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Friday, September 8, 2017 • Vol. 4, No. 7 • Fitchburg, WI • ConnectFitchburg.com • $1
Jason Geiger
(608) 277-2167
Fitch-Rona EMS turns 40
House explosion: One year later
Budget process begins with a challenge
Advancements in technology lead to better service
Page 3 Verona Road construction moves to next phase
KIMBERLY WETHAL Star correspondent
Page 5
Schools
First day of school photos Pages 9-11
Sports Photos by Helu Wang
Patricia Plata shows a photo of her damaged kitchen after a house exploded in her neighborhood a year ago.
Getting ‘back to normal’ West boys cross country wins first two meets Page 13
Business
Agrace opens grief support center on Marketplace Drive Page 19
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Neighborhood still recovering from physical, emotional effects HELU WANG Unified Newspaper Group
These days, Chuck and Mary Katic are enjoying a better view from their living room sofa. The Tower Hill neighborhood couple has curtains now, which block the unsightly view of black fabric ensnarled in a neighbor’s tree. It flutters in the breeze, like a flag reminding them of their ordeal of the past year. The Katics know exactly how long the cloth has been there – since 6:43 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 25, 2016. That was when their neighbor’s house in Fitchburg blew up. In an instant, the blast destroyed the home of Brian Grittner, 5573 Cheryl Drive, and two other houses and seriously damaged over 20 neighboring homes in the Tower Hill neighborhood. Five of the residences were rendered uninhabitable. Debris from the blast scattered over a halfmile radius. The Katics could not live in their home, just across the street on Lyman Lane, for six months. PRSRT STANDARD ECRWSS US POSTAGE
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The lot where a house exploded Aug. 25, 2016, is now for sale. The blast blew out all the windows, cracked walls and inflicted other major damage. Repairs and rebuilding took six months, during which time they lived in local hotels. Insurance deductibles and other expenses have created financial burdens to the point that optional purchases – such as curtains for the living room – have often had to wait. The Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation report, released last month, stated conclusively it was the result
of a natural gas leak, but because it couldn’t find the source of the ignition, it was classified as “undetermined.” Despite the severity of the damage, the only reported injury was to Grittner, who was hospitalized for several weeks with broken bones and superficial burns. Neither Grittner nor his attorneys, Daniel Rottier and Eric Ryberg, responded to repeated requests for comment for this story. The retired computer programmer’s only public comments on the issue were in a Wisconsin State Journal story last month, and he said he couldn’t believe he was able to survive a blast that took out a half the block he lives on. He’s since recovered physically, and so has most of the neighborhood. But while insurance claims have helped fix the buildings, anxiety and uncertainty are still haunting the residents inside. U n r e i m bu r s e d ex p e n s e s a n d
Turn to Explosion/Page 21
Fo r t y l o o k s g o o d o n Fitch-Rona EMS. The Fitch-Rona EMS has come a long way since starting as a volunteer organization with one ambulance truck in Fitchburg in September 1977. Today, it has become a service that employs full-time paramedics, can send electrocardiograms (EKG) to doctors waiting at a hospital and is looking to add a third ambulance as early as 2018, when t h e n ew e s t station on the northeast side of Fitch- Myrland burg is built. Brian Myrland, FitchRona EMS’ chief, joined the program in 2002 as a volunteer who wanted to give back to the community and was intrigued by the idea of working with the EMS. Since then, he’s seen the Fitch-Rona EMS become the second-biggest emergency medical service in Dane County, following only the City of Madison. That means it serves a high volume of people – more than 3,000 calls for assistance each year. In addition to the increase in technology and paramedic staff on each ambulance truck, Fitch-Rona has also had to adapt to changing patterns of care. One example he cited is how paramedics more frequently administer doses of naloxone, more commonly known as narcan, to combat narcotic and opioid overdoses. Another is the year-old pilot community paramedic program, which assists citizens in areas that are underserved and takes pre-emptive measures to keep people out of ambulances in the first place. Myrland said Fitch-Rona is always looking for new ways to do that. “Society has to continue
Turn to FREMS/Page 23
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Fitchburg Star
Back to school block party Fitchburg celebrated the end of summer Thursday, Aug. 17, with the annual FTC Back to School Block party. The event, across from City Hall, featured face painting, music, games and appearances from guests like Bucky Badger and the Fitchburg Police Department’s K-9 unit.
Eden Shields, 3, of Fitchburg, smiles at her dad while taking the wheel of a fire truck. From left, Nazmiye Ugur, 6, Anika Angel, 7, Yamuna Angel and Aiya Abdelrahmen, 7, all of Fitchburg, pose for a photo with their faces painted.
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Bucky Badger plays giant Jenga with a group of girls on the sidewalk.
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September 8, 2017
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Fitchburg Star
City of Fitchburg
Officer Friendly
Budget starts in ‘six-figure hole’ mayor says
Police K9 Drago being used nearly once a day SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group
The Fitchburg Police Department has found an “invaluable” resource since early May: its new K9, Drago. FPD Sgt. Edward Hartwick told the Star in an email last month that Drago, whom the department began fundraising for in February, has “an unbelievable ability to almost instantly transition from his role of a police dog to a big, friendly, family dog.” “He revels in the opportunity for pets and scratches from kids of all ages, and his friendliness has opened many lines of communication with community members,” Hartwick wrote. “His presence on social media alone has led many people to follow our department and stay more informed about what’s going on in the community.” The department had to raise $27,000 for Drago’s purchase and equipment, and donations have included Kayser Ford covering the $14,000 cost of his training. He’s taken over for the department’s first K9, Chase, who retired in January 2016 and died in March. Drago has appeared at 11 public outreach events and demonstrations, becoming the “unofficial ambassador of the department,” Hartwick wrote. He’s also contributing – along with his handler, officer John Parker – to more traditional law-enforcement duties. Drago and Parker’s regular shift is from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m., and Drago has been deployed 41 times in his first 45 days of patrol work. Twenty-eight of those were in the City of Fitchburg; the rest to neighboring communities like Madison, Oregon and Verona. Of those deployments, Hartwick said 24 were for drug detection, with the rest tracking suspects or searching for evidence. He added that Drago’s deployments have led to the seizure of three firearms, leading to three felony arrests. “Drago’s abilities have helped our officers stay safe in some high-risk situations,” Hartwick wrote. “He’s also
Initial proposal will be posted Sept. 22
Budget schedule
SCOTT GIRARD
Mayor’s proposed: Sept. 22 Department presentations: Oct. 3-4 Public hearings: Oct. 10, Nov. 14 Amendment deadline: Oct. 12 Amendments calculated, made public: Oct. 20 Informal discussion: Oct. 25 Earliest approval: Nov. 14 Approval deadline: Nov. 28
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Photo by Scott Girard
Fitchburg police brought their new K9, Drago, to Kayser Ford last month to thank the company for its $14,000 donation to cover Drago’s training. made the surrounding area safer by getting some firearms out of the hands of criminals.” Hartwick also credited Parker, who brought Drago into his house after a six-week training period.
“Drago is obviously a very talented dog but a lot of the credit needs to go to Officer Parker for working tirelessly with Drago to ensure the both of them are capable of performing a variety of important tasks,” Hartwick wrote.
The city is starting in a “six-figure hole” for next year’s budget, Mayor Jason Gonzalez told residents at a recent forum. That will present some challenges as the city begins the process of evaluating department requests over the next few weeks. The mayor’s proposed 2018 budget will be posted on its website Sept. 22, under the city’s schedule, with a plan to approve a final version in November. With a modest increase in new construction of 3 percent over the past year – an average amount among Dane County municipalities – combined with other levy limit adjustments, the city will have roughly $1 million more to spend, according to estimates provided by city finance director Misty Dodge. But the city needs more to maintain operations at current levels, Gonzalez told people at the forum. “We have some significant budget constraints,” he said. “We have to come up with $150,000 just to keep things where they’re at right now.” Department heads will present their budget requests to the Finance committee at a pair of meetings Oct. 3 and 4. The Common Council will then hold a public
hearing on the budget proposal at its Oct. 10 meeting. Alders must have their proposed amendments to the city finance director by Thursday, Oct. 12, to be posted on the city’s website by Friday, Oct. 20. Alders will discuss the amendment proposals at a Committee of the Whole meeting Oct. 25 but take no action that night. Another public hearing will be held Tuesday, Nov. 14 at the council meeting, with discussion and action on amendments and the entire budget that night. The budget approval can be extended to as late as Nov. 28 if required, according to the schedule. To see the full schedule and view the budget when available, visit FitchburgWI.gov.
17th Annual Great Pumpkin Give Away Saturday, October 7 • 9 a.m. – Noon All Cash Donations to Benefit Summer Teaching to Advance Reading Success (STARS) Cash donations to STARS gets you a pumpkin just in time for Halloween! ($5 suggested donation)
Join us for kids’ activities, refreshments, a Fun Play Inflatable Bouncer, horse and carriage rides and special guest appearances from local mascots. All happening at Oak Bank’s green space at 5951 McKee Road, Fitchburg! Part of the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) since 1989, STARS improves the academic performance of at-risk students by raising confidence and encouraging excellence in our community’s youngest scholars. Learn more: chhimadison.org/programs/stars
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September 8, 2017
Letter to the editor
Community Voices
Mayor’s behavior ‘disappointing’ After reading the July article about the future of Fitchburg Days, a piece I thought would have a note that it was written in “Onion style” at the end, I was surprised there were no letters to the editor in the August STAR addressing the mayor’s disappointing behavior and instead a letter of support. I suppose nothing can really shock us anymore after watching the national political circus of the past eight months, but I’d like to think that human decency and collaboration might still have their place somewhere in the political arena. To state publicly that someone should “get a girlfriend” as if it’s the equivalent of a hobby (fishing, anyone?), is insulting and degrading, not to mention the last thing I’d expect to hear from our city’s leader. It seems to be the general consensus that Fitchburg lacks a true downtown, sense of identity, accessible library, and community
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cohesion, yet our mayor is attacking a volunteer without inviting them to the table to be part of the discussion. If former mayors, committee chairs, or anyone is in the wrong seat on the bus (Jim Collins, Good to Great, 2011), could we start by having a face-to-face conversation, finding ways to build bridges, and then moving forward? This seems like volunteer management and community development 101. I admit it’s easy to armchair quarterback from home with no plans to get involved, but at the very least, I think a public apology to Jay Allen is in order. Perhaps as a next step let’s try to create an atmosphere where people feel welcome and inspired to volunteer, get involved, and care about the future of this city rather than wondering when they will be thrown under the bus. Tiffani Roltgen Fitchburg
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.
A glimpse into a demanding job If you ever dialed 9-1-1, it was probably one of the worst days of your life. It could have been a break-in, a car accident or a violent encounter. Fortunately, you don’t deal with these experiences daily. But chances are, you were glad there are people who do. On the other hand, if you ever received a ticket or questioned police activities, you might have different attitudes toward officers. Same people, different parts of the job. When you lack the big picture, you resort to innate armchair analysis. Fitchburg’s police department has a way for us to inform our own thinking about this topic, the Fitchburg Citizen’s Police Academy. An annual 10-week program that runs from September through November, it provides active-particGorchels ipation experiences that cover the gamut from crime scene investigation to building searches to traffic stops to ridealongs. I was one of a small group of residents selected to participate in last year’s program. As a writer, I wanted to get a glimpse of all aspects of law enforcement. But I got a virtual epiphany as I tried to follow their training guidelines for police. Identify yourself. Use verbal commands with straightforward language.
Look for dangers. Slow down and be methodical. Prioritize threats. Determine backup needs. Sometimes my actions were contrary to what I mentally thought they would be. I was humbled and impressed. Based on what others in my class thought, I wasn’t the only one. There were different a-ha moments for different participants. Bujare Zhubi, who was pregnant during her participation, told me she had a “great experience” becoming familiar with our police department. She was one of the best drivers through the obstacle course. “Some of my favorites were the race track and the building search,” she said. “It gives you a feel of what our officers do in the real world.” Lee Ihlenfeldt was particularly inspired by his ride-along, noting that he spent more than three hours with “a distressed minor female” in one interaction. “As a retired teacher, I occasionally had to work with a disruptive student and parent,” he said. “While it was stressful for me, it was nothing compared with what the officer was required to do.” Barbara Mathis was appreciative to simply have the opportunity and see the “inside workings” of the department. “The classes were interactive and open dialogue was encouraged,” she noted. Sessions start at the department, but most of the hands-on learning is
off-site. Participants are invited to maneuver a vehicle through obstacles while responding to a mock call, collect crime evidence from a simulated scene, conduct building searches, practice defensive and arrest techniques, handle firearms and participate in comprehensive police scenarios. While the activities elicit lots of mistakes and embarrassed laughter, there is also some serious experiential learning. Participants must spontaneously deal with threats (and potential threats) from staged events and circumstances. They must make split-second decisions as if the event were real. I recall at least two situations where fellow participants underestimated how many shots they had fired during a building search. That was one of my a-ha moments. The adrenaline surge mimicked what police might experience. We learned to appreciate the professionalism and the humanity of the officers, who are doing the best job they can. Doug Neumann summed it up nicely, pointing out the surprising “mental pressure” police face every day. “They have no idea what could be around the corner every day they go to work,” he said. “Even the spouse does not know (for sure) if their partner is going to be returning home that evening.” Fitchburg residents can for sign up for 2018 early next year. The seventh annual class runs weekly from Sept. 7 to Nov. 9. Linda Gorchels is a Fitchburg resident and author.
Healthy Living
Balance your blood sugar to feel better this winter Friday, September 8, 2017 • Vol. 4, No. 7 Periodical Postage Paid, Verona, WI and additional offices. Published weekly 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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One of the things I missed most while working overseas was experiencing the seasons I grew up with here. A late July drive on country roads near my childhood farm, with fireflies and the smell of sweet corn, was always when I promised myself I’d move back home for good someday. A couple of weeks ago, I caught my first feeling of fall. There was something different in the air that made it feel real, even though I’d already seen Konopacki schedules changing and kids going back to school. With shorter days and less outdoor activity, many people notice a definite drop in their performance as we head into fall and winter. They’re always on the verge of being sick, missing work, experiencing low energy or feeling depressed by the darkness. If you want to take action to be more resilient this
winter – if I could recommend only one thing to prime your body to function well – it would be to balance your blood sugar. Even if you don’t have diabetes or it’s nowhere in your family, you could still benefit. In a sense, blood sugar is a marker for how steady your energy is, but it also directly influences how well your immune system works. The food we eat is converted into a usable form called glucose, and your blood sugar is a measure of how much available glucose – or energy – is in your blood at any one time. It should be kept relatively steady. Anything that creates extreme ups and downs in your blood sugar will cause a secondary increase in stress hormones in your body, which can trigger poor immune system function. To give you an extreme picture of someone likely to have poor blood sugar control, think of a person who is running on adrenaline all day at work, skipping meals and then spending the evening on the couch with a bag of cookies and soda. This person will get a surge of energy after eating
but then crash soon after. To complete this picture, let’s have him or her strictly adhering to a no-exercise policy. This is a person who’s likely to get sick. The best way to achieve balanced blood sugar is to avoid stress triggers and to give your body what it needs at regular intervals. A simple way to do this is to eat at regular times (that are appropriate for you) and choose low glycemic load/ index foods (because they are converted into energy slowly). Regular exercise also will help your insulin levels be more appropriate; it’s a hormone that controls how fast your blood sugar goes up or down. If balanced blood sugar is your goal, it requires making other healthy choices to get there. Along with better immune function, hormone regulation, better sleep and a lighter mood can result from these changes. In fact, when my chiropractic patients understand and work on this, it often amazes me how much it helps their musculoskeletal pain. I am encouraged that this is becoming more widely accepted, that doctors are
discussing it and patients are thinking about it. I have a young patient who, when her family doctor saw some unhealthy markers on a blood test, recommended she stay below 25 grams of sugar per day. She’s now starting to take responsibility for getting healthy and having fun reading labels and counting her numbers. Her improved blood sugar is driving her body toward better function (and better blood work), and doing so naturally. There’s no quick fix to getting and staying healthy, but there are simple things you can do to head that direction. Visualizing the gap between how that couch potato probably feels and how you want to feel can be a guide for taking action. I’ll leave you with this excellent quote I heard on a podcast recently: You can’t be upset about results you don’t have from actions you didn’t take. Good luck doing what you need to do to stay healthy this year! Dr. Laura Konopacki is the owner of Body Wave Chiropractic in Fitchburg.
