Valley Sentinel - 05-30-2024

Spring Green, Wisconsin

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Spring Green faces siren problems during storms Your Local Guide to Getting Hitched Wedding Special Section 2024 Best of the River Valley Reader Poll polls open June 1

Sauk County Emergency Management say they were notified of siren outage by media

On May 21, the Spring Green area saw its first major weather threat this spring. Prior to the storm front reaching the area, announcements were made alerting residents of a malfunction with the Village of Spring Green’s emergency sirens, with both sirens themselves thought to be down.

During the May 21 storm, area weather field stations reported wind gusts in excess of 60 mph throughout the area and for a brief moment area residents reported up to quarter sized hail. The area was also within a tornado warning after the National Weather Service reported radar indicated rotation, which is a potential precursor to a ground tornado, east of the village. At 3:41 p.m. that day, three hours

Kindled

before the storm hit and the tornado warning was issued, the Spring Green

Spring Green experiences emergency siren outage during major storm, one of two sirens sound during Tornado Warning

Fire Department posted on Facebook an announcement alerting residents that both of the village’s outdoor warning sirens were “out of service”, along with a note that residents should share the message and keep track of other outlets for weather news warnings.

The post continued that the issue had been discovered the week prior and that repairs had been requested.

At 6:43 p.m., just prior to the storm front hitting the village, an Integrated Public Alert & Warning System alert was sent out by Sauk County Emergency Management to area mobile phones alerting that Spring Green’s tornado sirens were not working. This notice advised the area was under a Tornado Watch and also that there was potential

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Community Sauna rekindles at Homecoming in Spring Green for upcoming ‘Sauna Stories’ this June

Kindled Community Sauna will return to Homecoming Restaurant in Spring Green this June with a new sauna experience. Previously they transformed the vast backyard of the establishment in February to host its “Winter Sauna Series”, its first set of wood-fired sauna and cold plunge sessions.

The sauna experience will return to Spring Green this summer, featuring a new special series called “Sauna Stories”.

Sauna Stories will be hosted by a variety of community members including Hannah Feller of Homecoming and Reunion Restaurants, Emily Benz of Rural Remedy Yoga and Dr. Mark Timmerman, a provider for Sauk Prairie Healthcare.

The series will begin with sauna

into the 75-minute wood-fired sauna and cold plunge session. The Sauna

Stories sessions will end with resting, rehydrating and replenishing with snacks and beverages.

The sauna experience came into the heart of Spring Green through a partnership between Kindled Community Sauna’s owner Jaclyn Ryan and Homecoming Restaurant owners Leah Spicer and Kyle Beach.

Ryan, a decade-long ICU nurse and mother of two young children, lives nestled cozily between Madison and the Driftless region and is glad to continue to share her mission of wellness with her unique, gem of a traveling sauna to others near and far.

She fondly recollected her first sauna experience as a foreign exchange student in a sauna dorf near Aachen, Germany. Her memorable time abroad furthered her passion and lifelong love of wellness.

“The sauna helped me so much.

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Luukas Palm-Leis, Editorial Intern

Amberly Mae-Cooper, Community Contributor

Photo by Amberly Mae-Cooper, Community Contributor Saunas set up by Kindled Community Sauna at Homecoming in Spring Green earlier this year.

Photo by Luukas Palm-Leis, Editorial Intern The emergency siren near the Spring Green municipal golf course that failed to sound May 21.

Asking Congress require USPS to place a four-year moratorium on price increases

Dear Reader:

The United State Postal Service recently announced another 10% increase in their rates effective July 14, 2024. Since 2021, there have been five previous rate increases; this is the sixth. This announcement coincides with severe deterioration in the USPS’s performance; simply put, the mail is often late. These rate increases affect individuals sending mail as well as newspapers delivering the news. The rate increases have grown to a crisis. Your voice is needed to ask Congress to place a moratorium on any rate increases, effective immediately. Mail is a vital service to all Americans and provides information that cannot be transmitted digitally. The USPS’s price increases have been so aggressive that mail volume is declining, which creates

a death spiral: Each rate increase reduces the mail volume, making another rate increase necessary, leading to still more volume declines.

Consider the following:

First Class Mail (Which Valley Sentinel uses to mail rural and out of area subscriptions)

24 percent increase since 2022; another 7.8 percent increase scheduled for July 14, 2024.

When we started in October 2020, it cost us $1.20 to mail a 12 page paper, it currently costs us $1.68 to mail each paper.

Periodical Mail (Paid Newspapers)

Periodical postage increase for July 2024 will be about 5-7 percent increase

since January 2024.

EDDM (Free Newspapers) 11 percent increase for community newspapers; the rate increase means newspapers are paying about 33 percent more for postage than three years ago.

Many newspapers rely on mail to deliver local news to big, medium-sized and small communities alike. We depend on the Post Office and need it to succeed, but not at the cost of our ability to continue serving our readers.

For easy reference, the following is contact information for the Wisconsin U.S. Senate and Congressional representatives. Please call your representative or leave a message on their constituent website. Ask them to put an immediate stop to postal rate increases that affect

Evers requests release of $20 million for communities affected by UW branch campus closures

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation is requesting that the state budget committee release $20 million meant to create a grant program that would support communities where a University of Wisconsin branch campus has closed.

The request is the third submitted to the Joint Finance Committee (JFC) by Gov. Tony Evers’ administration this week, bringing the total amount to be released to $45 million. The requests come as lawmakers and Evers have been in conflict over the release of other state funding that was improved in the

On the cover

We asked Karin Miller, Spring Green General Store owner, how BobFest—their annual music event celebrating Bob Marley Dylan went, after Miller made the tough decision to move the event up a day due to the weather forecast:

"It was incredible. While I was in the shower on Thursday morning, I felt like I was going to be a victim to the ever worsening weather predictions for Sunday. Then I put my post Covid hat in and thought what could I do differently?

I decided to switch the day to Saturday. Then I contacted everyone involved- and most of them could find a way to accommodate me, and then other people stepped in to fill in the empty spots. This includes everyone from the sound guy to volunteers to musicians and my staff! Was it the best ever? no, but one I am perhaps most proud of."

budget, including funds for fighting PFAS contamination of local drinking water supplies, grants to support hospitals in western Wisconsin and a new literacy program in schools.

The closure of UW branch campuses, including UW-Platteville’s Richland campus, UW-Milwaukee’s Washington County campus and UW-Oshkosh’s Fond du Lac campus, have left local communities facing potential economic crises.

WEDC’s request would allow the agency to implement the grant program as instructed by a law passed by the Legislature in February and signed

by Evers in March. Under the law, communities will be eligible for a $2 million grant.

Evers said in a statement that a lack of “meaningful investments” in the UW system has caused the recent campus closures along with staff layoffs, and the state needs to quickly work to address the challenges to prevent additional layoffs and closures.

“This funding is critically important in the meantime to help communities like Richland Center, Washington County, Fond du Lac, and Marinette find new uses for the infrastructure and existing buildings to support local communities

all of us. This action will help stabilize local news in your and our communities and preserve the stewardship that the print medium has had in helping our communities to stay strong.

Contact Your Federal Legislator 2nd district: Mark Pocan (D)(202) 225-2906

3rd district: Derrick Van Orden(202) 225-5506

Senator Tammy Baldwin(608) 264-5338

Senator Ron Johnson - (202) 224-5653

Your support is greatly appreciated.

Nicole Aimone & Taylor Scott Publishers Valley Sentinel

and economies,” Evers said.

When Evers signed the bill, he used his partial veto power to eliminate requirements that local communities make a 20% match to receive the state funding and language that prohibited communities from using the funding for redeveloping facilities to be used for academic purposes.

Evers also eliminated language requiring WEDC to get approval from the Joint Finance Committee before releasing funds and requiring the grants go to Richland County and then Fond

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2024 Best of the River Valley reader poll opens June 1 Timeline

May 16 - May 27: Open nominations! This is your time to share all your best choices for each category and question to create a list to vote on. Share your favorite business or place or thing.

June 1 - June 15: Polls open! This is your time to vote on the nominations and help decide who or what wins each poll question. Popular write-in options will be added to the poll as well.

Sentinel,

June 27: Winners announced! On or around this date winners will be announced in Valley Sentinel, followed shortly by an online announcement. Now: polls open June 1

On or about June 1, you can visit our website www.valleysentinelnews.com/best-of/ to vote online.

“BobFest” (2024) Photo, by Karin Miller

Baylor Spears, Wisconsin Examiner

OPINION/EDITORIAL

Project 2025: The Conservative Promise — Part 4: Meet the Press - or not

Beverly Pestel, Columnist

It is becoming obvious that my journey through this document is not going to be a linear one. There is so much in this document that deserves to be explored and exposed, but current events make certain aspects of what is found here standout. Issues I want to address are passed over to come back to later.

I watched the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and one very poignant comment by the moderator, Kelly O’Donnell, grabbed my attention. It pulled me forward to an issue in this document that initially was further along in my to-do list. In talking about the press and the importance of the White House Press Corp, she said, "We preserve the historical record." It was a comment that struck heavily in the room and with me, I grabbed a pen and wrote it down. A search of Project 2025 then brought me to page 29.

Section One: Taking the Reins of Government begins with a listing of all the political appointees within the White House executive departments. The tone is very clear in what their approach will be in filling these departments: "…the federal bureaucracy has a mind of its own. Federal employees are often ideologically aligned—not with the majority of the American people—but with one another, posing a profound problem for republican government, a government 'of, by, and for' the people…In order to carry out the President’s desires, political appointees must be given the tools, knowledge, and support to overcome the federal government’s obstructionist Human Resources departments. More fundamentally, the new Administration must fill its ranks with political appointees." (pg.20)

Ok, a lot there to flush out later, including their criticism of "ideologically aligned" Federal employees followed closely by their expressed need to "fill its ranks with political appointees." Ahhh, huh? But fast-forward to the sixth department listed in this chapter, the Office of Communications.

In Chapter 1: White House writer Rick Dearborn explains:

"The Office of Communications must maintain robust relationships with the White House Press Corps, the White House

Contact us PO Box 144 Spring Green, Wisconsin 53588 USA (608) 588-6694

editor@valleysentinelnews.com valleysentinelnews.com

EDITORIAL BOARD

Editor-in-Chief

Nicole Aimone

Managing Editor

Taylor Scott

Legal Editor

Gary Ernest Grass, esq.

Editorial Policy

On certain topics in areas of great community interest, the editors of the Valley Sentinel may take positions they believe best repre- sent 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 ap- pears in the rest of the publication and does not affect the integri- ty and impartiality of our reporting.

Correspondents’ Association, regional stakeholders, and key interest groups. No legal entitlement exists for the provision of permanent space for media on the White House campus, and the next Administration should reexamine the balance between media demands and space constraints on the White House premises." (pg. 29-30)

Translation: A relationship with the press is important, but they don’t want the press too close, hearing and seeing too much. With all of the rhetoric these folks throw at the 1st Amendment and freedom of speech, it seems they are intent on limiting what can be said by the press by limiting what can be heard and seen by them. I’ve heard members of the White House Press Corp talking about how tiny the space that is allocated to them, but space constraints will be used to move them out entirely because legally it can be done.

So much for the press to be able to "preserve the historical record." Instead:

"The Communications Director must convey the President’s mission to the American people. Especially for conservatives, this means navigating the mainstream media to ensure that the President’s agenda is conveyed effectively and accurately. The Communications Director must be politically savvy and very aware of the ongoing activities of the other White House offices.

The new Administration should examine the nature of the relationship between itself and the White House Correspondents Association and consider wheth-

er an alternative coordinating body might be more suitable.”

(pg. 30)

Hmmm. What about the need to "maintain robust relationships with the White House Press Corps and the White House Correspondents’ Association" stated only four paragraphs earlier in the document? Now they are saying that they will put in a barrier between the press and the White House. An alternative coordinating body will take over and we already know what that word "alternative" means to them, Kellyanne Conway made that very clear. Say goodbye to an independent press able to investigate and report on the goings on in the White House.

You don’t even have to read between the lines to know what they intend to do to what they describe as "the enemy of the people."

Are you scared yet? I am.

We are talking about the fourth estate, the independent press designed to serve as the nonpartisan watchdog in a democratic society. A December 13, 2023 post from the Los Angeles Wire puts it this way:

"One of the most important roles of journalism is the ability to hold government officials, institutions, and those in other positions of power accountable for their words and actions. It is a level of oversight that ensures the voting public is not only informed on policies and decisions that affect them, but that the people who are making the decisions are transparent, truthful, and moral in their practices… Without reliable resources capable of disseminating this valuable information, the voting public would become disempowered and unable to adequately advocate for themselves and their families."

Accountability, oversight, transparent, truthful, moral, reliable – these appear to be things this new conservative Presidency is intent on getting rid of. A disempowered voting public unable to advocate for themselves because of a lack of reliable information is a scary prospect.

And this is why I feel so privileged to be able to contribute to a local, independent newspaper. The Valley Sentinel was launched in October 2020 as an editor-owned, all-volunteer, free news

Letter to the Editor Policy

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

publication produced by a Millennial and a GenZer who share a passion for and a dedication to local news and building community. It’s a mission of love produced in the hours between the jobs that pay the bills.

