Nicholas Botterman selected as 2024 Spring Green Musician in Residence
The Spring Green Musician in Residence program has selected Fox Valley area musician Nicholas Botterman as the 2024 Spring Green Musician in Residence.
Sh*tty Barn 2024 Season Preview
Sh*tty Barn Sessions
Botterman is the lead singer and drummer for Traveling Suitcase, a band known for their energetic indie rock shows with strong elements of funk and blues. While the band was formed more than a decade ago, there have been some significant changes along the way, and they’ve emerged with a new sound and new ambition. The band is building a label serving musicians who can’t find their fit elsewhere, and if you pick up one of their t-shirts, they’ve probably printed and dyed it themselves. The need to focus on the business side of their band, along with having over 20 demos to refine, means Botterman will be making the most of the Residency.
The Residency takes place September
River Valley School Board holds last 2023-2024 school year meeting, hears year-end reports
The River Valley School Board met June 13 for the final meeting of the 2023-2024 school year. The board reviewed reports for health services and school safety, approved hiring decisions and discussed an application for a FEMA grant.
Total enrollment for River Valley School District at the end of the 2023-24 school year was 1088 students.
For the 2024-25 school year, the district is expecting incoming open enrollment for the district of 4 students and outgoing of 18.
Health and safety
The board reviewed its annual health services report, which provides data type and amount of medical interventions in the district. The report recorded 21,382 nurse's office visits for the 2023-
2024 school year, across all facilities in the district. The report included a breakdown of the purpose of visits, including infectious disease tracking, asneeded medication and daily medication distribution, visits for diabetic students, allergies, and various other categories.
School Nurse Brittiney Belche noted that for the coming school year, the nurse’s office will expand its as-needed medication program to include cough drops, triple-antibiotic ointment and bug spray. The district is also implementing NARCAN training.
The board voted to reappoint Dr. Masaru Furukawa of the River Valley Medical Center as district medical advisor.
Jaime Hegland, the activities and academic services director, provided a recap of the district’s annual safety and security report for the board. Hegland
updated board members on changes in processes and training, including changing to the “I Love U Guys” response protocol, and changes in the structure of monthly emergency drills.
“This was just a really challenging end of the year, obviously with what transpired in Mount Horeb,” Hegland said. “I felt like we weren’t probably as consistent as we needed to be, but we have a really nice plan, I think.”
The board reviewed the lockdown drill reports, which included an evaluation of all four of the district’s schools. Each report notes good responses from both students and staff for each school.
The reports also note some deficiencies, such as issues with select door locking pins in certain buildings, as well as certain areas in the ELC and Elementary school being difficult to secure due to building layouts or staffing.
8th-21st. Opportunities to see and engage with Nicholas during his time in Spring Green will be announced via the Residency website https:// musicresidency.wixsite.com/residency and social media.
Traveling Suitcase will be performing their Residency finale show at the Shitty Barn on Friday, September 20th. Tickets on sale July 1st at shittybarnsessions. com.
The Spring Green Musician in Residence Program is celebrating seven years of supporting professional music creation. The 2024 season is supported by a grant from the Sauk County Extension Education, Arts, & Culture Committee and Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as area music fans and The Shitty Barn.
The district plans to drill and clean pin holes to resolve the issues with locking pins. The ELC and Elementary schools are working to have students and staff quickly move to more easily secured areas to avoid having to secure the entire building.
Hirings, resignations & retirements
The board accepted the retirement of Heidi Radel, the high school business education teacher and accepted resignations of Brianne Johnsrud, a high school special education teacher and Marcia Fritz, a middle school special education teacher.
The board approved the hiring of four new teachers — Alexis Lewis, a River Valley alumni, will be stepping into a first-grade classroom replacing Andrea
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Kim Nolet, Contributed
Luukas Palm-Leis, Editorial Intern
Photo via the Spring Green Musician in Residence Program
Nicholas Botterman, second from right, lead singer and drummer for band Traveling Suitcase, pictured here, is the 2024 Spring Green Musician in Residence.
Spring Green Arts & Crafts Fair map
Community Calendar: Fireworks, parades & live music
OPINION/EDITORIAL
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Dear Editor, Deut 6:5 "And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
The Hebrew understanding of “might” is everything we are and have, including our dreams and desires. We are to put God before everything else.
6 And these words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart; This kind of unconditional love, compassion, and empathy means that we
Dear Editor,
Recently, I was traveling on a Sydney Harbour ferry, when three young people speaking German sat down in front of me. After a while, I spoke in German, asking them where in Germany they were from. Surprised at hearing German, they replied that they were from Hessen. We continued talking, and when they con-
are to also love the whole of God’s creation, for it is part of God’s love. And this means that we are to truly love every other human being, every other animal, and the environment in which we all live.
7 and you shall teach them diligently to your sons [children] and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. We need to also realize that this was being addressed to a group of people,
gratulated me on my unaccented German, I explained that I was a retired German teacher, and that my son lives there. But when I wanted to say where he lives, I stopped, unable to name his town or its state, both of which are, of course, very familiar to me. Eventually I was able to retrieve them, but I was embarrassed at not having the words on the tip of my tongue.
When the Town of Buena Vista Board of Supervisors renewed the town’s certificates of deposit with a local bank this month, it took them three tries to get it right.
The first time was at a public meeting when the treasurer tried to add the item to the agenda. This might well be proper in a private deliberative assembly, but a town board has to announce its business to the public in advance. Otherwise, it would just be too easy to sneak things onto the agenda at the last minute, effectively making it impossible for the members of the public to know in advance whether they needed to show up at a meeting, much less to call their officials, gather friends, and make signs. And media organizations might not be there, since few have the resources to just reliably be everywhere
The third time was at another public meeting, a special meeting called specifically to renew the certificates. The meeting was called, the public given notice, the press informed, the business executed and the meeting adjourned. It’s reasonable to complain about some aspects of all this, but the action was taken substantially in accordance with the law and it would be pretty incredible
On the cover
if someone were to get a court to undo it. But between these two meetings there was another episode which is a little more difficult to legally characterize. People who have heard of a “walking quorum” before may look at what happened and think they’ve spotted one. First, let’s look at what happened, or at least what appears to have happened, because as of this writing, the facts are still under investigation. Apparently, the town treasurer understood that the certificates were due to mature soon, and that there was an opportunity for the town to obtain an economic benefit from renewing them rather than letting them mature and then re-depositing. The treasurer regarded this matter as urgent because the town’s opportunity would be lost before the next regular meeting. Ultimately, the solution was a special meeting, but the treasurer, seemingly unaware that this was the answer that the law pushed for, tried something else.
The treasurer contacted the bank, which said it did not need to see any meeting minutes or a piece of town legislation. It just needed a document from those in charge, directing the bank to renew. So the treasurer put together a letter with places for the board members to sign,
and the printed version is going all over the world. This means that it includes all our children.
So, what are we going to teach them? Surely, we should each be able to teach them about loving God in this way. And, also what it means to live in God’s heavenly will of causing no pain suffering or death as we are told in Isaiah 65 and Revelation 21. We should also be able to teach them about unconditional love, compassion, and empathy.
But what about teaching them about all
As we age, and our brains are overflowing with life’s experiences, it’s as hard to retrieve things to which we are emotionally attached, as it is to pull a folder out of an overfilled file drawer.
President Biden gets accused of being too old, due to his life-long speech impediment and his perceived lost memory of the year his son Beau died. But despite
went around to the board members, got their signatures, and turned the paper in to the bank. That did not end up being effective, because the town chair nixed
it, but that is what we are talking about. So what is a “walking quorum?” It’s this funky thing where a body meets and takes action without getting together all at once.
A “quorum” is a critical mass of members sufficient for a deliberative body to do something. In Latin it just means “of whom,” but this became shorthand for the language used in the early 15th century to create a commission of justices of the peace. Many people are aware that this typically
the science that was put into God’s creation: the mathematics, the biology, the physics, the chemistry, etc.? This means that we need to do this collectively, for none of us knows all these things and the communications involved. We need to provide the finest education possible, and this already exists, but it is grossly underfunded, and we need to change that.
Frank L. Hoffman Richland Center, Wisconsin
the fatigue he must suffer with all the overseas travel his job demands, Biden knows what he’s doing, unlike the childish, brain-addled Trump, who just wants to end our democracy by playing dictator, and copying his mentor, Putin.
Kay Ziegahn Richland Center,
Wisconsin
means a majority, because most bodies need a majority present to take action, which prevents the body from existing in two versions simultaneously, each taking inconsistent actions. The Buena Vista Board of Supervisors is a body any two “of whom” can renew the town’s certificates of deposit. But sometimes bylaws may require 100 percent to be present and agree, like a jury, or may require some other number or a more specific set, like “the chair plus three other members.”
It can also mean the number of members needed to take or block some other action. If you had a committee with 15 members, and a majority quorum for doing business, and a certain action required a two-thirds vote to pass, then it would take six members against to assure it could not pass, and this would be called a “negative quorum” relative to that measure.
A quorum “walks” when you don’t have the full quorum all together at once. If you had a group of legislators on their way to the assembly chambers speaking with one another in small shifting groups along the way, small clusters communicating with one another by
continued on page 4
“Construction on the Lone Rock Bridge” (2024)
Photo, by Luukas Palm-Leis, Editorial Intern
Shot from the old HWY 130/133 bridge spanning the Wisconsin River in Lone Rock looking west towards the construction of the new bridge on June 24, just after a downpour and just before the sun set.
Our area has seen its fair share of construction lately, so it only seemed fitting to make that our Best Of theme.
Gary Ernest Grass, esq., Legal Editor
Gary Ernest Grass, esq.
OPINION/EDITORIAL EDITORIAL
Complaint filed with Richland DA against Town of Buena Vista officials, open meetings law likely violated
By the time this edition goes to press, Valley Sentinel will have likely filed a verified complaint of Wisconsin Open Meetings Law against officials of the Town of Buena Vista in Richland county and their financial institution.
The issue at hand was perpetrated by the town treasurer, seemingly with complicity and at the suggestion of the town’s financial institution, in order to pass off a string of separate town board member signatures outside of a proper meeting as an official act of the Town of Buena Vista Board of Supervisors. The plot was discovered by the town chair., who then rescinded his signature, told the bank that the action was not an official act of the board, and took corrective action to call a special meeting of the town board to take official action.
Valley Sentinel believes in open and above-board government, and it believes that to preserve this, open meetings laws need to be enforced with some degree of rigor.
According to the Attorney General, the “two most basic requirements of the open meetings law” are to give advance public notice of each meeting, and to operate in open session unless an exception is carefully satisfied. Here both were faulty.
In effectively substituting a petition for a meeting, no notice was given to the public and the action was obviously not made in open session.
While there are questions to be answered still and everyone involved should be afforded some presumption of innocence and benefit of the doubt, it appears a walking quorum of some kind has occurred.
The treasurer specifically says to the board at its June 13 regular meeting that she needs board action on the certificates of deposit, and is rightfully denied due to that action being unnoticed. Board members have no plausible deniability here. The language of the signed letter document prepared by the treasurer specifically states that bank needs the "boards signatures" (sic), read as the the authorization of the board as a body, and later goes on to say that the signatures are needed because the certificates of deposit mature before the next board meeting, the direct implication of which is that this action requires an official action of the entire board and the walking quorum of signatures was intended to be used as an unnoticed substitute for a proper meeting.
Contact us PO Box 144 Spring Green, Wisconsin 53588 USA (608) 588-6694
While the board members, the treasurer and the bank all knew or reasonably should have known that individually signing a document outside of a proper meeting and passing it off as an official action of the board was a walking quorum or similar, specific intent to violate the open meetings law isn't required according to State v. Swanson, 92 Wis. 2d 310, 284 N.W.2d 655 (1979). It is enough that they knew of a high probability of violation, or would have known if they had wanted to, which permits forfeitures beyond the official that is responsible for ensuring notice.
