Hello all, welcome to WFHR's Rapids Report, proudly brought to you by Crockett Sceptic.
A big thank you to our friends over there.
We have a great addition for you this June 13th.
We are welcoming into the studio, some of our friends from Assumption Schools.
We have Matthew Zakowski with us.
Matt, how you doing?
James, I'm doing well.
Always great being here.
Thanks for having me.
Yeah, it's really good to see you, man.
Really good to have you.
You and I have been able to talk about a lot of different topics over the years.
Yes.
Great stuff for us today.
We want to kick off with the new president.
Is that where you want to start here?
Absolutely, James.
So first of all, I just want to like to recognize our president now, Dan Mentor.
Dan has been at Assumption for seven years.
And he's moving on.
He's in continue to do great things.
And I've been at Assumption in my role.
My role, James is Director of Advancement in Alumni Relations.
So I've been here at Assumption for a year and a half.
So Dan was the one who hired me.
And during my time, I just observed Dan is true to the Catholic faith as it comes to
education.
He was a champion for that.
And I was very passionate about it.
So we really appreciate everything he's done during his time.
And we had a farewell lunch in for Dan last week.
It's very nice if it's at El Café and Port Edward's.
Nice place.
Yeah.
And I asked Dan what really stood out in his mind as far as his tenure at Assumption.
And it really focused back to the COVID pandemic and his leadership.
And really the challenges he faced and what the organization faced.
And Dan led us successfully through that.
So we really wish him well.
I really appreciate your endeavors.
I feel fortunate to get to meet so many of these great individuals in our community, Matt.
And Dan's one of them.
I really enjoyed working with him and having him on the airwaves here as we do with all
of our friends at Assumption and everything.
But Dan also was really great with just off the camera, off the microphone and talking
with him.
Same guy on and off the mic.
And you've got to always appreciate and love that.
So there's a come.
We hate to see these people that we've become close to and friends with and everything
move on.
But we wish them well.
And with that, we bring in a new person for us to become friends with and enjoy.
And we've got a new president to him.
Absolutely.
So I'm happy to announce that Deakin Michael Pippetone will be starting as our president
beginning July 1st.
Deakin Michael, most of his career with Catholic education, primarily in Madison diocese.
And most recently, he's come from Venice, Florida.
So it is great having Deakin Michael on board.
We look forward to it.
And in fact, James, myself and a few of the staff met him yesterday.
It was a really nice visit.
And we look forward to his leadership and continue the great things Dan has done.
You know, similar to when Dan came over here and everything, he certainly, while I don't
know Deakin, I will say that.
I feel pretty confident that he's going to want to keep things, you know, the way things
have gone.
Well, also bringing in some stuff of his own and everything.
And I think that that makes it so much so fun for not only the students and the staff
as well, when it comes to bringing in somebody in great background, you got a really nice
background.
Absolutely.
That's fantastic.
As well as spoken and this very impressive with his education, his life experiences.
Yeah.
It has a beautiful family.
So I think it will be it is a great addition to assumption Catholic schools in our community.
And it looks like from your notes at your Centover Mat and thank you again for those.
Sure.
His first day is July 8th.
Is it July 1st?
July 1st, okay.
Yeah.
Oh, wishing him well.
And looking forward to meeting him.
It'll be great to meet him.
Absolutely, James.
You know, again, just to touch on this, you've got some great notes here, Matt, and everything.
But there's one thing I want to add on and just kind of just throw it audible at your
real quick here.
You want to send a shout out to the Lady Royal Soccer team, who whenever you're listening
to this, they had a game yesterday, we're successful moving on to the championship.
Just congratulations to them.
We've been covering these games and having a lot of fun covering not only these, but all
assumption sports that we can cover.
So I just want to send a shout out to them all the coaching staff, the players, all the
parents got these kids through practices and everything.
Everybody a part of the WIA making these games happen, the reps and everybody.
We love our high school sports.
And assumption gives us a lot of good memories when it comes to those high school sports.
No question about that.
James, I really appreciate you mentioning that because when I was waiting out in the lobby
Pam mentioned that today, and the girls team is in the sectionals in Warsaw, so it's
great, great stuff, and this is a perfect subway into our next topic with athletics.
Yeah, because when it comes to, we love sports as a society where big fans of sports
winning, losing, all the things that come with them.
And as the older I get, Matt, I find that I just, I love high school sports more than
anything else.
Like I watch the pro games and everything and I watch a lot of college football and stuff,
but nothing gets me more engaged or more excited or enjoying the sport itself more than
high school sports.
And it's a nice reminder as well.
Not only is it important for the aspects of, you know, attention in the, the funds and
the economic impact they make, certainly a very big part of things, but the essence of
sports.
And then maybe it comes from being raised by an athlete.
I don't know, but for my dad, winning and losing was big.
He was just as crazy as any of them in Westerner when it comes to sports and everything.
