Inside this edition
Sauk County hires public health officer Page 5
An Outdoorsman’s Journal Page 6
We are once again asking you to read: Page 8
Spring Green, Wisconsin
Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021 Vol. 2, No. 4 Free, Single-Copy
Spring Green Medical Center offers COVID-19 vaccine clinic Emilie Conlon, Editor-in-Chief
Photos contributed by the Richland Hospital
Frontline healthcare workers receive their COVID-19 vaccination at the Richland Hospital. The Richland Hospital Spring Green Medical Center now offers a vaccine clinic Monday-Friday with appointments 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for eligible individuals to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. The Richland Hospital also holds clinics as its campus.
The Spring Green Medical Clinic, a subsidiary of the Richland Hospital, is hosting daily COVID-19 vaccine clinics to distribute vaccines to eligible individuals in the area. The clinics offer vaccines to individuals who fall into the current distribution phase, Monday through Friday, with appointment slots available approximately 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Currently, the clinic is servicing individuals 65 years and older, along with individuals who fall into phase 1A, which includes frontline healthcare workers, first responders and phase 1B, including additional healthcare workers, corrections workers and funeral workers. “We plan to be doing this here for the next two to three months,” said Lyle Kratochwill, Richland Hospital Emergency Management coordinator. “We’ll be expanding based on the vaccine allocations that we get.” The vaccination is provided to community members at no charge, however the hospital does charge an administration fee that can be fully covered by health insurance, medicare, medicaid and employer or the federal government. The Richland Hospital is also providing vaccine clinics, Kratochwill said the hospital is waiting for the Muscoda Health Clinic to receive their status as a vaccinator, and plans to hold clinics there as well. “The vaccine comes in a multi-dose vial, so when you plan a vaccine clinic, you try to plan a certain number of doses that are in multiples of six, we want to try to avoid wasting any one dose,” said Kratochwill.
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Village of Plain set to receive $190,000 in community grant funds for road work Emilie Conlon, Editor-in-Chief The village of Plain was recently awarded approximately $190,000 in community grant funds for structural upgrades to Nachreiner Avenue. The village was officially awarded Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds from Sauk County at the county board Jan. 19 meeting. The funds were originally earmarked for a low-to medium income housing development in Reedsburg, but developers for the project fell through, leaving the county to find a new, eligible project by the end of January. “If we don’t assign them by Jan. 31, they will revert back to the state and we sure don’t want that, we want to keep it all in Sauk County,” said Supervisor Wally Czuprynko of
Lake Delton. The $190,000 funds will cover the entire cost of the project for the segment of Nachreiner Avenue from Oak Street to Main Street. The project will include removing and replacing over 700 feet of existing water main, 545 feet of existing sanitary sewer, 400 feet of sewer and water materials and three sewer manholes. The sewer and water materials currently there are over 60 years old, according to the project proposal. The proposal said, according to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the system has outlived its useful life by approximately 25 to 30 years, and “the problems on Nachreiner Avenue will not improve if left untreated. They are only going to get progressively worse,” according to the proposal.
The proposal said if the upgrades are not completed, the frequency of water main breaks and sewer back-ups will increase, although residents in the village have yet to experience any sewer problems. Additional work includes widening the west side entrances of the road, and completely reconstructing the roadway to allow for two-way traffic and street parking. Currently the road way is not large enough to allow for two-way traffic and street parking, and was declared a one-way about two years ago by the village. The curbs and gutters on the road will also be reconstructed. The sidewalks will be lowered six inches to be flush with existing lawns and walkways, to improve safety for pedestrians. CDBG funds are designed to provide or improve low to medium
income housing, and for projects to be eligible a certain number of residents in the area must fall into that category. Village Clerk Sheila Carver said she felt the village’s project was being “swept under the rug” at the county level because county officials were concerned the village did not meet the income qualifications. However, over 60% of the residents on Nachreiner Avenue fall into the low-to-medium income bracket. “Jared Pinkus, the guy who is kind of in charge of all of this, thought that Plain wouldn’t qualify with the low-to-moderate income, I said ‘I did a target survey and we are qualified’,” said Carver. “I felt like we were kind of being swept up under the carpet and I was like, ‘We really
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opinion
WednesdaY, Jan. 27, 2021
EDITORIAL