Usually a walking quorum consists of public officials agreeing before a meeting to take action in a way that would make the action at a meeting a foregone conclusion. The action in question here attempted to substitute for a meeting rather than making the action at the meeting a forgone conclusion. One could argue that because the board ultimately takes the same action as the petition intended that it is a walking quorum regardless. The application of the strict definition of walking quorum here is a bit tough, because no public official should be ignorant enough to attempt to pass off an unnoticed petition of the board as an official action, but we believe trying to do so, in effect, does the same thing as a walking quorum.
The first step in enforcing the open meetings law in a local matter like this is a complaint to the district attorney.
Once an open meetings law complaint is filed, the district attorney has the opportunity to pursue the matter, but does not have to. Sometimes the district attorney will try to broker a settlement where the government agrees to reform its procedures or better train its officers in order to better protect public access to its proceedings. Or the district attorney may file a lawsuit, or may decline to do anything. When the district attorney refuses to sue, or lets 20 days
Legal Editor Gary Ernest Grass, esq. Graphic Design Julianna Williams
Democracy, Society & Edu. Columnist
Editorial Policy
On certain topics in areas of great community interest, the editors of the Valley Sentinel may take positions they believe best repre- sent and serve the interests of the community. Any opinions or positions taken by the editorial board are separate and distinct in labeling and substance from the community journalism that ap- pears in the rest of the publication and does not affect the integri- ty and impartiality of our reporting.
go by without suing, the complaining party may sue in the name of the state.
In open meetings lawsuits, unlike most, the person filing the lawsuit is not considered the plaintiff: the state of Wisconsin is.
In 1987, the state supreme court chided an official who was sued by the publisher of the Milwaukee Journal that it it did not matter how the newspaper was affected, because the “fundamental issue” wasn’t the right of the media or a particular reporter, but “the right of the public to be fully informed regarding government business.” This is what matters to us.
If the district attorney does not pursue this matter, Valley Sentinel will consider doing so. Its lawyers will represent the people of the state of Wisconsin in a suit against the town officials. Valley Sentinel will not be eligible to recover a cent in damages, because Valley Sentinel will not be the plaintiff.
In an open meetings lawsuit, officials can be forced to pay small forfeitures (as low as $25 for a minor violation). In most lawsuits against public officials they typically pay nothing, letting the public purse bear the costs. Here that is not true: the law forces the official to pay personally. More serious violations may warrant pretty serious penalties. An official who repeatedly and egregiously violates the statute may be fined up to $300 per violation, still not a fortune, but there have been cases where an official has been accused of dozens or scores of violations.
Our supreme court explained way back in 1979 that access to government functions was so important that the legislature intended all public officials to “practice a high degree of diligence for the protection of the public” so that unfairly limiting access would be virtually “impossible.” The law is very strict because an official must “at his peril see to it that the regulations are not violated”.
Some local officials have lost sight of this
Editorial Contributor & Literary
Letter to the Editor Policy
Letters submitted for consideration are subject to fact-checking and editing for space and clarity. Submissions must have a compelling local community interest. Letters to the editor must fit within a 500-word limit, and include name, city and phone number. Phone numbers are for office use only and will not be published. Letters of a political nature, without chance of rebuttal, will not be published the week before an election.
high duty. Our editorial board is in a position to see that these lapses occur all the time. Often they are treated as no big deal. We seek to educate first in most instances. A sense of perspective is important. But it would also be wrong to keep looking the other way. That would lead to more of the same, but with bigger stakes. Eventually, there would be a lawsuit from our publication or someone else, and it would not be about forfeitures, it would be about voiding a government action, maybe some contract with lots of money at stake where the public did not have their say. Maybe something unpopular, or illegal, or harmful.
As it is, this violation was regarding public monies.
We do need to take into consideration that while corrective action was initiated by the town chair and taken by the board and thus no board action need be voided under Wis. Stat. § 19.97(3), this violation and it’s intent were particularly egregious and intended to knowingly subvert Wisconsin Open Meetings Law and commit an act which the town treasurer had to have known was in excess of her lawful authority and which she knew she was forbidden by law to do in her official capacity; as well as in her official capacity would have made an entry in an account or record book or return, certificate, report or statement which in a material respect she knew was intentionally false—all statutory language regarding misconduct in public office under Wis. Stats. 946.12(2) and 946.12(4)—and, as such, we asked that the district attorney also consider punitive action to uphold the public good and dissuade future misconduct in public office, violations of the public trust, and violations of Wisconsin Open Meetings Law.
The petition of the board-cum-official board action was not ministerial in nature, it was deliberative as the board, treasurer and financial institution all knew the action needed to be taken as a public body and the action was intended as an illegal substitute for a meeting. Had this plot not been discovered, a purported official action of the board that never saw a public meeting, was never noticed and happened in complete secrecy—that affected public monies—would have stood, completely outside the knowledge of the public and in complete violation of Wisconsin Open Meetings Law and the public good.
Deadlines: The display and classified advertising deadline is Monday at noon for that week. If you would like our design team to design the ad then please allow extra time for the creative process and proofing.
Column Policy
Editors may feature opinion columns written by public figures, members of the public or other publication staff. Columns reflect the opinions of the individual contributors and do not represent positions of the publication. Guest columns of an anticipated length more than 500 words should seek prior editor authorization.
Community Discussion Policy
From time to time the editorial board may select letters to the editor of a particular compelling community interest where a public figure or accountable public action is the recipient of crit- icism and allow, in the same issue, the subject of the criticism chance for rebuttal, with expounded independent input. The format shall be point, counterpoint and expert analysis. This community discussion shall serve as a moderated dialogue that presents multiple views of important community topics.
Project 2025: The Conservative Promise — Part 6: The Threat from Within
Beverly Pestel, Columnist
What I’m reading now in Project 2025 just makes me want to scream…
“Abraham Lincoln warned that the greatest threat to America would come not from without, but from within.” (pg. 19)
Well, I can definitely agree with that, but you have to keep reading, because based on what I’ve found so far in Project 2025, you know the kicker is coming. It continues…
“This is evident today: Whether it be mask and vaccine mandates, school and business closures, efforts to keep Americans from driving cars or using gas stoves, or efforts to defund the police, indoctrinate schoolchildren, alter beloved books, abridge free speech, undermine the colorblind ideal, or deny the biological reality that there are only two sexes, the Left’s steady stream of insanity appears to be never-ending.” (pg. 19)
This is a declaration of war on public health, environmental responsibility, accountable and effective public safety, historical accuracy of the school curriculum, attempts to counter false narratives, civil rights, and the individual’s right to define their own gender identity. I warned you. This is more of the “no, you’re the puppet” stuff that is truly never-ending in this screed.
And the villains in their tale are “Many of [the] laws and regulations governing a largely underworked, over-compensated, and unaccountable federal civilian workforce [that] are so irrational that they would be comical in a less important context.” (pg. 20)
According to Project 2025
“Only in the federal government could an applicant in the hiring process be sent to the front of the line because of a “history of drug addiction” or “alcoholism,” or due to “morbid obesity,” “irritable bowel syndrome,” or a “psychiatric disorder.” The next Administration should insist that the federal government’s hiring, evaluation, retention, and compensation practices benefit taxpayers, rather than benefiting the lowest rung of the federal workforce.” (pg.20)
So, it’s not just the policies that are the villains, but it is also those 2.95 million lazy, slovenly, disease infested fellow citizens who dare to try to enforce the laws and regulations protecting these things. I should be becoming inured to this kind of language by now, but it continues to leave me speechless – but obviously, not wordless. I promised to keep reading Project 2025, but I don’t know how much more I can take. This stuff sinks into the soul and leaves one heartsick that fellow humans could think - much less write – stuff like this.
So, they are opposed to you if you are black or brown, if you are not what they define as the ideal weight, if you have health issues, if you have suffered from mental or emotional stress, or have ever suffered from an addiction. And they insist that the majority of Americans are in agreement with this. Given the extensive list of characteristics defining “the lowest rung,” it is hard to figure out who is left. So, who are the Americans who are acceptable to them? They don’t say, does that surprise you?
The above quote explains the virulent and unrelenting attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the last couple years. There have been at least 82 bills opposing DEI since 2023, insisting that the majority of Americans oppose it. In fact, a 2023 poll by the Pew Research Center indicated that 56% of workers say DEI is mainly a good thing. A 2024 poll by the Marist National Poll found that 80% of respondents said they think diversity makes the country stronger. And let’s be clear about what diversity includes. My AI assistant tells me it is “individuals of different ethnicities, religions, abilities, races, sexual orienta-
members advancing from one to the next or falling behind, those members may have their business all wrapped up by the time they reached the forum, and there would be nothing left but the vote.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice defines a walking quorum as a “series of gatherings among separate groups of members of a governmental body, each less than quorum size, who agree, tacitly or explicitly, to act uniformly in sufficient number to reach a quorum.”
The Wisconsin Court of Appeals has agreed. The DOJ observes that a walking quorum may thwart open meetings principles because it could reduce the public meeting to a mere formality, enacting an outcome decided in private.
(Fun fact: there is no such thing as a “riding quorum.” Nay, they only travel by foot. Or neigh, perhaps: if you google it, most of your hits will be about jockeys that rode the thoroughbred Quorum to a series of victories from 1952-1953.)
So is this what happened when the Board of Supervisors all signed the letter to the bank? We think so, but it’s not something that the courts have
tions, gender, political perspectives, and backgrounds.” Essentially it is all those folks who have been left behind for no good reason. Actually, it includes virtually all of us.
I find myself hoping to find material in Project 2025 that will just make me angry instead of sick. I have a friend who has offered to help me release this poison to the universe and restore some of my peace of mind, kitten videos are not doing it. But I have at least 500 words left to complete this column, so on we go…
In an earlier column the plan of how the Office of Communications will deal with the White House Press Corp and the press in general was presented. So, what is their plan for how the Office of White House Counsel will function?
“The Office of White House Counsel also serves as the primary gateway for communication between the White House and the Department of Justice (DOJ). Traditionally, both the White House Counsel and the Attorney General have issued a memo requiring all contact between the two institutions to occur only between the Office of White House Counsel and the Attorney General or Deputy Attorney General. The next Administration should reexamine this policy and determine whether it might be more efficient or more appropriate for communication to occur through additional channels.” (pg.27-28)
As is almost always the case, they don’t suggest what this more appropriate channel might be, however, we don’t have to guess. Trump has already telegraphed in clear language that he intends to personally direct the DOJ as to who to investigate, who to hire and fire, and who to allow to function outside the law without interference.
Say goodbye to separation of powers and the independence of the three branches of government. Just to make it more clear…
“The Office of White House Counsel is the first line of defense…to protect the powers and privileges of the President from encroachments by Congress, the judiciary, and the administrative components of departments and agencies.” (pg. 27)
And let’s just polish it off with this. The White House Counsel, “must offer measured legal guidance…this often means forgoing law review-style memos about esoteric legal concepts…Moreover, while a candidate with elite credentials might seem ideal, the best one will be above all loyal to the President…” (pg. 28)
Well, to be honest, they also stay loyal to the Constitution – but remember, they are going to forgo “law review-style memos about esoteric legal concepts” and what is more esoteric in their estimation than the Constitution?
