Inside this edition
Brewhaha expands availability Page 5
Fishers take to the ice
Spring Green, Wisconsin
Page 6
An Outdoorsman’s Journal Page 8
Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021 Vol. 2, No. 3 Free, Single-Copy
Spring Green and Plain hold village caucuses for Spring 2021 election Emilie Conlon, Editor-in-Chief The village of Plain and village of Spring Green each met Jan. 6 to hold their caucuses, to determine which candidates will appear on the April 2021 election for their boards. The village of Plain met in-person to fill three village trustee seats up for grabs in the spring. The three seats are currently filled by Melissa Marx, Brian Bray and Andrew Kraemer. The caucus began with the electors nominating names for Village President. The electors are comprised of citizens of the village present at the meeting, and included members of the board as they are residents of the village, each filling out a slip of paper with names of those they wished to nominate. The slips were then read aloud by John Ruhland, village resident and village public works director. Rutland was responsible for distributing, collecting and reading the electors ballots as the board-appointed teller, per the operations of the caucus. Ray Ring was the only person nominated to appear on the ballot for village president. Ring is currently serving in the role. Following taking nominations for village president, the electors present took names to fill the three trustee seats up for election, follow the same process. The process allows for electors to nominate any number of names in the first round of voting. A second round of voting occurs then if more than six names are nominated, in order to get the final six nominations to appear on the ballot. The village did not have to move to a second round of voting, with the first round
providing only six names. “This was like the first time ever we haven’t had a second round,” said Village Clerk Sheila Carver. The names appearing on the ballot for trustee positions in April include, Kelly Yanke, Mike Bernards, Carl Appert, Brian Bray, Melissa Marx and Andrew Kraemer. The Village of Spring Green held its caucus via Zoom, with its nominations seeing challenges for the first time in over a decade, according to Village Clerk Wendy Crary. Over 20 participants cast their vote for names to appear on the village’s spring ballot. With Zoom came some adjustments, including using Zoom private messages, calls and text messages between electors and the clerk. Robin Reid was the only person nom-
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Photos by Emilie Conlon, Editor-in-Chief Top: Village of Plain trustees go through the process of the village’s caucus Jan. 6. Bottom: Elector Kelly Janke, right, writes nominees names down while Clerk Sheila Carver observes.
School Board told to expect additional relief funds, considers quarantine changes Quincy Aston-Lott, Managing Editor The River Valley School Board met for a regular meeting at the Middle School library and virtually Jan. 14. At the meeting, the board heard several policy changes, including shortening the required direct exposure COVID-19 quarantine to 10 days, from 14. District Administrator Loren Glasbrenner provided an update on the second round of Elementary and Second School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds. The district received around $160,000 in the first round of ESSER. For ESSER II, the district was told to expect around four times the amount that they received the first time around, according to Glasbrenner. This round will provide special flexibility, focusing on addressing learning loss, school facility repairs and maintenance, continuity and more. Glasbrenner asked the board to consider programming that could be put in place and possible hiring that could be
made using the funds. Glasbrenner also shared that the district will hold state standardized academic testing this spring and that he expects more information soon on getting teachers vaccinated from the county. The board heard from Activities Director Jaime Hegland, who shared a recommendation from Sauk Prairie Healthcare regarding students athletes who have tested positive for COVID-19. The district will require student athletes that have recovered from COVID-19 to meet with the district’s athletic trainer to do an assessment. The information provided by Sauk Prairie Healthcare outlined concerns regarding possible heart damage in young athletes that have since recovered from COVID-19. Students returned on Jan. 11 to in-person instruction, with roughly 20% opting to continue virtual instruction under the district’s hybrid model, according to Glasbrenner. High School Principal Darby Blakley and Elementary School Principal
Carla Peterson both shared that there has been an increase in families discussing switching back to in-person instruction. The board also added bus accidents to the district’s ‘Crisis Plan Binder’ in light of a recent incident and took up the annual approval of school sports co-ops, with gymnastics co-op with Barneveld and swimming co-op with Richland Center again approved for the next school year. The board then heard various policy recommendations, first taking up the district’s policy on ‘Wearing Masks and Face Coverings’ and decided to make no changes at this time, continuing to require face masks. The board then took up a second reading of the following policies: — The naming of facilities, having condensed the policy from last meeting. —No new limits on open enrollment. —Minor changes to entity names and updating policy language to include electronic equipment regarding fees. The board then took up a first reading on
the following policies: —Shortening the required direct exposure COVID-19 quarantine for students and staff from 14 days to 10. —Streamlining the process to remove Internet filters on district electronic equipment. —Cleaned up facilities maintenance language. —Outlined new ‘Building and Grounds Inspection Procedures’. The board then discussed workflow and processes to ensure students and staff have consistent access to working laptops/ chromebooks. Glasbrenner looked at programs Platteville has, including a program where students get hands-on experience fixing Chromebooks and is looking into what the district should implement for next year. Finally, the board extended Family First Coronavirus Relief Act (FFCRA) leave for staff to the end of the school year, from the previous end date of Dec. 2020.
