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Erdman Holdings proposed 104-lotPleasant View Ridge subdivision

would carve 14 residential lots out ofthe City of Middletons golf course, ac-

cording to city planner Eileen Kelley.Kelley told the Pleasant View Golf

Course Advisory Committee Mondaythat two cul-de-sacs would extend into

the Woods course from the north. One

VOL. 121, NO. 35 THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 2013 SINGLE COPY PRICE: $1.25

www.MiddletonTimes.com

SCENES FROM GOOD NEiGHbOR FESTiVAl

Inside this issue:Local: School Board: Sports:

T. Walls Bishops Bay

continues. Page 4

Houdini Club brings magic

to Middleton PAC. Page 7

Swimmers have high

hopes again. Page 14

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

Dining Guide . . . . . . . . 6-7

Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Vouchers at

the local level

West Side Christian School principal

Hank Hoenecke knew his institutiondidnt have a particularly high chance

of being selected to receive newly ex-panded parental choice/voucher school

funding.His suspicions were confirmed ear-

lier this month when a dozen new ap-

Youth Centercloses its doors

The Middleton Youth Resource Cen-

ter has closed its doors following theresignation of its director, Angela

Fettes.Last week, the City of Middletons

personnel and finance committees,along with the common council, ap-

proved the closing of the Youth Center.They also approved a recommendation

from the Commission on Youth for ex-isting 2013 funds to be used for 5th-8th

grade programming that will now beprovided through the Middleton Recre-

ation Department.

The schedule of new programs will

be available in late September. Theseprograms will be offered on no-school,

early release days and various timesthroughout the remainder of 2013.

Please check this site for updates onprogramming.

We apologize for any inconven-

by KEViN MURpHy

Times-Tribune

by KEViN MURpHy

Times-Tribune

Private and public educators

here expect further voucher

expansion by lawmakers

See VOUCHERS, age 10

See ERDMAN, age 5

Directors departure prompts city to shift programs

Ashley RenstromWest Side Christian School

Not being able

to talk aboutJesus in publicschools ... was areason I wantedto find a betterplace for me asa teacher.

Photos by Jeff Martin/JMAR Foto-Werks

Good timeswith goodneighbors

The Good Neighbor Festival isall about two things: summer fun

for the entire community andraising funds for Middletonsmany service clubs. This yearsevent, which took place over theweekend, was a success on bothfronts, according to organizers. Ithink we had a really good year,said Nancy Vickery, the festivalspresident. Crowds were good, Ithink everyone had a good timeand the organizations raisedplenty of money to spend backinto the community.

Development

would put

homes on city

golf course

See CENTER, age 8


2/24

PAGE 2 MIDDLETON TIMES-TRIBUNE THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 2013

Photos by Krakora Studios

Kids compete

and inspire in

annual triathlonThe third annual Tri 4 Schools Middleton Kids Triathlon took place Au-

gust 17 at the Bauman Aquatic Center. We sold out the race at 500 kids andwill be donating $12,000 to local schools for fitness and nutrition programs,said Mary Lewitzke, one of the events organizers.

At left, Brenden Ojibway, 14, of Barneveld finishes the bike course of theadaptive triathlon. Above, Caitlin Bruce, 5, of Madison, crosses the finishline with some encouragement from several of the other 500 athletes thatparticipated in the triathlon.

CCOMMUNITYOMMUNITY


3/24

The Springfield Town Board metfor its second meeting of the month

on August 20 and addressed somenew issues while also clearing up a

few from the prior meeting.The board was missing supervisor

Jim Pulvermacher, who was in atten-dance of a Towns Association meet-

ing in Westport instead. His absenceprompted the board to temporarily

table a few matters for the next meet-ing to include the entire board on the

discussions and decisions.The board carried on, however,

and approved operators licenses for afew applicants, discussed the July fi-

nancial reports and convened aclosed session at the end of the meet-

ing.Following up the boards recent

meeting with local homeownersabout potential road construction in

the area, a resident from Foxfire Trailwas in attendance to both ask ques-

tions about the potential work, andafter voicing support for the project

volunteered to be a potential go-be-tween for the town to communicate

information to the neighborhood.The road project is slated for next

year and will completely revamp the

Foxfire Trail and Wildrose Courtroadways and ditch lines.

The town also again listened to ar-

guments about a land dispute be-

tween two neighbors on Enchanted

Valley Road. After some delibera-

tion, the board concluded that they

had explained the matter as clearly as

they could to the parties and the

board voted unanimously to table the

matter indefinitely.

The board also discussed looking

into once again making the Kingsley

Cemetery an active cemetery after

being abandoned by the previous

owners and left in the towns care.

The discussion revolved around the

potential difficulties brought about

by poor bookkeeping, undocumented

burials and the bad condition of some

headstones.

This cemetery discussion comes as

the latest in a long string as the

Springfield Town Board has in previ-

ous meetings over the past few

months been discussing potential

ways to improve the condition of the

cemetery, which is a cataloged his-

toric site, and also taken the names of

a few volunteers who would like to

help with the upkeep and mainte-

nance of the grounds.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 2013 MIDDLETON TIMES-TRIBUNE PAGE 3

TTOWNOWN OFOF SSPRINGFIELDPRINGFIELDMonday, August 19

10:07 a.m. - Fraud, 3100 block of

Deming Way.10:58 a.m. - Battery, 6200 block of

Maywood Ave.2:51 p.m. - Fraud, 2100 block of

Deming Way.Tuesday, August 20

2:12 p.m. - Fraud, 5100 block ofBrindisi Ct.

6:31 p.m. - Fraud, 5500 block of Up-land Trl.

Wednesday, August 217:54 a.m. - Property damage, 7200

block of Franklin Ave.8:06 a.m. - Property damage, 7200

block of Franklin Ave.9:55 a.m. - Fraud, 2300 block of

Pinehurst Dr.12:01 p.m. - Theft, 8300 block of

Greenway Blvd.7:12 p.m. - Property damage, 7400

block of North Ave.7:58 p.m. - Accident, 8100 block of

University Ave.10:27 p.m. - Fire, 8300 block of

Greenway Blvd.Thursday, August 22

5:54 a.m. - Domestic disturbance,3500 block of Salerno Ct.

5:22 p.m. - Accident, UniversityAve. & Deming Way.

6:35 p.m. - Domestic disturbance,6300 block of Pheasant Ln.

Friday, August 237:43 a.m. - Theft, 8500 block of

Greenway Blvd.11:32 a.m. - Sexual assault, 7300

block of Donna Dr.2:30 p.m. - Theft, 7100 block of

Ravine Ct.5:27 p.m. - Domestic disturbance,

5700 block of Highland Way.7:36 p.m. - Domestic disturbance,

3500 block of Salerno Ct.9:44 p.m. - Domestic disturbance,

3500 block of Salerno Ct.10:40 p.m. - Domestic disturbance,

7300 block of Donna Dr.Saturday, August 24

12:24 a.m. - Malicious mischief,Middleton St. & Franklin Ave.

1:42 a.m. - Trespass, 6300 block ofPheasant Ln.

11:31 a.m. - Fraud, 1200 block ofDeming Way.

3:55 p.m. - Theft, 2100 block ofBristol St.

10:24 p.m. - Fight, 7400 block ofNorth Ave.

Sunday, August 251:41 p.m. - Alarm, 6200 block of

Middleton Springs Dr.3:39 p.m. - Accident, Allen Blvd. &

Century Ave.6:38 p.m. - Fraud, 6900 block of

Hubbard Ave.10:06 p.m. - Property damage, 8500

block of Market St.

CHURCH NOTES

POLICE BEAT

At approximately 4 a.m. on August15, Dane County Sheriffs Deputies

along with Middleton Fire and Middle-ton EMS responded to 701 Schneider

Drive in the Township of Springfieldfor a report of a car versus house crash.

Upon arrival deputies found MarcosJ. Castanon, age 28 from the City of

Madison, had veered off SchneiderDrive and struck a house causing sev-

eral thousand dollars worth of damage

to the house.

Both residents of the home werehome at the time and were not injured.

Castanon was treated by MiddletonEMS at the scene for minor injures and

was not transported. Neither alcoholnor drug use factors in the crash.

Castanon was cited for Operating aMotor Vehicle after Suspension, Oper-

ating a Motor Vehicle without Insur-ance, Operating a Motor Vehicle Left

of Center, and Inattentive Drive.

Car hits house

by MiKE DREw

Times-Tribune

Cemetery discussion continues

Healy will lead aneducational walking

tour of Pope FarmJoin Mike Healy, owner of Adap-

tive Restoration LLC., on a walkingtour of all six of the remarkable

prairies at Pope Farm Conservancyon September 5, 2013 from 6-7:30

p.m.Healy and his company have

been responsible for the implemen-

tation of these prairies at Pope FarmConservancy. This event is free and

open to the public no registrationis necessary. The group will meet at

the Old Sauk Rd. parking lot.


4/24

The Middleton Common Council on

Aug. 20 deliberated future plans fornew development at Bishops Bay. For

the past several months, details con-cerning changes to this area have been

a central topic of council conversation.Last weeks meeting focused on var-

ious easements, annexation requestsand plat approvals for Bishops Bay.

While the council voted to move for-ward with all proposed changes, alders

asked that Bishops Bay developer, T.

