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Friday, January 13, 2017 Vol. 3, No. 11 Fitchburg, WI ConnectFitchburg.com $1
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Inside
Council delays
CEDA funding
process creation
Page 3

Stories of the year

Spring election

Support and action A full


ballot

Schools

8 of 9 local races
contested; threeway mayoral race

April ballot includes


VASD referendum
Page 8

SCOTT GIRARD

Community

Unified Newspaper Group

Officers give
holiday gift to family
Page 10
Photo by Jim Ferolie

The Aug. 25 Tower Hill explosion left five homes either destroyed or still uninhabitable, but only one person injured.

Sports

Community comes together, long-planned projects advance

Regents edge Cats


to fuel Big Eight
title hopes
Page 13

Business

Bodyshaping gym
moves to Fitchburg
Page 23

It was a busy year in Fitchburg on


many fronts. Politics and growth, as
always, played a big role, and there
was never a time when the Star
didnt have something significant
going on with our schools.
But nothing quite compared to the
moment things literally blew up in
Tower Hill.
A nearby summertime block party
turned into a moment of chaos after
a house explosion shook the area and
damaged several homes in the neighborhood. We still havent learned
exactly why it happened, and we
perhaps never will, but things havent been the same there since.
That shocking, but fortunately nonlethal event brought many neighbors
together to help one another, a theme
that applies to some of our other top
stories, as well. Area residents agreed
on spending more for schools, and
area businesses banded together to
deal with the effects of the massive,
multiyear Verona Road project. One
group of citizens worked together to
get a dog park approved, though not
everyone agreed the proposed location was a good idea.
Politics was often divisive, but
always interesting, as the Common
Council continued bickering about
sidewalks, cul-de-sacs, money and
even about how they argued. And
the previous years most contentious
topic, expansion into the Northeast
Neighborhood, took some big steps
PRSRT STANDARD
ECRWSS
US POSTAGE

PAID

2016

Top Stories
1. Explosion at Tower Hill
2. Referendums
3. Northeast expansion
4. Fitchburg-laden primary
5. Dog park choice
6. Fire station begins
7. Political divisiveness
8. Verona Road construction
9. New hotels
10. School gets grant
toward becoming a reality.
But the city kept things together
long enough to approve some large,
new hotels and get started on one
new fire station and make plans for
the second. And Fitchburg produced
all three candidates for a crucial
state Assembly primary race without a single Republican candidate to
oppose the winner.
Jim Ferolie

Stories of 2017
Find out what stories to
follow in the year ahead
Page 21

1. Explosion at Tower Hill


What began as a quiet, late summer afternoon in Fitchburg soon
became anything but when a home
on Cheryl Drive was leveled in an
explosion at about 6:40p.m. Aug.
25.
The blast hospitalized 57-yearold homeowner Brian Grittner and
damaged about 20 homes in the
neighborhood two of which remain
uninhabitable, with another three
demolished entirely, city building
inspector manager John Crook said.
Despite the significant scale of
the damage, no other injuries were
reported in the incident and Grittner
was released after several weeks in
the hospital, where he was in critical condition with broken bones
and superficial burns. Meanwhile,
Tower Hill residents and city officials began coordinating ways
support families and individuals

The Fitchburg ballot was


crowded two years ago, and
its crowded again this year.
Once again, the city will
require a primary to narrow down its mayoral candidates, and once again,
the April ballot will also
feature six contested aldermanic races. It initially had
a seventh, until one candidate dropped out.
Fitchburg has the most
democracy per capita in
D a n e C o u n t y, M a y o r
Steve Arnold proudly told
the Star. Im very pleased
(with the number of candidates).
That includes challengers for his job, where he
will face Ald. Jason Gonzalez (Dist. 3) and Marc
Jones, a former member
of citys Agriculture and
Rural Affairs committee
and a member of the Town
of Fitchburg Board when it
incorporated to become a
city. They will face off in
a Feb. 21 primary, with the
two highest vote-getters
advancing to the April 4
ballot.
Every aldermanic seat
except the two in District
2 are contested. Among the
challengers are two former
mayors and two former
alders.
Incumbent Alds. Carol
Poole (D-1), Patrick Stern

Turn to Election/Page 11

Inside
Mayoral
candidates
Council
candidates
Star to host
mayoral forum
Page 11

Turn to 2016/ Page 18

Elevated Uptown Living

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January 13, 2017

ConnectFitchburg.com

Fitchburg Star

Welcoming
the new year
The new year arrived 12 hours early at the Fitchburg
Public Library, at least for attendees of its Noon Years
Eve party Saturday, Dec. 31.
Returning for its second year, the event drew several
hundred people into both levels of the library to spend the
last few hours of 2017 making New Years-themed crafts,
playing games, dancing and, of course, counting down to
a balloon drop at 12 oclock on the dot.

Photos by Samantha Christian

Jeremy and Paula Cynkars children wanted to go sledding Dec. 11, but the family compromised and got some exercise
by pulling the girls to and from the Fitchburg Community Center to attend the 30th annual childrens holiday party. Pictured from left on the sleds are Ellie, 6, Nora, 6, and Keira, 9.

Wintry walk to
the holiday party
The 30th annual Childrens Holiday Party was
held at the Fitchburg Community Center on a
snowy Sunday, Dec. 11. Activities included an
inflatable playground, face painting, games, crafts
and cookie decorating. Kids could also visit with
Santa and check out a train display.
Photo by Kate Newton

Noa Delgado-Lopez, 6, of Madison, doesnt mess around


while gathering balloons to take home at the end of the
Fitchburg Public Librarys Noon Years Eve party Saturday,
Dec. 31.

On the Web
See more New Years Eve and Childrens Holiday Party photos:

ConnectFitchburg.com

Teagan Stotlar, 5, and Calum Stotlar, 4, of Fitchburg, sit on


Santas lap to tell him what they want for Christmas.

MARC JONES
for
MAYOR

My name is Marc Jones and I am running for the oce of Mayor in the City of Fitchburg. I have watched
our mayor and the city council ounder for this term. They have insulted each other at Council meetings,
and are a very dysfunctional as a group. This has not created a good community image for our citizens or
people wanting to work with Fitchburg. The Mayor has not been able to unite the City Council, and it has
caused problems within the council, with city sta, and with most of the public trying to deal with our city.
As Mayor I will:

Bring Common Sense to city government.


RESPECTFULLY work with ALL of the council members.
RESPECTFULLY work with ALL city staff to build a team dedicated to
serve all of our residents, both Urban and Rural.
RESPECTFULLY work with all citizens, Rural & Urban.
Work with all of our neighboring Cities and Townships, to bring back the
trust and respect that benefits both.
Work with city staff, and the Railroad, to provide safer protection at rail
road crossing within our city.
THERE WILL BE NO UNWANTED SIDEWALKS.
CUL-DE-SACS WILL REMAIN PUBLIC ROADWAYS.
TAX INCREASES, (this year was too high) IF ANY, WILL BE KEPT AS
LOW AS POSSIBLE.
Look at possibilities of growing our Agricultural community, to provide
jobs and stability in Rural Fitchburg, building a partnership with the
UW Agricultural Departments, and our farm owners.
Create a process that is easier for our citizens to have input on roads,
bike paths, and city services. Make it a Positive Experience to interact
with our city government. (Most people, if asked, feel that dealing with
the City Government is a negative experience)

Information about Marc Jones:

Vote
February 21
in the
Primary
Election

- Married, father of 4 children, grandfather of 8 kids.


- I was born and raised in the Township of Fitchburg on a family farm, and I
continue to actively farm today.
- Retired from AT&T Communications after 31 years.
- Owns and operates The Jones Construction Company.
- For the last 16 years I have served as a Director with Heartland Credit
Union, a $241 Million Credit Union serving 21,000 members in the
Madison area and throughout south western Wisconsin. I currently serve
as Treasurer.
- I served on the Fitchburg Town Board at the time of incorporation, served
on The Fitchburg City Council, and for many years served on the Ag &
Rural Affairs and other committees for the City of Fitchburg. I also served
on the 911 committee for Dane County.
- I served as Union President of CWA Local 4630, serving AT&T and Two
Local TV Stations in Madison. While CWA President, I also served on the
National Credentials Committee and National Safety and Health Committee.
- I feel Fitchburg is the best city in the state, but we are a young city. We
seem to have forgotten some of the reasons why we became a city. I will
bring the history of why we became a city, the vision we had during incorporation, and the leadership to blend it all together.

I ask for your support. I will try to get to as many houses as I can. I want to talk to each of you. If you do not see me, please email me at
marcjonesforfitchburgmayor@gmail.com or call me with questions or concerns at 608 695 3497. The other candidates for Mayor are accepting donations
(some are large, and may be from outside Fitchburg), I am paying for this primary run myself. In doing so,
I WILL BE NO ONE'S MAYOR, BUT YOURS, (THE VOTERS), I WILL NOT BE BOUGHT BY SOME SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS FROM OUTSIDE OUR CITY.
There will be a primary election on Feb. 21st, and a spring election on April 4th. Turnouts for the spring election cycle are usually low.
MAKE YOUR VOTE COUNT. Please be sure and vote. I need your help to make a change in our city government.
REMEMBER, EVERYONE GETS A VOICE IF I AM ELECTED.
Authorized and paid for by Marc Jones, 2266 S. Syene Rd., Fitchburg, WI 53711

Thank ycou!
Mar

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ConnectFitchburg.com

January 13, 2017

Fitchburg Star

Whats online?

City of Fitchburg

Read these and other news


stories from the past month
at ConnectFitchburg.com:

Council delays decision on community funding process

Shots fired on
northwest side
Officers responded to a
report of several shots fired
at the 4500 block of Thurston Lane just before 3:30
a.m. Jan. 7. No victims or
damage were located during
a search of the area.

Police investigate
three robberies
The first incident, involving weapons, took place at
about 3:45 p.m. Dec. 31,
at the MetroPCS Store on
Fish Hatchery Road. The
second, a burglary, occurred
shortly after 12:15 a.m.
Jan. 2, at Steves Liquor,
6227 McKee Road. The
third robbery took place
just before 9 a.m. Jan. 7, at
Pick n Save at 3010 Cahill
Main.

Homicide suspect
arrested
Madison police arrested
Ali Hassan, 25, of Fitchburg, who is suspected of
killing a co-worker and
injuring another Dec. 21 at
a group home on Madisons
east side.

Massage Envy
employee arrested
Authorities arrested Christopher Ehrett Dec. 12 on tentative charges of third degree
sexual assault, following an
investigation of a report of
inappropriate sexual contact during a massage at the
Fitchburg business.

Unified Newspaper Group

The City of Fitchburg


Common Council wants to
take more time to establish
a process for funding community programs with money from the 2017 budget.
The council voted during
the November budget process to add $50,000 for
community programs that
would be dispersed under a
process established by the
Community and Economic Development Authority.
That decision came after
a couple hours of testimony from supporters of two
other nonprofits the city has
funded in recent years asking to not change the process for funding them.
The council instead
struck a compromise at the
budget meeting, keeping
$50,000 for the Boys and
Girls Club of Dane County
and $10,000 for the Badger

Prairie Needs Network in


the budget and adding the
other $50,000 for other
potential community partners.
But Tuesday, the council
couldnt even agree on what
that $50,000 should be used
for.
Ald. Carol Poole (Dist. 1)
said the decision was not
well thought-out, it was not
well planned as to what the
intent of it was.
I didnt think we were
approving $50,000 that
had to be spent this year,
Poole said. What I envisioned this as being is this
is $50,000 that youre putting into a fund so that
small users can come to
wherever we decide it needs
to go and get this money. It
needs to be a rolling fund.
Mayor Steve Arnold said
he did not think the money
should operate as a seed
fund as Poole had suggested.
(I envisioned) steady

(I envisioned)
steady funding for
partners that were
really meeting the
councils goals
for community
development.
Steve Arnold, Mayor

funding for partners that


were really meeting the
councils goals for community development, he
explained.
A vote on the resolution
was eventually tabled until
the Jan. 24 meeting on a 4-3
vote, with Ald. Dan Carpenter (D-3) absent.
Ald. Patrick Stern
(D-2), who proposed the
tabling, said differences
between how Arnold and
staff seemed to understand
parts of the resolution gave

him pause.
He also had concerns
about the proposed setup of
the program, which would
have CEDA take applications from community
groups, evaluate them and
make recommendations to
the council for final approval.
If we as council people
dont know the needs of our
own districts, we shouldnt
be council people, Stern
said. I dont know why
were complicating this
with another committee.
He added that the decision would likely be one
of the most complicated
and groundbreaking things
were going to do as a council.

Ald. Julia Arata-Fratta


(D-2), who proposed the
resolution with Arnold,
stressed that the final decision about how the moneys
going to be delivered is
going to be as the council.
Arnold, after the successful vote to table consideration, thanked the alders for
the discussion they had on
the topic.
Im sorry to see it cut
off, he said. I think this
type of discussion is how
we start to understand each
other.
Contact Scott Girard at
ungreporter@wcinet.com
and follow him on Twitter
@sgirard9.

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www.Baker-Launder.com

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Choose from favorites like Pancakes, Eggs Benedict,


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Elect
TOM
CLAUDER

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Our Experience,
Your Success.

Alderperson,
City of Fitchburg

A Lifetime of Service & Community Involvement


Past Mayor - City of Fitchburg
26 Years in Fitchburg Law Enforcement
Prior City Juvenile Officer
Past President of Wildwood South Neighborhood Association
10 Years on the Dane County Board
Past Chair of EMS Commission
Past Vice Chair of the Public Protection and
Judiciary Committee - County Board
Involved with Wisconsin Council on Highway Safety
Elks Club Member
Life Member of Wisconsin Law Enforcement Officers
Association
Past Member Operation Lifesaver

Our Oak Bank associates have over


1,000 years of experience combined,
and we want to share it with you.

Personal Profile

Married to Mary Kay Clauder and has 2 daughters


30 Years Fitchburg Resident
Recipient of City of Fitchburg Life Saving Award
Recipient of the EMS Commission Volunteer Service Award
Recipient Madison College Athletic Hall of Fame Award (Basketball)
Recipient Service to Humanity Award from Edgewood

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5951 McKee Rd, Suite 100 Fitchburg, WI 6


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A 28-year-old woman
was approached by three
females, mugged and hit
with pepper spray in the
parking lot of Hy-Vee on
Fitchrona Road around 3
a.m. Jan. 7. The investigation is ongoing.

SCOTT GIRARD

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Woman pepper
sprayed in mugging

Vote Tuesday, April 4th


District 4, Seat 7

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January 13, 2017

Letter to the editor

Resource Conservation Commission

VAIS will build on past successes


As you may have learned
over the past year, the
Verona Area International
School (VAIS) Governance
Council (GC) is made
up of parents, teachers
and community members
who work collaboratively
with our director to make
decisions and plan for the
success of VAIS. As the
president of the VAIS GC,
it is with heartfelt gratitude
that I offer our most sincere
thanks to Scott Girard
and the entire staff of the
Fitchburg Star, who so
eloquently and tirelessly
covered the charter renewal
process from start to finish,
the many residents of
the Verona Area School
District (VASD) who took
time to sign our charter
renewal petition and offer
their support for language
immersion and global
education, and the VASD
Board of Education who
said YES to VAIS and
supported the hard work of
our students, teachers and
parents.
During the course of the
charter renewal process,
we had many conversations
that will ultimately
help us improve our
communication, curriculum
and testing, but most

ConnectFitchburg.com

Fitchburg Star

importantly, we were able


to dispel common myths
about VAIS and charter
school funding (we are
funded at the same rate as
all neighborhood schools)
and share the successes of
our school, which recently
scored highest out of all
VASD schools on the
Wisconsin Department of
Instruction report card.
This is an amazing feat
given that our kids spend
50 percent of their day
learning in Mandarin, and
for several, Mandarin will
be their third language.
We are so very proud
of all of them! As we
move forward, we will be
building upon the successes
of the past six years and
working to improve in areas
where growth is needed.
Enrollment and fidelity
to the 50/50 immersion
model will continue to be
areas of focus for us, as
well as supporting learners
and setting appropriate
Mandarin benchmarks.
Thank you again to the
hardworking Board of
Education, parents of our
students and community
supporters.
Carolyn Jahnke,
City of Verona

Friday, January 13, 2017 Vol. 3, No. 11


Periodical Postage Paid, Verona, WI and additional offices.
Published weekly on Friday by the Unified Newspaper Group,
A Division of Woodward Communications, Inc.
POSTMASTER: Send Address Corrections to
The Fitchburg Star, 133 Enterprise Drive, Verona, WI 53593.

Office Location: 133 Enterprise Drive, Verona, WI 53593


Phone: 608-845-9559 FAX: 608-845-9550
e-mail: ungeditor@wcinet.com
Circulation customer service: (608) 845-9559

ConnectFitchburg.com

This newspaper is printed on recycled paper.

General Manager
Lee Borkowski
lborkowski@wcinet.com
Sales Manager
Kathy Neumeister
kathy.neumeister@wcinet.com
Display Advertising
Donna Larson
veronasales@wcinet.com
Dawn Zapp
oregonsales@wcinet.com
Catherine Stang
stoughtonsales@wcinet.com
Classifieds
Diane Beaman
ungclassified@wcinet.com
Circulation
Carolyn Schultz
ungcirculation@wcinet.com
News
Jim Ferolie
fitchburgstar@wcinet.com
Sports
Jeremy Jones
ungsportseditor@wcinet.com
Assistant Editor
Scott Girard
ungreporter@wcinet.com
Reporters
Anthony Iozzo, Samantha Christian, Kate Newton, Amber
Levenhagen, Scott De Laruelle, Bill Livick

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Good People. Real Solutions. Shared Results.

Printed by Woodward Printing Services Platteville

City has shred events,


curbside recycling

n October, approximately 363


participants dropped off about
15,600 pounds (about 7.1 tons) of
paper for shredding. When recycled,
this represents a savings of around
120 trees.
Fitchburg contracts with Pellitteri
to hold two shred events every
year, so if you missed the one this
fall, dont worry. The city will hold
another in the spring.
Pellitteri is an AAA Certified
document destruction service. They
have specially designed trucks that
shred the paper on-site.
When a cart is filled with paper, it
is raised in an enclosed chute to the
top of the truck where it is dumped
directly into the shredder. Your
documents leave the site already
shredded. It's quite a benefit for
Fitchburg residents.
However, you don't need to wait

until spring to dispose of papers that


aren't confidential.
You can dispose of envelopes,
school paper, office paper and junk
mail curbside every other week.
Simply put the paper in a sealed,
clear plastic bag and place it in your
blue recycling cart.
If you shred your confidential
papers at home, you can also dispose
of those curbside. Just place the
shredded paper in a separate, sealed,
clear plastic bag in your recycling
container.
Of course, cereal boxes, shoe
boxes, gift boxes or other paperboard

don't need to be shredded. They can


just be put loose in your recycling
cart.
In fact, except for shredded paper
and office-type paper, no recyclables
should be placed in plastic bags. It
wastes plastic and time taking more
time on the wastehauler's end.
Please note, the following cannot
be recycled: tissue paper, foil gift
wrap, food-contaminated paper and
padded or Tyvek envelopes. Please
keep these out of your recyclables.
Stay tuned for the spring shred
event, which is tentatively scheduled
for April 22. In the meantime,
take advantage of your curbside
recyclables pickup for nonconfidential paper.
Diane Streck is a member of
Fitchburgs Resource Conservation
Commission.

