Valley Sentinel - 05-05-2021

Inside this edition

RV-opoly kicks off in support of small, local businesses

RV Trap Team pushing for championship win

Dig into gardening with the Sauk County Gardener

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Spring Green, Wisconsin

Wednesday, May 5, 2021 Vol. 2, No. 18 Free, Single-Copy

Summer weather teases the Valley, draws people (and pets) out of hiding P.1 COVID-19 variant reported in Iowa, Richland Counties Nicole Aimone, Editor-in-Chief Last week, both Iowa and Richland counties reported cases of the P.1 COVID-19 variant, and officials are stressing COVID safety to avoid the further spread of this or other variants.

The P.1 variant, also called the Brazilian variant, was first discovered in Brazilian travelers earlier this year, and is classified as a “variant of concern” by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

The CDC defines a variant of concerns as “a variant for which there is evidence of an increase in transmissibility, more severe disease (e.g., increased hospitalizations or deaths), significant reduction in neutralization by antibodies generated during previous infection or vaccination, reduced effectiveness of treatments or vaccines, or diagnostic detection failures” Officials in Richland County are urging residents to stay vigilant with COVID-19 safety measures, according to a press release from the department.

“With the identification of the P.1 variant in our community, it is very important that everyone continue to follow preventive measures. Wear a mask in public places, socially distance, wash your hands, avoid large gatherings—particularly if they are held indoors, and get the vaccine if you are eligible.”

Photo by Taylor Scott, Managing Editor Photo by Nicole Aimone, Editor-in-Chief

Top: People get out on the sandy shores of Pecks Landing, with a view of the Frank Lloyd Wright Visitors Center, to enjoy the brief heatwave May 2.

Left: Joyce, a border collie, bounds into the Wisconsin River to catch her ball at Pecks Landing on Sunday.

See page 5

See page 7

Sheriff reminds drivers, cyclists of road safety after two fatal accidents over weekend Nicole Aimone, Editor-in-Chief

Following two separate fatal motorcycle crashes over the weekend, the Sauk County Sheriff’s office looks to remind the area drivers to be safe as the weather warms to motorcycle riding temperatures.

On May 2, two separate, unrelated motorcycle crashes occurred outside of Spring Green. Both accidents were fatal, with each single driver found deceased with the arrival of first responders.

The first crash occurred just after noon Sunday on County Road B, near the intersection of Guhl Road in the town of Troy.

According to a press release from the Sauk County Sheriff’s office, the driver drove off the road, crashing to a nearby

field where they were ejected from the bike.

Plain Fire, Plain EMS and Sauk City Fire assisted the sheriff at the scene.

Just after 1 p.m. Sunday, a second, unrelated motorcycle crash occurred in the town of Troy at the intersection of Highway 60 and County Road C. The cyclist drove off the road, crashed into a wooded area nearby, and was ejected from the bike.

Spring Green Fire and EMS assisted at the scene.

Both victims were male and their names have not been released by authorities while they notify the families and investigate both incidents.

Sauk County Sheriff Deputy Jeff Spencer, warned of the warming weather,

saying drivers will start seeing more motorcycles out on the roads.

“As motorists, we aren’t used to seeing motorcycles on the road, we’re used to looking for bigger vehicles, so we need to be mindful that the weather’s changing, we’re going to be seeing motorcycles and bicycles and ATV/UTV’s out on the roadways and we need be aware of that,” said Spencer.

Spencer also recommended that motorcycle riders should start the warm season with caution, as weather conditions have not been favorable for riding recently, so cyclists are not adjusted to speed and road conditions, leaving them vulnerable to speeding or missed curves. Both of these were factors in these crashes, said Spencer.

“They should keep their speed down, they should be aware of the corners,” said Spencer. “This time of year, the road conditions just aren’t ready yet.”

While Wisconsin doesn’t have a specific law regarding wearing a helmet while operating a motorcycle, Spencer and the Sauk County Sheriff’s office recommends that all riders wear one.

Both cyclists killed in Sunday’s crashes were riding towards Leland as part of the Slimey Crud Run, a motorcycle event where cyclists from Wisconsin and nearby states ride from Pine Bluff in Cross Plains to Leland and back. The event is a bi-annual ride, with one in May and one in October.

Spencer said neither cyclists were local residents, but visiting for the ride.

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opinion/editorial

WednesdaY, May 5, 2021

EDITORIAL

Shutdown for two weeks now—or forfeit the school year Occasionally, when perhaps a devil’s advocate is needed or more circumstances should be considered, we find ourselves at odds with our readers in our very unscientific weekly (okay, okay, it’s semi-regular at best) social media poll. This is one of those occasions.

The River Valley School District announced earlier this week that there were confirmed, positive cases of COVID-19 in both the middle school and high school— following a handful of positive cases in the elementary schools.

For the first week in some time, every village in the school district is reporting at least one positive case. Sauk County has continued to be an outlier, with a nearly 71% positive test rate as the number of overall tests goes down, and 61 positive cases this past week compared to Iowa County’s 12 and Richland County’s 4.

Spring Green alone represents nearly 11.5% of the county’s cases this week, at 7 cases.

Many are getting vaccinated, and many more need to do so. Unfortunately, many students are ineligible for the vaccine as of right now. That will change in the coming weeks. What doesn’t change is the fact that we know these variants are more transmissible, we know these variants are more likely to infect children — and with these variants now being identified in our counties, why take the risk?

This brings the district to a divisive crossroads, to shut everything down, move to virtual instruction and quarantine every student and staff member for 14 days (we

In Valley Sentinel’s poll on social media, 70% of readers did not agree the River Valley School District should shut down for two weeks to stop the further spread of COVID-19, with 30% agreeing. understand 10 day, with athletics and activities continuing is most likely) or quarantine just the positive individuals and their close contacts, but allow non-exposed students and staff for in-person instruction, as well as athletics and activities, to continue in person and co-curriculars continue. Currently the district has taken the latter route.

We’re here this week to play devil’s advocate on that: shut down the district for two weeks, move to virtual instruction, or you’ll end up forfeiting the rest of the school year to the virus.

