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Friday, November 9, 2018 • Vol. 5, No. 9 • Fitchburg, WI • ConnectFitchburg.com • $1

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City of Fitchburg

Inside

Ambulance delay, paving Whalen among amendments

Two candidates declare for mayor in spring election Page 3 Solar series: Energy farming future

Mayor’s budget proposal has levy within $1K of state limit

Page 8

Business

SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group

Phoenix breaks ground Page 15

Sports

Photo by Kimberly Wethal

Oregon soccer wins state championship Page B1

Schools Voters approve OSD referendum

Susan Drew walks her children away from a home after they finish collecting their candy during city-wide trick-or-treating on Wednesday, Oct. 31.

Halloween fun

Fitchburg children and their caregivers were out and about during the late afternoon and early evening hours of Wednesday, Oct. 31, to collect their candy rations.

Inside See more trickor-treat photos Page 10

‘Black girl magic’

Page B6

Progress Center for Black Women finds home in Fitchburg KIMBERLY WETHAL Unified Newspaper Group

Food pantry opens at VAHS Page B7

A little over a year ago, Sabrina Madison came up with an idea to give black women a space of their own. In early November, the year-old nonprofit organization she founded, Progress Center for Black Women, opened an office in Fitchburg, at 5936 Seminole Court, Suite 211. PRSRT STANDARD ECRWSS US POSTAGE

The center provides programming and resources promoting upward mobility for women such as the Black Women’s Leadership Conference and the Black Business Expo. Madison had created those events last year Madison after getting frustrated with the lack of diversity at speaking

events she attended in Wisconsin. A motivational speaker – for which she goes by the moniker Heymiss Progress – and former administrative coordinator at Madison College, Madison said there were “too many spaces where there were all women in the room, and none of the women were like me” at those events. “During one of those last

Turn to Progress/Page 12

City of Fitchburg alders won’t have much room to work with as they consider whether to add projects or positions in the 2019 budget. Mayor Jason Gonzalez’s proposed budget, which was published in September, leaves only $1,000 under the state-mandated levy limit. At the Oct. 24 Committee of the Whole meeting, city finance director Misty Dodge warned alders they would need to be careful in their consideration to avoid going over that limit. “Anything that you want to add back in, something else will need to be removed,” Dodge said. At that meeting, alders discussed the 17 amendments they had proposed, six of which would cut spending. Eight would add to the budget, two would add grants or transfer money and one would be a budget maneuver to save money long-term. Alders plan to vote on the amendments after a Nov. 13 public hearing, and they could also approve the full budget that night. T h e m o s t s i g n i fi c a n t impact among the amendments would come from two separate proposals to

Turn to Budget/Page 13

If You Go What: Budget amendments public hearing When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13 Where: City Hall Info: fitchburgwi.gov

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November 9, 2018

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An inside look The Fitchburg Fire Department held their annual open house on Saturday, Oct. 13, at their Lacy Road location. Children and their families got the chance to explore first responder vehicles and equipment, eat hot dogs and take rides on one of the department’s fire trucks.

Photos by Kimberly Wethal

Above, Elijah Heezen, 3, adjusts his firefighter’s helmet while standing in a firetruck during the Fitchburg fire department’s open house on Saturday, Oct. 13.

At left, Kane Schreiber, 3, gets hoisted out of the firetruck by firefighter Dustin Roder during the Fitchburg fire department’s open house on Saturday, Oct. 13.

Photo by Kimberly Wethal

Evers makes post-campaign stop at BGC

Gov.-elect Tony Evers walks into the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County gym on Wednesday, Nov. 7, a little more than 12 hours after he won the gubernatorial election against Gov. Scott Walker. Fitchburg was one of his first stops, along with Lt. Gov.-elect Mandela Barnes.

Winter Farmers Market November 1 - December 20

Young “firefighter” Fritz Foster, age 3, eats a hot dog during the Fitchburg fire department’s open house on Saturday, Oct. 13.

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November 9, 2018

Fitchburg Star

Nesbitt-Fitchrona roundabout open Richardson, Gonzalez running for mayor April election will be for one-year term house Nov. 13 Spring election

SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group

Those interested in the plan to rebuild the Nesbitt-Fitchrona roads intersection into a roundabout next year can find out more at a public open house next week. The Tuesday, Nov. 13, open house will be held at Fitchburg City Hall, 5520 Lacy Road, from 6-7 p.m. Attendees can look at exhibits showing the proposed roundabout and talk to project staff in attendance. Fitchburg is planning to construct the roundabout to replace the current four-way stop to “reduce congestion at the intersection” that has increased over the past several years, according to a news release on the meeting. Construction is expected to begin next summer. “Over the past several years, traffic volumes have steadily increased and the intersection now experiences significant delays and long lines of traffic during peak traffic hours,” the release states. The city is funding the $1.6 million project through the Orchard Pointe tax-increment financing district, which includes the nearby Target and Hy-Vee that both opened over the past decade. Some alders had asked the city to request joint funding for the project with the Town of Verona, but city administrator Patrick Marsh said during council meetings the

SCOTT GIRARD

If You Go What: Open house on Nesbitt-Fitchrona roads roundabout When: 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13 Where: Fitchburg City Hall, 5520 Lacy Road Info: fitchburgwi.gov town said they did not have room in the budget. The city also considered a stoplight or mini-roundabout option during the planning process. The Transportation and Transit Committee recommended the mini-roundabout option, which would have been about $1 million cheaper. Three of the four property owners at the intersection also supported the mini-roundabout idea, which would have required them to give up less land. But alders supported the larger roundabout because of the availability of TIF funding and its longer shelf life for solving traffic issues. The stoplight option would have been the most expensive and would not have reduced accidents as much as the roundabout, according to an engineering analysis on the project. For an update on the project, visit fitchburgwi. gov/2485/FitchronaNesbitt-Intersection.

McKee construction meeting Nov. 19 Project planned for 2020 SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group

Those looking for an update on the McKee Road reconstruction project planned for 2020 can get one Nov. 19. The City of Fitchburg will hold a public informational meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 19, at City Hall, 5520 Lacy Road. The meeting will include a presentation to review goals of the project and a potential design for the new roadway based on feedback from the first public meeting in 2017, according to a news release announcing the meeting. The project will keep the road at four lanes, add turn lanes at some intersections and provide alternative bicycle and pedestrian accommodations along the project from Commerce Park Drive to Seminole Highway. It also includes a proposed Badger State Trail Bridge over McKee Road, “improving safety and convenience for trail users and drivers on McKee Road,” the release states. “Negative impacts are not anticipated to the trail, but

Unified Newspaper Group

The City of Fitchburg has its first contested race for the revamped 2019 election. District 3 Ald. Aaron Richardson announced in an Oct. 30 news release he wo u l d r u n for the one- Gonzalez year term on the ballot n ex t y e a r, and Mayor Jason Gonzalez told the Star he plans to run for re-elecRichardson tion. The 2019 spring election will be for a one-year term after the Common Council voted earlier this year at Gonzalez’s behest to change term lengths. All eight aldermanic seats and the office of mayor will be on the ballot next year, but staggered elections will begin in 2020. That year, half of the aldermanic seats are again up for a two-year term and the mayor is on the ballot for a three-year term. Gonzalez told the Star he would not seek that threeyear term in 2020 even if he wins next spring. “When I ran for office, I always thought that two terms would be a good amount of time to serve in office,” Gonzalez said. “I would only be seeking the one-year term, and then I would be ready to move on

to other parts of my life.” Richardson, a lifelong Fitchburg resident, said in his release it’s “important to have a mayor that is dedicated to Fitchburg longterm and who respects residents, not just financially, but personally and professionally, as well.” A marketing consultant and substitute teacher, Richardson is also a member of the Fitchburg Lions Club, a youth baseball coach and an “amateur beekeeper,” his release says. “Our residents and businesses deserve someone who not only has the desire to serve, but also has the passion, vision and temperament to make sure every voice is heard at City Hall,” Richardson said in the release. “I... cannot think of anywhere else I would want to call home.” Richardson is the chair of the Fitch-Rona EMS commission and co-chaired the Fitchburg Housing Task Force. Both could be among the significant discussions in the near future, as some alders have expressed a desire to change the EMS agreement with the town and city of Verona and the housing plan could help guide the new comprehensive plan. “This is an important time for Fitchburg as we start to review the Comprehensive Plan, discuss annexation with the Town of Madison and continue to grow as a destination community for the next generation of families and businesses,” he stated in the release. “We have enough partisan division and uncivil behavior in Washington, and the last place we need that kind of behavior is here in

Fitchburg.” Gonzalez, a lawyer, said it was important to him to see the election reforms through and added that “stability” would help the city continue the “best growth… in probably a decade.” He specifically pointed to the Promega expansion, Phoenix’s plans to build a lab here and two other projects that are not public yet. “We’ve finally got some momentum on economic development in the city,” he said. He added that the new model for city grants to nonprofits through the Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative, a change that

brought hundreds of people to budget hearings in 2017, is now “sustainable for our city.” Gonzalez previously held the same seat Richardson is in until running for mayor in 2017, when he defeated incumbent Steve Arnold. Those seeking nomination can begin collecting signatures Dec. 1 and will have to turn in the required number by early January. The spring election will be April 2, with a primary Feb. 18 if needed. Contact Scott Girard at ungreporter@wcinet.com and follow him on Twitter @sgirard9.

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If You Go What: McKee Road reconstruction project meeting When: 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 19 Where: City Hall, 5520 Lacy Road Info: fitchburgwi.gov/ McKeeRoad

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temporary easements may be needed to accommodate grading, and a temporary detour of the trail may be needed during construction,” the release said. “The project team is seeking your input on any concerns individuals may have with how the project is impacting these resources.” The release also said the city is specifically looking for people “with a concern for or knowledge about historic buildings and structures and archaeological sites” that could be affected by the project. Those unable to attend the meeting or looking for additional information can visit fitchburgwi.gov/McKeeRoad or email city project manager Bill Balke at bill.balke@ fitchburgwi.gov.

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November 9, 2018

Opinion

Fitchburg Star

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Letters to the editor policy

Community voices

Unified Newspaper Group is proud to offer a venue for public debate and welcomes letters to the editor, provided they comply with our guidelines. Letters should be no longer than 400 words. They should also contain contact information – the writer’s full name, address, and phone number – so that the paper may confirm authorship. Unsigned or anonymous letters will not be printed under any circumstances. The editorial staff of Unified Newspaper Group reserves the right to edit letters for length, clarity and appropriateness. Letters with libelous or obscene content will not be printed. Unified Newspaper Group generally only accepts letters from writers with ties to our circulation area. Letters to the editor should be of general public interest. Letters that are strictly personal – lost pets, for example – will not be printed. Letters that recount personal experiences, good or bad, with individual businesses will not be printed unless there is an overwhelming and compelling public interest to do so. Letters that urge readers to patronize specific businesses or specific religious faiths will not be printed, either. “Thank-you” letters can be printed under limited circumstances, provided they do not contain material that should instead be placed as an advertisement and reflect public, rather than promotional interests. Unified Newspaper Group encourages lively public debate on issues, but it reserves the right to limit the number of exchanges between individual letter writers to ensure all writers have a chance to have their voices heard.

Stay course with emerald ash borer

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

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General Manager Lee Borkowski lborkowski@wcinet.com Sales Manager Kathy Neumeister kathy.neumeister@wcinet.com Display Advertising Donna Larson veronasales@wcinet.com Josh Fredrick oregonsales@wcinet.com Catherine Stang stoughtonsales@wcinet.com Classifieds ungclassified@wcinet.com Circulation Carolyn Schultz ungcirculation@wcinet.com News Jim Ferolie fitchburgstar@wcinet.com Sports Jeremy Jones ungsportseditor@wcinet.com Assistant Editor Scott Girard ungreporter@wcinet.com Reporters Alexander Cramer, Kimberly Wethal, Emilie Heidemann Amber Levenhagen, Scott De Laruelle, Mark Nesbitt

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n the sidewalk street terraces along three blocks of Chapel Valley Road I walk past frequently on my way to McKee Farms Park, four young trees are growing. These are a hackberry, a swamp white oak, a tulip poplar and a redbud. They’re where four 25-30-foot-tall white ash trees once stood. Four other tall white ash trees remain standing in various spots along this three-block stretch. Two are growing in the street terraces, and the other two occupy spots in a small, landscaped median strip. Along the sidewalk, on private property, two large green ash trees are showing telltale signs that they are infested with emerald ash borer (EAB). Like hundreds of Hecht other cities throughout Wisconsin, the City of Fitchburg over the years has planted many white ash in street terraces, rights-of-way, boulevard medians, parks and other public property. And like many other cities, the spread of EAB throughout North America over the past several years has forced Fitchburg to come up with a management plan to ensure trees infested with the beetle do not become safety hazards. Thanks to the support of our mayors and Common Council members for the last five years, we have kept EAB management a priority. We have done a stellar job of balancing the removal and replacement of unhealthy or structurally weak ash trees with the preemptive treatment for EAB of healthy ashes. But this could change. The mayor’s proposed 2019 budget outright eliminates a part-time parks and forestry position that has been a critical part of our successful EAB management thus far. The proposed budget also bypasses the Parks Commission’s recommendation to increase the city forester’s weekly hours from 24 to 32. The city forester’s job has gotten

bigger since EAB became a threat – in addition to managing an array of cityowned natural areas, this position contends with EAB and has an inventory of more than 9,000 public trees to look after. Ed Bartell, our previous city forester until 2015, wisely stopped planting ash trees in the early 2000s. Once the EAB onslaught began to spread from Michigan into Indiana and Ohio, he knew it was just a matter of time before it would arrive here. The stark, inescapable reality of this voracious invasive insect is that it attacks and kills all native species of North American ash trees, regardless of a tree’s size, age, health or prominence in a landscape. Bartell’s decision to stop planting ash trees in Fitchburg proved to be correct as EAB was detected in the city in May 2016 in ash trees on private property along Highway M. Keeping some ash trees protected from EAB offsets some of the visual scars caused by removing others, such as the four white ashes I no longer see on my walks. These trees can continue to provide some of the essential economic and environmental benefits, such as reducing stormwater runoff, shading sidewalks and streets and filtering air pollutants that make our public trees such valuable community assets. The city thus far has done an excellent job of striking some balance between the removal and replacement of ash trees with the pre-emptive treatment of others for EAB. A crucial part of this balancing act has been the inspection of ash trees to determine which are worth treating and which are not. With help from a Parks and Forestry limited-term (part-time) employee, Bartell and our current forester, Anna Healy, have inspected and inventoried more than 300 street and park ash trees to assess their health. These can include some that appear healthy but have an unsound branching structure that could render them a risk of being torn apart in a windstorm or

ice storm. Ash inspections are time-consuming, but they have saved the city from wasting money on treating unhealthy ash trees – a process that must be repeated every two years. Our EAB management program has worked the past five years in large part because we know exactly which trees to treat each spring. Like other areas in Dane County, the EAB infestation in Fitchburg is here to stay for several years. It is the most lethal, destructive and invasive forest pest to arrive in North America since Dutch elm disease. Strapping the department without an LTE and no added hours for our city forester could derail our EAB management program from a proactive track to a reactive one. If we fall behind on cutting unhealthy ash trees along streets and in parks, EAB will attack and kill those left standing. If we fall behind on pre-emptively treating healthy ash trees along streets and in parks, EAB will attack and kill any tree left untreated. We could also fall behind in planting replacement trees. The approximately $13,500 saved by cutting the Parks and Forestry LTE position could quickly be spent on hazardous tree removals, either by hiring a contractor or on significant overtime to existing staff. If you don’t want this to happen, contact your alders and request that the city continue to support the sensible EAB management program we have in place. I miss the striking fall color of the four statuesque Autumn Purple white ashes that once stood in street terraces in my neighborhood. Although their fall colors are less showy, their replacements will grow into attractive trees in their own right. The city should allocate the time and money needed for the aesthetic and functional upkeep of our urban forest in the face of EAB. Jeremy Hecht is a member of the City of Fitchburg’s Tree Advisory Board.

