12/26/19 Verona Press

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Thursday, December 26, 2019 • Vol. 55, No. 32 • Verona, WI • Hometown USA • ConnectVerona.com • $1.25

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One church, twice rebuilt

Stories of 2019

Photo submitted by Michelle Byrne

Interior of the church during the 150th anniversary mass on Nov. 24. Photo courtesy Findorff Construction

A still photo from a drone shows the new Verona Area High School behind the nearly complete artificial turf football field in early December. The construction of the school and the associated policy decisions that will come with all of the facility shifting next fall was one of the biggest stories of 2019 in Verona.

Building for the future Construction projects at high school, major roads dominate the year Attendance areas kept the school board busy into September, and the reworking of other policies associated with the shuffle of several other buildings, as a result, is ongoing. Ve r o n a n s h ave b e e n waiting a decade for the Verona Road and County M projects, but restrictPhoto by Jim Ferolie ing traffic on both major The County Hwys. M and PD intersection nears completion entries to Madison at the in September 2019. As of late September, westbound traffic same time this summer was on PD travels in an underpass and does not stop. aggravating to say the least. Associated projects like the Fitchrona Road roundabout and the resurfacing of M south of the city added to 1. Planning and building new VAHS, school boundaries the frustration and made 1. County M and Verona Road open after concurrent people wonder whether construction traffic planners ever talk to 3. Festival Foods opens after 100 years of a one-grocery one another. town At the No. 3 spot, Festival Foods put a presumably 4. Boys soccer team wins state title permanent end to Verona’s 5. (tie) Fireman’s Park opens after $3 million renovation decades of being a one-gro5. (tie) Administrator, senior center director asked to cery town. resign Our No. 4 story was a sports shocker, with Vero7. Fire chief retires, new candidates rejected na’s boys soccer team win8. Badger Ridge traffic worries result in beacon, crossning the first state title in ing guard plan the program’s history. 9. VAHS security protocol changes We had a few more tie 10. Chinese will be taught in middle schools

Stories of 2019

NEAL PATTEN Unified Newspaper Group

Parishioners celebrated the 150th anniversary of St. William Church in Paoli on Sunday, Nov. 24. But the building they celebrated it in is the third in the church’s history. Mary Schaller, lifelong Paoli resident, has become a de facto historian for St. William Church, compiling much of the following information herself from newspapers and oral histories. She was baptized there and hopes to be buried at the cemetery alongside her parents, grandparents and aunt and uncle. The church began its life in the log cabin homes of Irish and German families who settled in Montrose

Township, two miles west of Paoli, according to Schaller’s compilations. Beginning in April 1853, priests from Oregon would hold masses inside the parishioners’ homes. At the time, the parish was known as St. Raphael. In 1869 the first St. William Church was built, on Schaller Road, home of the parish cemetery. Priests from Madison served as the resident pastors during the 1870s, splitting time between St. William Church, St. James in Dayton, and later St. Mary of Lourdes in Belleville. By 1889, the St. William congregation had outgrown its church building in Montrose Township, and so in 1900, a new church was built in Paoli, and the original church was razed. At the time, 87 residents of Paoli, including both Catholics and Protestants, donated $3,810 to the construction of the

Turn to Church/Page 3

Inside Sports stories of the year: Verona boys soccer, Wildcats hockey and Jackson Acker Page 10

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Number one last year is No. 1 again this year. And, we can tell you now the construction of Verona Area High School is the early favorite to be in our top spot again one year from now. That’s a rare occurrence for any “stories of the year” list, but it’s what happens when Verona builds one of the most expensive high schools in state history. This year, however, the high school has company at the top spot, joined by a pair of other massive, multimillion-dollar construction projects that also have been an ongoing source of strife – the reconstructions of Verona Road and County Hwy. M. And two other major construction projects made our top-10 list: the Festival Foods grocery store and the Fireman’s Park renovation. While the biggest source of frustration surrounding the school – the controversial secondary access road – had died down entering the year, it came with plenty of difficult topics.

150 year old Paoli church has outlasted fire, Great Depression

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December 26, 2019

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Verona Area School District

Canvasing countries Verona Area International School students showed off their knowledge about foreign countries during the museum on Wednesday, Dec. 18. Students prepared presentations during both their English and Chinese classes. In English, students researched their countries, and in Chinese, they learned about mapping skills and their respective country’s flag. Email reporter Kimberly Wethal at kimberly. wethal@wcinet.com and follow her on Twitter @ kimberly_wethal.​ Photos by Kimberly Wethal

Stoner Prairie fourth graders look at Keegan Corning’s poster during the Verona Area International School’s Country Museum display on Wednesday, Dec. 18.

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Student Aiden Buzzell talks to a student’s parent about his poster.

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December 26, 2019

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VAHS drive collects 17k pounds of food NEAL PATTEN Unified Newspaper Group

The annual Verona Area High School food drive for the Badger Prairie Needs Network completed its final collection on Wednesday, Dec. 18. It totaled 17,250 pounds of food and goods. The students also collected $1,000 to donate. Last year’s drive reached about 20,000 pounds. The drive began Wednesday, Oct 30, with the goal of helping Verona area families who struggle with food scarcity and insecurity. Each week of the drive, different items were requested. Items requested included canned fruits, vegetables and meats, brownie and cake mixes and toiletries. The high school students traveled around to other schools in the district each week to collect items and make weekly

Students sorting food during one of the collections.

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The food drive club with a check for BPNN. drop-offs to BPNN. In addition to donations by VASD parents, staff and students, community members were able to donate at Miller and Sons Supermarket, which supported the drive with in-store

campaigns, providing customers with sheets of paper outlining items needed. “Thanks to the generous help and hard work of Verona school district students and families, we have raised enough food to help

support BPNN’s patrons until spring,” Surya Blasiole, one of the student food drive directors said. BPNN estimates the combined food and cash donation will provide 18,500 meals for local families

facing hunger this winter. “Much of the food our school district collects goes back to families in the district struggling to meet their nutritional needs, which makes the cause much more personal and impactful for many at the school,” Blasiole said. Family and Consumer Sciences teacher Megan Wenn has been the staff adviser for the food drive for 12 years. Wenn also oversees the ProStart program at VAHS,

which provides a professional mentorship experience in an industry-developed culinary curriculum. Wenn uses BPNN’s Prairie Kitchen to teach hands-on classes and provide students with real world culinary industry experience. “Thank you doesn’t begin to describe how grateful we are for these enterprising teens and our community,” BPNN wrote on Facebook. Contact Neal Patten, Verona Community Reporter, at neal.patten@wcinet.com.

Church: The structure caught fire during its 25th anniversary celebration in 1925

Out of the ashes

In June 1925, during a picnic celebrating the 25th anniversary of the church building in Paoli, the roof of a nearby barn caught on fire which spread due to strong winds, according to Schaller’s compilations, setting the church ablaze. It burned to the ground, leaving only the four walls standing. The exact cause of the fire remains a mystery. Parishioners at the time theorized embers from barbecuing food for the anniversary set the barn roof on fire.

Overcoming obstacles

Photo submitted

The church burnt down during its 25th anniversary in 1925.

the church together through World War II. In 2010, Bishop Robert Morlino officially merged St. William Church with Verona’s St. Andrew Church to become the St. Christopher Parish. The two had long shared a tied history. The St. Andrew and St. William parishes accomplished a variety of projects jointly, including the construction of Saint Andrew School in 1956. It opened for classes to 88 students in 1958 and served the children of the parishes for 10 years, peaking around 176 students. Dominican nuns from Racine were recruited as teachers. According to church member Judy Niederberger, the families of St. William church formed the St. William’s Transportation Company to transport their children to St. Andrew School. An old Dodge bus was used to transport approximately 20 to 27 youth from Paoli to Verona. Students were often rowdy after a day of strict discipline by the nuns at school. The bus driver would sing songs with the kids to engage them on the ride home, and many of the kids learned to play euchre to pass the time.

According to the St. Andrew Parish Book 19171992, the church struggled to survive during the Great Depression. The Dane County Hospital saw a dramatic increase in patients at the time, which kept the pastor busy. Church member Ernie Johnson recalled that in the absence of money, parishioners were expected to contribute to the church A home for family whatever time and talents Schaller said she attendthey could offer, keeping ed the St. Andrew school,

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r i d i n g t h e S t . Wi l l i a m Transportation Company bus with others from the Paoli area. She said she has many fond memories of attending mass as a family at St. William while growing up on Schaller Road. “Many people from my generation have moved elsewhere, but St. William’s feels like home because of my many family connections to people in Paoli and the families who still remain there that I grew up with,” Schaller said. She loved attending mass, from the parishioners singing enthusiastically along with the church organ to the smell of incense. It seems she has only one negative memory. “Going to Saturday night confession, which it seemed like we were there very regularly, we had to miss Gunsmoke, Paladin and Lawrence Welk on TV while we were at church,” she said. Two of the windows in the church are dedicated in

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memory of her great grandparents, Jacob and Mary Schaller and Olamp and Eulalia Genin. The family of Barb Palmer, lifelong member of the church, is also memorialized by a church window. “My grandparents paid for a window in the choir loft, one of the stained glass windows that was $500,” Palmer said. “If you wanted one of the big windows, it was $2,000.” Pa l m e r ’s f a m i l y s e t tled on a farm west of the church, when she was 9 years old. Today she is 88. She was confirmed there, married there and baptized her three children there. She recounted that during the 1925 fire, her father gathered kids into his wagon and took them up the road to a hill east of the

church for safety. She said church numbers have dwindled as youth have moved away from the area. Pa l m e r a l s o b e l i eve s recent changes to the church are another reason members have left. Three years ago a new priest was installed at the church who performs the mass in Latin and does not face parishioners, an old-school format for mass that saw a resurgence over the past decade under Bishop Morlino. “I was very upset when this priest came and started going back to Latin Mas mass ses. It kind of broke my heart,” Palmer said. “It’s very important to me that the church continues. I hope it will. A lot of people are unhappy that the priest doesn’t face parishioners when he says mass. A lot of people have left.” For others, even with the recent changes, they still feel St. William is home. “I love attending St. William Church because it feels holy and reverent to me, I feel at peace when I’m there,” member Michelle Byrne said. “The people that attend St. William Church feel like family to me. We genuinely care about each other.” Contact Neal Patten, Verona Community Reporter, at neal.patten@wcinet.com.

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new church. According to church member Louis Hoffman, discussions of building a church in Verona began with parishioners of St. William meeting to play the card game Klaberjass following mass. Some area residents had to travel up to nine miles for mass in Paoli, and others traveled just as far to Pine Bluff, which led to 23 families chartering a new church in Verona, by pooling their money to buy three acres of land on the edge of town. According to the St. Andrew Parish Book 19171992, being able to provide care for residents at the Dane County Hospital (asylum) was one of the main incentives behind building the Verona church. A 1925 Wisconsin State Journal article states that when St. Andrew Church in Verona was built in 1918, it was determined four churches were too many for one priest to serve, so a new pastorate was formed making St. William a “mission” church of St. Andrew parish. Catholic parish churches were self-sustaining, whereas mission churches – which were often rural – required funding from the diocese to survive. As of 2010, the two churches are united under St. Christopher Parish.