City of Fitchburg

Bike/ped plan gets further review


The City of Fitchburgs update
to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan
is still being reviewed by various
committees.
The city held a public meeting Dec.
15 to present and review a second
draft of the plan, and comments
were passed along to the Bicycle
and Pedestrian Advisory Committee
Dec. 19. That committee will likely
recommend a draft of the bike and
ped plan at its Jan. 17 meeting to
Common Council.
The feedback from the public
meeting was positive overall, but
there were still some concerns from
residents regarding the topic of
sidewalks.
The plan update addresses R-75-10
(2010), stating no new sidewalks in
identified existing residential areas/
subdivisions no exception.
Some public meeting attendees
spoke in favor of the city adopting
another resolution or passing an
ordinance to make the policy language
what they considered to be more
permanent than whats contained in
a planning document.
At the public hearing, Mayor Steve

Whats next?
The City of Fitchburgs update to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan will be reviewed by the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee Jan. 17, likely with
a recommendation to Common Council.
The Common Council will not act on bike and ped plan adoption at its Jan.
24 meeting, but will instead refer the draft plan out to select committees for
their review and comment, including a public hearing at the committee level.
Wade Thompson, the citys resource/project planner, said the council meeting for plan adoption would likely be sometime in February or March.
For information about the plan, visit fitchburgbikepedplan.org or contact
Thompson at wade.thompson@fitchburgwi.gov or 270-4258.
Arnold said many residents thought
R-75-10 seemed to be the silver
bullet that solved the problem for six
years, but thats only because it was
passed after and in conflict with the
2008 bike and ped plan. He said an
ordinance or resolution cant bind
future councils.
Your council is not going to
approve a plan with sidewalks in old

neighborhoods because of the strong


statements that all of you have made,
Arnold said. Im going to argue
strongly that what you want should
be in the (bike and ped) plan, adopted
by resolution. You dont need another
resolution.
Samantha Christian

Craft fair with floral flair


Fitchburg Farms LLC
hosted its first craft fair in
its greenhouse Saturday,
Dec. 10, with more than
a dozen area vendors and
crafters selling their wares
for Christmas shoppers,
collectors and casual
visitors alike.
Many of the items were
handcrafted and locally
sourced, and were hardly
lacking in variety: cozy
winter apparel, decorative

home goods, metal art,


holiday decorations and
candles were among the
pieces available for sale
throughout the day.
Michael Nauta and son
Tyler helped build the
business greenhouse two
years ago near County
Hwy. MM, and now keep it
open year-round.
Kate Newton

Tinas Home
Cleaning, LLC

Specializing in Residential Cleaning


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Photo by Kate Newton

Susan Pulvermacher of Cross Plains checks out a decorative


bowl at the GJH Creations booth.

ConnectFitchburg.com

January 13, 2017

Fitchburg Star

Parks Commission approves King James Way Park plan


Public hearing set for
Feb. 2

If You Go

KATE NEWTON
Unified Newspaper Group

City officials are finalizing plans


for a new park on King James Way
after incorporating suggestions,
including the relocation of some
amenities, from local residents and
groups.
The Parks Commission approved
a preliminary design for the park at
its Jan. 5 meeting, clearing the way
for the community to discuss the
final design plan at a Feb. 2 public
hearing. The park would include a
basketball half court and play structure on a city-owned vacant lot at
2921 King James Way. Its a longsought addition Parks, Recreation
and Forestry director Scott Endl
said would address a resource deficiency the city identified in the
neighborhood back in 2010.
Endl told attendees of a Dec. 14
neighborhood meeting that existing parks closest to King James
Way area Western Hills and Huegel-Jamestown fall outside the
quarter-mile radius the city maintains as a walkable standard for park
access. Because the neighborhood
was developed before the city established requirements for developers
to reserve land for parks, Endl said
finding a suitable space to take care
of that deficiency was a challenge
for the city until it purchased the
existing property in summer 2013.
The intent was to also purchase the
adjacent lot on the propertys west
side, and while that lot is currently unavailable, about $110,000 of
the $150,000 allocated to develop
the park is designated for possible
acquisition.
The project has been characterized as slow-going by some King
James Way residents, among them
Wanda McCann-Smith, who partnered with other community members to organize a series of block

What: King James Way Park


public hearing
When: 7p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2
Where: Fitchburg City Hall,
5520 Lacy Road
Info: Scott Endl at 270-4288
parties last summer at the site of the
future park. Endl told the Star those
events really gave a push to the
urgency of the project and helped
signify the need for neighborhood
youth to have a safe and inclusive
place to gather.
I know its not been moving as
quickly as some would like, and its
always an education process as far
as the public process we have to go
through, he added. From April or
May when (McCann-Smith) came
before the Parks Commission to
doing these block parties, its come
a long way even within the short,
six-month time frame.
The parks department sought
input from neighborhood families
about preferred amenities and sent
letters to direct neighbors, who suggested also adding lighting and a
grill in addition to a split-rail fence
on the parks west side, a landscaped berm at the back of the property and paved entrance from the
street on the south side. Once a draft
of the design plan was modified by
the Parks Commission in November, it was shared in a letter sent to
residents living in that quarter-mile
radius.
At its Jan. 5 meeting, the Parks
Commission also discussed neighbors suggestions to add a drinking
fountain near the entrance and several benches throughout the park,
but the locations of those amenities
were not finalized.

Image courtesy City of Fitchburg Parks Recreation and Forestry Department

The Fitchburg Parks Commission approved this preliminary design for the
King James Way Park, to be located on a city-owned lot at 2921 King James
Way, at its January meeting in advance of a planned Feb. 2 public hearing
for the project. The park would feature a play structure and basketball half
court, and, if approved, will likely be completed in early summer.

included moving the half-court basketball court from near the back of
the site to its south side, closer to
the street. That adjustment aimed
to address concerns voiced by some
members of the Jamestown Neighborhood Association that use of the
court could cause a noise disturbance for surrounding homes.
Neighborhood concerns
While Endl said they dont
The approved preliminary plan receive many complaints about other

Fitchburg neighborhood parks of


which 18 of 23 include a basketball
court he told the Parks Commission he preferred the new design
and hoped it would help solidify the
association as a proponent of the
project.
Neighborhood association president Jeff Rohlinger expressed at
the Dec. 14 open house that while
he and other members were really

glad to see progress happening on


the park, they had strong concerns
about the noise issue and that he had
seen fights and other incidents happening on area courts in the past,
though he didnt provide details.
McCann-Smith responded that
restrictions would be in place like
any other park that stopped play
from happening late at night, and
that she believed having an easily
accessible activity like basketball
could help reduce the violence that
goes on in the neighborhood and the
kids hanging out in the street.
I know what the people in that
community need to better the environment, and make it a safer place,
she continued. That court would be
the most empowering thing for those
young teenagers and would make
a drastic impact on the negative
activities going on.
Endl agreed that while the tangible impact on reducing crime and
other issues in the neighborhood
will remain to be seen, he said he
doesnt see how it can hurt if the
park fulfills its purpose as a safe
place for (neighborhood youth) to
gather and communicate.
The more positive things we
create, the more positive things are
going to be happening in that area,
he added. It tends to help provide a
lift for the neighborhood and ownership and all of those kinds of things.
Ald. Dorothy Krause (Dist. 1)
was hesitant to heap too much
praise on the city for its progress
toward developing the park in
recent months. She told open house
attendees that the amenities were
the bare minimum requested by
the neighborhood and that a lot of
work remained in addressing those
so-called deficiencies.
It would have been nice to get
the second property so we could
have a complete park, but that is in
legal limbo at this point, she added.
Contact Kate Newton at kate.
newton@wcinet.com.

East station will include administrative space


Design could
accommodate future
changes
KATE NEWTON
Unified Newspaper Group

Administrative offices
will be located at the future
eastside fire/EMS facility after officials decided
against an option to retain
existing space at the citys
Fire Station No. 1 to save
costs.
The Fire Station Overs i g h t C o m m i t t e e vo t e d
at its Jan. 10 meeting to
include the offices in the
new station, which will
be located at the corner of
Syene and Clayton roads
on the citys northeast
side, after several members
voiced concerns that the
risks of underbuilding
could negate the potential
savings of keeping the current offices at the station on
Lacy Road.
Pursuing that option
could have reduced the
new stations footprint by
3,700 to 4,100 square feet
and saved anywhere from
$800,000 to $900,000,
according to estimates city
planner Tom Hovel provided to the committee
last fall. But the station
always planned to be the
larger of the two new fire

and EMS facilities long


anticipated for the city
will already be significantly smaller than the 38,000
to 40,000 square feet first
discussed in spring 2016.
Instead, it will be about
34,000 square feet, according to a site plan submitted
by project architect SEH.
While the design of the
two-story station is subject
to change, living quarters
for firefighters and paramedics working at the site
would be located upstairs,
while administration offices would be located on the
roughly 26,000-square-foot
ground level.
Alds. Jason Gonzalez
(Dist. 3) and Julia Arata-Fratta (D-2) expressed
concerns that the committee should know what
future role the current Station No. 1 could serve for
the city before making a
final decision to include the
administrative space in the
new station. Officials have
discussed potential options
like eventually converting
it into a public safety building with both police and
fire administration, but that
would likely require significant renovation or building
a new facility on the site
altogether, Mayor Steve
Arnold told the committee.
Certainly, you want to
make the best decision. But
on the other hand, there is a

cost to waiting, and theres


a cost to doing a more flexible plan and revising it later, he said. If we go down
this road of keeping options
open longer, that could cost
$800,000.
Ald. Carol Poole (D-1)
agreed it was more fiscally
responsible for the city to
stick with the original plan
for the space to stay on
schedule with the project,
and if the need changes in
10 years or five years, then
it changes, but at least we
have it.
If we can do it in a
cost effective manner right
now, I would rather add
the space, and if we move
the administrative (offices)

later, we know (fire and


EMS) always need training
space, she said.
Before the vote, Hovel
stressed that the projects
civil engineer as well as
SEH needed a decision on
the matter this month to
keep the project on schedule for potential bidding
in late April or May. Occupancy is projected for July
2018, while construction of
the westside station at 2931
Marketplace Drive is on
schedule for completion in
May.
Contact Kate Newton at
kate.newton@wcinet.com.

2 Off Family Size Pizza

Fitchburg
2980 Cahill Main
268-4444
Offer expires 1/31/17

Oregon
710 Janesville St.
835-0883
papamurphys.com

Verona
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848-7000
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Richard
Hammersley
Fitchburg City Council
4th District - Seat 8

Background

Has 3 Adult Children and 4 Grandkids


50 Year Fitchburg Resident Homeowner
45 Year Retiree of Hammersley Stone
2 Year United States Army Veteran
1955 Verona Area High School Graduate
4 Year Fitchburg Council Member (2001-2005)

Community Involvement

Member/Adjutant American Legion Post 385


28 years
Wisconsin Farm Bureau Member (past)
Former Fitchburg Volunteer Fireman
9 years
Former Member Fitchburg Plan Commission
3 years
Former Member Fitchburg Board of Appeals
1 year

Vote Tuesday - April 4th


Authorized and paid for by the friends of Richard Hammersley,
Richard Hammersley, Treasurer, Fitchburg, WI.
adno=502877-01

January 13, 2017

ConnectFitchburg.com

Fitchburg Star

Calendar of Events

Friday, January 13

crafting program (ages 2-5),


library, 729-1760
12:40 p.m., Movie Day:
Sully, senior center, 270-4290

4-5 p.m., Candy Sushi


program (ages 9-12), library,
729-1760

Saturday, January 14

Saturday, January 21

10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Mending


Day (repeats second
Saturdays), BPNN, 279-7596
10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Dont
Judge a Book by Its Cover
program (ages 13-17), library,
729-1760
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Prairie
Kitchen free community meal,
BPNN, bpnn.org

10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Chess


tournament for grades K-12
(on-site registration from 9-9:30
a.m.), Fitchburg Community
Center, 5510 Lacy Road,
activekids.com/fitchburg-wi
10:30-11:30 a.m., Baby Sign
Language program, library,
729-1760
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Prairie
Kitchen free community meal,
BPNN, bpnn.org
11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Winter
Carnival, Nine Springs Golf
and Disc Course, 2201
Traceway Drive, 271-5877

Monday, January 16

Senior center closed


9:30 a.m., Preschool
Storytime (ages 2-5), library,
729-1760
4-5 p.m., Mario Kart
Tournament (ages 9-12),
library, 729-1760
7 p.m., Library Digital
Resources class (registration
required), library, 729-1763

Wednesday, January 18

Monday, January 23

10-11 a.m., Wednesday


Morning Book Discussion:
Calebs Crossing by
Geraldine Brooks, library, 7291760
5:30 p.m., Library board
meeting
7-7:45 p.m., Mother Daughter
Book Club (ages 9-12), library,
729-1760

9:30 a.m., Preschool


Storytime (ages 2-5), library,
729-1760
7 p.m., Library Resources:
Genealogy class (registration
required), library, 729-1763

Tuesday, January 24

2 p.m., Active Womens Group


(social hour 1-2 p.m.), senior
center, 270-4290
6-7 p.m., Cupcake Wars
program (ages 13-17), library,
729-1760

Wednesday, January 25

11 a.m., Gentle Posture


Exercises for Back Pain
Thursday, January 19
6-6:40 p.m., Guys Read book program, senior center, 270group (ages 9-12), library, 729- 4290
1 p.m., Tax question-and1760
answer session (sign-up
Friday, January 20
recommended), senior center,
10-11 a.m., Drop-in winter

270-4290
6-6:30 p.m., Family Pajama
Storytime (ages 2-5), library,
729-1760

Thursday, January 26

10-11 a.m., Chinese New Year


Party (ages 2-5), library, 7291760
1 p.m., Bouncing Babies
storytime, library, 729-1760
1:30 p.m., I Love a Mystery
Book Club: Crocodile on
the Sand Bank by Elizabeth
Peters, senior center, 270-4290

Saturday, January 28

10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Drop-In


Coloring Club (all ages), library,
729-1760
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Prairie
Kitchen free community meal,
BPNN, bpnn.org

Sunday, January 29

1:30-4:30 p.m., Free film


screening: The True Cost with
The Faith Response Committee
of SlaveFree Madison, library,
729-1760

Monday, January 30

10:30 a.m., Getting the


Most Out of Your Smartphone
program (registration required),
senior center, 270-4290
7 p.m., iPad: Beyond the
Basics class (registration
required), library, 729-1763

Tuesday, January 31

6-7 p.m., Extreme Tween


Sewing (ages 9-12), library,
729-1760

Wednesday, February 1

6-7 p.m., Read Like a Girl


Book Club (ages 5-8), library,

729-1760

Thursday, February 2

11 a.m. to noon, Crafternoon


program, library, 729-1763

Friday, February 3

11-11:45 a.m., Book Boogie


(ages 2-5), library, 729-1760

Saturday, February 4

11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Prairie


Kitchen free community meal,
BPNN, bpnn.org

Monday, February 6

10-11 a.m., Black Books


Matter Storytime (ages 2-5),
library, 729-1760
7-8 p.m., Best Apps class
(registration required), library,
729-1763

Tuesday, February 7

10-11 a.m., Valentines Day


Crafts drop-in program (ages
2-5), library, 729-1760

Wednesday, February 8

10-11 a.m., Toddler art


program (ages 1-3), library,
729-1760

Thursday, February 9

9:30-10:30 a.m., Language


development storytime with
Communication Innovations
Pediatric Therapy Services
(ages 2-5), library, 729-1760
1-1:45 p.m., Bouncing Babies
storytime, library, 729-1760
1:30 p.m., REACH Book Club:
Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult,
senior center, 270-4290

Friday, February 10

1-2 p.m., The Stories of


Fiddler on the Roof program,
Fitchburg Community Center,

5510 Lacy Road, 729-1791


4-5 p.m., Valentines Wreaths
program (ages 9-12), library,
729-1760

Saturday, February 11

10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Mending


Day (repeats second
Saturdays), BPNN, 279-7596
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Prairie
Kitchen free community meal,
BPNN, bpnn.org
1-3 p.m., LEGOs @ the
Library program (ages 5-12),
library, 729-1760

Monday, February 13

9:30-10 a.m., Preschool


Storytime (ages 2-5), library,
729-1760
11-11:30 a.m., Preschool
Storytime (ages 2-5), library,
729-1760
7-8 p.m., Whatsapp class
(registration required), library,
729-1763

Tuesday, February 14

11-11:45 a.m., Lapsit


Storytime, library, 729-1760
6-6:30 p.m., Valentines Day
Family Pajama Storytime (ages
2-5), library, 729-1760

Wednesday, February 15

10-11 a.m., Wednesday


Morning Book Discussion: The
Astronaut Wives Club by Lily
Koppel, library, 729-1760
10:30-11 a.m., Toddler Dance
Party (ages 1-3), library, 7291760
5:30 p.m., Library board
meeting
7-7:45 p.m., Mother Daughter
Book Club (ages 9-12), library,
729-1760

Balancing black and blue


Madison officer to host forum on police issues Jan. 19 at BioPharmaceutical Technology Center
KATE NEWTON
Unified Newspaper Group

For Madison Police


Department officer Corey
S a ff o l d , b r i d g i n g t h e
trust gap between law
enforcement and the greater
community is a topic that
couldnt be more worthy of
discussion.
Saffold, who works as an
educational resource officer at
Madison West High School,
began partnering with the
Wi s c o n s i n H u m a n i t i e s
Councils Working Lives
Project last spring to share
his experiences in a program
he calls The Paradox
of Being a Black Police

Officer in Todays Society


at locations
throughout
the state. Next
What: Forum on policing
Thursday,
and community trust
Jan. 19, hell
with Madison Police
open the
Department officer Corey
discussion to
Saffold
the Fitchburg
When: 6:30-7:30p.m.
community
Saffold
Thursday, Jan. 19
at 6:30p.m.
in Promegas
Where: BioPharmaceuBioPharmaceutical
tical Technology Center
Te c h n o l o g y C e n t e r b y
auditorium, 5445 E.
focusing on the current
Cheryl Pkwy.
state of our country and the
Info: 729-1791
contention between the police
and the black community.
That task runs the gamut
from discussing videos of involving police and unarmed
racially-charged incidents black men, sharing his own

If You Go

Memorial United Church of Christ


A welcoming community growing together in Christ

Sunday Worship

8:15 and 10 a.m.


Sunday School at 10 a.m.
Loving Child Care Provided

In order to build
trust, there has to be
a n a c k n o w l e d g m e n t ,
Saffold explained. And
so, I acknowledge the
wrongdoings by police
officers. The problem
that makes it hard to build
that trust, is stuff just keeps
happening.
With filmed altercations
between people and police
surfacing on social media
so frequently, Saffold said
he urges people to seek the
facts of each viral incident
before reacting solely to
what theyve seen on their
phone screens. He also
wants the public to judge
officers who abuse their
power individually, not as a
reflection of the hundreds of
thousands of police officers
working every day who treat
people with respect and
dignity.
You get one case that
makes it to Facebook or
YouTube, and its like, Wow,
this is what police are like,
he added. What I challenge
the community (to do) is, the
same way you dont want
people to overgeneralize the
black community or make
overgeneralizations about
you, we shouldnt make those
overgeneralizations about
police.
The talks present an
opportunity for Saffold to

explore the very real and


pervasive issue of implicit
and unconscious bias,
something he said influences
many officers who respond
as if there was a viable
threat where there was none.
Hes also able to confront
misconceptions that arise
about topics like police
training, and share updates
about how that training is
being adjusted to include
more de-escalation and
critical thinking of when to
use deadly force.
While Saffold said
he doesnt have all the
answers, hes confident
both ends meaning
community members and
law enforcement members
serious about bettering their
relationship need to meet
in order to create lasting
progress, but in the meantime,
its on the latter to prove how
serious they are about that
goal.
Itll require police to be
transparent, Saffold said.
Were in a time where people
are going to ask questions,
and as a police officer, we
have to prepared to explain
it 101 times and go above
and beyond to build that trust
back.
Contact Kate Newton at kate.
newton@wcinet.com.

See something wrong?


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5705 Lacy Rd., Fitchburg


273-1008 * www.memorialucc.org
Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/MemorialUCC

lifelong experiences with


law enforcement, and, most
importantly, responding
to questions and concerns
fielded by attendees as
honestly as he can.
Im not representing any
police department; I go in
plainclothes and I just say
it like it is, Saffold told the
Star. I think thats the whole
point of these talks, and
people appreciate that.
Being black and working
in law enforcement requires
coping with anxieties not
all officers can relate to,
Saffold said. He met the
harsh realization that being
a police officer doesnt trump
being black when an officer
harassed Saffold after pulling
him over in Sheboygan.
After showing all of my
credentials, they still didnt
believe I was a police officer,
and actually said, How do
I know you didnt kill an
officer down the road and take
his badge and ID? Saffold
recalled. The baggage is still
there, and that whole situation
was just a reminder that
youre still a black man, and
this is the world we live in.
Its one of the few negative
encounters hes ever had with
police, but it helped contribute
to a sobering understanding
that the day of sugarcoating
and covering up for the blue is
over.

The Fitchburg Star does not sweep errors under the rug. If you see something you know
or even think is in error, please contact editor Jim Ferolie at 845-9559 or at fitchburgstar@
wcinet.com so we can get it right.

