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Friday, March 9, 2018 • Vol. 5, No. 1 • Fitchburg, WI • ConnectFitchburg.com • $1

Senior center introduces memory cafe

Inside Fitchburg Faces debuts Page 2 Spring election April 3

AMBER LEVENHAGEN Unified Newspaper Group

Page 3

Kids section

A Madison-area parent’s guide to everything kids!

t by A 2018 special supplemen

Pages 8-13

Business

Photo by Scott Girard

Some city residents who live directly adjacent to McGaw Park have expressed concerns the proposed plan for some forested areas of the park would take away their privacy and cause stormwater problems on their properties. The Common Council approved the plan for more noncontroversial areas last month, but is seeking more input from the neighbors before approving the entire plan.

Too invasive?

OneNeck, Promega propose expansions Page 15

Sports

McGaw plan would cut down trees, fight non-native species SCOTT GIRARD

Plan goals

Unified Newspaper Group

West swimming wins first team state title in 25 years Section B, Page 1

Schools Security concerns prompt review of new Verona Area High School plan Section B, Page 6

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A plan that would “dramatically” change sections of the city’s largest park is a little too drastic for some neighbors. The Parks Commission’s proposal to clean up the forest areas at McGaw Park has been waiting since December 2016 for Common Council approval, and after more than a year of public outreach, both the commission and council agreed only parts of it were ready. The rest has created a controversy between neighbors of the park and users from other areas of the city. The directly adjacent neighbors claim the plan for areas known as “2, 3 and 4” of the wooded area, which involves removing around 5,000 trees, would lessen their privacy and increase the stormwater runoff their lots get. Other city residents have maintained the overall health of the park should take precedence. McGaw Park has about 30 acres of woodland, much of which contains dead or invasive trees, and under the plan, that area would become a mix of either prairie or savanna with fewer trees. The Common Council approved the two less-disputed sections of McGaw Park Natural Resources Plan PRSRT STANDARD ECRWSS US POSTAGE

• Parks host plant communities such as tallgrass prairie, oak savanna and oak woodland • Multiple opportunities for education and recreation for visitors • Minimize impact to adjoining landowners • Use external funding and partnerships on Tuesday, Feb. 13, to allow work to begin near the park’s entrance and in the southernmost portion of the woodland. It left out the most controversial areas – which include much of the trail areas – after testimony from neighbors and based on an updated recommendation from the Parks Commission on Feb. 1. As some city residents organized a show of public support for the plan at the Feb. 27 council meeting, neighbor Nancy Halford explained why the deforestation would be a problem. “We recognize that McGaw Park is a community park, but we the adjoining landowners have the only skin in the game,” Halford said. “Our property is directly impacted by this plan,

our private wells, our private septic systems, our retaining walls, our basements, our right to sit outside on a summer evening and enjoy a quiet conversation without loud voices, loud music and bright lights shining into our yards from public uses.” While the plan, prepared by Adaptive Restoration LLC in November 2016, includes an objective to “screen” views from the park into neighboring properties, it acknowledges the tree removal would “dramatically change the appearance” of large areas of the park. City forester Anna Healy clarified at the Feb. 13 council meeting that almost all of the trees that would be removed are already dead. “To be perfectly frank, I’m super surprised you (alders) aren’t concerned about the liability of those trees coming down and hurting someone,” Healy said. “There are trees falling down all over the park.” Some city residents who use the park believe getting rid of invasive species and creating a prairie or savanna environment – mostly around the park’s trails – would be a benefit and make the park more usable, they told the council Feb. 27. “I’m really ashamed that so much effort has to be needed to do the right

Turn to McGaw/Page 17

A guest speaker, some snacks and a room full of people who can all relate to living with Alzheimer’s, dementia or general memory loss. That’s a memory cafe, a program that has been growing in popularity in the Madison area in the last several of years. And it’s new to Fitchburg starting this month, designed to help support caregivers and people living with memory loss. Such programs have been around for “a long time,” Bonnie Nuttkinson told the Star. Nuttkinson is the programs and advocacy manager for the Alzheimer’s Association-South Central Wisconsin chapter, which partnered with Fitchburg Senior Center assistant director Dave Hill to bring one here. The first cafe will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, March 15, at the senior center, 5510 Lacy Road. Similar to a support group, the memory cafe is designed to give people with memory loss and early stages of Alzheimer’s a comfortable place to meet new people and relax with their caregivers, friends and family. “They’re a nice, relaxed place where people who are living with memory loss and their care partners can get together and feel safe and be engaged and not have to worry about their memory for a little while,” Nuttkinson said. “They can just be.”

Turn to Memory/Page 19

If You Go What: Memory loss and Alzheimer’s “Memory Cafe” When: 10:30 a.m. every third Thursday of the month starting March 15 Where: Fitchburg Senior Center, 5510 Lacy Road Info: 270-4290

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Fitchburg Star

Fitchburg Faces

If there’s one thing you’d change about Fitchburg, what would it be? HELU WANG Unified Newspaper Group

In this month’s Star, we’re launching a feature with community voices. A reporter from the Star asked several community members the same question: “If there’s one thing you’d change about Fitchburg, what would it be?” Here are some of their responses:

Jim Rutledge “I want t o s e e more locally owned restaurants in the city so we can get a feel of community by knowing the business owners.”

Rutledge

Douglas Thomson “I hope there would be more places for kite fliers. McKee park is a good place to fly, but sometimes it gets so crowded.”

Thomson

Trevor Everett “I want to see more fenced areas for dogs to hang out. It’s not that safe to have dogs unleashed in the park for now. I’d like Everett to see my dog play in a safer environment.”

Rob Peyton “An affordable community pool would be great for kids and families to enjoy summ e r. I t ’ l l provide m o r e f u n Peyton time for the community.”

Margirati Juarez “ I ’d l i ke to see a bus stop close to McKee park so I can take my kids there whenever I want to.”

Juarez

Photos by Amber Levenhagen

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IT. OWN

Daniel Lee, 9, stirs chocolate chips into his cookie dough.

ConnectFitchburg.com

March 9, 2018

Fitchburg Star

A rendering shows the green bay doors proposed for the new fire station, which had its architectural design approved by the City’s Plan Commission last month.

Rendering courtesy City of Fitchburg

Fire station design approved SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group

The city’s second new fire station project took a step forward last month with approval of its design and architecture. The Plan Commission

unanimously approved the station that will be built at the corner of Syene and West Clayton roads for an estimated $7 million. The first new station opened last year on Marketplace Drive. The 26,832-square-foot second station will replace the current Lacy Road station, though

Spring election

VASD, MMSD, state supreme court on ballot SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group

City of Fitchburg voters will have either two or three contested elections on the April 3 ballot. While everyone can vote in a pair of court races – state Supreme Court justice and circuit court judge branch 1 – those in the Verona Area School District and an area of the Madison Metropolitan School District will have decisions to make in those contests. In the state Supreme Court election, Michael Screnock and Rebecca Dallet are facing off for election to a 10-year term to fill the seat vacated by Michael Gableman, who decided not to run for re-election. Dallet and Screnock were the top two vote-getters in a three-way primary race last month, with lawyer Tim Burns falling off the ballot for the general election. Vo t e r s a r o u n d D a n e County will choose between Susan Crawford

and Marilyn Townsend for a six-year term on the Dane County Circuit Court. Those who live in the VASD can choose two of three at-large candidates a m o n g i n c u m b e n t To m Duerst and challengers Carolyn Jahnke and Jim Ruder, both of whom have been involved in one of the district’s charter elementary schools in some capacity. Incumbent Meredith Stier Christensen is running unopposed for her seat. Voters in Wards 1-4 and 8-10 will vote for VASD candidates. There is also a two-way race for a seat on the Madison school board between incumbent Anna Moffit and challenger Gloria Reyes for a three-year term. Voters in Wards 5-16 and 18-19 will cast ballots. Every other election in the city is uncontested. Contact Scott Girard at ungreporter@wcinet.com and follow him on Twitter @sgirard9.

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administrative offices will be maintained at that location. The apparatus bay at the new station would be large enough to hold two engines, a ladder truck, a tender truck, two ambulances and three other vehicles. The building would also include 10 bunk rooms, a kitchen, a day room,

workout room and space for some offices and training areas. City planner Tom Hovel, who presented the design and materials to the Plan Commission Feb. 20, noted that the plan includes green bay doors to match the green on the first station trucks, which commissioners said they

liked. Construction on the station is expected to begin later this year, with the department moving in sometime in 2019. Contact Scott Girard at ungreporter@wcinet.com and follow him on Twitter @sgirard9.

City to consider veterans’ memorial First committee meeting March 12

somehow. He said he hopes to get a large group of veterans at the meetings to help offer different ideas. What: Veterans memorial commit“It has to be done right,” he said. tee meeting “My biggest concern is not to elimiWhen: 1 p.m. Monday, March 12 nate any branch of the service.” Where: City Hall Funding for the effort is still to be determined, but Clauder said it’s possible it could include some money from the parks department. He other month thereafter. “Whoever wants to come, the stressed that there is no final timeline for the project, but compared it to door’s open,” Clauder said. The location of the memorial the cities of Monona and Stoughton, would be at the old city hall off Fish which both house memorials. Hatchery Road just past the Irish Contact Scott Girard at ungreportLane intersection. He added that the er@wcinet.com and follow him on Gorman Wayside memorial would Twitter @sgirard9. be incorporated into the new facility

If You Go

SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group

City of Fitchburg veterans could have a memorial in their honor within a few years. Ald. Tom Clauder (Dist. 4) brought the idea up during the Veterans Day ceremony at the senior center last year, and told the Star more formal action will begin this month. A new veterans memorial committee will hold its first meeting at 1 p.m. Monday, March 12, at City Hall, and will meet on the second Monday of every

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March 9, 2018

Opinion

Fitchburg Star

Letters to the editor policy Unified Newspaper Group is proud to offer a venue for public debate and welcomes letters to the editor, provided they comply with our guidelines. Letters should be no longer than 400 words. They should also contain contact information – the writer’s full name, address, and phone number – so that the paper may confirm authorship. Unsigned or anonymous letters will not be printed under any circumstances. The editorial staff of Unified Newspaper Group reserves the right to edit letters for length, clarity and appropriateness. Letters with libelous or obscene content will not be printed. Unified Newspaper Group generally only accepts letters from writers with ties to our circulation area. Letters to the editor should be of general public interest. Letters that are strictly personal – lost pets, for example – will not be printed. Letters that recount personal experiences, good or bad, with individual businesses will not be printed unless there is an overwhelming and compelling public interest to do so. Letters that urge readers to patronize specific businesses or specific religious faiths will not be printed, either. “Thank-you” letters can be printed under limited circumstances, provided they do not contain material that should instead be placed as an advertisement and reflect public, rather than promotional interests. Unified Newspaper Group encourages lively public debate on issues, but it reserves the right to limit the number of exchanges between individual letter writers to ensure all writers have a chance to have their voices heard. This policy will be printed from time to time in an abbreviated form here and will be posted in its entirety on our websites.

See something wrong? The Fitchburg Star does not sweep errors under the rug. If you see something you know or even think is in error, please contact editor Jim Ferolie at 845-9559 or at fitchburgstar@wcinet.com so we can get it right.

Friday, March 9, 2018 • Vol. 5, No. 1 Periodical Postage Paid, Verona, WI and additional offices. Published monthly on Friday by the Unified Newspaper Group, A Division of Woodward Communications, Inc. POSTMASTER: Send Address Corrections to The Fitchburg Star, 133 Enterprise Drive, Verona, WI 53593.

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General Manager Lee Borkowski lborkowski@wcinet.com Sales Manager Kathy Neumeister kathy.neumeister@wcinet.com Display Advertising Donna Larson veronasales@wcinet.com Dawn Zapp oregonsales@wcinet.com Catherine Stang stoughtonsales@wcinet.com Classifieds Diane Beaman ungclassified@wcinet.com Circulation Carolyn Schultz ungcirculation@wcinet.com News Jim Ferolie fitchburgstar@wcinet.com Sports Jeremy Jones ungsportseditor@wcinet.com Assistant Editor Scott Girard ungreporter@wcinet.com Reporters Anthony Iozzo, Alexander Cramer, Helu Wang, Amber Levenhagen, Scott De Laruelle, Bill Livick

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Community Voices

Pain could be sending you a message about your life

our neck pain might be trying to tell you something. This may seem like a strange statement, but it’s possible your symptoms have meaning for you and your life. Our common default assumption is that symptoms are bad and we need to get rid of them. Dr. Donald Konopacki Epstein, the founder of Network Spinal Analysis, describes the paradigm as: “Something is disturbing the way a person was feeling and living their life, this disturbance is wrong and must be stopped, and by stopping the symptom or crisis the individual can resume as closely as possible their previous life routines and actions.” But it might benefit you to consider that a symptom or disease can be instructive, telling you how things need to change to benefit your life. So even if you choose to get great care to manage symptoms, you can still look for the wisdom in what you’re going through. When you do, your body will be less likely to send a stronger, more uncomfortable signal in the future in order to get your attention. Back to Dr. Epstein. He describes this new way to understand symptoms like this: “Something is disturbing the way a person was feeling and living their life. This disturbance suggests that a change in

perception or action is necessary in some aspect of the individual’s life, and although uncomfortable and disruptive of the life a person is living, the symptom is instructive and not an adversary.” As Epstein explains, the symptom’s purpose is to stop your behavior and that successfully adapting to it will create a “new energy-efficient emergent state” at a “higher level” of function. But this requires change and adaptability. We can break this down into simpler parts, look at some examples, and see how to apply it. On the most basic level, a symptom is telling us to stop, pay attention, and do something differently (right now, not later). And to find the meaning for you, it’s helpful to consider different levels of connection between our pain and our life. The first level is focusing right on the pain: “It’s just my neck, right here. Nothing else is involved. Get rid of it.” The second level might have the person see connections to other systems or parts of the body, but usually is still physically focused: “I notice when I sit all day with my back slouched in front of the computer, that’s when my headache starts.” A third level of influence takes into consideration the emotional experience we’re having: “It seems like my neck hurts more every time I have to give a presentation at work or deadlines are coming up.” An even greater sphere of influence would be considering how you

most authentically show up in the world: “When I’m not making at least some time for doing my artwork, I feel more neck tightness and get mentally overwhelmed.” These internal cues can be heard better by developing somatic awareness. That means being connected to your body and the signals it’s trying to send you. There are many easy ways you can develop this awareness, such as practicing yoga, tai chi, doing bodywork, breathwork or simply stopping to pay attention. The more we can identify, feel and connect with what’s going on in our bodies, the more clearly our own unique messages and insights come through. And by listening to that wisdom we can guide and direct our behaviors, actions and perspectives in a way that allows for healing, as opposed to only symptom management. To get the wisdom from your symptoms, I recommend bringing an attitude of curiosity and a healthy dose of common sense. Talk with your medical doctor or health professional about what are safe and wise options, strategies and timelines for managing your symptoms if you have any concerns. And while it’s great to use these wise advisers, don’t forget to trust your own inner prompts. That’s a way you can turn pain into progress. Dr. Laura Konopacki is the owner of Body Wave Chiropractic in Fitchburg, and she has additional training in pediatrics and functional neurology.

Get whole family involved in efforts to recycle

s we approach another spring and Earth Day it’s an excellent time for you to make or renew a commitment to the environment by taking steps to reduce, reuse and recycle. By making easy changes in your everyday life, we can have a lasting impact on our earth and community. A c c o r d i n g t o E PA s t a t i s t i c s , approximately 75 percent of the trash Americans throw away each week is recyclable, but only 25 percent is actually recycled. You can clearly see there is a large opportunity for each of us to recycle more to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in our landfills. Recycling more gives recyclable materials a second life, and every little bit adds up. By making a commitment to recycling, you can make a difference in recycling at higher rates in your home and in your community. The City of Fitchburg is committed to making recycling a priority throughout the city and has been a recycling champion for 31 years. Not only does the City of Fitchburg promote recycling through curbside pick-up it also has a recycling drop-off site that accepts yard waste, cardboard, scrap metal, white block polystyrene, used motor oil, oil filters and invasive plant species at the public works maintenance facility, 2373 S. Fish Hatchery Road. It also is holding several family-friendly Earth Day events in the month of April to get people thinking about taking care of our Earth. Involving your entire family can ensure it will have a lasting impact on future generations. As adults, we are often too busy

On the web For a list of Earth Day events visit the Green Fitchburg site at:

fitchburgwi.gov/142/Green-Fitchburg.

