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Middleton High School received yet

another glowing score on its state re-port card, and once again, local stu-

dents test scores rank high whencompared with state and national aver-

ages.But all is not well. At the same time,

the school continues to struggle with asignificant racial achievement gap. The

gap has been narrowed slightly, but isstill cavernous: Simply put, black and

Hispanic students continue to score farlower than their white and Asian coun-

terparts in Middleton-Cross Plains.

Educators, however, are hopeful a

new generation of standardized testsand procedures will finally help

schools narrow the divide. The Wis-consin Knowledge and Concepts Ex-

aminations (WKCE) is still in use, butwill soon be replaced by a more flexi-

ble system designed to give individualeducators the ability to better tailor

programs that target the deficiencies ofstruggling students.

THINKING CRITICALLYABOUT WKCE

WKCE is a standardized test de-

signed by the Wisconsin Department ofPublic Instruction, teachers, and edu-

cational assessment publisher

CTB/McGraw-Hill. Grades 3, 5, 6,and 7 take tests in Reading and Math-

ematics, while grades 4, 8, and 10 take

tests in Reading, Mathematics, Sci-

VOL. 121, NO. 50 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2013 SINGLE COPY PRICE: $1.25

www.MiddletonTimes.com

City budget approved

Inside this issue:Local: The Arts: Sports:

Marijuana could be on

spring ballot. Page 5Soprano Emily Birsan

returns to PAC . Page 6Hockey Cards start Big 8

play strong. Page 15

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

Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

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

Maintaining public services, sup-porting development initiatives, ensur-

ing a reasonable tax rate. What does abalance between all of these objectives

look like?It very much depends on who you

ask.Most city council members say they

have worked in recent years to addresscity maintenance costs, support com-

munity projects and finance numerousconstruction plans without placing an

unnecessary burden on taxpayers. After

the publication of the draft 2014 budgetlast month, Middleton denizens ex-

pressed irritation for what they felt wasan imbalanced outcome of these recent

conversations.At last weeks Middleton Common

Council meeting, citizens stepped up tocity halls microphone and voiced their

frustration with the councils manage-ment of city priorities. Residents

lamented the councils inability to keepMiddletons mill rate from increasing

by 8.44 percent.An 8.44 percent mill rate increase

is excessive, stated Sally Kefer. Weare paving driveways for business ex-

pansions and need to figure out gener-ous cost sharing with these businesses

thats not such a burden to taxpayers.While Kefer suggested the possibil-

ity of collaborating with businesses inbrainstorming additional cost-cutting

measures, resident Tom Ullsuik ques-

tioned the long-term benefits of currentconstruction projects.

The city used to invest in projectsthat created revenue for the city and

over the last few years, funded projectshave not created new assessment dol-

lars, said Ullsuik.Although city administrator Mike

Davis has stressed the financial prom-ise of upcoming projects, such as a

Meriter medical complex and themixed-used Tribeca Village, as well as

the success of certain Tax IncrementDistricts, some citizens seem unim-

pressed with the councils efforts to cutspending and generate revenue.

Resident Don Hammes urged cityleaders to reevaluate what they are cat-

egorizing as imperative versus whatcould be deemed inessential.

The council should consider look-ing at the budget and decide what is

necessary or just nice to have,

Hammes stated.Following the public comment ses-

sion, council members spoke to citi-zens frustrations with tax hikes and

city spending. In order to provide anaccurate picture of Middletons present

financial situation, Mike Davis first ad-dressed debt service obligation and

clarified the role Tax Increment Fi-nancing (TIF) districts play in local fi-

nances.Our debt service projects [includ-

ing EMS, fire, and police facilities]dovetailed with the recession, and now

the debt service expenses for those fa-cilities have grown since the projects

initial borrowings, said Davis. How-ever, our total golf debt service has in-

creased beyond their total operatingrevenues.

Its also important for Middletonresidents to understand TIF expendi-

tures are not paid for by residents,

Davis added. Revenues go to the TIFdistrict only from TIF properties and

pay for improvements in the TIF dis-trict.

Council members went on to assureresidents that increasing tax rates again

this year reflects the desire to preserveMiddletons value. City leaders empha-

sized how Middletons overall qualityof life both compares to surrounding

areas and necessitates the higher millrate and accompanying 10.8 percent

levy hike.The City of Middleton has one of

the lowest mill rates in Dane County,stated ald. Hans Hilbert (Dist. 7).

Middleton is a moderately expensivecommunity and the residents are get-

ting a good value for the size and serv-ices they receive.

Compared to other communities,

General fund

is set at

$23,334,253

by FRANCESCA MASTRANGELO

Times-Tribune

See BUDGET, page 21

See GAP, page 21

More than 100 Tundra Swansrecently paid a flamboyant visit toLake Mendota. As their nameimplies, the swans breed in theArctic and subarctic tundra, thenmigrate through Canada and theGreat Lakes region to winter onthe Atlantic coast of the USA.

Schools work to close achievement gapby CAMERON BREN

Times-Tribune

Swanlake

Times-Tribune photo by Jeff Martin


2/24

This is the fourth year the Mad City

Gobblers Chapter of the National WildTurkey Federation provided leadership

for the local Madison Turkey HuntersCare program, and the first year using

four collection sites.100 percent of all donations were

used to pay for frozen turkeys that weregiven to food pantries in and around

Middleton for Thanksgiving andChristmas. Planning time, pick-up, and

delivery of the turkeys are contributedthrough volunteer efforts.

This is the second year turkeys wereprovided for the Middleton Outreach

Ministry (MOM) Food Pantry. Dona-tions collected locally were used to

provide 204 Thanksgiving turkeys

(over 2,000 lbs) for people in need.Enough funds were raised to purchase

additional turkeys for MOM to distrib-ute for Christmas. The Badgerland

Chapter of the Safari Club Interna-tional (SCI) gave a generous cash do-

nation and many individuals in thecommunity gave as well.

