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Inside Traffic shifts on Verona Road

‘Allowing young people to dream’ Western Hills Park gets charity funded basketball court

Page 3 Mayor’s budget proposal would lower taxes Page 5

Solar series: Part 3 Page 9

Business

Ubuntu Trade takes over former Three Orange Doors site

KIMBERLY WETHAL Unified Newspaper Group

Orange (and blue) is the new blacktop – at least in the newest addition to Western Hills Park.

Last month, a new “Dream Court” was dedicated at one of Fitchburg’s northernmost parks off South Whitney Way, expanding a former half-court, one-hoop asphalt basketball court to a fullsize one with two hoops and a surface made out of orange and blue acrylic tiles.

The new court, which was dedicated Wednesday, Sept. 12, was funded through a donation partnership from the WorldVentures Foundation, Nancy Lieberman Charities, and Sport Court, which reached out to the city of Fitchburg to ask where the city could best use a Dream Court, parks director Scott Endl told the Star on Monday.

“They spoke about their goals, and what they’re trying to do, and what they’re trying to achieve,” Endl said. “Then what I did was pick a couple different potential locations which would fit into what they’re trying to do, and help us at Parks.”

Working with the Parks Commission and the Common Council, Endl said Western Hills Park was selected and approved after nearby residents received a survey to share feedback on the potential upgrade to the park.

Western Hills is a half-acre park surrounded by hundreds of homes and two blocks from a 576-unit apartment complex that doesn’t have a basketball court.

“With their feedback … the parks commission felt it was a good idea,” he said. “I did receive

Photo by Kimberly Wethal

Children play on the newly installed Dream Court at Western Hills Park after it was dedicated on Wednesday, Sept.

12.

more people to use the facilities and promotes “positive activities” done in the park.

“I think that the more activities – the more positive activities – that are happening in our park system, – Scott Endl, City of Fitchburg parks director is always good,” he said.

During the dedication, Mayor Jason Gonzalez said he and the communication from the neigh- received very positively.” bors there and how they’d like to Endl said the installation of the see more activities there. It’s been Dream Court makes it possible for Turn to Court/Page 10

‘I think that the more activities – the more positive activities – that are happening in our park system, is always good.’

Page 15

Sports Four from West qualify for individual state tennis Page B2

Schools Why the OSD referendum would build a school here Page B7

City of Fitchburg

Study provides a ‘direction’ on housing Draft shows gap in affordable homes limiting the market

apartments being built in Fitchburg and not enough single-family housing.

They’re right about single-family housing, according to a draft study created SCOTT GIRARD to guide the city’s plans for housing over the next Unified Newspaper Group decade, but the multifamily For years, residents and growth is actually needed to alders alike have com- keep pace with demand.

Apartments have been plained about too many PRSRT STANDARD ECRWSS US POSTAGE

built at about the pace the city planned for, city economic development director Mike Zimmerman told the Star this month.

The challenge is finding a way to get more owner-occupied housing here, especially at price that’s affordable for most people, something alders like Dan Carpenter (Dist. 3) have

stressed at various meetings in recent years.

“I don’t think there’s a single person up here who doesn’t want to see affordable housing,” Carpenter said at a September Common Council meeting.

That gap in the market – apartments filling a void left by an insufficient number of

Turn to Housing/Page 13

If You Go What: Housing Study Community Input meeting When: 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 25 Where: Oak Hall, Fitchburg Community Center, 5510 Lacy Road

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October 12, 2018

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Fitchburg Star

Photos by Kimberly Wethal

Right, Levi Hogan, a third-year Ph.D student in the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s chemistry department, shows children how wine glasses filled with different amounts of colored liquid sound different when tapped with a spoon, similar to how a xylophone works.

Nathan Murray, 9, of Madison, taps the floating Diet Coca-Cola can in a glass beaker. The diet soda floated while the regular soda did not because of the amount of sugar inside the cans.

Playing with science Dr. Bassam Shakhashiri, a chemistry professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, brought science to the library on Saturday, Sept. 29, for children to enjoy.

With the help of assistants who are either students in the chemistry department or retired professors, children were shown a variety of science experiments using colors, balloons and sound.

Email reporter Kimberly Wethal at kimberly.wethal@wcinet.com and follow her on Twitter @kimberly_wethal.​ At right, Dr. Bassam Z. Shakhashiri, a chemistry professor in the University of Wisconsin-Madison chemistry department, shows children how the color of the liquid changes from a blue-green color to a light green when vinegar is added to the solution.

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October 12, 2018

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Fitchburg Star

VASD: Family of students among ICE detainees

Verona Road

Police say they were not notified directly of federal presence SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group

Photo by Scott Girard

Crews continue work on the west side of Verona Road between Williamsburg Way and Raymond Road. Southbound traffic shifted on that portion of the reconstruction project earlier in the week.

Southbound traffic shifts to new concrete Lanes moved overnight Monday between Raymond Road, Williamsburg Way SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group

Southbound traffic on Verona Road has a new route between Raymond Road and Williamsburg Way. Traffic shifted overnight Monday, Oct. 8, to new concrete between those two streets to allow work on the water main and concrete barrier wall, with another shift planned for later this month.

While northbound traffic remained in its current lanes for this week, it is expected to shift to new concrete lanes between Williamsburg Way and Raymond Road next week. The switch will take place overnight using single-lane closures between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m., according to the Department

of Transportation’s Weekly Construction Update.

The Verona Road reconstruction project is in Stage 2, which includes three phases and is expected to last through fall 2020.

Stage 1 centered around the $107 million Beltline interchange but included a variety of other projects to ease traffic during the construction. Stage 2 expands the road from that interchange to south of County Hwy. PD. The current phase of Stage 2 includes reconstruction of Verona Road south of County Hwy. PD and south of Raymond Road, interchange ramps between PD and Raymond Road and construction of the Williamsburg Way bridge over Verona Road. This phase is expected to run until summer 2019, when the final phase – including expansion of Verona Road and bridges over Hwy. PD – will begin.

Federal immigration officials detained “parents or family members of Verona Area School District students” among widespread actions in the Dane County area over the weekend of Sept. 21, the Verona Area School District reported in a Sept. 24 email to families.

A news release Sept. 25 from Immigration and Customs Enforcement stated 20 people had been arrested in Dane County by ICE agents as part of a four-day “enforcement surge” that netted 83 arrests.

At least six people were stopped while driving in Fitchburg and detained by ICE, Sam Singleton-Freeman, communications coordinator for Immigrant rights group Voces de la Frontera told the Star in an email.

Agents were also around the Parkview Lane area in Verona, according to a Verona Police Department incident log entry, which said a VPD officer stood by at the request of the agents as they knocked on a door to no answer.

According to the incident report, ICE had detained the mother of the children in the home earlier in the day while looking for another person of interest. The officer

responded to a call from one of the children, a 13-year-old who had expressed concern for herself and siblings.

A Department of Homeland Security official advised the officer the mother could return to the residence “with paperwork on how to get a valid visa and begin the process to avoid deportation” if she “decides to cooperate,” the report said.

VPD chief Bernie Coughlin told the Press that ICE had called the county’s 911 communications center Friday morning, the day before its presence in Verona began, while Fitchburg Police Department chief Chad Brecklin said the department had not been contacted by ICE ahead of its presence there.

Coughlin called that “totally permissible” but added, “Technically, they notified us, but it would have been preferred they make a call to us directly.”

Madison police chief Mike Koval and Mayor Paul Soglin both complained in a news conference Friday that ICE had not followed established protocol by contacting them directly, expressing concerns about the safety of conducting operations without the department’s knowledge.

ICE conducted its operations around Wisconsin beginning Friday, Sept. 21, when at least six people were detained in the City of Madison, city officials reported. Voces reported people were also detained in Milwaukee, Arcadia and

Green Bay. VASD superintendent Dean Gorrell wrote in his email to parents that “children are safe in our schools,” and he added that ICE agents will not be allowed on school grounds without a valid court order or subpoena for a particular person.

“Regardless of one’s legal, political or philosophical position on these actions, the short- and long-term impact on children is real and profoundly upsetting,” Gorrell wrote.

“The mission of VASD is that ‘Every Child Must Be Successful.’ For us, ‘Every’ means ‘Every’ regardless of the residency status of family members.”

Gorrell wrote that the district does not require the collection of citizen status, and offered student services staff to talk with or meet on- or off-site with families.

A letter from the Dane County Chiefs of Police Association in February 2017, including both Fitchburg and Verona, advised that “Law enforcement officers in Dane County do not detain or arrest people solely for suspected violations of immigration laws.”

The letter pointed out that fear of deportation has a “chilling effect” on community policing and police want to encourage people to report crimes regardless of their immigration status.

Contact Scott Girard at ungreporter@wcinet.com and follow him on Twitter @sgirard9.

Contact Scott Girard at ungreporter@ wcinet.com and follow him on Twitter @ sgirard9.

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October 12, 2018

Opinion

Fitchburg Star

ConnectFitchburg.com

Guidelines for election letters

Healthy Living

Unified Newspaper Group is proud to offer a venue for public debate and welcomes letters to the editor, provided they comply with our guidelines.

Political endorsements and other election letters must be submitted about two weeks before the relevant election. Only one endorsement letter will be accepted per author.

For the upcoming election on Nov. 6, general election letters need to be submitted by Oct. 22 and will be published online by Oct. 25, as the next print edition is produced after the election.

Other special rules apply during election season.

Letters should be no longer than 400 words. They should also contain contact information – the writer’s full name, address, and phone number – so that the paper may confirm authorship. Unsigned or anonymous letters will not be printed under any circumstances.

The editorial staff of Unified Newspaper Group reserves the right to edit letters for length, clarity and appropriateness. Letters with libelous or obscene content will not be printed.

Unified Newspaper Group generally only accepts letters from writers with ties to our circulation area.

Language, quotations, facts and research that are contained in a letter but come from another source should be attributed. Plagiarized material will not be published.

This policy will be printed from time to time in an abbreviated form here and will be posted in its entirety on our websites.

For questions on our policies, please contact editor Jim Ferolie at jim.ferolie@wcinet.com.

Be sure to get the whole story on milk

See something wrong?

The Fitchburg Star does not sweep errors under the rug. If you see something you know or even think is in error, please contact editor Jim Ferolie at 845-9559 or at fitchburgstar@wcinet.com so we can get it right.

Friday, October 12, 2018 • Vol. 5, No. 8 Periodical Postage Paid, Verona, WI and additional offices.

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I

’ve made the switch. I no longer use skim milk in my morning cereal or by the glass with my dinner.

Instead, I’ve started grabbing the full-fat milk for my family.

Before you pour your milk of choice down the drain, however, let me explain.

Neither type of milk is necessarily better for you.

Hoerr I grew up on skim milk in the 1990s, when low-fat was everything (and everything was low-fat). In college, I continued to buy skim milk. It’s what I had known growing up, and low-fat dairy was considered a better option due to the high saturated fat content in full-fat dairy products – a known contributor to heart disease and high cholesterol.

But then – like most things in an ever-changing field – new research started to emerge. Perhaps the saturated fat from dairy isn’t as harmful as we thought.

You might have seen conflicting messages recently, too, and may be utterly confused about what you should be drinking.

In the past few decades, full-fat dairy often was shunned in favor of skim or 1 percent because it contains more fat, which means more calories. With this combination, it also was thought that your risk for cardiovascular disease and obesity would increase.

However, in recent years, studies have shown that consuming full-fat

dairy did not make individuals more at risk for developing cardiovascular disease or Type 2 diabetes, and they were even possibly less likely to gain weight.

It’s not initially intuitive.

Even though the American Heart Association still recommends limiting saturated fat in our diets, research has been finding the source of the saturated fat makes a difference on whether it does – or doesn’t – contribute to heart disease.

While saturated fat as a category has been shown to increase the bad cholesterol in our blood, the makeup of the fat in dairy milk is such that it might not cause an increased risk of either cardiovascular disease or Type 2 diabetes.

Keep in mind that while full-fat dairy might not increase your risk for heart disease, it also isn’t conclusive yet whether it lowers your risk for heart disease. It might be tempting to start using butter and cheese in everything, but unsaturated fats found in oils, nuts, seeds, fatty fish and avocados continue to be the best sources to help lower your risk.

Even though whole milk contains twice as many calories as skim milk, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re increasing your risk for becoming obese by drinking it. It’s been hypothesized that those who have low-fat milk may end up compensating for the calories in less healthful ways later on in the day.

Full-fat milk might for some people be more satisfying, meaning you get fuller faster and stay satisfied longer.

And it’s possible milk fat alters our metabolism and helps us burn and use

the fat rather than storing it. There are several questions that still need to be answered.

The million-dollar question is what we are supposed to be buying. For now, there is no definite answer.

Whichever you choose – whether it’s low-fat or full-fat milk – is up to you and your preferences. Until more research is done, we can’t assume one is superior over the other, so all can fit into a healthy diet.

Five years ago, I would have recommended swapping a high-fat milk with skim, no questions asked.

But now, I would find other areas in the diet to focus on instead. Choosing between low- or high-fat yogurt or milk isn’t something to spend energy fretting about.

My recommendation is that you drink milk of some kind, if you’re able. Dairy is high in so many other beneficial nutrients (calcium, protein, vitamin D and K, magnesium) that rather than focusing on one single nutrient – such as the saturated fat content – we need to look at it as a whole food group.

Like all foods we eat, let’s remember to not get hung up on specific nutrients to determine whether it’s “healthy” or not. We eat food, not just nutrients.

Kara Hoerr, MS, RDN, CD, is the registered dietitian at the Fitchburg Hy-Vee. For more nutrition information or questions, contact her at khoerr@hy-vee.com or 273-5125.

This information is not intended as medical advice. Please consult a medical professional for individual advice.

Letters to the editor

Clarification needed for affordable housing Fitchburg’s quest to provide affordable housing is laudable, but the project needs clarification. For whom is it intended? Is it senior housing for people who are above a specified age? Is it affordable senior housing for people above a specific age who make less than 60 percent of Dane County’s median income level? Or is it affordable housing meant for citizens of any age whose income meets Dane County’s requirement?

I’ve seen all the terms used interchangeably even within one article or city document, but none have included a comprehensive definition of intended residents. It’s important to know who it’s intended for so accommodations can be made for such things as personal accessibility, access to city and commercial services, parking, schools and public transportation.

In addition, each kind of housing

needs specific governance defining who will be qualified to live there.

All of this should be completed well before evaluating a blueprint or voting on a proposal.

Clarifying who is in the greatest need of affordable housing helps determine what kind of housing is needed, its appropriate governance and where it should be built.

Ali Bram City of Fitchburg

Vote no for Oregon School District referendum The entire Oregon School District is being asked to pay more money to build an elementary school on the north end of the district. This is due, in large part, to projected enrollments from new developments, like the Northeast Neighborhood in Fitchburg.

I fought against the Northeast Neighborhood every step of the way.

Throughout the fight against the development, we were all told that schools were not an issue, Oregon did not oppose the neighborhood, in fact, they welcomed the additional students. At no time did Oregon ever say that district-wide property taxes would need to be increased to build a school to support that development.

If they had, then maybe more people would have fought against the development, and maybe we wouldn’t be where we are today.

Now that the fields are being paved over, and the developer is about to build (a number of) homes, Oregon says, “Well, to support that development, we need to build a new school.”

The developer makes millions, and all of the other taxpayers pay.

I remember my parents saying that they always voted yes for school referendum long after all of their kids were out of school because they figured someone else voted yes when we were in school. And I have continued that tradition. Until this time.

I will vote no on this referendum.

I encourage other people to vote no as well. We need to have a different model than a reactionary model of consenting to developments and then asking for money from property tax payers outside that development to pay for the schools, roads and services for that development.

Could the district benefit from more centralization instead of more fragmentation? Are there more creative ways to use the space in the current Netherwood Knoll and Prairie View schools more effectively to teach more students? Are there some programs like early childhood or district offices that could move out to leased space to allow for more K-12 classrooms? Are there underutilized spaces like the small gym that could be put to better use? Are there some specialized spaces that could be shared between Netherwood and Prairie View to allow for more classroom space?

Maybe if this referendum fails, the district will look at other more cost-effective ways to teach prospective students.

Holly Adams City of Fitchburg, OHS grad

Corrections In the article “City closing in on 25 percent ‘clean’ energy goal” in the Sept. 14 edition of the Fitchburg Star, there were some errors due to incorrect information that was not thoroughly checked. The city owns 60 percent of the 506 kilowatts of solar energy produced in the city, and the 21 percent of energy needs generated only covers the energy required to run the city’s buildings. The draft proposal introduced proposing that the city use 100 percent clean energy was presented to the Resource Conservation Commission, not the Common Council.

The Star regrets the errors.

ConnectFitchburg.com

October 12, 2018

City of Fitchburg

Fitchburg Star

5

Fish Hatchery reconstruction

Mayor’s budget would lower tax rate Design presentation Includes new ambulance crew, $45K for nonprofits SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group

The city’s portion of the property tax rate would drop by 4 percent from last year under Mayor Jason Gonzalez’s proposed budget.

But that budget could face significant scrutiny from alders over the next few weeks, as it cuts most of the capital expenses alders voted to add in a planning process earlier this year.

Gonzalez The first public hearing on the budget was Tuesday, Oct. 9, and only one person spoke, expressing concerns about cuts he said could set back the city’s efforts to contain the spread of the tree-killing emerald ash borer beetle.

But there are likely to be a few other battles during the process, as projects like paving shoulders on Whalen Road and the Fish Hatchery Road reconstruction have been part of long conversations at council meetings over the past year.