Letter to the editor
Gonzalez should stop ‘dissing’ his predecessors, reach out to them
Being Mayor of Fitchburg must be a brutal job. Little power, lots of pressure, piddling pay, and not much gratitude after they throw you out. The last three served a total of four terms, with each defeated for re-election. To help our new mayor, Jason Gonzalez, fare better, I offer some friendly advice: First, stop dissing your predecessors. Instead, reach out to them. They offer a wealth of knowledge and institutional memory. You were quoted in this newspaper as calling one a “deadbeat” and
suggesting that they all “move on, get a life.” That kind of talk is not helpful. You may not see it now, but there is a lot you could learn from Jay, Shawn, and Steve. I served on the Council with all of them. I count them all as my friends, and I know they are all smart, knowledgeable, and dedicated public citizens. Second, make use of all the knowledge and experience available to you on the Council. Dorothy Krause, after four terms on the Council, was assigned to no Council Committees
and to only one Commission. Don’t marginalize or exclude Alders from committees of commissions because you see them as part of a different political faction. Instead, make sure all perspectives and voices are heard. Jason, you could be a good Mayor, but you need to remember that you represent all of Fitchburg. You can help heal the divisions among us. Bill Horns Fitchburg
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September 8, 2017
Verona Road
Construction begins on next phase this week Work on Frontage Road, Fitchrona extension completed in August SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group
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Nowlen joins UNG Chuck Nowlen has joined the staff of Unified Newspaper Group. Nowlen, who moved back to the Madison area earlier this year, brings a broad range o f ex p e r i ence in the newspaper industry to the community report- Nowlen er position. That includes a past fouryear stint at the Fitchburg Star, Verona Press and Oregon Observer before they
were part of UNG. Nowlen joins UNG to replace Samantha Christian, who covered Oregon and Fitchburg community news. Nowlen will continue that coverage. The other community reporters, Amber Levenhagen and Helu Wang, will continue their focuses on Stoughton and Verona, respectively. Nowlen can be reached at charles.nowlen@wcinet. com. – Scott Girard
6285 Nesbitt Road Fitchburg, WI 53719
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At left, the road to the future Williamsburg Way-Verona Road interchange. At right, the East Frontage Road that was completed last month and is open to traffic.
Way bridge over Verona Road. The final phase, which is expected to begin in spring 2019 and be completed See weekly Verona Road updates sent out by in fall 2020, will expand Verona Road DOT staff: to three lanes between Raymond Road and County Hwy. PD, build VeroConnectFitchburg.com na Road bridges over PD and expand PD to three lanes between Hard Rock will have reconstructed Verona Road Road and Commerce Park Drive. south of Raymond Road and County Contact Scott Girard at ungreportHwy. PD and constructed westbound er@wcinet.com and follow him on interchange ramps between PD and Twitter @sgirard9. Raymond Road and a Williamsburg
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Two roads have reopened in the past two weeks as the Verona Road construction project completed its first phase of work in the City of Fitchburg. The east Frontage Road between Sprocket Drive and Chalet Gardens Road and the Fitchrona Road extension both opened Aug. 24. The next phase of work, which includes widening of Verona Road and single-lane closures overnight, began earlier this week. Phase 2 is expected to be completed in summer 2019, depending on the weather, according to a news release. The timeline also could be affected by ongoing state budget negotiations, the release noted, though those took a positive turn Tuesday night. The state’s Joint Finance Committee approved a deal on transportation funding, a move the Capital Times asserted would not further delay the project. How and what to fund in the transportation budget had been the major holdup in negotiations on the state budget, which was supposed to be approved by July 1. This fall, construction workers will temporarily widen Verona Road between Fitchrona and Raymond roads to use for future traffic staging. Two lanes will remain open in each direction, especially during peak travel times, according to a project update, though nighttime single-lane closures are set for 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday through Friday at various times throughout this phase. By the time this phase ends, crews
Fitchburg Star
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Police assure neighborhood it’s safe Highlands event followed ‘highprofile incidents’ in 2016, 2017 SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group
Concerns over a perceived increase in serious crimes in the Highlands of Seminole Neighborhood brought dozens of Fitchburg residents to a meeting at the Fitchburg Public Library last month to discuss crime prevention with neighbors and police officials. Fitchburg Police Department Lt. Chad Brecklin told Highlands residents Aug. 24 a projected increase of under 100 citizen calls from last year to this year there indicated “nothing there that is alarming in the overall numbers itself,” but he acknowledged the “high-profile incidents” do bring more concern. “Overall, your neighborhood is a very safe place to live, and you should feel
that way,” Brecklin said. The event was hosted by the Highlands of Seminole Neighborhood Association and promoted by Dist. 2 Alds. Julia Arata-Fratta and Dan Bahr. HSNA vice president Miguel Dominguez pointed out the uptick in more serious crimes like robberies compared to 2014 in 2015. “Of course, there will be crime,” Dominguez said. “In particular, what’s kind of been disturbing as of last year and this year … there have been some actual holdups of people.” Bahr pointed out that a troublesome spot, the corner of Longford Terrace and Leopold Way, splits between the east and west portions of the city, at least as far as how the police department has broken them down. Brecklin said those boundaries were “fluid” and the department could consider changing that if it might make a difference. He also said the departm e n t ’s d a t a a n a l y s t – shared among a set of five
On the Web Watch the full meeting:
factv.fitchburgwi.gov
area municipalities – has improved the availability of data for public consumption and for the department to analyze and use through more efficient collection and sharing of that information. Another possible help could come from the use of portable cameras in the area. Two days earlier, the Common Council had given preliminary approval for two new portable cameras for next year for the police department. One is expected to be used at the Longford-Leopold intersection. Brecklin cautioned the cameras have some limitations, however, a sentiment Dominguez echoed. “The cameras won’t deter crime on their own,” Dominguez said. “It’s just part of a solution to help
apprehend criminals.” But nobody spoke up when Dominguez asked audience members if they had any concerns about cameras being used in the area. “You can put one on every street as far as I’m concerned,” one woman said. “Whatever’s going to keep me safe.” Bahr also brought up the idea of a neighborhood watch, which he said he had discussed with some of the neighborhood residents. Neighborhood association leaders circulated a signup sheet for interest in that idea. Brecklin warned those interested that it requires a time investment from residents. “We’re happy to partner with you on that, but we are a partner, we are not a leader,” he said. “A neighborhood watch should be about the neighborhood.” Contact Scott Girard at ungreporter@wcinet.com and follow him on Twitter @sgirard9.
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September 8, 2017
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Calendar of events Thursday, September 14
Tuesday, September 19
gie, library, 729-1760 • 12:40-2:15 p.m., Film screening: My Love, Don’t Cross that River, Prairie view room, 5510 Lacy Road, 729-1791 • 4-5 p.m., DIY Spa Day, library, 729-1760 • 5:30-7:30 p.m., Community Leopold School, library, Wednesday, September 20 helpers: 729-1760 • 10 a.m., Book discussion: Saturday, September 23 “Between the World and Me,” by Ta-Nehisi Coates, library, • 2-4:50 p.m., Movie screening: 729-1763 Harry Potter and the Chamber • 10-11 a.m., Toddler art, library, of Secrets, library, 729-1760 729-1763 Sunday, September 24 • 7-7:45 p.m., Mother daughter • 7-9 p.m., Public safety forum, book club, library, 729-1763 library, 729-1760
• 9:30-10:15 a.m., Storytime, library, therapymadison.com • 1-2 p.m., Wisconsin’s folk humor, Prairie view room, 5510 Lacy Road, 729-1791 • 1:30 p.m., Book discussion: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, senior center, 270-4290 • 3-6 p.m., Fitchburg Farmers Market (repeats Thursdays through October), Agora Pavilion, 5511 E. Cheryl Pkwy., fitchburgmarket.wordpress.com • 4-5 p.m., Afternoon of science, library, 729-1763 • 6:30 p.m., Fall concerts: Prairie Bayou Cajun band, library, 729-1763
• 11-11:45 a.m., Lapsit storytime, library, 729-1763 • 5-7 p.m., Courageous Conversations, Agrace Hospice Care, 5395 E. Cheryl Pkwy, 819-0689 • 5-6:20 p.m., Read to dog, library, 729-1763
Saturday, September 16
• 3-6 p.m., Fitchburg Farmers Market (repeats Thursdays through October), Agora Pavilion, 5511 E. Cheryl Pkwy., fitchburgmarket.wordpress.com • 1 p.m., Downsizing with Ease seminar, 270-4290 • 1-1:45 p.m., Bouncing Babies, library, 729-1760 • 6-6:30 p.m., Guys read, library, 729-1760
• 4-5 p.m., Stuffed animal sleepover, library, 729-1763
Sunday, September 17
• 1-4 p.m., Stuffed animal sleepover, library, 729-1763
Monday, September 18
• 9:30-10 a.m., Preschool storytime, library, 729-1763 • 11-11:30 a.m., Preschool storytime, library, 729-1763
Thursday, September 21
Friday, September 22
• 11 a.m., to noon, Book boo-
Monday, September 25
• 9:30-10 a.m., Preschool storytime, library, 729-1760 • 11-11:30 a.m., Preschool storytime, library, 729-1760
Tuesday, September 26
• 11-11:45 a.m., Lapsit storytime, library, 729-1760
Wednesday, September 27
• 10-11 a.m., Lego building, library, 729-1760 • 2 p.m., Parkinson’s support group meeting, senior center,
270-4290 • 2-4 p.m., Travel Show, senior center, 270-4290
Thursday, September 28
• 10:30 to 12:30 p.m., Free blood pressure and glucose checks, senior center, 270-4290 • 3-6 p.m., Fitchburg Farmers Market (repeats Thursdays through October), Agora Pavilion, 5511 E. Cheryl Pkwy., fitchburgmarket.wordpress.com • 4-5 p.m., Breakout challenge, library, 729-1760 • 4-7 p.m., National senior center month, senior center, 2704290 • 4-7 p.m., Senior social, senior center, 270-4290
Friday, September 29
• 4-5 p.m., Minute to win games, library, 729-1760
Saturday, September 30
• 2 p.m., Movie screening: Beauty and the Beast, library, 729-1760
Tuesday, October 3
• 6-7 p.m., Canvas tape painting, library, 729-1760
Thursday, October 5
• 3-6 p.m., Fitchburg Farmers Market (repeats Thursdays through October), Agora Pavilion, 5511 E. Cheryl Pkwy., fitchburgmarket.wordpress.com
Saturday, October 7
• 9 a.m. to noon, Pumpkin giveaway, Oak Bank, 5951 Mckee Road, 441-6000
Tuesday, October 10
• 6 p.m., Family pajama storytime, library, 729-1762
Wednesday, October 11
• 2 p.m., Parkinson’s support group meeting, senior center, 270-4290
Thursday, October 12
• 9:30-10:15 a.m., Language through reading, library, 7291762 • 1:30 p.m., Book discussion: Doc by Maria Doria Russell, senior center, 270-4290 • 3-6 p.m., Fitchburg Farmers Market (repeats Thursdays through October), Agora Pavilion, 5511 E. Cheryl Pkwy., fitchburgmarket.wordpress.com • 4:30-5:30 p.m., Tabletop coding, library, 729-1762
Coming up Kids ages 8 and under can drop off their stuffed animal friend at the library for their first big night away. Kids will enjoy a storytime and craft when they drop them off, between 4 and 5 p.m. Sept. 16, and can pick them up the next afternoon and check out what they were up to all night. For information, call 7291760.
Courageous Conversations
effort by Sustain Dane, the Latino Professional Association and local entrepreneurs to increase and support diversity in the workplace, the boardroom, the executive and leadership teams and to find solutions to create an inclusive and thriving environment for all. For information, email hello@sustaindane.org or call 819-0689
Downsizing seminar If you are wondering how you got so much stuff and why you’re keeping things for your kids who moved out years ago, attend the Downsizing with Ease seminar at the Fitchburg Senior Center at 1 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21. Many people wonder how to get rid of it, whether it’s worth anything and how to move on to a new home. Speakers Ruth Domack (First Weber), Marianne Gariti (Moving Forward) and Carrie Kirkpatrick (A Place for Mom) can help, or at least to commiserate. For reservations, call 2704290.
Step Up: Equity Matters will host a workshop on helping get through difficult conversations in everyday situations from 5-7 p.m. Sept 19 at Agrace HospiceCare, 5395 E. Cheryl Pkwy. The highly interactive workshop focuses on using effective communication tools, learning about intent vs. impact around microaggressions, discrimination and inequalities. Through scenarios, sharing, and examples, participants will gain the skills and tools needed DIY Spa Day to challenge themselves and The library will host a others to advocate for diver- spay day for kids ages 9-12 sity, inclusivity and equity. from 4-5 p.m. Sept. 22 at its Step Up is a collaborative Storytime Room.
Do It Yourself Spa Day is an afternoon of relaxation and making luxurious spa products. Registration is required. For information, call 7291762.
All you need to create an artful masterpiece is canvas, tape and paint. Canvas Tape Painting is for ages 13-17, from 6-7 p.m. Oct. 3 at the Fitchburg Public Library. Senior social For information, call 729Celebrate National Senior 1760. Center Month with hors Pumpkin giveaway d’oeuvres, beverages and Oak Bank will hold its prizes from 4-7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 28, at the Fitch- 17th annual Great Pumpkin Giveaway from 9 a.m. to burg Senior Center. The Meet, Greet and Eat noon Saturday, Oct. 7. Anyone who makes a cash senior social will provide a chance to meet staff and donation to STARS – Sumboard members while learn- mer Teaching to Advance ing more about the opportu- Reading Success – will get nities available for adults in a pumpkin. STARS works the community. Ages 50 and to increase academic perforolder are invited to attend. mance of at-risk students. Oak Bank's green space Donations will be accepted for beer and wine, and the at 5951 McKee Road will Packers-Bears football game host kids’ activities, refreshwill follow on the center’s ments an inflatable bouncer and horse and carriage rides, new wide-screen television. For information, call 270- plus guest appearances from Bucky Badger and Maynard 4290. the Mallard. Breakout challenge For information, call 441The library will host a 6000 the event’s Facebook Breakout Challenge for page. ages 5-8 at 4 p.m. Thursday, Family pajama Sept. 28. Kids will solve puzzles, storytime decipher clues and unlock a Family pajama storytime mystery in the library. is a fun evening program for Registration is required ages 2-5 and their families, by calling 729-1762. focused on winding down for
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729-1762. the night. The event is 6 p.m. Oct 10 and features stories, songs and Spooky Escape movement activities followed Challenge by a short craft all in your PJs. Solve the Halloween puzNo registration required. zles, decipher spooky clues and unlock a scary mystery Language through in the library at the Spooky reading Escape Challenge. It’s recommended from Communication Innovations Pediatric Therapy kids ages 5-12 and is held Services will use books and from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Oct. 25. activities to show parents Registration is required. For and caregivers of kids ages information, call 729-1762. 2-5 how to enhance language Bouncing Babies skills through reading. From 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. Bring your baby, in cosOct 12 at the library, a tume, to the library for licensed speech-language the Halloween edition of pathologist and occupation- Bouncing Babies. This proal therapist will teach how to gram will have lap rhymes, incorporate songs and motor songs and stories from activities with books. Lan- 1-1:45 p.m. Oct 26. guage and motor developAfter the program, enjoy mental milestones will be pro- social time with other parvided, and there will be time ents/caregivers and tummy for questions about individual time for the babies. children’s development. This program is ideal for For information, visit prewalkers, starting at birth. therapymadison.com. For information, call 7291762.