Others accused some of the young men of having snuck into the barn to smoke corn cob pipes. A Wisconsin Daily Rapids article published at the time claimed the fire was a threat to the entire village of Paoli. Firefighters from Verona and Belleville came to fight the blaze as Paoli had no fire department. A grist mill and a general store also caught fire and sustained damages. With there being such a large crowd in attendance of the 25th anniversary (500 people according to the Wisconsin Daily Rapids article), every movable article in the church was carried out, including the altars, pews, organ, rugs, railings and vestments. According to church member Barb Palmer, a pair of local sisters who lived nearby, Martha and Ella Eith, took everything to their house for safekeeping until the new church could be built. A Madison Capital Times article stated that the 40 families comprising the congregation at the time salvaged 100,000 bricks from the original church to be reused for building a new church. A picnic fundraiser to raise money for reconstruction was held just weeks after the church burned down. Construction of the new church began in September 1925 and the first mass was held on Christmas that year.

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December 26, 2019

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Opinion

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Letters to the editor policy Unified Newspaper Group is proud to offer a venue for public debate and welcomes letters to the editor, provided they comply with our guidelines. Letters should be no longer than 400 words. They should also contain contact information – the writer’s full name, address, and phone number – so that the paper may confirm authorship. Unsigned or anonymous letters will not be printed under any circumstances. The editorial staff of Unified Newspaper Group reserves the right to edit letters for length, clarity and appropriateness. Letters with libelous or obscene content will not be printed. Unified Newspaper Group generally only accepts letters from writers with ties to our circulation area. Letters to the editor should be of general public interest. Letters that are strictly personal – lost pets, for example – will not be printed. Letters that recount personal experiences, good or bad, with individual businesses will not be printed unless there is an overwhelming and compelling public interest to do so. Letters that urge readers to patronize specific businesses or specific religious faiths will not be printed, either.

What is Community Voices? The Verona Press welcomes Community Voices opinion columns in addition to letters to the editor. Community Voices pieces can exceed our normal 400-word limit and are open to anyone with a strong connection to our community, but they go through a much more stringent review and editing process than standard letters to the editor. In some cases, Press staff have asked community leaders to write columns to help inform our readers, and in other cases, community members with an interest in writing thought-provoking pieces or delving into a particular topic ask the Press for an outlet other than letters to the editor. If you are interested in working with our editorial staff on occasional or regular Community Voices columns or would like a single essay to be considered, please contact editor Jim Ferolie at veronapress@wcinet.com.

Correction

In a story titled “Charters up for renewal” in the Dec. 12 edition of the Verona Press, the renewal end date for the charter schools was incorrectly listed. It should be 2025. The Press regrets the error.

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Be realistic, thoughtful when setting New Year’s resolutions

W

ith our bellies stuffed from Thanksgiving and Christmas, New Year’s Day is just around the corner. This means it’s time to start brainstorming about those New Year’s resolutions. This is an opportunity to reflect about this past year and think about changes we hope to be successful with for the upcoming year. Maybe it’s your year to travel more, to dedicate more time for yourself or to save more money. I know a lot of people, including myself, tend to have goals such as exercising more, progressing in their career, saving more money, losing weight and quitting an unhealthy habit. While we start the year with the best of intentions to achieve these goals, it isn’t always easy to achieve them. According to a story in U.S. News and World Report, about 80% of resolutions aren’t met, and most have lost their resolve by mid-February. I like to take this time of year to reflect on the past year and think about what is really important for me to develop over the next year. And to avoid being a part of the 80% of unmet resolutions, I have found using a few simple tips when setting my goals, has made me more successful. The biggest modification I’ve made to my resolutions is to be more specific. In previous years, I would set a resolution to exercise more, but I did not think about what that exactly meant to me.

Would it be that I would exercise a certain number of days a week or month? Would it matter if I exercised for 20 minutes versus Moinuddin an hour? And would it matter if I did strength training or aerobic exercise. Without the specificity, it was easy for me to push the limits and eventually lose the motivation to continue my resolution. Now, I try to be as specific as possible, which means that I my resolution is to workout at least three times a week for 45 minutes, either running or cycling. It’s also important to set resolutions that are realistic for your life. For example, I had to think about it whether it was realistic to exercise 135 minutes per week, when sometimes I work 80 hours per week. I had to ask myself, would it be enough of a challenge, without being too overwhelming, or even too easy for me to dedicate that time toward physical activity. It also made me think about where I would be exercising – whether I’d I need to join a gym or a cycle studio for nights I wouldn’t be able to run outside. I also had to consider whether my body would be able to realistically work out for a certain amount of time

after not being as active. So I set a resolution that kept in mind injury prevention and not wanting to overdo what was reasonable. The last part of my goal is about accountability. Sometimes, we need little support from others or even a gentle reminder of our resolutions, which is why I often share my goals with close friends and family. Having them ask how things are going is often just the reminder I need. I’ve also found that my friends and I often have similar resolutions, so we can accomplish them together – like setting up a weekly workout and checking in throughout the week. These tips have helped me be more successful in achieving my New Year’s resolutions. I hope that if you’re setting some of your own resolutions this upcoming year, whether it’s quitting an unhealthy habit, starting a new hobby, or learning a new language, that you remember to set resolutions that are specific and attainable, and that you share them with those around you to stay accountable. Happy Holidays and good luck with those resolutions! Mehwish Moinuddin is a third year resident at UW Family Medicine Verona Clinic.

UNG Reporter Amber Levenhagen (1994-2019)

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Lego League team presents to city NEAL PATTEN Unified Newspaper Group

Each year, the FIRST L eg o L e a g u e l a u n c h e s a new annual challenge, intended to provide youth with experience in a realworld scientific area. This year’s theme is “city shapers,” asking teams to answer the question “What if you could build a better world? Where would you begin?” For six local competitors, their answer was downtown Verona. On Monday, Nov. 11, Owen Welty, Will Wallace, Carter Pum, Jack Ross and Patrick Lindsey presented their vision to the Verona Common Council (Nathan Heil was not present) to fulfill part of their project. The League is a partnership between the Lego company and the international nonprofit organization For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology or FIRST, which encourages

Photo submitted

The Destroyerbots team is made up of six boys from Savanna Oaks Middle School. youth to build leadership and life skills in areas of science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM. The projects are scored on creativity, research, innovation and how well the team shares their ideas with a group of professionals. “They wanted to fulfill the challenge requirement but also get legitimate feedback to see if it’s a feasible idea,” parent and coach

VACT announces youth shows’ casts Around 400 kids will be performing NEAL PATTEN Unified Newspaper Group

Almost 400 area kids have been cast in the first four youth shows of 2020 for the Verona Area Community Theater. VA C T t h i s m o n t h announced its casts for “Pajama Party,” “Seussical KIDS,” Getting To Know… Footloose,” and “Chicago.” From Thursday, April 2, to Saturday, April 4, 66 performers in kindergarten through first grade will perform in “Pajama Party!” a 20-minute musical about getting ready for bedtime. There are two casts, and each will perform two of the four April shows. Being sold on the same ticket as “Pajama Party!” is “Seussical KIDS,” a musical starring Horton the Elephant, the Cat in the Hat and other familiar Dr. Seuss characters played by 120 performers in grades 2-4. As with “Pajama Party!” there are two casts for “Seussical KIDS,” each performing two of the four productions. Also from April 2-4, 100

performers in grades 5-8 will appear in “Getting To Know... Footloose,” the famous musical adapted specifically for youth performers. “Footloose” tells the story of a young man and his mother who move to a small rural conservative town from Chicago and the adjustment that follows for the young man. There is only one cast performing all four “Footloose” shows. One hundred actors in grades 9-12 will star in the high school edition of the hit musical “Chicago” from Thursday, April 16, to Saturday, April 18. This adaptation of “Chicago” removes the sexual references and adult language of the regular production. It still tells the story of two jailed women on trial for murder who share not only the same lawyer but also share the same desire for fame and publicity. Some actors in minor roles will appear in all four performances, while the lead roles will be split between two actors each performing in the roles twice. For the cast lists for these four shows and to purchase tickets, visit vact. org.

Errin Welty said of their presentation to the council. The boys, all students a t S ava n n a O a k s M i ddle School, presented a research proposal to improve the sustainability of the parking lot behind AJ’s Pizzeria and Diner on Main Street. The boys estimated the cost of implementing their proposal to be $222,301. “They had to come up

with an innovative idea to address a local problem they found,” Errin said. “The research project should create a more useful, more sustainable, or better experience to address a problem in the team’s community.” Some of the problems they identified with the site included cracked pavement in the parking lot, lack of shade and excess heat, no place to sit or eat, and runoff. “Our goal was to improve an underutilized space in our community. We chose the parking lot and blank wall behind AJ’s pizza. We wanted to make it a more productive and appealing space while also making it environmentally friendly,” Carter Pum said. They proposed turning the blank wall on the backside of the building into a “living wall” which would use compost from food waste combined with rainwater to grow plants. They

talked to AJ’s Pizzeria to calculate how much waste is generated by the business and estimated they could collect 21,996 pounds of compostable waste per year. They also consulted with Upper Sugar River Watershed Association to understand runoff from nearby businesses into Sugar Creek. They suggested replacing the concrete with more sustainable, permeable pavement to reduce runoff and flooding. One of these materials is TPR, made from plastic and glass, which is stronger than concrete or porcelain cement and takes less carbon to manufacture. They also suggested a material made from fly ash. The council seemed impressed by the proposal from the six young men. “I think it’s excellent work, you guys have done an excellent job,” Mayor Luke Diaz said in response

to the presentation. “I think this is how you end up with a good downtown — it’s minor improvement on top of minor improvement. I’m super impressed by the research you’ve done, it’s top notch work.” The team coordinated w i t h t h e B a d g e r B OT S Robotics Education Cent e r i t s fi r s t y e a r bu t i s now run independently, under the team name Destroyerbots, competing directly with other teams in the region in the FIRST Lego League challenge. This is the team’s fourth year. The FIRST Lego League’s other annual challenge is the Robot Games, where teams participate in a series of robotics missions. The Destroyerbots participated in the regional robotics tournament at Madison College on Nov. 16. They passed regionals and will appear in Waukesha Feb. 8 for sectionals.

Cheese raffle set for Jan. 5 Local youth athlete with Spina Bifida will benefit

If You Go What: Cheese raffle fundraiser for Andrew Cassiday} When: 1-4 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 5 Where: Wisconsin Brewing Company, 1079 American Way} Info: paulsparty.org

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A cheese auction next weekend will help a Savanna Oaks Middle School seventh grader participate in high school track and field in spring 2020. Andrew Cassiday has Spina Bifida and uses a wheelchair. Paul’s Party, a nonprofit that raises funds for kids with physical disabilities, is hosting the event, from 1-4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 5 at the Wisconsin Brewing Company, 1079 American Way. Proceeds from the cheese raffle will help him purchase a special racing chair and a throwing stand for shot put. The raffle is open to the public and there will be free food sponsored by Sugar River Pizza. Emmi Roth donated the cheese for the raffle. Attendees may buy a paddle to participate in the raffle and can win cheese, drinks and T-shirts. Both of Cassiday’s brothers are runners, and he is looking forward to being able to compete in track and field at VAHS just as they did.