Alder amendments were due Oct. 11, and the public can weigh in on those amendments Nov. 13, the same night the council is expected to vote on the final budget. The council is also expected to have an open discussion about the budget at the Oct. 24 Committee of the Whole meeting before its holds the far more restrictive process of voting for or against amendments in November.

In August and again in his budget’s introductory letter, posted to the city’s website Sept. 21, Gonzalez criticized alders for adding too much to the city’s Capital Improvement Plan, a 10-year planning document approved earlier this year that helps set the base for the budget proposal.

His letter says he cut all of the projects other than an increase in the general

Budget schedule Proposed budget on city website: Sept. 21 Department heads present at Finance: Oct. 2-3 Public hearing on proposal: Oct. 9 Alder amendments due: Oct. 11 Amendment details posted to website: Oct. 19 Committee of the Whole discussion: Oct. 24 Public hearing on amendments: Nov. 13 Possible vote: Nov. 13 Alternate adoption date: Nov. 27 street resurfacing budget because what remains is already pushing state-mandated limits to raising tax revenues.

“The Mayor’s proposed CIP included a property tax increase of 2.5 percent, which was in line with the anticipated net new construction,” he wrote in the budget letter. “After the approved Council amendments were included, the property tax for capital increased to 31.6 percent over the prior year. This increase left little room within levy limits for important operating costs.”

Department heads presented to the Finance committee on their parts of the budget on Oct. 2 and 3, and the first public hearing took place Oct. 9 at the Common Council meeting.

The only speaker during the hearing, Jeremy Hecht, expressed concerns about what the elimination of an LTE horticulturist/landscape architect position would mean for the city’s Emerald Ash Borer Plan.

“Not continuing to (inspect and inventory trees) doesn’t make sense, particularly because it would squander all of the money and time spent on keeping these trees from EAB infestation,” Hecht said.

Gonzalez stressed his “commitment

On the Web

Nov. 8 at Leopold

Read about alders proposed amendments when made public:

SCOTT GIRARD

ConnectFitchburg.com to public safety” in the budget, noting he is funding a third front-line ambulance crew for Fitch-Rona EMS – after two years of the city delaying that addition – as well as a new police detective position and reinstating the division chief of prevention, inspection and training in the Fire Department.

“This important position was unfunded in 2015 in lieu of other priorities,” Gonzalez wrote in his budget letter.

“The position has been requested for reinstatement every year since and is an important position to identify community needs for safety and development.”

To add those positions, include a 2 percent across-the-board cost-of-living adjustment and still lower the tax rate, Gonzalez proposed cutting some capital projects alders had added earlier this year during the capital improvement plan process earlier this year. That includes a variety of work on Whalen Road totalling $320,000, an $18,000 comprehensive sustainability study and $24,000 for a new water fountain at Belmar Hills Park.

Gonzalez’s proposal would lower the tax rate to $8.20 per $1,000 of home value – so for those who do not receive a new assessment this year, the city’s portion of taxes would be lower. The average home value rose from $282,000 in 2017 to $294,000 in 2018, according to information contained in the budget.

His proposal also cuts the available funding to the Healthy Neighborhood Initiative to $45,000 form the $50,000 available last year, of which $46,000 was given to nonprofit organizations.

Contact Scott Girard at ungreporter@ wcinet.com and follow him on Twitter @sgirard9.

Over the next 25 years, the greater Madison region is projected to grow by 150,000 people, and a Dane County group is hoping to get area residents’ opinion of how that growth should look.

A Greater Madison Vision is hosting an online, interactive survey to help determine preferences for the future, with a goal of 10,000 responses. The survey is open until Nov. 12, and as of Sept. 25, it had more than 3,500 responses, according to a news release from the organization.

Anyone high school age or older who lives, works or spends time in Dane County is encouraged to participate.

A Greater Madison Vision comprises 46 people representing various businesses, government and nonprofit organizations and wants to use the survey to guide discussions about how the public wants the region to grow.

“A Greater Madison Vision is designed to get meaningful feedback from people now, so communities and organizations can establish the right priorities when planning for growth,” Larry Palm, chair

What: Fish Hatchery Road reconstruction public meeting When: 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 8; presentation at 5:45 p.m.

Where: Leopold Elementary School, 2602 Post Road Info: fitchburgwi. gov/2504/fish-hatchery-road-reconstruction

plowing – for the road.

But County Executive Joe Parisi’s budget proposal, announced Oct. 1, includes $6 million pending an agreement with the city.

Mayor Jason Gonzalez said at the Aug. 22 informational meeting on the project the county had proposed contributing $2 million to the project, which he said made it a bad deal for the city.

Until February, it had been assumed the county would transfer the road to Fitchburg when its population officially reached 500,000, as provided in state law. That law has since been changed to require a population of 750,000.

In anticipation of that change, the county has made a series of agreements with municipalities, sharing costs for upgrades and then transferring jurisdiction permanently.

On the Web Take the survey at:

greatermadisonvision.com of the Capitol Area Regional Planning Commission, said in the release.

The survey is broken into seven parts, each asking the participant to rank qualifiers in their order of preference.

Each section breaks down the estimated impact on participants and others in the region- cost per household, housing mix, revenue per acre, road/fire/EMS costs and agriculture land developed, among others. It also includes a projected growth map that analyzes investments in existing communities, more outward expansion and transportation system expansion.

At the end, it asks participants to answer a few demographic questions such as income, gender, age and ethnicity.

The survey can take less than 15 minutes depending on how much of the supplemental information the participant wants to read and consider.

All of the information

provided will be used to help the CARPC continue its mission of directing regional growth.

A Greater Madison Vision was formed three years ago and first focused on capacity building, research, trend analysis, outreach, education and engagement. Next year, once the survey is complete, it will focus preparing and implementing the regional plan, the Greater Madison Vision website explains.

“Where the people, houses, cars, businesses, schools, roads and more go, and how they fit together, matters to the things we care about,” the website said. “Regions where leaders and people work together on common goals do better at meeting these regional challenges.

That’s why leaders in greater Madison came together to create A Greater Madison Vision.”

The first section of the survey covers priorities and alternative futures. It ranks the importance of four types of change: population, environmental changes, society and technology. Each of these groups is designed to describe a “what if” scenario, such as what if communities focus their resources

on one of these changes.

The second section covers community alternative future. It asks participants to rank four categories in order of preference: more access to outdoors, walkable communities, expanded housing options and more community based resources.

Another section of the survey considers the challenges of rapid technology changes.

“Communities promote more technology and related jobs to grow Madison region as a national center for innovation and investment,” the survey said. “Decide how communities should allocate limited resources.”

The section ranks promoting tech job growth by turning research into business, expand transit to connect Madison with surrounding communities, better connect education and work and more vibrant centers.

For information about A Greater Madison Vision or to take the survey, visit greatermadisonvision.com.

Contact Amber Levenhagen at amber.levenhagen@ wcinet.com.

A multi-use path on the west side of Fish Hatchery Road will be extended from High Ridge Trail – where it currently ends – north to Post Road along with the road reconstruction project.

Alders approved the addition at the Sept. 25 Common Council meeting for an additional cost of about $400,000.

Public works director

Lisa Coleman told the council the city is “already having to acquire real estate” in that area to build retaining walls, so she thought it was a good opportunity to extend the path by moving those retaining walls back.

“This is kind of our chance to do it,” Coleman said. “Once we build those retaining walls, we’re not gonna move them.”

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Shop goods made by local and global artisans.

Participate in makers’ events scheduled throughout the weekend.

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Greater Madison survey studies vision for growth Unified Newspaper Group

The preliminary design of the reconstruction North Fish Hatchery Road will be on display at a Nov. 8 community meeting.

The meeting is 5:307 : 3 0 p . m . a t L e o p o l d Elementary School and includes a presentation at 5:45 p.m.

It’s the second of three planned public meetings on the reconstruction, which is planned to begin at the end of 2019. The final one is expected to be in spring 2019 and will include a presentation of the final design and information about the construction process.

According to a news release on the meeting, input and questions from those in attendance will be used “to inform the final roadway design.”

The $18 million project will reconstruct the roadway from McKee Road up to the Beltline. It will repair deteriorating retaining walls and underground infrastructure possibly upgrade pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure and improve intersection safety.

City of Fitchburg officials have been in discussions with Dane County for more than a year about sharing costs on the reconstruction.

The two bodies initially were unable to come to an agreement over the county’s proposed transfer of future maintenance – including

Path extension approved

Dane County

AMBER LEVENHAGEN

If You Go

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Fitchburg Star

Berbee Derby celebrates 15 years Thanksgiving race has new child policy

A Madison-area traditional way to burn off your Thanksgiving Day dinner before you eat it is back for its 15th year.

The Berbee Derby 10K and 5K races, held on Thursday, Nov. 22, at the Fitchburg Business Park, is starting earlier in the day and includes a new policy for children under the age of six that makes it easier for the whole family to enjoy the race.

According to the Berbee Derby’s website, children ages 0-3 who will be in a stroller or wagon are allowed to participate for

Calendar of events Friday, Oct. 12

free and do not have to be registered, and children ages 4-6 can be signed up for $5.

Children who are registered will receive the race T-shirt or goodie bag included with the regular registration fee.

Registration for adults is $35 prior to Nov. 5, and increases to $40 from Nov. 6 to the morning of the race.

The races also a new start time of 8:30 a.m. for the 10K, and 8:50 a.m. for the 5K run. The 5K walk will start 10 minutes later at 9 a.m.

All of the proceeds from the race will benefit the Madison-based Technology Education Fund, which offers grants to supply area children and adults with technology they would

Monday, Oct. 15

• 11 a.m. to noon, Preschool Science (ages 2-5), library, 729-1762 • 4-5 p.m., Lego challenge (ages 5-12), library, 7291762 • 5-9 p.m., Dane Arts Buy Local market, Yahara Bay Distillers, 6250 Nesbitt Road, dablmarket.com

• 4-5 p.m., Make and Take Dirt cups (ages 9-12, registration required), library, 729-1762

Saturday, Oct. 13

Wednesday, Oct. 17

• 9 a.m. to noon, Oak Bank’s Annual Great Pumpkin giveaway fundraiser (donations go to Access Community Health Center), 5951 McKee Road, 441-6000 • 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Fitchburg Fire Department Open House, Fitchburg Fire Rescue, 5791 Lacy Road, 278-2980 • 11 a.m. to noon, Mad City Violin and “petting zoo” of instruments (for families with children ages 8 and under), library, 7291762 • 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Dane Arts Buy Local market, Yahara Bay Distillers, 6250 Nesbitt Road, dablmarket.com • 1:30-2:30 p.m., Chicago Steppin’! (ages 60+), Boys and Girls Club of Dane County, 4619 Jenewein Road, 270-4290

Sunday, Oct. 14

• 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., 33rd annual Kite Fly for Peace, McKee Farms Park, 2930 Chapel Valley Road, 2718265

Tuesday, Oct. 16

• 7-8 p.m., Go Big Read live stream: “The Death and Life of the Great Lakes” by Dan Egan, library, 729-1760 • 10-11 a.m., Yoga buds (ages 2-5), library, 7291762 • 10-11 a.m., Wednesday morning book discussion, library, 729-1760 • 7-8 p.m., 3-D printing basics (registration required), library, 7291763

Rotary fundraiser to benefit VAHS students, Kenyans KIMBERLY WETHAL Unified Newspaper Group

File photo by Amber Levenhagen

Suellen Adams, with Fleet Feet Madison team, wears a leaf headband at last year’s event.

For more information, visotherwise not have access to, according to the Berbee Der- it berbeederby.com. by’s website.

– Kimberly Wethal

• Noon to 5 p.m., Friends of the Fitchburg Library used book sale, library, friendsofthefitchburglibrary.com

Saturday, Oct. 20

• 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friends of the Fitchburg Library used book sale, library, friendsofthefitchburglibrary.com • 1:30-2:30 p.m., Chicago Steppin’! (ages 60+), Boys and Girls Club of Dane County, 4619 Jenewein Road, 270-4290

Monday, Oct. 22

hamber.com • 7-8:30 p.m., Frankenstein Turns 200 series – “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)” showing, library, 729-1760

Saturday, Oct. 27

• 6:30-9 p.m., Great Halloween Hunt, library, 7291760

Sunday, Oct. 28

• 1:30-2:30 p.m., Nevin State Fish Hatchery Fitchburg Historical Society presentation, library, fitchburghistory.org

Tuesday, Oct. 30 • 10-11 a.m., “We’re Going • 10:30-11 a.m., HallowOn a Bear Hunt!” storyeen dance party (ages time (ages 2-5), library, 0-5), library, 729-1762 729-1762 • 6-8 p.m., Dia De Los Tuesday, Oct. 23 Muertos celebration (ages • 4-5 p.m., Diary of a Thursday, Oct. 18 13-17), library, 729-1762 Wimpy Kid party (ages • 10 a.m. to noon, WellWednesday, Oct. 31 ness checks with a nurse, 5-12), library, 729-1762 • 10-11 a.m., Toddler art • 6-7 p.m., Adult craft senior center, 270-4290 (ages 1-3), library, 729evening (registration • 10:30-11:15 a.m., Com1762 munication innovation sto- required), library, 729• 4:30-7:30 p.m., Trick-or1760 rytime (ages 2-5), library, treating hours, city-wide, 729-1762 Wednesday, Oct. 24 270-4300 • 1-1:30 p.m., Bouncing • 10-11 a.m., Toddler Thursday, Nov. 1 Halloween Babies storydiscoveries (ages 1-3), time, library, 729-1762 • 10-10:30 a.m., Storytime library, 729-1762 for wiggle worms (ages • 3-6 p.m. Fitchburg FarmThursday, Oct. 25 1-3), library, 729-1762 ers Market – Fall Fest, • 10-11 a.m., STEAM Agora Pavilion, 5511 E. • 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Power! storytime (ages Cheryl Pkwy., fitchburgcA Good Yarn Book Club: 2-5), library, 729-1762 hamber.com “The Book of Joy” by • 11 a.m. to noon, CookDalai Lama and Desmond • 4-6 p.m., UnBookClub book Club – Wisconsin Tutu, library, 729-1762 (ages 9-12), library, 729Cookbooks, library, 7291762 • 3-6 p.m. Fitchburg Farm1760 ers Market – Fall Fest, Friday, Oct.19 • 3-6 p.m. Fitchburg Farm- Agora Pavilion, 5511 E. • 11 a.m. to noon, Moners Market – Fall Fest, Cheryl Pkwy., fitchburgcster storytime (ages 2-5), Agora Pavilion, 5511 E. hamber.com library, 729-1762 Cheryl Pkwy., fitchburgc-

The Fitchburg-Verona Rotary will host its ninth annual wine tasting fundraising event on Thursday, Nov. 15, to assist neighbors in need – both locally in the Verona Area School District, and across the world in Kenya.

The event will be held from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Ten Pin Alley, 6250 Nesbitt Road.

The fundraiser costs $25 for advance tickets and $30 at the door. Proceeds support two the Rotary’s international focuses of supporting education and providing clean water, Rotary president Eric Gormanson wrote in an email

Saturday, Nov. 3

• 11 a.m. to noon, Take and bake bread (ages 9-12), library, 729-1762 Monday, Nov. 5 • 9:30 and 11 a.m., Preschool storytime (ages 2-5), library, 729-1762 • 4-5 p.m., DIY Play-doh (ages 5-8), library, 7291762 • 5-6 p.m., Create a calendar with stamps, library, 729-1762

Tuesday, Nov. 6

• 11 a.m., Lapsit storytime (ages 0-2), library, 7291762 • 6-8 p.m., Diwali Festival (ages 13-17), library, 7291762

Wednesday, Nov. 7

• 10-11 a.m., Toddler art (ages 1-3), library, 7291762 • 3:30-5 p.m., Make It Snappy: Snap circuits at the library (ages 5-12, with parental guidance for children ages 5-8, registration required), library, 729-1762 • 6-6:30 p.m., “We are in a Book Club!” (ages 5-8), library, 729-1762 • 7-8 p.m., Cut the cable cord presentation (registration required), library, 729-1763

Thursday, Nov. 8

to the Star.

“Our scholarships at Verona Area High School were founded to recognize students who exemplify Rotary’s motto of service above self,” he said. “Internationally, we support and volunteer in a sustainable water harvesting and reforestation project in Kenya.”

Attendees of the event will be able to sample 20 Italian wines and enjoy appetizers and snacks. Beer will also be served if “wine isn’t your thing,” Shelton said.

The event will also include a silent auction.

For more information, search “9th Annual Wine Tasting” on Facebook.

istration required), library, 729-1762

Friday, Nov. 9

• 11-11:45 a.m., Book boogie (ages 2-5), library, 729-1762

Saturday, Nov. 10

• 10:30-11:30 a.m., Preschool science (ages 2-5), library, 729-1762 • 3:30-4:15 p.m., Family bingo, library, 729-1760

Tuesday, Nov. 13

• 4-5 p.m., Read aloud party: “Home Sweet Motel” (ages 5-12), library, 729-1762 • 7-8 p.m., “The Packers’ Century: 100 Years of Packer History” presentation, library, 729-1760

Wednesday, Nov. 14

• 10-11 a.m., Wednesday morning book discussion: “Homegoing” by Yaa Gyasi, library, 729-1763 • 10-11 a.m., Toddler discoveries (ages 1-3), library, 729-1762 • 3:30-4:30 p.m., Afterschool crafts (ages 5-12), library, 729-1762

Thursday, Nov. 15

• 6-6:30 p.m., UnBookClub (ages 9-12), library, 729-1762 • 6:30-8 p.m., “Reinventing Power” documentary showing, library, 729-1762

• 10-11 a.m. Preschool art Saturday, Nov. 17 (ages 2-5), library, 729• 10:30-11:30 a.m., Yoga 1762 Buds (ages 2-5), library, • 4-5:15 p.m., Escape 729-1762 challenge (ages 5-12, reg-

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Violin petting zoo

To celebrate the 200th birthday of author Mary Shelley’s classic “Frankenstein,” the library is hosting a film series, with the next installment happening from 7-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 25.