We have just seen and are continuing to hear what Donald Trump thinks about the “esoteric legal concept” of pursuing the law and the facts without fear or favor. If legal decisions do not favor him, the prosecutors, the judges, the entire court staff and family members, and the jurors are labeled as corrupt, conflicted, and destroying our democracy. And finally, in their definition of fealty to the Constitution, just in case the cadre of White House staffers that number in the thousands prove inadequately loyal and result in “unexpected vacancies,” a fallback to fill positions must be ensured at any cost. “…whatever one’s view of the constitutionality of various civil service rules (for example, the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 19986) might be, it is necessary to ensure that departments and agencies have robust cadres of political staff just below senior levels in the event of unexpected vacancies.”(pg.33) Well, so much for what used to be the principled Republican position of fealty to the Constitution and small government. Gracious, what would Reagan say? For that matter, what did they say just a few pages back? “Conservatives desire a smaller government not for its own sake, but for the sake of human flourishing.” (pg.6) No hypocrisy here, huh? Are you scared now? I am and getting more so by the page.
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.
made certain. So let’s discuss.
Maybe the reader can see two sides to this. On the one hand, if officials could perform public business effectively by petition rather than having a public meeting, all the reasons to have public meetings would be effectively circumvented. Government could act in semi-secret, without debate or public input until after the actions were complete and public records were produced. It’s likely many actions would not draw any attention until effects on the public began to be felt. But on the other hand, if we want the public to be informed, there could be a perverse effect from treating a simple poll of officials as a kind of meeting that would require notice. If a “meeting” can consist merely as a series of oneon-one interactions with a member of the public, someone who is not a member of the government body and does not have a vote, but wants to get some action accomplished for the public good, then officials would risk violating the law whenever they spoke to the public. How would Senator X know that the constituent writing to him had not already talked to Senators Y and
Z and was on the verge of roping him into a walking quorum? This verges on madness.
But it’s also obvious in this age of zoom meetings and conference calls that a “meeting” cannot be limited to physical gatherings in one place, so that only official decisions reached all together in one room need to be transparent to the public.
When I first heard of all this, one of the first things I thought was, did the Board actually do anything at all when its members signed a letter and it was submitted to the bank? It turns out that the Attorney General first considered whether a situation like Buena Vista created a walking quorum in an advisory opinion in 1986, and this is one of the first questions it addressed. It is absolutely fundamental that a legislative body decides matters only at meetings. The actions of its members, with limited exceptions, can have no legal effect. The body as a whole must act. The mechanism prescribed by law for it to take deliberative action is to get together and vote on things. That is it. So typically one would say, there was no meeting here. The board actually
undertook no action. The treasurer thought the letter would give the bank authorization from the board to renew the certificates, but it really didn’t; that could only have been done by a vote. There can be circumstances when a body has already taken a vote, and thus one or more town officials may be required to provide any necessary signatures to carry out that decision. It wouldn’t require a fresh decision or a new meeting then. So I told my fellow editors, and it turned out that the Attorney General discussed this as well. The Attorney General was open to the idea that maybe just having signatures collected by a proxy could be a kind of meeting. He wasn’t certain of this at all, but if a body insisted that an official action had been taken that required consideration and discretion, then it would be forced to say that the way it did this legally constituted some kind of meeting. That would preclude it from arguing that it wasn’t covered by Open Meetings law, so checkmate! Twenty-odd years later, the Attorney General issued a fresh opinion, stating
without explanation or authority that yes, agreeing collectively by having a surrogate poll members one-on-one was definitely a “walking quorum.” But you may notice this does not meet the General’s own definition, ratified by the Court of Appeals, that a walking quorum requires a “series of gatherings among separate groups of members.” The Supreme Court has made clear that it takes at least two members to have a meeting, and likewise one does not think of “gatherings” of one member. Still, we think it is a walking quorum. If you look at the definition of “meeting” in the statutes and opinions, you’ll find that there are two main requirements for deciding that what officials have done is
a meeting. First, it must be a convening, or coming together. The courts have made pretty clear that this does not require being in the same physical space at the same time. It doesn’t matter whether members are interacting via line of sight and sound, or a phone line, internet connection, or… maybe an individual who serves as a courier?
The other requirement is also very important: intent to conduct government business. Chance encounters and social gatherings don’t usually count. Both interacting with the same third party doesn’t count. Unless. Unless the point is to conduct government business. And it has also been part of the “walking quorum” doctrine in particular from the beginning, back to at least 1976 in this
Capitol Report: More higher education dominoes fall
The higher education landscape in Wisconsin is rapidly changing.
Two more higher ed dominoes have recently fallen at private and public institutions -- and there's probably more to come because of declining enrollments and other issues.
--UW-Oshkosh Chancellor Andrew Leavitt recently announced the university’s Fox Cities campus will close in June 2025 due to low enrollment — the sixth two-year campus in two years to either end in-person instruction or shut completely;
--And at Alverno College in Milwaukee, the number of undergrad majors will be dropping from 43 down to 29, forcing layoffs. But the school does plan to continue to educate all existing undergrads even if their major is one that's being cut.
The UW-Oshkosh decision spurred criticism from Outagamie County Exec Tom Nelson, a former Democrat lawmaker. Nelson also ripped UW
President Jay Rothman.
Nelson said if Leavitt and Rothman had read the children’s book “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten,” they would understand “the importance of playing fair, taking responsibility, saying sorry when mistakes were made and putting things back as they were found.”
“Instead, Leavitt and Rothman let down the students and families of UW Fox and betrayed their trust — and now it will be up to the rest of us to clean up their mess. Shame on you,” Nelson said.
Leavitt called it a difficult but responsible decision.
“We reach this decision after spending a year analyzing UWO Fox Cities enrollment, the region’s and state’s changing demographics, student participation rates, the regional highereducation landscape, potential for new and unique academic offerings and economic trends in the competitive Fox Valley marketplace,” Leavitt said.
The decision comes as enrollment has
state, that an unlawful walking quorum only takes place when the members of a body are trying to get something done without a public meeting. (In fact, this principle may be strong enough that interactions that are not immediate or interactive enough to ordinarily count as meetings may still be construed to count when they are intended to circumvent the law.)
Trying to do public business without a public meeting: that’s what this looks like, for sure. Well intended or not, we think a court would probably enforce against such a thing. What precedent would it otherwise set? What would come about if it didn’t act?
Gary Ernest Grass, esq. graduated
declined by nearly 67% over the past 10 years, with a five-year average decline of nearly 19%. The campus had just 454 full-time equivalent students in the fall.
And with the number of high school graduates in the state expected to go down 13% over the next 10 years, a UW-Oshkosh analysis projected the possibility of fewer than 100 students at the Fox Cities campus by 2032.
The UW-Oshkosh release noted Rothman “reviewed UWO’s analysis, supports its conclusions and has directed the university to move forward.”
It's a similar story at Alverno. Christy Brown, Alverno College president, also said enrollment is a big factor. He noted that changes to the nursing, education and business programs will see no changes now because the market currently demands them.
But Brown told Milwaukee media that Alverno has seen a 40% drop in enrollment in the last 10 years -- a trend expected to continue.
magna cum laude from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 2003. Gary has previously served as editor for news publications, hosts a radio show and was on law review in law school, winning several awards for scholarship and writing. Gary’s special assets include a creative and original mind able to find new arguments and approaches overlooked by other attorneys. Gary's special handicaps include depression, under whose past difficulties Gary has constructively turned into advocacy for the underdog and open government in the public interest. Opinions expressed of a legal nature do not constitute legal advice. Gary is an attorney, he is not your attorney.
"So we're reaching something called the demographic cliff, where there will be less 18-year-olds after 2025 for a period of time," Brown said.
The declaration means: layoff of 22 full-time faculty and 11 full-time staff, the discontinuing of track and field and other cuts. Brown expects the moves to save Alverno about $6.4 million.
"It's in times like these that our leadership is tested, and I think that during these times we have to be a leader, and that means, you know, making hard choices but also making choices that ensure that we're going to be here for the future," Brown told Milwaukee media.
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.
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River Valley School Board holds last 2023-2024 school year meeting, hears year-end reports
continued from page 1
Sullivan, who was Lewis’ own first grade teacher, two third grade teachers, Savannah Meligan was hired, and Monica Lovell. Ashley Krieski was hired for high school business education, replacing Heidi Radel.
Pat Mahoney was hired as district business manager, replacing Brian Krey, who had previously been with the district for many years.
At their last meeting, the board revised the previously approved salary increase for Darby Blakely, the high school principal, from 4.1% to 10%
School improvement projects
The board voted to approve a submission for a FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant. BRIC grants are provided to communities for hazard mitigation projects to reduce risk from natural disasters and hazards.
The application details the addition of a tornado shelter and extreme temperature shelter for the community. The district is in the early stages of planning and has been working with a specialist in federal grant writing to apply for the grant.
“There could be a correlation of when you're looking at the next construction project, that they could compensate us for 75% of a portion to do, let's say, a gymnasium or this wing (of a school) being considered an emergency space where people could get to and that it would be open during a federal emergency,” said Loren Glasbrenner, the district’s administrator.
The district also amended their contract with FEH Design, a company providing design services for planned renovations to the high school shop classrooms, offices and restrooms. The amendment set the final design completion for December, with construction slated to start in summer of 2025.
Other board actions
The board approved an update to school policy to make a decision for delayed starts and cancellations at 5:30 a.m., and if there is a cancellation following a delayed start, the decision will be made at 6:30 a.m. for 1 hour delays or 7:30 a.m. for two hour delays.
The school board meets July 11 at 7 p.m. in the middle school library and streamed on the district’s YouTube page for the first meeting of the 2024-2025 school year.
We have the infrastructure set up for most of these areas, we're just in need of manpower from passionate community members. We offer a private collaborative office and bi-weekly staff meetings to guide you. There are so many more things we want to do and are always up for new ideas. We can be and do so much more with your support. This is YOUR paper, we are what the community makes us.
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Reach out to us at editor@valleysentinelnews.com, or contribute your donation to Valley Sentinel, PO Box 144, Spring Green, WI 53588.
Events for June 27 - July 11
Thursday, June 27
COmmunitycalendar
COmmunitycalendar
The Community Calendar is curated and designed by Julianna Williams. Events are subject to change, always check ahead for up-to-date information on any events you are interested in.
Sunday, June 30
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.
Tech Help 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Plain Kraemer Library, 910 Main St., Plain kraemerlibrary.org rvbroadband.org/techhelp Come on in with any devices or technology you need help with! No appoiontment necessary.
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.
Friday, June 28
SOLD OUT: LIVE MUSIC — Sh*tty Barn Session Session 314: Paul Cebar Tomorrow Sound 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 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 Paul Cebar Tomorrow Sound bring forth a funky, lyrically charged racket that is explosive, yet intimate. At the core is gifted songwriting, and the company Paul keeps bears it out. They Fredrickson, throw down some of the best dance grooves in the business with a unique mixture of R&B, Caribbean and New Orleans style.
Karaoke 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jefferson St., Spring Green slowpokelounge.com Join us the fourth Friday of every month for a night of Karaoke at Slowpoke. Janna Johnson hosts this night for the community to come together in song. Take a chance and come up on stage, or just cheer on your friends. We’ll get star ted around 8:00, and go until last call. That could be as early as 10:00 or as late as 2:00am. It all depends on you! No cover, but tips for our host are always welcome.
Saturday, June 29
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 Sh*tty Barn, 506 E Madison 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 at Sh*tty Barn to accomodate for Arts & Crafts Fair.
Spring Green Arts & Crafts Fair 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Jefferson St., Spring Green For more information look up Spring Green Arts & Crafts Fair on Facebook This is a juried fair with more that 150 nation-wide artists and craftspeople. See multiple varieties of art works: graphics, painting, jewelry, sculpture, fine crafts, pottery, fiber, photography, glass and woodworking. All work is original. Local clubs and civic groups provide refreshments, sandwiches and treats throughout the fair. A variety of entertainment is provided by local musicians.
LIVE MUSIC: Psycherelic / Live 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 outside on the Riverside stage! Let’s welcome in the summer!