Photo submitted

Andrew Cassiday looks forward to participating in track in spring with a special racing wheelchair. While he will compete in different races from those of other runners, he will still be on the same team. Paul’s Party helps youth with physical disabilities afford sled hockey equipment, racing wheelchairs, adaptive bikes, summer sports camps, and other

items that are more expensive for disabled kids than for able bodied kids. The nonprofit is in the midst of an initiative to find kids throughout the state to buy track gear for, so they can compete on their school teams. Cassiday is currently a member of the Wisconsin Skeeters, a sled hockey

team enabling youth and adults to play hockey sitting down in an adaptive sled. He also has played on the Mad City Badgers wheelchair basketball team. Fitchburg resident Kathie Kiesau Natzke founded the charity in honor of her son, Paul, who also had Spina Bifida and died when he was 15 in August 2017. Paul, too, was a member of the Wisconsin Skeeters and the Verona High School track team. “ Wi t h s o m e s p o r t s , you have to be on a team adapted for you, but the cool thing about the individual nature of track is that you can be a member of the regular team while competing in wheelchair events, which is an honor,” Natzke said. Neal Patten, Verona Community Reporter, can be contacted at neal.patten@ wcinet.com.

KIMBERLY WETHAL Unified Newspaper Group

Anyone interested in running for public office in local or regional races has until Jan. 7 to file candidacy papers. For offices in the city and town of Verona, Verona Area School District

and Dane County Board of Supervisors, the deadline to turn in all required documents is 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 7. There are a few townships throughout the county that instead rely on a caucus system to decide candidates for the Tuesday, April 7, spring election.

Most races require declaration of candidacy and signatures from residents who live in the respective district in order to file for the election. Other races require the candidate to file campaign and personal finance statements. The majority of seats in the Verona area will have an

incumbent, with the exceptions of town Sup. Manfred Enburg and county Sup. Jason Knoll. To confirm the requirements for each race, contact the clerks for the city, town and school district. For Dane County Board of Supervisors, visit clerk. countyofdane.com.

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Candidacy filing deadline for spring elections nears

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December 26, 2019

The Verona Press

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Coming up Stuffed animal sleepover

Kids can drop off their favorite stuffed animal at the children’s desk in the library at 9 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 26, to send it on a fun, overnight adventure. Families can pick up the stuffed animal any time the next day and watch a slideshow of all of the stuffed animals’ adventures at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 27. For information, call 845-7180.

Snow crafts

Children ages 3-10 are invited to an open art studio from 10-11:30 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 26, at the library. Different arts and crafts projects related to snow will encourage kids to get creative. For information, call 845-7180.

Senior center New Year celebration

The senior center will be ringing in the new year early, starting with serving AJ’s Pizza at 11:30 a.m. Monday, Dec. 30. The cost to attend is $5. The Retro Swing Band, an 18 piece ensemble senior recreation band, is set to play songs from the 30s, 40s and 50s beginning at 12:30 p.m.

Churches pressure and blood sugar will be provided by a registered nurse at Assisted living and nursing the senior center from 9:30 a.m. to home costs seminar 2 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 31. Attorney Dan Krause of Krause No appointment is necessary. Donovan Estate Law Partners, LLC, Check in at the front desk. is leading a free seminar discussion For information, call 845-7471. about strategies to protect a family member’s assets while allowing them New Year’s Eve noon party ‘Children of all ages and their famto access the nursing care they need. ilies are invited to the library to celeThe seminar will be from 6-7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 30 at the senior center. brate the end of 2019 and the beginThis seminar is for anyone worried ning of 2020 with dancing, activities about nursing home costs depleting and refreshments. The party will be from 11 a.m. to their life savings, protecting their noon, Tuesday, Dec. 31. family’s inheritance, or their finanFor information, call 845-7180. cial security in their senior years. For information, call 268-5751. Nail polish party Pamper yourself by applying ColBlanket forts at library or Street nails while enjoying a fun Families are invited to come set up a fort, enjoy walking s’mores and drink from 2-3 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3 at spend an evening of reading togeth- the senior center. Color Street nails are easy to apply, er in the children’s area 6:30-8 p.m. require no dry time, do not damage Monday, Dec. 30, at the library. Some sheets and clips will be real nails and last up to 10 days. provided. Families are welcome to There will be a variety of colors to bring their own sheets or blankets for pick from. RSVP for this event by calling building a fort. 845-7471 For information, call 845-7180. Contact Neal Patten, Verona Free drop-in wellness checks Community Reporter at Free checks of weight, blood neal.patten@wcinet.com. For information, call 845-7471.

Community calendar Thursday, Dec. 26

• 9 a.m., Stuffed animal sleepover, library, 845-7180 • 10-11:30 a.m., Open art studio: snow (ages 3-10), library, 845-7180 • 4-5:30 p.m., Teen gaming night (ages 12-18), library, 845-7180 • 7-9 p.m., Pop culture trivia, Fisher King Winery, 1105 Laser St., 497-1056

Friday, Dec. 27

• 10:30-11:30 a.m., Baby play time, library, 845-7180 • 12:30 p.m., Movie screening: “It’s A Wonderful Life”, senior center, 845-7471 • 1:30-3:15 p.m., Movie screening: “Toy Story 4”, library, 845-7180 • 7-9 p.m., Live music: Jeanne Marshall Bindley, Fisher King Winery, 1105 Laser St., 497-1056 • 8-11 p.m., Live music: The Blues Party, Riley Tavern, 8205 Klevenville Riley Road, 845-9150

Saturday, Dec. 28

• 7-9 p.m., Live music: Kirsten Grace and Joseph Michael jazz, Fisher King Winery, 1105 Laser St., 497-1056

Sunday, Dec. 29

• 3-6 p.m., Live music: Dave Shaub’s Music Adventure, Riley Tavern, 8205 Klevenville Riley Road, 845-9150

Monday, Dec. 30

• 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., New Year Celebration with the Retro Swing Band ($5), senior center, 845-7471 • 6-7:30 p.m., Family security in the face of nursing costs seminar, senior center, 845-7471 • 6:30-8 p.m., Blanket fort night for families, library, 845-7180

Tuesday, Dec. 31

• 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Free drop-in wellness checks, senior center, 845-7471 • 11 a.m. to noon, Noon Year’s Eve Party, library, 845-7180

Thursday, Jan. 2

• 8-11:30 p.m., Live music: Adam Bartels Band, Riley Tavern, 8205 Klevenville Riley Road, 845-9150

• 4-5:30 p.m., Anime and manga club, library, 845-7180 • 6:30-8:30 p.m., Bingo, Fisher King Win-

ery, 1105 Laser St., 497-1056

Friday, Jan. 3

• 9:15-9:45 a.m., Sensory friendly story time for ages 3-5, library, 845-7180 • 2-3 p.m., Finger polish and pamper event, senior center, 845-7471 • 7-9 p.m., Live music: Josh Cohen, Fisher King Winery, 1105 Laser St., 497-1056 • 7-10 p.m., Live music: Soggy Prairie bluegrass band, Hop Haus Brewing Company, 231 S. Main St., 497-3165

Saturday, Jan. 4

• 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., Free community meal, Badger Prairie Needs Network, 8482499 • 6:30-8:30 p.m., Live music: Mackenzie Moore, Fisher King Winery, 1105 Laser St., 497-1056 • 8-11 p.m., Live music: The Blues Party, Riley Tavern, 8205 Klevenville Riley Road, 845-9150

Sunday, Jan. 5

• 1-4 p.m., Cheese raffle fundraiser for Andrew Cassiday, Wisconsin Brewing Company, 1079 American Way, paulsparty. org

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

Sunday: 7:30 a.m., St. William, Paoli Sunday: 9 & 11 a.m., St. Andrew, Verona Daily Mass, Tuesday-Saturday: 8 a.m., St. Andrew, Verona

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

Memorial UCC 5705 Lacy Rd., Fitchburg (608) 273-1008 memorialucc.org Interim Pastor Laura Crow Sunday: 9:30 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 Sunday school for all ages: 9 a.m. Worship: 10:15 a.m. Fellowship: 11:30 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 Revs. Loren and Linda Schumacher 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.

Redeemer Bible Fellowship 130 N. Franklin St., Verona (608) 845-1615 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 Seth Krueger 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

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

What’s on VHAT-98 Saturday, Dec. 28 8 a.m. – Common Council from 12–16–19 11 a.m. – Vintage Verona Sports 1  p.m. – 2018 Wildcats Football 4:30 p.m. – Badger Prairie Cemetery at the Historical Society 6 p.m. – Common Council from 12–16–19 9 p.m. – Vintage Verona Sports 10 p.m. – Badger Prairie Cemetery at the Historical Society 11 p.m. – Eleanor Maher at Senior Center Sunday, Dec. 29 7 a.m. – Hindu Cultural Hour 9  a.m. – Resurrection Church 10 a.m. – Salem Church Service Noon – Common Council from 12–16–19 3 p.m. – Vintage Verona Sports 4:30 p.m. – Badger Prairie Cemetery at the Historical Society 6 p.m. – Common Council from 12–16–19 9 p.m. – Vintage Verona Sports 10 p.m. – Badger Prairie Cemetery at the Historical Society 11 p.m. – Eleanor Maher at

Senior Center Monday, Dec. 30 7 a.m. – Diversity at Senior Center 1 p.m. – Bird Brothers at Senior Center 3 p.m. – Vintage Verona Sports 4 p.m. – Shoulder Pain at Senior Center 5  p.m. – 2018 Wildcats Football 9 p.m. – Hindu Cultural Hour 10 p.m. – Ron, Rosie & Rodger at Senior Center 11 p.m. – Eleanor Maher at Senior Center Tuesday, Dec. 31 7 a.m. – Ron, Rosie & Rodger at Senior Center 10 a.m.– Zumba Gold 9 a.m. – Daily Exercise 10 a.m. – Eleanor Maher at Senior Center 2 p.m.– Zumba Gold 3 p.m. – Daily Exercise 4 p.m. – Diversity at Senior Center 5 p.m. – Shoulder Pain at Senior Center 6  p.m. – Resurrection Church 8 p.m. – Knee Pain at Senior Center 9 p.m. – Bird Brothers at Senior Center 10 p.m. – Badger Prairie Cemetery at the Historical Society

Wednesday, Jan. 1 7 a.m. – Diversity at Senior Center 1 p.m. – Bird Brothers at Senior Center 3 p.m. – Vintage Verona Sports 5 p.m. – Common Council from 12–16–19 7 p.m. – Capital City Band 8 p.m. – Vintage Verona Sports 10 p.m. – Ron, Rosie & Rodger at Senior Center 11 p.m. – Eleanor Maher at Senior Center Thursday, Jan. 2 7 a.m. – Ron, Rosie & Rodger at Senior Center 8 a.m.– Zumba Gold 9 a.m. – Daily Exercise 10 a.m. – Eleanor Maher at Senior Center 2 p.m. – Zumba Gold 3 p.m. – Daily Exercise 4 p.m. – Diversity at Senior Center 5 p.m. – Shoulder Pain at Senior Center 6  p.m. – Salem Church Service 7 p.m. – Knee Pain at Senior Center 8 p.m. – Daily Exercise 9 p.m. – Bird Brothers at Senior Center 10 p.m. – Badger Prairie Cemetery at the Historical Society

Who Are Your Brothers and Sisters? A brother or sister is much more than someone who shares the same parentage. A brother or sister is someone who loves and supports you, who has your back when enemies surround you and gives you shelter when no one else will. Holy men and women have always reminded us that the “family of man” makes us all brothers and sisters. The Bible tells us repeatedly to treat widows, orphans and immigrants well, for they are God’s children and thus our brothers and sisters. Mystics and saints have taken this one step further in telling us that all of creation is God’s handiwork, and thus both the animate and inanimate parts of nature are also quite literally our brothers and sisters. Modern science elegantly demonstrates that we are all made of the same basic stuff; the carbon, hydrogen and oxygen in every cell of our body is the same material from which the stars and planets are made, and the DNA which maintains our bodies is shared by every creature on the planet. We share more of that DNA with our human brothers than with our non-human ones, but it’s all the same basic stuff. Treat the earth and all of its inhabitants as your brothers and sisters, for we are all children of the same God. – Christopher Simon

