Becoming Himself: A Fitchburg Teen's Transgender Journey Begins With Family, School and Church

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Friday, August 14, 2015 Vol. 2, No. 6 Fitchburg, WI ConnectFitchburg.com $1
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Inside
City
Alders delay Lacy
Road, police
station projects
Page 3
Becoming Himself
A Fitchburg teens transgender journey begins

with family, school and church
Jacob Bielanski
Unified Newspaper Group
Fitchburg
engineer creates
new style of chess
Page 10
Schools
Letter grades
return to SOMS
Page 13
Sports
Botham named
Madison West
athletic director
Page 15
Business
OneNeck expands
data center
Page 23
Orion is not your typical

teenager.
The 15-year-old student
at Madison West studies Latin and is interested
in the field of acoustical
levitation the science of
using sound waves to suspend and move objects. He
claims to be a huge Dr.
Who fan, though he admits
he hasnt seen many episodes prior to the 2005
reboot.
And Orion whose last
name the Fitchburg Star is
withholding at the familys
request was born with
the name Molly.
In April of this year, he
revealed his new identity
to his church congregation at Memorial United
Church of Christ, following his announcement
that the church would be
holding a workshop on
the matter. When Molly
told those gathered that
the event was important to
him because he wanted to
be called Orion and henceforth referred to as he,
the announcement was
met with wide applause,
according to pastor Phil
Haslanger.
That startled me, I
hadnt expected that
response I thought people would just nod and say
OK, cool, Haslanger
said, So it was really a
very affirming moment,
I think, for Orion to have
that experience.
Orions mother said
his true gender identity
has expressed itself since
middle school, which, she
jokes, made clothes shopping that much easier.
He would just go up to
(his older brothers) old
clothes, which I was saving for (his younger brother), and just steal them
all, Orions mother said.
But his father counters
that special occasions were
made that much more difficult.
It was also surprisingly difficult whenever we
said, You need a dress for
eighth-grade graduation
or, You need a dress for
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Orion, a Fitchburg teen attending Madison West High School, has wanted to be thought of as male
since he was in sixth grade.
homecoming, Orions
father said.
At this, mom broke into
laughter, That was quite
funny seeing (Orion) walk
out in a green, lacy dress,
walking like a football
player.
Though Orion remembers feeling at odds with
his birth gender as early as
middle school, it was his
arrival at high school, and
the discovery of other trans
teens, that helped him
understand those feelings.
The more I got to know
about being transgender,
the more I realized thats
who I was, Orion said.
When people acknowledge me as male,

I feel a lot happier.
affirmation and acceptance

is not as easy as finding
new clothes.
Darla Lannert, a volunteer with the Outreach
LGBTQA community center and a transgender woman, explained that family acceptance is the most
important component to a
healthy transition.
Parents really have to
get in the groove and really
Journey to acceptance saturate themselves with
E v e n a s t r a n s g e n - whats happening in the
der issues take center transgender community,
stage, the path to gender Lannert said.
Its a fact thats not lost
Orion
Transgender teen
on Orions family. His oldest brother, who will go to
college this fall to study
material science, said that
though Orions revelation
was not a surprise, he still
sometimes has trouble with
the pronoun. He admitted
to slipping up only a few
days prior to talking with
the Star.
I cant say I was surprised because he had
never been feminine at all,
Orions brother said. It
was just tough to get used
Turn to Orion/Page 21
A deal among the city,

state and local labor unions
has enticed a Madisonbased luxury appliance
manufacturer to expand in
Fitchburg instead of Richmond, Ky.
The Sub-Zero Group
Inc. said that expansion
is expected to bring 100
jobs in the short term and
300 jobs by 2018, according to a press release from
the company. According
to a presentation given by
Sub-Zero representatives to
the Common Council at its
March 24, the jobs would
have an average wage of
$18 per hour.
The company said in that
release it has already begun
construction and expects
to complete the facility by
late 2016. A new line of
dishwashers is expected for
launch in 2017.
The new facility will
more than double in size,
to 755,000 square feet,
once the 400,000-squarefoot addition is completed.
Roughly 33 acres to the
south of the existing facility on Marketplace Drive,
off McKee Road, will be
purchased to complete construction.
Getting the company to
stay in Fitchburg required
a five-year union contract
extension and city and state
development incentives.
We are delighted that
Sub-Zero and Wolf has
selected our community
for another major facility
expansion that will create
300 new jobs, Fitchburg
Mayor Steve Arnold said in
a press release.
A labor linchpin
Sub-Zero Group Inc.
vice-president of human
resources Chuck Verri said
while many factors played
in the decision to expand
Turn to Sub-Zero/Page 22
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The Fitchburg Star
ConnectFitchburg.com
National Night Out

Fitchburg patrol officer Cesar Lopez, at right,
shows his German shepherd, Chase, to a group
of kids at the National Night Out event held at
McKee Farms Park in Fitchburg on Sunday, Aug.
2.
Left, Zariyah Jackson, 7, of Madison, takes a
turn at the wheel of a Fitchburg fire truck.
Below, Liam Blanchet, 2, of Madison, explores a
Fitchburg fire truck.
Photos by Evan Halpop
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City of Fitchburg
A long-term plan
New manager likely getting five-year contract from city

This is going to be
a big change for the
golf course if this
goes through.
Dan Larsen,
Nine Springs Golf
Course manager
Mayor Steve Arnold

also wants to be sure the
contract includes a mutual
opt-out option in case it
becomes viable for the city
to take over. Larsen doubts
it would be cost-effective,
but Arnold pointed to nonfinancial benefits, such as
employees making living
wages and more paths and
other community access, as
reasons for the city to pursue such an option.
When we make the city
better one way or another,
thats our job, Arnold said.
Photo by Jacob Bielanski
Jabari Enomati, 4, attempts to push a golf ball into a hole at the

Nine Springs Golf Course summer program kick-off event May 19.
The event, and the junior golf and playground programs it promoted, are examples of how the course is trying to involved the
surrounding neighborhood more.
utilized in the winter as might be needed early on,

much as it shouldve been and said hed be open to
front-loading the contract to
(last year).
help Larsen invest.
Contract questions
Johnson said that upkeep
New activities at the and improvement would
course have helped Lars- bring more money in for
ens case for a new con- Larsen, meaning the city
tract, but some city officials should contribute less down
are skeptical of the request. the road. He did recognize
Ald. Jake Johnson (Dist. how much work Larsen
4), who sits on the park has put in already, though,
commission that will dis- and applauded the disc golf
cuss Larsens contract, said course as a big step in the
$30,000 might be too much right direction.
I could be talked into
for him to swallow the city
paying what is ultimately a more than $20,000 a year.
He's working his tail off,
private business.
By doing this we're mak- Johnson said, guessing that
ing him more profitable, the final number would be
Johnson said. By offering somewhere between $20these more things, he will 30,000. By no means am
be making more money and I saying he's only worth
we don't necessarily need to $20,000.
The park commission had
kick in a higher amount.
Larsen contends he needs initial discussions about
more money to invest in Larsens upcoming cone q u i p m e n t t o i m p r o v e tract earlier this month, and
u p k e e p o f t h e c o u r s e those will continue into the
and complete an 18-hole fall. The commission will
disc golf course. Johnson recommend a contract to
acknowledged more money the council later this fall.
New ideas
While officials work on
the contract details, new
ideas for the space continue
to develop.
The course is also expected to get a new addition
next year, as the capital
improvement plan the council approved last month
included $80,000 to build a
community space that could
be rented out for events.
It just provides some
additional opportunity for
rec programming there,
Endl said.
Moving forward, Larsen
said he is open-minded
for new ideas, and mentioned a possible fireworks
show for July 4 or a winter
carnival as other ways to
get the neighborhood out to
the course.
With weekly meetings
between Larsen, Endl and
recreation director Chad
Sigl, new ideas are being
shared on a regular basis.
Weve gone past that
decision of whether its
going to be a park or a golf
course, Endl said. Its
decided, so now its just a
case of how are we going to
make it a longevity thing.
Shed fire causes $300k in damages to landscaping firm

Jacob Bielanski
An explosion-causing
fire Aug. 6 resulted in a
total loss of a large storage shed and set a business
back several trucks and
plenty of equipment.
According to the Fitchburg Fire Department,
crews were notified of a
storage shed fire at 5113
Curry Court around 2 a.m.
Upon arrival, the 40-by75-foot structure was
engulfed in flames and the
column of smoke could be
seen from two miles away,
prompting firefighters to
call for backup and battle
the blaze defensively, or
strictly from outside the
building.
Firefighters say the blaze
was extinguished within

30 minutes, but crews
remained on the scene
for three hours. The fire
department valued the total
loss in the fire at $300,000.
No injuries were reported
and no other buildings
were damaged.
Callers reported hearing
explosions from the blaze,
which the department
attributes to a 100-pound
propane tank stored at the
site. Investigators have
not pointed to the tank as
the cause of the fire, noting that it began with an
unidentified source in the
corner of the shed. Though
investigators could not yet
point to a specific cause,
they said the fire does not
appear to be suspicious in
nature.
Half of the shed, owned

by DJP Development LLC,
was being used to store
trucks and equipment for
Blue Iris Landscaping.
Company owner Taylor
Elkins said the 19-yearold, five-employee landscaping company lost all
its tools in the fire, as well
as three trucks. He said
while hes not yet determined insurance value for
the lost trucks, they were
worth around $30,000.
It makes us start over,
basically, Elkins said.
Almost 20 years ago when
I started, it was with a
pickup (truck) and well, for
a little while, well be back
to that. But luckily the next
several jobs we do well be
able to do that way.
Fitchburg firefighters
received help from the

Town of Madison Fire
Department, Oregon Area
Fire and EMS and FitchRona EMS, Middleton Fire
District, the Belleville Volunteer Fire Department,
Brooklyn Fire and EMS
and McFarland Fire and
Rescue.
Major projects
delayed in CIP
Alders push back
Lacy Road work,
police station
Read more
Effects of Lacy
Road delay unclear
Scott Girard
Page 19
Alders voted July 28 to

delay a pair of proposals in
the citys Capital Improvement Plan that had created
some controversy in recent
months.
Plans to reconstruct Lacy
Road and to build a $23
million police station drew
the most discussion at a
July meeting where alders
offered amendments to the
long-term planning document. Mayor Steve Arnold
had proposed both in his initial CIP, but alders objected
to the timing and cost of the
two major projects.
Some alders objected to
the $78.8 million spending
Arnold proposed, $33 million higher than former mayor Shawn Pfaffs last CIP.
The plan does not approve
any spending directly,
though items for next year
are generally included in the
budget in the fall. The CIP
approved by the council on
July 28 included just $46.7
million of spending for
2016-2020.
The police station was
proposed for 2020, the final
year of the CIP, while Lacy
Road construction had been
slated for 2016-17. Some
Lacy Road residents were
upset about that timeline
and what they perceived
as a lack of input on recent
changes to the plan.
Several alders proposed
delaying the project and
lowering the budget for it,
and Ald. Dan Carpenters

(Dist. 3) amendment was
ultimately adopted on a 4-3
vote, with Ald. Julia ArataFratta (D-2) not present for
the meeting.
(Residents have) worked
on this for 10, 15, 20 years
and all of a sudden there
were some major changes
slipped into the CIP that
they were under the impression were never going to be
part of it, Carpenter told the
Star of his amendment. The
best thing I could do
would be to delay the project
by a year. They came and
they testified and they supported my amendment.
Alders heard from the
public and discussed the
amendment for nearly twoand-a-half hours July 28.
A public input session was
held the following night,
where residents heard
updated plans, though engineers working on the project
said it was unclear how the
amendment would affect the
projects timeline.
Later in the meeting,
alders removed the police
facility proposal on another
4-3 vote, saying that it was
too much money for a building that might not be built at
all, because an addition to
the current facility is still an
option.
We thought as a council
we need to have more discussion about that, Carpenter said of the removal.
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Scott Girard
Dan Larsen is under an

agreement to manage Nine
Springs Golf Course until
the end of 2015, but hes
looking for a longer contract in order to continue
improving the city-owned
course.
The city has provided a
$20,000 year-to-year lease
to run the golf course since
it stopped being profitable
three years ago, but Larsen has also been putting
in overwhelming work,
and wants to continue to
improve the course.
He also is offering more
opportunities for the community to get involved following the discussion last
year of changing the golf
course to a park. The Common Council voted to kept
it a golf course, but encouraged those in charge to
make it friendlier to the surrounding community.
Larsen has installed a
nine-hole disc golf course
and received praise from
city parks director Scott
Endl for other events hes
put on in partnership with
the city.
Now he wants the city to
commit long-term so he can
continue the improvements,
like redoing the tee boxes
and bunkers.
This is going to be a big
change for the golf course if
this goes through, Larsen
said of a long-term contract, pointing to an ability
to apply for business loans
and carry out an improvement plan.
The new contract process
that will play out this fall
will also bring up the question of how much the city
should contribute. Larsen is
asking for $30,000 instead
of $20,000 because he will
now offer programs 12
months of the year, instead
of just golf.
Those will include snowshoe and cross-country ski
trails. The disc golf course
will remain open throughout the winter, as well.
I get bored during the
winter, Larsen said. I
didnt see the course being
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The Fitchburg Star
August 14, 2015
The Fitchburg Star
Opinion
Resource Conservation Commission
Awareness, setup can help apartment recycling

Fitchburg is one of Wisconsins recycling leaders,
but we still can improve
awareness of recycling in
apartment communities.
This is important to me
as a Resource Conservation
Commissioner and a renter
in Fitchburg, so I decided to
see if there are things I can
do to help my fellow renters
do more.
I invited Rick Eilertson,
Fitchburgs environmental engineer, to look at the
refuse and recycling facilities
in my apartment community.
Rick and I walked through
the public spaces and identified areas where recycling
improvements can be made.
In my apartment community, we found several good
things about our setup, but
also some room for improvement.
On the positive side, the
receptacles are an appropriate
size, and they are located

close to the entrances residents use. The recycling bins
and trash Dumpsters are near
each other for the convenience of residents to separate
and place trash/recyclables
in the appropriate receptacle.
We also have twin bins,
that is, when dumpsters are
together, or side by side, as
opposed to being long distances from each other.
However, we found some
recycling bins that were not
labeled properly, or, in some
cases, not labeled visibly. We
also discovered people often
arent aware of where and
what to recycle. In addition,
there isn't any messaging in
the public areas addressing
where people should be putting trash and recyclables. As
a result, items that could be
recycled arent being recycled.
We all know recycling is
Letters policy
Please keep submissions
under 400 words. All letters should be signed and
include addresses and
phone numbers for verification. Anonymous letters
will not be printed.
The editorial staff
reserves the right not to
print any letter, including those with libelous or

obscene content.
For questions on our
editorial policy, call editor
Jim Ferolie at 845-9559 or
email ungeditor@wcinet.
com.
Friday, August 14, 2015 Vol. 2, No. 6

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: [email protected]
Circulation customer service: (608) 845-9559
This newspaper is printed on recycled paper.
General Manager
David J. Enstad
[email protected]
Advertising
Donna Larson (west side)
[email protected]
Sandy Opsal (east side)
[email protected]
Classifieds
Laura Young
[email protected]
Circulation
Carolyn Schultz
[email protected]
News
Jim Ferolie
[email protected]
Sports
Jeremy Jones
[email protected]
Website
Scott Girard
[email protected]
Community News
Samantha Christian
[email protected]
Reporters
Mark Ignatowski, Anthony Iozzo,
Scott De Laruelle, Bill Livick, Jacob Bielanski
Unified Newspaper Group, a division of

Woodward Communications,Inc.
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Good People. Real Solutions. Shared Results.
Printed by Woodward Printing Services Platteville
a good thing. It conserves

resources, supports jobs and
saves energy. But you might
not realize just how important it is.
For example, recycling
one aluminum can, saves
enough energy to run a
television for three hours,
according to the state Department of Natural Resources.
Recycling one ton of paper
saves 17 trees, 7,000 gallons
of water, 463 gallons of oil,
three cubic yards of landfill
space and enough energy to
heat an average home for six
months.
Its also the law. There
are several types of consumables Wisconsin requires to
be recycled (and many more
that individual waste haulers

may allow). These include:
Newspapers
Magazines, catalogs and
other similar material
Corrugated cardboard
No. 1 and No. 2 plastic
bottles and containers
Aluminum cans
Steel (tin) cans
The key to a successful recycling program is
that recyclables get to the
recycling facility in a clean
enough condition that they
can be processed and baled
into something that has value
for being recycled.
If the recyclables get
placed in the trash, they're
headed for the landfill. If
trash or unclean recyclables
get placed in the recycling
container, they contaminate
the clean recyclables and
add cost to the hauler and/
or recycling processor who
must separate them from the
clean recyclables.
There are numerous places problems can occur, and
there are several easy ways
to identify where the problems are.
In the case of apartment
recycling, most apartments
in Fitchburg have large trash
and recycling Dumpsters,
which make it relatively easy
to open and visually check
whether recyclables are clean
and in the right Dumpster. If
all the recyclables are clean
and in the recycling Dumpster, everyone wins.
The best way to ensure this
is to check that the Dumpsters
are sized and located properly, that they have proper
signage, including the right
colors and graphics and that
residents all recognize their
responsibility to separate
recyclables. In other words,
we have to make a workable
system where people are able
to and encouraged to do the

right thing.
Apartment communities
can start small by posting
reminders on public messaging boards and putting
better signage on the bins in
the public areas and on the
Dumpsters that the waste
hauler picks up.
Its not just a job for your
landlord; renters should be
vigilant, too, if they see problems. If you live in an apartment and have any questions
about your community's
recycling, please contact
either your property manager
or Rick Eilertson, Fitchburg
environmental engineer at
270-4264 or rick.eilertson@
fitchburgwi.gov.
Together we can make a
difference.
Kia Stearn is a Fitchburg
Resource Conservation
Commission member.
Legislative Opinion
Legislative Opinion
Difficult problems need

community solutions
Common Council listened

to Lacy Road residents
So often Im torn by
issues within the community.
Im not sure why, but it
seems much of the bad stuff
that happens in the Madison
area involves my district
in Fitchburg. Quick example,Saturday, I went to the
service for Aprina Paul,
who lived in the district
along with her family and
was killed as the result of an
online interaction.
Its painfully obvious to
me that we have significant
problems
within
some of
our communities.
One of
the big
questions
I have in
my work
Krause
on the
Alternatives to Incarceration work
group, as Dane County considers the need for changes
to our jail system, is what
needs to happen within our
communities to help keep
our kids out of the system.
For the most part, I see the
need to involve the members of those communities in finding the answers,
which the work groups are
doing in part, with service
providers that work within
the community on related
issues.
Some answers are obvious: family-sustaining
jobs, more working-class
housing, better educational
opportunities, etc. I also see
much more subtle issues
that deserve attention, many
of which stem from the larger issues. However, I dont
want to impose my secondor third-hand observations
on the folks involved; Id
rather they tell us.
Id also like to have a better understanding of some
of the contributing issues
from other perspectives.
For two full days earlier this week, Monday and Tuesday I was
attending the Madison
Region Gang Summit
People want their elected

officials to listen to them
and they want their voice
to be heard. I learned that
lesson at my first job in the
political arena as a college
intern for U.S. Sen. Herb
Kohl. Based on his business
background, the senator
believed a happy constituent is like a satisfied customer, and that should be
everyones goal working in
public service.
Ive carried that model
and philosophy with me
as a legislative
aide at
the State
Capitol
working
for State
Reps. Jon
Richards
and Chris
Carpenter
Danou, as
well as in
my role as an alder. While
Ive seen a lot working in
federal, state and local politics, Ive learned the rubber
really meets the road at the
local level because we truly
see and feel the impacts of
decisions that are made at
City Hall.
When the Mayor proposed a 73 percent spending increase in his Capital
Improvement Plan (CIP) for
2016-2020, it raised many
concerns for Fitchburg
residents. Not only did this
plan include provisions to
build a $24 million police
station and a $160,000 kayak bridge on Syene Road,
but it also included $7.5
million for a reconstruction
project that would drastically impact residents who
live along Lacy Road.
As an alder for District
3, I represent that area and
attended a public meeting
regarding the road reconstruction to listen to neighbors views. Based on what
I heard from residents, it
became clear to me that
many neighbors were concerned not only with the
potential cost, design, land
acquisition and impact of
the plan on their quality
hosted by the Madison

