Third Branch, srping 2010 - Wisconsin Court System

8Spring2010THE THIRD BRANCHLEADERSHIPCourt staffers make a differenceacross WisconsinAcross the state, in spite of economic woes that have hithome, Wisconsin court system staffers are stepping upin all sorts of ways to make a difference in the lives ofothers. Here are the stories of three court employees who arecontributing to their communities in very different ways.Atty. Karla BaumgartnerManager of Municipal Judge Education, andeditor of the Wisconsin BenchbooksThe list of “special needs” horses that KarlaBaumgartner has rescued, rehabilitated on her Justice-B-Dun Ranch and placed for adoption grows longer and moreimpressive each year.The first rescue was Cloud, a starving horse from SouthDakota whose owner fell on hard times and couldn’t affordproper feed. Next came Jones, who had a crooked leg thatBaumgartner and an expert farrier (a hoof trimmer) managedto correct. Soon after came Seymour, a horse so painfullyshy that he was too timid to compete with the other younghorses for his share of grain. Then there was Dillon, a horsefrom Wyoming with a benign tumor in his brain thatrequires expensive medication. And a wild mustang, K.C.,that had never been touched by a human. Then, a year ago,Baumgartner got word that 27 horses had been found halfstarvedon an abandoned farm in Trempealeau County. Sheoffered to take two of them.“When the trailer pulled up and I looked inside, it was justheartbreaking,” she recalled. “They were so pathetic,standing therewith no energy,just skin andbones.”Today, thosetwo horses – amother and sonwith rare,champagnecoloredcoats –are big, strongand healthy. AfterBaumgartnerrehabilitatedthem she wasable to placethem in goodhomes.“It used to beeasy to findhomes forhorses,” she said,“but that’s nolonger true in thiseconomy. I wasreally pleasedthat we were ableto place theseAbove is Slim, just after KarlaBaumgartner rescued him from a herd of27 that were discovered starving to deathon a northern Wisconsin ranch.This is Slim today.two.”Right now,Baumgartner –an attorney whodirects themunicipal judgeeducationprogram andedits the fiveWisconsinBenchbooks –has a total of 11horses in herstables on 16acres in RockCounty’s UnionTownship. Theygo through 33Karla Baumgartner with two of her horses.These two are 30 years old; Baumgartnerhas had them for 29 years.tons of hay in a year, and (mostly) peacefully coexist with amenagerie of dogs, cats, geese, chickens and a rabbit.Baumgartner’s husband, Evansville Municipal CourtJudge Thomas J. Alisankus, is perhaps more enthusiasticabout the farm itself than the animals – a severe allergy tohorses limits his contact with them and, although he iscompletely supportive of Baumgartner’s rescue efforts, hemore often then not refers to the horses as Baumgartner’s“juvenile delinquents.” Alisankus’ allergy means he doesmore of the heavy lifting and farm machinery operation, andBaumgartner spends extra time caring for the animals.“I get up at 5 a.m. to do chores, and it’s just so peaceful towatch the sun come up and to be with these beautifulanimals,” she said. “I’m just so fortunate. I am living mydream.”Crystal BrumleyDeputy ClerkDane County Clerk of Circuit Court OfficeFor the past decade, Deputy Clerk Crystal Brumley, DaneCounty Clerk of Circuit Courts Office, has dedicated herselfto collecting thousands of dollars for local charities throughpenny jars, soda sales, pet photo contests and more.Clerk of Circuit Court Carlo Esqueda calls Brumley “Ourone-woman Sunshine Club.” He shared the following notefrom the director of Orion Family Services, the beneficiaryof one of Brumley’s fundraising efforts:Seven boys and several staff members from theAkasha group home are on their way to Chicagofor a field trip ... underwritten by a portion of yourdonation. The itinerary includes a visit to theMuseum of Science and Industry and the SheddAquarium. I am sure that it is a first for all ofthese kids (and probably one or two of the staff). Itwas a great feeling to be able to say yes...see Leadership on page 9