12/19/20 Oregon Observer

Oregon Observer The

Thursday, December 19, 2019 • Vol. 135, No. 25 • Oregon, WI • ConnectOregonWI.com • $1.25

Give the gift of Beauty & Relaxation!

Come see us in our new location!

Same Oregon Shopping Plaza, Different Suite.

787 N. Main, Oregon

(Next to Mark’s Barber) www.cuttingedgehairetc.com

835-3666 adno=129449

Oregon School District

Board approves new SRO deal Village, district reps to meet in summer to evaluate program SCOTT DE LARUELLE Unified Newspaper Group

Photo by Mackenzie Krumme

Sharon Stewart teaches six death midwife students during a level one course in the Brooklyn Village Hall on Sunday, Nov. 10. Ashley is pretending to be dead so students can practice washing, dressing and laying a body out in honor.

‘Laid out in honor’

Brooklyn resident volunteers to help patients at end of life Unified Newspaper Group

On a Sunday afternoon at the Brooklyn Village Hall, six students surround a woman lying on a table. Together, they are washing the motionless body of an actor portraying a dead body before they wrap her in colorful sheer, flowers and sentimental blankets. One student whispers in her ear; as the other massages

her foot. Everyone is singing in unison to a body laid out in honor. Sharon Stewart is teaching a class on death midwifery, guiding students through preparing a body for burial. She has been volunteering as a death midwife, to help people at the end stages of their life since she became certified in 2012. She supports the dying and their families through home funerals, insurance, paperwork,

emotional connection and grief. “Lying out in honor is just that – lying them out with all the love and all the beauty and surrounding them with all their favorite things and letting people come and have a personal goodbye,” she said. During the class, Stewart tells the students who have come from Middleton, Oregon, Madison and even North

Turn to Death midwife/Page 16

Armed bank robbery under investigation Man showed firearm and demanded money from BMO teller EMILIE HEIDEMANN Unified Newspaper Group

The Oregon Police Department is searching for a man involved in an armed bank robbery that occurred at Oregon’s BMO Harris branch, 127 Jefferson St., in the afternoon of Friday, Dec. 13. Officials arrived at 1:51 p.m., a department release stated. The

suspect was not captured despite multiple law enforcement units responding, including a K-9 unit and drone. According to the release, the suspect is a man who was dressed in a black hooded sweatshirt, a dark-colored baseball cap with glasses and a wrap to cover his face. Anyone who has a tip about the robbery or details about the suspect can reach out to OPD detective Sgt. Chad Schaub at 835-3111. Email Emilie Heidemann at emilie.heidemann@wcinet.com or follow her on Twitter at @HeidemannEmilie.

Photo courtesy Oregon Police Department

Page 3 officials were “working very diligently” with the village on a new deal after an interim agreement was set to expire Dec. 31. She said a district listening session Nov. 14 was “very positive” and helpful in getting feedback. “Our discussion has been very collaborative,” she said. “We’ve agreed we have prioritized the safety

Turn to SRO/Page 16

Village of Oregon

Bike Trail repair on hold Trustees want to evaluate funding options EMILIE HEIDEMANN Unified Newspaper Group

The Oregon Police Department is searching for the suspect involved in a robbery incident that occurred at BMO Harris bank,

District-wide time change plan questioned Students pick school name Board approves new elementary school attendance boundaries

Despite receiving a $173,536 grant to help fix the partially submerged Rotary Bike Trail, the Village of Oregon is pulling back on reconstruction efforts for now. The village has been working for almost two years to establish alternative Rotary Bike Trail routes for a reconstructed path on the village’s northwest side. Sections have been underwater that entire

time because of record high levels in the Lake Barney area. The trail installation limited the glacial kettle’s ability to drain out through the soil. High precipitation in the area in recent years has also contributed to the flooding of the trail. On Monday, Dec. 16, trustees directed public works staff to place repairing the trail on hold pending future developments and options for path improvements. It also terminated an agreement with the Keller Family, which owns land in that area, and will distribute $10,000 in earnest money back to the

Turn to Bike/Page 14

Black Angus Bone-In Prime Rib ..........$11.99 lb. Black Angus Boneless Prime Rib ........$12.99 lb. Whole Beef Tenderloin (5 lb. avg.) .........$8.99 lb. ORDER YOUR PARTY TRAYS TODAY!

(608) 835-9188

Pork Tenderloin................................................ $3.99 lb. Fresh Ground Chuck (Family Pack) ................ $2.99 lb. Fresh Oysters ................................................. $17.99 lb Fresh Herring in Wine Sauce .......................... $4.99 lb. Pork Crown Roast ........................................... $3.99 lb. Chef Michael’s Bone-In Ham .......................... $2.99 lb. Chef Michael’s Boneless Pit Ham................... $3.99 lb.

adno=125773

MACKENZIE KRUMME

The Oregon School District has a new agreement for having a police officer at Oregon High School for the rest of the school year, putting at least a temporary end to a dustup with village and police officials. The school board unanimously approved a school resource officer (SRO) agreement Monday night, as did the Oregon Village Board. The deal runs through high school graduation in June and states, as the district had requested, that the SRO has a role as an educator and mentor, as well as a law enforcement officer. The two sides will meet April 24 to evaluate how things went before discussing a new agreement. OSD corporate counsel Jina Jonen said district

Inside

2

December 19, 2019

ConnectOregonWI.com

Oregon Observer

Senior center welcomes season JUSTIN LOEWEN Observer correspondent

Photo by Mackenzie Krumme

After 21 years at Post Office, Kim Soetaert is retiring.

The senior center gladly embraced the annual return of the Oregon High School Seasonal Players on Monday, Dec. 16. Those who weren’t wrapped up in the performance joined in to sing a chorus or two, as the small orchestral Emma Dutcher adds a variety of tones to a traditional Hanukkah song using her cello. ensemble played through a set list of seasonal songs.

Clerk finishes satisfying career Post office employee Kim Soetaert retires after 21 years CONNOR WOOD Observer correspondent

A coworker asked Kim Soetaert whether $1,000 would get her to wait after Christmas to retire. Soetaert said no immediately. So her coworker raised it to $5,000. Still no. For $100,000, Soetaert thought a little bit, but she was still determined. It wouldn’t be worth the stress postal employees go through every holiday season, she said. Soetaert spent 21 years working for the Oregon Post Office and said she had done just about every job except be a city carrier before retiring Saturday, Nov. 30. Though Soetaert started as a carrier, she became a clerk less than a year later and said she was glad to have worked mostly at the office, since doing the routes can be physically demanding. S h e a l s o wo r ke d a s the officer in charge in Brooklyn for nine months after the postmaster there retired and Soetart’s position in Oregon was eliminated. Eventually retirements at the Oregon office led to her being recalled back. Recently, most of her time has been as a window clerk, interacting with customers. During the polar vortex in January no mail was delivered, but she still went in. Her primary goal there was to get everyone through the line, but she said she will miss talking to customers during the times there wasn’t a line. There are some customers she got used to seeing regularly. “ T h e r e a r e d e fi n i t ely some customers I’m gonna miss, ‘cause I’ve known them for 20 some years,” she said. “The joking around that you do and everything is not totally business, but you h ave t h e s a m e p e o p l e coming in every other day or so to mail their eBay stuff.” What she won’t miss, she said, are the physical demands of the work.

“There are definitely some customers I’m gonna miss, ‘cause I’ve known them for 20 some years.” Kim Soetaert Even as a clerk, sorting the mail had her going all over the building. There was also confusion that could come with changes to routes. Suddenly addresses that had gone in one person’s satchel for years went to someone else. Along with these smaller changes, Soetaert noticed an overall decline in the number of magazines and letters sent while packages went up. “Now it’s more like … you’ve got a handful of letters but you might have 10 parcels that you have to either carry with you or you drive from house to house like a UPS driver,” she joked. Even though she is no longer behind the scenes, Soetaert still finds joy in mail. “Especially when you’re a little kid there’s nothing more fun than going and opening that mailbox and there’s a letter for you or a card or something like that,” she said. “To me that’s kind of gotten lost, but I’m a big card mailer. And not to keep my job going, I’ve always been a big card mailer.” Soetaert is now working on fixing up her house to sell to pursue full time RVing. She just has five states to visit to have gone to all 50 – Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, Delaware and Rhode Island. As excited as she is to travel, she said family is the only thing that might hold her back. She’s stayed involved in her grandnieces’ and grandnephews’ lives and would miss that as she traveled. She feels satisfied with her career, but is also glad to have time for other things now, like decorating for Christmas. “You don’t have time to get your own home ready for Christmas (if you work at the post office) ... I like coming home and seeing the lights,” she said.

Photos by Justin Loewen

The Oregon High School Seasonal Players wrap up their intimate senior center performance with “Rudolph the Red Nosed

Ethan Johnson’s plays through a sequence of several traditional Hanukkah songs.

Lukas Dopart lends his string bass to a rendition of Antonio Vivaldi’s “Largo.”

YEARSayEND SALE! Yes to the

Student conductor Kaia Ravet leads the players in an arrangement of music from “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”

biggest savings of the year!

33% OFF

a new Bath 1 or Shower system!

THERE WILL BE NO PICKUP ON 12/25 & 1/1 All residents normally serviced Wednesday-Friday will be delayed by one day (both weeks). Monday & Tuesday routes will not be delayed; residents will still have pickup on Tuesday, 12/24 & 12/31.

ZERO

Down • Interest • Payements 2 Until 2021 Dinner for Two

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

with in-home estimate!3

CALL TODAY!

(608)-338-1170 www.madcitybaths.com www.pellitteri.com (608) 257-4285

adno=125872

1New orders only. Minimum purchase required. Does not include material costs 2 Financing available with minimum purchase and approved credit. Mad City Windows & Baths, Inc. is neither a broker nor a lender. Financing is provided by third-party lenders unaffiliated with Mad City Windows & Baths, Inc., under terms and conditions arranged directly between the customer and such lender, all subject to credit requirements and satisfactory completion of finance documents. Any finance terms advertised are estimate only. Ask for details. New orders only. Not valid with any other offer, or previous job.3 With in-home estimate and product demonstration to homeowner(s). Limit one per household. Gift card given upon completion of demonstration to be mailed in by homeowner(s). Salespersons do not carry gift cards for security reasons. Allow 2-3 weeks after demonstration to receive gift card. Gift card valued at $50.

adno=129174

ConnectOregonWI.com

December 19, 2019

Oregon Observer

3

Oregon School District

New boundaries approved by school board K-6 attendance areas updated for new school opening in fall SCOTT DE LARUELLE Unified Newspaper Group

With rapid growth expected in the northern part of the district and a new elementary school set to open in summer, the Oregon School Board approved new elementary school attendance boundaries Monday night. The move is the last step in a process that started in spring, when a committee comprising staff, administrators and parents, and chaired by OSD deputy superintendent Leslie Bergstrom, started working on redefining the boundaries. Criteria for the boundaries including transportation safety/efficiency and keeping students in an attendance

zone for the school closest to where they live. In October, the group presented a proposal to the board with three parameters: Students would go to the school closest to their home, an exemption process would be available to families, and there would be “simplified” busing zones for each attendance area. The new map divides the district laterally into thirds, with students in the top portion – roughly the northern portion of the City of Fitchburg and Town of Dunn – going to the new Fitchburg K-6 school. Students in the “middle” section – the southern half of Fitchburg and Dunn, down to Lincoln Road/Janesville streets in the Village of Oregon – would attend Prairie View or Netherwood Knoll elementaries in the Village of Oregon, and Rome Corners Intermediate.

Students living south of the Lincoln Road/Janesville Street line would attend Brooklyn Elementary and RCI. During the three listening sessions held this month on a variety of topics, including the boundaries, Bergstrom said OSD officials noticed “a couple important pieces.” She said parents “really appreciated” an exemption process, as keeping siblings together is “extremely important” to them and transportation availability is a significant concern. Those concerns were taken into account during the boundary zone process, she said. Starting next fall, students in the Netherwood Knoll and Prairie View zones will have their school placement honored, Bergstrom said. Students assigned to the newly named Forest Edge Elementary will need to fill out an exemption form if they want to go to

a different school; however, depending on their location and available transportation, they may not be on a bus route, Bergstrom added. “We wouldn’t take someone from Brooklyn to Fitchburg by bus,” she explained. “ By dedicating 210 minutes of the school day to those classes – such as math and social studies – Village (of Oregon) area, there is flexibility on that.” Noting the predicted increase in student growth in Fitchburg, Bergstrom said district officials will “probably be very cautious” in the near future about filling up the new K-6 school with K-4 students in the Netherwood Knoll and Prairie View zones. “We want to ensure there is space as those surrounding neighborhoods are built out, but absolutely they could (switch),” she said.

Bergstrom said from now on, new elementary school students with an older sibling already in the school will be automatically placed in the same building, so parents don’t have to fill out a form. She said the district will mail out placement letters to families and information about the exemption process in spring, in case parents would want students at a different school. “Given what we learned, we want to ensure the exemption process is straightforward, and provide parents with timely response,” she said. School board president Steve Zach, a long-time member on the board and attorney for other area school districts, said realigning boundaries is “never easy.” “We did this once before, reshuffling the elementaries, and it took a lot of time,” he said.

Board to take time on time change Unified Newspaper Group Photo by Jim Ferolie

An aerial view of the new Oregon School District elementary school in Fitchburg from September 2019.

‘Forest Edge’ wins in a landslide SCOTT DE LARUELLE Unified Newspaper Group

People finally won’t have to call it “elementary school number four” anymore. The name reveal was held at Monday night’s school board meeting, where Oregon High School students Jenna Sharkus and Cubby Vandermause announced “Forest Edge” was chosen as the new name for the K-6 elementary school under construction in Fitchburg. The name was decided by district K-12 students, with Forest Edge defeating Nine Springs in a runaway victory, with 72 percent of the student vote out of nearly 2,500 ballots. It’s the final step in a process that began in August, with people submitting 204 names to the school board. Taking certain criteria into account, such as the location and geography schools, the board whittled that number down to seven, then voted on two finalists to send to students. During the first weeks of December, all district students had a chance to cast a ballot, with K-4 students voting in their classes and 5-12 students online. Nearly twothirds of the district’s students voted — 2,476 in all, but not before first watching a brief educational video put together by Sharkus, Vandermause and Chloe Jacobson to help students understand the reasoning behind the names, and a drone-piloted sneak peek

On the Web Check out the OHS student video at

https://bit.ly/36GIrfd behind the scenes at construction. Sharkus told board members Monday night the idea was to give students some context on the school and its location, share the process of how the voting would work and reinforce the importance of using their voices in the voting process. The group wrote a script, visited the school site to interview builders, used a green screen for some parts and did the narration and on-camera work as well. “It was very educational, and we were very grateful to go to see the building for ourselves,” Vandermause said. “It really showed how engaged students are in our school district, and you know what, our video might have worked.” OSD superintendent Brian Busler said the students earned a “10 out of 10” on the video, which pointed out, for instance, that students will be able to look out and see a nearby forest from their classroom. “They did a marvelous job of starring in the video, explaining the new school names, showing the new school to all students and informing their fellow students on the voting process,” he told the Observer in an email.

