Valley Sentinel - 01-11-2024

Spring Green, Wisconsin

Thursday, January 11, 2024 | Vol. 5, No. 1 FREE, Single-Copy

Inside this edition

Wisconsin lawmakers unveil ranked choice voting bill

Arts and Humanities grants available

Community Calendar to break out of the winter doldrums

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Wisconsin GOP at odds over final five and ranked-choice voting, Novak co-sponsors new voting proposals Jack Kelly, Wisconsin Watch Legislative Republicans are at odds over bringing final five voting and rankedchoice voting to Wisconsin. On one side, a bipartisan group of lawmakers, led by Sen. Jesse James, R-Altoona, wants to bring both practices to the state’s congressional and U.S. Senate races. On the other side, Rep. Ty Bodden, R-Hilbert, and Sen. Duey Stroebel, R-Saukville, are pushing a constitutional amendment that would outlaw both systems in the state.

Here’s what you need to know: What are final five voting and ranked-choice voting? Final five voting involves all candidates, regardless of party affiliation, running in the same primary election. The five candidates who receive the most votes then advance to the general election (for example, the general election ballot could feature two Republicans, two Democrats and one Libertarian). The general election then uses ranked-choice voting — sometimes referred to as “instant runoff” voting. In this system, voters rank the candidates in order of preference. After each round of counting, the candidate who receives the fewest votes is eliminated, and the voters who ranked that candidate first have their ballots redistributed based on their next choice. The process continues until one candidate receives a majority of the vote.

Photo by Drake White-Bergey / Wisconsin Watch Rep. Ty Bodden, R-Hilbert, seen during a Wisconsin Assembly session on June 7, 2023, in the State Capitol, and Sen. Duey Stroebel, R-Saukville, are pushing a constitutional amendment that would outlaw both final five voting and ranked-choice voting. Rep. Todd Novak, R-Dodgeville, is seen in the foreground at right. Novak has so-sponsored 2023 SB 528 which would make the voting changes.

Why watch? Republicans have split their votes on certain issues — such as the Milwaukee Brewers stadium — but they don’t often introduce dueling proposals.

The Senate Elections Committee held a public hearing on James’ final five voting bill in December. It’s not clear if the bills will advance further in the Senate this session, but a public hearing is further than any similar proposal has gotten. A spokesperson for committee chair Sen.

Dan Knodl said a committee vote on the bill has not been scheduled.

Yea: Proponents of final five voting argue the system would help stabilize the country’s volatile politics because partisan primaries reward the most extreme candidates who must appeal to a more far-right or far-left pool of voters. Given the partisan skew of scores of congressional districts across the country, low-turnout primaries often determine the gen-

eral election winner. In 2022, just 8% of U.S. voters elected 83% of U.S. House members, according to data from Unite America, a nonprofit that advocates for political reforms. Final five voting would allow more candidates to reach the general election, where a wider voter pool could reward more moderate candidates.

Nay: Opposition to final five voting often stems from opposition to rankedchoice voting. Opponents say rankedchoice voting results in ballots being thrown out, leaving some voters without a say in an election if they don’t rank all the candidates and the ones they do rank are eliminated. In a co-sponsorship memo for their constitutional amendment, Bodden and Stroebel expressed concerns that “when many Wisconsinites are asking the Legislature to simplify the mechanics of our election system, ranked-choice voting would further complicate it with calculations that dictate outcomes that are not intuitive to every voter.”

State of play: Alaska currently utilizes a final four primary system for its U.S. House and Senate races. Alaska and Maine use a ranked-choice voting system for some elections.

Wisconsin Watch is a project of the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism (WCIJ Inc.) — a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Spring Green 'Home News' parent company News Publishing Inc. sold to longtime CFO Julia Hunter, Wisconsin Newspaper Association News Publishing Inc. has sold it’s group of 14 weekly newspapers and several shoppers to Tom Finger, who has served as the company’s chief financial officer (CFO) for 25 years, the owners have announced.

The new corporation behind the newspapers will be called Finger Publishing Inc. All employees will be retained and contin-

ue in their current roles, according to the announcement. Publishing, printing and delivery operations will remain in Black Earth.

The group of papers includes the Adams-Friendship Times-Reporter, (Black Earth) Star News, (Black River Falls) Banner Journal, (Kaukana) Heart of the Valley Times-Villager, Middleton-Cross

Plains Times-Tribune, The (Montello) Marquette County Tribune, Mount Horeb Mail, (Neillsville) Clark County Press, (New Glarus) Post Messenger Recorder, Reedsburg Independent, (Spring Green) Home News and (Whitehall) Trempealeau County Times.

The newspapers had been in the Witte family since Jan. 3, 1978, when Curtis

Witte bought a group of publications in Dane and Green counties from Bill and Dolores Griffith. Since that time, the company has been managed by Dan and Mark Witte.

“The Witte family wishes to thank all the employees over the decades as well as a special thank you to all our subscribers and advertisers,” News Publishing CEO Mark Witte in the announcement.

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Commentary/Opinion

Thursday, JaNuary 11, 2024

OPINION/EDITORIAL

The (not so) Plain and Simple Correspondent: New Year's Revolution Katie Green, Columnist It is tempting in a New Year to follow the herd and make resolutions that are hard to keep. I no longer do that, although it is useful to take stock of the previous year's events and make some decisions about priorities in the future. For instance, I just canceled a few subscriptions for mounds of paper that flow in and out of this household without significant impact. And told Ancestry.com to take a flying leap, as I won't be using it in the next six months or more and it has become prohibitively expensive. With those savings I can make contributions to progressive causes and organizations that are more meaningful to me as we head into an important election year.

I'd rather see a revolution than another sincere but doomed resolution.

DONATION

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Katie Green

I understand the desire for selfRecently we received word from our press costsradar for materials improvement.

It has been onthat my have risen over 19% in the past few months our printing screen since childhood.

AsandIthatslowly cost will go up accordingly. read Ifthrough new we charged $1 foraeach copy of translation Valley Sentinel, just halfby of Emily Wilson of Homer's Iliad, the copies that are picked up each week would entirelyit coverisour — however, we arethousand committed to remaining a free clearprinting thatcostsfor several years, self -improvement for the better is

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR On the cover

“Snow Scene” (2024) Photo by Taylor Mayer

Taylor Mayer took this view of her daughter in Clyde during the Jan. 9 snowstorm that brough 9-12 inches of snow to the entire area.

From the photographer: "My 2 year old daughter, Averie, is taking in the first snow storm that she can comprehend in this photo. In her words, there are 'four and two inches' out there."

Submit your artwork or photography for cover consideration: editor@valleysentinelnews.com

what women wish for themselves but that they wish men would do, as well, while men are satisfied with things the way they are. Why not? The world is stacked in their favor.

Early in 2024, friends and I began exchanging poetry and book titles of interest to us. Mary Mercier, a poet formerly of Plain, sent me her lovely annual seasonal poems, and Jim, a friend in the West, sent me a poem that moved him especially after a tough year in which his only son died. When I looked up the author, Sheenagh Pugh, a Welsh woman, she had gotten so sick of people enthusiastically giving precedence to that poem over all her other work that she forbade it being anthologized in her work any longer. Too bad. It is worth absorbing the wisdom of: Sometimes things don’t go, after all, from bad to worse. Some years, muscadel faces down frost; green thrives; the crops don’t fail, sometimes a man aims high, and all goes well.

A people sometimes will step back from war; elect an honest man; decide they care enough, that they can’t leave some stranger poor.

Some men become what they were born for.

Sometimes our best efforts do not go amiss; wethatdo publication with ansometimes accessible, hybrid model allowsas anyone thatwe wantsmeant to read localto. news to have access to it. We do not believe financial ability shouldwill be a barrier to reading localmelt news.

The sun sometimes We may be a free paper, but unfortunately it’s not free to print a field of sorrow papers. that hard frozen: Valley Sentinelseemed will stay a free and truly independent and accessible Please frequent local businesses and let them maypaper. it happen forouryou.

Dear Editor, The cartoon in the December 14, 2023 Valley Sentinel requires a response. It was totally and factually incorrect.

The cartoon depicted me standing with the grim reaper in front of two headstones. One said UW Richland and one said UW Platteville. Over my head was a thought bubble with the word “So?” So? I have a terrific relationship with UW Platteville. I have talked with Chancellor Evetovich every week for the last several weeks. I visit campus often and my door is always open for anyone at the University. I have discussed the campus’ decision to reduce staffing levels and re-work their budget. They are making very tough choices based on real data and I support the Chancellor’s leadership to respond to the realities of current enrollment.

So? I have fought for the raises for the staff at UW Platteville and all of the other campuses. I was the first legislator to demand the raises. I do not want our local faculty and staff to suffer because of something they have no role in.

So? I care about UW Richland. I had nothing to do with the decision to close the UW Richland campus. The UW system made this decision. There were only 56 students left on that campus.

It was dying a slow, painful death that nobody could stop. No amount of money could revive UW Richland. Just throwing money at something does not give it life. I had to face this reality along with everyone else.

So? Despite being unfairly blamed for something that was not my fault, I am trying to get $2 million for Richland County to redevelop the campus. I

As we brace for a predicted blizzard, my choice to leave with you of the frozen north for the New Year is the song “We Remember You Well”, by Buddy MacDonald. We have all lost something in 2023, be it opportunities, hope, hair, someone dear, health, strength, the ability to relax and play for a change. (Please insert a female presence as you read along, since this song is expressed as male.)

Northwest wind blowing outside like a song, Inside you're strumming, the rhythm is strong, The woodfire is cracking and the embers are bright, and the memories are flowing like fine wine tonight.

For old times are gone times, the new times are here we cannot live on through our full lives in fear of old age or whatever the future may hold.

We're just growing up, boys, we're not growing old.

Chorus: We remember you well of you to our children we'll tell.

Thank you for picking us up when we fell, go happy now and farewell. know you read Valley Sentinel each week.

Forindependent old friends leaving What does news mean to are us? It means NOT influenced by corporations or government, NO big corporate like leaves from a tree. backers, NO corporate umbrella organizations, NO big money On the high winds of life they investors. Just a handful of people with a dream to build are blown and set free community.

Valley Sentinel and fromis all-volunteer, a worldindependently where owned they've operated by its editors and is a majority woman-owned business. known the toil, love and pain, Community fueled and community focused. We only succeed if the the good years, the lean community succeeds. years, For more about Valley Sentinel and our model, visit us at howvalleysentinelnews.com/about it all seems the same.

care about how our community is going to move forward. I am in regular communication with Richland County leaders to help where I can. There are opportunities to turn lemons into lemonade and I am doing everything I can to help this happen.

So? My track record speaks for itself.

