Time for cheers, jeers as 2022 comes to close

As we wrap up a rather unique year that saw great progress in overcoming a global pandemic, continued supply chain issues and tough economic times for many Americans, we’ve assembled some issues that deserve a final commentary.

CHEERS to the generous, farsighted individuals whose donations are fueling great strides for the nonprofit organization Feed Our Rural Kids (FORK), which in just its third year is combatting food insecurity issues across Vilas and Oneida counties.

JEERS to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for not fighting the good fight, the battle for transparency in government, by allowing the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) to use tribal sovereignty to hide public records on speared fish — including the size and sex of the126 walleyes that were illegally speared from Squirrel Lake last May.

CHEERS to the Department of Transportation (DOT) for finally repaving Highway 70 west of Eagle River, which for years was one of the worst stretches of state highway in Wisconsin.

CHEERS to the global healthcare community and the scientists who have engineered state-of-the-art vaccines to battle Covid-19 and its highly contagious variants.

JEERS to Town Chairman Jim Egan and the Washington Town Board for their poorly researched decision to pass an ordinance banning archery deer hunting on a 94-acre parcel that includes a transfer station and a winter sledding hill — a hill that sees most of its use long after the hunting seasons end.

CHEERS to the generous donors, volunteer shoppers, coordinator Liz Schmidt of the News-Review staff and volunteer Debbie Buss for making our nationally-acclaimed Warm The Children program a huge success for the 26th straight year.

CHEERS to the Rotary Club of Eagle River for leading the way on fundraising to get the downtown Rotary Square project to the point of needing just the last $150,000 to make it all happen.

JEERS to Gov. Tony Evers for making zero attempts the past four years to correct state-set, shoreland zoning regulations that Republicans destroyed by stripping away local control from counties.