March 30, 2023 at 11:49 a.m.
Newbold town board election profiles
Originally, there were six candidates for two town supervisor seats but incumbent Jim Staskiewicz resigned after he was arrested by deputies with the Oneida County sheriff's office Feb. 8 following an election fraud investigation tied to his re-election effort. (See related story on Page 4).
In the Feb. 21 primary, Nick Vos and Steve Macheichok tied. There was a coin toss that Macheichok won followed by vote recount that didn't change the outcome, thus Macheichok advanced to the April 4 general election.
Below are profiles of the candidates who will be on the ballot April 4.
Bradley White
Hi, I'm Brad White and I running for town of Newbold town supervisor.
I am 53 years old and married to my wonderful wife for 27 years. We have two grown boys that we are very proud of. I have vocational diploma in electrical power distribution which got my foot in the door with Wisconsin Public Service.
I have been with the company for 34 years and am currently a utility designer.
Over the years with my boys growing up I have been a Cub Scout leader, a Scout master and involved with the youth group at the Pine Grove Community Church.
Outside of that, I am a member of the National Ski Patrol and recently have been appointed to the deacon team at Pine Grove.
Why are you running for Newbold town supervisor?
I am running for town supervisor to ensure the township continues to run as it has. I've been attending town board meetings on a regular basis for the last two years or so.
Newbold runs pretty well and I just would like to keep it that way for the people of the township.
What specific problems or issues do you see facing the town of Newbold and how would you address them? What opportunities do you see for growth?
The main issue facing the township is completion of the new community center and town hall.
Recreational opportunities both silent and motorized continue to thrive and we need to continue promoting both in a safe and responsible way.
In your view, what is the role of a town supervisor?
I feel that the role of town supervisor is to support the people. Make sure that county, state and federal laws are followed.
Engage with the people to listen to their toughts and concerns and make informed decisions in regards to those thoughts and concerns and to be fiscally responsible.
Petra Pietrzak
I have a BS degree in biology and am retired from a challenging and fascinating career in pharmaceutical quality assurance, regulatory compliance, IT and project management. My last 13 years of work were as a self-employed consultant providing these services for pharma/biotech clients large and small.
I am a 20-year property owner in Newbold and a full-time resident for 12 years.
Last year I ran for Oneida County Board Supervisor for Newbold District 10, and lost to the incumbent by only four votes. For the last few years I have attended various local government meetings, and I regularly attend Newbold Town Board meetings. I currently serve as a Trustee for both the Rhinelander District Library and the Wisconsin Valley Library System (WVLS).
I am a 2022 graduate of the Leadership Oneida County program.
Why are you running for Newbold town supervisor?
Over the last several years I have developed a keen interest in good government and how I might contribute. I believe that a well functioning democracy depends on citizen awareness and involvement beyond the voting booth, and that individuals can make a difference at the local level. In 2019 I started observing certain County Board meetings, which ultimately led me to run for office last year. I continue to attend local government meetings, at times providing public comment on issues important to me. Once I learned that there would be an opening on the Newbold town board this year, I jumped at the chance.
What specific problems or issues do you see facing the town of Newbold and how would you address them? What opportunities do you see for growth?
Our current town hall has been closed for a long time now due to mold contamination and the need for various repairs and upgrades. Plans are underway to build a new town community center. I look forward to helping shepherd that to successful completion.
Other priorities will be supporting essential town services and the expansion of reliable broadband. Over time I would like to see further expansion of silent sports recreation, which is beneficial and attractive to both residents and visitors.
Underlying everything is the ongoing critical need to protect our environment and quality of life here in the Northwoods. Water quality is an issue of supreme importance. We must do what we can to prevent or at least minimize the impairment of our waters and shorelines, because it cannot simply be undone nor easily fixed. We already know that water quality problems exist in our general area, including high levels of PFAS "forever chemicals" and growing concentrations of chloride in our freshwaters. As we learn more about the state of our local waters, I anticipate that water quality concerns will likely require more attention and diligent effort on the part of all levels of government. Finally, I join the many people in our area who are rightfully concerned about shoreline damage, disruption of wildlife, and invasive species caused by human activity.
