October 18, 2024 – West Bend, Wi – The gazebo at Old Settlers Park in downtown West Bend, Wi, has been removed.
According to police Lt. Brian McAndrews repairs are needed following an accident Thursday night at 11:01 p.m. when a motor vehicle took out one of the support beams. “The 19-year-old female from Kiel lost control of her vehicle downtown and struck the gazebo. She drove southbound on Main Street and officers pulled her over. She was arrested and cited for first offense OWI, hit and run, failure to yield to emergency vehicle.”
McAndrews said the woman refused a blood draw, and PVT and a search warrant will be obtained for a blood draw and toxicology reports will not be available for a couple weeks.
There is a band, Joe & Polka Fusion, scheduled to play Saturday morning at the Farmers’ Market. The electrical hook-up was not affected but the band will play on the concrete plaza below the bandstand on Saturday.
This is a working story, and more information will be posted when details are available.
Steve Awve was the man in charge of moving the 144-square-foot gazebo from Old Settlers Park to Schwai’s in Cedar Creek.
The transport started Tuesday afternoon as Awve, armed with a forklift and some handyman know how, hefted the giant circular piece of metal and started the slow 8-mile trek to Cedar Creek.
It wasn’t long into maneuvers when the clunky parade came to a halt at Chestnut and Eighth Avenue. “Stop, stop, stop,” said lead man Mike running from his car. “You’re never going to make it under the wire.”
Awve set down the gazebo, scampered up the arm of the forklift and onto the top of the bell of the building to remove the cupola.
An easy tilt of the 2-foot cap and they should be good to go. If only Awve had known about the bees.
“We got bees in here,” said Awve, with a couple one-handed swats. “I hate bees.”
It sounded just like Harrison Ford when Indiana Jones came face-to-face with snakes in the Temple of the Forbidden Eye.
Mike seemed to hate bees even more. The pair worked and swatted and within minutes removed the metal, dodged the bees and were on the road again.
Getting under the wire was the easy part. There were challenges with the Highway 45 bridge on Paradise Drive and darkness was setting in.
Not as easy as one would think to move the monster which was purchased two weeks ago by Kevin and Amy Zimmer of West Bend for $18.45.
The gazebo had to be removed from Old Setters Park, which is going through a major remodel.
Part II of a history note: It was January 2016 when the new gazebo designs were revealed for Old Settlers Park.
Posted a story earlier this week about the framing of the new gazebo that’s been completed at Old Settlers Park in West Bend. Contractors are taking advantage of the nice weather and working to complete the structure before spring.
Craig Hoeppner with the West Bend Park & Rec Department says the shrubs and bushes and flowers should be planted in May.