This seems to be the first outbreak the

district has grappled with in a while, and if the district decides to continue in-person instruction, it likely won’t be the last outbreak before the school year ends. Forcing students and staff to endure that whiplash — the back and forth of in-person learning, outbreak, right back to virtual instruction, and maybe back again.

It’s no doubt that with a back and forth like that, not only will students’ education suffer but their ability to relish and enjoy the endof-the-school year activities and excitement will suffer as well. This, compared to the consistency of shutting down for two weeks

to control (or at least mitigate) further spread of the virus, gives students a fighting chance to end their less-than-normal school year on a high note, less tinged with inconsistency and chaos.

Two weeks virtual instruction now, with perhaps athletics and activities continuing, gives students a chance to finish out their seasons, it gives seniors the chance of a graduation. Better to “take away” two weeks than to take away graduation. Otherwise we risk graduation cancellation at best, or a graduation super spreader event at worst.

We’ve seen various comments from people who say a shut down shouldn’t happen because the students deserve to have something, anything during the last few weeks of a school year that was filled with constant unknowns, challenges and disappointments. And yes, absolutely yes. We feel so, so, so much for these students who haven’t gotten to have a fun, normal school experience, their lives and memories will forever be marked by this pandemic.

There is a certain trauma that comes along with this past year, and it’s devastating that students so young now have to battle that. That’s why these two weeks are so vital—while everything still shuts down, stopping these outbreaks would allow them to finish strong with the remainder of their sports seasons, with their graduation or whatever it is they are looking forward to at the end of the year — it would give them that normalcy we’re all clutching to.

Two weeks now or you forfeit the rest of the school year. We hope we’re wrong.

More Officials, Better Fan Behavior Needed in High School Sports Karissa Niehoff and Dave Anderson, Executive Director of the National Federation of State High School and Executive Director of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association After months of working with state government, education and health leaders, schools in all 50 states have been given the go-ahead to resume high school sports at some level of competition. Schools in the District of Columbia were the last to receive the green light on April 1. This is great news and signals that a return to normalcy may be on the horizon by the time schools begin sports and activities this fall.

Unfortunately, there is an ever-increasing issue that could put a kink in the return-to-play plans in Wisconsin and across the country – a shortage of officials, as in referees and umpires, that borders on catastrophic in some sports and in some parts of the nation.

The shortage of officials in high school – and middle school – sports has been a growing concern for several years; however, the COVID-19 pandemic has moved the issue to heightened levels.

In some cases, schools that have waited months and months to “play ball” have had to cancel games or reschedule games. There are so many contests occurring, with some states currently playing football and other sports they were unable to offer last fall, coupled with regular spring sports now underway, there simply

Karissa Niehoff

Dave Anderson

are not enough people to officiate all scheduled games.

According to the National Association of Sports Officials (NASO), registration of officials across the country is down about 30 percent this year. In Oregon, the number of football referees has dropped 34 percent compared to last year, and volleyball is down 45 percent. In a football officials association in California, nearly two-thirds of its members opted out of officiating this year.

Tennessee and Georgia have reported declines in baseball umpires. In one county in Georgia, one middle school had to cancel its baseball season due to a lack of umpires.

In some cases, the number of available officials has declined due to health-related reasons – people opting out this year because of the pandemic.

As vaccinations increase and the optics improve, many of these individuals hopefully will return.

For other officials, however, the pandemic was a secondary concern compared to the verbal abuse they receive from fans – mostly parents. It is particularly hard for rookie officials to overcome the verbal shots they hear from parents. In an article in the Salt Lake City Desert News, Jeff Cluff, assistant director in charge of officials for the UHSAA, had the following to say about unruly fans in his state: “Parents are out of control . . . Because of the club and super-league culture, they think these games mean everything; we don’t look at it that way in high school. Kids are learning, the officials are learning, the coaches are learning. We have lots of people who are interested in officiating. If we could keep these officials, we’d be

fine.”

Schools in Wisconsin need two things: 1) more individuals to consider officiating high school sports and 2) an improvement in fan behavior so that officials don’t have to deal with verbal abuse and can feel good about continuing to officiate. Despite the fun and rewards that come with officiating high school sports, no one wants to continue if they are continually berated by fans.

The NFHS has been actively recruiting officials for four years through its #BecomeAnOfficial campaign. More than 50,000 individuals have expressed interest in officiating during this time. However, more individuals are desperately needed to keep the games going for the millions of students in middle school and high school sports. Anyone can sign up today to become a WIAA-licensed official at www.wiaawi.org/Officials/ Become-an-Official.

More importantly, let’s do all we can to keep the men and women who are currently giving of their time to officiate middle school and high school sports. The next time you think about yelling at the referee during a high school contest, DON’T! There is hope on the horizon that the pandemic will not keep kids off the playing fields and courts much longer.

Let’s make sure boorish behavior doesn’t keep officials off the same fields and courts.

Community

WednesdaY, May 5, 2021

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Guest Column: Driftless Grace—Familiar rhythms return to the Valley

Grace Vosen, Contributer

It feels like I just made the switch to a 2021 calendar, and suddenly I’m turning the page from April to May. For me, the April that just ended couldn’t have been more different than last year’s. I had much more of a social life and went to many more events (it’s not hard to be more than zero). Although we’re not out of the woods, it was the closest yet to anything resembling normal around here. The lessening of worries is almost tangible.

As the season turns, we in the Driftless are sharing in the rhythms of spring. Growing up here in the Midwest, I learned the old adage that corn should be planted when the oak leaves are the size of a squirrel’s ear.

I haven’t looked at enough squirrel ears to say if that still holds true. But I do know that the pasqueflowers are almost done blooming. Violets have taken over Spring Green Preserve,

and some (not all) of the flowers I optimistically planted in April are making an appearance.

The sun has also been making itself scarce, as is common this time of year. April showers and all that.

I don’t know a single person who didn’t go through a rough patch last month, and I believe the two phenomena are related. It helps to know that we’re all on this journey to summer together.

The last time all of this was going on, I was just getting used to the new reality of a global pandemic. I remember putting on my first mask about a year ago and staring in the mirror at my half-visible face. Now, COVID precautions are second nature to me. Masks are a part of my everyday life — and my overloaded coat rack.

