April 2022 Optimizer
The Optimizer | April 2022 | Menomonee Falls Optimist Club
— In this issue —
Weekly Meeting Schedule
President’s Message
Upcoming Activities and Events
Calendar
Volunteer Opportunities
Distinguished Young Women
Trivia Contest
Fishing Derby
Scholarship Golf Outing
Getting to Know You
Scott Dreier
Optimist Meetings
MFHS Dance Team
Students of the Month
Past Event
Chili Dinner
This Month in Club History
How to Publish Optimist News
— Weekly Meeting Schedule —
Meetings are held at 7:15 a.m. at the Community Center unless otherwise noted.
WEDNESDAY APRIL 6
Mike Russell and Annie Jurczyk will introduce the Oratorical and Essay contest participants. Please attend the club meeting either in person or virtually to hear the students who competed. They need a good audience since all three will continue on to the Zone Competition on April 7th. We look forward to hearing what Optimism means to these terrific students. Please help us cheer them on!!!
WEDNESDAY APRIL 13
Falls Patio Players will entertain us with music choices from their upcoming show – The Music Man. This is a favorite musical of many and will surely be an enjoyable display of characters, music, costumes and more! (for tickets, contact Ann Freudenthal)
WEDNESDAY APRIL 20
One of our favorite meetings as we welcome Students of the Month from Menomonee Falls High School, North Middle School and St. Mary’s School.
WEDNESDAY APRIL 27
Thank you to Cathy Sharkey who will introduce this year’s outstanding Distinguished Young Women participants. (get a sneak peak by attending the program on Saturday, April 9)
** Do you have ideas for future guest speakers? Contact the speakers committee – Jerry Mislang, Jeanine Dederich, Beth Saunders, Larry Barbera. **
~ Jerry Mislang
— President’s Message —
Hello Optimists!!
Well March Madness is here!! Not sure about the rest of the club members that had a bracket in a pool, mine is all but busted! I will have to say that watching the games is fun but a 15 seeded team to make it to the Elite 8. It has been March Madness.
A few highlights from the month:
We had our Essay contest and the winners were very impressive. We look to have them all at our last meeting of March to present to the club. The Trivia contest has been moved to April due to low team entries. We hope to have more teams signed up for the event in April.
Highlights from the Board Meeting:
Approved $300 banner at Trenary Field for MF Baseball Group
Approved $250 for the LOC Lucky Ducky Derby
Approved $200 for WILS – Wisconsin Leadership Seminar
Approved $500 MFHS Boys Basketball Team
Approved 2 new memberships – Ruth Ann Petroff and Nathan Russell
Upcoming events that we have for the club are:
Trivia Contest
DYW
Fishing Derby
Scholarship Golf Outing
Looking for Assistance:
Steve Fleming is looking for help with the July 3rd Parade this year.
Steve has asked for someone to be his right hand the day of the parade. In addition, Steve will need someone to help with staging as Tony Bawiec has done this for the parade for so many years that he may not be able to this year. Lastly, Steve will need someone to work with Ann Fruedenthal regarding getting volunteers to work the parade and man various positions the day of the event. Ann will be looking to step away after this year and will need someone to step in.
All three positions will be open for next year.
We will be having a parade committee meeting April 19 6:00pm at Riverwalk clubhouse. If you just want to see or join committee, feel free to show up.
If you have questions or need to contact Steve, please call 262-385-6499
Thank you all for your continued support this year. It is good to get back to some of the many events we have done in the past. Thank you all for your support of our events and willingness to help.
Until next time!!
President Dan
— Upcoming Activities and Events —
Calendar
SATURDAY APRIL 2ND
Distinguished Young Women practice interviews
SATURDAY APRIL 9TH
Distinguished Young Women Program
SATURDAY APRIL 15TH
Deadline to sign up for Trivia Contest
TUESDAY APRIL 19TH
Parade committee meeting
SATURDAY APRIL 23RD
Trivia Contest
SATURDAY MAY 14TH
Fishing Derby
WEDNESDAY MAY 18TH
Scholarship Golf Outing
Volunteer Opportunities 
• Fishing Derby Saturday May 14
Contact Dustin Koehler 262-370-9529 or Sue Carney 608-509-3117
• 3rd of July Parade Sunday July 3
Looking for volunteers to help chair the committee, help with staging and help recruit volunteers. Please attend Parade Committee meeting April 19 at 6pm at RiverWalk clubhouse if interested.
Contact Steve Fleming 262-385-6499
The 58th Annual Distinguished Young Women of Menomonee Falls scholarship program will take place Saturday, April 9, 2022 at 7:00pm at North Middle School.
