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Come celebrate the arrival of sum-mer at the City of Middletons National

Trails Day. The city will host the 10th

annual event on Saturday, June 7 from

9 a.m. to noon at Orchid Heights Park

on Valley Ridge Road in Middleton.National Trails Day will feature

family- friendly, fun and educational

activities focused on promoting a

healthy lifestyle through the use of area

parks and trails.

We started National Trails Day so

we could celebrate the Pheasant

Branch Conservancy Trails, said Mid-

dleton Public Lands Director Penni

Klein. We wanted to bring people to-

gether, have fun and provide a multi-

tude of activities that would be

appealing to the residents of Middle-

ton.The tradition will continue this year

with activities such as bird watching, a

walk, a dog walk, a bike ride, accessi-

ble trail tram rides and horse and

wagon rides.

Information on the areas accessible

trails will be available, along with door

prizes and refreshments.

For more information on National

Trails Day, please call Middleton Pub-

lic Lands at 608-821-8360 or visit

ci.middleton.wi.us.

VOL. 122, NO. 23 THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 2014 SINGLE COPY PRICE: $1.25

www.MiddletonTimes.com

Inside this issue:Prom: Westport: Sports:

A look at Middleton High

Schools 2014 court. Page 2

Westport to build new

public works garage. Page 4

Golfers head back

to state. Page 9

Dining Guide. . . . . . . . . . 7

Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . 22

The Middleton Tourism Commis-sion on Thursday of last week an-

nounced the start of its new, freetrolley service.

The trolley, paid for by hotelroom tax, caters to visitors without

cars and local residents who want totake a break from driving. It runs

5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on week-days, with 14 stops on a 25-minute

loop. The loop includes the citys

hotels, downtown, Greenway Sta-tion and many other local busi-

nesses.At a trolley commissioning cere-

mony Thursday morning, MiddletonMayor Kurt Sonnentag spoke about

the importance of making the city aconvenient place for visitors to get

around. Middleton Tourism Com-mission Chair Hans Hilbert, Senator

COW begins budget talks

The City of Middleton Committee

of the Whole engaged in a preliminarydiscussion regarding the 2015 Capital

Budget on May 27. The conversation

focused heavily on how road construc-

tion projects will fit into the next

budget.

City engineer Shawn Stauske of-

fered the committee an updated list of

the five-year street improvement plan,

separating TID financed projects from

non-TID projects.

In order to frame the discussion with

salient objectives, ald. Susan West dis-

tributed a paper entitled Preliminary

2015 Capital Budget Discussion, Guid-ance to City Staff. The paper sug-

gested specific issues to be addressed

by the Committee with topics includ-

ing the Citys comfort level with Mid-

dletons overall total debt, distribution

of 2015 capital funds between depart-

ments, financing over a 10 year period

instead of the current 8 year period as-

suming assets with a longer life span

are purchased (i.e. roads), considering

an increase in the 2015 capital borrow-

ing, and looking towards 2016 and

2017 potential borrowing levels.

As recent Common Council meet-ings demonstrated citizens irritation

Holy Wisdom Monasterys prairie

restoration efforts get a big boostHoly Wisdom Monastery received

pledges of support in the amounts of

$30,000 from Madison CommunityFoundation and $35,000 from the

Town of Westport. The grants will beused to conserve 53 acres of open

space and reduce phosphorous runoffby 110 pounds per year.

We are honored that MadisonCommunity Foundation and the Town

of Westport have come together to sup-port the Wisdom Prairie Project, said

Mary David Walgenbach, prioress ofBenedictine Women of Madison at

Holy Wisdom Monastery. It takes truepartnership in order to make a signifi-

cant impact in the community. We arepleased that Madison Community

Foundation and the Town of Westportsee the value in conserving open space

and reducing phosphorous runoff toimprove the water quality in our

lakes.Madison Community Foundation

pledged $30,000 in support for prairierestoration efforts at the monastery.

The Madison Community Founda-tions Board is pleased to support the

restoration of native prairie and oak sa-vannah on the Holy Wisdom

Monastery land, said Bob Sorge, pres-ident of the Madison Community

Foundation. This is a great projectthat aligns with MCFs interests: the

ecological restoration will further helpthe Yahara watershed; the project ex-

pands a prior project funded by MCF;and it enhances the recreational oppor-

tunities available for the general pub-lic. I hope people take advantage of

this wonderful new asset in DaneCounty.

The Town of Westport pledged$35,000 over three years to support

prairie restoration efforts at themonastery.

The Town of Westport is pleased to

City rolls out trolley service

Saturday event to celebrate local trails

by FRANCESCA MASTRANGELO

Times-Tribune

See PRAIRIE, page 20

See BUDGET, page 20

Some citizens want

more road spent on

improvement projects

10th annual National Trails Day will be family-friendly fun

See TROLLEY, page 3

Photos by Jeff Martin

From top to bottom: Sen. Jon Erpenbach (D-Middleton), passengers- including Wisconsin Tourism Secretary Stephanie Klett - take the in-augural ride, Rep. Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton), one of the vehi-cles on Hubbard Avenue.


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3/24

THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 2014 MIDDLETON TIMES-TRIBUNE PAGE 3

Will the city take over basketball program?

The Middleton Basketball Club hasasked the city to take over the clubs

recreational basketball program and acity committee is looking to see if it

can fund a new position from programrevenue.

The MBC has operated separate pro-grams on a volunteer basis for years

geared for recreational and competitiveplayers in second through eight grades.

Now it is seeking city help, said JeffreySchleusner, a MBC commissioner.

Its a big job for volunteers. Thereare two recreation commissioners, peo-

ple who help with registration, the(MBC) board; theyre all volunteers

but its a big job, he said.The recreational program could gen-

erate $31,250 in revenue next year,Megan Meyer, assistant director of

Public Lands, told the city Parks,Recreation and Forestry Committee on

Tuesday (JUNE 2).A total of 370 girls and boys would

form 37 teams each with 10 playersand would pay a participation fee that

increases with their grade level.Estimated expenses totaled $22,428

and funds one game on Saturdays and

one weekly practice per team, plusgym rental, referees, a scheduler, on-

site supervisor and t-shirts said Meyer.The $8,822 net income would help

offset the cost of a new recreational as-sistant.

A full-time employees annual salaryand benefits could total up to $47,000,

she said. The position could be struc-tured at 75 percent of fulltime cutting

the cost.That puts us $27,000 in the hole,

said Ald. Mark Sullivan. Its clearlynot a revenue neutral position...Id be

reluctant to go ahead with this.The assistant would work other

recreational activities which also gen-erate participant revenue to help offset

the cost of the new position, saidMeyer.

Most recreational programs associ-ated with the city except those that use

the swimming pool cover their opera-tional costs and the taxpayers fund the

administration costs, said Penni Klein,

Public Lands manager.Committee Chair Leif Hubbard

liked the proposal Meyer presented but

asked her to improve the financialnumbers before it would recommend

that the city council include the new

position in next years budget.

This is one piece of the puzzle, butthere needs to be other pieces so the

position can be revenue neutral, saidLeif Hubbard, committee chair.

Schleusner said unlike many sur-rounding communities, Middleton re-

lies on volunteers to staff recreationalprograms.

Many cities run their own recre-ation programs which give (the pro-

grams) more expertise, more staffingand control over the fees they charge,

he said.

ASH BORER UPDATECity Forester Mark Wegner told the

committee the Emerald Ash Borer hasbeen found in about a dozen trees near

the intersection of Cooper Ave. andPark St. north of Tiedemans Pond.

Only two ash trees are on publicland, the remaining 12 or 13 are on pri-

vate land, he said.All nearby property owners have

been notified about the presence of

EAB in their neighborhood and givenrecommended treatment steps to savetheir trees. Those who have a con-

firmed EAB infestation have beengiven a 30-day notice to remove the

trees per city ordinance, Wegner said.

Two city interns will canvass the

Stonefield neighborhood and vicinitythis summer for EAB, he said.

The city had about 1,800 ash treeslisted in a 2009 tree inventory about

600 have been removed since 2010,Wegner said.

When we get down to about 1,000(ash) trees then well be at 10 percent

of the total (tree) population which iswithin urban forestry guidelines for di-

versity, he said.At that point, the treatment versus

removal policy options will be revis-ited.

The EAB had been in the infectedtrees at the Cooper and Park St. inter-

section about two years, which is thetypical amount of time it takes their

presence to be detected, Wegner said.A federal agricultural agent monitor-

ing EAB in Dane County happened to

drive down Park St. on May 19 and no-ticed a lot of woodpecker activity in the

area, a strong indicator of EAB, saidWegner.

Ash trees infected with EAB at firstdo not look very different from unin-

fected trees, he said.The citys Public Lands, Recreation

and Forestry Department is one of twoWisconsin cities vying for the National

Recreation and Parks Association 2014Gold Medal Award. The award is given

annually to cities in five populationclasses to honor their long range plan-

ning and resource management.Middleton competes with three other

cities with less than 30,000 population.Eau Claire is the only other Wisconsin

city in the running.

Photo contributed

Two officers thepass 25-year mark

Officers Greg Dixon (left) and Jerry Raffel (right) each celebrated 25 yearsof employment with Middleton Police Department on Thursday, May 15,2014. This date is significant in that it occurs during Police Week (May 11-17) and Peace Officers Memorial Day (May 15). Congratulations to Gregand Jerry for their years of service, said chief of police Chuck Foulke (cen-ter).

