Valley Sentinel - 02-03-2021

Inside this edition

Review: Michael Perry releases haunting single

Boys Basketball: RC defeats RV

How FLOW, burning help the Valley thrive

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Spring Green, Wisconsin

Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021 Vol. 2, No. 5 Free, Single-Copy

Spring Green board says ‘no’ to sewer rate increase

Lone Rock holds community blood drive

Emilie Conlon, Editor-in-Chief The Spring Green Village Board rejected three options for adjusting Sewer utility rates this year, after village residents saw a major increase in water rates already.

The board took up the matter at its Jan. 27 virtual meeting, where it discussed an analysis done by Johnson Block and Company, Inc on the water and sewer utilities in the village.

According to Al Brey, the person responsible for the utility analysis, the village has not raised it’s sewer utility rates since 2015, and costs to the village have risen approximately 16% since then.

Based on the analysis, Brey provided the village with three options for changing sewer utility rates, the first including a 5% rate of return for the village, with a charge of $34.56 per meter and $3.95 per 1,000 gallons, which is lower than the current volume charge in the village, said Brey.

The second option included keeping the volume charge at its current rate of $4.26 per 1,000 gallons, and increasing the fixed charge $25.60 per meter. That would increase the village’s revenue by approximately $39,000 annually, and increase customers sewer bill by about 5% quarterly.

The third option presented to the board was to keep the volume charge at $4.26 per 1,000 gallons, and increase the per meter charge to $34.56. This would increase the village’s revenue by approximately $28,000, while increasing customers’ bill by about 11% per quarter.

While it was not included in the report, Brey did inform the board a fourth option included taking no action.

Photos by Emilie Conlon, Editor-in-Chief

Top: Mike Compton donates blood at the Lone Rock Community Blood Drive Feb. 2. The blood drive took place 1-6 p.m. at the community building in Lone Rock.

Bottom: Red Cross Nurse Cherrie Jones, right, bandages Rachelle Roh’s arm on Feb. 2 at the Lone Rock Community Blood Drive. Following her blood donation, Jones provides care instructions for the donation site

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American Players Theatre announces steps toward 2021 season with The Road Back American Players Theatre Recently, American Players Theater announced a series entitled The Road Back, which discusses its journey back to the stage following the cancellation of the 2020 season. The following are the first three chapters, detailing the on-going process for the 2021 season.

The Road Back: Chapter 1

Since the moment we were forced to cancel the 2020 season, we have been planning for 2021. Those plans have changed, and changed again. And again. They are, in fact, in an almost constant state of flux. But throughout all the planning and re-planning, our determination to bring you a season this year has never wavered. We’re hopeful that it can be live and in person. If that’s not possible, in part or in

whole, we will have contingencies in place to bring you stories in whatever form is available to us. What we do know is that this season is shaping up to be nearly as unpredictable as the last. Maybe more so. And we will continue to navigate, evolve and share our progress every step of the way.

The first step on this journey to 2021 is “The Road Back,” our new blog series. It’s going to get in the weeds on the details of just what it’s going

to take to safely perform live again - a snapshot of what we’re working on week-by-week as we encounter challenges and successes. More on that later. Today, as a bit of a preamble, we want to share an overview of what the 2021 APT season is – and is not – going to look like; because you can expect it will be different than any that has come before, or, hopefully, after.

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opinion/Letter to the editor

WednesdaY, Feb.3, 2021

COMMUNITY DISCUSSIONS

Letter to the Editor: Wisconsin voter fraud

Dear Editor, After reading your January 20 issue I once again feel the need to respond! It seems that all of media always covers only the stories that seem to lean in favor of democrat viewpoints, even though the majority of states are populated by republicans except for the big cities. It’s also the big democrat controlled big cities where known election fraud has gone on for decades.

The article on page 3 regarding Wisconsin voter frauds caught my attention. While the badger project is purported to be non-partisan, I’d be willing to bet a dollar to a donut that the author of that article is a democrat and that all of the information provided in the article came straight from the Wisconsin democrat party election committee.

After a little research, I’d like to share what I have discovered. The Wisconsin election commission illegally voted on a rule change for so called ballot-curing. With this change the commission instructed that mail-in ballots with missing addresses should be cured, that is, fixed.

Wisconsin law states; if a certificate is missing the address of a witness, the ballot may not be counted. The relaxation of absentee and mail-in ballot requirements was accomplished in a variety of ways. The Dane and Milwaukee County clerks illegally issued guidance to voters that the pandemic was ground for anyone to be considered an indefinitely confined voter. In effect this gutted the phot ID verification process for anyone who chose to identify as indefinitely confined because it allowed these voters to cast their ballots without presenting proper ID as a condition for absentee ballot.

The results of this change was the number of indefinitely confined Voters surged in Dane and Milwaukee counties from 72,000 in 2019 to 240,000 by Nov 3, 2020. This guidance expanded the universe of absentee and mail-in ballot voters while lowering the level of scrutiny of these ballots and resulted in 216,000 illegal ballots cast. On June 17, 2020 the Wisconsin election commission voted to send absentee and mail-in ballot applications automatically to 2.7 million registered voters for the

Nov 3 election who had not requested mail in-in ballots. A change like this would have to have been made by the state legislature.

Also there were 1700,140 absentee ballots cast without the statutorily required application. In Wisconsin drop boxes are clearly illegal according to state election law. Yet the Wisconsin election commission committee illegally issued guidance on Aug 19, 2020 to election officials in all municipalities statewide. It designated drop-boxes as ok to use. The use of ballot drop-boxes raises huge chain of custody issues and again a change like this must be made by the state legislature to be legal.

Election officials in Madison assisted in the creation of more than 200 “democracy in the park” illegal polling places. These faux polling places were promoted and supported by the Biden campaign. They provided witnesses for absentee ballots and acted in every way like legal polling places-but weren’t. Moreover, they received ballots outside of the limited fourteen-day period preceding an election that is authorized by statue for in-person or absentee ballot-

ing. These were clear violations of state law that had the effect of ballot harvesting. They resulted in 17, 271 illegal ballots cast.

Much has been written about vulnerabilities in voting machine systems that may be exploited by cyber hackers and other bad actors to alter the count of actual ballots. Dane and Milwaukee counties were the ES+S machines which were also found to be susceptible to vulnerabilities. This resulted in approx. 143, 379 fake and manufactured ballots/late night spikes in ballot counts.

Other documented “irregularities” include 6,848 out of state voters who also voted in Wisconsin and 234 illegal in-state double voters. All in all there were 553, 872 possible/probable illegal votes and Biden’s victory margin was 20, 682. Isn’t it amazing that all of the “irregularities in all the swing states were in democrat controlled large cities and were all in favor of Joe Biden.

or illegal. If a court orders the WEC to change its guidance or if the Legislature clarifies the law, the WEC will do so.

Mr. Wilson is correct that two county clerks did issue incorrect advice to voters about the requirements to be an indefinitely confined voter. The WEC disagreed with that advice, as did the Wisconsin Supreme Court. However, there is no evidence this bad advice, which was later corrected, significantly affected the numbers of voters who requested absentee ballots as indefinitely confined. Numbers of indefinitely confined voters increased across the state in 2020.

Mr. Wilson’s contention that the Legislature had to authorize the WEC’s informational mailing to voters is also incorrect. The mailing informed voters they had three ways to vote in November – in-person at the polling place on Election Day, absentee in-person in the clerk’s office, or absentee by mail. The mailing, which was approved unanimously by the commission, gave voters factual, nonpartisan information, and was paid for with federal CARES Act funds.

Mr. Wilson’s claim that some absentee ballots were cast without an application is also wrong. The certificate envelope that most in-person absentee voters use says “OFFICIAL ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATION/CERTIFICA-

TION” right at the top. This issue was extensively litigated after the election and every court rejected the idea that ballots should be thrown out because of the way voters applied to receive their in-person absentee ballots.

Mr. Wilson is also incorrect in his claims that absentee ballot drop boxes are illegal. Wisconsin law does not prohibit absentee ballot drop boxes, and some clerks have used them prior to 2020. Wisconsin State Statute §6.87 gives each city, town, and village clerk the ability to decide how voted ballots can be returned to them by voters.

Mr. Wilson’s claim that absentee ballot collection events held by the city of Madison were illegal is also incorrect, as is his description of them as “illegal polling places.” Voters who had been properly mailed an absentee ballot were able to drop off their already-voted and sealed absentee ballots to sworn deputy clerks. This is another issue that was extensively litigated after the election, and multiple courts rejected it.

There is absolutely no evidence that any electronic voting equipment used in Wisconsin was hacked at this or any other election. The Wisconsin Elections Commission conducted extensive, hand-count voting equipment audits before certifying the results and found no manipulation or errors. The audit report is available on our website:

https://elections.wi.gov/node/7305.

Finally, allegations of large numbers of out-of-state voters or double voters are completely unsupported.

As required by state law, WEC conducts extensive fraud audits after each election and works with local clerks to make criminal referrals to district attorneys for any suspected cases that are found. These case referrals are reported annually to the Legislature and are available on the WEC’s website: https://elections.wi.gov/publications/ reports. Since the 2016 election, there were 187 case referrals in 2017 (mostly for voting by 17-year-olds in the April 2016 presidential primary), five cases in 2018, 24 cases in 2019 and 20 cases in 2020 (which does not include the November election).

The WEC encourages anyone with questions about the 2020 election or absentee voting to visit our website for extensive information about how the election was conducted: https://elections.wi.gov/faq/2020 and https://elections.wi.gov/absentee.

We have several short videos and fact sheets available.

Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Reid Magney, a spokesman for the Wisconsin Elections Commission, a bipartisan panel that administers the state’s elections.

Control of the Wisconsin Elections Commission is split down the middle between three Democratic commissioners and three Republican commissioners. If the Trump Campaign believed election laws were being broken in the execution of the 2020 presidential election in Wisconsin, it could have filed suit in

court before the election. It didn’t.

That is why the Supreme Court of Wisconsin rejected its challenges to the election after it had already lost.

“The (Trump) Campaign waited until after the election to raise selective challenges that could have been raised long before the election,” Justice Brian Hagedorn wrote in his majority opinion for the court.

State, local and national officials have repeatedly confirmed the integrity of Wisconsin’s election.

As for confirmed cases of vote

fraud, Republican state Rep. Ron Tusler, who chaired the Assembly Campaigns and Elections Committee, claims without evidence that the most recent election was more fraudulent than previous elections.

But how many cases of actual vote fraud has he substantiated so far?

One.

—John Wilson Lone Rock

Response from Wisconsin Election Commission Dear Editor, You asked the Wisconsin Elections Commission to respond to a letter to the editor from John Wilson regarding problems he claims occurred during the November 2020 election. His letter was in response to an article (Ten checks the state of Wisconsin uses to catch voter fraud) that ran recently in your newspaper, which quoted facts from the WEC. There are usually small numbers of voter fraud cases in each election, but nothing near the scale claimed by Mr. Wilson. Wisconsin has multiple laws and procedures in place designed to deter and prevent election fraud, as well as ways to detect and prosecute the very small number of cases that do occur.