Healthy Living

Being social has real health benefits

ne of my greatest take-aways from living and working in Spain for several years was getting to know the culture from more than just a tourist’s perspective. It stood out to me that people’s family and social connections there seemed to run so deep. Multi-generational living situations were common, if not Konopacki the norm. The idea of gathering with your extended family once a week for Sunday dinner was expected. The friends you made when starting kindergarten were likely the same ones you’d be forming retirement social clubs with. As a wandering American, even with a very close family, this amazed me. As the holidays approach, bringing us more opportunities to come together with people we know and love, it’s a good time to consider the health benefits we get from our social networks. Science suggests developing social connections can be as beneficial to your health as lacing up your shoes and getting to the gym. Strong social connections have been shown to help you live longer, have a stronger immune system, experience less depression and even sleep better. These positive outcomes held true even when factoring in the varied health habits of the people studied. It’s theorized that connecting with

others stimulates a positive response in our body that can turn off stress messages that run in the background. If we live with those stress messages long term, they can slowly create markers of disease (high blood pressure, increased inflammation, etc.). When we lack social connection, it’s like we’re missing an essential nutrient to be healthy. Some of the longest-living people are also well-known for their strong social ties. In Okinawa, Japan, there’s less cancer, heart disease and dementia than in America, and the women there live longer than women in any other place in the world. They benefit from a lifelong group of friends that supports them through all stages of life, called a “moai.” It’s for social, financial, health and spiritual support, and it is generally credited for being a large part of their positive health outcomes. You don’t have to wait until you feel lonely to improve your health by being more social. One sleep study showed worse sleep (higher levels of restlessness and sleep disruption) in people with fewer social connections, even if they claimed to be unaware of feelings of loneliness. Increasing your social connections can be as easy as taking a walk through your neighborhood and saying hi to everyone you pass. You could take a class, volunteer, play a group sport or strike up a conversation with the person next to you in line. Once you start to reframe the health benefits that come with being social, you’ll be able to see

and act on simple opportunities to interact with others that come up throughout your day. Even if you are an introvert and don’t prefer to be around a lot of people, you can still benefit from connecting with others. The health benefits come from your internal sense of feeling connected inside yourself, which can be cultivated, encouraged and developed even if you are with strangers or alone. It’s a powerful paradigm shift to view our social/ health link as preventive medicine. While our social ties can improve health outcomes if we are already dealing with a diagnosed health condition, they may also prevent serious conditions from developing in the first place. When I returned from Spain to practice near my family, I knew I’d be leaving behind my borrowed culture of relaxed 2-3-hour lunches with friends and colleagues. The transition has been made easier by some close family connections here: I live next door to my twin brother now, my sister and I meet weekly at our pottery studio, and my mom walks to my office to get her adjustments. But there are still times I need to remind myself to make the time for cultivating old and new social connections, both for the fun of it and for the health benefits they bring. Dr. Laura Konopacki is the owner of Body Wave Chiropractic in Fitchburg.

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November 9, 2018

Fitchburg Star

City of Fitchburg

Dane County

High density gets support

Sound off on proposed resource plan Nov. 15

To change North Stoner Prairie plan, council, commission must agree SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group

The City of Fitchburg’s Plan Commission and Common Council don’t appear to be on the same page when it comes to the North Stoner Prairie neighborhood. That has left a stalemate on potential development as the two bodies need to agree on any changes to the comprehensive plan. The commission has continued to support higher density in one particular area of the neighborhood than what the council – and dozens of city residents who have attended the meetings – say the city should. It voted in October on a higher density limitation – 16 units per acre – than the nine the council had approved a month earlier. That sends the plan amendment back to the council for more debate at its Tuesday, Nov. 13, meeting. If alders vote to approve a different number from the commission’s choice, the process of limiting the density would have to start over again. The issue revolves around what originally was planned to be a 182unit apartment building on six acres of the land at the corner of Seminole

Highway and Lacy Road. Residents who argued against the proposal told city leaders they want development on the remaining neighborhood land limited to nine units per acre – called medium density – and the council agreed on a 4-4 tie, with Mayor Jason Gonzalez casting a tiebreaker. A month earlier, the commission had voted to keep the high-density tag weeks after some commissioners called for a compromise. While the specific apartment proposal has been voted down, developer Chris Ehlers has said some sort of high density will be needed to allow him to build “affordable” ownership housing units nearby, with prices under $300,000 – something alders have stressed in recent discussions about housing. The land was marked as a limited to six units per acre in the neighborhood plan established more than five years ago. But that plan was changed last year to the unspecified high density designation after one of the parcels was sold to a church, in a deal worked out between Ehlers and Gonzalez, planner Tom Hovel reported in January. After opposition built this year, with dozens attending meetings in January, June, July, September and October, some alders said they wanted to “restore trust” with the residents now opposed to the development. In September, after people on both sides of the issue complained about

the process, the council voted to change the comprehensive plan to limit the development to nine units per acre. But the city attorney told alders they and the commission had to approve the same changes to the comprehensive plan to allow them to go into effect. That meant the North Stoner Prairie change, along with three other changes to the long-term plan, would have to wait until the commission got another chance to look at what the council had approved. On Oct. 16, the commission got that chance, again picking a different number. Commission chair Carol Poole explained that leaving it with more options through higher density would allow the developer to be creative, saying any plan residents or commission members disliked still could be voted down. She said the commission had already been “clear at our last meeting that we were not going to approve giant apartment buildings.” “We’re tripping over numbers, and what we need to see is what is the product,” Poole said. “We can leave it with high and medium, just like it is now, and do that administratively or legislatively.” Contact Scott Girard at ungreporter@wcinet.com and follow him on Twitter @sgirard9.

City in brief Comp Plan amendments The City of Fitchburg Plan Commission forwarded three amendments to the comprehensive plan to the Common Council – all less controversial than the fourth one on the North Stoner Prairie neighborhood. The three amendments would allow for a workforce housing project and senior housing near the Target and Hy-Vee in Orchard Pointe and another recognizing previous changes in the plan for Fitchburg Center. They will be considered on an individual basis by the Council later this month.

Fire station behind construction schedule

In a year that saw record flooding affecting hundreds of residents and costing millions of dollars in cleanup and rebuilding, managing the environment has become a hot topic around Dane County. Every year, the county asks its residents for advice and opinions to update its rolling, 10-year Land and Water Resource Management Plan, but this year might draw a bit more interest than usual. According to a county news release, the longterm strategic plan is used to develop annual work plans and apply for conservation grant funding. It includes an assessment of the county’s natural resource conditions and needs, with input from “local citizens, resource professionals and direct conservation efforts.” “The process and plan is a holistic approach to land and water resource management that focuses on partnerships and collaboration,” the release read.

If You Go What: Dane County Land Conservation Committee public hearing When: 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15 Where: Lyman F. Anderson Agriculture and Conservation Center (Room 121), 5201 Fen Oak Drive, Madison Info: 224-3730 People are invited to attend the Dane County Land Conservation Committee public hearing to learn about and weigh in on the plan at 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15, at the Lyman F. Anderson Agriculture and Conservation Center (Room 121), 5201 Fen Oak Drive, Madison. A draft plan is available for review and comment on the Dane County Land & Water Resources Department website, cd-lwrd.countyofdane. com/Resources/LWRMPlan, and comments can be submitted online through Nov. 21.

Draft plan available A draft of this year’s Land and Water Resource Management plan is available for comment on the Dane County Land & Water Resources Department website at lcd-lwrd.countyofdane.com/Resources/LWRM-Plan We’re Looking for Land to Dump FREE Wood and/or FREE Wood Chips in Dane County

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could factor into the city’s consideration of budget amendments that would cut funding for a third ambulance for Fitch-Rona EMS. Some alders said during the Oct. 24 discussion on amendments, which include two that propose cutting the city’s $192,454 share of operations for the ambulance, Fitchburg should wait until 2020 to add the funds into the budget with the station’s delay and the developments not yet built out. Fitch-Rona EMS chief Patrick Anderson told the council including the funding would help him begin the hiring process early and potentially focus on creating “a diverse candidate

pool that’s extremely qualified.” He said the plan is to begin the hiring process at least six months ahead of when they would be needed. “The farther out we can shoot to try to get a good pool, the best,” Anderson said. He said delaying the funding until January 2020 would be concerning, because he would have to start the hiring process without guaranteed funding for the positions. “I don’t have the money approved to hire until (the budget process in) the middle of November,” he said. “I can’t do it in six weeks.” The Town and City of Verona are also part of the

Fitch-Rona EMS District, and have both included funding for the third ambulance in their budget proposals. Without all three municipalities funding the ambulance, it would have to wait a year. Contact Scott Girard at ungreporter@wcinet.com and follow him on Twitter @sgirard9.

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Bad construction weather has delayed the expected opening of the second new Fitchburg Fire Station by about two months. It’s now slated for sometime in July 2019, city administrator Patrick Marsh told the Common Council last month.

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Construction on the City of Fitchburg’s second new fire station is behind schedule. City administrator Patrick Marsh told alders at the Oct. 24 Committee of the Whole meeting they were looking at “some point in July” 2019, based on “best guess with where we’re at” on construction. Contractors broke ground in August, and at the time, the plan was to open the station in May. “As of right now it’s about two months behind schedule,” Marsh said. The station, at the corner of Clayton and Syene roads, would serve the east side of the city. It will replace the Lacy Road station, though that will remain under the city’s control as administrative space for the fire department. The first new station opened last year on Marketplace Drive, replacing the King James Way station. The second station was located to help decrease r e s p o n s e t i m e s t o n ew developments coming in the next few years as well as the Southdale neighborhood of the Town of Madison, expected to become City of Fitchburg land by 2022. Delays in its opening

County seeks annual input on land, water management

November 9, 2018

ConnectFitchburg.com

Fitchburg Star

Christmas in the Park expands KIMBERLY WETHAL

If You Go

Unified Newspaper Group

Santa isn’t the only one What: Christmas in the doing things twice this holiPark day season – Chapel Valley When: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Church is expanding its secSaturday and Sunday, ond-annual Christmas in the Dec. 1-2 Park event to two days this Where: Nine Springs Golf year. Course, 2201 Traceway According to an email from Drive, on Dec. 1. Huegel Rev. Suzie Gehin, the church Jamestown Park, 5902 plans to give away free fresh trees to people who register to Williamsburg Way, on receive them on Dec. 1 and 2. Dec. 2 The church gave away 100 Cost: Free, but registratrees last year during its inaution for Christmas tree is gural event. required People can register to Info: chapelvalley.org/ receive a tree at chapelvalley. christmasinthepark org/christmasinthepark. The Saturday, Dec. 1, event will be at Nine Springs Golf For more information, visit Course, 2201 Traceway Dr., and the Sunday, Dec. 2, event chapelvalley.org/christmasinwill be at Huegel Jamestown thepark. Park, 5902 Williamsburg Email reporter KimberWay. The event will be from ly Wethal at kimberly. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. both days. wethal@wcinet.com and Both Saturday and Sunday follow her on Twitter @ will include an opportunity kimberly_wethal. to visit with Santa and Mrs. File photo by Alexander Cramer Claus, games and refreshThe entrance to the Mistletoe Forest at Chapel Valley Church’s first annual Christmas in the Park party last year. ments.

