11/29/18 Verona Press

Thursday, November 29, 2018 • Vol. 54, No. 28 • Verona, WI • Hometown USA • ConnectVerona.com • $1.25

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City of Verona

Investigation: ‘Unprofessional’ behavior at VFD Reports, interviews detail years of workplace complaints JIM FEROLIE

Photos by Mark Nesbitt

Verona Press editor

A trio of Verona Area High School graduates are playing for the Badgers women’s basketball team this year. From left, 2014 graduate Lexy Richardson, 2016 graduate Grace Mueller and 2017 graduate Alex Luehring.

Trio brings Wildcat connection to Badgers Wisconsin off to best start since 2006-07 season Assistant sports editor

Three former Wildcats spent Thanksgiving in Nashville, but they weren’t visiting family. The three – Lexy Richardson, Grace Mueller and Alex Luehring – were playing for the Wisconsin Badgers women’s basketball team in the Challenge tournament. Each has overcome obstacles and taken a different path to become a Badger. But all of them are cherishing the Wildcat connection on the Badgers this season. Mueller and Luehring were teammates on Verona’s WIAA Division

1 state championship team in 2016 before they went their separate ways – Mueller to UW Madison and Luehring a year later to UW-Green Bay. But neither played last year, with Luehring redshirting and then transferring to Madison to be near her ailing father and Mueller losing last season to injury. Richardson, who played with Mueller for two seasons and Luehring for one, earned a scholarship last year after starting out as a manager for the team and then a walk-on. Wisconsin coach Jonathan Tsipis said the Wildcat trio has brought a connection to the Badgers that makes the program stronger. “You see there isn’t one path,”

Tsipis said. “You see three kids who played in a really strong program with Angie Murphy. It was really a lot of pride to be able to put a Badger uniform on.” And now they’re together again. “It’s really exciting,” Luehring said. “I’m so happy to be here. It’s always been a dream of mine to play for the Badgers. I’m really happy to be at home. It feels even more like home with two of my high school teammates.” Luehring, a 2017 Verona Area High School graduate, is one of the first players off the bench for the Badgers, averaging the third-most

Turn to Badgers/Page 10

Hometown Holidays mingles with Jingle The annual Hometown Holidays, which runs from Dec. 7-9, opens with the arrival of Santa for a tree Schedule of events lighting at Central Park at 5 p.m. The weekend comPage 5 prises of a variety of other KIMBERLY WETHAL events, including the annuUnified Newspaper Group al chili dinner at the senior It’ll officially be the hol- center with the fire depart- and Mingle event, two othiday season in Verona as of ment, the Verona Road er opportunities to meet Business Coalition’s Jingle with Santa, ice sculptures next weekend.

Saturday events include crafts, reindeer

Inside

around the city and reindeer at the library. Le Jordan, executive director of the Verona Area Chamber of Commerce, said that weekend-long event helps Verona live up to its “Hometown USA” moniker. “I think it’s the whole

Turn to Holidays/Page 5

Turn to Fire/Page 11

Tax rate rises 3 percent Assessor’s error leads to larger increase

Inside City looking into replacing assessor

JIM FEROLIE Verona Press editor

Upon further review, the city’s tax-rate increase is back to 2.7 percent. Because of a “data keypunch error” by the city assessor, city residents will pay significantly more than the .7 percent increase that the city’s spending should have accounted for. Worse, that error will affect taxes for all jurisdictions for city taxpayers. City administration had hoped to persuade state

Page 12 Department of Revenue officials to allow a correction, and it was presented as such at the Nov. 12 Committee of the Whole budget review meeting. That attempt was rejected, officials revealed before the Nov. 19 public hearing. The result is an increase

Turn to Taxes/Page 12

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An investigation into allegations of misconduct at the Verona Fire Department made earlier this year revealed “unprofessional” and “inappropriate” behavior on a regular basis but also systemic problems extending back many years. The Verona Press this month obtained a partially redacted copy of the August 2018 Riesling Group report on assistant chief Don Catenacci, which looked into specific complaints about churlish comments, unwanted touching and rough behavior. A companion report sent to a several media outlets earlier this month detailed a variety of concerns from Verona fire station workers about the culture of the department

and lacking leadership. City leaders commissioned the report after the firefighters’ union sent a letter to them in response to chief Joe Giver’s discipline of a union memb e r, s a y i n g the assistant chief had exhibited similar Giver behavior but not been disciplined. The city forwarded the investigation report to the Press on Nov. 20 after an open-records request a week earlier – the day the union called for the chief to step down. In general, the report found the facts consistent with the allegations about Catenacci’s behavior, which included rubbing the heads of other bald people, comments and questions about homosexuality and undesired touching of people’s faces. But it found varying perspectives about the impact of the behavior and

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November 29, 2018

The Verona Press

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Verona Area School District

Global PALs Stoner Prairie class connects with Australian peers SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group

Jack Alvin spoke into the iPad sitting on his table at Stoner Prairie Elementary School, saying he “really liked” a design he had just seen from a peer. That peer was in Australia, and Alvin was responding to a video made by the student there to share their design of an animal in a program called Makers Empire. The students use a program called Flipgrid to watch videos and then record their own in response. “(I like) that I get to talk to someone so far away,” Alvin told the Press. “All of their designs and everything they do is super cool.” Alvin and his classmates in the multiage Partners Actively Learning (PALs) program at SP are working in the same program and designing their own animals, which will eventually be 3D-printed. They often send videos back and forth with the Australian students to update each other. “I really like their designs,” said student June Swanson. “It’s so cool.” Educational technology coordinator Karie Huttner first got the school’s students involved in the Global Design Challenge last year, after raising money for the Makers Empire program at the annual

back-to-school block party in Fitchburg. She agreed to participate in the challenge “not knowing what it actually meant but excited about the opportunity for our students to connect with other students around the globe,” she wrote in an email to the Press. She then connected with an art teacher in Adelaide, Australia, and found “commonalities” in the curriculum they had for students. That created connections for fourth- and fifth-graders on projects about transportation and history. “Students researched and shared how transportation or history events were simPhotos by Scott Girard ilar or different between the USA and Aus- Kenley Dinkins adds to her animal design as part of the Global Design Challenge in partnertralia,” Huttner explained. ship with some Australian students. This year, Huttner and the Australian teacher decided to focus on aquatic animals, and Huttner worked with the PALs teachers to “best fit the diverse learners in their classroom.” “Through this process, students have learned more about where they live as well as about the many things that are the same in Australia,” Huttner said. “They have also learned about animals and foods that don’t exist here like vegimite and kangaroos.” Contact Scott Girard at ungreporter@ wcinet.com and follow him on Twitter @ sgirard9.

ShopVerona Holiday Giveaway

November 23 - December 19 Shop in Verona and Bring your Reciepts to The Verona Area Chamber of Commerce. Every $25 you spend in Verona gains you an entry to win one of 3 Prize Baskets stuffed with local goodies! Go to VisitVeronaWI.com for more details! Entries must be submitted by 12:30 pm CST on Thursday, December 19, 2018 to the Verona Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourist Center at 120 W. Verona Ave., Verona WI 53593. Drawing for prize baskets will be at 12 pm, Friday, December 20, 2018 at the Chamber offices. All participants invited to join us for refreshments. 120 W. Verona Ave., Verona WI 53593 (608) 845-5777 info@veronawi.com

Dylaney Dinkins, left, and Reese Murphy watch and record videos to send to their Australian peers who are also designing animals as part of the Global Design Challenge.

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November 29, 2018

The Verona Press

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City of Verona

Senior apartments return Subdivision idea looks to the east Verona Press editor

A plan to build 80-100 senior apartments on North Main Street was signed and sealed last year but not delivered. And now it’s coming back. The unnamed development, which would replace an old farmhouse near the crest of a hill, went through two rounds of neighborhood meetings and three versions before getting city approvals in October 2017. And all year long, signs on the property have foretold of the coming development. But its permit and its site plan expired after a year, so Forward Development Group must start over. The restart includes even the neighborhood meetings and the initial review at the Plan Commission,

which is scheduled for Monday night. An email to a FDG representative Monday was not replied to, and city planning director Adam Sayre had no information as to why the project did not start this year. The plan as presented shows no notable difference from the previous one – two stories with underground parking on a 3.1-acre lot adjacent to a dentist’s office. The building would overlook some lower-lying homes in a 20-year-old neighborhood. That was a source of concern with the initial plan, which would have been three stories tall, with around 140 units. The plan last year left unsettled a developer agreement with the city on construction of a vegetative buffer and a bike/pedestrian trail in the

utility easement that separates it from the existing neighborhood to the east. That likely would be the case again this year. Putting landscaping in the city right-of-way is unusual, but that strip of land has mostly been used as a shortcut around the block in the nearly 20 years it’s been there. FDG’s original plan for the property was a 140-unit building, and since downsizing it and addressing some neighborhood concerns, it was relatively uncontroversial. However, the Common Council is almost entirely new this year, with only two holdovers from a year ago, and the Plan Commission has changed some, as well.

JIM FEROLIE

Verona Press editor

As the subdivisions on Verona’s south side fill and construction on the north side is just starting, developers are starting to look to the east for the city’s next expansion. The Town of Verona farm fields on Fitchburg’s western border have been planned as future residential growth for many years, but the 201-acre, 600-home Doerfer-Suddeth plan between Grandview and Whalen roads is the first attempt that would involve the City of Verona. Verona-based Forward Development Group brought the idea to city staff in August, and the Plan Commission is scheduled to review the proposal at its Dec. 3 meeting. It has many hurdles to overcome, including establishing water service, getting state approval for expanding Verona’s urban service boundaries, earning approval from Fitchburg and ensuring the county roads that link to it are up to date. The east side of the town has been farmed for generations, with landowners in that area keeping an eye on Verona’s development in recent decades. Development there was a key question in discussions in the city-town merger effort that failed in 2008. The Town of Verona established the Wendelwood subdivision around Goose Lake in the 1970s, but limitations of Verona’s urban services and Fitchburg’s jurisdiction over that area have squashed any proposals since, including a 43-acre housing development directly to the south of that in 2006. City development and a deal with the town have enabled the new proposal. In the past five years, the Liberty Business Park has developed along Whalen Road,

Email Verona Press editor Jim Ferolie at veronapress@wcinet.com.​

Verona Area School District

Staff get 3.5 percent raise for 2018-19 SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group

Verona Area School District teaching and hourly staff will get a 3.5 percent raise on average for the 2018-19 school year. The school board approved contracts with those two groups Monday, Nov. 19, as well as with administrators and confidential, technical and

supervisory staff, both of which got a 2.8 percent increase in wages. Each group received the statutory maximum 2.13 percent base wage increase. The additional raises are “supplemental” wage options. The contracts for teaching staff were negotiated with the Verona Area Education Association and for support staff with the Verona Educational Support

Town of Verona

Professionals Association. Pa r t o f t h e i n c r e a s e for both groups is “in exchange for an extra contracted work day,” according to a memo provided to the board. The increases across all groups account for $1.29 million, $881,000 of that for teaching staff. All raises are retroactive to the first contract day of the current school year. The district is also

amending the employee handbook for hourly staff to increase the number of vacation days and compensatory time a staff member can have “on account,” meaning they’ve earned the time but not used it. Contact Scott Girard at ungreporter@wcinet.com and follow him on Twitter @sgirard9.

Verona Area School District

Levy, comp plan approved Safety trainings begin The Town of Verona board has adopted a new comprehensive plan, and it will choose whether to adopt its 2019 operating budget Tuesday, Dec. 4. The Town Board approved the proposed tax levy of $3.75, down from $3.79 the year prior, during its Nov. 20 budget hearing, Amanda Arnold, town planner/administrator, told the Press in an email. She told the Press the board also discussed the town’s financial situation, in which the cost of services like fire, EMS and senior center fees continues to rise without an increase in funding for the town to pay for it. With the tax levy finalized, the budget will go to the board Dec. 4 to receive final approval. The board adopted its comprehensive plan Nov. 13

Email reporter Kimberly Wethal at kimberly. wethal@wcinet.com and follow her on Twitter @ kimberly_wethal.​

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“Note that your principal will share additional details on the final lesson in December, which will include a safety drill to incorporate the lessons learned,” the email states. The district hosted a pair of community information nights Nov. 14 and 15 on the training and “heard from families their desire to keep communication coming” on when the training would happen. “A district team has put together three introductory lessons to be incorporated into morning meetings and Related Arts classes,” the email states.

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with one change. A comprehensive plan is a statutory requirement to make landuse planning decisions, and it addresses a variety of factors, including transportation, infrastructure, housing, community facilities, economic development, agriculture and the environment. The change involved two properties on Spring Rose Road switching from Transitional Agriculture to future residential development, Arnold wrote. “The Plan Commission and Board had struggled with how much development would be appropriate in that area, and in the end left some land as Transitional Agriculture and some as Residential,” she wrote. The plan now moves to the county, which will review the plan and could incorporate it into its own future land use plan.

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Final budget to go to board Dec. 4

including new utility lines. In 2016, the city and town signed an agreement that smooths out the annexation and development process in many areas, including the east side. The plan being brought to the commission shows the streets and parks and a general transition from denser development on the southwest corner to larger lots on the north side, plus a 13-acre chunk marked “institutional or residential” – which the submission says could be a school – on Fitchrona Road. It also cuts out more than 20 acres of existing farmsteads or homes that would not be developed within the rectangular block. The plan includes some sections of homes of community residential zoning lots – the city’s densest, between 6,000 and 8,000 square feet – which the city considered abolishing earlier this year, as well as some lots even smaller than that, which would need a separate approval process. Overall, it contains 86 acres of single-family housing and 38 acres of “open space,” including stormwater ponds, which the submission says is intended to “create a network of greenways providing both connectivity to larger stormwater features but also (with) recreational paths.” The concept will be presented to both the commission and the Common Council. If they and the developer agree, it would need to go through several months of various other approvals, including adding it into Verona’s urban service area (which allows sewer connections) and going through extraterritorial review from Fitchburg.

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November 29, 2018

Opinion

The Verona Press

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Letters to the editor

Teachers need community support My name is Jenna Riley, and I am a senior at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater studying social work and special education. I have worked with children since I was old enough to take care of them. This issue I am going to be discussing is very near and dear to my heart. Did you know that dog walkers get paid more than early childhood teachers in Wisconsin? Don’t get me wrong, I love dogs and have two dogs of my own, but children are our future. Dog walkers require no education or training. Early childhood teachers have to follow strict state licensing requirements for education and training. According to indeed.com, the average wage per hour in Wisconsin for an early childhood teacher is $11.83. Also according to indeed.com, the average wage per hour in Wisconsin for a dog walker is $13.83. Most teachers cannot afford to stay in the field because they can’t live on this wage. They often have one or two other jobs just to make it through the month. I have been working at a high quality early care and education program. Out

of 16 teachers, a third have at least one other job. Early childcare and education programs are funded primarily by parent tuition. In order for teachers to make a higher hourly wage, more funding is needed beyond what parents can afford. Other sources of funding are needed to pay teachers higher wages. If we care about our future, we need to make this a priority. You may be asking yourself, “What can I do?” You can: Educate yourself by watching the documentary “No Small Matter,” as this is the most informative documentary I have ever watched on this issue. If you are in the business community, you can get educated to better understand this issue and help subsidized early childhood programs so that teachers can get paid higher wages. With no childcare teachers, there will be no childcare programs. With no childcare programs, it will impact our workforce. Use social media to educate others. Jenna Riley City of Verona

Correction In the Nov. 22 edition of the Verona Press, it was incorrectly stated that Reagan Klawiter signed his National Letter of Intent to play baseball at Northern Illinois in Normal. Klawiter actually signed with Illinois State University in Normal, Ill. The Press apologizes for the error.

