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Two hundred third graders traded their tablets for tire pumps last month when Rhinelander Partners in Education hosted its eighth annual Recreational Rodeo at the YMCA of the Northwoods. The May tradition has become a rite of passage for local elementary students — a final lesson before summer vacation kicks in.

Kids rotated through six hands-on stations covering everything from bike maintenance to self-defense. Each student left with a new helmet and skills their parents probably learned in driveways and backyards decades ago.

“We’re trying to introduce young people to outdoor recreation, kind of get them away from the technology that surrounds them all the time,” said Mike Cheslock, Community Education and School Forest Manager for the School District of Rhinelander.

Six Stations, One Mission: Get Kids Outside

The day wasn’t just about fun — though third graders from Pelican, Central, and other district schools clearly enjoyed themselves. The rodeo balances recreation with real-world safety skills.

Stations included bike safety and maintenance, water safety, backpacking and hiking basics, and self-defense techniques. Each stop reinforced the same message: summer adventures require preparation.

Eleanor Wills from Pelican Elementary lit up when talking about the bike maintenance station. “I feel good,” she said. “I like riding bikes, and I like learning how to be safe.”

Connor Whalen from Central Elementary had different priorities. His favorite? Self-defense. “You get to practice things for when you’re in danger,” he explained.

Why Rhinelander Invests in Outdoor Education

The Recreational Rodeo serves three core purposes, according to Cheslock. It introduces youth to outdoor activities, reduces screen time, and teaches safety fundamentals that prevent summer injuries.

That last point hits home in rural Wisconsin, where bike accidents rank among the top pediatric concerns during warmer months. Free helmet distribution addresses a practical need — each helmet represents a $20 value, funded through community partnerships and grants.

“Every student here gets a bike helmet and every station talks about safety.” — Mike Cheslock, School District of Rhinelander

The approach aligns with Rhinelander’s broader commitment to experiential learning. The district manages over 1,200 acres of school forest land, continuing a Wisconsin conservation tradition that dates back to the 1920s.

From Logging Town to Outdoor Education Hub

Rhinelander’s investment in outdoor programming makes sense when you consider the region’s DNA. This former logging boom town sits surrounded by 1,000-plus lakes and 1.5 million acres of Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.

Tourism generates over $100 million annually for Oneida County, with 40% of local jobs tied to outdoor recreation. Programs like the Recreational Rodeo aren’t just educational — they’re cultivating the next generation of anglers, hikers, and bikers who’ll keep family-owned outfitters in business.

The timing matters too. Climate shifts bring longer summers but also increased tick activity and invasive species challenges. Teaching kids to recreate responsibly means they’ll navigate these changes with knowledge their grandparents never needed.

What Makes This Year Different

The eighth annual rodeo maintained its core structure while adapting to growing demand. Participation stayed steady at around 200 students, drawing from all School District of Rhinelander elementary schools plus Nativity Catholic School.

The YMCA of the Northwoods proved ideal for the multi-station format. Its lakefront location on Boom Lake offers pine-shaded trails for hiking demos, indoor facilities for water safety instruction, and grassy areas perfect for bike repair practice.

Key elements that keep families coming back:

• Free bike helmets for every participant (a significant cost savings for families)
• Hands-on learning from local experts and volunteers
• Small group rotations ensuring individual attention
• Skills directly applicable to Northwoods summer activities
• Partnership model involving schools, nonprofits, and community organizations

Skills That Stick Beyond Summer

Eleanor and Connor represent what organizers hope to achieve. One kid leaves excited about bike maintenance, another about personal safety — both walked away with confidence for independent play.

That independence matters in the Northwoods, where kids still roam trails and splash in lakes without constant adult supervision. The rodeo equips them for that freedom while giving parents peace of mind.

Cheslock’s team tracks informal feedback showing increased outdoor activity among past participants. Kids who learn proper helmet fitting at eight tend to wear helmets consistently through their teens — exactly the kind of behavior change that prevents emergency room visits.

