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Friday, February 9, 2018 • Vol. 4, No. 12 • Fitchburg, WI • ConnectFitchburg.com • $1
Jason Geiger
(608) 277-2167
Fitchburg Police Department
Inside 12 vehicle thefts so far in 2018
Brecklin is new chief
Page 3
Schools OSD task force says new schools needed soon
Former Lt. began with department in 1999
Page 8 Pisani to leave Stoner Prairie
SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group
Page 9
Sports
Photo by Amber Levenhagen
Sandra Thompson looks to her daughter, Evelyn, as they together finish gluing part of Evelyn’s Valentine’s Day craft.
Sweet hearts for sweethearts teDuits crowned Badger South champ for Edgewood swimming Page 17
Community Clauder works Super Bowl security Page 18
Business
Chalet Ski and Patio reopens after storm damage last fall Page 23
The Fitchburg library’s storytime room quickly filled with families during the Valentine’s Day craft activity on Feb. 2. Youngsters were able to make paper heart crafts, including hats and puzzle piece hearts, before leaving with a candy butterfly.
Inside More photos from the Valentine’s crafts at the library Page 10
More smiles: Dental clinic opens at BGC HELU WANG Unified Newspaper Group
Michael Johnson recalled how excited a patient was on the opening day of the new dental clinic after she got her first teeth cleaning in over 20 years. Her’s and other patients’ joy is the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County CEO’s reward for nearly five years of work initiating a dental clinic in the Allied Family Center location, where many children have had limited access to dental clinics because of high cost. “It will improve the number of days that kids are in schools,” Johnson said. The clinic is a partnership with More Smiles Wisconsin, a nonprofit organization offering lowcost dental services. For Jeff Okazaki, executive director of More Smiles PRSRT STANDARD ECRWSS US POSTAGE
Photo by Helu Wang
The new clinic has three patient rooms and an X-ray machine, which is expected to serve over 1,500 patients in the near future. Wisconsin, Fitchburg is the right place to continue offering services to underserved populations. Okazaki said More S m i l e s Wi s c o n s i n ’s
assessment found a significant need in the community. “The community has a high need for dental care, and we can serve as a
resource, as well,” Okazaki told the Star. “It’s a great fit for both sides.” The clinic, at 4619 Jenewein Road, is the organization’s second; the first is located in the Salvation Army at 630 E. Washington Ave., Madison. The staff – three full-time dentists, two hygienists and about 50 volunteers – serves more than 3,000 patients each year. So far, 50 patients have signed up at the Fitchburg clinic. Okazaki expects to see about 1,500 patients in the near future. One of the clinic’s features is providing affordable dental care to both Medicaid and uninsured patients. Okazaki said although there are thousands of providers within the area, only 30 percent of dentists in Dane County accept Medicaid patients. The clinic fills the gap
Turn to Clinic/Page 20
Chad Brecklin wasn’t surprised by the range of emotions he felt when he got a phone call Jan. 17 from the chair of the Police and Fire Commission informing him h e ’d b e e n chosen for a promotion. “Obviousl y t h e r e ’s excitement, a n d t h e r e ’s anticipation leading up to the phone Brecklin call when you have a window of time where you’re expecting it,” Brecklin said. “Then you kind of have that realization of like, ‘Well there’s a whole lot of work to do.’ Then there’s probably a dash of apprehension thrown in there, like, ‘What have I just gotten myself into?’” Brecklin, who spoke with the Star on his eighth day as the chief of the Fitchburg Police Department, said his first seven days in the role since being sworn in Wednesday, Jan. 24, had gone well. “I’m hoping to string together several more seven-day increments, if not longer,” he added with a laugh. The 44-year-old former lieutenant has spent most of his career here in Fitchburg, first joining the department as a patrol officer in 1999 after four years with the Oregon Police Department. He lives in New Glarus, where he grew up, with his wife and two children. The PFC chose him over fellow finalist Kelly Kent, a captain in the Oshkosh Police Department. A third finalist, Eric Atkinson of
Turn to Brecklin/Page 19
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