8/10/18 Fitchburg Star by Woodward Community Media

Trust The Best Scott Stewart & Kathy Bartels KBartels@StarkHomes.com SStewart@StarkHomes.com (608) 512-8487 • (608) 235-2927

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It’s your paper! Friday, August 10, 2018 • Vol. 5, No. 6 • Fitchburg, WI • ConnectFitchburg.com • $1

Star forming editorial board

Inside

Concerts at McKee photos Page 2 Police increase presence after firearm incidents Page 3

Business

Photo by Tom Schlaefer

The solar panels on the top of the Memorial United Church of Christ’s southern-facing roof will provide power for 90 percent of the congregation’s energy needs. Their energy supplier, Madison Gas and Electric, will get to keep any extra energy generated.

Extended stay hotel gets a rebranding to Hawthorn Suites Page 15

Sports

Oregon Special Olympics wins silver at state Page B1

Schools Oregon referendum for Fitchburg school on Nov. ballot Page B5

Turning toward the sun City, local orgs, residents aim for energy independence KIMBERLY WETHAL Unified Newspaper Group

Fitchburg is going green – rapidly. Over the past decade, public and private entities and residents within the city have increasingly turned to clean energy technologies and infrastructure that uses less energy. Most of it has been solar, and much of that has been installed in three years. The city government began its march toward energy independence when it became one of 1,060 municipalities across the United States to sign on to the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement in 2008, and a year later it signed a 25 x 25 resolution – pledging to generate a quarter of its energy usage from clean energy sources by 2025. At least five businesses within the city limits have chosen to power their operations with clean energy, as well, and at least 24 homeowners have furnished their roofs with panels. Those private entities and residents could play a role in helping the city move further toward energy independence. Between the city installations – including last year’s 362 kW worth of solar put on its municipal buildings – and solar panels installed by private owners and commercial businesses, PRSRT STANDARD ECRWSS US POSTAGE

Going green in Fitchburg This month: Series overview September: City increasing its energy independence October: Private entities and homeowners finding value November: The future of sustainable energy in Fitchburg there’s already enough solar power in Fitchburg to provide energy for 103 homes annually, Madison Gas and Electric corporate communications manager Steve Schultz said. In addition, close to 600 residents have opted to have all their energy come from renewable resources, Schultz said. On the horizon, there’s an opportunity for the city and residents to work together to make enough electrical power for the entire city through solar farms placed on relatively flat farmland. Going even further – to 100 percent energy independence – was a topic of discussion at a Common Council meeting last month, though city staff said that would mean investing in

some extreme changes in operations – such as replacing every gas-fueled vehicle in the city. It would take some serious “shifts in mindset” to achieve, said Ellen Geisler, public works sustainability and neighborhood development specialist. “It’s just not the way we do things right now,” she said.

A city adapts Ten years ago, the City of Fitchburg had just voted in favor of protecting the climate. Now, it’s one of the leading producers of solar energy in the entire city. City administrator Patrick Marsh said if the city isn’t already at its 25 x 25 goal in 2018, it’s close. The city has accomplished this by placing solar panels on top of the buildings on the Lacy Road civic campus throughout the last decade – first in 2009, when solar panels generating 12.3 kilowatts of solar energy were first placed on the roof of City Hall. In 2011, the public works department got installations of ground-mounted solar panels at its maintenance facility a few miles south of the civic campus

Turn to Solar/Page 12

Over the past five years, the Fitchburg Star has continued to evolve our coverage to serve our readers and the community as a whole, but to dig deeper we need your help. We are looking to form a community-based editorial board to both add to the diversity of our opinion page and help provide a broader range of story ideas. This is a formula that has proven successful with two other Unified Newspaper Group newspapers – the Oregon Observer and Stoughton Courier Hub – and we have found it gives us a stronger link to our readers and a more vibrant editorial page. We believe both are essential to a well-functioning community. We are looking for people willing to get involved in discussions about issues affecting Fitchburg, from both a rural and urban perspective, and the three school districts that intersect here. The wider your range of interests – schools, city g overnment, business, public safety, social services – the better. The board will comprise members of the community and Star staff. There are no requirements for serving on the board other than an interest in community affairs. Discussions will be held regularly, every month or two, and will be small groups that will hopefully lead to editorials or columns written by our staff members or help us improve our coverage. Some of the discussion might be held through email. Meetings would start this fall, with a targeted date sometime in October. Our intent is to foster discussion and community engagement and represent as broad a cross-section of Fitchburg residents as possible. If you’re interested but not sure, call editor Jim Ferolie or assistant editor Scott Girard at 845-9559 to talk it through. If you know you’d like to be part of it, send an email briefly telling us about yourself and your interest to fitchburgstar@ wcinet.com.

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Fitchburg Star

Photos by Kimberly Wethal

Scott Ciano dances in his chair before he and his wife Angela got up to dance closer to the band at the Concerts at McKee event on Monday, July 16. Kinfolk drummer Olen Franklin keeps the beat during the band’s performance during the Concerts at McKee event on Monday, July 16.

Soul food American R&B band Kinfolk performed a combination of soul and R&B music at this season’s second Concerts at McKee event on Monday, July 16. Hundreds of people filled McKee Farms Park with lawn chairs and blankets to watch the band’s three-hour set. The third and final Concerts at McKee event for 2018 will feature band Orquesta SalSoul del Mad on Monday, Aug. 20. Email reporter Kimberly Wethal at kimberly.wethal@wcinet.com and follow her on Twitter @kimberly_wethal.

Left, Elizabeth Creech, her 3-year-old daughter Pilate, Hannah Crossely and Uriah Onduot, 3, share a checkered blanket at the Concerts at McKee event on Monday, July 16. Right, from left, Val Roman, of Madison, and Debie Evans, of Middleton, attend the Concerts at McKee concert after coming out specifically to watch the band Kinfolk perform at the Monday, July 16, event.

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Anthony Ward, one of the vocalists for Kinfolk, dances during one of the band’s songs that they performed at the Concerts at McKee event on Monday, July 16.

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August 10, 2018

Police increase presence after shootings Dozens attend community meetings after five incidents KIMBERLY WETHAL Unified Newspaper Group

Fitchburg police have increased their presence in the Leopold Way, Thurston Lane and Anton Drive neighborhoods after five incidents of shots being fired over the course of a week, chief Chad Brecklin said at a July 17 community meeting held in the wake of those incidents. No fatalities were report- Brecklin ed in the shootings, but two men were injured in separate incidents, and another shooting left bullet holes in the side of an apartment building on Leopold Way. Fitchburg police scheduled the meetings, one at Leopold Elementary School on July 17 and another at the Head Start Center on Red Arrow Trail on July 18, after the fourth out of five incidents that week to provide the community with updates and ask about resident concerns. “It was important for us to sit down, in my opinion, with the neighborhood to have a conversation about those incidents to the extent that we can,” he said. “It’s been a hectic seven days.” A few dozen people attended the Leopold meeting, asking questions about police resources and steps the department was taking to prevent future incidents. Brecklin told the crowd those have included meetings with some apartment managers, placing a surveillance camera in one area and including neighborhood officers in its staffing plan. Brecklin also told the group that while the shootings appeared to have been targeted, they were still under investigation and showed a disturbing trend – more firearms during calls and everyday interactions with residents, whether they’re being recovered from vehicles or in incidents in which shots were fired. “By some stroke of luck, probably, we are fortunate that we didn’t have someone else also having shot wounds that evening,” he said. “Any time someone or something like a building or a home is shot at and it’s occupied, it’s clearly going to be a concern and a recipe for disaster.” Deputy chief Donald Bates told the Star on Wednesday, Aug. 8, the department is continuing to follow up on the individual cases and there are individuals of interest, but couldn’t say more than that. The first incidents were on Thurston Lane, on Monday, July 9, and two days later. On Thursday, July 12, a 29-year-old man was shot while exiting a vehicle on the 2500 block of Post Road and

sustained non-life threatening injuries. Ten minutes later, an apartment building was shot on the 3300 block of Leopold Way. Another victim showed up at a local hospital after a shooting on the 5100 block of Anton Drive three days later. Brecklin told the group the department had found the Post Road and Leopold Way incidents were connected. “I wouldn’t anticipate that we’re going to see incidents becoming widespread throughout the city, but one of the challenges that we’re seeing in the Madison metropolitan area is we have two people may have an issue with one another and run into them – they find each other, so to speak – that can happen anywhere,” he said. He added that people who are “not engaged in these sorts of behaviors” are far less likely to be targets. “I certainly can’t predict with any certainty, nor would I even try, state that a particular neighborhood is going to experience an issue,” he said. With the increasing number of incidents this summer around the county, the department pulled together a consortium of the Madison Police Department, the Dane County Sheriff’s Office, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the FBI to “share strategies” to locate suspects and source of firearms, and to reduce the potential that additional incidents will take place. Fitchburg police also met with the management of Fairway Apartments alongside Post Road after the firearm incidents, Brecklin said, to discuss how to reduce calls to the apartment complexes. In an earlier meeting unrelated to the incidents, Brecklin said they provided the management of the complex with crime prevention tips such as trimming trees and shrubbery on the property, increasing the number of lighting fixtures and improving signage on the buildings to include “No Trespassing” signs. The city is also looking to place a surveillance camera at the intersection of Leopold Way and Longford Terrace. Brecklin said that the Common Council approved the purchase of two of them last year, and they would be used to monitor a location within the department’s jurisdiction. He emphasized the cameras would not be aimed at private property. Brecklin said the department will include neighborhood police officers in its staffing plan this fall as a method of reducing crime. The concept had previously been axed, Brecklin said, because of the strain it had on officers and a high number of calls drawing officers away from their assigned neighborhood. “I think initially, neighborhood officers will be beneficial in this neighborhood, and also in Thurston, Dunn’s Marsh, Allied Drive and Jamestown,” he said. “We can see where that program goes from there.”

Fitchburg Star

City of Fitchburg

Photo by Scott Girard

Officials will hold a public information meeting on the proposed Fish Hatchery Road reconstruction Wednesday, Aug. 22. The preliminary plan would have the road under construction beginning in fall 2019.

Fish Hatchery reconstruction could be next year City holding informational meeting Aug. 22 SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group

Plans for the long-awaited reconstruction of Fish Hatchery Road are starting with an information meeting later this month. The rebuild of the high-traffic corridor, which has been the subject of stalled negotiations between the city and county, could begin as soon as next fall, according to the project outline posted late last month on the city’s website. The timing of the project might depend on how it’s funded, with the mayor and some alders proposing the city pay for it all rather than take responsibility of the road, as the county has done with other communities recently. The public information and input process will begin Wednesday, Aug. 22, with a community meeting from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the second-floor meeting room of the Fitchburg Public Library. It will include a presentation at 5:45 p.m. and will offer a chance to engage with project staff about goals,

If You Go What: Fish Hatchery Road reconstruction informational meeting When: 5:30-7:30 p.m. (presentation at 5:45 p.m.) Wednesday, Aug. 22 Where: Fitchburg Public Library, 5530 Lacy Road Info: fitchburgwi.gov/2504/ North-Fish-Hatchery-Road-Reconstruction timelines and questions. The reconstruction would cover the stretch of North Fish Hatchery from McKee to the Beltline in Madison. Crews are expected to replace pavement and repair underground infrastructure and deteriorating retaining walls. The project goals, according to a fact sheet from consultant Urban Assets, include improving intersection safety and congestion and providing safer access to current and future properties. The project could also include upgrades to pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure and the decorative elements along the road, though neither are guaranteed to be part of the project,

which is still in the planning stages. The city approved $12.3 million for the project in its recent capital improvement plan, which is a 10-year planning document that does not actually allocate any funds. The upcoming budget will be based on the approved CIP, meaning the project likely will be included in that. The city had been negotiating with Dane County to share costs of reconstruction, but the county insisted the city take over the future maintenance costs, such as plowing, as part of any deal. Alders balked at that deal earlier this year after closed sessions discussions, leaving the city looking to pay for the reconstruction itself but keeping the road under the county’s jurisdiction. Until February, it was assumed the county would transfer the road to Fitchburg when its population officially reached 500,000, as provided in state law. That law has since been changed to require a population of 750,000. For more information on the project and to fine updates, visit fitchburgwi.gov/2504/North-Fish-Hathcery-Road-Reconstruction. Contact Scott Girard at ungreporter@wcinet.com and follow him on Twitter @sgirard9.

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August 10, 2018

Opinion

Fitchburg Star

Letters to the editor

Vote Tony Evers on Aug. 14 My name is Katie Connor, I am going to be a senior at Verona Area High School this fall, and I am writing to talk about something that is very important to me. On August 14, the primaries for the Wisconsin state gubernatorial race take place. While I am only 16 years old, I would encourage anyone who is capable of voting, to do so. In the end, I hope to see a new face in the governor’s office, but I would also encourage voters to choose Tony Evers as their candidate for the Democratic primary. Tony is a great candidate because while he is a registered Democrat, he wants to do work in Wisconsin that benefits everyone. The main points of his campaign are environmental aid and preservation, improved infrastructure, more accessible health care and a higher quality education system. Tony is the current state school superintendent, and has been since 2009. He has won three state-wide elections, and is better in assessing the values of Wisconsin as a whole. He isn’t just known in Madison or Milwaukee like some of his running mates, and has lived in multiple parts of the state.

From working as an intern on his campaign for the last few months, I can confidently say that he is one of the most down-to-earth human beings that I have ever met, and he wants to listen to the people and their concerns. I became an intern by going to one of his listening sessions, where he asked people about their worries about the current state of Wisconsin. I was the only teenager there, he listened to me with the same respect as the adult counterparts in the room. He has emphasized in his campaign many times that he is not focused on the negatives of the other candidates, but rather why he is the best fit for the gubernatorial position. I hope to see progress in our state, and I can easily say that the best way to achieve this progress is to elect Tony Evers. I would like to encourage everyone to vote early, or in the upcoming primary on Aug. 14. Early voting is already accessible in some cities, and for those who are hoping to do so, the dates voting is open are on the website myvote.wi.gov. Katie Connor City of Fitchburg

Friday, August 10, 2018 • Vol. 5, No. 6 Periodical Postage Paid, Verona, WI and additional offices. Published monthly on Friday by the Unified Newspaper Group, A Division of Woodward Communications, Inc. POSTMASTER: Send Address Corrections to The Fitchburg Star, 133 Enterprise Drive, Verona, WI 53593.

