Inside this edition
Legal Editor’s Column: Arena’s interesting camping ordinance Page 2
Spring Green, Wisconsin
Back by Request: Fall Bucket List Page 6
Ask the Experts: When should we expect peak fall colors in the Valley? Page 8
Wednesday, October 13, 2021 | Vol. 2, No. 41 FREE, Single-Copy
Arena looks to fine unlawful camping, sends ordinance to village attorney for review The village of Arena Board met for its regular monthly meeting on Oct. 5. The board was due to take action to create a section of the municipal code related to camping within village limits as well as action on an ordinance regarding natural lawns. The meeting was down a trustee, Charles Burch, who had been attending meetings via phone conference throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Village Clerk DeNean Naeger notified media prior to the meeting that the village was discontinuing
its phone conferencing service. The board decided to send the ordinance related to camping within village limits to the village attorney for review. The ordinance would set a fine of $500 for unlawful camping, with the possibility of up to 30 days in county jail if the fine is unpaid. The village also approved the final version of an ordinance which regulates properties who have or wish to have natural lawns. The ordinance passed 5-1, with Trustee Kristen Shea opposed. The ordinance was reviewed at previous
meetings where members of the public spoke against natural lawns, stating concerns unkempt lawns being a breeding ground for vermin and could be a fire hazard. The board also approved contracting with Century 21 for the sale of 516 Oak Street property owned by the village, which is set to be listed as residential or commercial for $28,000 - $32,000. The property, known as the Crusaders Clubhouse, previously was used by a motorcycle club and the village bought the property with the
intention of building a village hall at the location, which is across the street from the recently-built public works shop. Other selected actions of the board: —Scheduling Halloween trick or treating hours for Oct. 31 4-7 p.m. The Fire Department will hold a drive-thru at the station during those hours for kids. —Amended an existing parking ordinance that prohibits street parking on a section of Dalogasa Drive. —Designated medflight helicopter landing locations in the village.
Plain’s Strassenfest a Bavarian good time, complete with polka and brats Lone Rock Historic Truss Bridges Offered for Relocation The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is offering, free of charge, three historic steel truss bridges for relocation, rehabilitation, and preservation. The recipient must move the bridges from their current location on WIS 130 over the Wisconsin River, in the Town of Buena Vista (Richland County), the Town of Spring Green (Sauk County), and the Town of Clyde (Iowa County) and be willing to preserve the structures’ historic integrity. The bridges include a 4span, riveted steel overhead truss bridge (constructed in 1932 and measuring approximately 550 feet in length); a single-span, riveted steel deck truss bridge (constructed in 1932 and measuring approximately 80 feet in length); and a 3-span, riveted steel overhead truss bridge (constructed in 1942-1943 and measuring approximately 640 feet in length). Limited funds are available from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Division of Highways, to assist in the removal of the bridges from their current location. Additional costs may be incurred by the recipient in preparing a new site and rehabilitating the bridges. The bridges’ recipient must agree to relocate the structures to a suitable site and assume all legal and financial obligations associated with this endeavor. An information package on the structures is available. It includes photos and descriptions of the subject bridges, recipient responsibilities, WisDOT contribution estimates, a sample Acceptance and Maintenance Agreement, a schedule for receiving and reviewing offers, proposal requirements, and WisDOT construction schedule. To request an information package, please email Sue Barker at Michael Baker International at Susan.Barker@ mbakerintl.com or call 608-821-8712. NO REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION PACKETS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER OCTOBER 31, 2021. Proposals should follow the guidelines provided in the information package and should be submitted to Michael Baker International. Ownership of the bridge(s) will be transferred at no cost once the bridge(s) have been removed from the existing location and loaded onto transport vehicles for relocation. Additional information can be obtained from Ms. Barker at the noted email address and telephone number.
Photo by Nicole Aimone, Editor-in-Chief On Oct. 9 Strassenfest waltzed back into Plain after a year absence due to COVID. With temperatures in the high 70’s, it felt more summer-fest than Octoberfest. The beautiful day featured all the familiar strappings, including Bavarian attire, brats, beer, sauerkraut, pork hocks and — of course — polka.
APT closes out performances in the Hill Theatre for the season, two more to come in Touchstone The annual closing of the Hill Theatre is always an emotional time at APT, as the cast and staff take the stage for a final bow to bid the season, and the audience, a fond “see-you-next-summer.” This year - our Season of Hope - that feeling was all the more potent, as company and audience stood together to applaud the return of live theater and all the joy and heartbreak and humanity it holds. A feeling of connection, both glorious and unique. We can’t thank you all enough for sticking with us; for dodging all the obstacles to experience stories on our stages once more after a year in the dark. We missed you. We love you. And we can’t wait to see you back on the Hill again next summer. — American Players Theatre In the Touchstone Theatre On Sale Now October 14 - November 14 The Taming of the Shrew By William Shakespeare Adapted & Directed by Shana Cooper On Sale October 26 November 26 - December 19 The Gift of the Magi By James DeVita & Josh Schmidt Directed by Malkia Stampley
Photo by Hannah Jo Anderson Closing Night in the Hill Theatre, 2021. Two more plays are due in the Touchstone Theatre.