Tabletop Coding
Learn how the basics of coding work with interactive examples and fun table top games from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Oct. 12 at the library. No tech experience is required, but registration is. Recommended for age 9-12. For information, call
Halloween Hunt The library will host the 10th annual Great Halloween Hunt from 6-9:30 p.m. Oct. 28. A c t iv i t i e s i n c l u d e a scavenger hunt, crafts and games, a magician, balloon twisters and a movie.
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Stuffed animal sleepover
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September 8, 2017
Fitchburg Star
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Market runs through October The Fitchburg farmer’s market, located at Agora Pavilion, runs every Thursday through the month of October. Launched in 1998, the market features an average of 25 different vendors, according to its website. Visitors enjoyed sunshine and fresh produce Thursday, Aug. 31.
On the web See more photos from the Aug. 31 market:
ConnectFitchburg.com
Photo by Amber Levenhagen
Xavier Mattke picks out a bag of kettle corn at Chippy’s Kettle Corn stand.
Get Connected
Planting seeds for future generations Each American produces 1,600 pounds of waste in an average year, waste that is filling our landfills. At least 50 percent of what we throw in the garbage can be recycled and 25 percent of our trash is composed of food waste and other material that can be composted. Food waste becomes a powerful contributor to greenhouse gas emissions because it lacks the oxygen it needs to break down and becomes trapped producing methane and carbon dioxide, which contributes to climate change. Wisconsin has a strong history of recycling and composting and has worked hard to keep almost 2 million tons of materials out of Wisconsin’s landfills. Thanks to active city and county recycling and composting programs, Dane County and the City of Fitchburg have worked hard to educate the public and businesses about the importance and ease of recycling and composting. While most of us recycle at home, schools are important, too, and it might surprise you to know that recycling efforts are not always strong at schools, which have a big impact on our community. I’m proud to say Fitchburg’s Resource Conservation Commission has played a part in helping at least one school make a difference in this way. When we recycle or compost at home, we show our kids that we care about the environment and by doing our part we can make a difference. But we can’t stop there. We also educate our children on the connection between recycling, composting and how reducing the
waste in landfills reduces the negative effects on our air and water quality, wildlife and community. At the heart of education is our schools, and while many schools and teachers recycle many things, I’ve found that’s not always the case in the lunchroom. I joined my son for lunch at Aldo Leopold Elementary School one day this past school year and I was surprised to find that the school’s lunchroom doesn’t recycle or address the amount of food waste thrown away each day. Apparently, it is an issue the school had wanted to address but had been unable to do so with shrinking school budgets and thinly spread teachers. On average, a school of 200 students generates 75 pounds of compostable waste each week, or over 3,000 pounds per year. So I knew I needed to take action. After talking with school leaders and the custodial staff to see what systems were in place, the RCC got approval to set up a lunch room recycling and composting program. With a recycling receptacle on site, as well as gardens on the grounds (for composting), we are excited about the potential to coordinate this initiative at Aldo Leopold. While the RCC’s Outreach Committee is in the beginning stages, we are making great progress. We have
reached out to educate several grade levels with a presentation identifying what can be recycled, composted or thrown away, a landfill video and a fun, interactive recycling, waste and composting relay challenge game. By partnering with the teachers, we can help reinforce this information in a fun and interactive way. We are working to identify a lead person/committee willing to help drive this recycling initiative forward, with representatives from the teaching staff, administration, janitorial staff, parents and students. Once established, we will continue to work with the school and support them through our educational efforts. We also hope to incorporate a yearly field trip to the county landfill for the fifthgrade classes. By making these connections for the students and by partnering with the teachers and school, we have a real potential to instill a sense of responsibility in caring for our environment that will hopefully carry over into their home and everyday lives. We want the students to feel empowered with the initiative both at school and in their homes. As our future leaders, getting them engaged and showing them how they can impact their home, school and community in a positive manner is the key to a more sustainable future. Kim Warkentin is the Youth Education Director for the Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association and lives in Fitchburg with her husband and 8-year old son.
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AUTUMN
COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AT MONONA TERRACE SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
19
1
3
3
TUESDAY
Mindful Yoga
12noon-12:45pm Tuesdays & Thursdays through Oct. 12
21
Thursday
Mindful Yoga Mindful Yoga
3
Wellness Talks
12noon-1pm “Psychological Effects of the Internet” Dr. Morton Ann Gernsbacher
28 THURSDAY
Mindful Yoga
TUESDAY
5
Thursday
Mindful Yoga
6
12noon-12:45pm
10 TUESDAY
Mindful Yoga
12noon-12:45pm
12
Thursday
12noon-12:45pm
FRIDAY
12noon-1pm “Natural Medicine for Brain & Mood Health” Dr. Ruddy
16
MONDAY
13
12noon – 12:45pm
Wright Design Series
7pm “Masterpieces” Screening, Michael Miner Free Tickets on Eventbrite
25 WEDNESDAY
Family Concert
7pm Navy Band Great Lakes Wind Ensemble
4
PechaKucha Night
MONDAY
Meditation at Monona Terrace
ThursDAY
Wright Design Series
MONDAY
Lunchtime Yoga
12noon-12:45pm Mondays & Thursdays
7
THURSDAY
Lunchtime Yoga 12noon-12:45pm
11
MONDAY
Lunchtime Yoga 12noon-12:45pm
14 THURSDAY
Lunchtime Yoga 12noon-12:45pm
18
MONDAY
Lunchtime Yoga 12noon-12:45pm
21
THURSDAY
Lunchtime Yoga 12noon-12:45pm
7pm The Unknown Craftsman, Alan Anderson Free Tickets on Eventbrite
12noon – 12:45pm • Mondays through Nov. 27 (No Class 10/30)
Meditation At Monona Terrace
THURSDAY
12noon – 12:45pm
16
Meditation At Monona Terrace
23 MONDAY
Meditation at Monona Terrace
SUNDAY
Daylong Meditation Retreat
9am-4pm $20 Ticket on Eventbrite
MONDAY
7pm Face the Music x PechaKucha Free Tickets on Eventbrite
Mindful Yoga
Wellness Talks
Luminescence: A Spectacle of Fire and Light, Pyrotechniq Fire Troupe
12noon – 12:45pm
9
12noon-12:45pm
13
Friday
7pm $10 Adult, $5 Youth Tickets on Eventbrite
Mindful Yoga
12noon-12:45pm
12noon-12:45pm
27 WEDNESDAY
Wright On! for Families
1-4pm Free Tickets on Eventbrite
12noon-12:45pm
26 TUESDAY
Sunday
17
FRIDAY
Wellness Talks
12noon-1pm “Healthy Aging: Natural Medicine for Every Decade of Life” Dr. Ruddy
20 MONDAY
Meditation at Monona Terrace 12noon – 12:45pm
27 MONDAY
Meditation at Monona Terrace 12noon – 12:45pm
27 FRIDAY
Moon Over Monona Terrace
6:30-9pm Free Tickets on Eventbrite
MONONA TERRACE® One John Nolen Dr., Madison, WI 53703 • PH: 608.261.4000 TTY: 771 or 800.947.3529 • communityevents.mononaterrace.com adno=535455-01
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September 8, 2017
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Fitchburg Star
Reported gunshot leads to confrontation, road closure Police: Attempted ‘suicide by cop’ on Fish Hatchery SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group
Fitchburg police closed South Fish Hatchery Road late in the morning Tuesday, Sept. 5, after a confrontation with a man who reportedly fired a gun in a house on the 2200 block. The man asked responding officers to shoot him while not complying with their commands, according to a news release, and police believe the man was trying to commit “suicide by cop.” The release did not identify the man.
Police received the report around 11:35 a.m., according to a news release, and tried to establish contact with the suspect. He had kicked out the front door to the residence, gone toward an outbuilding on the property and begun breaking out windows, the release said, and was armed with a baseball bat. The man dropped the bat when police approached him, but allegedly refused other commands from the officers and yelled for them to shoot him. Officers instead used “less-lethal options” and took the man into custody, according to the release. The initial investigation revealed a domestic disturbance that “escalated”
into a gun being shot in the residence, according to the release. The incident remains under investigation, and police this week expected to request charges against the man, who was transported to a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. A woman from the residence was also transported to a hospital for evaluation, according to the release. The Oregon and Madison police departments and the Dane County Sheriff’s Office assisted FPD during the incident.
Only a drill Fitchburg police and fire personnel conducted a series of training exercises at Savanna Oaks Middle School Aug. 15-17. The trainings focused on how personnel from the departments should work together during an active shooter situation at the school. Officers and firefighters practiced approaching and entering the school, locating a shooter, treating an injured victim and exiting back out safely over the three days. The Verona Area School District has had some larger-scale trainings at its sites in the past with multiple area departments involved.
Contact Scott Girard at ungreporter@wcinet.com and follow him on Twitter @sgirard9.
Police respond to shots fired on Leopold Way and at least one vehicle” fled the area after shots were fired, according to a news release. Officers located three shell casings at the scene, and a preliminary investigation indicated a physical altercation before shots
were fired. The incident remained under investigation, and no one reported injuries or property damage, according to the release. – Scott Girard
Photo by Scott Girard
Fitchburg Police Department officers Rodd Rettler, right, and John Parker escort a pair of firefighters out of Savanna Oaks Middle School during a training drill.
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Fitchburg police responded to a shots fired incident in the 3300 block of Leopold Way Sunday, Sept. 3. Officers received the report around 4:35 a.m. that, according to several witnesses, “several people
Oregon schools
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September 8, 2017
Fitchburg Star
9
5 things to know for the 2017-18 school year SCOTT DE LARUELLE Unified Newspaper Group
1. ‘New’ spaces at OHS, OMS The district is “zeroing in” on the completion of the $54.6 million dollar school construction projects, as district superintendent Brian Busler put it. The final piece of the puzzle – the new OHS commons – is slated for completion in late October. “The projects are on budget and on-time,” he said. OHS principal Jim Pliner said over the summer, renovations on the school’s new STEAM area and old field house have taken shape and are ready for students. Much of the “old” school was torn up during the last few months as workers completed a variety of projects. The Library Media Center was restored, and the school’s science, technology, engineering, arts and math center were demolished to make way for a new one in the former math area. Some science classrooms were also renovated, as well as some of the older parts of the school
to “establish collaborative work areas” similar to those in the new academic wing. Pliner said the new areas in the high school will provide students with “wonderful new learning environments.” “The spaces allow for flexible grouping (and) include furniture that optimizes collaboration and provides students with open and well-lit spaces to spark creativity,” he told the Star in an email.
2. STEAM expansion
a student is leading their learning with a creative idea and bringing this idea to a prototype or market ready,” he wrote in an email to the Star. “The problem-solving and critical thinking required are two examples of 21st-century learning and thinking.” At OMS, the new STEAM space, completed earlier this year, includes three state-of-the-art music rooms, two technology innovation labs and a design lab in the new science wing that will give students the ability to study science with a “hands-on approach.” The science lab is also connected to a greenhouse to bring agri-science and plantbased studies into the middle school curriculum. “There is a strong history of Oregon teachers having a high interest in STEAM fields and working on the interconnectedness of science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics,” Busler said
T h e n ew l y r e n ova t e d STEAM area in the high school is also nearing completion, Pliner said. In a few weeks, “the impact will be felt,” he said, as staff will move in and set up furniture and equipment. “Our staff is looking forward to using this space to allow students to create, problem-solve and innovate,” he said. Busler said the new space will include a “Makerspace” lab for students to create, design and manufac- 3. Personalized ture small projects or prod- learning expansion ucts. In the sixth year of the “ T h i s c r e a t ive s p a c e district’s personalized learnsupports the personalized ing initiative, the program learning approach, where will continue to evolve and
expand at all the district schools, Busler said. One of the ways personalized learning will work throughout the district is breaking students up into more “flexible groups” based on level of understanding, district director of curriculum Leslie Bergstrom said earlier this year, with teachers using regular assessments to figure out where students are in their learning. “(They) figure out what students know and then group them for that day based on what they know, not permanent groups based on one assessment they took a long time ago,” she said. “(It’s) flexible groups based on what they know the student needs to know that day or that week.” B e rg s t r o m s a i d w i t h the emphasis on personalized learning, the district is “focusing on the creation of relevant and empowering learning experiences,” one of the district’s core values. “Our goal is to create students who are owners of their learning,” she wrote the Star in an email. “To this end, we are focusing on the use of learning targets, timely feedback and formative
assessment to guide next steps and student goal-setting.” Busler said connecting with students individually and building strong relationships has been proven to improve academic performance. “We remain committed to serving all 4,000-plus students as an individual,” he said.
4. Integrating OASIS into OHS The district’s alternative high school, OASIS, has been relocated from the Oregon Ice Arena to OHS. For several years, the district had rented out room in the arena due to a lack of space elsewhere on the OSD campus. Pliner said district officials are excited to have OASIS finally attached to the high school, which will allow OASIS students better access to classes in the building and also make it easier to support those students with school resources. “Access to counselors, social workers, the health office and administrators will provide a more supportive and responsive experience,” he said.
5. Academic and Career Planning Also at the high school, the Academic and Career Planning program will be in “full swing” this year, Pliner told the Star, with a mix of activities supported through both advisory and core curricular classrooms. Curriculum will be implemented for each grade level, and students will have the chance to “explore their interests and develop personalized plans.” According to the district, those plans will document and reflect students’ coursework, learning and assessment results, post-secondary plan aligned to their career goals, a record of college and career readiness skills and a portfolio sharing their achievements and growth. “These learning plans will inform their course selection here but will also be a part of their post-secondary plans,” Pliner wrote. “Students will be charting a course forward and our staff will be working to help students make connections.” Email Unified Newspaper Group reporter Scott De Laruelle at scott. delaruelle@wcinet.com.
Corré la Voz Available at a newsstand near you! Corré la Voz is a monthly Spanish language newspaper covering the Verona and Fitchburg communities.
Corré la Voz Disponible en un quiosco cerca de usted! Corré la Voz es un periódico mensual en español que cubre las comunidades de Verona y Fitchburg.
Pick up your free copy of Corré la Voz at any of these locations: Recoja su copia gratuita de Corré la Voz en cualquiera de estas ubicaciones:
Back to school
Kids from Netherwood Knoll and Prairie View elementary schools were back in class on Sept. 5, the first day of school. Some arrived with their parents and the others got off school buses by themselves. School staff welcomed them and gave high fives to each other on their way to school.
What’s online S e e m o r e O r eg o n S c h o o l D i s t r i c t s t o r i e s a t ConnectFitchburg.com:
Drug dog searches to continue this year The Oregon school board did not want to make drug dog searches at the high school and middle school permanent, but agreed to continue them on a provisional basis in the 2017-18 school year. Last year was the first for the searches.
Fitchburg Certco Fitchburg Public Library La Concha La Hacienda La Michoacana Latino Chamber of Commerce Savanna Oaks Middle School Stone Crest Apartments Stoner Prairie Elementary The Fountains Apartments
Madison Centro Hispano La Hacienda Taqueria El Jalapeno
Llame al 608-835-9559 Correo electrónico veronasales@wcinet.com
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Photo by Helu Wang
Education assistant Erica Adams helps Kate Kling, 5, look for her bag hanger on her first day of kindergarten at Netherwood Knoll elementary school.