Police Department. I have
been looking forward to
learning more about the
signs and symptoms of gang
activity in the area and how
police respond to it, as well
as what citizens can do to
minimize problems within
their communities.
Its very apparent, as I get
news from various sources,
that residents across the
city are concerned about
the variety of incidents our
police deal with fairly regularly, anything from domestic disturbances, alcohol or
drug abuse and burglaries,
all the way up to and including gun shots and murders,
sadly.
One of the reasons Im
interested in working with
communities where problems often originate is
because Id like to help the
members of those communities figure out how
to reduce problems from
within and support their
efforts rather than using
various city enforcements
to try to compel behavior.
Presumably, in addition to
being more effective in the
long run, it would also be
less expensive for taxpayers in the city to work more
closely with residents and
less with police.
What I would like to
do is to give our residents
the opportunity to help us
define those issues within
our communities in Fitchburg. Im not certain how
much I can add to my plate,
but I intend to try to organize some neighborhood
gatherings in various areas,
perhaps with the help of
some of the faith community in which those residents
are members.
Please contact me at
[email protected] or
271-7532 if youd like to be
involved.
Dorothy Krause represents

northern Fitchburg
(District 27) on the
Dane County Board of
Supervisors.
of life, but they were also

concerned about a lack of
information and indifference to their views coming
from City Hall.
For many individuals,
Lacy Road is an artery that
gets people from A to B,
but for the individuals who
live there, as one resident
said before the council, its
where we live and its our
home. My constituents
felt like they werent being
heard and some described it
as being talked at versus
listened to.
Thats why I proposed
an amendment to the Mayors CIP to delay construction by one year to give
my community time to ask
important questions, weigh
in on the design and find
consensus moving forward.
I did what I could as their
alder and a majority of my
colleagues agreed to push
back the funding by one
year because we believe
that the delay will give
these neighbors the time
they need to be heard.
My career has taken me
all over Wisconsin into
communities that are Democratic and Republican,
urban, suburban and rural,
affluent and modest, and
homogenous and diverse.
Yet, despite obvious differences, one thing has
always struck me as being
the same: people want their
elected officials to listen to
them and they want their
voice to be heard.
Decisions made at the
local level impact people
every day. In my view,
all citizens have a right to
know they are being heard,
their concerns or ideas are
being taken into consideration, and that their goals
are being met. At a time
when many people feel they
dont have a voice in Washington or in Madison, we
need to make sure people
have a voice at City Hall.
Dan Carpenter is an alder
for the City of Fitchburg,
representing District 3.
August 14, 2015
Fitchburg transit listening

session set for Aug. 31
Dane County is hosting
a series of listening sessions regarding area-wide
transit this month with the
Fitchburg area discussion
planned for Aug. 31.
Members of the Dane
County Board and the Dane
County Transit Subcommittee are looking for input on
how to plan for transit solutions, according to a news
release from Sup. Jenni Dye
(Dist. 33).
Effective transit is a key
part of economic viability
and of environmentally sustainable communities, Dye
said in a news release.
The Fitchburg, Verona,
Oregon and South Madison session is scheduled for
6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 31,
at the Candlewood Suites
meeting room, 5421 Caddis
Bend in Fitchburg.
The sessions will begin
with a brief introduction of
transit in the greater Madison area followed by moderated discussion to help
us learn about your values
and your vision as it relates
to area-wide transit, the
release read.
Sup. Robin Schmidt (Dist.
24), chair of the County
Public Works and Transportation Committee, initiated
the sessions.
We need to hear from
local officials, business
leaders and citizens about
If you go
What: Dane County
transit listening session
When: 6 p.m.,
Monday, Aug. 31
Where: Candlewood
Suites meeting room,
5421 Caddis Bend,
Fitchburg
Info: schmidt.robin@
countyofdane.com or
221-0514
their transit needs, Schmidt

said. As part of good government, were coming to
you to listen and learn.
The group said it plans
to use the information to
develop future county-wide
transit initiatives.
In 2013, the state eliminated Dane Countys ability
to integrate transit through a
regional transit authority.
Wisconsin is the only state
that does not allow such
authorities to exist, making
integrated transit systems difficult to initiate and manage,
according to the news release.
Input from these sessions will help drive Dane
County Board discussions
on future options and/or
support for area-wide transit, the release read.
Mark Ignatowski
Fitchburg Days bills settled in July

Allen pays city after
finance discussion
Scott Girard
Following a discussion at
the citys finance committee
and a news report of late payments from Fitchburg Days,
the festival paid bills due to
the city.
Fitchburg Days committee
president Jay Allen told the
Star that a July 27 Channel
3000 report that the committee owed money to the city
was the first he had heard of
the issue, and was disappointed it was discussed at a city
committee meeting without
anyone contacting him.
I have never had a conversation with (city finance
director Misty Dodge) about
anything, Allen told the Star
July 29. If Misty was concerned, she couldve picked
up the phone and called me.
I didnt know anyone at the
city had any concern about
this at all.
He paid the bills July 31.
At the July 28 finance
meeting, Dodge told the committee a $5,095.28 bill for
police coverage of the festival was past due, and another
$668.56 bill issued July 17
had not yet been paid.
Alds. Patrick Stern (Dist.
2) and Dan Carpenter (D-3),
both on the committee, questioned why the bills hadnt
come in yet and expressed
concerns about whether they
Market Pig roast/CoMMunity

shredding event - august 20
would be paid.
Dodge told them it could be
the starting point of a broader
discussion about potential
ordinance changes for larger
festivals in the city.
There was some conversation of, do you create a different ordinance and a different
checklist of things that have
to be done in a different timeline for when you have a small
event and when you have a big
event? Dodge told the committee. One of the requirements could be to put down
sort of a down payment.
She said other city employees started that conversation
earlier this year, when the festival went through a series of
last-minute approvals. Many
members of the festival leadership committee left, some
with hopes of starting a new
event next year after a year
off from Fitchburg Days.
Allen cited the turnover as
part of why he may not have
heard about the bills, but also
said the timeline of payments
wasnt much different than it
has been in the past. He said
once both bills came in, the
committee usually paid them

at the same time.
Allen a former mayor Fitchburg said such a
change would be unnecessary, and questioned why
$5,000 was so important it
had to be discussed at a public meeting after only a single
reminder notice.
Im out here working my
(butt) off trying to do things
to improve the quality of the

city while theyre sitting in
their ivory tower trying to
make things more difficult for
people like me, Allen said.
Or maybe specifically me.
Other organizations,
including the Lions Club and
another private business, had
also questioned outstanding
bills from the Fitchburg Days
committee.
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August 14, 2015
The Fitchburg Star
Calendar of Events
Saturday, August 15
10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Agora

Art Fair, Agora Pavilion,
agoraartfair.com
Sunday, August 16
8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Fitchburg

Flea Market, McGaw Park, 3329905
10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Pivot Demo
Day, Quarry Ridge Recreational
Area, trailthis.com
3-6 p.m., Fitchburg Farmers

Market: Summer FestCommunity Pig Roast, Agora
Pavilion, fitchburgcenter.com
6 p.m., Henna for Teens,
library
Saturday, August 22
8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Kickin

It for Kids Charity Kickball
Tournament, McGaw Park,
reachachild.org
11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Dog
Monday, August 17
wash, Waggin Tails/Fitchburg
2 p.m., Alzheimers Education: Veterinary Hospital, 6249
Living With Alzheimers - For
Nesbitt Road, 271-4212
Caregivers, senior center
1 p.m., LEGOs @ the Library,
6 p.m., Concerts at McKee
library, 729-1760
- Miles Nielsen, McKee
Sunday, August 23
Farms Park, facebook.com/
concertsatmckee
Flea Market, McGaw Park, 332 7 p.m., Word Basics, library
9905
Tuesday, August 18
1-4 p.m., Badger Prairie
2 p.m., Author talk: Dorothy
Needs Network grand openKruse, senior center
ing, 1200 E. Verona Ave.,
3-5 p.m., Verona Road busivanncares.org
ness meeting, 49 Kessel Court,
Monday, August 24
884-1230
5 p.m., READ to a Dog (ages 7 p.m., Best of the Web:
Books, library, 729-1760
5-11, sign-up), library, 7291760
Tuesday, August 25
6 p.m., Pajama Storytime,
Wednesday, August 19
library, 729-1760
10 a.m., Book Discussion,
library
Wednesday, August 26
7 p.m., Mother Daughter Book Noon to 4 p.m., Red Cross
Club (grades 3-5), library
Blood Drive, library, 729-1760
7:30 p.m., Lee DeWyze ($15,
Thursday, August 20
$50 VIP experience), True
10 a.m. to noon, FACTv
Class: Apple Computer Class 2 Coffee
($15, register), City Hall, 270Thursday, August 27
4290
3-6 p.m., Fitchburg Farmers
Market, Agora Pavilion,

fitchburgcenter.com
5-6:30 p.m., Block Party,
library, 729-1760
5-9:30 p.m., FTC Back to
School Block Party, 2690
Research Park Dr.
Saturday, August 29
3 p.m., Kids Movie, library,

729-1760
Sunday, August 30
Wednesday, September 9
6 p.m., Read Like a Girl Book

Club (ages 5-8), library, 7291760
Thursday, September 10
6 p.m., Teen Library Council,

library, 729-1760
6-7 p.m., Girl Scout informational sign up night, library,
gsbadgerland.org
Saturday, September 12

Noon, Dog Day Afternoon
Flea Market, McGaw Park, 332- Fundraiser, Lilianas
9905
2951 Triverton Pike Dr.,
goldenrulerescue.org
Monday, August 31
1 p.m., LEGOs @ the Library
6 p.m., Guess the Emoji (for
(ages 5+), library, 729-1760
teens), library, 729-1760
Sunday, September 13
7 p.m., Windows 8.1 Basics,
library, 729-1760
Market, McGaw Park, 332Wednesday, September 2 Flea
9905
10 a.m., Toddler Art, library,
Monday, September 14
729-1760
9:30 a.m., Preschool
Storytime (ages 2-5), library,
Noon, Crafternoon The
729-1760
Blue Sweater by Jacqueline
11 a.m., Preschool Storytime
Novogratz, library, 729-1760
(ages 2-5), library, 729-1760
1 p.m., Bouncing Babies
6 p.m., Minecraft Melty Beads
(ages 0-1), library, 729-1760
(ages 6-11), library, 729-1760
Friday, September 4
7 p.m., LINKcat, library, 7291760
11 a.m., Book Boogie (ages
1-4), library, 729-1760
Tuesday, September 15
Sunday, September 6
11 a.m., Lapsit Storytime
(ages 0-2), library, 729-1760
Flea Market, McGaw Park, 332- 5 p.m., READ to a Dog (ages
9905
5-11, sign-up), library, 7291760
Monday, September 7
6 p.m., Earbud Enhancing (for
Library closed
teens), library, 729-1760
Wednesday, September 16
10 a.m., Book Discussion

The Round House by Louise
Erdrich, library, 729-1760
10 a.m., Toddler Art (ages
1-3), library, 729-1760
6 p.m., Credit Repair with
WWBIC, library, 729-1760
7 p.m., Mother Daughter Book
Club (grades 3-5), library, 7291760
1-3 p.m., Downsizing Made

Easy (register), senior center,
270-4290
1 p.m., Bouncing Babies
(ages 0-1), library, 729-1760
3-6 p.m., Fitchburg Center
Farmers Market: Fall Fest,
Agora Pavilion, fitchburgcenter.
com
6 p.m., Guys Read (ages
7-11), library, 729-1760
Friday, September 18
3 p.m., Intro to Baby Sign

Language (ages 0-2), library,
729-1760
Saturday, September 19
Dance for dementia, senior

center, 270-4290
11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Taste of
Fitchburg, McKee Farms Park,
tasteoffitchburg.com
Sunday, September 20

Flea Market, McGaw Park, 3329905
8:30 a.m. to noon, Walk for
Wishes, McKee Farms Park,
wisconsin.wish.org
Coming Up
Author talk
Local author Dorothy
Kruse will speak at 2 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 18, at the
senior centers Learning
Annex.
In her book, Hammer
Tacks, Not Ticks, Kruse
opens up about the life and
times of raising a family and
vacationing in the lush northwoods of Wisconsin and
other places made magical by
the memories created there.
Agora Art Fair

More than 100 Wisconsin artists will be showcased
in the seventh annual Agora
Art Fair, will be held from 10
a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug.
15, at 5500 E. Cheryl Pkwy.
The free event will feature
local and regional artists from
every medium, live music, a
beer and wine garden, a childrens art yard and local food
and beverage choices. The
fair will also feature a handson art experience for adults.
For information, visit
agoraartfair.com.
Bike demo
Pivot Cycles will hold a
demo day from 10 a.m. to
4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 16, at
Quarry Ridge Recreational
Area.
Participants can choose
among 30 demo bikes in
multiple sizes to test out on
the trails rather than a parking lot.
To participate, bring your
ID, credit card and helmet.
Some pedals are available but
bring your own if you prefer.
trailthis.com.
Cub scouts
Cub Scout Pack 549 in
Verona is holding upcoming
recruiting events for elementary school kids in the Verona Area School District.
The September pack meeting will be held from 6:30-8
p.m. Thursday, Aug. 20, at

Glacier Edge Elementary
School. Also happening that
same time is a Raingutter
Regatta. In that event, the
kids get to build their own
boat and race them in rain
gutters filled with water.
A Council Back to School
Night at Badger Ridge
Middle School will also be
held from 6-8 p.m. Sept. 10.
Summer, fall festivals

The farmers market, held
from 3-6 p.m. Thursdays,
will hold its Summer Fest
celebration on Aug. 20 and
Fall Fest on Sept. 17 at Agora Pavilion, 5511 E. Cheryl
Pkwy.
Celebrate the peak of summer harvest at Summer Fest,
which will feature live music,
paper shredding and a community pig roast as a benefit
for the Fitchburg Optimist
Club.
Fall Fest will feature free
carriage rides, live music and
Culvers frozen custard and
is a benefit for Eagle School.
Kickball for charity
There will also be a brat

and burger stand and bake
sale, exhibits, booths, raffle
prizes and silent auctions. All
proceeds will be donated to
area pet rescues.
To donate items to the raffle or silent auction, call 2714212.
Books on the web

