Mayor’s Column August 1, 2026
Rohn Bishop, Mayor of Waupun
Hello Waupun!
On Monday, a massive EF 3 tornado roared its way through Menasha, Wisconsin. This storm hit a little close to home for me, as I have friends who live in the path of the tornado. My friends, Jamin and Kara Homan are okay, and all things considered they’re very lucky. They have lots of damage to their home, but they still have a home.
In response to the storm and Manesha’s need for help, both the Waupun Fire Department and Waupun Utilities sent crews to help. Waupun Utilities is still helping them restore power. Also from Waupun, Rens’ Nursey and Torres Tree Service went in the storm patch to help with cleanup. Thank you to all who’ve help clean up the mess, and for helping those people in need.
Back here in Waupun, you’ve seen some concrete work being done at Medema Fields. This is the location for the new sculpture honoring Waupun native Mamie Redman. Redman was a professional woman’s baseball player in the 1940s, a story helped told in the Tom Hanks movie “A Legue of Their Own.” The sculpture will hopefully be an inspiration to today’s generation of girls’ softball players, and it is another addition to Waupun’s City of Sculpture legacy.
Speaking of sculptures, Rosie the Riveter will be moving soon. National Rivet has done some landscaping work on the corner of Drummond and Jefferson Street, and Rosie will have a new, safer, more photogenic location. I saw in the news, the lady who portrayed Rosie recently passed away. Rosie, who herself was a strong, inspirational woman with a Waupun connection; along with Mamie Redman, and the “Kite Girl” sculpture downtown, Waupun continues to honor while adding to the Shaler legacy. These sculptures each tell a different story about Waupun. Kite Girl is flying a Shaler kite, Redman a baseball player from Waupun, and Rosie, making millions of rivets at National Rivet for the World War II effort.
I think it’s pretty cool history and Waupun is proud to be Wisconsin’s City of Sculpture!
Dirt is moving as construction for the Shaler Drive extension begins. You’ll also be seeing new homes and apartments in that area of Waupun.
A couple complaints I’m working on:
1) I have heard from three residents who are upset about the odor that is caused from the soybean production at United Co-op. The city has had discussions with United Co-Op and have reminded them that in their developer’s agreement they are to do their best to contain the odor. Hopefully we’ll reach an agreement with United shortly. To be fair, I have also heard from people who like the soybean smell, and some even call it the “smell of money.” They’re not wrong. United is now our city’s largest contributor to the tax base, and one of our largest buyers of utilities, which helps stabilize the rates. The TIF District created for United is largely paying for Shaler Drive to be finished.
This week on social media a critic said something along the lines that “it’s all about the mighty dollar.” My first thought was, “duh!” Cops and teachers don’t work for donuts and flowers. We all want to get paid, and that means having a strong and vibrate community that generations tax revenues to pay for our services.
2) I have had a few folks ask me about flock cameras. A few years ago, Waupun signed a contract, and we added a couple of flock cameras to our city. A flock camera takes a picture of a car, reads the plate, and stores it for 30 days. Waupun PD have used the cameras to help catch dangerous criminals, and even once to find a suicidal man. By doing so, Waupun PD likely saved his life. I can’t speak to what happens in other cities, but in Waupun we’re not saving or looking for any personal data. Quite frankly we don’t have enough staff even if we wanted to, and you’re probably not all that interesting anyway. As long as Waupun PD wants them and feels they’re helping to keep Waupun safe, I’ll support them. I trust the leadership team over at our Police Department, and they have my full support.
Thank you
Mayor Rohn