Verona Badger Ridge Middle School Glacier Edge Elementary Miller’s Grocery Verona Country View Elementary Verona High School Verona Public Library Verona Sugar Creek Elementary Verona Vision Verona Press
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September 8, 2017
Madison schools
Fitchburg Star
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Welcome back Leopold Elementary School students were greeted by staff and some firefighters on their first day back at school for the 2017-18 school year Tuesday, Sept. 5.
Photos by Scott Girard
Daphne Miller, left, and Roman Worzala Dumke Reily Mata Zempoalteca, left, and Leonardo Portillo Zempoal- embrace hands while they teca get high fives from the staff members outside welcomwalk into Leopold for their ing them back to school. first day of the school year.
Staff members wave to a passing student and parent on their way into Leopold.
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Verona schools
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September 8, 2017
Fitchburg Star
11
Bus app, grades among things to watch this year SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group
The 2017-18 school year is sure to bring plenty of discussion about the near future of the Verona Area School District. Three of our top five things to watch this year fall under that category, and others, like potential changes to district language offerings, did not even crack the list. But parents are likely to see the effects of the top two on our list more immediately. One is a technology new to the district that will allow parents to keep tabs on buses in real time, something the district has been working toward since 2015 when it changed busing providers. Number two on the list is another multi-year effort from the district. While still a work in progress, some changes to grading and math classes at Badger Ridge Middle School are a step toward creating more consistency between BRMS and Savanna Oaks. The other three are topics to keep an eye on for parents, including the design process for the new high school, the undetermined future of the district’s first charter high school and potential changes to the school calendar. Here is more detail on the Press’ choices for the top five things to watch this school year:
1. Bus app
A new app should help parents navigate those times when they want to keep their child out of the cold until the last minute possible, or if they’re wondering how much time they have until the bus arrives from school at the end of the day. The “Safe Stop” app debuted last year on four bus routes for the final two months of the year, but will be available to all beginning this fall. The app, which parents can download on a smartphone through the Apple Store or Google Play Store, updates every 30 seconds with expected arrival times and features an “Alerts and Messaging Center” to offer updates. Parents will have to register on the app using their child’s Student Number, which limits who has access to the information. Once registered, they can add bus stops and the morning and afternoon routes to set up the tracking. The technological addition was among the reasons VASD superintendent Dean Gorrell cited in 2015 when the district switched from longtime bus provider First Student to Badger Bus. Last year, the district and Badger Bus launched a new InfoFinder website, where parents could find updated bus routes and stops, but it did not have the live tracking capability like the new app.
2. Middle school changes
District officials have been With “snow season” lasting working for more than a year nearly half of the school year – at to bring consistency to attenleast – transportation can bring dance-area middle schools. While there’s plenty of work plenty of surprises. left in that effort, this year will
see one significant step fall into place. Both BRMS and SOMS will offer separate feedback on academic progress and “habits of learning,” which focus more on a student’s effort. BRMS will also begin to use both standards-based grading and traditional letter grades in math. SOMS began using standards-based grading, which measures on a student’s “mastery” of a topic, in 2014. The schools will also have common instructional materials for math, which BRMS principal Mike Murphy said in June was “really the first time” for that. With those changes in place, the “Middle School Study” will continue this year with a focus on gathering feedback from families throughout the year. One of the next expected topics the study will tackle is schedules at each of the schools, which are inconsistent.
3. High school design Three years from now, the district plans to have high school students preparing for the first day at a new, $160 million high school. First, they have to design it. That process began shortly after the April referendum in which voters approved the project and continued through the summer. The district plans to continue the “schematic design” phase into this fall and hold public information meetings in late October or early November to share the layout. The design is being planned with the district’s personalized learning initiative in mind, with
designers emphasizing a mix of spaces for solo and small group work with traditional classrooms. The Visionary Design Team, which consists of the district’s architect and high school staff, visited school sites in other states and spoke with students there about what they like in a learning environment. By spring, the district and its consultants plan to have the design phase completed and begin construction.
4. EA future VASD’s first charter high school is entering its fifth year. That’s also the final year of the Exploration Academy’s current charter agreement with the district, and the governing council has indicated the school will consider becoming a “program” within the main high school instead of its current format. Minutes from a July meeting show two options under consideration: a new fiveyear charter or three years as a charter and then becoming a program. The project-based school, housed in the high school’s K-Wing, was somewhat of a test case for personalized learning, albeit in a more extreme form than has come into place around the rest of the district. Students are expected to meet the same standards as their peers at Verona Area High School but can demonstrate those standards through projects rather than in traditional classes. Examples have included studying the history of an art movement, building a musical
instrument and writing a short story. Students have been allowed to take up to two classes per semester at the high school. Last year, the charter discussion focused on Verona Area International School, which ultimately had a new five-year agreement approved by the board. Whether EA gets the same – or even wants the same – will come out this fall.
5. Calendar changes The school board waited a month longer than usual to approve the 2017-18 school calendar this spring. It took the extra time to examine potential changes to late-start Mondays, with a goal to find more time for staff development. While that proposal did not gain strong enough support for the board to put changes in place, board members indicated a preference to begin the calendar process earlier this year to get a clearer picture of what parents and staff prefer. In recent years, the district’s ad hoc calendar committee has taken steps to implement home visits from teachers before the school year begins. Staff development is the next step, and it’s become especially important with the district’s focus on behavior initiatives and personalized learning. The calendar committee is expected to meet throughout this fall, and could be sending surveys to families to get feedback on potential changes. Contact Scott Girard at ungreporter@wcinet.com and follow him on Twitter @sgirard9.
What’s online See more Verona Area School District stories at ConnectFitchburg.com:
Board adds $8.7 million in projects at new high school The Verona Area school board approved $8.7 million in additional projects at the new high school site, including $5.7 million for a second pool in the aquatic center. Other new amenities include a production kitchen, turf upgrades for the soccer and football fields and a large-group meeting space.
Exploration Academy considers future Leaders at the Verona Area School District’s first charter high school are considering whether to ask the board for a new five-year charter approval or phase into a program within the high school. This year is the last of EA’s current charter agreement.
Board members plan outreach School board members planned a pair of outreach meetings this month for “informal chats” with community members. The first was held Sept. 7 in Verona, while the second is Sunday, Sept. 10 at Fitchburg Public Library from 1-3 p.m. The main topic is the new amenities for the high school.
Parent personalized learning committee will offer guidance As Verona Area School District administrators figure out the next steps of implementation for personalized learning, they hope a group that will be created later this fall can help ensure it will be as smooth of a process as possible.
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12 Fitchburg Star - September 8, 2017
Ask the Fitchburg
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WINDOW FASHIONS & COVERINGS
from the Great Depression and World War II to rapid-fire advances in technology and medical science. Indeed, our WWII generation is slowly dying. Along the way, through times both challenging and prosperous, they have collected a treasure trove of experiences and wisdom that could guide us today and in the future. That is, if we do not let time get away. We need to create opportunities now, while we can, for elders to share their life stories with younger generations. Over time, many elders do share their experiences, one by one, with family and friends. That is good, but often they are only spoken and not written down or recorded. And Stephen Rudolph many times they are passed along only to immediate family members and not others who may FACHE, CSA lack strong family ties of their own, thus missing out on chances to swap stories with older adults. Intergenerational conversations—in a variety of settings—can enrich younger people’s lives while giving elders precious opportunities to relive their vivid tapestry of experience. As a result, one generation gains new understanding and respect for the other. Plan to use part of this year to learn from the special elders in your life.
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RETIREMENT COMMUNITY
Q. What kinds of things can I do to ensure my elderly mother doesn’t feel isolated? A. There are a number of things you can do to ensure your mother isn’t feeling alone. Here are a few tips that might help. 1) Provide transportation to and from appointments. 2) Visit her often! This could be anything from enjoying a cup of coffee with her to taking a short 15-minute walk, have a lunch date, or a shopping trip to her favorite store. 3) Encourage your mother to participate in activities. If none are offered in her living situation, help her find something close to home. Join her in the activity and of course, make sure she gets to and from safely! 4) Help make her home a special place. Display her favorite photos where she can view them daily, this will help her reminisce over the fond memories. Ask her about her memories, even if you’ve heard it before! 5) Encourage her to invite a neighbor or friend over for coffee or tea. If she is struggling to make friends, feel free to help her meet people in her apartment complex or in her neighborhood. 6) Suggest an exercise class that is safe for seniors. Often times, there is something right where she is living. We hope these few suggestions will help prevent your senior from feeling isolated.
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PHYSICAL THERAPY
ASSISTED LIVING AND MEMORY CARE
Q. What types of Assisted Living options are there? A. There are 3 types of assisted livings facilities. Resident Care Apartment
Q. My Mother is elderly and is having a difficult time living at home independently, what are her options for living arrangements?
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her home and have services in her home (caregivers, medical home care services, housekeeping or caring for the home/yard). If your Mother is having difficulty living independently because of stairs and obstacles within the home, then a senior apartment complex may be her best option. Senior apartments may also be known as “independent living” apartments as the person lives in the apartment without physical assistance, yet have more social opportunities than living in their own home. Independent living apartments are typically “senior friendly” with grab bars in the bathroom, wider hallways, shorter carpet, and minimal stairs and many on-site amenities to help make Susan Armstrong, MPT living independently easier. If your Mother is having difficulty getting dressed, cooking, bathing, and performing typical daily living Physical Therapist skills, then an assisted living facility may be the best option. An assisted living facility can range in size from a small 8 bed facility to a larger multi-unit facility and typically has 24 hour staffing to assist with toileting, cooking, laundry, and light dressing and bathing needs. Many assisted living facilities offer services with a separate building for “memory care” for individuals with Alzheimer’s and Dementia. It is important to speak with your Mother, siblings, and physician to decide which placement is ideal for her. Stellar Rehabilitation offers on-site therapy services in many independent and assisted living facilities in Dane and surrounding counties. Check Stellar’s website to observe the list of facilities where you may find Stellar employees – www.stellarrehab.com.
Complex (RCAC) provides assistance to seniors where 5 or more reside that consist of apartments with a lockable entrance and exit. An RCAC provides up to 28 hours of care per week which includes supportive services, personal assistance, and health services. An individual cannot have an activated Power of Attorney prior to moving into an RCAC, unless their competent spouse or other person who has legal responsibility for the individual moves in with them. Adult Family Home (AFH) is the smallest type of assisted living which provides a variety of needs for up to 4 people usually in a residential style home, and may include dementia and other conditions of aging. Caregivers may or may not live on site and services are provided above the level of room and board with up to 7 hours per week of nursing support. Community Based Residential Facility (CBRF) provides room and board assistance to seniors where 5 to 257 people live, smaller CBRFs are usually 20 plus beds in a homelike setting. CBRFs serve a variety of needs, and may include dementia and other conditions of aging, admitting and providing services to people of advanced age, Dementia, Developmental disabilities, Mental health problems, Physical disabilities, Traumatic brain injury and the Terminally ill with up to 3 hours per week of nursing support. An individual may be admitted to a CBRF with or without an activated power of attorney.
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SENIOR CARE
Q. How Can I Learn From Elders? A. Less and less of today’s elders have lived through significant historic events and change –
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skin. What could be causing this? A. Just like humans, pets may develop allergies during their lifetimes. While we tend to sneeze and have itchy eyes with seasonal allergies, dogs often develop itchy toes. They will chew at them and lick them, sometimes causing the hair to develop an orange or reddish tinge. There are some exciting new long acting allergy drugs available for dogs that work at the cellular level to quiet down their immune response to allergens. We are also able to test pets for allergies with a simple blood test that may identify specific triggers in your home. The days of relying only on steroids to quiet down itchy dogs has passed. Ask your veterinarian about new ways to make your itchy dog comfortable again.
Jeremy Jones, sports editor
845-9559 x226 • ungsportseditor@wcinet.com
Anthony Iozzo, assistant sports editor 845-9559 x237 • sportsreporter@wcinet.com Fax: 845-9550
Sports
Friday, Sept. 08, 2017
The
13
Fitchburg Star For more sports coverage, visit: ConnectFitchburg.com
West boys cross country
Edgewood girls swimming
Crusaders win Swimmin Women Relays JEREMY JONES Sports editor
The defending WIAA Division 2 state champion Madison Edgewood girls swimming team and runner-up McFarland didn’t waste any time renewing acquaintances in a highly-contested relay meet that came down to the final event.
Swimmin’ Women Relays Every point mattered Sept. 2 for the Crusaders, who won five of 11 events to claim the Stoughton Swimmin’ Women Relays by two points over the rival McFarland Spartans 144-142. Kaitlyn Barth, Jenna Silvestri, Mallory
Turn to EHS swim/Page 16 Photo by Jeremy Jones
Madison West senior Daniel Jacobs holds off Middleton’s Sam Jaeger for fifth place Saturday, Sept. 2, at the Verona Invitational. Jacobs covered the 5k course in 16 minutes, 16 seconds.
Defending champs start 2-0 JEREMY JONES Sports editor
Madison West placed its top five runners in the first 23 runners across the finish line Saturday, Sept. 2 to run away with the Verona Invitational. Senior Daniel Jacobs covered the challenging course, which traversed up a hill, around a soccer field and through the Verona Area High School prairie in 16 minutes, 16 seconds. His pace was good enough for fifth place. Caleb Easton of Middleton had the fastest time, posting a 15:59 to beat Monona Grove
senior Charlie Ellenbecker (16:02) and Madison Ma Follette senior Josh Freitag (16:05). Monona Grove junior Reed Anderson was fourth in 16:13. The next four varsity scorers for the Regents crossed the finish line within 52 seconds of Jacobs, helping West easily take the team title with a score of 65. Big Eight rival Middleton was second with 70 points thanks to the performance of Easton and Sam Jaeger (sixth). The Cardinals fifth runner was too far back (34th) to help Middleton overtake the Regents. Madison La Follette finished third with a
106. Senior Aaron Letcher was the Regents second runner, finishing the race in 16:34 in 10th place. Junior Erik Neunninghoff finished two spots back in 12th place with a time of 16:44. Senior Jack Reed was 15th in 16:49, and sophomore Ryan Reed rounded out the Regent pack, taking 23rd place in 17:07. Seniors Lucas Crawford and Matthew LaLuzerne competed but did not count toward the final varsity score.
Glenn Herold invite
season Saturday, Aug. 26 at the Glenn Herold Invitational in Watertown, where the team placed four of its top five runners in the first six spots to post a gaudy team score of 29. Defending Division 2 state champion Lakeland was second – 66 points back with a 95 – and Baraboo was third with a 104. Jacobs led the way in 16:30, finishing second to Lakeland senior Kavanaugh FitzPatrick (16:27). Letcher was second for the Regents, taking third in 16:53. Jack Reed (16:59 and
OHS girls golf
Photo by Anthony Iozzo
Turn to West boys CC/Page 16
Freshman Alyssa Schmidt hits out of the bunker on the 16th hole on Aug. 28 in the Crusade Fore a Cure invite at Maple Bluff Country Club.
