Valley Sentinel - 11-11-2021

Inside this edition

Your Right to Know: DNR Board Shenanigans Page 2

Community Calendar and Blaze Orange Board Announcement Page 4

Spring Green, Wisconsin

RVRC Girls Swimming competes in sectionals, sends individual to State Page 7

Thursday, November 11, 2021 | Vol. 2, No. 45 FREE, Single-Copy

Cranes gather on the Wisconsin River ahead of migration as legislators debate their status as game animals Photo by Nicole Aimone, Editor-in-Chief On Saturday, the Driftless Area Land Conservancy (DALC) hosted a sandhill crane viewing in the town of Troy just north of Spring Green to view thousands of cranes making their journey from area agricultural fields to overnight on the safety of the sandbars as they prepare for their southward winter migration.

A bill recently introduced in the Wisconsin State Legislature, Senate Bill 620, would authorize the hunting of sandhill cranes.

Sen. Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green) recently announced in a statement that he has registered his opposition to Senate Bill 620 and will be voting “no” on the issue.

Pictured at left: Attendees react as the first flocks of cranes circle the sandbars to overnight the evening of Nov. 6.

Arena sells Oak Street property, passes camping ordinance, contracts $125,000 to drill test well Adeline Holte, Editorial Intern The Village of Arena held a board meeting on Nov. 2 to discuss the selling of properties on Oak Street in the village, drilling a test well for the planned second well and to pass their annual budget.

One of the main action items discussed in the meeting was whether or not to accept an offer for the sale of the village’s property at 516 Oak Street, which previously housed the Crusaders Clubhouse motorcycle club. Initially the village had been asking $28,000 to $32,0000 for the property, but they received an offer of $34,000 for the property from Robert Bendtsen. The village will still need to do a survey, with the closing scheduled for Nov. 19.

A motion was made by Kristin Shea and seconded by Charles Burch to accept the offer to purchase 516 Oak Street in the Village of Arena and passed unanimously, 5-0, with Jim Doerflinger and Paul Pustina absent.

The board also took action to sell a

parcel at 0124 Oak Street via quit claim deed to Rick Kerska and Sean Crook.

The board made a motion back in 1993 to sell the property for $1.00, though the paperwork was not finished. The property was formerly a fire station and salt shed. Kerska/Crook have been utilizing it for their renters at 504 Oak Street.

The next item discussed was an ordinance relating to camping. The ordinance had been taken up at last month’s meeting, but was sent to the village attorney and brought back with grammatical errors fixed and some slight clarifications.

Shea expressed concern that the ordinance could be considered an overreach, affecting being able to camp on private property over the summer.

Shea expressed that she felt people should be able to and asked if police were expected to enforce the ordinance.

“I don’t understand why we need an ordinance like that, because it seems like you’re denying somebody their

personal property rights,” Shea stated.

Arena Police Chief Nicholas Stroik reassured Shea that the village is not trying to prevent anyone from enjoying their property, and that the concern was people who do not take up residence in the Village of Arena but take up residence by staying in a camper or a tent on private property throughout the year. Stroik stated there have been complaints over the years because of this and that it has been called a nuisance in the past. A motion was made by Shea and seconded

by Rachel Maxwell to approve the ordinance related to camping, passing unanimously, 5-0, with Doerflinger and Pustina absent.

The board unanimously adopted their 2022 annual budget and established the 2021 property tax levy payable in 2022. After hearing no public comment during the public budget hearing, the board approved a $372,377 levy (excluding debt), a 0.31% (or $1,186) increase over last year. The debt

service levy decreased by $3,350 (or 5%) compared to 2021 due to a loan on the Fire Station being paid off.

According to the budget overview by Village Clerk DeNean Naeger, the proposed budget includes $3,644 capital police outlay but nothing for buildings or equipment.

“Due to levy limits, it is impractical for the Village to save adequate funds each year to fund the purchase of vehicles/ facility improvements. This would transition to funding such purchases through shorter term borrows,” said Naeger in the overview.

The board also reviewed the sole bid that had been submitted for the contract to drill a test well that would evaluate the location of a second well for the village. Sam’s Well Drilling, Inc., of Randolph, WI, submitted a bid in the amount of $124,870.00. The bid is 36% (or $32,735) higher than the village engineer’s estimate submitted in August, but still within contingency.

See page 7

Spring Green EMS vaccinates 5-11 year olds for COVID-19 as Pfizer gains authorization Photo by Nicole Aimone, Editor-in-Chief On Friday evening, the Spring Green Fire Station opened its doors to a large crowd of families seeking Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines after its recent authorization for children 5-11 years old.

Every available slot was taken for the vaccination event. EMS Chief Derek Miller said the department has the immediate capacity to vaccinate 300 children in the community and is planning on holding more events for kids to be vaccinated.

The next pediatric Pfizer vaccination event for 1st shots is on Sunday Nov. 14 from 3 to 5 pm.

Parents can go to springgreenems.com for more information and to book appointments.

Pictured at right: Kids explore the fire engines, ambulance and other equipment at the Spring Green Fire Station Nov. 5 as they wait for their COVID vaccinations.

Page 2

Commentary/Opinion

Thursday, November 11, 2021

Column: The Plain and Simple Correspondent — Tooth & Claw Universe Katie Green, The Plain and Simple Correspondent

It is my custom in the late afternoons to rest my weary bones near the large sliding glass patio doors. From there I can look out on the exuberant carnival transpiring in the garden below, or lift my eyes to gaze toward the rolling hills and St. Luke’s Church as the light changes and fades. The golden glow at that hour is delectable. The sky sometimes rewards us, the audience, with brilliant color, the sight of sandhill cranes making their way homeward for the night, whipped cream cloudscapes, circling crows, contrails. It’s always interesting.

