Valley Sentinel - 11-03-2022 by Valley Sentinel

Spring Green, Wisconsin

Thursday, November 3, 2022 | Vol. 3, No. 25 FREE, Single-Copy

Inside this edition

American Players Theatre Announces 2023 Season

Community Calendar: Workshops, Trivia, Live Music

Lone Rock Open Meeting Concerns

Pages 1, 9

Pages 6, 7

Page 3

American Players Theatre announces 2023 season, includes new take on Romeo + Juliet Patty Heaston, APT Communications Coordinator American Players Theatre (APT) is thrilled to announce its 2023 lineup, to run June 10 – October 8, with the shoulder season production opening in late October. The Hill Theatre will open with one of Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies, The Merry Wives of Windsor, on June 10. The second Shakespearean classic will be Romeo + Juliet featuring Shakespeare’s words performed both in spoken English and in American Sign Language. Also playing on the Hill, David Ives’ farce The Liar; Thornton Wilder’s great American Classic Our Town; and Anton’s Shorts – a series of early one-act comedies by Anton Chekhov, adapted by award-winning playwright Aaron Posner. Next season in the Touchstone Theatre oﬀers four productions never seen before on APT’s stages: Once Upon a Bridge by Sonya Kelly; The Royale by Marco Ramirez; and Wolf at the Door by Marisela Treviño Orta, who wrote last season’s The River Bride. Finally, playing late October through November in the Touchstone, David Auburn’s Proof, directed by Artistic Director Brenda DeVita. Ms. DeVita said, “The 2022 season has been a gift. Which is not to say it was perfect – I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that this past season brought more ups and downs than is typical, with weather and COVID cancellations, and an unprecedented number of understudy put-ins. And I think we learned some lessons about how we can make that path smoother in the future. All that aside, in the end, we were able to successfully return to our rotating repertory structure. Which is so huge – it’s hard to articulate how important that was

The Merry Wives of Windsor By William Shakespeare Director TBA When the infamous Sir John Falstaff arrives in Windsor, he immediately decides his path to riches lies in finding a wealthy woman to woo. So he sets about writing identical love letters to two married ladies about town – Mistresses Ford and Page. Though the letters fail to have the intended effect, the ladies find them an excellent inlet to toy with Falstaff, resulting in a funny and energetic exploration of marriage, miscommunication and forgiveness, featuring charming characters and shenanigans to spare. Photo by Liz Lauren Nate Burger and Marcus Truschinski, "Stones in His Pockets," 2022. to this company. We were able to welcome back those glorious, largecast, gorgeously appointed plays. And we were able to perform them in front of very full houses. It was such an unbelievable blessing to have all those faces back in the audience. It truly felt like a family reunion. And as we move into planning for 2023, we’re carrying that feeling along with us. I’m not saying it’s a theme, because we don’t do themes, but the stories we’ll be telling next year are about community, and taking care of one another, and how vital it is to have that connection to another human being, or group of human beings. And how sometimes that doesn’t look like you’d think it would. We’re incredibly excited to bring back two great, beloved Shakespeares – The Merry Wives of Windsor, a delightful comedy, and Romeo and Juliet, which will feature actors who are deaf playing Romeo and Friar Laurence,

sharing Shakespeare’s poetry through ASL. Of course, we have a great American Classic, Our Town, coming back to the Hill for the ﬁrst time in 30 years, as well as The Liar - a hilarious farce, which our company will just have a blast with. And a piece newly adapted from Chekhov’s early one-act Vaudevilles, and partly created from whole cloth by Aaron Posner, who is a genius. And in the Touchstone, we have four gorgeous, poetic, contemporary plays that are new to us, as we continue our journey into exploring the new classics, and how they connect and intersect with our foundation and our future. The 2023 schedule will be available in January, and tickets will go on sale to returning patrons in March. More information at americanplayers.org. The 2023 Plays In the Hill Theatre

The Liar By David Ives Adapted from Les Menteur by Pierre Corneille Directed by Keira Fromm Ridiculous situations abound in this warm and hilarious adaptation of Corneille’s famous farce. Charming Dorande is a shameless liar, and he’s just arrived in Paris with good times on his mind. He very quickly falls in love with a local lady, Clarice, who he has mistaken for her best friend, Lucrece. Further complicating matters is that, unbeknownst to Dorande, Clarice is already engaged - to his childhood friend, Alcippe. Throw in a servant who cannot tell a lie, and a father who is anxious to marry oﬀ his wayward son, and you’ve got the type of uproarious comedies that APT does best. Romeo + Juliet By William Shakespeare

continued on page 9

Page 2

Commentary/Opinion

Thursday, November 3, 2022

The (not so) Plain and Simple Correspondent: Apathy... or a Path Onward? Katie Green, Columnist Choices, choices, too many choices. At a restaurant, after attending a fabulous symphony concert last week, the bewildering array of choices on the menu induced brain paralysis. It was a strain to ﬁnally settle on something. Similarly, the waning days before the midterm election has fostered indecision in the minds of some as they scan the menu of left, right, and centrist hopefuls running for public oﬃce and weigh the promises, claims and accusations. My own rule of thumb, as a person who spends lots of time thrashing about in the kitchen, is to choose the candidates who will create a casserole layered with chunks of what is holy, merciful, just, and kind ... if – and

Editors' Column

We often make light of the blessing and curse it is to not own our own press — and we’ve been open about our pressing delays, some of which relate to the press and some of which relate to graphic design bottlenecks. If anyone thought printing a publication was like clicking print on your printer at home, you’re in for a surprise. Last edition, we experienced fortune and misfortune that was truly the epitome of owning a small business: going in on the ground floor, seeing every aspect of what it takes to put out a product (and getting your hands dirty and sorting papers from the refuse box when you find out you’re 500 short!) — all while other deadlines loom for other jobs. We’ve been printing this little independently-owned community publication for two years, as of last edition. Its printing was the first time the stars aligned (albeit through misfortune) and we were able to see the press in action. We got to meet Chris, a press operator and manager for 25 years - the guy who ensures the paper is crisp and colorful each edition, and we got to see him light up when we told him all the wonderful things you all share with us when you think an edition looks particularly nice and colorful. Thank you to everyone that supports us and our passion to build community every edition. We know we’ve been busy, we know we have so much more to do, improve and build — so, truly, thank you for joining us on this journey. — Nicole Aimone, Editor-in-Chief and Taylor Scott, Managing Editor

On the cover

“Cast your ballot” (2021) Photo, by Nicole Aimone

Submit your artwork or photography for cover consideration: editor@valleysentinelnews.com Cover image traced by Taylor Scott, Managing Editor

it's a big if – one can discern accurately from the welter of “information” bruted about out there concerning the demented souls who run for this and that. Once decisions have been reached, no matter how agonizing, and marks made by names, one will have fulfilled one's duty as citizen, as is our hard-won privilege, and one can only hope the collective vote will serve up the savory best, not a mess of pottage. It's a gamble. Who knows what the ramifications will be until the political machine rolls on into next year and the next, cranky and imperfect. Maybe we will have helped shoot ourselves in the foot, maybe helped save our bacon (to mix a few metaphors). I am concerned that apathy will be more of a problem this election than inflated partisanship or indecision. In fact, one commentator stated that young black men are especially apathetic about participating in what they see as the mockery of elections and one can hardly blame them. What has this country done for people of color but alternately punish and neglect them, hardly ever granting them anything but tenuous citizenship which can be snatched back with each new administration. In the apartment house where we live, since politics are rarely discussed openly, some of my fears of apathy were laid to rest when, toward the end of one of the debates, I roamed the halls and could hear from behind closed doors the sound of televised candidate voices. I don't know what side these folks are coming down on or if they are still dithering, but at least they are listening, considering. Returning to the symphony concert, there is no better metaphor of how the world could be if it only would. People of all ages, sizes, colors, and nationalities playing instruments that

take momentary turns in the spotlight then blend back into the ensemble again. Weaving, weaving, weaving, led by diverse composers – on this particular program a German Jew expounding on Scottish themes, an American-born composer living in Switzerland who created a

Katie Green violin concerto for a Ukrainian virtuoso, a monumental tone poem by a German who was accused of being pro-Nazi but was a-political, as was later proved by a post-war commission, and was only trying to shield his Jewish daughter-in-law and his grandchildren by appearing to go along with the Reich. Music exists in its own cosmos and we can all get lost happily among those glittering galaxies, no matter the genre. Its appeal is universal. Some scientists hypothesize that music may have even existed before human speech. By way of illustrating how important music is to our species, our California son was visiting last week and while we were meandering around the UW campus one afternoon we saw two rather scruﬃlydressed, impressively hirsute men on a bench engaged in an animated exchange,

nose to nose. They were generating a little heat, gesticulating energetically. I tensed. As we neared them we overheard that they were disputing some fine point about Johnny Cash! A little difference in interpretation, it would appear. At our house we sometimes disagree on the merits of certain pieces, but politely, or so I maintain, since the decibels never soar on the subject, nor do I reach for the rolling pin ... but I have been known to roll my eyes toward heaven and He sometimes throws his napkin in the air. The worldwide lectionary reading from the Bible for the church-going contingent this week included the parable of the pestiferous widow who wouldn't take no for an answer in asking for justice against her opponent. She tirelessly knocked, and pounded on the door of the judge “who neither feared God nor had respect for people”. The judge finally “said to himself … because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.” Well I ask you, can we do less? I can think of a few judges, not excepting the highest in the land, who deserve to meet up with a gaggle of demanding widows set on wearing them out, (a terrifying prospect). Apathy, indifference, is the reverse. It is the dried up mud puddle, sere and lifeless, while persistence can lead down the path to the powerful, thundering Niagara Falls of justice. VOTE Katie, who until recently lived in Plain, has been writing for fun and profit since childhood. Self-described as opinionated, she writes in the interests of a more loving, better-functioning world for all. She may be reached at katiewgreen@ icloud.com.

