Valley Sentinel - 10-06-2021

Inside this edition

flannel & spooky season special SECTION

Spring Green, Wisconsin

Wednesday, October 6, 2021 | Vol. 2, No. 40 FREE, Single-Copy

Sauk Prairie Healthcare to offer free COVID-19 vaccines at Strassenfest in Plain Oct. 9 Sauk Prairie Healthcare will be administering COVID-19 vaccinations during the Strassenfest event in Plain on Saturday, October 9th from 11 AM – 2:30 PM. Strassenfest attendees can look for the Sauk Prairie Healthcare tent, where healthcare workers will be answering questions and offering FREE Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for anyone age 12 or older.

Event details for the Sauk Prairie Healthcare administration of FDA-ap-

proved Pfizer COVID vaccinations: • Saturday, October 9th • 11AM – 2:30PM • At the Sauk Prairie Healthcare tent • There is no fee to receive the FDA-approved Pfizer COVID vaccination • Individuals 12 and older are eligible to receive the vaccination • Individuals under age 18 must have parent consent • No registration is needed – just walk in!

2021 Strassenfest

Strassenfest (Street Festival) is held on the second Saturday of October, this year it is October 9th. The selection of this month aligns with the heritage of Plain, Wisconsin so as to reflect the tradition of Oktoberfest in the Bavarian region of Europe. It’s designed to bring together people from the surrounding area as well as visitors to showcase local businesses services and goods, listen to pleasant music, enjoy Bavarian and

American food and beverages, view cultural displays and clothing, participate in interactive activities and enter their name for a chance to win prizes donated by local businesses.

If you go Strassenfest Street Festival Alma Avenue - Alma Allee, Plain, WI October 9, 2021 — 11am-5pm

Spring Green greeted by new cell tower on HWY G River Valley Area Community Gardens’ Busy Bees Gardening Program recaps a busy, buzzing growing season for area kids Karen Halverson, River Valley Area Community Gardens Those experiences one has in childhood remain forever. Just think about the time you learned to ride a bike. Even if you haven’t been on a bike in decades, you could still hop on and ride. The lucky children who participated in the Busy Bees gardening program at River Valley Area Community Gardens will be able to garden wherever they end up, even if that’s in pots on a windowsill.

The program originated this year from Rose Ellen Schneider and Laura Druckrey who shared a desire to incorporate children in gardening. A plan was hatched to get more adult volunteers to spread the workload for planning and execution of a summer gardening program. Additionally, a $500 grant awarded from the Spring Green Area Arts Coalition provided funds for wood for a picnic table and benches and art supplies. Generous donations of seeds and gardening supports came from local businesses including Cardinal, Doerre Hardware, Jamie Spahn and Heck’s Farm.

Photo contributed by Karen Halverson A Busy Bee showing off his red carrot at the River Valley Area Community Gardens.

A creative team including Ms. Druckrey, Ms. Schneider, Amy Thompson, Wid Yarnall, and Megan Beauchesne outlined each week’s slate of activities to include a book reading, gardening, artwork, and short lesson. Children were recruited to participate, eighteen in all between the ages of 2 and 11. Each child received a small plot of land on which to plant flower and vegetable seeds. Painted bed frames outlined small rectangles in the children’s garden along with colorful dragons and other characters.

Individual plots were personalized with painted garden markers and decorations. Children were responsible for keeping it weed free and watering it to make their plants grow.

Each day’s activities included a short lesson on such subjects as insects, new foods to eat, learning about weeds and how to identify them, and what every plant needs to grow and produce fruit. In addition every meeting they would learn more about not only their plants but the plants around them in the garden. For instance Jackson was responding to questions about sunflowers because they had spied a rust-colored sunflower. Ms. Schneider asked, “what color are sunflowers usually?” and Jackson shouted out, “lellow.” (sic) Annika could be heard going around the garden yelling, “There’s a bug! There’s a bug!” And Elena asked whether her broccoli was ready to harvest and could someone help her. But the greatest moment of joy was the uncovering of that magic treasure chest: digging potatoes. There is no video game that can match the jumping up and down excitement of waiting to scrabble for new red potatoes in the soil.

During each gardening session, children were read a story that connected to gardening to help expand their knowledge base. They learned about the community garden planted to support the food pantry and helped harvest produce as it became ripe. They understood the gardener’s ethos of

See page 4

Photo by Adeline Holte, Editorial Intern The building of the 250 foot cell tower off of Highway 14 was approved unanimously at a joint meeting of the Village of Spring Green Plan Commission and Joint Extraterritorial Zoning Committee (JEZC) at its Oct. 21, 2020 meeting. The tower sits in the field off Highway 14 and County Highway G, just behind Riteway Plaza and Culver’s in Spring Green.

The tower will be equipped with broadband internet, cellular service for Bug Tussel and AT&T and FirstNet emergency response services. FirstNet response is a wireless network designed for use by first responders to utilize during an emergency when cellular service is unreliable or unavailable. According to the proposal from Bug Tussel, the tower would also have three additional places for other cellular providers to use for service in the future.

Construction was originally set to begin on the tower in late 2020 and into early 2021. Valley Sentinel was unable to confirm as of press time when the tower will be active. Valley Sentinel has reached out to representatives with Bug Tussel and has yet to hear back. Todd Deibert, an engineer with Jewell Associates Engineers, Inc., the engineering firm for the village and township of Spring Green, said he wasn’t familiar with the details of the tower’s service.

Page 2

WednesdaY, October 6, 2021

opinion/LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Community Column: The Plain & Simple Correspondent — Autumn Knitwit Katie Green, The Plain and Simple Correspondent In late summer and early autumn, young and old persons’ fancy turns to fairs and fetes. Coming off of a sense of privation from more than a year when all the festive occasions were cancelled by reason of the pandemic, citizens are only a little timid about flocking back to attend such happenings now.

Only something so dire as COVID was able to derail the annual Wool Fair and Sheepdog Trials in Jefferson, Wisconsin last year, for instance. It is an institution among knitters, sheep-lovers, and border collie-adoring humans and we encountered abundant crowds for 2021.

Half the fun is getting to Jefferson overland from the Driftless region.

Tawny fields of corn on the verge of being cut stretched from one horizon to the next and were identical to familiar sights in our own farming country, but there are subtle differences in topography. It’s flatter, for one thing, and the hardwoods seem of larger girth. Also, there seem to be more and larger meandering streams. The small towns one passes through look prosperous and the pioneering estate homes look older and more prestigious. The cutoff leading to the important First People’s historic site at Aztalan is always hard to resist, and sometimes we don’t. This year, however, we made a beeline straight for the fairgrounds to see the beginner dogs acting up in wild abandon.To the frustration of their trainers, but to the amusement of those in the bleachers, the pups were much more intent on scattering sheep to the four winds than rounding them up and herding them through gates.

Their youthful, exuberant love of life and flouting of authority figures was a better tonic than Geritol to one who always had to think twice before obeying at their age.

Later, touring the barns to watch shearing and marvel at the bewildering variety of sheep breeds from all over the world, seeing and feeling the different characteristics of their wool, is a pleasure I always look forward to. Noting the care and devotion given by their “owners”, many of them mere children, is enough to reaffirm our notions of

healthy intra-species connections. As a kid I loved my goats, too, and was convinced they shared the feeling as I draped myself over them and vice versa.

