Mayor Frazier and the City of Milton Common Council are pleased to announce the City’s commitment to Community Award winners for 2013. Award winners were nominated by citizens and/or City Staff for work in the City of Milton that exemplified a commitment to our City’s sense of community. The following individuals will be recognized and receive their award at the City’s upcoming commitment to community recognition dinner on February 20th, 2014 at the Gathering Place. Tickets for the event are $25 per person or $45 per couple which includes a buffet style dinner. Tickets may be purchased at Milton City Hall, located at 430 E. High Street.
Commitment to Community Awards: Rick Mullen and Justin Geske
Rick Mullen and Justin Geske are receiving this award for their outstanding service to the Community, as Mr. Mullen and Mr. Geske donated hundreds of hours of service to the Milton Police Department in their work with the Department’s prescription drug box and accreditation efforts respectively.
Police Officer of the Year: Blaine Larson
Officer Blaine Larson’s commitment to the Community as a police officer spans a career with MPD of more than 25 years. In 2013 he assumed Code Enforcement and Property Management duties, improving effectiveness and efficiency in those processes. During a staffing shortage, Blaine also covered several months of vacant night shifts as a part-time police officer, saving taxpayers thousands of dollars in potential overtime expenses.
Employee of the Year: Inga Cushman
Inga is recognized for her exceptional work in community development. Her work with the Historic Preservation Commission included writing and receiving an $18,000 grant from the State Historical Society for an evaluation of properties that could create and designate additional historic properties and districts within the City of Milton. Inga also wrote and received a $10,000 Batterman Grant for pedestrian/bicycle walkways in Goodrich Square, and worked with Kaboom and the School District to secure the City’s playful City USA designation and a $20,000 grant for a community build playground in Crossridge Park scheduled for construction next year.
Citizen Heroism: Edward Berlanga
Mr. Berlanga is awarded the Citizen Heroism award for his commitment to community, demonstrated by his seeing a fire on Bowers Lake road, and taking the initiative to not only call for assistance, but began to put the fire out using available materials until the Fire Department could arrive. His efforts helped to potentially save thousands of dollars of property damage from the fire.
Commitment to Youth: Bob Johnson
Mr. Johnson is being recognized for his on-going efforts to help promote and support youth and families in the City of Milton. In March of 2013, Bob Johnson and Badger State Auction coordinated a fundraiser for the Parker YMCA that raised more than $30,000 for the new facility. In the fall of 2013, Mr. Johnson worked with the FFA’s in Evansville and Milton, and raised more than $110,000 for the Austin Martin family, a Milton area family that is battling cancer.
Mayoral Commendation for Commitment to Excellence: Ashlee Kunkel
Ashlee Kunkel is being recognized for her commitment to the Community’s youth as a library employee. Ashlee spearheads the teen reading and young adult reading programs. She has encouraged participation in the programs through innovative techniques and active engagement of our youth through interactive participation and active learning, expanding the success of the programs as demonstrated by increased program participation.
Citizens of the Year: Matt Keller and Brent Miller
The 2013 Citizens of the year are Matt Keller and Brent Miller. Their nomination comes from Dan Weitzel President of the Milton Youth Football Board, and describes the leadership roles taken by these two gentlemen upon learning of the diagnosis of an area youth football player named Austin Martin. Mr. Keller and Mr. Miller immediately began coordinating community wide fundraising to support Austin and his family as they began their battle with cancer. T-shirts, wrist bands, a community auction at Football Fest and a very well attended Culvers event created community awareness to the issue and need to support this family, and helped to rally our community around a Milton family in need.
We hope that you join us in recognizing these individuals at the City of Milton’s Community Recognition Dinner on February 20th, 2014. Tickets for the Commitment to Community Recognition Dinner are available
for sale at Milton City Hall, 430 E. High Street. Individual tickets
are $25 or $45 for a couple. The evening is slated to begin at 6:00 pm
with a cash bar and dinner to begin at 6:30 pm with the ceremony to
follow dinner. The event features a buffet dinner with Beef Stroganoff
and Baked Herb Chicken. There are only 130 tickets available as seating
is limited for this honoring event.
For more information, please contact City Administrator Jerry Schuetz at (608) 868-6900 or by email at jschuetz@milton-wi.gov.