But it was not, it couldn't replace sportsmanship.
It couldn't replace fellowship.
Winning was not at all costs.
The win didn't matter if you didn't get it with those other things.
And I appreciate that so much when that is so much a part of the mission of wassumption
sports.
Yes, we put some competitive teams out there and we were fortunate ever once in a while
to bring a gold ball here to rapids where it belongs, by the way.
And in some other great, you know, events, the tennis program.
So many great programs over there at Asumption.
But it all comes back to that mission, that idea of being in a good example, not only
for kids, but kids being a good example to other kids and so much of that.
And there's been a lot of highlights along with all of that with the season for Asumption.
Indeed, a really great point that you, all those points, James, life lessons with athletics.
Not every kid who goes through our program is necessarily going and play at college or
at our junior college, but it's the life lessons they learn, teamwork, perseverance, confidence.
Those are things that will serve them well in their lifetime.
And I just want to, as we get into this athletics, James, just want to recognize and give
a shout out to Joel Berkhauser and his father, Bob, Joel's the athletic director and Bob
has been there for many years.
In fact, both of them, I don't have an exact date.
My well over 20 years.
Oh, yeah.
Just the passion, dedication.
And all those things you talked about behind the scenes, getting referees, just working
with the parents and the coaches, scheduling, they're about as solid as they come.
We're very blessed to have Joel and Bob.
That we look for.
I know for me, the kickoff of the basketball season is the cranberry classic, correct.
And I'm talking like NBA college basketball.
It doesn't matter to me.
That's the kickoff of the basketball season to me.
It's a lover of basketball.
That is it for me.
And two of my favorite people to talk to, by the way, as well, Bob, so much, I can talk
to Bob for days.
Yes.
Good people.
The girls of basketball team, of course, one division five state championship, very
no worthy.
Congratulations.
One more time to them.
I had a lot of great work in the track and field department as well.
Another one of my favorite things.
A lot of track and field Bella did had an amazing year.
She has something, I mean, she won the state in division 3, 100 and 200 meter dash.
I mean, she's won those events since she was a freshman and next year, she'll be a
senior.
So what a talent.
I'm going to give a shout out to Lucy Dolan, who took fourth in the 600 meter run and
fifth in a 3200 meter run.
Her father and mother are the coaches for our cross country team, Jim and Nicole.
Then we have Brooklyn Schoenick, who took ninth in the 1600 meter run.
What a season they had.
I just want to circle back to the girls basketball team, Ryan, just coach Ryan Klein and his staff
continue to legacy.
Joe at one time was a girls coach.
This was the sixth time that assumption has won the state girls title.
So what a program they have built and well, can you continue to do well for years to
come?
They've done a wonderful job.
All the things that we've been talking about with this and so many things that I think
that you know, it doesn't even scratch the surface really what athletics do for communities
and having these wonderful individuals take time out of their men's school can be so
busy.
We forget sometimes how little of our own time we have when we're in school and then taking
the time after school to do these things.
Great appreciate that.
Absolutely.
Got some great summer activities to look forward to.
The summer activities we once again are proud to host the cultural and the cultural part
of the cranberry blossom fest.
So they will be in our school and our gym from June 18th to 21st next week.
There's a $5 mission for the public for adults that they want to come in.
It's free for kids, but they, I would recommend strong if few people that come out.
It's the talent.
You remember talking about athletics, now we're talking about some really artistic things
with these people making these quilts and fascinating.
So it really is we're happy to hold some james and so come on out everybody.
That's part of the cranberry blossom fest at our high school June 18th to the 21st.
It's going to be a great one.
We always appreciate the quilt showing all the work that those people, they put into those
incredible works.
Absolutely.
Got ACS Day at the Raptors at Winterfield coming up.
We've been doing this for years and again, this is an event that Bob Berkhauser has shepherd
along with Curie Rankier.
I hope I got Curie's last name cracked, but that has been more or less passed along to
the advancement office, which is myself.
So we're doing something a little bit different this year, James, we're having our assumption
day with the Raptors during a day game.
Oh, okay.
So that is a Sunday afternoon at three or five, they take on the Madison Mallards.
Nice.
So what this is, it's our faculty, our teachers are able to go to the game free and that's
made possible by the athletic department and the rural parents and then anyone associated
with assumption, our families can get into the game free because the Raptors are holding
a free community event, family event.
But so if you have kids 18 and under, you just got your invite.
So that's a assumption day.
One of our teams will be doing the 50, 50 raffle, which is a nice little fundraiser and
the Raptors are honoring our girls basketball team and some of our athletes that made it
the state track team.
So yeah, come on out and it'll be a great day with assumption in the Raptors.
Matt, we don't have to tell the audience how much they love golf.
This community just loves, supports golf, golf events, it doesn't really matter.
They are going to be there.
And one of the bigger ones that happens every summer is the Royal Golf Scrambler scramble
that is coming up at the Ridge's Friday in July.
