Spring Green, Wisconsin
Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 Vol. 2, No. 01 Free, Single-Copy
Lone Rock Bistro Paddling into the New Year through Spring Green set to bring dining, drink options The Lone Rock Bistro and Tap Room opened recently in downtown Lone Rock, offering different local tap beers, elevated American style food and cocktails. Valley Sentinel had the opportunity to ask some questions of Head Chef and Kitchen Manager, Justin Scofield, to introduce the restaurant. His answers are below. Valley Sentinel: Why Lone Rock Bistro and Taproom? What does the name represent to you? Justin Scofield: Our original goal and vision for our project in Lone Rock was to build a brewery and brewpub, so clearly our emphasis was on beer and quality food. We had planned to name it the Lone Rock Brewing Company. Our vision for that also included a much larger venue that would have incorporated several other complimentary businesses including a coffee shop, a vintage style arcade with a huge selection of stand up arcade games and pinball machines, as well as a boutique resale shop, among several other small art/craft or retail related shops. Our brewpub space was set to have a brewing space visible to the customers as well as a larger dining area and a stage we had hoped to use to bring live music events and the like to add some entertainment offering to the mix. Due to some mixed feelings throughout the community at the time about the impact of our plan, based mostly on our location not being on Oak St., we ran into zoning issues with our building that basically closed the door to that plan. We spent the best part of a year planning that project and our defeat was a humbling experience to say the least, and although it left us a bit discouraged as to how to proceed, it did not cause us to throw in the towel. We saw a real gem in Lone Rock and a lot of unrealized potential. We still felt we had something special that we
Photos by Emilie Conlon, Editor-in-Chief On Dec. 31, an impromptu New Year’s Eve parade drove through downtown Spring Green to help bring some joy to the starting new year. The parade was planned on a budget, where participants were instructed not to purchase anything to deck out their vehicles for the event, and only to use items they already had, said one organizer, Tim Zumm with Friends of the Lower Wisconsin River Way (FLOW). Before making it downtown, the parade passed by Meadows, Greenway Manor and Greenway Terrace. Top: Zumm leads the parade through downtown Spring Green with Flo the Paddle Fish, FLOW’s mascot. Bottom: Sights from the New Year’s Eve Parade last week through downtown Spring Green.
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Local nursing facilities opt-in for additional COVID-19 testing Gov. Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) announced last week an opt-in program that would expand regular COVID-19 testing in assisted living and nursing homes in the state. Valley Sentinel reached out to facilities in the area regarding the program and how it might impact their COVID-19 response. Below are their responses. Below are responses from Raeann Marten, RN, administrator at Meadows Assisted Living in Spring Green. Valley Sentinel: Have you or are you
planning on opting-in to this program for Meadows? Raeann Marten: Yes, we have opted in and are planning to complete onsite testing of our staff every 2 weeks, which is the frequency allowed by the program. VS: How does/did COVID-19 testing work for staff/residents currently/prior to this program? RM: Prior to the expansion we were only able to get testing supplies if we had an outbreak, which is a reactive process. At that point there is risk that exposure of others may have already oc-
curred. An effective mitigation strategy includes regular proactive screening to identify individuals who are asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic. Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have worked hard to be proactive instead of reactive. We have been working in partnership with Sauk County Public Health and the Spring Green Fire Department to have our staff included in testing at the community test site bi-weekly. They have been very supportive. VS: Have you/do you offer on-site testing for staff/residents?
RM: We had only been able to offer on-site testing if we already had identified a positive staff member or resident. Sauk County Public Health and the Spring Green Fire Department have been supporting our staff testing efforts at their community test site. VS: How would/will this program help COVID-19 care and prevention in your facility? RM: If a staff member has any COVID-like symptoms, they are immediately excluded from work and tested.
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opinion/editorial
WednesdaY, Jan. 6, 2020
EDITORIAL
Let’s reconsider our typical work week, day in 2021— because we all need it For most people, the start of this week was the first day back to a regular work schedule following the winter holidays, and despite the holidays looking a little different this year, going back to work is never easy. A recent Instagram poll from Valley Sentinel asked if people were ready to go back to work after the holidays, 83% of responders said no, with 17% saying yes. There’s a simple explanation for that: The normalized American work week and work day sucks. It’s no secret that many customs of the US are anomalies to many European countries and our work structure is definitely one of them. We all know that work obligations are much more relaxed in other countries, some even having upwards of two hours for lunch and an afternoon siesta, some only having a four day work week and others allowing an entire month off for vacation, along with more parental leave time. Sounds crazy right? But it’s actually not, many recent studies have shown that employees actually only complete about four hours of actual, productive work per day. The truth is, our 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday work week was
created in the early 20th century at the height of the industrial revolution to follow factory schedules. It’s truly outdated, and really doesn’t work for every profession. Following the idea that we actually only produce four hours of work per day, think of your job. Think about how much work you actually complete each day, and how you feel throughout your day. We all have experienced that 2 p.m. after lunch slump where we have
to keep working but we’re ready to go home, or need a triple shot of espresso to crawl our way to 5 p.m., there is no way we are being productive, money earning employees when we hit that wall. Recent studies have found that if you are naturally a night owl, but your job requires you to be bright eyed and bushy tailed early in the day on the weekdays but you’re still sleeping in on the weekends, you’re literally taking years off your life. Morning birds can also be affected by our typical work day, they like to be super productive first thing in the morning and throughout the day, but by 5 p.m. they’re probably ready to start winding down for the evening and enjoying some time to themselves or their families. It seems like the typical work week or day that we are accustomed to doesn’t even really work for most of our workforce, so why are we still keeping it? Do any of us really know? A shorter work day or shorter work week would allow for our workforce to have more time for rest, which would allow them to be more engaged and productive for the times they are working. It would also create waves for our communities, shortening a work day or
work week would give people more time to invest in their communities, whether that’s in working on community development or supporting more small businesses, people would have time to spend personal time where they live, instead of simply sleeping and eating there before going to work day in and day out. It would also allow for more time to invest in our community government, if our workforce had more time on its hands, perhaps people would have more time to become involved with local government or those who are already involved would have more time to invest in going above and beyond. Locally, start conversations with employees about the hours they are required to be in the office (or in the days of working from home, the hours they have to be logged on or zooming) if you own a local shop or restaurant, consider the shifts each employee has to work, or considering working with their preferred schedule if they are a morning or night person. Be kind when an employee needs sick, vacation or leave time. We weren’t put on earth to work, we were put on here to live.