Seven girls from the Class of 2023 will be competing for the title of Distinguished Young Woman of Menomonee Falls. Tickets are available at the door for $5.
Siya Mahajan, Distinguished Young Woman of Menomonee Falls for 2022, will look back on her year and hand off the title to a representative from the Class of 2023.
Participants include Grace Booher, Shannon Doherty, Marin Olson, and Rachel Ripke from Menomonee Falls High School. and Ifechi Ebije, Elise Elkin, and Brooke Stanley from Hamilton High School.
Contestants at all levels of Distinguished Young Women are judged on scholastics, interview, talent, self-expression and physical fitness. The Optimist Club awards $3650 in scholarships and cash awards to the participants. The winner will go on to represent Menomonee Falls at the state program in August.
Please come out to North on April 9th to support these very distinguished young ladies.
~ Cathy Sharkey
Trivia Contest Update: Teams of less than 10 players are $15 per player
The trivia committee has decided that it is not necessary for a team to have 10 players this year. If a team has less than 10, each will pay $15. We never intended this event to be a fundraiser and so we will raise less money this way, but it was designed to be a “fun” outing for the club. The members work so hard on all of the fundraisers, we wanted to give them another alternative. and allow them to enjoy an event without working so hard, EXCEPT FOR THEIR BRAINS!!!
7:00 p.m., April 23, 2022
St. Agnes School, 12800 Fairmont Ave., Butler
$15/person
Put together a team and pick a team name—be creative! Wear costumes and bring table decorations. Maximum team size is 10 people.
REMEMBER! This is NOT designed for trivia buffs.
Bring your own adult drinks, soda, and snacks.
Register by April 15, 2022
Register online (enter Team Name for Company Name)
or mail your $15 entry fee, team name, captain and captain’s phone number to
Sue Jeskewitz at N80W17429 Robin Circle, Menomonee Falls WI 53051.
For more information, contact Sue Jeskewitz (414) 659-3037.
~ Todd Paulus, Karen Nelson & Sue Jeskewitz, Trivia Contest Chairs
Fishing Derby
Planning is well underway for the 2022 Optimist Club of Menomonee Falls Kids Fishing Derby. The derby will take place on Saturday, May 14th at the Mill Pond in downtown Menomonee Falls. The contest is free and is open to all boys and girls age three through 16 that reside or attend school in the Menomonee Falls area. All participants will receive a t-shirt and door prize. Trophies will be awarded to boys and girls in five age divisions for the longest fish and most fish caught during the contest.
Registration for the event will be from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM at the Mill Pond Shelter. During registration, each child will receive a t-shirt, fish recording log, and a ticket for a door prize. The fishing contest will be from 10:00 AM to Noon. At Noon, participants will want to hand-in their fish recording log to one of many volunteers that will be on site. Trophies will be awarded to contest winners shortly after Noon. Door prizes can be claimed at the registration table anytime between 10:00 AM and Noon.
The Menomonee Falls Neighborhood Watch will be selling food at the pavilion at the Mill Pond & Shelter from 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
Please bring your own fishing equipment. Only a limited supply of bait will be provided. Children under 11 years old must be accompanied by an adult. Those 16 years old and older must have a fishing license.
Over the years, sponsors and supporters of this event include the Menomonee Falls Police Department, the Menomonee Falls Neighborhood Watch, the Village of Menomonee Falls, RB Enterprises, Fleet Farm, Krueger’s Entertainment Center, Cops and Kids Foundation, Sandy Spring Farm, Kwik Trip, Tru Turn, Menomonee Falls CE & Rec, and the Optimist Club of Menomonee Falls.
If you want to volunteer or have questions, please contact Dustin Koehler at 262-370-9529 or Sue Carney at 608-509-3117.
~ Dustin Koehler
Scholarship Golf Outing
Fellow Optimists,
Our committee met for the first time to begin planning for the 32nd Annual Scholarship Golf Outing. We have committed over $20,000 this year to deserving high school Seniors. This event helps offset a majority of that balance for our club.
The outing is scheduled for May 18, 2022 at Ironwood Golf Course in Sussex, WI. The event is an 18-hole scramble that will begin at 11:00 am. Your $150 entry fee gets you golf, cart, entry into all on course events, use of facilities including the driving range and putting green, putting contest, box lunch, heavy hors d’oeuvres, and the chance to participate in our opportunity basket raffle and voice auction.
If you are not a golfer, you can join us afterwards for $40 for heavy hors d’oeuvres and the chance to participate in the opportunity basket raffle and voice auction.
