Valley Sentinel 07-25-2024 by Valley Sentinel

Botterman Spring Green, Wisconsin

Interview with 2024 Spring Green Musician in Residence Arena Board discusses new EMS and fire agreements Wandering the Driftless: Plants That May Ruin Your Summer

Green Musician in Residence program interviews 2024

Recently, the Spring Green Musician in Residence program announced it had selected Fox Valley area musician Nicholas Botterman as the 2024 Spring Green Musician in Residence. The program interviewed Botterman about the upcoming residency:

What got you into making music in the ﬁrst place, and what was your ﬁrst instrument?

Watching live music & growing up with friends who had musicians in their family got me curious about playing music & especially drums. Drums were & still are my ﬁrst love.

Who were some of your inspirations when you ﬁrst started playing, and who are some of your current inspirations?

Growing up I was inspired by Incubus, Bob Marley, No Doubt, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Prince, Dr.Dre, Third Eye Blind & last but not least Hanson. Currently I really enjoy Glass Animals, Fugazi, Last Dinner Party, 21 Pilots, Lord Huron &

selectee Nicholas

The Weeknd.

When did you start writing your own material?

Around 10 years old, the night I got my ﬁrst drum set I was singing melodies &

drumming along.I would write songs on my bell kit for band class to transcribe to woodwinds or friends who played guitars. Eventually having to get into acoustic & other instruments to map out the

concerts in my head.

How did the current band come together?

Most of my life I have lived in Wisconsin or Colorado. On my first of many inspirational returns to Wisconsin I linked up with longtime friend /musical collaborator Brandon Domer (bass, keys & co-founder) to show him songs I wrote while living in Telluride. There was instant chemistry & we started writing more. Traveling Suitcase had a revolving door of many band members that helped the band shape itself the last decade.The constant creation & foundation always Brandon & I. Like many second chances, my latest return from Colorado in 2023 sparked that old pattern of calling Domer & saying “Well the Mt’s did that thing again & I want to sing”. We celebrated this tradition by finally finding consistent guitar players that have been intertwined through other members & projects.

River Valley School Board holds ﬁrst meeting of 2024-2025 school year, discusses referendum survey results

The River Valley School District Board of Education met on July 11 for its ﬁrst meeting of the 2024-2025 school year. The board discussed the results of a survey regarding the failed April 2 referendums, heard a report on the school forest and updated Title IX policies.

Referendum Survey Response

The board reviewed community feedback regarding the district’s April 2 referendums. The district received 499 responses to the survey, with 84% of respondents having voted during the referendums.

During the election both referendums failed. For Question 1, which included secure entrances, tech education space

updates, ADA compliance upgrades and a second middle school gymnasium 46% voted in favor 54% voted against. For Question 2, which included the addition of a performing arts center and secure entrance to the high school, 34% voted for, 66% voted against.

57% of survey respondents voted yes for Question 1 and 40% of survey respondents voted yes for Question 2. Regarding question 1, 66% of “no” respondents felt the referendum would raise their taxes too much, 59% felt the additional gymnasium was unnecessary, 46% felt the maintenance items should be embedded within the yearly budget and 45% felt that Plain Elementary should remain a school.

Regarding question 2, 66% of “no” respondents felt the referendum was unnecessary, 56% felt that it would raise taxes too much, 53% felt that there were other performing arts spaces that the district could utilize and 47% felt that there was no other fundraising to help with the cost.

“Reading some of those comments, it’s kind of frustrating to see that a lot of our public was not going out and getting information to base their judgment and decision on,” Jeﬀ Maier, Area 3 (Town of Clyde) board member, said.

FEH Design, the company the district has been consulting with for the capital improvements, provided a summary of the survey that noted that: “There is

majority support for safety & security, ADA compliance, and maybe some facility maintenance items,” and that there would be a positive vote if limited to those categories. The summary also advised that a gymnasium or performing arts center would not be supported unless signiﬁcant funding was sourced from elsewhere.

River Valley School Forest

The board recognized area business owner Dick Powell for this month’s recipient of the district’s Community Spotlight. Scott Lancaster from the Wisconsin DNR and Powell have been helping the

continued on page 5

Luukas Palm-Leis, Editorial Intern

Photo via the Spring Green Musician in Residence Program Nicholas Botterman, second from left, lead singer and drummer for band Traveling Suitcase, pictured here, is the 2024 Spring Green Musician in Residence.

Sh*tty Barn 2024 Season Preview Sh*tty Barn Sessions

Rob Steﬀen, Contributed

OPINION/EDITORIAL

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dear Editor,

Back in April, our ballot included two “yes/no” questions that few people understood. The carefully chosen, purposely vague wording seemed innocent to most of us, since we were not trained to be suspicious of historically trustworthy ballot creators. The questions passed, alas, and Wisconsin’s Constitution now includes restrictions and political involvement in all our future election staﬃng and funding … possibly forever.

This tactic, using a ballot question, in an election that is sparsely attended, was chosen speciﬁcally, as a permanent alternative to a simple law that could be undone by a Governor’s veto, or by a future legislature. Two Republicans began plotting this

Dear Editor,

As Wisconsin voters, we have an important responsibility to safeguard the integrity and balance of our state government. On the upcoming ballot, there are two Republican-proposed amendments to the Wisconsin Constitution that require our careful consideration—and a resounding "No" vote. You’ll need to ﬂip your ballot over or go to page two for electronic voting to ﬁnd the well-hidden questions.

Dear Editor,

The Republican Convention in Milwaukee was unbelievable, maybe not in the way Trump expected, but his simpering, boring acceptance speech of 90 minutes duration either put his audience to sleep, or they turned it oﬀ, way before he was done. He has repeatedly proﬀered tax cuts, but he neglects to say those will only

Dear Editor,

What does it take? I’m an early to bed, 9 pm, and late to rise 6:30 am kind of guy. Like millions of others, I watched Trump's acceptance speech hoping to see the new advertised Trump. Trump reportedly threw away his ﬁrst speech and wrote a new, kinder, more unifying kind of speech. The speech lasted one hour and 35 minutes. Instead of a unifying speech it was a normal stump meandering acceptance speech of the same old negative stuﬀ. His near-death experience changed nothing; he is back to his old habits.

Leading up to Trump's speech the evening was ﬁlled with the same rhetoric

scheme in 2021, and it passed the various steps toward our ballot by clear-cut party lines, in our monumentally gerrymandered state legislature. It passed in spite of being opposed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and League of Women Voters, both respected, decades-old stalwarts of non-partisan fairness.

We must not let it happen again. Yes, the ballot that is in the hands of all absentee voters RIGHT NOW, for the Aug 13 election, has two questions-again. Please be sure to tell everyone to vote “NO”. Tell them RIGHT NOW. Absentee voters are marking their referendum questions, on page two, RIGHT NOW.

They used the same kind of misleading, ambiguous language. They hid it on the

The language of these amendments is confusing, and the public knows little about them. With less than six weeks to inform ourselves, it's crucial to understand the profound implications. These proposals would dramatically shift the balance of power, granting the legislature significant control over the governor regarding the receipt and spending of federal monies. In emergency situations like floods, fires, and other disasters, the ability to quickly

be for the already rich folks who don’t need them. His tariﬀs against China during his Presidential term only increased both inﬂation and the federal debt here, and now he blames Biden for it, even when the Democrats’ economy has improved enormously over what Trump had left us with. Trump’s inane suggestion of using bleach as a treatment for Covid should have

coming from professional retired wrestler, Hulk Hogan, “Kid” Rock screaming at people telling them to put their ﬁsts in the air, Dana White, president of Ultimate Fighting Championship, Tucker Carlson ex Fox news, Steve Bannon and Franklin Graham informing us how God spared Trump’s life.

Near death experiences usually change people, but not Trump. He was the same old Trump talking about “fighting” for his people, how he has done things before “nobody has ever seen,” building walls, attacking Pelosi, and once again he offered a dark vision for America. CNN reported that Trump offered “twenty false claims”

back page, so people would miss it. They made it sound innocent and sensible. They timed it for an election predicted to have tiny turnout. But this pair of questions is more damaging. These destroy the balance of power that is supposed to deﬁne our branches of government. They redeﬁne WHO can decide HOW and WHEN money is spent, including even federal disaster relief. Instead of our Governor being able to quickly help tornado victims, for instance, federal funds would go to the lop-sided legislature, where it would become a political issue, or -worse – could be blocked by Marklein’s Joint Finance Committee. Just this month, the Wis. Supreme Court ruled this committee acted unconstitutionally by blocking

access and distribute federal funds is crucial. These amendments would bog down the process in legislative bureaucracy, delaying much-needed aid to farmers, businesses, and residents throughout the state. Additionally, voters must ﬁnd these questions on the back side of the ballot— it is hidden and easily overlooked. Our constitution should not be used to further political agendas or to heighten political tensions. These amendments are unnecessary and detrimental to the

proved his unsuitability as President. Republicans at every level, as evidenced in Wisconsin by what they’ve done to the UW college system, try to strangle educational opportunities because they don’t want an educated electorate. Similarly, they don’t think women deserve access to abortion, even when the woman’s death would be the only alternative! Maybe they won't be

in his speech. What does it take to change a person? It’s the same old egotistical person resembling a wolf in sheep’s clothing. With no plan he boldly said, “I will bring harmony throughout the world.”

The God I believe in does not alter the trajectory of a bullet to kill another man and wound two others. God does not spare a person’s life so he can become president. If you continue with this logic, what about the deaths of all those Palestinians, the thousands of people ﬂeeing their countries only to be ill treated at our southern border, children dying from cancer in our hospitals or Russia invading Ukraine.

As of the initial writing of this, Biden is

other funds. Needless to say, it is another Republican eﬀort to grab yet another duty away from the twice-elected Governor, for the grotesquely ‘ﬁxed’ legislature. Every decent American hopes that the new redistricting will move us toward fair representation, but until then, we must watch out for sneak tactics like these questions. We must spread the word ourselves. Neighbor to neighbor, customer to cashier, cousin to cousin: say “Vote”, certainly … and “VOTE NO” twice, on the back page. Don’t let our citizens get bamboozled again by trickery. Hurry! Do it now. Ballots are being marked NOW.