Photo contributed

Sertoma donates to Baseball

and Softball CommissionMike Hinz (left) of Middleton Baseball and Softball Commission met

with Middleton Sertoma Club recently at Fitzgeralds. Hinz receiveda check from Mark Oesterly (right), Middleton Sertoma Club Presi-dent. The Sertoma donation helps for shirts and for scholarships foryouth who otherwise could not afford to participate.

The Friends of Meriter-UnityPointHealth awarded a $1,500 college schol-

arship to Middleton High School sen-ior, Gabrielle Aranda-Pino. Tips from

Meriters Greenbush Garden Bistro,Dr. Joe Coffee Clinic and valet parking

fund the scholarship. Twenty-six schol-

arships were given to area high schoolseniors who plan to pursue degrees in

health care.Six of the recipients have a parent

who works at Meriter. The studentswere recognized at an award luncheon

on Wednesday, May 7.

Since the scholarship programs be-ginning in 1987, Friends of Meriter has

awarded $474,100 worth of scholar-ships to 408 high school students pur-

suing health care careers.

Old SaukRoad closedthis weekdue toconstruction

The Town of Middleton planned onresurfacing and widening Old Sauk

Road between Schewe Road west toPioneer Road, starting this week. The

road was scheduled to be closed to allthrough traffic starting on Monday. Ve-

hicles and bicycles are expected to fol-low the detour signs directing traffic

onto Pioneer and Pleasant ViewRoads.

Construction is anticipated to becompleted before the July 4 holiday.

Pope Farm Conservancy will remainopen to the public during this time, but

the town strongly encourages people toaccess the conservancy through the en-

trance off of Blackhawk Road.

by KEVIN MURPHY

Times-Tribune

Aranda-Pino earns scholarship

Jon Erpenbach and Representative Di-

anne Hesselbein also touched on whata great addition to the city the trolley

will be.I think its really forward-thinking

of Middleton to treat its visitors thisway, said Hesselbein.

Wisconsin Tourism SecretaryStephanie Klett also spoke about Mid-

dletons newest form of transportation,saying With this trolley, youre giving

visitors what they want: options. This

allows them to explore, yet relax. Thisis a really big deal.

Following the ribbon-cutting, guestswere treated to a ride on the trolley,

traveling the same loop it will makeeach weeknight.

For more information about the freetrolley, including a list of stops and a

detailed map, log on to visitmiddle-ton.com/trolley.

TROLLEY continued from page 1


4/24

The Town Board of Springfieldvoted unanimously to put together a

budget of $100,000 for additional road

work repairs in the township during

2014.

Springfield Road Patrolman Mark

Grosse presented the board with a list

of items hes noted that need to be ad-

dressed, including items for seal coat-

ing and chip sealing. Several specific

roads were mentioned as being the po-

tential targets of this work, but no de-

cisions were made as to which roads

were to be the recipients.

I think commented Board Chair-

man Don Hoffman, you need to look

at the higher traffic roads more.

The entire presented list presented

approximately $263,000 of additional

roads that were in need of mainte-

nance, but not all of it was listed as ur-

gent by the Road Patrolman.

Chip sealing, commented Board

Supervisor Jim Pulvermacher, is a

very effective means of saving your

roads.

The board did discuss potentially

making further investments in road

maintenance later in 2014 if the towns

budgeting permits.

The Springfield board also post-

poned a decision to potentially assist

the Town of Middleton in road work

that will be taking place on Springton

Rd. The road does reside along the

border between the two townships, half

inside the town of Springfield, while

half in the town of Middleton.

Theres no benefit to us at all, com-

mented Chairman Don Hoffman ...it

feeds Middletons park. Board dis-

cussion concluded that Springfield did

not have any major tax-base along the

road, but that the board would wait on

a decision until they information about

which part of the street they wanted

Springfield to help cover, and have a

solid number as to the assistance Mid-

dleton was requesting.

Springfield also held a discussion re-

garding the adoption of a resolution to

commit Dane County to a comprehen-

sive revision of its current zoning code

on May 20, but again withheld from

taking any action. The item has been

on Springfields agenda for the last

month, and discussion focused on what

type of conclusion was expected to

come of the currently proposed resolu-

tion.

The towns have been pushing hard

against the county, commented Super-

visor Pulvermacher, and the county is

pushing back. They dont seem to

care.

Discussion meandered from items

such as OA-26 a proposed county or-

dinance that would force mines to fol-

low the same zoning rules as other

businesses - to other recent actions

taken by County Exective Joe Parisi.

Were in an unholy marriage,

commented Pulvermacher on the cur-

rent state of the County Zoning and

Land Regulation Committee, with no

chance of divorce.

The board voted to table the item

until the towns come up with an ac-

tual resolution.

Discussion regarding a replacement

plow for the towns Oshkosh truck was

also slated on the agenda, as its current

plow/wing were approaching the end

of their feasible lifespan due to worn-

out bushings, springs, and metal wear.

It did a lot of work... commented

Road Patrolman Mark Grosse, that

things plowed a lot of snow. The

board voted to approve a purchase a

$22,600 plow/wing for the Oshkosh

truck from Burke Truck.

The Springfield board once again

nominated Jeff Endres as Springfields

Planning Commission Chair, and Scott

Laufenberg as the Commissions Vice

Chair. Both men filled these positions

over the previous term as well, and no

other interested parties were brought to

the boards attention prior to the board

meeting on May 20.

A short discussion also took place

regarding the upcoming park clean-up

day, which is scheduled for Saturday,

May 31 from 8 a.m. to noon. Volun-teers are asked to wear gloves, and

come ready with a spade shovel.

PAGE 4 MIDDLETON TIMES-TRIBUNE THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 2014

Work set to begin on new public works headquarters

Westports old Public Works facility

has been completely demolished, and

the new Public Works Facility has

begin construction. Demolition took

place over several days over the weekof May 12.

Several items including flooring,

cabinets, and wall materials had been

removed prior to demolition by Habitat

for Humanity for reuse in ongoing

housing construction projects.

It is excellent, commented Town

Administrator Tom Wilson, that these

items will get a new life.

The overall cost of the new Public

Works Department building was re-

ported to be reduced almost $25,000

when GEC (General Engineering

Company) advised the board they

would not bill for the entire overview

initially called for in the towns con-

tract with GEC. Wilson also advised

that GEC was following up with Fischl

Construction to attempt to potentially

save further funds on the project

through value engineering.

The cost of the new Public Works

Facility project has been a sticking

point on the board due to the actual bid

cost being $981,100, after initial esti-

mates put the overall project at approx-

imately $840,000.

Were working on it, commented

Wilson specifically to supervisor Bill

von Rutenberg, who did not vote in

favor of the construction bid due to the

cost for the new Public Works Facility

at the May 5 board meeting.

The town board of Westport also

voted unanimously to recommend the

Village of Waunakee participate both

financially and in the planning in any

future plans for Woodland Drive reno-

vations, including recreational and bik-

ing paths that would run from from

along both Woodland Drive and

County Highway M from Waunakee to

Pheasant Branch Creek Conservancy

in Middleton, through Holy Wisdom

Monastery and Gov. Nelson State Park.

Board Supervisor Ken Sipsma made

the initial motion, stating that its in

their interest as well to participate.

The Westport board also paid the

towns bills, heard committee updates

from the various board Supervisors in-

cluding a discussion about potential ac-

tions the board could take on future

decisions for replacing town play-

ground equipment, and held Board of

Review Training at the meeting, which

was attended by the entire Westport

Board after the rest of the boards

agenda was completed.

Town of Springfield beefs up road repair budgetby MIKE DREW

Times-Tribune

by MIKE DREW

Times-Tribune

Photo by Mike Drew

The old public works garage, re-duced to rubble.


5/24

Whether you live in the city or the

country - whether your home is large

or small - whether you have a lot of

time and money to invest in your yard

or just a little, there is something you

can do to improve water quality. The

following suggestions are ways that

you can make a contribution to clean

water and a healthy environment:

Leave grass clippings on the lawn.

Mulching lawn mowers work great.Keep fallen leaves out of the street

or ditch, using them around the yard aspractical. Properly place the remainder

near the curb (not in the street) just be-fore municipal collection.

Plant an extra tree for multiple envi-ronmental benefits, especially where it

becomes part of a planting bed or nat-uralized landscape area that recycles

leaves, twigs, and other yard wastes.Seed bare soil and cover it with a

mulch as soon as possible to minimizeerosion. Disturb no more ground than

necessary for a project, while preserv-ing existing vegetation.

Direct roof downspouts away fromfoundations and driveways to planting

beds and lawns where the water cansafely soak into the ground. Use a rain

barrel where practical.Use lawn and garden chemicals

carefully and sparingly. Pesticides, in-cluding weed killers, should be consid-

ered a last resort other controls comefirst.

Limit the use of toxic or hazardousproducts in general. Keep them away

from storm sewers, lakes, and streams.Collect oil and other automotive

products preferably for recycling, ortightly seal and wrap them for proper

disposal.Wash cars on the lawn, where soapy

water cant quickly run toward thenearest storm sewer, picking up other

pollutants as it goes.Keep cars tuned up and in good op-

erating condition. Check for drips andrepair leaks immediately to keep nui-

sance oils off pavement. Better yet,walk, bike or take the bus.

