Valley Sentinel - 02-10-2021

Inside this edition

APT announces virtual ‘Winter Words’ readings Page 8

RV Mock Trial places second at Regionals Page 8

Spring Green, Wisconsin

An Outdoorsman’s Journal: Home on the Ice Page 11

Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021 Vol. 2, No. 6 Free, Single-Copy

For second year in a row Spring Green Arts Fair canceled due to COVID-19 Due to COVID-19, the 2021 Spring Green Arts and Crafts Fair, set for June, was canceled earlier this week.

The Arts Fair posted on its Instagram account announcing the cancellation of

Lands’ End assisting with Iowa County COVID-19 vaccinations

this year’s fair. This will be the second year in a row the event has been canceled due to the on-going pandemic.

“Out of respect and concern for the health and safety of artists, visitors and

our own community, we feel this is a decision that had to be made,” said the social media announcement.

The event has been rescheduled for June 25-26, 2022.

The fair was set to be held in downtown Spring Green on Jefferson Street June 26-27 this year, and was scheduled for June 27-28 in 2020.

—Emilie Conlon, Editor-in-Chief

Winter scenes from Spring Green Natural Preserve

Iowa County Health Department Lands’ End Corporate Offices The Iowa County Health Department announced Feb. 5 it is partnering with Lands’ End to transform the Comer Center, a fitness and recreational center, at its Dodgeville, Wisconsin headquarters, into a COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic. The facility will have the capacity to vaccinate 160 people over a four hour period and will eventually be able to accommodate up to 1600 people over eight hours, making it the largest vaccination center in Iowa County. The Iowa County Health Department began administering vaccines, by appointment, at the Comer Center on Feb. 8 and will continue for the foreseeable future.

"We are honored to partner with the Iowa County Health Department to take an active role in bettering the health and safety of our local Dodgeville and Iowa County communities," said Jerome Griffith, chief executive officer, Lands' End. "The rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine is a critical step toward supporting Wisconsin's vibrant culture and business community, and we are grateful to be able to utilize Lands' End's facilities to help fight the pandemic."

See page 5

Photo by Don Greenwood, Contributor A prairie grass-lined path showing imprinted tracks in the many inches of snow the Valley has seen recently leading up to the hills of the Spring Green Nature Preserve. See page 10 for more photos.

Multiple public works project on the horizon for Village of Arena Emilie Conlon, Editor-in-Chief Following the results of a water study of the village of Arena’s water systems, the village is preparing to build a secondary well system which is set to cost the village at least $2.1 million over the next three years.

The village board voted on the matter at its Feb. 2 meeting, after discussing the water study created by MSA, an engineering firm, to assess the current and future capabilities of the village’s water systems, and to provide recommendation and guidance to the village on priority of needs for the systems.

The study found that the most urgent need for the village’s system is to build a secondary well supply, which will

serve to strengthen the existing system, according to the study.

The need for a second well has been identified multiple times by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in sanitary studies, most recently in a 2020 survey in which the department strongly suggested adding a second well to ensure a reliable system and ensure ample water supply for all municipal water users.

Kathy Jennings, an engineer at MSA, said the first steps towards building the new well include a site investigation and building a test well at the determined site, which she advised the village do immediately. The investigation and test well have an estimated $100,000 price tag.

Other repairs and projects for the new well recommended for this year include a leak detection study which is set to cost approximately $10,000 and installing replacement platforms on the 150,000 gallon water storage tank on the existing well, which would cost approximately $20,000.

MSA recommended conducting a leak detection study as reports of the village’s water system have shown a 15% water loss over the past three years. The magnetic flow meter, the meter used to measure the volume of water flowing through pipes, on the existing well read 8% higher than the actual volume of water.

The study estimates that by 2022, the

village will be set for final construction of the secondary well system, costing $200,000 just for well construction. The wellhouse for the secondary well would be constructed in 2023.

Secondary wellhouse construction would cost approximately $1.3 million.

Other improvements recommended for 2023 include improvements to the existing wellhouse, additions to the existing chemical room, general water system improvements, and adding an overcoat to the existing storage tank to prolong its life. These various improvement project would cost an estimated total of $470,000.

See page 6

Page 2

opinion

WednesdaY, Feb.10, 2021

Legal Editor’s Column: Masks - What can Evers do? An analysis.

Gerry Strang, esq., Legal Editor On February 4, the Governor issued two orders: one declared an emergency; the other cited that emergency to mandate the wearing of face coverings to combat the spread of COVID-19.

The order applies to people in enclosed spaces other than private homes, when persons outside their household are present, subject to about 16 other exceptions. The order may be enforced with a 200 dollar fine. This mask order expires on its own on March 20, or could be withdrawn or superseded before that. The state of emergency expires after 60 days but could be revoked by legislative action or by the governor, or could be extended by the legislature.

What is remarkable about the orders is that they were issued about an hour after the state legislature acted to end a previous state of emergency and mask order. The legislative action would have taken effect the following day, but became a dead letter when the governor issued a superseding order. The way the governor understands the law, he can continue to issue essentially the same order every sixty days finding that the emergency continues. The legislature really can’t do anything to stop him.

This time around, there were 52 votes in the 99-member assembly to overturn the order. The statutes don’t require a new law to overturn an emergency order; they just require a joint resolution of the senate and assembly, something that cannot be vetoed and only requires a majority of each chamber. Opponents of the mask mandate have enough votes to keep striking down orders, but not enough votes to change the law.

There is already a case before the Wisconsin Supreme Court challenging whether the governor can do this. What does the law say about what the governor can do?

Before getting into the details, let me disclose my personal bias here. I would like to live in a place where no one would be fined for not using a mask.

But I would also like to live among sensible people that did not regard it as a righteous political statement to infect me with a potentially fatal disease. My desire not to die is slightly greater than my belief in the right to infect my neighbors. But others disagree, and that’s why in the future we’ll all be speaking Mandarin. Shuō gòule!

Now let’s set that aside and try to look as objectively as possible at what Evers can and cannot do. We’ll start the way a court is supposed to start, by looking at the statutes first and avoiding constitutional issues if we can. Then we’ll look at the constitution. Of course this may not tell us how the supreme court would decide these issues. In fact, I might change my mind if a case came up and one side or the other had really persuasive arguments. But here goes: Section 323.10 allows the governor to declare an emergency for a period of 60 days. If an emergency is so declared, section 323.12 gives him the power to enter contracts, suspend regulations, seize or destroy private property, or issue “such orders as he or she deems necessary….” He cannot suspend or violate (most) laws, but pretty much anything else is on the table, even if it would otherwise be illegal. There are a couple of other relevant statutes.

Section 321.39 lets him call up the state military.

The only statute that says anything about reissuing an order is 323.10, and it says very little. It does not say that an order cannot be issued after 60 days, but if you consider that the legislature

In Valley Sentinel’s weekly social media poll, we asked if residents of the Valley support a statewide mask mandate following the recent back and forth between the legislature and the Governor. An overwhelming 94% said they supported a mandate, with 6% disagreeing.

To vote in the weekly polls and share your opinion on weekly topics, follow us on Instagram @vs_wisconsin put a 60-day limit on any order, and gave an explicit power to the legislature, but not the governor to renew an order, it seems obvious the governor was not intended to be able to freely renew an order after 60 days.

Part of the rationale of divided government is that the different branches have different strengths. The legislature is ideal for forming long-term policy.

But its procedures are cumbersome and poorly suited to responding to emerging crises. Yes, the legislature could hypothetically suspend some of its ordinary mechanics and vote at 3pm on a 10-thousand-page bill distributed at 1pm the same day. We’ve seen Congress come pretty close to this on a number of occasions. But most people agree this is a grotesque and disturbing way to make policy. The executive branch, in contrast, operates the day-to-day workings of the state and should have front-line specialists who are expert in their particular areas. The executive can encounter and analyze emerging issues rapidly, without hearings or debate, and formulate responses. If you disagree with the party holding the executive, you may disagree with those responses, but the executive remains the branch most institutionally suited to crafting a response with insight and agility.