Peggy Peckham Arena, Wisconsin

fair functioning of our government. They threaten the checks and balances that ensure no single branch has too much power. I urge you to flip your ballot to find these hidden amendments and vote "No" on these misguided proposals. Let's preserve the balance of power that keeps our state government effective and accountable.

Claudia Wood Highland, Wisconsin

satisﬁed until they outlaw condoms too? Will Trump’s Hitler/Putin-worshiping-Project 2025 include Detention Camps, (German: Konzentrationslager), for all his perceived enemies, and not just for illegal immigrants?

Kay Ziegahn Richland Center, Wisconsin

still planning to run for a second term. Biden walks stiﬄy, loses his chain of thought, has COVID again, people around him are telling him to drop from the race yet he goes on. During an interview Biden said he never watched himself in the debate with Trump. What does it take to change a person?

On [July 21] President Biden announced he will no longer seek another term as president. Following three weeks of painful events, President Biden took the honorable path. Because Biden is grounded in his faith, family, and our country he took continued on page 3

On the cover

“Burnt Orange Skies” (2024) Photo, by Taylor Scott, Managing Editor

Shot from HWY 14 between Arena and Spring Green looking west, the above sunset teased to the coming of the rich tapestry of colors that followed on July 15.

OPINION/EDITORIAL

Project

2025: The Conservative Promise — Part 8: Deep Breath

Beverly Pestel, Columnist

In Part 7 I wrote that we need to hang on to hope because despair and resignation are our enemies. In the last couple of weeks that has been advice that has been hard to keep.

Politically the news has been cringeworthy. The Supreme Court presidential immunity decision was unimaginable, as was overturning the Chevron doctrine. Continued reading of Project 2025 leaves me with a knot in the pit of my stomach.

Judge Cannon has dismissed the classiﬁed documents case. An assassination attempt and then a Trump speech at the convention that is described by David Brooks as “one of the truly awful and self-indulgent performances of our time.” Deep breath.

The media obsession with Biden’s debate performance and all the fallout has been really hard to watch. And now, Biden has stepped down and endorsed Kamala Harris. The race for the White House takes on a diﬀerent tone, but the stakes have not changed, Project 2025 is still out there.

Deep breath.

On the home front, twice now I’ve shoveled tons of gravel back into an eroded and gutted driveway. I have two trees uprooted from saturated ground laying in the yard that have to be cut up and hauled away. Our local wandering bear destroyed the bluebird house with the second ﬂush of eggs in it. Some of my ﬁngers don’t work right anymore and I miss hitting letters on the keyboard. Deep breath.

I can still shovel that displaced gravel. I have the equipment and skill to get those trees cut up, and spell checker catches all my missed letters. I feel sorry for the bluebirds, but they are probably more at peace with the disappointments of life than I am.

Life, this is all part of life, “you take the good, you take the bad…” Deep breath and keep moving forward.

I spoke with a fellow recently who insisted that anyone who is not lazy and who is willing to take risks can start a business and make a good living. I told him that

continued from page 2

the selﬂess act for the good of the country he has backed away from seeking a second term.

is not true, it takes capital to start a business. He disagreed, he said all he had to do to start his business was to go to his

buddy at the bank and get a loan. It did not even dawn on him what he had just said. It didn’t occur to him that it was his privileged connections that gave him his start.

Deep breath.

The conversation continued: No loan? Well just start mowing lawns for “little old ladies” he said and build a business that way. What if the kid doesn’t have money for a lawnmower I asked? What if the kid lives in a city where there are no lawns? Well, he said, then carry groceries for “little old ladies”. What if no one in the neighborhood has enough money to pay anyone to carry groceries? He changed the subject. It was hard, but this little old lady let the “little old ladies” references pass.

Deep breath. How is it so impossible for some of us not to recognize our privilege, and realize that willingness to work hard is not enough for many to succeed? One of the guys I was talking with was even disgusted because his daughter was making more than he thought she deserved as a public school teacher.

A lot of us have been trying for years now to understand why these people are so angry, and resentful at all the wrong people. There are no answers, at least none

This article is not just about Trump and Biden, it is about me and you. What does it take to change us, to see things as they really are? The Bible I read says GOD CREATED AND IT WAS GOOD. Now it is up to us to continue that goodness, to be good stewards, to be neighborly. God blessed not just America, but the universe, He gave life to everything, everybody. God

editor@valleysentinelnews.com valleysentinelnews.com

EDITORIAL BOARD

Editor-in-Chief Nicole Aimone

Managing Editor Taylor Scott

Legal Editor Gary Ernest Grass, esq.

Editorial Policy

Graphic Design Julianna Williams

Democracy, Society & Edu. Columnist Beverly Pestel

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 ap- pears in the rest of the publication and does not aﬀect the integrity and impartiality of our reporting.

that make sense. We do, however, know why people are being led down this path. And ﬁnally, what does any of this have to do with Project 2025? It’s pretty straightforward. When people are whipped up into this irrational anger and resentment at all those “others” out there who are somehow undeserving, they become willing to accept things that otherwise would repel them.

Things like these quotes from Project 2025 (pg. 102-103).

1. Appoint a Special Assistant to the President who will maintain liaison with Congress, DOD, and all other interested parties on the issue of [military] recruiting and retention.

2. Improve recruiting by suspending the use of the recently introduced MHS Genesis system that uses private medical records of potential recruits at Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS), creating unnecessary delays and unwarranted rejections.

3. Improve military recruiters’ access to secondary schools and require completion of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB)—the military entrance examination—by all students in schools that receive federal funding.

4. Encourage Members of Congress to provide time to military recruiters during each townhall session in their congressional districts.

OK, I see. 1 and 4: Exert all possible pressure to encourage teenagers to sign up for military service. Pressure applied not just by recruiters, but by a Special Assistant to the President and members of Congress. Certainly, we need young people willing to sign up for military service, but this reminds me of scenes from the Starship Troopers movie about a war with giant alien bugs.

Add to that section 3. Let’s make sure that there are no medical reasons used to unnecessarily delay the acceptance of potential recruits or permit unwarranted rejections. I wonder if that includes bone spurs? Probably not.

Then add the part buried in section 2.

does not go swooping around saving Republican candidates vying to be president. Saving the environment, bringing about peace and health to everyone is the responsibility of all of us.

The last night of the Republican convention was ﬁlled with machismo and chants

Editorial Contributor & Literary Journal Editor (At Large) Alex Prochaska

Editorial Intern Luukas Palm-Leis

Letter to the Editor Policy

Letters submitted for consideration are subject to fact-checking and editing for space and clarity. Submissions must have a compelling local community interest. Letters to the editor must ﬁt within a 500-word limit, and include name, city and phone number. Phone numbers are for oﬃce use only and will not be published. Letters of a political nature, without chance of rebuttal, will not be published the week before an election.

Literary Contributor Amanda Thomas

Literary Contributor Mary Lanita Schulz

Make sure every kid in a secondary public school is immediately military-ready by requiring that they take the military entrance examination. This is only the kids in public schools, not the kids in private schools.

It doesn’t take any imagination to see where they are going here. They are attempting to create a huge cohort of working class kids to be drafted at a moment’s notice into a ﬁghting force. Not the kids of the people who wrote Project 2025, their kids are in private school, just most of your kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids.

Now let’s get to the really scary part. Why do this? Well, now they are ready to launch a totally unwarranted war of aggression against anyone they choose – using your kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids.

Think I’m going too far here? I sincerely wish I thought I was.

“Naahhhhh,” the converted MAGA folks say, and simply hit the laughing emoji. It wouldn’t be our kids, it would be the kids of those folks who don’t deserve anything else - those “others.” And they’ll keep laughing until it is too late.

What the MAGA folks don’t understand is that they and the rest of us working folks are the “others” to the Project 2025 crew. The only exempt kids are those of the Project 2025 folks, the rich white dudes.

The promoters of Project 2025, however, are the minority, which means we can prevent this if all of us “others” use our power at the voting booth.

Deep breath and stay in the ﬁght.

If you want to fact check me as I go through this, here is a link so you can read it for yourself: tinyurl.com/ReadProject2025

Beverly is a retired professor. She lives in a remodeled farmhouse and tends 40 acres of woodland in Richland County. When not in the woods she spends her time reading, writing and enjoying the beauty of the Driftless Area. Beverly may be contacted at bpestel@msn.com.

of “fight, fight, fight.” Hopefully we are much kinder and more loving than that. How grounded are we?

God bless the universe.

Dennis Siebert Town of Sylvan, Wisconsin

Deadlines: The display and classiﬁed advertising deadline is Monday at noon for that week. If you would like our design team to design the ad then please allow extra time for the creative process and prooﬁng.

Column Policy

Editors may feature opinion columns written by public figures, members of the public or other publication staff. Columns reflect the opinions of the individual contributors and do not represent positions of the publication. Guest columns of an anticipated length more than 500 words should seek prior editor authorization.

Community Discussion Policy

From time to time the editorial board may select letters to the editor of a particular compelling community interest where a public ﬁgure or accountable public action is the recipient of 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.

Beverly Pestel

Driftless Grace: Keep Calm and Prairie On

I told this story aloud during the recent Morrill Lecture Series event that convened local storytellers in the style of “The Moth.” Thanks to Stef et al. for the opportunity!

In the spring of 2021, I found myself in the difficult position of quitting what had once been my dream job. I work in the very niche field of prairie restoration. My first-ever internship in this field took place the summer after my junior year of college. I got to work sideby-side with local experts to restore diverse landscapes just a few miles from my childhood home. It opened my eyes to a world that had existed literally under my feet.

By the time the six-week internship ended, I had fallen in love with prairies and started volunteering for the group. And by the time COVID came along, I was their resident Millennial. They asked me to join a volunteer committee that worked on communications for the whole organization.