Editor Column: If Stars Hollow can do it, so can the River Valley Emilie Conlon, Editor-in-Chief We’re right in the middle of the season where I like to re-watch one of my all-time favorite shows, “Gilmore Girls”, which is exactly what I was doing last week when I realized just how active the Connecticut small town setting and its characters are in their community. If you’ve seen the show or even if you’re unfamiliar with it, one of the biggest draws is the small town type atmosphere it gives, showcasing the everybody-knows-everybody connections between characters, cameos from the quirky residents that live there and most off, the plethora of community events that seem to be never ending. If you’ve watched the show, you know that there is always something going on in the little town of Stars Hollow, whether it’s the town meeting, where residents can air grievances or the town makes major town decisions together (I want to be clear, the Stars Hollow town meetings hardly follow legal,
governmental meeting procedures, but nevertheless, they’re typically well attended and there’s a large amount of resident participation), the event could be a revolutionary war reenactment, a festival to celebrate and tell the story of the town, a town bonfire or a winter carnival there is always something happening in that town. For the main characters of the show, Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, it’s unthinkable to miss even a single one of these events, rain or snow, and it’s clear through the show that the rest of the town feels the same way, and I truly think that’s amazing. According to some online sources, the official total population of Stars Hollow is about 9,000 people, which is the same size as the River Valley School District and this town manages to pull off some crazy stuff that we should want to see make its way to our area. Our area has some really cool community events, but I think there is al-
ways room to grow and always room for new events that can work to bring the area together and provide a fun time for everyone in the community, and maybe even brings in some from the surrounding areas to join in on the fun. I fully understand that this show and town are fictional and probably uses monopoly money to make all of this happen, but the idea is there, and so is the idea that we need to invest in our community if we’re going to be able to create new community events and organizations or even continue with the ones that we do well currently. Investing doesn’t always mean money, although I’m sure that would go a long way, there are plenty of other ways to invest in the community. Many of the events cost little more than time and passion. The biggest investment is providing support, come out to those new events that come to your community, just show up. Support the new business, try the new restaurant, share photos of
your fun times on social media and tag the place or event. It’s not hard, it will take only a little bit of time away from you, and you’ll probably have a good time. Treat those new events, new businesses, new restaurants, whatever it is, like it’s an unthinkable thing for you or anyone in our community to miss. That’s how we can find our place next to Stars Hollow, by just joining, being happy and excited to see the community grow. You can be excited for the community to have more options and more amenities without having to give too much, all it takes is us showing up and sharing our ideas. Let’s show up for our community like the Gilmore Girls and Stars Hollow shows up for their community. If a small New England town the size of the entire River Valley area can do it, we can certainly band together to do it.
Letter to the Editor: Santa does indeed enjoy Lake Louie Brewing In response to a column published in last week’s Valley Sentinel speculating about Santa’s Christmas Eve stops at breweries in Wisconsin, Lake Louie Brewing sumbited the following letter to the editor. Dear Editor, You’re not reading NORAD’s Santa tracking website wrong, Jolly Old Saint Nick didn’t stop at the Arena brewery this year. He got word that all Lake Louie beers are now produced a few miles away at Wisconsin Brewing Company in Verona. Santa’s typical stop at the Pine Road brewery in the past has included a sometimes not-so-
smooth landing on the frozen ¼ acre pond outside the brewery. It’s made for a slippery landing in the past but nothing ol’ Kris Kringle and his reindeer can’t handle. The past three years, we’ve left out cookies with our tasty Louie’s Reserve limited release scotch ale. Santa always had a couple, two, t’ree (as we say in Wisconsin) of our special release brew. More than once he needed a hand getting back into the sleigh after those Louie’s Reserves. —Ellen Weiler, Sales Manager Wisconsin Brewing Company and Lake Louie Photo by Robin Shepard A shot of Lake Louie set out with cookies for Santa.
opinion
WednesdaY, Jan. 6, 2021
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Special Column: Your responses to River Valley Resolutions Quincy Aston-Lott, Managing Editor For the past month we’ve asked the community to share with us some ideas they have to better the community. We asked to figure out the services/offerings/events, etc. that an area would need to have to want to settle down there. We asked what some things are that every community should offer its residents? Not just now during COVID, but in normal times too. What things represent that concept of community? Some things you’d wish your hometown had? The ideas didn’t need to be completely realistic, but they should’ve been creative enough to get the conversations flowing. Through the process we were reminded that our local governing bodies can’t do it all, that we all need to step up — individuals, businesses, organizations — in a way that is concerted and organized. We are reminded that sometimes passion speaks louder than money. Sometimes the simplest and most fulfilling things that better our community are virtually free Some of the things below may exist in some form in our community, some may need work, some may not exist in our area at all. Some ideas below will take action and infrastructure, some will take wood and marshmallows. We hope to keep the conversations going. Below are selected answers from our community. • • • • • •
Housing
Affordable, quality housing that is still an updated, comfortable place to call home Rental housing Workforce housing Senior housing
Dinning
Quality coffee shop options, especially for cozy lounging and working More options for breakfast/
• • • • • • •
brunch Gluten friendly options Dairy free and other allergen options Upscale dining Late night options - a place to get food or coffee late at night Restaurants with outdoor wood fireplaces year-round Food truck friday
Shopping
Variety of boutique and consistent options, should be able to get all material and sustenance needs within a 15 minute drive
Transportation
• •
Shuttle to APT/between villages Rail streetcar linking Arena/ Spring Green/Lone Rock for local transportation to tie communities together and encourage tourism
• •
Concerts/live shows a concert in the middle of town for a summer festival Concerts in the parks Event venue space Drive-thru/drive-in events during COVID
• • • •
• • • • •
Entertainment
Social Media/Connecting Virtually
Instagram-worthy events to raise awareness of Spring Green—cute, themed, or well-planned events that give people options to get out Events that make people want to share the area they live in Watch parties and discussions over social media
Balance
Finding balance between having big city amenities with a small town feel Ability to have a good work/life blanace and time to enjoy community Local jobs that reduce the need
to commute to work, being able to spend more time in the community. • • • • • • •
• •
Outdoors/Recreation
Ice fishing derby Consistent rental options and infrastructure for kayaking, fishing, boating, floating Winter after hours events, community bonfire, smores, ice skating Parks and recreation programs for adults and youth Better visibility/utility of the area’s recreation options Greater visibility of the Driftless Are
Business
Editorial Editor-in-Chief Emilie Conlon Creative Director Morgan Marlenga Managing Editor Quincy Aston-Lott Legal Editor Gerry Strang, esq.
nesses Mixed use space for development Entreprenneurial support and grants
•
Arts & Culture
Invest more in Arts in the Park programs for kids • Find ways to connect more with local arts, maybe APT can do Shakespeare in the Park as dress rehearsals to reward the community These questions and ideas are just a beginning, the start of new conversations, conversations that have been happening for a while and of new collaborations and engagement.
Collaborative events organizaed by businesses, such as a Taste of the Valley that brings all of the area restaurants together Emphasis on a revitalized downtown in each village Co-working space for small busi-
River Valley Resolutions Everyone has a great idea or two (or more) to better our greater community. We’ve all looked at a problem or had that moment of inspiration or wished we had a service or opportunity here in our area. Do you have an idea that you’ve told no one else? An idea or two that’s been bouncing around in your head for awhile? An idea that might seem preposterous, but it just might work if someone knew? An idea you’ve only told your hunting buddies or your bridge club or your dog? Do you have ideas that could be implemented in 1, 3 or 10 years that would put the River Valley area on the map as a place to live, work and play? We want your ideas! Submit your standalone ideas and let’s get the conversations going, let’s start a feedback loop of impulses and ideas that lead to action that betters our community. Let’s start building community, together. Email us at editor@valleysentinelnews.com or send us a letter: Valley Sentinel, P.O. Box 144, Spring Green, WI 53588 or give us a call at 608-588-6694.
Contact us
PO Box 144 Spring Green, Wisconsin 53588 USA (608) 588-6694 editor@valleysentinelnews.com valleysentinelnews.com
• •
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Editorial Policy
On certain topics in areas of great community interest, the editors of the Valley Sentinel may take positions they believe best represent and serve the interests of the community. Any opinions or positions taken by the editorial board are separate and distinct in labeling and substance from the community journalism that appears in the rest of the publication and does not affect the integrity
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and impartiality of our reporting.
Est. 2020 igne conflatum “Forged in Fire”
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Editors may feature opinion columns written by public figures, members of the public or other publication staff. Columns reflect the opinions of the individual contributors and do not represent positions of the publication. Guest columns of an anticipated length more than 500 words should seek prior editor authorization.