“What makes the Hill closing special for me is the opportunity for the full company, not just the actors, to be onstage for a full company bow and experience the very special relationship with the audience that is unique to that theater space.” — APT Managing Director Carrie Van Hallgren
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opinion/LETTER TO THE EDITOR
WednesdaY, October 13, 2021
Community Column: “Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Way Up High... Katie Green, The Plain and Simple Correspondent
...there’s a land that I dreamed of, once in a lullaby.” All people want to be citizens of a perfect land, don’t they? When we follow the yellow brick road of our dreams in our ruby slippers, we wish that ideal dreamed-of land were fair and just, filled with kindness and opportunity -- at least for the dreamer and her ilk. Of course there are always other bad guys and gals among us who want to sling their weight around, take advantage, hoard, exert power openly or secretly for personal gain, who poison the good karma for all who do not agree with them. Ft. McCoy, not far away here in Wisconsin, is full of Afghan refugees whose warring factions at home sent them fleeing for their very lives, in terror, hastily leaving behind not only incessant nightmare but possessions, careers, pets, relatives, hopes, dreams. At our southern borders similar dramas are playing out, worthy individuals and families pleading for a place in the USA where they may rise up out of the ashes and reconstruct their lives. Can we live up to our hype as the Best Place Ever as we set quotas and processes for determining who is good enough to join us in this land of plenty? Well, there’s plenty for some here who are natives of our land, but not for all, as these refugees will soon notice. Undoubtedly displaced persons tend toward cynicism already, having witness so much corruption and bad faith at home, so what will they make of their new government here, where the the sages like Jesus urged the leaders to be servants of the poor and dispossessed and that isn’t the reigning ethic at the Statehouse? If you are like me, you feel helpless in the face of so much need and suffering. The Afghans who have been airlifted to our shores may be the lucky ones, but maybe not. It will depend on what treatment they receive as they begin
the slow, painful process of learning English, interpreting our way of living, integrating into our culture as best their religion and souls will allow, all the while in shock. In the meantime, gestures of welcome and friendship are being made. A church I used to belong to in California went through channels to “adopt ‘’ several families and is collecting clothing, linens, and basic household supplies for when the displaced persons can move to their own dwelling places nearby, wherever that might be. That might be possible here, too. Another church in Madison I belonged to is gathering sewing materials and tools so that the Afghan women at Ft. McCoy can make clothes, bedding, curtains, or whatever they require. I have seized on that invitation to unload a massive amount of cloth and notions from my stash upstairs and down. I inherited much of it from my mother and mother-in-law, both of whom sewed all manner of articles (as women routinely used to do), but in the years I lived far from those two estimable ladies I did my part to keep fabric stores alive and well as I sewed myself blind. I am growing so light now as I give away more and more stuff that soon I may float off into the blue yonder. Only the weight of too many books (a contradiction in terms?) keeps me tethered firmly to earth. One of the many thoughts that torment me in thinking about what refugees from conditions like fire, flood, or war lose when they flee, is leaving behind their “pet” friends. The radio interviewed one Afghan woman weeping over having to part with her dog and cat. An Episcopal priest I know (the truth is, I gave birth to him) recently sermonized about another priest who told his congregation that non-humans have no souls, therefore the priest was discontinuing the church’s honored
Photo contributed by Katie Green practice of setting aside a Sunday for the traditional blessing of the animals – in imitation of St. Francis of Assisi. Well, that priest didn’t last long at that church, my son said, adding that he personally wouldn’t want to go to heaven if there were no dogs and cats, birds, gerbils and lizards there. I would add tree frogs, foxes, and crickets, among others. Mosquitoes need not apply. There is no unanimity of opinion about respecting the souls and lives of the birds and the beasts, certainly. Every fibre of my being protests calling the hunting and killing of animals “sport”, as our State senator does. The newest communication from him states that he’s a great partisan of blood “sports”, as are thousands in this country, and is sponsoring many bills to expand the rights of hunters. Culling deer may be a necessary evil, but unless one has need of these animals for food, not entertainment, it is regrettable. As for other species (bears, wolves, grouse
come to mind), many are being hunted to extinction, and their habitats destroyed with little or no thought given to the role the species play in the delicate balance of the natural world – our shared world. And it pains me to have to absent myself just now from the publicly-owned parks consisting of beauteous easy woodland trails and meadows perfect for hiking in my ruby slippers, at the height of leaf-peeping season, lest I be shot. Surely, at least the DNR and conservancy lands heavily-used by saunterers should be removed from the list where gunners lurk behind every bush during the blood-letting period. On that grumpy note, I trust you had a pleasant long Octoberfest weekend in honor of fun-loving Bavarians and invincible Indigenous Peoples, perhaps vowing to institute new policies that pledge to extend to others what many of us enjoy. In the near future may our motto be “the last shall be first and the first last.”
Letter to the Editor: School Board needs to rethink COVID policies Dear Editor, I would like to share with you an open letter I have sent to the River Valley School Board. ...
Dear River Valley School Board, You may remember that I spoke about the mask policy at a recent school board meeting. I thought you might like an update on our family. First, I want to say that I appreciate the time you take out of your lives to do an often under-appreciated and difficult job. However, I also remember that you volunteered for the position and asked voters to entrust to you the health and well-being of our students and by extension our community. Ten days ago my eleven-year-old displayed symptoms and tested positive for Covid 19. At the same time we received messages from school alerting
to us to a high-risk contact. Since he has only been at home and at school it doesn’t take a detective to figure out where he contracted the virus. At the time of this letter he still has a fever and is unable to keep food down. We have been advised by our doctors that if this doesn’t improve in the next few days he will need to be hospitalized. Also at the time of the letter his severely immunocompromised sister, also a River Valley student, is in the hospital having a blood transfusion. We are hopeful she can come home tomorrow. The sad and irritating truth is that this could have been avoided, if you had simply continued the mask mandate from last year. By choosing to kowtow to a misinformed, albeit highly vocal minority of parents, you have endangered not only my children and other children in the district, but
vulnerable members of the community. I will state again, with a few possible exceptions, parents are not medical experts. And yet, you ignored the advice from your own medical experts as well as those on the national level to enact an irresponsible compromise. I have a dear friend who is an attorney who is urging me to take legal action. This isn’t something I am going to do because it generally isn’t in my nature to pursue litigation. However, if the unthinkable were to happen, a wrongful death suit isn’t off the table. I am not saying this to threaten you. I merely want to make you aware of what you have opened yourselves and the district up to by making the decisions you have. You could well be facing a very different letter from a parent who is more inclined toward litigation. You also might want to ask yourself who in your life might become ill or die, and is
not upsetting a few parents really worth that risk? I have also been told by students and parents about multiple incidences of students not wearing masks bullying those who choose to. I would normally tend to think they are isolated situations. But in this case the information is coming from a wide variety of students, parents, and even my own children. By buckling under political pressure you have given opportunity to create intolerable situations and left teachers and staff powerless to do anything. I am once again asking you to rethink your policy on masks, it is time to make the hard decisions, and truly serve the students and community you have pledged to support. —Jenafer Humphries Spring Green, WI
Legal Editor’s Column: A dissection of Arena’s interesting camping ordinance Gary Ernest Grass, esq., Legal Editor Arena’s proposed camping ordinance may be one of the most interesting proposals of the year. Every part of the proposal is peculiar in ways that invite comment. We can start with the title, in which the ordinance describes itself as “an ordinance…relating to camping.” Various forms of the words ‘camp’ or ‘camping’ appear in the ordinance eleven times. You might think that the ordinance relates to your conventional under-