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opinion
WednesdaY, Jan. 20, 2021
Legal Editor’s Column: MLK’s Letter from Birmingham Jail just as relevant Gerry Strang, esq., Legal Editor In April 1963, civil rights activists launched the Birmingham desegregation campaign. After a little over a week, officials obtained a court order shutting down the protests. Martin Luther King was among those who defied the order and on Good Friday, protested, and was arrested and jailed. That day, eight progressive white Alabama clergy wrote an open letter concerning the protests, asking blacks to stand down and adhere to the court order. A new, moderate mayor having just defeated civil rights archnemesis Bull Connor, they advocated for continued negotiations. Their call was published in a local newspaper and a copy was shared with King. His response, started in the paper’s margins and on scraps, was com-
pleted two days after Easter. That letter has been studied as a historical document, and used in schools a model of elegant and powerful writing. Most of all, though, it has been a vehicle through which King’s ideas have come to enlighten and inspire those seeking to improve the human condition. There can be no question that King’s prison epistle remains relevant today, but there is a spiritual and ideological fight regarding how his words should be applied. King has become one of the most intellectually abused figures in history, his words being used to support a raft of conclusions completely alien to King’s own thinking. Some have taken King’s ideas about natural law and distorted them to attack the very Voting Rights Act that King struggled for. You
may even see a white supremacist alluding to King’s expressed frustration with moderates to show that his own immoderate position isn’t so bad. But if one approaches King’s letter honestly and critically, it can sharpen one’s thinking about the issues he addresses. Take King’s rebuke to the white clergymen who urged King to leave these issues to the locals, who were more familiar with the local politics. It would be striking today to hear a group of white men argue that King should stay out of an issue, black civil rights in Alabama, that did not concern him and which the white men understood better. King never says that the white men could not understand the black experience the way he could, although there is a subtext of his demonstrating this later in the letter.
Rather he cites his organizational ties to Alabama, and his working closely with locals who understand the ground and invited him there. Then he turns to the idea that an interest in justice must be universal. It is the last point that King is better known for, but it is interesting that he does not make only that argument. We sometimes hear from communities (or Jacob Blake’s family in Kenosha) for outside activists to stay away. Things like, “you come in, you mess up our plans, and then you leave, while we remain to suffer the backlash.” What happens in Birmingham is felt in Atlanta, but not as strongly as it is in Birmingham. Read King and you get the understanding
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Ten checks the state of Wisconsin uses to catch voter fraud
Howard Hardee, The Badger Project
Since Election Day, no evidence of widespread voter fraud has emerged in Wisconsin — or anyother state. But politicians, propagandists and social media influencers have sought to undermine the results of the presidential election in Wisconsin before and after Nov. 3. With President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration set for Jan. 20, mistrust of the electoral system has continued festering despite a recount in Dane and Milwaukee counties that detected no signs of malfeasance — and added to Biden’s lead by 87 votes. The former vice president won the state by more than 20,000 votes. In general, vote fraud in Wisconsin is “exceedingly rare and is managed rather well by the current system,” said Barry Burden, a political science professor and the founding director of the Elections Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “When apparent cases do emerge, they are usually detected without much difficulty.” Vote fraud occurs in every election, but not on a scale that comes close to overturning the results, said Reid Magney, a spokesman for the Wisconsin Election Commission, a bipartisan panel that administers the state’s elections. “There could be anywhere from 100 to 200 potential cases of election fraud of some kind,” he said. “Most of it involves a felon voting. One hundred votes out of 3.2 million (total votes cast in Wisconsin in 2020) is extremely small.” The Wisconsin Election Commission has several failsafe measures in place for presidential elections — including fraud audits. Here are 10 reasons that voters can trust the results of the 2020 presidential election in Wisconsin.
