Valley Sentinel - 10-06-2022

Spring Green Musician in Residence Program wraps up 2022 residency

The Spring Green Musician in Residence Program wrapped up its 2022 residency on September 23rd. Kenosha-based musician Ben Mulwana performed at the Spring Green Fire & EMS Open House, The Slowpoke Lounge & Cabaret, and The Shitty Barn.

Ben and his band filmed a music video for his new song The Outside with Asa Derks of Cinecism Media, including guest performances by local actors and vocalists Alys Dickerson and Jamal James.

The video was filmed in a barn restored by Patrick Michaels and Gary Zimmer at Twin Creeks Farm in rural Spring

Green. The video was made possible by a grant from the Sauk County Extension Education, Arts & Culture Committee and the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin and will be available to the public this fall.

The Residency and its performances are supported by funds provided by the River Valley ARTS and the Wisconsin Arts Board, The Shitty Barn, and contributions from local music fans.

These donations are a vital part of the residency and can be made by visiting https://www.gofundme.com/f/springgreen-musician-in-residence or email musicresidency@gmail.com to inquire about ways to support the program.

Chocolate Lab is back, Friends of the SG Library to host fundraiser at the Round Barn on Oct. 9

Joy Kirkpatrick, Friends of the Spring Green Library

Join the Friends of the Spring Green Community Library for their third annual chemistry-themed chocolate tasting event. It was on hiatus (like much of the rest of the world!) for the past two years. It will be held at The Round Barn, E4830 US-14, Spring Green, on Sunday, October 9, 2022. The event will be conducted as an open house and attendees can arrive and leave as their schedules allow between 2:00 and 5:00 pm.

Spring Green's best bakers will provide their favorite offerings where the major ingredient is CHOCOLATE!

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Chocolate trivia, tips on how to do your own chocolate tasting, door prizes, and a silent auction will round out the chocolate tasting activities.

This year we have two options for tickets. You can choose to attend inperson, or you can choose a curbside pickup ticket. The curbside pickup option provides a sampling of several of the chocolate offerings in a carryout box. Each type of ticket is $20/person.

The in-person ticket includes one complimentary beverage. Additional beverages will be available for purchase.

Of course, water will be available at no

charge!

The Friends recently gave the library $9,000 to supplement its budget. The Chocolate Lab is one of the major fund raisers for the Friends and the Spring Green Community Library. The Friends are grateful for the continued support through the pandemic and are excited to be able to resume this fun and tasty event.

You can register online (for an additional $2.85) here: https://bit.ly/ ChocolateLab2022

Tickets can also be purchased in Spring Green at the Spring Green Community

Library, Arcadia Books, The General Store, and Nina's.

If you purchase the in-person ticket option and find that you are not feeling well the day of the event, you are welcomed and encouraged to switch your ticket to the curbside pickup option. Details on how to switch your ticket can be found on the paper tickets or the Eventbrite confirmation email. There will be no refunds. Come to Spring Green early and enjoy our downtown shops and restaurants. Bring your chocolate-loving friends for a great afternoon of fun and food!

If

publication with an accessible, hybrid model that allows anyone that wants to read local news to have access to it. We do not

The (not so) Plain and Simple Correspondent: R.I.P.

Celebrity deaths of a queen, a former premier of the USSR, as well as humbler victims – a dear friend's seminary buddy who was mowed down by a hit & run driver while walking, the body of a mouse on the path where I walk...what they have in common is that they have all abandoned their earthly forms, willingly or not, and have passed on to another existence of some sort that is beyond our ability to view or contact (maybe—there are those who dispute this statement.) On the day I beheld the dead mouse, I also came across the tail of a rabbit, a portion of a dragonfly, a scattering of bird feathers including a wing, a cicada shell, indications of the relentless tooth and claw world beyond my front door. Of course I can't help but speculate about what's next for me. Today every bone and muscle hurts and I know when my time comes there can't help but be some relief to be transported to Somewhere Else, tempering the reluctance to leave this world and its inhabitants I love so well. I live in a small community of people who have traveled far down the slippery slope leading to complete incapacity and the inevitable demise. At the end it would be nice to be snatched up into the clouds by a chariot of fire (see II Kings, 2:11) but for most of us death will be a less Hollywood-scripted affair. This is the stuff of poets over the centuries. As for favorite examples, “Have I not been ready always at the iron door,/ not knowing to what country it opens – to death or to more life?” (Mary Oliver) “Out, brief candle!” (Shakespeare) “Because I could not stop for Death/He kindly stopped for me...” (Emily Dickinson), Keats, Shelley, Dryden, Milton, the writer of the book of Psalms and Revelations, all obsessed with the fading of beauty and

On the cover

“The Giant Farmer of Plain” (2022) Mixed materials, by Christopher Lutter-Gardella

vigor and the approach of death. Will there be trumpets or not?

Several happenstances led to this particular essay. I was cleaning out a drawer and unearthed a postcard from Senator Tammy Baldwin in 2009 showing a Town Hall meeting in Poynette, WI. It shows an elderly bearded white man holding a sign reading “Terminate Unwanted Lesbians.” Terminate! How appalling. Has the temper of the times improved for the better since then?

Well, no. Death threats against politicians, judges and other public servants such as peace officers and peacekeepers, health care providers, neighbors, perfect strangers, bombs sent through the mail, vehicles used as battering rams against unsuspecting bystanders – these have only escalated since that time, thanks to noisy, unhinged elements in our nation and beyond our borders. Other countries are experiencing the same disturbing breakdown of societal norms of the past that kept citizens more or less in check.

The Ten Commandments, anyone? An interview I heard with author Kurt Anderson, who has traced the 500-year history of attraction to fantasies in this country from the Pilgrims to homegrown religions, to Walt Disney to Donald Trump.

In his book Fantasy Land: How America Went Haywire, Anderson sees the line being crossed from pleasant fantasies to danger for our democracy when politicians leaders believe (or claim to believe for purposes of power and money) their own fabricated fantasies.

way and are in isolation. In another section of the show, a quilt featured a stanza of one of Mary Oliver 's most famous poems: “Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon? Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” So everywhere you turn, the question of death in life, life in death, confronts you and causes a reevaluation of how you spend your gifts, time, and energy, never knowing if this breath you draw may be your last.

The falling leaves of the autumnal season hard upon us is another symbol of the fragile, cyclical, evanescent nature of life. You can either be atrabilious (morbidly melancholy) about this Hobson's choice of not whether but only when you will draw that last breath, or just shrug and accept it. There is no other choice. Them's the rules of the game.

I've not seen since living in Vermont, where people gather on ridges along the Green Mountains in autumn to watch the kettling and that electric tipping point when the hawks know it's time to catch the thermals and ride the jet stream down the Appalachians to wherever they spend the frigid months when their food sources hibernate here. The lines of hawks of many species gathering from all over northern New England would shoot past like bullets at a dizzy rate for hours, not needing to flap their wings at all. We would lie on the ground to spare getting a crick in our necks as the spectacle unfolded.

Many traps lie between here and sanctuary for our feathered friends: windows on buildings, feral cats, moving vehicles, windmills, etc.. On a recent visit to Olbrich Gardens, I noticed volunteers netting monarch butterflies, to tag them in order to gather data on whether or not they make a safe return to Mexico on their gossamer orange and black pinions.

The cover image depicts a performance of “The Giant Farmer of Plain” by artist Christopher Lutter-Gardella in collaboration with the Village of Plain, Kraemer Bros., Kraemer North America, River Valley Schools, St. Luke’s Church, Youth from the Diocese of Madison, WEdances Movement Collaborative & community artists.

"Why do we 'go big'? Cuz 'going big' makes it visible from afar; makes it impactful; but perhaps mostsignificantly, it makes it sensorially and spiritually powerful. Think of our fascination with giants, or with dinosaurs, but also think of our wonderment around skyscrapers... and mountains; oceans and canyons.

Giant things inspire awe...even reverence.

"Using the French painter Jean-François Millet’s painting The Sower as our inspiration, we wanted to depict the simple, primeval picture of the farmer moving across the landscape. No machinery, no devices, just the human moving across the landscape, sowing and harvesting. This, it seems to me, is the root of all culture. Huge THANKS to the Village of Plain and Kraemer Brothers Construction for all the highly-skilled hands and minds they invested into this project. May this project be yet another manifestation of your daily work: building bridges that connect people and structures that inspire awe.”

—Christopher Lutter-Gardella

See the Giant Farmer of Plain in action Oct. 8 and 9 from 1:00-3:30 p.m. on Green Boulevard in Plain as part of the Wormfarm Institute's Farm/Art DTour. Submit your artwork or photography for cover consideration: editor@valleysentinelnews.com

Another trigger for this essay was the tremendous annual Quilt Show in Madison, which it was my good fortune to attend. One section of the show was devoted to quilts depicting the Covid epidemic, which had its devotional, emotional impact, and the sobering reminder that this deadly siege is not over, perhaps will never really cease entirely.

In fact, this morning's emails brought word from a Wisconsin friend traveling to family reunions, that she and her husband contracted the virus somehow along the

However, a bit of hopeful news to report: this was a good year for whooping crane chicks. Seventy-six hatched and returned to the breeding grounds of their parents, mostly in Wisconsin. So recently these magnificent birds teetered on the brink of extinction, and only the determined efforts of conservator heroes, some cross-dressing in bird suits as surrogate parents,who led the young birds via ultralight gliders to wintering grounds from some years, and thus allowed for regeneration of the species. Pray that the new generation of cranes successfully survives the migration north and south, given the disruptions of climate change and other hazards. I thought of this when I saw a flock of yellow warblers the other day, just passing through on their way to don their teeny weeny bikinis in the Bahamas. Ironically, a few days later a warbler hit the building where I live and I found it panting in recovery mode on the sidewalk. With aching heart, I set the soft handful under a bush where I hoped no dog-walker's pet would molest it. An hour later it was gone, but birds who are concussed don't always survive long.

This morning a dozen or more hawks were kettling in a circle above the prairie where I walk, an unusual thrilling sight

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dear Editor,

I realize that most of us vote with one party, however, I ask you to consider splitting your vote. I only ask that you consider your vote for the Wisconsin State Assembly.

As a county board supervisor, I’m quite distressed by the inactivity of the current state assembly and their reluctance to address issues critical to their constituents in our community.

Since 2003, the State of Wisconsin has been reducing shared revenues, which returns taxes and sales taxes to our area.

In 2001, Richland County government received for mandated programs 1.36 million. By 2022 that number had fallen to 1.22 million.

Adjusted for inflation, we would be receiving 2.27 million a year. This past year we had an additional

mandated program position, Marsy’s Law, with benefits costs close to $89,000 and the county got no help with funding. The state legislature voted to only meet two months out of the year and then only on certain days during those two months. Presently, the state has a nearly 4 billion surplus and predicts it will rise to 5 billion by the end of the year.

We are not the only county having trouble paying for our mandated programs. And now because reimbursements to the county are diminished, we are searching for ways to cut important mandated programs such as the sheriff’s office, county elected office’s hours and assistants, zoning and land conservation services and veterans services. In addition, we may

The odds are daunting. A bill called The Recovering America's Wildlife Act is bogged down in the Senate, waiting to be posted for a vote. If you care about having company on the planet in the future besides other homo sapiens, contact Senators Schumer (as Senate Majority leader) and WI Senators Baldwin and Johnson to urge posting and passing this crucial bill. It would provide funding for protection, crucial habitat restoration and other measures to keep our biodiversity intact. Since human survival also depends on reducing the peril, surely this could be interpreted as a non-partisan issue. Everybody wants to be able to get up and swill coffee, smear jam on croissants, have beer and cookies for breakfast, or whatever you choose on rising until it's time to be chthonic (inhabit the Underworld.)