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Thursday, Dec. 26 7 a.m. – Ron, Rosie & Rodger at Senior Center 8 a.m.– Zumba Gold 9 a.m. – Daily Exercise 10 a.m. – Eleanor Maher at Senior Center 2 p.m. – Zumba Gold 3 p.m. – Daily Exercise 4 p.m. – Diversity at Senior Center 5 p.m. – Shoulder Pain at Senior Center 6  p.m. – Salem Church Service 7 p.m. – Knee Pain at Senior Center 8 p.m. – Daily Exercise 9 p.m. – Bird Brothers at Senior Center 10 p.m. – Badger Prairie Cemetery at the Historical Society Friday, Dec. 27 7 a.m. – Diversity at Senior Center 1 p.m. – Bird Brothers at Senior Center 3 p.m. – Vintage Verona Sports 4 p.m. – Shoulder Pain at Senior Center 5  p.m. – 2018 Wildcats Football 9 p.m. – Vintage Verona Sports 10 p.m. – Ron, Rosie & Rodger at Senior Center 11 p.m. – Eleanor Maher at Senior Center

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Adam Feiner, sports editor

845-9559 x226 • ungsportseditor@wcinet.com

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

Sports

Thursday, December 26, 2019

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The

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

Boys hockey

Wildcats roll past rival Cardinals MARK NESBITT Assistant sports editor

The boys hockey season is still young, but Verona is once again proving it is the team to beat in the Big Eight Conference. Verona, ranked fourth in Division 1 in the Wisconsin Hockey Coaches Association Poll, rolled past Big Eight rival Sun Prairie 7-1 on Friday, Dec. 20, at Verona Ice Arena. The victory came on the heels of an 18-0 home rout of Madison La Follette/ Madison East on Tuesday, Dec. 17. Verona (8-1, 6-0 Big Eight) has won six straight games since a 2-1 loss to Milwaukee University on Nov. 30.

Verona 7, Sun Prairie 1

Junior forward Walker Haessig was a player in demand for autographs on youth hockey night after netting a hat trick to power the Wildcats past the Cardinals. “They are always big games,” he said. “Mentally, I guess maybe I’m a little more prepared for it.” Verona senior forward Cale Rufenacht had a goal and three assists, and junior defenseman Joshua Osting dished out three assists. Verona outshot Sun Prairie 55-20, as the Cardinals committed 11 penalties. “We marked this one on the calendar,” Verona coach Joel Marshall said. “It’s always an added little pressure with Sun Prairie.” The Cardinals’ Davis Hamilton scored two minutes into the contest, but the Wildcats responded with seven straight goals. “I honestly wasn’t shocked that they scored first,” Rufenacht said. “We knew we had more speed and talent and would prevail in the end. It was just a matter of time.” Rufenacht tied the game with a shot just outside the right circle at the 6:49 mark of the first period after a turnover by the Cardinals. “I varied my speed a little bit and got it to my backhand,” Rufenacht said. “I knew there wasn’t much room. I knew if I got it high over the goaltender’s shoulder, he wouldn’t be able to get it with his glove. That was a huge momentum boost. Everyone in the arena lit up after that.”

Photos by Mark Nesbitt

Verona senior forward Ryan Ritter (right) checks Sun Prairie senior Logan Smith on Friday, Dec. 20, at Verona Ice Arena. The Wildcats won 7-1. Verona broke the game open with four goals in the second period, three of them coming on the power play. “It’s a little added dagger on the opposition,” Marshall said. “It was the tipping of the tides. When we score, we score in bunches. It’s blood in the water. The sharks are swimming and they get excited, smell that and want more.” Junior defenseman Nathan Jurrens scored on the power play off assists from Rufenacht and junior forward Leo Renlund 59 seconds into the second period to give Verona a 2-1 lead. Less than two minutes later, Haessig scored off passes from Rufenacht and Jurrens. Sophomore defenseman Troy Tollefson then punched in a goal off assists by Rufenacht and Haessig to extend the Wildcats’ lead to 4-1 at the 9:47 mark of the second. Senior forward

Parker Ploc scored off a pass from Osting to close the period.. Haessig completed his hat trick with two power-play goals in the third period. Verona junior goaltender Kaden Grant had 19 saves.

Verona 18, Madison La Follette/East 0

Renlund and freshman forward Reece Cordray for the Wildcats, who scored five goals in the first period and six goals in the second. Ploc opened the scoring with a power-play goal off assists from senior defenseman Keegan Lindell and sophomore forward Anthony Heinrichs at the 14:19 mark. Five minutes later, freshman forward Conrad Moline scored off passes from Cordray and junior defenseman Calvin Moioffer. Heinrichs scored two goals and

Verona junior forward Leo Renlund (right) skates by Sun Prairie’s Jake Veldkamp. had two assists, and Moline added two goals. Haessig, Ploc and senior forwards Drew Yeager and Derek Iszczyszyn each scored a goal and dished out three assists.

Keegan Lindell and sophomore defenseman Carson Lindell added two assists. The Wildcats also got goals from Rufenacht, Osting and Ryan Ritter.

Boys swimming

VA/MH captures team title at Beloit Memorial MARK NESBITT Assistant sports editor

The Verona Area/Mount Horeb boys swimming team used its depth to win the Beloit Memorial Invitational on Saturday, Dec. 21. Waukesha South/Catholic Memorial won 14 of the 16 events, but VA/ MH captured the team title with 616 points. The Wildcats lost a Big Eight Conference home dual to top-ranked Sun Prairie a day previous.

Beloit Memorial Invitational

Sophomore Luke Bennin finished second in the 100 breaststroke (1:02.14) and third in the 50 freestyle (23.22). Classmate Nathan Rozeboom took second in the 200 back (2:22.51) and third in the breaststroke (1:03.04). The Wildcats’ 200 free relay (1:33.36), 400 free relay (3:42.43) and 800 free relay (7:45.38) also took second. Junior Ben Wellnitz placed third in the 200 free (1:51.72) and 500 free (5:06.42). Avery Blas finished third in the 400 individual medley (4:36.69), and Owen Rothamer Photo by Mark Nesbitt placed third in the 200 fly (2:10.43). Verona Area/Mount Horeb sophomore Oscar Best won the 100-yard butterfly in a Big Eight Conference home dual against Sun Prairie on Friday, Dec. 20.

Verona sophomore Oscar Best won the 100-yard freestyle (49.71) and the 100 butterfly (52.25), as the Sun Prairie 105, VA/MH 65 Best finished first in the 100- backstroke (1:01.88). Wellnitz took Bennin touched the wall first in the The Wildcats won four events in Wildcats finished in the top three in 14 events at the 10-team invite. a conference loss to the Cardinals. yard butterfly (58.96) and the 100 first in the 400 free (4:27.01), and 100 breaststroke (1:10.78).

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December 26, 2019

The Verona Press

ConnectVerona.com

Gymnastics

Boys basketball

Wildcats rally past Regents MARK NESBITT Assistant sports editor

Photo by Mark Nesbitt

Verona freshman Ella Crowley does a tuck off the balance beam in the season opener Thursday, Dec. 19, against Madison Memorial at Glacier Edge Elementary School. The Spartans edged the Wildcat/Crusaders 133.075-129.45.

Wildcat/Crusaders edged in season opener MARK NESBITT Assistant sports editor

Senior Hailey Dohnal practiced a Tsukahara vault only twice before Verona/ Edgewood’s season opener Thursday, Dec. 19, against Madison Memorial. The lack of practice didn’t deter Dohnal, who pulled off the Tsukahara to finish first in the vault (8.425) at Glacier Edge Elementary School in Verona. T h e va u l t f e a t u r e s a roundoff onto the table and then a back tuck dismount. It is named after Japanese gymnast Mitsuo Tsukahara. “I really wanted to flip my vault this first meet,” Dohnal said. “It felt really good to stand one up. There is stuff I have to fix. I was a little crooked, but I’m really happy with how it went for the first meet.” Memorial won the closely-contested dual 133.075129.45. It was the Spartans’ third competition of the season. “They have been scoring 132 and I thought that may be a little ambitious for our first meet,” Verona/Edgewood coach Rachael Hauser of the Spartans, a team she judged earlier in the season. “I wasn’t expecting to win. I was more focused on getting them through this meet with seven girls who have never competed in this environment before.” Dohnal won the allaround competition (33.225), just ahead of Memorial sophomore Sarah Hershberger (33.100). “I think she got a little fire and was like, ‘I want

to flip,’” Verona/Edgewood coach Rachael Hauser said of Dohnal’s vault. “It wasn’t a surprise she won, but it was a surprise she completed that vault. She wanted to do it. Props to her.” D o h n a l fi n i s h e d s e c ond on the balance beam (8.650) and tied for second on the floor (8.75). She said two of her goals this season are to turn her vault from a tuck to a pike and her beam back tuck dismount into a layout. Verona/Edgewood sophomore Alyssa Fischer took third on the uneven bars (8.1), and freshman Ella Crowley placed fourth on the beam (8.650). “That’s one of her best events,” Hauser said of Crowley. “She’s nice and solid. We just have to get her a little more bonus to bump her score up. She needs more turning jumps.” Four of the Wildcat/Crusaders’ varsity gymnasts are freshmen and sophomores. “I really just told the girls to go have fun and not stress about it,” Dohnal said. “A lot of them were really nervous. I told them to go out there, have fun and do the routines you know how to do.” Verona/Edgewood competed without sophomore Noelya Jaime Janaite, who has an ankle injury and was in New York on vacation. “ S h e ’s c o m i n g w i t h some pretty solid upgrades, so we probably would have had a higher point total,” Hauser said. Hauser said Jaime Janaite will compete at the Mount Horeb Invitational on Jan. 4.

Through the first five games of the season, the Verona boys basketball team has been a second-half team. The case was never more evident than Friday, Dec. 20, when the Wildcats stormed back from a 19-point deficit to beat Madison West 79-73 in overtime in a Big Eight Conference home game. The Wildcats fell to nonconference foe Oconomowoc 69-52 at home a day later, and the loss may have come at a cost. Senior guard Haakon Anderson injured his ankle in the second half and was forced out of the game. He was on crutches after the game. “It’s hard to replace a guy like Haakon,” Verona coach Eddie Singleton said. “He can play five positions on the floor. He’s the leading rebounder in the Big Eight right now and averaging 16 points per game. There is a huge dropoff when the captain of your team and the leading rebounder of the conference is not playing, but guys have to step up.”