Thursday, November 29, 2018 • Vol. 54, No. 28 USPS No. 658-320

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Community Voices

Take steps to safeguard against cognitive decline

I

just returned from my once a year national conference in Austin, Texas (where it was not warm, unfortunately). The conference brings together close to 2,000 financial advisers from around the country to learn about things affecting our clients and the investment markets. There are literally dozens of educational sessions for us to choose from so we can tailor our schedule to the areas that will be most pertinent to the people we work with. One of the Arndt sessions I attended dealt with security issues for senior investors. I have attended events with similar themes in the past, so I was expecting to get an update on what the new scams facing seniors are and what to be on the watch for. That was part of the presentation, but this particular speaker spent a lot of time talking about a topic that is less often discussed – cognitive decline. Cognitive decline is a reality of the aging process, and it can have a serious effect on senior safety. While my mind immediately jumped to fears of someone becoming disoriented and getting lost away from home, the risks can be much more subtle than that. According to the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, more than half of the U.S. population over the age of 85 suffers from some level of cognitive impairment. A growing body of research shows cognitive decline can start to affect people’s ability to make good decisions about things like debt and investments as early as their mid-50s.

As traditional pension plans become less common, people have become more reliant on savings and investments to provide for their retirement income needs. At the same time, there has been a growing trend of debt use by seniors in the form of reverse mortgages and other types of loans. Just when people are faced with making really important, sometimes complex, financial decisions, their ability to do so may be affected by a reduction in their ability to make good judgments. These same trends make seniors more vulnerable to being taken advantage of through scams, as well. Some of the saddest stories involve people preying on loneliness by posing as a potential love interest simply to scam money from an individual, leaving them both heartbroken and destitute when they disappear. Lawmakers have recognized the growing threat. In May of this year, the Senior Safe Act became federal law. The law does a number of things to try and help protect seniors. For example, it allows banks to monitor and report activity that they suspect may relate to fraud against a senior without fear of lawsuits. The new law makes it easier for those in the investment industry to help protect seniors, as well. Something I personally really like is the implementation of the “trusted contact” on investment accounts. It allows me to ask clients when they set up an account or come in for a review to provide me with a trusted person that can be listed on their accounts as a backup contact. This gives me someone to reach out to if I ever become concerned that one of my clients is exhibiting signs of cognitive decline or if I suspect that someone may be trying to take advantage of them.

Additionally, the new law allows firms to place temporary holds on money disbursements if financial exploitation is suspected. This could give firms time to either reach out to a trusted contact, if one is on file, or state protective services departments to try and intercede if fraud is occurring. While the Senior Safe Act makes it easier for financial institutions to help, we should all do what we can to safeguard ourselves and our loved ones. To help make management and monitoring of financial assets more manageable, it can make sense to both consolidate accounts and simplify how they are structured. Similarly, we should use technology to automate as much as possible, especially the critical things like paying health insurance premiums. And as much as it can be difficult, either share information about your finances with someone you trust or at least have the information clearly summarized and in a place that can be found easily if needed. Growing older brings new challenges, but also hopefully new opportunities. To help keep those years golden, have a plan in place for financial management and safeguard yourself from potential financial abuse. The Senior Safe Act makes it easier for financial institutions to help, but ultimately you are your own first line of defense. Trisha Arndt, CFP, is President of Wealth Strategies of Wisconsin Ltd, 901 Kimball Lane, Suite 1400, Verona, WI 53593, 8482400. Securities and Advisory Services offered through Commonwealth Financial Network, member FINRA/SIPC, a Registered Investment Adviser.

Send it in! We like to send reporters to shoot photos, but we can’t be everywhere. And we know you all have cameras. So if you have a photo of an event or just a slice of life you think the community might be interested in, send it to us and we’ll use it if we can. Please include contact information, what’s happening in the photo and the names of people pictured. You can submit it on our website at ConnectVerona.com, email to editor Jim Ferolie at veronapress@wcinet. com or drop off electronic media at our office at 133 Enterprise Drive. Questions? Call 845-9559.

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The Verona Press

ConnectVerona.com

November 29, 2018

Jingle Bell Run set for Dec. 8

Craft show to debut Dec. 1

The sound of jingle bells will be heard around Verona on the morning of Saturday, Dec. 8. The Jingle Bell Run will take place from 9:30 a.m. to noon that day, beginning at Verona Area High School, 300 Richard St. The races, which include a timed 5K run, a 5K walk and a new indoor walk, benefit the Arthritis Foundation, a nationwide nonprofit that raises funds to cure the number one cause of disability in the U.S., according to the organization’s website. Onsite registration begins at 8 a.m., and a rally will be held at 9:30 a.m., 15 minutes prior to the warm-up. The 5K race begins at 10 a.m. Participants traditionally wear festive gear for the race, and the website encourages those in the race to “put on your favorite holiday costume” or “tie jingle bells to your shoelaces.” T h i s y e a r ’s m e d i c a l honoree is Dr. David Hennessey of the UW Joint Replacement Service. The race fee is $35 through Dec. 2 and $40 until the day of the race. All of the money raised

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Area senior citizens will have a local outlet to shop and sell their crafts early in the holiday season next month. From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, JNJ Craftworks owner Jerina Vincent and the senior center will work together to host the first Mistletoe Craft Show for local artists and shoppers. “There are many people at the senior center that make crafts too, but they don’t know what to do with (them),” Vincent said. “There are people in Verona that also don’t like to go out for long durations to go and shop.” The craft show will be held at the senior center, 108 Paoli St. It will feature holiday items like ornaments, along with other “gift-of-a-lifetime” handmade crafts like candles, hats and wooden signs, Vincent said. The senior center will receive 10 percent of the profits made at the show, which Vincent said will be used to offset the price of craft workshops held by herself and others. “We host crafts at the

through race registration fees and additional funds raised by teams will be given to the Arthritis Foundation. For information, visit events.arthritis.org.

If You Go What: 2018 Jingle Bell Run When: 9:30 a.m. to noon Saturday, Dec. 8 Where: Verona Area High School, 300 Richard St. Info: events.arthritis.org

Email reporter Kimberly Wethal at kimberly. wethal@wcinet.com and follow her on Twitter @ kimberly_wethal.​

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Holidays: Public is invited to share in Christmas cheer with weekend events Calendar of events Friday, Dec. 7 • 5 p.m., Tree lighting, Central Park, corner of South Main and Paoli Streets, visitveronawi.com • 5:30 p.m., Chili dinner with the fire department, senior center, 845-7471 Saturday, Dec. 8 • 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Verona Road Business Coalition Jingle and Mingle along the Verona Road Corridor, various locations, veronaroad.info • 9:30-11:30 a.m., Saturday Morning with Santa, State Bank of Cross Plains-Verona, 108 N. Main St., 239-8797 • 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Ornament making, The Purple Goose, 101 N. Main St., 845-2368 • 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Holiday greeting card making, JNJ Craftworks, 1051 N. Edge Trail, 692-1462 • 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Winter Farmers Market, Verona Area Chamber of Commerce, 120 W. Verona Ave., facebook. com/events/1128948127263118/ • 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Kids’ holiday craft-making, CI Pediatric Therapy Center, 305 S. Main St., 819-6394 • Noon to 2:30 p.m., Ice sculpting demonstration, Hometown Junction Park, 101 W. Railroad St., veronawi.com • 3:30-5:30 p.m., Reindeer!, library, 845-7180 eventto promote businesses along the Verona Road corridor that’s under construction, on the same weekend because of the number of businesses that are participating in the VRBC’s event. “The whole holiday weekend, we try to plan some event that will help bring people into Verona

so that people can shop locally,” she said. “We felt like if we were on the same weekend with all of those

other things going on, there would be more to do there.” Among the activities in Verona are holiday crafts throughout the day at the Purple Goose, JNJ Craftworks and CI Pediatric Therapy and an ice sculpting demonstration from noon to 2:30 p.m.. The library will also host its annual visit of reindeer in its parking lot, from 3:305:30 p.m. While Jordan isn’t sure how old the annual holiday festival is, she said, it’s been a tradition for years that’s now being enjoyed by multiple generations. “It’s a tradition for a lot of people who went to it themselves and now have small children, and they’re going,” she said. Although there’s one aspect from last year that she hopes doesn’t become tradition, Jordan said. “Hopefully it’s not going to be 60 degree weather this year,” she said with a laugh. “The ice sculptures, especially the one at the library, was literally in direct sunlight, and was melting

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Email reporter Kimberly Wethal at kimberly. wethal@wcinet.com and follow her on Twitter @ kimberly_wethal.​

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crazy-fast because it was unbelievably warm. “My hope is that although we’re having all this cold weather, the ice sculpture doesn’t bring the heat.”

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sense of community,” she said. “That’s what we’ve been trying to accomplish with all of the things we do.” At the tree lighting, WISC-TV’s Gary Cannalte will conduct the 5 p.m. show’s weather forecast from Central Park, at the corner of South Main and Paoli Streets. Santa will arrive in a firetruck and carolers from Resurrection Lutheran Church will provide music for the occasion, and the tree will light on live television several minutes later. Many families will head from there to the chili supper a block away. The event officially begins at 5:30 p.m. and is free to the public. It will include an opportunity for children to take a picture with Santa and make holiday crafts. Saturday events include a visit with Santa at State Bank of Cross Plains and a variety of events at various locations stretching from downtown Verona to the McKee Road-Verona Road intersection. Jordan explained that this year, the chamber and the VRBC worked together to get the Hometown Holidays and Jingle and Mingle, an

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Cut your own Trees Precut Trees Christmas Shop Wreaths & Garlands

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File photo by Amber Levenhagen

The Jingle Bell Run races started off with the 10K, and many people wore shorts and T-shirts despite the 12-degree weather on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016.

senior center, but many seniors cannot afford that, but they want to do it,” she said. “So if this money comes, they might have a little more in their budget to give for the class money, (and) it will help the seniors to be happy. Because crafting is happiness, right?” For information, call Vincent at 692-1476 or the senior center at 845-7471.

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KIMBERLY WETHAL

CAPITOL THEATER - MADISON, WI 608-258-4141 or www.overture.org www.redgreen.com

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Coming up

Churches

NaNoWriMo write-in Writers who have taken up the challenge of writing a novel during National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) are invited to a writein from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, at the library. Meet other writers in the area and get some work done on your novel goal while enjoying refreshments. The goal of NaNoWriMo is to get people to write a novel totaling no less than 50,000 words by Nov. 30. For information about the event, call 845-7180.

will be at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 29 through series from 3:45-4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1 and at 2 p.m. Dec. 1-2. Dec. 4, for children ages 8-12. Tickets are $17 for general admisChildren will learn how to make sion and $12 for seniors ages 65+ and edible cookie dough. K-12 students. Registration is required. For information, visit vact.org. For information, call 845-7180.

Snowshoeing basics

Staff from REI will teach the basics of snowshoeing from 6:30-8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 3, at the library. The seminar will include information on how to snowshoe, what gear should be used and other information people should know before hitting the trails. The seminar is limited to 50 participants. Registration is required, and Accordion music can be done at rei.com/event/snowBill Niederberger will perform with shoeing-basics/verona/216879. his accordion at 12:30 p.m. Monday, Table art series Dec. 3, at the senior center. Niederberger plays a wide variety Local mixed media and fiber artist of music and will lead the audience Bea Neal will host a three-class series in a game of “Name that tune.” at 10 a.m. Dec. 4, 11 and 18, at the For information, call 845-7471. library. All supplies will be provided. ‘A Christmas Story’ Registration is limited to eight parThe Verona Area Community The- ticipants. Participants are expected to ater will be putting on five showings attend all three classes. of their production of “A Christmas For information, call 845-7180. Story” from Nov. 29 through Dec. 1. Held at the Verona Area Performing Edible cookie dough Arts Center, 300 Richard St., shows The library will host its Junior Chefs

Holiday music recital Students from the Verona Area High School will perform a music recital from 6-7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, at the library. The show will be comprised of soloists and small groups of students playing holiday music. For information, call 845-7180.

Saturday morning with Santa The Verona Lions Club will welcome Santa from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, to the State Bank of Cross Plains-Verona’s Community Room. Children can visit Santa, get a free balloon creation and have their face painted. Healthy snacks will be available. Members of the Lions Club will also be provided free children’s vision screenings for no cost. For information, call 239-8797 or email verona.lions@gmail.com.

Community calendar Thursday, Nov. 29‌

• 9:30 and 10:30 a.m., Toddler storytime (ages 1-2), library, 845-7180‌ • 4-5 p.m., Teen gaming, library, 845-7180‌ • 5:30-8:30 p.m., NaNoWriMo write-in, library, 845-7180‌ • 6-7 p.m., Books ‘n Booze book club: “The Essex Serpent” by Sarah Perry, Sugar River Pizza, 957 Liberty Drive, 845-7180‌ • 7:30 p.m., Verona Area Community Theater presents “A Christmas Story,” Verona Area Performing Arts Center, 300 Richard St., vact.org‌

‌Friday, Nov. 30‌

• 9:15-9:45 a.m., Sensory friendly storytime (ages 3-5), library, 8457180‌ • 10-11:30 a.m., Young and the Restless open indoor playtime (ages 0-5), library, 845-7180‌

• 10:30 a.m., Baby lapsit storytime (ages 0 through 18 months), library, 845-7180‌ • 10:30-11:15 a.m., Rendever virtual reality tours (registration required), senior center, 845-7471‌ • 12:30 p.m., Movie afternoons at the Verona Senior Center: “Chappaquiddick,” senior center, 8457471‌ • 7:30 p.m., Verona Area Community Theater presents “A Christmas Story,” Verona Area Performing Arts Center, 300 Richard St., vact.org‌

‌Saturday, Dec. 1‌

• 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Mistletoe craft show, senior center, 845-7471‌ • 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., Free community meal, Badger Prairie Needs Network, 1200 E. Verona Ave., bpnn.org ‌ • 2 and 7:30 p.m., Verona Area

Community Theater presents “A Christmas Story,” Verona Area Performing Arts Center, 300 Richard St., vact.org‌

‌Sunday, Dec. 2‌

• 2 p.m., Verona Area Community Theater presents “A Christmas Story,” Verona Area Performing Arts Center, 300 Richard St., vact.org‌

‌Monday, Dec. 3‌

• 9:30 a.m., Everybody storytime (ages 0-5), library, 845-7180‌ • 10:30 a.m., Preschool storytime (ages 3-5), library, 845-7180‌ • 12:30 p.m., Old Time Accordion Music performance, senior center, 845-7180‌ • 6:30-8 p.m., Snowshoeing basics seminar (registration required), library, 845-7180‌