Speaking of rhythms, I’ve been thinking back to that other April and realizing there was a strange stability to it all. Although no one knew

how long the lockdowns would last, we basically knew what to do and not do. Our collective task was just to knuckle down and get through it.

For those of us not employed as essential workers (or at all), the special circumstances gave some relief from guilt about not getting enough done.

Now that things are closer (not quite close) to the way they were, the old timetables have asserted themselves again. And yet, not one person on Earth knows what’s going to happen next. That comforting dullness is gone.

Neither do I have the answers. But I vow to enjoy the things I’ve missed twice as much (and twice as safely) as I did before I missed them.

Grace Vosen

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.

Arena pop-up vaccine clinic Vaccine pop-up The Iowa County Health Department is hosting a vaccine pop-up at the Arena Fire Station May 6, 4:30-6 p.m.

Both the first dose of the Moderna vaccine and the single dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine will be available at the clinic.

The clinic is a walk in site, with no appointments necessary.

Signs will be placed on Highway 14 to direct attendees on where to go for the clinic.

For more information or other questions, contact Iowa County Health Department at, (608) 930-9870

Contact us

PO Box 144 Spring Green, Wisconsin 53588 USA (608) 588-6694 editor@valleysentinelnews.com valleysentinelnews.com Editorial Editor-in-Chief Nicole Aimone Managing Editor Taylor Scott Legal Editor Gary Ernest Grass, esq.

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Valley Sentinel is published in Spring Green, Wisconsin every Wednesday by Lower Wisconsin River Valley Sentinel, LLC. ISSN 2694-541X (print) — ISSN 2694-5401 (online) Anna Stocks-Hess Graphic Design/Infographics Whitney Back Editorial Adeline Holte Graphic Design/Editorial Nicole Hansen Editorial Matthew L. Beyer

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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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and impartiality of our reporting.

Est. 2020 igne conflatum “Forged in Fire”

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Community

WednesdaY, May 5, 2021

Local businesses weigh in on COVID-19 effects on small businesses, prepare for RV-Opoly The Spring Green Area Chamber of Commerce’s RV-Opoly started May 1, giving area resident who shop at participating stores the chance to win cash prizes.

Valley Sentinel reached out to the businesses involved to ask about their involvement and what RV-Opoly means for area small businesses. Below are their responses.

Slowpoke Lounge and Cabaret

Dennis Alfred Phillips Art to Wear

Valley Sentinel: Are you excited to be a part of RV-Opoly? What does it mean for your business?

Dennis Phillips: I participate in RV-Opoly as an opportunity to reach the local community. It’s another way to introduce my business to some who may be unaware of it..

VS: How has COVID affected your business? Is it still affecting your business or are things nearly back to normal?

DP: Yes. My business was down 40% last year because of COVID 19.

The loss of tourists and general foot traffic in Spring Green was the main factor. My situation is not back to normal but I am hopeful. Slowly, week by week visitors have been increasing. But this is normally a slower time of year. Come June I’ll start to see if “normal” is returning.

VS: Do you have any other ideas for working collaboratively between businesses to help one another and build community during this tough time?

DP: From the start of the changes last year, I’ve tried to share other businesses social media posts. In the past many of us in downtown Spring Green have regularly work together from with in the Retail Committee of the Spring Green Area Chamber of Commerce. I’d like to mention, thank and give credit to Mary D’Alton of Convivio. Mary has started going to other businesses taking photos of their products/merchandise and is posting them on Instagram and Facebook.

VS: How do you anticipate this summer season being different than last year?

DP: We will be open with shoppers in town. Having APT open along with Taliesin and House on the Rock will bring more people back to Spring Green.

VS: What can the community do to support local small businesses like yours?

DP: Come in to our businesses and see what we offer. Make some time to walk around and visit a business.

You will find something you’ve wanted or needed and not known it was right here in Spring Green.

Spring Branch Pottery

Below is a statement from Paula Barta, owner of Spring Branch Pottery regarding her participation in RV-opoly and how COVID-19 has effected her business.

Paula Barta: I own Spring Branch Pottery, located at 504 W Leeson St., on the outskirts of Spring Green. As my location is outside the business area, visitors to town don’t normally stroll past my studio, as they do with other businesses downtown. Also, being relatively new to the area, many local folks are unaware of my presence. So it is important for me to participate in promotions like RV-opoly to acquaint everyone with who I am, where I am located and what I have to offer.

Because of Covid, there was no art fair last summer and there will be no art fair this summer. This has affected my sales dramatically. In addition, foot traffic dropped way down. I look forward to being a stop on the RV-opoly board and hopefully increasing my visibility and sales.

My hope is that this summer brings more people to my studio!

Valley Sentinel: Are you excited to be a part of RV-Opoly? What does it mean for your business?

Michael Broh: We’re always happy to support Chamber events.

They do a nice job bringing attention to local businesses, and often help to introduce us to new customers. We look forward to making new friends as they explore the village and fill out their boards.

VS: How has COVID affected your business? Is it still affecting your business or are things nearly back to normal?

MB: COVID has been hard on us. A big part of our business is gathering people together for live music and theater. The combination of limited capacity and reduced tourist traffic last summer have made for a difficult year. Thankfully, many of our regular customers are now vaccinated, and we are hopeful of once again hosting live events by early August.

VS: Do you have any other ideas for working collaboratively between businesses to help one another and build community during this tough time?

MB: We’re always interested in supporting working with our neighbor businesses, and always work to let our patrons know about what else there is to find in Spring Green. The more we can show each other off, and share information about each other, the more folks from other communities will want to come back.

VS: How do you anticipate this summer season being different than last year?

MB: Last summer, there was very little tourist traffic in Spring Green, and we had a combination of official and self-imposed restrictions to reduce the spread of COVID. This

summer, as we grow into limited size events at APT and elsewhere, we hope to see a moderate improvement in visitors. With luck, perhaps we can feel somewhere close to our old normal by late summer.

VS: What can the community do to support local small businesses like yours?

MB: An ability to gather crowds will do more for our business than anything else. We encourage everyone in our community to get vaccinated, and do everything they can to eliminate the spread of COVID. The sooner we do that, the sooner we can all get back to normal.

