3/12/2021 Fitchburg Star

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Kathy Bartels

Friday, March 12, 2021 • Vol. 8, No. 1 • Fitchburg, WI • ConnectFitchburg.com • $1

608-235-2927

KBartels@StarkHomes.com

Inside

Spring election

COVID-19: One year later

Local races on every ballot

Council places gasoline savings into fund for hybrid, electric vehicle purchases

Districts 1, 2, 3 have Council seats; VASD and OSD have contests

Page 3

KIMBERLY WETHAL

Sports

Unified Newspaper Group

Page13

Schools

Photo by Kimberly Wethal

Pharmacist Amy Gorrell gives Badger Ridge Middle School literacy and equity specialist Shayla GlassThompson her first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Fitchburg Family Pharmacy, with the assistance of University of Wisconsin pharmacy students and other area pharmacists, vaccinated 60 Verona Area School District educators on Saturday, March 6, at the high school fieldhouse.

Cautiously optimistic Amid a pandemic that halted life in the city, vaccines show chance for recovery

EMILIE HEIDEMANN Unified Newspaper Group

Educators, students grapple with learning during COVID-19 one year later Page 16

Business

W

hen the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11, 2020, nobody quite knew how the illness would affect the world.

In Fitchburg, restaurants lost customers and revenue, and the city’s only movie theater closed, with the empty parking lot becoming a storage lot for McKee and Verona Road construction workers. Hotel room tax revenue has plummeted, with the city seeing one-fourth of the amount in October through December 2020, than it did over the same months in 2019.

For a year now, Fitchburg

On the Web To find out more about COVID-19 cases in the City of Fitchburg, visit:

dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/ data.htm. residents have not been able to peruse through the book shelves inside the public library, and many senior center regulars have only interacted with staff during drive-thru treat pick-ups.

Much of what brought life and excitement to the city, disappeared in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. McKee Farms Park never opened its splash pad, which draws hundreds of people from both inside and outside of the city.

The park also sat eerily quiet at

times, with festivals and events such as Concerts at McKee, Festa Italia and Kids Building WI all pulling the plug last spring.

And regional mainstay events such as the Thanksgiving Berbee Derby and the Agora Art Fair, both of which typically fill East Cheryl Parkway with visitors each year, were postponed or canceled.

Those cancellations were good for the city in one way – with less events, there were less vehicles on the road, which allowed construction crews for McKee and Fish Hatchery Road projects to move faster during the Safer at Home mandate.

As of March 10, COVID-19 had infected just shy of 2,500 people in

Turn to Pandemic/Page 16

Learning during a pandemic JangoBio researchers seek to understand aging Page 19

Educators reflect on challenges, silver linings of unforgettable year W h e n G ov. To ny E ve r s announced the closings of all state schools in a Friday, March 13 news release, the date certainly turned out to be inauspicious.

What started out as an extended spring break of sorts soon turned into an unrelenting saga, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect health orders to bring life back to “normal.”

And nowhere did the pandemic show its effects more than in schools, which grappled all year with changing health rules and guidance, all while trying to keep students both

safe and learning. Looking back a year later, events unfolded quickly.

After several weeks of updates from Public Health Madison and Dane County Health, Oregon School District officials first brought up COVID-19 with families in a March 2 letter. Only one person in Wisconsin had tested positive for the virus at that point, and health officials

Turn to Educators/Page 10

Turn to Election/Page 10

Upcoming candidate forums The Fitchburg Star will host two candidate forums, one for the Verona Area School District at 6 p.m. March 12, and the other for the Oregon School District at 5 p.m. Friday, March 26.

Visit connectfitchburg.com for more details on the forums.

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Boys hockey: Verona’s plans at state repeat foiled

Every Fitchburg voter will have at least one local race, if not two, to vote on in the spring general election.

There are three aldermanic districts up for re-election in Districts 1, 2 and 3, and a handful of contested races for both the Verona Area and Oregon school boards. In addition, the ballot will feature a county-wide race for County Executive and a race for the state Department of Public Instruction superintendent.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Tuesday, April 6. Sample ballots will be available on the city’s website (follow the Government – City Clerk tab), as well as on myvote. wi.gov.

At least two new people are guaranteed on the City of Fitchburg Common Council – District 4 candidate Jim Wheeler is running unopposed to fill Ald. Tom Clauder’s seat, which he declined to run for again, citing his long record of city involvement and stating it was time for him to step back.

And in District 3, while one of the candidates is not new to City of Fitchburg government, there’s been a decade gap between the last time he served. Jay Allen is on the ballot for District 3 alongside Shawnicia Youmas, who has officially decided not to campaign nor take the seat, should she win.

Allen and Youmas advanced through the February primary that had the tightest possible vote margins. Youmas narrowly came in second place by being one vote ahead of third-place finisher Nicholas DiMiceli. State law requires Youmas be on the April ballot, but should she win in April and not accept the spot, mayor Aaron Richardson has said in a tweet from Feb. 28 that the city would then hold a special election for the seat.

Districts 1 and 2 have incumbents running for their seats, with challengers who are already involved in city committees challenging them.

In District 1, incumbent Dorothy Krause is running for her sixth term on the Council against Dave Herbst, chair of the Board of Public Works. For District 2, incumbent Julia

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March 12, 2021

ConnectFitchburg.com

Fitchburg Star

Snapshots from a health crisis The Fitchburg community, much like others throughout the world, looked much different after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11, 2020.

Streets and buildings became barren. People isolated at home and worked remotely. Our lives changed to prevent the spread of a deadly virus.

One year later, vaccines

are rolling out and we know more about how the illness takes its hold on the human body.

To reflect on the last year, the Fitchburg Star editorial staff compiled some of the most powerful images from the last year of the health crisis.

Email Emilie Heidemann at emilie.heidemann@wcinet. com or follow her on Twitter at @HeidemannEmilie.

Photo submitted

Owner of Rise High Learning Academy, Sirosh Masood, checks the temperature of students before they enter the building for the day.

Photo submitted

Justin Mitmoen receives the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Fitch-Rona EMTs were eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in late December 2020.

Photo by Connor Desilets

Pastor Scott Holthaus helps move boxes of food during the food drive at City on a Hill Church in Fitchburg on February 3, 2021. The church donated 35,000 pounds of food that day to the food insecure amid the pandemic.

Photo by Kimberly Wethal

Playgrounds in Fitchburg, and around the state, were ordered to close on March 25, 2020, by Gov. Tony Evers’ “Safer at Home” mandate that limits public interactions.

Photo by Neal Patten

Thirsty Goat employee Freddie Schulz waits with a food order outside the restaurant in May 2020.

Photo by Kimberly Wethal

The Fitchburg Senior Center closed its doors in March 2020 to visitors from the public mid-March as the county and state imposed restrictions on public gatherings.

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March 12, 2021

City of Fitchburg

Council places gasoline savings into fund for hybrid, electric vehicle purchases KIMBERLY WETHAL Unified Newspaper Group

A portion of the gasoline savings the City of Fitchburg incurred last year will help staff pay for future hybrid and electric vehicle replacements.

The Common Council unanimously approved the transfer of money to a hybrid and electric vehicle fund at its Tuesday, Feb. 23, meeting.

Alders first discussed the concept of the vehicle expense fund during the Capital Improvement Project plan last year. The Council formally created it in November 2020 after passing an amendment to its 2021 operating budget.

Part of that amendment specified that the council could not

move more than $20,000 in gasoline savings to the fund at the end of the year. Each year, alders will be required to vote on a budget amendment to move any excess savings, which requires at least two-thirds of the entire council’s approval.

Before the council can vote to move any excess gasoline savings into the fund, it must meet three requirements. In order to transfer funds, staff must have spent less on gasoline than what was allocated to the departments’ budgets. Additionally, the transfer of funds cannot cause any department, nor the city overall, to have a deficit.

Gasoline savings can be pulled from any department that already has a budget for it, and it can be transferred back if a department is in need of extra gasoline funds.

City finance director Misty Dodge explained in an email to the Star on Feb. 24 that while gasoline charges are often combined with other vehicle maintenance and not readily available, she noted that

the two departments that are the largest fuel users, the police and fire departments, collectively spent $30,000 less than they were budgeted for.

Ald. Gabriella Gerhardt (Dist.

2), who proposed the amendment to the 2021 budget that created the fund, said that because hybrid and electric vehicles are still a more expensive option, the fund allows staff to choose those vehicles without having to sacrifice elsewhere.

“We all know that gasoline prices were fairly cheap throughout 2020,” she said. “In my mind, this really is an opportunity for us to pay it forward … to a future year (and) invest in those hybrid vehicles, because eventually, gasoline prices will rise and we’ll want to have a more efficient fleet.”

Fitchburg has placed a focus on shifting its energy needs to renewable energy sources in the past decade. In 2010, the city joined the U.S. Mayors CLimate Protection Agreement, which committed it to having 25% of its energy needs

met through renewable sources.

It upped its commitment in 2019, when the council pledged that the city would get 100% of its energy from renewable energy sources by 2030.

Multiple city buildings, including the library, the public works department and the Marketplace and Syene Road fire stations were retrofitted to have solar panels, or built with the addition of them in mind.

And once the solar farm on the O’Brien property near Lacy Road and Seminole Highway is complete, the city will receive 500 kilowatts of energy created by the solar panels, which is double what the city was original allocated, after another contractor working with Madison Gas and Electric determined it didn’t need as much as it had been given.

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

Fitchburg man arrested for 5th operating a vehicle while intoxicated Charles H. Burton, 62, stopped while driving through Blooming Grove

Fitchburg, around 1 a.m. Saturday, March 6, on a felony charge of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, for his fifth offense.

According to a news release from the sheriff’s office, the A Dane County Deputy Sheriff deputy had seen Burton “vioarrested Charles H. Burton, 62, of late numerous traffic laws” and

almost strike a construction barrel as he headed west on Hwy. 12/18 from Millpond Rd. in the Town of Blooming Grove. The deputy made the traffic stop on the offramp at S. Stoughton Road in the City of Madison.

According to the news release,

Burton subsequently failed standardized field sobriety testing, was arrested, and is being held at the Dane County Jail on the felony OWI charge.

Email Unified Newspaper Group reporter Scott De Laruelle at scott.delaruelle@wcinet.com.

3

COVID-19 snapshot from Feb. 8 through March 8 Cases of COVID-19 in the City of Fitchburg have slowed down within the last month.

On March 8, Department of Health Services data showed there were 2,438 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Fitchburg. (The majority of those are likely recovered cases.) That’s up from 2,375 confirmed cases as from Feb. 8.

Starting Wednesday, Dec. 2, the state Department of Health Services started releasing COVID-19 data for cities, villages and townships, as well as school districts and ZIP codes.

The state Department of Health Services receives data from county health departments and hospitals that are uploaded into its electronic disease surveillance system by 9 a.m. the day of the report. At 2 p.m., the department releases new information on its website.

Cumulative cases are a representation of all cases reported since March 15.

The data dashboard can be located at dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/data.htm.

— Emilie Heidemann

Fitchburg COVID-19 numbers City of Fitchburg • Average no. of new daily cases within last seven days: 3.14 • Cumulative cases: 2,438 • Change over Monday, Feb. 8: 63 • Percentage positive since March 15: 8.27% • Increase of percentage positive since Monday, Feb. 8: 0.21%

Steven Heller

VOTE DAVE

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TUESDAY APRIL 6

Endorsed by the

For Fitchburg Alder District 1 - Seat 1

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DAVE’S FITCHBURG AGENDA:

April 6, 2021

Be a good neighbor first - I am here to serve you!!

Return all of your phone calls and messages.

Listen and advocate for all residents - including those disagreeing with me.

Provide opportunity for those who aspire to succeed!!

Ensure our residents are safe, and their property is protected!!

Make spending decisions as if the funding was coming out of my own pocket.

Cost effective strategies to protect our environment!!

Endorsed by a diverse group of supporters - including neighbors, friends, former and current alders, and former mayors.

CONTACT DAVE HERBST

I have worked with Steven the past two years on Plan Commission. There is no doubt in my mind he will be an excellent leader on city council.

He is exactly who we want to serve Fitchburg.

- Aaron Richardson, Mayor of Fitchburg

To learn more about his plans for a Fitchburg that works for ALL!!

Also endorsed by

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Shannon Strassman (current alderperson), Dan Bahr (former alderperson).

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City will transfer maximum amount of $20,000

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4

March 12, 2021

Opinion

Fitchburg Star

ConnectFitchburg.com

From the general manager

When the worst is over, let’s make the best of it

I

like to joke that March 11 was the day Rudy Gobert shut down the world.

That reference to the French NBA All-Star whose very public contraction of COVID-19 – back when that was not yet a household word – is a mild exaggeration of his role in a sudden, frightening change in life as we know it.

We all have different memories of that week, but the moment I found out the NBA had suspended its season indefinitely – perhaps costing the Bucks a title – was the big shock. It made it all real and very uncomfortable for me.

Looking back at what seems like eons ago, we now know a massive adjustment in our lifestyles was inevitable. The notion that we would be back to normal in a couple of weeks is as darkly comical as Gobert thought he was being that week, when he touched every microphone in a press conference to mock some people’s panic.

One basketball player didn’t

Ferolie

cause this all, and neither did Republicans, the Chinese government, Bill Gates or bar-hopping college students. This was climate change, not a

heat wave.

And how well we adapt to this new world will depend on whether most of us put aside our anger and frustration and work together to accept our new reality.

Whether you believe what we’ve been through the past year is irreversible and catastrophic or temporary and inconvenient is probably similar to your outlook on the likelihood that most of us will eventually contract some variant of this coronavirus.

Either way, it’s clear our lives never will be the same.

At minimum, some of us never again will go to the grocery store without a mask or step out in public without hand sanitizer,

Correction

An article about the Latin Consortium for Action relief fund that published in the Feb. 12 edition of the Fitchburg Star incorrectly identified an organization, and misspelled a name due to a typographical error. The LCA formed five years ago in Dane County. It is a group of nonprofits and local government officials who exist to serve Latinx people in communities like Fitchburg. One of the LCA’S members includes Baltazar De Anda-Santana, who is the executive director of the Latino Academy of Workforce Development.

The Star regrets the errors.

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Reach us by email General Manager Jim Ferolie jim.ferolie@wcinet.com Display Advertising Bryann Bozeman fitchburgsales@wcinet.com Subscriptions and circulation ungcirculation@wcinet.com News Kimberly Wethal newseditor@wcinet.com Sports Mark Nesbitt ungsportseditor@wcinet.com Business news Emilie Heidemann ungbusiness@wcinet.com Community news Emilie Heidemann communityreporter@wcinet.com Reporters Mackenzie Krumme, Neal Patten, Scott De Laruelle

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and we’ll do much of our shopping for basic necessities online.

In many sectors of society, such as the healthcare industry, some COVID-19 protocols might be permanent.

Video calls, for both work and happy hour, have become an integral part of our lives. Many of us will never work full time in an office again.

Like most people, I was wrong about a lot of things early on when it comes to COVID-19. But one suggestion I made almost exactly a year ago still appears to be coming true: It’s our boll weevil.

Just like that 19th century bug infestation that forced the South to turn its cotton-centered economy on its head, this transition has come with pain, and for many people, much, much worse.

For my family, COVID-19 disrupted the hugely successful cancer treatments my wife’s mother was undergoing in Mexico and almost assuredly began her rapid, possibly irreversible decline in health.

More than a half-million Americans, and millions around the world, have died. Many more have been seriously scarred either by the disease, the shutdown or the recession that has accompanied it all.

Nobody really is unscathed, except possibly the fortunate few who were in a position to profit handsomely from the change in our economy, and most of them likely have had personal losses of some sort.

But just like the boll weevil, our coronavirus crisis has ushered in a new era, and the permanent changes it has brought are something kids will study in school for decades.

Among the good results are that it’s created some equity by forcing us all to be early adopters and making schools provide access to the necessary technology and internet for video.

It’s also likely had a permanent reduction in vehicular traffic and greenhouse gas emissions.

It still mostly sucks, and as tempting as it has been to

demonize everyone who disagrees with our priorities, nobody is really to blame. It can be hard for many of us to accept that.

For the first few weeks of the crisis, when we seriously thought hunkering down would make it disappear, we heard the phrase, “We’re all in this together” so much it became nauseating. It then became an ironic sore spot when numbers kept rising and we couldn’t agree on how to handle it.

While I certainly never want to relive March and April of 2020, there was still hope those days that we come out of it more united. That feels like fantasy now, but there’s still a little hope for it once the worst of this is over.

When the pain and rawness subside, we can either try our best to understand one another or we can stay angry and hurt and point fingers.

It’s our choice.

Jim Ferolie is the general manager of Unified Newspaper Group.

From the editor

Masking truth won’t make us safer

O

ne night last week, as I was doing my ritualistic scrolling of Twitter before going to bed, a tweet from the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Twitter account caught my eye.

It wasn’t because it was an especially captivating photo; rather, it was what their social media team probably hoped no one would notice.

The photo, which had a thankyou message imposed on it, showed everyone properly wearing their masks in the stands. But as I looked through the comments of the tweet, I noticed the original, uncropped photo had an important difference.

Apparently, someone in the public relations department had decided to Photoshop masks onto the handful of non-compliant people in the stands before tweeting it out, to give the impression that Penguins fans were taking the pandemic seriously.

