An Upgrade for Gates Hall

This past week, I attended the bill signing ceremony for Senate Bill 442, which calls for the renovation of Gates Hall at the Wisconsin Veterans Home in Union Grove. Currently, Gates Hall is an assisted living center that serves 42 veterans. Under the new law, Gates Hall will be upgraded to a 38-bed skilled nursing facility costing $4.9 million. Federal funding will cover 65% of the costs, with the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs covering the remainder. The demand for skilled nursing services at Union Grove has grown in the past few years, while the demand for assisted living has declined. The new renovations will allow Gates Hall to reopen in 2013 to serve our veterans with quality, skilled nursing services.

Rep. Kerkman, Sen. Van Wanggaard, and others look on as Governor Scott Walker signs Senate Bill 42 into law

New Sharing Center Director

The Sharing Center has a new Interim Executive Director! Sharon Pomaville will take over the position from Susanne Wilczek, who recently resigned. Sharon is a great leader to continue the mission of the Sharing Center, as she was born and raised in Racine, has currently made a home in Somers, and has been involved in nonprofit work in our area for a number of years. The Sharing Center recently began offering career resources to help people succeed in finding work. Classes are available in a variety of career topics, and a Career Closet provides business attire to those who need it. The Sharing Center will soon move to a new location in the Trevor Fire Department building. Donations (monetary as well as material) are always needed. To learn about making a donation, contact Sharon at director@thesharingcenter.net. Again, congratulations, Sharon!

Pleasant Prairie Welcomes Catalyst Exhibits

I recently attended the formal grand opening of Catalyst Exhibits in Pleasant Prairie. This exciting company recently moved to Wisconsin from Illinois, and has hired several new employees from our area. The grand opening was a great opportunity to learn more about the company. Catalyst designs innovative displays for businesses to showcase their products at exhibitions. We gladly welcome them to the area!

Visitors at the Capitol

Last week, students from Brighton Elementary School came to visit the Capitol with their teacher,  Matt Eggert. The students enjoyed touring the Capitol and learning more about our great state!

If you are interested in tracking the progress of legislation introduced this session, please visit http://legis.wisconsin.gov/ and click on the Notification Service link found on the homepage.