What’s on VHAT-98 Thursday, Nov. 29 7 a.m. – Quilts of Valor at Senior Center 8 a.m. – Zumba Gold 9 a.m. – Daily Exercise 10 a.m. – Happy Hour Trio at Senior Center 2 p.m. – Zumba Gold 3 p.m. – Daily Exercise 4 p.m. – My Two Elaines at Senior Center 5 p.m. – Rich Baumann 6 p.m. – Salem Church Service 7 p.m. – Homecoming and Cold Prevention at Senior Center 8 p.m. – Daily Exercise 9 p.m. – 2018 Veterans Day at Senior Center 10 p.m. – House Moving at the Historical Society Friday, Nov. 30 7 a.m. – My Two Elaines at Senior Center 1 p.m. – 2018 Veterans Day at Senior Center 3 p.m. – Vintage Verona Sports 4 p.m. – Rich Baumann at Senior Center 5:30 p.m. – 2017 Wildcats Football 8:30 p.m. – Vintage Verona Sports 10 p.m. – Quilts of Valor at Senior Center 11 p.m. – Happy Hour Trio at Senior Center Saturday, Dec. 1 8 a.m. – Common Council from 11-26-18 11 a.m. – Vintage Verona

Sports 1 p.m. – 2017 Wildcats Football 4:30 p.m. – House Moving at the Historical Society 6 p.m. – Common Council from 11-26-18 9 p.m. – Vintage Verona Sports 10 p.m. – House Moving at the Historical Society 11 p.m. – Happy Hour Trio at Senior Center Sunday, Dec. 2 7 a.m. – Hindu Cultural Hour 9 a.m. – Resurrection Church 10 a.m. – Salem Church Service Noon – Common Council from 11-26-18 3 p.m. – Vintage Verona Sports 4:30 p.m. – House Moving at the Historical Society 6 p.m. – Common Council from 11-26-18 9 p.m. – Vintage Verona Sports 10 p.m. – House Moving at the Historical Society 11 p.m. – Happy Hour Trio at Senior Center Monday, Dec. 3 7 a.m. – My Two Elaines at Senior Center 1 p.m. – 2018 Veterans Day at Senior Center 3 p.m. – Vintage Verona Sports 4 p.m. – Rich Baumann at Senior Center 5 p.m. – 2017 Wildcats

Football 6:30 p.m. – Plan Commission Live 9 p.m. – Hindu Cultural Hour 10 p.m. – Quilts of Valor at Senior Center 11 p.m. – Happy Hour Trio at Senior Center Tuesday, Dec. 4 7 a.m. – Quilts of Valor at Senior Center 10 a.m. – Zumba Gold 9 a.m. – Daily Exercise 10 a.m. – Happy Hour Trio at Senior Center 2 p.m. – Zumba Gold 3 p.m. – Daily Exercise 4 p.m. – My Two Elaines at Senior Center 5 p.m. – Rich Baumann at Senior Center 6 p.m. – Resurrection Church 8 p.m. – Homecoming and Cold Prevention at Senior Center 9 p.m. – 2018 Veterans Day at Senior Center 10 p.m. – House Moving at the Historical Society Wednesday, Dec. 5 7 a.m. – My Two Elaines at Senior Center 1 p.m. – 2018 Veterans Day at Senior Center 3 p.m. – Vintage Verona Sports 5 p.m. – Plan Commission from 12-03-18 7 p.m. – Capital City Band 8 p.m. – Vintage Verona Sports

10 p.m. – Quilts of Valor at Senior Center 11 p.m. – Happy Hour Trio at Senior Center Thursday, Dec. 6 7 a.m. – Quilts of Valor at Senior Center 8 a.m. – Zumba Gold 9 a.m. – Daily Exercise 10 a.m. – Happy Hour Trio at Senior Center 2 p.m. – Zumba Gold 3 p.m. – Daily Exercise 4 p.m. – My Two Elaines at Senior Center 5 p.m. – Rich Baumann at Senior Center 6 p.m. – Salem Church Service 7 p.m. – Homecoming and Cold Prevention at Senior Center 8 p.m. – Daily Exercise 9 p.m. – 2018 Veterans Day at Senior Center 10 p.m. – House Moving at the Historical Society

All Saints Lutheran Church 2951 Chapel Valley Rd., Fitchburg (608) 276-7729 allsaints-madison.org Interim Pastor Sunday: 8:30 & 10:45 a.m.

Paoli Sunday: 9 & 11 a.m., St. Andrew, Verona Daily Mass, Tuesday-Saturday: 8 a.m., St. Andrew, Verona

Memorial UCC 5705 Lacy Rd., Fitchburg (608) 273-1008 memorialucc.org Interim Pastor Laura Crow Sunday: 9:30 a.m.

St. James Lutheran Church ELCA 427 S. Main St., Verona (608) 845-6922 stjamesverona.org Pastors Kurt M. Billings and Peter Narum Office Hours: 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday; 8 a.m.-noon Wednesday Saturday Worship: 5 p.m. Sunday Worship: 8:30 and 10:45 a.m.

Good Shephard Lutheran Church ELCA (608) 271-6633 Madison: Raymond Road & Whitney Way, Madison Sunday: 8:30 & 10 a.m.. Verona: Corner of Hwy. PD & Nine Mound Road, Verona Sunday: 9 & 10:30 a.m. & 6 p.m.

Salem United Church of Christ 502 Mark Dr., Verona (608) 845-7315 salemchurchverona.org Rev. Dr. Mark E. Yurs, Pastor Laura Kolden, Associate in Ministry Sunday Worship: 9 a.m. Fellowship Hour: 10:15 a.m.

Damascus Road Church – West The Verona Senior Center 108 Paoli St., Verona (608) 819-6451 info@damascusroadchurch.com, damascusroadonline.org Pastor Justin Burge Sunday: 10 a.m.

Springdale Lutheran Church ELCA 2752 Town Hall Rd. (off Hwy ID), Mount Horeb (608) 437-3493 springdalelutheran.org Pastor Jeff Jacobs Sunday: 8:45 a.m. with communion

Memorial Baptist Church 201 S. Main St., Verona (608) 845-7125 MBCverona.org Lead Pastor Jeremy Scott Sunday: 10:15 a.m.

Sugar River United Methodist Church 415 W. Verona Ave., Verona (608) 845-5855 sugar.river@sugarriverumc.org, sugarriverumc.org Pastor Gary Holmes 9 & 10:30 a.m. contemporary worship. Sunday School available during worship. Refreshments and fellowship are between services.

The Church in Fitchburg 2833 Raritan Rd., Fitchburg (608) 271-2811 livelifetogether.com Sunday: 8 & 10:45 a.m.

Redeemer Bible Fellowship 130 N. Franklin St., Verona (608) 848-1836 redeemerbiblefellowship.org Pastor Dwight R. Wise Sunday: 10 a.m. family worship Resurrection Lutheran Church – WELS 6705 Wesner Rd., Verona (608) 848-4965 rlcverona.org Pastors Nathan Strutz and Andrew Ewings, and Assistant Pastor Jordan Uhlhorn Thursday: 6:30 p.m. Sunday: 9 a.m. St. Christopher Catholic Parish St. Andrew Church 301 N. Main St., Verona St. William Church 1371 Hwy. PB, Paoli (608) 845-6613 stchristopherverona.com Fr. John Sasse, pastor Saturday: 5 p.m., St. Andrew, Verona Sunday: 7:30 a.m., St. William,

West Madison Bible Church 2920 Hwy. M, Verona (608) 845-9518 www.wmbiblechurch.org Pastor Dan Kukasky Jr. Sunday Worship: 9:15 a.m. Sunday School: 10:45 a.m. Zwingli United Church of Christ Hwy. 92 & G, Mount Vernon (608) 832-6677 Pastor Brad Brookins Sunday: 10:15 a.m. Zwingli United Church of Christ Hwy. 69 & PB, Paoli (608) 255-1278 paoliucc.com Pastor Rich Pleva Sunday: 9:30 a.m. family worship

Let Us Not Fall Into Temptation “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.” – James 1:13-14 Pope Francis recently suggested that longstanding translations of the Lord’s Prayer might be retranslated to reflect the fact that God would not Himself tempt us— that is the Devil’s work—and that we should ask of God to “let us not fall into temptation” rather than the current phrase in English, which reads “Lead us not into temptation.” The current English translation does indeed seem to imply that it is God who leads us into temptation. Critics were quick to respond, with some people saying that this is the Lord’s prayer and not the Pope’s prayer, and that it comes directly out of the book of Matthew. However, we do well to remember that Jesus did not recite His prayer in English, and our English version is indeed a translation, that should be open to retranslation in light of current scholarship. Something is always lost in translation. It has been suggested by one scholar that a more literal translation of the phrase in question would be “Do not allow us to enter wrongful thinking or testing.”While this doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue smoothly, it might be a better way to think about God’s role in our life.– Christopher Simon

Support groups • AA Meeting, senior center, Thursdays at 1 p.m. • Caregivers Support Group, senior center, first and third Tuesday, 10 a.m. • Healthy Lifestyles Group meeting, senior center, second Thursday from 10:30 a.m. • Parkinson’s Group, senior center, third Friday at 10 a.m.

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November 29, 2018

430 E. Verona Ave. 845-2010

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Call 845-9559 to advertise on the Verona Press church page

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November 29, 2018

The Verona Press

7

Photos by Samantha Christian

Ezra Chatterjee, 2, Madison, plays with wooden trains made by Triphan & Triphan Crafts, LLC.

Craft sale ropes in funding

the maintenance of middle school ropes courses. Verona Area Education Foundation also sold tote bags and zipper pouches made from street banners featuring student art to benefit teacher grants.

At left, Ashley Frank, Madison, looks at home decor made by Elizabeth Dalhoff of The Lofty Sparrow.

On the web To see more photos from the Verona Area Annual Holiday Art and Craft Sale, visit:

Taping the teacher Photo submitted

Glacier Edge Elementary School principal Theresa Taylor and a teacher react as the tape is removed after she got down from the wall during a school event in October.

Wish Art Cresson a Happy Birthday & have a slice of cake! adno=41924

The Verona Area Annual Holiday Art and Craft Sale was held Saturday, Nov. 10, at Badger Ridge Middle School. More than 90 local artisans and crafters displayed their goods, with booth fees helping fund

ConnectVerona.com

Wednesday, December 5th at Miller & Sons Supermarket (Aisle 4)

Below, Sally Schulz, Brookfield, purchases an acrylic painted pendant from Prismatic Zone artists Wesley Newman, left, and Xizhou Xie, right.

OPENING WINTER 2018 The Legacy at Noel Manor

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435 Prairie Oaks Dr. • Verona, WI 608-620-6010 • noelmanorliving.com

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8

Thursday, November 29, 2018

The

Verona Press For more sports coverage, visit: ConnectVerona.com

Sports

Jeremy Jones, sports editor

845-9559 x226 • ungsportseditor@wcinet.com

Mark Nesbitt, assistant sports editor 845-9559 x237 • sportsreporter@wcinet.com Fax: 845-9550

Boys hockey

Cats second in Admirals Cup JEREMY JONES Sports editor

The Verona boys hockey team beat one state-ranked team and tied another last week as part of the Admirals Cup. Third-ranked Verona opened the tournament with a win over honorable mention Madison Edgewoood and tied the sixthranked Waukesha Wings in the championship game. Wildcat coach Joel Marshall said early season rankings don’t mean a whole lot to him. “On one hand, it’s nice for the boys to be recognized as a good team,” he said. “On the other hand it puts more pressure on you to perform. Every opponent wants to be the one that takes down a higher ranking.” The Wildcats have another tough early-season challenge coming up at 7 p.m. Friday when they host fourth-ranked Green Bay Notre Dame. “We start the season with a stretch of tough games, which we hope will prepare us for strong conference schedule,” Marshall said. “This week we will see one of the better teams we will see all year.” Notre Dame reloads with talent every year and this year’s team is no different. Marshall said the Wildcats will need to play a strong defensive team game and find the back of their net a couple times to have a good chance for victory.

Waukesha 3, Verona 3 Verona more than doubled the shots on goal of Waukesha but lost a shootout, 2-1, Saturday in a battle of top 10 teams in the championship game of the Admirals Cup. “At the moment it felt like we lost the game, but looking back we played a pretty solid game, had many quality chances to score and outshot them 43-20,” Marshall said. “We just couldn’t figure out their goalie Garret Larson, who was the

Photo by Jeremy Jones

Drew Dingle (ground) celebrates his breakaway goal Nov. 20 against Madison Edgewood with Keegan Lindell. Verona won the opening round game of the Admirals Cup 5-2 and went on to tie Waukesha in the championship game last Saturday. difference maker in the game.” Junior forward Mack Keryluk scored an even-strength, power-play and short-handed goal to help Verona force overtime and eventually a shootout. Keryluk has

a team-best nine goals and two assists games and we don’t expect him to slow through the first three games. down anytime soon. “Mack has started the year on a scor“We are just hoping a little of his ing frenzy,” Marshall said. “He dominated other teams offensively in these first few Turn to Hockey/Page 9

Boys basketball

Verona eyes jump up in Big Eight MARK NESBITT Assistant sports editor

After playing about 20 games together in various tournaments last summer, Verona boys basketball coach Jevin Budde anticipates the learning curve in experience — with several new faces with three returning starters — may not be as steep. The trio of starters back for the Wildcats are seniors Tyler Slawek (guard), Ryan Van Handel (forward) and Reagan Klawiter. Verona finished 9-14 overall and seventh in the Big Eight Conference last year. Slawek, who averaged 10.7 points per game last year, is the top returning scorer. Van Handel (9.2 ppg) and Klawiter (5.2 ppg) also give Verona two experienced starters back on the court to help ease the transition with several newcomers who played on the junior varsity team last year. “I feel Tyler and Ryan are ready to surprise the league,” Budde said. “Both had quality junior seasons and ready to build on what they were able to do last season.”

Budde pointed to his three senior starters and senior Crew Risgaard for being key components of the team that will mix in several new players. “We have a great group of seniors that have been committed to the program the past couple of years,” Budde said. “I believe they are going to set a great tone for our team that our other guys are going to want to follow.” After taking seventh in the conference, Budde is anxious to see the Wildcats make a leap up the standings this season. “Our expectation is to compete with the top teams in the Big Eight,” he said. “We have a group of young men who are committed to one another which we give us a chance to prepare and compete with those teams.” One of the strengths for Verona this season, Budde said, will be an improved defense with quickness that will likely play a man-toman defense, but will feature some traps in the halfPhoto by Mark Nesbitt court. Verona senior Ryan Van Handel shoots a jumper in practice “We would love our best offense to be our defense,” Wednesday. Van Handel, who averaged 9.2 points per game last year, is one of three returning starters for the Wildcats Turn to Wildcats/Page 9 this season.

Boys basketball

Elkhorn tops Verona in opener The Verona boys basketball team hit eight 3-pointers and had three players reach double figures Tuesday, but the Wildcats dropped a nonconference season-opener 66-54 to Elkhorn. S e n i o r g u a r d Ty l e r Slawek scored a team-high 14 points. Junior teammate Adam Bekx added 13 points and drilled three 3-pointers. Senior Ryan Va n H a n d e l a d d e d 1 2 points and junior Haakon Anderson chipped in nine. Van Handel made two 3-pointers for the Wildcats. “We may not have a guy score 25 or 30 points a night, but we had really good balance,” coach Jevin Budde said. It was a big difference compared to last year’s game where the Elks beat the Wildcats by 33 points, 72-39. Verona trailed Elkhorn by just four points at the half, 20-16. “I was really happy with how we guarded for the first game,” Budde said. “I thought defensively we had really good energy tonight.” The Elks outscored the Wildcats 46-38 in the

What’s next Verona travels to Janesville to play Janesville Parker at 7:15 p.m. on Thursday.

second half. “We have up a lot of points in the second half but a lot of that is when we started gambling when we were behind. And we had some breakdowns,” Budde said. Elkhorn’s Nick Brown scored a game-high 18 points and Devon Davey added 14 . Vince Umnus added 11 for the Elks. The Elks had the edge at the free-throw line making 10 of 13, compared to Verona, which shot 10 of 18. Budde said the freethrow line is one area where the Wildcats could h a v e c o nv e r t e d m o r e opportunities. Verona travels to Janesville Parker at 7:15 p.m. Thursday and hosts Middleton at 7:15 p.m. Saturday.