What we need right now are golfers, donations for both the opportunity baskets and voice auction, golf balls, and bottles of wine or booze. If you frequent a place in Menomonee Falls or the surrounding area and feel comfortable asking them for a donation for our outing, please do so. We do have letters put together if they need that for their records. If that is the case, please let me know and I will get you one. It does not matter what the size of the donation is. We can always package it with another donation for the event. This event is a success due to the generosity of all members, so thank you in advance.
I look forward to seeing everyone at the event. Please feel free to send the attached flyer on to any family, friends and neighbors who might be interested in our event. We like to see new golfers each year at the event. It is another way to showcase our club and hare our mission with others.
— Getting to Know You —
Scott Dreier
Hi! I’m Scott Dreier and joined the Optimist Club in 2019 at the suggestion of my good friend Greg Mattson and became a Board member last year. I’m a life-long resident of Menomonee Falls and have been married to my wife Jodi for nearly 28 years. We have 3 boys, Matthew (24), Cory (22) and Trevor (16).
While I grew up in Menomonee Falls, I actually attended Wisconsin Lutheran High School then graduated from UW-Whitewater where I also played on the men’s tennis team. I spent most of my career with Strong Capital Management and then Wells Fargo after they were acquired.
Jodi received both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from UW-Oshkosh and is currently a Nurse Practitioner at Edelica Health where she treats patients suffering from severe depression and PTSD. Matthew graduated from UW-Madison in 2020 works for U.S. Bank. Cory will be graduating from UW-Madison this May with a degree in finance and real estate. Trevor is a sophomore at MFHS where he plays baseball for the high school in spring and then his club team over the summer.
Over the years I’ve coached all of my boys in a variety of sports including Little League, Jr. Indians baseball, basketball and tennis. Now I attend strictly as a supportive parent and spectator which is actually much more relaxing.
Last year I decided to take golf more seriously, but despite playing far more than ever before, I am still only average at best. The good part about that, however, is that it justifies my need to play even more! Our family also likes to spend time out in Lake Country with friends and family and we hope to eventually get our own place out there.
I’ve really enjoyed being part of the Optimist Club and helping out with the X-mas parade, chili dinner, Tri-Star soccer and golf outing. I’m also determined to finally win something at one of the meat raffles, no matter how many tickets that may eventually take! While I’ve had the pleasure of meeting many of you, there are many others I have yet to meet, so I look forward to hopefully doing that in the near future.
— Optimist Meetings —
MFHS Dance Team
March Students of the Month
— Past Events —
Chili Dinner
We had a great 2-day event. Thursday, we cooked up all the chili and Friday we served it up.
This year’s event had some challenges. We found out we no longer had the steam kettles at the high school to simmer the chili in for that slow cooked flavor. Food prices have almost doubled, and due to covid19 we had to have everything individually wrapped. I think my team did an amazing job tackling each hurdle that came our way. The take out “picnic” bag of sorts was well received. Nicki and Tree, our cafeteria workers did an awesome job keeping things moving along.
Tom Ciscoski, Greg Matson, Scott Dwyer and their crew did a great job frying up 120# of hamburger and getting everything into all the buckets. Kathie Jensen, Joanne Wanner, Kathy Matthiessen and Linda Wagner worked tirelessly filling individual containers of cheese and onions
Thanks to Tom Wagner for buying all the food and keeping the line on track the night of the dinner. A big thanks to Sue Carney and husband Stu Reichl for jumping in and doing whatever was needed to keep everything moving smoothly. A huge thanks to everyone who volunteered both days. With everyone helping we were able to raise $3800.
It is with a heavy sigh that I am looking for a replacement to chair the chili dinner. I will be around for whatever support is needed. I feel it’s time for some new blood to shake things up with some fresh ideas.
Thanks for all your help over the past several years.
~ Kirsten Sperl
— This Month in Club History —
April 9, 1991 –
The club decides to again take part in the “Pride in the Falls Day” by planting a flower bed and donating $50.
~ Submitted by Jerry Mislang from the 40 Year History Program, courtesy of Ed Schlumpf
— How to Publish Optimist News –-
There are multiple venues for publishing Optimist news and events the community and to the Optimist members. It is important to get the word out so everyone is aware of the events we sponsor to benefit the youth of the community. Committee chairs are responsible for writing the articles and sending them via email to the people listed below:
NEWSLETTER Jerry Mislang or Barb Schmit no later than the 27th of each month – jerry.mislang@prodigy.net or schmitbarb@gmail.com
NEWSPAPERS Shannon Dederich three or more weeks prior to your event, as quickly as possible after an event shannon.dederich@gmail.com
FACEBOOK Cathy Sharkey or Dawn Mariscal – csharkey224@yahoo.com, dmariscal@wi.rr.com
WEBSITE Beth Saunders – bethjsaunders@gmail.com
