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Thursday, October 26, 2017 • Vol. 133, No. 17 • Oregon, WI • ConnectOregonWI.com • $1

All Aces

Oregon Municipal Court

OHS senior wins four world titles at national horse event SCOTT DE LARUELLE Unified Newspaper Group

Ace, Ace, Ace and Ace. At the Morgan Grand National and World Championship Horse Show earlier this month, it was four of a kind for Oregon’s Brooke Ace, who entered the top four youth competitions and took home four world championships. With the sweep, she’s now the top-ranked showperson in the country in the organization’s 18-and-under category. An animal showperson since the age of 4, Ace was the star of the show at the annual event, held in Oklahoma City Oct. 7-14. Now 17, she credits her success to enjoying what she does and working hard at it. “I grew up with it, and I just love it, the responsibility and just going out and having fun, meeting new friends and showing,” she told the Observer last week. It all started at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds, where her sister helped her show a horse named Trickle. “You were pretty much judged on how much fun you were having, but it was a great experience to get me started,” she said. Brooke’s mom, Dee, said from that day, the whole family knew Brooke was going to show horses. “She just loved it, that environment of showing,” she said. A few years later, Brooke got her start on Morgan horses, a breed wellknown for their durability and ease of handling. Ace got to ride Cherry in several shows and also got to know Cherry’s son, Mesquite, who she won the world championships with. Ace said she enjoys working with the breed, and Mesquite in particular “They are very versatile, and have Photo by Amber Levenhagen a super-sweet disposition,” she said. Brooke Ace and her horse, Mesquite, recently competed at the Morgan Grand “You can take them anywhere, and National and World Championship Horse Show, in Oklahoma City, where she won the Grand National Youth Challenge and went on to win three world chamTurn to Ace/Page 20 pionship titles.

Board postpones vote on ice arena plan Unified Newspaper Group

The Oregon Ice Arena’s plan to expand its outdoor area for new activities, including the sale of alcoholic beverages, hit another roadblock Monday. The Village Board told the group

Geske sentencing for misconduct, fraud in November SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group

A former Oregon Municipal Court clerk pleaded guilty to nine felony charges last week after stealing more than $28,000 from the office over the course of four years. Dennis Geske, 62, had agreed to a plea deal in Dane County Circuit Court to face seven years of probation, potential jail time and restitution, though it did not include an agreement for how much restitution or how it would be paid, according to online court records. A pair of local officials filed statements with the court asking for a harsher sentence. Geske, a former Oregon Police Department sergeant, initially faced 12 felony charges, but under the deal, three of those were dismissed. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 13. Geske was charged in June with misconduct in office, felony theft and fraudulent writings after an investigation by the Dane County Sheriff ’s Office at the request of Municipal Court Judge Beth Cox.

Alerted by Geske’s successor, investigators found that Geske took up to $28,400 from payments meant for the municipal court and the Village of Oregon, according to a March memo from Cox to Village of Oregon officials. Geske admitted to police he had taken the money, according to the criminal complaint, and told detectives that he “knew … someday I’d get caught at it” even as he “tried not to take too much money each month” to avoid a “red flag.” The irregularities that led to the charges were discovered by the new court clerk after Geske had been dismissed as clerk in October 2016 for other performance issues, according to the memo from Cox. According to Cox’s March memo, Geske gave written receipts to residents who brought in payments for tickets but then pocketed the money instead of depositing it with the village. According to the Wisconsin State Journal, assistant district attorney Paul Humphrey told the court at the Oct. 17 plea hearing that there is the possibility of an agreement for 90 days of jail time as a condition or probation, but the

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it wants the organization to pay more than $5,000 in fees owed to the village before it will consider approving the request. After a lengthy discussion, the board voted unanimously to postpone a decision on the request until Nov. 6, when village administrator Mike Gracz is expected to present a payment plan for the board’s consideration. At that time, the board might decide whether to amend a village

Oregon Focus 2017

ordinance that would allow the ice arena to begin implementing its proposed changes, or trustees could decide to consider the zoning amendment after the organization has paid the outstanding debt next year. To meet the ice arena’s full proposal, the board would also have to amend the arena’s liquor license to allow for outside sales and consumption.

Oregon Focus highlights progress in the village and beyond over the past year Pages 7-14

Inside Tin Man gets new lights . . . . . . . 08 Food pantry nears completion . . . 09 OSD referendum . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Jefferson Crossing . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Housing growth . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Business questionnaires . . . . . . . 13 New senior center director . . . . . 13

Turn to Arena/Page 3

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Former clerk pleads guilty

Inside

Village of Oregon

Liquor license change on hold because of fees owed

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Saturday, November 4 10:00 am - 11:45 am