Angels on our Shoulders
Neighbor to Neighbor Celebrates Its New Office with Grand Opening and Cookout
Public invited for free barbecue lunch, commemorative gift, door prizes and 50/50 raffle
May 26, 2023
Thomas Gahm
715-635-7679
SPOONER - Saturday, June 10, is the date for the Grand Opening and free cookout at the new Neighbor to Neighbor office in Spooner. Everyone is invited to the open house from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at 407 N. Front Street, Suite 2, downtown.
Neighbor to Neighbor volunteers will be grilling brats from Louie’s Finer Meats. Free hot dogs and chips, courtesy of Schmitz’s Economart, treats and beverages are also on the menu. There will be indoor and outdoor seating, and everyone attending will receive a free gift. There will be a 50/50 raffle and drawings for door prizes donated by Spooner area businesses.
Neighbor to Neighbor is a non-profit volunteer organization that helps Washburn County seniors live as independently as possible in their homes and remain connected to their community. Its affiliated group of volunteers, Angels on our Shoulders in Chicog, serves seniors in the northern reaches of the county. Neighbor to Neighbor is funded by donations from individuals and businesses, as well as a variety of grants that support community services. A WI Tomorrow Main Street Bounceback grant from the Northwest Regional Planning Commission and a donation from David and Caroline Cleveland, Spooner, helped Neighbor to Neighbor launch its new office, which includes a community room for seniors and volunteers.
More than 130 seniors are currently receiving free services that include weekly grocery shopping and delivery from Schmitz Economart; free boxes of non-perishable food delivered to low-income seniors furnished by the Hunger Relief Federation of Wisconsin; deliveries from the Washburn County Food Pantry; periodic phone calls and visits from volunteers; seasonal yard clean-up; interactive educational and entertaining events for seniors; and personalized cards sent to seniors on special occasions or when a caring message may be helpful.
All services are provided by volunteers, and the organization is always looking for more volunteers, as well as seniors who could benefit from a friendly helping hand.
Anyone interested in receiving services, becoming a volunteer or making a donation is encouraged to call Neighbor to Neighbor at 715-635-2252; e-mail fiawashburn@gmail.com or visit www.fiawashburn.org.
Town Brush Site: We will be leaving the site open 24/7 for brush disposal until further notice, but it will be monitored. Sorry for the inconvenience of all the schedule changing.
HELP US IMPROVE BROADBAND IN NORTHWEST WISCONSIN
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If you need help around the yard either removing snow or cleaning up the yard, contact the Washburn County Unit on Aging. Or you can call Pastor Patrick at the Wesleyan Church in Spooner at 715-635-2768.
The Town Of Chicog has set up an email list to alert residents of Chicog of happenings within our town. If you would like to be added to this list, send your email address to Steve Loiselle at loiselle@centurytel.net.
Chicog Township is zoned. Zoning laws are enforced through Washburn County. If you plan on building in our township, visit the Zoning Office at the Washburn County courthouse in Shell Lake and make sure everything is in order. Also, keep in mind that building permits are required in Chicog.
Town of Chicog Comprehensive Plan
Committee for the review and update of plan
The Washburn County Land and Water Conservation Department also has a newly-updated Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) website (https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/3b7b5413c50d48a39d62e48df1df103d). It discusses the main species of concern in Washburn County, mapped areas, controlled areas of some species and watercraft decontamination. More information will be added over time.
We have two decontamination stations in Chicog, (see below) Matthew Lake and Lower McKenzie Lake, and we are required to follow the decontamination law as well as to encourage our visitors with boats to do the same. We need to know the decontamination law for Washburn & Burnett County, which became law earlier this year. The law is, "Boaters are required to decontaminate their boats before entering a water body if a decontamination facility (see the enclosed picture of this decontamination station) is at the landing where boaters are putting in. This may consist of removing the weeds off the boat and doing a high pressure/high heat power wash, bleach wash, or other processes that are indicated by the signage". Please process the weed removal and bleach wash at both of these boat landings with decontamination stations.
You will find the explanation of the bleach wash by reviewing the “Ways to Zap Zebra Mussels” brochure below.
During June 22, 2018, Northwestern Wisconsin Lakes Conference, Dr. Mike McCarthy from the University of MN Research advised us not to move used docks and lifts from another lake into our lakes from May to November. And if you do move this equipment during these months, please make sure to have it power washed with 140 degrees hot water high-pressure washer spray before bringing to the boat landing and dropping it in your lake. He mentioned that they believe that Zebra Mussels do detach from established settings when introduced into new waters.
Keep in mind that Zebra Mussels can live on a boat, lift, or dock out of water for five days in dry weather and up to 30 days in wet weather.
Another report from Dr. Mike McCarthy at the Northwestern Wisconsin Lakes Conference is that "having boat landing inspectors is critical and is effective in keeping the Aquatic Invasive Species out, especially the Zebra Mussels, by doing weed removal and the bleach wash continuously." We need to encourage everyone using our lakes to do the inspection and bleach wash whether an inspector is present or not.
Additional Readings:
Washburn County Lakes & Rivers Association
Links to Other Sites for Zebra Mussel Information
Zebra Mussel control procedures. Here is a list:
Burnett County: Dave Ferris 715-349-2186 dferris@burnettcounty.org Burnett County Land & Water; Bob Baker
715-349 8009 robert.w.baker@uwrf.edu
Burnett County Lakes & Rivers Association.
Washburn County: Lisa Burns 715-468-4654 lburns@co.washburn.wi.co Washburn County Land & Water; Cathie Erickson
715-865-4406 Washburn County Lakes & Rivers Association.
US Fish & Wildlife: Dave Wedan 608-783-8435 dave_wedan@fws.gov