People-watching is topnotch at these affairs. One tall, nattily-dressed dude might have been an official of some sort, since I saw him in many different locations on the grounds, strolling about regally with hands in pockets. He wore jeans, a spiffy white shirt, bow tie (at a fair???), Stetson, and pointy cowboy boots. One thing spoiled the effect: he was masticating a wad of bubble gum and blowing moist pink balloons every few minutes as he strode here and there.

Around noon, the picnic benches were filled to capacity with folks wolfing down greasy corndogs, fried bread, and other bad-for-you fare. Dyspepsia stalked the premises and I was quite sure I heard some major arteries slamming shut. We make allowances for festivals but hope these fair indulgences are the exception in attendees’ diets, not the rule.

Knitting is an ancient art. There are several paintings going back to the 14th Century featuring the Virgin Mary working on a seamless garment for baby Jesus –a sort of Medieval “onesie” -- and remnants of knitting from graves prove that knitting was invented far earlier than that. I became a committed knitter in my early college years (which sometimes feels like it was the 14th Century), when my first really serious boyfriend hinted that once his grandmother was no longer able to supply him with handknitted sweaters, he hoped to find some other sucker (my word) to take on the task. None of my female friends or kinfolk knitted, so I took a one-day course in the basics at the YWCA and was off and running. Eventually the boyfriend and I parted ways, but I was hooked on knitting forever more. Many another thanks him for nudging me in that direction, since I rarely knit garments for myself.

In Jefferson at the Wool Fair I am tormented and confused by the too-many options offered by two large display barns filled with exhibitors. By the time I’ve examined every booth, sometimes

Photo contributed by Katie Green Starry Night sweater, hats and mitten. more than once, I feel jaded, slightly nauseated in fact. One can purchase wool in every condition, from natural un-spun, un-dyed fleece with all the grass seeds and other unmentionable impurities still in it, to expertly finished yarns of all weights in rainbows of colors, some mixed with other fibers such as silk and bamboo. Much of the yarn was produced here in Wisconsin, but specialty yarns imported from Europe and woolen mills in states such as Minnesota, ME, MN And VT were evident.

All the cold climate places where woolen garments are still prized. (Will Global Warming change that? It remains to be seen. I may have to take up knitting cotton bikinis.)

Besides wool, then there are the accouterments: patterns, needles, shawl pins, buttons, soaps and lotions made of lanolin and sheep’s milk, spinning wheels and drop spindles, wool carding equipment, etc. on and on. A person could go mad, or go broke, or both.

However alluring the Wool Fair is, most of my knitting supplies in recent

years have come from the large selection at Nina’s Department Store in Spring Green. Co-owner and doyen of the yarn section is Judy Schwartz, and they don’t come more knowledgeable or experienced than she when it comes to knitting and crochet. Judy has bailed me out more than once when I’ve knitted myself into a corner on a project, and always is gracious about offering suggestions to salvage something gone sadly awry. I’d like to blame the patterns, which sometimes are indeed badly written or even have flawed instructions, but it’s mostly pilot error. The nice thing about buying locally is that shop owners, who hope to see you again as a customer, never laugh or rub it in when you mess up.

Now I have to exercise patience for 350-some days before immersing myself in sheepdogs and unlimited amounts of wool on and off the hoof again, but there are other fun fests a-coming soon, including Plain’s own Bavarian street fair, or Strassenfest. Polkas, anyone? Bad for you food with a German accent? Beer?

Brats and sauerkraut? See you there.

Letter to the Editor: Get Off Your Gerrymandered Seat To the legislators who want to continue with unfair, gerrymandered maps: I’m sure you’re aware of the polls and resolutions and referendums indicating that a vast majority of Wisconsinites want fair maps. Follow

the will of the people and create fair, unbiased, nonpartisan voting districts.

Let me remind you: YOU represent US; not the other way around. So get off your gerrymandered seat and pass fair maps. Fight a fair fight. No one likes,

respects, supports, or puts up with a cheater.

To the legislators who support fair maps: What can one little citizen do to help you pass fair maps? There are many of us out here that want fair

maps and are willing to help, volunteer, and work to ensure the reality of fair elections in our lifetime...or please, sooner.

—Claudia Looze Highland, WI

National Newspaper Week: Why we need a Community Forum Brian J. Allfrey, Executive Director of the Utah Press Association I am not sure what I expected our country to look like in 2021, but I certainly did not expect it to be so fractured and so bogged down in hate. My oldest son was a year old when our country experienced the horrific events of September 11, 2001.

The wave of patriotism following that day gave me hope for the America that my kids would inherit.

Fast forward twenty years, and that hope has been replaced by fear. I fear that our country and society has become so polarized on every issue that this country may not survive. In 1858, Abraham Lincoln said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand”. Never in America’s history has this quote been truer. In 1858, Lincoln was talking about the divide between free states and slave states. In 2021, America is divided on a multitude of issues, and most of our society is determined to expand that divide rather than close the gap. My fear is that we have created technology and media platforms that not only created this divide but continue to drive a wedge into our society. These concerns are a driving

force behind this year’s theme of National Newspaper Week -- THE Community Forum, newspapers as the foundation of our communities. Let me first explain the problem we must solve and then offer a solution to uplift looking to elevate an enlightened democracy.

Our country has become so polarized on every issue because of the information that we consume every day. We have completely lost our ability to see another point of view. There is no longer room in our society for difference of opinion, debate, disagreement, or dissent. Any division in thought is met with anger, hatred, and vile comments. These actions are in complete violation of the concepts that created America.

Our county was founded on the ideals of freedom, tolerance, and acceptance where all men were created equal with fundamental rights. People of diverse backgrounds and beliefs worked together to create these ideas and frame them into a new country with liberty and justice for all. They had many differences of opinion, but they compromised for the

betterment of everyone. Now, we all know our country is not perfect. It never has been and never will be. These ideals have not always applied to everyone, but the beauty of our country is that it should continue to evolve. America is a concept, a target for which we are striving. Unfortunately, it feels like we are as far away from the target, as far from a perfect system, as we have ever been.

The question for all of us is, how did we get here, and how we evolve.

In June 1980, Ted Turner launched CNN, the first 24-hour news network.

In 1989, CNBC was launched, followed

by MSNBC and Fox News in 1996 and others. What started as a single network reporting the news has become Entertainment TV Programming with multiple networks now fighting for viewers, ratings, and advertising dollars. All these networks decided to appeal to a viewer with certain political leanings. They cater to their audience, and over time, their programming has become extraordinarily little about reporting the news as it happened, and all about commenting

from their point of view and feeding their viewers what they want to see and hear. The reality is these networks are all about money, and in their chase for the almighty dollar, they have become 100% entertainment and have lost all their journalistic integrity. They take actual news (facts) and package it up with commentary and opinion. They feed us the information that they want us to have, and most of us are unaware that we are consuming propaganda rather than facts.

In 2006, Facebook and Twitter launched, creating the social media trend. There are now three billion Facebook users worldwide, with 1.84 billion daily users (12/2020). Twitter has two hundred million users as of Q1 2021. Social Media was heralded as a breakthrough in human interaction and communication. Now with a click of a mouse, or a simple swipe on your mobile device, you can connect with anyone, or any group, anywhere in the world.