A WisEye paywall would be yet another impediment to open government This week, the WisconsinEye Public Affairs Network, also known as WisEye, a non-profit State Capitol broadcast organization, announced they intend to implement a paywall on their content. We regard this move as disastrous for open and accountable government at the state level in Wisconsin. What is WisEye? Think C-SPAN, but for Wisconsin. Unless you’re a state government enthusiast, or were one of about 20,000 viewers that tuned in to watch the state Supreme Court’s arguments on Wisconsin’s Nov. 2020 election results, the last time (outside of maybe the occasional clip during your local evening news) that you’ve probably watched WisEye was during Act 10 in 2011, if at all. But WisEye has been here, innovating along since 2007, doing the thankless job of being an Argus of
state government, always watching, even when perhaps our elected officials would rather it not be. The new WisEye plan will keep live content free, but will put events older than 24 hours behind a paywall, with access to all content costing $9.99 a month, according the the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story about WisEye that keeps prominently telling us that we have one free article left (the irony is not lost). Although Valley Sentinel is not one of them, many news outlets are turning to paywalls in order to stopgap revenue shortfalls. We have strong opinions on the role of corporate media in creating those shortfalls, which is why we believe in open access to our news content. However, WisEye is a non-profit that relies largely on donations even during this uncertain time. The answer to the problem can’t be to create a
walled garden around the goings-on of state government, especially in a time like this. Why is this important? Why is this an issue? Well this week the Wisconsin State Legislature has taken up a joint resolution that would repeal the governor’s statewide mask mandate. They’re moving forward using a “joint resolution” process that won’t require the governor’s signature, nor allow his veto, if passed by both houses. Regardless of your opinion on the matter (polling from Marquette University in October found the statewide mask mandate had an approval rating of 72 percent), actions like this are important. Perhaps the next issue taken up by the legislature will be more dear to your heart, or your checkbook? However, most don’t have time to watch the proceedings of our lawmakers during the busy work day or during one of
their notorious late night sessions. As WisEye President Jon Henkes stated in the Journal Sentinel story, “People are looking for truth and our position is, what better truth is there than what actually happened from beginning to end?” Unfortunately, a paywall is an impediment to that for those that are civic minded and unable to attend meetings at the Capitol or unable to afford the monthly paywall costs due to the ongoing pandemic or other hardship. Wisconsin prides itself (or used to) on open government. The public shouldn’t have to pay for the right to open government. Again, WisEye is a non-profit and needs to find a sustainable funding model that ensures access to state government in perpetuity. Lawmakers and other stakeholders need to be part of that solution — but paywalls are not.
Editor Column: The burnout is real this week, let’s give ourselves some grace Emilie Conlon, Editor-in-Chief It’s funny, as we started planning content for this week’s edition, I knew I wanted to write a column about how it seems a large majority of us have been feeling lately—burned out, unmotivated and just really emotionally exhausted. Okay, so those feelings are not the funny part, the funny part is that while I’m sitting down to write this column, I’m laying in bed, binge watching season five of 90 Day Fiancé on Hulu and debating if I should crack open the pint of Cherry Garcia in the freezer while I wait for motivation and energy to find me. Jury’s still out on when—if at all—it will. The reason I wanted to share my thoughts on this topic is not only because in the last week I have been experiencing this on a major level, but after some conversations with a few friends and family members, it seems there’s a general consensus this week: We’re tired. Work is harder this week, general mundane tasks are harder this week, our energy levels are lower, we aren’t feeling social, we’re just straight up not having a good time this week. And while it sounds crazy that we can all be feeling the same at the same time, none of us can really seem to find an answer. I’m not sure if it’s the brutally cold and snowy weather, the fact that we haven’t seen the sun in about three months, cabin fever from quarantine or work from home burnout, but something has felt off
this week. Personally, I can take a few stabs at why I might be feeling this way and I can speak for myself. For me, I am currently going through a period of change in my life, and I have been since about July, nonstop. I moved in July, switched duties at work, had my grandfather pass away in August and started getting serious about my mission with Valley Sentinel in September, all while trying to change my disciplines and habits to continuously work on myself and my character. I’m just now, barely feeling like I can come up for a breath of air. The ability to change and the adaptability of human beings is a beautiful thing. But change is hard, change is ugly and change is messy. It’s not an easy process and sometimes you feel like you don’t even recognize yourself. That can be an emotional disaster for someone, and sometimes, you just need to find peace. If you don’t find that peace yourself, your body will find a way to do it for you, and maybe that’s when you lose your motivation to do anything but watch TV on the couch and order food for take out. For me, I’m someone who at times struggles with anxiety and depression, so motivation and positive attitude can sometimes be difficult, layer that on top of other stressors, it can be easy to feel exactly like I mentioned before. Not to mention we are almost a year into a pandemic and should still be quar-