The library will show the 1948 movie, “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.”

For information, call 7291760.

Students with the Mad City Viola and Violin Studio will perform a compilation of modern and traditional violin music from 11 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 13, at the library.

After the performance, there will be a “petting zoo” where children have a hands-on experience with the instruments.

The performance is recommended for families Recycling drive with children ages 8 and The West Green Club will younger. host an electronic waste For information, call 729- recycling drive from 8 a.m.

1762. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, in the West High School Make and take dirt parking lot, 30 Ash. St., cups Madison.

The event is in conjuncChildren ages 9-12 can tion with the Goodwill of learn how to make dirt cups from 4-5 p.m. Monday, Oct. South Central Wisconsin.

For information, 15, at the library.

Librarians will teach chil- westgreenclub.org dren how to make cook-free Historical presentation chocolate pudding and proThe Fitchburg Historical vide toppings like gummy Society will present Jason worms.

Himebauch’s lecture on the Registration is required.

For information, call 729- Nevin State Fish Hatchery at their fall meeting from 1762.

1:30-2:30 p.m. Sunday, ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ Oct. 28, at the library.

Himebauch, an operaparty tions technician at Nevin Children ages 5-12 are State Fish Hatchery, the invited to play a cheese oldest running hatchery in touch game and Manny the state, will present on its cereal toss at a “Diary of a day-to-day operations.

Wimpy Kid” party from 4-5 Historical society meetp.m. Tuesday, Oct. 23, at ings take place on the secthe library. ond floor of the library, T h e p a r t y w i l l a l s o 5530 Lacy Road. include crafts.

For information, visit For information, call 729- fitchburghistory.org.

1762.

Adult craft evening

Dia De Los Muertos

Kick back with other grown-ups for an adult craft evening from 6-7 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 23, at the library.

Attendees are allowed to bring their own craft to make, or create something with the supplies provided by the library.

Registration for the event is required.

For information, call 7291760.

Teenagers aged 13-17 are invited to celebrate Dia De Los Muertos (“Day of the Dead”) tradition from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 30, at the library.

The event will include crafts, snacks and a showing of Disney’s “Coco,” a movie about a young boy on Dia De Los Muertos who learns the value of his family and music.

For information, call 7291762.

Toddler discoveries

Trick-or-treat hours

Children ages 1-3 are invited to the library for a toddler discovery storytime from 10-11 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 24.

The storytime will include reading and activities geared toward building skills and knowledge.

Caregivers are asked to dress children in clothes that are permitted to get messy.

For information, call 7291762.

Halloween trick-or-treating hours in Fitchburg will take place from 4:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 31.

For information on trickor-treating or safety tips, contact the Fitchburg police department at 270-4300.

Cookbook club Members of the library’s Cookbook Club are invited to a potluck-style meeting from 11 a.m. to noon on Thursday, Oct. 25.

Attendees should choose a dish to share made from a recipe published in a Wisconsin cookbook to bring to the meeting, along with the cookbook or a printed copy of the recipe to discuss.

The library will provide eating utensils and beverages.

Librarians are willing to assist members with locati n g a Wi s c o n s i n - b a s e d cookbook.

For information, call 7291762.

Frankenstein turns 200

Take and bake bread Librarians will assist children ages 9-12 with learning how to make bread dough from 11 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 3.

The library will provide the ingredients and will help children mix up the dough so they can take it home to bake.

Registration is required.

For information, call 7291762.

DIY Play-doh Learn how to make homemade Play-doh from 4-5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 5, at the library.

The activity, recommended for children ages 5-8, will teach them how to make Play-doh from a recipe and will allow them to measure the ingredients to make it themselves.

Children will also be able to experiment with different scents, colors and textures

Fitchburg Star

7

for their Play-doh.

Registration for the event is required.

For information, call 7291762.

Calendar making Jamie Statz-Paynter, of Stampin’ UP, will demonstrate how to create and decorate calendars with ink stamps from 5-6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 5, at the library.

Statz-Paynter will be providing all of the materials to make a free-standing calendar project.

For information, call 7291760.

Diwali festival The library will host a Diwali festival for teenagers aged 13-17 from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 6.

Also called “The Festival of Lights,” the event will celebrate the Hindu tradition with crafts, snacks and other activities.

For information, call 7291762.

Snap circuits Children ages 5-12 are invited to make snap circuit creations from 3:30-5 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 7, at the library.

Children ages 5-8 are required to have a caretaker with them during the duration of the event to assist them with the completion of the projects.

Registration is required.

For information, call 7291762.

Cut the cord The library is hosting a presentation on alternatives to cable tv subscriptions from 7-8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 7.

The presentation will include information on other forms of entertainment, including streaming subscriptions like Netflix, Hulu and others.

Registration is required.

For information, call 7291763.

Packers’ history

Photo by Amber Levenhagen

Valentina Gonzalez, 2, dressed as a dragon, collects a toy during the library Halloween celebration.

Library Halloween Hunt set for Oct. 27 For the 11th year in a row, the Fitchburg Public Library is giving children a chance to get into the Halloween spirit a few days early.

The library will host their annual “Great Halloween Hunt” from 6-9:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, with a variety of games, crafts and activities for children to partake in.

From 6-8 p.m., there will

be a scavenger hunt, Halloween-themed crafts and games and a balloon artist. There will be magic shows at 6:15 and 7 p.m.

The night will conclude with a movie showing from 8-9:30 p.m.

For more information, call 729-1762.

— Kimberly Wethal

If You Go What: Great Halloween Hunt When: 6-9:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 27 Where: Fitchburg Public Library, 5530 Lacy Road Info: Call 729-1762

A behind-the-scenes look Fire department open house set for Oct. 13 The Fitchburg fire department will host its annual open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 13.

Held at their fire rescue station at 5791 Lacy Road, the event will involve hands-on activities for children and families to explore, including displays of fire equipment and safety gear, fire engine rides and an appearance by mascot Sparky the Firedog, department public information

Author, historian and Packers fan Jim Rice will present about the team’s history from 7-8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13, at the library.

Rice will give people a look at great games, players and moments over the team’s 100-year history.

For information, call 7291760.

If You Go What: Fitchburg fire department annual open house When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 13 Where: Fitchburg Fire Rescue, 5791 Lacy Road Info: 278-2980

officer Meredith Shelton wrote to the Star in an email Wednesday.

Vendors will be on-site to discuss fire safety information, as well as a FitchRona

ambulance, police vehicles and an appearance by K-9 officer Drago and his handler, officer Johnathan Parker.

Hot dogs, popcorn and bottled water will be available at the event.

For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page by searching “Fitchburg Fire Dept Annual Open House” or by calling the department at 2782980.

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

new technologies

Clean Energy

After-school crafts

Energy

Children ages 5-12 are invited to join the library after school to craft from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 14.

The library will supply a variety of craft projects for children to make.

For information, call 7291762.

EFFICIENCY

‘Reinventing Power’ The Fitchburg Resource Conservation Commission and the Sierra Club will show the documentary film, “Reinventing Power,” from 6:30-8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15, at the library.

The documentary was released in June of this year. Time for discussion will follow the showing.

For information, call 7291760.

Visit to learn more energy2030together.com Madison Gas and Electric GS3260 9/13/2018

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October 12, 2018

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Fitchburg Star

Oak Bank pumpkin giveaway Donations to go to local health charity For the 18th year in a row, Oak Bank in Fitchburg will be giving away pumpkins a few weeks prior to Halloween.

From 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 13, Oak Bank, 5951 McKee Road, is giving away pumpkins in return for a cash donation to the Access Community Health Center.

Access Community Health Center provides medical, dental and behavioral healthcare services to those in need of additional resources, serving 28,000 people in 2017.

The event will also feature activities for families, including horse and carriage rides, food for purchase, bounce houses and mascots from local sports teams, among other activities.

Pumpkins tend to be given away fairly quickly, so

Photo submitted

File photo by Amber Levenhagen

Suzanne Formanek and Lucy collect their pumpkins at last year’s event. arriving closer to 9 a.m. is recommended.

For information, call 441-6000 or search for Oak Bank’s 18th Annual Great Pumpkin Give Away on Facebook.

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

Laila Ehiorobo drives the ball during the regional Drive, Chip and Putt competition at Whistling Straits Golf Course.

‘An internal drive’ Fitchburg resident competes in Wisconsin PGA Junior regional KIMBERLY WETHAL

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When Norman Ehiorobo began taking his youngest daughter Laila out to the links with him, one of the first things he said others always noticed was how strong she was.

“When we took her out to the range and we gave her instructions, she figured it out right away and was hitting the ball,” he said.

“Everybody has always said, all the golf coaches that have gotten to help assist me, the first thing they say is ‘wow, this girl is strong.’”

That strength came in handy earlier this summer when the Savannah Oaks 6th-grader won two rounds of the Wisconsin PGA Junior Drive, Chip and Putt competition.

She won the first local round, held at The Oaks Golf Course on Monday, June 25, and became top finisher of the three in her girls 10-11 division and advanced to the sub-regional competition held on Aug. 4 at University Ridge Golf Course in Verona.

She again earned the best score to move on to the regional competition at Whistling Straits in Sheboygan.

The sub-regional competition was nerve-wracking, Laila said, because she wasn’t sure how well she was would do in the week before during practices.

“At first I wasn’t positive that I had won,” she said.

“When I found out that I got first place, I got really happy and excited. I was trying not to cry – it was just a really happy moment for me to find out that I was going to Whistling Straits.”

She didn’t advance past the regional competition – from there, only one golfer in each division moves on to national Drive, Chip and Putt competition held the weekend prior to the Masters tournament in 2020, according to the Wisconsin PGA’s website.

Laila began golfing at

What are the different golf strokes?

There are three main strokes in golf – the drive, the chip and the putt.

A drive stroke is how a golfer hits the ball from the beginning of a hole to the green on the other end of the hole.

A chip stroke is necessary to get the ball from wherever it landed following the drive onto the flat green where the hole is.

Putting is done after the ball is already on the green, and the golfer’s objective is to hit it into the hole.

the age of 7 when her father, an avid golfer for more than two decades, starting bringing her with him to the course like he had done with her older two siblings.

Laila entered the competition earlier this year when her father suggested it because she wanted to be able to see how she had progressed as a golfer from when she first began, she said.

Regardless of how she did in the competitions, Norman said he was proud of her performance.

“I was so proud of her, to see her – especially with the minimal practice that she did – to see how far she succeeded,” Norman said.

“She’s got that internal drive to do more.”

Laila’s mother Carese said she cried watching her daughter play in the sub-regional competition due to the joy she felt in watching her daughter excel.

“It’s just joyful to watch your children enjoy what they’re doing and have something they can be active in,” she said. “That’s just fun.”

Laila said she likes the game of golf because there’s only one person on the course she needs to prove herself to, and that at the end of the day, she’s in charge of her own performance.

“I just like that it’s a game of yourself,” she said. “You don’t have to depend on anyone else. Some days you can do really bad, but some days you can do really (well).”

Natural talent With the amount of traveling Laila and her family

did during the summer, she didn’t have much time prior to the competitions to practice.

Around the time of the tournaments, she practiced three times a week for a few hours a day honing in on her ability to drive, chip and putt the ball.

Prior to the first local competition before sub-regionals, she had only practiced once, Carese said, a n d o n l y d i d a w e e k ’s worth of practice prior to the sub-regionals at University Ridge.

In addition to all of the traveling the family did during this past summer that prevented her from practicing more, her other sport, soccer, also takes up a considerable amount of time that she could otherwise spend on golf.

Norman attributes part of Laila’s talent to her ability to listen to directions and visualize the shot she needs to take.

“She’s always excelled because she’ll listen to anything I tell her,” he said.

“She’s ready to put the work into it, and that’s why she so naturally good at it … (Visualizing the shot) is the piece you can’t teach them. You can only say that this is what you need to do, but for them to conceptualize that internally and visualize what they want to do, that’s the hard part.”

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

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October 12, 2018

9

Fitchburg Star

Being good stewards Private organizations, businesses opt in for clean energy KIMBERLY WETHAL

Going green in Fitchburg

Unified Newspaper Group

August: Series overview September: City increasing its energy independence This month: Private entities and homeowners finding value November: The future of sustainable energy in Fitchburg

Photo submitted

Solar panels sit atop the roof of Adesys IT Specialists on Cahill Main. Founder and president Jason Adamany said that it was only a matter of time until the company invested in solar energy and he had started to consider it five years ago when they moved into the facility. also helpful with recruiting.

“We’re providing services to our clients, but we’re also thinking about the environment and the community, so it’s just one more piece of the puzzle,” Adesys founder and president Jason Adamany said.

“Being environmentally friendly hopefully makes us an attractive place for our employees to want to work and feel good about working (here), but also our customers feel like they enjoy working with a company that’s environmentally conscious.”

Overwhelming support For Memorial United Church of Christ, the consensus of the congregation – minus one 4-year-old who had some questions about the solar panels – was support for both budgetary and moral reasons.

“Some felt we should cover the whole roof in solar panels,” Baumgardner said. “I had to tell them that the utilities probably wouldn’t appreciate that.”

From a moral standpoint, B a u m ga r d n e r s a i d , t h e congregation is fairly liberal and generally concerned f o r t h e e nv i r o n m e n t .

Just south of their newly installed solar panels, in fact, sits a wildlife sanctuary certified by the National Wildlife Federation. A few years ago, the church switched to low-wattage LED and fluorescent lighting throughout the building after having an energy audit done.

When the church installed the solar panels, it was around $4,000 short of the $50,000 cost, but Baumgardner said trustees decided to install the 26.1 kilowatts of solar panels, anyway, because of how confident they were that the congregation would be dedicated to helping them fundraise the remaining money in the few weeks

after the installation. we felt like now was a good B a u m g a r d n e r s a i d , time. The numbers made they’ll save almost $3,500 sense.” in energy costs each year.

One reason Adamany and the company installed 28.8 Building for a greener kilowatts of solar panels in July was the decreasing future price of solar array installaAt Promega, a biotechnol- tion, he said, as well as the ogy company that is Fitch- ability to still take advanburg’s largest employer, tage of federal tax credits much of its operations are under a presidential adminpowered by clean energy. istration that has been vocal For one thing, it has been about its support for fossil using solar and geothermal fuel energy sources like energy for close to a decade coal. on top of its Aviation OperThat will produce around ations building at the Dane 80 percent of their energy County Regional Airport. needs, he said. Any excess On its main Fitchburg power generated goes back campus, the company has into MG&E’s grid, which employed 48 solar panels to supplement the 250 that sit atop a hangar at the airport.

In 2017, the company retrofitted its Biopharmaceutical Technology Center with energy-efficient cooling towers, LED lighting and scheduling of the air handling units, according to the company’s 2018 Corporate Responsibility Report.

The corporation’s newest building, its research and development facility currently under construction, will feature an “efficient central chiller plant,” which the report stated is expected to save the company a half-million kilowatts of energy.

“It incorporates some pretty innovative heating and cooling designs inspired from our facilities in Europe which will be a first for the region,” Karen Burkhartzmeyer, Promega senior communications specialist, told the Star in an email.

aware of how much energy they were using in the process. They took steps to reduce their energy usage through switching out their lighting for LED bulbs and being conscious about reducing energy spikes.

“It feels good to be green,” he said. “It helps with our image, and certainly Madison’s a pretty eco-conscious community, so I think having our customers see that we invest in solar, that’s a good thing.”

then goes to support their green energy program.

In preparing for the installation of the solar panels, Adamany said he and his employees became more

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

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A matter of ‘when’ For Adamany, the idea of retrofitting the Adesys facility for solar panels had been on his mind since the company moved into its Fitchburg facility five years ago.

“It wasn’t a matter of if we were going to do it, it was a matter of when,” he said. “We kept looking at it over the last five years …

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There are some “good stewards” of the Earth in Fitchburg when it comes to investing in clean energy and solar power.

The desire to be a good steward of the planet was one of the reasons why in July, the Memorial United Church of Christ decided to install solar panels on the south-facing roof of the church for a congregation that trustee Dean Baumgardner said is “very e nv i r o n m e n t a l l y c o n scious.”

“I think it’s a love of the Earth, basically, and creation, and understanding that as a society, we’re contributing to a changing of weather patterns and global climate change,” he said.

“This is one small thing we can do to help.”

While private businesses and individuals account for only a small portion of solar energy in Fitchburg – the city produces 60 percent of it with its five solar arrays on public buildings – there are at least 24 home solar installations and five businesses around the city, said Steve Schultz, corporate communications manager for Madison Gas and Electric, told the Star in an August email.

That number, as of July, is twice what was here since the beginning of 2016, Schultz said, suggesting the dropping price of solar may have been a factor.

Another 575 Fitchburg residents are enrolled in MG&E’s green energy program, which provides power to homes and businesses that has been generated exclusively through clean energy sources like wind or solar power, Schultz said. It’s more costly, but for some residents who can’t install their own panels, it’s a way to feel like they’re contributing to sustainability.

“Some customers can’t install their own solar panels because they rent, live in an apartment or condo, have a shaded roof or their roof doesn’t face the optimal way, or they can’t afford a system of their own,” Schultz explained.

“This is a way to get more locally generated solar energy onto our community grid and to do it in partnership with our customers and our community.”

Businesses around Fitchbu rg w i t h s o l a r a r r a y s include some that were retrofitted – the Memorial United Church of Christ on Lacy Road and Adesys IT Specialists on Cahill Main, both added solar panels to their rooftops in July – and new developments, such as the Promega Life Sciences’ research and development center that’s under construction on Cheryl Parkway.