Calendar of events‌

‌Friday, Nov. 9‌

umentary showing, library, 729-1762‌ • 6:30-8:30 p.m., Fitchburg-Verona Rotary wine tasting fundraiser, Ten Pin Alley, 6285 Nesbitt Road, Fitchburg, facebook.com/ events/306760296582275/‌

• 11-11:45 a.m., Book boogie (ages 2-5), library, 729-1762‌ • 11 a.m., Veteran’s Day recognition (RSVP for lunch by noon Wednesday, Nov. 7), library, 270-4290‌

‌Friday, Nov. 16‌

‌Saturday, Nov. 10‌

• 9 a.m., Free hearing aid cleaning and screening appointments, senior center, 27-4290‌

• 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

‌Saturday, Nov. 17‌

• 10:30-11:30 a.m., Yoga Buds (ages 2-5), library, 729-1762‌

‌Tuesday, Nov. 13‌

• 4-5 p.m., Read aloud party: “Home Sweet Motel” (ages 5-12), library, 7291762‌ • 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 • 10 a.m. to noon, Medication disposal, city campus, 270-4300‌ • 3:30-4:30 p.m., After-school crafts (ages 5-12), library, 729-1762‌ • 10 a.m. to noon, Wellness checks with a nurse, senior center, 270-4290‌ • 6-6:30 p.m., UnBookClub (ages 9-12), library, 729-1762‌ • 6:30-8 p.m., “Reinventing Power” doc-

‌Wednesday, Nov. 21‌

• 10:30-11:30 a.m., Thanksgiving crafts (ages 2-5), library, 729-1762‌ Thanksgiving‌ Senior center closed‌ • 8:30 a.m., 15th annual Berbee Derby, Fitchburg Business Park, berbeederby. com‌

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Fitchburg businesses near the Verona Road corridor, as well as entities in the neighboring city of Verona, will “jingle and mingle” for a holiday event Dec. 8. The event, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. that day, will be at a variety of locations. It’s meant to encourage patronage at businesses near the Verona Road construction, a project that began in 2014 with work near the Beltline in Madison and is expected to continue through 2020 with construction in Fitchburg. D i ff e r e n t bu s i n e s s e s s u c h a s H y - Ve e , Wi sconsin Bank & Trust and Yahara Bay Distillers in Fitchburg and Verona will host events like visits with

‌Friday, Nov. 23‌

Senior center closed‌

‌Monday, Nov. 26‌

• 6-8:30 p.m., VASD attendance area advisory committee meeting, Central Office Board Room, 700 N. Main St., Verona, verona.k12.wi.us‌

‌Tuesday, Nov. 27‌

• 6-7 p.m., Holiday gifts craft session (ages 13-17), library, 729-1762‌

‌Wednesday, Nov. 28‌

• 10-11 a.m., Toddler art (ages 1-3), library, 729-1762‌ ‌Monday, Nov. 19‌ • 6-6:30 p.m., Family pajama storytime • Noon, Thanksgiving meal with per(ages 2-5), library, 729-1762‌ former Virgil Grenia, senior center, 270- • 7-8 p.m., “Best of the Web: Enter4290‌ tainment” class (registration required), • 4-5 p.m., Brain games (ages 5-12), library, 729-1763‌ library, 729-1762‌ ‌Thursday, Nov. 29‌ • 7-8 p.m., Un-Book Club, library, 729• 10-11 a.m., STEAM Power! storytime 1763‌ and exploration (ages 2-5), library, 729‌Tuesday, Nov. 20‌ 1762‌ • 6-7 p.m., Adult craft evening, library, • 10 a.m. to noon, Wellness checks with 729-1763‌ a nurse, senior center, 270-4290‌

‌Thursday, Nov. 22‌

‌Thursday, Nov. 15‌

VRBC to promote local businesses during holiday season

‌Wednesday, Dec. 5‌

• 6-8:30 p.m., VASD attendance area advisory committee meeting, Central Office Board Room, 700 N. Main St., Verona, verona.k12.wi.us‌

‌Thursday, Dec. 6‌

What: Verona Road Business Coalition Jingle and Mingle When: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8 Where: Verona Road businesses Info: veronaroad.info Santa, strolling carolers, ornament and craft-making, horse carriage rides, live reindeer and an ice sculpture demonstration. The full schedule of events and the respective locations can be found at veronaroad.info. Email reporter Kimberly Wethal at kimberly. wethal@wcinet.com and follow her on Twitter @ kimberly_wethal.

Agora Pavilion, 5511 Cheryl Pkwy., fitchburgchamber.com‌

‌Saturday, Dec. 8‌

• 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Jingle and Mingle, Verona Road corridor, fitchburgchamber.com‌

‌Tuesday, Dec. 11‌

• 4-5 p.m., Read aloud party (ages 5-12), library, 729-1762‌

‌Thursday, Dec. 13‌

• 10 a.m. to noon, Wellness checks with a nurse, senior center, 270-4290‌ • 5:30-7:30 p.m., Verona Road project quarterly open house, Verona Road Project Field Office, 6200 Nesbitt Road, Suite B, fitchburgchamber.com‌

‌Monday, Dec. 17‌

• 10:30-11:15 a.m., Holiday stories and cookies (ages 2-5), library, 729-1762‌ • Noon, Senior center Christmas program, senior center, 270-4290‌

‌Wednesday, Dec. 19‌

• 6-8:30 p.m., VASD attendance area advisory committee meeting, Central Office Board Room, 700 N. Main St., Verona, verona.k12.wi.us‌

‌Thursday, Dec. 20‌

• 10 a.m. to noon, Wellness checks with a nurse, senior center, 270-4290‌

• 10-11 a.m., Holiday crafts (ages 2-5), library, 729-1762‌ • 4-8 p.m., Get Festive With Agora,

Memorial United Church of Christ 3 Great Loves: Love of neighbor. Love of children. Love of creation. Worship at 8:15 a.m. & 10:00 a.m. Sunday School at 10:15 a.m. 5705 Lacy Road, Fitchburg 273-1008 • www.memorialucc.org

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November 9, 2018

Fitchburg Star

Annual children’s holiday party Dec. 9 KIMBERLY WETHAL Unified Newspaper Group

Veteran’s Day The senior center will host their Veteran’s Day reception at 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 9. The program will begin with a performance by the Fitchburg Singers, who will perform songs from the WWI, WWII and Korean War eras, with Eagle School students also being featured. Lunch will follow the p r o g r a m . R e s e r va t i o n s should have been placed for the lunch by noon Wednesday, Nov. 7. The lunch will be free for all veterans and one of their guests. For information, call 270-4290.

Packers’ history presentation Author, historian and huge 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 729-1760.

Medication disposal Fitchburg police will provide medication disposal services from 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday, Nov. 14, at the city campus. Any unwanted or unused

What: 32nd annual Children’s Holiday Party When: 1-4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9 Where: Fitchburg Community Center, 5510 Lacy Road Info: fitchburgchamber. com or call 270-4285 video. For more information, call 270-4285 or visit the chamber website, fitchburgchamber.com. Email reporter KimberFile photo by Samantha Christian ly Wethal at kimberly. Jeremy and Paula Cynkar’s children wanted to go sledding Dec. 11, 2017, but the family compromised and got some exerwethal@wcinet.com and follow her on Twitter @ cise by pulling the girls to and from the Fitchburg Community Center to attend the 30th annual children’s holiday party. Pickimberly_wethal. tured from left on the sleds are Ellie, 6, Nora, 6, and Keira, 9.

medications will be accepted and should be placed inside a plastic zip-lock bag. Any medical items that are sharp, like needles, IV bags or oxygen tanks will not be allowed to be disposed. For information, call 270-4300.

After-school crafts 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 729-1762.

‘Reinventing Power’ showing

The 20-minute appoint- hour. boutiques and “Dash with Librarians will also read ment will also service hearFor information, call Santa,” as well as discounts holiday-themed stories. ing aids to fix any issues. 729-1762. For information, call at retailers. Registration is required. For more information, 729-1762. For information, call Family pajama visit fitchburgchamber.com 270-4290. or call Steven Leverentz at Christmas program storytime 277-2592. The senior center will Leave the bedtime rouThanksgiving meal host their annual Christmas tine to Fitchburg librarians The senior center will from 6-6:30 p.m. Wednes- Make holiday cookies program at noon Monday, Children ages 2-5 and Dec. 17. host a traditional Thanks- day, Nov. 28. their caregivers are invitThe Middleton Jazz giving meal at noon MonChildren ages 2-5 can day, Nov. 19. come to the library in their ed to make holiday cook- Band will perform at 12:30 One-man-band musician pajamas for a storytime ies and crafts from 10:30- p.m. Virgil Grenia will perform featuring stories, songs, 11:15 a.m. Monday, Dec. For information, call at the lunch. 17, at the library. 270-4290. movement activities and a R e s e r va t i o n s f o r t h e craft project. lunch are required and For information, call should be received by the 729-1762. senior center by noon on Wednesday, Nov. 14. Entertainment class For information, call Find updates and links right away. Learn about what apps 270-4290. and websites are out there Search for us on Facebook as for you to use for enterBrain games “Fitchburg Star” and then LIKE us. tainment purposes during Children ages 5-12 are a class at the library from i nv i t e d t o d r o p b y t h e 7-8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. library from 4-5 p.m. Mon- 28. day, Nov. 19, for brain The class will cover sites games. that allow you to stream There will be puzzles, movies, TV shows and brain teasers and other music. games meant to spur creRegistration is required. ative thinking. For information, call For information, call 729-1763. 729-1762.

Get Connected

The Fitchburg Resource C o n s e r va t i o n C o m m i s sion 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 Thanksgiving crafts will follow the showing. The library will host a For information, call crafting session for chil729-1760. dren ages 2-5 from 10:30Hearing aid cleaning 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Avada Hearing Care will Nov. 21. Craft projects will be be offering free hearing Thanksgiving-themed. screenings and cleaning Parents and caregivers services for hearing aids starting at 9 a.m. Friday, are invited to make crafts with the children or stop Nov. 16. in periodically during the

Christmas at Agora

Get Festive at Agora, which runs from 4-8 p.m. that Thursday, will feature a variety of events to celebrate the holiday season at the complex, 5500 E. Cheryl Pkwy. The event will feature free carriage rides, strolling carolers, laser tag, a photo booth, pop-up

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Children can make sure they’re on Santa’s “Nice List” on Sunday, Dec. 9, when they have a chance to visit him at the 32nd annual City of Fitchburg Children’s Holiday Party. In addition to meeting Santa from 1-4 p.m. that day at the Fitchburg Community Center, 5510 Lacy Road, there will be other holiday activities for children and their families. That includes an inflatable playground, popcorn balls, face painting and holiday crafts. Hot chocolate will be served. FactV will be recording children’s visits with Santa, and parents can sign up to receive a copy of the

November 9, 2018

ConnectFitchburg.com

Fitchburg Star

Photo by Kimberly Wethal

Farmland off of Fitchrona Road has relatively flat land that could be used for potential solar farms in future years.

On the horizon

Solar developers, agriculture experts eye energy farming future Unified Newspaper Group

The sun is shining on a new way to power Fitchburg and the surrounding communities. With wide expanses of relatively flat farmland â&#x20AC;&#x201C; unusual for a city â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it has one of the necessary attributes for solar developers to consider farming for energy on the land. The rest of Fitchburg has turned toward solar and other forms of clean energy at a rapid pace within the past decade. The city leads in this regard, with solar panel arrays installed on five of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s buildings and a sixth is planned to top the east side fire station when it opens next year. However, private residents and businesses have doubled their total number of solar arrays in the city since Jan. 1, 2016, with 24 home installations and at least five on businesses or private organizations, Madison Gas and Electric

representatives told the Star. Ald. Tony Hartmann (Dist. 4) said the city has â&#x20AC;&#x153;hundreds of acresâ&#x20AC;? available where solar farms could be constructed. Hartmann, a member of Fitchburgâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Resource Conservation Commission said the trick is to put the rural solar farming zones close enough to a larger population where a substation is already built. That way it can be converted into usable energy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The bottom line is, anything down here, and the closest to the (energy companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s) substations, are the best fields because you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to run the lines very far,â&#x20AC;? he said, pointing to a map of Fitchburg in a conference room in City Hall during an interview in July. Solar farming often occurs in such a way that farmers arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t completely giving up their properties through leases to developers. Often, farmers are still able to grow their crops below the solar panels. They

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are mounted on I-beams throughout a field in the air, rather than to the ground, Hartmann explained. Wade Thompson, a project planner for the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s zoning department and a member of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, told the Star the idea of placing solar farms on top of cash crops can be intriguing for farmers. The ability to create additional revenue could keep farmers on their land, despite changes in the agriculture industry squeezing out local operators in favor of factory farms, tariffs on crop exports and unpredictable weather patterns. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ideally, from the committeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perspective, that would be a win-win in retaining land for ag production, but also for creating developments that serves sustainable energy purposes,â&#x20AC;? Thompson added. Government would not directly manage any solar development in the southern part of the city, Hartmann said, but still requires officials to make smart planning decisions on future land use maps and approving rezone requests to allow for solar farms.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;What we would like to do is we would like to supply clean kilowatts for the whole of Dane County,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We would like to be, because we have this farmland and our farmers are interested in renting it, why not put a solar farm? â&#x20AC;&#x153;(Farmers are) all in, because they can make more money,â&#x20AC;? he added. Email reporter Kimberly Wethal at kimberly.wethal@wcinet.com and follow her on Twitter @kimberly_wethal.â&#x20AC;&#x2039;

Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s talk about lot & construction loans.

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November 9, 2018

Fitchburg Star

Fitchburg Oak Bank raises $2,300 with pumpkin giveaway The Fitchburg Oak Bank gave away 1,555 pumpkins on Saturday, Oct. 13, during their Great Pumpkin Giveaway. Close to 500 attendees traded donations to the Access Community Health

Centers for pumpkins, raising around $2,300, Karen Virnoche, marketing and iBank manager, told the Star in an email. The event also featured vendors, popcorn, cotton candy and hot dogs.

Photos by Kimberly Wethal

Above, Wesley Eastman, 1, walks through the makeshift pumpkin patch outside Oak Bank during the Great Pumpkin Giveaway on Saturday, Oct. 13. At right, Twin brothers Lucas, front, and Landon Pustina, 2, take in of all of the pumpkins on the front lawn of the Oak Bank during the Great Pumpkin Giveaway event on Saturday, Oct. 13. At left, from right, Samantha Roth and Lily Mize create cotton candy for attendees during Oak Bank’s Great Pumpkin Giveaway event on Saturday, Oct. 13.

Getting in the spooky spirit The library held their 11th annual Great Pumpkin Hunt on Saturday, Oct. 27. The event featured Halloween-themed crafts, button-making, inflatable dinosaur dance parties, a scavenger hunt and a showing of the Monsters, Inc. movie. Photos by Kimberly Wethal

Esmerelda Moyotl, 2, and her grandmother Cesilia Agudl, both of Fitchburg, create a “stained-glass” pumpkin craft during the library’s Great Pumpkin Hunt event on Saturday, Oct. 27.

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Each letter is personalized, so order one for each child in the family. All letters are printed on Holiday stationery and will be postmarked North Pole, Alaska. Please fill out the form below (1 completed form per child) and send with your payment to: Fitchburg Star, Attn: Letters to Santa, PO Box 930427, Verona, WI 53593. Orders with payment must be received by Tuesday, November 27, 2018. Letters will be mailed in time for Christmas. Child’s First Name __________________________ Boy / Girl Age ________ Child’s Last Name _________________________________________________ Child’s Mailing Address ____________________________________________ City ________________________________________________________ State____________________________ Zip _______________________ First Name of Sibling(s) (Please Specify Boy or Girl) _________________ Boy / Girl ________________________ Boy / Girl _______________________ Boy / Girl ________________________ Boy / Girl _______________________ Boy / Girl Name & Type of Pet(s) _____________________________________________ Snack Child Leaves for Santa _______________________________________ Gift Child Wants __________________________________________________ Something child has accomplished during last year ______________________ ________________________________________________________________ Letter Requested by (Name) ________________________________________ Relationship to Child ______________________________________________ Daytime Telephone ______________________________________________

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From right, circulation manager Phil Hansen makes a button for Simon Niemcek, 11, during the library’s Great Pumpkin Hunt event on Saturday, Oct. 27.

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*Letters will include as much information above as possible.