To answer his specific claims: The Wisconsin Elections Commission did not vote illegally on its guidance to clerks about how to deal with missing absentee witness information. In October 2016, Republican WEC member Steve King, who President Trump later appointed as ambassador to the Czech Republic, made the motion, which was seconded by another Republican member and approved unanimously.

The rules have been the same since 2016, and no court has ever ruled that the Commission’s guidance was wrong

—Reid Magney, public information officer Wisconsin Elections Commission

Letter to the Editor response from the Badger Project We write in response to a letter to the editor about our story headlined “Ten checks the state of Wisconsin uses to catch voter fraud.” We bristle at the letter writer’s accusation that our work is partisan, and that the information in our story comes from the “Wisconsin democrat party election committee.” We did not interview any Democratic Party officials or politicians for this piece.

Instead, the story cites reputable sources Barry Burden, a political science professor and the founding director of the Elections Research

—Howard Hardee, reporter —Peter Cameron, Managing Editor The Badger Project

opinion/Letter to the editor

WednesdaY, Feb.3, 2021

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Letters to the Editor: COVID-19 coverage in Richland, Sauk counties Thank you for publishing the wonderful article regarding Richland Hospital and the work they are doing in the community to make COVID vaccines available.

Disseminating this information to

the community is vital. Not everyone has access or uses the internet, particularly those who are most vulnerable.

Thank you to the Richland County Medical Staff for all the work

you have been doing to provide these services to the community.

We greatly appreciate your efforts.

We hope that the Sauk Prairie Medical Leadership will begin communicating information re-

garding their efforts. Their Medical Staff is extremely competent.

We need to see their actions and know their plans.

—Eric Rapp Avoca

Valley Sentinel Weekly Poll: Six more weeks of winter or an early spring?

Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog from Pennsylvania saw his shadow on Feb. 2, GroundHog Day, and according to legend, that means we can brace ourselves for at least six more weeks of winter.

Jimmy the Groundhog in Sun Prairie did not see his shadow on Feb. 2, and predicted that we will see an early spring.

So, Valley Sentinel asked if our readers were prepared to handle Phil’s prediction, or if they were excited at the possibility of an early spring. It looks like the Valley is ready for warmer weather with 64% voting for an early Spring, and 36% are happy to stay bundled up.

Let us know what you think: editor@valleysentinelnews.com or P.O. Box 144, Spring Green, WI 53588

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Est. 2020 igne conflatum “Forged in Fire”

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opinion Help on the way for rural Wisconsinites struggling with lousy internet? Maybe.

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WednesdaY, feb. 3, 2021

Peter Cameron, The Badger Project More help might be on the way for those in Wisconsin with snaillike internet.

After a tough 2020 in which many students endured remote learning and adults had to work from home, Gov. Tony Evers declared 2021 “The Year of Broadband Access” in his State of the State speech earlier this month. He proposed $200 million in state grants for the expansion of high-speed internet and aid for poor residents to pay for it.

In the nation’s capital, Congress squeezed $3.2 billion into the huge December pandemic relief bill to help more people get high-speed internet.

Evers’ proposal would be a significant increase in state spending for broadband. He is essentially asking the legislature, which writes the budget, to give $150 million to private companies, cooperatives and municipalities to provide high-speed internet to residents who don’t already have it.

The governor also proposed $40 million for helping low-income residents pay for broadband.

At least one prominent Republican legislator seemed open to the spending, but expressed concerns about the source of those funds. Still in the grips of the pandemic, the state of Wisconsin is facing a nearly $400 million funding gap in the upcoming two-year budget. Unlike the federal government, the state government can not run a budget deficit.

In 2021, a need, not a luxury

High-speed internet access is an especially serious problem for rural communities in the state.

The federal government defines broadband as 25 megabits per second of download speed and 3 mbps of upload speed, a standard that rapidly developing technology is overtaking, experts say.

Wisconsin’s Broadband Expansion Grant program lacks a minimum speed requirement, but the Public Service Commission, which funds projects in a competitive format, gives preference to applicants who pledge to deliver important features such as covering unserved areas, providing higher speeds, making their own financial investment and offering scalable projects, PSC spokesman Jerel Ballard said.

Some critics say the state needs to do more.

“Wisconsin must recognize that subsi-

dized networks have to be accountable to the communities they serve and (the state) should only give money to networks that use technologies that will stand the test of time,” said Christopher Mitchell, director of the Community Broadband Networks Initiative, a Minnesota-based think tank that helps communities with their telecommunications. Mitchell estimated that current needs are at 100 mbps download by 20 mbps upload. In a few years, that need will jump to 200 mbps by 100 mbps, he said.

“Not everyone needs that,” he added, “but many residents and most businesses do.”

Using the federal standard of 25 mbps by 3 mbps, the FCC estimates that about 22% of rural Wisconsinites and about 15% of tribal lands in Wisconsin lack access to fixed broadband, according to a report released earlier this month.

But many experts blast the quality of the FCC’s maps and data on who has broadband access, saying they underestimate the problem. One study from last year suggested that 42 million people, double the FCC estimate, lack access.

Republicans hold the purse strings

The Democratic governor’s budget proposal must go to the powerful Joint Finance Committee, which, like both houses in the legislature, is Republican controlled..

It’s unclear what the GOP will do.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos left out any reference to broadband in his response to the governor’s State of the State.

In Ever’s first budget as governor in 2019, the Republican-led legislature set aside $48 million for broadband expansion grants.

Evers had requested about $75 million.

State Sen. Howard Marklein, a Republican who represents a mostly rural district in the southwestern part of the state and serves as co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee, said in an email he was “very interested in the governor’s ideas on broadband expansion.”

Marlein called rural broadband “one of his top priorities,” but questioned where the $200 million would come from.

“This is an important part of the discussion,” he said.

State Sen. Duey Stroebel, a Republican from Saukville who also sits on the Joint Finance Committee, did not directly answer when asked by email if he supports the governor’s broadband funding proposals.

But Stroebel spokesman Brian Sikma said in the email that the senator “looks forward to reviewing all aspects of Gov. Evers’ budget proposal when it is released.”

“Additionally, the Senator is eager to work with his Joint Finance Committee colleagues in crafting a state budget that is fiscally prudent and meets the needs of the citizens and state of Wisconsin,” Sikma wrote.

The pandemic has altered the politics of broadband access, giving it a new sense of urgency, said Anthony Chergosky, assistant professor of political science at UW-La Crosse.

“I suspect there will be bipartisan agreement on the general idea of increased investment in broadband, though there may be disagreements on the specific dollar amounts and allocations of resources,” he said. “In other words, I do think there is a deal to be made here.”

Hesitant to spend

Fiscal constraints could complicate bipartisan motivation to reach that deal.

COVID-19 has led to the most challenging budget scenario to face a Wisconsin governor and legislature in a decade. A report from the nonpartisan Wisconsin Policy Forum places the pandemic-related budget hole at nearly $400 million. Before Evers was elected governor in 2019, the Republican-controlled state government did relatively little to help broadband expansion in areas private internet companies avoided.

From 2014-2019, the state budgeted about $20 million in grants for broadband expansion, an amount experts say is equal to throwing a pebble in a pothole. Over a similar time, Minnesota shelled out more than $108 million in broadband expansion grants, and providers had to match those grants with another $146 million, according to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.

Wisconsin does not require matching funds, but the state takes private funding pledges into consideration when awarding grants, and winning service providers kicked in about $33 million from 2014-

Cartoon by Alec Diab 2019, according to the PSC. Bottom line: Minnesota spent about five times what Wisconsin did to expand broadband, and now far fewer residents lack access.

The FCC report says nearly all Minnesota residents have access to 25 mbps by 3 mbps and only about 9 percent of rural residents do not. In Wisconsin, 22 percent of rural residents lack access to 25mbps by 3 mbps, according to the report.

At the same time, state and local taxes in Wisconsin continue to drop. The tax burden in the state remains at its lowest level in 50 years, according to a report this month from the Wisconsin Policy Forum.

Wisconsin is making progress on irrigating its broadband deserts.

In March of 2020, the state awarded $24 million to fund 72 grants that extended high-speed broadband internet access to more than 3,000 businesses and more than 46,000 homes, according to the PSC. Federal help also may be on the way, but it is unclear how soon. Congress set aside $300 billion for rural broadband grants in the December pandemic relief bill. It also included a program that would provide families a $50 monthly broadband subsidy, but that is still in the planning stages and is seeking public input, said Anne Veigle, an FCC spokeswoman.

The Badger Project is a nonpartisan, citizen-supported journalism nonprofit in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin dairy farmers face mental health crisis Jack Kelly, Wisconsin Watch It was Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2016. David Fischer had just arrived for work at his dairy farm in Rio, Wisconsin. A slight breeze punctuated the freezing, grey morning.

His drive to work is just 2 minutes. From where he parked his pickup truck on the farm’s gravel driveway, he could see his house on the top of a hill. Fischer, who owns the roughly 350-cow dairy farm with his wife, Amy, was ready for another day of work alongside his twin sons, 33-year-old Kevin and Brian, and a handful of other employees.

Like most days, the lifelong dairy farmer had plenty to do. He didn’t expect anything different from his usual 12- or 13-hour work day on his farm about 50 minutes north of Madison.

Fischer set off toward the north end of the dairy farm. He walked past the dozen or- so buildings to chop wood that would heat water in the milking barn and warm Kevin’s house on the property.

Fischer soon realized that Brian hadn’t shown up for work. He couldn’t shake a feeling that something was wrong. Was Brian sick? He would have called or texted. Did he take off unannounced to go snowmobiling? That wasn’t like Brian either. Around midday, while taking a short break for lunch, Fischer and his son Kevin set off to Brian’s house to drop off a feed

wagon and check on him. What they found confirmed Fischer’s nagging fears: Brian’s body. He had died by suicide.

Brian’s death blindsided the Fischers. And four years later, they still ask themselves the same question over and over again: “Why?” Darian Acres dairy farm in Rio., Wis. is seen on Dec. 20, 2020. The farm belongs to the Fischer family.

“I had someone ask me the other day, ‘Does it get any easier?’ ” Amy said, tears forming in her eyes. “I said, ‘It gets easier to cover it.’ ” “It don’t go away,” Fischer said about the heartache he feels. “He should be here.” Financial pressures, long hours, labor shortages, harsh weather — these are all conditions that farmers and their advocates say are escalating stress and depression among Wisconsin’s dairy farmers. And nationally, people who run farms are much more likely to take their own lives than in many other professions.

In response, the state of Wisconsin and farmers themselves have launched a series of programs to help them cope.