I started writing for the paper in March 2022 and have gotten to know Nicole and Taylor.

When they advertise in every edition that they are "in need of manpower from passionate community members," I know how significant that need is. I helped them identify several areas of need where I thought some of you might be able to help out. In many of these areas a couple hours per month would be sufficient to meet the need: Accounting, Bookkeeping, Administrative/office organization, Sales, Billing, Nonprofit administration, Development/fundraising, and Government reporting.

If you are like me and find yourself looking for ways to use your skills or develop new skills during retirement, consider contributing to this local independent newspaper. Or maybe you’re just looking for a place to volunteer a few hours a month where it can make a positive impact on our community.

Statista reported in January 2024 that 2,627 weekly publications closed or merged with other papers between 2004 and 2023. That means that over 2,000 communities are without a local newspaper and according to a January 2020 PBS NewsHour report "1,300 no longer have any local news coverage at all, no one watching the store, from small towns to medium-sized cities."

The Valley Sentinel is the only independent, editor-owned paper in our area. I don’t want to wake up some morning to find out that "no one is watching the store" either in the White House or in our local communities. The ramifications of that are too devastating to contemplate.

If you want to fact check me as I go through this, here is a link so you can read it for yourself: tinyurl.com/ReadProject2025

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

Deadlines: The display and classified advertising deadline is Monday at noon for that week. If you would like our design team to design the ad then please allow extra time for the creative process and proofing.

Column Policy

Editors may feature opinion columns written by public figures, members of the public or other publication staff. Columns reflect the opinions of the individual contributors and do not represent positions of the publication. Guest columns of an anticipated length more than 500 words should seek prior editor authorization.

Community Discussion Policy

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 crit- icism 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.

Literary Contributor

Mary Lanita Schulz Editorial Intern Luukas Palm-Leis Agriculture Columnist Barb Garvoille

Beverly Pestel

Constitutional amendment on election workers draws input from liberal, conservative groups

A constitutional amendment passed by Wisconsin voters in April that limits who is allowed to work on tasks related to the administration of an election has drawn questions from across the state on how it should be interpreted.

In recent weeks, both liberal and conservative groups have weighed in on the state Department of Justice’s effort to provide clarity.

The amendment was one of two approved by voters in April. Both drew criticism from Democrats that they sprouted from Republican conspiracy theories involving false claims of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election.

One amendment banned the use of outside money for funding election administration. The other amendment, which passed in this year’s spring election with 58% of the vote, states that “only election officials designated by law may perform tasks in the conduct of primaries, elections, and referendums.” Election officials across the state have been seeking clarity on how the restriction should be applied.

Earlier this month, the Wisconsin Elections Commission began debating the topic, with Republican commissioners questioning if it should be interpreted to mean that the third-party printing companies that election clerks often contract with to print ballots will no longer be able to do so.

In that meeting, the WEC decided to begin the process of creating an administrative rule to guide how the new amendment should be applied while also starting to write more informal guidance to help election clerks apply the new law this fall. Commissioners also said they were awaiting guidance from the DOJ as it works to write an attorney general’s opinion on

the amendment.

At the end of April, the Dane County Corporation Counsel asked the DOJ for an opinion on the amendment’s interpretation, stating that municipal clerks need more information while they prepare for the presidential election in November.

“While the amendment … seems simple and straightforward on its face, it is not so in application,” the corporation counsel, Carlos Pabellón, writes. “Who is an ‘election official designated by law’ is not clearly defined in the Wisconsin Statutes. Likewise, what constitutes a ‘task’ in the conduct of primaries, elections and referendums is not defined.”

Pabellón writes that “election official” should be defined as “an individual who is charged with any duties relating to the conduct of an election” and that should include anyone the municipal clerk designates to assist in the election administration.

On the question of what tasks must be done by an election official, he writes that there are a number of examples in which people not employed by the municipal clerk perform crucial election work.

“There are many ‘tasks’ that are collaterally related to elections,” he writes. “Most counties contract with commercial printers to produce ballots. Municipal and county IT departments assist in maintaining the security of the software and hardware protecting the election technology such as the voter registration system and results tabulated by electronic voting equipment. The vendor of the election systems provides technical guidance regarding operation and maintenance. Municipal clerks often rely upon local law enforcement to transport sealed ballots and election materials to the county clerk and upon other municipal

Kindled Community Sauna rekindles at Homecoming in Spring Green for upcoming ‘Sauna Stories’ this June

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I thought that if I could share that with other people it would be super rewarding,” said Ryan. “I am happy when people are in my sauna, relaxed and empowered.”

In the chilly and crisp air of February, smoke billowed welcomingly from the two octagon shaped tents. The portable saunas sat comfortably in the large yard. The tent’s special quilted material is specially made for the high temperatures, usually reaching the highs of 160 to 200 degrees, with drycured maple wood providing deep heat to each sauna tent.

Attendees were greeted while crossing into the steamy realm, with well crafted wooden benches and carefully placed towels. Small tea light candles surrounded the blazing heart of the sauna while the small circular windows gave picturesque glimpses of Spring Green while the steam filled the cozy

saunas.

The next and often highly anticipated step of the thermic cycle is the cold plunge, icy water filled basins which a person submerges themselves in, is linked to improve the bodies circulation.

Attendees are encouraged to rest, rehydrate and replenish with food and beverages and repeat the different, varying steps of the process throughout the course of the evening.

Community, conversation, nourishing snacks, hot tea, silence and tranquility are only some of the things that refreshed attendees during the Winter Sauna Series and what people can expect for its special sauna series, Sauna Stories.

The June Sauna Stories schedule includes June 1, June 4, June 11, June 25 and pricing varies.

For more information visit Kindled Community Saunas website, www. kindledcommunitysauna.com

WE'RE LOOKING FOR INTERNS AND COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTORS

Want to help build community? Know a college student that’s looking for a summer or fall internship for academic credit or to gain experience? Already attending village board or school board meetings and want to record or report on them? Want to engage with arts & culture, ag, businesses and other topics important to our community? Want to take scenic walks or drives delivering papers to subscribers and businesses?

We have so many ideas to grow and do more for our community, but we need help, we CAN’T do it alone. If you want to be a part of something bigger please email us and let us know what your interests are: editor@valleysentinelnews.com

employees to temporarily assist with absentee ballot mailings or other election preparation activities.”

Pabellón wonders if under the amendment, all of those people must be formally appointed by the clerk and execute an oath of office. He quotes Sen. Eric Wimberger (R-Green Bay), one of the authors of the amendment, saying that it would be “unrealistic to interpret the provision as banning outside help for all election-related activities … there’s going to be a distinction between election preparation and the conducting of the election. And I would say that the conducting of the election happens when the polls open or handling ballots.”

The DOJ began the process of issuing an Attorney General opinion on the amendment, opening public comment on the question until May 13. Progressive advocacy groups called for an interpretation of the amendment that clarifies the questions surrounding the new law while not interfering with Wisconsinites’ right to vote. A conservative group responded by arguing current law already offers the necessary definitions.

A coalition of progressive groups, represented by the voting rights-based firm Law Forward, agreed with Pabellón.

“The ability of the people to do the ‘hard work of democracy’ depends in no small part on the ability of election officials, from the Wisconsin Elections Commission to the ‘small army of local election officials’ who are charged with carrying out much of the work of administering elections in our state,” the Law Forward letter states. “With vanishingly few exceptions, those officials perform their work diligently, assiduously, and in accordance with law. But they do not, and cannot, do it alone.”

“In order to administer elections in Wisconsin, clerks necessarily work with

any number of technical experts, attorneys, and others who assist election officials in performing their duties,” the letter continues. “As Dane County’s request reveals, however, an expansive reading of [the amendment] — one that would have the effect of either (1) limiting the definition of who is an election official or (2) broadening the definition of what is an election ‘task’ beyond those duties specifically described in Chapters 5 through 12 of the statutes — would interfere with the ability of officials to administer free and fair elections, and thereby damage the rights of all voters to successfully participate in our democracy and the ‘collective interest in accurate, well-run elections.’”

In its own letter, the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) argues that current election laws already give enough clarity and that Pabellón was wrong to ask for a formal AG opinion.

“The meanings of ‘election official’ and ‘task in the conduct of any primary, election, or referendum,’ are not complicated,” the WILL letter argues, adding that those definitions can be found elsewhere in state law.

The WILL letter also lays out the DOJ’s criteria for requesting an AG opinion and states that Pabellón has not fulfilled those criteria.

“With all due respect to Dane County Corporation Counsel, he seems to have ignored your Office’s published criteria and asked you to give legal advice to third parties (municipal clerks) in non-specific situations and without a sufficient factual or legal background for you to render a meaningful and lawful opinion,” WILL writes. “He is basically asking you to anticipate potential issues and questions and write a law review article.”

Areas in most need:

• Graphic design (publication layout, visual story design, infographics)

• Sports reporting

• Municipal meeting recorders/reporters

• School board reporters

• Social media posting/creation

• E-newsletter

• Website posting

• Agriculture reporter/columnist (current events)

• Calendar/events coordinator/editor

• Music contributor/editor

• Theater contributor/editor AND MORE

We have the infrastructure set up for most of these areas, we're just in need of manpower from passionate community members. We offer

Henry Redman, Wisconsin Examiner

Spring Green experiences emergency siren outage during major storm, one of two sirens sound during Tornado Warning

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for very high winds, damaging hail and very heavy rain, maybe including tornadoes.

IPAWS is FEMA's national system for local alerting that provides authenticated emergency and life-saving information to the public through mobile phones using Wireless Emergency Alerts, as well as television and radio alerts.

However, at 6:50 p.m., the north Wood Street tornado siren next to River Valley High School activated as a tornado warning was issued by the NWS. This was confirmed by the Spring Green Fire Department the following day.

The Fire Department also acknowledged in a statement the north Wood Street siren was tested as not working during the week prior, despite it activating during the storms. It was also noted the siren at the municipal golf course continued to be non-functional as of May 22.

While not mentioned during the meeting, prior to the official start of the May 22 Spring Green Village Board meeting some board members discussed the sirens.

“The sirens are to alert people that are outside to take cover,” said Robin Reid, village president for Spring Green. “In other words, they are not designed so that people in their houses can…hear them.”

Lin Gunderson, the Spring Green Fire Chief, said in response to emailed questions from Valley Sentinel that sirens are “designed as outdoor warning, but depending on proximity and wind

directions could possibly be heard inside of structures,” and that residents should utilize other sources of weather information in conjunction.

The Spring Green Fire Department released a statement on May 23 saying both sirens had been repaired and were back online. Gunderson noted that the cause of the malfunction for the southeast siren was a blown fuse and that the northwest siren’s malfunction the week prior was unknown, but both had been repaired.

Jed Seidl, the Sauk County Emergency Management Director said in response to email questions that the “Sauk EMA does not purchase, setup, or maintain the sirens,” and that these are responsibilities of the municipalities. However, Seidl also noted that Sauk County Dispatch sets off the sirens.

“We were made aware that they were not working through a Madison News phone call to Sauk Dispatch,” Seidl said.

Seidel then contacted the Spring Green Fire and Police chiefs to confirm the sirens were not working and issued an emergency IPAWS message within minutes of learning of the issue.

“The emergency messaging (IPAWS) message was sent by our office. It is NOT a platform for routine use, case by case only at our discretion and adhering to very strict FEMA guidelines on when/ how it is used,” Seidl said.

Valley Sentinel requested comment from Reid and Spring Green Public Works Director Adam Reno, but did not hear back from them as of press time. Gunderson did not respond as of press

In Brief

Spring Green Village Board meets new attorney, goes into closed session for potential well sites

The Spring Green Village Board met for a regular meeting May 22 and mostly took up items related to real estate and properties.

The board took action to approve a request by James & Caryl Sprecher to rezone and split one parcel and join two others located on US Hwy 14 in Spring Green. The board took action to approve a certified survey map submitted by Jody Noble to join two lots located on Highbanks Road in the town of Spring Green. The board took action to approve a certified survey map submitted by Matt Kalish to join two lots located on Sommerset Road in the village of Spring Green.

Village President Robin Reid introduced the village’s new attorney, Eric Hagen of Boardman

Clark.

The board thanked Rick and Cindy Paulus for their $1,000 donation for the municipal pool.

The board also convened in closed session under Wis. Stat. 19.85(1)(e) regarding potential acquisition of real estate for the Village of Spring Green.

The closed session was to discuss potential sites for the construction of a third well in the village.

“To protect the Village of Spring Green’s bargaining position, I am unable to disclose additional information at this time,” said Wendy Crary, Spring Green Village Administrator/ Clerk/Treasurer.

No action was taken by the board in closed session or resulting from the closed session.

time to a followup question regarding notifying Sauk County Emergency Management about the siren outage. We will update this story online if we receive comment.

In a separate communication to Valley Sentinel, Reid wanted residents to be reminded that after storms the village dump, on Kennedy Road between Pearl and Ruetten Roads in Spring Green, is usually open all day for those that want to deposit branches and tree litter. For assistance or questions, call the Village of Spring Green Public Works Department at 608-588-7065.

