Valley Sentinel - 06-13-2024

Spring Green, Wisconsin

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hillside Theater at Taliesin reopens after five-year, $1.1 million restoration

Historic theater debuts to the public following significant structural, functional & accessibility improvements

The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and Taliesin Preservation recently announced the reopening of the Hillside Theater at Taliesin, Wright’s home and studio in Spring Green, following a fiveyear, $1.1 million restoration project to revive the space to its former glory.

Originally built in 1903 as part of the Hillside Home School founded by Wright’s aunts, the Hillside Theater has served as a historic and cultural landmark within the Driftless Area for over a century. The theater has seen various transformations over the decades, from its initial use as a multipurpose space to a dedicated playhouse for the Taliesin Fellowship, Wright’s apprentice program, where they hosted public movie screenings and concerts.

The restoration project, which began in 2019, addressed significant structural and functional challenges. Key efforts included resolving sub-grade water infiltration that had damaged the stage and surrounding areas; installing an HVAC system to improve climate control and comfort; and enhancing accessibility with new pathways and facilities. Other project focus areas included upgrades to the electrical and plumbing systems, roofing repairs, the addition of new green rooms in the basement, and exterior and interior finish repairs. Conservation specialists also restored two major Asian bodhisattva sculptures and the handmade theater curtain—designed by Wright and sewn by the Taliesin

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Arena appoints village president as Sheriff’s office liaison, board member share concerns about policing hours, survey

At the June 7 regular board meeting of the Village of Arena Board of Trustees, the board discussed the results of a police survey, appointed a liaison to the Iowa County Sheriff's office and made appointments to the newly restructured Public Safety Committee.

Members also discussed changing the current ordinance for lawn height to allow for residents to participate in No Mow May. To finish the meeting, the board empowered the clerk to apply with the state for a water rate increase.

Police survey results

Results from the policing survey given to Arena residents, open April 19 to May 17, were recently made public as the Arena Village Board again discussed various issues around the future of emergency services and public safety.

The survey gave residents three options for the future of policing services provided in the village. The survey had

106 respondents. 32 voted to maintain the Arena Police Department as it existed prior to November 2023—when

it went part time, which included two full time and one part time officers. 28 voted to reduce the department to a single full time officer and 46 voted to dissolve the Arena Police Department entirely and contract the Iowa County Sheriff’s Office for ordinance enforcement.

All options had an estimated monetary cost to taxpayers, with the last option— presented as the estimated cheapest option—predicated on a maximum of four hours per week of contracting with Iowa County.

Survey respondents were also asked to rank the importance of five basic public services. Results, in order of importance, were: Fire/EMS, infrastructure, police, parks and recreation and business and development.

Surveys were sent out by mail to most

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Savannah Kirmis, Contributed

Luukas Palm-Leis, Editorial Intern

Photo via Village of Arena The first page of the agreement for policing between Arena and Iowa County, QR code inlaid.

Photo by Kyle Docker, courtesy of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation The Hillside Theater at Taliesin after its recent multi-year renovation.

Arena Village Board hears results of police survey 4PeteSake 2024 recipient profiles

OPINION/EDITORIAL

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dear Editor, Wisconsin’s Public Education system was once the envy of our nation. By design, this is no longer true! Wisconsin State Senator Chris Larson (District 7) serves on the Senate Education Committee and what is written below comes from his written observations.

“For over three-decades, Wisconsin has been a proving ground for a host of aggressive privatization efforts that undermine our public-schools in favor of

Dear Editor,

For several months I have been receiving emails and watching ads on television requesting me to pray for Israelis who were fleeing their enemy, and for the Israeli soldiers. Many of the requests came from The Fellowship of Christians and Jews. Requests like my e-mail and the ads emphasize, “helping God’s people” and sitting alongside like a tossed salad was the scripture reading, Psalm 138:7

Nothing is mentioned in the prayer requests for the displacements of thousands of Palestinians, the death of the elderly, aid workers being killed, and many hospitals being destroyed. From the beginning of time we have placed into categories, “good” and “bad” people. We white, Christian people somehow always manage to be in the group with the

Your Right to Know:

Officials

Imagine I sue a school district for refusing to provide copies of records.

On the cover

On a recent trip and hike of the Spring Green Preserve (off Angelo Road via Jones Road in Spring Green), a State Natural Area and Knowles Nelson Stewardship Fund recipient co-managed by The Nature Conservancy.

An invasive spongy moth outbreak, covered more on page 11, was shocking, with hundreds and thousands of caterpillars on already defoliated trees throughout the Preserve.

The shock subsided when summiting the bluff, with a beautiful view of Spring Green as the sun went down and the evening set in and the whip-poor-wils sang.

unaccountable private schools. We cannot afford to fund two separate/unequal systems.”

“The Republican majority gets an “F” for its handling of public-education. Nearly one-quarter of state residents live in districts that held $1,600,000,000 worth of school referendums this spring to try to make up for short funding. 91 of our school districts advanced 101 referendum questions this spring - the largest number ever requested in a single

“good” guys.

I am leery of one lined scripture verses being used to promote any point of view. One line scripture has very little meaning to me unless the entire paragraph is studied. Following a look at the paragraph I put its meaning alongside the entire book. Following the reading of the entire book of Psalms I need to ask who wrote this, to whom was it written and what is the text telling us today?

Psalm 138 is a song of praise for a community who has just received their freedom. Being a restored community, they are challenged to carry out their vocation to give support to the lowly and the weak, ALL THOSE WHO ARE SUFFERING. What’s with all the prayers? Are we trying to get the attention of God? Maybe if we get a million prayers God will place it first on the list of things for God to do.

election period.”

With a multi-billion-dollar state surplus, Republicans chose not to invest in all students, but give a record increase in funding to voucher schools. They also pushed multiple tax cuts for the rich and corporations.

“Republicans in the legislature like Sen. Joan Ballweg have been defunding our colleges and universities for decades. In 1984, state funding made up 41.7% of UW System revenues. By 2023,

Of course I am being facetious, but why do we pray?

Every time there is a school shooting some politicians extend their prayers. How about talking less and taking more action about gun control and mental health?

Every time we are in a drought, we pray for rain. How about talking more seriously about climate change and the changes we need to make in our lives. Every time there is a war we extend our prayers to one side or the other. How about talking more seriously about why this war happened and what we can do to bring about peace and wholeness to all.

I suggest we pray because life comes from God, and we offer our life back in prayer. Prayer assists me in being centered and I see how God is a fountain

must bear burden of proof in records cases

Do I have to prove I’m entitled to them, or does the district have to prove it can withhold them?

That’s a question the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, along with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, have asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to clarify, in a friend-of-the-court amicus brief filed on May 22. This can be a complex topic, so let’s start with the basics. In court cases, one of the parties always has the “burden of proof” — the obligation to convince the court that its side is right. Most people are familiar with that concept in criminal cases. Every person is presumed innocent until proven guilty, and prosecutors have to prove their case “beyond a reasonable doubt” to convict a defendant.

In civil cases, plaintiffs have the burden to prove they are owed damages (or other relief) from defendants, but the burden is much lower — by the “greater weight” or preponderance of evidence.

For example, if liability for a car crash depends on who ran the red light, the plaintiff must prove it was more likely than not that the defendant ran the light. Records cases are civil cases, but the burden is reversed from the normal civil case. The Open Records Law creates a presumption that government records are public, which means that government records custodians must prove their case in order to win, usually by establishing an applicable exception. For example, if they claim that releasing the records will put somebody in danger,

they must prove the danger is reasonably likely to occur; they can’t engage in mere speculation. If they claim the record is an exempt “draft,” they must prove its creator kept it for personal use and didn’t circulate it.

At least, that’s what the vast majority of records cases have said. But a handful of cases have suggested the opposite — that the burden actually belongs with the plaintiff.

That’s because what is sought in records cases is a “writ of mandamus.” This is a court document ordering a government official to perform a specific action, like compelling a local clerk to certify a recall election or a zoning board to issue a building permit.

To obtain a writ, plaintiffs usually have the burden to prove: (1) they have a clear legal right to the relief sought; (2) the official has a clear legal duty to perform

it had fallen all the way to 18%. Students’ share went from 13.9% to 24.1% over that same time span. Sen. Ballweg blew a hole in Richland County’s economy and has been chipping away at our Wisconsin colleges.” This Republican decision to close our Richland Campus is their legacy to us. Take-heed-andvote!

Lee

D. Van Landuyt Hillsboro, Wisconsin

for mercy for everyone. Through prayer God offers us strength and guidance, the strength to speak out and the guidance to do what is right. There is no Jew, there is no Christian we are all one. Genesis 12:3 “all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” There are many more one liners, paragraphs and books just like that throughout the Bible.

God is not some sort of sky-hound randomly granting wishes of cars, cash and care on fellow humans. Instead of choosing our prayers over others, I believe God blesses everyone, giving everyone the power, and the hope to endure, and to have the strength to work out our own problems.

Shalom, peace and wholeness.

Dennis Siebert Sylvan Township, Wisconsin

the act; (3) they will suffer legally recognized damages without relief; and (4) they have no other adequate avenue of relief. If plaintiffs fail to prove any of those four things, they lose.

In the records law context, courts almost never analyze cases like that. Instead, they start from a presumption of access and then analyze whether the reasons the custodian gave for denying a record request are legally valid. But in a few cases (6 out of 41, from my research), courts instead analyzed whether the plaintiff had proven all four elements of mandamus — typically focusing on the first and second elements regarding the requester’s clear right and the custodian’s clear duty.