The first of November was clear, windy and cold. As the shadows lengthened, I watched a milling crowd of small birds scratching around in the undergrowth beneath the bird feeders for a few minutes, then turned back to

Katie Green my computer to draft another contribution to the Weekly Blatt. Suddenly — to parody a well-known holiday verse — “out on the deck there arose such a clatter/ I arose from my chair to see what was the matter.” A squirrel bounded onto the deck, froze tensely close to the house, alert and wide-eyed.

A moment later it uncoiled and tore off like a rocket. Simultaneously, a larger shape than I normally see sailed past the window. Smaller creatures on the ground scattered in a panic, some silently, some emitting distressed cries.

A Cooper’s hawk! It gave chase but the little ones got away – this time. It returned to the feeder, then hopped onto the fence divider covered in wisteria, where small birds like to take refuge

from the chill and hide safely overnight. Or so they hope. The hawk now dived into the vine and a finch flew away followed by the determined predator. He (or she) came back empty-taloned and again dived into the wisteria and a second bird fled, followed by the hawk. Foiled, yet again it returned and perched on a rod over a gate into the back garden, probably simmering in frustration, and I was able to grab my camera and snap some fuzzy photos.

Can you make out that death-dealing curved beak?

Another similar drama unfolded a while back as we were eating supper one evening. Blood-curdling screams drew our attention to the middle of the road, where we saw a rabbit in the act of being pinioned by a hawk. Soon the predator flew away with its prey, nearly sinking under the weight of the load, the rabbit still protesting its fate at top volume. My appetite suffered for the rest of the meal. Then, as now, I would rather not have seen the scuffle nor heard the stricken beast, even though I have many times wished rabbits to perdition when they invade my garden to dine royally on the tender young lettuces, chard, beets, cabbage starts and carrots.

Granted, every creature must eat, but the death of any plant, animal, or person leaves a lacuna – a gap, a missing blank space in the community of earthly beings. Scientists now know about the secret underground symbiotic relationships and important communication between trees, and have actually recorded the sounds of distress in plants when they are pruned or uprooted. I now assume that every creature that goes missing creates a hole in the life of another of its kind or in another species that has bonded with it and has enhanced its life in some way. There are exceptions, such as black walnuts, which emit a substance from their roots which discourage growth of other plants nearby. In that way walnuts hog all the nutrients, sunlight, and space they need to thrive.

Remind you of anyone?

As evidence of intra-species bonding, when I stopped by to see my friends Bob and Tom the other day I was told that the elder of their two dogs had died. In the past I have been rendered

helpless with laughter watching their pair of unmatched pooches, one a Pekinese, the other a Bichon frise, frolic about, entertaining each other, and know how lonely the survivor feels, let alone imagine the ache in the hearts of the humans who adopted, loved, and cared for them (and vice versa) for years. “We’re still bawling,” Bob admitted. Folks who cohabit with “pets” will understand their grief.

As the hawk was terrorizing our bird population the other day, I automatically prayed, “Not the chickadees! Not the titmice... or the nutty nuthatches!”

Yes, I have a hierarchy of favorites.

Face it, the English sparrows mean less to me, and I positively abhor the parasitical species like the cowbirds, who lay their eggs willy nilly in the nests of other birds and then go on holiday while the young are hatched and raised by surrogate parents. I have seen little finches struggling to feed great gangling cowbird fledglings clearly not their own, and fantasize them saying with a helpless sigh, “This is the hand I was dealt, so I guess I need to play it.

Can’t let these foundlings starve.” To the Cooper’s hawk I would point an accusatory finger in the direction of the cowbird and hiss, “Get her before she lays again!”

I’m not the only one who reserves a special place in her or his heart for a particular species of bird. The same friends, Bob and Tom, wax eloquent about the convivial barn swallows who come annually to sift the air above their ponds for insects, filling the space with astonishing aerobatics and the sweet sound of their chittering.

And whose migration off to the south in autumn is inevitable but causes a pang. My neighbor Rita has a thing about cardinals. She loves their “Good cheer! Good cheer!” mating call in spring and their bright colors against the evergreens and snow in winter.

Many others receive a lift of the spirit from the presence of cardinals. I even appreciate the less showy coloration of the females, subdued, subtle hues that resemble the oak and maple leaves after a heavy frost.

Getting back to the hawk, not all hawks eat smaller birds. Some are content with tiny mammals, insects, and the like. The cannibalistic tendencies

Photo by Katie Green of the Cooper’s hawk give me the same queasy feeling as reading about headhunting tribes, or explorers boiling away over a fire in an oversized soup kettle, and the odd psychopath who has cultivated a taste for human flesh.

Or even humans who, under extreme duress of starvation, have eaten their dead comrades. Here I’m thinking of the pioneering Donner Party, stranded in the Sierra the winter of 1846-7, and remember a plane full of Uruguayan rugby players that crashed in a remote part of the Andes in 1972. The men were not located for several months, leading several members to eat teammates to survive before being rescued.

Well, yuk, enough of that. When I prowled the property next day after the Cooper’s hawk raid, I hoped not to find a pile of loose feathers, sign of a meal made at the expense of some little soul by the predatory bird or the wandering neighborhood cat. Nature writers like to opine that we humans are “moral animals in an amoral world”, since humans appear (with little evidence to support the theory, as far as I’m concerned) to be the only species with any scruples about what and whom to eat to stay alive. Nor, the reputed experts say, do “lower” species reflect on the meaning of all that occurs. Be that as it may, it seems that the pickings were slim this time for the hawk in our yard. He or she may have had better success in yours. Bon appetit!, big guy.