The library will hold Best
of the Web: Books at 7
p.m. Aug. 24, for people to
learn about resources on the
internet for finding books
and tracking their reading list. Resources include
GoodReads, NoveList and
LINKcat.
Call 729-1763 to register.
Blood drive
The library will host a
blood drive from noon to 4
p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 26.
To register, visit
redcrossblood.org or call
1-800-733-2767.
Lee DeWyze
True Music will present
past American Idol winner
Lee DeWyze at 6250 Nesbitt
Road on Wednesday, Aug.
26.
Doors open at 7:30 p.m.
and music starts at 8 p.m. The
cost is $15 at the door or $50
for the VIP experience.
For more information
about VIP exclusives,
call 663-9390 or visit
truemusicpromotions.net or
leedewyzeofficial.com.
A Kickin It For Kids

charity kickball tournament
will be held from 8 a.m. to
9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, at
McGaw Park.
There will be 16 co-ed
teams participating, ages
18 and up. Proceeds from
the tournament will benefit
REACH-A-Child. The fee
is $850 per team, with 9-12
players per team and a minimum of three women. Win- Block party
ners will receive awards.
Grab the entire family to
For information, visit celebrate the end of sumr e a c h a c h i l d . o r g / e v e n t / mer and the beginning of a
kickball.
new school year with Avante
Properties at the fifth annual
Dog wash
FTC Back to School Block
The seventh annual dog Party from 5-9:30 p.m.
wash will be held, rain or Thursday, Aug. 27.
shine, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Enjoy live music from The
Saturday, Aug. 22, at Wag- Stu Stoinski Trio, a raffle
gin Tails and Fitchburg Vet- fundraiser for the library, a
erinary Hospital, 6249 Nes- movie, food and games.
bitt Road.
11 to Nov. 20. For informaRegister by calling 270tion and registration, call 4290.
Learn the basics of Win- Bonnie at the Alzheimer's
Dance for dementia
dows 8.1 during a class at 7 Association at 203-8500.
p.m. Monday, Aug. 31, at the
Dementia Friendly FitchDog fundraiser
library.
burg will be partnering with
The class will cover apps,
Golden Rule Rescue and Gold's Gym in Fitchburg
Hot Corners and Charms. Rehabilitation, a nonprofit to help raise awareness and
Bring your own Windows rescue group that takes in funds for the initiative.
8.1 laptop for the class to be golden retrievers and golden
Research published in the
hands on. Handouts will be mixes that are abandoned or New England Journal of
given for those without lap- surrendered by their owners, Medicine shows that frequent
tops.
is planning its fourth annual dancing dramatically reduces
To register, call 729-1763. Dog Day Afternoon Fund- the occurrence of dementia
and Alzheimers disease.
raiser.
Funeral planning
The dance will take place
The event starts at noon
Gunderson Funeral Home Saturday, Sept. 12, at Lili- Sept. 19. More details will
will lead a free class about anas Restaurant, 2951 Tri- follow in September.
funeral planning at 1 p.m. verton Pike Dr., and will
Wednesday, Sept. 2, at the include activities for children Taste of Fitchburg
senior center.
to interact with the dogs.
Taste of Fitchburg is back
There will also be an obstacle at McKee Farms Park from
Girl book club
course, face painting, crafts 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday,
Girls ages 5 to 8 who love and games, a four-course Sept. 19.
to read are invited to join the meal, silent auction and live
In addition to a variety of
librarys Read Like a Girl music.
food samples, the event will
For information, visit feature live entertainment,
Book Club.
A kick-off event from 6-7 goldenrulerescue.org.
beverages, a silent auction
p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 9,
and a childrens area.
will feature get-to-know-you Credit score class
The event is an annual funactivities, including a snack
Join the Wisconsin Wom- draiser for 4-C, a local nonmade by participants. Bring en's Business Initiative Cor- profit child care resource and
a friend, meet new ones, and poration at 6 p.m. Wednes- referral agency.
get your read on as the group day, Sept. 16, at the library,
empowers young women to to learn practices with the tasteoffitchburg.com or call
read, dream, run, fly, think, most impact on a credit score 271-9181.
throw, science and every- and how to take control.
thing else like a girl!
Visit wwbic.com to register. Walk for Wishes
Walk for Wishes, a 5K,
Girl Scout sign up
Downsizing program
one-mile or two-mile run/
Interested in learning
Three speakers will discuss walk, wheelchair race, kids
more about Girl Scouts and downsizing from 1-3 p.m. dash and family fun day,
how you and your daughter Thursday, Sept. 17, at the will be held on Sunday, Sept.
can get involved? Attend an senior center.
20, at McKee Farms Park.
informational sign up night
The five areas that will be The event is a fundraiser for
from 6-7 p.m. Thursday, covered are: 1. Create a plan Make-A-Wish Wisconsin,
Sept. 10, at the library.
that fits your lifestyle, 2. which hopes to grant the
For information, visit Communicate with your fam- wishes of 10 children in the
gsbadgerland.org.
ily and friends, 3. Surround Madison region this year.
yourself with highly-qualiDay of registration and
Fitchburg Spry Society fied professionals, 4. Dealing activities begin at 8:30 a.m.,
For those experiencing with a house full of posses- opening ceremonies at 9:30
mild cognitive impairment, sions and 5. Celebrate your a.m., a kids dash followed
by wheelchair race, fun run
the Fitchburg Spry Society new lifestyle.
Speakers at this free pro- and walks begin at 10 a.m.
will offer a comfortable way
to socialize with others while gram include Ruth Domack and post-event festivities at
engaging in a variety of activ- from First Weber, Lori Pep- 11 a.m.
For information, call 252ities. The group will meet at pard from Seques and Carrie
the library on Fridays from Kirkpatrick from A Place for 4321 or visit wisconsin.wish.
org.
10:30 a.m. to noon from Sept. Mom.
Windows 8.1 Basics
August 14, 2015
Nielsen to perform at Concerts at McKee

Last concert of the
season is Aug. 17
Unfavorable weather
may have canceled the
Dead Horses performance
twice this season for Concerts at McKee, but the
MadiSalsa performance
went off without a hitch
on July 20, with plenty of
people dancing to the salsa
tunes. Now, just one concert of the season remains.
Miles Nielsen is set
to perform pop/folk/
Americana music at 7
p.m. Monday, Aug. 17, at
McKee Farms Park. To get
If you go
What: Concerts at
McKee: Miles Nielsen
When: 6 p.m. food, 7
p.m. music Monday, Aug.
17
Where: McKee Farms
Park
Info: facebook.com/
concertsatmckee
a taste of his music, visit
milesnielsen.com.
Food and local tap beers
will be available at 6 p.m.
along with performances
The Fitchburg Star
Badger Prairie Needs Network
On the web
See more photos from the concerts:
UNGphotos.SmugMug.com
by youth bands. Some of
the vendors at the last concert included SoHo Gourmet Cuisines, Cupcakes-AGo-Go, Taquitos Marimar,
Capital Brewery, benefiting the Lions Club, and
Kona Ice.
The concert is free and
open to the public.
For information,
visit facebook.com/
concertsatmckee.
Zeena Engelke, right, volunteers Aug. 6 to help a patron pick out bread at the new food pantry at
Badger Prairie Needs Network, 1200 E. Verona Ave.
Tour the new food pantry Aug. 23
Daniela Barrios and Jose Rodriguez, of Middleton, dance during the MadiSalsa concert at Concerts
at McKee on July 20.
Two former mayors named to college board

The Madison Area
Technical College District
Board elected two former
Fitchburg mayors as chair
and vice chair at its first
meeting of the fiscal year
last month.
Frances Huntley-Cooper,
who was mayor of Fitchburg from
1991 to
1993, will
take over
as chair of
the board
and Shawn
Pfaff, who
s e r v e d Huntley-Cooper
as mayor
from 2011
to 2015, will continue to
serve as vice chair. Both
are current residents of
Fitchburg.
Huntley-Cooper retired
in 2011 from her position
as an administrator in the
Workers Compensation
Division of the Wisconsin
Department of Workforce
Development. A graduate of North Carolina
A&T State University, she
earned masters degrees
in social work, public policy and administration at
University of WisconsinMadison. She was recognized as a 2002 Woman of
Distinction by the YWCA
and is a lifetime member of
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (Kappa Psi Omega Chapter) and NAACP
(Dane County Chapter).
Shawn Pfaff was elected
board vice chair in July
2014 and
will continue in
that role.
Pfaff is the
owner of
Pfaff Public
Affairs and
is a member Pfaff
of the University of Wisconsin Idea
Scholars Program. He also

serves as director of the
Wisconsin FFA Foundation Board of Sponsors and
director of the UW-Eau
Claire Alumni Association.
Arlyn Halvorson of
McFarland will continue
his role as treasurer of the
board, and Madison resident Shiva Bidar-Sielaff
will serve as secretary.
The 2015-16 board also
includes Kelly Crombie of
Columbus, Randy Guttenberg of Waunakee, Joseph
Hasler of Reedsburg, Carolyn Stoner of Helenville
and Joel Winn of Fort
Atkinson.
The board provides
oversight and guidance on
governance issues, college
organization and effectiveness, and assesses the performance of the college
president.
Badger Prairie Needs

Network, formerly known
as Verona Area Needs Network, reopened the food
pantry for its patrons at the
nonprofits new location,
1200 E. Verona Ave., last
week.
The public will have a
chance to tour the facility
and enjoy family entertainment such as face painting and balloon animals
from 1-4 p.m. Sunday,
Aug. 23. There will also
be cooking demonstrations
in the commercial-grade
kitchen, hosted by Whole
Foods, Bunkeys Cafe and
Verona Area High School.
Food will be provided by
Lilianas, Kiwanis Club
of Verona, Orange Leaf
Yogurt, Tuvalu and Park
Bank.
The newly remodeled
7,500-square-foot building houses a larger pantry
store and has more storage
capacity, including a walkin freezer and cooler, so
the organization can take
advantage of cost-saving
bulk food purchases and
more frequent food drives.
The single-story structure
has plenty of windows for
natural light, so it is more
accessible and welcoming
than the old food pantry
had been in the basement of
the citys former library on
Franklin Street.
BPNN has already
expanded its food pantry
If you go
What: Badger Prairie
Needs Network grand
opening
When: 1-4 p.m. Sunday,
Aug. 23
Where: 1200 E. Verona
Ave.
Info: vanncares.org
hours to 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 3-7 p.m.
Mondays and Thursdays
and 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays. While the food pantry
will still serve those in the
Verona Area School District, which includes portions of Fitchburg and Madison, the added network of
services will be available
to anyone who can benefit
from them.
Some of the additional
services will include an
on-site social worker from
Joining Forces for Families and nutritional education in The Prairie Kitchen
with cooking classes starting Aug. 13. Other rooms
are available for developing partner programs such
as legal assistance, health

screenings and financial
education.
Upon entering the building, guests will notice a
room for kids to play with
large windows so parents
can keep an eye on them
while taking advantage of
BPNNs services. There is
also a waiting area between
the JFF office, community
room and kids play area,
and a registration area is
located across from the
food pantry.
BPNNs new logo and
signage have recently been
installed on the outside of
the building. Maple Leaf
Landscaping crews also
donated their time and
materials to complete a
landscaping makeover with
new sod, mulch, plants and
trees at BPNN in July worth
approximately $20,000.
As of press time, the
Move the Food capital fundraising campaign was at
95 percent of its $435,000
goal, but donations will still
be needed yearly to keep
BPNNs services running.
vanncares.org.
Samantha Christian
Deer Creek
Summerfest
8745 Miller Rd., Verona, WI
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SPORTING CLAYS
Our energy world is changing. Madison Gas and Electrics Building a Community Energy Company
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Conversations underway throughout our community. Download the discussion guide and make
comments at mge.com/conversations. To participate in an
MGE small group discussion session facilitated by Justice and
Sustainability Associates, email [email protected].
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August 14, 2015
The Fitchburg Star
Photos by Jacob Bielanski
Robotic Legos
Children at the library had the opportunity to engage in Lego Mind
Storm, a two-day class using programmable Lego set to create
robots, that culminated July 16. Above, Tim Powers, right, guides
Nathan Huss, 10, with programming his robot. Right, Ephraim
Wright-Joseph, 9, and Henry Anderson, 10, prepare to send their
robot into battle against another.
Photos by Scott Girard
Pack n the shelter

Fitchburgs annual Pack N the Park event didnt get rain for long
Aug. 7, but when it did, it downpoured, forcing volunteers to clean
up the games they had set up at McKee Farms Park and try to get
the water-logged projector screen back up. Eventually, that happened and plenty of people stayed around to watch Big Hero 6
after waiting out the rain in shelters.
Above, Carson Escalona, 9, of Mount Horeb, goes to dunk a basketball in the rain.
The projector screen blew over during the rain storm, but recreation
employees and volunteers got it back up in time for the movie.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Agrace in Fitchburg is looking
for great volunteers!
Patient Volunteer
Garden
Tasty Treats
Kitchen & Caf
Grab your friends, your family, and your dancin shoes and head over to McKee
Farms Park for live music, cold beer and good ol F-U-N. Pack a picnic and
grab some lawn chairs if kickin back is your thing. Food, drink carts, and Madison
Music Foundry youth bands start at 6pm and headliners start at 7pm!
Greeter
August 17, 2015
Call (608) 327-7163

to learn more.
agrace.org/volunteer
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Fall Kick-Off
September 13
Sunday Morning Worship Times

8:30 a.m.-Classic Service
9:40 a.m.-Education for All Ages
10:45 a.m.-New Song Service
Noon Potluck Meal
All Saints Lutheran Church

Corner of Hwy. PD/McKee Rd.
& Chapel Valley Rd.
Fitchburg, WI 53711
276-7729 www.allsaints-madison.org
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August 14, 2015
The Fitchburg Star
Returning to Berlin
Fitchburg resident wins Fulbright Scholarship for 2015-16 year in Germany

Find out more
Scott Girard
Genetic or not, Cassie Olien got

her dads love of art history.
Now, shes got a scholarship to
study the subject in Germany for
the 2015-16 school year.
Olien, a former Fitchburg
resident and 2006 Verona Area
High School graduate, received a
prestigious J. William Fulbright
Scholarship earlier this year, and
she will use the funding to return
to Berlin, where she lived for a
year after graduating in art history
from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
My dad sort of brought me up
on the standard of history shows
and those sorts of things. So I
always had an interest in history
and archeology, Olien said. Its
sort of a combination between an
interest my dad fostered in the
subject and then having really,
really excellent advising at UW.
There was help from other places throughout the year-and-a-half
application process, Olien noted,
explaining there were other scholarships she was also applying for
during that time.
To learn more about the Fulbright

Scholarship, visit:
us.fulbrightonline.org
You just need so much help,
Olien said. Its like one person
with 20 people standing behind
them.
One of those people standing
behind her was unexpected, she
said, as a taxi driver in Chicago
ended up being the focus of her
personal statement for the scholarship application.
He basically just drove me
home from a party one night, but
we just really got caught up talking and had this passionate conversation about all things political and all things, she said. We
spoke for like an hour after, he
turned off the meter.
When she tried to give him a
larger tip, he refused, she said.
He was like, No, youre an
exceptional person, you need
to write a book or teach, she
recalled. I was like, Ill do
both.
Olien said she always had an
eye toward graduate school and
Not only is Berlin a really good

place for my research and my dissertation, but its also somewhere I
really feel at home and have felt at
home since 2010, she said.
She said Berlins art culture,
which includes graffiti all around
the city, is great for studying art
history and expression.
Olien hopes to finish her Ph.D.
in two or three years, with a goal
to study in Paris after her time
in Berlin, which will end next
July. After that, she said her ideal
would be going back to Berlin and
curating at a museum or teaching
at a small liberal arts college.
She found delivering the exciting news that she had gotten the
scholarship to be a bit of a challenge.
Shes been in London studying
most of the year, and when she
got home after a long day and saw
the email, she was freaking out
Photo submitted and called her mom in Fitchburg
to let her know.
Cassie Olien overlooks part of Germany, where she will study in the fall on a
I was crying so hard because
Fulbright Scholarship.
I was really, really happy and
travel, so as soon as she gradu- admittance quickly.
I couldnt say anything and she
ated from UW-Madison in 2010,
But going to school in Evanston thought Id been mugged, Olien
she moved to Berlin for one year did not keep her from visiting recalled. Then I kind of got out
before applying to Northwestern whats become a center for her the words, and she was relaxed
University, where she received in Berlin every summer.
after that.
Photos by Samantha Christian

Photos submitted by Jim Escalante
Books and Brews

The Friends of the Fitchburg Public Library
held a Books and Brews fundraising event
at the library on July 11, which featured
beer tastings from six beer vendors, craft
soda and wine samples, appetizers, a silent
auction with over 70 baskets donated by
local merchants and individuals, live music
and a raffle. The benefit raised more than
$16,000 for expanding the librarys outreach services.
Above, attendees try beer samples.
Left, Friends president Alice Jenson sells
raffle tickets during the event.
Chocolate
Olympics
The Fitchburg Public Library
held a Chocolate Olympics
activity on July 20 for kids
in grades 6-12 that featured
M&Ms sorting, Reeses relay
races and a Hersheys eating
contest using a fork and knife.
Above, Maclane Hoelker, 7,
of Fitchburg, balances a bowl
on his head while his brother,
Jackson Hoelker, 11, watches.
Photos submitted by Hiebing
Bike for Boys and Girls Club

The 13th annual Bike for Boys and Girls Club event was held July 18 at McKee Farms Park. As of press
time, the event had surpassed its goal of raising $450,000 for the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County.
Above, The second wave of riders take off for the 25-mile ride. Right, Bike4BGC volunteer Kagen
Mantz, of Madison, helps a rider tune up her bike before the ride.
Photo submitted
Excited about recycling

Kids sort M&Ms by color
using a plastic spoon.
Mayor Steve Arnold, right, and Sauvjanna Morgan, 12, are pictured
at the Fitchburg Resource Conservation Commissions summer
recycling event at the Boys and Girls Club in Fitchburg on July 30.
Morgan was decorating a reusable canvas bag to use at the grocery
store with a message about reducing plastic bag use.
10
August 14, 2015
The Fitchburg Star
Making a move
Fitchburg engineer creates new style of chess for kids, plans giant set on lake
Wegens wheels started turnSamra Teferra
ing when he was looking for
Frozen chess
If you go
a way to depict chess pieces
What: Learning eioChess
There might not be room on a 2-D screen. Hes been
set could
with Gus Vander Wegen
for the ice fishers and cross molding his ideas ever since.
Chess is a very strategic
When: 6-8 p.m.
country skiers on Lake Mendebut in
Thursday, Aug. 20
dota this winter. Fitchburg game, he said. Im a mathresident Gus Vander Wegen ematician, and logic and stratWhere: Verona Public
January
is planning to build a larger- egy are a big part of underLibrary community room
Star correspondent
than-life chess set on the frozen lake in January 2016.