On the web and set in our ways to change. But children are eager to learn and willing to soak up new information and understand the impact our actions have on the environment. When presented with facts, they can make informed decisions and understand that by making small or large changes they can positively impact our world and community. They can even help persuade adults to do the same. My family makes a conscious effort to be aware of how our daily decisions impact the environment. My 9-year- old son keeps us accountable by understanding the decisions we make every day can have a huge impact on our carbon footprint. Last year, during Earth Month, we organized a neighborhood waterway cleanup, and he was shocked by the amount of trash and recyclables we collected. As we picked up trash and recyclables, he asked questions about the impact the trash had on our wildlife, waterways and overall neighborhood and Earth. Now, when he sees a piece of trash, he’ll pick it up. If he sees something to recycle and no recycling bin is available, he’ll bring it

For a list of items that you can recycle in Fitchburg or details on the city’s recycling program, visit the Refuse and Recycling section under Services at:

fitchburgwi.gov home to recycle it. And by sharing this practice and knowledge with his friends and the adults in his life, he is making an impact and changing behaviors. It only takes small steps to begin to make a difference. You can start by getting the family involved at some of the Earth Day events throughout the month of April. They start with a Solar Celebration on April 7 and include cleanups and collections, workshops and demonstrations. I hope you and your family will participate in one or more of these fun educational Earth Day events, as well as implementing small or large changes in your household. Kim Warkentin lives in Fitchburg with her husband and 9-year- old son. She is the youth education director for the Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association and serves on the Fitchburg Resource Conservation Commission.

March 9, 2018

8 orgs apply for city nonprofit grants $76K requested, committee will narrow to $50K SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group

Eight organizations applied to receive part of $50,000 the city will award nonprofits this year through the Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative. While no organization can receive more than $10,000, city sustainability specialist Erika Kluetmeier told the Star in a March 6 email the requests totaled $76,000. That means a committee will have to narrow down the requests and determine what to fund. The Community and Economic Development Authority, which awarded the funds last year The grants, delivered through the city’s Healthy Neighborhood Initiative, can go to organizations that have programming or plans for one of three specific areas in the city that have been designated as priorities: North Fish Hatchery Road/Leopold, Belmar/Renaissance on the Park and Verona Road West/ Jamestown. Those that applied this year are the Latino Academy of Workforce Development, Unidos, 1800 Days, Badger Prairie Needs Network, Community Groundworks, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin – Community Services, Chavez Elementary School/Madison Metropolitan School District and South Metropolitan Planning Council and B Virtual, LLC. In the previous round of grants, the

Grant requests Latino Academy of Workforce Development: $10,000 Unidos: $10,000 1800 Days: $10,000 Badger Prairie Needs Network: $10,000 Community Groundworks: $6,000 Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin — Community Services: $10,000 Chavez Elementary School/Madison Metropolitan School District: $10,000 South Metropolitan Planning Council and B Virtual, LLC: $10,000 Latino Academy of Workforce Development received $18,000 and Chavez’s Trails to Success program received $4,500, while BPNN and 1800 Days applied for grants but did not receive any funding. The others are all new applicants. The grant awarding process is new this year after a contentious budget cycle that led to its creation. Mayor Jason Gonzalez’s 2018 budget proposal did not include $60,000 in funding for BPNN and the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County the city had given in years past, and it also eliminated the $50,000 for other nonprofits that had been in the 2017 budget. By the time the budget was approved, outcry from some at the BGC and BPNN prompted alders to approve an

amendment to add the $50,000 back in under a new approval process. The committee that will determine what groups receive funding has Ald. Dorothy Krause (Dist. 1), CEDA representative Arlene Silveira and a representative from each of the neighborhoods that are part of the program, Kluetmeier told alders at the Feb. 28 Committee of the Whole meeting. The HNI is also expected to go beyond the grants to reach out to these neighborhoods, city resource project planner Wade Thompson said at the COW meeting, as those working on the program plan to use data and outreach to determine other possible steps to improve the areas. “We’ve kind of come to understand that our city presence in these neighborhoods is very limited,” Thompson said. “It’s essentially limited to park spaces and to be honest there isn’t a whole lot going on in these parks spaces.” He said upcoming action items include creating a “targeted” resource allocation program, exploring options to expand the city’s presence and revisiting the 2004 North Fish Hatchery Opportunities and Analysis Plan. “I think it’s really about kind of working at a horizontal level,” he said. “We really want to build off and support what’s already being done by our partners and by our residents.” Contact Scott Girard at ungreporter@wcinet.com and follow him on Twitter @sgirard9.

Multifamily housing approved for Hwy. 14 corridor Unified Newspaper Group

More apartments are coming to the Lacy Road-Hwy. 14 corridor. The Common Council approved a final plat for a plan to build apartments on the west side of Lacy road south of East Cheryl Parkway Feb. 27 following a discussion that often focused more broadly on the city’s identity. Ald. Aaron Richardson (Dist. 3), the only one who voted no, said the area already has too many apartments and multifamily – even if that’s what the comprehensive plan called for. “There’s nothing wrong with those right now,” Richardson said. “But what about in 20 years or 30 years?” Chris Armstrong, representing Avante Properties, said they were simply following a “vision that was started in the early 2000s, late 1990s.” “This is something that we’ve already made the capital investment (in), as has the city,” Armstrong said. “There’s going to continue to be multifamily out here, that’s been the plan since

Patrick Marsh followed Gonzalez in asking to “send a positive message to our community,” Carpenter said he did not consider his questions “doom and gloom.” “We’ve also got to have a reality check from time to time,” he said. “I’m not saying anything I haven’t heard from a bunch of people over the course of years.” Other alders said they hoped an upcoming review of the city’s comprehensive plan could help change the influx of multifamily, but that voting against a proposal that followed the current plan was untenable. “I like the idea of predictability,” said Ald. Dan Bahr (D-2). “This is part of the plan. He’s followed the plan. We’ve got to address the plan.” Ald. Julia Arata-Fratta (D-2) also pointed to the recent reconvening of a city housing task force.

Contact Scott Girard at ungreporter@wcinet.com and follow him on Twitter @sgirard9.

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Three men demanded car keys, pulled knife Fitchburg police are seeking three suspects from an alleged armed robbery attempt Monday, March 5. According to an FPD n ew s r e l e a s e , p o l i c e responded to an armed robbery on the 3300 block of Leopold Way around 8 p.m., where the victim told police he was approached by three men who demanded his car keys. When he refused, one pulled a knife and tried to

cut him, but he got away and called 911, suffering a minor injury. The suspects fled prior to police arriving, and a subsequent K9 search was not successful in locating them. The suspects are described as three black men between 18-20 years old; one around 6-feet tall and heavy-set, wearing a white hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans, another around 5-feet-11inches wearing a burgundy hooded sweatshirt and one wearing a light blue hooded sweatshirt. – Scott De Laruelle

Police locate hit-and-run driver Fitchburg police located a 21-year-old driver after her vehicle crashed into an apartment building on the 3300 block of Leopold Way on Sunday, March 4. According to a FPD news release, the woman told officers she inadvertently hit the accelerator instead of the brake, causing the vehicle to drive over a parking barrier and into the building. She was cited for hit and run and failure to notify police of the accident after she fled the scene. Fitchburg police officers and rescue personnel responded to the incident around 9:50 a.m., finding a Ford hatchback that had been driven over a parking barrier and crashed

into a wall of an occupied apartment. No injuries were reported, but due to the extensive damage, apartment residents were relocated to a vacant unit in the complex. The department had not released the driver’s name as of the Star’s press time Wednesday afternoon. – Scott De Laruelle

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“I am expecting that we are going to have a good recommendation of how we are going to make this city more affordable,” Arata-Fratta said. “I think we need to start thinking outside the box.” Armstrong said that they planned to design the apartments with a condominium finish, so that they could be changed to owner-occupied if the market were there. “There’s cycles in the market, certainly there’s a multifamily cycle,” he said. “(We want to) develop a product that somebody would want to own as well.”

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2001.” That was enough justification for six alders (with one absent) to vote in favor. That included Ald. Dan Carpenter (D-3), though he expressed similar concerns about the number of apartment buildings in the city. “We built an interchange (at Hwy. 14) for a lot of apartment buildings,” Carpenter said. “I know that’s not the long-term vision, that’s not the plan, but that is reality at this point in time.” Carpenter, along with Mayor and former district 3 alder Jason Gonzalez, have regularly spoken out about what they consider a lack of affordable housing in the city in recent years. This time, though, Carpenter and Gonzalez got into a bit of a backand-forth during the conversation, with Gonzalez asking Carpenter to avoid any “doom and gloom portrayal.” While administrator

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Chapel Valley offers Easter Egghunt Pancake breakfast is April 1 HELU WANG Unified Newspaper Group

Chapel Valley Church will host its church service in a tent at Hueguel Jamestown Park. The church service is part of a series Easter events beginning at 9 a.m. Sunday, April 1, including an Easter egg hunt and pancake breakfast. Pastor Suzie Genin said it’s an opportunity to reach out to local families and build relations. “We want to make it convenient for families who

don’t have transportation to join,” Genin said. To m e e t p e o p l e a n d understand their needs, the church has organized Christmas tree distribution and interactive movie in the park. This time Genin expected about 200 attendants and has prepared 3,000 eggs for kids to hunt. The egg hunt and breakfast will be from 9 - 1 0 : 3 0  a . m . a n d t h e church service is at 10:30 a.m. There will be Bacon, pancake, orange juice and coffee. Children can pose for photos with Easter bunny and also enjoy games and activities during the service time. Genin plans to hold more events such as movie

If You Go If you go What: Easter Egg Hunt When: 9 a.m. Sunday, April 1 Where: Hueguel Jamestown Park, 5902 Williamsburg Way Info: Call 515-8855

screenings and camping in future. “We’re providing a comfortable environment for people to get together,” Genin said. Contact Helu Wang at helu.wang@wcinet.com.

Senior center hosts annual breakfast HELU WANG Unified Newspaper Group

File photo by Samantha Christian

Stephanie Felps, of Elements Massage Fitchburg, gives a business expo guest a massage at last year’s Business Expo.

Business expo is April 12 If You Go

More than 60 businesses will showcase their goods and services at the annual Spring Business Expo. If you go The event, held from 4-6:30 p.m. MonWhat: Spring Business Expo day, April 12, at Wyndham Garden Fitchburg, 2969 Cahill Main, will provide an When: 4-6:30 p.m. Monday, April 12 opportunity for people to get to know the Where: Wyndham Garden Fitchburg, area businesses. 2969 Cahill Main Banks, hotels, real estate agencies and Info: fitchburgchamber.com fitness facilities plan to attend and meet prospective clients to make connections. Chamber membership director Kate Wicker told the Star over 400 people attended the event last year, and she food and beverages. expects more visitors will participate this For information, visit fitchburgchamber. com. year. Admission is free and there will be free

Calendar of events‌ ‌Friday, March 9‌‌

• 6-9 p.m., Tween lock-in, library, 729-1762‌‌

‌Saturday, March 10‌‌

• 2 p.m., Kids movie: Wonder, library, 729-1760‌‌

‌Monday, March 12‌‌

• 9:30-10 a.m., Preschool storytime, library, 729-1760‌‌ • 6-7 p.m., Canvas tape painting, library, 729-1762‌ • 6-8:30 p.m., Board game cafe, library, 729-1763‌

‌Tuesday, March 13‌‌

• 1-2:30 p.m., Cat castles build, library, 729-1763‌

‌Monday, March 19‌‌

• 9:30-10 a.m. or 11-11:30 a.m., Preschool storytime (ages 2-5), library, 729-1760‌‌

‌Tuesday, March 20‌‌

• 9-11 a.m., Fitchburg Housing Task Force meeting, library, 270-4245‌ • 11-11:45 a.m., Lapsit storytime, library, 729-1760‌‌ • 5 p.m., Read to a dog (ages 5-12, registration required), library, 729-1760‌‌

• 11-11:45 a.m., Lapsit story‌Wednesday, March 21‌‌ time, library, 729-1760‌‌ • 6-8:30 p.m., Board game cafe, • 10-11 a.m., Morning book discussion: “TransAtlantic” by library, 729-1763‌ Colum McCann, library, 729‌Wednesday, March 14‌ 1760‌‌ • 10-11 a.m., Toddler art, library, • 10:30-11 a.m., Toddler dance 729-1762 ‌ party (ages 1-3), library, 7291760‌‌ ‌Thursday, March 15‌‌ • 6-6:30 p.m., UnBookclub • 10-10:30 a.m., Spring story(ages 9-12), library, 729-1760‌‌ time (ages 2-5), library, 729• 6-7 p.m., Art salon: bead 1760‌‌ crafts, library, 729-1762‌ • 3:30-5 p.m., Snap circuits, library, 729-1760‌ ‌Thursday, March 22‌‌ • ‌ 10-11:30 a.m., iPad class, ‌Friday, March 16‌‌ library, 729-1762‌ • 11 a.m. to noon, Book Boogie ‌• 1 p.m., Podcast 101, library, (ages 1-5), library, 729-1760‌‌ 729-1762‌ • 4-5 p.m., World record chal• 1-1:45 p.m., Bouncing babies lenges, library, 729-1762‌ (ages 0-1), library, 729-1760‌ ‌Sunday, March 18‌ • 1:30 p.m., Mystery book club: • 8 a.m. to noon, Pancake “Dutch Me Deadly” by Maddy breakfast, senior center, 277Hunter, senior center, 270-4290 ‌ 8118 ‌

To raise funds for local seniors, the senior center will host its annual breakfast next Sunday. The pancake breakfast, held from 8 a.m. to noon, will provide an opportunity for the community to support activities and the special needs of the center. Marcia Griskavich, of Fitchburg Senior Center Friends, said about 500 people attended last year and $3,000 was raised. The money they raised in the past went towards

purchasing facilities like chairs and a TV, as well as scholarships for seniors to attend special exercise classes. It also supports What: Senior center special events such as Vet- pancake breakfast erans Day and Christmas When: 8 a.m. to noon celebrations. Sunday, March 18 “It’s a time for people to Where: Senior center, come out from hibernation 5510 Lacy Road and get together with their neighbors,” Griskavich Info: call 270-4290 said. There will be scrambled eggs, sausage, pancakes, will benefit the senior cenapplesauce, juice and cof- ter. fee. For information, call The cost is $7 for adults 270-4290. and $4 for children under Contact Helu Wang at helu.wang@wcinet.com. 10 years old. All proceeds

If You Go

‌Friday, March 23‌

•‌ 4-5 p.m., Breakout challenge, library, 729-1762‌

‌Saturday, March 24‌‌

• 1-3 p.m., LEGO build (ages 5-12), library, 729-1760‌‌

‌Monday, March 26‌‌

• 9:30-10 a.m. or 11-11:30 a.m., Preschool storytime (ages 2-5), library, 729-1760‌‌

‌Tuesday, March 27‌‌

‌Wednesday, April 4‌

• 10:30-11 a.m., Toddler dance party (ages 1-3), library, 7291760‌

‌Thursday, April 5‌

• 1-1:45 p.m., Bouncing babies, library, 729-1760‌

Saturday, April 7 • 10 a.m., Solar celebration, City Hall, fitchburgwi.gov

‌Monday, April 9‌

• 11-11:45 a.m., Lapsit storytime • 9:30-10 a.m., Preschool sto(ages 0-2), library, 729-1760‌‌ rytime (ages 2-5), library, 729‌Wednesday, March 28‌ 1760‌ • 10-11 a.m., STEAM open build ‌Tuesday, April 10‌ (ages 5-12), library, 729-1762 ‌ • 11-11:45 a.m., Lapsit story‌Thursday, March 29‌ time, library, 729-1760‌ • 4-5 p.m., Afternoon art (ages ‌Wednesday, April 11‌ 5-12), library, 729-1762‌ • 10-11 a.m., Toddler art (ages • 6-7 p.m., Harry Potter Game 1-3), library, 729-1760‌ Night (ages 9-12), library, 729• 6-6:30 p.m., Book club read1762‌ ing (ages 5-8), library, 729-1762‌

‌Friday, March 30‌

• 11 a.m. to noon, Dinosaur Day (ages 2-5), library, 729-1762‌

‌Thursday, April 12‌

• 10:30-11:15 a.m., Bouncing babies, library, 729-1760‌ ‌Sunday, April 1‌ • 1-1:45 p.m., Bouncing babies, • 9 a.m., Easter Egg Hunt, library, 729-1760‌ Hueguel Jamestown Park, 5902 • 1:30 p.m., REACH book club: Williamsburg Way, 515-8855 ‌ “Delicious” by Ruth Reichl, senior center, 270-4290 ‌ ‌Monday, April 2‌ • 4-6:30 p.m., Spring Business • 9:30-10 a.m., Preschool stoExpo, Wyndham Garden Fitchrytime (ages 2-5), library, 729burg, 2969 Cahill Main, fitch1760‌ burgchamber.com ‌

