Some Cheers, Jeers as new year arrives

As we near the end of 2024 and usher in the new year, it’s an appropriate time to issue some cheers and jeers regarding events and happenings of the past year.
CHEERS to those generous donors and volunteers who support children’s programs such as Warm The Children and Feed Our Rural Kids (FORK), giving of their time, talents and finances to help a segment of the population that is at the mercy of the parents and guardians entrusted to care for them.
CHEERS to the Praise in the Pines organization and founder Bill Lochte, who not only brought this first revival to Eagle River, but is striving to make it an annual summer event.
JEERS to Vilas County Branch 2 Circuit Court Judge Daniel Overbey for becoming the first judge to taint our judicial offices here with a scandalous affair that impacted court operations for months and caused good staff members to quit their jobs.
JEERS to Anthony Brown, the former Eagle River Recreation Association treasurer who stole tens of thousands of dollars from a vital nonprofit that’s so closely tied to the community’s extensive hockey heritage.
CHEERS to U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany for finally getting involved in the road easement dispute between the Chippewa Tribe and town officials in Lac du Flambeau, because such disputes originated from federal decisions and should be solved, nation to nation, between the tribe and federal government.
CHEERS to Great Headwaters Trails and the River Trail Commission for pledging to continue, for the sake of tourism and both cyclists and pedestrians, to extend the 52-mile Heart of Vilas Trail System from St. Germain to Eagle River, where it would also connect to the Three Eagle Trail.
CHEERS to the Rotary Club of Eagle River and all the donors who supported the effort to raise more than $500,000 in a two-year period to plan and construct the Rotary Square, a great addition to downtown Eagle River.
JEERS to state officials who aren’t listening to the Vilas County Board, which voted unanimously in July to urge the State Legislature to have meaningful discussion of minimum standards on wake boarding and wake surfing boats to protect our lakes.

Behind the editorial ‘we’
Members of the Vilas County News-Review editorial board include Publisher Kurt Krueger, Assistant Editors Josephine Hinderman and Audrey Lehman, Sports Editor Jacob Heid.