Letters from Grant Recipients

The Jackson County Crime Stoppers is a non-profit, community-run program which has partnered with local law enforcement, including the Ho-Chunk Police Department, Black River Falls Police Department, and Jackson County Sheriff’s Office to encourage and empower citizens to report information regarding criminal activity. The program was restarted in 2020, due in part to a large number of interested, concerned citizens, and a need within the County for the public’s help to solve crimes. The program allows citizens reporting criminal activity to have their identity protected, and in some cases, there are cash rewards given for information provided.

In 2021, the BRF Area Foundation granted crime stoppers a grant to raise awareness of the revitalized program. This money was used to purchase promotional materials and metal signage. The metal signs have since been put up throughout Jackson County, in villages, townships, parks, and on county roads near the county’s borders. With the promotion of the program, there has been an increase in the volume of tips received each year. Since 2020, crime stoppers have received 188 crime stoppers tips. These tips have led to many criminal charges/citations and generated new leads in otherwise inactive cases and created new investigations regarding drug activity, child abuse and drug endangered children cases, among others.

Our sincere appreciation to the Foundation for supporting the program which continues to help the people and businesses of Jackson County by assisting law enforcement in preventing and solving crime, making our community a safer place to live.

Crime Stoppers is operated by a board of directors who are responsible for maintaining the bylaws, fundraising, promoting the program, reviewing media releases and tips received and determining rewards. If members of the public would like to join Jackson County Crime Stoppers as a board member, meetings are the first Wednesday of every month at 5:00 PM, 46 N. 2nd Street, Black River Falls or you can contact Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Detective Janelle Smokowicz at 715-284-5357, ext. 115.

The public can report criminal activity and tips to the Jackson County Crime Stoppers program in many different ways, including by phone at 800-228-3203, online at jacksoncountycrimestoppers.com or at P3tips.com. They can also download the P3tips application on their smartphone or tablet. All of these methods allow the reporter to remain anonymous and with the P3tips app, the public can now upload short videos, photographs, and have a two-way text conversation with law enforcement if they choose to.

Detective Janelle Smokowicz

March 18, 1860, was a grim day in Jackson County. A massive fire engulfed and destroyed 40 buildings in the business district. Only three buildings were left standing. Another major fire occurred on July 24, 1870, destroying the Spaulding House which was located near what is now North Water and Harrison Streets. On May 20, 1872, with these devastating events in mind, the citizens of Black River Falls met at the office of William T. Price and voted to form a fire company. The Black River Falls Fire Department was founded on May 20, 1872. At that time, the Black River Falls Fire Department was known as Albion Hose Company Number One.

The original members were led by a foreman named W. S. Darrow. When the company was first formed, the rules were very strict, and the department members were expected to attend practice sessions regularly. If they missed practice sessions twice in a row, they were fined three dollars and lost their right to vote. Company Members were required to provide a uniform that consisted of a red shirt, red tie, and suitable belt.

Firefighting in the early days was done via horse-drawn hose carts and manpower. The hose carts were replaced in 1918 with the first fire truck, which used soda acid to extinguish fires. The department has had many different apparatuses over the years and currently has two water tenders, two engine/pumpers, a ladder truck, a heavy rescue, a brush truck, a UTV, a boat, and five ambulances.

The first permanent location of the fire hall was on the 200 Block of Main Street. There was a large bell on top of the building that was used to alert firefighters. On June 5, 1875, while ringing the bell to get members together for a parade with Civil War Soldiers, the bell cracked and needed to be replaced. A short time later, a bell weighing 300 pounds was ordered from Tory, New York. The new bell was twice the size of the original bell and cost just over $100.

In 1966, the new fire hall on Water Street was constructed, and the origin,al fire hall on main street was demolished. The fire bell was moved to the new building on Water Street, where it is still proudly displayed today.

The Black River Falls Fire Department has been a member of the Wisconsin State Firefighters Association since 1894. 1894 also marked the first year the department held its annual fireman’s dance. A tradition that continued until the mid-1990’s. In 1924, the practice of alerting members with the fire bell was abandoned, and a new siren system was utilized to alert members of a fire. 1934 was a strange year for the fire department and the only year recorded where there were no house fires. The department did respond to 21 chimney fires, though. 1940 was a special milestone for the department with the purchase of the first new fire truck fully equipped. In 1951, the fire department received a Class B Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating meaning the cost of homeowners insurance was decreased for the residents in the department’s service area. 1969 brought a significant milestone for the department – expanding the department to provide emergency medical rescue services. When it was first decided that there was a need in the area for medical rescue, multiple volunteer firefighters took the original 80-hour training that certified them to become EMTs. These volunteers became just the second certified rescue squad in the entire state of Wisconsin. The department’s first ambulance was bought in 1972 for a mere $13,900 – a fraction of what a new ambulance costs today. That ambulance made its debut on April 27, 1973, when the department ran the first medical call.

Today, the Fire Department maintains an ISO rating of four and has six full-time staff, 20 part-time staff, and 20 volunteers.

Many of the staff are cross-trained in fire and EMS duties. The fire response area covers 300 square miles providing service to over 12,000 residents. The EMS response area covers 1,000 square miles and serves around 20,000 residents. Though a smaller department, we hold our own in the number of calls we run. In 2022, the fire department ran 326 calls, and the EMS division ran

2,195 calls. We are proud to say that the EMS division of the fire department operates on NO TAX DOLLARS and is maintained 100% on the monies collected from patient billing.

The Black River Falls Fire Department is thankful for the support from the BRF Area Foundation over the years. The community and department have benefited greatly from the generosity of the Foundation. The Foundation helped the department with the purchase of our Heavy Rescue, Squad 1. The heavy rescue is utilized on nearly every call the department responds to.