Volunteers who assisted with withlocal collection sites included volun-

teers from the Middleton High SchoolKey Club, the Madison Memorial High

School Key Club, other communityvolunteers, and members of the Mad

City Gobblers Board of Directors.

PAGE 2 MIDDLETON TIMES-TRIBUNE THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2013

Gobblers work to feed the hungryGG IVINGIVING

Photo contributed

From left to right: Bill Alber - Mad City Gobblers Chapter Board Member and Coordinator of Madison AreaNWTF Turkey Hunters Care Program; Al Ripp - Executive Director MOM; Andy Opichka - Mad City GobblersChapter Board Member; Maggie Opichka - Mad City Gobblers Chapter Board Member and Treasurer.

Photo contributed

Mad City Gobblers Chapter board member Andy Opichka helps load theMOM truck.


3/24

Monday, November 2512:16 p.m. Theft, 7400 block of

Century Ave.

Tuesday, November 266:44 a.m. Theft, 8500 block of

Greenway Blvd.9:03 a.m. Fraud, 8300 block

Murphy Dr.6:57 p.m. Control substance,

2900 block of Parmenter St.

Wednesday, November 278:26 a.m. Theft, 8700 block of

Montclair Dr.9:56 a.m. Damage to property,

7200 block of University Ave.6:15 p.m. Fire, 5500 block of

Grassland Trl.9:27 p.m. Accident w/injuries,

8300 block of University Ave.10:59 p.m. Theft, 5100 block of

Churchill Ln.11:39 p.m. Theft, 6200 block of

Elmwood Ave.

Thursday, November 281:05 a.m. Theft, 5100 block

Churchill Ln.7:44 a.m. Fraud, 6800 block of

University Ave.Friday, November 29

2:13 p.m. Theft, 2600 block ofBranch St.

12:29 p.m. Theft, 2000 block ofBranch St.

12:44 p.m. - Theft, 2100 block ofPinehurst Dr.

7:21 p.m. Fire, 7000 block ofDonna Dr.

11:16 p.m. Damage to property,Sweeney Dr. & Fortune Dr.

Saturday, November 3010:07 p.m. Theft, 8200 block of

Greenway Blvd.10:22 p.m. Animal bite, 5800

block of Highland Ter.11:30 p.m. Animal bite, 5800

block of Highland Ter.4:23 a.m. Damage to property,

1700 block of N. High Point Rd.10:05 p.m. Theft, 7400 block of

Hubbard Ave.

Sunday, December 11:48 a.m. Damage to property,

Lakeview Ave. & University Ave.

4:49 a.m. Theft, 7400 block ofHubbard Ave.

8:36 p.m. EMS, 6200 block ofUniversity Ave.

Monday, December 210:13 p.m. Domestic disturbance,

2500 block of Branch St.

Wednesday, December 49:00 a.m. Theft, 3600 block of

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2013 MIDDLETON TIMES-TRIBUNE PAGE 3

TTOWNOWN OFOF WWESTPORTESTPORT

PPOLICEOLICE BBEATEAT

The Westport Town Board met Dec.2, discussing ongoing Middleton Fire

District negotiations in addition to au-thorizing short-term borrowing power

for the town administrator. Addition-ally, Dane County Sheriff Dave Ma-

honey hosted an in-person update andquestion and answer session on the sta-

tus of law enforcement coverage in thetownship.

FIRE AGREEMENTThe board received an new Middle-

ton Fire District agreement from theCity of Middleton to update the latest

step in their ongoing negotiations. Pre-viously, the negotiations had been in

relation to reducing the number of and

condensing the timing of payments the

towns in the district were making.What started as some proposed

minor revisions, commented board

supervisor Kenneth Sipsma, turnedinto a monster.

One major adjustment that occurredin the latest round of revisions from the

city includes a fee for acting as the fis-cal agent for the Middleton Fire Dis-

trict. The district itself stands as adistinct entity covering all or parts of

various communities.Starting for the 2015 calendar

year, reads the proposed updated con-tract, The city shall annually invoice

and receive payment of $15,000 fromthe district for fiscal agent services.

The Westport board showed disdain

at the recent updates, and even sug-gested tabling the update altogether

and continuing under the currently in-

place fire district contract.

Say to hell with it, commentedsupervisor Bill von Rutenberg.

The board tabled the matter pending

further negotiations with the City ofMiddleton.

BORROWINGTown administrator Tom Wilson

was given short-term borrowing pow-

ers to borrow $150,000. This borrowedfunding would be put toward savings

for the upcoming town garage projectand then quickly paid off.

The board does not like to spendmoney in interest, commented admin-

istrator Tom Wilson.The town has been saving similar

amounts towards this project over re-

cent years, and will have $550,000saved after the additional $150,000 is

added to the account and paid off.

We like to have the money in our

hands when we do a building, addedboard chairman John Van Dinter. Wethink its more responsible than going

out and seeing how much we can bor-row.

Work on garage project is likely tobegin as early as next summer.

SHERIFF VISITS

Sheriff Dave Mahoney also paid a

visit, in accordance with his personal

policy to stop by the districts his

deputies patrol to make himself avail-

able to questions and comments local

leaders may have for him.

The board made multiple comments

on the effectiveness of the DaneCounty Sheriffs Office inside the

Westport community, thanking him for

services performed effectively.

Id also like to thank you, com-

mented Van Dinter for your deputies

coming and helping on [Waunakee]

EMS calls.

Some questions were posed per the

potential future locations of a jail com-

plex in Dane County. Though Ma-

honey was unable to provide exact

details where Dane County is looking

at locating such a complex, he was able

to disclose that the county is compiling

a list of what features would need to be

included in such a space, and how

much space such a facility would re-

quire.