Other area villages respond to severe weather

According to Sheila Carver, clerk for the Village of Plain, Plain operates three storm shelters for residents to use. The primary shelter is located at the Plain Fire Department building, the secondary shelter at St. Luke's School, and the third is located in the River Valley Early Learning Center.

Carver said Plain’s sirens have not gone down during her tenure of over 18 years as clerk. She noted that in Plain the sirens are also maintained by the local fire department.

Lone Rock operates one storm shelter, which is only open during tornado warnings, located at 118 E Liberty Street, next to the library. In the event of a weather emergency, to use the shelter, contact Chris Conner at 608-604-4527 or Cameron Quinn at 608-604-4529. We asked DaNean Naeger, Village of Arena clerk and treasurer, if the village maintained any storm shelters for severe weather.

“There are no storm shelters in the Village of Arena,” Naeger said.

Residents in Sauk and Richland counties can sign up for emergency alerts through Nixle. To sign up for Nixle alerts text your zip code to 888777 or go to local. nixle.com/register. Residents in Iowa county can sign up for emergency alerts through Smart911 at iowacounty.org/ departments/EmergencyManagement.

Landslide following heavy rains in Lone Rock, not related to bridge project

On May 24, after heavy rainfall, a landslide occurred just east of the current Highway 130 bridge in Lone Rock covering half the road.

“It was mud and debris that was removed using a county plow,” said Amanda Gardner, the deputy director of Iowa County Emergency Management. An alert was posted by Iowa County Emergency Management at 7:15 p.m. warning motorists about the hazard. The landslide was declared cleared by a followup alert at 7:42 p.m., as well as stating motorists should continue to use caution in the area at that time due to ground saturation.

Evers

Barry Larson, WisDOT Project Engineer for the new Highway 130 bridge, said in response to email questions from the Valley Sentinel that the rains that evening “caused the overburden and vegetation above the existing rock wall to washout down to the ditch and roadway below.”

He also warned motorists to be alert and slow down in this stretch of Highway 130 and 133, as it is currently under construction and as it is prone to landslides during spring.

Larson also noted that “The landslide was not project related. It occurred just east of the existing WIS 130/133 intersection, which is east of [the] project’s rock bluff excavation limits.”

continued from page 2 and revitalize these campus sites as soon as possible,” Evers said. Baylor Spears is a staff reporter for the Wisconsin Examiner

“I

Photo via Luukas Palm-Leis, Editorial Intern

The IPAWS alert sent out by Sauk County Emergency Management shortly before the Tornado Warning.

Photo by Taylor Scott, Managing Editor

The siren near River Valley High School that functioned correctly on May 21, despite failing the week prior.

Luukas Palm-Leis, Editorial Intern

Photo by Luukas Palm-Leis, Editorial Intern

Photo shows Highway 130 shortly after Iowa County cleared a landslide just east of the bridge.

Lac County, Washington County, and Marinette County before any other communities could receive the support.

Events for May 30 - June 13

Thursday, May 30

COmmunitycalendar

COmmunitycalendar

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

Sunday, June 2 cont.

Yoga with Rural Remedy 8:15 AM - 9:30 AM Wyoming Valley School Cultural Arts Center, 6306 WI-23 Trunk, Spring Green ruralremedy.com Yoga is for all bodies. There is something for everyone. Join and find out. Classes will be adapted for the group that attends. More info and registration details online.

Storytime 10:30 AM Lone Rock Community Library, 234 N Broadway St, Lone Rock lonerocklibrary.wordpress.com Join us every Thursday for storytime! Stitch and Bitch 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM Spring Green General Store, 137 S. Albany St. Spring Green springgreengeneralstore.com The Spring Green General Store’s Stitch and Bitch handwork group meets Thursday afternoons weekly. All are welcome.

LIVE MUSIC: Janna and the Junkyard Dawgs at Local Night 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM Post House Garden, 127 E Jefferson St, Spring Green Look up The Shed on Facebook for more info Come to the patio for some great music, delicious food, and ice cold drinks! As they continue indoor renovations, they plan to have the patio bar and grill open for you to enjoy. Stay tuned for updates on music lineup for more local talent! Music will be 5:30-7:30, with food being served from 4-8. Drinks will be flowing!

Knit Night at Nina’s 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM . Nina’s Department Store, 143 E. Jefferson St. Spring Green ninasdepartmentstore.com Every Thursday from 6 to 8 pm. All knitters and crocheters are welcome. Store closed after 5:30 pm.

LIVE MUSIC: Drive-In Night 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM E7425 Co Rd C, North Freedom For more info look up Junior’s Tavern or WOOD BBQ Catering on Facebook Drive-In Night at Junior's Tavern in Leland. This isn’t just a bike night or a hot car night... this is an anything with wheels kinda night! UTV’s, Tractors, Lawnmowers, Semi Trucks anything with wheels ! Prizes announced at 7pm! Live music by Cyrus John Music 6-8.

SOLD OUT: LIVE MUSIC — Sh*tty Barn Session 309: John Moreland // Ken Pomeroy 7:00 PM 506 E Madison St, Spring Green shittybarnsessions.com Doors open at 6 Advance tickets sold out. That sald, tickets often come up that people can't use, so check out SH*TTY TICKET SWAP, which helps to connect ticket buyers and sellers John Moreland doesn’t have the answers, and he’s not sure anyone does. But he’s still curious, basking in the comfort of a question, and along the way, those of us listening feel moved to ask our own. Ken Pomeroy brings an earthy presence to the world of Folk/Americana music. Pomeroy has long captivated audiences through her unfeigned storytelling and seasoned musicianship at a young age.

Saturday, June 1

Heck’s Vendor/Flea Market 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM Heck’s Farm Market, 7266 US Highway 14, Arena For more info look up Heck’s Farm Market on Facebook . Various types of vendors to shop every Saturday and Sunday - weather permitting. Vendors must contact Heck’s Farm Market for free registration.

Spring Green Farmers Market 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM S230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green Spring Green Farmers Market Is a year-round outdoor market offering seasonal produce, local meats, baked goods and many other wonderful items. Held outside the Spring Green Community Public Library every Saturday morning.

RV Nature Journaling 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM . River Valley Area Community Gardens, Spring Green rvacg.org Participants will observe various aspects of nature and record what they see in a journalling method of their choice. Bring a blanket or lawn chair to sit on, as well as paper, pencil, and a hard surface to write/draw on. All ages welcome. Children should be accompanied by an adult.

Governor Dodge Free Admission Weekend 9:00 AM - 9:30 PM 4175 State Hwy 23, North Dodgeville friendsofgovernordodge.org Vehicle stickers and trail passes not required on Saturday and Sunday.

The Wandering Rae presents a Spring/Summer Barn Sale 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM E4233 Horseshoe Rd, Spring Green For more info look up The Wandering Rae on Facebook . Come enjoy the spring & summer seasons with unique, upcycled & hand-made goods. Whether you are looking for a gift for someone or something for yourself, decorating for summer or anytime, you will find what you didn’t know you needed here! Along with furniture & charming accent pieces, I will have Pampered Chef goodies, Janea Dax with Ava-Roo Designs bringing lots of gift giving items & more to make your decorating & shopping easier! Want to get be the first to hear of upcoming sales? Just text WANDERING RAE to 608.513.8203

LIVE MUSIC: Abbey Lane 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM Post House Garden, 127 E Jefferson St, Spring Green Look up The Shed on Facebook for more info Live music on the patio!

LIVE MUSIC: Big Night Out on the River Stage 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM Wisconsin Riverside Resort, S13220 Shifflet Road, Spring Green wiriversideresort.com Warm weather, cold cocktails, and great live music! Join us outside on the Riverside stage! Let’s welcome in the summer!

LIVE MUSIC: Spring Fish Boil 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM Kaul Park, WI-130, Lone Rock Look up Kaul Park Bear Valley on Facebook for more info Suggested donation $15 per person. $7 for children 12 years or younger Menu includes: Alaskan Cod, Red Potatoes, Carrots, Onions, Coleslaw, Dessert, and Beverage. Featuring Janna and the Junkyard Dawgs from 5-9. Please not pets and no carry-ins.

Sunday, June 2

Heck’s Vendor/Flea Market 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM Heck’s Farm Market, 7266 US Highway 14, Arena For more info look up Heck’s Farm Market on Facebook Various types of vendors to shop every Saturday and Sunday - weather permitting. Vendors must contact Heck’s Farm Market for free registration.

10th Annual Ride or Hike 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM . Governor Dodge State Park, 4175 WI-23, Dodgeville For questions contact govdodgeequestrians@gmail.com or visit governordodaeequestrians.com Leisurely ride or hike a marked trail collecting scrabble tiles. Small group or on your own. Use tiles to make words and win prizes. Custom Designed T-shirt. Professional Photographer on site for portraits and fun shots. 50/50 Raffle. Food and FUN! Proceeds fund equestrian proiects at Governor Dodge.

LIVE MUSIC: Gathering in the Garden 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM Post House Garden, Jefferson Street next to the theater (608) 588-2481 clcelcasg@gmail.com . Christ Lutheran Church Members invite you to the Post House Garden on Sunday, June 2nd for a Worship service at 10, lunch items prepared by the owners of the Shed for purchase from 11-1 along with a free lunchtime concert by the popular Solstice Jazz Band. All are welcome.

LIVE MUSIC: Don & Scott on the River Stage 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM . Wisconsin Riverside Resort, S13220 Shifflet Road, Spring Green wiriversideresort.com Warm weather, cold cocktails, and great live music! Join us outside on the Riverside stage! Let’s welcome in the summer!

Book Signing with T.J. Fier, author of "The Bright One" 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM Arcadia Books, 102 East Jefferson St., Spring Green readinutopia.com Stop in to meet T.J. Fier and get your copy of The Bright One signed and personalized!

Monday, June 3

Trivia Night 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jefferson St., Spring Green slowpokelounge.com Join us for a night of Trivia! Kyle Adams will host as we put teams together for a contest of trivia. Come for the prizes, stay for the fun! First Question at 7:00 - and it should last about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Tuesday, June 4

Summer Afternoon Storytime 4:30 PM - 5:15 PM . Plain Kraemer Library, 910 Main St., Plain kraemerlibrary.org Story time includes stories and songs followed by a fun themed craft and activity.

Yarn Rocks! 5:00 PM Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green springgreenlibrary.com Come to the Library on the first and third Tuesday of the month to meet fellow knitters in the community; come for help (beginner to mid-level knitting help available); come to learn new skills or brush up on current skills; come to get out of the house for a few hours; come for the health benefits (recent research out of Denmark demonstrated the overall health benefits of craft work, including knitting and crocheting).

Yoga with Rural Remedy 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM Wyoming Valley School Cultural Arts Center, 6306 WI-23 Trunk, Spring Green ruralremedy.com Yoga is for all bodies. There is something for everyone. Join and find out. Classes will be adapted for the group that attends. More info and registration details online.

Wednesday, June 5

All Ages Storytime 10:30 AM Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green springgreenlibrary.com Our theme will be Dinosaurs! Is your child active, noisy or "fidgety"? No worries! It's okay if your kiddo needs to wiggle and giggle to enjoy their time at the library!

Thursday, June 6

Agroforestry for Foresters Farm Tour 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM Lowery Creek, South Farm, Spring Green savannainstitute.org $25 or FREE for members of the Wisconsin Society of American Foresters Agroforestry is an emerging topic of interest for landowners across Wisconsin. This field day at the Savanna Institute’s Spring Green campus will introduce foresters to agroforestry various practices. We will tour demonstration sites and discuss ways foresters can engage in agroforestry planning, implementation, and management. Registration deadline 5/30.

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

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

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

LIVE MUSIC: Lydia and Janna Johnson at Local Night 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM Post House Garden, 127 E Jefferson St, Spring Green Look up The Shed on Facebook for more info Come to the patio for some great music, delicious food, and ice cold drinks! Stay tuned for updates on music lineup as they continue to book local talent! Music will be 5:30-7:30, with food being served from 4-8. Drinks will be flowing!

Evenings Afield: Controlling Invasive Plants 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center, 5607 County Rd C, Spring Green driftlessconservancy.org Learn how to identify and control common invasive plants in our area, from people who have battled them for many years. See plant samples, tools that work well, and both print and online resources that help in the field.

Knit Night at Nina’s 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Nina’s Department Store, 143 E. Jefferson St. Spring Green ninasdepartmentstore.com Every Thursday from 6 to 8 pm. All knitters and crocheters are welcome. Store closed after 5:30 pm.

Lexington & Jefferson Literary Journal Workgroup 6:00 PM Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jefferson St., Spring Green Questions? Contact: editor@valleysentinelnews.com

Join us for a Lexington & Jefferson Literary Journal Workgroup meeting as we endeavor to launch an annual literary journal for the Spring Green area. This gathering marks the start of our collaborative effort to launch the journal. Share your ideas and help shape our collective vision. We'll discuss contributions, objectives, and more.

Regular bi-weekly meetings thru spring.