The set is an extension of
eioChess, a style of chess he
created in 2008 geared toward
children and first-time chess
players.
While Vander Wegens
original idea was to create
a board larger than 44 football fields with 200-foot-long
chess pieces to surpass a
1,200-by-1,200-foot chess set
made on a field in Germany
in 2009, the set will likely be a
fraction of the size. He is now
aiming for a 160-by-160-foot
board and 20-foot-long chess
pieces, unless fundraising and
community support picks up
and he is able to increase the
size. Still, the giant chess set
will be large enough to view
from Monona Terrace, and it
will be played interactively
via text messaging.
This future project is just
one of the many chess variations Vander Wegen has created, called eioChess, which
stands for engaging, interactive and organized learning.
He is also writing a book, 15
and 1 Ways to Make A Chess
Set, in which he gives examples of using simple objects
such as buckets, dice, cups
and even concrete to build
chess sets.
Vander Wegen will be displaying his chess sets at local
libraries this month so people
can learn how to play and
make their own chess pieces,
boards and rules.
standing life and how to think

analytically.
He believes developing
these skills at a young age can
benefit a childs development.
The Susan Polgar Foundation, named after the fourtime womens national chess
champion who also broke
the gender barrier in chess,
was created to promote the
benefits of chess in the U.S.,
especially for young girls.
Polgar claims that the test
scores of students regularly
engaged in chess are over
three times higher than the
scores of children participating in other activities.
Vander Wegen decided to
target children ages 6-16 as
well as first-time chess players when he created eioChess. This simplified version of
traditional chess also encourages people to create their
own chess sets out of various
materials.
The point system and pieces (knight, king, queen, etc.)
are the same as the original
game. However, the number
of points associated with each
piece is marked with dots.
Vander Wegen has also made
it easier for people to remember the direction each piece
moves, which is indicated by
the arrangement of the dots.
For example, if a piece can
only move side-to-side the
dots will be arranged horizontally.
Growing in popularity
Seventy percent of the

players at this years MadiWhile working as a proj- son School and Community
ect engineer for the City of Recreation K-12 chess chamFitchburg in 2008, Vander pionship were in kindergarten
Creating the concept
Info: veronapubliclibrary.
org
When: 6-8 p.m. Monday,
Aug. 24
Where: Fitchburg Public
Library terrace
Info: fitchburgwi.gov/
library
Photo by Samra Teferra
Gus Vander Wegen created eioChess, a simplified version of traditional chess, so learning chess would be easier for beginners. He is
also trying to build the largest chess set on Lake Mendota in winter.
through fifth grade.

Alex Betaneli, a National
Chess Master who runs the
Wisconsin Chess Academy
and teaches chess at Eagle
School, said that chess benefits children in many ways.
Chess teaches kids how
to lose and win gracefully,
patience, perseverance, focus,
impulse control and it gives
excellent opportunities to
learn from mistakes, he said.
Betaneli also thinks the
accessibility and universality
of the game transcends many
social and economic barriers.
International kids can
socialize and make friends
easier, he said. Its one of
the cheapest activities to do,
it levels the playing field for
socioeconomic status, and
economically disadvantaged
kids are well represented.
Betaneli also sees how the
upcoming lake project could

contribute to attracting more
people to the game.
Any large-scale exposure
to chess and of chess is a good
thing if it inspires kids to
play chess, then the project
will be successful, he said.
Engaging game
But Vander Wegens motivations with eioChess are
greater than the project on
Lake Mendota. He drew upon
his teaching experience while
creating the game, and he
ultimately wants to engage a
broader audience in learning
it.
Engaging is one of the
words generally all instructors use ... visual learning is
something that is critical to
learning for certain types of
people, he said. Learning
should fit what you are trying
to teach rather than the type of

people you are trying to educate.
One aspect of eioChess
that is engaging is building
the board. Vander Wegen has
created chess pieces using
balls, card stock and stones
and has used maps to serve as
boards.
He also wants to engage
players through changing
the experience of the game.
Instead of two players, he
has created ways to play
with groups of five. He also
encourages playing chess on
the wall, with the wall serving as the board, instead of on
a table. This makes it easier
for spectators to engage in the
game as well, he said.
The increase in young
chess players might create
demand for eioChess, and
Vander Wegen hopes it will
become a new educational
game in the market.
If eioChess takes off,
Vander Wegen thinks it
will change the face of the
500-year-old game.
My goal is that 2- and 3year-olds will be able to look
at this and get the gist of how
the pieces move, he said.
Balancing the functionality and construction of

a giant chess set on Lake
Mendota is complicated,
but Gus Vander Wegen has
already drafted the blueprints and thought about
how it will be built.
Builders will need to
use snow plows and heavy
equipment to create the
board, but Vander Wegen
predicts the frozen lake can
withstand the weight.
During the winter the
lake freezes with a thickness of 20 feet you can
withhold a car on ice that is
10 feet deep, he said.
The boundaries for the
board and squares will
be marked by lines. Each
square will then be given a
name (like A1 or A4) visibly written on the square to
guide players in moving the
pieces via text messaging.
You could text to move
piece A1 to A4 so we
would have to move 60
feet to that square, he said.
Vander Wegen has yet to
determine what objects will
represent the chess pieces,
but he has some ideas and
is open to receiving more
from the community.
One idea is we could
have tents like those you
see at fairs we would
move the canopies according to the instructions via
text message, he said.
Vander Wegen hopes he
could get volunteers or students to maneuver the large
pieces.
Interests in and suggestions about the lake project
and eioChess can be sent to
[email protected].
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From annual exams and preventative care
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primary care doctor manages your ongoing
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Oregon schools
August 14, 2015
The Fitchburg Star
11
Board debates trivial handbook changes at Aug. 10 meeting

Split approval hinges
on wordsmithing
Scott Girard
Two weeks can make a

big difference.
Or at least a trio of school
board members thought so
when they tried to delay
approval of wording changes to the districts employee
handbook Aug. 10.
Nonetheless, the board
passed the changes many
of which amounted to clarifying existing policies and
practices on a 4-3 vote
after more than an hour of
discussion.
The discussion mostly
centered on what board
members, Rae Voegler,
Gwen Maitzen and Charles
Uphoff said was a lack of
time to review the changes.
They also said there was a
lack of understanding about

the motion by board member Steve Zach to approve
other minor wording changes at the meeting.
It seems to me that we
have a responsibility to all
of our staff to take the time
to go through this, Maitzen
said. The wordsmithing is
extremely important, and I
dont think were ready to
vote on this.
The handbook was on
the agenda because district
human resources director
and in-house counsel Jina
Jonen wanted to have most
of the language finalized
before next weeks new
teacher training.
There's nothing in here
thats a change in policy,
Jonen told the board. Its
just codifying things and
answering questions Ive
gotten throughout the year.
Jonen said she worked
with leadership at the
Oregon Education Association to make the draft and

they had OKd the new language.
The approval Monday
did not include section 6 of
the handbook, which covers termination and some
teacher discipline policies
that have led to extended debates in the past on
the handbook. That was
because OEA and administrators had not come to an
agreement on the language
in that section.
Board members Jeff
Ramin and Barb Feeney both said they did not
understand why others had
problems with the small
changes in language.
This really should be
a trivial matter tonight,
Ramin said.
Changes, which were
underlined in red throughout a draft handbook given
to board members, included
removing the list of the

specific board committees,
adding gender identity
and/or preference to the
anti-discrimination policy
and adding a section on
supplemental compensation for teachers who take
higher education credits or
professional development.
But Matizen also
expressed strong opposition
to a paragraph in the introduction, which was already
in the handbook and not
involved in the changes
proposed, that states the

district can change whats
in the handbook at anytime.
It's the disclaimer that
anything in the handbook
can be changed, at anytime,
for any reason, Maitzen
said.
Zach pointed to the
same clause as why it was
OK to approve the small
changes Monday and
then come back and make
larger changes later after
more discussion. He also
said that the handbook is
a continually public document, and board members have had a chance to

have their say at any point
throughout the year.
This has been a public
document for three years,
Zach said. (The policy in
the introduction) allows this
to be a working document
that we can change over a
period of time.
The board is expected to
have a conversation with
members of OEA at its
Aug. 24 meeting.
Whats online
Read more OSD stories at
ConnectFitchburg.com:
Summer school
Within a month of leaving their classrooms across
the Oregon School District,
hundreds of students were
back in school in July with
a goal to have fun and avoid
the summer slide.
Board committee talk

divisive
School board members are split on adjusting
responsibilities for its committees.
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Photo by Scott De Laruelle
Connor Groenier tests out his metal detector at a STEAM (Science,

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12
August 14, 2015
Madison schools
The Fitchburg Star
Annual report shows progress throughout district schools

Scott Girard
The Madison Metropolitan School District in July

released its second annual
report since superintendent
Jennifer Cheatham took over
in 2013.
The report indicates the district is happy with its overall
progress, but recognizes there
is work left to do, especially in
closing the achievement gap
between racial minorities and
white students, as well as those
of lower socioeconomic status
versus their higher socioeconomic status peers.
The report outlines the three
major goals for each school
in the district: the number of
students on-track to graduate,
a well-rounded education and
positive school climate measured on a 5-point scale.
Here are highlights of how
Fitchburg-area attendance
schools in the district fared in
the report:
Chavez
Chavez Elementary School
did not have much progress
on the first goal, to be sure

students are on-track to graduate, based on their Measure
of Academic Progress reading test scores.
On MAP reading proficiency, there was a 1 percent
improvement overall and a
7 percent reduction in free/
reduced lunch students. Students needed to meet proficient or advanced on the test
to count toward the goal.
For growth on the MAP
test within the 2014-15 school
year, the school saw significant drops from last year
among its English Language
Learner and free/reduced
lunch populations.
The school had 100 percent participation in fine arts
classes, an indicator of a wellrounded education.
On the final goal, maintaining a positive school climate,
the school ranged from a 3.37
low from staff on school
improvement. Students rated
the same measure a 3.43. The
highest rating was parents
feeling the school has a strong
institutional environment,
with a 4.34 rating.
The report outlines the
On the web
See the schools full reports:
madison.k12.wi.us/
framework
schools strengths as its phenomenal teachers who are
willing to try new strategies
and highlights the growth of
collaboration.
The areas for growth
include reflecting as a staff on
what can be done differently
to close the achievement gap.
Leopold
Leopold Elementary
School saw growth in nearly
every category for MAP testing in 2014-15.
The school had its largest
improvement in MAP math
growth scores. About 75 percent of those students met their
fall to spring growth targets
on the test, compared to 63
percent in 2013-14. AfricanAmerican students and the student body as a whole both had
11 percent more students meet
their growth targets than in the
previous year.
The school also had 100
Goals
The Madison Metropolitan School District set out
the following three goals that it will measure each
year in an annual report:
Every student is on-track to graduate as
measured by student growth and achievement at
key milestones.
Every student has access to a challenging
and well-rounded education as measured by
programmatic access and participation data.
Every student, family and employee experiences
a customer service oriented school system as
measured by school climate survey data.
percent participation in the
fine arts.
The climate measures
ranged from a low of 3.29
from students on the schools
safety up to a 4.19 from the
students on the schools
teaching and learning.
The school identified its
strength as its diverse community and engaged families, as well as the parent
faculty organizations support
of innovation.
For areas of growth, the
school targeted instructional
purposes and integration of

disciplinary literacy.
Cherokee
Cherokee Middle School
saw a drop in the percentage
of African-American students
who met the fall to spring
growth targets in both reading
and math.
There was also a drop in
math proficiency overall, but
an improvement in reading
proficiency among the entire
student body.
The school had 98 percent
participation in the fine arts

and 53 percent participation
in world languages for seventh- and eighth-graders.
Climate ratings ranged
from a 2.8 rating on institutional environment by students to a 4.02 rating from
parents on relationships.
West
West High School had an
increase in overall high school
completion rates, up from 87
percent in 2013-14 to 89 percent in 2014-15.
While there was a 2 percent
drop in the rate of African
American students completing
high school, the percentage of
special education students rose
from 52 percent to 61 percent.
West had 55 percent of
its students complete an
advanced course, and 56 percent complete a course in the
fine arts or a world language.
On the school climate survey, responses ranged from
a 2.59 from students on institutional environment to a
4.07 from parents on school
improvement.
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Verona schools
August 14, 2015
Letter grades return at SOMS

2015-16 report cards will
also include standards
mastery
Scott Girard
Savanna Oaks Middle School

report cards are bringing back
letter grades.
Some parents with children
attending the school had complained the schools switch to
standards-based grading was not
well communicated and the new
system was hard to understand.
For the 2015-16 school year,
both systems will be used.
As part of its move to emphasize personalized learning, the
school had switched last year to a
grading scale that included three
possible outcomes: mastery, near
mastery and beginning level. The
idea was that along with those
came more information from a
teacher on how that student mastered each standard.
But parents said the system
was inconsistent and did not
always make sense to them. A
Verona Area School District
committee that began meeting this summer also questioned
why the districts three middle
schools, SOMS, Core Knowledge
Charter School and Badger Ridge
Middle School, had different
ways of communicating students
progress to parents.
Based on all of that feedback,
SOMS principal Sandy Eskrich
told the Press, the schools
administration decided to include

letter grades once again on report
cards next year.
We are listening to the dialogue that theyre having (on
the committee), Eskrich said.
Theyre trying to find the most
comfortable middle ground to
ensure that parents are comfortable with some progressive
changes in education in a way
that delivers information in a way
that is familiar enough to them so
they can trust it.
Along with the letter grades
will be a new level of standardsbased achievement, exceeds
mastery. She said that change,
as well as the return of the A-F
scale, was a response to parents
who worried their children were
achievement-motivated learners.
For some students, mastery
doesnt motivate them, she said.
There are parents who feel that
their students are motivated by
getting an A, or working for an
A.
But she emphasized that the
return of letter grades does not
change the schools focus on
ensuring students set personal
goals and monitor their progress
in a more detailed way than a letter can communicate.
I dont know that were
changing what were doing, but
were offering a few additions
to make the parents who were
uncomfortable with it more comfortable, she said.
The letter grades will be based
on the students level of mastery
throughout a term, Eskrich wrote
in an email.
At the end of the grading

period, if the student has primarily mastery ratings, he/she would
likely be granted a letter grade
of B, she wrote. This does two
things, allows parents who want
a quick and familiar look at a
grade report to get some information and it allows all three middle
schools in the VASD to continue
to share grades in the traditional sense.
That link is a goal shared by
the districts director of curriculum and assessment, Ann Franke.
(Grading and reporting) really
should be something we do as a
district, not site-by-site, she said
at a July 1 curriculum, instruction and assessment committee
meeting. It doesnt make sense
for a district.
That consistency is likely to
be a key factor in an upcoming
middle school study that has been
discussed at recent CIA committee meetings.
Its the idea of bringing a
team together, both middle
schools, to talk about what does
middle school look like in the
Verona Area School District?
Franke said at the July 1 meeting.
That encompasses quite a bit.
Beyond the grading systems,
that includes instructional minutes in different subjects, something director of bilingual programs and instructional equity
Laurie Burgos brought up at that
same meeting.
Franke said such a study would
be a long process, but it is possible it would start sometime next
school year.
The Fitchburg Star
13
Whats online
Read more VASD stories at ConnectFitchburg.com:
Crucial steps ahead for West End purchase

As the district closes on two properties purchased through
Aprils referendum, its nearing an agreement for the third, but
important steps remain.
Annual meeting Aug. 17

The district will host its annual meeting and budget hearing
Monday, Aug. 17, at 6 p.m.
Effect of SAGE replacement program

still unclear at VASD elementaries
Scott Girard
Verona Area School District

officials remain unsure of how
a legislative replacement for a
class-size-reduction program will
affect the districts elementary
schools.
The state government replaced
the Student Achievement Guarantee in Education policy with
the Achievement Gap Reduction
law earlier this summer. Gov.
Scott Walker signed the change
into law July 1.
SAGE, which had been law
since the 1990s, offered funding to schools and districts that
kept class sizes for kindergarten
through third grade below an
18-to-1 or 30-to-2 student-toteacher ratio. All four of the districts attendance area elementary
schools participated in the program last year, receiving nearly
$900,000 in state aid, according
to Department of Public Institution estimates.
Districts with SAGE contracts
ending in 2015 can have a oneyear extension on the law before
they must switch to AGR.

Gorrell has told the Press in the
past the district was waiting for
more information from the state
Department of Public Instruction
on the new laws effects. He presented some FAQs from the DPI
website on the new program to
the school board Aug. 3.
This is the last year for the
SAGE program as we have
known it, Gorrell said.
The AGR law includes the
same class size option as SAGE,
but adds that professional development on small group instruction must be provided. Schools
can also receive AGR funding by
implementing one-to-one tutoring or instructional coaching for
teachers.
Schools will be required to
submit which of the strategies
they will put in place each year,
and then a summary of how they
worked at the end of the year.
However, Gorrell pointed out
that its unclear what happens if
a school does not meet its performance objectives or fails to close
the achievement gap.
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The Fitchburg Star
August 14, 2015
Superhero
Academy
Kids showed off their superhero skills
Friday, July 24, at the Fitchburg Public
Library during the Superhero Academy.
The library held the same event a week
earlier, as well. Participants made masks,
practiced their balance beam rescues,
saved a city and more at stations around
the librarys meeting rooms.
Below, Drew Blakeslee, 4, of Fitchburg,
jumps through rings of fire.
Right, Grace Burke, 3, of McFarland, tries
to rescue the bear at the end of the balance beam.
Photos by Scott Girard
Photos by Samantha Christian
Crime scene detectives

The Fitchburg Public Library held a Crime Scene Discovery program with members from the Fitchburg Police Department for teens
and adults on July 31. Officers explained crime scene investigation
tactics and allowed participants to try out tools and explore a mock
burglary crime scene.
Above, Officer Kelly Jacobson, right, explains to participants that
fingerprint evidence gets stored in labeled paper bags. Shown
from left are Rigo Laredo, 14, of Green Bay; Lily Dinkins, 14, of
Fitchburg; and Ayo Kaeding, 15, of Madison.
Left, Bonita Fleming, of Fitchburg, places a numbered cone by a
drink can since DNA evidence could potentially be collected from it.
Ask the Fitchburg
RESPITE CARE
CHIROPRACTOR
Q. How Do I Contact Comfort Keepers to Provide Services to My Dad?