1. All voters are required to register
That involves proving residency in Wisconsin with a driver’s license or state ID card, which are matched against Division of Motor Vehicle records, per the state’s strict voter ID law. “Over the past decade the state has adopted much tougher measures to regulate the voting process,” Burden said. “In particular, the voter identification law adopted in 2011 is one of the strictest in the country. That may be seen as a heavy method of inhibiting vote fraud. But it is not actually well designed to address election related crimes. Its main purpose is to prevent voter impersonation. That type of fraud is exceptionally rare, easy to detect, and subject to substantial penalties.” Attempts to vote with a fake ID are exceptionally rare. It would be difficult, though not impossible, to create a fake Wisconsin driver’s license or U.S. passport, Magney said. Not to mention, doing so could result in a criminal conviction. “The reality is that the cost and effort to do that for one additional vote for the candidate of choice — especially balancing the risks of being caught — it’s just not something that happens,” he said.
2. Photo ID is required to vote by mail
Voters who request an absentee ballot are also required to register by providing a copy of their photo ID. Wisconsin is a rare state that requires absentee ballots be witnessed and signed by another person. “It is not clear that this requirement is effective in inhibiting absentee ballot fraud, but it is an extra step that must be taken to cast an absentee ballot,” Burden said. The state recently introduced online tools that let voters and election officials track ballots as they “wind their way through the system,” Burden said. “These tools are quite helpful for providing transparency and as a check on potential crimes such as theft of absentee ballots from mailboxes.”
3. Felons can’t vote until completing their entire sentence… Probation too
Safeguards are in place to prevent the most common form of vote fraud — when a resident who is ineligible to vote due to a felony conviction attempts to cast a ballot. The Wisconsin Department of Corrections provides the commission with a regularly updated list of people convicted of felonies. “We regularly match that with the voter list, and if there is an apparent match, we will flag that registration for the clerk to review it and make sure it’s the same person,” Magney said. “If it is the same person, then that voter is deactivated immediately.” If a person who hasn’t completed their full felony sentence tried to register to vote on Election Day, they would most likely get flagged by an election worker. It’s not a foolproof system; sometimes individuals fall through the cracks, Magney said. But those cases are usually discovered during a post-election audit which is mandated by state law. Apparent cases of vote fraud often aren’t intentional, Burden said. “People who are on parole or probation from felony convictions are often unaware of election laws and assume that they are able to vote once their incarceration ends,” he said. “Their attempts to vote can sometimes be labeled as purposeful vote fraud, but they are typically misunderstandings of the law.”
4. Dead people can’t vote
The Wisconsin Election Commission receives regular updates from the Wisconsin Vital Records Office of the state with death certificates, and deceased residents are removed from the voter list — despite many claims to the contrary.
5. Vote fraud is investigated
Potential cases of vote fraud are directed to county district attorney’s offices for investigation. The Wisconsin Election Commission reports such cases to the Wisconsin State Legislature and posts them online for public viewing.
6. Voting equipment is double-checked
After an election, officials check for discrepancies between the electronic and physical ballots by auditing a random sampling of 5% of the voting machines in the state.
Photo by Jake Olson A polling place in La Crosse. This election cycle, between 180 and 185 units were audited, Magney said. Clerks in those municipalities were required to pull out the ballots and recount them by hand twice to detect any variations or problems. The Wisconsin Election Commission audited 28 reporting units that used equipment from Dominion Voting Systems, which has been the subject of online disinformation and recently filed a defamation lawsuit against Trump lawyer Sidney Powell. The audit found no issues with the Dominion machines, Magney said. Any variation between what the machines reported and the number of physical ballots would have been flagged and investigated. “The idea that someone could have hacked those machines or manipulated those machines, and it wouldn’t be caught by this audit, is just not credible,” he said. “They got out the ballots and hand counted them in public — twice.”