Passing game erupts as Cats remain undefeated
Panthers look to be more consistent
The Regents opened the
VAHS football ANTHONY IOZZO Assistant sports editor
A strong rushing attack has been a key to the Verona Area High School football team’s success ever since coach Dave Richardson took over as head coach in 2000. But the 35-6 win on Aug. 31over Madison Memorial at Mansfield Stadium was all about the passing attack, as senior quarterback Aaron Young threw three touchdown passes and senior split end Carson Bull caught two touchdowns and topped 100 receiving yards. Verona has outscored its first three opponents 86-14, and Bull said mixing up the offense opens up the game to allow for big plays and has helped the Wildcats (3-0) remain undefeated. “Whether it is the run or pass option or the pass, it opens up the field so much,” Bull said. “It allows us to do so many different types of things and have so many different types of formations.” Senior running back Joe Riley also rushed for over 100 yards and two touchdowns. And the defense once again dominated,
Big Eight Team W-L Verona 3-0 Sun Prairie 3-0 Madison La Follette 3-0 Middleton 2-1 Madison West 2-1 Janesville Craig 1-2 Janesville Parker 1-2 Madison Memorial 0-3 Madison East 0-3 Beloit Memorial 0-3
holding the Spartans (0-3) to one touchdown in the fourth quarter. But it was the passing that set the tone early. Young, who finished 13-for19 for 195 yards, found Bull in the middle of the field for what would have been a first down on a second-and-11. Bull reached up and snatched the ball out of Photo by Anthony Iozzo the air, turned and took it an extra 30-plus yards for a 46-yard Senior split end Carson Bull makes a 35-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter Thursday against Madison Memorial at Mansfield Staditouchdown reception. um. The Wildcats won 35-6, and Bull finished with three catches for Turn to VAHS football/Page 16 107 yards and two touchdowns.
ANTHONY IOZZO Assistant sports editor
To have a strong run in the postseason, the Oregon High School girls golf team will need to get to the 330-340 team-score range. That’s the assessment of coach Eric Instefjord, based on previous years and what he has seen this fall. Whether that comes true will depend on how the girls improve in the final few weeks before the Badger South Conference tournament Sept. 19. The main thing, he said, will be gaining more consistency with their ball striking, especially with the top three golfers on the team – senior Andi McCorkle, junior Ally Payne and junior Sydney McKee. The hope is to get those three around the 80 or sub-80 mark by season’s end. At the bottom of the lineup, junior Brooke McCallum and freshmen Alyssa Schmidt and Sam McKee have been battling for the final two varsity spots. They have all played tournaments this fall, and Instefjord said the goal is to get them into the bogey range by the postseason in order to balance the Panthers’ team score. “They are all playing pretty similar,” Instefjord said. “It is a matter of if they are playing well that week.”
Turn to OHS golf/Page 16
14
September 8, 2017
Oregon High School
Fitchburg Star
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Girls tennis
Girls swimming
Oregon’s depth leads to wins
Panthers split Badger South duals JEREMY JONES Sports editor
Oregon High School girls tennis improved to 2-1 in the Badger South Conference, splitting with Fort Atkinson and Stoughton.
Stoughton 4, Oregon 3 Junior Isabelle Krier and sophomore Anna Donovan supplied two of the Panthers’ three wins on Sept. 5 in a 4-3 Badger South dual meet loss at Stoughton. “Isabelle was playing a very nice retriever, but played very calm and composed,” co-head coach Alec Onesti said. “She really controlled the match after the middle of the first set.” Krier won 6-4, 6-3 at No. 2 singles and Donovan overcame a slow start to prevail 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 against Kayle Rippe at No. 3 singles. “Anna loves to make us coaches nervous,” Onesti said. “She just needed that first set to wake up, and once she did, she really took control and played a nice, well-rounded match.” Senior Addie O’Brien and sophomore Jordana Burkeland supplied the team’s other win at No. 3 doubles, winning 6-4, 6-4 over Katie Zacharias and Emily Erdahl. “Addie and Jordana have really been finding their stride in their net game, and it’s nice to see,” Onesti said. Oregon had their chances at No. 1 singles and No. 2 doubles. Senior Jules Gerhard led Lydia Brekken 5-4 in the first set but was unable to close out the set, falling 7-5, 6-1 at No. 1 singles. Seniors Katie Reisdorf and Kailey O’Brien had a slow start but nearly forced a third game, falling 6-2, 7-5 to Paige and Karlie Halverson. “It was a close match, and we were please with how the girls continue to work hard and improve,” Onesti said. “Milton is up next.
JEREMY JONES
Reisdorf and Kailey O’Brien and senior Addie O’Brien and Burkeland rolled 6-0, 6-0 at Nos. 2 and 3 doubles. Gerhards beat Kastyn Hebbe 6-1, 6-0 atop the singles lineup and junior Rachell Depuydt matched the score at No. 4 singles. Krier cruised to 6-0, 6-2 victory at No. 2 singles and Donovan added a 6-3, 6-3 victory at No. 3 singles.
Sports editor
Depth has not been a luxury afforded to the Oregon/Belleville girls swimming team throughout the history of the program. That may all be changing this season, though, as the Panthers have the largest team (22 girls) in recent history. It was that depth and the second- and third-place finishes it supplied Aug. 22 that carried them to a conference dual win over Fort Atkinson 88-79. Oregon earned victories from the 200-medley relay (Carolyn Christofferson, Mattea Thomason, Ava Magee and Halle Bush), the 400-freestyle relay (Zoe Rule, Victoria Helvig, Ellen Martin and Dobrinsky), as well as individual wins from Dobrinsky in the 200 free and Thomason in the 100 breaststroke. Magee and Helvig joined the team this season after swimming previously for clubs in Eau Claire and Minnesota. The Panthers set the tone early winning the 200-medley relay, touching out Fort Atkinson by just .43 with a time of 1 minutes, 29.39 seconds. Dobrinsky added the 200 free one event later in 2:06.2. Thompson came out of lane seven to win the 100 breaststroke in 1:16.39. Rule, Helvig, Martin and Dobrinsky helped Oregon close out the win, claiming the 400 free in 4:08.62. Rule led throughout the majority of the 200 IM only to be touched out by Fort Atkinson sophomore Emmi Belzer at the wall (2:22.96-2:23.29). Christofferson and Magee
Stoughton Invitational
Photo by Jeremy Jones
Junior Isabelle Krier serves at No. 2 singles Sept. 5 at Stoughton. Krier won her match 6-4, 6-3 over senior Krissy Pohold but Oregon lost the Badger South dual 4-3. Hopefully, we can take it to them and pickup a big win.”
Oregon 7, Fort Atkinson 0 The Panthers lost one game in all three doubles flights Aug. 31 en route to a 7-0 sweep of Badger South rival Fort Atkinson. Juniors Sophia Choles and Ashley Johnson played the closest doubles match of the day, cruising 6-0, 6-1 over Klarie Trieloff and Jackie Jensen at No. 1 doubles.
The Panthers finished seventh out of eight teams with 4.5 points Sept. 2 at the Stoughton Invitational. Kenosha St. Joseph bested Middleton with 28.5 points, one-and-ahalf points ahead of Middleton (27). Brookfield Central rounded out the top three with 22 points. Depuydt played her way to a team-best fifth place finish at No. 4 singles after a first-round loss to Brookfield Central. She beat Madison La Follette 6-1, 6-0 and Kenosha St. Joe’s Hannah Altergott 6-3, 6-1. It was all or nothing for Addie O’Brien and Burkeland at No. 3 doubles who were shut out in the first round by Middleton but bounced back to blank La Follette before falling 6-0, 6-0 to Oconomowoc in the fifth-place match. Gerhards and Krier won their seventh-place match, as did Oregon’s No. 2 doubles team. Gerhards won her match against Madison La Follette 6-4, 6-2 at No. 1 singles and Krier beat Madison La Follette 6-2, 6-1 at No. 2 singles. Reisdorf and Kailey O’Brien beat Madison La Follette at No. 2 doubles 6-4, 6-2. Oregon dropped all of its No. 3 singles and No. 1 doubles matches. Donovan lost 7-6 (3), 6-0 in the seventh-place match at No. 3 singles against La Follette. Choles and Johnson also fell 6-4, 6-4 in their final match to La Follette.
finished second and third in the 50 free as did Magee and Helvig in the 100 butterfly, Dobrinsky and Bush in the 500 free and Rule and Christofferson in the 100 backstroke.
Oregon 86, Stoughton 84 Oregon/Belleville and the Stoughton girls swimming are teams on similar trajectories to build up both programs. Oregon and Stoughton have seen an increase in numbers, as well as young talent this season. Just how even the teams are was put on display Aug. 29 as the host Panthers held on to win the Badger South Conference dual over the rival Vikings, 86-84. Dobrinsky had a hand in three of the five events Oregon won. She opened the meet by anchoring 200 medley relay team of Christofferson, Thomason and Magee to the wall first in 2 minutes, 11.10 seconds. Dobrinsky went on to help the Panthers add the 200 free relay and individually won the 500 free. Bush, Christofferson and Magee joined Dobrinsky to help the Panthers win the 200 free relay in 2:00.18 — more than eight seconds ahead of Stoughton. Dobrinsky added the 400 free in 4:48.02 to help Oregon improve to 2-0 in conference play. Oregon’s other wins came in the 100 breaststroke and the 50 free. Thomason claimed the 100 breaststroke in 1:23.8. Christofferson won the 50 free going into the break.
Volleyball
Panthers edged by MG in five-set comeback, knock off Edgewood to open season Assistant sports editor
The Oregon High School volleyball team won the first two sets at Monona Grove on Thursday and was in position to remain undefeated. But the Silver Eagles fought back with three straight wins, as the Panthers fell 3-2 (25-22, 25-19, 16-25, 18-25, 7-15). Oregon (10-3 overall, 1-1
Badger South) was close with Monona Grove (12-3, 2-0) in the third set before the Silver Eagles pulled away. “We made a lot of our own errors and weren’t able to get it back on track in sets four and five,” coach Katie Heitz wrote in an email. Senior outside hitter Alyssa Milski finished with 21 kills, and junior setter Erin Flanagan had 40 assists, 11 digs and two
aces. Junior libero Emily Konop added 12 digs and two aces, and senior middle blocker Jenna Igl and junior right-side hitter/setter Erin Wriedt both collected three blocks. Junior McKenna Warnock led the Silver Eagles with 16 kills and 14 digs, and junior Lydia Kneubuehl and senior Kearsten Kochan both had 10 kills. Senior Morgan Ellingson had three aces, and Kneubuehl collected three
blocks. Senior Laurel Mas- Edgewood,’” coach Katie ters finished with 23 assists. Heitz said. “I am not taking away from EdgeOregon 3, Edgewood 1 anything wood. They are a very good Oregon took a 2-0 lead team this year. It is overAug. 24 and didn’t let a loss coming that mental block. “Now that we beat them, in the third set derail its victory march, as the Panthers we should always think we cruised to a 14-point fourth set win and a 3-1 (25-19, 15-16, 21-25, 25-11) match win. “I think we have always had something in out head that, ‘Oh my gosh, it is
can play with anyone.” Konop had 19 digs, and Milski finished with 24 kills and 16 digs. Senior defensive specialist Brooke Mussehl collected 15 digs, and Flanagan had 34 assists and two aces.
Photo by Anthony Iozzo
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Junior middle blocker Bekken Pearson gets a kill in the first set Aug. 29 in a nonconference match against Wisconsin Dells at Oregon High School. The Panthers won 3-0 (25-10, 25-14, 25-23) and are now 7-0 overall.
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Verona Area High School
September 8, 2017
Fitchburg Star
15
Boys soccer
Cats win first Big Eight match, start season 5-2 overall ANTHONY IOZZO
Monday. Tuesday, Verona continued to dominate with a 9-2 win at Menomonee Falls.
Assistant sports editor
Coach Chris Handrick said the Verona Area boys soccer team was looking to find out its strengths during the nonconference portion of the schedule. Handrick said he thinks the early schedule should mimic what the Big Eight Conference brings, but the results were mixed in the first few games. That changed in the last three with two more shutouts and 14 total goals. He had been impressed with the Wildcats (4-1) after a loss to Oconomowoc in the season opener, but he wanted more from them Friday during a 1-0 win over Moline (Ill.) at Reddan Soccer Park. Against Oconomowoc, Handrick said, the Wildcats felt the game was closer than its 3-1 final score. But days later, he said, the Wildcats were playing down to the level of Moline, which only mustered three shots and has been ranked in the 100s in Illinois. But if there is a time to learn, it is during nonconference play, which Handrick set up to be a test before Big
Verona 1, Moline 0
Photo by Anthony Iozzo
Senior Jose Adrian Lazaro-Padilla fights off a push from Moline (Ill.) junior Noah Cruz in the first half Aug. 25 at Reddan Soccer Park. Lazaro-Padilla collected an assist in a 1-0 win over the Maroons. Eight play starts. With games against Oconomowoc, Moline, Mount Horeb and Menomonee Falls during the first week, the different levels of play will be a good way to prepare for similar Big Eight opponents, Handrick said. “The variance of styles of play is what we are going to
need,” Handrick said. “The speed of play is what we are going to go up against in the Big Eight.” The Wildcats took the first step toward accomplishing their early season goals Saturday in a 2-0 win over Green Bay Notre Dame, and they followed that up with a 3-0 win over Mount Horeb
The Wildcats finished with 18 shots, but only five were on goal in the 1-0 win over Moline Friday. Many were either over the net or wide because of the passing and spacing on the field. The lone goal came in the 51st minute when senior captain midfielder Jose Adrian Lazaro-Padilla took a pass from the outside going away from the Moline box and found sophomore midfielder Jack Knight streaking toward an opening in the middle. Knight took the one-touch pass from Lazaro-Padilla and buried it past junior goalie Mason Meents for a 1-0 lead. However, that was the lone goal of the game despite the constant pressure from Verona. Senior midfielder Andres Temozihui, senior forward Jack Bates, junior midfielder Andres Rios-Vivian, sophomore midfielder Alex Sarabia, freshman forward Samuel
Abreu and Lazaro-Padilla also had shots in the second half. But only a header attempt by Abreu in the 79th minute came close to going past Meents. Handrick said Verona lacked “aggressiveness” at the goal in the final 30 minutes. “We were trying too hard in other areas that we shouldn’t have been,” he said. “I would like to see us move the ball cleaner through there so that we could get a shot on the backside like we did for our one goal.” The Wildcats’ mistake, he said, was letting the Maroons’ energy level dictate the style of play. “If we want a shot at the Big Eight and if we want a shot with teams around us in the Madison area, then we have to dictate the speed of play,” Handrick said. “They need to take the aggression they had Tuesday to play with a team like Oconomowoc, and they need to show up against a team that is maybe not at the same strength.” The Maroons had three shots on goal, all saved by sophomore goalie George Ohm.
Verona 2, Notre Dame 0 The Wildcats improved to 2-1 overall with a 2-0 win over non-conference Green Bay Notre Dame on Saturday at Reddan Soccer Park. Lazaro-Padilla assisted sophomore forward/midfielder Eliot Popkewitz on a goal in the 13th minute. Lazaro-Padilla added an unassisted goal in the 59th minute. Ohm finished with two saves.
Verona 10, Parker 0 The Wildcats hosted Janesville Parker in the Big Eight Conference opener Tuesday and won 10-0. Freshman forward Jonathan Gamez had three goals, and Bates and Popkewitz both had two goals. Lopez-Martinez, junior midfielder Andres Rios-Vivian and sophomore defender Sam Lynch also had goals. Lazaro-Padilla finished with two assists, and Temozihui, senior defender Ethan Poppen, sophomore midfielder Gannon Simmonett, Lopez-Martinez, Knight, Rios-Vivian and Popkewitz all had assists.
Girls swimming
Wildcats earn another win against Spartans, start 2-0 in Big Eight Conference Sports editor
The Verona Area/Mount Horeb girls swimming team found itself in a very close Big Eight Conference dual meet Thursday at Madison Memorial, winning the meet 90.579.5. “Both teams swam very well. There were a lot of fast times for a meet this early in the season,” coach Bill
Wuerger said. Sophie Henshue and Gabby Gnewuch went 1-2 in the 200and 500-yard freestyles for the Wildcats. Still, looking back, Wuerger said the 100 free was probably the most pivotal race. “It was very close and we were fortunate to go 1-3-4,” he said. Sara Stewart won the 100 free in 54.43 seconds, while Sam Malecki (57.33) and
Grace Bennin was the in 2:09.81 and added the 100 Stewart and Gnewuch addCleo Seidl (58.15) took third only Wildcat to win two breaststroke in 1:07. ed the 200 free relay in and fourth for VA/MH. Kaitlyn Zuehl, Bennin, 1:40.38. Henshue touched the wall events, claiming the 200 IM first in the 200 free (1:58.46), a little more than a second ahead of Gnewuch. The senior then bested the 500 free in 5:14.3 with Gnewuch touching the wall second in 5:20.82. Josie McCartney won the 100 butterfly in 1:01.23 and Bailey Felscheim tied Memorial’s Ella DeFever for second with a 1:01.81.