I fought for – and won – $55 million in funding for Sesquicentennial Hall and $24 Million in funding for Boebel Hall at UW Platteville in 2017. I fought for – and won - $11 million to start the Dairy Innovation Hub that includes UW Platteville, UW River Falls and UW Madison.

So? And yet, Ken Stark says I don’t care. This is a lie. My track record speaks for itself.

So? Stark implied that I do not care about our universities. This is false and

But we can't help but feel sad for good ones that are gone, the grandfathers, fathers, the fiddlers, and sons.

They've all left us something in the tales that they told the memories they gave us and left us to hold.

A dubious gift given to me at year's end was Covid, by someone I literally picked up when she fell. My symptoms are manageable but not pleasant, of course. During the siege I have been assisted and picked up in turn by my willing family. That should be the way of the world. So mask up and cherish the memories. Sometimes our best efforts do not go amiss.

Katie, who until recently lived in Plain, has been writing for fun and profit since childhood. Self-described as opinionated, she writes in the interests of a more loving, betterfunctioning world for all. She may be reached at katiewgreen@icloud.com.

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If we charged $1 for each copy of Valley Sentinel, just half of the copies that are picked up each week would entirely cover our printing costs — however, we are committed to remaining a free

Scan to support local journalism!

is contradicted by all of the time, effort and contacts I have with our universities.

Just ask them.

So, the FACTS are that I care about our local campuses and the Universities as a whole. I regularly visit our local campuses.

I am in frequent communication with the Chancellor of UW Platteville and many other faculty and staff. I maintain strong communications with the UW System, UW Madison and my alma mater, UW Whitewater. I am trying to do more for our campuses than some mis-leading cartoonist who doesn’t tell the truth.

Howard Marklein State Senator 17th Senate District Spring Green, Wisconsin

letters continued on page 3

Dear Editor, I stand behind my editorial cartoon, having researched several credible news articles, as well as local commentary in The Cap Times (11-15-23), and a community listening session where Sen. Marklein spoke.

Ken Stark Richland County, Wisconsin Please see: 12-13-22 Wisconsin Examiner, "Community Leaders Compare Decision to Kill UW Richland to Medieval Bloodletting," by Henry Redman; 2-1-23, SWNews4u.com article by Matt Johnson reporting on a listening session, with questions and comments by former State Sen. Dale Schultz; and 11-15-23 The Cap Times commentary "Marklein has done nothing for the universities and communities he represents."

The editorial cartoon published in our Dec. 14 edition

publication wit that wants to re financial ability We may be a papers.

Valley Sentine accessible pape

Commentary/OpInIon

Thursday, JaNuary 11, 2024 Page 3

OPINION/EDITORIAL

Public Education — Part 8: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Beverly Pestel, Columnist The right to an education at the government’s expense may be one of the most important rights given to us by the Founding Fathers. It was a while in coming and, arguably, it has never lived up to their aspirations.

Following the progression and development of public education, however, allows us to understand where we’ve been, and where we may be going. More importantly, analyzing it carefully may be critical to ensuring a prosperous future for all of us. So, here we go...

Beverly Pestel In the last column I voiced my apocalyptic fears for public education and our democracy. As we approach this election season, I hope we take our futures and freedoms seriously as we contemplate who should represent us in the state legislature. Now, however, it is time to move on through the history of public education.

The post-Reconstruction Jim Crow era began as early as the late 1860s and legally ended in 1965 with the Voting Rights Act. The Jim Crow influence on public education, however, went well into the 1970s (and, arguably, still exists). The story of public education

during this time was a mixed bag depending on where you lived, who your neighbors were, and who your politicians were.

I attended first through fourth grade in the mid-1950s in a small suburb of Kansas City, everyone looked like me.

We didn’t have Kindergarten, and first grade was only half-day, whether that was a space issue or teacher issue, I don’t know, but within two years we moved into a brand-new larger school.

For fifth and sixth grade I attended a small rural northern Wisconsin school where I was related to a number of my classmates in a combined fifth and sixth grade, my uncle was the principal, and my aunt my substitute teacher.

Definitely, everyone looked like me. We were fed a good hot lunch by the “lunch ladies,” many of whom had children in the school. Every afternoon two students in the class walked down to the cafeteria to pick up a case of milk to go with the cookies that students took turns bringing. There was no drama, no conflict, little to no wealth inequality, everyone was in the same boat, and that boat was sailing in calm waters. I had no reason to believe it wasn’t this way for everyone.

Middle school through high school I attended the “big city” school in Ladysmith, Wisconsin (population ~3000). I walked the mile to school past the elementary school where my mother taught fourth grade and into the combined middle/high school where everyone looked like me. Classes were bigger than I was used to, but not much. We seemed to have all the resources we needed in terms of textbooks and library books, they may not have been new, but they weren’t falling apart. The only hitch I remember was eighth grade math where the school had decided to experiment with individualized programmed learning.

I sat and worked through the pages of

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dear Editor, Warmest thanks to Beverly Pestel for her excellent, and may I say prophetic, column “The Anchor for Democracy”, in which she refers to an individual action taken by UW System President, Jay Rothman, to “shift away” — i.e.

abandon — financial support for lowincome students.

This highly questionable action taken by an individual without widespread support by UW personnel on all levels is clearly anti-democratic and violates the University’s principle of the

problems with all answers provided in the back of the book while the teacher sat at his desk doing something besides teaching.

Overall, I grew up experiencing much of the best of what public education had to offer at that time: small, adequately funded neighborhood schools. In larger, more culturally and racially diverse areas, however, the state of public education was often very different.

My college classmate described the middle school experience of her younger siblings. Her suburban community decided to leap into the latest innovative idea and tear all the walls out of the middle school and invest in individualized programmed learning. Her sister, who was confident, gregarious, and self-motivated did just fine. Her two brothers – not so much.

After doing okay in elementary school, they struggled in high school, and according to their mom, they never fully recovered from their middle school experience. It also wasn’t long before the walls went back up and the middle school returned to a more traditional structure. Who could have guessed that removing all the structure from middle schoolers and giving them so much freedom would be a bad idea?

Another friend lived near the outskirts of Detroit. In the late 1960s the school was so overcrowded and under-funded, she only had half-days through high school.

If my experiences were good, and my friends’ experiences were bad, much of what I read that described the Jim Crow era that continued into the 70’s was ugly. In large portions of the country equal education for all was the rhetoric but not the reality. Wealthy neighborhoods had well-funded schools, and poor neighborhoods had underfunded schools. The “separate but equal” hypocrisy provided high quality education to well-to-do whites

2022

“Wisconsin Idea.” The Wisconsin Idea on behalf of all students who wantNEWSPAPE BETTER would serve the educational needs of and need the academic doors CONTEST of the AWAR all students in the state regardless of University to stay open and welcoming. color, gender, or income. As a former professor of a campus of the University resident W I S C OAlan N S I N W.C. N E W Green, S PA P E Rformerly A S S O C IAT I O N F Oof U N D AT I O N of California and of UW Green Bay, I Spring Green and Plain strongly endorse Dr. Pestel’s protest Madison, Wisconsin

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REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS IN THIS EDITION EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief Graphic Design Literary Contributor Agriculture Columnist Nicole Aimone Julianna Williams Mary Lanita Schulz Barb Garvoille Managing Editor Democracy, Society & Edu. Columnist Taylor Scott Beverly Pestel Literary Contributor Editorial Intern Legal Editor Community Columnist Amanda Thomas Alex Prochaska Gary Ernest Grass, esq.

Katie Green Have graphic design experience or interested in meetings, events or writing and becoming a community contributor? Let us know. Thank you to all of our contributors for believing in our community.

On certain topics in areas of great community interest, the editors of the Valley Sentinel may take positions they believe best represent and serve the interests of the community. Any opinions or positions taken by the editorial board are separate and distinct in labeling and substance from the community journalism that appears in the rest of the publication and does not affect the integrity and impartiality of our reporting. .

Est. 2020 igne conflatum “Forged in Fire”

Beverly is a retired professor. She lives in a remodeled farmhouse and tends 40 acres of woodland in Richland County. When not in the woods she spends her time reading, writing and enjoying the beauty of the Driftless Area. Beverly may be contacted at bpestel@msn.com.

letters continued from page 2 and on to page 4

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and underfunded, understaffed, crumbling schools to poor whites, Blacks, and other minorities.

But we have managed, at least in some cases, to put some of the worst of that behind us – sort of. Public education, however, has simply moved into another dilemma, the folly that equal education for all can be accomplished by changing the structure of schools: break the schools up, make them smaller, bus children into different neighborhoods, create innovative alternative schools based on unproven ideas, and move toward privatization of schools - but funded with public tax dollars. So, how could any of that go wrong?

This brings me back to Mr. Crisp (Part 6) when he said, “…in neighborhoods where we’ve been willing to support and fund them, we’ve always had good schools.” Based on my experience, there is a good deal of truth to that.

As I have learned, however, this was not a common experience and not one that was to be the model going forward especially in poorer neighborhoods, inner cities, and in communities of color. There has been no shortage of innovations proposed to produce excellent outcomes, but the results have been mixed at best and disastrous at worst.

The persistence of unequal education amidst non-research based innovations and the hubris of billionaires influencing and funding reforms are a feature of some of the next chapters in public (sort of) education.

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Editors may feature opinion columns written by public figures, Letters submitted for consideration are subject to fact-checking and members of the public or other publication staff. Columns reflect editing for space and clarity. Submissions must have a compelling local the opinions of the individual contributors and do not represent community interest. Letters to the editor must fit within a 500-word positions of the publication. Guest columns of an anticipated limit, and include name, city and phone number. Phone numbers are for office use only and will not be published. Letters of a political nature, length more than 500 words should seek prior editor authorization. without chance of rebuttal, will not be published the week before an . election.

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Covering Arena, Lone Rock, Plain, Spring Green and the surrounding areas in Sauk, Iowa and Richland counties.

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From time to time the editorial board may select letters to the editor of a particular compelling community interest where a public figure or accountable public action is the recipient of criticism and allow, in the same issue, the subject of the criticism chance for rebuttal, with expounded independent input. The format shall be point, counterpoint and expert analysis. This community discussion shall serve as a moderated dialogue that presents multiple views of important community topics.

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Commentary/OpInIon/GOVeRnMent

Thursday, JaNuary 11, 2024

OPINION/EDITORIAL

Capitol Report — Marklein: Bills, Input and Will You Hire Me? Sen. Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green) Within the first four days of 2024, two of my bills have received public hearings and several others are scheduled for action next week. I am pitching at least five bills to my colleagues for floor votes in January and I have been aggressively working on an amendment to improve the electric vehicle charging legislation I am working on. It has been very busy in your State Capitol!