SOLD OUT: Japanese Bento Dinner 6:00 PM Elderflower Retreat, 6511 Hillside School Rd, Spring Green savortherivervalley.org Tickets cost $75 (Tip Included) A bento is a seasonal selection of tastes presented in small serving boxes. These will be served along with an opening soup and a closing dessert. In honor of the work of the Savanna Institute, many of the ingredients, primarily vegetarian, are locally grown.
Arena VFW Steak Feed 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM Arena VFW Hall 514 Willow Street, Arena For more info look up Ewing-Olson VFW Post 9336 on Facebook $15.00 Steak (done the way you like) $8.00- 8 ounce chicken breast. 608-753-2225 for carryout.
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 Arts & Crafts Fair 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Jefferson St., Spring Green For more information look up Spring Green Arts & Crafts Fair on Facebook This is a juried fair with more that 150 nation-wide artists and craftspeople. All work is original. Local clubs and civic groups provide refreshments, sandwiches and treats throughout the fair. A variety of entertainment is provided by local musicians.
LIVE MUSIC: Country Legends on the River Stage 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM Wisconsin Riverside Resort, S13220 Shifflet Road, Spring Green wiriversideresort.com Warm weather, cold cocktails, and great live music! Join us outside on the Riverside stage! Let’s welcome in the summer!
Sunday Hymn Sing 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM The Historic Brown Church, 29864 Brown Church Dr, Lone Rock The hymn sing is free and all are welcome. The church is air conditioned and there is an accessible toilet facility available.
Caring for the Soil: Landscape Walk with Gary Zimmer 2:15 PM - 3:15 PM Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center, 5607 County Road C, Spring Green taliesinpreservation.org Adults (18 & up): $15 per person - Youth (10-17): Free Join Gary Zimmer on a walking tour of the Taliesin estate, as he discusses the landscape, soil, and regenerative farming practices he developed that allow for the continued protection and nurturing of the beautiful 800-acre property. A free screening of the film "Common Ground" will take place upon the conclusion of this walk. If you would like to attend, please register.
FREE FILM SCREENING: Common Ground 3:30 PM - 5:15 PM Hillside Theater, 6604 Hwy 23 Trunk Spring Green taliesinpreservation.org A free public screening of "Common Ground”. Online registration is strongly encouraged. By fusing deeply personal stories from those in the sustainable food movement, Common Ground unveils a dark web of money, power, and politics behind our broken food system. The film profiles a hopeful and uplifting movement of white, black, and indigenous farmers who are using alternative “regenerative” models of agriculture that could balance the climate, save our health, and stabilize America’s economy – before it’s too late.
River Valley Film Club Presents...The People's Joker 7:00 PM - 8:40 PM Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jefferson St., Spring Green slowpokelounge.com Tickets $10 in advance or at the door “A fearless, gloriously funny, and moving act of cinematic anarchy... You should believe the hype.” - The Austin Chronicle This revolutionary DIY parody film and hilarious reimagining of the classic autobiographical coming-of-age story follows an unconfident, closeted trans girl as she moves to Gotham City to make it big as a comedian by joining the cast of UCB Live - a government-sanctioned late night sketch show in a world where comedy has been outlawed. Shhh, a screening of Rocky Horror Picture Show may follow around 10:30 p.m. at no charge. Bring your own toast!
Monday, July 1
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!
Free Family Flick: Brother Bear 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM Plain Kraemer Library, 910 Main St., Plain kraemerlibrary.org PG. Join this summer's Free Family Flicks! Open to all! Popcorn and lemonade served. Children under 6 must have adult present at showing. Trivia Night 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM . Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jefferson St., Spring Green slowpokelounge.com Join us for a night of Trivia! Kyle Adams will host as we put teams together for a contest of trivia. Come for the prizes, stay for the fun! First Question at 7:00 - and it should last about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
Tuesday, July 2
Nature Adventures at Tower Hill 10:30 AM . Tower Hill State Park, 5808 County Rd C, Spring Green Spring Green Community Library on Facebook gather at Tower Hill State Park for some outdoor exploration. Enjoy nature-themed games and activities, take a guided nature hike and fix some picnic snacks for people and animals! Please dress appropriately for light hiking and outdoor play. This is a weather permitting event. We may proceed with a very light rain, but please check the library's Facebook page or call for up-to-date changes or cancellations.
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).
Wednesday, July 3
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!
Choose Your Own Adventure 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Plain Kraemer Library, 910 Main St., Plain kraemerlibrary.org Join and explore a new interactive adventure each month where you get to act out and decide your fate through fun stations and exciting challenges.
Midsummer Music: Tom Waselchuk 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.
Talk Backs: Wolf at the Door 7:30 PM American Players Theatre, 5950 Golf Course Rd, Spring Green americanplayers.org Play starts at 7:30. Stick around afer the performance for a candid 20-minute post-show conversation with the actors intimately involved with the play.
After a nearly two month long process, we want to formally welcome you to the results of the 4th annual Best of the River Valley reader poll for the Spring Green area, our annual edition where we remind local businesses that they need to be open past 5 p.m., and market it in your lovely local newspapers, because we’re sick of watching groups of visitors and tourists (and some residents, let’s be honest) try and fail to open the front door of businesses in our downtowns (especially Spring Green) after 5 p.m. and walk away dejected — ahem, we mean our annual edition where we share your local favorites! Only the date range of June 2023 – May 2024 was considered for the poll. Residents could only vote once, popular write-ins were added to the poll, most of the categories were limited to the Valley (Arena, Lone Rock, Plain and Spring Green), with some regional exceptions. The greater area was included, more or less 15 miles around the Valley.
mally welcome to 4th Best the River reader for Green area, our edition where we remind local nd market local let’s be and to specially 5 2023 for the
After a year of no first place ties last year, Best Plumber surprised us all this year. We had less ties overall than years past. It’s still a surprise to us that a poll with hundreds of voters can tie — but it always manages to. We had another record number of votes this year and again reached nearly 2,500 area residents on social media alone, with even more finding the poll through the paper and Valley Sentinel's website.
The theme for our first reader poll was: If you know, you know (smashing down walls). The theme for our second poll was: Emerge. The theme for last year's reader poll was: Transition (Back in Business). This year we asked residents to share a word or phrase that represented the Valley in the last year for them. Our 2024 Best of the River Valley theme is: Construction
Some other notable responses shared with us by readers for their theme suggestions when we asked “What has this last year meant to you? Is there a word or short phrase that you feel defines our community for the last year?” included:
popular write-ins added poll, most were limited the Valley Lone The was included, 15 the Valley. surprised past. still to and with finding the down walls). theme Emerge. The for was: Transition in phrase year 2024 of the Valley is: Construction has meant you? Is or that feel defines our community coming of an hard and we lot
“Making the best on slim margins”, “The division and resentment that exists between the River Valley communities that resulted in the failure to pass recent referenda”, “Resilient”, “The attempts to revive food service and affordable housing” and “No”. d communities to affordable and
Resilience/Resilient was the only suggestion that was repeated from last year. Most all of these suggestions share a common thread — we're still coming out of an extremely hard time, and we have a lot of work and construction to do yet, literally and figuratively.
the things that area great, and the future maintaining fights need to celebrate the that we’ve made during time and as this is YOU
This resilience as we reconstruct and move forward, this celebration of all the things that make the Spring Green area so great, as well as our focus on progress and building towards the future while maintaining our heart is part of our goal in building community. As we’ve shared: Entropy fights against us all and we need to foster community and celebrate the achievements that we’ve made during this time and look as well as build and construct toward the future and where we want to go. That’s the goal of the Best of the River Valley. Ultimately, this is YOUR poll, YOU decided the winners.
BEST OF
FOUR-PEATS
We promised, we delivered. Here are the four-peat winners that have placed first all four years of the Best of the River Valley reader poll. There were again some surprising upsets this year that denied entry to this coveted spot, and many more second place winners were right at the heels of the first place winners below. Whether your goal next year is to help truly create a dynasty or topple a favorite, more and more will fall off year after year. that coveted place will off year FOR NOW — THESE ARE THE VALLEY'S UNDISPUTED LONGTIM E FAVORITES
1st
2nd
1st
2nd
BEST OF OUTDOORS & LEISURE
Best PLACE TO GET FIT
Best Sledding Hill
GOLF COURSE
1st
2nd
changes here! We live in a valley and there aren’t many hills to choose from in town. The rural kids that have access to better hills are keeping their secrets, for now.
ARTS & CULTURE
Fair
3rd Place: River Valley School Fair Always one of the most nominated in our very talented and creative Valley. Ringelstetter commanded nearly 57% of the vote. ed
Another one of the most nominated in our very talented and creative Valley, this year didn’t have last year’s three-way tie for second place, but Janna and the Junkyard Dawgs were far and away the winner again, with 47% of the vote. Several bands came close to placing. Even if they hadn’t placed, Violet Palms would have been an editor’s pick. ted far placed, The Spring Green Municipal Golf Course narrowly dethrones three-peat winner The Springs in a major upset. rones
The longtime favorite gets bumped to second (and it wasn’t close).
Two Crows Theatre Company’s “The Thin Place” was a notable play as well. le play
Best Local Author
1st Place: James DeVita
2nd Place: Richard L. Cates Jr. (Dick Cates)
3rd Place: Kathy Steffen
Best Photographer
Best Music Venue
1st Place: Brittney Brent Design
1st Place: Post House Garden - The Shed
2nd Place: Sh*tty Barn
3rd Place: River Stage, Wisconsin Riverside Resort
The Sh*tty Barn, a previous winner, is back! The Post House Garden and the River Stage swapped places. Slowpoke Lounge and Cabaret and Trader’s Tiki Bar made respectable showings.
Always so many upsets and changes in this category as well as several photographers that have been featured in these pages that almost placed (likely why we get so many good cover pictures). And no “the photographer lives/does business in Madison, but grew up here and takes pictures here” doesn’t count, sorry. that
Best Appetizer (specific item, location)
1st Place: Cheese Curds, The Woods Bar and Grill
BEST OF NOMS & NIGHTLIFE
2nd Place: Deep-fried Pickles - Arthur’s Supper Club
3rd Place: Cheese Curds - Crappie Shop
One of the most popular questions. So many good options that almost placed. With nearly 44% of the vote, The Woods’ cheese curds reign supreme again.
Best Food Event/Series
1st Place: Smoke in the Valley, Prem Meats
2nd Place: St. Luke's Fish Fry
3rd Place: Homecoming popups
Best Bakery
Best Place to Get Coffee
1st Place: Kelly's Coffee House - Spring Green
2nd Place: Arcadia Books
3rd Place: Convivio (Tied)
3rd Place: Brewhaha Coffee Roasters (Tied)
split their vote — with Reunion’s share being 38.8% of the
Best Breakfast/ Brunch Spot
1st Place: Anita's Cafe
Most don’t think of the Crappie Shop and think cheese curds, but we’d suggest you think again. Now with outdoor seating and live music events, the Crappie Shop is worth checking out Important to note, and a general editors’ pick from us: Reunion Restaurant had several entries (more than anyone) and it likely split their vote — with Reunion’s share being 38.8% of the vote, which would have put it at a solid 2nd, if we could all pick our favorite appetizer! ions
2nd Place: Spring Green General Store
1st Place: Nectar Bakery
2nd Place: Red Barn Catering
3rd Place: The Frozen Local (Tied)
3rd Place: The Shoppe at Herbs Spices & More (Tied)
Nectar finally takes the top spot, unfortunately — as with previous winner Sidney Bakes — Nectar at the least has stepped back from a storefront, with The Frozen Local moving into the space. Oddly, 4th place was a tie as well, between newcomer Sky Blue Pink and Bird of Paradise Tea (where you can have a full sit down tea service with delightful baked goods guys!). previous Sky tea service with delightful baked goods guys!).