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We can all help reduce plastic pollution

ast year, I read about a community whose residents challenged themselves not to “consume” plastic for one month. I was intrigued and decided to try it myself. I thought my household already was doing pretty well because we use reusable shopping bags and reusable produce bags and buy milk in wax cartons, among other things. My first trip to the grocery store after taking this challenge was a real eye-opener. Plastic is everywhere. This challenge made me much more aware of how much plastic is being “consumed” and, more importantly, showed me areas where my household could reduce our plastic consumption by smarter shopping. Plastic is used for pre-package items – celery, carrots, toilet paper, paper towels, pasta, frozen fruits and vegetables. It’s used for containers – juice, sour cream, cottage cheese and yogurt. It’s used for “bottled” soft drinks and the plastic wrapping around cases of soft drinks. It’s used for food storage bags, and the list goes on. You might have seen recent news about the problems plastic waste is causing in our oceans. In April, a sperm whale washed up on a beach in Spain. It had 64 pounds of plastic waste lodged in its stomach. It couldn’t digest the plastic waste, causing its digestive system to rupture. In February, an autopsy on a beached whale in Finland revealed its stomach contained 30 plastic bags and a 6-foot piece of plastic. These whales are just a drop in the bucket. Every year, 18 billion pounds of plastic ends up in our oceans. You’ve also probably heard about the island of plastic waste in the Pacific that is now more than twice the size of Texas and growing daily. There are

actually five plastic waste islands in our oceans. Marine life and wildlife cannot distinguish plastic waste from food. Some is consumed whole and eventually kills the consumer, as with the whales. Other waste, like degraded petroleum-based plastic, breaks down into microscopic pieces and is consumed by marine life, eventually making its way up the food chain to be consumed by humans. Wind and rain also carry plastic waste/litter into our storm sewers and waterways, causing the same problems in our streams, rivers and lakes. Plastic waste also washes up on beaches, leaving some full of plastic litter. Several communities and businesses have recently announced efforts to address the plastic pollution problem by eliminating plastic straws and, in some cases, plastic silverware. That’s a start, and these communities and businesses should be applauded for their effort. We should all follow their lead. Be the example for others to follow. An easy place to start is by reducing the amount of plastic you “consume.” That not only reduces the amount of plastic to be disposed, it reduces the demand for, and consequently the production of, plastic products. Worldwide, 370 million tons of plastic were produced in 2016.

I encourage you to take the plastic challenge – try to go one week without “consuming” plastic. A great first step, if you haven’t already done it, is switching to reusable grocery and produce bags. You can also buy reusable food storage bags. Of course, reusable food storage containers have been available for a long time. The next step is reducing the number of products you buy that are in plastic packaging – bags, wrap and containers. Eliminating individual serving-size items is a good step in that direction. Don’t stop with the grocery store; review your other activities. Don’t put your garbage or recyclables in plastic bags. Use reusable water bottles. Anything and everything you do to reduce your plastic consumption will help reduce plastic pollution. And remember, the recycling symbol has three sides: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. If you cannot avoid consuming plastic, reuse what you consume, and when you’re finished reusing it, recycle it. But don’t stop there. If you see windblown or otherwise littered plastic, pick it up and recycle it. Fitchburg’s curbside pickup makes it easy for most Fitchburg residents to recycle. Fitchburg also has a Recycling Guide booklet and a searchable online recycling database that makes getting answers to your recycling questions easy, at fitchburgwi.gov/146/ Solid-Waste. Plastic pollution not only affects marine and wildlife. By contaminating the food chain, plastic pollution affects you, too. We all can, and should, work to reduce plastic pollution. Diane Streck is a member of Fitchburg’s Resource Conservation Commission.

Healthy living

Fad diets fade out for a reason

he first time I heard of the ketogenic diet, I was a dietetic intern rotating with a pediatric inpatient dietitian who was researching about it herself in order to help a child suffering from epilepsy. This patient had had no relief from any other medication or procedure. The ketogenic diet was, essentially, the medical team’s last resort for trying to eliminate his seizures – the original intent for the diet. I felt awful for this poor boy; I couldn’t imagine having to go Hoerr on such a strict diet for medical reasons. And I never thought someone would actually choose to go on such a restrictive eating plan. Famous last words. Over five years later and that’s exactly what has happened. Somehow the ketogenic diet – also referred to as the keto diet – has become a mainstream weight loss diet. Rarely does a day go by where I don’t hear a customer talk or ask about it. Chances are, even if you don’t know what it is, you’ve heard of the diet. While the keto diet has been around for centuries for medicinal reasons, I don’t expect it to stick around for long as a self-subscribed weight loss diet. But first, let me explain what this diet actually is. Even those who are on the ketogenic diet might not even truly understand why it seems to be working for them. The ketogenic diet is a very low-carbohydrate, high-fat eating plan. Different from other low-carb diets, this one focuses on high fat and moderate protein intake while others have focused on high protein. By having very low carbohydrates on the keto diet (typically 20-50 grams per day; equivalent to two slices of bread or one cup of beans), our bodies become

deprived of glucose – our main fuel source for our cells. Our brains prefer glucose for fuel and in a steady amount – about 120 grams daily. Once our stored supply of glucose from the liver and muscle is completely depleted (about three days), the body has to resort to an alternative source known as ketones, which are a product of stored fat. When ketones start accumulating in the blood, you’re in “ketosis.” And it’s true, individuals have seen results. The high-fat content of the diet has shown to be satiating and can decrease appetite-stimulating hormones, such as insulin. In the shortterm, it has been shown to accelerate weight loss. However, long-term, it hasn’t proven to be any better than a more traditional method of losing weight. You might be wondering what’s not to lose (besides the weight, that is). Why not give this fad diet a try? Well, most importantly, it can be dangerous. If too many ketones are produced, blood levels can reach a harmful level, known as ketoacidosis – a toxic level of acid in the blood. I think the most evident downfall, though, is the diet’s tight parameters. It’s hard to maintain ketosis. There’s no such thing as a “cheat” day. Eat too many carbs? Your body uses the glucose and you’re no longer in ketosis. Eat too much protein? Your body uses the amino acids to make glucose. These restrictions can make travel, dining out and social events challenging, if not impossible. You have few acceptable foods and a long laundry list of restricted foods. It can be hard to remain satisfied. At first glance, the diet might just seem like an easy way to eliminate all the processed and refined carbs that all of us need to limit, anyway. But by cutting out nearly all carbohydrates, you’re actually also missing out on all

the other nutrients found in carbohydrate-rich foods, too. Your fiber intake will likely become deficient, along with other nutrients found in whole grains, like the B vitamins, magnesium, and zinc. With very little fruit allowed, you’ll find yourself lacking in antioxidants and essential vitamins and minerals. Plant-based proteins like legumes and beans are also out, which have been shown to help prevent diseases. I would encourage us to limit the processed and refined carbs we eat, but that doesn’t mean we have to also remove the beneficial beans, legumes and fruit from our diets, too. In another year or two, the ketogenic diet will be out and another diet will be in. None of them stick around, simply for the fact that nobody can continue with such a strict regimen for long. It’s better to focus on small changes over a long period of time. For example, if you find yourself eating too many refined carbohydrates such as crackers, chips or sweets, switch to a healthier alternative, such as a whole grain crackers, kale chips or a smoothie. While there isn’t a lot of long-term research yet on fad diets like the ketogenic diet, there’s plenty of evidence that a balanced diet rich in whole grains, fruits and vegetables, lean protein sources from meat, fish, beans, nuts and seeds and healthy fats leads to a healthy quality of life. I don’t know about you, but I’ll stick with the evidence and listen to what my body is telling me. Kara Hoerr, MS, RDN, CD, is the registered dietitian at the Fitchburg Hy-Vee. For nutrition information or questions, contact her at khoerr@hy-vee.com or (608) 273-5125. This information is not intended as medical advice. Please consult a medical professional for individual advice.

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August 10, 2018

Fitchburg Star

Plea deal for Primaries set for Aug. 14 one suspect in March killing Fall election

Nicholson. The other three candidates are Charles Barman, Griffin Jones and George Lucia. The other contested races on the Republican ballot are Jay Schroeder and Spencer Zimmerman for secretary of state and Travis Hartwig and Jill Millies for state treasurer. The Democratic ballot includes contests between Mandela Barnes and Kurt Kober for lieutenant governor, Arvina Martin and incumbent Doug La Follette for secretary of state and a three-way race among Dawn Marie Sass, Cynthia Kaump and Sarah Godlewski for state treasurer. Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 14. For more information on where to vote, visit myvote.wi.gov. Early voting is available through the end of day Friday, Aug. 10, at the clerk’s office. Contact Scott Girard at ungreporter@wcinet.com and follow him on Twitter @sgirard9.

City of Fitchburg

Stoner change up for repeal Residents, developer unhappy with city process SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group

A proposal to return a part of the North Stoner Prairie Neighborhood from high density to medium will be on the Common Council’s September agenda. And neither the apartment developer nor the residents opposed to high-density zoning are happy about it. “The bigger issue is how this all happened,” said Colleen Chase, the Lacy Heights Neighborhood Association treasurer, who opposes the idea of high-density in the area. “It’s not passing the feel-good test.” Developer Chris Ehlers expressed a similar sentiment, even as he and Chase are on opposite sides of the proposal itself. “This is the first time I haven’t even been allowed to present a project,” Ehlers said. That project would have put 182 apartments on six of the remaining undeveloped acres in the neighborhood. Ehlers said high-density housing would allow him to build 80 “affordable” ownership units, with prices under $300,000, across the street. Developer Craig Raddatz, who was working with Ehlers on the apartment proposal, told the Plan Commission July 17 that

while he was disappointed, they would be “going back to the drawing table” on the site. “This is what belongs here,” Raddatz said. “But we’ve heard, and there’s going to be a change.” Under an amendment to the comprehensive plan approved unanimously last year with little opposition, the apartments are allowed. But the council is expected to decide Sept. 11 whether to undo that change and instead restore medium-density zoning on the parcel, which is supported by residents in the Lacy Heights and Seminole Forest neighborhoods that are next to NSP. Medium-density zoning was in the initial neighborhood plan, approved in 2013 after a few years of discussion. It was changed to high density when the parcel was split last year to put in a church, which had initially been in another part of the development. Alds. Dan Bahr (Dist. 2), Dan Carpenter (D-3) and Tom Clauder (D-4) have all come out in support of medium density. That means with either two more votes or one more and tiebreaker support from Mayor Jason Gonzalez, the amendment would pass the council. The resolution would then would need a reapproval from the Plan Commission, which recommended against the change July 17. Carpenter said at the June 26 Council meeting, where dozens of residents turned out to oppose the plan, the city “erred” in changing the plan last year,

and he again shared that view at the July 17 Plan Commission meeting. “My main concern is from a process standpoint,” Carpenter said during public comment. “If everybody’s coming together and making a plan, then the plan shouldn’t be changed.” Late in that meeting, which included dozens registering support and dozens of others speaking in opposition to the high-density proposal, commissioners agreed they should find a compromise with the neighbors. They also said they didn’t need to adjust the comprehensive plan, as they could deal with this project’s density during other stages of the development process, allowing for more flexibility in discussions between Ehlers and the neighbors. The commission discussed the comprehensive plan before it reviewed the plan Ehlers had developed, which bothered Ehlers. It seemed to also be an issue for Carol Poole after Raddatz withdrew the rezone request from consideration that night. “No one has even seen this plan, yet we’ve spent six hours or however long we’ve been here talking about a plan that everyone’s afraid of that no one’s even seen yet,” Poole said last month as the commission moved on to Ehlers’ proposal. Contact Scott Girard at ungreporter@wcinet.com and follow him on Twitter @sgirard9.

North Stoner Prairie: How the plan got changed neighborhoods, only the “prominent neighbors” – the large landowners nearby – as he only had “an idea,” and not a “plan.” “I didn’t have an end user on board, I didn’t have a company on board yet,” he said July 17. “This was an idea.” Once he had those plans in place, Ehlers said, he held a neighborhood meeting in

January of this year. There, development, by replacing neighbors expressed strong the density elsewhere in the opposition to the plan, upset development. that high density was now included and that they had not – Scott Girard been contacted previously. But Ehlers told the Star he felt he was doing what some commissioners and alders had asked of him last year, when Blackhawk Church moved its proposed location in the

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The February 2017 change to the comprehensive plan that allowed for high-density zoning on the parcel was approved with little input from the public at any of the meetings. At the time, alders and commissioners seemed to take that as a sign there was no opposition, but many neighbors have said in recent weeks they were unaware of the proposal. “We were so involved in this process for so long, and now there are these changes that we hear nothing about,” resident Janell Rice told the commission July 17. Ehlers told the commission in 2017 he had not reached out to the adjacent

Jackson faces 40 years for robbery, but murder charge dismissed SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group

wrong. Jackson had agreed over Facebook to buy drugs from the woman for $700. McInnis and Mays allegedly began beating up Jackson Patterson after getting into a van to carry out the deal, according to the complaint, and McInnis McInnis eventually pulled out a gun. After Patterson ex i t e d t h e car, McInnis shot him once, with t h e bu l l e t Mays hitting Patterson’s arm and torso, the complaint states. McInnis, who was arrested during a traffic stop the day after the incident, “admitted to taking a gun with the intent to rob the girl of the marijuana,” according to the complaint. He also said he “got rid of” the gun.

One of the three suspects in a March homicide in the City of Fitchburg faces up to 40 years in prison after taking a plea deal that included dismissal of his felony murder charge. Travon Jackson, 19, pleaded guilty to an armed robbery charge four months after the drug dealturned-shooting March 12 at the New Fountains Apartments complex on Anton Drive in which 20-year-old Julian Patterson of Fort Atkinson died. The other suspects in the case, 17-year-olds Joshua McInnis and Gary Mays, have not pleaded to any charges, according to online court records, and each still faces a first-degree intentional homicide charge. The Star is naming the two juveniles because of the severity of the charge. May’s case is scheduled for a jury trial in September, with a status conference set for Aug. 23. McInnis, who also has PAR Concrete, Inc. an Aug. 23 status con• Driveways ference, has a November • Floors jury trial scheduled. • Patios According to the crim• Sidewalks inal complaint, the three • Decorative Concrete teens killed Patterson after a plan to rob him Phil Mountford 516-4130 (cell) and his girlfriend went 835-5129 (office)

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Wisconsin voters will set the November election ballots Tuesday, Aug. 14, with partisan primaries for statewide races. There are multiple races on both the Democratic and Republican ballots. Voters may only vote in one party primary. Each side of the ballot will include a high-profile race, with the Republican U.S. Senate primary and the Democratic gubernatorial primary. There will also be primaries for governor, secretary of state and treasurer on the Republican side and lieutenant governor, secretary of state and state treasurer on the Democratic side. The most crowded race is the Democratic gubernatorial primary, in which the winner will likely face incumbent Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican, seeking his third term in office. There are 10 candidates on

the ballot for the Democrats, though two of them – Andy Gronik and Dana Wachs – have withdrawn from the race and endorsed other candidates. The eight remaining candidates are state superintendent and former Verona Area School District superintendent Tony Evers, former Democratic Party of Wisconsin chair Matt Flynn, former Wisconsin Democracy Campaign executive director Mike McCabe, Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin president Mahlon Mitchell, lawyer Josh Pade, former Rep. Kelda Roys, Madison Mayor Paul Soglin and Sen. Kathleen Vinehout. While Walker faces a primary challenge from Sun Prairie business owner Rob Meyer, he is expected to win the Republican nomination. Also on the Republican ballot is a five-person race for the nomination to face Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin in November. The two highest-profile candidates are Sen. Leah Vukmir and businessman Kevin

Dennis Senz, AIC, AIS, AINS 2843 No Oaks Ridge, Fitchburg, WI 53711 (608) 290-0241 dsenz@senzinsurance.com

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SCOTT GIRARD

August 10, 2018

ConnectFitchburg.com

Fitchburg Star

Celebrating their son’s life Parents host fundraiser in honor of late VAHS student KIMBERLY WETHAL Unified Newspaper Group

As Kathie Natzke went out to lunch with her husband Jim on Mother’s Day for the first time without their son Paul, she knew a few days this year were going to “suck.” Paul, who was born with spina bifida, died last August after an unexpected accident. The 15-year-old Fitchburg resident was on the Verona Area High School track and field team, where he competed in wheelchair shot put and the 100-meter wheelchair race, of which he won the WIAA medal. “My first Mother’s Day without him, I thought, ‘ooh, this is going to suck,’” she said. “And then we started talking about what else is going to suck? Father’s Day. That’s going to suck. “And what’s going to suck even the most is the anniversary,” she added. “We were like, ‘What can we do to make it more of a celebration of his life instead of a big pity party?’” They hope an upcoming

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If You Go What: PaulPalooza When: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 19 Where: The Hop Garden, 6818 Canal St., Paoli Info: paulnatzke.com

party, dubbed “PaulPalooza,” can help turn that pity around. The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 19, at The Hop Garden, 6818 Canal St., Paoli. It was born out of an online party they planned last December via Facebook that served as a “kindness campaign,” in which they asked people to do something nice for another person in Paul’s memory. “I know you’re not supposed to talk about (the nice things you do for people), but for me, for other people to do something in Paul’s memory and then tell me about it, it made me feel good,” she said. “When we already had ‘Paul’s Party’ established, and when we decided to do something for the anniversary, we thought, ‘Well, why don’t we have a real party?’” Natzke said the goal is to make the event as reflective

Photo submitted

Paul Natzke, who died at the age of 15 last August, competed on the Belleville and Verona track teams in the 100-meter wheelchair race and wheelchair shot put. Natzke’s parents Kathie and Jim tried to incorporate his love for sports into the upcoming PaulPalooza event. of Paul’s life as possible, with live music from eight different musical acts, food that reflects his love of cheese – the one cheesy food item they weren’t able to incorporate as of yet was macaroni and cheese – and a fundraiser for three charities that mattered to him. One organization benefiting from the event, The Wisconsin Skeeters Sled Hockey team, was a large part of Paul’s life, Natzke said, as he played the sport for close to a decade.

