Thiensville recognizes employees,
board members for their service
One of the highlights of the year is an annual event where we recognize village employees for their service to Thiensville.
This year, we honored Fire Chief Brian Reiels on his 30th anniversary with the Fire Department. We also recognized Patrick Williams, who has served as a firefighter for 30 years. This also is Patrick's 29th anniversary with the Department of Public Works.
We thanked four others for 10 years of service. Rich Ellner has been with the Department of Public Works for a decade. Three others celebrated their 10-year anniversaries as volunteer members of village boards or committees. Ellen MacFarlane serves on the Police Disciplinary Oversight Committee; Edwin Ogden, the Board of Review; and Mimi Rosing, the Frank L. Weyenberg Library Board.
During the evening, we also took the step of recognizing another building in Thiensville for its historic significance. The building at 151 Green Bay Road soon will bear a plaque telling the story of the William Hoeft Residence. The undertaker and wagonmaker -- one of Thiensville's early settlers -- built the home in 1884.
While that in itself in notable, the building took on a new life in the 1960s when it and several adjoining properties became part of Betty Johnson's Century Park complex, which attracted visitors from across the Midwest for shopping and dining.
This property is just the latest in a growing list of buildings that now have plaques that help preserve Thiensville's rich history. That has happened due to the enthusiastic efforts of Trustee Ron Heinritz, who has chaired the Historic Preservation Commission, along with other longtime members of that group.