Arcadia Books

Valley Sentinel: Are you excited to be a part of RV-Opoly? What does it mean for your business?

Nancy Baenan: We are always excited to be a part of the creative events that Julie and the Chamber come up with. Our customers love the fun and novelty of RV-Opoly and appreciate the chance to win prizes in reward for shopping local.

VS: How has COVID affected your business? Is it still affecting your business or are things nearly back to normal?

NB: Because we had a great webstore prior to Covid, we’ve been able to fill orders, even when our physical store was closed. We are incredibly grateful to our loyal customers who never stopped buying books.

VS: Do you have any other ideas for working collaboratively between businesses to help one another and build community during this tough time?

NB: The more businesses we have in town, the more likely that visitors will make the trip.

VS: How do you anticipate this summer season being different than last year?

NB: We have much optimism for the summer and are so happy that APT is able to have a modified season.

VS: What can the community do to support local small businesses like yours?

NB: Think of us first when you need a gift or dinner. There are so many lovely, unique shops here, you’re bound to find the perfect thing.

Community

WednesdaY, may 5, 2021

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Brief warm weather brings people out to the Wisconsin River for summer fun continued from page 1 Photo by Nicole Aimone, Editor-in-Chief

Arena boat landing visitors place their kayak into the Wisconsin River as temperatures briefly-reach mid-summer heights on Sunday.

Board sees biggest turnover in 20 years and first female village president, approves ice cream truck

Nicole Aimone, Editor-in-Chief

The Spring Green Village Board met for the first time with it’s two newly elected board members, marking not only the largest village board turnover in the last 20 years but also the first female village president.

“This is probably the largest turnover we’ve had in more than 20 years,” said newly elected Village President Robin Reid. “Thank you for being here, welcome.”

The first order of business at the April 28 meeting was to fill a seat left vacant following former Trustee Joel Marcus’ retirement.

The board unanimously voted to fill the seat with Deb Miller, the candidate who received the second highest votes in the recent April 6 election. Miller will fill the remainder of Marcus’ term, which is up in April 2022.

The board also voted unanimously to allow the Vesperman Family Ice Cream truck a permit, a matter the board tabled at its last meeting, due to questions about the trucks location when visiting and having enough space to accommodate line, and the owner, Kyle Vesperman, a fifth generation farmer

in Lancaster, not being in attendance previously.

Vesperman was present at Wednesday’s meeting, and shared some background and his plan for the trucks visits to Spring Green.

“We go from community to community bringing people happiness and serving ice cream,” said Vesperman.

“Our intentions are once every two weeks, maybe three times a month, we come to the community, set up for three or four hours and serve some of our homemade, small batch ice cream that we make on the farm. That’s really just it.”

The Vesperman truck was scheduled to set up in Spring Green on April 18, the Sunday after the board tabled approving the permit until the next meeting. Vesperman said he planned to set up near the intersection of N Lexington Street and Daley Street, near North Park.

The truck was scheduled to be in the area the Sunday following the board chose to table approve its permit.

“Honestly, I looked at google maps and said ‘well here’s a park, here’s a pool there’s the main street downtown

kind of thing,’ that’s honestly how we decided on our location,” said Vesperman. “If that’s a problem or something we need to look at, I have no problem moving to another location. We’re fine with whatever, we don’t want to cause any problem or rustle any feathers, we just love coming to Spring Green, we really enjoy it.”

Newly elected Trustee Dave Saperstein suggested the truck park in front of the Post House Garden, where the Jose’s Authentic Mexican Food truck has been setting up in recent visits to the area, because it provides ample space for lines and groups of people, and would interfere with the pool concession stand selling ice cream at North Park in the summer season.

“Everybody loves ice cream, it’s not like the practice of law, everybody wants ice cream,” said Saperstein. “I think you’re going to have a hard time finding anyone who doesn’t want ice cream in the village.”

Vesperman clarified to the board that it wasn’t the trucks intention to interfere or overlap with any existing services or business in the village.

Trustee Michael Broh shared that

similar food trucks in the area, such as Butternut Road Coffee truck and Jose’s Authentic Mexican truck have successfully partnered with local businesses to serve the area.

“They’ve worked with the businesses, they’ve said ‘If I don’t encroach on your business, maybe we can work something out that will work for both of us,” said Broh. “I think this has worked out pretty well. I like the idea of working with area businesses.”

Other actions and discussions the board took include:

—Deciding to continue meeting via zoom through May. —Approved a Class “A” liquor license to Kyle Adams with Wander Provisions LLC. —Approved new committee appointments following the April 6 election.

—Approved a deed restriction for a piece of village land near the Usonian Inn off Highway 14, stating the village will not place a water tower on the land.

—Discussed but took no action on the installation of solar powered speed signs on Highway 23.

The next meeting of the board will be Wednesday May 12.

Local. Natural.

Delicious.

We strive to serve specialty coffee and baked goods created with ingredients that are locally sourced, all natural and sustainable.

Our schedule is posted each week on social media.

Get in touch with us today! www.butternutroadcoffee.com butternutroadcoffeetruck@gmail.com 608-459-5016 Butternut Road Coffee Truck butternutroad_coffeetruck Butternut_Road

Coffee & News A collaboration by Valley Sentinel & Butternut Road Coffee.

Stop by the coffee truck starting mid-week to pick up a copy of Valley Sentinel with your coffee, while supplies last.

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Community

WednesdaY, May 5, 2021

COVID-19 Dashboard Wisconsin Summary

600,297 Positive Cases

Cases as of 5/4/2021

+4,433 from 4/27

2,859,673 Negative Test Results +26,004 from 4/27

6,850 Deaths +77 from 4/27

Vaccine Summary Statistics Updated: 5/4/2021

4,248,455

4,497,245

Allocated

2,407,926

Administered

1,916,743

Pfizer doses administered

Moderna doses administered

172,382

Johnson & Johnson doses administered

Vaccine Data Updated: 5/4/2021

Richland County

1,303 Positive Cases +4 from 4/27 8,280 Negative Tests +28 from 4/27 15 Deaths +0 from 4/27

These two core measures are all measures of herd immunity in Richland, Sauk and Iowa County. We do not yet know what level of vaccination leads to herd immunity for COVID-19, or how current or future variants might affect herd immunity. We know based on other diseases that herd immunity is likely at least 60%, and if more transmissible variants become more common, that threshold may become higher, so our current target range is 60-90%.