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November 29, 2018

9

The Verona Press

Girls hockey

Lynx win Badger Conference opener JEREMY JONES ​Sports editor

The Madison Metro Lynx girls hockey co-op earned its first win of the season in its Badger Conference debut before Thanksgiving. Two days after the holiday, the Lynx were back on the road and fell against a familiar rival in Onalaska. Coach Mike McKersie said it wasn’t ideal playing a game two days before Thanksgiving and two days after. “There were some players missing due to family obligations but you just have to deal with it,” he said. “When we came in, the schedule was set. No excuses, we just have to do the best we can with the schedule we have.” The Metro Lynx host the rival Cap City Cougars co-op in their biggest test of the season so far at 7:45 p.m. Thursday. The fifth-ranked Cougars are coming off a season-opening 4-3 loss against the third-ranked Central Wisconsin Storm. The Metro Lynx have eight games left against top-ranked teams after having already lost to seventh-ranked University School of Milwaukee and honorable mention Onalaska. The Metro Lynx still have to play the Cougars and the eighth-ranked Rock County Fury twice during the conference season. They are also scheduled to play the third-ranked Central Wisconsin Storm, fourth ranked Fond du Lac,

Youth Night Thursday’s game at Madison Ice Arena is Youth Night. There is a JV game at 5:45 p.m. following by the varsity game at 7:45 p.m. Kids with jerseys on get in free and the first 50 get a free Lynx logo game puck. 10th ranked Fox Cities Stars and honorable mention Bay Area.

Lynx 6, Lightning 0 Senior forward Sierra Berg, Kelly Smith, Haley Meskin and Ava Jambor each had multiple points through two periods Nov. 20 as the Metro Lynx cruised to a 6-0 Badger Conference win. Berg struck first 12 1/2 minutes into the first period and Jambor extended the lead to 2-0 three minutes later. The Metro Lynx tacked on four more goals in the second period, including a pair on the power play by Smith. Berg added a second goal in the period and setup another and Meskin had four assists inside Pierce Park Pavilion in Baraboo. Gia Accomando scored with 34 seconds remaining in the second period. Neither team scored in the third. Gwen Parker got the start in net. She and freshman goaltender Camryn

McKersie split the game in goal for the Metro Lynx. Parker made 12 saves and McKersie picked up where she left off and turned way 16. Natalie Buss stopped 20 of 26 shots on goal for the Lightning.

Onalaska 5, Lynx 1 Abbigale Ahlborn scored the Metro Lynx’s lone goal midway through the second period Saturday, but it wasn’t enough for the visitors, who fell 5-1 to the sectional rival Onalaska Hilltoppers. “Onalaska is a wellcoached team and they work hard the whole game,” Mike McKersie said. “The biggest difference was they took advantage of a couple of our early mistakes in the defensive zone.” The Hilltoppers outmuscled the Lynx for a rebound on the first goal. They caught the Lynx out of position on the power play for their second goal. Ahlhorn’s goal 8 minutes into the second period cut the deficit to 3-1 for the Lynx, who allowed first-period goals to Kiya Bronston and Emily Brueggeman. The Lynx were outshot 30-14 and unable to find the back of the net again. Onalaska’s Jaidyn Groshek had a goal in each of the final two periods, including a short-handed goal late in the third and Kaley Manglitz had two assists. Parker stopped 25 of 28 shots on goal in the loss, while Izzy Lassa turned away 13 of 14 shots for the Hilltoppers (1-0-1).

Photo by Mark Nesbitt

The Verona boys basketball team’s returning letterwinners, (from left) are Tyler Slawek, Ryan Van Handel, Reagan Klawiter and Crew Risgaard.

Wildcats: Verona has three starters back Continued from page 8 he said. In the halfcourt, the Wildcats like to spread the floor out, set a lot of ball screens and shoot a lot of 3-pointers. The Wildcats also will feature the slashing ability of Slawek. “We have some unselfish guys like Tyler that are really good playmakers,” Budde said. “He makes the right read a lot and sets his teammates up. We like to open the floor up for him to make some plays. I think we have enough guys who are as just as capable who can shoot it, who can spread the floor out.” Three key players on Verona’s JV team last year were juniors Malik Odetunde, Adam Bekx, and Haakon Anderson. Budde expects the trio to step in right away to offer a boost in athletic ability, scoring and rebounding this season. Verona played in about 20 games in the summer.

“It’s amazing in our league if you have a year under your belt in our conference you can really tell,” Budde said. “There is always a learning curve. I think it will be easier because our juniors know what they are and what to expect.”

Conference Sun Prairie looks to repeat as the Big Eight champion after posting a 25-2 record overall and a 17-1 mark in conference play last year. Junior Jalen Johnson, who averaged 18.4 points, five rebounds, three steals and three blocks per game last year, and Kobe Johnson transferred to Nicolet. Jalen Johnson was a catalyst in helping Sun Prairie reach the WIAA Division 1 state tournament last year. He has college offers from Wisconsin, Duke, UCLA, Arizona, Kentucky, Marquette and Kansas. But the cupboard of talent is far from bare. The

Cardinals are looking to seniors Colin Schaefer (6.7 ppg) and Alec Schaefer (6.5 ppg) to produce more scoring this year. Verona coach Devin Budde said Madison Memorial and Madison La Follette are also contenders to win the conference title. Madison Memorial returns two second-team all-conference players in senior Cade Ellingson (12.7 ppg) and senior Nick Caropreso (11.4 ppg). The only first-team all-conference player back from last season is Madison La Follette senior Donnell Gray, who averaged 14.4 points per game last year. The Lancers will look to the one-two punch of Gray and senior Troy Reeves (13.0 ppg), who was a second-team all-conference selection. Madison East behind junior Avery Washington (10.5 ppg) tied Madison La Follette for third in the conference.

Hockey: Verona faces its third top-ranked opponent of the season on Thursday Continued from page 8 offensive prowess will rub off on others and create a balanced attack.” Marshall said the Wildcats have seen some great shifts from everyone on the team, and if they get a goal or two from their second or third forward lines, or a defenseman, they can play with most every team in the state. Verona rallied from an early two-goal deficit in the first period against the Waukesha Wings but lost a shootout inside UW-Milwaukee’s Panther Arena. The game officially counts as a 3-3 tie. Marquette’s Garrett Wilderman and Thomas Knoke scored even-strength goals in the first 11 minutes of the first period before Keryluk cut the lead to 2-1 with an even-strength goal with 1:10 remaining. Keryluk scored an unassisted short-handed goal 10:42 into the second period to knot the score 2-2. Marquette answered with a power-play goal 17 seconds later and Keryluk answered with Verona’s own power-play goal with 4 1/2 minutes remaining in the period. Verona sophomore goaltender Kaden Grant and Waukesha’s Garrett Larsen wouldn’t let anything else

past them in the third period or overtime. Grant stopped 17 of 20 shots on goal. Verona 8, Marquette 5 The Wildcats trailed Marquette for a little more than two minutes of Friday’s second round game before turning up the pressure inside the Ozaukee Ice Center. Verona gave up a goal early into the first period but answered with five unanswered to take control of its second-round game of the Admirals Cup, which they won 7-1 over Marquette. Hilltopper forward Johnny Kass scored 1:34 into the first period against Breyden Enloe, who stopped 30 of 35 shots on goal in the win. Keryluk took the game over from there for Verona, setting up two goals and scoring one as the Wildcats took a 3-1 lead into the

second period. The senior added a power-play goal in the second and two evenstrength scores in the third to finish with six points (4g, 2a). Junior forward Leo Renlund scored one and assisted on two more. Sophomore forward Walker Haessig and junior forwards Drew Yaeger and Ryan Ritter each added one goal. Junior forward Parker Ploc had three assists. Marquette goaltender Nick Ahlers made 26 saves in the loss.

Verona 5, Edgewood 2 In a game marred by nearly 30 penalties, it was a pair of short-handed goals Nov. 20 that sealed the deal for Verona in the opening round of the Admirals Cup. Ke r y l u s c o r e d t w i c e short-handed as the Wildcats prevailed 5-2 over sectional rival Madison

Edgewood inside the Verona Ice Arena. Only two of the seven goals were scored even-strength. Keryluk scored the go-ahead goal 7:51 into the second period to put Verona up 3-2, and the Wildcats added a pair of insurance goals in the third period. Senior forward Drew Dingle found the back of the net on an even-strength breakaway goal 2:14 into the period, and Keryluk capped the scoring with just under 5 minutes remaining. Grant, who spent the last three seasons with the Milwaukee Jr. Admirals AAA organization, weathered the storm with 14 saves in the first period. He finished with 24 in his debut with the Wildcats, who return their top five defenders. “They helped me a lot tonight,” Grant said. “I think we have the best defense in the state right

now.” Zack Walker faced nine shots in the final two periods to finish with 22 saves in the loss for Edgewood. Junior forward Cale Rufenacht scored 1:47 into the new season on a power play and Walker Haessig added a rare even-strength goal early in the second period. Tuesday’s game doubled as the Wildcats’ opening round game for the Admirals Cup.

Verona, 10 Janesville 0 The Wildcats opened the Big Eight Conference season 7 p.m. Tuesday with a 10-0 drubbing of the Janesville Bluebirds co-op at home. Verona had seven different goal scorers, including Keryluk, who had two goals and three assists. Enloe stopped all nine shots he saw. Janesville’s Cody Kaas had 38 saves on the night.

Trust The Best

Parents Providing Transportation to Private Schools

In accordance with the transportation policy adopted by the Verona Area School District Board of Education, transportation costs will be paid for those qualified resident students attending private schools within/outside the district. Parents wishing to receive compensation are required to sign transportation contracts. Please call Patti Fenske at 845-4331 for more information.

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November 29, 2018

The Verona Press

ConnectVerona.com

Boys swimming

Wildcats enjoy rise in numbers in Big Eight for this season MARK NESBITT Assistant sports editor

There will be security in numbers for the Verona Area/ Mount Horeb boys swim team this winter. The Wildcats have a record 30 swimmers on the team and three divers. Bill Wuerger, who is in his 19th year coaching for the Wildcats, said the team will have depth in most events with the increase in numbers. What that means for the Big Eight standings is yet to be determined. The Wildcats finished fourth in the conference last season. Verona Area/Mount Horeb has 11 letterwinners returning and five swimmers who were at the WIAA Division 1 state meet last year. “We’ll shoot for another top-four finish at the

the 200 free (1:45.37) and 13th in the 500 free (4:48.34). Sophomore Alex Ritter made it to state Ritter last year in his first year of diving and took 21st. Junior Kyle Hoppe and sophomore Ben Wellnitz both were on the 400 free relay that took 14th at state. Photo by Mark Nesbitt One swimmer Wuerger The Verona Area/Mount Horeb boys swimming returning letterwinners are (front, from left): is excited about is Conner Christopher Lofts, Shane Rozeboom, Parker Jones, Aidan Updegrove. In the back row are Arneson who he said “has Owen Rothamer, Ben Wellnitz, Conner Arneson, Kyle Hoppe and Bem Meister. improved significantly” from last year. The Wildcats feature a large conference meet, and maybe a qualified for state in four and seventh in the 50 free (21.17), which was .04 of a freshmen class with 10 swimtop-10 finish at state,” Wuerg- events last season. er said. “The returning state Rozeboom was a state qual- second away from a medal. mers. Updegrove was a state qualifiers know what it takes ifier in the 50-yard freestyle, to make it to state.” 100 free, 200 free relay and qualifier in the 200 free, 500 Conference Seniors Shane Rozeboom 400 free relay. He finished free, 200 free relay and 400 Wuerger said the biggest and Aidan Updegrove both sixth in the 100 free (46.83) free relay. He took 12th in challenges in the Big Eight

this year will come from the usual suspects: Madison West, Middleton and Madison Memo- Piscitelli rial. Madison West is the defending WIAA Division 1 state champions. The Regents are loaded with senior Wes Jekel back as the defending state champion in the 100 backstroke and the state runner-up in the 100 breaststroke. The Regents return threefourths of their state champion 200 medley and 400 free relays and three-fourths of the state runner-up 200 free relay. “We have not beat any of these teams since our second year in the Big Eight Conference (2009-10),” he said.

Badgers: Verona trio making impact for University of Wisconsin women’s basketball team averaging 5 minutes per game while playing in six of the seven games and starting once. Tsipis said Mueller has shown “unbelievable perseverance” and plays an important role on defense. “She does a great job of establishing position. You can count on Grace with the physicality,” he said. “She’s a great communicator defensively. When we have to talk, switch and change some of the calls, I can always count on her to be a quarterback there.”

Continued from page 1 minutes on the team this year (26.9). Mueller and Richardson have been playing spot duty but are pushing teammates in practice to get better. Mueller has been working on her post game and defense in practice. Tsipis sees strengths each Verona grad brings to the team. “I’m excited because they give us more depth,” he said. “Lexy is a leader and she earned a scholarship last year. Grace gives us more depth in the post and Alex brings something from the outside with that size.” The three have been enjoying the Badgers’ best start since the 2006-07 season, at 6-1. The Badgers won the Challenge tournament despite a 69-68 loss to Arkansas on Sunday, getting a tiebreaker allowing the fewest points in the tournament. Richardson has noticed a difference this season for the Badgers from last year’s 9-21 squad. “Just the energy we have in the locker room and on the court during warmups has just been taken to another level this year,” Richardson said. “We are really trying to change the culture and change the way things are done. The energy on a day-today basis, going hard at practice every single day and doing our best when other people are not watching.”

