Courier Hub The
Stoughton
McGEEVER for
Mayor
Thursday, March 22, 2018 • Vol. 136, No. 35 • Stoughton, WI • ConnectStoughton.com • $1.25
Paid for by Citizens for McGeever, Marty Lamers, Treasurer
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Spring election 2018
Candidates jab on growth, trust McGeever, Swadley draw clear distinctions in forum
Swadley charged that if his opponent is elected, the city administration will operate largely as it has for the past eight years, while McGeever accused his opponent of leading a BILL LIVICK AND JIM FEROLIE “do-nothing group” on the council and said it’s time to get the city growing again. Unified Newspaper Group The two took jabs at one another’s posiMayoral candidates Bob McGeever and tions on the riverfront redevelopment Tim Swadley participated in a candidate effort, Kettle Park West, the current Comforum last week that highlighted their dif- mon Council, transparency, economic development and management in front of ferences.
an audience of about 50 people Thursday night, March 15. The forum, co-hosted by the Stoughton Courier Hub and Stoughton Chamber of Commerce, was televised by local-access station WSTO, which posted a recording on its website Friday. It also allowed time for the seven candidates for alder to introduce themselves at the beginning of the forum. But the main event was the mayoral debate.
McGeever, a former Plan Commission member and alder who served 15 years on council, said he has been paying attention to city affairs since leaving the council in 1999 and was inspired to join the race because of the “do-nothing” council. He hammered away at what he said was the most important issue Stoughton faces: its lack of growth. He criticized Swadley numerous times for
Turn to Forum/Page 16
Redevelopment Authority
Forging ahead Future of blacksmith shop key to redevelopment progress BILL LIVICK Unified Newspaper Group
Photo by Amber Levenhagen
Stoughton High School junior Kaliyah Tribune, 16, holds a sign of support as she leads more than 100 students during the walkout Wednesday, March 14.
‘Show our fear and our care’ AMBER LEVENHAGEN Unified Newspaper Group
M eg a p h o n e i n h a n d , Colette Vitiritti, 17, perched on a stepstool in the corner of the United Methodist Church parking lot, surrounded by more than 200 of her peers from Stoughton High School. The SHS senior organized
the gathering to mirror what schools around the country were participating in at that same moment- a walkout sparked from concern about gun violence one month after 17 people were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. Around 150 River Bluff Middle School students also participated in the walkout. An email from a parent who went to observe said they sat silently on the pavement for 17 minutes. Students, along with
Courier Hub
s o m e fa c u l t y t o m o n itor the procession, left the high school at 10 a.m. We d n e s d a y, M a r c h 1 4 , walking across the street to the church- which had “#enough” and “we stand with students” flashing across the digital marquee throughout the day. A small group of students- ranging from freshman to seniors- took turns reading each of the names of those killed at the Parkland shooting, followed by a moment of silence. After reading the names,
the students went back into class. “We wanted to show our fear and our care by reading their names,” Vitiritti said. “I really wanted to have it as a simple in remembrance demonstration and not have it so politically focused, because not many kids know where they stand on guns – I don’t really either – and I just feel they were more comfortable remembering those students in a peaceful demonstration.
Turn to Walkout/Page 14
This month: A look at the conflict April: Stoughton’s history with historic buildings May: The history of the blacksmith shop and Highway Trailer complex June: Future possibilities for the blacksmith shop least for now – a part of the complex known as the blacksmith shop. Stoughton has a history of salvaging historic buildings, most notably the City Hall, Stoughton Opera House, Stoughton Area Youth Center and Luke Stoughton House. Now, the 100-plus-year-old,
Turn to Building/Page 8
Kruse named top in state SCOTT DE LARUELLE Unified Newspaper Group
As a high school principal, you never know quite what the new day will bring. Tuesday will be one of those days Stoughton High School principal Mike Kruse will remember with a smile for a long, long time. At a surprise assembly at the high school gym
Tuesday afternoon, Kruse was honored as this year’s “Secondary Principal of the Year” by the Association of Wisconsin School Administrators. Kruse, the school’s principal since 2008, will represent Wisconsin later this year at an event in Washington, D.C., where he
Turn to Kruse/Page 11
Deana M. Zentner
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SASD students participate in nationwide walkout
Less than one month ago, the Redevelopment A u t h o r i t y ’s r ive r f r o n t redevelopment project inched forward after being largely stalled for much of the past year. When the Common Council voted Feb. 27 to provide the RDA with funding to demolish most of the Highway Traile r c o m p l ex a t 5 0 1 E . South St., it represented a step toward realizing the long-awaited riverfront redevelopment project. But the funding decision was far from unanimous, with three alders voting against and another expressing strong reservations. The vote also represented a compromise, as the council reinforced its desire to preserve – at
Highway Trailer series
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