Three City of Racine aldermanic races, for which early voting is already underway with polls to close on Tuesday, April 6, are contested.
Initially, there were supposed to be five contested races, but due to filing issues, would-be candidates in districts 9 and 11, Ricky Jarstad and Daniel Padilla, will not have their names listed on ballots.
In District 9, incumbent Trevor Jung is thus running unopposed.
In District 11, C.J. Rouse is running unopposed to replace Mary Land, who isn’t seeking re-election.
Remaining are Susan Wagner, a project manager at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, challenging District 1 Alderman Jeff Coe.
In the 5th District, incumbent Jennifer Levie is not seeking re-election.
Current Racine County Supervisor Melissa Kaprelian, who works at the Kenosha Community Health Center, is seeking to return to the Racine City Council, which she served on from 2011-2015. But she will have to defeat Nicholas Bonczkowski, a firefighter-paramedic who is seeking his first public office.
In District 13, Jason Williams, who works as a warehouse lead and is a father of eight, is seeking to unseat Natalia Taft, an associate professor of biological sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside who aims to win her second term on the City Council.
District 1 includes the heart of Downtown Racine, includes parts of the marinas and waterfront. District 5 includes part of the north side along Lake Michigan, bordered on the west by railroad tracks west of Douglas Avenue, on the north by Melvin Avenue and English Street on the south.
District 13 is roughly bordered by 13th Street to the north, 21st Street to the south, and West Street to the east and Illinois Street to the west.
The City of Racine has struggled with its budget as costs rise and revenues remain flat. What action would you support to reduce the structural deficit or increase revenues?
Bonczkowski
BONCZKOWSKI: I believe to increase the revenues we need to bring new business into the area. Easing restrictions on business as they are currently and to allow for profitable development. To reduce the deficit i plan to look into positions that are currently held at the county level that we could pay into instead of having a separate entity. An example would be the emergency dispatch center from years past.
Coe
COE: Being a landlocked city, we face challenges that are unique and require a more focused approach on revitalization and utilization of our existing spaces and assets. You may have read about or seen some such projects taking place currently in our city. A few are: The Horlick Malted Milk site, Ajax industrial site, Zahn’s building, Festival Hall.
Developments like these, where we are cleaning up and redeveloping properties makes productive use of existing transportation, water, and utility infrastructure; increases the tax base and employment opportunities; and helps spur investment in surrounding properties.
Kaprelian
KAPRELIAN: As the question indicates, these budgetary times are challenging, and painful choices have had to be made. Reality does not present us with quick fixes, yet a mindfulness must be constant on the continual need to remain disciplined on expenditures and accelerate the economic progress of the City and the residents. The good news is, even though we have seen fiscal tightening, Racine invested in some major revitalization projects. The support in these investments is key for economic growth. We want to perpetually focus on positioning ourselves as a hub for new business and new economies/growth.
With the right support, we can eliminate the threat of our residents having to pay more for their government or accept less in government services and benefits, and ultimately lead to more confidence in government.
Taft
TAFT: The budget difficulties stem from two major challenges. First, are the restrictions placed on cities by the state legislature in 2013 which included levy limits, expenditure constraints, and prevented local units of governments from creating new fees for services. These constraints do not allow the city to cover the costs of annual inflation and thus create an annual structural deficit. Secondly, we are landlocked and can’t grow our borders like many other communities. If we can’t grow our tax base through land expansion, the only way to grow our tax base under current rules is through net new construction. This is why we’ve seen an increased focus on development. To that end, we’ve restructured our City Development department to both make it more efficient and expand capacity.
I am excited about current and future development like the new boutique hotel downtown, the completed Gold Medal Lofts, the complete first of two buildings at the Ajax site, and the redevelopment of the Horlick site. We also will continue to advocate at the state level to lift the restrictions placed on us. Additionally, we must ask the state to send us back our fair share of shared revenue, which comes from the state sales tax, from the state to help us account for rising costs. I will continue to vote for budgets that cut costs as responsibly and equitably as possible, while maintaining services for our residents.
Wagner
WAGNER: Because the 2021 approved budget still is not publicly available, it is difficult to give specifics to a plan to approach the deficit, but the increasing property taxes and increasing “fees” to residents needs to stop. City Administration must find ways to live within a budget and stick to it. The pockets of the people are tapped out. One consideration is evaluating the increased headcount at City Hall to determine if those positions, particularly ones created in the last few years, justify the increased expense.
