WE’RE SERVING UP TURKEYS

295. Welcome to today’s blog. I would like to start off by following up on the last Blog. I asked for information from some specific dates(See blog 27, point 292) that I felt were missing. The reason I asked is common sense would dictate that based on past communications between the people involved, you would conclude there would be. Especially because there was so much going on at the time. Those dates were 1/1/20-3/17/20, 4/10/22-4/19/22, 4/27/22-5/25/22, 5/27/22-6/20/22). As I said before, I get what I get.

296. Below is another request to Rebecca Scherf on Sept 12, 2023

Tue, Sep 12 at 9:42 AM 

brian noel

To:Rebecca Scherf

Hi Rebecca,

The purpose of this email is in regard to the request made in an email I sent you 

Aug. 30, 2023 (see below). I did receive the information from the Chief, Captain 

Winterscheidt and Officer Jago. So, this email is specific to the Mayor and councilors.

Most of the dates in that request were made several times over the last four months (mostly concerning the Mayor). We had received some of the data, but the dates in the Aug 30, 2023 request are blocks of time missing from the data you provided from those original requests.

So, I wanted to know when I can expect the Mayor's portion of these requests.

Also when I get the information from the councilors.

Thanks,

Brian

Wed, Sep 13 at 2:45 PM 

Scherf, Rebecca

To:brian noel

Hello Mr. Noel,

Councilors are stewards of their own records, so when they respond is on their schedule. The Mayor’s office has had a lot of records request in the past few months and they are being processed in the order they have been received. Yours is currently #3 on my list and I will have answers to your questions and a response as soon as possible.

Thank you for understanding.

Rebecca Scherf

Chief of Staff to the Mayor

City of Superior

Why is it that all the other departments can get me information in a reasonable time except the Mayor’s office. The buck stops at his desk. Why doesn't he hire an extra staff member if his office is so busy with requests? As I said in the last Blog 27, I think it’s by design. It wouldn't be the first time.

Remember this from Blog 9, Point 129 (See below). And by the way, I applaud Bruce Barron for his work in exposing the Mayor and Linda Graskey, who is the vice president of the Superior City Council. I do however, respectably disagree with him when he said “I believe the people involved are fine individuals whom I have liked and respected that can and should do better, and perhaps now know better.” 

Personally I don’t think they are fine at all. I think they did know better. I don’t trust either one of them. And if they didn’t know, neither one of them should be working for the city. Not knowing is disrespectful to the taxpayers of the city. It would be like a cop not knowing how to use a gun. I don’t think this Mayor, turned dictator, has any respect or care about process. I think we’ve seen that many times over the Blogs. 

As for City Council, Rebecca Scherf said “Councilors are stewards of their own records, so when they respond is on their schedule.” Well, it’s been over two months, and I never heard or got a thing. I was thinking of calling 911 and reporting a missing people report. Is there a more useless body of people than this city council? 

298. Below is the story from Blog 9:

Commission violated state open meetings law

BY SHELLEY NELSON - Superior Telegram July 21, 2023

SUPERIOR -- The city’s Tourism Development Commission violated Wisconsin’s open meetings law Jan. 3, according to Douglas County District Attorney Mark Fruehauf. The Douglas County District Attorney’s Office investigated the commission after three complaints were filed by a former commission member, Bruce Barron. Barron accused the commission of two open meetings violations and one open records violation in connection with meetings held in January.

“What happened in January 2023 was completely different from when I was on the commission,” said Barron, who resigned in May 2022. “We were handed copies of open meeting statutes, and the commission leadership seemed to properly, if not rigidly, adhere to the proper meeting standards.”

The law was broken and bent, Barron said, but he is satisfied with the district attorney’s conclusions because elected officials should have better regard for state statutes.

In findings dated Friday, July 14 and delivered electronically Monday, July 17, Fruehauf wrote the open records violation had been resolved after documents related to the Jan. 3 meeting were produced by the city.

“In light of these actions by Mayor [Jim] Paine and Councilor [Lindsey] Graskey, the delay in the production of documents as mentioned in Barron’s complaint could be seen as an intentional effort to obstruct his access to the content of the records,” Fruehauf stated. “Because the records have been provided, this portion of the complaint is noted but no further action on the point is sought.”

Barron said his request to have the documents posted on the city’s online Agenda Center has never been met, but he did receive printed copies of the records.

Of the two complaints concerning open meeting violations, Fruehauf found one to be a clear violation.

The Jan. 3 meeting agenda was posted in the Agenda Center at 11:56 a.m. Jan.3, just 4½ hours before the meeting started. Public notice of a governmental body meeting must be made at least 24 hours prior to the meeting commencing, Fruehauf stated.