We really do appreciate the rela-

tionship we have with the town here,said Mahoney.

by MIKE DREW

Times-Tribune

Westport balks at changes to fire agreement

See POLICE, page 5


4/24


CHURCH NOTES

TTOWNOWN OFOF SSPRINGFIELDPRINGFIELD

Supervisors approve annual budget

The Springfield Town Board metTuesday, Nov.19, for its second board

meeting of the month. Town Supervi-sor Art Meinholz had an excused ab-

sence from the meeting, but the townboard conducted the meeting as normal

and held discussions on a variety oftopics in his absence. Among items

discussed at the meetings were poten-tial discussion with Ryan Brothers

EMS per future EMS services in the

township, adoption and a short public

hearing on the towns 2014 budget, in

addition to the continuance of the con-crete driveway variance discussionthats been in progress for several

meetings.

BUDGET ADOPTEDBefore the Spingfield Town Board

convened for its regular meeting onNovember 19, supervisors hosted a

public hearing to discuss the 2014town budget.

The public hearing was the final cur-sory budgetary meeting prior to the ap-

proval of the 2014 budget; it approved

the total 2014 expenditures, adopted

the 2013 tax levy to be paid in 2014,and adopted the salaries of town offi-cials and staff, without hosting any ac-

tual debate on the amountsthemselves.

Salaries for the town officers re-mains unchanged for the 2014 year- su-

pervisors will receive [$45.00] for allBoard, committee and other meetings,

per the Springfield ordinances, whilethe board chairman will continue to re-

ceive a salary of $250 per calendarquarter and the per diem paid to the su-

pervisors.

The hearing adjourned quickly, and

the budget, which includes $1,132,250in total revenues, up from $1,075,008in 2013, was approved without discus-

sion during the regular meeting.The budget includes $667,826 in

local taxes, up from $663,122 in 2013.

EMS SERVICESpringfield is in the process of look-

ing into alternative emergency medical

rates and services for their township.The board has been hosting discussions

per the cost of both EMS and fire serv-

ices over the past several meetings to

try to both cut their costs and tie Fireand EMS districts together geographi-cally - at the present time, three Fire

and EMS departments provide cover-age to Springfield, but the maps do not

precisely match up.The township has been hosting dis-

cussions regarding splitting both theplacements Middletons [Fire Depart-

ment] got the smallest section, com-mented supervisor Dave Laufenberg,

and they cost the most money.The board authorized the Town

Clerk/Treasurer Carolyn Hacker tocommunicate with Ryan Brothers Am-

bulance Service regarding a potentialmeeting.

Board looks at confined animal rules

The Springfield Town Board metDecember 3 and hosted discussions on

topics ranging from proposed countyCAFO ordinances to potential discus-

sions with Ryan Brothers EMS Serv-ice, in addition to over-viewing

ongoing discussions and reviewing anestimate on the newly-created town

park.

ANIMAL ORDINANCESThe town board heard a presentation

from Elliott Long on CAFOs in sup-

port of a potential CAFO (Concen-trated/Confined Animal Feeding Oper-ation) ordinance in Dane County.

Elliott was representing a group ofSpringfield residents calling them-

selves the North Mendota Group,and gave his presentation highlighting

the negative effects of Super-CAFOswith large numbers of animals (1000+

Dairy cows) with the intent to openthis item as a discussion item for the

board.The board discussed his presentation

at some length with a great deal of backand forth agreement and disagreement.

Closing the presentation discussion,the board emphasized the discussion

was appreciated but took no immediateaction to either support or oppose theproposed Dane County ordinance.

EMS SERVICEThe board was also updated on sev-

eral items it has been discussing over

recent meetings, including discussionswith Ryan Brothers EMS service,

which as of Tuesday, Dec. 3, had notbegun. Some board members were ex-

pressing some caution regarding mov-ing forward, though some scaled back

action was taken at the end of the dis-cussion.

Its just prudent to look at it, ad-vised board Supervisor Jim Pulverma-

cher, Im not saying were disap-pointed with the EMS service we havenow. The board authorized commu-

nication to take place with the Town ofMiddleton to get a summary of their re-

cent talks with Ryan Brothers.

NEW PARKThe Town of Springfield also re-

ceived a reference bid estimate forlandscaping the area recently leased

from the DOT to be turned into a townpark. The park will be located across

County Road P from the Town ofSpringfield municipal building.

The reference bid for work that in-

by MIKE DREW

Times-Tribune

by MIKE DREW

Times-Tribune

See SPRINGFIELD, page 5


5/24


Local voters couldweigh in on marijuana

Should the state government enact

legislation legalizing marijuana?Thats the question voters in Middle-

ton and the rest of Dane County couldbe asked on their April ballots, if the

county board approves a resolution in-troduced last week.

The measure, introduced by Super-visor Leland Pan and co-sponsored by

Supervisor Kyle Richmond, is headedto the executive committee and, if it

passes committee, would come beforethe full board within a few weeks.

The people of Dane County de-serve a voice in this issue, said Pan. I

believe most Dane County residents,and most Wisconsinites, understand

that criminalizing marijuana is a mas-

sive waste of law enforcement re-

sources and infringement on personal

liberty. We are giving them a chance tosay so, loud and clear.

Twenty-four states across the coun-

try have either legalized medical mari-juana, decriminalized marijuana

possession, or both, said Richmond.Three out of four Dane County resi-

dents already voted in favor of legaliz-ing marijuana for medical purposes.

The momentum is clearly in favor ofdecriminalization.

Supervisor Sharon Corrigan (Dist.26), who represents Middleton on the

county board, said she supports puttingthe question before voters.

I support including it on the springballot, Corrigan said. It is important

to hear from voters on a subject that

impacts so many lives.Whether it is the need for medical

marijuana, the taxes we pay to enforce

the prohibition or the violence sur-

rounding the trafficking of illegaldrugs, all of us are impacted by crimi-nalizing marijuana, Corrigan contin-

ued. The views of the electorate onthis issue will help inform the state leg-

islature as they consider the issue.I thank Supervisors Pan and Rich-

mond for putting this issue in front ofthe County Board, said Nate Petre-

man, president of Madison NORML.I urge the entire Board to pass this res-

olution and put the question before thepeople, and I urge our representatives

in state government to listen to whatthe people say.