ConnectFitchburg.com

January 13, 2017

Fitchburg Star

Coming up

program, which and notation is not required. consulting for a firm in 10-11 a.m. Monday, Feb. 6, at during a program from 1-2
Free community meal reading
Round times are 10 and 11 Madison. Advance sign- the library.
p.m. Friday, Feb. 10, at
runs through Feb. 27.

Misuse or abuse of
p r e s c r i p t i o n , ove r- t h e counter or illicit drugs
can have fatal results. As
part of the Dane County
Transitions of Care
Coalition, the senior center
is partnering with several
organizations to provide
community members
with blue disposal bags
that include disposal
instructions, as well as
MedDrop locations in
the area. The bags are
available for all community
members, not just older
adults.
The Fitchburg Police
Department also has a
MedDrop box that is open
from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Monday through Friday.
For information or to
request a bag, call 2704290.

Light recycling
Recycle old light strings
that no longer work at the
Fitchburg City Hall, 5520
Lacy Road, through Jan. 30.
A cart will be available
24 hours a day in the lobby,
where residents can drop
off non-working holiday
light strings and extension
cords for recycling. Any
bulbs larger than marblesize must be removed, and
can be recycled separately
at participating stores listed
in Fitchburgs Recycling
Guide.
For information, visit
fitchburgwi.gov/solidwaste.

AARP tax help


Those seeking free
and simple tax return
help can make 45-minute
appointments at the senior
center on Fridays, Feb. 17
and 24 and March 24 and
31.
Participants taxes
must be straightforward,
and they must bring all
necessary paperwork
to the appointment. For
information or to make
an appointment, call 2704290.

Reading program
Escape the cold and
cuddle up with a good book
during the librarys winter

Spanish classes
Both beginner and
intermediate Spanish
speakers can take classes at
the senior center beginning
in late February.
The Beginner Spanish
class will run for eight
weeks from 10:15-11:15
a.m. Tuesdays, Feb. 28
through April 18. The
Intermediate Spanish class
will also run for eight
weeks, from 9-10 a.m.
Tuesdays, Feb. 28 through
April 18. Both classes cost
$50, and registration is
required.
For information or to
register, call 270-4290.

Candy sushi
Preteens ages 9-12 can
learn how to transform
regular candy into sushiinspired rolls from 4-5
p.m. Friday, Jan. 13, at the
library.
Attendees will vote
on the most colorful, the
most authentic and the
Best in Show creations.
Registration is required.
For information or to
register, call 729-1762.

Mending Day
The Badger Prairie Needs
Network, 1200 E. Verona
Ave., will host its monthly
Mending Day from 10 a.m.
to 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 14.
Those who need a hem
or tear to be fixed, a button
sewn on, or other mending
work can have it done for
free on a first-come, firstserved basis. Some items
may be declined due to the
complexity of the issue
that needs resolving, and
zippers cannot be repaired.
There is a 30-minute limit
per person.
For information, call 2797596.

Book program
Choose a book based on
a short description during
the librarys Dont Judge
a B o o k b y I t s C ove r
program from 10 a.m. to 6
p.m. Saturday, Jan. 14.
This program is geared
toward ages 13-17. For
information, call 729-1760.

Library resources

a.m. and 12:45 and 2 p.m.;


on-site registration begins
at 9 a.m. Trophies will be
given to the top five schools
and 20 individuals based on
age. The tournament will be
run by Alex Betaneli, a local
chess pro and chess teacher,
and is open to all player
abilities.
For information or to
register in advance, visit
activekids.com/fitchburgwi and select Chess
Tournament - Quick Chess
Scholastic.

up is recommended for the


The program will celebrate
program.
the contributions of black
For information, call 270- authors and characters to
4290.
childrens literature. For
information, call 729-1760.

Family portraits

the Fitchburg Community


Center, 5510 Lacy Road.
A quartet of singers from
Four Seasons Theatre will
lead the program, which is
free and open to the public.
This program is produced
with support from the
Beyond the Page program,
a joint effort of the Dane
County Library Service and
the Madison Community
Foundation.
For information, contact
Elizabeth Zimdars at
elizabeth.zimdars@
fitchburgwi.gov or 7291791.

Families can get a free App classes


portrait done together by
The library will offer two
visiting the Badger Prairie app-related classes from 7-8
Needs Network, 1200 E. p.m. Mondays, Feb. 6 and 13.
Verona Ave., from 10 a.m. to
The first class, Best
1:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28.
Apps, will explore tablet
Participants can drop in and smartphone apps that
anytime during the time are useful in day-to-day
frame, and no appointment activities, while the second
is necessary. A 8.5x11-inch class will focus on how to use
color print will be provided. WhatsApp, which provides
Baby sign language
For information, call 848- fast, simple and secure
messaging and calling for
T h o s e c u r i o u s a b o u t 2499.
free. Participants should bring Valentines storytime
using sign language to
their devices, and registration
communicate with their Smartphone program
Families can put on their
children can attend a Baby
favorite pajamas and come to
Those seeking a better is required for both classes.
Sign Language program understanding of how to
For information or to the library for a Valentines
from 10:30-11:30 a.m. use their smartphone to its register, call 729-1763.
Day-themed evening
storytime from 6-6:30 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 21, at the full potential can attend a
library.
Getting the Most Out of Development storytime Tuesday, Feb. 14.
The program will feature
The program will explore Your Smartphone program
Learn how to enhance
the world of baby signs at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Jan. your childs language skills songs, books and activities
through signed storytime, 30, at the senior center.
through reading during a to promote early literacy,
practice activities, songs
The free event is presented storytime led by a licensed as well as a calming craft
and a question-and-answer by Dave St. Amant of speech-language pathologist following storytime. The
session. Parents/caregivers Community PC, LLC, a and occupational therapist program is geared toward
a n d ex p e c t i n g p a r e n t s mobile tech support company, f r o m 9 : 3 0 - 1 0 : 3 0 a . m . ages 2-5, with siblings
are welcome, along with serving Dane and Rock Thursday, Feb. 9, at the welcome.
children ages 0-2.
For information, call 729counties. He and his staff library.
For information, call 729- understand the needs of
L a n g u a g e a n d m o t o r 1760.
1760.
seniors and the disabled and developmental milestones
want to help you get the most will be provided, and there Service program
Winter carnival
out of the information age. will be an opportunity to ask
Join the library for its
questions about your childs new monthly Community
Nine Springs Golf and Registration is required.
For information or to development. The program is Helpers monthly service
Disc Course, 2201 Traceway
Drive, will host a winter register, call 270-4290.
presented by Communication program from 6-7 p.m.
Innovations Pediatric Therapy Thursday, Feb. 16, at the
carnival from 11 a.m. to 2
Tech classes
p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21.
Services and is geared toward library.
This month, participants
Planned activities include
Attend a workshop focused kids ages 2-5 and their
i c e s k a t i n g , s m o r e s on familiarizing participants parents/caregivers.
will make pet toys to donate
making, a bonfire, skiing with the iPad at 7 p.m.
For information, visit to a local animal shelter.
Those counting service
and snowshoeing and more, Monday, Jan. 30, at the therapymadison.com.
but will only take place if library.
time for National Honors or
church groups can record
weather permits. The City of
The class will go Beyond Play discussion
Fitchburg police, recreation the Basics of iPad use, and
Learn about the short this hour toward their goal.
and fire departments are registration is required. For stories and the creative team This program is geared
sponsoring the event, with information or to register, call that brought the classic toward ages 13-17.
For information, call 729additional support from the 729-1763.
musical Fiddler on the Roof
Madison Police Department,
to life on the Broadway stage 1760.
Aldo Leopold Community Ice skating parties
School and other area
If weather permits, ice
organizations.
skating aficionados can
For information, call 271- attend two ice skating parties
5877.
hosted by the Fitchburg
Optimist Club from 1-3 p.m.
Cupcake Wars
Saturdays, Feb. 4 and 11, at
Teens ages 13-17 can McKee Farms Park, 2930
LUNCH BUFFET: 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM
show off their decorating Chapel Valley Road,
DINNER MENU: 5:00 PM - 9:30 PM
skills during a Cupcake
The warming house will
CLOSED MONDAYS
Wars program from 6-7 be open with cocoa, hot cider
(608) 274-3333
p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 24, at the and cookies. For information,
5957 McKEE ROAD Suite 108 FITCHBURG, WI 53719
library.
visit fitchburgoptimists.org.
Participants can decorate
a cupcake with a variety of
ingredients, and judging Diversity storytime
and awards will follow. For
Kids ages 2-5 can learn
information, call 729-1760. lessons of acceptance,
diversity and tolerance during
Posture exercises
*Dinner only
a Black Books Matter
*Not valid with any other offer
G e t h e l p w i t h b a c k Family Storytime from
(MUST PRESENT COUPON)
pain, tension and fatigue
by attending a program
featuring gentle posture
exercises at 11 a.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 25, at the
senior center.
Dr. Laura Konopacki from
Body Wave Chiropractic
will lead the program
16 YEARS OF AWARD-WINNING PIZZA.
and discuss how, if done
regularly, the exercises
$
can help relieve pain. For
after 9
information, call 270-4290.
Cheese Bread with any

Learn more about the


digital and genealogy
resources the library offers
at 7 p.m. Mondays, Jan. 16
and 23.
The class on Jan. 16
will explore Overdrive (a
program that stores eBooks
and audiobooks), Flipster
(eMagazines) and more,
while the Jan. 23 class
will cover how to fill in
family trees using Ancestry
and Heritage Quest.
Registration is required for
Tax discussion
both classes.
For information or to
Attend a tax questionregister, call 729-1763.
and-answer session at 1 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 25, at the
Chess tournament
senior center.
The session will explore
Chess players in grades
K-12 can participate in a d e d u c t i o n s , p e n s i o n s ,
tournament from 10 a.m. to charitable donations, Social
3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, at Security benefits, filing
the Fitchburg Community jointly vs. separately and
more, and will be lead by
Center, 5510 Lacy Road.
The tournament is not retired CPA and attorney
rated and time control is William Ferguson. Ferguson
25 minutes per player; all is currently a member of
participants play four games SCORE and also does tax

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Stop by to pick up Winter


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Much of the food served
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No reservations are
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January 13, 2017

Verona schools

Fitchburg Star

ConnectFitchburg.com

Referendum set for April ballot


SCOTT GIRARD AND KATE
NEWTON

On the Web

Unified Newspaper Group

Read about the districts referendum


communication plans:

The April 4 ballot will include


three referendum questions from
the Verona Area School District
on building a new high school and
related construction and maintenance.
The school board voted Monday to include the three questions
after more than a year of discussion on a potential capital referendum of up to $181 million,
which came up soon after voters
approved the purchase of three
pieces of land in April 2015.
Board president Dennis Beres
thanked the board for its swiftness in approving the questions at
Monday nights meeting, remarking that the quick approval was
the culmination of a long journey to get to this point.
Soon after approving the three
questions, the board moved on to
hear about the work thats still left
for the district between now and
April: communicating its plan to
voters. VASD public information
officer Kelly Kloepping and Jill
Huskisson, a communications
specialist with Epstein Uhen

ConnectFitchburg.com
Architects, which is consulting
with the district on the referendum, presented a draft schedule
of the districts communications
and engagement strategy to the
board to help give them an initial
sense of the planning efforts
involved in the outreach process
and get their input on the general
timeline, Huskisson said.
We didnt want to go into the
weeds with this, but we wanted to
get your feedback tonight on what
you find important as a board,
she added.
While board members are not
allowed to advocate for or against
a referendum question, they all
are expected to be involved formally and informally in spreading
related information leading up to
the ballot questions.
The main question asks voters
to allow the district to borrow
$162 million to build a new high
school and auditorium on the

west side of the city. That would


raise the mill rate by 42 cents per
$1,000 of property value over its
current level.
The impact of that main piece
of the referendum has been softened significantly by the timing
of other debt retirement, as well
as the expected infusion of more
than $11 million from the closure
of the Epic tax-increment finance
district. If the referendum were to
fail, that rate would drop about $2
from its current level of $11.98
per $1,000 of property value.
The second question asks for an
additional $18 million in borrowing authority to construct outdoor
athletic fields and a pool at the new
high school site. That would raise
the mill rate an additional 38 cents.
The third question asks for a
recurring allowance to surpass
the state-mandated tax levy limit
to operate the new facilities. The
question will ask voters to give the
district up to 59 cents per $1,000
in taxes, though it could choose
not to use all of that if the athletic
fields and pool vote were to fail.
Contact Scott Girard at
ungreporter@wcinet.com and
follow him on Twitter @sgirard9.

Whats online
VASD wins award for AP participation

SCOTT GIRARD

The Verona Area School District was recognized in the fall for increasing diversity
in its Advanced Placement classes at the high school.

Unified Newspaper Group

District plans for short-, long-term staffing needs

The Verona Area school


board will have a new president in 2017.
Board president Dennis
Beres who
has served
on the board
since 2002
announced
last week he
will not run
for reelection.
I h a v e Beres
enjoyed
working with
t h e Ve r o n a
Area School District Board

VASD administrators are looking ahead at short- and long-term staffing needs in the
central office to help with some its ongoing initiatives and growth.

SPRING

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AT MONONA TERRACE


JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

8 Sunday
Victoria Premiere
Event
2:30 - 4:30pm
Tickets on Eventbrite

2 Thursday
Lunchtime Yoga
12 noon - 12:45pm

2 Thursday
Lunchtime Yoga
12 noon - 12:45pm

6 Monday
Lunchtime Yoga
12 noon - 12:45pm

3 FRIDAY
Funky Dance Madison
DJ ACE/KinFolk/BBI
6:00 - 10:00pm
Tickets on Eventbrite

3 Monday
Meditation at
Monona Terrace
12 noon - 12:45pm

1 Monday
Meditation at
Monona Terrace
12 noon - 12:45pm

7 Friday
Health & Wellness
Presentation
Eating Well for Healthy
Energy and Sleep
12 noon - 1:00pm

2 Tuesday
Yoga for Strength
& Flexibility
12 noon - 12:45pm
Tuesdays through May
30th (except May 23)

10 Monday
Meditation at
Monona Terrace
12 noon 12:45pm

9 Tuesday
Yoga for Strength
& Flexibility
12 noon - 12:45pm

26 Thursday
Lunchtime Yoga
12 noon - 12:45pm
28 SAturday
FamJam
10:00am - 4:00pm
Tickets on Eventbrite
28 SAturday
Bounce (21 + up)
7:00 - 10:00pm
Tickets on Eventbrite
30 MONDAY
Lunchtime Yoga
12 noon - 12:45pm

9 Thursday
Wright Design Series
7:00pm
Tickets on Eventbrite
10 Friday
GEN-X Dance Party
The Prince Experience
7:30-10:00pm, 21 + up
Tickets on Eventbrite
13 Monday
Lunchtime Yoga
12 noon - 12:45pm
16 Thursday
Lunchtime Yoga
12 noon - 12:45pm
16 Thursday
PechaKucha Night
Madison
Myth Busting
7:00pm
Tickets on Eventbrite
20 Monday
Lunchtime Yoga
12 noon - 12:45pm
23 Thursday
Lunchtime Yoga
12 noon - 12:45pm
27 Monday
Lunchtime Yoga
12 noon - 12:45pm

6 MONDAY
Lunchtime Yoga
12 noon - 12:45pm
9 Thursday
Lunchtime Yoga
12 noon - 12:45pm
9 Thursday
Wright Design Series
7:00pm
Tickets on Eventbrite

13 Thursday
PechaKucha Night
Madison
STEM Mayhem
7:00pm
Tickets on Eventbrite

13 Monday
Meditation at
Monona Terrace
17 Monday
12 noon - 12:45pm
Meditation at
Mondays through May 1 Monona Terrace
12 noon - 12:45pm
20 Monday
Meditation at
Monona Terrace
12 noon - 12:45pm
27 Monday
Meditation at
Monona Terrace
12 noon - 12:45pm

24 Monday
Meditation at
Monona Terrace
12 noon - 12:45pm
25 Tuesday
Wright Design Series
7:00pm
Tickets on Eventbrite

NOW OPEN!

independent assisted
memory care

17 Wednesday
Wright Design Series
7:00pm
Tickets on Eventbrite

Spacious Apartments with a Variety of Floor Plans


Free Transportation 7 Days a Week
Home-Cooked Meals
Housekeeping
On-Site Salon
Underground Parking
Movie Theatre

30 Tuesday
Yoga for Strength
& Flexibility
12 noon - 12:45pm

471 Prairie Way Blvd.


Verona, WI
noelmanorliving.com

28 Friday
Moon Over
Monona Terrace
7:30 - 9:30pm
Tickets on Eventbrite

MONONA TERRACE One John Nolen Dr., Madison, WI 53703 PH: 608.261.4000
TTY: 771 or 800.947.3529. communityevents.mononaterrace.com

His tenure as president


included criticism from
some community members
about a lack of transparency from the board, as well
as residents turning out regularly to board meetings to
offer input and watch for
decisions over the past two
years.
There is one candidate
running for his seat, which
covers the City of Verona.
Kristina Navarro-Haffner,
a VASD parent, turned in
nomination papers to run,
and will run unopposed.
Beres term will end at the
first meeting after the April
4 election.

a legacy of caring

16 Tuesday
Yoga for Strength
& Flexibility
12 noon - 12:45pm

27 Thursday
Health & Wellness
Presentation
Shifting into Positive
Gear
12 noon - 1:00pm

of Education for over 14


years, Beres wrote in a
letter to clerk Tom Duerst.
However the time has come
for me to move on to pursue
my personal goals.
Beres has overseen plenty
in his recent years as president, including the 2015
referendums to purchase
land, the push for personalized learning and positive
behavior initiatives and the
planning for the spring 2017
referendum for a new high
school.
He has stressed the importance of the high school
plan as a key in the districts
long-term future.

13 Saturday
Madison
Mini Maker Faire
10:00am - 5:00pm
Tickets on Eventbrite

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23 Monday
Lunchtime Yoga
12 noon - 12:45pm

9 Thursday
Lunchtime Yoga
12 noon - 12:45pm

Shall the Verona Area School District, Dane County, Wisconsin be


authorized to issue pursuant to Chapter 67 of the Wisconsin Statutes,
general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $162,760,000
for the public purpose of paying the cost of a school building and improvement program consisting of: construction of a new high school
and performing arts center on district owned land; reconfiguration and
renovation of the current Verona Area High School to convert it to the
new site for Badger Ridge Middle School and select district charter
schools; reconfiguration and renovation of the current Badger Ridge
Middle School to convert it to the new site for Sugar Creek Elementary
School; district-wide capital and building infrastructure improvements
and repairs; and acquisition of related furnishings, fixtures and equipment?
Shall the Verona Area School District, Dane County, Wisconsin be
authorized to issue pursuant to Chapter 67 of the Wisconsin Statutes,
general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $18,520,000
for the public purpose of paying the cost of construction and equipping
of a swimming pool, competition athletic fields and related facilities on
the new high school site?
Shall the Verona Area School District, Dane County, Wisconsin be
authorized to exceed the revenue limit specified in Section 121.91,
Wisconsin Statutes, by $2,289,747 for the 2020-2021 school year
and thereafter, for recurring purposes consisting of operational expenses for new district facilities and grounds?

Beres will not run for re-election

Read the following Verona Area School District stories at ConnectFitchburg.com:

19 Thursday
Lunchtime Yoga
12 noon - 12:45pm
Mon. & Thurs. through
March 9

The questions

Call Katie for more information today!