-Madison Public Health and Dane County

Richland

Target Range

43.4%

Iowa County

2,016 Positive Cases +12 from 4/27 11,570 Negative Tests +55 from 4/27 10 Deaths +0 from 4/27

Sauk County

5,780 Positive Cases +61 from 4/27 35,592 Negative Tests +86 from 4/27 47 Deaths +0 from 4/27

44.2%

Percent with at least one vaccine dose

Percent with at least one vaccine dose

34.3%

36.4%

Percent fully vaccinated

Sauk

Percent fully vaccinated

Iowa

Target Range

50.4%

Percent with at least one vaccine dose

39.8%

Percent fully vaccinated

Cumulative total confirmed COVID-19 cases by date in Wisconsin Cases as of 5/4/2021

Graphic by Whitney Back

Cases per zip code Cases as of 5/4/2021

Data From: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/index.htm

Target Range

Community

WednesdaY, May 5, 2021

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At least one case of a variant of concern found in Richland, Iowa Counties continued from page 1 The Iowa County Health Department is urging similar methods to prevent the further spread of the virus and its variants in the county, while saying finding a new strain present in the area wasn’t surprising.

“Unfortunately, finding a variant strain in our county is not unexpected. However, it is a good reminder that we must continue to stay the course with prevention measures we know work, such as mask wearing, physical distancing, avoiding large gatherings and washing our hands.

We also need everyone who can get the vaccine to seek out vaccine and get vaccinated,” said Debbie Siegenthaler, Iowa County Health Department Director.

According to Wisconsin Department of Health Services data, of the over 10,000 reported variants, about 30 of those cases are the P.1 strain.

Sauk County

In early April, Sauk County report-

ed a case of the B.1.427 variant, also known as the California Variant.

Last week, Valley Sentinel reached out to Treemanisha Stewart, Sauk County Public Health officer for information regarding vaccination distribution in the county. Below are her responses.

Valley Sentinel: As availability increases and demand plateaus, do you foresee there being an excess of vaccines?

Treemanisha Stewart: Its possible but because there are time limits on the storage of the vaccine, vaccinators try to only order what they reasonably expect they would need.

VS: If so, does the county plan to adjust its distribution methods?

TS: SCPH is devising different ways to meet the public where there are to get vaccinated, ie community events, store fronts, etc. At this point we want to ensure that there are opportunities for everyone to be vaccinated.

VS: How confident are you that we will reach a herd immunity level of

vaccinations in the county? Do you have an estimate of when that could happen?

TS: That’s what we are hopeful for, but time will tell. We would like to see 80% of our county vaccinated, but until then we will continue to encourage everyone to get vaccinated.

VS: What would you say to the people who are on the fence about getting the vaccine?

TS: Getting vaccinated will help keep you, your family, your community, and the economy healthy and safe.

Not getting vaccinated leaves you and your family open to catching the virus and getting sick. By you and others around you getting vaccinated, we will be able to move forward, get the economy moving again, and get back to normal! The COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.

Vaccine safety is a top priority.

Every study, every phase, and every trial was reviewed by the FDA and a safety board, and there is continuous monitoring in place. If you’re concerned about side effects, I hear

you. The likelihood of a severe side effect is less than 0.5%. When mild side effects occur, they are a normal sign your body is building protection to the virus, and most go away in a few days. By getting vaccinated, you can end the damage to the economy, prevent more illnesses and deaths in America, and eliminate and eradicate COVID-19.

Sauk County will offer a mass vaccination site, in partnership with the Wisconsin National Guard, 4-8 p.m.

May 6 at E8795 Evergreen Lane in Baraboo.

The clinic will offer a first dose of the Moderna vaccine. There are no appointments or ID required. Vaccines will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis but vehicles with multiple people are welcome.

The clinic is prepared to vaccinate 600 people, with second dose vaccines appointments being set for June 3. Attendees will remain in their vehicles while being vaccinated and will be asked to self monitor for 15-20 minutes following vaccination.

Weekly School Activities JV Baseball Dodgeville MS Field 5 p.m. May 6 Varsity Softball Legion Park Field Platteville 5 p.m. May 6 JV Softball Legion Park Field Platteville 5 p.m. May 6 Varsity Girls Soccer River Valley Soccer Field 5 p.m. May 6 JV Girls Soccer River Valley Soccer Field 7 p.m. May 6

Varsity Baseball Legion Park Field Platteville 5 p.m. May 7

Varsity Golf Portage Country Club 10 a.m. May 7

JV Girls Soccer WI Heights High School 10 a.m. May 8

High School Track Prairie du Chien HS 4:15 p.m. May 7

Varsity Girls Soccer WI Heights High School 11:45 a.m. May 8

Varsity Girls Soccer Viroqua High School 5 p.m. May 7

Trap Club Spring Green Rod and Gun 10 a.m. May 9

JV Baseball Legion Park Field Platteville 6:30 p.m. May 7

COmmunitycalendar Community Calendar

We care about the community and want to showcase your events, especially in times like these! Our goal is to keep the community in touch with events, people, life and businesses of the River Valley.

Email us to submit your local events, editor@valleysentinelnews.com

Rummage Sale: Christ Lutheran Church 237 Daley Street, Spring Green, WI Thursday - Friday - Saturday May 6-7-8th.

7:30am-2:30pm Good quality Items. Fellowship Hall tables filled to overflowing. Something for everyone.

All are welcome!

Face coverings required.

Saturday, May 15 - 9am to dusk This year’s events will be held on one day, Saturday May 15th starting at 9:00am and will conclude with the fireworks show at dusk. The activities this year will be held entirely outdoors. The Hometown Heroes Parade will start at 3pm and the famous Firemen’s Steak feed will begin at 4pm.