Wall Properties, refrain from executingthe approved tasks until Public Worksstaff and the city attorney are satisfied

with the accuracy of the documents.Plans to annex property in Westport,

release plat restrictions related todrainage arrows, as well as conduct

various storm sewer and other water

easements are contingent upon devel-opers incorporating changes based on

recent drawing revisions and updatinglanguage.

City attorney Larry Bechler indi-cated that staff and Bishops Bay de-

velopers have been working for a longtime on a draft document of these

plans. There is a demand for an entiremaster plan. Public works has said that

from now on, there will be no more ap-proval until this revised document is

submitted.While developer obliged to satisfy

all of the requirements the council setforth, certain aspects of the councils

revision mandates sparked visible ten-sion. When discussing plat changes,

members expressed a preference for in-cluding a separate name for the looped

street between Blackwolf Run andPebble Beach Drive. The council opted

to defer the responsibility of namingthis street to the citys plan commis-

sion.Although he expressed the devel-

oper willingness to change the streetnames under the citys direction, Andy

Inman of T. Wall Properties voicedfrustration about the street naming

issue. I havent heard of another de-veloper being asked to change street

names, stated Inman.T. Wall plans to address the coun-

cils recommendations and submit a re-vised project plan in the weeks to

come.

Other decisions made by the council

at the August 20th meeting:

- In light of Youth Services Director

Angela Fettes resignation, the Middle-ton Youth Resource Center is no longer

in operation effective August 20. AtTuesdays meeting, the council opted

to use the budgeted staffing funds for

other additional youth programmingthrough the end of the year. While the

motion passed, Hans Hilbert (Dist. 7)opposed.

- The Council approved a proposal

to reallocate the librarys Capital Out-lay Project funds for the 2013 CIP

- Boiler Replacement Project by ap-

plying $21,400 of the funds to theHVAC Controls capital project and re-

ferring the rest of the projects to the2014 budget process.

- A resolution declaring the end of a

public emergency relating to stormsewer repairs at the sinkhole in Pheas-

ant Branch Conservancy was ap-proved.

Paul Nelson, of Middleton, on Tues-day announced his candidacy for the

Dane County Board of Supervisors9th District seat.

As a longtime resident of DaneCounty, I look forward to continuing

the thoughtful and progressive repre-sentation of the district, Nelson said.

The 9th District is currently repre-sented by Rep. Dianne Hesselbein (D-

Middleton), who recently was electedto the Wisconsin State Assembly.

Nelson is the retired director of theMiddleton Public Library. He is a 28-

year resident of the City of Middleton,where he lives with his wife, JoAnna

Richard, and where they raised theirtwo adult sons, Andy and Eddie. Nel-

son is also an Adjunct Assistant Profes-sor at the UW-Madison School of

Library and Information Studies andthe current chair of the Wisconsin Li-

brary Associations Library Develop-

ment & Legislation Committee.Im proud to offer my support to

Pauls candidacy, and know that he will

continue to represent our interests onthe County Board, said Hesselbein.

Nelson has also receive the endorse-ments of State Senators Fred Risser

and Jon Erpenbach, State AssemblyRepresentative Sondy Pope, State As-

sembly Representative (and Dane


CC ITYITY CCOUNCILOUNCIL

Minor Bishops Bay hurdles cleared

by FRANCESCA MASTRANGElO

Times-Tribune

T. Wall Properties development continues to move forward

Former library director Nelson

to run for county board seat

See NElSON, age 8


5/24


IINN BBUSINESSUSINESS

Photos contributed

The hottestgolf outingaround

The Annual Middleton Chamberof Commerce Golf Outing was heldJuly 17 at Pleasant View GolfCourse. The event saw a record 235golfers, 50 sponsors and 75 volun-teers and is quickly becoming thehottest outing in the area. Chamberleadership extended special thanksto presenting sponsor TDS and eventsponsor T.Wall Properties.

cul-de-sac of 10 homes would be

routed between the eighth green andninth tee and the other cul-de-sac

would be located further east on thecourse.

Fourteen is the maximum numberof lots that could be added to the proj-

ect while still minimizing impact tothe course, said Kelley.

Golfers as well as trail users wouldhave to cross the street connecting the

eastern cul-de-sac in order to con-tinue their round.

Im thinking it fits, Tom Scott, acommittee member and golfer, said of

the two proposed cul-de-sacs.No other committee member or

Pleasant View Golf Course officialobjected to the plans at Mondays

meeting.In order to satisfy the city, which

wants to get the 14 lots on the marketearly in the project, Erdman would

develop its proposed subdivisionfrom the south and east. That would

require improving the current roadthat winds its way to clubhouse from

Pleasant View Road.Neither Kelley nor Bill Suick, Erd-

mans engineer for the project, hadcost estimates for the road project.

The city could use lot sale proceedsto retire some of the golf course pur-

chase and clubhouse constructiondebt. However, some also would go

toward improving the road to beshared by the golf course and subdi-

vision.

The subdivisions primary access

eventually would be from SchwartzRoad, south of US 14, said Kelley.

Cost of the lots would range from$170,000 to $300,000 each, which is

the amount lots most recently broughtin Erdmans Middleton Hills subdivi-

sion, said Jane Grabowki-Miller, ofErdman Holdings.

Erdman wouldnt buy the lots butoffered to broker their sale for the

city.

The project is a mix of large and

small lots. The smallest would be

6,000- to 8,000-square feet, said Kel-

ley. Unlike city lots, these would be

served by private septic and wells.

An annexation petition is on the

city councils agenda next week, said

Kelley. Approval would begin a 120-

day clock during which, by state law,

the city must pass a conservation

subdivision ordinance and concept

plan or the annexation request would

expire, the property would remain in

the Town of Middleton and Erdman

could develop there, Kelley said.

However, the time limits could be

extended by mutual agreement of the

parties, she added.

Suick said the 14 lots and streets

could be staked this fall to show how

they would impact play at the golf

course.

All street plans remain subject to

change at this point, he said.

FEE VOTE DELAYEDThe committee postponed adopting

a 2014 rate structure and budget rec-

ommendation to the Finance Com-mittee until its Sept. 23 meeting.

Golf course director Ted Donkersaid cart rates for nine holes should

go up from $10 to $12 next year andsales tax could be added to green fees.

Those fees currently include sales tax.The demand is there for carts, he

said. Lou Reilly, a committee mem-ber, wanted a fee increase on top of

including sales tax saying the courseneeds to contribute more to its total

cost.Pleasant View GC revenue has

covered its operating expenses butnot its debt service for years.

While Donker estimated that rais-ing prices wouldnt reduce the

amount of business, perhaps an in-crease of 6,000 or 7,000 rounds next

year, he couldnt substantiate thatother than a gut feeling.

We gotta get off gut feelings. Weneed metrics, said Committee Chair

Terry Turner.The number of rounds played

through July 31 this year is downfrom 38,646 this year compared to

42,425 last year.The committee asked Donker to

present at the Sept. 23 meeting a pro-jection of number of rounds to be

played in 2014 based on trends fromthe past three years and the number of

playable days.

ERDMAN continued from page 1


6/24


FFROMROM THETHE LL IBRARYIBRARY

Photos contributed

Librarys summer

programs forteens wrap upTeens have enjoyed a busy summer at the Middleton

Public Library, where there have been a wide range ofprograms to keep them learning and having fun evenwhen school was out. Pictured here are two scenes fromthe Teen Summer Reading Picnic Finale that took placeAugust 3. At left, Katherine McCarthy and her sister,Mary McCarthy, both facing the camera, enjoy the event.Above, a group of teens take part in the frozen T-shirtrace.

Sumin Yang was the winner of the librjarys Teen Writ-ing Contest and Teen Photography Contest, and AnnaKim was the winner of the Teen Drawing Contest. Abound copy of all entries is available for check-out at thelibrary.

Ladies Night Out will

benefit Rape Crisis CenterGreenway Station is excited to an-

nounce Ladies Night Out Shop for

a Cause to be held Thursday, Septem-ber 12, from 5 to 8 p.m. The event is

designed to offer an opportunity forshoppers to enjoy exclusive sales and

offers from participating stores andrestaurants while supporting a local

charity. Attendees will also enjoycomplimentary food, live entertain-

ment and prize giveaways.Ladies Night Out will be held rain

or shine along the shopping centersmain street, Deming Way. The first

300 ladies to register will receive a$10 Greenway Station gift card. The

event will offer tasty appetizers cour-tesy of Johnnys Italian Steakhouse

and TGI Fridays, delicious gelatofrom Chocolaterie Stam and Star-

bucks coffee. Ladies Night Out willalso include live entertainment by

local guitarist Ken Wheaton, as wellas chances to win Greenway Station

gift cards and several great prize

packages. Shoppers can also enjoyrelaxing chair and hand massagescourtesy of the masseuses at Studio

262 Salon and complimentarymakeup touch-ups by their stylists.

Admission is a cash or check do-nation of $5 to benefit the Rape Crisis

Center (RCC). Event attendees willhave a chance to meet and visit with

RCC staff and volunteers throughoutthe evening.