Katie, who until recently lived in Plain, has been writing for fun and profit since childhood. Self-described as opinionated, she writes in the interests of a more loving, better-functioning world for all. She may be reached at katiewgreen@ icloud.com.

lose our unmandated programs including fairgrounds, Pine Valley Community Center locally administrated, Ambulance Service, UWP-Richland, Symons Recreational Center, and Extension. We need to change the leadership in our state assembly. Please consider voting on November 8th for Lynne Parrott, 49th district, Michael Leuth, 50th district, and Leah Spicer, 51st district.

I personally feel to keep our county’s necessary services and quality of life, we need to send a message to the current state assembly legislatures to address the real rural issues.

Linda Gentes

Richland Center, Wisconsin

Our Fragile Democracy — Part 6: Voters and their Representatives

“Our Fragile Democracy” is a series of thought-provoking columns by retired local professor Beverly Pestel exploring the history and struggles of our nation's form of government from its founding to our current social, cultural and political tensions — looking at solutions and means of learning to work with one another, in hopes of preserving our democracy.

In Part 4, I proposed the question: Do voters always engage in our democracy as they should?

Going back as far as 1828, as reported by The American Presidency Project, voter turnout percentages by voting-age population has ranged from a low of 49% to a high of 80% (all before 1900). Since 2000, the average percentage of voters is about 63%. One of the reasons given for collecting this data is that voter turnout may be a way of assessing the health of a democracy. According to Pew Research, the United States ranks 30th for voter turnout out of the 35 nations ranked as highly developed democratic states. That doesn’t sound very healthy for us. It is true that, since 2000, voter turnout has been increasing slightly, reaching a high of 67% in 2020.

The question is, where are the remaining 33% and should something be done about that? There are countries with compulsory voting laws and, even when not strictly enforced, they do have dramatic effects on turnout. Would compulsory voting laws be a good idea in the U.S.? In a country where significant numbers of citizens refused to even wear mandated masks during a pandemic, that doesn’t sound like a workable idea. Higher educated citizens vote at a higher rate than less educated,

there may be a lesson here. A consensus also exists that there is an integral and reciprocal relationship between democracy and education; neither can thrive in the absence of the other. So, if you improve the health of democracy, you improve education; if you improve the health of education, you improve democracy. Ok, start at either place.

Register voters, knock on doors, make phone calls, write postcards, whatever suits your fancy to try to engage more voters. From the other side, run for school board, support increased funding for public schools, resist book-banning, promote curriculum that is

I recommend that you have a strong drink in hand for some of it. As laudable as the principles of our democracy are, and as honorable as some of our elected representatives have been, our history contains too much evidence of profit motives directing the decisions of representatives over the needs and will of the people.

In 2021 there were 12,137 registered lobbyists working to influence our elected Congressional representatives, racking up a stunning $2+ billion in expenses to peddle their influence. That is over 20 lobbyists and $3+ million for every member of Congress, and those lobbyists are not there lobbying for you and me. Among the top spenders on lobbying are the pharmaceutical/health industry, insurance industry, oil and gas companies, electric utilities, and computer and internet companies.

Wisconsin is not one of them.

Before we get too irate about this, however, we need to ask ourselves how much we are to blame for these situations. How much attention have “we the people'' been paying? Are we monitoring our elected representatives and voting out of office those who are willing to sell their votes to the highest bidding lobbyist or the loudest idealogue instead of representing our interests? Or is the problem of our fragile democracy more fundamental? In 1911 Helen Keller wrote to a suffragist in England: “Our democracy is but a name. We vote? What does that mean? It means that we choose between two bodies of real, though not avowed, autocrats. We choose between Tweedledum and Tweedledee.” How often is that true?

factual and balanced.

The other question was: Do our representatives always honor the wishes of the voters?

On Jan. 6, 2021, 147 Republican representatives to Congress attempted to subvert the will of the voters by voting to overturn the 2020 Presidential election. They did that even though over 60 lawsuits and multiple investigations verified the legitimacy of the election results.

I’ve been reading “A People’s History of the United States” by Howard Zinn.

Driftless Grace — Local wildlife

In another vein, more than 700,000 Michigan registered voters signed a petition (over 300,000 more than needed) to place a referendum on the 2022 ballot that would enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution when it was apparent that the legislature would not do so. The appointed 4-person Michigan Board of State Canvassers deadlocked along party lines on allowing the referendum on the November ballot. The objection to the referendum was that there was insufficient spacing between some of the words printed in the document. (Oh, for pity’s sake.) In a scathing 5-2 decision the elected Michigan Supreme Court ordered the board to certify the proposed amendment. So, direct democracy will prevail in Michigan in the upcoming election. The bad news is that only twenty-four states have ways for citizens to bypass a legislature not in line with the will of the people and take direct democracy initiatives to the voters –

Ultimately, it is up to us, not only in terms of who votes, but of who runs for office. Is it time some of us start paying more attention? I put that question to myself. Must we admit that because of our inattention to our democratic responsibilities, some of us may have had a hand in making our democracy more fragile? Do our responsibilities involve both voting and encouraging those among us who believe in “promot[ing] the general Welfare, and secur[ing] the Blessings of Liberty” to run for office? Are we providing ourselves with the choices democracy needs, or are we too often putting ourselves in the hands of that “certain class of men” Alexander Hamilton warned us of?

Beverly is a retired professor. She lives in a remodeled farmhouse and tends 40 acres of woodland in Richland County. When not in the woods she spends her time reading, writing and enjoying the beauty of the Driftless Area.

would call manners. But getting to know them on their own terms can be fun.Thank you for the well-wishes after my concussion in August. I’m happy to report that there are no lingering effects from my unprovoked fight with a window.

There is an alley on Jefferson Street that makes bird sounds. When I passed it last week, I heard hundreds of house sparrows cheeping their delight at the grapevines lining the walls. As they (presumably) fed on the ripe grapes, they remained invisible, shielded by a curtain of leaves.

To us, the sparrows are a nuisance. To them, however, my snooping around was

an interruption to their otherwise steady rhythm of life. What are walls for, if not to grow grapevines?

The same goes for the squirrels that occupy a large oak tree by my window. They have the run of the place. In the squirrels’ world, my patio is merely a large, flat branch. When I use the patio for its actual function, there is shock on their little faces as they scramble away.

My rodent neighbors are so omnipresent that I wouldn’t be surprised if one asked to borrow a cup of sugar. It’s cute to see them up close; it’s less cute to find pieces of walnut husk (or worse) on my patio furniture or in my drying laundry. Squirrels don’t have what we

Have graphic design experience or interested in meetings,

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Living next to an oak and getting to know its squirrels is a little like moving to a small town and getting to know the human neighbors I see every day. Our paths intersect, and we all end up playing a role in one another’s worlds. This is what I hoped would happen when I first arrived here. Sharing part of my life with others – and getting to know their stories in turn – helps me live more fully in my own tree.

Grace Vosen is a writer and conservation educator living in Spring Green. She blogs about both the human and nonhuman communities of our region at DriftlessGrace.com.

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dear Editor,

I have known Leah Spicer throughout her lifetime. She is honest, intelligent, a hardworking small business owner and young mother-of-three. And she is passionate about serving us in the 51st Assembly.

Do you care about the following issues?:

Dear Editor,

For voters who want a representative who supports the interests of the majority of voters, according to the respected Marquette University poll, please consider casting your vote for Leah Spicer as your representative of the 51st Assembly District. Mr. Novak, the incumbent, has utterly failed to advocate for the diverse interests of the citizens of the 51st Assembly District. Leah supports numerous important issues that affect the 51st District, ranging from fully funding rural public schools, rural broad band, protecting the family farm, equitable health care, to preserving our democratic institutions. By comparison, Mr. Novak is a staunch supporter of Robin Voss’

Dear Editor, I have known Leah Spicer for over 20 years, watching her go from a little girl playing with the barn cat at our farm north of Dodgeville, to the dynamic woman she is now. She is a loving mother of three, a gracious business owner, an energetic community member who listens with compassion (and a twinkle in her eye) to anyone and everyone, no matter their political perspective or place in life.

Leah and my daughter were best friends growing up giving me a bird’s eye view of the solid foundation from which she came. Her family was engaged in their community, supported each other,

Dear Editor,

When I first came to the 51st Assembly District, I knew almost immediately that I wanted to make this beautiful place my home. I made the move in early 2020 and was appalled to learn, in hindsight, that I would be homeless until March of 2022. Not for lack of a good job, but because of the lack of affordable housing in our area. This is a problem that I know Leah Spicer is intent on addressing, and that is why I am voting

Dear Editor, Many of us say we are Christians. Are we really? Jesus wasn’t a “Christian”, He was a Jew. But He did show us humans ways of behaving toward each other that became the essence of what is now known as Christianity. Do we all behave as He did? If we aren’t tolerant, forgiving and holy, are we truly Christians? Some other religions are truer to these values.

Dear Editor,

The 51st Assembly District is a special place to me and my family. My husband and I tried living in other (warmer) states for a couple years, but the community here eventually drew us back: many of our friends live here, our neighbors are wonderful, people care

Dear Editor,

Every election cycle, Novak pretends briefly to be a moderate Republican. But his voting record demonstrates otherwise. He has voted lockstep for a decade with Robin Vos’s extreme legislative agenda. Most recently he has embraced without criticism the GOP’s Trumpian embrace of the big election lie, QAnon conspiracies, the January 6th coup attempt, and hateful divisiveness.

Affordable healthcare, high-quality childcare and senior care, affordable housing, free and fair elections, investment and support for our small farms, adequate funding for our rural public schools, investment and support for small businesses, conserving and protecting our farmland and our natural resources, clean water, green

extreme version of Republican politics that continually ignores the will of our fellow citizens.

Consider that Mr. Novak went along with spending $1.1 million of taxpayers money on a fake “investigation” into the 2020 presidential election that predictably failed to rebut the undeniable truth that Biden fairly won a majority of votes in Wisconsin.

That money could have been spent towards fully funding rural schools, an issue that Leah strongly supports. Mr. Novak, on the other hand, supports vouchers for private schools which drain money from public schools. In addition, Leah Spicer wants to expand Medicaid eligibility in order to expand affordable health care to

worked together and provided a place where Leah learned to compromise, work hard, and love the land on which she was raised.

When the girls reached high school age they, like so many young people, yearned to see beyond the Driftless Region. They were accepted at Scattergood Friends School, a Quaker boarding school in West Branch, Iowa, applying as a team, and moving there together.

At Scattergood they learned to come to consensus, to listen, to be responsible, to widen their understanding of the world. The values taught there have followed them into adulthood.

From Iowa both of these girls, now

for her this fall instead of her opponent Todd Novak.

Homelessness doesn’t always look like the stereotype—sometimes it looks like being shuffled between work-provided apartments, house-sitting for months at a time, or frantically signing a lease out of your price range because the only other option is sleeping on someone else’s couch. All of those happened to me while trying to get my small business off the ground. Now that my storefront

Similarly, are all Republicans who are running in the upcoming election traditional, fiscally conservative Republicans? How often have these Legislators met to debate bills backed by our state Governor, or the President, both presently Democrats, only to have their Republican leaders gavel in and out without any discussion or action?

Many of these bills were intended to provide funding for good, needed

about each other and help each other out. So we returned to raise our son here.

