The monthly Town of Thorp Board meeting began with good natured fun and jokes but quickly turned to business. A full board was in attendance with Chairman Andy Slowiak, Supervisor Jerry Jacks, Supervisor Jack Leja, Arlene Kodl, Town Clerk, and Rita Derks, Town Treasurer, and Jerry Nowobielski, head of the Public Works Department, all present.  Concerns were made by Louis Andruszkiewicz, who also attended, that pictures need to be taken soon of Fernwall Avenue so that the grant process can be started before the roads were completely dried. “When it’s all dried up its hard to get a good picture,” Andruszkiewicz explained. “You gotta get some pictures to send in for that grant.”

 Jack Leja asked if anyone could take the pile of corn dumped on the side of the ditch by the cemetery from three months ago. He plans to check if it’s still good so that people can take it for their animals. “(If) it’s in the right of way they can take it out of there.  If somebody wants it let them take it out of there, we don’t have to clean it up,” Louis Andruszkiewicz answered.  “But don’t look for me to shovel it out of there for you,” he added with a laugh when Leja said he would stop and take a couple scoops out of there if it’s good. 

Bids were read over for excavating for ditches and culverts. The motion was made by Jerry Jacks to make John Stroinski the first choice. The motion was seconded by Jack Leja and passed unanimously. 

Wisconsin Salt Solutions submitted a quote of $1.34 a gallon for the application of dust control for the township roads. Andruszkiewicz winced as he remarked that it was only $1.22 last time. More requests from people in the Town of Thorp have come in requesting to be put on the list for dust control application and the Board is worried that if they share the truck load with the Township of Taft like last year, there won’t be enough applications for the residents in the Town of Thorp who signed up. Because of this, the Board decided to ask the Town of Taft to get their own dust control application for their township. The motion was made to accept the quote from Wisconsin Salt Solutions, a division of Kafka Granite. The motion was seconded and passed.

The talk soon turned to the town’s dump truck that has been at Mid-State Truck Service in Abbotsford for motor repairs for the last month. Jerry Jacks explained that he was told that the mechanic is waiting on an oil pan since the last one was rusted out and needs to be replaced. Nowobielski remarked that the oil pan was already replaced.  Andruszkiewicz asked, “What are they made out of aluminum? And that was what, four years ago? And the oil pan’s bad again?” He continued, “That one was leaking and rusted out and now they’re telling you five years later that one’s rusted out?” Jacks remarked on what he plans to tell the Mid-State mechanic. “I’m going to tell them I’ll never get another International.” “Well, no, not if that’s the case, not (with) all the problems,” Andruszkiewicz agreed. Jacks guessed the bill will be more than was previously quoted and that the mechanic from Mid-State Truck Service, didn’t have a finish date but was waiting on the off-brand oil pan to come in.

After the payment of bills, the date for the next Town of Thorp Board meeting, at the junction of Koser Road and County X, was scheduled to be on May 10^th at 7 pm.