A potential change to Oregon School District start times has led dozens of parents and teachers to voice concerns over what they see as possible negative effects. A s a r e s u l t , O r eg o n administrators will take the next few weeks to come up with a revised plan. After hearing an Oregon Education Association statement opposing the change and nine parents speaking against the proposal before a presentation Monday night, Dec. 16, the board decided to take time to further study the issues. The new plan will be discussed at its Jan. 13 meeting. “The next steps are to continue to sift and winnow the information that has been prepared and reflect on comments from parents and staff,” district communications director Erika Mundinger wrote in an email to the Observer Tuesday. The district’s plan was to change elementary school start dates to coincide with the opening of the newly named Forest Edge EMERALD INVESTMENTS Elementary School in MINI STORAGE fall 2020. All elementa5'x10' $38 Month ry schools would have 10'x10' $60 Month started at 7:45 a.m. (from 10'x15' $65 Month 8 a.m. in Brooklyn and 10'x20' $80 Month 8:05 a.m. at Prairie View 10'x25' $90 Month and Netherwood Knoll) At Cleary Building Corp. to help sync up all K-6 190 S. Paoli St., Verona WI students’ schedules and (608) 845-9700

FREE

Stock Book

PAL STEEL New • Used • Surplus

“The next steps are to continue to sift and winnow the information that has been prepared and reflect on comments from parents and staff.” Erika Mundinger, district communications director time,” read the group’s website. “We understand the delay for middle/ high school start times as research shows this to be beneficial for development and mental health, however this should not come at the expense of our younger students.” OEA president Laura Stoller read a prepared statement from the group, saying “many of our teachers believe that lengthening the elementary school day is neither necessary nor beneficial,” citing DPI recommendations of 1,050 instruction hours for grades 1-6, compared to the 1,261 under the proposal. “While we understand the desire to create a

consistent experience for students at the 5-6 grade level, we do not believe that lengthening the school day for all K-4 students is the appropriate solution,” the statement read. “The current length of our elementary school day is in line with surrounding districts, while the proposed length is significantly longer than most neighboring elementary schools.” An additional concern among elementary teachers with lengthening the school day is the potential decrease of prep and collaboration time. “With students in the building longer, that would mean a decrease in time to work together, planning and preparing for our learners,” the statement read. “While we understand the value of a later start for secondary students, we remain concerned about the proposed start time at the elementary level and how that impacts the emotional, academic and social learning of our youngest learners.” Email Unified Newspaper Group reporter Scott De Laruelle at scott.delaruelle@wcinet.com

BREITBACH CHIROPRACTIC Serving the Community Since 1961 167 N. Main St., Oregon

HOURS: Monday, Tuesday and Friday 8 am-12 noon; 1:30 pm-6 pm Wednesday 8 am-12 noon; 1:30 pm-5 pm; 7-9 pm

MULTI-METAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER

Pipe - Plate - Channel - Angle - Tube - Rebar - Bar Grating, Expanded Metal Sheet - Lintels - B-Decking - Pipe Bollards - Decorative Iron Parts I & H Beams $3 & up per foot

STAINLESS STEEL & ALUMINUM ROUGH SAWN LUMBER & BUILDING SUPPLIES STEEL ROOFING & SIDING FABRICATION • CRANE SERVICE • STEEL PROCESSING 414 3rd Street, Palmyra • 262-495-4453 • www.PalSteel.com

adno=129176

Saturday 8 am-11 am Dr. John E. Breitbach

835-5353

www.breitbachchiropractic.com

adno=123770

SCOTT DE LARUELLE

better line up timing for bus routes so rural students’ rides are shorter. “We’re trying to match the appropriate length of the school day, because we’d like all of our students to have similar experiences at the elementary level,” district superintendent Brian Busler told the Observer last week. “We’re trying to make an educational-based decision.” But many worried even a 20-minute change would have negative effects, and that was clear in three listening sessions the district held this month, attended by more than 100 people in total. The early time change was a top concern in those meetings, Busler said. A group of “concerned parents, teachers and community” started a petition on Change.org that had 329 signatures by noon Dec. 17. The group “strongly recommends” keeping the start time of 8/8:05 a.m. for elementary school students and ending at 2:50/2:55 p.m., with a 6 hour 50 minute day. The new plan would have added 20 minutes to the day at PVE and NKE and 15 minutes to BKE. “These 20 minutes are critical for young children’s sleep and play

adno=80447

Concerns about early start times prompt more reflection

4

December 19, 2019

Opinion

Oregon Observer

ConnectOregonWI.com

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

Community Voices

See something wrong? The Oregon Observer does not sweep errors under the rug. If you see something you know or even think is in error, please call 835-6677 or email oregonobserver@wcinet.com so we can get it right.

Thursday, Dec. 19, 2019 • Vol. 135, No. 25 USPS No. 411-300

Periodical Postage Paid, Oregon, WI and additional offices. Published weekly on Thursday by the Unified Newspaper Group, A Division of Woodward Communications, Inc. POSTMASTER: Send Address Corrections to The Oregon Observer, PO Box 930427, Verona, WI 53593.

Office Location: 156 N. Main Street, Oregon, WI 53575 Office Hours: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday Phone: 608-835-6677 • FAX: 608-835-0130 e-mail: ungeditor@wcinet.com Circulation customer service: (800) 355-1892

ConnectOregonWI.com

This newspaper is printed on recycled paper.

General Manager Lee Borkowski lborkowski@wcinet.com Sales Manager Kathy Neumeister kathy.neumeister@wcinet.com Advertising Daniel Duquette oregonsales@wcinet.com Classifieds ungclassified@wcinet.com Inside Sales Suzy Schleeper insidesales@wcinet.com

Circulation ungcirculation@wcinet.com News Jim Ferolie ungeditor@wcinet.com Sports Adam Feiner ungsportseditor@wcinet.com Community/Business Emilie Heidemann ungbusiness@wcinet.com Reporters Kimberly Wethal, Mark Nesbitt, Mackenzie Krumme, Neal Patten, Scott De Laruelle, Renee Hickman

In memory UNG Reporter Amber Levenhagen (1994-2019)

Unified Newspaper Group, a division of Woodward Communications,Inc. A Diversified, Employee-Owned Media Company Good People. Real Solutions. Shared Results. Printed by Capital Newspapers - Madison

Give up your bah humbug for some light in your holidays

B

ah, humbug. It’s the holiday season once again, and the sign another year has passed with both sadness and joy. Now it is cold and dark, and I find little joy and am depressed. So the other day I told myself to get over my bad ,self and despite my discontent, I am managing to work on getting out of my bah humbug funk . So many things upset me: the environmental crisis, the migrants detained in chainlinked holding pens, children separated from their parents in those pens, the endless bickering in Washington, D.C., racism, hyperconsumerism that entices me to buy crap that will end up in a landfill and a lot of the profits of such things not doing much good for the many. Let’s add to the list. There’s homelessness, housing costs and shortages, infrastructure not being attended to properly, murdering of children in our schools, violence in general, medical costs increasing, drug prices rising and unaffordable to many. Then we argue about saying Merry Christmas versus Happy Holidays. Really? Who cares? Talking to other people and friends, this depression is the experience others are having, as well. It has forced me to think about the many ways there are to celebrate the season that is really just a way to deal with the axis of rotation of the Earth around the Sun. I also thought about my own family celebrations and the symbol of light common to so many of them. Christmas is a compilation of so many celebrations, all about light: Christ is the light, believed by many of the world, so we celebrate his birth. We celebrate other traditions, too – including the winter solstice, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah and the New Year.

Maitzen

The winter solstice is the shortest day light of the year. Long ago, people celebrated by lighting bonfires, trees on hills and candles to coax back the sun praying for

warmth and light. Kwanzaa means “First Fruits,” and it is based on ancient African harvest festivals and celebrates ideals such as family life and unity. During this spiritual holiday, many African Americans decorate their homes with fruits and vegetables and light candles. The Kinara, a candle holder, represents African people, their struggle and the future and hope that comes from their struggle. During Hanukkah, the Jewish community lights special candles in a holder called a menorah in a celebration referred as the Festival of Lights. They do this to remember an ancient miracle in which one day’s worth of oil burned for eight days during a time of religious struggle for freedom to worship in ancient times. Many places around the world use light in their New Year celebrations. In Ecuador, a straw man represents the old year. People make lists of all their faults, and at midnight, they burn the straw man\ in hopes that their faults will disappear with the straw man. In Hong Kong, priests attach a list of names past and present to a paper horse and set it on fire. The smoke carries the names up into the sky reflecting on the past and present. For the Chinese New Year, adults and children carry lanterns and join in a parade led by a silk

dragon, the Chinese symbol of strength. According to legend, the dragon hibernates most of the year, so people throw firecrackers making light and noise to keep the dragon awake. And finally here and others places, the 12 Days of Christmas come to an end with the day called Epiphany. This event is celebrated as the day the three wise men first saw baby Jesus and brought him gifts. My family celebrated the Twelfth Night by having a cake with coins baked into it. It was a special meal with candles, love and laughter signifying the end of the Christmas season. As I recalled all of these celebrations, my attitude began to change from bah humbug to the hope of that light. I might not be able to do anything about world happenings that are disturbing, but I can do something now and for the New Year. My heart was beginning to heal and felt so much better. My lightbulb above my head made this list: Give out socks and blankets to Madison’s homeless; Donate to the Oregon Food Pantry; Remind people to vote; Give handmade gifts to my friends and family; Buy locally and from artists; Celebrate with my friends and neighbors; String lights around the house; and maybe have a bonfire. I think I will finally put up a Christmas tree again. The sun will return, and spring will come again. May we be grateful for the things we have and spread the light of kindness, peace, and respect this December and throughout the New Year, so Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Joyous Kwanzaa, Happy Solstice and Season’s Greetings. Gwen Maitzen is a Town of Oregon resident.

NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION

SUBSCRIPTION RATES One Year in Dane Co. & Rock Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $45 One Year Elsewhere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $55 Oregon Observer Stoughton Courier Hub • Verona Press

Easily renew your subscription online!

It only takes a few clicks to renew your newspaper subscription electronically with our secure site at: connectoregonwi.com

ConnectOregonWI.com

December 19, 2019

Oregon Observer

5

‘Rescue Boards talk safety, construction Kids’ courses start Jan. 19 Oregon Public Library

EMILIE HEIDEMANN Unified Newspaper Group

While fundraising continues for the the $10 million-plus Oregon Public Library project, the village and library boards are working on a pair of major decisions. One is how to ensure safe pedestrian crossings of Main Street, and the other is how to run the construction project itself. The two boards, in their first joint meeting since summer, discussed both items at length Monday, Dec. 16, but voted to take no action on either until design plans are in place. That’s expected to come in June 2020. The capital campaign, which is expected to wrap up in June, might take its fundraising efforts public in February, a little earlier than scheduled, to generate more awareness about the project, Library Board member Jennifer Nelson told both groups. The results of that campaign will dictate the budget for the library. A fundraising expert told the Library Board earlier this year should be able to net at least the $4 million needed for the base-level library design, but library officials commissioned design options that would allow for a reduction or expansion if the campaign is more or less successful than expected.

The two boards are scheduled to meet jointly again at 5 p.m. June 15, 2020, to discuss the results of the capital campaign and ways to proceed. Until then, staff and consultants are continuing to work on fundraising efforts, evaluating pedestrian crosswalk options and seeking the best strategy for constructing the building. The boards discussed what the location of a crosswalk across Main Street could be and how it would be marked, and considered three possible ways to bid and run the construction of the building.

Crosswalk locations

The village and library boards reviewed a Strand Associates evaluation of the existing traffic conditions around the library site and pedestrian crossing conditions at two potential locations. Crossing Location 1 is on the southern half of the library site on Main Street near Netherwood Road Elementary School, and the Location 2 is on the northern half of the site. If the village chooses Crossing Location 1, a letter from the company points out that with a pedestrian activated signal, the crossing should be located far enough to the north so that a stop bar could be placed on Main Street between NKE and the crossing. If a full traffic signal is desired, it would need to be considered to control the NKE driveway similar to how the library’s would be, the letter states. The second crossing location would have more of a limited impact on the building design, the Strand letter states.

Village OK’s apartments Rosewood Avenue building plan features urban appearance EMILIE HEIDEMANN Unified Newspaper Group

The Oregon Village Board gave developers the go-ahead Monday, Dec. 16, to the final step in the public approval process for an apartment building project at Rosewood Avenue. The 56-unit apartment project at 124 Rosewood Ave. will be three stories, public works director Jeff Rau told the Observer in an email in November. Located west of the year-old Sleep Inn and Suites hotel, it’s an area in “significant need” of apartments, he said. In October, the board approved a general development plan for the project, which sets the overall scope, site configuration and uses for the project, and provides the developer with assurances it can build as long as its final

plan meets its criteria. The final step, the specific implementation plan, addresses building design, landscaping, lighting, utilities and other details. The proposed SIP “closely resembles” the approved GDP, the plan states. Proposed minor changes include removing several parking spaces from the drainage easement on the eastern corner of the lot. The plan features 52 u n d e rg r o u n d p a r k i n g spots and an exercise and community room on the ground floor of the complex. T h e p l a n s h ow s a n “ u r b a n a p p e a r a n c e ,” according to a letter from the developer, with a flat roof and a brown, beige and grey color scheme. Each ground floor apartment would have a patio and each unit on the second and third floor will have a balcony. Email Emilie Heidemann at emilie.heidemann@ wcinet.com or follow her on Twitter at @HeidemannEmilie.

The evaluation also detailed crosswalk options to best make pedestrians more visible to motorists. One option included a traditional painted crosswalk with pedestrian ramps constructed adjacent to the existing sidewalk on Main Street and two 6-inch white painted crosswalk lines. That, Strand wrote, would be the minimum build to add a crosswalk at this location. Another option is a “high visibility” ladder style painted crosswalk with the same pedestrian ramps. This option would need the use of additives to increase the paint traction as roadway paint can be slippery when wet. A third option includes a rectangular rapid flashing beacon, similar to what is at Oregon Middle School and Rome Corners Intermediate. A fourth option detailed a pedestrian activated traffic signal controlled crosswalk. A crossing would be warranted if typical average hourly volumes at the Main Street location reach 300 pedestrians for four hours each day, Strand wrote. Strand wrote, and the trustees agreed, that drivers would be more likely to comply with the traffic signal.

Defining construction roles

By the time the project is bid, the library board will need to determine whether to hire a construction manager or use a design-bidbuild model. A letter from Stafford Rosenbaum Attorneys to library director Jennifer Endres Way and village administrator Mike Gracz detailed the architect’s construction manager and

Village in brief Winter parking The village revised its winter parking rules at its Monday, Dec. 16, meeting. From 2 a.m. to 6 p.m. between Nov. 15 and April 1, parking is prohibited in the parking lot adjacent to Village Hall, 117 Spring St. It’s also not allowed in Hitching Park, located between Spring Street and North Main Street. Parking is also prohibited on odd numbered days in the parking lot of the 100 block of Jefferson Street.

