What’s happening in #WalCo? Flu shot clinic, WIS 67 resurfacing project, Fuel for the Future, Planning Ahead webinar & more.
Flu Shot Clinic
The Walworth County Department of Health and Human Services is hosting a flu shot clinic on Saturday, March 4, from 10 a.m. to noon, at the Lake Geneva Public Library, 918 W. Main St., Lake Geneva. Free flu shots will be available by walk-in only, while supplies last. Must be 18 years of age or older, no insurance required. Translation services available. Learn more about immunizations and our upcoming clinics.
WIS 67 Resurfacing Starting March 1
To invest in Wisconsin’s transportation system, Governor Evers signed a $2.45-million contract for improvements along WIS 67 (Elkhorn Road), from Geneva Street to Glenwood Drive, near Williams Bay in Walworth County.
Work is scheduled to begin March 1, weather permitting. Payne & Dolan, Inc. is the prime contractor for the project and will implement the following:
Project Improvements
- Resurfacing one mile of roadway
- Pedestrian improvements including Rapid Flashing Beacons and new pedestrian curb ramps
- Sewer and water pipe replacements
- Culvert pipe replacements
What to Expect
- Beginning March 1, the roadway will be closed to through-traffic (traffic without a destination within the work zone) until late spring.
- Access to local residences and businesses will be maintained.
- Signed detour route utilizes I-43, WIS 50 and County Road F.
- The project work that remains after late spring will then be conducted with the roadway open to traffic.
Construction is scheduled for completion by this summer. The project schedule is dependent on favorable weather conditions and construction progress. View the WisDOT project website.
UW Extension Hosts Planning Ahead - Register by March 3
Arranging end-of-life plans can be challenging. Planning AHEAD from UW-Madison Division of Extension was created to address most aspects of end-of-life planning.
Extension Educators guide participants through examining health care wishes, financial responsibilities, legal requirements, and documentation, distribution of personal property, end-of-life decisions, dealing with grief, and the emotional ramifications of all of the above.
The free online course is facilitated by UW-Madison, Division of Extension Educators from Crawford, Grant, Iowa, Kenosha, Racine, Richland, and Walworth Counties.
Classes are Tuesdays, March 14 to April 25, 2023, from noon to 1 p.m. Join the classes from home, as they are held online via Zoom. To register, go to http://go.wisc.edu/SoAHEAD.
Questions can be sent to amanda.kostman@wisc.edu or please call the Walworth County Extension office at 262-741-4961 for more information about Planning AHEAD.
Conservation Poster Contest Winners Announced
The winners of Walworth County’s Annual Conservation Awareness Poster Contest were announced at the February 20, 2023, meeting of the Land Conservation Committee. The first-place winners in each grade division are:
- Winter Jones, grades 2-3; Brookwood Elementary School (* People’s Choice Award winner--pictured, top right)
- Ava Nor, grades 4-6; Reek Elementary School (pictured, bottom right)
- Lilly Leedle, grades 7-9; Traver School (pictured, left)
Congratulations to all! To view all the finalists' submissions, visit www.co.walworth.wi.us/766/Conservation-Poster-Contest. Thank you to all who participated.
This year, the County received 60 poster submissions. The poster contest is open to students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. The contest provides an opportunity for area youth to become more aware of the conservation of our natural resources through artistic design. This year’s poster contest theme was “One Water.”
Posters were judged by members of the Land Conservation Committee and Walworth County employees who, for the first time, voted for their favorite poster design in the People’s Choice Award category.
Fuel for the Future
March is National Nutrition Month, and this year’s theme is “Fuel for the Future.” Join the Walworth County Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) and the Women, Infants & Children (WIC) program as they celebrate all things sustainable and local at the Fuel for the Future event at Lake Geneva Public Library on March 8, from 4 to 6 p.m. There will be free food samples made with donated ingredients from local food purveyors. Plus, we’ll be sharing recipes and information on how to support our local food sources and better our future through food.
