Introduction By Jesse Harness
On Friday, October 19, 2001 at 11:00 a.m., UW-Stout celebrated the grand
opening of its new Recreation/Athletic Complex. Chancellor Sorensen lauded
the efforts of all of the partners - UW-Stout students and staff, the City
of Menomonie, Dunn County, the School District of the Menomonie Area, and
the Stout University Foundation - to create a facility of value-added quality
that provides benefits to the university, the schools and the community
at large.
By this time, the Menomonie High School Football Team had enjoyed several home games on the new state-of-the-art turf. On September 25, 2001, High School Principal Tom Wiatr, Activities Director Kevin Matthews and I were invited to join Stout and High School officials in a walk-through of the new facility just prior to its opening. The following Friday night we played Onalaska in our homecoming game. What a spectacle! I could hardly believe my eyes. I was truly amazed at what this community had accomplished. In all my years of coaching high school football, never had I seen a high school football team, high school band, and high school dance team – all units of excellence – honored by its environment.
One of the reasons that Menomonie attracted me to the community was the opportunities it provides its youth. I soon learned that it was able to do so by the manner in which the community conducts its business. Projects such as this do not just happen. They only become reality with people of vision who have a desire to create and nurture strong partnerships for the common good. This truly amazing accomplishment was added to the multitude of others in this community that only committed partners can produce. Everyday I look around me and I am thankful for what we as a community do for our children and one another.
I am proud of the partnerships that exist in this community. I believe the partnership that exists between UW-Stout and Menomonie Public Schools benefits both institutions and the community, but, more importantly, it promotes the fulfillment of the mission of each organization.
I can tell you that all of my dealings with the UW-Stout staff have been conducted in a respectful, professional manner. The Chancellor has honored my every request for a meeting with him or his staff to discuss this issue, often assembling ten university staff members for the purpose of discussing or evaluating our relationship between the UW-Stout Recreation/Athletic Complex and the public schools. The school district has an agreement with UW-Stout, and it intends to honor the agreement. It started with a board resolution in October of 1998, to commit funds toward the completion of the stadium. At a meeting on August 22, 2001, university and district representatives committed to working through the details of the nature of our new partnership, and to the satisfaction of all parties, as much as possible. We believe we can and will work through all matters because we want to - we must.
Since, we have met on November 13, 2001, to conduct an evaluation meeting, and we met again on July 15, 2002, to prepare for the next season. New Activities Director Arne Bolstad, Head Football Coach Joe LaBuda and I met with eight Stout officials at this meeting. Most recently, board members Marshall Quilling and Greg LaPean, former board member Ron Mikesell, and I met with Chancellor Sorensen, John Enger, Bob Johnson, and Mike Buxrude on September 5, 2002, to discuss the questions that had been raised by board and community members at the school board meeting on August 12, 2002.
With that background, the District and the University are issuing this jointly prepared Question & Answer sheet as an outcome to the meeting on September 5, 2002. There appears to be a great deal of misinformation circulating in the community. We want you to know the facts. If you have any other questions on this matter, please contact me at 232-1642, Ext. 104, or John Enger at UW-Stout at 232-2381.
Jesse Harness, Superintendent
Menomonie Area School District