‘He would be proud’ Luehring came back to the Madison area this summer to be near her dad, but he didn’t get a chance to see her play this season. The former OHS girls basketball coach died Aug. 30 from kidney cancer at age 54. The 6-2 forward got clearance from the NCAA to play this season after redshirting last year as a freshman at Green Bay. Her father, who was a physical education teacher at Madison West High School also coached a couple years at Madison West and played basketball at UW-Oshkosh was “so excited” to get to see her play, Luehring said. “That was something he was looking forward to,” she said. “I know he would be really proud.” Luehring, a former Big Eight Conference Player of the Year, averaged 20.5 points during her senior year at Verona. Two years later, she is averaging 8.7 points, 3.9 rebounds per game and is

‘Proud parent feeling’

Photos by Mark Nesbitt

ABOVE: The three Verona Area High School graduates playing college basketball with the Wisconsin Badgers are Alex Luehring (2017), Lexy Richardson (2014) and Grace Mueller (2016). BELOW: Wisconsin coach Jonathan Tsipis helps Lexy Richardson after she twisted her knee in the season opener against Winthrop.

injury she suffered in the preseason last year. The 6-2 redshirt sophomore forward spent months rehabilitating and training to make her knee stronger and is focused on making the most of this year. “It was a pretty difficult recovery process,” she said. “I feel great now. It’s amazing to be back on the court.” Mueller knew she always had Richardson in her corner as she battled through the frustration of rehabilitating her knee. “When I don’t understand something, a go-to person for me is Lexy because she has a high basketball IQ,” Mueller said. “We rely on each other when we are trying to get better on the court and off the court.” She was rewarded for her dedication by getting her scholarship funded for this year by the Monroe Badger Days Foundation. The foundation was set up by the Kubly family that owns Colony Brands and they fund scholarships and contribute funding for UW athletics every year. “It’s amazing to play for the in-state school,” Mueller said. “It’s awesome that Monroe is supporting me in this way.” Mueller, who averaged 16 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2 assists ‘Unbelievable as a senior at Verona in 2016, was ranked ninth in the state in perseverance’ the Class of 2016 by Wissports. M u e l l e r h a d t o p e r s eve r e net. Now, she’s just getting through a different sort of adver- back into the swing of things, sity over the past year, an ACL

shooting 36.4 percent on 3-pointers (16 of 44). “Everything I know about basketball, I have learned from him,” she said of her father. In Luehring’s college basketball debut, during the season opener against Winthrop Nov. 8, she knocked down a 3-pointer in her first 30 seconds on the court. “It’s surreal to be out on the court, especially at the Kohl Center,” Luehring said. “I think right now scoring is something I can contribute to my team, but I really want to work on my defense and rebounding. That is what coach is stressing a lot for me.” Luehring scored all 11 of her points in the second half Saturday against Tennessee State and knocked down two free throws with eight seconds remaining to seal a 58-53 victory. In Sunday’s game against Arkansas, she scored nine points. Tsipis said her 3-point shooting has been a blessing. “It’s being able to stretch the defense,” Tsipis said. “The more it opens up the more it will be helpful for our post players. Now they can’t concentrate or double team or over help off of Alex because they know she is a threat.”

Richardson didn’t come to Wisconsin expecting to play basketball right away. The 5-9 guard got involved with the team at first as a manager in her freshman year, then became a walk-on her sophomore year and earned a scholarship last year. “Wisconsin has always been my dream school as far as school and basketball,” Richardson said. “This was kind of the only place that took any of my interest. I got the opportunity to walk on and I couldn’t turn that down.” The only game she has played in this season was the season-opener against Winthrop. She said she relies on pushing her teammates in practice to

make them better and prepare for upcoming opponents. A first-team all-conference selection her senior year at Verona in 2014 and a four-year letterwinner in track and field and on the dance team, Richardson had connections with the Badgers before deciding she would attend UW. Richardson’s sister, Brooke, was a state champion at Verona in the high jump and was a member of the UW track and field program. Her mother, Patti, was a member of the Badger gymnastics team and father Dave played football at UW-Whitewater. Richardson got slightly more court time last year, playing in 13 games, averaging 3.1 minutes and 0.5 points per game. She tied a career-high three points against Marquette last December. Richardson has seen a lot of growth in her friends and teammates from Verona. The trio looks to continue building a winner at UW. “To see them from freshman year in high school to now they have just grown so much,” Richardson said. “It makes me have a proud parent feeling. Whenever we are going to Verona we try to hop in and get home.”

ConnectVerona.com

November 29, 2018

The Verona Press

11

Fire: Staff consistently found asst. chief’s behavior ‘inappropriate,’ but not threatening Continued from page 1 that it had improved in recent months. Firefighters consistently considered the assistant chief’s behavior inappropriate but did not find it threatening or serious, unlike the actions of the firefighter who was being disciplined. Fitch-Rona EMS personnel cited in the report were much more uncomfortable and made direct complaints after being prompted to do so. Catenacci declined comment on the allegations when contacted. The Press interviewed current and former members of the department, including some who were or had been in leadership positions, and none was as concerned by Catenacci’s behavior as they were about the overall workplace environment. They were in agreement that the department’s current leadership did not create the workplace problems but has not fixed them, either. The Common Council has held two closed sessions, Nov. 19 and 26, to discuss the issues and specific personnel disciplinary matters, but it has taken no action. City administrator Jeff Mikorski reiterated Nov. 19 he had gotten Giver’s agreement Oct. 10 to an “implementation plan” to make the workplace environment more professional, including biweekly meetings with the chief. Mikorski updated the council in closed session Nov. 26 about his meeting with the chief earlier that day, but there was minimal discussion in open session, with Giver in attendance. Giver, who declined to discuss it that night, had referred all questions to the city administrator when contacted Nov. 21. “I must follow the directions I am given,” he wrote in an email response to a voicemail. Giver had spoken with Channel3000.com the previous week after the fire union called for his and Catenacci’s resignations. He told the television news website the allegations in the union’s Nov. 13 release to media of “intimidation, unfair labor practices, physical assault, lies and disparate application of the rules and discipline” by leadership were “untrue, false and misleading. He added that his job is to provide safety for Verona citizens, not to “make everyone happy” at the station. To that point, Personnel committee chair Ald. Sarah Gaskell (Dist. 2) said at the Nov. 19 council meeting she is “fully confident” none of the allegations or concerns affect public safety. And Ald. Evan Touchett (D-4) referenced his own management experience and the “scary” experience of being audited, saying this process should

Fire chief plan • Establish a mission, vision and strategic plan • Review and update major policies, including professional standards • Harassment, discrimination and retaliation training • Cultural sensitivity and interpersonal communication training • Delegate responsibilities, communicate collaboratively, seek member input and formalize programs • Identify education and training opportunities relative to specific job duties and responsibilities • Monitor work environment, professional culture. Source: Mayor’s Nov. 13 news release make the department better. “I think this is an opportunity for the entire department to look at themselves, to look at the comments that were in the (companion) report and try and decide who they want to be regardless of who the leader is,” he said.

Years of complaints

office, but none has reached the Police and Fire Commission, the official arbiter of disciplinary matters and the group responsible for hiring and firing the chief. PFC chair Delora Newton told the Press in an email the group stays neutral until its presence is requested, leaving day-today matters to the chief and the mayor, the statutory head of Catenacci the department. The union, Fire Fighters Local 311, promised to file an official complaint to the PFC in a follow-up release Nov. 14 casting doubt on the effectiveness of Lindquist the city’s directives to the chief. But no report had been made as of Nov. 26, and union leadership did not respond to an email the previous week asking when it would hapBarger pen. Harry Barger, a former acting chief who left the department in late 2014, spent much of his 28 years there working to keep policies updated and to ensure training was current. He told the Press a “combo department” like Verona’s – with a mix of fulltime “career” and paid-on-call or paid-on-premises “volunteer” staff, is a difficult management challenge. “There are a lot of good people there, and they’re well-intended,” he said. “Someone’s gotta help them stay together at all levels.” Marc Lindquist, a volunteer lieutenant who was chief from 19922006 and has been with the department more than 40 years, said it’s not as simple as changing a few members or leaders. “Because it’s a cultural issue – especially with a fire department – it can be difficult to change that or correct it,” he said. “It’s not something that will just happen overnight.” Both Barger and Lindquist admitted to their own struggles with personnel and culture issues and union interference when they were in charge, but they said the key to overcoming it is strong leadership. “It serves its purpose, you just have to learn to work with it,” Barger said of the union. “Part of your job is being a cheerleader and getting people to work together.”

The two reports, Press interviews and years of historical anecdotal evidence paint a picture of a department culture most people are unhappy with but everyone feels powerless to fix. Directives from the chief are at times twisted intentionally or unintentionally by lower-level officers. Lieutenants running scenes complain of insubordination and disagree with or even disobey orders. Rank-and-file members say their complaints disappear either before or after reaching the chief. Union leaders describe an antagonism coming from leadership, and employees at various levels say excessive union protection enables bad behavior from its members. Nobody the Press spoke with believed those problems originated with the current chief, but they said he has not done enough to address personnel problems. Giver told investigator Dale Burke he “absolutely hates” dealing with uncomfortable matters and prefers informal conversations, in Burke’s Tit for tat words. The recent firestorm at the fire In previous years, some com- department might have been a plaints were directed to the mayor’s

decade or more in the making, but the trigger appears to have happened a year ago, with an incident between a lieutenant and an intern. Though the incident has not been publicly detailed because it’s considered a personnel matter, the union representative, Ted Higgins, told the Press this month it started when Giver was “giving a week’s suspension to a Local 311 member for yelling harshly at an intern who was being insubordinate.” Discussions with multiple sources familiar with the matter have confirmed a suspension has been accepted, but not the length, whether it was negotiated down or when it has been or would be served. When the penalty was initially delivered, Higgins said, he immediately wrote a letter to Giver and copied city administration, complaining of unfair application of the rules, saying another, higher-level officer engaged in similar behavior over the past three years with the chief’s knowledge and without penalty. That letter, sent June 5, prompted a city investigation into Catenacci’s behavior, using money set aside in a legal fund for such personnel matters, for a total cost of about $6,700. When the resulting report was delivered Sept. 25, investigator Dale Burke of the Riesling Group included overall concerns brought up in his 28 interviews of VFD and Fitch-Rona EMS personnel. Two weeks later, as a result of the secondary report, the city produced a six-month performance improvement plan for Giver. A month later, Higgins and Local 311 obtained the secondary report and included it in release to area media in which it called for Giver and Catenacci to step down. Though the release mischaracterized the compilation of concerns as “findings of a reputable third-party professional organization,” the litany of complaints about leadership and the overall negative culture drew attention from regional news outlets and city alders.

‘Upbeat’ about the plan Several people the Press spoke to expressed doubts about Giver’s ability to manage the situation given his management style and how long personnel issues have continued unabated. But Mayor Luke Diaz said Giver was more welcoming of the performance improvement plan than he had expected, since they tend to put people on the defensive. The plan puts emphasis on training, communication and collaboration. “I was a little bit shocked when we laid out the improvement plan and he was … upbeat about it,” he said. “I feel like maybe in the past he didn’t feel like he had support.”

Conclusions of the Catenacci report The city-commissioned report into allegations made against assistant fire chief Don Catenacci does not recommend any actions, but it does state his behavior in the incidents mentioned was “unprofessional” and was “left unchecked for an extended period of time.” The report, commissioned in July and presented to the city in September, looked into 10 separate incidents, seven of which were submitted by one firefighter and three by Fitch-Rona EMS personnel. Two were attributed to chief Joe Giver, the rest to Catenacci, and it appears only one was reported at the time. Most were in 2018, but all the EMS reports were from 2017 and

one from the firefighter was in 2015, before Catenacci was elevated to a management role. It found substantial truth to several of the statements made, and those it could not corroborate, it found “consistent with the behavior” the assistant chief had demonstrated. It did, however, dispute the conclusions drawn by Fire Fighters Local 311 in requesting the investigation. Local 311, the union representing six members of the department, told the Press its June 5 letter to Giver asking for investigation “from an outside agency” came immediately after one of its members was disciplined for a violation of the department’s

code of conduct several months before. And the investigator concluded from its interviews with that member that it was the perception of “unequal application” of that code that motivated the allegations. Those who witnessed that member’s complaints, investigator Dale Burke wrote, “told me in no uncertain terms that in their minds there is no correlation between AC Catenacci’s described behavior in these allegations” and those of the firefighter facing discipline, which included a “physical threat” they believed to be credible. However, most agreed the conduct reported – much of which Catenacci admitted to

– was “probably not appropriate” for a chief-level officer. The investigation revealed different perspectives of each of the incidents, but Catenacci told the investigator he had since stopped touching anyone other than with handshakes and had made a “concerted effort” to hold himself to a higher standard and not violate personal boundaries. The investigation also looked into two allegations of comments made by Giver – that he called Mayor Luke Diaz a “dirtbag” before Diaz was elected and that he called interns “idiots.” Neither was substantiated, and Giver denied both. — Jim Ferolie

Higgins showed little confidence in the improvement plan in a Nov. 14 follow-up release, and Diaz, who limited his comments to the Press, citing the city’s labor attorney’s advice regarding the “very real” threat of litigation, conceded some of the requirements will be difficult to measure objectively. “There are some things that are obviously wrong … but the more subtle stuff, do people feel comfortable talking to their supervisor … how do you measure that exactly?” he asked. Diaz said he plans to let the situation play out and not be too prescriptive. “My belief is people have got to run their departments,” he said. “If he needs help, he obviously should come back to me and the council.” It’s not clear what will come of the investigation into Catenacci’s behavior, as it’s also considered a personnel matter. Catenacci limited his comment to the Press to a statement by phone Nov. 26 that he will wait to see if a formal complaint is filed. “While I would like to speak my mind and refute the allegations in the public forum, the wiser and more professional choice is to wait my chance at the PFC hearing,” he said. The report on Catenacci indicated even those who made the direct complaints about him were “not interested” in seeing him disciplined as long as the unwanted behaviors stopped. And it said firefighters believed Catenacci made a “concerted effort to change his behavior” after the issues were brought up to him and suggested many of the issues were him “trying too hard to be viewed as a peer.” But Diaz said he anticipates there will still be some sort of discipline. “The fire chief’s expected to address it and (show the position has) got to be run professionally,” he said. Both Barger and Lindquist suggested management training could make a difference at all levels, including natural conflicts between career firefighters and volunteers or interns. “It’s not just answer the pager and go to the call anymore,” Barger said. “You’ve got to have a hierarchy, protocol, who is authorized to do what, see that a chain of command is followed and everyone understands their role.” Ultimately, Lindquist said, it will be up to Giver to fix it. “It’s the responsibility of leadership to deal with these things,” he said. “The buck stops with the person at the top.” Email Verona Press editor Jim Ferolie at veronapress@wcinet. com.