“It was his thing,” she said. “He really, really loved sled hockey. It really helped him grow.” The second organization, Baycliff Health Camp, was a seven-week summer camp that included therapy-based activities that helped him gain independence. Donate Life Wisconsin will also be a benefactor of the PaulPalooza fundraiser. Natzke said that while Paul was alive, the organization didn’t mean as much to them, but following his death

and the donation of his heart, liver, pancreas, kidneys and eyes, it turned into something significant. “It was super cool – he had spina bifida, so his body failed him his whole life while he was here – but he was able to save other people,” she said. A booth at the event will also raise funds for the Verona and Belleville Track and Field teams that Paul competed with. The event will also include a basket raffle at 4:30 p.m.,

Pub stage 11 a.m. to noon: Mark Croft 12:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.: Sam Sardina 2-3 p.m.: Drew Jacobs 3:30-4:30 p.m.: Sunspot Park stage 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Quick and Painless 1-2 p.m.: Chloe Louise 2:30-3:30 p.m.: Woodrow 4-5 p.m.: Raine Stern which Natzke said will reflect his love of sports through the prizes given away. “The whole purpose of it is to remember Paul, and celebrate him,” she said. “We’re trying to incorporate as much as we can so that people who knew him will be like, ‘ahh, Paulie loved that,’ and people who don’t know him can come and go, ‘Gosh, this is fun. I bet he was a cool kid.’” Email reporter Kimberly Wethal at kimberly.wethal@ wcinet.com and follow her on Twitter @kimberly_wethal.

Calendar of events Friday, Aug. 9

• 6-10 p.m., Pack ‘N The Park, McKee Farms Park, 2930 Chapel Valley Road, fitchburgchamber.com

Saturday, Aug. 11

• 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., 5th Annual Kickin’ It for Kids Charity Kickball tournament, McGaw Park, 5236 Lacy Road, fitchburgchamber.com

Monday, Aug. 13

• 9:30-11:30 a.m., PlayDoh Palooza (ages 2-5), library, 729-1762 • 4-5 p.m., Take ‘n Bake cookies (ages 9-12, registration required), library, 729-1762

Tuesday, Aug. 14

• 11-11:45 a.m., Nursery Rhyme Time (ages 0-2), library, 729-1762 • 6-7 p.m., Back to School decor (ages 13-17), library, 729-1762

Wednesday, Aug. 15

• 10-11 a.m., Wednesday morning book discussion: “Orphan Train,” library, 729-1760 • 7-8 p.m., “What do I read next?” book app presentation, library, 7291763

library (ages 5-12), library, library, 729-1762 720-1762 Thursday, Aug. 23 • 1-4 p.m., Board game • 10 a.m. to noon, Wellcafe with Pegasus Games, library, 729-1763 ness checks with a nurse, senior center, 270-4290 Monday, Aug. 20 • 1-1:45 p.m., Bouncing babies storytime, library, • 6-10 p.m., Concerts at McKee: Orquesta SalSoul 729-1762 Thursday, Aug. 16 del Mad, McKee Farms • 3-6 p.m., Fitchburg • 10 a.m. to noon, WellPark, 2930 Chapel Valley Farmers Market, Agora ness checks with a nurse, Road, fitchburgchamber. Pavilion, 5511 E. Cheryl senior center, 270-4290 com Pkwy., fitchburgchamber. com • 3-6 p.m., Fitchburg Tuesday, Aug. 21 Farmers Market – Pig • 6-7 p.m., Late night • 11:15 a.m., Coffee with Roast, Agora Pavilion, a Cop, senior center, 270- breakout challenge 5511 E. Cheryl Pkwy., (ages 13-17, registration 4290 fitchburgchamber.com required), library, 729• 6-7 p.m., Adult craft eve- 1762 Saturday, Aug. 18 ning, library, 729-1763 • 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., 10th Friday, Aug. 24 Wednesday, Aug. 22 annual Agora Art Fair, • 4-4:45 p.m., Family • 10-11 a.m., Toddler art Agora Pavilion, 5511 E. bingo, library, 729-1760 (ages 1-3), library, 729Cheryl Pkwy., agoraartfair. 1762 Monday, Aug. 27 com • 5:30-7:30 p.m., Public • 3:30-5 p.m., Make it • 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Charmeeting on Fish Hatchery Snappy!: Snap circuits at ity dog wash, Waggin’ Road project, library, 729- the library, library, 729Tails Doggie Dude Ranch, 1760 1760 6249 Nesbitt Road, wag• 6-6:30 p.m., Family paja- • 6-7 p.m., “My Hogwarts gintailspetcare.com ma storytime (ages 2-5), letter was lost in the mail” • 1-3 p.m., Legos at the

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Wednesday, Sept. 5

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Coming up Pack ‘N The Park The Fitchburg Optimists Club will be hosting its end-of-summer celebration “Pack ‘N The Park” from 6-10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 10, at McKee Farms Park, 2930 Chapel Valley Road. The event marks the end of the City of Fitchburg’s recreation department’s programming for the summer. It will include games, prizes and the movie “Sherlock Gnomes.” The Optimists Club will be selling pizza, hot dogs and popcorn. For information, visit fitchburgchamber.com.

Take ‘n bake cookies Children ages 9-12 are invited to the library from 4-5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 13, to mix up cookie dough that they can take home and bake. Library staff will help children measure out and mix the ingredients. The recipe for the cookies does not include nuts. Registration is required. For information, call 729-1762.

Back to school decor

August 10, 2018

The presentation will include information about Goodreads and Novelist, and will teach attendees how to browse for new books based on their reading interests, along with rating and reviewing the books they’ve read. For information, call 729-1763.

Agora Art Fair The Agora Art Fair will celebrate 10 years from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 18, at the Agora Pavilion, 5511 E. Cheryl Pkwy. The art fair will feature 100 artists, live music, kite-flying and food. T h e ev e n t w i l l a l s o include a Children’s Art Yard with simple crafts like clay sculpture making, masks and coloring. For information, visit agoraartfair.com.

Charity dog wash Wa g g i n ’ Ta i l s D o g gie Dude Ranch will host a charity dog wash and adoptathon from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 18, at Waggin’ Tails, 6249 Nesbitt Road. The event will include dog washes, area rescue groups with pets to adopt, an appearance by a Fitchburg Fire Department truck, food and raffle prizes. For information, visit waggintailspetcare.com.

Teens ages 13-17 can make crafts to decorate their lockers and dorm rooms from 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 14, at the library. The library will provide craft ideas and directions, but teens are invited to bring pictures along for Learn new games their own inspiration. R e p r e s e n t a t ive s w i l l For information, call bring board games for peo729-1762. ple to learn how to play 1-4 p.m. Saturday, Book app presentation from Aug. 18, at the library. The library will present While the representaabout different book read- tives will be teaching new ing apps that can be used to games, there will also be find your next read from 7-8 classic games to play. Cofp.m. Wednesday, Aug. 15. fee and tea will be served.

Kickin’ It For Kids fundraiser set for Aug. 11

Back to school celebration returns

The program is open to challenge teens and adults. Teens ages 13-17 can For information, call unlock a mystery in the 729-1763. library from 6-7 p.m. Concerts at McKee Thursday, Aug. 23. In order to solve the The “salsa and soul” group Orquesta SalSoul del mystery, teens will have to Mad will headline the final figure out the solutions to Concerts at McKee perfor- puzzles and decipher clues. A snack will be provided. mance for the summer from Registration is required. 6-10 p.m. Monday, Aug. For information, call 20, at McKee Farms Park, 729-1762. 2930 Chapel Valley Road. The group will perform Harry Potter for adults from 7-10 p.m., with a The library has discovyouth group from the Madison Music Foundry open- ered that your acceptance ing the concert from 6-7 letter to Hogwarts never made it to your mailbox p.m. Food can be purchased years ago, and wants to from food cart vendors, make up for it with a craft or can be brought into the and games night from 6-7 concert. Alcoholic beverag- p.m. Monday, Aug. 27. The event is for adults 18 es are allowed. For information, visit years or older. Participants will be able fitchburgchamber.com. to play games, make crafts Adult crafting evening and get sorted into their The library is hosting a rightful house. For information, call crafting evening for adults from 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, 729-1763. Aug. 21. Learn Powerpoint The crafting evening is a recurring event on the third basics Tuesday of each month. The library will teach Previous crafting experi- t h e b a s i c f u n c t i o n s o f ence is not necessary. Reg- PowerPoint from 7-8 p.m. istration is required. Wednesday, Sept. 5. For information, call The seminar will teach 729-1763. attendees how to add and delete slides, change the Toddler art layout of a slide, how to An hour-long art work- format the text, select shop will be held from themes and add graphics. 10-11 a.m. Wednesday, Registration for the class Aug. 22, at the library for is required. children ages 1-3. For information, call Parents are encouraged 729-1763. to dress their children in clothes that are allowed to get messy or bring smocks for them. For information, call 729-1762.

Late night breakout

Fitchburg Star

Annual block party is Aug. 23 AMBER LEVENHAGEN Unified Newspaper Group

Some might not be ready to admit that summer is coming to a close, but a Fitchburg Technology Center back to school block party will celebrate just that. Now in its eighth year, the annual event raises money for the Aldo Leopold and Stoner Prairie elementary schools’ technology funds. The event starts at 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 23, kicking off with arts and crafts at Park Bank near 2690 Research Park Dr. Kids activities continue until 9:30 p.m., including a

photo booth, face painting, an anti-bullying program and a magic show every half hour between 5:307:30 p.m. at Roman Candle Pizzeria. There will also be fire trucks and police squad cars for pictures. A screening of the movie “Secret Life of Pets” will close out the event, starting at 8 p.m. Live music will be presented by the Soggy Prairie Band from 5-8 p.m. Around 500 people attend the event each year and over the last few years the event has donated $1,500 per school for technology improvements. For information and a complete schedule of events, search for “FTC Back to School Block Party” on Facebook.

Photo by Kate Newton

Leo Beier can’t contain his excitement after seeing James the Magician found his special card inside the shuffled deck at a previous Back to School event.

CONCERTS AT McKEE IIT’S A PARTY IN THE PARK!

5th annual charity event to benefit REACH-A-Child AMBER LEVENHAGEN Unified Newspaper Group

Photo submitted

Kickball teams also got a tour of the UW Med Flight during a prior year’s event.

On the Web For more information about REACHA-Child and how to help, visit:

Reachachild.org – in addition to watching the action – will be suitable for the whole family. There will be bounce houses, concessions, a DJ, first responder vehicles, a free kids kickball game with first responders, Med Flight, mounted horse patrol and more. More details about those events can be found on the event’s Facebook page by

If You Go What: Kickin’ it for Kids When: 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 11 Where: McGaw Park, 5236 Lacy Road Info: reachachild.org/ events searching for “5th Annual Kickin’ It For Kids Charity Kickball Tournament” hosted by REACH-A-Child. Contact Amber Levenhagen at amber.levenhagen@ wcinet.com.

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The annual charity kickball tournament returns to McGaw Park this weekend. “Kickin’ It For Kids,” now in its fifth year, will benefit REACH-A-Child, a program that creates bags kept in police squad cars or emergency vehicles to give to a child in crisis. The bags include 20 children’s books in drawstring backpacks. Profits from concessions, team registrations, sponsorships and general donations will benefit the program. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 11, at McGaw Park, 5236 Lacy Road. The event is free for the public but participating teams needed to register by the end of July. If you weren’t able to register in time but still want to help support the organization, the program is looking for team, field and food sponsors. More information can be found on reachachild.org/events. At least 10 teams have registered for the event. Whether participating or not, plenty of activities

August 10, 2018

ConnectFitchburg.com

Fitchburg Star

AARP: Fitchburg most ‘livable’ in U.S.

Nesbitt joins UNG Mark Nesbitt has joined the staff of Unified Newspaper Group as our assistant sports editor. He succeeds Anthony Iozzo, who moved out of the area after eight years in that position. Nesbitt is a sports enthu- Nesbitt siast who has been a sportswriter for the past 14 years, including the past 10 at the Monroe Times. He lives in Monroe, where his daughter, a three-sport athlete is entering her junior year. An Illinois native, Nesbitt attended college in Sterling, Ill., and holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary

Fitchburg is the most “livable” small city for older adults in the United States, according to recent rankings released by AARP. The rankings, released in July, sorted U.S. cities into three catego1. Fitchburg ries based on population size. Fitch2. Sheboygan burg, in the 25,000-99,999 group, led the way ahead of two other Wiscon3. La Crosse sin cities – Sheboygan and La Crosse 4. Lafayette, Colo. – to round out the top three. 5. Silver Spring, Md. Fitchburg was also ranked in the top 10 on the 2015 version of the 6. Sun Prairie list, and it was one of only four small 7. Bismarck, N.D. communities on that list to return this 8. Brookline, Mass. year, according to AARP’s report. 9. Harrisburg, Pa. Fitchburg was described in an AARP news release as “very civical10. Portland, Maine ly engaged” and a city that “caters to a younger population.” “The city began investing in economic growth, trying to create oppor- to the area,” the release states. “It also tunities for entrepreneurs and attract- has its fair share of recreation spots ing smaller businesses and innovation for nature lovers.”

