Thursday, July 19, 2018 • Vol. 54, No. 9 • Verona, WI • Hometown USA • ConnectVerona.com • $1.25
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The Verona Area School District has a plan to guide its decision making over the next five years. But the second phase of the process, which will be an action plan that outlines more specific ways to implement the broader “pillars,” won’t come until this fall. The school board approved the five pillars and a values statement
Lincoln apartments back for revote 3 alders ask for reconsideration of rejected plan JIM FEROLIE
Pillars
Verona Press editor
1. Authentic relationships 2. Safe, inclusive learning environment 3. High expectations for every student 4. Supporting and empowering staff 5. Equitable allocation of resources Monday as part of Phase 1. “It’s intended to be a long-term planning tool to be guiding things and be transparent with your community about why
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‘A kinder way to be’ Verona businesses move toward dementia friendliness KIMBERLY WETHAL Unified Newspaper Group
For Dr. Kelsey Patton, owner and dentist at Verona Family Dental, getting her business verified as “dementia-friendly” was just a refresher of practices she and her employees had already been doing. As a healthcare provider, she sees a wide range of ages – from babies to 100-year-olds – all coming to the dentist’s chair with a variety of medical backgrounds. “Our main goal is to make sure that every person who walks through
our doors, whether it’s a patient or it’s spouse, feels comfortable when they’re here, and they don’t feel rushed or talked down to,” she said. “We already treat everybody that way.” Verona Family Dental joins a dozen other businesses in Verona who have been certified as “dementia-friendly” after a 2015 proclamation signed by mayor Jon Hochkammer that formalized the idea of becoming dementia-friendly. Since then, a task force has trained businesses and groups on how to recognize that a person has dementia, best practices for engaging in conversation with them and how to resolve conflict, senior center Mary Hanson said. Verona’s group is one of
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5 ‘pillars,’ values approved Strategic plan includes focus on relationships, equity, staff support
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Photo courtesy Special Olympics
Nick Nawrocki’s “perfect form” helps him down the stretch of the 400-meter race walk, which he won by nearly 40 seconds.
Special experience Verona athlete, coach compete at USA Games SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group
Nick Nawrocki won a gold medal at the Special Olympics USA Games earlier this month, but a different event highlighted his trip to Seattle. In the shot put, Nawrocki won a silver medal, putting up a personal-best throw and keeping his composure just minutes after being disqualified from the 800-meter race walk he thought he had won.
“The most emotional time was when he got his silver for shot (put),” his father Phil told the Press. “It shows what kind of athlete you are that you shrugged (the DQ) off,” he said, turning to his son. Nawrocki, a member of the Verona Area Special Olympics team, was joined in Seattle for the July 1-6 event by John Haberle, the Verona Area Special Olympics coach.
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In March, alders shut the door on a plan to put 90 apartments where an industrial facility has been on Lincoln Street f o r t h e p a s t s eve r a l decades. But they might open it again next week. Three alders asked city planning director Adam Sayre to put the plan back on the Common Council’s Kemp agenda this month, and with the blessing of the city attorn e y, i t ’s headed to anoth- Cronin er public hearing, Monday, July 23. One of those three, Chad Kohl Kemp (Dist. 1), voted against the project in his first meeting as an alder, March 12. The other two, Alds. Kate Cronin (D-3) and Katie Kohl (D-2) were not members of the council in March, as both defeated incumbents in April. None gave explanations for their requests, but Sayre told the Press he was advised by city attorney Bryan Kleinmaier to have at least two alders request
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