Stress, alcohol, overwork piled up

The events leading to Brian’s death were complicated. The Fischers said Brian had a drinking problem and had just gone through a bitter breakup that ended a decade-long

continued on page 5

Coburn Dukehart, Wisconsin Watch Amy Fischer is seen with a photo of her son, Brian, on her family’s 350-cow dairy farm, Darian Acres, in Rio, Wis., on Dec. 18, 2020. Brian died by suicide at the age of 33, on Dec. 21, 2016. The Fischers attribute his death to a combination of stress from work, a drinking problem and depression from a recent break-up. Dairy farmers and their advocates say numerous stressors are leading to a mental health crisis in their industry, including financial pressures, long hours, labor shortages and harsh weather.

Arts & Culture

WednesdaY, Feb. 3, 2021

Page 5

Wisconsin Watch: mental health crisis in rural areas continued from page 4

relationship.

The family had also invested heavily in expanding the farm, aiming to make it financially viable for the two brothers in the future. As Fischer describes it: “You have to grow. If you don’t grow, you’re getting behind,” echoing a common expression among dairy farmers in recent years.

Kevin Fischer, Brian’s twin brother, is seen on his family’s 350-cow dairy farm, Darian Acres, in Rio, Wis., on Dec. 18, 2020.

Brian Fischer, left, is seen with his twin brother, Kevin, in family photos that are part of a photo collage, on Dec 20, 2020. Brian died by suicide in 2016.

With the expansion in mind, Amy said Brian was giving farming “100%.” Said Amy: “He (Brian) could be in the tractor for 60 hours straight.” The stress from work, the drinking problem and serious relationship woes frustrated Brian, the couple said. Brian had a “short fuse” before his death, Fischer said, but the couple never imagined he would take his own life.

“Nobody saw it,” the couple agreed. “Nobody saw it.”

Survey: 1 in 10 farmers struggling

Conversations with 10 current and former family dairy farmers in Wisconsin revealed that work days, which often start before the sun rises and end well after it sets, are jam packed with stressors that make coping difficult. Stress “absolutely” winds into every aspect of life on a dairy farm, said Linda Ceylor, a 66-year-old organic dairy farmer in Catawba.

The stressors are almost too many to count, ranging from often grueling daily chores to equipment breakdowns, sick animals, uncooperative weather, unreliable staff and, perhaps the heaviest stressor of them all: low and fluctuating milk prices. Related story: Wisconsin farmers: Fixing farm finances will improve mental health Dairy farmers statewide share these concerns, according to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection’s 2020 dairy producer survey.

Among the 2,871 dairy farmers the agency surveyed, extreme weather was the top challenge. Other major concerns were managing day-to-day expenses, regulations, aging facilities, managing long-term debt and difficulty finding labor. The COVID-19 pandemic has further stressed farmers. A new national survey from the American Farm Bureau Federation found 65% of farmers report the pandemic has impacted their mental health a lot or some.

Daily concerns, coupled with a half-decade of serious financial woes, leave Wisconsin dairy farmers in the middle of a mental health crisis, according to the farmers and dairy experts.

In the DATCP survey, 9% of respondents said they felt a need to access mental health services

in the past year due to farming challenges, with 6% of respondents actually seeking out help.

That suggests that hundreds, if not thousands, of Wisconsin farmers are feeling the crisis.

Data from the Wisconsin Farm Center — which is a part of DATCP and provides social and business-related resources to farm families — indicates the crisis is worsening. The center runs a 24-hour hotline (888-901-2558) for farmers struggling with suicidal thoughts, depression or anxiety.

Funding for help available

In recent years, Wisconsin state government and private organizations have funneled more money into farmers’ mental health. In his first budget, Gov. Tony Evers included $200,000 for farmer mental health initiatives. The Wisconsin Farm Center used that money to expand its voucher program and develop other initiatives aimed at alleviating farmer stress.

The voucher program covers counseling costs with select providers for dairy farmers seeking mental health care services. Up to three vouchers, good for one hour of counseling each, can be used to purchase services from licensed counselors. Additional vouchers are available upon request. The state has issued more than 1,500 vouchers to Wisconsin farmers since 2005. The center issued 252 vouchers in 2020.

That’s a 38.5% increase compared to 2019 — and a seven-fold increase compared to 2016, when only 31 vouchers were issued.

During the 2020 fiscal year — from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020 — the voucher program cost $7,700, according to Farm Center estimates. That number is expected to tick up to $10,200 for 2021. These figures only represent one, state-funded avenue to counseling sessions. They do not account for counseling that dairy farmers may have sought out and paid for using their private insurance or paid for out of pocket. Oftentimes, at least one member of a farm family works off the farm to bring employer-backed health insurance back to their family. Other organizations have also started offering Question, Persuade and Refer training. QPR training teaches people to identify the warning signs of suicide and refer someone to help.

The Farmer Angel Network, for example, has partnered with the Sauk County Health Department to train farmers and other dairy industry members how to identify and help people experiencing a mental health crisis.

Suicides up statewide

Wisconsin is seeing more suicides statewide, according to the most recent data from the state Department of Health Services. Between 2010 and 2017, an average of 815 Wisconsinites died by suicide each year, with the numbers trending up since 2015.

In 2016, the year Brian died, 862 people in Wisconsin died by suicide. And while DHS

does not track the occupations of people who have died — medical examiners and coroners in Wisconsin are not required to list the occupation of people who die — one dairy farmer interviewed for this story said he “knows many (farmers) who have actually (died by) suicide.”

Suicide deaths are rising nationwide, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2017, nearly 38,000 working age Americans died by suicide, a suicide rate increase of almost 40% compared to the year 2000. The suicide rate among male farmers is 43.2 per 100,000, the data show — 58% higher than the national rate among men of 27.4 per 100,000. Several dairy farmers interviewed for this story said they are seeing the crisis in their own rural communities. Ceylor said farmers are proud people who often won’t reach out for help, so she watches for subtle behavioral changes in her fellow farmers to see

Coburn Dukehart / Wisconsin Watch Darian Acres dairy farm in Rio., Wis. is seen on Dec. 20, 2020. The farm belongs to the Fischer family. when someone is struggling.

She knows of three farmers who halted their operations last year for financial reasons, and all of them struggled for months to adjust to life after farming. Ceylor would sometimes ask them to work on her own farm so they could maintain a “farming connection.”

Randy Roecker, a 56-year-old dairy farmer and mental health advocate, has also encountered numerous Wisconsin farmers struggling with their mental health. Roecker, who experienced a deep, financially driven depression sparked by the 2008 financial crisis, founded the Farmer Angel Network, a peer-to-peer support group aimed at getting farmers through tough times. The farmer from Loganville, Wisconsin — located roughly 50 miles northwest of Madison — said “farmers don’t know where to turn” when they’re struggling with their mental health, and the group’s monthly meetings provided a space for people to get together and talk.

Amy Fischer visits with one of her 350 cows on her family’s 350- cow dairy farm, Darian Acres, in Rio, Wis., on Dec. 18, 2020.

Amy Fischer shows a tattoo that she got after her son Brian, 33, died by suicide in 2016. “I had someone ask me the other day, ‘Does it get any easier?’” Amy said about her grieving, tears forming in her eyes. “I said, ‘It gets easier to cover it.’”

“We had farmers that were driving two or three hours to come up (the meetings) because … they’re embarrassed because they don’t want their neighbors to see them,” Roecker said.

But since the COVID-19 pandemic set in, the group, many of them regular attendees, hasn’t met. And online meetings sometimes aren’t feasible because many farmers lack access to adequate internet. For those who do have online access, the Farm Center has launched a new series of virtual counseling sessions starting in February for farmers and farm couples.

Financial hardships fuel crisis

Coburn Dukehart / Wisconsin Watch A sign in a memorial garden for Brian Fischer is seen at his parents’ house in Rio, Wis., on Dec. 18, 2020. Fischer died by suicide at the age of 33 on Dec. 21, 2016. Nationwide, farmers face a higher rate of suicide than the national average and above many other professions.

Fischer said about the heartache he feels. “He should be here.”

“I think it’s hard to now talk about farm stress and depression without talking about the economy,” Becot said. “When you talk about (farm) stress and depression, so much of it … is connected to the way that farming is structured. You might not be losing money, but you might be afraid of losing money.” Jayne Krull, director of the Wisconsin Farm Center, pointed to the volatility of milk prices — and the short- and long-term uncertainty rooted in that volatility — as a weight carried by the state’s dairy farmers. “It’s really hard to make a plan for your farm when you don’t know what you’re going to be getting paid,” Krull said.

“Add to that you’ve got the high feed prices, and it’s hard to make ends meet.” The last five years have crushed family dairy farmers in America’s Dairyland. The price for milk, a

Thirteen of the people interviewed for this story said the financial devastation many farmers have faced in recent years is fueling the mental health crisis.

Small Wisconsin dairy farms face a particularly dire outlook. Since 2004, the state has lost more than half of its registered dairy herds, according to data from DATCP. That’s nearly 9,000 fewer herds, with 15,904 registered herds at the start of 2004 dropping to just 6,949 as of December 2020. For the thousands of small dairy farms that continue to operate, the stressful fight for survival continues.

Financial struggles are “almost always” the underpinnings of mental health struggles for dairy farmers, said Florence Becot, an associate research scientist at the National Farm Medicine Center in Marshfield, Wisconsin. David and Amy Fischer stand together in the milking barn on their 350-cow dairy farm, Darian Acres, in Rio, Wis., on Dec. 18, 2020. Their son, Brian, died by suicide in 2016. “It don’t go away,” David

commodity, has varied widely on a month-tomonth or even day-to- day basis, leaving dairy farmers financially unstable. In 2020 alone the average price farmers in Wisconsin received per 100 pounds of milk varied from a low of $13.60 in May to a high of $22.30 in July, U.S. Department of Agriculture data show. The drop in prices paves a difficult path forward for small family dairy farms, and former dairy farmers said. As Roecker describes it: “Our investment keeps going up and up and up, and our return goes down and down and down, and there’s just no profit in it.”

Hard work but little gain

Mark Stephenson, director of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Center for Dairy Profitability, attributes milk’s wavering price to the fact that it is bought and sold as a commodity. Stephenson said the dairy industry today consists of 30,000 individual dairy farmers, and when the price farmers are getting for milk is high, they often respond by producing more milk.

Accordingly, Stephenson said, when they all produce more milk, they can overshoot the actual demand for their product, causing the price of milk to drop dramatically. Unlike other products, the milk has a short shelf-life and can’t be stored for long periods of the time when there is a surplus, forcing farmers to take whatever price they can get for it before it goes bad, Stephenson said.

A sign in a memorial garden for Brian Fischer is seen at his parents’ house in Rio, Wis., on Dec. 18, 2020.

Fischer died by suicide at the age of 33 on Dec. 21, 2016. Nationwide, farmers face a higher rate of suicide than the national average and above many other professions. Like many of his peers, Jerry Volenec, a dairy farmer in Grant County, has seen the financial burden of dairy farming only worsen throughout his career.