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From time to time the editorial board may select letters to the editor of a particular compelling community interest where a public figure or accountable public action is the recipient of criticism and allow, in the same issue, the subject of the criticism chance for rebuttal, with expounded independent input. The format shall be point, counterpoint and expert analysis. This community discussion shall serve as a moderated dialogue that presents multiple views of important community topics.
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Community
WednesdaY, Jan. 6, 2021
New resturant in downtown Lone Rock now open continued from page 1
could offer, so after looking at the other available options for venues, we began discussing how to shift our plans to suit what was available to us. This brings me back to the core of the question. So, we clearly liked the strength of the name Lone Rock and given the fact that neither the Keg and Kettle space, which was also available at that time, nor the Waz Inn had space for a brewery component without some major additions, we were left with serving quality food and great beer so we decided that a Bistro and Taproom would be our best option to proceed and so came the name. The name to us represents strength and a firm foundation, much like the town itself. We decided to carry that over into the re-shaped version of the plan and feel that it helps us to represent the history of the town. VS: Please give us a brief background of your experience with food and booze. JS: Our main operating staff all have background in the food and bar business. Mike Haight, the general operations manager, had previously been involved in two other large bar businesses in the greater Madison area, both of which are still in operation as well as having worked in the kitchen of some notable restaurants in Madison some years before. As for me, I’ve always had a passion for great food and had considered attending culinary academy before ultimately deciding to move to Madison to pursue a career in the music business. I spent many years working in the technology industry but had several jobs when I was younger working in commercial kitchens, so it was not totally foreign to me to be back behind the grill all these years later. I have always loved to cook. Our bar manager has a wealth of bartending experience and was actually trained at one of Mike’s former bars. She can make a huge list of amazing craft cocktails and specialty drinks totally off the cuff. She is incredibly talented and charismatic and we are lucky to have her behind the bar!! We all love a great meal and a quality cocktail and both Mike and I love craft beer. We feel that we all have something to bring to the table here and are intent on delivering
Photo contributed by Lone Rock Bistro and Taproom A view of Wisconsin beers on tap that are available at the Lone Rock Bistro and Taproom. something special to the community. VS: Why did you choose Lone Rock for your business? JS: Well Mike had left Madison some years back to travel and see the world and upon his return had settled in Portland. After 6 years there running a successful boutique record and clothing store, he decided to move back to Wisconsin to be closer to his mother Janet, who is the owner of the Bistro. She lives in Spring Green and operates the Bird Of Paradise Tea Company and the No Rules Gallery there. She is amazing and is also responsible for the amazing baked desserts we offer. Her “Pie of the Day” offerings and Mango Key Lime Pie are absolutely out of this world and must be tasted!! He found a new home in Lone Rock 4 years ago and he and I spoke often of what an interesting place it was, both beautiful and rich with history. He and I have worked in collaboration together on many projects previously so when he started considering what his options may be in trying to make some moves towards starting a business with his mother in the area, he reached out to me to exchange ideas on what might be worth pursuing. I had been in the Madison area for the last 26 years. I had been to Lone Rock
Photo by Quincy Aston-Lott, Managing Editor The Lone Rock Bistro and Taproom is now open in downtown Lone Rock.
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In other news Spring Green Library extended hours
The Spring Green Community Library will offer extended hours starting Jan. 4. The library will be open Mondays, Wednesdays and Friday’s 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. and Tuesdays and Thursdays 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Saturday hours will be 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The library will remain open for curbside service, and appointments for computer and copier use. Call (608) 588-2276 to schedule an appointment.
Spring Green Area Chamber of Commerce Board
The Spring Green Area Chamber of Commerce has four open seats on its board. To fill out an online application, visit https://forms.gle/Nf41LjyRf3DmnHyc8
Iowa County COVID-19 Vaccinations
Due to an increased anticipation of COVID-19 vaccines being available in Iowa County, the county health department is looking to vaccinate independent healthcare workers. “We are looking ofr healthcare workers who are independent and have no other way to obtain vaccine through an employer,” said Debbie Siegenhaler, Director for Iowa County Health. To obtain a vaccination through the county, independent healthcare workers can email healthinfo@iowacounty.org. The department will then verify the individuals license or credentials. The state is currently distributing vaccines as part of the 1a distribution phase, which makes frontline healthcare workers who provide direct patient service or healthcare services that places them into contact with COVID-19 patients, along with skilled nursing home facility employees and residents eligible for the vaccine.
Community Grants Spring Green Area Arts Coalition Now Accepting Applications For Creative Community and Artistic Development Grants The Spring Green Area Arts Coalition, with the help of a matching grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board, annually awards grants to artists, organizations, schools, and community groups involved in art or cultural endeavors in the River Valley area through their Creative Community and Artistic Development grant programs. The purpose of the Creative Community Grant is to stimulate creative and innovative arts programming. Proposed projects could include public exhibits, performances, publications, and educational activities. Disciplines could include dance, theater, music, folk arts, literary arts, visual arts, video and film. Priority is given to projects that maximize community involvement and community benefit. Community groups, organizations, and schools are eligible to apply for Creative Community Grants. The purpose of the Artistic Development Grant is to support an individual’s arts project or artistic learning and development. Possible use of Artistic Development Grant money could include expenses related to projects in the visual or performing arts, to help cover short-term courses, workshops, or art/music classes or camps. Funds are intended to cover materials, time spent on a project, or for registration fees. Any professional artist, amateur artist, or student in the River Valley is eligible to apply for the Artistic Development Grant. Criteria for evaluating Artistic Grant applications are individual benefit, educational benefit, financial need, and community benefit. Applications for these grants can be found at www.SpringGreenArts.org. The deadline for the applications is February 22nd, 2021. Grant awards will be decided by a peer review panel comprised of community members. Recipients of the grants will be announced by the end of March, 2021. For more information or for questions email SpringGreenAreaArtsCoalition@gmail.com.
Community
WednesdaY, Jan. 6, 2021
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Local facilities planning for COVID-19 vaccine timeline, distribution Continue from page 1
With regular screening we can identify individuals who are asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic and also exclude those individuals from work, further decreasing the risk of exposure to our residents. This strategy has worked effectively for us. At this time we have not had any residents test positive for COVID. VS: What would this program change about current COVID-19 procedures in the facility? RM: It will allow us to offer the testing on-site for our staff. Mark Scoles, director for Greenway Manor and Greenway Terrace in Spring Green did not provide specific responses to questions, but did provide the below response regarding the program. Mark Scoles: We are pleased that the State of Wisconsin will continue to support testing for skilled nursing
and assisted living facilities. Since our senior living is attached to our skilled nursing facility we have had access to testing for a number of months and have been testing all staff and residents twice weekly since early November. Prior to November, we had been testing weekly since late summer. We are also pleased to report that all residents and staff electing to get the vaccine, will receive it on December 30th. We are partnered with Walgreens and are receiving the Moderna vaccine. It is a two part vaccine with the booster administered 28 days after the first shot. We will continue to test as long as regulations require it and until we feel that it is no longer required to ensure the safety of our staff and residents. Valley Sentinel asked the facilities about expectations for the newly re-
leased vaccine. Cindy Natgiv, marketing coordinator for Elderspan Management, the management company for Meadows Assisted Living in Spring Green, stated because the facility is classified as assisted living and memory care, employees and residents are not eligible for vaccination based on the Phase 1a distribution, which allows for vaccination of frontline healthcare workers, employees and residents of skilled nursing homes. “We are waiting patiently to hear, right now we have no concrete timeline,” said Nativ. “We are using this time to get info to staff and residents to have them make informed decisions.” Natigv said she estimates the facility might see the vaccine in three to four weeks. Mark Scoles did not respond to specific questions regarding the vaccination. In a recent press release, Richland
County provided an update on vaccinations for skilled nursing facilities in the county. As Phase 1a progresses in Richland County, it was reported that longterm care facility residents and staff at Schmitt Woodland Hills and the Pine Valley Community Village were offered Moderna COVID-19 vaccines from Walgreens professionals Jan. 4. A collaborative partnership has been established between the Richland Hospital, Richland County Health & Human Services, and Richland County Emergency Management to develop a local plan to effectively and efficiently distribute vaccinations as they become available. This group continues to meet weekly to clarify the details of the local plan. It is anticipated that Richland County will transition into Phase 1b within the next few weeks.
