvaccinated Page 3A
See TAYLOR, PAGE 6A
Don Taylor
Council votesto remove
mandatory masks in city
buildingsVote only applies to
public spaces, exemptstransit, library
Inside
■ Council votes in closed session on Lahner disciplinaryletter. 2A■ Council approves funds forcemetery building repairs. 2A■ Reilly delivers State of theCity Message. 2A
What do you think?Phone: 513-2641Email: [email protected]
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The Freeman - 04/21/2021 Page : A06
April 21, 2021 8:55 am (GMT -5:00) Powered by TECNAVIA
6A • THE FREEMAN • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 2021 GMTODAY.COMLOCAL
Freeman file photo
Longtime Waukesha Rotarian Don Taylor, second from left, fills a dispenser with pancake batter he mixed up for the club’sannual pancake breakfast in 2013, with Joe McDonald to his left and Barb and Steve Berndt to his right. He was known by fel-low club members for his perfect attendance, eagerness to help and knack for mixing the pancake batter.
TaylorFrom Page 1A
Community leaderFellow longtime Waukesha
residents Andrea and TonyBryant, whose family ownsCentury Fence and have beenheavily involved in communi-ty initiatives, remembered afriend and a leader.
“Don’s personality was per-fect for the banking industry,for helping families throughtheir financial situation,”Andrea Bryant said. “Hisrelationships are really deep.He had a quiet demeanorwhich gave people confidencewho went there with theirproblems or needed guidance.Don was always there for thecommunity.”
Tony Bryant said he didn’tknow Taylor while in schoolbecause he was three yearsahead, but got to know him asa fellow businessman.
“He certainly grew thebank. It became a majorfinancial institution ofWaukesha County,” TonyBryant said. “He wanted toknow and be supportive ofbusinesses of WaukeshaCounty.”
Bryant said Don’s fatherCarl Taylor came to Wauke-sha from out-of-state but wasdedicated to the community,which was a characteristicpassed down to Don.
Like the Bryants, BillHuelsman knew Don Taylorfor decades, having firstbecome acquainted with thefamily while he was a Wauke-sha city employee in the 1960s.
His first real interactionwith Taylor was when he andhis wife wanted to get theirfirst mortgage to buy a four-family building. The firstbank they went to for a loanturned them down, sayingthey needed to own their ownhome before they could get aloan for a rental property. Butthey then went to Taylor, whodecided to finance the loanthrough Waukesha StateBank and now the Huelsmansare one of the largest realestate holders in downtownWaukesha.
The relationship evolved totheir becoming friends andfellow Rotarians. Bill Huels-man said he was recruited tobe a Waukesha Rotarianaround 1980 to help lower theage of the group. Now the twomen were the most seniormembers of the group.
As a fellow businessman,Bill Huelsman attributed Tay-lor’s success to his accessibil-ity and his focus.
He also reflected on howTaylor kept his desk in thebank’s downtown Waukeshalobby.
“Anyone could make adeposit and say ‘hello’,” BillHuelsman said. “That was avery defining thing for thatbank. He did that up until heretired.”
Don Taylor served as presi-dent and CEO of WaukeshaState Bank for 25 years from1969 until 1994.
Huelsman added that likeWaukesha State Bank’s mottoof “The Bank of Friendly Ser-vice,” that was what Taylorstrove to provide.
“He was approachable,always willing to talk to any-body who had something tosay,” Bill Huelsman said.“And he was very, veryfocused on his business, onthe development of Wauke-sha State Bank.”
A leader in politicsAlthough never an elected
official himself, Taylorhelped many others on theirpath to represent the citizensof Waukesha County.
Taylor served as the chair-man of the Republican Partyof Waukesha County, a rolehe held from 1979 until 1989and again from 1993 until2013. He also was chair or co-chair for President RonaldReagan’s 1968, 1980, and 1984
Wisconsin campaigns.According to his obituary,Don and his wife, Carol,attended Ronald Reagan’s1981 inaugural, a memory healways cherished.
Bill’s wife, Jody Huelsman,spoke with Taylor when shedecided to run for stateAssembly in the early ’80s.She said after speaking withTaylor, he convinced her touse a printer to generate 3,000letters for people to sign forher campaign, even if it wasnoisy and she had to run itduring the night.
“He was very encouragingthroughout the campaign,”she said.
Jody Huelsman spent about20 years in the Legislature:eight years as a representa-tive and 12 years as a statesenator.
“He was very passionateabout what he did and he wasvery passionate about theRepublican Party and hetruly believed in it as a partyof smaller government,” shesaid.
She recalled how excited hewould be when he wouldreturn from a nationalRepublican convention, evenif his candidate wasn’t select-ed.