November 9, 2018

ConnectFitchburg.com

Fitchburg Star

Halloween 2018

On the web More trick-or-treat photos:

ConnectFitchburg.com

Photos by Kimberly Wethal

From left, siblings Braulio, 7, Michelle, 10 and Luisa Almaraz, 12, dress up as characters Miguel, Mamá Imelda Rivera and Mamá Coco from Disney’s “Coco” during city-wide trick-or-treating on Wednesday, Oct. 31. At left, Maureen Hilquist, center, holds out a bowl of candy for Audrey Luchsinger, 2, accompanied by her father Robert, to select a full-size Kit Kat bar from. At right, from left, Claire Tienor, Sean Duening and Mara Tenhaken go from house to house during city-wide trick-or-treating. Below, Fitchburg police officer Jeremy Saffold hands out glowin-the-dark necklaces to children

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November 9, 2018

Fitchburg Star

Dane Arts Buy Local Market holds event in Fitchburg for first time

Photo by Kimberly Wethal

From right, Alison Zuba, of Madison, visits with friend and artist Megan Bloesch during the Dane Arts Buy Local Market held on Saturday, Oct. 13, at Yahara Bay Distillery.

A f t e r t h r e e y e a r s o f Nesbitt Road, giving artbeing hosted in downtown ists an opportunity to sell Madison, the Dane Arts directly to customers. Buy Local market moved to Fitchburg for a little bit Email reporter Kimbermore space. ly Wethal at kimberly. On Friday, Oct. 12, and wethal@wcinet.com and S a t u r d a y, O c t . 1 3 , t h e follow her on Twitter @ DABL market was held at kimberly_wethal. Yahara Bay Distillers, 6250

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nature, with some muscles working as stabilizers at times and becoming prime movers at other times. You may need a more extensive exercise program that incorporates different forms of exercise in order to gain more strength and range of motion. The lack Susan Armstrong, MPT of mobility and strength is more likely, however, related to the fact that the tissues in the operated shoulder are not able to fully lengthen due to scar tissue, inflammation or chronic Physical Therapist alignment issues. You will not be able to regain full range or strength unless the muscles and tissues are able to gain full mobility. Manual treatment, the use of modalities, and a specific exercise program with a trained Physical Therapist will allow for the maximum return of the function of your shoulder, even at this point in your recovery process.

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recover in 1-2 weeks from the flu, others develop serious lung infections. This type of flu complication can land one in the hospital, and also lead to Pneumonia, Bronchitis and other serious infections. More than 60% of seasonal flu-related hospitalizations and 90% of related deaths occur in people 65 years and older. The flu is a greater concern for the elderly because, as we get older, our immune system becomes weaker. This makes it easier for seniors to get the flu, and much more difficult to fight off complications from it. Ask your doctor if you should get a flu shot and when to get it. You can go to your Stephen Rudolph FACHE, CSA local clinic or even the local pharmacy to receive your flu shot. Now’s the time to set up your flu shot appointment because most medical experts recommend you get a flu shot in November. In general, the ‘flu season’ begins in December and can last until spring. If you wait until the midst of flu season to get a shot, these antibodies in the flu shot won’t have enough time to develop immunity from the flu. According to the National Institution on Aging, Medicare will pay for a flu shot.

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at homes, resulting in less competition when writing an offer to purchase on a home. During this past spring’s “rush,” there were more buyers looking at homes and writing offers, which led to home prices being driven up considerably. Housing inventory is still considered to be “tight” in Fitchburg and surrounding communities, however, indicators are that there are more homes on the market this fall as compared to other times of the year. This increase in inventory gives home buyers the opportunity to look at Shawn Pfaff more homes and write a solid offer that are affordable for them. Other reasons that this fall is a good time to buy a home is that the economy is in good condition, interest rates - though rising - still remain low and a home purchase is the best way to invest in yourself. Please visit shawnpfaff.firstweber.com to get started with your home purchase process.

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A. Dogs chew their feet for numerous reasons, with the most common of these being underlying allergies to either food or environmental allergens. Anything can cause an allergic response, and reactions in dogs typically lead to itching, which often manifests as chewing on or licking the feet. Other causes of foot chewing include foreign material in the paw pads or nail beds, problems with the toenails, infection in the skin or pads of the feet, obsessive behavioral issues or pain. A trip to the vet is recommended in order to examine your dog’s feet, perform any necessary diagnostic testing, and determine the best course of treatment.

ago, but still can’t seem to move my shoulder all the way. Why does it feel like the range and strength are still limited?

November 9, 2018

ConnectFitchburg.com

Fitchburg Star

Progress: Seminole Court center provides resources, community space for black women Continued from page 1 bookings,” she said, “I just asked myself, ‘What would leadership development look like for black women?’” That led to the Black Women’s Leadership Conference, which sold out in under a week. “Doing all of that, I just quit my job,” she said. Out of the Leadership Conference came the Black Business Expo and a youth conference for black teenagers, Madison said. She then created the Progress Center to create some “permanency” to her work in the area. “I just started thinking something like a home or a center, a space that belongs to us, a space for black women,” she said. “The Progress Center for Black Women was a way to strategically bring some of my work together under one house, and then create new programming around leadership development and entrepreneurial activities.” At first, she rented space within the Urban League of Greater Madison. And she had planned to keep it there until she raised enough money to build a permanent space; however, black women demonstrated the need for a space, however temporary, they could call their own, she said. “They’re looking forward to walking in there and having it feel like black girl magic,” she said. “Black women always talk about black girl magic, this sort of energy or vibe … when they would just walk in – we didn’t even have anything in the space other than some poster boards and some chairs – you could see these emotions coming in.” For now, the 800-squarefoot space features a

‘I just started thinking something like a home or a center, a space that belongs to us, a space for black women.’ – Sabrina Madison, Progress Center for Black Women computer lab, a kitchen, a library and bookstore for business resources and a community room, with the idea of making the Progress Center a space where black women can use resources to better every aspect of their whole person, Madison said. I t a l s o a l l ow s b l a c k female leaders from around the area to have a location where they can put on their own programming at a low cost, in a space that “belongs” to them. Madison said she plans to stay there for two or three years while planning for a permanent space. She chose the Fitchburg location after former Madison Area Builders Association executive director Amber Schroeder reached out to her about the space n ex t d o o r t o t h e i r s o n Seminole Court just off of McKee Road. Madison was unsure about the space at first – there’s limited access to the Madison Metro bus line, she said – but once she stepped foot inside, she found a “beautiful” space. “There was no way I could say no,” she said. “It was meant to be, almost.” Email reporter Kimberly Wethal at kimberly. wethal@wcinet.com and follow her on Twitter @ kimberly_wethal.

Photos by Kimberly Wethal

Sabrina Madison, founder of the Progress Center for Black Women, moved the organization into their current space at 5936 Seminole Centre in early November.

The main area of the Progress Center for Black Women, at left, was designed and features artwork by all black artists. All of the artwork on the walls, some of which is above, was done by black female artists. The center also has a area for children to play for women who cannot leave their children home alone.

City news

ConnectFitchburg.com

November 9, 2018

Fitchburg Star

Consultant: ‘People want to live here’ Cities restart discussions Few questions on housing study at public meeting SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group

Before the City of Fitchburg gives support to goals like creating more affordable housing and building more than 100 each of owner and rental housing each year, officials sought public feedback on those goals and strategies. They didn’t get much last month at an open house on the draft study, which was attended by about a dozen people, most of whom were elected officials or people who had served on the committee that helped create it. The study, which consultant Jason Valerius said could be approved by the Common Council in December or January, recommends a set of policy changes and funding mechanisms to encourage affordable housing here, both owner- and renter-occupied. The study will first go back to the Housing Task Force that helped to draft it through meetings earlier this year and then to a pair of city commissions. Valerius, an urban planner with MSA Professional Services, presented the draft study to the group at the Fitchburg Community Center Oct. 25 and got questions on some of its

findings, mostly where the city’s workforce lives and where apartments can be located in the future. The city has struggled to attract single-family housing development since the recession, the study pointed out, with fewer than 50 permits issued per year since the recession. This year, that number will be above 100. With Dane County’s expected growth over the next 12 years, the study says, Fitchburg will need about 117 owner-occupied homes per year until then, in addition to 183 rental units per year. “People want to live here,” Valerius said during his presentation. He said one of the keys for the city going forward will be consistency in what it wants and how it hopes to develop. “The private sector is saying, ‘We’re interested in coming in and investing in housing, but we don’t know what you want,’” he said. “Not knowing what you want as a community makes it hard for the private sector to make investments in a coherent way.” The upcoming change to election terms, with the mayor soon to become a three-year seat and alder elections staggered over two years, should help, Valerius added. “Development projects can take years, and it can be very challenging

to build a shared understanding of how a project should develop,” he explained. “If elected leadership changes, sometimes support can fall out from underneath a project.” The study also looks at how to build more “affordable” housing in the city, which Valerius said can be at a price between $175,000 and $225,000 for workers at the lower end of the wage spectrum. “We’re talking about people that are employed, working here and are making modest incomes,” he said. He pointed to condominiums or townhomes as potential styles that can likely better meet that budget than a single-family home. Many cities use tax-increment financing or other grant incentives to help motivate developers to provide that lower-cost housing. “Most affordable housing projects use TIF as a source of local match,” he said, “to get the project off the ground, to address some aspect of the cost of that project.” The motivation behind all of it for the city, Valerius added, is to create “good places.” “Places that people want to live, places that people feel attached to,” he said. Contact Scott Girard at ungreporter@wcinet.com and follow him on Twitter @sgirard9.

What’s online Read more city news at ConnectFitchburg.com:

Senior housing complex approved The Common Council approved a 160-unit “affordable” senior housing complex for the corner of Fish Hatchery Road and Traceway Drive. It’s expected to open in spring 2020.

on Town of Madison Dissolution scheduled for 2022 SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group

Soglin told the paper, “Everything is on the table,” and Gonzalez told the State Journal they were open to changes, though he prefers Fitchburg keep its parts of the town as currently in the plan. The Town of Madison, with a population of more than 6,000 and scattered, highly commercialized areas including the Alliant Energy Center, has been shrinking from annexation over the past several decades, complicating governance and finances. The bulk of its territory is on Madison’s south side, north of the Beltline but some of it is on the north and west sides of the City of Madison, as well. The area that would go to Fitchburg, called the Southdale neighborhood, is south of the Beltline, east of U.S. Hwy. 14 and mostly west of County Hwy. MM (Rimrock Road) – and adding that territory of about 150 acres and 1,500 residents has been part of the impetus for building a new fire station closer to that area. In 2016, Soglin suggested moving the incorporation date up to the end of that year, but the Town Board rejected it, and discussions about early attachment continued for the rest of the year but fizzled.

The plan for the eventual dissolution of the Town of Madison into the cities of Fitchburg and Madison is up for discussion again. An agreement among the three municipalities signed in 2003 called for the cities to take over the town’s land and governance in 2022. Leaders in both cities have at various times discussed moving up that date. When it came up two years ago, Town of Madison officials would not agree without some financial guarantees that the cities said were untenable. The Wisconsin State Journal reported in an article last month the cities were reopening discussions. Fitchburg Mayor Jason Gonzalez told the Star he met with Madison Mayor Paul Soglin Monday, Nov. 5. According to the State Journal article, Soglin said Madison is hoping to move up the agreement, noting Gonzalez sent a letter to Soglin earlier in the month to discuss the final boundaries. “I’d say the (Fitchburg) council is all across the board,” Gonzalez Contact Scott Girard at ungretold the State Journal. “The only porter@wcinet.com and follow him on Twitter @sgirard9. consensus is, let’s talk to the city of Madison.”

Budget: Alder amendments would delay funding for ambulance, public works equipment Continued from page 1 delay funding a third ambulance for Fitch-Rona EMS – a one-time savings of $192,454. The ambulance has been planned for several years to serve the part of the Town of Madison that will become part of Fitchburg by 2022. But the city’s new fire station, which would house the new unit and staff, is behind on construction and not expected to open until at least July 2019, city administrator Patrick Marsh said at the Oct. 24 meeting. The mayor’s budget plans it as a mid-year addition, which effectively would spread the impact of the cost over two years. One amendment would delay the ambulance but keep the funding in the levy to reduce the impact in 2020 but allow the money to be diverted elsewhere. The other would eliminate the funding altogether. That and other proposed cuts could allow room to fund further paving of Whalen Road, which started this year and included shoulders for bicyclists but wasn’t funded enough for the full stretch of road. An amendment to add that into the budget is for $250,000. “We’re just trying to find the money for the shoulders,” said Ald. Dan Bahr (Dist. 2), who was a co-sponsor on half of the amendments to cut spending. Gonzalez argued against many of the amendments by pointing out the tax rate would be going down next year despite his proposal to

add staffing positions and funding other requests that have come up in past years. He chided the council for “picking at low-hanging fruit” and delaying items that will be needed eventually. “The reason we’re even in this position arguing about some of these things is because former mayors punted the ball and punted the ball and punted the ball,” he said, specifically calling out Shawn Pfaff, who was mayor from 201115. “Now we’re here and everything’s bottling up.”

Debating cuts While the ambulance is the biggest expenditure on the chopping block in alders’ amendments, there’s nearly $290,000 in other cuts proposed. One would remove a p r o p o s e d fi r e d iv i s i o n chief position to help with inspections, saving $118,344. The position was eliminated from the department in 2015, but fire chief Joe Pulvermacher wrote in a memo that covering it with other personnel has come “at the peril of other department operations.” Bahr said at the Oct. 24 discussion the fire department had “gotten a lot of stuff” in recent years funded and that the council needs to consider the other city departments and their needs. “We’ve lived without it for the past three years,” he said of the position. “It’s a want.” Bahr also suggested that if the paid-on-call firefighter who has done the

inspections in recent years were to leave, the city can simply find a replacement. That led Gonzalez to say Bahr was “treating all city staff” poorly. Bahr said he was just being “fiscally responsible” and prioritizing. “When we say no, that’s not treating people like a four-letter word,” he said. “That’s protecting the taxpayers.” Other proposed cuts include delaying funding to replace a tractor used for mowing for $50,000, reducing pre-funding of expenses for the Town of Madison transfer by $61,000 and delaying installation of logos and wayfinding signs around the city for $30,000. While each of those faced resistance from some alders, the strongest came on updating the logos on some city vehicles and add new signage around the city. Marsh said the signs, which would help direct people to parks, schools and other community buildings, are the “type of projects that people and businesses that are looking to move to this community look for.” “This gives Fitchburg identity, of which we’re currently lacking a lot of,” Marsh said. “Without a school district, with an area that’s a lot of ag land, this community doesn’t have a lot of identity. This project, for a relatively small amount of money, goes a long way toward providing that identity to the community.”