Our Fragile Democracy — Part 8: The Bill of Rights - The Origin Beverly Pestel, Columnist “Our Fragile Democracy” is a series of thought-provoking columns by retired local professor Beverly Pestel exploring the history and struggles of our nation's form of government from its founding to our current social, cultural and political tensions — looking at solutions and means of learning to work with one another, in hopes of preserving our democracy. If you want to have a unvarnished view of the significance of civil rights, go to the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) founded in 1920 "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States". I do, so I did. Their take is this: “The Constitution was remarkable, but deeply flawed. For one thing, it did not include a specific declaration – or bill – of individual rights. It specified what the government could do but did not say what it could not do. For another, it did not apply to everyone. The ‘consent of the governed’ meant propertied white men only.” Previous columns have dealt with the expansion of voting rights covering about 175 years that finally brought American citizens of every race and gender eighteen years and older into the consent column. That was huge, but there is so much more at stake. The Bill of Rights is the name given to the first ten amendments to the Constitution ratified in 1791, three years after the Constitution was ratified. So, why the three-year delay between the Constitution and the Bill of Rights? Why not do it all at once and get it over with? The Founders were certainly concerned with individual rights, they said so in the Declaration of Independence: “We hold

these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” It does seem, however, that the “among these” and the “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” issues could have beneﬁtted from a little ﬂushing out in the Constitution. During the writing of the Constitution the issue of a bill of rights focused on two opposing points of view. The most straightforward position came from those

Beverly Pestel who were afraid of a strong centralized government, and consequently argued for a bill of rights that would guarantee that this new government would not trample on the freedoms recently won from the British. The other side argued that a bill of rights was unnecessary. Unnecessary? A motion to have a bill of rights included in the Constitution was defeated without debate. That deﬁnitely needs some ﬂushing out. And why did those opposed to a bill of rights win the argument in 1787 only to lose in 1791? To be fair, after independence had been declared in 1776, states immediately began writing constitutions and bills of rights.

Many of the rights enumerated in the state bills were those citizens believed were naturally theirs and that one of the most important tasks of governments was to protect them. The argument that a federal bill of rights was unnecessary stemmed partially from the fact that these rights were addressed in the state constitutions. In 1789 the First Congress of the United States prepared a Joint Resolution. Transcripts read: “The Conventions of a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the government, will best ensure the beneficent ends of its institution.” Hmm. “[A] number of States…expressed a desire…” Put more plainly, New York and Virginia specifically had refused to ratify the Constitution until a pledge was made to add amendments to the Constitution addressing rights. Since arriving at 100% ratification of the Constitution was considered essential, this pledge had been made and the Joint Resolution addressed this promise. Alexander Hamilton expressed it this way in Federalist Paper No. 9: “A FIRM Union will be of the utmost moment to the peace and liberty of the States, as a barrier against domestic faction and insurrection.” So, how did the Bill of Rights folks prevail over those who had opposed its inclusion in the original Constitution? Those opposed to a bill of rights in the original Constitution did not do so because they opposed the principle. States, after all, already had bills of rights.

continued on page 4

Commentary/OpInIon

Thursday, November 3, 2022 Page 3

EDITORIAL

Lone Rock has some explaining to do, potential violations of open meetings law It has come to Valley Sentinel’s attention that there may have been deﬁciencies in notice of recent Village of Lone Rock Board of Trustees meetings, potentially in violation of Wisconsin Open Meetings Law. On Oct. 31, the Village held a joint special meeting of the Public Safety Committee and the Village Board to purportedly go into closed session “for the purpose of discussing employment and performance evaluation data related to the police chief.” On Nov. 1, the Village held a public hearing regarding the proposed 2023 budget, followed by a Village Board meeting to purportedly take action on the proposed budget as well as the ﬁre district budget, hiring of a public works director, accepting bids on a truck, tractor and ambulance, among other actions. At this time, it does not appear Valley

Photo via the Village of Lone Rock

Sentinel received any notice of the Oct. 31 special meeting, and received less than one hour notice for the Nov. 1 meeting, potentially in violation of Wis.

the Home News. We are looking into the procedures followed by the Village and have submitted public records requests to ascertain whether or not proper notice was given to the public. Wis. Stat. § 19.84(3) requires that every public notice of a meeting be given at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting, unless “for good cause” such notice is “impossible or impractical.” If “good cause” exists, the notice should be given as soon as possible and must be given at least two hours in advance of the meeting, according to the Wisconsin Open Meetings Law Compliance Guide published by the state attorney general’s oﬃce. If you had interest in attending these meetings and believe you failed to receive proper notice, please let us know at editor@valleysentinelnews.com.

Stat. § 19.84(1)(b), among others. An initial, cursory review failed to ﬁnd the required class 1 notice of the proposed budget and hearing in recent editions of

LETTER TO THE EDITOR The Love for Wisdom

Dear Editor, I physically grew up next to my ﬁrst school. I attended Roosevelt Grade School, kindergarten through third grade. The school was closer than a stone throw, I could literally jump out of my bedroom window, with some pain, and land on the school playground. During the ‘50s and ‘60s teachers were loved and respected and education was a privilege. Although I was born with dyslexia and I still struggle with it today, I knew early on that education, as diﬃcult as it was for me, was a part in becoming a complete person. I am saddened today to see so many disrespected teachers being underpaid and taken for granted. The main reason for so much ignorance towards education is the lack of wisdom in today’s society. In college I majored in philosophy,

not the most useful study to major in. However, it was there I learned a deﬁnition for philosophy was the love for wisdom. Our society today is in a dumbing down mode because we lack the wisdom to understand the importance of education. Among many in our society the love of wisdom is being kicked around like a soccer ball. I grow weary of politicians, some churches and ordinary citizens mocking wisdom as if it were the enemy. Education and wisdom are not the enemy. The enemy is the opposite of wisdom, foolishness, having a deaf ear to the assault going on with the poor, the pollution of our planet, disrespect for the rights of women, Foolish people think they can do what they want according to the amount of money, power and inﬂuence they have.

DONATION

DRIVE

Recently we received word from our press that costs for materials have risen over 19% in the past few months and that our printing cost will go up accordingly. 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. Valley Sentinel will stay a free and truly independent and accessible paper. Please frequent our local businesses and let them

Foolishness leads to careless speech, an incorrect understanding of the world we live in, prejudice, racism and the many other ism’s. Students of wisdom value life, strive for a healthy community for all, understand that life is good, that we are entrusted to care for the world, Education alone can lead only to the gathering of facts to put another in their place. When we embrace wisdom and combine it with education, we are oﬀered abundant life, a kinder universe in which to live. With the coupling of education and wisdom we strive to have a better relationship with our creator, have a better relationship with all creatures and a well- ordered world in which to live. We are in an urgent time when the foolish and the simpletons seem to be winning the race. This trail will only lead 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. Valley Sentinel is all-volunteer, independently owned and operated by its editors and is a majority woman-owned business. Community fueled and community focused. We only succeed if the community succeeds. For more about Valley Sentinel and our model, visit us at valleysentinelnews.com/about

us to misery and death. Wisdom teaches we are all connected with one another in a moral coherence. May we all strive harder through education coupled with wisdom to be more mindful of the people and other creatures around us, where we create a place for love and understanding where we study the world, dialogue with the world, and learn from the world. Wisdom has the ability to take information and transform it into something beautiful. When wisdom is used properly it can guide our thinking, our attitude, our mindset. Wisdom leads to understanding. And understanding leads to acceptance, tolerance, and love. Dennis Siebert Sylvan Township, Wisconsin

If you are able and enjoyed this week’s edition, please consider donating $1 today.

Scan to support local journalism!

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. Ad team: ads@valleysentinelnews.com

PO Box 144 Spring Green, Wisconsin 53588 USA (608) 588-6694 editor@valleysentinelnews.com valleysentinelnews.com

CONTRIBUTORS IN THIS EDITION EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief Graphic Designer Nicole Aimone Julianna Williams Managing Editor Commentary/Opinion Column Commentary/Opinion Column Taylor Scott Commentary/Opinion Column Barb Garvoille Katie Green Legal Editor Beverly Pestel Gary Ernest Grass, esq. Have graphic design experience or interested in meetings, events or writing and becoming a community contributor? Let us know. 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

Column Policy

Community Discussion Policy

Valley Sentinel is an independent, editor-owned, all-volunteer, free bi-weekly news publication, available on newsstands in the area.