(608) 620-6010

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Madison/Oregon schools

ConnectFitchburg.com

January 13, 2017

Fitchburg Star

Oregon School District

A career to count on

Busler, recognized by colleagues as a leader, celebrates decade in OSD


SCOTT DE LARUELLE
Unified Newspaper Group

If he didnt love working with teachers


and kids so much, Brian Busler might have
become a top CPA or maybe a Wall Street
money manager.
Instead, a career turn taken in college
eventually led him to Oregon, where 2016
marked 10 years as superintendent of the
Oregon School District.
While Busler is in charge of the district
and all its teachers, at heart, hes really an
educator. Thats largely from the inspiration
of an education professor at UW-Whitewater
who talked him into eventually working on
a masters degree in the School of Business
Management after he finished his undergraduate degree in finance.
It comes in handy now, he said of his
finance degree. But my route to public
school was a little different than most.
Busler started out as a school business
manager in Verona (working under current
Wisconsin Public Schools Superintendent
Tony Evers), and later, with an eye toward
bigger goals, he earned a Ph.D. in educational leadership at UW-Madison. Soon, he
was being contacted by area college and universities to teach school finance and human
resources classes for school administrators.
For the past 26 years, Busler has taught
part time, of course graduate-level courses for aspiring educators at UW-Whitewater,
Cardinal Stritch, UW-Madison and Edgewood College. And while it helps satisfy
his interest for teaching, it also gives him an
opportunity to do some recruiting.
I get to know young principals that are
interested, and its been a very rewarding
experience to teach young administrators and
young people who have an interest in school
leadership, he said, noting thats how he met
current OHS principal Jim Pliner.
During this time, Busler himself started
down a path of leadership that others in the
district have recognized.
Pliner, who previously worked for the district as OMS principal, said he appreciates

Buslers focus as a leader, and how he


works to create a common vision that, in
turn, drives action.
Brian is able to bring clarity to what is
very complex work by remaining true to the
mission and vision of the district, Pliner
said. The 2015 Visioning Conference was
an opportunity for the students, staff and
community members to come together to
help shape the direction of the district. He
was the architect of that experience and lives
the mission every day.
District director of curriculum Leslie Bergstrom said Buslers biggest impact in the past
10 years has been his ability to build a strong,
student-focused, mission-driven team.
Every member of the administrative team
contributes something that makes us better at
serving the needs of young people, she said.
Our schools are filled with truly amazing
educators and I believe that starts with his
leadership.

Decade of change

Home, sweet home

Photo by Amber Levenhagen

Of all the changes hes seen since he


came to OSD in 2006, Busler said technology has been one of the biggest.
I remember when there wasnt Gmail
and cell phones, and now its sort of 24/7
connection, he said. It allows us to stay
closer to our community, our parents, our
families.
There have certainly been challenges for
public school districts and their leaders in
the past 10 years. When he meets with fellow superintendents, Busler said, one hot
topic is a looming shortage of teachers
and administrative leaders, with a declining rate of young people entering the field.
It is alarming and it is on the horizon,
he said. There are a lot of people in the
last phase of their career that were just
not sure how long they are going to stay in
public education, and its going to continue to be a challenge to retain people and to
recruit people, because the vacancies and
shortages are going to be huge in the next
many years.
Closer to home, there have been many

In 2016, Brian Busler celebrated 10 years as


superintendent of the Oregon School District.

changes in the district since 2006 some


of the most visible have been to the schools
themselves, stemming from the successful
$54.6 million capital projects referendum
in 2014. Its the third successful referendum in Buslers tenure (hes 3 for 4), and
hes pleased that construction around the
district satisfies needs on several fronts,
particularly safety.
We now have proper safety from an
entrance/exit standpoint at the middle
school and high school and Brooklyn
Elementary and Prairie View, he said.
Busler said when remodeling is completed at OMS and OHS, both schools will
have additional STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) and
also Makerspace areas, something he
said is cutting-edge technology.
We know that is critical to our longterms success and to the creativity of getting kids to build things again, he said.

Preparing for growth


Fitchburg development may
include OSD school
SCOTT DE LARUELLE
Unified Newspaper Group

With the teacher compensation referendum finally checked off the to-do
list, Oregon School District officials are
turning their sights toward preparing for
expected growth and a possible new
school in the not-too-distant future.
That process took a couple steps forward Monday night as school board
members created a task force to study
district population trends and schools
capabilities, and listened to information
about a new Fitchburg subdivision that
could eventually bring more families
into the district.
Real estate agent Phil Sveum and
Fitchburg city administrator Patrick
Marsh told board members about the
Terravessa plat, part of the planned
Northeast Neighborhood in the vicinity of Lacy Road, County Hwy. M and
Larsen Road. While Sveum said it was
still a very general idea at this point,
developers are considering adding a
school to the neighborhood.
A handout provided to school officials showed 10.25 acres earmarked for
a possible school, just a bit northeast of
the Lacy Road/County M intersection.
Sveum emphasized that the part of the
development starting this spring does
not include the land where the school
could be sited.
It could be done along the lines of
whatever timetable you have, Sveum
said. Were excited to accommodate
this and be part of a very sustainable

neighborhood in Fitchburg. This is not


going to be your typical subdivision.
In an email to the Observer on Tuesday, Sveum said development on the
property (owned by Fitchburg Lands,
LLC) will be broken into four phases
over 10-12 years, with the first phase
starting construction in March, with
the goal of having building permits
available for homes and apartments in
November.
The neighborhood, when completed,
will have around 1,500 new homes a
combination of various types of housing for virtually every age group and
income level.
Our goal is to make this a very
diverse community and also make it a
very environmentally conscious community, Sveum said.
Sveum said the preliminary plat and
acreage has been approved by Fitchburg
officials.
He did not yet have an estimate on
how many students would be added to
the district from that area.
Marsh said there is a lot of projected
growth in the area, and if a new school
were to be built in the development, it
would be easier to reach for students
from Fitchburg or the Town of Dunn.
We see this as an opportunity to
develop the east side of the community
in a way thats going to be best for the
district, he said.

leaders in the future about the development, and the possibility of a school
being located there.
Were going to be probably talking
with your guys a lot about this, he said.
District superintendent Brian Busler,
who said hes been talking with Sveum
and Fitchburg officials about the development since November, said the project is coming along at a really good
time. He noted that any new school
built there would likely be an elementary school or a grades 4-5 school, like
Rome Corners Intermediate.
The timing is perfect, Busler said.
This is a very beginning starting point.
We wanted to provide (board members)
with a picture of what the future might
look like.

New task force

The district has created a task force


of district residents, parents, staff,
administrators and a school board
member to complete a one-year study
on the districts long-term population,
and its capacity to support that population. It will examine whether additional facilities are needed, and if so,
the location and grade level needed,
and how that would affect existing
facilities, according to a board handout.
The task force will be under the
guidance of the school boards vision
steering committee and will prepare a
Ready to cooperate
written report for that committee by
Board President Steve Zach noted Dec. 1, 2017. The board will begin
that a district task force on growth work later this month.
which was approved later in the meeting would include a Fitchburg resiEmail Unified Newspaper Group
dent. He said district officials will be
reporter Scott De Laruelle at scott.
in contact with Sveum and Fitchburg
delaruelle@wcinet.com.

Busler, who lives in the Brooklyn attendance area in the Town of Oregon, appreciates how the community and the school district work in a partnership.
We have 4,000 students, so were large
enough but yet small enough where we can
have a bit of a hometown touch, and everyone has the opportunity to know one another, he said. Were also fortunate to be next
to a large metropolitan area like Madison,
and we get some spillover economic benefits, and that helps our students enrollment
growth and experiences.
He knows firsthand, as two of his children
graduated from OHS, including his youngest, Austin, in 2015.
For Busler, it all comes down to people
and relationships, so its no surprise that
one of his most important and satisfying
roles as superintendent is interviewing
every teacher since hes arrived in Oregon, a
number he estimated at around 1,300.
Getting to know them, knowing they are
going to be working with our kids and families is really special and important to me,
he said. I love visiting kindergarten classrooms, I like seeing graduations, whether its kindergarten or fourth-grade, and of
course high school graduation is a culminating event.
That event which includes Buslers
traditional handing out of high school diplomas brought him back into contact with
a former student on a recent day.
Just this morning I was calling Edgewood College to get a copy of a transcript
for a few classes I recently took, and the
person on the other line said, Are you Dr.
Busler from Oregon? You gave me my
diploma, and I never had the opportunity to
thank you for the great education I had in
Oregon, he said. That put a big smile on
my face.
Email Unified Newspaper Group reporter
Scott De Laruelle at scott.delaruelle@
wcinet.com.

Madison Metropolitan School District

Parent academy set for Jan. 28


The Madison Metropolitan School District will host a
Family, Youth and Community Day Saturday, Jan. 28.
The event, sponsored by the districts Parent Academy, will include a resource fair, two workshop sessions
and a community lunch.
From 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., parents at the Badger Rock
Neighborhood Center, 501 E. Badger Road, can hear
about various topics like homework help and preparing for
college, according to the district website.
Families can register for the free event online on the
MMSD website or call 608-663-5209.
For more information, visit face.madison.k12.wi.us.

Send it in
Have an idea for a Madison schools story the Fitchburg Star should cover? Whether its a schoolwide initiative or a creative classroom project, wed love to hear
it. Email ideas to ungreporter@wcinet.com or call 8459559 and ask for Scott Girard.

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10

January 13, 2017

ConnectFitchburg.com

Fitchburg Star

Above and beyond the call of duty


Dane County Sheriffs Office employees surprise local family with Christmas gifts
KATE NEWTON
Unified Newspaper Group

Next Christmas might be one of


the furthest things from most peoples minds in the early days of the
new year, but a Fitchburg family is
already thinking of ways to pay it
forward after getting a surprise visit from the Dane County Sheriffs
Office last month.
Nearly a dozen DCSO employees among them Sheriff David
Mahoney stopped by the familys home on Dec. 22 with a load of
presents in tow and the goal to make
the holiday a memorable one for the
family of six, who asked to remain
unnamed in this story.
Deputy Carlos Romero told the
Star the idea for the visit stemmed
from his involvement in a mentoring program at Glacier Edge Elementary School, where officers
representing the DCSOs Cultural
Committee have met with fourthand fifth-graders twice a month
since late 2015 to discuss safety
topics, play games, answer questions and engage with students to
share a reality of policing they
might not see otherwise.
When Romero asked Jennifer
Schultz, the guidance counselor
at GE who oversees the group, to
recommend a family the committee could surprise with gifts for
Christmas, she recalled the mother
of two children participating in the
program (and two younger children
not yet in elementary school) had
recently had her hours cut back at
work. Romero then took the ball

Photo submitted

Dane County Sheriffs Office employees pose inside the home of a Fitchburg family (pictured at center) Dec. 22
to deliver gifts as part of an inaugural event led by the DCSO Cultural Committee to help a family in need. Jennifer Schultz (pictured at the far right), a guidance counselor at Glacier Edge Elementary School where two of
the four children in the family attend school, recommended them to the committee, and Deputy Carlos Romero
(standing fourth from right) reached out to more than 500 DCSO employees to gather about 60 gifts for the
kids and their parents.
and ran with it, Schultz said, emailing more than 500 DCSO employees across the county to put out a
request for gift donations.
Schultz, who was on hand at the
home that day to facilitate the meeting between the family and participating officers, said watching both
sides reactions was very powerful as about 60 gifts were placed

under the tree.


I know its a cliche, but (the officers) went above and beyond the
call of duty, Schultz added.
The mother told the Star while
she knew in advance the visit was
happening, it was a complete surprise to her children and she had
no idea so many officers, let alone
Mahoney, would take time out of

their busy schedules to open presents and play with the kids, eat
tamales she had prepared for them
and make (themselves) feel at
home.
My husband and I, we were
talking after they left, and I was
just so joyful. I asked him, Are you
shaking? because I was still shaking, she said with a laugh. They

were in my living room and were


talking to me like they knew me for
years.
The officers stayed for about an
hour-and-a-half, the mother said,
but the impression they made on the
kids who range in age from 4 to
10 has endured for much longer:
so much so that shes eager to help
the committee do the same thing for
more families next year.
I want my kids to learn that,
this year, it was us, and next year,
we want another family to feel the
same, she said. And if we can just
help give a hand, that will make a
difference because then, the next
family will help the next, and itll
just keep going.
Romero also hopes the DCSO
can expand the program into a
much bigger thing next holiday
season to involve more agencies and
officers, as it ultimately signifies
how committed the Cultural Committees members and the law
enforcement community as a whole
are to serving their communities.
The same goes for the mentoring
program at Glacier Edge. He said
each visit to the school helps affirm
why he became a cop in the first
place.
I have kids telling me they were
scared of police before, and now
they feel differently because they
have a chance to meet us and play
with us and talk to us in a different
way, Romero added. The kids are
our future, so we have to work with
them.
Contact Kate Newton at kate.
newton@wcinet.com.

Photo by Scott Girard

Representatives from Reach-A-Child visited the Fitch-Rona EMS department Wednesday,


Dec. 28, to donate five backpacks full of childrens books.

Nonprofit donates childrens


books to Fitch-Rona EMS
SCOTT GIRARD
Unified Newspaper Group

A donation from an area


nonprofit will help emergency medical responders
in Verona and Fitchburg
distract children from the
stressful situations around
them while on scene.
The Reach-A-Child organization, based in Madison,
donated five backpacks with
10 books and drawstring
backpacks each to FitchRona EMS on Wednesday,
Dec. 28, and another 10
backpacks to the Fitchburg
Fire Department on Monday,
Jan. 9.
They can take the
child aside, give them the
book, potentially even read
the book, Curt Fuszard,

On the Web
Find out more about Reach-A-Child:

reachachild.org

executive director of ReachA-Child, told the Star.


Fitch-Rona EMS deputy
chief Jeff Dostalek said the
books, which will be given to
the children to keep after an
incident, can take the pressure off of (the child) to figure out whats going on in
an emergency situation like
domestic violence.
It allows us to be more
interactive with the children that are on scene, he
explained.
Each of the ambulances
and the supervisor car will

get a backpack, Dostalek said


The books are appropriate for children ages 2-13,
Fuszard said.
Both Dostalek and Fuszard
said emergency responders
have historically provided
items like a teddy bear to
children when responding to
incidents, but that those dont
necessarily take a childs
attention away from whats
going on around them. Plus,
Dostalek said, donated teddy
bears had to be cleaned or
discarded because the department did not know their history.
Who doesnt like a
book? Dostalek said.
Contact Scott Girard at
ungreporter@wcinet.com
and follow him on Twitter @
sgirard9.

Photo by Kate Newton

Knox Anderson, 4, of Fitchburg, gets up close to examine his Yoda figure made of PlayDoh.

In a library far, far away...


Families simply looking
to check out a few books
were met with quite the
surprise Saturday, Dec.
10, at the Fitchburg Public
Librarys Star Wars Party, where members of the
501st Legion Wisconsin
Garrison gathered in full
costume to take pictures
and interact with kids and
parents. The all-volunteer group of Star Wars
enthusiasts make frequent

501st Legions website.


In addition to meeting
many of the franchises
To view more photos from the
most infamous villains,
librarys Star Wars Party, visit:
including Kylo Ren, a
gang of Stormtroopers
ConnectFitchburg.com
and, of course, Darth
Vader himself, kids could
make their own lightsapublic appearances at a bers and other Star Warsvariety of events and are t h e m e d c r a f t s t o t a k e
part of a worldwide orga- home.
nization of about 10,000
members, according to the
Kate Newton

On the Web

ConnectFitchburg.com

January 13, 2017

Fitchburg Star

11

Star hosts mayoral forum before primary


All three candidates for mayor
are expected to attend the Fitchburg Stars mayoral forum Feb. 2.
The race will feature a primary on Feb. 21, and the top two
vote-getters will advance to the
April 4 general election.
The forum begins at 7p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 2, in the Fitchburg
Room of the Fitchburg Community Center. It will be televised live

by Fitchburg community-access
network FACTv and rebroadcast
multiple times before the primary.
The Fitchburg Star is organizing and sponsoring the forum.
Editor Jim Ferolie will moderate
and keep time, and the Fitchburg
Star will include coverage and
print questionnaires from the candidates in its Feb. 10 issue. The
Star held a similar forum two

years ago before the primary.


Mayor Steve Arnold is being
challenged by Ald. Jason Gonzalez and former Agriculture and
Rural Affairs committee member
Marc Jones. Gonzalez announced
his candidacy in November; Jones
took out nomination papers in
December.
All three candidates have
agreed on the date and have

told the Star they will be able to


attend.
The Star will have tables and
chairs for attendees and some
refreshments. The forum is
expected to last about 90 minutes,
and if there is time, the Star will
consider taking questions submitted by the audience.
For information, call Ferolie at
845-9559.

If you go
What: Mayoral forum
Where: Fitchburg Room, Fitchburg Community Center
When: 7p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2
Info: ConnectFitchburg.com

Council races in all but District 2 Mayoral challengers


On the web
focus on leadership
SCOTT GIRARD

community, he said.

Unified Newspaper Group

Voters in each of four districts in the


City of Fitchburg have two aldermanic
races. District 2 will show one contested race on the ballot, though one of the
challengers has dropped out.
Candidates responded to a brief set
of questions sent via email by the Star
about their motivations for running and
their priorities if elected. More detailed
questionnaires are planned for the
March edition of the Star for alder candidates.

District 1
There are two candidates for each
seat in District 1, with just one incumbent running.
Richard Tate, a retiree who works a
part-time job, is challenging Ald. Dorothy Krause for Seat 1.
Tate told the Star he is very concerned about rising taxes forcing those
on fixed incomes out of the city, as well
as planning low-income housing to
avoid creating entire neighborhoods of
low-income residents.
We should remind ourselves of what
makes this city great, he said. We
have a sense of community and should
be neither pro-business nor anti-business.
Krause, who is running for her fourth
term on the council, said she wants to
continue ensuring people get basic
needs met.
On the whole, the city is in excellent shape, but there are large segments,
typically moderate- and lower- income
folks and neighborhoods, that need
more and better opportunities to thrive,
she said.
For the other seat, Anne Scott and
Wanda McCann-Smith will face off to
succeed Carol Poole, who chose not to
run for re-election.
Scott, a Jamestown resident since
1984, said she feels a responsibility to
represent all residents in my district,
prioritizing affordable housing, city services and responsible economic growth.
I am willing to listen to the residents
in my district, she said. Promoting
viable ideas and options requested by
residents is important if Im going to
represent residents in my district.
Her opponent, McCann-Smith, said
she also wants to be the voice of all
the residents, regardless of race or ethnicity or socioeconomic status. She cited experiences setting up block parties
and advocating for a park for her King
James Way neighborhood over the last
year as a reason she could be effective
on the council.

Read about the campiagn positions of Julia


Arata-Fratta and Dan Bahr, both unopposed, and
the alders who are not running for re-election:

ConnectFitchburg.com
I have proven experience building
bridges between cultures in the district, a
rare and invaluable skill in this district,
she said. I am a woman of color with
lots of energy, enthusiasm and organizational skills who can bring an understanding of all economically struggling
residents to city government.

District 3
A former mayor and a former parks
commissioner will face off to succeed
Jason Gonzalez in District 3.
Aaron Richardson, who has served
on the Parks, Recreation and Forestry Commission for nine years, said
he thought it was time to step up my
involvement after two current alders he
has worked with asked him if he would
consider running. He said he wants to
focus on intelligent planning.
As the city continues to grow, there
needs to be a variety of options for current and future residents to utilize for
living, dining and recreation options,
the lifelong Fitchburg resident said.
We need to avoid making decisions
that cause issues 20 or 30 years from
now and ensure Fitchburg is still a great
place to live.
He will face former mayor Jay Allen,
who also ran for mayor in 2015 but lost
in the primary. Allen did not respond to
the questions after responding to a follow-up email and stating he would.
The other District 3 race is a rematch
from 2015, with incumbent Dan Carpenter facing challenger Zyronia Mims.
Mims told the Star she wants to have
a voice for the constituents that have
been forgotten in Fitchburg, with a
focus on more transportation to improve
access to city services and attractions.
I will make sure that our homes
and families best interest are at hand,
Mims said.
Carpenter, the council president, is
a legislative aide in the state Assembly and is running for his third term
on the council. He said his campaign
will focus on the difficulty of buying a
house in Fitchburg and the challenge of
creating a community identity without a single school district.
We need to make sure we are a city
that welcomes, provides affordable
housing opportunities and retains the
next generation of residents who want
to work, live and raise a family in our

District 4

One of the District 4 races is sure


to bring a familiar face to the council,
though it wont be an incumbent.
Former alder Bill Horns and former
mayor Tom Clauder are facing off to
succeed Jake Johnson.
Horns, a member of the Agriculture
and Rural Affairs committee, said any
representative of District 4 needs to
understand and serve the needs of the
rural community, adding that all neighborhoods around the city must be fully
involved in city business and have the
best possible access to city resources.
He added that the budget will be the
major challenge this year because of
two new fire stations in the works, a
new police station under discussion, an
expanded TID 4 that is not yet generating its potential tax increment, street
and road maintenance needs that seem
to exceed available funds and other
pressing matters.
Clauder, a retired police officer who
ran an unsuccessful campaign for state
Assembly in 2010, focused on rising
taxes, economic development and the
constant struggle between the council and Mayor Steve Arnold in his reasons for running.
To have a smooth-running government, people have to get along and
show respect for each persons ideas,
Clauder said. I was asked by a number of residents to run for mayor again.
Knowing that three or four others may
run for mayor, I decided to bring my
experience to the council.
The other District 4 race pits incumbent Tony Hartmann against Richard
Hammersley, a former alder.
Hartmann, seeking his second term,
said he wants to bring the city together,
improve the common councils work
and create sustainable economic development.
Its OK to be upset with the state
of state and federal politics, but here at
the local level we have to rise above the
partisan nastiness and work together,
he said.
Hammersley, who served on the
council for four years in the mid2000s, said he doesnt like some of
whats going on on the council, specifically some of Arnolds initiatives.
I will vote for the people, he said,
adding that he enjoyed his time on
the council. I know a lot of people in
Fitchburg.
Contact Scott Girard at
ungreporter@wcinet.com and follow
him on Twitter @sgirard9.