Proposed amendments Amendment Levy impact Sponsors Neighborhood Navigator grant from county -- Hartmann, Arata-Fratta Delay third ambulance, apply funds elsewhere -- Arata-Fratta Delay third ambulance ($192,454) Hartmann, Clauder Eliminate/delay fire division chief position ($118,344) Bahr, Hartmann Delay public works equipment replacement ($50,000) Bahr, Hartmann Reduce pre-funding Town of Madison expenses ($61,000) Bahr, Hartmann Delay logo implementation funding ($30,000) Bahr, Hartmann Delay replacement of EMS command vehicle ($31,000) Richardson Finish Whalen Road paving w/shoulders $250,000 Hartmann, Richardson, Clauder Add Whalen Road hilltop shoulder extensions $70,000 Hartmann, Clauder Help for troubled teens $20,000 Krause Add senior center case manager hours $18,959 Arata-Fratta, Krause Add Kids Crossing repairs $15,000 Clauder Reinstate Parks LTE for summer $6,715 Scott Add 50 OT hours for assessing department $2,547 Clauder, Richardson Amphitheater/Arts center planning $2,000 Hartmann, Arata-Fratta, Scott Expenditure Restraint strategic transfer TBD Arata-Fratta

was the largest proposed addition by far. Another, for $70,000, was a separate project on Whalen: extending the shoulders at the hilltop. Alds. Tom Clauder and Tony Hartmann, both of District 4, explained it was a matter of safety. “ I ’ve d e fi n i t e l y s e e n near-accidents and that’s not something any of us want to see happen,” Hartmann said. Both of those projects were approved in the Capital Improvement Plan earlier this year, which often sets a baseline for the budget and serves as a longrange planning document. Proposed additions But Gonzalez’s plan includThe Whalen Road paving ed few of the items alders had added, and before he

released the proposal, he chided alders about their spending plans. He restated that position Wednesday. “I’m about people, not things, that’s why I prioritize people in my budget and not capital expenditures,” Gonzalez said. Other proposed additions included earmarking $20,000 of the Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative funding toward “help for troubled teens” – part of which could come from a county grant – increasing a senior center case manager’s hours to full-time for $18,859 and continuing to fund a parks department limited-term employee for summer hours only at a cost of $6,715.

The elimination of that position in Gonzalez’s budget drew the only speaker during this month’s public hearing on his budget proposal. Jeremy Hecht, a member of the Tree Advisory Board, said not having the position would hurt the city’s ongoing management of Emerald Ash Borer, a tree-killing beetle that has been found here. Ald. Anne Scott (D-1), who proposed adding it back, said the position could help continue the city’s tree inventory work during the summer. Contact Scott Girard at ungreporter@wcinet.com and follow him on Twitter @sgirard9.

14 Fitchburg Star - November 9, 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

FACTv Finance Fire Department FitchRona Human Resources Library Municipal Court

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

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

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

5520 Lacy Road, Fitchburg, WI 53711 • www.fitchburgwi.gov adno=36708

CLOSURES November 21 – Library Closing at 5:00 pm November 22 – Library Closed November 22 & 23 – City Hall, Recreation Dept. & Senior Center Closed December 5 – Library Closed for staff in-service day

ROAD CONSTRUCTION MEETINGS McKee Road Reconstruction Public Information Meeting Monday, Nov. 19th @ 7 pm – Council Chambers at City Hall

SENIOR CENTER Get Rid of Old Medication

Peace of Mind Seminar

Wednesday, November 14th from 10 am – Noon, the Fitchburg Police will be on site at the Fitchburg Senior Center to remove unwanted or unused medications (prescription or overthe-counter). Place medications into a plastic zip-lock back for disposal. No sharps, IV bags or oxygen tanks will be allowed.

The Fitchburg Senior Center invites you to learn how planning for your final wishes may shield your family from unnecessary emotional and financial burden. Learn more about pre-arrangements, veteran benefits, cremation, burials & more with Cress Funeral & Cremation Service on Tuesday, December 11th at 6:30 pm at the Senior Center, 5510 Lacy Road. Please RSVP at (608) 238-3434

Nesbitt Road and Fitchrona Road Intersection Project Public Open House Tuesday, Nov. 13th @ 6-7:00 pm – Council Chambers at City Hall

PUBLIC HEARING ON COUNCIL PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO 2019 OPERATING BUDGET On November 13, 2018 at 7:30 pm the Common Council will hold a public hearing at City Hall in the Council Chambers regarding Council proposed amendments to

the 2019 Operating Budget. To view the proposed Council amendments and Mayor’s proposed budget, visit: http://www.fitchburgwi.gov/1998/Financial-Records-Reports

FITCHBURG ACCESS COMMUNITY TELEVISION Now Offering Commercial Advertising Commercial advertising is now available on the Community Channel F2 with FACTv. If your business or organization is interested in purchasing advertising, contact Jeremy Crosby at (608) 270-4226 or Jeremy.crosby@fitchburgwi.gov. FACTv can create a commercial for you or play an existing advertisement that you have!

FINAL ROUND OF LEAF & BRUSH COLLECTION Have your leaves, brush and other yard waste ready for pick up by Monday, November 12th at 6:30 am. Collection will occur during the week of November 12-16. Collection may not occur on your normal solid waste collection day and actual dates may vary based on weather. For

more information visit: http:// www.fitchburgwi.gov/205/ Brush-Collection If you have any questions or problems with your collection, contact Pellitteri Waste Systems at (608) 257-4285 or Fitchburg Public Works at (608) 2704260.

Talking Fitchburg – What’s Happening in Fitchburg Watch Talking Fitchburg LIVE daily at noon, 6 & 10 pm. Talking Fitchburg is your source for the latest news updates & the day’s headlines for Fitchburg. See the show on the COM Ch. F2, the FACTv Facebook page, Video on Demand or on the FACTv YouTube channel. For more information, call (608) 270-4225.

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!

CI Art with a Twist

This is a unique program where children will learn new art techniques and processes in a fun and open-minded learning environment. The event will be teaching art that is fun but can also be used for coping and stress-relieving strategies for youth. • Ages – 7-12 • Day/Time – Wednesday, November 21, 1:00-4:00 pm • Location – Fitchburg Community Center • Fee - $30

Musikgarten

A multi-age (birth4yrs) 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, February 7 – February 28, 9-9:40 am • Location – Fitchburg Community Center • Fee - $40, $5 discount for siblings

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

Pop up Preschool Holiday Session

Pop Up Preschool with Treehouse Programs is fun, flexible and a great addition to any schedule. This innovative approach to early learning is a way for any child to experience the benefit of a group preschool environment. In each 1.5-hour session, teachers will guide students to approach a different science theme through music, games, reading, math, sensory exploration and art. Sessions will focus on one of our core topics (Chemistry, Physics, Astronomy, Anatomy, Construction & Engineering, Geography, Archaeology, Botany, Meteorology) and are designed so that each time a child participates, they explore the topics in a new way. • Ages – 3 – 6 yrs. • Day/Time – Thursdays, December 6 – December 20, 10:30 am-12:00 pm • Location – Fitchburg Community Center • Fee - $40

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November 9, 2018

Fitchburg Star

Novation opens senior housing

60 low-rent apartments for people 55 and older ALEXANDER CRAMER Unified Newspaper Group

On a recent sunny morning in the community room of Novation Senior Commons, Wendy Ray and Karen Cypher were in two armchairs in the corner, Ray with a notebook in hand, planning a calendar of events for their fellow residents of the 55-plus apartment complex off Rimrock Road. The first residents moved into the building on Novation Parkway Aug. 1, and as of early November, 24 of the building’s 60 units were full. But according to Ray’s assessment, that number is sure to rise soon, due to the new building’s amenities, management and sense of community. “It’s very light and happy in here,” Ray said. “When I walked in (for the first time), my whole body relaxed and I felt at home. I made up my mind then and there.” Construction didn’t finish until early September, property manager Lori Simonson told the Star, and the ribbon-cutting was Oct. 25. Meanwhile, residents have been moving into the oneand two-bedroom apartments, and Ray and Cypher are planning community events like game nights and a “yappy hour” time to socialize. Simonson started marketing the building in March, she said, and anticipates a lull in sales over the winter. But she’s optimistic the building will be full next

Photo by Alexander Cramer

Novation Senior Commons is a 60-unit apartment complex with affordable units for people 55 years and older. The building sits in the Novation Campus off Rimrock Road, and the first residents moved in Aug. 1. spring or early summer. Rents for the three basic unit types – one-bedrooms and two-bedrooms with one- or two–bathrooms – are kept artificially low compared to the market rate because of the way the building was financed. They rang from $899 a month for the one-bedroom to $1,099 for a two-bed, two-bath apartment. To qualify for the subsidized housing, the income cap is $38,520 per year for individuals and $44,040 for couples. Bear Development used funding sources from seemingly every level of government to help with the cost of development, including tax-increment funding

from the Town of Madison, HOME funds from Dane County, Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) debt and federal tax credits. All this adds up to a bright, shiny new building with “great amenities,” resident Letitia Walker said, i n c l u d i n g u n d e rg r o u n d parking, in-room washers and dryers, garden plots and an on-site property manager in Simonson who routinely addresses individual resident issues. One example is a new sidewalk leading from a back entrance directly to the sun porch, which Simonson said was the result of a resident pointing out how many

doors people had to go through to get outside and how tough that can be for people in wheelchairs. The complex allows pets, including dogs up to 40 pounds. Simonson keeps a jar of dog biscuits on her desks and seems able to greet the pups by name, as well as the residents. “That’s my job,” Simonson said, “to make sure the residents are as happy and comfortable as possible.” Several units are outfitted for people with mobility, vision or hearing issues, featuring things like cutouts in the cabinets to allow room for the feet of a wheelchair to pass, lower peepholes in the doors,

flashing lights in addition to doorbells, special non-slip carpeting and washers and dryers that sit side by side so people won’t have trouble reaching. Kitchens in these units also have lower counters and stovetops to avoid having to reach to accomplish everyday tasks and lower light switches to make the entire apartment user-friendly. While the apartments are limited by income and age – all residents must be 55 years or older – there is no health screening done on site, as the apartments are “strictly independent living,” Simonson said, and do not offer medical care.

Novation Senior Commons is part of a 62-acre site being developed by Alexander Group that abuts the Southdale neighborhood, bounded by Rimrock Road to the east, the Beltline to the north and Hwy. 14 to the west and south. The Novation Campus plan calls for 1 million square feet of retail space, and it is already the site of many businesses including Unity Point Health - Meriter, Physicians Plus and Cardinal Health. There is also a gas station, a credit union, a trampoline park and a car dealership. But the nearest grocery store is 20 minutes away by car, according to a 2013 Dane County South Madison Food Enterprise study, which referred to the area as part of a food desert. According to the study, a parcel of land has been set aside for a future grocery store. Wa l k e r, w h o i s t h e youngest resident and was one of the first to move in, said she’s excited about rumors she’s heard the site will add a Trader Joe’s grocery store soon, and she extolled the convenience of nearby bus lines. Next up for the campus is a 169-unit “Artisan Village” that would provide “affordable workforce housing” for families. That project has received $1.2 million in state tax credits from WHEDA, and in material presented to the City Council, would provide workspace for artists or entrepreneurs who work from home. Contact Alexander Cramer at alexander.cramer@ wcinet.com.

Phoenix Neutron breaks ground on Fitchburg campus City to become future home of global headquarters KIMBERLY WETHAL Unified Newspaper Group

Fitchburg doesn’t have its own airport, but there will be a lot of plane parts coming through the city a year from now. Phoenix Neutron Imagi n g C e n t e r, c u r r e n t l y located in Monona, broke ground on its new imaging facility on Tuesday, Oct. 30, at a 10-acre plot on Lacy Road just south of East Cheryl Parkway. The company’s new commercial-grade neutron imaging service center will allow it to increase its neutron radiography and tomography testing on commercial, military and aerospace aircraft parts in late 2019. The facility will allow it to keep up with the company’s staff expansion, Phoenix CEO Ross Radel said. “ T h e l a s t f ew y e a r s , Phoenix has really been growing like crazy,” he said. “We’ve been moving quickly and becoming a

Photo by Kimberly Wethal

A combination of Phoenix employees and public officials conducts the groundbreaking on the new Phoenix Neutron Imaging Center on Lacy Road on Tuesday, Oct. 30. real manufacturing company over the last couple of years here … We’re building more machines this year than we have in the entire history of the company up to this point, which has been very, very exciting.” The company’s

headquarters will be constructed slightly north of the 10,000-square-foot service center. Similar to how X-rays reveal the human skeleton, neutron imaging allows for a more detailed examination of metals to identify defects with metal aircraft

parts that undergo significant trauma from the heat expelled from engines. It’s what Evan Sengbush, president of Phoenix, said was one of the greatest risks to aerospace during the Oct. 30 press conference. “The only way those turbine blades don’t melt and

essentially cause the (aircraft) engine to explode is by these very complex cooling channels that force air through the center of the blade while the plane is operating,” he said. “If you don’t have a perfectly clear passage for these cooling channels and

there’s a small about of debris or residual ceramic material, that tiny amount of defect could potentially be catastrophic to the point of actually taking a plane down.” Sengbush said “there’s just no other way to ensure that these blades are safe” besides neutron testing. Mayor Jason Gonzalez, speaking at the groundbreaking on behalf of the city, said the process of bringing Phoenix to the city had been a five years in the making. “As this is a milestone in your company, this is a milestone for the city of Fitchburg,” he said. A tax-increment financing district the Common Council approved in September allows the city to spend up to $10 million on infrastructure and incentives to bring Phoenix here. Company leadership told the council that month that it would add roughly 150 jobs when it opens, with an average salary of $81,000. Email reporter Kimberly Wethal at kimberly. wethal@wcinet.com and follow her on Twitter @ kimberly_wethal.

16 Fitchburg Star - November 9, 2018

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Oregon boys soccer

Golden boys again

Big Eight football

’Cats rake in honors MARK NESBITT Assistant sports editor

Four Verona football players garnered first-team Big Eight All-Conference honors last month. Junior wide receiver Haakon Anderson, senior offensive lineman Bryce Corning, junior offensive lineman Kilen Gunnar and senior i n s i d e l i n e b a c ke r D y l a n Bourne received first-team all-conference accolades. Anderson had 46 receptions for 689 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed for 512 yards and 12 touchdowns. Bourne racked up 128 tackles, eight tackles for loss and two sacks to lead the Wildcats’ defense. Verona finished 6-3 in the regular season and tied Janesville Craig behind conference co-champions Sun Prairie and Madison Memorial. Arrowhead knocked off Verona 63-21 in a WIAA Division 1 Level 1 playoff game. Both Sun Prairie’s Brian Kaminski and Madison Memorial’s Mike Harris were

Turn to Big 8/Page 3

Badger South football

Photo by Mark Nesbitt

The Oregon boys soccer team celebrates after beating New Berlin Eisenhower 3-1 to win the WIAA Division 2 state championship at Uihlein Soccer Park in Milwaukee.