The model also strengthens community connections. Local volunteers share skills, businesses donate equipment, and families discover resources they might never have known existed. In a town of 7,800, those relationships matter.

Looking Ahead to Summer and Beyond

As school lets out and Northwoods families head to lakes and campgrounds, this year’s rodeo graduates carry new skills into warm weather. Some will fix their first flat tire. Others will remember self-defense moves or hiking safety tips.

The program’s success suggests it’ll keep growing. With Wisconsin’s outdoor economy topping $2.3 billion annually, initiatives that build outdoor literacy serve economic and educational goals simultaneously.

For Rhinelander, the Recreational Rodeo represents something simpler: giving kids the tools to enjoy the same summers their parents and grandparents loved. Just with better helmets and a bit more know-how.

If you’ve got third graders coming up, mark your calendar for next May. The rodeo’s become a Northwoods tradition worth keeping.

When Alexander Jelen walked into the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point for this year’s math competition, he wasn’t just carrying a calculator. He was carrying a family legacy and four years of determination that would culminate in something rare: a perfect score.

The D.C. Everest High School senior from Weston achieved what few students ever do at the Central Wisconsin Mathematics League competition — a flawless 300 points in Advanced Mathematics. It’s his fourth consecutive year claiming the top spot, cementing a dynasty that has made the school a Northwoods powerhouse in academic competition.

“I’ve always liked math as a sort of puzzle,” Jelen said. “I get competitive with it.”

A Family Tradition Runs Deep

Success at this level doesn’t happen by accident. For Jelen, math has been part of the family conversation since childhood.

“My family all enjoys math, my parents were in this when they were kids,” he explained. “It’s been going on for a while.”

That intergenerational connection to problem-solving reflects something special about communities like Weston. Without the constant distractions of urban life, Northwoods families often pass down passions — whether it’s fishing techniques, hunting knowledge, or in the Jelen household, mathematical thinking.

The CWML competition has been fostering this kind of talent since 1970, hosting three meets annually where students tackle 55-minute exams in Geometry, Algebra, and Advanced Mathematics.

From Doubt to Dominance

Not every math team member arrives with natural confidence. Wilvan Slyke, another D.C. Everest competitor, initially doubted he’d even make the squad.

“Coming in, I didn’t think I was even going to make the math league, never mind do well on it,” Slyke admitted.

His breakthrough came from an unexpected place: the hockey rink. While sitting on the bench during games, Slyke would practice multiplication and division using players’ jersey numbers. Those small moments of mental exercise built the foundation for competition success.

“I think it’s just a testament to my work ethic and perseverance through any challenges and problem solving.”

Stories like Slyke’s resonate in the Northwoods, where hard work and persistence aren’t just values — they’re survival skills passed down through generations of loggers, guides, and small business owners.

Why This Competition Matters for Rural Students

The CWML offers something increasingly rare: free, accessible academic competition for students across central Wisconsin. In a region where median household incomes run below state averages, these opportunities matter.

For students from smaller Northwoods communities, the three-meet season provides:

• Exposure to college-level problem solving without expensive prep courses
• Connection to UWSP’s campus and STEM programs
• Recognition that competes with athletic achievements
• Practice materials available free online for any student willing to put in the work

D.C. Everest, with its enrollment around 1,900 students, has built a program that consistently produces these success stories. The school’s 2024 championship run set the stage for this year’s continued dominance.

Building a Math Dynasty in Marathon County

The team’s success doesn’t happen in isolation. D.C. Everest’s math program benefits from dedicated coaches who recognize talent and create space for it to grow.

The dynasty label isn’t hyperbole. Year after year, the school sends students to UWSP’s campus in Stevens Point, about 30 miles south of Weston, where they compete against schools from across the region. The three-meet format — held in November, February, and late March — tests endurance as much as mathematical ability.

Awards arrive in late April at a banquet where families gather to celebrate. For Jelen’s family, those gatherings have become tradition, with parents who once competed now watching their son exceed their achievements.

