Verona Press The
Thursday, October 17, 2019 • Vol. 55, No. 22 • Verona, WI • Hometown USA • ConnectVerona.com • $1.25
Wisconsin's sco sc con ons nsi sin in s PRIVATE PRACTICE OF THE YEAR RECI RECIPIENT
608.848.6628 8.848.6628 │ capitolphysicaltherapy.com capitolphysicaltherapy.c
APPOINTMENTS WITHIN 24 HOURS!
adno=108027
City of Verona
Fire chief candidates present to public Thursday Event will include question and answer session
Jeffrey Pricher
Photo by Samantha Christian
Like many natural areas throughout Dane County, Prairie Moraine County Park struggles with invasive species such as buckthorn, honeysuckle and gray dogwood. However, restoration efforts are underway with the help of volunteers and grant support. Dave Jelinski, one of the founders of the Prairie Moraine Friends group, points out native highbush cranberry, while Sadie, a Texas Heeler, is ready to continue walking the dog park trails Oct. 13.
Environmental educators Prairie Moraine projects seek to attract pollinators, engage volunteers SAMANTHA CHRISTIAN Unified Newspaper Group
Prairie Moraine County Park is known for not only its segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail tracing the terminal moraine of the last glaciation, but also its topranked dog park. With half of its 160 acres fenced in south of the City of Verona on County Hwy. PB, the park offers the largest off-leash dog exercise area in the county. Here you’ll likely find Dave Jelinski and Sadie, his quiet
yet peppy Texas Heeler, exploring the trails through oak savanna, pine and meadow – sometimes twice a day. “I get as much pleasure out of this as Sadie does,” Jelinski told the Press while walking through the park on a chilly October morning. Two years ago under the guidance of county parks staff, Jelinski helped found the Prairie Moraine Friends (PMF) group, which is on its way to incorporating and filing for 501(c)(3) status. Several other Dane County Parks Friends groups have formed nonprofits to better serve and
advocate for the parks. That includes pursuing grant opportunities and mobilizing volunteers, both of which PMF has done this year. PMF has about 80 members, and together they have logged about 500 volunteer hours in the park to date. In addition to Dane County Parks, the group also partners with the Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin, Ice Age Trail Alliance, Madison Permaculture Guild, Operation Fresh Start, nearby Resurrection Lutheran Church, TailWaggers
Turn to Prairie Moraine/Page 8
Ralph Webster
If You Go
T h e fi n a l two fire chief candidates will present to the public Thursday at t h e Ve r o n a Fire Department. Jeffrey Pricher and Ralph Webs t e r, b o t h f o r m e r fi r e chiefs, will give 10-minute presentations on a topic of their choice
What: Fire chief candidate public presentations When: 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17 Where: Verona Fire Department, 101 Lincoln St. Info: Call Mitch Weckerly at 845-0965 or email mitchell.weckerly@ci.verona.wi.us
at the fire department, 101 Lincoln St., starting at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 17. A 15-minute question and answer session will follow each presentation. The city’s Police and Fire
Turn to Candidates/Page 13
Epic awards annual community grants JUSTIN LOEWEN Verona Press correspondent
Epic’s annual community grants are aimed at continuing to improve the capabilities of local emergency services and charities. Of the $120,000 the company awarded locally
in 2019 grant money, a combined $87,000 is going to Fitch-Rona EMS and the Verona fire and police departments. Another $30,000 goes to the Badger Prairie Needs Network food pantry, and $2,500 goes the Verona Public
Turn to Grants/Page 3
Dane County
USRWA gets environmental outreach grant SAMANTHA CHRISTIAN Unified Newspaper Group
The Upper Sugar River Watershed Association (USRWA) joins Prairie Moraine Friends and nine other Dane County conservation organizations that are getting a boost for their proposed environmental education efforts. USRWA received a $2,000 Friends of Dane County Parks Endowment grant through the Foundation for Dane County Parks. The nonprofit plans to create an Outdoor Learning
Series throughout southwest Dane County, potentially launching a couple of its 12 educational events this winter. “Our goal is to get more people active in the watershed going to parks or natural areas or places they may not have known about,” USRWA executive director Wade Moder told the Press. By engaging the community through interpretive events and materials, members of these conservation organizations hope to inspire more people to show their The
Verona Press
appreciation for these natural spaces through volunteerism. “We are ecstatic to be able to use the endowment built by our generous donors to provide grants to improve the parks and help build the (Dane) County Parks over 3,000-person volunteer base,” Bill Lunney, Foundation for Dane County Parks chair, wrote in a county news release. “Our foundation’s commitment to volunteerism, education and interpretation in the parks helps create a backbone of continuing support for our extraordinary park system.”
File photo by Kimberly Wethal
Epic donated $30,000 to Badger Prairie Needs Network this year, including $5,000 to purchase microwaveable containers for food rescue operations like this one in November 2018. Pictured is Erin Klein of Verona.
NOW OPEN
608.441.9999 avanteproperties.com
RAVEN APARTMENTS
5116 Lacy Road, Fitchburg, WI
Studio, 1, 1+Den, 2 & 3 Bedroom Apartments adno=80632