Leah Spicer is a wonderful example of the community here in the 51st District. I know she genuinely cares about others - she is one of the most kind and friendly people that I know. She and

Although over 70% of the voters in Iowa, Richland and Sauk counties voted by Resolutions in favor of the Legislature to adopt the independently drawn district maps of the People’s Maps Commission, Novak helped Vos enact partisan district maps that split the eastern third of Iowa County out of the district, making Novak’s 51st district one of the most gerrymandered in the state.

energy, common sense gun safety, the right to choose, and access to broadband internet for all.

If so, support Leah with your vote.

As your representative in the State Assembly, she will fight for you while respecting your hard-earned tax dollars. These important initiatives don’t require higher taxes. They just

an additional 80,000 vulnerable Wisconsin citizens. Mr. Novak was silent in his complicity with the Republican leadership who refused to even vote the Medicaid expansion bill out of Committee much less hold public hearings.

There are many examples of Mr. Novak’s failure to support traditional and vital American democratic principles. Among the many examples, Mr. Novak voted to restrict voting access; Leah believes voting should be easily accessible.

Mr. Novak voted in favor of one of the worst gerrymandered voting maps in the United States. In our case, he voted to chop off parts of Ridgeway, Barneveld and Hollendale from the

strong women, went to college in Asheville, North Carolina. By then their paths had begun to diverge, but in the last two years I have had the immense pleasure of renewing my relationship with Leah on my own. She and her partner, Kyle, moved back to our beautiful corner of Wisconsin to live on the family farm she had known as a child. To raise their children in this incredible area with the same values and ethics with which she had grown up. They are now homesteading with her parents, running an amazing restaurant that utilizes so much of the culinary bounty to be found in the Driftless area, and raising their three children.

is up and running, I can’t keep up with demand; however, I can’t hire long term employees if they don’t have anywhere to live, either.

Lack of affordable housing is a problem that Leah has watched affect the staff of her business, too, and I know she has strategies for alleviating it. She supports the building of small startup homes, with an emphasis on local companies being contracted to build them, instead of big developers with no attachment

assistance for all people. However, most Republican representatives take no action unless they and their wealthy donors are the beneficiaries, and not the average citizens they were elected to represent.

When voting, remember the Democrats who have tried, or who are promising, to help all citizens by funding our road repair, saving the environment and improving the

her partner Kyle are personally invested in our towns - they own and operate a restaurant in Spring Green that pays a sustainable wage and supports our farmers. Leah and Kyle are raising young kids - close to my son’s age - and they know how important it is for working families to have affordable housing,

Similarly, despite over 200 court decisions (authored by both liberal and conservative judges) that found zero evidence of material election fraud or problems, Novak has voted for multiple voter-suppression bills aiming to make Wisconsin one of the most difficult places in the country to vote.

Novak also wants to legislate what women may do with their bodies and criminalize women who are the victims

require a focus of values and priorities.

Watching Leah work, day to day, I can confidently state she knows how to focus and get things done.

Let’s give her the chance to serve us. She will make us proud.

traditional 51st Assembly District. By doing so, he supported packing his supporters in the District and excluded voters who oppose his support for the extremists who control the Wisconsin Republican Party.

Consistent with the views of the majority of Wisconsin citizens, Leah advocates for fair maps that fairly represent the concerns of reasonably drawn Assembly Districts.

In conclusion, Leah Spicer will work tirelessly to support fair and equitable public policy. That makes her the right choice to be our Representative of the 51st Assembly District.

Why is Leah the right choice for the 51st District? I believe because she has, steeped deeply into her very marrow, the values that our district needs to move us forward. She is young and full of energy, and motivation, to take us from the strong place we already are, to the glorious place we can be. A place where compromise is possible. A place of equality and compassion for all of the people in the district. And a place of appropriate growth that will retain who we are, while providing the infrastructure we need.

to our communities. She advocates for down payment assistance, low-interest loan programs, and even making rentto-own a more accessible option. We need someone to represent us who will fight for housing security in our communities, and I trust Leah to do so. Join me in voting for her on November 8th.

economy. Do not support those who, while in office, have done nothing they have promised, but instead continue to obstruct, while blaming Democrats for their own inaction. Don’t let Republican greed and intolerance kill our Democracy and cause the great American experiment to fail.

quality childcare, and good schools. Leah will fight for our values and keep the 51st Assembly District a special place. Join me in voting for her on November 8th.

of rape or incest by supporting an extreme anti-abortion law that was passed in 1849.

It’s time for a change and youthful, fresh ideas. Elect LEAH SPICER TO 51ST Assembly.

Janet Pedder, Ridgeway, Wisconsin

Reflections from Lost Horizon Farm — The Dairy Barn (Part 3)

Each edition, retired dairy farmer

Barb Garvoille brings her musings on dairy farm life from her own years of experience on Lost Horizon Farm with her late husband Vince “Mr. Farmer” Garvoille. This mooving memoir focuses on 1980-2000, join Barb as she rises with the herd.

The focal point of any livestock farm is its barn. In the last two editions, we covered the hay mow - the upper level of the barn - and started to cover the dairy portion of the barn - the lower level.

The Dairy Component of the Barn (continued)

Near the north door of the barn was space on either side of the walkway. The barn telephone, the year's calendar, and the breeding chart with its own calendar hung on one side. The breeding chart was made of sturdy stock, and the calendar had to be also. Whatever and wherever paper was posted in the barn, it would always be ‘painted' by cow urine, manure, or insect specks.

Curious cows had been known to detour on their way in or out of the barn, bunt the wall telephone and knock the receiver loose. That would disrupt the farm's (or early on, the party line) telecommunications. Imagine lifting up your receiver and hearing the sounds associated with milking or cow vocalizations! On one particularly trying day after picking up the hanging phone and placing the receiver back in its cradle for the umteenth time, Mr. Farmer made the terse announcement to 80 ears but to no cow in particular: “I’ll fix your wagon!” That very day, he built a wooden box that mimicked a birdhouse, and the barn telephone was safely ensconced in that! No more naughty cows trying to abuse the phone! An operating barn phone was an absolute necessity for calling the veterinary in emergency cases and also for calling in cows in heat to summon the AI (artificial insemination) technician: “the breeder.” Multiple people on the former party line were always very respectful. They knew to terminate their call if there was an urgent need for an open line. A ton of stacked barn lime bags and the hand-operated lime spreader were positioned on the

other side of the north door. Barn lime initially came delivered in 50 pound bags and then 66 2/3 pound bags. Every day, at least 4 bags were used to lime the walkway

at multiple times during the day: before each milking, before the cows went outside, and before they came back into the barn. A limed walkway provided better traction and, thus, safety for both the cows and the persons who worked in the barn. Barn lime was sometimes scooped onto the cow beds to assist in drying a wet area; it was also great for sprinkling on the ice that would form in front of the milk house door in the winter or for throwing around the tires of vehicles spinning in the snow. Added to its beneficial use around the barn, barn lime was also good for the land and plant life. Illuminating the dairy barn were paired four-foot fluorescent shop lights in their fixtures above the walkway as well as circular incandescent fixtures. Because cows eat better when they can see their feed, and because there was generally some human activity centered around the barn, the lights were generally on at least 18 hours a day. Cows sometimes posed a danger to the lights because a cow in heat might mount another animal on the way out of the barn, or when coming back in, and come perilously close to an “overhead” light fixture.

Music of various genres and programming provided by local and national radio stations provided entertainment and enrichment for man and beast. The heavy duty construction of a tractor radio and its tolerance to dust, cow "painting" and varying levels of moisture made it the perfect fit for use in the barn. The only times the radio was not on was during a power outage or when the barn was being whitewashed.

The wiring for the lights, extension cords, and radio served a dual purpose. Not only was it essential for the transmission of electrical current but it also provided an elevated highway system for barn mice traversing the territory between the ceiling beams and cross pieces.

Handmade feed chutes used for delivering feed from the bins in the haymow were on the east side of the barn's manger. One was simply a plastic pipe with a braked slide at the bottom that could be pushed open and used for filling five gallon pails with calf feed. The other was a long, metal-lined slide on a pulley that could be lowered and angled into the feed cart. Gravity would allow the flow of cow feed over this slide into the cart. The entire herd was conditioned to equate the sound of the slide being lowered with fresh feed. The cows stanchioned in front of this slide had learned that if the slide was not perfectly aligned with the feed cart, they could hook the side wall of the cart with their muzzles and bring the feed to themselves early. This could mean a few cows eating an enormous amount of grain and sickening themselves, and it could also mean a huge pile of misdirected grain falling on the manger floor instead of into the feed cart. That grain would have to be shoveled by hand back into the cart and any unclean grain swept away and deposited in the gutter. A farmer learned to anticipate creative cow behavior.

The barn was equipped with a climate control system to create

the best possible environment for the cows’ health and comfort. This included an array of fans and a misting system. There were a trio of built-in and thermostatically controlled wind tunnel fans as well as funnel fans, box fans, squirrel cage fans, and large portable circular fans that could be positioned in the walkway. Windows covered with hardware cloth on the eastern banked side of the barn could be opened or closed according to the weather. Over the years, our ventilation systems were built,reconfigured, and fine tuned for the best air flow. Hot and humid days were especially taxing on the cows and adversely affected milk production. A misting system line was installed to run parallel to the stainless steel pipeline that carried milk from the barn to the milk house. Individual misters were inserted over the center of each stanchion and tie stall. The misting system ran on a timer that was set to mist each cow for one minute out of every fifteen. Coupled with the breezes created by the fans, this misting system provided relief for the cows during the hottest summer days and helped mitigate heatrelated drops in milk production.

Barb has called Lost Horizon Farm, just north of Spring Green, her home for the past 42 years. She is fond of all creatures (including snakes). Her joy stems from being able to be outdoors every day observing and treasuring the plant and animal life on her small piece of this planet. She loved milking cows and is proud to have been a dairy farmer.

COmmunitycalendar

COmmunitycalendar

Events for October 7 - October 20

Friday, October 7

Pies, Pages and Puzzles 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM Library Community room, 910 Main St, Plain kraemerlibrary.org The Friends of the Kraemer Library will be hosting it's annual Book & Puzzle sale with all profits going towards the library's future adult & youth programming. Fill a new tote bag from a wide variety of books and jigsaw puzzles for $5 (donations are always appreciated). Interested in joining the Friends of the Library? Stop by to apply for a yearly or lifetime membership.

LIVE MUSIC: Jambidextrous 7:30 PM - 10:30 PM Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jefferson St., Spring Green slowpokelounge.com Jambidextrous is a 5 piece jazz group of recent vintage, but comprised of 5 veteran musicians from the Spring Green area. A history of jazz is presented, showcasing progressive jazz, funk, and rock.

Saturday, October 8

Strassenfest: Bike Ride 8:30 AM . Plain Community Park, 925 Parkview Avenue villageofplain.com 57K Ride (Loop) Registration 8:30 a.m. Departure by 9:00 a.m. 30K (Destination & Back) Registration 9:00 a.m. Departure by 9:30 a.m. Registration and Departure from the Plain Community Park. Fees: $15 per person, ages 15 and up and $5 per person, ages 14 and under (must be accompanied by an adult). Donations welcome. Giveaways, healthy snacks and water provided. Proceeds to help with suicide awareness.

Spring Green Farmers Market 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM S230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green Spring Green Farmers Market Is a year-round outdoor market offering seasonal produce, local meats, baked goods and many other wonderful items. Held outside the Spring Green Community Public Library every Saturday morning. Pre-or ders are recommended. Visit our Facebook or Instagram page or email SGFarmersMar ket@gmail.com for a list of participating vendors and their contact into.

