Thursday, October 5, 2017 • Vol. 53, No. 20 • Verona, WI • Hometown USA • ConnectVerona.com • $1
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Verona Press The
City of Verona
Changes ahead to NW plan Packed house hears debate over ‘taking,’ heights, densities JIM FEROLIE Verona Press editor
Photo by Helu Wang
Finn Westendorf, 4, paints a pumpkin with a brush at the Fall Fest.
Painting pumpkins Over 400 people showed up at Verona’s first Fall Fest Friday night, Sept. 29. The event, created by the Verona Area Chamber of Commerce, featured pumpkin painting, kids’ activities and a beer tent. Most vendors were regular participants in the Tuesday Farmers Market at Hometown Junction. Old Soul Society band performed until sunset, and an open air movie, “Hocus Pocus,” followed around 7 p.m.
Inside See more photos from Fall Fest Page 8
‘Jewelry in a journey’ Verona resident will share her healing path at upcoming event HELU WANG Unified Newspaper Group
In a downward facing dog yoga pose, Jill Babiarz tells her students to take a deep breath and feel the energy flow through in their body. Over the past 13 years, it’s one of the ways she’s worked to heal herself from depression and the loss of four babies. This weekend, the Ve r o n a r e s i d e n t i s featured as a speaker for the seventh annual Forever in Our Hearts Babiarz Remembrance Day, where she will share the “secret” she initially kept for five years — and she’ll do it in front of
about 300 people. Over past six years, hundreds of people have gathered in Madison in honor of pregnancy and infant loss on the national Remembrance Day, which this year falls on Saturday, Oct. 7. As this year’s speaker, Babiarz’s “transformational life journey through losing her four babies, navigating a divorce and climbing out of severe depression” will be highlighted at the event, organized by Mikayla’s Grace, a Madison-based nonprofit organization. Babiarz recalled to the Press the loss of her four “little pumpkins” – Britta, Ella, Grace and Saylor — all since 2003. Medical tests to find out why were all inconclusive, she said. Initially, she had no idea about The
Verona Press
how to grieve and to whom to talk. Feeling guilty, shameful and fearful, she kept the secret for over five years until she shared her story with a marriage support group over the phone. At first, Babiarz couldn’t talk but kept crying. It was the first time she realized that she was not alone. “Unresolved grief can make people sick,” Babiarz said. “Moving through is the only way to heal.” She started sharing her experience and healing through yoga, meditation, writing, biking and canoeing. While the healing was in process, she faced yet another challenge in 2011. A year after she ended an “unhealthy” marriage, Babiarz was
Turn to Remembrance/Page 12
Even though it was a working session, the Northwest Neighborhood plan continued to draw public interest Monday night. The plan addresses a 732acre area north of County Hwy. PD, including the proposed 65-acre Legends End high-rise development, and it filled the Council Chambers at Verona City Center twice last month, with impassioned speakers both for and against. With yet another nearly packed room this week (about half for other projects), the mayor announced at the start of the Plan Commission meeting there would be no final vote on the plan and no public comment in the meeting except for public hearings on other
Inside Commission asks for historic look on downtown project Page 3 Commission OKs senior housing Page 16 items. With some significant changes planned, it will get another public hearing but probably won’t be back until December. Commissioners scoffed at provisions some alders had asked for last month – specifically protection of the Ice Age Trail and forested areas and city efforts to encourage or mandate affordable housing. But they agreed to some
Turn to NW plan/Page 16
Homecoming parade Friday Students and staff around the Verona Area School District have been celebrating homecoming for the past week, and Friday, the community gets to join in. Before the homecoming football game against Sun Prairie at 7 p.m., the annual
If You Go What: Homecoming parade When: 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6 Where: Main Street, West Verona Avenue, West Lawn Avenue
Turn to Parade/Page 12
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