Williams
WILLIAMS: Timely release of the 350+ page budget & greater input from the community and council before the final vote on the Mayor’s budget.
What is an issue in Racine that does not get enough attention? Why do you think this issue is so important?
BONCZKOWSKI: An issue I believe that does not get addressed is the benefits and care of the people providing the safety for all of the citizens of Racine. We are losing applicants because comparable cities offer so much better than we do. In my opinion, it’s not because we cannot offer it, but that our current administration does not want to.
COE: Projects like the ones listed in the earlier question do not seem to be widespread knowledge amongst the residents of Racine. Along with rehabbed homes in the inner city that are back on the tax roll with first time home buyers. Not getting the word out on positive efforts like these, can leave constituents feeling like their government is stagnant. I think striving to improve communications will make for a well-informed constituent who will feel engaged and involved. This is an important goal for effective, productive government. The city’s communication efforts, I believe, requires earnest, respectful, and continued attention to widespread messaging.
KAPRELIAN: Questions like the one presented earlier on deficit and revenue are important in governmental conversations, however there is another piece that often gets missed when looking at local government roles and focus. It is the importance of deepening our sense of humanity.
People need to feel their value, especially when they are behind the dollars that are meant to serve them. Lack of focus in humanity unfolds in many ways such as in cultural and societal tones — civil and social unrest — municipal lawsuits, population decline, negative environmental and climate impact, crime, or the lack of investing in local small business, etc.
Racine cannot just feel like it is for some, it needs to feel like it is for all.
As government leaders we need to be present, involved, and foster relationships to solidify the importance of the people in this community, as well as model for others to do the same. Addressing things such as disparities, business support, and deficits become easier when you, obviously, have buy in. You get buy-in when individuals trust your intentions. A deeper sense of humanity gives our citizens a sense importance to not look elsewhere to feel they belong, and gives opportunities to engage, get involved, and connect with others so we can all rise together.
TAFT: I think there are a number of really positive things that the City is doing that don’t get enough attention. Two areas that spring to mind are education and housing. The City’s partnership with the YWCA, Gateway Technical College, RUSD, and Higher Expectations has had great success helping our residents who were not able to complete their high school degrees get their high school equivalency diplomas. That program has scaled up significantly in the last couple of years, we are helping about 250 new residents a year gain this credential which is needed to access higher wages, other technical training, or to continue their education. On the housing front, there are so many positive things the city is doing. We’ve partnered with Housing Resources Incorporated and created the new Financial Empowerment Center to help get city residents on a path to successful home ownership. We also have a number of grant programs to help residents repair their homes and help lift property values throughout the city. We have allocated funds to help with rental assistance and mortgage payment for residents who have been economically impacted by the pandemic. The City has made housing access and affordability a huge priority in my time on Council and I know that our City staff will work hard to capture any federal dollars that are available for helping City residents struggling due to the pandemic.
WAGNER: The lack of governmental transparency has started to gain some momentum, but it really needs to be addressed head on. The elimination of CAR25 and then ignoring it’s approved return for well over a year, not providing a thorough, easy to understand city website, the lack of intuitive navigation of Legistar, the refusal of the city to provide financial information on the website accessible to the people, this is all one big failure on the part of the city. The people deserve easily accessible material, and the time has come to demand transparency of information. I look at the websites of surrounding communities, including Sturtevant, Kenosha, Lake Geneva, they are thorough and easy to navigate. I want to advocate for immediate improvement of communication for the people.
WILLIAMS: Administrative and legal issues. We have fewer firemen and fewer police, but more aides in City Hall.
What initiative would you support for improving the Main Street business district?
BONCZKOWSKI: I would support any initiative with sounds backing that is fiscally responsible and improves the city.
COE: I supported, and will continue to support, the Racine City Council’s full adoption of the downtown “Public Realm, Monument Square and Parking Study”, from May of last year. This was prepared and recommended by the Toole Design Group. Three important components to this study: 1. Traffic Calming/Street Redesign; 2. Parking; and, 3. The Redesign of Monument Square. Again, as mentioned earlier we have two new hotels coming soon to downtown that will be welcome developments, bringing new people into our beautiful city.
KAPRELIAN: Even though the 5th District is not Downtown, this question recognizes that downtowns are especially important to cities, and it extends across all districts. Racine has spent and invested in research in the Downtown area. The most recent of these studies was the Public Realm, Monument Square and Parking Study, adopted by the city council. Supporting and working through the guidance and recommendations will help to show the investment was well spent.
