Welcome, everyone, to Midday Magazine for this April 10th, 2024.
You have your host, James J. Mailov here, and welcoming into the studio are great friends
from Encourage.
We want to welcome Kim Shields in.
Thanks for being here, Kim.
Always good to talk with you.
Great to see you.
Thank you.
And we always appreciate Encourage bringing in great guests and, boy, do we have some great
guests for you today?
Long time listeners who remember these voices.
It's been a while, but it's so good to see you guys and have you back with us.
We have Gary Erickson with us.
Gary, good to see you.
Thank you for inviting us back.
I appreciate coming on here and talking with you guys.
And Don Lee.
Do it.
Do it.
Do it.
Do it.
Do it.
I'm sorry about that.
It's been a while.
I appreciate it.
Always good to see you guys.
Thanks so much for being here.
I have to put you guys on the spot for a second and thank you because I haven't gotten a chance
to do this.
You were guys were some of the first people I interviewed when I was doing this.
And you guys made me feel comfortable, made me feel good about the job, working with
Carl over the years, and so many other great WFHR personalities.
I just really appreciate that and appreciate so much that this project meant so much to
you to follow this through.
We'll talk more with you about that in a moment, but really appreciate you bringing these
guys in, Kim.
It's been too long since we've seen these guys, and that laughter and energy in this building
and everything.
And in the new building, even, we haven't had you in the new building yet.
So that's pretty cool.
Yeah, they had a great tour right before coming on.
Good.
Nice facility.
Very nice.
Very nice.
Kim, I wanted to catch up a little bit with you from last month and some of the questions
in that.
Absolutely.
So you would ask me about scholarship award programs, and the students that receive scholarships
will be invited to attend their school's award program.
I know I had mentioned that.
Assumption and Acusa award programs do take place on Wednesday, May 15th.
And then we have Lincoln High School, John Edwards High School, and Port Edwards and
Principal High School all taking place on the next Wednesday, May 22nd.
So those students will receive an invitation and all the information directly from their
schools.
For students that receive scholarships that perhaps aren't in a local school or they're
already in college, we'll make sure to mail a letter to them the week of May 20th.
So that's exciting.
That's exciting.
Yeah, that's very cool.
Lizzy, but very exciting.
Exactly.
That's great thing.
And your summer Zoom program, we don't get a chance to touch on this nearly enough,
but I want to get into this with you.
Yeah, thank you.
So we're really excited this summer.
We are able to have the Raptor Education Group up north.
A lot of people know them as Reggie, and they do a lot with rescuing animals.
And for several years, really weren't in a position to offer these educational programs
outside.
You know, they're rescuing animals.
They kind of need to be on call.
And the last couple of years, they've begun offering programs again.
And on Tuesday, June 18th, we're able to offer winged wonders at the Wisconsin Rapid
Zoo.
They're able to have two programs at 130 and 330.
So we're super excited to have them be a part of our summer Zoom program series.
We love our zoo.
We talk about it all the time.
We're just a stone's throw away from it, and I am one of these days we are going to
do a remote from the zoo.
I really want to do, I really want to pull that off.
But one of the other things we love about our zoo is some of these added things to that
we have for kids, and we have for families in the community.
And that stems from encouraged.
And it's something that we like to give credit to.
Thank you.
We are super proud of the work that we're able to help facilitate over there.
The Helen Zoo House that was provided, I know I mentioned this, to listeners once
before, but through a fun, that encouraged the Helen Mead Fund.
And it was a joint effort between Helen Mead Fund and encouraged and the city of Wisconsin
Rapids.
And so we have this beautiful zoo building that is used primarily throughout the summer until
they close.
Every weekend is booked until they close in October.
And then as soon as they open, those that zoo houses booked.
And we have a couple other programs I just want to mention quickly.
On Wednesday, July 24, the zoo's art will be back at 111.
Love zoo's art.
And on Wednesday, August 21st, David Stokes will be back with his funny stories and poems
and.
We love David.
Yeah.
He's joined us on the air before.
Great.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
So we're excited about that.
We'll make sure that we have flyers and get distributed to the schools and make sure to
share on our website and social media.
