Courier Hub Stoughton
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Thursday, September 28, 2017 • Vol. 136, No. 10 • Stoughton, WI • ConnectStoughton.com • $1 10700 North Highway 59, Evansville, WI 608.490.3592 • www.bigbarnstorage.com
City of Stoughton
Budget plan holds line on spending Mayor: ‘No new people, no new programs’ BILL LIVICK Unified Newspaper Group
Members of the dance team wave their pom-poms during the homecoming parade performance.
Photo by Amber Levenhagen
Homecoming 2017 up days and a pep rally. “Escape to Egypt” was the dance theme. The homecoming court consisted of: Cassidy Bach, Paige Halverson, Aly Solberg, Hannah Iverson, Gigi Zaemisch, Natalie Zientek, Tessa Berry, Emily Fitzsimmons, Aaron
Zimmerman, Brady Schipper, Aidan Baldukas, Tyler Anderson, Seth Charleston, Sam McHone, Jordan DiBenedetto and Marcus Martingilio. Stoughton won the homecoming football game against Oregon 30-27.
Inside More homecoming photos Page 12
A community pays tribute Memorial park dedication set for Oct. 14 SCOTT DE LARUELLE Unified Newspaper Group
After three years of design, construction and fundraising, the Stoughton Area Veterans Memorial Park is set to be dedicated. Ceremonies on Saturday, Oct. 14, will include a keynote speech by veteran Duane Broughton, general chairman of the memorial project, as well as performances by the Stoughton High School band before, during and after the ceremony.
three-acre plot at the corner of Hwy. B and Country Club Road donated by Oscar and Shirley Linnerud. Bud Erickson of the Stoughton Area Veterans Memorial Park Steering Committee said funding for the project came from veterans groups, the City of Stoughton, local businesses and industry, church groups and many private donations. “It has truly been a comPhoto by Amber Levenhagen munity effort, from the Stoughton Area Veterans Memorial Park will be dedicated at initial private donation of a ceremony Oct. 14. land on which it is built, to the final installation of The memorial is a joint American Legion Post all the various park come ff o r t b y t h e S t o u g h - 59, which helped raise $1 ponents,” he wrote the Hub ton Veterans of Foreign million for the project. Wars (VFW) Post 328 and The park is located on a Turn to Park/Page 2
Courier Hub
6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26 All meetings held in council chambers, second floor of Public Safety Building, 321 S. Fourth St. mayor directed department leaders to “bring in a static budget with no new people or new programs – just a static budget, so I can see what those numbers look like,” she told the Hub last week. At the same time, Olson asked department leaders
Turn to Budget/Page 4
Gorman passes on Trailer restoration in ’17 RDA rejects Movin’ Out plan for building BILL LIVICK Unified Newspaper Group
The Stoughton Redevelopment Authority last week learned that a developer specializing in restoring historic buildings isn’t interested in revisiting its proposal to redevelop the Highway Trailer complex this year. Gorman and Company, based in the Village of Oregon, informed the RDA it’s too late to apply for state tax incentives to restore the
complex this year, but the developer might consider the project next year if the city is still interested. The RDA had been asked by the Common Council at a meeting two weeks ago to check back with the developer. Last year, Gorman proposed buying the building for $1 and restoring it with 59 apartments, but the RDA had rejected the offer and chose instead to go with a master developer for the entire redevelopment site. The developer, Tanesay, withdrew from the project in July, citing the city’s
Turn to RDA/Page 3
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Stoughton schools celebrated homecoming last week, with themed activities leading up to the parade and football game Friday night. Activities included “Volleyball Wars” and a threeon-three basketball tournament, numerous dress
The preliminary 2018 budget Mayor Donna Olson plans to present next week won’t have funding for new personnel or programs, but it does include a 2.5 percent wage increase for city employees. The Common Council will hold its first budget discussion at 6 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 5, in the council chambers on the second floor of the Public Safety building. The city found funding for a new information technology department leader this year, but with less opportunity to increase the property tax levy and less expected to be contributed by Stoughton Utilities, the
2018 budget workshops