TAFT: This past year, the city gave out one million dollars to help city small businesses with pandemic-related challenges. Looking forward, in the next year or two, there will be increased availability of federal resources to help businesses stabilize and recover. As a city, we need to make sure we connect our businesses with these resources. Our city staff have been and will continue to be instrumental in finding and facilitating federal grants and other innovative programs to help our community thrive. Finally, there was a lot of work done recently by a consulting firm to help us re-imagine the downtown to showcase our businesses and easier for folks to enjoy and navigate. This included making one way streets two way, slowing down traffic, and making our streets more bike and pedestrian friendly. The Common Council adopted this plan formally, and we look to implement that plan in phases over the years to come.
WAGNER: I look forward to the opportunity to sit down with the merchants of our downtown as well as the Downtown Racine Corporation to hear their ideas, as they have specific expertise in what works in Racine. Additionally, from my observation of committee and council meetings, it is obvious to me there is no clear roadmap for people interested in establishing a business in Racine. It is important to document the steps and streamline those processes, remove as many obstacles as possible, and ensure all people are treated equitably to achieve their desires to open businesses in Racine. A more active liaison between the Downtown Racine Corporation and interested residents to make them aware of available resources may go a long way in improving the business landscape of downtown Racine.
WILLIAMS: Holding meetings with main street business owners to discuss lowering regulatory issues and bureaucratic problems they may be facing and developing common sense solutions to the issues.(tncms-asset)51bcf442-47b3-11eb-b530-00163ec2aa77[8](/tncms-asset)
Two families ripped apart
Tyler Martinez is kissed by his fiancée, Vanessa Gaona, with whom he has two daughters, moments after Martinez was sentenced to spend five years in prison for the fatal hit-and-run crash that killed Michael Fuchsgruber on Oct. 20, 2017 in Caledonia. Martinez and Gaona were quickly pulled apart by deputies in the courtroom.
Empty Walmart shelves
In the early days of the pandemic, there was a rush on household goods, leading to empty shelves of everything from toilet paper to milk and eggs to cleaning supplies, although disruptions to the supply chain were rarely as pronounced as many feared.
Restaurants closing & mask wearing
Rhonda Robinson of Chicago, right, joins family for breakfast on March 17 at Meli Cafe, 1158 Prairie Drive, Mount Pleasant. Robinson had a cough and, out of consideration to others, she wore a surgical mask. Effective at 5 p.m. that day, Gov. Tony Evers ordered all bars and restaurants in the state to close except for carry-out service.
Lonely churches
The Rev. Mike Matheson of Grace Church, 3626 Green Bay Road, Caledonia, prays as he leads church services livestreamed on Facebook Live on the morning of March 22. Many places of worship have returned to in-person but socially distanced gatherings, although livestreamed services have remained as a norm throughout the year.
Atypical elections
Rosalyn Smith, with the City of Racine Health Department, checks the temperature of a voter on as she enters City Hall on May 25. City health workers checked temperatures as a precaution to keep poll workers safe because of the coronavirus pandemic. Mayor Cory Mason was one of those calling for all voting to be by mail this year, an effort that was unsuccessful.
America Strong
A sign posted alongside Highway 38, just south of Hood Creek Road near the roundabout in Caledonia, expresses solidarity in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. This photo was taken in March.
Mask making
Cousins Teresa McMorris, left, and Tiara Harrell gather at Harrell’s house to sew filtered masks they donate to health care facilities and first responders in Racine, Kenosha and Milwaukee counties. Community members made a significant difference in the early days of the pandemic as traditional manufacturers struggled to catch up with demand for personal protective equipment.
‘YOU ARE INCREDIBLY SAFE TO GO OUT’
During an extraordinary and nearly postponed April election, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, talks to a member of the media while working as a poll worker in Burlington. “You are incredibly safe to go out,” he told viewers while wearing required personal protective equipment in a video that was shared widely on social media throughout the day.
Two phones, no answer
A Downtown Racine resident uses two phones to repeatedly call the Department of Workforce Development’s unemployment hotline in April. She said she’s been doing this for weeks with varied frequency, as her unemployment claim remains on hold with the state. Wait times to have unemployment claims often stretched for weeks, with the state’s overwhelmed system and inability to correct the problem made it difficult for thousands of Wisconsinites to make ends meet.