COVID-19 Testing Information Sauk County Mondays from 11am to 1pm at Spring Green Fire/EMS 2 Step Online Registration & Appointment REQUIRED: www.springgreenems.com Tuesdays from 8am to 12pm at Reedsburg Ambulance Service Online Registration REQUIRED: www.register.covidconnect.wi.gov *Note: Even if you have previously registered via covidconnect site, you must re-register each time you are tested.*
Wednesday from 4:30pm to 8pm at Merrimac Fire & Rescue Appointments REQUIRED: Call (608) 393-3205 2 Step Online Registration & Appointment REQUIRED: 1. Complete questionnaire at www.register.covidconnect.wi.gov 2. Call (608) 643-7603 to schedule appointment. Call MondayFriday 8am-4pm *Note: Even if you have previously registered via covidconnect site, you must re-register each time you are tested. Enter the car line from Water St to Lincoln Ave, then follow the yellow directional signs to check in station located at 55 Prairie Ave. Vehicles with more than one person in them are welcome but each person MUST have pre-registered and have scheduled an appointment.*
Fridays from 8am to 12pm at Circus World Parking Lot (testing conducted by Baraboo Fire & EMS Online Registration only. Unable to accept phone calls 2 Step Online Registration & Appointment REQUIRED: www. forms.gle/uXHPPe86hiosRHbN8
Iowa County Testing will continue in 2021 on Thursdays, alternating between Iowa and Lafayette Counties, from 11am-1pm, weather dependent. Testing will be held on Thursday, January 7th, 2021 from 11am – 1pm in Lafayette County at the Ames Road Multipurpose Building at 11974 Ames Road in Darlington. The following week’s test site will be in Iowa County on Thursday, January 14th, 2021 from 11am – 1pm at the Health and Human Services Center located at 303 West Chapel Street in Dodgeville.
Richland County
Tests will be available on a FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVE basis. The Richland Hospital continues to offer COVID-19 drive-thru testing from 11am to 4pm Monday-Friday for hospital & clinic patients displaying COVID-19 symptoms or to those that have a confirmed exposure.
January 7th from 9am to 3pm at Richland County Fairgrounds January 11th from 9am to 12pm at Richland County Fairgrounds January 13th from 9am to 3pm at UW-Platteville RichlandClassroom Building th January 14 from 9am to 3pm at Richland County Fairgrounds January 18th from 9am to 12pm at Richland County Fairgrounds January 20th from 9am to 3pm at UW-Platteville RichlandClassroom Building January 21st from 9am to 3pm at Richland County Fairgrounds January 25th from 9am to 12pm at Richland County Fairgrounds January 28th from 9am to 3pm at Richland County Fairgrounds
Lone Rock Bistro open, ready to serve food and drinks with a twist continued from page 4
a few times before but looking through a different lens of thought showed me a much different picture, one with tons of potential for the future. Ultimately, I moved to Lone Rock last fall. We all saw a chance to be involved with something fresh and new and Lone Rock seemed to be a good fit for all of us. VS: Why was right now the right time for you to bring the Bistro and Taproom to Lone Rock? JS: Well, that’s kind of a loaded question. 2020 was a crazy year for everyone with the COVID situation. I’m not sure that it was so much of the “right time” as it was just “our time” to jumpstart something. It’s hard to have a concise feeling about it but the reality of it for us was that we had a really hard time watching so many places we loved to eat and drink that were either
forced to, or chose, to close up shop this year. People are constantly losing more of their options for drinks and dining and we got to the point where we asked ourselves the tough question of whether this was something we felt strongly enough to even want to continue to pursue given the current market trends. Believe me when I tell you, there were some days that really tested our resolve, but we came to the conclusion that it was now or never. We were tired of having to sit on our hands and wait and watch and it really was more of an “it became time” situation. It’s a big gamble, but we have faith in our abilities and hope for the future and what it may bring and as long as we are willing to put in the time and effort and can get the community to rally behind us, I think we have a chance to succeed at our mission.
VS: You mentioned this will be the first time in almost a decade when all three bars are open in the village at once, what does that mean to you? What does that mean for the community? JS: Mike spoke to a gentleman who had previously owned the Keg & Kettle some years back. It would have been likely 15 years ago or more. In their conversation, his sentiments were that the business was never as good as when all three bars were open. It makes sense. It suggests prosperity and possibilities. It gives the community a choice. It creates economic opportunity. We are thrilled to be open among them and look forward to trying to work in harmony with the other bars there to cultivate a diverse balance of culture and activities for the public to enjoy. Beyond the local and surround-
ing communities, we also really wanted to appeal to the influx of seasonal tourists and hope to help draw more traffic to the downtown area, which we hope will bring a positive economic impact to the entire community. VS: Is there a possibility for collaborations between the Bistro and the other bars/restaurants/businesses in the area? Is that something that is high on your priority list? JS: We certainly hope so. We really haven’t had much time to formally discuss it with the other owners but we envision some great opportunities for some unified events throughout the year that would encourage cross traffic among the three bars as well as through the rest of the local businesses. We really want to see a turn of the tide in the local economy and hope to do our part
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Community
WednesdaY, Jan. 6, 2021
Healthcare workers recieve vaccine at Sauk Prairie Healthcare
Photos via Sauk Prairie Healthcare Sauk Prairie Healthcare in Prairie du Sac recieved its first shipment of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 30, and began vaccinating healthcare workers as part of the Phase 1a distribution model. Pictured left is Respiratory Therapist Elaine Jones recieving a vaccine last week. Pictured right is Emergency Room Nurse Belle Koch getting vaccinated. Both were of the first healthcare workers to recieve the shot at the hospital.
High School Musical
River Valley High School’s musical production recording of Urinetown: The Musical is now available for purchase online. The performance is available at www.showtix4u.com/event-details/44829. Urinetown will be available for viewing until June 5th, 2021. You can also search Showtix4u.com for the production. Urinetown: The Musical was recorded live December 18th-20th, 2020 in the RVHS Gymnasium and was directed by Sara Young, music directed by Becky Schinker, and choreographed by Michael Stanek. Thank you for supporting performing arts in your RV Schools!
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School Board Elections
The River Valley School Board seats that are up for relection this Spring will be unopposed. On April 6, 2021, an election will be held for three school board seats, including school district areas number five, seven and eight. Area No. 5, represents the town of Bear Creek in Sauk County included in the School District and all portion of Richland County included within the School District except the Village of Lone Rock. The Area No. 5 incumbent is Mark Strozinsky, who has filed non-candidacy paperwork and will not run for re-election, according to Paula Wedige, District Administrative Assistant. Elisabeth Minich has filed paperwork to seek election for the area. Area No. 7, represents the portions of Sauk County included in the School District except the Villages of Plain and Spring Green and except that portion of the Town of Bear Creek in said School District. The Area No. 7 incumbent is Frederic H. Iausly, who has filed paper work to seek re-election. Area No. 8, the town of Wyoming included in the School District. The Area No. 8 incumbent is Kiley Cates, who will be running for re-election as the incumbent, said Wedige.
