Fred Williston

Recent Stories

River Trail group to apply for grant funding

The River Trail Commission (RTC), during its meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 20, decided to proceed with a Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant application sponsored by the town of Cloverland.

St. Germain second quarter room tax numbers down from 2024

Second quarter room tax numbers in St. Germain were down from the same time in 2024. That was the message for the town board at its Aug. 11 meeting. Room-tax revenue from the second quarter of 2025 totaled $123,012.26.

Cloverland commits to ‘biggest ever’ culvert project

The Cloverland town board has made the decision to undertake an infrastructure-upgrade project much larger than usual for the municipality.

St. Germain disc-golf course now open

Volunteers put the finishing touches on the St. Germain disc-golf course on Thursday, Aug. 14, in an unofficial soft-opening for the facility — just in time to see its main proponent and architect leave town.

In reversal, Vilas sheriff endorses River Trail

The Cloverland town board voted unanimously during its meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 6 to recommit to its original stance of support for the proposed River Trail project after a previous town board had partially reversed course. Town chairman Steve Favorite also announced Vilas County sheriff Joe Fath has issued a formal endorsement of the River Trail, reversing his opinion of two years ago, which was the last time he issued a public statement on the subject.

St. Germain town board sets bid process for Sixteen Road

The St. Germain town board convened in special session on Aug. 4 to establish a timeline for contractors to submit bids for work on Sixteen Road. According to town supervisor Peggy Nimz, the board liaison to the town’s department of public works, the task of re-graveling Sixteen Road could be approached in one of three different ways.

Lines crossed: St. Germain to crack down on business parking in town road rights-of-way

The St. Germain town board on July 24 discussed possible steps to address businesses whose parking areas encroach on town road rights-of-way. The subject was brought to the attention of the board by town supervisor Brian Cooper, who observed and photographed an instance of multiple vehicles parked in the right-of-way — and in some cases, extending into the roadway — of Paton Road.

St. Germain approves enhanced-wake sign for Alma, Moon lakes

The St. Germain town board last week, after more than a year’s worth of discussion and deliberation on whether and/or how to regulate the creation of artificially-enhanced boat wakes on bodies of water within the town’s jurisdiction, voted to approve a request from the Alma/Moon Lake District to post a sign at the Alma Lake boat landing.

St. Germain town board endorses plan to rezone land for residential community near Sunrise Drive

The St. Germain town board authorized sending a letter to the Vilas County board’s zoning committee recommending approval of a re-zoning request for a proposed single-family subdivision in the town.

St. Germain to investigate suggested speed limits for town roads

The need for less speeding in the town of St. Germain was again a topic of discussion at the July 14 meeting of the town board, whose members discussed a possible solution. Over the course of several months in the recent past, town supervisor Patric Niggemeier led an ad-hoc committee investigating the possibility of regulating enhanced boat wakes on town lakes.