Fire destroys local Supper Club and banquet hall, TPM equipment inside PULASKI ,WI
jim miller
Early Monday Dec 31st a fire broke out in the HOMESTEAD SUPPER CLUB
and BANQUET HALL for many years we have danced to some of the nations
top Polka bands at this once beautiful dance hall ,the damage could
approach the $1million range,there was a Pre New Years dance there
Sunday afternoon and early evening music was provided by TPM and we
understand there equipment was left inside for they were going to
return Monday to pack up and make the trip to Chicago to perform New
years eve are condolences go out to Travis and Tina Hendzel owners and
to all the employee's also to TPM on there loss ,on the positive side
there was no human loss which money cannot replace,I talked to Travis
this morning and from what I understand is long process of getting
together with the insurance company on there loss and hopefull
rebuilding,and also trying to get a hold of the people who had booked
the hall for weddings etc in the upcoming year.
Paul Brozek
By Paul Srubas
psr...@greenbaypressgazette.com
PITTSFIELD - The Homestead Supper Club, a landmark Pulaski-area business run
by one family for 13 years, came to an end on the last day of 2001, the
victim of an early morning fire.
"You rehash all of the events of the year, and this is what's going through
our minds: all the memories," said Travis Hendzel, who owns the business
with his wife, Tina.
From the outside, the building at 6365 Cottonwood Road looked undamaged, but
the inside was a charred ruin.
"It'll be a total loss," said Brown County Sheriff's Department Capt. Craig
Kohlbeck.
Firefighters were notified at 6:07 a.m., apparently by a neighboring farmer
who spotted the flames.
Tri-County, Suamico and Howard fire departments fought the fire.
Many of the restaurant's 30 to 40 employees milled around inside the burned
building or on the ice-covered parking lot Monday morning shortly after
firefighters doused the flames but hours before the business was scheduled
to open.
The business was supposed to open at 5 p.m. Monday for a New Year's Eve
special, headlined by King Prime Rib for $13.95 or the Queen for $10.95.
Hendzel expected 500 customers before the new year rang in. But Monday was
to turn out to be a day when fire investigators were the only visitors to
the 600-seat banquet hall.
"They have an idea what the cause is, but they're not going to say - and may
never be able to say for sure," Kohlbeck said. "The area where it started
was pretty well destroyed."
That was an office area near the back of the building. The investigators
ruled out any suspicious cause and believe an electrical problem may have
been to blame, he said.
The damage could approach $1 million, he said. The building, constructed in
1976, according to Hendzel, lists a fair market value of $294,500, said
Brown County Treasurer Kerry Blaney.
Its assessed value was $285,200, he said.
The business featured a "pre-New Year's Eve Special" event Sunday night,
which included live polka music and a raffle. Hendzel said business Sunday
was good "except when the Packers were playing." His wife locked up the
place at about 11:15 p.m., he said.