7. Residents can’t vote more than once
Wisconsin is part of a 30-state group known as the Electronic Registration Information Center that provides reports on potential duplicate registration records in different states and flags registrants who might have died or moved. “If you voted in one place and went and voted somewhere else, and registered to vote on election day, and used your real name and identification, that would be caught as well,” Magney said. The system also detects when somebody tries to vote in more than one state. “The system has become a source of controversy because it is not perfectly reliable in every case, but it is nonetheless a tool that allows the state to look into records that may need to be updated or purged,” Burden said. “Simply notifying voters that their records have been flagged can be a helpful alert in case another person was attempting voter
registration fraud.”
8. Residents can report suspected vote fraud
If a resident suspects they’ve witnessed a form of vote fraud, they can file a sworn complaint with the Wisconsin Election Commission. The public’s eyes serve as another layer of protection for the integrity of the election. “We receive very few sworn complaints,” Magney said.
9. Thousands of election officers are on alert
Elections officers in Wisconsin take election crimes seriously, Magney said. A suspicious influx of online voter registrations or mailedin voter registration forms likely wouldn’t go unnoticed. “Wisconsin has the most decentralized elections administration system in the country, with 1,850 municipal clerks,” he said. “Having all of those eyes on the voter list, having all of that local ownership, is an important part of our election security system in that they know their voters.”
10. Claims of vote fraud at an election-shifting scale don’t make sense
A useful thought exercise for seeing through conspiracy theories is imagining how many people would have to keep it a secret. Rigging a Wisconsin election decided by tens of thousands of votes would require a massive level of coordination between thousands of election officers who have sworn to uphold the state constitution, Magney said. “We make sure that elections officials are on the same page to follow the law and properly administer the election,” Magney said. “The idea that everybody would be conspiring to change the election results or to somehow subvert the system is absurd.” The Badger Project is a nonpartisan, citizen-supported journalism nonprofit in Wisconsin.
opinion
WednesdaY, Jan. 20, 2021
Page 3
Legal Editor’s Column: A look at MLK’s Birmingham Jail letter Continued from page 2
that an interest in justice is not enough. King recognized the clergymen’s point and sought to show how he had tried to pursue his passion for change in a manner respectful of the local population. Read any part of King’s writing and you will find more nuance than is frequently acknowledged. One does not have to read King directly, however, to feel his influence. Numerous times I have turned critical of social movements that seemed to go too far, demanding too much, too fast, and imposing too much disruption and harm on third parties. Before I could think too long on this, someone would write an essay on why the measures used were justified and compromise and delay intolerable. Sometimes I continued to believe that an action had gone too far, but ore often than not I would be persuaded by these clear descendants of the Letter from the Birmingham Jail. The spirit of King in these essays would keep me on the true course. In recognition of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Jan. 18, below are excerpts from his Letter from Birmingham Jail. “...Beyond this, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. Just as the eighth-century prophets left their little villages and carried their ‘thus saith the Lord’ far beyond the boundaries of their hometowns; and just as the Apostle Paul left his little village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to practically every hamlet and city of the Greco-Roman world, I too am compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my particular hometown. Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid.... ...Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and
states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial ‘outside agitator’ idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider... ...We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have never yet engaged in a direct-action movement that was ‘well timed’ according to the timetable of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word ‘wait.’ It rings in the ear of every Negro with a piercing familiarity. This ‘wait’ has almost always meant ‘never.’ It has been a tranquilizing thalidomide, relieving the emotional stress for a moment, only to give birth to an ill-formed infant of frustration. We must come to see with the distinguished jurist of yesterday that ‘justice too long delayed is justice denied.’ … I guess it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say ‘wait.’ But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick, brutalize, and even kill your black brothers and sisters with impunity; when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society; when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she cannot go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised
on television, and see tears welling up in her little eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see the depressing clouds of inferiority begin to form in her little mental sky, and see her begin to distort her little personality by unconsciously developing a bitterness toward white people; … then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait. There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over and men are no longer willing to be plunged into an abyss of injustice where they experience the bleakness of corroding despair. I hope, sirs, you can understand our legitimate and unavoidable impatience... …I must confess that over the last few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro’s great stumbling block in the stride toward freedom is not the White Citizens Councillor or the Ku Klux Klanner but the white moderate who is more devoted to order than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says, ‘I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I can’t agree with your methods of direct action’; who paternalistically feels that he can set the timetable for another man’s freedom; who lives by the myth of time; and who constantly advises the Negro to wait until a ‘more convenient season.’ Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection... ...I had also hoped that the white moderate would reject the myth of time. … It is the strangely irrational notion that there is something in the very flow of time that will inevitably cure all ills. Actually, time is neutral. It can be used either destructively or constructively. I
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PO Box 144 Spring Green, Wisconsin 53588 USA (608) 588-6694 editor@valleysentinelnews.com valleysentinelnews.com Editorial Editor-in-Chief Emilie Conlon Creative Director Morgan Marlenga Managing Editor Quincy Aston-Lott Legal Editor Gerry Strang, esq.
am coming to feel that the people of ill will have used time much more effectively than the people of good will. We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the vitriolic words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people. We must come to see that human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability. It comes through the tireless efforts and persistent work of men willing to be coworkers with God, and without this hard work time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation... ...Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever. The urge for freedom will eventually come. This is what has happened to the American Negro. Something within has reminded him of his birthright of freedom; something without has reminded him that he can gain it. Consciously and unconsciously, he has been swept in by what the Germans call the Zeitgeist, and with his black brothers of Africa and his brown and yellow brothers of Asia, South America, and the Caribbean, he is moving with a sense of cosmic urgency toward the promised land of racial justice. Recognizing this vital urge that has engulfed the Negro community, one should readily understand public demonstrations. The Negro has many pent-up resentments and latent frustrations. He has to get them out. So let him march sometime; let him have his prayer pilgrimages to the city hall; understand why he must have sitins and freedom rides. If his repressed emotions do not come out in these nonviolent ways, they will come out in ominous expressions of violence. This is not a threat; it is a fact of history. So I have not said to my people, ‘Get rid of your discontent.’ But I have tried to say that this normal and healthy discontent can be channeled through the creative outlet of nonviolent direct action. Now this approach is being dismissed as extremist...”
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Community
WednesdaY, Jan. 20, 2021
Spring Green and Plain hold village caucuses for Spring 2021 Election Continued from page 1
inated for Village President. The six names appearing on the Spring Green spring 2021 ballot include: Jennifer Snow, Dave Chap-
man, David Saperstein, Deb Miller, Clem Gilitzer, and Jeannie McCarville. These candidates are up to fill three trustee seats. Patrick Hagen was also nominated,
meaning the electors had to vote to determine which six names will appear on the ballot. “We’re making history here, it’s never happened that I am aware of, at least
in the 19 years I’ve worked for the village,” said Crary. The election for trustee seats in both the village of Plain and village of Spring Green will take place April 6.
COVID-19 Testing Information Iowa County
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
Testing will continue in 2021 on Thursdays, alternating between Iowa and Lafayette Counties, from 11am-1pm, weather dependent.
*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.*
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Community
WednesdaY, Jan. 20, 2021
Page 5
In other news 4PeteSake Spring Funding Round 4PeteSake is now taking applications for their Spring Funding Round. Applications can be picked up at Arcadia Books in Spring Green or can be accessed at www.4petesake.com. Applications are due on March 15 and a decision about funding will be made by the end of March. More information about 4PeteSake and their funding process can be found on the website. Ages 65 or older now eligible to receive vaccine The Wisconsin Department of Health Services announces earlier this week that residents 65 and over can begin to receive the COVID-19 vaccine Jan. 25. There are approximately 700,000 individuals in that age bracket in the state, who can visit their healthcare provider for the vaccination. Currently, the state has been in phase 1A of the vaccine distribution schedule, which includes frontline healthcare workers, residents in long term care facilities and police and fire personnel. This age group, along with funeral workers and corrections personnel are part of Phase 1B, which is expected to be implemented Jan. 25 through Spring 2021. Lone Rock Comprehensive Plan Lone Rock will be holding a variety of Community Discussions to gain feedback from members of the public on upcoming comprehensive planning. The first session for Community Visioning was held Jan. 14, where residents could visit provide feedback by visiting the community building or via Zoom. While participation via Zoom was sparse, many residents took to a local Facebook page, ‘Only in Lone Rock, WI’ to share the amenities they’d like to see in the area.
Photo by Quincy Aston-Lott Brewhaha’s product on the shelves at the Woodman’s Food Market on Madison’s west side.
Brewhaha expanding to four Woodman’s Food Market locations throughout Madison, surrounding area Emilie Conlon, Editor-in-Chief Brewhaha coffee is now available in Woodman’s Food Market stores throughout the Madison and Milwaukee area, as the coffee roastery is expanding the stores that offer its local whole bean blends. Different whole bean and single cup pod options now available at four Wisconsin Woodman’s locations, Madison East and West along with Sun Prairie and Waukesha. Pat Mahoney, one partner in Brewhaha said the coffee roasters would like to expand to all 18 Woodman’s locations in Wisconsin in the near future. “We are proud to be in a larger chain like Woodman’s. It is no easy task to get larger chains to carry your product,” said Mahoney. “The long term goal is to expand in Wisconsin, then the Midwest, then the whole country.”
Locally, Brewhaha coffee is served at the Paper Crane at Arcadia Books in Spring Green, the Mazo Grind in Mazomanie and Christy’s Sunnyside Cafe in Richland Center along with many other cafes. Brewhaha coffee is also served at Coffee on the River in Lansing, Iowa. When it comes to purchasing coffee blends in-store, Brewhaha can be found at many local retailers, and a few larger retailers such as Festival Foods in Madison, and Metcalfes Hilldale and Metcalfes West in Madison. “We would like to thank all of our customers for supporting Brewhaha Roasters! We, very much, appreciate you buying and enjoying our coffee. And telling your friends about it,” said Mahoney. “We look forward to continuing to serve Southwest Wisconsin and beyond. Thank you! Thank You!”
Many comments requested a grocery story, such as Aldi. Multiple comments on the page requested that a Kwik Trip come to Lone Rock. A few also requested an indoor farmers and craft market. One comment requested a Habitat for Humanity Restore, and an Amish store. Additional meetings will be held throughout January and February, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the community building, and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. via Zoom. Jan. 21—Economic Development Jan. 28—Community Resources Feb. 4—Leadership and Cooperation Feb. 11—Land Use To find the Zoom link, visit the village of Lone Rock’s website at www.villageoflonerock.com
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J & J Total Lawn Care, L.L.C.
Quality Work •Fully Insured• Free Estimates •Competetive Rates
We provide snow plowing, snow removal and salting/ sanding services for businesses and residences in the greater Spring Green area.
608-588-2453
James Harwood, Owner E4792 Kennedy Rd. jandjtotallawncare2004@gmail.com
Serving the River Valley Area Since 2004
Reserve a spot in our business/professional directory! Add $30 to any ad order or as a stand-alone ad and you’ll be added to the next week’s business/professional directory. Business card sized (2 col./5.125” x 2.81”), full color ad. Perfect for top-of-mind awareness. Want to run it every week? $750 for 6 months, $1000 for 1 year (26% discount, $19.23 /week).
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WednesdaY, Jan. 20, 2021
Outdoors/recreation/Sports
RV Girls basketball team finishes a daunting part of schedule The mid-January schedule challenged the River Valley Girls basketball team as they played six games in ten days against top competition from the area. Despite playing competitive basketball for portions of the games, on both ends of the floor, the Blackhawks were unable to secure a victory. Listed below are brief summaries of each game: River Valley traveled to Lodi to start their slew of games. Lodi, one of top contenders in the Capital North conference was able to pressure the Blackhawks into several turnovers and had the touch from behind the arc to pull out a 65 to 25 win. The Bluedevils connected on 13 three pointers in the game. Senior Emily Esser and sophomore Morgan Brickl led the Blackhawks by scoring six points a piece. The Blackhawks traveled south to take on conference rivals Dodgeville for their next game. Despite playing good defense and holding down one of the top backcourts in the area to limited success, the Blackhawks struggled to score. The Blackhawks were competi-
tive until midway through the final half as the Dodgers pulled away to secure the victory by a final score of 52 to 17. The Blackhawks were paced by senior Sophia Haas, who scored six points. The Blackhawks squared off against one of the powers in the SWC conference, at home, against the Hillmen from Platteville. The Hillmen were fresh off two victories against two top ten teams in the state. The game was a back and forth battle all night as the Blackhawks found different ways to score and keep the game close. Platteville maintained a five point lead at half time. The Blackhawks were in position to win until about the four minute mark of the second half when Platteville would pull ahead at the freethrow line. Final score was Platteville 63 to 41. Leading the Blackhawks in scoring: Seniors Ava Liegel with 14 and Emily Esser with 10. Sophomore Brooke Anderson chipped in seven points. The one loss Wisconsin Dells Chieftains traveled to River Valley and the visiting team found their shooting
touch early as they had nine three point baskets and had six players score seven or more points. The score was not indicative of the play of the Blackhawks who battled the entire game. The Blackhawks fell by a final of 65 to 35. Sophomore Charlotte Ferstl scored ten points to lead the Black hawks. Playing on back to back nights was a daunting task for the Blackhawks as they traveled to Potosi to take on an experienced and talented Six Rivers Conference contender. The home team had four players in double figures and cruised to a 59 to 30 victory. Senior Emily Esser paced the Blackhawks with 11 points. The Blackhawks completed their marathon by traveling to Richland Center and taking on a conference rival this past Friday night. In a game where points were at a premium, the Blackhawks came up short. River Valley held the Hornets to only 40 points and contained all of their top scoring threats below their season averages. Unfortunately, the Blackhawks had
trouble finding their scoring range and fell by a final score of 40 to 25. Seniors Emily Esser and Ava Liegel paced River Valley with seven points a piece. “We continue to battle and play with effort, which is extremely important, as the season progresses,” said Head Coach Brent Johnson. “Obviously, we would like to come away with some wins, but as long as the kids continue to work to get better and stay positive, we will be alright moving forward. The quality teams that we faced in these past ten days will make us better as we head towards the bottom half of the season.” The Blackhawks schedule doesn’t get any easier as they have home games against top ten ranked teams this week, starting on Monday against Mineral Point and on Thursday versus Lancaster. —Contributed by Brent Johnson, Head Girls Basketball Coach
Outdoor adventures: Fishers take to the ice in the Valley Photos by Emilie Conlon, Editor-in-Chief
Top: Aubree Hay and Abigail Bevenvies play on the ice while ice fishing on Helena Marsh/Goofy’s Slough. Bottom right: Tom Duhr minds his pole for ice fishing at Helena Marsh/Goofy’s Slough. Bottom left: Roman Richardson ice fishes on the Helena Marsh/Goofy’s Slough. Last weekend was Free Fishing Weekend in Wisconsin, where fishers of all ages could get out on the ice without a license and fish for the weekend. Anglers reported great turnout on sloughs and ponds in the area. A second free fishing weekend will be June 5-6.
Community
WednesdaY, Jan. 20, 2020
Page 7
COVID-19 Dashboard Wisconsin Summary Cases as of 1/19/2021
524,402 17.7% Positive Cases
+13,266 from 1/12
82.3%
2,445,399 Negative +35,819 from 1/12 Cases
5,512 Deaths +301 from 1/12
Richland County
Iowa County
10,047 +137 from Negative 1/12 Cases
1,187 Positive Cases 12.9%
+13 from 1/12
1,762 Positive +31 from 1/12 Cases
87.1%
+0 from 1/12
Sauk County 13% 87%
34 Deaths
4,886 Positive +120 from 1/12 Cases
32,803 Negative +389 from 1/12 Cases
8 Deaths
+0 from 1/12
Total cases since 3/15/2020
13 Deaths
8,021 Negative +33 from 1/12 Cases
551
River Valley School District Cases as of 1/19/2021
Please note, case numbers reflect the River Valley School District as a geographical area, not as and entity
+3 from 1/12
Vaccine Summary Statistics Updated: 1/19/2021
779,800
473,300
Allocated
Ordered
100,100
In Transit
248,185 Administered Graphic by Whitney Back
Data From: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/index.htm
Cases per zip code Cases as of 1/19/2021
“The good stuff.”
Page 8
Outdoors/recreation
WednesdaY, Jan. 20, 2021
An Outdoorsman’s Journal
Mark Walters, Contributor
Good Times in Sawyer County Hello friends, This week I am writing to you about an annual trip to Sawyer County where I ice fish and generally have a blast with six friends. Before I go any further I would like to thank Ken and Cheryl Olson, who have opened up their summer home to us for at least 15-years for this annual expedition. Ken Olson recently passed away and Ken was a man that was respected by everyone that knew him and for many of the guys I am about to write about was the leader of their deer camp, a leader in the Birchwood area, and far beyond.