It didn’t sit well with me.

Maybe I was just cranky, having had a nasal swab shoved up each nostril earlier that day after my significant other had been exposed to a family member who, unbeknownst to us, hadn’t been feeling well. We only found out from another family member who tested positive earlier afterward.

Having to go through that for the third time in a year, it felt like a breach of trust. Had we known someone in the family wasn’t feeling well, we’d have made a different decision to keep ourselves safe.

The same goes for mask-wearing.

If I were considering attending a Penguins game and saw that photo in only its Photoshopped form, it would give me a false sense of safety.

The original Wethal shot, with several masks either not on or hanging out below noses, would make me think differently.

As a newspaper editor, I’m going to take this principle a step further and say honesty is more essential now than ever. It’s far more important than modeling whatever you believe is appropriate behavior.

In the last few weeks, we’ve gotten several complaints about people in our photos not wearing their masks properly. Some suggested or even said directly that it is our responsibility as a newspaper to promote proper mask etiquette.

Even before my latest rendezvous at the Alliant Energy Center’s COVID-19 testing site, I’d have argued no. I’m even more convinced now.

I’ll unashamedly say I’m promask wearing. I’m a big believer in reducing human suffering and harm through slowing the spread of the virus by covering my face, mask acne and all.

Masks aren’t a perfect way to deal with the pandemic, but if we’d have had that perfect solution last summer, mask mandates wouldn’t have

been needed to begin with.

It’s irresponsible to believe that everyone has that same mentality in the communities we live in. Most of us can name at least one person in our lives that we love who won’t wear a mask, no matter how much their loved ones plead with them.

Hiding this reality by choosing to publish only photos that show correctly worn masks doesn’t make life safer. It probably does the opposite.

Choosing a certain reality by showing only what we or others believe is appropriate is propaganda, not truth, and our business is truth – even if it makes people look bad.

That decision might make you feel good while you look at the story on the page, but it wouldn’t do you any good when you walk into a place where we previously published photos of full mask compliance, and end up getting a surprise.

So, as we ride out the rest of this pandemic, however long it lasts, don’t expect us to lie to you by not running photos of non-mask-compliant people. Because right now, as I anxiously await my COVID-19 test results, the resounding feeling I have is that the false sense of safety at a recent family gathering led us to a poor decision.

It’s not a feeling I like – and it’s not a feeling I want to impart on our readers.

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

Letter to the editor

Vote for Julia Arata-Fratta for re-election as alder I’m writing to ask that voters in District 2 join me in support of the candidacy of and in voting for Julia Arata-Fratta for re-election as Alder on the Fitchburg City Council.

Ms Arata-Fratta is by far the best qualified candidate in this election.

By virtue of her service on multiple Council committees as well as her education and employment in business and finance she has the kind of

deep and detailed knowledge of city government needed to make the hard decisions required of her position.

That her colleagues on the Council chose her as President is testimony to the high esteem in which she is held.

Her competence will be of particular value in managing the upcoming acquisition of a portion of the Town of Madison as well as in continuing to optimize business development and in

maintaining efficient city government.

Her personal qualities are outstanding, including the highest levels of commitment, diligence, responsibility and responsiveness.

The City of Fitchburg could do no better than to re-elect her to this position for which she is so eminently qualified.

Gene Musser Fitchburg

Opinion

I’d like to encourage my fellow Fitchburg citizens to support Julia Arata-Fratta in her re-election campaign for District 2 of the City Council.

Fitchburg has a complex set of challenges coming up, including the annexation of the Town of Madison, tight budgets during and following the pandemic, and ensuring the equitable and fair allocation of resources throughout all of Fitchburg. Julia’s knowledge of the budget structure, city processes, and strategic plans, will be an invaluable resource in navigating those challenges during the next two years.

Julia has led the project to develop a new inclusive playground in McKee Farms Park, just the third in the county, an area that will be accessible to children of all abilities. This includes covering 50% of the cost using private donations, and creating an organization to fundraise for future maintenance and upkeep costs, reducing the city’s tax contribution down the line as well.

In addition, the annexation of the Town of Madison is going to be an extremely complex challenge to navigate, as we face issues related to staffing, budgets,

and the inevitable unforeseen problems that may arise, and we need someone with the depth and breadth of knowledge of the city, its policies, procedures, and rules.

This experience is clearly recognized in the community, as shown by the endorsements she has received from the current state representatives and senators for most of Fitchburg. A progressive community needs to support progressive candidates both nationally and locally, and support for core city services and community development projects is not a zero-sum game.

We have a responsibility to ensure that whether you are renting an apartment, own a home or condo, or manage rural farmland that all Fitchburg residents have access to community resources and development, and not just those that have the time, money, or ability to speak at local government meetings.

Julia has proven to be an advocate for her constituents, and will ensure that we continue to create a vibrant city that can be loved and enjoyed by all of its residents.

Micah LaDousa Fitchburg

Re-elect Arata-Fratta in District 2 I am Frances Huntley-Cooper.

I have spent most of my adult life in Fitchburg, raised my children here, and served as the City’s first African American alder and the first and only African American mayor in Fitchburg and the entire state.

I proudly support my alder, Dorothy Krause, and District 2 Alder, Julia Arata-Fratta, for re-election.

I’ve known Dorothy since before she was elected. She has always shown passion for issues of housing, transportation, and youth, and follows topics of interest across the spectrum of district residents.

Dorothy attends meetings and events related to the city, county, or community. She is consistently informed of opportunities and alerts residents. She follows politics at all levels and speaks for the best interest of Fitchburg.

Dorothy is aware of budget implications but also sees the value in investing in prevention rather than intervention. She is aware of human and civil rights, criminal justice issues, and the challenges of successful re-entry for adults into society and young people avoiding the youth justice system.

Dorothy has been one of the most active Alders to ever represent this district. She does far more than what the position calls for, not just showing up at election time but making herself accessible at all times.

Dorothy shows patience and

gives respect to those with different viewpoints. She believes in listening, learning, sharing and education and being intentionally present.

I have known Julia for a few years through her work in Fitchburg and on nonprofit boards. She has a background that contributes to the diversity of thought on Council as they deliberate on important issues.

She is committed to and cares for our community. We share values and vision on the type of a city we want to live in and how to make Fitchburg a more dynamic place.

Julia responds to constituents and advocates on behalf of their concerns and issues as she promotes healthy neighborhoods in Fitchburg. She is devoted to addressing housing affordability, sustainability, and responsible, equitable, and inclusive economic growth.

As council president she has shown that she has the leadership skills and experience needed to move Fitchburg forward to become a more vibrant community.

Fitchburg is a diverse and growing community. More than ever, we need experienced, responsible, and compassionate leaders with a strong voice for every resident.

Please re-elect Dorothy and Julia for Common Council Frances Huntley-Cooper Fitchburg

Support Herbst for alder The Herbsts were one of the first families we met after moving to Jamestown. Our children have grown up and shared many fun family activities together.

In 2014, we each hosted foreign exchange students from Germany who were twin brothers. Dave was a coach for Verona Youth baseball and basketball. I appreciated his efforts to offer all the rewards of being part of a team.

He taught the athletes about hard work, perseverance, and respect. He supported students with diverse needs, some who needed assistance with transportation or equipment. He met the

students where they were and helped them to grow into the best version of themselves.

For over 25 years, he has volunteered his time on the board of public works and for nonprofit groups in our community.

Dave is concerned about our city and offers sensible solutions to our problems.

He is independent and has always had the residents’ best interest in mind. I support Dave as our District 1 Alder.

Amy Almond Fitchburg

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Vote for Krause, Arata-Fratta Support for Arata-Fratta for alder I am writing in support of Dorothy Krause for Fitchburg 1 Alder, and Julia Arata-Fratta for Fitchburg District 2 Alder.

Our family moved to Fitchburg, District 1, in 2019 with the completion of our home with Habitat for Humanity. Dorothy not only took the time to introduce herself and welcome us to the neighborhood, she also made sure that we knew how to get a hold of her and voice our opinions on city issues.

As many know, District 1 of our city includes areas that still feel the impacts of redlining and segregation, and that have historically been underserved. Dorothy has a history of speaking on issues of equity and access, such as advocating for an accessible polling place for residents of our district.

Even if we don’t always see eye to eye on each of the issues our city faces, Dorothy does work to build understanding and to listen to those she represents in our district.

Julia has been a progressive voice on the city council and a much-needed representation of both the District 2 community and our city.

Julia has been an involved and influential member of our board, serving on the Healthy Neighborhoods grant, bike, and finance committees, the community and economic development authority, and the plan commission in addition to her myriad acts of service.

She demonstrates an unique knowledge and understanding of our budget process as well as a commitment to bettering our city by being vigilant and engaged in city issues. We need more alders like her, willing to engage in the community and amplify the voices of people who have been under-represented in our city for far too long.

I encourage everyone to join in support of both of these candidates for Fitchburg City Council.

Kierstin Huelsemann Fitchburg

Support Arata-Fratta on April 6 I am writing this letter in support of Julia Arata-Fratta. As a business owner and Fitchburg resident I continue to be impressed with Ms. Arata-Fratta’s commitment to both the people and the businesses of Fitchburg.

I have had the pleasure of working with Ms. Arata-Fratta on Fitchburg’s Inclusive Playground.

During my conversations with Julia, it was evident that Julia is a forward thinker and is able to gauge a project from multiple angles. She is highly regarded by her peers and residents alike.

Julia was able to move this project forward by working with local residents, local businesses, city

officials and builders. This dedication and hard work resulted in a project that I am confident will bring great value to our city and fill a hole that has existed for far too long.

Ms. Arata-Fratta’s dedication, strong communication and willingness to act, not just acknowledge, has been a large reason why I choose to open my additional businesses in Fitchburg. I know that with leaders like Julia at the helm, this town is heading in the right direction, together.

I encourage the residents of Fitchburg to vote on April 6 Amanda Hoechst Fitchburg

Vote for Pankratz for school board I am writing to express my support for Troy Pankratz for Oregon School District Board of Education. I had the opportunity to serve as a Board member alongside Troy for three years and can attest to his commitment to the OSD and the students it serves.

Troy is a thoughtful, bright and hard-working member of the board. He has served in numerous leadership roles and always has what’s best for all students at the center of his decision making.

He has children who are students in the district and has been a long time, highly involved member of the OSD community and is dedicated to a model of continuous improvement for the Oregon Schools.

He understands the importance of the wide range of issues that are at the forefront of a board member’s duties, including fiscal responsibility and prudent stewardship of district resources, the

“whole child” approach to teaching and learning, equity and student-centered learning, keeping the district a place that attracts and retains the very best educators, and the importance of strategic planning for the future.

Troy has served on the Board of Education with distinction these last three years and is well deserving of another term.

Please join me in voting for Troy Pankratz on April 6, 2021 for the Oregon School District Board of Education.

Courtney Odorico Fitchburg

PAR Concrete, Inc.

• Driveways • Floors • Patios • Sidewalks

Phil Mountford 516-4130 (cell) 835-5129 (office)

I’m District 2 Alder Gabriella Gerhardt. I endorse Alder Julia Arata-Fratta for re-election and encourage you to vote for Julia on April 6.

If you envision a progressive future for Fitchburg, Julia is your candidate. She has and will continue to work to make Fitchburg a more equitable, inclusive and vibrant city.

Here is what I have seen as Julia’s colleague on council.

She has been an incredible mentor to me as I embarked on my first year as an alder. Her advice and guidance helped me navigate the complex capital improvement plan and budget processes.

She always brings forward amendments to improve those plans. She is tireless in working to understand the issues facing Fitchburg. She has read every neighborhood plan and planning document and has taken part in crafting many of them.

During meetings, she always asks discerning questions to aid in public understanding of the issues. She rapidly responds to constituent concerns and questions.

As president of the council, Julia plans the monthly Committee of the Whole meetings where the council digs deep into issues. In the past 10 months, we have discussed stormwater management, Town of Madison annexation, municipal budgeting, road construction, affordable housing, policing, and more.

These learning opportunities are invaluable, and we are better prepared to make tough decisions because of her leadership. Julia makes things happen. One example: an inclusive playground is coming to McKee Farms Park in 2021; this will be a place where children of all abilities and developmental stages can play in the same space.

There is no property tax impact, as the project is funded half through donations and half through park improvement fees. She worked with disability advocates to conceive, plan, and fundraise for the project. It would not be happening without her.

She is also an inspiring figure in our community. Her story of emigrating from Argentina to the United States and building a life here with her family is truly the American dream.

Having a native Spanish speaker on the council is an asset, especially in a city that has a large Hispanic population like ours. She hosts a Spanish language news program, Descubriendo Contigo, on Fitchburg’s television channel.

Alder Arata-Fratta is an extraordinary public servant. I enthusiastically endorse her. Vote Julia Arata-Fratta on April 6 for District 2 Alder.

Gabriella Gerhardt Fitchburg

Vote for Herbst for alder

In the April 6 election, I support Dave Herbst for Fitchburg alder in District 1. In contrast to his incumbent opponent who in 2018 favored of a proposal for raises for the alders and mayor, Dave is a committed volunteer community member.

As chair of the Fitchburg board of public works he has been open-minded in discussing transparency regarding projects and their costs to reign in overspending while keeping basic public services in mind. Dave is spearheading an effort to create a community garden at Heugel-Jamestown Park, to foster neighborhood interest and education in growing food for ones’ self and for the community.

He has always encouraged cooperation between public works and park and recreation departments, which does help manage overall city operating costs. As a member of Fitchburg’s Parks and Recreation Commission, I have observed his commitment to Fitchburg, including and especially his neighbors in District 1.

Please support him as you vote in the spring election April 6 either absentee or in person.

Sue Easterday Fitchburg

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Letters to the editor

March 12, 2021

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ConnectFitchburg.com

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March 12, 2021

ConnectFitchburg.com

Fitchburg Star

City bars, cafes and Upcoming events in Fitchburg restaurants offer delivery, carryout Public space closures

U n i fi e d N ew s p a p e r Group has compiled a listing of restaurants still serving Fitchburg throughout the COVID-19 crisis.

We have attempted to be as thorough as possible, but situations were still changing as of our print deadline, and not all businesses were available when we attempted contact.

All listings are updated as of Wednesday, Feb. 24.

We advise you contact the following establishments for the most up-todate hours and availability.

Please email ungbusiness@wcinet.com if you’d like to be added to this list or to make an update to your listing.

Barriques

Available: Curbside pickup, delivery, outdoor seating Hours: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Contact: 277-9463

Benvenuto’s Italian Grill

Available: Carryout, curbside pickup, dine-in, no-contact delivery Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Contact: 278-7800

Buffalo Wild Wings

Av a i l a b l e : P i c k u p , delivery, dine-in Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Contact: 268-0025

Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream

Available: Curbside, delivery, outdoor seating Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Contact: 283-9056

Curry In The Box

Available: Carryout, delivery, dine-in Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., 4-9 p.m. Saturdays, 4-8:30 p.m. Sundays Contact: 273-9100

Dairy Queen Grill & Chill

Available: Carryout, no-contact delivery Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Contact: 273-2276

Enrique’s Grill

Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday-Sunday 10 p.m. Sunday-ThursContact: 276-7600 day; 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Oasis Café Friday-Saturday Available: Carryout, Contact: 848-4877 delivery, dine-in The Great Dane Pub Hours: 6:30 a.m. to Available: Carryout, 4 p.m. Monday-Friday; delivery, dine-in 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Contact: 467-6572 Contact: 442-9000

Haveli Indian Restaurant

Available: Carryout Hours: 5-9 p.m.

Contact: 274-3333

Hy-Vee Market Grille

Available: Carryout, delivery Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Contact: 298-9800

Pancake Café

Available: Carryout, Available: Carryout, dine-in in-store shopping Hours: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Hours: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., Contact: 204-7040 Monday-Saturday Panera Bread Contact: 273-5120 Available: Carryout, Jimmy John’s curbside, delivery, dine-in Av a i l a b l e : P i c k u p , Hours: 6 a.m. to no-contact delivery 7:30 p.m.

Hours: 10:30 a.m. to Contact: 441-8883 8 p.m. (Fish Hatchery); 1 0 : 3 0 a . m . t o 9 p . m . Quivey’s Grove Availability: Carryout (McKee) Hours: 11:30 a.m. to Contact: 630-9583; 2:30 p.m. and 4-8 p.m.

275-7722 Tuesday-Thursday and Laredo’s Saturday; 11:30 a.m. to Available: Carryout, 9 p.m. Friday no-contact delivery, dineContact: 273-4900 in Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Rolling Pin Contact: 274-7370 Bake Shop Available: Carryout, Liliana’s Restaurant curbside, dine-in Available: Curbside Hours: 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. pickup, delivery H o u r s : 1 1 a . m . t o Monday-Friday; 7:30 a.m.

9 p.m., Monday-Thurs- to 2 p.m. Saturday Contact: 270-9611 day; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday-Saturday; 10 a.m. Starbucks to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to Available: Drive-thru, 9 p.m., Sunday carryout, delivery Contact: 442-4444 Hours: 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Contact: 276-6875 Little Caesars Pizza Available: Carryout, Tapatios delivery Available: Carryout, Hours: 11 a.m. to delivery, dine-in 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; Hours: 4-8 p.m.