So, when the President of the Board of Directors called me one scorching hot evening in July 2020, I assumed it was about this committee. Instead, as I lay in

bed watching my ceiling fan go around and around, what he said changed my life forever. He told me that the staﬀ member in charge of communications was leaving. The Board was oﬀering me a paid job to do what I was already doing as a volunteer.

This was a big deal for me. I had never really ﬁt in with my peers in college, despite our shared love of the natural world. I wasn’t physically strong enough to spend the long days outside, cutting trees and brush with power tools or using prescribed ﬁre to restore prairies. My skills were indoor skills like writing and social media. I always felt like a wimp, if not a total impostor.

With this new job, I could use my skills to serve the prairie by spreading awareness and encouraging others to volunteer. I didn’t even have to leave my apartment if I wanted, let alone go out and work in the prairie. I was truly a valuable asset to the organization, and I had the coveted Paid Job in My Field.

So I must have been overjoyed, right? Wrong. It turned out that ﬁnally ﬁtting in and having the perfect job didn’t solve all my problems! The job description was so broad that it felt like I was doing the work of at least three people. I felt paralyzed by not knowing where to start. With everything that needed to be done, I felt pressure to volunteer my time in order to save the group some money. Worst of all, even if I made every detail perfect, the feedback I would receive would be about the one detail that wasn’t.

When I talked to my friends, all I could talk about was work. Both my friends and family noticed how overwhelmed I was. This was a lifestyle, not a job.

And for my 27-year-old self, this was devastating. How could my dream job be so diﬃcult? Could I really have the courage to quit a job that had been handed to me on a silver platter? Could I start all over again? Also, people were telling me all the

Spring Green Musician in Residence program interviews 2024 selectee Nicholas Botterman

continued from page 1

Nate Mcdowell is an intuitive rock & funk player, making any electric sound part of himself. Todd Balke adds the color of blues & southern soul to the picture. In my 20 years of working with people I have never met guitar players that sound guys have to ask to play louder. They want so much room for each other to grow.

Truly that's how this band came together just wanting to grow from music. If you had to choose a genre, what would it be?

Alternative Indie Rock

Tell us a bit about your record label and publishing company. How did it come about, what do you hope to accomplish, who have you worked with outside of Traveling Suitcase? And anything else you’d like to add in regard to it.

Our 2023 release had us in the lane of

merging with a few coastal distributions. The writing strike started & we felt it wise to stick to grass roots.

Our co-writers & collaborations are blossoming currently. We are shooting content all summer between shows & live sessions. The local music scene is full of so many talented people. We have around 5-10 musicians/bands we collaborate with quite regularly like Natural Satellite, Horace Greene, Dead Horses, Between The Low, North Wind & The Sun, Sinking Lessons & emerging artists who we have met through local open mics. These are all talented humans who range in backgrounds of bluegrass,pop,metal & folk.

The goal of running an independent label is fair growth & credit where credit is due.Teaching others how simple it can be to get your voice to others. We live in an ever changing society. Having control over your life’s work & others vulnera-

ble spaces should be in the hands of the CREATORS.

What about the Music Residency appealed to you, and caused you to apply for it?

Traveling Suitcase has been a roots driven project. Performing at Shitty Barn alone is one of the highest indie invitations these Wisconsin kids could dream. We have a bountiful schedule & we yearn to follow through on our goals more than ever. Applying was more of a penny into the wishing well & we’re the Goonies in it.

We are drawn to the adventure of creating & collaborating.

Anything speciﬁc you hope to accomplish during the residency?

Editing a few weeks of collaboration videos, Website, Writing new material & the most important ﬁnding a local artist that would love to collaborate & perform with us at The Shitty Barn!

CROSSWORD

time how lucky I was to have a job in my field that used my specific skill set. Was I just being selfish and letting them all down?

Somehow I found the courage. Shortly after I received my first dose of the COVID vaccine, in the flush of freedom that followed, I sent in my resignation. And it felt… so good! Instant relief. Within a few hours of my decision, I could feel that an enormous weight had been lifted off my shoulders. My calendar started to open up again, the light at the end of a tunnel of meetings and commitments. Within a few days, I was still thinking about the organization, but I knew I wouldn’t miss working there.

A few years later, I still occasionally return to the prairies that I worked to support - but this time I’m there as a volunteer. The best part is that the prairies themselves don’t know the diﬀerence. They remain as gorgeous, sacred landscapes who welcome me back again and again.

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.

Any new recordings in the works? We are releasing vinyl in August.The demo’s remain ﬂowing. We have many sketches & look forward to the focus time of painting the canvas. We have a big goal of striking an EP out of the residency time. We are also in the moment type of people. The moment always has something else to challenge our plans. Our gratitude is immense & our hearts open to recording a new chapter through this experience.

The Residency takes place September 8th-21st. Opportunities to see and engage with Nicholas during his time in Spring Green will be announced via the Residency website https://musicresidency.wixsite.com/residency and social media.

Traveling Suitcase will be performing their Residency ﬁnale show at the Shitty Barn on Friday, September 20th.

We were recently told "any newspaper worth its salt has a respectable crossword" — and to be clear, we're pretty salty

Give us feedback at editor@valleysentinelnews.com, as we've never made a crossword before, much less a respectable one, and it's surprisingly diﬃcult. Especially (maybe) with the goal of only including words or themes from the previous edition.

We're hoping to tighten up the grid over time and shift from an "indie" style to a respectable New York Times style with rotational symmetry. Which is why we've expanded our word pool and enlisted the help of passionate community members.

This puzzle and section will absolutely change. Especially if you can help. We appreciate all the feedback and suggestions so far.

What about chess puzzles next? We're not joking.

Puzzle by Nick Zaborek Edited by Jen Zaborek

the

Solution to the previous puzzle appearing in the June 27, 2024 edition

Grace Vosen, Contributor

Grace Vosen

River Valley School Board holds ﬁrst meeting of 2024-2025 school year, discusses referendum survey results and extend protections regarding sexual harassment. Updates also require prompt, transparent and unbiased responses to violations, as well as provide supportive actions towards complainants and respondents.

continued from page 1

district maintain the River Valley School Forest, which is located just south of Spring Green on Highway 23. Powell helps to maintain the forest by mowing the land and working to target invasive species.

The board heard a report from Powell regarding the health of the plant life within the school forest. It was noted that some logging of the forest may be required to thin out trees and avoid disease spread. The report also discusses grassland projects as well as converting one of the plots of land to prairie.

Other Board Actions

The board reviewed and voted on new Title IX policies. These updates come from the U.S. Department of Education

Claire Knoll, the district’s pupil services director, provided the seclusion and restraint report from the 2023-2024 school year.

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction defines “physical restraint” as a restriction that immobilizes or reduces the ability of a student to freely move his or her torso, arms, legs or head. The DPI defines “seclusion” as the involuntary confinement of a student, apart from other students, in a room or area from which the student is physically prevented

from leaving.

The district had 19 instances of seclusion and 10 instances of restraint on campus, all from the elementary school. All staﬀ members involved in these incidents were trained in nonviolent crisis intervention methods.

The data also reports 41 instances of restraint occurred at New Frontiers Academy in Prairie du Chien for River Valley students attending there for educational placement.

“We are looking at our procedures, things we can tweak for next year. We are going to meet with crisis teams and then also individual student teams for kids that are having repeated situations, reﬂect on our diﬀerent trainings we’ve had and things we can continue to

Village of Arena Board meets to discuss new EMS and ﬁre agreements

The Village of Arena Board of Trustees met July 9 for a special meeting to discuss proposed ﬁre and EMS agreements with the Town of Arena.

In the meeting the board discussed the reasoning behind moving to two separate agreements — one agreement for ﬁre services and a separate for EMS services, which were previously covered under a single joint agreement between the municipalities — as well as worked to reﬁne the agreements.

Public Comment

During public comment, Steve Wilkinson, a resident and former village board member who has long been involved in ﬁre and EMS, brought up concerns about the ﬁre and EMS department’s morale due to proposed changes in the agreements.

“The departments need to know what will happen if that doesn’t get signed,” Wilkinson said. “Especially for the full time people whether they are going to have a job or not, that's their livelihood.”

He continued by noting that the EMS agreement did not contain any statement regarding mutual aid, while the ﬁre agreement did. Wilkinson also said that the EMS service is already committed to mutual aid to the surrounding communities, including Dane County departments and the City of Madison.

Mutual aid refers to the instances where ﬁre or EMS service providers supply emergency response in an adjacent or nearby primary service area when the primary emergency service provider requires additional resources because it has already committed all its resources to other emergency responses.

“Because that’s inherent in state law that mutual aid is provided, it’s part of state code,” Trustee Melissa Bandell said, regarding the lack of mutual aid in the EMS agreement.

“That could be, but I don’t know, it isn’t addressed in your…” Wilkinson replied, before being cut oﬀ by Bandell.

“And that is why it's part of state statute,” Bandell responded, without citing a speciﬁc statute.

I looked a little at this. This is by no means a comprehensive guide on mutual aid in Wisconsin, or its statutory requirements.

It's very hard to be certain when someone says "it exists somewhere" and leaves you to prove a negative, but from what I can see in a cursory look the law generally contemplates that mutual aid is not required, nor even allowed in many instances, without statutory authorization. Most of the laws merely authorize provision of mutual aid or explain how payment for services or indemniﬁcation for injuries is administered. There are several places where mutual aid is in fact made a requirement, but in every case I've seen, the requirement is to

Regarding mutual aid, Paul Pustina, a village resident and former village president and board member, said, “The point that was brought up that mutual aid was not in the EMS agreement, just because its part of state statute doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be featured in the agreement, that's all part of writing agreements, covering all the bases.”

Fire and EMS Agreements Discussion

The board then discussed the fire agreement and Trustee BeccaRaven Uminowicz brought up the change to create two separate commissions for fire and EMS, as opposed to the previous single fire and EMS commission.

“Per the agreement since 2007, it seemed to be working ﬁne, so now it’s not…? Again, what didn’t work right?” Uminowicz asked.

“They are subsidizing ﬁre operations with EMS,” Bandell responded.

“And we know that for a fact?” Uninowicz said.

