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Friday, November 9, 2018 • Vol. 5, No. 9 • Fitchburg, WI • ConnectFitchburg.com • $1
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City of Fitchburg
Inside
Ambulance delay, paving Whalen among amendments
Two candidates declare for mayor in spring election Page 3 Solar series: Energy farming future
Mayor’s budget proposal has levy within $1K of state limit
Page 8
Business
SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group
Phoenix breaks ground Page 15
Sports
Photo by Kimberly Wethal
Oregon soccer wins state championship Page B1
Schools Voters approve OSD referendum
Susan Drew walks her children away from a home after they finish collecting their candy during city-wide trick-or-treating on Wednesday, Oct. 31.
Halloween fun
Fitchburg children and their caregivers were out and about during the late afternoon and early evening hours of Wednesday, Oct. 31, to collect their candy rations.
Inside See more trickor-treat photos Page 10
‘Black girl magic’
Page B6
Progress Center for Black Women finds home in Fitchburg KIMBERLY WETHAL Unified Newspaper Group
Food pantry opens at VAHS Page B7
A little over a year ago, Sabrina Madison came up with an idea to give black women a space of their own. In early November, the year-old nonprofit organization she founded, Progress Center for Black Women, opened an office in Fitchburg, at 5936 Seminole Court, Suite 211. PRSRT STANDARD ECRWSS US POSTAGE
The center provides programming and resources promoting upward mobility for women such as the Black Women’s Leadership Conference and the Black Business Expo. Madison had created those events last year Madison after getting frustrated with the lack of diversity at speaking
events she attended in Wisconsin. A motivational speaker – for which she goes by the moniker Heymiss Progress – and former administrative coordinator at Madison College, Madison said there were “too many spaces where there were all women in the room, and none of the women were like me” at those events. “During one of those last
Turn to Progress/Page 12
City of Fitchburg alders won’t have much room to work with as they consider whether to add projects or positions in the 2019 budget. Mayor Jason Gonzalez’s proposed budget, which was published in September, leaves only $1,000 under the state-mandated levy limit. At the Oct. 24 Committee of the Whole meeting, city finance director Misty Dodge warned alders they would need to be careful in their consideration to avoid going over that limit. “Anything that you want to add back in, something else will need to be removed,” Dodge said. At that meeting, alders discussed the 17 amendments they had proposed, six of which would cut spending. Eight would add to the budget, two would add grants or transfer money and one would be a budget maneuver to save money long-term. Alders plan to vote on the amendments after a Nov. 13 public hearing, and they could also approve the full budget that night. T h e m o s t s i g n i fi c a n t impact among the amendments would come from two separate proposals to
Turn to Budget/Page 13
If You Go What: Budget amendments public hearing When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13 Where: City Hall Info: fitchburgwi.gov
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