(Photo Story) Nick Van Strydonk, 21, Tomahawk, emerged as the new world champion at the 49th annual AMSOIL World Championship Snowmobile Derby in Eagle River over the weekend. It's being described as possibly the closest finish ever as Van Strydonk, on his Polaris, out-maneuvered Matt Schulz, Wausau, in the final turn of the final lap to take the checkered flag. Schulz led for 29 of the 30 laps in the 12-sled field. Professionals and amateur snowmobile racers from throughout the U.S. and Canada vie for some $100,000 in prizes at the annual winter race. Van Strydonk took home $10,000 cash and $10,000 from Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches, along with a 5-foot-tall trophy. Sports Editor Tom Colstad will have an interview with Nick in next week's newspaper.

(Photo Story) EXPERIENCING POVERTY: More than 40 people spent part of a Saturday afternoon attending a Poverty Simulation conducted by UW-Extension and hosted, in part, by Kinship of Tomahawk. The goal was to get just a small taste of the frustrations and vicious circles that encompass poverty and potential homelessness on a local level. Participants were grouped in "families" and spent what represented a month's time trying to pay bills, buy groceries and get their children to school. Read more about the simulation in this week's Tomahawk Leader. There also will be a follow-up meeting to discuss a Family Advocate Program to help parents navigate the system Monday, Jan. 30 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. upstairs a Tomahawk Community Bank. Call 715-453-1910 or 715-966-0996 for more information.

The Tomahawk Police Department is investigating a fire that was reported about 11 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 7 at the ice skating warming house in Pride Park. The fire appears to have originated inside a trash can by the door to the warming house. Witnesses using the skating rink that evening from 8:35 to 10 p.m. indicated two teenage males who did not have skates were seen inside the warming room with cap guns. The males also were seen outside the warming room in possession of a cigarette lighter. The two males were still at the skating rink at 10 p.m. when the witnesses left the structure. The two males were described as both in their early teens and approximately 5-feet, 9 inches to 6-feet tall. One was described as having blondish brown hair and wearing black shorts and shoes with knots in the laces, worn as slip-ons. The other male was described as having brown, curly shoulder-length hair and possibly wearing glasses. Last week, the investigating insurance company deemed the warming house a complete loss. Those with information are asked to contact the Tomahawk Police Department at 715-453-2121 or call Lincoln County Crime Stoppers at 715-536-3726 with any information regarding this incident. Callers may remain anonymous. See related letter in the Letters to the Editor thread on our Message Board.

UPDATE: The public hearing will be Saturday, Feb. 4, beginning at 9 a.m. at the Tomahawk School District auditorium, 1048 E. King Rd. Check the Related Links below for information.

Oneida County Judge Mark Mangerson issued a ruling last month in a civil Circuit Court case involving Lake Nokomis Concerned Citizens, Inc. (LNCC) vs. Oneida County over a Lake Nokomis Lake District, that because a tape recording of the previous County Board hearing was not legible, Oneida County will need to re-process the petition as if it were received on Jan. 9, 2012. A corporation counsel news release says interested parties should be aware that written comments previously submitted with regards to the Lake Nokomis Lake District petition will not be considered as the county moves forward with the re-hearing process. If any interested party desires to resubmit written comments, they should be addressed to the Land and Water Conservation Department, P.O. Box 400, Rhinelander, WI 54501.

Tomahawk Leader Publisher Larry Tobin has fulfilled a dream and published his first novel, "Pressing Matters". It's about small town corruption and the fallout experienced by a local newspaper (Fremont Press Gazette) publisher, Press, his family and staff after the news is brought into the public eye. "Pressing Matters" is available locally at Tomahawk Ben Franklin, Nelson's County Market and at the Tomahawk Leader office. Additional information on the author is posted online at larrymtobin.com and copies of Pressing Matters are available there and via a banner on this site (just click on the Pressing Matters front cover and go to "Buy a book"). And, it's available on Amazon.com and can be ordered through any bookstore nationwide.