SOLD OUT: LIVE MUSIC — Sh*tty Barn Session Session 310: Nathan Graham // Joe George 7:00 PM 506 E Madison St, Spring Green shittybarnsessions.com Doors open at 6 Advance tickets sold out. That sald, tickets often come up that people can't use, so check out SH*TTY TICKET SWAP, which helps to connect ticket buyers and sellers Soulful and steady, Graham’s music offers a raw introspective of the human condition that’s both painful and comforting. His guitar conveys heartbreak, lyrics tell stories of regret, but his rich vocal delivery offers the remedy. Joe George's songs encompass a range of color, from folk and Americana, to cinematic and spacious. His tasteful use of string quartet on recordings adds a breath and emotion to his music.

Friday, June 7

Karaoke 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jefferson St., Spring Green slowpokelounge.com Join us the fourth Friday of every month for a night of Karaoke at Slowpoke. Janna Johnson hosts this night for the community to come together in song. Take a chance and come up on stage, or just cheer on your friends. We’ll get star ted around 8:00, and go until last call. That could be as early as 10:00 or as late as 2:00am. It all depends on you! No cover, but tips for our host are always welcome.

your local guide to Getting hitched

WYOMING VALLEY SCHOOL

CULTURAL ARTS CENTER

PRESENTED BY WYOMING VALLEY SCHOOL CULTURAL ART CENTER

The Spring Green area is becoming a wedding destination: we ask venue Wyoming Valley School what makes Spring Green so special

What makes a great wedding venue?

A great wedding venue is a place where you can create wonderful memories with family and friends. Ideally, it’s beautiful — and affordable — with easy access and parking, too.

What makes Wyoming Valley School stand out for weddings?

Planning a one-of-a-kind wedding, an intimate rehearsal dinner — or both? Choose the Wyoming Valley School Cultural Arts Center for an unforgettable experience at one of Spring Green’s most historic spaces.

Originally an elementary school designed by Frank Lloyd Wright — the most innovative American architect of the 20th century — our site features soaring ceilings, beautiful light and stunning views. With spacious grounds for tents to an inspiring Assembly Hall for ceremonies, we can host all types of weddings and your caterer will love our on-site kitchen, too.

“Our guests were impressed by the beauty and significance of the space,” one couple commented. “Having our wedding at Wyoming Valley School Cultural Arts Center was a great opportunity to share this beautiful area we call home and local history with those who came from out of town.”

What can couples expect from having their wedding in Spring Green? At Wyoming Valley School?

In Spring Green, couples and their guests can expect to be awed by the Driftless area’s natural beauty — and charmed by our small town with a big city creative vibe. Yes, you can have it all in Spring Green and at the Wyoming Valley School, too. Our multiple spaces allow for separate louder and quieter areas: lively music and dancing in one room, quieter conversation in another. Couples and their guests can move from space to space, creating just-right moments and memories all day long.

Spring Green is becoming quite the wedding destination. What makes Spring Green such a special place to get married? What unique offerings does this area provide? Why should couples choose to have their wedding here?

In Spring Green, couples and their guests can expect to be awed by the Driftless area’s natural beauty — and charmed by our small town with a big city vibe. Yes, you can have it all in Spring Green.

Talk a little bit about the history of Wyoming Valley School and how that can help make a wedding special.

stunning views. With spacious grounds for tents to an inspiring Assembly Hall for ceremonies, we can host all types of weddings and your caterer will love our on-site kitchen, too.

What types of weddings/couples would be the best candidates to have their event at Wyoming Valley School?

We invite all couples looking for a unique venue that’s beautiful — and affordable — with easy access and parking, too. Email us through the website and let’s get planning!

Wyoming Valley School is the only elementary school designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Minutes away from Taliesin, Wright’s estate. Now a nonprofit arts space, the School features Wright’s signature soaring ceilings, beautiful light and stunning views. It is a unique, affordable venue for weddings and gatherings of people of all ages.

Originally an elementary school designed by Frank Lloyd Wright — the most innovative American architect of the 20thcentury — our site features soaring ceilings, beautiful light and

Wyoming Valley School Cultural Arts Center 6306 State Road 23 Spring Green wyomingvalleyschool.org (608) 588-2544 info@wyomingvalleyschool.org

Preserving your love story into an heirloom for generations to come: Q&A with Copper Antler Photography owner Alicia

What makes the perfect wedding photograph?

Unspoken moments that showcase your authentic connection and emotion with your partner, family and friends!

What should couples be looking for in a wedding photographer?

Connecting with your photographer is key to your final album being stellar.

If you feel comfortable with them, you’re more likely to be that way in-front of the camera, and also trust their creative process.

Other things would be editing style and photographic perspective - do they take more of a hands off direction, directive and communicative, or a mix of both?

You mean the mother-in-law with her iPhone doesn’t count?

Feiner

Unfortunately we encounter the “overbearing” family or friend at each wedding.

Most seem to keep their devices more for the fun cocktail hour and reception candids! It’s great to have guest perspective images of a day as a keepsake, but an aisle lined with devices is less than attractive in your professional photographs. I feel like some forget that the couples have spent thousands of dollars on their photographer and ultimately are going to receive the same photograph in much higher quality in their final gallery. This quick sly shot is disruptive, and ultimately meaningless. I’ve actually had someone step in front of me during a first kiss in the aisle for their cell shot - Unfortunately the image I got was not salvageable on my end and the cell shot was blurry.

We try to urge guests to be present and take in the moment VS living through a screen, and if there is a photograph you are DYING to have, don’t be afraid to ask the couple to share it after they’ve received it!

How do you weigh catching something in the moment vs. being unseen?I guess we should ask, is the best wedding photographer seen or unseen, or something in between?

Personally I think it’s a mastered mix of both. Like I mentioned above some of the best photographs are those unspoken moments, but also having classic images that stand the test of time are important too.

I always think about which photographs I cherish the most from my grandparents’ albums. It always seems to be a few classic portraits of

Photo aph

Molly DuCharme Photography cherish the moments that last forever. I provide you with vivid and visceral photos that will reconnect youto your special moments. mollyducharmephotography.com

Brandon Joyce Photography specializes in capturing the timeless moments of your life’s most precious chapters. From the heartfelt

them with the biggest smiles on their best day and then a few of the candids of a cake cut, walking out of the church, or dance shots! 50 years from now what’s still going to be considered beautiful to the next generation viewing these? Time and time again I believe it’s those staple images of the day!

Please feel free to share anything else.

With nearly 10 years invested into my career as a professional wedding photographer and over 300 weddings and elopements under my belt, I feel like I’ve seen every end of the spectrum when it comes to weddings.

I always urge my clients to not be afraid to step out of that “ typical “ wedding box! What can you do that makes your day unique? Intertwine the things that you love and who make you two as a couple! Love cheese curds? Have them as a late night snack! Over the floof and want a fun cocktail dress? Do an outfit change for the reception! There are so many things you can do that can really make your gallery stand out and showcase who you two authentically are!

At the end of the day, photography & videography are truly the only thing that lasts past your wedding day as a treasured heirlooms for you and future generations.

Don’t settle, splurge, and do your research! It’s one day you don’t get back. You don’t want to have any regrets.

Connect with someone who’s going to offer

smiles and tender embraces of weddings to the genuine laughter and personality-filled portraits, his lens is dedicated to creating unforgettable memories for you and your loved ones. brandonjoycephotography.com

you the exact experience you’re looking for. There are so many of us with different styles and approaches, your perfect fit is out there! I genuinely feel lucky that this is what I get to spend my life doing - preserving your love story into an heirloom for all generations to come! That’s pretty dang awesome if you ask me!

Owner

Copper Antler Photography is Earthy, filmy, edgy, with a touch of mood + warm light. Freezing time and preserving your love story into an heirloom for generations to come.

Copper Antler Photography Spring Green, Wisconsin thecopperantler.com

: Alicia Feiner

The top picks in our 2023 reader poll:

Arrangement ideas with Briarwood Flowers’ Delaney Peterson

What flowers are best for each season?

In spring, tulips, daffodils, peonies, ranunculus, anemone, and flowering branches steal the show. In summer, there are so many varieties available; if you’re working with a florist who utilizes local flowers, these might include celosia, cosmos, zinnias, sunflowers, snapdragons, and so many more. Toward the end of summer and early fall, lisianthus, hydrangea, and dahlias are in full swing, and as the season progresses things like mums, branches of berries, and textural grasses and foliages become available. In winter, if you’re using local flowers here in Wisconsin, you’re limited to dried flowers, which can be unique and stunning. Many flower varieties are available year-round as well, coming from other parts of the world.

We see you offer DIY flower options, what are some tips for folks who DIY their flowers?

The biggest tip is to plan, plan, plan. Make sure you have helpers on the day you’ll be designing, and allow for plenty of time to complete your floral arrangements (this often takes longer than you think it will). Ensure you’ve prepared the tools you’ll need, like vases, floral snips, floral tape, boutonniere pins, etc. Watch how-to videos and practice ahead of time with whatever flowers you have in the garden or the grocery store, so you can get the hang of designing. Remember that it’s okay if a stem breaks or a certain flower isn’t looking the way you wanted it to in your designs - it will all look lovely in the end. And have fun getting creative!

What are some non-traditional wedding flowers? How can I incorporate them into my wedding?

Incorporating locally-grown flowers is one of the best ways to incorporate non-traditional flowers into your special day. There’s usually a flower farmer growing something fun and a little bit wild at any given point in the growing season, and they love to share them with artistic couples! There are almost too many “non-traditional” options to count, but some favorites I’m loving at the moment are fritillaria, alliums, hellebore, and clematis for flowers, locally grown foliage for greenery, and incorporating herbs into floral arrangements.

Favorite bouquet and/or arrangement for weddings?

I personally love the creativity and details that go into the bridal bouquet, and we’re (my husband Brandon and I) also obsessed with large-scale floral installations, like a floral arch or a hanging arrangement above a head table.

What flowers make good decorations and centerpieces?

Most flowers are beautiful in wedding arrangements! It can be helpful to focus on 1-2 varieties of focal flowers (things with a bigger impact like peonies, dahlias, roses, etc.), an assortment of medium accent flowers in different shapes (some round, like zinnias, and some tall “spikes” such as snapdragons), and an airy variety to “float” above your arrangements to add movement (like larkspur, nigella, or

baby’s breath). Foliage creates the base of your arrangements - things like eucalyptus, ninebark, privet, and Italian ruscus are great options. Keep in mind that flowers and foliage need to be extra sturdy to hold up in arrangements where they’ll be out of water for extended periods (like bridesmaid bouquets and floral arches); consider options such as dahlias, lisianthus, zinnias, baby’s breath, snapdragons, roses, eucalyptus, and Italian or Israeli ruscus.

Some tips for incorporating flowers

into my decorations and centerpieces?

Choose one or two focal areas to have a “wow” arrangement, and then consider where else you’d like to accent. For instance, having a big statement arrangement in your ceremony space or at your head table can focus attention on the parts of your wedding you find most important. From there, you might incorporate fun floral bud vases into your guest tables, pop an arrangement onto the bar and dessert tables, or scatter loose blooms around your other wedding decorations. We love bud vases! Bud vases everywhere! You can also add flowers around the areas where your guests will enter a space for maximum impact (like at the aisle entrance or a welcome table at the reception). And don’t forget flowers for your cake!

Who needs flowers in the wedding party?

(Bride, Bridesmaids, grooms, etc.) This is totally up to the couple! Traditionally, brides and bridesmaids carry bouquets, grooms and groomsmen wear pinned boutonnieres, and there may be a flower girl and/or ring bearer who get mini floral items (such as a flower crown, flower petals, or mini boutonniere). Mothers/grandmothers/mother-figures for the couple often wear wrist corsages, fathers/ grandfathers/father-figures wear boutonnieres, and often the officiant and sometimes ushers will be given flowers to wear as well (either corsages or boutonnieres). Couples can do whatever feels right for them and for their wedding party - we’ve been seeing creative options like bridal flower crowns, floral pocket squares, floral earrings or other jewelry, and floral dog collars for a pup who might be joining the festivities!

and wind until you’re ready to use them. If you’re DIYing your arrangements, change the water your flowers are in every other day, and use flower food if you have access to it. When changing the water, it’s also helpful to cut 1/4-1/2 inch off the stems to help them continue hydrating well.

Can floral arrangements be used in multiple ways during a wedding?

Depending on your arrangements, you may be able to stretch the impact of some of your oral designs by reusing them in multiple parts of your wedding. For instance, sometimes, a oral arch can be moved into the reception space to frame a head table or create a photo backdrop for guests. At times (not always, so ask your orist!), a oral piece from an arch can be taken down and used on a head table or sweetheart table. Bridesmaid bouquets might be used as table arrangements. Ground arrangements from a ceremony may be able to be placed by the bar or gi table a erward. Keep in mind that if the ceremony was outdoors in hot, windy weather, your owers might be looking a bit tired a erward, so this depends on your setting.

Briarwood Flowers is a small flower farm and event florist located in Spring Green, Wisconsin, run by Brandon and Delaney Peterson. They take pride in growing gorgeous cut flowers for bouquets, weddings, and special events. They offer full-service wedding floral design as well as DIY options. You can find them at the Spring Green Farmer’s Market throughout the summer and early fall!

