Have you ever wondered what it’s like to work for our local government?  On Thursday, March 2nd, our class went on a field trip to the Bayfield County Courthouse.  We wanted to learn how our local government operates.  Our bus driver for the trip was Mr. Larry Fickbohm, who is an elected member of the Bayfield County Board of Supervisors.  It was interesting to see the room where Mr. Fickbohm attends board meetings.  Mrs. Kris Kavajecz, a South Shore graduate who works at the Courthouse, made all the arrangements for our tour.  Mrs. Kavajecz started the tour with a Powerpoint presentation about Bayfield County.  We learned some very interesting facts about the land and townships we live in.  Did you know that Bayfield County was established in 1866, it has over 962 lakes, and that approximately 15,000 people live in the county today?

The next part of our tour took place in the courtroom.  We were welcomed by Judge Anderson, District Attorney Lawton, Clerk of Courts Cederberg, and Deputy Gary.  Deputy Gary showed us his taser, pepper spray and the metal detector.  We learned how the court operates and were able to ask many questions.  We got to see the holding cells where they keep the jail inmates while they wait for their trials.

Next, we crossed the street to the see the dispatch center.  It was amazing to learn about the technology that is used to help keep our county residents safe and to provide quick responses to emergencies.  We met several police officers and supervisors.  Two dispatchers were on duty answering 9-1-1 calls.  They showed us how the whole system works.  The dispatchers try to answer all calls within three rings.  They normally finish their calls in less than one minute.  The county has an Emergency Response (ER) team which is ready to respond to major emergencies.  The county’s most expensive service is law enforcement.

Our next stop was the Land and Water Conservation Department.  We learned that the program helps protect the natural resources of our county.  It was fun to see the posters that we made for the department’s poster contest displayed in the hallways inside the courthouse.  Our last stop was at the Aging and Disability Services Department.  We learned about the services that are provided for children, families, the elderly and people with disabilities.  

On our way out, we stopped to admire the beautiful brownstone building.  We’ve studied the importance of the early brownstone industry in our region.  We were also impressed with the beautiful dome on the top of the building.  Thank you to Mrs. Kavajecz and all who helped us learn first-hand how our local government provides many services for us all.  Sincerely, 3rd and 4th Grade Students.