This division of strengths is a good rationale for allowing the executive to move independently with a time limit, and hence supports an argument that Evers should not be able to re-issue an order after time has passed allowing legislative consideration. What the executive is good at doing quickly, the legislature is better at considering with time.

But this same division also gives Evers a good argument. What if there is a fresh crisis, or a change in an existing crisis that is evolving rapidly? The executive is in the best posture to respond.

It is not as though the executive gets

one chit to use in case of emergency, and must sit with hands bound in the case of a second. So it’s logical that after 60 days, Evers could point to some change or development in the COVID crisis -- more have it, more are getting it, more virulent strains have been detected, protective supplies are strained, the economy has suffered further -- and issue a new order as a response to the “new” emergency presented by whatever has changed. I think this is the winning argument that gives Evers the power to effectively reissue an expired order practically at his whim. To limit his discretion in this area could tie his hands in an emergency.

If it sounds to you like this power could be abused, you’re right. But the power to seize property and issue “such orders as he or she deems necessary” are also prone to abuse. These laws exist to give broad powers in emergency without clear limits because it would be hard to draft clear limits without defeating the point of the legislation.

There is no good way to legislate in advance for a genuine emergency. That is one reason why checks on executive power are also stated broadly. The legislature can impeach for whatever it sees as an abuse of power. The people can recall for any reason or no reason.

Where our laws fail to effectively limit emergency powers, they can at least make them politically perilous. Note that we are also talking here about an emergency power that comes from a statute. The legislature could amend or repeal the statute, or effectively cause it to be suspended for the rest of Evers’ term in office.

We haven’t addressed the constitution yet, and we have two constitutional issues to consider. First, is a statute that gives away so much power to the executive constitutional? Probably yes.

There is only one constitutional argument against it, which is that separation

of powers requires the legislature to decide policy and only allows the executive to carry it out. The executive always will have some discretion to use some judgment and fill in details of policy that the legislature has not fully spelled out, but the legislature cannot give up its policymaking power wholesale. The reason why this “non-delegation doctrine” probably doesn’t apply is because in modern times it has been seen as very limited. Modern polities with large populations and complex issues would overwhelm their legislatures if they could not delegate policy particulars to administrative bodies. But some conservative jurists really want to revive the doctrine, so the courts may disagree.

The second question is what emergency powers the governor has under the constitution, that the legislature cannot take away. The constitution gives the governor one clear emergency power: to convene the state legislature away from the capital when Madison is overrun by enemies or when contagious disease is prevalent there. One other section refers to executive declaration of emergency, in the context of state officers simultaneously holding federal positions. If the governor has any emergency powers in the constitution, they either flow from these two sections or from the general statement that “The executive power shall be vested in a governor…”

For some scholars, this is enough.

The advantages of the executive branch in responding to a crisis mean that emergency powers are inherent to the executive. They can point to various statements and precedents for support.

But I’m with the other side. Wisconsin’s constitution did not intend for the executive to run unchecked in the event of an emergency. Nothing in our system of government calls for divided and limited government to be set aside in a crisis. There is no room in our laws for a praetor maximus. Evers can only act with legislative support. Right now he has that, in the form of a statute, even if he is opposed by a majority of legislators. Without the statute, he could convene the legislature in Kewaunee County but not much more. With it, he can keep on issuing mask orders.

Let me reiterate that I agree with this. The emergency is real. A masking order will save lives. The majority of people support the mask mandate even if this is not reflected in our gerrymandered legislature. And even though It looks weird because the legislature keeps pushing resolutions that have no effect, the law appears to be working as intended.

One final question: what will the state supreme court do? I’d obviously like for them to agree with me, but who knows?

I could see a ruling that Evers cannot extend or reissue an identical order to one rejected by the legislature. But how would the court craft an order telling Evers when a new emergency order is allowed and when it isn’t? How does an order stop Evers from abusing his power while still allowing him to use it fairly? This would require the court to effectively continue legislating where the legislature left off because the legislature believed it was impossible to say more. Generally the court considers it not to be its job to do this. As with the Trump election suits, there may be political pressure to support the legislative majority, but there will be practical difficulty, legal doctrine, and professional discouragement on the other side.

We’ll see.

opinion/Regional

WednesdaY, Feb.10, 2021

Page 3

Wisconsin Watch: Wisconsin’s No. 1 mink farming industry seen as a COVID-19 risk

By Kate Golden, Wisconsin Watch The first sign of trouble was that the mink stopped eating, said Hugh Hildebrandt, one of two main mink vets in Wisconsin.

Next came coughing and sneezing, lethargy and labored breathing.

Hildebrandt had worked with mink for 30 years. He wrote the Merck Veterinary Manual section on mink. But he had never seen anything like this. Captive mink have a flu season in the fall, just like people — they get it from us, in fact. But what appeared in the two Taylor County, Wisconsin, mink farms that saw outbreaks in October was not flu, which tends to sicken the weakest animals. This took out the strongest mink, the mature adult females.

Over a few days, it killed hundreds per day and about 5,500 total on the two ranches. It whipped through by coat color, light to dark: The lighter-coat mink, ranch-bred to bring out recessive genes, have long been more delicate. Five to seven days in, the ranchers thought that most of the mink were going to die, said Hildebrandt. “And they wake up the next morning, and it’s just stopped. They all start eating. They eat more than they ever did before.” It wasn’t hard to guess the cause. Wisconsin was a coronavirus hotspot from late summer on, and workers at mink ranches had already tested positive. The Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Madison confirmed the suspicion within days. The mink almost certainly got it from farmworkers, a jump called “reverse zoonosis.”

The outbreaks shone light on

Photos by Larissa Nituch A wild mink leaves a live trap in Ontario, Canada in 2008. The photo was taken by scientists during a field study of interactions between escaped domestic and wild American mink. Officials in Wisconsin are scrambling to protect both humans and mink after outbreaks of the virus that causes COVID-19 on two Wisconsin mink farms killed 5,500 animals last year. an industry that has for years operated so discreetly in Wisconsin — the nation’s top pelt producer — that even the officials in charge of animal health didn’t know where all of the state’s 19 mink farms were. Those farms are neither regulated nor licensed by the state.

Officials have caught up fast amid

concerns that a mutation of the species-hopping virus could pose danger to humans. In fact, the state just added mink farmers to the category of residents next in line for vaccination along with teachers, child care workers and grocery store employees.

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PO Box 144 Spring Green, Wisconsin 53588 USA (608) 588-6694 editor@valleysentinelnews.com valleysentinelnews.com Editorial Editor-in-Chief Emilie Conlon Creative Director Morgan Marlenga Managing Editor Quincy Aston-Lott Legal Editor Gerry Strang, esq.

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Page 4

opinion

WednesdaY, feb. 10, 2021

Gov. Evers unveils historic agriculture investment proposal Tony Evers, Governor

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers announced Feb. 5 his 2021-23 biennial budget proposal will include a more than $43 million investment in Wisconsin’s agriculture economy and farm families aimed at expanding market opportunities, supporting new and innovative farming practices, strengthening the agricultural workforce, connecting local producers to foodbanks and pantries, and supporting farmer mental health and wellbeing.

“Our agricultural industry is Wisconsin’s past and present, and it will be our future,” said Gov. Evers.

“Our proud farming history is core to our state’s culture and people, and Wisconsin farmers have carried and supported our state economy for generations. Long before the COVID-19 pandemic hit and then throughout this pandemic, our farmers and producers were fighting every day to save their farms and to save their industry while helping us put food on our tables. It’s time to join in this fight for Wisconsin’s farmers and their families and agricultural industries to ensure future economic prosperity our rural communities and our entire state.”

