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Tomahawk Fall Ride Wraps up 42nd Year Published on 09/18/2023 under News

There is a bit of calm in the air here in Tomahawk as the community wrapped up another Fall Ride weekend.

As quickly as they arrived, thousands of motorcycles hit the road out of town Sunday. More than 4 decades in, the Fall Ride Tradition remains as popular as ever.

Because of the nature of the Fall Ride, without one central location, it's hard to get a good estimate on just how many people travel to the Northwoods for the festivities each year. On Sunday afternoon, as events were wrapping up, we heard from several organizers.

The general consensus was that numbers were steady when compared to recent years, but down from the event's 'heyday.' One theory, according to Main Street Director Jennifer Turkiewicz, is that, as the event has grown over the years, there is so much to do over Fall Ride weekend. That means that people are simply more spread out at various locations.

One event that does get an actual head count is the Friday night Thunder Parade. We heard from parade organizer, Roxanne Consolver, who shared that they had just shy of 500 bikes take part this year. That was down slightly from last year though weather may have played a factor. Just prior to the parade, there were some light sprinkles that may have kept some away.

And with another year in the books, event organizers will take a few days to recover themselves before shifting focus to next year. In the coming days, they'll meet to review this year's Fall Ride and begin planning for next year.

In Other News

Tomahawk Food Pantry Launches Fundraising Drive

Published on 10/21/2024 under News The Tomahawk Food Pantry has seen an uptick in use over the past year, and they're looking to the community to help restock their shelves. We were recently joined by two of the volunteers Terry Derleth and Frank Hinterleitner to discuss their new outreach. Derleth noted that they have seen their year over year participation increase significantly. She also discussed some of the demographics, highlighting that one of the largest groups utilizing the local food pantry are actually the senior population. While they aren't in an emergency yet, the team wants to avoid reaching that need by addressing the shortage early. Hinterleitner says they sent out letters to businesses and past supporters, while also launching this public campaign. While they embrace food donations, monetary donations may be more valuable. This allows their team to purchase specific items of need, while also funding their voucher program which allows people to purchase perishable items that they may not be able to easily stock at the food pantry. Between the two programs, Derleth says costs run at around $80,000. They've recently launched a GoFundMe for donations, and are also partnering with Heritage to serve as a check drop-off. In addition to donating food and cash, they also encourage people to get involved by volunteering. The Tomahawk Food Pantry is located at the United Methodist Church, and is open on Wednesdays and Fridays.

+ Read More Fatal Crash near Park Falls

Published on 10/21/2024 under News One person is dead, another injured in a two vehicle crash in Price County over the weekend. According to the Wisconsin State Patrol, the incident happened near Park Falls Saturday morning at just before 6am. Responders were paged to Highway 13 near Lakeshore Drive. According to the preliminary investigation, a northbound car crossed over the center line and struck an oncoming pick-up truck head on. The driver of the car, a 56 year old Rice Lake man was pronounced dead at the scene. His name is being withheld pending notification of family. The driver of the truck, a 71 year old Butternut man, required extrication from the vehicle. He was brought to an area hospital with what was described as life threatening injuries. No update on his condition was provided. Highway 13 was closed for more than 10 hours following the crash. The crash remains under investigation.

Published on 10/21/2024 under News One person is dead, two were injured in a Vilas County crash involving two dirt bikes over the weekend. According to the Vilas County Sheriff's Office, that incident happened at shortly after 8:30 Friday evening on County H in the Town of Lac du Flambeau. The preliminary investigation showed that two dirt bikes were traveling in opposite directions when they collided head-on. According to the release, one person was pronounced dead at the scene. Two people were injured. One was airlifted to Aspirus Wausau hospital, the other was treated for minor injuries. Names of the victims are being withheld at this time pending notification of family. The crash remains under investigation.

Published on 10/21/2024 under News A local bird rescue facility is well-stocked with food for the winter after a generous donation of fish. The Raptor Education Group shared via social media that they were the recipient of more than 4,000 pounds of salmon. REGI says they will utilize the fish to help keep the birds fed through the winter. It's through a partnership that dates back a number of years now. The fish came from the DNR Strawberry Creek Chinook fishery in Sturgeon Bay. Established back in 1969, the facility is the primary source of Chinook salmon eggs for Lake Michigan from the state of Wisconsin. Salmon naturally die after spawning. Rather than allowing those fish to go to waste, the fishery donates them. While smaller fish are suitable for food pantries, larger fish are used for other purposes such as donations to animal rescues like REGI. Volunteers made their way to Door County to load up the trailer over the weekend.

Published on 10/21/2024 under News Students in Rhinelander are experiencing an immersive Mexican art experience with some special visitors. The School District of Rhinelander Community Education Program, ArtStart and the Mexican Folk Art Collective are hosting a group Mexican folk artists as part of the Culture Tap artist residency program. During the next two school days, the artists will be presenting to the district's elementary schools. The students will be taking part in activities such as making alebrijes, which are brightly decorated clay statues, traditional Mexican dancing, and other games and lessons to share culture, language and vocabulary. These activities tie in with a book the students are reading titled 'Esperanza Rising'. In addition to the daytime programs for students at the schools, they'll also host a community fiesta at 6pm at Nacho's Mexican Grill in Rhinelander, where the guests presented traditional folk dancing as well as games and other activities. The Culture Tap Residency Program is possible thanks to a generous grant from the Rhinelander Community Foundation.

