Trust The Best Scott Stewart & Kathy Bartels KBartels@StarkHomes.com SStewart@StarkHomes.com (608) 512-8487 • (608) 235-2927 adno=50066
It’s your paper! Friday, January 11, 2019 • Vol. 5, No. 11 • Fitchburg, WI • ConnectFitchburg.com • $1
Inside
Stories of the year 2018
Stories to watch in 2019
Spring election set, includes primaries in MMSD, District 4
Planning ahead
Page 3 Library eliminates late fees Page 5
Business
Dave’s Guitar Shop opens Fitchburg location Page 15
Sports
Photo by Scott Girard
The new Verona Area High School made progress throughout 2018 from its April groundbreaking to much of its core being constructed by the end of the year.
Building momentum In 2018, Fitchburg planned for and reacted to continued growth SCOTT GIRARD
Verona boys hockey ranked third in state Page B1
Schools RCI adds STEAM class Page B6 Cherokee to change start times next year Page B7
a local election on their ballot, with local seats now up for election every spring for the first time since Fitchburg became a city in 1983. 1. School district expansions The next four spots all relate to 2. Housing growth rebounds law enforcement, from an early-year 3. (tie) Fitch-Rona EMS future homicide and new police chief, to the debate roll-out of a body camera program and some unexpected immigration 3. (tie) Businesses begin expansions enforcement action in September. 5. Elections switch to every year The new dog park opening rounds 6. Police launch body camera out our top 10, as it is an amenity program many in the community pushed for, even as some neighbors expressed 7. Robbery leads to a homicide concerns about potential flooding. 8. ICE detains people in city An ongoing car theft problem, 9. Brecklin named new police chief two new school principals and a new library outreach program didn’t even 10. First city dog park opens make our final list, but all could have long-term impacts on various populagrowth, as the market had more than tions in the city, so we had to include 100 single-family permits issued for them as honorable mentions. the first time in more than a decade. Just behind that on the list comes 1. Expansions in two school a pair of business expansions, one districts already here and one moving to FitchTwo of Fitchburg’s three school disburg. That was tied with discussions tricts took big steps toward opening about changing how the Fitch-Rona new schools students here will soon EMS Department operates and is attend – including one located within governed, which could have big consequences in the years to come if any city limits. While Verona Area School Disaction is taken. Next is a change that will affect trict residents already knew they’d be how often voters go to the polls with Turn to 2018/Page 9
Stories of 2018
Unified Newspaper Group
F i t c h bu r g i s D a n e C o u n t y ’s third-largest municipality by population, and it’s likely to keep growing. Last year, the city made strides toward accommodating that growth – from new schools and a rebounding housing market, to body cameras for police officers and its first dog park. While growth was not a theme of all of the Fitchburg Star’s top 10 stories of 2018, as voted on by staff, it was the impetus for many of them. And those that aren’t about planning for growth could be considered a consequence of it. In 2018, Fitchburg saw progress on the new Verona Area High School, which while it’s in the City of Verona, will make a big difference for Fitchburg students who will soon be able to make use of the modern high school and by younger students who could end up switching schools as a result of the domino effect of moving other schools to the current high school campus. Oregon School District residents here, meanwhile, will soon have their first school within city boundaries, as voters approved a referendum to build a new elementary. At No. 2 on our list was housing PRSRT STANDARD ECRWSS US POSTAGE
PAID
If 2018 was a year of momentum and growth for the City of Fitchburg, 2019 looks like a year that will be spent planning for the next round. Our top stories to watch for the year reflect that, especially at the top. At No. 1 is two of the city’s three school districts determining what schools students will attend when the new schools open in fall 2020. The construction on those new schools is just behind it on the list, with the new $160 million Verona Area High School already starting to take shape, and the new Oregon School District elementary going up in northeast Fitchburg. Some big road construction projects will involve plenty of headaches in 2020, and while one has been ongoing for years, two big ones are expected to get the final go-ahead this year with approval of their plans. Our list also includes the final ballot with every City of Fitchburg elected office on it and the planning the city will do for its takeover of part of the Town of Madison — currently set for 2022, but possibly sooner. A housing development along Seminole Highway that sparked plenty of controversy throughout 2018 is likely to remain in the headlines this year,
Turn to 2019/Page 11
Stories to watch 1. Planning new school attendance areas 2. School construction 3. More major road construction 4. Final full spring election ballot 5. Town of Madison dissolution 6. North Stoner Prairie neighborhood 7. Fire station opening
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