Spongy Moths: What to Expect in 2023 Webinar
UW-Extension is hosting Spongy Moths: What to Expect in 2023, on March 8 at 6 p.m. Spongy moth populations increased dramatically in 2022. In this free webinar, PJ Liesch, UW-Madison Extension Entomologist and Director of the University of Wisconsin Insect Diagnostic Lab along with Mike Hillstrom, Forest Health Specialist, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will discuss where spongy moth defoliation occurred and what to expect in 2023. They will highlight a variety of management options to reduce damage from spongy moths for urban, wooded residential and forest landowners. Register here: go.wisc.edu/97xqoy. Questions? Contact Julie Hill at julie.hill@wisc.edu.
Powerful Tools for Caregivers: Stress Management
Powerful Tools for Caregivers: Managing Caregiver Stress is an educational workshop designed to provide caregivers with the tools they need to take care of themselves. Offered by the Walworth County Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC), this 90-minute program is focused on managing the stress related to caregiving.
The workshops are conducted by experienced class leaders who are caregivers themselves and have successfully applied the techniques they teach. Interactive lessons, discussions, and brainstorming will empower caregivers with the “tools” they choose to reduce stress and make positive, healthy changes in their lives.
The Powerful Tools for Caregivers: Stress Management workshop will be held Thursday, March 16, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., in Matheson Memorial Library’s Community Room, located at 101 N. Wisconsin Street, Elkhorn, WI. The workshop has a suggested donation of $10.
For questions, or to register for the program, contact Chetney Blaszczyk RDN, CD at (262) 741-3309.
Job of the Week: Senior Planner
Our Land Use and Resource Management department is hiring a Senior Planner. This position is responsible for analyzing the development goals and objectives of the county's local units of government and citizens to develop and implement land use plans and County Ordinances to accomplish those goals and objectives within the guidelines of sound planning principles. In addition, the position is responsible for assisting the public in the petition process for rezone and conditional use proposals from initial contact through the hearing and decision before the County Zoning Agency and County Board. Learn more and apply online: https://bit.ly/WalCoJobs.
QWIC Bites: Kids in the Kitchen at Aram Public Library
Do your kiddos love to help out in the kitchen? Are you looking for fun, healthy snacks you can make together? QWIC Bites: Kids in the Kitchen on Monday, March 13, from 4 to 5 p.m., is a super cool, super tasty collaboration between Aram Public Library and Walworth County Department of Health and Human Services and WIC where families can come together to learn about fun, easy ways to incorporate healthy snacks into their daily routine. During this session, attendees will make grilled pizza roll-ups! Space is limited, so registration is required: http://bit.ly/aplregister.
Lakeshore Landscaping Workshop
The Walworth County Land Use and Resource Management department will host a Lakeshore Landscaping Workshop on Thursday, March 23, 2023, from 8:30 a.m. to noon.
The workshop will cover site compliance and inspections for construction site erosion and sediment control permits, shoreland vegetation management and permitting, retaining wall regulations and permitting, shoreland zoning updates, site analysis and permitting requirements for impervious surface mitigation practices.
This workshop will be offered both virtually and in-person at Walworth County Government Center (room 214), 100 W. Walworth St., Elkhorn. Space is limited; register by March 17 to guarantee a spot. For more information and to register, visit www.co.walworth.wi.us/1119/2023-Lakeshore-Landscapers-Workshop.
Follow us! Walworth County is on Facebook
Walworth County has launched an official Facebook page. Here’s what you can expect to see on the page: News alerts, information about upcoming County Board meetings and public hearings, details about programs and services, park events and highlights, construction updates, community updates, career and volunteer opportunities, answers to FAQs, behind-the-scenes snapshots, and more. We hope you’ll give us a follow and share this page with your friends, family, and neighbors. Also, check out these County departments on Facebook: