Valley Sentinel - 01-23-2025 by Valley Sentinel

Spring Green, Wisconsin

River Valley School Board approves force reductions Editorial: Why Democracy Needs Us All New Column: Wellness Warrior Inside this Pages 1, 9, 10 Page 3 Page 8

River Valley School Board sets referendum, approves cost reductions and grade reconﬁguration

Board votes to reduce workforce, impacting teaching, library and secretary positions

At the Jan. 9 regular meeting of the River Valley School District Board of Education, the board discussed the details of its upcoming operational referendum, voted on cost reductions and voted on district grade level reconﬁguration following last month’s vote to close the district’s last satellite primary school.

At the Jan 20 special meeting, the board voted on a reduction in workforce, which resulted in several staff reductions, including positions of five staff members being eliminated, with an additional retirement and a transfer.

Cost, force reductions

Based on the board's action at its Dec. 12 meeting to close the district’s Early Learning Center in Plain — formerly Plain Elementary — and its upcoming referendum, the board at its Jan. 9 meeting reviewed and discussed a list of cost reduction opportunities to go into eﬀect after the end of the current 20242025 school year.

Cost reduction opportunities were sorted into two categories, one that includes savings from the closure of the ELC, the other from a reduction in district workforce. Each section provided an itemized list of each cut item and its expenditure for the district, as well as the total value of all the reductions.

The section for ELC closure included items for building maintenance, utilities, the decrease of three bus routes, cleaning services, a secretary and food service items, and totaled to $286,502. This itemized list was prepared to cut the individual items that go into the annual cost of running the ELC.

The section for general reduction in

district force included reducing ten district positions at the conclusion of the 2024-2025 school year. Seven of which are teachers, two for business education, one each for regular elementary education, music education, physical education, English language and speech and language. The other positions include two secretaries, a librarian, as well as the elimination of one bus route this past December due to driver attrition. The reduction in force savings total $673,690.

The list also included one regular elementary education teacher and one contract for cleaning services to be reduced after the 2025-2026 school year, which totalled $137,000.

The grand total of all cost reductions made came to $1,043,692 annually, after the 2025-2026 school year.

The motion to approve the items for ELC closure and staﬀ reductions for the passed with all board members in favor. Speciﬁc employee decisions regarding the reductions were ostensibly taken up by the board at a special meeting on Jan. 20.

After calling the meeting to order, the board convened into closed session under Wisconsin Statute 19.85(1)(c), which allows closed sessions speciﬁcally for the purposes of “Considering Employment, Promotion, Compensation, or Performance Evaluations.”

Wisconsin Open Meetings Law and relevant case law require governmental bodies t0 identify what speciﬁcally will be discussed in closed session — in addition to the speciﬁc statutory exemption — for the meeting to be properly noticed and legal, which the public notice from the district failed to do for this meeting.

The board remained in closed session for around 30 minutes before reconveneing into open session.

Upon reconvening in open session, the board took up the action item “Consideration & Action on Employees Selected for Reduction in Force at the End of the 2024-25 School Year”.

Board member Fred Iausley motioned to approve the reduction in force plan “as presented” at the conclusion of the 2024-2025 school year. However, it was not clear to the pub-

lic or gallery what exact plan was “presented” at the time of the meeting, as no speciﬁc plan was presented by the board upon reconvening and the motion did not verbally include speciﬁc employee reductions.

The motion passed with all present board members in favor despite the lack of an explicit plan presented in open session. Board President Kathy Jennings and member Elizabeth Minich were absent.

In correspondence after the meeting with District Administrator Loren Glasbrenner and Business Manager Brian Krey, Valley Sentinel received what the administrators said was the board’s speciﬁc reduction in force plan that the board had approved on Jan. 20, which included the names of staﬀ which are being reduced. These employees are associated with the positions in the general reduction in workforce plan which was approved during the Jan. 9 meeting.

Krey and Glasbrenner did not respond to a question inquiring if the decisions on speciﬁc employee reductions by the board were made in closed session, as the exact action was not clear in the motion.

According to Krey and Glasbrenner, the following teaching staﬀ members will see reductions at the end of the 2024-2025 school year: business education teachers Lori Hoﬀman and Cheryl Ross will be reduced by 0.5 Full Time Equivalency and 0.25 FTE respectively, music education teacher Tony Cavagnetto will be reduced by 0.75 FTE, physical education teacher Jacob Marshall will be reduced by 1.0 FTE and English language learner teacher Laura Seybold will be reduced by 1.0 FTE. The

tary positions held by Nancy Tabrizi and

on page 9

Luukas Palm-Leis, Reporter

OPINION/EDITORIAL

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dear Editor,

Most townships in SW WI have a hard time ﬁnding people to run for township boards. Not in Buena Vista Township! For the past year or so, there has been dysfunction among the treasurer and supervisors, and against the chair and clerk. It seems the dysfunction comes from the supervisors and treasurer not wanting an audit of the township’s ﬁnances. It does seem counter-productive of them not to want an audit. As one township resident said, “What are you trying to hide?” It appears they want to cause stagnation in the township board,

rather than aim for honesty and transparency.

The treasurer and supervisors have also been accused of violations of the open meeting law. To many residents of Buena Vista Township, this, along with the refusal to have an audit, seems to point to problems with honesty, transparency, and responsibility.

Several residents have stepped forward to run for treasurer and supervisor. They want to return our township board to an open, transparent, cooperative, functional board.

They are Angela Larson, an accountant

for Culvers, who is running for treasurer and is obviously highly qualiﬁed. Jake Kleckner and Jeremiah Ringelstetter are willing to run for supervisor. Both men are leaders in the community. Most recently they started the Buena Vista Lions Club, demonstrating they are very capable to be a supervisor. Because of the present dysfunctional board members who refuse to represent the Buena Vista residents with openness and honesty, I ask you to consider voting on Feb. 18 for the people who are willing to represent us with openness and honesty.

An Open Letter to Reunion: a small town fry cook’s perspective

I would like to preface by saying that I have been nothing but impressed with Reunion as a restaurant. The food is fantastic, the service exceptional, the atmosphere grand and the drinks wonderful. Reunion is, quite simply put, the nicest restaurant within 30 miles of Spring Green. And I could go on using such enthusiastic language, but unfortunately that is not what this is about. In the wake of your potential closure, I would like to provide you with a little commentary of my own.

For context, my first job was as a fry cook at Karly’s, a townie bar on Washington Island, WI (Pop. 718), a place where I worked for four summers. On the Island, there are two types of restaurants, those for tourists, and those for the townies. This is for a couple reasons, the first is that during the summer, the population of the island swelled immensely, doubling or tripling the yearround population with thousands of daily visitors and tourists. The second is that the locals, rather simply put, were less affluent than the tourists. The consequence of this is that during the off-season, two-thirds of the restaurants close, as there are simply too few locals to sustain them. Simple economics dictates that the pricier eateries stand first in line to close when winter comes.

If Reunion was located on Washington Island, it would undoubtedly be closed from November to April.

But we aren’t on Washington Island, and despite Spring Green being a little bit of a touristy town, Reunion still has the advantage of a signiﬁcantly larger

On the cover

year-round population, and sets itself apart being one of the few truly elevated dining experiences in the area.

(Spring Green itself could stand to learn how to stand up tall a bit, act and conduct itself in the special way in which tourists and all sorts of comers see it. It's a special place, and we need to start acting like it.)

But there’s something else that separates the townie bars from the tourist restaurants on the Island- perception and prestige. I heard several locals speak ill of the Hotel Washington, a venue and restaurant not terribly dissimilar in scope to Reunion and her former sister restaurant, Homecoming. This wasn’t because they served bad food, quite the opposite in fact, but the issue was that many locals found the Hotel Washington too bourgeois for them. They were intimidated and almost insulted by a restaurant that took itself so seriously. The vision of Reunion as a restaurant that strives to be as local as possible and respectful of its staﬀ is a noble one, and its owners know their business better than anyone else. I hope owners Kyle and Leah give me grace as I am but a humble patron with some suggestions based upon distant, yet all too familiar, experiences.

If Reunion wants to win over the hearts and minds of everyone, it has to split the balance between a normal bar and restaurant like Riverside, and the upscale dinner-service only restaurant it is today.

The ﬁrst thing that would set Reunion on this path is having expanded drinks-service hours. Being part of

nightlife is huge in any town, and being open before and after dinner service is a big part of that, not to mention that drinks are, as in any restaurant, the true moneymaker. It also helps to attract customers who are just coming from work and want a beer or two without dinner, or those who want a finely crafted beverage later at night. Let Reunion truly be a restaurant AND social club. Another thing would be to make the menu more approachable, from layout and reading standpoint. I, personally, didn’t understand from the get-go that Reunion’s menu is functionally a three course layout (four, if you count dessert). You’re meant to order something each from “up first,” “garden” and “mains,” and this wasn’t really evident until after I had gone the first time. I would consider gently informing of this, potentially by offering suggested pairings of dishes. Also, noting roughly how many an appetizer can serve would be really nice for customers to know if they need to order multiple servings for their table. As a customer, what would also be really nice if you always maintained an up-to-date version of the menu online or exactly what your specific pop-up entailed, even if it’s just a Facebook post. I like to know what’s being served prior to going into a restaurant, and it would also make it more approachable to those who have food allergies to understand what may or may not be available to them.

On the topic of the menu, the ever changing menu is really nice, and oﬀers a lovely local selection and variety, especially for someone who has a bad habit

Also, the present clerk, Van Nelson, has admirably and honestly represented our township and is highly qualiﬁed for the job. He is knowledgeable about laws, ordinances, and procedures, and is running again. Floyd Bartow Jr., has been an excellent chairman and has tried to bring the board into being legal and up to date with both laws and technology. He, too, is running again, and I hope he will ﬁnally have a board that works for us.

Barbara

Voyce Town of Buena Vista, Wisconsin

of re-ordering the same things from a restaurant, despite being an adventurous eater. But, and this is a big BUT, I think adding a few more permanent and down-to-earth items to your menu would provide some consistency and normalcy for your clientele. I can only imagine how fantastic consistent Reunion local fried cheese curds would be (I’ve always been partial to Cedar Grove’s), and not a soul would want them to be taken off the menu. Also consistently offering pizza or other elevated takes on traditional Wisconsin faire — and marketing it well — would entice return customers and offer accessibility. Never compromise on quality though, I haven't eaten at a better restaurant. Lastly is this; elevated and fine dining has a bad rep of atmospherically feeling stodgy and stolid, despite whatever is on the plate. Really put yourselves out there. I’ve been guilty of saying the line “Reunion, it's in the old bank, where Freddy Valentines was,” simply because the venue in which you are located has changed hands a few times in the last decade, and a new name hasn’t penetrated the local lexicon. Bring some engagement, have an event and late night schedule, particularly in the summer, and fun nights in the winter. Riverside has the river; Slowpoke has live music and karaoke; and The Shed has local night and plays off the Post House garden — I could go on. Spring Green can support all of these and more if done right and with the right community assistance, and all of these area establish-

continued on page 4

“Sign of the times” (2025) Photo, by Paige Gilberg

Despite repeated questions, we have no answers from the Village of Arena as to who originated the message on the Village's welcome sign or its meaning.

message or positive message, we suppose we must all give it our own meaning.

promise we had a prettier cover photo, but the intrigue of the sign was too good

Luukas Palm-Leis, Contributed

OPINION/EDITORIAL EDITORIAL

Resilience in the Face of Division: Why Democracy Needs Us All

From the beginning, Valley Sentinel has been committed to tell the truth, to care more and to respect and believe in our readers. That commitment requires us to comment now.

On Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, the Oﬃce of the President was peacefully transferred to Donald Trump. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris respected the time-honored tradition of the peaceful transfer of power, participating with dignity in ceremonies that reﬂect the resilience of our democratic institutions. This transition, however, stands in sharp contrast to the events of four years ago.

In 2020, even before votes were cast, Donald Trump preemptively declared that any outcome other than his victory would be evidence of a stolen election.

Following the election, he propagated baseless allegations of fraud, ﬁled over 60 lawsuits—all dismissed—and, most egregiously, incited an attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in an eﬀort to subvert the democratic process. His absence from President Biden’s inauguration marked a profound breach of democratic norms.

Over the following four years, Trump’s rhetoric continued to sow division and distrust, exploiting societal fractures and perpetuating fear and misinformation. Despite his legal and legitimate victory in the recent election, the concerns raised by his actions, then and now, remain urgent and deeply troubling.

We stand by our editorial four years ago, stating clearly that the actions of Trump and his supporters constituted an insurrection against the government of the United States—a ﬁnding that has been ruled true in courts across the country.

We also stand by our statement in the same editorial four years ago that asked us all to acknowledge the diﬃcul-

DONATION DRIVE

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If we charged $1 for each copy of Valley Sentinel, just half of the copies that are picked up each week would entirely cover our printing costs — however, we are committed to remaining a free

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EDITORIAL BOARD

Editor-in-Chief

Nicole Aimone

Managing Editor

Taylor Scott

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Editorial Policy

ties and disillusionment pervasive in the American people.

We said, for many, the dignity of the feeling that you have the ability to affect change and have a say in how you are governed is the bare minimum needed to stave off a feeling of helplessness when it comes to your place in society and how best to find your place in it.

Then as now, Trump’s brand of populism spoke to a large group of people that felt disaﬀected and disillusioned, that felt like their contributions to society didn’t matter and that it was impossible to get ahead.

These people aren’t cultists; they’re our friends, neighbors and family members. There is a reason politics are so polarized right now, and it’s because people on all parts of the political spectrum feel this sense of being disenfranchised, frustrated and fed up.

As we said before, without structural change addressing why vast numbers of people are struggling or feeling disillusioned in the ﬁrst place, those sentiments just reinforce the diﬃcult status quo.

People can be pushed to the fringes when they are subject to extraordinary diﬃculties, derision or if they feel like their input isn’t valued, whether it be in a discourse of ideas or in their service to their community.

It is critical to acknowledge that this disillusionment fueling political polar-

ization did not arise in a vacuum. For many Americans, economic stagnation, social alienation and systemic inequities have fostered feelings of helplessness and frustration. These sentiments have been skillfully manipulated by leaders like Trump, whose brand of populism offers a convenient scapegoat rather than meaningful solutions.

The challenges ahead demand vigilance and action. Trump’s second inaugural address, laden with dark undertones of American carnage disguised as patriotism, underscores the continued threat to democratic norms. Such rhetoric undermines the values of inclusion, freedom and progress that form the bedrock of our nation.

Yet, defending democracy does not mean merely resisting authoritarian tendencies. It also requires confronting systemic issues that erode trust in institutions, from growing economic inequality to the outsized inﬂuence of wealth in politics. President Biden’s warnings about the dangers of oligarchy and the erosion of the free press resonate now more than ever. The consolidation of media ownership and the proliferation of misinformation further threaten informed civic engagement.

To navigate these turbulent times, we must ask ourselves: What does a functioning democracy require of its citizens, its leaders and its press? How do we hold

elected oﬃcials accountable, demand transparency and ensure that governance serves the public good? These questions transcend partisan divides and demand a collective response.

As a community, we must foster a culture of participation—voting, staying informed and building networks of mutual support. Our challenges are complex, but so too is our capacity for resilience and innovation. Together, we can ﬁnd common ground and pursue solutions that uplift everyone.

In our newsroom, we keep a print of a Thomas Jeﬀerson quote as a reminder of the courage required in journalism: “Ridicule is the only weapon which can be used against unintelligible propositions.”

This is not a call to mock individuals, but rather to challenge dangerous ideas that threaten our democracy. We believe in holding those in power accountable—whether it requires exposing misinformation, critiquing inequitable policies or ensuring that public resources serve the public good. If ridicule is necessary to dismantle harmful narratives, we will not shy away.

Nearby hangs another quote, one attributed to Lotte E. Scharfman, a refugee who ﬂed Nazi-controlled Austria to dedicate her life to democracy:

“Democracy is not a spectator sport.” These words remind us that we all have a role to play. Journalism is ours. What’s yours?

No more spectating, for any of us. Put us in coach.

The next four years may bring difficulties, but they also present opportunities to strengthen our democracy. We invite you to join us in this effort—to question, to participate and to demand better from ourselves and our leaders. Together, we can reaffirm the promise of our nation and ensure that it endures for generations to come.

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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 integri- ty and impartiality of our reporting.

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Luukas Palm-Leis

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Letters submitted for consideration are subject to fact-checking and editing for space and clarity. Submissions must have a compelling local community interest. Letters to the editor must ﬁt within a 500-word limit, and include name, city and phone number. Phone numbers are for oﬃce use only and will not be published. Letters of a political nature, without chance of rebuttal, will not be published the week before an election.

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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.

In Brief

Hospital and Clinics begins year-long facility renovation project

In January, a year-long facility renovation project will begin at The Richland Hospital and Clinics (TRHC). Issues critical to meet 21st century standards of care will be addressed by this $7.8 million renovation. “These improvements allow TRHC to continue to provide exceptional patient-centered care without expanding the facility footprint,” TRHC CEO Bruce Roesler explains.

Initially, the TRHC Board of Directors and Executive Management Team (EMT) had planned for a replacement facility. However, that plan was delayed 8-10 years due to the increase in construction and material costs and not being able to design a building that would meet patient and staﬀ needs while staying within budget.

Over the past year, planning sessions have been held to discuss and determine what improvements, repairs, and modiﬁcations to the existing facility need to occur. The “must do” scope is identiﬁed as: select window replacement, limited exterior skin restoration, select roof replacement, parking lot re-

Community Connections Free Clinic (CCFC) is pleased to announce Daniel Smith as Clinic Director. In this newly formed position, Smith will be responsible for furthering the clinic’s strategic plan as determined by the CCFC board, including clinic management, fundraising, and community engagement.

Smith brings extensive business experience to CCFC gained as President and CEO of Cooperative Network, and formerly Administrator of the Division of Agricultural Development at the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Earlier, Smith served as CEO of Midwestern BioAg in Blue Mounds, following a decades long career as a dairy farmer. He lives with his wife, Cheryl, on a small farm near Arena. The author of two books and numerous essays, Smith holds a deep com-

placement, new emergency generator, light interior remodeling, med gas improvements, hvac repairs and improvements, plumbing work, fire alarm upgrades, electrical corrections, code compliance items, select finishes upgrades, security access control improvements, water and pest infiltration corrections. TRHC has retained the following project partners: BWBR as architect/design firm; Market & Johnson, Inc. as construction manager; and, MedCraft Healthcare Real Estate as project manager. The project is expected to continue through January of 2026 with little to no interruption to patient services.

The Richland Hospital and Clinics is a nationally awarded health care facility dedicated to caring, educating, and healing. Providing compassionate care for 100 years to residents of the greater Richland County area, TRHC operates an independent, integrated group medical practice in three locations, including rural health clinics in Spring Green and Muscoda and a critical access hospital at its primary location in Richland Center, WI.

mitment to rural communities and those who live there.

“We are excited to have a person of Dan’s experience and dedication leading Community Connections Free Clinic at this pivotal time in providing health care to those in need,” said Cathy Bramlett, CCFC board chair. "Since its inception in 2006, CCFC has provided over 15,000 patient visits to those who are uninsured or unable to aﬀord medical care. Dan’s presence, along with our dedicated staﬀ, volunteers, board members, and the support of the communities we serve, helps insure the continuation of our mission.”

The CCFC Spring Celebration Event will be held April 6th at The Wisconsin Riverside Resort in Spring Green. To contribute, volunteer, or for more information, visit www. ccfcwi.org, or call 608.930.2232.

Driftless Grace: Minor Miracle

Last month, as Spring Green prepared to be swept up in the annual holiday whirlwind, I witnessed a miracle. I found myself in a warm room full of people one Friday night, with more of my fellow-citizens coming in all the time. And everyone who walked through the door was smiling.

This event took place not on another planet but less than a block from where I now sit. Darkness was still falling early with a vengeance before the winter solstice. Our world was the same then as it is now; none of us could claim blissful ignorance of the political mess to come. The folks I saw were genuinely happy in spite of it all. Even in the face of the uncertainty that has dogged our small tourist town since the pandemic, we still know how to have a good time.

My social and spiritual cups were overﬂowing. I drank it all in and then went home to sleep like a rock.

2024 brought a series of reminders that the people around me can be a great source of hope. On the night before this event, and for two nights after, I appeared onstage in a local production of “It’s A Wonderful Life.” My cast-mates and I were immersed in the tale of a community coming together to save a lost soul. The play wouldn’t have been far from my mind when I gazed out at this room full of smiles. Both experiences suggest that if we treat people well and welcome them in, they’ll ﬁnd a way to return the favor.

I experienced my own George Bailey

An Open Letter to Reunion: a small town fry cook’s perspective

continued from page 2

ments stand to do better for it. We all do better when we all do better — and, from a business standpoint, when we capture tourist traﬃc for more extended periods while oﬀering great, accessible and consistent things for locals as well. You can’t be a social club with all business and no play, and being a fantastic restaurant just isn’t enough to draw people in on the regular, especially locals. It's not an easy line to split, but someone has to be

happy to come in ﬂannel on a Friday after work and have a good time, and then also feel like they can wear a button up and bring the missus on Saturday for a romantic date. Elevated yet still approachable is the niche to fall in.

I do hope my critique doesn’t come across as scathing, but as encouraging and as a conversation starter — for Reunion and for our community. I don’t want that old bank to be death knell for yet another restaurant in Spring Green. I would love to see Reunion ﬂourish and

succeed, because it oﬀers a truly unique dining experience you simply cannot get for miles and miles, and I think that you are uniquely set up to continue providing a luxuriated, but approachable dining experience.

For those of you who have never been, if they do re-open, I encourage you to bless Reunion with your patronage. Give them a chance to warm your hearts and stomachs and experience a local, heartfelt, and ﬁnely crafted meal on your plate.

CROSSWORD

moment last summer, as I tried to leave a precarious housing situation. I was looking to move back “to town” in an area notorious for its housing shortage. After asking my community for help, I received dozens of suggestions and postings from all quarters. It’s doubtful that I would have found a place to go without their aid. I would still just be looking, still feeling trapped.

We can’t all afford to contribute money to our loved ones. Instead, we can offer help in other ways. Maybe we are called to help fill the room with smiles—to show up, no matter how dark it gets outside. We can cooperate to build a place where we don’t let the darkness in, and where we all occasionally burst out in song.

Grace Vosen is a writer and conservation educator living in Spring Green. She blogs about both the human and nonhuman communities of our region at DriftlessGrace.com.

Also, never underestimate what a simple emailed message of support means to a small business. Other support is likely welcome too, and can be offered here: https://gofund.me/9e48c531 Luukas reports for Valley Sentinel Commentary/opinion pieces reflect the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publication or its editors. Opinion pieces do not interfere with, nor reflect, the objectivity of journalistic news reporting.

We were recently told "any newspaper worth its salt has a respectable crossword" — and to be clear, we're pretty salty

Give us feedback at editor@valleysentinelnews.com, as we've never made a crossword before, much less a respectable one, and it's surprisingly diﬃcult. Especially (maybe, eventually) with the goal of only including words or themes from the previous edition.

We're hoping to tighten up the grid over time and shift from an "indie" style to a respectable New York Times style with rotational symmetry — and we think we've done a good job of that. Which is why we've expanded our word pool and enlisted the help of passionate community members, who have created this crossword. This puzzle and section will absolutely change. Especially if you can help. We appreciate all the feedback and suggestions so far.

What about chess puzzles next? We're not joking. Seriously.

Puzzle created locally by

Edited by

Crossword appearing in the January 23, 2025 edition of Valley Sentinel does not exclusively use words printed in the previous edition of Valley Sentinel — January 9, 2025, if any. The clues may or may not use the same deﬁnition as the words were used in the previous edition, if any words appear from the previous edition.

Nick Zaborek

Jen Zaborek

Grace Vosen, Contributor

Grace Vosen

The Richland

Community Connections Free Clinic announces director

The Tools of Conversation — Part 4: Pointy-headed Claptrap

Beverly Pestel, Columnist

This series explores how our tools of conversation—from speech and print to television and social media— have shaped the way we think, learn and interact, often steering us into a state of fragmented discourse and misinformation. By examining seminal works on information networks, critical thinking and media influence, each column digs deeper into why our collective capacity for thoughtful conversation and civic engagement appears at risk. As we navigate new technologies and grapple with the merging of entertainment and news, we confront a crucial question: can we harness our evolving tools of communication to foster truth, community and meaningful dialogue, or will we be “amused into indifference”? Join me on this journey through reading, reflection, and inquiry, as we seek practical insight into building a more informed, empathetic and civically engaged society.

I ended my last column with: …Or is Postman just an alarmist and none of this has anything to do with our current cultural/communication situation?

This was regarding the quote, “I believe the epistemology created by television not only is inferior to a print-based epistemology, but is dangerous and absurdist…when news is packaged as entertainment, that is the inevitable result…we are being deprived of authentic information…we are losing our sense of what it means to be well informed. Ignorance is always correctable. But what shall we do if we take ignorance to be knowledge?... the public has adjusted to incoherence and been amused into indiﬀerence.” (pgs. 27, 107-108, 110)

I need to ﬁnd out if anyone currently in journalism agrees with that. It turns out that some do. Here is what I have found so far.

Matt Pearce was an Investigative Reporter for the LA Times for 11 years. He is currently the President of the Media Guild of the West, a journalism union. He publishes regularly on Substack where his by-line is “May the forces of evil become confused on the way to your house.”

In response to the controversy of the Washington Post’s (Jeﬀ Bezos) decision not to endorse Kamala Harris

and the resulting cancellations of subscriptions, he wrote on Oct. 17 on the need to support print journalism. He also wrote about the current media environment as one where, “shortform video is slowly making everybody illiterate.”

On Nov. 5 he wrote: “…one of the most pivotal elections of my lifetime, over whether to restore an authoritarian to oﬃce after he almost violently refused to leave it, is ending with a bunch of rightwingers talking about the government seizing and killing an internet-popular squirrel.” And you’re going to love this – P’Nut the squirrel now has his own Wikipedia page. Nothing absurd about that, huh?

In the Nov. 5 post he also asserts that, “if ostensibly nonpartisan national political journalism has much commercial appeal to anyone anymore, it’s with the aging, largely left-partisan professional managerial and retiree classes.” He obviously sees print journalism in trouble and its replacement less than stellar. And then there is this: “Oxford’s 2024 Word of the Year is…Brain Rot (n.) Supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as a result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging.” Sounds kind of like “Amusing Ourselves to Death” doesn’t it?

Casper Grathwohl, President of Oxford Languages said, “’Brain rot’ speaks to one of the perceived dangers of virtual life, and how we are using our free time. It feels like a rightful next chapter in the cultural conversation about humanity and technology.”

Among the Gen-Z crowd, the term is

often associated with the results of the mass consumption of memes. If you spend any time on Facebook, you know that a component of the Boomer and Gen- X crowd is addicted to memes. Essentially, what we have here is a 2024 vindication of the1985 Neil Postman warning. It is worth noting that the term brain-rot was ﬁrst used by Henry David Thoreau in 1854. So, although not new, the symptoms certainly seem to be growing. I’m not sure Postman’s warning about this needs further conﬁrmation, but just in case, there is more.

There is Charlie Warzel, staﬀ writer for The Atlantic and author of the Galaxy Brain newsletter about technology, media, and big ideas. In a column on Oct. 11, 2024, titled I’m Running Out of Ways to Explain How Bad This Is: What’s happening today is something darker than a misinformation crisis, he begins this way, “The truth is, it’s getting harder to describe the extent to which a meaningful percentage of Americans have dissociated from reality.” This column reports on observations that centered on events surrounding Hurricane Milton in Florida, “I saw an onslaught of outright conspiracy theorizing and utter nonsense racking up millions of views across the internet. The posts would be laughable if they weren’t taken by many people as gospel,” says Warzel.

I also just finished reading Margaret Sullivan’s book Newsroom Confidential: Lessons (and worries) from an Ink-Stained Life (2022). The book is a memoir of a four-decade career in journalism. Sullivan recounts advice from Roger Ailes (Fox News) to the Reagan campaign. “If you have two guys on a stage and one guy says, ‘I have a solution to the Middle East problem,’ and the other guy falls in the orchestra pit, who do you think is going to be on the evening news?” In other words, create a Wile E. Coyote vs. Road Runner bit and the viewers will laugh their way right through the “news” to the next commercial. Oh dear, this is depressing, but I have at least one more person I must reference, Tom Nichols and his 2017 book The Death of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Knowledge and Why it Matters. Dr. Nichols is currently a staff writer for The Atlantic before that he was a legislative aid for defense and foreign

Burden Hit Another Record Low in 2024

aﬀairs and a professor of strategy at the U. S. Naval War College.

Dr. Nichols does not pull punches in his opinions, in the preface of his book he states, “The United States is now a country obsessed with the worship of its own ignorance.” He continues, “Principled, informed arguments are a sign of intellectual health and vitality in a democracy…I wrote this because I’m worried. We no longer have those principled and informed arguments. The foundational knowledge of the average American is now so low that it has crashed through the ﬂoor of “uninformed,” passed “misinformed” on the way down, and is now plummeting to “aggressively wrong.” People don’t just believe dumb things; they actively resist further learning rather than let go of those beliefs.” (pgs. ix-x)

I ﬁnd it hard to deny that a segment of the population has amused themselves into this state. Nichols makes a good case that the fragmented, amusementbased nature of news consumption that is the mainstay of way too many Americans, leads to “a particular kind of voter who believes that knowing about things…is just so much pointyheaded claptrap.” (pg. 227) The question is how large that segment of the population may be and whether they can be enticed back into a more fact-based world that respects expertise rather than denigrates it. So… is Postman just an alarmist and none of this has anything to do with our current cultural/communication situation?

I am alarmed, but not by the thought that Postman may have it all wrong. I am alarmed because I suspect that Postman is right. I’m alarmed, but not despondent, because I choose to believe that those who fall into this category are not the majority and that what has been broken can be ﬁxed. If you see it diﬀerently, you need to supply me with a compelling argument – until then I’ll just keep reading, and trust that there is a solution to be found somewhere.

Beverly is a retired professor. She lives in a remodeled farmhouse and tends 40 acres of woodland in Richland County. When not in the woods she spends her time reading, writing and enjoying the beauty of the Driftless Area. Beverly may be contacted at bpestel@msn.com.

State and local taxes fell once again as a share of Wisconsinites’ incomes in 2024, pushing this ratio -- known as the state and local tax burden -- to its lowest level since at least 1970. This ratio between what Wisconsin residents pay in all state and local taxes and what they receive in income from all sources fell from 9.92% in 2023 to 9.62% in 2024. The decrease reﬂects continued growth in incomes in the state, plus aggressive eﬀorts by the state to hold down local property taxes.

Each year, the Wisconsin Policy Forum examines every local and state tax paid, from the fees paid by dry cleaners ($369,050 in 2024) to gross local property taxes ($13.09 billion). To these ﬁscal year 2024 ﬁgures, we compare state personal income data from the prior calendar year, in this case 2023, to calculate the tax burden. Overall, state and local tax revenues grew by 1.9% in 2024, rising to $36.9

billion from $36.2 billion in 2023. That lagged the rate of inﬂation and was the smallest increase since 2017. Meanwhile, income growth easily outstripped growth in tax collections, as personal income in calendar year 2023 grew by 5.2% -- double the increase seen the previous year. However, as it has in every year since 2009, personal income growth in Wisconsin lagged the national average, which this year was 5.9%.

Combined local government tax revenues, those collected by municipalities, counties, school districts, and technical college and special districts, grew 2.7% in 2024, to $12.28 billion. Revenue from gross local property taxes – the largest single tax in Wisconsin – grew by 4.6% in 2024, the most since 2008. The increase reﬂected referenda approved by voters and the end to the state’s freeze on school district revenue limits.

Total state tax collections grew to $24.65 billion in ﬁscal year 2024 from

$24.27 billion in the prior year. This 1.6% annual increase was the smallest since 2020. Most of these revenues come from individual income tax collections, which rose by 3.2%, from $9.42 billion in 2023 to $9.72 billion in 2024. Growth in income tax collections has been restrained by tax cuts included in the 2021-23 and 2023-25 state budgets.

Corporate income tax collections fell, dropping 1.7% from $2.75 billion in 2023 to $2.70 billion in 2024. Sales tax collections climbed 1.8% in 2024 to $7.59 billion – the slowest yearover-year growth rate since 2010. This came as inﬂation is now receding after several straight years in which it drove up sales tax revenues rapidly.

It is worth noting that elected leaders in Wisconsin in recent years have focused on holding down the property tax, individual income tax, and motor fuel tax, but there have been fewer major cuts or decreases to sales taxes, and some increases. As a result, sales tax-

es have made up a larger share of total state and local tax collections over time, from just under 12% in 1970 to 22.4% in 2024.

Overall, the state and local tax burden in Wisconsin has fallen to a record low. Since 2000, no other state has seen a comparable decline in state and local taxes as a share of income. Going forward, some combination of economic expansion and more eﬃcient government will likely be needed to maintain good quality public services while keeping state and local taxes affordable.

This information is a service of the Wisconsin Policy Forum, the state’s leading resource for nonpartisan state and local government research and civic education. Learn more at wispolicyforum.org.

Beverly Pestel

Wisconsin Policy Forum

Fiscal Facts: Wisconsin’s State and Local Tax

Thursday,January 23

COmmunitycalendar

The Community Calendar is curated by Paige Gilberg and designed by Julianna Williams. Events are subject to change, always check ahead for up-to-date information on any events you are interested in.

Events for January 23 - February 6

HAHS Walking Club 7:30 AM - 9:00 AM • Highland Area Historical Society Gym, 526

Isabell St, Highland • FREE • The HAHS Walking Club meets every Tuesday from 5-6:30 p.m. and every Thursday from 7:30-9a.m. in January. The gym is heated to 50 degrees, so please dress accordingly for this indoor walking session. Everyone is welcome to walk at their own pace.

Storytime 10:30 AM • Lone Rock Community Library, 234 N Broadway St, Lone Rock • lonerocklibrary.wordpress.com • Join us every Thursday for storytime!

Stitch and Bitch 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM • Spring Green General Store, 137 S. Albany St. Spring Green • springgreengeneralstore.com • FREE • The Spring Green General Store’s Stitch and Bitch handwork group meets Thursday afternoons weekly. All are welcome.

Tech Help 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM • Plain Kraemer Library, 910 Main St., Plain • kraemerlibrary.org • rvbroadband.org/techhelp • Come on in with any devices or technology you need help with! No appointment necessary.

Family Night: Life-Sized Games 5:00 PM • Kraemer Library & Community Center, 910 Main St, Plain • kraemerlibrary.org • FREE • Bring the whole family to enjoy life-sized versions of classic board games and regular-sized favorites. Fun for all ages! Reserve your spot by calling 608-546-4201 or visiting the library.

Silent Book Club 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM • Arcadia, 137 W Jeﬀerson St, Spring Green • readinutopia.com • Join Caitlyn for the ﬁrst Silent Book Club of 2025. Bring a book and treat yourself to some "me time" while chatting about books. This relaxed event is perfect for anyone who enjoys reading and sharing thoughts about literature.

Knit Night at Nina’s 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM • Nina’s Department Store, 143 E. Jeﬀerson St Spring Green • ninasdepartmentstore.com • FREE • Every Thursday from 6 to 8 pm. All knitters and crocheters are welcome.

River Valley Community Chorus Rehearsals 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM • Christ Lutheran Church, 237 E Daley St, Spring Green • Join the River Valley Community Chorus as they prepare for a spring concert on April 21st, sharing the stage with students from the RV High School Music Department. No auditions are required. Weekly rehearsals will begin on Thursday. All are welcome to participate.

Winter Indoor Soccer 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM • Plain Elementary Gym, 1370 Cherry St, Plain • For more information look up "Spring Green Recreational Soccer" on Facebook • FREE • Open to ages 12 and up, join the Winter Indoor Soccer sessions for a fast-paced 5-a-side game on a basketball court. Sub in and out as needed. Appropriate footwear recommended. A great way to stay active and build skills over winter months. Carpooling is encouraged due to limited parking.

Saturday, January 25

Spring Green Winter Farmers Market 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM • S230 E. Monroe St. Spring Green • Spring Green farmers market is a year - round outdoor market oﬀering seasonal produce, local meats, baked goods, and many other wonderful items. Held outside the Spring Green Community Public Library every Saturday morning.

John Haarbauer's 80th Birthday Celebration 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM • Spring Green General Store, 137 S Albany St, Spring Green • springgreengeneralstore.com • FREE • Celebrate John Haarbauer's milestone 80th birthday at the Spring Green General Store. Join the community for an afternoon of joy, connection, and festivities in honor of this special occasion.

Lunar New Year Workshops 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM • 101 E Jeﬀerson St, Spring Green • alikaussadornment.com • $75 for Snake Sculpture Workshop (12:00 PM - 3:00 PM) or $25 for Screen Printing Workshop (3:00 PM - 5:00 PM) • Celebrate the Year of the Wood Snake with creativity! Join Ali Kauss Adornment and Trillium Print Studio for workshops focusing on growth, transformation, and abundance. All materials provided, along with snacks and surprises. Reserve your spot online.

Open Euchre 5:00 PM • Ewing-Olson VFW Post 9336, 514 Willow Street, Arena • For more information look up "Ewing-Olson VFW Post 9336-Arena" on Facebook • $5 entry fee • Enjoy an evening of Euchre with no partner needed! 100% payback on entry fees, plus food available for purchase. Bring quarters for Euchre and join the fun!

Sunday, January 26

Spring Green Gentle Jam 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM • Spring Green Community Center, 117 S Washington St, Spring Green • FREE • The Spring Green Gentle Jam meets on the 4th Sunday of every month, oﬀering a low-pressure environment for practicing acoustic instruments and singing. To register, email GentleJamSG@gmail.com.

Monday, January 27

The Sumac Room Presents Mid-Winter Dinners 4:00 PM - 6:15 PM • Elderﬂower Retreat, 6511 Hillside School Rd., Spring Green • savortherivervalley.org • $125 (plus $5 processing fee, includes beverage pairings and gratuity) • Savor a six-course pre-theater dinner crafted by Chef Anna Atanassova, featuring locally sourced ingredients and showcasing perennial food crops inspired by the Savanna Institute. Vegetarian and nut-free accommodations available; indicate dietary needs when purchasing tickets. Advance registration required.

LIVE MUSIC: Open Mic with Dylan Harris 7:30 PM - 10:00 PM • Slowpoke Lounge & Cabaret, 137 W Jeﬀerson St, Spring Green • slowpokelounge.com • FREE (Tips for the host are appreciated) • Join us the fourth Monday of every month for an Open Mic, hosted by Dylan Harris. Bring your music, whether it's solo, with a band, or sing along with backup. The mics, plug-ins, and piano are provided—you bring the talent! Support the community and enjoy a night of music and connection.

Tuesday, January 28

Winter Family Storytime 4:30 PM - 5:00 PM • Kraemer Library & Community Center, 910 Main St, Plain • kraemerlibrary.org • FREE • Join us for a family-friendly storytime with stories, songs, and a fun themed craft and activity. All ages are welcome!

HAHS Walking Club 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM • Highland Area Historical Society Gym, 526 Isabell St, Highland • FREE • The HAHS Walking Club meets every Tuesday from 5-6:30 p.m. and every Thursday from 7:30-9a.m. in January. The gym is heated to 50 degrees, so please dress accordingly for this indoor walking session. Everyone is welcome to walk at their own pace.

Corn Hole Adult League 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM • HAHS Gym, 526 Isabell St, Highland • $2 per person • Join the fun at the Corn Hole Adult League! Every Tuesday in January, test your skills and enjoy a lively evening of community camaraderie. Perfect for beginners and seasoned players alike.

Winter Indoor Soccer 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM • Plain Elementary School Gym, 1370 Cherry St, Plain • Look up "Spring Green Recreational Soccer" on Facebook • FREE • Join the community for fast-paced indoor soccer games suitable for ages 12 and up. Played on a basketball court, the game promotes cardio and skill-building. Limited parking is available; carpooling is encouraged. Contact Avery Radue for updates on cancellations.

Wednesday, January 29

All Ages Storytime: At the Community Center! 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM • Spring Green Community Center, 117 S Washington St, Spring Green • springgreenlibrary.org • FREE • Join Ms. Kate for great stories, activities, and crafts. The theme for January is “Children Around the World.” This event will take place at the Spring Green Community Center. Yoga with Emily Benz 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM • Wyoming Valley School, 6306 State Road 23, Spring Green • ruralremedy.com • Drop-in: $20 per class; Commit to a handful of classes: $17 per class • Drop in for a yoga class that focuses on mindfulness and movement. The class is suitable for all skill levels. If the cost is too much, feel free to reach out for a barter or alternative plan to get you to yoga—no barriers! Carpools from Spring Green or Dodgeville are also possible, and there are plenty of helpers.

Thursday, January 30

HAHS Walking Club 7:30 AM - 9:00 AM • Highland Area Historical Society Gym, 526 Isabell St, Highland • FREE • The HAHS Walking Club meets every Tuesday from 5-6:30 p.m. and every Thursday from 7:30-9a.m. in January. The gym is heated to 50 degrees, so please dress accordingly for this indoor walking session. Everyone is welcome to walk at their own pace.

Storytime 10:30 AM • Lone Rock Community Library, 234 N Broadway St, Lone Rock • lonerocklibrary.wordpress.com • Join us every Thursday for storytime!

Lego Builders Club 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM • Kraemer Library & Community Center, 910 Main St, Plain • kraemerlibrary.org • FREE • We supply the Legos, you supply the creativity! Stop by to free build or try out the weekly challenges. This event is open to kids of all ages.

Saturday, February 1

Breakfast and Bake Shop 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM • First Lutheran Church, 250 W Richland St., Lone Rock • Enjoy breakfast and baked goods at this community gathering. A raﬄe drawing will take place at 9:30 AM. All ages are welcome.

Forest and Fire Retreat 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM • Passive-Solar Earth Home, Spring Green • SirensRising.co/forest-and-ﬁre-retreat • This intimate retreat is designed for women and non-binary business owners and leaders passionate about systemic change. Includes guided journaling by a ﬁre, meditative winter hikes, coaching exercises, and opportunities to connect with like-minded individuals. $75 per person or $50 each with a friend. Registration required; group size capped at 10. Alex’s Barks and Bubbles Grand Opening 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM • E3947 Hwy 14, Spring Green • Join Alex’s Barks and Bubbles for the grand opening of their new grooming salon! Enjoy treats and drinks for both owners and pets at this community celebration. All ages welcome.

Baking for Kids: Buttermilk Biscuits (Ages 6–8) 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM • RedBarn Catering, 525 E Madison Street, Spring Green • savortherivervalley.org/register • $45 per child (plus fees) • Kids will learn to bake and enjoy buttermilk biscuits in this hands-on class with Jay Miller of RedBarn Catering. Each child will make and eat their biscuits and bring some home! Registration required.

LIVE MUSIC: Concert in the Café with Jay Hoﬀman 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM • Spring Green General Store, 137 S Albany St., Spring Green • springgreengeneralstore.com • Enjoy the musical storytelling of singer-songwriter Jay Hoﬀman from the Kickapoo Valley in this cozy café setting. Perfect for a relaxed Saturday afternoon.

Little Creek Press Author Forum 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM • Arcadia Books, 102 East Jeﬀerson St., Spring Green • readinutopia.com • Join a panel of four novelists discussing their books and writing process, hosted by Little Creek Press. Featured authors include Sue Berg (Driftless Insurrection), R.T. Lund (The Ghost), Mike McCabe (Miracles Along County Q), and Sara Rath (Accidental Summer). A lively conversation awaits book lovers and aspiring writers.

Events for January 23 - February 6

Saturday, February 1 cont.

LIVE MUSIC: Still Strummin 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM • 139 N Lexington St., Spring Green • Enjoy an afternoon of great harmonies and music spanning multiple genres with Still Strummin. There might even be a surprise guest performer! Open to the public; free-will donations appreciated.

Sunday, February 2

Baking for Kids: Buttermilk Biscuits (Ages 9 & Up) 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM • RedBarn Catering, 525 E Madison Street, Spring Green • savortherivervalley.org/register • $45 per child (plus fees) • Older kids can join this fun and educational baking class with Jay Miller. They’ll create, eat, and bring home their buttermilk biscuits. Registration required.

Monday, February 3

Tuesday, February 4

Wednesday, February 5

Yoga with Emily Benz 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM • Wyoming Valley School, 6306 State Road 23, Spring Green • ruralremedy.com • Drop-in: $20 per class; Commit to a handful of classes: $17 per class • Drop in for a yoga class that focuses on mindfulness and movement. The class is suitable for all skill levels. If the cost is too much, feel free to reach out for a barter or alternative plan to get you to yoga—no barriers! Carpools from Spring Green or Dodgeville are also possible, and there are plenty of helpers.

Thursday, February 6

Tech Drop-In 2:00 PM • Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green • springgreenlibrary.org • Whether you're grappling with setting up email accounts, navigating social media platforms, or troubleshooting software issues, knowledgeable volunteers or library staﬀ will be on hand to lend a helping hand.

Winter Indoor Soccer 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM • Plain Elementary Gym, 1370 Cherry St, Plain • For more information look up "Spring Green Recreational Soccer" on Facebook • FREE

• Open to ages 12 and up, join the Winter Indoor Soccer sessions for a fast-paced 5-a-side game on a basketball court. Sub in and out as needed. Appropriate footwear recommended. A great way to stay active and build skills over winter months. Carpooling is encouraged due to limited parking.

WHAT’S HANGINg ? ongoing art exhibitions

Spring Green Community Library Art Exhibitions Spring Green Community Library, 230 E Monroe St, Spring Green • Monday-Thursday: 10 AM - 7 PM • Friday: 10 AM - 5 PM • Saturday: 9 AM - 1 PM • A note from the Library: The Library will be closed from Friday, January 17 to Saturday, February 8.

We are closing to refresh the main part of the Library a bit. We have already started with some red paint on the far wall, but will add a bit more color in the staﬀ areas as well as above the glass case. We will also be getting new carpet, and moving the shelves around a bit.

While we are closed, we will have a temporary space set up in the Lobby. This means that holds can still be picked up, printing can still be done, copies made, and faxes sent. We will also have a small browsable collection available. The temporary space will be open from Wednesday, January 22 to Wednesday, February 5 from 12-6p. We do also have the checkout lockers, so if those hours don’t work, please consider calling us to use those. We ask that any books checked out before or during the closure are kept by you until we re-open. Completely understand if that is not possible, and items need to come back before then.

Thank you for your patience and understanding during this exciting three week adventure.

John Bagjas is exhibiting his woodworking in the Glass Case Gallery during January and February. He was raised in the Chicago area and moved to Spring Green in 2022. John tells of his story, "I worked for 32 years in the Chicago are as a union-trained ornamental plastering restoration specialist. I worked on the restoration of many old churches and historic homes as well as, the most popular, the Lyric Opera House in downtown Chicago. Working with the plastering materials became the possible source of health issues that developed. While I was not able to work ,and was going through treatments, I decided to go back to making things with my hands. I'd always loved working with beautiful wood, So, I decided to make custom boards, boxes, and humidors as gifts. Then people started asking me what I had for sale. I like to go and choose the woods by looking for colorful hardwoods that have the most character because nature makes the most perfect imperfections in the hardwoods I use. I do not stain and do not use plywood in my work. I like to bring out the colors and imperfections in my projects. All my projects are made by hand with typical hand tools. My projects are custom one-oﬀ pieces and not mass produced, I have made similar pieces but nothing exactly the same." John's art is available for viewing from February 10-28 during regular library hours.

BillieJo Scharfenberg will be our featured artist in the Community Room Gallery during February, once the renovation of the library is completed. Her stained glass works can be viewed during regular hours when the Community Room is not already in use. More information will follow when the display is in place.

CIVICS & SERVICES

CIVICS & SERVICES CALENDAR

This calendar is a place listing (for free) the typical meeting dates for area governmental bodies, and Please email us with these meetings, or use the form on our Community Calendar page — let's build community together: editor@valleysentinelnews.com

January 25: Kickoff Meeting: 4th of July Celebration 6:00 PM • Lone Rock Village Hall, 314 E Forest St., Lone Rock • villageoflonerock-wi.gov • Join the Lone Rock community for the annual planning kickoff for this year’s 4th of July celebration. Help shape the biggest event of the year with your ideas and input. Open to all community members.

January 29: VOLUNTEER: Ridgeway Pine Relict Volunteer Day 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM • Ridgeway Pine Relict State Natural Area, Hwy H parking lot, Ridgeway • dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/StateNaturalAreas/volunteer • Join the Friends of Ridgeway Pine Relict for a volunteer workday. We will be cutting, treating, and piling brush to prepare it for burning with snow cover. No skills are required; training will be provided onsite. RSVP is preferred but not required. For questions or to RSVP, contact Bob Scheidegger at BobScheidegger@yahoo.com or 608-319-2083.

February 4: Lone Rock Community Blood Drive 12:30 PM - 5:30 PM • Gym, 214 Broadway St., Lone Rock • redcrossblood.org • Donate blood to support the community and help save lives. All donors are welcome. Visit redcrossblood.org to schedule your appointment or for more information.

Village of Arena Regular Board Meeting 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM • Village Hall, 345 West St., Arena • villageofarenawi.gov

February 5: Plain Fire Department Meeting 7:00 PM • Plain Fire Department, 1045 Cedar St, Plain • villageofplain-wi.gov

The Community Calendar is curated by Paige Gilberg and designed by Julianna Williams. Events are subject to change, always check ahead for up-to-date information on any events you are interested in.

John Bagjas

Bi-Weekly Sword Tip Shift Happens–Moving On

I’m excited to have a new home for my “Wellness Warrior” column…thank you Valley Sentinel staﬀ for graciously oﬀering to host it. For those of you new to my column, here’s a bit of an introduction: Several years ago I returned home to my roots here in Richland Center after a career in the Air Force as a nurse. After remodeling my house, I was eager to complete my e-book titled, “Wellness Warriors”. Beyond this, I was excited to continue educating folks on holistic wellness options we all have in addition or instead of allopathic or traditional medicine. When I began my column, the only restriction I was given by Dawn Kiefer — the Richland Observer editor at the time — was the number of words to use.

To date, I have authored 293 Wellness Warrior articles, one of the last articles was titled “Holistic Wellness: Voting Your True Beliefs/Values”. However, that column did not appear in the Richland Observer like it usually does. After speaking to newspaper staﬀ here in Richland Center, as well as the gentleman acting as our publisher (who oversees several small newspapers here in southwestern Wisconsin), I was told my column was “too political” and that “politics has no place in a wellness column" (even though it was a paid, sponsored space). Realistically, I knew I grew up in a conservative community, however, I was totally saddened by my freedom of speech being silenced by what used to be my hometown newspaper, not once, but three times. Obviously, the rules of engagement have changed! What’s a “Wellness Warrior” author to do? Not let the conservative turkeys have the last say (I have reported these infractions by the Morris Publications to the Wisconsin Newspaper Association.) Nevertheless…onward!

Is it possible that wellness or holistic wellness needs to be better deﬁned so we’re all on the same page? Holistic wellness to me has a huge umbrella encompassing the three-legged stool of mind, body and spirit. The Global Wellness Institute deﬁnes wellness as “the active pursuit of activities, choices and lifestyles that lead to a state of holistic health”. So that’s what I intend to explore in future articles as well as whether politics should be included in our wellness discussion. I’m always on the hunt for ways to improve my wellness journey and guess what, you get to come along for the ride. As I often say, take what you like and leave the rest, however, if you gain at least one thing…that’s a win! It’s about progress…not perfection.

Now for the elephant (versus donkey) in the room…by the time you read this, we will have a new president of our

Sherry Hillesheim, R.N.

country. Admittedly, I was not only shocked, but saddened in terms of how many voted this person into oﬃce once again given the lack of ethics, criminal behavior, disrespect for women, and having led a government insurrection to turn over the election results…shall I go on?

Being a retired military member, I will also add his seeming disrespect for those who have served…calling them/ us suckers and losers. In addition, he would not allow the ﬂags at half mast to honor our past president, Jimmy Carter, had his inauguration been outside…how simply pathetic.

However, moving on, how do we ﬁnd and maintain our serenity and hope of better days to come? We have the option of distancing ourselves by putting our heads in the sand and denouncing him as “my president” …I think that’s called detachment without love. Currently, I’m not planning to watch the inauguration tomorrow…it seems like too much reality so I may tune into an entertaining commentary tomorrow evening so I get some well-needed humor out of the deal at least.

Realistically, I totally get that changes to our government, immigration, etc are necessary…however, at what cost?

Time will tell…it will be an “interesting” period of time for us all. We all deserve nice things plus competent, ethical, inclusive, and kind leaders that respect and uphold the democratic process.

Let’s join the resistance movement as needed…let’s make our voices heard by making positive changes where we can, locally and nationally, Wellness Warriors…our Holistic Wellness will beneﬁt by having a voice and taking action… our journey continues…thanks for coming along!

“I ﬁnd hope in the darkest of days and focus on the brightness. I do not judge the Universe.” and

“Pain is inevitable, suﬀering is optional.”

- Dalai Lama

My blog and contact information: www.holisticseekers.com; 719-2139963

LITERARY + ARTS & CULTURE SECTION VALLEY SENTINEL'S LITERARY JOURNAL SUBMISSIONS OPEN Works can be submitted at: valleysentinelnews.com/literary-journal/. Questions about submissions can be directed to: editor@valleysentinelnews.com Submissions will remain open until enough journal-quality submissions are received.

Lexington & Jefferson

Arts/Community In Brief

River Valley ARTS Creative Community and

Artistic Development Grant Applications Now Available

Creative Community and Artistic Development grant applications are now available at www. RiverValleyARTS.org. Deadline to apply will be late February 2025. Maximum award amount is $2,500.

Creative Community Grants

The purpose of the Creative Community Grant is to stimulate creative and innovative arts programming in the River Valley area. 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. Priority will also be given to applicants who don't have access to other funding sources. Funding for Creative Community Grants is made possible by the generous support of local donors and businesses with matching funds from the Wisconsin Arts Board.

Artistic Development 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, materials and supplies, and art/music classes or camps. 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. Funding for Artistic Development Grants is made possible by the generous support of local donors and businesses.

Questions? Please email contact@RiverValleyARTS.org.

Spring Green Arts & Crafts Fair Applications Open

The Spring Green Arts & Crafts Fair recently announced the opening of their 2025 artist applications. Applications need to be postmarked by February 5, 2025.

More information can be found online at: www.springgreenartfair.com/Artist/Apply/.

The 2025 Spring Green Arts & Crafts Fair will take place downtown Spring Green on June 28 & June 29, 2025.

4PeteSake Spring Applications Now Open

TThe 4PeteSake Board will be accepting applications for its Spring Funding Round until March 27, 2025. Applications can be found on the website at www.4petesake.com, picked up at Arcadia Books in Spring Green, or requested by mail at PO Box 577, Spring Green, WI, 53588. Please contact Todd Miller at tmiller@4petesake. com or at 608-588-4619 with any questions.

Applicants must live within the boundaries of the River Valley School District and ﬁnd themselves in health-related circumstances, through no fault of their own, for which assistance is needed. All applications are reviewed by the 4Petesake Board, who determine the number of recipients to be funded and the amount that each recipient will receive.

Poetic Wonderer

the correct season is written in: shivers

Community/GOVeRnMen

River Valley School Board sets referendum, approves cost reductions and grade reconﬁguration

continued from page 1

Michelle Orcutt will both be reduced by 1.0 FTE.

According to the latest available 20232024 Department of Public Instruction data, Hoﬀman, Ross, Cavagnetto and Seybold all held 1.0 FTE teaching positions.

Marshall was hired at 1.0 FTE at the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year.

Tabrizi and Orcutt hold 1.0 FTE positions for the 2024-2025 school year, an increase from 0.75 FTE positions the prior year, according to DPI data.

Librarian Anne Howe was oﬀered a regular teaching position for grade ﬁve as a transfer from her current position, and no reduction was necessary for the elementary teaching position as fourth grade teacher Tera Hollfelder will retire at the end of this school year. The librarian position and elementary teaching

position will not be reﬁlled as the positions themselves will be reduced.

The speech and language teacher position was provided by a contract with outside services, which will not be renewed at the end of this school year.

“The School Board has considered reductions of staff since this fall, and has discussed this topic at the Budget committee meetings and School Board meetings. The Administration recommended approximately $610,000 in staff reductions at the end of the current school year,” Krey said in correspondence, emphasizing that the reductions are based on the district’s strategic plan which correlates staffing to student enrollment numbers. “While these reductions will have an impact, there will be minimal impact on our current course offerings, programs offered to students and class sizes.”

No reductions impact any of the dis-

Legal Editor's Analysis: River Valley School Board’s notice falls short of the law’s clarity standards, motion made to reduce staﬀ likely insuﬃcient

Just a brief note or two on the Jan. 20 special meeting of the River Valley School Board. The public notice that preceded the meeting contained three “Closed Session Items.” The ﬁrst was, “Closed Session Meeting Minutes: December 12, 2024 Regular Meeting.” The second was, “Considering Employment, Promotion, Compensation, or Performance Evaluations. 19.85(1)(c).” The third was “Reconvene in Open Session.” After reconvening, there was one open session action item: ”Consideration & Action on Employees Selected for Reduction in Force at the End of the 2024-25 School Year.”

At the meeting, the board went into closed session and reconvened to approve a plan for this “as presented.” No plan was then and there publicly presented.

This whole scenario presents the same problem twice, once as a likely violation of Wisconsin Statute § 19.84 and once as a likely violation of § 19.85. The problem is probably minor, but conceivably very major, and that is the essence of the problem. I say “likely” violation because I don’t know of any cases that have addressed the precise issue this raises. I can argue either side, but I think this is unlawful and not just bad practice.

With respect to the notice, it is very well established that you cannot just quote § 19.85(1) (c) like the board did. The public is entitled to understand not just what statute is being used but what action is contemplated that implicates the statute. But most people reading the notice in context would see that after the closed session, the board intended to vote on a reduction-in-force plan. So obviously that is what the closed session was about, right?

I don’t think this saves the notice.

Although it may seem to people that sometimes the law exists just to be picky, it really doesn’t (despite centuries of evidence to the contrary-we are trying to get over that still). A judge might well look at this and say, “people can follow this. It may not be ideal. But a reasonable person would understand what is happening. Hence notice is suﬃcient.”

trict’s teaching contracts, as the teachers are employed through the end of the current school year. Those aﬀected will not be oﬀered a renewed contract for the 2025-2026 school year.

“It's important to note that since 2010, the District has reduced the teaching staﬀ by 24.67%,while our enrollment has decreased by 23.95%,” Krey said, while emphasizing the meaningful impact the reduced employees have had on the school community. “This includes the reductions approved on January 9, 2025 at the School Board meeting.”

Referendum

At its Jan. 9 meeting, the board also discussed utilizing an operational referendum to exceed the revenue limit for the district.

cannot exceed the revenue limit unless it holds a referendum and gains voter approval to raise additional funds.

Levy limits speciﬁcally control how much a district can collect from local property taxes—one of the two components of the revenue limit. The levy amount is determined after accounting for how much state aid the district receives. For example: If a district's total revenue limit is $10 million and it receives $6 million in state aid, it can levy $4 million in property taxes. If state aid increases, the allowable levy decreases to stay within the revenue limit. While revenue limits cap the total money schools can raise, levy limits speciﬁcally cap the property tax portion of that total.

Revenue limits are the total amount of funding a school district can raise from state aid and property taxes combined. Levy limits are the maximum portion of that total that can come from local property taxes.

The approval of the plan “as presented” displays the same issue in a different setting. When a governmental body meets in open session and then votes on something nobody in the public can actually see, I do not think that is really public. Public access means being able to understand what is happening. Did the public get enough context and enough information to puzzle out what the vote really meant? Again there is reason to think yes. There was a public plan apparently (at least with positions rather than specific employees, at the Jan. 9 meeting); it was just not carefully specified at the meeting that that was the plan to be approved, with specific employee action laid out. Or was that the plan that was approved? Maybe not. Maybe the plan “presented” as something presented in closed session.

These kinds of questions, left open to speculation, undermine the transparency that the open meetings laws seek to provide. Deﬁnitely bad practice. Likely a violation of the law. Possibly bigger, possibly smaller.

Whatever else, they can deﬁnitely do better. Do better.

I'm an attorney, I'm not your attorney. This is not intended as legal advice.

But I think I like the counter-argument better. The law places more burden on government officials to spell things out than it does on citizens to put on their thinking caps, read above and below the text, and work things out. The law actually has developed a test for adequate notice that asks, “how much extra effort would it have taken the government to be more clear?” Not much here. I think the notice is a technical fail and the only question is whether it is minor or serious. That depends on whether the obvious inference is actually correct. If the board used the closed session only as necessary to look at confidential materials necessary to review for their reductionin-force plan, then it is a minor violation. If they did something else, then it would be a major breach of the law. (I don’t think that happened.)

—Gary Ernest Grass, esq., Legal Editor

In Wisconsin, public school districts operate under revenue limits set by state law. These limits function as a cap on how much funding a district can raise through property taxes each year. Designed to control property taxes and encourage eﬃcient use of funds, the revenue limits combine local property tax revenues with state aid to determine the total amount a district can spend per student annually. The Wisconsin legislature’s decision to freeze or minimally adjust revenue limits has forced districts to rely heavily on referenda.

If a district determines it needs more money than the state allows, it cannot simply raise taxes to make up the diﬀerence. Instead, the district must ask voters for permission to exceed the revenue limit through a public referendum.

This process begins with the school board, which identiﬁes the funding shortfall and passes a resolution outlining how much additional money is needed, for what purposes and for how long. The proposed increase—sometimes recurring indeﬁnitely and other times temporary—is then presented to voters in the district as a ballot question during an election. If the majority of voters approve the referendum, the district is allowed to exceed the revenue limit and collect the additional property tax revenue.

On the other hand, if voters reject the referendum, the district must operate within the existing revenue limit, which often forces difficult decisions such as cutting programs, reducing staff or delaying maintenance. Exceeding the revenue limit is sometimes referred to as “exceeding the levy limit” because it directly affects how much the district can levy in property taxes.

Revenue limits are a cap on the total amount of money a school district can raise from two primary sources: state aid and local property taxes. Revenue limits determine the total budget a district can work with for general operations, such as teacher salaries, transportation, utilities and classroom supplies. This limit is set per student and varies between districts based on local property wealth and state aid formulas. A school district

The board on Jan. 9 took up two resolutions regarding an operational referendum to exceed the revenue limit for the district.

The “Resolution Authorizing the School District Budget to Exceed the Revenue Limit” is the official decision by the school board to seek additional funding beyond the revenue limits set by state law. It specifies how much money is needed, over which years and for what purpose. For example, in the document, the River Valley School District proposed exceeding the limit by specific amounts in three consecutive school years for maintaining educational programs and district maintenance, $4,150,000 for the 2025- 2026 school year, $4,750,000 for the 2026-2027 school year and $5,200,000 for the 2027-2028 school year.

The “Resolution Providing for a Referendum Election” is the resolution that sets the stage for asking voters to approve the funding request. It includes instructions to prepare for the referendum, such as setting the election date, preparing ballots and notifying the DPI. These resolutions are essential steps in the process of holding an operational referendum. The ﬁrst resolution authorizes the district to seek additional funding, and the second ensures the public has a chance to vote on it.

Wis. Stat. § 121.91 sets strict limits on how much money school districts can collect through property taxes. To go beyond these limits, school districts must justify the need through a formal resolution and obtain voter approval via a referendum. A school board must hold a referendum to exceed the revenue limit unless there are exceptional statutory provisions allowing otherwise.

As written in the proposed referendum, taxes on property would be increased by approximately 8% per year, to $7.99 per

continued on page 10

Hedge Meadow Herbs + Apothecary (SOON: 14 S. Winsted St., Spring Green) is relocating from Mazomanie and expanding its oﬀerings to include a botanical cafe. The new location, the former Driftless Depot, will feature a full commercial kitchen, a patio, and a backyard for events and workshops.

The shop, owned by certiﬁed herbalist Clare Kritter, is known for its herbal teas, products, bulk herbs, art, books, and educational workshops. The new space allows for the expansion of its tea line and the addition of a cafe serving coﬀee, herbal lattes, drinking chocolates, and seasonal plant-inspired drinks.

Kritter plans to continue oﬀering workshops and community events while introducing new initiatives like mini craft fairs and food pop-ups. The Mazomanie storefront is now closed as renovations are underway, with plans to reopen in Spring Green by late spring.

For updates, visit hedgemeadowherbs.com

Alex’s Barks and Bubbles (E3947 US-14, Spring Green) is preparing for the grand opening of its new grooming salon on Saturday, Feb. 1, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. The event will include treats and drinks for pets and their owners, providing a chance to explore the new space and book upcoming appointments. For more information or to schedule an appointment, contact Alex’s Barks and Bubbles at 608-459-0223 or via email at alexsbarksandbubbles@gmail.com. Keep up with updates by searching “Alex’s Barks and Bubbles” on Facebook.

Reﬂections from Lost Horizon Farm — The Cattle Egret or Bad Things Happen in Threes

Each edition, retired dairy farmer Barb Garvoille brings her musings on dairy farm life from her own years of experience on Lost Horizon Farm with her late husband Vince “Mr. Farmer” Garvoille. This mooving memoir focuses on 1980-2000, join Barb as she rises with the herd.

Occasionally, a cattle egret would stop and rest at the farm during migration. One year, Mr. Farmer laughed because a Cattle Egret spent its entire visit in the horse pasture. ("Ha, ha", he said, "Look at the Horse Egret.")

During another season, a single Cattle Egret made the cattle pastures its daytime haunt and at nightfall roosted on one of the rungs of the Ribstone silo. That bird was remembered as the Egret of Misfortune. Whether by coincidence or not, every day of the three day

period that bird was on the farm, something broke down!

The ﬁrst breakdown was one that ranked next to tops on the physically challenging to ﬁx list, sharing the top (or bottom depending on which way a person looked at the job) with a loaded manure spreader breakdown!

During silo filling time in the fall, the first day we noticed the cattle egret, the apron on the chopper box broke. The Rex chopper box held about 4 tons of chopped corn silage or haylage. A break in its apron meant forking off by hand one side of the box full of silage. That way the broken chain beneath the load would be exposed and could subsequently be repaired.

The second breakdown happened the next day when the knuckle on the power takeoﬀ shaft of the corn chopper broke. That entailed a 17 mile drive to town for parts at the implement dealership, followed by the ﬁx.

The Sauk County Gardener

“Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seed you plant.”

—

Robert Louis Stevenson

If you’ve been in garden supply stores or perusing various seed catalogs lately, you may have noticed the diﬀerent types of seeds available. I’m not talking about all the diﬀerent varieties of beets or tomatoes. I mean organic, heirloom, and hybrid seeds. There are pros and cons to all three kinds – organic, heirloom, and hybrid; and if there are certain things you are looking for in your garden, it’s important to know the difference.

Heirloom seeds have been passed down from one generation (for about 50 years or more) to another without any crossbreeding. They are typically pollinated naturally by air, animals, and various pollinators; this is known as open-pollinated. It also means if you plant heirloom seeds from the tomato your great grandpa planted and enjoyed many years ago, you should

be able to harvest a tomato that tastes and grows the same. There are a number of pros to growing heirloom seed. Heirloom seeds help preserve genetic diversity by maintaining a wide range of genetic traits within a plant species. Most heirlooms have unique ﬂavors and appearance; these can be lost during hybridization. If you save, heirloom seeds can be saved from one year to the next, you will get the same plant year after year. You can also help save money by saving heirloom seeds. This all sounds great, but there are also some cons to heirloom seeds. Many heirlooms have lower yields than their hybrid cousins. Heirlooms are typically more susceptible to pests and diseases. Some heirlooms are not well-suited to the climate they have been moved to and grown. That tomato your grandpa grew down South may not be well-suited for our Wisconsin summers.

The next consideration is organic seeds. Organic seed production avoids the use of synthetic chemicals and fertilizers which can protect groundwater and beneﬁcial insects. Organics are typically focused on heirlooms to help

It meant the chopper sat still during hours of good conditions while the parts were secured, and the repair was made.

The third day the silo pipe plugged. That always meant unclamping the silo pipe from the blower and pounding on sections of the silo pipe and, sometimes, unclamping more sections of the pipe until the compacted material loosened enough to fall down and out of the plugged pipe. If a person ever wondered why rubber hammers were created, it was for applications like banging on silo pipes! It seemed that breakdowns occurred either on holidays, weekends, or after hours when the implement parts' stores were closed or they happened when there was an especially ﬁne stretch of weather forecast, or they befell the farmer just when he was working overtime to complete ﬁeld work before an undesirable change in the weather. In short, breakdowns equated to valuable time

lost in the ﬁeld, hours added on to harvest completion, and, of course, a sense of frustration. When something broke down, it ushered in the unspoken but sinking thought of: "What's going to break down next?" because these unfortunate events really did seem to happen in threes. Mr. Farmer later admitted that he had been glad to see the cattle egret leave the farm. After it had-ﬂown away, bad luck stayed away for the remainder of the fall!

Barb has called Lost Horizon Farm, just north of Spring Green, her home for the past 45 years. She is fond of all creatures (including snakes). Her joy stems from being able to be outdoors every day observing and treasuring the plant and animal life on her small piece of this planet. She loved milking cows and is proud to have been a dairy farmer.

promote and maintain genetic diversity. However, it’s important to note that heirloom seeds are not always organic. Organic seeds are grown using organic farming techniques, such as composting. Composting can help improve soil quality over time if done properly. Organic seeds also align with sustainable farming methods. As with heirlooms, there is a list of cons to organic seeds. Organics are typically more expensive because they have stricter production standards and generally lower seed yields. Typically, there are fewer varieties to choose from and the ones you find may have lower crop yields. Hybrids are designed to offer the best of a seed’s offerings. Many are developed to offer increased crop yields and/or larger fruits and vegetables. Some are designed to be disease resistant. Once again, think of tomatoes –the true diva in our gardens. There are so many diseases that affect tomatoes that many people grow hybrids just so they can get a good tomato crop. Another benefit of hybrids is the uniformity of the plants or their fruits’ size, maturity time, and overall appearance.

Some hybrids have been developed to grow well in diﬀerent climates and growing conditions. Of course, there are cons to hybrids as well. For one, you can’t save the seeds from one year to the next. For example, I love to grow ‘Sunsugar’ tomatoes. They are little golden yellow, delicious bites of tomato yumminess that are resistant to cracking. However, they are hybrids so if I save their seeds, I will not be able to grow the exact sample plant and expect to get the same kind of fruit. Cost is another consideration. A lot of money goes into developing hybrids and those developers have to recoup their costs. They will be more expensive than your saved heirloom seeds. Another consideration is that you may lose some of the ﬂavor if the plant was developed primarily for great yield or improved disease-resistance. Finally, hybrids can reduce the genetic diversity of our gardens.

There are pros and cons to all of these types of seeds. Do your research, ﬁgure out what is most important to you, and plant the type(s) of seeds that are best for your garden.

River Valley School Board sets referendum, approves cost reductions and grade reconﬁguration

continued from page 9

$1,000 of assessed value per year for 2025-2026, $8.65 for 2026-2027 and $9.34 for 2027-2028. This tax rate is also commonly known as “mill rate”.

The mill rate is a way to calculate property taxes in Wisconsin, including those used to fund public school districts. It represents the amount of tax owed per $1,000 of a property’s assessed value. For example, if the mill rate is 5, a property owner pays $5 in taxes for every $1,000 of their property’s assessed value. To calculate the mill rate, the school district determines its total tax levy— the amount it needs to collect from local property taxes—and divides that by the total assessed property value in the district. The result is then multiplied by 1,000 to express the mill rate.

In 2011, the state legislature removed the law that linked mill rates to inflation, which has resulted in a significant decrease in the inflation-indexed value of money going to districts. This, along with reductions in state aid to public schooling has resulted in districts, like River Valley, turning to using operational referendums to help supplement their revenues and maintain sufficient operational budgets.

The current mill rate is $7.35, which has on average seen a 6% decrease per year since the 2019-2020 school year, and from 2010 to 2020 the mill rate was,

on average, $10.50. River Valley School District’s mill rate is lower than seven of the ten surrounding districts, with Ithaca at $10.90, Highland at $10.70, Wisconsin Heights at $9.43, Weston at $9.27, Richland at $8.76, Barneveld at $8.41 and Sauk Prairie at $7.41. Only Reedsburg at $7.00, Riverdale at $6.43 and Dodgeville at $5.80 have lower mill rates than River Valley.

The board unanimously voted in favor of the resolution to exceed the state revenue limit for the district and unanimously voted in favor of the resolution to authorize the referendum.

The upcoming operational referendum, which will appear on the April 1 Spring Election ballot, is for academic courses, programs and classes and not for building maintenance.

District reconﬁguration

Due to the decision to close the ELC, the board at its Jan. 9 regular meeting discussed reconﬁguration of the grade levels to ﬁt most appropriately within its three central campus buildings in Spring Green.

The proposed grade conﬁgurations are as follows: pre-k, kindergarten, ﬁrst and second grade will be in the current Spring Green Elementary school building, grades three through six will be located in the Middle School building and grades seven through twelve will be in the High School building.

The board voted unanimously in favor

to reconﬁgure the existing grade levels as listed.

Going into the 2025-2026 school year, the conﬁguration for district principals will be as follows: Carla Peterson, current principal for the ELC and Elementary, will oversee pre-k through second grades at the Elementary School; James Radtke, current principal for the Middle School, will oversee grades three through six at in the Middle School building, Jaime Hegland, current safety and activities director, will become a principal and oversee grades seven and eight in the High School while continuing as activities director and Darby Blakely, current principal for the High School, will continue to oversee grades nine through twelve at the High School..

Spring Election

Five candidates have ﬁled for the upcoming election, including incumbents seeking re-election and a new candidate vying for a seat on the board, according to the district.

Emily Beck and Jess Hisel have ﬁled to run for a three-year term representing Area 6, Village of Spring Green. Current board member Sara Young has opted not to seek re-election and submitted a Notiﬁcation of Noncandidacy.

Jeﬀ Maier, the incumbent for Area 3, Town of Clyde, has ﬁled to retain his seat for another three-year term.

In Area 9, Village of Plain, Bettinger, the current board member, has also

ﬁled for re-election to a three-year term. The Spring Election is set for April 1. Board members are elected by district voters at large.

Nicole Aimone and Taylor Scott contributed to this story.

To see the operational referendum and revenue limit resolution language passed by the River Valley School Board on Jan. 9, scan the inlaid QR code above.

The referendum is set to be included on the April 1 Spring Election Ballot.

Jeannie Manis Wisconsin Certiﬁed Master Gardener

Choosing the Right Seed

Barb Garvoille, Columnist

The Sauk County Gardener

All-American Selection Winners

“The ﬂowers that bloom tomorrow are the seeds you planted today.” — Unknown

I’ve started looking through the various seed catalogs that have arrived at my home to see if there is something new I need to try this year. As I’ve written before, I like to plant something new every year in my gardens. I’m still going to plant the new cover crops that I didn’t get done last year, but I’m still on the lookout for something truly diﬀerent from my standard fare. That led me to check out the All-American Selection (AAS) winners and there are some really nice ones to consider if you can ﬁnd them in a seed catalog or nursery near you. They are easy to identify, just look for the AAS winner label on the seed packet or plant marker.

All-American Selection winners have been tested for superior garden performance. Entries come from annuals, perennials, and edibles/ vegetables. The panel of judges is made up of professional horticulturists who volunteer their time to evaluate the entries next to their comparisons. These evaluations are done in AAS trial grounds. An entry has to have at least two signiﬁcantly improved qualities to even be considered for an AAS award. Varieties that perform well particularly in certain regions, are selected as Regional winners. Those that had superior performance over all

of North America are selected as AAS National winners. When you see the AAS winner label, it’s like a stamp of approval – you know the plant or seeds have gone through rigorous testing and have shown they have superior garden performance.

There were ten national winners selected for 2025: four vegetables and six annual ornamentals. The vegetables were: ‘Konstance’ kohlrabi, ‘Pick-N’Pop Yellow’ pepper, ‘Green Lightning’ F1pattypan squash, and ‘Thriller’ dumpling squash. I’m hoping I can track down seeds for either the ‘Green Lightning’ F1 or the ‘Thriller’ squash as I love the idea of these smaller, flavorful squashes with edible skin. As for the annuals, be on the lookout for the ‘Black Forest Ruby’ dahlia, ‘Capitán Maginifica’ dianthus interspecific, ‘Mango Tango’ marigold, ‘Shake’ Raspberry F1 petunia, ‘Doubleshot™’, Yellow Red Heart F1 Snapdragon, and the ‘Zydeco’ Fire Zinnia. The ‘Mango Tango’ French marigold is a vibrant bicolor (yellow and red), semi-double bloom on an 8-10-inch-high plant. I know just where they would work in my vegetable beds and containers. Of course, I’d also like to get my hands on some ‘Zydeco’ Fire zinnia seed as well. I plant a lot of zinnias, and these would be spectacular in my cutting garden. They have a burnt orange bloom that’s nearly three inches across, on an 18-22-inch-tall stalk, and are powdery mildew resistant.

If you’re looking to purchase any of these AAS winners, visit

Wandering the Driftless

Winters are long and cold in the Driftless Area and the rest of Wisconsin. Many Badger State residents head south for a portion of the season, while others remain at home near a ﬁreplace or other heat source to avoid contact with the frigid temperatures outdoors. And then - there are those that enjoy ice ﬁshing.

Folks living in warmer portions of our country shake their heads in disbelief at photos of bundled-up northerners sitting on a bucket, over a small hole in the ice waiting for a fish to bite. Many of them would never walk on a frozen lake, much less drive on the ice with a snowmobile, ATV or car. Some of us are, however, a bit different. We look forward to the cold and ice fishing opportunities it brings.

The winter of 2023-24 was warm and resulted in a very short ice season. Hopes were high as cold temperatures this past November dropped water temperatures and began to produce a thin layer of ice. Cold December temperatures, coupled with a lack of insulating snow, helped build ice depth on bodies of water across Wisconsin. Mid-December found many of the smaller bodies of water in southern Wisconsin with four inches of good, clear ice. This ice depth is considered “safe” for foot travel. The Department of Natural Resources warns that no thickness of ice is completely safe. Continued cold temperatures have most lakes iced over by early January. Fish living under the ice tend to concentrate in areas of suitable, weedy habitat. This can make for good action if the conditions are right. Clear ice allows for penetration of sunlight. This helps aquatic weeds to produce oxygen via photosynthesis. Adequate dissolved oxygen under the ice keeps ﬁsh active and more apt to bite. Once snow or cloudy

all-americaselections.org/buywinners/ to ﬁnd retailers that sell AAS winners. The 2025 winners will be hard to locate, but you can typically ﬁnd previous years’ winners and they are excellent selections as well. I know I’ll be looking at a few of 2024’s winners – ‘Purple Magic’ F1 broccoli, ‘Sweetheart Kisses’ verbena, and ‘Siam Gold’ F1 marigold.

I’ve been able to track down ‘Purple Magic’ and ‘Sweetheart Kisses’, but not

‘Siam Gold’ – yet.

This article is written by Jeannie Manis, a Wisconsin Certiﬁed Sauk County Master Gardener Volunteer. If you have any gardening questions, please contact the Extension Sauk County by emailing to trripp@ wisc.edu or calling the University of Wisconsin Madison Division of Extension Sauk County oﬃce at 608355-3250.

ice arrive, aquatic plants die and begin to remove oxygen from the water as they decompose. Fish then become lethargic and tend to feed less.

Ice fishing gear has greatly improved in the past twenty years. Portable shelters and heaters have made a cold, windy day on the ice very comfortable. Ice chisels have been replaced by lightweight, battery-operated augers. Most ice anglers use a fish locator that allows them to know when a fish is near their bait and ready to bite. Short rods with good reels and sensitive tips help detect bites and bring fish on top of the ice.

Ice fishing clothing has also come a long way. Specialized, warm clothing allows ice anglers to brave even the worst of weather on the ice. Many of these clothing items have removable insulation, allowing the clothing to be used in friendlier conditions. Some ice fishing suits also contain flotation layers that will keep the angler afloat should they fall through the ice.

My ice fishing success has been less than stellar, so far. I have been in good places, but usually at the wrong time. Every fisherman, or fisherwoman, has heard: “You should have been here yesterday!”. That about sums up my 202425 ice season thus far. I have been a day or two late or a day or two early for hitting a hungry bunch of fish. I have come home with fish, but just not very many. I have had lots of fun, nonetheless.

A relatively warm weather forecast had me on the phone organizing an expedition recently. Friend Brian, and onin-law Shawn, would meet at a backwater of the Mississippi River for a day on the ice. Shawn would arrive early, with a new, electric auger and attempt to ﬁnd a cluster of ﬁsh away from the crowd. He would also pick up some minnows. Brian and I found Shawn by following

the holes he had drilled. We drilled a few more and set up our gear in hopes of pulling some ﬁsh topside. Two ﬁshless hours later, we were headed back toward the crowded area of the backwater.

We immediately began to catch a few bluegills. Most were small, but some were ﬁsh-fry worthy and got set on the ice. A few small bass added to the excitement.

We began packing up for the hike back to the landing as the sun began to set. Plans were made to investigate ice ﬁshing opportunities on Green Bay and the Madison chain of lakes for later in the winter. We WILL ﬁnd an active bite

yet.

The days are getting noticeably longer each day. Spring is coming. Take the opportunity to get out on the ice and catch a ﬁsh or two. You never know. You may be at the right spot, at the right time. Good luck!

John Cler is a retired high school science teacher and principal residing in Richland Center. He is an avid hunter, trapper, ﬁsher and nature nut. He currently chairs the Richland County Deer Advisory Council and the Richland County Delegation of the Wisconsin Conservation Congress.

Jeannie Manis, Wisconsin Certiﬁed Master Gardener

John Cler, Columnist

Out On the Ice

Photo contributed by John Cler

Several nice bluegills and an ice rod on the ice of a Mississippi River slough.

Photo contributed by Jeannie Manis via AAS The ‘Mango Tango’ French marigold is a vibrant bicolor (yellow and red), semi-double bloom.

An Outdoorsman’s Journal

Mark Walters, Columnist

Hello friends,

I have a solid appreciation for both the people of the southern United States and the lay of the land, which creates a true adventure for an outdoorsman like me. This week and next I will be writing to you about my annual journey to Delta National Forest in western Mississippi where I would hunt and camp together with my brother Tom Walters who lives near Denham Springs, Louisiana.

Tuesday, December 25th

High 58°, Low 40°

As you will find out over the next 2 weeks much of this adventure was about the drive to and from Mississippi while pulling my 14foot 7000 pound enclosed trailer rigged for camping. I left my home in Wisconsin on Christmas Eve afternoon with my trusty companions Ruby and Red “goldens.” As always when motoring that far, 950 miles, crap happens, but as seems to be the case for the last 35 years, I made it from Point A to Point B.

Delta National Forest near Rolling Forks has become one of my go to places for a southern getaway and that is because it is beautiful, remote, has some big bucks and I have made some good friends down here that I literally met in the woods 4 years ago. The following spring they came up to Juneau County and did some serious turkey whacking.

The drive was a challenge as the road construction in some parts seemed to make the road narrower than my trailer and in one stretch it was for 50 miles.

When I arrived where Tom and I would camp for the next 7 days all I cared about was making a quick camp, getting my skiff in the water and paddling to where I whacked a real nice buck last year. In this hunt I would be using my Bar 300. Here are the rules for harvesting a deer on this hunt, no does can be taken and two bucks which must have either an inside spread of 15-inches or an antler

length of 18-inches may be harvested.

My license was good for 7-days and cost $300, which for the year of 2024 would put me at just over $2000 in hunting and fishing license fees. In reality, on this hunt, I want to smoke 2 bucks and hopefully a wild boar but the real goal was met once I put the truck in park, built camp and paddled to paradise well aware that Tom and I would have a great time whacking or not whacking.

The dates of this hunt coincide with what is generally peak rut here and last year I did harvest a buck with an 18inch spread with antlers that measured 21-inches in length.

I paddled exactly to where I hunted last year and after I walked about 500yards through a beautiful forest with some of the trees bigger around than a pickup truck my mood was about as Christmas day perfect as it could be.

I would be hunting on the ground and was on my hands and knees cleaning out every noise making leaf which had just fallen a week earlier when I noticed movement about 75-yards away, it was a buck. I picked an opening and could see it was a dandy and I could have sent him to heaven but was not sure

if he met the shooting requirements. I picked another opening and figured he had the antler length but was still not confident. The buck had no clue I was there and so I passed, not 2 seconds later I saw another dandy which was skirting the first buck and maybe a 90yard shot. I was not confident, I was literally on my hands and knees and I passed.

That experience which 5 minutes later I was well aware of could have resulted in a trophy down, gave me a no regrets and a great feeling at dark as I hiked back to my duck skiff which unfortunately had a solid leak and paddled back to camp in an excellent mood, it’s not about the killing, it’s about the hunting.

Tom would arrive the next day, I would visit my friends from the Dustin

Hariel deer camp many times and these guys are about as cool and tough as it gets. When the pups and I hit the rack that night after one heck of a long 36 hours, the trip was already a success.

Live til you die!

Sunset

Want to read more?

Check out previous weeks’ columns at www.outdoorsmansjournal.com

Follow along 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. He hopes you enjoy reading about his adventures!

have been hunting and fishing together all of their

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Photo contributed by Mark Walters These boys from Mississippi are hard hunters and love to play in the water.

Deep South Deer Hunt

Photo contributed by Mark Walters Brothers Tom (left) and Mark (right) Walters

lives.

Photo contributed by Mark Walters For most of our hunts we travel by skiff or canoe.