Your Right to Know: Records shed light on Natural Resources Board shenanigans Tony Wilkin Gibart, Midwest Environmental Advocates The Natural Resources Board, an all-volunteer body that guides policy for the Department of Natural Resources, is part of Wisconsin’s tradition of open government. The idea to empower volunteers — rather than politicians — was first proposed in the progressive era by leading conservationists, including Aldo Leopold, who understood that decisions about natural resources should be guarded against backroom deals between politicians and lobbyists.

For this reason, the NRB is designed to allow for direct input from ordinary people and for an open decision-making process. But a shadow has fallen over the board. Its current chairperson, Frederick Prehn, has clung to the role past his term, which ended in May. Dr. Prehn, a dentist in Wausau, maintains that he can hold on to the role until the state Senate confirms his replacement.

Gov. Tony Evers in late April nominated Sandra Naas to replace Prehn.

But the state’s GOP-controlled Legislature has refused to take it up.

Wisconsin’s public records law has shed light on this murky situation.

My organization, Midwest Envi-

Tony Wilkin Gibart ronmental Advocates, made several demands under that law for records regarding Prehn. They show that Prehn spoke with staff of the Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, which helped him obtain a memo from the Legislative Reference Bureau about remaining on the board. Other records document Prehn’s regular coordination with lobbyists from Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC).

These same lobbyists met with LaMahieu about Prehn’s term before his replacement was announced. In

other records, he suggested he should remain on the NRB to block the governor’s proactive approach to PFAS contamination (the toxins found in Teflon and other products), policies that WMC is also fighting tooth and nail.

The records law has given the public a clearer picture of what Prehn and others are up to. But the picture is far from complete, and that is why my group has sued Prehn.

Midwest Environmental Advocates believes Prehn may have illegally hidden the full extent of his coordination with WMC and others. We requested all forms of written communications Prehn sent and received about his decision. He turned over no text messages. But through a request to another official, we later discovered a text message in which Prehn reflected on his decision to stay on to oppose the governor’s policies. Prehn was legally obligated to retain and disclose this message.

Our lawsuit is about holding Prehn accountable by obtaining records that we all have a right to see. Prehn is not respecting the state’s open government traditions, so essential to the NRB. The case involving Prehn points to

ways to better implement the public records law to avoid litigation. Prehn regularly communicated about NRB business on personal email and text.

Of course, he is not alone in using personal accounts for public business, which is not illegal, even though all such communications are still public records.

Officials should be discouraged from this practice. When public records exist on private accounts, we are forced to rely on the word of the official who created the records. Compliance officers at state agencies should consider requiring officials who created public records on personal accounts to attest under oath that they complied with their duties to search for and disclose records. Doing so would make officials think twice before attempting to skirt the law and it would promote transparency.

Your Right to Know is a monthly column distributed by the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council (wisfoic.org), a group dedicated to open government. Tony Wilkin Gibart is the executive director of Midwest Environmental Advocates, a nonprofit environmental law firm.

Thursday, November 11, 2021 Page 3 Commentary/Opinion Sen. Howard Marklein Column: Reminders of Service — Honoring Veterans Day Sen. Howard Marklein, (R-Spring Green) I am honored to be the Senate author of legislation that will make State Highway 21 from Sparta to Oshkosh, through Necedah, a Purple Heart Memorial Highway. Representative Tony Kurtz (R-Wonewoc) and I authored this legislation at the request of the Necedah VFW. We think it is important to create this permanent memorial to honor all of our veterans who have been wounded, injured or killed as a direct result of enemy action while serving in our armed forces.

This bill has passed both houses of the legislature and is now on the Governor’s desk for signature. Rep. Kurtz and I invited the Governor to sign the bill in Necedah on Veterans Day with us and we hope he takes us up on our offer.

This legislation is a small way to say “thank you” for the sacrifice and bravery of the men and women who have served our country. Wisconsin citizens have shown, again and again, that we are ready and willing to fight for our freedom and to defend our country. We should always be ready and willing to honor our veterans in any way that we

Sen. Howard Marklein can.

As we recognize Veterans Day on November 11, 2021, I am proud to have authored this bill as one more way to remind citizens throughout our state of the great sacrifices made by those who serve. The Purple Heart Highway will remind us of this service and encourage us to extend a word of “thanks” to those we see along our journey.

In the State Legislature, before each floor session begins, we do two things: we pray to the God that created all of us, and we pledge allegiance to our flag.

When I say this pledge, I think about all of the men and women who have served our nation and fought to protect our way of life. I think about the young people in our communities who will inherit our legacies. I think about the families I serve, working hard every day to grow the next generation while doing their work and serving each other in many different ways. Above all, I think about service and how each of us needs to dedicate a part of our lives to protecting and promoting freedom.

Regardless of our race, religion or political beliefs, we Americans continue to defend freedom - generation after generation - all over the world. We defend freedom because we know that democracy is a fragile thing.

I have a sign in my office that is one of President Ronald Reagan’s greatest quotes. It is a daily reminder of my role in protecting our freedoms.

It says, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from its extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children

in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.”

Veterans Day is the perfect day to remind every generation, young and old, about the price for our freedom. We must tell the stories of our veterans. We must show our respect. We must live as examples for future generations who will take our mantle of freedom and march forward.

My father served in the Marine Corps in World War II before I was born.

While we milked cows on our farm, he would tell me about the men he served with and his experiences. He would tell me stories of honor, heroism and camaraderie. He imparted in me a deep sense of patriotism and service.

