Weekly News Blast – Town of Grant, Portage Co

Weekly Blast!: If you live on a hard-surfaced road you may have noticed it looks a little cleaner this week. Thanks are extended to Public Works employee Leo Krueger who used a motorized sweeper to push off the sand mix used this past winter. Others have recently noted bright yellow flowers blooming along our roadsides. It’s likely a plant called Yellow Mustard Seed or Wild Mustard (Latin name Sinapis arvensis) which is a common annual weed in our area. It looks rather attractive this time of year, but it can quickly outcompete other more desirable plants and is deemed an invasive species in Wisconsin. It’s particularly troublesome in farm fields. Three years ago, the Town Board approved mowing Best Management Practices (BMP) to help us address the problem of invasive plants. It’s our chosen way to manage this very real problem using a sensible mowing regiment rather than resorting to pesticide use. The latter is sometimes necessary, but we have not used it to date. I’ve attached the map and narrative here. Grant Road Side Mowing Best Management Practices for Roadside Mowing If you have questions, just give me at call at 715-213-1717. Clerk Stefanie Schlapa, Supervisor Doug Steltenpohl and I met with the WDNR Electronic-Cycle Compliance Specialist Mallory Susdorf this week. She inspected our E-Waste storage trailer, noted our record-keeping, made suggestions for additional signage, and more. Overall, it was a very interesting and positive visit. Clerk Schlapa will be working on additional ideas for signage, and Supervisor Steltenpohl and I are looking at options to consider taking used anti-freeze; something that has been requested for some years. More to follow on these and other upcoming improvements... Perhaps the morning frosts are on their way out soon. I’m tired of wrapping and unwrapping my finicky rhododendron! Take care, Sharon

Posted on October 3, 2025, Edited October 3, 2025 by webmaster

Weekly News Blast

Former Supervisor Heather Grys-Luecht has requested a list of email addresses subscribing to Town of Grant notifications. We do not know the intent of Ms. Grys-Luecht’s request but have complied with the instruction of the State Attorney General under Open Records Law. On behalf of the Town of Grant, I apologize to any of you who would have liked to have kept these email addresses private. Further, I apologize if you receive any unsolicited emails. Moving forward, if you are unsure of the validity of received emails, or their content, please contact our webmaster at webmaster@townofgrant-portage.wi.gov or our clerk at clerk@townofgrant-portage.wi.gov.

On Wednesday evening there was a Listening Session at the Town Hall on behalf of State Representative Vinnie Miresse. The following topics were brought up: financial issues related to road maintenance for rural towns; an upcoming referendum for the Wisconsin Rapids Public Schools related to operational funding; AI in education; the use of epinephrine in schools and by First Responders; data centers; and utility solar. If you would like to contact his office, he can be reached at: 888-534-0071 or Rep.Miresse@legis.wisconsin.gov.

Enjoy the beautiful weather this weekend, Sharon