Pies, Pages and Puzzles 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM Library Community room, 910 Main St, Plain kraemerlibrary.org The Friends of the Kraemer Library will be hosting it's annual Book & Puzzle sale with all profits going towards the library's future adult & youth programming. Fill a new tote bag from a wide variety of books and jigsaw puzzles for $5 (donations appreciated). Homemade pies will be available for $10. Interested in joining the Friends of the Library? Stop by to apply for a yearly or lifetime membership.

Driftless Landscape Tour 9:45 AM - 10:45 AM Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center, 5607 Cty. Rd. C, Spring Green www.taliesinpreservation.org Join us for a conversa tion about land and culture while enjoying a 1-mile walk across the Taliesin estate. This outdoor tour will speak to the natural history of the estate, using Frank Lloyd Wright as the connecting theme. Guests will explore the landscape that Wright felt drawn to and learn about the geology, ecology, and agricultural history of SW WI.

Srassenfest: Plain Area Street Festival 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM Business District: Alma Avenue, Plain villageofplain.com 11– 2 Janna Johnson-Fuchs and Steve Brown 2 – 5 Better Daze 3:30 Prize Drawing Local Businesses, Live Music, Great Food, Drinks, Prizes, Bike Ride, Bucket Raffle, 50/50 Raffle, Meat Raffle. Wear your bavarian attire! Giant Farmer Puppet Show part of Farm/Art DTour in the Honey Creek Business Park on Green Blvd

LIVE MUSIC: Bluegrass Jam 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM . Spring Green General Store, 137 S. Albany St., Spring Green 608-5880-707, karin@springgreengeneralstore.com, Spring GreenGeneralStore.com Free event. All ages welcome! Bluegrass Jams will be held on the second Saturday of each month. While the weather permits they'll be held on our back deck. Bring your instrument and play along or come to listen; all are welcome.

Farm/Art DTour: The Giant Farmer of Plain 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM Green Blvd., Plain wormfarminstitute.org On view Oct 1-10! The Farmer, made by local fabricators from Kraemer Bros., will amble across a harvested hemp field during both DTour weekends, suspended from an extendable forklift and activated by puppeteers from the region.

Art Exploration Workshop: Japanese Coooking with Mutsumi Olson 3:30 PM Private kitchen of Instructor, Spring Green (Address provided at registration) ruralrem edy.com This workshop introduce you to modern Japanese cooking. Plan to cook and dine together then take home recipes to share. $35 Regstration required.

Arena VFW Steak Feed 4:00 PM . Ewing-Olson VFW Post 9336, 514 Willow St, Arena . 608-753-2225 $15.00 for Steak-- $8.00 for boneless Chicken breast with baked potato, salad, dessert, bun and baked beans. Dine in or carry out.

LIVE READING: Dasha Kelly Hamilton Presents: A Line Meant 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Witwen Food Chain (Map Stop #16), S9855 County Road E, Sauk City wormfarminsti tute.org Dasha Kelly Hamilton will give a special reading inspired by her project "A Line Meant" in the Witwen Tabernacle. One line of poetry can work like a spell, conjuring a memory for one person and pulling gospel from someone else. As Wisconsin Poet Laureate, Dasha is employing poetry lines to connect the creativity of neighbors and the humanity of strangers. "A Line Meant" is a statewide poetry exchange for traditional Wisconsin residents, including residents of Wisconsin prisons. Don’t miss out!

Governor Dodge State Park Candle Light Hike 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM Cox Hollow Beach, Gov Dodge State Park, 4175 WI-23, Dodgeville friendsofgovdodge.org Come enjoy an autumn evening hike on the Lakeview Trail (1.25 miles) lined with luminaries. Bring family and friends and enjoy the evening outdoors including a campfire and s'mores at Governor Dodge State Park. This is a free event, however a valid park sticker is required. For more information contact the Park at 608-935-2315. Sponsored by the Friends of Governor Dodge State Park.

Sunday, October 9

Tarot Readings with BillieJo Scharfenberg 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM . North Earth Crystals & Gifts, 124 W. Jefferson St, Spring Green northearth.com She brings her experience, a combination of study and practical knowledge, as well as a keen devotion to the practice, to each reading in order to help you navigate your life path. $50 per half hour session. Walk-in appointments will be taken as availability allows. Time slots fill up quickly, so please call 608.588.3313 to set up an appointment.

Farm/Art DTour: The Giant Farmer of Plain 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM Green Blvd., Plain wormfarminstitute.org On view Oct 1-10! The Farmer, made by local fabricators from Kraemer Bros., will amble across a harvested hemp field during both DTour weekends, suspended from an extendable forklift and activated by puppeteers from the region.

Sunday, October 9 cont.

FUNDRAISER: Chocolate Lab 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM The Round Barn Lodge, E4830

Us-14, Spring Green springgreenlibrary.com $20 per person or one curbside box

This library fundraiser features: Great chocolate creations by area bakers, Wine Pull, Silent auction, Door prizes, and Tips on conducting your own chocolate tastings!

Registration includes chocolates, one free glass of wine or coffee (for in-Person attend ees). Additional beverages available for purchase. You do have the option for a curbside box, info about this on the tickets and the online ticket platform. Tickets available at the Spring Green Library, Arcadia Books, The General Store and Ninas, or register online.

LIVE MUSIC: The Lovestruck Balladeers (with Lou Shields) 6:00 PM Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jefferson St., Spring Green slowpokelounge.com Tickets $10 in advance/$15 at the door The Lovestruck Balladeers enchant audiences with their masterful performances and inspired repertoire of ragtime, jazz and beautiful songs from around the world. They might whip out a lost melody from a forgotten mandolin folio or they might play a Mexican waltz. They might push into a renegade rearrange ment of a swing standard or get down with a country rag.

Sunday Series — Yoga For Rural Bodies: Knees Please 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM Classes held North of Plain in a private studio space. ruralremedy.com What is a rural body? One that moves, works, and plays hard. One that requires the long view, the clear air, feet on the earth, the sounds of critters in the background, the darkness of a starry night sky. One that knows a long drive, a heavy lift, the firm hand of a neighbor. This series will help you build a regular movement and mobility practice based in the yoga traditions. Regular mindful movement can reduce your susceptibility to injury, contrib ute to your

YOGA: Yin Yoga on Mondays 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM S7163 County Road G, Hill Point 608.250.0966, lark@radiantspiritretreats.com Cost varies Adults only North of Plain in a private Yoga Studio with vaulted ceilings and large picture windows overlooking 25 acres. Yin Yoga is a gentle, restorative style of yoga in which poses are held for 3-5 minutes, deeply releasing the connective tissue in the body. Join in-person OR virtually (live or via recording). Every Monday in Oct. except 10/31.

Monday, October 10 Tuesday, October 11

Family Storytime 10:15 AM - 11:00 AM Plain Kraemer Library and Community Center, 910 Main St, Plain kraemerlibrary.org Fun stories, songs, and themed activities each week for children and their caregivers. Stories and songs 20-30 minutes followed by craft/activity. Children under 6 must be accompanied.

Community Potluck 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM Spring Green Community Center, 117 S Washington St, Spring Green springgreen.com Bring a dish to pass! All are welcome! Ending time is an estimate only and varies.

Wednesday, October 12

Storytime at the Library 10:30 AM Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green springgreenlibrary.org Join Ms. Grace this morning for storytime at the library. We'll have stories, songs, and fun! We ask that people sign up in advance online, as storytime will not be hosted if less than 3 families sign up. Families are still welcome to attend if they have not signed up, but be sure to check the website or Facebook page to ensure we have not cancelled for that day.

Fall Storytime 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM 234 N. Broadway St, Lone Rock. For more info look up Lone Rock Community Library on Facebook Join us at the Lone Rock library for fall story time and crafts!

YOGA - Slow Flow Yoga on Wednesdays 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM S7163 County Road G, Hill Point 608.250.0966, lark@radiantspiritretreats.com Cost varies Adults only Slow Flow yoga is a gentle to mid-tempo paced yoga class perfect for both beginners and intermediate yogis. This class will help you reduce stress, increase flexibility, improve posture, relax and rejuvenate.

Thursday, October 13

Stitch and Bitch 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM Spring Green General Store, 137 S. Albany St. Spring Green springgreengeneralstore.com The Spring Green General Store’s Stitch and Bitch handwork group meets Thursday afternoons weekly. All are welcome. Knit Night at Nina’s 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Nina’s Department Store, 143 E. Jefferson St. Spring Green ninasdepartmentstore.com Every Thursday from 6 to 8 pm. All knitters and crocheters are welcome. Store closed after 5:30 pm.

Friday, October 14

Fall Art Tour Various times and locations Mineral Point, Spring Green, Dodgeville & Baraboo fallarttour.com

The Fall Art Tour is three-day self-guided driving tour exploring the working studios of over 50 unique artists. During the three-day tour, artists will be in their studios, demonstrating and selling their work. These artisans include painters, sculptors, potters, weavers, jewelers, woodworkers, mixed-media artists, and more. Many of these studios are open only for this event – providing a unique opportunity to meet the artists and purchase their work. Please join us on a drive through the beautiful autumn countryside during this once-a-year event that includes a rare glimpse into the restored breweries, one-room schoolhouses, and historic storefronts where some of Wisconsin's best-known artists work.

SOLD OUT – LIVE MUSIC: Shitty Barn Session 278: John Moreland // Caroline Spence 7:00 PM . 506 E Madison St, Spring Green shittybarnsessions.com Doors open at 6 John Moreland doesn’t have the answers, and he’s not sure anyone does. But he’s still curious, basking in the comfort of a question, and along the way, those of us listening feel moved to ask our own. Advance tickets sold out. That said, tickets often come up that people can't use. Check website or socials for the latest detalls about ticket availability.

Saturday, October 15

Spring Green Farmers Market 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM S230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green Spring Green Farmers Market Is a year-round outdoor market offering seasonal produce, local meats, baked goods and many other wonderful items. Held outside the Spring Green Community Public Library every Saturday morning. Pre-or ders are recommended. Visit our Facebook or Instagram page or email SGFarmersMar ket@gmail.com for a list of participating vendors and their contact into.

AUTUMN ANTICS

Why Fall Is the superior Season: Changing leaves, temperate weather, crisp air

There’s just something about autumn. The leaves falling, the crisp air, the decorations, some may even say the general vibe of fall is the ideal time. The weather, for one, is always perfectly temperate. Not too warm, not too cold, not too rainy, not too sunny.

Yeah, those things are great. But are they what really makes fall so

wonderful?

In my opinion, no. Sure, those things are great, and they make up one of the many beautiful things about fall, but to me, that is not what makes fall so magical.

What makes fall that beautiful, colorful, somehow-perfect time of year?

When I think of autumn, I think of the

Celebrate Fall In Plain with Strassenfest

On October 8, Plain Wisconsin has a festival on Alma Avenue called Strassenfest (Bavarian for Street Festival). The selection of this month aligns with the tradition of Oktoberfest. The annual festival features showcasing of area Business’ goods and services, a range of enjoyable live bands, Bavarian and American food and beverages, cultural displays and clothing, interactive activities and prizes. The festival also includes a nominal feebased Bike Tour through the local roadways, the proceeds of which goes to the Farmer Angel Network that supports struggling farmers and their families.

An extra highlight this year is that Plain will be a trailhead for this fall’s Wormfarm Institute's Farm/ Art DTour bringing Public Art to Farm Fields. Many large-scale siterepresentative artworks scattered

along a fifty-mile self-guided route through the beautiful rural Sauk County country roads. The tour is free and open to the public from Oct 1st through October 10th. Over 20,000 people have made the tour in previous years.