Oconomowoc 69, Verona 52

Senior forward Malik Odetunde gave the Wildcats a spark with a teamhigh 12 points off the bench, but Oconomowoc went on a second-half run to knock off the Wildcats “I just really care about scoring,” Odetunde said. “I don’t care about starting.” Verona’s bench scored 33 points, as junior Jake Poller added 10 points. “That was the best first half of basketball we have played,” Singleton said. “As you know we have been a second-half, comeback team so far this season. I thought the game would have quite a turn in the second half because we are taking the progression into the right step of becoming a consistently successful team.” Oconomowoc senior guard Drew Fisher scored a game-high 25 points. He scored 11 points in the Raccoons’ 15-8 start to the game. Odetunde came in and scored six straight points to help the Wildcats mount a comeback. Verona (2-3, 2-2 Big Eight) switched to a press and closed the half with a 7-1 spurt to

Photo by Mark Nesbitt

Verona junior Jake Poller goes up for a layup during the second half against Oconomowoc on Saturday, Dec. 21, in Verona. He scored 10 points off the bench in the Wildcats’ 69-52 loss. cut the Raccoons’ lead to 34-28 at intermission. “He’s definitely a spark plug for us and it can be on defense or offense,” Singleton said of Odetunde. “He’s thriving in that sixth man role right now. Hats off to him because it’s starting to click for him two games in a row.” The Raccoons went on a 19-8 run in the second half, and Verona trailed by as many as 27 points. “They came out tougher,” Odetunde said. “They got the loose balls and rebounds more. They just bodied us more and we were playing kind of soft. I just feel like we can get better on defense, and if we do that, we can compete against any team.” Anderson and junior Jacob Kisting each chipped in eight points.

Sophomore Jonah Anderson had three steals.

Verona 79, Madison West 73, OT

The Wildcats outscored the Regents 11-5 in the extra period to edge the Regents. Verona rallied from a 19-point deficit with a 34-point second half. Jonah Anderson scored five of his six points in the extra session. Verona junior Kolson Roddick hit five 3-pointers and scored a team-high 24 points. Haakon Anderson added 16 points, while Kisting and Odetunde had 12 apiece. West’s Dayne Armwald also scored 24 points. Verona made nearly as many free throws (18) as the Regents attempted (19) and finished 18-for-34 from the charity stripe.

Girls basketball

Verona unable to upset Cardinals, Spartans on the road ADAM FEINER Sports editor

Verona hit the road to take on a pair of ranked Big Eight Conference teams in the week before Christmas. Madison Memorial came into its game against the Wildcats on Thursday, Dec. 19, ranked No. 2 in Division 1 in the WisSports.net Coaches Poll. The Spartans stayed undefeated with an 80-53 victory. Sun Prairie came into its game against Verona on Tuesday, Dec. 17, ranked 10th in Division 1, and started fast en route to a 57-40 win.

Madison Memorial 80, Verona 53

Rayna Briggs scored a game-high 18 points for the Wildcats, but the Spartans remained atop the Big Eight standings. Rachel Parman added 16 points for Verona (3-5, 3-4 Big Eight). The Spartans led 39-20 at halftime. Penn State commit Leilani Kapinus paced Memorial with 17 points. Marshall transfer Mia Moral chipped in 14 points, and Mya White-Eagle cracked double figures with 11.

Sun Prairie 57, Verona 40

The Wildcats started both halves slow and couldn’t recover from an early deficit against the Cardinals. Sun Prairie made layups on their first four possessions of the game, while Verona missed seven of its first eight

Photo by Adam Feiner

Verona freshman forward Paige Lambe shoots a free throw late in the first half against Sun Prairie on Tuesday, Dec. 17, in Sun Prairie. The Wildcats lost 57-40.

shots. Ashley Rae and Antionique Auston drilled back-to-back 3s from the right wing to increase the Cardinals’ lead to 22-9 with seven minutes left in the first half. Auston canned a 3 from the left wing to triple the lead (27-9) two minutes later. Verona ended the half on a 12-3 run

to trim its deficit to single digits. Megan Murphy connected on back-to-back 3s, Abbi Rupnow sank a 3, Morgan Grignon had a putback off her own miss, and Paige Lambe split a pair of free throws. “I thought our girls battled. That’s a good team, and we didn’t give up,” Verona coach Angie Murphy said. “But we had some unforced errors that we can’t afford to have. We have a really small margin for error.” Verona freshmen scored 18 of the Wildcats’ first-half points. Megan Murphy drained four 3s in the first half and had another 3 and two free throws in the second half to finish with a career- and team-high 17 points. Rupnow added eight points off the bench. “We saw some sparks from kids that stepped up,” Angie Murphy said. “There’s some bright spots, but we just need to have everybody firing on all cylinders at the same time to have a chance to beat good teams.” Briggs had three fouls in the first half, and picked up her fourth 29 seconds into the second half. Her only bucket of the game was a layup off a steal with 7:58 left. Sun Prairie made layups on five of its first six possessions to start the second half. Jazzanay Seymore finished with game-high 18 points, most of them layups off quick passes inside by Auston. Grace Radlund helped with 10 points, and Rae scored all eight of her points in the first half.

ConnectVerona.com

December 26, 2019

Wrestling

Sports editor

Six Verona wrestlers finished fifth place or better at the Mount Horeb Invitational on Saturday, Dec. 21. The Wildcats won just three matches in a nonconference road dual against Sugar River on Thursday, Dec. 19, but received four forfeit victories and won 42-36.

Mount Horeb Invitational

Verona finished fifth out of 16 teams with 126 points. Cael Wozniak placed second at 145 pounds with a 3-1 record. He pinned Madison Memorial’s Jakobe Godbolt (29 seconds), Whitewater’s Dylan DuClos (2:27) and Big Foot’s Raul Rojas (1:52) before an injury forced him to forfeit after the first period of the firstplace match against Brodhead/ Juda’s Jayson Starr. Caden Page was the runner-up at 170 with a 2-1 record. He won a 13-1 major decision over Brodhead/Juda’s Cole Hoesly and pinned Memorial’s Pierce Kaufman in 1:52, but was pinned in the championship match by Edgerton’s Trevor Wilkinson. Ben Grandau (126) placed third with a 3-1 record. He pinned Mount Horeb’s Austin Ringgenberg in 2:15 and beat Big Foot’s Ashton Robinson 6-0, but lost 6-2 to Oregon’s Brandon Liddle. Grandau received a forfeit victory in the third-place match. Heavyweight Jay Hanson was looking for his third tournament title, but settled for third with a 2-1 record. He pinned Dodgeville’s Brighton Judd in 1:24, lost to Memorial’s Patrick McDonald 6-5, and beat Dodgeville’s Louden Fuerstenberg 3-2 in the third-place match. Logan Neuroth (138) finished fifth with a 3-1 record. He pinned Evansville/Albany’s Nicholas Barmore (20

9

Prep sports

Verona’s Vandervest and Zahler ink NLI’s

Wozniak, Page claim second in Mount Horeb ADAM FEINER

The Verona Press

ADAM FEINER Sports editor

seconds), Edgerton’s Braden Troger (4:29) and Mount Horeb’s Cody Anderson (2:57) after losing to Fennimore’s Connar Northouse in the first round. Adam Murphy (195) placed fifth with a 2-1 record. He pinned Mount Horeb’s Dylan Brandemuehl in 1:18 and beat Evansville/Albany’s Baylin Crull 10-4 after losing to Oregon’s Nate Hall. Spencer Lokken (160) took eighth with a 2-3 record. He pinned Stoughton’s Niko Jemilo (3:21) and Poynette’s Jeremiah Nielsen (4:11). Blake Herburger (106) finished seventh with a 3-2 record. He pinned Madison West’s Nicholas Gohar (1:46) and Brodhead/Juda’s Jacob Lomar (3:44) after losing to Oregon’s Ryan Payne. Herburger lost to West’s Jaime Nava 12-6, then pinned Montello’s Johnathon Goodman in 2:43 in the seventh-place match. Eavan Overland went 1-2 at 170. He pinned Deerfield’s Aiden Kammann in 1:42 before losing by pin in his next two matches. Atticus Marse (145) took eighth with a 1-3 record. He beat Edgerton’s Quinn Kotnour 9-5. Sean Parry (132) and Tag Snell (170) lost both matches. Whitewater won the team title with 195.5 points.

Verona 42, Sugar River 36

The Wildcats received forfeits at 170, 195, 220 and 285 en route to a win over the Raiders in Belleville. Herburger (113) pinned Samantha Peterson in 40 seconds, Page (182) pinned Patrick Samon in 1:26 and Wozniak (145) pinned Avery Lettman in 3:59. Parry (126), Grandau (132), Neuroth (138), Marse (152) and Lokken (160) lost via pin. Sugar River received a forfeit win victory at 120. Both teams forfeited at 106.

Verona seniors Adam Vandervest and Paige Zahler play different contact sports, but both are similar in two aspects of their recruitment. Both announced verbal commitments to their future homes before the start of their seasons, and both signed a National Letter of Intent on Wednesday, Dec. 18, at Verona Area High School. Vandervest will continue his football career at Division I Western Michigan University, and Zahler is headed to DII Lewis University to play lacrosse. Vandervest received 10 DI offers, but verbally committed to WMU in early June after attending the Broncos’ camp in Kalamazoo, Michigan. “I’ve been looking forward to this day after the recruiting process and overcoming the adversity I’ve been through,” he said. “It’s relieving to start a new chapter in my life.” Vandervest earned his third varsity letter and was named second-team all-Big Eight Conference in 2019. The 6-foot-6, 285-pound left tackle helped Verona’s offense average 40.3 points per game and had a Western Michigan connection on the sidelines in Wildcats defensive coordinator Scott Cramer, who played linebacker at WMU from 1987-1990. “I didn’t want to worry about recruiting

or going on any visits during my senior season,” he said. “I wanted all my focus on the season.” Vandervest was one of 20 commits for the Broncos and third-year coach Tim Lester on the first day of the 2020 early signing period. He is rated as a three-star recruit and the No. 20 prospect in the state by 247sports.com. Vandervest will not enroll early at WMU for spring practice. He will, however, have to adjust to playing games midweek. The Broncos compete in the Mid-American Conference, which plays most of its league games on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. WMU (7-5) will play Western Kentucky in the First Responder Bowl on Dec. 30. “The last time I played a game on Tuesday was probably youth football,” Vandervest said. “The coaches made it clear that my schedule will be alright. It’ll be tough with classes, but it should be all good.” Zahler had no Division I offers, but that was fine by her. “I didn’t want to go DI because it’s such a life commitment,” she said. “I wanted balance in college.” Zahler verbally committed to Lewis in late October for a reason similar to Vandervest’s. “I wanted to commit before Thanksgiving. It was a huge weight off my shoulders,” she said. “I didn’t have to worry about my recruitment, and I could just have

fun in my senior season.” The attacker/midfielder has been named first-team all-conference in her first three seasons at Verona. She also plays for the Madison-area club team Vibe Lacrosse. Lewis is located in Romeoville, Illinois. Zahler also showed interest in Division III North Central, which is located in another Chicago suburb (Naperville), but picked the Flyers over the Cardinals. “I really liked the campus and the coach,” she said. “I looked at a bunch of different colleges in Illinois, but Lewis felt like a good fit for me.” The Flyers compete in DII’s Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Lewis went 1-12 in their inaugural season last spring, and Zahler is hoping to help the Flyers become a strong program. Fellow senior Gunnar Kilen was slated to sign his NLI to continue his football career Wednesday, but his recruitment is still open. Former Colorado State coach Mike Bobo had targeted Kilen as a potential anchor on the Rams’ offensive line, but Bobo left after the season to become the offensive coordinator at South Carolina. The Rams named former Boston College coach Steve Adazzio their next coach on Dec. 11. Kilen, who plays center at 6-foot-7 and 280 pounds, has received 22 Division I offers. Verona will hold another signing day Wednesday, Feb. 5.