That is a significant fundraiser for the athletic department, James.
And once again, it's made possible by so many supporters.
We have a lot of alumni that come out and golf and the four of some Joe and Bob do a great
job organizing that.
So that is on a Friday.
And then what we did last year, we used to it before I got here.
They used to have the dinner back at the high school.
But last year after the scramble got done, the dinner was at the Ridge's and it worked
out really well and we'll be following that same format.
So if you haven't already signed up or if you have a, your software through other people
who like to go off, come on out, support assumption, contact Joe at the athletic department.
And we'll pray for good weather to know.
Yes, yeah.
Always.
Another great night happening in town for assumption that the ACS family night at Wisconsin's
Rapids Aquatic Center, that'll be in August.
This will be our sank at year that we've done this made possible by some generous donors,
James.
Again, this isn't free, this is something that, you know, it's part of my job to make
sure that we're able to do these, these activities that support our families.
It's, it's really a great way.
Even though it's not near the end of the summer, but we start school in late August, our
grades level.
So a great way for our families to celebrate the summer and look forward to the school year.
So that is Sunday.
I believe it's August 10th.
I have an eleventh on here, so it's August 10th from six to eight at the aqua park.
For those of assumption families that are interested in doing this, it's free, but they have
to register through the advancement office, and that begins July 1st.
Yeah, we'll, we'll remind the audience about that in our morning shows and stuff, and
all of these great things that you guys got going on throughout the summer will be reminding
everybody about to encourage and people to attend them when they can.
Just a glance at the kind of fall schedule, get people, you know, being able to mark stuff
on their calendar or anything like that.
I think it'd be great to have you guys back in the, right before school year kicks off
too to remind everybody about some of these things, but school year will begin in August.
And one thing I'm excited, we're excited about James as far as all our schools, but particularly
with our Lady Queen of Heavens score, that's our grade K through second, and we have a 4K
program there as well.
We are putting in a new playground made possible by a beautiful donor.
So we're working on that right now, they got the old equipment out, so we're hoping that
the goal is to get the new playground in before the parish picnic, I know, but you never
know about the weather, right?
Yeah, yeah, hopefully, hopefully, but we have a great group that is putting in the sand
and again, made possible by one of the friends of assumption.
So the dedication, because of the uncertainty with the timeline, sometime in August, it's
a simple dedication for that.
When we get again closer to the date, we'll make sure to let you guys know that exact date
and time and everything, because that's exciting for the kids, that's fun, that's for the
parish family.
Yes, yes, absolutely, it's going to be, boy, that's going to get some good use, that's
going to be fun.
Well, you know, the old playground was beautiful, provided many years of enjoyment, but
out with the old and with the new, so we look forward to the new playground.
And I do think it'd be great if we can work it out schedule-wise, Matt, I know that
we'll make the time, and hopefully, if you guys, I know, busy you guys are, but if you're
able to join us, I think it'd be great sometime in the beginning of August or something, bring
it back and talk about some of the August fall schedule and some of the things coming up
there.
Yes.
For right now, just touching on just a little bit of it, preview, if you will, the school
year will kick off, I'm so it's in a sports mode, the season.
The school year will kick off for seniors August 25th, 4 through 11th August 27th, just
to keep that in mind, all parents and people out there.
Yes.
And I did want to mention that coming up next year, of course, got the 21st annual Run
the Rapids 5K Run Walk happening in April, another big one that you and I get together
with and talk about, always, I'm already looking forward to this year, I know it's in April,
but I'm looking forward to that.
Well, that's James, thanks for mentioning that.
That is, this will be our 21st year.
This is an event that is organized and coordinated by assumption Catholic schools, but the parole
siege goal towards what county human services, in all the work they do with kids and families
that desperately need it that are affected by child abuse.
So, and WFHR has been so supportive of that event, so we just extremely thankful and blessed
with that, James.
We look, again, look forward to that Saturday, April 25th, 2026, 21st year.
You got plenty of time to train and get ready for that, or just come on by and have fun
with the event.
It's one of our favorite events in this community we do every year, and we're looking
forward to that one coming up in April, we'll be talking again in between then a bunch
of times, Matt, I'm sure.
If people have follow up questions, if they'd like to know more, can they reach out to
you, or should we send them to a website, or something, or they can go to our website?
I don't have the address, but engine will take you there, and they can always contact
me, too, James, through my email, or my direct line, 715-422-0914, I love to hear from
you.
Yeah, reach out, gang, and Matt's right, you just throw into your search bar assumption
Catholic schools, it pops right up, I know it did for me, so you'll be able to get to
the website, and certainly their social media, follow their Facebook pages, and you can
reach out to them that way as well.
Matt, thanks again for the time.
James, always a pleasure, thanks for having me.
Thank you out there for joining us for another edition of WFHR's Rapids Report, proudly
brought to you by Crocket Sceptics.