We think those six cases, including one case now before the Supreme Court, approached the question wrong. So we’re asking the court to resolve the conflict. We aren’t taking a position on the merits of the underlying case (which seeks court records finding individuals incompetent to vote), but we believe it’s important that courts use the right analysis.

We hope and trust that the court will issue a decision in keeping with the law’s mandate that all persons are entitled to a maximum amount of access to public records.

Your Right to Know is a monthly column distributed by the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council (wisfoic.org), a group dedicated to open government. Tom Kamenick is the president and founder of the Wisconsin Transparency Project.

Capitol Report: Spring 2025 State Supreme Court race gets early kickoff

Let the spring 2025 state Supreme Court race begin!

You may be a bit confused, given that we're still in the midst of the big 2024 election season that will decide the races for president, the U.S. Senate, the House, and more than 100 seats in the state Legislature.

But the spring race next year will again decide the philosophical balance of the high court, which switched to liberals

for the first time in more than a decade via the high-spending April 2023 victory by Janet Protasiewicz. Now enter Dane County Judge Susan Crawford. Crawford in early June formally launched her campaign for the state Supreme Court next year, looking to protect liberals’ 4-3 majority. Crawford is seeking to succeed fellow progressive Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, who announced earlier this year she had decided against seeking a fourth 10-year WisPolitics.com

term on the court.

“For the first time in years, we have a majority on the court focused on getting the facts right, following the law, and protecting our constitutional rights,” Crawford said. “We can’t risk having that progress reversed.”

So far, Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Brad Schimel, a former GOP attorney general, is the only [other] continued on page 4

“Spring Green Preserve” (2024) Photo, by Taylor Scott, Managing Editor

Tom Kamenick, Contributed

Tom Kamenick

OPINION/EDITORIAL

Project 2025: The Conservative Promise — Part 5: Cheap Grace

Beverly Pestel, Columnist

Let’s start with the Christian definition of “grace” according to Oxford Languages. It is “the free and unmerited favor of God, as manifested in the…bestowal of blessings.” Just to be clear, this widely accepted Christian definition of grace is Jesus bestowing the unmerited favors and blessings, no one else.

And that brings me to a curious phrase in Project 2025 that caught my attention, “cheap grace.” I included it in a previous column:

“‘Cheap grace’ aptly describes the Left’s love affair with environmental extremism. Those who suffer most from the policies environmentalism would have us enact are the aged, poor, and vulnerable. It is not a political cause, but a pseudo-religion meant to baptize liberals’ ruthless pursuit of absolute power in the holy water of environmental virtue…At its very heart, environmental extremism is decidedly anti-human…They would stand human affairs on their head, regarding human activity itself as fundamentally a threat to be sacrificed to the god of nature.” (pg.11)

I can’t read this without a shudder going through me – but moving on…

The term cheap grace intrigued me, I hadn’t heard it before, so I did some research on it. It is a term coined by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Does that name ring a bell? Bonhoeffer was the German pastor and Nazi dissident who was imprisoned by the Nazis and executed on April 9, 1945 during the collapse of the Nazi regime.

This is what Bonhoeffer said about cheap grace in Discipleship: “Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves… Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.”

An article on the Grace Theological Seminary site, Cheap Grace: Bonhoeffer and the Cost of Discipleship, maintains that “cheap grace to Bonhoeffer is simply grace without Jesus – and grace without Jesus is no grace at all.”

For the people who wrote Project 2025 to even refer to Bonhoeffer is just an-

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other example of their perversity. They are attempting to justify their attack on those who practice environmental responsibility by accusing them of practicing Christianity without Jesus. Based on their statement, cheap grace to the writers of Project 2025 is policies designed to prevent human suffering as a result of the environmental poisoning of our land, air and water, extreme heat, droughts, floods, severe storms, and famine. Using Dietrich Bonhoeffer to somehow make environmental responsibility sound anti-Jesus is astounding.

The writers of Project 2025 are the actual purveyors of “cheap grace,” bestowing on themselves “grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ,” - grace without decency.

Again, from Grace Theological Seminary: “If left unchecked, the believer and practitioner of cheap grace will miss the call to follow Jesus for he has placed cheap grace in place of God himself. He will live as a worldling and obey Jesus’ commands not. For cheap grace is an enabler of sinful debauchery.”

The fact is, I have yet to find anything in Project 2025 that would exemplify a correlation with anything that Jesus taught. There is nothing about feeding the poor, or helping the stranger, or giving to the poor, or ministering to the least among us, or being stewards of God’s creation. (You may want to check out Matthew 25: 31-46.) I also think they missed the part about “Judge not, that ye be not judged” when they wrote about “the toxic normalization of transgenderism.”

In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said,

“Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” (Matthew 7:20) It is worth going back to a quote from Project 2025 I referenced in an earlier column: “The next conservative President must make the institutions of American civil society hard targets for woke culture warriors. This starts with deleting the terms sexual orientation and gender identity, diversity, equity, and inclusion, gender, gender equality, gender equity, gender awareness, gender-sensitive, abortion, reproductive health, reproductive rights, and any other term used to deprive Americans of their First Amendment rights out of every federal rule, agency regulation, contract, grant, regulation, and piece of legislation that exists.”

(pg.4-5)

If we go up a few verses in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:15-16) the warning is clear. “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits.” There is nothing so far in this document that is anything other than evil fruit from a corrupt tree.

The scary part is that there are those who will remain ignorant of what is here. Even more so, there are those who will agree with what is proposed here, and some of these folks will vote in November. Sadly, too many folks are being suckered into Project 2025’s subtle appeal to Christian Nationalism and will fail to see that the cheap grace is actually being exhibited by the writers of this document.

Back to Matthew, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!…ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.” (23: 27-28)

According to Cambridge Dictionary, hypocrisy is “a situation in which someone pretends to believe something that they do not really believe, or that is the opposite of what they do or say at another time.” Merriam-Webster also puts it clearly, “the false assumption of an appearance of virtue or religion.”

What I see in Project 2025 is a boatload of “no, you’re the puppet” stuff in an attempt to get us to swallow their pretension of virtuous, religious, and hon-

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orable intentions in fulfilling what they maintain are the desires of the majority of Americans. One could hope that this is a stupid attempt replete with easily discardable hypocrisy. We could start with their hypocrisy on the quote above that insists on deleting terms from documents and then immediately refers to First Amendment rights of free speech. Project 2025 is the embodiment of hypocrisy which is partly what makes reading it a challenge and a frustration, and is why some prefer to switch to baby goat videos instead. But we do need to know what is written here and we do need to take it seriously. What they propose here are things they fully intend to do. They describe Project 2025 as “the opening salvo of the 2025 Presidential Transition Project…an agenda prepared by and for conservatives who will be ready on Day One of the next Administration to save our country from the brink of disaster” (pg. 2-3)

The disaster they refer to begins with failing to get Donald Trump elected in 2024. Not because they are enamored of Trump, but so the writers of Project 2025 are free to enact all the authoritarian policies they are proposing. It is important to note that electing Trump is important only because he will provide the permission structure to allow all the policies in Project 2025 to be enacted. It is almost certain that Donald Trump is only vaguely aware of what is in this document. Donald Trump, however, will be the chief beneficiary of their cheap grace and the rest of us will be left pleading for the return of our rights.

I’ll try to get out from behind the pulpit now and avoid going there again for the remainder of these columns, but I can’t promise anything. The evangelical training of my youth is sometimes hard to ignore.

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.

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Editorial Contributor & Literary Journal Editor (At Large) Alex Prochaska

Editorial Intern Luukas Palm-Leis

Agriculture Columnist Barb Garvoille

Beverly Pestel

Capitol Report: Spring 2025 State Supreme Court race gets early kickoff

continued from page 2

candidate to have formally entered the spring race. Fellow conservative Maria Lazar, a judge on the 2nd District Court of Appeals who worked under Schimel at the state Department of Justice, has been considering a run.

Crawford is a former assistant attorney general who also worked at the departments of Corrections and Natural Resources before serving as chief legal counsel to then-Democrat Gov. Jim Doyle. She won a race for an open seat

on the Dane County Circuit Court in 2018. She was unopposed this spring for another six-year term.

Her campaign quickly took a shot at Schimel, saying he has “proven to be a right-wing extremist,” who advocated for enforcing an 1849 law that some interpreted as banning abortion, fought to restrict access to contraceptives and “failed rape victims by ignoring a backlog of thousands of untested rape kits – making it harder to hold violent criminals accountable and take them off

the streets.”

Schimel fired back the differences between the two of them couldn’t be any more dramatic, saying he’s backed by a bipartisan group of law enforcement officials and groups, while Crawford was “was handpicked by the leftist majority on the Supreme Court to cement their stranglehold for another three years.”

“While I was a frontline prosecutor in the courtroom defending crime victims and putting criminals behind bars, she was working for radical left-wing special

interests groups that don’t share our values,” Schimel said.

The Capitol Report is written by editorial staff at WisPolitics.com, a nonpartisan, Madison-based news service that specializes in coverage of government and politics and is distributed for publication by members of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association.

Copyright © WisPolitics.com

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hillside Theater at Taliesin reopens after five-year, $1.1 million restoration

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Fellowship as a gift to Wright. This meticulous work ensures the theater is not only preserved but also modernized for contemporary use.