Perennial Plant Sale

River Valley Area Community Gardens

The River Valley Area Community Gardens located at 900 N. Westmor in Spring Green is sponsoring a perennial plant sale on Saturday, May 15 from 10 to 1 or until plants are gone.

Pictures of some of the plants that need to be rehomed are located on the Gardens Facebook page and on the Gardens website at rvacg.org. The Gardens received a Sauk County Native Plant Pollinator Grant Kit and is building a shelter so new homes need to be found for the plants that are being displaced. All proceeds will go toward the cost of building the new shelter. Your generosity will be appreciated. Any questions phone 608-588-6040 or email info@rvacg.org

Planting A Garden demonstrations are planned for the River Valley Area Community Gardens on Friday, May 7 at 1 pm and repeated at 6 pm and again on Saturday, May 8 at 10 am. This is a good learning opportunity for people who are new to gardening and for experienced gardeners to pick up or share a few new tips.The RV Area Community Gardens are located at 900 N. Westmor in Spring Green Please bring masks and practice social distancing.

Lawn chairs welcome.

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‘s

WednesdaY, May 5, 2021

1 ANNUAL ST

Community

BEST of

TH THE

“The good stuff.”

Page 8

LOWER WISCONSIN

RIVER VALLEY

VOTE now

SPRING GREEN AREA

Polls open

May 5th - May 26th

Winners announced

June 2nd

Or visit our website: www.valleysentinelnews.com/best-of/ Welcome to the 1st Annual Best of the River Valley reader poll! Drawing inspiration from cities like Eau Claire, Madison and Milwaukee, we’re excited to facilitate this reader poll that showcases your voice in sharing the best of what our area has to offer to our community and those who visit it.

Best of the River Valley is not only a complement to existing guides that help community and newcomers alike navigate our area, but also a time to share where you believe the area is headed, what the area needs to focus on, and also a place to brag about your business or your favorite Old Fashioned, with a healthy competitive spirit.

More information and tools are available for businesses and those interested to share the poll and get out the word and drum up support for their favorites. But no funny business!

Literally. Exchanging free or discounted goods and services for votes is prohibited.

This is YOUR poll, YOU decide the winners. If there are categories and questions you believe we should add, let us know and we will consider them for this year or next.

Timeline

Some things to keep in mind:

This is YOUR poll, YOU decide the winners.

Best of the River Valley is an extension of our passion to build community and is one of many ideas that we hope will become a part of what makes our community so great. This is a trial run of something new, so please bear with us. In a normal year we might invite the community out to celebrate at the end of voting to announce winners, and while this year is not a normal year it doesn’t mean things come to a standstill. So stay tuned for updates. We’re excited to facilitate this big undertaking and see how it grows and changes year after year.

The poll will focus on the goings-on of the past year, from June 2020 to May 2021.

April 14 - April 28: Open nominations! (CLOSED) This is your time to share all your best choices for each category and question.

Share your favorite business or place or thing.

May 5 - May 26: Polls open! (YOU ARE HERE) This is your time to vote on the nominations and help decide who or what wins each poll question. We’re working on the possibility of write-in options as well.

June 2: Winners announced!

On or around this date, winners will be announced. We’re still ironing out the details of what this looks like and what sort of fancy certificates and such businesses get, but feel free to share your ideas!

1.) This poll encompasses June 2020 - May 2021, use those dates to make your choices. If an event was cancelled due to COVID that is annual event and likely to return, you may still vote for it or write it in.

2.) In general, unless stated as a regional question or it would otherwise be over-limiting, nominations are limited to a 10 mile radius of the Spring Green area. If regional or over-limited, feel free to nominate within Sauk, Richland and Iowa counties. Exceptions may be made where there are strong ties to the Valley.

3.) You do not need to fill out each category/question. Filling out the entire poll will take around 10 minutes. Feel free to fill in answers, popular answers may be added to the poll as options.

4.) YOU MUST BE A RESIDENT OF THE AREA OR HAVE STRONG TIES TO IT. YOU MAY ONLY VOTE ONCE. We will identify and eliminate fraudulent votes. Your vote will remain anonymous.

Sports

WednesdaY, May 5 2021

Page 9

RV Trap Team chasing championship win with biggest team yet Nicole Aimone, Editor-in-Chief The River Valley Trap Team shot it’s third competition of it’s five competition season this weekend, and is preparing to score a championship win next month.

“We are gunning for yet another conference championship and are looking forward to a great show at the state championship,” said Coach Tim Johnson. “The kids are shooting great with several already shooting 25 of 25 thus far.”

The students will head to the Wisconsin Trapshooting Association’s state championship June 12-13, where they will compete against 85 teams and 2,000 other students from around the state.

Johnson said he has high hopes the team will pull off a win at this year’s

competition, which he believed the team could have pulled off last season, if COVID-19 had not cancelled the season.

In 2019, the team had at least one individual place second at the state championship.

The team is moving through the season with its largest team since its inception in 2016, with 59 total members shooting this season. Of those members, 14 are seniors. The team is open to River Valley students from 6th to 8th grade.

The team plans to host a variety of public and fundraising events throughout the spring and summer, which includes a Mentor Day, where team members can invite a friend or family member to the Spring Green Rod and Gun Club, where the

Photo via Kim Crook Emma Anding is a 9th grader and has been shooting since middle school and comes from a trap shooting family, her two older brothers both shot with the our club.

Photo via Kim Crook Hayden Garretls, is a senior and has been shooting since the club formed when he was in 8th grade, his dad is a coach and helped start the team.

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team shoots, and educate them on the sport—acting as a mentor. The mentees will also be able to try out shooting.

“We asked the kids to think of someone to bring out and introduce them to the sport,” said Johnson. “It’s an idea to get more people involved and let the community know what we do.”

The mentor event will be 11 a.m.

May 16, at the Spring Green Rod and Gun Club. Masks and social distancing are recommended.

The team will also be hosting a 50-bird shoot, which is open to the

public June 6, to fundraise for the team. Johnson said the coaches try to reimburse students for the fee to attend the conference championship, or assist new members with startup costs.

From the fundraiser, each student received approximately $76, which covers the cost of the clay pigeons they use throughout the season.