Obviously, our society has embraced all this modern technology and it has

continued on page 3

Commentary/Regional

WednesdaY, October 6, 2021

Page 3

Rethinking our engagement with media, addressing polarization and re-establishing a community forum continued from page 2

changed how we live and how we communicate. Unfortunately, this technology is being used to further the divide among the American public. These social networks work on algorithms designed to show you things in which you are interested. This explains why they are so entertaining and even addicting. However, many groups (corporations, political parties, movements, and even foreign countries) are exploiting all these platforms to divide us.

Social Media has moved beyond a means of connecting with friends and family to the single most polarizing platform in this country. Think about your social media experience. How much negativity, hate, fear and bullying do you see. Whether the subject is politics, masks, vaccines, city, state or even neighborhood issues, anyone who disagrees are treating each other in the most vile, evil way possible. There is no discussion or civil discord, just polarized thought on right and wrong. We say things to each other, people we know and those that we do not over social media that we would never have said to someone’s face. We treat each other without dignity or class.

In fact, this manner of speaking to each other has become second nature to us, and we are starting to treat each other the same in person. The technology and platforms that we entertain ourselves with are destroying the fabric of our society.

The very nature of social media is to connect you to others that share your interests, and on the surface, seems great. However, it connects people with like interests regardless of whether those interests are positive or negative. Social media platforms become an echo chamber of people sharing the same beliefs and same fears, regardless of what those are.

In 1971, Ted Kaczynski (The Unabomber) moved into the woods, radicalized his thoughts, and became a terrorist, killing three people and injuring twenty-three others nationwide. This was one man, working alone. In the not so distant past, these types of people were outcasts, their voices drowned out by the sane people in the room or in their community. In 2021, he would not be alone, he would be part of an extremist social media group, spreading his thoughts and feeding off the radicalism of others in a virtual mob effect.

As a country/society we need to get back to being civil with one another. We need to treat each other with dignity. We need to listen to one another and have the courtesy to listen to another viewpoint. We are not always going to agree, and that is a good thing. Differences of opinion lead to growth. We need to understand that there can be truth on both sides of an argument. Our job is to find the truth on either side and eliminate the non-truths. That is how we start to find common ground. Masks are a huge argument all over our country right now. Is it possible that both sides could be correct in parts of their argument? Could it be that masks may help slow the spread of disease, but at the same be detrimental to students learning in school. The issue is very rarely black and white but usually in the grey area in between. We need to understand that both sides of an argument can be correct and stop fighting, hating, and bullying those that disagree with us.

A proverb states that a journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step.

What is our first step?

The first step is in our own mind. We must look at ourselves and what media and propaganda we are consuming.

You have all heard the expression, “you are what you eat.” We are allowing our

NATIONAL NEWSPAPER WEEK OCTOBER 3-9, 2021

minds to consume these ideas of hatred and polarization. We need to get back to having civil discussion and treating each other with respect. To do this, we must regulate our media intake. The ideological echo chamber of “news” entertainment and social media around is constantly fighting against this concept.

A society of civil discourse is bad for business for a media outlet or social media group pushing a certain agenda. Open minded people are bad for their business.

After starting with ourselves, we need a new COMMUNITY FORUM for news, entertainment, and connection with our community. Walter Cronkite was beloved by millions. Every night he told you what had happened that day. He did not give you his opinion, he gave you facts.

You need the facts about what is going on in your community, and the only place to get that is your local newspaper.

Your local newspaper is embedded in the community. Local news has a much bigger impact in your day-to-day life than national/regional news. City Council, Zoning, School Board, Local Elections all have profound effect on your daily

SUBSCRIPTION

DRIVE

Around a year out from our start of publication, we never expected the dozens and dozens that now subscribe to Valley Sentinel. We are free to pick up in businesses around the area, but in the midst of a pandemic we wanted to be able to offer a service that allowed readers to be safe and not have to go out to get a paper, among the many other reasons people subscribe. We expected maybe a dozen subscriptions, we are free paper after all, and we’ve been surprised and heartened by so, so many more.

In the newspaper industry, this last year was the first in decades that subscription revenue exceeded ad revenue. With postal and gas prices going up, we offer subscriptions at a slight net loss and maintain an ad revenue model because we believe in accessibility

Brian J. Allfrey serves as Executive Director of the Utah Press Association/ New York Press Service. He has over 20 years in the Newspaper Industry and almost 11 years in her current, Executive Director role.

So we’re launching a Subscription Drive to 300 campaign to get Valley Sentinel to that goal of 300 subscribers! and not passing on the cost to our most important asset — our readers.

However, the more subscribers we have (especially those we can deliver to in the local area) the more opportunities unlock for us to be able to bring you bigger and better news each week and stay plugged into the local community without worrying about whether or not we can print.

Want to help distribute Valley Sentinel?

More subscriptions mean more routes, and our distribution intern is back at college so we’re looking for help distributing the paper!

Want to enjoy scenic fall drives or a walk around town and assist in connecting our businesses, subscribers and community? Whether for fun or for volunteer experience, just one village, route, or all of them, we’d be happy to have you! Interested? Email: editor@valleysentinelnews.com

300

+2 Since 09/29 We’ll update this each week to share our progress. If you’ve been on the fence, if you’ve been thinking about gifting a subscription to family or friends or encouraging them to subscribe, now is the time — and we can’t thank the community and everyone that supports us each week enough.

To subscribe or gift a subscription, send a check for $30 to Valley Sentinel, PO Box 144, Spring Green, WI 53588, visit valleysentinelnews.com/subscribe or scan the QR code.

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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.

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

life. Engage with your local newspaper in making your community a better place.

Attend town halls and community events.

Help hold your local elected officials accountable.

Local Newspapers were the original community forum, disseminating essential information, holding government accountable and engaging the community in civil discourse.

Each of us has a part to play in fixing our society, a civic duty. We can ignite a wave of change in our country, but it must start local. Our government and leaders reflect our society’s values. If we want our government and leaders to change, we must change. This change starts with your Community Forum. Subscribe to your local newspaper today, in print or online.

Support Local Journalism, engage in in activities that build up your communities.

Contributors Arts & Culture/Editorial Columns Graphic Design/Pagination Bill Gordon Grace Vosen Anna Stocks-Hess Arts & Culture/Editorial Sports Editorial Intern Alison Graves Mike McDermott Adeline Holte Arts Community/Opinion Sports/Photography Intern Jen Salt Katie Green Kalen Scott Our team will be growing and changing as we settle into publishing regularly, please stay in touch. Thank you to all of our contributors for believing in our community.

Editorial Policy

On certain topics in areas of great community interest, the editors of the Valley Sentinel may take positions they believe best represent and serve the interests of the community. Any opinions or positions taken by the editorial board are separate and distinct in labeling and substance from the community journalism that appears in the rest of the publication and does not affect the integrity and impartiality of our reporting. .

Est. 2020 igne conflatum “Forged in Fire”

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.

Valley Sentinel is a free, weekly single-copy news publication, available on newsstands in the area.

Covering Arena, Lone Rock, Plain, Spring Green and the surrounding areas in Sauk, Iowa and Richland counties.

Column Policy

Community Discussion Policy

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Valley Sentinel is published in Spring Green, Wisconsin every Wednesday by Lower Wisconsin River Valley Sentinel, LLC. ISSN 2694-541X (print) — ISSN 2694-5401 (online)

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. .