standing of camping. Some dictionaries define camping as a recreational or vacation activity, and for most of us, the word conjures images of wilderness, campfires, and maybe s’mores, so one might be surprised that none of these aspects of camping have anything to do with the ordinance. For most people, getting into the world of the statute may take some mental effort. The bill defines camping as setting up or remaining at a campsite. A campsite is defined as any place
where bedding or sleeping matter is placed, such as in your bedroom at home. So according to the ordinance, you actually go camping every night, right in your house. But we don’t conventionally think of that as camping, so when thinking about this ordinance, you have to remember that nothing is necessarily what you think it will be. In fact, looking at much of the ordinance, “camping” looks a lot like a euphemism for being homeless. The ordinance sets forth its purpose,
which is actually a set of three findings made by the board. I am not aware of any public hearings or other investigation by the board to reach these findings, but that is not strictly required. The first finding is that from time to time “persons establish campsite(sic)” (set down sleeping matter) in order to maintain a temporary place to live, “on sidewalks, public rights-of-way, under bridges, in vehicles, and so forth.” This
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Commentary/Opinion
WednesdaY, October 13, 2021
Page 3
Proposed camping ordinance in Arena could lead to absurd outcomes, is being reviewed by attorney continued from page 2
is no doubt true, but not because vacationers pitch tents and build a fire on the sidewalk in front of the village hall. Most people in America who sleep in their cars or under bridges are homeless, though a few probably just want to save on motel money. So is this actually a homelessness ordinance? I’m not sure Arena even has any bridges. Maybe this is in response to homelessness in Madison or somewhere else. Or maybe Arena is just preparing for the Hobo Apocalypse. The next finding is that doing this (having bedding material in a car or under a bridge or “so forth” for habitation purposes) is unsafe, unsanitary and poses a threat to the peace and safety, of not just the actor, but of other citizens of the village. The suggestion is that it’s okay to sleep in your truck, but if you use a pillow or a blanket, that threatens an outbreak of violence and disorder. Actually, pillows are good for your cervical spine and blankets keep you safe from the cold, so this finding is at best poorly stated. Finally, the village finds that “establishing campsite” interferes with the intended use of the areas where campsite is established, which seems dubious. If a vehicle is lawfully parked alongside a roadway, isn’t the parking lane serving its intended use of allowing a vehicle to lawfully park, regardless of whether someone is asleep inside it? Assuming these findings are the real purpose for the ordinance, let’s look at how the village proposes to address the issues involved. Is the proposal likely to reduce the recent plague of bedding
and temporary dwelling-related disease, disorder, and violence? The ordinance contains three separate prohibitions. The first one applies when a person is on someone else’s property and takes certain actions without the permission of someone lawfully present. The prohibited actions are to lay down, fall asleep, or “take temporary habitation” which the ordinance does not define. The most important thing to notice about this prohibition is that it does not need to be the property owner that grants permission for you to sleep or lie down. If only the owner could give permission, it means that a holdover tenant would violate the ordinance by remaining on a rental property until being legally evicted. It would also mean that if you went to work and unintentionally dozed off during a boring presentation, you would be violating the ordinance. But the way it is written, if you are lawfully present at a place, you can give yourself permission to sleep and so on. The only way you could ever violate this ordinance would be if you were already trespassing. Which makes it a little pointless. You would already be exposed to a higher penalty. The second prohibition says “camping unit shall not be used for dwelling purposes” except that one can stay overnight 14 nights in a year. This is based on an existing ordinance related to recreational vehicles, but would now extend it to cars, tents, and other “portable devices” that could be used as shelter, which could include a large cardboard box, and could arguably include umbrellas or blankets; again
looking like a change that affects the homeless more than campers. But such portable devices are only covered if they are “no more than 400 square feet in area.” So a sufficiently large tent would be okay to live in year round, at least not offending this ordinance, even if you let most of the surface area just sit on the ground, and only used part of it. Having people not live in campers is probably a rational rule because campers are not intended as permanent homes and not subject to regulations that would reflect that use. But people living in cars, tents or boxes are not camping, and probably not in a position to move into their own houses or apartments. Punishing their minimal living arrangements is not going to help. The third prohibition is against “camping” on village property, but allows a waiver for emergencies or special circumstances. The way the ordinance is constructed, “camping” means something like being in the vicinity of a pillow, so this prohibition would potentially make the delivery van bringing your new bed a mobile “campsite” which the driver could not operate on village roads. A student bringing his college laundry home for mom to wash could not set his luggage on the sidewalk without becoming an unlawful “camper.” If the village owned a commercially zoned lot that it wished to lease to a local business, an outdoor supply store would be ineligible to apply if it stocked sleeping bags or tents. The prohibition would allow village officials to nap in their offices so long as no pillows or blankets were involved.
Even a medical pillow for a lower back injury might make the office a “campsite.” The most likely use of this prohibition would probably be against anyone overnighting in the public park, or sleeping in their vehicle on the side of a public road. That’s reasonable, but it doesn’t seem essential, and it doesn’t justify cluttering up the already 600+ page compendious municipal code book with this ordinance’s weirdly ill-fitting definitions, redundancies and overreach. The ordinance would create a fine of up to $500 for each violation, with mandatory jail time for nonpayment. This brings up three final issues: First, does a violation need to be deliberate? What if you don’t realize you’re in the vicinity of bedding, or you fall asleep from exhaustion or narcolepsy? Second, what is the unit of violation: if you stay at a place for six months, is that one violation, or does every night constitute a violation of its own? (Another look at a different part of the onerous municipal code provides me with the answer: Apparently if you stay 6 months, it’s 182 days of violations, so a maximum fine of $91,000.) And finally, what if a person subject to a $500 forfeiture cannot pay? The ordinance provides no allowance for good faith inability to pay and seems affirmatively designed to route the poorest people into jail. It’s doubtful that would be legal. The Arena Village Board sent the matter to their village attorney for review, which is definitely wiser than passing it outright. On the other hand, they could have had my two cents for free.
Guest Column: We must improve the COVID19 vaccination rate in our community Shawn Lerch, CEO of Sauk Prairie Healthcare It’s time. Everyone eligible should receive the COVID19 vaccine. We see first-hand the toll the COVID19 virus is taking on area hospitals. Sauk Prairie Healthcare’s inpatient units as well as our Emergency Room are extremely busy with both COVID19 and non-COVID19 cases. The situation is further complicated by limited availability for transfers to skilled nursing and rehab centers – and this is creating a difficult bottleneck. This recent surge and high rate of hospitalizations throughout our region demonstrate that everyone must do
their part to help our fellow community members get safely through this pandemic. It’s not only about keeping people safe from COVID19, but also about ensuring critical beds are available for those who are otherwise sick or injured. To repeat, the number one thing each of us can do to help the situation: get the COVID19 vaccine. Anyone age 12 or older is eligible, it’s free, it’s safe, it’s effective, and it’s easy to get. And I encourage anyone with concerns, or anyone believing they just don’t need to get the COVID19 vaccination, to speak to a healthcare profes-
sional. Another place you can find more information is www.saukprairiehealthcare.org. For those still on the fence, here is information that many find useful: —Vaccines are safe and are not experimental Far from being experimental, these mRNA vaccines are the result of decades of research. They were tested on tens of thousands of volunteers from a wide variety of backgrounds before becoming available to the public. We can have confidence in their safety. —Vaccines are vital to slowing the spread
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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.