‌Tuesday, April 3‌

• 11-11:45 a.m., Lapsit storytime, library, 729-1760‌

‌Friday, April 13‌

• 4-5 p.m., Wall art, library, 729-

1762‌

‌Saturday, April 14‌

• 9-11 a.m., Water way clean ups, City Hall, fitchburgwi.gov • 6:30-10 p.m., Books and bets, library, 729-1763‌

‌Monday, April 16‌

• 9:30-10 a.m., Preschool storytime (ages 2-5), library, 7291760‌

‌Tuesday, April 17‌

• 11-11:45 a.m., Lapsit storytime, library, 729-1760‌

‌Wednesday, April 18‌

• 6-6:45 p.m., UN book club (ages 9-12), library, 729-1760‌

‌Thursday, April 19‌

• 1-1:45 p.m., Bouncing babies, library, 729-1760‌

‌Friday, April 20‌

• 11 a.m. to noon, Preschool seed planters, library, 729-1762‌

‌Saturday, April 21‌

• 8 a.m. to noon, Earth Day Extravaganza, City Hall, fitchburgwi.gov • 9-10 a.m., Snake rattle and roll, library, 729-1760‌ • 3-4 p.m., Earth Day Extravaganza (ages 2-5), library, 7291760‌

‌Monday, April 23‌

• 9:30-10 a.m., Preschool storytime (ages 2-5), library, 7291760‌

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March 9, 2018

ages 5-8 will require parent Registration is required. and dinosaur crafts from 11 guidance during the pro- Call 729-1762. a.m. to noon Friday, March Tween ages 9-12 can gram. 30. spend a lock-in night at the To register, call 729- STEAM open build For information, call 729library from 6-9 p.m. Fri- 1762. Kids ages 5-12 can spend 1762. day, March 9. a morning of engineering There will be pizza, treats World record challenges from 10-11 a.m. Wednes- Earth Day events and movie. Space is limited Teenagers ages 9-12 can d a y, M a r c h 2 8 , a t t h e The City of Fitchburg and registration is required. try to beat world records library. will hold a series of Earth To register, call 729- f r o m 4 - 5 p . m . F r i d a y, They will build and cre- D a y eve n t s t h r o u g h o u t 1762. March 16, at the library. ate with a variety of mate- April. Challenges will include rials. A solar celebration will Canvas tape painting how many T-shirts a person For information, call 729- kick off the series at 10 a.m. Teenagers ages 13-17 can can put on in one minute. Saturday, April 7, at the city 1762. spend an evening of paintFor information, call 729hall, followed by a water Afternoon art ing from 6-7 p.m. Friday, 1762. way clean ups Saturday, March 12, at the library. Kids ages 5-12 can drop April 14. They can create a fun Cat castles build M o r e eve n t s i n c l u d e in the library for an afterwork of art with just paint, Adults can treat their noon of art from 4-5 p.m. Earth Day extravaganza, tape and a canvas. Registra- cats by constructing a card- Thursday, March 29. tree planning, tree health tion is required. board hut from 1-2:30 p.m. They will explore differ- t a l k a n d a n ow l f l i g h t To register, call 729- Saturday, March 18, at the ent art mediums and make a demontration. 1762. For a full list of the library. There will be boxes take home project. events, visit fitchburgwi. available to share, and all For information, call 729Board game cafe gov/142/Green-Fitchburg. other materials are provid- 1762. Adults who enjoy adopt- ed. Innovations CommuniHarry Potter game ing secret identities, saving the world from impending Bead crafts cation storytime night doom and arguing about The library calls all Children ages 2-5 and Kids ages 9-12 can celewheat can participate in a crafters ages 9 and older their caregivers can parbrate their favorite wizard two-day board game cafe to spend an evening at the from 6-8:30 p.m., March library’s art salon from 6-7 with a night of Harry Pot- ticipate in an Innovations ter-themed games from 6-7 Communication storytime 12-13, at the library. p.m. Wednesday, March 21, p.m. Thursday, March 29, at f r o m 1 0 : 3 0 - 1 1 : 1 5 a . m . They will learn new board to make yarn crafts. Thursday, April 12, at the the library. games, play old favorites This fine arts program library. For information, call 729and drink coffee and tea. will be a bonding experiA licensed speech-lan1762. Staff from Pegasus Games ence for parents and their guage pathologist and occuwill bring new games and children. Dinosaur Day pational therapist of Comprovide instructions. For information, call 729munication Innovations Children ages 2-5 can For information, call 729- 1762. enjoy a Dinosaur Day at the Pediatric Therapy Services 1763. library. They can explore will present how to enhance iPad class Toddler art prehistoric-style fossil digs children’s language skills Jeremy Crosby and Children ages 1-3 can Andrew Bamlett from the explore and play with fun Fitchburg FACTv governart materials from 10-11 ment channel will help peoa.m. Wednesday, March 14, ple explore their iPads from at the library. 10-11:30 a.m. Thursday, They will practice fine March 22, at the library. motor skills as they engage The class will answer in process art. Parents are questions and resolve issues. encouraged to stop in at Registration is required. various times throughout To register, call 270the hour. Smocks or “messy 4290. clothes” are recommended. For information, call 729- Podcast 101 1762. People who are interested in listening to current 8:00 a.m. • 9:30 a.m. • 10:45 a.m. Snap circuits events and books can parKids ages 5-12 who are ticipate in a podcast class at Sunday Morning Worship Times interested in learning how 1 p.m. Thursday, March 22, electronics work can par- at the library. 8:30 a.m.-Classic Service ticipate in a circuit science Dave St. Amant from program from 3:30-5 p.m. Community PC will pres10:45 a.m.-New Song Service Thursday, March 15, at the ent resources and tips for library. podcasts. Registration is Kids will have the oppor- required. tunity to construct circuit To reserve, call 270-4290. projects using Snap Circuits. Those attending the Breakout challenge program will be provided Teenagers ages 13-17 with a colorful manual with can participate in an escape pictures explaining how to room program from 4-5 build the projects, and chil- p.m. Friday, March 23, at dren’s staff will be around the library. 2951 Chapel Valley Rd., Fitchburg, WI 53711 to help. They will solve clues and Space is limited and reg- puzzles, open locks and 276-7729 • www.allsaints-madison.org istration is required. Kids escape.

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Weaving: wall art Children ages 9-12 can grab a loom and explore color and texture while weaving their own wall art from 4-5 p.m. Friday, April 13, at the library. For information, call 7291762.

Books and bets People can enjoy a casino games night at the library, from 6:30-10 p.m. Saturday, April 14. There will be 19 tables, a wine pull, a 50/50 cash draw, a prize raffle, appetizers, live music and a cash

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bar. Tickets are $50 purchased online and $55 at the door. Participants must be over 21. Proceeds will benefit the library’s outreach programs.

Seed planters Kids ages 2-5 can plant a tiny seed and take it home to watch it grow from 11 a.m. to noon Friday, April 20, at the library. They will start their own magical garden, using the seeds from the seed library. Children can also create an egg carton herb garden from 4-5 p.m. Registration is required. To register, call 7291762.

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Memorial United Church of Christ

Join Us During Holy Week Simple Supper: Thursday, March 29 at 7:00 p. m. Reflective Good Friday Service: Friday, March 30 at 7 p.m. Easter Services: Sunday, April 1 at 8:15 & 10 a.m. Easter Brunch @ 9 a.m. Sunday Worship at 8:15 & 10 a.m.

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Coming up

Fitchburg Star

8 Fitchburg Star - March 9, 2018

A 2018 special supplement by

A Madison-area parentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guide to everything kids!

ConnectFitchburg.com

March 9, 2018

Fitchburg Star

Lots to see and do at University of Wisconsin Space Place SCOTT DE LARUELLE Unified Newspaper Group

Bucky Badger himself hasn’t been to space – at least not that we know of - but the University of Wisconsin Astronomy Department has several items at Space Place that have been. The department’s education and public outreach center, University of Wisconsin Space Place has been around for nearly three decades but remains a hidden gem for families looking for fun science outlets for kids. And yes, they sell freeze-dried “astronaut food.” From its beginning at a refurbished Ponderosa Steak House in the summer of 1990, the center has come a long way, while literally moving just a short distance in 2005 to the current location at the Villager Mall, 2300 S. Park St. Over the years, Space Place has grown into a vibrant public education center, with exhibits, a classroom space, lecture room and a rooftop deck for sky viewing. Despite all that, Space Place outreach specialist Kay Kriewald said the center is still new to “a lot of people.” “It’s kind of word of mouth, especially our Saturday (family workshop) programs,” she said. “Every once in a while, we’ll see the door open and someone will walk in and say, ‘I always wondered what’s in here.”

Space to learn The mission of Space Place is to “encourage students, teachers and the general public to learn, think and talk about space science and research,” according to its website. Every year, it hosts more than 100 free, public programs to more than 10,000 visitors, including many school and community groups. When the center is open for public events, exhibits show

University of Wisconsin Space Place 2300 S. Park Street Villager Mall, Madison 262-4779

On the web Find out more about UW Space Place

Spaceplace.wisc.edu cutting-edge research by UW scientists, artifacts highlighting the university’s history in astronomy, scientific instruments – including ones that have flown in space – and displays on scientific concepts such as the electromagnetic spectrum and the solar system. While the center is open mainly for scheduled tour groups during the week, every Saturday during the school year it hosts a “Family Workshop,” where kids can try their hands at experiments showing scientific principles at work. Another great opportunity for kids is stargazing, which happens once a month – depending on weather – at the UW’s telescope on the roof. “People can come up here and look through the telescope,” Kriewald said. The UW Astronomy Department offersother science opportunities for families, as well. The UW Washburn Observatory (1401 Observatory Dr.) is open every Wednesday for people to view the sky through the telescope. This summer, the department will host “Universe in the Park,” taking telescopes out to state parks across Wisconsin for public viewing opportunities.

Photo courtesy UW Space Place

The museum at UW Space Place features all kinds of displays and hands-on stations, including a Morse Code area where kids can send and decipher (if they can) messages. There’s even a store, wtih freeze-dried “astronaut food” available. Kriewald said it’s all designed to help keep people in the know about space and science. “They may hear something on the news about space, but there’s Space Place sponsors telescope workshops and star gazing opportunot a lot of information, (like) nities, as well as “Family Workshops” for kids ages 6-10 and their famwhat’s happening on the space ilies every Saturday school is in session, from 10-11 a.m. Workshops station, or do they realize there’s astronauts living up there right are free and no registration is required. now?” she said. “(And) things When Space Place is open for public events, the museum also has people wonder about, like, ‘Why do we see phases of the moon?’ plenty of things for kids to see and do, including a coin gravity well and “This is a place where people large-scale Morse Code device for kids to try to send or understand a can learn about new things that “secret” message. are happening, along with trying to figure out some of the regular things that happen in nature.”

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Walking through the woods Arboretum family programs connect kids with nature Upcoming family programs

AMBER LEVENHAGEN Unified Newspaper Group

A dozen kids, armed with rain boots and overwhelming curiosity, took to the woods at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum on a sunny February afternoon to explore nature. It’s part of the free, bi-monthly family tours and activities the center offers. Families are invited to participate in a themed nature walk, followed by activities in the visitor center to “reinforce” what was learned outside, said Earth Focus Day Camp and tour coordinator Jennifer Mitchell. Mitchell used to lead the nature expeditions, but recently handed those duties off to Kristin Lame r s , w h o l e d t h e c r ew through the arboretum as the kids looked for snow, trudged through the mud – some more willingly than others – and learned about birds and animals that frequent the area. “The weather gets in the way sometimes but no matter what, we’re knowing the kids always have a fun time exploring nature and spending time outside,” Lamers said. The Feb. 25 tour was

Photo by Amber Levenhagen

A group of children learn about “mice highways,” little paths carved through ice that the animals use to travel around the arboretum. intended to be about snow, but the group improvised due to the heavy rainfall that later turned the park into ice. She let the children take their own paths, driven by their curiosity to learn more about oddly shaped trees

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in nature right in front of them. Typically, around 30-40 people participate, though the last group was slightly smaller than usual, given the weather conditions. A c t iv i t i e s va r y f r o m learning about birds and various animals to plants and the soil itself. Plans can change due to rainy weather, though the Arboretum provides ponchos and umbrellas to make sure the kids can still explore if they are up for it. “The families really like the casualness of it,” Mitchell said. “I always like to create activities that the adults and child work together on to really try to reinforce family time and together time.”

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and different animal droppings they encountered. They then went inside to learn about the first photographs of snowflakes and made some snowflake crafts. Mitchell said there’s a “cognitive development that happens when you’re out in nature touching natural objects and making those discoveries.” “There has been so much research about cultivating creativity and independence,” she said. “We let them climb on logs and move things around, because a lot of kids don’t get that experience of figuring out where their body is in relation to other things.” The activities revolve around the season, so kids are able to talk and learn about what is happening

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Visit our Bargain Box across the street from The Shoe Box

YEAR ROUND LESSONS • SIGN UP TODAY!

Programs run from 1:30-3:30 p.m. and walks from 1:30-2:30 p.m., starting at the UW-Madison Arboretum visitor center, 1207 Seminole Hwy., Madison. For more information, visit arboretum.wisc.edu or email info@arboretum.wisc.edu. March 11: Walk, Muddy March March 25: Program, Bird migration April 8: Walk, Finding frogs April 22: Program, Earth Day May 13: Walk, Spring in your step May 27: Program, Wetlands June 10: Walk, The summer buzz June 24: Program, A Wisconsin prairie July 8: Walk, In search of butterflies July 22: Program, Insects galore Aug. 12: Walk-,“Pond”-ering life Aug. 26: Program, Citizen science Sept. 9: Walk, Fungus among us Sept. 23: Program, Seasonal changes Oct. 14: Program, Wisconsin Science Festival Oct. 28: Program, Colorful days Nov. 11: Program, Reintroducing the wild turkey Dec. 9: Walk, Winter beginnings

On the web For information about the Earth Focus Day Camp and family programs, visit:

arboretum.wisc.edu. The Arboretum’s family programs started in 1995 and have changed a lot since they first began, Mitchell said. I n t h e e a r l y 1 9 9 0 ’s , arboretum staff developed the Earth Partnership For Schools program, working with teachers during the school day so students could do restoration activities outside of the classroom. The idea was to give families “other nature experiences,” and it grew from there. “We opened it up to not just serve the students in the Earth Partnership schools and now it’s open for everyone who wants to come,” she said. Mitchell said they expanded the age demographic, as well. Through the years, the program has started reaching younger kids that aren’t yet in school. The partnership with the schools drove the program to be more structured in the past, with a set schedule, but now it’s essentially a drop-in program to help

with today’s busy parents. “We have it open so families can come and go as their time allows,” she said. The school’s program name was shortened as well – it’s now simply Earth Partnership – and is now part of the UW-Madison Department of Landscape Architecture. And the family program isn’t the only activity that spun off from that partnership. The arboretum started the Earth Focus Day Camp around the same time as the family programs. There are several different packages, each for several days and at different costs. Fees vary depending on the program, unlike the family programs that are free. “It’s basically supervised recess in the woods,” Mitchell said. “Families can sign their kids up for the camp, and we try to spend as much time as we can outside to do arts-and-crafttype things.” For information about the Earth Focus Day Camp and family programs, visit arboretum.wisc.edu. ARTS & HUMANITIES

Junior Session June 17-23

swim smarter | swim safer

students compleng grades 6-8

Senior Session June 24-29

students compleng grades 9-12

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CO N T I N U I N G S T U D I E S .W I S C . E D U / S M C

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March 9, 2018

Fitchburg Star

Spark curiosity with Engineering for Kids HELU WANG Unified Newspaper Group

Photos submitted

A teacher introduces circuits and conductors to 4-year-old kids at Makey Makes class. Engineering for Kids sends teachers to schools, recreation centers and daycare centers all over the county to work with students on-site. So far, the program has hosted after-school activities, summer camps, field trips, workshops and clubs at 13 schools and numerous recreation and daycare centers. In addition to providing learning opportunities for children in elementary and middle schools,

Engineering for Kids also offers teaching experience for teenagers. While the program has eight engineering teachers, high school and college students are also able to volunteer at the classes. To include more stu dents, Bole said she hopes to provide scholarships for after-school programs and summer camps to those who can’t afford them.

“We’re preparing the students for their future,” Bole said. Bole hopes to introduce the projects to more children in future and make the program as a supplement to regular school education. “I felt so rewarded when hearing kids say they want to be an engineer after the classes,” Bole said. “We want to inspire the next generation of engineers.”

Two kids pose with the mascot of Engineering for Kids.

HUGE Kids’ Sale!

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2018 Summer Camps:

Bike & Canoe, AquaPalooza, Nature at Night, Underground Adventure, Musical Theater Camp and Many More! Eight week-long sessions for grades 2-11.

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Open Monday-Saturday 2 locations 2931 Chapel Valley Rd., Fitchburg 602 Segoe Rd., Madison

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Camps run Sun-Fri, buses leave from Madison and Camperships available.