Best Regional Beer (specific brew, brewery)
1st Place: Spotted Cow, New Glarus
3rd Place: Grandma Mary's Anita’s needs no introduction. The food is amazing, the prices are affordable and they seem to be settling in well in their new location in Spring Green after a move from Arena.
offee Truck
Kelly’s comes out on top again, as Butternut Road Coffee Truck and their delivery bid us farewell. It should also be noted that at least Arcadia as well uses local Brewhaha Coffee regularly. Most don’t know you can get coffee and boozy coffee at Convivio as well as wine (ask about their speakeasy, or just go downstairs).
Editor’s note: None of these options are regularly open late, which we believe is a mistake. We need more “third places” in the area, especially for Gen Z to Gen X.
If any of these places (or others, pitch us) want to REGULARLY be open later than 5 p.m., we’ll offer them two editions of advertising for free and a coffee & third places special section to help get out the word. Seriously, it’s a public service & we’re happy to give ink.
be to
Best Burger (specific burger, location)
1st Place: Burger - Baron Brooks
We're just still happy we can go to Anita's and get a great skillet somewhere in the Valley.
We also were sad to see Reunion’s brunch go. Loss leaders be damned, we need more bunch. he prices be
Best Friday Fish Fry
1st Place: St. Luke Catholic Church
2nd Place: Prem Meats
2nd Place: Warped Speed, Lake Louie 3rd Place: Bee's Knees - Vintage Brewing Company
Spotted Cow is not a surprise, neither is native son (but now Verona-brewed) Lake Louie, formerly of Arena.
Someone tried to nominate Furthermore's Fatty Boombalatty again — a local favorite no longer distributed here that only brews in small batches in Black River Falls when the moon is blue. Again, perhaps a petition drive is needed to bring it back? Most importantly, when will fate bring a Valley-brewed beer back? beer
Best Wings (restaurant/bar)
1st Place: The Woods Bar and Grill
2nd Place: Ridge Burger (Bacon Cheeseburger) - Pleasant Ridge Store
3rd Place: Cheese Burger - Ring’s Bar
For the FOURTH year running the best burger in the Valley is — the burger! The burger? No fancy name? Apparently it doesn't need one to be the best. Baron Brooks (122 E Jefferson St, Spring Green) definitely knows something we don't know, with nearly 43% of the vote. Pleasant Ridge Store (4948 Co Rd Z, Dodgeville) places again. The Hybrid Burger at Wisconsin Riverside is our editors’ pick. lley of editors’
3rd Place: The Woods Bar and Grill Best Food Truck/ Food Pop-up
2nd Place: Pleasant Ridge Store
Anita’s Cafe, Arthur’s Supper Club and the Crappie Shop all came close to placing.
3rd Place: Trader’s Bar and Grill
1st Place: Jose's Authentic Mexican Food Truck
2nd Place: Jay’s Korean Brats
3rd Place: Wander Provisions (pop-up at the Sh*tty Barn)
Some huge upsets, as Wisconsin Riverside Resort is knocked off completely. Nice to see some new names here that first appeared in other sections last year. off
While you can sometimes see Wander Provisions' pop-up at events like the Sh*tty Barn, their location at 136 Albany St, Spring Green, has everything you need for a picnic and more. p Spring
Best New Restaurant/ Food Place
1st Place: Anita’s Cafe
2nd Place: Reunion Restaurant
3rd Place: Jay’s at Homecoming
Best Outdoor Dining
1st Place: Bar & Riverside Grille, Wisconsin Riverside Resort
Best Pizza (restaurant/bar)
1st Place: Homecoming
2nd Place: Trader's Bar and Grill
3rd Place: Prem Meats
Always a hard one, made more hard this year by the nomination of Anita’s — who moved locations and villages, but is not “new”. We disagreed as editors if to include it or not, but ultimately with nearly 60% of the vote, the Valley spoke.
2nd Place: The Shed 3rd Place: Homecoming
Reunion Restaurant, from Kyle Beach and Leah Spicer of Homecoming, is a no-brainer and offers the best elevated dining experience in the area.
omination not Homecoming something
Jay’s (yes, of the Korean brats) set up shop in Homecoming over the winter while the focus was on Reunion and did something really unique and special.
Best Steak (restaurant/bar)
1st Place: Hi Point Steakhouse (Ridgeway)
2nd Place: Arthur's Supper Club
3rd Place: The Woods Bar and Grill
Hi Point, being out of the immediate-immediate area hurts, again. But it wasn’t even close.
Best Old Fashioned (restaurant/bar)
1st Place: Arthur's Supper Club
2nd Place: Baron Brooks
3rd Place: Slowpoke Lounge and Cabaret
The real question again is, brandy or whisky?
With nearly 55% of the vote and views of the river, the Bar & Riverside Grille at Wisconsin Riverside Resort (you’ll always be “Shifflet’s to us) is a no-brainer. Looking for more of a garden vibe? Try Homecoming (242 N Lexington St, Spring Green).
Newly re-opening, The Shed adjacent to the Post House Garden is going to be a top pick for many.
It's clear that the Valley is looking for more opportunities to dine outside, this was a very popular question.
The Shitty Barn Sessions (506 E Madison St, Spring Green) nearly placed again this year. Last year’s winner, the River Stage at Wisconsin Riverside Resort (S13220 Shifflet Rd, Spring Green), gets pushed to third. reen) at
Best Subs/Sandwiches
1st Place: Block 23
2nd Place: Wander Provisions
3rd Place: Spring Green General Store
Lots of turmoil this year as pizza restaurants open and close.
As we predicted last year, Homecoming pivoted to pizza-focused fair and would win this year.
This was a VERY popular question and many places around the Valley got a number of votes.
Best Bar
The Crappie Shop, Goodfellaz (now closed) and Block 23 all nearly placed.
1st Place: Baron Brooks
2nd Place: Slowpoke Lounge and Cabaret
3rd Place: Bar & Riverside Grille, Wisconsin Riverside Resort
After temporarily dethroning Baron Brooks (122 E Jefferson St, Spring Green), Slowpoke (137 W Jefferson St, Spring Green) moves down a spot to second. Looking for a lounge-y, classic, music vibe? Try Slowpoke. Looking for a town classic? Try Baron Brooks. For everything else, try Shifflet's (Wisconsin Riverside).
Ring’s Bar, Trader’s and the Hyde Store all came close to placing. ferson close
Best Restaurant
2nd Place: Anita’s Cafe
1st Place: The Woods Bar and Grill
3rd Place: Arthur's Supper Club
(There is a wrong answer, this is Wisconsin.) by our W know this is
Always referred to as the most important question (by one of our editors at least), Arthur’s comes out on top — again — with a Wisconsin favorite. Not to be ignored is Slowpoke’s (137 W Jefferson St, Spring Green) craft maple old fashioned, we all know Rob pours the best (read: strongest) drinks. Baron Brooks sneaks in with a second place and bumps Shifflet’s.
Best Wedding Venue
1st Place: Wisconsin Riverside Resort
2nd Place: Octagon Barn
3rd Place: Sugarland Barn
Slightly less of a mess than last year’s four-way third place tie. Strong options, with Prem Meats coming close to placing. Subway was up there too, we guess.
Shoutout to Wander Provisions for being one of the places that offers gluten free options.
Best area Supper Club
1st Place: Hi Point Steakhouse (Ridgeway)
2nd Place: Arthur's Supper Club
3rd Place: Reunion Restaurant
nique in
And then you have this question, which is perhaps unique in the fact that the slate of winners has stayed the exact same, in the exact same order, for the past three years — but not this year, as the Octagon Barn and Sugarland Barn switch spots.
Again: Don't let anyone fool you, things change in the Valley, and fast.
and
The Woods Bar and Grill (320 S Oak St, Lone Rock) had a solid showing across the entire poll, making them a spot that shouldn't be missed. Homecoming (242 N Lexington St, Spring Green) got
but almost placed, as did their new endeavor Reunion Restaurant (134 W Jefferson St, Spring Green).
Best area Winery
1st Place: Wollersheim Winery (Prairie Du Sac)
A controversial list for sure. The Valley is not teeming with supper clubs, unfortunately. So we have to consider out a bit further (again: not far enough to consider Ishnala, stop it guys, that's too far).
Our very own Arthur's Supper Club (E4885 US-14, Spring Green) gets knocked from the top spot again. ng that's
2nd Place: Wild Hills Winery (Muscoda)
3rd Place: Balanced Rock Winery (Baraboo)
Best Day Trip
1st Place: Devil's Lake
2nd Place: Door County
3rd Place: Lake Wisconsin (Tied) 3rd Place: Mississippi River (Tied)
Some big changes from last year.
Suppose it is if you make a day of it!
BEST OF OOT & ABOOT
2nd Place: Spring Valley Inn
3rd Place: Round Barn Lodge
Best Public Park
Also Wisconsin River almost placed again. Some of us can walk to the river, so is that technically a day trip?
Maybe it's all about that day trip tubing down the river?
Best All-Ages Hangout
1st Place: Wisconsin Riverside Resort
2nd Place: Arcadia Books (Tied) 2nd Place: Wisconsin River (Tied)
When two of your best hang-outs involve the river, you know it's a draw.
But if you're looking to stick closer to downtown, the Post House Garden (119 E Jefferson Street, Spring Green) is always bustling with life or music.
Again, ironically, none of hotels that placed have ‘hotel’ in their name.
Maybe we should change the question to best hotel/overnight accommodations? Several nominees were bed and breakfasts.
Best Tourist Attraction
1st Place: American Players Theatre
2nd Place: House on the Rock 3rd Place: Wisconsin River
Best Area Bookstore
1st Place: Arcadia Books
1st Place: Governor Dodge State Park
2nd Place: North Park/Veteran’s Park, Spring Green
3rd Place: White Mound County Park
Best/Most Beautiful Local Spot
1st Place: Hyde's Mill
Tourist attraction doesn't truly sum up all the things that American Players Theatre (5950 Golf Course Rd, Spring Green) and House on the Rock (5754 State Road 23, Spring Green) are.
It's hard to find a category that encompass them. Until we do, they should take this as well-deserved acknowledgment by the community.
No changes this year. gs House do, they
2nd Place: St. Anne's Chapel, Council Bluff, Plain
3rd Place: The view from the top of Shot Tower, Tower Hill State Park
ide Resort
The sunsets overlooking the river at Wisconsin Riverside Resort (S13220 Shifflet Rd, Spring Green) can't be beat, except they were this year AGAIN by Hyde's Mill (6875 Mill Rd, Ridgeway).
The Spring Green Preserve bluff hike (Angelo Lane, Spring Green) did very well and shouldn't be overlooked.
2nd Place: Prairie Flowers & Gifts
3rd Place: Convivio
Gas
1st Place: Rite-Way Plaza Shell, Spring Green
1st Place: Nina's Department Store
No surprise here! Arcadia Books (102 E Jefferson St, Spring Green) may be the only true bookstore in the Valley proper, but there are lots of places to find books.
We have no plans to eliminate this question. Books should be abundant in the Valley. there
2nd Place: The Clyde Co. 3rd Place: Bargain Nook A very strong showing by The Clyde
(143
As much as many may love Kwik Trip, it's nice to see a gas station that's in the Valley proper win this AGAIN. Kwik Trip may be a Wisconsin staple, but again Rite-Way (E4905 US-14, Spring Green) is a Valley staple.
This won't be the last time you see Kwik Trip appear on this reader poll. The Valley proper doesn't currently have one to call our own — and many would like to change that, and many would like to do without. But Kwik Trip was knocked down a spot again. Green) is a Valley staple. reader call do without. But Kwik Trip was knocked down a spot again.
Best Place to get Groceries
1st Place: Prem Meats
Best Hardware Store
1st Place: Doerre Hardware
2nd
2nd Place: Molter's 3rd Place: Spring Green Farmers Market
Best Cheese Factory
1st Place: Simply Rooted & Co.