Report findings Allegations against Catenacci in the Riesling report: • Punching another firefighter, 2015: Investigator pointed out it was “horseplay” with his son that had gone on for years and was before Catenacci was promoted • Telling others if a firefighter failed in an assigned duty, he would “punch him in the face,” 2018: Witnesses did not recall language used; firefighter told investigator he would not have taken it “literally/seriously” • Rough physical contact “for no apparent reason,” 2018: Firefighters interviewed did not think it had ever “gone too far” • Asked repeated questions of a paramedic about his homosexuality, 2017: Catenacci admitted to 30-minute conversation but said he was merely curious • Teased a firefighter about a vasectomy while invading personal space, 2017: Apology was given at the time; no report filed then • Repeatedly rubbed a paramedic’s bald head despite requests to stop, 2017: Complaint had been forwarded to Giver at the time, resulting in sarcastic gesture

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November 29, 2018

The Verona Press

ConnectVerona.com

Error inflates average taxes to $210 increase

City of Verona

Assessor on the hot seat JIM FEROLIE

‌JIM FEROLIE Verona Press editor‌

The average City of Verona resident’s taxes will go up about $150 this year, mostly because of a mistake. Based on approved spending, the tax bill on an average home would have been a $13 increase. But because of a clerical error by the city assessor, a failure to catch that error by all taxing jurisdictions and the refusal of the state to correct the error, Verona homeowners will pay an artificially inflated amount this year and will have artificially lowered taxes next year. Even so, the overall increase is far less than last year’s $250, which was mostly owed to Verona Area School District voters’ approval of a $182 million referendum to build a high school. This year, with the mistake included, VASD taxes are up $157 from last year. City of Verona taxpayers will pay an extra $43 to the city, $3 to Dane County and $7 to Madison College. Mitigating those numbers somewhat is a much higher Lottery Credit of $217, which does not change based on the home value. That’s more than $65 more than last year. State property taxes were abolished for the 2017 tax

adjustment to Paul Musser’s mistake without a penVerona Press editor alty to the city’s future ability to levy taxes. A week after expressing The mistake, Musser frustration over a mistake explained that night, was that will cost taxpayers an putting a decimal in the average of about $30 in wrong place on an online city taxes this year, alders form when filling out the decided to do something property value for the about it. Monday, they met city’s newest tax-increment in closed session to discuss financing district, TID 8. the city assessor’s contract, Instead of $5.4 million – which the city had renewed already a mistake because through 2022 just this sumsome properties were mer. counted in both TID 8 and the underlying, older TID 6 – the value came out as $54 million. Find updates and links right away. As a result, the city’s Add us on Facebook and Twitter as “Verona Press” tax rate will go up by 2.7 percent, rather than .7 percent. Because it’s simply a mathematical error, taxes likely will be reduced by a similar amount next year, FREE but that didn’t make alders Stock Book New • Used • Surplus feel any better this year. “I’m extremely disapMULTI-METAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER Pipe - Plate - Channel - Angle - Tube - Rebar - Bar Grating, Expanded Metal pointed by our assessor Sheet - Lintels - B-Decking - Pipe Bollards - Decorative Iron Parts and the casual attitude I & H Beams $3 & up per foot toward a mistake that STAINLESS STEEL & ALUMINUM affects every citizen in ROUGH SAWN LUMBER & BUILDING SUPPLIES Verona,” Touchett said before Monday’s 35-minSTEEL ROOFING & SIDING ute closed session. “I wish FABRICATION • CRANE SERVICE • STEEL PROCESSING I had been more stern with 414 3rd Street, Palmyra • 262-495-4453 adno=42639 him. … I’m kind of angry. … I’m very bothered by his actions, how I perceive how serious he takes the situation.” Ald. Christine Posey (D-1) agreed more politely. “To not do something in response to that, the impact that is making to the community, I think would be a mistake,” she said. Musser became the city assessor in 2015 when Bob Courter retired after 34 years. Prior to that, Musser had been the city’s commercial assessor for more than a decade. He also contracts with the cities of Middleton and Milton. “We are beginning the process to look at what it would take to replace our assessor at this time,” said Ald. Evan Touchett (Dist. 4). “We are figuring things out. We will know more hopefully at our next council meeting, we will have a better plan in place.” Touchett had been the most vocal during the city’s budget approval Nov. 19, when it was made clear the state would not allow an

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Jurisdiction City of Verona Dane County MATC VASD Net taxes Average value Lottery credit First Dollar credit Trash pickup

2017 2018 Inc.$ Inc.% $5.77 $5.93 $.16 2.7 $3.49 $3.50 $.01 .03 $1.05 $1.07 $.03 2.6 $12.42 $13.00 $.58 4.7 $22.73 $23.50 $.77 3.4 $272,000 $272,000 $217.09 $151.96 $89.64 $89.39 $176 $170

year. The city released the calculation of tax bills Monday, Nov. 27, two weeks after Dane County finalized its budget. Tax bills are expected to be mailed in the next couple of weeks. They are required to be mailed by Dec. 19 by state law. The school’s nominal tax rate stayed flat this year, but city taxpayers would have felt an increase regardless because those rates are equalized across all jurisdictions compared to market value and home values went up 5 to 7 percent in all jurisdictions this year. Dane County dropped its tax rate overall after increasing its operating budget by

Source: City of Verona

less than 1 percent, but its mill rate rose slightly for Verona – 1 cent per $1,000. Last year, the county had increased its overall tax rate, which translated to a 5.4 percent increase in the City of Verona, or nearly $50. The city’s rate went up 2.7 percent this year in a tighter-than-usual budget year because of the error but would have otherwise increased by .7 percent. Compared with the school district and county’s use of equalized values, that’s a drop of about 4 percent. Email Verona Press editor Jim Ferolie at veronapress@wcinet.com.​

Taxes: City asked state to allow correction Continued from page 1

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in city taxes of about $43 on an average ($272,000) home this year, moving the mill rate to $5.91 per $1,000 of assessed value. Because of the error, taxes for average homeowners in the city are increasing $135 more than they would have. After nobody spoke at the hearing, the Common Council spent nearly a half-hour discussing the mistake, which was not caught by anyone else during a review in August. Alders sharply questioned not only how it happened – assessor Paul Musser told them he put a decimal in the wrong place in an online form – but how the city can ensure it never happens again. Part of the reason was it was inputting for a new tax-increment financing district (TID 8), which hadn’t happened for well over a decade before that. Moreover, TID 8 overlaps TID 6, which compounded his error by double counting some properties. The council spent less than five minutes discussing every other element of the budget, for which they had gotten a 40-minute presentation a week earlier. No amendments were offered, and the only comments were the standard thanks to staff for their efforts. The budget, tighter than it’s been in a few years because of slowing growth and an increased commitment to debt reduction in the face of upcoming major projects,

Email Verona Press editor Jim Ferolie at veronapress@wcinet.com.​

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2018 property taxes

Mill rate increases 2018: 2.7 percent 2017: -4.3 percent 2016: -10 percent 2015: -1 percent 2014: 3 percent 2013: 1.95 percent 2012: 1.5 percent 2011*: 3.7 percent 2010*: 3 percent 2009: 0 percent 2008: 0 percent 2007: 3 percent 2006: 2 percent *Stormwater fee addition increased effective tax rate includes a new police officer, funding for Verona’s portion of a third ambulance crew starting in August, a 2 percent cost-of-living increase for non-union staff and a tax exemption-required increase of more than $100,000 for the library. The council could have chosen to offset the TIF reporting error to adjust the tax levy, but it would have had significant consequences on future budgets, and nobody proposed doing so. As explained by the finance director, the budget as approved pushed the city to its statutory levy limit, and reducing the levy would have

come with a hit to next year’s levy limit. With construction not expected to pick up much next year and more increases for the library and EMS planned and essentially unavoidable, that would put the budget in a worse pinch next year, possibly forcing more debt spending. That unpalatable situation prompted Ald. Evan Touchett (Dist. 4) to lash out at Musser, starting with a polite comment about being “disappointed” and eventually saying the situation makes him “sick to his stomach,” particularly when he thinks of residents on a fixed income. “I’m personally now going to be paying for it and so are the citizens of Verona. It’s very troubling to say the least,” he said. “You let us all down.” Ald. Chad Kemp (D-1) commended Musser for his willingness to “stand in the fire” and take the criticism. Kemp, the Finance committee chair, asked city staff to make the procedure clear for preventing such mistakes in the future. “It’s imperative nothing like this ever happens again,” he said. Full property tax bills, including other jurisdictions like the school district, will be mailed in early to mid December. Email Verona Press editor Jim Ferolie at veronapress@wcinet.com.​

Send it in! If you have a photo of an event or just a slice of life you think the community might be interested in, send it to us and we’ll use it if we can. Please include contact information, what’s happening in the photo and the names of people pictured. You can submit it on our website at ConnectVerona.com, email to editor Jim Ferolie at veronapress@wcinet.com or drop off electronic media at our office at 133 Enterprise Drive. Questions? Call 845-9559.

ConnectVerona.com

November 29, 2018

Verona History

40 years ago • The Common Council approved the construction of a new City Hall building “similar in concept” to what the space needs committee came up with, a $600,000 structure that would be paid for over 10 years. Many concerns were raised, particularly the lack of citizen input, but Mayor Richard Brown explained that keeping the loan amount to a decade would not require a referendum. Ald. John Perkins asked if the council had considered a metal building, which could be built for $75,000 less. The building, which eventually opened in October 1980 and was nicknamed “Brown’s Monument,” was originally scheduled to be started by April 1979, but a series of setbacks regarding public input and complaints over it being larger and more expensive than necessary, led to it being built a year later and somewhat smaller for more than $700,000. • Construction began on an 85-by-185-foot, regulation-sized lighted, floating ice rink next to the fire station for use by the Verona Area Youth Hockey Association. • The Verona Public Library began distributing 8mm films viewable on home projectors.

30 years ago • Fitch-Rona EMS Commission chair Jane Pearcy resigned, saying the job was too stressful and she needed to spend more time with her family and her teaching. The commission had dealt with a theft investigation earlier in the year resulting in criminal charges and the resignation of the treasurer. “It has been very stressful and time-consuming talking with the auditors and lawyers,” Pearcy said. • The VASD school board approved the establishment of a high school girls

10 years ago

File photo

On the trail

Governor candidate Bronson La Follette, the serving attorney general, goes door to door in the Verona area for his campaign, shaking hands with Mrs. Gerald Erfurth in Mount Vernon. La Follette, the son of Progressive Party founder “Fighting Bob” La Follette, was unable to defeat Republican incumbent Warren Knowles, earning 47 percent of the vote. He died in March 2018 at age 82. soccer program beginning in the spring of 1989 and a boys program in the fall. The committee assigned to study the question recommended it to the board after developing a survey and sending it to boys and girls grades 6-11, asking if the students were interested in soccer and whether they participate in other activities. A group of interested adults and students had asked the board to explore the possibility in August, and the surveys showed 24 girls and 34 boys in grades 9-11 were “definitely” interested and a similar number of each were “possibly” interested. • City leaders met with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation after hearing that construction of the bypass might be delayed a few years. They also discussed the possible widening of the Main Street and Verona Avenue intersection and the plan to reconstruct Highway 69 in 1990. The Common Council then debated how it might make clear to the DOT how interested the city was in having the bypass built and put on a higher priority. • A petition with 57 signatures expressed residents’ concerns about littering from fastfood restaurants in the area, presumably students walking back to high school. School board members cautioned not to judge the student body on the actions of a few but warned students that the campus could be closed if warranted. • The Plan Commission approved a new daycare at 212 E. Verona Ave., but a plan for developing 37 acres a few blocks east of that with a Post Office was nixed because of concerns over traffic in the area. • The VAHS boys and girls cross country team won conference championships by large margins, then won their respective sectional titles to earn a berth at the state meet.

20 years ago • The city created Central Park, at the corner of South Main and Paoli streets. The entire $26,000 cost of the park was funded by the savings from the Paoli Street improvement project under way. The park, which now hosts the annual Christmas tree

lighting ceremony in December, was landscaped, graded and seeded by city employees and was passed without objection after a short discussion ensuring that there would be a sign. • A Dane County Circuit Court judge sided with the Town of Verona in yet another legal battle with Bill and Deb Glenn, this time over a claim of “unreasonable delays” in providing records in a Freedom of Information Act request. But the town’s claim that the lawsuits were “frivolous” – asking for legal bills to be paid by the plaintiff – was denied. The legal trouble began two years earlier over disagreements with the town’s building inspector when the couple was building a home near Fitchrona Road. • With apologies to the distressed Town Board, the city annexed the Van de Grift land on the southeast side of the city with big plans to use it to increase tax base. Now known as Liberty Business Park, it remained undeveloped for many years, and ground was broken on the first building there in 2014. • Verona resident and MATC student Scott Eith, 21, was arrested for making a bomb threat at the college. He reportedly told police that he made the threat to get out of class, and police said several individuals made 15 such calls in the past month. • Madison College announced it was back in business in an ambitious plan that would also keep Birchwood Court, the assisted living facility where the college was supposed to move into, operating. It dragged out for a few months but never came to fruition. Nine years later, a Farm and Fleet would open in that spot. • A column by Rob Zaleski in the Capital Times ruffled some feathers by calling Verona the most “aesthetically impaired” community in Dane County. • Verona’s girls tennis team sent nine of 10 players to the sectionals after a dominating performance at the Oregon subsectional, then sent three to state. • The Bruce Company proposed a 27-hole golf course on its land in the southern half

• Subway pitchman Jared Fogle visited Glacier Edge Elementary School to pitch fitness and healthy eating. Fogle was convicted of sex crimes with minors in 2015 and remains in prison on a 16-year sentence. • Representatives from the towns of Verona and Springdale walked out of the annual Verona Joint Fire District meeting without a budget after several hours of tense discussion and disagreements. Among the issues unresolved after two separate recesses were whether the new fire chief should be fulltime, who was going to run the district in the future and allegations of a “power play” and neglect. • Gov. Jim Doyle attended and spoke at the groundbreaking of SAFC-Pharma, which was building in the Verona Technology Park in part because of state tax credits (and also because of the city’s tax-increment financing). The glitzy event, held in a tent but awash in executives in suits, was covered by three television stations and a radio station. • Roger McMunn presented a plan to turn the 6,300-square-foot former Stockade steakhouse into a local restaurant known as Megan’s, named after his daughter. The restaurant, which was big enough for 200 people, survived less than a year, and the building later became Cuco’s and now is Monk’s. • City staff moved across the parking lot from the 12,000-square-foot City Hall into the new $7.5 million, 40,000-square-foot Verona City Center. • Metro Transit began sending its No. 55 Epic bus route through Verona’s downtown both east and west. Previously, the 3-year-old route had only stopped downtown one direction. • The city began imposing a “compromise” fee of up to $5,000 for Hometown Days, to the chagrin of the nonprofit organization that had been running the event for the past 35 years, Verona Community Betterment. • The Verona Senior Center took delivery of an electric vehicle it planned to use for errands and meal deliveries. • With “no market” for it, Veridian Homes officially gave up on the idea of putting a church at its Cathedral Point subdivision, submitting new plans with additional housing in that area. • For a second year in a row, a deer ran into windows at Sugar Creek Elementary School. Unlike the previous year, however, the deer did not make it into the building. • The Verona girls cross country team advanced to the state championships for the first time in a decade, led by Nicole Kollman. • The Verona football team won a share of its first Big Eight Conference title, led by quarterback Trevor Burmeister and running back Mason Meyer. – Jim Ferolie

Bilingual vote upsets parents Over the objections of a standing-room-only crowd of teachers and Latino families, the Verona Area school board agreed Monday to alder how local schools educate Spanish-speaking students. The move disappointed parents and coincided with the resignation of Theresa Carranza, the district’s director of bilingual programming for the past five years, who later confirmed her decision to quit was fueled by the issues at stake Monday night. “The person in my role needs to believe in what they’re doing,” Carranza said after the meeting. “For me, this isn’t a good match anymore.” After an hour of testimony from parents, teachers and a student who pleaded with officials to vote down the changes, the board unanimously approved five recommendations from an ad hoc committee that spent six months studying the district’s bilingual instruction. The biggest change is at the elementary schools. This year, more than 180 Spanish-speaking students are taught in both Spanish and English in grades K-5 at Glacier Edge Elementary School. But with Glacier Edge running out of space, that bilingual program will be split between

Glacier Edge and Sugar Creek in 2009-10. And it will only be offered in grades K-3. Spanish-speaking kids in grades 4 and 5 will instead be integrated into regular classrooms and receive individual help from bilingual teacher’s assistants, a change officials say will address a widespread concern that Latino and white kids at Glacier Edge are too segregated. That effort to foster “authentic relationships” between whites and Latinos – and not a desire to save money – was the chief reason for the change, said board member Kathy Pielage. But many at the meeting weren’t convinced. T h ey a rg u e d t h e K - 5 model gives their kids the time needed to build up their abilities in their native Spanish – a key step toward building fluency in both languages. Without that, they said, they could suffer academically for years. “Our program is indeed working in the schools. We have seen the progress,” said Olaya Benavides, a bilingual teacher at Glacier Edge. She added that the changes the board approved are “unclear and may possibly result in an inferior program.”