How can I keep my flowers looking fresh?

Keep them in a cool place out of direct sunlight

Briarwood Flowers www.briarwood owers.com briarwood owers@gmail.com 608-588-6554

COLORS:

Br esma s:

creating yourm d board

romsmen:

Decor / Florals:

THE VIBE:

INVITE THE DRESS

Describe your Vibe:

BOuQUET

cake

HAIR

your final Checklist

12 months out

☐ choose a wedding dress

☐ create your guest list

☐ nalize the date

☐ select and order save the dates

☐ decide your style and theme

☐ nalize your bridal party

☐ venue search

☐ nd a photographer

☐ nd a band and dj

☐ begin wedding dress shopping

9 months out

☐ nd a caterer

☐ set up your wedding website

☐ nalize bridal party attire

☐ nalize orals and decor

6 months out

☐ schedule dress tting for alterations

☐ book your honeymoon

☐ schedule wedding shower

☐ send out save the dates

☐ select and order invitations

☐ order the cake

☐ schedule an engagement shoot

☐ con rm detals w marriage license / wedding insurance

3 months out

☐ choose guest favors

☐ meet with the wedding o ciant

☐ send out invitations

☐ schedule bridal shower

☐ book a hair and makeup trial (pro tip: try to schedule your trial for the date of your bridal shower)

☐ menu and cake tastings

☐ book transportation

☐ choose ceremony songs

☐ nalize accessories and decor

☐ nalize bachelor/ette parties

My finalists: VENUE:

1 month out

☐ nalize your guest count

☐ create the seating chart

☐ have your bridal shower

☐ schedule a nal dress tting

☐ write your vows

☐ pick up your marriage license

☐ book your spa treatments

☐ something borrowed, something blue, something old, something new

1 week out

☐ practice your vows

☐ get your mani pedi

☐ get a facial

☐ go to your hair appointment

Day Before

☐ rehearsal ceremony and dinner

☐ drop o gi s / decor at venue

☐ pamper yourself

Aft Day of

☐ take a deep breath and enjoy your special day!

☐ share photos

☐ send thank yous

☐ get your wedding dress preserved

website / phone number:

website / phone number:

PHOTOGRAPHY:

DJ: FLORALS:

website / phone number:

website / phone number:

What are some non-traditional wedding flowers? How can I incorporate them into my wedding?

Bring your

ideas, we’ll make

What flowers are good for wedding bouquets?

Incorporating locally-grown flowers is one of the best ways to incorporate non-traditional flowers into your special day. There’s usually a flower farmer growing something fun and a little bit wild at any given point in the growing season, and they love to share them with artistic couples! There are almost too many “non-traditional” options to count, but some favorites I’m loving at the moment are fritillaria, alliums, hellebore, and clematis for flowers, locally grown foliage for greenery, and incorporating herbs into floral arrangements.

What flowers are good for wedding bouquets?

Favorite bouquet and/or arrangement for weddings?

I suggest flowers that match your theme, or are seasonal to the event. Many brides and couples already have an idea of what they are looking for when they come to our shop, and we’re happy to make that vision come to life with our variety of flowers and personalized floral design. Who needs flowers in the wedding party? (Bride, Bridesmaids, grooms, etc.)

Choose one or two focal areas to have a “wow” arrangement, and then consider where else you’d like to accent. For instance, having a big statement arrangement in your ceremony space or at your head table can focus attention on the parts of your wedding you find most important. From there, you might incorporate fun floral bud vases into your guest tables, pop an arrangement onto the bar and dessert tables, or scatter loose blooms around your other wedding decorations. We love bud vases! Bud vases everywhere! You can also add flowers around the areas where your guests will enter a space for maximum impact (like at the aisle entrance or a welcome table at the reception). And don’t forget flowers for your cake!

I suggest flowers that match your theme, or are seasonal to the event. Many brides and couples already have an idea of what they are looking for when they come to our shop, and we’re happy to make that vision come to life with our variety of flowers and personalized floral design. Who needs flowers in the wedding party? (Bride, Bridesmaids, grooms, etc.)

I personally love the creativity and details that go into the bridal bouquet, and we’re (my husband Brandon and I) also obsessed with large-scale floral installations, like a floral arch or a hanging arrangement above a head table.

What flowers make good decorations and centerpieces?

We offer a variety of custom florals to create the couple vision for any aspect of their wedding, these include bouquets, boutonnieres, ceremony flowers and reception flowers. Additionally, we offer a free bouquet for the bride to toss at the reception.

We offer a variety of custom florals to create the couple vision for any aspect of their wedding, these include bouquets, boutonnieres, ceremony flowers and reception flowers. Additionally, we offer a free bouquet for the bride to toss at the reception.

Most flowers are beautiful in wedding

How can I keep my flowers looking fresh?

Providing the flowers right before walking down the aisle is key in keeping flowers fresh throughout the day for the ceremony, photos and reception. We offer day of delivery to ensure you have the freshest flowers for your wedding.

Florist

The top picks in our 2023 reader poll:

Country Crossroads Floral and Gifts bring your wedding-day vision to life and accentuate your style with fresh flowers artistically arranged in a stunning bouquet fit for a queen. countrycrossroadsfloral.com

What flowers are good for wedding bouquets?

1030 Wachter Ave Plain Local: (608) 546-3500

Who

it happen: Prairie Flowers’ Ruth Schreiner

What flowers make good decorations and centerpieces?

What flowers make good decorations and centerpieces?

needs flowers in the wedding party?

I always suggest couples choose flowers that match the theme or season of their wedding as a starting point.

I always suggest couples choose flowers that match the theme or season of their wedding as a starting point.

Many couples have a well thought out vision of what they want for their wedding decorations, and our talented designers can help make this happen. We also offer vase and wedding prop rentals to help decorate your ceremony or reception.

Many couples have a well thought out vision of what they want for their wedding decorations, and our talented designers can help make this happen. We also offer vase and wedding prop rentals to help decorate your ceremony or reception.

Prairie Flowers and Gifts is a family owned and operated florist out of Spring Green that offers the highest quality seasonal flowers and unique gift options. In addition to offering wedding florals, we offer florals for other special occasions, holidays and gifts. We provide convenient sameday service throughout the Spring Green, Lone

(Bride, Bridesmaids, grooms, etc.) This is totally up to the couple! Traditionally, brides and bridesmaids carry bouquets, grooms and groomsmen wear pinned boutonnieres, and there may be a flower girl and/or ring bearer who get mini floral items (such as a flower crown, flower petals, or mini boutonniere). Mothers/grandmothers/mother-figures for the couple often wear wrist corsages, fathers/ grandfathers/father-figures wear boutonnieres, and often the officiant and sometimes ushers will be given flowers to wear as well (either corsages or boutonnieres). Couples can do whatever feels right for them and for their wedding party - we’ve been seeing creative options like bridal flower crowns, floral pocket squares, floral earrings or other jewelry, and floral dog collars for a pup who might be joining the festivities!

I suggest flowers that match your theme, or are seasonal to the event. Many brides and couples already have an idea of what they are looking for when they come to our shop, and we’re happy to make that vision come to life with our variety of flowers and personalized floral design. Who needs flowers in the wedding party? (Bride, Bridesmaids, grooms, etc.)

Prairie Flower and Gifts is a family owned and operated florist out of Spring Green that offers the highest quality seasonal flowers and unique gift options. prairie-flowers.com

We offer a variety of custom florals to create the couple vision for any aspect of their wedding, these include bouquets, boutonnieres, ceremony flowers and reception flowers. Additionally, we offer a free bouquet for the bride to toss at the reception.

parts of your wedding. For instance, sometimes, a oral arch can be moved into the reception space to frame a head table or create a photo backdrop for guests. At times (not always, so ask your orist!), a oral piece from an arch can be taken down and used on a head table or sweetheart table. Bridesmaid bouquets might be used as table arrangements. Ground arrangements from a ceremony may be able to be placed by the bar or gi table a erward. Keep in mind that if the ceremony was outdoors in hot, windy weather, your owers might be looking a bit tired a erward, so this depends on your setting.

Prairie Flowers and Gifts is a family owned and operated florist out of Spring Green that offers the highest quality seasonal flowers and unique gift options. In addition to offering wedding florals, we offer florals for other special occasions, holidays and gifts. We provide convenient sameday service throughout the Spring Green, Lone Rock, Arena and Plain area.

Briarwood Flowers is a small flower farm and event florist located in Spring Green, Wisconsin, run by Brandon and Delaney Peterson. They take pride in growing gorgeous cut flowers for bouquets, weddings, and special events. They offer full-service wedding floral design as well as DIY options. You can find them at the Spring Green Farmer’s Market throughout the summer

How can I keep my flowers looking fresh?

Prairie Flowers

Keep them in a cool place out of direct sunlight

126 N Lexington St., Spring Green prairie-flowers.com 608-588-9999

B-Style Floral & Gifts (Mazo) is passionate about flowers. With their expert touch and personalized service, they’re dedicated to making every occasion memorable with stunning floral arrangements that reflect your unique style and vision. bstylefloral.com O R U

B-Style Floral & Gifts (Mazo) is passionate about flowers. With their expert touch and personalized service, they’re dedicated to making every occasion memorable with stunning floral arrangements that reflect your unique style and vision. bstylefloral.com

What flowers make good decorations and centerpieces?

I always suggest couples choose flowers that match the theme or season of their wedding as a starting point. Many couples have a well thought out vision of what they want for their wedding decorations, and our talented designers can help make this happen. We also offer vase and wedding prop rentals to help decorate your ceremony or reception.

www.briarwood owers.com briarwood owers@gmail.com

How can I keep my flowers looking fresh?

Providing the flowers right before walking down the aisle is key in keeping flowers fresh throughout the day for the ceremony, photos and reception. We offer day of delivery to ensure you have the freshest flowers for your wedding.

Prairie Flowers and Gifts is a family owned and operated florist out of Spring Green that offers the highest quality seasonal flowers and unique gift options. In addition to offering wedding florals, we offer florals for other special occasions, holidays and gifts. We provide convenient sameday service throughout the Spring Green, Lone Rock, Arena and Plain area.

Each year, Valley Sentinel puts out the Best of the River Valley Reader Poll, where readers get a chance to vote for their local favorites. Below and on preceding pages is a selection of winners from the 2023 poll to help you find the best local services for your big day.

Hot

Spring Green Motel is located just off Highway 14 in Spring Green and offers a variety of rooms and a large outdoor space, including a covered patio and fire pit. springgreenmotel.net

Spring Valley Inn is a Frank Lloyd Wright inspired hotel, offering 35 guest rooms and amenities including a pool, sauna, steam room and hot tub. springvalleyinn.com

Round Barn Lodge in Spring Green is 3rd generation family owned and operated and offers an indoor heated pool, a banquet room, a game room and outdoor common area. redbarnlodge. com

Steeampunk Manor bed and Breakfast is a Queen Anne style victorian home built in 1904 turned bed and breakfast in Spring Green. The manor is uniquely adorned and offers the Saloon Room for guests to grab a cocktail.

Bowdatious Salon

bowdatioussalon.com (608) 212-2534

The Nail Salon SG (608) 475-4447

Crossroads Spa and Salon (608) 546-1012

Simply Rooted Co. is a home decor store in Spring Green that offers a mix of modern, farmhouse, antique and trending decor and gifts. simplyrootedhomedecor.com

Spring Green General Store has been a staple of the Spring Green area for over 30 years and offers a variety of niche and kitsch local products. springgreengeneralstore.com

Nina’s Department and Variety Store is a historic department store located in Downtown spring green. The store is family owned and operated for four generations, and offers a mix of clothing, gifts and home essentials. ninasdepartmentstore.com

North Earth Crystals & Gifts is a place where you can find gifts, crystals, jewelry, and decor for mindful living, within a gentle, welcoming ambiance.northearth.com

Jewlry

Pamela’s Fine Jewelry is located in downtown spring green and offers a large jewelry selection, jewelry cleaning and inspection, custom jewelry and more. pamelasfinejewlery-sg.com

The Opal Man specializes in high quality Australian opal varieties, which are hand picked and crafted. The Opal man is located in Spring Green and can craft, rings, earrings, pendants and even bolo ties. theopalman.com

No Rules Gallery (SG) features work from over 70 local and regional artist, offering one of a kind items including jewelry and leather work.

Over the Moon Weddings & Midnight Divas

DJ, Joni Johnson-Kropp

midnightdivas@yahoo.com

Scott Siewart, Full TIlt DJ’s (608) 886-1117

Docs Ultimate Entertainment docsultimate@gmail.com

DJ Robbie Robb (Mazo)djrobbierob1027.com

Venue

Wisconsin Riverside Resort is located on the banks of the Wisconsin River and offers a banquet hall equipped with a stage, dance floor, private bar and we offer in-house catering for events.

Sugarland Barn is a 150 year old garden estate in Arena that perfectly exemplifies Wisconsin character. Offering a variety of options for weddings, rehearsal dinners and bridal showers. Octagon Barn was built in 1893 and is situated in the rolling hills just outside of spring green, providing a beautiful background for a wedding.