And I want to follow through on the flyers there, especially with the tie-in, but I just
real quick did want to mention, because I've talked to listeners over the years so much about
these events at the zoo.
And how much kids love them and everything.
Last couple of years, I've really heard a lot from parents.
And how they're, it's interesting because they've run into something that I actually had
happen with my youngest daughter, Isabelle.
I took her to the zoo and we had this great lemur exhibit right there that when you first
come into our zoo and my daughter, too, this day loves lemurs.
My two.
Yeah.
That's her favorite edible.
It was Trello's from there in the big blue house.
Okay.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And Izzy has also gotten a love of animals and dedicated a lot of her life to animals and
everything.
And so much of its stems from the zoo and getting these experiences early on.
And she ate the only one.
As I mentioned, I've heard from listeners in the community about this.
How much they are benefited from it.
We don't know the sparks that can start with these kids just being around animals.
And maybe it doesn't have anything to do with animals, but it stems.
It gets them to want to be in the parks industry or something like that.
The work that you're doing, it encouraged, it spreads farther than I think we can realize.
It's just kind of cool to take a step back sometimes and see how this all plays out.
Thank you.
It's really interesting.
And it all ties together as we are all connected.
Yes, we are.
Thank you for saying that.
And there's a tie-in here.
There's a connection to the Dictricle Memorial, even.
Yes, absolutely.
So we have been honored and privileged to manage the Dictricle Memorial Project Fund at
encouraged.
So back in 2014, when these gentlemen that are going to be talking shortly had a dream
with other friends and in honor of their dear friend Dictricle, I'm creating this beautiful
memorial.
And if people haven't gone, you need to check off the site and support us.
And so we were fortunate to be able to start a pastor fund that really helped to build
that memorial in the site.
And from that is now morphed into an endowment.
You know, we've talked about that before, having that perpetual support.
And in this case, it's the perpetual support for the memorial, making sure that the memorial
is okay.
And the site is okay.
And these gentlemen have helped work with the village of Rudolph to even put in new
restrooms and in the park.
And so it's really a beautiful area.
And that endowed fund will help provide that perpetual support, that support forever.
Which is such a key part of this.
It's one thing to get up and running, another to keep it there.
And to keep it fresh, keep it looking good and everything.
It's a key part of this, but it's something that I, not everybody always thinks about.
That's another added bonus, or another added thing that I appreciate about encouraged,
thinking the big picture, looking at the big picture and everything.
It's something you guys are very good at over there and help, I think, help organizations
get good at or think of.
You know, sometimes we have these passion projects, so we have these ideas.
And that's great, and that passion carries you for a long ways, but it doesn't always
give you the big picture sometimes.
So you guys are very good at that, encouraged.
Thank you.
And appreciate the time as always, Kim.
Thank you.
I'm really excited to talk to Gary Adotta.
I love talking to you, Kim.
You know I love talking to you, but I've missed these guys.
And I saw them on the list when Pam and I had to double double check.
I'm like, hey, Gary Adotta.
So these guys are too young.
I told you don't beat the ransom.
I did a scare.
Oh, I missed you, I missed you, but I get in trouble for harbouring them.
Yeah, yeah.
So guys, while you, you did join us quite often on a consistent basis there on those early
days, when this project was getting running and stuff, it's been a while.
Can we remind the audience of where this idea came from and why it means so much to you?
It's Gary's fault.
It's Gary.
No, there we go.
Enough said.
It's really, really not my fault.
It's Chuck Trickle with Dick's younger brother's fault.
At one time before Dick passed away, he came over and talked with me and he said, you
think the Lions Club or some organization in Luta could do a little tribute to Dick
because Dick did quite well in racing all the way from Stratford all the way down to
Daytona Beach, Florida.
So I said, well, I'll try.
So we talked with the Lions and the Lions.
There's no where they don't want to take this project on.
So then when Dick passed away, we said, okay, now is the time to get going.
And so I shouldn't brag, but I was one that probably started it and I got a whole
of Tom Reffner and from there on, we got Marbury Selfka, excuse me, and a few other people
involved down Stuke and whatnot.