Subscribe Want the paper delivered to your home or business? Subscribe online at valleysentinelnews.com/subscribe or subscribe annually with your name, phone number, address and $30 sent to: Valley Sentinel, PO Box 144, Spring Green, WI 53588

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

Editors may feature opinion columns written by public figures, Letters submitted for consideration are subject to fact-checking and members of the public or other publication staff. Columns reflect editing for space and clarity. Submissions must have a compelling local the opinions of the individual contributors and do not represent community interest. Letters to the editor must fit within a 500-word positions of the publication. Guest columns of an anticipated 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, length more than 500 words should seek prior editor authorizawithout chance of rebuttal, will not be published the week before an tion. . election. Full and up-to-date policies available at: www.valleysentinelnews.com

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

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.

Member, Wisconsin Newspaper Association

Commentary/OpInIon

Thursday, November 3, 2022

Page 4

Chris Hardie's 'Back Home' column

Ladies and gentlemen…the beetles Chris Hardie, Columnist It’s as certain as the trees changing colors and the inevitable decline towards winter – the annual invasion of the Asian lady beetles. A warm day after the ﬁrst hard frost is usually when the Harmonia axyridis invade. They are also called the harlequin, but don’t mistake these bugs for romantic

Chris Hardie fiction. Hordes of the stinky bugs fly in from the soybean fields and infiltrate every crack, cranny and crevice they can find. The bugs release pheromones that alert others that they’ve just found a great place for the winter, which is what attracts others. It’s the same reaction that some humans have for moving to Florida or Arizona. The insects were first released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in California in 1916 and then again in 1964-65 for biological control of pecan aphids. The bugs are beneficial in that they feed on aphids and other insects that can damage agricultural crops. So more were released in other states and the lady beetles invaded Wisconsin and Minnesota in the 1990s and have been a plague ever since. The bugs have few natural predators because they are aposematic, having

Photo by Chris Hardie Beetles come into contact with spray and then die in the window sill. a red body color that alerts animals to stay away. Our chickens wouldn’t touch them. And when they are disturbed or feel threatened, they secrete a yellowish, stinky fluid that deters predators and makes your vacuum cleaner – one of the best weapons to extract them from inside the house – smell. We use chemical spray around the windows and doors, but there are always a few that find their way into the house. This year the bugs upped their nuisance game by setting off our smoke detectors three times. We have 12 smoke detectors that are all hard-wired, so when one detector screams, they all do, which is quite enjoyable when you are awakened from a sound sleep. I took some advice from a friend who used to work for a pest control business

and wiped down the detectors with some spray to hopefully prevent them from crawling around on them. So far that has worked. And even though the bugs stink and bite, I’d rather put up with them than the other plague of nauseating, negative political ads that unfortunately won’t end until the Nov. 8 election. According to a September estimate from OpenSecrets.org, spending in just the federal midterm elections – not including state or local – is expected to exceed $9.3 billion. I’m not an economist, but it seems like that kind of spending from folks who say they are going to take care of our inﬂation concerns is enough by itself to keep inﬂation cooking along. It’s especially disgusting when most of the ads are full of

the same ingredient that I’ve often forked from the barn. As far as the lady beetles, they’ve come in several waves this year, following the same roller coaster ride as the weather, which recently went from 15 degrees to 75 degrees in just a few days. But I expect the worst is behind us now, as the nearby soybean ﬁelds have been combined. It’s just one of the seasonal challenges of living in rural Wisconsin. Chris Hardie spent more than 30 years as a reporter, editor and publisher. He was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and won dozens of state and national journalism awards. He is a former president of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. Contact him at chardie1963@gmail.com.

Your Right to Know: Don’t pay too much for that photocopy! Tom Kamenick, Wisconsin FOIC How much does it cost to copy one piece of paper? If you ask records custodians in Wisconsin, many will tell you 25 cents. At least that’s what they charge. Is that number accurate? Commercial printers charge half that for small jobs, and bulk printing jobs can get as low as two cents per page. One would assume that they are making a proﬁt, even at this low rate. So why do some public oﬃcials charge so much? Most custodians haven’t actually calculated their per-page costs. Instead, they use 25 cents because they look around and see other government agencies charging that much. That price likely goes back to the Attorney General’s Compliance Guide, which until 2018 said that “anything in excess of $0.25 cents may be suspect.” Custodians saw that as permission to charge up to 25 cents, so many did. But state law says custodians can only charge the “actual, necessary and direct cost of reproduction.”

Tom Kamenick What does that mean? It means they can’t make a proﬁt. It means they should be looking at what they actually pay for supplies, using receipts. It means the costs they charge must bear a direct relationship with those they incur. As an attorney who specializes in open government legislation, I deal with

this issue all the time. Last month, in a case I litigated against the town of Worcester, in Price County, a judge ruled that the town had committed several violations, including charging too much for copies. The town was charging 50 cents per page. The judge determined that the town arrived at this ﬁgure by including costs like maintenance, insurance and other computer equipment that were not “necessarily direct and actual.” Using evidence of the town’s actual expenses for paper and toner, we showed that its cost per page was about 1.8 cents. That low number might surprise you, but it’s in the ballpark of what the Wisconsin Department of Justice in 2018 calculated its per-page cost to be: 1.3 cents. The agency released guidance stating that “copying fees should be based on the actual costs of the copy machine or contract, and the actual cost of paper.” Sometimes, I hear custodians say that 25 cents includes the cost of labor.

But no court has ever ruled labor can be included in a copying charge. And commercial printers – including labor, supplies, overhead, and a proﬁt – charge half that. If it really costs governments 25 cents to print every piece of paper, they should contract those services out and save taxpayers huge amounts of money. So if you request paper records (remember, you are entitled to electronic copies of electronic records if you ask), and a government custodian tries to charge you 25 cents per page, push back. Show them the attorney general guidance and ask to see their actual receipts for paper and ink or toner. Your Right to Know is a monthly column distributed by the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council (wisfoic.org), a group dedicated to open government. Council member Tom Kamenick is the president and founder of the Wisconsin Transparency Project.

Our Fragile Democracy — Part 8: The Bill of Rights - The Origin continued from page 2

The argument that a bill of rights in the federal government was unnecessary was based largely on the premise that this new federal government would be one of enumerated – and limited – powers only. Individual rights would be protected by the (sovereign) states. It was also presumed that the federal government would be prevented from abuses because of the

structures that had been put in place. The three branches of government and the checks and balances imposed between them presumably assured a separation of powers that would prevent abuses initiated at any one branch. The determining factor, however, for those previously opposed to accepting the Bill of Rights appears to be the fact that the amendments were written so it was obvious that they applied to action by the

federal government only, not to actions by the states. States’ rights were at the core of the argument against a federal bill of rights, just as it had been in determining the structure of the Senate. The freedom of states from having to worry about a federal bill of rights was conﬁrmed in 1833 in a Supreme Court decision when Chief Justice John Marshall ruled that the Fifth Amendment was intended “solely as a limitation on the exercise of power by

the government of the United States, and is not applicable to the legislation of the states.” As it turned out, that was not so obvious to others, but that comes later… Beverly is a retired professor. She lives in a remodeled farmhouse and tends 40 acres of woodland in Richland County. When not in the woods she spends her time reading, writing and enjoying the beauty of the Driftless Area.

Commentary/AGrIcuLture

Thursday, November 3, 2022 Page 5

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

bottles, nipples, and emergency tube feeder; 11) another tractor radio; 12) a closed “sock box” for dispensing elongated milk ﬁlter socks and 13) clipboards holding sealed documents:

An Introduction to the Milk House

If the milking operation on the farm was a body, the milk house would be the heart of that body. Within its glass board covered walls were: 1) a stainless steel bulk cooler into which fresh milk flowed and was immediately chilled; 2) stainless steel double wash sinks for larger cleaning tasks as well as a stainless steel bar sink for handwashing; 3) a hot water heater and a hanging milk house heater to keep the milk house temperature above freezing during cold weather; 4) a vacuum tank and a milker pump with motor and v-belts, meters for measuring things like vacuum and freon levels, thermostats; 4) all manner of cleaning supplies: CIP (Clean In Place) acids and detergents, chlorine, bar soap as well as liquid soap, long-handled brushes, hand scrubbers, milker hose brushes, air hose brushes, a coiled garden hose with pistol grip sprayer; 5) assorted milking/herd health supplies: teat dip, iodine, glycerin, liniment, teat dilators, spray bottles, dipping bottles, paper towels, pipeline filters, CMT (California Mastitis Test) paddle; 6) spare parts for milking machines including: inflations, pulsators, domes, springs, o-rings, lengths of clear milker hose; 7) small tools (a vice grip was always handy) for quick repairs, 8) the stainless steel milking cart from which hung the milking machines 9) plastic pails of various sizes, fresh cow milkers, quarter milkers, multi-colored leg bands to mark dry cows, fresh cows or treated cows; 10) supplies for calf feeding:

Photo contributed by Barb Garvoille Inspection report from the state.