For waterfront property, grow abuffer strip of dense, natural vegeta-

tion along the waters edge to filter pol-lutants and stabilize the shoreline.

If using a septic tank system, main-tain it properly through regular inspec-

tions and licensed pumping every twoto three years.

Monitor fuel use from any under-ground gas and oil tanks to make sure

they are not leaking.Plan your landscape with environ-

mental health in mind, reducing thearea that is heavily maintained.

Clean up pet wastes, from which nu-trients and bacteria could be washed to-

ward lakes and streams.Conservatively use salt in winter.

Substitute sand or old-fashioned chip-ping when possible.

-From the DNR and UW-Extension.


Black Student Union

visits Washington DCThe Middleton Optimist Club was pleased and honored to help sup-port a trip to the nations capital by members of the Middleton HighSchool Black Student Union.

Pictured from top to bottom: In front of the Dept. of Justice; at thetomb of George and Martha Washington; at a photo op with RepublicanSen. Ron Johson of Wisconsin.

The students also went on tours of Mount Vernon, a Frederick Dou-glass historic site, Arlington National Cemetery, the National Mall, andmet with Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky of Illinois. They visitedSmithsonians American History, Air and Space, Natural History andAfrican American Civil War Museum, went bowling, shopped at thePentagon City Mall and saw the movie 12 Years a Slave.

For information on the programslisted and more, visit www.ci.mid-dleton.wi.us or call 608-821-8360.

Summer Office Hours:Monday-Thursday: 8:00am-4:30pmFriday: 8:00am-3:00pm

The Summer Recreation Guide is

now available!Registration dates:Session 1: June 16-July 18

Online: April 14-June 6Mail/Walk In: April 28-June 6

Session 2: July 21-August 29

Online: May 19-July 9Mail/Walk In: June 9-July 9

Late registrations will not be ac-

cepted, no exceptions. Registrationdeadlines allow us to purchase neces-

sary supplies and assign staff prior tothe program start.

Due to our new online registrationsystem, we strongly encourage you to

create an account for your family be-

fore summer registration. This willsave you time when waiting in line!

Guide Changes:Twin Valley Clay Codes have

changed:

Play on the Potters Wheel

3013.430 6/23-6/303014.431 7/10-7/19

3014.432 7/26-7/303014.433 7/29-8/5 (was listed as 7/23

but starts 7/29)

Hand Building3014.434 6/24-7/1

3014.435 7/7-7/143014.436 7/23-7/30

3014.437 7/31-8/7

Session 3 Swim Lessons, Level 6 at

12:15-12:45pm:

New Code: 4000.590 (was 4000.586)

Walter R. BaumanAquatic Center Hours:

The Aquatic Center opens for the sea-son on Saturday, June 7 and Sunday,

June 8 at 1:30pm until 8:00pm. Re-duced hours due to school being in

session will be Monday, June 9-Thursday, June 12 from 4:00-8:00pm.

We will resume our regular summerhours on Friday, June 13. Please visit

www.ci.middleton.wi.us.

Photo contributed

HyVee donates to

MOM Food PantryIn partnership with Middleton Outreach Ministrys Community Wide

Food Drive and as a part of their Spring Party, HyVee Westgate offeredthe opportunity for customers to purchase low-cost bags of food filled withitems from MOM's top ten list. Because of their commitment to commu-nity engagement and to ending hunger and thanks to generous shoppers,

HyVee Westgate delivered nearly 3,000 pounds worth of food to the MOMDistribution Center on Thursday, May 22. Pictured from left to right - AlRipp, Executive Director, Cheri Farha, Distribution Center Manager, andJacob Amour, Manager of Store Operations at HyVee Westgate..

Photos contributed

Want a greener

yard? These easy

tips can help...

From the

Rec. Dept.

Guitarist

Kamalay tovisit library

On Thursday, June 19th at 7:00 PM,

guitarist Ray Kamalay will visit the

Middleton Public Library for a per-formance entitled Ray KamalaysMusical Flea Market: Trifles and

Treasures from Our Melodious Past.The hour-long performance will in-

clude a diverse and historic repertoireof musicfrom the Delta blues to J.S.

Bach, the music of Ireland to the musicof Brazil. Hazen Schumacher of public

radios long-running program,Jazz Re-vistedhas called Kamalays program

a collection of songs that deserves tobe reviewed over and over again.

This performance is free and open tothe public. For more information or to

register, email [email protected] orcall 608-827-7403.


6/24

Madison International Speedway in

Oregon, Wis. welcomed the CitizensAcademy for their eighth session on

Saturday, May 24. The schedule for theday: performing vehicle contacts and

experiencing the Emergency VehicleOperator Course (EVOC).

With our class of twelve split intotwo groups, mine was first challenged

by Captain Steven Britt to pull some-

one over. Dont worry, it wasnt a realperson - we dont have that kind ofpower! Officer Cesar Salinas posed as

a guilty party with whom we had to ex-ecute a successful vehicle contact from

start to finish.We learned about the vehicle contact

process from Captain Britt in week fiveduring a traffic law segment. While the

process may seem simple get out ofthe car, talk to the driver, come back to

the car, possibly write a ticket, give itto the driver, return to the car there

are many precautions that police offi-cers must take to keep safe while mak-

ing contact with a vehicle. Officers aretaught to shut the door of their car qui-

etly, know how many people are in the

car before making contact with thedriver, stand in a safe zone, and alwaysknow where each passengers hands

are located.Each student pulled over Officer

Salinas for a different reason, and eachhad a different outcome. Some students

gave Officer Salinas a warning, somegave a ticket, some gave multiple tick-

ets, and one had a (fake) shootout!Captain Britt gave each student feed-

back after our vehicle contacts, whichmade us realize how difficult a patrol

officers job really is.After each student in our group com-

pleted the vehicle contact, the twogroups switched, and my group moved

to EVOC with Sergeant Scott Moen.

EVOC is a driver training program thatteaches officers the special drivingskills needed to operate emergency ve-

hicles in a variety of situations.With three police cars at our dis-

posal, each student could get a taste ofwhat driving (and riding in) one felt

like. After getting the feel for each car,it was time for simulation training. Set

up on the race track were three obsta-cles: the serpentine exercise where the

driver weaves the car through cones, anevasive maneuver where Sergeant

Moen called out left or right andthe driver had to execute accordingly

without knocking down cones, and thedriveway turnaround, a tight turn that

required the drivers to come to a nearcomplete stop.

We drove around the track severaltimes, increasing our speed each time.

While 35 mph may not seem fast onyour everyday commute, the speed felt

incredibly fast navigating through theobstacles.

Although our group of EVOC rook-ies survived the course with no in-

juries, the same thing cannot be saidfor the traffic cones!

Check back each week to see the lat-est from the Citizens Academy!


CC ITIZENSITIZENS AACADEMYCADEMY

Academy students get out of the classroom, hit the roadPart of an ongoing series

covering the Middleton

Police DepartmentCitizens Academy

by ALISSA PFEIFFER

Times-Tribune

Times-Tribune photos by JILL TUTAJ

Citizens Academy students practiced driving emergency vehicles. The entire group at the Madison International Speedway.


7/24


Addiction

is in our

backyardsIts been several weeks since Ivewritten an article. A tragedy in my fam-

ily is claiming my attention right now.Im moved to write about it.

One of my great-nephews is ad-dicted to heroin. He went through a

rehab program in early winter. Every-one was hopeful that, not only for his

sake, but for the sake of his two yearold son, he had kicked the addiction.

He has not. Many hearts are break-ing.

His is not an isolated story. Thenumber of new heroin users is growing

exponentially. Ive been doing researchon the subject.

Statistics for heroin abuse are on

record in the US since the 1940s. Atthat time, it was considered a minorityissue. Now its in everyones back-

yard.Of the people who started using

heroin in the 1960s, however, 55%were caucasian. By the 2010s, 90% of

new users were from the suburbs.Many of the newest addicts use heroin

after getting addicted to pain medica-tions or opoids like OxyContin.

The state of New Jersey has been es-pecially hard hit by heroin related

deaths. The governor created a statetask force to study the problem after

testimonies by families and local po-lice. The number of deaths and crimes

based on heroin addiction were too

many to be ignored.The following is from a NewJer-sey.Com article. The report lays out

stark data: a 700 percent increase inopiate-related admissions to substance

abuse programs over the past decade;a 25 percent increase in heroin-related

deaths among New Jersey 18- to 25-year-olds in the past year, many of

whom got hooked after experimentingwith prescription painkillers.

The WI state journal reported that inDane county in 2012, 292 people went

to county hospitals because of opiates.That was an increase from only 114 in

2006. Heroin contributed to the deathsof 32 people, here, in the first 10

months of 2013.When prescriptions for opiates run

out, the painkillers can be purchased onthe black market, but at a much higher

cost than heroin. Thus, one of thecauses for the big increase in heroin

use.Whenever there is a demand, there

will be someone to supply it and makea profit from it. Stopping heroin and

other drug abuse has to start at the

source.When I read that last sentence I

wondered, at the source of the supply

or the source of the demand? To reallymake a dent in the problem, I think that

both have to be addressed.That statement leads me to another

set of questions; by whom? and at whatcost? The 2014 report by the National

Institute on Drug Abuse shows usspending $123 billion annually on to-

bacco-related health problems, $235billion on those related to alcohol, and

$193 billion on health problems causedby illicit drugs.

