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After receiving a diagnosis of brain cancer
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GANNETT WISCONSIN MEDIA
INVESTIGATIVE
REPORT
OFF
REGULAR PRICES
Pay levels inconsistent
across state’s districts
By Eric Litke
Gannett Wisconsin Media Investigative Team
Teacher and administrator salaries
vary widely across Wisconsin’s public
school system, even among districts of
similar size and location, a Gannett Wisconsin Media Investigative Team analysis found.
The state’s
423
districts
have final say
over their own
employee salaries,
which
teachers
WHAT WE PAY means
who
perform
YOUR TAX DOLLARS AND
THE SALARIES THEY SUPPORT
the same or similar duties can
earn
significantly more or less depending on where
they work.
In Outagamie County, base pay for
teachers in the Kaukauna Area School
District averaged just under $62,000 in
2011-12, while nearby Hortonville Area
School District teachers averaged
By Adam Rodewald
Oshkosh Northwestern Media
Emerging performance-based pay
scales and competition for skilled teachers could drive educators’ salaries upward, especially for those in highly specialized programs.
Wages for public school teachers used
to be set by collective bargaining agreements that awarded automatic pay increases for years of experience and
earned graduate credits. However, state
lawmakers dissolved that practice when
passing new collective bargaining laws
in 2010 that phased out existing union
contracts and limited negotiations to
base wage increases capped at the rate
of inflation.
Many teachers fear the new law,
See FUTURE, Page A4
40
SUNDAY, JANUARY 13, 2013
REUNITE
See SCHOOLS, Page A4
Performance,
competition
driving factors
in future pay
PACKERS
FALL TO
49ERS
FOUR UNDER
Salaries
vary widely
in schools
A LOOK BACK ON PREVIOUS HONOREES AS
NOMINATIONS SOUGHT FOR NEW CLASS
C
By Jeff Bollier Oshkosh Northwestern Media
hange has come slowly for many of the two dozen
young leaders profiled in “Four Under 40” over the
past 6 years by Oshkosh Northwestern Media, but not
for Nicole Peterson.
Or, as you may know her now, the “Nikki” in Chuggs,
Nikki and the KISS Nation Morning Show on 95.9 KISS
FM. Peterson, profiled in 2010 for her personal finance focus at Oshkosh West High School and extensive community involvement, still
coordinates finance programs at West and North, but has stepped
away from teaching as she explored a new career path.
“I felt like I had to try
this,” Peterson said. “It’s
really, really fun. I’m excited to try and see how it
goes. You never know.”
Peterson speaks the
truth. You never do know.
And that’s part of the fun
as Northwestern Media
once again puts out its annual call for nominations
for 2013’s Four Under 40.
The basics remain the
same: Email your nominations to [email protected] by no later
See HONOREES, Page A3
FOUR UNDER
40 NOMINEES
Do you know an
exemplary young
leader in the community who should be
highlighted by Oshkosh Northwestern
Media? Send your
nominations, including name, age,
occupation, community involvement, and a
few sentences on why
she or he deserves to
be honored to Jeff
Bollier, 224 State St.,
Oshkosh, 54901 or
[email protected]
Previous Four Under 40 nominees gather for a photo in the Becket's Atrium in Oshkosh on Jan. 5, 2013. Front row from left:
Phil Marshall, Sarrah Larson, Michelle Wihlm, Nicole Peterson and Jeff Jahnke. Back row from left: Kris Larson, Jim Kolb and
Jon Doemel. ADAM JUNGWIRTH/OSHKOSH NORTHWESTERN MEDIA
INDEX
WI-5001602631
20-75%
READ MORE INSIDE » B1 | 49ERS 45, PACKERS 31
GREEN BAY
KNOCKED
OUT OF
PLAYOFFS
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TO SAN
FRANCISCO
$2.00 Retail
For home delivery pricing, A2
JANUARY 9 THRU 22
Advice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D4
Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C10
Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E1
Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1
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Lifestyle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Lottery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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B4
D1
C4
C7
Puzzles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E4
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C1
USA Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C8
Weather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A2
Cloudy and colder throughout day
High 24
Low 10
» Five-day
forecast, A2
PAGE ONE INSIGHT
Oshkosh Northwestern • www.thenorthwestern.com
K1Sunday,
January 13, 2013 A3
Use of settlement funds raising questions
Wisconsin State Journal
In February, the state got
$30.2 million as part of a multibillion-dollar national settlement with five major banks accused of defrauding homeowners by signing off on foreclosure documents without verifying information they contained.