Election: Poole, Stern, Johnson wont seek re-election


Continued from page 1
(D-3) and Jake Johnson
(D-4) are not running for
re-election.
For District 1, Seat 1,
incumbent Dorothy Krause
will face challenger Richard
Tate. In Seat 2 in that district,
newcomers Anne Scott and
Wanda McCann-Smith, both
of whom have served on city
committees, will face off.
Gonzalez is running for
mayor rather than re-election

for District 3, Seat 5, leaving Aaron Richardson and


former Mayor Jay Allen to
run for the seat. The District
3, Seat 6, race is a rematch
between incumbent Dan Carpenter and Zyronia Mims.
Carpenter defeated Mims in
2015 and was then chosen as
council president.
In District 4, former alder
Bill Horns will face former
Mayor Tom Clauder to succeed Johnson for Seat 7.
Incumbent Tony Hartmann

will run for re-election in


District 4, Seat 8, against former alder Richard Hammersley.
In District 2, Seat 4, Daniel Bahr will succeed Stern,
though a second name
appears on the ballot. Linda
Brewer told the Star in an
email Wednesday afternoon
she was withdrawing her
candidacy. In District 2, Seat
3, Julia Arata-Fratta, is unopposed.
The mayoral race is the

only one requiring a primary. All other elections will


take place April 4.
Whoever is elected could
have to confront a rocky
political climate on the
council, though with at
least four new faces joining, the atmosphere could
change, anyway.
Contact Scott Girard at
ungreporter@wcinet.com
and follow him on Twitter
@sgirard9.

Arnold: Unfinished
business, hopes for
better relationships
SCOTT GIRARD
Unified Newspaper Group

Each of the three mayoral candidates explained


their different motivations
for running in interviews
with the Star, but both of
the challengers had critical
words for the current mayor.
Marc Jones, who previously served
on the Ag
riculture
and Rural
Affairs
committee
until 2015,
said incumbent Steve
Arnold has Arnold
poor communication
skills and
that the current council
meetings
are pretty
awful to
watch.
Gonzalez
Youve
gotta have
some
respect for
other views
on the City
Council,
Jones said.
The council members Jones
have to feel
they can
bring issues to you, and I
think I could have that rapport.
Ald. Jason Gonzalez
(Dist. 3) said Arnolds
two-year term has left a
void of leadership on the
council, which he would
hope to fill.
We havent been able
to move forward under
his what I would call lack
of leadership, Gonzalez
said of Arnold. He had
his opportunity, and it just
hasnt worked.
For his part, Arnold said
the root of the political
back-and-forth at council meetings over his term
was a group of alders who
had supported his 2015
opponent Shawn Pfaff and
really never let go of that
and got back to governing.
I had to internally smile
each time someone said,
Why do you have to make
this political? as they
were making it political,
he said. With four new
council members at a minimum, hopefully we can put
a lot of that behind us and

get down to business.


Jones, who described
himself as a fiscal conservative, said he wants to
focus on rural areas in the
city, which he said can feel
like the forgotten Fitchburg.
Id like to try to give a
little better representation
to the people in the rural
area, he said.
He also said he would
b e eve r y b o d y s m a y or and wants to attract
more development, saying
Arnold has a no-development-on-my-watch attitude.
You need to think positive and act positive, he
said. If the no sign is
hanging outside the city,
which it is, then youre
maybe going to drive right
on by.
Gonzalez, who is currently serving his second
term as an alder, said he
would serve on fewer committees than Arnold does.
I am not an expert, he
said. We have staff for
that, and we have citizen
appointees, and I would
rely on those people to
educate and inform me.
Instead, he said, he
would use the position to
sell the city and work
with local organizations
to tackle major challenges
like bringing responsible
development, jobs and
dealing with poverty.
A continual inability, I think, to reach out to
people to try and engage
them in positive things, he
said. Were still not doing
what we need to do in that
regard.
Arnold said he and his
wife had to take a lot of
time to decide whether he
would run again, but he felt
called to do it and that he
had unfinished business,
especially with reaching
underserved populations.
Equity in service delivery and in trying to make
the city government better
reflect the diversity that
the whole population of the
city has, he cited as examples. We continue to have
great difficulty delivering
services to people who
cant drive without crosscity transit or para-transit
in much of the city.
He said he also wants
to attract specific developments that will allow
taxes to go down instead
of up.
There is no want of
substantive topics to discuss, he said.
Contact Scott Girard at
ungreporter@wcinet.com
and follow him on Twitter
@sgirard9.

12 Fitchburg Star - January 13, 2017

Ask the Fitchburg

SENIOR CARE

VETERINARIAN

Q. Should my elderly mom and dad be vaccinated?


A. One of the best ways for families to help elderly loved ones stay healthy is to make sure they are

Q. We are traveling on vacation and our dog has health issues and takes
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A. Pets are often most comfortable staying at home with a pet sitter when their families

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ReTIReMeNT COMMUNITY

Q. What kinds of things can I do to ensure my elderly mother doesnt feel isolated?
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vaccinated against common, preventable diseases. Respiratory diseases, such as pneumonia and influenza,
are the eighth leading cause of death among the older population and can be prevented with vaccinations. This
risk increases for those who have chronic conditions like diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
(COPD), or cardiovascular disease. Elders with chronic diseases are more likely to suffer complications from
pneumonia and influenza and are more likely to die as a result. Diabetics, for example, are three times more
likely to die from a bout with the flu than a healthy adult.
Shingles also poses a health risk for elders. Not only can shingles be excruciatingly painful but also the
effects of the disease can last for years. Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), severe, debilitating pain, can last for
months or years and is a common symptom in elders over 60 who get shingles. Shingles can cause permanent
damage, such as blindness and scarring, increase the risk for stroke, and can affect sleep. Elders who have
compromised immune systems can also develop pneumonia as a secondary infection to shingles.
Some may believe that the side effects of vaccines are too risky. However, the risks and complications from
the diseases themselves are far greater than the possible side effects from vaccinations.

Jeremy Jones, sports editor

845-9559 x226 ungsportseditor@wcinet.com

Anthony Iozzo, assistant sports editor


845-9559 x237 sportsreporter@wcinet.com
Fax: 845-9550

Sports

13

Friday, Jan. 13, 2017

The

Fitchburg Star
For more sports coverage, visit:
ConnectFitchburg.com

Edgewood boys hockey

OHS swimming

Larsen breaks
OHS school
record
JEREMY JONES
Sports editor

Photo by Jeremy Jones

Shane Ryan makes a first period blocker save in front of Oregon sophomore forward Zak Roskos. Edgewood won the game 4-1 to remain undefeated in
the Badger South.

Undefeated in the Badger South


Edgewood remains in first
with 4-1 win over Oregon
ANTHONY IOZZO
Assistant sports editor

The Madison Edgewood High


School boys hockey team traveled
to Oregon Ice Arena on Jan. 7 with
first place on the line in the Badger
South Conference.
The Crusaders (7-7-1 overall,
6-0 conference) came into the
game with eight points and would
have remained tied with the Panthers (11-1-1, 3-1) even if they

lost. But junior forward Carter


Hottmann was too much for Oregon in the 4-1 win.
Team
W-L-T Pts
Hottmann finished with two
Edgewood
6-0-0 12
goals and an assist. The goals
proved to be game winners with
Oregon
3-1-0 6
his assist coming on a goal by
Milton
3-2-0 6
freshman forward Drew Lenz to
2-3-0
4
ice the Panthers late in the third Monona Grove
period.
Stoughton 1-3-0 2
Overall, Edgewood outshot OreMonroe
0-6-0 0
gon 45-28 and held the Panthers to
0-for-6 on the power play.
Junior goalie Shane Ryan saved
Senior forward Fred Rich - Ke s s e l , s o p h o m o r e d e f e n d e r
27 of 28 shots, with the only blemish coming against Oregon senior ards scored the other Crusader
forward Calvin Schneider.
goal, and senior defender Bryce
Turn to EHS hockey/Page 16

Badger South

Oregon boys swimming


posted 26 season or career
bests Jan. 7 at the Stoughton College Events Invitational, including a new
school-record time by Jake
Larsen during his leg of the
100 backstroke during the
400 medley relay.
That is a pretty successful Saturday, head coach
Scott Krueger said. The
boys continue to push one
another in practice and
at meets. We are coming
together as a team as we get
closer to the championship
meets.
Larsen opened the meet
with Ian Charles, Collin
Braatz and Sam Rohloff to
help the Panthers medley
relay team open the meet
with a third-place finish.
Only SPASH (3:50.12) and
DAHS (3:55.44) topped
Oregon (3:59.49).
Larsen won the 200 butterfly by more than 15 seconds in 2 minutes, 3.03
seconds. He and junior Ian
Charles turned in the Panthers best finish, going 1-2
in the 100 butterfly in 54.52
and 56.19, respectively.
Charles added the 500
free title in (5:07.29) as
Oregon finished second to
last out of the eight-team
field with 248 points. Sun
Prairie won the meet with
501 points. Beloit Memorial (476) took second and
Janesville Parker (398)
rounded out the top three.
H e n r y Wi e d e m a n n ,
Braatz, Charles and Larsen
finished runner-up to Sun
Prairie (7:59.98) in the 800
free relay with a time of
8:05.28.
Rohloff added a sixth

Turn to OHS swim/Page 16

Madison West boys hockey

First place within reach for Regents after win over Verona
EVAN HALPOP
Unified Newspaper Group

Players chanted junior goalie Adam Buencaminos name as they headed to the locker room following the Madison West High
School boys hockey teams big 1-0 win over
Big Eight rival Verona Jan. 7 at Madison Ice
Arena.
Blocking shots and goaltending were areas
we did well in, head coach Bret Farley said.
Junior forward Riley Lanham scored the
game-winning goal in the first period with an
assist to sophomore forward Drake Baldwin.
Buencamino did the rest, finishing with 37
saves and a shutout. Most of the saves came in
the second and third periods with Verona having 29 shots on goal.
At the time, the win propelled the Regents
(8-5 overall, 5-2 conference) into a tie for first
place in the conference. They still sit tied for
second with Verona (6-9, 5-1) with 10 points.
Sun Prairie (7-5, 6-3) is currently the leader
with 12 points.
With a month of regular season hockey
left to be played, first place is in reach for the

Hedican, Edwin Jiang and Lanham each had


Regents, Farley said. He said the conference is
a toss up this year with parity throughout. Also, one assist. Buencamino saved 29 of 32 shots
the current leader, Sun Prairie, has played nine on goal.
games to the Regents seven and Veronas six.
The Regents finished 6-2 over the past West 3, Mad. Memorial 0
month with games against Janesville and
West hosted Madison Memorial Dec. 20 and
Middleton being postponed due to inclement won 3-0 at Madison Ice Arena.
weather.
Junior defenseman Dean Fuhrmann, Conor
Huie and Sam Loving all scored a goal.
West 6, Waunakee 3
Felix Jiang, Edwin Jiang and Lanham had
Madison West defeated Waunakee 6-3 Dec. the assists.
10 at the Ice Pond.
Buencamino shut out Madison Memorial
Sophomore Felix Jiang scored two goals, stopping all 17 shots on goal.
and senior Schuyler Hedican added a hat trick.
Lanham scored Wests other goal. Senior Baldwin-Woodville 7, West 6
Max Frey, junior Conor Huie, junior Colin
The Regents lost their Culvers Cup openPulkrabek and freshman Devin Huie all had ing game 7-6 to Baldwin-Woodville Dec. 28 at
two assists, and junior Sam Loving added one. Madison Ice Arena.
Buencamino saved 27 of 30 shots on goal.
Lanham, Sam Loving and Hedican all
scored goals, and Conor Huie collected a hat
West 4, Beloit Memorial 3
trick.
The Regents hosted Beloit Memorial on
Conor Huie, Charlie Cutting, Pulkrabek,
Dec. 13 and won 4-3 at Madison Ice Arena.
Sam Loving, Elliot Held, Kieran Garvey,
Felix Jiang and Devin Huie each scored Edwin Jiang and Lanham each had one assist.
a goal, and senior forward Cole Fuhrmann
scored two goals.
Turn to Regents/Page 17

Photo by Evan Halpop

Junior goaltender Adam Buencamino


stopped 37 shots on goal Jan. 7 in a 1-0 win
over Big Eight rival Verona at Madison Ice
Arena. At the time, the win tied the Regents
with Verona for first place. Sun Prairie is currently ahead of both teams with 12 points.

January 13, 2017

Boys hockey

Cats drop first Big 8


game of the season
JEREMY JONES
Sports editor

Verona split a pair of


close boys hockey games
this week, edging Madison
Edgewood in overtime but
going cold against Madison
Wests net on Saturday.

West 1, Verona 0
The Wildcats more than
doubled the Regents shot
output Saturday but were
unable to beat goaltender
Adam Buencamino in a 1-0
Big Eight Conference battle
Saturday.
Madison West forward
Riley Lanham scored a
power-play goal with a little less than three minutes
remaining in the first period, and that was all the host
Regents needed. Buencamino stopped all 37 shots he
faced to preserve his second
shutout of the season.
Goaltender Garhett Kaegi
faced only 15 shots in the
loss as dropped Verona to

Verona 4,
Edgewood 3 (OT)
Verona more than doubled Edgewoods shot output in a 4-3 overtime victory Friday.
It was a non-conference
game the Wildcats led for a
total of 42 seconds.
Twice Verona battled
back from one-goal deficits
against Madison Edgewood
before forward Jake Keyes
iced the visiting Crusaders with the game-winning
rebound goal 1 1/2 minutes
into overtime.
Edgewood forced overtime in the final minute,
scoring on the power play
42 seconds after a Braeden
Schindler goal had given
the Wildcats the lead.

Lynx move up state


rankings into the top 10
M a d i s o n M e t r o Ly n x
girls hockey co-op
improved to 7-1-4 last
week and remained undefeated in the Badger Conference.

Lynx 4, Appleton 1

Photo submitted

Senior Brandon Daniels finished 7-1 at the Bi-States Classic to place third overall at the La Crosse Civic Center Dec.
29-30.

Daniels finishes third at Bi-States


ANTHONY IOZZO
Assistant sports editor

Senior Brandon Daniels (145


pounds) was the lone Verona Area
High School wrestler to medal Dec.
29-30 at the Bi-States Classic at the
La Crosse Civic Center.
Daniels ranked sixth in Division
1 finished 7-1 with the lone loss
coming in the quarterfinals against

Jaden Winchel (Sparta) ranked


fourth in Division 1.
Daniels (16-4 overall) defeated
Cole Skelton (Ellsworth) ranked
fourth in Division 2 1-0 in his thirdplace match. He also added wins over
Clay McCartney (Lancaster), Cameron Lemmens (Luxemburg-Casco), Brady Bastyr (Lakeville South,
Minn.), John Phelan (Dodgeville)
ranked 11th in Division 2 Reese

Averbeck (Bloomington Kennedy,


Minn.) and Teagen Miller (Mauston)
ranked sixth in Division 2.
Heavyweight Jordan Recob was
2-2 and did not medal. He had wins
over Kenny Foster (Boscobel) and
Logan Schindeldecker (Lewiston-Altura/Rushford Peterson, Minn). No
other wrestler made it past the first
day of the tournament.

Gymnastics

Girls hockey

Sports editor

Wrestling

6-9-0 overall, 5-1-0 in conference, while West (8-50) improved to 5-2-0. Sun
Prairie has played two more
games than both teams and
leads the conference with
12 points.

Turn to VAHS hockey/Page 16

JEREMY JONES

ConnectFitchburg.com

Verona Area High School

Fitchburg Star

second period Inside the


Appleton Family Ice Center.
Epping, who also assisted on Dragoos first period
goal, took over the third
period, scoring 29 seconds
into the final 17 minutes.
She then added a power-play goal with 51 seconds remaining to ice the
victory.
Ve r o n a s M c K e n z i e
Inhoff had three assists in
the victory, and goaltender Gwen Parker made 25
saves. Mekenzy Hoisington stopped 28 of 32 shots
on goal for Appleton.

Senior Kara Epping


bookended the third period with a pair of insurance goals Friday to propel
Madison to a 4-1 victory
over Appleton United on
the road.
Julia Dragoo and Vivian
Hacker helped the Metro Lynx 2, Viroqua 0
Lynx get out to a 2-0 lead
Madison Edgewood forearly in the second period
before Madison Schultz ward Julia Dragoo scored
cut the lead in half with a twice in the first period
power-play goal for UnitTurn to Lynx/Page 16
ed midway through the

Molitor hopes to lead Wildcat/Crusaders


JEREMY JONES
Sports editor

Edgewood senior Maddie Molitor missed all of


her junior year with a collarbone injury, but shes
picked up where she left
off: once again leading
the Verona/Madison Edgewood gymnastics team this
fall.
Molitor had already
pulled off the feat in tennis, where she won a state
title at the WIAA Division
2 individual meet, and
Thursday she won the allaround competition inside
Glacier Edge Elementary
School against Middleton.
She finished .05 points
a h e a d o f M i d d l e t o n s
Chloe Young with a 32.675
despite a fall on the floor
exercise at the end of the
meet.
The Wildcat/Crusaders
fell 123.4-120.325, but the
Edgewood senior continued to shine with victories

Photo by Jeremy Jones

Verona/Madison Edgewood gymnast Maddie Molitor dismounts from the uneven bars
Thursday inside Glacier Edge Elementary. Molitor finished second on the event with an 8.1
on her way to the varsity all-around title with a combined 32.675 points. V/ME lost to Middleton 123.4-120.325.
o n t h e b a l a n c e b e a m uneven bars (8.1) to Young
(8.625) and vault (8.6) and (8.3). She finished tied for
a runner-up finish on the eighth with a 7.4 on the
floor.
Though Molitor said
shes probably only back
to 70 or 75 percent since
the injury, she was an individual state qualifier her
sophomore year.
Im definitely working
to get my skills back and
being more consistent,
Molitor said. Today, I
was kind of playing around
with some of the new skills
that Ive added.
VME freshman Hailey
Dohnal finished third on
the floor routine (7.9) and
vault (8.15), and fourth on
the bars (6.9).
Senior Elizabeth Pauls
exhibition floor routine
brought a cheer from the
crowd and a tear to the eye
of her mother.
Fernanda Alayo (24.5)
and Amara (21.150) finished 1-2 in the all-around
competition, while Emelia
Lichty won the JV balance
adno=501990-01

14

beam (7.5) and uneven bars


(5.15). The Wildcat/Crusaders won the JV competition 93.575-76.975.

Fourth at Mount
Horeb
The Wildcat/Crusaders
showed big improvements
in their third meet of the
season, adding six points
to the teams previous best
score on Saturday to finish
fourth at the 31st Mount
Horeb Invitational.
V/ME bested both Big
Eight rivals Middleton and
Madison West in the process.
Samz tied Sun Prairies
Allayah Lane for sixth
place on vault with an 8.65
and Molitor scored an 8.4
on the uneven bars for fifth
place.
V/ME struggled to put
up big numbers on the
floor exercise but finished
the meet out strong on a
sixth-place beam routine
from Dohnal (8.7).

ConnectFitchburg.com

Oregon High School

January 13, 2017

Fitchburg Star

15

Oregon Youth Wrestling

Eight titles and 22 runner-ups at annual tourney


The Oregon Youth Wrestling
club hosted its annual tournament
Saturday and finished with eight
undefeated champions and 22
runner-ups with only one loss at
Oregon High School.
Out of 79 youth wrestlers, 73
competed, and Michael Schliem,
Seth Niday, Owen Heiser, Karl
Brooks, Trevor Barlow, Abram
ORourke, Joe Schmiesing and
John Ruth were all crowned
champions.