Affordable housing report

owner representative’s roles in the design and construction process. It states the village and library board are exploring two different construction delivery to organize the design and construction work for the library. One is a design-bid-build model, in which a single company would be responsible for the entire construction project, and the other is construction management, in which a consultant coordinates the project. Under the design-bidbuild model, the Library Board would hire a design team of architects and engineers to develop plans for a building to fit the owner’s goals and budget. Based on the completed building plans, the board would select a contractor through a competitive bidding process to construct the building for a set price. During construction, the architect would verify that the contractor builds according to the plans. Under the construction management model, the board would hire a construction manager early in the design phase, and the manager can either act as an adviser or a prime contractor. Those are formally regarded in the letter as “Construction Manager as Adviser” and “Construction Manager at Risk.” The adviser role would have no legal responsibility for the performance of the actual construction work. Either version would assume part of the owner’s duties in the construction process. This role is often chosen when the entity that owns the project has little experience in construction.

The village recognized the department with a plaque and letter from the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Accreditation Group, Inc. WILEAG stated in its letter to the board that after an on site assessment report and verbal presentation, the entity unanimously approved OPD accreditation.

Netherwood stormwater The Village of Oregon passed a task order for $33,087 with Ruekert-Mielke for design and bidding services for Netherwood Stormwater Improvements. Improvements will include increasing a culvert size under Cusick Parkway to Cusick Pond, a redesign and restructuring of pond’s outlet structure, an inverted siphon culvert under Netherwood Road to the south and a new culvert under Netherwood Road on the Josh Below property.

The village will post its affordable housing report on its website Dec. 31. Now that Oregon’s population has surpassed 10,000 people, village planner Elise Cruz said the affordable housing report must be completed Police Commission every year as mandated by the Pat M. Shellenberger was State of Wisconsin. appointed to the Oregon “If someone wants to live Police Commission. here, there should be a place Shellenberger is a depufor them,” she told the board. ty sergeant with the Dane County Sheriff’s Office, an OPD accreditation email to the board states. He T h e O r e g o n P o l i c e holds a master’s degree in D e p a r t m e n t i s n ow a n organizational leadership. accredited organization.

Annual safety sessions set for fourth and fifthgraders SCOTT DE LARUELLE Unified Newspaper Group

Rescue Kids courses are back again this winter. The first aid preparedness class offered to fourth and fifth grade students at the Brooklyn Fire Station starts next month, with four Saturday morning sessions planned for January and February. Students only attend one of the sessions. Classes are 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Jan. 11, Jan. 25, Feb. 8 and Feb. 22. The final 45 minutes of each session are devoted to a discussion led by EMS personnel given to the entire family. They plan to discuss information pertaining to a 911 call and the arrival of an ambulance. After the discussion, there is a brief tour of the emergency vehicles stationed in the building.

If You Go What: ‘Rescue Kids’ first aid preparedness class When: 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Saturdays Jan. 11 and 25; Feb. 8 and 22 Where: Brooklyn Fire Station, 401 W. Main St. Info: Email das@oregonsd.net The cost of the class is $22 and includes a first aid workbook and pillowcase that will be decorated by the students with the purpose of storing emergency supplies in the event of an extreme weather situation. The students will also receive a personal first aid kit. The instructor is Dale Schulz, retired long-time Brooklyn Elementary School educator who has taught first aid skills to fourth and fifth grade students since 1991. To sign up, register at oregonsd.org under the community education and recreation link.

Annual veterans’ fundraiser date set Maggie and the Heartland Country Band to headline April 25 concert SCOTT DE LARUELLE Unified Newspaper Group

Winter is just beginning, but it’s never too early to start thinking of spring. For the fifth year, Maggie and the Heartland Country Band will bring their special blend of country music to the Oregon Performing Arts Center for a spring concert to benefit local veterans. Next year’s concert is set for 1 p.m. April 25. The group will perform many Nashville specials, featuring the yodeling styles of Maggie May, and new next year, Elvis impersonator LeRoy Peterson, providing memories of the “King.” Brooklyn Area Veterans

If You Go What: Annual veterans’ fundraiser When: 1 p.m. Saturday, April 25 Where: Oregon Performing Arts Center, 456 N Perry Pkwy Info: oregonperformingartscenter.com or call Lyle Wanless at 516-5401

Memorial Council president Lyle Wanless said the council wants to assist community organizations that are working to raise money on projects and “share a great event.” This year, the council will reimburse organizations that sell seats $5 per ticket toward their organization. For information or to reserve seats, visit oregonperformingartscenter.com or call Wanless at 516-5401.

adno=129178

Decisions set up for June joint meeting after fundraising finishes

6

December 19, 2019

ConnectOregonWI.com

Oregon Observer

Coming up

Churches

Wax museum

org.

Rome Corners Intermediate School is set to have another round of “wax museum” on Thursday, Dec. 19, and Friday, Dec. 20. From 2:30-3:30 p.m. each day at 1111 S. Perry Pkwy. families can witness middle schoolers dressed as historical figures such as Amelia Earhart, Rosa Parks, Henry Ford and Albert Einstein. The Oregon Historical Museum helps provide the costumes and students prepare presentations about their historical figure to recite. For information, call 835-4700.

pertaining to Oregon. If you have suggestions for times Brooklyn holiday lights and locations, or are not able to make The annual Brooklyn Holiday Light it but would like to connect please Contest is set to conclude at the end email mackenzie.krumme@wcinet. of day Friday, Dec. 20. The third week in December, cars com. with identifying door magnets will Red Cross blood drive be driving around judging homes and A Red Cross blood drive will take may take pictures. place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, The rules are: only residents of the Dec. 20, at People’s United Methodist Village of Brooklyn are eligible and Church, 103 N. Alpine Pkwy. board members and recreation comTo schedule an appointment or for mittee members are not eligible. more information, call 1-800-REDThe top three homes receive prizes. CROSS or visit redcrossblood.org, For information, visit brooklynrecand use sponsor code Oregon. reation.org.

‘Create a Slide Show’

‘Coffee with a Reporter’

The library is hosting an event to help adults learn how to create slideshows from 6-7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19, at the library. Registration is required. The class is geared towards people who would like to learn about the different programs to create digital slideshows for events. For information, contact Kara at 835-6268 or kripley@oregonlibrary.

Oregon Observer reporters Emilie Heidemann and Mackenzie Krumme will hold the next Coffee with a Reporter from 9-10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 20, at Firefly Coffeehouse and Artisan Cheese, 114 N. Main St. Coffee with a Reporter is when Observer reporters spend some time at various establishments and put up a sign asking for community members to come chat about anything

‘Living Nativity’

From 4-6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21, Faith Lutheran Church will host its first Living Nativity event for the public at 143 Washington St. A press release states the event will be a multi-sensory Christmas event. Kids and their families can make crafts, play games and interact with a live Nativity scene. For more information, call Pastor Jeff Hendrix at 405-9522.

Community calendar Thursday, Dec. 19

• 1 p.m., Monthly card parties ($3), senior center, 835-5801 • 2:30-3:30 p.m., “B1 Wax Museum,” Rome Corners Intermediate School, 1111 S. Perry Pkwy., 835-4700 • 4-7 p.m.., Food distribution and collection, Oregon Area Food Pantry, 107 N. Alpine Pkwy., oregonfoodpantry@hotmail.com • 6-7 p.m., “Create a slideshow”, library, 835-5801 • 6:30-8 p.m., Book Mobile, Brooklyn Gazebo, brooklynwi.gov • 7 p.m., Blur Christmas, First Presbyterian Church, 408 N. Bergamont Blvd, 835-3082

Friday, Dec. 20

• 9 a.m., Coffee with a Reporter, Firefly Coffeehouse and Artisan Cheese, 114 N. Main St., mackenzie.krumme@wcinet.com • 10 and 10:30 a.m., Family storytime and Stay and Play, library, 835-3656

• 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., UNC Blood Drive, People’s United Methodist Church, 103 N Alpine Pkwy, 835-3755 • 2:30-3:30 p.m., “Blue 2 Wax Museum,” Rome Corners Intermediate School, 1111 S. Perry Pkwy., 8354700 • Brooklyn Tree Lighting Contest ends, brooklynrecreation.org

Saturday, Dec. 21

• 4-6 p.m., Living Nativity, Faith Lutheran Church, 143 Washington St., 835-3554

Monday, Dec. 23

• Oregon School Districts Winter Break starts • Library closes at 6 p.m. • Personnel and Public Works meeting cancelled • 6:30 p.m., Village of Brooklyn board meeting (second and fourth Monday), Village Hall, 210 Commercial St., 455-4201

Tuesday, Dec. 24

• 9-11 a.m.., Food distribution and collection, Oregon

Community cable listings Village of Oregon Cable Access TV channels: WOW #983 & ORE #984 Phone: 291-0148 • Email: oregoncableaccess@charter.net Website: ocamedia.com • Facebook: ocamediawi New programs daily at 1 p.m. and repeats at 4, 7 and 10 p.m. and 1, 4, 7 and 10 a.m.

Thursday, Dec. 19 WOW: Senior Center Presentation: Middleton Jazz Concert (April 17) ORE: LIVE: Girls Basketball vs Stoughton (Dec. 19) AIRS Friday, Dec. 20 WOW: Oregon Progressives Open Mic (Dec. 6) ORE: FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE: OHS Panther Boys Basketball vs Edgewood Saturday, Dec. 21 WOW: Movie: The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) ORE: OHS Wrestling vs Fort Atkinson (Dec. 6) Sunday, Dec. 22 WOW: Community of Life Lutheran Church Service ORE: OHS and OMS Choir Concert (Dec. 5) Monday, Dec. 23 WOW: Village Board

Meeting (Dec. 16) ORE: School Board Meeting (Dec. 16) Tuesday, Dec. 24 WOW: Holiday Tree Lighting (Dec. 6) ORE: Academy of Sound Holiday Recital (2018) Wednesday, Dec. 25 WOW: Academy of Sound (Dec. 15) ORE: ODI Holiday Concert (Dec. 18) Thursday, Dec. 26 WOW: Oregon Progressives Open Mic (Dec. 6) ORE:OHS Panther Girls Basketball vs Edgewood (Dec. 6)

Area Food Pantry, 107 N. Alpine Pkwy., oregonfoodpantry@hotmail.com • 4:30 p.m., Advent at Hillcrest Bible Church, 752 E. Netherwood St., 835-7972 • 7 p.m., Candlelight service, Faith Lutheran Church, 143 Washington St., 835-3554 • Library, senior center, Village Hall closed

Tuesday, Dec. 31

• 9-11 a.m.., Food distribution and collection, Oregon Area Food Pantry, 107 N. Alpine Plwy., oregonfoodpantry@hotmail.com • 5:30-7:30 p.m., Community New Year’s Eve (scavenger hunt, crafts), library, 835-3656 • 5:30-7:30 p.m., Community New Year’s Eve (toss games), senior center, 8355801 Wednesday, Dec. 25 • 5:30-7:30 p.m., Commu• Library, senior center, Vil- nity New Year’s Eve gym games and activities, Nethlage Hall closed erwood Knoll Elementary School, 276 Soden Dr., Thursday, Dec. 26 835-4100 • 1 p.m., Movie matinee • 6-7 p.m., Community New (“The Lion King”), senior Year’s Eve music by “Grey center, 835-5801 and Casey,” senior center, 835-5801 • 4-7 p.m.., Food distribution and collection, Oregon • 8 p.m., Time Travelers performance, Oregon Bowl, Area Food Pantry, 107 N. 214 Spring St., 835-3133 Alpine Pkwy., oregonfood• 9 p.m., The Underground pantry@hotmail.com Project performance, Head• 6:30-8 p.m., Book Mobile, quarters, 101 Concord Dr., Brooklyn Gazebo, brooklyn- undergroundproject44@ gmail.com wi.gov

Senior center Monday, Dec. 23 Sloppy Joe on Whole Wheat Bun Kidney Bean Salad Mixed Vegetables Peaches Frosted Strawberry Cake MO – Chickpea Sloppy Joe NCS – SF Jell-O Tuesday, Dec. 24 CLOSED Wednesday, Dec. 25 CLOSED Thursday, Dec. 26 My Meal, My Way Lunch at Ziggy’s Smokehouse and Ice Cream Parlor! Drop in between 11:30 AM and 1:00 PM Friday, Dec. 27 Meat Sauce over Spaghetti Noodles Wax Beans Mixed Green Salad Spiced Pears Cookie Bars MO – Marinara Sauce NCS – SF Cookie Packet SO — Seven Layer Salad

Monday, Dec. 23 Morning: Reflexology 9:00 CLUB 10:30 Dominoes 10:30 StrongWomen 1:00 Weight Loss Support 1:00 RSVP Sewing 1:30 Bridge 1:45 Balance Class Tuesday, Dec. 24 Closed for Holiday Wednesday, Dec. 25 Closed for Holiday Thursday, Dec. 26 Morning: Foot Care 8:30 Zumba Gold Advanced 9:45 Zumba Gold 10:30 StrongWomen 12:30 Mahjongg 12:45 Silver Sneakers 5:00 StrongWomen Friday, Dec. 27 9:00 CLUB 9:00 Gentle Yoga 9:30 Blood Pressure 10:45 Balance Class 11:45 Shopping at Bill’s 1:00 Movie: “The Lion King”

All Saints Lutheran Church 2951 Chapel Valley Rd., Fitchburg (608) 276-7729 Interim pastor SUNDAY 8:30 a.m. classic service 10:45 a.m. new song service Brooklyn Lutheran Church 101 Second Street, Brooklyn (608) 455-3852 Pastor Rebecca Ninke SUNDAY 9 a.m. Holy Communion 10 a.m. Fellowship Community of Life Lutheran Church PO Box 233, Oregon (608) 286-3121, office@ communityoflife.us Pastor Jim McCoid SUNDAY 8:45 a.m. Education Hour, 10 a.m. Worship at 1111 S. Perry Parkway, Oregon Brooklyn Community United Methodist Church 201 Church Street, Brooklyn (608) 455-3344 Pastor George Kaminski SUNDAY 9 a.m. Worship (Nov.-April) 10:30 a.m. Worship (May-Oct.)

Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church 143 Washington Street, Oregon (608) 835-3554 Pastor Jeffrey Hendrix SUNDAY - 9 a.m. Worship Holy Communion 2nd & last Sundays First Presbyterian Church 408 N. Bergamont Blvd. (north of CC), Oregon, WI (608) 835-3082 - fpcoregonwi. org Pastor Kathleen Owens SUNDAY 10 a.m. Service 10:15 a.m. Sunday School 11 a.m. Fellowship 11:15 a.m. Adult Education Memorial UCC 5705 Lacy Road, Fitchburg (608) 273-1008, memorialucc. org Pastor Kristin Gorton SUNDAY 8:15 and 10 a.m.