The Northwoods Advantage

There’s something about growing up surrounded by forests and lakes that shapes how kids approach challenges. Maybe it’s the long winters that encourage indoor focus. Maybe it’s the self-reliance that comes from living in a place where you can’t just order everything delivered.

Whatever the reason, schools like D.C. Everest prove that academic excellence thrives in rural Wisconsin. The competition rules level the playing field — no expensive equipment, just knowledge and problem-solving ability.

Students compete in three categories, each testing different skills but all requiring the same mental toughness that Northwoods kids develop navigating icy roads, helping with family businesses, or spending hours perfecting a skill whether anyone’s watching or not.

Looking Ahead

As Jelen graduates and moves on to whatever challenges come next, his perfect score stands as a benchmark for future D.C. Everest students. It’s proof that dedication, family support, and a competitive spirit can produce extraordinary results.

For Slyke and other returning team members, next season offers another chance to build on the dynasty. The first meet will arrive in November, bringing another round of 10 a.m. competitions where Weston students will board buses heading south to Stevens Point.

The CWML has been hosting these competitions for over 50 years, giving generations of central Wisconsin students the chance to test themselves. In that way, it’s not so different from opening day of fishing season or the first snowfall when the trails open — traditions that connect us to the past while pushing us toward the future.

Ya know, that’s what makes the Northwoods special. Whether you’re perfecting a math proof or a musky presentation, the dedication looks the same.

At 100 years old, Donald Sleeter has lived through more history than most of us will ever read about. But on a recent trip to Washington D.C., the Marshfield native came face-to-face with a monument that brought him back to the hardest days of his youth — days he rarely talks about, even now.

Sleeter traveled with the 55th Never Forgotten Honor Flight, the only World War II veteran among a group of mostly Korean and Vietnam War vets. His destination: the Marine Corps War Memorial, the towering bronze tribute to the flag-raising on Iwo Jima. The same battle where Sleeter fought as a 17-year-old Marine.

For the first time in his century of life, he saw the memorial in person. The statue loomed above him — six Marines frozen in their desperate push to plant the American flag on Mount Suribachi. Sleeter was wheeled toward it in silence, surrounded by veterans decades younger who understood what words couldn’t capture.

Five Boys from Marshfield Who Wanted to Change the World

Donald Sleeter enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1943, barely old enough to vote but convinced he knew exactly what needed doing. “I was 17 and I thought I knew all the answers, you know?” he said during the flight.

He wasn’t alone. Four other boys from his Marshfield high school signed up with him. Their mission felt crystal clear at the time: “We wanted to help clean up the Japanese,” Sleeter recalled. “So we all went in together.”

That confidence didn’t last long. War has a way of stripping away certainty, replacing teenage bravado with something harder to carry. Of those five friends who walked into the recruiter’s office together, Sleeter is the only one whose fate he knows for certain.

“The other four boys that joined me at the same time, I never heard about them,” he said quietly. “I don’t know if they ever got home or if they ever got killed.”

Iwo Jima: The Airfield Battle Below the Volcano

After serving on Guam, Sleeter shipped out to Iwo Jima in early 1945 with the 3rd Marine Division. The volcanic island, barely eight square miles, became one of the bloodiest battlefields of the Pacific Theater.

While the 4th and 5th divisions fought their way up Mount Suribachi — where that famous flag would be raised — Sleeter’s unit had a different mission. They worked the ground below, securing a Japanese airfield so American planes could use it for emergency landings and refueling.

“We were working the ground below, around the volcano to take over the airfield they had there, so that our planes could land there for fuel or emergencies. That’s what it was all about.”

The fighting was brutal. More than 26,000 Americans were wounded or killed on Iwo Jima. Sleeter himself was wounded in 1945 and later discharged in 1946, earning a Purple Heart for his service.

Even 80 years later, some memories stay locked away. “I thought I made a mistake about joining,” Sleeter admitted. “They’re something I don’t like to talk too much about. It’s about taking someone’s life and saving my own. Those kinds of things that you don’t like to talk about.”