After he finished college, Volenec started dairy farming full time, initially milking 70 cows. He grew his herd over time, following — but not enjoying — the mantra of “get bigger to survive,” and today milks 300 cows three times per day. Even still, he’s struggling to get by. Volenec said he has never been “terribly comfortable” financially and only breaks even through “great personal sacrifice.”

“Right now I’m running with the fewest number of people that I’ve ever run, and I’m running the most land and the most cattle that I’ve ever run,” he continued. “Do the math on that.”

As Volenec has scaled up his operation, something that was supposed to lead to greater financial stability, he’s pinching pennies and taking on more of the day-today work — and stress — himself. He said the increased workload has harmed his family life and his marriage, but he’s not sure what else he can do.

“The happiness and joy has been sucked out of me,” Volenec said. “I don’t want to be this guy.”

Page 6

Community

WednesdaY, feb. 3, 2021

Sauk Prairie Healthcare Offers COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics Sauk Prairie Healthcare Sauk Prairie Healthcare is now offering COVID19 vaccinations to those who are eligible. Individuals age 65 or older may sign up on Sauk Prairie Healthcare’s COVID-19 vaccination waiting list by going to www.

SaukPrairieHealthcare.org/covid19-vaccine. Because of the high volume of requests, we ask you to use the online waiting list form if you are able. Those without internet access may call 608-644-3049 for assistance.

As vaccination appointments become available, a Sauk Prairie Healthcare representative will call to schedule those who are signed up on the waiting list on a first come, first served basis. We ask for the community’s patience because vaccine supply is limited and we expect it to take several weeks to get to everyone who is 65 or older on our waiting list. Other healthcare providers, pharmacies and county health departments are offering the vaccine as well, and you are encouraged to get it where you are able.

To add your name to Sauk Prairie Healthcare’s waiting list, you must be age 65 or older and EITHER live in its primary service area (Arena, Black Earth, Lodi, Lone Rock, Mazomanie, Merrimac, Plain, Prairie du Sac, Sauk City, Spring Green, Arlington, North Freedom) OR be a patient at one of Sauk Prairie Healthcare’s primary care clinics (Lodi Clinic, Plain Clinic, River Valley Clinic, Wisconsin Heights Clinic).

Individuals who are in priority groups Phase 1A (frontline healthcare workers,

police and fire personnel, correctional staff) are asked to work with their employer, crew chief, or local health department to determine a vaccination plan.

Sauk Prairie Healthcare will charge a vaccine administration fee to individual health insurance plans, Medicare, or Medicaid. You will be asked to provide health insurance information when you are called to schedule your appointment, but you will not be charged an out of pocket cost and will not receive a bill.

Richland Hospital offering vaccine appointments, waitlist The Richland Hospital On Jan. 25, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) had expanded the 1B group to include individuals 65 years of age or older. The Richland Hospital has a self-scheduling system that you can access by going to our website: richlandhospital.com and either scheduling yourself for an available appointment or adding your name to the waiting list.

The Richland Hospital will open additional vaccination appointments as the state increases allocation of the COVID-19 vaccine and would encourage adding you name to the waiting list if no appointments are available.

Instructions on how to register can be found at www.richlandhospital.com/ covid19 under COVID-19 Vaccine Update.

You must see a confirmation code at the end of the registration process when scheduling your appointment. The confirmation code confirms that you have completed all the steps to register. You only need to schedule your first dose, the hospital will schedule your second dose when you are here. If you do not have access to the internet or a computer, we are asking that you contact a friend or relative to help you schedule this appointment.

If you still need help, please call the

Wis-Coat Wins National Pavement Award

COVID vaccine hotline number at 608647-1820 and we will be happy to help you get scheduled. You will always receive a recording, so please leave one message.

Someone from the hospital will return your call by the end of the next business day. You should call this line if you need to cancel an appointment or have questions about the scheduling process.

The vaccine will be provided at no out-of-pocket cost to you. However, please bring your insurance card to your appointment. The hospital will bill your insurance or government program for vaccine administration expenses.

It is anticipated to take two or three

months to complete vaccination of the 1B population. Please check the hospital’s website or listen to WRCO for frequent updates. We ask that you refrain from calling your provider’s office to request the vaccine so that we can continue providing care for your fellow community members.

As of February 1st, The Richland Hospital has vaccinated 962 individuals. This truly has been a team effort and we would like to thank our vaccine team, TRH staff, and community members for stepping up to receive the vaccine.

In other News SG Library to offers virtual group gaming

The Spring Green Community Library will offer Zoom group play of the game Among Us, an online, multi-player social deduction game, 5 p.m. Feb. 9.

Groups of 10 players are grouped together as animated crewmates on a space ship, with at least one of the crewmates has been replaced with an impostor. Crewmates must complete tasks to keep the space ship going without being killed by the Impostor. Crewmates work together using observation and voting to determine who they believe the Impostor to be, and eject them from the space ship.

To register for a zoom link to the free event, call the library at 608-588-2276 or email lthomas@springgreenlibrary.org

Arcadia Books winter hours

Arcadia Books in Spring Green is now operating with shortened winter hours. The store will operate Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

The Paper Crane Coffeehouse located in the book store will stop serving coffee at 4 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday.

Lucky in Love

The Spring Green Area Chamber of Commerce is offering a Local Love Punch card for the chance to win $250 in chamber bucks, along with other prizes throughout the month. The card can be punched at 31 local stores, and will be available now through Feb. 28.

Prize drawings begin Feb. 10, and the card can be turned into the Chamber of Commerce office, 208 N Winsted St, Spring Green.

All completed cards must be returned by March 1.

Richland County NIXLE

Photo via Wis-Coat Instagram Wis-coat was recently awarded “The Best of the Web” by National Pavement and Reconstruction Magazine.

Wis-Coat Asphalt Maintenance, in Lone Rock, recently won the National Pavement and Reconstruction Magazine’s “Best of the Web” Award. The award is awarded to the company that has the best and most recognizable web presence in the industry. The Award is a National Award, so the other companies that were eligible and nominated, came

The Richland Hositpal in Richland Center is encouraging residents to sign up for NIXLE emergency alerts by testing 53581 to 888777, or visiting www.nixle.com to receive emails with up-to-date information regarding COVID-19 testing sits and vaccination clinics along with alerts for severe weather, public safety, criminal activity, missing personas, traffic and local events.

from all over America. There were 3 other companies in the final nominations and they were large companies that have been a staple in the industry for a long time. The Award recipient is decided on by a voting process within, and outside of, the Asphalt Industry.

We strive to serve specialty coffee and baked goods created with ingredients that are locally sourced, all natural and sustainable.

—Marvin Joles, Wis-Coat Owner

Our schedule is posted each week on social media.

Local. Natural.

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Get in touch with us today! www.butternutroadcoffee.com butternutroadcoffeetruck@gmail.com 608-459-5016 Butternut Road Coffee Truck butternutroad_coffeetruck Butternut_Road

Coffee & News A collaboration by Valley Sentinel & Butternut Road Coffee.

Stop by the coffee truck starting mid-week to pick up a copy of Valley Sentinel with your coffee, while supplies last.

Community

WednesdaY, feb. 3, 2021

Page 7

COVID-19 Testing Information Iowa County

Sauk County Mondays from 11am to 1pm at Spring Green Fire/EMS 2 Step Online Registration & Appointment REQUIRED: www.springgreenems.com Tuesdays from 8am to 12pm at Reedsburg Ambulance Service Online Registration REQUIRED: www.register.covidconnect.wi.gov *Note: Even if you have previously registered via covidconnect site, you must re-register each time you are tested.*

Wednesdays from 4:30pm to 8pm at Merrimac Fire & Rescue Appointments REQUIRED: Call (608) 393-3205 2 Step Online Registration & Appointment REQUIRED: 1. Complete questionnaire at www.register.covidconnect.wi.gov 2. Call (608) 643-7603 to schedule appointment. Call MondayFriday 8am-4pm *Note: Even if you have previously registered via covidconnect site, you must re-register each time you are tested. Enter the car line from Water St to Lincoln Ave, then follow the yellow directional signs to check in station located at 55 Prairie Ave. Vehicles with more than one person in them are welcome but each person MUST have pre-registered and have scheduled an appointment.*

Fridays from 8am to 12pm at Circus World Parking Lot (testing conducted by Baraboo Fire & EMS Online Registration only. Unable to accept phone calls 2 Step Online Registration & Appointment REQUIRED: www. forms.gle/uXHPPe86hiosRHbN8

From the Iowa County Health Department: Testing has been suspended at the Health and Human Services Center at 303 West Chapel Street in Dodgeville due to very low volumes. We will continue to evaluate testing demand and may resume a test site in the future.

There are testing sites in southwest Wisconsin in surrounding counties. Visit the Iowa County COVID-19 website to see the full regional schedule and/or follow our Facebook page for a list of weekly testing opportunities in southwest Wisconsin.

Upland Hills Hospital continues to provide COVID testing. Please see the Upland Hills website for information on getting tested at their facility.

Call the Iowa County Health Department at (608) 930-9870 for the most up-to-date testing information.

Richland County

The Richland Hospital continues to offer drive-thru COVID-19 testing; however, their hours have reduced to 1pm-3pm Monday thru Friday.

Additional testing available:

February 4 from 10am to 2pm at Richland County Fairgrounds February 8th from 9am to 11am at Richland County Fairgrounds February 11th from 10am to 2pm at Richland County Fairgrounds February 15th from 9am to 11am at Richland County Fairgrounds February 18th from 10am to 2pm at Richland County Fairgrounds February 22nd from 9am to 11am at Richland County Fairgrounds February 25th from 10am to 2pm at Richland County Fairgrounds March 1st from 9am to 11am at Richland County Fairgrounds March 4th from 10am to 2pm at Richland County Fairgrounds th

Appointments are not required, but it is requested that those who wish to be tested pre-register at https://register.covidconnect.wi.gov.

Tests will be available on a FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVE basis.

Spring Green board mulls rate increase, virtual meetings Continued from page 1 “The rates, at least looking at 2019, did provide a positive cash flow of $160,000 and I think you still have a pretty healthy cash balance,” said Brey.

Village Clerk Wendy Crary agreed with Brey, noting the recent hefty increase to the resident water utility rates.

“I think the water rate was probably a big enough hit that they’re going to see in the first quarter in April, that I’m not real comfortable with passing another rate [increase], even if it’s small,” said Crary. “And I was wasn’t simply saying not to do anything ever, but at least post-

pone it for a year. That was kind of my thought process. Because you know, that water increase was very significant. And you didn’t have the options with the water utility that you do with the sewer utility.”

Crary noted that the sewer utility fund has the most cash in non-tax season times.

Trustee Michael Broh echoed Crary’s sentiments, agreeing that waiting on an increase would be best.

“I think we are going to need to do this a year from now. But I think staggering this helps. And we’ve got the money in the fund right now to give us a little breathing room on

it,” said Broh. “So I agree with you.