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church ECLA

Central Campus: Raymond Road and Whitney Way SATURDAY - 5 p.m. Worship SUNDAY - 8:15, 9:30 and 10:45 a.m. Worship West Campus: Corner of Hwy. PD and Nine Mound Road, Verona SUNDAY - 9 & 10:15 a.m., 6 p.m. Worship (608) 271-6633 Hillcrest Bible Church

752 E. Netherwood, Oregon David Bartosik, Lead Pastor (608) 835-7972, www.hbclife.com SUNDAY 8:30 a.m. worship at the Hillcrest Campus and 10:15 a.m. worship with Children’s ministries, birth – 4th grade Holy Mother of Consolation Catholic Church

651 N. Main Street, Oregon Pastor: Fr. Gary Wankerl (608) 835-5763 holymotherchurch.weconnect.com SATURDAY: 5 p.m. Worship SUNDAY: 8 and 10:15 a.m. Worship People’s United Methodist Church 103 North Alpine Parkway, Oregon Pastor Jason Mahnke

(608) 835-3755, www.peoplesumc.org

Communion is the 1st & 3rd weekend SATURDAY - 5 p.m. Worship SUNDAY - 9 a.m. Worship and Sunday school; 10:30 a.m. Worship St. John’s Lutheran Church

625 E. Netherwood, Oregon Pastor Paul Markquart (Lead) (608) 291-4311 SATURDAY - 5 p.m. Worship SUNDAY - 8, 10:30 a.m. Worship Vineyard Community Church

Oregon Community Bank & Trust, 105 S. Alpine Parkway, Oregon Bob Groth, Pastor (608) 513-3435, welcometovineyard.com SUNDAY - 10 a.m. Worship

Zwingli United Church of Christ – Paoli

At the intersection of Hwy. 69 & PB Pastor Rich Pleva paoliucc.com, (608) 225-1278 SUNDAY - 9:30 a.m. Family worship

Support groups • Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, First Presbyterian Church, every Monday and Friday at 7 p.m. • Relationship & Divorce Support Group, State Bank of Cross Plains, every other Monday at 6:30 p.m. • Navigating Life Elder Support Group, People’s United Methodist Church, 103 N. Alpine Pkwy., every first Monday at 7 p.m.

Most of the World Is Invisible Physics provides a wealth of examples which illustrate that we see but a tiny fraction of the universe. Visible light is a tiny fraction of the electromagnetic spectrum, and whereas our galaxy (the Milky Way) was believed by scientists less than a hundred years ago to be the only galaxy, it is now known that there are at least 100 billion galaxies besides our own, each galaxy containing some 100 billion stars. The universe is quite large, it is expanding, and it is expanding at an accelerating rate. And consider that the entire universe, some 14 billion years ago, was confined to an area smaller than an atom. There are so many ways in which what we see and experience is just the tip of the iceberg that we would do well to be humble. Overconfidence can be dangerous in the realms of both knowledge and action. The psychologists Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman have done seminal work exploring cognitive biases (the ways in which our thinking leads us to make faulty judgments or errors). One of these biases is the “availability heuristic,”which leads us to favor data and facts that are ready to hand. We give prominence to recent events and are biased towards what we know, when in fact what we don’t know can be very important to the issue or judgement we are making. Be humble in the face of what you do not know. –Christopher Simon

Business

ConnectOregonWI.com

December 19, 2019

Business is the big cheese

Veterinarian wins award Dr. Larry Mahr, Oregon resident, received the Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association’s “50 year of Membership Award” early in November. A 1966 graduate of Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Mahr’s career began with the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps, a news release states. Mahr has been active with the Dane County Veterinary Medical Association, Rock Valley VMA, WVMA and is a past president of all three organizations. He continues to hold memberships with the WVMA, Wisconsin Equine Practitioners Association, American Association of Bovine Practitioners and the American Veterinary Medical Association, the release states.

MACKENZIE KRUMME Unified Newspaper Group

U.S. Cellular calls for contest nominations

Photos by Mackenzie Krumme

Owner of The Best of Wisconsin Shop, Tara Pearson, sorts through order forms in the facility just outside of Oregon.

Pearson said her quick growing success is also in part to her hardworking employees. “There’s days when your job description isn’t what you’re doing, and they get it because it’s a growing company,” she said. Those employees include her sisters. And although other members of her family aren’t on the payroll, they play a large role in support and bragging. Pearson, who is at the shop seven days a week, said one part of her job is quality control, tasting different cheese and sausage samples all the time. “You can’t go across the country and sustain and grow your business unless it’s a great product,” she said.

The Best of Wisconsin Shop sells cheese around the nation from 10 local much people like Wiscon- producers. sin cheese, but it’s demandBest of Wisconsin Cheese ed all over the country and Shop offers a variety of flawe’re known for our qualivors including bloody Mary; ty.” jalapeno, cheddar and bacon; Coming from a busi- jalapeno garlic dill and white ness background, Pearson sharp cheddar. also noticed a trend in the food industry, away from unhealthy snacks like chips and chocolate bars. She said consumers are going to gas stations and convenience 1860 US Hwy. 51, Stoughton stores looking for healthier, (608) 873-5924 less processed snacks like Christmas Eve cheese. “At grab and go across Candlelight Services the country parents are 4:00pm and 6:00pm walking in … and getting stuff to eat but they’re grab- Christmas Day Service bing something that’s good of Readings and Carols for them,” she said. 9:00am

The Oregon Area Chamber of Commerce has welcomed a new membership coordinator. Amanda Reseburg will be in the office 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday on a weekly basis. The chamber encourages the public to come by and say hello.

Good Shepherd by the Lake Lutheran Church

1338 Hwy PB, Belleville, WI www.zwingliuccpaoli@gmail.com

Sunday School Children’s Program & Potluck December 15 - 9:30 a.m. Candlelight Christmas Eve Service December 24 - 5:00 p.m.

Luke 2:10-11 (K.J.V)

Chamber welcomes new membership coordinator

Holy Mother of Consolation Catholic Church 651 N. Main St., Oregon, WI – 608-835-5763

December 24 – Christmas Eve Vigil: 4:00 pm, 6:30 pm, 9:00 pm

LakeView Church

AT BLACKHAWK

BRADER WAY 9620 Brader Way Sun. Dec. 22: 3*, 5 & 7 pm *Mandarin available Mon. Dec. 23: 5 & 7 pm | Tues. Dec. 24: 1, 3, 5 & 7 pm

adno=120429

FITCHBURG 5935 Astor Drive Sun. Dec. 22: 5 pm | Tues. Dec. 24: 3 & 5 pm

Faith Lutheran Church 143 Washington St., Oregon, WI FaithLutheranOregon.com

Living Nativity | 4-6pm Sat., Dec. 21 Christmas Eve Candlelight | 7pm Christmas Day Service | 9am Sugar River United Methodist Church

415 West Verona Avenue Verona, WI Sunday, December 15 • Christmas Spectacular at 6 pm Christmas Eve Services • 4:30 pm and 7 pm www.SugarRiverUMC.org

DOWNTOWN Upper House, 365 E. Campus Mall Sun. Dec. 22: 5 pm www.blackhawkchurch.org/christmas

First Presbyterian Church 408 N. Bergamont Blvd., Oregon, WI 608-835-3082

Sunday, December 15 Christmas Cantata Presentation 1:00 pm Thursday, December 19 Blue Christmas Worship Service 7:00 pm Tuesday, December 24 Christmas Eve Candlelight Service 7:00 pm

St. John’s Lutheran Church

625 E. Netherwood St., Oregon, WI 608.291.4311 • Info@sjlserve.net Dec. 14 – Lessons and Carols Worship • 5:00pm Dec. 15 – Lessons and Carols Worship • 8:00am Dec. 15 – Sunday School Christmas Program • 10:30am Dec. 21 – ‘Lighten the Darkness’ Worship, a service of comfort at time of grief and loss • 5:00pm Dec. 22 – Have You Heard? Choir Cantata • 8:00am & 10:30am Dec. 24 – Christmas Eve Worship • 3:00, 5:00, and 7:00pm Dec. 25 – Christmas Day Worship • 10:00am

December 25 – Christmas Mass: 9:00 am

2200 Lincoln Avenue, Stoughton, WI 608-873-9838 • www.lakevc.org Pastor Andy Fuqua Christmas Eve Candlelight Service December 24 • 6:00 pm

CHR ISTMAS

adno=122370

4645 Hwy. 138 835-3000 bestofwisconsinshop. com Hours: Monday-Friday: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

U.S. Cellular is looking to raise awareness for youth causes through April 2020 in the Oregon community. For the fifth year in a row, anyone over the age of 18 is encouraged to visit thefutureofgood.uscellular. com to nominate young people ages 6-17 who are making a positive impact in Oregon, a news release states. The company will then announce six winners and give them $10,000 each to put toward their local cause.

Dec. 29 – Alumni Sunday Worship • 9:00am

People’s Church 103 N. Alpine Parkway Oregon, WI (608) 835-3755

Christmas Eve Services 4:00 p.m. Interactive Family Worship 6:00 p.m. Candlelight Service 8:00 p.m. Tranquility Service Silent Night by Candlelight At All Three Services

Memorial United Church of Christ 5705 Lacy Road, Fitchburg, WI 608.273.1008 • www.memorialucc.org

Friday, Dec. 20 - Longest Night Service - 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 24 - Christmas Eve Family Service - 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 24 - Christmas Eve Candles, Carols & Communion - 7:00 p.m.

adno=126369

Best of Wisconsin Shop

Zwingli United Church of Christ - Paoli

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

7

Business news in brief

Rutland resident expands nationally known cheese and sausage brand

In six years, Tara Pearson has grown her cheese company from a small business run out of her home to a national brand sold across the country. The Rutland resident opened the Best of Wisconsin Cheese Shop, a 21,000 square foot facility, at 4645 Hwy. 138 in June. The company sells packaged Wisconsin goods in 6,000 stores in the United States. The cheese, cheese snack sticks, cheese curds and meat snacks can be found around the nation, and the Wisconsin’s Best brand is in partnership with the three largest distribution companies. The storefront has coolers and shelves stuffed with sausage, cheese, cheese curds, wine, knicknacks, salsas, pickled items and holiday baskets. In the back there is storage, packaging and offices. Pearson, president of the company and a single mother of three, started Best of Wisconsin Cheese Shop out of her home in 2013 because she saw a growing appetite for quality cheese and sausage. Pearson find the best cheese from 10 producers across the state then buys and packages it. The quality of Wisconsin cheese leads to high demand, Pearson said, noting the state is the only one in the nation requiring a license to make cheese. She said Wisconsin’s dairy competitors, like California, don’t make a comparable product. “We’re a little spoiled,” Pearson said. “We don’t understand it because we’re from Wisconsin, how well known and how

Oregon Observer

8 Oregon Observer - December 19, 2019

Happy H g n i k c Sto rs e f f u St

19

$

 111 S Main St., Oregon 608-835-3698 BergeyJewelry.com

Dean & Kale George

(608) 882-6123

Holiday Hours:

.99

While Supplies Last

W 9-5:30 Th 9-7  Fri 9-5:30 Sat 9-3 Sunday 9-3 M 9-5:30 Christmas Eve 9-3



We wish you & y Christmas and a h We look forward to

“Let our experience work for you!”

www.georgeauction.com

Come see us in o

deangeorge@litewire.net

adno=128337

Same Oregon Shopping

Gift Certifica

787 N. Main, Oregon (Next www.cuttinged

adno=128379

From our Table to Yours,

Seasons Greetings from all of us at Country View Veterinary Service!

Yuletide

Wishing You & Y Holiday & Happi

We Wish You a Very, Merry Christmas!

101 S. Main Street • Oregon adno=128225

1350 S. Fish Hatchery Rd., Oregon, WI www.countryviewvets.com 608-835-0551

adno=128587

Diamond, Sapphire, Ruby or Emerald Earrings

Real Estate Farm & Machinery Livestock Business Liquidations Antiques & Collections Estates Benefits & Fundraisers

608-291-2266

New Hours: M-Th: 7am-3pm, F: 7am-9pm, Sat: 6am-9pm, Sun: 6am-3pm

Serving D

60

We wish you the hap a healthy New Year fil

Give the gift of wellness;

HAPPY H O L I DAY S all the

Best

121 N. Main St., Do

from

S TAT E B A N K O F C R O S S P L A I N S 2019

Oregon

833 N. Main St. • (608) 835-2265 sbcp.bank

adno=128147

December 19, 2019 - Oregon Observer 9

Holidays!

yours a very merry healthy New Year! seeing you in 2020!

280 W Netherwood Rd. Oregon, WI 53575

Our git to you. FREE 6 week challenge! ‘Tis the Season to Get Fit for FREE!

our new location!

ng Plaza, Different Suite.

ates Available! to Mark’s Barber)

835-3666

dgehairetc.com

TEXT "FIT GIFT" TO (608) 423-6191 OFFER COMES WITH: ✔  ✔   ✔3      ✔   ✔     ✔    adno=128733

adno=128183

THERE IS STILL TIME!

Greetings

Yours the Merriest iest of New Years!

Wishing you a very Happy Holiday Season and a Wonderful New Year!

WE ARE OPEN THROUGH CHRISTMAS EVE FOR YOUR GIFT NEEDS.

Pre-fabricated steel buildings protecting the global infrastructure.

Our small-batch, handmade chocolates make the perfect gift!

Dane and Rock Counties Since 1948

08-256-5189

adno=126469

M-F 10a-6p, Sat-Sun 10a-3p | 105 S Main St, Oregon (608) 835-9294 | chocolatecaper.com

adno=128358

View our career opportunities online!

422 N. Burr Oak Ave. Oregon, WI 53575 608-835-5707 www.TrachteUSA.com adno=127713

ppiest of holidays and lled with peace & yoga!

; Gift Certificates available

adno=128582

The Urban Retreat Hair and Nail Salon!

Great Gift Ideas for Veterans

Please join us for our

Holiday Open House Dec 21st from 11am to 3pm

Memorial Pavers • 8"x8" $62.50 • 8"x16" $125.00 Dannie Leonard • daalleo@charter.net

Door prizes, paraffin dips, Reiki sampling, 25% off Gift Certificate and products, cookies and more! 911 N MAIN ST, OREGON,WI Book online at:

Theurbanretreathairandnails.com 608-835- 0277

adno=126446

Thank you from everyone at the Brooklyn Area Veterans Memorial

adno=129561

Maggie Mae Concert Tickets 4/25/20 • Oregon High School • $20.00 Lyle Wanless • 608-516-5401

Stop in and say hello! adno=126455

owntown Oregon

608-291-0472 wishingtreestudio.com

Happy Holidays from

adno=124629

10

Thursday, December 19, 2019

The Oregon Observer For more sports coverage, visit: ConnectOregonWI.com

Sports

Adam Feiner, sports editor

845-9559 x226 • ungsportseditor@wcinet.com

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

Girls basketball

Oregon drops conference showdown MARK NESBITT Assistant sports editor

Oregon split a pair of Badger South Conference games last week. The Panthers went on the road and lost to Monroe 77-72 on Saturday, Dec. 14, four days after picking up a 56-48 home win over Edgewood.

