Coleman Police Chief Ida Soletske retires

COLEMAN – After serving her community for 28 years, Coleman Police Chief Ida Soletske will be retiring from the police force. With nearly three decades of experience in serving her community, she has left her mark on all of those she has worked with.

Reflecting on her journey to becoming a police officer, Chief Soletske said “I guess it was just something I always wanted to do.” Despite her desire, the path was not a simple one.

For over a decade Chief Soletske worked at her uncle’s sawmill, however after his passing she was let go when another family member purchased the business. She used this as a chance to change career paths, going back to school and becoming a police officer in June, 1994.

As a police officer she worked for the Town of Stephenson, the Village of Lena and the Village of Coleman at the same time. Still, the job transition was not without its challenges.

“There weren’t really any females working in law enforcement up in Marinette County,” Chief Soletske said, adding that “it was kind of tough.” She worked through the pushback she got from some male officers, noting the support she received from others along the way. After years of working, Soletske became the Coleman Police Chief in 1997.

Working as the police chief in a small town gave Chief Soletske a different type of work experience. “Being in a small department you pretty much do everything. You do your investigations and everything yourself. You don’t have any other people or specialized departments to do things for you,” she said.
While she has had many wonderful experiences and people she has been grateful to meet, Soletske said one of her favorite moments on the job has been the bond she forged with the community’s children and the school, and making them feel comfortable in approaching her.

“I’m going to miss my hugs at the school. I go to the elementary school and the high school, I walk through there and greet kids in the morning. At the elementary school I get tons of hugs from little kids. It’s so sweet,” she reminisced.

As Chief Soletske’s last day working with the force quickly approaches, she shared that she has “mixed emotions” about retirement, saying that while she is looking forward to having more free time to spend with her horses, “I think I’m going to miss it, too.” She won’t be stepping back from all of her responsibilities, however, sharing that she was reelected as the Coleman Area Rescue Squad vice president and will be running for Coleman Municipal Judge in April.

With her official last day on Jan. 3, Coleman Police Chief Ida Soletske said, “I’ll miss the people. We have a great little community here.”

The Village of Coleman will be hosting a retirement party for Chief Ida Soletske on Monday, Dec. 30 at Cheers Too at 108 E Main St. from 6-9 p.m.