The overall costs include costs re-lated to crime, lost productivity and

healthcare.

Addiction related thefts are on therise but hard to pin down. Many thefts

go unreported because they happen

within the families of the users. Unlessfamily members press charges, the

thefts are not on record.What are the characteristics and cir-

cumstances of the people who are mak-ing these choices to use and to

prescribe or sell the drugs? The an-swers are complicated and varied.

My nephew was never on opoids.But, as a child who experienced high

degrees of separation anxiety, he hasbeen on anxiety meds for most of his

life. When the pressures of adult livingincreased, his coping strategies and his

prescriptions did not.There are so many messages and

pressures in our world. Were con-stantly given messages that our value

lies in what we have, how we look, etc.There are crazy standards of who and

whats cool and a zillion things to getaddicted to.

So much of what the world offerstakes us from our essential selves. We

try to fit in or stand out rather than tojust be ourselves.

Standardizing education was aimedto create an even playing field for all

learners. But, one of the side effects ofthat and of competition in education, is

that that kind of curriculum does notconsider students unique gifts and in-

terests.Many students connection to learn-

ing is lost because its not built on whatthey love. So many kids dont know

themselves because theyre trying to be

like everyone else and have whateveryone else has. Theres so much

comparing and contrasting.

Many kids are lost. And thats a

painful place to be.

When I was teaching, I took a class

in resiliency. I was curious about what

it was that made some people, particu-

larly children, able to cope with diffi-

culty, when others in basically the

same circumstances, could not.

The most powerful builder of re-

siliency was connection to another

human being. There was some person

in each childs or adults life who theydid not want to disappoint.

It was sometimes a parent or another

relative, often a teacher or a Scout

leader, coach or some other person

who had served in a mentoring role.

Key to the relationship is that the adult

was positive and encouraging. They

saw something in the young person and

communicated that.

I think that to combat drug abuse, we

shouldnt just study the characteristics

and circumstances of the people who

succumb to drugs or succumb to sell-

ing them. We also need to study and

support the things that cause people in

the same circumstances to resist them.

I know its not just young people

who are getting hooked on heroin and

other drugs. But the numbers of young

adults are staggeringly high.

Heres a website with more informa-tion on the signs of heroin abuse:

www.timberlineknolls.com/drug-ad-

diction/heroin/signs-effects

I hope that you never have cause to

use it.

To the Editor-and to the Middleton-Cross Plains Area Schools Community,

It is unfortunate that the May 29thLetter to the Editor from (37) teachers

of MCPASD casts a negative light onour excellent school district. There are

some basic facts that the letter ignoresor distorts that are important for the

community to know.There are 424 school districts in

Wisconsin. Of these, 421 school dis-tricts have Employee Handbooks, not

Collective Bargaining Agreements(Contracts).

Currently only Madison, Milwau-kee, and Middleton have a contract for

the 2013-14 school year. The MC-

PASD Board of Education has deter-mined that it will follow the law (Act10) and the direction of the Wisconsin

Employment Relations Commission(WERC) to create an Employee Hand-

book for the 2014-15 school year.There are many legal experts that ques-

tion the legality of Madisons decisionto extend a contract for another year, as

they may be challenged in court. It isalso important to note that the MEA

did not file to recertify as a union lastsummer, and as a result will not be rec-

ognized legally by the state as the rep-resentative of the teachers.

The letter states that teachers With-out a contract have no security in their

working conditions and cannot do their

best work. The Board of Educationhas repeatedly asked to engage withthe MEA and other teacher representa-

tives to create an Employee Handbookin a collaborative manner with full in-

volvement of teachers prior to the endof the school year. The MEA has re-

peatedly refused. As a result, the Boardof Education must wait until the cur-

rent contract expires on June 30, 2014to begin this process or risk legal action

by the MEA.The lack of security and a knowl-

edge of future working conditions area result of the MEAs refusal to coop-

erate with the district to create an Em-ployee Handbook.

The Board of Education and admin-

istration respect and value teachers. Infact, the Board of Education has com-mitted more than 3.0% to teacher

salaries next year, more than double theminimum required by state law and

much more than most other districtsare budgeting. Estimates for most other

districts range from 1.46 %-2.0%.It is also conjecture to contend that

all teachers are leaving, or planning toleave, the district. The attrition levels

of teaching staff are currently similarto the past five years.

The intent of the Board of Educationand administration is to work for col-

laboration and cooperation, not con-flict. Sadly, last weeks Letter to the

Editor from 37 of the 570 teachers in

MCPASD is counter-productive to thisgoal.

The Board of Education and I recog-

nize that this has been a difficult timefor public education, and teachers in

particular. We call upon the 37 teachersthat signed this letter, and especially

the MEA, to seek common groundwith the district.

Dr. Donald Johnson,

SuperintendentMiddleton-Cross Plains

Area School District

Superintendent responds to teachers criticism


8/24


Gabe Burdulis Band earns spot in Launchpad finals

The final countdown has begun for

Launchpad a unique alternativemusic competition for high school stu-

dents statewide. Wisconsin SchoolMusic Association (WSMA) has an-

nounced the 13 bands that will take thestage in the final competition at UW-

Madisons Union South The SETTon Saturday, June 7 at 2 p.m. The

event, a pioneering initiative to extendthe reach of music education in Wis-

consin, will be FREE and open to thepublic.

At least one person from each bandmust be in a school music program and

all members must be enrolled in a Wis-

consin high school and/or WSMAmember school to qualify. The compet-ing bands include:

2:25 p.m. Distant Cuzins Oregon High School (Rock)

2:50 p.m. The Sobieski Out-laws Oconto Falls High School and

Washington Middle School (Rock)3:15 p.m. Fictional Forever

Eau Claire Memorial and Eau Claire

North High Schools (Rock)3:40 p.m. Indecision Ap-

pleton North High School and St. Mary

Central High School, Neenah (Rock)4:05 p.m. Audiophilia

Elkhorn, Lakeside Lutheran andBadger High Schools (Rock)

4:30 p.m. After the Rain Madison West High School (Rock)

4:55 p.m. Outbreak Clin-tonville, Appleton East, Appleton Cen-

tral, Appleton Xavier, Kimberly andShiocton High Schools (Rock)

5:45 p.m. Gabe BurdulisBand Madison West and Middleton

High Schools (Pop/Rock)6:10 p.m. Bleeding I nk

Chippewa Falls High School (Alterna-tive Hip Hop)

6:35 p.m. Prom Queen Re-jects Home School, Baraboo, Maus-

ton Wisconsin Dells and WestfieldHigh Schools (Rock/Country)

7:00 p.m. Found the Lost Gibraltar and Sturgeon Bay High

Schools (Indie)7:25 p.m. The Inventors

Sheboygan North High School (Rock)

7:50 p.m. Rewind Society Eau Claire Regis and Black River FallsHigh Schools (Rock)

This schedule is comprised of threefinalist bands from each of four re-

gional competitions, plus a wildcardband (Distant Cuzins) selected from all

Launchpad entries through a world-wide voting system of listeners

on Broadjam.com. The bands are eachslotted to play three songs, and will be

evaluated by music industry profes-sionals on expression and creativity,

technique, time, blend and synergy. Inaddition to the written evaluations,

bands receive a private verbal critique.Launchpad finals are a celebration

of the most accomplished bands mov-ing through the competition, some new

to the program and others returning,said Tim Wurgler, WSMA program di-

rector. The work the students do isamazing and is the culmination of all

they have learned from the regionaljudges, school music teachers and their

own creativity. It will truly be an excit-ing day of music.

These 13 bands will automatically

qualify to participate in the Summer-fest Launchpad Regional Showcases inMilwaukee. The winning band will

also receive the prestigious Les PaulLaunchpad Award, an additional slot to

perform at Summerfest, a professionalrecording session at Blast House Stu-

dios in Madison and a Yamaha equip-ment package for their school.

The 13 finalist bands represent thebest of this years statewide competi-

tion that features high school garagebands. Join us on June 7 to witness the

remarkable talent and musicianshipdisplayed by these gifted students,

said Launchpad producer Dennis Gra-ham.

Launchpad is funded by WSMA,corporate sponsorships and in-kind

giving from people who believe in thebenefits of music education and all that

music has to offer. Sponsors for theLaunchpad state finals competition in-

clude Madison Media Institute, Broad-jam, Tilt Media, Nicholas Family

Foundation, Yamaha Corporation ofAmerica, TVW, Les Paul Foundation,

Theodore W. Batterman Family Foun-

dation, UW-Madison Visitor & Infor-mation Programs, Sosonic, Shure,Maximum Ink, Sherwood Press, 94.1

WJJO, 93.1 Hot Jamz, THE ZONE106.7 FM/1670 AM The ZONE, Q106,

Wisconsin State Journal/77 Square,Blast House Studios, Summerfest

2014, SONY, Jack LeTourneau Pro-ductions, Vans Warped Tour and Tall

Guy Productions. The program is pro-duced by Dennis Graham Associates.

For more information on Launch-pad, including participation details,

video footage of last years finals com-petition, all supporting sponsors, late-

breaking news, etc., goto www.LaunchpadWisconsin.org. Als

o be sure tovisit www.wsmamusic.org for more

about WSMA.