11 a.m. to 10 p.m. FriContact: 467-7400 day-Sunday Contact: 274-9000 Thai Noodles Available: Carryout, Me And Julio Available: Carryout, delivery Hours: 10 a.m. to delivery, dine-in 9 p.m.

Monday-Saturday; Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday-Saturday; 1-9 p.m., Sunday Contact: 270-9527 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday Contact: 278-1428 Thirsty Goat Available: Carryout, Mod Pizza Available: Carryout, delivery, dine-in Hours: 11 a.m. to curbside, delivery H o u r s : 1 1 a . m . t o 10 p.m.

Contact: 422-5500 10 p.m.

Contact: 416-5224 Toppers Pizza

Moo-Yah

Available: Carryout Available: Carryout, Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. curbside, delivery Contact: 298-7774 Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday-SaturThe Flying Hound Available: Carryout, day; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday dine-in Contact: 270-1022 Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Monkeyshines Contact: 310-4422

Funk’s Pub

Pancheros

Available: Carryout, contactless delivery Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday-Wednesday, 10:30 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Thursday; 10:30 a.m. to 3 a.m. Saturday Contact: 274-4444

Bar and Grill

Yahara Bay Distillery

Noodles And Company

Closed:

Available: Curbside Available: Curbside Available: Curbside, pickup, delivery Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. dine-in Food hours: 8 a.m. to Monday-Friday; noon to Hours: 3-8 p.m. Thurs- 10 p.m.

4 p.m. Saturday day-Saturday Contact: 274-5339 Contact: 275-1050 Contact: 442-9500

Glass Nickel Pizza Co.

Atomic Koi Cocktail Available: Curbside, Lounge Tuscany Grill Available: Carryout, delivery, dine-in Hours: 10:30 a.m. to no-contact delivery Surya Cafe

Due to warmer temperatures and wet grounds, two public Fitchburg spaces are closed until further notice.

According to the City of Fitchburg Facebook page, all city ice rinks are closed for the spring and summer months. And Sunnyside Dog Park, 5564 Irish Lane, is closed due to wet and muddy conditions until they improve, a separate post on the page states.

For information, visit facebook.com/FitchburgWI.

Fitchburg Family Pharmacy COVID-19 testing

Fitchburg Family Pharmacy offers free COVID-19 testing services from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The pharmacy, 3050 Cahill Main, is partnering with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to disseminate a vaccine when it becomes available as well.

For more information, call 274-3784.

Digital book displays

If you miss browsing the Fitchburg Public Library’s book display, there’s a virtual solution.

The library is featuring digital book displays on its Facebook page. To check out a book, click its image and place a hold in LINKcat.

Once you receive a notice that your hold is available, call 729-1790 to pick it up.

For general information, email library.reference@fitchburg.wi.gov.

Morning book discussion

The Fitchburg Public Library is hosting a virtual book discussion from 10-11 a.m. on Wednesday, March 17.

The discussion group meets on every third Wednesday of the month, and this month will discuss “The Things We Keep” by Sally Hepworth.

Copies of the book are available through the library’s curbside pickup service by calling 729-1790.

For information, email erin.saylor@fitchburgwi.gov.

Evening book club

The Fitchburg Public Library is hosting a virtual book discussion from 7-8 p.m. Thursday, March 18.

The discussion group meets on every third Thursday of the month, and this month will discuss “Furious Hours: Murder Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee” by Casey Cep. Copies of the book are available through the library’s curbside pickup service by calling 729-1790.

For information, email rebecca.swanson@ fitchburgwi.gov.

Attorney presentation

Through the Fitchburg Senior Center, the public can learn about advanced directives at 1 p.m. Friday, March 19 over Zoom.

Come learn about the legal details of advanced directives with Mark Johnson, an elder law attorney from a firm in Fitchburg.

Mark will give a presentation about advanced directives, including the difference between a power of attorney or a living will. Attendees can ask questions after the presentation.

Registration is required by Monday, March 15, by calling 270-4290.

‘I Love a Mystery’

The ‘I Love a Mystery’ book club will meet at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, March 25, over Zoom.

The club, through the Fitchburg Senior Center, will discuss the book “Back Alley” by Mickey Spillane.

For the Zoom link or for information, email dmullaly5771@gmail.com.

Waterway cleanups

The City of Fitchburg is hosting waterway cleanups from 9-11 a.m. Saturday, April 10, with a rain date of Saturday, April 17.

Cleanup locations can be found by visiting fitchburgwi.gov/2634/Waterway-Cleanups.

Staff will practice social distancing, following Dane County health guidelines and having participants wear a mask during the event.

If you would like to volunteer, sign up for a notification list at fitchburgwi.gov/list.aspx.

If you are interested in leading a cleanup or for information, email claudia.guy@fitchburgwi.gov for more information.

Fitchburg Public Library

What to read in March Bored during the COVID-19 pandemic? Why not become a bookworm?

T h e F i t c h bu rg P u b l i c Library has put together a list of reading recommendations for the month of January.

Library adult and technical services manager Tegan Karow assembled this list.

‘Bravery: Chasing Dreams, Befriending Pain, and Other Big Ideas’ by Alexi Pappas

T h e O l y m p i c r u n n e r, actress, filmmaker and writer Alexi Pappas shares what she’s learned about confidence, self-reliance, mental health, embracing pain and achieving your dreams.

‘The Paris Library’ by Janet Skeslien Charles

​​​​​Based on the true World War II story of the heroic librarians at the American Library in Paris, this is an unforgettable story of romance, friendship, family, and the power of literature to bring us together.

‘The Eagles of Heart Mountain: A True Story of Football, Incarceration, and Resistance in the World War II America’ by Bradford Pearson

In the spring of 1942, the United States government forced 120,000 Japanese Americans from their homes

in California, Oregon, Washington and Arizona and sent them to incarceration camps across the west.

Nearly 14,000 of them landed on the outskirts of Cody, Wyoming, at the base of Heart Mountain. Behind barbed wire fences, they faced racism, cruelty, and frozen winters.

Trying to recreate comforts from home, many established Buddhist temples and sumo wrestling pits. Kabuki performances drew hundreds of spectators, and yet there was little hope. That is, until the fall of 1943, when the camp’s high school football team, the Eagles, started its first season and finished it undefeated, crushing the competition from nearby, predominantly white high schools.

Amid all this excitement, American politics continued to disrupt their lives as the federal government drafted men from the camps for the front lines, including some of the Eagles. As the team’s second season kicked off, the young men faced a choice to either join the Army or resist the draft. Teammates were divided, and some were jailed for their decisions.

readers on an entertaining and mind-bending adventure into the deep history of urban life.

Investigating across the centuries and around the world, Newitz explores the rise and fall of four ancient cities, each the center of a sophisticated civilization: the Neolithic site of Çatalhöyük in Central Turkey, the Roman vacation town of Pompeii on Italy’s southern coast, the medieval megacity of Angkor in Cambodia, and the indigenous metropolis Cahokia, which stood beside the Mississippi River where East St. Louis is today.

‘Dark Horses’

by Susan Mihalic

Fifteen-year-old equestrian prodigy Roan Montgomery has only ever known two worlds: inside the riding arena, and outside of it.

Both, for as long as she can remember, have been ruled by her father, who demands strict obedience in all areas of her life. The warped power dynamic of coach and rider extends far beyond the stables, and Roan’s relationship with her father has long been inappropriate.

She has been able to compartmentalize that dark aspect of her life, ruthlessly focusing ‘Four Lost Cities: A on her ambitions as a rider Secret History of the heading for the Olympics, just Urban Age’ by as her father had done. HowAnnalee Newitz ever, her developing relationIn “Four Lost Cities,” ship with Will Howard, a boy acclaimed science journal- her own age, broadens the ist Annalee Newitz takes scope of her vision.

Opinion

March 12, 2021

Letters to the editor

Keep government notices in papers

The Wisconsin legislature is currently considering a bill that would give local governments the option to stop publishing a summary of their actions in your newspaper.

Senate Bill 55 would allow local municipalities to post meeting minutes on their websites instead.

This is bad public policy under the guise of cost savings that would create considerable disruption for government transparency. Supporters of Senate Bill 55 suggest local government websites are sufficient to notify the public of their actions and that publishing meeting minutes in the newspaper limits access only to newspaper subscribers.

The fact is, however, that all legal notices published in the State of Wisconsin are available and accessible for free to the public through WisconsinPublicNotices.org. This comprehensive, searchable website hosted by the Wisconsin newspaper industry brings together ink-on-paper notices into one online location. This service is provided at no cost to local municipalities.

The goal of WisconsinPublicNotices.org is to enhance government distribution of public information and assist citizens who want to know more about the actions of their local, county and state representatives. This permanent, third-party documentation – unalterable and independent of government – ensures the protection of “your right to know” for every citizen.

The relationship between newspapers, state and local municipalities and WisconsinPublicNotices.org has successfully provided easy access to government information for all citizens, whether they seek it in print or online.

Removing existing publication requirements would create holes in this invaluable statewide database while also neglecting the needs of those who lack adequate computer and internet access.

Please tell your legislators to oppose this unnecessary barrier to government transparency.

Beth Bennett Wisconsin Newspaper Association executive director

Apoye a Dave Herbst para el Consejo

Yo recomiendo a los residentes del Distrito 1 de Fitchburg a que voten por el señor Dave Herbst el 6 de abril.

Mi familia conoce a la familia de Dave desde que nuestros hijos tenían 3 años. Nosotros somos vecinos en el área de Jamestown pero lo más importante es la amistad que llevamos desde hace muchos años.

Dave y yo fuimos entrenadores de equipos de béisbol en las pequeñas ligas de Verona por muchos años. Hemos sido muy afortunados en que nos dieron la oportunidad de enseñar y guiar a muchos jóvenes en el valor de trabajo en equipo, trabajo fuerte, destrezas de béisbol, y aprender a ganar o perder los partidos con dignidad.

Yo reconozco y aprecio la dedicación que Dave ha mostrado en la ciudad al servir como voluntario en la junta de Obras Públicas por los pasados 28 años. Sus prioridades son: mantener la seguridad en el distrito, mantener un presupuesto fiscal apropiado que incluya excelentes facilidades para hacer recreación y deportes, y un lugar del cual los residentes estén orgullosos de él.

Por favor, unase a mi para votar por Dave.

Luis Fernandez Fitchburg

Questioning Lacy Road expansion Time is running out for convincing the City of Fitchburg to stop working on plans to double the width of Lacy Road between Seminole Hwy and Fitchrona Rd. A proposal to do this was unveiled at a Public Meeting on Feb 17.

Safety improvements to this stretch of Lacy Road — along with resurfacing of the road and installation of a 10’ wide multi-use path on the north side of Lacy — are certainly needed. What’s not needed are two 8-foot wide “buffered” bike lanes, a 5-foot wide sidewalk and 7-foot wide grass terrace on the south side of Lacy, a median averaging 3-foot wide, curb and gutter on both sides, a storm sewer, and two

stormwater detention basins.

Deleting these components from the Feb. 17 proposal, except where safety improvements are needed, will save millions of dollars and result in a new, safe road that preserves the rural character of driving on it. Plus, the environmental footprint of the new road will be minimized, dozens of mature hardwood trees will not be cut down, and stormwater will be greatly reduced.

More details about this proposal are at: fitchburgwi.gov/DocumentCenter/View/21630/ Lacy-Rd-PIM-Presentation?bidId= Jay Hochmuth Fitchburg

Vote for Arata-Fratta for alder Julia Arata-Fratta is, by far, the most experienced and qualified person to represent and serve the values and ethos of our neighbors in District 2.

As a long-time member of the Fitchburg business community with an MBA in business administration, service on multiple committees, as City Council President and, possibly of most importance, a proud and successful mother of two Fitchburg-raised sons, Julia has done it all.

Julia will leverage her experience, network, and city leadership to promote and maintain those things that we all care deeply about — a safe environment, a vibrant and equitable city, and a beautiful ecosystem of sustainable city facilities, parks, playgrounds, and bike paths — all the while maintaining a lean, fiscally appropriate budget that allows our property values to continue to rise while keeping our

VOTE APRIL 6

RE-ELECT JULIA ARATA FRATTA

EXPERIENCED, KNOWLEDGEABLE, AND COMMUNITY-FOCUSED D LEADER.

Fitchburg family, I urge you to support our two most experienced, hard working, and compassionate council members for re-election this April.

Dorothy Krause is an alder who is consistently engaged and present. I have lived in Fitchburg for over twelve years.

In 2012, an apartment fire ravaged my apartment on Guilford Road.

The following day, Dorothy showed up and introduced herself as my county supervisor and told me that if my family or my neighbors needed anything, that she would be there. She has consistently done that for her county and city constituents.

She keeps residents aware of programs, policy decisions, events, county news, learning resources and for every election pre COVID does the unglamorous door to door work of talking to neighbors. Few in our district do not know who she is.

She was the driving force behind the council’s decision to establish a more accessible polling location by forming a partnership with Little John’s and personally funded signage to ensure neighbors knew of the change, so the city did not have to pay.

Julia Arata-Fratta is an alder who is thorough. She is a mentor, colleague, and has an attention to detail that is unmatched on the Council.

In her five years as alder, she worked with staff to establish the Healthy Neighborhood Initiative, a grant program that has supported dozens of nonprofits to serve hundreds of residents experiencing youth programming gaps, workforce, and food insecurity. She created a Spanish Language program in partnership with La Movida and FACTV. She privately and publicly fundraised for an inclusive playground that can host kids of all ability levels. And because of her leadership, we will have a community center for residents of the Leopold Neighborhood, outside of her district.

Council President Arata-Fratta is involved, engaged, data driven, and provides smart economically efficient ways to center human beings in our decision making processes.

A Council with Dorothy and Julia will ensure that all of our residents’ voices are heard and that we center equity, inclusivity, and community.

If you live in Districts 1 and 2, volunteer, advocate, and give them your vote on April 6.

James Tinjum and Glorily Lopez Fitchburg

Joe Maldonado Fitchburg Common Council, District 1

Ask T he Wealth Care Experts!

WHERE TO START WHEN CREATING AN ESTATE PLAN

The COVID-19 pandemic has made Americans even more aware of the importance of planning for the unexpected. While no one knows exactly what’s in store for the future, one thing you can do for your loved ones is create an estate plan that expresses your wishes in the event of incapacity or death. If you’re like a lot of people, you may not know where to start, but here are five documents that can form the foundation of a well thought out estate plan: 1. LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT - This is the primary document that defines how you want your property and other assets to be handled. It also assigns guardians for minor children and even pets and it provides a place where you can name your executor, the person who will manage the dissolution of your estate. Your will can also include directions regarding your funeral arrangements, such as whether you prefer to be buried or cremated.

3. LIVING WILL - Also known as an advanced health care directive, a living will conveys your wishes regarding end-of-life medical care. It spells out the extent of life-extending care you want to receive in case you are unable to communicate these preferences yourself. For example, you can request that medical personnel perform invasive life-saving procedures such as resuscitation or tube feeding as needed. Alternately, you can put in place a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order and request only comfort care.

Current City Council President

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Re-elect Arata-Fratta, Krause

2. POWER OF ATTORNEY (POA) - This legal document identifies an “agent” or person who can act on your behalf. You can choose to be very specific or very broad in the authority you assign to the POA. In some cases, a different family member may be POA for finances and/or personal property while another person is assigned to make decisions regarding medical care.

DISTRICT 2- FITCHBURG CITY COUNCIL

4. BENEFICIARY DESIGNATIONS - Beneficiary designations identify who you wish to receive a particular asset. These designations typically are made within the financial asset itself, such as a life insurance policy or an investment account. It’s important to keep your beneficiary designations up-to-date following a life change such as marriage, divorce, death of a spouse or birth of a child.

5. INVENTORY OF KEY DOCUMENTS AND CONTACTS – Once you have the top four legal documents in place, it’s prudent to think about how your loved ones will access your accounts once you’re gone. A document that lists everything from mortgages and other bills to bank accounts, insurance policies, real estate deeds and other legal proof can be very helpful. Your executor will need passwords for online accounts and may need physical copies of birth, marriage, divorce and Social Security records. Lastly, provide complete contact information for relevant parties such as your banker, lawyer, financial advisor and insurance agent.

ALTHOUGH CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ESTATE PLANNING CAN BE DIFFICULT, THEY’RE CRITICAL TO LEAVING THE LEGACY YOU WANT. TALK WITH A TRUSTED FINANCIAL ADVISOR WHO CAN REVIEW YOUR ENTIRE FINANCIAL PICTURE AND DETERMINE WHAT STEPS YOU NEED TO TAKE TO SAFEGUARD YOUR ESTATE.

Helping generations achieve their goals.

juliaforalder.com

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mill rate in check and, actually, decreasing.

As proud residents of Fitchburg District 2, we could not be more pleased and honored to support Julia Arata-Fratta as the experienced, get-it-done candidate for alder for District 2. Please join us in our support to re-elect Julia Arata-Fratta on April 6.

Fitchburg Star

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8

March 12, 2021

Fitchburg Star

Opinion

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Letters to the editor I’d like to invite voters to join me in voting for Dr. Mary Lokuta and Troy Pankratz for the OSD School Board on April 6. As a parent of three children in the district and an educator, these two candidates will best serve all families in the district and uphold the values we believe in.