County Clerk Scott McDonell saidthe referendum is unlikely to add any

expense to the already-scheduled April

election.

by MATT GEIGER

Times-Tribune

cludes removing tall grass, removinginvasive trees andshrubs, and grad-

ing the area so it will be smoothenough to mow among other items,

which totaled at $12,860.

While the bid is not an official

bid, the town will use it as a guide-line to foresee what the potential

costs could be down the road whenbids are officially put in for the park.

Tribeca Dr.

11:12 a.m. Fraud, 3200 block ofPatty Ln.

11:12 a.m. Vehicle fire, 2000block of Mayflower Dr.

12:12 p.m. Fraud, 8300 block ofMurphy Dr.

3:02 p.m. Assist citizen/motorist,3400 block of John Muir Dr.

Thursday, December 59:02 a.m. Fight, 2400 block of

Clark St.

9:55 a.m. Theft, 2000 block ofEagle Dr.

7:39 p.m. Burglary, 5100 block of

Brindisi Ct.

Friday, December 69:40 p.m. Theft, 2100 block of

Eagle Dr.

12:08 p.m. Theft, 2100 block ofEagle Dr.

8:54 p.m. Fraud, 2600 block ofAllen Blvd.

Saturday, December 72:16 a.m. Fight, 2600 block of

Branch St.

12:48 p.m. Domestic disturbance,US Hwy 12 & Greenway Blvd.

8:53 p.m. Suspicious activity,

8500 block of Greenway Blvd.

9:26 p.m. Burglary, 8500 block ofGreenway Blvd.

10:38 p.m. Burglary, 8500 blockof Greenway Blvd.

Sunday, December 89:45 p.m. Fire alarm, 8400 block

of Greenway Blvd.

11:56 p.m. Domestic disturbance,7400 block of Franklin Ave.

Monday, December 9

12:07 a.m. Burglary, 3400 blocko Marino Ct.

POLICE continued from page 3

SPRINGFIELD continued from page 4


6/24


Photo contributed

Birsan is backAn Evening with the Middleton Community Orchestra and Soprano Emily Birsan will take place Monday, Dec.

23 at the Middleton Performing Arts Center, 2100 Bristol St. The concert, which begins at 7:30 p.m., will includeGlinka: Russlan and Ludmilla Overture, Rimsky-Korsakov: Dance of the Tumblers and Beethoven: Symphony No.6, The Pastoral Symphony. Birsan, above, will sing four arias by Mozart, Strauss, Donizetti and Charpentier. She isin her final year of the Chicago Lyric Opera apprentice program and is on the brink of a stellar international career.

This will be her third time sharing the stage with the MCO. Ticket information is available at www.middletoncom-munityorchestra.org.

PPERFORMINGERFORMING AARTSRTS

Photo contributed

Winter Concertsgoing on now

The Middleton High School Bands were scheduled to present a seriesof Winter Concerts on Dec. 11 and 12. Both concerts begin at 7:30 p.m.in the MHS Performing Arts Center.

On Wednesday, Dec. 11, the Wind Ensemble and Concert Band wereto perform. Highlights of the concert bands performance includeCruzan Dances by Robert Longfield. This work presents many moodsof tropical inspired dance. The Wind Ensemble planned ChesterbyWilliam Schumann. This masterwork of wind literature presents thisRevolutionary War hymn in a series of contemporary variations.

On Thursday, Dec. 12, the Cardinal Band and Wind Ensemble per-form. The Cardinal Band has been working hard on a piece by FrankTicheli called Abracadabra. This thematic work portrays the com-posers sons impish personality. The Wind Ensemble will open andclose their portion of the program with works by Russian composers

Rimsky-Korsakov and Prokofiev: The Procession of the Nobles by Rim-sky-Korsakov and Troika from the Lt. Kije Suite by Prokofiev.

The public is cordially invited to attend. There will be receptionsfollowing both concerts.

The timeless classic, The BestChristmas Pageant Ever, comes to life,

Saturday, Dec. 14, 6:30 p.m. and Sun-day, Dec. 15, 9:30 a.m. at Middleton

Community Church. This free publicperformance of the boisterous story

made famous by Barbara Robinson isa great outing for the entire family,

said organizers.It tells the story of the delinquent

Herdman kids, who show up at thelocal church for the first time ever

when they hear that the church hassnacks, only to end up starring in the

annual Christmas pageant.Middleton Community Church is

located at 645 Schewe Road in Mid-dleton, just off Old Sauk Road, two

miles west of the beltline, across fromPope Farm Park.

Pageant at Community Church


7/24

Of the 47 varieties of chocolate bon-bons offered daily at Greenway Sta-

tions Chocolaterie Stam, one standsout for its atypical shape, a fleur-de-lis.

According to Store Manager RobertStrohmayer there is an excellent reason

for that.This store opened for the exclusive

reason of donating the profits to theMadison Scouts Drum and Bugle

Corps, explained Strohmayer. Thelogo of the corps is the fleur-de-lis.

Although Jacobus Stam foundedChocolaterie Stam in the Netherlands

in 1913, the family-owned businesscrossed the pond much later. According

to Strohmayer, the Madison Scouts had

sponsored one of Stams descendents,Ton Stam, in the early 1980s. Ton wasone of the first international students to

play in the Madison corps.Ton stayed in the U.S. and first

opened stores in Iowa, explainedStrohmayer. The nine U.S. stores are

now located in five other Midwesternstates; Wisconsins only branch is in

Middleton. [Ton] still maintains aclose relationship with the Scouts.

In fact, according to Strohmayer,since its inception in 2010 the Middle-

ton store annually donates approxi-mately $5,000-$10,000 to the corps.

This year even more has been given tothe Scouts as they celebrated their 75th

anniversary, Strohmayer said.We gave an extra donation of 500

boxes of fleur-de-lis chocolates fortheir gala, he stated.

Other businesses, organizations, andindividuals also revel in Chocolaterie

Stams niche in personalizing choco-lates.