Girls hockey

Metro Lynx travel northwest with mixed results Lauren Johnson scored 39 seconds into third Saturday at Hobbs Ice Arena in Eau the third period to tie it. Sydney Raaths Claire. Cam McKersie made 30 saves for the scored the go-ahead goal with 11:11 left in the period off an assist from Rachel The Madison Metro Lynx split a pair of Lynx, who were outshot 33-23. Mirwald. Goetzke scored a little less than games at the Hudson Tournament on FriMetro Lynx 5, Hudson 2 two minutes later off an assist from Mirday, Dec. 20, and Saturday, Dec. 21. The Lynx scored five unanswered wald. The Lynx are 5-2 and will host the CulGrace Bonnell added an insurance goal ver Cup on Dec. 27-29 at Madison Ice goals, including four in the third period, to beat the Raiders on Friday at Hudson with 3:06 left off an assist from Maddy Arena. Sports and Civic Center. Ahlborn. Eau Claire Area 3, Metro Lynx 0 Mia Goetzke scored with 13 seconds Madison outshot Hudson 39-22 for the The Stars scored twice in the first left in the second period, assisted by Ally game and 30-12 in the final two periods. McKersie made 20 saves. period and added an empty-netter in the Jacobson, to cut Hudson’s lead to 2-1. ADAM FEINER Sports editor

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December 26, 2019

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Sports Stories of the Year

Photo by Mark Nesbitt

Verona senior Eliot Popkewitz (6) holds up the Division 1 Sun Prairie Sectional championship plaque as he celebrates with teammates Owen Gibson (1), Jacob Wing (20), Jorge Lagunes (17) and Alan De Los Santos after the Wildcats’ 1-0 win over Madison West on Saturday, Nov. 2.

1. Golden boys of the pitch

Photo by Adam Feiner

Verona head coach Chris Handrick holds the Division 1 state championship trophy Saturday, Nov. 9, at Uihlein Soccer Park in Milwaukee. The Wildcats defeated Neenah 2-0 in the championship game.

With 11 seniors and 15 returning letterwinners, Verona boys soccer coach Chris Handrick knew his team had the talent and experience to reach the Division 1 state tournament. The Wildcats operated in workmanlike fashion all season, dissecting defenses with crisp passing and communication while shutting down several of the best offenses in the state. Senior midfielder Eliot Popkewitz served as the fulcrum of the offense, often times gathering the ball from a defender and racing upfield to either blast a shot on goal or distribute to a forward. Senior forwards Jack Knight and Bennett Luttinen played similar roles as Popkewitz. Knight led the team in goals (15) and also dished out 10 assists, while Luttinen finished with seven goals and seven assists. Fellow senior Gannon Simonett netted nine goals, with

several coming at crucial junctures of close games. Junior striker Jonathan Gamez scored 14 goals and was a menace for defenders to stay in front of. Senior defender Sam Lynch was among the state’s best weapons when it came to corner kicks, as he used his 6-foot-3 frame to out-jump and out-muscle defenders. Lynch was also the Wildcats’ defensive stalwart alongside Tavion McNuckle, Brooks Luttinen and Diego Luna. Senior Nate Hanson and junior Owen Gibson split time in net for most of the regular season. Hanson took over down the stretch, as he finished with four shutouts in the final five games. Verona was inexperienced when it came to the state tournament, but dominated offensively in a 3-0 victory over Kenosha Tremper in the semifinals. Popkewitz scored in the first half of the championship game against

Neenah, and Gamez added an insurance goal late in the second half to secure the golden ball. The Wildcats won 11 straight games to finish the season 21-12, and collected numerous postseason awards. Popkewitz and Lynch were selected to the 2019 United Soccer Coaches Fall High School Boys All-Great Lakes Region Team. Popkewitz was selected as the Big Eight Conference’s player of the year, and Lynch was also one of nine defenders selected to the 2019 United Soccer Coaches All-America Team. Both players were included in the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association’s “Best 11” on the all-state team. Handrick earned his second Big Eight coach of the year award in four seasons at the helm and was selected as the WSCA’s Division 1 coach of the year. — Adam Feiner

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December 26, 2019

The Verona Press

11

Sports Stories of the Year

File photo

Verona’s Mack Keryluk (right) was one of five Wildcats named to the Division 1 all-state team last season. He scored two short-handed goals in the state quarterfinals against Eau Claire North, the Wildcats’ final win of the 2018-19 season.

2. Wildcats reach state semis for second straight year Forwards Mack Keryluk and Cale Rufenacht, defensemen Jake Osiecki and Kade Binger and goaltender Kaden Grant played prominent roles in Verona boys hockey’s return to the Division 1 state tournament. The quintet was named to the 2018-19 all-state team by the Wisconsin Hockey Coaches Association. Keryluk and Osiecki received first-team honors, while Rufenacht, Binger and Grant were named honorable mentions. Verona went 17-5-2 overall and won its third straight Big Eight Conference title with a 13-1-0 mark. The Wildcats raced through regionals and sectionals to reach state for a second straight year, and defeated Eau Claire North 5-1 to advance to the state semifinals.

Verona’s season ended with a 5-0 loss to eventual champion Milwaukee University. Keryluk was the sixth-leading goal scorer (34) in the state and finished eighth in points (66). He had eight goals and eight assists in the Wildcats’ five playoff games. Osiecki was a finalist for the state’s Mr. Hockey award, given annually to the state’s top senior. He had four goals and 17 assists. Rufenacht finished with 20 goals and 32 assists in 29 games. Binger helped solidify the defense but also showed a scoring touch, finishing fifth on the team with 22 points (5 goals, 17 assists) during the regular season. Grant took over in goal and posted a .914 save percentage and two shutouts. — Mark Nesbitt

Photo by Mark Nesbitt

Verona’s Jackson Acker finished second in the discus with a throw of 171 feet, 5 inches at the Division 1 state meet on Friday, May 31. He then verbally committed to the University of Wisconsin for football ahead of his junior year.

3. Jackson Acker takes silver, verbally commits to Badgers Verona’s Jackson Acker enjoyed a sophomore year to remember. He closed out the year by winning a silver medal in the discus at the Division 1 state track & field meet, then committed to play football at Wisconsin. Acker unleashed a throw of 171 feet, 5 inches on his final attempt to shoot from fifth to the state runner-up on May 31 in La Crosse. Acker beat Luke Sullivan’s sophomore discus record by 3 feet, 5 inches with a

File photo

Verona’s Will Tennison hits a winner against Sun Prairie’s Aidan Schutter in the Division 1 third-place match at the 2019 individual state tournament. He won the match 7-6 (3), 2-6, 7-5.

4. Tennison caps stellar tennis career at state tournament Will Tennison spent four years accomplishing a laundry list of feats no one in the history of the Verona boys tennis program has come close to replicating. Tennison earned the top seed at the Division 1 state tournament for the second straight year. He finished third in the singles tournament May 30 to June 1 at Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison, capping his illustrious career with a 26-1 record in his final season. In a match that looked more like a championship than a semifinal, Tennison

lost 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 to Green Bay Southwest senior Johnny Zakowski. He then defeated Sun Prairie senior Aidan Schutter 7-6 (3), 2-6, 7-5 in the third-place match. Tennison, now a freshman at Marquette University, is the only boy in VAHS history to make it to the state quarterfinals, which he accomplished all four years. He finished sixth as a freshman, fourth as a sophomore and withdrew in the quarterfinals due to injury in 2018. — Mark Nesbitt

throw of 173-8 at the Spartan Invitational on May 3, then crushed his own record with a toss of 191-8 at the Big Eight Conference Meet. Acker received a scholarship offer to continue his football career for the Badgers on June 9. He found out the news in a meeting with UW coach Paul Chryst in his office along with his mother, who is a nurse at UW Hospital and Clinics and attended UW-Madison herself. —Mark Nesbitt

Photo by Mark Nesbitt

Verona Area/Mount Horeb’s Aidan Updegrove won three medals and set two new school records at the 2019 Division 1 state swimming meet. The Wildcats finished ninth as a team at state.

5. Updegrove breaks records wins three medals at state Aidan Updegrove became arguably the best distance swimmer in the history of the Verona Area/Mount Horeb boys swimming program. Updegrove won three medals and set two new school records at the Division 1 state swimming meet, helping the Wildcats finish ninth as a team. He finished fourth in the 500-yard freestyle with a school-record time of 4:44.07. He added a ninth-place finish in the 200 free (1:44.76), which broke his previous

school record (1:45.34). The Wildcats’ 200 free relay team of Updegrove, Oscar Best, Shane Rozeboom and Kyle Hoppe finished sixth with a season-best time of 1:26.41. Updegrove, best, Rozeboom and Ben Wellnitz took sixth in the 400 free relay with a season-best time of 3:11.17. Updegrove is a freshman at the University of Wisconsin-Madison majoring in mechanical engineering. — Mark Nesbitt

12

December 26, 2019

Business

The Verona Press

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Local construction company wins award Schorr Construction, Inc. receives NARI’s highest honor NEAL PATTEN Unified Newspaper Group

Photo submitted

Kristie and Randy Schorr

Schorr Construction, Inc.

Photo submitted

Randy Schorr speaking at the award ceremony in Madison on Nov. 7.

6520 Sunset Drive 845-3200 schorrconstruction.com Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mon.-Fri.

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A master bath addition project by Schorr Construction, Inc.

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A colonial house addition project by Schorr Construction, Inc. members including a Master Certified Remodeler, Universal Design Certified Professional and Certified Lead Carpenter. Randy and Kristie have served on NARI committees and have been NARI seminar speakers. They participate regularly in the greater Madison area NARI Remodeled Homes Tour each spring and the NARI Remodeling Expo — the

largest home remodeling show in the area. They have been honored at the annual Contractor of the Year event in various categories as well as having two employees who have received the NARI of Madison Employee of the Year award. They have also earned NARI’s Achievement in Consumer Excellence award. The company has been

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Business news in brief Festival foods changes hours Festival Foods of Verona has reduced its hours after just two months in business. The grocery store, located at 660 Hometown Circle, originally opened Friday, Oct. 11, as a 24/7 location. As of Dec. 2, the store hours are now from 5 a.m. to midnight daily. “Most of our stores are 24 hours, so that is why we initially started that way,” Brian Stenzel, senior director of community involvement told the Press. “After analyzing the needs of the community in more detail, it was determined that there was little to no demand for a 24 hour grocer, so we made the switch.”

Riley Tavern sold after 28 years Jim Murphy is selling the Riley Tavern after 28 years. A Wisconsin State Journal story states the sale will close Friday, Dec. 27, which also happens to be the anniversary of the day Murphy bought the business. Murphy didn’t tell the Journal who the seller was, as he said deals have fallen through in the past. The tavern is a popular stop for bicyclists in rural northwest Verona, the article states. Before it was a tavern, the building was a general store and before that, a post office.

included in Remodeling Magazine’s “Big 50,” a list of the 50 best remodelers in the nation. Schorr Construction is also charitable, having donated to area causes including the UW Carbone Cancer Center, UW Madison Athletics, the Madison Audubon Society and various initiatives of the Verona Area Chamber of Commerce.

“It has been an honor to have been involved with NARI of Madison since its beginning. We have always been proud to be a part of this wonderful group of professional remodelers that share a common vision.” Kristie Schorr The Schorrs claim on their website that what sets them apart from other companies is their detailed, transparent project proposals. Schorr provides its clients with the specific labor and subcontractor costs and

material quantities, rather than giving lump pricing for a few main phases of a project. Contact Neal Patten, Verona Community Reporter at neal.patten@wcinet.com.