antining, sometimes I get majorly cooped up and just want to go back to life before COVID and I get incredibly frustrated that we can’t do that, and there really isn’t much I can do to get us there, not if I’m going to do my part in stopping the spread. This happened to me this past weekend: I woke up Saturday morning craving a big plate of fluffy pancakes, but didn’t feel up to going through the whole process of cooking them and cleaning up the dishes. In a pre-COVID world, I would have called up my friend and suggested brunch. I found myself feeling frustrated and emotional that I couldn’t do just that. It’s silly of course to get so frustrated over a plate of pancakes, but also, I think that’s a perfectly normal human response to spending almost a year not being able to go and do the social things that make us happy and reward us for our time spent working. That’s quarantine fatigue for you. Don’t even get me started on how many of us are working from home right now. Or should I say living at work? The bottom line is that everything seems stressful right now. We are living in a form of society and through a historical event (or a few, it seems) that we could never have been able to dream of, even in the craziest sci-fi, post-apocalyptic work of fiction. We can’t expect to continue operating at our best and we shouldn’t put the pressure on ourselves
to continue being and acting like who we were before this. There’s no doubt that the events we’re going through as a society have changed and marked multiple generations forever, I think the last thing we’re worried about right now is forcing ourselves to finish that load of laundry. I’m not quite sure what the point of this column is, I’m a writer, it’s nice to write about how I’m feeling and share that with people, but I also know I’m not the only one who has been feeling this way, so I thought maybe sharing my thoughts on why I’m feeling this way might help others have some insight. If anything, you aren’t the only one feeling this way. Give yourself some grace, rest and come back stronger. And if you’re reading this thinking that I’m totally crazy, and this time has been the best time of your life, you’ve been the most productive you’ve ever been, that’s amazing. I’m so happy for you. Please reach out, share with us in a letter to the editor as to why that’s the case. We want to celebrate with you, and please, please share your motivation and positivity with the rest of us. Until then, I’ll be in my blanket burrito, making my way towards season six of 90 Day Fiancé. Also, I’m totally cracking open that ice cream in the name of self care.
Valley Sentinel Weekly Poll: Does the Valley need a Kwik Trip? Recently, the village of Lone Rock began holding public input sessions to assist in creating its comprehensive plan. The sessions are, in part, for residents to share what they would like to see in the village. On the ‘Only in Lone Rock’ Facebook page, residents commented on different events and businesses they would like to see coming to the village. Many comments asked for a grocery store with fresh produce such as Aldi. A few comments asked for a farmer’s and craft market. A number of comments asked for a Kwik Trip to come to Lone Rock. In a recent poll on Instagram and Facebook, Valley Sentinel asked if our readers agreed, does the Valley need a Kwik Trip? 59% of voters agreed with the Lone Rock residents and would like to see a Kwik Trip come to the area, with 41% saying there should not be a Kwik Trip in the area. Let us know what you think: editor@valleysentinelnews.com or P.O. Box 144, Spring Green, WI 53588
opinion
WednesdaY, Jan. 27, 2021
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Letter to the Editor: Thank you to Music Booster supporters Dear Editor,
The Music Boosters Committee would like to thank everyone who participated and helped with the Culver’s gift card fundraiser in December 2020. We would especially like to thank Robin Fortier, the owner of Culver’s in Spring Green, for generously donating 15% of the gift card money to the Music Boosters. The fundraiser was a huge success with the money raised going to the River Valley High School Choir and Band members for scholarships, music related trips, camps, seminars among other music activities for
the students. With the ever increasing budget cuts, the music programs are becoming more reliant on the Music Boosters to help fund various activities. The River Valley Music Boosters provide support to all music programs of the River Valley Area School District. The boosters provide financial support, scholarships, fundraising opportunities, and volunteers for various aspects of the music program. Volunteers do such things as chaperoning trips, assisting with fundraising, helping to plan behind the scenes and assist at musical events.