We can custom-order chocolateswith an image or a logo, Strohmayer

explained. The store is a popular sup-plier for weddings and gala events, as

well as for holiday parties. Strohmayerpointed out theres still time to order

personalized Christmas bonbons.

In addition, the store is known fortaking flavor suggestions, both for

chocolates, and for the homemadegelato and sorbetto [non-dairy gelato]

concocted at the Middleton store.Chocolate Chili Spice gelato and Pink

Grapefruit sorbetto were requested bycustomers, Strohmayer noted.

Were still trying to figure out [re-quested] olive oil and black pepper, he

said with a chuckle. Were workingon it.

In Des Moines, Dutch MasterChocolatier Erik Stam, Tons nephew,

creates individual truffles and otherbonbons from chocolate bricks im-

ported from Europe, said Strohmayer.This fall, the U.S. European

chocolate connection ran into troublebecause of our nations shutdown,

causing delays in shipments,Strohmayer said. Fortunately, the hand-

painted European Christmas choco-lates have arrived just in the St. Nick

of time.

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of

Chocolaterie Stam, the store will be

hosting free events today (December

12) from 5-8 p.m.

There will be plenty of samples,

and a chocolate and cheese pairing

where chocolate will be used instead of

crackers, Strohmayer concluded.

Chocolaterie Stam also carries other

European products, confections, and

their own blend of three-bean roasted

coffee. But it is the white, milk, and

dark chocolate (55%-70% cocoa) that

keep the business sweetly humming.

As Ton Stam aptly ends his email

correspondences, Finally, lets save

the planet its the only one with

chocolate.


FFOODOOD ANDAND DDRINKRINK

Fine chocolate, sold for a good causeby KATHERINE PERRETH

Times-Tribune

Times-Tribune photo by Katherine Perreth

Jacobus Stam founded Chocolaterie Stam in the Netherlands in 1913. Pictured above is Middleton store managerRobert Strohmayer.


8/24

Soup

WeatherWinter has arrived! At our house,

this means that the slow cooker is

often filled with something warm and

hearty for my husband and I to enjoy

at the end of a long day. One of our fa-vorite winter suppers is soup. We love

all types of soup: tomato-basil, butter-

nut squash, black bean, cabbage the

list goes on. Soup does a great job of

keeping us toasty warm and satisfied

while the snow falls outside. If you

find yourself waiting for a pot of soup

to finish simmering, why not read a

book about this fabulous winter dish?

Ask your librarian for a recommenda-

tion, or try one of these soup-er stories:

Delicious! by Helen Cooper is a de-

lightful picture book about three

friends: Duck, Squirrel, and Cat. Their

very favorite food, the only dish they

ever cook, is pumpkin soup. But one

day, when the pumpkin patch yields no

ripe pumpkins, they are forced to get

creative. After consulting their cook-book, they find a recipe for fish soup,

and they head for the shores with their

fishing poles. Coming home with a

basket full of trout, the friends care-

fully cook up a pot of fish soup. Cat

loves it, and Squirrel thinks its deli-

cious, but Duck wont even taste it. So

the trio finds a new recipe, this time for

mushroom soup, and they set off to

collect mushrooms in the forest. Back

at home, over the stove, they stir the

mushroom soup until its ready to eat.Once again, Duck wont even consider

trying the soup. The same thing hap-

pens when the group creates beet soup.

Duck only wants pumpkin soup. His

friends hatch a plan to make some-

thing that almostresembles pumpkin

soup. Will Duck eat it? Check out this

book and find out for yourself! The

young reader in your life will likely re-

late to Ducks fickle eating habits, and

your whole family will love the vi-

brant, lively illustrations that bring the

text to life.

InAlphabet Soup: A Feast of Letters

by Scott Gustafson, Otter moves in to

a new home and finds a giant soup pot.

He invites 26 of his closest friends to

a housewarming party, requesting that

each one bring an ingredient for soup.

His friends arrive, each one with a

contribution for the soup pot in hand.

Armadillo is first, bearing asparagus,

and Zebra with zucchini is the last to

arrive. The ingredients are added one

by one, and in the end, a delicious soup

is enjoyed by all. This robust alphabet

book appeals to children of all ages,

especially older readers who will pick

up on the subtle, rich humor and very

detailed illustrations.

The traditional French tale of Stone

Soup has been told many times over,

but the best-known version is probably

Marcia Browns. First published in

1947, this book was awarded a Calde-

cott Honor and has been a favorite ever

since. When three soldiers approach avillage, the residents hide all of their

food, knowing that the visitors are

likely hungry. The soldiers go door to

door, asking for food and a place to

stay, but they are turned away again

and again. They put their heads to-

gether and come up with a plan,

quickly winning over the villagers and

seemingly creating something deli-

cious out of nothing. The soldiers who

were initially unwanted strangers are

regarded as welcome friends and com-

munity builders by the end of the

book. This story is perfect for acting

out with young children, or as a

springboard for discussion with older

readers.


Photo contributed

On a roll!The Middleton Area Special Olympics (MASO) bowling team had nine bowlers that participated in the regional

bowing competition on October 19. Four of them finished in 1st, 2nd or 3rd place to qualify for sectional competitionon November 2. All four of them again qualified for the state bowling competition that was held December 7 atBowlero Lanes near Milwaukee. Those four athletes are Nick Annen, Molly Carpenter, Gavin Katovich and AlexKiselev. They finished as follows at the state competition: Nick Annen - 5th place finish; Molly Carpenter - 5th placefinish; Gavin Katovich - 4th place finish; Alex Kiselev - 1st place finish - Gold Medal.

Middleton Area Special Olympics was formerly known as West Madison Youth Special Olympics. The name waschanged because most participants are from this community. Pictured here from left to right are (front row) YanYanWu, Winnie Rosengren, Faith Engle, Nicole Voss, Regina MacLean, Lauren Hopp; (middle row) Kayla McPherson,Abby Quintana, Gavin Katovich, Nick Annen, David Born; (back row) Lauren Herder, Alex Kiselev, Molly Car-penter, Joe Hartnell, Madelinn Wagner, Coach Jean Hopp, Coach Brian Hopp and Coach Steve Herder. Not picturedare Andy Radavich, Nikki Ordaz, Ashlee Hrdlicka and Jarrett Neider.