Republican Gov. Scott Walker decided to use the bulk of the
money — $24.3 million — to
pump up the state’s general
fund. The rest, Walker assured,
would be used to mitigate the
damage caused by the foreclosure crisis, including helping
blighted areas of Milwaukee
and bolstering training for
prosecutors to go after mortgage and foreclosure fraud.
The state Department of Justice, which is overseeing that
remaining $5.9 million, echoed
those comments late last month,
telling the State Journal that the
Continued from Page A1
than Sunday, Feb. 10. Include basic information
such as the nominee’s age,
where they work, what
they do, how to contact
them and a few sentences
about why you think they
deserve to be profiled.
Northwestern Media’s
editors will review the
nominees and select four
to be profiled March 3.
And in case you were
wondering what Four Under 40 alumni have been
up to, read on …
Class of 2007
» Amy Albright
Then: Community Relations Director for the
Oshkosh Area YMCA and
a member of the Service
League of Oshkosh.
Now: Mission and
Brand Enhancement Director for the Oshkosh
Area YMCA. Albright
still volunteers with the
Service League and also
now is a Partners At
Learning mentor to students at Jacob Shapiro Elementary
School.
» Jeff
Jahnke
Then: Investment
Advisor at
Executive
Financial
Services LLC and property developer.
Now: Same. Jahnke
also now serves on the
Downtown Oshkosh Business Improvement District Board.
» Krista Williams
Then: Business Development Specialist at CitizensFirst Credit Union.
Now: Relocation Consultant for Schroeder
Moving Systems/United
Van Lines in Appleton.
Williams remains a board
member of the Oshkosh
Mid-Morning
Kiwanis,
too.
» Phil
Marhshall
Then:
Emmeline
Cook Elementary
School Principal
Now: Marshall was
promoted to Webster
Stanley Middle School
Principal in 2012.
Class of 2008
» Kia Xiong
Then: Her family owns
and operates Oshkosh
Oriental Food and Video.
Now: She and the rest
of the Xiong family celebrated the Oshkosh Oriental Food and Video’s
10th anniversary this
year. Kia also works at
Aurora Medical Center as
both a pediatric nurse and
special care nursery
nurse. Kia remains involved in the Hmong Service Center and several of
the group’s annual festivals.
» Candy Pearson
Then: Apple Blossom
Books owner.
Now: Pearson still
runs Apple Blossom. The
store has moved into City
Center where it has become a true community
reading center. Pearson
says Apple Blossom now
hosts poetry jams, book
clubs, a community book
club for kindergarteners
classes for knitters and
scrapbookers.
» Eric Hoffmann
Then: Omro Building
Center owner.
Now: Hoffmann still
operates the Omro Building Center on Huron
Street and continues to
see positive growth each
year. He is currently
serving a term on the Omro Business Improvement District board of directors and served a term
as the Winnebago Homebuilders
Association
president 2011-2012.
» Brian Wogernese
Then: Wogernese Hotel Group (WHG) president.
Now: Wogernese still
runs WHG out of Neenah
offices now while the
company has expanded
into smaller communities
with its Cobblestone Inn
and Suites brand.
Class of 2009
» Amy Bargenquast
Then: Certified Public
Accountant with The Sullivan Group.
Now:
Bargenquast
continues to help grow
and develop large and
small local businesses in
her job with the Sullivan
Group. She’s also a member of the Wisconsin Institute of Certified Public
Accountants and the
American Institute of
Certified Public Accountants. She’s a board member for Oshkosh MidMorning Kiwanis and
serves on the Boys and
Girls Club of Oshkosh’s finance committee.
» Jim Kolb
Then: House of Flowers owner and early Propel Oshkosh
participant.
Now:
Kolb
still
owns
and
operates
House
of
Flowers.
The store
has expanded its selection and recently made investments in software to
streamline orders and allow customers to track
deliveries in real time.
» Dan Morrill
Then: Benefits consultant for Servant Insurance.