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Verona’s Randy and Kristie Schorr earned a Lifetime Achievement Award in November for their company, Schorr Construction, Inc. The Madison chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry recognized the two, who have been in business for 40 years, with what the organization calls its highest honor. NARI is dedicated solely to the remodeling industry and comprises around 63,000 remodeling contractors across 50 chapters nationwide. “It has been an honor to have been involved with NARI of Madison since its beginning,” Schorr told the Press. “We have always been proud to be a part of this wonderful group of professional remodelers that share a common vision.” Schorr referred the Press to the company’s website and the NARI news release for other questions. Schorr Construction provides services in home design, remodeling, building additions and historic restorations, according to its website, and aims to continue NARI’s long term commitment to competence, professionalism and high ethical standards. Their website emphasizes the medium-size of their company provides personalized service to clients and fosters a “family type” environment that the Schorrs feel is important. Many employees have chosen to make their career at the company and have worked there between 10 to 25 years. When Schorr Construction began in 1979, Randy became one of the first NARI Certified Remodelers in Dane County, seeking to expand his knowledge and improve his professionalism in the industry. NARI has certified a variety of Schorr’s staff

For information about Verona and the business community visit www.veronawi.com adno=115315

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December 26, 2019

The Verona Press

13

2019: Boys soccer championship, exits of key city personnel among top stories Continued from page1 votes after that. Sharing the No. 5 spot were the $3 million upgrade of Fireman’s Park, including a splash pad, a new playground and a new parking area, and the untimely and ultimately involuntary exits of the city administrator and senior center director. At Nos. 7 and 8 were the fire chief’s retirement after an uncomfortable final year in which a union called for his resignation and some investments in improving traffic and safety around Badger Ridge Middle School and elementary schools in the City of Verona. O u r fi n a l t wo s p o t s , tied at 9, were also school issues: Changes in security protocols for as a result of national shootings and local fights and a decision to add Chinese instruction in the middle schools. Email Verona Press editor Jim Ferolie at veronapress@wcinet.com.

1. (tie) New VASD construction, boundaries

Photo by Justin Loewen

The Verona Area School Festival Foods which held the grand opening on Oct. 11 is now Verona’s second grocery store. District made significant district sent out, when there County Hwy. M and VeroWhen Festival Foods progress in 2019 toward was little more than the na Road slowdowns, the earned its approval in 2017, moving into its new $180 structure in place. The final City of Fitchburg shut down it appeared ready to start million high school campus update of November shows the intersection of Nes- building the following year, Say Yes to the in summer 2020. some finished floors, bath- bitt and Fitchrona roads in but corporate decision-makbiggest savings of the year! That included construction room stalls and trophy cases. from August into October to ers held off construction for a – from a structure vaguely The new building, which install a roundabout, as well year, as the chain was in the shaped like a school at the was the largest item in the as a portion of Whalen Road. midst of expanding from 21 beginning of the year to fin- 2018 $182 million referen- And in the fall, County Hwy. to 31 stores. a new Bath 1 ishing touches being done dum, is set to open for school M to the city’s south leading During that time, the or Shower system! inside now – and finalization in September 2020. up to Oregon was shut down company changed the inteof new attendance boundarrior layout and adjusted the - Scott Girard for repaving. ies and policies as the move Many of the projects 300-foot-long facade to serve causes schools to shift build- 1 (tie). Concurrent took place at the same time as the prototype for the comDown • Interest • Payements construction ends ings at lower grades. 2 because it was convenient for pany’s new look. Until 2021 The construction and Getting in or out of Verona contractors, rather than travEmail Unified Newspaper upcoming moving process felt close to impossible this elers. Many of the projects Group reporter Scott De also had the district start year. were being done by the same Laruelle at scott.delaruelle@ Dinner school in August for the first Luckily, it’s pretty much company, making it easy to wcinet.com. for Two with in-home estimate! time in nearly two decades to over, but only after providing move employees between 4. Boys soccer allow more construction time months of frustration, traffic sites. CALL TODAY! next summer. – Kimberly Wethal team wins state title headaches and detours for When the new high school Verona travelers. Ve r o n a ’s b o y s s o c (608)-338-1170 opens, Badger Ridge Middle cer team came into the The largest part of that 3. Festival Foods www.madcitybaths.com School will move a block within Verona, the County opens city’s 2019 season looking to south to the current high Hwy. M reconstruction, was second grocery break through to the state school building and Sugar finished in early NovemFor most of the past cenTurn to 2019/Page 14 Creek will move into what’s ber. The $55 million project tury, Verona has been a adno=129608 now BRMS. The charter expanded the road between one-grocery store town. schools will consolidate in Cross Country Road and That all changed this year, the old high school’s K-Wing Prairie Hill Road in Madi- when Festival Foods – after – creating more room at son from an aging two-lane two years of planning and Stoner Prairie while Sugar county highway to a four- construction – opened Oct. Creek enters a much larger lane urban road, and it cre- 11. space. ated an underpass below the The 24-hour, 67,000-foot A citizen committee spent County Hwy. PD intersection grocery store at 600 Homethe early months of the year to speed the way for people town Circle employs around discussing the possible driving to Epic in the morn- 230 people and features boundaries with a consultant, ing. non-traditional grocery store Wednesday, December 25, 2019 Great Dane Shopping News eventually forwarding three The project, which began amenities like a community Display Advertising: Wednesday, December 18 at 3pm recommendations to the in 2017 at the tail end of the room, cafe, vehicle charging school board. Board mem- overall M reconstruction, stations and free child care. Classified Advertising: Thursday, December 19 at Noon bers approved the boundaries involved numerous lane And with its round-thefor both elementary and mid- and intersection closures clock hours, it’s a change for Thursday, December 26, 2019 Community Papers dle schools in July – neither throughout the year. Most Veronans used to heading on a unanimous vote. were at night or on the week- toward the center of the city Display & Classified Advertising: Thursday, December 19 at Noon Later came a decision ends. for groceries, or getting them that allowed next year’s At the same time, Verona on the way back from work fifth-graders who switched Road was under construc- in Madison. Wednesday, January 1, 2020 Great Dane Shopping News attendance areas to remain tion in full force, resulting Festival Foods store planDisplay Advertising: Monday, December 23 at 3pm at their current school to in significant delays for any- ning director Aaron AspenClassified Advertising: Thursday, December 26 at Noon ease the transition, as well as one attempting to access son said studies have shown a phase-in over three years Madison. The roughly $200 “a lot of grocery dollars” for the new middle school million construction proj- had been leaving the city, Thursday, January 2, 2020 Community Papers boundaries. ect, which started near the presenting a clear need for Display & Classified Advertising: Thursday, December 26 at Noon The campus itself hasn’t Beltline Highway in 2013, another local store. For been in the news as much, resulted in creating three Veronans, a second grocery Our offices will be closed December 25, 2019 and January 1, 2020 but anyone who has driven lanes each way on U.S. Hwy. store means more options, to the city’s west side can’t 18-151 that overpass McKee said city administrator Adam miss the progress on the Road and flow underneath Sayre told the Press in Octo845-9559, 835-6677 or 873-6671 main building, athletic fields Williamsburg Way in Fitch- ber. and roads in the area, with burg. “Festival Foods will be Verona Avenue torn up to Having those two main closer than those other groaccommodate the additional arteries under construction cery options outside of the traffic capacity that will be was the injury, and smaller city and will provide addiprojects out of the city’s con- tional nearby shopping conneeded. It’s a far cry from the trol added insult on top of it. venience,” he wrote in an In the midst of both email to the Press. Jan. 11 building update the

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December 26, 2019

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2019: Safety and security in and around schools, plus expanded Chinese instruction Continued from page13 tournament for the first time in program history. The Wildcats not only broke through, they busted down the door on all of Division 1. Verona (21-1-2) won the Big Eight Conference for the second consecutive year, then toppled conference foes Janesville Parker, Madison Memorial, Middleton and Madison West on its way to the state tournament. Senior midfielder Eliot Popkewitz and the Wildcat defense shined in the final three games of the season. Popkewitz scored the game-winning goal in Verona’s 1-0 win over West in the sectional championship and scored first in the state tournament games against Kenosha Tremper and Neenah. The Big Eight’s player of the year became the program leader in goals (40) after finding the back of the net 14 times this season and dished out a single-season program record 16 assists. The Wildcat defense pitched three shutouts to end the season, shutting down the potent offenses of Tremper (3-0) and Neenah (2-0) in the state tournament. Senior defender Sam Lynch patrolled the back line, and goalie Nate Hanson made several crucial saves. Verona finished the season 21-1-2 with 17 shutouts. Eight of those shutouts came in the Wildcats’ final 10 games. Chris Handrick was honored as the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association’s Division 1 coach of the year and the Big Eight coach of the year for the second straight season. – Adam Feiner

5 (tie). Exits of administrator, senior center director

A first year mayor and a mostly new council in Verona took bold steps early in the year with the prompted resignations of the city’s highest-ranking staffer and a department head. The exits of administrator Jeff Mikorski after 2 ½ years and senior center director Mary Hanson after five years came while fire chief Joe Giver was still working through a performance improvement plan that did not cost him his job. In all three cases, the Common Council never alleged any malfeasance but apparently took issue with management and communication problems. The city also cut ties early in the year with the city assessor, Paul Musser, who had contracted with the city for more than a decade but angered alders with a blunder that cost taxpayers $100 on average. Mikorski’s Feb. 5 resignation cost the city a half-year’s worth of his $137,000 salary, plus benefits, while Hanson got no severance from her April 22 resignation. Mikorski, who had moved here from a politically charged environment in Morgantown, West Virginia, in August 2016, had a single performance review, for the calendar year 2017, that indicated deficits in communication and responsiveness. He did not reply to repeated requests for comment, and Mayor Luke Diaz mostly limited his on-the-record comments to the process of requesting the resignation and recruiting for a new administrator. “This isn’t like we went looking for stuff; stuff came and found us,” Diaz said. Hanson, who had previously

Photo by Mark Nesbitt

Verona senior Eliot Popkewitz (6) holds up the Division 1 Sun Prairie Sectional championship plaque as he celebrates with teammates Owen Gibson (1), Jacob Wing (20), Jorge Lagunes (17) and Alan De Los Santos after the Wildcats’ 1-0 win over Madison West on Saturday, Nov. 2. worked for a large senior residential community in Madison, had been investigated and exonerated after another staff member alleged she had Mikorski stolen items from the building, but that investigation led to concerns about her handling of personnel. Her April 2018 performance review, signed by Mikorski, showed Hanson her meeting or exceeding expectations in all nine categories. She told the Press her achievements, including a 40 percent increase in activity participation and serving as a peer reviewer for the Wisconsin Association of Senior Centers, spoke for themselves. It took until the fall to fill both positions. New senior center director Stephanie Ehle starting in October, and former planning and development director Adam Sayre making his interim title permanent on Aug. 27, after the city passed on the first round of candidates. - Jim Ferolie

5. (tie) Fireman’s Park gets a facelift

The city put $3 million in upgrades to one of its already most heavily frequented parks, and the result, of course, was even more people visiting. One of the most popular upgrades to Fireman’s Park was the new splash pad and the

Photo by Jim Ferolie

After a $3 million renovation, Fireman’s Park now sports a splash pad, a new concessions area, a basketball court and a new parking lot. adjacent playground. Those drew in hundreds of people to the park each day when the weather was nice, even when the ever-popular beach was closed. There were people who had never come to Fireman’s Park before this summer. But after they heard about the upgrades, they were excitedly awaiting its opening in June. A wet spring made that June opening a few days later than planned and more than a week later than usual, and many people were unaware the first few days

it was open. The beach still managed to draw 50 percent more visitors than the previous year, and those numbers don’t count people who went to the splash pad but didn’t pay the entry fee to the beach. Other upgrades to the park included a new staircase and ramp into the beach, umbrellas stationed in the sand and a raised deck where people lounge and suntan. The city also tore down the old shelter and built a new one with an open-air pavilion and seating.