For forty years, the Rape CrisisCenter has depended on community

support to provide our essential 24/7crisis services free of charge, said

Kelly Anderson, Executive Directorfor the Rape Crisis Center. Ladies

Night Out will be so much fun, andhelp RCC make a tremendous differ-

ence for victims in Dane County.Were so grateful to be a part of this

event - shopping for a great cause!Shoppers can register beginning at

5 p.m. at the admission booth locatedin front of J. Jill. There, ladies can

make their donation and receive aregistration packet which includes a

wristband to identify participation, anevent guide listing exclusive sales

and offers, a register to win prizeform and a ticket to spin the prize

wheel.Since the inaugural Ladies Night

Out in 2012, Greenway Station hasraised over $6,000 for local charities.

Were thrilled that Ladies NightOut has grown into a popular and

well-attended event, said CoreyKautzky, General Manager of Green-

way Station. It is our hope thatladies in and around the Greater

Madison area will embrace this op-

portunity to relax, shop, dine andshow their support to the RCC. Ad-ditional Ladies Night Out events are

scheduled for spring and fall of 2014.Additional information on Ladies

Night Out and the Rape Crisis Centercan be found at www.greenwayshop-

ping.com andwww.danecountyrcc.org.

Greenway Station Shopping Cen-

ter hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mon-

day through Saturday and noon to 5

p.m. on Sunday with some store and

restaurants open extended hours.


7/24

Hey, presto, abracadabra!

No cats will be performing sleight-of-hand la T. S. Eliots magical Mr.

Mistoffelees, but plenty of humans willbe. On Labor Day weekend, the Mar-

riot in Middleton hosts the 75th annualconvening of the Houdini Club of Wis-

consin. The clubs motto? NothingBeats Fun.

To prove it, convention members areperforming two different professional

shows for the public, held at the Mid-dleton Performing Arts Center (PAC).

Tickets will be available at the door.The Houdini Club of Wisconsin is a

national organization devoted to keep-

ing alive the memory of Appleton-res-ident and world-renowned escapeartist, Harry Houdini. Also included in

the clubs top-of-the list goals are toPromote magic and the kindred arts

and Have fun!But the organization also has a seri-

ous side. A portion of the ticket salesproceeds will benefit Gildas Club

Madison, located in Middleton.Convention Chairman Ed Litt said

he hopes for a sellout crowd of 900 forboth evenings, and expects at least 600

per show. According to Litt, the organ-ization chose Gildas Club of Madison

as the local beneficiary because of afamily connection, and also because of

familial experience with cancer.

We know Gildas Club does a lot ofgood work, Litt said.

According to Bob Rath, event co-

chair, every year magicians of allstripes, magic-lovers, and dealers in

legerdemain gather to wave a commu-nal wand by participating in contests,

shows and lectures. Some of the edu-cational seminars feature escape, cos-

tume, stage performance and close-uptrickery tips, he said.

There are two types of magic acts,one is stage performance that has the

use of curtains, distance, and lights, the

other is in-your-face, Rath explained,adding, The close-up is the kind youdfind with street performers.

Rath, one of the first Willy Wonkastraveling to shill candy for General

Mills in the late 70s, used magic to puthimself through college, he said. Hes

been a performer for decades, but thisyear is on the administration side of the

convention, booking the dealers andevents outside the shows.

The two evening shows are family-friendly and less than two hours total,

including intermission. A total ofeleven acts will be showcased, includ-

ing professionals based in Vegas, Cal-ifornia, Florida, Illinois, England and

Michigan, Litt said. Two of the per-

formers have Wisconsin ties: TristanCrist and Jacki Manna.Crist, a professional illusionist for

thirteen years, has spent eight seasonsat Baraboos Circus World. Recently,

Circus World built a new 300-seatvenue, The Magic Theatre, to house his

show, he said. Originally from Mil-waukee, Crist will perform his comedic

magic at the PACs Saturday nightshow.

I use volunteers from the crowdand get to play around with electricity,

he disclosed with glee.Manna studied under Madison

celebrity and kid-entertainer extraordi-naire, Howie Olson, the ventriloquist

on WISC-TVs Circus 3. Local resi-dents, who can cast their minds back to

the sixties, will no doubt rememberOlsons sidekick, Cowboy Eddie. (This

reporter sure does; Cowboy Eddiessuspiciously perpetual grin was fairly

cemented in my brain as a six-year-oldwhen I once shared the stage with him.

Not to mention his stare down eyes.)Manna will be bringing Cowboy

Eddie back for a local encore, appear-ing in the Friday evening show. Based

on fan reports shes been receivingfrom the Madison area, she expects ex-

cited throngs to greet Cowboy Eddie.

One man contacted me and said

hed been on [Circus 3] five times asa kid, and he wants his granddaughterto meet Cowboy Eddie after the show,

she crowed. Manna happily knowsshes second fiddle to her puppet,

whom she calls a Madison celebrityand legend.

Its about Cowboy Eddie andHowie Olson, the legacy he left. To

have that live on and continue is price-less, she said.

Manna, from Des Moines originally,has resided in Orlando since 1992,

when she followed Olson and his wifeafter their 1991 move. It was a move of

mercy by a good friend she helpedtake care of him until his death soon

after. Olson had previously taught her

the biz, she said - how to carve pup-pets, ventriloquism, showmanship andmagic. Shes performed in twelve

countries she said, touching thou-sands, millions of lives, and credits

Olson with touching her own in a pos-itive way.

She fondly remembers the 1990Houdini Club of Wisconsin conven-

tion, when she, and her puppet Lucy,and Olson, with Cowboy Eddie, actu-

ally shared a stage. Manna would loveto hear from anyone who may have

pictures of her performance with hermentor and their collective legend.

Although shes preparing for her up-coming school year teaching third

grade, she cant wait to be back in Wis-consin to perform her tribute to Cow-

boy Eddie, Howie Olson and Circus3, she said.

Im so excited! I really pushed tobe [at the convention]. I told the [club]

president, You have gotto have Cow-boy Eddie if youre in Madison, she

exclaimed.As for this reporter? Ill be at

Mannas Friday night show. CowboyEddie and I have unfinished business.

You know what they say about facingyour childhood fears.


PPERFORMINGERFORMING AARTSRTS

Houdini Club brings magic to PACby KATHERiNE pERRETH

Times-Tribune

Photos contributed

Tristan Crist (top) and Jacki Manna (above) are among an array of per-formers headed to Middleton. The Houdini Club of Wisconsin Magic Showsat the Middleton Performing Arts Center will take place Friday and Satur-day at 8 p.m. Adult tickets are $12 and child/senior tickets are $8. They areavailable at Gildas Club and also at the door the night of the show.


8/24

The Swiss

ConnectionNote: Last Friday, I met a new res-

ident of Middleton . . . a Swiss cheese

scientist named Rene who I found out

subscribes to the Middleton Times.

Welcome to the Good Neighbor City,

Rene and to your wife and daughter,

too. I enjoyed our conversations and

the popcorn! I submitted this article

with you in mind.

When I was growing up, my family

didnt have a car. Going anywhere be-yond Appleton was a thrill for me.

When I was twelve, I went on a schooltrip to Chicago, my first time out of the

state. Physically that is.My mind left often, traveling with

Ponce de Leon, Balboa and the otherexplorers. Oh, to be standing at the

front of one of those big ships, wind inmy face, rocking across the ocean . . .

seeing things Id never seen before!

One birthday, my Uncle Andy gaveme a transistor radio. I kept it tucked

under my pillow at night. When myparents were asleep, Id turn it on and

pull in stations from New York Cityand Quebec. I had no idea what the

Quebecois were saying, but I thrilled attheir accents and the rhythm of their

words.And then there was my globe. I

loved to spin it, close my eyes and letmy finger drop where it would. Then

Id try to imagine that place. If theplace started with the letter Aa, I could

look it up at home in the one encyclo-pedia that we had. That first volume

was free from the A&P store becausewe had spent enough on groceries that

week. Otherwise, Id have to wait fora trip to the library to find out more.

Because of that first volume of Funkand Wagnalls, I often looked at photos

of the Alps and wondered if Id eversee them. When I was in France, a

Swiss couple, took my photo for an ar-ticle that I was writing for the paper

back home in Amherst, WI. I invitedthem to the gardens I was caring for,

and they invited me to visit them in

their home outside of Berne. I jumpedat the chance.

I travelled by train to see as much of

Northern France and Switzerland as Icould. For a long time the train ran

along the Dordogne River, dotted withstrings and clusters of swans. I got a

glimpse of Leon, the second largestcity in France, but mostly it was a rural

trip, the land switching from farms andwoodland to hills and then, just as the

sun set - the Alps.What a tease - finally getting to the

mountains, but in the dark of night!The next morning was worse, with a

fog so dense, I couldnt even see theend of the driveway.

I made friends with the fog, takingghostly pictures of the roads and fields

around my hosts home, whiling awaythe day until they returned from work.