The Village of Plain will participate in the Farm/Art DTour by showcasing a 20 foot tall Giant Farmer puppet designed by a renowned artist. The puppet will traverse across a field as though farming with a choreographed large paper mâché vegetable performance. This will take place on Driftless Extracts. Inc. hemp field located on the north edge of the village limits.

Information about the festival, bike tour, Farm/Art DTour, the artist's background and artwork as well as an overview of the Driftless Extracts company is available on the Village of Plain website and Facebook pages.

warm colors, the good weather, the feel-good activities we can take part in. But I also think of the premise. The premise of fall, which to me, is the atmosphere and the place of mind it takes me to. The familiar, comforting feel of apple cider and warm sweaters. Fall is the premise of my favorite books and shows, which has turned the season into a comfort. A premise

and a place we all know and love. There are some things about fall I am sure people don’t like. Maybe some people don’t like fall at all. To a lot of us, though, that comforting feel and familiar comfort of the season is something we look forward to every year. And for those reasons, I am one of the people that will argue that fall is the superior season.

Experience the Plain Area Street Festival

October 8, 2022

a.m. 5:00 p.m.

Business District: Alma Avenue

11a.m.

Wisconsin

Johnson Fuchs and Steve Brown

5p.m. Better Daze

p.m.

Businesses

Drawing

29th Annual Fall Art Tour Returns This October

Be a part of the oldest and most celebrated rural art tour in Wisconsin during the 29th annual Fall Art Tour - October 14, 15 & 16, 2022

The Fall Art Tour invites you into the studios of some of Wisconsin’s best-known artisans in Mineral Point, Spring Green, Dodgeville, and Baraboo.

The Fall Art Tour takes you beyond the gallery and into the studio with some of Wisconsin’s bestknown artisans in and around some of Wisconsin’s favorite art

communities. 29 years ago, a group of artists in Southwest Wisconsin created an exciting alternative to art fairs and festivals, and opened their own private studios to art enthusiasts around the world.

During the 3-day, self-guided Fall Art Tour, you’ll go behind the scenes and have an up close experience watching art being created inside unique studios located within restored breweries, one-room schoolhouses, historic storefronts, and more – many open only for this event.

Watch painters bring life to an

empty canvas and potters transform a piece of clay right before your eyes.

Enjoy jewelers, sculptors, furniture makers, quilters, photographers, and many more. Over 60 artists in total, demonstrating in their studios all weekend long. By supporting these local artists, you’re also supporting the small towns of Wisconsin’s beautiful ‘Driftless’ region.

Celebrate spectacular fall colors and incredible art during the Fall Art Tour. October 14th, 15th & 16th, 2022. 10am-6pm all three days. For more tour information including artist details, maps, lodging, and dining – fallarttour.com

Wisconsin Department of natural resources: The Science of Fall Leaf Colors

Leaf color comes from pigments. Pigments are natural substances produced by leaf cells. The three pigments that color leaves are: chlorophyll (green); carotenoid (yellow, orange and brown); and anthocyanin (red). Chlorophyll is the most important of the three. Without the chlorophyll in leaves, trees wouldn’t be able to use sunlight to produce food.

Carotenoids create bright yellows and oranges in familiar fruits and vegetables. Corn, carrots, and bananas are just a few of the many plants colored by carotenoids. Anthocyanins add the color red to plants, including cranberries, red apples, cherries, strawberries and others.

Chlorophylls and carotenoids are in leaf

cells all the time during the growing season. But the chlorophyll covers the carotenoid - that’s why summer leaves are green, not yellow or orange. Most anthocyanins are produced only in autumn, and only under certain conditions. Not all trees can make anthocyanin.

HOW LEAVES CHANGE COLOR

As the Earth makes its 365-day journey around the sun, some parts of the planet will get fewer hours of sunlight at certain times of the year. In those regions, the days become shorter and the nights get longer. The temperature slowly drops. Autumn comes and then winter.

Trees respond to the decreasing amount of sunlight by producing less and less chlo-

rophyll. Eventually, a tree stops producing chlorophyll. When that happens, the carotenoid already in the leaves can finally show through. The leaves become a bright rainbow of glowing yellows, sparkling oranges and warm browns. What about red leaves? Read on.

DO LEAVES CHANGE BECAUSE OF WEATHER?

Perhaps you’ve noticed that in some years, the red fall colors seem brighter and more spectacular than in other years. The temperature and cloud cover can make a big difference in a tree’s red colors from year to year.

When a number of warm, sunny autumn days and cool but not freezing nights come one after the other, it’s going to be a good

year for reds. In the daytime, the leaves can produce lots of sugar, but the cool night temperatures prevent the sugar sap from flowing through the leaf veins and down into the branches and trunk. Anthocyanins to the rescue! Researchers have found out that anthocyanins are produced as a form of protection. They allow the plant to recover nutrients in the leaves before they fall off. This helps make sure that the tree will be ready for the next growing season. Anthocyanins give leaves their bright, brilliant shades of red, purple and crimson.

The yellow, gold and orange colors created by carotenoid remain fairly constant from year to year. That’s because carotenoids are always present in leaves and the amount does not change in response to the weather.

The amount of rain in a year also affects autumn leaf color. A severe drought can delay the arrival of fall colors by a few weeks. A warm, wet period during fall will lower the intensity, or brightness, of autumn colors. A severe frost will kill the leaves, turning them brown and causing them to drop early. The best autumn colors come when there’s been:

—a warm, wet spring; —a summer that’s not too hot or dry; and —a fall with plenty of warm sunny days and cool nights.

YOU CAN TELL A TREE FROM ITS COLORS

You can use the fall leaf color to help identify different tree species. Look for these leaf colors on the trees in your neighborhood: Oaks: red, brown or russet

Hickories: golden bronze Dogwood: purple-red Birch: bright yellow Poplar: golden yellow Maple trees show a whole range of colors: —Sugar maple: orange-red —Black maple: glowing yellow —Red maple: bright scarlet

WHY LEAVES FALL

A tree’s roots, branches and twigs can endure freezing temperatures, but most leaves are not so tough. On a broadleaf tree like a maple or a birch, the tender, thin leaves -made up of cells filled with water sap -- will freeze in winter. Any plant tissue unable to live through the winter must be sealed off and shed to ensure the tree’s survival. As sunlight decreases in autumn, the veins that carry sap into and out of a leaf gradually close. A layer of cells, called the separation layer, forms at the base of the leaf stem. When this layer is complete, the leaf is separated from the tissue that connected it to the branch, and it falls. Oak leaves are the exception. The separation layer never fully detaches the dead oak leaves, and they remain on the tree through winter.

Evergreen trees -- pines, spruces, cedars and firs -- don’t lose their leaves, or needles, in winter. The needles are covered with a heavy wax coating and the fluids inside the cells contain substances that resist freezing. Evergreen leaves can live for several years before they fall and are replaced by new growth.

Come to your Senses

FaRm/Art DtOur route overview

TRAILHEAD KRAEMER LIBRARY & COMMUNITY CENTER 910 Main St. Plain, WI 53577

(OFFSHOOT) ATTRACTION St Anne’s Shrine

ART WORK The Giant Farmer of Plain FIELD NOTES Hay

ART WORK Curious Erratic of the Driftless VENDOR Green Pastures Cattle Co.

FARM FORM Sauk County HCE Exhibit & Food Stand

POINT OF INTEREST Natural Bridge State Park

POINT OF INTEREST Our Lady of Loretto Church Museum

ART WORK General Sherman’s Footprint VENDOR Veggie Emporium

FIELD NOTES Land

ART WORK Sauk County ARK VENDOR Tower Rock Farmstead Bakery VENDOR Sweet Country Life

ART WORK Raising Our Sisters VENDOR Lil Market & More

WITWEN FOOD CHAIN A Marketplace of Food, Art & Ideas

ART WORK Vortex to a Future Canoe MYSTERY SPOT

VENDOR Owen & JJ’s Roadside Market

FARM FORM Antique Tractors

FIELD NOTES Beans FIELD NOTES Circus

(OFFSHOOT) ATTRACTION Dr. Evermor’s Sculpture Park

(OFFSHOOT) VENDOR Little Eagle Arts Foundation (LEAF)

ART WORK The Tippy Top of Under POINT OF INTEREST Old School

FIELD NOTES Bluffs

ART WORK CarbonEra Cafe (OFFSHOOT) VENDOR Glitzy Garden Art ART WORK Baraboo

FARM FORM Soiled Undies

FIELD NOTES Corn

POINT OF INTEREST Harrisburg HCE Quilt Exhibit at Troy Town Hall

ART WORK Understructure – Norden Loam

ART WORK Untitled

ATTRACTION Harrisburg School & Museum

MYSTERY SPOT

ART WORK When the Cows arrived by Boat, Passenger Pigeons still traveled the Skies

FIELD NOTES Dairy

VENDOR Cedar Grove Cheese

ARTWORK Garden of Water & Wind (OFFSHOOT) VENDOR Wilson Creek Pottery

SAUK PRAIRIE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 109 Phillips Blvd. Sauk City, WI 53583

you start at the Sauk City Trailhead, take Hwy

west 3.2 miles to County Rd PF, then

mile west to Old Bluff Trail

PF

E R V A L L E Y

A R E A

Fall Bucket List

Take this page and hit the town(s) to have the ultimate, local flannel and spooky season experience!

Pick the best pumpkin at Hecks, Pecks or a local stand!

Grab a cozy fall drink from Arcadia Books/The Paper Crane, Convivio or Butternut Road Coffee Truck!

Stop in to Nina's Department Store for a new flannel!

Visit the spooky haunted houses or corn maze at Pecks East for a scare!

Go for a drive or hike to see fall colors!

Grab some caramel apples and other freshly picked goodies from Oakwood Fruit Farm!

Bundle up and support the River Valley Blackhawks at a home game!

Explore the Spring Green Farmers Market!

Visit Wander Provisions to pick up an autumnal picnic and enjoy it at the Post House Garden or on your hike!

Driftless Landscape Tour 9:45 AM - 10:45 AM Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center, 5607 Cty. Rd. C, Spring Green www.taliesinpreservation.org Join us for a conversa tion about the interconnectedness of land and culture while enjoying a 1-mile walk across the Taliesin estate. This outdoor tour will speak to the natural history of the estate, using Frank Lloyd Wright as the connecting theme between topics. Guests on this tour will explore the landscape that Wright felt drawn to and learn about the geology, ecology, and agricultural history of southwestern Wisconsin that attracts so many people to the Driftless Area.

Fall Art Tour Various times and locations

Mineral Point, Spring Green, Dodgeville & Baraboo fallarttour.com

The Fall Art Tour is three-day self-guided driving tour exploring the working studios of over 50 unique artists. During the three-day tour, artists will be in their studios, demonstrating and selling their work. These artisans include painters, sculptors, potters, weavers, jewelers, woodworkers, mixed-media artists, and more. Many of these studios are open only for this event – providing a unique opportunity to meet the artists and purchase their work. Please join us on a drive through the beautiful autumn countryside during this once-a-year event that includes a rare glimpse into the restored breweries, one-room schoolhouses, and historic storefronts where some of Wisconsin's best-known artists work.

"About Badger Ordnance" - presentation by Veryln Mueller 1:00 PM Lone Rock Community Center, 234 N Broadway St The Lone Rock Historical Society is honored to sponsor "About Badger Ordnance", a presentation by Veryln Mueller. The program is free and everyone is welcome! For more information call Joanne at (608) 647-0622.