So with all their help and all the help of the people that donated money, time and effort,
we thank you because without them, it would have never happened, but Chuck Trickle was
the one that got us started.
During this, in those early days of it starting and everything, realistically, now looking
at it, we've got it up and there, where it's running, everything is where we're hoping
it would be.
But did you guys, I know you wanted this to happen, did you think it was going to happen,
did you think we'd get to this place?
There was a few times when we wondered, are we going to be able to come up with the funding?
And it was difficult.
We did the construction work ourselves for the most part and the fundraising and I'll
tell you right now, construction work is a lot easier than fundraising, it was a challenge.
I mean, we go back to the days when we first came on air with WFHR, Bob Look was here.
And I think we worked jointly with maybe you and Bob once together, I can't remember.
But I mean, it was a while ago.
I spent it for a while and I guess I look at it this way.
The village of Rudolph has got three highlights, shall we call them, or three attractions if
you want to call it that.
You got the Rudolph Grotto, there's been there for a hundred years.
Everybody likes to go to dairy state cheese and get cheese, yep, yep, yep, and the
Dictricle Memorial, those are kind of the three highlights of the village of Rudolph.
And we're going to kind of expand on that, making that, making that present it a little
bit more.
We're going to talk to a few people and this is just in a very early thinking stages on
our part.
I don't know if these other people know it yet or not, but we want to do maybe looking
to some improved or additional signage along the highway.
Okay.
I mean, I get text messages and so on every so often, you know, where is this at?
Where is it?
How do I find it?
It's on and so on and so forth.
And so we want to do a little something there, at least explore it and see what we can
develop in that regard.
That's an exciting thing to be able to do.
I mean, just so somebody knows, you know, driving down highway 1334 and sees some signage.
It's been a challenge to get this started, but we're going to move forward.
That's an exciting part of this.
If you guys don't mind, real quick, I want to touch on something that, because I did
a little test over the weekend.
I was asking around and I was asking some, not just normal people that I talked to a long
time listeners, but some younger people like, hey, you know, Dick Trickle, you know, Dick
Trickle.
A hundred percent, and like young old, it didn't matter.
Everybody knew Dick Trickle's name and no understand the legacy in this area of that
man.
I'm curious, you touched on this a little bit, Gary, but what he meant to you guys and
why this was so important to you to honor this man and honor what he did in this, and putting
this area in some ways on the map.
Well, going way back, I probably knew Dick when he was about 12, 14 years old and we wound
up going to high school together in Rudolph, we're both in the same class, we graduated
together and Dick went his way racing and I had a job then I went to service and I got
back out, I came back and went with Dick on some of the race nights and whatever, but
Dick and I were always good buddies and when it came time to do something like this, it
just says, Gary, get with the program and let's see what we can do.
And backing up a little bit, Don talking about funds and whatnot, we never did anything
that we could not pay for.
We always had the funds before we did anything because none of us was going to go sign
a open-ended loan for a couple hundred thousand bucks because I'm not that rich in these
sides.
I don't want to be tied to it for the rest of my life, but thank the Lord that all these
great people donated time, money and effort.
So we're at the place we're at today because everybody involved.
You know, when people donate to something like this and they're a part of it then, they
become a part of the memorial, they become a part of the, and there's a lot of personal
pride that we take in our locals.
We're all homers.
We all love rooting for our locals and our people from our area and that.
So there's already so much of that embedded in this memorial.
When you donate to it, you have that extra kind of like feeling and literal attachment
to this memorial.
You know, it's one thing to take some personal pride in.
It's another to be able to take that kind of pride in it.
And well, that's kind of the, the angle, let's call it.
I was in sales for a few years and I kind of used just what you said as my approach to
folks.
If you want to be part of this memorial, we can make you part of this memorial and here's
all you do.
You will be part of the Dictacle Memorial.
Mm-hmm.
You're in simple.
Your name will be etched in stone or you will have a beautiful picture dedication, you
know, and however, the donors wanted to express their feelings about the whole deal.
That was what it was all about.
Here's your opportunity.
