What’s Happening in Shell Lake!!
The cool evenings of September remind us that Fall is certainty in the air. As we say good bye to the warm temperatures of summer, we get to look forward to the fall colors that are so abundant in our area, as we walk/ride the trails, travel on the country roads, or even just observe them from our own back yard. The changes of the season are so beautiful in the North Country, it often makes me pause to think about how fortunate we are to live in this part of the country.
With a busy summer behind us, we are looking at a much quieter Fall. The summer activities were so much fun, meeting lots of new people, and watching people gather to enjoy our city and take part in the activities was rather heartwarming.
Soon we will be seeing the yellow school buses rumbling down the streets carrying the precious cargo of our school children. I run past a couple of the bus stops on my morning runs, and I love seeing the fresh faces, stuffed back backs, and look of anticipation on the kiddo’s faces. Some with tears, most with smiles with Mom’s and Dad’s standing close by, making sure their little ones get on safely. Please be mindful of the rules of the road when it comes to busses and their coming and goings. Stop when the arms are extended from the bus, and lights are flashing giving our children the safest passage from the street, curb, driveway, whatever their off/on steps are for the bus. Good Luck to all the children of Shell Lake as they start their new school year. Your first day of school marks the beginning of a new adventure. Embrace it with excitement and curiosity, every day is a chance to learn something new, and make wonderful memories. Wishing you all a fantastic and successful school year ahead! But most of all….have FUN!
Many of you may be wondering what is happening on North Lake Drive by the Shell Lake Marine. The city is replacing/relocating a lift station. Your next questions might be “What is a lift station”?. A public sewer main has lift stations strategically placed along the sewer line where the waste product must be pumped “up-hill “so that the waste can arrive at its final destination, the waste treatment ponds. The city was fortunate to receive grant funding to replace the lift station located alongside the Shell Lake Marine. Due to the age of the lift station, it was time to replace it. The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of October/beginning of November.
It’s always nice to hear positive remarks from the folks that live in and around our city. Last week, we received a wonderful email from a local citizen who was born and raised on a farm in Shell Lake. He went on to state how impressed he is with the stewardship of our own City Administrator Andy Eiche, starting with his volunteerism with Lions and helping with their Triathlon. In a few short words of what he had to say; “Andy has a quiet presence and approachability as well as possessing the management skills communication and knowledge we all are so thankful for. Thank you, Andy, for all that you do on our behalf” Thank you sir so much for taking the time to write this heart felt note, and acknowledging the work that is done by our City Administrator.
DID YOU KNOW…that Shell Lake does have recycling? There was the word on the street, that due to the fact that China no longer buys our recycled items, that we no longer recycled. Well, I am happy to announce that we DO recycle! So please, if you had stopped doing this because of what you may have heard, please continue to recycle as you did before. This is hugely important for our city, and for the environment as far as that goes, to recycle what we can, so that there is less that goes to waste site, and more that can be utilized to make products that we use every day. I will be doing a tour of the Republic landfill sight, and hopefully get an article in the paper about the specifics of what are and are not recyclable products, and how to correctly dispose of them. Stay tuned….
The City of Shell Lake should be so proud of the students from Shell Lake High School who were recipients of the 2024 LIONS SCHOLARSHIP! There were 14 applications from students that qualified, all excellent candidates which made for a very difficult decision. The Lions feel very fortunate this year to be able to award $8000 in scholarship money to the students, which shows their commitment to Community Education. There were 7 Scholarships awarded in all, and the following students were awarded:
Medical Scholarship: $2000
Hannah Foust
General Scholarship: $1000 to each of the following students:
Aaden Jensen, Emily Swan, Madelen Melton, Jessica Haynes, Mark Skluzacek, and Donavan Balts
Congratulations to all of you, and the best of luck to you in your future endeavors.
The Lions work hard throughout the year to raise funds so that they are able to give back to the community. They include Love Lite Tree, Fish Fry, Triathlon, and Calendar Sales just to name a few.
So next time you attend an event put on by the Lions, you can rest assured your money is going to a great cause.
Dates to remember
September 9th City Council Meeting, beginning at 7:00 pm at City Hall
September 10th and 11th OPEN BOOK at Shell Lake City Hall. Both days 8:30-AM-Noon, and 1:00-6:00 PM This is time set aside for homeowners/property owners to talk with the assessor regarding your reevaluation. Appointments are recommended. Call 262-253-1142 to reserve a specific time.
September 21st Annual Family Range Day; a fundraising event put on by the Shell Lake Police Foundation. This takes place at the Indianhead Rifle and Pistol Range located at N6105 Mann Rd, Spooner WI from 12noon until 4PM
Enjoy shooting and instruction with range experts, guns and ammo supplied, so just prepare to come and have some fun. There will be FREE food, drinks and live music, along with a gun raffle, and a raffle of numerous beautiful baskets supplied by area merchants. I actually went to this event years ago, and I know nothing about guns, but didn’t matter, it was really fun! This will be a fun family day for everyone! If you have any questions, you can call 715-491-1361
Stefanie Naessen, who is our Deputy Clerk/Deputy Treasurer for the City of Shell Lake is our person of the Month. Stefanie with her bright smile greets all who enters Shell Lake city hall. When you call, she is the one who answers and then may either direct your calls, answer your questions, or the one who will most likely be giving you the code to the tree dump! Stefanie wears many hats, and does them all well. She assists with campground reservations on the off-season, produces the utility bills and gets them in the mail to you, mails the tax bills and then posts the payments, does account payable, and any other clerical duties needed with the city crew and staff.
Stef grew up in Minong and graduated from Northwood, where she played volleyball, basketball and softball. She is an only child, married and has two children, namely Brock who is a senior this year, and Grace who will be a sophomore. Both of her children attend Shell Lake high school. Stefanie graduated from WITC with two Associate degrees, one in Finance and the other in accounting. Before coming to work for the City of Shell Lake in the winter of 2015, she worked at Links for 13 years in the International Accounting department. Her favorite thing to do is watch her children in all their activities, spending time at home with family, reading, trying out new recipes and watching True Crime documentaries. Her favorite time of year is just around the corner, the beautiful Fall of the north woods. All of us here at city hall truly appreciate all that Stefanie does for us, especially the last-minute stuff that needs attention. Thank you, Stefanie, for making our jobs easier, you make it a pleasure to come to work each day!
As the leaves begin to turn and the air grows crisp, we are reminded of the beauty in change. Hopefully this season of Fall will bring warmth, inspiration, and a renewed sense of purpose. Until next time, embrace the magic of the season, let it fill your days with joy.
Mayor Rowie Hansberger