Thursday, May 16, 2019 • Vol. 54, No. 52 • Verona, WI • Hometown USA • ConnectVerona.com • $1.25
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Verona Press The
Verona Area School District
3 fights at VAHS May 9 Police increase presence May 10, students suspended SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group
Photo by Kimberly Wethal
Right, Kyllan Wunder measures the length of a ga-ga ball pit frame during a work day for his Eagle Scout project on Saturday, May 11, at Glacier Edge Elementary School.
A measure of success Eagle Scout rank candidate Kyllan Wunder is trying to make the Glacier Edge Elementary School playground a little more fun. On Saturday, May 11, and Sunday, May 12, Wunder, his parents and three dozen volunteers built two “ga-ga ball” pits along the side of the
building. The game, similar to dodgeball, is played where children stand inside the pit and attempt to remove others from the game by making contact with the ball on their legs. Wunder, a Verona Area High School student, told the Press he came up with the idea after speaking with
a teacher at GE, and has learned a lot about being a “project manager” throughout the process. Email reporter Kimberly Wethal at kimberly.wethal@wcinet.com and follow her on Twitter @kimberly_wethal.
Police increased their presence at Verona Area High School May 10 after responding to three separate fights at the school the day before that resulted in three student arrests. Superintendent Dean Gorrell told the Press the fights were a result of “longstanding personal disputes” and that there were no weapons involved. Gorrell Verona Police Dept. Lt. Dave Dresser provided a similar summary to the Press, adding that there “were no gang overtones to these particular fights.” “For some of these kids, it’s just an ongoing feud,” Dresser said. “They’ve known each other for a long time.”
One of the fights led to “several upset parents” coming to the school, “yelling, threatening staff and creating a disturbance,” according to a VPD news release. The release states that two juveniles and one staff member were injured during the fights, and three students were arrested. Dresser told the Press VPD arrested a 15-year-old Verona girl for interfering with an arrest, a 15-year-old boy from Fitchburg for battery and disorderly conduct and a 16-year-old girl from Madison for disorderly conduct. He said they anticipate more charges for others involved in the fights, but the investigation is ongoing, including reviewing video of the incidents. VAHS principal Pam Hammen sent an email to parents Thursday night that said students involved in the fights were suspended, as were some students who were initiating “social media chatter” about ongoing conflicts. Gorrell told the Press that
Turn to Fights/Page 16
City of Verona
Artists and Farmers Market returns next week No payout for senior On the Web center director If You Go KIMBERLY WETHAL Unified Newspaper Group
Farmers market season will officially start in Verona next Tuesday. The Verona Artists and Farmers Market will open from 3-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 21, and will run each Tuesday until Oct. 15. Held at Cassis Hometown Junction Park, 101 W. Railroad St., the market will feature
To learn more about the Verona Artists and Farmers Market, visit its website at veronasmarket.com
artists, vegetable farmers, a beef processor, jams, tea, and baked goods – something she was “really missing last year,” organizer Mona Cassis told the Press. The market is in its third year under Cassis’ leadership, and will generally be the same as the year prior, she said, but she’s looking to eventually book more food trucks and special events. The
Verona Press
“Last year, we had maybe a couple of events every month, but this year I’m hoping to have something What: Verona Artists and happening every Tuesday Farmers Market that’s more than just the When: 3-6:30 p.m. market,” she said. Tuesdays from May 21 to Cassis said she tried to theme some of them Oct. 15 around a month when Where: Hometown they were celebrated, one Junction Park, 101 W. of those being Accordion Railroad St. Month in June, and NationInfo: veronasmarket.com al Picnic Month in July. “You grab at anything you can when trying to have a reason for some- signed up to be at the thing to happen,” she said. m a r k e t t h r o u g h o u t t h e “When planning, I tried to season, she said. Not all use some of those things.” Eighteen vendors have Turn to Market/Page 5
JIM FEROLIE Verona Press editor
Three weeks after showing its senior center director the door, the City of Verona formally accepted her resignation Monday. Unlike other recent high-profile incidents in which it cut ties with Hanson s t a ff , t h i s
settlement with Mary Hanson did not contain a payout beyond accrued leave and this month’s standard benefits. The resignation agreement, which the Common Council accepted unanimously after a 10-minute closed session, ends her employment May 14 and promises not to fight any unemployment claims until at least July 15. Hanson, who had been the director for five years,
Turn to Director/Page 13
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