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Oregon Observer The
Village of Brooklyn
Olson chosen as new trustee Five applicants applied, presented on Sept. 23 EMILIE HEIDEMANN Unified Newspaper Group
Photo by Emilie Heidemann
Roe Parker, president of Anderson Park Friends, Inc., gestures to the 12-acre space that would eventually be the Anderson Farm County Park market garden.
A field of freshness
APF, other organizations visualize market garden for park Unified Newspaper Group
As early as next year, visitors of Anderson Farm County Park might see fresh produce popping up in a 12-acre garden at 805 Union Road. Roe Parker, Anderson Park Friends,
Inc. president, told the Observer the field will serve as a market garden, which will likely comprise patches of land for farmers, gardeners and growers to lease, grow crops and sell. The garden would be modeled after concepts like Silverwood County Park located in the Town of Albion and the
Farley Center for Peace, Justice and Sustainability in Verona, Parker said. While the garden concept consists of merely a paragraph in the 2013-established park Master Plan, the University of Wisconsin-Extension conducted
Turn to Park/Page 10
PAC director starts music series EMILIE HEIDEMANN Unified Newspaper Group
For Oregon High School Performing Arts Center director Nate Mendl, planning a Spotlight Headliners Series was a way for him to go back to his performing roots. A former professional touring musician of 15 years, Mendl transitioned into teaching a few years ago with his wife. He wanted to use his performing experience to provide a positive experience for students
and their families. So when he took the director position, he wanted to find a way to use “the beautiful space” that is the OHS PAC. And with the theater having undergone improvements to its sound system, lighting and backstage video monitoring, starting a series made sense. The $20 ticket prices are affordable, in comparison to similar series in the area, he said, and that’s for a reason: He hopes that will help build an audience. He worked to keep ticket
prices down by bringing in acts he got to know personally as a member of a capella group The Cat’s Pajamas and by getting donations from some Oregon individuals and businesses. The first act, on Oct. 12, R&B and jazz vocalist Jane L. Powell, will likely be spontaneous, Mendl said. Powell will feed off her audiences energy and wow them with her talent. Mendl said he first met Powell on Oprah Winfrey’s
Turn to Spotlight/Page 5
Hwy. M project timeline shifts No access to Verona starting this week KIMBERLY WETHAL
If You Go What: Spotlight Headliners Series featuring Jane L. Powell When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12 Where: Oregon High School Performing Arts Center, 456 N. Perry Pkwy Tickets: $20 ($18 seniors, $10 under 19) Info: 501-8356 or njmendl@oregonsd.net
Turn to Olson/Page 3
Unified Newspaper Group
Oregonians who need to go to Verona will need to find a new route earlier than they thought. The southern Hwy. M construction project was moved up by a week from its original schedule to Monday, Sept. 30, after the eastern leg of that project got ahead of schedule. The road will be closed to through traffic between T h o u s a n d O a k s Tr a i l and Fish Hatchery Road,
though businesses will continue to be accessible. The closure is part of a two-phase Department of Transportation project that repaved Hwy. M from Hwy. MM just outside of Oregon to Thousand Oaks Drive in Verona, just before the intersection with Hwy. PB. Tr ave l e r s s h o u l d b e advised that a possible detour on Fitchrona Road will be closed next week Monday for culvert replacements. Email reporter Kimberly Wethal at kimberly. wethal@wcinet.com and follow her on Twitter @ kimberly_wethal.
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EMILIE HEIDEMANN
After reviewing five applications for the vacant Brooklyn Village Board seat, trustees selected former village employee Daniel L. Olson Monday, Sept. 23. The other four applicants were Agrace Hospice Care supply chain manager Sean M. Brennum; Great Midwest Bank loan officer assistant Nichol Marie Noyce; retiree Todd M. Galloway and University of Wisconsin-Madison housing facility maintenance specialist Gary G. Wackett. Olson will fill the seat left vacant when Scott Rosenow stepped down and moved to Oregon, Vi c k i O l s o n , d e p u t y clerk-treasurer told the Observer. Rosenow’s last meeting was Aug. 26. The deadline for candidates to file was Sept. 20 at 5 p.m. Daniel Olson stated in his application he’s lived in the community for around 47 years.
Now retired, he previously served on the Board of Review for two years, sat on the Brooklyn Planning and Zoning Commission and worked as both an employee and subcontractor in the village. He said he was formerly self-employed in the construction sector. Olson said with his knowledge of how local government works, he would like to “help residents voice their concerns and to also use my knowledge to help our community make the best decisions to operate and to continue to move forward.” Brennum said he was disappointed in the amount of time it has taken for the board to make decisions and that he applied to “be a part of change in my community.” He noted he serves on the Wisconsin Healthcare Purchasing Materials Management Association and as a member and president-elect of the Northern Lights Football League’s board. “I have experience serving on professional committees that I think will help me be a successful Village Board member,”