“Yes… They were using EMT revenues to fund ﬁre purchases,” Bandell said.

Wilkinson and Village President Kate Reimann concurred that the ﬁre department had been using funds from the EMS department for ﬁre equipment and purchases.

“Sounds to me like we should be doing better accounting then within the agreement,” Uminowicz said.

“The idea of having two separate budgets makes it easier to track expenditures, and be more ﬁduciarily responsible to the taxpayer, because now you can account for every expenditure under this line versus every expenditure under this line,” Trustee Matthew Shroeder replied to Uminowicz. “If ﬁre needed more money that is something that should be addressed in the moment instead of borrowing or taking money from EMS.”

Schroeder went on to note that the separate agreements — which Bandell said were drafted by the village attorney, BoardmanClark’s Paul Johnson — were both not consistent within themselves and with each other.

“If we think that the language in

enter into a mutual aid agreement, not to simply provide aid.

I know the public records law is for documents, not information, but someone interested might request Melissa Bandell provide all documents in her possession which she relied upon to support her statement, or which include reference to a statutory mutual aid obligation. It might be noteworthy if the response is that no such documents exist.

I'm an attorney, I'm not your attorney. This is not intended as legal advice.

one is better than the other… I think they should align so that it’s easier to understand that they essentially say the same thing, just that one is for ﬁre, one is for EMS,” said Schroeder.

He continued by pointing out a multitude of punctuation, formatting and grammatical errors, which the board worked for nearly an hour to correct.

The board discussed the amount of time that should be allowed to receive payment for ﬁre services before sending charges to collections — settling on a nine month time span.

The board then discussed the EMS agreement and worked for over an hour to resolve similar numerous formatting, verbiage and grammatical issues.

The same statement regarding mutual aid from the ﬁre agreement was added to the EMS agreement. The board also

improve upon,” Knoll said.

These numbers are down from the 2022-2023 school year, which had 23 instances of seclusion and 23 of restraint speciﬁcally on River Valley campuses.

The board approved the hiring of one new teacher, Jacob Marshall, for middle school physical education and health education, replacing Jeﬀ Johnson. Marshall comes from the Jeﬀerson School District, has eight years of teaching experience and is set to earn a Master’s degree next month. The board hired Marshall at an annual salary of $57,000.

The school board meets for its next regular meeting on August 8 at 7 p.m. in the middle school library and streams on the district’s YouTube channel.

changed the collections time span to nine months to align with the ﬁre agreement.

The motion to accept the edited ﬁre and EMS agreements was carried with all members voting in favor. The agreements as edited will be reviewed by the village attorney and then sent to the Town of Arena for review and negotiation.

According to Town of Arena Supervisor Andrea Joo, the Town is having its attorney draft a proposal that would extend the current ﬁre and EMS agreement until a new agreement is negotiated between the Town and the Village.

The Village of Arena meets for a special meeting July 30 to continue discussion on the ﬁre and EMS agreements. The Village’s next regular board meeting is August 6 at 7 p.m.

Luukas Palm-Leis, Editorial Intern

—Gary Ernest Grass, esq., Legal Editor Legal Editor's Analysis: Mutual Aid

Events for July 25 - August 8

Thursday, July 25

COmmunitycalendar

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

Sunday, July 28

Stitch and Bitch 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM Spring Green General Store, 137 S. Albany St. Spring Green springgreengeneralstore.com The Spring Green General Store’s Stitch and Bitch handwork group meets Thursday afternoons weekly. All are welcome.

Tech Help 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Plain Kraemer Library, 910 Main St., Plain kraemerlibrary.org rvbroadband.org/techhelp Come on in with any devices or technology you need help with! No appoiontment necessary.

LIVE MUSIC: Nick Ehlinger & His Much More Talented Friends at Local Night 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM Post House Garden, 127 E Jeﬀerson St, Spring Green Look up The Shed on Facebook for more info Come to the patio for some great music, delicious food, and ice cold drinks! Stay tuned for updates on music lineup as they continue to book local talent! Music will be 5:30-7:30, with food being served from 4-8. Midsummer Music: Paul and Doug 6:00 PM American Players Theatre, 5950 Golf Course Rd, Spring Green americanplayers.org Most weekdays June through August, live acoustic music plays on the grounds to accompany your picnic.

Knit Night at Nina’s 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Nina’s Department Store, 143 E. Jeﬀerson St. Spring Green ninasdepartmentstore.com Every Thursday from 6 to 8 pm. All knitters and crocheters are welcome. Store closed after 5:30 pm.

Friday, July 26

Plain Fire & EMS 3 Day Celebration 2:00 PM - 11:00 PM Plain Municipal Park, Park View Ave, Plain For more information look up Plain Fire & EMS on Facebook Celebration questions, contact Danny Herfel (608)317-8488 Live entertainment, food, and cold beer all weekend long! Inﬂatables & fun for the kids. No carry-ins. Youth Baseball Tournament at 2. High Mileage starts at 7, playing your favorite 80's-90's-00's rock hits all night!

Karaoke 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jeﬀerson St., Spring Green slowpokelounge.com Join us the fourth Friday of every month for a night of Karaoke at Slowpoke. Janna Johnson hosts this night for the community to come together in song. Take a chance and come up on stage, or just cheer on your friends. We’ll get star ted around 8:00, and go until last call. That could be as early as 10:00 or as late as 2:00am. It all depends on you! No cover, but tips for our host are always welcome.

SOLD OUT: LIVE MUSIC — Sh*tty Barn Session 318: Brennen Leigh // Allison Mahal 7:00 PM 506 E Madison St, Spring Green shittybarnsessions.com Doors open at 6 Advance tickets sold out. That sald, tickets often come up that people can't use, so check out SH*TTY TICKET SWAP, which helps to connect ticket buyers and sellers Brennen Leigh is an American songwriter, guitar player, mandolin player and singer whose to-the-point storytelling style has elevated her to cult icon status in several countries across the world. For Allison Mahal, life is like a room full of mirrors reﬂecting on life, family, creativity, and community. Allison's live sets are rich with harmonies, insightful lyricism and good vibes. Whether acoustic duo/trio or full bandAllison Mahal is guaranteed to impress.

LIVE MUSIC: Cheers to 4 Years of the Keg and Kettle! w/ DJ Zimmy 9:00 PM - 1:00

AM . Keg & Kettle Bar, 104 S Oak St, Lone Rock For more information look up Keg & Kettle Bar on Facebook DJ Zimmy starts at 9:00 p.m. It's going to be an amazing wild and crazy fun time! Don't forget there's Karaoke too!!! Many drink specials to choose from as well! You can dance the night away, play some pool, or shoot some darts, whatever you like! So, come on down and hang out or just say Hi, and have a drink. Congratulations AJ and Sarah! Here's a Cheers to 4 years!!!

Saturday, July 27

Plain Fire & EMS 3 Day Celebration 8:00 AM - 11:00 PM Plain Municipal Park, Park View Ave, Plain For more information look up Plain Fire & EMS on Facebook Celebration questions, contact Danny Herfel (608)317-8488 Live entertainment, food, and cold beer all weekend long! Inﬂatables & fun for the kids. No carry-ins. See online for full schedule. Music from Shawn Schell 4-7, and Cherry Pie at 8!

Heck’s Vendor/Flea Market 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM Heck’s Farm Market, 7266 US Highway 14, Arena For more info look up Heck’s Farm Market on Facebook Various types of vendors to shop every Saturday and Sunday - weather permitting. Vendors must contact Heck’s Farm Market for free registration.

Spring Green Farmers Market 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM S230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green Spring Green Farmers Market Is a year-round outdoor market oﬀering seasonal produce, local meats, baked goods and many other wonderful items. Held outside the Spring Green Community Public Library every Saturday morning.

LIVE MUSIC: ChamberFest 2024 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM Spring Green General Store, 137 S. Albany St., Spring Green 608-5880-707 All ChamberFest events are free with a $20 suggested donation. You can make a tax-deductible donation to ChamberFest online . 11 AM: Children’s Concert. 12 PM: More-Than-Human: Chamber Music Inspired by the Natural World. In case of rain, ChamberFest will move to the Community Room at the Spring Green Community Library (230 E Monroe St).

LIVE MUSIC: Hot Rod Eddie on the River Stage 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM Wisconsin Riverside Resort, S13220 Shiﬄet Road, Spring Green wiriversideresort.com Warm weather, cold cocktails, and great live music! Join outside on the Riverside stage!

Open Euchre 5:00 PM Arena VFW Hall 514 Willow Street, Arena For more info look up Arena VFW on Facebook $5 BBQ, Chips and Beans available for purchase. No partner needed. Last Saturday of Every month!

LIVE MUSIC: Sugar Mama and the Rent Check 7:30 PM - 10:30 PM Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jeﬀerson St., Spring Green slowpokelounge.com Suggested donation $5-10 at the door Playing a mix of funk, soul and rock 'n roll, Sugar Mama and the Rent Check are a Spring Green-based band featuring Laura Burbaugh on vocals, Ellie Barta-Moran on vocals, killer tambourine and guitar, Todd Miller on lead guitar, John Christensen on vocals and keyboard, Tim Gittings on bass and harmonica, and Rob

Plain Fire & EMS 3 Day Celebration 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM . Plain Municipal Park, Park View Ave, Plain For more information look up Plain Fire & EMS on Facebook Celebration questions, contact Danny Herfel (608)317-8488 Live entertainment, food, and cold beer all weekend long! Inﬂatables & fun for the kids. No carry-ins. See online for full schedule. Parade at 11! Chicken BBQ at 12. Donnie Reyzek at 1.

Trail Jamboree -- Last Person Standing 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM White Oak Savanna, 4352 State Road 23, Dodgeville whiteoaksavanna.com This last person standing pop-up event will take place on a two mile looped course and will follow the traditional format of a last person standing race. All participants will start a lap at the same time and must be back to the corral before the next lap starts or they are eliminated. But here is the twist.....the further you go the faster you have to run to beat the clock. You will have 30 minutes to complete the ﬁrst lap. We will then decrease the time limit by 1 minute every lap until only 1 person successfully completes all laps under the time limit.