Recounting the 12th
2020 was a year rife with recounts. Racine didn’t avoid that. Pictured here: City of Racine finance and clerk’s office staff conduct a recount April 17 of the more than 1,400 ballots cast in the April 7 election in City Council District 12, where incumbent Alderman Henry Perez defeated challenger Stacy Sheppard by three votes, according to the initial count.
Racine Unified recount
2020 was a year rife with recounts. Racine didn’t avoid that. Pictured here: Members of the Racine Unified Board of Canvass, standing to the right, look over Caledonia ballots in question on April 18, the first day of the Racine Unified referendum recount, which had not been successful in overturning the narrow passage of a $1 billion referendum.
Swinging on a closed swingset
A man and a girl swing at Echo Park in Burlington on May 2 during a ReOpen Burlington protest, even though all playgrounds in Wisconsin had been declared off limits at the time. Stay-at-home rules, and the enforcement of those rules, have varied between states and even within municipalities within states across the U.S.
ReOPEN WISCONSIN PROTESTS
ReOpen Burlington demonstrators hold “Don’t Tread On Me” and “Trump” and “Reopen Wisconsin” flags and posters along Milwaukee Avenue in May amid statewide protests opposing the soon-to-be-overturned Safer At Home order.
NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN TESTING EFFORT
From the beginning of the year through Christmas Day, 2,792,718 COVID-19 tests were performed in Wisconsin; about one-third of all those tests were performed by the Wisconsin National Guard. In Racine County, 108,771 such tests have been performed, with more than 16,800 cases of the novel coronavirus confirmed and 246 deaths confirmed in the county. Pictured here, a man is tested for COVID-19 by a National Guard member, who uses a swab to gather material from inside both of the man’s nostrils in the parking lot of Burlington High School, 400 McCanna Parkway, during the busy first day of community testing in Racine County. The man’s face has been blurred by The Journal Times to protect his identity.
Thanking hospital workers: Ascension flyover
Hospital workers wait for the four F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter aircraft from the Wisconsin Air National Guard to flyover Ascension All Saints Hospital on a May evening as part of the nationwide “Operation American Resolve” campaign intended to “show appreciation for the thousands of heroes on the front lines, as well as the brave citizens and neighbors who have been battling and supporting the COVID-19 response. The flyover is considered part of a regular training and proficiency mission, which is a required training to be completed by pilots to remain up to date on qualifications.
BACK IN ACTION, WITH A MASK
Summer Davis wears a face shield while standing behind the bar at The Maple Table, 520 Main St. on May 26, the first day Racine restaurants could reopen following closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Waterford graduation 2020
A Waterford High School graduate replaces her mask after receiving her diploma in May. Waterford High was one of the only schools in Wisconsin (if not the only school) to host its graduation on its previously scheduled date, although there were social distancing guidelines and mask wearing rules being enforced.
Black Lives Matter on Monument Square
Kylie Gelmi, who was later charged with arson and burglary for allegedly setting fire to the Thelma Orr COP House, raises one fist while waving a flag that reads “Life over property / Truth over Power / Black lives MATTER” while backed by about 20 Black Lives Matter demonstrators raising both fists in the air at around 11:30 p.m. on May 31.
BLACK LIVES MATTER
Protesters yell at Racine Police officers when a march arrives at the Racine Police Department on Center Street in Downtown Racine in the early morning hours of June 1. At the police station, some in the crowd started throwing rocks and bricks at officers, leading to tear gas being used to disperse the crowd after a Black Lives Matter demonstration started hours earlier on Monument Square following the death of George Floyd the week prior.
IN THE STREETS
A group of protesters sit on Main Street on June 1 during an afternoon protest that brought hundreds chanting “SAY HIS NAME!” and “BLACK LIVES MATTER!” to the streets of Racine on a day of peaceful protesting that followed a tense night in which the Thelma Orr COP House was set on fire.
SAYING HIS NAME
Demonstrators on Washington Avenue in Uptown wave signs and cheer as cars driving past, and driving below on Memorial Drive, honk in support during a peaceful protest on June 1, less than a week after George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis.
Marching for justice, peace
Protesters carried signs calling for peace, justice and recognition of the Black Lives Matter movement while marching down Highway 75 in Kansasville in June as international demonstrations reached rural America.
Kingdom Manna giveaway
Diane Christensen collects baby products for her grandchildren last Saturday afternoon during a giveaway from Kingdom Manna in the parking lot of Horlick Field, 1801 N. Memorial Drive. Giveaways like this one, some privately run and others public, have become more well-trafficked and relied upon as the rates of those who are out of work have skyrocketed amid the pandemic.
