County takes ownership of Fireside Road

Fireside Road, a 4.5-mile stretch shared by four towns north of Oconto Falls, will become the property of Oconto County. The County Board approved the transfer on Thursday. On Dec. 29, Fireside Road from state Highway 22 to County Road A will be an extension of County Road I and will be renamed County Road I. Pat Scanlan, head of the county highway department, recommended the change, saying the road is heavily traveled, especially for the morning commute. Supervisor Buzz Kamke spoke in favor of the change. “I travel this road many, many times, and you got to the point where you could tell where one town stopped and another one started. You had to be very careful on this stretch of road,” Kamke said. “I’m glad to see the county is taking it over.” The towns of Oconto Falls, Stiles, Lena and Spruce relinquished jurisdiction of the road, allowing the county to become responsible for maintenance and to collect the road aid associated with it. New addresses for the properties on Fireside Road will take effect Dec. 29.