Gov. Evers has championed agricultural issues in Wisconsin. This announcement today builds on his investments from the 2019-21 biennial budget and his three-pronged initiative announced in his State of the State

Address last year, including calling for a special session of the Legislature, the creation of the Office of Rural Prosperity at the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, and the establishment of the Blue Ribbon Commission on Rural Prosperity which provided its report to the governor late last year. The governor’s more than $43 million plan includes:

Expanding Local and International Market Opportunities

Creating and funds the Wisconsin Initiative for Agricultural Exports, which will boost export opportunities for Wisconsin’s world-class agricultural products; Increasing funding for the Dairy Processor Grant Program by $1.2 million over the biennium, which strategically invests in Wisconsin dairy processors to support innovation, jobs, and the competitiveness of our state’s signature industry; Investing $20 million to help connect Wisconsin food banks and pantries with Wisconsin producers to provide food to families experiencing food insecurity Funding the Farm-to-School Grant Program to get fresh, nutritious, locallyproduced foods onto kids’ plates in school cafeterias across Wisconsin; Creating and fund the Farm-to-Fork program to build connections between farmers and nearby nonschool entities interested in purchasing local food for their cafeterias; Increasing funding for the Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin program, a grant program that funds

local food efforts to increase the sale of Wisconsin-produced agricultural products; Providing additional funding for Something Special from Wisconsin™, a branded marketing program available to businesses who can attribute at least 50 percent of their ingredients, production, or processing activities to Wisconsin; and Creating and funds a Small Farm Diversity Grant Program which is designed to support producers adding new products, increasing production of an ag product where market opportunities exist, or starting a new farming operation entirely.

Three-Pronged Plan to Bolster Local Meat Processing

Creating a Meat Processor Grant program to target the needs of the meat industry, incentivize innovation, and expand Wisconsin’s overall meat processing capacity; Creating and fund a Meat Talent Development Program to specifically target meat industry workforce development and help spur growth in Wisconsin’s meat processing industry; and Adding additional Food Inspector Positions at DATCP to ensure a safe, secure food supply as our meat industry grows.

Promoting Agricultural Innovation & Farmer-Led Conservation

Creating and funding a Value-Added Agricultural Grant Program, which would provide education and technical assistance related to producing value-added agricultural products,

such as organic farming and best practices related to grazing; Providing additional funding to counties in order to support three conservation staff per county; Increasing funding for the Producer-Led Watershed Grant Program, which supports farmer groups working collaboratively to address local water issues; Creating and funding Water Stewardship Grants which provides support for third parties assisting farmers with water stewardship; Creating and funding a Conservation Grant Program which supports farmers seeking to transition to more environmentally sustainable agricultural practices; and Providing funding in order to support additional UW-Extension specialists and county agents, who provide both on-the-ground technical assistance and research to support producers throughout Wisconsin.

Supporting Farmers’ Mental Health & Wellbeing

Creating a new Regional Farmer Mental Health Program to help increase farmers’ access to mental health support services, coordinate local and regional peer support programs, and provide counseling and assistance to Wisconsin farmers; and Providing ongoing funding for the Farmer Mental Health Assistance Program, which supports a 24/7 counseling service, tele-counseling sessions, counseling vouchers, and building farmer peer-support networks.

Wisconsin’s Path Forward: Agriculture, Considine follow-up on Governor’s release Rep. Dave Considine, D-Baraboo

MADISON – Feb. 5 Governor Evers announced his budget priorities for agriculture. Rep. Dave Considine (D-Baraboo) is the ranking member on the Assembly Committee on Agriculture. After the announcement, Rep. Considine issued the following statements: “Wisconsin has a long history of being an agricultural leader. Governor Evers’ announcement is a crucial

step in guaranteeing our future will be strong too. As a former farmer and the ranking member on the Assembly Committee on Agriculture, I know how important these investments will be for our agricultural economy. Our producers are the backbone of our rural communities. Our processors are steadfast in their commitment to their consumers and community members.

“During the past year, producers and processors have put in innumerable hours to ensure our food supply chain

didn’t break. Due to hardworking Wisconsinites, we didn’t see mass euthanasia like many other states did.

This is just one of the many reasons that these investments are not only needed, but overdue. Our agricultural economy is self-sustaining and strong, but targeted investments can increase our capacity for meat processing, job creation, and exports.

“I advocate for rural communities and am proud to support these budget initiatives. Just a few of the important

investments announced today include supporting meat processors, farmer mental health, dairy processors, small farm diversity grants, farm business consultations, and UW-Extension. I know that these investments will provide opportunities for growth in our agricultural economy. I am proud to stand with Governor Evers in support of our producers and processors. I look forward to the full introduction of the budget on February 16th.

Recapping Ag Forum: The economic outlook for agriculture has improved Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green MADISON— Each year, I eagerly await the Agricultural Economic Outlook Forum that is hosted by the Renk Agribusiness Institute at the University of Wisconsin Madison. This forum is always a terrific way to see the data side of agriculture in Wisconsin. It also provides a view of the potential for the future of this important economy. This year, the event was entirely virtual and I appreciate the Institute’s work to provide a high-quality program.

Last year’s forum took place right before the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in Wisconsin. While the forecasting was positive, we were coming off of a difficult year for agriculture and none of us had any idea what we were in for within just a couple weeks. I don’t think any of us could have predicted the way COVID-19 impacted supply chains, slaughtering operations and supply versus demand. Our economy shifted and agriculture was deeply impacted.

Several speakers at the forum this year reflected on the horrible decisions farmers had to make early last spring.

From dumping milk to euthanizing animals, our farmers made difficult decisions to stay in business. Consum-

er behavior changed overnight and our supply chains developed gaps and holes. One day, restaurants were placing orders for cheese, meat and milk.

The next, they were closed with no reopen date. One day, a local slaughtering facility had a predictable, yet full, schedule. The next, their operations abruptly halt.

Despite the difficult decisions and uncertainty we experienced in agriculture last spring, Paul Mitchell, Director of the Renk Institute, said that the unprecedented government support for agriculture saved the industry.

Farm income was up in 2020, despite the difficulties and he predicts income to be up in 2021 too, even without the government support programs that buoyed the economy in 2020. He points to better prices with flat costs, declining loan balances, flat loan delinquency rates, rising and consistent land values and a normalized dairy farm exit rate as signs that the Ag economy is strong.

Mitchell said that Wisconsin still leads the nation in farm bankruptcies and there remains a lot of financial stress in rural Wisconsin. However, he said that the Dairy Farm Attrition Rate is almost back to its “long-term” rate,

rather than the crisis levels we have been experiencing in recent years.

The rate is about even with 2017 and just slightly over the rates in 2015 and 2016.

The weather also helped agriculture this year. Mitchell reminded me that planting and harvesting was way ahead in 2020. I remember talking to Rep. Travis Tranel (R-Cuba City) and Rep. Tony Kurtz (R-Wonewoc) in mid-December 2019 and they were still trying to chop corn before the snow started to fall. This year, they were finished in November! They were also way ahead for planting last spring because conditions were right. So, despite the COVID-19 pandemic challenges we faced, the planting and harvesting season for crops was very favorable. This is reflected in data we observed throughout the forum.

Mark Stephenson, the Director of Dairy Policy Analysis and the Director of Dairy Profitability at UW Madison, reflected the severe impacts of COVID-19 on the dairy sector. Several of his graphs and charts illustrate an unimaginable drop in consumption of milk, cheese, butter and other dairy products during the pandemic. But he also illustrated a shift.

Stephenson said that more than half of all butter is usually used in out-ofhome eating through food service and institutional uses. However, the notable trend of pandemic cooking and baking can be seen in the data. Retail butter sales are way up. Therefore the total commercial disappearance of butter is down only 0.2% for the year.

Stephenson discussed the fact that the United States is a consumption-based economy. As a result, when our consumption habits change, so does our economy. Stephenson is optimistic about Foodbox programs encouraged by our governments, grocery store sales and the reemergence of home cooking, restaurants and schools reopening, a return to “normal”, export opportunities and vaccines.