The vaccines available in the U.S. are vitally important in slowing the spread of an extremely contagious disease. And with the Delta variant, slowing the spread has become more important than ever. —There is no evidence of fertility problems from the vaccine There is currently no evidence that any vaccines, including COVID19 vaccines, cause fertility problems in women or men. —Those who are pregnant are urged to get the vaccine
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Est. 2020 igne conflatum “Forged in Fire”
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Opinion/Community
WednesdaY, October 13, 2021
Sauk Prairie Healthcare CEO: COVID-19 vaccines safe, recommended for pregnant women
continued from page 3
Last month the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advised the COVID19 vaccination for pregnant and lactating Americans, as well as those considering pregnancy. Pregnant and recently pregnant people are more likely to get severely ill with COVID19 compared with non-pregnant people. —Pfizer has full approval for its vaccine The U.S. FDA (Food & Drug Administration) has granted full approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID19
vaccine. Remember, children 12 years and older can get this vaccination. As the situation continues to be fluid, we are making changes to help our community at Sauk Prairie Healthcare. We have expanded our Urgent Care hours and are open from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm every day of the week. Our goal is to ensure patients can quickly access and receive essential healthcare services. I’m so proud of our extraordinary team and how focused they are every day to provide personalized, high-quality care even during the
incredible demands caused by this recent surge. We are 19 months into the global pandemic, and they have each sacrificed and carried a heavy load since day one. I am truly inspired and thankful every day to witness the level of care and compassion shown to our patients and each other. And finally, thank you to our communities, whose continual support and encouragement are the fuel that has kept our engine running for so many months. We’re humbled and proud to serve and protect you. I leave you with this: I am still opti-
mistic with a reason for hope – this pandemic will end but the length, the level of damage to our physical and mental health, and the toll on the vibrancy of our communities depends on each of us and our actions right now. It is more important than ever to do all in our power to slow the spread of the disease. I ask that we continue to work toward the common goal of defeating COVID19 and ending this pandemic. Ensuring a larger percent of our population is vaccinated is a vital step to achieve this common goal.
58th River Valley School Fair included first annual Alumni Swine Showmanship Award As a Co-Chairperson of the River Valley School Fair I want to thank everyone who joined us this year at our 58th annual fair. This is truly a community event in the fact that without all of you as supporters we could never do what we do. From the food tent sales to the animal auction it all helps. A special thank you to the Community Bank employees and the three ladies who assist them each year, they give so much of their time to help with the auction and collecting payments for the exhibitors. The committee and volunteers give a lot of their time throughout the year to help keep the fair going, but I believe if you ask anyone of them they would all say it is totally worth it come fair day. I hope to see you all there next year at our 59th fair. Pictured: The winner of the first annual Alumni Swine Showmanship, Norbert Pulvermacher. —Tim Johnson
Photo via Tim Johnson
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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
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Community
WednesdaY, October 13, 2021
Page 5
COVID-19 Dashboard Wisconsin Summary
756,855 Positive Cases +16,296 from 10/5
Cases as of 10/12/2021
3,479,692 Negative Test Results +85,150 from 10/5
8,194 Deaths +130 from 10/5
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: 10/12/2021
6,425,984
Administered
3,655,864
2,501,606
Pfizer doses administered
Richland
Sauk
Target Range
54.6%
+74 from 10/5 +184 from 10/5 +0 from 10/5
Sauk County
+217 from 10/5 +597 from 10/5 +0 from 10/5
7,653 Positive Cases 41,134 Negative Tests 57 Deaths Updated: 10/12/2021
Target Range
58.7%
Percent with at least one vaccine dose
Iowa County
Johnson & Johnson doses administered
Vaccine Data
+136 from 10/5 +130 from 10/5 +0 from 10/5
2,546 Positive Cases 13,517 Negative Tests 15 Deaths
268,514
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 1,921 Positive Cases 9,297 Negative Tests 20 Deaths
Vaccine Summary Statistics
Percent with at least one vaccine dose
52.4%
56.0%
Percent fully vaccinated
Percent fully vaccinated
Iowa
Target Range
63.7% Percent with at least one vaccine dose
61.7% 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 10/12/2021
Updated: 10/12/2021 Lower %
Richland County Ages 12-15
Iowa County
Ages 12-15
Higher %
41.6%
Percent of Wisconsin residents who have received at least one dose
54.7%
Sauk County
Ages 12-15
Updated: 10/12/2021
45.6% Dane County Ages 12-15
Graphic by Anna Stocks-Hess
Ages
80.1%
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
47.1% 52.2% 52.2% 56.7% 64.2% 65.3% 73.9% 85.9%
Page 6
WednesdaY, October 13, 2021
Community
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!
Community
WednesdaY, October 13, 2021
Page 7
Area retired educators invited to build ‘Bridges to Higher Education’ Richland Area Retired Educators’ Association RICHLAND CENTER, WI. “RAREA: Bridges to Higher Education” will be the theme for the second 2021 meeting of the Richland Area Retired Educators’ Association (RAREA) scheduled for Thursday, October 21, 2021, beginning at 9:30 a.m. at The Phoenix Center, 100 South Orange Street, Richland Center. Registration begins at 9 a.m. The cost will be $12 for RAREA members, their guests, and prospective members; this meeting is not open to the public. RSVP deadline for all attendees will be 12 noon on Monday, October 18, 2021, and should be directed to RAREA President Paul Murphey, 269 South Park Street, Richland Center, WI, 53581-2303; 608.647.6439 or pmurphey@mwt.net. Attendees are also reminded to bring
their 2020/2021 cumulative volunteer reports and to renew their expiring memberships in both the Wisconsin Retired Educators’ Association (WREA) and/or RAREA. Both member tasks can be accomplished at this meeting. Attendees will be following all safety & health protocols as defined by our Richland County Public Health Officer (Rose Kohout). President Murphey stated, “We have all had those people and processes in our lives that have served as our personal ‘bridges,’ as we moved throughout our educational careers. Therefore, RAREA is delighted to have Melanie Platt-Gibson as this month’s guest speaker. Melanie serves as the Branch Campuses Community Director/Corporate Relations for both UW-P Baraboo/Sauk
County and for UW-Platteville Richland. Because UW-PR is one of the 12 districts/institutions served by RAREA, it will be a pleasure to hear from Melanie as a ‘bridge’ to our local campus.” RAREA is one of sixty active local units throughout Wisconsin and Arizona affiliated with the greater Wisconsin Retired Educators’ Association (WREA). WREA and RAREA serve all retired and currently employed public education professionals (administration, teaching, and support staff) at the primary, secondary, and post-secondary levels. Currently employed professionals may also join both groups as a regular member. In addition, retired or currently employed public employees (non educators) that belong to the Wisconsin Retirement System may also join both
Sauk County October 2021 FreeCOVID-19 TESTING SITES *NO SYMPTOMS REQUIRED FOR TESTING
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organizations! As a local unit, RAREA serves the following 12 school districts/ institutions within the greater southwest Wisconsin area: Boscobel, Ithaca, Kickapoo, North Crawford, Prairie du Chien, Richland Center, River Valley (shared with Sauk County REA), Riverdale, Seneca, UW-Platteville Richland, Wauzeka-Steuben, and Weston. For more information regarding a WREA or a RAREA membership, please contact RAREA Membership Marketing Chair Barry Roghair, 230 Schmitz Street, Richland Center, WI, 53581, 608.647.6542 (or) bjcrogh@charter.net, or visit the WREA website at https:// wrea.net/. Make plans now to join with other RAREA members to attend the first meeting of the year and to celebrate RAREA: “Moving Forward.”
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55 Prairie Ave, Prairie du Sac Step 1. https://register.covidconnect.wi.gov/ Step 2. Call 608.643.7603 for an appointment.