1st Place: Arena Cheese Factory
2nd Place: Cedar Grove Cheese 3rd Place: Meister Cheese (Muscoda)
Best Place to Buy Meat
1st Place: Prem Meats
2nd Place: Straka Meats 3rd Place: Cates Family Farm
1st Place: Crappie
1st Place: Michael Curran
2nd Place: Tyler Wilkinson 3rd Place: Ted Frank
1st Place: Nachreiner Auto Care
2nd Place: Ringbrothers/Classic Auto Body 3rd Place: Louis' Auto Service
1st Place: River Valley Clinic, Sauk Prairie Healthcare (Spring Green)
2nd Place: Upland Hills Health Spring Green Clinic
3rd Place: Prairie Clinic (Sauk City)
Best Area Hospital
1st Place: Sauk Prairie Healthcare Hospital (Prairie Du Sac)
2nd Place: Upland Hills Health (Dodgeville) 3rd Place: Richland Hospital (Richland Center)
Best Senior Living Residence
1st Place: Meadows Assisted Living and Memory Care
2nd Place: Greenway Terrace
2nd Place: Zander Tax and Bookkeeping (Dodgeville)
3rd Place: Dodgeville Tax & Accounting (Tied)
3rd Place: KEL Income Tax Service (Tied)
Best Real Estate Agent
1st Place: Ashley Straka, Century 21, Spring Green
2nd Place: Ted Greenheck, Driftless Area LLC, Richland Center
3rd Place: Peggy Ring, Century 21, Spring Green
Best Nail Salon
1st Place: J&J Total Lawn Care and Snow Removal
2nd Place: River Valley Landscapes
Unfortunately there is no clear third place here. Only two businesses were initially nominated and only a scattering of single votes were written in for others. It’s so important to nominate to ensure you or your favorites appear in the poll. nly of
1st
2nd
1st Place: Enos Farms
Best Farm
1st Place: Cates Family Farm
2nd Place: Liegel Family Farm
3rd Place: Enos Farms (Tied)
2nd Place: Steadfast Acres 3rd Place: My Fine Homestead (Blue River)
3rd Place: Branders Dairy Farm (Tied)
Favorite Elected Official
1st Place: Lone Rock Village Trustee Adam Reno
2nd Place: Spring Green Village President Robin Reid
3rd Place: Senator Tammy Baldwin
Holy mackerel, our Governor was knocked off the list.
BEST OF EXTRAS
Most Overrated Thing in the Valley
1st Place: House on the Rock
2nd Place: Town/Village board members
3rd Place: River Valley School District
Most Underrated Thing in the Valley
1st Place: River Valley School Fair
2nd Place: Spring Green Preserve 3rd Place: Nachreiner Auto Care
As we’ve shared before: In previous years some people really liked this question and some people thought it felt out of place. No complaints again this year, we stood by it and still do. We explained our first year that a time when it feels like decisions are made so far away, we need to remember that not only can we get involved but that we also can hold our elected officials accountable to our interests and that we should also celebrate the very best of our elected officials as well, from local on up. We hope this award stands as a reminder and as incentive for our local elected officials (with a surprise Senator Tammy Baldwin placement). are can we accountable best hope this award officials
Thing the Valley is Best At
1st Place: Supporting local charities & non-profits/people helping people
2nd Place: Arts
3rd Place: Community
This one is always fun. It asks us to be introspective, while also firing figurative shots.
For the FOURTH year in a row, the River Valley School Fair wins.
This was a much more nominated and busy question this year than in the past, which seems to reveal a level of discontent.
Second and third place are a bit surprising. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, go to board meetings, ask questions and run for public office.
We also appreciated the 7.9% that thought the “Best of the River Valley reader poll” was the most overrated thing. But here you are reading this. , year said the
Thing the Valley is Worst At
1st Place: Affordable housing
2nd Place: Restaurant options
3rd Place: Entertainment for youth (Tied)
3rd Place: Gossip (Tied)
Again, for some reason residents had trouble nominating options for the things we're best at.
We said last year: “Next year we will hope to see many more nominations.” And this year again this was one of our least nominated questions. Construction needed indeed. ting many our least
Affordable housing is a HUGE issue that is just recently starting to garner some tangible work by dedicated organizations. We should endeavor to fix this issue however we can. This is the second year in a row it placed first.
“Entertainment for youth” also placed last year. So we should probably work on that.
“Having businesses open in its downtowns after 5pm” is obviously our editors’ pick and nearly placed, along with “Anything for 20-30 year olds/young families/young professionals”.
The River Valley School Fair is something special. Again, at one point we heard that it’s one of only two or three left in the state, Ithaca being the other nearby one.
Interesting to see the school district place as overrated and the school fair place as underrated. is at the
Biggest Thing We Should Make Happen Soon
1st Place: Kwik Trip
2nd Place: Affordable housing/rentals
3rd Place: More for kids and teens
Is Kwik Trip really a surprising answer? Again? Again again? For four years running Kwik Trip comes out on top. We love our local gas stations too of course, but Kwik Trip is a Wisconsin staple. No write-in for "Not Kwik Trip" this year, so the Kwik Trip deniers are losing the battle.
Not many changes here, which means that our community needs are still not being met.
Affordable housing is huge, there are tons of young professionals and young families that would love to live in the area but can’t. Kudos to the developers that realize this and are moving forward with affordable apartments and lots.
This question generated a lot more engagement than the previous question. Oops.
ently year our editors’ pick and nearly placed, along with “Anything for 20-30 question. Oops.
Worth mentioning AGAIN is how high commuter rail was on the list and how close it was to placing. As lovely as a train into Spring Green to see APT or Taliesin would be, until we create more jobs in the area, many still commute. Commuter rail would be a welcome way to commute along the HWY 14 corridor and into Madison. With HWY 14 buckling under the weight of hundreds of thousands of vehicles weekly, you can't convince us that commuter rail wouldn't be a worthwhile investment. But we won't hold our breath.
public education also nearly placed, in these last two. For four are more jobs thousands rail these
Events for June 27 - July 11
Wednesday, July 3 cont.
LIVE MUSIC — Sh*tty Barn Session Session RBS3: Bongo Frontier // Old Boi 7:00 PM 506 E Madison St, Spring Green shittybarnsessions.com This is a non-ticketed event with any donations going to the bands (suggested $15). Kick off the long fourth of July weekend with this rogue event! Starting the night will be Bongo Frontier. Bongo Frontier have been bonafied vibe riderz since 1987, launching cinematic sci tastic aural event horizons since Halle’s comet slightly underwhelmed all those 1985s ago. Synth, drums, lyrics(ish) . The evening will conclude with a dance party conducted by our resident DJ, Old Boi. Please leave your chairs at home.
4th of july events
Thursday, July 4
Lone Rock 4th of July Celebration 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM Fireman’s Park, Lone Rock lonerock4thofjuly.org Local vendors and organizations will have tents set up for a marketplace at 7. 5K Run/Walk from 8-10. Parade starts at 11. BBQ after parade. Celebration at Fireman’s park begins at 12. Petting zoo 12-5. Musical bingo at 4. Raffle and meat paddle drawings at 6. Live music and dancing 5-11. Fireworks at dusk!
Black Hawk 4th of July Celebration 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM Blackhawk Bethlehem, 10174 Co Rd C, Sauk City For more information look up 4th of July Celebration Black Hawk Parade at 10:30. Chicken dinner and Pie 11:30-2. Family games at 1.
LIVE MUSIC: The Yard Dogs on the River Stage 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM Wisconsin Riverside Resort, S13220 Shifflet Road, Spring Green wiriversideresort.com Warm weather, cold cocktails, and great live music! Join the Yard Dogs to celebrate the fourth!
Saturday, July 6
LIVE MUSIC: 3 Souls on the River Stage 5:00 PM - 9:00 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! Fireworks will be set off at dusk!
Thursday, July 4
Storytime 10:30 AM Lone Rock Community Library, 234 N Broadway St, Lone Rock lonerocklibrary.wordpress.com Join us every Thursday for storytime!
Stitch and Bitch 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM Spring Green General Store, 137 S. Albany St. Spring Green springgreengeneralstore.com The Spring Green General Store’s Stitch and Bitch handwork group meets Thursday afternoons weekly. All are welcome.
LIVE MUSIC: John Haarbauer & Friends 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!
Midsummer Music: The Firesides 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.
Friday, July 5
LIVE MUSIC: Power Takeoff on the River Stage 4:00 PM - 8:00 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!
Saturday, July 6
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.
Bear Valley Chicken Car B Que 10:00 AM Kaul Park, WI-130, Bear Valley Car show featuring anything you’re proud to ride on or in! Great chicken BBQ!
LIVE MUSIC: Barlow 7:30 PM - 10:00 PM Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jefferson St., Spring Green slowpokelounge.com Tickets $10 in advance/$15 at the door Boasting a lifelong career as an actor (including 3 seasons with APT) with a deep knowledge of funk and soul music under his belt, Barlow aims to be the Renaissance Man of your alt-R&B fantasies. Expressive lyrics, believable angst and a colored past all bubble together for impressive, passionate music.
Sunday,July 7
Heck’s Vendor/Flea Market 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM Highway 14, Arena For more info look up Heck’s Farm Market on Facebook types of vendors to shop every Saturday and Sunday - weather permitting. Vendors must contact Heck’s Farm Market for free registration.
Sunday Salon 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Post House Garden, 127 E Jefferson St, Spring Green americanplayers.org Free, No tickets required Select Sundays bring the opportunity to chat with APT leadership at Sunday Salons! Visit downtown Spring Green for a free-wheeling (and free-of-charge) chat about whatever might be on your mind.
Monday, July 8
Monday Morning Mystery 10:30 AM Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green springgreenlibrary.com 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!
Family Friendly Music: Duke Otherwise 10:30 AM Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green springgreenlibrary.com Hilarious songs for all ages!
Lego Builders 1-:00 PM Plain Kraemer Library, 910 Main St., Plain brary.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.
Monday July 8 cont.
LIVE MUSIC: Rural Musicians' Forum presents: Wonderporium 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jefferson St., Spring Green slowpokelounge.com Rural Musicians’s Forum is presenting this special free event with Wonderporium. The Wonderporium is a new ensemble specializing in improvisation, live electronics, ambient soundscapes, noise cultivation, and who knows what else. Each Wonderporium concert is fully improvised and intrinsically wonder-ful.
Tuesday, July 9
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.
Midsummer Music: 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.
Library Trivia 7:00 PM Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green springgreenlibrary.org Are you up for the challenge? Come by yourself or bring a team of up to 4 teens or adults to see if you can beat the Spring Green Community Library's Trivia. Themes will change with each session. Bragging rights to the winners!
Wednesday, July 10
All Ages Storytime 10:30 AM 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green springgreenlibrary.com The theme for this storytime will be Summer Adventures! Is your child active, noisy or "fidgety"? No worries! It's okay if your kiddo needs to wiggle and giggle to enjoy their time at the library!
Wednesday Wizardry 1:00 PM 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!
Midsummer Music: KG & The 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.
Talk Backs: Ring Around the Moon 7:30 PM American Players Theatre, 5950 Golf Course Rd, Spring Green americanplayers.org Play starts at 7:30. Stick around afer the performance for a candid 20-minute post-show conversation with the actors intimately involved with the play.
Thursday, July 11
Art Adventures - Glow in the Dark Painting 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. This week wee will have artists design their own Glow in the Dark Canvas. 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.
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.
Silent Book Club at Arcadia 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM Arcadia Books, 102 East Jefferson St., Spring Green readinutopia.com Bring your own book and unite with fellow readers in a low-key social environment. We'll gather at 5:30pm to get settled, get a drink, and share what we're reading for the first 30 minutes. Then we'll have quiet reading time for 1 hour. And finally we'll have time to chat more (or keep reading) at the end.
