Peshtigo Honors Ten For Life Saving Responses

On Monday, Nov. 14, Ron “Porky” Behnke collapsed of a heart attack and nearly died while on his fork lift at Peshtigo Feed Mill. On Tuesday, Dec. 6 he was guest of honor at the Peshtigo City Council meeting where Mayor Cathi Malke presented life saving awards to ten individuals whose quick reactions helped keep him alive and make his presence at the Council meeting possible.
Those recognized were Irene Mayou, member of the Emergency Rescue Squad and who taught CPR for many years to First Responders throughout the area, John Bayer and Tom Termatt, who witnessed the distress and notified Cheryl Behnke to call 911, they also assisted in removing the victim from the fork lift along with Cheryl’s husband Rex, Cheryl Behnke who started CPR on her brother-in-law, Peshtigo Police Chief Fred Popp and Lieutenant Derek Koronkiewicz who continued CPR and used the defibrillator to shock the victim twice, Jim Taylor and Rick (Abner) Kama, members of the Emergency Rescue Squad and Anna Busse, Critical Care Paramedic and Greg Lexow who works at Aurora Bay Area Medical.
Mayou, who has been a member of the local Emergency Rescue Squad (EMS) for 33 years, and has been teaching CPR to other emergency responders in the area for over 30 years, was given the first of the awards.
Next was Cheryl Behnke. She called 911 after being told that her brother-in-law was down, and then ran outside to help. As soon as they got him him off the fork lift and onto the ground she started CPR. “I feel the guardian angels of mine and Porky’s came through for us,” Cheryl declared.  She said she remembers little from the time they got him off the fork lift until Police Chief Fred Popp and Lt. Derek Koronkiewicz arrived with the defibrillator. Koronkiewicz ripped Porky’s shirt open so the defibrillator could be used and Chief Popp took over CPR duties.
“That machine does its job,” Cheryl said of the defibrillator. She said she is proud that Peshtigo has one, “...not every community does.”
“I’ve given two of these since I became Chief, but I’ve never before gotten one myself,” Chief Popp said after Mayor Malke presented his life saver pin and certificate. Lt. Derek Koronkiewicz also received a pin and certificate.
Popp said one of his priorities when he became Peshtigo Police Chief last year has been getting more training for himself and other police officers, and added,  “Ironically, within the last two months Peshtigo Police Department had CPR training with Irene, and I said a quick prayer of thanks for that.”
There was an award set aside for EMS member Rick (Abner) Kama, who could not be present.
Jim Taylor said said the Rescue Squad has been serving the Marinette/Peshtigo area for over 75 years, and he has been a Squad member for a little over 32 years and this was his first save. “It was people being in the right place and doing the right thing that made a very big, powerful difference here,” he declared.
By the time Anna Busse and Greg Lexow, paramedics with Aurora Bay Area Medical Center emergency response team, arrived on site Behnke was breathing again and his heart was beating. They transported him to the hospital and he was later placed in intensive care at a Green Bay hospital.
“Honestly, we did nothing but show up,” Busse declared. “It was the first responders who really saved the day!”
“It’s nice to see you in this light,” Greg Lexow told Behnke. “Too often our outcomes are not good. I am happy that this time everything turned out well!”
Malke invited everyone to share refreshments in the lobby outside the Council Chambers, which had been filled to over flowing for the presentation ceremonies.
Moving on to other business for the evening, Dennis Czapiewski, presented the city with a $200 donation for the Fire Department from Peshtigo VFW Post 8813, to be used for starting Emergency Medical Services through the Fire Department.
At the start of the meeting Council had approved a change in rules for Peshtigo Dog Park as requested. Persons using the dog park previously had to attach permit tags to their dog’s collar. Under the new rule, whose who have purchased the annual or daily park permit tags must display them where they are visible through the windshield of their vehicle. Sue Cota explained this will make enforcement easier for everyone.
Alderman Keith Klimek asked what will prevent people from sharing their permits with others so they can bring their dogs in without paying. He was told this might happen, but there is not much the non-profit Dog Park group can do about it. She said some people seem to not understand that there is a fee.