Middleton- Wendy C. Harris

(Uminski) age 56, passed away at

Meriter Hospital on December 7th,

2013 surrounded by her family.Wendy was born on January 19,

1957 in Waupun, Wi to Bill & Phyl-

lis Uminski. Wendy grew up in

Middleton, Wi and enjoyed her life

on Hubbard Ave. She attended

UW-Stout and MATC. Wendy

worked in the medical field at UW

Hospital, among many other

Human service positions.

Wendys passion for life was ev-

ident through her painting, jewelry,

and baking which includes her fa-

mous chocolate amaretto cheese-

cake. She spent numerous years as

a charter member of Madison Drum

and Bugle Corps/ Capital Aires.

Wendys commitment in hersearch of spirituality through the 12

steps of AA offered peace and com-

fort not only for herself but many

others.

Wendy achieved her greatest ac-

complishment in her life which was

her four beautiful children. They

will deeply miss her love and guid-

ance. Shes survived by daughter

Brooke Webster (Dan) granddaugh-

ter Jolan and twins on the way in

May of Poynette, Wi, son Billy

Burkhalter (Jenna) and granddaugh-

ter Brylie of Sacramento, CA and

Daughter Kaitlyn Harris of Sun

Prairie, WI. Wendy is also survived

by her mother Phyllis Uminski of

Middleton, WI, sister Cindy Polan

(Robert) of Denver, CO, brother

Dan Uminski of Middleton, WI, sis-

ter Deb Weber (Dave) of Waunakee,

WI. Besides her immediate family

she leaves behind aunts, uncles,

cousins, nieces, nephews and nu-

merous friends.

Wendy is preceded in death by

her daughter Rachel Dawn Burkhal-

ter, father Bill Uminski and sister in

law Susan Uminski.

A celebration of Wendys life will

be held on Thursday, December 12,

from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at

Olbrich Gardens. A time for reflec-

tion will start promptly at 7:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers the family has re-

quested a donation to be made in

Wendys honor to the Dane County

Humane Society, or the Organ Pro-

curement Organization.

Wendys selflessness was exem-

plified by the giving of life through

organ donation. The family would

like to extend a special thank you to

the ICU medical staff and emer-

gency services of Meriter Hospital ,

Middleton EMS and Organ Pro-

curement Organization. Thank youfrom the bottom of our hearts for

the care of our mother.

Let us linger here a while in the

foolishness of things

Gunderson West Funeral & Cre-

mation Care is assisting the family.

www.gundersonfh.com.

OOBITUARYBITUARY

Wendy C. Harris


9/24


Peace

on EarthThis week, my friend, Will sent me

an internet link to Bill Moyers October2013 interview with Wendell Berry. If

youre not familiar with Mr. Berry, letme acquaint you. If you are familiar

with him, please read on anyway!79-year-old Wendell Berry is a pro-

lific and award-winning author of fic-tion, poetry and books about

sustainability and the land. He is a lec-turer, environmental activist, a cham-

pion of true democracy and a farmer.Hes also one of my heroes.

In 1965 Wendell and his wife pur-chased a farm near Port Royal, Ken-

tucky. They engaged in sustainable

agricultural practices before the word

was fashionable. At age 79, he contin-ues to raise a diversity of crops and

livestock in ways that nurture, ratherthan deplete the land.

In 1977 he wrote a landmark bookcalled The Unsettling of America: Cul-

ture and Agriculture. The October in-terview with Bill Moyers happened

during a conference celebrating the35th anniversary of this landmark and

prophetic work.The book, published by Sierra Club

Books, is on its 3rd edition. In it, Berryargues that mega industrialized

agribusiness takes farming away fromfamilies. In 1935, America had 6.8

million family farms. In 2012 onlyabout 2.1 million remained. The

American Farmland Trust estimatesthat an acre of farmland goes out of

farming and into development every

two minutes.

As we have increasingly witnessedsince the first printing, the loss of fam-

ily farms has led to the breakdown ofsmall communities and societys con-

nection to the food it eats.We have become estranged from the

land and its needs.Diverse agriculture employs more

people than monoculture production.The aim of the industrial revolution

was to decrease production costs byminimizing labor costs. It is a double-

edge sword that has led to loss of liveli-hoods, not just for manufacturing, but

for farming as well.We dont have a right, Berry be-

gins, to ask whether were going tosucceed or not. The only question that

we have a right to ask is whats theright thing to do? What does the earth

require of us if were going to continueto live on it.

By definition, capitalism is an eco-nomic system, in which trade and the

means of production are controlled byprivate owners. True democracy is a

system where all eligible citizens par-ticipate in government equally.

In America, capitalism has moved

from an economic system to one of

governance. When corporations weregiven status as voters, equal participa-

tion in government fell away. Ive cre-ated my own definition of capitalism.

It goes like this, capitalism noun; bigbusiness encroachment on Americas

capital cities and governments.We need our corporate and political

leaders to ask, What is the right thingto do? Not, What are our profit mar-

gins today? This is particularly truein Wisconsin right now, as Gogebic

Taconite mine is willing to devastatepristine water and land resources to

mine low-grade and marginally prof-itable ore from the Penokee Range.

Things reveal themselves whenpassing away, Berry says in the inter-

view. They reveal their preciousnessand show us our duty.

Wishes for Peace on Earth arecriss-crossing the country in holiday

greetings as I write this. I wish wecould bring peace by just extending our

hopes for it.But, like healthy and diverse crops,

peace is a cultivated commodity. Itmust be grown with intention, patience

and wisdom.