Children test bubbles at an engineering workshop.

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Rutu Bole just wanted to provide an opportunity for her kid to play with mechanics and robotics when she started Engineering for Kids of Dane County in 2013. She didn’t ex p e c t t h e o p p o r t u n i t y would benefit more than 125,000 children over five years. Designed to spark curiosity in science and engineering, the program offers around 400 classes for children from Pre-K to eighth grade to create their own engineering projects. Bole said the hands-on projects exposes kids to engineering concepts, so they can learn the concepts but also have a good time. “We add the element of fun,” Bole said. “They’re more likely to continue when they have fun there.” The classes range from aerospace, chemical and marine engineering to game design and 3-D printing. During a class of 60-90 minutes, children can create engineering projects using items such as cars, rockets and robotics. The weekly classes last 6-8 weeks and cost around $100. Most of the projects are based on teamwork, encouraging children to work in groups and with family members. Rather than hosting classes in a fixed location,

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It’s not too early to have your child’s vision checked. Dr. Tami S. Hunt, Optometrist Dr. Emmylou Wilson, Optometrist 320 S. Main Street, Verona (608) 848-5168 www.VeronaVisionCare.com

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PreK- 8th ENROLLMENT STARTING AT 2YRS 9MONTHS

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Fitchburg Star

March 9, 2018

Keeping active

Youth sports tournaments from March-July July 13-15

This summer, youth athletes from will compete to earn skills and knowledge and have simply to have fun. There are several area tournaments in baseball, softball, basketball, golf, wrestling, soccer and volleyball clubs. Here is a list of some of them from March 1-Aug. 1:

• Oregon Youth Baseball Tournament – U11-U13 • Badgerland Baseball Championships – U16 – Waunakee

July 14 • Stoughton Summer Slam – U9

July 14-15

– Compiled by Anthony Iozzo

• Columbus 15th annual Youth Baseball Tournament – U8, U10, U12

Baseball

July 27-29

infosports.com/listing.cgi?t=t&s=b&lr=WI

• 31st Lenny Alexander Baseball Tournament – U8-U14 – Reedsburg

March 16-18

July 28-29

• Spring Training 1 – U9-U14 – Milwaukee

• Verona Little League LateSummer Classic – U9

March 23-25

Basketball

• Spring Training 2 – U9-U14 – Milwaukee

wissports.net/eventdirectory

April 1-June 31 • 6th annual Big League Dream Day – U11-U14 – Miller Park in Milwaukee

April 6-8 • Rock Spring Classic (boys) – 9U-17U – SEA Verona and Stoughton, Stoughton HS and Fieldhouse – Cost: $225 (9U-13U), $400 (14U-17U)

April 6-8 • Cheesehead Championships – U10, U12 – Milwaukee

April 14-15

April 13

• 11th annual Exhibition Weekend – U8-U14 – Oconomowoc

• Gym Rats Wisconsin State Championship (boys and girls) – 4th-8th grade, HS – JustaGame Fieldhouse, Wisconsin Dells – Cost: $395 for high schoolers; $325 for middle and elementary schoolers

April 21-22 • Wisconsin Spring Tournament – U9-U13 – Beloit

April 27-29

April 20

• Fourth annual Play for Trey – U10-12U – Whitewater • 5 Diamonds KickOff – U9, U11, U13 – Waukesha

May 4-6

File photo by Anthony Iozzo

Ashton Lawinger makes a running catch in right field during last year’s MidSummer Classic for the Verona U11 Orange.

• Majestic Prospect Games – U10-U12 – Franklin • Badgerland Spring Invites – U10-U11 – Marshall

• Cardinal Classic – U9, U11 – Sun Prairie • Hometown Days Tournament – U8, U10, U12, U15 – Verona • WolfPack Summer Kickoff Baseball Tournament – U12 – Madison • Jefferson Battle on the Rock – U11-U12

• Outsiders Classic – U9-U14 – Verona • GRB Spring Classic – U9-U13 – Watertown

May 11-13 • Badgerland Spring Invite – U12-U13 - Marshall • Janesville Classic – U9, U11, U13

The Caring Center/ Verona Montessori House

June 8-10

May 12 • Verona Little League Mother’s Day Off Tournament – U11, U12, U14

May 12-13 • GTS Spring Slugfest – U9-U13 – Elkhorn • Junior Blackhawk Baseball Classic – U9-U10 – Fort Atkinson • Sluggers Mother’s Day Tournament – U12 – Madison

May 18-20

May 5 • Team Duke Shootout (boys) – 3rd-8th grade, HS – Waunakee – Cost: $325 • Sixth Annual “HOOPS 4 A CAUSE” (girls) – 9U-17U –

June 2-3

May 5-6

• Badger City Classic – (boys) 4th-8th grade, HS – MATC – Cost: $395 for high schoolers; $295 for middle and elementary schoolers

• Summer Classic – U10-U12 – Whitewater

June 9-10 • Junior Blackhawks June Baseball Classic – U9-U13 – Fort Atkinson • Mount Horeb Summer Frolic Tournament – U12

Summer Enrichment Camps

June 15-17 • Oregon Youth Baseball Tournament – U9-U10, U14 • Father’s Day Tournament – U11-U13 – Beaver Dam

June 16-17

• Waunakee Early Season Tournament – U10-U12

• Cardinal Dugout Club Summer Classic – U10-U12 – Middleton

June 22-24

May 25-27 • Fourth annual Elkhorn Extravanganza – U10-U12, U14

June 1-3

ecause learning doesnt stop in the summer! Strengthen skills, Grow in knowledge, Reach a little higher!

• Fourth annual Hitters Baseball Academy Tournament – U8-U14 – Waukesha • Verona Invitational Showcase - U16

June 30-July 1

• Second annual StiKs Academy Baseball Tournament – U8• Verona Mid-summer Classic – U8, U11, U12, U15 14 – Waukesha July 6-8 • Baraboo fifth annual BABA Summer Classic – U8, U11-U12 • Wisconsin Dells Summer Slugfest – U8-U14 • Baraboo sixth annual U14 Tournament July 7-8 • Stoughton Clash at the Cross Roads • Verona Little League MidSummer Bash – U9

Serving Verona families for 46 years!

Visit our website for more info: www.caringcenter.com 608-845-8620

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May 19-20 • GRB Midwest Elite Invite – U9-U14 - Watertown • Middleton Diamond Showdown – U10, U12

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Ballet, Pointe, Hip Hop, Jazz, Contemporary, Modern & Tap for ages 3-Adult Summer camps and classes offered in all skill levels!

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ades K–6

ConnectFitchburg.com

March 9, 2018

Fitchburg Star

SEA Verona and Stoughton – Cost: $225

May 6 • Sixth Annual “HOOPS 4 A CAUSE” (boys) – 9U-17U – SEA Verona and Stoughton – Cost: $225

May 11 • Capitol City Classic (boys) – 6th-8th grade, HS – SEA Verona and Stoughton – Cost: $325 for HS; $295 for MS/ES

June 9 • MACC Fund Classic (boys and girls) – 4th-8th grade, HS – JustaGame Fieldhouse, Wisconsin Dells – Cost: $225

June 9-10 • 11th Annual June Jam (boys and girls) – 4th-8th grade, HS – SEA in Verona and Stoughton – Cost: $250

July 7 • Summer Slam Tournament (boys) – 9U – SEA in Verona and Stoughton – Cost: $225

July 14

File photo by Anthony Iozzo

Kennedy Eslick looks to pass after making a save for the Oregon girls U10 Thunderbolts during the 2016 Fall Fury in Oregon.

• July Jamboree (girls) – 9U – SEA in Verona and Stoughton – Cost: $225

U12, U13, U16 – Milwaukee

Golf June 14 • WI Jr PGA junior tour No. 5 – Beaver Dam CC – Cost: $40 member/$55 non-member • Madison Par-3 Tour No. 1 – Vitense Golfland, Madison – Cost: $16 member/$23 non-member

Verona pitcher Hilary Blomberg fires a strike during last year’s July Blast softball tournament in Stoughton. This year’s tournment is July 21. GC, Middleton – Cost: $50 member, $60 non-member

thetournamentcenter.com/ FindaTournament.aspx

June 15 • Future Tour No. 1 – Vitense Golfland, Madison – Cost: $16 member/$23 non-member

June 19-20 • WPGA Junior Championship – Milwaukee – Cost: $75

June 22 • Future tour No. 2 – Jefferson GC – Cost: $16 member/$23 non-member

June 24 • AJGA Local Qualifier – Legend of Merrill Hills, Waukesha – Cost: $90 member, $100 non-member

June 28 • Madison Par 3 Tour No. 2 – Pleasant View GC, Middleton – Cost: $15 member, $20 non-member

July 5-6 • State Junior Girls Match Play – Reedsburg CC – Cost: $85

July 16-17 • Sherri Steinhauer (girls) – Blackhawk CC, Madison and Pleasant View GC, Middleton – Cost: $130 member, $150 non-member

July 19 • Madison Par 3 Tour No. 3 – Glenway GC – Cost: $15 member, $20 non-member

July 25 • Junior Tour No. 30 – Pleasant View

April 6-8 • Reddan Spring Shootout – 11U-19U – Reddan Soccer Park in Verona – Cost: $430 (11U-12U); $495 (13U-14U); $505 (15U and older)

April 14-15 • Madison 56ers Spring Cup Invitational – 11U-15U – Woodside Sports Complex, Wisconsin Dells – Cost: $475 (11U-12U), $500 (13U-14U), $520 (U15)

cer Park in Verona – Cost: $430 (11U-12U), $495 (U13-U14), $505 (U15-U19)

• Rush Spring Classic – 9U-19U – Woodside Sports Complex, Wisconsin Dells – Cost: $360 (9U-10U), $520 (11U-12U), $565 (13U and older) • Norski Spring Fling – U8-U14, U16, U19 – Windsor Sports Commons – Cost: $175 (U8), $310 (U9-U10), $375 (U11-U12), $425 (U13-U14), $450 (U16, U19)

May 12-13 • Rock Soccer Clash – 9U-10U (recreational only), 11U-14U – Janesville – Cost: $275 (9U-10U), $325 (11U-12U), $375 (13U-14U)

May 18-20 • MAYSA Cup – 9U-14U – Reddan Soccer Park in Verona – Cost: $300 (9U-10U), $310 (11U-12U), $345 (13U-14U)

• Early Bird – U10, U12, U14 – Beloit – Entry fee: $350

April 8

May 12

• UW-Whitewater Open (girls) – U12-U16

• Mother’s Day Bash – U10, U12, U14 – Beloit – Entry fee: $450

April 14 • UW-Whitewater Open (girls) – U12-U18

May 19 • Wildcat Weekend – U10, U12, U14 – Milton – Entry fee: $425 • Badgerland Spring Invitational – U10, U12, U14 – Madison – Entry fee: $400

June 1 • Oregon Spring Smash – U10, U12, U14 – Entry fee: $395

April 15 • UW-Whitewater Open (girls) – U12-U13, U15-U16, U18

Wrestling

wiwrestling.com/ upcoming-events/

March 11

June 22 • Badgerland State B Championships – U10, U12, U14, U16, U18 – Stoughton – Entry fee: $475

• Wisconsin Wrestling Federation Team State Championships – 6th-8th grade, community clubs – Wisconsin Dells

March 17

July 13

• Baraboo Thunder – U10, U12, U14 – Entry • WWF State Qualifiers – Bantam-Junior – Eight sites including Stoughton, Sauk City fee: $450

March 23-24

July 21 • Stoughton July Blast – U10, U12, U14 – Entry fee: $300

Volleyball

advancedeventsystems.com/#events

March 17-18 • Badger Region Championships (girls) –

Kids Need Good Homes Foster Parents Needed! Desire to make a difference in a child’s life? Family Works Programs, Inc. is looking for people interested in becoming treatment foster parents. We provide: • Training • Weekly Social Worker Contact • Respite

• Monthly Support Groups • 24-Hour Crisis Intervention • Compensation Based On The Needs Of The Child

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April 7-8 • Dale Rohde Memorial (boys) – U12-14, U15-18

• WWF Kids Folkstyle State Championships – Bantam-Junior – Alliant Energy Center in Madison

May 4-6 • WWF Kids Freestyle and Greco-Roman State Championships – Bantam- Junior – Wisconsin Dells

Voted Madison Hulafrog's Best Learning Center for 2018!

June 18 - August 17

For more info: office@madisoncommunitymontessori.org

• UW-Whitewater Open (girls) – U11-U17

April 28

Summer Program

Madison Community Montessori School 8406 Ellington Way, Middleton, WI (608) 827-MCMS www.madisoncommunitymontessori.org

March 31

wisportsservices.org/fastpitchindex

June 1-3 • Reddan Thunder – 11U-19U – Reddan Soc-

For children ages 15 months to 6 years. Led by highly qualified teachers.

March 25 • UW-Whitewater Open (girls) – U12-U16

April 27-29

Early bird deadline April 15th

March 24 • UW-Whitewater Open (girls) – U12-U13, U16-17

Softball

Soccer

Mar 18 • UW-Whitewater Open (girls) – U14-U15

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File photo by Jeremy Jones

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14 Fitchburg Star - March 9, 2018

City Hall - Main Line Administration Assessing Building Inspections City Clerk Economic Development

270-4200 270-4213 270-4235 270-4240 270-4210 270-4246

FACTv Finance Fire Department FitchRona Human Resources Library Municipal Court

270-4225 270-4251 278-2980 275-7148 270-4211 729-1760 270-4224

Parks & Forestry Planning/Zoning Police Public Works Recreation/Community Center Senior Center Utilities

270-4288 270-4258 270-4300 270-4260 270-4285 270-4290 270-4270

5520 Lacy Road, Fitchburg, WI 53711 • www.fitchburgwi.gov adno=561878-01

EVENING YOGA W/LUCAS Thursdays, 6:00-7:00 p.m. for beginner to intermediate yoga practitioners. This class will offer an intro to the Alignment Yoga approach, focusing on proper body mechanics, core strength and mindfulness. Lucas Lippert is

a certified 200-hour yoga instructor. March 15-May 3. Cost: $65. Class is being offered by the Senior Center, but all ages welcome. 270-4290 to register and pay. ++Must provide own yoga mat++

RECREATION DEPARTMENT Go to www.fitchburgwi.gov/recreation and click on “View Activities” to see our list of programs for this upcoming season!

Spring Youth Soccer is here, sign up now! The soccer programs will be 6 weeks long on Wednesdays from 5:15 - 6:30pm and instructed by ACE Soccer Club coaching staff. The program will focus highly on training and learning fundamental soccer skills and techniques. We will break up the kids based on age groups and/or skill levels. Each week there will be a focused area or theme that will be carried throughout the practice. At the end of every practice will be a scrimmage with the final week of practice a tournament day with licensed officials refereeing the games. The program is designed to build up a player’s knowledge of the sport while increasing their confidence both on and off the pitch. Players finishing the 6-week program will leave with a better understanding of the rules and techniques used in soccer, teamwork and sportsmanship while gaining confidence in themselves. • Ages – Birth Year 2007 - 2012 • Day/Time – Wednesdays, April 25th – May 30th from 5:15pm-6:30pm • Location – McKee Farms Park • Fee - $40R/$50NR

Youth Soccer (Birth Year 2013 or 2014)

Family Musikgarten March Session

A multi-age (birth-4yrs) music and movement class for the entire family. Sing, chant rhymes, play instruments and musical games, dance and move to familiar songs of childhood. As we play, music learning begins and we build a community of music makers! Each registered child will receive a movement scarf that will be used for class activities. • Ages – Baby-4 yrs. old • Day/Time – Thursdays, April 5-April 26, 9am-9:40am • Location – Fitchburg Community Center • Fee - $40

CELEBRATE 2018 EARTH MONTH IN FITCHBURG With more than two dozen activities planned for Earth Month in April 2018, there’s something for everyone to be involved and celebrate the Earth, whether it’s taking actions to help the planet or simply getting outside to enjoy spring! Here’s a preview of selected events coming up: • Solar Celebration on April 7th at 10 a.m. at City Hall • Waterway cleanups on April 14th, 9-11 a.m. at: * Swan Creek - Meet on the path at Ninebark Dr/Syene Rd. * Dunn’s Marsh – Meet at Apache Pond, 4523 Crescent Rd * Quarry Hill Park – Meet at the pond, 5425 Quarry Hill Dr. • Earth Day Extravaganza at City Hall Campus on April 21st * Paper shredding/electronics recycling/ MedDrop, 8-11 a.m. * Bike Maintenance Workshop with Fitchburg Cycles, 11a.m.-noon * Snake, Rattle & Roll at the Library, 9 a.m.