The complete reimagining of the park included a soccer field and basketball court, as well as a pathway that connects to South Main Street, where four projects took place in summer 2018 to increase walkability of the area. It’s the most extensive upgrade Verona’s parks have ever had, topping the $1.7 million Little League project in 2006 and the $300,000 Harriet Park shelter rebuild in 2007. – Kimberly Wethal

Turn to 2019/Page 15

ConnectVerona.com

December 26, 2019

Continued from page14

7. Fire chief retires after tumultuous year

Unlike fellow staffers city administrator Jeff Mikorski and senior center director Mary Hanson, fire chief Joe Giver made it through a sticky situation long enough to retire on his own terms. Ironically, Giver told the Press, he had planned to retire in early 2019, but in the midst of calls for his resignation in November 2018 by the Local 311 firefighters’ union, he decided to postpone it to work out a variety of leadership, management and culture concerns brought up in an investigation that summer into the conduct of an assistant chief. That investigation had been prompted by complaints from the union after one of its members was disciplined for yelling at an intern months earlier while conduct seen as similar by an assistant chief hadn’t drawn a similar reaction. While asking firefighters and EMS staff about assistant chief Don Catenacci in August, investigator Dale Burke compiled a list of their concerns about inconsistent orders, unfollowed directives, disappearing complaints, antagonism and a variety of other behaviors the otherwise matterof-fact report called unprofessional. The city put Giver on a six-month performance improvement plan in October, calling for such things as harassment and cultural sensitivity training, formalized programs, improved communication and updated policies, and the Common Council met multiple times during that time to get updates. Catenacci, meanwhile, left the department in December, before a police investigation into other incidents could be completed. In July, just a few months after Giver’s plan expired, he announced he’d be retiring at the end of the year, though his last day in the office, with vacation and sick time accounted for, was Sept. 27. Assistant chief Dan Machotka has been the officer in charge since then, and he was named acting chief in November, when the Police and Fire Commission decided not to hire anyone from the first round of candidates. - Jim Ferolie

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Verona fire chief Joe Giver poses with memorabilia in his office at the four year old fire station. He officially retired Jan. 2, but his last day in the station was Sept. 27.

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on Campus 5 located at 1979 Milky Way. 2) Conditional use permit for a proposed in-vehicle sales or service land use to construct a drive-through to be located at 150 West End Circle. Interested persons may comment on these planning and zoning matters during the public hearings at the January 6th Plan Commission meeting. The Plan Commission will make recommendations on these matters, which will then be reviewed by the Common Council for a final

decision on Monday, January 13th. For more information on this request, please check the City’s website. For copies of the application, please contact Katherine Holt, Community Development Specialist at 608-845-0909 or Katherine.Holt@ci.verona.wi.us. Ellen Clark, City Clerk Published: December 19 and 26, 2019 WNAXLP ***

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NOTICE The City of Verona Plan Commission will hold Public Hearings on Monday January 6, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, 111 Lincoln Street, for the following planning and zoning matters: 1) Conditional Use Permit amendment to the Epic Systems Corporation “Group Development” to allow for the construction of two (2) office buildings

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to an after school program (with no crossing guard present), his mother and other concerned community members pressed the city for action. By April, city leaders had settled on two quick fixes – an increased police presence and a rectangular rapid flashing beacon – to better alert drivers to the dangers there. By the final few days of school in June, that $40,000 beacon was operating. The city and school district also decided on longer-term solutions, though nothing quite to the extent of the expensive and highly unlikely permanent stoplight some people wanted. When the building becomes an elementary school in fall 2020, it will have a new traffic pattern, as will the new Badger Ridge location, at what is now the high school. The city also addressed a chronic crossing guard shortage by signing a $125,000 contract with an agency 8. New beacon, guard that will keep each designated location around the city staffed. help for Badger Ridge - Jim Ferolie Parents of Badger Ridge Middle School students and anyone who travels 9. (tie) Chinese instruction daily on North Main Street at the right time of day all have known for years expands to middle school Graduates of the Verona Area Internahow messy the traffic can be there when tional School were granted the ability to school starts and lets out. But in March, when a student got hit continue their education in Chinese this by a car and briefly hospitalized heading year. The school board, after contentious debates over including Chinese in middle and high school curriculum, approved adding it for VAIS students. Eventually, it’ll be an option for all VASD middle schoolers, but not for a few years. The February decision came at a crucial time – 17 students graduated from VAIS at the end of the 2018-19 school year, and it would have resulted in more students than the Zero Hour option currently being held at Savanna Oaks Middle School would have been able to handle. Thanks to the plan, sixth graders this fall were able to take Mandarin Chinese every day at SOMS, at the expense of either music or the quarterly rotation of art, family and consumer ed, technology and world language. Eventually, Badger Ridge Middle School will get Chinese instruction, but it could be a few years, as schedule alignment between it and SOMS is not likely Photo submitted to be done before the start of the 2020 Children interact with the story during year. A proposed middle school schedule Verona Area International School’s story that provided equal time for core classes time on Saturday, Dec. 7, at the Verona Public Library. Turn to 2019/Page 16

Legals

Lost & Found

15

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2019: Fire chief retires on his own terms

The Verona Press

16

December 26, 2019

The Verona Press

ConnectVerona.com

2019: Limited campus helps with security

Honorable mentions

Two new restaurants

Continued from page15 and cut one of three encore periods was briefly introduced in December but then retracted, and board members granted the district more time to complete alignment without sacrificing encore classes. - Kimberly Wethal

9. (tie) Security changes in the district

While the district will physically look different next year – a new high school, namely – the processes behind securing the buildings and assessing threats have been changed prior to the move. Many of the district initiatives this year were centered around creating a more secure school setting for its students. While some changes were in relation to new buildings and finding ways to limit who can and can’t leave, others were prompted by issues the district has dealt with in the past two years. One of those larger security changes involves moving to a limited campus lunch for the new high school when it opens in 2020. While juniors and seniors will be able to leave campus to eat, freshman and sophomores will be required to stay at the school during the day. There’s multiple reasons for why district and high school administration requested the limited open campus. One of the largest is building security – the limited campus lunch would require students to exit and enter the building at a different door than where adults who come to the campus during the day have to enter. Right now, students and visitors use the same door during lunchtime in the current high school building, making access to students easy as an unauthorized visitor. There are other reasons for partially closing the campus, including regulating student behavior and reducing the number of non-district students who come

Photo by Scott Girard

Cameras were installed this fall at all Verona Area School District elementary schools. They’re at various spots around each school, like the front entrance or playground, and footage can be accessed by certain staff at each site.

to fight with VAHS students during the lunch hour. Fighting, with a specific set of incidents in mind, also caused the district to revise some of its other security protocol in recent months. Three fights broke out at VAHS in the span of a day in May, prompting parents and other adults to show up to the high school and causing further security issues. Since then, the district has revised its visitor policies and addressed what limitations it has the right to impose on visitors and parents when fights or other issues arise at a school site. Other changes include an anonymous tip line and a new threat assessment protocol. The tip line allows anyone with information to share it with the district. The threat assessment protocol, which was approved earlier this month, gives staff and administration a way to assess a threat made toward a student or the district to determine if it’s a tangible threat, or if it’s the result of frustration or anger a student is experiencing. - Kimberly Wethal

The closure of two Verona restaurants earlier this year did not leave a hole for long in the growing Liberty Drive Business Park area on the southeast side of Verona. The vacancies left by 4 Sisters Tapas Restaurant, which closed in February, and Verona Woods restaurant, which closed in April, were filled within one week of each other when El Charro Mexican Grill opened Oct. 10 and North and South Seafood and Smokehouse opened Oct. 15 at 958 Liberty Drive. Both are locally owned franchises and one of only a few locations in the area. Ruben Ramirez, a Mount Horeb resident, co-owns El Charro with his sister and their friend, Fitchburg resident Monica Covarrubias, who is also part owner and manager. Kevin Krahn, owner and manager of North and South, has lived in Verona for three years, and prior to that he lived in Fitchburg. – Neal Patten

Nelson wins three national titles

Former Verona Area High School standout Beata Nelson won three national swimming titles at the NCAA Championships March 20-23 and set a new American and NCAA record in the 100 backstroke. Nelson, who also won the 200 individual medley and 200 back, became the second national champion in the program’s history (after Maggie Meyer) and the first to win multiple titles, bringing three gold medals back to Madison. – Mark Nesbitt

New AD at VAHS

Joel Zimba was named Verona Area High School’s next athletic director in June. Zimba, 31, took over for Mark Kryka, who stepped down after 31 years at the end of last school year. The Mozambique native’s his family left during a civil war when he was 2 and chose the Madison area for its health care and educational facilities. He is a Madison West alumnus. – Mark Nesbitt

Photo by Adam Feiner

Verona Area High School athletic director Joel Zimba fields questions after a presentation Monday, Aug. 5, at the Verona Area High School Performing Arts Center. Zimba also had a meet and greet at the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County on Tuesday, Aug. 6. Parents and students had the chance to learn more about the new VAHS athletic director and ask questions about the upcoming school year.

Rhapsody Arts Center suddenly closes

Music students, parents and even educational staff for Rhapsody Arts Center were left shocked at the end of April when the school closed abruptly with little warning. Teachers were eventually given pay for their work, but not until after the school liquidated much of its assets. Despite knowing the school was in financial trouble, classes and private lessons were still advertised prior to its sudden closure. – Kimberly Wethal

Whispering Coves subdivision gets approved

A northside subdivision that has room for more than 200 homes, apartments, condominiums, retail shops and a future elementary school finally got approval after its seventh attempt. City leaders had always responded well conceptually to its nontraditional winding roads and so-called linear parks following a central trail network. But concerns about infrastructure and what had been considered inadequate park space kept bringing it back. – Jim Ferolie

Share your smiles in the

Kids & Pets Today pages Send us a special fun photo of your child or pet to be published in the Verona Press on Wednesday, January 30, 2020. • Selfies • Kids with Pets • Any Fun Photo Poses • Voting on Facebook Like your favorite photo on facebook to vote from Friday, January 17, 2020 thru Thursday, January 22, 2020. The top two vote-getters will win a prize and will be announced in the Thursday, January 30, 2020 Verona Press. Children and Pets of all ages accepted

Verona P re

To enter: Complete and return the form below, along with your photo, or visit our website ConnectVerona.com.

ss

Must be received by Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Please print clearly. One entry per child or pet. One form per child or pet.

Mail to: Kids & Pets Today, 133 Enterprise Dr., PO Box 930427, Verona, WI 53593

Or enter online at connectverona.com and click on “Submit an Item.” Child or Pet’s Name _________________________________________________________________________________ Parents’ Names _____________________________________________________________________________________ Phone (for contact purposes only)____________________________ City_____________________________________________ This photo submission constitutes permission to publish. Photos must be received by Wednesday, January 15, 2020 to be included. Please include a self-addressed stamped envelope if you would like your photo returned.

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