A. Home health care services from Comfort Keepers are offered in all 50 states. Although Comfort Keepers
is a national franchise, each office is locally owned and operated. Caregivers are local residents passionate
about caring for people in their communities. As a company, Comfort Keepers strives to keep seniors in their
homes for as long as possible and as long as the environment is safe. Specially trained caregivers are scheduled
to visit with seniors as often as needed, and can handle many responsibilities from home care, to personal care,
to transportation services.
In order to assess the elderly loved ones current living situation, a home health care services consultant will
Stephen Rudolph
visit the home free of charge to discuss an individualized care plan. The consultant will review the safety of the
FACHE, CSA
environment, how many crucial tasks the senior could do on his or her own and talk with the senior about the
kind of care he or she is looking for.
Caregivers can assist seniors with any personal tasks that may have become too difficult to do alone including showering, getting dressed,
or bending over to put on shoes. Caregivers can also do light housekeeping tasks to maintain the seniors home such as vacuuming,
dusting, laundry, washing dishes, taking out the trash or even caring for a pet. Caregivers can also assist with transportation services
Comfort Keepers does not charge for a home consultation, so feel free to call us at 608-442-1898 to get started!
Q. With the start of school right around the corner, what recommendations do you
have for preventing back pain from heavy backpacks?
A. Every year we see more and more kids with neck, shoulder and back pain as a result of over
weight and/or improperly worn packs. Lets start by first getting them the correct backpack. A good
pack should have function first and fashion second. Find a pack that is sturdy, or slightly rigid as well
as padded on the portion that rests against the spine. This will protect the back and force the items
inside to sit properly. Make sure the pack has wide padded shoulder straps in order to help distribute
the weight evenly. Look for a pack that has at least one waist strap and if possible, a chest strap as well.
Lee Unwin,
Using these straps will keep the weight from shifting when you move. A good pack will cost between
LMT
$50 and $150. Finding the right back pack is only half of the equation; how you wear it and how
much you put in it determines the risk of injury. A pack should not be carried on one shoulder or below the waist. Both of these
positions put undue stress on the shoulders and back. Proper position is always on both shoulders and above the beltline. The
weight of the pack should be no more than 10-20% of the persons body weight. If your child does complain of neck, shoulder
or back pain a thorough chiropractic evaluation is in order to determine any damage to the nervous or musculoskeletal system.
102 N. Franklin Street Verona, WI 53593

(608) 848-1800 unwinchiropractic.com
5396 King James Way, Suite 210, Madison, WI 53719

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Assisted Living And MeMory CAre
NURSING HOME NEGLECT AND ABUSE
Q. Does your Parents or loved one need assisted living?

A. Signs that a parent or loved one might need assisted living Its not always easy to tell
Q. What can I do to protect my elderly relatives from nursing home neglect and
abuse?
A. The best thing you can do to protect a loved one is by doing some smart research. First
600 W. Verona Avenue, Verona, WI 53593 (608) 709-5565 Email: [email protected]
Q.
If you have a question about assisted living, memory care or dementia,

feel free to contact Ryan Wagner, Resident Care Director
at Sylvan Crossings Assisted Living and Memory Care of Fitchburg.
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find someone who has had first-hand experience with that homes staff or treatment. Remember to always monitor
and be aware of your relatives living conditions and if you are uncomfortable about anything always put the staff
on notice. Ask questions and constantly stay informed of any changes.
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We tried to sell our home during the recession and found we were caught in an upsidedown mortgage situation. We are wondering if we should try to sell our house now?...
If we should buy or rent a home next?..... and...what kind of advice we should be giving our
children about buying their first homes?
A: These are all very good and very important questions. Having just been through one
of the worst recessions of our generation, we have learned a lot! I can happily say that the
market is back and it is a good time to sell your house. As a matter of fact, we have a shortage of homes to sell in many of our neighborhoods and price ranges. It still remains true
Barb Dawson
that the house needs to be brought up to current trends and be in good, working condition to
sell easily. For your purchases, I would first put you in touch with an experienced mortgage lender to talk to you and
your children about what kind of safe and reliable mortgage products are available for your situations. There are
many good products to fit all needs and they can also educate as to what
is necessary to qualify for a mortgage in this new lending environment.
608.575.3290
[email protected]
Serving Home Buyers & Sellers!
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Q. How is PMI calculated?
Kathleen C. Aiken
A. Our PMI premium is fixed based on plan type (loanto-value ratio, loan type, loan term, etc.) PMI typically
amounts to about one-half of one percent of your mortgage
amount annually, and the premium payment is rolled into
your monthly mortgage payment. On a $200,000 mortgage,
you may be paying $1,000 per year for PMI. Please be
aware this will vary according to your loan-to-value ratio,
loan type, loan terms and especially your credit profile.
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If you would like to join our Ask a Professional page, contact Donna Larson at 608-845-9559 or Sandy Opsal at 835-6677 to find out how!
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Gail C. Groy
Attorney at Law
figure out whether the nursing home is licensed in the State of Wisconsin. Determine if the
staff (RPNs, LPNs, CNAs) are all licensed and have service training for nursing home care.
Find out if its up to you to observe what is happening in the nursing home or if a physician
will be relied upon for this task. Remember that Google is your friend, check out the
nursing homes reputation and how it cares for the elderly. Finally, ask around. Ask your
elderly relatives physician what his/her opinion is on that particular nursing home. Ask
around the community, your own friends and family, and your relatives friends. You may
when parents or another family member or loved one needs help. The following warning
signs may indicate that its time for a talk about assisted living. The refrigerator is empty
or filled with spoiled food or your parent is losing weight. These may be signs that he or
she isnt eating will because shopping or cooking is difficult. You notice frequent bruises,
although your parent may try to cover them up. This may be a sign of falling, or mobility and
balance problems. Your parents wears the same clothes over and over again or neglects
personal hygiene. This can indicate that doing laundry and bathing is physically challenging.
Ryan Wagner,
The house and yard isnt as clean and tidy as it used to be. Your parent forgets things,
Resident Care Director including doctors appointments and when to take medication. This may be due to memory
loss. Your parent seems depressed. Depression is common in seniors who are isolated and
alone. You notice strange or inappropriate behavior. For example, you parent may dress
inappropriately for the weather. This can be a sign that he or she is experiencing confusion.
Sports
Jeremy Jones, sports editor
845-9559 x226 [email protected]
Anthony Iozzo, assistant sports editor

845-9559 x237 [email protected]
Fax: 845-9550
Friday, August 14, 2015
The
15
Fitchburg Star
For more sports coverage, visit:

West athletic director
Returning to her roots

Botham is named new
athletic director at West
Evan Halpop
Sandy Botham was a studentathlete at Madison West High

School in 1982 playing on the
Regents girls basketball team.
While expectations for the
team were low during Bothams
sophomore season, when the
year was over, the Regents were
crowned WIAA state champions, the last time the program
won a title.
Now, after 31 years, Botham
is returning to Madison West as
the new athletic director to try
and continue the traditions of
when she was a Regent studentathlete.
It is such a blessing to have
the opportunity to serve and lead
the Madison West athletic program, Botham said.
After graduating from West,
Botham attended the University
of Notre Dame where she would
play basketball during the mid1980s.
While playing for the Fighting Irish, Botham earned allconference honors three years in
a row and was named the most
valuable player of the womens
basketball team.
Following her time at Notre
Dame, Botham went on to work
her way up the coaching ranks
while also holding a few administrative positions before landing
her current AD position at West.
In her new position, Botham
looks forward to working with
Photo by Evan Halpop
Sandy Botham, the new Athletic Director of Madison West, stands in front of the
mural of West outside the Auditorium.
the young men and women at

West to help them reach their
full potential as student athletes.
If they are struggling in the
classroom, we will have them

take time away from athletics to improve and get the help
they need to succeed in the
OHS girls soccer
classroom, Botham said.

She aims to graduate 100 percent of the Madison West student-athletes, while becoming
an athletic program that alumni,
staff, parents and students can be
proud to be a part of.
Early life in sports
Growing up in Madison in a
family of six girls, Botham considers her siblings and parents as
her high school mentors.
While she credits her high
school coaches and teachers
for her success, she points to
legendary Fighting Irish football coach Lou Holtz and Notre
Dame womens basketball coach
Muffet McGraw as key mentors.
Playing sports at an early age,
Botham remembers playing softball, soccer and basketball when
she was at Cherokee Middle
School.
Botham said she loved being
a part of the Regent family and
going to a large school with lots
of diversity.
Madison West is a melting
pot - there are students that come
from many different cultures,
she said. I learned to appreciate
peoples differences and how to
work with others from many different backgrounds.
Memories at West
From her experiences as
part of a diverse student body,
Botham learned the need to work
together.
Bothams favorite memory of
being a student at West was winning the 1982 girls basketball
state championship.
I will never, ever forget that
night (winning state), she said.
We were underdogs in my
sophomore basketball season.

Even if the Regents fall short
of winning state titles though,
she hopes student-athletes will
make similar memories that they
will take with them long after
they graduate.
I have a lot of great memories
at Mansfield Stadium and the
Stevens gym, she said.
Carving a career
Botham pursued her undergraduate in psychology, with
a minor in business. She later
received a masters degree in
science of administration.
Following her college career,
she spent the next 30 years
working in a variety of positions
at the college level.
Before finding the open athletic director position, Botham
was the head coach of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
womens basketball team from
1996-2012 where she compiled a
245-225 record.
Being a college athlete and
coach has provided a wealth of
experience and preparation to
lead and make a difference in
student athletes lives at Madison
West High School.
Bothams successful experience leading a basketball program while having a vision,
organizational skills and high
expectations made her the perfect candidate for the West athletic director position, vice principal Mitch McGrath said.
Her decisions are guided by
what is best for the students,
McGrath said. Her passion and
unique connection by being a
former student is a special thing
to have at West.
Home Talent League
Callaway comes full circle Verona takes advantage of Ridgeway

Anthony Iozzo
Assistant sports editor
When Cal Callaway first

met Americo Mertz Mortorelli, he was working
on his parents dairy farm
in Hayward in December
1959.
He recalls trudging
through the snow after Callaway
doing his evening chores
and seeing a strange car
in the driveway. Much to his surprise, a
large Italian man was at the dinner table
with his mother.
Mortorelli had been invited over for
dinner because Callaways mother hoped
for her son to graduate from college. And
when he left that night, he had persuaded
them that Cal was going to get through
college with his help.
That is what started everything.
From playing for the University of
Wisconsin Superior football team (then
called Superior State Teachers College)
and earning a bachelor of science degree
(1963) and a masters in educational
administration (1964) to a 33-year career
in the Oregon School District as a coach,
teacher and administrator, Callaway and
Mortorellis lives have now been tied
together with his nomination for the Mertz
Mortorelli Coaching Achievement Award
for the UW-Superior Hall of Fame, which
he traveled from his home in Tennessee to
receive Saturday at a banquet in Superior.
(Mortorelli) is the role model I tried
to emulate throughout my career in education, Callaway told the Observer last

week. I aspired to make a positive difference in the lives Ive been fortunate
enough to touch in teaching/coaching and
in positions of leadership and responsibility I have held. The Oregon School District provided that platform on which to
pursue my goal of making a positive difference.
Life sometimes has a funny way of
connecting events, and this award would
bring things in full circle for me.
Coaching success
Callaways first job in the district was
Oregon Senior High Schools head football coach and biology teacher.
I was fortunate, Callaway said. At
the time I thought I was ready, but I really
wasnt. I was pretty inexperienced I
was succeeding Irv Kissling, who had just
come off a championship season, so they
really took a chance.
And I didnt know at that time what an
opportunity that was. I didnt fully appreciate it because I never had to look for
another job.
Callaway was promoted to assistant
principal in 1968 after three years but
remained the football coach for nearly the
entire time he held that position, something rarely even allowed anymore by
school districts.
From 1965-1983, Callaway compiled
Turn to Callaway/Page 16
errors in first round of playoffs

Michael Fiez
Verona Press
The Verona Cavaliers

Home Talent team continued
their torrid charge toward
redemption last Sunday
with a 10-0 victory over the
Ridgeway Cardinals.
After last years early exit
against Oregon, the Cavaliers the top seed for the second consecutive year came
into Sundays opening round
looking to take care of business.
We think were going to
win the whole thing every
year,manager Nick Krohn
said.Thats just kind of the
way we are. And there was
never any talk or thought
about last year. Its just a different year. New year, new
team.
Stalwart ace Kyle Nelson,
a Cavalier newcomer who
is one month removed from
missing five games with a
stress fracture in his foot,
shares that confidence.
Throwing seven scoreless
innings on Sunday, Nelsons
scoreless streak extends to 49
innings.
Photo by Jeremy Jones
Verona pitcher Kyle Nelson (45) argues a call Sunday after

Ridgeways Adam Halverson (45) was called safe at first base in
the fifth inning. Halverson slid cleat first into first baseman Mike
Jordahl. The Cavaliers didnt win their appeal but won the game
10-0 in seven innings.
After allowing a hit on his

first pitch of the game, Nelson settled into a groove, stifling the Cardinals batters as
he allowed only three more
hits in the next six innings.
He finished with eight strikeouts, surrendering only one
walk.
Verona built an early lead
in the home half of the second inning, when catcher

Derek Murphy led off with
a walk before moving to second a Danny Koss single.
Mitch Flora laid down a
bunt to advance the runners,
resulting in a close force play
Turn to HTL/Page 18
16
August 14, 2015
The Fitchburg Star
Verona Little League
Dey one of six in Wisconsin to receive

U.S. Cellular Community Coach award
Anthony Iozzo
V e r o na Little
L e a g u e
coach Heith
Dey remembers receiving an email Dey
about the
U.S. Cellular
Community Coach award.
The email was urging to
nominate coaches whose
commitment went above
and beyond normal coaching duties and showed
exemplary support for the
youth in their community,
but Dey honestly just forgot about it.
So it was a very surprising and humbling experience when Dey received
a call from Verona Little
League president Cale
Battles to tell him he was
one of six people to earn
the community coach
award this year.
Dey was honored on
Aug. 2 at Miller Park
during a baseball game
between the Milwaukee
Brewers and the Chicago
Cubs.
Just because I know
the quality of coaches
within the Verona Little
League, for myself to represent Verona in front of
the fans Sunday at Miller
Park, that is the reason I
was humbled more than
anything proudly representing what Verona Little
League is all about, Dey
said. I believe there were

many other coaches in
our league that were very
deserving as well.
Dey, who has coached
at various levels including being an assistant at
Edgewood College, said
he enjoys teaching all of
his young ballplayers lessons they can use not only
in the sport as they grow
older but in life as well.
I absolutely love coaching little league, Dey
said. These kids are really energetic, and it is just a
matter of honing the skills
they have. Hopefully, I
was able to foster more
excitement so they want to
play the next year.
As for his day at Miller
Park, Dey said his wife
and son were in the audience, and he joked that he
only wished he could have
seen himself accept the
award on the big screen,
only watching a video his
son took later on.
That was pretty overwhelming in such a positive way. Hearing your
name over the PA and just
having my son and my
wife there to see my face
on the big screen it was
pretty cool, Dey said.
Dey was selected for
the award through Verona
Little Leagues participation in the U.S. Cellular
On Deck program. As part
of the On Deck program,
each team in the Verona
Little League received a
Coaches Kit that included
a rolling cooler, wristbands, baseballs and a

scorebook. It also had
Brewers rally towels.
In total, U.S. Cellular supported nearly 350
teams and provided more
than $100,000 worth of
new baseball equipment
for the Verona Little
League, Appleton Little
League, Kennedy (Madison) Little League, Middleton Little League, Monroe Parks and Recreation,
Platteville Youth Baseball,
Portage Little League and
Sun Prairie Little League.
Mike Mikalsen (Kennedy Little League),
Jamie Guerrero (Middleton Youth Baseball &
Softball) Corey A. Williams (Sun Prairie Little
League), Brian Bassett
(Monroe Parks and Recreation) and Duaine Pixler
(Portage Little League)
also won the award.
U.S. Cellular is proud
to recognize those who
are committed to making
a positive impact on their
community by giving back
their time and supporting
local youth, said Laurie Poellinger, director of
sales for U.S. Cellular in
Wisconsin. Heith and the
other Community Coaches Award recipients have
exemplified this commitment through their outstanding work with youth
baseball players in their
communities.
Oregon Senior Legion
Panthers finish 10-6 in Legion season

them can play on varsity and
start, Riffle said. I think it
will be an interesting year in
T h e O r e g o n S e n i o r the spring to see where guys
Legion team went 4-4 in are.
games since July 7, with
wins over Mount Horeb, Middleton 1, Oregon 0
The Panthers fell 1-0 at
Stoughton, Verona and
Middleton on July 7.
Middleton.
Head coach Ben Riffle
said that there have been Oregon 14, Mt. Horeb 3
spurts from the team that
Oregon bounced back on
shows everyone is ready to July 8 with a 14-3 win at
compete for a job on varsity Mount Horeb.
next season.
Dominic Maurice (3-forThere are 22 guys on 5), Alex Verhagen (2-forthe team and everyone of 3), Mueller (double) and
Anthony Iozzo
Jared Jones (double) led the

offense. Michael Landry,
Nic Richardson, Ian Schildgen and Adam Heath also
added hits.
Heath started and picked
up the win. He pitching five
innings and allowed three
earned runs on seven hits,
striking out two and walking
one.
Mount Horeb (DH)

The Panthers hosted
Mount Horeb in a doubleheader on July 11 and fell
9-2 and 4-2.
Mad. West 11, Oregon 8

Oregon dropped its third
straight on July 13 in an
11-8 loss to the visiting
Madison West Regents.
Oregon 4, Verona 2
The Panthers got back
Turn to Legion/Page 18
File photo
Former Oregon High School coach Cal Callaway was inducted into the Wisconsin High School Football
Coaches Hall of Fame and the National High School Coaches Hall of Fame, as well as the University of
Wisconsin-Superior Hall of Fame.
Callaway: Receives Mertz Mortorelli award