“Restoring the Hillside Theater has been a labor of love, preserving its historical essence while integrating modern practices to ensure the space can be enjoyed for years to come,” said Ryan Hewson, director of preservation at Taliesin for the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. “The theater has always been a hub of artistic expression and community engagement, not just for Wright and the apprentices but also for the Driftless Area as a whole. By addressing structural issues, enhancing accessibility and updating the theater for present-day performances, Taliesin can continue to serve as a vibrant cultural site for future generations.”

While the Hillside Theater’s complete programming lineup for 2024 and 2025 is still being finalized, community members and visitors can experience the revitalized space through upcoming film screenings and performances,

including the season opening of the Rural Musicians Forum on June 10, a showing of “Common Ground” on June 30 and a performance by the chamber music festival group Bach Dancing & Dynamite on Sept. 15.

Nestled within 800 acres and boasting over 80,000 square feet of iconic structures, Taliesin stands as a timeless emblem of creativity and architectural inspiration, where Wright designed many of his iconic masterpieces, including Fallingwater in Mill Run, Pennsylvania. Today, Taliesin remains a testament to Wright’s enduring impact, offering a glimpse into his career and personal life. Through educational programs like the Taliesin Institute, along with tours, programs and special events, it continues to beckon visitors and scholars to delve deeper into Wright’s profound influence and examine the ongoing relevance of his ideas in today’s society.

“Reopening the Hillside Theater is more than just a preservation milestone; it’s about reinvigorating a cornerstone of our cultural heritage and providing an immediate benefit—in the form

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of a newly restored theater—for our neighboring communities and visitors to the region,” said Stuart Graff, the president and CEO at the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. “Through performances, screenings, educational programs and community events, this space will once again inspire architects, artists and audiences, fostering a deeper connection to the arts as part of Frank Lloyd Wright’s lasting legacy.”

The $1.1 million restoration project was funded in part by grants from the National Park Service Save America’s Treasures program; the National Endowment for the Arts; the National Trust for Historic Preservation; the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation; and support from private donors and corporate partners.

For the most up-to-date information on the Hillside Theater, public programs and tours at Taliesin, visit TaliesinPreservation.org. To donate or to become a member, visit FrankLloydWright.org.

The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, established by Wright in 1940, is dedicated to preserving Taliesin and Taliesin West, both on the World Heritage List, for future generations, and inspiring people to discover and embrace an architecture for better living through meaningful connections to nature, the arts, and each other. The Foundation continues the Frank Lloyd Wright legacy by broadening access to his ideas, works, and organic design principles — considered just as relevant today as in his own time — and provides new pathways for audiences to create beauty and connectedness in their own lives. Conveniently located 20 minutes north of historic Old Town Scottsdale, Taliesin West was recently named among the top 10% of attractions worldwide by TripAdvisor. Visit FrankLloydWright.org for more information on tour schedules, cultural and educational experiences and events. To shop the latest Wrightinspired home, design and lifestyle products, visit FrankLloydWrightStore. com.

Community/ GOVeRnMent

Arena appoints village president as Sheriff’s office liaison, board member share concerns about policing hours, survey

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residents of Arena and included a code for recipients to respond online. 325 total surveys were sent out.

During review of the results at the meeting, there was confusion amongst board members regarding to whom the survey was sent to — residents, homes, businesses or taxpayers.

“To whoever pays utilities,” said DeNean Naeger, clerk/treasurer for the Village of Arena.

In discussion of the results at the board meeting, Trustee BeccaRaven Uminowicz voiced concerns about the inclusiveness of the survey, stating that residents were “uncomfortable that they only went to one person per household,” and that “nothing was sent to them because they were in apartments.”

“It doesn’t feel like it really… got a good sampling of all of Arena,” Uminowicz continued.

“We made it as inclusive as we could,” said Kate Reimann, village president of Arena.

Reimann, Naeger, as well as Trustee Kristin Shea then noted that they didn’t know of any better ways in which surveys could be distributed to residents.

Trustee Mathew Schroeder also expressed concerns about the results.

“The way it was structured didn’t provide all the information that a person might want to answer the questions,” Schroeder said.

Schroeder then provided an example taken from a report generated by the Iowa County Sheriff’s Office showing the average number of calls from area municipalities in the past three years.

Within the report, the municipality of Arena, with a population of 844, is listed as fielding 1,375 phone calls on average per year over 3 years. This is compared to Highland, population 910, which received an average of 107 calls yearly.

The report does not list whether the numbers refer to the village or town of Arena, or both together—but clearly give the population for just the village of Arena.

Shea cast doubt on these numbers provided by the sheriff’s office.

“I’ve been here now two years and I’ve seen the police reports and in no way in the last few years have there been 1,375 (calls) just from the village,” Shea said.

Appointing a policing liaison

As part of the new policing agreement with the Iowa County Sheriff’s Office signed May 14, after the resignation of the Village’s entire police department on May 8, the board discussed options for a police liaison—a non-law enforcement officer who would act as a third party communicator between the village and sheriff's office.

“The village will designate a liaison to provide the Sheriff with any information relative to the performance of the assigned duties and special assignments which the village desires,” the contract states.

Under this agreement, the Village receives a minimum of four hours of police coverage per week, at $70 per hour.

Schroeder noted that the signed contract’s coverage hours differed from the favored option respondents chose on the police survey, which stated a maximum of 4 hours of police coverage. Village Trustee Melissa Bandell motioned to appoint Reimann as the liaison.

Discussion continued with Uminowicz suggesting the newly restructured Public Safety Committee be involved in liaising with the Iowa County Sheriff’s Office.

“I have been told, verbally, that I

should be the liaison because I’m village president,” Reimann said, without elaborating by whom.

Reimann then suggested that Uminowicz hold her comments for the following agenda item regarding the Public Safety Committee.

The motion carried to appoint Reimann as liaison to the Iowa County Sheriff’s Office, with all members in favor except Uminowicz, who opposed.

Public Safety Committee setup

The Arena Village Board also finalized restructuring the village's Public Safety Committee after repealing the old community member-led group. The new group consists of two village board members and one community member.

Uminowicz brought up the previous citizen-only Public Safety Committee during discussion of the proposed ordinance that would create the replacement committee.

“Why do we feel that the three residents were such a bad thing?” Uminowicz said. “Because they were in place for so long, like we never discussed that, that’s never been clear to me why we’ve eliminated that.”

Bandell and Trustee Brittany Carney noted their displeasure with the former committee structure, complaining of a lack of communication to the village board.

“Did they advise the board about any issues that were happening?” Carney said, “There was no advising with the board at all, so obviously there was a huge bomb that went off that we had to deal with, which I agree isn’t the best way things were handled, but I personally feel that if we have someone from that committee come and advise the board on what was going on we could’ve remedied this differently.”

Over Uminowicz’s objection, Bandell moved on with the motion to enact the changes.

“I don’t want to take the time in another meeting to rehash it, I want to move on,” Bandell said.

The motion carried with all in favor except Uminowicz, who opposed.

The board then considered its options for appointments to the Public Safety Committee and Plan Commission.

A heated discussion ensued, with Schroeder inquiring about the qualifications of Tami Erspamer, the proposed citizen appointee to the Public Safety Committee, who was not in attendance. Erspamer recently served as a board trustee until the elections in spring, when she declined to run for reelection.

The discussion continued, with at one point Trustee Kathy Stoltz flippantly asking Schroeder if he would like the position instead.

Uminowicz then asked why the board had not considered others for the position. Offering resident Steve Wilkinson as an example, who is involved with the fire department, formerly served on the village board and worked as an EMT.

“Well, Steve Wilkinson,” Reimann asked, “are you interested in taking a seat on the Public Safety Committee?” Wilkinson, who was in attendance in the public gallery, confirmed his interest after asking what the responsibilities of the position would entail.

The board subsequently debated whether to choose Tami Erspamer or Steve Wilkinson.

“Steve could stand up and tell you his background,” Uminowicz said.

“I think either sounds like a great candidate,” Carney said. “ I don't see any downside to Tami or Steve.”

Bandell suggested that they continue with the appointments as initially

presented for the Public Safety Committee and Plan Commission, which included Tami Erspamer as the resident seat, which passed. Schroeder abstained and Uminowicz opposed in the vote.

No Mow May

Board members also discussed amending ordinances regarding the length of lawns during the month of May, which would allow residents to grow their lawns past the current eight inches allowed to participate in “No Mow May.”

The village ordinances already allow for “natural lawns” that exceed eight inches in height, but require a permit.

No Mow May is the practice of residents allowing their lawns to grow out during the month of May to benefit pollinators and usually includes municipalities waiving enforcement of lawn tidiness ordinances.

“Early spring is a crucial time for pollinators that emerge early in the season,” said Susan Carpenter, Wisconsin Native Plant Garden Curator at the UW Arboretum. “Not mowing may keep more flowers available for these pollinators.”

$6,000 more from utilities each year. If approved by the PSC, this would be the first water rate increase since 2004 and would take effect on October 1.

Several board members were concerned about both the appearance of lawns reducing village appeal, as well as issues regarding mosquitos and other pests. Currently, village public works sprays to reduce mosquitoes. Other experts at UW-Madison have said that ticks prefer woody environments and that if there are ticks in your yard with long grass they are likely to be there with short grass as well.

“So I love the idea, but I’m opposed to it,” Bandell said. “Because why would we spend thousands of dollars on a sprayer to have long lawns, to have bugs everywhere.”

“I wonder if there can’t be a compromise,” Reimann said. “If that's possible, to have a portion of a yard that can be a dedicated butterfly and bee [area], you know, with flowers.”

