Clerk's Office Open on Good Friday as Early Voting Ends

Friday is the last day for residents to vote early in person for Tuesday's election and clerks' offices across the state, including Caledonia, are required to be open.

With the spring election on Tuesday, muncipal clerks' offices across the state - including Caledonia - are required to be open on Good Friday. The clerk’s office at Caledonia will be open for in-person absentee voting and other election details that day. Friday is the deadline for in-person voting. You may also cast an absentee ballot by mail, but it must be postmarked no later than Tuesday. Here is more information on voting early in Wisconsin. "The absentee voting statutes provide no exemption from or postponement for deadlines occurring on the Thursday or Friday before the Spring Election, regardless of their relationship to religious observances that are not recognized as state holidays," Wisconsin Government Accountability Board …

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A Look Inside Caledonia's Village Hall

With a leaky roof, water dripping down the walls, air purifiers throughout the building keeping down the mold, insufficient work space and not being handicap accessible -- has the Village Hall outlived its purpose?

Discussion has been brewing on whether the Village should repair the Village Hall or build a new one. The building was constructed in 1953 when the Village was a Town. Mark Janiuk told the committee that village officials need to make a decision about where a possible new village hall would be built and that they commit to purchasing a new site. Dobbs agreed with Janiuk, but still believed the carpet and roof needed to be replaced. Staff told the committee that since 1993, they’ve been dealing with leaks in the roof and during the last rain there were “10-12 leaks in the engineering and building departments,” the roof over the highway department “wouldn’t last one more season,” and the electrical system in the building “is a nightmare.” …

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Fred Fischer

9:18 pm on Tuesday, March 19, 2013

In the private sector a full comparison breakdown would be required in order to even ask for money. Public sector just raises taxes.   more ›

Caledonia Residents Not Keen On A New Village Hall

While a new village hall is far from being built, a committee is trying to decide whether to put a new roof on the hall or build new.

Does The Village Need To Build A New Village Hall?

Village staff have been coping with a leaky roof for well over a decade and the carpeting needs replaced. Could it be time for the village board to consider building a new hall?

A leaky roof and worn carpeting has prompted a village committee to consider building a new village hall. Village trustee Jim Dobbs told the public works committee earlier this month that he would like the village board to start planning for a new village hall, according to meeting minutes. However, he would still like staff to get some quotes to see how much a new roof and carpeting would cost. Village administrator Mark Janiuk said the cost of repairing the roof may not be worthwhile, and repainting and re-carpeting the village hall may be too disruptive for village staff. One of the main issues is that the village hall has a flat roof. Janiuk told the committee that village officials need to make a decision about where a possible new …

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Village Board Races Heat Up With Contested Races

All four positions for the Caledonia Village Board will have two candidates on the April ballot. One of the positions will also have a primary election in February.

Four of the seven Caledonia village board seats are up for election this spring including the village president's position, and each has a contested race. The village trustee number three position will have a primary election on February 19. The top two vote getters from that race will then be on the spring election on April 2 along with the other positions. Trustees serve two-year terms and are paid $6,600 per year. The village president is paid $13,000 per year and serves a two-year term. Candidates have until 5 p.m. today to file papers. We'll update the list if any additional candidates file. Trustee No 1 *Kathy Burton (filed non-candidacy) Ed Willing, 5754 Winstar Lane David Prott, 2442 Rebecca Drive Trustee No. 3 *Kevin Wanggaard, …

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Ed Willing

9:50 am on Tuesday, March 26, 2013

I was falsely accused and I answered. :) if that's angry to you, how do you classify your own? Yeah, I'm sharp tongued and get to the point. Hopefully that gets me some votes. It is odd that you're attacking me when I've attacked no one here. Just pointing out the truth and explaining my positions to one who clearly have no idea where I stand. Guilty as charged.   more ›

Tax Bills in the Mail

Caledonia residents can expect to receive their bills any day.

If you haven’t received your tax bill yet, you soon will. The bills were mailed Thursday. Taxpayers are not expected to pay significantly more for the village portion of their taxes, despite an increase in the village’s mill rate. According to the village, a 15 percent drop in overall property values in the village resulted in an increase in mill rates, the amount of taxes the village levies on property owners. Total village mill rates—including state, county, Racine Unified School District, Gateway Technical and the differerent water and sewer districts in the village—range from $20.17 to $21.65 per $1000 of property value. Last year's mill rates ranged from $16.80 to $18.12. Forty-one percent of the total property taxes is for Racine …

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Mike Itzenhuiser

10:31 am on Tuesday, December 18, 2012

I have my property tax and home owners insurance included in my mortgage payment which is automatically withdrawn from my bank account. My property value dropped by 30% this year, so I got over $500 extra in my check.   more ›

A&W Restaurant Moving To Caledonia Because Of Interstate Construction

That old familiar building that houses the A&W Restaurant will be no more next year because the state want's to put in an interstate access at Highway K.