Barb Garvoille the farm's license to produce milk, the manufacturer's chart that equated the bulk tank's calibrated stick reading with pounds of milk, the milkman's chart for recording pounds of milk per pickup date as well as the latest Federal or State milk inspection report. Because the milk house held a product for human consumption, all lights had to be Teﬂon-coated. Storing everything that needed to be in the milk house was a challenge because space was at a premium. To comply and try to exceed the Grade A requirements of both the state and federal milk inspectors, every item in the milk house had to be kept extraordinarily clean, be in compliance with the law, and exemplify a high degree of organization. Posted in the milk house was a chemical accident chart that described both emergency and ﬁrst-aid procedures. Mr. Farmer and I knew that mixing cleaners and sanitizers could cause serious injury, and we respected the science. One example: If liquid chlorine comes in contact with detergent, deadly chlorine gas forms. Because of the high humidity in the milk house, anything not stainless steel

Photo contributed by Barb Garvoille State license posted in milk house. was apt to rust. It was never a good idea to keep something like a hammer in the milk house for very long. In the summertime, the milk house was like a sauna; in the wintertime, cold air coming from underneath the milk house door would freeze any moisture nearby and make footing treacherous.

Morning Chores — The Milk House before Milking

Each milking required a readied milking cart. Two five gallon pails fit into the base of the cart; one would be filled with hot soapy water and one would be filled with rinse water. The six milking units would be pulled from their cleaning ports and hung from the cart on their pegs as would teat cups filled with teat dip and sprayer bottles

ﬁlled with sanitizer. Paper towels would be added to ﬁll the cart's towel box. A quick check would be done to ascertain that all plugs, the pipeline arm,valves, clamps, and gauges had been moved into the proper position for milking. The milking switch would be thrown, and the milk cart was ready to be pulled into the prepared barn… Barb has called Lost Horizon Farm, just north of Spring Green, her home for the past 42 years. She is fond of all creatures (including snakes). Her joy stems from being able to be outdoors every day observing and treasuring the plant and animal life on her small piece of this planet. She loved milking cows and is proud to have been a dairy farmer.

Photo contributed by Barb Garvoille Card from cheese factory recording pickup date, stick reading, pounds of milk produced, temp.

Page 6

Community

Thursday, November 3, 2022

COmmunitycalendar Events for November 4 - November 17 Saturday, November 5 Spring Green Farmers Market 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM . S230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green . Spring Green Farmers Market Is a year-round outdoor market offering seasonal produce, local meats, baked goods and many other wonderful items. Held outside the Spring Green Community Public Library every Saturday morning. Pick up pre-orders or shop available produce and products. A list of participating vendors and their contact information is posted on FB and Instagram or you can be added to our mailing list if you notify us at SGFarmersMarket@gmail.com. Sandhill Crane Migration 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM . Near Spring Green . driftlessconservancy.org . Every year, thousands of sandhill cranes gather on the Lower Wisconsin River as they prepare to migrate south for the winter. Join us to get a prime view of this incredible natural spectacle from a bluff above the river, and learn about the history and conservation of sandhill cranes from local expert Jeb Barzen, who directed the Field Ecology Department at the International Crane Foundation for nearly 30 years. Registration required. Culinary Workshop: Char-cu-te-rie! 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM . Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center, 5607 County Road C Spring Green . taliesinpreservation.org . $150 per person | Age 21+ . Learn how to create a beautiful charcuterie board. We’ll introduce you to local sausage and cheese producers to build a charcuterie board highlighting complementary flavor profiles. You’ll also learn to make Taralli, Italian wine crackers, and enjoy wines hand-selected to pair perfectly with your creations! LIVE MUSIC: Little Earthquakes 7:30 PM - 10:30 PM . Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jefferson St., Spring Green . slowpokelounge.com . Tickets $15 in advance, $20 at the door . Little Earthquakes is a 5-piece original musical project from Madison, Wisconsin. The band is a reunion of sorts. The musicians Mark Marsh (drums), Brett Farrey (bass), Mark Siegenthaler (keys), and Shanan Galligan (guitar) played together in the promising hip hop band, Smokin’ with Superman, but had been pulled into other projects over the years. Little Earthquakes was a blank slate, and started with no other goal than to make beautiful noise.

Sunday, November 6 Fireman’s Pancake Breakfast 8:00 AM - 11:30 AM . 1045 Cedar Street, Plain . For more info search Fireman’s Pancake Breakfast on Facebook . Come join us for Breakfast and bring the whole family! We are serving pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, applesauce, milk choice, and OJ. You can also check out some equipment we have purchased with proceeds from past fundraisers to help better serve our community. On a side note, we are looking for anyone that is interested in joining our great team. We will have a table in the station where you can ﬁnd out more info.

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

Tuesday, November 8 Family Storytime 10:15 AM - 11:00 AM . Plain Kraemer Library and Community Center, 910 Main St, Plain . kraemerlibrary.org . Fun stories, songs, and themed activities each week for children and their caregivers. Stories and songs 20-30 minutes followed by craft/activity. Children under 6 must be accompanied. Community Potluck 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM . Spring Green Community Center, 117 S Washington St, Spring Green . springgreen.com . Bring a dish to pass! All are welcome! Ending time is an estimate only and varies.

Wednesday, November 9 Fall Storytime 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM . 234 N. Broadway St, Lone Rock. . For more info look up Lone Rock Community Library on Facebook . Join us at the Lone Rock library for fall story time and crafts! Storytime at the Library 10:30 AM . Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St. Spring Green . springgreenlibrary.org . (608) 588-2276 . Register in advance . Join Ms. Grace for storytime at the library. We'll have stories, songs, and fun! We ask that people sign up in advance online, as storytime will not be hosted if less than 3 families sign up. Families are still welcome to attend if they have not signed up, but be sure to check the website or Facebook page to ensure we have not cancelled for that day.

Thursday, November 10 Stitch and Bitch 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM . Spring Green General Store, 137 S. Albany St. Spring Green . springgreengeneralstore.com . The Spring Green General Store’s Stitch and Bitch handwork group meets Thursday afternoons weekly. All are welcome. Knit Night at Nina’s 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM . Nina’s Department Store, 143 E. Jefferson St. Spring Green . ninasdepartmentstore.com . Every Thursday from 6 to 8 pm. All knitters and crocheters are welcome. Store closed after 5:30 pm. Pajama Storytime at the Library 6:30 PM - 7:00 PM . Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St. Spring Green . springgreenlibrary.org . (608) 588-2276 . Register in advance . Join Ms. Grace for an evening storytime at the Library! Pajamas, slippers and stuffed animals are highly encouraged! LIVE MUSIC: Rod Hamdallah 7:30 PM - 10:00P M . Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jefferson St., Spring Green . slowpokelounge.com . Tickets $15 in advance, $20 at the door . The elements in Rod’s original musical are rooted in blues, garage and early soul. Dark storytelling and American roots music play a big part in his songwriting as well. He creates a sound that can be likened to such artists as Flat Duo Jets, Captain Beefheart and the Black Keys.

Saturday, November 12 Spring Green Farmers Market 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM . S230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green . Spring Green Farmers Market Is a year-round outdoor market offering seasonal produce, local meats, baked goods and many other wonderful items. Held outside the Spring Green Community Public Library every Saturday morning. Pick up pre-orders or shop available produce and products. A list of participating vendors and their contact information is posted on FB and Instagram or you can be added to our mailing list if you notify us at SGFarmersMarket@gmail.com. LIVE MUSIC: Bluegrass Jam 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM . Spring Green General Store, 137 S. Albany St., Spring Green . 608-5880-707, karin@springgreengeneralstore.com, SpringGreenGeneralStore.com . Free event. All ages welcome! Bluegrass Jams will be held on the second Saturday of each month. While the weather permits they'll be held on our back deck. Bring your instrument and play along or come to listen; all are welcome. LIVE MUSIC: Zach Pietrini Band 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM . Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jefferson St., Spring Green . slowpokelounge.com . Tickets $15 in advance, $20 at the door . At the forefront of the Americana resurgence in the north country, Pietrini quickly distinguished himself with his fearless vulnerability, prolific writing, and dynamic live show. “Pietrini’s skill is crafting the kind of Americana that gets right into you with a

Sunday, November 13 BOOK SIGNING: Maggie Ginsberg, author of "Still True" 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM . Arcadia Books, 102 E Jefferson St, Spring Green . readinutopia.com . Stop in to meet Maggie Ginsberg, author of Still True. Maggie is an editor at Madison Magazine and a freelance writer for city, regional, and national magazines. Still True is her debut novel.that gets right into you with a beguiling friendliness”. WORKSHOP: Fruit Galette 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM . Enos Farms, E4782 Kennedy Road, Spring Green . savortherivervalley.org . The cost is $55 . Register online . Join Erin Crooks Lynch from Enos Farms to learn how to make a simple rustic galette, a pastry that can be adapted for whatever fruit is available, making it the perfect recipe for all seasons. After the time in the kitchen, we’ll gather for an afternoon tea with galettes to eat. You’ll take home recipes, your creation to bake at home, and enough dough to make a second galette. LIVE MUSIC: Kari Arnett, Dank Walker, & Tim Eddy at Slowpoke Songwriters Round 6:00 PM- 8:00 PM . Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jefferson St., Spring Green . slowpokelounge.com . Featuring Dylan Harris, Ann Christoffer, and Scott Guthrie. Support local artists by joining us for a night of original music with several songwriters, all on the stage together, sharing their music round robin style. No cover, but tips for artists are always welcome.