Reading the Driftless: Animal Tracking with William Robichaud - Riverview Terrace Field School 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center. 5607 County Road C, Spring Green taliesinpreservation.org Ages 8 and up: $15 per person Please check in at the Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center by 9:45 AM Please note: this tour requires walking on uneven ground and gravel walkways. The tour will begin promptly at 10 AM and will return to the Visitor Center at 11 AM. Those who sign up for this event will receive early access to book the 12:00PM In-Depth House Tour, which will be guided by William. Frank Lloyd Wright roamed these Driftless hills as a child, and this experience was essential to the architect he became. On this tour we will ‘read’ the Driftless landscape, and explore Wright’s connection with Nature, by exploring and reading the tracks left by wildlife living on the Taliesin property.

Tarot Readings with Gwyn Padden-Lechten 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM North Earth Crystals & Gifts, 124 W. Jefferson St, Spring Green northearth.com $60 per half hour session, $30 for fifteen minute three card draw Gwyn Padden-Lechten is a Nature-centered Psychic Medium and Dreamwalker. She uses tarot and oracle cards as a tool for inner guidance and self-exploration for her client readings. During her readings be open to messages from beyond the veil as she never can tell who may come forth to offer supporting energy. Dream interpretation and magic is another one of Gwyn’s specialties. Walk-in appointments will be taken as availability allows. Time slots fill up quickly, so please call 608.588.3313 to set up an appointment.

LIVE MUSIC: July Jamboree & Beer Garden 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM White Oak Savanna, 4352 State Road 23, Dodgeville . whiteoaksavanna.com . $5 entry fee at the door goes straight to the band . We are pleased to have Line Dancing with instruction by Adam’s Dance Connection this Sunday! The White Oak Savanna grounds will be available for hiking, ﬁshing and lawn games. Dance music will be playing in the barn and the lawn will be transformed into a beer garden for relaxing and taking in the sun. Designated jam areas will be available for people looking to play Old-Time Music with their friends. Food will be available from the White Oak Savanna Kitchen and our bar will be open for beverage purchases. (Please note no outside alcohol permitted).

LIVE MUSIC: Just Merl & a Girl on the River Stage 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM Wisconsin Riverside Resort, S13220 Shiﬄet Road, Spring Green wiriversideresort.com Warm weather, cold cocktails, and great live music! Join us outside on the Riverside stage!

Monday, July 29

LIVE MUSIC: Barlow 7:30 PM - 10:00 PM Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jeﬀerson St., Spring Green slowpokelounge.com Tickets $10 in advance/$15 at the door Boasting a lifelong career as an actor with a deep knowledge of funk and soul music under his belt, Barlow aims to be the Renaissance Man of your alt-R&B fantasies. Expressive lyrics, believable angst and a colored past all bubble together for impressive, passionate music. Reminiscent of Daniel Caesar, Anderson .Paak, and Miguel, Barlow's debut self-titled EP with veteran producer Bionik (Lizzo, Far East Movement, Sophia Eris) is raw, eclectic and carries on the tradition of great R&B from Minneapolis, Minnesota. His live band includes Bionik (guitar, vocals) and Eric Mayson (keyboard,

Tuesday, July 30

Paper Mache- Hot Air Balloon Craft - Part 1 1:00 PM . Plain Kraemer Library, 910 Main St., Plain kraemerlibrary.org Celebrate Summer Adventure by making fun and colorful Hot Air Balloon with us out of paper mache! Children must be 7+ and able to attend Part 1 to attend Part 2 date.

Summer Afternoon Storytime 4:30 PM - 5:00 PM Plain Kraemer Library, 910 Main St., Plain kraemerlibrary.org Story time includes stories and songs followed by a fun themed craft and activity.

Thursday, August 1

Storytime 10:30 AM Lone Rock Community Library, 234 N Broadway St, Lone Rock lonerocklibrary.wordpress.com Join us every Thursday for storytime!

Meet & Greet with Karen DeSanto, Democratic Candidate for the 40th Assembly District 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Spring Green General Store, 137 South Albany Street, Spring Green For more info look up Karen DeSanto for State Assembly on Facebook Casual time to meet Karen DeSanto, Democratic Candidate for the new 40th Assembly District. Enjoy the hospitality of the Spring Green General Store owner, Karin, and the rest of the wonderful team!

Paper Mache- Hot Air Balloon Craft - Part 2 1:00 PM Plain Kraemer Library, 910 Main St., Plain kraemerlibrary.org Celebrate Summer Adventure by making fun and colorful Hot Air Balloon with us out of paper mache! Children must be 7+ and able to attend Part 1 to attend Part 2 date.

Events for July 25 - August 8

Thursday, August 1 cont.

Library Open House 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green . springgreenlibrary.org . Two long time Library Board members recently retired. Sue Meise, Library Board President, and Linda Thering, Treasurer. Join to thank them for their many years of service! If you wish, bring a card for them. Please join at the library for a fun celebration and some light refreshments.

Tech Drop-In 2:00 PM Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green springgreenlibrary.org Whether you're grappling with setting up email accounts, navigating social media platforms, or troubleshooting software issues, knowledgeable volunteers or library staﬀ will be on hand to lend a helping hand.

LIVE MUSIC: Point Five at Local Night 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM Post House Garden, 127 E Jeﬀerson St, Spring Green Look up The Shed on Facebook for more info Come to the patio for some great music, delicious food, and ice cold drinks! Stay tuned for updates on music lineup as they continue to book local talent! Music will be 5:30-7:30, with food being served from 4-8. Drinks will be ﬂowing!

Midsummer Music: Doug Brown/Maureen McCarty Duo 6:00 PM American Players Theatre, 5950 Golf Course Rd, Spring Green americanplayers.org Most weekdays June through August, live acoustic music plays on the grounds!

Friday, August 2

SOLD OUT: LIVE MUSIC — Sh*tty Barn Session 319: Mama Digdown's Brass Band 7:00 PM 506 E Madison St, Spring Green shittybarnsessions.com Doors open at 6 Advance tickets sold out. That sald, tickets often come up that people can't use, so check out SH*TTY TICKET SWAP, which helps to connect ticket buyers and sellers For three decades, Mama Digdown's has traveled the world spreading the gospel of New Orleans music. Mama Digdown's respectively embraces the craft and tradition of New Orleans brass band music and the infectious vibe they bring to the stage has earned them the reputation as one of the most exciting brass bands on the scene today.

Saturday, August 3

Heck’s Vendor/Flea Market 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM . Heck’s Farm Market, 7266 US Highway 14, Arena For more info look up Heck’s Farm Market on Facebook Various types of vendors to shop every Saturday and Sunday - weather permitting. Vendors must contact Heck’s Farm Market for free registration.

Softball Tournament 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM Kaul Park, WI-130, Bear Valley For more information look up Kaul Park Bear Valley Softball Tournament on Facebook Bracket, length and additional format will be based on number of participating teams. More details provided as the event draws near. Make plans to join!

Retreat In Wisconsin 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM The Octagon Barn, E4350 Horseshoe Rd, Spring Green For more information look up Juliette Crane on Facebook You can sign up for a single day, or choose both days. Whether you’re new to painting or an experienced artist, we’ll have so much fun developing friendships and creating art together in this gorgeous landscape. This course will nurture your creativity and all will create paintings full of color and joy! A delicious vegetarian lunch will be catered both days, as well as tea, water, and snacks.

Team Puzzle Competition 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM . Plain Kraemer Library, 910 Main St., Plain kraemerlibrary.org Grab a couple of friends or family and register for the 2nd annual team puzzle competition at the library! Your team of 2-6 players of your choice (all ages welcome) will have three hours to assemble. The team who is the closest to ﬁnish at the end of three hours wins!

Play Talks: Wolf at the Door 12:00 PM American Players Theater, 5950 Golf Course Rd, Spring Green americanplayers.org $10 | Free for APT Insiders Join us at John's Place in the APT picnic area for a conversation with the actors, directors, playwrights and experts on each of the season's plays. Playwright Marisela Treviño Orta returns to APT to discuss her play Wolf at the Door.

LIVE MUSIC: 3 Souls on the River Stage 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM Wisconsin Riverside Resort, S13220 Shiﬄet Road, Spring Green . wiriversideresort.com . Warm weather, cold cocktails, and great live music! Join us outside on the Riverside stage!

LIVE MUSIC: Ryan Meisel Jazz Quartet 7:30 PM - 10:00 PM Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jeﬀerson St., Spring Green slowpokelounge.com Tickets $10 in advance/$15 at the door The Ryan Meisel QuArtet delivers thought-provoking, dynamic, and spirited shows. Meisel's depth of work pays tribute to the authentic sounds of New Orleans Traditional Jazz, Blues, Swing, Hard-Bop, Avant-Garde and Contemporary Jazz.

Sunday, August 4

Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Wyoming Valley School Tours 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM Wyoming Valley School Cultural Arts Center, 6306 WI-23, Spring Green wyomingvalleyschool.org Tour is 60 minutes Adults: $20 Children under 15 are free Discover the Wyoming Valley School Cultural Art Center and enjoy a remarkable and immersive experience in this Frank Lloyd Wright-designed space, the only elementary school ever designed by FLLW. During the 60-minute tour, you will be accompanied by a highly knowledgeable guide. This tour is perfect for those who enjoy interactive learning in a small group setting, where you can ask questions, discuss, and learn. You will have the opportunity to explore all the indoor and outdoor spaces of the building.

LIVE MUSIC: Open Old Timey Jam 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM White Oak Savanna, 4352 State Road 23, Dodgeville whiteoaksavanna.com We will be sponsoring several Old Time open music jams this summer. They will be held on the ﬁrst Sunday of the Month throughout the summer months. They will all be held rain or shine as they will be in a shelter. Most of them will be in the beautifully renovated barn. All Old Time musicians are welcome to come join in. This is a jam for Old Timey ﬁddle tunes. *Please note this will be happening simultaneously with the Beer Garden on this particular Sunday.