**Department of Natural Resources personnel did an aerial survey of bald eagles in the Lower Wisconsin River corridor and counted 186 eagles, including 128 adults and 58 immature birds.

**DNR will expand over-the-counter service by 40 percent at its service centers across the state, including that one located in Rhinelander. Instead of being open just three days a week, the service centers will be open Monday through Friday with daily hours from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The move was to make friendly, knowledgeable staff more available to the public.

**Look for our Snowmobile Trail Report in the link to the left.

**Ice fishing updates and tips are posted in our Fishing Report.

A new Directory of Voluntary Organizations in the Tomahawk area has been published and is available for reference in the pdf below and in our Related Links at the bottom of this page. The first 2011 Tomahawk Directory includes 68 organizations and is a gift to the citizens in and around the Tomahawk area from publishers Jo-Ski and AJ Theiler. Information includes each group's mission/activities, date founded, annual expenditures, membership numbers, and contact information. There's also a form here to add your group to this undertaking.

The Town Square is a great place to check for places to stay, shop and dine while in the Tomahawk area. For information on adding your business link with web site, call 715-453-2151 or email sales@tomahawkleader.com.

Check the pdf link below for TV listings for this week. Note, they are searchable, so type in a word or movie name and let the search begin. It's a nice added feature.

The Wisconsin Roads Report is accessible via a link elsewhere on this page. **For a 15-day forecast, see our Weather at the top of the page.

**Arriving after publication. Full obituary will be published in Jan. 31, 2012, Tomahawk Leader:

**Thomas J. Adams, 62, Eagle River, Alaska, formerly of Tomahawk, born in Tomahawk, 1968 graduate of Tomahawk High School, moved to Alaska in 1972, worked for the Alaska Railroad for 32 years, retiring in 2005 (died 1-20-12; memorial service was held in Alaska; Janssen's Eagle River Funeral Home, Alaska, assisted).

**Ruth Myers (nee July), 95, Tomahawk, married to Eli, they lived in Tomahawk (died 1-20-12; no services are planned).

**Leland "Butch" Boldt, 96, Tomahawk, born in Bagley, married Catherine Schuetz (she died in 1968), later married Gretchen Schuetz-Tremel (died in 1994), came to Tomahawk in 1930s to work at CCC camp, served in U.S. Army during World War II, fought in Battle of the Bulge, truck driver for Tomahawk Dairy, Tomahawk Bottling Works and Daigle Oil (died 1-23-12; Mass of Christian Burial at noon Friday, Jan. 27 at St. Mary Catholic Church, visitation begins at 10 a.m., Krueger Family Funeral Home, Tomahawk, assisting, memorials to Wisconsin Council for the Blind, The Seeing Eye, Pediatric Low Grade Astrocytoma Foundation (PLGA) or St. Mary Catholic School).

**Richard M. Hufschmid Sr., 75, Apopka, Fla, originally from Tomahawk, worked as locksmith in central Florida for over 30 years after retirement from U.S. Air Force, married to Mary (died 1-16-12; funeral Mass was Jan. 21).

**Summaries of obituaries published in the Jan. 24, 2012, Tomahawk Leader include:

**Dorothy Victoria Maki (nee Pemper), 86, Rhinelander, longtime Brantwood resident, born in Mellen, married Tauno Maki, couple lived in Brantwood, employed by Brantwood Co-op, owned Calhoun's Bar and Restaurant, Brantwood, and Village Inn, Tripoli, (died 1-16-12; memorial service Saturday, Jan. 28, 11 a.m., at St. Therese of Lesieux Catholic Church, Phillips; visitation begins at 9 a.m.; Heindl Funeral Home, Phillips, assisting).