Girls golf
HOCKEY
Verona looks for leadership down the stretch
Verona Wildcats Youth Hockey
ANTHONY IOZZO
FREE Open House
Assistant sports editor
Seniors Lauren and Courtney Shorter have been with the Verona Area High School girls golf program since they were freshmen, and they have been two of the more consistent golfers this season. But with the postseason quickly approaching, Coach Jon Rebholz said that leadership will be even more important than getting lower scores. “It is going to become more important once we get closer to the playoffs, not just scoring-wise but leadership-wise – how they can take the team under their wings and elevate things once we hit the playoffs,” he said. Senior Claire Swain and sophomore Caitlyn Ott are slated to be the No. 3 and No. 4 golfers for the rest of the season, and senior Alexis Gaillard has an edge for the No. 5 spot. But the Big Eight Conference meet is Tuesday, Sept. 19, so there will be a few more meets for the girls to earn roster spots. Gaillard had been on vacation for much of the season, and junior Celia Donny had been starting on varsity. Gaillard is now back and will be starting on varsity this week. “Hopefully, we will be able to hit the ground running once we get (Gaillard) back in the lineup,” Rebholz said. While the five varsity spots are still not set, Rebholz said he teaches the girls that the spot doesn’t matter as long as you put forth the best effort while playing. Still, with conference at Evansville Golf Course, the Wildcats will be looking to get closer to Middleton, which has shot in the 350s for much of the season.
“Anything can happen down at Evansville for a conference tournament,” Rebholz said. “That is a little bit more of a difficult course. There are certain holes out there that some of the girls aren’t used to or used to have a strategy for. “It is going to depend on whether kids could put their mistakes behind them and maximize their scores.” With practice scores and last year’s postseason scores, Rebholz said it isn’t a reach to think Verona can get down to the 340-range.
Sun Prairie triangular The Wildcats traveled to Sun Prairie on Aug. 14 for a Big Eight triangular against Sun Prairie and Janesville Craig and defeated both teams with a 365. Sun Prairie was second with a 385, and Craig took third with a 398. Lauren and Courtney Shorter finished with a pair of 86s, and Swain shot a 96. Ott rounded out the top four with a 97. Kallie Lux led Craig with an 84, and Morgan Jambord led Sun Prairie with an 87.
Join us for a for kids four years and older Learn to Play Hockey Open House Saturday, October 14 • 12:30 pm Verona Ice Arena 12:30 pm Information Session 1:00 pm Try on Equipment 1:30 pm Open Skate with Wildcat youth coaches and players To register for the Open House or to find out more go to: veronayouthhockey.com
Madison East triangular
First year equipment rental is free!
Verona traveled to Monona Golf Course Aug. 21 to take on Madison East and Middleton in a Big Eight triangular and fell 167-171 to Middleton. The Purgolders had an incomplete team. Courtney Shorter finished with a 38, and Lauren Shorter followed with a 39. Swain and Ott both shot 47s. Payton Hodson led the Cardinals with a 39. Kate Meier and Grace Peterson both shot 42s, and Makenzie Hodson followed with a 44.
Contact Sarah at at Contact Kristin recruiting@veronayouthhockey.com recruiting@veronayouthhockey.com for information. for more more information.
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September 8, 2017
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Fitchburg Star
OHS golf: Panthers start 3-2 in Badger South
West boys CC: Regents win Glenn Herold
and Sam McKee rounded McCorkle shot a 40, and out the top four with a 53. Payne followed with a 44. Schmidt’s 54 was thrown Sydney McKee had a 48, There will be plenty of out. and McCallum shot a 55. time for the team to practice Mia Seeman led Milton now that the bulk of the regu- Oregon 194, with a 33. lar season is over. In the first Watertown 216 Oregon 185, MG 206 month, Oregon played in five Oregon traveled to Waterinvitationals and four duals. The Panthers traveled to They now have two invites town Country Club on Aug. Monona Golf Course Aug. and two duals left before 16 and took on Watertown in 25 for a Badger South dual the conference meet, and a Badger South Conference and won 185-206. Instefjord said that gives match. Sydney McKee led OreThe Panthers earned their them a chance to spend more gon with a 40, and McCorktime practicing, rather than first conference win 194- le followed with a 42. 216 over Watertown, which competing. Schmidt shot a 48. Sam “That is only going to joined the Badger South McKee finished the scoring from the Little 10 after conmake them better as we with a 55. McCallum’s 56 work toward the tournament ference realignment this sea- was thrown out. son. series,” he said. Payne led Oregon with a Oregon 189, Fort 197 Edgewood 173, 44, and McCorkle was next The Panthers hosted Fort with a 45. Sydney McKOregon 180 Atkinson Sept. 5 at Foxboro ee followed with a 49, and Golf Club and won 189-197. The Panthers hosted Mad- Schmidt shot a 56. Sydney McKee shot a 44, ison Edgewood on Aug. 15 in a Badger South Confer- Milton 153, Oregon 187 and Payne followed with a ence dual and fell 173-180. The Panthers hosted the 47. Schmidt had a 48, and McCorkle led Oregon No.1-ranked Red Hawks McCorkle finished the scorwith a 40, and Payne fol- Aug. 22 in the third Badger ing with a 50. Sam McKee’s 53 was lowed with a 42. Sydney South dual of the season and thrown out. McKee finished with a 45, fell 153-187.
Continued from page 13
Continued from page 13
fifth and sixth overall. Jack Reed was the team’s final scorer, finishing 10th Nuenninghoff (17:05) were in 17:39. Crawford and
Manix White both finished among the top 16 but did not count toward the varsity score.
EHS swim: Crusaders beat Stoughton Continued from page 13 Todd and Maeve O’Driscoll opened the meet, winning the 400-yard medley relay in 4:04.44. And all four girls went on to play a big part in the team’s victory. O’Driscoll and Barth were joined by Dee Dee Walker and Kelly Walker to win the 500 free relay in 4:39.16. Barth, O’Driscoll, Walker and Petersen then added the 100 free relay in 48.52. Rodriguez, Petersen, Silvestri and Mallory also won the 200 butterfly relay in 1:49.32, and Issy Petersen, Silvestri, Mallory and Rodriguez added the 400 IM relay in 410.49.
Edgewood 114, Stoughton 56 The Crusaders won every event Tuesday, Sept. 5, rolling to a 114-56 victory over the host Stoughton Vikings. Barth, Silvestri, Todd and O’Driscoll set the tone early with a nine second victory over
the Vikings with a 1:54.21 in the 200 medley relay. Silvestri led a 1-2-3 sweep of the 200 IM by the Crusaders in 2:13.47. Later she led a 1-2 finish in the 100 backstroke with a 1:01.47. Barth touched out Walker for another 1-2 finish by the Crusaders in the 100 free in 55.13. Edgewood highlighted the meet with another 1-2-3, this time in the 100 breaststroke where Rodriguez posted a 1:12.07. Walker added the 200 free in 2:00.74, O’Driscoll took the 50 free in 26.16 and Rodriguez won the 500 free in 5:23.52. Edgewood added the 200 free relay (Rodriguez, Petersen, Walker and Barth) title in 1:43.18 and the 400 free (Rodriguez, Petersen, Silvestri and O’Driscoll) in 3:51.42. In the most exciting race of the night, Petersen claimed the 100 butterfly in 1:03.64 — .22 ahead of Stoughton sophomore Amy Schlicht.
VAHS football: Verona moves to 3-0 in the Big Eight Conference Continued from page 13 Two offensive drives later, Bull made the play of the game. Young was chased from the pocket, and as he turned to look downfield and threw a deep pass to the end zone but was hit as he threw. The ball wobbled a little, but Bull noticed Young was in trouble and watched the play until beating his defender. He leaped into the air and secured the 35-yard touchdown catch to make it 14-0. “I saw Aaron getting a little bit of pressure, so I stopped my route in the middle, waiting to see where he was going to throw it,” Bull said. “I saw it was coming my way. It was a little wobbly after he got hit, and I eventually just had to make a good play on the ball and go up and get it.” Verona has now outscored its opponents 48-0 in the first quarter this season, and it could have been more. On the second offensive drive, the Wildcats were on the Spartans 1-yard line and couldn’t get in the end zone
on the next three plays. But after going scoreless in the two previous second quarters, Verona was able to continue the offense Friday. Young found Bull (three catches for 107 yards) on a 26-yard first-down play that put the ball on the Spartans’ 1-yard line with four minutes left until halftime. After a false start, Young found senior split end Jaden King in the corner of the end zone for a 6-yard touchdown pass. King finished with six catches for 71 yards. “Last week, we didn’t really give (the receivers) a chance,” Young said. “I gave them a chance tonight, and they made good plays.” Senior defensive back Tucker Teskey then picked off a pass from Memorial sophomore quarterback Jason Ceniti, and Riley finished the ensuing drive with a 10-yard touchdown run. Teskey added his second interception in the third quarter, and Riley took over the next drive. He had a 44-yard run to bring the ball to the Spartans 1-yard line, and after a false start, Riley
rushed six yards for the two yards on two runs to score, making it 35-0. start the game, the defense Riley finished with 117 forced a fumble that Zavala yards on 17 carries. recovered on the Vikings’ 27-yard line. That led to a Verona 21, Parker 0 Verona touchdown. On the next drive, the Verona’s defense was prepared for whatever it defense caused a 19-yard saw Aug. 17 during its 21-0 loss on a fumbled snap and season-opening win against forced a punt. The punt was shanked, and the Wildcats Janesville Parker. While the offense capital- once again had a short field, ized on good field position starting on Parker’s 16-yard early, the defense contin- line. Three plays later, Veroued to make stops, held the na scored again. An interception by senior Vikings to negative rushing yards and didn’t allow a first defensive back Jacob Waldown until late in the third ton sealed the game in the fourth. quarter. The Vikings finished Senior linebacker Ruben Zavala and junior lineback- with -12 rushing yards and er Dylan Bourne prepared 85 passing yards (73 total for Week 1 by spending a yards). “We have to study more lot of time in the film room to study everything Parker film and keep lifting and was going to throw at them. doing our thing,” Zavala They helped the rest of the said. “The shutout is amazdefense get ready, and it ing. I am really happy about showed from the first drive that, but it is more about the whole team. The offense until the final minutes. “We were telling the is really good, and they defense where to go and have stuff to work on. The basically what to do,” Zav- defense still has to work on ala said. “We knew the for- stuff, but we are all ready.” While the offense scored mations and were ready for them. We were prepared twice in the first quarter, for the last three months of Verona sputtered through football that we have had. penalties and turnovers in It has been really good, and the second and third quarters. we got a nice team going.” In the first, Riley rushed After holding Parker to
for a 16-yard gain and a 6-yard gain before punching in a 1-yard touchdown run. Riley finished with 15 carries for 83 yards and a touchdown. After the defense forced its second three-and-out, Young found Bull (four receptions, 47 yards) for 16-yard gain on an out route to the right to make it firstand-goal. Riley was stopped for a yard loss, but Verona would get a little bit of luck on the next play. Young (16-for-24 for 176 yards, two touchdowns and an interception) found King (six receptions, 57 yards) in the middle of the end zone, but the ball was tipped up high into the air. While it looked like Parker had a play to get the interception, senior offensive lineman Tristan Largent stepped in to snatch the ball out of the air and get his first career touchdown reception. “I don’t think I have ever had (an offensive lineman) score a touchdown,” coach D ave R i c h a r d s o n s a i d . “That was awesome.”
Memorial. The Wildcats scored 20 points in the first quarter and didn’t allow a touchdown to the Purple Knights (0-2) until late in the fourth quarter, ending Verona’s (2-0) seven-quarter scoreless streak. Young started the offense with a 5-yard touchdown pass to senior split end Jordan Hutchcroft on the first drive. Young finished 18-for-28 for 127 yards, one touchdown and an interception. Young later ran in a score from four yards out to make it 20-0. Before that, Riley (18 carries for 78 yards) rushed five yards for a touchdown. Young finished the scoring for the offense with a 27-yard field goal in the third quarter, but the defense once again dominated its opponent and also added a touchdown. Senior defensive lineman Nathan Tadisch snatched a tipped pass for an interception in the fourth, and he ran it back 25 yards to make it 30-0. The defense also addVerona 30, Beloit 8 ed interceptions by senior The Wildcats once again defensive backs Jack Lilly started strong on Aug. 24 and Teskey. Bourne finished in a 30-8 win at Beloit with 15 total tackles.
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Madison West/Madison Edgewood
West football
September 8, 2017
Fitchburg Star
17
Edgewood football
Crusaders open season 0-3 overall JEREMY JONES Sports editor
Points have been at a premium for the Madison Edgewood football team to start the 2017 season. The Crusaders (0-3 overall, 0-1 Badger South) have averaged nine points over their first three games, finding the end zone less in each loss.
Mount Horeb 49, Edgewood 20
Regents start season 2-1 EVAN HALPOP Unified Newspaper Group
The Madison West High School football team took its first loss on Aug. 31 at Middleton, but the Regents (2-1) will have plenty of opportunities to show it belongs with the top teams in the Big Eight. The next opportunity will be a matchup at Verona (3-0) at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 8.
West 20, Beloit 0 The Regents shut out the Beloit Memorial Purple Knights 20-0 Aug. 17 at Mansfield Stadium. The Regents scored 17 points in the second half after leading 3-0 at halftime. “Our defense played tremendous, a lot of those returning starters are showing the experience they got last year,” coach Brad Murphy said. The West offense came alive in the third quarter with a touchdown pass from junior backup quarterback Ezra Thompson to senior starting quarterback Keishawn Shanklin, who lined up as a wide receiver on the play. Shanklin later found Thompson for a 21-yard touchdown pass, and senior wide receiver and kicker Kacper Lupe made a 34-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to seal the victory. “Offensively, I thought our O-line did a good job moving the ball up the field, we just couldn’t punch it into the end zone early on,” Murphy said. Lupe, who also connected on a 22-yard field goal in the first quarter, may be a backup wide receiver, but he has proven to be a tremendous kicker, Murphy said. The Regents offense had 262 total offensive yards. Shanklin was 7-for-9 with 97 yards. Regent senior running back Jaden Stephens
rushed 22 times for 72 yards. Stephens also had a reception, a 12-yard catch. Much of the running success was due to the blocking by the tackles. “Our two tackles (senior) Devin Sieben and (junior) Lawrence Tran have been working hard and trying to get better every day,” Murphy said. West’s defense kept the tempo up by putting pressure on Beloit Memorial’s senior quarterback Curtis Luther, holding Beloit to eight first downs. Senior Regent linebacker David Maravilla led the defense with five solo tackles and three assisted tackles.