During the Jan. 3 meeting, the commission voted to approve an application to extend the Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center contract to operate the visitor center at a cost of $94,435 and committed $7,000 to Swim Creative to design a travel guide for Superior. The actions were reconsidered June 13, but work was underway on the travel guide by then. The committee approved the final contract for Bong Center funding on June 13.

The second complaint accused the commission of holding a meeting Jan. 17 that was not open to the public. Barron and former commissioner Steven Poole were unable to access the meeting by a video link provided on the agenda.

There is no clear evidence of an unlawful exclusion of the public from the Jan. 17 meeting, Fruehauf concluded.

“There is no requirement in Wisconsin law that a meeting must be recorded and broadcast,” Fruehauf stated. “Though protocols developed during the COVID-19 pandemic have created a reasonable reliance on citizen’s ability to attend government meetings virtually, there is no mandate for that option.”

Fruehauf noted the committee met Jan. 17 in the absence of a statutorily required member. Poole, who represented the lodging industry, resigned Jan. 3, leaving the commission without its only member required by law.

The DA said Graskey’s actions after the meeting adjourned appear to be an attempt to obscure discussion after it was mentioned that Poole had resigned.

“Councilor Graskey intentionally ended the broadcast and recording of the meeting, though adjourned, while a quorum of the members of the TDC were present and were discussing the resignation of Poole from that very commission,” Fruehauf said.

While the commission was found to violate the state’s open meetings law in connection with the Jan. 3 meeting, Fruehauf stated he wouldn’t be seeking forfeitures, which range from $25 to $300, because of additional steps the city is taking to ensure compliance with the letter and spirit of the Open Meetings Act.

Barron said it was never his intent to pursue penalties.

“I believe the people involved are fine individuals whom I have liked and respected that can and should do better, and perhaps now know better,” Barron said.

Remedies include rescheduling meetings not posted more than 24 hours in advance, and the city attorney, Frog Prell, providing annual training sessions for city commissions, committees and boards, according to the findings of the investigation.

Prell held his first open meetings law review Wednesday, July 12 with the Tourism Development Commission. Barron commended Fruehauf and Prell on steps that are being taken to educate.



“The city of Superior will be better served,” Barron said. “Accountability is not always comfortable for any of us, but accountability is something that citizens must rely on regarding public officials at all levels … I think we are better served if our esteemed mayor, his staff, council people and others better know the laws that govern those with the public’s trust.”

Since we are missing important information from crucial time frames, I do have texts from Superior’s most vile Garbage Mouths starting from June 21,22. Below is a sneak peak with more to come.

I lost a great friend this week. Dr. Mark Bergquist” the owner of Doc’s Gym and previous owner of Bergquist Chiropractic. I first met Mark when I was visiting a friend for a week in Superior. I was living in Ft. Myers. Fl. at the time. My back was giving me problems, so I made an appointment. I went in a couple a times that week and we immediately hit it off. We were looking to move, and on the way home I decided that I wanted to move to Superior and Mark was one of reasons for my decision. When I got home I told my wife and the rest is history. About a year later we moved and Mark, my wife and I were friends for life. Mark and I had totally different lifestyles. He didn’t drink or smoke and ate healthy.

On the other hand, let’s just say, we were different. I used to see him a couple of times a week. He was good supporter and customer at Shorty’s. I’d often see him with his mother and various friends there over the years. I think we spent about 90% of our time together laughing.

I want to tell you three stories about Mark that sums it for me.

On the professional side of things, Marks office was filled with all those “alternative medicine pills”. I used to bug him all the time about being a Voodoo Doctor and we always laughed about it. Then, for about a year I was feeling very fatigued, had brain fog and just felt crappy. During that time I went to a couple of doctors, but they couldn’t find anything. I told Doc about it one day and he said “I think you have Lyme disease.” He did a few tests, gave me some of those “Voodoo Pills” and three days later, I was feeling normal again.

 

On the funny side, I used to go to Charlie Brown’s bar and once a week they had a “Beer Buffet”. I think it was 7.00 for all the tap beer you could drink in three hours. I told Doc about it and used to bug him to come down there with me. Of course, I knew he didn’t drink and he’d just laugh it up. One time I said to him, “Look Doc, if you ran your water tap for three hours, it would cost you more than 7.00, so you can’t afford not to go.” He never went, but he must have repeated that line to me about 200 times over the years.

And finally, Mark the person. When we were planning our move to Nevada in October 2022,

he was battling stage 4 cancer. Every time I saw him he would ask if he could help or was there anything he could do. I told him that I had movers and not to worry. Who battles stage 4 cancer and wants to know if you need help moving? Mark does. That’s all you need to know about Mark the man.

He went to heaven on November 17, 2023. And on this Thanksgiving week, I just want to say thanks to Mark. Thanks for being my friend.