Kids Painting Class – Springtime Birds

For this class the children will be doing a painting of a darling springtime bird scene! They will be using acrylic paint on a 16 x 20 canvas. I will walk them through the painting but they will each add their own special touches. Throughout this painting we will be working on shading and blending and the use of complimentary colors. These paintings turn out colorful and whimsical. Each child will bring home a masterpiece they will love and be proud of! • Ages – 5-12 yrs. old • Day/Time – Saturday, April 14th from 1pm-3pm • Location – Fitchburg Community Center • Fee - $40

The City of Fitchburg is planning to improve the Nesbitt Road and Fitchrona Road intersection. This intersection is currently controlled with a four-way stop. Over the past several years, traffic volumes have steadily increased and the intersection now experiences significant delays and long lines of traffic during peak traffic hours. The City will evaluate existing traffic operations at the intersection and recommend improvements to address current and future traffic volumes. Traffic signal and roundabout alternatives will be considered. Some alternatives may include

Spanish for Preschoolers

changes to the roadway alignment. Alternatives will be evaluated to determine which one best reduces traffic congestion while minimizing construction cost and impacts to adjacent properties. Additional considerations include constructability and public input. A public open house is scheduled for Tuesday, March 27th at 6:00 pm, in the Council Chambers at City Hall, which will include exhibits and handouts of preliminary alternatives. Once an alternative is selected, design will begin. Construction is anticipated in the summer of 2019. For more information, visit the project website at https://www. fitchburgwi.gov/144/ Engineering-Construction . and look for the Nesbitt Rd t t i sb Road and Fitchrona e N Road intersection project. Meeting information, exhibits, and other project materials will be made available on the project website. Have an interest in the project? Follow the City of Fitchburg on Facebook or go to the City’s website and sign up for email notifications using the Notify Me tool. Gymfinity

Ten Pin Alley

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Children ages 3-5 learn Spanish vocabulary and basic phrases in a fun and active way with these lively classes. Award-winning teacher, Marti Fechner of Grow into Spanish LLC, incorporates music, movement, games, stories and more to make learning Spanish easy and engaging for preschool-age children. It is easy for children to learn a foreign language at this young age, and SO beneficial. Come try it! It’s a great way to prepare your child for a bilingual future. • Ages – 3-5 yrs. old • Day/Time – Mondays, April 16th – May 21st from 12:45pm-1:30pm • Location – Fitchburg Community Center • Fee - $60

• Tree planting at the library on April 27th, 11 a.m. • Share a Raptor Experience featuring an owl flight demonstration on April 27 at the Library, 4 p.m. • Tree Health Talk on April 28th (location TBA) Check our Green Fitchburg webpage often for more details and event updates as they become available at: www.fitchburgwi. gov/142/Green-Fitchburg.

ROAD IMPROVEMENTS OPEN HOUSE MARCH 27TH 6:00 PM

Join Coach Scott for the fun introduction to the game of soccer! Practices & scrimmages will be on Saturday mornings (9am or 10am). The goal of this program is to teach kids basic skills and for them to gain an appreciation for the game. • Ages – Birth Year 2013 or 2014 • Day/Time – Saturdays at either 9am or 10am • Location – McKee Farms Park • Fee - $30R/$35NR

Each student will receive a well-rounded martial arts and fitness education. We teach the standard striking and blocking movements, traditional forms, and weaponry. We also offer more unique aspects, such as practical self-defense and joint manipulation applications, tumbling and acrobatics, fitness tracking and goal-setting, two different kinds of ground fighting, armored weapon fighting, two different kinds of stand-up fighting that incorporate elements of boxing and take-downs, throws, and more. • Ages – 4-8 yrs. old, 9-15 yrs. old, and Adults • Day/Time – Mondays and Wednesdays, Mar 5-Mar 28, 5:30pm-6pm (4-8 yr. olds), 6pm-6:45pm (9-15 yr. olds), 6:45pm-7:30pm (Adults) • Location – Fitchburg Community Center • Fee - $35 (4-8 yr. olds), $45 (9-15 yr. olds and Adults)

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Youth Soccer (Birth Year 2007 - 2012)

Wisconsin Martial Arts

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JOIN OUR TEAM! The City of Fitchburg’s Recreation Department is looking for talented and enthusiastic people to join our summer team. Applications are currently being accepted for the following positions: • Recreation Program Coordinators • Recreation Program Assistants • Tennis Instructors Visit the City of Fitchburg’s website for more information and apply today: www.fitchburgwi.gov

Bridge

www.facebook.com/FitchburgWI and Follow us on

@FitchburgWI

Business/City News

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March 9, 2018

Fitchburg Star

Promega expansion would City of Fitchburg add R&D, amenity buildings Clayton Road railroad

crossing could close

SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group

Promega Corporation could begin expanding its Fitchburg campus as soon as this year after the Plan Commission approved a rezoning request and map last month. The new buildings would include a research and design facility and an “amenity building,” among expansions of existing facilities, according to documents within the meeting packet. All of the new construction would be to the north of East Cheryl Parkway and east of Woods Hollow Road. The plan also shows an extension of Fahey Glen from Lacy Road to East Cheryl Parkway, as well as more roads within the Promega campus. In response to questions from the city’s planning department, company officials wrote they had met with neighbors in January after some expressed concerns about the expansion during a December Plan Commission meeting. They said they sent out more than 283 invitations to the meeting, with 17 people attending, where

SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group

Map courtesy City of Fitchburg

A map shows the locations of proposed new buildings on the Promega campus. they discussed ideas for East Cheryl traffic-calming ideas and provided an update of the general site development concepts. “The Promega design team has also had several conversations with city Public Works staff regarding East Cheryl traffic-calming projects to be implemented this summer and potential capital projects to be considered for implementation over the next several years,” according to the company. “We presume that these will receive additional public discussion

as part of the city’s public engagement process for public works projects.” The response also mentioned that Promega is conducting a traffic study related to the research and development campus expansion to determine safe access points to any new buildings and enhancing safety and pedestrian mobility in the campus area. Contact Scott Girard at ungreporter@wcinet.com and follow him on Twitter @sgirard9.

The railroad crossing at West Clayton Road could close within the next three years. The City of Fitchburg and Wisconsin & Southern Railroad, LLC, which operates the line, filed a joint petition with the state Office of the Commissioner of Railroads after the Common Council approved the action Feb. 27. The potential closure comes with eight conditions, though, including the

opening of a new crossing at Central Park Place when Ninebark Drive extends east of Syene Road. Approval of a tax increment finance district to fund the crossing and warning devices is also among the conditions. Under the petition, WSOR would be responsible for removal and disposal of the surface and warning devices currently at the West Clayton Road crossing, as well as reconstruction of the track zone at that crossing. An exhibit attached to the petition explains that the

city’s recent and expected future growth around the U.S. Hwy. 14 area there, along with the new fire station planned for the corner of Syene and West Clayton roads, mean a new location for the tracks would increase safety. The new crossing would also be subject to quiet zone designation, which regulates how loud a train can be when crossing a public road. Contact Scott Girard at ungreporter@wcinet.com and follow him on Twitter @sgirard9.

City considers permanent bike/ped committee Has been ad hoc in the past SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group

The City of Fitchburg is looking to maintain its bike friendly designation. As part of that effort, city officials are considering making a bicycle and pedestrian advisory committee permanent, rather than the ad hoc committee that has been established in the past

when a new plan was under consideration. City administrator Patrick Marsh explained that a committee must be established and meet regularly to maintain the city’s “silver” status. While the item was on the agenda for potential adoption by the Council Feb. 27, alders asked for it to go through committees first, as it was initially referred directly to them. Ald. Tony Hartmann (Dist. 4) also requested the group consider a bike-focused community instead of lumping

pedestrian issues and bike issues under one committee. “Bicycling is more a mode of transportation,” Hartmann said. “It brings millions of dollars into Fitchburg.” The Public Works committee and Plan Commission are expected to consider the idea at upcoming meetings. Contact Scott Girard at ungreporter@wcinet.com and follow him on Twitter @sgirard9.

SUNDAY SERVICES // APRIL 1

A preliminary rendering of the proposed new OneNeck building.

Rendering courtesy City of Fitchburg

OneNeck proposes expansion SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group

OneNeck Data Center’s design for the first of three proposed new buildings got the OK from the city’s Plan Commission last month. The 20,120-square-foot building would be the first in Phase 4 of the company’s expansion and could

break ground by July 1, OneNeck senior vice president of facilities Hank Koch told the commission. The phase would create an additional 69,490 square feet of buildings on Nobel Drive, which would house servers to store other companies’ data, according to a December letter to the fire department. City planner Tom Hovel told the commission a sound analysis indicated when all phases are complete, the sound coming from the buildings would be one decibel over the

allowed level, according to meeting minutes. He added that staff hoped the HVAC equipment would be at lower decibel levels in future phases, so there are no current plans to do anything. The commission included a condition on its unanimous approval that the company must provide confirmation that equipment is at or below manufacturer sound specifications. Contact Scott Girard at ungreporter@wcinet.com and follow him on Twitter @sgirard9.

Whalen Road landscaping business OK’d SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group

A landscaping business that had been operating illegally for four years on Whalen Road now has the city’s blessing. Capital Landscape Contractors had been renting the property at 6015 Whalen Road against the property’s zoning code, but the Plan Commission approved a conditional use permit last month that allows for a business use. City planner Tom Hovel told the commission his staff had received a complaint about the operation and worked with the property owner to review the history of uses on the property, according to minutes from the Feb. 20 meeting.

Three people spoke in favor of the request during the public hearing on the proposal, and one of them submitted a petition in support that had 51 signatures. According to information in the meeting packet, the company has six to 10 employees and stores pickup trucks, dump trucks, skid steers and other smaller equipment on the property. During the “busy season” for landscaping, which runs from April to November, there are about 30 trips in and out of the property daily, according to the information provided to the planning department. Contact Scott Girard at ungreporter@ wcinet.com and follow him on Twitter @ sgirard9.

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March 9, 2018

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Fitchburg Star

Photo by Helu Wang

Juan Carlos cleans up his new kitchen.

More than a house Habitat for Humanity builds two homes

Unified Newspaper Group

Photo submitted

Rosario Odegard constructs her new house.

Two families have new homes in the Renaissance on Park neighborhood, as Habitat for Humanity of Dane County has finished some of the 19 homes planned to be completed by 2021.

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Those homes are for the families of Rosario Odegard and Juan Carlos, who previously had unstable housing situations. Odegard said she looks forward to hosting a family reunion at her new house this Christmas, which would have been almost impossible because she has had to move from one rental apartment to the other. But now it’s possible. Her new house, on the city’s northwest side, will be the 15th affordable housing unit that Habitat for Humanity of Dane County has built in Fitchburg. Odegard said to her, it’s more than a house, but a secure and safe place where her son can enjoy a “happy” and “healthy” life. “It’s my greatest blessing to be able to have our own house,” Odegard said. Odegard’s two-bedroom, single-story house is one of the 268 homes Habitat of Humanity of Dane County has built with low income families since 1987. So far, it has helped with people in 18 different communities in the county, including Fitchburg, Sun Prairie and Madison. With the help of over 3,000 volunteers and donors, the families can benefit a down payment of $500 and a no-interest loan. Although houses cost the same as market price, the homeowners’ monthly payments are fixed, 25 percent of their income. Originally from Honduras, Odegard said she

was always worried about safety in her neighborhood because she could only afford an apartment with lower rent. Now she feels secure to have friends and nice neighbors around, most of whom are also Habitat for Humanity homeowners. Juan Carlos is one of her neighbors. He once lived in a trailer for three years, and moved in to his new home last year. He has volunteered to build other families’ homes since 2015, helping install windows and floors. During the 10-month construction of his own house, about 15 volunteers helped him out. “I’m very grateful to meet all those people,” Carlos told the Star. T h e h o m e ow n e r s a r e required to take personal credit courses, maintain three years of good housing history and spend 375 hours helping to build their new home. They also volunteer in building homes for other families. The volunteers also help with fundraisers and aim to raise about $1 million each year to build 15 affordable housing over the course of a year. CEO of Habitat for Humanity Valerie Johnson Renk said some volunteers are inspired by seeing others do them the same favor. “We’re bringing the community together,” Renk told the Star. “People from different background work with together.” Contact Helu Wang at helu. wang@wcinet.com.

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ConnectFitchburg.com

March 9, 2018

Fitchburg Star

McGaw: Park neighbors concerned plan would eliminate privacy of their homes

What’s in the plan

Continued from page 1 thing … for the park,” said Fitchburg resident Nitin Jadhav. “If the park issues are not addressed, our tax dollars are being misused.” The plan is estimated to cost $405,300 over five years, but that was based on a start date of fall 2016. All of the alders who spoke during the Feb. 13 meeting said they wanted to see the areas they were not approving still considered in the future, but with input from the neighbors on Stands 2, 3 and 4. “There’s gonna have to be more work with the residents,” said Ald. Aaron Richardson (Dist. 3). Parks and forestry department director Scott Endl said he and the Parks Commission would evaluate how to foster more conversation with residents at the next meeting, which was set for March 8.

‘Community’ asset Part of the dispute lies in the purpose of the park. As the largest park in the City of Fitchburg, McGaw Park is considered a “community park.” That means it’s meant to serve anyone within a 2.5-mile radius, in contrast to the smaller “area” or “neighborhood” parks, which are meant to serve smaller areas. But the plan acknowledges that McGaw “also serves as an area park and a neighborhood park.” East Fitchburg Neighborhood Association president Patrick Cheney said Feb. 13 he was glad to see that sentence in the plan. “A l l w i n t e r … i t i s a n e i g h b o r h o o d p a r k ,” C h e n ey s a i d . “ L e t t h e immediate, most affected neighbors enjoy their neighborhood park as they have enjoyed it for 40 years since it’s been a park.” B u t m o s t w h o s p o ke two weeks later – after the council approved just two of the plan’s five areas – disagreed with that idea. “I know that the neighbors’ voices are important, but they shouldn’t be a veto power where the greater good of the maintenance of the park is important,” said John Easterday. David Haight, who said he’s been to the park once

Photo by Scott Girard

The McGaw Park Natural Resources Plan focuses on eliminating invasive species throughout the wooded areas of the park. or twice a day for about 10 years, said the path for walking his dog has become pretty repetitive – with the honeysuckle on the edge of the trail, “the rest of it is not only unusable, it is unreachable.” He questioned the council’s decision for partial approval. “What was the purpose of delaying it?” Haight asked. “If it’s unusable and it’s a public resource, why aren’t we putting the money into it to make it at least usable in the short term?”

species (make up) much of the cover of the ground layer and shrub layer of the natural areas,” the plan states. The plan also seems to caution against the piecemeal approach the Common Council and Parks Commission have taken this year. “It is far better to remember that the site functions as a whole and to consider how individual areas influence each other and can be managed in concert to achieve larger, property-wide goals that could not be achieved by managing on a unitby-unit basis,” the plan states.

Echoes of Lacy Road

Clearing invasives Another point of conflict is whether the city should rid the park of invasives like honeysuckle, buckthorn and garlic mustard. While invasive species was a major reason the McGaw natural resources plan was commissioned in the first place, a minority of respondents to February 2015 forestry survey considered them a problem. The survey found 91 percent of respondents “would like to see native plants and trees in their park,” but only 33 percent said invasive plant species are a problem in their park. The park’s 2012 master plan listed 15 objectives, including a natural resources plan focused on establishing native plants. But the master plan also said the city would “recognize the attraction of the existing wooded area to the McGaw Park environment.” That is not the case with the natural resources plan,

The McGaw Park natural resources plan calls for turning each of five areas of the wooded pieces of the park into an “oak opening native plant community,” which it defines as an “oak-dominated” area with at least one mature tree per acre and with less than 50 percent tree canopy coverage. That sort of environment, the plan states, would help get rid of invasive species and allow native species to flourish. A pair of vegetation surveys – in fall 2015 and summer 2016 – found 25 percent of the 72 plant species observed were invasive. “These non-native

Map courtesy Adaptive Restoration LLC

The five “Stands” of the forested area at McGaw Park. The Common Council approved plans for Stands 1 and 5, but wanted more discussion with residents before implementing the plan for Stands 2, 3 and 4. Neighbors have spoken out against the plan for those areas, specifically focusing on concerns that they would lose privacy if trees were cut down, while other city residents have said the plan would make the park more usable. adjoining landowners said during their testimony. “It drastically alters the wooded areas of McGaw Park by creating a savanna or prairie,” Halford said in one of her three appearances before the council on the topic. “We are not asking to keep things exactly as they are today, but we are asking to keep the woods and not turn McGaw Park into a prairie with few trees.” Healy, the city forester, said accused those opposed to the plan of using “inflated numbers” to make the forest

management sound more extensive than it is. “It’s not like we’re trying to clear all of the woods,” Healy said. “We’re trying to take out the dead trees and the invasive shrubs.” Contact Scott Girard at ungreporter@wcinet.com and follow him on Twitter @sgirard9.