I think we should do it. But do it a year from now. And I think your recommendations are the right ones a year from now.”

In December, the board, along with a decision from the Public Service Commission (PSC), voted to raise water utility rates by 73% in the new year.

According to the PSC’s appendices to the order it gave the village, the average residential customer with a 5/8” meter, using 11,000 gallons of water, with a bill at the old rate of $36.09, would bill at a new rate of $62.64, a percentage change of 73.57%.

The board did not take formal action on the Sewer matter, however Village President Eugene Hausner determined it was the consensus of the board to table the changes until 2022, with Crary set to bring the matter back to the board in October.

Virtual meetings

The board also unanimously voted to continue meeting via Zoom through the month of February, and will reconsider the matter monthly.

The board will consider meeting virtually and in-person at the second February meeting, set for 7 p.m.

Feb. 24.

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Page 8

Arts & Culture

WednesdaY, feb. 3, 2021

The Road Back: A look at returning to the stage in 2021 Continued from page 1

First, we won’t be able to do all the plays that were in the 2020 season.

When we canceled 2020, our plan was to simply move those plays into 2021, believing that 12 months was plenty of time for normalcy to return again. But as the pandemic dragged on, it became increasingly clear that that would not be the case. We hope that a few of the 2020 titles will remain on the docket, but we know that some of them are simply too large to do under the current circumstances.

There would be too many people, sharing too little space. On stage, backstage, in the dressing room, in the rehearsal room.

Artistic Director Brenda DeVita said, “In talking with the artists who will be working on the upcoming season, what we’ve realized is that it’s a joy and a privilege that we’re even able to discuss producing plays on stage right now. We’re thrilled about the conversations that we’re having, and about exploring the titles that will make up this one-of-a-kind season.

Though it’s not possible to support some of the epic, sweeping stories that we had planned - it’s just not safe to have the number of actors a play like Julius Caesar requires on stage and in close proximity - we’re provided with an exciting opportunity to produce plays that we’ve been interested in, but that may not otherwise have shared a season or a stage. We hope you’ll join us and see for yourself. That you’ll find joy in being on the grounds, and in the plays that eventually make up this season. And that we’ll be back to full scale for summer ’22 and beyond. We’re already planning for it.”

Also, we’ll need to adjust our schedule.

The festival nature of APT is one of our hallmarks. We love that our audience is able to see a double feature in the afternoon and evening, or see up to eight plays over the course of a long weekend. Sadly that won’t be possible this year. Our company will need to work in “bubbles” (like pro basketball, but without Disney World) to guard against exposure to and spread of the virus. So, plays will mostly take place one at a time, or, if possible, in pairs.

We know that might be disappointing, but it is the only way to keep our actors, our staff and our audience as safe as possible. And please know, our trademark rotating repertory will return again in the future.

Finally, we’re embracing uncertainty, and ask you to do the same.

We’ve learned a lot about working through uncertainty over the last year.

First and foremost, we’ve accepted that the virus is calling the shots, and we must adjust accordingly. Because of this, many of the APT benchmarks you’re accustomed to will look different, or be entirely unavailable. We don’t know when we’ll have enough certainty to announce the plays, or publish a schedule, or sell tickets. But we believe those days will come. And when they do, we hope you’ll be with us; because even though parts of the APT experience will be different this year, our mission remains. The stories remain. The stars remain.

In the coming weeks we’ll tell you in more detail about our plans. We’ll start with one of the very first hurdles we need to clear to get actors back on stage – meeting the safety requirements set out by Actors’ Equity Association, the labor union that represents professional actors and stage managers.

Photo via APT A new season update from Artistic Director Brenda DeVita, and “The Road Back”

Photo via APT Chris Klopatek, Andrea San Miguel & Melisa Pereyra demonstrate social distancing in the 2018 production of ‘As You Like It.’

The Road Back: Chapter Two

Safety is our top priority as we plan for the day we can once again perform in person. In terms of our audience and most staff, we’ll follow the recommendations from the CDC and our local health authorities (more about this in a future post). But when we get to the actors, things get a bit trickier. The actors on stage won’t be masked. They can socially distance to some extent, but for the most part they need to be in the same space, talking to each other and projecting so the audience can hear them. To be safe, actors and production personnel that must come into contact with them (like wardrobe staff) need special consideration.

Since the pandemic began, keeping professional actors out of harm’s way has fallen to Actors’ Equity Association (otherwise known as Equity or AEA), the union of professional actors and stage managers that was founded in 1913 and represents 51,000 members. Since the very first days of APT, we have negotiated with them to em-

ploy AEA actors and stage managers.

Last spring, as COVID took hold of the country, Equity, as well as other professional theater-worker unions, set up strict regulations that theaters (including APT) must meet in order for members to perform safely. And due to the pandemic’s severity, only a small handful of productions nationwide have been able to get the green light to perform with Equity actors for in-person audiences (the first shows were approved in July, and opened in August along with a few others). We hope that, by summer, we’ll be able to join that group.

The first order of business has been to pore over the union regulations and figure out how to comply. The union has been thorough – supplying producers like us with a 29-page intake document where they lay out safety requirements, and we respond with detailed plans on how we intend to comply. Every detail is addressed.

Here’s just a sample of the puzzle pieces we’ll need to fit together in

order to comply with the new Equity rules: Local COVID rates must be at an acceptably low level.

All aspects of testing need to be addressed, including how often actors will be tested, what test we’ll use and how results are reported, to name a few.

We need to determine how the actors will “pod” – that is, avoid contact with any humans other than the people working on the play they are in.

Plan for what happens if there is a positive test in the company.

Detail our masking and other PPE requirements, both for the actors and any staff members that will need to be in contact with them.

Implement detailed disinfection and sanitation protocols .

Address new HVAC requirements (so many HVAC requirements!) to ensure air quality in APT buildings, including the Touchstone Theatre,

See page 9

Arts & Culture

WednesdaY, feb. 3, 2021

Page 9

Actors’ Equity Association Safety Plan, APT’s return to stage Continued from page 8

rehearsal halls, dressing rooms, etc.

Calculate the amount of space that will be required between people (in rehearsal, in performance, at other times), and how we will make that happen.

Provide a plan for how actors’ housing, company cars and other shared spaces will be cleaned and ventilated.

And much, much more. If you’d like to read the whole document, it’s available here.

APT staff, led by Production Manager Michael Broh, Operations Manager Cari Stebbins and Assistant Production Manager Sara Stellick, are diligently working through the process, devising plans to meet each requirement. We expect to have the first intake forms to be turned in to Equity

by February 1. After that, we can begin the dialogue that we hope will ultimately lead to permission to hire the talented actors and stage managers in our company.

Meeting these requirements is going to be a tall order. It’s going to take a level of planning and coordination akin to the very biggest projects (The Next Great Stage comes to mind) in our history, but in a fraction of the time. It will take resources – both human and financial – that will stretch us. And, of course, as much as we plan, the one element that is completely out of our control is the virus itself. We can plan and solve for every requirement, but it will all be for naught if the COVID cases in our area are not at a level that Equity deems safe. But know that, if that occurs, we will work tirelessly to make things safe again, and continue to bring you stories in whatever way we can.

Because it’s worth it. If there is a chance we can gather with you in person, to share stars and share stories, we’ll do whatever is necessary.

The Road Back: Chapter Three

What to expect from the APT experience this year.

Today on The Road Back, we’re going to outline what we expect the experience to be like at APT this summer. But first, a caveat: As much as we are all striving to make this season a reality, we can’t know with certainty that in-person plays will be possible right away – or, honestly, at all. Of course, we hope that we’ll be through the worst of this pandemic and starting to return to normal by the time summer rolls around. And that we’ll get approval to go ahead from our union partners (more about that here). In any case, know that we will find a way to deliver on our mission and bring you stories in whatever form we can. And as soon as we’re able to safely produce plays on the APT grounds, we will be ready to do just that.

Okay, that said, let’s run down what we’re expecting the APT experience to be like this year.

The audience members will have to wear masks, but the actors will not.

To keep the actors and your fellow audience members safe, patrons will be required to wear masks on the

Photo via APT Things will look a little different this summer, but the picnic tradition will continue. grounds and in the theaters.

As for the actors and production staff, they will be living and working in strict conditions to make sure they can safely show their faces, similar to what you may have seen in professional sports and in the film/TV industry.

Each play will have a “pod,” meaning the cast and crew will only interact with each other (except when they are on stage in front of you) until that particular show closes. During that time, APT staff will see to their needs in the outside world, like running errands and getting groceries. They will also be subject to frequent COVID testing.

Audience size will be limited.

Our starting point is to fill the Hill and the Touchstone to 25% of capacity, or maybe even less. Each audience party will have at least 6’ between their seats and other groups. This means we’ll have about 250 people per performance in the Hill Theatre and fewer than 50 in the Touchstone. With such small audiences, we’ll depend on your enthusiasm and have no doubt you’ll provide it.

We’ll take lots of other safety precautions.

We’ll be taking other safety precautions also, based on recommendations from the CDC and our state and local health authorities. We’ll ask you to stand six feet apart waiting for concessions and the restroom. We’ll offer contactless ticketing. Audience members will be required to fill out a health form the day you come to the theater, to make sure you don’t have COVID symptoms or a fever. We’ll work hard to make sure the protocols are all clear

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and simple and don’t get in the way of your visit.

Picnics: the APT tradition continues.

We plan that our grounds will be open for picnicking before the show as usual. Some tables will need to be spaced further apart and some areas may not be available, but the APT picnic tradition continues. We expect our partners at Hubbard Avenue Diner to once again provide pre-made picnics for your convenience. And, with a few modifications, we hope to welcome back our Midsummer Music series and the second season of Art in the Woods.

Meet the artists…virtually.

Due to our podding rules, you won’t see actors and artisans at in-person post-show talkbacks or at our Play Talks. You won’t even see them walking down the Hill after the play as might have happened in the past. But we (and they) still hope to engage with you. We plan to take our Beyond the Plays series virtual and make sure you have plenty of opportunities to learn about APT’s production process and interact with the artists and artisans.

There will be more details to come on this series as we get closer to the season.

And finally: There will be an at-home option.

We know that coming to APT in person may not feel right for everyone. Plus, the aforementioned limited capacity may mean we can’t get everyone in right away. So, we intend to film each play to be available on demand online. Unlike our Out of the Woods readings or our holiday per-

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formances, these will not be recorded on Zoom (though we love you, Zoom… what would we have done without you this year?). Rather, they will be high-quality recordings of the full production. This is a whole new world for us, and APT staff is busy learning about it as fast as we can. We’re figuring out how to film, edit and distribute a version of each play that will be the next best thing to being there.

This will also be our back-up solution in case we’re not able to perform in person for some reason. Perhaps case counts are still too high, or someone in the cast comes down with the virus, or the play gets rained out (it feels so normal to be concerned about rainouts!), you will have the option of seeing the play this way if you wish.