The River Valley Music Boosters are dedicated to the continued support of the River Valley School District music students. We appreciate the support of the dedicated volunteers and welcome others to become involved. We invite you to join us at our monthly meetings, where the time, date and location are posted on the school website. The Committee is excited to announce our annual Calendar Raffle fundraiser coming up in the middle of February with 23 different days to win prizes in March, ranging from $25 to $100, with 5 chances to win $100! Each calendar is only $10
each. If any businesses or individuals are interested in buying calendars please contact the River Valley High School or email the Music Boosters at RiverValleyMusicBoosters1@gmail.com. The River Valley Music Booster Committee appreciates the community support it has received and hope that the newest fundraiser will be successful as well. Thank you,
—River Valley Music Booster Committee
Sen. Jon Erpenbach - GOP Vendetta Threatens Public Health
Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-West Point West Point, WI – Senator Jon Erpenbach (D-West Point) released the following statement after Senate Republicans voted to strike down a lifesaving health protection. “As of [Jan. 25] 5,699 Wisconsinites have died from this pandemic, yet some Republicans Senators refuse to take COVID-19 seriously. Masks saves lives. At
Erpenbach
a time when there is a more contagious strain of COVID-19 spreading through communities the last thing Wisconsinites need is nonmedically
educated Republican politicians turning a life-saving measure into a political statement. It’s dangerous. “I am fed up with this pandemic as much as the next person. I am also fed up with Republican politicians that refuse to listen to the experts, refuse to do their jobs, and continually exacerbate the problem by not taking this crisis seriously.”
Sen. Howard Marklein – Statement on Senate Joint Resolution 3 Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green Madison, WI – Senator Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green) made the following statement following the Senate’s passage of Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 3, which ends the COVID-19 public health emergency, including all emergency orders and actions taken pursuant to the declaration of the public health emergency. “I voted for SJR 3 because I do not believe that anyone, including our Governor, should be allowed to break the law and we need to work together
Marklein
to end the effects of this pandemic in Wisconsin. Almost a year ago, when this pandemic began, we didn’t know what we were dealing with. Executive orders were necessary to quickly respond as we learned about the disease
and strategies to protect our people and support our healthcare system. However, 10 months have passed and it is well past time to work together. Our action today reaffirms that emergency powers must not become an excuse to give any individual, no matter who is in charge, limitless power to override our laws. Our constitution specifically provides for checks and balances to ensure our citizens have a voice. Let’s keep going in the right direc-
Contact us
PO Box 144 Spring Green, Wisconsin 53588 USA (608) 588-6694 editor@valleysentinelnews.com valleysentinelnews.com Editorial Editor-in-Chief Emilie Conlon Creative Director Morgan Marlenga Managing Editor Quincy Aston-Lott Legal Editor Gerry Strang, esq.
tion. We can all do our part. Maintain respectful distances from each other. Practice good hygiene. Wear a mask when you need to. We are making great progress and we can continue to do this together.”
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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 integrity
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Est. 2020 igne conflatum “Forged in Fire”
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From time to time the editorial board may select letters to the editor of a particular compelling community interest where a public figure or accountable public action is the recipient of criticism and allow, in the same issue, the subject of the criticism chance for rebuttal, with expounded independent input. The format shall be point, counterpoint and expert analysis. This community discussion shall serve as a moderated dialogue that presents multiple views of important community topics.
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Community
WednesdaY, Jan. 27, 2021
COVID-19 vaccines offered at Spring Green Clinic for phase 1A,1B Continued from page 1
“It [a clinic] makes it much easier to know that we’re going to schedule the groups that we can and how much vaccines to deliver.” Attendees are required to attest to
what group they qualify for, meaning they will be asked a series of questions to determine eligibility when making an appointment. This includes being asked how they qualify for phase 1A and 1B, and the clinic verifying the individual’s date of
birth. To set up an appointment, visit www. richlandhospital.com/covid19/
Vaccines around the Valley
Late last week, Sauk County Public Health launched a COVID-19 vaccine
locator map, for residents to find a location to receive a vaccine at different locations throughout the county. The locator can be found at www. saukpublichealth.maps.arcgis.com/apps/ webappviewer/index.
Plain plans much overdue structural, water work for Nachreiner Avenue Continued from page 1 need to be considered for this.’ They’re going to cover our entire cost for our portion, Nachreiner Avenue is covered 100%.” Sauk County considered other projects in Lake Delton, Wisconsin Dells and Baraboo, however they did not meet the qualifications for the income limit or had already started. “The clerk up in Plain was tickled pink about the opportunity, they are super happy about this and timing was of the essence, so good job on everyone’s part,” said Supervisor Smooth Detter of Prairie du Sac. The county board voted to allocate the funds to Plain unanimously, with 28 supervisors present and three absent. Carver said the village will be sending contracting bids out in February, and the project is expected to be completed sometime this summer.