Some time ago, we announced the soft launch of a semi-regular to regular literary section we've been inspired by other literary compilations to call Lexington & Jefferson

As the pivotal intersection of our community, we envision this as a place that celebrates the cross-section of arts in our greater community.

We envision it as a place of curated and submitted prose, poetry and more that showcase the talents of our community.

Margerine did have its heyday, however short-lived, in the Seventies and Eighties Everyone knew:

“It ’s not nice to fool Mother nature.”

or a small voice would declare “Butter” when the Parkay tub was opened ever so slightly.

Imperial crowns appeared on people’s heads and, of course:

“Everything IS better with Blue Bonnet on it ”

What is Lexington & Jefferson?

Each edition we receive submissions of artwork, poetry, prose and other musings that we have trouble placing in the paper on their own and often have to simply hold or regrettably turn down. We hope this becomes a welcome place for them. This space will grow and change, as all things do, and we welcome talented individuals, organizations, authors, experts and artists to help curate this section. We are beginning to actively seek to publish an

In the Eighties no doubt my dad would have disowned me had he realized that in my apartment, Parkay and Blue Bonnet were regular inhabitants of my cupboards.

annual literary journal. If interested, please reach out on ways to help.

(Admittedly we all do crazy things in our twenties )

We may also use this space for arts & culture news and submitted musings that don't quite fit within the bounds of a traditional column, profile or letter to the editor.

Growing up, Mom started us out early, helping her and learning how to cook As a child I remember sitting on the barstools that would bring my small frame up to the counter, my tiny legs dangled a foot or so from the floor. Maybe, I would be tasked with operating the sifter, or carefully measuring out

Get involved: If you're interested in submitting, curating or have ideas, please do not hesitate at all to submit them to us at: editor@valleysentinelnews.com

Lexington & Jefferson

LITERARY + ARTS & CULTURE SECTION

Musings from the End of the Rainbow

Take a journey with me to the end of the Rainbow. I grew up at the end of Rainbow Road, a beautiful and magical place in a River Valley, just outside of a town called Spring Green. Following are stories and reflections of a simpler time.....

The Butter Stick

Wisconsin and its fertile soil

The Butter Stick

Wisconsin and its fertile soil

Spring Green with its rolling meadows: Speckled in the summertime with hundreds of yellow dots

Spring Green with its rolling meadows: Speckled in the summertime with hundreds of yellow dots

As kids we would run among the fields scooping up handfuls of dandelions to conduct the ultimate test: Do you like Butter?

As if such a test was ever needed on me!

As kids we would run among the fields scooping up handfuls of dandelions to conduct the ultimate test: Do you like Butter?

and mix in sugar until fluffy ” Just I had so many times before, as mom turned away to scoop out the flour and pull down the salt or baking soda,

As if such a test was ever needed on me!

Holding just one or a handful of five or six bunched together, the dandelion test never failed.

A yellow glow under one’s chin when the dandelions were placed there confirmed, without a doubt as to whether that person did indeed like butter.

I ever so quickly grabbed The Butter Stick and took a lick.

Holding just one or a handful of five or six bunched together the dandelion test never failed.

The dandelions had proven numerous times: I, Lanita Lins did indeed love butter.

She’d turn, I’d lick: Turn, Lick, Turn, Lick

A yellow glow under one’s chin when the dandelions were placed there confirmed, without a doubt as to whether that person did indeed like butter.

Margerine did have its heyday, however short-lived, in the Seventies and Eighties Everyone knew:

It ’s not nice to fool Mother nature. or a small voice would declare “Butter” when the Parkay tub was opened ever so slightly. Imperial crowns appeared on people’s heads and, of course:

Margerine did have its heyday, however short-lived, in the Seventies and Eighties Everyone knew:

It ’s not nice to fool Mother nature.

It was the perfectly timed Caper: Until of course, it wasn’t I pushed my luck one lick too far, mom turning back around mid-lick

“You like butter so dam much you can eat the whole stick!”

She towered over me and proceeded to watch as I grimaced, choking down the entire stick

or a small voice would declare “Butter” when the Parkay tub was opened ever so slightly.

Everything IS better with Blue Bonnet on it

Imperial crowns appeared on people’s heads and, of course:

In the Eighties no doubt my dad would have disowned me had he realized that in my apartment

Parkay and Blue Bonnet were regular inhabitants of my cupboards.

All these years later, although my memory has mom forcing me to eat the entire stick, I now believe she probably just cut off the lick infected area and had me eat it.

“Everything IS better with Blue Bonnet on it ”

In the Eighties no doubt my dad would have disowned me had he realized that in my apartment,

(Admittedly we all do crazy things in our twenties )

The thing is whether it was a whole stick or just a sliver off the stick: I still love Butter.

Parkay and Blue Bonnet were regular inhabitants of my cupboards.

Growing up Mom started us out early helping her and learning how to cook As a child I remember sitting on the barstools that would bring my small frame up to the counter, my tiny legs dangled a foot or so from the floor. Maybe I would be tasked with operating the sifter, or carefully measuring out two teaspoons of baking soda.

Margerine IS a jailable offence, and NO piece of bread or baked potato is properly dressed unless there is a Puddle of Butter left Swimming on the Plate.

(Admittedly we all do crazy things in our twenties )

I haven’t licked a butter stick since that day and when I see children running around in the summer with bouquets of dandelions, I immediately want to toss off my shoes and gather some for myself knowing full well they would prove what I already know: I love Butter:

Before I learned addition or multiplications, I could tell you how many teaspoons were in a tablespoon or ounces in a cup. How much a pinch was or the difference when a recipe called for two cups of “sifted flour ” versus two cups of “flour sifted”

Growing up Mom started us out early helping her and learning how to cook As a child I remember sitting on the barstools that would bring my small frame up to the counter, my tiny legs dangled a foot or so from the floor. Maybe, I would be tasked with operating the sifter, or carefully measuring out two teaspoons of baking soda.

I adored the days I spent helping mom, covered in flour, learning the art of how by mixing this item or that item delicious warm cookies would magically appear, or the gooiest richest fudge would be created for our nighttime ice cream treat.

But I love the memory of helping my momma bake even more

Before I learned addition or multiplications, I could tell you how many teaspoons were in a tablespoon or ounces in a cup. How much a pinch was or the difference when a recipe called for two cups of “sifted, flour ” versus two cups of “flour sifted”

I was her number one helper and biggest fan

It also didn’t hurt that by doing so I was always first in line for “licking ” off any beaters or “cleaning” out any bowl of batter.

Dandelions and Butter seem to transport me right back onto that bar stool, Legs dangling, Sifting flour, And

I adored the days I spent helping mom, covered in flour, learning the art of how by mixing this item or that item delicious warm cookies would magically appear, or the gooiest richest fudge would be created for our nighttime ice cream treat.

— Mary Lanita Schulz

I was her number one helper and biggest fan

Practicing the perfectly timed Caper

CROSSWORD

I remember so clearly the day I sat and helped her with a batch of cookies. The Butter Stick sitting center stage waiting for its introduction into the bowl. As with most recipes, it read, cream butter and then add

It also didn’t hurt that by doing so I was always first in line for licking off any beaters or “cleaning” out any bowl of batter.

We were recently told "any

worth its salt has a respectable crossword" — and to be clear, we're pretty salty. What about chess puzzles next? Give

I remember so clearly the day I sat and helped her with a batch of cookies. The Butter Stick sitting center stage waiting for its introduction into the bowl. As with most recipes, it read, “cream butter and then add

as we've never made a crossword before, much less a respectable one, and it's surprisingly difficult.

MEETING: Village of Spring Green Plan Commission & JEZC

CIVICS & SERVICES

CIVICS & SERVICES CALENDAR

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

June 1:

Friends of the Spring Green Library Book Collection 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Commmunity Room, Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St. Spring Green springgreenlibrary.org The Friends of the Spring Green Community Library will accept donations of gently used books, DVDs, and CDs for resale. Donations of no more than four boxes are preferred. Proceeds from book sales help support library programs and other amenities. Damaged books, encyclopedias, textbooks, and instruction manuals are not accepted, and the Friends reserve the right to limit the quantity of items accepted and/or refuse donations that do not meet library needs.

June 2:

VOLUNTEER: Driftless Trail Workday 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM Welsh Hills Trail, Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center, 5607 County Rd C, Spring Green driftlessconservancy.org Join for a few hours to build and maintain segments of the Driftless Trail. This is fun and rewarding work! We will construct the Welsh Hills ridge trail during the spring and fall, and maintain the other trails during the summer. We provide tools and training.

June 4: Plain LIONS Meeting 7:00 PM 510 Main Street Plain villageofplain.com Arena Village Board Meeting 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Village Hall, 345 West Street, Arena villageofarena.net

June 7: Spring Green Red Cross Donation 11:30 AM - 5:30 PM Christ Lutheran Church, 237 E Daley, Spring Green redcrossblood.org Schedule a Blood, Platelet or Plasma Donation.

June 9:

Friends of the Little Brown Church Annual Meeting 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Brown Church, 29864 Brown Church Drive, Lone Rock Questions? 608-356-8421.The Annual Meeting of the Friends of the Little Brown Church will be held at the Brown Church starting at 2:00 p.m. We are a non-profit group formed in 1999 to restore and maintain the Brown Church in Bear Valley, Wisconsin, and promote awareness of local history. New members are welcome.

Wildlife Forever ATV Club 6:30 PM Arena VFW, 514 Willow St, Arena For more info look up Wildlife Forever ATV Club on Facebook.

June 10: Spring Green Library Board Meeting 5:00 PM . Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green springgreenlibrary.com The Library Board of Trustees meets each month, typically on the first or second Monday, at 5 PM. Changes to this schedule are posted at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. The meetings are open to the public.

June 11:

VOLUNTEER: Stream Monitoring at Lowery Creek Watershed 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM Lowery Creek, South Farm, Spring Green savannainstitute.org Join us for a fun morning of stream monitoring at Savanna Institute’s South Farm. We’ll be monitoring two stream sites. No experience required; training will be provided. Please dress appropriately for outdoor work (weather appropriate, tall grass, muddy conditions). Tall rubber boots or waders are useful but not strictly required. Be prepared to walk a quarter mile through grass and uneven terrain. Please bring your own water and a snack.

Village of Lone Rock Board Meeting 7:00 PM villageoflonerock.com Village Hall, 314 E Forest St, Lone Rock . See full agenda online June 12: Village of Spring Green Board Meeting 7:00 PM In person and virtual event 154 N. Lexington Street, Spring Green vi.springgreen.wi.gov Plain Village Board Meeting 6:30 PM 510 Main Street, Plain villageofplain.com

Morrill Lecture Series announces 2024 season focused on community and storytelling

The Morrill Lecture Series has unveiled its 2024 season, with a theme centered on "Connecting through Stories." This year's lectures aim to foster a sense of community and connectedness through the art of storytelling.

The series will kick off on June 18 with an event titled "Telling our Stories through Food," featuring author Susan Apps-Bodilly, the daughter of area author Jerry Apps. Held at the Octagon Barn, the event will begin with a community potluck at 5:30 p.m., followed by the lecture from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Apps-Bodilly will delve into family recipes and their historical significance, highlighting dishes from her book, Old Farm Country Cookbook. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own family recipes and stories to share.

The Morrill Lecture Series was established in honor of Joshua Morrill, who, along with his wife Stef, envisioned creating a platform for community learning and connection. Despite Joshua's untimely passing in 2019, Stef Morrill Kerckhoff continues to drive the mission forward, supported by River Valley Commons.

Rural Musicians Forum announces 2024 series, Varshavski-Shapiro piano duo to perform June 10

Oh, the music you will hear from four hands on one concert grand piano!

May 3:

The opening performance of Rural Musicians Forum’s summer concert series will feature a sparkling piano 4-hands concert on Mon. June 10, 7:00 PM at Taliesin’s Hillside School Theater.

The Varshavski-Shapiro Piano Duo is comprised of internationally acclaimed pianists Stanislava Varshavski and Diana Shapiro. The artists began playing together in 1998 and since then have gone on to capture the top prizes at numerous competitions.

Mon July 8, 7:00 PM | Slowpoke Lounge Wonderporium

Improv Auditory Landscapes from piano, brass, and percussion with electronic effects.

VOLUNTEER: Driftless Trail Workday 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM Welsh Hills, 5481 County Rd C, Spring Green . Help us give this view from the top of Hills on the Taliesin property to future Driftless Trail hikers! Volunteer build trail tread traversing the north side of the Welsh Hills, near the Frank Wright Visitor Center. Come for all or part of the day. Willie Bitter from Trailbuilders will lead volunteers and provide tools. No previous experience needed. Please register for Driftless Trail workdays online so they can notify you in case of weather cancellation.

May 4:

Their concert will include works of Schubert and Rachmaninoff and will feature the music of Stravinsky’s delightful ballet “Petrouchka.”

Mon July 22, 7:00 PM | Cornerstone Church

The Fuse Trio

Classical/Jazz Crossover sounds with saxophone clarinet & piano

Mon Aug 5, 7:00 PM | Cornerstone Church

VOLUNTEER: Driftless Trail Workday 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM Welsh Hills, 5481 County Rd C, Spring Green Help us give this view from the top of Hills on the Taliesin property to future Driftless Trail hikers! Come for all day. No previous experience needed. Please register for Driftless Trail so they can send details and notify you in case of weather cancellation.