My hostess, Yvonne, arrived homefirst. She, too, longed to see the sun

and the mountaintops. It had beenfoggy for days before I arrived. So, we

drove the foggy curves for abouttwenty minutes. Then, in one glorious

instant we were above the fog, the Alpsdramatically entering our view as the

cover of clouds fell beneath us.For the longest time, I couldnt

speak. I was above the clouds and thetops of the Alps were before me. It was

surreal and beautiful at the same time.The accompanying photo was taken,

a long stretch of minutes, later. Thedarkish mountain in the distant right is

Mount Stockhorn. Yvonne pointed itout to me and said, You can go up that

one tomorrow, if youd like. Peterwould like to take you hiking if youre

game.Of course I was game! Peter,

Yvonnes husband and I drove part wayup and then took a series of two cable

cars to the top. It was a 9.178 mile hikedown, beside small summer grazing

fields and cottages, along clear moun-tain streams and past one gorgeous

view after another.There are so many stories to tell

about my time in Switzerland. I spentan entire day at a retirement home for

their poorest elderly - a beautiful placewhere their oldest citizens live richly.

Four rooms, Peters domain wereequipped with jigsaws and drills, paints

and fabric and lots of other medium sothat the residents could continue to cre-

ate. Unbound by the litigiousness of

the US, the residents, who were able,could help to cook, and garden and do

all sorts of things theyd never be al-lowed to here.

On my last day in Switzerland, I hada long layover at the station in Geneva.

I walked to the restaurant next door tospend the time and my remaining

Swiss francs on lunch. While I waitedfor my meal, I remembered my globe

and the girl who longed to travel. I satthere, absorbing the fact that I was sit-

ting on a piece of the earth, very farfrom the south of France and very, very

far from Wisconsin.My reverie broke when the waiter

approached with my food. The song

Wooly Bully was just finishing. Ipicked up my fork and the musicchanged to one by the Beach Boys. I

am not kidding when I tell you that the

song was, I Get Around! I laughed

out loud that this song would come onat that moment. Who knows where Ill

get around to next?

p.s. If anyone is going to Switzerland

soon, I still have some Swiss francs

left!


The Erdman

DevelopmentThe City of Middleton has been

working with the Erdman Development

team for the past year+ concerning the

creation of a Conservation Subdivision

ordinance and development concept for

about 162 acres of property north of and

adjacent to the Citys Pleasant View Golf

Course and directly across from the Mid-

dleton Business Park on Highway 14.

Following is an overview of the project

and why the City is interested in seeing

it come to fruition:

New Ruralism is a far more sus-

tainable and pioneering approach todevelopment than typical develop-

ment in unincorporated areas.Approximately 70 percent of the

property will be open space.A network of trails will connect this

new subdivision with the rest of Mid-

dleton, including the Pleasant ViewGolf Course.

Wetlands important to the BlackEarth Creek Watershed will be pre-

served.The community farm concept will

promote fresh, locally-grown foodthat may serve the neighborhood as

well as other local customers.At the PVR neighborhood, we are

discussing plans for a potential trailhead for the planned regional Good

Neighbor Trail that will link areaswest of Middleton to Mazomanie and

further promote outdoor activitiessuch as snow skiing, biking, horse-

back riding and snow mobiling.PVRs greater density of develop-

ment than typical rural developmentwill promote a more sustainable

model for others to copy.

The Black Earth Creek watershed

likely will be improved by transition-ing on this property from high-impact

corn production with fertilizer andpesticide run off to a small organic

farming operation with storm watermanagement practices utilized

throughout the development.

PVR is between the MiddletonBusiness Park and the Pleasant View

Golf Course, and it will provide greatscenic beauty for its residents as well

as ready access to employment in thecommunity and immediate access to

a great golf course, as well as skiingand biking trails.

Development in the City will en-

sure that the residents who benefitfrom City amenities will also be pay-

ing City taxes. In addition, the sale of

City lots peripheral to the golf course

operation will enable the City to paydown its golf course debt more rap-

idly.

Community septic and well waterwill be more respectful of the Black

Earth Creek watershed and better forgroundwater replenishment since the

development is in a different water-shed from most of the developed part

of Middleton. Infiltrat ion measureswill ensure that groundwater is not de-

pleted in this critical natural area.

The concept plan is going through

the City review process in September.The Citys goal is to approve the new

Conservation Subdivision ordinance,zoning for the property and the final

annexation this fall.

Photo contributed

Author Deb Biechler in Switzerland.

Good Neighborsand City Government

by Mike Davis

City of Middleton Administrator

ience and we deeply thank all of those

that have supported the Youth Centerthrough the years, said a press release

issued by the city.

Call 608-821-8360 or visit [email protected] for moreinformation.

County Supervisor) Melissa Sargent,Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney,

County Board Supervisor Sharon Cor-rigan, Middleton Mayor Kurt Sonnen-

tag; Middleton Common CouncilPresident Susan West, Middleton Com-

mon Council members Gurdip Brar,Hans Hilbert, Joanna Richard, Miriam

Share, and Jim Wexler and Madisonalder Mark Clear.

NElSONcontinued from page 4

CENTERcontinued from page 1


9/24


Safety urged as students return to school

Education conversation comes to the PAC

Tuesday will be the first day of

school this fall. Students in Middleton-Cross Plains will be walking and riding

bicycles to school after a summeraway.

Some of them will be walking toschool for the first time, or will be un-

familiar with their routes and any haz-ards along the way.

If you have children returning to

school, talk to them about safely walk-ing or riding their bicycle to school and

their responsibility to obey the pedes-trian and bicycle traffic laws for their

own safety, said Mark Walther, Mid-dleton Community Services director

and Middleton Police Department liai-son to school crossing guards.

Drivers are reminded to watch out

for these young pedestrians and bicy-clists, to put down their cellular phones

- especially near to schools - and towatch their speed. Remember that the

speed limit is 15 MPH where signedadjacent to schools and school cross-

ings when children are present.Middleton Police officers are as-

signed to monitor the morning and af-

ternoon walks to school.Crossing guards located at Park

Street and South Avenue for Elm LawnElementary School, Branch Street at

Sauk Trail Elementary School and onHigh Road at Northside Elementary

School have the authority to stop trafficto allow students to safely cross these

busy streets on their way to and from

school.Crossing guards ask that drivers be

alert when approaching these cross-ings, signal their intended turns, be pre-

pared to stop when directed to andremain stopped until the crossing guard

has left the roadway.

Former teacher Bob Schell named Elm Lawn principalBob Schell, who has been a teacher

in the school district since 2002, has

been named the principal at Elm LawnElementary.

He replaces Mike Pisani, who leftearlier this summer to take an elemen-

tary principal position in the VeronaArea School District.

I am very excited to have Bob as-sume this leadership position at Elm

Lawn, Superintendent Don Johnsonsaid earlier this week. He is positive,

thoughtful, energetic, and committedto serve and lead the students, fami-

lies, and staff at Elm Lawn. Please

welcome Bob to the Elm Lawn fam-ily!

The Board of Education confirmedhis appointment on Monday night.

Schell started working at Elm Lawnon Tuesday and met many Elm Lawn

students and their families at theschools Information Day on Wednes-

day.Schell has taught at Sunset Ridge,

Glacier Creek and Kromrey, where hehas most recently worked as a sixth-

grade math, reading and Englishteacher. He also has been a math

teacher trainer for College Prep Math

and been actively engaged as a teacherleader at Kromrey. Schell also served

as the assistant varsity track coach atMHS from 2003-11. He also did his

student-teaching at Elm Lawn in2002.

Schell received a bachelors degreefrom the University of Wisconsin-

Madison in 2002 and added his mas-ters in educational leadership from

Viterbo in 2007.My educational philosophy hinges

around a central theme of studentlearning, he said. All students can

learn and student learning must be the

primary focus of the school commu-nity.

There were 42 candidates who ap-plied for the position and eight were

interviewed, Johnson said.Meanwhile, Jeff Kenas was re-

cently named a Dean of Students atMiddleton High School.

Jeffs experience and leadershipaligned well with the role and respon-

sibilities of the dean position and weare excited to have him join our ad-

ministrative team, MHS principalDenise Herrmann said.

Kenas has been a mathematics

teacher at MHS since joining the dis-trict in 1997. He took over as the MHS

girls golf coach in 2007 and also hasbeen an assistant boys golf coach

since 1999. He earned a bachelors de-gree from UW-Madison in 1997 and a

masters from Viterbo in 2007. He isalso working on his principals certi-

fication through Viterbo.I began as a mathematics teacher,

but now I teach persistence, collabo-ration and communication through the

field of mathematics, striving to givemy students the skills necessary to be

successful in any career, he said.

Local students ace American College TestMiddleton-Cross Plains Area

School District seniors who took the

American College Test (ACT) in2012-13 fared better than almost all of

their state peers.The districts composite score at

Middleton High School was 25.5.That was the fourth-highest average

among high schools in the state in2012-13 and tied for third among

school districts. MCPASD studentshad the same composite average for

the third straight year. They had thethird-highest average in the state in

2011-12.The state average composite score

was 22.1. The only high schools withhigher ACT averages than MCPASD

were Whitefish Bay (26.0), Kohler(25.9) and Madison West (25.7).

Here is a chart with the sevenschool districts who scored at 25 or

higher. Also included is the percentageof students who took the ACT and the

percentage of students who receivefree or reduced in the school district.

Studies have shown that students whocome from economically disadvan-

taged backgrounds typically scorelower on tests.

