Spellmans Marina owner Tim Doberstein really wished the Oshkosh Common Council didnt have to consider extending a no-wake zone near the Oshkosh Avenue bridge.

Dobersteins business caters to everything from small fishing boats to larger power boats, and he enjoys the chance to open the throttle and fly along the Oshkosh areas rivers and lakes as much as the next boater. But he also had to spend $600 to replace the rub rail on a customers boat after a massive wake pushed the boat atop a pylon and broke the rail clean off as the wave subsided.

So hes of mixed feelings about a petition councilors will consider on Tuesday to extend the no-wake area from the current weekend and holidays designation to seven days a week.

“This wouldnt be necessary if boaters used some common sense. If boaters would see us over here tied up to the dock and keep it to a minimum, this wouldnt be necessary,” Doberstein said. “I want to see people have fun and be able to go. It;s just that people have to use common sense.”

Property owners along the stretch of the river from southeast of the Oshkosh Avenue bridge past the River Mill condominiums building, many of whom are boaters themselves, feel a little stronger about the need to extend the no-wake rule.

Nancy and Dennis Biedrzycki, who own a condominium in River Mill, told councilors they have seen heavy wakes violently toss boats around in River Mills, shake docks, snap mooring lines that damage boats and docks. Across the river, they have seen wakes pull boaters into the river as they prepare to launch from Rainbow Park.

“We dont want the entire river (to have a no-wake rule), just this very busy area,” Nancy Biedrzycki said. “Boating is supposed to be a leisure activity. Whats the rush?”

Winnebago County Sheriff's Department Lt. Greg Cianciolo said deputies received complaints about large wakes near the Oshkosh Avenue bridge toward the beginning of boating season this year, but the complaints have waned in recent months after directed enforcement patrols in that area heightened boaters' awareness of the rules.

Cianciolo echoed Doberstein’s assessment that boaters need to be aware of their surroundings — especially with Fox River water levels higher than usual — and a lot of docks, piers and other boaters using the river in that area. He added boaters are responsible for damage that results from their wake, regardless if it occurs in a no-wake zone.

“People need to remember that as they’re driving the bigger boats down narrow waterways in the county, that with the high water levels there’s more potential damage to docks, piers and whatever’s along the river,” Cianciolo said.

But Doberstein said to hold a boater accountable for the damage their wake does is easier said than done.

“You have to get their (registration) numbers. If you see them do it and can catch a number, then you can do something,” he said. “But if they’re out there a ways, you have to rip after them. Most of the time you don’t have a boat in the water, so you can’t get after them.”

At least one boating club in town supports the effort spearheaded by River Mill residents like the Biedrzyckis. Oshkosh Boat Club member Tom Sitter said the club supports the extension of the no-wake zone’s effective hours, as well.

“Our own members have witnessed the conditions condo owners are talking about. And our members have had boats damaged when filling up at Spellman’s,” Sitter said.

via Councilors consider extension of no-wake zone on Fox River | thenorthwestern.com | Oshkosh Northwestern.

A Howard man thought his wedding ring was gone for good — lost somewhere in Lake Michigan.

Married nearly 24 years, he thought telling his wife would be the worst. But what he never expected turned out for the best.

Truth be told, Michael Hnilicka is no stranger to losing his wedding ring.

“I was at work and it slipped out of a watch pocket and got mixed into a huge basket full of trash, and this was right before they dump it into a compactor.”

This time, though, while snorkeling in the Great Lake off Door County, he figured it was gone for good.

“On my way back in, I realized I did not have my wedding ring any longer. My finger had shrank up and it slipped off.”

If by plain luck or fate, a series of events would intertwine a group of strangers who are now asking, “How?”

“I find stuff, yeah,” Bob Hazelwood said.

It was only several days later, Hazelwood, a SCUBA diving instructor, was teaching in the same area where the ring was lost.

“Went down, brought my student with me to go down. There was a ring, sitting right on top of a wooden pillar down there — a horizontal pillar.”

After Hazelwood found the ring, he brought it to the Door County Clerks office — really for no particular reason, just knowing he had to bring it somewhere.

“We kind of looked at it. OK, perfect, there was an inscription on the ring,” County Clerk Jill Lau said.

So the ladies in the clerks office searched in the register of deeds, trying to match the name and date inscribed on the ring.

“One person came up that was married on that date 1986 in the whole state,” Lau said.

Michael and Brenda Hnilicka.

They called the Hnilickas,,, and left a message.

“I was up at the front counter and the phone rang, and she said ;My God, its our ring number. I said, Youve got to be kidding me;” deputy county clerk Linda Viste said.

“I started to cry,” Brenda Hnilicka said. “He called me at work, and I started to cry.”

Wednesday morning, man and ring were united once again.

And if not to test luck or fate, Michael Hnilicka is thinking of finding a safer place for this ring than his hand.

“It was amazing. It was nothing short of amazing,” Mr. Hnilicka said.

“Somebody is looking down on us. Were expected to be together, I guess,” said his bride, laughing.

via Diver Discovers Lost Wedding Ring – WBAY-TV Green Bay-Fox Cities-Northeast Wisconsin News.