Tuesday, November 15 Family Storytime 10:15 AM - 11:00 AM . Plain Kraemer Library and Community Center, 910 Main St, Plain . kraemerlibrary.org . Fun stories, songs, and themed activities each week for children and their caregivers. Stories and songs 20-30 minutes followed by craft/activity. Children under 6 must be accompanied. Grandpa and Lucy: A Story About Love and Dementia 7:00 PM . Lone Rock Community Building, 214 Broadway St., Lone Rock . For more information look up Grandpa and Lucy Tour . Inspired by a children’s book written by a high school student, CLIMB Theatre's stage adaption of Grandpa and Lucy, Grandpa and Lucy: A Story about Love & Dementia, connects an intergenerational audience from kids to elders.

Wednesday, November 16 Fall Storytime 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM . 234 N. Broadway St, Lone Rock. . For more info look up Lone Rock Community Library on Facebook . Join us at the Lone Rock library for fall story time and crafts! Arcadia Book Club discusses "Lucy By the Sea" by Elizabeth Strout 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM . Virtual event register online . readinutopia.com . Elizabeth Strout is an Arcadia bookseller favorite. We admire her incredible ability to create characters who are just everyday people that we come to love, ﬂaws and all. Rich with empathy and emotion, Lucy by the Sea vividly captures the fear and struggles that come with isolation, as well as the hope, peace, and possibilities that those long, quiet days can inspire.

Thursday, November 17 Stitch and Bitch 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM . Spring Green General Store, 137 S. Albany St. Spring Green . springgreengeneralstore.com . The Spring Green General Store’s Stitch and Bitch handwork group meets Thursday afternoons weekly. All are welcome. Knit Night at Nina’s 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM . Nina’s Department Store, 143 E. Jeﬀerson St. Spring Green . ninasdepartmentstore.com . Every Thursday from 6 to 8 pm. All knitters and crocheters are welcome. Store closed after 5:30 pm. Teen DIY and Crafting 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM . Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green . springgreenlibrary.org . Learn to do a new craft, or just bring your own and hang out! This program is designed for middle and high school aged teens. We will meet in the Community Room unless otherwise posted!

WHAT’S HANGINg ? ongoing art exhibitions

Local Art at the Library: Don Lind and Peggy Timmerman Hours Vary . Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green . Paintings and woodworkings.

Community

Thursday, November 3, 2022 Page 7

CIVICS & SERVICES

2022 General elections are Nov. 8

CALENDAR

For everyone asking “where have all the Bridge and Cribbage clubs gone? (those go in our general community calendar, but nice try), “why won’t any young adults attend village board meetings?” and “how do I get more people at my service organization meetings?” — this is the calendar for you! This calendar will be a place listing (for free) the typical meeting dates for area governmental bodies,

”

Voting absentee? Where do I vote? What's on my ballot? Where can I register to vote? Remember, you can register to vote the day of the election. Go to myvote.wi.gov or contact your local clerk for answers to your questions.

Please email us with these meetings, or use the form on our Community Calendar page — and let's build community together: editor@valleysentinelnews.com ELECTIONS OVERVIEW

November 5: DONATION: Friends of the Spring Green Library Book Collection 10:00 AM 12:00 PM . Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green . The Friends of the Spring Green Community Library will accept donations of gently used books for resale. Donations of no more than four boxes are preferred. Proceeds from book sales help support library programs and other amenities. Damaged books, encyclopedias, textbooks, and instruction manuals are not accepted, and the Friends reserve the right to limit the quantity of items accepted and/or refuse donations that do not meet library needs. November 7: 4H: Clyde Go-Getters 6:30 PM . Clyde Community Center, 6281 WI-130, Spring Green . Ages 5-18. Typically meet the 1st Monday of each month. Email: clydegogetters4hclub@gmail.com November 8: ELECTION DAY 7:00 AM - 8:00 PM . Everywhere . Find your polling location at myvote.wi.gov.

ELECTION DAY AT THE POLLS

With 1,850 municipalities, over 3,600 polling places, and thousands of election officials involved, there are a lot of moving parts with our elections. Elections 101 will help voters understand how all the pieces fit together.

Learn more at: elections.wi.gov/101 Special thanks to: Badger Boys State • Edgewood High School Milwaukee Bradley Tech High School

PRESENTED WITH THE HELP OF THESE PARTNERS:

YOU DESERVE TO KNOW WHERE YOUR candidates STAND

November 11: VOLUNTEER: Ridgeway Pine Relict Workday 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM . Ridgevue Road, Ridgeway . Ridgeway Pine Relict State Natural Area is known for its large, quality wetlands and spring complexes. With prescribed burning and brush control, DNR crews and volunteers have increased eﬀorts to improve this site. Questions or to RSVP to attend this workday, contact Mary Kay Baum at marykbaum@gmail.com or 608-935-5834. November 15: MEETING: Rolling Hills/Viroqua Toastmasters Bimonthly Meeting 7:00 PM 9:00 PM . Kelly’s Coﬀee House, 196 West Court Street, Richland Center . Please join our members representing communities within 60 miles of Richland Center — including Viroqua, Plain, Spring Green, Boscobel, Gays Mills and towns in between — in an exciting, fast-paced two-hour meeting where we delve into the art of communication and leadership. Typically meets bimonthly at 7-9 p.m on the second and fourth Tuesdays.

ELECTION SECURITY & INTEGRITY

How voting works in WISCONSIN

November 9: MEETING: Plain Village Board Meeting 7:00 PM . Village Oﬃce, 510 Main Street, Plain November 10: MEETING: River Valley School Board 7:00 PM . River Valley Middle School, Library, 660 Daley St, Spring Green . rvschools.org

THE BASICS OF VOTING

THE ISSUES ARE ON HER SIDE.

According to the Marquette University Law School Poll, these are some of the most important issues to Wisconsin voters

MEETING: Arena Village Board Meeting/Budget Hearing 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM . Village Hall, 345 West Street, Arena . villageofarena.net . Arena typically holds board meetings the first Tuesday of the month. MEETING: Honey Creek Snowmobile Club 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM . Plain . Stay up to date with what's happening with snowmobiling in our area. You must have a current membership to order the discounted trail passes through the AWSC office. Make a difference by joining a local snowmobile club! Look up club on Facebook for more information/location. November 15: MEETING: Village of Spring Green Board Meeting/Budget Hearing 7:00 PM . Virtual event . vi.springgreen.wi.gov

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

Want to be the ﬁrst to read Valley Sentinel? We’re looking for help distributing the paper! We can’t thank those who have recently stepped up to oﬀer to help enough, thank you! Paper Distribution Routes Arena Subscribers: COVERED Arena Businesses: COVERED Lone Rock Subscribers: COVERED Lone Rock Businesses: COVERED Plain Subscribers: AVAILABLE Plain Businesses: AVAILABLE Spring Green Subscribers: AVAILABLE

Spring Green Businesses: AVAILABLE Clyde Community: AVAILABLE Rural Routes: AVAILABLE Want to enjoy scenic 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 more, we’d be happy to have you! Interested? Email: editor@valleysentinelnews.com or call 608-588-6694

Leah Spicer

FAIR MAPS

For nonpartisan redistricting, not gerrymandering

Todd Novak Voted for maps that excluded parts of the traditional 51st

VOTING RIGHTS Wants to protect security and access to the polls

Voted to restrict access and who can be a poll worker

GUN CONTROL Wants reasonable concealed carry laws

Voted to allow loaded firearms near schools

CLEAN WATER For protecting our drinking water from PFAS and nitrates

Wants taxpayers, not polluters to pay for cleanup

PUTTING PEOPLE BEFORE POLITICS Paid for by Spicer for 51st

7080 Leaches Crossing Road, Avoca, WI 53506

“The good stuﬀ.”

Page 8

Community

Thursday, November 3, 2022

COVID-19 Dashboard Wisconsin Summary Cases as of 11/2/2022 16%

Preliminary data

1,671,350 Positive Cases

positive tests negative tests 7 day average percent positive by test

14%

20,000

+12,026 from 10/19 15,000

13,665 Deaths

10% 9.5% 8%

10,000

+73 from 10/19

5,000

Percent positive by test

12%

2% 5/07

Updated: 11/2/2022

5/22

6/06

6/21

7/06

7/21

8/05

8/20

9/04

10/19

11/03

Updated: 11/2/2022

Updated: 11/2/2022 This map shows the current CDC COVID-19 Community Level for each county in Wisconsin. Community levels measure the impact of COVID-19 illness on health and health care systems in communities. COVID-19 community levels can help communities and individuals make decisions based on their local context and their unique needs. Community vaccination coverage and other local information can also inform decision-making for health officials and individuals.