Mary has a PhD in Medical Pathology. She is a scientist who understands how to evaluate information and data critically. Her professional career requires that she work with diverse team members to develop strategic approaches, even when the issues are very complex.

As a result, Mary has developed the ability to take complex information, analyze it, work with others, and develop approaches that work. These skills will make her an invaluable member of the OSD Board.

Beyond her professional experience, Mary has also shown her commitment to our schools through her volunteering and sharing her enthusiasm for science. One of Mary’s volunteer activities was to teach Caesar’s English to groups of students at RCI, and my daughter had the opportunity to benefit from Mary’s work with her.

My children all benefited from her countless hours spent organizing both the PTO science fair and art fair.

As a school board member, Troy Pankratz has demonstrated a strong commitment to all students in the district in serving our community. With Troy’s focus on equity, anti-racism, personalized learning opportunities, sustainable growth and eco-friendly schools, Troy shows his dedication to continuing to improve the learning for all students.

His thoughtful consideration of data has led to his making decisions in the best interest of students and staff in OSD. We are very fortunate to have two high-quality candidates who will contribute to the future of our students, educators, schools, and community, and I hope you’ll join me in voting for Mary Lokuta for Seat 1 and Troy Pankratz for Seat 3 on April 6.

Kelly Sullivan Oregon

Vote for Arata-Fratta for alder

I am writing in support of Julia Arata-Fratta for Fitchburg District 2 Alder. Julia has been a progressive voice on the city council and a much-needed representation of both the District 2 community and our city.

Her leadership spans many areas including: building equity by developing the Healthy Neighborhoods grant; creating and hosting a Spanish language program with FACTV and LaMovida; fundraising public and private monies for an inclusive playground accessible to children of all abilities; and working with the city to implement The Hub, a community center in the Leopold Neighborhood.

Julia has been an involved and influential member of our board, serving on the Healthy Neighborhoods grant, bike, and finance committees, the community and economic development authority, and the plan commission in addition to her myriad acts of service.

She demonstrates an unique knowledge and understanding of our budget process as well as a commitment to bettering our city by being vigilant and engaged in city issues. We need more alders like her, willing to engage in the community and amplify the voices of people who have been under-represented in our city for far too long.

I encourage everyone to join in support of Julia’s campaign for reelection to the Fitchburg City Council.

Kierstin Huelsemann Fitchburg

Support for Krause for alder I am writing in support of Dorothy Krause, the incumbent Fitchburg alderperson. Dorothy has been an important voice for all our citizens, especially those who need a champion to bring issues of equity and fairness into the discussions and decisions made in the Fitchburg Council.

When my neighbors and I were startled by an incident involving gunshots on our street last summer, Dorothy came by to hear

our experiences and concerns.

She has always been easy to contact about any issues we are involved in and lets us know what’s coming up in case we want to weigh in.

A vote for Dorothy Krause is a vote for a tireless advocate for our community. Let’s make sure that she can continue to serve us well.

Melanie Sax Fitchburg

Vote for Herbst for alder I recently became acquainted with Dave Herbst during my involvement in several important Fitchburg projects — the reconstruction of Lacy and Syene Roads. As chair of the board of public works, Dave does a great job of assuring all stakeholder feedback on a project is considered before decisions are made.

As a city alder, I’m sure he will continue to consider all

stakeholder interests before voting on matters on the city council’s agenda. His expertise as a professional engineer will definitely be an asset to the council, along with his longstanding commitment to public service in Fitchburg.

Please vote for Dave as District 1 alder. He’s the best candidate.

Jay Hochmuth Madison

Vote for Herbst for alder I strongly endorse Dave Herbst for District 1 Seat 1 alder. We have both lived in Jamestown most of our adult lives and raised our families in this district.

In the past, we have both served in the youth ministry at St Maria Goretti Parish. Dave offers common sense solutions to the issues facing our district.

We need common sense

as a city as we wrestle with a host of issues that press our tax levels while taking care of our basic needs. He will respect and represent all residents in our district without divisiveness.

Dave’s interest in serving is to keep our district a safe, affordable, and attractive place to live for all our residents.

Support Arata-Fratta, Krause

I am writing to urge your support for Julia Arata-Fratta and Dorothy Krause in the upcoming alder elections.

In the many City Council meetings I watched, I have been impressed with Arata-Fratta’s knowledge of the budget process, city’s financial issues and background strategic plans and committee work.This experience and preparation and her CPA background allow her to maximize funding uses, to ask the right questions and to make the important points that need to be heard.

This experience will be all the more important during the Town of Madison annexation. With an eye on the financial realities of the city she also understands that a city is more than its roads and buildings but also a place for residents to thrive, leading to her involvement in the Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative, the Hub and the inclusive playground.

Similarly, Krause works to build a better community for all of the city’s residents. She tirelessly advocates for the needs of neighborhoods that are too often overlooked and was a leader in ensuring equitable voting access by working to move the polling place back into the neighborhoods that face barriers to voting.

I agree it is important to focus on basic city services and to avoid unnecessary spending. However, as a Fitchburg resident and taxpayer I also want this to be a community of quality for myself and for all of the diverse populations that comprise this city. I am confident that Arata-Fratta and Krause share that vision.

Shelley Malofsky Fitchburg

Vote for Pankratz for school board

As a third generation Oregon Panther and a long time educator in a neighboring district, I am writing to express my support for Troy Pankratz in the upcoming Oregon School Board election.

Troy has demonstrated his dedication to our community by serving on our board for three years. During that time, he played a key role in our work with equity, innovation, supporting mental health needs and bringing Forest Edge to fruition.

This past year’s pandemic brought a multitude of complex challenges to our district and to our board.

Troy’s thoughtful listening, his ability to collaborate and his optimism were assets as he and our board guided us through this uncertain time.

After devoting countless hours this school year, Troy is ready and willing to serve as a board member again. Troy is not a “one issue” candidate. He brings big picture thinking to the table. His wisdom, experience and professionalism have and will continue to serve our district well. He truly cares about our students and our staff and will work tirelessly to help our district be the best it can be.

On April 6, please join me in voting for Troy Pankratz.

Jeffrey Rohlinger Fitchburg

Lisa Sheil Fitchburg

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Support Lokuta, Pankratz

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March 12, 2021

9

Fitchburg Star

Warming trend to cause some park closings After a long winter, spring is finally just around the corner. But as the snow melts and the ground thaws, area parks and trails will need some time to dry up for people and pets to enjoy.

Dane County staff will closely monitor park facilities over the next several weeks to check for damage

and advise when areas are cleared to open, according to a Dane County Parks Department March 3 news release. With extended warmer weather predicted, parks director Darren Marsh said some parks, or portions of them such as roadways, trails, dog parks and grassy areas, may be temporarily closed during the

next several weeks to prevent damage to the turf, which can be easily damaged during this time of year.

Marsh requests park users stay on hard-surfaced pathways and roads until the ground is sufficiently dry.

“We’re aware the community values outdoor recreational spaces, especially through the pandemic, but the

spring thaw period combined with high use can have long-term impacts, especially on hiking trails,” he said in the news release. “If we can reduce the damages at this time of year, it reduces our maintenance costs and allows us to provide better services throughout the rest of the year.”

March predicted that after a few

spring rains and drying winds, the ground will firm up and parks will be reopened.

For more information, visit danecountyparks.com or call the parks office at (608) 224-3730.

Email Unified Newspaper Group reporter Scott De Laruelle at scott. delaruelle@wcinet.com.

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VETERINARIAN

Q. What are alternatives to declawing your cat since scratching is a normal cat behavior?

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Provide material that is tall or long enough to allow full stretching and stable enough so they do not move or fall over.

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A. The decision to sell your long-time family home can be emotional and overwhelming because you have lived there a long time. It is where you created so many memories. To help you with this decision and to take advantage of our current “hot” local market with very limited inventory, you should connect with an experienced Realtor to prepare a Comprehensive Market Analysis on your home.

This analysis will give you the current market value of your home, so you can list it Shawn Pfaff at a competitive price. You may be amazed at what the current value of your home is. It has been a long time since you were last involved in a Real Estate transaction, and the complexity of Real Estate has increased immensely. An experienced Realtor will provide you with timely and crucial assistance throughout the whole process to ensure you can close successfully and timely. As a Fitchburg Realtor, please visit www.shawnpfaff.firstweber.com to find out the market value of your home.

CREMATION SERVICES

Q. I am a Veteran. Can I be cremated or buried? What if I want to be cremated and my spouse would like a burial?

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One in five adults suffers from arthritis, and the majority of these are elders. For those that live with arthritis every day, the symptoms can be a barrier to doing the hobbies they love. But with management strategies and lifestyle changes, many seniors find that they can continue the activities that bring them hope, purpose and joy. Education and awareness are critical – seniors that may have arthritis, or have already been diagnosed, should engage their care team to develop management strategies .A care plan for arthritis can minimize the impact of the disease on a senior’s life, and Comfort Keepers can provide support for a management program.

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10

March 12, 2021

ConnectFitchburg.com

Fitchburg Star

Educators: Educators plan to use lessons learned during COVID shutdown Election: Five-way Continued from page 1 race for three board were not yet recommending schools of education seats require students or staff wear masks Continued from page 1

Photo submitted

From left, Oregon School District school nutrition employees Colleen Horton, Wendy Rupiper and Shelly Strain take a break while packaging meals for students earlier this school year. institution and this has opened up to make sure our students still felt that perspective as we have tried to supported.”

For Forest Edge kindergarten learn, grow, and evolve to respond to teacher Laura Jicha, the main lesson teaching kids in a pandemic.” from the past year has been learning Lessons learned to “accept the fact that asking for Oregon High School principal Jim help was okay.”

Pliner said the past year has rein“This endeavor of teaching during forced “how important human inter- a pandemic was/is a much largaction is as educators.” er challenge than what I had been “Our job is to help each student trained in college for,” she wrote the create a vision of their future and Observer in an email. “Expressing help them develop a plan for their appreciation and gratitude toward lives beyond OHS,” he said. “I’m others has never been more importreally proud that this work has con- ant. I am in complete awe of my tinued, and in some ways improved, students. They have adapted to an during the past year.” incredibly difficult situation that is For Pliner, the biggest lesson he completely out of their control, yet learned this past year is the value of they continue to laugh, do their absocollaborative leadership. He credited lute best, and grow.” high school staff, who “stepped up and helped lead the work that was Silver linings Pliner said he expects the new critical as we changed nearly every expertise staff has developed in virelement of our daily practice.”

“It has been stressful and not with- tual teaching and innovative methout missteps,” he wrote the Observ- ods will help create “rich and flexer in an email. “That said, in many ible learning environments” when ways, it has been satisfying to see an schools are finally able to return to a organization come together around new normal.

OHS social studies teacher Chris such difficult challenges and thrive.

That is the product of a culture that is Wiegman sees “an immense amount driven by collaboration and a sense of silver linings” in what’s happened over the past year, as the COVID-19 that, ‘we got this.’”

For Modjeski, patience, flexibility shutdown forced many educators to and humor have helped win the day. rethink and reimagine their profes“Our team has survived on these sion. Perhaps the biggest change will three things,” she said. “I have wit- be the increased use of technology, nessed stunning examples of team- which he said was “shunned” by some teachers before, but has now work, friendship and support.”

Brooklyn Elementary School sec- become a necessary part of instrucond grade teacher Dani Valentine tion.

“The pandemic in many ways said the past year put into perspective the importance of maintaining teach- has fostered creativity,” he wrote the er-student relationships.

Observer in an email. “The creative “I had quite a few kids struggle approaches to teaching in a panwith the quick change in routine and demic will allow for classrooms and really missed school during our shut- teaching practices to be transformed down,” she wrote the Observer in an in positive ways moving forward.”

Forest Edge Spanish teacher Katie email. “It was a privilege to know how important we are, as teachers, Olson said she’s been impressed to these students and how we could by the ability of both students and work side-by-side (or comput- educators to adapt to less than ideal er-to-computer) with these families circumstances, and credits increased

Memorial United Church of Christ

, ople ple e p o the e pe

Check your registration Before you head to your polling place or request an absentee ballot, check to make sure your registration is up to date, especially if you’ve moved since the last election.

People can check their voter registration status online at myvote. wi.gov, as well as see where their polling place is located and look who’s on their ballot.

Re-elect Dorothy Krause on April 6th Fitchburg Common Council, Dist 1 Seat 1

existed, other than through crime statistics, initially brought (and still doesn’t!) know exis me to community advocacy aand politics 10+ years ago.

A lot has happened, though change comes frustratingly slowly. We’ve implemented the Healthy Neighborhood Initiative which provides small grants to non-profits working in the community. We’re also following up on a 2013 city sponsored study of the area and finally developing a park for residents in the EVERY VOTE MATTERS Leopold school area, along with, eventually, a new Because Every Person Matters community center to serve the northern tier.

I’m especially pleased that Fitchburg staff is working with Nehemiah.org to learn the history of racism in our society and how it impacts the city. And our police have been participating with the County Board and the Criminal Justice Council on programs that will support at-risk youth programming along with diverting young adults into more productive lifestyles. Kudos to all staff that are sharing in these efforts! Watch for more on that.

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collaboration among staff.

“It has definitely brought us closer together and I am thankful for that (and) I hope we can continue planning together in the future, even though we are not in the same buildings,” she said. “I feel like I’ve been able to really get to know the kids I see for synchronous classes. We see them in a whole new light — we can see their families, pets resources and connections they have at home.”

Bergstrom said teachers have “really added to their toolbox” in the past year in terms of meeting the needs of all students.

“All of our kids learn a little bit differently, and the more tools we have, the greater the likelihood we are going to meet the needs of every single one,” she said. “We’ve become even more responsible to what our students are going through, how to support them and how to provide an education that’s really responsive to the needs of the individual.”

Looking ahead past the pandemic, Bergstrom said there are many lessons the district has learned over the last year that will benefit students and families. Much of that, she said, is from the necessity for increased individual and small group work done in that time, and the positive results.

“We’ve been able to think about how we take some of these practices that have really helped kids, and move them into what the future will look like,” she explained. “As we move forward, I honestly feel we’re going to be able to provide an even better education than we might have been able to without this experience, because it’s accelerated the pace of our use of innovative, student centered practices.”

Email Unified Newspaper Group reporter Scott De Laruelle at scott. delaruelle@wcinet.com.

Arata-Fratta is running for her fourth term against Plan Commission member Steven Heller.

For the Verona Area Board of Education, there’s a five-way race for three At-Large seats. One currently held by board member Tom Duerst will be vacated in April as he leaves the board. Two other incumbents, Carolyn Jahnke and Kalyanna Williams, are running for their seats, and are joined by newcomers Jennifer Murphy, John Porco and Nicole Vafadari.

Meredith Stier Christensen, who represents an Outside Cities seat on the board, is running unopposed.

For the Oregon School District’s board, two newcomers are running to fill the Area I seat – which covers the Village of Oregon – being vacated next month by current board president Steve Zach. Mary Lokuta and Josh King emerged from a four-way primary in February to run for the open Area I seat. An Area III seat is also up for re-election, with incumbent Troy Pankratz running against challenger Aaron Heisler.

The Madison Metropolitan Board of Education has two seats up for re-election, but only one person has filed to run for each. Incumbent Savion Castro is running for his seat, and Maia Pearson, who lost last spring to Christina GomezSchmidt, is running for the seat of board president Gloria Reyes, who in December announced her intention to step down.

At the county level, incumbent Joe Parisi will run for his fourth term as County Executive against challenger Mary Ann Nicholson.

At the state level, two newcomers are running to fill the role of superintendent after current superintendent Carolyn Stanford Taylor announced she would not run. Jill Underly and Deborah Kerr emerged from a seven-way primary race to advance to the April election.

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

Plan to VOTE April 6th Contact Dorothy for more info at facebook.com/dorothy.krause | dorothyk@charter.net | 608-271-7532

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or gloves, cancel large gatherings or classes.

Less than two weeks later, with the pandemic quickly worsening, the district administrative team was meeting March 13 to talk about canceling school for a couple of days when the word came from Evers’ office to shut down immediately.

The order was initially set to end on April 6, but was later extended to the end of the school year.

District superintendent Leslie Bergstrom recalls school administrators gathering — in a socially distanced manner — on the morning of Sunday, March 15, at the Netherwood Knoll Elementary School gymnasium to figure out what to do next.

“It feels like a long time since (then), it’s hard to even remember the last few moments of normalcy,” she told the Observer last week.

“When the closing happened, that’s something all of us will remember for the rest of our lives, it was very impactful.

“No one ever imagined a year ago our kids would go to school with masks on their faces,” Bergstrom added.

In the meantime, Bergstrom said school officials had to focus on immediate problems at hand.

“I(It’s) how to ensure that not only education continues, even if the doors of the physical buildings were closed, but how do vital services such as meals continue?” she said. “That’s very important to a lot of families.”

The biggest challenge there, Bergstrom said, was keeping up with rapidly changing health information.

“Sometimes a public health order would come out and it would be in effect within a couple of days and require significant adjustments to make sure we were maintaining protocols that aligned to the emerging science,” she said. “The more we learn about the virus, the more adjustments are made.”

For Forest Edge Elementary School principal Kerri Modjeski, who has guided the school through an unusual inaugural year, the biggest adjustment has been changes in modes of instruction. She credited staff for updating their plans and transforming their work spaces to respond to the changing needs of students.