Group includes

musicians from

Middleton High

School, will

compete Saturday


9/24

BARABOO Russell Wilson

may have said it first. But imitation iscertainly the sincerest form of flattery.And Middletons boys golf team

has no problem impersonatingSeattles Super Bowl winning quarter-

back.Shortly before the 48th Super Bowl

in February, Wilson uttered the nowfamous phrase, Why not us?, then

led his team to a memorable rout ofDenver.

The Cardinals golfers have adopt-ed that same phrase this spring, and a

championship could soon be in theirfuture, as well.

Middleton rolled to the title at

Tuesdays WIAA Division 1 Baraboo

Sectional held at the Baraboo CountryClub. The Cardinals shot a stellar 305

to finish first, while Holmen was sec-ond at 309 and also earned a trip to

state.Middleton, which has won for state

titles since 1997 will be making itsfirst trip to state since the 2011 team

captured gold.The state meet will now be held

Monday and Tuesday at UniversityRidge Golf Course in Verona. And the

Cardinals who have been rankedNo. 1 in the state for the past month

will continue to ask, Why not us?When the whole coaching staff,

and all five guys believe that we cando it, I think it gives us all the confi-

dence in the world, Middleton soph-omore standout Brady Thomas said. I

think we have the same chance, if notbetter than the rest of the field.


Golfers stormback to stateCardinals win

Baraboo Sectionalby ROB REISCHEL

Times-Tribune

W I A A S T A T E T R A C K A N D F I E L D M E E T

Times-Tribune photo by Mary Langenfeld

Josh Haunty and Middletons boys golf team won the Baraboo Sectional Tuesday.See GOLFERS, page 19

Shooting for the starsWinters, boys track

team thinking big

at state meetby ROB REISCHEL

Times-Tribune


Middletons Ernest Winters is among the favorites in the 100- and 200-meter dash at the WIAA Division 1 statetrack and field meet.

See GIRLS TRACK, page 19See BOYS TRACK, page 19

The goal has been there since

Ernest Winters stepped onto the trackback in March.

And day-by-day, week-by-week,its grown more and more realistic.

Winters, one of the states elitesprinters, finished first in the 100- and

200-meter dashes at last FridaysMadison Memorial Sectional. Now,

Winters will gun for state titles in bothof those events at the WIAA Division

1 state meet Friday and Saturday atUW-La Crosse.

Yes my goal is to go out and toperform to the best of my ability,

Winters said. I have a big chance forthe 100 and the 200. I just need to exe-

cute those.Middleton certainly executed at

sectionals, winning seven events andcapturing the title with 125 points.

Holmen was a distant second with 85points.

The Cardinals are now sendingnine individuals and three relay teams

to state.I thought sectionals went really

well, Middleton coach Isaac Mezerasaid. Winning the meet was one of

our goals at the start of the season, andafter coming so close last year, I know

the guys were excited to make it hap-pen.

We had a lot of first place finishes.I know this will motivate the guys

going into state. Well need some

Girls track and

field team aims

high at stateby ROB REISCHEL

Times-Tribune

If its quantity you want, theyvegot it.

If its quality you desire, thats alsothere.

Middletons girls track and fieldteam is heading to the WIAA Division

1 state meet which is being heldFriday and Saturday at UW-La Crosse

with an abundance of talented ath-letes.

The Cardinals advanced five indi-viduals and all four relay teams

through the Madison MemorialSectional last Friday. And now hopes

are extremely high at state.The goal of sectionals, of course,

is to qualify for state and be in the topthree in your event and hopefully

peak at the right time, Middletoncoach Tara Franklin said. The girls

did just that.Boy, did they ever.

La Crosse Logan won the 18-teamsectional with 99.5 points, while Sun

Prairie (87.5) and Middleton (85)rounded out the top three. But

Middleton has to feel good about thegroup its bringing to state.

Weve been running great timesall season, so I know were ready to

compete with the big dogs, saidMiddleton junior Bobbi Patrick, who

qualified in three events. We justhave to prove it now. We belong at

state. Its exciting to know were a

Follow RobReischel onTwitter at@robreischel


10/24



11/24

OCONOMOWOC He had aracket in his hand at the tender age ofthree.

By the time he was six, he waspracticing 90 minutes a day.

Today, hes one of the countryselite tennis players in his age group.

After just one season, freshmanJake Van Emburgh is arguably the

best tennis player in the history ofMiddleton High School. And by the

end of this weekend, there may be noargument about it.

Van Emburgh will take aim at theWIAA Division 1 individual state

title Thursday through Saturday at

Nielsen Tennis Stadium. VanEmburgh (21-1) is the No. 2 seed,

behind only defending champion

Felix Corwin of Brookfield East.No Middleton player has ever

won an individual state tennis title.

Thats certainly the goal and oneof the reasons I came out for high

school tennis, Van Emburgh saidafter winning the No. 1 singles title

at the Oconomowoc Sectional lastThursday. Hopefully I can make it

happen.Van Emburgh has been making

plenty of things happen on the courtfor years now.

Van Emburgh whose fatherGreg is the mens head coach at the

University of Wisconsin beganworking with his father when he was

just a pup.

Greg Van Emburgh was an ATPtouring professional from 1988-99and competed in 38 Grand Slam


W I A A S T A T E T E N N I S M E E T

The NaturalMiddleton frosh

Van Emburghaims for state titleby ROB REISCHEL

Times-Tribune

See VAN EMBURGH, page 18


Middleton freshman Jake Van Emburgh is the No. 2 seed at the boys state tennis meet.


12/24

know in postseason. Things happen andyou cant explain them. We just had tokeep getting the security runs in.

The Norskies finished the day withsix errors, while the Cardinals had justone.

Im so proud of everybody. Theydid a great job when we were in picklesand we did what we needed to do,Stormer said They stayed calm andIm just so proud of everybody.

Karn agreed.Lately when we have an error, we

dont get too worried about it, Karnsaid. We know that Ashley can pitchthe ball where she needs to pitch it. She

was confident that where she pitched it,she had a good defense behind her.

Middleton added four more runs inthe sixth and stretched its lead to 10-0.The key blows were a two-run doublefrom Karn which gave her five RBI and a two-run double from AbbyHenke.

Now its on to sectionals for the firsttime in three seasons.

Its really exciting, Stormer said.I cant even explain it.

Middleton 8, Holmen 7 (8) The Cardinals rallied from a 5-1 deficitand downed the Vikings in a regionalsemifinal last Wednesday. The gamehad been started Tuesday, but was post-poned due to heavy rains with Holmenleading, 3-1, in the bottom of the third.

Middletons Ashley Brooks walkedto lead off the eighth, then moved tosecond on a sacrifice bunt by Karn.Henke followed with a shot down theleft field line, and as Brooks rounded

third, she collided with Holmens thirdbaseman.

The umpire called interference onHolmen and Brooks was awarded thegame-winning run.

That capped a memorable comeback

for Middleton. The Cardinals trailed, 5-1, in the bottom of the fifth whenShelby Ballwegs grand slam keyed afive-run frame and gave Middleton a 6-5 lead.

Holmen reclaimed a 7-6 lead in thetop of the sixth. Middleton then tiedthings in the bottom of the frame, set-ting up the dramatic ending.

The girls just never give up,Middleton manager Cherie Hellenbrandsaid. Theyre a great, great group.

May 29WIAA Division 1 regional finalMiddleton ....... 300 304 10 11 1DeForest ....... 000 000 0 5 6

Pitchers (ip-h-er-bb-so) Stormer (W; 6-5-0-0-6); Klein (L; 6-11-7-1-8).

Leading hitters Middleton Fermanich(2x3), Raffel (2x4), Karn (2x4); DeForest Olson

(2x3).

HR Karn. 2B Karn, Everson,

Bockwinkel, Henke.

Ashley Stormer picked the perfecttime to pitch her best game of the sea-son.

Amber Karn chose the right time todisplay her plethora of offensive skills.

And Middletons girls softball teamselected the ideal time to play its finestgame of the year.

Middleton was clicking on all cylin-ders and routed host DeForest, 10-0,last Thursday in a WIAA Division 1regional final that was stopped after sixinnings due to the mercy rule.

Middleton, the No. 6 seed in theregional, improved to 17-7 and reachedsectional play for the first time since2011. DeForest, the No. 3 seed, endedthe year 21-5.

The Cardinals now face second-seeded Madison La Follette in a sec-tional semifinal Tuesday at OlbrichPark. The sectional final is Thursday at5 p.m. in Middleton.

My freshman year (2011), we wonregionals when we beat Verona,Middleton senior center fielder DarbyRaffel said. But this is a great feeling,especially being more part of the teamthan before and feeling more welcome.

Were so close this year, its so per-fect. I just expect a lot from us.

The Cardinals lived up to any and all

expectations against the overmatchedNorskies.

Stormer was terrific from start to fin-ish. Stormer allowed just five hits,struck out six and didnt give up a walk.She also retired 12 of the final 14 bat-ters she faced.

That was the best control shes hadall year, said Karn, Middletons senior

catcher. All of her pitches were mov-ing around and definitely the drop ballwas her best pitch. We threw it everysingle pitch and it really worked. Itshowed.

Stormer agreed with her batterymate.