Again, the Ag Economic Outlook Forum is a tremendous event. You can view all of the videos and materials from the Forum on the Renk Institute’s youtube channel and website: https://renk.aae.wisc.edu/2021-agricultural-outlook-forum/ As always, please do not hesitate to connect with me to provide input, ideas or to seek assistance. Send an email to sen.marklein@legis.wisconsin.gov or call 608-266-0703.

Community

WednesdaY, Feb. 10, 2021

Page 5

Iowa County partnership announced for vaccine distribution continued from page 1

“Iowa County is incredibly grateful for this partnership. This space allows for a much larger number of people who can be immunized, helping us get to our goal of achieving robust vaccine uptake.

The use of this space will have a direct and favorable impact to the health of Iowa County residents. In a word, it is extraordinary and once again, we cannot convey how appreciative we are,” said Debbie Siegenthaler, Director/Health Officer, Iowa County Health Department.

Vaccines at Lands’ End will be administered by the Iowa County Health Department with the support of Iowa County Emergency Management and the broader community. “A clinic of this size requires enormous planning and operational support. The partnership with Iowa County Emergency Management has been critical. Furthermore, we could not operate without hiring several vaccinators and recruiting many volunteers. We are grateful for the outpouring of interest and support from the community,” added Siegenthaler.

If you would like to be an Iowa County

Vaccination Site volunteer visit www. iowacounty.org and click the "Volunteers: Vaccine Clinic" on the red scrolling banner. As we move forward through the vaccination process and more vaccine becomes available, we will need additional help at the clinic site to enable us to increase our vaccination capacity.

To date, vaccine administration has focused on those in Phase 1. The Iowa County Health Department has been holding clinics since January 7th at the Health and Human Services Center at 303 West Chapel Street in Dodgeville.

Last week, the Health Department began administering vaccine to those 65 years and older.

“We appreciate the community’s patience as we work to vaccinate people as vaccine supply allows. The amount of vaccine we receive each week continues to be limited and we expect this to be the case for a few more weeks”, stated Siegenthaler. “We are very excited that as soon as more vaccine is allocated to us, we will be ready to quickly scale up,” added Siegenthaler.

In Iowa County, if you are eligible for a vaccine as described in Tier IA or age

Photo via Lands’ End Lands’ End Comer Activity Center at the company’s Dodgeville headquarters will be converted into a COVID-19 vaccine distribution center, and will be Iowa County’s largest vaccine distribution space.

65+, you can contact the Iowa County Health Department at healthinfo@ iowacounty.org or call 608-930-9870.

In Iowa County, patients of Upland Hills Health and SSM Health/Dean Clinics also have the option to visit the Upland Hills website to sign up on their waiting list for their clinics, which are

separate from the Iowa County Health Department Clinic at Lands’ End. You can also check out any health care provider’s website for details on how they are distributing vaccine. Please remember, vaccine quantities are limited and clinics are typically scheduled when vaccine quantities are known.

Warming Center Information

Sauk County Public Health & Emergency Management is encouraging residents to prepare for the extreme cold weather that is continuing. Temperatures are forecast to be in the mid -10’s. Wind chills are expected to be in the 20 to 30 below zero range. These types of weather conditions can be extremely dangerous to humans and animals.

Warming Centers will be available in the following areas of Sauk County.

Baraboo

Historic Courthouse 10 Broadway St., Rm. C-128 (first floor) Monday - Friday 8am to 4:30pm

Reedsburg

Reedsburg Police Dept.

200 Park St. Sunday - Friday Open 24 hours a day

Lake Delton

Lake Delton Fire/EMS Station 45 Miller Dr. Monday - Friday 8am to 4pm

Reedsburg

Reedsburg City Hall 134 S. Locust St. Monday - Friday 8am to 4pm

Reedsburg

Local. Natural.

Delicious.

Reedsburg Public Library 370 Vine St. Monday - Friday 9am to 8pm

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

For the most up-to-date information, please call the Sauk County Health Department: (608) 355-3290 or the Sauk County Sheriff non-emergency line: (608) 356-4895

Our schedule is posted each week on social media.

Warming Centers will be available in the following areas of Richland County.

Symons Recreational Complex 1250 Symons Circle, Richland Center Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays Tuesdays and Thursdays Saturdays Sundays

5:30am to 8:30pm 3:30pm to 8:30pm 7:30am to 4:30pm 1:00pm to 4:30pm

A warming center will also be available in Viola. The Viola Village Office Building will serve in this capacity. Persons wishing to access this facility for warmth should contact Dana George upon their arrival at the village office. The building is open during the normal business hours of 8:30AM to 4:30PM.

Those seeking relief from the cold in Lone Rock, should call Adam Reno at 608-604-4527.

For the most up-to-date information, please call the Richland County Health Department: (608) 647-8821 or the Richland County Sheriff non-emergency line: 608-647-2106

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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.

Page 6

Community

WednesdaY, feb. 10, 2021

Village upgrades: public works projects, elementary school development Continued from page 1 According to the study, the village filed an intent to apply for a Safe Drinking Water Loan from the DNR in October 2020 for the construction of a secondary well. To pursue funding for the 2022 fiscal year, the village will need to submit an application by June 30 this year.

Based on current loan conditions, the village would be eligible for a loan of 30% of project costs from the DNR. The study says the village is also eligible for a United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development funding, which could provide a grant covering up to 45% of the secondary well construction.

The study also recommends the village revisit it’s current Tax Incremental District (TID) project list, and consider using Tax Incremental Funding (TIF) for the project.

TIF is a financing model used by municipalities and developers in an effort to redevelop an area and increase property and sales tax revenue.

Public Works Projects

The board also voted to construct a new lift station, a pumping station that transports wastewater from an area of low elevation to an area with high elevation, to replace the current, under-performing station on South Street.

According to an evaluation done by MSA on the current South Street lift sta-

tion, the current pump is not up to code requirements and is under performing.

The current station receives flow from the South Street basin, which services nearly 200 residential homes, the elementary school, a few local businesses and Arena Cheese.

Arena cheese is considered a “significant discharger” by the Dane-Iowa Wastewater commission, because it pumps over 10,000 gallons of wastewater per day.

The evaluation provided the board with three options to upgrade the lift station, and the village voted to construct a new lift station on Pine Street, and abandon or demolish the existing South Street lift station.

This will require the installation of approximately 1,700 feet of new sewer to be installed, for the new lift station to service the South Street Basin.

According to the evaluation, the total cost for the new lift station would be $284,000. The annual costs to operate and maintain the station is estimated around $3,000, but is not expected to affect existing sewer utility customers.

Other options provided to the village in the evaluation include rehabilitating the South Street station, which according to the study, is not recommended because of the station’s current under-performance.

The third option was to construct a

new lift station on South Street, which the evaluation claimed would need a site investigation and further study on the feasibility of the option.

The study recommended the village pursue loan options from the DNR to fund the project.

ACES Development

At it’s Feb. 2 meeting, the village also entered into a TID agreement with developers for the on-going project at the former Arena Elementary School.

The board voted to approve an 80% payback TID agreement with the contingency the developers secure Community Development Investment grants from the state to offset some development costs for the project.

Rick Kerska, a developer for the project said the group is expected to submit an application for the grant by April.

According to the agreement, the current base value of the property is $65,000, and the completed project by the developers is anticipated to bring an additional $850,000 in value to the property.

The agreement details the project is expected to start in 2023, and the village will then pay annually to the developer 80% of the tax increment that is received by the village from taxes levied from the previous year for the property. 80% of the tax increment for the property is about $13,000 annu-

ally.

The annual payments will continue until 2031, or until the total payments reach $200,000.

The development is set to have offices for the Arena Area Historians, practice space for a local gymnastics group, provide a location for the local food pantry and create additional apartment housing.

The board voted unanimously, with Trustee Paul Pustina absent, to approve the agreement, however Trustee Jessica Voight hesitated prior to voting.