Top 10 small cities

Read more Get to know our new assistant sports editor in his column Page B1 education from Illinois State University. He moved to Monroe when his wife began teaching in Freeport, Ill. Nesbitt will share beats at the five schools UNG covers with sports editor Jeremy Jones. He can be reached at sportsreporter@wcinet.com.

The rankings are determined by a city’s “Livability Index Score,” which is the average of more than 50 national data scores compiled by AARP, including housing, transportation, environment, health, engagement and opportunity, according to the release. Wisconsin as a whole had six communities on the lists, with four in the small communities, with Sun Prairie ranked sixth, and one each in the middle – Madison – and large city – Milwaukee – categories. “The data shows that these communities and hundreds of others across Wisconsin are adapting to their aging populations and making sure their communities are safe, walkable, affordable and economically viable to support all generations,” AARP state director Sam Wilson said in a news release. – Scott Girard

A splash of color Sidewalks around the Dane County area have been getting a little bit more colorful, including one at the library. Dane Arts Mural Arts, a public art project that beautifies neighborhoods through creating murals and training artists on collaborations with youth, painted a mural above a storm drain over the sidewalk and driveway near the library. Volunteers from Briarpatch helped Dane Arts Mural Arts artists complete the piece on Friday, Aug. 3. The goal of the murals, lead artist Emida Roller told the Star, is to get people to think about what kind of trash ends up in storm drains, and what impact it has on Dane County’s waterways, where it ends up. – Kimberly Wethal

Photos by Kimberly Wethal

Sonya Sankaram, the designer of the mural that was painted at the librart on Friday, Aug. 3, prepares her brush.

Above, a youth volunteer from Briarpatch paints in the light blue in a raindrop in the mural outside of the library on Friday, Aug. 3. Susan Sandford, a strategic engagement coordinator for Dane County’s Land and Water Resources department, paints in the roots on a mural near a storm drain at the library on Friday, Aug. 3.

Below, center left, Dane Arts Mural Arts lead artist Emida Roller prepares paint so that she and youth volunteers from Briarpatch can begin to paint the root design of the mural on the pavement next to a storm drain on the library on Friday, Aug. 3.

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August 10, 2018

Fitchburg Star

Bike Fitchburg debuts portable bike playground Goal of ramps to teach mountain biking, traffic skills KIMBERLY WETHAL Unified Newspaper Group

Matthew Jones wants children in Fitchburg to develop their biking skills. The president and co-founder of the Bike Fitchburg organization, Jones spent four weeks in a warehouse after work each day designing and building a portable bike playground that was unveiled last month. “It’s a place where kids can develop their skills for mountain biking, and to develop their skills in how to operate a bicycle in a tough situation, where other modes of transportation are involved,” he said. “These features develop a good, broad skill set.” Liz Zimdars, Fitchburg’s outreach librarian who brings the mobile library to Leopold Park for community nights, helped Bike Fitchburg secure a place in a warehouse and access to power tools to put the ramps together. “I went out after work, in the warehouse, drew and penciled some plans, cut it out of wood, nailed it together and kept going,” Jones said. The playground eventually debuted at the Tuesday, July 17, Leopold Community Night. While there’s no consistent schedule for where the bike playground will be as of yet – they’re sort of “flying by the seat of their pants,” Jones said – he hopes to work with the parks and recreation department to get it into parks throughout the city. The Bike Fitchburg Facebook page and website will be updated a few days before any event, Jones said, so that people know to show up. The ramps are each made of wood and feature three styles that

Photo by Kimberly Wethal

Illia Nebomnishikh takes his bike over one of the “table top” ramps during the Bike Fitchburg’s debut of their portable bike playground on Tuesday, July 17, at a Leopold Community Night. The bike playground, intended to teach kids younger than 16 mountain biking and mixed transportation skills, has three different kinds of ramps that each have unique designs. aim to teach riders a different skill set on each one, Jones said. The first two speed bump-like ramps in the playground are “rollers,” Jones said, which are meant to orient riders with cycling on terrain that’s not flat. “It helps you conquer the fear of avoiding obstacles,” he added. The second feature in the

playground, a semi-circle that turns riders 180 degrees, is meant to teach riders precision and patience. Often, Jones said, the reason why kids are falling off of that ramp is because they’re attempting to go over it too quickly. “It’s all about agility,” he said. “It’s such a tight radius that

you’ve got to go super slow to stay on the track and make it all the way around. It develops that coordination in a rider, and makes them that much better at handling mixed traffic on the street, or on the trail.” T h e p l a y g r o u n d ’s r a m p s end with two simpler, trapezoid-shaped ramps that Jones said

are for the youngest cyclists. The “tabletop” ramps serve as a way to get those without advanced riding skills to participate. Email reporter Kimberly Wethal at kimberly.wethal@wcinet.com and follow her on Twitter @kimberly_wethal.

annuaL

fItchbuRg

agoRa aRt faIR Saturday, August 18, 2018 • 10 a.m. — 5 p.m. • 5500 East Cheryl Parkway • • • • • • •

Photo by Kimberly Wethal

In waves, cyclists begin their 50-mile bike ride for the 16th Annual Bike for Boys and Girls Club fundraiser. The fundraiser set a goal of $500,000, of which they were $5,000 away from at the beginning of the event at 7:30 a.m.

McKee Rd.[PD]

Cycling for a cause

The Boys and Girls Club of Dane County held their annual Bike for Boys and Girls Club fundraiser on Saturday, July 21, at McKee Farms Park. The event consisted of an 8-, 25- and 50-mile bike ride. Participants of the fundraiser raised $519,898, surpassing their $500,000 goal. – Kimberly Wethal

Fish Hatchery Rd.

100 local artists Live music Food & beverages WI Craft Beer & Wine Garden Children’s Art Yard Art in the Wind Hands-On Art Experience

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The Agora

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Lacy Rd.

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August 10, 2018

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Fitchburg Star

Photos by Alexander Cramer

Attendees check out a Fitchburg fire engine at the annual crime prevention picnic Aug. 4 at McKee Farms Park.

Annual Crime Prevention Picnic The Fitchburg Fire Department was joined by other area emergency departments at its annual crime prevention picnic Aug. 4, where they showed off their equipment, answered questions and posed for pictures at McKee Farms Park. In addition to fire trucks and ambulances, there were police dogs and even a 6-foot-tall “fire dog” mascot named Sparky who gave out hugs. Kids could hop in a squad car and Ulyana Nunoo, 3, pats Lasko the Sun Prairie German Shepherd, at the annual crime prevenblip the siren or walk around the back of an ambulance or pretend to drive a huge fire tion picnic. truck. Organizers gave away free food and drink at the event, which is held to foster positive relationships between the community and the people who protect it. – Alexander Cramer

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Firefighter Matt Sutter explains firefighting equipment and answers the questions of, from left, Soren Handley, 5, and his brother Rowan, 10.

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August 10, 2018

Fitchburg Star

Woodward Communications adds another Iowa newspaper The parent company of Unified Newspaper Group, which includes the Fitchburg Star, is continuing to grow its roster of weekly newspapers. Wo o d w a r d C o m m u n i c a tions, Inc. of Dubuque, Iowa, announced July 26 it would acquire the Anamosa Journal-Eureka, and its shopper, the Town Crier, on Aug. 1. The newspaper will become

part of WCI’s Woodward Community Media division, which comprises UNG’s four suburban Madison newspapers (the Star, Oregon Observer, Stoughton Courier Hub and Verona Press), and 10 other weekly newspapers, as well as the Dubuque Telegraph-Herald, 10 shopper publications, several other niche publications and Woodward Printing Services.

“We chose to sell to Woodward Communications because of their commitment to community newspapers,” co-owner Jim Johnson said. “The improvements that we made were done with commitment to the community. We took the Journal-Eureka to new heights. Woodward is going to take it to the next level.” In September 2017, WCI a c q u i r e d We s t B r a n c h

Communications which includes the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun, Solon Economist, West Liberty Index, West Branch Times, North Liberty Leader, Marion Times and Linn News-Letter. Anamosa is about 15 miles from Mount Vernon, Iowa. “This represents our continued commitment to quality community media and related information

services, and the important roles they play in the communities we serve,” said Tom Woodward, chief executive officer and president of Woodward Communications, Inc. “The community of Anamosa and these publications build upon our eastern Iowa market area and related synergies within our entire community publishing division.”

Ask the Fitchburg

MORTGAGE BANKING

Q. How do interest rates affect your mortgage? A. High interest rates bring higher monthly payments and increase the overall interest you’ll

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WINDOW FASHIONS & COVERINGS

Q. Which windows should I tackle first when moving to a new home? A. Having completed a move myself, it got me thinking about this dilemma for

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many people moving this summer. The trick is to prioritize your needs, as it can be costly to cover all the windows in your new home at once. Consider tackling your bedrooms first as they often require privacy and light control, followed by bathrooms where privacy is a must! Next think about rooms where you spend the most time, maybe watching TV where glare is an issue or windows close to a road, and spend your money there. All the other areas can be addressed once the dust settles and your bank balance recovers from the move. If you’ve completed a move recently and have Naked Windows - call today to schedule your free in home consultation.

REALTOR

Q. Does a buyer need a buyer’s agent when purchasing a home? A. A buyer should have a Real Estate agent under a buyer

agency contract when purchasing a home. A buyer agency contract creates a legal responsibility between the home buyer and the agent. It allows the buyer’s agent to work for the buyer, not the home seller. Otherwise, by law, an agent communicating with a buyer without an agency contract is working on behalf of the seller and NOT on behalf of the buyer. A buyer’s agent Shawn Pfaff can advise on, write the offer and draft provisions, prepare an estimate of value for a property of interest and express a professional opinion of the property and can negotiate on a buyer’s behalf throughout the entire transaction. Please contact me by visiting www.shawnpfaff.firstweber.com to learn more about how I can help you as your buyer’s agent,

(608) 628-3275

2985 Triverton Pike Dr., Ste. 200, Fitchburg, WI 53711 pfaffs@firstweber.com • www.shawnpfaff.firstweber.com

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PHYSICAL THERAPY

DENTIST

Q. My husband is having hip surgery. His doctor wants a “dental clearance” before his surgery can be scheduled. What’s this about?

A. Getting hip (or knee or heart) surgery doesn’t usually make you think about your dental

health. But, it should. We routinely get requests for a dental clearance for patients with upcoming surgeries. Specifically, the patient’s surgeon wants to know that the patient does not have uncontrolled periodontal (gum) disease. Gum disease is a chronic inflammatory infection of the mouth characterized by swollen, bleeding gums. Bacteria associated with gum disease are not confined to just the patient’s mouth and are circulating throughout the patient’s body. That’s why it’s so important that the patient’s gum disease is controlled prior to their surgery. With gum disease under control, the patient’s immune system will be stronger and better able to heal the surgical site. It also means reduced risk of gum disease bacteria infecting the surgical site. To assure the best outcome possible for your husband’s upcoming surgery and for his overall systemic health, this dental clearance is important.

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CHIROPRACTOR

Q. Are children or preteens too young for therapeutic massage. A. Absolutely not. In fact, massage can benefit youth with a variety

of things from improving sports performance to alleviating injuries and correcting posture, just to name a few. Kids spend hours at desks, playing sports, and lugging heavy packs around so it should be no surprise that they experience musculoskeletal problems. In my practice Jill Unwin, Lee Unwin, I see a number of children because of these factors and in many cases DC, CCEP BCMT, CSCS the conditions that I treat a child for are the same conditions that I am treating their parent for. When a parent brings their child in for the first time, I go through the same evaluation process and testing procedures that I use for all of my clients. The only difference is that I spend extra time explaining how massage is performed; this helps to alleviate any anxiety or misconceptions they may have. If it’s preferred, a parent may stay in the room during the massage. It’s never too early to start on the road to good health and wellness; by starting early we can detect and eliminate small problems before they become large ones later in adulthood.

102 N. Franklin Street • Verona, WI 53593 (608) 848-1800 • unwinchiropractic.com

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Q. What is Myofascial Release? A. Myofascial Release, or MFR, is a gentle technique used to realign impaired

fascia in the body. Fascia is the body’s support system that surrounds every muscle, ligament, tendon, organ and structure in the body. It travels in one continuous sheet from the top of your head to the toes. Many times, an injury can lead to twisting and limitation of the fascia. This can cause pain and restrictions in movement and function that will not likely be resolved unless the fascia returns to its proper Susan Armstrong, MPT alignment. Restrictions in fascia will not show on X-rays, MRI’s, or CT Scans and is Physical Therapist often directly related to chronic pain patterns. This malalignment can be decreased or resolved with myofascial release performed by a qualified professional. Contact Stellar Rehabilitation today to find out if this non-invasive technique is right for you at www.stellarrehab.com or 608-845-2100.

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independence of elders living in their own homes for as long as safely possible. With a trained and dedicated team of care providers ready to meet new elders, Comfort Keepers offers personal and dementia care in the homes of many elders across the U.S. Elders with dementia who are still living at home may require extra assistance to ensure their safety. In addition to staying safe, elders with dementia may also appreciate spending time with a caregiver while doing activities that they enjoy and that can stimulate their mental or physical health. Stephen Rudolph Comfort Keepers caregivers are trained in dementia care by the Alzheimer’s FACHE, CSA Association. Consider contacting Comfort Keepers next time you need assistance with a loved one who is suffering from dementia. We can be reached at (608) 442-1898.

VETERINARIAN

Q. I’ve seen my neighbor’s dog out for walks wearing a muzzle. What’s up with that? A. You are probably seeing the canine head halter. There are several popular brands of these

including Gentle Leader, Easy Walk, etc. Our trainers use and recommend one made by Halti. It fits comfortably and allows your dog to pant, play tennis ball, and all the normal dog things. However, if he tries to pull or lunge ahead, the soft strap closes around his muzzle and turns him towards his handler. The muzzle squeeze also simulates the correction he experienced from his mom as a boisterous young pup. These collars are incredibly useful for teaching focus, as they give control of the face and thus most of the distractions (sights and smells) that make walks challenging. They are especially great for large or enthusiastic dogs who love to pull! Call us if you have questions about training or would like to be fitted for a Halti – we carry all sizes for all breeds.

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pay over the life of your loan. A low interest rate saves you money in both the short and long term. Of course, just like you can’t time the stock market, it’s nearly impossible to time your home purchase with the best interest rates. The past five years have held some of the most affordable interest rates ever, according to the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, and their recent forecast predicts the trend will continue for 2018. It may be hard to time your home purchase with the best interest rates, but there are things you can do to get a lower rate. For example, a benefit of the 15-year, fixed mortgage is that it has a lower interest rate than a 30-year, fixed mortgage. Sometimes a bigger down payment can also help you get a better interest rate. The money you pay in interest doesn’t ever go toward paying off the principal balance of your home. That’s why it’s a smart move to get a low interest rate on your mortgage and then pay off your house as quickly as you can.