For some companies, like Promega, which has offsite solar panels, as well, it’s good economics.

For others, like Adesys, it’s

10

October 12, 2018

ConnectFitchburg.com

Fitchburg Star

700 race for Agrace The second annual Race for Agrace 5K was held Sunday, Sept. 16, drawing over 700 participants who ran and walked across the finish line.

The event is a fundraiser for Agrace Hospice and Palliative Care’s “Care for All” program which helps those who need financial assistance with paying for their healthcare costs.

Photos by Kimberly Wethal

Paul Hammer points to volunteers on the side of the road during the Race for Agrace 5K on Sunday, Sept. 16.

Above, from left, Colin Kopling, 7, of Oregon, gives family friend Randy Rueth, of Oregon, a fist-bump as he waits for family members to cross the finish line.

At right, Briana Gazeley carries her daughter during the race.

Grace Roloff, 2, of Verona, enjoys ice cream with her family after the Race for Agrace 5K on Sunday, Sept. 16.

Court: Former University of Wisconsin-Madison basketball players help dedicate donation Continued from page 1 city were “humbled” by the donation of the Dream Court, worth around $65,000.

“This donation replaces an old half-court basketball (court) in a neighborhood that lacks such an amenity that most neighborhood parks have,” he said. “We are proud to share this basketball court with the children in this area.”

Kristin Yeager, a Fitchburg resident who lives across the street from the park, said that she’s seen the park’s usage increase since the unveiling of the “Dream Court” last month.

On a good day, it’s common to now see a dozen or more people out playing or watching a game, she said, as people come to the park from outside of the neighborhood.

“We’ve seen a lot of people driving in to come play,” she said. “People are using it, which is awesome, to come play ball with their friends, but that means that they’re driving in from outside of the community so they don’t have an investment in it.

“It’s definitely getting utilized, and definitely

Photo by Kimberly Wethal

A ceremonial ribbon is cut by charity volunteers, City of Fitchburg officials and former University of Wisconsin-Madison basketball players to commemorate the opening of the new Dream Court at Western Hills Park. getting put to great use,” dedicated with the help of a she added. few people who know a little bit about basketball.

Learning life lessons At the ceremony, around The Dream Court was a half-dozen former University of Wisconsin-Madison

basketball players joined staff from the city of Fitchburg and the charitable foundations that donated the court to talk about what the sport of basketball meant to them – and

how having a court like this one would have helped them along the way.

Former Badger basketball player Arnold “Clyde” Gaines, who played for the

team in the late 1970s, told the dozens in attendance having a court like the one installed at Western Hills would allow children to gain confidence, self-esteem, teamwork and accountability, like he did years ago growing up playing basketball in Baltimore.

“All of those things are items that your children will learn in this game of basketball, on this court right here,” he said. “Those things can’t be taken lightly. Some of the issues we have with our young people today, we need facilities like this in the community so that people have places to go and play in a positive atmosphere.

“This court will allow our young people to dream, to reach the stars.”

Gaines also noted that it’s no coincidence that playing basketball makes you successful later in life, saying that the court has the potential to breed the nation’s next generation of doctors and lawyers.

“Maybe even the president of the United States – Obama played basketball, right?” he said.

Email reporter Kimberly Wethal at kimberly. wethal@wcinet.com.​

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October 12, 2018

11

Fitchburg Star

Dane Arts Buy Local market moves to Fitchburg The Dane Arts Buy Local market is coming to Fitchburg after spending three years in downtown Madison.

According to reporting by the Wisconsin State Journal, the market was moved from its former location at 1 S. Pinckney St. to Yahara Bay Distillers, 6250 Nesbitt Road, due to the need for a larger space for the two-day event.

The market, open from 5-9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 12 and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13, will feature the work of 28 artists across a variety of mediums including fine art, photography, fabric and jewelry.

The market seeks to connect artists with other local businesses and individuals in the community, and assist with providing artists

an outlet to earn sales and commission on their work, according to the Dane Arts Buy Local website, dablmarket.com.

“We know that one of the things that (appeals to) people who we hope to have stay here and talent that we want to attract from outside— including businesses and young people who have startup companies—is quality of

life,” county executive Joe Parisi said in a news release on the market’s website.

“That’s all key to economic well-being.”

For more information, visit dablmarket.com.

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

If You Go What: Dane Arts Buy Local art market When: 5-9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 12 and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 13 Where: Yahara Bay Distillers, 6250 Nesbitt Road Info: dablmarket.com

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October 12, 2018

City news

Fitchburg Star

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Staff restructure reverts

Fitch-Rona EMS

Zimmerman steps back from assistant administrator role

Fitchburg considering ‘difficult decisions’

SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group

A City of Fitchburg staffing restructure in place for part of this year has ended after the employee in a new position asked to return to his old role.

Mike Zimmerman, who served as assistant city administrator/director of community and Zimmerman economic development, is returning to his economic development director role. He explained in a letter to the personnel committee last month that he “decided to forgo this opportunity on a permanent basis,” though he called his time in the role a “valuable learning

experience.”

“I very much appreciate Mayor Jason Gonzalez, the Common Council and city administrator Pat Marsh providing this opportunity but have come to the realization that it is best to remain in my current position as Fitchburg’s economic development director,” he wrote.

The structure as approved had the public works director/city engineer and city planner/zoning administrator reporting to the assistant.

Instead, they both – along with Zimmerman – will report directly to Marsh. All are part of the “Community and Economic Development Team,” Marsh wrote in a letter to the committee.

The city recently hired Lisa Coleman as the new public works director and Sonja Kruesel as the new planner.

“I strongly believe that the new leadership, recently hired in public works and planning, will assist in a smooth transition,” Marsh wrote.

Discussion follows ‘disappointing’ study on department structure SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group

A study on how the city might restructure its emergency services didn’t go over well with the Common Council this summer, but alders are continuing to rethink how Fitch-Rona EMS operates.

Two months after Fitchburg alders, the mayor and EMS chief Patrick Anderson complained about the accuracy and direction of an $18,000 study on the three-municipality district’s structure, it looks like they still plan to take a close look at how the

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‘I don’t see this as a good partnership for the City of Fitchburg right now.’

– Julia Arata-Fratta, City of Fitchburg alder service should operate in the future.

Alders again discussed the study and some of its conclusions with Anderson and Fitchburg Fire Department chief Joe Pulvermacher Tuesday, Oct. 9, nine days before the EMS annual meeting, which brings quorums from Fitchburg and the city and town of Verona.

Among the conclusions the study drew or implied was that the 41-year-old agreement among those municipalities was unbalanced, because the Town of Verona gets equal representation to the cities despite paying much less to participate and having about 5 percent of the district’s population.

“We need to revise the a g r e e m e n t ,” A l d . J u l i a Arata-Fratta (Dist. 2) said Oct. 9. “I don’t see this as a good partnership for the City of Fitchburg right now.”

Mayor Jason Gonzalez said he and city administrator Patrick Marsh had talked with their counterparts in the City of Verona, who agreed the Town of Verona should no longer be part of the commission and instead contract out with the town for EMS service.

Ald. Aaron Richardson (D-3), who serves as the city’s elected official representative on the FitchRona EMS Commission, said that while it might be time to have that conversation, the city also needs to consider that the current funding formula likely benefits Fitchburg.

“If we make those changes, other changes will probably be made that could make things more

expensive for us,” Richardson said.

The study, created by GWB Professional Services and Elsass Executive Enterprises, considered six options for the future of the 41-year-old EMS department. Consultant Gary Becker told the council in August the “strongest” choice for Fitchburg would be withdrawing from the district to create its own EMS department and contract out with the city and town of Verona.

But that would come with potentially significant capital costs, depending on what the Veronans chose to do. Those costs, which were one of the reasons for the study some alders cited, were not in the final report.

Ald. Dan Bahr (D-2) called the study “disappointing” but said he’d be keeping an open mind.

Gonzalez directed staff to work with the finance committee to identify those potential costs depending on the different outcomes of leaving the district. That information is expected to be available by the end of the year, according to the timeline set out Tuesday.

“Sometime we need to have this very uncomfortable conversation to determine what is best for this city, the district and the fire department,” Arata-Fratta said. “Yes, it’s gonna be uncomfortable. But people are electing us to make those difficult decisions, and we need to do it.”

Contact Scott Girard at ungreporter@wcinet.com and follow him on Twitter @sgirard9.

Pulvermacher defends idea behind study Fitchburg Fire Department chief Joe Pulvermacher supported the city contracting out for a study exploring whether the fire and EMS departments should be combined or governed differently.

That, he said repeatedly Pulvermacher Tuesday, Oct. 9, was in no way a reflection of the work at Fitch-Rona EMS. Instead, he said it was “important for me to get as much information as possible” in considering whether a joint Fire/ EMS department would be best for the city – both financially and for service.

“When advocating for this study, I was hoping the city would have the ability to evaluate a couple different delivery models,” he said.

He said while his motives had been questioned at times as seeking more control, he was hoping to “address the overall impact on the city and the potential savings that could exist through a joint effort.” “ I t ’s n o t s e r v i c e that will suffer (from a c h a n g e ) ,” h e s a i d .

“We’re talking about wages, hours and working conditions, all of which would need to be bargained (with unions).”

Fish Hatchery hotel plan delayed for debt to city

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A plan to build a 104-room Best Western hotel on North Fish Hatchery Road was put on hold for at least two more weeks when an alder pointed out the developer still owed the city money.

Alders were planning to go into a closed session to discuss terms of the $10 million project, including $1.7 million in taxpayer financing, and possibly approve a developer agreement. Ald. Julia Arata-Fratta (Dist. 2) objected to even holding a discussion until “the developer pays the outstanding invoices he has with the City of Fitchburg.”

Mayor Jason Gonzalez immediately agreed and said in addition, he did not even want city staff spending their time on the project, which this year picked up where a previous developer left off.

“There’s no more work on this until he (developer Chuck Chvala) coughs up his $30,000,” Gonzalez told city administrator Patrick Marsh.

Whenever that happens, the city likely will discuss and possibly vote on the 14-page developer agreement with Chvala’s Capitol View Hotel LLC. The city created a tax-increment financing district, TID 10, in 2015 to facilitate a similar project, a 120-room Sheraton Four Points hotel that would have torn down an

existing church on Pike Drive in exchange for $2.5 million in assistance. The Best Western is on the same site, labeled as 2920-2924 Fish Hatchery Road, and would include a restaurant and rooftop bar, among other amenities.

Part of the Tax Increment Financing would go toward building infrastructure to connect the property to Fish Hatchery Road, and part of it is earmarked for demolition and cleanup of the existing property. The property contains Fitchburg Christian Fellowship church – which would move across the street – and an apartment building.

TIF is an economic tool that uses public financing as a subsidy for redevelopment, infrastructure and other community-improvement projects by capturing property tax revenue from all underlying taxing jurisdictions (the city, county, technical college and the school district) of the newly developed property.

The increased value of the land often pays off bonds taken out for infrastructure improvements. It can also be used as a rebate to the developer to make a project financially viable or provide a competitive advantage to the municipality or a particular area that is desirable for development. The payoff can take 20 years or more.

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

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October 12, 2018

Fitchburg Star

13

City of Fitchburg

Senior apartments on South Fish Hatchery return Council rescinds July vote against despite neighbor opposition SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group

A promise to change how vehicles will get in and out from the 2500 block of South Fitch Hatchery Road has earned another shot for a 73-unit affordable senior housing development.

Alders had voted against the project in July but the Common Council rescinded that decision Oct. 9, approving its general implementation plan 5-2 despite concerns about traffic from alders and neighbors.

The GIP is the second of three development stages, covering the size and scope of the development, parking and traffic, among other things, and it entitles a developer to build something that is similar to what is approved in that stage.

The final stage, the specific implementation plan, adds architecture, lighting, landscaping, utilities and other details. Developer Jacob Klein and his attorney, Robert Proctor, agreed to a provision requiring traffic concerns related to the ingress and egress be fixed in that stage.

“We would be amenable to a condition being placed on the approval … that the specific implementation plan would require that,” Proctor said. “We’re understanding that the neighborhood has raised the safety

issues of ingress and egress.”

The two told the council there are deadlines by the end of the year that will require some financial investment, so they needed to understand soon whether the project would still be considered.

Alders supporting the plan for the building south of Nobel Drive tried to reassure neighbors in attendance who were upset with the reconsideration they would make sure traffic problems were solved before they gave final approval.

“Without those (acceleration and deceleration) lanes this is dead in the water from my standpoint,” Ald. Tony Hartmann (Dist. 4) said. “This is not our last kick at the can tonight, and I hope some of you will appreciate that.”

The project was controversial from the beginning, as it was only referred to the Plan Commission by the Council after a tiebreaking vote

by Mayor Jason Gonzalez in favor of sending it there. But even with support from the Commission, the Council later voted it down.

“It’s a great project in the wrong location,” Ald. Tom Clauder (D-4) said in July.

Clauder and Ald. Aaron Richardson (D-3) were the votes against Oct. 9.

Some residents in attendance said they were “really upset” the council was reconsidering the proposal.

“I find it very unethical to put something back on the agenda that was voted no,” said Cheryl Strassman, who was against the

development when it initially came up. “It should have to start over. You shouldn’t be able to do that.”

Ald. Dorothy Krause (D-1) explained that it was only added back on the agenda after Gonzalez emailed three alders to inquire about it when the developer received a Dane County grant. She encouraged the audience and her fellow alders to be fair to the developer.

“It’s unfair to these guys to put on them the fact that this is happening,” Krause said. “They had nothing to do with it. They were probably as surprised as anyone else to hear, ‘Gee, we’re on the agenda.’”

Contact Scott Girard at ungreporter@wcinet.com and follow him on Twitter @sgirard9.

Housing: Building affordable single-family dwellings within the city remains a challenge Continued from page 1 inexpensive single-family homes – is not uncommon throughout Dane County, but it’s particularly difficult here because Fitchburg has one of the county’s biggest income divides between homeowners and renters. That’s why the study identifies a need to do more for owner-occupied homes – including condominiums and townhomes.

“It’s important that we provide housing and a diverse housing stock for all our residents,” Zimmerman said. “We need to be part of the strategy there.”

Getting there will take more than a long-range plan, the study concludes, outlining some potential policies to help shift the market. Some, like forming a housing committee and communicating more proactively with developers, will likely be easy to accomplish. Others, like waiving fees, reducing parking requirements or setting up funds for loans or grants for new home buyers, could be politically sensitive.

Fitchburg residents will have a chance to weigh in on the study’s conclusions, goals and strategies this month at a public discussion of the study. That event is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 25, in the Oak Hall room at the Community Center, 5510 Lacy Road.

After hearing from the public, the committee will reconvene later this fall to send a final recommendation to the Common Council.

Developer Phil Sveum, whose Terravessa project includes a range of rental and ownership housing and is in its first phase of construction, served on the advisory committee that is helping to draft the plan. He told the Star he’s “a little skeptical” that any of what’s in it will help reduce costs for developers, which he said is an impediment to getting “affordable” owner-occupied units here.

“The costs of development and construction are so high these days,” Sveum said. “I just don’t know that there’s enough that the city can do to actually make a huge difference.”

Zimmerman acknowledged that many of the factors, especially affordability, are out of the city’s control. But he hopes the plan can at least help assuage some concerns people have expressed about multifamily housing and show why both that and single-family are necessary to help specific demographics like seniors.

They, according to the study, will be a growing part of Fitchburg’s population for years to come and need a “continuum of housing” to suit their various needs.

He said a Housing Committee that will be established once the study is approved can help direct

dollars efficiently. That committee will include community members, he said, who he expects will offer up some strong ideas.

“We’ve got some really smart, experienced people in this community,” he said. “We need to tap into that knowledge and expertise.”

That knowledge and expertise can also come from area partnerships, like the one the city has had with Habitat for Humanity for more than a decade, which has helped construct affordable single-family housing.

Whether that helps accomplish the goals the plan eventually sets out, Zimmerman is looking forward to having it approved and beginning to work on its implementation, along with the “information and education” it provides to residents and developers.

Looking for ‘balance’ While multifamily housing has been a bigger proportion of new construction in Fitchburg since the recession, Zimmerman said it feels especially stark because of the lagging single-family market.

This year was the first time in a decade that more than 46 single-family homes were constructed, but Zimmerman said the growth in apartments is actually a good thing, as it has been keeping up with what the city anticipated and planned for in its comprehensive plan.

Rather than squashing that, he said, the city needs to find ways to drive the single-family housing to catch that market up to the 117 owner-occupied homes needed per year through 2030, according to the study.

“The developers and the market are only bringing us what was identified in our comprehensive plan,” Zimmerman said. “What magnified that situation is coming out of the recession we were slow with getting new single-family subdivisions and lots in our inventory, so all you were seeing were the multifamily units.”

Now, Zimmerman said, the city needs to “keep that momentum going” on both fronts, because the anticipated population growth will require it. He stressed that multifamily and “affordable housing,” which can be associated with low-quality units and crime for some, “shouldn’t scare us as a community.”

“Let’s focus on getting that balance,” Zimmerman said. “You can’t pick one or the other.”

One key to getting that balance will be the upcoming rewrite of the comprehensive plan, which outlines growth plans for more than a decade. That process will begin next year and is expected to carry into 2020.

The housing study advises putting several new policies into that plan, such as increasing flexibility

for developers who wish to bring affordable housing here. That could be through fee changes or waiving requirements like parking or certain parts of the approval process.

Without strategies like these, Zimmerman said, the city is “just merely reacting to market forces.”

“We’ll always be reacting to some degree,” he said, “but by having more strategies and direction here, hopefully we can better partner with the private sector to accomplish the goals of the study and meet the housing needs of our residents across all income spectrums and across all geographic areas.”