The legislature is scheduled to end our 2023-24 legislative session by the end of March. This may seem like a long way off, but I am well aware of how quickly time passes and the many steps that legislation must take in order to move all of the way through the legislative process. This is why my team and I have hit the ground running in 2024 to move our bills and do the work that needs to be done as we near the 2024 finish line.

This is not to say that our work ends in March. There is still a lot of committee work, especially for the Joint Committee on Finance (JFC), which I co-chair. We also continue to provide world-class constituent services to answer your questions, clear obstacles and assist you with state-related matters. We will be sending you a spring newsletter

to outline my work for you in April and I am planning to be out-andabout connecting with constituents to understand the unique needs, ideas and priorities of the 17th Senate District. We will also be researching and drafting plans for the next state budget and legislative session.

Following is our schedule: Monday, January 15, 2024, 3-4 p.m.

Hildebrand Memorial Library – 1033 Wisconsin Ave., Boscobel Monday, January 29, 2024, 1-2 p.m.

Blanchardville Village Hall – 208 Mason Street, Blanchardville Friday, February 2, 2024, 10-11 a.m.

New Lisbon Library Community Room - 115 W Park Street, New Lisbon Monday, February 12, 2024, 1:30-2:30 p.m.

Platteville Public Library – 225 W Main Street, Platteville

Senator Howard Marklein Please join me for a listening session.

Rep. Tony Kurtz (R-Wonewoc) and I held listening sessions in Richland Center and North Freedom before Christmas, but I am hoping to reach other parts of the district as well.

If there is inclement weather on any of these dates, please call our office at 608-266-0703 or check my Facebook page for cancellation information.

I am also re-launching a new round of Hire Howard job-shadow experiences and I am looking for ideas and invitations! Will you “hire” me for a half-day to job shadow you, your team or someone you know?

Throughout my tenure as your State Senator, Hire Howard experiences have

provided me with first-hand knowledge and connections in all different kinds of industries. For example, I have job shadowed the Reedsburg Utility Commission as they installed broadband fiber in the Town of Spring Green!

I have shadowed Marvin Joles and blacktopped a driveway with his team. I planted Mothers’ Day flowering pots at Northwoods Orchard in Mauston. I shadowed the Iowa County Highway Department for a mill and overlay. I helped with x-rays at Dr. Thomas Hughes’ Dental Clinic in Cassville…among many other great experiences.

If you have an idea – or invitation – for a Hire Howard experience, please send me an email to Sen.Marklein@legis. wisconsin.gov. We are hoping to begin scheduling these experiences in April!

Again, 2024 is beginning with a bang.

I am off and running. I hope you will join me for a listening session, share your Hire Howard ideas and continue to communicate with me. As always, please do not hesitate to connect with me to provide input, ideas or to seek assistance. Send an email to Sen. Marklein@legis.wisconsin.gov or call 608-266-0703. I want to hear from you.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Dear Editor, Donald Trump quotes dictators he admires: Russia’s Putin, Turkey’s Erdogan, and Hungary’s Orban —all dictators of ill repute. He says he “will be a dictator just for one day”, but which of these favorites of his have remained in power just for one term? Which of these countries have democracy? What’s it like working

in a labor camp in any of these countries?

Be warned, if Trump is elected, you will never have to vote again, he will make sure he “wins” forever, by doing what he accused the Democrats of doing in 2020, and what he tried to do on January 6, 2021.

All the violence, antisemitism, and intolerance of “other” people, whether Jews,

immigrants or simply his opponents, have arisen since he began disseminating lies at his rallies, causing mass rage.

The Wisconsin Republicans’ closing of university campuses and withholding of funding for public schools are efforts to maintain ignorance in the electorate, so they maintain power indefinitely.

Due to magical themes in entertain-

ment that recent generations have grown up with, they seem all too ready to believe Trump’s fairy tales, such as how the economy and immigration will all be fixed “by Christmas 2024”. Trump forgot that Biden will still be President then!

Dear Editor, I read with interest the letter by Kay Ziegahn in your November 30 newspaper. I agree with her 100 per cent in most of her letter about the Nazis on parade in Madison. I spent time in Germany in the Army and visited Dachau prison, so I'm familiar with that terrible atrocity. I do however take issue with her last paragraph. Your letter policy states that submitted letters are subject to fact checking. As an Independent conservative I find the last paragraph not only wrong headed but insulting.

It is her party that wants to make the Constitution subjective. I suggest her and all your readers to read "The Soul of Civility" by Alexandra Hudson

improve things by doing away with the Constitution and eliminating our personal rights! An American dictatorship on the model of Putin’s, or any other right-wing leaders in today’s world, will not be pretty."

Much of this is opinion and therefore would not be fact-checked. To the extent that this paragraph can be factchecked: “A Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution,”

wrote Donald Trump in a post on the social network Truth Social in Dec. 2023 regarding the 2020 presidential elections. Two days later Trump posted: “The Fake News is actually trying to convince the American People that I said I wanted to ‘terminate’ the Constitution. This is simply more DISINFORMATION & LIES.” In Dec. 2023 Trump publicly stated and repeated comments that he would be a dictator for “one day” if he's elected to a second term in the White House. "After that, I’m not a dictator," he said.

--a Jan. 12 deadline for the parties to submit new maps.

--a Feb. 1 written report from two experts evaluating the submitted maps. Bernard Grofman and Jonathan Cervas were named to serve as the court’s consultants.

Grofman is a political science professor at the University of California-Irvine, who is an expert on redistricting and served as a special master on several map redrawings. Cervas is a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute for Politics and Strategy at Carnegie Mellon University. The New York Times called him one of the nation’s most influential political mapmakers.

--and new maps by March 15. The Wisconsin Elections Commission has said new maps must be in place by March 15.

Republicans have been bracing themselves for the court to order new maps since liberal Janet Protasiewicz was elected this spring after a campaign in which he knocked the current lines as “rigged” in favor of the GOP. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, raised the prospect of impeaching Protasiewicz

if she heard the case, though he later backed down.

The case has been highly charged politically, with conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley ripping her four liberal colleagues for their ruling. She wrote the outcome was preordained after Protasiewicz won this spring.

“These handmaidens of the Democratic Party trample the rule of law, dishonor the institution of the judiciary, and undermine democracy,” she wrote.

Dan Lenz, an attorney on the legal team for the Democratic plaintiffs, hailed the ruling as a “victory for a representative democracy in the state of Wisconsin.”

“For too long, right wing interests have rigged the rules without any consequences,” he said.

Vos knocked the ruling in a post on X and vowed the U.S. Supreme Court “will have the last word.” Republicans asked Protasiewicz to recuse herself, but she declined. Along with calling the current lines “rigged,” Protasiewicz

Joe Hodgson Barneveld, Wisconsin Editors' Note — The last paragraph of Ziegahn's Nov. 30 letter to the editor read: "Be careful what you wish for, those of you who believe Trump and those Republicans who promise to

Kay Ziegahn Richland Center, Wisconsin

WisPolitics — Big changes in store for 2024 legislative maps

By WisPolitics.com The action by the new liberal majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court was expected.

But that didn't diminish the impact of a late December 4-3 decision that GOP maps are unconstitutional.

The likely result, barring U.S. Supreme Court intervention: new legislative lines for the 2024 elections.

The ruling wasn’t a complete victory for the Democratic plaintiffs. They had asked the high court to order all 33 seats in the state Senate to be on the ballot in 2024, arguing it would be inappropriate to allow members elected in 2022 under unconstitutional lines to continue representing those seats.

Republicans now have a 22-11 supermajority in the Senate to go along with the 64-34 edge they have in the Assembly. Having all 33 Senate seats on the ballot next fall would’ve created an opportunity to significantly swing that chamber’s balance. But the court rejected the request as “drastic.”

Experts caution that in a state like

Wisconsin, where Democrats are grouped tightly in urbanized areas, new legislative lines likely won't mean the Legislature, long ruled by Republicans, will suddenly flip to Democrats. But they say it could mean tighter margins in the Assembly and Senate and more swing seats.

The ruling urges lawmakers to take first crack at drawing new lines. But the liberal majority said it will at the same time begin the process of selecting a new map on its own in case the GOPcontrolled Legislature and Democratic Gov. Tony Evers again fail to agree on a new map.

The court also signaled it will consider the partisan impact of the new map it might select.

“Unlike the legislative and executive branches, which are political by nature, this court must remain politically neutral,” Justice Jill Karofsky wrote for the liberal majority. “We do not have free license to enact maps that privilege one political party over another.”

Deadlines loom:

continued on page 5

Commentary/GOVeRnMent

Thursday, JaNuary 11, 2024 Page 5

WisPolitics — Big changes in store for 2024 legislative maps continued from page 4 received nearly $10 million from the state Democratic Party during her spring campaign. Some Republicans have argued those donations eclipse what happened in a West Virginia case nearly two decades ago that resulted in a 2009 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that a state justice shouldn’t have heard a case involving a campaign donor.

WisPolitics tracked more than $56 million in spending in this spring’s state Supreme Court race, more than triple the

previous national record.

Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, said “Justice should not be for sale in Wisconsin” and Protasiewicz should’ve recused herself.

Republicans have said they would consider asking the U.S. Supreme Court to step in.

Vos wrote in a text message to WisPolitics that Republicans will consult with their attorneys to figure out their next steps.

“The case was pre-decided before it was even brought,” Vos wrote, calling it a

CLASSIFIEDS

“sad day.”

The arguments the justices heard didn’t focus on the partisan balance of the maps, but on whether the continuous territory in numerous districts violated the state Constitution. The majority found those municipal islands violate the requirement that districts be contiguous.

Karofsky noted in her majority opinion at least 50 Assembly districts and 20 Senate seats have such detached parts.

“We hold that the contiguity requirements in Article IV, Sections 4 and 5 mean what they say: Wisconsin’s state

legislative districts must be composed of physically adjoining territory,” Karofsky wrote.

For more go to www.wispolitics.com

The Capitol Report is written by the editorial staff at WisPolitics.com, a nonpartisan, Madison-based news service that specializes in coverage of government and politics.

Copyright © WisPolitics.com

Valley Sentinel

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Page 6

Community

Thursday, JaNuary 11, 2024

COmmunitycalendar

The Community Calendar is curated and designed by Julianna Williams. Events are subject to change, always check ahead for up-to-date information on any events you are interested in.

Events for January 11- January 25

Tuesday, January 16

Yoga with Rural Remedy 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM . Wyoming Valley School Cultural Arts Thursday, January 11 Center, 6306 WI-23 Trunk, Spring Green . ruralremedy.com . More information and registration details online.