The main entrance to McGaw Park is off of Lacy Road, a road that was itself facing a controversial overhaul opposed by many of its own residents just two years ago. Nancy Halford sees similarities in the situations. “The McGaw Park neighbors are familiar with fighting the city to preserve our rural neighborhood’s character and landowner rights,” she told the Council. “We fought for years with the Lacy Road landowners when the city tried to take their land from them to widen Lacy Road for the ‘benefit’ of the entire community.” During that fight, many

people accused then-Mayor Steve Arnold of having a personal goal of putting sidewalks both on Lacy Road and around the city. The personal nature of attacks has allegedly shown up again in the McGaw Park discussion, Healy told the council, saying that she has been criticized “personally and professionally non-stop” when in the park. “I can’t walk in that park without getting attacked. It’s not a great situation,” Healy said. “They’re not interested to work with me, they’re interested in me to not do anything.”

Read more City officials say no “conflict of interest” related to resource management plan, alder questions city forester:

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Fitchburg Star

Memory: Fitchburg group for those with memory loss, caregivers among dozens in state Continued from page 1

On the Web

The senior center previously hosted the Spry Society, but it was only open to people with a diagnosis and difficult to get into. Hill said he and the rest of the senior center staff are looking forward to what he considers “a great opportunity.” “Dementia affects all of us, it’s an emotional toll on the individual, caregiver and extended family,” he said. “To be able to provide a safe environment for participants and direct caregivers is extremely important.” The Fitchburg program is one of dozens in Wisconsin, with more popping up every year. There’s a dozen in the Dane County area, with Stoughton and Sun Prairie each introducing a cafe in their communities within the last several months and Oregon discussing the logistics of holding its own. Nuttkinson said she expects the cafe to take off in popularity. “I think in Fitchburg this will give residents the ability to go to a cafe that’s right in their own community,” Nuttkinson said. “There’s some other places nearby, but they can see that their community is supporting them, too.” Each cafe is designed a little differently around the needs of the specific community. But a typical cafe is usually around one or two hours in length, starts with socializing and refreshments and then brings in a guest speaker. “It might be someone from a humane society

For more information about the Alzheimer’s Association, visit:

Alz.org coming in with a pet, a local news anchor, sometimes we have people from the group bring in pictures and items from where they’ve traveled and they can share their experiences with each other,” Nuttkinson said. Each community’s cafe typically has its own identifying feature. For example, Nuttkinson said, some choose to end the program with a joke or a song. So Fitchburg attendees will have a chance to decide their way of making the program feel like it’s truly theirs. Some in Fitchburg have already shared ideas for what they would like to see at the cafe, and some regular senior center visitors have chimed in with their support for the program. Nuttkinson said she has heard about interest in inviting a specific guest who has traveled around the world to work with women and help sell baskets made by women in Africa. “ We ’ve h a d a l o t o f people say they want to still learn and be actively engaged but at the same time be able to reminisce with people who want to support them,” Nuttkinson said. Contact Amber Levenhagen at amber.levenhagen@ wcinet.com.

No diagnosis, no worry A less inclusive Alzheimer’s group unintentionally created a need for a memory cafe in Fitchburg. Bonnie Nuttkinson worked with the senior center on the Spry Society program, which is an early-stage social-engagement program. Now that the memory cafe is starting, it has been phased out of Fitchburg and instead turned into a Dane County program. “That program was much more rigid, because people had to be assessed first and it ran for a shorter amount of time,” she said. Nuttkinson wanted to help

Fitchburg make a program that would be more open to help “meet the needs of the community.” There isn’t a set requirement for who is able to attend the memory cafe. There aren’t any required tests or diagnoses that people need to have to feel accepted, and Nuttkinson credits that as part of the reason why the programs have been so successful around the area. “Usually, people first identify with memory loss and they don’t have that official diagnosis but still want to be supported,” she said. “They don’t

FITCHBURG CHAMBER

need to have a diagnosis, they don’t have to worry, they can come and create friendships with new people.” Anyone who is not sure whether the memory cafe is right for them can contact Nuttkinson at 203-8500 or bnuttkinson@alz.org. “People can always just give me a call, and I can walk them through and see what they are hoping to get out of the program,” she said. “I encourage people to reach out if they have any questions.” – Amber Levenhagen

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Anirban Prabhakaran, 7, slides a “rock” during a game of tabletop curling.

Olympics come to Fitchburg The Fitchburg Public Library brought the Winter Olympics to about a dozen area kids Friday, Feb. 9, with a makeshift and indoor version of the events taking place in South Korea in the following weeks. Kids made their own torches, skated on paper plates, competed in tabletop curling and received “gold medals” during the hourlong event.

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Sports

Friday, March 9, 2018

The

Fitchburg Star For more sports coverage, visit: ConnectFitchburg.com

Madison West boys swimming

VAHS boys hockey

Cats fall to defending champs Verona makes first state semifinal since 2014 JEREMY JONES Sports editor

Photos by Jeremy Jones

Members of the Madison West boys swimming team celebrate winning the WIAA Division 1 state title on Saturday, Feb. 17. The Regents scored 293 points to best Big Eight rival Middleton by 29.5 points. It was the first time for West since 1993.

Splashing to a state title Regents swim to first team title in 25 years at UW Natatorium JEREMY JONES Sports editor

While being ranked atop the state polls all season was great, the Madison West boys swimming team still had some unfinished business Feb. 17 inside the UW-Madison Natatorium. After having finished as the WIAA Division 1 state runner-up in four of the last five years, the Regents ended a 25-year state title drought, scored 293 points to best Middleton. The Regents won three individuals events and two of the three relays to finish 69.5 points ahead of the Big Eight Conference rival Cardinals, who finished second. The conference was once again well-represented at state, with Madison Memorial fourth, with 215 points. The Waukesha South/

Undisciplined penalties have plagued the Verona boys hockey team from time to time throughout the 2017-18 season. They ended the Wildcats’ season March 2 in the WIAA state semifinals, keeping Verona shorthanded for much of a 4-1 loss. Verona took 17 minutes’ worth of penalties against the defending state champion Hudson Raiders, who finished the season 28-1-1 after winning the title Saturday. Those included three minors and a 5-minute major for cross checking by junior Mason McCormick. As a result, the Wildcats (20-4-3) allowed one power play-goal and an even-strength goal shortly after another penalty ended as Hudson scored a pair of goals in the decisive second period. “I don’t want to say the actual penalties hurt us. It was more about us getting caught up in it, taking

Turn to State/Page 5

OHS wrestling

Keast’s high school career ends at state ANTHONY IOZZO Assistant sports editor

Members of the Madison West boys swimming team jump into the pool after capturing a WIAA

Turn to State champs/Page 4 Division 1 state championship.

Oregon senior Devin Keast had a tough road to finally earn his spot in the WIAA Division 1 state tournament. Keast missed out on the WIAA postseason his first three years due to injuries/ailments, but he took advantage of his first shot this

Turn to OHS wrestling/Page 5

Edgewood boys swimming

Crusaders finish second to conference rival at state JEREMY JONES Sports editor

Madison Edgewood won two individual state titles and medaled in five other events Friday, Feb. 16, to finish second to Badger South rival Monona Grove at the WIAA Division 2 boys state swimming meet. The top-ranked Silver Eagles won their fourth straight state title and fifth in the last six years inside the UW-Madison Natatorium, posting 333 points. Edgewood, which last won the state title in 2015, finished a distant second Friday with 191 points. Ashwaubenon took third with 174 points. Monona Grove senior Ben McDade

finished his career as the most-decorated swimmer in the history of the WIAA state swimming meet, winning four more titles to run his total of 15 of a possible 16. The Crusaders state tournament began with freshman Ben Stitgen posting 401.95 points to win the 1 meter diving title and was followed up by the four-medal performance of sophomore Truman teDuits. teDuits won the 100 free with nearly a one-and-a-half second personal-best time of 46.96 seconds, finishing close to a second ahead of second place Lakeland Union senior Grant Gibson (47.87). Earlier, he dropped close to five seconds to Photo by Jeremy Jones add a second-place finish in the 200 IM Edgewood’s Truman teDuits swims to a second-place finish at the WIAA Division 2 state tournament. TeDuits won the 100 free state title in 46.96, while also helping the 200 medley Turn to EHS swim/Page 4 relay to second place and the 400 free relay to a fourth-place finish.

March 9, 2018

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Verona Area High School

Fitchburg Star

Wrestling

Boys swimming

Rozeboom reaches podium Wildcats earn season-best times, finish 12th at D1 state meet ‌ JEREMY JONES Sports editor Photo by Anthony Iozzo

Sophomore Chris Garcia scores a takedown against Madison Memorial senior Everett Anderson on Feb. 10 in the 138-pound quarterfinals at the WIAA Division 1 Middleton regional. Garcia won the match 8-7, and he finished fourth overall to advance to sectionals for the first time.

Four advance past regionals ANTHONY IOZZO Assistant sports editor

Verona wrestling came into the season with a lack of experience, but the WIAA Division 1 Middleton regional on Feb. 10 showcased how far the team has come. Verona advanced four wrestlers to sectionals – seniors Jono Herbst (120) and Lance Randall (182), junior Nathan Feller (132) and sophomore Chris Garcia (138) – all with fourth-place finishes. The top four in each weight class advanced. Herbst and Feller are going back to sectionals for the second time, and Randall and Garcia are making their first appearances. Every other wrestler who competed Saturday finished no worse than sixth. Co-coach Bob Wozniak said he was proud of all the wrestlers and that most reached or exceeded expectations this year. Unlike Stoughton, for example, which has several athletes who have wrestled since kindergarten, he pointed out Verona only had a few who wrestled in youth

leagues. “With the kids we have this year, we had a successful year,” Wozniak said. “Yeah, I would love to have state champs like I have had in the past and four kids at state or three kids at state. We are building back toward that, and these kids are going to help the team that is coming in get better and better.” All four wrestlers that advanced had their seasons close at sectionals. Junior Jeremy Grim (160) and sophomore Caden Page (152) both won their fifthplace matches but didn’t get a wrestleback. Grim (18-21) pinned Madison La Follette junior Alejandro Martinez (14-19) in 3:14, and Page (13-22) defeated Madison La Follette senior Alexa Flores (15-16) 5-3.

Herbst fourth at 120 Herbst (27-16) took on Madison La Follette junior Edward Pazdziora (30-13) in the 120-pound third-place match and fell behind early, allowing a takedown in the first period and a reversal and 3-point near fall in the second.

Turn to VAHS wrestling/Page 5

The Verona Area/Mount Horeb boys swimming and diving team picked up one medal and recorded season bests in all but two events Feb. 17 at the WIAA Division 1 boys state meet. Junior Shane Rozeboom posted four season-best times Saturday, reaching the podium in one individual event with a top six finish and just missing another to help the Wildcats finish 14th, moving up two spots from their seeding coming into state. “I’ve been waiting all season for this moment, and I was fully tapered today,” Rozeboom said. “I gave it my best today, and it paid off.” VA/MH tallied 50 points, with three individual best times and eight season-best relay splits. Big Eight rival Madison West won five events, including the last three straight, to capture its first WIAA Division 1 state title since 1993. The Regents

Photo by Jeremy Jones

Sophomore Shane Rozeboom reacts after earning himself a medal in the 100-yard freestyle Feb. 17 at the WIAA Division 1 state swimming at UW-Madison. Rozeboom posted a season-best time of 46.83 seconds. finished second to Madison Memorial in 2013-16. The Big Eight was dominant as expected. Middleton finished second with 223.5, and Madison Memorial was fourth with 215.

Rozeboom touched the wall in sixth place, earning the final 100-yard freestyle medal in 46.83. The time was a drop of nearly six-tenths of a second from sectionals. He missed the 50 free podium by .04, taking seventh in 21.17. Middleton junior Archer Parkin earned the final medal in 21.13. Junior Aidan Updegrove shaved nearly three-tenths of a second off his 500 free time to finish 13th in 4:48.84. The 200 free was the only event where the Wildcats didn’t have a personal-best, as Updegrove added .31 to finish 12th with a time of 1:45.37. He broke the VAHS school record at sectionals with a time of 1:45.06. “I was extremely happy with how I did at sectionals,” Updegrove said. “I wanted to swim well today, but I knew I wasn’t tapered, so to be able to come back and drop time in my other events, I was really happy.” VA/MH’s 200 free relay team of seniors Torbin Kittleson and Ryan Stewart, Rozeboom and Updegrove touched the wall 12th with nearly a full second PR in 1:28.49. Kittleson split a 23.47 to shave four-tenths of his previous best

Turn to VAHS swim/Page 5

Girls hockey

Lynx fall to top-seeded Fury in overtime JEREMY JONES Sports editor

The Metro Lynx girls hockey co-op saved their best two games for the end of the season and reached the WIAA sectional semifinal. The Lynx beat the Onalaska co-op on Feb. 15 and traveled south to Janesville on Feb. 20 in the hopes of pulling a second straight WIAA playoff upset.

Fury 4, Lynx 3 (OT) With nothing to lose, the fifth-seeded Metro Lynx forced overtime and nearly pulled off a sectional final win Tuesday, falling 4-3 in overtime against the topseed Rock County Fury. The loss makes it three seasons in a row that the Fury have ended the Metro Lynx’ season.

Defenseman Mac Bakken and Ally Conybear logged a lot of ice time, as did Lynx forwards Vivian Hacker and Sierra Berg, who scored the game-tying goal with 6:34 remaining on a short-side power play goal. Fury forward Zoie Steig slapped home the game-winning goal on the power play in overtime. The Lynx were out shot 19-3 but trailed just 2-1 with 10 minutes left in the second period. Maggy Henschler extended that lead with her second goal of the night between the leg pads of Sydney McKersie late in the period for a 3-1 Rock County lead. McKersie had 27 saves, while McKaylie Buescher had 13 for the Fury.

Lynx 3, Onalaska 1 The fifth-seeded Metro Lynx traveled

Turn to Lynx/Page 5

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up I-90 to face the fourth-seeded Onalaska Hilltoppers on Friday and pulled off a 3-1 upset. “I think we had the ability to play like this all year, it just took everyone to play well at the same time,” coach Derek Ward said. “Our younger players have really started to come around and produce for us.” Gia Accomando, Jenna Culp and Sierra Berg each scored goals for the Lynx, and McKersie stopped 19 of 20 shots on goal. It was the first high school goal for Accomando and Culp “All three forwards Sierra Berg, Rosie Patton and Gia were moving the puck around the zone quickly,” Ward said. “Rosie passed it to Sierra who shot and Gia did a great job of finishing of the

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March 9, 2018

Boys swimming

Lohmeier caps career with first trip to state JEREMY JONES

“Before this season, every time I’ve had a swim like that, I’d beat myself up over it, he said. “It feels good that I’ve moved past that, and now I can feel good about what I have done, instead of what I haven’t. I feel like I deserve everything I got.” Lohmeier fell .64 seconds shy of his sectional seed time to finish 12th in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:51.67. He finished 13th in his other individual event, posting a time of 50.18 in the 100 free. It was .10 off his seed time. Anderson, Rohloff and Braatz fell a little more than one second off their 200 medley relay seed time, joining Lohmeier to open the meet with a 13th-place finish time of 1:45.20. Unlike several of the state qualifiers, Lohmeier said he’s done and won’t be swimming during the club season. As of now, he said he plans to just focus on his studies this fall at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, where he and OHS teammate Ian Charles both got accepted. “It was crazy,” Lohmeier said of the state atmosphere. “I’ve been to club state meets, and this is nothing like that. This is way more competitive and way more intense. “I’ve never swam in that pool or even been on that deck before, so being there was kind of eye-opening for me.”

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Coach Jon Nedelcoff said that the 64-49 WIAA Division 2 boys basketball regional quarterfinal loss to Monroe on Feb. 27 was due to not following the scouting report. The 10th-seeded Panthers (9-14 overall) allowed seventh-seeded Monroe (14-9) a few open looks from beyond the arc and senior Brayden Zettle made Oregon pay in the second half, which led to big run. Zettle hit four 3-pointers in the second half and had 16 of his team-leading 25 points. “We didn’t close out enough on (Zettle),” Nedelcoff said. “We did a poor job on the ball and away from the ball. Make him make two ... We didn’t buy into the scouting report in the first half on him, and we didn’t do any better in the second half.” Freshman guard Erik Victorson helped Oregon rally before Zettle built the host Cheesemakers’ lead 54-47 with four minutes to go. Victorson drained a 3-pointer, and added a layup off an assist by senior forward

De’Andre Burrell. Victorson drained a 3-pointer after a steal by senior forward Brandon Blanke, and added a layup to cut Oregon’s deficit to 42-40. Zettle hit his first 3-pointer in the half, but Erik Victorson was able to answer after Burrell tipped an offensive rebound to him in the corner. But Zettle hit another 3-pointer, and after a missed steal attempt by the Panthers, Zettle knocked down another. “When you play a good team on the road that beat Stoughton, you have to play well on a consistent basis,” Nedelcoff said. “We did some good things tonight, but we did not stick to the things that take no talent like closing out on a shooter or not rushing shots.” Blanke hit three 3-pointers in the first half to help give Oregon its only lead of the night, 18-14. But senior forward David Keegan hit a 3-pointer with under 30 seconds to go, and Monroe took a 28-25 lead at halftime. Victorson led the Panthers with 19 points, and junior guard Nolan Look added 12. Blanke chipped in nine.