5,984,695

10,042,118

Pfizer doses administered

Total doses administered

3,738,369

Moderna doses administered

2,108,418

2,685,251

Total boosters administered

First Booster Administered

319,054

Johnson & Johnson doses administered

576,833

Second Booster Administered

Vaccine Data 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 +38 from 10/19

Richland

+0 from 10/19

53 Deaths

10/04

Vaccine Summary Statistics

covid case activity level

4,733 Positive Cases

9/19

Date of test result

Target Range

Sauk

60.2%

66%

Percent with at least one vaccine dose

Iowa County 6,502 Positive Cases

+48 from 10/19

31 Deaths

+0 from 10/19

Percent with at least one vaccine dose

62.8%

57.7%

Percent fully vaccinated

Sauk County +177 from 10/19

150 Deaths

+3 from 10/19

Updated: 11/2/2022

Target Range

Iowa

19,797 Positive Cases

Target Range

71% Percent with at least one vaccine dose

67.7% Percent fully vaccinated

Cases per zip code

Percent of Wisconsin residents ages 5-11 who have received at least one dose by county

Cases as of 11/2/2022

Updated: 11/2/2022

Lower %

Higher %

11/2/2022

361 10/19/2022

Ages 5-11

9/212022

22.2%

Sauk County

352

Ages

28.9% Dane County Ages 5-11

Graphic by juliAnna Williams

443

676

500

971 965

672

438

995

750

1000

Percent of Wisconsin residents who have received at least one dose

35.8% Ages 5-11

690

250

Iowa County Ages 5-11

355

1012

698

450

360

10/5/2022

Richland County

453

68.8%

5-11 12-17 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+

Updated: 11/2/2022 32.3%

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

62.9% 61.6% 65.3% 69.9% 72.1% 78.3% 84.4%

Commentary/OpInIon

Thursday, November 3, 2022 Page 9

American Players Theatre announces 2023 season, includes new take on Romeo + Juliet continued from page 1 Directed by John Langs In this gorgeous new production originated at ACT Theatre in Seattle, American Sign Language is seamlessly united with Shakespeare’s sweeping poetry. The story is one you likely know - the feuding Montague and Capulet clans come crashing together when the star-crossed Romeo and Juliet fall utterly in love, even though, in this case, they speak diﬀerent languages. As characters speak their truths with their whole hearts, a chorus of actors speaks along with

the signing in this lush, full-hearted imagining of one of the greatest tragedies ever written Our Town By Thornton Wilder Directed by Tim Ocel Wilder’s Pulitzer-Prize winning classic returns to the Hill Theatre for the ﬁrst time since 1992. That little town of Grover’s Corners contains multitudes. Centered around George and Emily, a young couple in love, the story of their lives together evolves as the acts carry on, intertwined with the

CLASSIFIEDS Healthcare Employment Opportunities

*Director of Acute Care Services – full time nursing management position overseeing our Med/Surg and ICU units. *Director of Obstetrics – full time nursing management position *Director of Primary Care Clinics – full-time clinics management position *Materials Management Supervisor – full-time supervisory position *CRNA – work 3 weeks on and one week off with above market rates! *RN Float Nurse –.6 FTE Premium Pay Weekender & .75 FTE evening/night shift position! Employment Bonus Eligible! *Med/Surg RN - .75 FTE evening/night shift with a weekend/holiday rotation. *RN Emergency Department – .6 to a .9 FTE p.m./night shift position open with 12-hour shifts. Evening/ Night shift Weekender position with premium pay rate! Employment Bonus Eligible! *RN OB unit - .75 FTE evening/night shift position. $3,750 Employment Bonus Eligible! *RN - .5 FTE p.m. shift position in our Nursing & Rehab Center *Certified Nursing Assistants – part-time positions available in our Nursing & Rehab Center on day, evening and night shifts, $3,000 Employment Bonus included! *Hospice Chaplain – per diem position working 5 to 10 hours per month. *Physical Therapy Assistant - .8 FTE in our Home Health Services Department. *Clinic Lab and/or X-ray position – Limited Term position, either background is preferred. *MRI Imaging Technologist - .5 to a 1.0 FTE day shift position. Up to a $5,000 Employment Bonus, prorated based on FTE! *Imaging Technologist – full-time night shift position. Up to a $5,000 Employment Bonus, prorated based on FTE! *Operating Room Technician - .8 FTE day shift position. $3,000 Employment Bonus eligible! *Sterile Processing Technician - .6 FTE day shift position. *Patient Access Specialist – .6 FTE p.m. shift position. *Clinic CMA or LPN – .8 FTE day shift positions in our Dodgeville Specialty Clinics & our Barneveld/Mt. Horeb Family Practice Clinic. *Grant Writing Specialist - .5 FTE day shift position. *Maintenance Technician – full-time day shift position *Environmental Services Staff –full and part-time p.m. shift positions. $1,000 Employment Bonus! To find out more detailed information about all open positions and to apply, go to our website at www.uplandhillshealth.org. Upland Hills Health 800 Compassion Way Dodgeville, WI 53533

Tutoring Available Recently retired elementary teacher available for tutoring. Call Dawn (608) 225-4751 to personalize how to best support your child.

Seeking office space

Valley Sentinel is seeking oﬃce space to rent or purchase in the downtown area of Spring Green before the end of the year. Flexible ideas for the space include a newsroom, co-working space for small businesses and entrepreneurs, local retail/consignment, local art exhibition/gallery space and (eventually) working collaboratively with area businesses to provide extended hours coﬀee and potentially grab-and-go food. Please let us know if you have any vacant or soon-to-be vacant commercial space, know of any space, or have any creative ideas or partnership opportunities, by phone at 608-588-6694 or by email at editor@valleysentinelnews.com. We also currently have indoor publication racks available for businesses that would like them.

story of the town itself, the narrative stewarded by an all-knowing stage manager. A timeless tale that gently reminds us about the importance of appreciating the life we have, and the people with whom we share it. Anton’s Shorts Brief Plays & Vaudevilles by the Young Anton Chekhov Freely adapted for the stage by Aaron Posner Directed by Jake Penner Sometimes, Russian comedy isn’t so much comedy in the traditional sense (just ask anyone who’s seen The Seagull). That said, Anton Chekhov had a phase in his youth where everything seemed very funny indeed – even when the topics are serious ones: the complexities of love and life; of marriage and moving on. Adapted by award-winning playwright and regular stage director at APT, Aaron Posner, who weaves the pieces together with an original work of fiction featuring Chekhov himself. In the Touchstone Theatre Once Upon a Bridge By Sonya Kelly Directed by Laura Rook Based on a true story, three lives intersect for an instant, and are changed forever. A young woman starting out in a new city is bumped – or is she pushed? – or did she fall? – into the path of an oncoming bus, her life spared by bare inches. One man hustles off, while another risks his job to stay. Structured as a series of flowing monologues, these strangers tell a tale of the distance between our hopes and realities; our perceived futures and unchangeable past; between ourselves and the people around us. A poetic and hopeful meditation about choices, consequences and picking up the pieces when they fall. The Royale By Marco Ramirez Directed by Tyrone Phillips In the early 1900s, Jay Jackson, known in boxing circles as “The Sport,” is primed to become the first Black heavyweight champion of the world. It’s an opportunity to open doors for himself, and all the potential prize-fighters who come after him - most immediately, his young could-be protégé, Fish. But what is the price of bringing those barriers down? And who is reaping the rewards of his sacrifice? What do his accomplishments mean to those who come after, and what do they mean to the safety of his family in an intolerant time? A graceful, theatrical play about boxing, without a single punch thrown. Wolf at the Door

By Marisela Treviño Orta Directed by Melisa Pereyra Wolf at the Door leans into the darkness that can live inside marriage vows, and the extreme lengths that people must sometimes go to break free from them. A mysterious woman arrives at the steps of Isadora and Septimo’s abusive and unhappy home. A pregnant woman, who Septimo sees as the answer to his quest for an heir – whether she’s interested or not. A second play in Orta’s ongoing cycle of Latine fairy tales, along with The River Bride, which APT staged last season. Contains adult themes and language. Opening in October Proof By David Auburn Directed by Brenda DeVita Catherine has lived alone with her father, who had once been a worldrenowned mathematician, in order to care for him during a period of mental decline. But the nature of their conversations is starting to cause her to fear that she may share more with her father than a love of numbers. Complicating this is one of her father’s former students, Hal, combing through his journals for something of value, while anxiously wondering if his own best days are behind him at 28. And Catherine’s sister, Claire, who only wants the best for Catherine, though her motives may not be entirely unselfish. A poignant and surprisingly funny look at what we’re willing to sacrifice for those we love – and what we’re not. Contains adult themes and language. Now Playing Stones in His Pockets By Marie Jones Directed by Tim Ocel October 27 – November 20 in the Touchstone Theatre Very Limited Ticket Availability – Contact the Box Office for information at 608-588-2361 This one strikes a chord equidistant between heartstring and funny bone. Rural Ireland gets a shot of Hollywood glam, and a village is sent spinning. They’re a charming lot, these townsfolk – funny and flawed and brimming with hope. Not for nothing, all 15 characters are played by two brilliant actors who know how to find the humanity in each and every one. And within that extraordinary feat is a charming parable about how our pursuit of the latest shiny object can wall us off from the people we care about, and how a tragedy can help us rediscover life. About just who we can be when we let ourselves dream, whether we’re principal or bit player. A sweet, post-summer nightcap. Featuring Nate Burger & Marcus Truschinski playing every role. Contains adult themes and language.

Nectar Bakery (136 Albany Street, Spring Green) announced they are now serving hot coffee starting at 8 am Friday–Monday. For now, they're making drip coffee with deep roast blends, with cream and house-made syrups available. Espresso to be offered shortly. Crossroads Spa and Salon (1025 Main Street, Plain) will be having their ribbon cutting Nov. 4 at noon. They will hold an open house Nov. 5 from 9:00 a.m. - noon. Expect treats, raffle prizes, gift certificates, samples and mini services. Simply Rooted (334 Daley Street, Spring Green) will be holding a holiday open house Nov. 13 10:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m. Enter to win hourly drawings with a purchase of $25 or more! $0.50 off all ice cream and coffee. Cocoa and holiday treats will be served Have major updates to your business? Moving? Opening? Re-opening? Offering something you don’t normally offer during your regular course of business or having a pop-up? Please submit your updates for consideration as we try to flesh out what this will look like and how to best drive engagement for our business community: editor@valleysentinelnews.com Remember, marketing is an important part of any event and business budget. These updates don’t replace advertising, but we’re happy to offer them as a business community service.