My drop ball was working verywell, Stormer said. They kept swing-ing over the top of it. Ive been strug-gling with it a lot lately, so I was reallyexcited about the game.

Middletons offense provided plentyof excitement, as well.

Karn started the fun with a three-runhome run in the first inning that gaveMiddleton a 3-0 lead and allowedeveryone to breathe a little easier.

It was down the middle, Karn

said. The first pitch I let go and it wasa strike inside. The second pitch I hit itdown the middle.

When I first hit it, I thought it was apop-up. I sprinted to second base andsaw the ump signal it was a home run. Iwas so excited.

So were Karns teammates.When I saw it, I was going Please

go, Raffel said. She has been hittingthem so hard and far this year. She justneeded her first home run. Im so happyfor her.

Added Stormer: I was just excitedthat we already got on top and that shedid it for us. It was her first home run soI was extremely excited for her.

I was just ecstatic to start off like

that. At first I didnt think it was out, butI saw the left fielder go back and I knewit was over her head and it was gone.

Middleton added three more runs inthe fourth inning after three DeForesterrors.

We just knew right then that we hadto keep going, Raffel said. You never


Times-Tribunephoto by Mary

Langenfeld

C h e r i eHellenbranda n dMiddletonsgirls softballteam won aregional titlel a s tThursday.

Something to

shout aboutGirls softball team

wins regional titleby ROB REISCHEL

Times-Tribune


13/24

Ashley Stormer walked off thefield at Olbrich Park on Tuesday after-

noon with tears streaming down herface, but her head held high.

The Middleton senior pitcher hadjust thrown one of the best games of

her four-year prep career, but in theprocess learned a bitter life lesson she

will never forget.Its a tough way to end but Im so

proud of my team, said Stormer afterMiddleton suffered a heartbreaking 2-

1 loss to Madison La Follette in aWIAA Division 1 sectional semifinal

game that eventually came down to adisputed umpire's decision earlier in

the game.Its been an amazing season.

These girls are my family. They meaneverything to me. We already had the

talent, but coach (Cherie) Hellenbrandreally taught us how to use it.

With the game tied 1-1 in the bot-tom of the fifth inning, La Follette

appeared to take the lead. TaylorLueder singled, moved to second on a

sacrifice and to third on AnnaSeelows single to center. After

Seelow moved up to second on thethrow to home plate, Middleton opted

to walk Nicole Newman to load thebases and set up a force play.

Amy Lanzendorf, though, crossedup the strategy when she lofted a fly

ball to right field for an apparent sac-rifice fly that scored Lueder.

However, Middleton appealed thatLueder left third base early. After the

umpires denied the appeal,Hellenbrand then appealed that

Seelow had left second base early,which the umpires agreed.

When both umpires concurred thatLueders run would not count, La

Follette coach Bob Stocker protestedto no avail.

We tried to point out the rule, butthey disagreed, Stocker said. The

rule book states that if the appealoccurs and its the third out of the

inning and the out is made by theappeal, the previous runs score.

The game remained tied 1-1 whenStocker approached the umpires in the

bottom of the seventh inning withwhat they discovered after scanning

the rule book.After a 35-minute discussion that

included a phone call to Stevens Pointto WIAA assistant director Marcie

Thurwachter, the call was reversedand La Follette was ruled the winner.

Its a sad way to end the game,especially in the sectionals. But thats

the rule, Stocker said. The umpiresare supposed to know the rules. Thats

their job.Hellenbrand, though, questioned

how the reversal of the decisionchanged her teams approach to the

game the previous inning and a half.It was explained that in high

school rules, because the appealinvolved a runner on second, the run-

ner on third was allowed to score,Hellenbrand said. They also said

because it was it was an error in their(original) ruling. It doesnt matter the

timing. They were allowed to make acorrection.

For it to be done right, I thoughtwe should restart at the top of the

sixth. But Marcie said according to therules, thats not possible and I respect

that.Sixth-seeded Middleton (17-8) had

advanced to the sectional semifinalsfor the first time since 2011. But the

Cardinals hopes of advancing to statefor the first time since 2008 were

stymied.Second-seeded La Follette (22-6)

struck first with two outs in the bottomof the first inning.

Newman, a Drake Universityrecruit, drew a walk and courtesy base

runner Kaylee Hinze moved to secondon Lanzendorfs squib hit in front of

home plate. Megan Corcoran thenlined a single just inside the left-field

line to score Hinze for a 1-0 lead.Newman struck out the side in the

first two innings and recorded strike-outs on eight of Middletons first nine


Ending unkindGirls softball

team falls after

disputed call in

sectional semisby DENNIS SEMRAU

For the Times-Tribune

Times-Tribunephoto by Mary

Langenfeld

A s h l e yStormer andMiddletonsgirls softballteam fell toMadison LaFollette in as e c t i o n a ls e m i f i n a lTuesday.

outs to pick up where she left off dur-ing the regular season. The 6-foot-2

right-hander struck out 31 batters inhelping La Follette sweep a pair of

Big Eight Conference games.But Middleton was able to put the

ball in play with a solid bunting gamethat eventually helped the Cardinals

pull even in the top of the fifth inning.Bianca Bockwinkel bunted for a

base hit to open the inning and movedto second on Shelby Ballwegs per-

fectly executed sacrifice bunt.Bockwinkel then scored when Abby

Kalscheur bunted towards first base

and reached base on a throwing errorto tie the game at 1-1.

Abby executed the bunt perfect-ly, Hellenbrand said.

Meanwhile, Stormer scattered sixhits and walked two with one strike-

out. Middleton also played errorlessdefense, led by senior co-captain and

second baseman Ashley Brooks,whose diving catch in the fourth

inning was an ESPN play accordingto Hellenbrand.

I had never made one like thatwith that great of magnitude. Brooks

said of the diving catch to her right

near second base. This whole year Iknew we were destined for greatness.

I was really pumped up after that.Hellenbrand, who hasnt

announced whether she will returnnext season, was disappointed to see

the season end.Im so proud of our kids, all 14 of

them and our two managers, she said.What made them special is we had a

magical team. Everybody giving ittheir all every practice and every

game. Thats what made our teamgreat.


14/24

Liz McMahon, Middletons gritty

gutty goalie, jumped as high as she

could for as long as she could.

Cardinals coach Mary Duffy had

tears of joy streaming down her face.

And a wild crowd of more than 1,200

fans rushed the field.

In one of Middletons more memo-

rable soccer games in years, the

Cardinals toppled Madison Memorial,

2-0, last Friday.

The win gave Middleton the out-

right Big Eight Conference champi-onship for the first time since 2008.

It is not easy to win a Big Eight

title and it hasnt been done for a

while at Middleton, not in these girls

careers before now, an elated Duffy

said. It was pretty amazing. What a

wonderful group of girls to win.

McMahon was an integral part of

Middletons girls basketball team

winning a Big Eight title this winter.

And McMahon said this experience

was just as memorable.

Winning conference was honestly

one of the best feelings ever,

McMahon said. Having a conference

title in both basketball and soccer as a

senior makes the year feel pretty spe-

cial.

The atmosphere of the game was

really intense, everyone knew what

was at stake, and everyone did a great

job of stepping up to the challenge

and playing a great game.

Middleton got some help last

Thursday when conference-leading

Madison West lost to Sun Prairie.The Cardinals got word of that

result during their bus ride home from

Janesville Parker, where they had just

toppled the Vikings, 10-0. And as

Middletons players began crunching

the numbers, they realized they could

capture the crown with a win or a tie.

The bus was buzzing, Duffy

said. Once we confirmed the win,

the girls knew what was needed.

Then they looked at each other

and almost in union said, Win. They

didnt just want to tie. They wanted to

win, as we all did.

Middleton got on the board just 10

minutes, 21 seconds into the game.

Brenna Shea battled for a ball in

the Memorial box. And as a Spartansdefender tried to clear it, it deflected

off of Shea and spun into the corner,

up and over the outstretched hands of

Memorials keeper.

From my angle, I had no idea it

went in until I saw the fluttering ofthe net, Duffy said. Brennas goal

was a direct result of hard work pay-

ing off from the whole team.

Memorial got the better of

Middleton the rest of the half. And

both Duffy and her team felt fortunate

to still have their one goal lead at

intermission.

At halftime and after we adjusted

some things, I had the girls turn and

look at the fans and said, They are

here for you. They are here to see you

play, to see a good game and that is

what we will continue to give them in

hopes of celebrating with them on the

field at the end. Forty more min-

utes. Lets win this half, Duffy said.

The girls took in what was said andtook over the game.

Indeed they did.

Junior forward Ellen Jesse narrow-

ly missed a scoring chance midway

through the second half. But Jesse

wasnt going to be denied twice, and

scored an enormous goal at the 71:32mark that gave the Cardinals a 2-0

lead and clinched the Big Eight title.

I loved seeing the reactions of the

girls and fans, Duffy said. Ellen

jumping up and down as her team-

mates attempted to hug her. The fans

cheers echoing off the surrounding

buildings.

When some of the starting seniors

were subbed out a few minutes later,

it was hugs all around. They were

proud of what they had just accom-

plished.

All of the Cardinals left with a

sense of great pride.

First, they were all thrilled with the

outpouring of support.