Members continued to discuss options, which included a size restriction or posting a sign to indicate participation, for a potential compromise.

The board ultimately tabled the ordinance to discuss next month to allow time to create a new draft.

In 2021, the Village of Spring Green voted to allow No Mow May.

Fireworks, Tower and Water

The board approved plans for the Yolanda Peterson and Mary Jones Memorial Celebration event on July 13. Events for that day include a parade from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., a chicken barbecue from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., a Home Talent baseball game at 6 p.m. and fireworks at dusk.

T-Mobile expressed interest to the board regarding purchasing the village’s cellular tower after T-Mobile acquired UScellular’s wireless operations in May. No purchase price was offered from T-Mobile and the board motioned to gather more information regarding their offer.

The village’s new well pump was completed and began providing water to the municipal water system on May 22. Pump one is currently shut off pending maintenance, with an estimated final completion date of June 29. The board approved a payment application of $182, 991.43 for the projects.

The board also voted to apply for a water rate increase with the Wisconsin Public Service Commission. Ehlers, the Village’s accounting consulting firm, recommended that the Village raise the rate by 4.1%. Bandell noted that the rate increase would generate approximately

The Village of Arena policing survey results, including comments from residents, with QR code to view full document.

Memo from Iowa County about contracting for policing, including average yearly calls for service, with QR to view full document.

Update from engineer-

improvements, includ-

Events for June 13 - June 27

Thursday, June 13

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.

Monday, June 17

June Community Yoga 8:15 AM - 9:30 AM Wyoming Valley School, 6306 State Hwy 23, Spring Green ruralremedy.com Build a series for $17/ class or $20 per single drop-in Yoga is a longevity-building practice.Nothing special is needed. Just clothes you can move in and a human body. Payment is appreciated but you are always welcome to come no matter your financial situation. New students are always welcome!

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

Homeschool Hangout 1:00 PM Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green springgreenlibrary.org Join other area homeschoolers for a fun morning of play and learning as we explore spring through some seasonal activities. All ages welcome. Feel free to bring a snack to share.

Art Adventures - Textured Tissue Painting 1:00 PM Plain Kraemer Library, 910 Main St., Plain kraemerlibrary.org . Unleash your creativity as we explore new types of art each week at the library. Age 6+ Recommended. Sign up by stopping in or calling 608-546-4201 to reserve your spot. Space is Limited.

Riverway Board To Host Forestry Field Trip 1:00 PM Multiple Locations For details and registration, contact Marsha Curtis at 608-261-9520 Join the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway Board for a forestry field trip. Explore oak regeneration and black locust control in Sauk and Richland counties with DNR Forestry Team. Dress for hiking and bring binoculars. Pre-registration required. The tour starts in Spring Green near the intersection of Kennedy Road and Monument Road. Follow Monument Road to the south and park at the end of the road.

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 Help 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Lone Rock Community Library, 234 N Broadway St, Lone Rock lonerocklibrary.wordpress.com rvbroadband.org/techhelp Come on in with any devices or technology you need help with! No appoiontment necessary.

LIVE MUSIC: Solstice Jazz Band 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 enjoy a summer outdoor music series featuring different local artists every week! Grills will be fired and beverages available, so come and enjoy the best that River Valley has to offer! Music will be 5:30-7:30, with food 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.

Midsummer Music: KG & Te Ranger 6:00 PM . American Players Theatre, 5950 Golf Course Rd, Spring Green americanplayers.org Most weekdays June through August, live acoustic music plays on the grounds to accompany your picnic.

SOLD OUT: LIVE MUSIC — Sh*tty Barn Session Session 311: Rucksack Revolution 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 Featuring strumming acoustic guitars, flowing harmonies, and the stellar vocals of Voswinkel and Greuel, listeners of the folk country music genre have a lot to look forward to on the album. The collection of tracks on Rucksack Revolution draws you in with the soft melodies and acoustic riffs and then hooks you with the polished execution of lyrical narrative storytelling.

Friday, June 14

Arena Garage Sales 8:00 AM- 4:00 PM . Various locations throughout Arena . (608) 753-2727 Contat Crappie Shop to register your sale or for more info!

June Dairy Month Ice Cream Social 11:00 AM- 2:00 PM Royal Bank, 252 S Oak St, Lone Rock .Please reach out to General Club Leader, Mia Hillebrand, at clydegogetters4hclub@gmail.com for more information Clyde-Go-Getter's 4-H is holding a June Dairy Month Ice Cream Social

Saturday, June 15

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.

Arena Garage Sales 8:00 AM- 4:00 PM Various locations throughout Arena (608) 753-2727 Contat Crappie Shop to register your sale or for more info!

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.

LIVE MUSIC: Music & Moos 4:00 PM- 8:00 PM S7909 Skyviewrd, Loganville For more infomration contact: Darren yanke at echoyfarmsgrassfedbeef@gmail.com or 608-381-0656 Come watch the calves play in the pasture and enjoy country music by Donnie Reyzek. There will be food, water and dancing. Please bring your own chairs and drinks.

LIVE MUSIC: Crooner Strikes Back 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM Post House Garden, 127 E Jefferson St, Spring Green Look up The Shed on Facebook for more info Live music on the patio!

Sunday, June 16

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.

LIVE MUSIC: Acoustic River on the River Stage 12:00 PM - 3:00 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!

Zoozort Live Animal Show 1:00 PM Plain Kraemer Library, 910 Main St., Plain kraemerlibrary.org For more information drop in or call 608-546-4201 Tickets are required to attend Come meet Noelle and her amazing Zoozort animals. They'll provide a memorable, fun-filled educational experience for the whole family! Patrons can pick up tickets in person starting the morning of event at 10 AM. Children under 6 must be attended by adult during program. Strollers will not be allowed inside.

Hoo's Woods Raptor Program 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM . Community Room, Spring Green Library, 230 E Monroe Street, Spring Green springgreenlibrary.org Meet some amazing birds of prey at this program presented by Hoo's Woods Raptor Center. LIVE MUSIC: Lou Oswald Concert 4:30 PM Spring Green Community Library, 230 E Monroe Street, Spring Green springgreenlibrary.org Come to the Library to hear some great music for all ages.

Arena Historians 6:30 PM Grandma Mary's (Brisbane Hall), 175 US HWY 14, Arena For more info look up Arena Historians on Facebook Welcome guest speaker John Wright. Mr. Wright is a member of Paul Swenson's Woodworking Friends, a group of area individuals who meet the first Friday of the month at Grandma Mary's to discuss all things woodworking, along with showing off their latest projects.

River Valley Film Club Presents... “The Fugitive" 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jefferson St., Spring Green slowpokelounge.com Free Featuring some of the most iconic action scenes of the 90s, this '95 cat-and-mouse thriller starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones demands to be seen on the big screen. Concessions, including beer, will be available for purchase. Rated PG-13.

Tuesday, June 18

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).

Potluck before Morrill Lecture Event 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM Octagon Barn, E4350 Horseshoe Rd, Spring Green Join a community potluck before the Morrill Lecture event! Bring your family recipes and stories to share.

Morrill Lecture Event with Susan Apps-Bodilly 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM Octagon Barn, E4350 Horseshoe Rd, Spring Green morrilllectures.org Our family recipes tell a powerful story about who we are and the history of our families and communities. Author Susan Apps-Bodilly, daughter of storyteller Jerry Apps, will highlight the food made by his mother, Eleanor, and feature recipes found in her well-worn recipe box.

June Community Yoga 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM Wyoming Valley School, 6306 State Hwy 23, Spring Green ruralremedy.com Build a series for $17/ class or $20 per single drop-in Yoga is a longevity-building practice.Nothing special is needed. Just clothes you can move in and a human body. Payment is appreciated but you are always welcome to come no matter your financial situation. New students are always welcome!

Wednesday, June 19

Wisconsin Agroforestry Demonstration Farm Tour 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM North Farm, E6856 Wisconsin 60 Trunk, Spring Green savannainstitute.org Join an introduction to Agroforestry on Savanna Institute’s North Farm, Spring Green Campus.

Summer Yard Party 12:00 PM Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green springgreenlibrary.com Get summer off to a great start with treats and active games for all ages.

Arcadia Book Club discusses "The Ministry of Time" by Kaliane Bradley 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM This is a zoom book club meeting readinutopia.com A time travel romance, a spy thriller, a workplace comedy, and an ingenious exploration of the nature of power and the potential for love to change it all: Welcome to The Ministry of Time The Ministry of Time, the exhilarating debut novel by Kaliane Bradley.

Thursday, June 20

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

Kids Bead Wind Chime Craft 1:00 PM Plain Kraemer Library, 910 Main St., Plain kraemerlibrary.org Create a fun outdoor craft for kids age 7 and up. Create a cool, colorful wind chime to hang outside or in your room Sign-up Required. Stop in or call 608-546-4201 to claim your spot. Space limited.

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 Help 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Arena Village Hall, 345 West St, Arena rvbroadband.org/techhelp Come on in with any devices or technology you need help with! No appoiontment necessary.

LIVE MUSIC: Jodi Jean Amble & The Honey Pies 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!

Family Adventure Guide: The Gardening Edition 6:00 PM Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green springgreenlibrary.com Always wanted a green thumb? Not sure how to start? Gardening is a great way for the whole family to spend time together outdoors. Learn all about gardening as a family with great tips, how-to information and ideas to inspire beginning gardeners of all ages! This is the first of our summer How-to series, Family Adventure Guide, designed to inspire families with kids to jump into some new outdoor adventures. Programs in the series will be aimed at kids: toddler through teen and their caregivers, but anyone is welcome to attend!The event will be outside in the side-yard, weather permitting. In case of inclement weather we will move to the Children's area. Registration is required.