From time to time the editorial board may select letters to the editor of a particular compelling community interest where a public figure or accountable public action is the recipient of criticism and allow, in the same issue, the subject of the criticism chance for rebuttal, with expounded independent input. The format shall be point, counterpoint and expert analysis. This community discussion shall serve as a moderated dialogue that presents multiple views of important community topics.

Page 4

Community

WednesdaY, October 6, 2021

Busy bees kids community gardening recap continued from page 1 providing for others. Kids weren’t the only ones getting new information. One of the parents present talked about how she learned there is one silk for each kernel on a cob of corn. Everyone got an unplanned surprise by the identification of a slime mold on a recent delivery of compost. Magnifying glasses gave a closer look at this unique organism.

Lasting remembrances of this year’s group are the hand painted picnic table and benches which sport colorful bugs,

flowers and original designs. Even though children’s gardening is over for this year, plans are being laid for summer of 2022. For more information about this program or for information on how to rent a garden plot of your own, check out the web site at rvacg.org or by email at info@rvacg.org. Donations for this and other gardening programs can be sent to RVACG, P.O. Box 611, Spring Green, WI 53588 The RVACG is a 501(c)4 tax-exempt non-profit organization, however donations are not tax deductible.

Photo contributed by Karen Halverson Organizer Rose Ellen Schneider showing the busy bees how to garden at the River Valley Area Community Gardens.

In Other News/Briefs Letters for Afghan Refugees The Spring Green Community Library, 230 E Monroe St, Spring Green, has partnered with others in the community to welcome the Afghan refugees who are staying at Fort McCoy, and are asking for help writing welcoming cards.

There are cards available in the reading area of the library for you to write a note to either a child or adult (or both). You could tell them a bit about yourself, our community, or the state, or just spread a little cheer....it’s totally up to you.

You are welcome to sit and write a card or two here in the library, or you can take a couplehome. When you have finished, simply place them in the basket provided.

APT announces vaccination requirement starting Oct. 14 And after much communication with outside sources, countless internal conversations, and the release of new safety protocols from Actors’ Equity Association, we’ve come to an important decision: beginning with the first performance of The Taming of the Shrew on October 14, APT will require proof of full vaccination or proof of a negative test result to enter the theater. We expect to continue this policy for The Gift of the Magi.

Here’s what you need to know:

Proof of Vaccination: APT staff members will be checking proof of vaccination in the Touchstone Theatre lobby.

Audience members can provide proof of full vaccination status in a number of ways: Provide your official vaccination card.

Provide a photo of your official card, with the name and date(s) clearly legible.

Provide proof of your listing on the state vaccine registry page, either on your phone or printed out in advance.

Negative Tests: Audience members who are not fully vaccinated must provide proof of negative test results received within 72 hours of the performance.

Students at School-Day Matinees & Children Under 12 years old are not subject to the vaccination or test policy.

Masking: Masks are required in all indoor spaces at APT including the Touchstone Theatre. Masks are not required in outdoor areas at APT, though we ask that you maintain distancing while on the grounds, and that you don your mask when approaching masked patrons on property.

More information can be found at: americanplayers.org — American Players Theatre

COmmunitycalendar WILL BE BACK NEXT WEEK

Employment opportunities

Now Hiring!

CleanPower is looking for a bank cleaner in Spring Green.

Work is Monday thru Saturday for 1.25 hours after 5:30pm.

This job has a flexible start time! Wage is $13 per hour.

Apply direct at www.cleanpower1.com by clicking careers at the top or call 608-213-9863 for more info.

EEO/AA Employer

Commercial Project Manager/Estimator

Duties: • Manage multiple projects in various stages of planning and construction • Prepare and manage detailed schematic budgeting and estimating • Coordinate subcontractor bids Requirements: • 5+ years of Commercial Project Manager/Estimator experience • Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management or Civil Engineering • Understanding of our self-performed trades • Familiar with estimating software, have strong client service orientation, and demonstrate outstanding communication and organization skills

Commercial Construction Superintendent

Duties: • Management of construction activities • Ensuring compliance with design, schedule, and budget requirements • Overseeing multiple subcontractors Requirements • 5+ years of commercial field management experience • Experience in one of our self-performed trades • Must be able to demonstrate prior success in working effectively as a team with project owners, architects, and subcontractors. Must possess the leadership abilities to achieve top-flight results

For more info visit www.kraemerbrothers.com

Salary will be based on experience EEO/AA employer

Please send your resume to:

Kraemer Brothers, LLC 925 Park Ave | PO Box 219 Plain, WI 53577 Email: jobs@kraemerbrothers.com Phone: 608-546-2411

flannel & spooky season special SECTION

Jolean Louis

Fall Colors

TOP 5 AREA PLACES TO SEE

Ferry Bluff State Natural Area E9974 State Rd 60 Sauk City, WI 53583

Spring Green Nature Angelo Preserve Lane Spring Green, WI 53588

Tower Hill State Park 808 County Rd C Spring Green, WI 53588

Natural Bridge State Park

E7792 Co Rd PF North Freedom, WI 53951

Welsh Hills Trail (Taliesin) 5481 County Rd C Spring Green, WI 53588

flannel & spooky season special edition

Fall 2021

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Halloween adventure as she journeys through the moonlight to find who

answered her "Boo!" with a "Baa!"

In the Middle of Fall by Kevin Henkes — Animals and humans alike enjoy

watching the world turn to fall.

PICK UP THESE SPOOKY READS AT ARCADIA BOOKS, 102 E JEFFERSON ST, SPRING GREEN

PAGE 2

Fall 2021

flannel & spooky season special SECTION

Wisconsin Department of natural resources: The Science of Fall Leaf Colors Leaf color comes from pigments. Pigments are natural substances produced by leaf cells. The three pigments that color leaves are: chlorophyll (green); carotenoid (yellow, orange and brown); and anthocyanin (red).

Chlorophyll is the most important of the three. Without the chlorophyll in leaves, trees wouldn’t be able to use sunlight to produce food.

Carotenoids create bright yellows and oranges in familiar fruits and vegetables.

Corn, carrots, and bananas are just a few of the many plants colored by carotenoids.

Anthocyanins add the color red to plants, including cranberries, red apples, cherries, strawberries and others.

Chlorophylls and carotenoids are in leaf cells all the time during the growing season.

But the chlorophyll covers the carotenoid - that’s why summer leaves are green, not yellow or orange. Most anthocyanins are produced only in autumn, and only under certain conditions. Not all trees can make anthocyanin.

HOW LEAVES CHANGE COLOR

As the Earth makes its 365-day journey around the sun, some parts of the planet will get fewer hours of sunlight at certain times of the year. In those regions, the days become shorter and the nights get longer.

The temperature slowly drops. Autumn comes and then winter.

Trees respond to the decreasing amount of sunlight by producing less and less chlorophyll. Eventually, a tree stops producing chlorophyll. When that happens, the carotenoid already in the leaves can finally show through. The leaves become a bright rainbow of glowing yellows, sparkling oranges and warm browns. What about red leaves? Read on.

DO LEAVES CHANGE BECAUSE OF WEATHER?