“I just don’t feel like I have enough information to vote on this,” said Voight.

Despite her voiced hesitancy, Voight still voted “yes” for the motion.

Other actions

Elizabeth Street will now be named Pine Road following the board voting to officially change the street name at the Feb. 2 meeting.

According to the village clerk, local residents refer to the street as Pine Road, and the street sign identifies the street as Pine Road, not Elizabeth Street.

Public Works Superintendent Mike Schmidt echoed similar feelings, “It’s not on any maps as that,” said Schmidt.

The board also voted to change ATV/ UTV usage hours from 6 a.m.-10 p.m. to 7 a.m.-11 p.m. on all approved routes.

In other News SGAAC Annual Meeting

The Spring Green Area Arts Coalition will hold its annual meeting via Zoom 6:30 p.m. Feb. 15. The meeting will include a brief summary of the previous year, votes on any changes to the coalition’s bylaws and include the election of new officers.

Email springgreenareaartscoalition@gmail.com to receive a Zoom link to attend the meeting.

Wildlife Forever Fisheree at Traders The Wild Life Forever ATV Club will host the annual kid’s fisheree event starting at 9 a.m. Feb. 13 at Traders Bar and Grill, 6147 Highway 14, Arena.

Kids 15 and under fish for free, with prizes offered for all participants.

COVID-19 Testing Information 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

Iowa County 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 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 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.

Arts & Culture

WednesdaY, feb. 10, 2021

Page 7

The Road Back, Chapter 4: The Wide World Of Ventilation American Players Theatre “Don’t submit a plan until you have the ventilation figured out.”

- Actors’ Equity Association, in a conversation with Managing Director Carrie Van Hallgren about getting permission to produce for in-person audiences.

In its application for in-person performances, Equity made it very clear that proper ventilation would be a major factor in whether or not we would be able to produce. In fact, of the 19 pages outlining special COVID protocols, a full six pages are filled with HVAC requirements. They aren’t messing around about this.

But, you may ask, APT is an outdoor theater; what does HVAC have to do with anything? It’s true that the Hill Theatre makes our job a bit less complicated, but unlike the early days of APT, most of the work needed to bring the show to the stage takes place indoors.

Rehearsal halls, production shops, dressing rooms – all of these and more are subject to the strict ventilation requirements. And, of course, we also hope to produce in the indoor Touchstone Theatre this season.

In order to explain what we’re up against here, we have to get technical about the requirements. For those of you out there who have experience with HVAC – as a job or a hobby (no, really, I’m sure that’s a thing) – this is probably very familiar. For the rest of you… get ready to be amazed. And maybe a little perplexed.

Equity lays out three main factors that have to be addressed: First, Air Changes per Hour (ACH).

One air exchange is when the volume of air coming through the diffuser equals the volume of air in the room. This does not, however, mean that the air in the room has been replaced. Because the air flows slowly into the room through the diffuser and mixes with the air already present, it takes many air exchanges in order to completely replace or purge the air in a room. The rate at which these air exchanges are delivered is measured in air changes per hour (ACH).

Second, Outdoor Air (OA). While air exchange measures how often air is changed in a room, OA refers to how much fresh air is brought in. Many HVAC systems provide 10 to 20% fresh

Photo via American Players Theatre “Don’t submit a plan until you have the ventilation figured out.” - Actors’ Equity Association, in a conversation with Managing Director Carrie Van Hallgren about getting permission to produce for in-person audiences. air, but that’s not enough to dilute the virus. You could set it to 100% but that would raise heating and cooling costs to crazy high levels.

Finally, the MERV Filter. In this case, MERV is not the popular 70s TV host turned media mogul (That’s Mr. Griffin to all you young folks). Rather, it stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, a numbering system the professionals created to track which filters are more effective in keeping out different sizes of particulates (including COVID-19 particulates). The higher the MERV number, the better.

So, what does Actors’ Equity require when it comes to these three factors?

We need: •An ACH of 6 (6 air changes per hour) •MERV of 13 or higher (it goes up to 20) •And OA…well, that depends on what your MERV is. The higher your MERV, the lower you can have your OA. But, in general, definitely more than the 10% to 20% that many HVAC systems have.

These ventilation requirements, together with a number of other strict safety measures, make it safe enough for the actors to rehearse or perform without masks on. If you’d like to read more about why that’s true, check out

this guidance document from the American Industrial Hygiene Association.

Unfortunately, our buildings aren’t currently equipped for these specs. In fact, most buildings aren’t, unless it’s a hospital or other structure that specifically needs super specialized ventilation. So, we have work to do.

We asked Cari Stebbins, APT’s Operations Manager, to explain the upgrades we’ll need to make. She said we’ll be overhauling the HVAC systems in the Touchstone Theatre and dressing rooms, two rehearsal halls, and the Hill Theatre dressing rooms. The plan is to install a supplemental system, called an Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) that will pair with our current mechanicals.

Working in concert, the two systems will be able to achieve MERV 13, 6 ACH and 40% OA – adding up to lower risk for our actors and artists to rehearse and perform. And, in the case of the Touchstone Theatre, makes it safer for the audience to watch a play. Smaller rooms at APT – such as the stage manager’s booth, fitting rooms and offices – will be treated with commercial grade HEPA filter units. Also, it’s worth noting: we aren’t depending completely on exemplary ventilation to keep artists and audience safe – it is just one com-

ponent of our larger safety plan.

The work comes at a cost – upwards of $200,000 – but it is unavoidable if we are to produce plays this season.

Money for the upgrades will come from our capital reserve fund, which is used regularly to keep up with repairs and improvements at APT – things like replacing a roof, or buying a new band saw, or upgrading the computer system.

This is an expense that we didn’t plan for, but one that we can handle.

The work is set to begin next week, and scheduled to take more than two months. Thermodynamics, a local Spring Green company that we have worked with on other projects will be doing the job. We’ve also contracted with Talaske, the acousticians that worked with us on both the Touchstone and the Next Great Stage Project, to be sure that the new upgrades won’t damage the acoustics of either the Touchstone or Hill Theatre.

As we keep saying, this is a challenge.

But if it means we can safely produce plays this summer with you in the audience, it will absolutely be worth it.

Next week, The Art of the Bubble: Housing and Podding and Testing (Oh my!)

Business/Professional

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“The good stuff.”

Page 8

Arts & Culture/Activities

WednesdaY, feb. 10, 2021

Tickets available for American Players Theatre ‘Winter Words’ series American Players Theatre Winter Words is a public play-reading series where APT artists explore new-toAPT plays, some of which may someday make their way to our stages. This popular series is, of course, typically held in the Touchstone Theatre. But this year, Zoom is where it’s at. So while the format may be different, these readings still teem with the raw energy of an early table read, produced for you with just one day of rehearsal.

Readings will begin at 7:00 pm CST on the dates below. Each reading will be followed by a talk back with the actors and artists.

Tickets are $15, and only available for purchase online. If you need assistance with your order, email the APT Box Office at boxoffice@americanplayers. org.

Buy Tickets

Please note: Unlike APT’s earlier Zoom series, these readings are onetime events and will be unavailable for on-demand viewing. The readings begin at 7:00 pm CST.

February 22

Agamemnon

By Aeschylus | Adapted by Simon Scardifield Directed by David Daniel “…a cracking version, featuring a brilliantly conceived three-person Chorus who merge almost seamlessly into the narrative.” – Radio Review With the Trojan War raging, King Agamemnon offers a brutal sacrifice in hopes of getting his brother’s wife, Helen, out of Troy. But that bloody betrayal paves the way for more violent acts, until the palace runs with the blood of innocent and guilty alike. The first play in the Oresteia trilogy, Aeschylus’ classic tale of betrayal and revenge comes to new life on Zoom. This one was originally scheduled to be the final Winter Words reading of 2020 – too good to be left behind.