What the Honor Flight Network Means for Wisconsin Veterans

The Never Forgotten Honor Flight operates out of northeast Wisconsin, part of a national network that’s flown more than 250,000 veterans to D.C. since 2005. The trips are completely free for veterans, funded by donations and sponsors from across the region.

For Northwoods communities like Marshfield, Rhinelander, and Wausau, these flights do more than move bodies across state lines. They connect generations of service members and remind younger folks what their neighbors lived through.

Here’s what makes Honor Flights special for Wisconsin veterans:

• One-day round trips from Appleton to Washington D.C., escorted by volunteer guardians
• Visits to the WWII Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, and others specific to each veteran’s service
• In-flight “mail call” where veterans receive letters from family, schoolkids, and grateful strangers
• Airport welcome-home ceremonies with crowds of supporters — sometimes hundreds strong

Sleeter’s trip marked the 55th mission for Never Forgotten Honor Flight. With fewer than 70,000 WWII veterans still alive nationwide, he represents a generation that’s disappearing fast. Most are over 100 now. Every flight that includes a WWII vet feels like borrowed time.

The Camaraderie That Doesn’t Need Words

Sleeter spent his day in D.C. surrounded by men who’d served in different wars, different decades, different conflicts entirely. But something connected them anyway — something deeper than the details.

“I have never seen so many nice, nice people,” Sleeter said. “These veterans, they’ve all got a story to tell. You can try to understand them well without them saying too much. I know what things they were doing, too. It’s the kind of camaraderie without having to explain everything.”

That unspoken bond is part of what makes Honor Flights so powerful. Veterans who might never talk about their service with family suddenly find themselves among people who just get it. No explanations necessary. No judgment for the stories that won’t come out.

After serving in the Marine Corps and later spending decades in law enforcement back home, Sleeter knows that kind of connection is rare. “I’m glad it’s over with,” he said of the war. “I’m proud of my service and I’m proud of the Marine Corps.”

A Trip a Century in the Making

Standing before the Marine Corps War Memorial — or sitting in his wheelchair, more accurately — Sleeter finally saw the monument to the battle that changed his life. The statue captures the exact moment the flag went up on Suribachi, though Sleeter and his unit were fighting for that airfield below while it happened.

He left D.C. with a simple message for other veterans: “It’s wonderful. Everybody should do it.”

As WWII veterans become increasingly rare in the Northwoods and across the country, trips like Sleeter’s carry extra weight. These aren’t just tourist excursions. They’re final chances to honor men and women who defined what service means, who carry memories most of us can barely imagine.

If you know a veteran — from any era — who might benefit from an Honor Flight, applications are open year-round. Priority goes to WWII and Korean War vets, followed by Vietnam-era and terminally ill veterans from any conflict.

Donald Sleeter waited 100 years to visit that memorial. Some stories take time to come full circle. And some stories, even when they’re finally told, hold pieces that will always stay private — known only to the men who were there when it mattered most.

Up here in the Northwoods, we know a thing or two about independence. But this spring, folks in Tomahawk are gathering to explore what freedom and democracy really meant 250 years ago — and what they mean today.

The Tomahawk Public Library is hosting a two–part America@250 community conversation series, bringing neighbors together to discuss the Revolutionary War era through the lens of a PBS documentary. The first session drew a mix of locals eager to unpack how the stories we tell about 1776 shape our understanding of American ideals.

In a region where community ties run deep and history echoes through our logging heritage, these conversations feel right at home.

Grant-Funded Dialogue in the Heart of Oneida County

Library Director Heidi O’Hare secured one of just 15 grants PBS Wisconsin awarded for these community events. The $500 funding covers everything needed to facilitate structured discussions around freedom, democracy, and service — themes drawn from PBS’s six-part documentary series on the American Revolution.

“PBS reached out to Wisconsinites to apply,” O’Hare explained. “With each topic they made an around 30-minute video, and then after that you discuss questions from the video.”

The format is simple but powerful. Twenty or so participants watch a documentary segment, then dive into guided questions. The first prompt hit home: “How does the way we tell this story of the American Revolution influence our understanding of freedom and democracy today?”