Sports
WednesdaY, Jan. 6, 2021
Page 7
RV Girls Basketball vs. Barneveld sees loss Mike McDermott, Contributed On Dec. 28, the RV girls squared off with Barneveld in a non-conference matchup. The Blackhawks came into the game looking for their second win against five losses, while Barneveld was playing their first game of the season. Unfortunately for the RV girls, this game would be close throughout, but Barneveld ultimately prevailed 42-37. Both teams came out of the gate cold in this one, with the Blackhawks notching the first basket of the night more than three minutes in, on a nice feed from Charlotte Ferstl to Ava Liegel. An Emily Esser three-pointer put the Valley girls up 5-1 but points continued to be hard to come by for both sides. Liegel scored again to put RV up 9-7 midway through the first half. Baskets by Esser, Anna Johnson, and Sophia Haas keyed an 8-0 Blackhawk run, giving the home team its largest lead of the half at 17-10. Strong work on the defensive end held Barneveld down, and the Hawks carried a 21-14 lead into the intermission. Emily Esser tried to stretch that lead to 10 with a thrilling last second steal and three, but it bounced out. Having a half of game competition under their belts seemed to relax the Barneveld squad, as they ran off eight points in the first two minutes of the 2nd half to take a 22-21 lead. An Esser free throw and a Haas three put the brakes on the Eagle’s run, but frequent turnovers prevented RV from gaining momentum at the offensive end of the floor. Still, their feisty defensive work and missed FT’s by Barneveld kept this one close. Brooke Anderson dialed up a three-ball to close the gap to 33-31 with six minutes left, and Ferstl’s shot from the elbow tied the score shortly after. Two quick buckets by the visitors gave them a four point lead, and Valley still fought back with free throws from Anderson and a 12 footer off the glass by Esser. Trailing 38-37 with just under four minutes left, the RV girls were not able to get
Photos by Mike McDermott, Contributor Blackhawk player Katie Hahn takes a shot at the Dec. 28 girl’s basketball game against Barneveld. a shot to drop the rest of the way, falling 42-37. Coach Brent Johnson felt the game got away from the Blackhawks after halftime, adding, “We came out kinda flat in the second half and we didn’t really stick to the game plan of what we wanted to do, which was establish the post early against the zone and then when the shots didn’t fall; we ended up with too many empty possessions. As a team, we need to play more consistent to pull out wins against good competition.” Emily Esser paced the Blackhawks with 10 points on the night. Sophia Haas contributed 9, Anderson had 5 and Liegel threw in 4. Haas and Morgan Brickl played valuable minutes coming off the bench in this game. The RV Girls took on Lodi on Jan. 5
From the Coach The River Valley Girls basketball team had three games to end December and unfortunately were unable to come away with a victory in the contests. Two of the three games were extremely competitive and the Blackhawks played at a high level for large portions of the games. In the first game, the Blackhawks hosted rival Richland Center in a SWC conference match-up. River Valley and the Hornets battled to a 25 to 21 score at the end of the first half with the Hornets holding the advantage. In the second half, Richland Center pulled away by outscoring River Valley by ten points to post a 51 -37 victory. The Blackhawks were led by seniors Emily Esser with 10 points and Sophia Haas with 9 points. Nine different players scored for the Blackhawks. The next game, River Valley hosted Barneveld in a non-conference contest. The Blackhawks raced out to a 25 to 14 lead in the first half led by sophomores Charlotte Ferstl and Brooke Anderson who combined for 19 first half points. The Golden Eagles mounted a comeback in the second half and found their scoring touch as they put up 28 points compared to nine for the Blackhawks. The final result was 42 to 34. Ferstl led the Blackhawks with 13 points and Anderson finished with 10 points. Senior Emily Esser chipped in with six points. The final game of December proved to be a rough outing for the Blackhawks. Playing in back to back games and traveling to Division 2 Sauk Prairie; River Valley fell to an athletic and talented Sauk Prairie team. Unable to get anything positive going offensively the Blackhawks fell by a final score of 59 -11. The Blackhawks will be busy to start the new year as they have three games scheduled for the first full week of January. River Valley will travel to Lodi on Tuesday and Dodgeville on Thursday before hosting Platteville on Saturday. —Brent Johnson, Head Girls Basketball Coach
Left: Blackhawk No. 23, Morgan Brickl, right, looks to rebound at the Dec. 28 game. Right: the River Valley Girls demonstrate good defense playing Dec. 28 where they ultimately lost to Barneveld 42-37.
Activities this week JV Girls Basketball Dodgeville High School 6 p.m. Jan. 7
JV Boys Basketball River Valley High School new gym 6 p.m. Jan. 8
Freshman Girls Basketball River Valley High School new gym 1 p.m. Jan. 9
Varsity Girls Basektball Dodgeville High School 7:30 p.m. Jan. 7
Varsity Boys Basketball River Valley High School new gym 7:30 p.m. Jan. 8
JV Girls Basketball River Valley High School new gym 2:30 p.m. Jan. 9
Wrestling Prairie du Chien High School 6 p.m. Jan. 8
Gymnastics Platteville High School 11 a.m. Jan. 9
Varsity Girls Basketball River Valley High School new gym 4 p.m. Jan. 9
“The good stuff.”
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Outdoors/recreation
WednesdaY, Jan. 6, 2021
FLAG UP! ICE FISHING IN WISCONSIN
Fishing bluegills and panfish through the ice “Hard water” fishing for panfish is fun and easy and may result in a fine dinner when the winds blow cold. Here are some basic tips and considerations to improve chances of success.
Where to fish
Know the locations where bluegills will be. Often time, winter fishing is a return to the familiar haunts of sum mer. Bluegills associate with weeds, finding green, standing vegetation is often key to finding fish. Don’t over look woody debris either: tree crowns and
fish cribs attract panfish. Also, small nuances in depth such as drop offs, breaks, and bars are fish holders. Use all the tools. Some anglers use fish locators to hone in on fish or to put their bait in the fish holding areas. Others consult local on-line forums for location, time and bait details from other successful anglers. On the ice, cell phones between fishing pals has helped to turn a so-so day into a memorable trip. Bait use Make it tasty. Baits vary as much as fishermen but mousies, wax worms, and spikes ( all larva of insects ) typical ly grace the business end of ice fishing jigs. Don’t be shy about using a small plastic “wedge” or teaser to attract attention or trigger a strike. Have a selection of colors available to work with changing water clarities. And check your knot ! There are methods of tying
on jigs and baits that create “bounce’ or wiggle that entice hesitant fish into biting.
Line and hook tips
Keep it light. Bluegills are dainty sight feeders. Keep your line light ( 2- to 4-pound test monofilament) and the terminal tackle small : rat finkys, marmooskas, tear drops and ice jigs need to be kept to scale with a bluegills mouth , such as # 12. The same goes for floats or spring bobbers…keeping them sensitive and offering mini mal resistance means more bites. But if the bite isn’t happening, don’t be afraid to switch it up and offer up a big meal…. sometimes big aggressive fish will take a large flashy lure.
More tips
Be quiet. More often than not, it’s the quiet focused anglers that fill their pails. Fish spook and avoid vibration and noise. A stealthy approach pays its
own dividends. To keep disturbance to a minimum drill extra holes when you first arrive so when the bite gets hot you can maximize the potential of the area you are fishing. Move ! If fish aren’t biting, take a walk and see if others are enjoying any success. Hole –hopping , even small dis tances, can produce fish. A hole that isn’t fishy isn’t going to put dinner on the table. Also, fish the entire VERTI CAL water column. Often ‘gils and crappie may “hold” in a narrow band within the depth range. Cover the depth by slowly and completely jigging from top to bottom through the entire profile. And last but not least, GO ! Stop wishin’ and go fishin’ ! —Kurt Welke, longtime fisheries biologist for Dane County (including the Madison lakes)
Fishing walleye through the ice this winter “I mainly fish on stained-water lakes and have found that tip-ups fished with live bait can often catch more walleye than jig-pole fishing. But for clear-water lakes, jigging may out-produce tip-ups.”