Monroe 77, Oregon 72

Senior point guard Izzie Peterson scored a teamhigh 15 points and the Pa n t h e r s s t o r m e d b a c k from a 12-point second-half deficit, but fell short against the Cheesemakers. “We have to stay confident and can’t drop our heads from this game,” Peterson said. “We are still a really good team. We have a lot to prove and show.” Oregon senior Liz Uhl, a University of Illinois-Springfield recruit, posted a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Junior Emily Statz added 14 points, and sophomore Payton Lang chipped in 11 points. Monroe junior Megan Benzschawel poured in a game-high 35 points, and senior Grace Tostrud added 20 points. “We don’t give up 70 points in a game,” Oregon coach Adam Wamsley said. “Our goal every game is to hold teams under 50. If we score 70, we should win. They made us look like we don’t practice on the defensive end.” Uhl and junior Ellie Koopman drilled 3-pointers

Oregon junior Emily Statz goes up for a layup.

Photos by Mark Nesbitt

Oregon senior Izzie Peterson (left) drives to the basket against Monroe senior Grace Mathiason on Saturday, Dec. 14, in Monroe. Peterson scored a team-high 15 points in the Panthers’ 77-72 loss. to cut Monroe’s lead to 63-60 with 5:47 left. Benzschawel was fouled and the Panthers’ bench was called for a technical that resulted in a six-point

possession for Monroe. She sank four free throws and scored down low to extend the Cheesemakers’ lead with 3:44 left. The Panthers turned

up their pressure with a press and Peterson hit a 3 to slice Monroe’s lead to 73-70 with 2:08 to go, but the Cheesemakers hit free throws down the stretch to

seal the win. Oregon (4-3, 2-1 Badger South) opened the game with an 11-2 run. Peterson and senior Kaitlyn Schrimpf knocked down 3s during the surge. Schrimpf and Statz picked up three fouls in the first half and were forced to the bench. Statz fouled out with 3:44 to go in the game. The Cheesemakers used a 2-3 zone throughout the game to limit the driving ability of the Panthers. “We were just a little more frantic than we should have been,” Peterson said. “We could have been more

patient. In the second half, we did better and were hitting shots.”

Oregon 56, Edgewood 48

Uhl scored a team-high 12 points and had three steals to lift the Panthers to a victory over the Crusaders. O r eg o n r a c e d o u t t o a 32-23 lead at the half. Schrimpf added 11 points, and Lang had 10 points and seven rebounds. Junior Carleigh Roberts chipped in eight points. Edgewood junior Sarah Lazar scored a game-high 13 points.

Boys basketball

Panthers rally past Red Hawks for first Badger South win MARK NESBITT Assistant sports editor

Oregon rebounded from a rough 3-point shooting performance on the road against McFarland on Tuesday, Dec. 10, with a home win over Milton on Friday, Dec. 13.

Oregon 64, Milton 59

Senior forward Adam Yates poured in a game-high 16 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out five assists to propel the Panthers past the Red Hawks in a Badger South Conference matchup. Oregon (3-2, 1-1 Badger South) outscored Milton 44-37 in the second half. The Panthers knocked down seven 3-pointers. “I think the key to the win was staying together and fighting through adversity,” Oregon coach Chris Siebert said. Junior point guard Erik Victorson had 12 points and four assists for the Panthers. Sophomore forward Bryce Kerns added 10 points. Sophomore guard Ryne Panzer chipped in eight points, five rebounds and five assists. Photos by Eddie Brognano

Oregon sophomore guard Ryne Panzer (right) beats Milton junior Sam Burdette down the court for a layup Friday, Dec. 13, in Oregon. The Panthers won 64-59.

Oregon senior forward Adam Yates (left) shoots a jumper over Milton freshman Brogan McIntyre.

(17-for-28). The Spartans led by six points at the half and outscored the Panthers 36-27 in the second half. “It definitely felt like there was a lid on the basket,” Siebert said. “It was just one of those McFarland 64, Oregon 49 nights where we didn’t shoot it well.” Victorson scored a game-high 19 points and The Panthers shot 10% from 3-point range (2-forswiped three steals. Panzer added 13 points, 20) in a nonconference loss to the Spartans. Oregon shot 61% from the free-throw line grabbed six rebounds and had three steals.

ConnectOregonWI.com

December 19, 2019

Oregon Observer

11

Boys swimming

Panthers compete against state’s best 31st in the 100 free (1:02.19), while Hanke was 32nd in 100 breaststroke (1:25.29). Aedan Larson finished 41st in the 100 free (1:10.90) and 100 breaststroke (1:36.45). Myles Tomlinson was 50th in the 50 free (29.31). Sun Prairie, ranked No. 1 in Division 1 in the first Wisconsin Swim Coaches Association Poll, won the team title with 499.5 points.

ADAM FEINER Sports editor

Oregon sophomore David Stevenson paced the Panthers to a 12th-place finish at the Blackhawk Invite on Saturday, Dec. 14, in Fort Atkinson. Stevenson also won the 100-meter breaststroke in a Badger South Conference home dual against Edgewood on Tuesday, Dec. 10.

Edgewood 99, Oregon 70

Blackhawk Invite

Oregon finished 12th out of 13 teams with 41 points. Stevenson placed eighth in the 200-yard individual medley (2:11.09) and 12th in the 100 free (53.60). The Panthers’ 400 free relay team of Stevenson, Blake Anderson, Blake Pankratz and Connor Braatz took 11th with a time of 3:40.38. Anderson, Braatz, S t ev e n s o n a n d M a s o n Konopacki were 13th in the 200 medley relay (1:51.56). Konopacki, Pankratz, Ronaldo Lopez-Vega and Nathan Sorensen finished 15th in the 200 free relay with a time of 1:43.75. Anderson also placed 16th in the 100 butterfly (1:01.30) and 17th in the 500 free (5:46.37). Braatz took 19th in the 100 butterfly (1:02.41) and 28th in the 200 IM (2:24.54), while Konopacki was 19th in the 100 backstroke (1:07.21)

Photo by Eddie Brognano

Oregon freshman Oliver Wiedemann (center) outswims Edgewood’s Adam Hanke (top) and Josh Weber 200-meter medley relay Tuesday, Dec. 10, in Oregon. The Panthers lost the dual 99-70. and 28th in the 50 free (25.62). R i l ey Fa h ey fi n i s h e d 20th in the 100 backstroke (1:08.48) and tied for 38th in the 50 free (27.01). Pankratz was 21st in the 100

free (58.11) and 200 free (2:08.57) Oregon’s 200-yard medley relay team of Fahey, Lopez-Vega, Adam Hanke and George Wiedemann placed 23rd with a time of

2:11.21. Sorensen also took 28th in the 500 free (6:19.39) and 35th in the 200 free (2:18.98). Jack Nowka placed 28th in the 100 breaststroke (1:19.28) and

Wrestling

48th in the 50 free (28.96). Wiedemann was 29th in the 100 breaststroke (1:20.16) and 38th in the 200 free (2:19.65). Lopez-Vega also took

The Panthers dropped to 1-1 in Badger South duals, as the Crusaders won 10 of 11 events. Stevenson won the 100-meter breaststroke with a time of 1:14.77. Oregon’s 200 freestyle relay team of Stevenson, Braatz, Pankratz and Forest Garty finished second with a time of 1:57.09. Anderson, Garty, Pankratz and Konopacki also took second in the 400 free relay (4:24.59). Anderson, Konopacki, George Wiedemann and Oliver Wiedemann placed second in the 200 medley relay (2:13.50). Anderson also took second in the 50 free (26.87) and 100 butterfly (1:08.04). Garty finished second in the 100 free (1:07.17), and Braatz placed in the 200 free (2:17.25).

Boys hockey

Schliem captures title at Oregon’s losing streak reaches four Scramble in Sun Prairie MARK NESBITT

Assistant sports editor

ADAM FEINER Sports editor

Oregon claimed fifth place out of 22 teams with 437 points at the Bob Downing Scramble on Saturday, Dec. 14, in Sun Prairie. The Panthers’ Michael Schliem won the 138-pound title with a 5-0 record. Schleim pinned Sun Prairie’s Richard Quintana in 1:48, Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln’s Cole Ladick in 1:59 and Menominee Falls’ Bryce Staus in 5:13, and won by 15-0 technical fall against Madison West’s Dylan Chambers. He won 6-4 in overtime against Fennimore’s Alex Birchman in the championship match. Oregon’s Owen Heiser (145) placed second with a 3-1 record. Heiser won by tech fall over Madison La Follette’s James Lacey (160) and Sauk Prairie’s Carson Saladis (17-0), and won a 19-15 decision against Fennimore’s Aidan Nutter. He lost 12-7 to Kenosha Indian Trail’s Cole Nelson in the championship match. Brandon Liddle (126) finished fourth with a 2-2 record. Liddle pinned Deerfield’s Jack McDonough in 4:46 and won 5-4

against Oak Creek’s Luke Moczynski. He lost 3-1 in overtime against River Valley’s Jimmy Jennings, and was pinned by Lodi’s Chandler Curtis in the first period of the third-place match. Panthers 152-pounder Seth Niday and 220-pounder Nate Hall each finished fifth with 3-1 records. N i d a y w o n 6 - 4 ove r Grafton’s Cameron Jacobs, then lost a 13-2 major decision against Union Grove’s Jon Sackman. He pinned Menominee Falls’ Brayden Rosenow in 5:25, then pinned Belmont/Platteville’s Brady Johnston at the 3:04 mark of the fifthplace match. Hall won a 16-7 major decision over La Follette’s Demetrius Walker, but was pinned in the third period by Lincoln’s Josh Hansen. He pinned Lodi’s Brock Beyer in 1:11 in the consolation bracket and Sun Prairie’s Blaine Moore at the 1:52 mark of the fifth-place match. Cooper King (160) placed sixth with a 2-2 record. King won a 17-4 major decision over Sauk Prairie’s Nolan Murphy, but was pinned in the second period by Lincoln’s Wyler Lubeck. He pinned Belmont/Platteville’s Shannon Gillmast in

1:05, then lost 9-2 to Union Grove’s Dylan Scacco in the fifth-place match. John Ruth (152) finished eighth with a 1-3 record. He won 4-3 over DeForest’s Koby Prellwitz, then lost his last three matches. Karl Brooks (170) placed ninth with a 3-1 record. He bounced back from a 10-4 loss to Fennimore’s Nick Blaschke with a 13-1 major decision over West Bend West’s Jacob Totten and pins of Lodi’s Kyle Pickarts (1:38) and Belmont/ Platteville’s Payton Nielsen (1:48). Tyler Wald (182) took ninth with a 2-1 record. He was pinned in the third period by Oak Creek’s Jacob Wright, but bounced back to pin Marshall’s Grant Chadwick in 1:59 and DeForest’s Kyle Blum in 3:55. D a k o t a B r ow n ( 1 2 0 ) was pinned in his first two matches, then pinned DeForest’s Austin Schuster in 27 seconds. Ramiro Ramos (113) was pinned in his first two matches, then earned an 18-3 tech fall over Belmont/ Platteville’s Caden Lindholm. Fennimore won the team title with 731 points.

The losing streak for the Oregon boys hockey team is up to four after a pair of Badger South Conference defeats last week. The Panthers went on the road and lost to McFarland 5-2 on Friday, Dec. 13. Oregon fell 4-3 at home against Monroe on Tuesday, Dec. 10.

McFarland 5, Oregon 2 Max Binger scored two goals to lead the Spartans past the Panthers. McFarland outshot Oregon 33-22 and finished

Senior forward Laszlo Orosz dished out three assists. Rohrer scored off an assist from Orosz at the 5:32 mark of the first period. He scored his second goal 40 seconds later off passes from Orosz and Spencer Buskager. Monroe answered with a pair of goals in the first and second periods to take a 4-2 lead. Rohrer completed the hat trick off assists from Orosz and Parker Schmidt at the 11:58 mark of the third period. Monroe 4, Oregon 3 Monroe’s Hayden Roth Kyle Rohrer had a hat scored two goals to lead trick, but the Cheesemakers the Cheesemakers, who scored four straight goals to outshot the Panthers 18-12. rally past the Panthers. Dailey posted 14 saves.

2-for-7 on the power play. The Spartans scored twice in the first period. Oregon’s Adam Franken answered with a goal off an assist from Colton Eyers in the second period. The Spartans responded with a power-play goal to take a 3-1 lead at the end of the second. Joe Roemer scored in the third period off an assist from Franken. Junior goaltender Colton Dailey had 28 saves for the Panthers (1-4-1, 0-2 Badger South).

Girls hockey

Icebergs earn tie against Blackhawks ADAM FEINER Sports editor

The Icebergs girls hockey team battled Badger Conference foe Viroqua to a 2-2 tie Friday, Dec. 13, at Mandt Community Center in Stoughton. The Icebergs (0-6-1, 0-2-1 Badger) tied the game with 9:38 left in the third period. Kelsey Waldner scored off assists from Hannah Weber

and Taylor Nisius. The Icebergs outshot the Blackhawks 41-27 for the game and 21-8 in the third period. Both teams registered four shots in overtime. Sydney Schipper scored off assists from Weber and Kylie Babcock to give the Icebergs an early lead just 5:18 into the game. Viroqua’s Kelsey Shaner scored with 2:57 left in the first off assists from

Sylvi Shonka and Angie Harnish. The Blackhawks grabbed the lead just 2:43 into the second period, as Rachel Simonson scored off assists from Shonka and Erin Simonson. Both teams committed just one penalty and were 0-for-1 on the power play. Aren Gruner made 25 saves for the Icebergs, and Viroqua’s Abigail Stevenson made 39 stops.

12

December 19, 2019

ConnectOregonWI.com

Oregon Observer

Brooklyn lights up community Kaleigh Dallman, The Green County Dairy Queen, picks out cookies to decorate.

Brooklyn became a little brighter after the annual Holiday Tree Lighting on Saturday, Dec. 7. During the event, families could decorate cookies, create tree ornaments, watch a movie, sip hot apple cider and eat fresh popcorn. The tree lighting took place at the Community Building. Contact Mackenzie Krumme at mackenzie.krumme@ wcinet.com.

Photos by Connor Wood

The Oregon Police Department and Chamber of Commerce launched their new safe exchange for person-to-person sales and custody exchanges zone at the PD last month. It has exterior lighting, a surveillance camera and access to a phone in the building vestibule.

PD launches safe exchange zone Camera, lighting and phone intended for e-commerce, custody exchanges CONNOR WOOD Observer correspondent

Photos by Mackenzie Krumme

Daria Conner, 2, shows off the popcorn she is eating during the Brooklyn Holiday Tree Lighting at the Community Building on Saturday, Dec. 7.