Community

Page 10 Thursday, October 20, 2022

River Valley High School Fall Sports & Activities

Trap Team

The River Valley Trap Team are fall conference champions. Included in the Top 100 Shooters in the State are: Chase Bindl 10th; Andrew Maxwell and Eli Muckler 32nd; Hunter Auliff 43rd; Hannah Hegland 56th; Garret Palmer 68th; Alexa Eveland 73rd; Colin Stokes 84th; and Luke Alt 99th. Making the top 25 males in Conference are: Chase Bindl 4th; Eli Muckler and Andrew Maxwell 13th; Hunter Auliff 17th; Garret Palmer 22nd and Colin Stokes 24th. Making the top 25 females in Conference are: Hannah Hegland 2nd; Alexa Eveland 5th; Taya Hatfield 9th; Emma Anding 16th; Ella Hillebrand 18th; Katherine Billhorn 21st; and Ayla Schwarz 23rd. The Trap Team includes: Austin Accola, Hunter Alt, Luke Alt, Emma Anding, Hunter Auliff, John Billhorn, Katherine Billhorn, Chase Bindl, Brady Bloedow, Morgan Bowell, Nolan Box, Nicolas Castro, Olive Corbit, Alexa Eveland, Bryce Ferguson, Cooper Fields, Brock Fletcher, Ryan Flynn, Aaron Fredrick, Matthew Fredrick, Thomas Freel, Hannah Fromfeld, Richard Gilbert, Max Giroux, Grady Graham, Taya Hatfield, Hudson Hauden, Hannah Hegland, Heidi Hegland, Ashton Hillebrand, Ella Hillebrand, Tayten Knight, Ty Larson, Andrew Maxwell, Talan Miller, Eli Muckler, Wyat Nachreiner, Camryn Neefe, Jace Noble, Garret Palmer, Lucas Palmer, Mason Peterson, Mia Peterson, Will Prem, Grant Ravenscroft, Isaac Ravenscroft, Matthew Roh, Macie Schluter, Tessa Schluter, Ayla Schwarz, Kaitlyn Sebranek, Isaac Shetler, Hunter Spencer, Paige Stafford, Mason Staggs, Colin Stokes, Charles Stoltz, Colin Vanhorn, Shelby West, Cayden Wittmann, Payton Wittmann.

Photo contributed by Kim Crook

Soccer This season, River Valley Boys Soccer won their first ever Regional championship, 2-1 over Central Wisconsin Christian. Both goals were scored by Senior Adrien Johnson. The first was on a header from a corner taken by Tristen Schmidt. The second on a penalty kick drawn by Kin Thao. "It was a physical and contentious affair and the boys did a great job of staying focused brought home the W," said Head Coach Cory Schmidt. The Blackhawks lost their Oct. 27 Sectional game, 4-0, to the Lake Country Lutheran team, ending the season 18-5-4. "This was the first time in RV soccer history that we have made it to Sectionals. The boys battled hard and created some good opportunities but in the end we couldn’t break through. Senior Adrien Johnson (pictured) had 5 goals in the post season and ended the year with 23 goals," said Schmidt. The RV Boys Soccer team received 11 conference awards this season. Honorable mention: Forward-Guidry Ridge; Defender-Zach Baumberger; Midfielder-Cameron Hanson. 2nd Team: Defender-Lukas Bettinger; MidfielderKin Thao. 1st Team: Midfielder-Aiden Schmidt; DefenderTristen Schmidt; Forward-Adrien Johnson; Goalie- Lars Anding. Conference Player of The Year: Tristen Schmidt. Coach of The Year: Cory Schmidt.

Photo contributed by Cory Schmidt

Business/Professional

Directory k or W d ty ure es i l ua Ins at •Q lly stim •Fu e E e •Fr

J J and

Total Lawn Care M-F and

Snow Removal

Sat

8a 8a m-5p mno m on

James Harwood •608-588-2453• E4792 Kennedy Rd.

Reserve a spot in our business/professional directory! Add $30 to any ad order or $60 as a stand-alone order and you’ll be added to the next edition’s premium placement business/professional directory.

•Natural double shredded oak bark mulch •Colored decorative mulch Red-Brown-GoldOrange •Other landscape supplies available! Gravel-Boulders-Screened Topsoil-Sand, etc.

We offer complete landscape and lawn care service •Full Landscaping from start to finish We •Lawn Mowing ’r on e yo •Plantings e s ur sho top •Grading & Seedings p! •Bark Spreading •Limestone & Boulder Retaining Walls

Bigger than business card sized, full color, updated annually or for a ﬂat $25 design fee. Perfect for top-of-mind awareness, runs under an attention-grabbing header. Want to run it every edition at a discounted rate? $750 for 6 months, $1000 for 1 year (36% discount)

Commentary/Outdoors

Thursday, November 3, 2022 Page 11

The Sauk County Gardener So Many Leaves – What Do I Do With Them? Jeannie Manis, Wisconsin Certiﬁed Master Gardener

“Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand ﬁnale.” ― Lauren DeStefano, Wither There are leaves everywhere in our yard! Yesterday, I enjoyed watching them fall in the woods behind our home – it was absolutely gorgeous. However, the leaves are also piling up under our maples in the front yard, scattering across the lawn, and nestling themselves in my perennial beds that haven’t been cut down yet. As we live in the country, I don’t worry about having them all raked up, but I still need to do something with certain areas where the leaves have become quite thick. But instead of shoving those piles of leaves into bags to be taken to a landﬁll, let’s look at some alternative uses.

Leaves have high mineral content, which help keep the soil fertile and organically rich. They also feed earthworms and improve soil structure. The best way to reap these beneﬁts is to simply mix in shredded leaves right into your garden. Next spring you’ll have lots of earthworms and beneﬁcial organisms and microbes. In the past, I raked up small piles so my husband could run them over with a lawnmower. I then collected those chopped leaves and spread them on my perennial beds. I now use a portable shredder with a bag, but the premise is still the same. If you decide to add shredded leaves directly to your soil, add some slow-release nitrogen fertilizer to help the leaves decompose even faster. Another way to use leaves is add them to your compost pile (or make a compost pile if you don’t already have one.) Add an inch of high-nitrogen

“green” material such as grass clippings or kitchen scraps to every three to four inches of old leaves. This “green” material will feed the bacteria that will break down the leaves. Don’t allow the pile to dry out, turn it several times during the winter, and come next spring you should have some nice compost for your garden. If composting seems too hard, you can simply pile them up to create leaf mold. Shred them to make the breakdown process go faster. The leaves still need to stay moist. Other than that, you simply leave the pile alone and, in a year or so, you’ll have a nice batch of leaf mold high in nutrients, ready to spread on your garden. Use leaves as mulch. In this case, you really should shred or chop them as you don’t want them to mat, preventing water from penetrating. Use the leaves around various berries, in the vegetable

garden and around ornamental plants to prevent weeds and provide insulation. Your lawn can use chopped leaves as fertilizer. Just run the lawn mower over the yard while the leaves are fallen. This will break down the leaves into smaller pieces, providing your grass with some much-needed nutrients. Of course, leave some leaves to provide a home for the beneficial insects. There are numerous bees, butterflies, and other insects that use the leaves as protection from the cold and other predators. In this case, leave the leaves whole. Just leave them in your perennial beds until spring. If you too have an abundance of fallen leaves, consider some of these uses in your garden. Before I chop ours up, I’m going to rake up a pile for our grandson to jump in first. You know what they say about all work and no play.

succumbed to the first killing frost, dig up the entire plant and its tuber. Remove the excess soil and loose roots. Let the entire plant dry for a few days in a warm dry area to dry out. Remove any remaining stems, foliage, and soil. Place each tuber in a paper bag or wrap loosely in newspaper and place them in a cool, dark container such as a cardboard box or tote. Check them occasionally throughout the winter and toss any bad ones. Another one to store is elephant ears. Elephant ears are technically corms. Carefully dig them after they have died back from the frost. You may be lucky to also find some “babies” to save. Wash off the excess soil and then lay them in a location where the leaves and roots can dry for a few days. Once they are dry, remove the dead leaves one by one. Trim the roots to about an inch. Pack the bulbs in peat moss or dry wood shavings. These too can be dusted with antifungal

powder to help prevent rot. Check them periodically throughout the winter and toss any bad ones. All my cannas are gifts from a fellow gardener, so I really want mine to survive winter storage. Once they have been killed by frost, you can dig them. Cut back the leaves to about two inches; then carefully dig them with a shovel or garden fork. Shake oﬀ the loose soil and then rinse them to remove any remaining soil. Let them air dry in a well-circulated location that is between 70 and 80 degrees for about a week. Remove any remaining foliage and store them in a cool, dark location with good ventilation. As with other stored bulbs, check them periodically throughout the winter. Take some time this fall to save your tubers, rhizomes, and bulbs. You’ll have the opportunity to enjoy them again next year and save a little money in the process.