FRIDAYS BARABOO
10 AM TO 12 PM
Sauk County Public Health Circus World Parking Lot 550 Water St. Baraboo
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Page 8
Community
WednesdaY, October 13, 2021
Ask the Experts: When should we expect peak fall colors in the Valley? Q&A with a forester Are we having a weird year for fall colors? When are we expecting them to peak? We had a chance to ask local DNR Forester Scott Lancaster about leaf-peeping season in the Valley. ... Valley Sentinel: Why specifically do the leaves change color and what conditions are best? What conditions are worst? Scott Lancaster: Sunny and cool conditions are the best for fall colors, especially the reds. The red pigments are more transient as they are linked with sugar production and both can enhance pre-senescent sugar production and also act as a natural sunscreen. Red pigments are created by an energy consuming process initiated by light and thus less prevalent during overcast weather conditions. The red pigments flow out of the leaves with the sugar and sap the trees are storing and are also susceptible to breaking down from heat. So the red pigments often change from day to day and are more brilliant during sunny, cool weather. Some of these anthocyanin pigments are blue, which express as purple in some trees like my neighbor’s Autumn Purple White Ash.
Yellows and Oranges are less transient than the red pigments because they are attached to proteins or cell membranes. These pigments help chlorophyll absorb light they are not efficient at collecting alone and also serve to divert excess energy away. VS: What conditions have we had this year (are they normal or weird? Why?) and what’s the outlook? SL: The National Weather Service has predicted slightly above temperatures in early October and I think that has held pretty well through the first week of the month. VS: When do we expect peak colors in the local area? SL: I would expect a few week delay in peak color, perhaps pushing the peak from the average mid October range towards the last week in October. VS: Your favorite places in the area to see the colors? SL: Because of the many factors I mentioned above, the fall colors are constantly changing. A beautiful view one day may be surpassed by another the day after. I would encourage ex-
Photo Jolean Louis ploration, starting on the early color on south facing slopes and ridges, enjoying the variety of the more shade tolerant maples on the east and
north slopes and then finishing off the season with the brown and burgundy tones of the oak trees.
Great Pumpkin “Guess My Weight” contest to be held by library Photo via Spring Green Community Library Did you know that we have giant pumpkin growers in the River Valley area? Generous Lone Rock resident Buddy Hynek donated one of his crop to the library, and it is currently on view next to the Kaleidoscope Bowl (which is also decked out for the season). Stop by and compete in our “Great Pumpkin Guess the Weight” contest and win a $25 Arcadia gift card. The closest guess, without going over, by Friday, October 29 wins! One entry per day, please. —Spring Green Community Library
RVRC Swimming wins Platteville dual, places third in Jefferson-Cambridge Invite Mike Nachreiner, RVRC Girls Swimming Coach Last Thursday night the RVRC Swim Team traveled to Platteville for a dual meet. RVRC won the meet by a score of 115 to 55. The meet stared out close with the Medley Relay with RVRC’s top relay beating Platteville’s relay by less than two seconds. Platteville took second and third in the event. But RVRC sent a message with the second event, 200 yard freestyle. Kris Langrehr, Marissa Needham and Charlotte Ferstl took first, second and third, respectively. RVRC kept the pressure on the whole meet taking first place in every event. RVRC scored individual points in 21 out 23 possible, including taking first, second and third in three events. Coach Nachreiner said, “I am really happy on how we swam against Platteville. Besides the strong scoring, we had 11 of our 14 swimmers get personal best time in one or two events. We are at the point of the season where the swimmers should be worn down and tired and we challenge them each meet to fight through their soreness and fatigue, and compete as best as they can, for themselves and for their teammates. We are really proud of their effort and success.” Relays scoring points: 200 Medley Relay – 1st Place with Lily Saperstein, Alivia Glasbrenner, Megan Nachreiner and Bobbi DuCharme. 200 Free Relay – 1st Place with Bobbi DuCharme, Kris Langrehr, Grace Tjossem and Beverly Harper. 200 Free Relay – 3rd Place with Elizabeth Jewell, Megan Langrehr, Olivia Hackl and
Charlotte Ferstl. 400 Free Relay – 1st Place with Kris Langrehr, Megan Nachreiner, Lily Saperstein and Beverly Harper. 400 Free Relay – 2nd Place with Marissa Needham, Charlotte Ferstl, Megan Langrehr and Alivia Glasbrenner Individuals scoring points: Kris Langrehr finished 1st place in the 200 freestyle and 1st place in the 100 yard butterfly. Marissa Needham took 2nd place in the 200 freestyle. Charlotte Ferstl was 3rd in the 200 freestyle and 2nd in the 500 yard freestyle. Bobbi DuCharme finished 1st place in the 200 Individual Medley and 1st place in the 100 freestyle. Lily Saperstein took 2nd in the 200 Individual Medley and 3rd in the 100 backstroke. Megan Langrehr was 4th in the 200 Individual Medle. Beverly Harper finished 1st in the 50 freestyle and 1st in the 100 breaststroke. Grace Tjossem took 4th in the 50 freestyle and 2nd in the 100 freestyle. Alexis Webb was 5th in the 100 yard butterfly and 5th in the 100 yard breaststrok. Alivia Glasbrenner finished 3rd in the 100 freestyle and 3rd in the 100 breaststroke. Megan Nachreiner was 1st place in the 500 yard freestyle and the 100 backstroke. Elizabeth Jewell took 3rd place in the 500 yard freestyle Personal Best Times: Kris Langrehr had a personal best time in the 100 yard butterfly. Grace Tjossem had a personal best time in the 50 yard freestyle. Charlotte Ferstl had a personal best time in the 500 yard freestyle. Elizabeth Jewell had a personal best time in the 500 yard free-
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Photo contributed by Mike Nachreiner, RVRC Girls Swimming Coach RVRC swimmer Megan Nachreiner competes in a recent swim meet. style with a 6:55.41.Bobbi DuCharme had a personal best time in the 200 Individual Medley with a 2:35.01. Alivia Glasbrenner had a personal best time in the 100 freestyle with a 1:06.45. Alexis Webb had a personal best time in the 100 breaststroke with a 1:32.84 and in the 100 butterfly with a 1:27.02. Olivia Hackl had a personal best time in the 50 freestyle with a 30.21. Lily Saperstein had a personal best time in the 200 yard individual medley with a 1:35.66. Marissa Needham had a personal best time in the 100 yard backstroke with a 1:20.12. Megan Langrehr had a personal best time in the 100 yard freestyle with a 1:10.66.