Oregon wins D2 state championship MARK NESBITT Assistant sports editor

Madison Conduah won’t have to worry about a sibling rivalry with his brother Jon, after Saturday’s WIAA Division 2 state championship game. The Oregon senior forward scored two goals as the Panthers rolled to a 3-1 win over New Berlin Eisenhower at Uihlein Soccer Park in Milwaukee. It marks the third state

title in program history, and the first since 2013, when Madison’s older brother helped the Panthers win their second title. “I’m excited to get one (state title) and go home,” Madison Conduah said. “He (Jon) can’t say that anymore. We are both state champs. It’s the best feeling ever. It’s what we dreamed about as kids. “I remember coming out here in fifth grade and watching his team. I knew

I wanted to be there one day.” Conduah and the Panthers, who had finished runner-up to Whitefish Bay last year, got a second shot at the gold ball Saturday against the fourth-seeded Lions. Cedarburg upset Whitefish Bay in the sectional final. “We came here to win state,” junior midfielder Collin Bjerke said. “It’s amazing. I have been playing with these guys since I

was 10 years old. There’s no better feeling than playing with your best friends on the field.” Oregon (20-2-2) stymied Hudson 3-0 in the semifinal Thursday, scoring all three of its goals in the second half. It did the same Saturday. “I feel like we just wanted it more,” Conduah said of the state title game against the Lions. “We kept going at them. I truly believe that we were the

better team throughout the entire match.” After being tackled in the 81st minute with a 3-0 lead, Conduah left the game for a moment, but came back two minutes later to chants of “MVP, MVP.” The Panthers finished the season with a state-record 16 shutouts and a state-record scoreless streak of 1,043 minutes, 59

Turn to State/Page 5

West cross country

Regents boys, girls finish in top 10 at state JEREMY JONES Sports editor

Madison West placed its top five runners in the top 60 on Oct. 27 to finish fourth at the WIAA Division 1 state meet.

Junior Reed Ryan led the way for the Regents, crossing The Ridges Golf Course 5K in 16 minutes, 22.1 seconds for 16th place. Neenah edged the defending state champion

Middleton Cardinals 131122. Seniors Luke Treiber, Erik Neunninghoff and junior Julian Gary crossed t h e fi n i s h l i n e w i t h i n two-tenths of a second apart in 29th-31st place,

respectively. Treiber got the edge with a time of 16:35.1. S e n i o r K a l e b Ko h n placed 59th in 17:02.

Sectionals The Regents finished

second to favorite Middleton with 68 points. Middleton scored a meet-best 31. Both teams qualified for state. Neunninhoff led West

Turn to Regents/Page 5

Klus unanimous first team pick JEREMY JONES Sports editor

Senior middle linebacker John Klus led the state in tackles for most of the season, so it was no surprise he was named a unanimous first-team Badger South all-conference selection late last month. One of 13 Panthers to be honored with all-conference honors, Klus helped lead Oregon to a second-place 6-1 record in the conference and a 7-2 regular season mark overall. In the process, Oregon earned its first WIAA Division 2 home playoff game since 2008. Klus just missed being a unanimous selection last year. “I thought the last two years he has been the best in the conference,” coach Dan Kissling said. “When the voting was finished, there wasn’t anybody close to him.” Klus, who finished the season with 127 tackles (six for loss), was also named Defensive Player of the Year for the Badger South. He had one sack, a forced fumble, an interception and three blocked punts, including two on back-to-back possessions against Milton. Klus was joined on the first team by senior down lineman

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November 9, 2018

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Oregon High School

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Oregon boys soccer

Russell ends season pain-free, state champ MARK NESBITT Assistant sports editor

Oregon senior center midfielder Girish Russell won’t forget his second time on the surgery table last year. It robbed him of most of last season, but he was back on the field this year and helped the Panthers (20-2-2) win the WIAA Division 2 state championship. Russell played in all 24 games this season and had five goals and four assists. Last year, Russell battled pain and swelling in his legs, which eventually lead to two surgeries for compartment syndrome. According webMD and the Mayo Clinic, compartment syndrome can be a painful condition in which pressure within the muscles builds to dangerous levels. The pressure can alter blood flow to muscle and nerve cells. Russell said he first started getting pain in his legs two years ago as a sophomore, and the pain continued to grow worse. “My leg hurt a lot last year,” he said. “My leg felt like the pressure was building and swelling up. It wasn’t a sharp pain. It just got worse every time I tried to run.” That’s a problem for a soccer player who relies on speed and quickness as a midfielder. Russell tried stretching, several chiropractors, physical therapy regimens and acupuncture. Yet nothing

Photo by Mark Nesbitt

Oregon senior Girish Russell runs across the field with the WIAA Division 2 state championship trophy Saturday celebrating the Panthers’ 3-1 win over New Berlin Eisenhower. would remedy the injury. “I got to the point where nothing was working,” he said. “Ultimately, I knew it (surgery) was coming.” He got the diagnosis two

weeks before last soccer season. The doctor explained that thick layers of tissue, called fascia, separate groups of muscles in the arms and legs.

Oregon girls cross country

Beauchaine finishes 89th at state meet JEREMY JONES Sports editor

The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids was a little chewed up by the time senior Lauren Beauchaine got a chance to race there for the first time Saturday. A light rain hung around the course for much of the morning as the boys Division 1, 2 and 3 races took their toll on the course before the girls got their chance. Beauchaine, a first-time state qualifier, tried not to let the course or the competition get to her and raced to an 89th-place finish in the fourth race of the day. She covered the wet course in 20 minutes, 16.7 seconds, a time that was more than 30 seconds slower than her personal-best 19:44.9. “I didn’t really know what to expect, so I was pretty happy with my time and place,” she said. The course had lots of different terrain, and some of the hills on the course were pretty muddy, Beauchaine said. “We noticed throughout the day that the course was getting pretty beat up,” coach Doug Debroux said. “Lauren changed to the longer spikes and I think that helped.” Beauchaine said she was already back out running on Monday. “My winter training has

Photo by David Kunstman

Lauren Beauchaine races toward the finish line Saturday at the WIAA Division 1 girls state girls cross country race. She finished 89th overall in 20:16.7.

already begun,” she said. “I Genevieve Nashold won the just want to keep the momen- individual state title in 18:10. tum going into track season.” Neenah overtook defending state champion Middleton to State champions win the boys state title 122Two-time state champion 131 behind individual state Sun Prairie finished a distant champion Matthew Meinsecond to Muskego 48-103. ke, who posted a time of Madison West freshman 15:33.9.

The role of the fascia is to keep the tissues in place, and Russell was told acute compartment syndrome could lead to muscle or nerve damage.

So before last year’s soccer season kicked off, Russell had a fasciotomy, in which a surgeon cut the buildup around his fascia and calves to relieve the muscle

pressure. Russell returned to the Oregon soccer team in mid-October last year, playing in two games and practicing for two weeks, but the pain returned. “At first, I felt really good coming back and playing with the team,” he said. “The first game, I felt some pain and kind of ignored it. I didn’t tell my parents about it because I didn’t want them to pull me from the game. After the game against Catholic Memorial, and a few more practices it just got worse again.” He eventually had a second fasciotomy. His rehab has involved keeping his legs elevated as much as possible, stretching, mobility exercises and deep tissue massages. “It affects me a little bit,” he said. “It’s not nearly as bad as it used to be. It hasn’t posed a problem.” Russell uses positive thinking as he stretches before every game. “I think I stretch my legs a little more than other people do,” Russell said. “If I don’t think about my leg it tends to leave me alone. I just want to keep the right head space before the game.” Coach Chris Mitchell said Russell has been an inspiration for the team. “We always hope for the best for kids,” Mitchell said. “Girish is a great example of someone that didn’t let some adversity get in his way and has come back this year stronger than ever.”

Badger: Crusaders place 3 on second team Sophomore tight end Gabe Pearson, senior Matt Rusch (offensive lineman) and senior Jack Haufle (receiver/kicker) were tabbed as honorable mentions. Pearson caught seven passes for 117 yards and a touchdown in six games. Haufle caught five balls for 96 yards in four games.

Continued from page 1 Logan Ackerman and senior defensive back Carter Erickson. Senior defensive back Carson Smedley and junior linebacker Matt Kissling earned second-team honors. Ackerman was fifth with 74 tackles, including eight for a loss, which was second on the team. He tied Kissling for the team lead with four sacks. Erickson had 55 tackles and was second only to senior defensive back Jack Haufle (5) on the team with four interceptions. Smedley had 78 tackles to go along with a forced fumble and two interceptions. Smedley didn’t play in the team’s playoff loss to La Crosse Central and Kissling said his absence really hurt Oregon. Matt Kissling is the only all-conference defensive player that will be back next year. He finished second on the team with 83 tackles, including a team-best 10 for loss, to go along with an interception and a defensive touchdown. Monona Grove senior defensive end Sam Gronski was named Defensive Player of the Year. Offensively, senior running back Dylan DiMaggio and junior guard Nate Hall earned first team offensive honors.

Edgewood

File photo by Jeremy Jones

Oregon senior linebacker John Klus (32) tackles Mount Horeb/Barneveld running back Malik Winston on Aug. 24.

DiMaggio rushed for 686 yards and six touchdowns. He also caught 13 passes for a team-best 209 yards and a touchdown. Monona Grove senior quarterback Jordan Bishop was named Offensive Player of the Year and Stoughton junior tackle Jack Nelson was named Offensive Lineman of the Year. Senior center Brandon Schultz and junior tackle Brady Gagner were joined on the second team offense by senior running back Keion Szudy. Szudy rushed for a teambest 812 yards and eight touchdowns in nine games. He also caught 18 passes for 198 yards and three touchdowns.

Madison Edgewood finished 3-6 overall, 2-5 Badger South under first-year head coach Jesse Norris. The Crusaders placed three players on the second team Badger South all-conference teams. Edgewood senior receiver Charlie Corcoran or caught 38 balls for 388 yards in seven games and was named to the second-team offense. Senior quarterback Thomas Hartlieb, running back Mitchell Wendler, running back Greg Zentmyer, place kicker Chris Boll and junior offensive linemen Patrick Wolter, Connor Grabins and Nick Fox were named honorable mentions. Wendler had 15 tackles for a loss and was also a second-team edge player honoree, as was Hartlieb as a punter. Junior Murphy Penwell, Zentmyer, Fox and Grabins earned honorable mention defensive honors.

Verona/Edgewood High School

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Big Eight swimming

Wildcats will send eight individuals, three relays to state MARK NESBITT Assistant sports editor

The Verona Area/Mount Horeb girls swim team will have eight individual entries and all three relays at state after a banner day Saturday at the WIAA Division 1 Middleton sectional. Senior Grace Bennin repeated as the sectional champion in the 100-yard breaststroke and 200 individual medley to automatically punch her ticket to state for the fourth straight year. Bennin, the two-time defending state champion in the 100 breast, set a Middleton pool record, winning the event with a time of 1 minute, 3.04 seconds. It broke the previous pool record she set one week earlier at the Big Eight Conference meet. A University of Minnesota recruit, Bennin finished ahead of Middleton’s Ally Silverstri in both the 200 IM and 100 breast. The champion in each of the state’s six sectionals automatically qualifies for state. The other state qualifiers are determined based on time. Verona’s other sectional title came from the 200 medley relay team of juniors Sara Stewart, Josie McCartney and Kaitlyn Zuehl and Bennin, which took first with a season-best time of 1:45.28. Middleton, the two-time defending Division 1 state champions, clipped Sun Prairie for the sectional team title 317-312. Madison West took third (291) and Verona Area/Mount Horeb finished fourth (289) in the 14-team

Photo by Mary Langenfeld

Grace Bennin swims in the 200-yard individual medley at the WIAA D1 Middleton sectional on Saturday. She placed first in the 200 IM and breaststroke. Bennin also helped Verona Area/Mount Horeb qualify the 200 medley and 200 free relay. sectional. “Sectionals can be a very stressful meet because there’s a lot on the line trying to qualify for the state meet,” coach Bill Wuerger said. “The girls did a great job of setting that stress aside and just going out and having fun swimming fast.” Other state qualifiers for the Wildcats were McCartney (100 butterfly), Stewart (100 backstroke, 100 fly), freshman Kenzie Zuehl (50 freestyle), senior Gabby

Gnewuch (200 free, 500 free) and freshman Tola Klabough (200 free relay). McCartney took second in the 100 fly (57.27) and Stewart finished fourth in the 100 back (56.96) and fifth in the 100 fly (57.94) to qualify for state in both races. “We worked really hard all season and to see it come together and drop a lot of time was really fun to keep the season going,” McCartney said. “I wasn’t expecting to get second. I was just

Edgewood girls swimming

Crusaders gunning for fourth straight title JEREMY JONES Sports editor

The Madison Edgewood girls swimming team took a step toward a fourth straight WIAA Division 2 state title Nov. 3. The Crusaders won all three relays to automatically qualify for state. They also qualified at least one swimmer in all eight individual events at the Baraboo sectional meet. Edgewood, ranked atop the Wisconsin Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association, won the meet by 58 point over second-ranked McFarland 369-311. Seniors Kaitlyn Barth and Issy Petersen, junior Maeve O’Driscoll and freshman Anna teDuits opened the meet taking the 200-yard medley relay in 1 minute, 48.05 seconds. Senior Mallory Todd, freshman Abby Reid, Petersen and O’Driscoll also won 200 free relay in 1:38.7. Barth and three freshman, Claire Sweeney, teDuits and Reid won the 400 free relay sectional title in 3:34.58. TeDuits added the 100 backstroke crown in 57.45, while Sweeney added a fifthplace finish in 59.92. Barth won the 100 butterfly in 57.16. Todd finished fourth in 59.72 and Sweeney added an eighth-place finish in 1:00.98.

Photo by Jeremy Jones

Freshman Anna teDuits fires off the wall to start the 200yard medley relay Saturday at the WIAA Division 2 Baraboo sectional meet. Edgewood won the event in 1 minute, 48.05 seconds. Edgewood junior DeeDee Walker finished runner-up to Monroe/New Glarus freshman Morgan Erstad in the 500 free in 5:23.21. Erstad posted a meet-best 5:19.66. Walker added a third-place finish in the 200 free (1:58.1). The Crusaders placed three in the top five of the 50 free. O’Driscoll finished runner-up to McFarland senior Alexandra Moderski in 24.13 with a time of 23.53. Barth and Petersen finished in a threeway tie for third place with Jefferson/Cambridge senior Megan Duffy with a 24.28. Edgewood also had three finishers in the top eight of the 100 free. Petersen led the way with a third-place finish in 52.53. Reid (53.96) and O’Driscoll (54.04) finished seventh and eighth.