Despite his observations and criti-

cisms of the state of the environment,farms and democracy, the interview

with Berry rings of hope. His wordsand the way he lives are wonderful ex-

amples of how each of us can cultivatea peaceful relationship with the land,

and with our fellow citizens by recre-ating true democracy and economic

justice in America.You dont have to be a farmer to

support family farms. Buying localfoods that are produced with sustain-

able practices, support the farmer andthe land.

Give a gift to the earth this Decem-ber by contributing time or money to

an environmental organization like theWisconsin League of Conservation

Voters. Or, take a few minutes to con-tact your legislator in support of bills

that protect our air, water and soil.Pop a bowl of popcorn and take

some time out of Decembers hustleand bustle to watch Moyers thirty

minute interview with Wendell Berryat billmoyers.com.

I wish you all a bumper crop ofpeace in 2014!

Our Assembly Democratic fresh-men class has taken on redistricting

reform as our legislative focus duringthe 2013-14 legislative session. As

the Democratic freshmen caucus co-chairs we were proud to introduce

Assembly Bill 185 earlier this yearwhich would hand over control of the

redistricting process to the non-parti-san Legislative Reference Bureau in-

stead of the political party in controlat the time the re-mapping takes

place.Last week, we introduced a joint

resolution calling for an advisory ref-

erendum on the question of whether

the Wisconsin Legislature shouldadopt a non-partisan system for the

redistricting of legislative and con-gressional districts in the state. As a

freshmen caucus, we not only believein redistricting reform, but that the

people should have their say on thiscrucial issue.

Redistricting is truly at the heart ofall other matters that we have seen in

our first term in the state legislature.At the top of that list is the legislative

Republicans mishandling of the im-plementation of the Affordable Care

Act here in Wisconsin.During the special session last

week, Assembly Republicans votedto deny health care for 83,000 child-

less adults below the poverty line,

who were previously promised ac-

cess to coverage by the Governor.Governor Walker and the Republi-

cans caused this crisis by rejectingthe federal Medicaid money allotted

to Wisconsin under the AffordableCare Act. Had the Governor chosen

to strengthen BadgerCare in the cur-rent budget, Wisconsin would have

insured 85,000 more people, savedWisconsin taxpayers $86 million and

created 10,000 Wisconsin jobs.So why is this clearly irrational, ir-

responsible decision being made?Due to the gerrymandered redis-

tricting process, the seats held by As-sembly Republicans are so far to the

right that the representatives view-points are necessarily extreme for

fear of a primary challenge. In elec-

toral politics, naturally occurring

swing seats create legislators whomust be willing to listen to both sides

of an issue or they will likely bevoted out of office. Wisconsins sys-

tem has failed to create an adequatenumber of competitive seats, and

therefore we end up in the situationwe are in today: making extreme,

partisan decisions that hurt the citi-zens of Wisconsin.

As freshmen legislators new to thisprocess, we do not wish to rehash the

past in which both sides have doledout blame for redistricting to one

partys advantage at one time or an-other.

With their gerrymandered districtsdrawn as they wished behind closed

doors, the GOP is now pushing their

partisan, divisive agenda in the light

of day. The irony is obvious watch-ing the Assembly Republicans try to

solve the healthcare crisis that theycreated to begin with. To continue to

play a shell game with health care ac-cess is truly indefensible. While

blaming the federal government orObamaCare may be a convenient

talking point, it is a cruel distractionto those who have urgent health care

needs that will not be met.While Scott Walker may be asking

Wisconsinites to forego Christmasgifts for their children in order to do-

nate to his campaign, our hope is thathe and the legislative Republicans

give the people the gifts of fair, trans-parent government and affordable,

accessible health care this year.

Thank you for

support of

Restoring HopeDear editor,

We have welcomed over 80 families

from all parts of Wisconsin and beyond

since opening our doors almost one

year ago. It has been a great journey

filled with amazing stories. We have

met complete strangers who arrived as

guests who will be lifelong friends, we

have shared in the thrill of those who

have been blessed to return home with

good health and have shared tears with

those who have lost a loved one.

While the transplant journey to-

wards recovery differs greatly amongst

our guests, our visitors are always

unanimous in their praise for The Good

Neighbors they have encountered dur-

ing their stay here in Middleton. We

routinely have guests here for several

weeks during the recovery phase and

many of them take great joy in walking

around the downtown area and sam-

pling the many great dining, shopping

and entertainment options that are

nearby. Many have shared their heart

touching transplant stories while out in

the neighborhood and returned with

great stories of restaurants going out of

their way to accommodate them, shop-

keepers getting to know them on a first

name basis, residents inviting them

over to their homes and friendly waves

and conversation during walks.

We thank all of you who have wel-

comed our guests with the trademarkMiddleton kindness. Your support and

kind words mean more to their recov-

ery than you will ever know. As a non-

profit, being able to continue

welcoming these families from near

and far depends greatly on continued

financial and in-kind support. We cer-

tainly could not do this without you.

Thank you for restoring hope to the

many families we have welcomed to

the Good Neighbor City this past year.

Happy Holidays,

Cindy Herbst

Executive Director

Restoring Hope Transplant House

With yet another

tax hike, the

city council is

running out oftime, excuses

To the editor,

The City of Middletons December

3 public hearing on the 2014 ProposedCity Budget was disappointing for any-

one who appeared before the Common

Council to voice their concerns.

Granted, the opportunity to speak was

presented to the public but any view-

points or recommendations shared with

the Council members fell on deaf ears.

In a nutshell, there was little value

in providing a taxpayers viewpoint re-

garding the budget at that hearing. The

Common Council was simply going

through the motions prior to passage of

the budget they desired. In advance of

the hearing the vast majority of Coun-

cil members had already made up their

minds on passage of the budget,.

For future hearings I would suggest

that a different format be used for de-

veloping the Proposed City Budget.

Instead of holding the public hearing

at the very end of the process when the

numbers are already final, hold a pub-

lic hearing earlier in the development

cycle after preliminary numbers have

been developed. At least the citizens

would be provided the opportunity to

input their viewpoints and concerns

with a greater sense of possible inclu-

sion, prior to the budget being deter-mined.