A&W Restaurant, 3751 South 27th St., will have to relocate to Caledonia because of the new interchange being built at Highway K and Interstate 94. The restaurant makes their own root beer and is one of the oldest drive-in restaurants in the area. Sharon and Frank, who have owned the business since 1974, are still ironing things with DOT; but they expect to start building the new restaurant in the spring. The new building will be located just to the east of the _Pilot_ gas station on the north side of Highway K and the old building will be razed. A new road will also divide the Pilot and newly built restaurant, which the DOT will pay up to $200,000 of. Sharon said they’ve known about the road construction since 1995, but the DOT changed the…

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Caledonia Confused

7:59 pm on Saturday, December 1, 2012

An answer of irrelevant means no? Shy one horse or two too many? http://youtu.be/lyuwBW9lNa8   more ›

Opposition to Caledonia Walmart Gathers Steam

A number of people in Caledonia don't like the idea of a Walmart in their neighborhood, but their fight may include one large challenge — the village land-use plan.

Following the news that Walmart may build a store in Caledonia, anti-Walmart signs have been cropping up along North Green Bay and 4 Mile roads. In September, Walmart announced that it would like to build a 24-hour general merchandise store on the southeast corner of that intersection. Company officials say the store will create 300 jobs, most of which are expected to be full-time. They haven’t presented any plans to the Village Board. However, they plan to host an informational meeting next week. Since the announcement, residents have also been passing out fliers to organize a group opposing the project, more than 140 people have joined a Facebook group called “No Walmart In Rural Caledonia,” and a local resident is hosting an …

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Cares4

9:21 pm on Saturday, October 20, 2012

WHAT A BIG LIE! AT 9 PM AT THE STURTEVANT LOCATION IT IS BUSY BECAUSE THAT LOCATION IS THE ONLY ONE WITH CHEAPER PRICES AND IT IS WAY OUT THERE SO OF COURSE EVERYONE HITS THE BEST SPOT ALL AT ONCE. CALEDONIA HAD THE BUSES STOPPED AT THE SHORECREST PLAZA SHOPPING CENTER FOR A WHILE WHY? CALEDONIA IS SLOWLY DYING AND NO ONE HAS A CLUE ON HOW TO REVIVE THE VILLAGE BECAUSE THEY ARE ALL POINTING THEIR…   more ›

Walmart Wants To Build A Store In Caledonia

Walmart says they want to submit plans to build a store in Caledonia, but they'll be asking for citizen input before that happens.

Walmart is back with a new location for a proposed 24-hour general merchandise store in Caledonia. The company announced its intentions Tuesday, in a press release that states it intends to present plans to the village for a store on the southeast corner of 4 Mile and Green Bay roads. Company officials anticipate the store will create 300 jobs, most of which are expected to be full-time. Last year Walmart proposed an 115,000-square-foot neighborhood grocery store on the corner of Highway 31 and 4 Mile Road. Village residents strongly disapproved of that plan, and hundreds of residents attended a public meeting to tell Walmart officials that if they wanted to come to Caledonia, they should choose a different spot, preferably one closer to …

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Janyce

3:19 pm on Saturday, October 13, 2012

Learn from history, The 'lower taxes' argument doesn't work.   more ›

Roadwork Assessment Possible for Kremer Subdivision Residents

Some Kremer subdivision residents may be assessed for a portion of the road reconstruction costs, but they are also looking at storm water user fees and borrowing for the $7.1 million project.

Affected residents of the Kremer subdivision could be assessed an average of $8,000 for roadwork connected to the neighborhood's looming sewer project. It's just one funding option considered Tuesday at a joint meeting of the Village Board and the Caledonia Utility District. The board discussed a variety of ideas for covering some of the village's third of the road costs, approximately $389,000: “Most of the roadwork hasn’t been funded yet,” said Dave Wagner, of Ehlers & Associates. “But the ERU would at least help fund it without using tax levy dollars.” The road project is part of an overall plan to replace the sanitary sewer, water, and storm utility system in the Kremer subdivision. The cost of the entire project is just over $7 …

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