Reid (2:12.25) and teDuits (2:12.25) placed third and fourth in the 200 IM. Todd finished fifth in the 100 breaststroke in 1:08.93.

State Edgewood returns plenty of firepower with state experience. The Crusaders return three-fourths of its 200 medley and 200 free state-record relays. Barth, Petersen and O’Driscoll return to defend their state record time of 1:44.59 in the 200 medley relay, while O’Driscoll, Barth and Walker are back to defend their state-record time of 1:35.26 in the 200 free relay. Edgewood went on to

Turn to Edgewood/Page 5

trying to do the best I could. I was very surprised.” Kenzie Zuehl took fifth in the 50 free (24.54) to qualify for state and Gnewuch placed seventh in both the 200 free (1:56.42) 500 free (5:12.52) to qualify for state in both races. It’s Gnewuch’s third trip to state. “I’m really lucky to be able to make it that far,” Gnewuch said. “It’s really exciting. I just want to do my best. It’s one more swim with my

girls.” Bennin teamed with Klabough, Kenzie Zuehl and Gnewuch to take third in the 200 free relay (1:37.18). In the 400 free relay, the Wildcats’ Kenzie Zuehl, McCartney, Gnewuch and Stewart finished third (3:34.06). Wuerger said by far, all three relays swam their best times of the season.

State Bennin is one of four returning state champions

seeking a third straight title in their events. She is looking to win a third straight gold medal in the 100 breast. As a freshman in 2015, Bennin was the state runner-up in the breast. She has the top qualifying time of 1:03.14. Bennin has the second-fastest qualifying time in the 200 IM (2:04.08). Another area swimmer looking to win a third state title - in the 100 backstroke is Madison West senior Katrina Marty. She started her prep swimming career by taking ninth in the state in the 100 back as a freshman in 2015. Marty has the fourth-fastest qualifying time in the back (56.29). Middleton, the two-time defending Division 1 state champions, is the favorite to win a third consecutive title. The Cardinals’ 200 free relay is seeking a third straight state title. Ve r o n a A r e a / M o u n t Horeb’s 200 medley relay has the second-fastest qualifying time (1:45.28). Brookfield East has the top time (1:44.38) entering the state meet. The Wildcats’ 200 free relay has the third-fastest qualifying time (1:37.18). The top qualifying time in the relay heading into state belongs to Sun Prairie (1:36.79) and the second-fastest qualifying time is Middleton (1:36.91). “As far as where they are seeded doesn’t really matter,” Wuerger said. “A lot of times where you are seeded is not where you end up.”

Big 8: West has three second-teamers Continued from page 1 named co-coaches of the year. Junior quarterback Adam Bekx, junior running back Keegan Lindell and sophomore running back Jackson Acker were named second-team all-conference. Bekx passed for 1,807 yards and completed 64 percent of his passes for 15 touchdowns and three interceptions. Lindell was the team’s leading rusher (727 yards and nine touchdowns), while Acker ran for 528 yards and seven touchdowns. Junior defensive lineman Skylar Hawkins and senior defensive end Ben Vandervest were named second-team all-conference. Hawkins had 35 tackles and seven tackles for loss and Vandervest had 46 tackles, seven tackles for loss and two sacks. Junior Joe Gervasi (offensive lineman), senior Ryan Van Handel (tight end), junior Sam Wood (running back), senior Tyler Slawek (wide receiver) and senior Jake Coshun (linebacker) earned honorable mention all-conference honors.

Photo by Mark Nesbitt

Madison West sophomore Matthew McLain (24) was second team Big Eight All-Conference at defensive back. He looks to make a tackle on Verona junior running back Keegan Lindell in a game earlier this season. Lindell was also an all-conference selection at running back.

s e n i o r Tr a n L a w r e n c e (offensive lineman), senior Kelvin Opoku-Appoh (running back) and sophomore Matthew McLain (defensive back). Opoku-Appoh led the Regents with 753 rushing yards and seven t o u c h d ow n s . H e a v e raged 9.5 yards per carry. Opoku-Appoh also had 13 receptions for 213 yards Madison West a n d f o u r t o u c h d ow n s . M a d i s o n We s t h a d McLain led the defense three players named sec- with a team-high 61 tackond-team all-conference: les.

Madison West finished the season 3-6, and seventh in the Big Eight Conference. The Regents had five players named honorable mention all-conference: s e n i o r We s s l ey K i d u a , sophomore Nazier Jones (running back), sophomore William Gutknecht (quarterback), sophomore Anders Hegg (defensive lineman) and senior Carson Meyer (offensive lineman).

November 9, 2018

Madison West

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West girls swimming

Marty eyes three-peat in backstroke at state meet MARK NESBITT Assistant sports editor

Madison West senior Katrina Marty will have security in numbers this weekend after the Regents qualified seven individual swimmers and three relays for state after the WIAA Division 1 Middleton sectional. Marty, an Arizona State

recruit, won the 100-yard backstroke (56.29) and the 100 butterfly (55.36) Saturday in Middleton to punch her ticket back to state. Marty, the two-time defending state champion in the backstroke, will look to add another gold medal to her collection. The Regents will send seven individuals and all three relays to the Division 1 state

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meet Saturday at the University of Wisconsin Natatorium. The champion in each of the state’s six sectionals automatically qualify for state. The other state qualifiers are determined based on time. Middleton, the two-time defending Division 1 state champions, clipped Sun Prairie for the sectional team title 317-312. Madison West took third (291) and Verona Area/ Mount Horeb finished fourth (289) in the 14-team sectional. Sophomore Bridget Sullivan finished second in the 100 freestyle (52.50) and third in the 50 free (24.23) to qualify for state in both events. The Regents qualified all three relays for state. The other individual state qualifiers for West are freshman Evy Laursen (200 individual medley, 500 freestyle), sophomore Maddy Reid (backstroke), sophomore Natalie Schick (backstroke), freshman Bella Granetzke (200 free, 500 free) and junior Lauren Mickelson (diving). The Regents displayed their depth in the backstroke at the sectional with three of the top seven. Marty was the sectional champion followed by Reid who took fifth (57.92) and Schick who placed seventh (58.08). Granetzke finished sixth in the 200 free (1:56.29) and

Photo by Mary Langenfeld

Katrina Marty swims in the 100-yard butterfly at the WIAA D-1 Swim Sectional in Middleton Saturday. She placed first in the fly and first in the 100-yard backstroke. returning state champions seeking a third straight title in their events. She is looking to win a third straight gold medal in the 100 backstroke. She started her prep swimming career by taking ninth in the state in the 100 back as a freshman in 2015. Marty has the fourth-fastest qualifying time in the back (55.3). She is the top seed in the 100 butterfly (55.36). Middleton, the two-time defending Division 1 state champions, is the favorite to win a third consecutive title. The Cardinals’ 200 free relay is seeking a third straight state title. The Regents have the sevState enth seed in the 200 freeMarty is one of four style relay (1:37.97). The

sixth in the 500 free (5:14.34). The Regents’ 200 medley relay team of Marty, junior Naomi Kissel, sophomore Kate Messner and Sullivan took fourth (1:45.72). In the 400 free relay, Granetzke teamed with Messner, freshman Quinn Weygandt and Laursen to finish fourth (3:38.52). Kissel teamed with Marty, Granetzke and Sullivan to finish fifth in the 200 free relay (1:37.97). M i c ke l s o n t o o k s ev enth in the sectional in diving (358.10) and Laursen placed eighth in the 500 free (5:14.34) and ninth in the 200 IM (2:09.43).

Wildcats’ 200 free relay has the third-fastest qualifying time (1:37.18). The top qualifying time in the relay heading into state belongs to Sun Prairie (1:36.79) and the second-fastest qualifying time is Middleton (1:36.91). Sullivan is seeded seventh in the 50 free (24.23) and eighth in the 100 free (52.50). Mickelson is the seventh seed in diving. Ve r o n a A r e a / M o u n t Horeb’s 200 medley relay has the second-fastest qualifying time (1:45.28). Brookfield East has the top time (1:44.38) entering the state meet. The Regents are seeded 11th in the 200 medley relay and 15th in the 400 free relay.

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November 9, 2018

Fitchburg Star

State: Oregon clinches WIAA Division 2 title with three second-half goals

After a scoreless first half in the Division 2 state championship game, senior midfielder Colin McCombs said the team didn’t make any adjustments. “We just knew this was going to be our last game together and we were going to make the most of it,” McCombs said. On the first goal, Conduah beat New Berlin Eisenhower sophomore Josh Crubaugh to a through ball and snuck a shot into the near post in the 54th minute. Conduah surprised himself by beating the Lions to the ball. “I really had no business winning that ball, I guess,” he said. “It was just hard work and grinding.” Conduah scored his second goal on a shot to the far post. Bjerke assisted on the

Oregon 3, Holmen 0 Senior Carter Hendrickson and his teammates blew kisses to the Panthers’ crowd after each goal Thursday. Hendrickson scored once, and the Panthers had a lot to celebrate after knocking off Holmen 3-0 in the semifinals. It was the first time all season Holmen had given up three goals. All three came in the second half, with the first two less than two

minutes apart. “It’s just the first thing that came to mind,” Hendrickson said of blowing kisses. “We are just showing love to everyone who came out to watch us.” Conduah assisted in an insurance goal by junior midfielder Collin Bjerke in the 67th minute. The Panthers dominated the game, outshooting the Vikings 29-3. Hendrickson scored the

first goal from about 20 yards out and slotted it just inside the near post on an assist by Bjerke at 50:44. “Carter opened up the second half with a long shot that kind of caught the keeper off-guard,” Mitchell said. “That was a laser.” Senior Nick Borden scored less than two minutes later to extend the Panthers’ lead to 2-0. Holmen coach Guy Turner credited the Panthers for

Regents: Ryan runs to 16th-place at WIAA state meet finish line 27th with a time of 19:43.2. Senior Carson Drury was the Regents’ final varsity scorer with a 20:24.5.

Continued from page 1 with a seventh-place finish in 16:31.5. Gary (16:43.6), Ryan (16:47.2) and Treiber (16:50.7) finished 11th, 14th and 15th, respectively. Kohn took 21st place as the team’s final varsity scorer.

Sectionals

Girls

Edgewood: Crusaders set return course Continued from page 3 sweep all three relays at state last season, but only Walker and Petersen return from the 400 free relay. Walker finished runner-up individually in the 200 free to graduated teammate Kelly Rodriguez, who posted a state record 1:48.39 last year. Walker added a third-place finish behind her state-champion teammate with a 5:10.61 in the 500 free. O’Driscoll and Barth placed second and third in the 50 free last year and Petersen was fifth. Barth, Petersen and O’Driscoll each reached the podium in the 100 free last season, finishing second, third and fifth, respectively. Todd was sixth in the 100 fly and 11th in the 200 IM.

File photo by Jeremy Jones

Freshman Genevieve Nashold races to the finish line of the Stoughton Invitational on Sept. 29. Nashold won every race this season, including the WIAA Division 1 state meet Oct. 27 in 18 minutes, 10 seconds. meet, covering the Wisconsin Rapids course in 18:10. Junior Kristian Rohrer

and senior Andi Bowman finished 13th and 20th, r e s p e c t ive l y. F r e s h m a n Cecily Greblo crossed the

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The Madison West girls moved up five spots from last year to take fourth place with 121 points. Two-time defending state champion Sun Prairie was beat by Muskego 48-103. Muskego placed all five varsity scorers in the top 17. F r e s h m a n G e n ev i ev e Nashold ran to an individual victory in her first state

Nashold continued her undefeated freshman season, Oct. 20, winning the Madison West sectional meet at Lake Farm Park in 18:33.1. The Regents placed all five varsity scorers in the top 24 to win the meet with 44 points. West advanced back to the state meet as a team with the win. Rohrer (19:21.5) and Bowman (19:43.7) finished fifth and sixth. Greblo finished eighth in 19:46.8. Drury placed 24th in 20:43.9.

opportunities – a change from earlier in the season. “At halftime they didn’t show frustration,” Mitchell said. “They felt good about their level of play despite the fact that we didn’t find the back of the net in the first half. They were confident that we were going to find the goal.”

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Oregon 3, New Berlin 1

their superior offensive possession and attack. “They just have a high-powered offense,” Turner said. “They are a quality program, well deserving of getting to the state championship. “They had a level of intensity. I think what happens when you come to this level at the state semifinals you know what it takes. Those guys had it last year.” Early on in the first half, it appeared Holmen goalkeeper Jackson Lutz was up to the challenge. Despite the Panthers peppering the goal with shots, Lutz turned each of them away, getting seven saves as both teams played to a scoreless tie in the first half. It didn’t rattle the Panthers. Mitchell said he liked the way the Panthers handled not scoring in the first half despite so many

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seconds. The Panthers also had a string of 11 straight shutouts. “I don’t think losing was an option for us today,” Morgan said. “It feels fantastic to do it with the guys we love. We just really came out with a lot more energy in the second half.”

goal at 67:34. T h r e e m i n u t e s l a t e r, McCombs scored on a penalty kick. “It was a phenomenal way to end the soccer career,” McCombs said. “It’s bittersweet.” The Lions outshot the Panthers 11-10 in the game. However, Oregon cashed in on their scoring opportunities in the second half. “I think we were just controlling the game a lot better,” Bjerke said. “We were attacking the goal, finding the through balls, and I was just trying to find Maddy’s (Conduah) feet to finish it off.” Photo by Mark Nesbitt Oregon senior goalkeep- Oregon senior Nick Borden (24) and New Berlin Eisenhower Duncan Morgan had two er’s Stjepan Pehrada attack a ball at the same time Saturday saves. in a WIAA Division 2 state championship game.

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Oregon/Madison schools

Fitchburg Star

November 9, 2018

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Oregon School District

Madison Metropolitan School District

Voters say yes to new elementary $46 million for lands, Fitchburg school SCOTT DE LARUELLE Unified Newspaper Group

Voters in the Oregon School District overwhelmingly approved two referendums Tuesday to fund a new K-6 elementary school in Fitchburg. The next step for district officials now will be getting construction plans out to bid. With every Dane County precinct reporting, along with those in Rock and Green counties, the unofficial count as of late Tuesday night was 7,675 to 4,208 in favor of Question 1 – purchasing land and building the school – by nearly a 2-to-1 margin. Question 2, exceeding revenue limits for operations and maintenance of the school, passed by a slightly slimmer margin, and 7,416 to 4,456. The first question asked for $44.9 million in funding to pay for construction and equipping a new elementary school in Fitchburg, off the Lacy Road interchange in the

Terravessa development, as well as purchasing land parcels for it. That money will also pay for land around the U.S. Hwy. 14 and County Hwy. MM interchange for a future grades 6-8 middle school. The second recurring question asked for $2.1 million per year starting in 2020 to pay for operation and maintenance expenses of the new elementary school. The fast-growing northern part of the district was the focus for this year’s referendum, which will now likely be followed by another in a few years to build a new middle school to keep up with an expected surge of growth that could raise the district’s student population from around 4,000 to more than 6,000 by 2030. If the middle school referendum is approved, that would set in motion several changes, with all elementary schools going to a K-5 model, as well as Rome Corners Intermediate (currently grades 4-5), while Oregon Middle School (currently grades 7-8) would add sixth-graders.

