Paramedic staffing and management concerns, a passed school referendum, and proposed construction of Wisconsin Dells Parkway were just a few events that highlighted 2022 in the Dells area.
Dells-Delton EMS issues — On Feb. 7, Lake Delton Director of Public Safety Daniel Hardman was placed on administrative leave for just over two-and-a-half months. This came after a unanimously signed no confidence vote by members of IAFF Local 5026, the Dells-Delton Emergency Medical Services (EMS) staff union, along with individual documents with redacted identifying information, levied allegations of workplace harassment and abuse of power against Hardman, who is also the village’s Chief of Police.
The Village of Lake Delton has placed Director of Public Safety Daniel Hardman on paid administrative leave while it investigates allegations of discrimination and abuses of power in regards to Dells-Delton EMS employees.
Following an investigation by Stafford Rosenbaum LLP law firm, Hardman was cleared of wrongdoing and reinstated to his positions on April 27. The grievance process for members of Dells-Delton EMS was changed to go through department director Dillon Gavinski and that none would be directed to Hardman.
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Following an independent investigation into allegations of workplace misconduct, Lake Delton Police Chief and Director of Public Safety Daniel Hardman was cleared of wrongdoing and is being reinstated to his positions.
Spencer Nett, the former president of IAFF L5026 who penned the vote of no confidence letter, was extremely critical of the village’s decision, saying that the Dells-Delton EMS Commission and village board were “condoning those actions” by voting to reinstate Hardman.
The Lake Delton director of public safety, Daniel Hardman, was reinstated last week after being cleared of wrongdoing in an outside investigation, which the union claims was a flawed process.
Nett was later put on administrative leave and eventually terminated from the department due to a social media post claiming staffing issues within Dells-Delton EMS for Memorial Day weekend, which Gavinski released a statement denying. Attorneys representing Nett notified the commission and village attorney Benoit LeTendre of a possible wrongful termination lawsuit. LeTendre said the matter is “headed to arbitration” as of Dec. 20.
Spencer Nett, the Dells-Delton EMS employee who wrote a vote of no confidence letter against Lake Delton Public Safety Director Daniel Hardman in February, was terminated from his position in a unanimous vote by the Dells-Delton EMS Commission on Aug. 4. The termination is in response to allegedly false social media posts made by Nett regarding DDEMS staffing in late May.
SDWD referendum passes — After a rejected referendum in 2021, the School District of Wisconsin Dells passed a $1.2 million referendum over the next four school years (2022-23 through 2025-26) for operational expenses within the district during the Nov. 8 election. The measure, which appeared on the 2022 fall ballot that also featured the Wisconsin gubernatorial and state U.S. Senate elections, passed with a nearly 54-46% margin.
The School District of Wisconsin Dells passed a $1.2 million referendum over the next four years with 480 more votes in favor of the measure than votes against it.
The referendum projects no increase in the mill rate (amount per $100,000 in property value) for district taxpayers during the life of the referendum. District officials say that the passage of the referendum ensures the district can avoid cutting/consolidating programs and enables further discussion regarding a replacement facility for Lake Delton Elementary School.
Dells Parkway slated for construction—Beginning in December of 2021, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) introduced a three-section plan for reconstructing Wisconsin Dells Parkway from its intersection with Broadway in Wisconsin Dells to that with Adams Street in Lake Delton.
Wisconsin Dells Parkway is scheduled to receive a left turn lane in its Lake Delton segments and some other work to improve safety. The project is scheduled to begin in early 2025 and finish in late 2026.
The project is designed to increase sidewalk space on both sides of the road and add a two-way left turn lane south of its intersection with County Highway A. A goal of the project is to reduce rear-end collisions and encourage smoother traffic flow. Sidewalks on the two portions south of the Highway A intersection will be at least 5 feet wide throughout, with one stretch being 10 feet wide.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation held its second public information meeting regarding the upcoming Wisconsin Dells Parkway project on Tuesday.
Project construction is slated to begin in early 2025 and be completed in fall of 2026, with hiatuses during the summer months because of increased tourism traffic.
Noah’s Ark Waterpark officials voiced concerns with the layout of the project near the attraction in August, stating the entrance to the waterpark would be limited for potential visitors traveling southbound on the parkway.
Representatives from Noah's Ark Waterpark voiced concerns with the proposed Wisconsin Dells Parkway project at a Wisconsin Department of Transportation public hearing in Lake Delton on Aug. 24.
Dawn Manor — An historic house in Lake Delton that dates back to when the area was called Newport is having its iconic features restored and relocated to an undisclosed location and will become a private event venue featuring an 1800s theme.
Steve Uphoff, owner of the historic Dawn Manor house in Lake Delton, has stored the original components of the house while he seeks a Dells area location to rebuild it.
Dawn Manor, which was built in 1855 by lumber businessman Captain Abraham Vanderpoel, is now owned by Dells native and Virginia resident Steve Uphoff. He contracted with an architectural designer and Amish carpenters to preserve the masonry and woodwork, a method to “cannibalize the building,” according to Uphoff.