The crowd helped add to ourintensity, and it was really cool to just

look out and see the bleachers com-

pletely full and people lining the

field, McMahon said. I dont think

there has ever been a game like that

before. After we won, everyone was

so excited and so honored, we all just

stayed at the field for awhile soaking

it all in.

Duffy agreed.

It was absolutely amazing,

Duffy said. Most of them have never

seen that many people in the stands

for one of their games before, and

instead of being more nervous, they

drew upon it and started to dominate

more and more of the game as it went

on.It is difficult to put into words

how much the student fan club and

community support for these girls did

for us on Friday. What I do know is

that it was like having a 12th man on

the field. So thank you fans, commu-

nity, friends and family.

The Cardinals were just as proud

of their performance. And an hour

after the game had ended, many play-

ers, coaches, fans and alumni were

still lingering around the field, trying

to squeeze a few more memories out

of the magical night.

It was one of the best games to be

a part of that I can remember, Duffy

said.


Queens of the conference


Middletons Ellen Jesse (right) is congratulated after scoring a goal recently. Jesse and the Cardinals won the BigEight Conference title last Friday.

Middletons girls

soccer team wins

first Big Eight

title since 2008by ROB REISCHEL

Times-Tribune


15/24


16/24

Their timing seems right on the

mark.

And if it continues, Middletons

baseball team could be ready to

embark on a memorable postseason.

The Cardinals, who have reached

the state tournament six times since

2002, received the No. 2 seed in theirregional. Middleton has a first round

bye, then hosts either seventh-seeded

Waunakee or 10th-seeded Tomah in a

regional final Thursday at 5 p.m.

If the Cardinals advance, they will

host a sectional on June 10. Holmen,

the states second ranked team and

the proud possessors of a 21-1

record, could be Middletons foe in a

sectional final.

Id be lying if I said you dont

think about that, Middleton senior

standout catcher Jackson Keeler said

of facing Holmen for a trip to state. I

mean, that would be great and a lot of

fun.

But we have to take it one game

at a time and make sure we get there.Its a fun thought, but it doesnt mean

anything unless we get there.

Middleton senior pitcher Kasey

Miller agreed.

That would be a very exciting

and fun game knowing how good of a

team they have, Miller said. But I

think were locked in on the first

game.

The way the Cardinals have

played, of late, their chances of a

deep playoff run appear strong.

Middleton won a pair of Big Eight

Conference games last week, giving

it six wins in its final seven league

games. The Cardinals finished con-

ference play in third place at 14-4,

two games behind champion Sun

Prairie.

Middleton defeated Janesville

Craig, 5-2, last Wednesday. The

Cardinals then blanked Madison La

Follette, 3-0, last Thursday.

I would agree were playing our

best ball right now, Miller said. I

think that has been the plan from the

beginning.

We wanted to peak heading into

the playoffs so we could get on a rolland make a deep run this year. Our

confidence level is high, were excit-

ed how well we have been playing,

and hoping to continue that into the

postseason.

Middleton also split a doublehead-

er Saturday.

First, the Cardinals fell to

Kimberly, 6-5, in eight innings. But

Middleton rebounded with an 8-3

thumping of D.C. Everest in the

nightcap.

Middleton ended the regular

seaosn 18-8.

Im hoping were hitting our

stride at the right time, Middleton

manager Tom Schmitt said. I think

were hitting as well as we have allseason.

I think we have enough pitching.

It just needs to be more consistent.

Middletons offense has definitely

picked things up in recent weeks.

The Cardinals are averaging 8.17

runs per game in their last 12 outings.

In Middletons first 14 games, it aver-

aged 5.43 runs per contest.

I think were hitting really well

and our defense is playing a lot bet-

ter, too, said Keeler, whos hitting

.453 this spring. I think we all feel

pretty good about that.

Middletons pitching is more of a

concern.

Miller is the unquestioned ace of

the staff and currently carries an 8-0

record and a 2.75 ERA.Senior Garrett Knudtson has been

solid and is 5-2 with a 2.85 ERA.

Senior Brennan Maly (1-2, 2.28) will

also factor in.

While that gives the Cardinals

three solid arms, the trio hasnt

always been as consistent as Schmitt

wants.

Thats the big thing is consisten-

cy, Schmitt said. We still havent

gotten that and well need to the rest

of the way.

Heres a recap of the Cardinals

games last week:

Middleton 8, D.C. Everest 3

Sophomore Alec Morrison threw 4

2/3 innings of solid ball and fellow

sophomore Adam Nutting pitched 1

1/3 innings of effective relief to

power the Cardinals in the secondgame of a doubleheader Saturday.

Middleton broke a 3-3 tie with a

three-run fourth inning. Alex Elliott

was hit by a pitch with the bases

loaded to bring home the go-ahead

run. Kasey Miller later had a sacrifice

fly and Luke Schafer had an RBI sin-

gle.

Kimberly 6, Middleton 5 (8) The Papermakers rallied from a 4-1

deficit and toppled the Cardinals in

eight innings Saturday morning.

Middleton, which was error-free

most of the game, committed two

errors in the top of the eighth allow-

ing Kimberly to score the winning

run.

Keeler had a big day at the plate,

going 3-for-5 with a double and two

RBI. Third baseman Zach Kasdorfwas 2-for-4 with a double and two

RBI and senior second baseman Luke

Schafer was 2-for-4.

Brennan Maly allowed just one

run in four innings. But Maly gave up

five hits and three runs in the fifth,

allowing Kimberly to get back into

the game.

Middleton 3, Madison LaFollette 0 Miller threw a gem for

the Cardinals, going the distance,

allowing just three hits and striking

out five.

Keeler stayed hot with a double

and two hits. And Middleton used a

three-run second inning to build a

lead it would never relinquish.

Middleton 5, Janesville Craig 2 The Cardinals rallied from an

early 2-0 deficit and toppled the host

Cougars last Wednesday.

Middletons Knudtson worked 6

2/3 innings and earned the win.

Hayden Denson got the final out and

recorded the save.

Keeler had another big day, going

3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI,

while Schafer was also 3-for-4 with

two runs scored.



Kasey Miller and Middletons baseball team begin postseason play Thursday.

Timing is

everythingBaseball Cards

hope to stay hot

in the postseason

by ROB REISCHEL

Times-Tribune


17/24

Middleton is the defending

champs.

Cross Plains wants what its arch-

rival has.

But Middleton had a message for

Cross Plains Sunday afternoon,

telling the Businessmen that its not

their time yet.

Middleton toppled previously

unbeaten Cross Plains, 9-5, creating

quite the logjam at the top of the

Northern Sections East Division.

Ashton currently sits in first place

at 5-0, while Cross Plains and Black

Earth are 5-1. Middleton is 4-1,

meaning its win over Cross Plains

was large even if it still is early

June.

This was a huge win for us,

Middleton manager Brandon

Hellenbrand said. Cross Plains is a

very good team and has been playing

great, so we knew it would be a bat-

tle to the final out. We were able to

get up early and ride that for most of

the game.

Middleton veteran Jeff Schafer

started the game and worked five

solid innings. Schafer allowed just

one earned run and struck out four.

I thought Schafer really pitched

great, Hellenbrand said. He mixed

it up and really kept their hitters off

balance.

Drew Farrell then allowed justone earned run in three innings

before A.J. Redders worked the

ninth.

Cross Plains finished with 17 hits,

but managed just five runs.

I thought all three pitchers did a

tremendous job of leaving runners on

base and working out of a couple

jams, Hellenbrand said.

Meanwhile, Middletons offense

did its part.

Middleton took a 1-0 lead in the

first inning when Brandon Scheidler

led off the game with a single, and

eventually scored on a Kevin Dubler

RBI single.

Middleton made it 3-0 in the sec-

ond. Andrew Zimmerman walked to

lead off the inning, Mike Brabender

was hit by a pitch and Cole Cook had

a sacrifice bunt to put runners on sec-

ond and third.

With two outs, Scott Brabender

singled to right to bring home both

runners.

Middleton added two more in the

third and took a 5-0 lead. Eric Simon

singled to lead off the frame, thenwith one out, Josh Hinson blasted a

two-run home run.

Cross Plains tallied single runs in

the third and fifth innings and pulled

within 5-2. But Middleton put the

game away with a four-run eighth.

Mike Brabender was hit by a pitch

with two outs, then Cross Plains

pitchers issued consecutive walks to

Cook, Redders and Scott Brabender

to make it 6-2.

Scheidler was hit by a pitch to

score Cook, Simon walked to bring

home Redders, and Dubler was hit

by another pitch scoring Scott

Brabender.

Amazingly, Middleton scored

four runs without a single hit.

Cross Plains rallied for two runs

after two were out in the ninth. But

Redders escaped further trouble.

Scott Brabender finished the

game 2-for-3 with two RBI, while

Hinson had a home run and two RBI.

Dubler also added two RBI.

On deck: Middleton hosts

Waunakee Sunday at 1 p.m.

Middleton .. 122 000 040 9 7 0Cross Plains .. 001 010 012 5 17 1

Pitchers (ip-h-er-bb-so) Schafer (W;5-8-2-1-4), Farrell (3-5-1-1-0), Redders (1-4-2-0-

0); Allen (L; 7-7-4-3-5), Schicker (0.2-0-4-4-0),

Haack (1.1-0-0-0-1).