Yoga with Rural Remedy 8:15 AM - 9:30 AM . Wyoming Valley School Cultural Arts Auditions for “A Year with Frog and Toad” 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM . The Gard Theater Center, 6306 WI-23 Trunk, Spring Green . ruralremedy.com . More information and 111 East Jefferson Street, Spring Green . For questions and further information, please registration details online. contact Patrick Hagen, hagenp2@gmail.com . River Valley Players announces auditions Storytime 10:30 AM . Lone Rock Community Library, 234 N Broadway St, Lone Rock . for the Tony Award-winning musical A Year with Frog and Toad. The musical will be lonerocklibrary.wordpress.com . Join us every Thursday for storytime! produced March 15-17 and 22-24 at the Gard Theater in Spring Green. Auditions will Stitch and Bitch 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM . Spring Green General Store, 137 S. Albany St. be held 1/15, 1/16 with possible callbacks on 1/17.

Spring Green . springgreengeneralstore.com . The Spring Green General Store’s Stitch Movies, Munchies and More — The Dig 1:00 PM . Spring Green Community Library, and Bitch handwork group meets Thursday afternoons weekly. All are welcome.

230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green . springgreenlibrary.com . Come to the library for a cup Knit Night at Nina’s 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM . Nina’s Department Store, 143 E. Jefferson St. of coffee, a sweet treat, a movie. Movie Synopsis: Movie Summary: Movie Summary: An Spring Green . ninasdepartmentstore.com . Every Thursday from 6 to 8 pm. All knitters excavator and his team discover a wooden ship from the Dark Ages while digging up a and crocheters are welcome. Store closed after 5:30 pm. burial ground on a woman's estate. (PG-13, 1hr 52 min, 2021) Bingo at Arthur’s Supper Club 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM . Arthur’s Supper Club, E4885 SESSION FULL: Moving Senior Bodies 4:00 PM . Spring Green Community Library, US-14, Spring Green . arthurssupperclub.com . Every Thursday evening we play 7 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green . springgreenlibrary.com . Join Upland Hills Health games of Bingo. Bingo is FREE, we just ask that people order beverages and/or professionals Rosie Morrey, APNP, and Jennifer Day, COTA, for weekly classes focusing food. We do ask that Bingo goers are at least 18 years of age to play. We have prizes for on balance and strength training to promote healthy aging.This session is full. We are the winner of each game...some are cash, gift cards, and other fun stuff that is donated planning on doing more sessions, so please check back after the new year. from time to time by businesses.

Friday, January 12 LIVE MUSIC: TAE and the Neighborly 7:30 PM - 10:00 PM . Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jefferson St., Spring Green . slowpokelounge.com . Tae & The Neighborly is a Wisconsin based Soul-pop R&B group. They were all neighbors, each one living alone on one floor of a five-story flat. Cake baking is a shared passion of the five member group, but in the sugar shortages early in the 2020 pandemic, they found themselves so continually knocking on each other's doors asking for a single cup of sugar that a group decision was made to all move in together and share cake-baking resources. $10 in advance/$15 at the door.

Saturday, January 13 Spring Green Winter Farmers Market 10:00 AM - 11:00 PM . S230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green . Spring Green Farmers Market Is a year-round outdoor market offering seasonal produce, local meats, baked goods and many other wonderful items. Held outside the Spring Green Community Public Library every Saturday morning.

WORKSHOP: Cake Science – Vanilla 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM . Homecoming, 242 N. Lexington St, Spring Green . savortherivervalley.org . This class will be led by Alyssa Janco the owner and head baker at Nectar Bakery. This is the first in a series of 4 classes offered this Winter from Janco. This class will focus on Vanilla Cake and Ermine Buttercream, and is especially suited for those who want to learn the “why” behind cake baking. You will learn how to read a recipe, tips and tricks, and the science behind each ingredient and method involved in making a cake. Step by step cake and buttercream demos where you will have the opportunity to ask questions. You will prepare your very own cake to enjoy at home. There will be water and a small snack provided. $60 per participant. Register online.

LIVE MUSIC: Bluegrass Jam 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM . Spring Green General Store, 137 S. Albany St., Spring Green . 608-5880-707, karin@springgreengeneralstore.com, SpringGreenGeneralStore.com . Free event. All ages welcome! Bluegrass Jams will be held on the second Saturday of each month. Bring your instrument and play along or come to listen; all are welcome.

Sunday, January 14 Yoga with Rural Remedy 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM . Radiant Spirit Retreats Yoga, S7163 County Rd G, Hill Point . ruralremedy.com . ruralremedy.com . More information and registration details online.

Wednesday, January 17

All Ages Storytime 10:30 AM . Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green . springgreenlibrary.com . Bring the whole family to the library for a morning of song, stories, movement, and fun!

Kids and Teen Craft Club 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM . Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green . springgreenlibrary.com . Grab a smock (or risk it!) and head to the library for an afternoon of art and craft making. This month we'll be painting Tiny Art. Quick, easy and stress-free! You don't have to be a great artist to come away with a great little painting to be proud of! Ages 10 and up.

Bingo 6:00 PM . Dave's On Main, 1170 Main St, Plain . For more info look up Dave’s on Main on Facebook . A cozy restaurant where you are welcome to have a drink. Join us every Wednesday for Bingo!

Thursday, January 18 Yoga with Rural Remedy 8:15 AM - 9:30 AM . Wyoming Valley School Cultural Arts Center, 6306 WI-23 Trunk, Spring Green . ruralremedy.com . More information and registration details online.

Storytime 10:30 AM . Lone Rock Community Library, 234 N Broadway St, Lone Rock . lonerocklibrary.wordpress.com . Join us every Thursday for storytime!

Books and Tech 3:00 PM . Community Room, Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green . springgreenlibrary.com . An informational session about all things books and tech. Some of the items discussed will include tracking your reading online as well as e-books - both free and not. There will be lots of time for questions.

Stitch and Bitch 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM . Spring Green General Store, 137 S. Albany St. Spring Green . springgreengeneralstore.com . The Spring Green General Store’s Stitch and Bitch handwork group meets Thursday afternoons weekly. All are welcome.

Bingo at Arthur’s Supper Club 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM . Arthur’s Supper Club, E4885 US-14, Spring Green . arthurssupperclub.com . Every Thursday evening we play 7 games of Bingo. Bingo is FREE, we just ask that people order beverages and/or food. We do ask that Bingo goers are at least 18 years of age to play. We have prizes for the winner of each game...some are cash, gift cards, and other fun stuff that is donated from time to time by businesses.

Knit Night at Nina’s 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM . Nina’s Department Store, 143 E. Jefferson St. Spring Green . ninasdepartmentstore.com . Every Thursday from 6 to 8 pm. All knitters and crocheters are welcome. Store closed after 5:30 pm.

Friday, January 19

Euchre 6:00 PM . Dave's On Main, 1170 Main St, Plain . For more info look up Dave’s on LIVE MUSIC: Marbin 7:30 PM - 10:00 PM . Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jefferson St., Main on Facebook . Join us every Sunday for Euchre!

Spring Green . slowpokelounge.com . MARBIN is a progressive jazz-rock band based in Chicago, with a unique story that stands out in today's music world. Marbin regularly Monday, January 15 plays in clubs all over the US and in jam and jazz festivals around the world. Tickets $10 in advance/$15 at the door.

The Arena Historians Meeting 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM . Grandma Mary's (Brisbane Hall), 175 US Hwy 14, Arena . For more information look up Arena Historians on Saturday, January 20 Facebook . We will take a look back at White's Snowmobiles, founded by Gerald and Kate’s Bait Annual Ice Fishing Derby 6:00 AM - 1:00 PM . Kate's Bait, 3916 State Linda White, as well as the snowmobile clubs that were in existence during that time, Road 23, Dodgeville . katesbaitdodgeville.com . Registration is $15 per Adult and $5 per such as the Arena Ridge Runners and the Helena Road Runners. We look forward to Kid (15 and under). Fish Any Body of Water You Want. Register and Weigh-Ins at Kate’s seeing you there!

Bait. Categories: (Adult and Kids Categories separate) Most Panfish (Best Stringer of 10), Auditions for “A Year with Frog and Toad” 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM . The Gard Theater Memory Maker Award: Largest Award for each- Crappie, Bluegill, Perch, Bass, Northern, 111 East Jefferson Street, Spring Green . For questions and further information, please Walleye, and Smallest Fish of the Day. contact Patrick Hagen, hagenp2@gmail.com . River Valley Players announces auditions January Yoga and Wellness Retreat 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM . S7163 County Road G, Hill for the Tony Award-winning musical A Year with Frog and Toad. The musical will be Point . Join Lark Gibson of Radiant Spirit Retreats on her 25 acres of gorgeous property produced March 15-17 and 22-24 at the Gard Theater. Auditions will be held 1/15, 1/16 located north of Spring Green. The Retreat will include: Yoga, Breathwork, Meditation, with possible callbacks on 1/17. Based on the beloved books by Arnold Lobel, A Year 2024 Vision Board Workshop, Nature Walking, Sauna, Healing Sessions, and Mocktail & with Frog & Toad follows two amphibious best friends on their delightful adventures 3-Course Dinner catered by DelecTable. $199 + $65 for 3-course dinner. through the four seasons. Emerging from their winter slumber, Frog and Toad embark Spring Green Winter Farmers Market 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM . S230 E. Monroe St., on a seasonal journey filled with gardening, swimming, leaf-raking, sledding, and Spring Green . Spring Green Farmers Market Is a year-round outdoor market offering valuable life lessons. As inseparable companions, these friends celebrate the unique seasonal produce, local meats, baked goods and many other wonderful items. Held qualities that make each of them special. The musical A Year with Frog and Toad has a outside the Spring Green Community Public Library every Saturday morning. vaudeville quality with jazzy elements. Frog and Toad bubbles with melody and wit, SOLD OUT: WORKSHOP – Tamale Making 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM . RedBarn Catering making it an inventive, exuberant, and enchanting show for the whole family.

525 E. Madison Street, Spring Green . savortherivervalley.org . Let’s take the intimidaAuditioners will prepare/sight read from the materials found here: tion out of making tamales! Join Tortilleria Zepeda for a twist on tamales: sweet desserthttp://tinyurl.com/mu9atzbf style tamales. Tamales are enjoyed year round in Mexico. With this tamal class, you will A Night of Words 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM . Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jefferson St., Spring be guided on the tamal-making process. During class you’ll enjoy tasting tamales. Plus, Green . slowpokelounge.com . An open mic. Friends sharing words. Watch. Listen. you’ll get a recipe card and a tamal to take home. You will leave this class with confiSpeak. Share. Maybe you have a favorite poem, or passage from a book you’d like to dence to explore and create tamales—from sweet to savory—in your own kitchen. $50 share. Or maybe you write your own and are ready to share it with the rest of us. per participant. Minimum class is 10; maximum is 25. Register online.