Cammron Hall, Tyler Wald,


Jack Williams, Devin Schultek,
Collin Keast, Cole Weaver, William Mann, Ryan Payne, Lucas
Brown, Sebastian Soumphonphakdy, Cooper King, Zani Adili, Logan Kamin, Aleena Adili,
Thomas Ruth, Evan Fahey, Jacob
Schultz, Peyton Kratochvil,
Landon Schulz, Tomas Neumann,
Danny Heiser and Landon Kamin
all finished as runner-ups.

Tournament champions
Owen Heiser: 2004-2005, 117-128 pounds won by fall in
1:51 over Dakota Jones (Janesville)
Michael Schliem: 2004-2005, 91-96 pounds won by fall in
1:46 over Dillon Raab (Lena, Ill.)
Seth Niday: 2004-2005, 101-108 pounds won 3-2 decision
of Gunnar Hamre (Lodi)
Karl Brooks: 2004-2005, 107-111 pounds won by fall in
0:52 over Nathan Star (La Follette)
John Ruth: 2004-2005, 99-103 pounds won by 12-0 major
decision over James Amacher (Lodi)
Abram ORourke: 2006-2007, 77-79 pounds won by fall in
0:39 over Austin Foust (Monona Grove)
Joe Schmiesing: 2006-2007, 90-95 pounds won 7-2 decision over Brett Lux (Janesville)
Trevor Barlow: 2006-2007, 74-77 pounds won 4-3 decision
over Brady Daniels (Watertown)

Photo by Anthony Iozzo

Fourth-grader Tomas Neumann goes for a pin in Saturdays annual Oregon Youth Wrestling Club tournament at
Oregon High School. Neumann finished runner-up, one of 22 Oregon wrestlers to take second place.

Boys hockey

Wrestling

Oregons offense disappears in first loss of the season Ehn-Howland takes fifth at
Mid-States Classic
JEREMY JONES
Sports editor

ANTHONY IOZZO
Assistant sports editor

Pa r k e r E h n - H ow l a n d
was one of three Oregon
wrestlers to earn medals
Dec. 28-29 at the MidStates Wrestling Classic at
the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Ehn-Howland took fifth
at 170 pounds, and Robbie
Ruth (160) and Devin Keast
(152) finished seventh and
eighth, respectively. The
Panthers took 24th out of
43 teams with 77 points.
Ehn-Howland defeat ed Thomas McManaway
(Whitewater) 5-2 in his
fifth-place match and was
5-2 for the tournament. He
won his first two matches over Jake Schultz (West

Photo by Jeremy Jones

Sam Hakes (11) races to a loose puck in the Edgewood zone in the third period Saturday.
Oregon dropped the Badger South rivalry game 4-1 at home. It was the teams first loss of
the season.

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Oregon 7, MG 2
Alex Verhagen scored four
goals and Ryan Michek added two more last Thursday
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Grove 7-2 inside Hartmeyer
Ice Arena.
The Panthers scored multiple goals, including three in
the first 13 minutes for a 3-0
lead.
Henry Roskos made 12 of
his 20 saves in the third period.

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with 3 1/2 minutes left in
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Edgewoods Shane Ryan
made more than half of his
27 saves in the first period as
Oregon went 0-for-4 on the
power play.
Oregon senior forward
Calvin Schneider scored the
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the net with five minutes
remaining in the third period.
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Holous (Downers Grove
South, Ill.) before falling in
the quarterfinals to eventual
champion Parker Keckeisen
(Nicolet) ranked third in
Wisconsin.
Ehn-Howland had a shot
at the third-place match
but fell in a thrilling double overtime battle to Devin
Parrish (Wauconda, Ill.).
Ruth won the seventh-place match 3-2 over
Joey Perrigo (Brookwood).
He was 4-2 .
Keast also made a seventh-place match, but was
defeated 5-0 by Ben DeWitt
(Brookwood). He was 3-3
in the tournament.
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That was rough, Jochmann said. When you have


opportunities like that against
a good team, you have to
take advantage. Going 0-for4 (0-6 overall), I thought
wed do better than that. To
their credit, Edgewood did a
nice job. They were the first
team weve played that was
really aggressive with the
penalty kill, and I think that
rattled us a little bit.
Edgewood turned the tide
for good over a three-minute
stretch in the second period,
as Fred Richards and Carter
Hottman each scored midway through the period to
put the Crusaders up 2-0.
Hottman added a second
goal 6 minutes into the third
period before Drew Lenz

adno=498290-01

Something had to give


when a pair of undefeated Badger South rivals met
inside Oregon Ice Arena on
Jan. 7.
And while the Oregon
boys hockey team played
well in spurts, the team,
which had been averaging
4.69 goals a game, went ice
cold in a 4-1 loss against
Madison Edgewood.
Tonight was kind of a
benchmark game for us
to see where we are as a
team, Oregon head coach
Mike Jochmann said. That
was definitely the best team
weve played so far this season.
We had some good shifts,
but Edgewood worked the
puck around and caught us
running. Like I told the guys
after the game, I think thats
a team we can hang with.
Oregon entered the game
undefeated overall (11-0-1),
while Edgewood was 5-7-1.
The Crusaders had played
a much tougher schedule,
however, falling twice to
third-ranked Waukesha,
fourth-ranked Stevens Point
and honorable mention University School of Milwaukee
among others.
Despite dominating the
first period, with nearly double the shots on goal and
power-play opportunities as
Edgewood, Oregon came up
empty.

16

January 13, 2017

ConnectFitchburg.com

Fitchburg Star

EHS hockey: Edgewood defeats Silver Eagles


twice 5-1, knocks off Stoughton
Continued from page 13

Last months
non-conference results

Hunter Stracka and sopho m o r e f o r w a r d Te d d y


Kluesner all added assists.
Henry Roskos finished
with 41 saves for the Panthers.

Dec. 10: University School 8, Edgewood 4


Dec. 15: Waunakee 3, Edgewood 2
Dec. 28: Edgewood 1, Fond du Lac 1
Dec. 29: Edgewood 4, Eau Claire Memorial 3
Dec. 30: Waukesha 4, Edgewood 1
Jan. 6: Verona 4, Edgewood 3 (OT)

Edgewood 5, MG 1
Edgewood hosted
Monona Grove Dec. 13 at
LaBahn Arena and won
5-1.
Sophomore forward Jake
Schmaltz finished with
three goals, and Hottmann
added a goal and three
assists. Richards scored
the other goal, and senior
forward Cale McCoshen,
junior defender Nathan
Rehm, Lenz and Kessel all
had assists.
Junior goalie Shane Ryan
had 14 saves on 15 shots.

Edgewood 5, MG 1
The Crusaders next conference game was Jan. 3 at
Hartmeyer Ice Arena once
again against the Silver

Schmaltz finished with


two goals and three assists,
and junior defender Jack
Royer and Stracka both
collected a goal and two
assists.
Senior forward Jacob
Moore, Ternus, Smith and
Hottmann all had a goal
and an assist, and junior
forward Gabe Brown and
Kessel both collected two
assists.
Edgewood 9,
Kluesner scored the other goal, and McCoshen and
Stoughton 3
Lenz also picked up assists.
E d g ew o o d s o ff e n s e
Junior goalie Ben Cegeblasted Stoughton 9-3 on lski finished with 16 saves
Jan. 10.
on 18 shots.

Eagles, and once again,


Edgewood won 5-1.
Hottman scored twice,
and Schmaltz added a goal
and two assists. Lenz and
Kluesner also scored goals,
and senior forward Bryce
Ternus, freshman forward
Payton Smith and Stracka
all picked up assists.
Ryan finished with 15
saves on 16 shots.

Whats next?
The Madison Edgewood Crusaders have now won 32 straight Badger South Conference matches dating back to the 2013-14 regular season, and they have won six straight
conference titles.
Edgewood played Monroe Thursday after the Fitchburg Star deadline but was heavily
favored.
Here is the upcoming schedule for this month:
7:45p.m. Thursday, Jan. 17, at Milton at Mandt Community Ice Arena
5:30p.m. Friday, Jan. 20, at Madison West (non-conference) at Madison Ice Arena
7p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 24, at McFarland at McFarland Community Ice Center
8p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, at Middleton (non-conference) at Capitol Ice Arena
7p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 31, at Stoughton at Mandt Community Ice Arena
8p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, against Madison Memorial at LaBahn Arena
8p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7, against Oregon at LaBahn Arena
4p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, at Wausau West at Marathon Park

VAHS hockey: Cats drop Crusaders in OT


Continued from page 14
Edgewood winger Drew
Lenz broke a scoreless
drought just under seven
minutes into the second
period. Verona answered
with a Mason McCormick
goal 5 1/2 minutes into the
third period, but center Jake

Schmaltz scored 1 1/2 minutes later to give the Crusaders the lead.
Jack Anderson scored
a power-play goal for the
Wildcats after a Fred Richard cross checking penalty
midway through the period.
Kaegi stopped 16
shots on goal in 51 minutes,

and Ben Cegelski turned


away 27 shots, including 12
in the second period.
The victory kept Verona
alive in the race for a top
three seed in its playoff
bracket, with the only loss
to a sectional team coming
against rival Madison West
this season.

Photo by Joe Koshollek

Jake Larsen swims in the 200 butterfly Jan. 7 at the College Events invite at Stoughton
High School. Larsen later broke a school record in his leg of the 400 medley relay via the
100 backstroke.

OHS swim: Panthers drop conference duals


to Milton, Edgewood

had three PRs, while Braatz (50, 100


free) and Charles (100, 200 free) and
Sam Rohloff (200 IM, 100 breast), Justin
Yaun (50, 100 free), Blake Anderson (50
back, 200 free) and Zach Folmer (50 free,
100 breast) each PRed in two events.
The boys did a great job, Krueger
said. I am very proud of how they competed.

Continued from page 13

-place finish in the 100 breaststroke


(1:12.24) and Braatz added a seventh-place finish in the 100 backstroke
(1:07.43).
Zach Folmer (100 and 200 breast, 100
free), Duncan Morgan (100 back, 100
and 50 free), Sam Rohloff (100 free,
100 and 200 breast), Henry Wiedermann Edgewood 103, Oregon 60
(200, 500 and 1,000 free) and Justin Yuan
The Panthers hosted third-ranked Mad(50, 100 and 200 free) all had three perison Edgewood on Jan. 3 and lost 103sonal-best swims.
60.
Milton 87, Oregon 81
Oregon finished second in eight events,
A shorthanded Oregon swimming team but no higher.
Charles (2:07.51) finished second to
hosted Milton on Jan. 10 and fell just a
little short in an 87-81 Badger South freshman Nate Frucht by .26 in the 200
free and .54 behind freshman Alex Moen
Conference dual meet.
Larsen, Rohloff, Charles and Braatz in the 400 free with a 4:30.31.
Larsen took second in the 200 IM in
opened the meet, taking the 200-medley relay in 2:00.41. Charles, Braatz and 2:24.19. He also helped the Panthers to a
Larsen were joined by sophomore Justin pair of second-place finishes.
Larsen, Rohloff, Charles and Braatz
Yaun to close the meet with a 400-free
(2:00.15) took second in the 200 medrelay victory in 4:06.96.
Charles, Larsen and Braatz each added ley relay and again in the 200 free relay
a pair of individual victories for the Pan- (1:50.46).
Freshman Blake Anderson, Yaun, Folthers.
Charles added the 200 free crown in mer and Wiedemann closed out the meet,
2:07.34 and the 400 free in 4:31.5. Lars- finishing second to Edgewood on the 400
en claimed the 200 IM in 2:22.18 and the free relay (5:04.24).
Braatz (27.57) and Yaun (30.39) placed
100 fly in 1:00.42; and Braatz took the
50 free in 27.07 and added the 100 free second and third in the 50 free. Braatz
also added a runner-up finish in the 100
title in 1:00.18.
Larsen (50 back, 200 IM, 100 breast) free (1:01.83).

Lynx: Middleton co-op defeats Viroqua


Continued from page 14
Saturday and Sydney McKersie kept the
puck out of the net as the Metro Lynx
defeated Viroqua 2-0 in a Badger Conference game.
Dragoos first goal came via the power play with a little more than two minutes remaining in the first period. A little over 2 1/2 minutes later Dragoo added an even-strength insurance goal.

Madison could have easily had a couple more goals if it were not for the play
of Ivy Shonka, who had 51 saves for the
Blackhawks. At the other end of the ice,
McKersie posted her third shutout in the
last five games for Madison, making 13
saves in the win.
The defending champion Metro Lynx
remained undefeated in the conference
(3-0-2) with the victory, but they trail
Sun Prairie (4-0-1) by a point.

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Madison West/Madison Edgewood

Regents sports beat

January 13, 2017

17

Fitchburg Star

Crusaders sports beat

Memorial; Jan. 20 at Madison Memorial; Jan. 26 at Middleton; Jan. 28 at Verona;


The Madison West High School boys Feb. 3 vs. Madison La Follette and Feb. 9 vs.
swimming team is currently ranked second Madison East
in Division 1 behind Waukesha South-Catholic Memorial and ahead of Hartland Arrow- Girls basketball
head and Big Eight rivals Madison Memorial
The Madison West girls basketball team
and Middleton.
(2-8, 1-7) went winless over the last month,
The Madison West 200 medley relay (1 dropping games against Verona (6-5, 5-2),
minute, 35.61 seconds) currently has the Madison La Follette (2-5, 3-7), non-confertop time in the conference. Other top times ence Portage (6-5), Madison East (8-2, 6-2),
belong to junior Lain Weaver (50 free, 100 Sun Prairie (8-3, 6-2) and Janesville Craig
free, 100 fly) sophomore Wes Jekel (200 IM, (6-6, 5-3).
100 back) and sophomore Henry Miller (100
Senior forward/guard Giselle Monette finbreast).
ished with 41 points in five of those games
Weavers time in the 100 fly (51.21) is also during that stretch.
the best in the state right now. Jekels time in
Upcoming games (all at 7:30p.m.): Jan.
the 100 back (52.77) is second in the state.
11 vs. Janesville Craig; Jan. 13 vs. Beloit
Upcoming meets: 5:30p.m. Jan. 13 vs. Memorial; Jan. 17 vs. non-conference West
Janesville Craig; 11a.m. Jan. 14 at Middle- Allis Central; Jan. 21 at Middleton; Jan. 24
ton invite; 5:30p.m. Jan. 20 at Beloit Memo- at Madison Memorial; Jan. 27 at Verona;
rial in triple dual; 8a.m. Jan. 28 at UW-Mad- Feb. 2 vs. Madison La Follette; Feb. 4 vs.
ison Natatorium invite; 6p.m. Feb. 3 in Big Madison East; Feb. 10 vs. Sun Prairie
Eight diving meet at Middleton; 1p.m. Feb.
Wrestling
4 at Big Eight meet at Middleton
Robert Cooper (11-2) took first place at
Boys basketball
the Lancaster Invitational on Jan. 7.
The Madison West High School boys basCooper finished 3-0 on the day with a 13-2
ketball team (4-8 overall, 3-5 Big Eight) major decision over Darlingtons Paul King
were 4-3 over the last month, including Big in the finals at 126 pounds.
Eight wins over Verona (4-7, 2-6), Sun PraiCooper also took fourth at the Bob Downrie (8-3, 5-3) and Madison East (6-5, 5-3).
ing Scramble in Sun Prairie on Dec. 10 with
The Regents also defeated non-conference a 3-2 record.
Madison Edgewood (6-4).
Upcoming matches: 7p.m. Jan. 13 at MadThe losses came against Janesville Craig ison Memorial; 10a.m. Saturday at Milwau(6-3, 5-2), Madison La Follette (4-7, 2-6) kee Hamilton invite; 6:30p.m. Jan. 20 in Big
and non-conference West De Pere.
Eight Showcase at Middleton; 8a.m. Jan.
Senior guard Terrell Carey scored 130 21 at Madison East invite; 7p.m. Jan. 24 vs.
points in those seven games to lead West. Oakfield; 5p.m. Jan. 27 at Poynette Quad;
Senior guard Simeon Parker was right behind 10a.m. Feb. 4 at Big Eight meet at Madison
him with 126 points during that stretch.
East
Upcoming games (all at 7:30p.m.): Jan.
12 vs. Janesville Parker; Jan. 14 vs. Beloit
Anthony Iozzo

Boys swimming

Boys swimming
The Madison Edgewood boys
swimming team is currently
ranked third in Division 2 behind
conference rival Monona Grove
and Grafton and ahead of Nicolet
and Cedarburg.
The Crusaders currently have
the second fastest time in the
Badger Conference in the 400
free relay (3 minutes, 22.51 seconds) and the 200 medley relay
(1:40.67).
Senior Phillip Fochios (100
back), freshman Truman teDuits
(100 breast) and freshman Alex
Moen (200 free) have top three
times in their events in the conference.
Upcoming meets: 5p.m. Jan.
13 at Nicolet invite; 6p.m. Jan.
17 at Milton; 11a.m. Jan. 21 at
UW-Platteville invite; 6p.m. Jan.
24 at Fort Atkinson; 6p.m. Feb. 3
at Badger South meet at Monona
Grove

Boys basketball
The Madison Edgewood boys
basketball team (6-4 overall, 3-1
conference) finished 4-3 over the
last month, including wins over
Badger South rivals Oregon (3-7,
0-4) and Monona Grove (7-2, 4-1).
The Crusaders also added wins
over non-conference McFarland
(8-2) and Lake Mills (10-1).
The losses came against conference foe Stoughton (9-0, 4-0)
and non-conference teams Verona
(4-7) and Madison West (4-8).
Senior guard Alex Arians led

Edgewood with 134 points in


seven games, and junior forward
Mandela Deang was right behind
him with 116 points.
Upcoming games (all at
7:30p.m.): Jan. 12 vs. Fort Atkinson; Jan. 14 vs. non-conference
Wahlert at Loras College; Jan. 17
vs. Milton; Jan. 27 at Milton; Feb.
4 at non-conference DeForest;
Feb. 7 vs. Oregon; Feb. 9 at Fort
Atkinson

Girls basketball
The Madison Edgewood girls
basketball team (7-3, 2-2) finished
3-2 over the last month with wins
over conference foes Monona
Grove (8-2, 3-2) and Oregon (4-7,
1-4).
The Crusaders also defeated
non-conference Xavier (4-8).
The losses came to conference
rival Stoughton (10-2, 4-1) and
non-conference Verona (6-5).
Senior Estella Moschkau finished with 113 points in five
games last month, and senior
Katie Meriggioli and junior Caitlin Link added 72 and 58 points,
respectively.
Upcoming games (all at
7:30p.m. unless noted): Jan. 13
at non-conference Reedsburg;
Jan. 19 at Milton; Jan. 24 vs. Oregon; Jan. 28 at Stoughton; Jan.
31 at Monona Grove; Feb. 3 at
Fort Atkinson; 4:15p.m. Feb. 4 at
non-conference Barneveld; Feb. 6
vs. Milton; Feb. 9 vs. non-conference Baraboo
- Anthony Iozzo

Regents: Madison West has 10 points in seven games in the Big Eight
Continued from page 13
Hedican added two assists.
Buencamino saved 21 of 28 shots
on goal.

West 3, MG 2

the Culvers Cup with a 6-3 win over


Lakeland Dec. 30 at Madison Ice
Arena.
Lanham, Conor Huie, Devin Huie,
Max Chambers, Max Frey and Hedican all scored goals.
Conor Huie, Lanham, Cutting,
Felix Jiang and Pulkrabek all had
assists. Hedican also added two
assists.
Buencamino saved 20 of 23 shots
on goal.

West edged Monona Grove 3-2


Dec. 29 at Madison Ice Arena to
advance to the consolation championship game of the Culvers Cup.
Hedican, Conor Huie and Edwin
Sun Prairie 3, West 1
Jiang all scored a goal each.
Held, Hedican, Edwin Jiang and
Frey scored Wests lone goal in a
Felix Jiang collected assists.
3-1 loss to Sun Prairie on Jan. 3 at
Buencamino saved 21 of 23 shots Madison Ice Arena.
on goal.
Hedican and Garvey collected
assists.
West 6, Lakeland 3
Buencamino saved 23 of 25 shots
West won the consolation side of on goal.

