Thursday, November 1, 2018 • Vol. 134, No. 18 • Oregon, WI • ConnectOregonWI.com • $1.25
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Oregon School District
Building on the ballot
Referendum question number one
Village of Oregon
Staton to retire in April Village president plans to leave government after 16 years BILL LIVICK Unified Newspaper Group
Photo by Jim Ferolie
The largest share of growth in the Oregon School District up to 2030 is projected to be near the Lacy Road interchange, seen here in September with the Terravessa development, shown in the upper left of the photo, already being built.
Referendums would buy lands, fund school, maintenance SCOTT DE LARUELLE Unified Newspaper Group
With a “tidal wave” of students set to swell the Oregon School District over the next several years, voters are being asked next Tuesday, Nov. 6, to authorize the building of a new elementary school. A yes vote would also set in motion plans to build a middle school a few years later. After nearly two years of research, t h e d i s t r i c t h a s i d e n t i fi e d t h e fast-growing northern section of the district – in the northeast part of the City of Fitchburg – as the most
Inside Soccer team wins in penalty shootout, advances to state semifinal Page 9
effective location for a new school. Many changes would be necessary, with the student population expected to jump from around 4,000 to more than 6,000 by 2030. A K-6 elementary set-up near the Lacy Road interchange, in the budding Terravessa Development, is seen as the most pressing need. In around four to six years, a referendum to build a middle school, hosting grades 6-8, would follow, likely located around the Hwy, 14/MM interchange. It’s is the fourth time since the passage of Act 10, which changed school
Turn to Ballot/Page 12
OSD referendum The Observer is examining the upcoming referendum from a variety of angles: Oct. 4: Referendum seeks to build new K-6 school Oct. 11: Why is a new school needed in Fitchburg? Oct. 18: What would it provide; changes to the district Oct. 25: What would happen if it fails? This week: What is on the ballot?
The art of the comeback surprisingly — getting ready for an art show. A few weeks before, the longtime Oregon High School art teacher had SCOTT DE LARUELLE gone in for his annual Unified Newspaper Group physical, W h e n M i ke D e r r i c k a n d a s h e Derrick heard the bad news in was setting June 2016, he was — not up artwork, he got the
Longtime OHS teacher Derrick easing back after liver transplant
After nearly 16 years in village government, Steve Staton has decided not to run for re-election when his sixth term as Village President ends next April. Staton told the Observ- Staton e r Tu e s d a y he’ll step down in order to give other people a chance to lead the village. “I would guess there are people out there who would like to take a run at it,” he said. “At some point in
Turn to Staton/Page 3
NINA fund hits $300,000 mark Program has helped local families for past 15 years BILL LIVICK Unified Newspaper Group
call that there were problems with his blood work. Life-threatening problems. “(They said) it looks like you have something wrong with your liver,” Derrick told the Observer on Monday. “They wanted to do X-rays, CT scans, MRIs and all that good stuff.” After a battery of tests,
Oregon is a generous community. You can see it in donations for things like a new youth center and food pantry. The Neighbors in Need of Assistance program recently provided more evidence. Commonly known as the NINA fund, it just passed the $300,000 mark in assistance to Oregon families in the past 15 years. Dane County social
Turn to Derrick/Page 8
Turn to NINA/Page 8
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“Shall the Oregon School District, Dane, Rock and Green Counties, Wisconsin be authorized to issue pursuant to Chapter 67 of the Wisconsin Statutes, general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $44,900,000 for the public purpose of paying the cost of a school building and improvement program consisting of construction, furnishing and equipping of a new elementary school; acquisition of sites for the new school and for future District facilities; and security improvements to District facilities?”
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Oregon Observer The