At the time, I didn’t realize how important these stories and lessons were.

I didn’t understand how much these ideas would form me into the man I am today. I am grateful for his service and for his willingness to teach me about the things that make our country great, but I never said “thanks” for his service to our nation because he was my dad.

Today – I thank every veteran for your service and sacrifices. Thank you!

Driftless Grace: Deadzones and spotty WIFI — Connection, Revisited Grace Vosen, Contributor

As a customer service worker who also enjoys eating and sightseeing, I’ve been exposed to both sides of our nationwide staff shortage. I can report that the situation is uncomfortable for all involved. It’s hard for me not to feel guilty for wanting service, just as it can be frustrating when the lines grow at work.

One of the most common customer interactions at my job surrounds the lack of cell reception. For better or worse, we who inhabit the Driftless are used to this kind of thing. Dead zones and spotty wi-fi are threads in the tapestry

of our lives. I’m not saying this is how it should be (and we’re not off the grid by any means: the recent outage of a certain social media site was felt as deeply here as elsewhere). But it’s clear that for some of our city-dwelling visitors, this is a new experience.

In some cases, the lack of technology makes traveling more enjoyable. Mostly, though, our guests are disappointed that we can’t provide the services they need. Their exasperation often ends up directed at me. I consider myself an ambassador of this area both in title and in bent, so it’s not exactly fun to tell folks there’s nothing I can do.

Nothing lasting, anyway. What I can do is offer to look up directions to their hotel, or the hours of a local restaurant — the right information at the time it’s needed. It could be a while before the Driftless gets world-class infrastructure and migrates to “the cloud.” In the meantime, I’ll keep forging connections with my fellow human beings here on the ground.

Grace Vosen is a writer and conservation educator living in Spring Green. She blogs about both the human and nonhuman communities of our region at DriftlessGrace.com.

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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.

Grace Vosen

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

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Community

Thursday, November 11, 2021

COmmunitycalendar Events for November 11 - November 20 Wednesday, November 17

Thursday, November 11 Alex Ramsey, Annie E. and Tim Eddy at the Slowpoke Lounge Songwriters Round 7:30 PM . Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jefferson St., Spring Green . www.slowpokelounge.com . Alex Ramsey (The Pines) has a fantastic new solo album out. Annie Emmenegger can be found singing and playing guitar for Annie and the Oaks. Tim Eddy leads Lone Goat Rodeo. This will be a beautiful night. No cover. Proof of vaccination against COVID-19 required for all Slowpoke events.

Saturday, November 13 Pop-Up Spring Green Farmers Market 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM . S230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green . The Spring Green Farmers Market is continuing in the Spring Green Community Public Library Lot through the winter every Saturday morning. Pre-orders are recommended. Visit our Facebook or Instagram page or email SGFarmersMarket@gmail.com for a list of participating vendors and their contact information.

Arena VFW Steak and Chicken Fry 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM . Arena VFW Post 9336, 514 Willow Street, Arena . Steak $13.00 and Chicken Breast $8.00. For those who were wondering, VFW will be having dining in; for those who do not we still will have carryout's. Please call in your orders 608-753-2225 for carry outs. Thank you again for the continued support of Arena VFW Post 9336!

Live Music: Ritt and Wilder Deitz 7:30 PM . Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jefferson St., Spring Green . www.slowpokelounge.com . Join us for father and son singer/songwriter duo Ritt and Wilder Deitz. A regular performer in listening rooms and house concerts from Wisconsin to his native Kentucky, acoustic roots rocker and Uvutlittle recording artist Ritt Deitz has been writing and recording since the age of eleven. Madison's Isthmus says, "Deitz combines rugged mountain sonics with an aesthetic that’s closer to ragtime than anything else. At times, he resembles Tom Waits in his ability to marry sophistication with down-homeness." Ritt is joined in this set by his son Wilder Deitz, folk/jazz pianist, leader of the neo-soul Wilder Deitz Group, and founder of the Wilder Deitz School for Creative Music.Proof of vaccination against COVID-19 required for all Slowpoke events.

Live DJ at Keg & Kettle 8:00 PM - 12:00 PM . Keg and Kettle, 104 S Oak St, Lone Rock .

Live DJ, come out to hear your favorite music.

Family Friendly Deer Camp at Fr. Garrett's 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM . 1240 Nachreiner Ave, Plain . www.stlukecatholicchurchplain.com • Beer • Brats • Burgers • Soda • Cider • Cocoa | Come gather around the fire and share your favorite hunting stories! Please bring your own camp chair! Join us at the front porch of the rectory at St. Luke any time from 6:00pm -9:00pm! Fr. Garrett will offer a blessing to all those hunting at 7:30pm.

Arcadia Book Club discusses "Bewilderment" by Richard Powers 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM . Virtual/Zoom . www.readinutopia.com • Richard Powers has spent his thirty-five-year career, spanning thirteen novels, writing about big subjects that capture his imagination. His novels rarely seem connected to each other. But his last two novels, The Overstory (winner of the Pulitzer Prize) and Bewilderment, both concern our species' perilous relationship to the natural world. But unlike his magisterial The Overstory, which wove the lives of eight people into the science of trees, Bewilderment is tightly focused on a scientist father called Theo and his challenging nineyear-old son, Robin. Register for the event online.

Friday, November 19 Live Music: Caravan 7:30 PM . Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jefferson St., Spring Green . www.slowpokelounge.com . Caravan is a world traveling acoustic instrumental jazz group from Madison, WI. They are primarily influenced by the legendary Gypsy Jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt. The ensemble also pulls influence from American Swing, Jazz, Latin, Parisian Waltz, European Folk and other vintage Jazz sources!