Jean Laurenz - Trumpet and Piano Piano and Trumpet extraordinaire, presenting an eclectic repertoire of Classical to Pop.

Additional upcoming lectures will be held on:

• July 16, 6:30 p.m.

• August 20, 6:30 p.m.

• September 10, 6:00 p.m.

• September 23, 6:30 p.m.

• October 15, 6:30 p.m.

Each event in the series is designed to create a shared space for both speakers and attendees to exchange stories, thereby building empathy and understanding within the community. The series emphasizes the power of storytelling in uniting people and encouraging critical thinking and optimism.

River Valley Commons supports the Morrill Lecture Series, which aligns with its broader mission to nourish the creative spirit of the community.

The organization provides financial support for artists and cultural programs through fundraising events, memberships, and corporate and individual donations.

All events are free to the public and do not require tickets. For more information on the Morrill Lecture Series, including a detailed schedule of events, visit morrilllectures.org.

The concert will be general admission with a suggested donation of $15 per person. The Frank Lloyd Wright designed Taliesin Hillside School Theater is located at 6604 State Hwy 23, Spring Green, WI.

Rural Musicians Forum has been presenting concerts and outreach programs in the River Valley since 1986 with most events on a free-will donation basis. The Piano 4-Hands concert on June 10 is just the first of the seven concert summer series.

Friends of the Library Book Collection 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Commmunity Room, Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St. Spring Green springgreenlibrary.org The Friends of the Spring Green Community Library accept donations of gently used books, DVDs, and CDs for resale. Donations more than four boxes are preferred. Proceeds from book sales help support programs and other amenities. Damaged books, encyclopedias, textbooks, instruction manuals are not accepted, and the Friends reserve the right quantity of items accepted and/or refuse donations that do not meet Plain LIONS Informational Meeting 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Lone Rock Building, 214 Broadway St., Lone Rock See Facebook for full agenda. May 5: Spring Green Library Board Meeting 5:00 PM Spring Green Community 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green springgreenlibrary.com The Library Trustees meets each month, typically on the first or second Monday, at to this schedule are posted at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. The open to the public.

Following is the full lineup for the 2024 Summer Series including classical, jazz improvisation, and even an Americana all-women’s band:

Mon Aug 19, 7:00 PM Cornerstone Church

Oakwood Chamber Players

Strings and winds and 39 years of performance excellence.

Sun Sept 1, 5:00 PM |Wyoming Valley Cultural Arts Center Lawn Awful Purdies

Ticketed event - bring a picnic

This Folk-Americana collective of multiinstrumental women will entertain with harmonies, humor and insight.

Arena Historians Room Open to Public 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM Grandma (Brisbane Hall), 175 US Hwy 14, Arena The Arena Historians room (where was in the school) will be open the first Sunday of every month. Come scrapbooks, pictures, and all kinds of things relating to Arena History.

May 7:

Plain LIONS Organizational Meeting 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM Lone Rock Building, 214 Broadway St., Lone Rock See Facebook for full agenda.

Mon June 10, 7:00 PM | Taliesin’s Hillside School Theater Piano 4-Hands

For more information about the Rural Musicians Forum, go to ruralmusiciansforum.org.

Village Of Arena Regular Board Meeting 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Village Street, Arena villageofarena.net

Plain LIONS Meeting villageofplain.com

May 8:

Internationally acclaimed VarshavskiShapiro Piano Duo

Plain Village Board Meeting 510 Main Street, Plain villageofplain.com Village of Spring Green Board Meeting In person and virtual N. Lexington Street, Spring Green

May 13:

Mon June 24, 7:00 PM | Cornerstone Church

MEETING: Wildlife Forever ATV Club Arena VFW, 514 Willow

New Milwaukee Consort Sounds of the Renaissance and Baroque, with words and music whose stories resonate across the centuries.

For more info look up Wildlife Forever ATV Club on Facebook. Arena Historians Meeting Grandma Mary's (Brisbane Hall), 14, Arena This meeting will be aboutRoberts Store. If you are unable meeting will be held via Zoom as well. If you need more info on connecting please contact Peggy Peterson at pondex1@hotmail.com at least one the meeting.

May 14:

MEETING: Village of Lone Rock Board Meeting 7:00 PM villageoflonerock.com Village Hall, 314 E Forest St, Lone Rock See full agenda online.

Driftless Grace: Night Light

I missed both of the recent appearances of the Northern Lights. On the first night, while others posted gorgeous photos, the aurora by my house was doing its best impression of clouds. The next night, I was so excited to see it that I went to my viewing spot far too early and got too cold to stay. I later learned that if I had stuck it out for only an hour, I would have seen the lights.

stop and listen (or look, smell, taste, or feel), we will find a moment of peace. But it was a timely reminder, as peace had been hard to find that week.

FREE 18+ Every Thursday until May Arthur’s plays 7 games of Bingo. Bingo is FREE, food and Prizes for the winner of each game, donated by area businesses.

I think that if I keep missing the aurora, it will continue to happen. You’re welcome, everyone. Still, that second attempt was a valuable experience in its own right. I sat on my doorstep for a while, gazing at the dark-sky stars we get to see so readily in the Driftless. Then I moved to a spot farther back from the road. With insects humming, whippoorwills whipping, and unidentifiable creatures rustling in the woods nearby, the place was as alive with sound at night as it is with colorful flora in the daytime.

The next day was Mother’s Day. Mom and I spent part of the afternoon just walking around and looking at flowering trees and shrubs, surrounded by other families who were just walking and looking. Yes, they were taking pictures, but only because this peaceful moment was an event worth remembering. I even snapped a few myself.

sunday, February 25

I just sat there and listened. (I’m not trying to evangelize here, but for those keeping score, I didn’t look at my phone.) Although I was cold, nervous at being alone, and sneezing loudly the entire time, I was content to let the experience wash over me and not try to curate my surroundings. What Northern Lights?

When I left, it was with the feeling that as long as I can sit in the natural world once in a while, everything will be okay. It’s not a radical idea: if we just

P.S. In case you’re wondering, I have enjoyed the Northern Lights before: as a birthday present from the universe in March of 2016.

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.

Grace Vosen, Contributor

Grace Vosen

Photo via Rural Musicians Forum Piano 4-Hands, the internationally acclaimed Varshavski-Shapiro Piano Duo.

Reflections

from Lost Horizon Farm —

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

This Piggy Goes to Market

Although we generally called a livestock trucker when we had an animal to ship to the market, we did own an H+S 7xl0 foot cattle trailer. It was licensed to carry a load of up to two tons, and it was the sort of trailer that could be easily put on a ball hitch and pulled with a pickup truck. Mr. Farmer had cut some l" rubber cow mats and had pieced them onto the metal floor of our trailer. They made a surface that was easy to clean. The mattting was more comfortable and provided greater traction for livestock too. Our trailer had been used primarily for moving young calves. In other words, our trailer had a life of light use.

In contrast, the neighbor owned a trailer just a few months older than ours. His trailer exhibited the rusty dents, scrapes, and replaced and reinforced metal sections that underscored heavy use. Its end gate had been kicked so many times that it didn't fit quite as squarely with the back end as it was supposed to. The sliding handle of the end gate latch had been sheared off, so a twisted piece of wire served as the lock.

This neighbor kindly offered to haul another farmer's boar pig to the sale barn. After the animal had been loaded, the two men chatted amiably as they drove down the state highway toward the livestock market. The pair was surprised when they were passed by a car with its flashers on. The car's driver was honking her horn and wildly gesturing with her arms that they get off the road. The neighbor slowed his pickup and pulled off the highway and onto its shoulder and stopped behind the car.

The car's driver told the two that she had seen the pig fall out of the neighbor's trailer, bounce on the highway a few times and then roll over and run into an adjacent farmyard. Apparently, the pig had taken its snout and pushed up against the trailer's end gate, lifted it up and out, and had created a space large enough for escape.

It took considerable effort for the two men to corner and load up the energized (and possibly tenderized!) boar back into the trailer. The tantalizingly new surroundings had enervated the pig into a great state of excitement, and the men had no gates with which to direct porcine movement. Fortunately, they were able to get on either side of the pig and give it the prod poke that sent it back up into the trailer. The end gate was pounded back in place with a hammer, the wire lock more tightly wrapped, and the market journey resumed.

Whenever this episode was related, its conclusion always contained two positive reflections: the pig had not been injured by its escape, and the price of hogs that day had been sky high!

Ideas that Worked and Ideas that Didn't Work

One of the best things about farming was the option to experiment with ideas a person thought of or had read about. It was fun to test different theories; even if they did not work. A person had the experience of at least trying something new.

Mr. Farmer would gloat a little when an academic "discovered" something he had known, through firsthand experience, for years! For example, he had disagreed with a leading agronomist

This Piggy Goes to Market & Ideas That Did/Didn't Work (Part 1)

who told him corn silage combined with pasture was not a good fit because the dairy ration would be too high in fiber. At Lost Horizon Farm, we had used this combination with great success for years, and Mr. Farmer was heartened a few years later when the same scientist reversed his position on this subject!

Ideas that Didn't Work ):

One of the farm periodicals mentioned a study proving that cows exposed to at least 16 hours of light all year long showed an increase in milk production. Mr. Farmer thought this idea worthy of a trial at Lost Horizon Farm. The disused timer in the old chicken house was appropriated, transferred, and wired up in the barn. It was programmed so that the lights would automatically come on at 5AM and shut off at 9PM. Mr. Farmer allowed himself to bask in the knowledge that the neighbors would all see the lights on at 5AM and think that he was already working in the barn! In actuality, it was difficult for us to get to the barn much before 6AM and finish before 9PM. There were just too many times when the lights went out while we were still doing the evening milking!! The idea of having lights on a timer proved to be a little too regimented for our operation and our lifestyle. For five years, to increase production (as well as income), we milked our cows three times a day (at 6AM, 2PM and 9PM). It was a grueling schedule with just the two of us as milkers. It did result in higher production per cow and fewer cases of mastitis, but it also cost more in terms of energy consumption and wear on equipment. When Mr. Farmer read about a farmer who milked his cows every 10 hours, we were ready to experiment.. We adhered to this new regime for about 2 weeks. Because start up times were always changing as were our sleep and meal patterns, our biological clocks became just too confused to continue this method. The return to milking two times per day felt like a vacation when we returned to that "normal" pattern!

****

A new antihistamine appropriately named "Recover" worked wonders on cows with breathing problems (“Respiratory embarrassment” was the phrase our veterinarian coined.). Because it had worked so well with cows, Mr. Farmer decided he would try to use it on a calf that we found was having some breathing difficulties. Not seeing the dosage for a very young animal, Mr.Farmer just guessed at the appropriate number of cc 's. He injected the calf, and the little fellow got so wired by the dose that he began trying to climb up his calf panel. The calf did get better, but the veterinarian later told us the dosage had been five times what it should have been!

****

An afternoon’s mini-vacation/diversion from routine might have been a stroll along the crudely mowed paths at a nearby implement lot. It was always an interesting excursion and free if a person did not factor in the cost of fuel to get

there! This machinery lot was huge and home to all kinds of farm equipment. Some long-term resident pieces were so dated, they not only provided a history lesson but also a home for nesting birds. Inventory was ever changing as pieces were brought in or sold. One day, we discovered a large feeder wagon on display. Mr. Farmer thought this yellow machine could be reworked to morph into the big round bale shredder we needed, so he purchased it. After spending a lot of time (and some money) on adapting the machine by putting sickle sections on the beaters and fine tuning its operation, Mr. Farmer found the chain apron ran too fast. The bales would either get stuck or get shredded into pieces that were not fine enough. After becoming flummoxed by further efforts to improve its performance, Mr. Farmer parked this piece of machinery

in one of our machine sheds to await a future brainstorm. It became one of those projects a person never got around to completing. (Ever seen the paper circle stamped with the words: Round To It? Mr. Farmer always carried a few of those in his wallet!) The incomplete project and its machinery subject were referred to from then on as: "The Yellow Elephant." ...

Barb has called Lost Horizon Farm, just north of Spring Green, her home for the past 44 years. She is fond of all creatures (including snakes). Her joy stems from being able to be outdoors every day observing and treasuring the plant and animal life on her small piece of this planet. She loved milking cows and is proud to have been a dairy farmer.

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Barb Garvoille, Columnist

Barb Garvoille

Photo contributed by Barb Garvoille A Meishan boar pig in slumber.

The Sauk County Gardener

Stop Biting Me

“To me, there is nothing more soothing than the song of a mosquito that can’t get through the mesh to bite you.”

— Madison Smartt Bell

I am a mosquito magnet. Last weekend, I ended up with two huge mosquito bite welts after working in my garden. The welts lasted for several days, were hot to the tough, and pretty itchy. My hubby, on the other hand, was completely unscathed. Researchers have found that some people are simply more attractive to mosquitoes than others. Mosquitoes are attracted to carbon dioxide and odor. That means, people with a high metabolic rate and emit more carbon dioxide (that’s me talking), including those who are working out (that me in the garden), drinking alcohol (that’s me having a beer after working in the garden), and those who are pregnant (definitely not me) tend to be more attractive to mosquitoes. I can’t or won’t really change the things that make me attractive to mosquitoes. However, I also really dislike using bug spray just to work in my yard and sit on

“Tea began as a medicine and grew into a beverage.”