“Whether online, in person, cohorts, or live streaming, we have continually reconfigured how we serve kids based on the current state of affairs,” she wrote the Observer in an email. “This year has really opened our eyes to being creative, results-oriented and positive. We are never a one-size-fits-all type of

ConnectFitchburg.com

March 12, 2021

Spring election

District 1 questionnaires The Fitchburg Star sent questionnaires to both candidates for a two-year term as alder for the District 1, Seat 1 in the City of Fitchburg.

The candidates, incumbent Dorothy Krause and challenger Dave Herbst are running for the seat. Candidates were

asked to limit their answers to 50 words, with an exception of two questions up to 100 words. They were also allowed to skip two questions.

Responses may have been trimmed to meet word requirements.

Dorothy Krause

of thoughts on the future of the city. To represent the values of the city at all times in public and to generally bring pride to the city.

Should the city invest in community centers in highly populated areas of the Krause city?

It totally depends on the purpose of a center. If purely social, no. If the idea is to provide the city with the ability to expand services to underserved parts of the city, and to promote activities that empower residents to improve their lives in various ways, as the current community on the city campus provides, then yes. Our highly populated areas have limited ability to make use of services available on the city campus. With a city as physically large as Fitchburg, and with the growing population, we should find more ways to reach out into the community City budgets have been tight over the last years. What should the city prioritize with its limited funds?

With the annexation of the Town of Madison, Fitchburg finances will be tighter than ever. Wages and staffing needs are increasing, and government grant money has gone down, especially for infrastructure. We already say no to things we need. We need to be creative in finding new revenue sources.

How can the city balance promoting development with the needs of the rural residents?

In a word, compact development that saves and respects the rural nature of the city.

We need to bring back, and perhaps refine, rural cluster zoning, intended to group rural homesteads so farmers would have greater ability to utilize available splits. We need to also explore more urban agriculture.

If budgets and spending limits did not prevent it, what is one project you would champion to improve the quality of life in Fitchburg?

One private project that I would love to support with public funds is the performing arts center proposed by copamadison.org.

Their vision has been to create a space in the Fish Hatchery Road corridor where various community groups, including schools could practice and perform various forms of art.

What is the best thing about Fitchburg?

Just one best thing?!? I’d have to say diversity. Diversity of people, of lands, of opportunity, of socioeconomic status, of housing options, of jobs, even of politics.

The potential contained within our diversity leaves us with the ability to create a city that works for all of us.

Age: 64 Originally from: Milwaukee Lived in Fitchburg since: 2002 Education: Business Ed Occupation: Self Employed Employer/job title: Consultant Political experience: Won Fitchburg Alder in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019; won Dane County Supervisor in 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, & 2020. No lost elections, and too many committees to list all, but focus on Human Services and Criminal Justice issues along with transit and transportation Other notable affiliations: Over the years, I’ve participated in or tracked the activities of many organizations that are working in the community, from neighborhood associations to non-profits, again, mostly focused on improving the lives of area residents.

Essay questions Why are you running for alder, and why should people vote for you?

There’s still so much to do! Two big issues are upcoming census results and the redistricting process as well as the Town annexation. Diversity among staff has been a focus that I’ve encouraged, along with greater attention being given to long neglected areas of the city, and so much more!

What are the most important issues facing your district?

My main concern here that I see far too often is lack of opportunity! In particular, we need more jobs with family sustaining wages for apartment dwellers. With rents on the rise, even in substandard housing, our families can’t afford most of the basics of life that so many take for granted. We end up with public safety concerns for a variety of reasons, chief among them inadequate job opportunities and lack of affordable recreation options which leave people without enough money and too much time, especially in the summer in apartments without air conditioning.

What role can the city play in helping ensure the safety of its citizens and the health of our businesses as it relates to our recovery from COVID-19?

First and foremost, wear a mask! If you can blow out a candle through a mask, it’s not adequate to prevent spreading or inhaling the virus. Until vaccines are commonplace, avoid interacting closely with anyone outside your household. And discourage folks from gathering in groups until we are protected.

What should be the most important traits of the city’s next administrator?

To work closely with residents, elected officials, and staff to encourage a diversity

Dave Herbst

Age: I have reached what I consider to be the halfway point of my productive life at 60 years old!

Family: Wife – Jenny ( Married 27 years) Children Andrew and Jono – Both College Students Originally from: Park Falls Wi – In the heart of the Chequamegon National Forest. 5th generation of my family to live in Wis on land my Bohemian Ancestors homesteaded in the late 1800’s Lived in Fitchburg since: I bought my current home in Jamestown neighborhood in 1987 Education: Bachelors of Science Electrical Engineering UW Madison 1983 Occupation: Utility Commissioning and Field Engineer- Has been involved with the, engineering, testing, and commissioning of numerous energy projects in the past 38 years. Also a part time instructor at the UW Extension Dept of Engineering Professional Development Employer/job title: Director Field Services- Realtime Utility Engineers Inc (Proud Fitchburg Located Business) Political experience: Current Chairman of the Board of Public Works ( Has served as a volunteer on this committee for 28 years and is am the first non-elected chairman- Reappointed to board by past 9 Fitchburg Mayors and City Councils) Member of Fire Station Siting Committee. Lost race for District 1 Seat 2 in 2020.

Other notable affiliations: Member St Maria Goretti Parish , Wisconsin Power and Light Stewards of Nature, Jamestown Neighborhood Association, Longtime youth sports coach Essay questions Why are you running for alder, and why should people vote for you?

To serve and make our district a better place for all our residents. I pledge to listen and advocate for all our districts’ residents. I am a longtime part of our community who has volunteered helping friends, neighbors and the city.

I have common sense decision making skills and offer out of the box solutions.

What are the most important issues facing your district?

1. Based on conversations with neighbors, pressing issues include: A veritable assault on the safety and security of families and homes. Folks in the Belmar, Jamestown, Western Hills, and other neighborhoods of the district just want to live in safety and comfort in their own homes.

2. Taxes and affordability. District 1 is the only area in the city that a family can purchase a first home. Rising taxes and assessments are putting this dream out of the reach for the many renters who would like to achieve owning their own home. Rising taxes also affect renters as a significant component of rent is property taxes.

3. Recovery of jobs and businesses after the pandemic What role can the city play in helping ensure the safety of its citizens and the health of our businesses as it

Fitchburg Star

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relates to our recovery from COVID-19?

The county health department is making the rules and requirements.

Although I wish there was more transparency in how the rules are created by Herbst the county, it is the city’s responsibility to respect these rules. Safety of our citizens and the health of our community depend on individual, personal responsibility.

What should be the most important traits of the city’s next administrator?

— Strong management skills to provide consistent leadership to the staff at city hall.

— Strong belief that the city and its employees exist to serve our residents Should the city invest in community centers in highly populated areas of the city?

— I would support a community center under the following conditions — The need, mission, purchase cost, and operating costs have been identified — A large % of purchase costs and operating budgets are from donations — The center would be run and managed by a non profit organization City budgets have been tight over the last years. What should the city prioritize with its limited funds?

Providing basic services. We must prioritize items like good roads, plowing, and public safety. In our recent budgets, half of the alders have sought to defer basic services in order to fund unplanned, expensive projects that benefit only one part of a neighborhood and the City.

How can the city balance promoting development with the needs of the rural residents?

Rural residents are typically an independent lot who mostly just ask to have the city to stay out of their lives. We need to ensure development does not damage rural residents’ property via stormwater runoff or other construction disruptions.

If budgets and spending limits did not prevent it, what is one project you would champion to improve the quality of life in Fitchburg?

If we had extra funds I would advocate the return of the funds to the taxpayers. If a magical benefactor such as the Bill and Linda Gates foundation asked me what they could do – I would ask them to build a new high school in Fitchburg so we could have our own school district. Sending our children to three different districts has prevented Fitchburg from having a true sense of community. This has caused other problems that a unified school district could help solve.

What is the best thing about Fitchburg?

Fitchburg is a place where the residents are hard working and care about the city and their neighbors.

We’re able to face and work toward solutions to our problems. If you are an avid outdoorsman like me, you love our bike path system and beautiful parks.

VASD board candidate forum set for March 12 KIMBERLY WETHAL Unified Newspaper Group

The Fitchburg Star, in partnership with Fitchburg Access Community Television, will host a candidate forum ahead of a contested race for three Verona Area Board of Education At-Large seats.

The virtual forum will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. Friday, March 12. Viewers can access the forum on FACTV, which will broadcast the forum on its website, fitchburgwi.gov, and over Facebook Live.

All five candidates for the three At-Large seats up for election on April 6 – incumbents Carolyn Jahnke and Kalyanna Williams, as well as candidates Jennifer Murphy, John Porco and Nicole Vafadari – and Meredith Stier Christensen, who is running unopposed for her Outside Cities seat, are all planned to be in attendance.

If You Go What: Verona Area Board of Education candidates forum When: 6-7:30 p.m. Friday, March 12 Where: Virtual; can be viewed on FACTV’s website, fitchburgwi.gov, or on Facebook Live Info: Email Kimberly Wethal at newseditor@ wcinet.com The forum will last approximately 90 minutes.

Each candidate will get an opening and closing statement, and answer the same questions as their opponent. Opponents will have one minute for a rebuttal, if they choose, after both candidates have answered a question.

Questions from the audience will be read if there is time. Questions can be sent to moderator Kimberly Wethal at newseditor@wcinet.com, or posted in the comments on the Facebook Live stream during the show.

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Fitchburg Star

Spring election

District 2 questionnaires The Fitchburg Star sent questionnaires to both candidates for a two-year term as alder for the District 2, Seat 3 in the City of Fitchburg.

The candidates, incumbent Julia Arata-Fratta and challenger Steven Heller are running for the seat.

Candidates were asked to limit their answers to 50 words, with an exception of two questions up to 100 words. They were also allowed to skip two questions.

Responses may have been trimmed to meet word requirements.

Steven Heller

next administrator?

Like any city employee, that person should be professional, efficient, and understand and respond to the needs of the city, its employees, and the citizens. The next administrator should ensure that the voice of the citizens, through their elected officials, is being carried out by our great Heller city staff.

Should the city invest in community centers in highly populated areas of the city?

We should absolutely invest in establishing community centers. Residents should not expect the city to run the centers. That ongoing expense would hinder core city services.

I will provide leadership that pushes the city to establish the center(s), and then work with local non-profits for the longterm management.

City budgets have been tight over the last years. What should the city prioritize with its limited funds?

The city needs to prioritize core services first – this includes police/fire/EMS, snowplowing, parks/greenspace, wastewater management, etc. And then to focus on the areas that will help grow the tax base so this tightening doesn’t continue – which means bringing in owner-occupied housing and business/clean industry.

If budgets and spending limits did not prevent it, what is one project you would champion to improve the quality of life in Fitchburg?

Create our own school district – Pre-K-12 – to better serve not only our residents and their families, but to create a better sense of cohesiveness and to encourage community identity and pride.

What is the best thing about Fitchburg?

Our community – the people, the diversity, the neighborhoods, the beautiful green spaces and the true sense of our common goals. During the past year I’ve gone on many walks with my family and have met neighbor after neighbor, appreciating how many friends we had in our own backyard without even knowing it. The generous offers seen on Facebook this past holiday season with Christmas trees for those in need, offers of food and assistance – that sense of community belonging gives me a sense of pride and makes me want to serve this great city.

Age: 36 Family: Husband Ryan, Children Owen (2) and Soren (5mo) Originally from: Horicon, WI Lived in Fitchburg since: 2009 Education: B.S. in Communication from UW-Stevens Point, certified Project Management Professional (PMP) Occupation: Project Manager Employer/job title: Epic Political experience: Formerly served on the City of Horicon Cable TV Board in 2003-2004; Currently serve on the Fitchburg Plan Commission Other notable affiliations: Director on the Board of Directors for the UW-Stevens Point Alumni Association Essay questions Why are you running for alder, and why should people vote for you?

The voters are facing the burden of higher and higher property taxes. I am running to protect the taxpayers in this city by offering a common-sense approach to spending. This means understanding the full life-long cost of initiating projects and prioritizing core city needs above “nice to haves.” I will bring professionalism and a collaborative effort to the council in order to get priorities accomplished instead of in-fighting.

What are the most important issues facing your district?

One of my main goals is to bring in new business and clean industry to the city. We need to grow the tax base with environmentally friendly, high paying jobs close to our residents to reduce pollution from commuting.

What role can the city play in helping ensure the safety of its citizens and the health of our businesses as it relates to our recovery from COVID-19?

Fitchburg has done a good job addressing this issue by putting in temporary exceptions to zoning and signage restrictions to help businesses during this difficult period. As the recovery continues, the city should communicate with residents regarding businesses reopening, hours, and safe, socially distanced dining and take out options.

What should be the most important traits of the city’s

District 2 questionnaires

The Fitchburg Star sent questionnaires to Jim Wheeler, All city candidates were asked to limit their answers to the candidate for a two-year term as alder for the District 4, 50 words, with an exception of two questions up to 100 Seat 7 in the City of Fitchburg. words. They were also allowed to skip two questions.

Jim Wheeler

Responses may have been trimmed to meet word requirements.

Age: 58 Family: Married, 2 sons aged 19 and 23 Originally from: Philadelphia, PA Lived in Fitchburg since: 1999 Education: BS Behavioral Science and Law, University of Wisconsin Madison; Graduate Northwestern School of Police Staff and Command Occupation: Retired from Law Enforcement Employer/job title: City of Madison Police Department/Captain Political experience: Fitchburg Police and Fire Commission Other notable affiliations: United Way Board of Directors Essay questions Why are you running for alder, and why should people vote for you?

I want to be involved in addressing the various issues that arise as the city grows. I have spent my life serving the community and I want to continue to serve as a member of the city council. People should vote for me because I have 27 ½ years of municipal government experience including the municipal budget process, grant writing, public policy and emergency management.

What are the most important issues facing your district?

Ensuring smart development, fiscally sound budgeting, flooding in rural areas and the purchase of property development rights are important issues in my district.

What role can the city play in helping ensure the safety of its citizens and the health of our businesses as it relates to our recovery from COVID-19?

The city’s role should be to keep citizens updated on the latest information being disseminated by federal, state and county entities. The city must also promote compliance with directives coming from those entities.

The city also should continue to work with businesses to determine what strategies can be used to help businesses survive during the economic consequences of the pandemic. The city’s decision to issue conditional

use permits to allow restaurants to expand their outdoor seating for patrons is a good example of the city’s efforts to work with businesses.

What should be the most important traits of the city’s next administrator?

The most important traits of a city Wheeler administrator should be ethical decision making, trustworthiness, problem solving and working well with people.

Should the city invest in community centers in highly populated areas of the city?

The city should invest in community centers as part of a comprehensive plan to revitalize neighborhoods and bring communities together. I believe that community centers can be an important part of a healthy and vibrant neighborhood.

City budgets have been tight over the last years. What should the city prioritize with its limited funds?

The city needs to prioritize providing basic services and maintaining infrastructure. This includes adequate funding for public safety and public works.

How can the city balance promoting development with the needs of the rural residents?

First and foremost, the city must be transparent regarding any development within the city. Rural residents must be a part of the process and their input must be respected.

If budgets and spending limits did not prevent it, what is one project you would champion to improve the quality of life in Fitchburg?

Affordable owner-occupied housing is an important component of a thriving city.

What is the best thing about Fitchburg?

The parks and bike paths.

Julia Arata-Fratta

Age: 54 Originally from: Cordoba, Argentina, Naturalized US citizen since 2011.

Lived in Fitchburg since: 2004.

Family: married, two sons Diego (21) and Julian (19) Education: MS in Business Administration (MBA), BS in Business Administration Occupation: Accountant and Business Consultant, Controller and CFO Employer/Job title: Wegner CPAs, Manager in the Tax and Business Services Department Political experience: District 2 – Alder (Since 2015); Common Council – President (since April 2020); Community Economic Development Authority — Chair (since 2017); Finance Committee – Chair (since April 2020); Healthy Neighborhood Initiative Review Grant Committee — Member (since 2019); Plan Commission — Former member (2017-2019); Fitchburg FACTv Spanish TV show – Co-Host (since 2019) Other notable affiliations: Madison Regional Economic Partnership — Board Member and Treasurer; Overture Center Foundation — Board Member and Treasurer; Latino Consortium for Action — Member; Latino Professional Association – Founder member; NALEO: National Association of Latinos Elected Officials – Member; Latino Chamber of Commerce of Dane County – Past Treasurer and President of the Board Essay questions Why are you running for alder, and why should people vote for you?

I am running for reelection because our City needs experienced, knowledgeable, responsible, and community engaged leaders to face challenges like the 2022 annexation of the Town of Madison, the development of resilient infrastructure to the effect of climate change, the challenges of public transportation. I am also involved in the development of a community park for the under-resourced North Fish Hatchery area and the Inclusive Playground in McKee Farms Park.

It has been an honor to represent and serve the people in District 2. I hope I can renew your trust.

What are the most important issues facing your district?

Making the city more resilient and environmentally friendly as we address the challenges of climate changes. For example, the neighborhood just south of McKee Park faces repeated floods. I am currently working alongside the neighbors and city staff on addressing these issues.