Tessa Schulter had a personal best time in the 50 yard freestyle with a 34.65. ... The RVRC Swim team competed at the Jefferson-Cambridge Invite on Saturday. Monona Grove won the meet, but it was a battle for the remaining other three teams. Elkhorn edged out RVRC for second place by only 16 points and RVRC took third place beating Jefferson-Cambridge by 14 points. “It was hard for the RVRC swimmers to bounce back after swimming so well against Platteville only one and half
continued on page 9
ARTS & CULTURE/Sports
WednesdaY, October 13, 2021
Page 9
Community Art: Jen Salt’s ‘Wonder’, a young boy enjoying autumn Painting by Jen Salt “Wonder” is an oil painting, 11”×14” and reminds me of the river valley in autumn with the hills and Wisconsin River in the far background. Some leaves and bottle gentians in the foreground are indications of this beautiful time of year. Medium: Watercolor —Jen Salt, Contributor Jen Salt is an artist who lives in a place she calls “Crow’s Lair Cottage”-just outside of Spring Green where she’s lived for five and a half years. “The Wisconsin River was the draw to move here and I’ve never looked back, coming from a big city. This is home.”
... Valley Sentinel welcomes local artists across all mediums to share their work with the community. Send your submissions to: editor@valleysentinelnews.com
Blackhawks Volleyball split week, win tournament in Waukesha, look to regionals Mariah Hill, RVHS Girls Volleyball Head Coach River Valley split this week and went 1-1 in conference play losing at Platteville 1-3 last Tuesday and winning 3-2 at Lancaster last Thursday. Tuesday at Platteville was a tough matchup. Platteville only has one conference loss on the season and they just came off a big win against Richland Center last week. We were hoping to push past them and get the win, but we just came up short and couldn’t find away to put the ball down. We really struggled hitting and putting the ball away. Platteville has a solid defense and worked really hard to pick up everything we sent at them. We had
too many unforced errors on our side of the net again and ultimately that is how we lost. Leaders for the Hawks were Anabelle Willoughby with 15 kills and 2 ace serves. Katie Hahn and Lydia Weiss both blocked well at the net. Brianna Zaemisch and Morgan Brickl had 18 digs each and Kate Hanson has 29 assists on the night. Thursday we headed to Lancaster for our second match of the week. We took Lancaster a little too lightly and they came to play. They worked incredibly hard on their side and really gave us a run for our money. Their defense was Photo by Kelly Hanson Senior setter number 11 Kate Hanson pushes a ball out to a hitter against Platteville last Tuesday. really solid and they found a way to hit our holes. Luckily we came out on the winning side, but it took a team effort to pull out the win and we went 5 sets. Leaders for the Hawks were Anabelle Willoughby with 11 kills, Mackenzie Emerson with 4 ace serves, Katie Hahn had 5 blocks and Lydia Kersten 4, Brianna Zaemisch with 14 digs, and Kate Hanson had 19 assists on the night. Saturday the team was up early and on the road to Waukesha North for our final tournament of the season. RV went 4-1 on the day, taking the championship, only losing to Waupon 1-2 the first match of the day. We struggled to get going in the morning with a last minute line up change, but once we got into our groove and got comfortable, we finished the rest
Photo by Heather Brick Tournament champions at Waukesha North on Saturday.
of the day strong to win the whole tournament. We beat Rufus King, Waukesha North, and Grafton twice to win the whole thing. I was so proud of this group for pushing through and hitting one of our team goals this season to win a tournament. We played some strong volleyball and worked hard as a team. Our serving and errors stayed low on the day and our hitting was spread out nicely throughout the long 10 hour day of playing. My team stepped up, stayed positive and really worked as a whole to find a way to play through some tough spots and win. This week we had our last conference match at home on Tuesday against Prairie Du Chien. It is senior night. Then we start regional play on Tuesday October 19th as the 6 seed. We host the 11th seed Sparta at 7:00pm.
RVRC Swimming Team members set large number of personal records at latest meets continued from page 9 days earlier. At Platteville, everyone one swam extremely well, clocking some of the best times of the season. It is hard to do that again with less than 2 days rest.”, said Coach Mike Nachreiner. The coaches were very happy how the team swam at Jefferson. Beverly Harper and Megan Nachreiner both brought home a second place medal, Harper’s in the 100 freestyle and Nachreiner’s in the 500 freestyle. The 200 free relay also brought home a third place medal with Bobbi DuCharme, Kris Langrehr, Grace Tjossem and Harper. Even though the swimmers were still exhausted from the Platteville meet, they still posted some very good times, including several personal bests. Relays scoring points: 200 Medley Relay, 4th place – Lily Saperstein, Beverly Harper, Megan Nachreiner &
Grace Tjossem. 200 Medley Relay, 8th place – Marissa Needham, Alivia Glasbrenner, Alexis Webb & Megan Langrehr. 200 Free Relay, 3rd Place – Bobbi DuCharme, Kris Langrehr, Grace Tjossem & Beverly Harper. 200 Free Relay, 7th place – Tessa Schluter, Olivia Hackl, Megan Langrehr & Elizabeth Jewell. 400 Free Relay, 4th place – Bobbi DuCharme, Kris Langrehr, Megan Nachreiner, Lily Saperstein. 400 Free Relay, 7th place – Marissa Needham, Elizabeth Jewell, Charlotte Ferstl & Alexis Webb. Individuals scoring points: Bobbi DuCharme finished 4th in the 200 freestyle and 4th in the 100 freestyle. Kris Langrehr took 8th in the 200 freestyle and 7th in the 100 butterfly. Charlotte Ferstl was 10th in the 200 freestyle and 6th
place in the 500 freestyle. Elizabeth Jewell finished 12th in the 200 freestyle and 11th in the 100 yard freestyle. Marissa Needham took 7th place in the 200 Individual Medley and 5th in the 500 freestyle. Alexis Webb was 9th in the 200 Individual Medley and 12th in the 100 yard breaststroke. Beverly Harper finished 4th in the 50 freestyle and 2nd in the 100 yard freestyle. Grace Tjossem took 7th in the 50 freestyle. Alivia Glasbrenner was 9th in the 50 freestyle and 8th in the 100 yard breaststroke. Lily Sapterstein finished 8th in the 100 butterfly and 8th in the 100 backstroke. Megan Nachreiner was 2nd in the 500 yard freestyle and 6th in the 100 backstroke. Megan Langrehr took 9th in the 500 yard freestyle. Tessa Schluter finished 10 in the 100 yard breaststroke. Olivia Hackl was 11th in the 100 yard breaststroke. Personal Best Time: Grace Tjossem had new personal best time
in the 50 freestyle with a 29.35. Charlotte Ferstl had two personal best times, in the 200 freestyle with a 2:24.99 and in the 500 freestyle with a 6:28.86. Bobbi DuCharme had two personal best times, in the 100 freestyle with a 100.85 and in the 200 freestyle with a 2:13.84. Alivia Glasbrenner had a personal best time in the 50 freestyle with a 29.84. Alexis Webb had two personal best times, in the 100 backstroke with a 1:28.21 and in the 200 Individual Medley with a 2.57.93. Lily Saperstein had a new personal best time in 100 yard freestyle as part of her leg in the 400 yard free relay with a 1:03.38.Marissa Needham had a personal best time in the 200 Individual Medley with a 2:53.58. Megan Langrehr had a personal best time in the 500 freestyle with a 6:57.06. Tessa Schluter had a new personal best time in the 50 freestyle as part of her leg in the 200 yard freestyle relay with a 32.14.