Maybe you just want to tell a story. Or maybe you just want to listen. It’s all good. Let’s Winter Afternoon Storytime 4:30 PM - 5:15 PM . Plain Kraemer Library, 910 Main hang out and share words together. Poetry. Stories. Original work and old favorites.

St., Plain . kraemerlibrary.org . Story time includes stories and songs followed by a fun This and that. A Night of Words. themed craft and activity.

very V

r

Community Events for January 11 - January 25 Sunday, January 21 Yoga with Rural Remedy 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM . Radiant Spirit Retreats Yoga, S7163 County Rd G, Hill Point . ruralremedy.com . ruralremedy.com . More information and registration details online.

Earth Angels & Empaths 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM . North Earth Crystals & Gifts, 124 W. Jefferson St, Spring Green . northearth.com . Are you are affected by other people’s energies, and have an innate ability to intuitively feel and perceive others? Are you “overly” sensitive? Do you feel drained after being around certain people? Does your mood change depending on who you’re talking to and their energy? Do you have a hard time saying “no” to the point of being taken advantage of? Are you harder on yourself than anyone else? If you answered yes to more than one of these, you are likely an empath. Come learn what it means to be an empath and/or Earth Angel, what Realm of an Earth Angel you are and how to recognize the different realms, how to clear and protect your energy and protect yourself from taking on others’ feelings and emotions as your own. Robin Fitzsimons, Intuitive, Healer, Spiritual Coach will be a guest teacher at North Earth in Spring Green! Join us to learn all about Earth Angels and Empaths! Register by messaging Robin Fitzsimons or Jenafer Humphries.

Investment (day of class) $60.

LIVE MUSIC: Acoustic Jam 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM . Spring Green General Store, 137 S. Albany St., Spring Green . 608-5880-707 . All are welcome- come to play, or come to listen. Kitchen open until 2 pm Clothing Swap and Mini Mending Workshop 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM . Wyoming Valley School Cultural Arts Center, 6306 WI-23 Trunk, Spring Green . ruralremedy.com .

Hosted by Rural Remedy with Ren LaDassor. Bring gently used adult clothing to swap and join Ren at 3pm for instruction on simple mending techniques to give your favorite clothing items more years of wear. Bring your own supplies for mending. Some will be available.

Euchre 6:00 PM . Dave's On Main, 1170 Main St, Plain . For more info look up Dave’s on Main on Facebook . Join us every Sunday for Euchre!

Thursday, JaNuary 11, 2024

Page 7

WHAT’S HANGINg ? ongoing art exhibitions

Spring Green Community Library Art Exhibitions . Spring Green Community January. New Exhibitions in Library, 230 E Monroe St, Spring Green . Throughout December.

January Monday-Thursday: 10 AM - 7 PM . Friday: 10 AM - 5 PM . Saturday: 9 AM - 1 PM Jennifer Mally is the Executive Director and founder of GFI, a local nonprofit organization that works in developing countries worldwide. About GFI, Jennifer explains, “We partner with impoverished communities in need of clean water and teach them to produce ceramic water filters. A ceramic water filter will provide drinking water for a family of four. We also offer economic empowerment workshops where we teach women skills to start small businesses. We teach them to sew, make bar soap, skin cream, handmade paper, and other items to sell at their local markets. We also offer basic accounting and bookkeeping skills to help the women become successful." This informative display is available for viewing during regular library hours.

Stacey Feiner’s paintings

Monday, January 22 Snow Stories: Outdoors Edition! 5:30 PM . Community Room and Side yard, Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green . springgreenlibrary.com .

We can't guarantee a blizzard, but we CAN promise some great stories about all things snow and winter! We'll bundle up and read by lantern light in the library's side yard, then come inside to warm up with hot chocolate and a snack.

Open Mic 7:30 PM - 10:00 PM . Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jefferson St., Spring Green . slowpokelounge.com . Join us the fourth Monday of every month for an Open Mic, hosted by Dylan Harris. We’ve got the mics, the plug-ins, the piano - you bring the music! Whether you want to play solo, sing to a back up, or get the band together, this is the place. So come on out and show your stuff, or just support the folks on stage.

Either way, we’re making music together! No cover, but tips for our host are always welcome!

Tuesday, January 23 Movies, Munchies and More — Customs and Culture of Japan 1:00 PM . Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green . springgreenlibrary.com .

Come to the library for a cup of coffee, a sweet treat, a movie. Joe Fahey will be back with a presentation, "Customs and Culture of Japan." Life in Japan can be very foreign to those of us living in the west. Joe Fahey spent a year in Japan and is well versed in its culture. In this presentation he will share the customs that guide everyday life, ranging from social rules to food and sports.

SESSION FULL: Moving Senior Bodies 4:00 PM . Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green . springgreenlibrary.com . Join Upland Hills Health professionals Rosie Morrey, APNP, and Jennifer Day, COTA, for weekly classes focusing on balance and strength training to promote healthy aging.This session is full. We are planning on doing more sessions, so please check back after the new year.

Yoga with Rural Remedy 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM . Wyoming Valley School Cultural Arts Center, 6306 WI-23 Trunk, Spring Green . ruralremedy.com . More information and registration details online.

Wednesday, January 24 All Ages Storytime 10:30 AM . Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green . springgreenlibrary.com . Bring the whole family to the library for a morning of song, stories, movement, and fun!

Toy Swap 10:30 AM . Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green . springgreenlibrary.com . Maybe Santa was extra good to you? Closet overflowing with gizmos your kiddos are too old for? Kids of all ages (and parents with or without kids in tow) are invited to bring in gently used toys and games that are in good condition. Feel free to trade for something different to liven up your winter play, or simply donate to be free of it! We'll have donation boxes for any thing that doesn't want to go home with you!

Book Discussion 2:00 PM . Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green . springgreenlibrary.com . Every Fourth Wednesday at 2pm, join us for a cup of coffee, snack, and a chat about this month's selection. The book is available at the Library a month before the discussion. For January, we will be reading: “All This Could be Different” by Sarah Thankam Mathews. For February, we will be reading: "My Murder" by Katie Williams.

Stacey Feiner is exhibiting her paintings in the Community Room Gallery at the Spring Green Community Library in January. She says of herself, “Born and raised in the Wilson Creek valley just north of Spring Green, I knew at a young age I was a farmer. I also knew I was drawn to painting. I realize now the influence our family traditions of attending Spring Green’s Arts & Crafts Fairs and APT plays, along with more hands-on experience, have had on me. Through my painting, I’m learning to accept myself and others in all our fallible humanness. That, in and of itself, is what’s beautiful. And the most important art of all." Her work can be viewed at anytime during regular library hours when the Community Room is not already in use. Please ask for the room key at the circulation desk.

SERVICES CIVICS & & SERVICES C A L E N DA R

This calendar is a place listing (for free) the typical meeting dates for area governmental bodies,

Please email us with these meetings, or use the form on our Community Calendar page — and let's build community together: editor@valleysentinelnews.com January 12: VOLUNTEER: Ridgeway Pine Relict Workday 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM . Help us care for some of our state's most pristine public lands, State Natural Areas. Encourage native plants and animals to thrive by cutting brush, controlling invasive species, collecting seeds, monitoring rare species, and preparing fire breaks. Contact Bob Scheidegger 608-319-2083.

January 13: River Sand Workday 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM . We are teaming VOLUNTEER: Blue Ridgeway PineBarrens Relict Workday up with The Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway (FLOW) to care for this site. Blue River Sand Barrens is known for its dry prairie (including cactus) and globally rare oak barrens. Volunteers have been working here for years and will continue that work by cutting and burning (if there is snow) invasive plants and downed trees. This will benefit nesting turtles and understory plants. If you plan to come please contact Brian McGraw with a quick message at bmcgraw@mwt.net or 608-778-2260. Simply reply that you’re attending and we’ll mark you down as a volunteer.

January 16: Notice of Caucus — Village of Lone Rock 7:00 PM . Village Office, 314 E Forest St, Lone Rock January 17: Friends of Governor Dodge Meeting 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM . Virtual Meeting . Contact FriendsofGovDodge@gmail.com January 24--: MEETING: Village of Spring Green Board Meeting 7:00 PM . In person and virtual event . 154 N. Lexington Street, Spring Green . vi.springgreen.wi.gov Jennifer Mally ‘s informative display

The Community Calendar is curated and designed by Julianna Williams.

Events are subject to change, always check ahead for up-to-date information on any events you are interested in.

“The good stuff.”

Page 8

Community/arts & cULtUre

Thursday, JaNuary 11, 2024

What is Lexington & Jefferson?

Some time ago, we announced the soft launch of a semi-regular to regular literary section we've been inspired by other literary compilations to call Lexington & Jefferson.

As the pivotal intersection of our community, we envision this as a place that celebrates the cross-section of arts in our greater community.

We envision it as a place of curated and submitted prose, poetry and more that showcase the talents of our community.

Each edition we receive submissions of artwork, poetry, prose and other musings that we have trouble placing in the paper on their own and often have to simply hold or regrettably turn down.

We hope this becomes a welcome place for them.

This space will grow and change, as all things do, and we welcome talented individuals, organizations, authors, experts and artists to help curate this section - perhaps we'll compile and publish an annual

Lexington & Jefferson

Musings from the End of the Rainbow

literary journal, who knows?

We may also use this space for arts & culture news and submitted musings that don't quite fit within the bounds of a traditional column, profile or letter to the editor.

Get involved: If you're interested in submitting, curating or have ideas, please do not hesitate at all to submit them to us at: editor@valleysentinelnews.com

LITERARY + ARTS & CULTURE SECTION

Poetic Wonderer

Take a journey with me to the end of the Rainbow. I grew up at the end of Rainbow Road, a beautiful and magical place in a River Valley, just outside of a town called Spring Green. Following are stories and reflections of a simpler time..... — Mary Lanita Schulz An “Ode” to the Potato Noodle Who doesn’t love family traditions?

The feeling of the familiar; like an old, tattered blanket that wraps you up in safety. It is a sense of home, love, and comfort we embrace with long-standing traditions. Sometimes we may not care for the actual tradition, yet we still seem to relish the warmth and family connection that comes with it.

I suppose that is how I feel about the first significant snowfall of the season. Nearly my entire family excitedly looked forward to that initial snowfall, eagerly awaiting the skies to cloud over and those first few timid little pieces of frozen precipitation to appear. Peace and serenity enveloped our farm as those soft white flakes gently floated to earth, covering the fields in a carpet of white.

Sadly, for me, the potato noodle came hand in hand with that first snowfall. Although I have always and will always have a love affair with the potato: Be it Boiled, Baked, Hash Browned, French Fried, Mashed, Sauteed or Au grautined. Loaded with butter, sprinkled with salt and pepper, or smothered in gravy, that lovely root vegetable has always been a friend of mine.