Perhaps you’ve noticed that in some years,

leaf colors on the trees in your neighborhood: Oaks: red, brown or russet Hickories: golden bronze Dogwood: purple-red Birch: bright yellow Poplar: golden yellow Maple trees show a whole range of colors: —Sugar maple: orange-red —Black maple: glowing yellow —Red maple: bright scarlet

WHY LEAVES FALL

Photo by Jolean Louis A view of all of the vivid colors starting to show at Bakken’s Pond between Spring Green and Lone Rock Oct. 5. Ever wondered why leaves turn a certain color? Read on. the red fall colors seem brighter and more spectacular than in other years. The temperature and cloud cover can make a big difference in a tree’s red colors from year to year.

When a number of warm, sunny autumn days and cool but not freezing nights come one after the other, it’s going to be a good year for reds. In the daytime, the leaves can produce lots of sugar, but the cool night temperatures prevent the sugar sap from flowing through the leaf veins and down into the branches and trunk. Anthocyanins to the rescue! Researchers have found out that anthocyanins are produced as a form of protection. They allow the plant to recover nutrients in the leaves before they fall off.

This helps make sure that the tree will be ready for the next growing season. Anthocyanins give leaves their bright, brilliant shades of red, purple and crimson.

The yellow, gold and orange colors created by carotenoid remain fairly constant from year to year. That’s because carotenoids are always present in leaves and the amount does not change in response to the weather.

The amount of rain in a year also affects autumn leaf color. A severe drought can delay the arrival of fall colors by a few weeks.

A warm, wet period during fall will lower the intensity, or brightness, of autumn colors. A severe frost will kill the leaves, turning them brown and causing them to drop early. The best autumn colors come when there’s been: —a warm, wet spring; —a summer that’s not too hot or dry; and —a fall with plenty of warm sunny days and cool nights.

YOU CAN TELL A TREE FROM ITS COLORS

You can use the fall leaf color to help identify different tree species. Look for these

A tree’s roots, branches and twigs can endure freezing temperatures, but most leaves are not so tough. On a broadleaf tree like a maple or a birch, the tender, thin leaves -made up of cells filled with water sap -- will freeze in winter. Any plant tissue unable to live through the winter must be sealed off and shed to ensure the tree’s survival.

As sunlight decreases in autumn, the veins that carry sap into and out of a leaf gradually close. A layer of cells, called the separation layer, forms at the base of the leaf stem. When this layer is complete, the leaf is separated from the tissue that connected it to the branch, and it falls. Oak leaves are the exception. The separation layer never fully detaches the dead oak leaves, and they remain on the tree through winter.

Evergreen trees -- pines, spruces, cedars and firs -- don’t lose their leaves, or needles, in winter. The needles are covered with a heavy wax coating and the fluids inside the cells contain substances that resist freezing.

Evergreen leaves can live for several years before they fall and are replaced by new growth.

On the ground, fallen leaves are broken down by bacteria, fungi, earthworms and other organisms. The decomposed leaves restock the soil with nutrients and become part of the spongy humus layer on the forest floor that absorbs and holds rainfall.

An excerpt of hunting in Wisconsin: Peace of the woods makes it easy to forget J.B. Sensenbrenner, Author, The Love of Hunting This story is an excerpt from “The Love of Hunting,” by J.B. Sensenbrenner of Appleton. The author recounts his many adventures enjoying hunting and fishing in Wisconsin, from youth experiences to present day. The book is available for order through Arcadia Books.

...

My boots crunching on the gravel road sounded like a marching army. Thankfully, I had the cover of darkness hiding me as I slowed down to soften the sound.

“Crunch … crunch … crunch.” No matter what I did, my steps were loud. I put my head down, realizing it was hopeless to be any quieter, and walked faster to get to the logging road.

After walking past the trail in the blackness, I turned around and walked back along the shoulder of the road until I found the trail in the tall grass.

I stepped off the road into a foot of water. What a terrible way to start the hunt.

I was excited because it was the opening day of the deer bow hunting season.

The cold water soaking my right foot didn’t slow me down as I followed a

narrow deer trail.

Something jumped to my left! I don’t know who was more surprised, me or the creature. I froze and listened. It was a stalemate. I moved first, walking slowly to my tree stand. It felt good to be in the woods engulfed by nature.

I climbed the tree and sat down to wait for daylight. I listened to the eerie silence. It was so quiet that it challenged my hearing to tune into the slightest sounds.

I turned my head left and right, trying to identify noises. I heard water running in a babbling brook. A second sound was the breeze shaking leaves in the maple trees. Then it was quiet again. It was so peaceful.

I felt hidden from the world. As the morning light started to separate the trees from the sky, I felt safeguarded by the green September leaves surrounding me, making it hard for me to be seen and for me to see deer.

It was good. I felt like my purpose was to blend in with God’s creation. Mission accomplished.

I sat back and took a deep breath.

Woods air was different than city air.

It wasn’t hurried or pressured. It was clean and fresh. My eyes opened when I heard crunching.

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If we charged $1 for each copy of Valley Sentinel, just half of the copies that are picked up each week would entirely cover our printing costs — however, we are committed to remaining a free

publication with an accessible, hybrid model that allows anyone that wants to read local news to have access to it. We do not believe financial ability should be a barrier to reading local news.

We may be a free paper, but unfortunately it’s not free to print papers.

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flannel & spooky season special SECTION

Two shadows appeared with long necks slowly moving up and down chewing acorns. I could hear the shells crack.

Two young deer were eating their breakfast.

I looked around for their mother. A scratching of leaves on the hilltop gave her away. Within minutes, the deer drifted away like clouds and disappeared into a thicket on my left.

Then it was quiet again. The peace of the woods was beautiful. I sat back once again and relaxed.

After sitting several hours, I climbed down and walked back to our small log cabin. I felt cleansed. I wasn’t done hunting but was satisfied.

When I opened the cabin door, I saw my bow and arrows in their case leaning in the corner.

Photo by Linda Freshwater Arndt, vis WI DNR Sometimes, simply spending time in a quiet woods — with maybe a wildlife visitor or three along the way — is enough for even the most seasoned hunter. know you read Valley Sentinel each week.

What does independent news mean to us? It means NOT influenced by corporations or government, NO big corporate backers, NO corporate umbrella organizations, NO big money investors. Just a handful of people with a dream to build community.

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For more about Valley Sentinel and our model, visit us at valleysentinelnews.com/about

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Fall 2021

PAGE 3

LOWER WISCONSIN RIVER VALLEY AREA

Fall Bucket List Take this page and hit the town(s) to have the ultimate, local flannel and spooky season experience!

Pick the best pumpkin at Hecks, Pecks or a local stand!

Grab a cozy fall drink from Arcadia Books/The Paper Crane, Convivio or Butternut Road Coffee Truck!

Stop in to Nina's Department Store for a new flannel!

Visit the spooky haunted houses or corn maze at Pecks East for a scare!

Go for a drive or hike to see fall colors!

Grab some caramel apples and other freshly picked goodies from Oakwood Fruit Farm!

Bundle up and support the River Valley Blackhawks at a home game!

Explore the Spring Green Farmers Market!

Visit Wander Provisions to pick up an autumnal picnic and enjoy it at the Post House Garden or on your hike!