Outdoors/SPORTS
Page 10 WednesdaY, October 13, 2021
Blackhawks Boys Soccer holds RV Invite, beats out Jefferson and Richland Center We held our RV Invite Saturday vs Jefferson and Richland Center. We won our first match vs Jefferson 4-0. Tory Weller had a hat trick and Guidry Ridge tallied as well. Two Red cards were handed out to Jefferson players in a very physical and crazy match. RC beat Jefferson 2-0 in the second match. We won the third 3-1 vs RC. Lukas Bettinger scored from 50 yards out on a beautiful shot to the upper left corner. Tory Weller scored again and freshman Will Kaltenberg scored his first varsity goal. Pictured at left is Junior centerback Tristen Schmidt. — Corey Schmidt, RVHS Head Boys Soccer Coach
Photos contributed by Corey Schmidt, RVHS Head Boys Soccer Coach I would like to recognize the efforts of Seniors Ben Whitaker, Conrad Youngquist, and Ian Hamblen, pictured at right with me. Their contagious energy and leadership will be sorely missed and they have left a positive impact on RV boys soccer for years to come. — Corey Schmidt, RVHS Head Boys Soccer Coach
Birding Report: Give a Hoot! Owls pipe up and Sparrows steal the show In October Ryan Brady, DNR Natural Heritage Conservation Program Biologist Mid-migration season has arrived, bringing sparrows, waterfowl, and other hardy species as warm weather birds continue to depart. Look for white-throated, white-crowned, Lincoln’s, song, swamp, fox, chipping, and savannah sparrows, among others. Harris’s sparrows are showing better than average, and Nelson’s sparrows are being seen at wet weedy fields in portions of southern Wisconsin. Like it or not, dark-eyed juncos have arrived in force too, especially up north. Diving ducks like scaup, redheads, and a few surf scoters have begun to move in, while mallards, wood ducks, and both teal were reported in good numbers among other dabbling ducks in recent weeks. American coots, horned grebes, and increasing numbers of common loons are also being seen. Shorebird numbers are well past peak but a diversity of late-season species continue, including American woodcock, Wilson’s snipe, both yellowlegs, American golden and black-bellied plovers, long-billed dowitcher, killdeer, and pectoral sandpiper. Of note recently were hundreds of sanderlings seen
at several sites along Lake Michigan and 15 Hudsonian godwits in Brown County. Other short-distance migrants now on the move include American robins, blue jays, rusty blackbirds, yellow bellied sapsuckers, northern flickers, ruby-crowned and golden-crowned kinglets, brown creepers, winter wrens, hermit thrushes, and a suite of tundra breeding songbirds that includes American pipit, horned lark, and Lapland longspur. Warbler migration is waning save for scores of yellow-rumped and palm warblers and smaller numbers of late species such as pine, orange-crowned, Tennessee, Nashville, Cape May, common yellowthroat, and the occasional black-throated blue. A few ruby-throated hummingbirds continue in mostly southern counties, as do some eastern phoebes, gray catbirds, rose-breasted grosbeaks, and indigo buntings. Great horned and barred owls are actively calling again, while northern saw-whet owls and the first long-eared owls have begun their migrations. A few purple finches and pine siskins are being seen, but most notable is a very
Photo by Ryan Brady Sparrows steal the show during the month of October, perhaps none more recognizable than the white-throated sparrow. early common redpoll photographed in Marquette County. Some of the other rare birds spotted this week included parasitic and pomarine jaegers in Douglas, little gull in Bayfield, whitefaced ibis in Brown, and eared grebe in Dane. With more south than north winds in the forecast for the next week, migration will slow down and the possibility of vagrants from the south may
increase. Help us track the migration by reporting your finds to www.ebird. org/wi. Enjoy the birds!
Share your sightings Have any rare or beautiful local bird sightings this week to share? Let us know the identification and location. Share them with us at: editor@valleysentinelnews.com
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SPORTS
WednesdaY, October 13, 2021 Page 11
Blackhawks get a big win over NG/M, face RC before looking at playoffs Photo by Mike McDermott, Sports Contributor Pictured: Landen Alt reaches for a pass at last Friday’s River Valley Varsity Football game against New Glarus/Monticello. The Blackhawks beat the winless co-op 41-6, breaking a two-game losing streak. “Offensively we were able to get in a bit of a rhythm once we got rolling. Our offensive line did a nice job opening holes for Landon Clary and Ethan Wickman. Our wide receivers were able to get open on some nice looks and Wickman stood in and delivered good throws,” said River Valley Blackhawks Football Head Coach Tim Eastlick after the game. “Zack Vickerman and Ethan Wickman are doing a nice job connecting for key catches in our offense. Zack has improved his understanding of how routes play off each other and this has allowed him to be more open.” This week River Valley (5-3) heads to rival Richland Center for the last game of the regular season. Richland Center has just as many wins as the Blackhawks but are coming off a hard loss to Platteville last week. What are the stakes for this week? “This game probably is the difference between getting a home game versus going on the road in the playoffs,” said Eastlick. “RC is a very athletic, physical football team. I expect their very best against us.”
River Valley Blackhawks harriers run at Riverdale, look to SWC Conference meet Brian Krey, RVHS Cross County Head Coach On Saturday, October 9, the River Valley Cross Country team traveled to Muscoda for the 2021 Riverdale Invitational. This invitational is the last race before the Blackhawks travel to the SWC conference meet on Thursday, October 14 in Richland Center. As the last tune-up before our post season begins, the River Valley teams responded in a big way and ran extremely well. With 19 teams competing, the boys’ team placed 4th overall while the girls’ team placed 9th. The boys’ team has been understanding how to run with and for each other over the last few weeks, and it showed. Julius Ross led the Blackhawks, finishing in 7th place, with a time of 17:33, earning a top ten
Photo by Aaron Maes River Valley Boys Cross Country runner Mason Henkel at the Riverdale Invitational last Saturday.
medal. Julius has done an incredible job of being the leader on our team since the summer began in June. The boy’s team had an impressive 5 individuals run personal bests for the season which included: Noah Radtke, 18:10, 19th place Josh Maes, 18:51, 29th place Connor Grant, 19:12, 36th place Ethan Wastlick, 19:14, 37th place Mason Henkel, 20:19, 64th place All of these guys ran great races and are seeing their hard work over the course of the season pay off. Noah settled into the race nicely and will continue to improve based on his work ethic at practice. Josh and Ethan continue to drop their times weekly, as they have gained the confidence to go out faster in the first half of the race. Connor battled some nagging injuries early in the season, but is now healthy is discovering what he can do and it really showed in Riverdale. For a first-year high school runner, Connor has shown some real grit and determination. Mason also ran his fastest race of the year, which was great to see his hard work pay off. Other River Valley runners included: Eli Johnson, 59th place, 20:14 TJ Strine, 22nd pace - JV, 26:04 I’m confident that both of these guys have their best races in front of them. As a team, the boys will look to battle for a top 3 spot at the conference meet in Richland Center this week. The girls’ team placed 9th overall, which was an excellent showing, with some of our runners out due to injury or illness. 6 of the 9 girls’ runners ran personal bests for the season, which was really exciting to see. Overall, I could not have been more pleased with the girls’ team at this invite and over the last few weeks. Our upperclassmen (Abi Cummings, Madison Krey, Anna Johnson, Madeline Hutnik, Jayla Maier, and Kylie Morrey) have continued to not only lead by example, but do a great job of describing, explaining, and supporting our underclassmen through practices and races. I really believe it’s that leadership and positive support that has allowed our underclassmen to really improve in this last month of the season. Senior Abi Cummings ran her best race of the year, going out quicker in the first half of the race and still finishing really strong.