One could say I have never met a potato I did not Crave, Desire, Covet or Lust after.

The potato noodle, however, is an Abomination, a Disgrace, the Black Sheep of the Prepared Potato family.

Every year my dad, being a lover of the “Noodle-O-Root” would enthusiastically and patiently wait for the day mom would: Clear off the counter, Bust out the flour, Crack open the eggs and Boil up the potatoes. It required an entire day of long, hard work to create those casserole pans of steamy potato noodles. So, because of the time and effort or maybe, because mom always liked to rib dad a bit, a deal was struck.

Mom declared, “On the day of the first snowfall in which one could track a cat, a dinner of potato noodles would be feasted upon”.

Quatrains: Hyde's Mill

They say there is this - a mystery of way, Which leads us back through the roads of yesterday; Into finding places left to always stay, Reminders of time - life in a much simpler way.

a.thomas 11December2023

On that first snowy night and many more nights throughout the winter, the potato noodle took center stage at our dinner table. Now, the potato noodle is not a noodle in the least, and I am not only a lover of all things potato, but also a certified noodle aficionado.

I can attest it is a disservice to the aforementioned potato and the noodle to have this dish bear BOTH their names.

Unsuspecting innocent potatoes are peeled, boiled, mashed, and then an overabundance of flour is kneaded into the steaming bowl of spuds until a huge clump of sticky paste is formed. The newly created gunk of tongue glue is plopped onto the counter: Flattened, Punched, Flipped, and Rolled about with yet MORE flour. The compressed mixture of goo is then formed into a log of potato cement. Quarter size pieces are pinched off and with hands smothered in flour the chunks are aggressively rolled between palms to form what resembles fat earthworms. Dredged with another handful or so of flour, the segmented pieces of imposter noodles are packed into casserole pans, an egg custard mixture poured on top and then oven baked to the point where, if needed, could easily sub as Cinder Blocks.

A hunk of butter plunked on top.

Dinner served.

Surprisingly, every one of my family members hungrily awaited and anticipated that first snowfall and the sight of tiny paw prints trailing about the farm.

On those days, when the skies would open and the first flakes of the season began to gently fall to earth, I didn't see nature’s beauty. I didn't see what looked like glistening diamonds sparkling as they clung to the tree branches. I saw none of it.

My stomach would turn. I would quickly spring into action trying to wrangle up ALL the cats and keep them inside, their furry little paws off that freshly snow-covered lawn. On our farm, as with most farms, there were far too many cats, and so with that first snowfall: The Potato, The Noodle and The Cat became my enemy.

I still feel a warm flush of comfort on those days when the skies cloud over and frozen little flakes begin fluttering to earth. I miss chasing the cats, I miss mom in her apron, covered in flour and potato paste.

I suppose a part of me actually does miss that casserole dish of sticky flour drenched potatoes disguised badly as noodles:

Quatrains: lost and found

These places left peculiar as we pass on by, With a darkness kept looking upon driftless sky; I have wandered these backroads, seen with mine eye, These places left peculiar as we pass on by.

a.thomas 1January2024

Because even unwanted Traditions are tender reminders of: Warmth, Home, Love and Family.

102 East Jefferson Street, Spring Green

curbside pickup and shipping Jan-March 2024 Last Month’s Bestsellers at Arcadia Books Offering only 608-588-7638 | www.readinutopia.com

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Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning Liz Cheney

Heaven & Earth Grocery Store James McBride

A gripping first-hand account of the January 6th, 2021, insurrection from inside the halls of Congress—by the House Republican leader who dared to stand up to it.

In 1972, when workers in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, were digging the foundations for a new development, the last thing they expected to find was a skeleton at the bottom of a well.

North Woods: A Novel Daniel Mason A sweeping novel about a single house in the woods of New England, told through the lives of those who inhabit it across the centuries.

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The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year Margaret Renkl From the beloved New York Times opinion writer and bestselling author of Late Migrations comes a “howling love letter to the world” (Anne Patchett): a luminous book that traces the passing of seasons, personal and natural.

Upcoming Events + Book Club

Arcadia Book Club discusses:

"Middlemarch" by George Eliot Jan. 17th, 2024 @ 6:00PM - 7:00 PM Register at readinutopia.com/events

Community/arts & cULtUre In Brief American Players Theatre Reveals Final Show for 45th Anniversary Season: 'Nat Turner in Jerusalem' APT has announced the muchanticipated ninth and final production for its 45th Anniversary Season. The play, scheduled to open in October is titled 'Nat Turner in Jerusalem,' written by Nathan Alan Davis and directed by Tyrone Phillips, offers a poetic reflection on Nat Turner's final night in jail in 1831. Turner, the leader of a significant slave uprising, dictated his story to attorney Thomas Gray while awaiting execution, a narrative later published as "The Confessions of Nat Turner."

Jim DeVita and Gavin Lawrence take the stage in this compelling production, which delves into the historical events that some credit with hastening the onset of the Civil War. For more information and the complete 2024 season lineup, visit americanplayers. org Two Crows Theatre returns to Spring Green with supernatural thriller Two Crows Theatre, the brainchild of locals Marcus Truschinski and Rob Doyle, is making a comeback in Spring Green. Following a hiatus since March 2020, the theatre company returns in February 2024 with a production of "The Thin Place" by Lucas Hnath, acclaimed author of "A Doll’s House, Part 2" and "The Christians." Set to open on February 29 at the Touchstone Theatre on the APT campus, the play explores themes of life, death, and the afterlife, focusing on a professional medium named Linda and a character named Hilda, grappling with loss.

To support their return, Two Crows Theatre will host a fundraiser on January 28, at 7.p.m. at Slowpoke Lounge & Cabaret (137 W. Jefferson Street, Spring Green) The event will feature music and an excerpt from the play. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Full cast and information to be announced.

Driftless Area Land Conservancy opens Knobs Road Segment of the Driftless Trail DALC recently announced the opening of the Knobs Road Segment of the Driftless Trail, inviting outdoor enthusiasts to explore a scenic 2.7-mile trail through a diverse landscape.

Located approximately four miles north of Ridgeway and nine miles southeast of Spring Green, the trail boasts picturesque features, including bridges, fence stiles, a large spring, and a mile-long ridge offering panoramic views. This marks a significant step in developing a 50+ mile footpath that will eventually loop through northeastern Iowa County.

For those eager to explore the Knobs Road Segment and learn about other open sections of the Driftless Trail, detailed trail guides, map links, and additional information can be found on the Driftless Trail web page at driftlessconservancy. org/driftless-trail.

Thursday, JaNuary 11, 2024 Page 9

River Valley ARTS Creative Community and Artistic Development grant applications now available Melinda Van Slyke, River Valley ARTS Do you have an idea for innovative arts programming that will benefit the River Valley Area? Are you an artist who would like support for your individual learning and development? If so, River Valley ARTS is here to help! Creative Community and Artistic Development grant applications are available at www.

RiverValleyARTS.org. Deadline to apply is February 26th, 2024. Maximum award amount is $2,500.

Creative Community Grants The purpose of the Creative Community Grant is to stimulate creative and innovative arts programming in the River Valley area.

Proposed projects could include public

exhibits, performances, publications, and educational activities. Disciplines could include dance, theater, music, folk arts, literary arts, visual arts, video and film. Priority is given to projects that maximize community involvement and community benefit. Priority will also be given to applicants who don't have access to other funding sources. Funding for Creative Community Grants is made possible by the generous support of local donors and businesses with matching funds from the Wisconsin Arts Board.

Artistic Development Grants The purpose of the Artistic Development Grant is to support an individual's arts project or artistic learning and development. Possible

use of Artistic Development Grant money could include expenses related to projects in the visual or performing arts, to help cover short-term courses, workshops, materials and supplies, and art/music classes or camps. Any professional artist, amateur artist, or student in the River Valley is eligible to apply for the Artistic Development Grant. Criteria for evaluating Artistic Grant applications are individual benefit, educational benefit, financial need, and community benefit. Funding for Artistic Development Grants is made possible by the generous support of local donors and businesses.

Questions?

Email contact@ rivervalleyarts.org.

Sauk County: Applications for the Arts, Humanities and Historic Preservation (AHHP) Grant and the Good Idea Grant are now available Sauk County UW Extension Applications for the Arts, Humanities and Historic Preservation (AHHP) Grant and the Good Idea Grant are now available. Information about the grants, as well as application forms, are available at https://www.co.sauk.wi.us/ artsandculture.

Completed Arts, Humanities, and Historic Preservation grant applications are due to the Extension Sauk County Office, Attn: Arts & Culture Grant Committee, 505 Broadway, Baraboo, WI by 4:30 p.m. on January 19, 2024. Good Idea Grant applications are due to the Extension Sauk County office by the 21st of each month until all funds are used.

The Sauk County Arts & Culture grant programs encourage art and historic preservation education and community development in Sauk County. The grant programs provide support for projects and organizations that value innovation, creative expression and community

within Sauk County.

The Sauk County Arts & Culture Committee awards grants through a competitive application and review process. The Arts, Humanities, and Historic Preservation (AHHP) Grants are designed to expand the presence of the arts, humanities and historic preservation throughout Sauk County.

Grants provide supplemental funding for a variety of projects including festivals, community events, lectures, tours, digital projects, community conversations, film projects, exhibitions and more. The AHHP Grants are larger grants that support non-profit organizations and government entities up to $4,000 and require matching funds.

The Good Idea Grant program is designed to support and leverage the creativity of Sauk County artists, craftspeople, musicians, writers, historians and arts, humanities or

historical preservation organizations in endeavors that will contribute to Sauk County’s creative economy. Awards are a maximum of $500 and may be applied for any time during the year until funding runs out.

Each year the Sauk County Arts & Culture Committee awards over $25,000 to nonprofits, governmental units, and local organizations throughout the County to support a wide variety of humanities and arts based projects.

The Sauk County Arts, Humanities and Historic Preservation grants program is made possible with funding from Sauk County and the Wisconsin Arts Board.

Additional information can be found at the Arts & Culture Program website (https://www.co.sauk.wi.us/ artsandculture). If you have questions about whether your organization or project is eligible, or any other questions, please call the UW Extension Sauk County office at 608-355-3250 or email at ahhpgrants@saukcountywi.gov

Photo contributed by Jolean Louis The Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor's Center viewed from Peck's Landing in Spring Green during the Jan. 9 snow storm.

4PeteSake

4PeteSake is accepting applications for potential 2024 Spring Funding recipients Visit 4petesake.com for more information or to download an application.