On the Web To view more photos visit

ConnectOregonWI.com

Online shoppers and sellers and people involved i n c u s t o d y ex c h a n g e s now have an official safe exchange zone at the Oregon Police Department. The spot has a security camera and lighting outside and 24/7 access to a phone and warmth in the vestibule. It’s located to the right of the main entrance of the police department and municipal court building, 383 Park St. Police are not always in the building, but the phone is always available if someone needs to contact them. The Oregon Area Chamber of Commerce provided the money to set up the site, which is the only designated safe exchange zone in Oregon, Lt. Jennifer Pagenkopf said. She noted the McDonald’s parking lot had been

A sign marks the Safe Exchange Zone. a popular spot but does not have great lighting or video cameras. Other safe exchange zones in the area include Middleton, where its police department encourages people to use its lobby. The website safetadestations.com lists at least nine other designated places in the state. Other suggestions Pagenkopf had for security when making online exchanges include never paying in advance and familiarizing yourself with common scams, which can be found on the Department of Justice and FBI websites. The department also always reminds people of adage that if it’s too good to be true, it probably is, Pagenkopf said.

Holiday deadlines From left, Hope Mikkelson and Paige Bachim fill bags of popcorn for families.

Wednesday, December 25, 2019 Great Dane Shopping News Display Advertising: Wednesday, December 18 at 3pm Classified Advertising: Thursday, December 19 at Noon

Thursday, December 26, 2019 Community Papers Display & Classified Advertising: Thursday, December 19 at Noon

Wednesday, January 1, 2020 Great Dane Shopping News Display Advertising: Monday, December 23 at 3pm Classified Advertising: Thursday, December 26 at Noon

Thursday, January 2, 2020 Community Papers Display & Classified Advertising: Thursday, December 26 at Noon

845-9559, 835-6677 or 873-6671

Averie Cains, 9, and Charlotte Cains, 9 months, sit side by side while watching the holiday moving during the Brooklyn Holiday Tree Lighting.

adno=123337

Our offices will be closed December 25, 2019 and January 1, 2020

ConnectOregonWI.com

December 19, 2019

13

Oregon Observer

Oregon history December 100 years ago (1919)

• The first basketball game at the new gym (the bicycle factory) was held Friday, 12th of December, Oregon High School vs.. Lodi High School. The game was won by the Oregon team 22 to 10. After the game everyone was invited to a “Social Hop” at Olson’s Opera House under the auspices of the Oregon Orchestra. • A fire in the Sheldon Trusler home called out the fire department Monday evening. The fire was in partitions and probably caused by a defective chimney. Access to the fire was made through the walls where the large chemical engine extinguished the fire; no water of any consequence was used; consequently no damage by water was sustained. The roof and walls were damaged where holes were made in order to reach the fire. • It was reported from Stoughton that a team belonging to Jorgan Handeland became frightened down at the stockyards and dashed over into Main S t r e e t w i t h t h e wa g o n to which they were harnessed. They came near going through one of the plate (glass) windows at the Christensen Garage, but swerved and instead collided with the $450 gasoline pump on the curb, breaking the heavy iron stand into fragments. They continued their flight and further along on Main Street ran into Andrew Aaker’s car, breaking the tire carrier at the rear end. • Lute Trusler has purchased the J. P. Connor home on North Main Street, which they are now occupying and Mr. Trusler will take possession the first of the year. • The Married Folk’s Club sponsored a dancing party at Olson’s Opera H o u s e , L e av e r ’s H a r p Orchestra furnished the music, A basket supper was held with coffee furnished and dancing starting at 9 o’clock sharp. • Oregon was in partial darkness this past week owing to the breaking down of the electrical engines at the power plant. • Mrs. Geo. Criddle has sold her residence on South Second Street to Jens Peter Olson, who recently sold his place to Arthur Alling. The Criddle house sold for $3,850. Mrs. Crddle has purchased the Stacia Hennberry residence. • Next season’s auto license plates are to be maroon and white in color. The first carload of 60,000 1920 plates have arrived in Madison from the Waupun Prison plant. • “Rev. and Mrs. C. H Jack Linn arrived Tuesday morning to spend the month with Mrs. Linn’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Sofus Nelson. Rev. and Mrs. Linn are in the evangelistic work and have more calls for meetings that they can fill. On their recent trip they held meetings in Watson, Minn. a n d A r m s t r o n g , I ow a , where nearly a hundred people made a profession

Electric power plant

Oregon Area Historical Society 159 W. Lincoln St. info@oregonareahistoricalsociety.org 835-8961 Oregonareahistoricalsociety.org Museum open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays; Noon to 3 p.m. first Saturday of the month and by appointment. of faith of religion and a goodly number joined some church.” • The Choral Union continues to rehearse for their Christmas Concert to be held on Dec. 12. There are about 40 members in the organization under the direction of Miss Josephine Darein of the University School of Music in Madison

50 years ago (1969)

• Reeve Jewelry holds its formal Grand Opening. The Reeves had opened their business on Oregon’s North Main Street in 1965. Earl had previously operated the jewelry departments at Hill’s and Baron’s in Madison Their Oregon Grand Opening will now be at their newly remodeled and expanded store located on South Main Street between the Squire Clothing Store and the Ben Franklin Store. They have been at this new location since July. • Pat Severson joins the staff at the Oregon Observer, replacing Billie Chavez. She will have a variety of duties including that of receptionist, teletype operator and in general helping the editor as a “Gal Friday”. • St. John’s Lutheran Church’s senior choir presented the Christmas cantata, “Night of Miracles” by John W. Petersen. Joseph Stratman was the choir director, Pat Miller, organist and Marlene Ferguson pianist. • Santa arrives in downtown Oregon during a blizzard … escorted by the Oregon Fire Department. It was estimated that about 250 youngsters braved the storm to greet his arrival. During the following two Saturdays photos were taken with Santa at the House of Home Fashions furniture store, located on the corner of Jefferson and South

Main Street. It was estimated that over 500 youngsters had their photos taken with Santa. • Owen Richards is honored for his 60 years of service to the Oregon Masonic Lodge. • Brooklyn Fire Dept. acquires a new truck. Four volunteer firefighters went to Marshalltown, Iowa to bring back a new International Pumper. Making the trip were Chief Gordon Dreher, Maurice Smith, Philip Mortensen and Alton Erickson. The cost came to about $22,000. • The 1959-1960 OHS cagers win the Annual Alumni Tournament, 65 to 31. Members of the winning team were Darrel Ace, Bruce Wittenwyler, John Titus, Dave Owens, Ken Orvold, Ken Bavery, Arlen Christenson, Russ Anderson, and David Mortensen. The 1965 losing team members were Gary Anderson, Jim Ellis, Larry Garvoille, David Williams, Larry Wegger, Dave Hallett, Jeff Faust, Jim Bossingham, Bob Laughlin and Bob Buchner. • The management of the Oregon Bowl announced the completion of a remodeling project which will provide more room for tables in the bar /lounge area. The addition will accommodate local patrons who wish to spend time enjoying refreshments and snacks. • The winners of the Annual Oregon Rotary Christmas decorations were: James Meier (religious); B. L. Booth (seasonal); James Wenz (most timely), and Hayler Court (honorable mention for the most decorated street). The winnings will go to Rotary Charities in the names of the winners.

25 years ago (1994)

• The Lioness Club held their annual Holiday of Homes. The homes decorated for the event were those of Walter and Velma Waefler, Steve and Sara Sisbach and Bill and Judy McKernan • Oregon dancers participating in the Wisconsin Dance Ensemble’s production of “The Nutcracker Ballet were Shannon Burrows, Alexandra Boqucki, Melanie Cain, Alica Crook, Natalie Crook, Melissa Ganshert, Emily Gehn, Stephanie Okada, Emmy Picket, Konnie Swinehart and Caitlin Uhlmann • The Swan Creek Sewing Circle elects officers for the coming year: Isabel Blancy, president; Gen Jackson, vice-president and historian; Mary Kinnney, secretary; and Bea Larsen, treasurer. • Sarah Spiwak and Matt Pickett, members of the OHS wind ensemble, were chosen to be members of the eleventh Wisconsin AllState Band. • Laminwood-Dream Kitchens held an open house, celebrating their new showroom. The business is located at 150 Braun Road. The owners are Karen and Terry Schmidt. • Seventy-three building permits for new single family homes in the Village of Oregon, were issued January through November, down from the last two years. There were 107 in 1992 and 119 in 1993. However the number of permits for duplexes and apartments has risen. • The Friends of the Library raised $50,000 for the first installment of $270,000 they are putting toward the building of a new library. • The Village Finance and Building Committee said the Oregon Area Senior Center can be expanded into the current library after the library moves into its new building. • T h e Vi l l a g e B o a r d approved adding administrative duties to the clerk/ treasurer’s job and creating a deputy clerk’s position.

10 years ago (2009)

• Three of the four municipalities needed to ratify a new contract for the Oregon Area Fire/EMS District, approved a contract, pending final approval by the

Lioness Club Holiday tour- wreath sign town of Rutland in January. The six unionized members of the Fire/EMS will have a new contract after working without one since January 1, 2007. The contract includes a 4% salary increase for 2007 and 2008 and 3% percent in 2009 and a 2% increase in 2010. • Members of the Oregon Planning Commission disagreed about a provision on the Village’s proposed new stormwater ordinance that would require the lowest exposed part of a new building to be at least two feet above the groundwater elevation produced by a 100year storm. It was decided that more data be gathered about the number of homes that would be affected by the ordinance and revisit the issue in 2010. • A severe winter storm left the Oregon area with an estimated 18 inches of new snow in less than 24 hours, shutting down schools, the library and the senior center. • The Oregon School Board approved launching a “4K” program in September 2010. • The Village of Oregon Board noted that the village’s building permits issued in 2010 be strictly enforced. Fees could be double or triple for persons building or remodeling without first obtaining a permit.

• Oregon Middle School students recognized for outstanding achievement and leadership during the month of November included Cole Hefty, Hunter Klus, Jasmine England, Omar Sacramento, Mikayla Berge, Katelyn Boehnen, Emily Schwartztein and Jonathan Conduah. • DeVooght House Movers moved the last of the six houses from the flooded area of Florida Avenue, which had occurred in August of 2007. • The first meeting of the Village of Oregon’s new Strategic Plan Outreach and Planning Committee laid the groundwork for the long-term vision that Village officials and committee members would like the community to realize in the next 20 to 30 years. The 17-member committee met at the Village Hall headed by Bill Rizzo, a community development educator through UIW-Extension, Dane County. • Oregon resident, Sherri Tetzlaff, a longtime volunteer board member for the Oregon Youth Center, was recognized with a “volunteer recognition reward” from her employer, Dane County Credit Union. The credit union donated $250 to the Youth Center in her name. - Compiled by Gerald Neath, Oregon Area Historical Society

YEARSayEND SALE! Yes to the biggest savings of the year!

33% OFF

a new Bath 1 or Shower system!

ZERO

Down • Interest • Payements 2 Until 2021 Dinner for Two

with in-home estimate!3

CALL TODAY!

(608)-338-1170 www.madcitybaths.com 1New orders only. Minimum purchase required. Does not include material costs 2 Financing available with minimum purchase and approved credit. Mad City Windows & Baths, Inc. is neither a broker nor a lender. Financing is provided by third-party lenders unaffiliated with Mad City Windows & Baths, Inc., under terms and conditions arranged directly between the customer and such lender, all subject to credit requirements and satisfactory completion of finance documents. Any finance terms advertised are estimate only. Ask for details. New orders only. Not valid with any other offer, or previous job.3 With in-home estimate and product demonstration to homeowner(s). Limit one per household. Gift card given upon completion of demonstration to be mailed in by homeowner(s). Salespersons do not carry gift cards for security reasons. Allow 2-3 weeks after demonstration to receive gift card. Gift card valued at $50.

adno=129175

14

December 19, 2019

ConnectOregonWI.com

Oregon Observer

Man presents ‘Naming and addressing racism’ Harry Hawkins speaks at open mic night MACKENZIE KRUMME Unified Newspaper Group

As a black man in Oregon, Harry Hawkins cannot relax in the community. That’s one of the things he executive vice president of Nehemiah: Center for Urban Leadership and Development told about 60 people at the monthly Oregon Area Progressives meeting Friday, Dec. 6 at the Firefly Coffeehouse. It was part of a presentation he called, “Naming and addressing racism in the community.” He gave personal anecdotes of why he drives 15 minutes to a Madison on the weekends, rather than work at a coffee shop close to his home. Recently, he was stopped by a stranger questioning what he was doing, while he was exercising early in the morning. E v e r y d a y, H a w k i n s

Harry Hawkins answers questions from the audience during his presentation of “Naming and addressing racism in our community,” on Friday, Dec. 6. works to transform the Madison community and bring equity to people of color while creating strong white allies. Nehemiah’s vision is to engage the greater Madison community to empower African Americans to bring

hope, transformation and justice, according to the website. The organization has three branches: Justified Anger, Nehemiah and a Reentry Conference and each of those branches has several programs to address opportunities gaps such as

community education, family wellness, youth education, youth leadership and economic development. I n O c t o b e r, J u s t i fi e d Anger received a $1 million Community Impact Grant to address health disparities in Madison’s communities

of color. Hawkins, presented six strategies in which he said individuals can start to “name and address” racism in Oregon. People need to accept it, question it, own it, learn, give and do. Some of the strategies seem obvious, such as learning about the systemic racism that exists in this state and giving to organizations whose missions are to increase equity. Others are not so obvious. Hawkins said white people need to own the burden of their ancestors rather than shy away from the history. “It is not shocking to me that a white person has racist tendencies,” he said. “What is shocking to me is when a white person admits they have racist tendencies.” The “do” strategy is about educating others about what happens in the community. “I need white people, to help fix white people,” Hawkins said with a laugh. He said he does not feel confronting a white person

about their racist tendencies would be productive. It could be, however, if a white person were to explain to a colleague or neighbor about a microaggression they witness. Hawkins wove personal anecdotes into his presentation as he told stories of being targeted in Oregon for his race. He also explained that if white people attend the presentation or educate themselves about the long history of racism in the country, it does not mean they understand the oppression of different racial groups. Don’t go up to a black person after this presentation and say you understand them, he said. For information on the Oregon Area Progressive Open Mic night visit oregonareaprogressives.org. For information on Nehemiah: Center for Urban Leadership and Development visit nehemiah.org. Contact Mackenzie Krumme at mackenzie. krumme@wcinet.com.

