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922 W. EXCHANGE STREET, BRODHEAD, WI 53520
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 2018
Pastor’s Corner................................. 2 American bull frog staging comeback............................................ 4 Work underway on Parkview greenhouse......................................... 5
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1 • Wednesday, April 4, 2018 - The Independent-Register
Parkview students learn dangers of texting and driving he was seriously injured and his life will never be the same. Another teenage hit a bicyclist and killed him while texting, he has to live with that the rest of his life. After the video, three students volunteered to drive the simulator and try driving distractedly to demonstrate the dangers. The students were Lacy Broetzmann, Hailey Rowley and Taylor Stark. Teacher Kyle Mauer volunteered to demonstrate after the students were done. All ran stop signs or red lights, and made other dangerous mistakes while driving and texting, playing games or in one case having Mr. Jermain try to distract them while they were driving. Senator Ringhand told the students some of the distracted behaviors she has witnessed on her drive from her home in Evansville to the State Capital, including someone eating a bowl of cereal, reading a book, reading the paper and changing clothes. She said it’s a different world today than when she and other adults grew up, there were only phones attached to the wall in our homes at that time. She said it is tempting to just quickly look at the phone, but please do not do so. A car at 55 miles an hour travels the length of a football field in 5 -6 seconds. Senator Ringhand added that texting and
COURTESY PHOTO Brodhead Independent-Register
Lacy Broetzmann “driving and texting” with the simulator.
driving is illegal in Wisconsin. She asked the students to keep their eyes on the road and don’t text. Trooper Ryan told the students that his two children had graduated from
Parkview in recent years and he was also a graduate of Parkview in 1986. He said his biggest fear for his children was driving; he worries about all of the distracted drivers on the road.
Stop the spread: Southwest Badger invasive weed updates Sometimes our best intentions have unexpected consequences. For example, consider the yellow iris. It is an attractive perennial plant, brought to our country from Europe and Western Asia for planting in damp garden locations, water gardens, and for erosion control. It spreads quickly by seeds and rhizome (root) fragments. Unfortunately, it can quickly escape from gardens, and has become an invasive plant throughout most of the northern U.S. and Canada. All parts of this plant are poisonous, which results in lowered wildlife food sources in areas where it dominates. Organizations are devoting significant time and energy to manage it in Wisconsin, especially in the St. Croix River watershed (see the photo of management work done in Solon Springs). Now consider the native blue flag iris. It is equally as beautiful as the yellow iris, without the negative impacts. Its complex deep blue to purple flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds, and it grows well in the same damp locations that yellow iris does. It is widely available through online and brick-and-mortar nurseries in our area. If you were looking for an attractive iris for a damp location, which one would you buy? Many of the invasive plants and
fish in Wisconsin have escaped from gardens and water gardens. For water gardens, its best to choose native plants and fish as alternatives to potentially invasive aquatic species. The same is true for gardens and landscaping: use native plants, shrubs, and trees whenever possible. Also remember to never transplant non-native plants into the wild, or release any non-native fish. The Wisconsin DNR has a helpful listing of the garden and water garden plants that have become invasive in our area, with ideas for attractive re-
placements. Please take a look at this website, and consider replacing these plants with their native counterparts: https://dnr.wi.gov/wnrmag/html/supps/2007/jun07/plants.htm If you or your group would like to learn more about invasive species,
please contact me. Enjoy the beginning of spring, and we thank you for your continued support. Jeff Jackson, Stewardship Specialist, Southwest Badger RC&D. Email: jeff.jackson@swbadger.org; Phone: 608-348-7110
He said any form of distraction while driving is dangerous. The ticket for texting and driving is $188. He said if you feel you must take a text to pull over, safely off the road take the text. He said, “No parent ever wants to get that visit. (A police officer coming to the door to tell them their child has been killed in an accident). I’ve had to make that visit; it is the toughest part of the job.” “There is no message that you are going to receive that is more important than your life.” Students are invited to visit https://www.itcanwait.com/ and take the pledge to not drive distracted.
April is
Community Banking Month
Fri, Apr 13th
SHRED EVENT The Blue Flag Iris.
9:00a - 11:00a
2006 1st Center Ave
COURTESY PHOTOS Brodhead Independent-Register
Volunteers removed the yellow iris from Solomon Springs.
11:30a - 1:30p 250 N 18th Ave
To protect yourself from identity theft, bring your old confidential paperwork (statements, medical records, etc.) to any of the branches listed above, at the times specified, and have it shredded, free of charge.
2:00p - 4:00p 1101 Hwy 69
311843
Last Thursday, Parkview JR/SR High students saw a presentation called “It Can Wait!” The presentation was about the dangers of distracted driving, especially texting and driving. The program was presented by AT&T, AAA, the State of Wisconsin and the JR/SR High. Mrs. Stelter introduced the guest and talked to the students about texting and driving. She asked them to never text and drive. She told students that if they were ever a passenger and the driver wouldn’t stop driving distractedly, whether texting or another form of distracted driving, they should ask the driver to pull over and let them out. She said they should call someone, even call her to come and pick them out rather than risk their life. Mrs. Stelter spoke to the students both as a parent and a community member who values every one of them. Jim Jermain, from AT& T showed a video that featured several people who had lost loved ones due to texting and driving. One was the sister who had been texting with her sister while her sister was driving. Another was the mother of a girl who was to graduate the next day; the girl had been texting to get directions to a baseball game. Another was a teen who was a passenger in a car that the driver was texting,