March 8

Dear Brutus

By J.M. Barrie Directed by Kelsey Brennan “It’s Peter Pan for grownups.” – The Guardian J.M. Barrie’s take on what happens when people are, in fact, forced to grow up. And then, just as they’re coming to terms with adulthood, are provided with a reprieve. A mysterious man

Photo via American Players Theatre Tickets are on sale for Winter Words. APT’s next Zoom reading series. invites an eclectic group of friends and lovers to his home on Midsummer (yes, Midsummer). Then, after being specifically warned against it, the group heads into the woods for a series of strange and fantastic events, and maybe a few realizations.

March 22

Elliot, A Soldier’s Fugue

By Quiara Alegría Hudes Directed by Melisa Pereyra “…a well-crafted, lyrical piece of writing with a good deal of formative interest and a skilled juxtaposition of epic matters with the little stuff that informs our everyday.” – The Chicago Tribune Elliot, a young soldier, follows in the military footsteps of his father and grandfather before him by going to war in Iraq. When he returns home, injured and questioning everything, Elliot must pierce the bubble of silence around his family’s legacy of service to get to the soul of his family and his heritage. A lyrical exploration of three generations of a Puerto Rican family by Pulitzer Prize winner and Tony Award nominee Quiara Alegría Hudes (In the Heights, Water by the Spoonful)

Here are a few tips and tricks to prepare for your Winter Words play readings.

•Purchase your tickets at https://americanplayers.org/tickets.

•You will receive a confirmation email with a link to the play reading. This is how you’ll view the show.

•When the time comes to watch, click the link and follow the instructions to view the play reading. You will be allowed in when it’s time for the reading to start.

April 5

Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea

By Nathan Alan Davis Directed by Ameenah Kaplan “Nathan Alan Davis’s script is sunny and lovable, despite its inexorable pull from present-day Baltimore toward the slave trade’s notorious Middle Passage.” - The Washington Post Dontrell is living the American high school dream – straight A, top of the class, headed to college, and the light of his family’s life. And then one night, the dream comes. A dream of an ancestor lost at sea, sending Dontrell on a hero quest through history. But before he dives in, he needs to learn how to swim.

A funny and dreamlike work of magical realism, Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea makes a poetic statement about what it means to be young and Black in America, written by Nathan Alan Davis (Nat Turner in Jerusalem).

Troubleshooting

•To ensure the best experience, please keep the following in mind: •Please test your link in advance to avoid missing any of the live stream.

•The Zoom readings play best on the Google Chrome web browser.

•If you have trouble with the link, you can dial into the reading using the link and phone number included in your confirmation email. This option is audio only.

•If you’re unable to access the reading, email boxoffice@americanplayers.org and someone will get back to you as soon as possible.

*With all the unknowns of 2021, this information is subject to change.

How to Stream Winter Words

In close match RV Mock Trial will not see state competition this year River Valley Mock Trial competed in the Wisconsin High School Mock Trial Regionals on Saturday, February 6 and Sunday, February 7. The regional was conducted virtually with the River Valley trial members performing at the high school and the opposition schools at their homes or local campus. The tournament was coordinated from La Crosse with judges from the La Crosse area. The regional consisted of two trials per day, with River Valley representing the prosecution twice and the defendant twice.

On Saturday’s morning trial, River Valley drew one of Superior High School’s two teams in the tournament.

Led by the near-perfect witness presentations from senior Declan Daniel and junior Nicholas Daniel, the Blackhawks

notched their first win of the weekend, sweeping all three of the judge cards in a 173-152 victory.

River Valley matched up with SWAL rival Prairie du Chien in Saturday’s afternoon trial. The Blackhawks pulled away early on the strength of a perfect performance score by senior witness Sam Seguin and a near-perfect performance score by senior witness Kelsey Olson. Valley would end the trial with a perfect closing statement score from senior attorney Emily Kane. For the second time in the tournament, Valley would take all three judge cards, and post a 182-175 win.

On Sunday’s morning trial, the Blackhawks met La Crosse-area Melrose-Mindoro High School. Despite losing on the presiding judge’s card,

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which does not record point totals, Valley resoundingly defeated the Mustangs on the two performance judges’ cards with a total score of 178-153. The round was led by a near-perfect cross examination performance by senior attorney Paula Hollenberger and another near-perfect witness presentation by Nicholas Daniel.

In the last trial of the tournament, River Valley was power-matched in the championship round with Superior High School’s other competing team, who was also undefeated in their first three trials. Valley finished strong, fueled by perfect scores in direct examination by attorney Kane and cross examination by attorney Hollenberger.

Both schools took a judge card a piece, with the final scoring judge nudging

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out River Valley by a single point on his card, 93-92. River Valley was awarded second place in the tournament.

The Wisconsin Bar Association has deemed only regional winners will continue on to the State Championships this year due to COVID restrictions.

The State Semifinals will be conducted virtually on March 6 and 7.

The senior members of the 2021 Mock Trial team at Valley end their careers with a combined 19 perfect performance scores and three regional championships. The Blackhawks are coached by attorney coach John Conlon and teacher coach Jason Hollenberger.

—Jason Hollenberger, Mock Trial Head Coach

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sports/Schools

WednesdaY, feb. 10, 2021

Page 9

River Valley Girls Basketball resume action after 10 days away

After a ten day mandatory recess due to COVID-19 protocols the River Valley girls basketball team resumed play this past week. Despite the lack of practice and having numerous games canceled the Blackhawks returned to normal action by having four games in one week.

Listed below are the game summaries from this past week: The lady Blackhawks restarted their season with a home game against conference rival Dodgeville. Showing plenty of rust, River Valley struggled to score and stumbled offensively throughout the game. Despite being down by a score of 28 to 13 at half-time, the Blackhawks battled the Dodgers fairly evenly in the second half and ended up losing by a final score of 49 to 28. Leading the way

High Honors

Grade 12 Heston D. Amble William G. Bailey Macy Bindl Starr Camacho Hailey J. Carter Thomas D. Daniel Jesse G. Day Joseph R. Day Anna C. Deibert Emily S. Esser Natalie N. Fortney Matthew J. Gostomski Sophia L. Haas Paula R. Hollenberger Olivia C. Iausly Emily E. Kane Nicole M. Liegel Emmeline K. Lilla Tyler J. Nachreiner Kelsey H. Olson Isaac J. Prem Paige S. Prem Melissa F. Ranum Bradley R. Richardson Sophia M. Rohe Nathan J. Schweitzer Samuel I. Seguin Alicyn R. Stephens Cole D. Stiemke Grade 11 Jacob D. Bindl Abigail J. Cummings Kora K. Eberle Michelle M. Emerson Katie M. Forseth John E. Frazier Zach C. Gloudeman Ian N. Hamblen Ethan T. Hillebrand Rhiannon E. Humphries Madeline M. Hutnik Preston R. Hying Elizabeth Jewell Anna L. Johnson Oscar F. Johnson Nathan A. Joles Lydia G. Kersten Maraya S. Klukas Madison R. Krey Kristina R. Langrehr Stephanie Limmex Joshua A. Maes Jayla J. Maier

were Senior Sophia Haas and sophomore Charlotte Ferst with six points a piece.

River Valley traveled to Fennimore for a non-conference game against one of the better teams in the area. The game was similar to the previous game against Dodgeville as the Blackhawks looked to find ways to score. Unfortunately, the team struggled in the first half and only managed to score eight points compared to Fennimore’s 25. The Blackhawks found the second half to be a bit easier as they managed to score 16 points and fell by a final score of 50 to 25. Sophomore Charlotte Ferstl scored 10 points and fellow sophomore Katie Hahn added five points.