LIVE MUSIC: The Blue Olives 7:30 PM Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jefferson St., Spring Green slowpokelounge.com Tickets $10 in advance/$15 at the door Regular artists at House of Blues- Chicago, The Blue Olives have performed over 3500 shows national ly. Once described as "tight enough to be professional. yet loose enough to be really fun..." we feature a hornline, killer vocal harmonies, searing guitar and funky rhythm section. Known as one of the fiercest jam bands around with a huge repertoire, we easily go from playing formal corporate events to large venue rock concert atmo spheres.

October

Fall Art Tour Various times and locations Mineral Point, Spring Green, Dodgeville & Baraboo fallarttour.com The Fall Art Tour is three-day self-guided driving tour exploring the working studios of over 50 unique artists. During the three-day tour, artists will be in their studios, demonstrating and selling their work. These artisans include painters, sculptors, potters, weavers, jewelers, woodworkers, mixed-media artists, and more. Many of these studios are open only for this event – providing a unique opportunity to meet the artists and purchase their work. Please join us on a drive through the beautiful autumn countryside during this once-a-year event that includes a rare glimpse into the restored breweries, one-room schoolhouses, and historic storefronts where some of Wisconsin's best-known artists work.

LIVE MUSIC: Acoustic Jam 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM Spring Green General Store, 137 S. Albany St., Spring Green 608-5880-707, karin@springgreengeneralstore.com, Spring GreenGeneralStore.com Free event All ages welcome! Acoustic Jams will be held on the third Saturday of each month. While the weather permits they'll be held on our back deck. Bring your instrument and play along or come to listen; all are welcome. Autumn Radiant Spirit Yoga & Wellness Retreat 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM S7163 County Road G, Hill Point 608.250.0966, lark@radiantspiritretreats.com $190 + $50 for 3-course dinner 21+ only A daylong retreat to nourish and revitalize your mind, body and soul through yoga, nature and wellness practices. Elements include: Yoga & Meditation, Forest Bathing, Solo time for Journaling, Adult Coloring or Time in Nature, Happy hour / Socializing, 3-Course Dinner + mocktails catered by DelecTable Madison.

FULL - A Day at Taliesin 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM Taliesin Visitor Center at 5607 County Road C, Spring Green taliesinpreservation.org This free, immersive experience gives visitors the chance to explore Taliesin’s grounds at their own pace, meet local vendors, and take in the landscape that inspired Wright’s organic architecture. Be sure to pre-register for our exciting add-ons!

Seminar: Fall Garden Cleanup—End of Season Lessons Learned 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM River Valley Area Community Gardens, Spring Green For more info RVACG on Facebook Fall Garden Cleanup—End of Season Lessons Learned - Looking Forward to Spring. Pre-registration required by Friday Oct. 14 (Will not be held if under 10 regis trants.) For gardeners, winter is the time to evaluate, research and plan for next year. Bring your stories, thoughts and questions for a fun and educational discussion about gardening. Bring a lawn chair.

LIVE MUSIC: Slowpoke Songwriters Round 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jefferson St., Spring Green slowpokelounge.com Featuring James Travis, Payton Eilers, and Stacy Hanson. Tim Eddy curates this series of singer/songwriters from the Driftless Area. Support local artists by joining us for a night of original music with several songwriters, all on the stage together, sharing their music round robin style. No cover, but tips for artists are always welcome.

Monday, October 17

PRESENTATION: A Tongue-In-Cheek History of the Coon Rock Yacht Club of Arena 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM Grandma Mary’s Brisbane Hall,175 Hwy 14 (608) 228-0261 Free Open to all Guest speakers include original founding members who wish to remind all that although the club was founded years ago on a dare and many say it exists only in our own minds that never-the-less charter membership is still open: Annual dues for yacht owners is $500 . Membership is free if you do not have a yacht. See presenters for membership form after meeting. A do not miss romp of wit and story through a slice of Arena history. Sponsored by Arena Historians.

YOGA: Yin Yoga on Mondays 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM S7163 County Road G, Hill Point 608.250.0966, lark@radiantspiritretreats.com Cost varies Adults only North of Plain in a private Yoga Studio with vaulted ceilings and large picture windows overlooking 25 acres. Yin Yoga is a gentle, restorative style of yoga in which poses are held for 3-5 minutes, deeply releasing the connective tissue in the body. Join in-person OR virtually (live or via recording). Every monday except 10/31.

Tuesday, October 18

Family Storytime 10:15 AM - 11:00 AM Plain Kraemer Library and Community Center, 910 Main St, Plain . kraemerlibrary.org . Fun stories, songs, and themed activities each week for children and their caregivers. Stories and songs 20-30 minutes followed by craft/activity. Children under 6 must be accompanied.

Wednesday, October 19

Storytime at the Library 10:30 AM Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green springgreenlibrary.org Join Ms. Grace this morning for storytime at the library. We'll have stories, songs, and fun! We ask that people sign up in advance online, as storytime will not be hosted if less than 3 families sign up. Families are still welcome to attend if they have not signed up, but be sure to check the website or Facebook page to ensure we have not cancelled for that day.

Fall Storytime 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM 234 N. Broadway St, Lone Rock. For more info look up Lone Rock Community Library on Facebook Join us at the Lone Rock library for fall story time and crafts!

The Community Calendar is curated and designed by Julianna Williams. Events are subject to change, always check ahead for up-to-date information on any events you are interested in.

Annual Chicken Supper at the Lone Rock Congregational Church 4:00 PM - 6:30 PM . Lone Rock Congregational Church, 202 Chestnut St, Lone Rock . Drive-up, take out service only. You must purchase tickets in advance. Tickets are $12.00 each and can be purchased from many members of the congregation or at the Lone Rock Bistro, D & Z's Convenience Store, Lone Stop Shell, or Royal Bank-Lone Rock. For more information call Joanne at (608) 647-0622

Arcadia Book Club discusses "The Manningtree Witches" by A.K. Blakemore

6:00 PM - 7:00 PM Virtual event readinutopia.com

Wolf Hall Wolf Hall meets The Favourite The Favourite in this beguiling debut novel that brilliantly brings to life the residents of a small English town in the grip of the seventeenth-century witch trials and the young woman tasked with saving them all from themselves.

YOGA - Slow Flow Yoga on Wednesdays 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM S7163 County Road G, Hill Point 608.250.0966, lark@radiantspiritretreats.com Cost varies Adults only Slow Flow yoga is a gentle to mid-tempo paced yoga class perfect for both beginners and intermediate yogis. This class will help you reduce stress, increase flexibility, improve posture, relax and rejuvenate.

AFT Soil Health Field Day at the Savanna Institute Spring Green Campus 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM North Farm, Savanna Institute, E6828 State Road 60, Spring Green savannainstitute.org Registration required Join American Farmland Trust and Savanna Institute as they introduce the concepts and practices of Soil Health as they are being implemented at Savanna Institute’s new campus in Spring Green, Wisconsin. Soil health is the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans. Led by Savanna Institute’s Farm Director, Erik Hagan, this educational event will cover the 5 principles of soil health while exploring conservation practices on the North Farm.

Thursday, October 20

Stitch and Bitch 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM Spring Green General Store, 137 S. Albany St. Spring Green springgreengeneralstore.com The Spring Green General Store’s Stitch and Bitch handwork group meets Thursday afternoons weekly. All are welcome.

Savanna Institute Pasture Walk 5:00 PM Savanna Institute Demonstration Farm, 6511 Hillside Rd, Spring Green co.sauk.wi.us Hosted by Roger Bindl, at S10620 Weidner Rd, Spring Green. This pasture walk will be focused on grazing cover crops and will showcase information collected as part of an ongoing research project with the Sand County Foundation and four graziers from SSWIG. Please contact Serge Koenig at(608)355-4837 or serge.koenig@saukcountywi.gov for more information

Geometry and Nature Patterns Workshop 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM Arts Lab, 143 S. Washington Street Spring Green artslabspringgreen.org This workshop will cover the beauty of simple geometric shapes and grids as they generate pattern for compositions of all kinds. Nature Patterns will be introduced and paricipants will use geometric grids to explore a natural subject.

Teen DIY and Crafting 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green . springgreenlibrary.org . Learn to do a new craft each month, or just bring your own and hang out! This program is designed for middle and high school aged teens. We will meet in the Community Room unless otherwise posted!

Knit Night at Nina’s 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Nina’s Department Store, 143 E. Jefferson St. Spring Green ninasdepartmentstore.com Every Thursday from 6 to 8 pm. All knitters and crocheters are welcome. Store closed after 5:30 pm.

WHAT’S HANGINg ?

ongoing art exhibitions

Local Art at the Library: John Kabot & Esther Hill Hours Vary Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green John Kabot is exhibiting his assemblage in the Glass Case Gallery. John is currently working on three-dimensional pieces using wood and found objects. Esther Hill is presenting recent artwork made with her own paint that she mixed from iron oxide. These exhibits are available for viewing at any time during regular library hours. Monday-Thursday: 10 AM - 7 PM Friday: 10 AM - 5 PM Saturday: 9 AM - 1 PM

Art in the Woods Sunrise - Sunset, thru 10-9 . Throughout APT property, 5950 Golf Course Rd, Spring Green americanplayers.org FREE Art in the Woods is a series of art installations displayed throughout the APT property. Art that evokes conversation, that intertwines with our landscape, that sparks your imagination. Art in the Woods is presented with major support from the Wisconsin Department of Tourism.

FARM/ART DTOUR: What's the PassWord? October 1st - 10th The Farm/Art DTour wormfarminstitute.org Five poems hand-painted on a series of signs in the area.

CIVICS & SERVICES CALENDAR

October 10:

MEETING: River Valley Area Community Gardens Board of Directors Meeting 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM . River Valley Area Community Gardens, Corner of Westmor Street and Locust Drive, Spring Green October 13:

MEETING: Richland Area Retired Educators’ Association (RAREA) 9:30 AM The Phoenix Center, 100 South Orange Street, Richland Center The cost will be $15 for RAREA members, their guests, and prospective members; this meeting is not open to the public. RSVP deadline for all attendees will be 12 noon on Monday, October 10, 2022, and should be directed to RAREA President Paul Murphey, 269 South Park Street, Richland Center, WI, 53581-2303; 608.647.6439 or pmurphey@mwt.net.

October 14:

VOLUNTEER: Ridgeway Pine Relict Workday 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Ridgevue Road, Ridgeway Ridgeway Pine Relict State Natural Area is known for its large, quality wetlands and spring complexes. With prescribed burning and brush control, DNR crews and volunteers have increased efforts to improve this site. Questions or to RSVP to attend this workday, contact Mary Kay Baum at marykbaum@gmail.com or 608-935-5834.

October 17:

MEETING: Coon Rock Yacht Club of Arena 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM . Grandma Mary’s, Brisbane Hall,175 Hwy 14 (608) 228-0261 Annual dues for yacht owners is $500 . Membership is free if you do not have a yacht. See presenters for membership form following Arena Historians presentation.

October 18:

MEETING: Rolling Hills/Viroqua Toastmasters Bimonthly Meeting 7:00 PM9:00 PM Kelly’s Coffee House, 196 West Court Street, Richland Center Please join our members representing communities within 60 miles of Richland Center — including Viroqua, Plain, Spring Green, Boscobel, Gays Mills and towns in between — in an exciting, fast-paced two-hour meeting where we delve into the art of communi cation and leadership. We meet bimonthly on the second and fourth Tuesdays.

Vaccine

River Valley Fall Sports and Activities

The River Valley Cross Country team hosted the 44th Annual Blackhawk Invitational on September 10. 37 teams from around the state participated, with the 19 largest schools (including River Valley) in the large school division and 18 in the small school division. Almost 1,300 middle school and high school students ran the race at the Spring Green Municipal golf course.

