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Verona Press The
Thursday, May 2, 2019 • Vol. 54, No. 50 • Verona, WI • Hometown USA • ConnectVerona.com • $1.25
613 WEST VERONA AVENUE • VERONA, WI 53593
‘Born to be a catcher’ Verona grad Rortvedt chasing dream with Twins
MARK NESBITT Assistant sports editor
The home for Ben Rortvedt for now is Fort Myers, Florida, where long bus rides, muggy days wearing catcher’s gear and a $25 a day food allowance are his life. Welcome to Rortvedt’s experience playing for the Fort Myers Miracle, the Minnesota Twins’ Class-A Advanced minor league affiliate in the Florida State League. “Everything I heard about the minor leagues, and how tough and not glorious it is has lived up to what I was told,” Rortvedt said. Rortvedt, 21, a Verona Area High School alumnus, was a 2016 second-round pick of the Twins. He was a non-roster invitee to spring training with the Twins this season and played in eight games. He is in his third season of Class A ball and is still chasing his dream of reaching the major leagues. According to Baseball America, Rortvedt is ranked No. 19 as a prospect. Mike Ruth, the Twins’ Midwest scouting supervisor who scouted and helped sign Rortvedt, noticed his catcher instincts and his tendencies to dissect pitchers and hitters. “He was born to be a catcher,” Ruth said. “I’m a big believer that catching is in your DNA. You can maybe learn to play third base or right field. You are born to be a catcher.” Rortvedt has become a participant and advocate of using yoga to develop his mobility. He has adjusted his swing to make more contact. Despite being a University of Arkansas recruit, Rortvedt has no plans of attending college yet. “I’m going to play baseball as long as they let me,” he said. “Baseball is Plan A.”
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All three new attendance boundary options will move on to the Verona Area school board. Those options, which were brought to the public during listening sessions last month, all received more than 50 percent approval from members of the Attendance Area Advisory Committee, Verona Area School District superintendent Dean Gorrell told the Press in an email Monday. The 29-person committee, which began discussing options last fall, had the choice at its April 24
Turn to Boundary/Page 7
Senior center director out
City of Verona
Mount Horeb outfit plans sticky fun downtown coffee, bakery items and Belgian waffles. It will get a review from the Plan Commission after a public hearing Monday, which starts at 6:30 p.m. It would need a permit from the Common Council.
Turn to Icki/Page 14
Inside Coves, southside subdivision, Kwik Trip up for review Page 3
Exit follows administrator’s negotiated resignation in Feb.
performance has been the subject of closed-door meetings among alders this year. Her last day was Mond a y, A p r i l 2 2 , M a y o r Luke Diaz confirmed to JIM FEROLIE the Press two days later, though he would not conVerona Press editor firm the nature of her exit. M a r y H a n s o n i s n o Hanson confirmed Thurslonger the Verona Senior day it was not her choice. That was less than six Center director. Hanson, 64, had been months after she signed a performance improvement on the job plan (PIP) that alleged five years. problems with professionShe is the alism and management second style, such as spreading high-rankconfidential information, ing city a perception of possible employee retaliation and micromanto be shown aging of staff, and one the door in Hanson 11 weeks Turn to Hanson/Page 16 and one of three whose
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The recent closing of Verona Liquor downtown brings room for some frozen treats and breakfast food. Icki Sticki, which opened in Mount Horeb in January,
meeting of recommending all three to the board or preventing one of them from moving forward. Those options, chosen after months of reviewing various ideas from consultant Mark Roffers, are: • A1, which is generally similar to current maps and mostly unifies the Verona Road-area neighborhoods; • D1, which would have Sugar Creek and Country View partner, with one serving grades K-2 and the other 3-5, but keep the Two Way Immersion program housed entirely at SC and Glacier Edge; • E, also generally similar to current maps, but it purposely sends Country View over capacity in anticipation of another elementary school before 2025, which would require
City of Verona
Turn to Rortvedt/Page 12
plans a second store in Verona this year, at 103 S. Main St., in the same building as Goochi Poochi, Ginkgo Tree and Toot and Kate’s Wine Bar, where a liquor store had been for seven years. Its owners plan to serve Chocolate Shoppe ice cream, shaved ice,
3 boundary options to school board KIMBERLY WETHAL AND SCOTT GIRARD
Ruth noticed how Rortvedt had the instincts early on. “He’s tough, has a great motor and Photo submitted loves to play the game every day,” Verona Area High School grad Ben Rortvedt is chasing his dream of the major Ruth said. “He has a great arm, and he leagues, and plays for the Minnesota Twin’s Class-A Advanced Minor League affiliate in Fort Myers, Florida.
Verona Press editor
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Verona Area School District
First discussion will be at May 4 work session
Instincts and discipline
JIM FEROLIE
608-845-3000 •