Flexible refund and exchange policies will also be in place.

We know this all may bring up questions for you. We’re still working out details and challenged by all those unknowable factors, but we promise to do our best to answer those questions as they become answerable. Because we are in this together. And we will share our plans with you every step of this journey, providing more details as we confirm them..

In the meantime, we remain ever hopeful that we’ll see your beaming faces at APT this summer. Sure, we won’t see as much of them individually, or as many of them in one place.

But simply being able to imagine a time when we’re once again sharing stories with you under the moon and stars makes all the work and extra precautions more than worthwhile.

Or visit: valleysentinelnews.com/subscribe to pay using a credit card, debit card or paypal.

Arts & Culture

Page 10 WednesdaY, feb. 3, 2021

Michael Perry and the Long Beds drop new song ‘Forty Acres Deep’ Quincy Aston-Lott, Managing Editor Local favorite and New Auburn, Wisconsin native Michael Perry and his band, the Long Beds, have released a new single, ‘Forty Acres Deep’. A music video accompanies the new single, visually telling a dark and familiar story that draws the listener hopelessly in.

For those unfamiliar with his work, the biography on his website describes him as “an accidental New York Times bestselling author, humorist, and playwright.” His memoirs include, but aren’t limited to: Population 485, Truck: A Love Story, Coop, and Visiting Tom. You may know him from his novel, The Jesus Cow. Perry has visited the Spring Green area in the past to do readings at Arcadia Books. You can find him every week in “Roughneck Grace,” a weekly column that runs in the Wisconsin State Journal. He has collaborated on several projects with musician and Wisconsin native Justin Vernon, of Bon Iver, whom we recently covered for his work on Taylor Swift’s recent albums, folklore and evermore.

‘Forty Acres Deep’ is an immediate departure from the folksy, bluegrass, easy summer listenin’ style we’re accustomed to in Perry’s early discography. The comments on the music video are quick to point out that the new song is “thick, heart haunting, compellingly on the edge.” We concur. ‘Forty Acres Deep’ is haunting, but beautiful, a path Perry started exploring in his 2019 album, Long Road to You. Perry’s vocals enter jarringly, but not unpleasantly, against the initially upbeat instrumentals, setting the stage for the rest of the song. Setting the listener up for an unexpected ride along with the passing headlights of a story

Photo via sneezingcow.com A still from the music video for “Forty Acres Deep”, Michael Perry’s lastest release. that evokes the frustrations many share in these uncertain times. The song is undeniably rural and dark, bluegrass-come-rock, and yet you’ll want to listen again and again, picking up new aspects of the story with each rendition.

We’ll give Perry the last word: “This song began with me scribbling down the phrase ‘forty acres deep’ one day.

On a map, forty acres are flat.

But when you come from my rural roughneck background, ‘forty acres deep’ made me think of being in debt to the bank, being isolated, being in a position where you’ve

committed to something so deeply you can’t escape it.

I wrote the earliest drafts of this song using a Telecaster and a fuzzbox/overdrive pedal. I was trying to learn power chords and write a rock song. I had this vision of a man driving to the center of a farm field and pitching a diamond ring into the wheat. It got to where there were something like fifteen verses. I worked on it for a while and let it go. Mainly because it just didn’t feel right, me trying to sing in a rock style.

A few years later, my friend Evan Middlesworth shared a riff and rhythm track he’d recorded and wondered if I had any lyrics

to fit it. I immediately thought of ‘Forty Acres Deep.’ I slashed and burned the lyrics, cut them back to the bare unforgiving bones of the story. Then instead of trying to sing like someone I’m not, I just went with the darkness, and sang in the mind of yet another farmer losing yet another farm, and – even more importantly – the price paid behind the scenes by the rest of the family.”

How to listen

“Forty Acres Deep” is available on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube

Voter information DMV offers information on obtaining an ID to vote in the February Spring Primary The Wisconsin 2021 Spring Primary is weeks away and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) wants to be sure people know how to obtain identification, free of charge, that is valid for voting.

Valid identification for voting purposes include a driver license, identification card, military or student ID card, etc. There is no separate “voter ID.” A federally compliant REAL ID card is not required for voting purposes. Anyone unsure if their identification meets the requirements should visit the Wisconsin Elections Commission website to check.

To obtain identification to show at the polls for voting, begin online. A list of the required documents to bring to a DMV Customer Service Center is available at wisconsindmv.gov.

If the required documents needed for an ID are not readily available, DMV has a process, called the Voter ID Petition Process, to obtain the necessary information. This process, available free of charge, can be used to quickly obtain a receipt valid to take to the polls for voting while the remaining documents or verifications are obtained.

Anyone with questions related to obtaining an ID to vote should call DMV’s toll-free Voter ID hotline at (844) 588-1069. Questions regarding voter eligibility, poll locations, voter registration information or other election information can be directed to the Wisconsin Elections Commission at www.elections.wi.gov.

GET IN TOUCH WITH VALLEY SENTINEL Check us out on our website: valleysentinelnews.com or find us on social media! @ValleySentinel @vs_wisconsin @vs_wisconsin @valleysentinel

Start your application now at wisconsindmv.gov or at a local DMV Customer Service Center. To find a DMV, check hours, services and wait times, visit www.wisconsindmv.gov\centers.

Let’s build community together.

Sports

WednesdaY, feb. 3, 2021 Page 11

RC Hornets defeat RV Blackhawks 43-46 in late game score

Mike McDermott, Contributor Left: Blackhawks player No. 23, Zach Gloudeman takes a shot at Thursdays game against Richland Center. Right: Preston Hying, Blackhawk player No. 14 jumps above a RC player to take a shot.

Activities this week Freshmen Girls Basketball River Valley High School 6 p.m. Feb. 4

Freshmen Boys Basketball Dodgeville Middle School 6 p.m. Feb. 5

Varsity Girls Basketball Platteville Middle School 7:30 p.m. Feb. 5

JV Girls Basektball River Valley High School New Gym 6 p.m. Feb. 4

JV Boys Basketball Dodgeville High School 6 p.m. Feb. 5

Gymnastics Platteville High School 9:30 a.m. Feb. 6

Varsity Girls Basketball River Valley High School New Gym 7:30 p.m. Feb. 4

Varsity Boys Basketball Dodgeville High School 7:30 p.m. Feb. 5

Freshmen Girls Basketball Pecatonica High School 1 p.m. Feb. 6

MS Wrestling Highland High School 4:30 p.m. Feb. 4

JV Girls Basketball Platteville Middle School 6 p.m. Feb. 5

Varsity Girls Basketball Pecatonica High School 2:30 p.m. Feb. 6

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Wrestling Richland Center High School 10 a.m. Feb. 6 Mock Trial River Valley High School 8:30 a.m. Feb. 6 MS Girls Basketball River Valley High School River Valley Middle School 9 a.m. Feb. 6

Outdoors/recreation

Page 12 WednesdaY, feb. 3, 2021

Prescribed Burns Spark A Better Future For Rare Ecosystems Joe Henry, DNR Natural Heritage Conservation Field Operations Team Leader

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) completed a record number of prescribed burns within state natural areas in the fall to maintain and care for some of Wisconsin’s rarest ecosystems and a site containing significant effigy mounds.

These carefully-planned prescribed burns stimulate native plants and control invasive species. Prescribed burns are the most efficient way for the DNR to maintain state natural areas (SNAs) harboring remnant prairies, savannas and barrens.

“The fall of 2020 represented one of the best fall burn seasons that crew members can remember,” said Joe Henry, DNR Natural Heritage Conservation Field Operations Team Leader. “It’s a milestone year.”

Altogether, DNR staff conducted 59 total burns in SNAs in 2020, 45 of them in the fall, representing 2,357 of the 2,994 acres impacted. Henry said these efforts helped make up for lost ground during the spring season when most burns were canceled due to COVID 19 restrictions.

“There were some extended stretches of weather when it was dry, which created opportunities you usually don’t see in the fall,” Henry said.

“DNR staff are so dedicated and passionate about prescribed burning they made the most of the time.”

The fall prescribed burns in the fall followed additional safety protocols to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission. The DNR’s burn staff also modified their protocols to reduce smoke inhalation risks by crew members and area residents. These protocols included burning when weather conditions would not trap smoke low to the ground and ensuring they were fully extinguished by dusk.

Most of the SNAs where prescribed burning occurred were grasslands, which are among the rarest ecosystems in Wisconsin and globally. Less than 1% of the original acreage of prairies, oak savanna and barrens remain in Wisconsin. Historically, wildfires kept brush and trees from becoming overgrown and shading out the native grasses and wildflowers that many birds, pollinators and other wildlife need in these ecosystems.

Photo via Wisconsin DNR DNR staff conduct a prescribed burn in fall 2020. ing at an accelerated rate best retain plant diversity and rare species when they receive regular prescribed burns.

More About SNAs And How Your Tax Form Donation Can Benefit Them

Photo via Wisconsin DNR

One of the season’s highlights was a prescribed burn at the Orion Mussel Bed SNA on the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway, which contains one of the best-preserved mound groups in

Special safety precautions were in place to limit burning hours and reduce smoke inhalation by area residents and DNR staff conducting prescribed burns.

Wisconsin. burn conducted by DNR crews from Built by Native Americans during Fitchburg and the La Crosse area what archaeologists call the Late kill the brush above ground and help Woodland Period between A.D. 750 stimulate native plant growth. and A.D.1000, the site features the Amy Alstad, Director of Land ManTwin Lizards and Catfish mound agement & Environmental Education groups, consisting of 15 mounds. The at Holy Wisdom Monastery, resurmounds include three birds, one bear, veyed 47 prairies while a graduate two lizards, one conical and eight student at the University of Wisconlinear mounds. sin – originally studied by legendary The DNR works with volunteers Wisconsin botanist John Curtis – and from the Friends of the Lower Wisfound the value of prescribed burns consin Riverway (FLOW) to control for rare plant species and rare ecobrush and brambles overtaking the systems. Based on Alstad’s research, Twin Lizards site. The prescribed native plant species which are vanish-

In the article above, Jared Urban, State Natural Area Volunteer Coordinator with the Department of Natural Resources describes the benefit of prescribed burns and planned locations for this year.

Valley Sentinel reached out to Henry for comment on how Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway assists with burns in our area. Below are his answers.

Valley Sentinel: We’re a news publication out of Spring Green.

It looks like the Orion Mussel Bed and Twin Lizards sites are within our coverage area. Can you tell us more about the sites and how FLOW assists the DNR in maintaining them?

Jared Urban: FLOW has been helping to remove very aggressive brambles and brush from the mounds group. This has been through workdays several times a year- work began in 2017 and FLOW volunteers have contributed 150 hours to impact about 7 acres. Initially we used brushsaws to cut the brambles and treated the stems with herbicide. We have used mowing and foliar spraying as follow up treatment to deal with the remaining living stems. While mostly native, brambles and brush can take over quickly and displace other native plants. As a response to their removal a variety of native plants have responded providing

Significant Effigy Mound Site Benefits From Burns

State natural areas protect the best of Wisconsin prairies, forests, wetlands and other habitats that provide support for 90% of rare plant species and 75% of rare wildlife species.