Events for June 13 - June 27

Thursday, June 20 cont.

Midsummer Music: The Westerlies 6:00 PM American Players Theatre, 5950 Golf Course Rd, Spring Green americanplayers.org Most weekdays June through August, live acoustic music plays on the grounds to accompany your picnic.

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.

SOLD OUT: LIVE MUSIC — Sh*tty Barn Session Session 312: Erik Koskinen Band 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 Erik Koskinen is a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer, whose music is not categorized by sub-genres. Stylistically he is on his own while heavily influenced by American roots music. The rhythmic integrity and musical tone is as important as the lyrical content and the artistic intent.

Summer Solstice Observance 7:30 PM Frank’s Hill, Southern Richland County Directions and more info at 3-Eagles.org or Contact Mark Cupp at (608) 739-2179 for details Join the Summer Solstice Observance. Witness the longest day of the year with a guided tour by the Three Eagles Foundation and a campfire. Arrive by 7:30 p.m. for a walk around the mounds, with sunset viewing at 8:00 p.m. Bring chairs, blankets, insect repellent, food, and beverages. Stargazing opportunities available post-sunset.

Saturday, June 22

Yoga at the Library 7:30 AM Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green springgreenlibrary.com ruralremedy.com Before the Farmer’s Market, come to the yard at the side of the Library for a free hour of yoga led by Emily Benz of Rural Remedy! Beginners and all ages welcome. Mats are available as well. June 22 and July 20 will be Family Yoga dates.

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.

Weird Olympics 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM . Plain Kraemer Library, 910 Main St., Plain kraemerlibrary.org Go for gold! Kids can stop in with their family and friends to try and compete in various fun and challenging events. Open to all ages! Kids under 6 must have adult present.

LIVE MUSIC: 3 Souls on the River Stage 3:00 PM - 6:00 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: Matt Schmidt 5:00 PM - 8:00 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: Crappie Shop presents Smokin' Meerkats 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM Crappie Shop, LLC, 300 Dalogasa Dr, Arena . For more information look up Smokin’ Meerkats or Crappie Shop, LLC on Facebook This is Smokin’ Meerkats first time bringing the honky-tonk party to Arena! You have no idea what's coming your way.

Sunday,June 23

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.

June Community Yoga 8:30AM - 10:00 AM Radiant Spirit Retreats, S7163 County Rd G, Hill Point ruralremedy.com Build a series for $17/ class or $20 per single drop-in Yoga is a longevity-building practice.Nothing special is needed. Just clothes you can move in and a human body. Payment is appreciated but you are always welcome to come no matter your financial situation. New students are always welcome!

LIVE MUSIC: Bushmen on the River Stage 12:00 PM - 3:00 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: Music For A Summer Afternoon at the Little Brown Church 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM 29864 Brown Church Road, Lone Rock 608-356-8421 or FriendsOfLittleBrownChurch@gmail.com $10 for Adults and $5 for Students The Quartessence String Quartet will perform Classical and American Traditional Music. Tickets will be available at the door.

Monday, June 24

Monday Morning Mystery 10:30 AM Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green springgreenlibrary.com Stop by the library for a surprise art or craft themed activity. The adventure is a mystery but with a few options to choose from, there should be something for everyone. You'll go home with an extra mystery activity in a bag to do later too!

Lego Builders 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Plain Kraemer Library, 910 Main St., Plain kraemerlibrary.org Join us for Lego Builders Club each month for a fun challenge or to free build your own masterpiece! Open to all ages. Children under 6 must have adult at program. We will be meeting in the library's community room.

LIVE MUSIC: Rural Musicians Forum — New Milwaukee Consort 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Cornerstone Church of Spring Green, 238 Cincinnati St, Spring Green cornerstonespringgreen.com Music of the Renaissance and Baroque with songs and stories that resonate across the centuries.

Open Mic 7:30 PM - 10:00 PM Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jefferson St., Spring Green slowpokelounge.com No cover, but tips for our host are always welcome! Join us the fourth Monday of every month for an Open Mic, hosted by Dylan Harris. We’ve got the mics, the plug-ins, the piano - you bring the music! Whether you want to play solo, sing to a back up, or get the band together, this is the place. So come on out and show your stuff, or just support the folks on stage. Either way, we’re making music together!

Tuesday, June 25

Adventures with Winnie the Pooh- Storyteller Cecilia Farran 1:00 PM Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green springgreenlibrary.com Join dynamic local storyteller, Cecilia Farran, as she leads us on a magical adventure through the Hundred Acre Wood with Pooh, Piglet and friends.

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.

We are the River Valley: An Evening of Storytelling 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green morrilllectures.org Join a powerful evening of storytelling where friends and neighbors (and maybe even you!) share what it means to be part of the River Valley. This event invites storytellers from all walks of life to share their personal tales in an intimate and welcoming setting. Whether it's a hilarious anecdote, a heartwarming memory, or a tale of personal triumph, "We are the River Valley" celebrates the power of spoken word and our shared experience.

Wednesday, June 26

Wednesday Wizardry 10:30 AM Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green springgreenlibrary.com Join on most Wednesdays thru the summer for fun, often messy, always exciting science adventures! Wednesday Wizardry will explore science with experiments, concoction-making, hands-on fun for kids of all ages!

Book Discussion 2:00 PM Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green springgreenlibrary.com Every Fourth Wednesday at 2pm, join us for a cup of coffee, snack, and a chat about this month's selection. The book is available at the Library a month before the discussion. June: “Fellowship Point” by Alice Elliott Dark. Kids Jumbo Paper Squishmallow Craft 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM . Plain Kraemer Library, 910 Main St., Plain kraemerlibrary.org Let your creativity flow as you bring your own Squishmallow to life! Children will have lots of room to show their own style and creativity creating a jumbo paper Squishmallows. Don’t miss out on this squishy and artistic adventure! Recommended for ages 7-11.

Midsummer Music: Nath Dresser 6:00 PM American Players Theatre, 5950 Golf Course Rd, Spring Green americanplayers.org Most weekdays June through August, live acoustic music plays on the grounds to accompany your picnic.

Thursday, June 27

Learn About Falconry 10:30 AM Lone Rock Community Library, 234 N Broadway St, Lone Rock lonerocklibrary.wordpress.com Join to learn about falconry with Cuba City Police Officer, James Bendickson.

Art Adventures — Resist Art 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Plain Kraemer Library, 910 Main St., Plain kraemerlibrary.org Unleash your creativity as we explore new types of art each week at the library. Age 6+ Recommended.

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: Camela Widad 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!

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.

Midsummer Music: Paul and Doug 6:00 PM American Players Theatre, 5950 Golf Course Rd, Spring Green americanplayers.org Most weekdays June through August, live acoustic music plays on the grounds to accompany your picnic.

SOLD OUT: LIVE MUSIC — Sh*tty Barn Session Session 313: Glitterfox // The Thing 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 Married couple Solange Igoa and Andrea Walker spent several years living together in a van, traveling the country to play music and busk; of settling down in a studio apartment just prior to the pandemic. And now, partnered with a rhythm section and produced by Chris Funk of the Decemberists, they’re harnessing the lessons from this closeness and cracking them wide open into a whole new world with their band. Glitterfox carves out lithe, nostalgia-fueled anthems powered by the intimacy of their relationship. The Thing is a four piece from New York City. Over the years they honed their craft, self recording and writing songs influenced by 60’s pioneers such as the Kinks, Grand Funk Railroad, and artists of The Nuggets Compilation.

CIVICS & SERVICES

CIVICS & SERVICES CALENDAR

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 14:

VOLUNTEER: Ridgeway Pine Relict Workday 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Help us care for some of our state's most pristine public lands, State Natural Areas. Encourage native plants and animals to thrive by cutting brush, controlling invasive species, collecting seeds, monitoring rare species, and preparing fire breaks. Contact Bob Scheidegger 608-319-2083.

June 25:

Arena Community Team (ACT) Meeting 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM . Arena VFW, 514 Willow St, Arena Share your thoughts, concerns and hopes. Connect with other residents. Help shape the future of our community.

June 26:

Village of Spring Green Board Meeting 7:00 PM In person and virtual event 154 N. Lexington Street, Spring Green vi.springgreen.wi.gov

Spring Green Community Library Art Exhibitions . Spring Green Community Library, 230 E Monroe St, Spring Green Monday-Thursday: 10 AM - 7 PM Friday: 10 AM - 5 PM Saturday: 9 AM - 1 PM

John Wright is exhibiting his woodworking in the Glass Case Gallery. He says of himself, "After retiring in 2008, I needed a hobby to fill time. The house was finished and furniture made so I turned to my lathe. I source most of my wood from our land using walnut, oak, and cherry. I make most of the tools and many of the devices I use to make my left-handed turning easier." Wright's work is available for viewing during regular library hours.

Teresa Steele is exhibiting her hooked rugs in the Community Room Gallery. Steele is a Certified McGown Rug Hooking Instructor, retired Director of North Central McGown Teachers Workshop in Dubuque, IA, former quilt shop owner and grandmother of five grandsons. "Rug hooking is both an art and a craft dating back to the 18th century when women made rugs to cover their floors and decorate their homes." This exhibit is available for viewing during regular library hours when the Community Room is not in use. Please ask for the room key at the circulation desk.

Submissions

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.