LIVE MUSIC: Just Merl & A Girl on the River Stage 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM Wisconsin Riverside Resort, S13220 Shiﬄet Road, Spring Green wiriversideresort.com Warm weather, cold cocktails, and great live music! Join us outside on the Riverside stage!

Monday, August 5

Lego Builders 1:00 PM Plain Kraemer Library, 910 Main St., Plain kraemerlibrary.org

Join us for Lego Builders Club each month for a fun challenge or to free build your own masterpiece! Open to all ages. Children under 6 must have adult at program. We will be meeting in the library's community room.

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.

LIVE MUSIC: Rural Musicians' Forum presents: Jean Laurenz, Trumpet and Piano 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Cornerstone Church, 210 N Lexington St., Spring Green ruralmusiciansforum.org Extaordinary trumpet player, Jean Laurenz will present a concert with her eclectic repertoire from classical to pop.

Tuesday, August 6

Summer Afternoon Storytime 4:30 PM - 5:00 PM Plain Kraemer Library, 910 Main St., Plain kraemerlibrary.org Story time includes stories and songs followed by a fun themed craft and activity.

Yarn Rocks! 5:00 PM Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green springgreenlibrary.org . Come to the Library on the first and third Tuesday of the month to meet fellow knitters in the community; come for help (beginner to mid-level knitting help available); come to learn new skills or brush up on current skills; come to get out of the house for a few hours; come for the health benefits (recent research out of Denmark demonstrated the overall health benefits of craft work, including knitting and crocheting).

Wednesday, August 7

All Ages Storytime 10:30 AM Spring Green Community Library, Community Room, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green springgreenlibrary.com Share stories, songs and crafts with library friends. Is your little one ﬁdgety or noisy? No worries! We have quiet toys so busy bodies can listen to stories and wiggle at the same time!

Dinosaur Dimensions Show 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Plain Kraemer Library, 910 Main St., Plain kraemerlibrary.org Featuring animatronic Dinosaurs including a T-Rex, Triceratops, and Velociraptor. Full of audience participation and dinosaur facts! Free to all. Limited attendance event. Tickets needed to enter show.

Wednesday Wizardry 2:00 PM Spring Green Community Library, Community Room, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green springgreenlibrary.org Join on most Wednesdays thru the summer for fun, often messy, always exciting science adventures! Wednesday Wizardry will explore science with experiments, concoction-making, hands-on fun for

Family Adventure Guide: Geocaching (Registration Required) 6:00 PM Spring Green Community Library, Children’s Area, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green springgreenlibrary.org This is the last in our series of How-to events to inspire family outdoor adventures. Learn about how to use GPS coordinates to do some in-the-wild sleuthing and discover hidden treasures! Registration is required, register online.

Thursday, August 8

Tech Help 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM . Lone Rock Community Library, 234 N Broadway St, Lone Rock lonerocklibrary.wordpress.com rvbroadband.org/techhelp Come on in with any devices or technology you need help with! No appoiontment necessary.

ZooZort! 2:00 PM Spring Green Community Library, Community Room, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green springgreenlibrary.org Meet some of the world's most fascinating and unusual animals up close! Summer Library Finale Frenzy 3:15 PM Spring Green Community Library, Community Room and Side Yard, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green springgreenlibrary.org Following our ZooZort program, join us for treats and games as we wrap up a great summer of library adventures!

Hillside Lecture: “Frank Lloyd Wright X Organic Architecture Andrew Pielage 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM . Taliesin Hillside Theater, 6604 Hwy 23 trunk, Spring Green taliesinpreservation.org Doors open at 5:15 Join photographer Andrew Pielage, who has spent over 13 years documenting Frank Lloyd Wright's architectural legacy for a captivating visual presentation. Pielage will share insights into his inspiring project, aimed at photographing every surviving Wright design. Discover his motivations for undertaking this ambitious endeavor, his approach to capturing each new design, and the stories behind some of his favorite images. Don't miss this behind-the-scenes look into Pielage's journey and the enduring inﬂuence of Frank Lloyd Wright's work.

LIVE MUSIC: Solstice Jazz Band at Local Night 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM Post House Garden, 127 E Jeﬀerson St, Spring Green Look up The Shed on Facebook for more info Come to the patio for some great music, delicious food, and ice cold drinks! Stay tuned for updates on music lineup as they continue to book local talent! Music will be 5:30-7:30, with food being served from 4-8. Drinks will be ﬂowing!

Midsummer Music: Tom Waselchuk 6:00 PM American Players Theatre, 5950 Golf Course Rd, Spring Green americanplayers.org Most weekdays June through August, live acoustic music plays on the grounds!

LIVE MUSIC — Sh*tty Barn Session 320: Sleeping Jesus // Sleepy Gaucho 7:00 PM 506 E Madison St, Spring Green shittybarnsessions.com Doors open at 6 Sleeping Jesus is an Indie Rock band started by Nick Elstad in Winona, MN. The band ditched the hazy dream pop stylings of their debut album and dipped their toes into the waters of Rock and Roll and Americana for the very first time. Sleepy Gaucho follows in the great American artistic tradition that is the rambler’s drawl. His Panamerican influenced folk music offers up a cocktail of wry existentialism and mellow introspection that floats somewhat aimlessly in a realm of its own. Born in Wisconsin while also growing up some time in Argentina, the young multi-instrumentalist’s music can at times be melancholic, at others ethereal, but always agreeable.

WHAT’S

Spring Green Community Library Art Exhibitions . Spring Green Community Library, 230 E Monroe St, Spring Green Monday-Thursday: 10 AM - 7 PM Friday: 10 AM - 5 PM Saturday: 9 AM - 1 PM Through July. New local exhibitors each month.

In the Glass Case Gallery, Hartmut Ringel is showing Uplifting Objects and Boats— mobiles, hanging and standing . They are very sensitive and the smallest heat source can let them turn steadily. Ringel's exhibit is available for viewing during regular library hours.

Some time ago, we announced the soft launch of a semi-regular to regular literary section we've been inspired by other literary compilations to call Lexington & Jeﬀerson

As the pivotal intersection of our community, we envision this as a place that celebrates the cross-section of arts in our greater community.

We envision it as a place of curated and submitted prose, poetry and more that showcase the talents of our community.

What is Lexington & Jeﬀerson?

Each edition we receive submissions of artwork, poetry, prose and other musings that we have trouble placing in the paper on their own and often have to simply hold or regrettably turn down.

We hope this becomes a welcome place for them.

This space will grow and change, as all things do, and we welcome talented individuals, organizations, authors, experts and artists to help curate this section. We are beginning to actively seek to publish an

annual literary journal. If interested, please reach out on ways to help. We may also use this space for arts & culture news and submitted musings that don't quite ﬁt within the bounds of a traditional column, proﬁle or letter to the editor.

Get involved: If you're interested in submitting, curating or have ideas, please do not hesitate at all to submit them to us at: editor@valleysentinelnews.com

Lexington & Jefferson

Musings from the End of the Rainbow

Take a journey with me to the end of the Rainbow. I grew up at the end of Rainbow Road, a beautiful and magical place in a River Valley, just outside of a town called Spring Green. Following are stories and reﬂections of a simpler time.....

— Mary Lanita Schulz

The Party Line

It seems Everyone has a love affair with their phones We Take Pictures Post on Facebook, Text, Instagram, E-mail, Swipe left, Swipe right.

It seems Everyone has a love affair with their phones We Take Pictures, Post on Facebook, Text, Instagram, E-mail, Swipe left, Swipe right.

Probably the least that we do on our phones nowadays is TALK

Growing up, not only was it just LANDLINES, but in the country, it was PARTY LINES. If you don't know what a party line was: It wasn't three-way calling, conference calling, or a group of people chatting it up at 3am.

Growing up, not only was it just LANDLINES, but in the country, it was PARTY LINES. If you don't know what a party line was: It wasn't three-way calling conference calling, or a group of people chatting it up at 3am.

Having a party line meant your phone was connected to somewhere around Ten other numbers. If you picked up the phone to make a call and your neighbor was talking, you would simply need to hang up and wait: Checking back now and then, hoping for a dial tone. If you were on the phone and heard a soft click, you knew that either someone was listening or had been listening.

By picking up the receiver ever so carefully, you'd be able to listen in on the conversations of your neighbors.

We knew the Hansons were having trouble potty training their youngest or that Mrs Bauer was angry that Mr. was going to be late for the beef stew dinner she'd been preparing all day. We knew what child was grounded which neighbor girl had just gotten her menstrual cycle and who was speaking a little too much and too friendly with the new divorcee in the neighborhood.

It was the first Reality TV

It was the first “Reality TV”

Just as now, nobody's life was private and it wasn't because we were openly posting our ups and downs on Facebook. It was because we were all cowering in the darkness, listening in on our neighbors’ boring lives, hoping for a bit of juicy gossip.

Just as now, nobody's life was private, and it wasn't because we were openly posting our ups and downs on Facebook. It was because we were all cowering in the darkness, listening in on our neighbors’ boring lives, hoping for a bit of juicy gossip.

When I was around six a neighbor boy was doing just that. My sister was preparing for her junior prom: Primping her hair, stuffing a bra that believe me needed no extra help and I was playing with an old peanut butter jar lid in a freshly formed puddle from the rain storm the night before. Dad was out in the fields, disking the earth, readying it for spring planting.

All was right in my small little world.

Mr. Luther, driving down Rainbow Road, which back then saw only a handful of cars a day, noticed a tractor circling the same piece of earth over and over again. A farmer himself, he knew something wasn't right. Upon closer investigation, he found Mr. Lins, my father, on the ground being continuously run over by the raised disk.

When plowing fields: You go down one row at the end raise the disk, make a U-turn, lower the disk, and head back down to the other end: Repeating the process until the field is all churned up. Tractors were simple, almost primitive, the seats had a spring attached so they could flip completely backwards. When my father went to make the turn, he raised the disk as was the norm hit a bump the seat flipped throwing him off the tractor, which then continued going in circles

When plowing fields: You go down one row, at the end, raise the disk, make a U-turn, lower the disk, and head back down to the other end: Repeating the process until the field is all churned up. Tractors were simple, almost primitive, the seats had a spring attached so they could flip completely backwards. When my father went to make the turn, he raised the disk, as was the norm, hit a bump, the seat flipped throwing him off the tractor, which then continued going in circles

Those discs, running him over again and again.