**Daniel R. Smith, 83, Hazelhurst, formerly of Tomahawk, born in Wausau, attended Tomahawk High School, married Beverly J. Wesenberg, served in Wisconsin National Guard through Korean War, Vietnam and Berlin Crisis, administrator of Tomahawk Armory at time Tomahawk students relocated there for classes, retired from Army National Guard in 1984 after 33 years, played semi-pro football for Merrill Foxes, past commander of American Legion Post 89 (died 1-21-12; memorial service at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28 at Bolger Funeral Home-Minocqua Chapel, visitation one hour before service; in lieu of flowers, memorials to Arthritis Foundation-Wisconsin Chapter, 1650 S. 180th St., West Allis, WI 53214-4021 or charity of choice).

**Dorothy "Aunt Toots" M. Theis, 75, Tomahawk, formerly of Chicago, born in Chicago, spent time in Tomahawk since 1959, moving here permanently in 2005 (died 1-17-12; memorial Mass at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 28 at St. Mary Catholic Church, Tomahawk, rosary service at 9 a.m., visitation begins at 9:30 a.m.; Generations Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Tomahawk, assisting).

**Mable Dorothy Niskanen (nee Sandquist), 85, Brantwood, graduated from Tripoli High School, worked in Chicago as statistician for Federal Life Ins. Co, later as dispatcher in Wausau at Steffke Freight, she and husband, Leonard, moved to dairy farm in Brantwood, also a homemaker (died 1-19-12; services Jan. 23; Heindl Funeral Home, Phillips, assisting).

**Janet "Jean" Friedrick (nee Jewell), 86, Rhinelander, formerly of Tomahawk, born in Stevens Point, married Fred H. Friedrick, owned Bear Cub Inn in Alaska on Tok Highway 1947-68 and Easy Rental in Cottonwood, Ariz., also was a waitress (died 1-17-12; private services; Gaffney-Busha Funeral Home, Eagle River, assisted).

**Marie Poeske (nee Gassner), 91, Minocqua, born in Marathon City, she and husband, Norm, lived in Wausau, then moved to Mason Lake near Tomahawk and then to Minocqua, assisted in operation of Norm's Diamond Variety, Tomahawk, and involved in antiques (died 1-16-12; service Jan. 21; Carlson Funeral Home, Rhinelander).

**Jodee Lynn Retzlaff (nee Bong), 54, Catawba, born in Cudahy, moved to Phillips in 1964, proprietors of Long John's Resort, married Jerry Retzlaff, owned Catawba Oil Company, Catawba, since 1976, also was substitute aide, cook, librarian, secretary, custodian Catawba Middle school, firefighter and 1991 Firefighter of Year for Village of Catawba (died 1-7-12; funeral Jan. 11, 2012; Heindl Funeral Home, Phillips, assisted).

(Complete obituaries, many with photos, are published in the Tomahawk Leader and are posted in the Online Edition available by subscription. Our sponsored Church Directory has been provided here as a pdf for informational and reference purposes.)

**Breaking News as of 5:15 p.m. Monday, Jan. 23, 2012: Chase Boruch, 25, was sentenced late this afternoon to life in prison with no chance for parole in the June 2010 death of his mother. Boruch had said his mother, Sally Pergolski, 63, Wausau, drowned in a Harrison Hills lake not far from Tomahawk. It took a jury less than 3 hours Nov. 16 to determine otherwise, however, and find him guilty of first-degree intentional homicide. Lincoln County Judge Glenn Hartley, during sentencing today, said the murder was not a crime of passion, but rather "calculated" and "premeditated," all for financial gain. Some $1 million in insurance policies had been taken out in her name. Boruch, a veteran, meanwhile, in his statement, said he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. City Editor Jed Buelow was there and we'll have complete coverage in the Jan. 31 issue.

**Merrill teacher implicated in drug scandal involving Antigo principal/coach and other staff. We'll have story in Jan. 31 Tomahawk Leader.