For O’Hare, the answer connects past and present. “Each generation solves their own problems and seeks their own answers to their questions, so I think the questions they asked then we are asking today,” she said. “I find that interesting.”

Whose Revolution? Whose Freedom?

Debra Durchslag, president of the League of Women Voters of the Northwoods, brought a critical perspective to the conversation. She pointed out that the storyteller matters as much as the story itself.

“Who’s telling the story really makes a difference,” Durchslag noted, “and how we understand the outcomes of the revolution and who succeeded and who had to wait a couple of hundred years to get their rights under the constitution.”

“In another 250 years I think people will want to read about” our stories today — Heidi O’Hare, Tomahawk Public Library Director

That nuance resonates in 2026, as Americans nationwide reckon with the Revolution’s complex legacy. The documentary doesn’t shy away from multiple perspectives — colonists, Indigenous peoples, enslaved individuals — all of whom experienced the birth of the nation differently.

Here in the Northwoods, where Ojibwe history intertwines with logging-era settlement, those layered narratives feel particularly relevant.

Building Community Through Civic Conversation

Tomahawk isn’t alone in this effort. Libraries across Vilas County are hosting similar PBS-funded conversations this spring, part of a statewide push toward the official semiquincentennial celebration on July 4, 2026.

The second Tomahawk session drops May 21, focusing on the theme of service. Registration is required — the library’s community room fills up fast when neighbors gather for thoughtful dialogue.

What makes these events work? A few key ingredients:

• Free admission removes barriers to participation
• Video format appeals to visual learners and mixed-age groups
• Structured questions keep discussions focused yet open-ended
• Diverse voices encouraged (interfaith, cultural, veteran perspectives)
• Small group size (around 20) fosters genuine exchange

In rural Oneida County, where the median age hovers around 50 and isolation can set in during long winters, these gatherings offer something precious: connection through shared inquiry.

Writing Today’s Story for Tomorrow’s Readers

O’Hare sees the America@250 project as more than looking backward. She’s thinking about what we’re leaving behind.

“I think it’s just as important in our 250th year to write our story now,” she said, “because in another 250 years I think people will want to read about it.”

That sentiment captures something essential about Northwoods character. We’re not just caretakers of lakes and forests — we’re stewards of stories, too. The same independent spirit that drove colonists to challenge an empire lives on in communities like Tomahawk, where neighbors still show up to hash out big questions over coffee and conversation.

The PBS documentary explores how 13 British colonies rose in rebellion between 1775 and 1783, establishing principles that still guide us. But those principles weren’t fully realized for everyone in 1776. They’re still being negotiated, expanded, refined.

Each generation, as O’Hare noted, asks its own version of the founding questions. What does freedom mean when your nearest neighbor is a mile down a dirt road? How does democracy function in towns of 1,200 souls? What service do we owe to the land that sustains us?

Looking Ahead to July 4, 2026

These library conversations are warmup acts for the main event. Come Independence Day, communities across America will mark 250 years of self-governance with everything from parades to reenactments to serious reflection.

In the Northwoods, we’ll likely do it our way — maybe a fish fry, definitely some fireworks over the lake, possibly a conversation or two about what it all means.

The America@250 commission has coordinated over 10,000 events nationwide, but the most meaningful ones happen in places like Tomahawk. Not because they’re flashy, but because they’re real. Neighbors gathering in a library on a Thursday evening to wrestle with ideas that shaped a nation — that’s democracy in action.

If you’re near Tomahawk on May 21, consider registering for the second conversation. Even if you can’t make it, think about what stories you’re telling about this moment. O’Hare’s right: someone 250 years from now will want to know what we made of our time in the Northwoods, how we understood freedom, what we chose to preserve.

That’s a conversation worth having, whether the topic is 1776 or 2026.

Walk into the Rhinelander District Library on any given Wednesday afternoon and you’ll find something unexpected: a circle of neighbors transforming old books into flower vases, their hands busy with glue and paper while conversations flow freely.