You can be part of it.
You can get your two cents worth in and it's sort like an eagle.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's good to hear.
It's one thing to be able to honor this man and honor his legacy in that and what he did
for the area too.
It's another thing as well that is kind of an added bonus of this of something that you
were touching on there, Donna, as far as the attractions to root off and bringing people
to root off and the dollars and the economy that that pulls in and everything.
That is a nice added bonus of this that's good for not just root off, but our surrounding
areas, because as we know, all of this bleeds into each other.
Nikusa does well.
Rapids is doing well.
Point does well.
Was is doing well.
We're all connected.
So this is a really nice added bonus to this of bringing more and more people to the
wonderful city of root off, which I love, I love root off.
We have no idea or any thought process at all how we would ever determine any kind
of an economic impact to the area, but it definitely does draw people in.
It is an interest.
And with the 10 year anniversary coming up, that's all the more reason why people are
going to want to come down, I think.
I hope so.
We're talking about the 10th anniversary, the Board of Directors.
We are sponsoring the 10th anniversary celebration, but this will be our last because we are all
getting older and we can't quite do all the things we did and we lost a couple of the
members that man said and Tom Reffner and so as we grow older, we
don't have the stamina to do some of this, but fires the Directors goal.
This is our finale, but if someone else wants to do a celebration, it's entitled, entitled
them to do it.
And we will not be involved because we don't want to put our name out there with them.
So whoever wants to do it, can sure come and do it, but just get in touch with us to make
sure that there's no other thing going on at the park that particular time.
It's a public park.
If someone wants to do something at the memorial, God bless them, go and do it.
Yeah, we won't be involved in any more celebrations with that being said, I think you guys have
done enough.
I think it's fair, I think that is very fair, very earned.
Yeah, we've lost.
Are you sighting?
It's time for somebody else to take up the rail, somebody else get behind the wheel
and take this over.
A lot of times we'll say somebody's a tireless volunteer, tireless is like a relative
term.
They're tired.
They've worked really, really hard.
Kudos and huge applause for the show and the entire Directors.
I mean, they have done so much work and they should really be commended for it.
Yeah, absolutely.
And it's absolutely beautiful and what a way to honor their friend and such a huge community
hero.
Yeah.
Yeah.
We talk about this with other organizations like this, Torf point boss and others, you
know, as the people that have paved the way for this and made this possible get older and
earn this retirement or earn the time away from this, it is on us as younger generations
to pick these things up and continue them to keep them, not only continue the legacy
of this, but to continue the pride of this and the joy that comes from this.
I talked to one of the listeners and I was mentioning before, I talked to them and they
said, well, I brought my son and to see this and I want and I explained to him who Dick
Trekkle was and everything.
He said that they did that, I want to say a year ago or something, kids been in the NASCAR
ever since.
Like, kid just wants to talk cars, wants to talk about those things and stuff and really
got into it.
That's just one story.
Too bad.
Too bad he didn't grow up back in the 60s and 70s when this thing was really racing was
fun because they smashed the cars up the night and tomorrow night they'd have it fixed
and back racing again, but it's so cool how they did that.
One thing about Trekkle, he left for NASCAR in 1989, so it's been a number of years since
Dick has been around here, so some of the people that are, say, 35 years old, they've probably
never met Dick or never knew Dick really, but it's really neat how the legacy goes on.
Well, I think a lot of us get this as a football or basketball fans or anything, we have no
problem remembering the grates from those eras.
When I talk to people in NASCAR, it's no different.
Dick Trekkle, Richard Petty, all these great names of the past and everything, they are
still just as prevalent, the memories remains and younger generations learn about these
guys, especially nowadays with everything online and you can look up these races and
see a lot of these guys and see a lot of their stories and everything, we're really fortunate
with that.
It helps tie into a memorial, something like this, being able to, I see this online, I want
to go check it out now in person, I want to go see this actually in person.
Actually the memorial is, I viewed it from day one is, yes, it's Dick Trekkle's memorial
and like Marmer Zoffko always said, Dick was the guy you wanted to beat on the local circuit
here, okay?