West 21, Memorial 7 Madison West retained the Bert Hable clipboard Friday with a 21-7 win over Madison Memorial at Mansfield Stadium. The Regents (2-0) scored twice in the second half and held the Spartans scoreless for the final 24 minutes to win the first of three games needed to win the Madison city title. Stephens stole the show in the victory, rushing for two touchdowns and catching another on offense and intercepting two passes on defense. Stephens carried the ball 23 times for 181 total yards, scoring in the second quarter and adding a touchdown run in the fourth quarter. He also caught a 19-yard touchdown pass from Shanklin in the third quarter. Stephens intercepted Spartan quarterback Michael Toman with four minutes left in the fourth quarter on the Madison Memorial 23-yard line. That set up a 23-yard touchdown run to put West up 21-7. Stephens also intercepted Toman after his touchdown reception in the third. “We made a few little mistakes by giving up a few yards on the run,” Stephens said. “It is just the
little things we need to do on the defense to take us farther.”. The Regents and Spartans went scoreless in the first quarter, but Stephens broke the tie with a 12-yard touchdown run to make it 7-0. The Spartans marched back down the field before halftime, however, to score their own touchdown from an 18-yard pass from Toman to wide receiver Elliott Grays. Memorial had the ball back down 21-7 in the fourth quarter but had a bad snap go over quarterback Jason Ceniti’s head. The ball was recovered by senior defensive tackle Javon Enochs at the 25-yard line, and Shanklin, who was two-for-seven for 56 yards, kneeled on the next play for the victory.
Middleton 36, West 0 The Regents stumbled for the first time on Aug. 31 in a 36-0 loss at Middleton. The game was closer than the score shows, as West trailed 10-0 at halftime and 16-0 after the third quarter. But three turnovers ultimately led to the shutout. Senior running backs Dion Huff (17 carries for 85 yards, two touchdowns) and James Pabst (14 carries for 72 yards, touchdown) dominated the ground game. Senior fullback Armoni Warfield led West with 38 yards on four carries. Senior quarterback Davis Roquet finished 12-for-20 for 107 yards and a touchdown, and West senior q u a r t e r b a c k Ke i s h a w n Shanklin was 5-for-11 for 72 yards and two interceptions. Senior linebacker David Maravilla had 30 total tackles to lead the Regents defensively. Senior defensive backs Cole Ragsdale and Nolan Dahlk each had an interception for Middleton.
Photo by Mary Langenfeld
Edgewood quarterback Marcus Thelen (16) gets off a pass during the first half Aug. 18 in Mount Horeb. The Crusaders lost the game to Mount Horeb/Barneveld 49-20.
fumble recovery for a touchdown. Sauk Prairie locked the game up with a 20-yard passing touchdown from Dawon Sauk Prairie 26, Evert (13 of 23 for 131 yards) Edgewood 7 to Elijah Jorgenson (5 catchMarcus Thelen complete 6 es, 70 yards) and a 39-yard of 14 passes for 54 yards but touchdown run by Evert (126 turned the ball over twice, yards on 14 carries). including a 61-yard pick-six Stoughton 37, that gave Sauk Prairie a 10-0 Edgewood 0 lead going into halftime. Edgewood pulled within Edgewood managed four a field goal in the third quar- first downs and just 102 total ter with a Murphy Penwell
yards of offense Sept. 1 in a 37-0 conference loss at Stoughton. Jack McNeil completed 3 of 12 passes for 68 yards, including a 54-yard strike to Jackson Wendler who had one catch. Joe Beste led a struggling ground attack with 19 yards on five carries. Brady Schipper carried the offensive load for the host Vikings, accounting for four touchdowns on 28 touches. He had 255 yards rushing.
West girls cross country
Regents finish fourth at Verona Invitational JEREMY JONES Sports editor
Madison West girls cross country has performed admirably through the first two weeks of the season, but like the rest of the state, the Regents have found themselves chasing Sun Prairie. The defending WIAA Division 1 state champions won both the Jamie Block and Verona Invitationals ahead of the Regents.
Verona Invitational
Photo by Jeremy Jones
West most recently competed against Sun Prairie, and a few other Big Eight schools, Saturday, Sept. 3 at the Verona Invitational. Senior Vivian Hacker and junior Andi Bowman led the way for the Regents, finishing in the top 10. Hacker covered the hilly 5k course in 19:35 for seventh place and Bowman added a 10th-place finish in 19:54. Sun Prairie senior Katie Rose Blachowicz once again won the race in 18:30 — eight seconds ahead of Wisconsin Dells sophomore Laura Beghin. Sophomore Kristina Rohrer was West’s third runner, taking 17th place in 20:49. Fellow sophomores Ella Kunstman (21:15)
Senior Vivian Hacker crosses the finish line of the Verona Invitational in eighth place Saturday, Sept. 3. Hacker led the Regents with a time of 19 minutes, 35 seconds. West placed fourth as a team with a total score of 138.
and Sophia Miller-Grande (21:040) finished 22nd and 28th. Sun Prairie once again ran away with the team trophy, scoring a 26. Wisconsin Dells was second with a 96 and Big Eight rival Middleton finished 35 points ahead of the Regents with a 103. West finished ahead of Madison Memorial (189) with a 103.
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Madison West senior running back Jaden Stephens, pictured rushing through the defensive line in the first quarter of the season home opening game against Beloit Memorial, finished with two rushing and one receiving touchdown in a 21-7 win over Madison Memorial on Aug. 25.
Edgewood dug itself into a 49-0 deficit by halftime at Mount Horeb/Barneveld in week one. With the game already out of hand, the Crusaders kept fighting and scored three rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Joe Best sprinted 86 yards for the first touchdown, while Mitchell Wendler and Greg Zentmyer added touchdown runs of 46 and 49 yards. Malik Winston had 202 yards on the ground and two rushing touchdowns for the host Vikings, while quarterback Luke Hagelin (6 of 9) threw for 135 yards and three touchdowns.
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18 Fitchburg Star - September 8, 2017
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Fitchburg Star
19
Agrace opens grief support center in Fitchburg, first of its kind in Madison area HELU WANG
If You Go
Unified Newspaper Group
What: Race for Agrace When: 9 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 17 Where: Agrace Hospice and Palliative Care, 5395 E. Cheryl Parkway
Photos by Helu Wang
Staci Hannes, left, and counselor Cheri Milton talk at the new Agrace Grief Support Center, which features activities for children and adults, incluidng the books shown below, to help them deal with the grieving process.
If You Go What: Agrace Grief Support Center grand opening When: 3-5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14 Where: 2906 Marketplace Drive
How to help Agrace’s center is volunteer-driven. To learn about volunteer opportunities, call 327-7110. designed with kids in mind to help them feel comfortable, either through talking or by expressing themselves through play. Counselor Jessie Shiveler said because younger kids often don’t have the words to express their feelings, the center is a place
where they can act it out. The center has four play rooms, including a dramatic play room, a sand table and quiet room, an art craft room and a “tornado” room, designed for kids who have more energy to release. Many of the toys have been donated.
The new Agrace Grief Support Center is located at 2906 Marketplace Dr.
“We’re providing a safe and comfortable place for kids to act out the experience,” Shiveler said. Shiveler has seen kids playing roles of doctor and patient in the “hospital room,” wearing a doctor jacket and stethoscope or
lying on a tiny hospital bed. The counseling model is also child-direct. When a child visits, Shiveler and Milton ask the child and parents to learn about their background, then let the child pick a favorite room. Counselors might ask a
child one or two questions related to death if the child is willing, but mostly they watch and make sure they’re safe. Shiveler said most kids feel lonely and isolated after a loved one passes away. One of the crucial parts of grief is to share concerns with others who have similar experience. In the group support session, kids can meet with other peers and deal with the feeling in kids’ way. Shiveler once heard a child ask another, “Who died in your house?” “The conversation happened so natural when they were playing together,” she said. Annabelle’s change after her first session at Agrace was one of the reasons Staci brought her back and plans to schedule more sessions. After her aunt passed away, Annabelle had been unwilling to play with friends and always wanted Staci to be around. But now she is happy to run into a play room with Shiveler. The grief service is free for family members who have been served by Agrace or another hospice within a year. For others, it charges $10 for group sessions or $20 for family group sessions or one-on-one sessions, with fee waivers available based on need. Some clients need more time to work through their issues, so Agrace also offers six-week sessions. “The toughest part is that people have no idea about how long will it take for them to recover,” Milton said. “But we’re here to go through it with them.” Contact Helu Wang at helu. wang@wcinet.com.
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After her sister passed away two months ago, Staci Hannes had trouble handling her emotions. Hannes still tears up whenever she mentions any upcoming events related to her sister – her anniversary and birthday and their family’s beach bash. She learned how to move on by talking about it. Last Friday was the second time Staci and her daughter Annabelle Hannes shared their feelings with counselors at the month-old Agrace Grief Support Center. “I felt really good when I left last time. Now I can remember and love my sister, but take care of myself at the same time,” Hannes said. Launched in 1978, Agrace has served over 46,000 hospice and palliative care patients. Its standalone grief center, at 2906 Marketplace Drive, is the first of its kind in the Madison area. Before it opened Aug. 14, most grief support was provided at a hospital or the hospice center. But a frequent complaint was people were reluctant to go back to where their loved one had died. So Agrace began planning it two years ago, and it’s located three miles from the nonprofit organization’s Cheryl Drive headquarters. During the one-hour counseling session, Staci chatted with her counselor Cheri Milton about her family’s Labor Day plan and how much she missed her sister. Milton listened just like a friend. “Not everybody wants to hear me, even friends. It’s good to just talk to someone who is listening,” Staci said. When her other relative passed away two years ago, she thought she could handle it and just kept it to herself. But as her sister’s death came, she felt “it’s too much” and she needed to talk. While talking it out is often the preferred way for adults to express their grief, that can be much more difficult for young children. Much of the center is
20
September 8, 2017
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Fitchburg Star
N O W Photos by Jim Ferolie
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Explosion: Some neighbors could not return home for six months or more Christmas decorations have always drawn neighbors’ attention, but that didn’t happen this year. Immediately after the explosion, neighbors banded together and held briefings and updates on the situation with the help of the mayor and fire department, and an October pig roast helped raise money. But most of that early enthusiasm has faded with the reality of how hard it has been to help people who didn’t return to their homes right away. Some people did not return for weeks or months, and others haven’t returned at all. Lindy Bass, a Tower Hill neighborhood resident, started a fund that raised over $8,000 to help blast victims. Ald. Dorothy Krause (Dist. 4) took it over, but she planned to let affected neighbors decide on how to use it, and a year later, they still don’t have complete contact information and haven’t come up with a consensus on how to spend it.
post-traumatic stress are ranked as their top concerns. In the immediate wake of the incident, the neighborhood and a nearby restaurant held fund-raisers to support those with the toughest troubles – raising over $8,000 within weeks. But no family has benefited yet, as organizers have found it difficult to get ahold of everyone affected and since no one will know how much of a financial impact it has had on each person until all the insurance bills arrive. While some things may never return to the way they were, the neighborhood has been returning back to a sense of normal. One of those residents is Patricia Plata, who “loved” the house she’d lived in on Cheryl Drive for more than 10 years. All the plants she decorated in the entrance were destroyed when an office chair poked in her roof, where her two boys playing underneath. “But our life was back Getting back home to normal after we moved Mary Katic was working back,” Plata said. at her Fitchburg dance studio when she received her nephQuiet neighborhood ew’s phone call informing Rita Thomas was working her of the explosion. in her garden 100 feet away She rushed to her neighboron Cheryl Drive when she hood, only to find her street felt something hit her chest blocked and authorities denyand saw what looked like a ing access. Husband Chuck mushroom cloud. hurried home from his job at Thomas believes the trees Smoky’s Club in Madison. around her probably deflected For four long hours they the debris and saved her life – waited behind a police barand even allowed her to still rier, unable to even see what live in her house afterward. the blast had done to their A couple of months after- home. A tree blocked their ward, Thomas was prepared view. Finally, about 11, an to again hand out Halloween officer accompanied her as treats for trick-or-treaters. she was allowed a glimpse of But no one showed up. the destruction. She made light of the sitThat evening, the Katics uation – “It’s not bad,” she started their half-year as hotel chuckled. “I ate all the can- residents, checking in with dies by myself” – but none- no possessions. “We had no theless cited it as an exam- clothes (to change), no makeple of how the explosion up, nothing,” Mary said. She changed her neighborhood. hadn’t eaten in hours, and had Eleven-year-old Diego Morales and his 8-year-old brother Johan should have been among those trickor-treaters. But they spent Halloween 2016 in a temporary house provided by their Honey Do List family’s insurance company while their damaged home • Gutter Cleaning was being repaired. Things were quiet at • Gutter Protectors Christmastime, as well. • Bathroom Remodeling The Katics used to host family reunions over the 27 years they lived on Lyman 161 Horizon Drive Suite 105A, Lane, but their hotel suite Verona was too small for that. And dougshandymanserviceinc.com Chuck Katic said his festive Since 1999
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Photo by Helu Wang
Chuck and Mary Katic are back in the home they lived in for 27 years before last year’s explosion forced them out. to drive around town at midnight in search of food and toothbrushes. Plata also spent months away from home, first in a hotel for six weeks, then in a temporary house for six more months after the blast destroyed her home’s ceiling, entrance, kitchen and windows. The hotel they stayed at was outside the bus route for her sons, which meant getting relatives to help shuttle them to school and taking time off work to pick them up. They couldn’t cook at the hotel – the Mexican food they eat was too spicy, Plata said – and the boys had nowhere to play. Even when they moved into a temporary home, there wasn’t much space to move around, as they split it with the other family that was displaced in their duplex home. Thomas recalled seeing people running toward Grittner’s house but she got out of the way as quickly as she could. Friends offered to take
her in for the night, but she insisted on sticking around and was finally able to return home the same evening. In her over six-inch photo album, Mary Katic documented her life in hotels ranging from a single room to a suite, as they were displaced from one hotel to another because of nearby conventions. “Home is a place where we feel safe,” Chuck said. “Having to be away from our house was really stressful.”
Recovering Today, the vacant lot where the Grittner house once stood is on the market. The asking price has been lowered to $74,900, and someday another building is likely to be built there. The same is true of Gerald Doepke’s land next door, where his home was also leveled in the blast. Others, like the Katics, have tried to re-create the house in the way that it looked like before the
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Drivers around Fitchburg will have to keep their eyes out for extra bike traffic Sunday, Sept. 10, as the Ironman Wisconsin race passes through the city. Athletes are expected to be on the roads between 7:15 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Sunday’s race begins and ends in downtown Madison – with a 2.4-mile swim in Lake Monona, a 112-mile bike ride that travels both ways through Fitchburg and finally a 26.2-mile run. Affected roads include East Badger Road, McCoy Road, Irish Lane and Whalen Road, some of which lack paved shoulders, so drivers are asked to use caution. This is the 16th year the race has come through Fitchburg.
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explosion, with yellow exterior paint, similar decorations and furniture. However, the depreciated value of their old furniture made it hard for them to afford new pieces. Plata said insurance covered replacing many items in their home, but the new items often did not match the older, undamaged parts of the home, such as her cabinets. She borrowed $1,500 from a bank to get new cabinets that would match the rest of the home. It’s been a difficult road emotionally, as well. Her greatest concern is her sons’ recovery from their traumatic experience. One of her sons suffered cuts on his feet immediately after the blast, when he ran onto broken glass while fleeing the house. She said the boys still cry at the sound of thunder because it reminds them of the explosion and therapy hasn’t helped. The Katics were set to move back into their home Feb. 28, but Chuck suffered a heart attack, delaying their plans. He didn’t know whether stress over the previous months was a factor. “I was too excited about the moving day,” he said. Now recovering from quadruple bypass surgery, he looks forward to everything finally settling down, whenever that is. “Some neighbors have displaced and new neighbors moved in,” Chuck said. “Hopefully our life would be back to normal.”
