Verona Press The
Wisconsin's PRIVATE PRACTICE OF THE YEAR RECIPIENT
Thursday, April 5, 2018 • Vol. 53, No. 46 • Verona, WI • Hometown USA • ConnectVerona.com • $1.25
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Badger Prairie Needs Network
Spring election
Diaz wins Defeats Beres in race to become city’s next mayor JIM FEROLIE Unified Newspaper Group
Photo by Scott Girard
Adam O’Donnell adds outlines to the letters on his poster promoting the April 10 Packers Tailgate, which will benefit the Badger Prairie Needs Network.
Packers coming to town VAHS class works on April 10 event to raise funds for BPNN
SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group
It was mostly an “accident” that Verona Area High School senior Steven Richardson ended up in the social media and advertising class this semester. Three months after the class began, though, he’s glad it happened, as Richardson and his classmates put the final touches on preparing the school for an upcoming visit from six Green
Bay Packers players and CEO Mark Murphy that will benefit the Badger Prairie Needs Network. “We were all pretty excited,” Richardson recalled of finding out they would work on the project. “It was a cool opportunity to not only get credit but also to experience advertising for an event.” T h e A p r i l 1 0 “ Pa c ke r s Ta i l gate” event at VAHS will run from
If You Go What: Packers Tailgate for BPNN Where: Verona Area High School, 300 Richard St. When: 5-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 10 Tickets: $10 general admission; $40 includes six autographs, food (deadline April 6) Info: bpnn.org/packerstailgate
Turn to Packers/Page 16
Three produce gardens planned in parks HELU WANG Unified Newspaper Group
During the years Whitney Fowler taught gardening in high school, she didn’t see teenagers eating many vegetables and fruits. Years later, a garden project in England inspired her to bring the model to Verona. Her plot to encourage people in the community to eat high-quality fruits and vegetables – such as lettuce, cucumber, broccoli and beans – launches next
month with three produce gardens in parks around the city and a possible fourth on private property. And she and members of the Sugar River Gardeners will present the idea to the public next week at a community meeting at the library. “I hope the kids and families can easily access the vegetables and fruits when they walk past the parks,” Fowler said. According to a report r e l e a s e d b y Wi s c o n s i n Department of Health Services, only 23 percent of The
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Verona Press
five fruits or vegetables each day. Eating produce is believed to contribute to decreasing the risk of What: Edible gardens chronic diseases, such as community meeting heart disease, stroke, high When: 6:30 p.m. blood pressure and diabeWednesday, April 11 tes. Fowler noted that about Where: Verona Public 14 percent people in the Library, 500 Silent St. City of Verona live below Info: Call 848-6809 or near the poverty line, according to the 2010 U.S. Census statistics. She sees Wisconsin adults and 20 the edible gardens as a percent of high school stu- good approach to get them dents consume the recommended serving of Turn to Parks/Page 12
If You Go
Luke Diaz is Verona’s new mayor. Five years after joining the Common Council by knocking off longtime incumbent R i c k S t r eich in the District 3 race in a progressive sweep, Diaz Diaz capped a five-month campaign for mayor Tuesday by handily defeating former Verona Area school board president Dennis Beres 2,2731,379. Diaz, who announced he was running for mayor three weeks before Jon Hochkammer announced he would not seek a seventh consecutive term, was the only candidate in the race
for about a month, before Beres tossed his hat in the ring in December with a comment to the Press. Diaz told the Press on Tuesday night he campaigned feeling like he had an uphill battle the whole time and entered the night thinking it was 50-50. “Honestly, I’m a little shocked,” he said. “I thought I could win, but I thought it would be closer.” Diaz earned more than one victory Tuesday, with two more progressive candidates knocking off veteran incumbent alders with whom he has frequently disagreed. In District 3, Kate Cronin defeated incumbent Brad Stiner, who had never been challenged in his 22 years on the council. In District 2, Katie Kohl defeated Jack Linder, who had served seven years on the council in separate stints in two different districts. In other local elections Tuesday, Verona Area High School teacher Jason Knoll
Turn to Election/Page 12
New VAHS
Board approves security changes ‘Balance’ between natural light, safety will cost $100K-150K
Inside New Stoner Prairie principal hired Page 3
SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group
This was the “balance” they were looking for. The Verona Area school board unanimously approved changes Monday night to the design of the new Verona Area High School building in the hopes of improving safety while maintaining the natural light and glass-heavy environment that had been developed for the original design.
The new design creates access to one room without a view from the corridor for every classroom in the building. Some board members had initially indicated a desire to wait on the vote until April 16, but they said they were able to get the information they wanted Monday. They praised architect Chris Michaud of Eppstein Uhen
Turn to Security/Page 14
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