Nearly all properties are open to the public to enjoy bird watching, hiking, hunting and fishing. However, most SNAs are largely undeveloped and do not have restrooms, trails and other facilities like state parks.

Although the DNR holds more than half of these sites in trusts for Wisconsinites, the U.S. Forest Service, The Nature Conservancy and more than 50 other partners own and manage sites under a system established in 1951 spurred by Aldo Leopold and other Wisconsin conservation giants.

The DNR restoration and protection of SNAs are funded in large part through private donations, including gifts made through the Wisconsin income tax form. Donate today via your Wisconsin income tax form.

Donors’ gifts are doubled by the state and help directly conserve rare species and SNAs. Look for the “donations” section on your tax form (line 21 on Form 1) or your tax preparation software and fill in an amount next to Endangered Resources. You can also let your tax preparer know you want to donate to the Endangered Resources Fund.

Q&A: How prescribed burns, FLOW help the Valley some nice wildflower viewing as well as making the mounds more visible in the summer months.

VS: How important are these sites to the area, its archaeological history and its biodiversity?

JU: This mound group is one of the least disturbed mound groups in Wisconsin and are important due to the variety of types of mounds. The plants found are a part of the floodplain forest plant community and typical of those found along the Wisconsin river and on sandy terraces adjacent to the river. There are a significant number of red and white oaks on site which contribute fuel for prescribed fires and allow additional

light to penetrate to the forest floor, leading to increased plant diversity.

VS: What can residents do to get involved?

JU: Residents can join FLOW or subscribe to the SNA volunteer workday email list at the bottom of the page to get updates of when the next workdays will be. Unfortunately workdays will not happen again until the end of the pandemic.

VS: Is there a good way for the public to enjoy these sites without harming their archaeological history and biodiversity?

JH: The public can enjoy this site by utilizing the short walking trails that travel around the mounds.

Outdoors/recreation

WednesdaY, feb. 3, 2021 Page 13

Eagle-Eyed Wisconsinites Report Dozens Of New Bald Eagle Nests Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources MADISON, Wis. – Eagled-eyed Wisconsinites reported dozens of new bald eagle nests in 2020, while volunteers from Madison Audubon Society monitored known nests from the ground in nine counties.

These collective volunteer efforts greatly helped the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) bald eagle monitoring and protection efforts in 2020 and are expected to do so again as bald eagles soon begin nesting in southern Wisconsin.

Documenting and surveying known bald eagle nest locations is important to track population trends. This allows DNR staff to provide current information to landowners and forest managers on nest locations so they can avoid disturbing the birds during breeding season.

“The word is out that we’re interested in learning about new nests,” said Rich Staffen, Conservation Biologist for the DNR Natural Heritage Conservation Program, who is responsible for occupied nest surveys in nine counties in south central and southwestern Wisconsin. “Since our last occupied nest surveys in spring 2019, for my region alone, I have gotten 44 new nest reports of likely bald eagles. These are from citizens or biologists and reported to me or Madison Audubon Society.

Most have been verified as active bald eagle nests.”

Highlights from public reports – most of them in southern Wisconsin where bald eagles are rapidly claiming new territories [PDF] – included a second documented nest in Kenosha County and two new nests in Madison.

Milwaukee County, the only county without a documented nest, nearly erased that goose egg in 2020 until a volunteer discovered a nest less than a quarter-mile outside the county line.

Several of the new reports came from landowners or outdoor enthusiasts who discovered nests. Others came from some of the 2,000 volunteers who helped the DNR and partners complete data collection in 2019 for the Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas II, a fiveyear statewide effort to document the abundance and location of Wisconsin’s nesting birds.

Photo via Wisconsin DNR Bald eagle monitoring and protection efforts identified dozens of new bald eagle nests in 2020 .

The DNR and Madison Audubon Society staff have confirmed many of the new nest reports or sent volunteers to check the nests and potentially add to the list for future monitoring.

Madison Audubon Society’s Bald Eagle Nest Watch Aids Monitoring Effort Up to 15% of the new nests reported in southwestern Wisconsin were discovered by volunteers assigned to watch known nest sites for Madison Audubon Society’s Bald Eagle Nest Watch.

Currently in its fourth year, the Madison Audubon Society’s Bald Eagle Nest Watch program is increasingly important to monitoring and protecting Wisconsin bald eagles. The program is expanding into the Fox Valley through a partnership with Kaukauna’s 1000 Islands Environmental Center.

Audubon program coordinators work with the DNR to get the location and historical data they need to assign volunteers to survey the nests.

This year, nearly 200 Bald Eagle Nest Watch volunteers will monitor more than 60 nests in 14 Wisconsin counties, enabling the DNR to focus survey efforts along riverways and public lands,

where nests can be harder to see from the ground.

Volunteers watch their assigned nest for one hour every week from early February, when eagles begin pairing up in southern Wisconsin, to June or July when young hatched during the spring are ready to leave the nest or fledge.

Volunteers also document human disturbances near nests that may impact the birds. The Bald Eagle Nest Watch has used information volunteers collected about disturbances to work with local landowners and governments to re-route trails and alter prescribed burns to reduce disturbances that can potentially cause bald eagles to abandon their nests.

“They are really filling a much larger role,” Staffen said. “They’ve been a huge help.”

How To Report A New Nest And Get Involved In Nest Monitoring The public is encouraged to report nests that are in remote areas and appear to be new. People can report suspected new nests to the DNR through our eagle watching web page.

“You can look at the size of the nest to see if it’s a new pair,” Steffen said.

“They add to the nest every year, so newer nests are smaller nests.”

The Bald Eagle Nest Watch website has additional information about the Audubon program and will provide updates on how the nests are doing throughout the season.

Once endangered, bald eagles have made a remarkable comeback in Wisconsin. DNR aerial surveys have shown numbers soaring from 108 occupied nests in the early 1970s to a record 1,695 in 2019, expanding to 71 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties.

The recovery of bald eagles was made possible by the national ban on the pesticide DDT, added protections under federal and state endangered species laws, river cleanups, public donations and monitoring by the DNR’s Natural Heritage Conservation program and partners. Wisconsin’s bald eagle license plate also celebrates this success and raises money to help drive the next conservation success.

Find more information about bald eagles in Wisconsin and opportunities to see them this winter in the wild and virtually, visit the DNR eagle watching web page.

Turn Your Property Into A Deer Destination Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is hosting a virtual open house for the public to learn about the Deer Management Assistance Program.

Join the DNR and current DMAP members in a virtual open house on Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. via Zoom.

Pre-registration is not required.

The Wisconsin Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) is a cooperative effort between the DNR, landowners, and hunters to provide habitat and deer herd effort between the DNR, landowners, and hunters to provide habitat and deer herd management assistance to those interested in managing their property for wildlife. Simply put, DMAP is a partnership for healthy deer and healthy habitat.

Wildlife and forestry professionals assist landowners with management practices that consider the ecological and social impacts white-tailed deer have on the landscape. In return, DMAP cooperators can choose to share habitat information, collect biological data and participate in DMAP workshops. This one-on-one relationship, encouraging

2. Receive the latest information and updates on habitat and deer management techniques and research.

3. Network with and learn from other conservation-minded people like you.

4. Participate in hands-on workshops and citizen science opportunities that focus on habitat and deer management topics.

5. Get to know your local natural resource professionals.

Landowners of any size may enroll in DMAP at any time. Those with less than 160 acres may combine acreage with neighboring landowners to reach the 160-acre requirement and enroll as a DMAP cooperative.

Not a landowner? Ask the owner of the Photo via Wisconsin DNR property you hunt to enroll in DMAP Landowners who enroll in the Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) receive a wealth and identify you as their authorized of resources to improve habitat for deer and other wildlife on their properties representative to start managing that habitat today. communication and cooperation, makes wildlife biologist and forester as well as a Get Your Questions Answered DMAP a flexible and effective deer mancustomized management plan tailored to More information regarding DMAP agement program for private and public your property goals. and how to apply is available here. lands alike.

Whether you enroll a few acres or a few To receive DMAP email updates and Since 2014, DMAP has helped Wiscon- hundred, DMAP provides many benefits other information, sign up here. Follow sin landowners manage habitat for deer beyond the custom management plan. As the prompts and select the “Deer Manand other wildlife. If you enroll 160 acres a DMAP cooperator, you will: agement Assistance Program” option, or more in DMAP by March 1, 2021 you 1. Access assistance to improve habitat found under Wildlife Management. will be eligible for a site visit by a DNR for Wisconsin’s wildlife that we all enjoy.

Outdoors/recreation

Page 14 WednesdaY, feb. 3, 2021

An Outdoorsman’s Journal

Mark Walters, Contributor

Eleven Christmas Trees

Hello friends, This week I have some tough news to write about and here is how I am going to do it.

Back in the early winter of 2010 Selina was nine years old and I was a single parent. At the time we had Ice who was a seven-year-old golden retriever and the fifth generation of a bloodline that I had started when I was 19.

I was well aware that if I was going to keep my line going which was a hardy breed of golden retrievers that loved to hunt, pull a sled, and had no problem sleeping outside that I was going to have to find a future mate for Ice. I did my research and found what would become Fire and gave her to Selina on Christmas morning of 2010 and that was probably the best Christmas of my life.

Fire and Ice would soon become best friends and Fire was truly the mellowest, lady like pup that I have ever known.

The following summer Ice became ill and after about a 30-day battle passed away due to Anaplasmosis which is commonly known as the leukemia of Lyme’s disease. Ice was incredible, he was beautiful a 100-percent gentlemen and man could that dog hunt.

Here is the story behind the story and people that were reading this column back then might remember.

Fire went into a major depression, to

put it simply, all Selina’s 8-month-old pup would do is sleep, she would not fetch, and her training came to a halt.

I received a call from a man that would become a very good friend to Fire, myself, and Selina and that was Rod Bensley who owns and operates Rooster’s Run pheasant preserve out of Fox Lake.

Rod was reading about Fire in The Daily Citizen out of Beaver Dam and he had some ideas, thus our relationship would begin, and I would come home with 8 pigeons which was the start of my present flock, long story short, Rod really helped in a tough situation.

Fire was the most casual dog I have ever known, she never demanded attention, rarely barked always let other dogs eat first, was very private about her bathroom habits, and generally slept while duck hunting.

One example of a great hunting memory that I had with Fire during a 7-day trapping, camping, and duck hunting trip. I had just enough daylight for a quick duck hunt after a great day of checking traps out of my canoe.

As usual Fire was sleeping, and a pair of gadwalls flew over and I sailed both of them and both had landed out of sight on the other side of some wild rice. When Fire emerged from the rice with the first one in her mouth, I was amazed. I told her to go get the other and a half hour later she came back with it. That was the story her entire hunting life.

