Letter to the Editor of the Wrightstown Spirit
(Published January 2025)
Northeast Wisconsin Patriots (N.E.W. Patriots) has been around since 2008, founded by Dick Koltz of Greenleaf. It is a non-partisan, patriotic, constitutional-conservative, local grassroots group. I have been on its board since the founding.
All people are welcome to our monthly meetings, where invited speakers present on important issues of the day. We also, in election years, hold candidate forums, where all candidates are invited. In partisan elections both Democrats and Republicans are invited, and both have come to our forums.
It has come to my knowledge that in an attempt to initiate a recall, unfounded accusations involving N.E.W. Patriots have been flung at school board chairman Andrea Hansen-Winker.
N.E.W. Patriots has for many years operated a booth at the Brown County Fair, where we share literature and engage with fairgoers. It is a great public outreach! A few years ago we started what we call “Chats with local officials.” We invite, via email, every school board member and every county supervisor in Brown County to come to our booth for an hour to engage with fairgoers. We are very excited about this opportunity to give local residents a chance to meet with elected officials! It also gives our elected officials an opportunity to hear concerns and comments and answer questions from the public. There are no speeches, certainly no payments, and no official representation of any board by any official. Not all that many elected officials can or will take advantage of this outreach, but a few do. Andrea Hansen-Winker came once, a few years ago, and wanted to do so again in 2024, but was not able to. To my knowledge, this is the only time she has been in contact with N.E.W. Patriots.
With this, to say that Andrea Hansen-Winker is “being involved in a political group,” that “she has used her position on the board when advertising for a speech” (what does that even mean?), that “she has spoken on behalf of the Board and/or Wrightstown while at the Brown County Fair” without informing her fellow Board Members of activities such as these — all these accusations have no basis in fact and are utter nonsense! To say that “she is promoting her personal agenda” and “using the Board President position for personal gain” is at best misleading!
The current school board majority (despite three minority no votes) stopped “double taxation” (prepaying advantageously low-interest loans with our tax dollars) and the current school board (again with the three members against) prevented Title 9 from becoming a reality in Wrightstown schools (where boys would have been allowed in girls’ locker rooms and girls’ sports competitions). Those are highly commendable accomplishments, yet there looms a proposed recall election of the school board chairman!
I can’t help but wonder, with these recall endeavors, who is pursuing actions that could easily appear to have political objectives? Who is seeking to oust the majority? Angela Hansen-Winker’s term ends in 2026. Why a recall now?
With common sense and fiscal responsibility, we need to strive for the best educational and social environment for our children!
There is an important Primary Election, involving the School Board, coming up on February 18th followed by a General Election on April 1st. After that there could also be a separate recall election.
Please carefully consider all the facts and then go vote!
Linda Clemedtson
Greenleaf, WI