Thursday, August 15, 2019 • Vol. 55, No. 13 • Verona, WI • Hometown USA • ConnectVerona.com • $1.25
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Verona Press The
Press reporter Levenhagen dead at 25 Was in I-94 multivehicle collision Aug. 9 STAFF Unified Newspaper Group
Photo by Samantha Christian
Monty, a 6-year-old Great Pyranees, and Zadie Mohar, 4, of Madison, share a tender moment before Monty sneaks an unexpected kiss with a friend just his height during Barks for Parks on Sunday at Badger Prairie County Park. The annual fundraiser for Dane County Dog Parks draws hundreds of dog-lovers and their furry companions, featuring adoptable dogs, obstacle courses, agility demonstrations and pet care vendors.
Seeing eye to eye
The third annual Barks for Parks funding a shade cover for dogs at was Sunday, Aug. 11, at Badger Prai- Badger Prairie County Park. rie County Park. The proceeds from the event, run by the Dane County – Kimberly Wethal Parks Department, will go toward
Inside More photos from Barks for Parks Page 2
City of Verona
Unified Newspaper Group lost a rising star this past weekend. Amber Levenhagen, our Oregon and Stoughton local government reporter, wa s fa t a l l y injured in a multivehicle Levenhagen car wreck Friday, Aug. 9, on Interstate 94 while returning home to Madison from Oconomowoc. She was 25. Levenhagen joined UNG in October 2016, a few months after graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. She quickly became an indispensable member of our
community reporting team, focusing on Stoughton, and helped establish a strong bond with the community that had been lacking. In short, she was everywhere, and she was wellknown around town. When her opportunity came to take on the grittier, more painstaking work of reporting on budgets, ordinance changes and arguments over alcohol policies, she didn’t just tackle it, she loved it. The messier the better. To her colleagues, she was a newsroom leader who held herself and others to high standards, and did so with grace and good humor. She viewed it as her personal responsibility to ensure the quality of our newspapers. She also had a strong and convincing voice in office debates about social justice issues, helping to promote equity through coverage decisions, phrasing and word choices.
Turn to Levenhagen/Page 12
City of Verona
VASD land plans get open house No hire for administrator JIM FEROLIE Verona Press editor
Three possible options for redeveloping the land where Sugar Creek Elementary School is now are getting a public vetting next week. A month after getting feedback from the Community Development Authority, a student-run design firm is presenting its new maps and renderings in an open house Wednesday, Aug. 22, at Verona City Center. The open house runs 5-7 p.m., and the CDA will follow
If You Go What: Sugar Creek land open house When: 5-7 p.m. Aug. 22 Where: Verona City Center council chambers, 111 Lincoln St. Info: Call Dayna Sarver at 845-0917 with its monthly meeting. The West Verona Avenue property will be transferred f r o m t h e Ve r o n a A r e a School District to the city after fall 2020, when the district’s new high school brings about a shuffling of several school buildings. Last month, discussions over four initial design The
Verona Press
concepts yielded enthusiasm for an outdoor community pool, as well as mixing it with park space and amenities, apartment units and some commercial property. There was also interest in a community center. Each of the three concepts Community Development Solutions will present has a band shell, pickleball courts, a park play area and green space. And all have apartments and/or townhomes. One of the concepts includes a community center, about 35,000 square feet of commercial space and a park but no pool. Another includes a pool and community center but far fewer residential units. The third has a larger park
and 65,000 square feet of retail but no community center and no pool. The concept plan includes more land than the city has so far planned to acquire. Among the privately owned land in the concept area are two houses, a printing shop, a salon and the former Michael’s and Treads restaurant property. It also includes New Century School, which must be left intact by the terms of the city’s agreement with the school district. The CDA is an arm of city government that takes the lead on some housing and urban renewal projects. The last major project it undertook was construction
Turn to Land/Page 3
Finalists were not a good fit, mayor announces JIM FEROLIE Verona Press editor
The city has ruled out the last of the three candidates from its initial group of finalists for its next administrator. After a 42-minute closed session to review the background check of Belleville administrator Brian Wilson on Monday, alders took no action. Mayor Luke Diaz gave a brief update afterward and said the Common Council has closed the process with the candidate being
reviewed and would consider its other options and might offer an insight at its next meeti n g , s c h e duled for Aug. 26. “ N o n e o f Wilson the finalists were a good fit for the city,” he said. Diaz did not mention Wilson by name, but he confirmed to the Press last month Wilson was the only candidate available, after the other two finalists were offered jobs in other communities. He did not elaborate on what the other options might
Turn to Administrator/Page 10
Verona Area Performing Arts Series Purchase season tickets at a discount prior to September 1, 2019.
2019-2020 Season
Six Appeal: The Brothers Four: The 5th Dimension: Sat., April 25, 2020 Sat., Feb. 15, 2020 Sat., November 2, 2019 7:30pm 7:30pm 7:30pm A world class vocal They have played Recognized as one of the most ensemble infused with thousands of prolific soul and R&B groups! comedic timing and college concerts, sung With songs “Up, Up and Away”, the energy of a rock for U.S. Presidents, “Wedding Bell Blues”,“One Less band. The Music spans Bell to Answer,”“Last Night I Didn’t Get to Sleep At countless community concerts, and several decades of music, with classic oldies, current symphony orchestras. Truly “America’s chart toppers, and catchy original tunes, all sung a All,” and “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In.” Musical Ambassadors to the World.” cappella.
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Student-run design group presenting three options
VAPAS, PO Box 930316, Verona WI 53593 • (608) 848-2787 • vapas@mailbag.com