PAGE 4

Fall 2021

flannel & spooky season special SECTION

Community

WednesdaY, October 6, 2021

Page 5

COVID-19 Dashboard Wisconsin Summary

740,559 Positive Cases +18,687 from 9/28

Cases as of 10/5/2021

3,394,542 Negative Test Results +56,484 from 9/28

8,064 Deaths +102 from 9/28

Critically High Very High High Medium Low

covid case activity level This graph shows information on case burden and trajectory. Burden (case rate) is the total number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 Wisconsin residents in the last two weeks. Trajectory is the percent case change from the previous to the current week. These are different from Community Transmission Level, which is the total confirmed cases per 100,000 persons reported in the past 7 days.

Case activity is a combination of burden and trajectory over the prior two weeks.

Updated: 10/5/2021

6,386,219

Administered

3,625,486

2,493,716

Pfizer doses administered

Richland

Sauk

Target Range

54.4%

+55 from 9/28 +173 from 9/28 +0 from 9/28

Sauk County

+230 from 9/28 +451 from 9/28 +1 from 9/28

7,436 Positive Cases 40,537 Negative Tests 57 Deaths Updated: 10/5/2021

Target Range

58.4%

Percent with at least one vaccine dose

Iowa County

Johnson & Johnson doses administered

Vaccine Data

+91 from 9/28 +152 from 9/28 +0 from 9/28

2,472 Positive Cases 13,333 Negative Tests 15 Deaths

267,017

Moderna doses administered

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

county level weekly statistics Richland County 1,785 Positive Cases 9,162 Negative Tests 20 Deaths

Vaccine Summary Statistics

Percent with at least one vaccine dose

52.1%

55.6%

Percent fully vaccinated

Percent fully vaccinated

Iowa

Target Range

63.5% Percent with at least one vaccine dose

61.4% Percent fully vaccinated

Cases per zip code

Percent of Wisconsin residents ages 12-15 who have received at least one dose by county

Cases as of 10/5/2021

Updated: 10/5/2021 Lower %

Richland County Ages 12-15

Iowa County

Ages 12-15

Higher %

41.3%

Percent of Wisconsin residents who have received at least one dose

54.0%

Sauk County

Ages 12-15

Updated: 10/5/2021

45.3% Dane County Ages 12-15

Graphic by Anna Stocks-Hess

Ages

79.8%

12-15 16-17 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+

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

46.7% 51.9% 51.9% 56.2% 63.8% 65.0% 73.7% 85.7%

Page 6

Outdoors/recreation

WednesdaY, October 6, 2021

The Sauk County Gardener: Fall – the best time to plant a tree

Jeanie Manis, Sauk County Master Gardener “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”

– Chinese Proverb At my daughter’s wedding this past weekend, a portion of the service was a tree-planting ceremony. Prior to the event, my daughter was asking me what I suggested for a tree. I recommended a Ginkgo tree. Its leaves symbolize peace, hope, love, and duality. In my opinion, a perfect tree for a wedding tree-planting ceremony. However, the main reasons I suggested the tree is because of its longevity and incredible endurance. The tree can live for 1,000 years and speaking of endurance, there are four ginkgo trees that survived the bombing of Hiroshima and are still growing today. It also has beautiful yellow, fall color, is drought and pest resistant, and incredibly strong.

Although it can grow to about 80 feet tall, it’s a slow grower and its hardy in our planting zone. Also, not everyone plants one and if we can do anything to avoid creating a monoculture of trees (ie. everyone planting a maple), all the better. (They didn’t end up using a Ginkgo for the ceremony, but that was because it only had a few leaves, so it was a little sad-looking for the event.)

Fall is a great time to plant trees.

Trees play an important part in our environment. They help improve our air quality, prevent water runoff, provide protection and food for wildlife, conserve energy by shading our buildings, and can increase the value of homes. Trees truly help balance our ecosystem. Unfortunately, many times trees are planted improperly, preventing them from surviving and thriving for years to come.

Planting a tree in the fall allows them all winter to grow a better root system, better than any other time of the year.

Planning is key to planting a tree. Do your research and select the right tree for your yard. It should be hardy in our area and your soil and should not get bigger than the space you are planning to grow it. Take into consideration color and type. Consider selecting a tree that can provide interest all year long – flowers in the spring, shade in the summer, beautiful fall color, and food for the birds in the winter. Before you start digging your planting area, take some time to select the proper location for your new tree. If you’re planting a tall tree or shrub, don’t plant them under power lines unless you

want the road crews to give them a bad haircut or top them in the future. Also avoid areas where the roots can get into septic systems. It’s also recommended to call digger’s hotline before you start digging, especially if it’s in an area of your yard where you haven’t dug before.

Also take a few minutes to figure out how deep and wide you need to dig.

Many times, people dig and plant the tree too deep. The planting area should not be any deeper than the tree’s pot or ball and burlap (B&B). The width of the area should be three times the width of the root ball. Dig a saucershaped area and gently place the tree in the hole. Avoid lifting the tree by its trunk. Carefully remove the pot or cut away the wire basket and remove the burlap if it’s a B&B. Also remove any twine or tags. Inspect the top of the root area and remove any soil above the root flare. Grab your pruners and cut off any roots that are encircling as they can eventually girdle the tree if they are allowed to grow in a circle. Also, prune any roots that might be above the root collar. At this point, the tree should be in the hole with the root collar above the soil level no more than 1-2 inches.

Backfill the hole with the soil, gently, but firmly packing the soil around the root ball. Thoroughly water the tree and stake. Remove the stakes after a year. Keep the tree watered; a 5-gallon pail of water with some holes drilled in the bottom works great. Mulch the planting area with wood chips but avoid creating the mulch “volcano” that so many people do. For more complete instructions for planting a B&B tree, check out this brochure from UW Extension: https://hort.extension. wisc.edu/files/2014/11/Tree-PlantingBrochure-VPandian.pdf.

Take the time to plant a tree and you can enjoy shade and fall color in the years to come. Remember, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. As that’s not possible, how about planting one today.

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 608355-3250.

Wisconsin waterfowl opener promises a good season for hunters

Adeline Holte, Editorial Intern October 2 was a welcome treat for hunters all over southern Wisconsin with waterfowl season finally opening and bringing a promising array of ducks to its waters. Officially opening at 6:37 a.m., hunters patiently awaited the exact moment they could aim and fire at ducks, geese and all waterfowl in between.

Bakkens Pond, resting on the outskirts of Spring Green, was a popular spot for hunters in the early hours of opening day. With the pond stretching 19 acres and habiting a mix of marsh and lake, with plenty of cover for hunters to hide behind, it is perhaps a near-perfect set up for duck and goose hunters to lay low and await their target. Because of the deep muck inhabiting the pond, many hunters canoed or kayaked out to their desired spots.

Not only is Bakkens Pond an ideal hunting spot, but the year in general was also a shoo-in for good hunting this Fall. According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the waterfowl population has increased during the spring of this year, resulting

in a 7% increase from last year (2020) and a 19% increase from the long-term average. To hunters, this is a good sign.

Joe Olson, a Mazomanie native who travelled to Spring Green, specifically to Bakkens Pond for duck opener, noted that the opener was indeed successful, at least for him.

“It was good for me, since I got my first goose, as well as a wigeon,” Olson said. “We got out to Bakkens at quarter to 5:00 a.m. I kayaked, and the fog was crazy. Even still, it was a fun experience, and I will definitely be heading out there again.”

