ANNUAL WISCONSIN GUN DEER HUNT SPECIAL EDITION
Spring Green, Wisconsin FREE, Single-Copy
Inside this edition
Arena loses full time police department
Pages 1, 5, 7
Spring Green named to Wisconsin’s Regular Gun Deer Hunt: Columns, Forecast & More ‘50 Best Places to Travel in 2024’
Pages 1, 2
Pages 8, 9, 10, 11
Citing ‘low morale’ due to village board Arena PD moves to part-time immediately after Arena police officer, DNR warden basis.” receive Life Saving Awards Officers will serve village part-time, hold additional positions elsewhere Alex Prochaska, Editorial Intern Sergeant Wyatt Miller of the Village of Arena Police Department and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources warden Benjamin Gruber received ‘Life Saving Awards’ at the Nov. 7 Arena Village Board meeting. The two men were recognized for responding to an emergency call, performing CPR and thereby saving a woman’s life the night of Oct. 11. After giving the men their awards, Nicholas Stroik, Arena Police Department chief of police, announced that the entire department would be going part-time.
Police Resignations
Stroik, explaining who made the decision for Arena officers to resign, said: “[Myself] and Sergeant Miller requested to change employment status
Photo by Alex Prochaska, Editorial Intern From left, Arena Police Chief Stroik presents life saving awards to Sgt. Miller and DNR Warden Gruber. from full-time to part-time, the Public Safety Committee voted to accept the employment status change, and [it] was ultimately approved by the village
board. The Arena Police Department will continue to provide the same professional level of safety and security to the community, but on a part time
“Many factors played into the decision to change status to part time, including low morale,” Stroik explained. “However, ultimately, the decision was made in the best interest of our officers and their families.” Stroik says the low morale is in large part due to the Arena Village Board of Trustees. “As Chief of Police, with two decades of law enforcement experience, it is my responsibility to ensure that our officers are operating within the law, policy, parameters set forth by me as chief as well as the Public Safety Committee, and are able to articulate their decisions to me as well as in reports submitted to the District Attorney’s office,” said Stroik. “The board, bearing zero law enforcement experience, has attempted to challenge the law enforcement decisions made by our department,
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Spring Green named one of the world's 'Best Places to Travel in 2024' Nicole Aimone, Editor-in-Chief Spring Green was listed as one of the “50 Best Places to Travel in 2024”, and called out for the many tourist attractions around that positions the River Valley area as a travel destination. The list was released by Travel Lemming, an online travel guide that works to highlight hidden gems. The listing refers to Spring Green as an unexpected haven for the arts. In its suggested “Things to Do” section, the listing recommends visitors take in a play at American Players Theatre, and visit the “Streets of Yesterday” at the House on the Rock. Taliesin, the Spring Green Preserve and Peck’s Landing were also recommended for visitors.
Julie Jensen, executive director of the Spring Green Area Chamber of Commerce said she was contacted by Travel Lemming earlier this year to share information about the area, after a travel guide writer had nominated Spring Green. “Spring Green is a destination. We are extremely proud of what we have built here and love to share our piece of heaven with anyone that visits,” said Jensen. From American Players Theatre to the House on the Rock to Taliesin, we have something for everyone. Don’t forget our local businesses, without them we would not be a thriving community! Each are unique in their own way and offer an experience to the shopper. Don’t be afraid to start a
conversation, we are very eager to share our ‘home’ with you! Spring Green is a community in every sense of the word and we hope more people will come to visit.” Jensen said the article is exciting for the area and hopes it will invigorate small businesses and lodging accommodations in the area. This year's theme for the listing is “slow travel”, after last year's theme was “revenge travel” as the world was fully reopened from pandemic restrictions. Travel Lemming believes 2024 will be an appropriate time to slow traveling down, in hopes to promote avoiding over tourism and environmental impacts of fast travel. “2024 will be the year travelers choose
immersive experiences over itineraries packed to the brim. Our list is filled with destinations perfect for slower experiential trips,” said Nate Hake, Travel Lemming’s CEO. 2024’s list is a mix of remote destinations as well as some domestic hidden gems. The list includes 15 European locations, seven in Asia, two in South America, 2 in Oceania, 2 in Africa, 5 in North America (not in the United States), and 17 in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Spring Green is joined by only one other destination in the Midwest, Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota. To see the full list of the “50 Best Places to Travel in 2024”, visit: travellemming. com/best-places-to-travel-2024/