Whats next?
The Madison West High School boys hockey team is currently in a tight race for the Big Eight Conference
championship, but there is still a lot of hockey left. Here is the next months schedule:
7p.m. Friday, Jan. 13, at Oregon at Oregon Ice Arena
5:30p.m. Friday, Jan. 20, vs. Madison Edgewood at Madison Ice Arena
8p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, at Madison co-op at Hartmeyer Ice Arena
7p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24, at Beloit Memorial at Edwards Ice Arena
7p.m. Friday, Jan. 27, at Verona at Verona Ice Arena
8p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, at Middleton at Capitol Ice Arena
8p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 31, vs. Madison Memorial at Madison Ice Arena
7p.m. Friday, Feb. 3, at Milwaukee Marquette (non-conference) at Eble Park Ice Arena
8p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7, vs. KM/Mukwonago (non-conference) at Madison Ice Arena

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18

January 13, 2017

ConnectFitchburg.com

Fitchburg Star

2016: All three school districts Oregon, Madison, Verona hold or plan referendums
Continued from page 1

Photo by Kate Newton

Larry Noyce, a resident of the Tower Hill neighborhood for 40 years, serves up a helping
of the pork he roasted for an Oct. 22 fundraiser to support people affected by the Aug. 25
home explosion on Cheryl Drive.

2. Referendums at all
three school districts
No matter which school
district you live in among
the three that cover Fitchburg, referendums were a
priority.
In the Oregon and Madison Metropolitan districts,
voters strongly approved
recurring referendums to
create a new compensation system and help avoid
teacher layoffs, respectively. In the Verona Area
School District, much of
the year was spent on meetings and planning for an
April 2017 referendum.
Oregon School District
voters gave the district the
authority to exceed the
state-imposed revenue cap
by $1.5 million in perpetuity to help fund a new
teacher compensation program that district officials

attract and retain the best


teachers. The plan had originally been slated for the
November 2014 ballot with
the capital referendum that
ultimately passed, but the
district and Oregon Education Association decided
to continue working on the
details of the plan and waited two years to put it on the
ballot.
It passed easily, 59 percent in favor to 41 percent
opposed.
In Madison, the school
board asked to eventually
exceed its cap by $26 million, phased in over four
years to prevent deep and
disruptive cuts nearly
$12 million in 2017-18,
according to the districts
referendum web page.
Many of those cuts would
have been staff, which
would have resulted in larger class sizes and required
scaling back focuses on
closing the achievement
gap.
That referendum passed
74 percent to 26 percent.
VASD officials prepared
for an April 2017 referendum that will ask voters to
approve a new, $150 million high school building,
plus other renovations and

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Whatever happened
Tuesday,
Aug. 9, the
city was set
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Capitol in
2017.
Thats
because all
three of the
nominees in
the Democratic prim a r y w e r e Hartmann
Fitchburg
residents, and
there was no
Republican
candidate on
the ballot.
They included two alders,
J u l i a A r a - Anderson
ta-Fratta and
Tony Hartman, and a nonprofit organization leader,
Jimmy Anderson.
Anderson, who founded
the nonprofit Drive Clear,
which helps victims of
drunken driving, won by a
500-vote margin over his
closest competitor, Arata-Fratta.
Anderson was paralyzed
from the chest down and
lost his parents in brother in
a crash involving a drunken
driver.

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tric did contain a gas leak


at the scene within several
minutes of the incident, but
MG&E and city officials
maintained it occurred as a
result of the blast. A motion
hearing for the suit was set
for Jan. 30, according to
online court records.
Kate Newton

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to the blast.
According to online court
records, Grittner filed a
personal injury suit against
Sears, Roebuck and Company, Home Delivery Link,
Inc. and a group of five other defendants in October.
He claims the installer of
the electric dryer failed to
cap a gas line when replacing his gas-powered dryer at the time, and when a
tree-trimming crew asked
Grittner to turn off a water
valve on the day of the
explosion, he mistakenly
opened the wrong valve,
which eventually led to the
explosion.

By August of this year,


Fitchburg Lands had a proposal in front of the citys
Plan Commission to build
a mix of commercial and
housing on 93 of the 248
acres of land it owns in the
neighborhood, which is
near the Hwy. 14 and Lacy
Road interchange. The rest
would be preserved as open
space or parks.
That proposal earned the
support of the commission,
including Mayor Steve
Arnold, who had campaigned against the neighborhoods development in
2015, when he narrowly
defeated incumbent Mayor Shawn Pfaff. His support dismayed many in the
WWPC, based on a blog
post soon after that vote
that called it a betrayal.
Scott Girard

3. Citys northeast plan


4. Fitchburg fills
gets go-ahead
D e v e l o p m e n t i n t h e Assembly primary
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affected by the explosion


almost immediately. At
least $7,900 has been raised
through a GoFundMe campaign, direct deposits to an
account at Summit Credit
Union and proceeds from
two fundraisers organized
by Tower Hill residents,
and the neighborhoods
Tower Hill Association was
re-established to coordinate
recovery efforts.
First responders from
Fitchburg, the city and
town of Madison, the City
of Verona and the University of Wisconsin-Madison
helped clear the scene in
the immediate aftermath
of the explosion, and both
Fitchburg fire chief Joe Pulvermacher and Mayor Steve
Arnold credited Fitch-Rona
EMS personnel for treating
Grittner almost instantly
(an ambulance had been
driving by his home at the
time).
Times like these make
me proud to be associated
with the City of Fitchburg,
Arnold said at a Sept. 1
debriefing. On one hand,
its a terrible tragedy for
the city. On the other, its a
miracle there was no loss of
life.
While the City of Fitchburg has yet to release the
conclusion of its investigation into the cause of the
explosion, Grittner and his
attorney Dan Rottier allege
an error made during a dryer installation in the home
five years ago actually led

shuffling of students among


existing buildings to solve
a more immediate space
crunch at the elementary
school level.
School board members
toyed with the idea of asking for both a high school
and elementary school on
the same ballot, but a community survey showed tepid
support.
In addition to the survey, the district held input
sessions and gave presentations on the expected
enrollment growth. And
earlier this week it put three
questions on the ballot: the
new high school and an
auditorium, athletic fields
and a new pool and a recurring referendum to pay for
operating costs.
Scott Girard

ConnectFitchburg.com

January 13, 2017

Fitchburg Star

19

2016: Dog park plans, fire station costs, political battles strain relationships
Continued from page 18
The 30-year-old self-described progressive did end
up with a general election
contest against an independent candidate, Town
of Dunn resident Adam
Dahl, and won by a 2-to-1
margin. This month he will
will take over the 47th State
Assembly District seat from
Robb Kahl, who decided
not to run for re-election.
Scott Girard

5. Uneven progress for


dog park plans
Photo by Samantha Christian

Rachel Burnham Holdener, of the Fitchburg Dog Park Advocates, explains the preliminary plan for the dog park at Irish
Lane and Fish Hatchery Road during an open house Dec. 19.
area and potentially affect
their property values, but
the recurring fear among the
neighbors was in regards to
the area flooding.
The preliminary site
plan for the Irish Lane/
Fish Hatchery Road location ultimately passed with
the understanding that the
stormwater issue and other
neighborhood issues would
be explored further.
FDPA members and city
staff held an open house in
December to gather more
feedback from residents on
the design, which is still in
the process of being finalized.
Samantha Christian

6. Progress on fire
stations
Fitchburg made significant
progress on realizing a nearly decade-old plan of constructing two new emergency
service facilities this year
though it came with a higher
price than expected.
The citys growth in recent
years has made meeting
national emergency response
standards increasingly difficult, a challenge officials
anticipated would only escalate with the citys planned
absorption of the Town of
Madison in 2022 or earlier. In
2009, a study was conducted
for potential sites for the new
fire and EMS stations, and
land was purchased for the
westside station in 2014.
After design changes
delayed the project for several months in 2015, construction began last August on the
$6.7 million station after the
city in April approved borrowing $5.3 million in funds
to build the facility. Located
at 2931 Marketplace Drive,
the 24,000-square-foot station will replace the current
Fire Station No. 2 on King
James Way, and is on schedule for occupancy of both

April or May 2017, with


full occupancy planned for
July 2018.
While city officials last
fall discussed possibly
retaining administrative
space at the current Fire
Station No. 1, the Fire Station Oversight Committee
voted this month to include
administrative offices for
fire and EMS officials in the
east station.
Kate Newton

7. Political battles
continue
National politics got most
of the attention in 2016, but
those in Fitchburg had plenty
of divisiveness, too.
Most of the controversy was, for better or worse,
business as usual for the
council in recent years.
The height of it may have
been when Ald. Jason Gonzalez (Dist. 3) compared
Mayor Steve Arnold to Gov.
Scott Walker and President-elect Donald Trump
during a public hearing on
the 2017 budget that filled
the council chambers to
capacity.
But it began much earlier,

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full-time staff and interns in


mid- to late May.
In August, the Common
Council approved a $260,000
purchase agreement for five
acres of land at the corner of
Syene and Clayton road on
Fitchburgs northeast side for
the second new facility. Long
planned as being significantly larger than the west station, the facility is expected
to house space for training
and would be about 34,000
square feet, according to preliminary designs by project
architect SEH. Thats smaller
than initial estimates made
this spring, when city planner Tom Hovel told alders
the station could be as big as
38,000 to 40,000 square feet
and cost about $11.5 million
to complete.
That brought the potential
combined cost of the two
stations to about $18 million, a number that dwarfed
a 2014 estimate of $13.5
million and nearly doubled
the earliest projections in
2009.
If the east station proceeds on schedule, bidding
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Construction on the citys new $6.7 million westside fire station, at 2931 Marketplace Drive
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when some alders took a


paragraph of Mayor Steve
Arnolds Capital Improvement Plan opening letter
and accused him of wanting to privatize cul-de-sacs
throughout the city, something Arnold said was merely
an extreme example to illustrate a problem. Unsurprisingly, those who questioned
Arnolds wording and those
who backed his interpretation were divided along the
same 5-3 lines of most contested votes.
Sidewalks also came back
up as a politically charged
topic during the drafting of
a new bicycle and pedestrian
plan.
When the last plan was
created, in 2008, many residents of neighborhoods
without sidewalks grew concerned they would be forced

into having them retrofitted


into front yards that were
not designed for them. With
Arnold in the mayors seat
being an advocate for a
strong bicycle and pedestrian network and a supporter
of adding sidewalks those
residents once again grew
concerned.
S i d ew a l k s h a d m o r e
recently been an issue a year
earlier, during the planning
of the Lacy Road upgrade.
Arnold said forcing sidewalks into neighborhoods
that did not want them was
never part of the plan, but
some alders listened to the
residents concerns and
seemed to grow concerned
themselves, which then furthered the concerns of the
residents.
Scott Girard

Turn to 2016/Page 20

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Dewalt Sabre Saw. Milwaukee 6230 Portable Bandsaw W/ Worn Gear Drive. Misc Milwaukee Dril s. Royobi 8 Bench Grinder. Fein
RS1270E Pipe Sander W/ Case & Belts. Heat & Solder Guns. Shop Vac. Misc Ladders, Hoses, & Fans. (3) Steel Tables. (4) Wood
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Some residents had a bone


to pick with the process and
potential sites presented in
2016 for a proposed new
dog park, but the plan progressed as the year went on.
The Irish Lane and South
Fish Hatchery Road site
ranked highest among the
list of nine potential sites the
city provided to the grassroots group Fitchburg Dog
Park Advocates for evaluation last spring. And while
the 5.3-acre, centrally-located site had the least amount
of resistance in the beginning of the process, neighborhood concerns came to a
head in the fall.
Still, the Common Council approved a draft plan for
the Irish Lane site 5-2 at its
Nov. 22 meeting, authorizing city staff to further analyze the location and basic
concept plan.
A dog park was ranked
as the most desired potential use in parks by nearly
half of the respondents to
the 2015 public opinion survey for the park and open
space plan, and 50 residents
also submitted slips in favor
of the dog park during the
citys capital improvement
plan amendment public
hearing in July.
Based on 12 site criteria,
like size and land condition, the Irish Lane site rose
to the top of the nine cityowned sites evaluated. Also
in the top three potential
sites, but quickly eliminated after public discussion,
were Lacy Road/Fish Hatchery Road and McKee Farms
Park.
Once the Irish Lane site
was targeted, about a dozen residents from the Hillside Heights Neighborhood
engaged in a heated twohour debate at a Parks Commission meeting in October,
some of whom claimed they
were unaware of the proposed park just down the
road. A few thought the site
could have other future uses
and wondered if a dog park
would bring increased traffic, noise and smells to the

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20

January 13, 2017

ConnectFitchburg.com

Fitchburg Star

2016: Construction projects cause annoyances, bring economic development


Continued from page 19

Honorable mentions

8. Verona Road
construction moves in
Businesses have known
it was coming for years, but
that didnt make the arrival
of major road construction
in Fitchburg any more welcome.
The Verona Road project, which had been focused
closer to the Beltline for its
first two years, moved into
Fitchburg, with nightly lane
closures on Verona Road and
full reconstruction and even
temporary closing of some
others, like Nesbitt Road and
Anton Drive.
Verona Road Business
Coalition project manager
Cindy Jaggi said the VRBC,
made up of businesses in the
Verona Road corridor, was
prepared, having already
seen negative effects of the
construction on the Madison
businesses near the Beltline,
with lower sales during the

File photo by Jeremy Joens

Seniors Noah Zamzow-Schmidt (406) and Aaron Letcher (402) helped lead the Regents to the state title.
Photo by Scott Girard

Construction on Nesbitt Road has confused some customers at of local businesses, though
all of their businesses remain open.
disruption.
The organization focused
on promoting communication with both the construction teams and business customers to ensure everyone
knew what to expect on any
given day. While there were

surprises water or electricity being turned off unexpectedly, for example Jaggi
said the state Department of
Transportation and construction workers were responsive
to their concerns.
The states budget process,

Read our picks for honorable mention online at


ConnectFitchburg.com
Emmi Roth cheese win
A revolving door of athletic directors
West wins cross country title

though, might be less responsive. Gov. Scott Walkers


proposed biennial budget
likely would delay completion of the construction
by two years, which Jaggi
and business owners said businesses.
Whether that changes or
would be devastating to the
not, the corridor will see
plenty of changes and
construction in the coming years, and Fitchburg
can point to 2016 as when it
began here.
Scott Girard

Show off your kids in


Unified Newspaper Groups

Kids Today

9. New hotels under


construction
A pair of hotels expected to bring more than 200
rooms to Fitchburg began
construction in 2016.
A new 120-room Four
Points Hotel by Sheraton,
plus a conference center
and on-site restaurant, is
replacing a Fitchburg Christian Fellowship Church and
apartment building on the
2900 block of Fish Hatchery Road. Plans for the hotel
began in 2015, when the
Plan Commission discussed
and approved creating a
tax-increment financing district for the development.
The commission approved
the architectural plan in February.
A second hotel, a five-story, 100-room Staybridge
Suites, got the support of the
commission in April. That
hotel is being built in the
Orchard Pointe development
across from Hy-Vee and
behind Golds Gym, with
a proposed opening date of
May 2017.
The developments come
at a time when communities
statewide are restructuring
how their room tax revenues
which come from hotel
stays are used based on a
recently updated state law.
With new hotels, those

Send us a special fun photo of your child to be


published in the Great Dane Shopping News
on Wednesday, January 25.
Selfies Kids with Pets Any Fun Photo Poses!

Voting on facebook

Great Dane Shopping News

Like us on facebook to vote from Wednesday, January 11 thru


Wednesday, January 18 for the most creative photos!
The top 5 winners and prizes will be announced in the
Great Dane Shopping News on Wednesday, January 25.
Children of all ages accepted

Lets have some fun!!

revenues will rise in the


coming years, making Fitchburgs decision to designate
the Fitchburg Chamber Visitor and Business Bureau
as its tourism entity all the
more significant. The chamber redefined its role in 2012
in anticipation of similar
changes in state law.
Scott Girard

10. Leopold chosen as


community school
The Madison Metropolitan
School District made a Fitchburg-area school one of two
community schools for the
2016-17 school year.
MMSD set out to create
these schools to create a
welcoming and inclusive
place that builds on the assets
of the community to help
serve the identified needs
of the students, families and
community through well
integrated and coordinated,
strategic partnerships.
That means extra funding
to integrate programming
and services like health care,
academic tutoring and food
access directly into schools.
The Madison Community
Foundation awarded MMSD
a three-year, $300,000 grant
in 2015 to implement the
program, which allows Leopold and the other chosen
school, Mendota Elementary
School, to have a resource
coordinator.
The district hopes to
expand the program based
on how the year goes at
Leopold and Mendota.
Scott Girard

To enter, send the form below and a current photo or visit one of our websites
to fill out the online form under Submit an Item and upload your photo by
Monday, January 9, 2017.
Please print clearly. One entry per child. One form per child. Mail to:

Kids Today
133 Enterprise Dr., PO Box 930427, Verona, WI 53593

Or go online to enter on any of our websites under Submit an Item:


connectoregonwi.com, connectstoughton.com, connectverona.com, connectfitchburg.com
Childs Name __________________________________________________________________________
Age (please indicate months or years)___________________________

Please check one:

Male Female

Parents Names _________________________________________________________________________


Phone (for contact purposes only)________________________City ______________________________________
This photo submissio constitutes permission to publish. If submitting your photo(s) electronically, please be sure the photo resolution is at least 150 DPI.
Photos must be received by Monday, January 9, 2017 to be included. Please include a self-addressed stamped envelope if you would like your photo returned.