Photo by Aaron Maes River Valley Girls Cross Country runner Anna Johnson at the Riverdale Invitational last Saturday. Abi finished 34th in a time of 22:55. I knew Abi had a sub-23 minute race in her and was really happy for her. Other girls that ran a season personal best include: Aubrey Frazier, 59th place, 25:17 Grace Morrey, 66th place, 25:56 Kylie Morrey, 71st place, 26:38 Emma Anding, 73rd place, 26:42 Madeline Hutnik, 15th place - JV, 26:54 All five of these girls have had their ups and downs this season, many battling some nagging injuries. Aubrey Frazier and Emma Anding, as first-year runners, continue to show a determination to improve and it’s been fun watching their early growth
as runners. It was also great to see Grace Morrey, also a first-year runner, have an excellent race in Riverdale. All three of these ladies have their best days in front of them as they continue to learn and navigate through a full high school season. In addition, veterans Kylie Morrey and Madeline Hutnik ran season personal bests. Other River Valley runners include: Caitlin Wastlick, 43rd place, 23:54 Anna Johnson, 51st place, 25:13 Cheyenne Reis, 23rd place - JV, 35:49 Best of luck to the Blackhawks at the SWC meet in Richland Center on Thursday, October 14!
School activities this week
Volleyball: Middle School Iowa-Grant Middle Schoo Thursday, Oct. 14, 4:00 p.m.
Cross Country: SWC Conference Richland Center HS Thursday, Oct. 14, 4:30 p.m.
Trap Team Spring Green Rod and Gun Sunday, Oct. 17, 10:00 a.m.
Soccer: Boys Varsity Game Belleville High Schoo Thursday, Oct. 14, 6:45 p.m.
Football/Cheer: Varsity Game Richland Center HS Friday, Oct. 15, 7:00 p.m.
Football: Middle School Westby High School Monday, Oct. 18, 5:00 p.m.
Soccer: Boys JV Game Belleville High School Thursday, Oct. 14, 5:00 p.m.
Volleyball: Girls JV/JV2 River Valley High School Saturday, Oct. 16, 8:00 a.m.
Volleyball: Girls Varsity WIAA Regional River Valley High School Tuesday, Oct. 19, 7:00 p.m.
Girls Swimming Stoughton High School Thursday, Oct. 21, 6:00 p.m. Soccer: Boys Varsity WIAA Regional Watertown Lutheran Prep Thursday, Oct. 21, 4:00 p.m.
Outdoors/recreation
Page 12 WednesdaY, October 13, 2021
An Outdoorsman’s Journal
Mark Walters, Contributor
The Mississippi 2021 Hello friends, Fifty duck seasons ago I camped on an island on the Mississippi River near Ferryville for the first time and hunted ducks with my brothers Mike and Tom Walters and my dad the late Robert Walters. I am 100-percent addicted to this gear oriented, scenic challenge that is a pure blast.
Friday, October 1st High 81, Low 57
Before daylight on Saturday morning there would be seventeen of us calling our island paradise home and that is how I am going to kind of angle this week’s column. Yesterday, Jeff Moll, myself and my stepson Travis Dushek made it to camp, and we had a blast. Basically, all we did was sit by a campfire and laugh a lot. Jeff would be hunting with Ruby’s daughter Luna, who he actually borrows for this hunt. She is not trained for hunting, but Jeff would be amazed as she retrieved all nine of his ducks and not a one would be lost. Travis would be hunting with Ruby’s sister Ash, and both are addicted to hunting like very few people can understand. I helped raise Travis and
he grew up on this trip. Early Friday morning my brother Mike Walters and brother-in-law Dick Schuster showed up to camp. Neither duck hunt but are here for the fishing and most importantly the campfire time. This year the fish bite was slow, or should I say, the perch were small. About midafternoon the young troops started making it to camp. The Wandler boys are about 19 to 29, with Grant being the oldest, Conrad who came from Kansas City in the middle and Vlad the youngest. These kids grew up with my stepson Joey Dushek and came along in high school and have not missed a year since. They also brought a kid named Michael David along who grew up in Necedah, had one hell of a nice boat and fit right in. About 5:00 p.m. I headed to the boat landing with my War Eagle, naturally I hit a rock, which much of the gang witnessed from camp. My goal was to pick up my 20-year-old daughter Selina who is a junior at UW-Stevens Point and her “friend” Isaac Labuuda who is a senior at UW-Eau Claire. Isaac loves to duck hunt and is a good kid. When I picked up Selina and Isaac, Matt Keisling, a fellow teammate of Travis’ on the Necedah Cardinals football team, was at the landing with his yellow lab Trigger for his first hunt with this gang.
Photo by Mark Walters, Contributor Joey Dushek’s first duck shot on the Mississippi River Duck hunt 16 years ago!
Photo by Mark Walters, Contributor This is the most gear oriented trip of the year for Mark Walters.
Photo by Mark Walters, Contributor Luna taking a well deserved break!
I just got back to camp, and Joey Dushek shows up with Joey “Snoots” Snodie! I gave Snoots his nickname when he was 16 and hanging out in our world. Naturally Joey Dushek had Pike along, who is probably the largest goldendoodle on the planet. Very late in the evening, around 2am, the last of our gang shows up. Trent Schuster, Cole Koepp, and Troy Ringlestetter. These yahoos are from Poynette but were at a wedding at Johnson Creek. They stayed until Troy, who was in the wedding, could try to catch the bouquet and they had quite the ride as rumor has it someone had an upset stomach in the backseat that was quite nasty after a direct hit on a skunk with Trent’s truck. I almost forgot Trent’s first pup Ivy who is a golden retriever was also along and it would be her first hunt. Sixty-five years ago my dad started this
trip along with our deer camp — “The Red Brush Gang” — our adventures to the Flambeau Flowage and created the “Canada Gang” while going to school as a business major at UW Madison. Dad was in the ROTC, when he graduated from Madison, he did a stint in the Marine Corp and was a captain when he got out. The Marines were always his pride and joy. The lowest number that I ever saw on this adventure was Joey’s first hunt when he was 12. It was Joey and I and the smart alec kicked my butt just like he did this year. Dad would be proud! —Mark
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