Sveum said the “expensive” market for new construction could be here to stay, whatever initiatives the city creates.

“I think it’s the reality of the market, unless Fitchburg wanted to do something very radical,” he said.

Finding affordability Fitchburg residents’ median income is on par with the rest of the county at just over $65,000, according to data cited in the study.

But that number masks a stark disparity: That figure is about $95,000 for owner-occupied households versus $35,000 for renter-occupied households, and that $60,000 difference is the second-highest discrepancy in Dane County.

Giving those renters an entry point into the owner market, then, is one of the bigger challenges the city faces in the next decade, according to the study.

“Without efforts to address owner-occupied affordability, renter households will have great difficulty crossing the divide into home ownership in the City,” the study draft states.

Data from the Dane County Housing Needs Assessment shows Fitchburg below the county and its suburban counterparts in percentage of ownership units available at or below the Area Median Income, a data point used to measure poverty.

At 50 percent of the AMI, considered in the study to be “very low income,” less than 1 percent of Fitchburg’s owner-occupied units are affordable. That number is at 2.1 percent in Dane County.

At up to 80 percent of that AMI, considered “low income,” 4.8 percent of Fitchburg ownership units would be affordable, less than half of the county-wide 13.2 percent.

Even at 100 percent AMI, Fitchburg has 16.6 percent of its ownership units affordable – the lowest in the county and more than 10 percent below the county-wide average of 27.5 percent.

Rent, on the other hand, was relatively low in Fitchburg, with a median price of $893 per month, “lower than most peer communities,”

Draft recommendations • More owner-occupied homes, at various price points • More owner-occupied housing affordable below median income • More attached, owner-occupied units • More rental units, at various price points • Upgrade or replace existing rental housing, and maintain affordability • More rental units with three or more bedrooms • Support the housing needs of senior citizens according to the study.

Creating affordability for ownership can be accomplished in ways other than trying to drive down the cost of new single-family homes.

One way is encouraging the development of a more diverse housing stock, such as condominiums or townhomes, Zimmerman said. He pointed to developments like Swan Creek as a place that a resident “could essentially live your whole life” in, moving from an apartment to a condo to a small home, on to a bigger home and eventually back into senior housing.

Zimmerman also pointed to sales of existing homes as an opportunity for first-time home buyers. He speculated the city might be able to find ways to ensure those homes are attractive to the buyers.

“Maybe the younger demographic doesn’t think that they have to have the newer single-family home,” he said. “They can see that there’s an updated and renovated existing single-family home that has the things that they’re looking for.”

It’s important not to overcompensate, he said. Initiatives like awarding down payment assistance might cause people who don’t have the income to support the investment to stretch themselves beyond their means.

“You want to make sure you’re not trying to get people into ownership that can’t afford ownership over time,” he said.

Making the money work Success will likely require outside help.

The plan outlines numerous potential partnerships, like the Dane County Housing Authority, and Zimmerman mentioned continuing to work with Habitat for Humanity.

Those partners could also be other levels of government, as the study proposes funding including local, regional and national programs like an affordable housing trust fund or federal and state tax credits. It also suggests private partnerships like an employer-assisted housing program, in which major local employers can provide down payment assistance for employees that live in the

community where they work.

Zimmerman said the city also has to consider incentives for developers to build lower-priced housing that still meets desirable standards.

A pair of tax-increment financing districts expected to close in the early 2020s could help toward that, he said, as they can be left open an extra year with any increment received going toward affordable housing.

But that won’t be any sort of silver bullet, he stressed, as there are factors outside of the city’s control – namely the price of land and rising construction costs.

“We need to be realistic about expectations because it will take time to develop our local toolkit on some of the initiatives identified in the action plan,” Zimmerman wrote in response to a list of questions.

Sveum said one key to bring more developers in would be lowering fees.

“That’s from preliminary plans to actual development of property,” he said.

The study found some fees in the city are among the highest in the county, but Zimmerman pointed to an example in the study that showed even with high levels of assistance from the city to a buyer, it wouldn’t necessarily make housing affordable.

“Looking at fees only doesn’t move the needle much there,” he said. “Maybe we do to look at fees and adjust some things, and some of the recommendations in the study recommend that.”

Sveum said it takes a lot from developers to find a balance between market forces, which are calling for higher-end products. He said that’s also been what the city is looking for.

“You have to have perseverance,” Sveum said. “But also be committed to a plan that will ultimately meet what the market wants, but also that the city can embrace as quality.”

Contact Scott Girard at ungreporter@wcinet.com and follow him on Twitter @sgirard9.

14 Fitchburg Star - October 12, 2018

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

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

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

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

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RECREATION DEPARTMENT 2018 Winter Recreation Programs Are Open for Registration!

Go to www.fitchburgwi.gov/recreation and click on “View Activities” to see our list of programs for this winter!

YOUTH BASKETBALL PROGRAMS AND LEAGUES

Recreation basketball leagues are now open for registration. Please visit our website at www.fitchburgwi.gov/recreation to view more information on our programs and to register!

Basketball – Pre-Kindergarten

Participants will be introduced to the basic skills of basketball including dribbling, shooting and passing. A smaller sized basketball will be used and the hoops will be lowered.

• Day/Time – Sundays, January 6 – January 27, 3-3:45pm • Location – Stoner Prairie School • Fee - $25R/$30NR

Basketball – 1st Grade (Coed)

This coed skill-based instructional program is specifically designed to introduce players to the game of basketball in a high-energy and fun atmosphere. Players will be taught fundamental skills and rules each week which will eventually lead up to 3 on 3 games by the end of the program. Parents are strongly encouraged to help their child on the court each week.

• Day/Time – Saturdays, November 3 – December 15, 8:15-9:30am • Location – Savanna Oaks School • Fee - $45R/$55NR

Basketball – 2nd & 3rd Grade

Boys and Girls have separate leagues at this level. The leagues have an instructional focus, with the emphasis placed on developing skills in a relaxed game atmosphere. The league uses a 27.5” basketball.

• Day/Time – Saturdays, November 3 – January 26 • Location – Savanna Oaks/Stoner Prairie School • Fee - $55R/$65NR

Basketball – 4th Grade

Boys and Girls have separate leagues at this level. This traveling basketball league includes teams from other area Recreation Departments including; Verona, Monona, Cottage Grove, Middleton & Waunakee. Home games will be played at Stoner Prairie or Savanna Oaks Schools in Fitchburg. Please note travel will be required to all road games.

• Day/Time – Saturdays, December 1 – March 9 • Location – SO/SP School and Traveling • Fee - $65R/$75NR

Basketball – 5th Grade

Boys and Girls have separate leagues at this level. This traveling basketball league includes teams from other area Recreation Departments including; Verona, Monona, Cottage Grove, Middleton & Waunakee. Home games will be played at Stoner Prairie or Savanna Oaks Schools in Fitchburg. Please note travel will be required to all road games.

• Day/Time – Saturdays, December 1 – March 9 • Location – SO/SP School and Traveling • Fee - $65R/$75NR

FITCHBURG FIRE DEPARTMENT OPEN HOUSE Saturday, October 13 10:00am-2:00pm 5791 Lacy Road Station 1

Basketball – 6th Grade

Boys and Girls have separate leagues at this level. This traveling basketball league includes teams from other area Recreation Departments including; Verona, Monona, Cottage Grove, Middleton & Waunakee. Home games will be played at Stoner Prairie or Savanna Oaks Schools in Fitchburg. Please note travel will be required to all road games.

• Day/Time – Saturdays, December 1 – March 9 • Location – SO/SP School and Traveling • Fee - $65R/$75NR

Basketball – 7th & 8th Grade

Boys and Girls have separate leagues at this level. This traveling basketball league includes teams from other area Recreation Departments including; Verona, Monona, Cottage Grove, Middleton & Waunakee. Home games will be played at Stoner Prairie or Savanna Oaks Schools in Fitchburg. Please note travel will be required to all road games.

• Day/Time – Saturdays, December 1 – March 9 • Location – SO/SP School and Traveling • Fee - $65R/$75NR

Basketball – Kindergarten

Learn to pass, shoot and dribble a basketball.

Participants will be introduced to the fundamentals of basketball with a focus on teamwork and having fun. Basketball hoops will be lowered; smaller sized basketballs will be used.

• Day/Time – Sundays, January 6 – January 27, 4-4:45pm • Location – Stoner Prairie School • Fee - $25R/$30NR

Spanish for Preschoolers – Welcome to Spanish

Children ages 3-5 learn Spanish vocabulary and basic phrases in a fun and active way with these lively classes. Award-winning teacher, Marti Fechner of Grow into Spanish LLC, incorporates music, movement, games, stories and more to make learning Spanish easy and engaging for preschool-age children.

It is easy for children to learn a foreign language at this young age, and SO beneficial.

Come try it! It’s a great way to prepare your child for a bilingual future.

• Ages – 3-5 • Days/Times – Mondays, November 12 – December 17, 12:45-1:30 pm • Location – Fitchburg Community Center • Fee - $70

Musikgarten

A multi-age (birth-4yrs) music and movement class for the entire family. Sing, chant rhymes, play instruments and musical games, dance and move to familiar songs of childhood.

As we play, music learning begins and we build a community of music makers!

• Ages – birth – 4 yrs.

• Day/Time – Thursdays, November 1 – December 20, 9-9:40 am • Location – Fitchburg Community Center • Fee - $70, $5 discount for siblings

11TH ANNUAL GREAT HALLOWEEN HUNT AT THE FITCHBURG LIBRARY Boo! The Fitchburg Public Library will be hosting the 11th Annual Great Halloween Hunt on Saturday, October 27th from 6-9:30 pm at the library.

Activities include a scavenger hunt, crafts and games, a magician, balloon twisters, and a movie.

6-8 pm: Scavenger Hunt, Balloon Twisting, Crafts & Games 6:15-6:45 & 7-7:30 pm: Magic Shows 8-9:30 pm: Movie For more information, contact the library at (608)-729-1760.

TRICK OR TREAT HOURS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31ST 4:30-7:30PM Children should be dressed with some reflective clothing and be reminded of these safety tips: - Stay with a friend, group or parent - Only trick or treat at homes with porch lights on - Never go into a stranger’s home or vehicle Have a fun and safe Halloween!

FITCHBURG SENIOR CENTER – SAVE THESE DATES October 15th – Medicare Open Enrollment Begins - Senior Center Social Workers available to assist October 17th - Flu Shots with Fitchburg Family Pharmacy October 18th – Medication Reviews October 18th - Downsizing with Ease October 25th - Meet Fitchburg’s Chief of Police, Chad Brecklin October 27th - Learn to Play Chess

November 9th - Veteran’s Day Recognition Call the Senior Center at 270-4290 for details on these programs & more, or visit the City website to download a copy of the most recent newsletter: http://www.fitchburgwi. gov/651/Newsletters. You may also pick up a copy of the newsletter from the Senior Center, Library, or City Hall.

YARD WASTE COLLECTION Residents are provided with four curbside yard waste collections between April and November. Yard waste must be placed in a bag or container no larger than 50 gallons or 50 pounds. If you want the bags left behind for future use, please leave a container to put empty bags in along with a visible note on container or leave a brick/rock to place on the bags and a note to keep them from blowing away once emptied. Have them at the curb by 6:30 am on Monday morning of the yard waste collection week. Yard waste can also be taken to the City Recycling Drop Off Site.

Yard waste curbside collection dates for this fall are October 22-26 and November 12-16. Actual collection dates may depend on weather. Yard waste will be picked up between Monday and Saturday, but not necessarily on your refuse collection day.

Materials Accepted: Grass clippings, leaves, weeds, vines, twigs less than ½” thick and 12” long, vegetable/plant matter, hay/straw Materials NOT Accepted: Brush, tree branches, holiday wreaths, rocks, dirt, woody plants Please contact Ellen Geisler, Sustainability Specialist at 270-4274 or ellen.geisler@fitchburgwi.gov if you have questions.

TOILET REBATE PROGRAM Did you know you may be eligible for a $100 rebate if you replace your old toilet? The City of Fitchburg is offering rebates of up to $100 for residential properties who replace their high water using toilets with EPA WaterSenserated High Efficiency Toilets (HET), which use an average of 1.28 gallons per flush. Any toilet that meets the criteria and is purchased after January 1, 2018, will be eligible. Rebates will

be in the form of checks sent to the property owner of record & the check amount will not exceed the purchase price of the toilet.

Rebates will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis until funding is no longer available.

Toilet Rebate Program General Information & Application Form: http:/www.fitchburgwi.gov/ DocumentCenter/View/11902/ Fitchburg-Toilet-Rebate-Program?bidld

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October 12, 2018

Fitchburg Star

Dignity through trade

15

East African crafts and makers find home at Ubuntu Trade ALEXANDER CRAMER Unified Newspaper Group

Photos by Alexander Cramer

Shopowner April Gulley opened Ubuntu Trade earlier this month.

Ankole cattle horns used to make vases and mugs, above right, are among the items on sale at Ubuntu Trade.

Mustard Seed milk paint they would get from Kate and Co. Gulley said she envisions using the space in other ways, renting it out to community groups and hosting activities for kids. She has already planned a monthly music class for kids on third Saturdays starting at 9 a.m., though the first one will be on October’s fourth Saturday, the 27th.

Gulley is from Springfield, Ill., and majored in business in college. She took a job in corporate event planning out of college, which grew to involve l o t s o f t r ave l bu t a l s o afforded her the ability to freelance, which she did while living in Uganda in 2014 and 2015. “(Owning a store) is not so different than event planning,” Gulley said.

Business briefs Woods Hollow expanding Woods Hollow Children’s Center in Fitchburg will break ground next month on an addition.

The 9,300-square-foot expansion will allow for more after-school programming and indoor large-motor activities for all

“There are always six balls in the air, there’s always a multitude of tasks that have to be executed.” Still, she said with a smile, “I have no idea if this is going to work.”

Making it work Gulley travels back to Uganda three or so times a year, each time returning with a batch of goods for her store.

She first visited in 2009, and by 2011 was having informal trunk shows at craft fairs and with friends.

In 2016, Gulley formed Ubuntu Trade as a business, and had been showcasing at events like the Madison night market, the bodega at Breese Stevens Field and the fair trade festival at Monona Terrace.

Now that she has her

Ubuntu Trade 2789 Fitchrona Road ubuntutrade.com Hours: Mondays: Closed Tuesdays., Wednesdays. and Fridays: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Thursdays: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Weekends: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. own shop, Gulley isn’t sure how she’ll be able to make it back to east Africa as often as she has been – mulling options like closing down the store for a couple weeks in the slower months – but she knows she’ll definitely be making the trips.

She met the youngest of her foster kids for the first time in 2009 when he was

PAR Concrete, Inc. enrolled children.

The center, 5470 Research Park Dr., expects the addition to be completed in May 2019 in time for summer programming.

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Earlier this year, April Gulley was in Argentina on business when she picked up a phone call from her sister, Bonnie, who told her Three Orange Doors was for rent – the former home goods store on the city’s west side that closed in May. “I came and I looked at the space,” Gulley said.

“And three days later I said ‘I’ll take it.’

Who needs money or a plan?”

Gulley said she’s dreamt of owning a retail store, and though the store has already been open about a week, that dream will be fully realized this weekend, Oct. 13 and 14, when Ubuntu Trade celebrates its grand opening.

She already stocked the shelves and painted the walls of the space at 2789 Fitchrona Road – the latter with the help of the former owner of Three Orange Doors, who is now Gulley’s landlord.

The store has been open to customers while she ramps up for the grand opening, offering what she described as “home décor, jewelry and unique, oneof-a-kind gifts.” A recent visit showed everything from children’s stuffed animals to vases made from the giant horn of an African cow.

The name “Ubuntu Trade” refers to a South African concept that means, Gulley said, “I am because you are” and refers to “our shared humanity.”

“I try to live by that philosophy to the best of my ability,” she said. “I try to recognize the human in each of us.”

That ethos is at the heart of her shop, where most items are purchased in small batches from artisans in Uganda, where Gulley maintains a home and where her four foster children go to boarding school.

“I don’t want you to come in here and buy the goods out of pity, empathy or guilt,” Gulley said.

“I want you to buy the goods because they’re cool and unique and badass. I want you to recognize that there’s talent all over the world.”

Ubuntu Trade also hosts Kate and Company, a paint and gift store formerly in Sun Prairie. Customers have been making the halfhour drive from the northern Madison suburb to the intersection of Nesbitt and Fitchrona roads to seek out the chalk paint and Miss

18 months old. She was on a trip helping to distribute beds and mosquito nets to internally displaced people. Helping Mahadi, now 10, “felt personal,” Gulley said, “influencing one person … and the trajectory of their life.”

That help has since spread to his siblings Michael, who is 13, Junior, 16, and Haruna, 19. The

kids are in boarding school and live near their biological mother and grandmother.

In 2014, after saving up and collecting around $30,000, Gulley moved to Uganda to start a nonprofit to try to improve conditions at Mahadi’s school, concentrating on nutrition and hygiene.

She said she was soon disillusioned at the lack of sustainability of that model and the fact that the administrators seemed not to take steps to improve conditions when donations led to their personal enrichment.

The kids are all in another school now, Gulley said, and doing well.

She said she’s conscious of the “white savior” problem, with westerners swooping in to “fix” problems and assuming they know best. It’s reflected in her store, where you won’t see photos of the maker next to the product they made, or a story about the hardship in their life to appeal to customers’ sense of charity.

“We don’t do that for Wisconsin makers,” she pointed out.

“It’s about dignity,” Gulley said. “Once I started living in Uganda, I felt it was intrusive to take pictures of people and try to tell their story. Or to use a little kid who’s running around the village barefoot with ripped clothes to try to raise money.