Photos by Emilie Conlon, Editor-in-Chief Plain will receive approximately $190,000 in CDBG funds from Sauk County for structural updates to Nachreiner Avenue.
COVID-19 Testing Information Iowa County
Sauk County Mondays from 11am to 1pm at Spring Green Fire/EMS 2 Step Online Registration & Appointment REQUIRED: www.springgreenems.com Tuesdays from 8am to 12pm at Reedsburg Ambulance Service Online Registration REQUIRED: www.register.covidconnect.wi.gov
Testing will continue in 2021 on Thursdays, alternating between Iowa and Lafayette Counties, from 11am-1pm, weather dependent. Call the Iowa County Health Department at (608) 930-9870 for this week’s testing location.
*Note: Even if you have previously registered via covidconnect site, you must re-register each time you are tested.*
Wednesdays from 4:30pm to 8pm at Merrimac Fire & Rescue Appointments REQUIRED: Call (608) 393-3205 2 Step Online Registration & Appointment REQUIRED: 1. Complete questionnaire at www.register.covidconnect.wi.gov 2. Call (608) 643-7603 to schedule appointment. Call MondayFriday 8am-4pm *Note: Even if you have previously registered via covidconnect site, you must re-register each time you are tested. Enter the car line from Water St to Lincoln Ave, then follow the yellow directional signs to check in station located at 55 Prairie Ave. Vehicles with more than one person in them are welcome but each person MUST have pre-registered and have scheduled an appointment.*
Fridays from 8am to 12pm at Circus World Parking Lot (testing conducted by Baraboo Fire & EMS Online Registration only. Unable to accept phone calls 2 Step Online Registration & Appointment REQUIRED: www. forms.gle/uXHPPe86hiosRHbN8
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Richland County
Tests will be available on a FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVE basis. The Richland Hospital continues to offer COVID-19 drive-thru testing from 11am to 4pm Monday-Friday for hospital & clinic patients displaying COVID-19 symptoms or to those that have a confirmed exposure.
January 28th from 9am to 3pm at Richland County Fairgrounds February 1st from 9am to 11am at Richland County Fairgrounds February 4th from 10am to 2pm at Richland County Fairgrounds February 8th from 9am to 11am at Richland County Fairgrounds February 11th from 10am to 2pm at Richland County Fairgrounds February 15th from 9am to 11am at Richland County Fairgrounds February 18th from 10am to 2pm at Richland County Fairgrounds February 22nd from 9am to 11am at Richland County Fairgrounds February 25th from 10am to 2pm at Richland County Fairgrounds March 1st from 9am to 11am at Richland County Fairgrounds March 4th from 10am to 2pm at Richland County Fairgrounds
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Community
WednesdaY, Jan. 27, 2021
Sauk County hires new health officer, looks to hire other positions Emilie Conlon, Editor-in-Chief The Sauk County Board voted to hire a new public health officer at its meeting last week, after nearly four months with the leadership position in the department vacant. The county board unanimously approved the hiring of Treemanisha Stewart, a program manager for the state of New Jersey, with 28 supervisors present and three absent. Stewart will be filling the position left vacant by former public health officer Tim Lawther, who left the position in October. Administrative Coordinator Brent Miller expressed he and the hiring committee felt Stewart had a variety of experience and positive recommendations that made her right for the job. “One thing that I really like about her is her community involvement,” said Miller. “When we did her background checks with businesses, they were exceptional. Everyone elaborated on what a team player she is, how team members really like working with her and for her and how she gets things done.” Currently, Stewart serves as a manager for the state of New Jersey’s health and senior services department. Stewart holds a bachelor’s degree in health management from Howard University, a master’s degree in public health from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and was working towards completing a doctorate degree in public administration as of December. Miller said Stewart is also involved in her local school board and has experience in emergency management. Stewart was approved by state officials to serve as a public health officer in Wisconsin, and Supervisor Patricia Rego, of LaValle, announced Stewart was approved as a Level III health officer. “She has a very positive attitude, she likes moving forward and getting things done,” said Rego, who is also the chairman of the board of health. “I think she encourages her staff to have input into things and work as a team and i think that’s going to be a very positive thing for the health department.” According to the state department of
health, to be approved as a Level III health department, the department must be able to provide at least five basic public health services to the community, which can include communicable disease surveillance, prevention and control, generalized public health nursing program, health promotion, disease prevention and human health hazard prevention and control. The health department must also provide at least 14 programs or services that address at least seven different topics in the current state health plan. The department must also follow environmental health guidelines. According to Miller, Stewart is certified in handling environmental health. Stewart’s first day on the job will be Feb. 1, with a starting salary of just over $110,000. The committee responsible for hiring her included Miller, County Board Chairman Tim McCumber, two representatives from the county’s health board and Human Resources Director Kasey Hodges.