Bike: Expenditures for needed trail repairs exceed the revenue required for the effort Continued from page 1

‘Writer’s Block’ The Oregon Area Senior Center hosted its annual holiday play Friday, Dec. 13, titled “Writer’s Block.” Senior center director Rachel Brickner writes the p l a y s eve r y y e a r, but this year just couldn’t come up with an idea. Senior center staff members are usually the play’s characters. The plot told of B r i c k n e r ’s i m a g ination — what it is like to come up with a script or idea for a play. Dozens attended the holiday affair. Email Emilie Heidemann at emilie. heidemann@wcinet. com or follow her on Twitter at @HeidemannEmilie.

Brickner narrates the play “Writers Block,” a story about her personal experience trying to come up with ideas for a play.

Photo submitted

An aerial drone shot of Lake Barney depicts how water overflow affected the Rotary Bike Trail in 2018. That situation has gotten worse in 2019, and doesn’t look like its going to get any better without intervention. and provide surveyed routes for review and approval,” Rau wrote. Rau said village engineers don’t believe building the new rerouted path at or near the Lake Barney area is a wise decision because of the high water table that remains there. The village has planned to borrow $300,000 toward the engineering and reconstruction of the bike trail and secured a $173,536 Trail and

Flood Repair Grant through Dane County, making the money available for the project $473,536. It’s expected to total much more – $597,000, including 2019 engineering expenses, 2019 legal expenses, 2020 estimated engineering and administrative expenses, 2020 estimated legal expenses, 2020/21 estimated construction payments and easement payments.

EARN EXTRA $ WORKING ONLY A FEW HOURS A DAY!

The Wisconsin State Journal is looking for a carriers in the following areas. Must be available early A.M.s, 7 days a week and have a dependable vehicle. Evansville: Cambridge: Route: EVN101, Approx $450/Mo Route: EVN102, Approx $600/Mo Route: UNV801, Approx $1,350/Mo

Route CAM103 Approx $500/Mo

For more information, call or email Kevin at 608-225-3693 or KHenry@madison.com

adno=111809

Photos by Emilie Heidemann

Anna Stone, assistant senior center director, plays Mufasa from The Lion King — one of Oregon Area Senior Center director Rachel Brickner’s many potential ideas for a play script.

family, as the original purchase agreement included a deposit in escrow. Doing so grants the village time to acquire additional funding through grants, borrowing and fundraising, as well as possible land availability, a memo from public works director Jeff Rau states. It says while the village has a good working relationship with the landowners and their representatives in dealing with trail alternatives and routes, negotiations have not yet identified a location and the project is at least $100,000 short of what will be needed. In the meantime, village staff will install permanent “End of Trail” signs where it is flooded, Rau’s memo explains. “We look forward to some day in the future when this trail is once again complete and function as a through trail,” Rau writes. “Until that time, we encourage all people to enjoy the remaining portions of the trail as it is a wonderful amenity for our village and area.” Rerouting the submerged parts of the trail would require additional easements for the Keller and Jenkins families, according to the memo, and the parties involved have been unable to negotiate a location. “We have expended considerable time and expense to evaluate these options

Increase Your sales opportunities…reach over 1.2 million households! Advertise in our Wisconsin Advertising Network System. For information call 835-6677.

An audience of dozens watches the annual holiday play.

Agricultural/Farming Services Construction, Remodeling, Windows GOT LAND? Our Hunters will Pay Top $$$ To hunt your land. Year End Sale! 33% Off a New Bath or Shower system! Zero Call for a FREE info packet & Quote. 1-866-309-1507 www. Down, Interest, and Payments until 2021! Call Mad City WinBaseCampLeasing.com dows 608-338-1170. SEED TREATMENT for soybean White Mold and SDS! Ask your seed dealer for Heads Up Seed Treatment. Cost effective, proven results: www.headsupST.com or 866/368 9306 adno=129173

Legals ADVERTISEMENT FOR EQUIPMENT BIDS PROJECT: 2020 Wastewater Improvements WWTP Blower Improvements — Equipment Supply Oregon, Wisconsin OWNER: Village of Oregon 117 Spring Street Oregon, WI 53575 EQUIPMENT BID DEADLINE Equipment bids for wastewater treatment equipment for the proposed Oregon facility upgrade will be accepted at the Engineers office until 2:00 p.m., local time on Monday, December 30, 2019. The proposals will then be evaluated by the Owner and Engineer. Equipment for which bids are requested include air blowers to be located in the existing service building. The selected equipment will be incorporated into the contract documents for the Villages wastewater treatment facility project, which has an estimated construction date starting in 2020. BID DOCUMENTS The Bid Documents, consisting of Request for Equipment Bids, Scope of Supply, Applicable Technical Specifications, and Plan Sheets are available to qualified Manufacturers and Suppliers from the office of the Engineer with contact information as listed below. Bid documents will be available starting December 9, 2019. Engineer contact information is as follows: Town & Country Engineering, Inc. 2912 Marketplace Drive, Suite 103 Madison, WI 53719 (608) 273-3350 Attention: Cassie Elmer BIDDER QUALIFICATIONS Manufacturers or Suppliers submitting a bid for equipment must complete a qualification statement to demonstrate proven performance prior to bidding unless pre-qualified by the Engineer. The qualification statement must demonstrate that the company has been manufacturing similar units for at least ten consecutive years; has at least twenty-five similar units in service with at least ten of those in the U.S. or fewer if approved by the Engineer; has completed installations in the U.S. during the past twelve months; and has service technicians on call who would be able to be on site within 24 hours. Demonstration testing of similar sized equipment at the Villages facility may be accepted in lieu of the qualification statement at the Owners discretion and if done prior to bidding. RIGHTS RESERVED The Village of Oregon reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and to waive informalities in any proposal in the best interests of the Village. Published by the authority of: Jeff Rau Director of Public Works Village of Oregon, Wisconsin Published: December 12 and 19, 2019 WNAXLP *** NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR ACQUISITION OF A BANK BY A BANK HOLDING COMPANY AND MERGER OF BANKS Bosshard Financial Group, Inc., La Crosse, Wisconsin, intends to apply to the Federal Reserve Board for permission to merge with Northern Bankshares, Inc., McFarland, Wisconsin. We intend to acquire control of McFarland State Bank, McFarland, Wisconsin. Oregon Community Bank, a subsidiary of Bosshard Financial Group, Inc., with its main office in Oregon, Wisconsin, also intends to apply to the Federal Reserve Board for permission to merge with McFarland State Bank, McFarland, Wisconsin and establish branches at the locations of, McFarland State Bank, McFarland, Wisconsin. The Federal Reserve considers a number of factors in deciding whether to approve the application/notice including the record of performance of banks we own in helping to meet local credit needs. You are invited to submit comments in writing on the applications to Colette A. Fried, Assistant Vice President Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, 230 South LaSalle Street, Chicago, IL 60604. The comment period will not end before December 21, 2019 and may be somewhat longer. The Boards procedures for processing applications may be found at 12 C.F.R. Part 262. Procedures for processing protested applications may be found at 12 C.F.R. 262.25. To obtain a copy of the Federal Reserve Boards procedures, or if you need more information about how to submit your comments on the applications, contact Alicia Williams, Vice President of Community Development and Policy Studies, at (312) 3225910; to request a copy of an application, contact Colette A. Fried at (312) 322-6846. The Federal Reserve will consider your comments and any request for a public meeting or formal hearing on the application if they are received in writing by the Reserve Bank on or before the last day of the comment period. Published: November 21 and December 5 and 19, 2019 WNAXLP *** ORDINANCE NO. 19-11 VILLAGE OF OREGON DANE COUNTY, WISCONSIN AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 1.02 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES RELATING TO APPOINTED OFFICIALS The Village Board of the Village of Oregon, Dane County, Wisconsin, ordains as follows: 1. Section 1.02 of the Municipal Code of the Village of Oregon is amended to read as follows: 1.02 APPOINTED OFFICIALS. The appointed officials of the Village shall be as follows: Official, How Appointed, Term Administrator, Village Board, At pleasure Animal Control Officer, Village Board, At pleasure Assessor, Village Board, 1 year Building Inspector, Village Board, 1 year Cemetery Sexton, Village Board, 1 year Chief of Police, Board of Police Commissioners, Indefinite (During good behavior) Emergency Government Director, Village Board, Indefinite Clerk (Charter Ord. #00-01), Village Board, Indefinite Finance Director/Treasurer (Charter Ord. #00-01), Village Board, Indefinite Director of Public Works (Charter Ord #.30), Village Board, Indefinite Electrical Inspector, Village Board,

December 19, 2019 Lost & Found

1 year HVAC Inspector, Village Board, 1 year Library Director, Library Board, 1 year Plumbing Inspector, Village Board, 1 year Senior Center Director, Village Board, 1 year Village Forester, Village Board, 1 year Zoning Administrator, Village Board, 1 year At pleasure Director of Planning, Village Board, At pleasure 2. This Ordinance shall take effect upon passage and publication pursuant to law. The above ordinance was duly adopted by a two thirds (2/3) majority vote of the elected members of the Village Board of the Village of Oregon at a regular meeting held on December 2, 2019. APPROVED: _____________________________ Jeanne Carpenter, Village President ATTEST: _____________________________ Candie Jones, Director of Administrative Services Approved: December 16, 2019 Published: December 19, 2019 WNAXLP *** ORDINANCE NO. 19-12 VILLAGE OF OREGON DANE COUNTY, WISCONSIN AN ORDINANCE CHANGING THE ZONING CLASSIFICATION OF LOT 2, CSM 15248, FROM PLANNED BUSINESS (PB) TO TWO FAMILY RESIDENTIAL – 6 (TR-6). (Lot 2, CSM 15248) RECITALS 1. Application has been made to change the zoning classification of the Property with the parcel ID 165/0509-0126650-1, also known as Lot 2, CSM 15248 (the “Property”) from PB to TR-6. 2. On August 8, 2019, the Village Plan Commission conducted a public hearing on the Application. 3. On December 16, 2019, the Village Board considered the Application. 4. The Village Board finds that changing the zoning classification of the Property to TR-6, is consistent with the spirit and intent of the Village’s Zoning Code, is consistent with the Village’s Comprehensive Plan, and promotes the public health, safety and general welfare of the Village. ORDINANCE NOW THEREFORE the Village Board of the Oregon, Dane County, Wisconsin adopts the following ordinance: Section 1. The recitals set forth above are material to and are incorporated in this ordinance as if set forth in full. Section 2. The zoning classification the Property is changed from PB to TR-6. Section 3. This ordinance shall be effective upon passage and publication or posting pursuant to law. The above and foregoing ordinance was duly adopted by the Village Board of the Village of Oregon at its meeting held on December 16, 2019, by a vote of 5 in favor, 0 opposed, and 1 not voting. APPROVED: _____________________________ Jeanne Carpenter, Village President ATTEST: _____________________________ Candie Jones, Director of Administrative Services Approved: December 16, 2019 Published: December 19, 2019 WNAXLP *** ORDINANCE NO. 19-13 VILLAGE OF OREGON AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 7.02 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES FOR THE VILLAGE OF OREGON, DANE COUNTY, WISCONSIN The Village Board of the Village of Oregon, Dane County, Wisconsin, does ordain as follows: 1. Section 7.02(5)3. of the Code of Ordinances for the Village of Oregon is amended to provide as follows: 3. Between November 15 and April 1, from 2:00 am to 6:00 am, parking is prohibited as follows: (i) on even numbered days, in the parking lot adjacent to the Village Hall at 117 Spring St., and the parking lot in Hitching Park, located between Spring St. and N. Main St.; and (ii) on odd numbered days, in the parking lot in the 100 block of Jefferson St. 2. Section 7.02(5)4. of the Code of Ordinances for the Village of Oregon is created to provide as follows: 4. Between November 15 and April 1, parking is prohibited at all times in the four public parking spaces directly west of the dumpster corral in the parking lot in the 100 block of Jefferson Street. These spaces shall remain open for snow storage. 3. This ordinance shall take effect upon passage and publication pursuant to law. The above ordinance was duly adopted by the Village Board of the Village of Oregon at a regular meeting held on December 16, 2019. APPROVED: _____________________________ Jeanne Carpenter, Village President ATTEST: _____________________________ Candie Jones, Director of Administrative Services Approved: December 16, 2019 Published: December 19, 2019 WNAXLP *** VILLAGE OF BROOKLYN NOTICE OF ORDINANCE CHANGES On December 10, 2019, the Village of Brooklyn Village Board adopted changes to the following ordinances: Chapter1, Section 1-12, Retention of Public Records schedule; Chapter 2, Section 2-567, adding assistant public works director to the emergency management committee; Chapter 113, Shoreland-Wetland Zoning, and Chapter 114 Shoreland Zoning, updated to be consistent with current legislation; Chapter 117, Sections 117-930 through 117-936, clarification of nonconforming uses, structures and lots; Appendix C, Fee schedule changes to zoning and building permit fees, sewer rates, refuse rates and dog licenses. A copy of the adopted ordinance changes will be on file and open for public inspection in the office of the Village Clerk. Copies will also be posted at the Post Office, Village Hall, Community Building and Village website. Linda Kuhlman, Clerk-Treasurer Posted: December 11, 2019 Published: December 19, 2019 WNAXLP ***

LOST DOG. Have you seen Katie? Very shy, Black-Tan, Female, Yorkshire Terrier is missing. Please do not chase her. Please text or call us at 608-4695439 or 608-469-5440 if you have seen her or have any information. $2000 Reward if brought home safely. For more info., see our FB page: BRING KATIE HOME.

Notices STOUGHTON HOSPITAL Blood Drive. Thursday, December 19. 8 am-1 pm in the Bryant Center Stoughton Hospital. All presenting donors receive a voucher for $10 gift card to choice of Amazon, Starbucks or Casey's. Walk-ins welcome or to schedule an appointment call Sharee at 800-747-5401 x4128 or online at bloodcenter.org. Photo I.D. required.

Automotive CHEVY 2014 Silverado, 4-dr, cab & 1 ⁄2, 1500, 4x4, light hit in center, easy fix. Auto, loaded, alum wheels, nice truck. $12,500. Retail $25,000. 563583-3503.

Help Wanted HELP WANTED: full time beef farm help. Call 608-558-3024. HOMEVIEW SENIOR CARE, LLC is looking for dependable, compassionate caregivers to join our team. We provide exceptional non-medical in-home care for senior citizens and individuals with disabilities in the Evansville area. Flexible schedule, paid training, immediate openings. Background check and references required. Send resumes and inquiries to: homeview. senior.care.llc@gmail.com. To see all requirements, visit: https:homeviewseniorcare.compart-time-inhome-non-medical-caregiver

Services A&B ENTERPRISES Light Construction Remodeling No job too small 608-835-7791 RECOVER PAINTING currently offering winter discounts on painting, drywall and carpeting. Recover urges you to join in the fight against cancer, as a portion of every job is donated to cancer research. Free estimates, fully insured, over 20 years of experience. Call 608-270-0440. SNOW PLOWING Residential & Commercial Fully Insured. 608-873-7038 or 608-669-0025

Pets BORDER COLLIE Australian Shepherd mix puppies! Born 11-3-19. Vet checked, first shots, dewormed. Well socialized with kids and their parents! 4 males, 2 females, $400 each. Lancaster, WI. 608-732-7056. BOSTON TERRIER puppies $600 each. Cute stocking stuffers. Platteville. 608-778-9913. CUTE! Cavapoos, Cockapoos, 2 Shorkie Teddys, 2 Yorkies, Poochons, Mini & Petite Goldendoodles, 3 Wheaton Terriers, 2 Whoodles, Papillions, $795 to $1,595 or more. Shots, dewormed, certified health guarantees by Licensed Vet, experienced, caring, prudent, helpful training advice. www.SpringGreenPups. com (LLC). Lic #484991 Brenda 608574-7931.