“I felt like I wasn’t treating the people that I was getting to know with dignity and respect when I’m using photos of their children or a story that they’re ill or have HIV.” T h e p r o d u c t s G u l l ey sells stand on their own merits, she said, and buying those products help local economies. Though she sources significantly from East Africa, she also works with larger operations in Cambodia and India.

“The makers that I represent run the gamut from a single woman who makes leather bags to a fashion house in Uganda to a business that employs 50 people,” Gulley explained.

“Supporting all of those types of people still supports people in Uganda.

T h ey ’r e h i r i n g p e o p l e , they’re sending their kids to school. And I feel like that’s the best way to help people: with dignity and respect.”

Contact Alexander Cramer at alexander.cramer@ wcinet.com.

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16 Fitchburg Star - October 12, 2018

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Jeremy Jones, sports editor

845-9559 x226 • ungsportseditor@wcinet.com

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

Sports

Friday, October 12, 2018

The

1

Fitchburg Star For more sports coverage, visit: ConnectFitchburg.com

Oregon football

West cross country

Regents ranked in top five JEREMY JONES ​Sports editor

The Madison West boys team overtook the defending state champion Middleton Cardinals as the top-ranked Division 1 team in the state last week on the Wisconsin Cross Country Coaches Association’s state poll.

The Cardinals have rarely run their full varsity lineup this season, splitting their lineup between different meets throughout the season.

Marquette invite

Photo by Jeremy Jones

Oreogn senior wide receiver Jack Haufle (24) makes a fingertip catch Friday against Watertown linebacker Evan Pauly on Oct. 5. Oregon beat the Goslings 31-20 on the road.

Back to the postseason Panthers secure a second straight WIAA playoff berth JEREMY JONES Sports editor

The Oregon football team secured its second consecutive WIAA playoff berth with wins against Fort Atkinson, Milton, Stoughton, Edgewood and Watertown.

Oregon 40, Fort Atkinson 0 Senior quarterback Nolan

Look had three of his four touchdown passes by halftime Sept. 7 as the host Oregon football team blanked Fort Atkinson 40-0.

Look completed seven of 13 passes for 153 yards and ran for a second-quarter touchdown in the Badger South Conference blowout.

Fort Atkinson sophomore quarterback Avery Rohloff threw three interceptions. All three led to Oregon touchdowns.

Carson Smedley and Jack Haefel had second-quarter interceptions, and Matt Kissling added a pick in the third quarter.

Look connected with senior

wide receiver Carter Erickson and senior running back Keion Szurdy for 23- and 16-yard touchdown strikes in the first quarter, and added a 42-yard touchdown pass to senior running back Dylan DiMaggio for a 26-0 lead entering halftime.

“We pretty much executed right off the bat and marched the ball on them,” coach Dan Kissling said. “The one thing that helped was getting points off their two turnovers.”

Look added a 25-yard touchdown pass to sophomore tight end Gabe Pearson in the third quarter and DiMaggio ripped off more

than half of his 124 yards rushing, adding a 73-yard touchdown run to ice the game. DiMaggio also led Oregon in receiving yards, racking up 68 on a pair of catches.

Oregon 38, Milton 13 Senior linebacker John Klus had two blocked punts and DiMaggio scored three rushing touchdowns Sept. 14 to propel Oregon past Milton 38-13.

Klus blocking Milton’s Jayce Rocha to set up the Panthers on the Milton 33-yard line in the

Turn to Oregon/Page 4

Edgewood girls tennis

Crusaders return to WIAA team state for the first time since 2016 JEREMY JONES ​Sports editor

The Madison Edgewood girls tennis team qualified two singles and two doubles flights to the WIAA Division 2 individual state tournament Oct. 11-13. The Crusaders also qualified for the team state tournament for an 11th time, the first since the team won it all back-to-back in 201516. Team state, also at

Nielsen Tenns Stadium Nos. 1, 2, 3 singles for an additional 29 points. and runs Oct. 19-20, Edgewood opens the Sectionals team state tournament at Edgewood moved from 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 20, a loaded East Troy sec- against top seeded Unit i o n a l t o A l t o o n a a n d versity School of Mildominated the field, scor- waukee.

Sophomore Baluck ing 53 points to qualify for the WIAA Division Deang (18-5) automat2 state team tournament. ically advanced to state The Crusaders scored 24 with a first-round win points at subsectionals over Luther senior Kaitand swept all the dou- lyn Stratman at No. 1 sinbles flights at sectionals gles. Deang, who finished and added singles titles at in the top eight at state

a year ago, wasn’t done.

She went on run the table on the bracket and earned a fifth-seed at this week’s state tournament.

Edgewood senior Julia Hess (19-5) also qualified for state after winning her bracket at No. 2 singles.

The Crusaders also advanced a pair of doubles teams on to the individual state meet.

Senior Kinsey Kessel and junior Lizzie Drake (15-10) also swept their

three No. 1 doubles matches at sectionals and earned the eighth seed.

Junior Kelly Smith and sophomore Sarah Dunn (19-11) also cruised through their bracket at No. 2 doubles and qualified for state.

Sophomore Morgan Merckx (16-8) won her No. 3 singles bracket and junior Aliya Macdonald (18-7) finished third at

Turn to Crusaders/Page 4

West saw all five varsity scorers finish in the top nine Sept. 15 at the Marquette Invitational at Tendick Park.

The Regents won the meet with 26 points.

J u n i o r R y a n R e e d fi n ished second to Madison East senior Max Loetscher in 16 seconds, 45.94 seconds.

Loetscher posted a meet-best 16:35.79.

Junior Julian Gary (17:08.33) and seniors Kaleb Kohn (17:09.2) and Luke Treiber (17:13.24) finished fifth through seventh. Senior Manix White was the team’s fi f t h a n d fi n a l s c o r e r i n 17:25.54.

Midwest Invitational The Regents scored a meet-best 145 points to finish 13 points ahead of Oconomowoc.

Reed led Madison West across the 5K course at Blackhawk Golf Course in 16:06.2, good for 18th place.

Erik Nuenninghoff placed 23rd in 16:18.3.

Kohn (16:28.5) and Treiber (16:28.8) finished 33rd and 34th. Gary finished as the team’s final scorer in 16:34, taking 37th place.

Roy Griak Invitational Madison West lost its first race of the season, finishing fourth at the Roy Griak Invitational on Sept. 29 at Les Bolstadt Golf Course in Minnesota.

R e e d fi n i s h e d 4 3 r d i n 16:46.5. Kohn (15:50.4) was 51st and Treiber (16:50.7) was 53rd. Gary placed 59th in 16:54.1 and Nuenninghoff was 63rd with a time of 16:56.1.

Edina (Minn.) won the meet with 154 points and Olathe North was second with 163. Wayzata rounded out the top three with 177 points. The Regents were fourth with a score of 259.

Mad City Meet N u e n n i n g h o ff wo n t h e Mad City Meet on Oct. 5 at Lake Farm County Park to lead the Regents to a meetbest 24 points.

West placed all five varsity

Turn to West/Page 5

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October 12, 2018

Madison West High School

Fitchburg Star

West girls tennis

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West football

Regents get four to state Regents’ playoff hopes on the bubble MARK NESBITT

JEREMY JONES

Assistant sports editor

Sports editor

Heading into the home stretch of the season, the M a d i s o n We s t f o o t b a l l team had an opportunity to play for a playoff berth.

With one of the youngest teams in the Big Eight, the Regents were in a position to lock up a playoff berth if they could have beaten Craig Oct. 4 and Sun Prairie Friday at Mansfield Stadium. After a tough loss to Janesville Craig Friday, the Regents drop to 3-5. The loss snapped the Regents’ two-game winning streak.

“All I hope for each and every week is to get better,” coach Brad Murphy said. “When you have a young group like this, that is what you have to focus on. It’s not about the wins and losses as much as it sucks to lose. We have to keep moving forward with these kids and get them to understand they are only sophomores and get them to rock next year.”

Sophomore starting quarterback William Gutknecht suffered a concussion and missed the game against the Cougars.

Two days before the Big Eight Conference game against Janesville Craig, j u n i o r D a y n e A r m wa l d was informed he would get the starting nod at quarterback.

Armwald was a two-way starter Friday at defensive end and quarterback, but Janesville Craig rolled to a 39-6 win over the Regents at Monterey Stadium.

The score marked Armwald’s first touchdown

Photo by Jeremy Jones

Maddie Bremel earned a ninth seed for the WIAA Division 1 individual state tournament this week.

Sectionals Madison West tied Middleton for second place at the Madison Memorial sectional Oct. 4 with 14 points. When scores from subsectionals and sectionals were combined, the Regents were third.

The host Spartans scored 22 points at subsectionals and 23 points at sectionals to advance to their first state team tournament since 2005.

Memorial won sectional titles at Nos. 2-4 singles and No. 3 doubles.

Middleton scored 34 points (20 subsectionals, 14 sectionals), and West was third with a combined 30 points.

Maddie Bremel defeated

Madison Memorial junior Grace Olson (24-2) 7-6 (3), 6-1 at No. 1 singles. Abby Bremel finished runner-up at No. 2 singles, falling 6-2, 7-5 to Madison Memorial junior Julia Zhou.

Harrison and Goetz (1915) automatically qualified for state with a first-round win over Reedsburg. They finished fourth, losing to Sauk Prairie 7-6 (9), 6-4 and 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 to Madison Memorial in the third-place match.

Vadas and Knigge won a sectional title, beating La Crosse Central 6-1, 7-5 and then Middleton 5-7, 7-4, 6-2 at No. 2 doubles to qualify for state.

HOCKEY

Photo by Mark Nesbitt

Madison West junior quarterback Dayne Armwald breaks a tackle for a short run against Janesville Craig Oct. 4 at Monterey Stadium. The Cougars beat the Regents 39-6. pass of his career.

“It was a relief when he caught it,” Armwald said o f M e r c i e r ’s a c r o b a t i c touchdown catch. “Before I was a little nervous nervous because I had to play both sides of the ball. After that first touchdown, it relaxed me and I just felt better. He hasn’t been on offense until the second half of the year and he learned the plays really fast.”

Craig 39, West 6 Armwald completed 5 of 15 passes for 77 yards and a 32-yard touchdown pass to junior Zach Mercier Oct. 4 in a 39-6 loss to Janesville Craig.

“I thought Dayne really worked his butt off trying to fill in for Will,” Murphy said. “He didn’t have a lot of practice this week. We are super proud of the way Dayne played. Dayne is

a hell of a playmaker and we will all learn and grow from this. Playing both ways at defensive end and quarterback is not an easy thing to do.”

The Cougars scored 14 points off three turnovers by the Regents. Janesville Craig quarterback Ben Coulter had three touchdowns (two rushing and one passing) to lead the Cougars. Craig running b a c k Te s s i n Ku s s m a u l rushed for 132 yards on 24 carries and two touchdowns.

“I thought we did some good things on defense and made some nice stops,” Murphy said. “Our defense was battling. A lot of it is when you can’t move the ball offensively you put your defense in bad positions.”

Both freshman Eric

Turn to Regents/Page 5

West girls golf

Regents qualify for sectional, Knetter misses state

Verona Wildcats Youth Hockey

MARK NESBITT Assistant sports editor

The Madison West girls golf team closed the season making a run to the WIAA Division 1 Reedsburg sectional and a top-three finish in the Big Eight Conference.

Madison West senior Lillian Knetter just missed qualifying for state by three shots.

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FREE Open House for kids four years and older Learn to Play Hockey Open House Saturday, October 20 • 12:00 pm Verona Ice Arena

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12:00 pm Check In and Informal Information Session 12:00-1:30 pm Try on Equipment 1:30-2:30 pm Open Skate with Wildcat youth coaches and players To register for the Open House or to find out more go to: veronayouthhockey.com

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Contact Sarah at recruiting@veronayouthhockey.com for more information.

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The Madison West girls tennis team finished third in the Big Eight Conference and went on to qualify four flights to the WIAA Division 1 individual state tennis tournament this week.

Sophomore No. 1 singles player Maddie Bremel (287) earned the ninth seed for the WIAA individual state tournament Oct. 11-13 and will play Muskego freshman Lauren Sobieski (26-4) at 10:30 a.m. Thursday. She is seeded ninth after falling in her opening-round match last year.

Her twin sister, Abby (305), earned a special qualifier and will play Lake Geneva Badger junior Annabelle Alberts (23-5) at noon Thursday. Last season, Abby was part of a No. 1 doubles team that finished third at state.

The Regents also qualified a pair of doubles teams.

Junior Camille Vadas and sophomore Sophie Knigge (30-4) qualified and will play Ashwaubenon junior Maddy Coopmans and senior Caylee Behnke (16-11) at 1 p.m.

Thursday.

Seniors Spencer Harrison and Katie Goetz also advanced to state and will play Divine Savior Holy Angels senior Sophie Stangl and junior Julia Colon (1215) at 3 p.m. Thursday.

Knetter shot a 13-overpar 85 to tie for sixth place Wednesday, Oct. 3, at the WIAA Division 1 Reedsburg sectional.

The Regents finished last with a 396 in the eight-team sectional at the Reedsburg Country Club. Both Middleton, ranked fourth in the Wisconsin Golf Coaches Association state poll, and Waunakee shot a 347 to tie for the sectional tie to earn state berths. Stoughton took third (349), two shots away from qualifying for state as a team. Stoughton sophomore Caylie Kotlowski was the individual sectional champion with a 1-over-par 73.

Photo by Mark Nesbitt K n e t t e r t i e d M i d d l e - Madison West senior Lillian Knetter chips on to the green t o n s o p h o m o r e G l e n n a Wednesday, Oct. 3, in the WIAA Division 1 Reedsburg Turn to Girls golf/Page 5 sectional at the Reedsburg Country Club.

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Verona football

Assistant sports editor

The Verona football team has won three straight games since a thrilling loss to Sun Prairie, and the Wildcats clinched a fifth-straight playoff berth.

Verona (6-2) clinched a playoff spot with a win over Madison La Follete Friday, Oct. 4.

“It feels great to get back in the playoffs, because we have worked really hard all season,” said junior quarterback Adam Bekx after the win over the Lancers.

The Wildcats have beaten Madison Memorial, Madison La Follete and Beloit Memorial after a shootout loss to Sun Prairie.

Verona hosts Madison East in the regular season finale on Friday. If Verona can beat Madison East, coach Dave Richardson said the Wildcats could be in line for a top-four playoff seed and the opportunity to host a first-round playoff game.

Verona 40, Beloit 20 Bekx had a monster game, passing for 195 yards and four touchdowns Friday to lead the Wildcats to a 40-20 win over Beloit Memorial.

Verona withstood a second-half rally to remain one game behind Sun Prairie and Madison Memorial in the Big Eight Conference. The Wildcats piled up 466 total yards of offense. Bekx was accurate and efficient, completing 16 of 19 passes.

“I was really surprised with how effective we passed the ball with how rainy and windy it was,” Richardson said. “They stuffed the box to stop our run and it dictated that we pass.”

Bekx tossed three touchdowns to senior wide receiver Tyler Slawek in the first half to give the Wildcats a 27-14 lead.

After the Purple Knights cut Verona’s lead to seven

points in the third quarter, the Wildcats responded with Bekx connecting on a 7-yard TD pass to Slawek, who finished with six receptions for 84 yards and four touchdowns.

“It’s just next-man up,” Richardson said of Slawek’s big game. “If they have double coverage on someone we just have someone else step up. It’s been fun calling plays for these guys.”

Junior running back Haakon Anderson rushed for 114 yards on seven carries, one touchdown and had four catches for 43 yards. Junior running back Keegan Lindell rushed for 67 yards on 11 carries and had one touchdown.

Defensively, senior linebacker Dylan Bourne had a game-high 16 tackles and linebacker Jake Coshun had 12 tackles. The Wildcats did give up 301 total yards of offense to the Purple Knights.

Verona 47, La Follette 14 Bekx served as the triggerman of a high-powered offense Friday, Oct. 4 as the Verona pounded Madison La Follette 47-14 at Lussier Stadium. The win clinched a fifth consecutive WIAA playoff berth for the Wildcats.

Bekx completed 15 of 20 passes for 165 yards and had three touchdowns (two passing, one running), and junior running back/H-back Anderson had three touchdowns.

He caught eight passes for 90 yards and rushed for 102 yards on seven carries to lead the Wildcats.

Verona has beaten two of the state’s top 10 teams – Middleton, which was eighth in the Associated Press large school state poll at the time, and Memorial, which was 10th. The Wildcats were also one scoring drive and a twopoint conversion away from sending their showdown with eighth-ranked Sun Prairie

into overtime.

Sophomore running back Jackson Acker rushed for 50 yards on 11 carries and two touchdowns.

Verona 28, Memorial 10 Richardson played wide receiver when he attended Madison Memorial High School, but he can appreciate a stingy defense.

On Friday, Sept. 21, his Wildcats shut down his previously undefeated alma mater 28-10, using an oldschool performance.

Verona overwhelmed Memorial, who was ranked 10th in the Associated Press large-school state poll, with a dominating defensive performance that included three sacks, two forced turnovers and two forced turnovers on downs.

The Wildcats scored 14 points off the two turnovers against a Spartan offense that had entered the game as the highest-scoring team in the Big Eight Conference, at 35 points per game.

Wildcat senior linebacker Jeremy Grim had 1 ½ sacks and junior defensive back Sam Wood had an interception that helped stymie drives by the Spartans.

“The defense is what really turned this into a win,” said Richardson, a 1981 Memorial graduate. “All week, we just amped it up a little bit and got into their pride. My defensive coaches made this happen. They had the right game plan, attitude and energy. Everyone just had a different energy.”