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ConnectFitchburg.com

January 13, 2017

Fitchburg Star

21

Stories of 2017

Another wild election, decisions on growth


Fitchburg is set up for big things
in 2017 new hotels, new parks,
new fire stations and preparations
for a large new part of the city but
everything takes a back seat to the
crucial decisions facing voters in
April.
With a three-way contest for
mayor and six aldermanic races,
Fitchburg residents could have an
entirely new government before the
ground thaws. And while theyre at
it, they could have a hand in deciding on whether one of the citys
three school districts gets a new
high school.
A Wild West political atmosphere
Photo by Kate Newton
is nothing new with Fitchburgs
The Fitchburg Police Department
wide-open, all-at-once election
considered different models for its
structure, but the discord of the past
body cameras throughout 2016.
two years has set up an even more
Above, a side-by-side comparison
exciting set of contests than usual.
of the Vievu and Panasonic ArbiPhoto
by
Samantha
Christian
One of the important decisions
the new group will be involved in While it may not receive as much attention as the 2016 presidential election, Fitchburg voters will have plenty to trator BWC body cameras, two of
the options the Fitchburg Police
is when and how part of the Town consider as they go to the polls this spring, with seven contested city government races and a capital referenDepartment considered.
of Madison becomes part of the dum for the Verona Area School District.
city. That town has been shrinking
for years, and a contract ensures the
town will dissolve by 2022. There
has been talk of making it happen
repeatedly seen by EMS for the
Lacy Road construction
much sooner, and at one point, it
same issues and take a toll on
was even suggested it become disMuch of the reconstruction of their resources. Not only would
solved in 2017.
Lacy Road that caused quite a bit this benefit patients health and
City residents will also notice
of consternation in 2015 will take well-being, it could also help
Fitchburg police joining the growplace this year.
hospitals avoid readmission fines
ing ranks of departments wearing
That could interrupt traffic at from Medicare and Medicaid.
Photo by Jim Ferolie
body cameras, and it appears well
The city is planning a dog park that would be situated at the corner of
times on a major artery for those
Samantha Christian
have a long-planned dog park by
Irish Lane and Fish Hatchery Road. It has budgeted $50,000 for infratraveling through the city.
the end of the summer.
structure and dog park advocates are raising $50,000 for amenities.
The reconstruction of 1.3 miles King James Way Park
Jim Ferolie
of road will add a shared-use path planned for this spring
elementary level and another ref- 5. City could get first dog
on one side of the road, new curb
1. Packed ballot
Kids
in
the
King
James
Way
erendum
in 2018 for a new eleand gutters and move power lines
park
neighborhood
could
be
spending
mentary
building
instead.
Its no longer a surprise in
underground.
their
summer
days
in
a
new
park
A
successful
April
referendum
Fitchburg when there are a large
Fidos yearning to run without
Scott Girard
if all goes to plan over the next
would allow the district to begin a leash will be able to do so when
number of local contested elecseveral months.
EMS piloting community
construction on a 2,200-student Fitchburgs first fenced-in dog park
tions.
The
preliminary
design
plan
high school on the West End and is completed, possibly this summer.
Whether its a symptom of the
paramedics program
for King James Way Park to
Erbach properties it purchased
entire council being up for elecThe city began designing the park
Fitch-Rona EMS is hopping be located on a city-owned lot
in 2015 inside the U.S. Hwy. in the fall after numerous meetings
tion at the same time every two
aboard a nationwide movement at 2921 King James Way was
18-151 bypass on the west side of with residents, city representatives
years or a reaction to the strong
to make public safety services approved this month by the citys
Verona. The trickle-down effect and members of the Fitchburg Dog
political divisions among alders
more proactive through commu- Park Commission, and is now set
would have elementary students Park Advocates in 2016 some of
and the mayor, this election looks
nity paramedicine this year.
to go before the Common Counmove from Sugar Creek to the which were rather contentious. The
similar to two years ago.
FREMS has already taken cil at its Jan. 24 meeting, accordcurrent Badger Ridge Middle plan so far is to put it on the 5.3But the 17 candidates (includon some community paramedic ing to a tentative schedule providSchool, and those BRMS students acre, city-owned site at the northeast
ing the two unopposed, Julia Arainitiatives, such as blood pres- ed by Parks, Recreation and Forwould instead be located at the corner of Irish Lane and South Fish
ta-Fratta and Dan Bahr, both in
sure checks, CPR training and estry director Scott Endl. After
current high school building.
District 2) will have more to deal
Hatchery Road.
automatic external defibrillator the public provides input on the
The district also likely would
with than political division.
It still needs Common Council
training for local residents and final park plan at the Feb. 2 Parks
move the three charter elemen- approval, as well as the Parks ComThis next year promises to be
businesses. But it will be able to Commission meeting, the aim is
tary schools into the K-wing, a mission, but that is likely this spring
another significant one for the
help more individuals in 2017 to get final approval on the projformer elementary school, though after the groups appeared to come to
City of Fitchburg, with construc including those with demen- ect from the Common Council on
the money for that buildout could a consensus on addressing concerns
tion continuing on the fire statia because of additional fund- Feb. 14. If approved, it could go
come from other sources.
tions, decisions about long-term
about stormwater and flooding. The
ing through municipalities and to bid in March, and construction
While a community survey in plan is to include rain gardens, native
capital spending, pushes for more
grants.
on the park including paving
the fall indicated strong support plantings and infiltration spaces.
money for struggling neighborSome of its additional 500 of its basketball half-court and
for the high school building itself,
hoods and the merger with the
The estimated $50,000 cost of the
hours will be directed toward installation of a play structure
a project so large and so import- infrastructure has already been budTown of Madison.
increasing medical literacy with would likely conclude early this
ant to the current board members geted with park dedication funds.
April 4 will determine who will
home visits. Starting this month, summer.
means plenty of people in the That includes fencing, trails (likebe involved in making many of
FREMS will also take part in
A proposed redevelopment on
VASD community will be keep- ly made of crushed limestone) and
those decisions for the next two
a three-year, grant-funded UW nearby Anton Drive could also
ing a close eye on the results.
years. Whatever choices voters
parking. The entire perimeter would
Hospital dementia study to iden- present an opportunity for the
Scott Girard be fenced, along with a separate dog
make, at least half of the council
tify and support individuals with King James Way Park to somewill be new (though four of the
play area, and there would be an
dementia and help them stay how act as a bridge to additional
alder candidates have served preentrance gate and two maintenance
4. Body cameras for FPD
in their homes longer than they parkland to the south, Endl said
viously). Three incumbents are
gates.
would be able to without assis- at a December open house for
not running for re-election and a
Fitchburg Police Department
FDPA has also begun fundraising
tance.
King James Way residents.
fourth is running instead for mayofficers will begin wearing body to meet its $50,000 goal to pay for
The goal is to reduce 911 calls
Kate Newton
cameras this month.
or.
amenities and improvements (kiosk,
from frequent fliers, who are
The first step comes Feb. 21,
The local response to a nation- benches, picnic table, signage, bike
with a primary in the three-way
wide debate over the use of the rack, tree plantings, two waste stamayoral race, after the Star hosts
cameras including the level of tions and a marking station) through
Scott Girard accountability they provide and private donations. The park would
a public forum for all three can- when the cities of Madison and
privacy issues will certainly be be able to open without those things,
didates. Much of the political Fitchburg will each take part of the
action, though, will come after- towns current property and resisomething to watch this year as however.
3. VASD referendum
wards, when that and the seven dents was Oct. 31, 2022.
officers adjust to the new devices.
The grass-roots groups goal of
Fitchburg Mayor Steve Arnold
alder races are all head-to-head.
Some Fitchburg voters will
The department spent much of the dog park is not only to give pets
Scott Girard said then that the beginning of 2018 have more than the city races to 2016 researching which camera a place to exercise, but also to proor 2019 would be more realistic, consider on their April 4 ballot.
to use and how other departments vide a social opportunity for their
meaning discussions are likely to
Approval from Verona Area have used them, plus having a owners and bring different families
2. Town of Madison merger pick back up early this year about School District voters for a new month-long trial run. Later in the together.
For a brief time, it looked like potentially moving to one of those high school building, auditori- year, the city hosted community
While designs, cost estimates and
um, athletic fields and a swim- forums to get public feedback on construction timelines are still being
the Town of Madison merger could dates.
Whenever the change does hap- ming pool would signal large the use of the cameras.
become a story of 2016, as City of
finalized with city staff and FDPA
The cameras require loads of members, a proposal will likely be
Madison Mayor Paul Soglin sug- pen, the city will see an increase to changes on the horizon for stugested moving the towns dissolu- its fire coverage area, staff size and dents all around the district. Stu- storage and could create extra presented to the Parks Commission
number of voters. Madison will dents would be moved among the staff responsibilities, as well.
tion date up to Dec. 31, 2016.
in February and would tentatively
City alders first approved be recommended to the Common
The town in essence rejected take over the majority of the town, schools while buildings are repur$90,000 for the cameras in 2015. Council for referral. A public hearthat, instead creating a work group but Fitchburg will absorb two posed.
Failure would lead down a difthat is expected to report back on areas, one along Rimrock Road
ing would likely be held in March,
Scott Girard followed by the final approval of
the proposal to dissolve early this and the other along Fish Hatch- ferent path, in which the school
ery, along with 25 percent of the board would have to consider new
month.
the Common Council.
solutions to overcrowding at the
The original dissolution date towns employees.
Samantha Christian

Honorable Mentions

22 Fitchburg Star - January 13, 2017

City Hall - Main Line


Administration
Assessing
Building Inspections
City Clerk
Economic Development

270-4200
270-4213
270-4235
270-4240
270-4210
270-4246

FACTv
Finance
Fire Department
FitchRona
Human Resources
Library
Municipal Court

270-4225
270-4251
278-2980
275-7148
270-4211
729-1760
270-4224

Parks & Forestry


Planning/Zoning
Police
Public Works
Recreation/Community Center
Senior Center
Utilities

270-4288
270-4258
270-4300
270-4260
270-4285
270-4290
270-4270

5520 Lacy Road, Fitchburg, WI 53711 www.fitchburgwi.gov


adno=498278-01

HOLIDAY CLOSURE
City Hall, Fitchburg Senior Center, & Fitchburg Recreation Dept. will be closed on Monday,
January 16th in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

AARP TAX HELP AT THE FITCHBURG SENIOR CENTER


For those who could benefit from free,
simple tax return help, this program is for
you! The dates run with 45-minute appointments, so your taxes must be straightforward.
Tax preparers will be using all new software

this year, so you must bring all paperwork to


this appointment.
Appointments are available on February 17,
24 & March 24, 31
Call 270-4290 for your appointment.

VOLUNTEER POSITIONS OPEN


AT THE FITCHBURG SENIOR CENTER
Do you like to drive? Do you like to
socialize?
Driving for Meals on Wheels might be
the perfect fit for you! Currently there are
several open positions. Drivers pick up meals
from the Senior Center at 10:30 am & head
out to deliver their assigned route. Maybe you
have a team of people youd like to share
the responsibility with? Teams are welcome
take turns driving!
We also have Driver Escort positions open.
These positions are all about flexibility and help-

ing seniors.
Driver Escorts
are called on
to take clients
to and from
appointments. Volunteers are scheduled on an
as needed basis and reimbursement for mileage is an option.
Contact Mandi Miller at (608) 270-4293,
email mandi.miller@fitchburgwi.gov or stop
by the Fitchburg Senior Center, 5510 Lacy
Road, to find out more. Delivering Meals on
Wheels is very rewarding!

PROPERTY TAXES FOR HOMEOWNERS


The first installment for
real property taxes is due
January 31st.

Payments made on or
before January 31, 2017
should be made payable to
and mailed to the City of
Fitchburg Treasurer. Do not
include any other payments
on the same check. Postdated checks will
not be honored. Real property payments
made after January 31, 2017 should be made
payable to and mailed to the Dane County
Treasurer.
A timely U.S. postmark is adequate for a
payment to be considered paid on time, if the

payment is received within


five business days.
You may pay your taxes in
person at City Hall, 5520 Lacy
Road, between 7:30 a.m. and
4:30 p.m., Monday through
Friday (Exception: City
Hall will be closed Monday,
January 16, 2017 in observance of Martin Luther King Day.) A drop
box is available 24/7 in the foyer of City Hall.
Cash payments in the drop-box are not recommended.
Note: Different rules may apply for Personal
Property Tax.
See: http://www.fitchburgwi.gov/177/TaxCredit-Information for more information.

PET LICENSES
Pet licenses are available for the 2017
licensing year. You may apply for a license in
person at City Hall or by mail. Please note you
must provide a copy of your current rabies
vaccination certificate for each pet you are
licensing. If submitting by mail, please include
a self-addressed stamped envelope. For more

information please call


608-270-4200 or visit
http://www.fitchburgwi.
gov/DocumentCenter/
View/105 to download
the application or read
the brochure.

HOLIDAY TREE COLLECTION JAN. 9TH & JAN. 23RD


Holiday tree collection will begin the week
of January 9th for single to four-unit residential homes, as well as apartments and condominium properties subscribed to the City
of Fitchburgs brush collection. A second
holiday tree collection will take place the
week of January 23rd. Trees should be at the
curb by 6:30 a.m. on Monday morning of the
collection week.
In case of snow/ice conditions, collection
will be delayed until plowing is completed. If
your collection is delayed due to snow, please
pull your tree back from the curb so it does
not become buried in the snow pushed back
by the plow. Trees that become frozen or lost
in snow banks might not get picked up until
the snow banks melt.
Place trees with the trunks facing the
street. Remove all foreign matter from each
tree, including lights, wire, tinsel, ornaments,
plastic bags, tree stands, etc. Trees with
foreign matter will not be collected. Flocked
trees (sprayed with material) are not collected, and must be disposed of in the refuse,
with a Refuse Tag attached.
Wreaths and garland, although often made
from tree branches, are considered refuse if

they contain metal or other foreign supporting devices and should be placed in your green
refuse cart or in a bag next to your cart with
a Refuse Tag attached.
For holiday lights that no longer work,
remember to recycle old light strings at
Fitchburg City Hall prior to February 28, 2017.
A special cart is available 24 hours/day in the
City Hall Lobby, 5520 Lacy Road. Residents
must remove any bulbs larger than marble-size
and recycle those separately at participating
stores listed in Fitchburgs Recycling Guide.
For more information on holiday recycling
and what types of packing and wrapping materials are recyclable, visit Fitchburgs website:
www.fitchburgwi.gov/solidwaste.

LETS GET SALT WISE!

RECREATION DEPARTMENT
For more information and to register visit www. fitchburgwi.gov/recreation, call the
Rec. Dept. at 608-270-4285 or visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/fitchrec

Youth Volleyball Leagues

These recreational leagues are for kids who


would like to have fun learning skills and getting involved in competition against players at
their own skill level.
Leagues - 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade,
8th Grade
Days/Dates Sundays, January 15 - March 19
Location Traveling
Fee - $60 Resident

Face Painting for Kids

Kids will learn the art of face painting and


will be able to learn designs including animals,
tribal art, crowns, pirates, jewelry, seasonal
patterns, and more. The course will introduce
you to the history of face painting, the tool kit,
patterns in various categories, techniques for
painting on cheeks & hands and embellishing
your designs. All supplies will be provided.
Day/Time Wednesday, January 18th,
6-7:30pm
Location Fitchburg Community Center
Fee - $25

2017 Chess Tournaments

Join us on Saturday, January 21st at the


Fitchburg Community Center for the 2017
Blitz Championship, Quick Chess Open, and
Quick Chess Scholastic Championships! For
more information on entry requirements and
prizes, please visit our website, www.fitchburgwi.gov/recreation.

Welcome to Spanish Spanish for Preschoolers

Children ages 3-5 learn Spanish vocabulary


and basic phrases in a fun and active way with
these lively classes. Award-winning teacher,
Marti Fechner of Grow into Spanish LLC,
incorporates music, movement, games, stories
and more to make learning Spanish easy and
engaging for preschool-age children. It is easy
for children to learn a foreign language at this
young age, and SO beneficial. Come try it!
Its a great way to prepare your child for a
bilingual future.
Day/Time Wednesdays, Feb. 15th - Mar.
22nd, 1-1:45pm
Location Fitchburg Community Center
Ages - 3-5 years old
Fee - $60

Daddy-Daughter Dance

Girls, take Dad or Granddad out for a special night of dinner and dancing. Fathers, enjoy
a wonderful evening with your daughter(s)
while creating lasting memories. The night
starts with a catered dinner and then a night
of dancing! Sign up soon as this fills quickly.
Day/Time Friday, February 17th,
6-8:30pm
Location Fitchburg Community Center
Ages - All
Fee - $45 per couple, $15 for additional
guests

You can keep sidewalks and driveways


safe this winter while protecting our waters
by following these simple steps:
1. Shovel Clear walkways and other
areas before the snow turns to ice.
The more snow you remove manually,
the less salt you will have to use and
the more effective it will be.
2. Scatter If you apply salt to pavement, aim for the right amount,
leaving plenty of space between salt
grains. A coffee mug full of salt is
enough for about 60-70 feet of sidewalk. A hand spreader can help create
this pattern.

3. Switch When the pavement temperature is below 15oF, salt wont


work. Switch to a different ice melter
(like a blend) that works at a lower
temperature, or use sand for traction.
Fitchburg staff has made some significant
improvements in the winter maintenance
operations performed by the City. Starting
in 2008, staff has been attending annual
winter maintenance training workshops,
investing in new equipment and technologies, and calibrating the equipment to know
the actual rates of salt and sand application.
For more information on Fitchburgs snow
and ice removal policies please visit: http://
www.fitchburgwi.gov/225/Snow-Removal

CURBSIDE OPTIONS FOR EXCESS RECYCLABLES


Fitchburgs recycling hauler (Pellitteri
Waste Systems) will pick up excess recyclables that do not fit into the blue recycling carts curbside at no additional charge
for all single to four-unit residential homes.
Homeowners may place excess recyclables in:
- A clear plastic bag or
- A clearly labeled reusable container

Like us on

Excess cardboard that does not fit inside


your blue recycling cart should be broken
down and loosely stacked next to the cart (or
placed in a clear plastic bag or reusable container). If you do place a reusable container
on the curb next to your blue recycling cart,
clearly label it so drivers know that you would
like it returned. More information is available
at www.fitchburgwi.gov/solidwaste

www.facebook.com/FitchburgWI and Follow us on

@FitchburgWI

Business

ConnectFitchburg.com

Extreme dream

January 13, 2017

Fitchburg Star

23

Couple enjoying new Fitchburg location for bodyshaping gym after November move
SCOTT DE LARUELLE

When people are gone


on vacation, they come
back here, and (say), Oh
my God they didnt even
think of that stress relief
theyre getting from being
in here, Stephanie added.
Of course, any workout
isnt useful if its not productive. Stephanie said she
can see the change in people as early as three weeks
into a program.
Energy levels are shifting, attitudes are changing, she said. Its really
an overall change.
Even though the name of
the business has the word
extreme, Stephanie said
people shouldnt think the
gym is about extreme
results. You wont see any
MMA fighters or powerlifters in the sessions, just
regular people looking to
get in better shape something she promises will
happen if they try.
We h a v e a m o n ey-back guarantee with
our 10-week program, so
if anyone wants to come
in and they think its just
another gimmick, its not,
she said. One of our taglines is Results are typical, because we guarantee
people are going to have
results, because it works.

Farrells
Extreme
Bodyshaping

Unified Newspaper Group

Stephanie and Justin East


started as students 15 years
ago at a Farrells Extreme
Bodyshaping gym in Cedar
Rapids, Iowa, and they liked
it so much, they started their
own franchise.
After moving their business from central Iowa to
Madison in 2010, they relocated again last November
this time to a bigger, better
location in Fitchburg. This
month, theyre celebrating their 11th year owning
a Farrells franchise, and
things in their new location
have connected like a good
roundhouse kick.
Justin said when the
couple started training at
Farrells, he weighed 300
pounds and was desperate
for a routine to help get back
in shape. Now a muscular,
kickboxing 220 pounds, its
hard to imagine that former
self.
It was basically my last
resort when I signed up, he
said. I talked (Stephanie)
into joining, and it just kind
of grew from there.
The couple eventually
started instructing at the
gym, and soon became the
managers before a former
business partner connected
them with an opening for
a new franchise in Madison. But after six successful
years, their location on the
west side of Madison was
getting cramped.
They were pleasantly
surprised when they heard
about the available space
on McKee Road in Fitchburg, and made the move
in November though not
without some concerns how
it would affect business.
Stephanie said it ended up
being a big positive, though.

6060 McKee Road,


Fitchburg
833-4105
extremebodyshaping.
com
better. Its an overall health
change.

Getting results

Photo by Scott De Laruelle

Justin and Stephanie East, owners of Farrells Extreme Bodybuilding, 606 McKee Road, are
celebrating their 11th year owning a franchise, with stops in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Madison before moving to Fitchburg last November.
We didnt realize how
much it was closer for so
many people, she said.
We had so many people
who were excited because
they dont have to be on the
Beltline now. We were really
shocked by that.

Creating community
The Midwest-based Farrells chain has a set regimen
for the franchises to follow.
In general, a combination of three days kickboxing for cardio work
and three days resistance
bands for strength training,
with a nutrition part included. While the routine is
designed for people to get
in shape and stay in shape,
the Easts say the real secret
to their success is being
able to build a community

of like-minded people who


enjoy working out and getting in shape together.
The community its the
hardest part to tell people
how it works, because its
every fitness level, Stephanie said. We have people
in their 70s, people in their
20s, and it all gels together.
Its hard to explain.
Ferrells most popular
offering is a 10-week session, with 45-minute sessions six days a week, but
they work with people on
a variety of membership
schedules. Students get a
personal coach who works
with them on fitness and
nutrition goals.
Stephanie said once people get going in the program, the sky is the limit in
reaching their fitness goals.
When some people come

Biz briefs
Pet Supplies Plus opens
Pet Supplies Plus recently celebrated its grand opening at its new Fitchburg location,
2928 Hardrock Road.
The store, which offers a range of food and pet toy options, is near the Golds Gym in
the Orchard Pointe development. Pet Supplies Plus also features a self-service dog wash
and a carry-out service to help customers carry heavy purchases.
To contact the Fitchburg store, call 416-5767 or visit petsuppliesplus.com/
Fitchburg4031.

in, theyre like, Im going


to hate this every morning
at 5:15 Im not a morning
person, and Im going to
be grumpy, she said. But
because of how our program works, when you put
the class types we have with
the nutrition and coaching,
it creates such a lifestyle
change for people, and an
energy shift youre sleeping better, youre feeling

Justin said the kickboxing is Taekwando-based,


and the 10-week program
starts slow, concentrating
on technique before ramping up toward the end.
It helps with balance,
which you need in everyday life getting up and
down stairs, he said. The
kickboxing is really cardio
part, and the strength training isnt building up (muscle), its more toning, and
thats where you get the fat
burn and weight loss.
As it turns out, kicking
and punching the heavy
bags at the gym seems to
have a cathartic effect on
clients, as well.
Its a stress reliever,
too, Justin said. People
can come in here and kick
and hit our bags.

Email Unified Newspaper


Group reporter Scott
De Laruelle at scott.
delaruelle@wcinet.com.

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