Selina and Fire were extremely close, and Fire even gave birth to her first pup in Selina’s bed with Selina in bed and we immediately moved Fire to her nest box

Photo by Mark Walters, Contributor A great day on the Mississippi River this past November!

Photos by Mark Walters, Contributor Top: Fire was full of love, even for Ruby’s pups!

Right: Fire, Selina, and Ruby. A year ago at Roosters Run! where in the end she ended up with five males and five females.

On her last litter she gave birth to Ruby who is the product of a great mother and her father was a top-level field trial dog. Ruby became Fire’s life and these two generally were not more than 20-yards apart.

When Ruby gave birth to her litter, Fire would get right in the nest box which is in our living room and clean the babies.

This fall was Fires 10th hunting season and she was strong as a bull. I knew I should not take her good health for granted and did some special trips just with her. The last day that I duck hunted with Fire was November 11th. I limited out and Fire loved every minute of that beautiful day on the Mississippi River near Ferryville and I took a great picture of her final retrieve.

When Selina and I came back from deer camp on the last day of the season Fire was not well and thus began 55days of pure highs and lows. Naturally a veterinarian was a part of this process but what was tough is that for a week she would seem as healthy as a horse and then for two days all she could do was sleep.

Last week she lost the use of her hind legs, but she was happy and coherent.

I was taught how to take her outside by using a pair of pants around her belly and she would pull me like a sled dog.

In all honesty I have been very bummed out since November 30th but always had

hope.

Two days before she died, she began telling Selina and I that it was time to go and I made the difficult call.

An incredible era of our lives has passed, a young girl had an excellent middle school and high school career and now college and great dog has left us. Rest in Peace Fire!

—Sunset

Want to read more?

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

Late January Ice Fishing Report

Capt. John Bomkamp 231 Carbil Rd. Muscoda, WI 53573

With all the snow on the ice and frequent cold fronts coming through, fishing has been pretty slow here on our river systems. If you put in the time, you can catch enough for a small fish fry! Getting a few pike on tip ups, great for pickling.

On Jan 29, we fished over on the Mississippi near Lansing. The ice was a good 15 inches there. Fishing should improve when the days start getting longer and the weather starts to warm.

Already preparing for the spring perch and walleye runs!

Advertise here for $25 /week!

608-588-6694 ads@valleysentinelnews.com

Advertise here for $25 /week!

(608)574-1580 john.bomkamp@gmail.com www.JohnBomkampFishing.com

608-588-6694 ads@valleysentinelnews.com

Community

WednesdaY, feb. 3, 2021 Page 15

COVID-19 Dashboard 544,260 Positive Cases 2,512,757 Negative Cases

Wisconsin Summary Cases as of 2/2/2021

+9,042 from 1/26

+31,022 from 1/26

5,937 Deaths +184 from 1/26

Vaccine Summary Statistics

Up to date as of the numbers provided on 2/2/2021

846,300

In Transit

641,150

578,336

Ordered

Administered

Cumulative total Wisconsin residents who have completed the COVID-19 vaccination series

Richland County

1,232 Positive Cases +23 from 1/26 8,069 Negative Cases +11 from 1/26 13 Deaths +0 from 1/26

Updated: 2/2/2021 (Total: 108,713)

Iowa County

1,800 Positive Cases +21 from 1/26 10,335 Negative Cases +137 from 1/26 9 Deaths +0 from 1/26

Sauk County

5,095 Positive Cases +88 from 1/26 33,495 Negative Cases +324 from 1/26 36 Deaths +1 from 1/26

River Valley School District

The Pfizer vaccine series consists of two doses recommended to be administered 21 days apart and the Moderna series consists of two doses recommended to be administered 28 days apart. Completing the COVID-19 vaccine series is important because it provides the best protection against the virus.

Cases per zip code Cases as of 2/2/2021

Total cases since 3/15/2020

Cases as of 2/2/2021

Please note, case numbers reflect the River Valley School District as a geographical area, not as an entity.

Graphic by Whitney Back

167,850

Allocated

Data From: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/index.htm

Community

Business Spotlight

I am a full service florist, with daily deliveries to the River Valley Area. We service all occasions (birthdays, anniversaries, new baby, get well soon, prom, weddings, corporate, funerals, just because…) We don’t believe in having pre-mades sitting in the cooler for days (or even weeks) until they sell - we custom make everything fresh just for you. But don’t worry, they only take me a couple of minutes. I remember my floral teacher saying to me “You are going to make a lot of $ in this business because you are so fast!” Well, the second part of that statement is true!

I get the best quality of flowers that is available, and have deliveries multiple times per week, to ensure that our flowers are fresh!

Plus, we process everything that comes in the shop so it makes it last even longer, something that most other florists do not do. This is an extra step that takes time, but we do it because it will help the flowers to last longer when they get to you. Also, I do not add lots of ‘fillers’ like baby’s breath, alstroemeria and carnations like many other florists because they are cheaper flowers. I like to use a nice mix of greenery, and more ‘prairie-like’ flowers when I can. Don’t get me wrong, I can use these other things if you want them, you just have to ask. When I first opened my shop, customers would say “don’t put any roses in, they don’t last”, and when I give them a rose, they call me and say that they can’t believe how long it lasted! I like to think that I’m opening up their minds to trying other beautiful flowers they are not used to.

Get in touch with

Prairie Flowers & Gifts!

126 Lexington St Spring Green, WI prairie-flowers.com

I would also like to say a bit about funeral flowers. I like to create a special tribute that reminds people of what the deceased person liked or enjoyed doing…whether it be sports, card playing, quilting, farming, etc. I once had a lady who loved to can fruits and vegetables,

prairieflowersandgifts@frontier.com 608.588.9999 Prairie Flowers and Gifts

prairie

Page 16 WednesdaY, feb. 3, 2021

and the family had a ‘colander’ that she used to strain tomatoes for tomato juice and I put flowers in that. They turned out great, and it brought back many memories for people who came to the visitation. But that said, we can make traditional sprays also. And we offer FREE delivery to all local funerals.

Weddings are a favorite of mine as well. We work with the bride to complete THEIR vision of what they want their day to be. Whether formal or casual…a small gathering or the social event of the year, flowers play an important part in your wedding. We customize flowers for your wedding that suit you, as well as your budget.

We offer free consultation, free rental vases, and a free toss bouquet with a $500 purchase.

We also have wedding props available for rent.

On to our gifts… I search long and hard to get gifts for my shop that are unique. I don’t want them if they are sold next door, or for that matter, even in Madison. I look for unique gifts that you don’t see everywhere else, and then try to come up with creative ways to show them and use them in your home. Here are some of my treasured lines - decorative accessories like mirrors, lamps, rugs, candles, unexpected gifts for baby and kids, entertaining, yummy chocolates, treasures for your Garden, and Women’s Accessories like unique jewelry, hats, scarves, handbags, travel, lotions, spa products… you get the idea. I also make gift baskets for baby, local, spa, sweets, fruit, etc).

Oh and also, I accept consignment items - if you make something wonderful, stop in, and let’s see it! Maybe we can sell it in the shop and make some money for you!

Question & Answer

With owner/designer, ruth schreiner What does it mean to have your business in downtown Spring Green?

My shop was in Sauk City for 10 years before moving to Spring Green in 2013.

Many people don’t know it, but I actually tried to purchase The Flower Shop in Spring Green back in 2003 when Yvonne Notbohm had it, but when that didn’t work out, I opened my business in Sauk City. I waited for an opportune time to get back to Spring Green, and moved when I was able to find the perfect building for my business. Spring Green is so lucky to have a healthy downtown, and it is important that we keep it that way. Many folks that come from Milwaukee, Madison, Chicago, etc. to shop, say “We love Spring Green… it is such a wonderful town, and we just love coming here.”

What is your favorite part of being a florist?

I would have to say my favorite part is seeing a smile on peoples faces when they receive flowers. Flowers really do make people smile, and put them in a better mood, and it is a pleasure of mine to make that happen. Flowers are given to show some sort of emotion, whether it is love, joy, appreciation, sympathy, or apologies, flowers allow us to connect with that emotion and deliver the message in an elegant way, and I’m allowed to be a part of that.

How has COVID affected your business? Have you had to change anything about how you provide your services?

This pandemic has affected us a great deal.

I had just put out on display some new Easter merchandise that I had purchased for the store, and then it hit. When we were able to open again (in the summer), I had to take Easter down (even though no one saw it) and switch it to Summer. The amount of people out and about was next to nil, and we had many days of sitting and no one coming in the shop, but we made it through. I hope the local people realize how hard it is for folks to keep their doors open during and after this pandemic.

It has been especially hard for me because I have to buy fresh flowers, and they are perishable, so trying to get what I need, and not too much, has been difficult. But I am thankful for our loyal customers who continue to order flowers and stop in to get a gift. It has kept us going.

In the initial stages of covid, when I was closed, I continued to offer curbside pickup.

Then when we could reopen, I was able to add curbside pickup. We call the recipient first to let them know we are coming, and then we come, and ring the doorbell so they know we are there, and just sit the flowers by the door, so there is no contact.

This has continued to work well for us, and keeps the customer and us safe.

What is your proudest accomplishment?

I try to donate left over flowers, when I have them, to the area nursing homes. It makes me smile when I can put a smile on an elderly persons face ; ) It goes without saying that the local businesses are the ones who donate constantly to different local (and some not-so-local) charities, and we work hard to get a variety of goods in our shops so we can better service our customers. We are all very proud of the businesses that we’ve created, and many of the Spring Green businesses are women owned, and I’m proud to be one of them.

How do you believe you’ve had a positive impact on the community?

Since moving to Spring Green, I ‘ve been very involved with the Chamber. We were able to get some grant money for the community, and expand Country Christmas to include the Holiday Light Parade, the Kids Art Workshops, The Winter Art Show, and The Winter Wine Walk. A couple years later, we added the Spring Fling that also includes Art Classes, as well as a Spring Wine Walk. All of these things were added with the goal of increasing foot traffic in town, and have been very successful. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to experience them in 2020. Hopefully, we will be able to have them this year!

What elso do you have to add?

Lastly, I want to say that Valentines Day is coming up, and we will be open AND delivering to the River Valley area on Friday, Saturday, AND Sunday for the holiday. Just give us a call … it’s never too early to place your order. Or you can visit my website at www.prairie-flowers. com and order there 24/7. If you call me, you can get a special 10% off of your Valentines Day order if you mention this ad. We will have flowers, plants, blooming plants, bulbs, chocolates, soaps, lotions, jewelry, etc. for your sweetie, and WE DELIVER. We also have a Valentines Day special with Arthurs Supper Club, enjoy dinner there, and order flowers and get $10 off a dozen roses, or $5 off a half dozen roses. We will deliver them to the restaurant and they will be at the table when you arrive.

“Unique clothing, gifts and awesome candy!!”

-Connie Conley