Informational posters will be shared throughout River Valley Schools in Fall and Spring for those interested in joining the team.

Sports

Page 10 WednesdaY, May 5, 2021

Spring Sports Preview The River Valley High School spring sports season officially kicked off on April 19—with a later start and a shorter season than usual due to COVID-19.

Valley Sentinel reached out to the coaches of RVHS spring sports with questions regarding the upcoming season and how COVID-19 has affected their teams. Below are their responses so far. Valley Sentinel will provide updates in print and online as we hear back from coaches.

GIRL’S SOCCER PREVIEW Below are responses from Girl’s Soccer Coach, Todd Deibert VS: What should the community be looking forward to while watching this season?

TB: Soccer is a great game and it is growing in popularity in the River Valley area. We’ve got a growing youth program with some really dedicated coaches and soccer association board members. I am hoping that we can get more girls involved in the youth program so they can develop into strong High School players.

VS: Any breakout athletes to

watch? Should we expect to see any River Valley athletes at State contests this spring sports season?

What are you most excited about regarding this season?

TB: A few players to keep an eye on are Svea Youngquist, Leah Deibert, and Kylie Morrey. Svea is a high energy player and will do well in the midfield.

Leah is a strong player no matter where she is on the field. I expect that she and Kylie will team up to score a lot of goals this season. Emily Noble and Sophia Sanftleben have limited previous soccer experience, but have really impressed me so far in practice. I also expect solid play from our two seniors, Starr Camacho and Anna Deibert.

VS: What are some of your goals for the season?

TB: Some of our goals this season include playing as a team, building each other up, scoring some goals and winning some games.

VS: What are you most excited about regarding this season?

TB: I am most excited about seeing the progress the girls make this season. They are a hardworking group.

I think all of their hard work is going to show as we progress through the season.

Photo via Todd Deibert, RVHS Girls Soccer Coach A team photo of the RVHS 2021 Girls Soccer Team.

Girls Soccer Scores May 4, 2021 River Valley 4, Galena 0 Goals - Emily Noble (2), Leah Deibert (2) Assists - Kylie Morrey (3), Leah Deibert (1) Saves - Vivian Jensen, RV (10); Emilee Rodriguez, Galena (9)

Parents/Spectators Please send high quality sporting event pictures to editor@valleysentinelnews.com for consideration to be printed. Thank you!

RV Golf, Girls Softball kick off shortened spring season Photo by Mike McDermott

Pictured left, Luke Snow watches his putt on the 6th hole.

The RV Golf team began it’s season on April 27 at the Prairie du Chien Golf Course, RV scored 182. Individual scores include, Eli Johnson’s one over par 37, followed by Ashton Price - 46, Connor Fields - 48, Luke Snow - 51, and Jackson Thier - 52. Eli Johnson and Lancaster’s Noah Kirsch tied as medalist for the match.

On April 29, RV Golf was at the Dodge-Point Golf Course. The team score was 196, with individual scores including, Eli Johnson led the blackhawks with a 43 on the back nine. Ashton Price - 49, Connor Fields - 48, Luke Snow - 58, and Jackson Thier - 56.

On May 4, RV scored 405 with individual scores coming in at Eli Johnson- 93, Ashton Price106, Jackson Thier- 105, Luke Snow- 101 and Connor Fields- 106

Photo via Dave Hanson Pictured right, Aryana McElwee dives back into third base as the catcher from Stoughton tries to unsuccessfully pick her off.

The RV softball team kicked off it’s season April 27 against Middleton, with the final score coming in at 5-1 Middleton.

RV Softball took on the Stoughton Vikings May 1, the final score was 11-1 RV. In a second game against Stoughton May 1, the RV softball team beat the Vikings 10-4.

“Katie Hahn and Aryana McElwee shared innings in both games with Hahn getting the win in game 1 and McElwee getting the win in game 2. Hahn started both games for us and McElwee came in relief for both games holding the Vikings scoreless in her 5 innings of work. In game 2 McElwee came in with the score tied to get the win,” said Head Coach Jane Briehl.

Outdoors/recreation

WednesdaY, May 5, 2021 Page 11

Solar survey underway— CLEA-N Gathers Iowa County Data Homegrown solar electrical generation is one of the best ways to retain energy dollars in local communities.

CLEA-N aspires to make small-scale home and business solar arrays a common site in Iowa County. To measure our level of success in doing so, we are creating a baseline of the current level of solar use in the county.

To help, solar array owners in Iowa County can take 3-5 minutes to fill out our Solar Survey: www.driftlessconservancy.org/our-energy-future. Please complete the solar survey by May 31, 2021. Results will published in June.

— Driftless Area Land Conservancy (DALC)

Photo via Driftless Land Conservnacy An example of solar panels on barn.

The Sauk County Gardener— Time to Dig into Gardening Jeannie Manis, SCMGA President

“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.”— Margaret Atwood May’s arrival was a beautiful warm sunny day. What made it even better was that my favorite nursery was finally open, so my sister and I went to buy my hanging baskets and annual bedding plants. Two and half hours later, we had the pickup bed of my truck full of plants and even the back seat was full.

Good thing we didn’t take anyone else with us.

Even though I bought all those flowers, it’s too early to plant those tender annuals or hang the beautiful baskets outside. Baraboo’s last expected hard frost is May 17th and I don’t always do a good job of remembering the check the weather, so I think I’ll wait to plant them. While we wait, there are plenty of tasks that can be done in the meantime.

In your perennial beds, plant any newly-acquired container plants directly into the garden and divide any mid-summer and fall blooming plants. If you planted any from seed and have been growing them in your house, take the time to harden them off before planting them outdoors. If you started them using winter sowing

techniques, you can skip the hardening off step. As you pop in those perennials into your beds, take note of where to you can plant spring-bloom bulbs and mark them so you can easily find them in the fall. Add organic matter to your flower bed so they are ready for when you plant your dahlias, cannas and other tender bulbs. You can also fertilize your beds about mid-month.