Lindell rushed for 124 yards on 18 carries and had two touchdowns and sophomore running back Acker also ran for a pair of touchdowns to power the Wildcats’ offense.

Bekx completed 8 of 14 passes for 78 yards for the game and Watson finished

Turn to Wildcats /Page 5

Verona girls golf

Thomas finishes 24th at sectionals MARK NESBITT Assistant sports editor

The Verona girls golf team didn’t make a return trip to the WIAA Division 1 state tournament, but there were several highlights in the postseason.

The Wildcats finished second in the Big Eight Conference tournament and senior Nicole Thomas qualified for the Reedsburg sectional.

Reedsburg sectional Thomas closed out her prep golf career finishing 24th with a 94 Wednesday at the WIAA Division 1 Reedsburg sectional.

She posted pars on the 91-yard No. 3, 98-yard No. 15 and the 400-yard No. 16 at the Reedsburg Country Club.

“Getting up to the first hole I was really nervous,” Thomas said. “I had a couple of holes I didn’t do as good as I hoped for and other holes I maneuvered it well. I

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3

Edgewood girls golf

Verona clinches playoff berth MARK NESBITT

October 12, 2018

was hoping for a little lower than a 94. Overall, I’m pretty happy making it to sectionals because it wasn’t expected for me to go here.”

Middleton, ranked fourth in the Golf Coaches Association state rankings, tied Waunakee, ranked sixth for the sectional title. Stoughton (349) finished third, just two shots away from qualifying for state as a team for the first time in the program’s history.

Oregon (368) finished fourth in the eight-team sectional.

The challenge on some holes was keeping the pine needles off the greens.

“She did really well and managed her game,” coach Jon Rebholz said of Thomas.

“It’s really wet out there. You often are not getting good contact with balls. That can be frustrating for kids and she hung in there through that.

The wind picked up the last few holes and she hung tough through that.”

Rebholz was proud of the model Thomas set on and off

the course this season.

“She’s so positive with the other kids and a great sport,” he said. “She always keeps things upbeat on the course.

You always have to feel good for a kid like that who gets the opportunity to represent their community at sectionals.”

Middleton regional Thomas tied for 16th shooting a 95 in the WIAA Division 1 Middleton regional Sept. 26 to qualify for the sectional.

She tied Oregon senior Sydney McKee and earned an individual sectional qualifying berth. The Wildcats struggled on the first nine holes at the Pleasant View Golf Course and finished fourth, missing a sectional berth by four strokes.

“I was very happy Nicole made it through to sectionals,” coach Jon Rebholz said. “She has had a very

Turn to Verona/Page 5

Edgewood captures Division 2 state title MARK NESBITT

Assistant sports editor

Madison Edgewood girls golf had three of the top five golfers en route to winning a WIAA Division 2 state championship in dominating fashion Tuesday by 60-strokes over runner-up Appleton Xavier at University Ridge.

It marked the 14th state title for the Crusaders since 2001, but its first since 2014.

It was a golden way to end the season for the Crusaders who finished third in the Badger South, but went on to capture Division 2 regional, sectional titles.

State tournament Edgewood shot a 38-over-par 326, the second-best score Tuesday of any team in the final round.

The Crusaders’ two day score of 659 was a stunning 60-strokes ahead of Appleton Xavier.

Junior Grace Welch and sophomore Grace Jaeger tied for third place at 14-over-par 158 for the two-day tournament. Jaeger shot a first-round 82 and followed it up even stronger with an 76 on Tuesday. Jaeger had birdies on Nos. 5, 6 and 16.

Sophomore Caitlyn Hegenbarth, who shot a team-best 75 on Tuesday, took fifth overall with a 15-over-159. Junior Anaka Leske tied for 13th with a two-day score of 184.

Photos by Mark Nesbitt

Madison Edgewood’s Grace Jaeger chips on to the green on No. 7 at the Legend of Beragmont in the Badger Conference tournament Sept. 24. The Crusaders won the WIAA Division 2 state tournament at University Ridge. Jaeger tied teammate Grace Welch for third overall.

Anaka Leske and Welch each shot a 93 to lead the Crusaders. Edgewood shot a 372, which was 52 shots better than runner-up Edgerton.

Badger Conference

Edgewood sectional The Crusaders had four of the top nine golfers to roll to a sectional title at the Pleasant View Golf Course.

Edgewood shot a 337 to win the sectional by 38 strokes over Arcadia. Welch shot a 9-over-par 80 to pace the Crusaders. Hegenbarth carded an 82 followed by Anaka Leske with an 84. Jaeger shot a 91 to round out the top four for Edgewood.

Madison Edgewood junior Grace Welch hits a tee shot in the Badger Conference tournament Sept. 24 at the Legend of Bergamont in Oregon.

Prairie du Chien regional

leaderboard as the Crusaders cruised to a Division 2 Prairie du Chien regional E d g e w o o d h a d a title. four-way tie atop the J a e g e r, H e g e n b a r t h ,

Edgewood topped Sotughton by one stroke during the dual-meet season. In the Badger COnference tournament Sept.

24, the Vikings topped the Crusaders.

The Vikings’ 346 score was three strokes better than Milton and outdueled fifth-ranked Madison Edgewood (353) and host Oregon (356). Stoughton, second in the conference dual season to Edgewood, earned the overall title in the league’s point system when the Vikings finished first and Edgewood placed third.

Wisconsin H.S. Cyclin League

High School Cycling League coming to Waterloo The Wisconsin High School Cycling League (WIN) will complete its season with a state championship race at 9 a.m. Oct. 21 in Waterloo.

The league was founded in 2013. WIN laid the ground work for high school mountain biking in Wisconsin with an inaugural state championship race. The Wisconsin State Mountain Bike Championship, held in 2013, consisted of four different categories and the event was tagged a success with 60 participants and six teams.

In late 2013, WIN became an affiliate NICA league and was renamed the Wisconsin High School Cycling League (WI League) with the first race season scheduled for fall of 2014.

The league, serves all Wisconsin high school and middle school-aged students, regardless

of ability level, and is committed to providing a positive co-ed cycling experience. Each WI League season will include summer clinics, a four-race series, wilderness first aid certification courses and a Spring Leaders’ Summit for training and certification of coaches.

WI League is committed to ensuring students and coaches learn and practice safe riding practices. To ensure students are able to develop their skills and be placed in an appropriate level for their racing experience, the WI League offers middle school and high school aged teams.

Verona’s Ben Willkom placed fifth in 48:24.6 in the Division 1 JV II boys race at Wausau. Madison West’s Tobin jack finished sixth in the Division 1 JV III boys race last week with a time of 1:11.11.9.

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October 12, 2018

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Oregon girls golf

Panthers miss state cut MARK NESBITT Assistant sports editor

The Oregon girls golf team played at its best when it mattered most this season.

For the second straight year, the Oregon girls golf team had a top-four finish in the WIAA Division 1 Reedsburg sectional. That highlight came on the heels of a thirdplace finish in the Middleton regional and a fourth-place finish at the Badger Conference tournament.

Senior Ally Payne said the Oregon team is stronger than people think.

“I feel like when they were doing the prospective players and figuring all those configurations out they did it based on our scores for people who were not going to be here,” Payne said of the regional groupings. “When we have our full force and full team we are a pretty strong team.”

Reedsburg sectional Oregon sophomore Alyssa Schmidt tied Sun Prairie junior Sydney O’Hearn for ninth with a 14-over-par 86 Wednesday, Oct. 3, at the WIAA Division 1 Reedsburg sectional.

Schmidt birdied the 113yard No. 12 and the 358-yard No. 17.

“It was pretty tough at the end,” Schmidt said. “The wind got a lot stronger and I was just less focused with all of the wind. I think I personally played well. I think I should be proud of myself even though I didn’t make it to state.”

It’s the second-straight year the Panthers have played in the sectional tournament and finished in the top four.

“Most people didn’t see us going this far,” Schmidt said.

“We kind of shocked everyone. I think it was a really good round for our team to be in the top four at sectionals. I’m sad we didn’t make it to state, but I think it was

really nice we made it this far.”

Middleton, ranked fourth in the Golf Coaches Association state rankings, tied Waunakee, ranked sixth for the sectional title. Stoughton (349) finished third, just two shots away from qualifying for state as a team for the first time in the program’s history.

Oregon (368) finished fourth in the eight-team sectional.

Payne capped her career tying Stoughton junior Myranda Kotlowski for 11th (87). Oregon senior Sydney McKee tied Madison La Follette freshman Angelina Myhr for 17th with a 91.

“I think (a top-four finish) was a realistic expectation,” Oregon coach Eric Instefjord said. “We would have to play really well to unseat any of those in the top three. They battled. They have nothing to be ashamed about. When you get to the individuals it’s kind of a crap-shoot. It depends so much on which teams go.

Generally you need to be around the low 80s.”

Middleton regional Payne missed part of the Oregon girls golf season while serving a youth apprenticeship as a certified nurse assistant at the hospital.

It seem to hurt at the WIAA Division 1 Middleton regional Wednesday, Sept.

26, as she finished seventh with a 16-over-par 87 to help the Panthers finish third with a 358. It was enough to help the team qualify for the Reedsburg sectional.

“I kind of joke with my coach that he saves me for later,” Payne said. “I go to as many practices and stay consistent with practicing on my own.

“I know when I’m not there the team is OK without me. When Sydney (McKee) and I are there, we are really good, a strong team, and we are like a secret weapon.”

Payne is pursuing a pre-nursing degree and she

needed to complete the youth apprenticeship as a CNA. She’s hoping to pursue a certified nurse anesthetist program which would require her to attend school for about 10 more years.

Big Eight Conference champion and fourth-ranked Middleton was the regional winner with 351, three shots better than runner-up Stoughton. The Panthers had two of the top 10 in the regional.

Schmidt tied for fourth overall with 84s. Senior Brook McCallum tied Middleton’s Ellie Frisch for 12th (92). Sydney McKee carded a 95 to tie Verona’s Nicole Thomas for 16th.

Badger Conference When the Oregon girls golf team has its full lineup, the Panthers proved they can be a team that can contend for some hardware.

The return of Payne to the Panthers’ lineup gave them a spark and Oregon finished fourth at the Badger South Conference tournament with a season-best score of 356 at the Legend of Bergamont.

“It’s one of those years where we trying to get a core group together,” coach Eric Instefjord said. “Today we had them. It’s a good little step into tournament play.”

Payne shot an 81 to tie Stoughton sophomore Caylie Kotlowski for fourth.

“I think it’s really good anytime you get someone back who can score in that range,” Instefjord said. “It’s good to have her back.”

McKee shot an 86 to take sixth, and Schmidt carded a 94.

McCallum finished with a 95 to round out the top four for the Panthers.

“Everyone played pretty well today,” Instefjord said.

“We had a few big hole numbers every now and then.

I’m proud of what they did.

Overall, you have to have four pretty good scores.”

second quarter. DiMaggio scored the go-ahead touchdown four plays later, knifing through the middle of the line from 2 yards away for a 14-7 lead.

Oregon got another blocked punt by Klus on the Red Hawks’ second possession of the third quarter, and this time junior Matt Kissling recovered the ball in the end zone to put the Panthers up, 24-7.

DiMaggio added a 4-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, and Szudy and a 66-yard touchdown in the third quarter and sophomore running back Ryan McCorkle added a 10-yard touchdown run to open the fourth.

Oregon 35, Stoughton 10 Szudy rushed for 80 yards and a pair of firsthalf touchdowns Sept. 21 in a 35-10 shellacking of the previously undefeated Badger South rival Stoughton Vikings.

Crusaders: Individual state is Thursday Continued from page 1

Oregon: Regular season closes against Monroe Continued from page 1

Photo by Jeremy Jones

Edgewood sophomore Baluck Deang serves during her 7-6 (5), 7-5 win against Morgan Nelson of Beaver Dam in the Badger Conference tournament semfinal round.

The Panthers raced out to a 21-0 lead in the first half on a pair of 10-yard touchdown runs by Szudy and a 5-yard touchdown run on a naked bootleg by Look, who ran for 62 yards and completed 4 of 9 passes for 65 yards.

DiMaggio had 79 yards rushing on 16 attempts as Oregon gashed Stoughton for 270 yards on 46 carries to keep the Stoughton offense off the field.

Oregon 35, Edgewood 6 The Oregon football team scored a pair of touchdowns in the first quarter Sept. 28 and kept control with a methodical offense in a 35-6 Badger South win over Madison Edgewood at Breese Stevens Field.

The win made the Panthers playoff-eligible for the second consecutive season.

Szudy had a 20-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and Zachary Tower recovered a blocked punt for a touchdown as Oregon jumped out to a 14-0 lead.

Oregon 31, Watertown 20 Senior Nate Ellingson walked away from the gridiron after his sophomore season. He rejoined the Panthers this season, and Friday, the senior 6-foot-5 defensive back got his time to shine.

Ellingson had a crucial interception in the end zone late in the fourth quarter, and Look broke free two plays later as the Panthers crashed Watertown’s homecoming 31-20.

The Panthers’ defense had three turnovers against a high-powered Goslings’ offense that averages 27.2 points per game, but Oregon’s offense sputtered, as it was still a one-score game late in the fourth quarter.

Look racked up a teambest 81 yards rushing and two touchdowns, including a 76-yard sprint up the right sideline.

Oregon can lockup a playoff game with a win Friday, Oct. 12 against Monroe.

No. 4 singles.

No. 3 doubles players, juniors Kyle Harkin Aliyah O’Gara (19-7) helped Madison Edgewood win the sectional title.

Hess will play East Troy junior Sydney Raddeman (30-1) in the opening round at 11.

Deang faces Baldw i n - Wo o d v i l l e s e n i o r S h e a l e n e Wo l g a s t ( 1 3 11) in the first round at 5:30 p.m.

Kessel and Drake drew special qualifiers Jensen Christensen and Grace Tostrud (16-10) of Monroe and will play at 6 p.m.

Thursday.

Smith and Dunn will face Mariah Leader and Laurn Struck of Medford (12-7) in the first round at 7:30 p.m.

Conference Edgewood, which entered the conference third in the Badger South, matched its seed with 32 points. Watertown won the meet with 36 points and Monona Grove was second with 26.

Deang cruised to a 6-2, 6-0 win over Oregon in the

quarterfinals and survived a 7-6 (5), 7-5 scare against Morgan Nelson of Beaver Dam. Edgewood earned a 1-6, 7-5, 6-4 win against a fellow state qualifier, DeForest’s Cecile Fuch.

Smith and Dunn earned a fourth seed and fought all the way to the title at No. 2 doubles, surviving a 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-3 match against Sauk Prairie. They then knocked off top-seeded Olivia Austria-Kemble and Kylie Chaimson (3-6, 6-4,-6-2). Smith and Dunn didn’t have enough left in the tank to knockoff Sydn ey L i n ke n s a n d A b b y Marr.

Edgewood finished third at Nos. 2 and 4 singles. Huss fell 6-1, 6-1 against top-seeded Samantha Fuchs in the semifinals. She won her thirdplace match 2-6, 6-2, 6-1.

McDonald cruised through its first match before being beaten by Monona Grove junior Maelia Dziedtzic.

She fought back to finish third with a 7-5, 6-0 over Wa t e r t ow n s o p h o m o r e Mya Werning.

DeForest scored a tournament best 40 points to win the Badger North.

D2 seeds Singles 1. Olivia Czerwonka, Kenosha St. Joseph Catholic Academy 2. Mia Larrain, Newman Catholic 3. Veda Sane, University School of Milwaukee 4. Lauren Carson, Catholic Memorial 5.

Baluck Deang, Edgewood of the Sacred Heart 6. Marie Major, Brookfield Academy 7. Margeret Bugnacki, Shorewood 8. Erika Curtin, Xavier Doubles 1. Apostoli-Setter, Kenosha St. Joseph Catholic Academy 2. Lindow-Rice, East Troy 3. Gesner-Stoltenberg, The Prairie School 4.

Udovich-Hoffmann, Kohler 5. Watkins-Gridley, University School of Milwaukee 6. Van Ye-Macksood, Xavier 7. Diedrich-Teuteberg, Catholic Memorial 8.

Kessel-Drake, Edgewood of the Sacred Heart

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October 12, 2018

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5

West: Big 8 Conference meet is Saturday Continued from page 1 scorers in the top eighth, including the meet-best time of 16:27.9.

Kohn (16:46.72), Treiber (16:47.74) and Reed (16:51.41) finished fourth through sixth.

Gary as the final varsity Regent scorer, taking eighth place in 16:56.3.

Conference

Janesville.

Defending state champion Sun Prairie (73) won the race with Hinsdale (Ill.) Central finished second with 81 points.

The Regents finished the day with 141 points.

Bowman finished as the second West runner in 19:06.7, good for 12th place.

Drury place 25th in 19:45.9 and Greblo was 27th in 19:47.6. Weigl placed 77th in 20:24 as the team’s final varsity scorer.

The top-ranked Regents have the Big Eigth Conference meet on Saturday, Stoughton Invitational Oct. 13.

The Regents won the Stoughton InviMiddleton, 13th-ranked Sun Prairie, tational with a meet-best 45 points on 19th-ranked Janesville Craig and Verona Sept. 29 behind Nashold’s first-place should make for an interesting Big Eight time of 18:06.

Conference meet on Saturday, Oct. 13.

Bowman and junior Kristina Rohrer finishd fifth and sixth in 19:21.8 and Girls 19:26, respectively. Greblo (20:03.3) Freshman Genevieve Nashold kept her and Drury (20:18.4) rounded out the top streak of undefeated races this season five for the Regents. alive, winning races at the Marquette Invitational, Midwest Invitational, Mad City Meet Stoughton Invitational and the Mad City Madison West scored a meet-best 22 Meet. points Oct. 5 at Lake Farm County Park to win the Mad City Meet.