The girls’ team ran very well, as both the varsity and junior varsity races went out very fast. Junior Bobbi DuCharme crossed the finish line in 21:36 in 33rd place. What is really impressive is that Bobbi left for a swim meet in Lodi after the race and put together a solid performance for the River Valley swim team. Emma Knoble also ran a great race and dropped almost a minute from her time at Darlington the week before. Krey said that Knoble is a senior, who came out for the first time this year and works really hard - she will continue to see her time drop on a weekly basis. Another newcomer to the team is sophomore Anya Seffrood. The beginning of the season can beat up the body of new runners, and Anya continues to work really hard. She ran a fantastic race and will continue to improve as the season goes on. River Valley girls runners also included Aubrey Frazier (27:12), Kylie Morrey (28:46), Grace Morrey (28:52), and Cheyenne Reis (34:23).

The boys’ put forth a lot of effort and had very good results. Noah Radtke led the Blackhawks in a time of 18:44, which is almost a minute faster than the week before at Darlington and 20 seconds faster than he was a year ago as a freshman. Isaac Limmex was next in a time of 23:42, followed by Ben Reis in 23:53, then TJ Strine in 25:56, and Arie snow in 26:14.

Krey said that TJ Strine put forth a great effort, and improved his time from a year ago by a minute and 5 seconds. Isaac Limmex and Arie Snow are both newcomers, and they both improved their times from a week ago by over a minute - they both ran excellent races.

Swimming

September 15, the River Valley/ Richland Center High School Swim Team defeated Platteville/Lancaster by a score of 103 to 67 at the Spring Green Municipal Pool. The RVRC Girls Swim Team does not have many home swim meets during the high school season and this was the last home meet of the season, so the team took this opportunity to have Senior Night and honor their five seniors. The whole team swam well once again, but this time in front of a very nice sized home crowd.

Coach Emily Nachreiner said “It was nice to see the Spring Green Dolphins families at the meet supporting their teammates that swim on the high school team.”

The team is led by a good group of seniors including Megan Nachreiner, Charlotte Ferstl, Grace Tjossem, McKenzie Kruse and Alexis WebbKreger.

“It was too bad that Alexis couldn’t swim due to a hand injury, but it was great to see the other four seniors step up and swim very well in the meet”, said Coach Mike Nachreiner.

All four seniors swimming took part in winning first place in at least one event. Senior Megan Nachreiner won first in all four of her events,

Ben Reis, a freshman ran his first high school race and competed very well.

Krey stated, “Every year, the team receives a tremendous amount of support from our families, staff, and community members to host a topnotch event. The positive feedback we received from parents, coaches, and runners at the race was overwhelming, and we could not put on such a great day without the help of our volunteers. Specifically, a huge thank you to the River Valley Athletic Booster Club, Jaime Hegland, Steve Stettler, Dan Machovec, John Kjos, Matt Snow, Brent Johnson, Michelle Orcutt, Rachel Orcutt, Michael Orcutt, Howard Orcutt, Beth Novak, Kevin Billington, Lisa Roelke, Shari Graffunder, Bri Johnsrud and the RV Cross Country families.”

The River Valley Cross Country team then competed in Boscobel at Kronshage Park in the Greg Bell Glow Run Invitational. The girls' race began at 7:50 pm and the boys at 8:25. Lights and glow sticks were used to light the course, it was a very unique and fun cross country race for everyone!

The River Valley cross country team had an outstanding race, as all five boys

varsity runners had their fastest time of the year - Noah Radtke (18:03), Isaac Limmex (22:46), Ben Reis (22:49), TJ Strine (24:18), and Arie Snow (24:41). Sophomore, Noah Radtke’s time of 18:03 was his fastest time in a high school race by seven seconds. Based on this year’s times, Isaac Limmex lowered his personal best time for the year by 56 seconds, Ben Reis by 1 minute 4 seconds, TJ Strine by 1 minute 38 seconds, and Arie Snow by 1 minute 26 seconds.

The girls' cross country team fared equally well as the boys' team, as seven of the girls ran their fastest times of the year. Bobbi Ducharme (20:43), Kortney Sebranek (24:05), Aubrey Frazier (26:00), Anya Seffrood (26:25), Kylie Morrey (26:28), Grace Morrey (27:08), and Emma Knoble (27:33) all ran their personal best for the year. Based on this year’s times, Bobbi DuCharme dropped her personal best time for the year by 53 seconds, Kortney Sebranek by 2 minutes and 33 seconds, Aubrey Frazier by 1 minute 12 seconds, Anya Seffrood by 38 seconds, Kylie Morrey by 1 minute 49 seconds, Grace Morrey by 1 minute 5 seconds, and Emma Knoble by 1 minute 2 seconds. Bobbi DuCharme earned a medal, as she finished 9th place overall.

Krey stated, “Not only is the team getting more fit, but every single person is also learning how to be mentally stronger throughout a 3.1-mile cross country race. Our focus going into the meet was never giving up, never letting up, and never being satisfied - each one of the runners really responded to that message and the tough practices we had early in the week.”

The River Valley Cross Country team traveled to the Platteville Invitational on October 1 at Memorial Park on the UWPlatteville campus. 34 teams took part in this race on a beautiful day for running.

On the girls’ team, River Valley was led by Bobbi DuCharme, who placed 15th in the Small School division in a time of 21:21. Bobbi was followed by Kortney Sebranek in a time of 25:40. Kylie Morrey was next in 26:57, Anya Seffrood was right behind Morrey in a time of 27:04, and Emma Knoble was close behind Seffrood in 27:17.

On the boys’ team, River Valley was led by Noah Radtke, who placed 22nd in the Small School division in a time of 18:30. Noah was followed by Ben Reis (22:49) and Isaac Limmex (23:32).

Two River Valley runners ran personal bests on the season. Senior Emma Knoble ran a personal best, lowering her best time on the year by 16 seconds, after dealing with an ankle injury earlier in the week, while Ben Reis ran a personal best while dealing with some knee issues. Krey stated, “Emma and Ben both get after every workout, every day. I’m happy that they continue to see improvement, as they deserve it.”

Krey stated that he was impressed how hard the team ran during Homecoming week. “The kids really got after it all week, and that work will pay off as we get to our conference meet and Sectionals in mid-October.”

The River Valley Cross Country team will travel to Muscoda on Saturday, October 8 for the Riverdale Invitational with the girls’ running at 9 am and the boys’ running at 9:40 behind the Riverdale Elementary/Middle School.

as did Junior Bobbi DuCharme and Sophomore Lily Saperstein. The RVRC team took first in ten of the eleven events.

Individuals clocking personal best times in the meet were McKenzie Kruse in the 200 Individual Medley beating her old time by 7 seconds. Megan Kanneberg had her best time in the 200 freestyle. Marissa Needham recorded her best time in the 100 backstroke. Megan Langrehr had her best time in the 200 Individual Medley

and Tessa Schluter clocking her best time in the 100 breaststroke.

Individuals scoring points for the team were: Megan Nachreiner taking first place in the 200 meter freestyle and the 100 meter butterfly; Charlotte Ferstl won first place in the 400 meter freestyle and second in the 200 meter freestyle; Grace Tjossem finished second in the 50 meter freestyle and fifth in the 100 meter backstroke; McKenzie Kruse was third in the 200 meter individual medley and fourth

in the 100 meter freestyle; Bobbi DuCharme took first place in the 200 meter individual medley and in the 100 meter freestyle; Megan Kannenberg finished fourth in the 200 meter freestyle and 100 meter freestyle; Megan Langrehr was fourth in the 200 meter individual medley and second in the 400 meter freestyle; Lily Saperstein won first place in the 50 meter freestyle and first in the 100 meter backstroke; Tessa Schluter took fifth place in the 50 meter freestyle and fourth in the 100 meter breaststroke; Marissa Needham finished fourth in the 100 meter butterfly and fourth in the 100 meter backstroke; Olivia Hackl placed fifth in the 100 meter breaststroke.

Relay teams scoring points for the team were: 1st Place in the 200 Medley Relay – Lily Saperstein, Bobbi DuCharme, Grace Tjossem and Megan Kananenberg; 1st Place in the 200 Free Relay – Megan Nachreiner, Grace Tjossem, McKenzie Kruse and Bobbi DuCharme; 3rd Place in the 200 Free Relay – Tessa Schluter, Olivia Hackl, Caroline Dittmer and Charlotte Ferstl; 1st Place in the 400 Free Relay –Megan Nachreiner, McKenzie Kruse, Charlotte Ferstl and Lily Saperstien; 2nd Place in the 400 Free Relay –Megan Langreher, Megan Kannenberg, Marissa Needham and Olivia Hackl.

River Valley vs. Lancaster Recap: Q&A

Coming off a 14-53 loss against Prairie du Chien on September 23, River Valley came into this September 30 Homecoming week game 0-6 on the season. They won versus Lancaster, 27-12.

Q: The fumble and the score....how big was that in determining the outcome?

A: Dan — Zack Vickerman has played everywhere for us this year. This game we decided to put him back in the position he owned the last two seasons, defensive end. It's his third defensive touchdown this year. He read his assignment on the option play and that caused some confusion for the hand off. The ball landed there and he picked it up with no one around to stop him. It helped seal the deal on the victory.

Q: Rotating QBs seemed to work. Talk about Histed and where he came from and what will be the plan moving forward?

A: Dan — Histed's family moved to River Valley at the start of the school year. We had to wait for WIAA to ensure he was eligible for us to play him before we started working him into the mix. So, he was very behind when it came to our offense, but our

Volleyball

September 8 saw another big battle between the Platteville Hillman and our River Valley Blackhawks. It was a back and forth matchup that reminded us all of the regional battle last season.

River Valley struggled to get going in the first and third sets and lost those both 1125. We battled back in set 2 and 4 to win and tie it up 2-2, and it all came down to set 5. We managed to hold the Hillman to just 5 points to take the victory in the last set.

I was really proud of how we never gave up. The first and third sets were not our best, but we turned it around and worked hard as a team to battle for the win. We played some great volleyball at times throughout the match.

Leaders for the night were Katie Hahn with 20 kills and Morgan Brickl with 9, Brooke Anderson, Katie Hahn, and Hannah Hegland with 2 ace serves each, Brianna Zaemisch with 23 digs, and Brooke Anderson with 29 assists.

We traveled to Deforest on September 10 and ended the day 3-2. We beat a very strong McFarland team, Catholic Central twice, and lost to West Salem and

offense changed since the first weeks anyway. He has been doing a good job of giving Trey Schulte a break. Trey is a very special player at quarterback and Sebastian does a great job of giving him a breather.

Q: Many big plays by several RV players. Talk about some of the big ones.

A: Dan — Our line had a phenomenal game. We discussed how they needed to not let people push them around anymore. They were more aggressive. We ended up with 6 holding calls in the game. We haven't had a holding call all year. That shows you how bad they wanted it. They were getting into the framework and doing all they could to open up holes. Trey had a great run to set us up for the first touchdown by following the sealed lanes. He also caught a late one as a wide receiver. Landon Radtke and Landon Clary carried the ball well. Clary was running the ball hard to get extra yards and Radtke did a great job of finding the holes and picking up swift yards.

Q: How do you assess the overall performance and what has helped the Hawks get to the ability to put a complete game together?

A: Dan — We are still mixing and matching players and positions. If we are being truthful, we are on our third

version of our offense. This would be the second week of it. We are hopeful that this offense is proving to be tailored to our players the best yet. Honestly, from top to bottom we had a great game. The kids wanted it and it was great to see them believe in themselves.