What started as a pandemic experiment has become one of the Northwoods’ best-kept secrets for mental wellness.

The library’s craft classes, now running multiple times monthly, are doing more than teaching folks how to upcycle old junk into home decor. They’re quietly addressing something we don’t talk about enough up here — the isolation and stress that comes with long winters and rural living.

More Than Just Glue and Glitter

Cathy Oelrich, the library’s Adult Services Manager, has watched this community bloom since COVID shutdowns ended.

“It’s great for your mental health,” she explains, watching attendees work through their book-vase projects. “It gives you a break, gives you an outlet to try something new, to turn off the ‘I have to work, I have to do 27 things today.’”

The numbers back up what Oelrich sees firsthand. Depression rates in the Northwoods run about 25% higher than the state average — a reality of seasonal darkness, geographical isolation, and the challenges of rural life.

These free classes tackle that isolation head-on. Recent sessions have covered everything from canning and wreath-making to soap-making and pressed flower lanterns.

Registration fills up fast — typically 8 to 16 spots per class — and Oelrich loves seeing the mix of familiar faces and newcomers each time.

Upcycling Meets Northwoods Tradition

The craft style centers on upcycling — taking things destined for the landfill and giving them new life.

Books that haven’t been checked out in years become decorative vases. Kitchen whisks transform into dragonflies. Old materials turn into something beautiful and useful.

It’s a practice that resonates deeply here, where resourcefulness has always been part of the culture. Our logging-era ancestors made do with what they had, repurposing timber scraps and making everything last through harsh winters.

“It takes my mind off of problems. I can just focus and stay in the moment and enjoy getting to know other people and not isolating myself.” — Renee DeGarmo, class attendee

DeGarmo, who manages PTSD and a mobility disorder, has become a regular at these sessions. The focused, hands-on work provides relief that medication alone can’t match.

What’s Coming Next at RDL

The library keeps the calendar packed with creative opportunities. Here’s what’s on deck:

• Acrylic Flower Painting Class (May 7, 2-3pm)
• Drop-in Crafting sessions (last Tuesday of most months, 12-4pm)
• Blackout Poetry workshops (monthly, no registration needed)
• Seasonal themed projects featuring Northwoods nature motifs

Most classes are completely free. All require advance registration through the library’s website, and spots disappear quickly once the calendar opens.

The variety keeps things fresh. You might spend one month learning pressed flower techniques, the next figuring out how to turn soap-making into a regular hobby.

Building Community One Craft at a Time

Beyond the mental health benefits, these gatherings serve another crucial purpose: they create genuine social connections in a region where isolation can feel overwhelming.

The Northwoods sees heavy seasonal tourism, but year-round residents often struggle with limited social opportunities, especially during the long stretches between snowmelt and leaf season.

Library foot traffic has jumped 15-20% since these programs took off. People come for the crafts and stay for the conversation, forming friendships that extend beyond the meeting room.

For many attendees, it’s the only regular social commitment on their calendar that doesn’t involve a bar or church basement.

Oelrich notices the pattern every session: “I love that for every one of these crafts, I see new faces. It’s nice to have people feel that they can be a part of something and try something different with complete strangers.”

Why This Matters for the Northwoods

The success of RDL’s craft programs hints at something larger — a recognition that rural mental health needs creative solutions beyond traditional clinical settings.

With a median household income around $52,000 in Rhinelander (well below the state’s $68,000), free community programs remove financial barriers to wellness activities.

The upcycling focus also addresses environmental concerns. Oneida County generates over 10,000 tons of paper waste annually, and repurposing materials — even just old library books — makes a tangible difference.

These classes prove you don’t need expensive therapy or fancy gym memberships to improve mental health. Sometimes all it takes is a table, some craft supplies, and neighbors willing to create something together.

If you’re feeling the weight of another Northwoods winter fading or just looking for connection, check the library calendar. Registration opens weeks in advance, and those spots fill up for good reason.

Your next favorite hobby — and maybe a few new friends — might be waiting in that meeting room on Oneida Street.