SENIOR CARE

Q. Can Comfort Keepers Care for Elders with Dementia? A. Comfort Keepers dementia care is dedicated to preserving the happiness and

August 10, 2018

ConnectFitchburg.com

Fitchburg Star

Solar: Farmers could use solar panels on top of crop land to generate additional revenue Continued from page 1 on Fish Hatchery Road, producing another 9.9 kilowatts of energy. An initiative in 2017 drastically increased the amount of solar energy panels – the city placed solar panels capable of producing 362 kilowatts of energy on the roofs of City Hall, the library, the public works maintenance facility and the west side fire station on Marketplace Drive. Additional solar panels will be installed on the roof of the east side fire station, which broke ground on Syene Road last month, Marsh said. The city is also partially heating the library and the west fire station with geothermal energy, and as the city completes road work, it will be swapping out lighting fixtures alongside the roads for low-wattage LED lighting.

More private panels

Solar panels fill the roof of the Marketplace Drive fire station. The city installed solar panels producing 362 kilowatts of energy in 2017.

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NOW HIRING! Dairyfood USA, one of the largest specialty cheesemakers in North America, has immediate 2nd and 3rd shift openings at our production facility in the heart of America’s Dairyland. Quality Assurance Technician (2nd shift) – ensures that all products are being produced to acceptable standards by performing line checks, simple lab tests on product samples and related administrative tasks. Production Associate (2nd shift) - responsible for efficiently packaging various products per specification, while maintaining a sanitary work area and adhering to food safety and quality policies. Smoke Room Operator (3rd shift) - responsible for loading and unloading racks of cheese in automated smoke rooms in addition to cleaning the smoke rooms and associated equipment. Experience in a food processing facility or other related experience is highly desired. We offer a $500 signing bonus, attendance bonus, shift premium of up to a $1.50/hr and a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package. Apply in person, or email HR to request an application or to submit your resume. Dairyfood USA, Inc. 2819 County Road F Blue Mounds, WI 53517 (Corner of 18/151 & County Rd F) 608-437-5598 humanresources@dairyfoodusa.com www.dairyfoodusa.com Equal Opportunity Employer.

a 4-year-old who still had some questions, he added. In July, Memorial installed solar panels on the top half of its trapezoid-shaped roof to generate 90 percent of the energy needs for the church. Any surplus energy, during lower demand times, will go back to Madison Gas and Electric. “Some felt we should cover the whole roof in solar panels,” Baumgardner said. “I had to tell them that the utilities probably wouldn’t appreciate that.” Since the start of 2016, Schultz said, MG&E has seen the number of solar panel arrays within the city double to 34. Five of those arrays belong to the city, another five belong to commercial businesses and the remaining 24 belong to residents. Another 575 customers within MG&E’s jurisdiction in the city subscribe to the company’s “Green Power Tomorrow” program.

‘With solar panels, I think that’s really interesting opportunity to create a developed use in terms of panels, but also potentially farm underneath them.’ – Wade Thompson, City of Fitchburg project planner The program allows customers to purchase energy that was created from renewable energy sources if they can’t afford to purchase the equipment to run their own solar panel systems, don’t have an optimal spot for panels on their roof or face limitations due to being a renter, Schultz said.

Future in solar Fitchburg’s vast areas of farmland could someday provide all of the power that the entire city – including residential and private businesses – needs. In fact, Ald. Tony Hartmann (Dist. 4) a solar power

Seasonal Horticulture Epic’s Horticulture team is looking for dedicated individuals who enjoy working outdoors and are up to the challenge of taking care of our campus’ diverse and unique landscape. Responsibilities include assisting horticulturists with maintenance of garden areas, green roofs, orchard, and prairies. You’ll also be responsible for mowing, trimming, mulching, watering, weeding, and composting. We have a number of openings for motivated landscapers and horticulturists of all experience levels to join our team through approximately November. Apply online at careers.epic.com

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enthusiast and member of the city’s Resource Conservation Commission, told the Star it “wasn’t that much of a stretch” to envision solar farming in Fitchburg’s rural areas could generate enough energy for all of Dane County. While the concept of solar farming – especially in Fitchburg – is still in its infancy, Marsh said, a changing energy industry and broad acceptance by farmers in the city could lead to additional energy creation that could power the entire city. Eric Udelhofen, a solar developer for Seattle-based One Energy, told the Star his company has been focusing on development in other parts of Wisconsin, but Fitchburg has a lot of potential for solar farming within the city’s boundaries. Wade Thompson, a project planner with the city’s planning and zoning department and a member of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs

Photo by Kimberly Wethal

committee, said the prospect of placing solar farms on top of land already used for cash crops can be intriguing for farmers because of the changes in the agriculture industry. Wi t h f a c t o r y f a r m s squeezing out local farmers, Thompson said, leasing their land for use as a solar farm could bring in additional revenue not obtainable through the growing of cash crops like corn and soybeans. “One of the tenets of what we try to do is with that committee is understanding that farmland will be developed,” he said. “It’s inevitable. It’s figuring out places for that to happen. With solar panels, I think that’s a really interesting opportunity to create a developed use in terms of panels, but also potentially farm underneath them. “Ideally, from the committee’s perspective, that would be a win-win in retaining land for ag production, but also for creating developments that serve sustainable energy purposes,” Thompson added. Email reporter Kimberly Wethal at kimberly. wethal@wcinet.com and follow her on Twitter @ kimberly_wethal.

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Memorial United Church of Christ, almost all the congregation was supportive, he said. The sole dissenter was

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Private installations have increased dramatically over the past two-and-a-half years, Schultz said. A rising interest in energy sustainability and responsibility clearly plays a role, but it’s also become more economical. “The cost of solar has come down, so I would suspect that probably is a factor,” Schultz wrote in an email to the Star. When Dean Baumgardner helped bring the idea of installing solar panels in March on the steep, south-facing roof of

City news

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Unified Newspaper Group

The city will pay Promega up to $14.5 million to help build its new research and design facility and area road improvements. The money, in the form of tax-increment financing, includes language that would reduce the city’s cost if the projected $190 million project is assessed at a lower value than expected. Promega held a groundbreaking for its 270,000-square-foot facility on East Cheryl Parkway July 18. The project also includes a 4,800-square-foot central utility plant and two new floors of parking with about 340 spaces. Occupancy is expected by the end of 2020. The Common Council approved a developer’s agreement with the biotech company at its July 24 meeting. The payout includes $3.2 million in public improvements to cover the costs of extending Fahey Glen from the East Cheryl Parkway roundabout to Lacy Road, reconstruction of that roundabout and traffic-calming improvements along East Cheryl Parkway, among other improvements. That work would be completed by Dec. 31, 2021, according to the agreement, and handled by Promega. Up to $11.3 million goes toward the company’s construction. However, if the assessment is lower than projected, the city’s contribution would be reduced proportionally. For example, if the facility’s value ends up as $180 million, the city would contribute $10.7 million in TIF. TIF is an economic development tool that allows cities to pay back debt by capturing increased taxes pooled by all underlying jurisdictions for up to 27 years. The new tax-increment financing district, TID 12, partially overlays TID 4, an industrial district expected to close before reaching its full lifespan, around 2023, according to meeting minutes from the May Plan Commission meeting. TID 12 is expected to generate sufficient tax increments to recover project costs by 2033 – seven years before it reached its maximum 20-year lifespan, according to the project plan. Contact Scott Girard at ungreporter@wcinet.com and follow him on Twitter @sgirard9.

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An amended tax-increment district (TID) could help fund the planned reconstruction of Fish Hatchery Road if the city and county are unable to come up with a deal. The Common Council approved new boundaries for TID 10 on July 24, nearly three years after the initial district was created to help fund construction of a hotel off of Pike Drive. While construction has yet to begin on the hotel, which was approved in 2016, city officials hope the expansion of the boundary can spur growth elsewhere in the corridor, with up to $53 million of costs expected to be covered. Tax-increment financing (TIF) is generally considered one of Wisconsin cities’ few powerful tools t o e n c o u r a g e d eve l o p ment. It pays debts for infrastructure improvements and other costs through increased property taxes across all taxing jurisdictions in the TID. In general, TIF must be made on projects that occur within a half-mile of the TID boundary. The new boundary extends north to Greenway Cross, east past Index Road, west up Traceway Drive and south past the McKee Road-Fish Hatchery intersection. The area, while technically

contiguous, includes some areas cut out that are not expected to redevelop, consultant Mike Harrigan of Ehlers explained to the Plan Commission July 17. “ Yo u ’ve g o t t o h ave c o n t i g u o u s p r o p e r t y,” he said. “I can tell you there was very significant thought given to the property that was to be added here.” He also clarified that the project would give the Council “flexibility” on funding the Fish Hatchery Road reconstruction, a key sticking point for the city in recent months as officials have unsuccessfully negotiated with Dane County over funding the project and future responsibility for the road. “This is a plan, not a commitment, to undertake these projects,” Harrigan said. Ald. Julia ArataFratta (Dist. 2) said at the July 17 Plan Commission meeting she saw the plan as a “risky option,” but it was important to plan and carry out a “vision for that corridor.” “It’s a gateway to our city,” she said. “We need to work to reduce the poverty, to reduce the criminal activity, to bring good development.”

Contact Scott Girard at ungreporter@wcinet.com and follow him on Twitter Map courtesy City of Fitchburg @sgirard9. The new Tax Incremental District 10 has boundaries from the city’s northern border on Fish Hatchery Road down past McKee Road. The increment could help fund the reconstruction of the road.

Glossary TIF district Tax-increment financing is an economic development tool that puts combined property taxes within a defined area under control of a municipality. This is powerful, because municipal property taxes are usually around one-third or less of the overall property tax. When a TIF district is created, any increases to property taxes paid are

paid to that district, rather than to the taxing jurisdictions, and the money must be used to pay for improvements benefiting that district. School districts and other taxing bodies in Wisconsin tend to not object to TIF districts because the state’s school aid formula factors out the districts in its calculations, making them revenue neutral.

is a public financing method that is used as a subsidy for redevelopment, infrastructure and other community-improvement projects. It provides either initial funding or annual rebates (pay-as-you-go) by capturing increased property tax revenue from all taxing jurisdictions (the city, county, state, MATC and the school district) of the newly developed property. What is TIF? A TIF district that spends monTax increment financing, or TIF, ey up front but does not build

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immediately can be in debt. This often happens with downtown districts that do either beautification or infrastructure projects or industrial districts that build roads and utility lines in preparation for potential users. Once a district has paid back its obligations, it must close and return all leftover funds to the taxing jurisdictions proportionally. This often results in useful onetime funds for the local bodies.

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SCOTT GIRARD

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Council approves developer’s agreement

Fitchburg Star

TIF could fund Fish Hatch rebuild

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Promega gets up to $14.5M from city

August 10, 2018

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Fitchburg Star

Send it here If you have news you’d like to share with readers of Fitchburg Star, there are many ways to contact us. For general questions or inquiries, call our office at 845-9559 or email fitchburgstar@wcinet.com. Our website accepts story ideas, community items, photos and letters to the editor, at ConnectFitchburg.com. Births, engagements and anniversaries can also be sent to the website. Several types of items have specific emails where they can be sent directly.

Business announcements ungbusiness@wcinet.com College notes/graduations ungcollege@wcinet.com Community news communityreporter@wcinet. com

City Hall - Main Line Administration Assessing Building Inspections City Clerk Economic Development

Upcoming events ungcalendar@wcinet.com Website questions ungweb@wcinet.com Any other news tips or questions ungeditor@wcinet.com

270-4200 270-4213 270-4235 270-4240 270-4210 270-4246

FACTv Finance Fire Department FitchRona Human Resources Library Municipal Court

Section of Whalen Road closed Aug. 13-31 Whalen Road will be closed for the rest of the month for resurfacing. The section from Fitchburg Road to Mutchler Road is expected to close Aug. 13 and remain closed until Aug. 31, according to a news release from the City of Fitchburg. The end date is “subject to change,” the city noted.

270-4225 270-4251 278-2980 275-7148 270-4211 729-1760 270-4224

Parks & Forestry Planning/Zoning Police Public Works Recreation/Community Center Senior Center Utilities

270-4288 270-4258 270-4300 270-4260 270-4285 270-4290 270-4270

5520 Lacy Road, Fitchburg, WI 53711 • www.fitchburgwi.gov adno=578819-01

SAVE THE DATE FOR THESE UPCOMING EVENTS Old Fashioned Ice Cream Social, Labor Day weekend, September 1st-3rd

The Fitchburg Senior Center Friends’ (FSCF) & Senior Center volunteers will be serving free ice cream at Eplegaarden; donations accepted and support the Fitchburg Senior Center’s “Meals for Seniors in Need” program.

Grandparents Day, September 9th

FSCF serving at Eplegaarden’s Snack Stand. Bring the family for a picnic snack before or after picking your apples.

CURBSIDE BRUSH COLLECTION SCHEDULE August 20-24 • September 10-14 and 24-28 October 8-12 and 22-26 • November 12-16

Actual collection dates may depend on weather. Brush will be picked up between Monday and Saturday, but not necessarily on your refuse collection day. Brush length must be less than 5 feet long & less than 6” in diameter. Have brush at curb by 6:30 am on the week curbLike us on

side collection begins. For more information, visit: http://www. fitchburgwi.gov/205/BrushCollection If you have questions or problems with your curbside brush collection, contact Pellitteri Waste Systems at 608-257-4285 or Fitchburg Public Works at 608-270-4260.

www.facebook.com/FitchburgWI and Follow us on

@FitchburgWI

RECYCLING NOTES FROM PELLITTERI Contamination rates at the recycling material recovery facility are increasing. We are finding that well-intentioned residents are putting things that they think should or could be recycled in the bins. Residents should only put approved recyclables in their recycling cart. For a

current recycling list please visit https://www.pellitteri. com/pages/recycling-info-for-residential Recycling carts with any visible trash or non-recyclables in them will be tagged with a notice of non-pickup due to contamination and not serviced.

BATTERY RECYCLING AT CITY HALL We do not accept alkaline batteries for recycling. Wisconsin DNR says alkaline batteries may go to the landfill. Residents may recycle rechargeable batteries in the Fitchburg City Hall Lobby. Boxes sent to Call2Recycle will no longer contain alkaline batteries. Each battery must

have tape on the terminals before depositing in the recycling box. Batteries accepted for recycling include: • Rechargeable AA, AAA, C, D • Nickel cadmium (Ni-Cd) • Nickel metal hydride (Ni-MH) • Nickel zinc (Ni-Zn) • Lithium ion (Li-Ion) • Small sealed lead acid

COFFEE WITH A COP Stop in to the Fitchburg Senior Center at 11:15 am on Tuesday, August 21 to enjoy a hot cup of coffee with one of Fitchburg’s police officers. Come with questions, concerns, or compliments!

NORTH FISH HATCHERY ROAD RECONSTRUCTION KICKOFF MEETING Date: Wednesday, August 22 • Time: 5:30 – 7:30 pm – presentation at 5:45 pm • Location: Fitchburg Public Library Meeting Room, 2nd floor The City of Fitchburg is planning to reconstruct north Fish Hatchery Road from McKee Road to the Beltline, beginning in late 2019. Join the City and project consultants for the first community meeting to learn about the project goals and planning process, and to discuss questions, issues and priorities related to this important corridor reconstruction. Input will be used to guide project plans and designs. When complete, the reconstruction will improve safety, provide better connectivity with surrounding neighborhoods, and support economic development. Everyone is welcome!