Dawn Manor, a historic house in Lake Delton slated for relocation, will remain in the area as a private event venue where the clothes, meals and music will match the mid-1800s aesthetics of the home.
The future site of Dawn Manor has not been announced.
Delton firefighter honored — Joe Sabol, a Sauk County Sheriff’s Office sergeant and on-call member of the Delton Fire Department who survived his injuries following being struck by a vehicle driven by a cell phone-distracted driver while responding to an emergency scene on Interstate 90/94 in 2018, received a plaque of a law that was passed due to the incident involving him.
The accident, along with another in 2015 which claimed an emergency responder’s life, sparked the passage of Wisconsin Act 115, which addresses distracted and careless driving in roadside emergency areas. The law, which doubles fines for certain traffic violations and stiffens penalties for violations resulting in bodily harm, was nicknamed “Joe’s Law” in honor of Sabol.
Joe Sabol, a Sauk County Sheriff's Sergeant and Delton Fire Department firefighter, earned a plaque for his near-fatal accident's role in getting a stricter emergency zone driving law passed on Dec. 6, 2021.
The law was passed on Dec. 6, 2021, which was the anniversary of his start date with the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office and 115 was his number when he previously worked as an officer with the Lake Delton Police Department.
Other 2022 highlights
Mt. Olympus slide opens — Medusa’s Slidewheel, an innovative rotating waterslide that is the only one of its kind in the United States, opened in late May. The slide, which is modeled much like a Ferris wheel and provides riders with a pendulum movement and back-and-forth motion along with the rotation, is the most notable addition to a large expansion of the Mt. Olympus Indoor Waterpark.
Mt. Olympus Water and Theme Park in Lake Delton held the grand opening of Medusa's Slidewheel on May 28. The rotating waterslide is the only one of its kind in the United States.
Soul of the River — Joseph Leute, a Wisconsin Dells native photographer who now splits his time between the area and New York City, opened Soul of the River, an exhibit of his photography in relation to the Wisconsin River at the Wisconsin Dells Riverwalk. The exhibit overlooks the river and fully opened in August.
An outdoor exhibit with rotating photos highlights the people of the historic river town that is now known for its tourism.
Denny’s shooting — Two unidentified people were injured in a March 30 shooting near the 600 block of Vine Street in Wisconsin Dells. Mason L. Acuna, 22, was taken into custody in Indiana for his alleged role in the incident. The shot individuals were discovered by emergency responders near the Denny’s in the city before being transported to area hospitals.
22-year-old Mason L. Acuna was taken into custody in relation to the shooting that occurred on March 30 in Wisconsin Dells.
Elm Street $3.5M grant — Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers presented the Wisconsin Dells Visitor and Convention Bureau (WDVCB) with a $3.5 million grant to assist the bureau with development and maintenance of the upcoming Elm Street Plaza. A date for the opening of the plaza has yet to be determined due to some supply delays.
The developing Elm Street Plaza project in Wisconsin Dells received a $3.5 million grant from the state on Feb. 3 as part of Wisconsin's Tourism Capital Investment Grant program. Funds from the grant will be used for maintenance and promotion of the new attraction, which has been in the works since 2014.
Burgess legacy — The Bowman House, an historic residence on Broadway in the Dells that has been converted into a museum exhibiting a wide array of area history, was curated by Dells Country Historical Society member Carol Burgess for 18 years. Burgess’s projects include preserving vintage windows, archiving Wisconsin Dells Events editions, and displaying other historic community documents and artifacts.
Carol Burgess, a member of the Dells Country Historical Society, has been curator of the historic Bowman House for 18 years. She has initiated a litany of projects in the house, which serves as a history museum that is open on Thursdays and Fridays during the summer.
Sundara recognition — Sundara Inn & Spa earned the No. 4 spot on Travel and Leisure’s list of the 10 Best Resorts of the Midwest for 2022, a six-spot jump from the same list in 2021. The resort, open since 2003, is owned by Wilderness Resort in Lake Delton, is a remotely-located adults-only spa and relaxation-themed hotel. It offers spa, massage, relaxation, and therapy services.
Sundara Inn & Spa, an adults-only spa and wellness resort owned by Wilderness Resort in Wisconsin Dells, was ranked No. 4 on Travel and Leisure's 10 Best Resorts in the Midwest.
Dells PD vets retire — Jesse Weaver and Perry Mayer, who combined to serve over 50 years with the Wisconsin Dells Police Department, retired in 2022. Mayer, who was the Lieutenant at the time of his retirement in April, was also the Kilbourn Fire Department chief during a four-year stretch in the 2000s.
Wisconsin Dells Police Department Lieutenant Perry Mayer, who has been with the department since 1992, is retiring. Mayer is looking forward to spending more time with family and enjoying outdoor activities.
Weaver spent time in multiple positions in the department and owns The Lawn Barber, a local lawncare and snow removal business, and is a member of the School District of Wisconsin Dells board.
Jesse Weaver, the Wisconsin Dells Police Department's longest-tenured member, has announced his retirement from the force effective Nov. 24.
