Invention lends aid to those in need
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Stacey Babiarz donated his Bobcat sandbag filler to help flooding victims on Lake Koshkonong.
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NEWVILLE — Everybody was talking about the local hero.
But nobody could quite remember his name.
On Monday, residents and businesses owners around Lake Koshkonong were piling up more sandbags and talking about “that guy.”
“That guy” was a Lake Koshkonong resident, businessman and inventor who had created a device that could fill a sand bag in six seconds.
No kidding. Six seconds flat without a shovel.
The guy—his name was Steve Something or maybe Shawn or was it Bill?—took his inventions around the lake, allowing people to use them free of charge.
He could have made a financial killing.
“We couldn’t have done it without him,” people said repeatedly. “You’ve got to find this guy.”
Kandi Swanson, manger of the Lakeview Lodge and Campground, thought his name was “Stacey Babriz”; a campground owner who heard the name suggested checking with an Edgerton bar owner.
Finally, the local hero was spotted driving a Bobcat in an empty lot near the Newville Culver’s, helping workers from the Rock County Jail fill sandbags. Two massive hills of sand were waiting.
His name is Stacey Babiarz, and he lives with his wife, Diane Bloecker, on Lake Koshkonong in Dane County. Since Friday, the two of them have been stacking or filling sandbags.
Babiarz, a compact, muscular guy, is the inventor and manufacturer of Bucket Bagger. It’s a bucket that can be attached to a skid steer. A giant auger at the bottom of the bucket rotates briskly, moving the sand across the bottom of the bucket, through a round port and into the bag.
It can fill a 30-pound bag in about 6 to 7 seconds.
“He thought it up after hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans,” Bloecker said. “The other day, he said, ‘I never thought I’d need my own product.’”
So why did he loan out his invention, rather than taking advantage of the market?
When asked, Babiarz got choked up.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he said. “It’s just that people have been so good; we’re so grateful.”
The couple were in Texas when the water started to rise. Before they got home, their neighbors went to work, placing sandbags around the couple’s home.
He couldn’t stand the desperation he saw, either.
“There was an old couple here filling sandbags with their hands,” he said.
Babiarz wasn’t aware that everybody was talking about him.
After a brief conversation about his contributions, Babiarz climbed up into the skid steer and went quietly back to work.
On the Web
Want to see the Bucket Bagger in action? Go to www.bucketbagger.com to watch a video.
Jun 18, 2008 at 9:13 p.m.
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NOT TOO MANY people left in our communities/state/country/world like this..!! Mr. Babiarz, YOU & ALL who helped you (& OTHERS), are just AWESOME!!..I have no other (or BETTER! :) words to describe these VERY kind people!! :)
Jun 17, 2008 at 10:55 p.m.
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I spoke to this man just this evening and when he recounted stories of the past few days, I heard the emotions of a man that just wished he could do more for the community he has been a part of his entire life. I searched the Janesville Gazette for stories of the flood as I am so far away and found that the community has come to recognize what I have know for certain my whole life. Stacey is a hero. Good luck to all of you affected by the flood, my thoughts and prayers are with each and every one of you. Be safe and be there for one another.
Jun 17, 2008 at 2:41 p.m.
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What a brilliant invention. So simple, but yet so helpful. I had a chance to see this bucket in action. Safe, efficient, and fast are words I would use to describe it. Thank you to the Gazette for the story on this. Stacy was working right next to me and I never knew it. People all around me were talking about it, about him, and many did not know he was right there. Now that we see his face it makes this all sound like the unmasking of the bandit in a Scooby Doo episode. The only thing is, this unknown man is a truly good man. He has been busting his butt out there as a volunteer. He could have stayed home. He could have cashed in, rented them out, or helped only those he knew. He did the exact opposite by lending them out, and the machines to run them free of charge for the benefit of others. Then he came out and worked, and worked, and even brought others with him to help work some more. We can all learn a bit from people like this. For those that are assisting others, thank you. For those that need assistance, I hope you receive the help you need. For anyone that has thought about helping, taken pictures, driven past to see others' hardship, and/or ignored the situation because it is not happening to you; it's time for some self-reflection. Place yourself in these victims shoes. Would you want help if it happened to you? Would you need food, water, help sandbagging, or something as simple as someone to assist you in finding a way out? Consider a donation to the United Way, the strapped Red Cross, or some of your time. Not only will you get a "good view" of others misfortune, but you may even get a good feeling of your own for helping someone in need. Thank you "Mr. Stacy", you are a hero!
Jun 17, 2008 at 11:11 a.m.
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Very cool. I hope he makes a million bucks (and that his home makes it).
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