In your view, what is the role of a town supervisor?
As I understand it, town supervisors ensure that the town follows all applicable laws and regulations - federal, state, and local. They also oversee the performance of town departments and operations, prepare and administer the town budget, respond to citizen concerns, make local policy, and deal with issues that arise.
Steve Macheichok
I was born and raised in Rhinelander and graduated from Rhinelander High School and Nicolet College.
I have spent the majority of my adult life in public service in Wyoming.
My career was started here in the automotive dealer management field and progressed with that into Wyoming.
I then started in the fire service in the local fire department and advanced into captain and onto the advisory board of that department.
I was then elected into the position of county district fire chief with direct responsibilities over three city departments and the county rural department.
From there, I was hired by the state of Wyoming Forestry Division as a wild land fire crew supervisor and forestry technician.
I was trained in extensive different positions including department of corrections crew supervisor, various leadership positions relating to wildfire teams and emergency response situation.
I have been involved this whole time in budget administration and grant writing, building trades and equipment operation and maintenance. I have been involved in numerous building projects from ground up and have training in fire inspection for buildings.
Why are you running for Newbold town supervisor?
I am running for Newbold town supervisor because I feel a need to be involved in a capacity that will give back to my community with the time I have available.
I do not have any pet project to distract from regular business of the board and hope I can use my common sense and integrity as a benefit to keeping our township on the right track.
What specific problems or issues do you see facing the town of Newbold and how would you address them? What opportunities do you see for growth?
I don't see any real problem with the current issues except the town hall construction and financing issues currently the hopefully I can assist with.
Opportunities for growth could possibility come in the way of more broadband internet service for our mostly rural community.
In your view, what is the role of a town supervisor?
I see the role of town supervisor as a steward of the residents of the town of Newbold by using responsible spending and budgeting of the tax rolls and using common sense and integrity and not seeing any tax increases by over spending available funds.
Scott Ridderbusch
My name is Scott Ridderbusch and my wife Tracy and I moved to the Rhinelander area in 1997 where I received my Associates degree at Nicolet College in land surveying.
I worked as a land survey technician for 10 years before becoming a corrections officer for the Oneida County Sheriff's Office. I moved over to the land information office in 2013 and currently I am a land use specialist in the Oneida County zoning department.
My wife Tracy and I raised our two children in the town of Newbold.
Why are you running for Newbold town supervisor?
With my skills and experience as a public servant of Oneida County, I believe my public service experience working for Oneida County will be an asset to Newbold town residents.
My knowledge and experience related to land use would be beneficial to the township.
What specific problems or issues do you see facing the town of Newbold and how would you address them? What opportunities do you see for growth?
There are constant challenges that exist within all townships such as maintaining roadways, providing excellent emergency services, keeping equipment operable, balancing budgets, and keeping the tax burden low for the residents of Newbold.
The Newbold residents are anxious for the new Newbold community center that will be constructed this year. I would work with and assist the town board with maintaining the goals and objectives of constructing the new town facility.
I will work diligently on other potential projects in the future, such as a town shop. I believe it is important to follow up with grant opportunities, legislative changes, and supportive programs that would benefit the town of Newbold.
With the construction of the new Newbold community center, I see growth in rentals and use of the facilities. With continued increases in fiber infrastructure, more people will benefit and stay connected within the community.
This should also influence possible population growth. Room tax collection for short term rentals is another area where there is a possibility of growth within the township.
In your view, what is the role of a town supervisor?
A town supervisor is a public servant who is willing to be part of a team that is the nucleus for keeping a proper functioning township. The role of a town supervisor is a number of things such as listening to the needs of the residents, enforcing ordinances when needed, review new development and its impacts the project may have while keeping the town of Newbold a five-star enjoyable place to live and vacation.
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