About 77.8 percent (364) of the 468seniors who were enrolled at MHS

took the ACT in 2012-13. When sen-iors from Clark Street Community

School and 21st Century eSchool areadded to the possible test-takers, that

percentage drops to 69.8.Middleton had the second-highest

score among the 10 schools in the BigEight Conference and had the highest

participation rate. Here are the resultsfor every Big Eight school:

The composite average tied thehighest ever recorded by MCPASD

students.Ninety-two percent of MCPASD

students showed preparedness for col-lege level English, compared to the

state average of 75 percent. While 54percent of state students are ready for

college level algebra, the MCPASDaverage was 80 percent.

About 74 percent of MCPASD stu-

dents are college-ready for social sci-

ence, compared to the state average of

53 percent. Finally, 67 percent of MC-

PASD students area ready for college

level biology, while the state average

is 47 percent.

Wisconsin students were tied for

second in the nation in ACT average

score. Minnesota was first with 23.08,

while Wisconsin and Iowa were at

22.1. The national average was 20.9,

a drop of two-tenths of a point from a

year ago. About 71 percent of the

2013 state public and private school

graduates took the ACT during their

high school career.

The ACT is a series of tests in Eng-

lish, math, science and reading. The

ACT is used by many colleges as a

factor in determining who is accepted.

School ACT average % Tested % Free and Reduced

Whitefish Bay 26.0 86.8 2.6

Kohler 25.9 92.9 0

Middleton 25.5 77.8 16.3

Gilmanton 25.5 54.6 43.7

Waunakee 25.2 73.6 10.1

Alma 25.2 40.9 38.8

Mequon-Thiensville 25.0 85.9 8.9

Wisconsin State Senators Kathleen

Vinehout (D-Alma) and Dale Schultz(R-Richland Center) are among the

handful of presenters who will partici-pate in How Many Kids Left Behind?

An Interactive Community Conver-sation on the Future of Our Public

Schools at the Middleton PerformingArts Center, 2100 Bristol St., on Thurs-

day, Sept. 5.The forum is free and open to the

public and the media. It begins at 7p.m. and is expected to last 90 minutes.

Other confirmed participants arecU-niversity of Wisconsin-Madison

School of Education Dean Julie Under-wood, cDepartment of Public Instruc-

tion policy adviser and federal fundstrustee Jeff Pertl, Wisconsin Associa-

tion of School Board government rela-

tions specialist Joe Quick

Quick will act as the moderator forthe program and Pertl will introduce

each of the three topics. The first topicwill be the states education budget.

The second will be vouchers, variouscharters, private school reimbursement

and the financial impact on publicschools. The third will be the needs of

rural school districts.There will be a five-minute presen-

tation on each topic. The other pan-elists will then respond with additional

ideas and reactions, followed by ques-tions from the audience. Each segment

will last 25 minutes.Statewide voucher expansion at-

tempts to create a board of political ap-pointees in Madison to dictate to local

communities where charter schools

will be created. Critics say the move-

ment is part of an ongoing efforts toundermine Wisconsins public school

system.Schultz was elected to the assembly

in 1982 and the senate in 1991. He is amember of the Senates Committee on

Universities and Technical Colleges.He was the Senate Majority Leader

from 2004 to 06. He is a 1975 gradu-ate of UW-Madison.

Vinehout was elected to the statesenate in 2006 and re-elected in 2010.

She is a member of the Senates Com-mittee on Education and is the ranking

member of the Joint Committee onAudit. She graduated from Southern

Illinois University and has a mastersand doctorate from Saint Louis Univer-

sity.

Underwood taught at UW-Madison,

served as dean of Miami UniversitysSchool of Education and was associate

executive director and general counselfor the National School Boards Asso-

ciation. She has authored or co-au-thored four books. She is a graduate of

DePauw University, has a law degreefrom Indiana University and a PhD

from the University of Florida.Pertl has worked for DPI since 2009.

He was a legislative services coordina-tor for WASB and on the legislative

policy staff for the Wisconsin Senate.He also is a member of the Dane

County Board of Supervisors. He grad-uated from UW-Madison and has a

masters from the University of Cali-fornia-Berkeley.

Quick has worked as a staff member

in both houses of the Legislature, andin the Executive branch, as the legisla-

tive liaison for DPI and as an education

lobbyist for the Madison Metropolitan

School District and WASB. He has

more than 35 years of experience. He

graduated from UW-Madison and UW-

Milwaukee.

Team Gold, a west side Madison

neighborhood team, and the Middleton

Action Team are sponsoring the pro-

gram. The Middleton-Cross Plains

Area School Board of Education is

hosting. The board does not necessarily

endorse the opinions expressed by in-

dividuals at this program.

Image contributed

Schools with high standardized test scores often have few economically disadvantaged students. An estimated 16.3percent of students in Middleton-Cross Plains qualify for the free and reduced lunch program.


10/24

plicants to the school had filed by theAugust 9 deadline, a far smaller num-

ber than the private schools that madethe cut.

Looks like were going to have along shot to qualify, he said shortly

before the results were confirmed.However, Hoenecke said he was still

glad West Side Christian gave it a shot,

and he believes the experience couldcome in handy as the states controver-sial commitment to voucher schools

continues to grow.Were definitely going to look into

this in the future, he said, becausetheyre going to expand the number of

vouchers. It was a short turnaround thisyearcbut still a nice excuse for people

to come out and see our school.Hoenecke said he doesnt buy into

some peoples fear that increased pub-lic money for private schools will drain

resources away from public education

in Wisconsin. Were not in competi-tion with public schools, not here totake people away, he said. We sup-

port strong public schools as well.West Side Christian, located at 3815

Schneider Rd. in Mid-dleton, is a preschool-

through eight gradeelementary and was es-

tablished by St. An-drew Lutheran Church

in 2001.With the $6,642

state voucher payments

limited to just the 25schools with the most applications and500 students statewide, Hoenecke

knew all along the program might notadd a large enough number to the 140

students enrolled at West Side Chris-tian last year to secure more funds.

But the expansion of state fundingfor religious schools is something all

educators are tracking.It could be a real blessing for peo-

ple who can use a good quality Chris-

tian education who cant afford it. Evenif only one family participates, its

worth it, he said.The school applied to the Depart-

ment of Public Instruction after a fam-ily asked if West Side Christian would

be participating, Hoenecke said.While the schools enrollment has

been growing in the past few years,

West Side looks at the voucher pro-gram as one more way to serve DaneCountys west side, said Hoenecke,

principal since 2006.St. Andrew heavily subsidizes the

school as the $4,000 tuition for full-daystudents doesnt cover the nearly

$7,000 the school spends per pupil,Hoenecke said. Church members re-

ceive a $1,000 discount.After teaching two years in Madison

public schools, Ashley Renstrom said

her education in private schools madeher feel at home as a first/second grade

teacher at West Side Christian.Not being able to talk about Jesus

in public schools and share what wasshared with me was a reason I wanted

to find a better place for me as ateacher, she stated.

Teaching creation theory is very dif-

ferent at West Side Christian than itwas in public school, Renstrom said.After learning what the bible says

about creation of the earth, she took herclass on a field trip to a geology mu-

seum for the main stream science es-timates of the age of fossils. But in the

end, the bible is what we follow, shesaid.

The voucher program was amongthe most controversial acts the Legis-

lature approved this year because ittransfers tax dollars to private schools

though tuition credits to parents whoenrolled their children.

The program is open to familieswhose income is below 185 percent of

the federal poverty level. A family of

four with an annual income of $43,752qualifies, and so do married parentswith an annual income of $50,752 and

two children, according to the DPI.The private school receives a state

aid payment of up to $6,442 for eacheligible student. The aid is subtracted

from the school district the studentwould have attended.

Like Hoenecke, Middleton-CrossPlains Area School Board president

Ellen Lindgren, didnt think thevoucher program would have much

impact this year on local schools. Butit could in the future, she cautioned.

I dont think [West Side] will beone of the top [25] participants; the

larger schools will probably get thevouchers this year, so I dont antic-

ipate a huge drain on our budget fromthe voucher program. But if they lift

the caps, it would have an impact, shesaid.

Hoenecke said he is more hopeful ofgetting some voucher students for the

2014-15 school year.Hesitant to predict what the Legisla-

ture would do, Lindgren notes thatvoucher programs expanded in other

states once they became established.Lindgren said she respects a parents

choice in what schools they want theirchildren to attend. But she added that

values and morals are also taught inpublic school, just not in rubric of re-

ligion.Lindgrens biggest complaint about

the voucher program is that it fundstwo school systems in the state in an

era of increasingly scarce resources.Also, while freezing aid to the public

school systems, the Legislature in-creased aid by nine percent to voucher

students.The voucher program doesnt ade-

quately address how students strug-gling to acquire an education other than

giving a limited number of parents achoice of where to send their children

to school, she said.We do need to close the achieve-

ment gap for some low-income stu-dents, but the programs that have been

proven to do that, year-round school,after school, and mentoring are the pro-

grams the state tells us they cant affordto fund. Yet they say we can afford to

fund a second school system, she said.The Middleton-Cross Plains Area

School District is a property-rich dis-trict, which means under Wisconsin

public education funding formulas itsends more money to the state in prop-

erty taxes than it receives back in stateaid.

Still, Lindgren sees a high degree oflocal support for public education -

more recently demonstrated in a 68percent approval in a multi-million dol-

lar referendum last fall.


VOUCHERS continued from page 1

Hoenecke


11/24



12/24



13/24



14/24

Sometimes even great teams can

have an off night.Middleton is hoping that was the

case with its football team last Fridaynight.