What role can the city play in helping ensure the safety of its citizens and the health of our businesses as it relates

to our recovery from COVID-19?

Both the city and elected officials should promote safe practices to help open the community faster, encourage business to engage Arata-Fratta in low-risk activities, and invest in parks to offer outdoor recreational activities and create stronger communities during these challenging times.

What should be the most important traits of the city’s next administrator?

The city administrator is, with the mayor, the face of the city and should always look for ways to make Fitchburg a more vibrant, equitable, and inclusive City to live in. This person should be approachable, trustworthy, ethical, respectful to the city staff, neighbors, business owners and developers, and be able to work collaboratively with the Mayor and alders.

As such, the administration should be a good manager, be a great ambassador, and have a strong grasp on finance and managing budgets. It is a lot, but our city deserves a great administrator.

Should the city invest in community centers in highly populated areas of the city?

I am a strong supporter of investing in the community, especially in underserved areas (for example, North Fish Hatchery and Jamestown neighborhoods). Wellplanned community centers provide opportunities to create a sense of belonging, employment programs, and after school programs in welcoming and safer environments.

City budgets have been tight over the last years. What should the city prioritize with its limited funds?

The city budget must reflect and align needs with the city’s priorities. Our City should invest in community needs while maintaining the typical municipal services. One option is to scale back on expenses that are non-essential and at the same time increase the city’s tax base by attracting more developments.

If budgets and spending limits did not prevent it, what is one project you would champion to improve the quality of life in Fitchburg?

I would like to support the creation of an art center on Fish Hatchery Road and build new Splash Pads in Huegel-Jamestown Park and in the Nine Spring Golf course area. I would also like to bring back a new Fitchburg festival to help create a greater sense of community.

What is the best thing about Fitchburg?

The quality of life: the fusion of urban and rural communities, the proximity to Madison, the diversity of its people, three great school districts, tons of bike paths, beautiful parks and green spaces, great neighborhoods and, of course, our intent to become a leader on climate change initiatives.

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

Sports

Friday, March 12, 2021

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Girls basketball

Boys hockey

Verona derailed by Germantown Six

Warhawks hit 14 threepointers, top Wildcats in Div. 1 state semifinal MARK NESBITT Sports editor

To combat the quickness and driving ability of Germantown 5-9 sophomore guard KK Arnold, Verona Area High School coach Angie Murphy wanted the Warhawks to live and die by the 3-pointer.

The Wildcats utilized a 2-3 and 3-2 zones to keep Arnold out of the lane, but a state-record shooting performance by Germantown senior Jaelyn Acker knocked off Verona 76-57 in a WIAA Division 1 state semifinal on Saturday, Feb. 27, at the Menominee Nation Arena in Oshkosh.

Acker hit a Division 1 single game state record seven 3-pointers and scored a game-high 28 points to spearhead the Warhawks’ win over fourth-seeded Wildcats.

“KK is the only sophomore in their rotation and she is not a sophomore,” Verona coach Angie Murphy said. “She’s a phenomenal talent. When Jaelyn is on you try to pick your poison. You try to keep KK out of the lane and at the same time get to the shooters. We said we have to sell out for something.”

Germantown (29-1), the eventual Division 1 state champion, entered the tournament leading the state in 3-point made baskets (229) and 3-point attempts (817). The Warhawks shot 33.3% beyond the arc (14 of 42), led by Acker, who was 7 of 14.

For Verona (8-5), even with a team with four freshmen and three sophomores, an unexpected run

to the state tournament capped an improbable season that was delayed by a COVID-19 pandemic where socially distanced practices and mask wearing became the norm. The sting in losing served as a reminder of how there are more important aspects than basketball as the team brought Murphy’s family and friends together as her mother battles pancreatic cancer.

“For us to even be here is a celebration,” Murphy said. “This is something so special we didn’t think we would even get. It’s hard to explain to them how amazing this really is. What a blessing they gave me, my family and mom. We enjoyed the ride.”

Verona had socially distanced practices most of the season. They were prohibited from having contact in practice until Feb. 10, and that made practicing defense and breaking press defenses more of a trial and error with all road games outside of Dane County.

“I have some sad girls in that locker room and this one here (Taylor Stremlow) because they love winning,” Murphy said. “If you could tell me we could come to state in a year like this and get our butts kicked by 20, sign me up because I would be there in a second. I’m really proud of this group.”

Verona got off to an inauspicious start. Germantown blitzed the Wildcats, opening the game with a 20-0 run. Acker hit two 3-pointers to open the game to spark the surge.

Acker and Arnold combined to score 15 of the Warhawks’ points Photo by Mark Nesbitt during that spurt. The Wildcats were held scoreless for 5 minutes, 4 Verona freshman Reagan Briggs goes up for a layup against Germantown junior Emilie Wizner in the second half of the Wildcats’ 76-57 loss to the Warhawks in a WIAA Division 1 state semifinal on Saturday, Feb. 27, at Turn to Girls basketball/Page 15 Menominee Nation Arena in Oshkosh.

Boys hockey

State repeat plans foiled Wildcats shut out by Hudson in title game MARK NESBITT Sports editor

Senior forward Walker Haessig tried finding the right words to explain how the Verona boys hockey team’s offense sputtered and stymied in a WIAA Division 1 state championship game.

Hudson scored two goals in the first period and outshot the Wildcats 35-7 in the game to hand Verona a 4-0 loss in the title game on Saturday, Feb. 20, at the South Wood County Recreation Center in Wisconsin Rapids.

“I think in this championship game we needed to have our best game possible,” Haessig said.

“You have to congratulate Hudson because they played unbelievable. It’s pretty hard when you can’t get shots.”

Verona (16-7) struggled handling the puck and clearing it out of its defensive zone. The Raiders often hemmed in the WIldcats and jump-starting any offense became a challenge.

Verona senior defenseman Josh Osting skates by Hudosn’s Zach Kochendorfer (8).

The Wildcats, making their fourth straight state appearance fell short of a repeat state championship and brought home the silver trophy.

It marks the third consecutive year the Wildcats have played in the state title game. Verona beat

Notre Dame de la Baie Academy 2-1 in overtime to win the state championship last year and finished as the runner-up in 2019 after a 5-0 loss to University School of Milwaukee.

Verona coach Joel Marshall said the senior class is the most

Photo by Mark Nesbitt

decorated the boys hockey program has ever had.

“To go down like this makes it harder for them because they have expectations they built for themselves,” Marshall said. “I couldn’t be more proud of the boys. The

Turn to Boys hockey/Page 14

Wildcats named all-state

Madison Edgewood has five players honored MARK NESBITT Sports editor

Six Verona boys hockey players are on the Wisconsin Hockey Coaches Association All-State list.

Verona, the WIAA Division 1 state runner-up and 2020 champion, placed four players – all seniors – on the first team: forward Leo Renlund, defensemen Nathan Jurrens and Josh Osting and goaltender Kaden Grant.

S e n i o r f o r w a r d Wa l k e r Haessig is on the second team, a n d j u n i o r f o r wa r d R e e c e Cordray earned an honorable mention.

Renlund, the team’s second-leading scorer, scored nine goals and had 14 assists this season to help lead the Wildcats to a fourth straight state tournament appearance.

It marked the second consecutive year Renlund, Jurrens and Osting were selected all-state and the second time Haessig has received an all-state honor.

H a e s s i g w a s t h e t e a m ’s third-leading scorer with 13 goals and nine assists, and Cordray was the team’s leading scorer, with 26 points (15 goals and 11 assists).

Madison Edgewood had five players named all-state, led by goaltender Zach Walker, who earned first-team honors.

Edgewood finished the season 12-5 and knocked off Division 1 state champion Hudson 4-1 on Jan. 16 and top-ranked Division 2 state champion St. Mary’s Springs 7-2 on Jan. 28. Edgewood also shut out Verona 2-0 Jan. 23, but the Crusaders had their sectional run come to an end when they had to forfeit a sectional semifinal against Waunakee because of a positive COVID-19 case in the program.

Edgewood’s Cody Menzel and JJ Wiebusch were named second-team all-state as forwards. Parker Murn earned second-team all-state as a defenseman and Aidan Lenz was named honorable mention all-state at forward.

Menzel and Wiebusch tied for the team lead with 43 points. Wiebusch scored a team-high 19 goals and had 24 assists, while Menzel scored 18 goals and had 25 assists.

Lenz scored 12 goals and racked up 15 assists. Murn notched five goals and had 15 assists.

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March 12, 2021

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Gymnastics

Girls tennis

Verona/Edgewood finishes fifth at state Deang picks MARK NESBITT Sports editor

Verona Area High School sophomore Ella Crowley points to her wobbles on the balance beam as proof that she wasn’t at her best.

Yet, Crowley placed in two events at the WIAA Division 1 state meet to lead the Verona/Madison Edgewood team to a program-best fifth-place finish on Saturday, Feb. 27, at Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln High School.

Crowley finished 12th in the all-around competition after racking up a score of 34.9. She took 14th on the balance beam (8.8) and 15th on the vault (9.05).

“It definitely wasn’t my best meet,” she said.

“It feels good to still finish in the top 12.”

The Wildcat/Crusaders finished fifth as a team with 136.5 points as the Wilmot Union co-op repeated as the Division 1 state champions (145.8). The previous best finish at state for VA/ ME was seventh in 2004 when Jessica Kohlhoff was coach.

Verona/Madison Edgewood coach Rachael Hauser said the team did a great job of balancing pushing themselves and having fun.

“There can be a lot of pressure at state, sectionals or other big invites, and girls can get caught up score-watching or focusing too much on things other than their own performance,” she said. “I am very impressed with the way VA/ME is able to stay focused only on our performance when under pressure, and to me, that’s a huge contributor to our success.”

Crowley said she had a couple of mishaps on the balance beam. During a series of skills, she wobbled a couple of times and had to re-do a series.

“It’s hard to have a perfect routine,” she said.

“I could have scored higher.”

Photo by VIP Images

Verona sophomore Ella Crowley finished 14th on the balance beam at the WIAA Division 1 state meet with a score of 8.8 on Saturday, Feb. 27, at Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln High School. She finiushed 12th in the all-around competition.

Crowley had a broken acro series connection on the beam.

“Despite the miss on the acro series, she didn’t fall, and she nailed both her Sweetin and sheep jump and switch leap and switch one-half connections to earn her full bonus. I would’ve loved

to see her in the 9s, but I think 8.8 for that routine was very fair.”

She scored the highest on her Tsukahara back tuck vault that requires a gymnast to complete a roundoff onto the table, followed by a backflip dismount.

“It was probably one of my best vaults of the year,” Crowley said. It was good to get off on a high note on the first event.”

She scored an 8.825 on the uneven bars and an 8.225 on the floor.

Junior Alyssa Fischer had the team’s top score on the floor (8.675). Senior Maggie Veak had the team-best score on the uneven bars (8.4) and scored a season-high 8.7 on the vault. Juniors Noelya-Jaime Janaite and Lily Merick returned from injuries.

Sophomore Katie Ryan scored a 9.125 on the balance beam and Fischer scored a season-best 9.15 on the beam.

“I think seeing Katie Ryan stick her beam routine and Alyssa finally earning the 9 on beam she’s been striving for all year are going to top my list of wins from this meet,” Hauser said.

Since the DIvision 1 and 2 state meets were at different sites because of restrictions on gatherings because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wildcat/Crusaders were more than prepared after finishing 10th at state last year.

Hauser said with all of the changes due to COVID-19 this season, the girls were prepared for a much bigger, louder, longer, and more stressful state experience.

“I remember them commenting on how quickly the meet was going and how it felt a lot smaller, much more like a dual meet really than state,” Hauser said. “While that may have worked to our advantage overall, there is something very special about that big, loud, long, stressful experience that is state under normal circumstances.”

Delaware State MARK NESBITT Sports editor

Madison Edgewood senior Baluck Deang announced on Twitter she’s committing to play tennis at Delaware State next season.

Deang, a two-time Division 2 No. 1 singles state champion, will take her talents to Delaware State, a Division I women’s tennis program in Dover, Delaware.

“I am excited to announce my commitment to Delaware State University,” Deang tweeted. “I will be playing tennis. I am so (grateful) for this opportunity to play at the next level. I want to thank my friends, family, coaches and God for supporting me and getting me where I am today.”

At No. 1 singles in the state tournament, she defeated previously unbeaten Appleton Xavier senior Erika Curtin 6-3, 7-5 to repeat as the Division 2 state champion Oct. 18, at Sports Core in Kohler.

Deang finished the season 13-1.

Deang became Edgewood’s first girls singles champion last year and now is the girls program’s first repeat winner.

“My goal was to win one state title,” Deang said of her prep career after winning a second state title Oct. 18. “I never thought I would get two.”

Boys hockey: USM deals with 15 penalties, leading to 3 power-play goals by Verona Continued from page 13 adversity they battled through this year was beyond any of my imagination. Fourteen guys in this locker room were on that side of the ice hosting that gold trophy last year.

It makes it more difficult knowing what that feeling is like.”

Verona reached the state title game after scoring three first-period goals that fueled a 5-1 win over the top-ranked University School of Milwaukee in a Division 1 state semifinal on Thursday, Feb. 18, at the Uihlein Ice Arena in River Hills.

The Wildcats got off to a late start in a shortened season because of the COVID-19 pandemic and all of the restrictions that prohibited games in Dane County for more than 10 months. The team then played a club season with all road games, then switched to a WIAA-sanctioned season and had one week of practices before playing several games before the postseason started. Verona received a No. 2-sectional seed behind top-seeded Madison Edgewood. Edgewood because of a COVID-19 positive test, had to forfeit a sectional semifinal against Waunakee.

“We were looked at as the underdog going into the playoffs,” Haessig said. “Looking at our record people were kind of doubting us throughout the whole season. It’s an accomplishment making it to the state championship.”

Hudson 4, Verona 0

Hudson’s Carter Mears scored two goals and the Raiders shut out the Wildcats’ chance to repeat as state champions on Feb. 20 in Wisconsin Rapids.

Mears scored his first goal at 9 minutes, 11 seconds in the first period. Only 53 seconds later, Hudson’s Alex Pottratz then scored a goal from the blue line on an assist by Hunter Danielson to give the Raiders a 2-0 lead.

Photo by Mark Nesbitt

Verona senior goaltender Kaden Grant saves a shot against University School of Milwaukee’s Reid Woods (17). Grant was named the state’s goaltender of the year on Friday, Feb. 19.

“They controlled the pace the whole game,” Marshall said. “We really couldn’t respond. We played right into their game. We were giving them pucks and didn’t have very good puck management.”

Verona senior goaltender Kaden Grant had 31 saves.

“I just knew I needed to keep working to see if my boys could get my back and get some in,” Grant said. “I was just working for my teammates to try to keep it as close as possible.”

Hudson finished the season 21-3.

“They are a great hockey team and deserve this today,” Marshall said. “They definitely played better than us today for the entire 51 minutes. They are for sure the best team we have played this year.”

Verona opened the third period with a power-play opportunity, but couldn’t convert. The Wildcats were 0-for-3 on the power play and the Raiders were 0-for-5.

“If we could just squeak one in it would be a different game,” Marshall said. “That is where o u r m o m e n t u m a n d e n e rg y comes from. Our momentum is

offensively driven at times. In a game like this when your back is against the wall as much as it was it was hard to find the positives and get that momentum going in our favor. We just couldn’t match up with their speed.”

Verona committed eight penalties and had to work harder on defense.

Mears scored his second goal on a pass by Carson Strapon at 4:02 in the third period. The Wildcats pulled senior goaltender Kaden Grant and the Raiders’ Matthew Mauer scored an empty-net goal at 14:23 to cap the scoring.

Verona 5, University School of Milwaukee 1

When Verona senior forward Leo Renlund scored a first-period goal, he and his teammates skated over and chest bumped and pounded on the boards and glass.

It sounded like a thundering storm.

The pounding of hands on the glass and sticks on the ice brought visions of a winter storm from a Verona team with plenty of pent up energy from a two-hour bus

ride, and ready to skate.

Playing with a limited number of fans and having to play a state semifinal at top-seeded University School of Milwaukee (24-3) didn’t deter Verona. Marshall noticed the team had a lot more energy with a format that had them playing on the road instead of one site for all state tournament games because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“They are upset with the whole season and having to come into their rink, not being able to have that atmosphere with loud fans, student body watching you on and any families and friends,” he said.

“They talked about how they had to bring their own energy, because the crowds and the fans wouldn’t be there like they are in a normal year.”

Renlund called it a “weird environment” to play in.

“It’s not the normal state environment (but) we brought the energy and were ready to go,” he said.

“It was all energy and momentum after that first (period) and we just kept rolling. The energy won us that game. We bring it, it’s not the coaches pumping us up.”

USM was plagued by 15 penalties that led to three Verona power-play goals. Renlund scored on assists from junior forward Anthony Heinrichs and Reece Cordray at 10 minutes, 5 seconds. About three minutes later, senior defenseman Josh Osting scored a power-play goal from about four feet inside the blue line on assists from senior forwards Walker Haessig and Sam Iszczyszyn.

“That is one of the best periods we have ever played this year,” Renlund said.

While spinning to control the puck, Haessig snuck a goal just inside the near post after a cross from Cordray to give the Wildcats a 3-0 lead with 2 seconds left in the first period.