Ironman bikers headed through city
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21
Fitchburg Star
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September 8, 2017
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This position is responsible for efficiently packaging various products per specification, while maintaining a sanitary work area and adhering to food safety and quality policies. Initiative, punctuality, strong attention to detail and the ability to multi-task are a must. The starting rate is $11.65 - $12.40/hr., with a $1/hr. increase after 90 days. Employees are also eligible for an attendance bonus of up to $250. Apply in person, or email HR to request an application or to submit your resumé. Dairyfood USA, Inc. 2819 County Road F Blue Mounds, WI 53517 (Corner of 18/151 & County Rd F) 608-437-5598 humanresources@dairyfoodusa.com www.dairyfoodusa.com Equal Opportunity Employer.
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22 Fitchburg Star - September 8, 2017
City Hall - Main Line Administration Assessing Building Inspections City Clerk Economic Development
270-4200 270-4213 270-4235 270-4240 270-4210 270-4246
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270-4225 270-4251 278-2980 275-7148 270-4211 729-1760 270-4224
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270-4288 270-4258 270-4300 270-4260 270-4285 270-4290 270-4270
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FALL PAPER SHRED DAY SET FOR OCTOBER 7TH FROM 8-11 AM The City of Fitchburg and Pellitteri Waste Systems will host Fitchburg’s Fall 2017 Shred Day Event on Saturday, October 7, 2017 from 8-11am. The Shred Day Event will be held on the north side of the Fitchburg Community Center, 5510 Lacy Rd. Participants should enter the parking lot from Research Park Dr. and look for Pellitteri’s Shred Truck in the parking lot. Up to 5 bankers boxes of confidential paper documents can be shredded and recycled FREE of cost. Participants with more than this amount should contact Pellitteri in advance to make special arrangements. Idling Reduction signage will be posted at this event to remind
drivers to turn off their engine while waiting more than 10 seconds. For more information, please contact Holly Powell, Engineering Technician/GIS Specialist at 2704263, Holly.powell@fitchburgwi. gov or Jeff Potter, Pellitteri, at 2576232 ext 323, jeffp@pellitteri.com.
WEST FIRE STATION UNCOUPLING CEREMONY FRI., SEPT. 8TH The public is invited to be part of Fitchburg’s history at the Fitchburg Fire Department’s Uncoupling Ceremony (ribbon cutting) on Friday, Sept. 8th at the new firehouse located at 2931 Marketplace Drive. After the ceremony, apparatus will be on display & tours will be given of the new fire station. Please bring your family to join us from 4-6 pm.
SEPTEMBER SENIOR CENTER EVENTS Grandparents Day, September 10th Fitchburg Senior Center Friends & volunteers will be running the Snack Stand at Eplegaarden’s from 10am – 5pm as a fundraiser. Proceeds will go to support the Fitchburg Senior Center.
Mayoral Proclamation, Tuesday, September 12th Mayor Jason Gonzalez will present a mayoral proclamation recognizing National Senior Center Month at the 7:30 pm City Council meeting. Representatives from the Wisconsin Association of Senior Centers Accreditation Committee will also be at the meeting to present the accreditation plaque to the Fitchburg Senior Center.
Annual Travel Show, Wednesday, September 27th, 2-4 pm Extended tours for 2018 will be presented.
Meet, Greet & Eat Fall Social, Thursday, September 28th, 4-7 pm Food, beverages & prizes. Those 50 and older are invited to attend. Stay to watch the Packers vs Bears football game on our new, large screen TV! For more information on these events, call 270-4290.
RECREATION DEPARTMENT Go to www.fitchburgwi.gov/recreation and click on “View Activities” to see our list of programs for this upcoming Fall Season!
Dance Classes for Kids
We offer a variety of dance classes for kids ages 2-15 years old. We offer Saturday classes and Tuesday classes. Both days have an end of the year Dance Recital which will be held at the Oregon High School Performing Arts Center. • Classes Offered - Creative Movement (2-3 yrs), Pre-Ballet 1 (3-5 yrs), Pre-Ballet 2 (4-6 yrs), Ballet 1 (6-8 yrs), Ballet 2 (7-10), Jazz 1 (4-7 yrs), Jazz 2 (6-9 yrs), Tap (5-8 yrs), Hip Hop (7-12 yrs), and Poms/Dance Team (8-14 yrs) • Day/Time – Saturday Mornings and Tuesday Evenings, September-November • Location – Fitchburg Community Center • Fee – Ranges from $85-$95 (Recital costumes included)
Instructional Soccer with Coach Scott U5 (Birth year 2012/2013)
This coed program will introduce the basic skills of soccer including dribbling, passing, and shooting. Shin guards are recommended and don’t forget a water bottle. This is an instructional program. Participants will not be placed on teams and contacted by a coach. • Ages – Birth year 2012/2013 • Dates/Time – Saturdays, 10:00-10:45am, Oct. 7-28 • Location – McKee Farms Park Small Soccer Fields • Fee - $20R/$30NR
Nurtured Heart Parent Training
Are you ready to improve your parenting skills and build a better relationship with your children? If so, the revolutionary, Nurtured Heart Approach is for you! This approach will help you become the agent of change in your
Yoga and Mindfulness for Kids
This class will focus on exercises that foster a healthy mind, body and spirit and will build upon some basic yoga poses and sequences. All yogis should bring a yoga mat and water to each class. • Classes - Intro (4-7 yrs), Intermediate (8-15 yrs), and Peaceful Flow (Teens) • Days/Times – Saturday Mornings, September 23-November 11 • Location – Fitchburg Community Center • Fee - $48 for Intro Classes and Intermediate Class, $56 for Peaceful Flow
Youth Soccer
We offer leagues for U7 (Birth year 2010/2011) and U9 (Birth year 2008/2009). Practices and games are on Wednesdays for U7 and Monday and Wednesday evenings for U9. • Location – U7 @ McKee, U9 @ Tower Hill and Travelling • Fee – $30R/$40NR
PREPARE FOR FALL SEASON AND PICK UP A FREE YARD WASTE POLYBAG AT CITY HALL Leaves will soon start dropping as the autumn season approaches. Get ready to bag your leaves and yard waste for curbside pickup by picking up a free reusable polybag. Polybags are available to Fitchburg residents at the 2nd floor counter at City Hall, 5520 Lacy Rd. The first bag is free to residents who pay the refuse and recycling special charge on their property tax bill. Additional bags are $2 each. This year’s fall leaf and yard waste collection will take place the weeks of October 23rd
GET $100 REBATE WHEN YOU REPLACE QUALIFIED TOILET WITH A WATERSENSE MODEL The Fitchburg Water Utility offers one rebate per year of up to $100 for households that meet the following criteria: • Participant must be a Fitchburg Utility District customer.
child’s life. Through the methods recommended in this class, you will see your children develop “inner wealth” and make choices that reflect the values and character you believe in. Your child will come to identify with success. Program is taught by: Gail K. Anderson, PhD and Paula Wick, PhD, Advanced Nurtured Heart Approach trainers and coaches. • Ages – Adults • Day/Time – Wednesdays, October 18 – November 8, 6:00-8:00 pm • Location – Community Center – Prairie View Room • Fee - $75 for an individual or $100 for a couple
and November 13th for residents of single family homes and apartments with up to four-units who receive City refuse & recycling collection. Please have leaves at the curb by 6:30 am on the Monday that collection begins. Residents may also take yard waste to the Fitchburg Recycling Drop Off site, located at 2373 S. Fish Hatchery Road. The site is open every day during daylight hours. For more information, visit: www.fitchburgwi. gov/220/Yard-WasteCollection
• Residential participants must own a single-family home, condo, or apartment built prior to January 1994. • Participant must replace an existing 3.5or 5-gallon toilet manufactured prior to 1994. Rebates are not for new construction. • The program is limited to one rebate per year (five for complex/apartment owner per calendar year). • Eligible replacement toilets must be 1.28- gallon HETs listed on the EPA
Like us on
WaterSense website. (epa.gov/ watersense/product_search. html) • Proof of the existing toilet size and manufacture date is required to receive a rebate. If you cannot find this information, call the utility at 270-4270 before disposing of old toilet. • Dated receipt with model name and number of new toilet must be submitted. High-efficiency toilets can save 2-4 gallons of water every time you flush! That’s a savings of 11-19 gallons of water every day and a whopping 4100- 6800 gallons per year. Toilets use about 31% of average water in households, so getting a water-efficient toilet is a great way to conserve water. For more information, visit www.fitchburgwi.gov/Conservation.
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September 8, 2017
Fitchburg Star
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Capital plan sets up tough decisions Alders approve 10 amendments SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group
T h e c i t y ’s c a p i t a l improvement plan has more approved 2018 projects than the city will have room for in its budget, meaning some tough decisions could be ahead. The CIP, which doesn’t lock in any spending but projects likely spending over the next 10 years, is used as the baseline for the following year’s budget proposal. It’s been the focus of some heavy battles among different factions of the Common Council in recent years. This year, Mayor Jason Gonzalez proposed a CIP
FREMS: Started in 1977 as volunteer org. Continued from page 1 to evolve our EMS to handle these areas that are being underserved,” he said.
Technology advances With advancing technology, responding doctors at area hospitals know exactly what is going on with patients even before they’re brought off Fitch-Rona ambulances. Paramedics are able to send off EKG reports and diagnostics to doctors, giving them time to analyze a patient’s condition while en route. The abilities of the first responders have changed, too – Fitch-Rona now operates rigs that have two paramedics on board. At their most advanced level, those paramedics have the capability to administer a variety of drugs after performing a diagnosis. “Certainly, if they have a 20-minute or 15-minute head start because the paramedic was able to diagnose those EKGs, that gives a significant advantage for the patient,” Myrland said. This wouldn’t have been possible four decades ago. Today, Fitch-Rona is a part of a consortium of 200 paramedics whose protocols are determined by a collaboration of doctors at UW Hospital. Myrland said the greatest improvement in EMS care in Dane County in the time he has been working with Fitch-Rona is the automatic Advanced Life Support (ALS) dispatch. It sends out the closest ambulance equipped with paramedic capabilities as a complement to the responding ambulance, so first-responders don’t arrive without the capability to treat the patient. “In outlying areas like Mount Horeb, Belleville, New Glarus or Brooklyn, if someone calls in with a high-acuity situation, 15
years ago they’d send the local ambulance to get out there, only to have them say, ‘This is something we’re not prepared to handle,’” Myrland said. “We’re not waiting for the 12 or 14 minutes for that basic level to get on-scene just to make a call to ALS, we’re going, so we’re probably saving 15-20 minutes.”
Changing needs So much of what ambulances and paramedics deal with are bad things – illness, injury and death – but as the area has grown, so, too, have big-city problems. For one, the frequency of calls involving gunshot wounds has increased in recent years, Myrland said. “That level of violence has changed some,” he said. Fitch-Rona EMS has also seen an uptick in the amount of narcan paramedics have used to reverse the effects of a narcotic or opioid overdose, Myrland said – sometimes multiple overdoses in a one-week period. “What we used to think was inner-city stuff is now in every nook and cranny of every city and every town and every village,” Myrland said. It’s been helpful, though, that police and firefighters are carrying narcan and can administer it without waiting for an ambulance. “They are usually the first ones on scene, and if someone is in a narcotic overdose situation, they’re not breathing and they need narcan right now,” he said. “They’re really willing and able to step into a medical situation to do their best to stabilize (a patient) prior to EMS arriving.”
Looking forward Another change over the years is more positive – becoming proactive about care. With an aging population
and increasing numbers of people with early-onset dementia, Myrland has seen a need to assist people who come home without an understanding of the instructions on their discharge papers. Like any EMS, it has its share of what paramedics affectionately refer to as “frequent fliers,” Myrland said – who call up to five times a week for help. That’s where the FitchRona EMS has focused on what is called “community paramedicine” in the past two years. Community paramedicine is the opposite approach that EMS professionals traditionally take, where they are a reactionary solution to an existing medical problem, and try to prevent the health issue to begin with. “What EMS’s have been looking at across the country – and Fitch-Rona has done part of this in the past couple of years – that is working with our citizens who are in need and maybe falling between cracks,” he said. “We might be able to reduce the overall burden on EMS.” Another potential trend over the next several years could be increased regionalization. Myrland said it’s important to make sure that everyone has the same resources to healthcare, no matter where they live, and many rural communities are underserved. “Regional EMS has to be where we are looking,” Myrland said. “There are great pressures on outlying areas who don’t have full-time EMS. “The skills we have in F i t c h - R o n a h ave t o b e applied to citizens outside these large metropolitan areas … realistically, the services you get in Brooklyn should be the same treatment that somebody on the west side of Madison has.”
two amendments approved to do so, the other being a $5,000 annual addition to the city’s traffic calming program. The council added more than $2 million in projects for 2018, either by moving projects up or creating them. Other approved amendments included $897,990 to pave the shoulders of Whalen Road, $185,000 to add solar panels to the east fire station project, $180,000 to enlarge a retention pond in Hillside Heights and moving $1 million from the 2019 plan to 2018 for a water main loop on the north side of the city. This story has been condensed to fit in the paper. Read the full version and see the list of amendments at ConnectFitchburg.com.
Solar panels will be added to four city buildings SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group
The City of Fitchburg will add solar electric panels this fall to help power four municipal buildings. The Common Council approved the $580,000 project in July. The west side fire station, City Hall, public works maintenance facility garage and library will have a combined 1,000 solar panels by the end of December. According to a news release from the city, the new panels will generate
around 452,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually, replacing around 10 percent of the city’s total electricity usage. Mayor Jason Gonzalez said with the drop in solar prices, “it became clear that this is an incredible investment.” “We could see early on that the project would bring dramatic energy and cost savings for years to come,” he said in the release. “At the same time, we’re also committed to clean energy because it’s good for the planet, people’s health and our local economy.”
The city received two grants totalling $50,617 to help cover the costs of the panels, according to the release, which cites projected annual savings of $54,000 and more than $3 million by the end of their 40-year lifespan. The city pledged in 2009 through a council resolution to generate 25 percent of its energy with renewable sources by 2025. City buildings currently have 22.2 kilowatts of energy generated annually from solar panels on city buildings.
The Fitchburg & Oregon Area Senior Centers are proud co-sponsors of:
Aging Mastery Program® Join the adventure!
The Aging Mastery Program® (AMP) encourages mastery—developing behaviors across many dimensions that will lead to improved health, stronger financial security, and overall well-being. By participating in this 5-week program, you will: Gain impactful changes in your health behaviors, financial wellbeing and enrichment later in life. Increase your knowledge in the following areas: exercise, sleep, healthy eating and hydration, financial fitness, medication management, advance planning, healthy relationships, fall prevention and community engagement. Get REAL incentives and rewards for taking small steps that can improve your well-being.
Limited spots available: Sign up now! Wednesdays, October 4th through November 1st at the Oregon Area Senior Center 5:30-8:00pm Each evening starts with a free light meal. Registration deadline – September 27th. Thanks to a grant awarded through the National Council on Aging, this program, valued at $100, will only cost $25. Scholarships and transportation available. Make checks payable to the Oregon Area Senior Center
Please RSVP to the Oregon Area Senior Center at 835-5801 or email rbrickner@vil.oregon.wi.us Registration deadline is September 27th.
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File photo by Samantha Christian
Fitch-Rona EMS deputy chief Jeff Dostalek takes Jamie Ward Peck’s blood pressure as part of the department’s community paramedics initiative during the car fit and safety check for seniors at Hometown Auto Clinic in Verona on Sept. 30, 2016.
that finance director Misty Dodge said would have spent $7,000 below the levy limit in 2018, but alder amendments brought that to above the limit by the end of the meeting. City finance director Misty Dodge warned them to be prepared for making changes during the 2018 budget process. “This is not the last step,” she said as they considered the final amendment proposal. “If this is something you guys believe is important, then I’d say go ahead and put it in.” That final amendment added $35,000 in 2018 spending for two portable police cameras. That project, if approved in the budget, would directly affect next year’s tax levy because there would be no borrowing for them. It was one of
24 Fitchburg Star - September 8, 2017
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