Returning home for a conference

Aryana I. McElwee Zaynab Miller Seth A. Neuheisel Emily J. Noble Ryan H. Norton Jasmine L. Olson Molly K. Peckham Frankie E. Rosenberg Julius J. Ross Sofia E. Sanftleben Anabelle R. Willoughby Olivia Wittmann Grade 10 Lars M. Anding Reese A. Aron Morgan M. Brickl Leah G. Deibert Charlotte J. Ferstl Katie M. Hahn Ayden C. Horton Bodhi O. Kauss Tyler G. Lewis Kylie R. Morrey Megan L. Nachreiner Landon K. Radtke Tess A. Radtke Kortney M. Sebranek Cale A. Sorg Brianna M. Zaemisch Grade 9 Emma M. Anding Owen Bailey Jacob M. Barnett Addison H. Brey Sara K. Clary Isaac E. Daniel Leah R. Drachenberg Bobbi C. DuCharme Miranda J. Feiner Hadley H. George Stephen N. Gostomski Hailey R. Hatfield Taya R. Hatfield Hannah F. Hegland Jordan L. Jensen Vivian B. Jensen Delaney C. Johnson Ryan Kane Megan E. Kannenberg Jacob A. Klein Oriana E. Krueger Olivia D. Lewis Adelaide J. Lilla Madyson M. Lockman Andrew R. Maxwell Orin J. McBride

game against top ranked Lancaster, the Blackhawks put together two halves and played a complete game. The game was close until the final buzzer. The Blackhawks got as close as four points before bowing to the Fighting Arrows by a final score of 50 to 41. Sophomore Brooke Anderson scored 13 points, including three 3 point baskets. Joining Anderson in the scoring department were Sophomore Charlotte Ferstl with 13 points and senior Emilly Esser added 9 points.

Building off the momentum from the Lancaster game, the Blackhawks traveled to Pecatonica and pulled out a victory by a final score of 52 to 49. Despite trailing by four at half-time by a score of 20 to 16, River Valley scored 36 points in the second half, including going 15 for

RVHS Honor Roll

Elliott J. Mertens Brady Myers Andrew J. Neumaier Tyler C. Norton Mia Peterson Tiana Rabine Guidry X. Ridge Easton J. Robson Zachary M. Rohe Gigi Royko Maurer Ashton T. Scott Hayden W. Tafs Kin N. Thao Caitlin E. Wastlick Logan G. Willis Svea R. Youngquist

Honors

Grade 12 Cole A. Amble Ella C. Barnett Colton M. Box Aaron R. Christensen Gaige D. Dilley Hayden T. Garrelts Alex A. Harrah Ericka Heath James N. Jennings Loraina R. Kalk Joshua B. Kerr Keeghan J. Kjos Kennedy E. Kropp Ava Liegel Spencer J. Mack Kimberly A. Newton Jordan J. Perkins Seth A. Rhoades Jaydon T. Rose Madelyn A. Rose Cole E. Schaffer Rebecca G. Schulz Kylee J. Sebranek Logan T. Tonstad Zachary D. Wiedenfeld Grade 11 Landen J. Alt Nathan N. Bandell Nicholas J. Daniel Dregan I. Dickinson Cyrus P. Duyan Mackenzie E. Emerson Katelyn A. Hanson Ethan W. Harrah Noah J. Hurley Eli T. Johnson McKenzie L. Larsen-Maki

17 from the free throw line. “It was nice to see the ball go through the hoop this afternoon. We had balanced scoring and the kids really showed how resilient they can be as a team”, said head coach Brent Johnson. Senior Ava Liegel scored a career high of 16 points including hitting three shots from behind the three point arc. Sophomore Charlotte Ferst chipped in 13 points and the backcourt duo of sophomore Brooke Anderson and senior Emily Esser added eight and nine points to secure the victory.

The Blackhawks travel to Viroqua this upcoming Tuesday as they start WIAA tournament action in the first round of regional games.

—Brent Johnson, Head Girl’s Basketball Coach

Grace L. McDougal Foster D. Milanowski Matthew N. Miller Jack T. Myers Richard D. Patterson Hailey M. Pretsch Kameran R. Smith Maxwell D. Solomon Ethan A. Wastlick Benjamin J. Whitaker Ethan R. Wickman Ethan J. Wilkinson Kole J. Yapp Grade 10 Lukas J. Bettinger Brett D. Bindl Landon J. Clary Zachary D. Eames Kaylie D. Emerson Claire E. Eveland Cooper M. Fields Matthew R. Fredrick Molly E. Kjos Emma J. Knoble Connor C. Kratwell McKenzie C. Kruse Kale L. Lissy Kylie C. Merritt Ashton G. Price Braden J. Prochaska Jaksiri Y. Rincon Mikayla E. Seguin Jackson P. Thier Zachary N. Vickerman Lydia M. Weiss Tyler A. Willoughby Grade 9 Chase M. Bindl Magnolia M. Birch Nathaniel R. Borucki Jorja Box Natalia L. Espinoza Blaise O. Gavin Cole A. Nabbefeld Garret M. Palmer Emily R. Ranum Cheyenne S. Reis Rece J. Rhoades Kylie R. Robbins Aiden C. Schmidt Arie B. Snow Kylee Wallace Michael M. Westley Payton M. Wittmann Daniel Yanke

Activities this week Freshmen Boys Basketball Dodgeville Middle School 6 p.m. Feb. 11 JV Boys Basketball Dodgeville High School 6 p.m. Feb. 11 Varsity Boys Basketball Dodgeville High School 7:30 p.m. Feb.11

Gymnastics Dodgeville High School 6 p.m. Feb.11 Wrestling Adams-Friendship High School TBD Feb. 11

Freshmen Boys Basketball Lancaster Middle School 6 p.m. Feb. 12 JV Boys Basketball Lancaster High School 6 p.m. Feb. 12

MS Wrestling Highland High School 4:30 p.m. Feb. 11

Varsity Boys Basketball Lancaster High School 7:30 p.m. Feb. 12

Freshmen Girls Basketball Dodgeville High School 5:45 p.m. Feb. 11

Wrestling Adams-Friendship High School TBD Feb. 12

Mock Trial River Valley High School Virtual Competition TBD Feb. 13 Freshmen Boys Basketball Dodgeville High School 9 a.m. Feb. 13 Wrestling Adams-Friendship TBD Feb. 13

Outdoors/recreation

Page 10 WednesdaY, feb. 10, 2021

Catch and release tips, winter fire safety and more Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

How To: Catch And Release

Whether you are fishing an open stream or in a shanty, remember to practice responsible catch and release.

It’s important to reduce the stress on a fish after it has been caught.

You can increase a fish’s chances for survival by following a few steps: •Reduce your reel-time with the fish.

•Keep the fish in the water as much as possible.

•Use a rubber net and wet hands or gloves (if possible).

•Keep your handling time to 60 seconds or less and keep unhooking tools readily available.

•If the fish is deeply hooked, cut the line and let the fish go.

•Treat the fish gently throughout the release. Support the fish with both hands and place the recovering fish in the water, with the current or gently move the fish from side to side.

Winter Fire Safety: Outdoor Brush Burning

Winter might seem like a perfectly safe time to burn, but it’s important to practice fire safety any time of year to prevent wildfires. When the ground is completely snow-covered, you can burn in DNR protection areas without a DNR burning permit. However, check with your local municipality, which may have additional restrictions.

Here are some tips for safe winter burning: •Only burn brush piles that were covered with a tarp in fall and remained covered for several months.

•Notify the local fire department and dispatch offices in advance to avoid unnecessary fire response.

•Gather and pile brush in an open area away from over-hanging branches.

•When you are ready to burn, choose a calm day (winds less than 8 mph) with complete snow-cover on the ground.

Snow must be contiguous and adjacent to the fire and remain for the duration of the burn.

•Place small amounts of crumpled clean paper into the brush around the base of the pile.

•Light the paper all around the base of the pile.

•Do not use the fire to dispose o household garbage, rubber tires, oil or other accelerants.

•Using a rake or shovel, turn the debris while in the flames to ensure all the materials are completely burned.

•Avoid standing in direct contact/ downwind of smoke.

•Never leave the fire unattended.

•When the fire is out, consider gathering nutrient-rich cold embers to use in flower beds and gardens in the spring.