Open positions
Miller announced at the meeting that the county has also begun the recruitment process for a corporation counsel, a position that has remained vacant since May 2020, when the board voted to terminate the employment of its former attorney, Daniel Olson. The county is also searching for an assistant corporation counsel to fill a vacant position in the office, after former assistant Corporation Counsel James Witecha resigned in April. The county has been contracting corporation counsel services from Von Brisen and Roper since June, for a monthly rate of about $17,500. The hiring of Stewart as the public health officer and the upcoming filling of two positions in the corporation counsel office could mean the end of almost a year-long streak of turnover for the county. The county also lost its former administrative coordinator in March to a position at the state level and its human resources director last summer to an out-of-state position. Both positions were filled in 2020.
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In other news SGAAC Neighbors supporting neighbors The Spring Green Area Arts Coalition (SGAAC) will host a fundraiser at the Spring Green Culvers 4-8 p.m. Feb. 8. A portion of the sales from the evening will be donated to the SGAAC. FLOW Adventures Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway (FLOW) is asking young patrons to share photos or videos clips from their summer on the river, to be shared on social media and its website. Participants will receive a Youth Riverway Champion award and FLOW T-shirt. Youths up to 18 years old can participate. Entrants first names only can be used if parents or guardians choose. Email wisconsinriverfriends@gmail.com to submit.
Warblers in Wisconsin in January? Ryan Brady, DNR Natural Heritage Conservation Program Biologist
January Birding Report The year’s biggest birding news so far is mild, dry weather allowing some species to linger much longer or in higher numbers than usual. Examples include horned larks, American pipits, eastern and western meadowlarks, redwinged and rusty blackbirds, brown thrashers, eastern towhees, hermit thrushes, northern flickers, winter wrens, gray catbirds, and especially sparrows, including song, savannah, swamp, white-throated, white-crowned, and even Lincoln’s and Harris’s sparrows. Warblers in Wisconsin in January? Yes! Yellow-rumped, pine, and Cape May warblers are a few of those reported this week. Other remarkable finds for this time of year include a barn swallow in Dane, indigo bunting in Shawano, Baltimore oriole in Marathon, and rose-breasted grosbeak in Ashland. Carolina wrens are showing well at feeders in the southern half of the state, as they typically do in mild winters, and American robins are overwintering in many areas where fruits and/or wet seepages are available. Waterfowl are also benefitting from ore-than-average open water, including large numbers of Canada geese, some tundra swans in the south, trumpeter swans statewide, and various waterfowl. Common goldeneyes, red-breasted mergansers, and mallards dominate but wood ducks are more prevalent than usual and just about any species could be found. Winter finches are widespread in generally small numbers. Evening and pine grosbeaks are most common up north,
while redpolls, siskins, white-winged crossbills, purple finches, and American goldfinches are being found statewide. Beware of salmonella at backyard feeders, which most often affects small finches and typically shows in lethargic, “fluffed up” birds not moving with their flock. At least 8 great gray owls have been documented in Wisconsin since November, our highest state total of this boreal species since the mid-2000s. Barred owls are being seen more in daylight, which is often the case as winter progresses, and great horned owl hooting activity is near peak as pairs get ready to nest in the month ahead, especially in the south. Snowy owls are around in small numbers. Also benefiting from the mild conditions, bald eagles are more widespread across the landscape. Don’t miss this year’s Bald Eagle Watching Days, which kicks off on January 16 . Programming this year is entirely virtual and runs for four Saturdays in January and February, including both pre-recorded and live-streamed events. Some of the other rarities spotted this month include a great showing of spotted towhees in multiple southeast Wisconsin counties, as well as Door and Price. A Sprague’s pipit in Ozaukee on January 1 was Wisconsin’s first ever of this rare western species. Varied thrushes were reported from Waukesha and Marathon. A harlequin duck in Ozaukee and Eurasian tree sparrows in Dane and Green were also of note. Report your finds of rare and common birds alike at www.ebird.org/wi. Good birding!