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

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

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.

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

open for the inaugural Lexington & Jefferson

Valley Sentinel is excited to announce that submissions for the inaugural edition of the Lexington & Jefferson Literary Journal will officially open on June 24. This new literary journal aims to celebrate and immortalize the poetry, prose, and photography of local writers from the greater Spring Green area and beyond.

The Lexington & Jefferson Literary Journal is a significant step forward from its origins as a newspaper section in the Valley Sentinel. The journal's name, inspired by the intersection of Lexington and Jefferson Streets in Spring Green, symbolizes the heart of community connections in the area. The initiative is part of a broader creative mission to foster local talent and create

Last Edition in Words — May 30, 2024

LITERARY + ARTS & CULTURE SECTION

Literary Journal on June 24

a permanent record of the creative expressions unique to this region.

Mission and Vision

The journal's mission is to support and showcase the literary talents of individuals connected to the Spring Green area, including Sauk, Iowa, and Richland counties, as well as the broader Driftless Area.

"At Valley Sentinel, we believe in the power of storytelling to connect communities," said Nicole Aimone, editor-in-chief of Valley Sentinel.

"The Lexington & Jefferson Literary Journal will serve as a platform for writers to express their experiences and perspectives while also capturing the essence of life in our region."

Crossword appearing in the June 13, 2024 edition of Valley Sentinel is based on words printed in the previous edition of Valley Sentinel — May 30, 2024. The clues may or may not use the same definition as the words were used in the previous edition.

Crossword appearing in the June 13, 2024 edition of Valley Sentinel exclusively uses words printed in the previous edition of Valley Sentinel — May 30, 2024. The clues may or may not use the same definition as the words were used in the previous edition.

Submission Guidelines

Submissions for the journal will be accepted from June 24 to August 31, 2024. Writers with any connection to the Spring Green area are encouraged to submit their work. The journal will consider a wide range of genres, encompassing fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and hybrid texts. Each piece will be reviewed blind to ensure impartiality and a focus on quality.

• Prose: Up to 4,000 words.

• Poetry: Up to five poems in one document.

• Photography: Up to two pictures per submission, which may complement written pieces. Detailed submission guidelines and

Community Engagement and Public Readings

Valley Sentinel envisions the Lexington & Jefferson Literary Journal as more than just a publication; it aims to create a dynamic literary community. Public readings of selected works are planned at various local venues, including Arcadia Books, Slowpoke Lounge & Cabaret, and local farms and farmer's markets. These events will not only celebrate the published authors but continued on page 9

CROSSWORD

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

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

We're hoping to tighten up the grid over time and shift from an "indie" style to a respectable New York Times style with rotational symmetry. This puzzle and section will absolutely change. Especially if you can help. We appreciate all the feedback and suggestions so far. What about chess puzzles next?

Solution to the previous puzzle appearing in the May 30, 2024 edition

Puzzle by Valley Sentinel staff Edited by Taylor Scott

tips for writers unfamiliar with literary journal submissions can be found on the Valley Sentinel’s website on or around June 22.

Community/arts/Commentary

Submissions open for the inaugural Lexington & Jefferson Literary Journal on June 24

continued from page 8

also foster a deeper appreciation for the literary arts within the community.

"We're excited to embark on this journey and invite members of the community to join us in shaping the literary landscape of Southwest Wisconsin," said Alex Prochaska, editorial and literary intern at Valley Sentinel and project lead and editor for the journal. "We encourage aspiring writers, local organizations, and

supporters of the arts to get involved."

Supporting the Literary Journal Valley Sentinel has already secured initial funding through a grant from the Food, Faith and Farming Network, which provided $750 in seed money, and the River Valley ARTS Creative Community Grant, which provided $2,000. However, the project will continue to seek additional grants and community support to cover publication and production costs.

Those interested in contributing to the project, either through volunteering, financial support or submitting their work, are encouraged to contact Alex Prochaska at alexprochaska.writer@ gmail.com or Valley Sentinel at editor@ valleysentinelnews.com.

Looking Ahead

The first issue of the Lexington & Jefferson Literary Journal is slated for release in December 2024. This inaugural edition will be a testament to

4PeteSake profiles recipients: Marina Moerch & John Bagjas, Day in the Park August 18

Marina Moerch’s face and friendly voice were a reliable part of Hometown, now Molter’s, for many years. She has always made it a goal to bring a smile to as many customers as she could, every day. Even when she was undergoing chemotherapy and her hair was falling out. Nothing seems to get in the way of her good spirit and drive to bring smiles to those around her.

She welcomed me into her home and joyfully introduced her parrot, Booboe (who chatted with me throughout my time there!), her dog, Sadie (who also welcomed me with Marina’s kindness and enthusiasm!), and the rest of her rescued animals, showing them off with pride and love. She remembers always wanting to rescue any creature that had been injured or mistreated when she was growing up. It was clear that those rescues, for whom she now cares, bring her great joy and comfort as much as she provides them with shelter.

In addition to caring for her animals, Marina showed me a rather large beaded puzzle art piece that she was working on. While I am a puzzler, I can’t imagine the patience and focus it takes to complete one of those with its thousands (zillions?!) of tiny beads! For me, the puzzle was just another way in which Marina seems to look for beauty in her world rather than focus on the hard things.

Over her life, Marina has suffered nearly incomprehensible bouts of

cancers, the loss of part of her stomach due to a stabbing, many surgeries and treatments. She nursed her mother through the end of her life in the home where I was visiting with her. And yet, she remains committed to putting a smile on her own face, remembering the strength of her mother, and always working to bring smiles to the faces of those she encounters through the course of her days. She is very grateful for the assistance she is receiving from you through 4PeteSake, and looks forward to getting through this latest bout of cancer, and being able to keep bringing smiles to our faces through her kindness. Her gratitude brings a catch to her voice, stating that 4PeteSake has kept her in her home, and saved her life. Not only have they helped financially, but they show her care and concern on a regular basis, checking in on her, sending a friend to help with basic household things when she can’t do them herself, and generally giving her hope. She is beyond grateful.

I walked into John and Sandra’s home for this interview and was met by fresh lilacs on the counter and the luscious smell of freshly baked rhubarb bread, baked for me. I knew this was going to be both lovely and heart wrenching. Their beautiful and welcoming home was the perfect setting for the gracious and eager way in which they shared a story that left me nearly speechless. While John is the official recipient of 4PeteSake assistance, he and Sandra shared his story together with the cadence of an oft played song, taking turns narrating a years long journey marked by degenerating sight, debilitating osteo-arthritis, cancers (his and hers), and numerous bureaucratic nightmares. The story was interspersed with pride in their children and grandchildren, happy memories, and proud accomplishments. There was no complaining in this story.

Before John first experienced health difficulties, he spent 20 years doing Union restoration work in Chicago. He worked on such notable icons as the Lyric Opera House and the Drake

Hotel, completing beautiful detailed hand work and restoring murals and trim, as well as wire lathe. After that he successfully owned his own company, continuing with the hard work and high quality craftsmanship, at that point often working on enormous mansions in the suburbs of Chicago. The work allowed him to live a life of success; drive expensive cars, provide for his family, and build the house of his dreams. His was the all-American dream story–an immigrant family leaves behind a country in which they cannot remain, and the son, who spoke no English in first grade, makes good by the work of his own hands.

Unfortunately, about 10 years ago, all that labor caught up with him, and John has not been able to work since. The list of health issues is long, and the frustration is enormous. John says, “I started working at 14 and worked more than 30 years, often 12 hour days, I have always provided for my family. Now I can’t do most things…how do I get a job??” This final thought, expressed with such overwhelming sadness, left me with no response.

For several years now John, a citizen of this country that he has loved since he was twelve years old, has found himself in the most mixed up run around with the Social Security Administration (SSA), the details of which boggle the mind. And through it all he has remained calm, resubmitted requested papers over and over, told his story again and

July Evenings Afield event to help landowners plan for prescribed burning

The Lowery Creek Watershed Initiative’s July 11 Evenings Afield event will focus on prescribed burning and what landowners should take into account when deciding to burn on their property, whether on their own or through a contractor.

This free event will be from 6:00-8:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 11 at the Cates Family Farm on County T, south of Spring Green.

Presenter Jeb Barzen has conducted prescribed burns in Driftless topography for 35 years and currently chairs the Wisconsin Prescribed Fire Council.

Topics will include an overview of

the ecological benefits of burning, setting goals, elements of a burn plan, creating burn units, basic equipment needed, finding technical and financial resources, and other factors to consider when planning a prescribed burn.

Attendees will see results from managing with fire on the Cates farm and will share their own experiences with prescribed burning.

Attendees must register at www. driftlessconservancy.org/eveningsafield-registration so we can send you details prior to the event.

Direct any questions to barb@driftlessconservancy.org.

the rich tapestry of life in the Driftless region, capturing the voices and stories that define the area. Authors will receive a complimentary copy of the printed journal and will be featured in various promotional activities and public readings.

For more information about the Lexington & Jefferson Literary Journal and to view the full submission guidelines, please visit www. valleysentinelnews.com on or around June 24.

again, and at every turn he has run into roadblocks.

Which led him to 4PeteSake. This is the end of their second year receiving assistance and they could not be more grateful. When the trouble with SSA began, Rosie, a PA from Upland Hills, who had been caring for both Sandra and John, suggested that they look into asking for assistance from 4PeteSake. Asking for help did not come easily to John. He grew up believing that it was his job to provide for his family and he didn’t like to ask for help ever. But they needed something and 4PS has kept them afloat, at times providing gas cards just so that they could visit their children, who still live in the Chicago area, for Christmas.