Now: Morrill crafted a
health care benefits computer program that adds
value for end-users and
cuts employer costs. He
now serves as Servant’s
vice president of employee benefits and has been
director of client services
at Dynamis, a leader in
health insurance plan optimization systems.
» Tamara Mugerauer
Then: Tamara the Cake
Guru was the go-to cake
designer and decorator
with a small shop on Oregon Street.
Now: The Cake Guru
expanded her operation
thanks to a move into the
former Schoenberger’s
Pastry Shop location at
1529 Oregon St. Mugerauer has expanded her
staff to 10 and bake goods
to include cupcakes,
cookies and cheesecakes.
Class of 2010
» Jon Doemel
Then: The Glass Nickel Pizza Co. co-owner’s
tasty take on pizza proved
to be a hit almost
as
soon as they
opened.
Doemel also
became an
early supporter
of
the
Stand
with the Grand movement when the historic
opera house’s roof needed
significant repairs.
Now: Doemel still delivers the goods when it
comes to pizza, but he accomplished a long-time
goal when he opened in a
new location with a full
bar and dining room in
early fall 2011. Since then,
the Nickel has hosted
fundraisers for friends
facing medical bills and
community fundraisers
of all sorts.
» Komal Mehta
Then: Worked in marketing and finance at Triangle Manufacturing.
Now: Mehta continues
to work in business development at Triangle and
also continues her involvement with the Oshkosh area’s FIRST Robotics team, WAVE Robotics.
» Jeremy Monnett
Then: Sonex Aircraft
CEO and board member
for both the Christine Ann
Center and the Progress
Oshkosh Pride of Place
Committee.
Now: Monnett remains CEO, helped Pride
of Place light its second
bridge in the summer
2012 and was recently appointed to the Chamco
Board of Directors.
» Nicole Peterson
Then:
Marketing
teacher and Career and
Technical
Education
Coordinator
at Oshkosh
West High
School
Now: Peterson still
coordinates
career and technical education programs at West
and North high schools,
but she’s also become cohost of 95.9 FM’s morning
show: Chuggs, Nikki and
the KISS Nation Morning
Show. Peterson remains
involved
in
Junior
Achievement, too.
Class of 2011
» Chris Yakes
Then: Oshkosh Corp.
Vice President for Advanced Products
Now: Yakes continues
to work at Oshkosh Corp.,
but did not immediately
respond to a request for
updated information.
» Mike Bennett
Then: Bennett Family
Insurance Agency of
Farmer’s Insurance owner
Now: Bennett still
runs the insurance agency and presently is a
board member for the
Mid-Morning
Kiwanis
Club. He also serves as
chairman of the club’s
Talent Untapped fundraiser and continues to
mentor at-risk youth in
the Oshkosh Area School
District.
» Kris and Sarrah Larson
Then: Becket’s co-owners
Now: The couple remain co-owners of the
trendy restaurant and
popular music spot, but
have also been appointed
to seats on the Downtown
Oshkosh Business Improvement
District
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Class of 2012
» Stephanie Gyldenvand
Then: ESTHER of the
Fox Valley head organizer and Oshkosh Food CoOp co-organizer.
Now:
Gyldenvand,
fresh off organizing the
Day by Day Warming
Shelter, continues to work
on a variety of faith-based
community projects in
the Oshkosh area including a major prison reform
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Voted
effort.
» Jolene Mislang
Then: Festival Foods
regional loss prevention
supervisor and Oshkosh
Jaycees vice president of
membership.
Now: Mislang continues to work at Festival
and has stayed involved
in the Jaycees, though she
is no longer the membership vice president.
» Brad Hunter
Then: Belville Fletcher Chiropractic chiropractor
Now: Hunter continues to work at Belville
Fletcher and work with
community groups like
the Oshkosh Downtown
Rotary, where he’s sergeant at arms, and Propel
Oshkosh, the young professionals group.
» Stephanie Steig
Then: Darabosh Tax
and Accounting accountant and InnerSun yoga
instructor
Now: Steig has expanded her yoga instruction to cover a wide range
from beginners to the
most experienced yoga
practitioners at InnerSun. She’s also started to
reach out to students in local schools, as well.
