NEWS

Stevens Point's 2016 People of the Year

The Stevens Point Journal presents the people who made an impact here this year.

USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

We were blown away by all the great nominations we received for 2016 People of the Year — because we are blown away by the great things people here do to help make their community a better place. Stevens Point Journal editors had fun reviewing readers' nominations and adding our own. We hope you enjoy reading through some of the year's highlights and recognizing the people who made them possible.

Stevens Point High School won the WIAA Division 1 State Championship game Saturday, March 19, 2016 held at The Kohl Center in Madison, Wis. Panthers beat the Warriors 89 - 64.

The Stevens Point Journal 2016 People of the Year are:

Pete McPartland

Sentry Insurance's board chairman, president and chief executive officer has guided the company to continue to have a major presence in the community. The company unveiled a new logo in August as part of a rebranding to reflect Sentry’s significant growth and expansion in the field of business insurance. Sentry also announced that it would build a new office at the southwest corner of Division Street and Northpoint Drive to provide space for all of its claims staff in town. The company also opened a new center in downtown Stevens Point to train information technology students, with the aim of keeping more young people in the region after graduation. And in perhaps its most consequential move, the Sentry Foundation made a $4 million donation to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, the largest single commitment in the foundation’s history and the largest gift the campus has received, to fund the creation of a new data analytics major. Sentry also set another record in its support of the United Way of Portage County, presenting a check for $1.1 million, which propelled the United Way to a record $2.93 million campaign.

Stevens Point Area Senior High boys basketball team

SPASH’s Sam Hauser yells to fans following a dunk against Muskego High School in the WIAA Division 1 State Championship game Saturday, at the Kohl Center in Madison. Stevens Point defeated Muskego 89 to 64.

The team that won the Division 1 state championship in March was not just fun to watch. It wasn't just a point of community pride. It was a group that has a plausible claim to being the most dominant high school boys basketball team in the history of Wisconsin. At least, that was the view of USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin sportswriter Ricardo Arguello when he got a look at them in March. The team shared a special closeness off the court, too. Standout Trevor Anderson, now playing for the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, was the son of coach Scott Anderson. Two other star players, Sam Hauser and Joey Hauser, were brothers whose dad, David Hauser, was assistant coach. The team was cohesive, accomplished and balletic on the court, and their achievement of a second straight state title was a highlight of 2016.

Patrick Rothfuss

The New York Times bestselling author made major news both professionally and in his philanthropic work in 2016. In late November Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of the award-winning Broadway musical “Hamilton," announced that he will produce the planned film and television adaptations of Rothfuss’ fantasy book trilogy "The Kingkiller Chronicles" for Lionsgate, and will compose original music for the projects. Rothfuss also kicked off the second season of "Unattended Consequences," his podcast with Max Temkin, co-creator of the popular card game Cards Against Humanity. Worldbuilders, the nonprofit organization started by Rothfuss, just completed its most successful campaign by raising more than $2.5 million for the charity organization Heifer International. The charity also raised an additional $206,000 from its Geeks Doing Good summer fundraising campaign.

John and Patty Noel

Patty and John Noel of Stevens Point received Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters Degrees at UW-Stevens Point’s spring commencement ceremony.

Founders of the Noel Group, Travel Guard International and Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection, the Noels received recognition throughout the year for their efforts to help others. The Stevens Point couple received honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in May. In December 2015, the Noels were the recipients of the inaugural Personal Philanthropic Leadership award, presented by the nonprofit charity Tourism Cares as part of the Travel Philanthropy Awards. John Noel was also honored in September as a distinguished laureate at the Wisconsin Business Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Among their contributions through the years the Noels helped establish the Portage County chapter of the Boys and Girls Club, created the Noel Compass Scholar Program at UW-Stevens Point, and created the Make a Mark Foundation to address an orphan crisis in sub-Saharan Africa.

Ben Provisor

The 2016 Rio Summer Olympics were a sports highlight of the year, and this year Stevens Point residents got to follow the Olympic journey of local native Ben Provisor. Provisor, a Greco-Roman wrestler with arms roughly the circumference of oak trees, had struggled to stay healthy and had spent time recovering from injuries in the years since his last shot at the Olympics. The community came together to support a crowdfunding effort to send his family to Rio to watch him compete. In the end, his time at the Olympics didn't go as we'd hoped; he was eliminated in his opening match. It was still a fun, inspiring ride and we're still proud of all the effort Provisor put into making it to his sport's most elite level.

Anonymous tipster

An eight-month investigation and a court case that’s still in progress may not have happened without an anonymous tip to police about a doctor now accused of sexually assaulting at least seven of his patients at a clinic in the village of Plover. Wilton Calderon, 46, faces multiple charges as a result of the investigation and is scheduled to be in court for a plea hearing in February. The doctor was investigated in 2009 and 2010 after similar accusations were made by two patients, but no charges were ever requested and he was allowed to continue practicing medicine.

Joe Pavelski

Joe Pavelski, a Plover native and former Stevens Point Area Senior High athlete, may have fallen short of his ultimate goal this year when his San Jose Sharks fell in six games to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup finals. But his year was still packed with highlights. He was one of 40 players chosen to be part of the National Hockey League’s new 3-on-3 tournament during All-Star weekend in January. He was nearly on the cover of NHL 17, the annual Electronic Arts Sports hockey video game, but lost in the final round of fan voting to Vladimir Tarasenko of the St. Louis Blues. And his charity golf outing at the Stevens Point Country Club drew more than 140 people and was expected to raise approximately $30,000 to help purchase hockey equipment for youth groups in the area.

The Kranski family

When Brian Kranski died in 2012 at 24 years old, his family wanted to fulfill his dream of restoring a deteriorating and overgrown baseball field in Polonia. This year, Brian’s “field of dreams,” near the Polonia Cafe and Sacred Heart Parish, was finished. Before he died, Brian raised $5,000 for the project and worked on replacing fencing around the ballpark. Since his death, the Kranski family — his mom Kris, father Mark, sister Kim and brother Eric — finished the fencing, built a new concession stand and dugouts, added bleachers, picnic tables, trees and structures for shade. The family also brought members of the famed UW Marching Band to Polonia to celebrate the project's completion.

Honorable mentions

Other great people in 2016, as nominated by readers or staff at the Stevens Point Journal:

Jackson Case of Guzman Case Corp., for work to help renovate a teacher’s home.

Mel Dow, director of operations, Interfaith Food Pantry of Portage County Inc. Dow oversaw its move in 2016 into a new facility, and a 40 percent increase in capacity to between 375 and 400 local households each month.

Troy Hojnacki, for hosting the World Arm Wrestling Championship qualifying match at his downtown Stevens Point establishment, Graffiti’s Sports Pub.

Tiffani Krueger, for work on behalf of Evergreen Community Initiatives.

Kris Kunkel, second-grade teacher at Bannach Elementary, who organized and sought to continue funding for the school district's Foster Grandparents program, which provides help to students. Kunkel also coordinates numerous community fundraisers.

Kent Laabs, owner and operator of Soundworks Systems, for operating the lighting and sound at UWSP’s winter and spring commencement ceremonies.

Erin Olson, for work with CAP Services and the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program as well as on the Justiceworks board.

The Rev. Placid Stroik, for operating the Franciscans Downtown coffee shop and library as well as his work with Roman Catholic parishes in area.

Nathan Vine, Chris Mueller and Robert Mentzer contributed.