JUNETEENTH
NBA All-Star and Racine native Caron Butler takes the megaphone to address the crowd at a Juneteenth rally on June 19. Hundreds took to the streets in Racine and in Burlington, joining thousands nationwide, to protest racial injustices and celebrate progress on the holiday commemorating the freeing of the last American slaves in Texas more than 150 years ago.
Marching for justice, led by Carl Fields
Juneteenth marchers from the allied section of Racine’s Juneteenth demonstration make their way down 14th Street on June 19, led by Carl Fields with the megaphone.
Say their names
George Floyd is just one of the names on the graves of the victims of police violence placed in Burlington during the city’s first-ever Juneteenth rally.
Burlington’s first Juneteenth rally
Audience members listen to speakers during the Juneteenth rally at Echo Lake Park in Burlington on June 19, 2020.
Burlington’s first Juneteenth rally
Burlington Police Chief Mark Anderson, center, bows his head during a prayer that was part of Burlington’s Juneteenth celebration on June 19, 2020, at Echo Lake Park.
Zoom meetings and community discussions
The above screenshot is from the first meeting of the Mayor’s Task Force on Police Reform, which took place July 6. Not only was 2020 a year loaded with talks of police reform, but also a year when unprecedented amounts of social and professional and public interaction took place online — much of it via Zoom.
Park High School drive-up graduation
Jordan Mogren arrived to Park High School drive-up graduation ceremony on July 9 through the sun roof and received a kiss from his mother receiving his diploma.
Zoo beach erosion
Heavy rainfall on Aug. 2 knocked down most of the grassy bluff between the Zoo Beach trail and the lake. By Aug. 4, that bluff was almost gone, and the ground underneath the trail itself was exposed. The city officially closed the beach on Tuesday.
Racine Art Museum reopens, with masks
Annemarie Sawkins (left) and Diane Levesque (right) take in the art after the Racine Art Museum reopened on Aug. 5 as normalcy ever-so-slowly returns to the area while the pandemic rages on.
St. Catherine’s Prom
While the typical Rotary Post Prom was held months later than the norm and was heavily changed from the norm, many St. Catherine’s High School graduates and their dates gathered for a prom of their own at Roma Lodge on Spring Street on Aug. 8.
Empty streets
The sight of empty streets in Downtown Milwaukee was even more apparent on the afternoon of Aug. 17 than it has been throughout the pandemic. The Democratic National Convention was supposed to bring 50,000 people and $200 million of revenue to Milwaukee. Instead, the coronavirus has pushed the DNC online and left Milwaukee looking sleepy.
Fire during Kenosha protests
The Danish Brotherhood Lodge at 2206 63rd St. explodes while on fire, reportedly the result of rioters shortly before 11 p.m. on Aug. 24.
Unrest after Jacob Blake shooting, preceding Kyle Rittenhouse shootings
Demonstrators crowd around an armored vehicle at Civic Center Park on the night of Aug. 25 in Kenosha.
Kenosha protests
Demonstrators sit on Sheridan Road in front of a line of law enforcement after being forced to leave Civic Center Park on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020.
Kenosha unrest
A woman bleeding from the head after getting hit with a rubber bullet is looked over by medics on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020.
CIVIL UNREST AFTER OFFICER SHOOTING
Law enforcement blocks off access to a burning vehicle on 63rd Street on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020.
KYLE RITTENHOUSE
Kyle Rittenhouse walks along Sheridan Road in Kenosha on Aug. 25 with another armed civilian hours before before Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old from Illinois, shot three people, killing two of them during protests following the police shooting and paralyzation of Jacob Blake in Kenosha two days prior. Rittenhouse said he was in Kenosha to protect people. He is facing homicide and underage gun possession charges in a case that has become a cultural touchstone, with some calling him a cold-hearted killer and others painting him as a hero for using self-defense against a so-called “Black Lives Matter mob.” This Journal Times photo is one of only a few showing the teen prior to the shooting, and has been published dozens if not hundreds of times by outlets ranging from Yahoo! News to The New York Times to ABC News.
Black Lives Matter debate takes center stage in Burlington
Dozens of people turned out on the night of Sept. 14 at the Burlington High School gym for a School Board meeting during which a fourth-grade teacher’s methods about teaching about racial issues were debated.