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James Harwood, Owner E4792 Kennedy Rd. jandjtotallawncare2004@gmail.com
Serving the River Valley Area Since 2004
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Outdoors/recreation
WednesdaY, Jan. 27, 2021
An Outdoorsman’s Journal
Mark Walters, Contributor
Beaver Trapping with Musky Joe Hello friends, I have been running around with and writing about Joe Flater, “Musky Joe” for about 20-years now. Joe Flater is the owner of Flater’s Resort which is a family-owned resort and tavern that has been around for about 80 years and is located where the Chippewa and Flambeau rivers meet. Joe is an all-around “go for it” outdoorsman that guides on the Flambeau and Chippewa rivers for musky and does it by rowing down these rivers while his clients cast. In
reality what Joe Flater is, an all-around old school, blue collar outdoorsman. His outdoor activities all have to do with the season of the year and this week I spent a couple of days setting and checking beaver traps with Joe on some remote Rusk County public land.
Monday, January 18th
High 26, Low 17 The fur market has been decimated the last five years by low or nonexistent fur prices. My guess is that at least 50-percent of the people that were trapping five years ago are not laying steel anymore. Joe Flater has come up with a simple solution that is not going to get him rich but at least his
pelts are being sold and a small profit is being made. In his tavern he is selling hats and gloves from muskrat, beaver and other animals, and this process requires a tanner and a hat maker. Today there would be five of us on a beautiful day in the northwoods, Angie Mincoff is Joe’s girlfriend and these two are a very active team in the outdoor world. Also, Scott and Tina Litkowski who are both in the airline industry and great friends of Joe’s as they have a permanent campsite at Flater’s Resort. Today we would travel into three remote and small bodies of water where beaver are spending the winter under the ice and in their lodges. All three ponds had water that was at least four feet deep around the houses and this can make it very tough predicting where to put the 330 bodygrip trap. In my opinion the beaver is one of the most interesting animals in North America. They purposely build dams with mud, sticks, and logs to hold back water so that they have more habitat. They build their homes with the same and spend their non-swimming, logging, dam building hours in a cavern in their lodge with visitors such as otter and muskrat. Most trappers use the bodygrip trap, which has springs that you open, the beaver swims through, trips a trigger and is killed, somewhat like a rat trap. On that note, I have never heard of a person setting the 330 by hand. Everyone that I know, including myself, uses a tool that is still a challenge but doable. Joe Flater uses his hands which requires so much strength it is almost impossible to comprehend. The five of us spent a great day chopping holes looking for runs where the beaver swim and laughing a lot. When day became night, we had 12 sets made and then had a heck of a good time at Flater’s tavern.
Tuesday, January 19th
High 16, Low 10 It’s a good thing it has cooled off, this warm winter can make for some touchy situations on the ice. Crazy as it seems, the snowmobile trails are still closed in Rusk County on this date due to a lack of snow. Where beaver swim and feed under the ice, the ice can be very thin and that was a constant situation over this two day period, as near the lodges the ice was only about
Photos by Mark Walters, Contributor Top: Scott and Tina Litkowski, Angie Mincoff, and Joe Flater on the shores of the Flambeau River, with a couple of beaver that will become hats.
Bottom: Our first trap held a beaver!
Photo by Mark Walters, Contributor Joe Flater making a beaver set.
a half inch thick and if you were not thinking you would be very cold. On our first set Musky Joe pulled up a beautiful 35-pound beaver that will make a very warm hat for someone and then we had another at our 3rd set. Again, I cannot stress how kind of crazy this is because of deep water and thin ice and very lethal traps. Six years ago, I was setting a 330 a one mile hike from my truck and I had the misfortune of the trap going off on my left hand. That incident and a wood splitter the year before has made this lefty rather uncoordinated in that area. We ended our adventure with three beaver, and as always, a ton of laughs. Everyone in Flaterville knows that the tavern is not a tavern, it’s a home for happy people and everyone that knows Musky Joe is well aware that they broke the mold after his parents saw what they gave birth to. Stay active, it works! —Sunset
Want to read more?
Check out previous weeks’ columns at www.outdoorsmansjournal.com
Wisconsin Snow Report Iowa County
Status: Open Condition: Fair Base: 3-8 inches | Groomed Last Updated: 1/26/2021 Trail Hotline: 608-987-2416
Sauk County
Grant County
Status: Partially Open Snowmobile trails opened at Trail Hotline: 608-985-4766 or Text “GROOMER” to 313131 for Condition: Fair-Partially Open 6pm, Jan 26. trail updates. Base: 8-12 inches | Not Groomed Visit www.rcsawi.com for Visit saukcountysnowmobiling. Last Updated: 1/26/2021 updates. org for updates.