Storing Tender Bulbs, Tubers, and Rhizomes Jeannie Manis, Wisconsin Certiﬁed Master Gardener

“I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house." ― Nathaniel Hawthorne November has ﬁnally arrived and it’s time to dig (if you haven’t already) and store your tender bulbs, tubers, and rhizomes. I’m talking about cannas, dahlias, begonias, elephant ears, and other similar plants. With our weather so warm this fall, I had to wait longer than usual for these plants to get knocked back by the frost. There are basically four steps to saving these for next spring planting: digging, cleaning, curing and storage. Depending on what you have, there are a few nuances to ensure successful storage. I have numerous dahlias that I want to save as they were from the plantings I did for our daughter’s wedding last year. Once their foliage has died back

and turned brown, dig the tubers up with a garden fork or shove. Gently rinse them to remove excess soil. Remove any damaged or rotten parts. Allow them to dry in a location where they won’t freeze, have good air circulation, and get indirect sunlight. I dried mine on an old screen door placed on top of two sawhorses. Let them dry a few days to a few weeks until the skin on the tubers is slightly wrinkled. Then store them in a container of peat moss, wood shavings, cedar chips, or perlite that will stay dry, have good circulation, and in a cool (but won’t freeze), dark location. I store in plastic totes that I make sure are not sealed completely. You may dust them with antifungal powder to help prevent rot during storage. Check them a couple times throughout the winter and toss any rotten ones. You can also save begonia tubers. Once their foliage has turned yellow or has

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY

WE'RE LOOKING FOR INTERNS AND COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTORS Looking for a challenge? We are looking for interns/volunteers who want to be in the unique position to learn the nuts and bolts of a news media publication that started from the ground up. You will have the chance to make an impact at the ground level of a startup and see the effect of your work and ideas carried out with a lot of flexibility, in an environment and creative culture you can help influence and create.

Available subject areas: EDITORIAL/JOURNALISM SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTISING/MARKETING

GRAPHIC DESIGN/PAGE DESIGN/LAYOUT DISTRIBUTION/CIRCULATION/CRM MNGMT PODCASTING/AUDIO PRODUCTION

AND MORE!

We are a new, all volunteer local news source that holds a strong belief that by working to keep our communities informed and engaged on a variety of topics including arts & culture, events, community news and serving as a watchdog for our local governmental bodies, we can help create a strong identity for our community and ignite positive growth and change throughout the area. Interested? Send us your area(s) of interest and a resume to: editor@valleysentinelnews.com Internship will be unpaid, interns will be required to sign a FSLA-compliant internship agreement. If credit is available from intern’s educational institution for participation in an internship, we are glad to work with you to meet any requirements for receiving credit.

Want to help build community? Know a college student that’s looking for a summer or fall internship for academic credit or to gain experience? Already attending village board or school board meetings and want to record or report on them? Want to engage with arts & culture, ag, businesses and other topics important to our community? Want to take scenic walks or drives delivering papers to subscribers and businesses? We have so many ideas to grow and do more for our community, but we need help, we CAN’T do it alone. If you want to be a part of something bigger please email us and let us know what your interests are: editor@valleysentinelnews.com

Areas in most need: -Graphic design (publication layout, visual story design, infographics) -Sports reporting -Municipal meeting recorders/reporters -School board reporters -Social media posting/creation -E-newsletter -Website posting -Agriculture reporter/columnist (current events) We have the infrastructure set up for most of these areas, we're just in need of manpower from passionate community members.

BUSINESS INSIDER MARKETING | ADVERTISING | PARTNERSHIP CONTENT

UPCOMING SPECIAL SECTIONS/EDITORIAL NOTES: November 17: Deer Season Forecast (Special Section) – Our annual regular 9-day gun deer hunt forecast special section Inquire if interested. Thanksgiving Recipes – TBD - Dependent on participation. Anyone welcome to submit their favorites. December 1: Local Holiday Gift Guide (Special Section) – Our annual catalog listing of local gift options. First listing free for area businesses, additional listings only $15 each. All other advertising options available as well. Inquire if interested. December 15: Blaze Orange Board (Special Section) – Our annual juried brag board of trophy (and otherwise) deer and views out in the ﬁeld from the season. Yes, we know the antlerless-only holiday hunt won't be over yet. But are you going to sit freezing in your stand for a big doe over the holidays? We didn't think so. All special sections subject to change and participation. The more support and engagement we get, the more we can oﬀer the community together. — Advertising Spots — $400 full page, $200 half page, $100 quarter page, $50 eighth page, $25 sixteenth page – Limited availability. Inquire about sponsorships, partner content and online and social ad opportunities. More information: valleysentinelnews.com/advertising-businesses

Outdoors & Recreation

Page 12 Thursday, November 3, 2022

An Outdoorsman’s Journal Mark Walters, Columnist

“cookie doe” cow manure for a cover scent and it worked perfectly but getting a firstHello friends, time hunter a shot without getting busted This is one of those week’s where I have did not happen and we simply did not care. five times more material than the space Just before 7:00 we did hear the bark of to write it. This column is dedicated to Kennedy Kneiser’s 270 and though she did my good friend Rod Bensley who lives not know it at the moment, it was lights out with his wife Wendy Vick near Burnett in for her first deer which was five-point buck. Dodge County. Rod is probably the best We took a break after our hunt and found habitat/land manager that I have ever it 30 yards from where she had taken her met. Rod has cancer, has majorly shot. Our good friend Rod is a hurting unit, outlived his diagnosis, is in tough shape, but he was able to enjoy some time with and for the hunt you are about to read Kennedy and her buck and that is what this about, opened his property up to a weekend was all about. couple of kids for Wisconsin’s Youth On the evening hunt it was much slower Deer Hunt. for Carsyn and myself but Conner and Tyler had a great hunt and Conner made a Saturday, October 8th 140 yard shot on an adult doe and now two High 63°, Low 30° of our kids had their first deer. I would be mentoring and sitting in a portable tree stand next to 12-year-old Sunday, October 9th Carsyn Thiede who is the daughter of High 56°, Low 31° Tyler and Patsy Thiede of Mayville. Kieth This morning Carsyn and I had most Kneiser does a lot of volunteer work of our experiences at a food plot that we on this property and would be in a box could see but it was too far for a shot. After stand with his 15-year-old granddaughter our hunt we used my loppers and made a Kennedy Kneiser of Oostsberg. Tyler ground blind and were we ever excited for Thiede would be on a total go for it hunt our afternoon hunt. As usual, the mood on state land near the Horicon Marsh was happy when we got in our with his 10-year-old son Conner. blind and it was not long and three does Carsyn and I would be hunting in a entered the plot about 50-yards away. forest that is a natural funnel between Carsyn was well composed but shaking like several food plots and corn fields. A a leaf as she rested her TC 6.5 Creidmore brief description of our upcoming in a bolt action on a shooting stick which hunts, almost nonstop deer or turkey I braced. When she went to shoot her gun activity and lots of laughter. I did my would not fire. The doe busted us and life best to teach Carsyn that this hunt was was not as much fun but we made it fun. A a learning experience and everything half hour later the same type of experience else was a bonus. We had deer long happened and again her gun would not before daylight within 10-yards of us fire. Again, I kept things positive. Twice and over the next three hours we had we had deer bust us from behind by snorts an unbelievable hunt with five buck that were very close. experiences including one that was We had about 20-minutes of daylight left bigger than anything that I have ever when a large buck entered the food plot harvested. from 100-yards away and began rubbing I said this hunt was a learning his antlers on a tree. I had Carsyn set up on experience and I meant it. We used the shooting stick and she was too excited First Deer

Photo contributed by Mark Walters Conner with his ﬁrst doe, harvested on state land!

Photo contributed by Mark Walters Carsyn put in the work for her ﬁrst buck, but it all worked out in the end!

Photo contributed by Mark Walters Kennedy was fortunate enough to be able to share ﬁrst deer experience with her Grandpa Keith!

for an accurate shot. I changed the plan to lay on the ground and put the rifle on my backpack. When she told me she was ready to fire I said shoot if you are ready. The first thing she told me was the gun won’t go off. I knew this had the potential to be very bad for her hunting drive in the future. I told her there was nothing I could do and let’s just live for the moment and watch the buck. After about 20 seconds I said give me the gun and pushed the safety forward real hard and set her up for another try. She was real nervous but smooth. I told her to think about something serious. When the rifle went off the 8-point, very heavy

bodied buck was dead before it hit the ground and we had a memory of a great weekend that both of us will always cherish. Carsyn had a great attitude every minute of this weekend and she really got into the deer and turkey spotting contest that we had on each hunt. Rod came down with the UTV, we took pics and life is grand! Sunset

Want to read more?

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

RURAL OPPORTUNITY • QUALITY OF LIFE FOR SENIORS • FREEDOM AND SECURITY FOR ALL I grew up on a small farm here in the 51st. My partner Kyle and I live on that same farm and are raising our three little kids there. We own a restaurant in Spring Green and I am the clerk of my town board. It would be my honor to go to Madison to fight for the rights of working people, for the future of our small businesses and farms, for our aging parents, and for the future of our kids.

PUTTING PEOPLE BEFORE POLITICS Paid for by Spicer for 51st, 7080 Leaches Crossing Road, Avoca, WI 53506