Disc Golfers Reminded to Call if Help is Needed Retrieving Disc
Located next to Wildwood Park and Hefko Pool is one of three Marshfield Utilities Substations (called Wildwood Substation) that is responsible for helping supply electricity to a large portion of the City. Specifically, the substations change the transmission system voltage down to a distribution voltage that can then be transmitted throughout the city. In this case, that means a change from 115,000 volts to 13,000 volts.
(Read more about how the station works here.)
Not only is the substation key for electricity service, but being located next to the disc golf course, it can also be a dangerous attraction for disc golfers.
“If somebody were to get close to any of the electrical wires in there, they could easily be injured or killed,” explained Bob Trussoni, General Manager of Marshfield Utilities. “We don’t even allow our own employees who haven’t been trained to go in there.”
Continually under video surveillance, a recent trespassing incident at the substation was captured on tape and posted to the Marshfield Police Department Facebook page as a reminder to all disc golf players (and the public in general) that under no conditions should anyone cross the substation fence.
“The main thing we’re concerned with is people’s safety,” said Trussoni.
Melissa Barnes, HR Manager for Marshfield Utilities, added that although some of the disc golf holes have been moved to help reduce the problem, inevitably discs do end up in the substation enclosure. If this happens, golfers are encouraged to call the numbers listed on the fence.
“If they call us, we’ll come and get it,” said Trussoni. “Any time of day or night.”
“Even if they don’t call us, if we find them and there is a phone number on the disc, we will call them,” added Barnes, reiterating that under no conditions should anyone cross the fence to retrieve their own disc.
“It’s fenced for a reason. It’s not safe,” she said.
If no number is listed on a disc, staff will hold the disc at the Utility until an owner comes forward. The public is also reminded not to throw garbage into that area or park on that property.
Call 387-1195 during the day or 384-8515 after hours if you need assistance retrieving something from within the substation fencing.