Devil's Lake State Park
Condition: Good Base: 5-8 inches | Not Groomed Last Updated: 1/26/2021
Devil’s Head Resort
Richland County
Condition: Excellent Base: 12-30 inches | Open Runs: 21 Last Updated: 1/8/2021
Governor Nelson State Park Condition: Fair Base: 1-3 inches | Groomed Last Updated: 1/25/2021
Cascade Mountain
Condition: Excellent Base: 18-36 inches | Open Runs: 47 Last Updated: 1/26/2021
Lafayette County
Status: Open Condition: Fair Base: 6-8 inches | Not Groomed Last Updated: 1/26/2021
Mirror Lake State Park Condition: Fair Base: 1-3 inches | Groomed Last Updated: 1/25/2021
Tyrol Basin
Condition: Excellent Base: 15-20 inches | Open Runs: 18 Last Updated: 1/26/2021 This information was aggregated by Travel Wisconsin.
Community
WednesdaY, Jan. 27, 2020
Page 7
COVID-19 Dashboard 535,218 Positive Cases 2,481,735 Negative Cases
Wisconsin Summary Cases as of 1/26/2021
+10,816 from 1/19
+36,336 from 1/19
5,735 Deaths +241 from 1/19
Vaccine Summary Statistics Updated: 1/26/2021
846,300
In Transit
641,150
362,505
Ordered
Richland County
1,209 Positive Cases +22 from 1/19 8,058 Negative Cases +37 from 1/19 13 Deaths +0 from 1/19
Iowa County
1,779 Positive Cases +17 from 1/19 10,198 Negative Cases +151 from 1/19 9 Deaths +1 from 1/19
Sauk County
Updated: 1/26/2021 (Total: 69,077)
The Pfizer vaccine series consists of two doses recommended to be administered 21 days apart and the Moderna series consists of two doses recommended to be administered 28 days apart. Completing the COVID-19 vaccine series is important because it provides the best protection against the virus.
551
Cases per zip code Cases as of 1/26/2021
Total cases since 3/15/2020
Cases as of 1/26/2021
Please note, case numbers reflect the River Valley School District as a geographical area, not as an entity. Graphic by Whitney Back
Administered
Cumulative total Wisconsin residents who have completed the COVID-19 vaccination series
5,007 Positive Cases +121 from 1/19 33,171 Negative Cases +368 from 1/19 35 Deaths +1 from 1/19
River Valley School District
167,850
Allocated
Data From: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/index.htm
“The good stuff.”
Page 8
Community/Sports
WednesdaY, Jan. 27, 2021
Bernie around the Valley: Local businesses join internet fun
Photos via American Players Theater Instagram Following the presidential inauguration of Joseph R. Biden, a photo of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders attending the event wearing mittens made by a teacher in Vermont became the subject of internet memes and began circulating different social media platforms. Many of the memes feature the photo of Sanders comically manipulated into different situations or historic photos. Businesses and organizations in the River Valley area joined in the social media fun, featuring Sanders in some photos of their own. Top left: Sen. Bernie Sanders appears center stage of American Players Theater’s outdoor amphitheater, posted on APT’s Instagram page. Top right: Sanders is incorporated into a play from American Players Theater. Left: Sanders enjoys a meal in a vintage photo of the Spring Green Restaurant, now called the Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor’s Center, that was shared by Taliesin on Instagram. Bottom Left: Sanders visits the outdoor seating in front of Arcadia Books in Spring Green, shared on social media by Arcadia. Bottom Right: The Spring Green General Store shows off its socially distanced, outdoor dining options with Sanders joining in for a visit.
Photo via Taliesin Instagram
Photo via Arcadia Books Instagram
Photo via Spring Green General Store Instagram
Activities this week Mock Trial Virtual Competition 4 p.m. Jan. 27
Varsity Boys Basketball River Valley High School New Gym 7:30 p.m. Jan. 28
Freshmen Boys Basketball River Valley High School Old Gym 6 p.m. Jan. 28
JV Girls Basketball Platteville High School 6 p.m. Jan. 29
JV Boys Basketball River Valley High School New Gym 6 p.m. Jan. 28
Varsity Girls Basketball Platteville High School 6 p.m. Jan. 29
Wrestling Richland Center High School 10:30 a.m. Jan. 30 WIAA Regional JV Girls Basketball River Valley High School 5 p.m. Jan. 30 Varsity Girls Basketball River Valley High School 6:30 p.m. Jan. 30