Spring Green, Wisconsin
Thursday, June 13, 2024 | Vol. 5, No. 12 FREE, Single-Copy
Inside this edition
Arena Village Board hears results of police survey
4PeteSake 2024 recipient profiles
Submissions to open for L&J Literary Journal
Pages 1, 5
Page 9
Pages 8, 9
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hillside Theater at Taliesin reopens after five-year, $1.1 million restoration
Historic theater debuts to the public following significant structural, functional & accessibility improvements Savannah Kirmis, Contributed The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and Taliesin Preservation recently announced the reopening of the Hillside Theater at Taliesin, Wright’s home and studio in Spring Green, following a fiveyear, $1.1 million restoration project to revive the space to its former glory. Originally built in 1903 as part of the Hillside Home School founded by Wright’s aunts, the Hillside Theater has served as a historic and cultural landmark within the Driftless Area for over a century. The theater has seen various transformations over the decades, from its initial use as a multipurpose space to a dedicated
Photo by Kyle Docker, courtesy of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation The Hillside Theater at Taliesin after its recent multi-year renovation. playhouse for the Taliesin Fellowship, Wright’s apprentice program, where
they hosted public movie screenings and concerts.
The restoration project, which began in 2019, addressed significant structural and functional challenges. Key efforts included resolving sub-grade water infiltration that had damaged the stage and surrounding areas; installing an HVAC system to improve climate control and comfort; and enhancing accessibility with new pathways and facilities. Other project focus areas included upgrades to the electrical and plumbing systems, roofing repairs, the addition of new green rooms in the basement, and exterior and interior finish repairs. Conservation specialists also restored two major Asian bodhisattva sculptures and the handmade theater curtain—designed by Wright and sewn by the Taliesin
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Arena appoints village president as Sheriff’s office liaison, board member share concerns about policing hours, survey Luukas Palm-Leis, Editorial Intern At the June 7 regular board meeting of the Village of Arena Board of Trustees, the board discussed the results of a police survey, appointed a liaison to the Iowa County Sheriff's office and made appointments to the newly restructured Public Safety Committee. Members also discussed changing the current ordinance for lawn height to allow for residents to participate in No Mow May. To finish the meeting, the board empowered the clerk to apply with the state for a water rate increase.
Police survey results
Results from the policing survey given to Arena residents, open April 19 to May 17, were recently made public as the Arena Village Board again discussed various issues around the future of emergency services and public safety.
Photo via Village of Arena The first page of the agreement for policing between Arena and Iowa County, QR code inlaid. The survey gave residents three options for the future of policing services provided in the village. The survey had
106 respondents. 32 voted to maintain the Arena Police Department as it existed prior to November 2023—when
it went part time, which included two full time and one part time officers. 28 voted to reduce the department to a single full time officer and 46 voted to dissolve the Arena Police Department entirely and contract the Iowa County Sheriff’s Office for ordinance enforcement. All options had an estimated monetary cost to taxpayers, with the last option— presented as the estimated cheapest option—predicated on a maximum of four hours per week of contracting with Iowa County. Survey respondents were also asked to rank the importance of five basic public services. Results, in order of importance, were: Fire/EMS, infrastructure, police, parks and recreation and business and development. Surveys were sent out by mail to most
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