Carrying him into our house covered in blood, Mr. Luther called out for help. By this time, I had come straggling in: My knees; dirtied with mud My pudgy little fingers; still clutching the peanut butter lid.

Carrying him into our house covered in blood Mr. Luther called out for help. By this time, I had come straggling in: My knees; dirtied with mud My pudgy little fingers; still clutching the peanut butter lid.

Continued on page 9

LITERARY + ARTS & CULTURE SECTION

River Valley Players announces upcoming radio play to stage during Country Christmas

River Valley Players will stage the “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Radio Play” December 5-8, 2024 as part of the Spring Green Area Chamber of Commerce’s Country Christmas.

This is a great opportunity for aspiring actors as the show will be done script in hand and there is little movement. Auditions for “It’s a Wonderful Life, A Radio Play” will take place in late Septem-

ber. Watch for future announcements. Rehearsals will start mid-October and run three evenings a week leading up to the December production dates.

Patrick Hagen, the director and producer said, “This is a great family show for the holidays. My goal is to build community by telling this story in a way people haven’t experienced before.”

Radio plays were often produced be-

fore a live audience. That will be the case as RVP takes to the Gard Theater stage with its tin ceilings and studio-like ambience. The production will be set in 1947. The radio play will capture a nostalgic feeling with a period set and costumes.

For further information about River Valley Players, please check our website rivervalleyplayers.org and follow us on

Facebook. In its nearly 50-year history, River Valley Players has produced over 100 shows with nearly 1,000 performances. If you’re interested in membership, please contact RVP at rivervalleyplayers@gmail.com

For more information or to ask questions about “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Radio Play,” contact Patrick Hagen at hagenp2@gmail.com

Poetic Wonderer

Events for July 25 - August 8

WHAT’S HANGINg ? CONTINUED

Mike Chamberlin is exhibiting his mixed media art in the Community Room Gallery during the month of July. Upon retiring in 2021, Mike redirected his artistic focus to showcase pinstriping as a distinctive art form. Experimenting with epoxy resin to add depth and incorporating various types of leaf—gold, silver, copper, variegated—he creates unique pieces. His artistic vision extends to using wood and recycled materials, resulting in one-of-a-kind artworks that blend tradition with innovation. Mike’s work is available for viewing during regular library hours when the Community Room is not in use. Please ask for the key at the circulation desk.

CIVICS & SERVICES

CIVICS & SERVICES CALENDAR

This calendar is a place listing (for free) the typical meeting dates for area governmental bodies, and Please email us with these meetings, or use the form on our Community Calendar page — let's build community together: editor@valleysentinelnews.com

July 29: Plain Village Library Board Meeting 6:30 PM 510 Main Street, Plain villageofplain.com

July 30:

Village of Arena Special Board Meeting 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Village Hall, 345 West Street, Arena villageofarena.net Special Board Meeting called by Village President Kate Reimann with the following agenda: Call to Order, Roll Call, Public Comment, Fire & EMS Agreements – Town of Arena response, VC3 – quote for cybersecurity to write grant, Adjournment.

August 2: Driftless Trail Workday: Help build the Driftless Trail at Taliesin 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM Welsh Hills, Taliesin, 5481 County Rd C, Spring Green driftlessconservancy.org Volunteers are needed to build a new segment of the Driftless Trail on the Taliesin estate during upcoming work days. This segment is a collaboration between the Driftless Area Land Conservancy, Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, and Taliesin Preservation.

Spring Green Blood Drive 11:30 AM - 5:30 PM Christ Lutheran Church, 237 E Daley St., Spring Green redcrossblood.org Appointments preferred. For an appointment call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter Sponsor Code: SpringGreen

Saturday, August 3

featured event: Public Education Forum — Referenda All Around

10:30 AM - 1:00 PM Brewer Library - Downstairs, 325 N Central Ave, Richland Center Have you ever wondered why it seems that school referenda are happening more often? This presentation will examine the basics of school ﬁnance and the varied challenges facing public education in Wisconsin's communities.

Julie Fisher Mead is a emeritus professor from the UW Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis. Dr. Mead researches and writes about topics related to the legal aspects of education. Dr. Mead’s research centers on legal issues related to special education and legal issues raised by various forms of school choice. More info at: economicequitynow@gmail.com

August 3:

Friends of the Library Book Collection 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Commmunity Room, Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St. Spring Green springgreenlibrary.org The Friends of the Spring Green Community Library will accept donations of gently used books, DVDs, and CDs for resale. Donations of no more than four boxes are preferred. Proceeds from book sales help support library programs and other amenities. Damaged books, encyclopedias, textbooks, and instruction manuals are not accepted, and the Friends reserve the right to limit the quantity of items accepted and/or refuse donations that do not meet library needs.

August 6: Village of Arena Board Meeting 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Village Hall, 345 West Street, Arena . villageofarena.net . Arena typically holds board meetings the ﬁrst tuesday of the month. Plain LIONS Meeting 7:00 PM 510 Main Street, Plain villageofplain.com

Lexington & Jefferson

Lori, who was yakking on the phone about her excitement for prom night screamed out in horror at the sight of Dad slumped over, dripping with blood.

The neighbor boy, who had been listening in with hopes of acquiring some juicy gossip about his big breasted neighbor, sprang from his corner of silence and declared he'd help.

“Just hang up the phone”, he shouted. “I'll send someone”

An army of cars converged on our secluded home whisking my dad away to Saint Mary's while we all stood in shock, quietly sobbing, not knowing if we'd ever see our father again.

For a month or more he was hospitalized in that large, cold brick building.

In those days, children weren't allowed inside the walls of a hospital, so the only sight I saw of my dad was when we all packed into the car, drove to Saint Mary’s, and stood in the parking lot looking up for a glimpse of Dad to appear in the 4th floor window. He'd look out and weakly wave as we excitedly waved back to the barely recognizable shadow.

He was there, he was alive, and we were promised he'd be coming home someday

The blood was eventually all cleaned off the floor. The neighbor boy and Mr. Luther were touted as heroes. Sister Lori was crowned prom queen, allowing me to don her tiara.

Meals were dropped off by many of the neighbors, even Mrs Bauer brought over some of her beef stew dinner. You see, Mom was spending most of her days at the hospital crying over Dad's bed.

The Hansons succeeded in their potty-training efforts. The fields were planted with the help of the community.

My puddle dried up and I moved on to conquer climbing the big oak tree in the backyard.

Finally, the day arrived: Dad came home.

His head was wrapped in thick white gauze. His smile and his laughter seemed to echo through the entire house. Mom made his favorite meal: Ring bologna, mashed potatoes, and beans. She always seemed to be touching his hand or rubbing his shoulders. The twinkle returned to her eyes.

Dad was quick to blame the tractor that had tossed him from his perch. As he informed us,

“When horses were used to disk the field, all he would have had to do was yell WHOA and the horse would have stopped”

Yup, Facebook may be fun but believe me, it's nothing new.

We've always had Facebook to keep up with our world and our neighbors.

Only back then it was simply called: The Party Line. Continued from page 8

Mike Chamberlin Hartmut Ringel

Watch what they did, not what they said

The Driftless Area’s rivers and streams are great for ﬁshing, canoeing, wildlife, enjoying the outdoors, and tourism.

The Trump Administration’s EPA rolled back protections for clean water, putting these areas more at risk.

The Sauk County Gardener

What’s Wrong with my Coneﬂowers?

Jeannie Manis, Wisconsin Certiﬁed Master Gardener

“Flowers don’t tell, they show.”

— Stephanie Skeem

Coneflowers are one of my favorite garden flowers as they are so attractive to the pollinators, make wonderful additions to any cut flower bouquet, and are incredibly long lasting. So, imagine my dismay when I spotted some unusual-looking coneflowers in my flower beds. Coneflowers (aka Echinacea) are native plants in Wisconsin, and they are typically pretty hardy and relatively easy for people to grow in their gardens. Unfortunately, they are also susceptible to a few different problems that only get worse if the problems are not dealt with promptly. Two serious problems are Aster Yellows and Coneflower Rosette Mite.

The first problem to consider is Coneflower Rosette Mite. You can’t detect these mites with the naked eye, so you don’t know you have a problem until after your coneflower starts to exhibit symptoms. The plant itself looks healthy, yet it exhibits symptoms such as green to reddish-green elongated rosettes or tuffs or stunted, distorted flower parts that have sprouted on the flower cones. This

is caused by the coneflower rosette mite that lives inside the flower buds and sucks the nutrients from the flower bases. Besides creating unsightly flowers, this deformity greatly reduces seed production. The only way to manage Coneflower Rosette Mite is to reduce mite populations by cutting and destroying the deformed flower heads. Aster Yellows is another problem for coneflowers and in my opinion, is the more serious of two problems as it does not have a cure. Aster Yellow can affect over 300 species of plants, including carrots, potatoes, marigolds, coneflowers, and asters. Aster Yellows symptoms include chlorotic, curled foliage, stunted stems, flower petals that look like a ring of greenish-yellow spoons, and even tightly clustered rosettes. Often Aster Yellows symptoms are mistakenly identified as Coneflower Rosette Mites and vice versa, due to the similarity of some of the symptoms. Unfortunately, removal of the entire plant is currently the only way to manage this disease. Aster Yellows is a phytoplasma, which means it cannot survive outside of the plant, so the disease/bacterium will not remain in the soil once the plant is removed.

Fasciation is another thing that can cause

Wandering the Driftless

Be Aware of Plants That May Ruin Your Summer

Most Wisconsin residents look forward to time spent outdoors during our relatively short summers. We all know that pests like mosquitoes and ticks pose a threat to our enjoyment of our favorite activities and we take appropriate measures to minimize their eﬀect. The majority of outdoor enthusiasts do not give plants a second thought while heading out to enjoy their day. This can be a grave oversight, as some plants have the potential of impacting your health for extended periods of time.

Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) is a perennial plant that is native to North America and Asia. Contact with an oil, called urushiol, produced by the plant causes a rash in some, but not all, humans. Reaction to urushiol is a simple allergy. Approximately ﬁfty percent of us are allergic to exposure. Allergies are a response by our immune system to things we contact in the environment.

The beginning of an allergy requires an initial contact with an allergy-causing material, known as an allergen. Your body does not react to this ﬁrst contact, but may build an immune response for the next exposure, resulting in the itchy, painful and irritating rash the plant is famous for. Contrary to popular belief, scratching poison ivy blisters will not spread the rash, nor can you get the rash from contact with an infected person. Urushiol is the only thing that can cause the rash, but the oil may remain active on skin, clothing, pets or surfaces.

Some people may not become allergic to poison ivy until they are exposed several times. Limiting exposure is the key to keeping free of this allergy. There are a

misshapen coneflowers. Fascinated flowers are random mutations that often result in a flattened or ribbon-like growth on the stems and leaves. It can cause the plant to develop weird shapes and grow at unusual angles. It’s not uncommon for one or two flowers on a plant to demonstrate this unusual growth while the rest of the plant looks entirely normal. Luckily, this one is a common occurrence and usually there is no reason to be concerned.

If you notice you have some unusual-looking coneflowers, I encourage you to check out some of these photos at bygl.osu.edu/ node/881 from the Ohio State University. If you think you have Coneflower Rosette Mite or Aster Yellows on your coneflowers, contact the University of Wisconsin Plant Disease Diagnostics Clinic (PDDC) at (608) 262-2863 or pddc@wisc.edu to learn more about disease management for these two problems.

As for my coneflowers, the overall plants look very healthy so I’m hoping my coneflowers have only been affected by Coneflower Rosette Mite and the one has Fasciation. However, I’m going to err on the side of caution and probably send a digital photo to the UW Plant Disease Diagnostic Clinic

fortunate 10-15 percent of us that do not develop this allergy, no matter the number of exposures.

Poison ivy is easy to identify. It has three leaves, all growing from a central attachment to a short stem. The leaves have a shine, due to the presence of the oil urushiol on their surface. The leaves may have lobed, smooth or toothed margins. White berries appear during late summer. Islands and shorelines along the lower Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers provide great habitat for the plant. Here, poison ivy may take the form a vine that often climbs the trunks of trees, searching for sunlight.

CLASSIFIEDS

ISO: Living Space for Rent

Quiet professional looking to rent a room or apartment in the Village of Spring Green. Start date ﬂexible. Call or text 608-370-2076.

ISO: Living Space for Rent

Looking for a 1-2 bedroom apartment in the Spring Green or surrounding area. Must be 2 cat-friendly. On-site laundry required, in-unit preferred. Around $750 budget. Call or text 630-278-0604.

at https://pddc.wisc.edu/sample-collection-and-submission-2/#Digital_Sample_Submission for the low cost of $20 to see what’s up. I don’t want to lose all my coneﬂowers to Aster Yellows if that’s what it turns out to be.

On a more fun note, this past weekend, I had the pleasure of taking a preliminary tour of the gardens featured in SCMGA’s 2024 Annual Garden Tour this weekend. This year’s garden hosts really outdid themselves! Their gardens are spectacular and very diﬀerent in so many ways from one another. If you’d like to visit seven spectacular gardens, attend SCMGA’s third annual garden tour this Saturday, July 27 from 9 am to 4 pm, being held in the Sauk-Prairie and Merrimac area. Tickets are $15 day of event and can be purchased at 6:8 Inc. Garden, 821 Industry Rd, Sauk City or the Merrimac Community School, 360 School St., Merrimac. You can ﬁnd full details on the SCMGA’s facebook page.

If you have any gardening questions, please contact the Extension Sauk County by emailing to trripp@wisc.edu or calling the University of Wisconsin Madison Division of Extension Sauk County oﬃce at 608-355-3250.

Some of these areas have poison ivy vines on nearly every tree!

If you feel (or know) you have been exposed, immediately wash exposed skin areas with soapy water to remove the urushiol. Clothing and surfaces should also be washed if they have been exposed.

Wild Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) is an invasive (non-native) plant that has spread quickly through Wisconsin and North America. It is thought to have been brought here by European settlers as a food crop. It is a biennial, meaning that it lives for only two years.

First year plants develop a rosette of leaves and a large tap root that stores energy for the second summer. Second year plants put up a tall stem that contains several clusters of yellow ﬂowers. These produce seeds that fall to the ground. The plant then dies, as its reproductive mission has been completed.

The sap of the wild parsnip contains a chemical called furanocoumarin that causes burns to the skin when exposed to sunlight. This is not an allergy, so everyone is aﬀected, every time the chemical, skin and sunlight are present. A painful rash and severe blisters are the result. Once the blisters heal, the dead skin peels oﬀ, leaving an area that may remain discolored (brown) for up to two years.

The sap of the wild parsnip should be avoided, if possible. If weed eating is required to control these plants it should be done on a cloudy day and followed by a shower and washing of all clothing worn. If weed eating needs to be done in sunlight, protective clothing including gloves and a face shield should be worn. A shower and clothes washing should follow.

The wild parsnip is not all bad. Those that like to forage for their food may ﬁnd an ample supply of wild parsnips. The taproots are not poisonous and are dug it the spring prior to the second year of growth. They are the same as parsnips grown in gardens across Wisconsin.

The days are already getting shorter. Get outdoors and take advantage of all that the Driftless Area has to oﬀer during the summer. Be aware of your surroundings and get to know and respect plants that might cause you problems!

John Cler is a retired High School Science Teacher and Principal residing in Richland Center. He is an avid hunter, trapper, ﬁsher and nature nut. He currently chairs the Richland County Deer Advisory Council and the Richland County Delegation of the Wisconsin Conservation Congress.

John Cler, Columnist

Photo contributed by John Cler Poison Ivy. As the old saying states: Leaves of three-let it be.

Photo contributed by John Cler Wild Parsnip. A tall plant with yellow ﬂower clusters shaped like an umbrella.

An Outdoorsman’s Journal

Mark Walters, Columnist

Hello friends, I have something new for you and I think that you are going to like it. My golden retriever Red was bred with an excellent sire named Max. Max is owned by Jim Steurwald of Deforest who is a very ambitious grouse hunter. Jim would have had first pick of the litter, but he passed that onto Gregg Brda who is the owner of Wind River Kennels in Fond du Lac County near Campbellsport. When Gregg came to pick up his pup he proposed the idea of me doing a series on the progress of his new pup Rio “Ree-O”. This series will be updated every few months and could easily take 2-3 years.

Gregg has been a full time hunting dog trainer since 1991 and has been a “finished” Hunt Test judge for “HRC” for 18 years. Folks there is so much to say to tell this week’s column in the space that I have, that I am going to have to be very short on each subject.

Friday, July 12th

High 86°, Low 62° I knew Rio would have the potential to be a great dog when I watched him until the day Gregg picked him up. Today, I would start my professional introduction into how you “really” start a pup. I would be given a tour of Brda’s set up and most importantly, 2 men would take a day and get to know each other as they began a long project.

First the kennel, I have never seen such a clean, well thought out and easily disciplined kennel in my life.

Gregg trains by the month, sometimes gives classes and his low profile and effective discipline is something that should be on a tv show. Barking or whining is not tolerated, I would spend 2 days at Wind River and generally if a lab, golden retriever or Boykin gets verbal in the kennel Gregg tells it to stop. It is almost like he has a

connection and every dog in the building loves and respects him.

The kennel has the ability for each dog to be inside and out and for the most part each dog does its business outside and I think it is fair to say that my new friend is very much on top of his game as everything is clean enough to do surgery on each kennel floor.

Gregg Brda is 74 and addicted to duck hunting and reality is very much like me, created a fulltime income out of doing something that he loves.

Rio, OMG as in O MY God! Today I would watch Rio do land retrieves and on the next day we trained I watched Rio do water retrieves that were all of 40 yards. I watched Rio as Gregg would say “be a problem solver” carrying the bumper in the middle after realizing that swimming with it by holding an end was more difficult.

Basic rules, first start out with a paint roller with a pup, light to carry, not a fan of tennis ball, too easy to compress which can later create damage while retrieving birds. Gregg does not like toys and most importantly, never play tug of war with a retriever.

Today we trained with 2 men that are very much into their lab and golden retriever and were doing triples with well-disciplined dogs. Gregg showed me a blind retrieve that he did with a golden retriever named Reno that was unbelievable to someone like me that will never hit that level, everything is lining the dog along with verbal, hand and voice communication.

One basic tip I was told more than once, training is training, you take your pup out of the kennel, it is kept on a rope in the early stages and you work with it so that it realizes getting out of the kennel means “work which is fun”. If what is being worked on does not work, that session is over, you do not want to make the pup dread training.

Eighty five to ninety percent of retrieving is enthusiasm and when a dog of any age is bringing back a bumper or duck it is verbally rewarded as soon as it starts its retrieve back.

Holding onto to the bumper until it comes to your hand is a must and “hold” is mentioned more than once as the pup approaches, and 2-3 retrieves and put the pup away as you do not want to bore him or her.

Gregg Brda does not care if you hunt but he is a strong believer in that if you own a retriever they should be active, that is what they are bred for.

Last for this week, some dogs do not like riding in a vehicle, I was told more than once, too many people only put their dog in a car or truck to go to the vet, that is big no, no. Make rides fun. Gregg pulls pups behind his atv in a crate in a trailer and just puts along and makes it fun. In reality, everything that Gregg Brda does in his training is about

Photo contributed by Mark Walters

The license plate pretty much describes Rio’s future. positive and enthusiastic adventure. In a few months I will write about the next step with a pup named Rio! Sunset

A Professional Hunting Dog Trainer and his Pup

Photo contributed by Mark Walters Hunting dog trainer and hunt test judge, Gregg Brda is a strong advocate of making training fun and positive.

Photo contributed by Mark Walters

At 11-weeks Rio can do water retrieves and loves to swim.