Continued from page 15
a 108-46-10 record as a
football coach, winning
78 percent of his games.
The Panthers won a combined 10 conference titles
in the Madison Suburban
and Badger Conferences
during that time, and they
added runner-up (1978)
and fourth-place (1980)
finishes in the WIAA state
playoffs.
But it did take a few
years of sub-par finishes
before Callaway started
to coach those successful
teams. The first undefeated
season under Callaway was
in 1970.
Not being successful
right away, I had to step
back and really analyze
what I needed and what
I had to do differently to
become successful, Callaway said. I had all the talent in the student-athletes.
They were fantastic people
to work with. I just had to
get my stuff together, and
I had to come up with a
group of assistant coaches
that were good teachers
and were able to put into
practice the kinds of things
that we believed in that we
wanted to see represented
on the football field with
our athletes.
Callaway was also
interim head coach for the
wrestling team in 1966
the year heavyweight Greg
Trosper became the first
state qualifier in school
history and the interim
head coach of the girls
track and field team in
1971 when the team won
sectionals and finished
runner-up at state.
Callaway also served
as the secretary-treasurer/
executive secretary for the
Wisconsin High School
Football Coaches Association from 1975-1989.
As one of the founding
members of the WFCA,
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Callaway continued to
make an impact on the
school district and on local
sports long after his football coaching career ended.
He was asked to step
down as head football
coach to commit more time
into being an administrator, later being promoted
to OHS principal in 1989.
He held that position until
1991, when he became the
districts director of curriculum and instruction.
Callaway also organized
the Oregon Community
Summer Recreation program in 1966, the Oregon
Athletic Booster Club
in 1975 and the Oregon
Youth Football program in
1979.
In addition, he was a
member of the Oregon
Optimist Club and a
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Oregon-Brooklyn Jaycees
and the Oregon Emergency
Medical Services.
And those accomplishments dont even include
how important Callaway
was to those he knew during his time in Oregon.
I went into coaching
and teaching, ultimately,
because I wanted to be
a positive influence on
young people the way my
coaches were for me, Callaway said. Having successful seasons and winning while they were in
high school was exciting
and thrilling, but if that
is all it is, you could end
up with just a bunch of
inflated egos if it doesnt
transfer into the lessons
young athletes learn about
themselves in how to organize their lives to achieve
goals and be productive.
Callaway retired in 1998
and received a Merit Certificate from the State of
Wisconsin Department of
Public Instruction.
Since retiring, Callaway
has moved to Madisonville, Tenn., with his wife,
Peggy, and enjoys watching mountain sunsets and
planting wildflowers on
his property. He is also
involved in his communitys housing development
committee.
But even as he enjoys his
retirement time, Callaway
said he still thinks about
and owes everything to the
community of Oregon and
the Oregon School District, the place that took a
chance on him a chance
that several are forever
grateful for.
I have a lot of memories and history here,
Callaway said. Being
here at the time, we were
challenged to reshape our
program to meet the new
standards and higher levels of student achievement
accountability that is a
testament in and of itself
for this community. We are
proud of what we did.
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Callaway was on the organizing committee for the

Annual Wisconsin High
School Football Clinic and
also served on the advisory
committee to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic
Association helping to
establish the present day
football playoff procedure
and bringing the WIAA
and University of Wisconsin together to make Camp
Randall Stadium the site
for the state championship
football games.
In 1989, Callaway was
inducted into the Wisconsin High School Football
Coaches Hall of Fame, and
he later received the Distinguished Service Award
from the National High
School Coaches Association in 1990. Callaway
was then inducted into the
NHSCA Hall of Fame in
2006.
(All of these awards)
feel different, Callaway
said. One goes back prior
to having a career in coaching and education, and the
other ones are because of
coaching and leadership in
the State Coaches Association.
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August 14, 2015
The Fitchburg Star
17
All-City Swim meet
Nelson sets more All-City swim records, helps Ridgewood regain title
Jeremy Jones
Sports editor
Verona Area High School

student Beata Nelson entered
her final All-City Swim meet
last weekend as one of the
nations top recruits.
Nelsons undeniable talent led to a pair of individual records and a new
relay benchmark on Saturday as Ridgewood extended
a 36-point margin into a
626-point win over Seminole
in the 13-team competition
last weekend at High Point
pool.
Head coach Bill Wuergers
Ridgewood team had won
four straight titles and 18 or
19 before finishing second to
Shorewood Hills last year.
Ridgewood compiled 2,615
1/2 points, while Seminole
(1,989 1/2) and Shorewood
Hills (1,944) rounded out the
top three.
Nelson broke her own girls
15-19 age division record in
the 200 free in 55.06 seconds
and later set a new mark in the
100 butterfly (58.87).
She joined VAHS
teammate Rose Parker, Hannah Becker and Sophia Vaccaro to post a record-breaking
1:49.16 in the 200 free relay.
Ridgewoods other AllCity record of the day came
when Katy Parisi, Sara Stewart, Megan Slattery and Malia
Bissen won the 200 freestyle
relay in the girls 13-14 age
division in 1:52.56.
Eleven All-City records
were broken in all on Saturday, while 68 pool records
were eclipsed over the three
days of swimming.
VAHS teammates Julia
VerVoort, Kristi Larsen and

Sammy Seymour joined Katie
Feller to establish a new mark
in the girls 15-19 girls 200
medley relay (2:02.95) for
Seminole.
In the boys 11-12 age division, Middletons Nate Lamers set two All-City marks,
each time eclipsing his preliminary times to win the 50
free in :26.31 and the 100
individual medley in 1:06.00.
Mononas Kozette Rosenthal set the record in the girls
50 breaststroke in :34.83,
eclipsing Nelsons mark set in
2011.
Maple Bluffs Alex Moen
broke the meet record in the
50 breaststroke with a time of
:35.70.
Mononas Bennett McDade
won the 200 individual medley in the boys 15-19 age division (2:08.88).
The Parkcrest boys 15-19
200 freestyle relay team of
Justin Temprano, Riley Patton, Baird Miller and Amos
Kaldor closed the meet with
a record-setting swim of
1:37.57 to hold off a late surge
by Shorewood.
Submitted photo
Seminoles Ben Stigen won the

11/12 boys category at the AllCity Dive meet the last weekend
in July.
VAHS football camp
Photo by Anthony Iozzo
Sophomore Drew Palmer (right) practices hands off with junior quarterback Kaeden Meuer at the football mini-camp Wednesday, July 22, at Curtis Jones Stadium.
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August 14, 2015
The Fitchburg Star
OHS football camp
Verona Senior Legion
Panther pride
The Oregon High School football
team held its annual Pride Football
Camp from July 20-24 at Oregon
High School. Varsity, JV, sophomore and freshmen teams practiced fundamentals and drills that
for the 2015 season.
Football practice officially begins
on Aug. 3. The regular season
opener is on Aug. 21 at Sauk
Prairie.
At left: Quarterback Trent Ricker
practices throwing passes against
defensive backs.
Photo by Anthony Iozzo
Legion: Panthers go .500 to end season

on the winning track with
a 4-2 win over Verona on
July 15.
Sommers (2-for-3, double, two RBIs), Modaff
(double, two runs, RBI),
Helmkamp (run) and Schildgen (run) led the offense.
Helmkamp picked up the
win. He allowed an earned
run on four hits in four
innings, striking out six and
walking two.
Weiland picked up the
save. He allowed a hit in
three innings, striking out
four and walking three.
Stoughton (DH)
The Panthers traveled
to Stoughton Saturday for
a doubleheader but rain
forced the second game to
cancelled.
Oregon won the first
game 10-2.
Richardson (2-for-4, two
RBIs, run, stolen base),
Gomoll (2-for-2, two runs,
two RBIs, double) and
Jones (2-for-4) (two runs,
triple, RBI) led the offense.
Knobel (run), Schildgen
(run), Prew (run) and Sergent also added hits.
We started out 6-0 and
hit a rough stretch where
our hitting went pretty cold
and our defense was playing pretty poor. But for
the most part, we have had
guys hitting well all year,
Riffle said.
Heath allowed two runs
on six hits in seven innings
for the win. He struck out
seven and walked two.
The second game will not
be made up.
Madison Edgewood was

cancelled due to rain on
July 16 and will not be
made up.
Oregon 13, Middleton 12
Oregon trailed by seven

runs after the second inning
but rallied to defeat Middleton 13-12 on July 21.
Modaff (4-for-4, triple,
four RBIs, three runs), Weiland (double, RBI, run) and
Zagrodnik (double, run) led
the Panthers. Prew (run,
RBI), Alex Verhagen (stolen base, run), Schildgen
(two runs), Knobel (two
runs) and Adam Heath also
picked up hits.
Knobel picked up the
win, allowing three earned
runs on five hits in 3 1/3
innings. Weiland earned
the save. He allowed an
Oregon, Edgewood
unearned run, striking out
Oregons game against and walking two.
The
Company
You
Keep
When I was a child my mother taught me a lesson thats stayed with me: The
company you keep says a lot about you. Our current Mayor Steve Arnold should
take note of moms lesson.
Mayor Arnolds friendship with former Mayor Jay Allen says a lot about him.
This friendship started when they served on the common council together and
solidified after Jay became mayor. In fact, the high-density new urbanism
model being forced on residents today is their joint attempt to turn our beautiful
city into an urbanized Willy Street Part II.
The two are so close that, despite being a declared candidate running against
him for mayor, Jay gave Steves campaign $250 on February 17th. Why would
someone give money to their opponent?
I do not believe that Jay was ever seriously running to win. In my opinion, the 164
people who voted for Jay unknowingly wasted their votes. The evidence suggests that Jays campaign had no purpose but to throw mud at the incumbent so
his buddy Steve would have an advantage. It would be great to know where Jay
got the money to send out mailers and literature. But, Jay has a history of failing
to file campaign finance reports, so the public may never know.
After the primary, coincidentally, Steve supported Jays questionable planning
of Fitchburg Days, even after the rest of the board resigned. Jay didnt have the
required paperwork filled out until the last minute and took months to pay the
city and the Lions Club almost $5,700 owed to them. Is this the kind of behavior
our Mayor should support?
Now, Steve appears to have adopted Jays philosophy on campaign finance reports. Neither Steve nor Jay have submitted their most recent campaign finance
reports. These reports are required by law and designed to show the public
where candidates get and spend campaign money.
Are Steve Arnold and Jay Allen afraid to show the taxpayers something? I think
Fitchburg deserves better than this.
Having a friend in Jay Allen says a lot about Steve Arnold. It says, in my opinion,
that Steve believes hes above the law and does not have to abide by the rules
that the rest of us have to follow. We deserve better than do as I say, not as I
do in our Mayor.
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Season ends with several players standing out

Jared Grassman (2-for-3,
double, 2 RBIs), Ryan Woppert (walk, stolen base) and
Despite dropping two of the Bishop (double, run) led the
final three games of the Senior offense. Luis Acosta and Jason
Legion season, head coach Frahm also picked up hits.
Nick Zwieg said that the Wildcats had improvements with West 11, Verona 6
Verona hosted Madison
not only returning varsity players but with some of the newer West at Stampfl Field on July
8 and fell 11-6.
faces, as well.
I think they played really
hard this summer, Zwieg said. Verona, DeForest (forfeit)
I think everybody improved,
On July 11, DeForest came
and they will bring something to Verona with only eight
to the table this season.
players and forfeit the game
in the standings. However,
Verona 10, Edgewood 2
the two teams still played, and
Jeff Bishop went six strong DeForest won an unofficial
innings, and Verona collected 14-5 game.
seven hits on July 7 in a 10-2
win over Madison Edgewood Memorial 7, Verona 0
at Stampfl Field.
Verona hosted Madison
Bishop allowed two runs on Memorial on July 14 and lost
three hits, striking out seven, 7-0.
and Brad Laufenberg allowed
a hit and struck out one in the Oregon 4, Verona 2
final inning.
The Wildcats traveled to
Anthony Iozzo
Oregon on July 15 and lost

4-2.
Verona took a 2-0 lead early, but the Panthers scored four
unanswered runs.
Verona 8, Stoughton 7
Verona hosted Stoughton on
July 17 and scored six runs in
the bottom of the seventh to
win 8-7.
The Wildcats loaded the
bases with no outs, and Grassman picked up an RBI walk.
Jake Walter later reached on
an error to score another run,
and Brian Caribou picked up
an RBI single.
After singles by Jacob
Slonim, Fernandez and
McClure, Bishop hit the gamewinning single.
Josh Coshun started and
allowed three runs in three
innings. Luke Frahm picked
up the win, allowing two
earned runs in four innings.
Oregon Home Talent
Orioles playoff hopes end with seventh straight loss

doubled off of second base
to end the game, as Mount
Horeb/Pine Bluff dropped the
Mere inches separated the Orioles 6-5.
Oregon Home Talent team
from moving back to .500 in Dodgeville 4, Oregon 3
Oregon jumped out to a 3-1
the Western Section on July
12 against Mount Horeb/Pine lead early in Dodgeville on
July 19 only to lose 4-3 in 12
Bluff.
The Orioles trailed by one innings.
Dodgeville scored one in the
run in the bottom of the ninth
with runners on the corners eighth and one in the ninth to
and one out for designated hit- tie the game before Danny Sulter Abe Maurice, who roped a livan added a game-winning
high line drive toward second walk-off RBI single in the botwhich seemed destined to be a tom of the 12th against Logan
game-winning two-run single. Laski, who took the loss
However, a leaping grab
dashed Oregons hopes, and Ridgeway 4, Oregon 3
pinch runner Kyle Moore was
The Orioles did not fare
Anthony Iozzo
well in one-run games this

season, and a 4-3 loss July
24 in extra innings at Ridgeway dropped Oregon to 2-5 in
games decided by a run.
Monroe 15, Oregon 4

Oregon had one more
chance to clinch a playoff
berth in regular season home
game on July 26, but the Orioles did not fare well in a 15-4
loss.
Ridgeway, which defeated
Oregon twice and Monroe
once in head-to-head match
ups, won the tiebreaker for the
eighth and final playoff spot
in the Western Section.
HTL: Cavs remain undefeated in both leagues

as Murphy slid into third. The
umpire called Murphy safe,
leading to uproar from the
Ridgeway players, dugout and
fan section.
You know, sometimes a
call goes your way, sometimes it goes the other teams
way, Krohn said. That one,
maybe we got a break on and
we took advantage of it.
Verona 13, Mt. Horeb 6

The Cavaliers scored eight
runs in the third and fourth
innings on July 11 en route to

a 13-6 win over Mount Horeb/
Pine Bluff.
The Cavaliers put the game
away in the eighth with an
RBI double by Jordahl to
score Yapp (2-for-2) and an
RBI single by Lund to score
Jordahl.
Kroncke picked up the win
on the mound. He allowed
four earned runs on eight hits
in eight innings, striking out
three and walking one. Gust
pitched the ninth and allowed
an earned run on one hit, striking out and walking one.
Got
GotMice?
Mice?
Verona 5, Dodgeville 1
Zach Spencer pitched seven solid innings, and Nelson
came back from a foot injury
to pitch two scoreless innings
in a 5-1 win over Dodgeville
(4-6) on July 12.
Spencer, who also was
2-for-4 with a double, allowed
one earned run on three hits
for the win, striking out five
and walking five.
Verona 13, Ridgeway 4

Verona collected 15 hits and
scored in six of eight innings in
a 13-4 win over Ridgeway on
July 19.
Spencer (4-for-5) scored
three runs, and Koss (2-for-5)
picked up three RBIs. Jordahl,
Lund and Brandt all had multiple hit days, as well.
Kroncke picked up the win,
striking out six in five innings.
Nelson picked up a four-inning
save, allowing two hits.
Verona 10, Hollandale 0
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Verona remained dominant

in the Western Section on July
24 with a 10-0 win over Hollandale in seven innings.
The Cavaliers (13-0) have
won 34 straight regular season
Sunday games and are 162-10
the past 11 years, winning the
regular season title each time.
Jordahl drilled a three-run
home run in the first inning,
and Nelson nearly picked up
another no-hitter in the regular
season finale.
Anthony Iozzo
contributed to this story
City news
August 14, 2015
The Fitchburg Star
19
Input sought for

parks, rec plan
Survey deadline
Aug. 28
Samantha Christian
On the web
For more information on the
survey or plan update, visit:
fitchburgwi.gov/736/
Comprehensive-ParkOpen-Space-Recreation
Rendering courtesy SEH, Inc.
Although the final design could change, the Fitchburg Fire Station Oversight Committee favored a more modern-looking design with a
sawtooth style building for the west fire station.
Committee advances west fire station details

Mark Ignatowski
Building plans for the

citys west side fire station
continue to move forward
as the committee charged
with overseeing the process
makes decisions about construction methods, sustainability and interior finishes.
Over the last few months,
the Fire Station Oversight
Committee has met monthly
to discuss and approve certain aspects of the new station planned for the corner of
Marketplace and Executive
drives. Staff have been meeting with consultants from
SEH, Inc. to hash out minute
details of the project.
The committee was to
meet Aug. 12, after the Stars
deadline, to plan for parts
of the buildings interior, as
well as have additional discussion about a green roof,
geothermal heating and cooling, and solar systems.