John, having emigrated from Eastern Europe, never expected to find himself in a situation where his medical conditions, keeping him from working, could result in potentially losing his home. He muses that in Europe the government would take care of these issues, but here it is by the generosity of others that one gets by. 4PeteSake, and this community, are where John and Sandra see that reality, and they are profoundly grateful. For the two of them gratitude isn’t just words. Even with his very limited vision, John uses the skills he learned all those years ago, designing in his mind's eye, and then creating stunningly intricate boxes and charcuterie boards in the extra bedroom turned workshop in their immaculate mobile home. He plans to donate them to the silent auction at the Day in the Park as a means of showing his gratitude. Sandra also plans on baking for the cake walk, and I promise you, you will want to win anything she bakes!

For more information about 4PeteSake, go to 4petesake.com. If you would like to help support this amazing organization please go to https://www.4petesake. com/donate/. The Day in the Park will be here before we know it. Get it on your calendar now: Sunday, August 18! This is a wonderful way to support people like John. Thank you for your part in making this community what it is: generous, kind, and big-hearted.

Jennifer Moore-Kerr, Contributed

Marina Moerch

John Bagjas

Barb Barzen, Contributed

Photo contributed by Barb Barzen

A crew conducts a prescribed burn on a wooded hill at the Cates Family Farm, April 2021, to control invasive plants and nurture native vegetation.

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.

Ideas that Worked and Ideas that Didn't Work

Ideas that Did Work :)

The biggest challenge with the dairy barn at Lost Horizon Farm had always been to provide adequate ventilation. We sought to create an atmosphere where the air was always fresh but never drafty. Mr. Farmer designed an inventive ventilation system for the barn that greatly improved air quality. It was basically a narrow, rectangular plywood box that occupied the length of the barn above each manger. The box had two inch holes every two feet on each side so that air would blow toward the barn wall and also above the back of each cow. In the summertime, a fan forced fresh air through the system; in the wintertime, there was no mechanical flow. Instead a slide was pulled open to allow fresh air to be drawn into the barn and exit through the holes in the ventilation boxes. Aiding this system were the three 48" built-in barn fans at the south end of the barn. Each of these fans was thermostatically activated. The first fan ran on a two speed motor so that it could run slowly to exhaust air in the barn. An increase in temperature would trigger the first fan to move into its speedier mode; with successive increases in temperature, the other fans would kick on. On a very hot day with all three large fans running and the northern barn door open, there would be a consistent fresh breeze of about 10 mph through the barn. When the mercury reached 80 degrees, the barn misting system would activate and couple with the breeze to create a comfortable environment for the cows and for us.

****

As a boy, Mr. Farmer remembered seeing a former neighbor journey to the town's soda pop factory to buy the company's broken bags of sugar. He had added the collected sugar to the grain he fed his cows. Much to the amusement of the men who worked at the feed mill, Mr. Farmer decided to try sugar in Lost Horizon Farm's ration too. He requested that 10 pounds of cane sugar and Acidophilus be added to each ton of cow feed we purchased. The initial feeding made Mr. Farmer fearful of bloat because the cows' bellies ballooned with the rapid multiplication of bacteria in their systems. Throughout the course of the day though, the cows' appearance returned to normal. Not long after this new addition to their diet, the cows showed an increase in the level of butterfat in their milk. Mr. Farmer's line of thought had been that by adding the proper bacteria and sugar to the fermentation vat that was each cow's stomach, the breakdown of fiber would be facilitated.

****

One year, Mr. Farmer borrowed a friend's two- row corn planter and offset it slightly when he hooked it in tandem with Lost Horizon Farm's two-row corn planter to sow a field. One of the planters held bush soybean seed, the other planter held corn seed. What resulted was a field of corn and soybeans grown for silage. In order to harvest this crop duo, Mr. Farmer had to weld lifters on the snouts of the corn chopper to lift the bean plants up and off the ground so that they could be harvested without being run over. With a pair of innovations, Mr. Farmer had a bountiful double crop that was highly palatable to the cows. This first of many unusual farming methods led one neighbor to ask: “Vince, what in the hell are you doing now?”

****

When Alyson was an infant, her schedule had included a 4 AM feeding. Because it was so difficult for us to wake up at that hour, we had solved the problem by setting our clocks ahead two hours. Still in Wisconsin, we had

Ideas That Did/Didn't Work (Part 2), Wildlife on the Farm

put ourselves in the Nova Scotia time zone. When Alyson awoke at 4 AM, our clocks read 6 AM, a time that felt much more reasonable to us. We kept up this chronology for a couple of years. Sometimes if a salesman we were not so fond of would stop by to chat, we would not correct the person when he would glance at the clock and say he would have to leave because it was so late in the day! Of course, if it was a person we liked, we would explain our unusual clock settings. When we scheduled an engagement with someone who knew us, it was not atypical for the person to ask: “Is that YOUR time or OUR time?!” ****

Why did Mrs. Farmer keep a supply of bread loaf wrappers? To put over socks, of course! Sloppy spring days could be a challenge for feet. Leather or man made fabric on work boots could take on a lot of moisture from slushy snow, muck, or standing water. There was nothing worse than working with cold feet or having to change out soaked socks multiple times. Putting a plastic bread bag over one’s socks before slipping a foot into a work shoe was a cheap yet surprisingly effective way of keeping feet toasty and socks dry.

Wildlife on the Farm

White-tailed Deer

A person could always identify tourists by their stopping on the highway to gawk at the White-tailed Deer that grazed in the farm's fields. Locals were so accustomed to seeing large numbers of these hoofed animals that they never would have stopped unless it had been to avoid a collision with one. As the gundeer season approached, hunters might linger along the roadside in hopes of sighting one of the much touted trophy bucks or partialalbinos observed in our part of the township. In the spring, if a person looked carefully, one could usually find spotted, young fawns lying very still under a fence row or in the tall hay. Mr. Farmer had to be very alert when he cut first crop hay because of the fawns that would be hidden by the field’s tall grasses and legumes and remain prone, seemingly oblivious to the sound of oncoming machinery.

During the fall rut, a person would have to watch for bucks in pursuit of does. Mr. Farmer had been doing some fencing one October and had looked up to see a very large buck with an impressive set of antlers. It was running with its nose to the ground and was coming straight towards him. Fearing he would be run over by the sizable deer, Mr. Farmer raised and waved the shovel he held in his hand. With less than 10 feet to spare, the buck veered away! Under normal circumstances, deer were wary of a person on foot but did not seem alarmed by a man working on a tractor nearby. However, during the rut, hormones overruled predictable behaviors.

The most beautiful deer sighting held in our memory bank occurred on an autumnal day as we drove past a neighbor's corn field. Standing perfectly still and parallel to the cornrows and the highway was a dark-coated buck. The regal way he stood, framed against the backdrop of the dried-down corn plants and the colorful hillside beyond, would have made a magnificent photograph. The sight was a dead ringer of the Great Stag’s pose in Disney’s animated feature, Bambi

There are several mental snapshots of fawns on the farm that a person remembered. One

spring day, as I was pulling out of the driveway to head to town, I watched a newborn fawn, still wet from birth, wobbling across the road taking what were probably its first steps as its mother led it into the woods. Another time we noticed a fawn lying under the lilacs not more than 5 feet north of the house. We felt sure a doe would call for it, but it lay there until it died. Afterwards, we questioned what had become of its mother. Had she died after its birth? Had she been hit and killed by a car? The answer remained unknowable. Another day, this time in the heat of the summer, just as we were going out to the barn to push feed up to the cows, a fawn ran right down the middle of the farm road toward us. At the last minute, it veered away. By the time we had gotten over our surprise and turned around to see where the fawn had gone, it had vanished. It left us with a very dreamy, almost illusory, vision. The fawn had come so close, a person could have touched it. Then the slender, spotted creature had

just disappeared. Our only explanation for this extraordinarily close encounter was that the fawn had been driven from its bed to a distracted flight by the great number of biting insects bothering it.

As a person walked through the woods hunting morel mushrooms or taking a shortcut to check fence, one might observe a rounded depression in the leaf litter, or a place where vegetation was matted flat, and that would have been the spot where a deer had bedded down.

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.

SPRING GREEN MEDICAL CENTER

The Spring Green Medical Center is accepting new patients of all ages.

Our dedicated team offers local care for all stages of life.

• annual exams

• well-child visits • physical therapy • lab work • sports physicals

We provide in-network coverage for Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Quartz, and other insurance providers. Find our team in the Jefferson Plaza in downtown Spring Green or on our website.

Barb Garvoille, Columnist

Barb Garvoille

Photo contributed by Barb Garvoille Pictured is one of the largest Morel Mushrooms harvested on Lost Horizon Farm. Shhhh, everyone has their secret spot for harvesting after a warm spring rain!

The Sauk County Gardener

Growing Citrus in Wisconsin

“If life gives you limes, make margaritas.”

— Jimmy Buffett

I have several citrus trees I’ve been growing for a number of years. I have a lime tree, an ‘Improved Meyer’ lemon and a calamondin orange. I’ve had the calamondin for about 10 years and until just a little while ago, thought it was only ornamental. I didn’t realize you can use those sour and extremely bitter little oranges for marmalades, jams, or in beverages and various desserts. I get tons of oranges from that tree, yet I struggle to get fruit from my lime tree. I just acquired my lemon tree last year and it hasn’t had any blooms yet, but it’s growing nicely on my deck.