Applications may also be obtained by writing to P.O. Box 577, Spring Green, WI 53588

Applications must be received by March 8, 2024

Page 10 Thursday, JaNuary 11, 2024

Commentary/AGrIcuLture

Reflections from Lost Horizon Farm — The Unusual, The Unexpected and The Funny (Part 4) Barb Garvoille, Columnist Each edition, retired dairy farmer Barb Garvoille brings her musings on dairy farm life from her own years of experience on Lost Horizon Farm with her late husband Vince “Mr. Farmer” Garvoille. This mooving memoir focuses on 1980-2000, join Barb as she rises with the herd.

OOPS, an Open Gate The premier requirement of a good fencing system is a first-class (albeit expensive) fencer; that component coupled with a fence tester, good wire, and strong posts, especially comer posts, make a fence able to contain livestock.

After we dug a post hole (either with the manual or tractor-operated post hole digger), Mr. Farmer always put gravel around the treated post placed in the hole. Tamped down, the gravel held the post in place and kept the wood from rotting as quickly.

Fencing systems require frequent visual checks; first, to see that the fencer is operating, and second, to see that the fence is still up and the proper gates pulled shut or cutout switches pulled open to allow electricity to flow unimpeded. Deer can knock down a fence or hit a fence and cause insulators to zing off. Cattle are generally conditioned to and respectful of an electric fence, but when chased or in heat, they can sometimes knock a fence over and short it out. Trees or large branches can fall and ground out a fence.

Fencing systems require maintenance checks. Following an electrical storm, lightning arrestors would have to be checked.. If there had been a strike on the fence, the affected lightning arrestor would have to be replaced. Every spring, each fence insulator would have to be examined for damage caused by weathering. Damaged insulators spelled trouble; they were always replaced. If there was a sag to the fence, the fence tighteners would have to be ratcheted a few turns to increase tension.

Gates are probably the weakest link to any fencing system because an open gate guarantees loose cows, Open gates are always the result of human error.

Usually a person would drive through with a tractor or truck and think: "I'll close the gate after I park this vehicle." and then get busy doing something else and forget. It didn't take long for cows to discover an open gate!

One summer night, awakened by mooing too near to the house, we knew the cows were loose. There is nothing like the thought of livestock at large to propel a person from deep slumber to full alertness. After running outside and locating and closing an open gate, we faced a daunting situation before us.

Some of our cows were in the pasture where they were supposed to be, some cows were wandering around the house,

and about half the herd was 300 yards down the highway in a field on the opposite side of the farm buildings.

With a new moon; it was a dark time to try and herd cows. We drove the cows from the roadside field down toward

Barb Garvoille the barnyard expecting them to turn into the farmyard when they saw the familiar buildings. Unfortunately, they did not turn, so Mr. Farmer had to outrun them on the highway by driving the farm truck in the ditch until he got ahead of the lead animal. He managed to turn the animals back, and, by pure luck, we were able to direct them into the farmyard and then into the barnyard where they could be contained.

Fortunately, the cows wandering around the house had joined their herd mates as they saw them pass by on the road. The cows that had gone out to the intended pasture were running about bellowing at the escapees. They too ran back to the barnyard anxious to rejoin the others. There were the sounds of greeting moos and panting coughs from cows recovering their breath, and then, suddenly, the night became its quiet normal, as if nothing unusual had happened. Afterward, we thought of how auspicious it had been that not a vehicle had come by on the county road when the cows were on it, and how lucky we were that all the cows had come home safely.

Strange Cattle The sight of a Brown Swiss bull was unusual enough, but the sight of a Brown Swiss bull coming straight down the middle of the highway was even more unusual. At some distance behind this bull were two elderly gentlemen on foot.

These old farmers had followed their fence jumping bull from the farm where he had been rented out, up and over the ridge, across the creek and adjacent fields, and onto our roadway. They were very fatigued, and, fortunately, the bull was slowing down as well. Mr. Farmer and the two men, using cattle canes, herded the bull into our barnyard and then into a pen in the heifer building.

Mr. Farmer drove the men to get the pickup truck parked at their place, and they returned pulling their cattle trailer.

The wayward bull was loaded up and driven back to the men's home farm.

Our neighbor had purchased a

Photo contributed by Barb Garvoille This fence tightener could be ratcheted for increased tightness.

Photo contributed by Barb Garvoille This is a Brown Swiss cow; a bull would have had a nose ring for better control.

Hereford bull aptly named Shorty. This neighbor’s wife had joked that he was a stud so short he had to get up on a ladder to breed heifers. One foggy late winter morning, as I was feeding the calves in their hutches, I looked down the valley onto a field. There was Shorty looking right back at me! I phoned the neighbor who drove down to Lost Horizon Farm a bit later after he had finished milking his own Holsteins. Shorty was nowhere to be seen. Using the thickening fog as a cover, the stealthy wanderer had walked back home again through our valley. How did we know? We found the bull's tracks in the snow going in both directions!

About 11pm one fall evening, Mr. Farmer was surprised to see three steers standing under our yard security light.

We called the neighbor and described the cattle. They were his. Apparently, this trio had a well earned reputation as master escape artists. They had found another weak spot in the neighbor’s fence, taken a nocturnal stroll down the highway (They had left a trail of cow pies as evidence.), and turned into our farmstead. The neighbor was so disgusted with these three animals that after we had run them into a pen and loaded them into his trailer, he drove 20 miles to the sale barn, unloaded them in the dark of night into an empty pen, wrote his name and telephone number on a piece of paper and tied that to the pen gate, and then drove back home.

He bragged that he had never gotten livestock to the market on sale day that early!

Strange Animal Queenie, the Border Collie, was herding something by the granary. It was too long and low for a cat, it was too big for a rat, and it was an unusual color for a wild animal. It was pure white. We went over to investigate, and it was an albino mink. The only way to

account for its presence was to surmise that it was a long-lived escapee from a defunct pelt farm about 5 miles west of Lost Horizon Farm. After identifying it, we lost sight of the mink and never saw it again. Perhaps it had wandered off to another farm, fallen prey to illness, another animal, or killed by a moving farm tractor or implement? We never knew.

A Hopping Cow Few were the ill-tempered cows on the farm that liked to kick during milking.

For those cows, there was a steel antidote aptly branded as a "Can't Kick". It was a u-shaped device made of tubular metal that could be placed on the cow, in front of her hip bones and screwed tightly in place. With the kicker on, the cow was unable to bring her hind leg forward to kick. Unlike a horse, a cow can kick with just one of its legs at a time.

One morning, after milking and turnout, while watching the cows walk down the cow lane to the pasture, we noticed one cow lagging way behind the others. She appeared to be hopping, and she was! It was the only way she could locomote because Vince had forgotten to take the kicker off after she had been milked. Of course, Mr. Farmer, rather shamefaced, walked out to her and removed the handicap.

This misadventure became a favorite farm tale eagerly related when someone inquired about the cow's nickname: Hopalong.

Photo contributed by Barb Garvoille An electric fence tester could be hung over smooth wire to transmit information to the farmer.

Photo contributed by Barb Garvoille A cattle cane rests again bat the exterior barn wall.

Barb has called Lost Horizon Farm, just north of Spring Green, her home for the past 44 years. She is fond of all creatures (including snakes). Her joy stems from being able to be outdoors every day observing and treasuring the plant and animal life on her small piece of this planet. She loved milking cows and is proud to have been a dairy farmer.

Outdoors & Recreation

Thursday, JaNuary 11, 2024 Page 11

The Sauk County Gardener What Does the New USDA Cold Hardiness Zone Map Mean to Sauk County?

Jeannie Manis, Wisconsin Certified Master Gardener “And don’t think the garden loses its ecstasy in winter. It’s quiet, but the roots are down there riotous.”

— Rumi I’ve been reading a lot about the recently released 2023 USDA plant cold hardiness zone map and trying to understand how it affects gardeners in Sauk County. In a nutshell, the changes from the 2012 map were that about half of the U.S. shifted to a half warmer cold hardiness zone, (ie. moving from zone 5a to zone 5b), with the rest staying the same – except Alaska; they had a few warmer zones added. The majority of Sauk County is still Zone 5a (-20°F to -15°F) with a Zone 5b band (-15°F to -10°F) that runs along the Baraboo Bluffs. In 1990, we were Zone 4. Sauk County itself hasn’t changed much, but warmer weather is pushing northward as overall, Wisconsin itself is getting warmer. Keep in mind that there are more weather stations in 2023 versus 2012, providing even greater data accuracy.

So how does one use this new plant

2024 Gardening Resolutions Jeannie Manis, Wisconsin Certified Master Gardener “The garden year has no beginning and no end.”

— Elizabeth Lawrence It’s that time of year again where I reflect on the past year and start planning for the next. I looked at my previous year’s resolutions and here’s the list of the things I planned to do: Keep a photo garden journal, plant something new, volunteer, drink more water, start cooking or cook more, stop multitasking, and practice gratitude.

I did pretty well on some of them and others, well, let’s just say they need a little more work. However, that’s what New Year’s resolutions are for – to find something we want to work on and hopefully resolve to do better with in the coming year.

Of course, some of these gardening resolutions I repeat year after year as I feel they are important. I always resolve to plant something new. Last year, I planted artichokes. They grew but not well enough to provide me with artichokes for dinner. They are still growing in the greenhouse, and I plan to move them out into the garden

a heat island in a sheltered area on the south side of our home. Even though we technically live in Zone 5b (Baraboo Bluffs), I know I can push the limit in that area.

Use the hardiness zone map as a guide to selecting and growing plants that will grow well under normal conditions in your area. Read plant labels and seed packets closely to learn where they grow best. Consult your local (emphasis on local) nurseries and growers to learn more about plants that continue to grow and thrive in our area.

Unfortunately, we haven’t changed much in the past 11 years, so we won’t be able to successfully grow plants that are way outside our hardiness zone. For example, when we lived in Missouri, we were able to grow beautiful crape myrtles. Most are labeled for planting in Zones 7 and above; I was able to grow them successfully in Zone 6b. With that in mind, if you want to push the limits, consider planting shrubs such as crape myrtles in containers. Or, if you’re like me, figure out where your microclimates are and plant some of those less zonesuitable plants there. Just keep in mind,

this coming spring in the hopes of this year being able to harvest some. In the meantime, this year I’m going to try my hand at growing buckwheat as a pollinator plant for our bees and as a cover crop (aka green manure) to turn under into my garden beds before it goes to seed. I will continue to share my love of gardening with my children and grandchildren and help others learn to garden through my master gardener volunteer activities. I also plan to continue working on practicing gratitude – to be truly appreciative of the gardens my husband and I have developed over the years.

However, I have a couple new ones this year. One resolution is to add one new sustainable method to my gardening routine - water conservation. I currently use a thick layer of straw as mulch to help conserve water and utilize soaker hoses in my vegetable gardens when needed. I want to find even more ways to minimize my water usage and conserve as much as I possibly can. This year’s goal is to install timers to make sure the water gets shut off in a timely manner.