Marquette invite Nashold covered the Mad City Meet The Regents finished second at the at Lake Farm County Park in 18:44.6.

Marquette Invitational on Sept. 15 with Her finish led a 1-2-3-4 finish by the 34 points, five behind Waukesha West, Regents. Bowman (19:27), Rohrer which posted 29 points.

(19:41.1) and Greblo (20:02.9) crossed Nashold who won the race in 18:47.6. the finish line in quick succession, takSenior teammate Andi Bowman finished ing second through fourth place. Weigl second in 19:44.56. finished as the team’s final varsity scorSenior Carson Drury and freshman er in 12th place with a time of 20:34.

Cecily Greblo finished ninth and 10th, respectively, in 20:46.34 and 20:48.16. Conference Junior Grace Weigl was the Regents’ Top-ranked Sun Prairie, sixth-ranked final varsity scorer, finishing 15th in Middleton, 10th-ranked Janesville Craig 21:27.93. and 15th-ranked Madison Memorial will all return to Lake Farm County Park on Midwest Invitational Saturday, Oct. 13, along with fourthNashold had a lifetime-best 18:03.8 ranked Madison West for what should be on Sept. 22 to win the Midwest Invita- another exciting Big Eight Conference tional at the Blackhawk Golf Course in meet.

Regents: Close the season against Cardinals to complete the offensive sack and Seiwessley Didue attack. had nine tackles.

Gutknecht also tossed a Horein and Mercier each 14-yard touchdown pass to Memorial 35, West 13 h a d o n e s a c k f o r t h e Opoku-Appoh.

Big Eight Conference Regents. co-leader Madison Memo“He (Horein) is going West 38, Beloit 13 to be a hell of a player for Gutknecht had 259 total rial rolled past Madison us,” Murphy said. “He’s a yards and three touch- West 35-13 Sept. 14. hard worker, doesn’t com- downs to power West to The Spartans led by just plain and takes coaching a 38-13 win over Beloit one score at the end of well. We are excited about Memorial Sept. 21. the first quarter. Memorial his future for sure.”

Gutknecht was 7 of 12 caught fire in the second passing for 162 yards with West 55, Parker 28 quarter scoring 21 points three touchdowns, and he Senior running back Kel- rushed for 97 yards on 10 to take a 28-7 lead at the vin Opoku-Appoh scored carries against the Purple half. The Spartans piled up five touchdowns, includ- Knights. Opoku-Appoh more than 300 total yards. ing a 60-yard score on a ran for 86 yards on eight For the Regents, fumble recovery, to lead carries and had four recepOpoku-Appoh rushed for the Madison West football tions for 84 yards and two 126 yards on 19 carries team to a 55-28 victory touchdowns. over host Janesville Parker S o p h o m o r e r u n n i n g and scored one touchdown.

Sept. 28. back Nazier Jones added Gutknecht was 4 of 7 passOpoku-Appoh rushed for a 30-yard TD run as the ing for 17 yards with one 140 yards on three carries Regents racked up 472 touchdown. He also ran and had three touchdowns. total yards.

The Regents racked up 400 On defense, Armwald for 53 yards on 14 carries. yards. Gutknecht added had 10 tackles. Defensive Jones rushed for 77 yards three rushing touchdowns lineman William Thomas on 18 carries and had one and a passing touchdown had seven tackles and one touchdown.

Continued from page 2

Girls golf: Runner-up at regionals Continued from page 2 Sanderson and Waunakee sophomore Ally Kinzel for sixth.

Sophomore Aspen Fleming tied Madison Memorial’s Anna Kielley for 34th shooting a 102. Junior Ashley Fleming carded a 104 and junior Margo Bush finished with a 105.

DeForest regional Madison West shot a 357 to finish as the regional

runner-up to Waunakee (348).

Knetter took second with an 81. Waunakee’s Sam Soulier was the medalist after shooting an 80.

Ashley Fleming finished fourth (86) and Bush tied Kinzel for sixth (89). Aspen Fleming carded a 101 to tie Reedsburg’s Ashley Krieski and Madison Memorial’s Natalie Rauwolf for 18th.

third in the Big Eight Conference tournament Sept.

26 at the Evansville Golf Club.

Middleton (343) captured the conference title for the fourth straight year. Verona finished second (381) just ahead of Madison West (387).

Knetter finished sixth with an 87. Bush took 18th (99) and Aspen Fleming tied for 21st (100). Ashley Conference Fleming rounded out the The Regents had three of top four for the Regents finthe top 21 golfers to take ishing 23rd (101).

Photo by Mark Nesbitt

Junior running back Haakon Anderson makes a leaping 32-yard catch in the Wildcats’ 43-35 loss to Sun Prairie Sept. 14.

Wildcats: Returning to the playoffs Continued from page 3 with two receptions for 36 yards.

Sun Prairie 43, Verona 35 Verona sophomore running back Jackson Acker had two touchdowns Friday, Sept. 14, but the Wildcats couldn’t get the defensive stops they needed and lost a shootout to Sun Prairie 43-35.

Ve r o n a t r a i l e d b y a s many as 12 points before rallying in the fourth quarter.

Junior quarterback Adam Bekx completed 20 of 31 passes for 225 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.

“We talked about it in the locker room before the game, we thought whoever had the ball last would probably turn out and win this game,” Bekx said. “It didn’t turn out that way.

We have to forget about this game and focus on (Madison Memorial).”

Sun Prairie racked up 521 total yards, including 150 yards rushing a n d t h r e e t o u c h d ow n s by senior running back Nathan Schauer, which propelled the Cardinals to the win.

The Wildcats’ defense was gashed for 282 rushing yards and couldn’t get off the field as the Cardinals converted many third downs. Schauer rushed for 150 yards on 22 carries.

“ We k n ew w e c o u l d play with these guys and had enough firepower to score,” coach Dave Richardson said. “It just comes down to just a few plays.

“In this game, I think momentum that was the driving force that kind of hurt us.”

The Wildcats relied on double coverage to help against Sun Prairie 6-foot, 5 inch senior wide receiver Cooper Nelson. Nelson, who had 210 receiving yards and two touchdowns in a 49-0 win over Janesville Craig two weeks ago.

Verona limited Nelson 100 yards in seven receptions.

Anderson finished with a team-high nine catches for 99 yards for the Wildcats.

Verona: Season ends at sectionals for Wildcats Continued from page 3 good year both on the golf course and in the leadership department. She has been consistent and dependable throughout the season.”

Verona shot a 385 just behind Big Eight Con ference rival Sun Prairie (381) which earned the final team sectional qualifying spot. Middleton, ranked fourth in the Golf Coaches Association state rankings, captured the regional title with 351 points, four strokes ahead of runner-up Stoughton (354). Oregon took third (358) and was one of the top four teams advancing to the Division 1 Reedsburg sectional on Wednesday.

“I was a little disappointed, as were the girls, in our r eg i o n a l p e r f o r m a n c e ,” Rebholz said. “We got off to a slow start with some big numbers early and

were not able to recover enough on the back nine.

I was a little surprised we didn’t move on, but our team scores over the season were very inconsistent.

“Our Achilles heel all year has been too many big numbers on holes, and not being able to bounce back quick enough from that during our rounds. Unfortunately, this was the case again at regionals.”

Conference Junior Andrea Schleeper finished seventh Monday, Sept. 26 to help the Verona girls golf team take second place in the Big Eight Conference tournament at the Evansville Golf Club.

Middleton had three of the top four golfers to roll to the team title 343-381.

Madison West’s Lillian Knetter carded an 87 to lead the Regents to a thirdplace finish (387).

Schleeper, who shot a 90, closed the tournament

with five straight pars.

“That’s a good accomplishment considering the top 10-12 players in the conference,” coach Jon R e b h o l z s a i d . “A n d r e a managed her game well today by sticking with some of her go-to clubs throughout the round.”

The Wildcats had four of the top 20 golfers. Thomas finished 12th (94), junior Celia Donny placed 16th (98) and junior Caitlyn Ott tied Madison West’s Margo Bush and Janesville Parker’s Ashlyn Burdick for 18th (99).

“The goal was to win, and I said that because I believe the girls can get there,” Rebholz said. “Finishing second at the tournament was a step in the right direction.”

M i d d l e t o n ’s G l e n na Sanderson carded a 1 2 - ove r- p a r 8 4 t o w i n medalist honors. Teammate Kate Meier took second (84).

6

October 12, 2018

Madison/Verona schools

Fitchburg Star

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Verona Area School District

Read these and more Verona Area School District stories at ConnectFitchburg.com:

Boundary criteria play up diversity

Road deal allows for turf, second pool The Verona Area School District came to an agreement with S&E Enterprises for an access road to connect the new high school site with South Nine Mound Road.

The $1.7 million agreement, which comes with contingencies, allows the district to include artificial turf and a second swimming pool in the building.

Equal representation won’t be required but it’s still important, board says SCOTT GIRARD

Sugar Creek among ‘healthiest schools’

Unified Newspaper Group

Sugar Creek Elementary School received a bronze award from the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s list of “American’s Healthiest Schools.”

“It really feels affirming that a lot of the things that we put in place as a school are not only making a difference with kids but are nationally recognized as doing the right thing,” principal Todd Brunner told the Press.

The program measures schools’ healthy performance in a variety of categories, including health education, physical education, nutrition services and health promotion for staff. Schools have to submit an application to be included.

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• Student diversity • Contiguous attendance areas when/where possible • Fiscal efficiency • Logical feeder elementary school to middle school structure • Match projected enrollment with efficient building utilization • Minimize number of students impacted by attendance area changes • Neighborhood unity • Transportation efficiency which may lead people to misunderstand our intention.

“That point is of utmost importance to me. It feels like just that one line, one sentence is not enough to portray the gravity that we take that point with.”

The bullet point on “student diversity” is now three sentences: “The Board values diversity and recognizes the positive impact diversity has on student achievement. We expect diverse populations at all of our school sites. Consideration should be given to maximize diversity when possible.”

The new attendance areas are expected to be approved next spring, and they will go into effect in fall 2020, when the new high school opens and other schools shift into existing buildings and have new capacities.

The board also moved the diversity point to the top of the list of eight criteria, though trustees emphasized the list was not in any specific order.

Board president Noah Roberts said the strategic plan, which the committee will be provided with, would also help emphasize the point.

“I don’t think too many people will read into order,” Roberts said. “It is important, and I think the committee will get a great understanding of the

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A week-and-a-half after deciding demographic balancing shouldn’t be the top consideration when drawing new school attendance boundaries, Verona Area school board members made it clear Monday night diversity is still a priority.

An addition to the district’s statement on diversity was the only change the board made before approving the boundary redrawing criteria, which are designed to help direct the committee beginning with its first meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 16.

The criteria also has statements about fiscal efficiency, making the most of buildings, keeping neighborhoods together and elementaries feeding to the same middle schools, reducing disruptions and simplifying transportation.

A concern that balancing numbers too finely could cause neighborhoods to be split up led the board to adjust its statement on diversity last month.

Much of the district’s underrepresented populations – both socioeconomic and racial – live in “pockets” around the district, and board members had expressed concerns about putting the burden of balancing demographics among schools on them with longer bus rides and neighbors attending different schools.

Board member Kristina Navarro-Haffner, who has said she supports having demographics generally balanced among schools, felt the single sentence about diversity that was added at the Sept. 26 could use some more “substance.”

“When I look at this list, there’s more substance to the other bullet points here,” Navarro-Haffner said.

“Just a one-liner about diversity,

Criteria

work … related to equity and diversity anyways.”

Superintendent Dean Gorrell and board member Carolyn Jahnke took issue with the headline of in the Oct. 3 Verona Press about the board’s last discussion, “Racial balance removed from boundary criteria.”

The headline referred to the bullet point included in the draft criteria for that meeting, which was “Balance demographics within acceptable ranges and consistent with District programming.” The board removed that bullet point and added the statement, “The Board values diversity and recognizes the positive impact diversity has on student achievement.”

“I am very concerned about how that was portrayed,” Jahnke said.

“Instead, we were saying diversity is important and having diversity in all of our schools is critical.”

Gorrell said it was “important that the committee understand that this is a big deal for the board.”

At the Sept. 26 meeting, board members decided they did not want to define what “acceptable ranges” were, leading them to take out that language from the criteria. It also directly conflicted with other criteria, such as keeping neighborhoods together and limiting busing costs.

The committee is expected to bring up to three recommendations for the full board to consider – and any or all of them could balance demographics.

Board member Tom Duerst said he wanted to see some options that “maybe aren’t quite as even on the diversity end,” at least for the elementary schools, “and see what it looks like.” At the middle school level, though, he said he wants to “be even, or as close to even as you can get.”

Gorrell said about 50 people expressed interest in being on the committee, and the district reached out to 25 of them to become a member.

Contact Scott Girard at ungreporter@wcinet.com and follow him on Twitter @sgirard9.

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A West High School student gives a big cheer to the West High dance team as the ride by down Chadbourne Avenue Friday, Sept. 21, in the Homecoming parade.

Regent pride Madison West High School celebrated Homecoming last month, with the parade and football game on Friday, Sept.

21, and the dance Saturday, Sept. 22. The week included dress up days like “Sports Day” and “70s vs. 80s.” The football team won the Homecoming game Friday night against Beloit.

Oregon schools

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October 12, 2018

7

Fitchburg Star

Rapidly growing Fitchburg targeted for proposed school SCOTT DE LARUELLE

On the web

Unified Newspaper Group

Although Fitchburg has been part of the Oregon School District since 1948, not everyone knows it.

That’s been apparent during public referendum meetings, where district officials have found themselves answering questions about why a referendum for a Fitchburg school is on a ballot in Oregon – and whether Fitchburg residents pay for schools in Oregon.

The answer to the second question is yes, if they live in the Oregon district.

To prevent impending overcrowding in the elementary and intermediate levels, OSD has identified Fitchburg as a prime location for a new grade K-6 elementary school to handle an expected increase of nearly 2,000 students over the next 12-15 years. That project would be funded by a $47 million referendum on Nov. 6.

Coming on the heels of successful referendum drives in 2014 and 2016, this one is taking a bit more explaining from district officials as to the need to spread resources in a district that stretches from Brooklyn nearly to the Beltline.

District officials are now explaining why parts of Fitchburg are in OSD at all, and why that city is the best place to build the district’s eighth school.

OSD has been in negotiations in recent months to purchase land for the school around the Lacy Road interchange – likely part of the Terravessa development off County Hwy. MM, as well as a new middle school, with hopes to finalize those in “mid-to-late” November. If the referendum is approved, the plan is to begin construction on the elementary school in April 2019 in preparation for the 2020-21 school year.

As to why that location, OSD officials say the answer is simple: It’s where the kids will be.

Read more in our series on the upcoming Oregon schools referendum:

ConnectFitchburg.com

A ‘tidal wave’ The planned referendums are part of a long-range plan to address expected growth, a process that ramped up in February 2017 with the creation of the Student Growth and Population Task Force to study the issue. Working with development consultant Mark Roffers, the group concluded that Rome Corners Intermediate School (grades 5-6) would the first to exceed capacity, likely before 2020, with the three elementaries and OMS likely to follow a few years later, and the recently expanded OHS not reaching capacity until around 2030.

Roffers said in an email to the Star the northeastern part of the City of Fitchburg “makes perfect sense” as a prime location for new housing growth. He said projected developments including Terravessa have already broken ground there, with other new residential developments, such as Uptown Crossing, “growing quicker than I expected.”

“It is on Highway 14, five minutes from the Beltline, and 15 minutes from downtown Madison,” he wrote.

“There is a lot of open land with few environmental limitations. There is growing momentum.”

District superintendent Brian Busler – who said the task force’s projection of more than 6,000 students by 2030 is probably a “touch ahead of schedule” – said the new school is needed to help ease the burden on already overcrowded elementary and intermediate schools, and locating one in the epicenter of an expected “tidal wave of students” is the best decision, both fiscally and

educationally.

“It’s the age-old guideline to build schools close to where the kids live,” he told the Observer last week.

“It reduces time spent on busing and also significantly reduced our busing costs, which gives us the opportunity to invest more into the classroom.”

‘To serve them all’ School Board member and OSD growth task force chair Courtney Odorico said the referendum shouldn’t be seen as an “us versus them issue.”

“This is about building a school for the OSD and its students and meeting the growth where it is happening,” she wrote in an email to the Observer. “Fitchburg has been sending students to the Oregon schools for generations. All children within the OSD boundary are our students, and we have a commitment to serve them all.”

Busler said he’s talked to several fifth- and sixth-generation families from Fitchburg who are “strongly connected to the village of Oregon and to our school district.”

“That’s who they identify with” he said. “We don’t see a dividing line or really a distinction within our school district.”

Odorico said locating the school in Fitchburg also provides some “geographic balance” in a district where all but one of six schools are in the Village of Oregon, particularly with growth in Fitchburg “happening now,” especially around the U.S. Hwy. 14 corridor.

Busler said a new school would help “ensure we’re focused on students, not dealing with those changes of overcrowding.

“We’re simply out of space,” he said. “I have yet to meet a parent who wants their son or daughter to be in a classroom in a hallway, or one that was formerly a storage area.”

Photo by Kimberly Wethal

Senior Ethan Wyland, a member of homecoming court, throws candy to paradegoers during the homecoming parade on Friday, Sept. 21, on Lincoln Street.

Panther pep

Oregon High School and the rest of the district celebrated homecoming on the afternoon of Friday, Sept. 21, with a pep rally at the high school and a parade down Lincoln Street.

The Oregon Panthers won their homecoming football game later that night, defeating the Stoughton Vikings 35-10.

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