GERMAN SHEPHERD puppies ready to go. Purebred black and tan, first shots and dewormed, $550. 608-3419088.

DEER POINT STORAGE Convenient location behind Stoughton Lumber. Clean-Dry Units 24-HOUR LIGHTED ACCESS 5x10 thru 12x25 608-335-3337

GERMAN SHEPHERD puppies, black and tan with red outlines, farm raised, 8 weeks old, vaccinated, wormed, with health papers. $375 each. Joesph Glick, 4370 Ivey Rd, Mineral Point, WI. No Sunday Sales.

FRENCHTOWN SELF-STORAGE Only 6 miles South of Verona on Hwy PB. Variety of sizes available now. 10x10=$65-month 10x15=$75-month 10x20=$85-month 10x25=$95-month 12x30=$120-month Call 608-424-6530 or 1-888-878-4244

GOLDEN DOODLE PUPS, READY FOR CHRISTMAS, medium/standard. Choc., blk & wht, parti, phantom. Raised in-home, crate trained, vet checked, shots & well loved. Parents - hip, elbows, eyes, heart & DNA - disease tested. $1850-$2200. 630-8162043 galenagoldendoodles.com. JUST IN time for Christmas! Two cute Shorkie puppies, black-tan females. Eager for new home now, $600. 2 year old female apricot Toy Poodle, energetic, loves people, $200. All are up to date on shots. Samuel Kanagy, 30354 College Farm Rd., Platteville, WI 53818. No Sunday Sales.

NORTH PARK STORAGE 10x10 through 10x40, plus 14x40 with 14' door for RV & Boats. Come & go as you please. 608-873-5088 RASCHEIN PROPERTY STORAGE 6x10 thru 10x25 Market Street/Burr Oak Street in Oregon Call 608-520-0240

BLUE HEELER puppies for sale. Both parents on site. Ready now $100 each. David Miller, 2815 Wren Lane, Fennimore, WI. 53809. FARM DOGS, Border Collie Heeler puppies, cute markings, working parents, $60 each. No Sunday sales. 9547 Cty U, Shullsburg, WI 53586.

Antiques

UNION ROAD STORAGE 10x10 - 10x15 - 10x20 - 12x30 24-7 Access Security Lights & Cameras Credit Cards Accepted 608-835-0082 1128 Union Road, Oregon, WI Located on the corner of Union Road and Lincoln Road

Miscellaneous FOR SALE. Oak Firewood. Dried for 2 years. The Best! Face cord $150. Delivery available. 608-217-6662. SEASONED SPLIT OAK, Hardwood. Volume discount. Will deliver. 608609-1181.

Wanted WE BUY Junk Cars and Trucks. We sell used parts. Monday thru Friday 8am-5:30pm. Newville Auto Salvage 279 Hwy 59 Edgerton 608-884-3114

VERONA OFFICE Space for Rent. 1000 sqft. 3 separate offices, reception area, bathroom, storage, offstreet parking and room for your sign on the building. Call or text Mike at 608-577-3766.

Real Estate FARMETTE FOR sale near Platteville: 4 bedroom brick house with buildings, a few acres. Also, up to 60 acres of land. Pasture with timber, creek and wildlife. Can be used for farming or residential housing. 608-732-5052. New Factory Built Homes: 3 BR, 2 BA put on your foundation. $59,980. HORKHEIMER HOMES. Hazelton, IA. 800-632-5985

Horses LOOKING TO buy all types of horses and/or ponies. Riding or not. Cash paid. 262-930-9271.

Livestock HERD OF 50 Holstein milk cows. Black and white, red and white. Mostly A.I. Bred. Low SSC and high butter fat. Platteville. 608-778-2555.

Farm

SELF-STORAGE lock-and-leave dry metal pole barn, gravel floor, rural Verona, 4000 sqft, only $400/month. 608-848-2345.

BUYING US Gold & Silver Coins and Collectibles. Call 608-988-6406 Rick Miles Coin.

Office Space For Rent OFFICE/RETAIL Space for rent in Downtown Oregon. Available now. 1274 sqft, $1062 per month or 480 sqft, $400 per month. Heat included in rent. Contact 608-333-4420 or 715891-4784 for showing and further information.

Rentals GREENWOOD APARTMENTS. Apartments for Seniors 55+, currently has 1 & 2 bedroom units available starting at $810 per month,includes heat, water, and sewer. 608-835-6717 Located at:139 Wolf St., Oregon, WI 53575 STOUGHTON 2-BEDROOM 2 unit building. Parking for 1 car per unit in back lot. No Pets. Rent $760. Available. 608-332-6013. ROSEWOOD APARTMENTS for Seniors 55+. 1 & 2 bedroom units available starting at $810 per month. Includes heat, water and sewer. Professionally managed. Located at 300 Silverado Drive, Stoughton, WI 53589. 608-877-9388

Storage Spaces For Rent ALL SEASONS SELF STORAGE 10x10 10x15 10x20 10x25 10x30 Security Lights-24/7 access OREGON/BROOKLYN CALL 608-444-2900

DOBERMAN PUPPIES, 8 wks, tails docked, shots & wormed, vet checked, parents on site, European imports, well socialized. www. limecreekdobermans.com.

We’re growing in Fitchburg! We train! Learn a trade!

OFFICE SPACES FOR RENT In Oregon facing 15th hole on golf course Free Wi-Fi, Parking and Security System Conference rooms available Kitchenette-Breakroom Autumn Woods Prof. Centre Marty 608-835-3628

15

Oregon Observer

RENT SKIDLOADERS MINI-EXCAVATORS TELE-HANDLER and these attachments. Concrete breaker, posthole auger, landscape rake, concrete bucket, pallet forks, trencher, rock hound, broom, teleboom, stump grinder. By the day, week, or month. Carter & Gruenewald Co. 4417 Hwy 92, Brooklyn, WI 608-455-2411 CLASSIFIED AD DEADLINE IS Noon Friday for The Great Dane and Noon Monday for the Oregon Observer unless changed because of holiday work schedules. Call now to place your ad, 873-6671 or 835-6677. ALL ADS SUBMITTED SUBJECT TO APPROVAL BY PUBLISHER OF THIS PAPER. THEY SAY people don’t read those little ads, but YOU read this one, didn’t you? Call now to place your ad, 873-6671 or 835-6677.

Join the leading team in residential, commercial and municipal drain cleaning with more than 70 years of Quality Service!

Family owned since 1948.

SERVICE TECHNICIAN & CDL DRIVERS WANTED!

• Paid training & competitive wages • Excellent health & dental plans • 401K • Paid vacation • Paid holidays

OFFICE HELP WANTED

Duties include answering phones, data entry, invoicing and general office duties.

Please call or apply in person at: Roto Rooter 4808 Ivywood Trail, McFarland, WI 608-256-5189

adno=119606

ConnectOregonWI.com

Assemblers A F T E R 1 2 0 D AY S

$21.66 - $22.06 / hour SECOND SHIFT (4/10’s) MONDAY – THURSDAY: 2:15pm – 12:15am

W H Y S U B - Z E R O , W O L F, A N D C O V E ? ■ State of the art fabrication & assembly equipment

Machine Operators - Fabrication A F T E R 1 2 0 D AY S

■ Clean, temperature controlled working environment

$21.66 - $22.06/ hour

■ Excellent employee benefit package

SECOND SHIFT MONDAY – FRIDAY: 2:00pm – 10:00pm

■ On-site employee clinic and fitness center available

A P P LY O N L I N E

subzero-wolf.com/careers We are an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer

adno=126139

16

December 19, 2019

Oregon Observer

ConnectOregonWI.com

Death midwife: Death midwives help fulfill wishes of dying loved ones at the end of their lives Continued from page 1 Dakota to move slowly, with love and reverent when transporting a person. “We are here to treat your body with honor and respect,” Stewart said out loud. “But we may make mistakes, but we still love you.” The woman lying on the table is alive and named Ashley Smiley. She has worked with Stewart since 2015, and this is not the first time she has played a dead body for training purposes. She helps correct the students as they maneuver her body around. “I felt like I was going to fall off the table a little,” Smiley said to the students after they had transported her from the kitchen back to the table. Death midwives are not medical professionals or funeral director; instead, their services are offered in addition to a funeral home or hospice. Their job is to fulfill the wishes of the dying, she said, whether that is dying at home, being cremated, having a funeral service or having a green burial. Death midwives are educated in all of the topics to ensure that people’s last wishes are conducted. “We’re really educated about what death looks like, sounds like, feels like, smells like,” Stewart said. “We are a good resource for the families and by this time we’ve gotten to know them pretty well, so they’re comfortable to come with us to with questions.” Similar to a birth doula, a death midwife works with the dying on a “death plan,” Stewart said. “We meet with the dying person, find out what their wishes are,” she said. “What a good death would look like for them, what it would contain, what it wouldn’t contain, what they don’t want to happen and what they do want to happen.”

A return to tradition

One of the most common requests Stewart said is people want to die at home. Although dying at home and having a home-based funeral takes a team of people and a lot of paperwork, Stewart said they can walk families through that process every step of the way. Stewart said she sees

Six students of a level one death midwife class practice lifting a body off the ground on Sunday, Nov. 10 at the Brooklyn Village Hall.

Candles are scattered through on the Brooklyn Village Hall on Sunday, Nov. 10 during a level one death midwife class.

Photos by Mackenzie Krumme

Sharon Stewart has been a certified death midwife since 2012. She whispers something personal into Ashley’s ear who is pretending to be dead for the death midwife class at the Brooklyn Village Hall on Sunday, Nov. 10. more people who want to honor the dead in a more traditional way, similar to 100 years ago when the deceased were displayed in the parlor and visitors were welcomed into the house to say goodbye. “We returning to that place of laying them out in honor, in a place of respect so that people can come in and say their goodbyes and give thanks, give him a hug, give him a kiss, do whatever they want,” she said. She wants to educate families that a planned death is not an emergency. And no

matter where that dying person is, the dead person does not have to be rushed away to a funeral home. “Most of the time people really do want to spend some more time with that loved one in the state that they’re in versus after t h ey ’r e e m b a l m e d a n d dressed and lying in a casket,” Stewart said.

From personal experience

During her classes, Stewarts students are often people who have a dying parent that they’d like to

take care of, or someone who is a hospice volunteer and wants to advance their training. Intertwined in the hands on experience of Stewarts classes, is also education videos and discussion. S t ew a r t t e a c h e s t w o classes per year on death midwifery. Death has been a part of her everyday life for years – she has been a hospice volunteer for 12 years and she is on the board of Circle Ceme tery, a green cemetery near Barneveld. She started thinking

differently about death when her brother was killed in a car collision at the age of 19. Before he was embalmed, Stewart wanted to see his body to make sure he didn’t suffer, but the mortician refused. She wanted to kiss her brother while he was lying in the casket, but the funeral director discouraged it. “That is what I needed for my healing process,” Stewart said. From that point forward, Stewart believed death did not have to be a sterile, taboo experience – it could be an experience steered by love, support and celebration. The decades of experience allow Stewart to use personal experiences and anecdotes to guide her classes. For instance, one video during the class on how to dress a body, suggests to cut a shirt up the back in order to easily put it on. Stewart quickly interjected. “Most people don’t want you to cut the shirt up the back” she said, explaining that families take a lot of time picking out the clothes their loved ones are buried in.

She said families often also want to put lipstick on their mothers, and grandchildren want to paint their grandmother’s fingernails. During green burials, when families help bury their loved a shovel full of dirt at a time, Stewart told the students they will have to bury the face. “A family will never throw dirt on their face,” Stewart said. “I’ve never seen it happen.” Stewart gets calls or emails from people at least three times a week and sees death midwifery as a community response to the process of death. Training people to be death midwives allows people to come and take care of one another like they did a hundred years ago, Stewart added. “Lying out an honor is just that lying them out with all the love and all the beauty and surrounding them with all their favorite things and letting people come and have a personal goodbye,” she said. “That’s it. I mean they, they’re the reason we’re there.” Contact Mackenzie Krumme at mackenzie. krumme@wcinet.com.

SRO: Agreement states the officer is an educator, mentor; takes up an informal counselor role Continued from page 1 of our schools, and we also wanted to meet the needs of our stakeholders.” The controversy over the contract language started Aug. 26, after the school board unanimously rejected the village’s version of the agreement, which would have allowed an assault rifle to be kept inside OHS, as well as the potential for students to be interviewed by police without their parents’ presence. School board members also complained it was not clear enough about the SRO’s role as an educator. Hours after the vote, Oregon police chief Brian Uhl commented on the department’s Facebook page, accusing school

board members of not being willing to hold “meaningful discussions” about the SRO agreement. He also said the village had requested meetings about the agreement and the district rejected them. In November, village board president Jeanne Carpenter distanced the board from Uhl’s comments. She read a prepared statement at a Village Board meeting to explain a closed session it held about Uhl, characterizing those comments as part of a public campaign that included “a particularly contentious interview” with WIBA FM. “I believed that further negotiations between the village board and school board required a different approach with the goal

of helping the (board) repair our relationship with the school board,” Carpenter wrote in a letter to board members. Some of the changes from the previous agreement include the village and district holding a meeting before allowing an investigation to be initiated on school grounds, something Jonen said they have “already s t a r t e d d o i n g ” w i t h O r eg o n Police Department lieutenant Jennifer Pagenkopf, who supervises the SRO. “Those have been going very well,” Jonen said. “I think our relationship is in a really great place right now, and we are doing a nice job of balance in the safety of our students with a respectful learning environment for all of

our kids.” School officials plan to work with Pagenkopf to set goals for the program before meeting next summer to evaluate the program before discussing a new agreement with the village. Courtney Odorico said the new agreement took into account a lot of parent feedback and stresses the specialized role of the SRO. “(They are) a unique individual that has three roles, and one of them is law enforcement,” she said. “They are also an educator and an informal counselor and mentor, and those are really important things for us as an educational institution, and that is known and agreed upon with the village police department that’s the role of the SRO.”

Tim LeBrun thanked the Village Board and police department for their assistance. “We were a little rocky when we first got started, and I think it was everyone’s willingness to take a step back and understand the others’ positions were,” he said. “At some points in our discussion, we were a long way away from understanding. Its real win-win for the students, the police department and the village.” Email Unified Newspaper Group reporter Scott De Laruelle at scott.delaruelle@wcinet.com.