Q: RC this week.....always a rivalry.... what do you expect to see?

A: Dan — For sure it is a rivalry week for us. I'm a Hornet graduate of 2006 and I remember our games against River Valley. We always

wanted to beat them. We expect them to run the ball and set up a quick passing game. Their defense typically starts off doing an amoeba style for a bit. It gives offenses fits because you need to account for everyone and you never know who is rushing or who is covering. It'll make the week interesting for preparation. We just need to see how other teams have attacked it and hope it works for us as well.

We just need to put a complete game together.

Whitefish Bay.

We played some great volleyball and some not so great volleyball. We had some hiccups throughout the day. We had a very up and down tournament, but it was a great learning experience for us and all in all a good day of volleyball to work on things for the upcoming week.

The River Valley Blackhawks had two conference matchups this last week. We traveled to Prairie du Chien on September 13.

We swept them in 3 straight sets with scores of 25-17, 25-12, and 25-20 We worked hard, focused on our side of the court and kept our errors low. Leaders for the Hawks were Katie Hahn and Morgan Brickl with 9 kills each, Lydia Weiss with 5 service aces, Brooke Anderson with 22 assists and 13 digs, Weiss, Hahn, and Delaney Johnson with 2 blocks each.

On September 15 we hosted Lancaster and another sweep on the night with scores of 25-15, 25-16, 25-20.

We again kept our focus on our side of the court and what we can control. We pushed the pace when we could and played smart

and disciplined throughout the night.

Leaders were Katie Hahn with 13 kills and Morgan Brickl with 12. Brooke Anderson had 36 assists. Lydia Weiss with 5 ace serves, Katie Hahn with 2 solo blocks, and Brickl and Hahn with 11 digs each.

On September 17 we traveled to West Salem where we won the tournament with

Business/Professional

a 4-1 record only losing to a tough Royall team. We beat Neillsville, Platteville, West Salem and LaCrosse Logan. We played some great volleyball all day and worked as a team to hit our goals. I was so proud of how well we did all day. We were really running on all cylinders and from the first play to the last, it was a team effort.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dear Editor,

At a time when so many businesses make decisions based solely on their own interests, Leah Spicer’s dedication to supporting a strong local food and farming community, with her restaurant Homecoming, shows a commitment to the vitality and future of our area and the working class that is dependent on these jobs and opportunities. This is one of the many

Dear Editor,

So as a veteran, who are you going to vote for?

Ron Johnson? The man who has voted against expanding medical benefits for veterans? The man who has not voted to help veterans access medical care?

The man who says he is for veterans but never votes for them, until polls show him losing favor, THEN he will vote for them.

So as a senior citizen, who are you

Dear Editor, Kim Alan, candidate for sheriff in Iowa County, is running as an Independent against Republican Michael Peterson.

reasons I am voting for Leah Spicer who is running for the 51st Assembly District against Todd Novak.

It is more important than ever that we make choices to support the larger collective and the hard working individuals who live here;

Leah does that every day. As a fellow businesswoman working in the food industry, I have had the pleasure to witness firsthand Leah’s enthusiasm

going to vote for?

Ron Johnson, who wants to end Social Security and Medicare? He doesn’t have to worry, he is a multi-millionaire.

So as a woman, who are you going to vote for?

Ron Johnson? The man who has voted against women’s rights and personal choice? The man who said if women didn’t like Wisconsin’s abortion ban, they “could move”. Shows his caring nature, doesn’t it?

Although Alan comes across as well educated, experienced, and personable, unfortunately she wants the Iowa County Board to adopt a resolution making Iowa County a “Second

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Healthcare Employment Opportunities

*Director of Acute Care Services – full time nursing management position overseeing our Med/Surg and ICU units.

*Director of Obstetrics – full time nursing management position

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*RN Float Nurse –.6 FTE Premium Pay Weekender position and a .75 FTE evening/night shift position. Employment Bonus Eligible!

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*RN OB unit - .75 FTE evening/night shift position. $3,750 Employment Bonus Eligible!

*RN - .5 FTE p.m. shift position in our Nursing & Rehab Center

*Certified Nursing Assistants – part-time positions available in our Nursing & Rehab Center on day, evening and night shifts, $3,000 Employment Bonus included along with a competitive wage and benefits package for part or full time work!

*Physical Therapy Assistant - .8 FTE in our Home Health Services Department.

*Phlebotomist – 1.0 full-time day shift position.

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*Patient Access Specialist – .85 FTE day shift position and a .6 FTE p.m. shift position.

*Clinic CMA or LPN – .8 FTE day shift positions in our Dodgeville Specialty Clinics & our Barneveld/Mt. Horeb Family Practice Clinic.

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*Maintenance Technician – full-time day shift position.

*Environmental Services Staff – full and part time p.m. and night shift positions. $1,000 Employment Bonus!

To find out more detailed information about all open positions and to apply, go to our website at www.uplandhillshealth.org

Upland Hills Health 800 Compassion Way Dodgeville, WI 53533

Seeking office space

Valley Sentinel is seeking office space in the downtown area of Spring Green to move into before the end of the year.

Flexible ideas for the space include a newsroom, co-working space for small businesses and entrepreneurs, local retail/consignment, local art exhibition/gallery space and (eventually) working collaboratively with area businesses to provide extended hours coffee and potentially grab-and-go food.

Please let us know if you have any vacant or soon-to-be vacant commercial space, know of any space, or have any creative ideas or partnership opportunities, by phone at 608-588-6694 or by email at editor@valleysentinelnews.com.

We also currently have indoor publication racks available for businesses that would like them.

and commitment to investing in small family farms and businesses. This support is imperative to the continued success of these businesses which will create more demand, more jobs, and more financial support to help uplift our area.

I am also voting for her because of her stance on public education, the future of our planet and the environment, and access to healthcare

So as a person in a same-sex marriage or relationship, who are you going to vote for? Ron Johnson? The man who is against gay marriage? Against equality?

So as a person of color, who are you going to vote for?

Ron Johnson? The man who says Black Lives Matter protesters are racist? The man who has supported ads against his opponent that are deeply, egregiously racist?

Amendment sanctuary.”

“Second Amendment sanctuaries" are built entirely upon a tightly held and inaccurate belief that common-sense gun safety laws are unconstitutional. This movement is a clear backlash orchestrated by the gun lobby in response to recent wins in gun reform.

Over recent years, voters across the country have elected lawmakers committed to preventing gun violence by passing common-sense and evidence-based measures like universal background checks, safe storage laws, and extreme risk laws. The extreme gun rights advocates behind so-called “Second Amendment sanctuaries” want to stop these laws before they can go into effect.

Some localities are going so far as to pass resolutions declaring that they will refuse to enforce and dedicate tax-funded resources to the implementation of state gun safety measures. It seems that Kim Alan has this in mind when she says she wants the Iowa County Board to pass a “Second Amendment sanctuary” resolution.”

It is unfortunate and ironic that the areas across the U.S. passing resolutions in opposition to commonsense gun safety laws are those that would benefit the most from such laws, especially with respect to suicide prevention.

that includes our right to choose what is most appropriate for ourselves, our families, and our bodies. Leah is an incredibly strong businesswoman, farmer, mother, partner, and friend who will always fight for what is right. I encourage everyone to vote for Leah Spicer on November 8th.

Kyle Adams Spring Green, Wisconsin

So as a pseudo-Christian white male who believes in power over women, children, and non whites, who are you going to vote for?

Ron Johnson, of course. The antiwomen, anti-veteran, anti-abortion, homophobic, racist candidate.

As for me, I will vote for Mandela Barnes.

Barbara Voyce

Lone Rock, Wisconsin

For instance, Colorado has one of the highest suicide rates in the U.S., and half of the state's suicides are carried out with a firearm. Yet Colorado sheriffs are refusing to enforce the state's new extreme risk law — also known as a "red flag law" — which is a proven tool to prevent gun suicides. In fact, 9 of the 10 Colorado counties with the highest suicide rate over the past 10 years have declared themselves as so-called “Second Amendment sanctuaries.” Ironically, 22 out of the 24 sanctuary counties where data is available — or 92% — have suicide rates above average.

Ultimately, "Second Amendment sanctuary" resolutions are purely symbolic and have no legal weight — and many state officials are making this clear.

Anneliese Dickman, Brady United Against Gun Violence, says through records requests, they found local ordinances were often pushed by the National Rifle Association (NRA), and that Wisconsin law mandates local law enforcement agencies to enforce state policies.

The majority of Americans want and support gun safety, and “Second Amendment sanctuaries” do not represent overwhelming support for common-sense gun laws.

OVERVIEW

How voting works in WISCONSIN

An Outdoorsman’s Journal

Hello friends, I am in one of the most go-for-it periods of my adult life. Last night I bear hunted for the 10th day in a row. I am harvesting as much food as I possibly can from my gardens and then I have this job where I travel in the outdoors, do field work and come up with a story each week. I hope you enjoy this week’s column as much as I did; including the time in the canoe, the tree and at my camp.

Saturday, September 17th High 81°, Low 51°

Here is the plan. Wake up at my home near Necedah. Run my bear baits in the northern Juneau County area. Drive from City Point on Highway 54 to Interstate 94 and head to Durand on the Chippewa River. Build a camp, paddle my canoe on the backwaters of the Chippewa, set out three trail cameras, put up a stand and hunt deer with my compound bow - for what is the first time I have ever bow hunted this early in the season. Hunt through Monday morning, break camp, drive the same route, run bear baits, hunt black bear and get home well after dark.

Folks I am a lean, mean, (worn out) fighting machine, but I would rather die moving than sitting around. So camp is built, tree stands, climbing sticks, trail cameras and compound bow are loaded in the canoe, and I am at peace. I get to sit in a tree and

watch the world with the potential of pulling my bow back on a deer. My main goal for a kill is a big, fat doe. In all honesty I do not want to be done with my buck tag, but of course I would be if a really big buck came within 25 yards of my tree, that’s my maximum range.

So, the area that I am hunting is hip boot/wader country and I have a ridge line on one side of me that is very steep, marsh in front of me and a flooded forest on the other side of the marsh.

At 6:00, I see a large deer on the other side of the tags, it is a doe that is about as large as a doe can get. After about half an hour I see a front leg and pull my bow back at a deer that is at 20 yards and one step away from me letting an arrow fly. My quarry senses something and holds up. I cannot hold my bow back much longer, but carrying five gallons buckets of granola for 155 days in the woods has built my endurance.

The doe steps forward, I release my arrow and it goes through both shoulders. Even though it only made it 20 yards and I can only hear it, I know that its time in the marsh is over.

I climb down from my tree, take a look at what is the largest doe I have ever harvested, drag it to my canoe, have one heck of a time getting it in my canoe and paddle in the dark back to camp in a very good mood.

Just before midnight the job is done. I am going to bed and too tired for supper. My sleeping bag is in a

waterproof canoe pack, when I take it out it is soaking wet and smells. I remember that the last time I used it I slept in my boat, it rained, I packed it wet and forgot to dry it. I say “to hell with this” - sleep in it and am paddling the canoe five hours later.

No more deer action and no bear on the hunt home. Live until your heart quits beating!

Sunset

Follow along the adventures of Mark Walters, a syndicated outdoor adventure columnist who lives in Necedah, Wisconsin. He began writing his column, An Outdoorsman’s Journal, in 1989. It includes hunting, fishing, lots of canoeing and backpacking. He currently writes for around 60 newspapers on a weekly basis. He hopes you enjoy reading about his adventures!

Want to read more?

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