The Northern Wisconsin Initiative to Stop Homelessness (N*WISH) Continuum of Care will be joining anti-homelessness coalitions around the state tomorrow (Wednesday, Jan. 25) in completing a local count of individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Staff and volunteers will count persons in shelters, as well as persons residing on the streets, under bridges or similar places not meant for human habitation. Teams of volunteers will be in Rhinelander, Minocqua, Crandon, Eagle River, Antigo and other larger communities to locate individuals sleeping in public places. In 2010, Oneida and Forest counties were among three rural counties with the largest growth in homeless families in the state, as reported by the state Division of Housing. Frederick Place Homeless Shelter in Rhinelander has provided shelter to over 100 individuals and families since opening Jan. 31, 2011, and has turned away even more. New Hope Shelter in Crandon, a 14-bed shelter that opened in August 2010, has also seen a steady stream of visitors.

**Tomahawk's Nick VanStrydonk, age 21, won the Eagle River World Snowmobile Championship Sunday while driving a custom TNN Racing Polaris-powered sled. He won by 0.026 seconds over second-place finisher Matt Schulz who was the 2011 champion.

**Hatchet girls' hockey: beat Rhinelander/Antigo 5-4; freshman Nicole Nerva scored twice, while Kendall Nelson, Kacey Iwen and Hannah Beiler had one goal apiece, goalie Destiny Hanke had 16 saves. **Boys' hockey: beat Medford 6-4 behind goals from Chris Parker, Luke Schoone, Dylan Dahl, Colton Kammer and Kenny Kangas, goalies Ole Hanson and Evan Russo combined to stop 42 shots on goal; lost 6-5 to Stevens Point Pacelli, scoring were Sam Heim, Parker, Kammer and Trevor Iwen, goalies Hanson and Russo combined for 26 saves. **Boys' basketball: lost 42-4 to visiting Wittenberg-Birnamwood, leading scorers were Jared Jarvensivu (15 points) and Kyle Bartz (13); defeated Phillips 65-58, Fletcher Schoone led Tomahawk with 22 points, while Jarvensivu and Bartz tallied 17 and 13 points. **Wrestling: defeated visiting Lakeland 51-20, winning were Kevin Zurfluh (106 pounds), Turner Wegener (120), Nate Flohr (126), Brandon Larkin (152), Kris Cole (170), Austin Bellile (182), Adam FauFau (195), Payton DuPlayee (220) and Mitchell Schauer (285); traveled to De Pere for a dual meet invitational and won all five meets (Tomahawk 58, De Pere 8; Tomahawk 72, Milwaukee Hamilton 9; Tomahawk 75, Lena 6; Tomahawk 50, Reedsville 23; and Tomahawk 39, New London 24).

State law prohibits holding both a Wisconsin driver license and a Wisconsin ID card. "If you want an ID card and you already have an unexpired Wisconsin driver license you have to turn in your driver license. State law doesn't allow you to hold both," notes Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) Operations Manager Patrick Fernan. The State Legislature recently passed a law that requires people to present a photo ID when voting. Consequently, DMV customer service centers around the state are noticing an increase in the number of people coming in to request an ID card because they think they need one to vote. The Wisconsin state ID card is just one form of photo ID that can be used to vote, but many forms are acceptable. "A Wisconsin driver license is also acceptable, and that is what most people have, and, ultimately what most people will use," says Fernan. "If you have an unexpired Wisconsin driver license, you have the photo ID needed to vote." For people who don't have an acceptable photo ID for voting and want one, DMV can issue a photo ID free of charge if they meet the requirements. For more information visit www.wisconsindmv.gov.

The Lincoln County Board has formed an Ad Hoc Committee, Government Services Project which has spent considerable time studying practices and surveying county employees to identify and promote the most proficient utilization of county staff resources to provide services for the public. At its Jan. 13 meeting, the committee discussed potential recommendations members might make to the County Board and/or other committees of the County Board. Among identified ideas to be discussed again Jan. 27 for possible recommendations to the full County Board are: **Solid Waste Committee should explore the possibility of developing a compact and sell recycling program for the county landfill. **Drop mandated services down to minimum level, regardless of whether state funding for them are reduced. **The County Board must explore/discuss whether to keep, sell or privatize Pine Crest Nursing Home. **Consolidate departments when it makes sense. **Continue to look for opportunities to lease space in the Service Center and where it makes sense in other county buildings.

