The nice weather has encouraged and allowed many people to use Chapman Park for leisure activities. On both Saturday and Sunday, October 29 – 30, I drove through the park and noticed kids playing on the playground equipment, couples walking the trails and roadways, kids riding bikes and passerby's stopping to observe the deer and elk. On Sunday afternoon' there was also a couple enjoying a picnic near Mave's Memorial Pavilion. What a great asset Chapman Park is to our community.

*** It appears that Wundrow Auto Repair is gearing up for re – opening. What a large and beautiful replacement for Todd and Misty Wundrow's former business building that was destroyed by the tornado on December 15, 2021. The contractors worked feverishly on building the structure once all approvals were re – ceived, the weather has cooperated with a nice fall for preparing the grounds around the building, and Pine Street has a beauti – ful new business about to open. Flashing back to the 1950's and 60's, I would have never imagined such a business landscape for this section of our city.

*** Speaking of businesses expanding or building new structures, the Northside Elevator Project on the edge of Stanley's West In – dustrial Park, is now out of the ground and is very visible from Highway 29. The Stanley plant will be a modern agribusiness, with a state-of-the-art production facility, advanced logistics and outstanding customer service. According to the company web – site, the centerpiece of the project is a tower system fertilizer manufacturing plant and it too is now visible in the far northwest corner of the site. Key features of the site include a railroad spur for efficiency, warehousing for storage of fertilizer, seed and serving as a distribution hub along State Highway 29. The lo – cation will allow for more efficient support of customers in the Chippewa Valley and Western Wisconsin. The website indicates there will be 8 to 10 employees initially supporting production, transportation and logistic needs of the Stanley location. Career opportunities exist for anyone looking to work for a futuristic company. I have driven by the company's locations in Loyal and the company's facilities are well kept and the company has a good reputation in that community. There is lamenting in Loyal that this facility wasn't located there.

*** On the third Friday of September, all Wisconsin School Dis – trict's must take a head count of student attending their schools and report the number to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. The following head count numbers were taken from the DPI report on attendance figures for each school listed. The school census figures listed are in alphabetical order for area schools and those in our football conference. The first figure will be the headcount for last year (2021-2022) and the second number is this year's (2022-2023) figure: Abbotsford – 773 and 800. Augusta 612 and 605. Bloomer 1263 and 1263. Cadott 821 and 806. Colby 954 and 928. Cornell 381 and 392. Du – rand-Arkansaw 992 and 984. Elk Mound 1205 and 1209. Fall Creek 842 and 875. Gilman 354 and 375. Greenwood 368 and 365. Lake Holcombe 278 and 271. Loyal 502 and 470. Mondo – vi 946 and 968. Neillsville 852 and 852. New Auburn 296 and 295. Osseo-Fairchild 803 and 806. Owen-Withee 460 and 446. Stanley-Boyd 1088 and 1087. Thorp 548 and 568.

*** Here are a few observations on the school census figures pre – sented above. You will note that Bloomer with 1263 students and Neillsville with 852 reported the same figures for both 20212022 and 2022-2023. * One does wonder how school districts with under 500 total students – Cornell, Gilman, Greenwood, Lake Holcombe, Loyal, New Auburn and Owen-Withee, can op – erate with full curriculums to meet the needs of their students. * In our Football Conference, Elk Mound is the largest school with 1209 students, Stanley-Boyd is next with 1087, Durand has 984, Mondovi 968, Fall Creek has 875, Neillsville has 852 and Regis according to WiSports has 200. * Schools with shrinking stu – dent numbers last year were: Augusta (-7), Cadott (-15), Colby (-26), Durand (-8), Greenwood (-3), Loyal (-32), Owen-Withee (-14), and Stanley-Boyd (-1). * Schools with increasing student numbers include Abbotsford (+ 7), Cornell (+ 11), Elk Mound (+ 4), Fall Creek (+33), Gilman (+21), Mondovi (+22) and Thorp (+20). *** The Wisconsin Policy Forum reports that the registration of electric and hybrid cars continues to increase in Wisconsin. Combined registrations of electric and hybrids rose from 44,178 in 2013 (the earliest year for data being available) to 102,492 in 2021. This is an increase of 132 %, but still is only 2% of all vehicle registrations in Wisconsin. As fuel prices increase, electric and hybrid vehicles become a more attractive option. It is interesting to note that in 2013 there were only 319 electric vehicles registered in Wisconsin, while in 2021 that number is approaching 10,000. Two conclusions from a study of vehicle purchases indicate that metro counties and counties with higher per capita incomes have the most electric and hybrid vehicles registered. Wisconsin does lag behind other states in the number and percent of electric and hybrid vehicles being purchased. At the end of 2021, Wisconsin ranked 35th among the 50 states in these vehicle purchases. Western states have the greater number of electric and hybrid vehicles, with California, Hawaii, Wash – ington, Oregon and Colorado having the most. The rise in the sale of electric and hybrid vehicles is going to have an impact on the future of Wisconsin transportation funding – revenue from the state tax of 30.9 cents per gallon will be impacted. To make up for this loss, the state currently charges electric vehicles an ad –

ditional $100 registration fee, while hybrid vehicles pay an addi – tional registration fee of $75. Wisconsin will be receiving $78.7 million to build out the state's charging station network along Interstate and highway corridors. This has been just a glimpse of where Wisconsin is today with issues related to electric and hybrid vehicles.

*** Smile time. Fear is a reaction. Courage is a decision. +++ "Proof that we don't understand death is that we give dead peo – ple a pillow" +++ The police came to my neighbor's door last night and told them their dogs were chasing people on bikes. How could that be? Their dogs don't have bikes! +++ A blond woman visited her husband in prison. Before leaving she told a correction officer: "You shouldn't make my husband work like that. He's exhausted!" The officer laughs and says, "Are you kidding? He just eats and sleeps and stays in his cell!" The wife replies: "Bull crap! He just told me he's been digging a tunnel for months!" +++ My neighbor just yelled at her kids so loud that even I brushed my teeth and went to bed. +++ I had the right to remain silent … But being Irish, I didn't have the ability. +++ Seeing how some people wore their masks, I now understand how contraceptives fail. +++ I wanted to re-marry my ex-wife. But she figured out I was only after my money. +++ Written on a toilet seat cover that was up: If you pee on this seat I will scrub it with your toothbrush! Love Mom.

BY DAVID JANKOSKI