Former Wisconsin Lt. Gov.Margaret Farrow of Pewau-kee also saw Taylor’s passionfor politics and conservativevalues.
She said if someone want-ed to run for office, they firstsat down with Taylor to askquestions and to get advice.He would also make sure peo-ple knew what they were step-ping into and what theirresponsibilities would be,Farrow said.
“Don was one of those peo-ple that everyone wants tofind,” she said, adding that hewas able to use his interest inpublic and financial affairs tohelp Waukesha County.
Current state Rep. ScottAllen, R-Waukesha, releaseda statement Tuesday, saying,“I will miss Don Taylor. Manywill remember him for hispolitics, I will remember himfor his faithfulness. He wasfaithful to his community —always supporting importantcommunity projects. He wasfaithful to his business andthe employees who worked atWaukesha State Bank. Hewas faithful to Carol, his wifeof many years. He was faith-ful to his family and taughtthem well. He was faithful toGod. I’m glad that I knew DonTaylor.”
Pancake batter mixerWhen it came to the annual
Waukesha Rotary Club pan-cake fundraiser, you couldfind Taylor mixing up the bat-ter, his fellow Rotariansrecounted.
Taylor was a member ofthe Waukesha Rotary Clubfor 65 years and was a pastpresident. He also was con-sidered the club’s historian,having written the club’s his-tory.
Colleen Kalscheuer, theRotary Club’s executive sec-retary/director, said Taylorembodied the Rotary Club’smotto of “Service AboveSelf.”
“Don was all about volun-teering his time and talent forhelping others,” she said. “Hewas a model member for our
club.”They also remembered Tay-
lor as the member with per-fect attendance.
“I don’t know that Don evermissed a meeting,” Club Pres-ident Ken Genin said. “If hesaid he would do something,he would do it.”
Genin also recalled howTaylor would often tell storiesabout Rotary Club that wouldinspire others about whythey were there.
A pilot, authorAs longtime friends, the
Bryants recalled trustingTaylor and his flying skills toget them to Montreal for Expo1967. The Bryants and theTaylors flew in Taylor’s four-person plane there and backwith Don remarking it wasthe most beautiful flight hehad been on.
The two couples haveremained longtime friends,attending functions togetherand supporting some of thesame causes. They recalledhow Taylor was a longtimesupporter of the WaukeshaCivic Theatre and La Casa deEsperanza.
Kobriger keeps a copy ofTaylor’s book, “ThePrairieville Storekeeper” onhis bookshelves, one of hispieces of historical fiction setin Waukesha.
Impact on the next generation
Farrow said during his 88years of life, Taylor remaineda mentor to many in the com-munity.
“He took time for every-one,” she said. “I think (mem-bers of the) younger genera-tions look toward him still.”
When one of his clients waslooking for a loan and didn’tknow where to go, Kobrigertold them to go to WaukeshaState Bank and Taylor.
“Don Taylor made his loansbased primarily on the char-acter of the person and hewas a very good judge ofcharacter,” Kobriger said. “IfDon Taylor won’t make you aloan, then you should justgive up.”
Kobriger shared the beliefthat Taylor valued people ofall ages.
“He was over 20 years mysenior; he treated me withrespect and he treated me likean equal and he was notintimidating at all,” Kobrigersaid. “He had a very genuine,down-to-earth presence. Hewas extra bright and veryknowledgeable, but he didn’twear it on his sleeve.”
Funeral servicesTaylor is survived by his
wife of 62 years, Carol, andchildren, Wendy Kipperman,Scott Taylor, Jenifer Schroed-er, and Ty Taylor, and 10grandchildren.
Private burial will be heldat Prairie Home Cemetery forthe family and close friends.A celebration of Don’s lifewill take place the afternoonof June 4 at ElmbrookChurch. Further details willbe announced in a future edi-tion and be online atwww.randledable.com.
Taylor family photo
Don Taylor relaxes.
Photo courtesy of Scott Allen
State Rep. Scott Allen, R-Waukesha, right, poses with long-time chairman of the Republican Party of Waukesha CountyDon Taylor.
“At the time,Don Taylor’s desk wasfront and center in the(Waukesha State Bank)
lobby and he was almostalways at his desk and
that was something that Iadmired about Don. Hewas not afraid of havingcustomers come up tohim and talk to him and
ask him for a loan.”— Rick Kobriger
By Nikki [email protected]
262-513-2651
WAUKESHA — TheFriends of Frame Park arearguing the WisconsinCourt of Appeals’ rulingwas correct in the caserelated to an open recordsrequest related to a draftlease agreement betweenthe city and Big Top Base-ball years ago.
The Wisconsin SupremeCourt accepted the case inlate February after the cityasked the high court toreview the Wisconsin Courtof Appeals’ decision sidingwith Friends of FramePark.