Tickets $10 in advance, $15 at the door. Proof of vaccination against COVID-19 required for all Slowpoke events.

Saturday, November 20 Pop-Up Spring Green Farmers Market 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM . S230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green . The Spring Green Farmers Market is continuing in the Spring Green Community Public Library Lot through the winter every Saturday morning. Pre-orders are recommended. Visit our Facebook or Instagram page or email SGFarmersMarket@gmail.com for a list of participating vendors and their contact information.

Monday, November 15 Fall Gourd Ornament Take-and-Make 10:00 AM . Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green . www.springgreenlibrary.org .Stop by the library beginning at 10 AM and pick up a "Fall Gourd Ornament" Take-and-Make craft.

Kit includes a small gourd, beads, twine, and other embellishments, along with instructions. Suitable for adults and teens. Available while supplies last outside the parking lot entrance.

The Power of Tourism Series 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM . 5607 County Road C, Spring Green . www.taliesinpreservation.org/event/the-power-of-tourism/ . We invite local business owners to join Drew Nussbaum, Regional Tourism Specialist for the Wisconsin Department of Tourism will discuss the power of tourism in the tri-county area.

Learn about the impact of our biggest attractions, how tourism impacts the local economy, and how COVID recovery is impacting the industry.

Arena Historians Harvest Celebration Food Pantry Benefit 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM .

Grandma Mary's Brisbane Hall, 175 Hwy 14, Arena . 608-228-0261 . Sample home made breads while Cecilia Farran tells a true story of the land, harvest and a philosopher farmer facing life. Free-will donation to Arena Food Pantry. .Open to public.

Guests invited to bring samples of their own home baked bread and copies of recipe.

Tuesday, November 16 Fall Storytime (Indoors) 10:15 AM . Kraemer Library Community Room, 910 Main St., Plain . Indoor Storytime is back! Join us for our Fall Storytime sesson from November 16th - December 21st 2021. Join us for songs, stories, and crafts in the Community Room. Aimed at children ages 0-4 but, all are welcome:) Stories and songs are 20 minutes followed by a themed activity/craft:) Masks are encouraged due to CDC guidelines

Reminder The risk of participating in a certain activity depends on many factors. Because of this, there’s no way to assign risk levels to certain actions. That’s why it’s important to consider your own situation and the risks for you, your family, and your community.

Here are some important guidelines to help ensure everyone’s safety: Get vaccinated.

Wednesday, November 17 Family Outdoor Storytime 10:00 AM . Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green . www.springgreenlibrary.org . Join us for stories, songs, and fun. Meet on the library's east lawn. Seating pads are provided for children; adults please bring a chair or blanket to sit on.

Stay at least 6 feet away from other people when possible.

Wash hands frequently.

Wear a mask.

Stay home when sick.

Get tested if you have symptoms or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19.

Avoid crowded and poorly ventilated indoor spaces when possible.

Taken from: www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/community.htm

Valley Sentinel wants to see your deer hunting pictures!

We’d love to see photos of the big buck or doe you bagged or the beautiful view from your stand!

Presented by

We celebrate big bucks, of course, but we want to see everything that celebrates the rich culture of deer hunting ... be it a youngster’s first deer, your view out in the field, deer camp or from your stand.

Submit photos with a brief description of the deer or view, the hunter’s name (and the names of anyone else in the picture - including the age of a youth hunter) along with the location of the hunt.

Both archery and gun entries are welcome. Hunter must be from Sauk, Richland or Iowa counties or hunted in those counties.

Categories include: Biggest Buck, Biggest Doe, Best Youth Harvest, Best View Out in the Field Pictures must be received by Nov. 30.

Prizes to be announced next week.

Submissions can be sent to: editor@valleysentinelnews.com

Community

Thursday, November 11, 2021 Page 5

COVID-19 Dashboard Wisconsin Summary

816,427 Positive Cases +17,253 from 11/2

Cases as of 11/9/2021

3,554,752 Negative Test Results +35,751 from 11/2

8,688 Deaths +134 from 11/2 Updated: 11/9/2021

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.

Iowa County

6,530,794

Administered

2,522,678

Pfizer doses administered

277,473

Moderna doses administered

Johnson & Johnson doses 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

+34 from 11/2 +99 from 11/2 +0 from 11/2

2,774 Positive Cases 14,032 Negative Tests 16 Deaths

Updated: 11/9/2021

3,730,643

county level weekly statistics Richland County 2,190 Positive Cases 9,732 Negative Tests 26 Deaths

Vaccine Summary Statistics

Richland

+56 from 11/2 +126 from 11/2 +0 from 11/2

Sauk County

+242 from 11/2 +370 from 11/2 +1 from 11/2

8,477 Positive Cases 42,638 Negative Tests 65 Deaths Updated: 11/9/2021

Target Range

Sauk

55.5%

59.5%

Percent with at least one vaccine dose

Percent with at least one vaccine dose

53.3%

56.6%

Percent fully vaccinated

Percent fully vaccinated

Iowa

Target Range

Target Range

64.4% Percent with at least one vaccine dose

62.3% 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 11/9/2021

Updated: 11/9/2021 Lower %

Richland County Ages 12-15

Iowa County

Ages 12-15

Higher %

43.1%

Percent of Wisconsin residents who have received at least one dose

56.3%

Sauk County

Ages 12-15

Updated: 11/9/2021

46.9% Dane County Ages 12-15

Graphic by Anna Stocks-Hess

Ages

81.8%

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

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

48.6% 53.2% 53.4% 58.1% 65.3% 66.2% 74.6% 86.8%

Page 6

Outdoors

Thursday, November 11, 2021

Sauk County Gardener — November Gardening Tasks Birding Report: First Snowy Owl and Winter Finches Arrive Jeannie Manis, Sauk County Master Gardener It was hard for me to believe it was November when I was outside the first weekend of the month. My husband and I were able to work outside in short sleeves as we dug our dahlia bulbs. Now all the tender bulbs have been dug and are going to spend a few weeks “curing” before I store them for the winter.