Facing Big Eight Conference rivalMadison Memorial, the Cardinals

were simply off from the start.Middleton needed three attempts just

to get the opening kickoff in play andthings only went downhill from there.

The Spartans took advantage ofMiddletons sloppy play by scoring on

its first drive and pulling away late fora 31-14 victory over the Cardinals in a

Big Eight Conference opener atBreitenbach Stadium.

Middleton lost for the fifth time insix games dating back to last season.

That hasnt happened at MHS since1981.

We werent ready to play tonight,Middleton coach Tim Simon said.

Madison Memorial beat us on theoffensive side and the defensive side

and a lot of credit has to go to them,but from our perspective, our play was

sloppy right out of the gate.Indeed, the Cardinals turned the

ball over on three of their first fourpossessions and committed six penal-

ties totaling 54 yards in the first halfalone.

You cant turn the ball over threetimes and put yourself in that hole,

said Simon.

The Cardinals also had trouble con-

taining Memorials Trevis Miller andRa Quan Cunnigan, especially in the

second half. Miller finished with 187yards rushing on 18 attempts and

Cunnigan had 124 yards on 16attempts. The pair combined for 208

yards on 20 attempts and three touch-downs in the second half alone.

We didnt get our gaps so (Miller)

was bouncing around on us going all

over the field, Middleton junior line-backer Brian Chapman said. People

just didnt get their assignments.Simon said the Cardinals defense

wore down after a strong first half.I think we played really good

defense in the first half, Simon said.The second half we got worn down a

little bit, but its a combination of not

clicking from either side.

Wissports.net had projected theSpartans to finish sixth in the Big

Eight Conference, but Simon knewMemorial was a dangerous outfit that

returned several starters. Simonwasnt sure if his players believed it,

though, prior to Fridays game.You wonder when you come out

as flat as we did, Simon said. We

preached it all week long as coaches.This is a very good football team,

theyve got a lot of starters back. Yousure hope the guys believed it and saw

it on film.Memorial certainly didnt play like

a team destined for a sixth-place fin-

ish. The Spartans went up 7-0 afterJason Weah capped Memorials open-ing drive with a 1-yard touchdown run

on a fourth-and-goal play. Miller setthe drive up with a 43-yard kickoff

return to the Middleton 47-yard line.After the Cardinals were forced to

punt on their opening possession, theteams traded turnovers on five of the

next six possessions. Memorial wasdriving again when Cunnigan

coughed the ball up at the Middleton13 and Chapman recovered.

Four plays later, quarterback KaseyMiller fumbled the snap and

Memorials Ben Horman pounced onit at the Middleton 31. Middletons

defense held and Jeremy Gartlands

44-yard field goal attempt was wideleft.

Middleton gave the ball right back

when two plays later Luke Schaferwas stripped of the ball and the

Spartans Jack Andringa recovered atthe Middleton 25. After consecutive

sacks by Derek Rogeberg andChapman pushed Memorial back to

the Cardinals 45, Alex Wood pickedoff Toman at the Middleton 37.

Again, Middleton gave the ballback when Miller was intercepted by

Horman under a heavy rush at theMiddleton 29. The Cardinals defense

held again and Garlands 43-yardattempt was no good.

The bar has been raised.

Heck, the bar has been placed

somewhere between Mars and

Jupiter.

And really, Middletons girls

swimming program wouldnt have it

any other way.

But the Cardinals, who have won

three consecutive Big Eight

Conference championships, will

have their hands full maintaining

that standard of excellence this fall.

Middleton lost nearly half of its

varsity lineup to graduation. But if

theres been one constant to Lauren

Cabalkas program its that the

Cardinals reload and dont rebuild.With nearly half of our varsity

team being new, it will take us a

while to figure out the best lineup

and best combinations, but it is not

something we are scared about, said

Cabalka, whose team begins its sea-

son Friday by hosting Beloit

Memorial. Our girls have stepped

up, year-in and year-out, and I antic-

ipate nothing less this season.

This might be our most dedicat-

ed and determined group yet, which

will serve them well as we approachtough meets and post-season compe-

tition. I am very excited to watch this

group grow and look forward to the

many successes they will undoubted-

ly have.

The Cardinals have certainly had

sensational success under Cabalka.

Middleton was fourth at the WIAA

Division 1 state meet the past two

years and third in 2010.

With so many holes to fill, staying

at that lofty level will be extremely

difficult. But based on the Cardinals

recent history, it would seem foolish

to bet against them.

If we want to move up in the

state rankings, we absolutely have toqualify the majority, if not all, of our


Opening night is one to forgetMemorial rolls

past Middletonby GREGG HAMMill

For the Times-Tribune

See FOOTbAll, age 19

Maintaininga lofty perch

Middletons

girls swimmers

aim high againby ROb REiSCHEl

Times-Tribune

See SwiMMiNG, age 20

Times-Tribune photo by Mary Langenfeld

Karley Licking and Middletons girls swimmers begin their season Friday with a home meet against Beloit.


Charles Braxton rips off a 34-yard run during the Cardinals season-opening loss to Madison Memorial last Friday.

Follow RobReischel onTwitter at@robreischel


15/24

MONONA Middleton left

fielder Josh Hinson is known for his

home run power, annually ranking

among the leaders in the Home Talent

League.

But Hinson recorded a defensive

gem in the eighth inning on Sunday

when he snared Vince Schmitz s bid

for home run and helped preserve

Middletons 4-1 victory over Mononain an opening round game of the

Home Talent League amateur base-

ball playoffs at Ahuska Park on

Sunday.

Initially I thought it would just be

a popup. But it hit the jet stream and

just kept on carrying and Josh made a

heck of a play, Middleton pitcher

Drew Farrell said of his first pitch to

Schmitz with Robert Parman on first

base and a 4-1 lead. It was a curve

ball low and inside and (Schmitz) got

it up in the air, which he needed to

do.

Middleton manager Brandon

Hellenbrand was also surprised that

what at first appeared to be just a rou-

tine pop fly would prove to be a key

moment in the game.

At first when he hit it, I didnt

think it would get out of here. But he

hit it so high the wind just kept carry-

ing it and carrying it, Hellenbrand

said. Then when I saw Josh go back

I felt good until I saw him go up and

I said, Oh, oh that ball might get out

of here.

But Hinsons last-second leap

allowed him to pull the ball in just

inches away from it becoming a rally-

sparking home run.

For Josh to come down with it, I

told him it was the best play Ive ever

seen him make defensively,

Hellenbrand added. It took the windout of their sails. After that play, they

just kind of looked like, Hey, it might

not be our day.

Middleton (16-4, 1-0) will now

host defending champion Verona (18-

2, 0-1) on Sunday at 1 p.m. Monona

(19-2, 0-1) will travel to Stoughton

(14-6, 1-0), which defeated Verona

11-3 in the other first-round game in

the round-robin series.

Knowing you got the first one,

you go 1-0 into the second week,

said Hellenbrand, who was the 29ers

ace pitcher when they won the 2002

HTL title. Its hard to go 0-1 and

come in knowing youre going to

have to win the next two to even give

yourself a chance.

Middleton didnt waste any time

grabbing a 1-0 lead which it never

lost in the first inning.Brandon Scheidler led off the

game with a single, then moved to

third on a two-base throwing error by

Schmitz, the Monona third baseman.

Scheidler later scored when Kevin

Dubler bounced into a fielders

choice.

At the start of the game, there was

a lot of emotion and a lot of (fan) sup-

port at their park, Matt Brabender

said of the Monona Braves. To put

Scheidler on first and get a hustle play

to get him to third, you have to score

that run and take what you can get and

set the tone early.

Middleton made it 2-0 in the sec-

ond when Mike Brabender singled to

center the first of his three hits

moved to second on Cole Cooks sac-

rifice and scored on Scott

Brabenders RBI-double to left field.But Monona pulled within 2-1 in

the bottom of the second inning when

Beau Goff reached on an infield sin-

gle, moved to second on Collin

Crims infield out and scored on Erik

Masseys line-drive single to right

field.

However, that was all the offense

that Monona could muster. Middleton

right-hander Drew Farrell pitched out

of several jams the rest of the way to

secure the complete-game victory.

Hes the best that weve got on

that mound, Hellenbrand said of

Farrell, who allowed eight hits, two

walks and struck out seven. Early

on, I think he looked good, but not

great. By the time we hit the fifthinning, it didnt look like theyd score

again. He was getting in his groove.

Middleton made it 4-1 in the fifth

inning with a pair of runs.

Matt Brabender reached on an

infield single and Dubler blasted a

double to center field. Hinson was

called out on strikes, but Andrew

Zimmerman hit a ground ball to

shortstop Tony Grannis and

Brabender scored when he beat the

throw to home plate.

Mike Brabender followed with an

RBI-single to center field and Farrelltook it from there.

We eliminated the big innings for

them and made sure we came out and

shut them down when we scored,

said Farrell, who helped his own

cause when he registered five assists,

including four through the first three

innings. We kept the momentum

going.

First baseman Mike Brabender

said Farrell had a lot to do with shut-

ting down Mononas offense.

Hes athletic. He can make the

plays in the infield. There were a cou-

ple of choppers and he was able to

bounce off the mound and make the

plays, Mike Brabender said. Its

like we have another guy who fieldshis position well.