Published on 10/18/2024 under News A bit earlier this year, Lincoln County turned 150 years old, and this weekend residents have a chance to celebrate. It was all the way back in 1874, that a new county was carved out in Northern Wisconsin. At the time, Lincoln County was the second largest in the state, some 2.7 million acres. It included portions of seven present-day, Northwoods counties. Despite the large size, the estimated population at the time was around 900 people. Around that same time, two population centers were emerging, the cities of Merrill and Tomahawk. The communities will team up to host a two-part sesquicentennial celebration on Saturday. They'll start right here in Tomahawk Saturday morning with a VFW pancake breakfast. Other activities planned for the Northern celebration, screening the various Uniquely Wisconsin video segments, a time capsule and history talks. By the afternoon, action shifts south to Merrill and the Festival Grounds for a full schedule of activities highlighted by an old fashioned carnival. There's also a few month-long contests including a county-wide history hunt. The celebration has been a team effort, with county officials partnering with local groups including Chambers of Commerce, Historical Societies, businesses and volunteers. At their meeting earlier this week, the County Board unanimously approved a resolution recognizing all of the work. A full schedule of events is available on the County website.

Published on 10/18/2024 under News There's no snow in the forecast, but area snowmobile clubs are eager for the season. The Northwoods is home to some of the best trails in the state, but maintaining them is year-round work. Coming up this weekend, the Northwoods Riders and Northwoods Passage Snowmobile Clubs will be holding their annual trail brushing and maintenance day. With hundreds of miles of trails north of Tomahawk, they're looking for a few volunteers to lend a helping hand. And the clean-up is not just for club members... organizers note it's also a good way for riders to learn more about the local clubs and all of the work that goes into maintaining the system. On Saturday, they'll be heading out onto the trails to clear away brush growth and remove any downed trees, branches, or other obstructions. They encourage volunteers to bring along any tools that may be handy including saws, loppers, gloves, safety glasses, and even an ATV/UTV. Once the work is completed, they'll return to the garage for a small thank you gathering with food refreshments and music. They'll be meeting at the Northwoods Riders Garage on County L in Nokomis at 9am Saturday morning to hand out assignments.

Published on 10/18/2024 under News Officials are asking the public to avoid burning due to elevated fire danger across the state. The DNR and the National Weather Service are closely monitoring conditions across the state this weekend. Most of Wisconsin is at high fire danger due to gusty winds and dry vegetation, coupled with a lack of precipitation that has left varying levels of drought. The DNR notes these conditions can lead to fires burning for a great length of time and greater challenges in suppression. Over the past week, the DNR tracker shows 12 wildfires. Fortunately each was contained to less than an acre. On Thursday, the DNR suspended burning permits for debris piles, burn barrels and prescribed burns. In addition to obvious activities that can lead to a spreading fire, they also highlighted some other sources that can cause a spark. This includes trailer chains dragging on pavement, chain saws, and machinery like lawn mowers and tractors. They also encourage people hold off on campfires until the evening, keeping them small and contained, making sure any embers are completely extinguished before leaving unattended.

Published on 10/18/2024 under News Another local nurse has been recognized with prestigious professional honor. Aspirus Howard Young honored Barbara Hiller with the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. Hiller is a hospital supervisor at Howard Young. While many Daisy recipients are nominated by a former patient, Hiller's recommendation came from her peers. They wrote, in part:When I think of a role model RN, I think of Barb. When I think of a difficult situation or a barrier that I need strength to overcome, I think of Barb. Barb functions as a hospital supervisor for our hospital, so she doesn't have the interactions more nurses have on a daily basis – her interactions are with the family members that need support during crisis, with the RNs she works with to provide guidance/sharing her expertise or with any one of the healthcare team members that are looking for collaboration. Barb shows compassion within all her roles at HYMC, especially being a nurse... As a Daisy recipient, Hiller received a honoree pin and a Shona Tribe sculpture known as A Healer's Touch. The staff were also treated to cinnamon rolls, another symbol from the Daisy Awards. The award is part of the DAISY Foundation's program to recognize the super-human efforts nurses perform every day. Eau Pleine at 4 feet down; Spirit and Nokomis 6.5 feet below full. The Rainbow and Willow approaching 9 feet

Published on 10/18/2024 under News Student actors from several schools will be performing in Tomahawk this weekend. Tomahawk High School is hosting the fall one-act play, district competition on Saturday. The host Hatchets will actually take to the stage first. The Tomahawk cast and crew will perform, "Ten Actors in Search of a Cell Phone" by James Rayfield. It's a humorous exploration into how gossip starts and where it leads. In a piece of art imitating life, the setting is actually a school play. Tomahawk is looking to earn their ninth consecutive trip to the state festival which will be held at UW-Milwaukee next month. Performances are free and open to the public. THS is first up, at 9am. They'll be followed, on the hour, by Crandon, Northland Pines, and Oconto Falls.

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