As recommended by the Finance Committee, Council approved October budget adjustments and transfers, authorized a 6-month loan from Peshtigo National Bank for $167,581.76 at 4.25 percent interest for the 2023 debt levy, and approved the capital outlay items list as presented, to be funded with a short-term debt of $167,581.76.
The capital outlay list includes $31,085 for carpeting and office fixtures of the City Hall portion of the Municipal Building, and Klimek asked why, since they had just purchased new desks for them last year. Kasal said the allocation is for carpeting in just the city hall/ clerk’s office portion of the building, and the furniture to be replaced includes filing cabinets and some old credenzas that are falling apart.
After some long and sometimes intense discussion, a Finance Committee recommendation to keep the 2023 fee schedule the same as last year was adopted, on a split vote, with England opposed.
Schmidt had moved to adopt the fee schedule as recommended. After her motion was seconded by England, Malke objected, as she had at the committee meeting, that the schedule sets the transient merchant fee at only $50 for the year, which she said is particularly unfair to the two businesses in the city that focus on selling ice cream. She said these businesses pay city taxes, which transient vendors do not, and urged raising the transient merchant permit fee to perhaps $500.
England, with a second from Rohde, moved to amend the motion, and raise the transient merchant permit price to $200.
Schmidt said she was not comfortable with that, and felt not enough research had been put into finding out what other communities charge, and who would be affected. She urged council to follow the committee recommendation, and suggested they could change the transient merchant fee later if the committee feels that should be done.
She asked how many of these permits are issued, and Kasal said not often, perhaps two a year. Requirement for a transient merchant permits are not required for vendors who participate in Council-approved special events, such as those who sell balloons and other things at events like Historical Day.
Malke said she would like the increased transient permit price just for itinerant vendors who sell ice cream. Schmidt maintained if there is an increased permit fee it would need to cover everything, not just ice cream vendors.
Klimek asked what would stop the city’s two ice cream businesses from purchasing their own truck to sell their own ice cream treats at Badger Park and elsewhere in the city. He also was concerned that if transient merchants do not need licenses to sell at special events, there also is not a background check done on them.
Rohde asked if the higher-cost transient merchant permit would be needed by farmers who sell produce from the backs of their pickup trucks, and Kasal read a provision of state law that said it would not apply to those who sell fresh produce, fresh meats, fish, etc.
“I don’t feel comfortable with just throwing out a number,” Schmidt said, and again said the committee can act after doing some more research. England said he does not feel comfortable about approving the higher fee without knowing exactly who it applies to.
“I stand by my motion,” Schmidt declared, and said she would not rescind it. She repeated they can approve the fee schedule as recommended by the committee now and discuss the transient merchant fee at a future Finance Committee meeting. Ultimately, her motion to keep the fee schedule without change was approved, with England casting the only vote against it.
 With minimal discussion and no dissent Council approved a change in times of municipal court as requested by Court Clerk Nikkee Dionne. December Court is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 14, at 1:30 p.m., with juveniles scheduled for 2 p.m. As of January, court will be rescheduled for 6 p.m. for initial appearances and 6:30 p.m. for juveniles. There will be no court in March. Dionne said she will be in the court office every other Wednesday from 1 to 3 p.m., and alternate Wednesdays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Aldermen Klimek and Katie Berman had attended the Water and Sewer Committee meeting on Nov. 10. That meeting included a public hearing on route selection, planning and construction of the Sanitary Sewer River Crossing, after which the Water and Sewer Committee had recommended that the Council approve the  project as presented. That was done without dissent, with Aldermen Klimek, Katie Berman, Allen England, Chris Rohde and Brigitte Schmidt voting in favor. Alderman Debbie Sievert was absent and excused.
Also at the end of that Nov. 10 meeting the Water and Sewer Committee had gone into closed session to discuss the Sanitary Sewer River Crossing, and at the end of Tuesday’s Council meeting City Council did the same. Water and Sewer Committee member Fred Meintz and Chair Tom Gryzwa were  present for the closed session of the Council, as were City Attorney David Spangenberg, Clerk/Treasurer Tammy Kasal and Mayor Malke. After returning to open session before adjournment, Council voted unanimously in favor of a motion “To approve the action taken in closed session.” There was no indication of what that action had been.