Owen Holte, the author’s brother, who lives in Spring Green and has been duck hunting at almost every opener since he was young, remarked that he felt the opener was a success.

“It was a good opener because the birds were moving. There were enough hunters out there to keep the birds flying from spread to spread,” Holte said. “I have to admit, duck hunting exists to keep even the best shots humble, because that morning I missed a cinnamon teal due to the

Photo by Adeline Holte, Editorial Intern Local residents Joe Olson and Owen Holte waterfowl hunting on opening day at Bakken’s Pond. fog.” Cinnamon teals are a rare duck to see in the Midwest.

It seems the early morning fog was a key factor in how well hunters were able to perform, as Holte states that it came in as an advantage at some times, providing good cover and camouflage, but also proved to be a disadvantage when it got so thick that it became nearly impossible to see waterfowl

Though it may not have been a success for some, it appears that Spring Green had a welcoming and enjoyable waterfowl opener, whether hunters were able to fill their bags full of ducks and geese or go home empty handed.

“I would say, if it starts getting cold and pushing birds in from Canada, we are in for a great season,” Holte stated.

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SPORTS

WednesdaY, October 6, 2021 Page 7

River Valley Football gets rained on in PDC ‘Battle of the Blackhawks’

Kalen Scott, Sports Contributor A rainy game happened on Friday Oct. 1, the ‘Battle of the Blackhawks’ — with the River Valley Blackhawks Varsity Football team traveling to face the Prairie du Chien Blackhawks on their homecoming.

Prairie du Chien, with a score halfway through the first quarter at 5:09, started off hot against Valley. Big pass for Prairie caught right at the 4 yard line of Prairie put Valley in danger again early in the second. Quick run right after the big play gives Prairie a touchdown making it 0-14, 11:12 left in the second quarter.

“PDC did a great job converting third and long plays with passes just beyond our defense,” said River Valley Blackhawks Football Head Coach Tim Eastlick after the game. “They were able to grind out short yardage scores once inside the red zone.”

Wickman with a big run from midfield for a big run down to the 5, 8:53 in the second.

After being stopped in the redzone the first time tonight not much happens. Half ends with Prairie Du Chien up by 14 still, with Valley having no score — but lots of trouble in the end zone with both run and pass, the offensive line seems to be struggling to hold off the aggressive Prairie defenders.

“We just struggled to put the ball in the end zone,” said Eastlick. “There was no one key reason, just too many mistakes by our team.”

On to the second half! Big return to start off the second half by Valley’s Landon Alt, making it down to the 23rd of Prairie. This second time, River Valley failed to get into the end zone after getting within the 10. 8:25 left in the third. River valley gets burned from the Valley 40 for a running touchdown, making the score 0-21, with 2 seconds left in the third quarter.

The Valley linemen seemed to be struggling to create any push against Prairie with the backs trying their best to fight against the aggressive Prairie offense. With a stroke of good luck there was a fumble recovered by Valley with 4:51 left in the fourth quarter, starting around the 37th of Valley. Valley ends up not being able to capitalize on the turnover, with multiple drops and with Quarterback Ethan Wickman being chased again in the back field by an aggressive defense.

“We had several opportunities to score and came up empty,” said Eastlick. “We struggled to convert in a couple of key situations that may have allowed us to get in the game with a score.”

Lots of drops by wide receivers this game, with the offensive line struggling to hold back Prairie, this game was a battle won in the trenches of linemen. Run game was strong sometimes by Landon Clary with hit

Photo by Kalen Scott, Sports Contributor River Valley Blackhawks QB Ethan Wickman (No. 2) drops back to pass before ultimately getting sacked by Prairie du Chien during their Oct. 1 game. It was one of 4 sacks against the Blackhawks on the night. and miss drives against Prairie. Although River Valley seemed to struggle to be disciplined, there were a lot of drive killing penalties in this game.

The Valley defense seemed to find the Prairie offense a bit much to handle, being dominated by the offensive run. Overall, a heartbreaking result for the River Valley Blackhawks, with a final score of 0-21 for Prairie du Chien.

“We need to get back to the basics and improve our overall effort and performance no matter who you are playing,” said Eastlick.

New Glarus/Monticello is up for River

Valley next as the Blackhawks look to break their losing streak, should be an interesting game to see and hopefully highly competitive.

“NG/M will look to throw the ball a ton in their spread offense,” said Eastlick. “We will need to be better against the pass.

Offensively, we will need to put drives together that result in scores.”

Kalen Scott is a Valley Sentinel circulation/ photojournalism intern and 2021 RV alumnus, having played football all four years of his high school career. He is currently attending UW-Platteville for History Education.

River Valley Varsity Girls Volleyball beats Dodgeville in three straight sets

Mariah Hill, RVHS Girls Volleyball Head Coach River Valley Volleyball traveled to Dodgeville last Tuesday night in their only match of the week. The Blackhawks came out victorious in 3 straight set wins.

The girls played a great match all around. We are really coming together and starting to play some of our best volleyball. We stay consistent and keep the unforced errors to a minimum. And our offense has really stepped up and started putting the ball away.

Leaders for the team were Katie Hahn with 10 kills and 4 blocks, Morgan Brickl with 9 kills and 19 defensive digs, and Kate Hanson with 17 assists and 5 ace serves.

The Blackhawks have a busy week this week as well with 2 road games as we headed to Platteville on Tuesday for a big conference rematch and Lancaster on Thursday. We also travel to Waukesha on Saturday for our last tournament.

Photo by Janeen Anderson Morgan Brickl gets low for a defensive dig during play on Tuesday.

River Valley Blackhawks harriers stack wood, run hard races in Platteville Brian Krey, RVHS Cross County Head Coach To begin the week, the River Valley Cross Country team took some time to help a community member that needed some firewood moved and stacked before winter. The kids took away a lot from this experience, specifically teamwork, staying positive and supporting each other.

On Saturday, October 2 the River Valley Cross Country team attended the Dick McKichan Invitational in Platteville. 30 teams competed at this race, which took place at Memorial Park on the campus of UW-Platteville, with River Valley participating in the Large School Division.

Varsity boys’ runners, their place, and time included: Julius Ross, 15th place, 17:32; Noah Radtke, 24th place, 18:27; Josh Maes, 62nd place, 19:11; Ethan Wastlick, 71st place, 19:31; Connor Grant, 74th place, 19:38; Mason Henkel, 90th place, 20:22; Eli Johnson, 98th place, 20:46.

The boys’ and girls’ had an incredible week of practice and it showed with our results.

The boys’ are showing that they continue to get stronger with each race, while really coming together as a team and it showed in Platteville. Julius Ross, Josh Maes, and Connor Grant all had career personal

bests. Julius beat his previous best by 12 seconds, Josh by 10 seconds, and Connor by 40 seconds. In addition, Ethan Wastlick and Mason Henkel had their fastest times of the year. Julius ran an excellent race and could have even been faster had he not been boxed in on some narrow areas on the course. Josh, Connor, and Ethan also ran a great race, as I was very pleased to see them run with more confidence and courage during the first half of the race, as they went out faster than they usually do.

I think they proved to themselves they can do more than they think they can - and will continue to improve and get stronger as we move into the last month of the season.

Noah, Mason, and Eli also ran very good races, and I can’t wait to see what they do at our next race in Riverdale.