Midsummer Music: Doug Brown/Maureen McCarty Duo 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.
Family Adventure Guide: The Camping & Backpacking Edition 6:00 PM Spring Green Community Library, Children’s Room, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green springgreenlibrary.com Registration is required, link online Dream of sleeping under the stars but not sure how to get started? Learn about equipment, safety tips and best locations for camping and even backpacking with kids. This programs will be aimed at kids: toddler through teens and their caregivers, but anyone is welcome to attend!
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.
WHAT’S HANGINg ? ongoing art exhibitions
Spring Green Community Library Art Exhibitions . Spring Green Community Monday-Thursday: 10 AM - 7 PM Friday: 10 Through June. New local exhibitors each month. is exhibiting his woodworking in the Glass Case Gallery. He says of 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
is exhibiting her hooked rugs in the Community Room Gallery. Steele is Teachers Workshop in Dubuque, IA, former quilt shop owner and g 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 ho available for viewing during regular library hours when the Community Room is not in
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
LITERARY + ARTS & CULTURE SECTION
CROSSWORD
What about chess puzzles next? We're not joking. Solution to the
Last Edition in Words — May 30, 2024
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.
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. Which is why we've expanded our word pool this week.
This puzzle and section will absolutely change. Especially if you can help. We appreciate all the feedback and suggestions so far.
Puzzle by Nick Zaborek Edited by Nick Zaborek
July 2: Plain LIONS Meeting 7:00 PM 510 Main Street, Plain villageofplain.com
Village of Arena Board Meeting 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Village Hall, 345 West Street, Arena villageofarena.net Arena typically holds board meetings the first Tuesday of the month.
July 6:
Sh*tty Barn announces second half of 2024 season
The Sh*tty Barn (506 E Madison St, Spring Green) has finalized the second half of its 2024 sessions, with tickets going on sale July
1: Check out the schedule, and make your plan for snagging tickets July 1 at 6 pm.
Here’s the schedule for the second half:
• Friday, July 19th - LAAMAR and dak duBois (on sale now!)
• Friday, August 2nd - Mama Digdown's
Brass Band
• Thursday, August 8th - Sleeping Jesus and Sleepy Gaucho
• Wednesday, August 14th - Sarah Shook & The Disarmers and Kelsey Waldon
• Friday, August 16th - Violet Palms and Red Pants
• Thursday, August 22nd - Eddie 9V
• Thursday, August 29th - Joe Policastro Trio and Mr. Chair
• Saturday, September 14th - The Sheepdogs
• Thursday, September 19th - The Claudettes and Soultru
July 7:
• Friday, September 20th - Traveling Suitcase – Spring Green Musician in Residence
• Wednesday, September 25th - Briscoe
• Friday, October 4th - Maya de Vitry and Ellie Jackson
CIVICS & SERVICES
CIVICS & SERVICES CALENDAR
This calendar is a place listing (for free) the typical meeting dates for area governmental bodies, and Please email us with these meetings, or use the form on our Community Calendar page —
July 2: Plain LIONS Meeting Village of Arena Board Meeting Arena villageofarena.net the month.
July 6: Friends of the Library Book Collection Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St. Spring Green springgreenlibrary.org donations of gently used books, DVDs, and CDs for resale. Donat four boxes are preferred. Proceeds from book sales help support other amenities. Damaged books, encyclopedias, textbooks, and i are not accepted, and the Friends reserve the right to limit the quantity of items accepted and/or refuse donations that do not meet library needs.
July 7: Driftless Trail Workday Visitor Center, 5607 County Rd C, Spring Green hours the first Sunday of the month between April and October to segments of the Driftless Trail. This is fun and rewarding work Welsh Hills ridge trail during the spring and fall, and maintain the other trails during the summer. Tools and training provided.
July 8:
• Thursday, October 10th - REYNA and Pepper Said Be sure to check out the Spotify playlist and give a listen to what's coming. For more information, visit: shittybarnsessions.com. Sh*tty Barn 2024 Season
Friends of the Library Book Collection 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Commmunity Room, Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St. Spring Green springgreenlibrary.org The Friends of the Spring Green Community Library will accept donations of gently used books, DVDs, and CDs for resale. Donations of no more than four boxes are preferred. Proceeds from book sales help support library programs and other amenities. Damaged books, encyclopedias, textbooks, and instruction manuals are not accepted, and the Friends reserve the right to limit the quantity of items accepted and/or refuse donations that do not meet library needs.
Driftless Trail Workday 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM Welsh Hills Trail, Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center, 5607 County Rd C, Spring Green driftlessconservancy.org Join for a few hours the first Sunday of the month between April and October to build and maintain segments of the Driftless Trail. This is fun and rewarding work! We will construct the Welsh Hills ridge trail during the spring and fall, and maintain the other trails during the summer. Tools and training provided.
July 8:
Spring Green Library Board Meeting 5:00 PM Commmunity Room, Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St. Spring Green springgreenlibrary.org The Library Board of Trustees meets each month, typically on the first or second Tuesday, at 5 PM. Changes to this schedule are posted at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. The meetings are open to the public.
July 9:
Stream Monitoring at Lowery Creek Watershed 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM Lowery Creek, South Farm, Spring Green savannainstitute.org Join for a fun morning of stream monitoring at Savanna Institute’s South Farm. We’ll be monitoring two stream sites. No experience required; training will be provided. Please dress appropriately for outdoor work (weather appropriate, tall grass, muddy conditions). Tall rubber boots or waders are useful but not strictly required. Be prepared to walk a quarter mile through grass and uneven terrain. Please bring your own water and a snack.
Village of Lone Rock Board Meeting 7:00 PM villageoflonerock.com Village Hall, 314 E Forest St, Lone Rock See full agenda online
July 10:
Plain Village Board Meeting 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM 510 Main Street, Plain villageofplain.com
Spring Green Library Board Meeting 5:00 PM Commmunity Room, Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St. Spring Green springgreenlibrary.org The Library Board of Trustees meets each month, typically on the first or second Tuesday, at 5 PM. Changes to this schedule are posted at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. The meetings are open to the public.
July 9: Stream Monitoring at Lowery Creek Watershed 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM Lowery Creek, South Farm, Spring Green savannainstitute.org Join for a fun morning of stream monitoring at Savanna Institute’s South Farm. We’ll be monitoring two stream sites. No experience required; training will be provided. Please dress appropriately for outdoor work (weather appropriate, tall grass, muddy conditions). Tall rubber boots or waders are useful but not strictly required. Be prepared to walk a quarter mile through grass and uneven terrain. Please bring your own water and a snack. Village of Lone Rock Board Meeting 7:00 PM villageoflonerock.com Village Hall, 314 E Forest St, Lone Rock See full agenda online July 10: Plain Village Board Meeting 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM 510 Main Street, Plain villageofplain.com Village of Spring Green Board Meeting 7:00 PM In person and virtual event 154 N. Lexington Street, Spring Green vi.springgreen.wi.gov
July 11: Evenings Afield: Prescribed Burning - The Importance of Managing with Fire 6:00 PM- 8:00 PM Cates Family Farm, 5992 County Hwy T, Spring Green vi.springgreen.wi.gov Register online This session will cover factors to consider related to burning, the basic process of doing a "ring fire", and resources that are available to help landowners burn fire-dependent natural communities. Prairies and savannas are fire-dependent communities, but managing with prescribed burns can seem way too risky, complicated, and expensive. This session will cover factors to consider related to burning, the basic process of doing a "ring fire", and resources that are available. We will also discuss the history and culture of fire in Wisconsin.
July 11-13:
Village of Spring Green Board Meeting 7:00 PM In person and virtual event 154 N. Lexington Street, Spring Green . vi.springgreen.wi.gov
Evenings Afield: Prescribed Burning - The Importance of Managing with Fire Cates Family Farm, 5992 County Hwy T, Spring Green vi.springRegister online This session will cover factors to consider related to burning, the basic process of doing a "ring fire", and resources that are available to help landowners burn fire-dependent natural communities. Prairies and savannas are fire-dependent communities, but managing with prescribed burns can seem way too risky, complicated, and expensive. This session will cover factors to consider related to burning, the basic process of doing a "ring fire", and resources that are available. We will also discuss the history and culture of fire in Wisconsin.
Friends of the Library Rummage and Book Sale 2:00 PM Commmunity Room, Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St. Spring Green
do. Join us for pizza and a movie! sign up at the front desk or call 608-546-4201. Kids under 6 must be with
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.
at Arthur’s Supper Club 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Arthur’s Supper US-14, Spring Green arthurssupperclub.com FREE 18+ Every Thursday until May Arthur’s plays 7 games of Bingo. Bingo is FREE, food and Prizes for the winner of each game, donated by area businesses.
These are needs the Wisconsin Legislature removed or limited in the Governor’s budget.
the ultrawealthy.
Friends of the Library Rummage and Book Sale 2:00 PM Commmunity Room, Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St. Spring Green springgreenlibrary.org
Reflections from Lost Horizon Farm — Wildlife on the
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.
Wildlife on the Farm
Coyotes and Foxes and the Badger Red and gray foxes were seldom seen. At one time, there had been a fox den site below a hillock in what we called "the bowl," a rounded hay field jutting northwest of the farm's valley flanked by a wooded ridge. It had been wonderful to catch a glimpse of the kits' carousing around the den entrance. Near the den site, Mr. Farmer had seen a lone Badger in the spring of 1980. It was the first and last time this species was seen on our farm. Perhaps our State Animal had sought shelter in the unused den?
One time, very close to the machine shed, we saw a little red fox kit venture out of the woods and walk right up to a half-grown orange kitten and sniff it. Perhaps it had thought the kitten a sibling? In the winter, a person would consider it fortunate to be able to view a red fox running through the valley seemingly floating on the newly fallen snow. Foxes were a species not viewed favorably by the neighbors. We remember the times a neighbor, watching a fox with us, would say he was sorry not to have had his gun!
During the brief spans of time when there were no dogs on Lost Horizon Farm, foxes denned close to the farm buildings twice: once between and behind our silos and another time underneath our heifer building. The latter fox home was discovered purely by accident. I had ventured into the heifer building, and, to my surprise, there were two very small fox kits playing hide and seek between the bays. I was undoubtedly the first human they had ever encountered. They showed no fear of me.
Areas adjacent to fox dens presented an archive of the parents’ hunts: deer legs with hooves attached, turkey feet, feathers, turtle shells, bones and fur bits.
As the kits aged, they would run and tug on the adult’s tails, chase or ambush one
Farm (Part 2)
another, or pull “leftovers” like a turkey foot in a game of “catch me and take this prize away if you can.” Kits’ play was so much like watching puppy littermates play!
One summer evening, we stood on our upper deck, a space that offered an expansive view of the workland north of the house. Hay was down and windrowed for baling the following day. Looking out, we noticed an adult red fox running along the edge of a windrow pausing, listening, arching, and diving into the windrow as it hunted for mice or voles. The glossy red of the fox’s haircoat against the deep green of
the hay was an arresting sight. Witnessing the hunting process and noting the energy expended during this predator’s hunt for food underlined for us how many of the fox’s attempts at securing food were unsuccessful. Coyotes and their young were usually heard rather than seen. The chorus of the adults and the yips of youngsters were often heard at night.. Only once in a while would a person see an adult hunting mice in the hay fields close to the wooded ridge or running across the fields. One winter, an adult took shelter in the machine shed where the round bales were stored. If a person came by early enough, one could see this canid leap from the top of the highest stacked bale where it had sought cover and run in a beeline for the woods.
Small Animals
There were always many woodchucks, raccoons, opossums, skunks ("striped kitties"), rabbits, moles, voles and squirrels around the farm. A person knew there were
rats around, but they were not normally seen unless a cat had happened to have killed one and left a portion of the skin or the characteristic long naked tail as evidence.