Monona stranded at least one base

runner in seven of the first eight

innings.

Tony Grannis singled and Robert

Parman doubled with one out in the

third inning, but Farrell retired

Schmitz on a popup and got Goff to

hit a bouncer back to the mound for

the third out.


One down,

two to goHTL team wins

playoff openerby DENNiS SEMRAU

For the Times-Tribune

See HTl, age 19


Brandon Scheidler and Middletons Home Talent League team hosts Verona Sunday.


16/24


Franco Marcos is never shy.Middletons girls volleyball coach

wont run and hide from great expec-tations. In fact, its Marcos who often

fuels them himself.So despite the Cardinals losing sev-

eral key cogs from last years BigEight Conference championship team,

Marcos is predicting big things for histeam in 2013.

We have a better team than lastyear, said Marcos, whose team opens

its season Friday at the MequonHomestead Invite. Our players are

experienced, stronger physically andmentally. I like what I have seen from

the team in practice and in the twoscrimmages that we have played so

far.Middleton went a perfect 9-0 in the

Big Eight last season and reached theWIAA Division 1 sectional semifi-

nals, before losing to Waunakee. TheCardinals lost three all-conference

players from that team, including first-team middle blocker Sydney Toon,

second-team outside hitter DeeDeeMaier and second-team setter Kylie

Zubella.But Marcos believes he has plenty

of gifted returnees and several talentednewcomers that will keep the

Cardinals near the top of the confer-ence.

We lost a pretty good group fromlast year and we have a stronger group

this year, Marcos said. It is a yearwith great expectations and realistic

goals.Senior outside hitter Mane

Bobadilla, a second-team all-confer-ence player last season, is the

Cardinals top returnee.A year ago, Bobadilla was third on

the team with 176 kills and added 20aces. Last season, Bobadilla played

strictly on the right side. This year,shell move to the left side and play in

the back row.Her defense has improved and we

expect her to play all around, Marcossaid of Bobadilla.

Senior libero Leia Peterman was asecond-team all-conference player last

year, as well. Peterman is a four-yearstarter and the Cardinals defensive

guru.She has a good chance to lead the

conference in digs this year, Marcossaid. She is our number serve receiv-

er and defender. She will also assumethe role of out of system setter when

our assigned setter digs the first ball.Sophomore outside hitter Logan

Welti is one of the Cardinals brightyoung stars. Welti played all-around

last year, and will be one of theCardinals top serve receivers and

defenders.Logan will be the other outside

hitter that we will be relying on to fin-ish plays for us, Marcos said.

Seniors Arissa Milton and ReedEspie will be Middletons top two

middle blockers.Arissa gets off the floor so effort-

lessly and her blocking has improvedfrom last season, Marcos said. Reed

has a long reach over the net andwe expect her to stuff her opponents

with no problems.Senior Breanna Schlueter takes

over as Middletons setter.Breanna has great hands and

court awareness, Marcos said. Shehas a strong serve and her defense is

what we want in a setter.Junior outside hitter Cole Jordee

could be poised for a breakthroughyear. And junior outside hitter Amber

Karn has terrific power, and is also agood passer and a defender.

Junior setter Rachel Severson willsee plenty of court t ime in Middletons

6-2 formation. Sophomore rightside

Spikers

set to soarMarcos expects

another big yearby ROb REiSCHEl

Times-Tribune

hitter Gabie Buechner is a left-handerwho will play on the right side.

Junior middle blocker AudreyHinshaw and junior defensive special-

ist Morgan Schmitt figure to con-tribute. Senior middle blocker Kelsey

Murphy, and senior defensive special-ists Kelli Robson and Grace

McMurray will look to make theirmarks, as well.

Sun Prairie, Middleton and Veronaappear to be the teams to beat in the

Big Eight. And Marcos goals extendbeyond that.

The goals for this year will be towin at least two tournaments, win con-

ference and get back to state, Marcossaid.


Leia Peterman and Middletons girls colleyball team begin their season Friday.


17/24


The gap has narrowed. That much

is certain.

And if Middletons girls tennis

team gets another crack at

Homestead, the Cardinals insist

theyll be more ready than ever.

Homestead, which has won five

consecutive WIAA Division 1 state

titles, edged Middleton, 4-3, on

Saturday to capture the MadisonWest Invitational. Afterwards,

though, the Cardinals were feeling as

if they could play with the mighty

Highlanders.

The Homestead match went real-

ly well, despite the fact that we lost,

Middleton senior Darcy Hogendorn

said. Im really proud of how we

played. Homestead is one of our

toughest opponents this year, so to

barely lose to them is something this

team should be very proud of.

If things go as expected,

Middleton and Homestead would

meet in the state semifinals in

October. Last weekend, the

Highlanders had their day in the sun.

Homestead finished the six-team,

round robin tournament a perfect 5-

0. Middleton was second at 4-1.

And while the tournament was a

round robin affair, everyone under-

stood that the Homestead-Middleton

matchup Saturday was the true

championship.

Middleton sophomore Kaisey

Skibba notched a 2-6, 6-1, 10-7 win

at No. 2 singles over Homesteads

Anna Keyvin. And Cardinals sopho-

more Abbey Webber earned a 6-1, 6-

0 win at No. 4 singles overHomesteads Lexi Heth.

Middleton also got a 6-2, 6-3 win

at No. 2 doubles from Baylie Gold

and Emily Oberwetter.

But it wasnt enough.

Our match against Homestead

last weekend was very close,

Oberwetter said. A couple of the

matches could have gone to either

team. Barely losing to them has fired

The pursuit

of excellenceGirls tennis teamnarrows gap on

mighty Homesteadby ROb REiSCHEl

Times-Tribune

See TENNiS, age 21


Kaisey Skibba and Middletons girls tennis team finished second to Homestead at the Madison West Invite.


18/24


First impressions are often the most

telling.And if thats the case, it could be

another banner season for Middletonsboys soccer team.

The Cardinals went to MountHoreb last Tuesday and routed the

Vikings, 5-1, in their season-opener.Middleton senior defender Jack

Hagstrom, a two-time all-state player,led the Cardinals with three goals.

Jack Hagstrom was too much forus on set pieces, Mount Horeb coach

Mark Newman said. He is a two-timeall-state player and it showed.

It was an impressive victory, con-sidering Mount Horeb was the WIAA

Division 2 state runner-up a year ago.The game was tied, 1-1, at half-

time. Middleton then erupted withfour second half goals and pulled

away.It took us until the second half to

get going, said Middleton first-yearBen Kollasch, who earned a victory in

his debut. In the first half MountHoreb showed why they have been to

the last three state tournaments.Mount Horeb used a high pressure

defense and put our guys on theirheels. Our players settled in much bet-

ter in the second half.Middleton got a goal from

Hagstrom in the third minute. But the

Vikings evened the game in the 33rdminute and the game was knotted at

halftime.The second half was all Middleton,

though.Hagstrom scored in the 47th

minute and senior forward EmersonKovacs gave the Cardinals a 3-1 lead

in the 61st minute.Hagstrom notched a hat trick with a

goal in the 65th minute. Junior mid-fielder Jordan Grapentine then scored

on a penalty kick in the 67th minute tomake it 5-1.

We dealt with the high pressureand moved the ball into dangerous

spots most of the half, Kollasch said.We also had some very good surpris-

es by players making their varsitydebut with fine performances.

Jordan Grapentine had one ofthose debut performances, but also

performances from Trent McKininonas a target forward, Nick Bilodeau as a

attacker, and Joe Hall and RomanPertzborn as defenders.

On deck: Middleton hostedMadison Memorial Tuesday night. A

year ago, the Spartans toppled theCardinals in the WIAA Division 1 sec-

tional semifinals.We are looking forward to this

Memorial game to make amends forthe sectional semifinal loss last year,

Kollasch said.Middleton also travels to the

Neenah Quad Friday and Saturday.The Cardinals face Arrowhead Friday

at 5 p.m. and play Neenah Saturday at10 a.m.

Aug. 22Middleton 5, Mount Horeb 1Middleton . 1 4 5Mount Horeb 1 0 1

First half: Mi Hagstrom (Khamenka),2:25. MH Zoske (Skalet), 32:50.

Second half: Mi Hagstrom (Salmon),46:54; Kovack (McKinnon), 60:22; Hagstrom

(Khamenka), 64:39; Grapentine (pk).

A rip-roaring startBoys soccer teamrouts Mount Horeb

in season openerby ROb REiSCHEl

Times-Tribune

The top two golf teams in the state

of Wisconsin lived up to their billingMonday.

Middleton, ranked No. 2 in thelatest Wisconsin Golf Coaches

Association poll, finished in a tie forfirst place with No. 1 Hartland

Arrowhead at the Waunakee Invite.The Warhawks then edged the

Cardinals in a playoff.Arrowhead and Middleton both

shot 325 at the Meadows of Sixmile

Creek to tie for first. Verona wasthird (329) at the 19-team tourna-ment, while Madison Memorial

(334) and Oregon (341) rounded outthe top five.

Sophomore Loren Skibba led theCardinals with a 79. That was good

for a sixth place tie individually.Middleton also counted 82s from

seniors Sheenagh Cleary, KellyWassarman and Hunter Schultz. All

three of those players tied for 12thindividually.