Now is the time to check your iris for iris borer larvae. Crush the larvae if you find any. It’s also time stake or cage your peonies. Pinch off the side blooms to promote bigger flowers. As your spring-blooming bulbs start to fade, resist the urge to remove the dying foliage. Your tulips and daffodils need to have their foliage die back naturally so they can have enough energy to produce blooms next spring In the vegetable garden, you can continue to plant your cool-weather crops. Plant your broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage when air temps stay consistently above 40 degrees. You can also plant snap beans, pole beans, sweet corn, and onion plants. Sweet corn planted earlier in the season tends to have fewer pest problems. Veggies, particularly those with colorful fruit, can also be planted in your flower beds if you’re tight on space. If you haven’t

started already, it’s time to start hardening off your vegetable seedlings like tomatoes and peppers so they are ready to go into the garden when the chance of frost has past. If you already have seedlings in the garden, be prepared to protect them from cool nights. Floating row covers work well but sheets will do in a pinch. I started a new asparagus bed this year next to my strawberries as they are good companions for each other. It is recommended to not harvest any of the spears the first year. Wait at least until the second year but it’s even better if you can wait until year three. It’s a long time to wait but it will be worth it. I will just have to buy some from at our local farmers’ market.

You can harvest spears when they are 6-8 inches tall if you already have an established asparagus bed. Speaking of farmers’ markets, they have started up. Consider buying the vegetables you can’t grow in your own garden from your local farmers’ market vendors.

While enjoying seasonally fresh and ripe produce, you’ll be supporting local businesses and reducing your carbon footprint.

We put in some new evergreens so I will need to get those mulched to prevent weeds. It’s also time to watch for gypsy moth caterpillars as the weather

warms up. Fertilize trees and shrubs with slow-release fertilizer if you weren’t able to earlier in the season.

Mow the lawn when the grass is at least more than 2 inches tall. For those that enjoy a beautiful grassy lawn, make sure you have enough lawn fertilizer, so you are prepared to fertilize around Memorial Day. Check your apple and pear trees for fire blight. If you have an infection, cut the branch 8-12 inches below the infection; make sure you sterilize your pruners between each cut to prevent spreading the infection. Protect your fruit trees from frost if they are in bloom; simply spray them with a fine mist before sunrise. Finally, plant fruit trees, strawberries, and grapes and water as needed. With all of those tasks on the docket, I don’t think I have to worry about planting my tender bedding plants before it’s time.

Remember to contact Extension Sauk County if you have any gardening questions. Please send an email to haley. weisert@saukcountywi.gov or call the University of Wisconsin Madison Division of Extension Sauk County office at 608-355-3250.

This week’s article is written by Jeannie Manis, Sauk County Master Gardeners Association (SCMGA) President.

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Outdoors/recreation

Page 12 WednesdaY, May 5, 2021

An Outdoorsman’s Journal

Mark Walters, Contributor

Swamped on the Petenwell Hello friends, Back in 1982 I fractured my lower spine in three places and spent two weeks in Madison’s University Hospital with some serious questions about my ability to walk again. I do not know if I have ever written about this subject but long story short, I had an incredible recovery and the one thing that I remember my doctors repeatedly telling me is, “stay active or arthritis will set into your spine and life will not be pleasant.”

Wednesday, April 21st High 53, Low 29

Yesterday I did a simple paddle and camp building from Nekoosa to where the Wisconsin River enters the Petenwell Flowage. This morning I woke up to a beautiful sunrise, broke camp and began the approximately 17-mile lake paddle on the Petenwell, which is Wisconsin’s second largest lake at 23,000 acres.

I would be pulling crankbaits on three poles behind me with a left and right planer board and one straight back. An hour into my paddling I was hit by a very cool but kind of scary snow squall that created white out conditions, large waves and a where the heck is shore scenario.

The story for the rest of this day would be weather. At least 50 times I saw wind changes that almost always meant a headwind or wind from my side, which meant a solid physical challenge and riding out each and every wave.

I am stubborn and love to fish and so even though one of my lines would become snagged at least once every 20-minutes which meant a total reversal of course and pulling of lines I kept fishing.

All day I was completely into the challenge and fought each and every wave and just kept pulling on my kayak paddle.

At about 3:00 I had been in my canoe 6-hours, was a good mile from shore, and five miles from my goal.

The wind at that time would become a solid northwest gale and was kicking my butt. At 4:00 I knew I was in trouble and as each pole would get snagged, I would not put it back out.

By 4:30 I was still in the game but 7.5 hours without a minute of break had me at about 50-percent.

I was two miles from the Petenwell dam and had a real problem, the wind was pushing me to the south shore which would have me east of the dam and my takeout. If I could make my takeout, I would literally have to paddle within 20-yards of where the water exits the flowage

Photo by Mark Walters, Contributor You have to think fast when things go wrong in a canoe.

Photo by Mark Walters, Contributor The Petenwell tried eating Mark Walters for supper!

through the dam.

The takeout is just steps leading up a rock, wall shoreline that was getting pounded by a northwest wind.

I knew I needed help to literally pull my rig out of the water without smashing it on the rocks as well as my body. One mile before the takeout and 100-yards from shore I called Ross Moll who lives a mile from the dam and is strong like a bull.

The only problem is that it was so windy he could not understand what I was saying. I had to get off the phone and my call cost me dearly.

My canoe was pushed into the rock shoreline east of the dam with incredible force and as it hit the rocks, I jumped into about 3-feet of water and

was immediately hit by another wave which caused my canoe to hit me from behind and pushed me underneath of it, slammed me into a rock, and momentarily pinned me between the canoe and rock.

There was not five seconds to cry for mama. The waves had filled my canoe with water and each new wave was pushing my rig into the rocks and about to destroy it. I had a decision to make as my gear which was a Helix 7 as well as camping and fishing gear was in the water and going bye, bye!

I got in the flowage, flipped my canoe upside down, worked it out of the water and began retrieving gear. My legs were not working with my brain and the rocks were a bear to walk on as they were slippery and kept tumbling.

I was literally gated out from the dam and the road and called my old buddy Ross asap as he was looking for me.

The following day the good folks at Wisconsin River Power Company helped me load my rig on my truck and like the cat with nine lives, I just blew away with way more than my 9th.

Each of those fractures is talking to me and like the doctor told me 39-years ago, “stay active”!

—Sunset

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