Key spots to look for
Gravel bars and rocky drop-offs, weeds edges and mid-depth mud flats and break lines where gravel/sand turns to soft bottom are excellent holding locations for walleye.
Best depths
Time of day
Time of day is often very important and this also varies with whether you’re fishing on a stained or clear-water lake. On stained waters, the low light periods are usually the most productive, with the hour and a half before dark often better than the early morning period (and the bite often shuts down right after dark). On clear-water lakes, you may often have to fish after dark to get the best catches, and sometimes all thru the night can be productive.
On stained lakes, I like to concentrate my tip-ups in the 6-foot to 12-foot range. On clear lakes, the best depths are usually in the 10-foot to 20-foot range. However, fish movement does vary and depths as shallow as 2 feet and deeper than 20 feet can often be very productive as well.
Bait use
Live bait is most often used on tipups. I prefer to use medium suckers or extra-large fatheads, but many anglers like golden shiners as their favorite bait. The old adage “the bigger the bait, the bigger the fish” is often true, but smaller sized bait can produce more action – which is often the goal when fishing with kids! Minnows should be hooked lightly through the middle of the back so they
hang in a horizontal position and stay lively.
Bait placement
On stained lakes, I set my minnow about 4 to 8 inches off the bottom. On clear lakes, bait placement can be 6 inches to 20 inches off the bottom, as the fish can better see the bait above them and come up to get it.
Line and hook tips
• Monofilament or fluorocarbon leaders are both good (though I’ve found that you have to re-tie more often with fluorocarbon as the knots fatigue more quickly than mono). Use a 2-foot to 3-foot leader that is attached to the nylon tip-up line (a small snap swivel works well for this). • Line markers – many people use a button, but I prefer a very small bobber. Reason why: the bobber will keep the line up off the bottom as a fish runs with the bait, whereas a button may drag along the bottom and catch on obstructions. • For hooks, I like to use a double hook (a treble with one barb snipped
off) or a single circle hook, and usually in size 8 or 6. I also place two small split shots about 7 to 8 inches above the hook to keep the minnow down near the bottom (see attached picture). • Many people use small treble hooks but I’ve found that these can be very hard to remove from fish when your hands are wet and cold. In addition, walleye often swallow the bait and double and single hooks can usually be removed without much damage to the fish. If a treble hook is left in the fish, it can pinch the throat closed and this may keep the fish from eating until the hook becomes dislodged over time.
A final thought
Remember – bigger is not better for eating quality with walleye. The best eaters are in the 12- to 15-inch size (if allowed by the harvest regulations) and catch and release does also work with walleye. Today’s 20 inch release may be your 28-inch mounter several years down the road! - Skip Sommerfeldt, a fisheries biologist based in Park Falls, ice fishes about every day the ice is safe.
Fishing northern pike through the ice “Northern pike are the ultimate winter sport fish, the “people’s fish.” Any angler worth his or her salt will admit a northern pike has saved many fishing trips from being a skunk.”
Where to fish
Do a little homework. If you don’t have a favorite lake already, check our internet page (dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing) for lakes in your area, or better yet, contact your local fisheries biologist. They can provide information from recent surveys and send you in the right direction. Keep it simple. Don’t try to out think a northern pike. Northern pike will
suspend in the water column, they will be found along deep rocky bars, but for the most part they are going to be associated with vegetation. Vege tation is where the food generally is located and also provides concealment for a stalking predator like the north ern pike. In most inland lakes vegetation extends to depths of 10-15 feet of water. Find the vegetation and you will find northern pike.
Best depths and bait placement
Split the difference. Many anglers when setting tip-ups place their bait a certain distance off the bottom. For ex ample, say water depth is twelve feet. Find bottom and set your bait one or two feet off bottom. If you are fishing in vegetation my general rule is to think in halves. Twelve feet of water –put your bait at six feet. This serves two purposes. First, vegetation is still occupying a fair portion of the water column
at early ice. If you place you bait based on x feet from the bottom there is a good chance it’s in the vegetation. No sight – no bite. Second, preda tors like northern pike cruise the water column. Even if they are near the bottom they can find prey above them. The opposite is less likely to be true. Don’t forget the shallows. Especially during early ice northern pike will frequent water less than 5 feet deep. When setting up your tip-ups put one in shallow. You won’t be disappointed.
The mystique of the northern pike
• Northern pike are common in Wisconsin. At last count they were found in over 2,000 inland lakes, rivers, and flowages in Wisconsin. Not to mention the bays of Lakes Michigan and Superior, and the Mississippi River. • Northern pike are multi-dimensional. They are mostly known as a food fish
but also provide trophy opportu nities. Northern pike fillets in a skillet are second to none. Check our website for proper filleting techniques to remove those troublesome “Y” bones. • Northern pike are active and bite all day. Show up at noon and you are good to go. No more of that putzing around in the dark. You should be on your way home by then. • Northern pike are low maintenance; the perfect winter fish for kids. Drill a few holes in the ice, put in some tipups, sit back and have a cup of coffee, let the kids play, and when a flag goes up, everybody runs. That’s good living in a Wisconsin winter. - Terry Margenau is a fisheries supervisor stationed in Spooner. You can often find Terry... on the ice... fishing... for northern pike.
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Outdoors/recreation
WednesdaY, Jan. 6, 2021
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Continued from page 8
Photo via Wisconsin DNR
Tips to make ice fishing fun for the family Pamela and Scott Toshner are avid ice anglers and parents of twin girls. The couple – she is a DNR lake and watershed protection specialist and he is a DNR fisheries supervisor -- started getting the girls involved in fishing when they were about 3 years old. The first couple of years were short trips and by 5 years old, the girls were already fairly seasoned ice anglers. Here are the Toshners’ tips for ice fishing fun with the whole family.
Getting ready for adventure
Go into the adventure with an open and patient mindset. We have had success starting out with tip-up fishing in spots that have good action. Northern pike are usually what we catch and make a great fish to start kids on. Try to get them involved in the whole process. For instance, take them to the bait shop to pick up minnows, snacks and refreshments. Let them help with scooping the slush out of holes and catching minnows out of the bait bucket. Make sure they’re dressed for the weather. Let them go inside a vehicle, shack or house to warm up when they get cold. Bring food, snacks and beverages for them - but have a plan on how to take care of bathroom needs. A bucket and maybe a blanket to hold up to provide some privacy can work if you’re fishing in a busy area.
Fishing with tip-ups is usually more successful than asking kids to sit on a bucket watching a hole. With tip-ups, they don’t have to sit in one place and watch for a bobber to go down. However, if you have a good action lake for panfish and either a warm winter day or an ice shack, jigging is fun as well. Have other activities for them to do while waiting for a flag to go up. Our girls like ice skating, cross country skiing and sledding. They play tic-tac-toe in the snow and shuffle ice path mazes with their feet followed by a game of tag in the maze. Veer outside the path, and you’re out! Bringing our dog along also provides them with some entertainment.
