Pete Pfankuch - Letter to Editor

Thank you for doing an excellent job of covering local issues and sports. Several subjects in the last couple paper editions should be of great concern to all county residents, voters and tax payers.  This county has some real issues. PFAS bio sludge is still being spread around the county on farm fields according to the article “Lake Noquebay Samples Low to No-Detect for PFAS”. I would not have suspected the lake to have any PFAS since the body of water has a dam and water flows out constantly. Any PFAS water would naturally flow downstream.  Maybe test the fish and bottom?  Will Tyco be providing bottled water to the entire county eventually? 

Peshtigo tax payers are in trouble for several reasons. Top of the list is the school referendum which was likely passed because of misinformation provided by the administrator and school board. They all should be replaced. Hopefully the elections and recall petitions will do this. Then fire the administrator. A smart school board would have not borrowed the money or started on the road to construction knowing the voters were deceived and unhappy.  Instead they rushed to get started. Why? I should mention that it appears they do not own all the land that some of the school is built on and they plan to build on. Huh?

The City of Peshtigo has a $2.7 Million Sewer Contract to replace an existing sewer line they don’t have an easement for.  Keep in mind that BPM, Inc. wants payment for the use of the land to date for the old one.  I suspect they will demand removal of the old line.  How much is that going to cost?  Peshtigo also lost their biggest customer a while ago.  

Town of Peshtigo has the PFAS issues in addition to the school taxes. The solution is a municipal water system. Deep Wells are not a long term solution according to many people way smarter than us. The longer this is dragged out the more it will cost.  

The county is getting the UW Field House back. It is not as bad as it sounds as the UW did not pay anything to lease it. Education changed greatly with the pandemic. Many general education classes can be taken on line so no need for the local college any more it appears. Will the whole campus be turned back over eventually?

32% of the county does not have Broadband Service.  The first question is how much more of the county really needs broadband?  Most of the rural weekenders either have satellite internet services or use their cell phones when they are up north. If there was the demand and customers to support it companies would provide it and people would have it. Commercial for profit businesses tend to be way smarter than the local, state and federal government. Of course if government provides free and ample tax payers dollars to build anything some not so scrupulous companies will do it. Then ask for funding to support operation of it. 

 Wish I had some easy solutions for everyone other than vote intelligently.

Sincerely,

Pete Pfankuch
Crivitz, WI