Typically, I would have had to have finished this task sometime in October.

I’m way late but I’m going to plant some garlic bulbs this afternoon. I’ve been waiting for it get cold enough so that they don’t sprout.

Here are some other November tasks you should consider doing or finishing up before it gets too cold. In the vegetable garden, finish clearing it out.

It might be tempting to leave your old plant foliage in the garden, but all that dead plant debris is just a hiding place for disease and insects. Instead of pulling your beans and peas, chop them off at ground level so their nitrogen-fixing roots can feed next year’s vegetable crop.

If you decided to leave some of your root vegetables such as carrots, parsnips or leeks in the group, mulch them with a foot of straw. Mark their location with tall stakes and they’ll be ready and easy to find for winter digging. I started a new Asparagus bed this past spring, it needs to have the crowns protected and that can be done with straw or shredded leaves (of which I have plenty). Get the last of the hardy vegetables out of your garden. This includes Brussel sprouts, kale, spinach, and other late-fall greens.

They can still produce at temperatures as low as 25 degrees so keep an eye on the weather and enjoy them as long as you can. I finally just pulled up my broccoli and kale as I simply wanted to get that particular garden bed cleaned out. If you have summer-bearing raspberries or blackberry canes that produced fruit, they can be cut down to the ground.

Black raspberry lateral branches can be trimmed to about 15 inches.

Now is the time to create new vegetable and perennial beds. If done properly, you don’t even need to dig. Simply cut the grass as low as you can, scalping the lawn. Then, put down a thick layer of newspaper or cardboard on top of it.

Next, cover it with a layer of compost and finish up with a thick layer of chopped leaves. Next spring, it’ll be full of worms and ready for planting. I have some cardboard in my garage that I’ve been saving just for this particular

purpose.

While you’ve got the mower out, give the lawn one last haircut, cutting it a half inch shorter than usual. If you fertilize your lawn, you can apply a fall application up to Thanksgiving.

This is the time do it if you’re only going to fertilize your lawn once a year. Remember to read the label for the proper distribution rate – more is not better. You can also do a dormant seeding of grass if you have an area that you want to get established as long as it’s not in an area that will experience winter runoff. The freezing and thawing of winter snows will help set the seed.

If you added any new trees to your yard this year, protect their young trunks from rodents and sunscald damage during the winter. Prune your hydrangeas that bloom on new wood to one-third their height after they go dormant. Some new-wood varieties include the ‘smooth’ hydrangea (H.arborecence) such as ‘Annabelle’,’ Incrediball’ and panicle hydrangeas (H.paniculata) like ‘Limelight’ or ‘PeeGee’. It’s also time to cut back your roses if you like to do this task in the fall - cut them back to about 36 inches high. I don’t consistently do it in the fall; sometimes I wait until spring if I get behind. Be prepared to pile up soil to a layer about 8-10 inches deep around the base of your roses after the ground freezes hard. Don’t do it before then as it can lead to heat build-up and disease problems. If you decide to cut them back, only do as much as what is needed to add your winter protection. Complete the pruning in the spring. However, don’t prune back climbers or singleblooming shrub roses as they bloom on old wood. I tend to leave my Knockout roses alone, but I do protect any new ones I planted during the spring/ summer or ones that are not guaranteed hardy for our area.

Once you’re back indoors, take a moment to check on your Thanksgiving or Christmas cactus to see if it has started to set buds. If so, it’s time to move them back into an area with indirect light. It’s also time to bring out your Amaryllis bulbs if you save them from last season. Report the bulb in fresh soil and place it in bright, indirect light. It likes to be snug in its pot so keep that in mind when you repot it. Resume watering, a little at first until you see growth, then water as usual. Come Christmas, you should hopefully have blooms.

Ryan Brady, DNR Natural Heritage Conservation Program Biologist The season’s first snowy owl was photographed in Burnett County on October 23. However, none have been documented since. Short-eared owls have returned in better numbers, and may be found at dawn or dusk in large grasslands or wetlands that host good rodent populations. Northern harriers, rough-legged hawks, and American kestrels are sometimes observed in the same habitat.

Winter finches are already showing fairly well in the north. Common redpolls have dipped south into northern counties by the hundreds, though don’t expect them at feeders until natural seed sources like birches, alders, and tamaracks have been exhausted. White-winged crossbills are also moving around in search of spruce, tamarack, hemlock, and other conifer seeds. The first pine and evening grosbeaks have arrived, though in small numbers so far. American goldfinches increased across the north this week, while pine siskins and purple finches are scattered in decent numbers statewide. Time will tell how far south some of these typically northern species will reach, and how many will end up at feeders to the delight of backyard birders.

Waterfowl migration carries on, although a bit tepidly given mild weather here and to the north. Large numbers of red-breasted mergansers and long-tailed ducks were reported on Lake Michigan, rafts of American coots at many locations, and thousands

of canvasbacks and various puddle ducks on Pool 8 of the Mississippi River. Tundra swans, which usually migrate just ahead of ice-up, continue to only trickle in there. Sandhill cranes are staging in flocks of hundreds or thousands in many areas, including traditional hotspots like Horicon Marsh, Crex Meadows, and the Lower Wisconsin River. Dark-eyed juncos have become more prevalent in southern counties, while eastern bluebirds, cedar waxwings, and even a few rose-breasted grosbeaks and Baltimore orioles hold on in some locations. Still seeing a hummingbird?