Season ends in regional quarterfinal Assistant sports editor

FITCH-RONA ART CRAWL

Boys basketball ANTHONY IOZZO

FRIDAY, MARCH 23 • SATURDAY, MARCH 24

Despite two double-digit leads, Oregon girls basketball needed poise at the free-throw line to close out fifth-seeded Monona Grove on Feb. 23 in a WIAA Division 2 regional semifinal. The host fourth-seeded Panthers (16-8 overall) had a 14-point lead in the second half turn into a two-point lead with 20 seconds to go. But sophomore guard Kaitlyn Schrimpf sealed Oregon’s spot in Saturday’s regional final. She was 4-for-4 at the line, and Oregon held on for a 57-51 win. “I knew that it was going to be good game from the start,” Schrimpf said. “It was so big to have that at the end and have the home advantage. It was really awesome.” The Panthers’ season came to a close Feb. 24 with a 70-47 loss to top-seeded Monroe in sectional 3, but Friday was about celebrating in front of their home crowd for the last Turn to OHS girls bb/Page 5 time this season.

Lohmeier didn’t swim at sectionals as a freshman at Waunakee, and after transferring to Oregon as a sophomore, he missed the postseason with an athletic code violation. He chose not to swim as a junior, and did not compete in a meet this year until midway through the season. Though all three state qualifying swims added a little time, it didn’t matter to Lohmeier. That is just one of the reasons he believes he has matured as a person and a teammate.

BITT

Assistant sports editor

Photo by Jeremy Jones

Senior Josh Lohmeier reacts after finishing 13th in the 100-yard freestyle Feb. 16 at the WIAA Division 2 state swimming meet in 50.18 seconds.

NES

ANTHONY IOZZO

When time expired, the girls ran over to the student section. There were smiles and hugs, laughter and tears. Coach Adam Wamsley said moments like Friday’s win help build a program, and Oregon deserved to have fun afterward. Senior forward Ellen McCorkle, who finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds, was the first player who headed toward the crowd, leading the rest of the team into the celebration. “It was so amazing,” McCorkle said. “Afterward, celebrating with my team and the student section is just the best feeling.” The Vikings held Monona Grove junior forward McKenna Warnock to six points in the first half, but she came out strong at the start of the second, scoring five points in the first three-and-a-half-minutes. And McCorkle answered her each time. A Warnock basket inside cut Oregon’s lead to 31-28, but McCorkle stepped back for a 3-pointer in the right corner to push the Panthers’ lead back to six.

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Season ends at state qualifier Monroe

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Panthers hold off MG

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Photo by Anthony Iozzo

Sophomores Izzie Peterson (left), Kaitlyn Schrimpf and Liz Uhl (right) battle for a tie-up with Monona Grove junior McKenna Warnock in the second half on Feb. 23 in a WIAA Division 2 regional semifinal. The Panthers won 57-51.

While the Oregon boys swimming team knew a move from Division 1 back to Division 2 this season could make it easier to reach the state tournament, they knew nothing was guaranteed. Perhaps nothing was any more up in the air than the fate of senior Josh Lohmeier, who returned to the team after a yearlong hiatus, not knowing whether he would even compete this season. Lohmeier not only competed, he helped get the Panthers back to the D2 state meet at UW-Madison’s Natatorium on Feb. 16. He finished 12th and 13th in his two events and helped sophomore Blake Anderson and juniors Sam Rohloff and Collin Braatz take 13th on a relay. That earned the Panthers 17 points, as they finished 27th of 35 teams. “I think every struggle I went through was on purpose, and it was with the purpose of getting me here,” Lohmeier said. “I’ve gone faster when I was younger, but I don’t think it was about the times. It’s about finishing strong, and this year I was actually able to do that. “It took a lot of my own maturity and just growing as a teammate to have better connections with my friends and teammates – wanting to do it for them, rather than myself.”

March 9, 2018

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Edgewood boys hockey

West boys hockey

JEREMY JONES

Crusaders fall in double OT Regents’ season ends in sectionals Sports editor

Sports editor

Madison Edgewood fell behind by two goals twice to the Verona boys hockey team but rallied to force double overtime in their WIAA sectional semifinal game Feb. 24 at Madison Ice Arena. And while the Crusaders did a good job containing the Wildcats’ line for much of the game at Madison Ice Arena, third-line forward Aidan Schmitt helped Verona squeak out a 4-3 victory on a lucky bounce. Verona senior forward Riley Frieburg’s shot from the point bounced off the end boards out in front of Crusader goaltender Ben Cegelski, and Schmitt skated around the net and shot the puck into the corner. The Wildcats dropped two of their first five games to open the season, including a onegoal loss to Edgewood in the opener and later to Sun Prairie. The Verona hadn’t lost a game in Wisconsin since, however, going 18-2-0. The first two periods both started with quick goals, each time putting Edgewood down two goals. Verona’s Aidan Schmitt scored the game’s first goal three-and-a-half minutes into the first period, and Mack Keryluk extended the lead the lead 40 seconds later. Mason McCormick followed an Edgewood goal midway through the first period by scoring 13 seconds into the second period for a second two-goal advantage, 3-1. The Crusaders took control of the

The Madison West boys hockey team was in both games with Verona during the Big Eight Conference season, losing by two and three goals, respectively. Unfortunately for the R eg e n t s , t h e t e a m wa s unable to find a way to close that gap Feb. 20 in a 6-1 WIAA sectional semifinal loss against the top-seeded Wildcats. The state’s leading goal scorer, Drake Baldwin, was held without a point, while Verona sophomore Cale Rufenacht scored a second-period hat trick for the Wildcats. The victory advanced Verona back to the sectional final for the second straight year. Verona coach Joel Mars h a l l s a i d h e ex p e c t e d his team to be able to use its speed to exploit the Regents inside Verona Ice Arena, and that’s what they did. The Wildcats scored five-unanswered goals, including a pair of power-play goals a minuteand-a-half apart in a decisive second period. “ We t o o k a d va n t a g e of their D, kept them from getting changes and exposed them a little bit in the second period,” Marshall said. While Marshall expected the Wildcats’ first goal to be a “greasy. goofy goal,” it was anything but. Rufenacth threw a shot on net from the top of the left circle 19 seconds into the second period, which beat West goaltender Adam Buencamino. The Wildcats

Photo by Jeremy Jones

Edgewood goaltender Ben Cegelski (35) makes a stick save during the team’s WIAA sectional final game against Verona. The Crusaders lost the game 4-3 in double overtime.

remainder of the second period, however, as first-line forwards Carter Hottman and Jake Schmaltz each had a goal and an assist to tie the game with :47 remaining. Hottman scored upstairs on Verona’s Garhett Kaegi less than a minute after McCormick to cut Verona’s lead to 3-2. Fifteen minutes later, Schmaltz scored off a give-and-go with junior defenseman Hunter Stracka to draw the Crusaders even. Neither team could find the back of the net in overtime. Cegelski stopped 36 of 40 shots on goal for the game, and Kaegi made 31 saves for Edgewood.

West wrestling

Yang, Cooper finish fourth at D1 sectionals ANTHONY IOZZO Assistant sports editor

Seniors Robert Cooper and Paxton Yang both had their high school careers end Feb. 17 at the WIAA Division 1 Waunakee wrestling sectional. Cooper (33-8) and Yang (27-9) both made third-place matches with the hopes of a wrestleback, but neither could continue their season. Cooper dropped a 9-8 decision to Holmen’s Logan West at 126 pounds. Cooper led 5-0 after the first period with a

takedown and a 3-point near fall, and he took a 6-3 lead in the third with an escape. But West scored three takedowns in the third, including one with 22 seconds to go, to come back and eliminate Cooper. Yang trailed 6-1 in the second when Waunakee’s Berhett Statz pinned Yang in 3 minutes, 45 seconds. Senior Jackson Mozena (24-14) was pinned by Baraboo’s Aiden Estes in 2:49 in the 182 quarterfinals, and junior Harrison Schreiber (26-17) was pinned by Sparta’s Mathias Krein in 3:20.

EHS swim: teDuits, Stitgen win titles Continued from page 1 (1:52.50). Brown Deer senior Ben Hayes won the event in 1:50.28. The Crusaders’ 200-yard medley relay of sophomores Alex Moen and teDuits and juniors Tommy Beyer and Sean O’Conner opened the meet, finishing three seconds behind Monona Grove in 1:37.95. Moen,

O’Conner and teDuits also had a hand in a fourth-place finish on the 400 free, along with sophomore Nate Frucht, posting a season-best time of 3:19.31. Frucht also medaled in the longest and shortest events. He took fourth in the 500 free with more than a four-and-a-half second PR (4:45.66) and also finished sixth in the 50 free with a personal-best 22.09.

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State champs: Madison West bests Middleton Continued from page 1 Catholic Memorial co-op was third with 221. The Regents opened the state meet to a ear-ringing cheer, as juniors Wes Jekel, Henry Miller, Constantin Bensch and senior Matthew Fernandez captured the 200-yard medley relay state title in a state-record time of 1 minute, 32.35 seconds. The old record was 1:33.06, set by Madison Memorial in 2015. Jekel went on to secure an individual state title and a silver medal, as did Regent senior Lain Weaver. Miller also brought home a state title.

Jekel took gold with a season-best 49.11 in the 100 backstroke, winning by .78. Earlier, he had secured silver in the 200 IM with a time of 1:51.53. We s t B e n d E a s t / We s t senior Bryan Fitzgerald won the event in 1:50.15. Weaver capped his prep swimming career with one individual medal and one relay title. He led Green Bay Southwest sophomore Kaiser Neverman to the wall by .10 to win the 100 butterfly in 48.99. Weaver added a second-place finish in the 200 free, finishing .31 behind Greenfield senior Ben Davis with a time of 1:39.50.

He also helped the Regents cap their state title run, joining sophomore Isaac Casey, Bensch and Jekel to win the 400 free relay, just .05 off the state record, in 3:04.94. M i l l e r p o s t e d a l i f etime-best 56.59 to win the 100 breaststroke, while teammate Gus Nordmeyer just missed the top-six podium, taking seventh in 59.3. Sophomore Charlie Feller, Casey, Fernandez and Weaver added a second-place finish in the 200 free relay with a time of 1:25.06. They were .10 behind the first-place team from Franklin.

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from Brockton Baker from behind the net. The sophomore had two goals on Feb. 20 and two goals on when Verona beat the Regents in late January. “It’s a great rivalry game that gets everyone pumped up,” he said. “We got off to slow start, but we were able to battle back tonight.” Senior forward Aidan Schmitt scored twice for Verona, and Brockton Baker scored a two and assisted on two more. Drew Yaeger and Mack Keryluk each had two assists. The Wildcats out shot We s t i n ev e r y p e r i o d , including a 9-3 advantage in the first, but still found themselves down a goal at the intermission. The Regents struck first slipping a shot behind Verona goaltender Garhett Kaegi 12:33 into the first period. It would be the final shot past Kaegi, who finished with 15 saves for the game.

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dominated the rest of the period, scoring four more goals over the next 14 minutes for a 5-1 lead. “That kill on the 5-on3 was big, and we had our chances, but we just couldn’t capitalize,” West coach Steve Libert said. “We win a drawback, our point mishandles the puck and they get an odd-man rush. It was things that just don’t normally happen to us.” The Regents also struggled to stay out of the box, taking eight penalties, which Libert said is about what the Regents averaged during the regular season. “I think half of those came in the second period, and once Verona gets going, look out,” Libert said. “It’s a snowball coming down a hill.” Rufenacht added a power-play goal at 10:27 and one-timed a second evenstrength goal 14:11 into the period on a centering pass

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Madison West sophomore Adam Buencamino stops Verona forward Brockton Baker (16) during their WIAA sectional semifinal game Feb. 20. The Regents lost the game 6-1.

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Fitchburg Star

OHS wrestling: Keast finishes 28-10 overall Continued from page 1

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Verona Area High School fans celebrate as the team takes the ice March 2 in the WIAA state semifinals against Hudson. The Wildcats, which lost 4-1 to the Raiders, made the state semifinals for the first time since 2014 with a 4-1 win over Green Bay Notre Dame on Thursday in the state quarterfinals. Hudson won the state tournament 7-1 over Eau Claire Memorial.

State: Penalties hurt Wildcats in semifinals Continued from page 1 those frustration and retaliation penalties, and losing focus,” Verona coach Joel Marshall said. “We weren’t used to people being able to keep up with our speed, and I think that frustrated us.” Verona goaltender Garhett Kaegi kept the Wildcats in the game as long as he could, getting 11 of his 22 stops in the second period. “Garhett was huge,” senior forward Graham Sticha said. “He made some amazing saves, not just today but all season long. He really stepped up when we needed him.” Hudson, which has played in the last three championship games rolled, 7-1 over Eau Claire Memorial for the championship. But its game against Verona was tied through the first period. Then, Hudson junior defenseman Bennett Schrank popped in a power-play rebound a minute-and-a-half

into the second period. Four minutes later senior forward Aaron Squires poked home another Hudson goal five seconds after the power play expired. Schrank added a second goal in the third period to ice the win. “Hudson plays a well-structured game. If we’re going to play them, we have to do it five-on-five and try to win it,” Marshall said. “We took it to them a little bit, especially late in the first period, but they’re a resilient team.” Verona allowed the game’s first score on a short-handed goal by Ben Lundeen 14 minutes into the first period. The Wildcats turned the puck over in their own zone, allowing Lundeen to break in alone on Kaegi. Lundeen deked once and slipped the puck under Kaegi’s glove. Sticha answered one minute later, scoring a power-play goal on the team’s third man-advantage chance.

Leo Renlund helped set up the goal, passing the puck outside to Sticha, who threw a shot on goal from the top of the left circle. The puck trickled past Hudson goaltender Alex Cohen with a little less than two minutes remaining in the period. “It was huge,” Sticha said of going into the first intermission tied. “You’ve got to own the last two and first two minutes of each period. It definitely gave us a little bit of momentum. “I was just trying to get the puck deep, throw something on net. To be honest, I didn’t even know I scored.” Everybody else on the ice knew and starting celebrating. “I’m not one to score many points, but I got a lucky bounce there,” Sticha said. It was the last break the Wildcats would get, despite a furious third-period rush. Cohen tallied 10 of his 23 stops in the period to preserve the win for Hudson.

OHS girls bb: Panthers end up 16-8 overall Continued from page 3 Schrimpf and McCorkle added two free throws each, and junior guard Jenna Statz, who had nine points and seven rebounds, knocked down a 3-pointer from a Schrimpf kickout. McCorkle then passed to sophomore guard Liz Uhl, who hit a jumper, and Oregon led 44-30. Warnock willed the Silver Eagles back in the final seven minutes. She scored 10 of her 28 points before she had to leave the court briefly after holding her ankle with 2:06 remaining. When she returned, she scored four more points to get Monona Grove to within 53-51.

But Schrimpf, who finished with 18 points and seven rebounds, didn’t miss at the line. “We just had to want to win more than they did, and that helped us put them away,” Schrimpf said. Oregon started hot, with a 15-0 run in the first four minutes. Schrimpf had six points in less than two minutes, and junior guard Sydona Roberts added a couple of baskets. McCorkle drained a 3-pointer, and Statz finished the run with another basket beyond the arc. Despite the game getting close several times, Oregon led the whole game. “ We j u s t h a d t o

remember that this was possibly our last game, so we had to give it our all even if it meant we would come out with a loss,” McCorkle said. “All the girls gave us as much effort as they could to get us the win.”