Last month, the committee was presented with
LEED certification options
and an overview of the City
of Madison fire stations 12
and 13, which both feature
many sustainable systems.
The committee didnt reach
a consensus on a full LEED
certification, but did agree
that several sustainable systems would be a benefit to
the building, meeting minutes show.
The committee recommended the use of:
in-floor radiant heating
and cooling with a geothermal system
LED lighting in lieu of
standard lights
The radiant geothermal
system is estimated to add
about $165,000 to the project. But committee members
thought it was essentially
useful in the apparatus bays,

according to the minutes.
The LED lighting would
add an estimated $25,000 to
$50,000 and would have up
to a five-year payback over
the cost of standard lighting.
While many of the details
of the station will be worked
out in the coming months,
the overall design of the station got support from the
committee in June. Minutes
show the station will likely
be a more modern-looking
building, given its location among commercial and
industrial buildings.
The committee agreed that
the apparatus bay will be constructed of a larger utility or
king-sized brick for the exterior, the living and office area,
and the mezzanine locations
will consist of a metal panel,
according to the meeting minutes. The first few feet of the
whole building will consist of
a hard material such as brick,

or some type of concrete
material.
The station will have a
sawtooth design, rather
than a rectangular shape
because it provides better
access from the living quarters to the equipment bays.
To that end, the committee
favored a traditional construction method, as opposed
to using pre-cast concrete as
the building material.
The west fire station is
the first of two new stations
planned for construction in
the coming years. The city
plans to spend about $11.6
million on construction for
the two stations, according
to city documents. The west
station will likely open some
time in 2016, while the east
fire station located on the
southeast corner of Syene and
Clayton roads is expected to
be built in 2016 and 2017.
Residents question Lacy Road plans

Implications of CIP
delay still unclear
Scott Girard
Just one night after alders

voted to delay a major project
along Lacy Road, residents
were still questioning other
parts of the proposal.
The city held a public informational meeting Wednesday
night at Fitchburg City Hall
to explain the project, which
would require acquisition of
some land for the citys rightof-way, and get feedback.
The plan was met this week
with concerns from neighbors
about cost and if pedestrian
and bike accommodations
would even be used. A similar
meeting was held one month
earlier, but the July 29 meeting came one night after the
Common Council voted to
delay funding on the project
to 2017 and 2018 in the citys
capital improvement plan.
Mayor Steve Arnold had
proposed the project begin
Read more
Find out about the
projects removal
from the CIP
Page 3
next year in his CIP proposal.
The CIP is a five-year planning document that outlines
future spending priorities, but
only the items noted for next
year are voted on as final budget items later in the year during the budget process.
Consultant Troy Pankratz
with Mead and Hunt, which
has worked on the project
with the city, said the delay
would have an unknown
effect on the project. He outlined plans to still go to city
committees and the council in
September.
Were not exactly sure
whats going to happen with
our schedule, Pankratz said.
That schedule at this point
is still achievable, but it really
is contingent on receiving
design consensus.
Consensus was elusive
Wednesday, and city transportation project engineer
Ahnaray Bizjak acknowledged that the city and many
of the residents who spoke
have competing interests.
The city would like to make
the area more pedestrian- and
biker-friendly, but many people at the meeting questioned
whether a completed multiuse path on the south side and
sidewalk on the north would
even be used. They also asked
the planners for data to support the need for those, which
public works director Cory
Horton said did not exist.
Horton and Bizjak pointed
to anecdotal evidence that
leads them to believe there
would be use of the path and
sidewalk, but that wasnt
enough for some.
Really, this is a speculative project, said Fitchburg
resident Eileen Kellor, who
has family that lives on Lacy
Road. That really bothers
me. This is costly.
Horton said he and others
in his department would look
at ways to gather data, but he

had no known method of predictive data for pedestrians.
The questions followed a
presentation from Bizjak and
Pankratz explaining the project and the options they are
considering.
Pankratz outlined the five
typical designs they have
and explained the different
impacts they would have on
how much right-of-way the
city would need to acquire.
The rural roadway design,
which would require the most
right-of-way, is not being
considered, Pankratz said.
The other options range from
66 feet to 94 feet of right-ofway. Those numbers depend
on where the city needs to
put retaining walls, how it
handles stormwater and if it
goes forward with the path
and sidewalk.
For more information on
the project and to see details
on the consultants options,
visit fitchburgwi.gov/2267/
Lacy-Road-Reconstruction.
Staff said there will also be a
survey sometime in the month
of August about the project.
Fire chief finalist Harris chooses to stay in Utah

Jacob Bielanski
The City of Fitchburg suffered a setback in its search

for a new full-time fire chief.
The Police and Fire Commission voted to offer John
Harris, of Murray, Utah, the
position as Fitchburgs first
full-time fire chief.
City of Fitchburg human
resources director Lisa Sigurslid told the Star the Harris cleared the background
check and was offered
employment, but elected to
stay at his position in Utah.
Harris is currently serving as the interim deputy
fire chief for the city of Murray, which has a population
of 48,000. Harris served
with that department for 20
years, serving in a chief-level

capacity since 2006.
Sigurslid said the Police
and Fire Commission met
in a closed session Aug. 12,
after the Star deadline, to discuss whether to extend the
position to one of the other
finalists or re-start the application process.
The search for a new chief
began in April to replace
former chief Randy Pickering, a volunteer whose last

day was mid-January 2014.
Harris was among three
finalists for the job. The
commission additionally
interviewed the fire and
EMS chief from northern
Dane County, and the fire
chief from the Detroit suburb
of Taylor.
The City of Fitchburg

is looking to gather feedback from the public as it
develops a 5-year update
to its Comprehensive Park,
Open Space and Recreation Plan.
A public opinion survey
is available online or by
hard copy through 4 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 28. The survey takes approximately
10 minutes to complete.
After the survey is closed,
city staff will hold public
meetings to gather additional feedback on the plan
update.
Scott Endl, director of
the parks, recreation and
forestry department, said
the city will be re-envisioning the way it looks
at and uses parks, based in
part, on community input.
The goal is to enhance
existing parks, develop
new areas and provide recreational services to meet
users needs.
Really what were trying to do is broaden the
use of those public park
lands so the uses are
diverse within the whole
system, Endl said,
The survey will ask people to identify how they
use city parks, what park
they live closest to and
what park they use most
often. People can rank
how important they think
certain aspects of the park
are, such as its environment or accessibility via
bike or walking trails. Survey participants can also
share what recreational
programming and services
they use most or what they
would like to see offered.
The survey also asks
how likely people would
be to participate in an
organized parks volunteer
program or use a neighborhood center if they
were available in the city.

Neighborhood centers provide additional services
not normally found in a
park or recreation facility, including after-school
programming, daycare,
employment resources,
adult learning classes,
computer labs and gyms.
There is also a space in the
survey for people to write
their own comments.
Wade Thompson,
resource/project planner with the Planning and
Zoning Department, said
the overriding goal is to
get people into the parks
in a time when recreation
and population trends are
changing with more senior
citizens and diverse ethnicities.
Were just trying to
kind of identify park uses
that really match what
we see in terms of demographics and trends and
those sorts of things,
Thompson said. So were
really just trying to find
out through the public process what makes Fitchburg
unique and then trying
to kind of enhance those
things through our park
system.
A similar survey regarding community gardens
will tentatively be available in September, with
more information in the
next Fitchburg Star.
For more information
regarding the survey and
update, contact Endl at
scott.endl@fitchburgwi.
gov or 270-4288 or visit
fitchburgwi.gov/736/Comprehensive-Park-OpenSpace-Recreation.
Take the survey

The Comprehensive Park, Open Space and
Recreation Plan survey will be available for
Fitchburg residents to take online or on hard copy
through 4 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28.
Online: surveymonkey.com/r/
fitchburgparkplansurvey
Hard copies available: Fitchburg City Hall,
library, senior and community center on Lacy Road
Fahey Fields development

plan gets council approval
Jacob Bielanski
Roughly 500 homes are

expected to be built after
plans after the council
approved the development
plan at its July 28 meeting.
The development company resubmitted plans to
the Plan Commission following a mayoral veto in
early spring. At the city
Plan Commission meeting where the plan was
discussed, Mayor Steve

Arnold, who chairs the Plan
Commission, said he was
not necessarily pleased with
latest drawings, but that he
would not veto it.
A motion to remove
plats 95 and 96, which sat
on the edge of a new park,
was presented by Ald. Jake
Johnson (D-4) and voted
down before the council
unanimously approved the
plan, with Ald. Julia ArattaFratta (D-1) absent.
20 - The Fitchburg Star - August 14, 2015
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=424208-01
UPCOMING LISTENING SESSIONS

WITH MAYOR STEVE ARNOLD
DANCE FOR DEMENTIA - SEPTEMBER 19TH, 2015
Tuesday, September 1st District 1, Belmar Hills

@ Boys & Girls Club Community Room
4619 Jenewein Road
Tuesday, October 6th District 2, Hatchery Hill
@ Location TO BE DETERMINED
Tuesday, November 3rd District 3, The Crossing
@ The Crossing Clubhouse, Pond View Way
Each Listening Session runs from 6:30 8:00 p.m. and is open to the public. They follow an
open house format, so attendees may drop in at any time. Come as you are and share your
hopes and concerns for your neighborhood and the city as a whole. Your voice is important.
FITCHBURG SENIOR CENTER - REFRIGERATOR COIL CLEANING

The Fitchburg Senior Center
Energy Task Force is proud to offer
another season of refrigerator coil
cleaning for our Fitchburg Seniors
with the help of the U.W. Morgridge
Center student volunteers starting in
September!
This is a FREE service that is part of

our mission to reduce energy waste in
Fitchburg! If you are currently living in a
home or condo, and are unable to move
and clean your refrigerator, you will qualify.
Space is limited. Please call David Hill at
270-4292 or email: [email protected]
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 Dance Classes
Classes we offer
include Creative
Movement (2-3 yr.
olds), Pre-ballet (3-6
yr. olds), Jazz (4-9
yr. olds), and Hip
Hop (6-11 yr. olds).
Dates/Times Saturday Mornings,
September 19-November 14 and Recital
Location Fitchburg Community Center
Fee - $65R/$75NR
Youth Soccer
We offer leagues for

Kindergarteners, 1st &
2nd Graders and 3rd &
4th Graders. Practices and
games are Wednesday
for Kindergarten and
Monday and Wednesday
evenings for the older
leagues.
Days Monday and Wednesday Evenings
Location Kindergarten @ McKee,
2nd & 3rd @ Wildwood, 3rd & 4th @
Tower Hill
Fee Kindergarten $25R/$35NR, Older
Leagues $40R/$50NR
Learn Basic Piano with Chords
Have
you
always had the
desire to learn
how to play piano
but simply do not
have the time?
Do you wish you
could play a bunch
of your favorite
songs and not
spend months trying to learn them?
Well this is the
class for YOU! Learning the simple method
of piano playing with chords is specifically
designed for busy people that want to feel
the songs they enjoy.
Days/Times Thursday, 6-9pm,
September 17
Ages 12 to Adults
Fee - $50
Like us on
Kids Painting Classes (Owl About Me

and The Witches are Coming!)
Each child will create a beautiful multimedia

project on an 11 x 14 canvas. The children
will paint their canvases and then will use
scrapbook paper, newspaper, stamps, words
and poems to personalize their canvas. They
will coat their canvas in modge podge to give
it a beautiful finished look. This is a fun project
that will be a beautiful piece of art to hang in
your house!
Days/Times Owl About Me; Saturday,
September 12, 9-11am
The Witches are Coming; Saturday,
October 31, 9-11am
Ages 7-12 years old
Fee - $38
Welcome to Spanish
Parent Tot Spanish Class
Want your child to learn Spanish? It is

never too soon to start! And you do not have
to be fluent in Spanish to help your child begin
their journey toward being bilingual. Through
songs, finger plays, stories and movement
activities award-winning teacher, Maestra
Marti of Grow into Spanish LLC, will help you
learn how you and your little one can speak
Spanish together at home.
Days/Times Tuesdays, 8:30-9am,
September 15-October 20
Ages 1-4 years old
Fee - $38
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.
Days/Times Wednesdays, 12:451:30pm, September 16-October 21
Ages 3-5 years old
Fee - $58
www.facebook.com/FitchburgWI and Follow us on
@FitchburgWI
Dementia Friendly Fitchburg will be partnering with

Golds Gym in Fitchburg to help raise awareness and
funds for the initiative.
Research published in the New England Journal of
Medicine shows that frequent dancing dramatically reduces the occurrence of dementia and Alzheimers disease.
Dancing requires constant split-second, rapid-fire decision
making, which forces your brain to regularly rewire its
neural pathways, giving you greater cognitive reserve and
increased complexity of neuronal synapses. Dancing integrates several brain functions at once kinesthetic, rational,
musical and emotional.
So, shake a leg! Andthe sooner the better! Dont wait
start building your cognitive reserve NOW.
Cost: $20
Where: Golds Gym, 2920 Hard Rock Rd. Fitchburg
When: 11:30 am 3:45 pm
HEALTHY LIVING WITH DIABETES

The Fitchburg Senior
Center is pleased to
offer a six-week self-management
workshop
series, Healthy Living with
Diabetes. Sessions go 2
hours each and are led
by two trained facilitators,
at least one of whom is
living with diabetes. The
workshops help adults
with type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes increase
their self-management skills in nutrition,
exercise and medication, and their confidence in managing their diabetes.
The class is limited to

15 participants and will
run on Wednesdays
from 1:00-3:30 p.m.
starting on September
16. There is a $20 deposit required for the textbook; if you do not wish
to keep the book after
the class is over, you can
return it to receive your
deposit. To register or if you have further
questions please contact Sarah Folkers at
270-4294.
August 14, 2015
The Fitchburg Star
21
Orion: Recent changes in culture, policy have eased the transition, encouraged discussion
to at first.
Though small, Orion said
that simple act of acceptance
saying he versus she, him
versus her has a noticeable impact on his mood and
quality-of-life happiness.
I feel a lot happier being
acknowledged as male,
Orion started, before clarifying further. When people
acknowledge me as male, I
feel a lot happier.
The journey to this
acceptance, however, went
through more than merely
the sensibilities of those closest to Orion.
Attending Madison West
High School, he said, was his
first exposure to transgender
identity. Up to that point, he
had only ever heard the term
transsexual and, even then,
only in passing and with a
negative connotation.
The distinction is not a
minor one to those like Lannert, who does not like the
term.
Well, I think that when
we say transsexual what
(that) connotates for me is
something sexual, Lannert
said. Transgender is nothing
sexual its about becoming
who we are.
Orion credits his ability
to come forward as male, in
part, to the open presence of
other transgender teens at the
school. Lannert added that
many transgender people
seem to continue hiding their
identity, in part, with the
belief that they are alone.
Orion said he first started experimenting with his
gender identity at school
by signing his assignments
Orion and placing his birth
name, Molly, in parenthesis.
Educators at West caught on,
and simply began referring to
him as Orion.
The acceptance grew with
the steps he took.
I went to school one day
and told one of my genderfluid friends Hey, could
you please call me Orion, use
he and his instead of she and
hers for pronouns from now
on? Orion said. They just
looked at me and said Hey,
high five! Awesome!
Price of discrimination
In Madison and beyond,
coming to grips with transgender feelings has rarely
been about high-fives and
awkward clothing moments.
For decades, people who
have identified as transgender have faced discrimination that has significantly
affected their ability to live
healthy adult lives. Lannert
said even schools that profess LGBTQA friendliness,
such as West, often stop
short of mitigating the effects
of non-acceptance by fellow
teachers and students.
Accepting (trans teens)
and acting on that are two
different things what happens to trans people is the
bullying that takes place
while theyre in transition,
Lannert said. I think thats
the thing that drives young
trans people to take their
lives its a huge issue in the
trans community.
Madison doesnt have to
dig deep to find examples of
this impact. In early 2014,
the community was rocked
by the suicide of Madison
West senior Mindy Fabian.
Born Nathan Fabian, the
Wisconsin State Journal
reported the teen also dealt
with issues of anxiety and

anger throughout her life.
Fabian ultimately jumped to
her death from a downtown
apartment building.
In hindsight, Im sure
everything was tied together, Fabians father told the
State Journal at the time.
I cant imagine getting up
every morning and not wanting to be in the body you
have.
Luckily, Orion doesnt
profess to having dealt with
similar emotions. He attributes the issue to teens who
are forced to hide who they
are, often living at odds with
the body they were born
with, and the person they
feel they are. As such, Orion
said he hasnt dealt with any
major psychological issues
surrounding his gender identity.
For someone like Fabian,
who was out, Orion posits
that it can also come from
being out, but facing a lot of
negative pressure from family and friends, the last
word spoken with a sarcastic
gesturing of air quotes.
Lannert acknowledges her
struggles a decade ago might
not be the same ones faced
by trans teens today.
Lannert was 54 when she
finally came out about her
gender to her wife in 2004.
Up until that time from
stints serving combat tours
in Vietnam to working what
she called a macho job in
transportation Lannert had
never considered the possibility that her feelings were
part of a genuine expression
of identity.
I just assumed I was a
cross dresser, Lannert said.
Cultural awakening
Both Lannert and Orions
family see hope in the recent
high-profile coming-out of
Caitlyn Jenner, who first
gained fame four decades
ago as a male Olympian
decathlete. Orions father
noted that Jenners outing
helps to show that identifying as transgender is not
weird.
Again, maybe Caitlyn
isnt a good example of that,
Orions father joked. She
did marry a Kardashian.
Though Jenners launch
into the spotlight has been
controversial, Orions family, their pastor and Lannert
agree that its forcing people to have a conversation
that traditionally has been
ignored.
Having that conversation,
without fear of reprisal, is the
first step toward a better life
for teens like Orion.
I think the transgender
issues are so out, so visible,
that we are at least getting to
speak without maybe sometimes getting a hostile environment, Lannert said.
The changes can be seen at
the policy level.
In addition to the recent
affirmation by the U.S.
Supreme Court of gay couples right to marry which
is important to trans couples
since gender identity does
not necessarily include a
change in sexual orientation
or even surgical modification California has recently
led the way with legislation
banning the gay- or trans
panic defense in courts.
Though rarely invoked, the
legal defense has granted
leniency in cases of serious
assault and murder when
the defendant claims to have
Helping students feel comfortable
Orion listens to his older brother share a story during a recent interview with the Star.
been shocked by discovery of the assigned gender

or sexual orientation of the
victim.
Though few cases of
it have been successfully
invoked, the defense was
most famously used in the
case of Gwen Araujo. Araujo
was born a man and identified as female when she was
beaten and strangled to death
by four different men. Using
the trans panic defense
resulted in a hung jury in
the first trial, which sought
first degree murder charges.
The defendants ultimately
received convictions on lesser charges of second-degree
murder and manslaughter.
Were protected here in
Dane County, Lannert said,
referring to discrimination
protections that extend to
those who identify as transgender, But once we leave
Dane County, were not so
protected.
Orion said hes not overly
concerned with the world
hell approach when he
becomes an adult, but recognizes that some places can be
more welcoming to transgender populations than others.
If I live in the United
States when Im older, it will
probably be California, he
said.
More than words