— Okakura Kakuzō

For some time, I have been considering a tea or a tea-theme garden in my yard. I enjoy a good cup of tea, so this past winter I started researching what plants would be good ones for a tea garden. I also mentioned my interest to my daughter, and she gifted me a couple of good books on the topic for my Mother’s Day gift. I am happy to say that many of the plants I already like to grow are excellent tea candidates.

If you want to grow your own tea, the first thing you’ll need to decide is what plants you will grow. I recommend growing plants that use the leaves, flowers, or fruit that are hardy in our zone, are relatively easy to grow, and have other uses in the garden such as being good pollinator

my deck. This has led me to research what I can do to repel mosquitoes other than the use of bug spray. This is what I found. As a gardener, I decided to research what plants might be the secret to repelling mosquitoes, especially for use on our outdoor deck. Any reason to buy another plant is all I needed to get started. I found there are some plants that will repel mosquitoes, but some are better than others. One of the first plants I considered was the ‘Citrosa’, aka the Mosquito plant. This is a citrusscented geranium and has been toted as having insect-repellent properties due to the smell it emits that is similar to citronella grass. Unfortunately, this is pretty ineffective against mosquitoes as ‘Citrosa’ contains less than 1% citronella (according to Iowa State University Extension and Outreach). However, if you crush the leaves and rub them on your skin, you may experience a 30-40% repellency of DEET. Lemon thyme is a better option as it offers more than 60% of DEET’s repellency. An added bonus is that this plant tends to be less expensive

plants or herbs for cooking.

A few plants you primarily use the leaves for tea and are good pollinator plants include anise hyssop, bee balm or wild bergamot, blackberry, catnip, and pineapple sage. In the mint family, consider planting apple mint, chocolate mint, lemon mint, lavender mint, spearmint, and peppermint. Remember mint should be contained or it will take over your garden bed. If you like to use fresh herbs in your cooking, there are several of them whose leaves are also great for tea. Herbs to consider include parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram. Stevia can provide a natural sweetener for your tea as well. If you enjoy the idea of pretty flowers, here are just a few that also make a lovely tea: calendula, chamomile, echinacea – purple coneflower, lavender, purple passionflower, rose, yarrow, and tufted violet-a.k.a. Johnny jump-ups. The last group to consider planting in your

CHRIS HARDIE'S 'BACK HOME' COLUMN

Celebrate dairy industry and keep it strong

June is Dairy Month in Wisconsin, a time when we may attend a breakfast on a farm or some other event to celebrate this important industry.

Even though the number of Wisconsin dairy farms has fallen dramatically, dairy is still a major industry for the state. According to a recent publication “Wisconsin Farming: Insights from the 2022 Census of Agriculture,” by Jeff Hadacheck and Steven Deller, total revenue from milking cows was $7.35 billion accounting for 44.0% of total farm revenues. That revenue came from 5,676 farms with milk cows, or 5.1% of all farms.

The typical dairy farm had total revenue from sales of almost $1.3 million which compares to typical Wisconsin farm which had revenue from sales of $151,287.

I grew up on a dairy farm, where my parents had a 65-cow herd. Back in the 1970s nearly every farmer had at least some dairy cattle and 65 head was considered large. Now you can drive 10 miles in almost any direction from our farm before you find a herd, with the average Wisconsin herd size at 226 cows.

The loss of dairy farms in Wisconsin has been going on for decades. When my great-grandfather was milking cows in 1930, there were 167,000 dairy farms in the state.

When my parents sold their herd in 2000, Wisconsin had dipped under 25,000 herds.

than ‘Citrosa’ and is hardy in zones 5-9, so you should be able to winter it over in your garden.

There are several other fragrant plants you may consider for your containers and in your garden. Lavender's smell that we all enjoy is thought to have an offensive smell to mosquitoes. Another flower to consider is marigolds. Its smell comes from pyrethrum and is also disliked by mosquitoes. In the mint family, consider planting lemon balm, peppermint, or catnip. Lemon balm smells lemony and minty, and has lovely white flowers that are attractive to pollinators while driving away mosquitoes. With catnip, keep in mind that while it may repel mosquitoes, it is also an attractant for cats. Garlic and basil are two plants we typically grow just for eating but they also repel mosquitoes. Grow rosemary for its culinary uses and for its great scent when some of its leaves/ branches are burned in your firepit. You’ll enjoy the piney smell while repelling mosquitoes. Lemongrass contains citronella and gives off a pleasant lemony scent. In fact, the oil from the leaves and

garden is the fruit category. Not only are they great in tea, they’re also delicious to eat. In the fruit category, consider black currant, raspberry, and strawberry.

Once you’ve identified what plants (and their flavors) you want to plant, you can simply incorporate them into your regular beds or create a new “tea garden” for your tea plants. This is a great opportunity to create a theme for your garden. For example, you could create a lemonthemed garden by planting lemongrass, lemon verbena, lemon balm, and lemon mint. If you’re looking to create a relaxing theme, you can’t go wrong with lavender, purple passionflower, red clover, and St. John’s wort. Prone to headaches? Planting peppermint, chamomile, tufted violet, and apple mint. These are just a few combinations to consider. For many of these plants, the leaves, flowers, and fruits can be used fresh. To get the best flavor, harvest early and often. Cut

stems of lemongrass plants is what is used to create citronella as we know it. These are a few options to consider adding to your garden to help ward off mosquitoes. However, the most important thing to remember is that none of these plants will repel those bloodsucking monsters just growing in a pot. You’ll have to crush the leaves to release their repellent oils and rub them on your skin. If you want to try this, remember to test a small area on your body to make sure you’re not allergic. No need to trade one problem for another. I’m hoping my use of these various plants will make me less of a magnet to mosquitoes. If not, at least I’ll have some pretty flowers and herbs that I can also eat.

This article is written by Jeannie Manis, a Wisconsin Certified Sauk County Master Gardener Volunteer. If you have any gardening questions, please contact the Extension Sauk County by emailing to trripp@wisc.edu or calling the University of Wisconsin Madison Division of Extension Sauk County office at 608-3553250.

early in the morning, and for those that you wish to use the leaves, harvest before they flower. If you want to enjoy tea from your garden in the winter, you’ll need to dry the leaves, flowers, and/or fruit to preserve for future use. You can air dry, oven dry, or dehydrate them. For each method, you’ll first need to wash the leaves and pat dry to remove as much moisture as possible. Once dried, store the dried material in a glass jar with a lid, label the date, and store in a cool, dry location. Add some of these plants to your garden, and you’ll give “tea time” a whole new meaning. This article is written by Jeannie Manis, a Wisconsin Certified Sauk County Master Gardener Volunteer. If you have any gardening questions, please contact the Extension Sauk County by emailing to trripp@wisc.edu or calling the University of Wisconsin Madison Division of Extension Sauk County office at 608-3553250.

In 2017 there were 9,100 herds. The 2022 Census of Agriculture reports the number of dairy herds at 6,216 and the Wisconsin Agricultural Statistics Service says as of March 1, there were 5,617 dairy herds. The economic developer in me looks at the positive impact dairy still has on the state. The dairy industry creates 157,000 jobs, and every dollar generated produces

another $1.73 in additional revenue for the state.

Today’s farmer knows how to maximize milk production – the average cow in Wisconsin produces 8.2 gallons of milk every day. Supply is not the issue – farmers know how to produce milk. Then again, supply is the issue. Demand does not always equal supply, which is why prices swing back and forth.

But Wisconsin’s agricultural legacy of

family dairy farms is dying. Years of low milk prices take their toll. Farmers cannot take the financial and emotional stress of working long hours every day of the year knowing that you’re going backwards. All business -- and dairy farming is a business -- goes through constant change. Markets change. Jobs go away. One need only look at the upheaval in the auto, steel and coal industry. When plants close, communities suffer.

Wisconsin families and our rural communities suffer when dairy farms go out of business. The local feed store, hardware store, banks, grocery stores and schools feel it. The bigger farms can fill the milk production void but cannot replace the local economic impact.

I helped out on my parent’s farm the day they sold the cows. We moved cows from the barn into the sale ring. I watched as years of quality genetics were sold at bargain prices.

It was late afternoon and we milked a few of the cows before they were loaded onto the trailers. One more time I heard the familiar hum of the vacuum pump. One last time I watched the milk flow through the glass jar in the milkhouse into the bulk tank.

With only a few cows to milk, the barn was eerily quiet. The milking units were cleaned. The pump was shut down. A silent sadness hung over the valley. Those days are gone, but the dairy industry

remains important to our region and to Wisconsin. The science and research to support additional products and markets for dairy products is essential.

Celebrate Dairy Month. Take your child or grandchild to your local breakfast on the farm. Show them where milk comes from. Buy and enjoy delicious Wisconsin dairy products.

We need to keep our family farms strong to help keep rural Wisconsin relevant and growing.

Chris Hardie spent more than 30 years as a reporter, editor and publisher. He was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and won dozens of state and national journalism awards. He is a former president of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. Contact him at chardie1963@gmail.com.

Jeannie Manis, Wisconsin Certified Master Gardener

Jeannie Manis, Wisconsin Certified Master Gardener

Tea Time

Chris Hardie, Columnist

Chris Hardie

Photo by Julianna Williams, Graphic Designer Dairy cows grazing in southwest Wisconsin.

An Outdoorsman’s Journal

Mark Walters, Columnist

Hello friends,

Each May I go trout fishing somewhere in Wisconsin. This week I headed down to Columbia County to fish Rowan Creek. I grew up in Poynette and fished Rowan Creek hundreds of times as a kid and I have to admit, those getaways were my escape from a drawn out divorce that my parents went through when I was young boy. Instead of fishing the easy to get to waters I chose to put my canoe in on the Wisconsin river and go to an area that is remote and to be perfectly honest, very dangerous to get to.

Sunday, May 12th

High 73°, Low 44°

So here is the plan, with my 8-yearold golden retriever Ruby as my partner I was going to canoe through very challenging shallow water that will soon become wild rice and if you get stuck, it seems like there is no bottom, as in muck. Then it is at least a mile up Rowan creek and the last mile of this journey is one deadfall after the other crossing the creek. The shoreline is all marsh and I honestly feel that zero people fish here as it is simply too difficult and dangerous. My 2-hour trip was finalized with a decision, I will never do this again.

I have trapped, duck hunted and muzzleloader hunted back here, including one 9 day trip and once I

trout fished and caught a 19-inch brown trout. The wild rice is creating and trapping sediment and where I ice fished as a boy, it is no longer fishable. The hole I planned on fishing was choked with deadfalls so I traveled further upstream and found an L shaped hole that was maybe 40-yards long and deep. This is where I would spend my next 24 hours.

As soon as I started to become comfortable a powerful storm smacked the heck out of Ruby and I and I pulled a tarp over us and weathered it out. About 4:00 I became serious as far as catching trout and went with my usual small gold hook, a current appropriate split shot and a half a crawler.

For 2 hours nothing happened but I knew I had to be patient. Good luck came my way when something big hit the crawler and fought like a bull in a China shop, using the current and its muscle. I landed what was a 17-inch brown trout and as far as I was concerned the trip was a success. Another 2 hours went by, I was in my glory watching ducks and geese and one time a hen wood duck just about take my head off before it spotted me and just like that I had another big fish on.

Anyone that stream fishes for trout knows how insane it is keeping a big fish out of deadfalls and that was the case today, in what for me seemed quite rare, my second trout was exactly 17-inches as well.

Day became night, I only had the 2

bites, I switched to minnows after dark and fished for 2 hours with no action. In what was a last night for a while that you could do this, I slept on a tarp on the ground. As soon as I laid down it started raining. I covered up and made the best of it and had zero mosquito action. Monday, May 13th

High 77°, Low 40° I was fishing by 4:30 and confident. By 6 I had not had a bite. At 6:15 Moby Dick hit my crawler and when I first saw Moby I thought she was a carp. Then I realized Moby was a sumo brown trout. My 3rd and last bite of this trip turned out to be a 22-inch brown trout, the biggest of my life. I was careful on the handling and release, fished another 6 hours without

anything significant happening, packed up and made the decision, possibly, I will return someday.

Sunset

to read more?

out previous weeks’ columns at www.outdoorsmansjournal.com

Follow along the adventures of Mark Walters, a syndicated outdoor adventure columnist who lives in Necedah, Wisconsin. He began writing his column, An Outdoorsman’s Journal, in 1989. It includes hunting, fishing, lots of canoeing and backpacking. He currently writes for around 60 newspapers. He hopes you enjoy reading about his adventures!

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Photo contributed by Mark Walters

It was tough going to get to trout paradise.

Big Trout/Trout Trip

Photo contributed by Mark Walters No tent on this trip.

Photo contributed by Mark Walters This 22-inch brown trout gave an excellent fight and then was released.