In my effort to get fruit from all of my citrus trees, I researched the topic to see what I could do differently. Growing citrus in colder climates has been done for many years so I know it can be done. With the right lighting, container, potting mix, a little fertilizer and light watering, I should be able to get a nice

“Bugs are not going to inherit the earth. They own it now. So we might as well make peace with the landlord.”

— Thomas Eisner

Recently, I was asked by a fellow master gardener about the current spongy moth (previously known as gypsy moth) outbreak. She wanted to know how we were trying to manage the excessive number of spongy moth caterpillars. She noted they were everywhere at her home, covering the exterior walls and eaves. Killing literally thousands didn’t make an impact whatsoever and some of the other management recommendations are not feasible to carry out due to the large number of trees she has. Shortly after that, I was approached by a friend from church that lives near us, and she was frustrated with the large number of caterpillars that were at her home as well and her unsuccessful attempts to diminish their population.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, spongy moth populations may have a temporary, large outbreak in an area about every ten years. Spongy moth caterpillars are not fussy eaters as they will feed on more than 300 species of deciduous and evergreen trees. Some of their preferred hosts include aspen, birch, crabapple, hawthorn, linden, mountain ash, oak, and willow. During an outbreak, defoliation of susceptible trees and shrubs is typically widespread. Repeated defoliation can weaken trees and shrubs over time. Fortunately, if your trees or shrubs are healthy, they are likely to survive even if they are defoliated and will produce new leaves in July.

What can we do to slow and attempt to manage this year’s spongy moth outbreak?

Spongy moth management depends on several things from the number and size of affected trees, the overall affected area,

citrus harvest from all of my trees.

The first thing to do is choose the right container. It is recommended to use a terracotta pot so you can control soil moisture. Citrus roots like to go dry between watering. Too much water, especially in the winter, can lead to root rot. A smaller versus a larger pot is best as well. Citrus likes to be pot-bound. That means the pot is filled with roots and the tree looks out of proportion with the pot. Keeping the pot small will help minimize the chance of over-watering.

Next, choose the right soil. Not just any soil mix is recommended. Instead look for a soilless mix that provides good drainage. You can create your own mix using peat moss or coconut coir, perlite, vermiculite, composted bark, and enough limestone to bring the pH to about 6.0 which is ideal for citrus. Or you can simply buy a soilless mix designed for citrus.

Finally, provide enough sunlight. Citrus loves and needs lots of light – at least six hours of light. In the summertime, it’s easier to make this happen. I just

and the insect’s life stage. Seeing as we are now in the month of June, we need to use tactics that work for the caterpillar stage. During this time, the caterpillars leave the tree canopy during the day to hide in tree trunk crevices, on sides of buildings, and on outdoor furniture. Each night (or cloudy day), they return to the tree canopy to eat leaves all night long. You can use this behavior to help reduce the caterpillar population on your prized trees and shrubs by putting up burlap barrier/collection bands. The caterpillars find this burlap band to b a cozy hiding space and will hang out there in the afternoons. To create a band, cut a 12-18” wide burlap strip that is long enough to wrap around your tree with a few extra inches, so it overlaps. Tie a string around the strip’s center and then fold down the top half of the band to create a skirt of sorts. Put this burlap barrier above the sticky band if you’re using them. Each afternoon, check the burlap band and scrap any of the captured caterpillars into a cup or pail of soapy water. Take the burlap bands down in August. Take care not to touch them with bare hands as the caterpillars are covered in fine “hairs” (setae) that can cause skin and respiratory irritation. Wash any fabric gloves or clothing that comes in contact the setae separately as they can remain in clothing and cause future irritation.

If you have a large area (wooded lot or forest), it’s not possible for an individual landowner to effectively treat spongy moth. In cases like that, it is recommended that landowners consult a forester for advice. Visit https:// spongymoth.wi.gov/Pages/home.aspx to learn about organizing an area spray, find an aerial applicator, ISA-certified arborist, or a forester. Another great resource is https://hort.extension. wisc.edu/files/2022/04/Spongy_ Moth_2022.pdf. You’ll find information on what you can do all year round to help

move my citrus trees out to the deck and they get plenty of light. You can do the same; just place them in a sunny location in your garden or on your patio. In the winter, try to place them in a south- or southwest-facing window. I believe this is one of the reasons why my calamondin does so well. It’s in a south-facing window, whereas my lime tree has always been in an east-facing window.

If you’re able to provide these three conditions, you’re well on your way to a fruit harvest. The next thing is to care for your citrus trees. One of the biggest things to watch is overwatering. Let the soil dry out between waterings and only water when the soilless mix appears to be dry, or the leaves start to show slight wilting on the new growth. Fertilize but do so sparingly during the active growing season and stop during the winter. Use more frequent, small amounts of the recommended amount versus one large dose all at one time – ie. use a quarter of the recommended amount once a week versus the full amount once a month.

Prune only enough to help create a full form so the tree can support the any fruit. Finally pick and use the fruit any time after it ripens. I tend to leave my calamondins on the tree because they add a nice splash of color. Citrus can get yellowing leaves if they don’t have enough fertilizer. Check to make sure the roots are plump and white. If the roots are healthy, give the tree a little more fertilizer. Also keep an eye out for scale insects, mealybugs, and spider mites. These problems tend to show up more in the winter. The key is to deal with them promptly. Follow these simple steps and you can enjoy some home-grown citrus. Except those calamondins – eat those with caution.

This week’s 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 608-355-3250.

minimize the spread of the spongy moth.

This week’s 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 608-355-3250.

Jeannie Manis, Wisconsin Certified Master Gardener

Jeannie Manis, Wisconsin Certified Master Gardener

Spongy Moth Management

Photo by Taylor Scott, Managing Editor Spongy moths defoliate a young oak tree at the Spring Green Preserve as part of a massive invasive spongy moth outbreak this June.

Photo by Taylor Scott, Managing Editor Hundreds of spongy moths on a completely defoliated tree at the Spring Green Preserve as part of a massive invasive spongy moth outbreak this June.

An Outdoorsman’s Journal

Mark Walters, Columnist

Hello friends,

As I have mentioned I am in a crazy busy period of time with my job, gardens, pond, volunteering, and family. This week my daughter Selina flew home for a few days for one her college roommate’s weddings and as usual, we pegged out the fun meter. Then there is this job that keeps me on the go and pays my bills. This week I was given a tip about a unique chain of lakes in Washburn County called the Spider Lake chain and I headed that way with my golden retriever Ruby to canoe camp and hopefully whack some bluegill.

Friday, May 31st

High 67°, Low 48°

You ever get so busy that your head is spinning, and confusion is part of your reality? Things are not that bad but close for me. Today my golden retriever Ruby and I started what would be a very cool adventure where it was just the canoe, gear and who knows what is in front of us until we see it. The Spider Lake Chain is a series of 5 lakes that I would find out are a bass fishermen’s paradise and you feel like you like you are back in 1970 as far as a peaceful location.

Kind of bad luck would come my way very early in this trip when just as I found a campsite on an island, that had not been used yet this year, it started raining. The rain was just a drizzle at first, but the confusion part of my reality did not have quality rain gear along or the right tarp for my tent and I would be sleeping on the ground.

No worries all’s well and I built a comfortable camp and went fishing/ exploring with spawning 10-inch bluegill on my mind. There was zero wind so what I did was paddle my canoe, fish a potential spawning spot and catch bluegill as fast as a person

could catch bluegill. There was one problem, if I caught a hundred, only 2 were over 4-inches. No problem, I went back to a wet camp just before dark and prepared for a night of what was now a solid rain. My evening activities were a propane light, sitting in the tent and enjoying 2 cans of beer while trying to figure out the driest spot on the ground/ floor to sleep on..

Saturday, June 1st

High 78°, Low 51°

I like it when adversity rears its ugly head early in the trip and then is gone. The rain lasted until mid-morning and I heated up some homemade chili and then Ruby and I went fishing and good luck came our way. I anchored near a spawning bed and this one had some good gills, not huge, but 7.5 to 8.5 inches. I kept a dozen and then had a visit from my good buddy Paul Bucher who is from Cumberland and would be in his 17.5 Alumacraft “Competitor.”

Paul originally was going to camp with me but his son Isaac was home from his job as a teacher in Lacrosse for a

heavy duty weekend of fun and golfing at the Cumberland Golf Course with his many of his buddies. In fact, as we were fishing, he got a text that one of Isaac’s pals, Trysten Neitzel had whacked a hole in one. Another interesting experience came our way when even though we were out of site and a long way from camp, Ruby who I had told to stay, but not chained, swam all the way to our boat. Folks you had to be there to understand this, but it was a memorable experience.

Paul and I fished for about 6 hours, and we had a heck of a time catching good sized gills and ended up with I think 8 keepers. I had zero cares, the rain was long since over, Paul Bucher who is a dyed in the wool bass whacker and had never been on this water was liking what he saw for future reference and after dark I cooked my supper on a campfire and listened to the loons until just before midnight.

The following morning I got onto the some good fish and made it home

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 A well loaded canoe for a camping/fishing adventure.

New Country in Washburn County

Photo contributed by Mark Walters Ruby loves anything to do with going on outdoor adventures.

Photo contributed by Mark Walters There was time in the week for Mark Walters and his daughter Selina to go for an atv ride.

just before dark. The next day, just before Selina flew west we were able to hang out together and also go on a 4 wheeler ride. Live large, while you can! Sunset