Chances are it’s one of the rarer western species and not our usual rubythroated. At least 3 different rufous hummingbirds were reported recently.

Other rare birds spotted this week included black-legged kittiwakes (a gull species) in Douglas, Brown, and Ozaukee counties, bright male harlequin ducks in Sheboygan and Ozaukee, Pacific loon in Ashland, continuing pomarine jaeger in Douglas, and Franklin’s gulls in Ashland and Dane. The weekend ahead will be atypically mild with south and west winds. Migration from the north will be minimal but this pattern raises the potential for vagrant species from the southwest this time of year. Look for more seasonable weather and migration conditions to return late next week.

In the meantime, help us track the migration by reporting your sightings to https://ebird.org/wi/home. Good birding!

Photo by Ryan Brady White-winged crossbills and other finches are starting to show up in northern Wisconsin, which could mean a good winter for birders to find some of these highly-sought species.

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Sports/Community

Thursday, November 11, 2021 Page 7

RVRC Girls Swimming competes in sectionals, Harper qualifies for State Mike Nachreiner, RVRC Girl’s Swimming Coach Last Saturday the RVRC Swim Team competed at the Sectional Swim Meet in Deforest. The RVRC Swimmers represented their schools well. RVRC finished 9th out of 14 teams beating Lodi/ WI Heights, Fort Atkinson, Portage, Black River Falls/Blair Taylor and Platteville/ Lancaster. The top 16 times out of the 4 sectionals move on to the State Meet which is Friday, November 12th. Beverly Harper qualified for the State Swim Meet in the 50 yard freestyle seeded 11th and in the 100 yard freestyle seeded 14th. The 200 free relay finished tied for 18th, just missed qualifying for State by 2 spots with Bobbi DuCharme, Kris Langrehr, Megan Nachreiner and Beverly Harper.

The meet started out with the 200 Medley Relay. The RVRC team of Lily Saperstein, Beverly Harper, Megan Nachreiner and Bobbi DuCharme finished 8th and had the best time of the season for RVRC. DuCharme’s 50 split in the relay was a personal best. Nachreiner and Harper clock season best time in the splits of the butterfly and breaststroke, respectively.

The fast swimming continued for the team in the next event, the 200 yard freestyle.

Senior Elizabeth Jewell had her second

best time of her swim career and Bobbi DuCharme, Charlotte Ferstl and Marissa Needham all clocking personal best times.

Next up was Lily Saperstein in the 200 Individual Medley swimming a personal best. Next up was Beverly Harper is the 50 freestyle finishing 6th in the meet and qualifying for state swimming a personal best time of 24.85. RVRC’s next swim was Kris Langrehr in the 100 butterfly who finished 16th and scoring points for the team. The next event was the 100 freestyle.

Beverly Harper finished 6th in the meet and qualified for State with a time of 55.12.

Bobbi DuCharme swam a personal best time of 58.17 along with Alivia Glasbrenner with a time of 1:04.98. In the 500 freestyle, Megan Nachreiner finished in scoring position at 14th. Marissa Needham finished 21st and Charlotte Ferstl finished 22nd swimming a personal best time of 6:25.01.

In the next event, the 200 yard freestyle, the team of Bobbi DuCharme, Kris Langrehr, Megan Nachreiner and Beverly Harper had RVRC’s best time of the season with a 1:46.64 and missing qualifying for State by 2 positions. In the 100 yard backstroke Megan Nachreiner missed a season best time by less than a second, but scored for RVRC finishing at 16th. Lily Saperstein finished 20th. Alivia Glasbrenner swam

Photo by Mike Nachreiner Lily Saperstein swimming the backstroke portion of her 200 yard Individual Medley. Saperstein clocked a personal best time in this race. worked hard all season long. We had next in the 100 breaststroke finishing 24th great leadership from our Seniors Beverly overall and Molly Peckham scored points Harper, Kris Langrehr, Molly Peckam and in the same event taking 15th overall with a Elizabeth Jewell. I am happy with the season best time of 1:19.79. The last event effort that all the swimmers gave in practice was the 400 yard free relay. RVRC’s team and in every meet. We finished the season of Marissa Needham, Charlotte Ferstl, Lily with a winning record with 4 wins and 2 Saperstein and Kris Langrehr finished 11th losses, finished well in all four invitationals, overall with Ferstl clocking a personal best getting several personal best time in every time of 1:06.81 in her 100 yard split. meet including Sectionals and qualified a Coach Nachreiner said, “It was very good swimmer in 2 State events.” season. The team had great attitudes and

Arena to hold special board meeting Nov. 16 continued from page 1 According to Naeger, three other contractors expressed interest in bidding but were deterred by a backlog of well drillings in the industry and the ambitious construction schedule set by the village. MSA stated they had worked with Sam’s Well Drilling, Inc. in the past and described them as qualified. The contract was awarded by unanimous vote of the board.

Also discussed and approved is a special board meeting to be held Nov. 16 at 7pm to update engineering firm MSA on the sewer project the village is undertaking. Shea stated she will not be able to attend the meeting.

Gravity sewer fieldwork for Sharon Street and High Street corridors is currently finished, so the preliminary design has started. Sewer depths will be 20 feet, and another alternative is being considered for South Street and Willow Street. Public Works and MSA have already met and discussed the current lift station facilities and flow data. There is a need to upgrade the lift station capabilities on Pine Street from 7.5 horsepower to 30 horsepower.