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• Despite an increase in taxes from the village, a big cut in the school levy led to a drop of $3 per $1,000 of assessed value, which meant $60 per year on a typical $20,000 home. • Contractors began digging a sewer interceptor that would provide urban services to homes in the Hillside Heights and Wendellwood areas of the Town of Verona near Fitchburg. • The Town Board voted to oppose a countywide welfare system. • The Verona Area High School football team earned its first victory over rival Waunakee in 10 years, winning 27-0 despite entering the game with a 2-4 record. • A Verona Press editorial labeled school board member Burr Weiland as an “antagonist” whose “platform is one of obstructionism,” noting that he repeatedly expressed objections to the incumbent superintendent (who had just submitted his resignation) and the new high school, which had opened a month earlier, and saying his attitude had cost the district money. • The school board decided to spend up to $5,000 to repair the two-room Camp Badger School building despite an architect’s recommendation no further money be spent on it.

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50 years ago

13

Spotlight: 10 years ago

October

Spotlight: 50 years ago

The Verona Press

14

November 29, 2018

The Verona Press

ConnectVerona.com

POLICE REPORTS Oct. 2 11:22 a.m. A man reported seeing students in Harriet Park throwing garbage and yelling. Upon arrival, officers made contact with four teenage boys. They counseled and encouraged the boys to “make better life decisions.” The boys apologized and picked up one plastic bottle. Oct. 3 10:46 a.m. Verona Area School District custodial staff found a hypodermic syringe needle on top of a toilet paper dispenser in the women’s bathroom at the football field. Police checked the rest of the bathroom for any evidence of drug paraphernalia and disposed of the needle in the nurse’s office. 1:15 p.m. A Country View Elementary School student ran away from the school and threw a rock through a window on the garage of a home on the 700 block of Lone Pine Way. Police transported the student back to school, where she told staff that she did not want to go home. Child Protective Services were notified about the situation. 9:21 p.m. A man reported his locked vehicle being stolen out of his driveway on the 900 block of

Hemlock Drive between 5:30 and 9 p.m. He told police his vehicle was locked, but there was a spare key in the glove box that may have been used to steal the car. Oct. 5 4:02 p.m. A 35-year-old woman received her first OWI after it was reported that an intoxicated person was leaving the 200 block of Parkview Lane in a vehicle. The woman advised she had been drinking and had left after an argument with her husband. She registered a BAC of .15 and was released to a responsible party. Oct. 6 1:31 a.m. An officer made contact with a man at his residence on the 600 block of Maple Road who was outside digging a makeshift trench. He told police that he was digging the trench to alleviate some of the flooding issues he was having inside his home. Oct. 8 10:48 a.m. A man came to the police department to report that he was receiving phone calls from people who claimed to be from the Madison police department who

luth Trading company reported harassment by some of her high school-aged coworkers. She told police that her coworkers had bent her license plate and let the air out of her vehicle’s tires, and advised this was not the first time this had occurred. Police agreed to increase patrol around the area. 2:34 p.m. A high school student reported his windshield had been keyed while parked in the parking lot earlier in the morning. It was found the “keying” was just an oily smudge on the inside of his windshield. 4:23 p.m. A woman was taken to jail after violating her probation conditions. Police received multiple reports of a distressed woman walking on the side of the road near Hwy. PB and Kwik Trip who was crying and wearing no shoes. The woman told police that she had been walking since around noon, didn’t know what day it was and admitted to Oct. 9 drinking alcohol, which violated her 2:05 a.m. A 25-year-old Madi- probation. son man received his second OWI after being stopped for speeding on Oct. 10 Cross Country Road. His BAC reg2:02 p.m. A woman reported istered as .18 and was released to a seeing two high school students fighting in Harriett Park. The boys responsible party. 11:58 a.m. An employee at Du- advised officers that they were were threatening to come arrest him. An officer advised the man that it was a scam. 12:58 p.m. A man asked police for relationship advice and wanted to know how he could work through a situation with his wife. The man told police that he wanted his wife to spend more time at her condo on the east side of Madison so that he could have some alone time at their condo in Verona. Police provided him resources for maintaining a successful marriage, but advised the man that she had a right to be in the Verona residence and he could not force her to stay in Madison. 1:46 p.m. The school liaison officer noticed the smell of raw marijuana and scattered shake in a student’s car while doing parking enforcement in the high school parking lot. The student was warned but did not receive a citation.

brothers and were “play fighting.” Officers warned the boys that if the fighting continued, they could be cited for disorderly conduct. Oct. 11 12:28 p.m. The high school administration suspected several students following a large fight at the school. Five citations were issued, including one charge of battery. Oct. 13 4:04 p.m. A man reported receiving racist texts from his ex-girlfriend’s cell phone number regarding the custody of their children. The man blocked the number and told officers he planned to let the child custody process continue in the court system. Oct. 14 1:45 p.m. Two men were caught stealing scrap metal from the Latitude Corporation. One of the men admitted to police that he planned on selling the metal and was cited for theft. – Kimberly Wethal

Legals TOWN OF VERONA REGULAR TOWN BOARD MEETING TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2018 6:30 P.M. TOWN HALL/COMMUNITY CENTER 7669 COUNTY HIGHWAY PD, VERONA, WI 53593-1035 1. Call to Order/Approval of the agenda 2. Pledge of Allegiance 3. Public Comment 4. Discussion and Approval of Minutes from November 13th 5. 2019 Operating Budget * Adoption of detailed budget * Scheduling of end of the year meeting to do final budget amendments 6. Reports and Recommendations * Plan Commission: i. Confirmation motion to appoint Sarah Slack to the Plan Commission * Public Works: * Financial Sustainability: * Ordinance Committee: i. Fire Protection and Prevention updates, including enforcement ii. Update schedule of deposits * EMS Commission: * Town Chair: * Supervisors: * Clerk/Treasurer: * Planner/Administrator: i. Report on Public Works Project Manager search and next steps. ii. Discussion and action re: annual contract for services from MSA professional services 7. Approval of Payment of Bills 8. Adjourn *The “public comment” section of the meeting provides the opportunity for comment from persons in attendance on items not listed below over which this governing body has jurisdiction. Comments on matters not listed on this agenda could be placed on a future meeting agenda. If you would like to address the Board about one of the agenda items, please contact Amanda Arnold at aarnold@town.verona.wi.us or 608-845-7187 so the Chair can be made aware. Regular board agendas are published in the Town’s official newspaper, The Verona Press. Per Resolution 20162 agendas are posted at the Town Hall

and online at www.town.verona.wi.us. Use the ‘subscribe’ feature on the Town’s website to receive agendas and other announcements via email. Notice is also given that a possible quorum of the Plan Commission and/or Public Works, Ordinance, Natural and Recreational Areas, and Financial Sustainability Committees and could occur at this meeting for the purposes of information gathering only. If anyone having a qualifying disability as defined by the American with Disabilities Act needs an interpreter, materials in alternate formats, or other accommodations to access these meetings, please contact the Town of Verona Clerk @ 608-845-7187 or jwright@town. verona.wi.us. Please do so at least 48 hours prior to the meeting so that proper arrangements can be made. Mark Geller, Town Chair, Town of Verona. Posted: November 30, 2018 Published: November 29, 2018 WNAXLP *** CITY OF VERONA MINUTES COMMON COUNCIL NOVEMBER 19, 2018 VERONA CITY HALL 1. Mayor Diaz called the meeting to order at 6:07 p.m. 2. Pledge of Allegiance 3. Roll call: Alderpersons Cronin, Gaskell, Kemp, Kohl, Posey, Reekie and Touchett were present. Alderperson Jerney is absent and excused. Also present: City Administrator Mikorski, Finance Director Lamers, City Assessor Musser, and City Clerk Clark. 4. Public Comment: None 5. Approval of minutes from the November 12, 2018 Common Council meeting: Motion by Kohl, seconded by Kemp, to approve the minutes of the November 12, 2018 Common Council meeting. Motion carried 7-0. 6. Mayor’s Business: 7. Announcements: 8. Administrator’s Report: Mr. Mikorski announced that TDS

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will be expanding fiber optic services in the city. The construction areas should not have an impact on traffic, but work will be happening in the road right-ofways. 9. New Business: A. Discussion and Possible Action Re: Fire Department investigation and performance of specific Fire Department personnel, pursuant to Wis. Stat. Sections 19.85(1)(c), (e), and (f). The Common council may convene in a closed session, as authorized by Wisconsin Statute 19.85(1)(c), to consider employment, promotion, compensation or performance evaluation data of any public employee subject to the jurisdiction or authority of the governing body; Wisconsin Statute 19.85(1)(e), for deliberation of or negotiation for purchase of public properties, investment of public funds, or conduct of other specific public business, whenever competitive or bargaining reasons require a closed session; and Wisconsin Statute 19.85(1) (f), to consider financial, medical, social or personal histories or disciplinary data of specific persons, preliminary consideration of specific personnel problems or investigation of charges against specific persons that, if discussed in public, would be likely to have substantial adverse effect on the reputation of any person mentioned in such histories or data, or involved in such problems or investigations. The Common Council may reconvene in open session to discuss and take action on the subject matter discussed in the closed session. Mayor Diaz briefed the Common Council on the issues at the fire department. Complaints were filed with City Administration, including Mayor Diaz and then-Personnel Committee Chair Liz Doyle, against specific Fire Department personnel. These complaints were not filed with the Police & Fire Commission (PFC). The City initiated an investigation involving those complaints. This is within the purview of the City Administrator and Mayor to handle. As part of the investigation, the City Administrator had a chance to determine ways for the City to do a better job with the Fire Department. A plan for improving the Fire Department, to which the Fire Chief agreed, was implemented. The focus of the Mayor is to have a well-run Fire Department. The improvement plan will continue to be implemented. Discussion followed regarding the authority and responsibilities of the Police and Fire Commission. Motion by Touchett, seconded by

Cronin, to convene in closed session, as authorized by Wisconsin Statute 19.85(1) (c), to consider employment, promotion, compensation or performance evaluation data of any public employee subject to the jurisdiction or authority of the governing body; Wisconsin Statute 19.85(1) (e), for deliberation of or negotiation for purchase of public properties, investment of public funds, or conduct of other specific public business, whenever competitive or bargaining reasons require a closed session; and Wisconsin Statute 19.85(1)(f), to consider financial, medical, social or personal histories or disciplinary data of specific persons, preliminary consideration of specific personnel problems or investigation of charges against specific persons that, if discussed in public, would be likely to have substantial adverse effect on the reputation of any person mentioned in such histories or data, or involved in such problems or investigations. The Common Council may reconvene in open session to discuss and take action on the subject matter discussed in the closed session. On roll call: Alder Cronin – Aye; Alder Gaskell – Aye; Alder Jerney – Absent; Alder Kemp – Aye; Alder Kohl – Aye; Alder Posey – Aye; Alder Reekie – Aye; Alder Touchett – Aye. Motion carried 7-0. The Common Council convened in closed session at 6:24 p.m. CLOSED SESSION 6:45 p.m. – Alderperson Jerney now present. Motion by Touchett, seconded by Reekie to reconvene in open session at 7:36 p.m. Motion carried 8-0. The Common Council took no action in closed session. B. Discussion and Possible Action Re: Resolution No. R-18-062 Requesting Exemption from the Dane County Library Tax. Motion by Reekie, seconded by Kemp, to approve Resolution No. R-18062 requesting exemption from the Dane County Library Tax. With the agreement in place between the City of Verona and the Dane County Library Board to reduce the amount of debt service included in the minimum funding level calculation by one fifth each year, the City of Verona meets the minimum standards of operation established by the Dane County Library Board. This resolution requests the City of Verona be exempted from the payment of any tax for the support of the Dane County Library Service as provided in Section 43.64(2) of the agreement. Motion carried 8-0. 10. Committee Reports

A. Finance Committee (1) Discussion and Possible Action Re: PUBLIC HEARING on the 2019 City of Verona budget. Motion by Kemp, seconded by Cronin, to open the public hearing at 7:40 p.m. Mayor Diaz called for public comments, there being none. Motion by Touchett, seconded by Kemp, to close the public hearing at 7:40 p.m. (2) Discussion and Possible Action Re: Resolution No. R-18-060 Approving the 2019 City of Verona budget. Motion by Kemp, seconded by Cronin, to approve Resolution No. R-18-060 approving the 2019 City of Verona budget. Mr. Kemp provided an overview of the proposed City of Verona 2019 budget, which includes an increase of $391,874 (2.94%) in the property tax levy, totaling $13,721,908. The proposed budget allows for maintaining City service levels; adding two full-time positions (Police Officer and Human Resources Coordinator); a 2% cost of living allowance for non-represented employees; using levy funds and fund balance to pay for 100% of the City’s street program; providing levy funds totaling $597,015 for capital projects; and continuing to fund facility and equipment replacement programs. The mil rate increase for 2018 is 2.71%. Touchett stated that a big portion of this levy increase has less to do with services and capital expenditures, and more to do with a correction. Mr. Mikorski stated the bigger part of the correction was due to an error in an amount reported in a Tax Increment District. Paul Musser, City Assessor, explained that each year the assessor files an online TAR (Tax Incremental District (TID) Assessment Report), due the 2nd Monday in June, which reports the value of each TID. TID 8 was a new TID in 2018. When he put the number in for TID 8, he keyed an extra zero, which increased the reported assessed value in TID 8 from $5.4 million to $54 million. In addition, approximately $4 million of the error resulted from an overlap of TID 8 and TID 6 being misreported. Assessors are allowed until December 31st to amend the TAR report, but the State will not allow the City to change the TID increment value. Increasing the TID amount also increases the levy. Without the error, the city’s portion of the mil rate would have increased .72% versus 2.71%. Some correction will take place over the next couple of years, but we won’t know how the correction will play out until we know the values of the TIDs. It will not be a one for one dif-

ference, but there would be a reduction in the mil rate next year if all things stayed the same. Mr. Lamers confirmed that the extra paid by taxpayers this year will stay in the TID. We have been talking with the state for weeks trying to get this corrected, but the State will not allow it. We are not able to correct the tax bills. One of the options is to reduce our regular levy, but we would then have to borrow money to cover that loss, which will hurt the taxpayers by forcing them to pay the interest on the debt. Mr. Mikorski replied that the Assessor’s reports will be shared with the Finance Director and staff as they are completed throughout the year, so that they can be reviewed by Staff before they are submitted to the state. This will make it less likely to have a misunderstanding as to how one value could increase substantially without backup for the change. Mayor Diaz commented that he shares the frustrations about this incident. However, this is a very good budget overall. Motion carried 8-0. (3) Discussion and Possible Action Re: Resolution No. R-18-061 approving the Levy of Property Taxes for City Purposes. Motion by Kemp, seconded by Cronin, to approve Resolution No. R-18-061 approving the levy of property taxes for city purposes in the amount of $13,721,089. Of that amount, $4,961,928 will go toward the General Fund; $4,044,681 toward Debt Service; $1,100,715 toward Capital Improvement projects; $1,322,557 toward the Fire Department; $910,829 toward the Library; $508,857 toward the Senior Center; $517,278 toward the Fitch-Rona EMS; $330,244 toward Library Debt Service; $10,000 toward Refuse/Recycling Program; and $14,000 toward the Forestry Program. The City portion of the tax bill will be $5.9280/$1,000 of assessed value, which is an increase of 2.71% over 2018. Motion carried 8-0. Mayor Diaz thinks we compare favorably to most of our neighbors in terms of tax rate. 11. Adjournment: Motion by Reekie, seconded by Touchett, to adjourn at 8:09 p.m. Motion carried 8-0. Ellen Clark City Clerk Published: November 29, 2018 WNAXLP

0370 Trucks for Sale

0402 Help Wanted

0548 Home Improvement

FAIRWAY AUTO AUCTION hiring part-time Drivers. Apply in person: 999 Highway A, across from Coachmans.

