Thursday, May 10, 2018 • Vol. 136, No. 42 • Stoughton, WI • ConnectStoughton.com • $1.25
Stoughton Area School Disrict
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Monday-Friday 8 am-5 pm; Saturday 8 am-3 pm Saturday, May 12th, 8 am-5 pm; Open Mother’s Day 9 am-noon
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City of Stoughton
Students’ best friend
Beach, rapids, and a surf wave
Gus helps Fox Prairie students with reading, behavior
ALEXANDER CRAMER
Whitewater park design being presented at Opera House
Unified Newspaper Group
BILL LIVICK Unified Newspaper Group
The design for a whitewater park plan that could turn a stretch of the Yahara River into an economic-development asset for the city will get a public presentation next week at the Stoughton Opera House. Representatives from a Colorado-based company that develops whitewater parks, Recreation Engineering and Planning Inc., will explain their concept at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 16. Parks and recreation director Dan Glynn has been working with the c o m p a ny o n t h e p l a n since early last year. He Photo by Alexander Cramer
Gus gets some pats from Maddie Schulz as Viona Ahneti looks on in Mrs. Durtschi’s office at Fox Prairie.
seen research about the benefits of using a dog in a school setting and had been talking about bringing Gus in “for a while” before his December debut. “One counselor we Gus comes to school r e s e a r c h e d w h o s t a r t Cronin and Durtschi had e d b r i n g i n g h e r d o g
started noticing an uptick in student engagement from reading to him,” Durtschi said. “(And it helped) kids who sometimes emotionally could use a little extra something.” They got buy-in from principal Krista Huntley
Rogers, whose experience at the policy level of the district helped them figure out how to navigate potential issues like allergies and parent concerns. They sent out
Turn to Gus/Page 8
Free clinic changes name, aims to expand Formerly Shalom, it offers healthcare to low-income patients BILL LIVICK Unified Newspaper Group
A free health clinic that’s operated in Stoughton for a decade is expanding its service area and hoping to recruit more volunteers. The Shalom Holistic Health Services board of directors also recently changed the facility’s name to Free
said the name change should make the clinic’s mission less confusing to the public. “People read things into the name Address: 1116 Ridge St., Stoughton – that we’re a Jewish religious orgaHours: 5-9 p.m. Thursdays nization, or that we’re somehow related to the New Age movement or Phone: (608) 205-0505 even quackery, which isn’t the case,” Website: shalomclinic.org Verdegan explained. “We don’t do E-mail: freehealthclinicinstoughton@ religious proselytizing. We’re a free gmail.com health clinic with a professional staff.” Verdegan and the clinic’s new direcHealth Clinic and hired a new direc- tor, Sharon Folbrecht, told the Hub the tor. Board president Barry Verdegan Turn to Clinic/Page 21
Free Health Clinic
Courier Hub
If You Go What: Whitewater park concept plan presentation When: 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 16 Where: Stoughton Opera House, 381 E. Main St., second floor Info: dglynn@ci.stoughton.wi.us, or call 6460430 told the Common Council last month he had r e c e ive d a fi n a l c o n cept plan and estimate to develop the park at a cost of $2.2 million. The city’s cost would be about half that amount if grants Glynn has applied for are awarded. The plan as presented calls for constructing two in-stream rapids east of
Turn to Park/Page 7
Syttende Mai returns next weekend AMBER LEVENHAGEN Unified Newspaper Group
Recent chamber staff changes created a slight hiccup for Syttende Mai coordinator Laura Trotter, but despite the challenges, she said this might be the best festival yet. Syttende Mai weekend will begin with the opening ceremony Friday, May 18, and conclude with a final Stoughton
Turn to Weekend/Page 5
If You Go What: Syttende Mai 2018 When: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, May 18; 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, May 19, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 20 Where: Various locations throughout Stoughton Info: stoughton festivals.com
Inside Celebrate National Pets Week with our special section Pages 10-15
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When Gus was a puppy going through the battery of tests to become an Occupaws guide dog, his veterinarian noticed cataracts in his eyes that made him ineligible to continue. But that was just a detour in Gus’ career of service: The lumbering yellow lab earned the Canine Good Citizenship Award from the American Kennel Club, and since December he’s been enjoying celebrity status as the dog-in-residence at Fox Prairie Elementary School. Gus’ human is Fox Prairie reading specialist Marilee Cronin, whose popularity has “shot through the roof” since she first started bringing Gus to school before Christmas break. Cronin worked with school psychologist Sara Durtschi to introduce Gus to students, and she said Gus has been helpful to students in ways a human might not be able to. “ D o g s h av e a c a l m ing factor,” Durtschi said. “When students get really heightened with their behavior and they can’t say in words what they need, it brings them down a little bit and then they’re able to problem-solve. Petting Gus or doing an errand (with him) takes them out of it.”
Wish Mom a Happy Mother’s Day with a Bouquet Full of Love!
Stoughton
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