Monroe 70, Oregon 47 The Panthers’ season came to an end Saturday in a 70-47 loss at top-seeded Monroe in a D2 regional final. Oregon fell behind by 34-17 at halftime. Three players finished with double-digit points for the Panthers – Schrimpf with 15, McCorkle with 12 and Uhl with 10. Roberts chipped in seven points.

season and took second at sectionals to make it to the Kohl Center. Despite his high school career ending with a loss in his only match at state, Feb. 22 in the preliminaries, coach Ned Lease said the 160-pounder wrestled his best match. “Devin was disappointed in himself and wanted to continue to wrestle obviously, but I don’t think has anything to hang his head about,” Lease said. “He worked really hard the last four weeks to make it to state.” Keast (28-10, ranked 12th) was pinned in 1 minute, 24 seconds to third-ranked Hudson junior Jacob Anderson (43-3). Keast and Anderson were scoreless in the first minute, and Keast nearly scored a takedown and would have been in position for a pin, but Keast was ruled out of bounds. On the next scramble, Keast couldn’t fight off Anderson and put on his back. He held out for 10 seconds, but he couldn’t escape and was pinned. Lease said that the plan was to remain aggressive but also be able to defend Anderson’s shots and not let him score many points. Being able to survive for the full six minutes was also key, because on film Keast looked to be able to have an advantage later in the match. “(Keast) didn’t necessarily do anything wrong,” Lease said. “Devin did a good job going after Anderson. He was put in a position where he got caught, and it just didn’t work out.” Anderson was later defeated in the quarterfinals by second-ranked West Allis Nathan Hale senior Peyton Mocco (52-1), which ended Keast’s tournament. Keast is looking at continuing to wrestle at UW-Oshkosh next year, Lease said, so

time, and Stewart dropped seven-tenths of a second with a 22.54. Rozeboom swam his fast 50 free of the day on the relay, posting a 20.61, while Updegrove had a 21.87. “Neither Ryan or Torbin had been to state before, so I was really excited to have them as part of our relay,” Updegrove said. “It was great to see them end the season on a high note.” Rozeboom and Updegrove were joined by freshman Ben Wellnitz and sophomore Kyle Hoppe for the

Wildcats’ final race at state, the 400 free relay. They finished 14th out of 24 teams with close to a three second PR, in 3:15.81. Rozeboom and Updegrove both met their season-goal times in the 100 free with their splits of 46.97 and 47.96, respectively. “The four guys that were here for the first time (Stewart, Kittleson, Wellnitz and Hoppe), just had the relay, and they’ve been on taper for a while now,” coach Bill Wuerger said. “To still be able to extend their taper and still go a lifetime best when it counts the most, I was very happy to see that.” The Wildcats started the year with

his wrestling career might not be over just yet. “He still has room to grow as a wrestler,” Lease said. “He should continue to develop himself as a wrestler physically and mentally.” Keast’s season might have another effect, as well, with other varsity members returning next year and youth wrestlers coming into high school having someone else to look up to. Keast’s performance reflects on how well the team prepared him, Lease said, and that is something to take pride in. “Once you see someone who has done it and how, you believe it is possible,” Lease said. “You believe about what they did in the high school wrestling room.”

VAHS wrestling: Season ends at sectionals Continued from page 2 Pazdziora added a reversal and a 2-point near fall in the third as Herbst fell in an 11-0 major decision. Middleton sophomore Calvin Srem (9-17) won his fifth-place match, and since Herbst had not faced him yet, a fourth-place wrestleback for the final regional spot was needed. Herbst fell down 6-5 in the second period to Srem after a takedown, but he scored on a reversal in the final 15 seconds and regained the lead for good. He had two near falls in the third on the way to a 13-6 decision and a spot at sectionals for the second straight season. “I was expecting to finish second or third,” Herbst said. “Taking the loss to Pazdziora was really humbling. I was going into the match thinking he would be a blow-over, but I was humbled by how he beat me.”

Feller fourth at 132 Feller (17-21) took on Wa u n a k e e s o p h o m o r e Kyle Wilcox (14-25) in the 132-pound third-place match,

VAHS swim: 200 free relay finishes 12th Continued from page 2

Photo by Anthony Iozzo

Oregon senior Devin Keast nearly gets a takedown and potential pin or near fall against Husdon senior Jacob Anderson on Feb. 22 in the 160-pound state preliminaries. Keast was pinned in 1 minute, 24 seconds in his lone match at state.

only two returning state qualifiers (Rozeboom and Updegrove). Next year they’ll return five. “I think we finished the season with more guys making their season-goal times than in any previous season,” Wuerger said. “I think they made the most out of the talent level they had coming into this season. Hopefully, we can build from there next year.” Freshman Alex Ritter scored 152.35 points and did not reach the semifinals, finishing 21st overall. “Alex just missed moving on to the next round, but it was valuable experience for him today,” Wuerger said.

and a reversal with 1:27 to gave Feller a 6-5 lead in the third period. But Wilcox scored on an escape soon afterward, and Feller allowed a takedown in the final 27 seconds in an 8-6 loss. “It is small, tiny things I do that cost me my whole match,” Feller said. “I have to wrestle a little smarter and get the points where I need them and not give up any when I shouldn’t.” Middleton sophomore Hernan Carranza (5-10) had a bye in his fifth-place match, and since Feller hadn’t faced him during the tournament, a fourth-place wrestleback was needed to see who advanced to sectionals. Feller didn’t waste time scoring on a takedown and a near fall in the first period and then added a takedown in the second to go up 7-0. Feller was able to finish Carranza by pin in 3:02 to take fourth.

Randall (182), Garcia (138) Randall (25-19) and Garcia (13-17) didn’t need wrestlebacks but both dropped their third-place matches. Randall, who Wozniak said was feeling ill all day,

was pinned by Madison West senior Jackson Mozena (2413) in 1:46 in the 182-pound third-place match. He won 6-4 over Sauk Prairie sophomore Austin Rider (9-14) in the quarterfinals and decided to forfeit his match against Waunakee senior Luke Hooker (26-10) in the semifinals. Garcia defeated Madison Memorial senior Everett Anderson (11-21) 8-7 in his quarterfinals match at 138 pounds with a reversal in the final 10 seconds. Garcia was later pinned by Waunakee junior Ty Miller (24-15) in 1:26 in the semifinals and by Sauk Prairie junior Jesse Huerth (28-14) in 1:32 in the third-place match. Garcia came out to wrestle last year but decided it wasn’t for him and quit after two days. He came back out this year, however, and he stuck it out for the year. Now he is at sectionals. “Kids that just started that get better throughout the year, like a Garcia, and qualify for sectionals, that is what I like,” Wozniak said. “I have learned over 25 years that is more important than these kids that wrestled since youth.”

Lynx: Girls co-op wins regional Continued from page 2 play by scoring the rebound.” Vivian Hacker passed it from the corner to Ava Jambor on the hashmarks. Jambor saw Culp, who put a great shot on net and beat the goalie from the point. It was quite a turnaround from the 3-1 loss the Lynx (8-16-1) had against Onalaska (11-13-1) three games into the season. Kaley Maglitz tied the game, 1-1, 12 1/2 minutes into the third period but Culp scored in the 14th minute an Berg iced the win with an empty-net goal with eight

seconds remaining. Claire Bekkum stopped 29 of 31 shots on goal for the Hilltoppers. The victory set up a third game with the top-seeded Rock County Fury, who beat the Metro Lynx a combined 11-0 in the first two games. “The Fury are a really good senior-laden team. They have some of the best players in the state,” Ward said. “Our goal is to try to keep them from scoring early and frustrate them defensively. They are a good team but we have played well in stretches against them this year but haven’t put the whole game together.”

March 9, 2018

Verona schools

Fitchburg Star

ConnectFitchburg.com

What’s online

Security concerns prompt design review

Read these and more Verona Area School District stories at ConnectFitchburg.com:

School board requests city funding decision by March 12

Amount of glass has led to questions from staff, parents

The ongoing dispute between the City of Verona and school district on funding for a second road into the new high school site could be over soon, as the school board requested a decision by March 12. Both bodies have discussed the situation in open session over the last month, highlighting their different understandings of what led to the disagreement.

SCOTT GIRARD

District holds public personalized learning event

Unified Newspaper Group

As the Verona Area School District continues to push up against some of its deadlines to get started on the new Verona Area High School, officials are asking architects to take another look at the interior design. The district announced in an email and website post Friday, March 2, that it was specifically asking the project architects to reconsider the “amount of glass” in the building, citing concerns about safety and security. Those concerns, which the letter said increased after the virtual tour was released in January, were intensified after the school shooting in Parkland, Fla., last month. “In keeping with the design guidelines, our new high school utilizes extensive interior and exterior glass to accomplish those design features, with a special focus on natural daylight and collaboration,” the release states. “We understand that very design feature, the amount of interior and exterior glass, is of concern to some parents and staff.” Preliminary plans for the building include tall glass – sometimes floor-to-ceiling – looking into every classroom

Verona Area School District officials held the first in a series of public information events on personalized learning Feb. 27 as the district prepares for every student to have a personalized learning plan by next school year.

VAEF grants fund staff programs The Verona Area Education Foundation awarded more than $6,000 to 10 staff members as part of its annual grant program. The projects receiving grants included a new mural at the high school, microphones for the middle school theater program and an indoor farming program at Exploration Academy. Screenshot via YouTube

A screenshot from a virtual tour of the proposed new Verona Area High School, posted more than a month ago on YouTube by the school district, shows high interior glass that created concerns from some. Those concerns prompted the school board to ask architects to review the design last week. that would also help provide natural light into the inner hallways and common areas. Natural light in the building was one of the areas students chose as a priority during the planning process last year. Three comments on the YouTube video showing a virtual tour of the proposed building referenced student safety, including one user calling it “dangerous.” The board is expected to take action on any design changes at its March 19 meeting. Members met Friday morning in closed and open session to discuss the security plan and what to do about increasing concerns over security at the new building, which included

two news stories by Madison-based TV stations last week. Any changes will first be vetted by the district’s visionary design team, a group of high school staff members that helped determine elements included in the initial design. The district also released a list of “preliminary security practices and features” in the new building, including interior and exterior security, building access, staffing and drills. School board members will hold a listening session on the topic Thursday, March 15, at Badger Ridge Middle School from 7-8:15 p.m. Photo by Scott Girard

Tsinat Mamo adds a 3D element to her card, which reads “Throw kindness around like confetti! I believe in you!”

‘Letters of love’

We’re moving on 3/30/18

Stoner Prairie students send cards to Florida school shooting victims

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A little bit of Stoner Prairie students’ kindness is heading out of state this week. A pair of the school’s teachers worked with their students last week to create art projects and write letters to the victims of the Feb. 14 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. “It’s really important at our school that students are learning about kindness right away,” said art teacher Tina Christenson. “We not only talked about what kindness means to them, but we talked about what kindness feels like. I think that’s important to not only see how they feel when they’re making it, but how they’re making someone else feel when they’re receiving it.” The idea came from her co-worker, fifth-grade teacher Janelle Kenny-Johnson, who said an art teacher friend of hers had shared that teachers around the country “would be flooding this school with pieces of art, and letters for the student body and educators (as) they started to heal

from this devastation” and wanted to represent Stoner Prairie. “South Florida is my home community,” Kenny-Johnson wrote in an email. “I taught for four years in the Broward district that this school is in and am personally connected to the community through friends, colleagues and the South Florida hockey family.” While Kenny-Johnson used the opportunity to discuss the event with her students prior to writing letters, Christenson kept the concept more general for her students in lower grades, asking them to make “kindness cards” with positive messages like “Don’t give up,” “I believe in you!” and “Kindness is everywhere” while not telling them it was for the survivors of the school shooting. The students in one of Christenson’s classes were hopeful that whoever was on the receiving end of their card would “feel good about themselves and feel joyful,” as third-grader Abebu Barnett put it, or help them find the “kindness” that is “around everywhere,” said third-grader Tsinat Mamo. “I hope that they feel very happy and I hope they will know I worked really hard to make it for them and it turns their sadness upsidedown into happiness,” said

Mamo. Christenson said seeing the students come up with their own messages and design their own projects was especially powerful. “It was cool to start with this basic idea and really just see where the kids ran with it,” she said. Kenny-Johnson said she was “pleased” that the idea of sending positive messages to Florida was embraced beyond her classroom at the school, and that her class decided after their discussion to “write letters of love and hope” to let the Florida students know “we are thinking about them across the miles.” She said she was “brought to tears” by one student when they handed her the letters, as the child had written two letters: one for the victims and “one for a boy whose life went terribly wrong somewhere.” “From this, my students have also learned that hate breeds hate, and love and hope can make way for love and hope,” Kenny-Johnson wrote. “I believe the kids involved in this devastation will hold a piece of that day with them forever, I am hoping they will have these letters of love to hold on to for just as long.” Contact Scott Girard at ungreporter@wcinet.com and follow him on Twitter @sgirard9.

Oregon schools

ConnectFitchburg.com

March 9, 2018

Fitchburg Star

Communication plan in the works Potential fall referendum means quick action getting the word out SCOTT DE LARUELLE Unified Newspaper Group

Photos by Alexander Cramer

From left, in the top row, Liza Studebaker, Riley Black and Avery Johnson, middle row, Stella Sewall and Romeo Ortega and front row, Cole Jones and Caden Updike dance during the third grade Fairy Tale Festival at Prairie View Elementary on Feb. 16.

Fairy Tale Festival at PVE

Third-graders at Prairie View Elementary put on their Fairy Tale Festival on Friday, Feb. 16. Featuring several acts including songs, dances and vignettes like “The Three Little Pigs,” the gym was filled with performers and audience members whose enthusiastic applause showed their support for this special event.

It looks as if the Oregon School District is headed to a November referendum to build new schools. And the clock is ticking on the window to get a plan together and get feedback for the board to vote on a plan – hopefully this spring. Monday, the board held the first of what will likely be several lengthy “works sessions” on that possibility. For more than two hours, they discussed the district’s growth task force recommendation to build at least two new schools, which the task force says are needed to ease overcrowding that’s expected as soon as 2020. School board president Steve Zach said one consensus of the board so far is construction will have to be accomplished by 2020, and another is that November 2018 “looks to be the most feasible” option of going to referendum. “None of this is set in stone but is our current thinking as we proceed to get feedback,” he said. “We’ll be reporting and talking about this

Planning priorities • Cost • Location • School Size • Grade Configuration • Number of transitions • Transportation • Uniform experiences • When students first come together • Traffic around schools • Multi-campus schools • Flexibility (Not in priority order.) regularly now for the next couple months and go forward, knowing we probably want to shoot for making a decision in May if we’re going to referendum (this fall).” Superintendent Brian Busler called the session “an excellent discussion.” The group reviewed considerations

the board prioritized in the decision-making process. District officials also discussed their communication engagement plan with the community and school staff. “The feedback has been favorable as we plan for future growth,” he wrote in an email to the Observer. Busler said the district anticipates finalizing a communication plan in the next few weeks, including chances for people to share their thoughts and ideas on our future growth. He said this feedback will “help shape the final plan that could be brought to district voters as early as November of 2018.” He said that will likely be done with small focus groups, and possibly a community-wide survey. In the meantime, he told board members to expect more long work sessions, particularly if the plan is to go to referendum yet this fall, as appears to be the case. “If there’s something you want us to explore or administratively present, we’re happy to do that,” he told board members. “There are no silly questions, there are no silly requests for information.” The board meets next Monday, March 12. Email Unified Newspaper Group reporter Scott De Laruelle at scott.delaruelle@wcinet.com.

What’s online Read these and more Oregon School District stories at ConnectFitchburg.com:

STEAM series begins The first story in a series on the Oregon School District’s growing push to focus on science, technology, engineering, arts and math – or STEAM – in its classrooms. Future stories will focus on what is happening at the elementary, middle and high school levels.

AP participation increases

From left, Kendra Clevenger, Dylan Granberg and Maya Maloney prepare for their role as the three little pigs during the Prairie View third grade Fairy Tale Festival on Feb. 16.

Oregon High School has seen a stark increase in the number of students taking advanced placement classes this school year. The classes, along with a test, allow students to gain college credit at a fraction of the price it would cost when attending college.

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can be emotional because you have lived there a long time, and it’s where you raised your family and created memories. To help you with this decision and to take advantage of the current “hot” local market, you should connect with a Real Estate agent to prepare a Comprehensive Market Analysis for you, so together, you will agree on a list price. You may be amazed at what the current value of your home is. Also, since it has been a long time since you were involved in a Real Estate transaction and Shawn Pfaff the complexity of Real Estate has increased, an agent will be able to provide you assistance throughout the whole process and will work to find a buyer for your home, Please contact me at pfaffs@firstweber.com, so I can assist you with the selling of your long-time family home.

Andrea@exquisiteWD.com (608) 609-1488, call/text www.exquisiteWD.com Find me on

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throughout the life of your loan. On the other hand, an adjustablerate mortgage starts out with a low interest rate for a set period of time (three or five years are common), and then adjusts according to market rates. In a low-rate environment, like we’re currently in, it’s generally beneficial to lock in a fixed rate, unless you only plan to be in the home for a short period of time.

Q. How can I dress windows with crank-out handles? A. Crank-out style windows are very convenient for operation and security, but let’s

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Q. Should I get a fixed rate or adjustable rate? A. A fixed-rate mortgage means that you’ll pay the same interest rate

Kathleen C. Aiken

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