City Attorney Brian Run-ning told The Freeman theyargued the case becauseThe Court of Appeals deci-sion changes current Wis-consin law regarding openrecords in a way that is notfavorable to municipalities.
In the city’s brief filedMarch 24, the city arguesthat the Court of Appealshas changed the test bywhich it is to be determinedwhether attorneys’ fees areto be awarded under thepublic records law; theCourt of Appeals’ relianceon federal case law isunfounded; the Court ofAppeals’ decision shifts theburden from plaintiff to
defendant on the questionof whether attorneys’ feesare available; withholdingthe draft contracts fromtheir review from the Com-mon Council was proper;and the Court of Appealsfails to recognize the roleand authority of the Com-mon Council.
In the response brief filedby the defense April 19,Friends of Frame Parkargues that the Court ofAppeals properly appliedthe open records law as perthe language of the statuteand the court’s rulings indetermining that a city maynot withhold documentsshared with outside non-public parties; and that theCourt of Appeals did notcreate or change that stan-dard for awarding attor-neys fees to prevailing par-ties in open records cases.
Joseph Cincotta, attorneyfor Friends of Frame Park,previously told The Free-man that the case is impor-tant for transparency ingovernment.
According to online courtrecords Tuesday, a replybrief is due by May 3.
Testing would notbe mandated
MADISON — Schoolsacross the state will soon beable to access COVID-19tests as needed with theannouncement of morethan $175 million in federalfunding being awarded toWisconsin.
Gov. Tony Evers and theWisconsin Department ofHealth Services (DHS)Tuesday announced thefunding, which will developa program to supportschool-based COVID-19 test-ing for teachers, staff, andstudents. The program willbe part of a comprehensiveCOVID-19 mitigationapproach to assist schoolsin operating safely.
“We know this pandemichas been tough on students,educators, and staff andadministration alike,” saidEvers in a statement.“Expanding access to test-ing is one tool we can use tohelp decrease disruption inclassrooms across thestate.”
In March, the U.S. Depart-ment of Health and HumanServices (HHS) announcedit would be investing $10billion to increase screen-ing testing to help schoolsreopen, and an additional$2.25 billion to ramp up test-ing in underserved popula-tions.
DHS will be workingclosely with the WisconsinDepartment of PublicInstruction (DPI) to developa testing program that opti-mizes the state’s existingCOVID-19 testing infras-tructure and designing theprogram in light of recom-mendations from the CDC.A survey went out to schooldistricts and privateschools last week to gatherinput on what kind of test-ing programs would bestsuit their needs. Testingwould be offered on a volun-tary basis and would not bemandated.
“Testing has been, andwill continue to be, a criti-cal part of Wisconsin’sCOVID-19 response,” saidDHS Secretary-designeeKaren Timberlake. “Thisfunding will allow us toimplement a COVID-19 test-ing program for schoolsthat supports the safety andwellbeing of teachers, staffmembers, and studentsthroughout the state.”
Schools will be able to
choose from different test-ing options for the springand summer and furtheroptions will be available inthe fall for the 2021-2022school year. More informa-tion will be available asplans for those options takeshape.
City, Friends ofFrame Park filebriefs in Supreme
Court caseConcerns open records request
related to city, Big Top Baseball
More than $175M willsupport COVID testing
in Wisconsin schoolsBy the numbers
Waukesha County COVID-19 cases
Confirmed cases■ Deceased: 513■ Cumulative case total:43,125■ New confirmed cases: 94
■ Cases per 100,000 popula-tion: 10,818.0■ State average cases per100,000 population: 10,234.1■ Case fatality percentage:1.2%■ State average fatality percentage: 1.1%
■ Most affected age group:50-59 years
■ Total vaccine doses administered: 184,668
Wisconsin■ Deaths: 6,718■ Positive tests: 591,636■ Negative tests: 2,806,631
Source: Waukesha County COVIDCase Dashboard, Wisconsin Depart-
ment of Health Services
Waukesha County schools and COVID-19
Active cases by district■ Waukesha: 9■ Elmbrook: 6■ Mukwonago: 4■ Oconomowoc: 2■ Muskego-Norway: 6■ Pewaukee: 5■ Menomonee Falls: 4■ Arrowhead Union: 6■ Hamilton: 1■ Kettle Moraine: 6■ New Berlin: 14■ West Allis-West Milwaukee:1■ Palmyra-Eagle: 2■ Norris: 0■ East Troy: 0■ Waterford Union: 0
This accounts for school-aged children living withindistrict boundaries, not all ofwhom may actually beenrolled.
Source: Waukesha County COVID Case Dashboard
What do you think?
Phone: 262-513-2641Email: [email protected]
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