“I knew the time was running down, I knew if he (Cordray) does get the puck to me, I just have

to get it on net,” Haessig said. “I knew the only way to get it on net was to spin around and catch the goalie off guard.”

It was a dominant first period for the Wildcats, who outshot USM 13-3 in the first period and 35-23 in the game.

“We needed to set the tone and come out with speed right away if we were going to be in this game,” Marshall said. “Once we get one, we get a little hungry for it. We have struggled to score early all year.”

University School of Milwaukee’s Peter Ells scored a power-play goal at 10:34 in the second period to cut Verona’s lead to 3-1.

Moments later, Heinrichs scored on passes from junior forward Easton Simpson and senior forward Calvin Moioffer to give the WIldcats a three-goal lead again.

“After that it was a mess of a game,” Marshall said. “It was hard to have energy and flow both ways.

It was frustrating as a coach and as a player. You just want to have rhythm and not have the refs be involved as much as they were in a contest like this. It was the first period that made the difference in this game tonight. After that, it was way too many penalties for a state tournament semifinal.”

Verona junior forward Max Codde capped the scoring with a power-play goal on an assist by senior forward Andrew Aune at 15:33 in the third period.

Grant had 22 saves, including stopping 15 of 22 shots in the second period, when USM outshot the Wildcats 16-9.

Grant was named the state’s goaltender of the year on Friday, Feb. 19. Grant is planning to play junior hockey next year in the United States Hockey League.

The USHL is the top tier 1 junior hockey league sanctioned by USA Hockey.

“I kind of hoped for it,” he said.

“I thought I should have won it last year.”

ConnectFitchburg.com

March 12, 2021

Fitchburg Star

15

Football

Alternate realignment plans under review Portage, Reedsburg realignment plans keep Sun Prairie in Big Eight Conference for 2022-23 MARK NESBITT Sports editor

Verona running back Jackson Acker breaks loose for a touchdown against Middleton last season.

File photo

A football realignment plan to move Sun Prairie into the Badger Large Conference from the Big Eight for the 2022-23 school year is headed back to the WIAA Task force for further review.

The WIAA Board of Control agreed on Friday, March 5, to send the football-only realignment plan back to the task force after Reedsburg and Baraboo objected to the conference shakeup that would have them shipped to the Mississippi Valley Conference from the Badger Conference and DeForest move to the Badger Small Conference.

In the proposal, Janesville Parker and Janesville Craig would move back to the Big Eight after a twoyear hiatus where they played in

the Badger Conference. The Badger would remain a 14-team conference split into a Large and Small.

WIAA communications director Todd Clark wrote in a March 5 news release that the realignment task force will reconvene April 6 to re-evaluate the plan and four new proposals. A final realignment plan will come back to the WIAA Board of Control for final consideration at its April 16 meeting, Clark said, and the WIAA will notify any schools directly impacted by changes to the existing plan.

In December, a WIAA task force agreed to move the Sun Prairie request on to the WIAA Board of Control — one of 10 realignment plans involving 13 schools requesting release from their conference affiliations. Both Sun Prairie East and West high schools would be in the Badger Large Conference and Beloit Memorial would shift to the Southern Lakes Conference.

The projected enrollment of both Sun Prairie East and Sun Prairie West is 1,325, which would tie as the second largest in the Badger

Large Conference behind Waunakee (1,337).

The Portage plan includes a seven-team Badger South and seven-team Southern Lakes as paired conferences, a six-team Big Eight (Dane County Large) and sixteam Badger Metro (Dane County Small) as paired conferences and a six-team Badger North and sixteam MVC as paired conferences.

The Reedsburg plan includes a 10-team Southern Lakes, nine-team Big Eight, nine-team Badger Large and 10-team Badger/MVC. Both Edgewood and Monroe joined the Rock Valley Conference for football only this season. Under the 2022-23 alignment plan, Edgewood would move from the Rock Valley to the Capitol Conference, which also would include New Glarus-Monticello.

The WIAA board approved two other amendments: The deadline for declaring a co-op football team and a decision on whether a school will play 8-player or 11-player will be Oct. 15 on a two-year cycle in even-numbered years.

Girls basketball: Germantown’s pressure defense early on leads to large deficit

Photos by Mark Nesbitt

Verona freshman Taylor Stremlow, left, hugs freshman Lyric Burns (24) after the Verona girls basketball team lost to Germantown 76-57 in a WIAA Division 1 state semifinal on Saturday, Feb. 27, in Oshkosh.

Continued from page 13 seconds. Stremlow made 1 of 2 free throws at 12:56. Verona went eight minutes without a basket and committed five of their 18 turnovers in the first three minutes of the game.

Sophomore guard Abbi Rupnow knocked down a jumper with 12 minutes left in the first half to cut the Warhawks’ lead to 22-3.

Stremlow scored a teamhigh 18 points, grabbed eight rebounds, dished four assists and had three steals. Freshman Lyric Burns gave the Wildcats a boost, scoring 10 points on 4 of 4 shooting.

“We came out as a young team and we are still getting used to pressure, even though there is no pressure on this game, but we were still taking everything in,” Stremlow said. “We were just kind of shook. KK Arnold and Jaelyn were just knocking down shots. We couldn’t make

anything and they were making everything.”

Despite a size advantage, Germantown hounded the Wildcats’ guards with pressure defense in the halfcourt.

Verona shot 22.7% in the first half (5 of 22) and trailed 41-19 at the break.

Murphy said Verona struggled with Germantown’s pressure early on.

“We were not going to beat a team like Germantown unless we are firing on all cylinders,” Murphy said.

“They did a good job of keeping us at one cylinder at a time.”

The Wildcats trailed by as many as 32 points after Acker drilled a 3 with 12:44 left in the second half.

“It’s an energy-killer and frustrating,” Stremlow said.

“We have to play through it and we still did.”

Verona got much better shooting in the second half, hitting 48.9% of its shots (16

of 33) and finished the game at 38.2%.

The closest Verona got was after sophomore Paige Lambe hit a free throw to slice Germantown’s lead to 73-56 with 1:53 left.

Arnold, an Ohio State recruit, scored 15 of her 19 points in the first half. The Warhawks scored 19 points off 18 Verona turnovers and had an edge in fastbreak points over the Wildcats 11-4.

Verona freshman Reagan Briggs added eight points and Lambe had eight points and a team-high sxi rebounds. Junior forward Lexi Stremlow chipped in four points and had six rebounds and freshman Maia Ellis scored five points.

“Just being here is an accomplishment in itself,” Lambe said. “We are a young team and we really didn’t know what to expect. We went into it thinking we could do the best we can and that’s

Verona freshman guard Taylor Stremlow shoots a free throw in the Wildcats’ 76-57 loss to Germantown in a WIAA Division 1 state smeifinal on Saturday, Feb. 27. Stremlow scored a team-high 18 points and had eight rebounds.

all that matters.”

Murphy said she wants her young Wildcat team to take away the perseverance they had to play with in the state tournament.

“I wanted to give them a taste of what this is like,” Murphy said. “Our babies are all back and will be a year older. If we have an opportunity to get here again this won’t be as, ‘Whoa’. It’s going to make them hungry.

I have a lot of disappointed kids with how they played personally. Hopefully, they can use that as motivation and fire in the offseason.”

Murphy said a young Verona team will work on their skills and she will improve as a coach.

“I’m going to enjoy some time with my mom,” Murphy said. “She insisted we do this, but I’m going to go enjoy the last month or two we have left Verona sophomore forward Paige Lambe goes up for a shot together. I’m not hanging my down low against Germantown in a WIAA Division 1 state head.” semifinal on Saturday, Feb. 27, in Oshkosh.

16

March 12, 2021

Fitchburg Star

Schools

‘Worth the struggle’

After a year apart, having students in classrooms gives staff hope KIMBERLY WETHAL Unified Newspaper Group

On March 12, 2020, Glacier Edge Elementary School music teacher Melissa Bremmer stood in front of hundreds of singing students as hundreds more watched.

The next day, the state ordered schools to begin closing to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

When Bremmer and a percentage of her students returned to classrooms six months later, singing itself was considered a risk.

“Now I’m teaching in a classroom where the most I can have is 17 (students), and they all need to be separated by six feet,” said Bremmer, who spoke to the Press a year ago after pivoting to virtual learning. “I feel like it’s two dramatically different environments, yet we’re still celebrating music.”

One year ago, the COVID-19 pandemic settled in for Wisconsinites and others around the nation. The World Health Organization declared it a pandemic March 11, and two days later, Gov. Tony Evers issued an order closing school buildings the following week.

The order, initially set to end on April 6, was later extended to June 30.

Since then, Verona Area School District students and staff have come back to in-person instruction in waves, but education looks nothing like it did pre-pandemic. Classrooms are set up for maximum social distancing, one-third of students are still learning from home and masks are on at all times. Even outside the classroom, there are no lockers, segregated recesses areas, assigned seats at lunch and one-way hallways.

District buildings have upgraded climate control systems, partly as a result of a prior referendum but also as a result of federal aid related to the outbreak, and staff have gotten extensive technology training to handle either virtual or in-person classrooms and then concurrent ones, with part of the class home and part of them in school.

Even with a majority of younger elementary school students starting the year partially in-person, pandemic protocols have changed the feel of education now.

At Sugar Creek, which was already different, having moved to a new building, there’s been no sharing in classrooms and no families or volunteers allowed inside, Sugar Creek Elementary School principal Todd Brunner said.

Returning to in-person education has been a continual evolution since last March, as the closures came swiftly and federal, state and county guidance changed frequently.

Less than two weeks after district superintendent Dean Gorrell told the Verona Area Board of Education he had formed a steering committee to prepare for possible school disruptions, the district’s principals were telling teachers to send school-issued iPads home with students Friday, March 13, because they weren’t sure whether they would return the next week.

“For kindergarten, first and second graders, they had never left the building with their iPads before – that was a big deal,” Brunner said.

The district launched virtual learning Thursday, March 19, less than a week after the state’s announcement. Not long after, as it became clear students might be home for a while, staff had to figure out how to return student belongings that had been left behind and evaluate what students needed to learn virtually.

The district ordered hundreds of hotspots for students who didn’t have reliable internet access, VASD director of technology Amy Arbogash told the Press. Only after there was equitable access to the internet did the district feel comfortable launching Zoom classrooms, assistant superintendent for academic services Laurie Burgos added.

Photo by Kimberly Wethal

Right, district student services supervisor Amy Tranel helps a student out of the car during student arrival at Verona Area School District’s in-person summer school on Thursday, Aug. 6, at Country View Elementary School.

The district held two one-week sessions of summer school in late July and early August.

“We couldn’t ensure at that point that all of our students would have equal access to the internet or to the instruction, and we didn’t want students penalized for lack of access,” Burgos said.

During the summer months, the debate on reopening schools for in-person instruction became political, as districts across the nation haggled over how and when to reopen and what precautions were needed. Public Health Madison and Dane County orders dictated many of the constraints school districts needed to work with – social distancing to the greatest extent, mandatory mask-wearing and protocols for cleaning.

Administrators spent much of June and July attempting to plan for a school year with many requirements from the county still unknown. The school board reviewed three instructional models – hybrid, five-day in-person instruction and fully virtual – and chose a combination, giving grades K-2 an in-person option for instruction and allowing administrators to phase in grades 3-12 as they saw fit.

The same day the school board approved the district’s fall reopening plan, staff were testing the blueprints for reopening with two weeks of in-person summer school at Country View Elementary School.

At other district buildings, renovations were taking place during the summer months. Some buildings were scheduled to have HVAC work done as a part of the district’s 2017 referendum, while the others received upgrades paid for by federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security funding.

To prepare for the school year, crews cleaned the ductwork and upgraded the systems to handle six air exchanges every minute, district building and grounds manager Mark Clarke said.

“That really makes it nice when you’re working with a virus that is airborne,” he added. “Our schools are probably one of the safest places you could go, compared to other public places.”

Sanitizing protocols were revamped, Clarke added, as high-touch areas were prioritized and custodial staff switched their schedules to clean at opportune times.

Meanwhile, administrators needed to teach staff how to use technology to create a meaningful virtual environment for students. Burgos said that in the spring, that professional development involved getting all of its staff familiar with online platforms, including Seesaw for elementary school students and Canvas for grades 6-12.

Teachers switched again to concurrent learning for the second semester, where two-thirds of students are online and the other third is in the classroom.

While teaching students is not the same as it was pre-pandemic, the fourthgrade teacher team of Lori Martin, Justin Rippl and Christopher Westberg – all of whom had also spoken to the Press a year ago about the transition to virtual learning – all said it was wonderful it

was have at least some of their students back in the building with them.

“It made all of the hoops that we had to go through, and all of the struggle, worth it when we finally got back to seeing them,” Rippl said. “Bottom line, it was really, really good to have them back.”

New teaching styles

Badger Ridge Middle School and Core Knowledge Charter School information technology teacher Greg Puent wasn’t even a semester into a new curriculum last spring when he needed to transition it into an all-virtual world.

Formerly a science teacher at Savanna Oaks Middle School, Puent took a different role to help close a staffing gap.

“It’s been crazy – curriculum development and changing everything pretty much every quarter,” he said. “(I feel) very much like a first-year teacher.”

Adding to the new-teacher feel was the need to change learning styles four times in the past year – first, teachers could only provide asynchronous learning, and were later given the ability to use video conferencing. In the fall, grades K-2 teachers saw their in-person students either in the morning or the afternoon, while virtual-only students had their own classrooms.

During the second semester, the entire district moved to concurrent learning, bringing together all students in hybrid classrooms for the first time since March.

Bremmer and other elementary school music teachers have had to get creative with curriculum, as singing potentially projects the COVID-19 virus farther than normal speaking, she said.

In the spring, Bremmer was using iPad tools such as piano that every student had access to for her lesson plans; now, she and other teachers are finding ways to use instruments and technology to teach concepts like pitch.

The Sugar Creek fourth-grade team said its teamwork – coupled with maintaining their positivity and anticipating change – is what got them through the different instructional delivery changes that paired with new reading and math curriculum.

“We’ve acknowledged that things are happening and decisions are being made, and we just figure out what to do,” Westberg said. “That’s been the story the entire time, right? Something has been decided, and we start problem-solving, and kept the kids in mind and at the heart of the decisions that we make.

Having Mondays be an asynchronous learning day for students throughout the year helped staff take advantage of additional training and assistance from technology coaches, Burgos said.

She added the district’s teachers have been continuously asked to adapt their learning style, but have risen to the challenge every time.

“It has been a lot – the amount of things we have asked our teachers to

Turn to Schools/Page 17

ConnectFitchburg.com

Pandemic: Health care entities vaccinating as many as possible Continued from page 1 Fitchburg – approximately 8.5% of the city’s population – since the state started collecting the data on March 15, 2020. Of those that have been sickened in Fitchburg, 14 of them have lost their lives.

The month of December 2020 and early January was especially brutal for case numbers in Fitchburg – from Dec. 7-14, 104 people tested positive for the virus; a month later, in the week from Dec. 2 to Jan. 4, the positive cases found in that seven-day span had doubled to 214.

Now, amid the one-year anniversary of the pandemic, health entities and pharmacies, such as Fitchburg Family Pharmacy, are working to vaccinate as many people as they can through the doses they’re allocated. Experts know more about how the illness affects the body — and mayor Aaron Richardson and city economic development director Mike Zimmerman each told the Star they are cautiously optimistic about the city’s post-pandemic recovery.

Richardson said the ways in which City of Fitchburg employees and alders came together to navigate the health crisis provide reasons to have a positive outlook about that recovery. Zimmerman, who is also one of two acting city administrators in addition to his economic development role, said the innovative ways that city businesses quickly pivoted amid the pandemic’s economic fallout have shaped that same outlook for him.

Getting to that place of optimism has not been easy, both Richardson and Zimmerman said, as they both had to come to grips COVID-19’s disruptive impact in the weeks following March 11, 2020.

As mayor, Richardson said one of the first questions he asked himself in March 2020 was how he could keep city staff and the general public safe.

That started with sweeping closures of all city buildings on March 24, 2020, including the Fitchburg Public Library, Fitchburg Senior Center, and City Hall. Then, the city’s first responders found themselves in a pinch for supplies. Fitch-Rona EMS and the fire department put out calls for personal protective equipment, including masks, patient gowns and face shields.

“It was this ominous feeling,” Richardson said.

Then, Richardson said staff had to figure out how to use Zoom software for the first time to conduct virtual meetings and work from home.

City staff also had to help residents navigate how and where to vote, with social distancing requirements in place in polling places. Richardson said the city was able to keep all four of its polling places open through last year’s elections – at one point, city clerk Tracy Oldenburg proposed consolidating the August election operations into a singular polling location because of an election worker shortage.

That proposal was unpopular – and prompted enough people to volunteer to keep all four polling places open.

As of March 2021, almost all city services are operating with staff working from home, with the exception of the police, fire and recreation departments, Richardson said. And with vaccines on the horizon, as well as declining COVID-19 cases, he’s hoping the city hall will slowly

The data at a glance COVID-19 has infected just shy of 2,500 people – approximately 8.5% of the city’s population – in Fitchburg since the state started collecting the data on March 15, 2020. Of those that have been sickened in Fitchburg, 14 of them have died.