Varsity girls’ runners, their place, and time include: Bobbi DuCharme, 18th, 21:19; Abi Cummings, 78th, 24:32; Anna Johnson, 86th, 25:4; Alana Merritt, 88th, 25:50; Jayla Maier, 94th, 27:24; Kylie Morrey, 95th, 28:13; Madeline Hutnik, 96th, 28:27.

Junior Varsity girls’ runners, their place, and time include: Sara Clary, 38th, 26:22;

Photo contributed by Brian Krey, RVHS Cross County Head Coach The River Valley Cross Country team doing a community service and stacking wood to begin last week.

Cheyenne Reis, 97th, 36:13 when we are working hard towards a goal, Bobbi continues to impress, as she placed ⅓ of their days they should feel good, ⅓ of 18th in a loaded girls’ field. After not feeling their days they should feel okay, and ⅓ of well early in the week, she battled back their days they won’t feel that great. While and competed very hard. Sara Clary ran many of them didn’t feel great on Saturday, her personal best by 90 seconds and will we know there are much better days ahead. continue to get faster as she gains more The Blackhawks run next on Saturday, confidence with each race. While many of October 9 at the Riverdale Invitational. the girls’ weren’t pleased with their places The race takes place near the Riverdale or times, I was very proud of every single Elementary School. The girls’ race begins one of them for staying positive, supporting at 9 am, with the boys’ race to follow at each other, and refusing to surrender on 9:40 am. Varsity and Junior Varsity will be a tough day. I tell the kids every week that running together at this race.

School activities this week Volleyball: Middle School RVHS Thursday, Oct. 7, 4:00 p.m.

Soccer: Boys Varsity Game Sparta High School Thursday, Oct. 7, 4:00 p.m.

Soccer: Boys JV Game Sparta High School Thursday, Oct. 7, 5:45 p.m.

Girls Swimming UW Platteville Pool Thursday, Oct. 7, 6:00 p.m.

Volleyball: Girls JV2 Lancaster Middle School Thursday, Oct. 7, 5:45 p.m.

Volleyball: Girls JV Lancaster High School Thursday, Oct. 7, 5:45 p.m.

Volleyball: Girls Varsity Lancaster High School Thursday, Oct. 7, 7:15 p.m.

Football/Cheer: Varsity Game RV Football Stadium Friday, Oct. 8, 7:00 p.m.

Soccer: Boys Varsity Game Mueller Pitch - RVE Saturday, Oct. 9, 9:00 a.m.

Girls Swimming Jefferson High School Saturday, Oct. 9, 11:00 a.m.

HS/MS Cross Country Riverdale REMS Saturday, Oct. 9, 9:00 a.m.

Volleyball: Girls Varsity Waukesha North HS Saturday, Oct. 9, 8:45 a.m.

Trap Team Spring Green Rod and Gun Sunday, Oct. 10, 10:00 a.m.

Football: JV Game New Glarus High School Monday, Oct. 11, 5:30 p.m.

Volleyball: Middle School RVHS Tuesday, Oct. 12, 4:00 p.m.

Football: 7th Grade RV Football Stadium Tuesday, Oct. 12, 5:30 p.m.

Football: 8th Grade RV Football Stadium Tuesday, Oct. 12, 7:00 p.m.

Soccer: Boys Varsity Game Mueller Pitch - RVE Tuesday, Oct. 12, 4:30 p.m.

Soccer: Boys JV Game Mueller Pitch - RVE Tuesday, Oct. 12, 6:00 p.m.

Volleyball: Girls JV2, JV, Varsity RVHS Tuesday, Oct. 12, 5:45 p.m.

“The good stuff.”

Page 8

Outdoors/recreation

WednesdaY, October 6, 2021

An Outdoorsman’s Journal

Mark Walters, Contributor

Ducks on the Turtle Flambeau Flowage Hello friends, It was either 50 or 51 years ago that my dad took me camping to an island and fish walleye on the Turtle Flambeau Flowage for the first time.

The TFF is made up of thousands of acres of water, land, and islands with the vast majority owned by you and me and it’s as close to feeling like being in Canada as I can get while still being in Wisconsin.

This past week I spent 48-hours either living in my canoe or the 18.6 War Eagle as I slept in the boat and hunted out of the canoe for ducks with my 5-year-old golden retriever Ruby.

Friday, September 24th High 62, low 42

So, I am driving up highway 13 with a canoe on top of my truck, pulling my boat behind my truck and with a very happy pup in the backseat of my truck.

It is 48-degrees, and a very cold rain is falling, and my plan is to sleep in my boat. Often people tell me how much I have it made, sometimes they are somewhat incorrect.

I load my rigs as best I can, put on my chest waders and begin the two-mile journey to paradise. Last year I was here on this same weekend and both

nights I slept in a tent and hunted in very leaky chest waders. There were violent storms with lots of rain and between the storms and the leaks I destroyed my phone.

A very positive memory of the adventure is that I had my 10-yearold golden retriever Fire along and something told me I should leave Ruby home. I did and we had incredible hunt and two months later Fire came down with cancer and passed away.

So, it is dark, the rain is over, and I am living in my boat, cooking on a propane stove, my home is lit by a propane light and I am listening to the Brewers. Life is good.

Saturday, September 25th High 68, low 37

The sleep part of my night ended at 1:00 am, after that I looked at the stars, talked to Ruby, and paddled my canoe to where I would hunt, four hours is a long time to watch the stars.

When daybreak came my plan was to only shoot drake woodies and mallards.

That plan went to heck a half hour after shooting started and I dropped a hen woodie. The action was slow, but I honestly had no cares. Mid-morning I hit a teal that sailed about a half a mile.

It was time for a break, so I pulled my decoys and went looking for the teal. I was in almost total shock when I beached

Photo by Mark Walters, Contributor This was home for 48 hours!

Photo by Mark Walters, Contributor Ruby is the reason that 3 of these 6 ducks were found.

Photo by Mark Walters, Contributor The War Eagle Hotel is a great place to call home.

my canoe, Ruby went hunting and came back with the teal.

So, I go to the War Eagle, cook up a topnotch lunch, set up my cot and took the best nap of my life.

Next, I decided to go exploring for my afternoon hunt. I paddle a mile, like what I see and set out my decoys. There are ducks and I missed a couple of times.

Then a flock of mallards flew over and to my disbelief I dropped a greenhead, I picked out another drake and by God I hit that one too. Ruby retrieved the first and then it was time for a canoe journey and a hike in the wild rice to search for the other.

My jawbone about fell out of my face when Ruby found that drake in like no time at all. I paddled back to my setup and here comes a flock of woodies, I picked out a drake and holy moly I got him.

There was a half hour of shooting left

and I had one duck to go to have my limit. The flight slowed down, with ten minutes left of shooting a hen wood duck made a fatal mistake and came in range of my 35-year-old 11-87. Jeepers creepers I sailed that bird, Ruby and I went for a death walk in the wild rice and muck and just like that she had feathers in her mouth and we had limit.

I pulled decoys, paddled back to The War Eagle Hotel, drank a PBR, listened to the Brewers, watched the stars, cooked a meal and was up by 1:00 to go back for more.

Perhaps I do have it made!

—Sunset

Want to read more?

Check out previous weeks’ columns at www.outdoorsmansjournal.com

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