I had a couple times last year that I forgot I had the water going in some of

my garden beds and I really wasted a lot of water. I can’t continue to do that and feel like I’m doing my part for the environment. I also plan to see if we can effectively use rain barrels to collect rainwater for watering our plants.

Another resolution is to stop my “drifts of one”. As many of you know, most plants look best when planted in drifts of threes or fives or more. Unfortunately, my budget hasn’t always allowed me to buy multiples of the various new flowers I wish to grow. I plan to implement this plan in a couple perennial beds that need to be reworked this year. Instead of buying new individual plants, I’m going to divide many of my “drifts of one” into multiple plants and replant them as drifts of threes and fives to create a more visually appealing and more naturallooking landscape.

I also resolve to rip out or remove plants that are not performing as I had expected. That means removing garden thugs that took over an area of the garden when they had simply promised to be a nice ground cover and fill in an area. This also includes taking out plants that have failed to perform as expected.

I have several hydrangeas that failed

to bloom after the first year I brought them home from the nursery. I will do my research to see if I can relocate them, but I think I simply chose poorly as there are some hydrangeas that just do not perform well in our zone.

My final gardening resolution is to “make a plan”. That doesn’t mean a full-blown garden landscape redesign.

Instead, I’ll be selecting one garden area I haven’t been happy with and making a plan to fix it. For example, I have an overgrown flower bed that was established by the previous owner.

It never quite gets the love it deserves because I just haven’t figured out what I want to do with it. This year, it’s on the top of the list to get the overhaul it truly needs. It may take me all summer, but that’s okay.

As the new year approaches, I hope you take time to reflect on what went well (and not so well) in your gardens and appreciate all that you’ve accomplished.

Then, identify a few new things that you’d like to do in your garden this next year. It doesn’t have to be big; just pick something so your gardening skills continue to grow – because that’s what gardening is all about. Happy New Year!

but not soggy, as overwatering can cause wilting, or worse - root rot. Let the top of soil get dry to the touch. The best way to water is to place them in a tray or sink filled about an inch of room temperature water for about 30 minutes and allow them to soak up water from below. After 30 minutes, drain any excess water. If you have to water from above, avoid getting the leaves wet. Allow them to dry out between watering for best results.

African violets like the room temp to be around 75 to 85 degrees and need 50% humidity to bloom. You can set them in a shallow saucer filled with small pebbles and water to increase the humidity. I place our humidifier by my plants in the winter which also helps. Avoid placing your African violet near cold drafts or allow them to touch cold windows as this can inhibit blooming and increases the chance of powdery mildew.

To keep your African violet blooming, remove any wilted or dead outer leaves and spent flowers. Remove any sucker plants as well; they can be repotted in a different pot as a new plant. Fertilize

with a mild fertilize designed for African violets. According to the University of Minnesota Extension, they should be fertilized each time they are watered. I personally do not fertilize that often as I just don’t remember all the time) and yet my violets bloom quite regularly.

When it comes time to re-pot, keep in mind they tend to bloom best when their roots are crowded. Choose a 4-to-6-inch pot and use a potting mix specifically blended for African violets.

It’s readily available at most stores that have gardening materials. They should be repotted once a year in fresh soil for more blooms. Use these tips and you can successfully grow an African violet or two this year.

This article is written by Jeannie Manis, a Wisconsin Certified Sauk County Master Gardener Volunteer. If you have any gardening questions, please contact the Extension Sauk County by emailing to trripp@wisc.edu or calling the University of Wisconsin Madison Division of Extension Sauk County office at 608-3553250.

National Garden Bureau’s 2024 Houseplant of the Year Jeannie Manis, Wisconsin Certified Master Gardener “The violets in the mountains have broken the rocks.”

— Tennessee Williams, Camino Real When I was kid, my grandmother grew and propagations hundreds of African violets. She started out small in her eastfacing kitchen window by the sink. As the years progressed, she sought more and more unusual and unique African violets, carefully propagating them for herself and her friends. Today, I have several of my own, each just a little different but still a reminder of my grandma. That’s why I was happy to learn that the National Garden Bureau (NGB) had selected the African violet as its 2024 houseplant of the year.

Each year, the NGB selects one annual, one perennial, one edible, one bulb crop, one shrub, and one houseplant based on their popularity, ease of growing, adaptability, genetic diversity, and versatility. The African violet definitely meets all these requirements. This lovely plant was originally discovered in 1892,

you may still lose them to an extreme cold snap, so be prepared to lose your investment. I’m all for experimenting, but make sure you don’t invest too much that you will be greatly disappointed if we have an extended cold snap.

To learn more about this new map and ways to use this new tool, visit planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/

cold hardiness zone map? First, you must understand that the plant cold hardiness zones are based on the average lowest winter temperatures for a given location for the past 30 years.

The zone ranges represent the average lowest winter temperatures, not the actual coldest temperature. These zone ranges are not a crystal ball; they cannot guarantee a forecast for future weather.

If you grow plants at the extreme ranges of coldest zones where they’ve been adapted, they may survive a day or two of extreme cold weather. They may also die, even if they have thrived for years.

It's important to remember that there are other environmental factors that can contribute to plant success or failure.

Some of those factors to consider are: wind, soil type, snow, proper amount of light, soil moisture (too dry or too wet), range of optimal hot and cold temps, duration of cold exposure, and humidity (too low or too high.).

Another thing to keep in mind is the microclimates within your own yard.

Blacktop or concrete can create “heat islands” and small hills and valleys can create cool spots or frost pockets. I have

first exhibited in 1893, and commercial hybrids were introduced in 1927, all with blue flowers. Nearly 100 years later and the African violet has become one of the most popular houseplants in the world.

There are numerous different attributes to choose from when selecting an African violet. The flowers are available in a variety of flower types from the basic Pansy single to Double+ to Wasp and ten different color and pattern variations such as two-tone, colored edge and raised edge. The leaves also come in a variety of shapes from plain to scalloped to heart shaped and colors ranging from light green to deep red undersides. If that’s not enough variation for, they also come in different sizes ranging from large – more than 16” to the miniature – less than 8” wide.

Growing African violets is relatively easy. They thrive in filtered, not full, sunlight. Fluorescent or LED lights can also be used to supplement natural light.

At my house, they are in my east-facing kitchen window. They like moist soil,

Outdoors & Recreation

Page 12 Thursday, JaNuary 11, 2024

An Outdoorsman’s Journal Mark Walters, Columnist

2023, A Look Back

Hello friends, When I complete this column my 22-year-old daughter Selina and I are heading down to Rolling Forks, Mississippi to camp and hunt hogs and deer in the Delta National Forest.

This is the 34th time that I have written my year in review column, and it was an active one.

January 2023 Tanya Kotolowski is the administrator of Necedah Public Schools. We are good friends and one year ago she asked me if I would help her create a club for people of all ages “NOAC” Necedah Outdoor Adventure Club that would bring members of our community together in an outdoor way. I am the president of NOAC, and we are kicking butt. In 12 months, we have built a beach, had several fun campfire events at my house, a fishing picnic, 2 beach parties with music, and we always have food. Every other week I write a post for a community Facebook page and it has really helped to bring people together and secure finances. We are currently creating an ice-skating rink with lighting and hoping to create a disk golf course this summer.

While I am on this subject, Kids And Mentors Outdoors “KAMO” is a state wide organization that is a large part of my life and we just completed one of the most active years of its 16-year existence.

May 2023 The process of creating a pond in my front yard began. I had no plan of putting a pond 25-feet from my front door, but $10,000 later and 360-man hours into it I have a 14 foot pond that just last week I ice skated on. This spring the creation of habitat both in and out of the water will begin as well as fish stocking. There are very few nights when I am home that I do not have a campfire on my beach and the

view is about as pretty as it gets from inside or outside of my house.

My pups, there is a story inside of a story! On June 15th, 2021, I lost the love of my life, Michelle Chiaro and multiple times every day her loss affects me as I am sure this happens to millions of people on this planet. My golden retrievers Ruby and her pup Red are my never-ending companions, and they need me as much as I need them. Red will be 2 in April, and I have decided to have pups with her. I am currently looking for a tough as nails stud that has it together mentally as well.

If you know of a good stud or are looking for a pup let me know.

June 2023 The group of people that make up our duck and deer camp as well as many other fun events in a years’ time headed north of the border for our annual fly in fishing trip. My dad started this back in 1982 and myself as well as my brother Mike were there then and still are.

We have so much fun that it is almost unbelievable and the scenery, and total isolation is right up our alley. I got my start as a writer back in ‘89 while I was working in this industry for the same fly in “Chimo Lodge and Outposts.”

October 2023 Montana elk hunt! I have to admit, I am now also addicted to the mountains and elk/mule deer hunting. I returned this past October for 9 nights in the mountains of chasing elk, being very physical and loving every moment of it. Very bad luck came my way when on opening morning of my hunt a pack of 6 wolves moved in to the mountain range that I was hunting and after that I did not see a sign of an elk. With snow on the ground and elk leaving a large track each, day it became more obvious that I was hunting something that was not there.

November 2023 Deer camp is like duck camp which is like our Canada trip. A large group

Photo contributed by Mark Walters Gardening creates year round food for Mark Walters.

of people get together that really enjoy each other and give it everything that they have to harvest as many bucks as possible. From northern Juneau County to parts east, west, and north, a wolf population that is unmanaged is taking out members of the deer herd in the deep forests and marshes. Our group of 21 hunters harvested one 4-point buck.

December 2023 One of the proudest periods of my life, Selina graduated from UWSP with a degree in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences and another in Water Resources, she also obtained a minor in Soil Science.

Selina also earned The Chancellor’s Leadership Award which until I was at the ceremony the night before graduation, I had no idea how big of a deal it was.

In closing, there were 36 trips that I did not write, my health is excellent and like when this column started back in 1989, I just keep moving forward.

Sunset Follow along the adventures of Mark Walters, a syndicated outdoor

adventure columnist who lives in Necedah, Wisconsin.

He began writing his column, An Outdoorsman’s Journal, in 1989.

It includes hunting, fishing, lots of canoeing and backpacking. He currently writes for around 60 newspapers. He hopes you enjoy reading about his adventures!

Photo contributed by Mark Walters The Canada gang knows how to have a good time.

Want to read more?

Check out previous weeks’ columns at www.outdoorsmansjournal.com

Photo contributed by Mark Walters People working together for “NOAC” helped create this beach in Necedah.

THIS BANNER AD Sponsorship IS AVAILABLE "An Outdoorsman's Journal" is a paid syndicated column written by professional outdoorsman and Necedah native Mark Walters.

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