For more information, access the project website at www.fitchburgwi.gov/2504/Fish-HatcheryRoad-Reconstruction. To receive project updates by text and email, subscribe to the project at www.fitchburgwi.gov/list.aspx. Para obtener información en español, visite la página web: www.fitchburgwi.gov/2504/ fish-hatchery-road-reconstruction, seleccione “G” en la esquina inferior derecha de la pantalla y seleccione español. Se proveerá de intérpretes de español en todas las reuniones públicas.

RECREATION DEPARTMENT 2018 Fall Recreation Programs Are Open for Registration! Go to www.fitchburgwi.gov/recreation and click on “View Activities” to see our list of programs for this fall! Fall Youth Soccer (Birth Year 2007 - 2012)

Fall Youth Soccer is here, sign up now! The soccer programs will be 6 weeks long and we are offering two options for nights of the week to join. We offer a Monday night program and a Wednesday night program, with both running from 5:15 pm-6:30 pm. The program will focus highly on training and learning fundamental soccer skills and techniques. We will break up the kids based on age groups and/or skill levels. Each week there will be a focused area or theme that will be carried throughout the practice. At the end of every practice there will be a scrimmage. The program is designed to build up a player’s knowledge of the sport while increasing their confidence both on and off the pitch. Players finishing the 6-week program will leave with a better understanding of the rules and techniques used in soccer, teamwork and sportsmanship while gaining confidence in themselves. • Ages – Birth Year 2007 - 2012 • Day/Time – Mondays or Wednesdays, Sept. 5th – Oct. 15th from 5:15-6:30 pm • Location – McKee Farms Park • Fee - $40R/$50NR

Dance Classes for Kids

Mrs. Nicole offers a variety of dance classes for kids ages 2-12 years old. She offers Monday classes, Tuesday classes, and Saturday classes. All three days have an end of the year Dance Recital which will be held at the Oregon High School Performing Arts Center. • Classes Offered - Creative Movement (2-3 yrs.), Pre-Ballet 1 (3-5 yrs.), Pre-Ballet 2 (4-6 yrs.), Ballet 1 (5-7 yrs.), Ballet 2 (6-9 yrs.), Ballet 3 (7-10 yrs.), Jazz 1 (4-7 yrs.), Jazz 2 (6-9 yrs.), Jazz 3 (7-10 yrs.), Tap 1 (5-7 yrs.), Tap 2 (7-10 yrs.), Hip Hop (7-12 yrs.), and Lyrical (7-12 yrs.) • Day/Time – Monday Evenings, Tuesday Evenings, and Saturday Mornings, September-March (Over 18 classes plus Rehearsal and Recital) • Location – Fitchburg Community Center • Fee – Ranges from $174-$246 (Recital costumes included)

Musikgarten

A multi-age (birth-4yrs) music and movement class for the entire family. Sing, chant rhymes, play instruments and musical games, dance and move to familiar songs of childhood. As we play, music learning begins and we build a community of music makers! • Ages – birth – 4 yrs • Day/Time – Thursdays, September 6 – October 18, 9-9:40 am • Location – Fitchburg Community Center • Fee - $70, $5 discount for siblings

Spanish for Preschoolers – Welcome to Spanish

Children ages 3-5 learn Spanish vocabulary and basic phrases in a fun and active way with these lively classes. Award-winning teacher, Marti Fechner of Grow into Spanish LLC, incorporates music, movement, games, stories and more to make learning Spanish easy and engaging for preschool-age children. It is easy for children to learn a foreign language at this young age, and SO beneficial. Come try it! It’s a great way to prepare your child for a bilingual future. • Ages – 3-5 • Days/Times – Mondays, September 17 – December 17, 12:45-1:30 pm • Location – Fitchburg Community Center • Fee - $140

Wonderful Wizardly Wands

Calling all Harry Potter and Wizard Fans! Join in on the fun as you will use a variety of materials to make your very own wand! Kids will tap into their imagination and creativity in this wizardly workshop! • Grades – 1st-6th Grade • Days/Times – Wednesday and Thursday, September 12 & 13, 4:15-5:15 pm • Location – Fitchburg Community Center • Fee - $25

Business

ConnectFitchburg.com

August 10, 2018

Bringing in business

Fitchburg Star

Career hotelier takes over ‘reflagged’ Hawthorn Suites, aims to win awards ALEXANDER CRAMER Unified Newspaper Group

When Jason Salus started as the general manager at the Hawthorn Suites six months ago, the extended-stay hotel needed some help. After rebranding, it had lost nearly all of its former clients and was struggling with name recognition. So the owner decided to bring in Salus, who told the Star he’s known for turning hotels around. “I’m someone who takes over properties with problems and wins awards for them,” he said. Salus, who also manages its sister hotel, the Wyndham Garden Madison Fitchburg, said one of the hotel’s main problems to overcome is “product awareness.” “The Hawthorn doesn’t have a bad reputation, it has no reputation,” he said. “(But) I’m a human neon sign.” To help solve that, Salus has joined just about every board he can, include the Fitchburg Rotary Club, where he said he’s president-elect. He’s also trying to forge connections with community members and local business owners — the Wyndham now hosts the Fitchburg Chamber of Commerce’s Business Before 9 monthly networking events. Photo by Alexander Cramer “Going out into the community General manager Jason Salus in front of Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Garden Madison Fitchburg. Salus took over running the hotels six months and sponsoring things, that’s how you get business,” Salus said. “It ago and is hoping to cultivate community ties to generate business. gives me a chance to talk to everybody.” Already, his efforts are paying dividends, with this year’s July posting better numbers than last year’s, Hawthorn Suites was a Candlewood Suites until late last summer, he said. when the owner decided to “reflag,” or change the umbrella group they were affiliated with. Both the Hawthorn and its sister hotel, Wyndham, The fixer used to be operated under different names as part of the InterContiSalus has won multiple awards nental Hotels Group, which includes hotels like Marriott and Staybridge for his success with hotels, but he Suites. had to work his way up, getting his The owner decided to reflag last summer after IHG announced it was start in the industry as a bellman at going to build a second extended-stay hotel on the city’s west side, the former Howard Johnson’s on said general manager Jason Salus, adding it would’ve been in the same Johnson Street. group and direct competition to the then-Candlewood’s 79 rooms. Though he “always knew I was going to be in the hotel business,” Reflagging generally costs about $1 million, he said, though for the Salus also worked as a bartender Hawthorn it was slightly less. The upgrade included things like cutting at the Nitty Gritty for years, where the ballroom in half to create a place to eat breakfast, redoing the lobby he said he enjoyed interacting with and upgrading the kitchen and fitness center. customers. Plus, Salus said he “thought it could use about 30 percent more fun,” His last project was the Radisson so he decided to paint the driveway red and introduce “Skittles bingo” on Madison’s west side, and for once a week. turning around the hotel’s restaurant, Twist, he was named the Screenshot courtesy wyndhamhotels.com Wisconsin Restaurant Association – Alexander Cramer Madison Chapter’s 2016 Outstand- A room with two beds at the Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Garden Madison Fitchburg. ing Restaurateur of the Year. As an extended-stay hotel, the town for now, he said he’s makHawthorn Suites is a different proj- two, and aside from some recent fitness center available 24-hours that’s right for them. “If you fill me up on a football ing inroads and shoring up conect. It’s more a short-term apart- minor upgrades, the Hawthorn is on-site. Each room comes equipped ment than a place to stay for the “basically the same hotel” it was with a kitchen, and to lower rates weekend, how are you going to turn tacts all over Fitchburg and that a and keep costs down, the hotel down a year of business?” Salus bright future is ahead for Hawthorn weekend — businesses might put a before, Salus said. So his job is to sell it like never doesn’t offer amenities like daily said. “I’m trying to get a six-month Suites. new employee up for a few weeks Part of him is already thinking while they’re looking for housing, before, and earn back some market turndown service or ice machines stay, not a two day stay.” Salus said he relies on four pillars about the next challenge in the in the hall. or a consultant might stay for a few share. “We’re not making your bed for his business: Epic Systems, the career he’s made out of solving “I’m here to replace the business months while working on a project. And the Fitchburg market is a they took when they built a new every day; it’s an apartment,” he government (including the Depart- problems. “Once I get hotel of the year here tight one, especially for the two hotel,” Salus said. “I built a new said. “We check to make sure ment of Natural Resources, which there’s no illicit activity, collect is across Fish Hatchery Road), – which will be in 12 months – I’ll extended-stay hotels, as they make team to sell it.” businesses in the nearby research look for another opportunity,” Salus your garbage, things like that.” up nearly half of the city’s 370 Building business Extended-stay hotels often oper- park, and businesses on the west said with a smile. hotel rooms (the other is the 100The Hawthorn is made up of ate in concert with a “transient” side of town near Verona Road. room Staybridge Suites on the And while he said the Staybridge Contact Alexander Cramer at city’s west side). There isn’t much “basically, corporate apartments,” hotel of the same flag, so staff can alexander.cramer@wcinet.com. difference in amenities between the Salus said, with laundry and a direct customers to the property pretty much “owns” the far side of

New branding

Business in brief True Coffee closing True Coffee will close its Nesbitt Road shop at the end of the month. The business announced on Facebook in June that it would close its retail location at the end of the summer, and that gift cards must be used by Aug. 31. “If you visit our cafe regularly – or even occasionally – you’ve noticed the orange barrels, closed

roads and detours. The massive road construction project, which will decrease traffic flow for a long time to come, paired with increased rent, have pushed us into the very difficult decision that we will be closing our cafe at the end of the summer,” the post states. The roastery will continue to make coffee and be sold at coffee shops, grocery stores and online. The post states the company

hopes to find another location Common Council meeting. soon. Construction is expected to last until December, according to the Furniture store comes to rezone application.

Orchard Pointe

A new furniture store is expected to open early next year next to Pet Supplies Plus in the Orchard Pointe development. Dwellings Furniture received approval for a rezoning of the lot to build an 8,650-squarefoot retail store at the July 24

iCombat looks to add alcohol sales The iCombat Laser Tag facility is adding some hops to its offerings. The business received a conditional use permit from the Plan Commission July 17 to allow for

beer sales at the facility. According to the permit application, the beer sales will be “limited to our laser tag patrons,” and sold from the front desk. “The purpose of adding beer is that we have patrons that play sessions and then take a break between or hang out for after chatting,” wrote Bryan West of iCombat. “We have had enough requests that we believe it to be a feasible addition.”

16 Fitchburg Star - August 10, 2018

For the Classroom: ❏ Pencils ❏ Pens ❏ Erasers ❏ Markers, ❏ Notebooks ❏ Paper ❏ Folders For Lunches: ❏ Fresh Baked Bread ❏ Deli Meats & Cheeses ❏ Fresh Fruits & Vegetables ❏ Dairy Items ❏ Snack Bags & Chips ❏ Water Bottles

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210 S. Main St. • Verona, WI • (608) 845-6478 Open Daily 6:30 am - 9:00 pm

Jeremy Jones, sports editor

845-9559 x226 • ungsportseditor@wcinet.com

Mark Nesbitt, assistant sports editor 845-9559 x237 • sportsreporter@wcinet.com Fax: 845-9550

Excited to start new journey MARK NESBITT Assistant sports editor

As a Chicago Cubs and Bears fan, there is no better time to start a new job than the fall. As the new assistant sports editor at Unified Newspaper Group, I can’t wait to dive in and Nesbitt get started. I’m looking forward to covering football games, tennis matches, swim meets, volleyball matches and cross country meets. I’m not a stranger when it comes to the sports scene in the area. I have worked as a sports reporter and education reporter at the Monroe Times for 10 years. Prior to that, I worked as a sports reporter at the Sauk Prairie Eagle in Sauk CIty. I have covered the Badger South Conference and followed the Big Eight Conference from afar. My daughter, Kayleigh Nesbitt, will be a junior at Monroe High School where she plays three sports — swimming, basketball and soccer. My wife, Anna, is a third-grade teacher at Taylor Park Elementary School in Freeport, Ill. and she is the pool manager at the Monroe City pool. Sports has been a big part of my life and the connections I have established through sports have turned into some life-long friendships. I know rivalries are a big part of many high schools, and I’m looking forward to covering the local rivalries like Verona has with Sun Prairie and Middleton. It’s an honor to cover prep sports and the best part of it is not sampling the popcorn from each school, but the people. The student-athletes and the coaches I have the honor to meet and work with become the best moments. I have spent the last couple of weeks reading issues o f U N G ’s p u b l i c a t i o n s (the Fitchburg Star, Verona Press, Oregon Observer and Stoughton Courier Hubr) from last year to get a jump-start on the background information I will need. This is an exciting time with a new high school on the way in Verona, a potential reshuffled realignment of football in the state and the Big Eight Conference under a proposed plan moving from 10 to eight teams with Janesville Craig and Janesville Parker moving into the Badger

Turn to Welcome/Page 4

Sports

Friday, August 10, 2018

The

Fitchburg Star For more sports coverage, visit: ConnectFitchburg.com

Bringing home the silver Special Olympics team takes 2nd at state The Oregon Special Olympics softball team finished second at the Wisconsin State Games last weekend despite a couple injuries and temperatures in the 90s. Oregon never gave up and played through some tough competition from Team Milwaukee Blaze and the Stevens Point Dawgs, though. The teams lofty goal since early April, they

earned the invitation to play at state, held at Carroll College in Waukesha after playing in two other tournaments this summer. The Panthers played in the Middleton Battle of the Bats on June 23, finishing second. They also played again in the District Softball tournament on July 14 in Onalaska where they again finished second.

Jake Casper chases a baserunner back to first base last weekend during the Badger State Games in Waukesha.

Team members (front, from left) are: Laurie Robbins, T.J. Smith, Jake Casper, Mary Swailes and Emily Elmer; (back) coach Don Dillman, Jon Hackner, Tom Topp, David Thompson, Ethan Muelenbruch, Jake Johnson, Isaah Foges and coach Ben Dillman.

Submitted photos

Ethan Muelnebrunch celebrates a home run last weekend at the Badger State Games in Waukesha.

Boys golf

Rufenacht finishes in top 15 at international tourney ANTHONY IOZZO Unified Newspaper Group

Verona soon-to-be junior Cale Rufenacht traveled to Australia from July 5-14 for the 15th annual Down Under Sports Cup and participated in both an All-American and an international tournament. Rufenacht ended up shooting an 82 at Parkwood Golf Course on July 10. After adding his handicap, Rufenacht finished with a 75. Rufenacht then placed 1 5 t h ove r a l l i n t h e 3 2 - h o l e

international tournament July 12-13 between Team USA and Team Australia and had his score count for the overall team score. Australia won the tournament, however. R u f e n a c h t a l s o ex p l o r e d Queensland, Australia, and was able to pet kangaroos on his trip. Rufenacht was the second Verona Area High School golfer to make the team. His former teammate Garhett Kaegi also participated a few years ago.

Photo submitted

Cale Rufenacht traveled to Australia for the Down Under Sports Cup from July 5-14. Australia defeated the United States in the international tournament, but Rufenacht finshed 15th. Rufenacht also competed in All-American tournament and finished with an 82.

Oregon//Stoughtohn rugby

Oregon/Stoughton rugby team has 14 selected to Badgerland all-conference team The Oregon/Stoughton rugby team (13-1) won a Badgerland Conference championship and advanced all the way to the state semifinals against the Middleton area rugby team. The team also had 14 all-conference selections

following the season. Will Neuenfeld (second row), Tr evo r Wu n d e r l i n ( f l a n ke r ) , Kaden Houtsinger (scrumhalf), Robbie Ruth (flyhalf) and Gavin Miller (fullback) earned first team honors.