But this is about more than just Dick, it's about racing, it's about other racers,
race with Dick, they race like heck against each other, I mean it was, it was, might
turn to win, no, I'm going to win the win, but when racing was done, have a beer, let's
go have a beer and it's about, it's about more than just Dick, I mean there's a lot
of dedications that you'll see on the walls, the picture wall or the granite wall, you'll
see all kinds of different racers name, there's pictures of Dick and Marv competing at
Elkville, Minnesota, you'll see pictures of the Wallace boys racing against Dick, you'll
see pictures of Jim Bach from Vesper racing against Dick, and the same can be said about
the, the dedications in granite, it's about a lot of racers, there's a lot of racers
mentioned and a lot of racers honored, but like, again, what Marv always said, Dick's
the guy you want it to be, you know, that's when you work the hardest to beat.
And one person we probably should thank for a lot of this too is Tom Refter, Tom was
from the day I asked him to come aboard, he was 100% behind it and he did a lot of, a
lot of work, and so the big thing he goes out the top, we lost, we lost more than just
a founder when we lost Tom, and he was so dedicated to the Memorial, and if you look
back at history, personal history, I'll call it, Marv and Tom and Dick grew up together,
they were within, I think they were all in the same grade or one year apart in school,
they were in Boy Scouts together, they went the Boy Scouts camp together for projects,
Marv was telling me one time, well part of our Boy Scouts project was we went over to Stephen's
point to the airport and we washed and polished Chuck Amman's airplane, Chuck was the banker
in rural, and the big supporter of troop 114 also he was in the tail, but I mean these
guys go back to school, to their school days, and then they grew up together, they learned
how to race together, they learned how to build race cars all on their own, and this went
on and on and on, and they were fierce competitors on the track, but like I alluded to earlier,
when a checkered flag dropped and the race was over, they were good buddies, always good
friends, Monday nights was not a race night on the local circuit, so what would they do?
They'd somebody grab a box of adult beverages, and they'd end up at either a Marv's shop
or Jim's shop or Dick's shop, and what kind of gears did you run, or this or that, they
shared information, not everything.
No, certainly, certainly, there was some competitive of this there, but it was competitiveness
and friendship, like you never saw before.
Don, I can't thank you enough for that, you touched on something there that I think is
really important when it comes to this, it's not just the history of Dick and his legacy,
but the history of racing in this area and how prominent that is and how much of an important
story that is, especially we love taking pride in our local stories, our local things,
this is a big one.
We could take a lot of pride in this 10th anniversary celebration, the final celebration
happening Sunday, May 19th, be sure to mark your calendars for that.
You can find out more about the project, be a part of the project, donate and be a part
of the memorial at DickTrickleMemorialProject.com, that's DickTrickleMemorialProject.com, and
Kim, want to give people the information of if they want to get in touch with you and
our friends from Encourage.
Absolutely, give us a call at 715-423-3863, or send us an email at
helloatincouragecf.org, and if somebody does want to donate to support the Memorial Project
or any other funds, you can always send a check to Encourage or go online on our GivePage.
You would just, if it's designated to a specific area like the TrickleMemorial or something
else, you just type in in the comments where that should be directed.
And we have a very, very active Facebook page, we're over 7,000 members, and that's
where really most of our information gets put out as in the Facebook page.
Ten seconds, I'd like to give the Encourage a big, big pat on the back.
Without them, we'd probably still be jumping through hoops and rings and whatnot, but they
came forward and said, hey, come with us and we'll help you out.
Thank the Lord they did, and we're out.
We're out.
Always appreciate our friends at Encourage doing those things and bringing great guests
like this, but maybe more than ever before.
I really can't thank you, Kim, and your team there because Gary Donne, I haven't gotten
to see you guys in a while, don't know if we're going to get you back here, so really,
really appreciate you both, appreciate your team.
Really very rude off so.
Come on by any time, actually, but in case we don't, thank you.
Thank you for doing this, thank you for joining us, we appreciate you really good to see
you guys.
Thank you so much.
We'll have more Midday Magazine for you tomorrow right here at WFHR, locally grown radio.