When they catch a fish
Let them catch the fish. If more than one child is along, figure out a system of taking turns before the first flag goes up. We often flip a coin for who goes first. The other child’s turn begins after the first has actually caught a fish and not just run to a flag to find no fish or after losing a fish. Be ready for some tears when a fish is lost at the hole. It happens and is a bit of a life lesson. We personally try not to give too much instruction on how to land a fish, they figure it out pretty quickly. Make a big deal about any fish they do catch -- any size or any species. To a kid, a skinny 22-inch northern pike is a bigger fish than a nice chunky 19-inch
walleye. Have a camera or your phone along - it makes a kid proud to get his or her picture taken with a fish. Again, any size or species of fish will do. With today’s smartphones, you can also take video footage of the kids catching the fish. We usually bring a fillet knife and cutting board along, which enables us to fillet the fish out on the ice. The kids love watching and always ask to cut the fish’s stomach open to see what it has been eating. Take it from the ice to the dinner table. The kids are proud to provide a meal for the family, so make sure they are involved in the process. (Quick tip: for northern pike up to about 26 inches in length we simply fillet the fish with the bones in it and put it through the meat grinder…. bones included and unnoticeable in the final product. We then add bread crumbs and seasoning, an egg or two and mix. Make some patties and fry them in a pan for a delicious dinner.) Take the opportunity to teach them a bit about fish and fish habitat. The questions of why we are fishing here and not there are the basis for them learning about fisheries habitat and ecology. For example, we fish for northern pike in bays with aquatic plants because those are the habitats that allow pike to feed and seek cover. Without
the aquatic plant habitat, the fish may not be there for us to catch. This one may be the hardest for hardcore adult ice anglers…….be ready to leave when the kids are no longer having fun. Sometimes the bite isn’t good or even if it is they just get tired of it. Especially for younger kids, two hours is plenty of time on the ice. Although “prime time” may be coming up, if the kids aren’t having fun they are less likelyto want to go again. Let them bring their friends. Not only will this make for more fun when the fish aren’t biting, but you may introduce someone to the sport who otherwise might not get the opportunity.
Free Fishing Weekend
If You Go: What: Free Fishing Weekend, all waters are open to fish without a license. When: Jan. 16-17 and June 5-6 Info: All fishing regulations remain in place during free fishing weekend.
Outdoors/recreation
Page 10 WednesdaY, Jan. 6, 2021
Take five minutes to make your voice heard on the future of deer hunting in Wisconsin Wisconsin DNR Every three years, Wisconsinites like you have the chance to weigh in on what the future of deer hunting will look like in your county. Between now and Jan. 13, let us know your thoughts on proposed herd-size objectives in your county. Giving your input takes only a few minutes and helps the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and your local deer advisory council make sure you have
a chance to give your input on deer management. Provide feedback on the DNR webpage, www.research.net/r/FALL_ CDAC_2020.
What Are Herd Objectives?
County Deer Advisory Councils (CDACs) provide recommendations to the DNR that help determine the herdsize objective (increase, decrease and maintain) for their county every three years. Fall 2020 marks the end of the last
three-year cycle, and meetings this winter will help determine herd size objectives for 2021 to 2023. Councils developed their preliminary recommendations in December, and now we need the public to weigh in before the councils’ final meeting later this month.
What Happens Next?
Following the public comment period, each county’s deer advisory council will meet once more between Jan. 1925 to consider public input and make final recommendations for herd-size
objectives. The meetings are open to all, and attendees are not required to pre-register to attend. The DNR will review final herd objectives following the January meetings and provide recommendations to the Natural Resources Board for approval in February. More information can be found on the DNR website.
Q&A: Introducing Mark Walters, the man behind An Outdoorsman Journal We are excited to introduce longtime columnist and outdoorsman Mark Walters as Valley Sentinel’s newest regular contributor. We spoke with him about his background, what he enjoys most about being an outdoors writer and canoeing down the Lower Wisconsin Riverway. Below are his responses, edited for clarity and space. Valley Sentinel: Could you share a little bit of your background? Mark Walters: I grew up in Poynette. I currently live in Necedah, I have for 20 years. I’m very into independent living: growing my own food, raising cattle, chickens, growing major gardens, very, very large in gardens, from fruit trees, everything, from asparagus to rhubarb, to all the crops, you know, for putting up food. VS: What got you started writing this column? How long have you been writing the column? MW: Started writing in ‘89, for the Poynette Press, while I was working in Canada at a fly fishing resort. When I got home it was popular, it was really popular, so I just kept writing. I’ve been doing it ever since, which is going to be
32 years in May. VS: What do you like most about doing this? MW: I like being independent. I like just deciding, you know, because I’m 100% self employed, and so I just decide what I want to do next week that I think would be interesting for a wide audience. And usually I try to travel to different parts of the state as well, just to give everybody something in a year’s time with me. I grew up with my dad in sales, but all he really cared about was taking us kids on trips and that’s what we did. You know, we traveled, traveled, traveled, simple little things, low income, low budget trips, but we were out there and about there all the time. I’m just totally into the outdoors. There’s no doubt about it. VS: Favorite place in Wisconsin to be out in the field/in the woods? Why? MW: I would say the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge. This coming fall will be the 50th year in a row that I’ve been there for opening day of the deer gun season. I’ve never missed that. That’s where my hunting camp is. I’ve been writing about that forever. So that
would be my favorite place. I spend a lot of time in there, it’s just massive, it’s a humongous area of public land. It’s pretty neat. VS: Favorite Wisconsin body of water to ice fish? Why? MW: I love the Mississippi River. And it doesn’t matter where, I do. I love the backwaters. I love the islands. I love the main channel. There’s no one special place, there’s four places that I just go, “eenie meenie miney moe,” based on what the ice conditions are and where I’m hearing about the bite, you know? Yeah, it could be Stoddard, it could be Prairie Du Chien, it could be Alma, it could be Trempeleau. So I go all over the Mississippi. I even tried to canoe up it in ‘87, I tried to canoe up the Mississippi River, 980 miles and I hurt my wrist. I couldn’t go any further. Right out of high school I was a deckhand on a riverboat. So I really like the river, but I like big forests. I like marshes. Very probably my favorite thing to do is to be in a canoe. Because I like duck hunting in a canoe. I like fishing in a canoe. I like just exploring in a canoe. You know as far as going on trips, I’ve done
a lot of canoeing a lot, lot, lot. VS: What accomplishments are you most proud of? MW: That I started KAMO — Kids and Mentors Outdoors. It’s a youth organization where we take kids out for outdoor experiences. I started it through my column, and started a chapter in Ladysmith, a chapter in Florence and started a chapter in Baraboo. And people got back to me, when I put out this idea, met with me, and it just grew. And that was in 2007, and now there are seven chapters. So it’s pretty cool. Check out KAMOkids. org. We have a really active Board of Directors, just a very cool thing we do for a lot of kids. VS: Any favorite hunting or fishing spots in our coverage area? MW: I like the Wisconsin River by Boscobel. I like the Wisconsin River from Sauk City to the Mississippi. We do canoe trips there too. That’s beautiful. Yeah, that goes right to your neck of the woods, right. Literally. Yeah, I love the Wisconsin River. You go out there during the summertime in a canoe, you’re gonna catch fish. Oh, yeah, that’s all there is to it.