Moles were a favorite animal for digging dogs, like Peaches, who would excavate them from their tunneled runs (and get hollered at for creating sizable holes in the lawn). For some reason, she was especially adept at locating Star-nosed Moles. Early season hay fields were a good place to observe either voles or evidence of their runs in the hay. Big round bales that had been stored along a fence line provided insulated housing options for opossums. When these bales were moved, a person might discover a series of rodent runs beneath them. Sometimes these runs seemed to present quite a pleasing artistic design. Rabbits were out early in the morning and towards dusk in the summertime. A person watching them feeding on the clover blossoms in the lawn would see clouds of mosquitoes vying to land and suck blood
from their long and less hirsute ears. During an especially wet year, one might be fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of a native Mink, but that would be it: just a tantalizing glimpse. I have continued to hold an image of that beautiful animal with its lustrous dark hair coat and characteristic inverted U loping motion as it ran into a side entrance of the red machine shed, formerly our horse Bird’s old stall space. Firewood had been stacked to the ceiling there, and I assumed the mink was either sheltering or hunting amidst the logs.
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.
annual exams
Our dedicated team offers local care for all stages of life. 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.
sports physicals
Barb Garvoille, Columnist
Barb Garvoille
Photo contributed by Barb Garvoille A Red Fox kit explores inside the heifer building.
Photo contributed by Barb Garvoille A Red Fox kit peeks out from the horse stall.
Photo contributed by Barb Garvoille A young Cottontail Rabbit is alert as it feeds on the lawn.
The Sauk County Gardener
Minimizing Japanese Beetle Damage
“Frogs have it easy, they can eat what bugs them.”
— Unknown
As we finish out the last half of June, I’ve started watching for signs of Japanese beetles. These little iridescent beetles love to chew up roses, linden trees, beans, raspberries, and grapes. Unfortunately, they will attack up to 300 different types of plants. Before they emerge, the white grubs live in the soil and feed on plant roots, many times our lawns. The adult beetle only lives 40 days, but within that amount of time, they can do a significant amount of damage to your plants. However, there are ways to minimize their impact if you are vigilant.
First, watch for the signs of when they will start to appear. Japanese beetles start to show up around 1,000+ growing degree days (base 50°F) and will continue to emerge until around 2,150 degree days (into September). The timing of their emergence often coincides with the bloom of roses, linden trees, chicory, and the 4th of July
holiday. Prior to that time, you may notice brown patches of dead or dying grass in your lawn. Also start watching for skeletonized leaves and flowers. I tend to see them first on my roses. Managing Japanese beetles requires you to start early as they very difficult to manage once there are thousands of them in your garden. Instead, now’s the time to regularly visit your gardens in the mornings. Once you see signs of the beetles, start hand picking. If you catch the scouts early, it will slow them from telling all their buddies where the nearest buffet is – a.k.a. your garden. Hand picking is time-consuming, but very effective. Once you’ve picked them, place the beetles in a solution of 1 tablespoon of dishwashing detergent and some water to drown them. You can then flush them as their chemical trail will only attract more beetles.
Consider using row covers to protect your crops. Keep in mind, row covers will also keep out pollinators. For those plants that need pollination, don’t cover them until after they set their fruit or vegetable. You can also spray Neem oil early in the season, but it is not effective
Wandering the Driftless
A Threat to Wisconsin Wildlife and a Possible Solution
The Driftless Area, and the rest of the Badger State, are blessed with a myriad of public lands open to citizens and visitors alike. These include wildlife management areas, public hunting grounds and state natural areas. Many of these are purchased and maintained using funds derived from the purchase of Wisconsin hunting licenses and federal taxes on firearms, ammunition and archery gear. These funding sources are endangered by an insidious threat: demographics.
Wisconsin’s population is aging. Residents born during the “baby boom” (1946-1964) are either retired or nearing retirement. The aging process makes it more difficult to continue doing physically demanding activities. Among these is hunting. Older hunters “aging out” of hunting, causes the loss of license and tax revenues that will require a reduction in funds spent on wildlife management and wildlife properties. Wisconsin’s big hunting event, of course, is the gun deer season. Gun deer license sales have fallen from a high of 700,000 to around 580,000 recently. A deer license costs $24. This alone represents a loss of just short of three million dollars.
The Badger State is not alone in facing this problem. Wisconsin, along with many other states, have implemented “R3” programs to counteract the loss of older hunters. The goal of these programs is to Recruit, Retain and Reactivate hunters. Wisconsin has chosen to team with various hunting organizations in these efforts.
once Japanese beetle numbers are large. It’s only effective for a few days and requires repeat applications, especially after it rains. Consider planting companion plants such as garlic, rue, and tansy near the plants that Japanese beetles love as they serve as a deterrent for the beetles. Other plants beetles don’t like as much include scented geraniums, parsley, thyme, sage, anisehyssop, lavender, Russian sage, yarrow, oregano, catmint, and calamint. Do not use the Japanese beetle traps – they will attract even more beetles into your yard and you’ll have an even bigger problem. As a last resort, you can go the insecticide route. If you do, choose one that uses BTG or Bacillus thuringiensis galleriae. The bacillus only targets certain pests, such as Japanese beetle grubs. We’re past the time to use any type of insecticide as a preventative approach for grubs. That is best to be done April to mid-June. You can attempt to control them mid- to late summer when the larvae are close to the surface and before they can do too much damage. You can also use an insecticidal spray that contains BTG. If you use it in
spray form, it should be applied in late evening after pollinator activity slows down. Keep in mind, these insecticides can kill beneficial insect pollinators and predators. Always read the labels and use only the amount recommended. To learn more about preventing Japanese beetle damage, visit https://hort. extension.wisc.edu/articles/japanesebeetle/,
Looking for some garden inspiration? Join the Sauk County Master Gardeners Association’s third annual garden tour and visit 7 different gardens. This year, it will be held in the Sauk-Prairie and Merrimac area. Tickets are only $10 prior to the event, $15 day of event. Tickets can be purchased at the Baraboo Chamber of Commerce and Consumers Cooperative, Sauk City.
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.
Recruiting new hunters is a priority.
Most hunters, in the past, have been males, introduced to the activity by an older male relative like a father, grandfather or uncle. This, of course, is still happening, but females have now become the fastest growing demographic among the hunting population. It is great to see girls and women enjoying the outdoors with their families.
R3 programs have discovered another group willing to join the hunting fraternity. These are adults. Many of these folks did not grow up in a hunting
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family, but would like to experience hunting. Most are interested in the natural food source offered by harvested game. Learn-To-Hunt classes include an educational component followed by a hunt with an experienced mentor. Mentees must have passed a statesponsored hunter education class prior to the event. Learn-To-Hunt classes are offered for small game, upland birds, wild turkey, waterfowl and deer hunting. Special tags are issued to participants, if needed. Wild game cooking and butchering classes are also offered.
I have had the opportunity to act as a mentor during several of these events and have hosted a few of them on our family property in Richland County. The participants are always thankful of the opportunity to learn new outdoor skills and connect with experienced mentors. Learning is the priority. A successful harvest is icing on the cake. Prospective mentees can check the Go Wild portion of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for a list of Learn-To-Hunt opportunities.
It is vital that both experienced hunters and landowners become active in the R3 process. If you wish to host and/or mentor a Learn-To-Hunt class,
contact Brock Rosenkranz. Brock is the Wisconsin Field to Fork Coordinator for the National Deer Association (formerly QDMA). He lives in Sauk County and will be happy to help you become part of the solution.
Brock can be reached by e-mail at: brock@deerassociation.com or by phone: (608) 475-0751
John Cler is a retired high school science teacher and principal residing in Richland Center. He is an avid hunter, trapper, fisher and nature nut. He currently chairs the Richland County Deer Advisory Council and the Richland County Delegation of the Wisconsin Conservation Congress.
Jeannie Manis, Wisconsin Certified Master Gardener
John Cler, Columnist
Photo contributed by John Cler Mentors and mentees that participated in a Learn-To-Hunt turkeys event held this year in May.
Photo contributed by John Cler Mentors and mentees from a Learn to Hunt Deer with a Crossbow event held in September of 2021 at the Cler hunting property near Boaz.
An Outdoorsman’s Journal
Mark Walters, Columnist
Hello friends,
This week’s column is dedicated to Michelle Chiaro who was the queen of my world and passed away on June 15, 2022. In March of 2023 I was sitting at my desk and looking out my window when I noticed that my swimming pool had literally disintegrated. I had a swimming pool for 25-years and knew I would have to get another one.
Within one week of the pools demise I had a brainstorm and that was to put a pond with a liner where the pool was and literally 40-feet from my front door. When I made this decision, Michelle who loved the pool and anything to do with water had only been gone for 9-months and I was in a serious depression that very few people actually knew about. The project that I was about to start would be and still is the most physical challenge and time taker of my life.
First a good friend dug it out with a skid steer and a backhoe, next I contacted the good people at Aquatic Biologists out of Fond du Lac and that is where I started my real education. I was told 3 times, deeper and bigger, and in the end, I had 14-foot hole and soon ordered my liner which is key to keeping water at ground level in sand country. The deeper, bigger theory is key to a healthy pond for oxygen and water quality.
I also learned about the importance of building shelves with a shovel in my hole in the ground with the first one being near the bottom, two more at about 6 feet and 10 and then one on the top. The shelves are both habitat makers and because I have such a steep pitch help to keep the 6-inches of sand that I had to hand shovel on the entire pond from sliding down to the bottom. So, ever since Michelle passed away there has not been one night where I came into the house and hung out. I get
to depressed, plus I am hyper, so what I do did for 360 manhours last summer was slowly fill my pond, build shelves, have a campfire and dream big dreams about fish, frogs, ice skating etc. and what I would name Lake Matilda, Michelle’s nickname that I gave her, actually helped me to get better.
Last August I had a liner installing party which took 12-people to literally spread the liner from end to end and is a very critical process. I slowly filled the pond with a hose, but often had to stop so I could keep up with throwing sand and building shelves.
Last winter I purchased a new pair of ice skates and put some lights on my “beach” and started skating again and loved it.
This spring when my sand piles thawed I started building up my shorelines and putting top soil from what was my yard on the top of the sand and planting both vegetation in and out of the water. I also used my chainsaw and cut all the bushes in front of my house and placed them about 15-feet apart for habitat for
I obtained a permit and stocked 24-pounds of fatheads and several bluegill that literally just finished spawning. When I return home from my annual trip to Canada, I will be hosting the four kids that I helped raise for a picnic and party as Travis is getting married that week. The following week Michelle’s daughters Kai and Sophie who just graduated from high school are coming to stay with me and they are really excited to see their friends from Necedah as after Michelle’s passing they moved to California.
Lake Matilda like so many things in my life gobbles up every spare moment of my time and much of my thought.
Had the pond idea not come along I
out previous weeks’ columns at www.outdoorsmansjournal.com
Follow along the adventures of Mark Walters, a syndicated outdoor adventure columnist who lives in Necedah, Wisconsin. He began writing his column, An Outdoorsman’s Journal, in 1989. It includes hunting, fishing, lots of canoeing and backpacking. He currently writes for around 60 newspapers. He hopes you enjoy reading about his adventures!
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Photo contributed by Mark Walters A well loaded canoe for a camping/fishing adventure.Some of the final work on Mark Walters pond project is landscaping in and outside of the pond. insects, minnows, frogs and fish.
Lake Matilda
Photo contributed by Mark Walters
Last winter Mark Walters bought a new pair of skates and started skating on his pond.
Photo contributed by Mark Walters Mark Walters pond is 14-feet-deep and a liner was used to make sure that in Juneau Counties sand country he has water at all times of the year.
would be in a much worse place than I am now! Sunset