Oscar Reyes-Grimm (prop), Jack Sommers (8-man), Michael Hoye (center), Henrickus (Rico) Echols (center) and Keean Moore (center wing) were named to the second team. Evan Hoier (hooker), Derrek

Skibba (second row), Chris Young (flanker) and Justin Raisbeck (wing) earned honorable mention recognition.

August 10, 2018

ConnectFitchburg.com

Fitchburg Star

Verona HTL

Cavaliers steamroll Orioles to open playoffs MARK NESBITT Assistant sports editor

The Verona Home Talent team captured the Western Section North division regular season title and earned the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. The Cavaliers finished the regular season 14-2 and opened the playoffs with a first-round win over Oregon on Aug. 5. Verona hosts Pine BluffMount Horeb in semifinal game Sunday, Aug. 12.

Verona 18, Oregon 1 (7 inn.) After a stunning firstround playoff exit last year, the Verona made sure there was no letdown this postseason. Verona third baseman John Moynihan went 3-for-4 with six RBIs on Aug. 5, and three Cavalier pitchers combined on a no-hitter as the Cavaliers bashed Oregon 18-1 in seven innings Sunday at Stampfl Field. The last time Oregon made the playoffs four years ago, the eighth-seeded Orioles upset the top-seeded Cavaliers. “It was a huge game offensively, and it kind of set the tone for the playoffs that we are not going to fold for any team and we will come out and give them our best,” Verona manager David Lund said. Verona pounded out 19 hits and every player in the starting lineup had at least one hit. The Cavaliers went 11-for-21 with runners in scoring position. “All of us were seeing it (the ball) today,” Moynihan said. “We got all aspects done and came out with a win.” Starting pitcher Jason Erxleben pitched four no-hit innings for the Cavaliers,

Photo by Mark Nesbitt

Verona’s John Moynihan lines a 2-run double to left in the third inning of the Cavaliers’ 18-1 seven-inning win over Oregon in a first-round Western Section playoff game Sunday at Stamfl Field. Moynihan went 3-for-4 and had six RBIs. retiring 12 straight batters and striking out four to earn the win. Kyle Nelson tossed two shutout innings in relief and Jeff Bishop pitched a scoreless seventh. Lund said he considered

leaving Erxleben in to pitch with a perfect game going through four innings. “We feel confident throwing either guy out there,” Lund said. “We came in and wanted to get four or five

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(innings) from Jason and then ride Nelly (Nelson) for four or five innings to get them both work so they are sharp. If we can pitch like that we will be a tough team to beat.” Justin Scanlon led off the first inning by smoking a double to left. Derek Burgenske then lined a single to center and Mike Jordahl walked to load the bases. Moynihan then crushed a 3-run double to left to give the Cavaliers a 3-0 lead. The Cavaliers’ offense didn’t let up posting a threerun second and three-run third. Scanlon, who went 3-for-4 and scored two runs, singled in the second to set the table. Jordahl then delivered a two-out RBI single up the middle to give the Cavaliers a 4-0 lead. Moynihan followed with an RBI single and Luke Yapp blasted a 2-run double to left to extend the Cavaliers’ lead to 6-0. Verona kept building with three runs in the third and four in the fourth innings. The Cavaliers got contributions from everyone, with four players off the bench delivering hits in the bottom of the sixth.

Argyle 10, Verona 4 A short-handed Verona Home Talent team had to field a much younger lineup than normal July 28 in the Western Section regular season finale. That and a series of unusual calls in the top of the fourth inning cost the Cavaliers a chance at runs

and changed the tide in a game the visitors lost 10-4 at Argyle. It was the second time Verona has lost to Argyle in its last two meetings. The Cavaliers were also knocked out of the playoffs by the Beavers in the first-round last year. Trailing 4-3 through three innings, Verona centerfielder Tucker Teskey walked with one out in the fourth and catcher Jacob Slonim thought he had followed suit being hit by a pitch. The home plate umpire, however, called a foul ball saying the ball hit the knob of Slonim’s bat. Slonim argued the call, turning to show a welt on his hand and was awarded first base. Upset by the original call being overturned, Argyle got the home plate and infield umps to confer, and they eventually brought Slonim back to the batter’s box where struck out on the next pitch. “I’ve got no problem with that,” head of HTL umpires Mike Pfeil said. “If you’re in the Major Leagues where you have replay and did something like that, you’d get first base.” Pfeil did say, however, he probably wouldn’t have changed his mind from the original call. “If you’re going to allow after-the-fact evidence like a bump on the hand to change your mind, I guess everything is open for negotations,” he said. “Personally, I wouldn’t have gone that route, but I’m not going to throw anyone under the bus. It’s better to piss off half the people than all the people.” The very next batter, Burgenske, was hit by a pitch, as was Moynihan, or so he thought. The home plate ump called a dead ball and as soon as Moynihan took a step outside the batter’s box toward first base, he was called out to end the inning. “I’ve never seen that before,” Lund said. “He says he’s called that before, but I have a tough time believing that. At worst you have to call him back to the batter’s box. But he said the pitch was in the zone and it hit him.” Pfeil said the only way the batter can be called out in that scenario is if the home plate umpire determines that the pitch was going to be a strike and that the batter leaned over the plate. “Then it’s a dead ball because he got hit and it’s a strike, so it that scenario the batter would be out,” Pfeil said. Despite the calls that went against them two innings earlier, Verona came back to tie the game 4-4 in the top of the fifth on a shallow single to right by left fielder Brad Laufenberg. But things quickly fell apart in the bottom of the sixth as Argyle came up with five runs due to the Cavaliers’ inability to field the ball. “You’re going to have bad calls go against you and for you, you’ve just got to drop it and keep playing,” Lund said. “It came down to that sixth inning. They bunted all

over and we couldn’t field it.”

Verona 12, Dodgeville 0 (5 inn.) Verona outscored the opposition 17-2 in a doubleheader with Dodgeville on July 21 to secure home-field advantage for the Western Section playoffs, and a win over Pine Bluff/Mount Horeb on Pine Bluff/Mount Horeb improved the team to 14-1 on the season. Although Verona has won five of the past 10 league titles, including three straight from 2008-10, the Cavaliers haven’t made it to the Final Four since winning in all in 2015. Argyle knocked Verona out in the first round last year, and Dodgeville beat the Cavaliers in the sectional semifinals in 2016. “I think losing our first game at home in the playoffs against Argyle last year motivated us,” Lund said. “We had an early exit in 2014, and I think that motivated us to come back and win it all in 2015.” Nelson went the distance in a three-hit shutout in Game 1 of a Sunday League doubleheader sweep Saturday, and Scanlon went eight innings in the nightcap to lead the Cavaliers past Dodgeville. Nelson allowed three hits in a 12-0 five-inning blowout to start the afternoon. He struck out five and didn’t walk anyone, though he hit two batters in the fifth inning. Verona jumped on Dodgeville for five runs in the first inning. Catcher Luke Yapp doubled home two runs to highlight the inning, which was marred by a pair of Dodgeville errors, two hit batters, a walk, two wild pitches and two passed balls. “It looked like Dodgeville’s head just wasn’t in it from the beginning today, getting their gear to the field late,” Nelson said. The Cavaliers kept up the pressure, scoring in every inning. David Lund scored on a passed ball in the second and drove in another to highlight a three-run third.

Verona 5, Dodgeville 2 Making just his second Sunday start this season, Scanlon gave up two runs on five hits over eight innings in Saturday’s nightcap as Verona won 5-2. He struck out seven.

Verona 14, Pine Bluff/ Mount Horeb 2 Erxleben surrendered two runs on six hits over six innings and Reagan Klawiter made his debut with one inning of relief July 22 as Verona cruised to an 14-2 win at Pine Bluff/Mount Horeb. Burgenske (4-for-5) doubled home two runs, singled home two more and scored twice to pace Verona, which had 14 hits. Scanlon (3-for-4) singled home a run in the fifth, but Verona left the bases loaded with no outs. The Cavaliers tacked on three more in the sixth to go up 12-2. Right fielder Tyler McClure (3-for-4) and Jordahl (2-for5) also had multiple hits for Verona.

ConnectFitchburg.com

August 10, 2018

Fitchburg Star

Oregon HTL

Orioles ride four-game winning streak into playoffs MARK NESBITT Assistant sports editor

Despite finishing the reason suffering a blowout loss to Verona, the Oregon Home Talent team got to show the development of some of its young players down the stretch. Prior to the team’s Aug. 5 loss in the first round of the Western Section playoffs, the Orioles had won four games in a row to finish 6-11. That got them into the playoffs for the first time since 2014. And it tripled their win total from 2017, when they finished 2-14. So losing to the Cavaliers didn’t faze Oregon manager Will Reinicke. “It’s Verona. It’s nothing to be surprised about,” he said. “They hit the ball exceptionally well. They were on their ‘A’ game. We made the playoffs. That was goal No. 1.” Reinicke pointed out the Orioles had three first-year players (Gage Schildgen, Jack Sommers and Eric Modaff) in the league who were new to using wooden bats, which are required in Home Talent. “Getting used to the league and pitching is a lot different than high school,” he said. “It’s a different competitive level. These guys are the real deal. They are not going to come and mess around.” Reinicke said a moment he will always remember from this season is the walk-off win over West Middleton in the first win of the four-game winning streak. “They and Verona are our big rivals,” Reinicke said of West Middleton. “They are always coming in hot-headed. It’s just nice to beat them.”

Photo by Mark Nesbitt

Oregon shortstop and player-manager Will Reinicke makes a throw to first base against Verona in a Home Talent first-round Western Section playoff game Sunday.

winning streak came to an end in the Western Section playoffs as Verona crushed the Orioles 18-1 in seven innings on July 29. A trio of Verona pitchers combined to toss a no-hitter at Stampfl Field against the Orioles, who were making their first playoff appearance since upsetting top-seeded Verona as the eighth seed four years ago. Verona starting pitcher Jason Erxleben pitched four no-hit innings for the Cavaliers, retiring 12 straight batters and striking out four to earn the win. Erxleben and relief pitcher Kyle Nelson combined to retire 16 straight batters. Verona third baseman John Moynihan went 3-for-4 with Verona 18, Oregon 1 six RBIs as the Cavaliers O r e g o n ’s f o u r - g a m e (15-2) pounded out 19 hits.

Every player in the starting lineup had at least one hit as the Cavaliers went 11-for-21 with runners in scoring position. Cavalier shortstop Justin Scanlon led off the first inning, smoking a double to left field off Oregon starting pitcher Logan Laski. Derek Burgenske then lined a single to center and Mike Jordahl walked to load the bases. Moynihan then crushed a 3-run double to left to give the Cavaliers a 3-0 lead. “Right from the gates it’s kind of hard with those three runs,” Reinicke said. “We just didn’t come prepared. We just have to carry the momentum of that fourgame win streak we had into next season. All we can do is build off that.”

The Cavaliers’ offense didn’t let up, posting a threerun second and three-run third. Oregon’s Logan Laski pitched three innings and gave up nine runs on 10 hits, while striking out two and walking five.

Oregon 5, Ridgeway 4 Oregon catcher Ian Schildgen did everything in his power to jump-start the Oregon Home Talent team offense Sunday, July 22. Ian Schildgen blasted a 2-run game-tying home run in the bottom of the ninth inning and left fielder Adam Heath added a two-out, walkoff RBI single down the right field line to cap a 5-4 comeback win at home against Ridgeway.

The win and a Muscoda loss helped the Orioles (6-10) clinch the fourth and final playoff spot in the Western Section North Division playoffs 1 p.m. Sunday against top-seeded Verona (14-2). “You could see we were down on ourselves a little bit in the bottom of the ninth,” Ian Schildgen said. “Coming back after being down four is fantastic for the guys. There was no way we were not going to win this game after I hit that home run.” Oregon edged Muscoda based on its record against playoff teams in the Western Section’s South division, the league’s fourth tiebreaker. The Orioles finished 2-2 against teams in the south, while Muscoda was 1-3. Ian Galloway drove in a pair of runs and Laski scattered four hits Sunday as the host Oregon Home Talent team kept its playoffs hopes alive with a 4-1 victory over Dodgeville. The Orioles (5-10) also got some help from West Middleton (11-4), which beat Muscoda (6-9) on Sunday. A Muscoda victory against West Middleton would have ended Oregon’s shot at earning the fourth and final playoff spot in the Western North

Division.

Oregon 4, Dodgeville 1 Galloway went 2-for-4 at the bottom of the order, singling home runs in the sixth and seventh innings Sunday, July 15 in Oregon’s 4-1 win Sunday over Dodgeville. “You feel a little less pressure in the nine spot, but then you get in those situations where you have runners on and you need a couple good at-bats,” Galloway said. “Batting down in the order, you’re a little underrated, so you can make some big plays. I’ve always been able to stay relaxed, find my pitch and drive it.” Not known as a team for big innings, the Orioles scratched out one run to take a 2-1 lead in the sixth, and Laski took care of the rest. First baseman Alex Nipple (2-for-4) singled to right center to get things started in the sixth and came home one out later on a Galloway single over third base. Oregon’s biggest inning was a two-run seventh, when Modaff, Laski and Nipple all singled to load the bases. The Orioles pushed one run across the plate on a wild pitch by Nate Michek, and Galloway added an RBI single to left field with two outs.

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OCSC Tigersharks

Tigersharks finish top 10 at state meet The Oregon Community Swim Club (OCSC) had their second consecutive state championship top-10 finish at the 12 and Under Long Course State Championship swim meet, held July 27-29 at the Schroeder YMCA in Brown Deer, finishing eighth out of 45 teams participating. In addition, 10-year-old Oliva Sina was state champion in the 100-meter backstroke and the 50 back, the first for the club in over a decade. The team’s talented group of young swimmers populated the top-eight podium 23 times, setting several new club records long the way, as well as earning nationally ranked times.

10-and-under highlights The OCSC’s 10-and-under girls placed third overall in part to their bronze-medal relays in the 200 medley (Alyse Block, Lilian Page, Sina butterfly and Kennedy Faris) and in 200-meter freestyle (Sina, Block, Faris and

Rylee Olson). On Friday night, 10-year-old Block medaled in the 400 free with her seventh-place finish. Saturday morning, the 100 back brought two Sharks to the podium, with Block taking fourth and Sina, breaking the old club record by more than four seconds, with a time of 1:17.60. The Sharks also scored in the 100 free. Sina took silver with her runner-up performance. The morning concluded with Sina medaling again, this time in the 200-individual medley. She finished fourth. Sunday started with the 10-and-unders back for more. The 10 and under girls repeated their relay bronze in the 200 free relay. Six Sharks swam the 50 back. Block took sixth and Sina won the event. Her 35.70 wrestled the club record from Block and was also a best time. Block also medaled with her fifth-place finish in the 50 free.

The 10-and-under meet concluded with Sina taking silver with another best time. Matthew Johnson swam the 50 free for the boys, dropping 5.09 seconds and getting the qualifying time in what had been a bonus event.