Among the other in the Jan. 24, 2012, Tomahawk Leader:

**Four in custody for Merrill tavern burglary.

**About 40 business and property owners, business development stakeholders, downtown revitalization supporters and entrepreneurs attended a Tomahawk Main Street Business Recruitment Seminar.

**Snowmobiler, 14, released after Hiawatha Trail crash.

** "Lives for Sale" to consider immigration and human trafficking, with local input on practical alternatives. See Community Calendar.

**Woodland owners one-day conference Feb. 11.

**We're #1: Embarrassing state binge drinking has plunged us into. See the Message Board.

**Church supports right to form unions. (Letter to Editor posted to Message Board).

**Kinship kids waiting for mentors. Find out more about the program and how to become involved.

**Remember: The Tomahawk Open Arms Soup Kitchen has moved to Tuesday evenings, 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the St. Mary's Corpus Christi Center. All are invited.

**Get the full stories and much more with in this week's Tomahawk Leader.

A new raffle aimed at putting Tomahawk back on the map, or more precisely on the highway, will pay out $20,000 in prize money next spring, including one lucky ticket-holder who will take home a whopping $10,000 top prize. The Big Ten raffle is a new Tomahawk Chamber of Commerce promotion created specifically to raise funds to promote the community. Proceeds from the raffle will go toward a new 18-by-48-foot electronic billboard to be built just south of town on Hwy. 51. Along with paying to have the new billboard that will once again give the city a presence on the highway, a portion of funds will be used for the lottery payout, which includes 10 additional $1,000 cash prizes that will be awarded along with the big winner. For more on the Big Ten raffle or for specific locations tickets are available, contact the Tomahawk Regional Chamber of Commerce office at 715-453-5334. The Tomahawk Leader does have tickets for $10 each.

Have you ever dreamed of owning an existing business? Are you an entrepreneur at heart and interested in possibly starting a business venture? Do you know someone who is? Now's a great time to consider one of our buildings for sale and rent in downtown Tomahawk. Our Main Street Program even offers one-on-one mentoring with financial, business plan and other advice. Stop by the Tomahawk Main Street office at 225 W. Wisconsin Avenue, Tomahawk, WI 54487. Call 715-453-1090 or email director@tomahawkmainstreet.org for additional information. We also have a link to a listing of available properties immediately below.

Looking for things to do? Check our Community Calendar for an in-depth listing of area events. And, do some extra site-seeing with our online Town Square business directory to find places to stay, dine and shop. We also feature a 15-day forecast on our Weather link; front page Map; snowmobile Trail Report; and online Fishing Report, plus our School Calendars include student activities, sporting events and information about ACT testing and college visitation dates.

The Tomahawk Leader is in the process of changing providers for its Online Subscriptions. The previous service has discontinued that option although will support existing subscribers until they are due, but not renewals or new customers. Hopes are to get new something up and running during January. We apologize for any inconvenience and look forward to offering new options once the switch has been made. If you have questions, please contact us at 715-453-2151.

Typo the Tomahawk Leader Office Cat is a regular columnist in the newspaper and a celebrity on Facebook. Become a friend today!

Click here for direct links to web sites related to stories in this week's Leader:

Children's Miracle Network

In This Together-road construction campaign

Larry M. Tobin Novel, Pressing Matters

Lincoln County Government

Lincoln County Humane Society

Make-A-Wish Foundation of Wisconsin

Newspaper Public Notices Online

Oneida County Mining Exploration

Tomahawk Area Directory of Voluntary Organizations

Tomahawk Fire and Rescue School

Tourism Branding Survey-business owners

Tourism Branding Survey-Travelers

Wisconsin Road Reports

Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry Information