Leading hitters Middleton S.Brabender (2x3); Cross Plains J. Lochner

(3x5), Sarbacker (2x5), Allen (3x5), Meinholz

(3x5), C. Lochner (2x2).

HR Hinson. 2B Allen, Meinholz.

Ashton 3, Waunakee 2

Former Middleton High School stand-out Shane Adler had a two-run single

in the fifth inning that proved to be thedifference.

Ashton ... 001 020 000 3 12 0Waunakee .. 001 100 000 2 10 0

Pitchers (ip-h-er-bb-so) Peterknell(W; 9-10-2-3-13); Siehoff (4-5-1-1-4), Bieri (L;

5-7-2-1-3).

Leading hitters Ashton Novinski(4x5), Adler (2x4), Meinholz (2x4); Waunakee

C. Zirbel (2x5), Joel Acker (2x4), Johnson

(2x4), Ellerbusch (2x4).

3B Acker. 2B Novinski, Prochaska;Johnson, Ellerbusch.


p rts briefsGolf outing

The Middleton Cardinal Booster Club will present the 2014 CardinalGolf Outing on June 20 at Pleasant View Golf Course. The event will con-

tain golf, food and prizes.Participation is limited to the first 144 paid golfers. Visit www.middle-

tonboosterclub.com to reserve a spot and for hole sponsorship.

Baseball leaguesThe Middleton Baseball/Softball Commission is still registering boys 7-

8-years-old for Instructional League, 9-10-year-olds for Little Bucks

League and 11-12-year-olds for Pepper League. All leagues allow the boysto play two games a week.

The season starts in the middle of June and ends at the end of July.Please register at www.MBSCWI.com.

Youth flag rugbyThe Middleton youth flag rugby league runs from June 23-Aug. 2. The

six-week program includes 16 sessions.The program is for boys and girls entering grades 3-8 beginning in the

fall of 2014.For more information, contact Bruce Hill at [email protected].

Golf scoresMWGA

Flight ALow Gross Mary Balistreri, 46Low Net Alice Mann and Phyllis Bennett, 33Flight BLow Gross Pat Otte, 51Low Net Pat Otte, 33Flight CLow Gross Nancy Trachte, 57Low Net Nancy Trachte, 34

Parkcrest Women's LeagueAt Pleasant View Golf CourseMay 20

Flight A Karin Rudnicki, 45Flight B Ann Athas & Barb Pellegrino, 61Flight C Kathy Siegel, 59

May 27Flight A Karin Rudnicki and Sue Hyland, 46Flight B Ann Athas, 49Flight C Mary Walker, 58

Middletons HTL teamtopples Cross Plainsby ROB REISCHEL

Times-Tribune


18/24


events. Greg won seven doubles

events on the ATP Tour, was a run-ner-up in seven others, and reached

the doubles semifinals at Wimbledonin 1990.

So from the start, Jake had theultimate mentor inside his own

home.It can be difficult to coach your

own son, Greg said. But its been agreat relationship overall.

I saw lot potential at a young ageand we tried to develop his game into

a powerful game. Thats how heplays today and thats how the game

is played on the professional level.Jake, 15, understands how lucky

hes been to work with his father. Butboth men admit there were occasion-

al rough spots.Hes pushed me really hard,

Jake said of his father. And some-times it can be tough hearing just one

voice. But if he didnt push me thishard, I know I wouldnt be the player

I am today.And that player is one of the

countrys finest in his age group.Jake is the top-ranked freshman in

Wisconsin and currently ranks No. 7nationally in the Class of 2017. Jake

was ranked as high as No. 5 national-ly earlier this year, but has slipped a

bit because hes missed USTA eventsduring the high school season.

But Jake has no regrets aboutleaving the USTA scene for a bit.

Jake wanted to experience thecamaraderie of playing with a team

something hes been able to do atMHS.

Ive had a great time, Jake said.When youre playing without a

team, its lonely when you lose. Thishas been a lot of fun.

Middleton coach Deke Bradleysaid that while Jake is the most tal-

ented high school player hes everbeen around, hes also fit in extreme-

ly well.I think that playing on a team

really appealed to him, Bradleysaid. I think he wanted to play with

these seniors and some of his friends.And I think its been a great experi-

ence.More often than not, the player on

the opposite side of the net has stoodno chance against Jake. And thats

allowed the Cardinals freshmanphenom to fine tune various parts of

his game.For example, Jake has been a

dominant baseliner most of his life.But hes spent much of this spring

working on his play at the net.I know there are matches hes

gone through without his besteffort, Greg said of Jake. Thats

just pa r for the course.But hes really been able to work

on a few things. Hes added somedimensions to his game knowing the

pressure isnt so severe.The pressure will certainly be

more severe this weekend.Jake said hes unsure whether

hell pay for Middleton next season.His sophomore year will be a big one

for college recruiting, and playing onthe USTA circuit will certainly bring

more exposure.

So Jake would like to make thistrip to state a memorable one.

Jake and Brookfield Easts

Corwin met last month. And Corwin the defending state champion

pulled out a 7-5, 6-4 win.But Jake is hoping for another

chance at Corwin, which wouldcome in the state finals. And Jake

would like nothing more than to wina title in the building Greg works in

each day.I didnt play my best against

Felix last time. Not even close, Jakesaid. I hope I get another chance,

because it would be great to win itand to do it at Nielsen.

Boys tennis team wins sectionalCards qualify

for team state,

send several to

individual stateby ROB REISCHEL

Times-Tribune

VAN EMBURGHcontinued from page 11


Middletons Ben Luskin qualified for the individual state tournament this weekend.

OCONOMOWOC Middletons boys tennis team wonthe Oconomowoc Sectional last

Thursday and sent two singles play-ers and two doubles teams to the

WIAA Division 1 individual statemeet. That tournament runs

Thursday through Saturday atNielsen Tennis Stadium.

Middleton also earned a trip to theteam state meet June 13-14 at

Nielsen. Middleton opens with aquarterfinal match against

Milwaukee Marquette, a programthat has won the last seven state team

titles.At sectionals, Middleton fresh-

man Jake Van Emburgh won hisflight at No. 1 singles. Van Emburgh,

the No. 2 seed at state, now carries a21-1 record to state. Van Emburgh

has a first round bye, then meetseither Sun Prairies Keegan

Moldenhauer (13-4) or MarquettesCaleb Schifano (17-8) in a second

round match Thursday at approxi-mately 4:30 p.m.

Middleton senior Ben Luskin wonhis flight at No. 2 singles at section-

als. Luskin (17-3) faces WaunakeesJoey Schneider (24-3) in a first round

match at state Thursday at noon.Middletons top doubles team of

Joey Niesen and Evan Stone (22-3)won their flight at sectionals. Niesen

and Stone are now the No. 8 seed atstate and have a first round bye. The

Middleton duo will meet a team fromeither Neenah or Marshfield in a sec-

ond round match Friday at 9:45 a.m.Middletons Brian Bellissimo and

Xavier Sanga (8-1) won their flightat No. 2 doubles at sectionals. That

duo now meets Waukesha SouthsDanny Perez and Al Tejada (27-6) in

a first round match Thursday at 2:30

p.m.

May 29Oconomowoc Sectional

Team scores 1, Middleton 47; 2,Arrowhead 39; 3, West Bend East 34; 4,

Waunakee 29; 5, Sauk Prairie 16; 6, Hamilton 10;

7, Baraboo 8; 8, Hartford Union 7; 9, Madison

East 6; 9, Oconomowoc 6; 9, West Bend West 6;

12, Slinger 4; 13, Beaver Dam 2; 13, Reedsburg

2; 13, Watertown 2.

Sectional qualifiers No.1 singles: 1, Jakevan Emburgh, MID (21-1); 2, Matt Zurowski,

WBE (26-1); 3, Joey Schneider, WAU (24-3); 4,

Tommy Schubert, ARR (15-12). No.2 singles:

Ben Luskin, MID (17-3).

No.1 doubles: 1, Joey Niesen/ Evan Stone,MID (22-3); 2, Collin Reinke/ Jason Johnson,WBE (21-5); 3, Cody Mack/ Tyler Ballweg, SP

(12-2); 4, John Zanotti/ Jacob Hentges, ARR (8-

8). No.2 doubles: Brian Bellissimo/ Xavier

Sanga, MID (8-1).


19/24


team to watch.Nothing was more exciting for the

Cardinals at sectionals than the per-formance of the 1,600-meter relay

team. The quartet of Hanne Anderson-Smith, Emily Zeker, Kayla Bauhs and

Hanna Docter set a school record andwon the race in 3:57.86.

Middleton is now seeded third atstate in that event.

They ran an unbelievable race andset the record, which actually sur-

prised them a bit, Franklin said.That was the Cardinals only first

place finish. But they had several sec-ond and third-place showings.

Patrick was second in the 800(2:20.08) and is seeded 19th at state.

For my 800, Im not seeded in theheat I wanted to be, but anything can

happen, Patrick said. Im wanting tojust go out there and run my race.

The competition in the 800 thisyear will be difficult, but Im looking

forward to pushing myself. I think atop time and great place will come

with that.Patrick was also on Middletons

3,200-meter relay team that finishedsecond at sectionals (9:35.41) and is

seeded 12th at state. The rest of thatteam included junior Rachel Wians,

senior Meta Williams and freshmanAlyssa Lemirande, although standouts

D

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