Budget passes after protest

Photos by Kimberly Wethal

From left, Cora O’Connell and Cohen Gehin switch between the cow and cat yoga poses during the Prairie View Elementary Moveathon on Friday, Oct. 19.

Movers and shakers A Moveathon was held at Prairie View Elementary School on Friday, Oct. 19, throughout the entire school. Students were given opportunities to participate in yoga, group dancing, hula-hooping and jump rope activities and taking laps around the hallways to get moving.

From left, Jack Peotter, Layla Van Fossen and Vinny Berning work together to move a hula-hoop around the circle without letting go of one another’s hands during the Prairie View Elementary Moveathon on Friday, Oct. 19.

The Madison Metropolitan school board approved a 2018-19 budget last month at an emergency meeting after its initial budget meeting was shut down following protests. Some in the audience at the Oct. 29 budget hearing spoke out against including funding for Education Resource Officers at the high schools. According to a story in the Capital Times, protesters eventually took to the stage to chant, and the meeting was adjourned. State law requires a school district’s budget be approved by Nov. 1, so the board held an emergency meeting in the afternoon Wednesday, Oct. 31. The budget has an equalized mill rate of $11.06 per $1,000 of property value. That would decrease the tax bill for a median homeowner at $273,918 by $18.17, according to district estimates. The total levy was $308 million. Two board members voted against the final budget. According to the story, TJ Mertz said his “no” vote was in response to reallocating an unspent $3 million on teachers and learning last year to infrastructure improvements in this budget. Nikki Vander Meulen voted no because of how previously approved special education funding had been used, the Capital Times reported.

The art of the comeback Longtime OHS teacher Derrick easing back after liver transplant SCOTT DE LARUELLE Unified Newspaper Group

When Mike Derrick heard the bad news in June 2016, he was – not surprisingly – getting ready for an art show. A few weeks b e f o r e , t h e Derrick long-time Oregon High School art teacher had gone in for his annual physical, and as he was setting up artwork, he got the call that there were problems with his blood work: life-threatening problems. “(They said) it looks like you have something wrong with your liver,” Derrick told the Observer on Monday. “They wanted to do X-rays, CT scans, MRIs and all that good stuff.” After a battery of tests, he waited for the news, and it was grim — non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, otherwise known as NASH, a newly discovered disease of the liver. Derrick had never heard of it before, not that it made it any better. He needed a new liver — a prayer that was answered this summer with

a successful transplant surgery, and he’s been on the path to recovery ever since. Last week, he spent his first full week back at school working teacher-in-service days Thursday and Friday in addition to his Monday-Wednesday schedule this first semester. “I’m a little tired, but I did all right,” he said. “I’m walking and doing a little more exercise; cleared for a little bit more. Just keep building up and getting a little stronger.”

Out of the blue Derrick, who turns 50 on Thursday, had been “pretty lucky” with health before getting the scare of his life with NASH. “It was bad; the liver was completely scarred, and no symptoms, not that I knew of anyway,” he said. “They don’t really know what caused it or how I got it, because it’s not really genetic. It could be a virus or anything — I had a virus that lasted six weeks that spring.” Once diagnosed, it was a matter of waiting for a donor — a scary process, he said, which was based on the patient’s need, as well as donor match and availability. “They give you a ‘score,’

but you never know what your ranking is,” Derrick said. “Mine was going up.” Things were going “pretty good” when in the spring of 2017, Derrick almost died. One moment, he was going to sleep on a Sunday night, and the next thing he knew, he woke up in the hospital “with tubes all over me,” surrounded by concerned family members on Wednesday. “With the liver, if it’s not functioning right, it will send blood to other places, and in my throat, I was having blood building up,” he said. “Every couple months, they put a scope down there to cauterize them so they wouldn’t rupture, but unfortunately one of them did. I didn’t wake up… I was bleeding out, but I didn’t know it.” After a few more weeks in the hospital, Derrick was back to his routine, hoping for the word that there was a donor. Last summer, it happened. He was out with his family at Summer Fest, then returned to do some yard work on a Sunday night. Still not tired afterward, Derrick decided to stay up and watch a bit of TV – a fateful decision, because instead of being sound asleep, he would take a

life-changing phone call late just before midnight “A lot of times, you don’t check it or answer it because it’s so late, but I thought it was weird and I answered it,” he said. “It was a lady from UW Hospital telling me they had a donor that matched perfectly and could I be there in two hours?” After scrambling to get to the hospital, Derrick underwent a 10-hour surgery to replace his liver, a surgery that might have added decades to his life. “I was just kind of in awe, it just happened so fast,” he said. “I feel very lucky and blessed. Life deals you different stuff, and you just have to go with it.”

Back to the routine After he recovered, Derrick said he was very much looking forward to getting back to teaching and his comfortable surroundings at OHS. Now in his 24th year teaching art there, he said it was good to get back with his colleagues and students, who were so supportive during his health scare. “One of the coolest things — it makes my eyes water a little bit — was my wife would post how I was doing and the number of former students and athletes

who were posting or texting or something encouraging, it was very touching and very humbling,” he said. “It really kind of gave some validation, and made me feel good about what I’ve done for my career and my life. That’s kind of helped me keep going, and coming back to school, just getting back around those people.” For this semester, Derrick is working Mondays t h r o u g h We d n e s d a y s , setting aside Thursdays and Fridays for doctor’s appointments. He said getting used to the ever-changing medications has been a challenge, but other than that he’s feeling good and getting better. “I’m on different medicines because my immune system isn’t as up to par as it should be,” he said. “You take some medicines that kind of defeat the immune system, and then you have ones to help your immune system, so your body’s going back and forth and trying to find the right balance.” The recovery period for a liver replacement is about six months to a year, though Derrick said he’ll be on anti-organ-rejection medication the rest of his life. “I just try to make sure I’m taking care of myself,

watching my intake of processed foods,” he said. “I’m trying to find new recipes for chicken and pork, you eat a lot of that.” Since the diagnosis, Derrick has started exercising more, dropping around 30 pounds. He’s cut out alcohol completely from his diet while reducing salt usage. “Salt’s not good for your liver, and I didn’t drink that much, so nothing that’s been hard,” he said. “Now, instead of going out for a big meal for lunch, I’ll go to the track and put on headphones and walk, and there’s that new walking track upstairs.” A n d i n h i s r e c ove r y phase, Derrick has one more hurdle to get over — writing a letter to the family of the person whose death allowed him to live a more healthy life with a new liver. “ I ’ve s t r u g g l e d w i t h it, trying to find the right words, and how grateful I am,” he said. “How do you put into words something like that?” Email Unified Newspaper Group reporter Scott De Laruelle at scott.delaruelle@wcinet.com.

Verona schools

ConnectFitchburg.com

November 9, 2018

Fitchburg Star

Board votes to start next school year Aug. 23 Change for 2019-20 needs DPI waiver, staff contract OK SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group

Junior Bailey Armstrong hands out cans to be added to the backpacks the group filled Friday, Nov. 2.

Photos by Scott Girard

Club, teacher open food pantry at VAHS ‘Little actions can make big impacts,’ students say SCOTT GIRARD

How to help

Unified Newspaper Group

Three years ago, Verona Aid formed as a Verona Area High School club focused on helping however it could with the Syrian refugee crisis and around Dane County. Now, it’s got a new name – Wildcats United – and it’s brought some of its efforts within the VAHS walls. Those students and social studies teacher Jason Knoll opened a schoolbased food pantry last month, feeding more than 50 people over the weekends since. “It’s an amazing way for us to help kids that are with us every day,” junior Colleen Quinn told the Press. The boxes of cereal, cans of tuna and bags of Rice-a-Roni are collected on shelving in the corner of Knoll’s room throughout the week, and the students on the group’s executive board gather Friday mornings at 7:30 to fill up the needed backpacks. Those are then given to a social worker at the school, who gives them to the students in need to take home. The bags include food for all members of the family, and the group has different things to include for families of two to four people and those with five or more. So far, it’s been about four families each week, Knoll said, but he knows there are more in need. Last year, Verona Area High School had 387 students considered economically disadvantaged – measured by those who qualify for free or reduced lunches. There also were more than 100 homeless students districtwide two years ago, Knoll said. “Food security is important,” Knoll said. “It just drives me nuts that there are children who don’t have access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food.” Senior Catalina Grimm said it’s one way she and her peers can contribute to the district’s mission: “Every student must be successful.” By providing the “very basic necessities” to participate in school, she said, it addresses one of the “many factors” that lead to student success. “You can’t think well, you won’t perform well if you’re on an empty stomach,” she said. “If that’s not even something you can control, you’ve already got odds stacked against you. I guess we’re trying to equalize that just a little.”

If you have food or money to donate to the Wildcats United food pantry, or want to get involved, contact teacher Jason Knoll at knollj@ verona.k12.wi.us.

On the Web Find out more about VAHS Wildcats United:

facebook.com/VAHSWildcatsUtd/ kids are food insecure at this school and they need help,” she said.

Starting a pantry The food is stocked in teacher Jason Knoll’s classroom until it fills backpacks home each Friday.

Economically disadvantaged students Year VAHS 2013-14 347 2014-15 344 2015-16 346 2016-17 409 2017-18 387

District 1,541 1,428 1,402 1,533 1,456

of the world. After some research with his students, they found sending items around the world would be too expensive. Instead, they decided to send money there and collect items for more local efforts. The group began collecting supplies for backpacks, organized a “penny wars” event and held a spring “Camp Out to Stamp Out Hunger” in spring 2017, where they collected food in front of Miller and Son’s Supermarket during a 24-hour campout to donate to Badger Prairie Needs Network. The latest effort with the pantry hits closest to home. “We just really wanted to help people within our school,” junior Maddy Benzine said. Quinn said she previously “wasn’t Big to small very aware” of the need for food for The inspiration for Verona Aid, students and their families, but she’s Knoll said, came from a photo show- glad the pantry is there now. “This helped me learn about how ing a child in a crisis on the other side

Knoll and some VAHS social workers began considering the pantry after hearing about similar setups at Madison’s East and La Follette high schools. They visited the East pantry and began working on the logistics to bring the idea to Verona last spring and later received a grant from By Youth For Youth. This fall, they bought some food with money raised at past events and had other VAHS staff donate some food. “Now we’ve got it started, and we’ve already helped out a lot of people,” Knoll said. Quinn said it helps “unify” the school community, letting people know “that we do care.” Grimm said that’s especially important given the “wide range of demographics” in the student body. “It would be very easy, if you wanted to, to stay within your own bubbles at school,” Grimm said. “There’s something to be said for stepping out of those bubbles, and being like, ‘There are problems at this school, and we’re going to do something.’” She’s a “big believer in you’ve gotta put your money where your mouth is,” and this is the chance for she and her classmates to do just that, she said. “You can’t sit there and talk about how you want things to change and you want to make the world a better place and then do nothing for that, because that’s pretty ineffective,” she said. “We all similarly believe in the concept that little actions can make big impacts.” Contact Scott Girard at ungreporter@wcinet.com and follow him on Twitter @sgirard9.

The 2019-20 school year will start Aug. 23 in the Verona Area School District, pending two remaining approvals district staff expect to come through. The school day will also be five minutes longer at all levels, with that time added at the end of the school day. The Verona Area school board approved a school calendar for next year and 2020-21 Monday night to give families time to plan. The early start next year would allow school to end May 29, 2020, to give more time for construction crews working on renovations to the existing high school and K-Wing related to the 2017 referendum and school shift that fall. The existing high school is expected to become a middle school site, and the K-Wing would become the site of multiple charter schools. Before the calendar shift is final, the district will need to receive approval of a waiver from the state Department of Instruction for the normal required start date on or after Sept. 1. District officials are also still negotiating with the Verona Area Education Association and Verona Educational Support Personnel Association on contracts related to the number of contract days included for that year. DPI approved a similar waiver in Mount Horeb, related to the current school year, to allow more time for construction next summer related to referendum work. The only holdup at Monday’s meeting, which included a DPI-required citizen’s input session on the proposal, was how close the schedule cuts it on the required instructional minutes at the high

school. If there is more than one snow or cold day – or any other unexpected cancellation – the high school would be below the requirement. The approved calendar includes a potential makeup day on April 10, 2020 – Good Friday on the Christian calendar. One parent and spouse of a staff member asked the board to reconsider that inclusion, as it’s an important religious holiday. Board members agreed it should be a last resort, but they wanted to maintain the district’s “flexibility” to ensure the year finishes on time. Board president Noah Roberts also noted that students and staff can be excused for religious reasons. “It’s to notify people in advance that there may be school there, last-case scenario,” Roberts said. “We want our students and staff to observe their religious holidays, and there’s no barrier we want to create to that.” Superintendent Dean Gorrell agreed, but he pointed out that if there were more staff absent that day than substitutes available, it would create another problem. Other options to make up minutes if needed include shortening passing times at the high school or starting school up to five minutes earlier in the day. If they need to alter passing times, board member Amy Almond asked that the board involve staff in the discussion. “If we do something l i ke t h a t w h e r e w e ’r e squeezing the minutes, I want to consult with our high school staff to make sure they’re not getting squeezed so much they’re tardy,” Almond said. Spring break will fall on the fourth week of March in both 2019-20 and 202021. Contact Scott Girard at ungreporter@wcinet.com and follow him on Twitter @sgirard9.

What’s online Read these and more Verona Area School District stories at ConnectFitchburg.com:

Meetings on new emergency protocol The Verona Area School District changed to an “options-based” ALICE emergency response protocol for active shooter or other dangerous situations. The district will host a pair of meetings for the community on the change Nov. 14 and 15.

‘Like a billion socks’ Glacier Edge Elementary School students collected more than 2,000 socks to donate to the Badger Prairie Needs Network during the month of “Socktober.”

Parent, staff survey results VASD parents and staff members took the annual School Perceptions survey in the spring. Results were made public last month, with both groups generally happy with the district’s performance. There were also areas for improvement, though, especially at Stoner Prairie Elementary School and Badger Ridge Middle School.

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