Orion is optimistic for the
future, but his parents caution that the battle has only
begun.
Next month, Orion begins
the early stages of the more
physical stages of his transition beginning with psychological evaluations before
moving on to hormone treatments. That process has
exposed Orions family to an
altogether different type of
discrimination.
Our health insurance
will cover nothing (related
to Orions transition), Orions mother said. Not the
psychological, not the hormones, not the surgeries, not
anything.
The policy by insurance
companies makes sense for
those who believe the transition is merely a cosmetic
choice. But Lannert said for
those who understand transgender life as a true, undeniable condition, the policy
then places a disproportionate financial burden on transgender people.
Though denying or hiding ones true gender could
result in severe depression,
treating that depression, for
many, is more cost-effective
than being openly transgender.
Many organizations and
local governments have
begun to address such issues.
Last week, Chicago Mayor
Rahm Emanuel announced
the city would extend full
healthcare services to transgender employees not in
a union and would work
with unions to extend benefits to everyone else. New
York Citys mayor recently
warned insurance companies
there would be crackdowns
on rejections of qualified
transgender health care services in instances where doctors have deemed the treatments medically necessary.
For now, Orion is excited
to begin his own hormone
treatment, despite the concerns of his parents.
A regimen of hormones
will further affirm Orions
gender physically, though
little research is available
on the effect of hormone
treatments on those going
through puberty. However,
a paper published recently
in the Journal of Adolescent
Health found that teens who
identify as transgender still
experience puberty the way
they were born.
The timing of the hormones presents another challenge Orion did not anticipate: sports.
Last year, Orion was ready
to make the jump to varsity
on the girls track team. This
year, he said, hes been told
by the athletic director that
he is free to choose either
the boys or girls team. But
while Orion wants to be on
the boys team, he worried he
wouldnt be a benefit to the
team until his testosterone
levels have had time to affect
his body.
However it turns out, Orion will be living out a change
At Madison West, no tradition is too sacred to

become gender-neutral or at least discuss the
possibility.
Principal Beth Thompson, who first took the position
last year but had been at the school previously for
11 years, told the Star the school is nowhere near
perfect in how it works with transgender students,
but administration is working to get closer.
Thats meaningful work when you have several
transgender students at the school.
Part of that work includes discussing how roles
like prom and homecoming king and queen can
be problematic for some students, for example, in
that students are required to vote for 10 girls and 10
boys for the courts. Thompson said thats an ongoing
discussion with the schools Gay Straight Alliance,
which has an active presence at the school.
The students really, really play a big role in helping
set the culture of our school, Thompson said, adding
that there are 10 or so students who identify as
transgender at West.
Students and faculty play a role in shaping gender
policy in a number of ways, including:
Words Hurt Week to raise awareness about how
words can work in helpful and hurtful ways
Speaking with faculty about gender-neutral
bathrooms
Allowing name changes on the student database
without requiring a legal name change
While Thompson acknowledges not everyone buys
into the increased support, as she runs what she
called a little city, she thinks the school and district
are moving in the right direction in their support for
transgender students.
Scott Girard
hes been looking for since
sixth grade.
At that time, he said, he
remembers a health teacher
talking about the side effects
of testosterone, including
hair growth, voice deepening
and changes in fat and muscle positioning. It was a cautionary tale lost on a young
Orion.
She was like trying to say,
OK girls, stop doing testosterone to improve your athletic stuff because this will
happen too, Orion said.
And I was like, I would do
it just for that stuff alone.
In his image
Though church has always
been a part of Orions family, Orions mother said the
tradition had less to do with
studying Jesus and more to
do with trying to live like
Jesus.
In 2004, Orions mother
began a search for a new
church after experiencing
frustration with that years
election cycle. Orion tells
the story of his mom calling around and asking about
church policies, and hanging
up the phone repeatedly. And
then she found Memorial
UCC.
At that time, Haslanger
was only a student pastor
with the church, and faintly
remembers Orions mother
at one of the churchs book
club meetings. The group
was discussing Jim Wallis book, The Politics of
Jesus.
I remember her saying,
Im glad I belong to a church
that can talk about these
issues, Haslanger said.
Shortly after Orions family found a new spiritual
home at the now 73-year-old
church, the UCC denomination began recognizing
homosexual marriages. In
that same tradition, in early
2015, Haslanger was preparing a workshop for the
congregation to discuss
transgender issues. He did

not know about Orion.
The thing that had struck
me during all of this is first
the clarity with which Orion
is able to speak about whats
happening, and the extraordinary love and support hes
been receiving from his parents, Haslanger said.
Raised in Catholicism
and serving, for years, as
a journalist for the Capital
Times, Haslanger admits
that Memorial UCC lies at
the liberal end of Christianity, though its congregation
offers a wide array of theological and political perspectives.
Its a congregation thats
really kind of supportive
of people that are trying to
do important things within
the community, he said.
Theres a real ethic of lets
look at each other and support each other.
Its an ethic that Orions
family echoes.
We go to church for the
community and for the good
that that church does for who
we are as a people, Orions
mother said.
The roughly 200-member church, which mainly
serves the Fitchburg and
Oregon communities, most
recently sent a letter to parents regarding a camp that
Orion would attend. In it,
parents were invited to voice
concerns they might have, as
Orion stayed in male dorms.
The event, Orions mother
said, went off without any
objections a small reflection of a world she hopes to
someday see, where transgender teens, and adults, may
face widespread acceptance.
Our place anyway, and, I
think its reflected in wider
Christian circles as well, is
that were all made in Gods
image, Haslanger said.
And so if were all made in
Gods image, whoever we
are, we still reflect that image
of God.
22
August 14, 2015
The Fitchburg Star
Sub-Zero: Company considered expansion to plant in Kentucky before making deals
Resident Caregivers/CNAs
Cooks
Now hiring cooks & caregivers at our west side location.
We offer competitive wages, shift & weekend differentials,
as well as health, dental & PTO to eligible staff. Paid CBRF
training provided.
to download
an application:
608.243.8800
Fast Growing Commercial Cleaning Company is

Now Hiring General Cleaners in the Madison Area!
municipality by capturing
increased property tax revenue from all taxing jurisdictions (the village, county, Madison College and
the Oregon School District) of a newly developed
property for a limited time.
Once the conditions of
the TIF agreement are met,
the city will give the additional tax revenue generated by the new building
back to Sub-Zero until the
district closes or it pays off
its bond with the company.
If the bond obligation is set
to the full $2.25 million,
the city expects to repay it
by 2032, according to the
TIF agreement presented to
the council.
Old Kentucky home?

Ald. Jake Johnson (D-4)
questioned the forthrightness of the deal and the
TIF negotiations, but he
ultimately voted in favor
of it at the councils June 9
meeting.
Johnson said he never expected Sub-Zero
w o u l d e x p a n d i n K e ntucky, despite that possibility being a key part of
the companys negotiation
with the city and state.
Sub-Zero originally proposed building a $35.3 million facility in 2007 and
WERE ALL EARS

Questions?
Comments?
Story Ideas?
Let us know how were doing.

Your opinion is something we always want to hear.
Call 845-9559 or at connectfitchburg.com
Part-Time Evening Hours starting after 5pm, M F,
3 to up to 5 hours a night, NO WEEKENDS!
CNA & Caregiver
Apply now in person at 2001 W. Broadway, call 608-222-0217

if you have questions or fill out an online application at:
www.programmedcleaning.com
Sylvan Crossings Assisted Living and Memory Care is now hiring outstanding CNAs
and Caregivers to fill all shifts.
Apply in-person or send a resume to [email protected]. Advancement opportunities await you!
Sylvan Crossings
5784 Chapel Valley Rd
Fitchburg, WI
MOFA Global Career Opportunities Verona
adno=422885-01
Pay rate starts at $9.00 an hour.
adno=423062-01
Must be independent, reliable and detail oriented,

MUST have own transportation.
MOFA Global one of the worlds leading Biotech companies

headquartered in Verona Wisconsin is now part of CRI, one of the
largest organizations in the world in animal reproduction technologies. We are devoted to providing the worlds agriculture markets with premium quality products that help to feed the worlds
growing population.
Finding funding
Roughly a month after
signing its labor agreement
in February, Sub-Zero
made its case to Fitchburg,
identifying around $6 million it said it needed to justify the Fitchburg expansion.
Downgraded tax estimates limited the ability
for the city to provide the
money through TIF alone
(because manufacturing
facilities are sharply discounted by the state). That
forced the company to seek
the remainder through state
grants from the WEDC and
the Department of Transportation.
The WisDOT money
will come in the form of a
Transportation Economic
Assistance grant, which
incentivizes moving companies from city centers
into the suburbs, bringing
balance to the rush-hour
flow of traffic. They generally are tied to job creation
and require the endorsement of the municipality.
According to the companys news release, the
expansion will pave the
way for the company to
launch a new line of dishwashers in 2017 under the
name Cove. In the meantime, Verri said the new
400,000-square-foot facility will expand the companys ability to manufacture
its existing line of products, including ranges and
built-in refrigerators.
Founded in 1945, SubZero Group Inc. is a thirdgeneration, privately-held
company headquartered
in Madison. In addition to
its Fitchburg locations, the
company maintains warehouses and manufacturing
plants in Goodyear, Ariz.
and Richmond, Ky., as well
as showrooms throughout
the United States.
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Positions Available in
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Madison
and Verona
E-mail: [email protected]
Call:
608-255-1551
Apply online:
Badgerbus.com
[email protected]
Apply in Person:E-mail:
5501 Femrite
Drive Madison, WI
Apply in Person: 5501 Femrite Drive Madison, WI
600 South Fourth Street

P.O. Box 383
Stoughton, WI 53589-0383
Current openings at MOFA Global headquarters in Verona:.

Equipment Service Technician Assemble and repair electronic
and mechanical equipment. Associate degree in electronics or
significant work experience repairing and assembling electronic
equipment required.
Serving Electric, Water & Wastewater Since 1886
City of Stoughton Utilities

Utilities Collections Technician
Assembly and Packaging Positions Full and part time positions

on either first or second shift working in a clean environment assembling and packaging small plastic parts. No previous experience required.
Shipping & Receiving This area is fast paced with each team
member working to ensure that products and materials are properly stocked in our warehouse, accurately picked and packed to
fill orders and shipped to our customers. This requires physical
fit staff that can work on their feet, lift boxes up to 50 lbs., become
fork lift driver certified, and provide excellent customer service to
our internal customers.
Plastic Molding Production We will train you to operate our state
of the art plastic molding equipment. Our production facility is
very clean and all of the products we produce are our own brand.
Positions open on 2nd or 3rd shifts with generous shift premiums.
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Lab Technician Media Production This person will assist in

general lab duties such as weighing and dispensing media ingredients, performing stringent quality control measurements,
cleaning and handling of glassware and lab ware, and following
production protocol, while maintaining detailed records.
All full time positions qualify for CRIs very competitive compensation and benefit package that includes 401K, health, life and disability insurance, paid holidays and vacation days. To apply for
any of these positions send your resume to HR@MOFAGlobal.
com, or stop by in person at MOFA Global, 419 Venture Court, Verona, WI, 608-845-1502.
told the Richmond Register

newspaper it expected to
employ roughly 100 people
in the Lexington suburb.
Even after abandoning
its 2007 plan to expand
into Kentucky, Sub-Zero
continued to make overtures about reopening the
plant it built there.
As recently as last October, the Richmond Register
reported that Sub-Zero had
told Brian Dryer, a representative of the construction company Sub Zero
originally contracted, that
the company had decided
to move down here and
go ahead with the addition that was proposed in
the (original) development
plan.
As soon as we can get
this built, theyre going to
get this going, Dryer told
the Register at that time.
Mayor Arnold told Johnson at that meeting the
traditional but for analysis did not apply in this
instance, since the question
was whether the company
would stay in Wisconsin at
all, not whether it were to
stay in Fitchburg or go to
another Wisconsin city.
If youve got more of
a competitive kind of situation then that doesnt
matter if they can earn
enough money to pay (the
construction costs) off
for themselves, Arnold
told the Star Theyre
just going out for the best
deal.
Arnold added, however, that he made the case
directly to Sub-Zero that
Fitchburg offered more
than just financial incentives it also offered a
better quality of life for
executives already located
in the area. He was less
confident that the average
worker salary would be
sufficient to live in Fitchburg.
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8210 Highview Drive - Madison
to request an
application:
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allsaintsneighborhood.org
legislation until 2021.

It is my hope that
(Gov.) Walker will be gone
by then and so will rightto-work, Sullivan wrote in
an email to the Star.
Sub-Zero Group Inc.
CEO Jim Bakke and his
wife, Susan, gave a combined total of $3,500
to Walkers campaigns
since 2005, according to
data from the Wisconsin
Democracy Campaign.
Though nothing in the
agreements guarantees
the job growth, the receipt
of WEDC job tax credits
requires new employees be
hired and retained at wages
of 150 percent of the minimum wage for a minimum
of five years. The press
release noted Sub-Zero
expects roughly $2.75 million in WEDC tax credits.
To receive $2.25 million
in tax-increment financing
from the city, Sub-Zero
must construct the facility
at a minimum cost of $50
million. If the cost is lower, the citys TIF obligation will be proportionately
reduced, city planner and
acting city administrator
Tom Hovel reported.
TIF is a method of
encouraging economic
growth that subsidizes projects desired by a
The City of Stoughton, an Equal Opportunity Employer, is seeking a qualified candidate

to perform collections and customer service tasks for Stoughton Utilities, a non-profit
Electric, Water, and Waste-water utility with a customer base that is 90% private individual,
and 10% business. This positions tasks include, but are not limited to: coordinating the
collection of delinquent accounts through existing methods and policies, researching and
recommending new collection methods and policies, implementing customer credit checks
and requiring customer deposits as necessary, negotiating deferred payment agreements,
working with third-party collection and reporting services, proactive customer outreach and
education, resolving complaints filed with the Wisconsin Public Service Commission, and
specialized customer service as it relates to utilities delinquent account collections.
Candidates must possess:
High school diploma, vocational training in bookkeeping, accounting or related, with
4-years of private individual account collections experience required, or any combination
of education and experience that provides equivalent knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Knowledge of collections and bankruptcy law is required. Familiarity of Chapters
PSC113 and/or PSC185 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code as they relate to utility
collections is strongly preferred.
Experience with Wisconsin Small Claims Court filings and wage garnishment is strongly
preferred.
This is a full-time, non-represented, non-exempt position. The offered salary for this
position is $18.86-$20.82 per hour, depending upon qualifications and experience, with a
competitive benefits package.
Employment applications are available from the Office of the City Clerk and Personnel
Director, 381 E. Main St., Stoughton, WI 53589 or at http://employment.stoughtonutilities.
com. Resumes are welcome, but must be accompanied by a completed application form.
Submit resumes and applications to the Human Resources and Risk Management Director
at Stoughton City Hall. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.adno=424098-01
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in Fitchburg, the linchpin was a contract extension signed in February

with local Sheet Metal
Workers 565.
Union representative
Tim Sullivan declined to
talk about the specifics of
the contract, but he said
the new agreement which
lasts until 2024 secures
regular pay increases for
employees and pays lump
sums from now through
2017, to offset what the
company projected the
impact of the Cadillac Tax will be from the
Affordable Care Act coming in 2018.
A 2011 deal with the
union cut pay and benefits
by 20 percent across the
board, froze those wages
for five years and provided
for 1.5 percent pay increases starting in 2016, according to news reports at the
time.
Many other companies,
some in our own Local,
have sent work overseas,
down south or to other
vendors instead of investing in their people, Sullivan said of the agreement
in an email to the Star.
Sub-Zero should be commended for the decision
they have made for Fitchburg and the surrounding
area.
Two members of the
union, who spoke only on
condition of anonymity,
corroborated those details
but said the wage increases will not reach the levels employees were paid
before 2010.
Representatives from
Sub-Zero declined to comment on those claims.
In addition to wage
increases, Sullivan said the
contract protects the union
from the states recently signed right-to-work
Comfort Keepers in Madison

Seeking caregivers to provide care to
seniors in their homes.
Need valid drivers license and
dependable transportation.
FT & PT positions available.
Flexible scheduling.
Call 608-442-1898
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Business
August 14, 2015
The Fitchburg Star
23
OneNeck expands Fitchburg data facility

Demand for servers
fuels growth
Scott Girard
Eric Patterson waited for

one door to shut behind him
before scanning his ID card
and leaning toward a retinal scanning machine to get
through the next.
Behind that second door
were more security features,
and the data centers prized
possessions: servers.
Companies come to us
when they have, at the very
core of their business, some
sort of technology server or
system that absolutely, positively cant ever go down,
Patterson, OneNeck IT
Solutions facility manager,
explained. Those companies
realize that if their server
goes down, they simply have
to tell their customers, Sorry,
you cant make any transactions. That goes over pretty
poorly.
Security isnt the only
feature OneNeck sees as a
requirement for it to be successful although the building is designed to withstand
an EF3 tornado. OneNeck
also has redundancies built
in at nearly every turn inside
the Nobel Drive data center
to ensure its systems stay up
and running no matter what.
Customers are counting on
OneNeck to provide reliable,
off-site servers and cloudcomputing solutions.
Its our job to think of
everything that could impact
our customers liability, and
make sure it never happens,
Patterson said.
Those redundancies include two separate
Photo by Scott Girard
OneNeck Madison Data Center facility manager Eric Patterson talks about the different server set ups
throughout the facility.
telecommunications rooms
with fiber optics running in
from four different directions.
There are also backup batteries all around the facility, and
two backup generators in case
the power goes out.
The building itself is run
mostly by a computer, though
its staffed 24 hours a day in
case of emergencies.
The buildings automation, though, is more reliable
than humans and can respond
much more quickly. For
example, Patterson said, if
there is a leak in a pipe somewhere, the system can turn off
that valve and switch whatever was running through there
into a backup.
Its determining when it
needs to start an air conditioner, or if one of them fails
its shutting that down and
starting up the backup, he
explained. People are one
of the biggest causes of problems to our customers. We
flip the wrong switch or we

flip the wrong valve.
The company, which has
nine data centers around the
United States, provides offsite servers for companies
that dont have the space to
house and maintain them.

Patterson said having off-site
servers is especially important
for industries like medicine,
where recent years have seen
an explosion in what information is kept on computers.
Theyre very good at what

they do, he said. They dont
know (how big to make a
data facility), and they would
constantly be running out of
space, and expanding it, and
running out of space again,
and now its overheating.
The company also provides server solutions to other
industries, including financial, retail, manufacturing and
government.
OneNeck was created several years ago through a series
of acquisitions by Chicagobased Telephone and Data
Systems, Inc. Middletonbased TDS Telecommunications Corp., also owned by
Telephone and Data Systems,
Inc., is in charge of operations
for OneNeck, according to
the companys website.
The Fitchburg data center
was first constructed in 2008
and was built to have the
space for three additions.
Ultimately, data centers
have a very short lifespan,
Patterson said. This allows
us to fend that off.
The first of the additions
was completed in 2011, and

continued demand led to the
new construction, expected to
be completed by early 2016.
Already the largest commercially available data center in Wisconsin, the buildout will provide another
9,000 square feet and increase
the total available space in
service to more than 50,000
square feet, the company
announced in a news release
at the end of July.
It validates what we do,
Patterson said of the $5.2 million expansion.
The company also began
offering cloud-based space
in 2012, and has seen rapid
growth in that part of the
industry. It works well for
industries like retail that need
tons of space for a two-month
period when shopping is most
popular, but do not need it the
rest of the year.
The cloud option allows
them to avoid investing in
physical infrastructure for
what amounts to a small window it would be needed, Patterson said.
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a home away from
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24 - The Fitchburg Star - August 14, 2015
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