Verona Press The
Thursday, February 14, 2019 • Vol. 54, No. 39 • Verona, WI • Hometown USA • ConnectVerona.com • $1.25
Wisconsin's sco sc con ons nsi sin in s PRIVATE PRACTICE OF THE YEAR RECI RECIPIENT
608.848.6628 8.848.6628 │ capitolphysicaltherapy.com capitolphysicaltherapy.c
APPOINTMENTS WITHIN 24 HOURS!
adno=53109
City of Verona
City admin resigns Mikorski will be paid for next 6 months, has been here 2 years JIM FEROLIE Verona Press editor
Photo by Kimberly Wethal
From right, Verona Area High School sophomore Christopher Lofts and his Jackson’s Crew campaign manager Meghna Krishna stand in front of blood drops on the front window of Miller and Sons Supermarket. The blood drops represent donations to Lofts’ Student of the Year campaign, a seven-week initiative to raise as much money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as he can.
Competing for a cure VAHS sophomore vies for LLS Student of the Year KIMBERLY WETHAL Unified Newspaper Group
Verona Area High School sophomore Christopher Lofts’ life isn’t so hard, he says, when he looks at the life of a 6-year-old boy named Jackson who’s inspiring him to raise money to find a cure for blood-related cancers. “He’s still a little kid, and despite all of the things he’s been through, he’s pushing through it,” he said. “If
this little kid can do it, then we can all push through our struggles too … it’s motivational to know that everything I’m struggling with in high school is nothing compared to cancer.” Lofts is leading a team of students from VAHS in the inaugural Madison Students of the Year fundraising competition for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), where 6-year-old Jackson is the namesake of the campaign. LLS is a national
organization dedicated to finding cures for blood-based cancers, funding research and improving patient access to affordable care. The campaign began on Jan. 26 and lasts for seven weeks, ending March 14 with the Madison Grand Finale event, where one student’s campaign will be awarded Student of the Year. There are 11 teams from around the
Turn to LLS/Page 8
For the second time in a decade, the City of Verona has decided to part ways with an administrator. While the unanimous vote Monday, Feb. 1 1 , wa s t o “accept the voluntary resignation” of Jeff Mikorski, it clearly was anything but voluntary. Mikorski Mikorski, who was not at the meeting, will be paid for the next six months and will be “Director of Administrative Services” until Turn to Administrator/Page 14
Verona Area School District
Feb. 22 now a school day, no more late starts at high school District announces changes to make up for weather closures SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group
Verona Area School District
‘Bright minds’ weigh in on State of the Union
SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group
Noah Weibel used to love watching the State of the Union. Since 2013, the Savanna Oaks Middle School social
studies teacher has instead spent those nights copying and pasting student emails into his Twitter for a “Tweet-a-thon.” This year, that brought 53 tweets from students on their reactions to what President Donald Trump was saying Tuesday, Feb. 5. “I’m madly just pumping those out,” he told the Press on the phone. “I feel like I hardly even
watched the actual speech,” he recalled telling his wife one year with a laugh. But Weibel is glad to “see it through their eyes as it’s happening” instead, and said the engagement it brings is among the most rewarding parts of his job. “The cool thing with this environment, it leaves me ever optimistic and hopeful,” Weibel said. “These are some really bright
minds and they say things that are often really on point.” That first year, he was “shocked” at the participation. “It really made me feel better about things going on in the world with how many kids participated,” he recalled. It quickly connected to
Turn to Tweets/Page 7
Verona Area School District students will soon have to pay the price for the four unexpected days off in recent weeks, and it could get worse. All students will now have a school day Friday, Feb. 22, which was scheduled as a staff-only day for professional development. High school students, who have the most time to make up because they have a higher number of instructional hours required by state law, will no longer have previously scheduled
Late start changes High school students will have school beginning at 8:10 a.m. instead of the previously scheduled late starts on the following Mondays: February: 18 March: 4, 18 April: 1, 15, 29 May: 13 June: 10
late starts for the remainder of the year. The district announced the changes in a website post from superintendent
Turn to Weather/Page 3
The
Verona Press
Jill Unwin, DC, CCEP
Start Feeling Better Today! Chiropractic ~ Massage Fitness Classes ~ Nutrition
Lee Unwin, BCMT, CSCS
adno=50632
SOMS students take part in annual ‘Tweet-a-thon’
April 5, according to a severance agreement the council approved with his resignation. That essentially means he will serve as a consultant, Mayor Luke Diaz told the Press Monday night, and will answer questions as needed to help smooth the transition to the next administrator. He said Mikorski has been helpful in planning the transition so far. Mikorski signed the severance agreement Feb. 5, three weeks after the council met in closed session to discuss his performance. A letter of reference that is part of the agreement states, “Mr. Mikorski always acted in the best interest of the city and performed his job with professionalism, respect and commitment.” Those sentiments are echoed in the “mutual” press
(608) 848-1800 • unwinchiropractic.com • 102 N. Franklin Street, Verona, WI 53593