Cost estimate, design exhibits and recommendations will all be discussed at the Nov. 16 special board meeting.

The board heard that Public Works had discussed with MSA the possible cost for a resurfacing project on Village Edge Road that would include an asphalt path, with the total estimated cost being $332,000. The project will be submitted to the Local Road

Improvement Program for 50% funding. The application is due to the Iowa County Highway Commissioner on Nov. 20. The part of the project that stretches between Lois Lane and Fortier Road will need Town of Arena approval as well. A motion was made

by Kathy Stoltz to submit the grant application for the project and was seconded by Shea.

Also discussed was a recommendation from the Plan Commission to approve an ordinance to subdivide lots on Sharon Street and rezone them from Agricultural to Single Family Residential. Motion from Stoltz and seconded from Shea to approve, with the board passing the ordinance 6-0, with Doerflinger arriving at the meeting.

Other selected actions/discussions by the board

—Historians thanked the village and board for the use of the room in the Village Hall they were previously able to use until they could find a new home at the redeveloped ACES building that previously housed the elementary school.

—The board was reminded that emails shouldn’t be sent between board members due to potential violations of open meetings law and were reminded to email Naeger with questions.

—The monthly Police Report stated that the highest driving speed in the Village of Arena this month was 97 mph on Highway 14.

Business/Professional

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“The good stuff.”

Page 8

Outdoors/recreation

Thursday, November 11, 2021

An Outdoorsman’s Journal

Mark Walters, Contributor

Chippewa River Bow Hunt Hello friends, I am sitting at the driver’s seat of The Chevy Hotel somewhere in Pepin County and I am writing this week’s column. In the last 32-years I have never written this column on a computer in my truck.

So here is the deal, I am camping, it is day six of my bow hunt. I have left camp in the dark by canoe and every day I have come back to camp in the dark by canoe.

To be perfectly honest I am as weathered as possible and still walking.

I am supposed to be headed home today but have just decided to stay another 48 to 72 hours. The following is some brief details of my life.

Sunday, October 31st High 56, low 32

It is about a one-mile paddle to where I am bow hunting. Friday night was my first hunt. I have two doe tags and my buck tag; I want to make meat and as usual enjoy life. On Friday I saw one doe but unfortunately, she saw me first. She was crossing a marsh and I was going from a standing position to a sitting in my stand and low and behold she spotted me first.

On Saturday I did not see one deer.

Today I had better luck, kind of. At about 8:15 I saw a cow doe about 40-yards away in the forest and I am thinking about backstraps and one less tag to fill. Too bad for me she decided to go in a valley instead of towards me. Five minutes later I am pretty stoked about my experience and here comes a tenpoint buck following her trail via his nose step for step.

That buck was literally seeing with his nose. Five minutes after that what may be the biggest spike buck that I have ever seen comes down the same trail as the doe and ten pointer and makes a B line right at me. I am thinking venison and glory, when he was five yards away, I made the “it’s too early in this trip to fill my buck tag with this buck” decision.

In all honesty, this spiker was not a 1.5-year-old deer. He had a very heavy body and really large spikes.

So, I am living in a tree, tent, or canoe and on the canoe end I have made two new friends. On Saturday I met Lyle Bataglia and Tom Nissley of Plum City.

These guys are trapping muskrat and are very cool dudes, about as outdoorsy and natural as you can get. While they were setting their traps on Saturday, they caught seven muskrats. We have had great conversations every day when I paddle in for my lunch break.

Photo by Mark Walters, Contributor Mark Walters traveling to his bow stand on the Chippewa River.

Photo by Mark Walters, Contributor (L-R) Tom Nissley and Lyle Bataglia trapping muskrat on the Chippewa River.

Photo by Mark Walters, Contributor The view from my bow stand!

Before I forget here are a couple of handy tips. When I got lost two weeks ago in a deep, dark swamp I unknowingly destroyed both of my Lacrosse Trapper hip boots and on my first hunt of this trip I found out. The following day I used one, 2.5-gallon zip lock bag for each foot and other than sweat, my feet stay dry.

Also, it took me four days to find my toothpaste. I put sea salt on my toothbrush and walla, my mouth is as fresh as a 60-year-old man living under these conditions can get.

Here is another story. I am exploring, I see a deer on what is a ridgeline/ shoreline, it is a buck. The wind pushed me to shore within 20-feet of the buck who does not know of my presence, “must be the sea salt” it was a small fork horn. I let him live and when my canoe touched the shore, he saw me and said goodbye.

Next, most people are aware that it is not cool to shoot or hunt any deer other than a super trophy buck. I say BS to that. Last year I killed a very large ten-point buck, Selina whacked a spike and we put a doe in the freezer as well.

The reality of sitting at the dinner table is this, the ten pointer is like eating an

old bull compared to a prime steer.

Selina’s spiker is pure pleasure, like the steer that was raised for the county fair.

Sure, if you have the income, you can make sausage sticks out of the old goat but this low-income meat and potatoes guy is always thinking venison steaks sauteed with butter and onions, a meal like that makes me a lean, mean fighting machine.

So, I see I am about out of space and that sun clock is telling me that I need to paddle a mile, hike in a ways, and climb a tree. I am on overtime and am just about to the any buck will do kind of point. Super Spiker beware, I want your back straps in a fillet.

—Sunset P.S. There are foul smells coming from all parts of my body, no worries, another half a week and a shower will take place.

Want to read more?

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

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