The month of December 2020 and early January was especially brutal for case numbers in Fitchburg – from Dec. 7-14, 104 people tested positive for the virus; a month later, in the week from Dec. 2 to Jan. 4, the positive cases found in that seven-day span had doubled to 214. reopen come April.

For Zimmerman, seeing the city’s economic struggles in March 2020 meant immediately getting to work with the Fitchburg Chamber of Commerce to help businesses weather the pandemic.

Zimmerman and Chamber staff disseminated information about evolving public health orders, as well state and federal resources providing financial relief. And in September 2020, the Common Council amended its Biz Boost program, allowing businesses that made less than $2.5 million in annual revenue in 2019 to apply for the Forward Fitchburg Biz Boost loan.

Zimmerman said looking back, he’s observed a “tale of two economies,” in the city throughout the last year.

On one side, city restaurants, theatres and hotels endured “significant losses of revenue.”

In particular, he pointed to how manufacturer Sub Zero laid off almost all of its workforce at the pandemic’s start, New Vision Theatre closed its Fitchburg location and establishments like Yahara Bay Distillery went dark at the time. Zimmerman said the city’s room tax, which the municipality imposes on its hotels to help fund tourism marketing and promotions, decreased by 62%.

But on the other side, Zimmerman said he saw how some of those same businesses pivoted to stay afloat — his source of hope for the future. Restaurants turned to online menus and curbside pickup. He noted that Yahara Bay Distillery started manufacturing hand sanitizer in addition to its usual spirits. Retail establishments invested more into e-commerce ventures. Biotech giant Promega worked on the frontlines to supply products needed for COVID-19 tests. Zimmerman said he also observed how businesses like Fitchburg Family Pharmacy shifted gears to offer those same tests — and now vaccines.

That demonstrated how “resilient” Fitchburg businesses have been during the economic downturn, Zimmerman said.

Despite that perseverance, Richardson said he has learned to air on the side of caution as a mayor when it comes to his optimism about the city’s recovery.

“It seems like we are trending the right way,” he said. “But that could change next week.”

Schools

ConnectFitchburg.com

March 12, 2021

17

Fitchburg Star

Schools: Pandemic changes have prompted teachers to learn new teaching styles

VASD in brief

OSD news in brief

Continued from page 16

County set to begin educator vaccinations March 9

Public Health Madison and Dane County has moved up its timetable to vaccination school and child care workers, announcing plans to begin that process on Tuesday, March 9.

COVID-19 will cause ‘complicated’ decisions on prom, graduation

learn, and not just learn to do on their own, but to learn to do in front of students and in front of families – because when you’re sitting in a virtual environment, you’re broadcasting out there,” she said. “There’s a tremendous sense of vulnerability … and it’s been a heavy, heavy lift.”

‘I feel very hopeful’

Since some Sugar Creek’s fourth-grade students returned Jan. 27, they’ve shown a real appreciation to be back, Rippl said.

“A year ago, when all of this happened, I’m assuming they were probably excited for a two-week break, and then we’d be back,” he said. “Now, a year later, they (feel) so fortunate to be back, and they’re so excited to see each other and to see adults who don’t live at their house.”

Grades 3-5 spent more than 10 months away from in-person instruction in Verona.

Until the district allowed videoconferencing in late May, the only way students could see their teachers was through a car parade,

which Sugar Creek and Country View teachers conducted through Verona and Fitchburg neighborhoods.

The lack of interaction with students during the spring months of last year and subsequent lack of closure made the end of the 2019-20 school year difficult, Martin said. But she said having the opportunity to interact with students during the current school year gave her hope.

“The other day, the kids were like, ‘Do you love this?’” she said. “I was like, ‘Do I love seeing you? Yes. Do l like looking at three screens and 13 students at home and 13 kids here?’ Well, not really, but we’re doing it.”

While Puent was initially concerned about the difficulty of reopening schools and said it’s difficult to keep some students’ attention, he’s watched his students adapt better than he could have asked for, he said.

“I feel very hopeful,” he said. “I think in many ways, things have gone better than we thought they would.”

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

VASD board forum set for March 12

The Verona Press, in partnership with Fitchburg Access Community Television, will host a candidate forum ahead of a contested race for three Verona Area Board of Education At-Large seats.

Stoner Prairie holds annual ‘Read your heart out’ event

Stoner Prairie Elementary School’s third annual “Read Your Heart Out” event required educators to rethink how they could hold a gathering with public participation outside their building.

Attendance drop at VAHS prompts review

At the beginning of the school year, Verona Area School District administrators had told school board members not to be concerned at seeing attendance rates of 94%, or 96%.

Email Unified Newspaper Group reporter Scott De Laruelle at scott.delaruelle@wcinet.com.

Amid some conflicting data on the local spread of COVID-19, Oregon School District officials remain in a “wait and see” mode on increasing in-person learning and traditional milestone events for students.

Celebrating Black history and culture at OSD

Studying and celebrating Back history is more than a one-month observance at the Oregon School District.

Four Panther artists win state awards

With Oregon High School once again well represented at the Scholastic Art Awards: Wisconsin Exhibition, the only thing really different this year was it was virtual.

Email Unified Newspaper Group reporter Scott De Laruelle at scott. delaruelle@wcinet.com.

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• Alley, balls and shoes will be sanitized after each use.

• Social distancing guidelines in the bar with tables 6 feet apart maximum of 6 people per table

Our Patio is OPEN from 5-9 pm

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18 Fitchburg Star - March 12, 2021

City Hall - Main Line Administration Assessing Building Inspections City Clerk Economic Development

270-4200 270-4213 270-4235 270-4240 270-4210 270-4246

FACTv Finance Fire Department FitchRona Human Resources Library Municipal Court

270-4225 270-4251 278-2980 275-7148 270-4211 729-1760 270-4224

Parks & Forestry Planning/Zoning Police Public Works Recreation/Community Center Senior Center Utilities

270-4288 270-4258 270-4300 270-4260 270-4285 270-4290 270-4270

5520 Lacy Road, Fitchburg, WI 53711 • www.fitchburgwi.gov

2021 SPRING/SUMMER RECREATION PROGRAMS ARE OPEN FOR REGISTRATION! Go to www.fitchburgwi.gov/recreation and click on “View Programs and Register Here!” to see our full list of programs.

For all in person programs moving forward: To help ensure everyone’s safety and health, we will be following current protocols outlined by the PHMDC as it pertains to our programs. Detailed program procedures will be communicated before program start dates and we will continue to update as more information is released.

Spring Dance Classes: We offer a variety of dance classes for ages 2-12. Classes will be offered Mondays, Wednesdays (Virtual Classes), Thursdays, and Saturdays, with varying age groups each day. Specific dance classes also vary by day. Please visit the Recreation website for more information regarding exact class times and class specific details regarding strict procedures.

Prices: Fees range from $48 - $66 Dates: April 12 – May 22 Day/Time: Please check website for exact times for each class Monday nights: In person Pre-Ballet 2, Tap 1, Musical Theater, Elementary Tap Wednesday nights:VIRTUAL CLASSES Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop Thursday nights: In person Hip Hop 1, Contemporary, Hip Hop 2 Saturday mornings: In person Pre-Ballet 1, Pre-Ballet 2, Jazz 1, Ballet 1, Ballet 2, Jazz 2 Location – Fitchburg Community Center Youth Soccer Ages 3-5: Practices & scrimmages will be on Sunday afternoons (3:00 or 4:00 pm). The goal of this program

is to teach kids basic skills and for them to gain an appreciation for the game. Parents are encouraged to help throughout practice and games. No program on May 9.

Price: $30 R, $35 NR Times/Dates: April 18 – May 23; no program May 9 Sunday afternoons Program will be on Sunday afternoons, 3:00 or 4:00 pm (one 45 minute time period) Location: McKee Farms Park, Soccer fields near playground Spring Soccer Ages 6-8 and 9-12: In partnership with Sonic Sports Club, this beginners’ program works to introduce participants to the sport of Soccer. This program will run for 3 weeks, with a variety of drills/skills in each training session including; dribbling (ball control), passing/receiving and shooting.

The objective at these ages is to have fun and learn the skills of soccer. This is a great opportunity for players and parents to learn soccer together and make new friends along the way! Registration will include a program t-shirt.

Price: $60 R, $70 NR Ages: 6-8 and 9-12, Both age groups are at the same time Dates/Times: Mondays & Wednesdays, April 12 – April 28, 5:00 – 6:05 pm Location: McKee Farms Parks Soccer Fields

GARLIC MUSTARD AND OTHER INVASIVE PLANT DISPOSAL Many residents and businesses have been identifying and removing garlic mustard and other invasive plants (e.g. Japanese Knotweed, Hedge Parsley, Dames Rocket, Wild Parsnip, etc.) from their property. This is great! Just keep in mind that you should not compost these highly invasive plants. For successful eradication, it is important that everyone follow-through on sending these plants to the landfill so the seeds can’t mature and start new plants. If you have small amounts, you can just bag them and place in your green refuse cart. For large amounts, you can bag them and place them in the dumpster marked “Yardwaste Bags, Invasive Plants & Empty Oil Containers Only” at Fitchburg’s Recycling Drop Off Site (2373 S. Fish Hatchery Rd.). The dumpster is directly to the left of the yardwaste drop-off area.

Garlic mustard has a biennial life cycle, meaning it takes two years to fully mature and produce seeds. During the first year, garlic mustard is in its basal form (as shown in the photo on the left). During the second year, the plant will flower and produce seeds (as shown in the photo on the right).

NOW ACCEPTING MAYORAL APPOINTMENT APPLICATION FORMS

Be Healthy! Be Happy!

We hope you will join us for this series of fun and informative sessions!

All programs will be offered on Zoom Fridays beginning at 1p.m. and will be facilitated by a medical student from the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. Please call 270-4290 for registration. Phone and email address will be requested. k

3/12 Laughter Yoga with Elizabeth Boeck

Elizabeth Boeck is a certified Laughter Yoga trainer and has presented Laughter Yoga at one hundred different venues for the past 12 years. Beth’s favorite thing about Laughter Yoga is that any body can participate no matter how old or young!

Beth will share the basics of Laughter Yoga including all the benefits of the practice such as promoting lower blood pressure, decreased depression as well as a stronger respiratory system. Most people have a pleasant over all feeling of well being by the end of a session. She will also teach specific exercises that can be used with people of all ages. If ever there was a time when we need more laughter in our life, this is it!

Please RSVP by Monday 3/8

Minimum number of 5 registered required

3/19 Advanced Directives with Elder Law Attorney Come learn about legal details of advanced directives with Mark Johnson, JD, an Elder Law Attorney at Johnson Teigen, LLC. located in Fitchburg. Mark will give a presentation and overview of advanced directives, including what the difference is between power of attorney vs living will vs Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders and more. This will be followed by Q&A time with Mark, so bring your questions!

Please RSVP by Monday 3/15

Minimum number of 5 registered required

2021 WATERWAY CLEANUPS

Mark your calendars! The 2021 Waterway Cleanups will take place on Saturday, April 10 from 9a.m.-11p.m. (rain date: Saturday, April 17).

Cleanup locations will be posted at: http://www.fitchburgwi.gov/2634/ Waterway-Cleanups. This will be an outdoor event and we will be practicing social distancing, following Dane County Health’s guidelines, and encouraging participants to wear a mask during the event.

If you would like to volunteer to lead a cleanup, please reach out to the City’s Environmental Engineer, Claudia Guy, at claudia.guy@fitchburgwi.gov.

If you would like to receive notifications about this event, sign up for the “Waterway Cleanup” notification list (available at: http://www.fitchburgwi.gov/list.aspx).

Thank you for your interest in volunteering to help keep our waterways clean!

YOU CAN HELP FITCHBURG’S CREEKS DURING WINTER/SPRING RUNOFF It’s very important to continue to pick up after your pet all year long, especially during winter and spring. If you don’t pick up pet waste right away, it can soon be encased in snow and ice, ready to be carried away with melt water when it warms up.

Grassy areas that would normally allow water to soak in are frozen during winter, so they’re more like a parking lot, greatly increasing the surface area from which runoff flows. As a result, the bacteria and nutrients found in pet waste are much more likely to make their way to the nearest storm drain.

Contrary to common belief, rain and melting snow that goes into storm drains do not go to the wastewater treatment plant. Rather, this runoff goes to the nearest Fitchburg creek. Fitchburg is the headwaters of the following creeks which drain to downstream lakes and rivers: Nine Springs Creek, Swan Creek, Murphy’s Creek, Badfish Creek, Story Creek/ Allen Creek, and Badger Mill Creek.

So, be sure to continue to scoop the poop and either flush it down your toilet (if un-bagged) or bag it and place it in your refuse cart.

Like us on

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The City is seeking applications from Fitchburg residents interested in serving on citizen committees. Serving on a citizen committee or commission is a substantial and meaningful opportunity for citizens to participate in city government and to contribute their time, talents and expertise to Fitchburg.

Applications are reviewed by the Mayor for appointment and confirmed by the Common Council. Term lengths range from 2, 3 and 5 years. Applications received will be considered for appointments beginning in April.

View a complete list of committees and commissions: https://bit.ly/2PL9106 https://bit. ly/2VW3MPv Complete the application form for consideration here: https://bit.ly/3cymLp5

@FitchburgWI

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ConnectFitchburg.com

March 12, 2021

19

Fitchburg Star

Seeking the key to living a long life

JangoBio researchers seek to understand the aging process EMILIE HEIDEMANN Unified Newspaper Group

Photo submitted

Erin Slosarek, M.B.A., Ph.D. and Director of Cell Biology at JangoBio analyzes cell samples.

JangoBio 2997 Yarmouth Greenway Dr., Fitchburg 597 Science Dr., Madison (833) 465-2646 jango.bio company’s diagnostics arm, and the division that spearheaded opening the testing sites.

The two other divisions, JangoCell and JangoPet, focus on market research and products, as well as how Atwood’s research translates in the animal kingdom, respectively.

The company’s overall mission has evolved to conceptualize regenerative therapies that slow down the aging process, Atwood said, using stem cells and organoids.

Stem cells serve as the body’s repair system, and organoids are tissues that can be derived from stem cells to replicate specific organ cells, Atwood explained.

When a body’s hormones become dysregulated, he said that can lead to poor communication between cells, or “altered cell signalling.” JangoBio therapies are meant to restore the balance of hormones to keep that communication process streamlined.

Atwood and a team of scientists demonstrated how hormone dysregulation can influence cognitive decline in a 2015 study they conducted on postmenopausal women.

The study was the precursor to JangoBio’s founding and research goals, he said.

Menopause can cause the hormones that regulate a woman’s ovulation cycle to become unbalanced, which can lead to diseases like Alzheimer’s, Atwood said.

But using a therapy known as Lupron, which suppresses one of those hormones, women who were over the age of 65 were less likely to experience cognitive decline in the study.

Lupron, which was in clinical trials during

Photo submitted

The company’s four branches, JangoBio, JangoCell, JangoDx and JangoPet, are encapsulated in facilities at 2997 Yarmouth Greenway Drive, Fitchburg, and 597 Science Drive, Madison. the study, suppresses the body’s luteinizing hormone. That hormone gets released by the brain’s pituitary gland, and is responsible for the health of our reproductive organs.

“That data really indicated to us that reproductive hormones seem to be central to driving Alzheimer’s,” he said.

So in discovering how

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around the Dane County area, he said “I have to say we’ve come out of the pandemic even stronger than we went in.”

“We are now back on track, and 2021 is going to be a pivotal year (for JangoBio),” Atwood said.

Email Emilie Heidemann at emilie.heidemann@wcinet. com or follow her on Twitter at @HeidemannEmilie.

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therapies like Lupron helped study participants, JangoBio and its sister divisions have sought to create stem cell products that “we can inject back into individuals (and animals) that have a dysregulated hormone axis,” Atwood said.

And while Atwood was concerned about JangoBio’s viability when COVID-19 first spread

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When Craig Atwood founded JangoBio in 2016, he envisioned a future in which people could live beyond the age of 100.

That vision has remained clear in the gerontologist’s mind amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed just over 500,000 people since February 2020.

Gerontology is the study of an organism’s aging process, Atwood told the Star.

Throughout his career, A t wo o d ’s r e s e a r c h h a s focused on how hormone dysregulation and decline in organisms can accelerate age-related conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease in humans.

That science was the biotech company’s founding premise, Atwood said, which encompasses the creation therapies that restore hormone balance and contribute to longevity of life.

JangoBio has since grown beyond that initial idea, in part because of the health crisis.

Wi t h i n t h e l a s t c o u ple of years, the company expanded to four divisions with 40 total employees — including one division that has pioneered a community COVID-19 testing effort in partnership with the state Department of Health Services. Since October, members of the public have been able to receive free COVID-19 tests at sites in Fitchburg, Madison, Stoughton, Verona and Cottage Grove.

T h e c o m p a n y ’s f o u r branches, JangoBio, JangoCell, JangoDx and JangoPet, are encapsulated in facilities at 2997 Yarmouth Greenway Drive, Fitchburg, and 597 Science Drive, Madison. Atwood, who is also a Universit y o f Wi s c o n s i n - M a d ison Department of Medicine faculty member, said JangoDx is the biotech

20 Fitchburg Star - March 12, 2021

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We are working hard to fill your online orders timely. Thank you for your patience!

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