Another recent grant from the Foundation allowed for the replacement of a thermal imaging camera. The camera allows firefighters to see through smoke and locate victims and fire in zero visibility conditions. Being able to locate the fire quickly or being able to determine where the fire has spread to inside walls or ceilings helps us reduce the damage we have to do to the property to extinguish the fire. Without the thermal imaging capability, many times we have to tear apart walls and ceilings to ensure the fire is out.

On behalf of the BRF community and the BRF Fire Department we truly thank the Foundation for supporting the volunteers and organizations that support our community!

Jody Stoker, Fire-Chief BRF Fire Department

The Jackson County Farmers Market has been providing local food products to our community since 2016. We and our community partners aim to make a positive impact on what children and their families eat through engaging, hands-on learning experiences of growing, harvesting, and cooking nutritious food. Our markets are producer-only and prioritize local sourcing, which provides vital economic opportunities to local farmers and producers.

This year, the Market board, vendors, and community partners have collaborated to increase market accessibility and bolster the edible and handcrafted offerings available. The BRF Area Foundation has immensely helped us to enhance the market this year. With the aid of funding from the Foundation, we now have a wheelchair-accessible portable restroom, a PA System for hosting local musicians, and additional tents for the needs and comfort of our volunteers. The 2016 summer market began with six vendors, and has expanded to 23 vendors at our largest market in 2023! We are extremely grateful to the Foundation for supporting this important asset for nutrition, fun, and connection in our community. We hope to see the market grow and flourish for many years to come.

Emily Susa, Volunteer

Bolton Refuge House, Inc. (BRH) was opened in 1976 as one of Wisconsin’s first domestic abuse shelters and was named in honor of Officer Robert Bolton, an Eau Claire police officer who was killed responding to a domestic violence call. BRH first opened our Jackson County Outreach in 1991, and has now been serving Jackson County and the Black River Falls area for over 30 years.

Bolton Refuge House’s mission is to create safe space through programs and services for all persons impacted by domestic violence and sexual assault, and to advocate for social change. Our services include community education, prevention work, a 24-hour crisis hotline, an emergency shelter, support groups, emotional support, transitional living and housing, medical, and legal advocacy – all at no cost to participants.

The BRF Area Foundation has been a wonderful and generous support for BRH’s Jackson County facilities throughout the years of operation, often providing grant funding for building maintenance and repair, and for appliances and furnishings.

As a nonprofit providing victims support services, BRH relies heavily on the Federal and State Administrations to secure funding. In 2023-24, BRH is receiving the hardest reduction in both federal and state dollars that has ever been seen, paralyzing the work and commitment to victims. Understanding this, the Foundation awarded the agency a grant in 2023 to go towards operational expenses of our Homstad building during this critical time, and to aid us in regaining self-sufficiency. BRH Administration and staff are so grateful for the support that Foundation Trustees have given our agency, both this year and throughout the past years. Thank you, BRF Area Foundation for your commitment to providing services and care to our community.

Patricia Stein, BRH Executive Director

I would like to take this opportunity to give the Foundation an update on the tremendous impact the grant award we received in 2019 has had on the Millston Area Museum.

We applied for the grant after we became established as a local history museum inside the Millston Community Center and needed signage in the exterior lawn area so that we had more visibility of the museum to the public. We would estimate at this time that installation of the sign has helped increase traffic to the museum by at least 75%. The sign is featured in our brochure, on our website and Facebook page, and in promotional material we take to events such as the Jackson County Fair. We have had hundreds of visitors including visitors from fifteen different states and even some from Canada, Mexico and the Czech Republic. We have also given tours and held meetings for various groups, such as the Jackson County Retired Educators, the Monroe, Juneau Jackson Counties Genealogy Workshop group and Tomah Area Museum, just to name a few. The Museum has been featured in the La Crosse Tribune, Banner Journal, Monroe County Herald and Tomah Journal.

At this time, we would like to again extend our appreciation to the Foundation for the award and for its continued support of all community endeavors to enrich our area. Thank you.

Jennifer Walworth, President Millston Area Museum

When the Boys and Girls Club is talked about in communities or on world stages it is often about the good that the club provides, but not necessarily the specifics of what the club is doing within their own community. At the Boys and Girls Club Lunda Center in the year 2022 alone we were able to serve 118 members; but what does it mean to serve a member?

At the club we have three main pillars that we focus on: Academics, Leadership and Character, and Healthy Lifestyles.

While in a perfect world money would fall from trees to support all the programs that we want, that is not the world that we live in. Rather than funding our programs through member fees, we keep costs affordable for families by relying on the generous support of community donors. The Foundation has been an amazing partner for the Boys and Girls Club Lunda Center for over a decade. Their assistance has been invaluable in supporting the work we do with community kids.

With funding from the Foundation, we have been able to promote Healthy Lifestyles through programming tools that teach why some foods have more nutritional value than others, what a balanced diet looks like, and that moderation is key.

Another grant provided by the Foundation allowed us to update and improve the technology that is available to the center. Making sure our members have technological literacy allows them to have a better grasp and understanding of what is happening in the world and provides a valuable skill when entering the workforce.

Last year, the Foundation extended financial support to the Boys and Girls Club Lunda Center to help purchase a new club van. Our former club van was no longer safe to drive and without it we were limited with regard to field trips, off campus activities and other learning opportunities. We are very happy to report that as of June 2023, with community support, we have been able to obtain a new club van!

The Foundation’s support allows the club to continue servicing the members of our community.

Paige Stuckey, BRF Center Director