New Lone Rock restuarant opens amid COVID-19 stuggles Continued from page 5
in helping to encourage some growth and more opportunities for everyone in Lone Rock and that would certainly fit in with our vision for that moving forward. VS: If you could recommend one item on the menu, what would it be and why? JS: LOL, we weren’t quite sure how our menu would be received by everyone but knew that we were bringing some flavors and offerings here that simply did not exist out here previously. We were content, however, that the locals would be curious. It has been interesting for us to see how many of the items we included have become immediately popular. Our two biggest sellers have been our Farm burger and our Sweet & Spicy Chicken sandwich. The other big surprise for us was how popular the Gyro has become, which is near and dear to my heart!! I think we all agree, though, that the Sweet & Spicy Chicken is a real standout and
sure to please your taste buds!! It is crispy with the signature Panko breading, the pepper jack cheese gives it a richness, the tangy pop from the pickled onions and sweetness of the roasted red peppers, the buttery brioche bun and tying it all together is an amazing sweet chilli sauce, it is a truly delicious sandwich that is hard to beat!! VS: Tell us abotu your bartending staff? JS: We have some real talent behind the bar! Our current lineup of bartenders brings a broad range of experience from several notable bars around the Madison area. Most of them have learned the craft cocktail business at one of Mike’s former bar’s, The Jade Monkey Cocktail Lounge. We have some real spotlight drinks available but our true Midwest classic is our Driftless Old Fashioned featuring Driftless Brandy made locally in Baraboo, WI. We also offer the best Mojito you’ll find anywhere!!
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VS: What are the specials for this week (01/06-01/13)? JS: We are going to begin some rotating daily specials very soon and for the moment are focusing on rolling out the remainder of our daily menu including our full line-up of entrees and pastas. Every Friday night we will be offering a full featured fish fry with Cod as well as other offerings available including Walleye, Bluegill, and Catfish. Saturday nights will usually feature a signature steak special. We will keep our Facebook page updated with our current specials and promotions. VS: What are your hours currently? JS: Our current hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and we are closed on Tuesdays. We are looking to expand those and will post any relevant changes to our daily schedule as we are able on our website and Facebook pages. We will also begin offering brunch on Sunday beginning on Valentine’s Day and continue that moving forward.
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VS: What’s on the horizon for the Bistro? For the greater community? JS: Great things we hope!! With the addition of extended bar hours in the near future, the addition of Sunday brunch and prospects for adding breakfast hours, we have much to work towards and much to look forward to! We really hope to become a valuable asset to the Lone Rock community and look forward to serving everyone. We would really like to see some revitalization in Lone Rock and the entire river valley region. It is a beautiful part of the state and we will do our best to help in creating a brighter future. We are encouraged by the public response to our opening and are truly thankful for all the business and support we have seen through the past couple weeks. Thank you all again from all of us for helping us to make this all possible!!
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Outdoors/recreation
WednesdaY, Jan. 6, 2021 Page 11
An Outdoorsman’s Journal Mark Walters, Contributor
Follow along each week on the adventures of Mark Walters, a syndicated outdoor adventure columnist who lives in Necedah, Wisconsin. He began writing his column, An Outdoorsman’s Journal, in 1989. It includes hunting, fishing, lots of canoeing and backpacking. He currently writes for around 60 newspapers on a weekly basis. He hopes you enjoy reading about his adventures!
2020, A Year on the Go! Hello friends, After I write this column my 19-year-old daughter Selina and I will be heading to the Mississippi River with our golden retrievers, Ruby and Fire, for three days of fishing and winter camping. This week I am writing my annual year in review story, which for the last 31 winters has made it so I do not have to travel on Christmas week. Before I go any further, I want to thank the staff of every newspaper that runs this column. COVID-19 has been devastating to our business, but all of us in this incredible industry keep on producing content and printing papers. Before COVID-19, Kids And Mentors Outdoors (KAMO), which was started through this column, was a solid, get-it-done organization that was in the process of starting its newest chapter, which will be in Beaver Dam. What we do in KAMO is get kids outside in both one-on-one and group activities.
In March, our Board of Directors agreed unanimously that, for the time being, most KAMO activities needed to be put on hold. I have spent much of my adult life volunteering. Everything from our schools to the YMCA has taken a direct hit when it comes to helping our youth. Helping the youth makes the world a much better place. This past spring, I created a food plot in the forest behind my house. It was a project that was extremely physical, as I used a chainsaw, rototiller, and an ATV to clear out almost an acre of oak wilt forest and hazel nut brush, with the real project being the roots. I learned a lot and had at least seven bucks coming into it all summer. I had one buck that messed me up big time. This buck was a true monster that had at least a 21-inch spread and was massive in every way. From late May until mid September, I got at least 100 separate photos of him. There were times that I had pictures of the ‘buck of a lifetime’ five different times in one day. While hunting the plot, I passed up a 10-pointer twice and an 8-pointer once that would have been my biggest with a bow. Almost everyone in my life told me I was a fool. Other than wanting a crack at the big buck, here is my real reasoning for the pass. I travel for a living and much of what I do in the fall is chase ducks and bucks. Had I filled my bow buck tag on Oct. 5,what I do for a living would have to have been altered and I love those canoe, camping and hunting trips. This summer I tried to help
Photo by Mark Walters, Contributor Independent living is a big part of how Mark Walters lives his life.
Photos by Mark Walters, Contributor Top: Ten minutes after catching this walleye, Mark Walters fell out of his canoe into the frigid waters of the Menominee River. Bottom: The creation and maintenance of this food plot was a labor of love for Mark Walters.
Michelle Chiaro, who is a very important part of my life, harvest a bear by running baits with her. Michelle had never hunted before and the 90 days of baiting was brutal, but we both loved it. No bear for Michelle, but she applied again for next fall and I have a very good chance of getting a tag. The grey wolf has been removed from the endangered list in Wisconsin and the DNR is in the process of creating a management plan, which means hunting and trapping is in our future. About all I can say about this is common sense prevails! Like today, when Selina and I go on our 5th trip of the year, I am about to have a blast with my daughter in the outdoors and that is because all of her life I did things in the outdoors with her. Now it is just another year of our lives, my friends like in KAMO or with your kids, get our youth into the outdoors. In closing and on a serious note, I have been writing this column every week since 1989. I earn a living by newspapers running An Outdoorsman’s Journal on a weekly basis. Before COVID-19 struck, I was just getting by financially, but
was going to make it until I retire in about a decade. COVID has been hard on everyone, including myself. There has not been one paper that stopped running this column that still exists. What has happened is that some of my papers no longer exist and in some cases three papers have become one and I only get paid for one. It may sound crazy but in reality I am cheap, interesting, reliable content for a newspaper. Here is my deal to you the reader or staffer at a paper. If you find a new paper to publish this column, I will negotiate the deal. After one month, one check and an agreement from the publisher to keep running this column I will pay you $100.00. Find me two and I will double your money, I am a single income homeowner and I have taken a large hit in my income. Contact me at sunsetoutdoors@tds.net My guess is that one way or another this will work out! —Sunset
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Community
Page 12 WednesdaY, Jan. 6, 2021
COVID-19 Dashboard Wisconsin Summary Cases as of 1/5/2021
491,341 17.2% Positive Cases
+16,804 from 12/29
82.8%
2,370,485 Negative +30,321 from 12/29 Cases
4,979 Deaths +196 from 12/29
Richland County 1,120 Positive Cases
+4 from 12/29
Iowa County
9,802 +135 from Negative 12/29 Cases
12.4%
1,699 Positive +49 from 12/29 Cases
87.6%
+0 from 12/29
Sauk County 12.5% 87.5%
29 Deaths
4,573 Positive +154 from 12/29 Cases
32,052 Negative +282 from 12/29 Cases
8 Deaths
+2 from 12/29
Total cases since 3/15/2020
13 Deaths
7,929 Negative +34 from 12/29 Cases
River Valley School District Cases as of 12/29/2020
+2 from 12/29
Vaccine Summary Statistics 420,200
Allocated
Updated: 1/5/2021
266,675 Shipped
85,609
Administered
Pfizer Vaccines Administered 64,674 Moderna Vaccines Administered 20,935 Graphic by Whitney Back
Data From: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/index.htm
Cases per zip code Cases as of 12/29/2020