Veronas Jessica Reinecke, theWIAA Division 1 defending state

champion, earned medalist honorswith a 72.

On deck: Middleton begins Big

Eight Conference play Thursdaywhen it faces Madison East and Sun

Prairie in a triangular at MononaGolf Course at 10:30 a.m. The

Cardinals go back to MononaTuesday to face Janesville Parker

and Madison La Follette in a triangu-lar at 2 p.m.

On Wednesday, the Cardinals willcompete in the Milton Invite held at

University Ridge.

Golfers shine

at WaunakeeCardinals second to

No. 1 Arrowhead

by ROb REiSCHEl

Times-Tribune

Wisconsin Golf CoachesAssociation poll

1. Arrowhead

2. Middleton3. Green Bay Notre Dame

4. Madison Memorial5. Madison Edgewood

6. Verona7. Stoughton

8. Whitefish Bay9. Mukwonago

10. Milton

Honorable Mention: Oregon,Beaver Dam, Janesville Parker,

Tomah, Waukesha, Racine PrairieSchool, Brookfield Central, Xavier,

Eau Claire North, McFarland,Hayward, Catholic Memorial,

Kettle Moraine, De Pere, RacineCase, River Falls, New Richmond,

Fox Valley Lutheran, MenomoneeFalls.


Ivan Khamenka and Middletons boys soccer team rolled past Mount Horeb in its season opener last Thursday.


19/24

Grannis hit a one-out single in the

fifth. But Farrell struck out Parman

and Dubler, then Grannis was erased

on a steal attempt to end the inning.

Parman led off the eighth with a

sharp single to center field and

Schmitz drove a ball deep to left field.

But Hinson hauled in Schmitzs mon-

ster drive to begin a streak of six

straight outs that enabled Farrell to

register a complete game.

I think it would have gone out. I

jumped and my head hit the yellow

part of the fence so Im pretty sure I

caught it right on top of the fence,Hinson said. That would have been

game-changer for them. That would

have made it at least 4-3 going into

the bottom of the ninth.

Monona manager Chris Alexander

said Hinsons catch was the differ-

ence in the game.

Thats one of the best catches Ive

seen. Josh made a heck of a catch,

Alexander said. We had a lot of

chances today. We just werent able to

capitalize.

I told the guys this is champi-

onship level baseball. You cant

afford to give them extra outs on

defense and not capitalize when you

have opportunities on offense. We did

both of those.

Farrell continued his hot streak,

which combined with another stellar

performance on defense has become

the 29ers trademark down the stretch.

He had a great day today. He

pitched really well. He was around

the zone all day and kept our guys off-

balance, Alexander said. We had a

couple of balls that we squared up on,

but not many. Thats the sign he did a

really good job mixing it up and

changing arm angles on us.

It also helped that Middletonplayed flawless defense, including

Hinsons game-saving play.

That was the turning point of the

game. He knew he could get it and he

went up and got it, Matt Brabender

said. That turned the game around. If

you can make plays like that, it shows

how important defense is.

It also set the tone for the second

round of the round-robin champi-

onship series.

If you dont get the first one,

youre always playing catch-up,

Brabender said. To go on the road

and get that first game under your belt

and go back home puts a lot of fire

behind us. Weve got good fans,

everyones excited. Hopefully well

get two.

Middleton 4, Monona 1Middleton . 110 020 000 4 12 0Monona ... 010 000 000 1 8 1

Pitching (IP-H-ER-BB-K): Mi. Farrell(W, 8-6-1-2-7). Mo. Najacht (L, 5, 9-3-0-2),

Scheidell (4-3-0-1-0).

Leading hitters: Mi. Mi. Brabender 3x4,

Ma. Brabender 3x5, Dubler 2x5. Mo. Grannis3x4, R. Parman 3x4, Goff 2x4. 2B S.

Brabender, Dubler, Mi. Brabender, R. Parman,Goff.

Middleton then put together a 13-play, 80-yard scoring drive capped by

Schafers 4-yard TD pass to MitchellHerl with 4 minutes, 21 seconds

remaining in the first half. The TDwas set up by a 20-yard scramble to

the four-yard line by Schafer on thirddown. Schafer, under a heavy rush,

then found Herl alone in the back ofthe endzone on fourth down.

Gartland connected on a 29-yardfield goal to make it 10-7 at halftime.

Were down 10-7 at halftime,Simon said. We said (at halftime) the

bad news is we played a horrible firsthalf. The good news is were only

down 10-7, so if we clean things upwe should come out with a little more

fire in our belly and we should be ingood shape. Obviously, it wasnt the

case.Middletons Demond Hill returned

the opening kickoff of the second half46 yards. That sparked a six-play, 47-

yard scoring drive capped bySchafers 5-yard TD pass to Herl. The

play was set up by a 34-yard run byrunning back Charles Braxton on a

third-and-12 play from the Spartans

36-yard line.I give credit to Charles Braxton,

said Herl, a junior receiver. He had

the big run to get us there and I got thelast catch.

Memorial responded with a 15-play, 89-yard scoring drive capped by

Cunnigans 10-yard TD run. On third-and-goal, Cunnigan broke a tackle by

Max Oelerich at the 7 and surged intothe endzone with 4:37 remaining in

the quarter. Toman kept the drive alivewith a nine-yard scramble on third-

and-eight from the Memorial 13.On its ensuing possession,

Middleton drove from its own 29 tothe Memorial 39, but Schafer was

stopped inches short of the first down

on a fourth-and-one quarterbacksneak. The play seemed to deflate the

Cardinals as the Spartans Miller gotthe edge on the next play and broke

off a 48-yard run down the sidelinebefore being forced out of bounds at

the Middleton 13-yard line.It was a key play and they made

the play and we didnt, Simon said.We get that first down and it might

have been a whole different ballgame,but thats where kids have got to real-

ize that its one play, youve got to getyour heads back up and take care of

the next play.Five plays later, Cunnigan bulled

ahead for a 2-yard TD. Gartlandsextra-point kick made it 24-14 with

10:30 remaining in the fourth quarter.After forcing Middleton to punt,

Memorial iced the game when Millerburst through a hole in the middle of

the defense for a 52-yard TD.The last touchdown that they had

really deflated the team, saidChapman, who registered a sack and a

fumble recovery. But we kept ourheads up at the end.

Memorial ran 71 offensive plays to

just 50 for Middleton. The Spartansalso outgained the Cardinals, 419-218.

All of the coaches told us they

were a good football team and wereally underestimated them, Herl

said. We came out here and tried ourhardest, but we just didnt bring

enough to them.Simon said the Cardinals were

forced to make adjustments during thegame when Memorial came out run-

ning the ball instead of passing.Theyve got some very talented

wide receivers so going into the gamewe were more concerned about the

pass and that opened up the run, saidSimon. Youve got to compliment

Memorial for making those adjust-

ments. Their counter play was justkilling us.

Once the game got going and weknew that this is the game plan that

they had for the game, they were run-ning between the tackles and they

were bouncing a toss outside and beat-ing us on the edge. We werent play-

ing with our shoulders square, wewerent blocking out, we werent

coming downhill to make plays, andwe had a lot of missed tackles as

well.Chapman was surprised as well.

I thought they were going to runspread all day and they came out in

pro-style, Chapman said. We had tomake changes to stop them.

The Cardinals held Toman to 8-of-16 passing for just 68 yards with an

interception, but the Spartans rolledup 351 yards rushing on 51 attempts.

Daurice Fountain, a second-team all-league pick for Memorial last season,

had four catches for 43 yards.Middleton will look to rebound

when if hosts Beloit Memorial Fridayat 7 p.m.

Weve got to get better and weve

got to get better fast, Simon said.We know, from our perspective, wedid not play up to our potential and

thats got to change in a hurry.

Aug. 23Madison Memorial 31, Middleton 14Memorial ........................ 7 3 7 14 31Middleton ......................... 0 7 7 0 14

MM Jason Weah, 1, run (Jeremy Gartlandkick)

M Mitchell Herl, 4, pass from Luke Schafer

(Derek Rongstad kick)

MM Gartland, 29, FG

M Herl, 5, pass from Schafer (Rongstad

kick)MM Ra Quan Cunnigan, 10, run (Gartland

kick)

MM Cunnigan, 2, run (Gartland kick)

MM Trevis Miller, 52, run (Gartland kick)

TEAM STATISTICS

First downs MM 17, M 9. Rushing (Att-

Yds) MM 51-351, M 30-134. Passing yards MM 68, M 84. Passing (Att.-Comp.-Int.) MM

16-8-1, M 19-11-1. Total plays-yards MM 71-

419, M 50-218. Fumbles-lost MM 1-1, M 3-2.

Penalties-yards MM 2-10, M 8-64.

INDIVIDUAL LEADERSRushing: MM Miller 18-187, Cunnigan 16-

124. M Charles Braxton 14-78, Schafer 13-51.

Passing: MM Toman 16-8-1-68. M Schafer

15-10-0-74, Kasey Miller 4-1-1-10. Receiving:

MM Fountain 4-43. M Herl 4-26.



Mitchell Herl (83) caught a pair of touchdown passes during the Cardinalsloss to Madison Memorial last Friday.

FOOTbAll continued from page 14n

HTl continued from page 15n


20/24

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