You can also consider alternatives to

burning: compost, chip, leave brush for habitat or haul away to a transfer site.

Reminder: Spring is the peak of fire season in Wisconsin, so plan ahead and don’t wait until it’s too late to practice fire safety.

Winter Tree Health: Risks And Resources

During Wisconsin’s first week of 2021, a beautiful weather phenomenon occurred: rime ice. Rime ice forms when the tiny water droplets in fog freeze on trees and other objects. Hoarfrost, a similar phenomenon that occurs without fog, can form when water vapor in freezing air contacts a surface.

The best news is that these winter conditions should not concern tree health when we emerge from the winter fog in spring.

While rime ice is unlikely to cause damage, winter ice storms and wet, heavy snow can break branches or cause entire trees to fail.

Winter also brings other threats, including:

•Frost damage on exposed tree parts and even roots if they are not insulated with snow in the spring. In most cases, trees recover from frost damage, but severe or repeated events may kill a tree or stress it enough that insects and fungi can invade.

•Sunscald, frost cracks and winter

desiccation may also damage trees.

Sunscald occurs when warm, sunny winter days are followed by freezing temperatures at night, causing trees to crack open, typically on the south or west sides.

•Frost cracks are a very similar issue.

Trees are often able to recover from sunscald and frost cracks.

•Winter desiccation, which happens when conifers start photosynthesizing on warm, windy days in late winter or early spring. Conifers may dry out in these conditions if they use their stored water and cannot replace it because the ground is frozen. Conifers will survive minor or moderate damage but may die if the damage is severe.

•Salt spray from vehicles or salt that dissolves into the soil can result in bud death, twig dieback and root damage.

Some plants are more sensitive to salt than others, so avoid planting sensitive plants along roads or other surfaces where salt is used.

Although Wisconsin’s native trees have evolved to deal with winter weather, they can still be damaged. Watch for damage and take corrective action if needed.

Trees should be pruned when they are dormant during the winter since the chances of infestation by insects and diseases is very low. A little winter tree care is an effective step towards healthy trees!

A winter stroll through ‘Wisconsin’s Desert’—Views from the Spring Green Natural Area Continued from page 1 Photo by Don Greenwood, Contributor Snow covered hills at the Spring Green Nature Preserve.

Photo by Don Greenwood, Contributor Tall prairie grass peaking through the snow covered ground. The Spring Green Nature Preserve is considered “Wisconsin’s Desert” and features many varieties of grass, cacti and prairie flowers.

Outdoors/recreation

WednesdaY, feb. 10, 2021 Page 11

An Outdoorsman’s Journal

Mark Walters, Contributor

Home on the Ice Hello friends, This weekend all of my immediate family and much of my extended family was supposed to be having a great time celebrating our Christmas together for two nights and days of being together while fishing, eating really good food, and laughing. Covid 19 put an end to that and so Michelle Chiaro and I along with my pup Ruby went on a four day winter camping and ice fishing trip on the Mississippi River near Buffalo City.

Saturday, January 23rd High 31, Low 15

This week’s column will be all over the map due to the fact that there is lots to say and not a lot of room to say it. I have some rough news for those of you that may not have read last week’s column.

Fire passed away literally last night, and this trip would be our first without her. Fire was Ruby’s mom, and it is very obvious that she is hurting just like the rest of us.

So, my plan was to take my Polaris “Classic” snowmobile into the backwaters near Trempealeau for about a 3-mile trip and that is where we would camp and fish.

I first fished this area 20-years ago and have had some incredible success on giant northern pike. I even had studs put on the track this week, but my plan was cut short due to poor ice conditions.

Looking back, so far this column is a bummer, COVID-19, Fire and bad ice. My daughter Selina and I camped and fished near Buffalo City and did well which is why we

ended up here today. First thing that we had to do was three trips per person pulling gear out to where we would camp.

We spoke with two different groups of fishermen and were given really bad fishing reports but at this point nothing was going to stop us. I have written about the following subject for years but here goes again, late January and the first half of February is the poorest fish catching conditions of the year in the lands of frozen waters.

The reason is that the lowest oxygen levels of the year occur at this time and so fish shut down their metabolisms. In other words, it takes more out of them to catch and digest food then it is worth because of the lack of oxygen in the water.

Anyways we set up a beautiful camp on the ice had homemade chili with everything coming from my garden but the venison and had a “we made it party”. As far as fishing goes, we did not catch any.

Photo by Mark Walters, Contributor Michelle Chiaro had the big fish of the trip.

Sunday, January 24th High 23, Low 14

Four inches of snow fell on camp last night and it was a very pleasant experience as we were in the comfortable confines of our insulated Eskimo “FatShack”. This morning would be the 7th prime time that I fished here this winter that a fish was not caught, and it is not just Michelle and I. Today I tried hard and fished from 4 to 28 feet of water for my favorite quarry which is northern pike and I kept wondering what it would have been like if I had been able to get my snow machine back to my original destination. The subject of poor ice for a person that earns a living like I do is an important and sad one the

Photo by Mark Walters, Contributor Ruby’s first trip without Fire!

last few years.

I specialized in going remote with my campsites which meant traveling beyond the crowd with a truck, atv, or snow machine and every ice junky knows that is not so simple anymore.

Remote is where the most big fish are not being caught!

So even though we were fishing hard and not catching we did not care because we were going to listen to the Packers put a hurting on Tampa Bay and have steaks from beef I grew on my property. Long story short another prime time with no action and the Packers “choked”. The steak was good and listening to rock and roll was better than the Packers.

Monday, January 25th High 28, Low 10

Photo by Mark Walters, Contributor A beautiful sunrise on our Mississippi river home on the ice!

Despite fish that are not hungry my favorite sport is winter camping and ice fishing; you have a cabin on the lake and no checkout time. This

morning was prime time number 9 and it was rather on the quiet side but I had high hopes and about 9:00 Michelle had a flag and after a good showing on her part landed a northern pike that would weigh about 8-pounds.

Last year and the year before she caught gators in the 12-to14-pound range on our winter adventure but this one put a big smile on her face and would make a fine meal the next night for Michelle and her twin daughters Sophie and Kylie.

Fishing can be tough; all you can do is keep on trying and enjoying everything about the experience!

—Sunset

Want to read more?

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

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Community

Page 12 WednesdaY, feb. 10, 2021

COVID-19 Dashboard 551,050 Positive Cases

+6,790 from 2/2

Wisconsin Summary

2,541,584 Negative Cases

Cases as of 2/9/2021

+28,827 from 2/2

6,094 Deaths +157 from 2/2

On February 8, DHS removed the 7-day percent positive by person and

comparison of percent positive by test and by person visualizations from our website. As the pandemic continues, calculating 7-day percent positive by person becomes a less useful metric than percent positive by test. This is because many Wisconsinites have been tested multiple times for COVID-19.

In percent positive by person calculations, people are only counted once – either as a positive or negative case. Over time, the proportion of people with positive test results has increased, causing the 7-day percent positive by person to increase as well. For a more accurate picture of COVID-19 percent positivity in Wisconsin, reference 7-day percent positive by test which counts all positive and negative results by day.

Vaccine Summary Statistics

Up toUpdate as as ofofthe provided 2/2/2021 to date thenumbers numbers provided onon 2/9/2021

986,275

129,550

770,700

793,474

Allocated Ordered

Administered

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

Richland County

1,248 Positive Cases +16 from 2/2 8,072 Negative Cases +3 from 2/2 13 Deaths +0 from 2/2

Updated: 2/9/2021 (Total: 174,215)

Iowa County

1,821 Positive Cases +21 from 2/2 10,445 Negative Cases +110 from 2/2 9 Deaths +0 from 2/2

Sauk County

5,152 Positive Cases +57 from 2/2 33,690 Negative Cases +195 from 2/2 37 Deaths +1 from 2/2

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 2/9/2021

Total cases since 3/15/2020

Cases as of 2/9/2021

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

Graphic by Whitney Back

In Transit

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