11 and 12 year-olds The 11-and-12 year old meet started out great Friday night when the girls won the 200 butterfly. Twelve-year-old Savannah Acker came from fifth at the 150-meter mark to barely get touched out for third in the 200 fly, grabbing the club’s first medal of the meet with her bronze. The swim was also Acker’s first new club record. The Friday night session concluded as Acker medaled for the second time with her fourthplace finish in the girls’ 400 free. Acker dropped 17.54 seconds Sunday, bypassing all but one opponent for a silver medal

and another club record in the 4 0 0 - i n d iv i d u a l m e d l ey. T h e afternoon concluded with another bronze medal, best time and club record by Acker, 10:03.42, in the girls 800 free. Twelve-year-old Spencer Stluka finished fourth in the boy’s 800 free with a zone cut and new club record, 10:17.87, on Saturday. He also took bronze in the 200 free, shattering the club record in the event with his 2:16.87. Stluka also placed fifth in the 400 free. The boys 50 free brought the Tigersharks to the medal podium for the second time as Stluka finished eighth. Stluka and Finnley Conklin, 11, finished fifth and 12th in the 100 free, respectively. Stluka set another club record and medaled again. Stluka swam the 400 individual medley and dropped 28.89 seconds to become the only Shark to medal in all six swims and set one more club record.

Conklin took bronze in the 200 breast and was fourth in the 50 breast. He also set a new club record with his 36.81. Conklin later medaled with his fourth-place finish in the 100 breast. His 1:12.66 was another club record. Next up for the OCSC Tigersharks will be the 13 and Over State meet where 14-year-olds, David Stevenson and Alexandra Olson will swim. S i m u l t a n e o u s l y, s i x o t h e r Sharks will join team Wisconsin to compete in the Central States Zone Championship meet at the University of Minnesota Natatorium. Those swimmers are Savannah Acker (400 free, 200 fly, 50 back and 1,500 free), Alyse Block (50, 100 back), Izzy Block (50 free), Finnley Conklin (50 breast), Olivia Sina (100, 200, 400 free, 50 and 100 back and 200 IM) and Spencer Stluka (50, 100, 200, 400 and 800 free).

Welcome: Nesbitt joins UNG as assistant sports editor

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Conference. There will be many story lines to follow this season from whether the Verona girls golf team can relod and make another state run. It will be interesting to see if the Verona football team can make a return trip to the playoffs. As the parent of a daughter who is a basketball player, I always look forward to watching the battles Verona will have with the Cheesemakers on the hardwood. Monroe has made a run to

state the past two years, but will have to see new players develop into new roles off the bench. The next couple of weeks I will be making the rounds meeting coaches over my first couple weeks and attending football practices as teams put their pads back on this fall. A community newspaper is only as strong as the connections that are made with the residents living in the area. Mark Nesbitt sportsreporter@wcinet.com.

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Notebooks

Oregon schools

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August 10, 2018

Fitchburg Star

Fall referendum set for ballot Will ask voters to fund $44.9 million for new elementary school in Fitchburg SCOTT DE LARUELLE Unified Newspaper Group

The Oregon School District will have a referendum Nov. 6 to seek approval to borrow funds for a new grade school in Fitchburg. The Oregon School Board made official what it’s been leaning toward for months at a special meeting last month, approving a pair of questions for the general election ballot. Now it’s up to officials to help district residents understand the plan; the first in a proposed two-step building project to prevent a surge of overcrowding in schools expected to begin as soon as 2020. The board unanimously approved two referendums: one to borrow not more than $44.9 million and the other allowing the district to exceed its state-imposed revenue limit by $2.1 million on a yearly basis once the new school has opened. However, the $44.9 million – which includes the land purchase that is yet to be finalized – is a “worst-case scenario in terms of the cost,” said board president Steve Zach, and district superintendent Brian Busler agreed that the number could be less. “This is the top-end cost,” Busler said. “We have the maximum borrowing amount

at $44.9 million, which matched the maximum budget we have put together so far.” The exact tax impact on district residents and structuring of bonds for the referendums will be determined in the coming weeks, district business manager Andy Weiland said in an email. He said the district’s financial adviser estimates the highest net impact of the first referendum would be in the range of $0.59 to $0.89 per $1,000 of assessed value on homes in 2018, depending on how the bonds are structured. The second question on the levy limit override is estimated to have a net impact of $0.69 per $1,000, Weiland said – an extra $138 per year on a $200,000 home – though that wouldn’t hit until 2020. Zach said the board will meet before its next regular meeting Aug. 27 to finalize the taxpayer impact for both.

The plan

Prairie View) and its grades 5-6 intermediate school, Rome Corners. The new Fitchburg school would be designed for 600 students, with a likely firstyear enrollment around 420, Busler said, which would “alleviate overcrowding at all three elementary schools and RCI.” Some students would move from the three elementary schools (Brooklyn resident students will remain at BKE), with plans to relocate 11 teachers to the new building and hire 10 additional teachers to complete the staffing there. The proposed new construction and shuffling is the result of considerable planning by district officials over the past several years on how to handle a projected increase of 2,000 students by 2030. The district now has just over 4,000 students. Krista Flanagan, co-chair of the district’s growth task force, said the group “listened to the community in terms of what they value in education and we’ve heard … (new) buildings are needed.” “We have values about how we educate students in this school district, and part of this is the environment in which our kids are educated,” she said. “We know with the growth of students, that environment is going to change if we stay in our current buildings.”

Construction is set for two phases – the first addressing the fast-growing area on the district’s north side with a K-6 elementary school in Fitchburg in time for the 2020-21 school year. The second would be a separate, future referendum, for a potential middle school in the Village of Oregon, likely around 2022, Busler said. The Fitchburg school would remain the ‘No reservations’ K-6 format until that new middle school was With the finalizing of the tax impact of built. Then, it would change to a K-5, along the referendums, district officials will then with the district’s three existing elementary move to the next phase of informing the pubschools (Brooklyn, Netherwood Knoll and lic about the need for the new school and the

referendum funding. Zach said board members are well aware this will be the third time the district has gone to referendum since 2014, but that “our response is to be measured first and foremost by what is best for our students.” Board member Tim LeBrun said if the board “miss(es) this opportunity, it’s going to look a lot worse the next time we come back to ask.” “I know it seems we’re just finishing spending a fair amount of money on some wellspent projects, (and) I don’t ask for money lightly, but I know how important (a new school) is going to be two years from now for all those kids to go to,” LeBrun said. Zach said the “cost of saying no” is unacceptable from an education standpoint. “(It means) increased class sizes in our existing buildings, it means teachers on carts, potentially, it means consideration of trailers, and in a district that has repeatedly expressed to us the value of public education and maintaining the standards we have,” he said. From an economic standpoint, Zach said being “proactive” is the most cost-effective approach. “Chasing solutions once we have the problem or we need to fix it not only impacts education and the value to our students, but it comes at increased cost by delayed construction costs, increased financing and fixing problems after the fact,” he said. “I don’t have any reservations at all about going to the public with this referendum and to hard sell it, because it’s the right thing, and in my mind the only thing to do.”

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Verona schools

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Demographic balance in its schools is going to be a challenging topic for the Verona Area school board

Elementary School will move to the current BRMS building. Other key topics discussed included bus travel times, how long the boundaries would last and keeping neighborhoods together. The latter can come at odds with the idea of balancing racial and socioeconomic demographics among the district’s four attendance-area elementary schools and two attendance-area middle schools. Tom Duerst, the only board member who has been through a district-wide boundary redrawing process in the past here, said he’s heard criticism of the current splitting process – which, at least when boundaries were initially established, aimed at keeping the populations somewhat evenly spread out. “The one thing I’ve heard over and over in my last 20 years from the minority population is you’re spreading us out all over the place, so there’s few of us together,” Duerst said. “Do we want to condense them more? I realize there’s risks to that. “ T h e r e ’s p l u s s e s a n d minuses to everything.” By the end of more than an hour and a half of discussion, the board had established the charge of the committee, which is supposed to offer up to three options for the board to consider. The board also established the guiding principles, which are the same as the strategic plan approved earlier this month, but was still only in “draft form” for the specific criteria the committee will judge proposals by. They will continue to work Aug. 20, when consultants Mark Roffers and Drew Howick return to continue the process. That meeting will also include further discussion of school capacity and establishing the committee, expected to be made up of community

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Unified Newspaper Group

The board is expected to approve new boundaries next spring, leaving a year-and-a-half before they go into effect in fall 2020, when the new high school opens. With that opening, Badger Ridge Middle School students will move to the current high school building, and Sugar Creek

SCOTT GIRARD

as it works toward drawing new attendance boundaries. That was among the key issues board members discussed July 30, when they began establishing guiding principles and criteria to give direction to a committee that will be established this fall to make recommendations to the school board.

en V

Demographic balance key issue

Sugar Maple Ln

New boundary process begins

1 in = 1 mile

www.ramaker.com 855 Community Drive Sauk City, WI 53583 April 26, 2016

Map courtesy Verona Area School District

The elementary school attendance area boundaries were last changed in 2015 to alleviate overcrowding at Glacier Edge Elementary School. members.

Demographic balance One of the keys in developing criteria for the committee to use is making it clear the board agrees on the priority of it all – avoiding a controversial or divided vote when the final decision is made. But that could be tough on balancing demographics, as board members expressed some clear divisions Monday. Board member Meredith Stier Christensen stressed the importance of keeping neighborhoods togethe r, r eg a r d l e s s o f w h a t that meant for diversity at individual schools. That, she said, avoided putting the “burden of balance on neighborhoods that don’t have a school right there.” “You don’t want to be the one who’s bused further to balance, you don’t want to be the one who has to split your neighborhood to balance,” Stier Christensen said. But having unbalanced demographics, especially in a district that has much of its racial and socioeconomic diversity from a few select areas, could create an “us and them” in different schools, board member Kristina Navarro-Haffner said. “There will be certain

schools that people see as the schools for the more affluent population, and I don’t want to see that happen,” she said. “It would be a mistake to not continue to try to balance demographics across the school district so kids feel like they have some interaction with some other students of a diverse background.” Duerst said they were “both right.” “There isn’t a right or a wrong,” he said. “This is going to be an, ‘is what it is’ question for us to answer.” Board president Noah Roberts said he wanted to see data on whether demographic balance improves academic outcomes or not. Superintendent Dean Gorrell also pointed out that there are already “tremendous disparities” among the district’s schools, with free and reduced lunch populations as high as 45 percent of the student body at Sugar Creek and low as 21 percent at Glacier Edge, among attendance-area elementary schools. “This is a weighty issue,” Gorrell said. Contact Scott Girard at ungreporter@wcinet.com and follow him on Twitter @sgirard9.

Best Wishes to Verona Area Staff & Students for a Great Upcoming School Year! Laurie Homan 608-212-7078

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Fitchburg Star

August 10, 2018

$270K grant will fund entry systems, shatterproof glass SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group

A state grant will fund shatterproof glass, new entry systems at a pair of elementary schools and staff training in the Verona Area School District. The Wisconsin Department of Justice announced its latest round of school safety grants

Wednesday, including $270,905 to VASD – the largest awarded among those announced July 25 and more than the $231,288 the district requested. The grant is part of $100 million the DOJ will provide to schools for safety-related projects this year. VA S D p u b l i c i n f o r m a t i o n officer Kelly Kloepping told the Press in an email Thursday that shatterproof glass would be

added in “various locations at all schools” as part of the grant, and that the two elementaries without a buzz-in entry system – Glacier Edge and Country View – would get them. She said the grant would also fund staff training in August, additional cameras, door access card readers, radio equipment and medical supplies, including trauma kits.

design from the architect that used less glass from classrooms into the corridors and allowed every classroom to have access to a room without glass in case of emergency.

School safety has been a sticking point in the district since initial designs for the new high school building were released late last year. This spring, the design was updated to address concerns from some staff and parents after a community forum where many expressed concerns about vulnerability to a school shooter. Following the public meeting, the school board approved a new

Contact Scott Girard at ungreporter@wcinet.com and follow him on Twitter @sgirard9.

Registration drop-in events Aug. 11, 18 If You Go What: VASD registration drop-ins When: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays, Aug. 11 and 18 Where: Boys and Girls Club, 4619 Jenewein Road, Fitchburg Info: 845-4360

to provide proof of residency to retrieve the code or change the address. A current lease, mortgage or utility bill within the last 45 days can all serve as proof of residency. The drop-in events will offer translation services

and technology assistance. Students new to the district must be registered at central office, 300 Richard St., Verona. The district requests parents call 8454360 to set up an appointment. – Scott Girard

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Verona Area School District officials will hold two drop-in registration events for returning students later this month. The Aug. 11 and 18 events will both run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Boys and Girls Club in Fitchburg, at 4619 Jenewein Road. District staff will help parents with registering their children in the PowerSchool Online Registration process, which requires a code that was mailed home by the district. If parents cannot find the letter or need to update their address, they will need

2018-2019 CALENDAR K-5 Late Start = •9:25am •10am for K mar 3 NO SCHOOL  aor a r a of oo LATE START K-5 LATE START K-12 LATE START K-5

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K-12 Late Start = •9:25am for K5 •10am for 612  CKCS Elementary

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LATE START K-12 LATE START K-5 LATE START K-12 LATE START K-5 NO SCHOOL – ar ofr 26 NO SCHOOL 29 LATE START K-12

5 LATE START K-5 12 LATE START K-12 19 LATE START K-5 20 CKCS ONLY (no school) 21-23 NO SCHOOL – a ra 26 LATE START K-12

3 LATE START K-5 10 LATE START K-12 17 LATE START K-5 24-31 NO SCHOOL – r ra

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16 1 2 2

12 1

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19 20

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26 2

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10 11

12 1

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20 21

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19 20

21 22

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25 26

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26 2

2 29

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APRIL 2019 S

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25 26

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LATE START K-12 LATE START K-5 LATE START K-12 CKCS ONLY (no school) NO SCHOOL LATE START K-5

4 LATE START K-12 11 LATE START K-5 18 LATE START K-12 25-29 NO SCHOOL – r ra

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OCTOBER 2018 S

10 11

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20 21

22 2

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19 20

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25 26

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29 0

26 2

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DECEMBER 2018 S

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11 12

16 1 2 2

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11 12

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16 1

1 19

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25 26

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25 26

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1 8 15 19 22 29

LATE START K-12 LATE START K-5 LATE START K-12 NO SCHOOL LATE START K-5 LATE START K-12

6 13 20 27

LATE START K-5 LATE START K-12 LATE START K-5 NO SCHOOL  mora a

3 LATE START K-5 10 LATE START K-12 12 EARLY DISMISSAL a a of oo

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JANUARY 2019 S

1 6

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10 11

1 1

15 16

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20 21

22 2

2 25

2 2

29 0

1

14 LATE START K-5

21 NO SCHOOL 28 NO SCHOOL

MARCH 2019 S

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1 NO SCHOOL  r ra 7 LATE START K-12

SEPTEMBER 2018 S

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1 8 15 22 25

VASD Calendar Sponsored by Barb Dawson

Religious Holidays (from board Policy) m o a:  a rJune 5-7  a-Aug. 22-25 aa o a: r of aaa November 12 a  aa  ar March 21

 o a: o aaa-Sept. 10-11 om Kr-Sept. 19 ra o a:  aMarch 6

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