Krueger Family Chiropractic
Marcoe’s Recycling
Open:
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Sat 10am-3pm
WI-5001603137
neys general, including Van
Hollen, and five major lenders
after states began investigating
the practice of “robo-signing”
and other fraudulent activities
by mortgage servicers.
Most of the settlement is to
be used by the banks to directly
benefit borrowers through refinanced mortgages, loan modifications, lowered principles,
agreements to sell homes for
less than the loan balance and
other consumer relief.
Between March 1 and Sept.
30, the five lenders reported relief totaling $82 million for 1,873
Wisconsin homeowners, according to the national Office of
Mortgage Settlement Oversight.
In a statement, Joseph
Smith, monitor of the National
Mortgage Settlement, cautioned that the amounts reported by the banks are unverified
but “encouraging.” However,
Smith noted that, as of Sept. 30,
his office had received 3,300
complaints of alleged mistreatment by the banks, including 67
from Wisconsin homeowners
and their advocates.
board,
the
Oshkosh
Chamber board of directors and the Oshkosh
Symphony
Orchestra.
They continue to help foster community conversation with events like the
Downtown Throwdown
and Brews and Views.
» Michelle Wihlm
Then: Wihlm Dental
owner.
Now: Michelle continues to build her dental
practice thanks to a new
building at Ninth Avenue
and Westhaven Drive
that
her
staff moved
into in December.
Wihlm
is
also
currently president of the Oshkosh MidMorning Kiwanis through
2013.
Aluminum Cans
WI-5001603600
Honorees
bulk of that money had been allocated to help homeowners and
combat fraud, including helping homeowners reach mediated settlements with lenders, anti-blight and economic development projects and training and
staffing for financial fraud and
consumer protection efforts.
But about $2 million of that
money is targeted for pay raises
for DOJ attorneys and assistant
district attorneys across the
state, to fund tribal law enforcement and for victim/witness
programs — uses Milwaukee
Mayor Tom Barrett said are at
best marginally related to the
purpose of the funds.
DOJ spokeswoman Dana
Brueck defended the agency’s
allocation of its portion of the
money, some of which is being
used to train prosecutors in
mortgage and other financial
fraud, time-consuming investigations that often take a back
seat to investigating violent
WI-5001601326
By Dee J. Hall
crisis and some of the items
funded by the settlement, such
as the prosecutor pay raises.
“That is a legitimate issue —
boosting pay for prosecutors,”
the mayor said. “(But) using
these monies for that purpose is
a whole different question.”
Barrett also questioned the
size of the effort by the state to
help areas hard hit by the crisis,
such as Milwaukee County,
where about 500 homeowners
each month face foreclosure.
Van Hollen’s office has set
aside $500,000 of the settlement
money to demolish abandoned
homes, including 39 in Milwaukee. Barrett said his city has
been saddled with ownership of
1,000 dilapidated properties.
Now that the state is projecting a budget surplus, Barrett
said, Walker should return the
money to help homeowners and
communities hurt by the wave
of foreclosures that began in
2008 and continues today.
A message left with Walker
spokesman Cullen Werwie on
last week was not returned.
The money comes from a $25
billion settlement with 49 attor-
crime.
“Anything we can do to support law enforcement makes it
more likely that these crimes
will be investigated and prosecuted,” she said.
In a letter in June, Attorney
General J.B. Van Hollen said
pay raises will help prosecutors
reduce the “alarmingly high”
turnover among prosecutors by
retaining “dedicated and experienced prosecutors ... to protect the public and do justice.”
Even some critics of how
Wisconsin has used its settlement money say they have seen
a heightened response by DOJ
to complaints that banks are
mistreating homeowners.
“I’m really impressed with
the staff they have assigned to
these complaints and cases,”
said Catey Doyle, chief legal
counsel for the Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee, which has
represented hundreds of homeowners in foreclosure.
But Barrett, a Democrat who
ran unsuccessfully against
Walker twice for the governor’s
office, said he sees no connection between the foreclosure
WI-5001604922
Critics claim state could be doing
more to help foreclosure recovery
Dr. Candy McGinnis Dahl
Doreen Jensen, MS
Oshkosh • Neenah • Ripon
(920) 233-1800
1-800-214-1539
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