Friday, January 8th
High 31, Low 22 This is one of those stories that had a lot happen so I will have to be vague to get it into the space that I have. My stepson Joey Dushek and I drive up from Necedah. Ryan Ransom takes the same roads and is from Black River Falls. Paul Bucher comes from an hour west, Cumberland and Ron Wesoloski and Preston Johnson both live in Rice Lake. Chris Schiefelbein rounds out our crew and lives on the lake we would be fishing. A lot of these guys grew up together in Black River Falls so this was a party, I mean this fishing trip is
like a class reunion and it sounds like they had a lot of fun growing up. Chris Schiefelbein was playing it COVID-safe, so he spent the weekend fishing out the door of his Chevy pickup and 100-percent jamming out to classic rock while catching fish. Ron Wesoloski is with the Eskimo and Bucher’s shanty on wheels had an incredibly nice pop up shack for us to fish in. This shack is one of their newer models and is big, light, and very easy to set up. Five of us hung out in it Friday night while fishing crappie and I even had a table set up to cook chicken, venison steak, and fried potatoes. During the day Friday we fished out of the shacks and had really good luck on 9-11 inch perch. Tonight it was 9-11 inch crappie with a couple close to a foot, so how the heck can that not be fun? Chris had a good friend that put up a permanent shack next to ours that he wanted me to meet, and tonight I spent some time in the shack that Cody Rurup built and was fishing in with his 5-year-old son Brody and 3-yearold Cole. This sleeper shack was as intelligently built as any I have ever seen and spending time with Cody and his sons reminded me of twenty years ago when I had Kevin, Travis, and Joey on the ice with their sister Selina. We fished hard until after midnight and also laughed very hard.
Photo by Mark Walters, Contributor
Photos by Mark Walters, Contributor Top: Brody, Cody, and Cole Rurup enjoying life and catching crappie in their ice shack. Right: Chris Schietelbein fished out of his truck all weekend and had a blast!
Saturday, January 9th
High 30, Low 24 I might make it sound like we are a bunch of clowns but these guys are the best fishermen that I spend time with in a year’s time. They are technological, have a go-for-it attitude and fish a lot. Today we spent the day chasing perch and it was a full and very good day. We literally did not take the time for any form of lunch break, what we did was fish and fish hard. At dark we headed back to Paul’s shack and, though the crappie action was slow, it was steady and they were big. Paul Bucher has the Saturday night meal each year and he cooked brats from Louie’s Finer Meats out of Cumberland. People from all over the planet are aware when I say this, get your meat from Louie’s, it is incredible and about midnight brats and beans kept us on the ice until after 2:00. Here are a couple of hot tips: “Demons” are an ice fishing jig that if you only have one jig in your box it should be a Demon. Beaver tail is the other tip, Joey has been trapping beaver and using pieces of the tail to put a hurting on the panfish this winter. Back to Ken Olson, our good friend
who passed away this fall, if every American was half as wise and good as Ken was, this country would not have near the problems it currently has. My guess is we will all be back in a year and we will cook, laugh and probably even catch fish! —Sunset
Want to read more?
Check out previous weeks’ columns at www.outdoorsmansjournal.com
Left to right: Paul Bucher, Ron Wesolowski, Joe Dushek, and Ryan Ranson catching crappie and living large!
Mid-January Ice Fishing Report for the Lower Wisconsin River
Capt. John Bomkamp 231 Carbil Rd. Muscoda, WI 53573
On the ice a couple of days last week. Fishing is still rather slow, but catching a few each day. Have to work for them, moving around till you land on some. Marking lots of fish on our electronics, but getting them to bite is another thing! Mark and his grandson Nolan iced a couple of nice bluegills. I caught a sucker, think it is the first time I’ve ever caught one through the ice! Pretty good battle on a light ice fishing pole with 3 pound line! Be careful when going onto the ice. Some of the shorelines are bad due to warmer temps and fluctuating river levels. Thanks for reading my reports and good fishing!
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Advertise here for $25 /week!
(608)574-1580 john.bomkamp@gmail.com www.JohnBomkampFishing.com
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