Letters to the Editor

We welcome letters to the Editor, a chance for members of the community to comment on issues of concern to them. All letters must be original, not duplications of letters addressed to public officials or written by others. The views and opinions expressed are those of the letter writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of this publication, its publishers, Editor, or staff. Please see our complete Letter to the Editor Policy here.

To the Editor:
The Rotary Club of Merrill is excited to announce the success of their Annual Holiday Toy Drive, supporting pediatric inpatients and their families during the holiday season. Last year, the Rotary Club delivered hundreds of toys to children at Aspirus Wausau NICU and Marshfield Children’s Hospital. “This toy drive is about bringing light to children and families during what can be a dark time,” said Carri Kennedy-Harris, President of the Rotary Club of Merrill. “We’re working to reach as many pediatric inpatients and their families as possible, not only to deliver toys but to show them that their community sees them and cares.” Toys were delivered Christmas Eve to participating hospitals and care centers.

- Brandon Wilde
Merrill, Wis.

To the Editor:
Reason #1 - Why Pine Crest should not be sold!
The six members of the Administrative and Legislative Committee on the Lincoln County Board would like you to believe that there is no money for Pine Crest and all the County’s financial woes are because of Pine Crest, so there is no alternative but to sell.
But the Board should look at its own decisions before it goes and blames Pine Crest, case in point, their decision to end the wheel tax in May 2022. The wheel tax cost Lincoln County residents $20/vehicle/year. The wheel tax brought in a yearly revenue to Lincoln County of $560,000. This means that the county has lost over $1.68 million in revenue to date.
There are real alternatives to selling Pine Crest, such as reinstating the wheel tax, and other solutions that should be investigated. I am demanding the Board hold off on the sale of Pine Crest until all other options have been investigated. People for Pine Crest has offered our assistance to find these alternatives, but it fell on deaf ears.

Pine Crest is our community nursing home. We, the Lincoln County citizens, have the right to say how our family members and neighbors are taken care of—our nursing home shouldn’t be handed over to some for-profit, out of state corporation. If you agree with me, please fill out the post cards being distributed around the county or email us at info@people4pinecrest.com.

- Renea Frederick
Merrill, Wis.

To the Editor:
On Feb. 1,2025, I attended the town hall meeting for the “People for Pine Crest” and felt sad and angry to hear what was being said and the possibility of it being sold.

I first walked into Pine Crest Nursing Home in 1973 and spent the next eight years providing care for the older adults in our community.
For the next 28 years and beyond, I advocated for the older adults in my position as the Director of the Merrill Senior Center, better known as the Enrichment Center. I recall 25 years ago sharing statistics about what our aging population was going to look like, often asking, “How are we going to care for them?” And here we are! The baby boomers are closing in and wanting answers: “What’s going to be available when I need the care?”
We need to remember we are providing care for those older adults and baby boomers who have supported this county their entire lives. What quality do they deserve?
What price do you put on your loved one?
My previous husband and I retired in Sept. 2014, completely unaware that within days our lives were to change forever. A brief visit in the local ER and off to UW-Madison. Within days we were told that he would need around-the-clock care. No one ever expects this! I was unable to take care of him at home alone, and his family and I made the difficult decision to place him in a private care facility 40 miles from home. We finally found one that would take him, with the understanding that I would stay with him. For the next nine days I slept on a small bed across the room from him, providing the care that he needed. At the age of 57, I was living in a nursing home—not as a resident, but as a care provider.
What if there isn’t anyone to provide the care? Or advocate for the patient?
Do you want to see the difference between a locally-owned government home, privately-owned facility, or a nonprofit-owned facility. Are you willing to move in to provide the care needed? I suggest you take a few days to visit nursing homes and see if you could leave your family member there.
I assure you, you will see a shortage of staff, fewer activities to engage them, a shortage in areas of cleanliness, and above all else a lack of the feeling of home at many nursing homes.
Pine Crest Nursing Home is home, not only for the residents but for the staff. Our loved ones deserve the very best—to remain in their own communities with quality care and close to their families.
Our community wants Pine Crest Nursing Home to flourish again. It can with our support. Contact your County Board members and make it clear to them that we care! We as a community need to advocate for those who are not able to.
Please continue to speak up for those whose voices may be weak. Thank you.

- Jane A. Deau-Jahnke
Merrill, Wis.

Editor’s Note: The above letter is longer than is now allowed, as it was accepted prior to the implementation of the new Letter to the Editor policy.