A&B ENTERPRISES Light Construction Remodeling No job too small 608-835-7791

RECOVER PAINTING currently offering winter discounts on all painting, drywall and carpentry. Recover urges you to join in the fight against cancer, as a portion of every job is donated to cancer research. Free estimates, fully insured, over 20 years of experience. Call 608-270-0440.

0572 Snow Removal

1974 CHEVY Stepside 2x4 truck, V8, 4 spd. transmission, Wyoming truck, good project. $3,500. 608-574-2905.

LOOKING FOR full or part time help on dairy farm, milking cows parlor, some tractor driving and miscellaneous chores. Lancaster area. 608723-4603.

THE Verona Press CLASSIFIEDS, the best place to buy or sell. Call 873-6671 or 835-6677.

CLASSIFIED AD DEADLINE IS Noon Friday for the Verona Press unless changed because of holiday work schedules.

0554 Landscaping/Lawn/ Tree/Gardening ART’S LAWNCARE: Mowing, trimming. Weed Control. Rough mowing available. 608-235-4389

Increase Your sales opportunities…reach over 1.2 million households! Advertise in our Wisconsin Advertising Network System. For information call 835-6677. MISCELLANEOUS Sleep Apnea Patients - If you have Medicare coverage, call Verus Healthcare to qualify for CPAP supplies for little or no cost in minutes. Home Delivery, Healthy Sleep Guide and More - FREE! Our customer care agents await your call. 1-888-3305987 (CNOW) DISH TV $59.99 For 190 Channels $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR Included, Free Voice Remote. Some restrictions apply. Call 1-855-997-5088 (CNOW) DONATE YOUR CAR, TRUCK OR BOAT TO HERITAGE FOR THE BLIND. Free 3 Day Vacation, Tax Deductible, Free Towing, All Paperwork Taken Care Of. CALL 1-855-711-0379 (CNOW) Earthlink High Speed Internet. As Low As $14.95/month (for the first 3 months.) Reliable High Speed Fiber Optic Technology. Stream Videos, Music and More! Call Earthlink Today 1-877794-5751 (CNOW)

***

SNOW PLOWING Residential & Commercial Fully Insured. 608-8737038 or 608-669-0025

0602 Antiques/Collectibles COLUMBUS ANTIQUE MALL & CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS MUSEUM ‘Wisconsin’s Largest Antique Mall!” Customer Appreciation Week 20% off December 3-9 Enter daily 8am-4pm 78,000SF 200 Dealers in 400 Booths Third floor furniture, locked cases Location: 239 Whitney St Columbus, WI 53925 920-623-1992 www.columbusantiquemall.com

DIRECTV CHOICE All-Included Package. Over 185 Channels! ONLY $45/month (for 24 mos.) Call Now- Get NFL Sunday Ticket FREE! CALL 1-866-252-8805 Ask Us How To Bundle & Save! (CNOW) SAVE ON YOUR NEXT PRESCRIPTION! World Health Link. Price Match Guarantee! Prescriptions Required. CIPA Certified. Over 1500 medications available. CALL Today For A Free Price Quote. 1-866-546-5275 Call Now! (CNOW)

WEATHER TECH backseat cover for mid-size sedan. Dark grey color, excellent condition. New $160, asking $90. 608-577-1558

WANTED TO BUY OR TRADE FREON R12 WANTED: CERTIFIED BUYER will PAY CA$H for R12 cylinders or cases of cans. (312) 291-9169; www.refrigerantfinders.com (CNOW)

DRY OAK and Cherry Firewood For Sale. Contact Dave at 608-445-6423 or Pete 608-712-3223

MOTORCYLES WANTED Running or Not 1985 and older motorcycles Top Cash Paid! Call or Text 608-332-5961 (CNOW) adno=42638

0606 Articles for Sale

0646 Fireplace/Wood/ Furnaces/Fuel

SEASONED SPLIT OAK, Hardwood. Volume discount. Will deliver. 608-6091181

GOLDEN RETRIEVER puppies, AKC, shots, dewormed, dew claws removed, microchipped and vet checked. 608-574-6204. NON-SHEDDING TEDDY Bears, 2 Maltipoos, 1 Morkie, 1 Maltese, Cavapoos, $595 on up. Shots etc. Lic#469088 www.SpringGreenPups. com call or text 608-574-7931. PUREBRED YELLOW Lab puppies. Ready for Christmas. $400. 608-9654536.

STOUGHTON- 525 W South St, Upper. No PetsSmoking. Heat included, stove and refrigerator. $800mo. References. 1st and last months rent. 608-219-4531or 608-577-0749. STOUGHTON. 304 King St. #3, 2 bedroom, 1st floor apartment. Updated with new flooring, blinds & paint. Immaculate. No pets or smoking & 1 year lease required. $825month +utilities. Call/text Luke 608-215-0028.

0720 Apartments

WE BUY Junk Cars and Trucks.We sell used parts. Monday thru Friday 8am-5:30pm. Newville Auto Salvage, 279 Hwy 59 Edgerton, 608-884-3114

ROSEWOOD APARTMENTS for Seniors 55+. 1 & 2 bedroom units available starting at $795 per month. Includes heat, water and sewer. Professionally managed. Located at300 Silverado Drive, Stoughton, WI 53589 608-877-9388

0705 Rentals

0750 Storage Spaces for Rent

CHARMING UPPER 2 bedroom downtown Stoughton apartment, bright & sunny, wood floors, on-site laundry, available 1119. Security deposit required. $680/month. No pets or smoking. 608-873-9469.

ALL SEASONS SELF STORAGE 10X10 10X15 10X20 10X25 10X30 Security Lights-24/7 access OREGONBROOKLYN CALL 608-444-2900

0696 Wanted to Buy

VERONA DRIVERS WANTED

Apply in Person: 5501 Femrite Drive Madison, WI

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Call: 608-255-1551

Apply Locally at: 219 Paoli St., Verona, WI E-mail: Jobs@BadgerBus.com Call: 608-845-2255 or Go Online: BadgerBus.com

DEER POINT STORAGE Convenient location behind Stoughton Lumber. Clean-Dry Units 24 HOUR LIGHTED ACCESS 5x10 thru 12x25 608-335-3337 FRENCHTOWN SELF-STORAGE Only 6 miles South of Verona on Hwy PB. Variety of sizes available now. 10x10=$60month 10x15=$70month 10x20=$80month 10x25=$90month 12x30=$115month Call 608-424-6530 or 1-888-878-4244

NOW HIRING! Resident Assistants Cook • Housekeeper Full or part time in a great workplace we’ve ’ gott a sspot for you! adno=43014

Sto op by 519 Commerce Drive in Madison or apply at alllsaintsneighborhood.org.

Call 608-243-8800 fo or more information!

Noel Manor and The Legacy are now hiring for all positions!

ALL ADS SUBMITTED SUBJECT TO APPROVAL BY PUBLISHER OF THIS PAPER.

Contact - 563-921-3037 or 563-599-5901

NORTH PARK STORAGE 10x10 through 10x40, plus 14x40 with 14' door for RV & Boats. Come & go as you please. 608-873-5088 OREGON SELF-STORAGE 10x10 through 10x25 month to month lease Call Karen Everson at 608-835-7031 or Veronica Matt at 608-291-0316

RESPECT

WELL-BEING

UNION ROAD STORAGE 10x10 - 10x15 10x20 - 12x30 24/7 Access Security Lights & Cameras Credit Cards Accepted 608-835-0082 1128 Union Road Oregon, WI Located on the corner of Union Road & Lincoln Road

FUN

DEVELOPMENT

SERVICE

TEAMWORK

OWNERSHIP

Office & Inside Sales Part-Time

0801 Office Space for Rent

Do you like to meet people? Are you self-motivated? Do you possess computer skills?

OFFICE SPACES FOR RENT In Oregon facing 15th hole on golfcourse Free Wi-Fi, Parking and Security System Conference rooms available Kitchenette-Breakroom Autumn Woods Prof. Centre Marty 608-835-3628

If you answered yes, let’s talk! Consider joining our Unified Newspaper Group (UNG) team in a part-time, advertising sales and administrative role. This is a very rewarding opportunity where you will sell and process classified ads, sell special projects, welcome and assist customers by phone and in-person, process reports and provide other administrative functions.

0865 Mobile/Manufactured Homes

The majority of office hours will be based in our Oregon, Wisconsin office with occasional days in the Verona office to assist customers and employee-owners in that location.

NEW FACTORY Built Homes 3 BR, 2 BA put on your foundation. $59,980 HORKHEIMER HOMES Hazelton, IA. 800-632-5985.

0975 Livestock & Supplies WANTED: BLACK Hided feeder calves and yearlings for the PAPA Alliance Annual Sales to be held at the Bloomington Livestock Exchange in Bloomington, WI on December 7 and January 4. Red Angus are also welcome. No dairy-dairy cross. For information call Greg May at 608-5740719 or BLE 608-994-2020.

LOAD OF Palco gates. 33-12ft panels, 2-8ft panels, 3-8ft swing gates, 4-4ft head gates with trailer. 608-5742905.

Office hours are Monday - Friday, 8:30a.m.-1:30p.m. Though this is currently a parttime position, some benefits are available as well as advancement opportunities for the career-minded individual. Interested in learning more about our publications? Visit us at unifiednewsgroup. com. Apply online as shown below. Please include your resume and a cover letter.

COMMUN ITY MEDIA

To learn more about this opportunity, submit your application and resume today at www.wcinet.com/careers Woodward Communications, Inc., is an Equal Opportunity Employer. WCI maintains a tobacco-free campus.

We’re growing in Fitchburg! WE A RE H I RI NG ! We train! Learn a trade!

Sign on bonus for all positions. Great team environment with a positive and caring atmosphere. Various bonus programs, benefits, insurance, 401(k), PTO and employee retention programs. Apply in person or email your resume to receptionist@noelmanorliving.com

Production Assemblers Machine Operators - Fabrication

Excellent Benefits Include: ■

90% Employer Paid Premium for Medical Insurance

■

100% Employer Paid Premium for Dental Insurance

■

Free Onsite Health Facility

■

Free Life and Disability Insurance

■

Pension (We Pay Into Your 401k)

■

Holiday and Vacation Pay

S TA R T I N G WAG E

$19.85 / hour After 120 days: $20.85 / hour FIRST SHIFT MONDAY—FRIDAY: 5:45am – 1:45pm SECOND SHIFT - 4-10’s

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MONDAY—THURSDAY: 2:15pm – 12:15am

471 Prairie Way Blvd., Verona, WI www.noelmanorliving.com 608-620-6010

Full Time or Part Time

Must have Class A or B CDL With Tanker Endorsement.

0990 Service/Merchandise

Resident Associate Cook & Dietary Aide Laundry Aide Housekeeping Aide Maintenance Technician Activity Aide

DRIVERS WANTED IMMEDIATE OPENINGS

CLASSIFIED AD DEADLINE IS Noon Friday for The Great Dane and Noon Monday for the Verona Press unless changed because of holiday work schedules. Call now to place your ad, 873-6671 or 835-6677.

RASCHEIN PROPERTY STORAGE 6x10 thru 10x25 Market Street/Burr Oak Street in Oregon Call 608-520-0240

Full/Part Time Positions Available

Drive Locally andWages Support your Community •Excellent Badger BusTraining Offers: •Paid • $150 Sign-On Bonus for Van Drivers •CDL Program • $500 Sign-On Bonus for (If Qualified School Bus Drivers •Signing Bonus Applicable) • Paid Training and Available Bonus to get in your CDL •Positions Madison and Verona • Full and Part-Time Positions Available

RENT SKID LOADERS MINI-EXCAVATORS TELE-HANDLER and these attachments. Concrete breaker, posthole auger, landscape rake, concrete bucket, pallet forks, trencher, rock hound, broom, teleboom, stump grinder. By the day, week, or month. Carter & Gruenewald Co. 4417 Hwy 92 Brooklyn, WI 608-455-2411.

C.N.R. STORAGE Located behind Stoughton Garden Center Convenient Dry Secure Lighted with access 24/7 Bank Cards Accepted Off North Hwy 51 on Oak Opening Dr. behind Stoughton Garden Center Call: 608-509-8904

15

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PORKIES: YORKIE Poodle cross, ready to go December 22, will have fresh shots and vet checked, one male, two female, black with markings, mom is a good house pet, $750. Samuel Miller, 18464 Cty Rd C, Mineral Point, Wi, 53565. No Sunday Sales.

GREENWOOD APARTMENTS. Apartments for Seniors 55+, currently has 1 & 2 bedroom units available starting at $795 per month, includes heat, water, and sewer. 608-835-6717 Located at: 139 Wolf St., Oregon, WI 53575

The Verona Press

Apply Online

subzero-wolf.com/careers

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0672 Pets/Supplies

November 29, 2018

adno=42801

ConnectVerona.com

16

November 29, 2018

The Verona Press

ConnectVerona.com

Going for gourds NCS classes visit Gourd Guy Farm N ew C e n t u r y S c h o o l fourth- and fifth-graders are continuing their weekly outdoor classroom experience this year, and a recent trip took them to Blue Mounds to visit the “Gourd Guy” farm. There, students rotated between three stations, seeing gourds in the field, illustrating the various species in a nearby wooded area and seeing how gourds can be made into art or musical instruments. The students also got to take gourds back to the school to make into a birdhouse to hang outside in the spring. Teachers Lee Lohr and Heidi Konop began the outdoor classroom initiative with their students in 2016. For information on The Gourd Guy, visit wisconsin- Ivy Gaskell-Larson does a “rubbing” of the tree bark using a crayon. gourds.com/gourd-guy.

$

Photos by Scott Girard

Rene Repka carries an interesting gourd over to his classmates to show them.

Free From Checking a

A trio of students take a closer look at a gourd and try to match it with one of the types on their identification sheet.

truly

LOCAL

Community Bank Apply online or contact location manager, Wendy. Wendy Jirsa NMLS#1264271

To open a Free Green Checking account, Online Banking, eStatements, and monthly direct deposit are required. Other non-maintenance fees such as overdraft fees and use of Popmoney may apply. Contact Wendy for further details and restrictions. Member FDIC.

108 E. Verona Avenue, WI 53593 | Phone: 608.845.0108

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Wendy.Jirsa@CapitolBank.com 608.836.4312 | www.CapitolBank.com

Will Henry, center, looks with indecision at the pile of gourds to choose from while Max Kratochwill, left, picks a gourd.