Capping off the globe
In this September photo, the Foxconn Technology Group’s 100-foot-tall High-Performance Computing Data Center is topped off, with the work being led by construction manager Mortenson. The data center is located along Highway H.
Dalquavis Ward convicted
Dalquavis Ward, pictured here on Sept. 25, has been sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison for the killing of Racine Police Officer John Hetland on June 17, 2019 at Teezers Bar and Grill. Hetland, who was off-duty, was killed trying to stop a robbery of the restaurant, of which Ward was convicted.
Archbishop Jerome Listecki leads more than 100 faithful past scorched Car Source lot in Kenosha
Remembering Marcus Caldwell Jr.
Paying his respects, Alliaes Williams, 18, signs a basketball Sunday afternoon at a makeshift memorial erected in tribute to Racine man/former Horlick basketball standout Marcus D. Caldwell Jr., who was killed in a apparent shooting on the evening of Oct. 17 on Yout Street.
“Mayor Pete” stumping for Biden
Pete Buttigieg — the ex-mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and former presidential candidate who has endorsed Joe Biden — stopped at Caledonia’s River Bend Nature Center on the afternoon of Oct. 22 to speak with local Democrats and the press about the election, which Racine City Council President John Tate II (who helped introduce Buttigieg) called “the most consequential election of our lifetimes.” During a brief speech spoken while wearing a mask that read simply “VOTE,” Buttigieg took aim at President Donald Trump on several fronts, from his role in race relations to his handling of COVID-19 to the economy. He said, with less than two weeks left until the end of voting, Democrats should work to connect with two groups of people: those who have not decided who they want to vote for, and those who do not yet have a plan to vote. Before leaving Wisconsin — following earlier stumps in Green Bay and Milwaukee — Buttigieg said he plans to stop at “the Cheese Castle.”
Getting out the vote efforts
Dozens of vehicles rolled through Racine on Oct. 24, honking their horns and cheering, encouraging people in the city to “vote” as part of a series of “Pack the Polls” car parades held across Wisconsin that day. Among the drivers was Jean Brosseau, showing off her “VOTE” mask. High turnout in more urban areas, like Milwaukee and Milwaukee, has been credited with helping propel Joe Biden to the presidency.
Burlington schools
Amid a shouting match during a Burlington Area School Board meeting Nov. 9, Matt Allen points to his “All Lives Matter” sign while others chant “Black Lives Matter” during a meeting that was cut short as protesters “shut it down.” Nov. 9’s meeting was one of many moments where Burlington made headlines as the predominantly Caucasian community faces continuous allegations of racism in its schools, and the School Board has been charged with addressing that.
Mask requirements (sort of) continue
Staff at Lakeview Pharmacy on Racine’s Monument Square work while wearing face coverings, in accordance with health codes and the statewide mask mandate from Gov. Tony Evers’ office that is likely to be extended into January by order of the governor. On Nov. 18, Evers said he will be making a new order to extend the mask mandate, which otherwise would have expired on Saturday, although the extension didn’t really have legal teeth to extend the mandate. In this photo, from left to right, are Kaylen Hollis, Niki Monin and Tucker Stewart.
Santa masks up
Santa Claus, with his face covered by a mask, talks with a boy during the Union Grove Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on the night of Dec. 3 in the Village Square. That event was one such attempt by local authorities to provide “normal” holiday celebrations while still implementing precautions that aimed to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
SCHOOL PROTESTS
Renaissance Lutheran parents, students and teachers react as a driver honks in support of their march through Racine to protest the portion of the city’s Safer Racine ordinance that orders all K-12 school buildings closed from Nov. 27 to Jan. 15. Schools have been one of many legal battlegrounds, along with elections and mask orders, of how much power governments have, even under extenuating circumstances like a 100-year pandemic.
MASK UP TO BALL
JR Lukenbill, a sophomore at Burlington High School sophomore guard, shoots over Wilmot’s Anthony Corona, left, and Korik Klein during their teams’ Southern Lakes Conference game earlier this month. As a precaution to prevent the spread of COVID-19, players have worn masks in high school athletics events, including in basketball and volleyball.
BEGINNING OF THE END
Dr. Stephanie Sam, a hospitalist with Ascension All Saints Hospital, was one of the first frontline workers at the hospital to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Administering the injection on Dec. 22 was Registered Nurse Cynthia Braun. This was part of the start of the country’s largest vaccination undertaking since Dr. Jonas Salk discovered the polio vaccine in 1955.