Looking forward, the Common

Council has placed the taxpayer in a

corner with no way to escape. This is

the result of past and present building

plans and the borrowing required in

order to construct them. The 8.4% in-

crease in 2014 City of Middleton mill

rate is primarily attributed to interest

payments on the incurred debt. For

both the 2014 Budget and future ones,

there is little the city can do outside of

cuts in services and cuts in City staff to

avoid similar these hefty property tax

hikes.

Council members brag about the

positive attributes of Middleton and

their past actions. Certainly to a degree

what they say is true; however, the tax-

payers of this city have not experienced

similar increases in their incomes to

help offset the impacts of these large

tax increases. Moreover, the past fa-

vorable position of Middletons tax rate

when compared to similar sized com-

munitys tax rates has quickly evapo-

rated.

What does this have to say about our

past and present Common Council de-cisions? It is hard to say because a

strong economic recovery is desper-

ately required to cover prior Council

commitments. If property values do

not rebound soon there will be more

tax increases of this size.

Something will have to be done in

the coming months. The Common

Council is running out of time and ex-

cuses. In the interim, the Middleton

property taxpayers better get prepared

for more bad news.

Thanks.

George Wennerlyn

LLETTERSETTERS TOTO THETHE EEDITORDITOR

by DIANNE HESSELBEIN ANDMELISSA SARGENT, STATE REPS.

Guest Column

GOP-created crisis shows need for redistricting reform


10/24

ElizabethPritts

Meet Elizabeth Pritts: mother, wife,karate student, running enthusiast,

business owner, and community sup-porter. Elizabeth and her husband,

David Olive, are the founders of theWisconsin Fertility Institute, a Middle-

ton company that specializes in repro-ductive endocrinology and infertility,

as well as complex and advanced gy-necology. Elizabeth is very renowned

in her field, as she is the only advancedlaparoscopic and hysteroscopic trained

surgeon in the state, has been named

one of Madisons Top Doctors since2002, and has been one of AmericasBest Doctors since 2009.

Elizabeth was born in Vallejo, Cali-fornia, as the third of four children.

After attending medical school, Eliza-beth was finishing a fellowship in San

Francisco when her dream job opened

up at the University of Wisconsin Madison. After being selected for the

position, Elizabeth and her husbandmade the move to Wisconsin. Several

years later, Elizabeth decided to leavethe UW, and work with her husband to

create their own dream jobs. This wasthe birth of the Wisconsin Fertility In-

stitute.Evidently, Elizabeth is an incredibly

hard worker, even disclosing to me thatshe wanted to be a career person,

never marrying or having kids. How-ever, her husband managed to talk her

into being both a wife and mother.Elizabeths two daughters, Taina, 13,

and Midlyne, nine, were adopted fourand a half years ago from Haiti. Fortu-

nately, the adoption was finalized a

year before the devastating earthquakestruck in 2010, destroying the girls or-phanage.

Elizabeth and her husband are a partof several organizations in the commu-

nity. Each year, they support the cock-tail hour at the Juvenile Diabetes

Research Foundation (JDRF) Gala and

contribute to the American Red Cross

Real Heroes Celebration. Elizabeth isalso the previous President of the Dane

County Medical Society and serves onthe Board of Directors for Family

Health Ministries, the group that builtthe girls former orphanage in Haiti.

Currently, through Family Health Min-istries, Elizabeth is aiding in the devel-

opment of a women and childrenshospital in Logne, Haiti.

When asked what her favorite thing

about Middleton is, Elizabeth an-swered the people without hesitation.She explained how gracious her neigh-

bors had been when she and her hus-band first moved in 12 years ago. This

graciousness has continued throughouttheir residency, with neighbors bring-

ing over food or mowing the lawnwhen her husband was sick, and bring-

ing clothes and toys for Taina and Mid-lyne when they arrived.

After school and work, you canoften find the family spending time to-

gether at Kicks Unlimited Middleton,where all four of them are members.

Elizabeth is currently an orange belt,working her way to green belt. The

family also enjoys going to the GoodNeighbor Parade and the Lakeview

Park Splashpad.Stay tuned to meet more of your

Good Neighbors! In the meantime, ifyou know someone who you think is a

Good Neighbor and deserves recogni-tion, email me at

[email protected].

On this Decembers property tax

bills, statewide school levies are rising0.8%, while county (1.2%) and techni-

cal college district (1.3%) levies areclose behind, according to new reports

from the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wis-

consin Taxpayers Alliance (WISTAX).

All told, school taxes will total $4.69billion; county levies, $2.01 billion;

and technical college levies, $796.69million. These three taxes, along with

a small state forestry tax, comprise al-

most 80% of the typical December

property tax bill. Combined, the fourlevies are up 1.0% this year.

School levies are limited by state-mandated revenue limits, which have

been tightened in recent years. Since2011, school taxes have recorded total

growth of just 0.1%, WISTAX said.While changes vary widely by district,

this year, 44% (185 of 424) of districtsraised or lowered their levies by 2.5%

or less. About one in six (72) increasedthem 5% or more, while 32 lowered

them by similar amounts. Possible rea-sons for large property tax changes in-

clude new or expiring referenda toexceed revenue caps, and large in-

creases or decreases in state schoolaids. The largest school levy increases

were in Niagara (50.1%), Blair-Taylor

(38.4%), Mercer (30.2%), Lake Hol-combe (26.3%), and Rio (25.1%). The

largest drops were in Walworth J1 (-19.0%), Boscobel (-17.3%), Bristol #1

(-15.0%), Wabeno (-12.3%), andPittsville (-11.5%).

Tightened state limits on county andtechnical college levies also limited tax

growth. Counties are allowed to raiselevies by the percent increase in net

new construction. As a result, 51 of 72counties raised taxes by less than 3%;

another seven cut taxes. The largest re-duction (3.7%) came in Winnebago

county; the largest increases in Monroe(16.8%), Burnett (6.6%), and Pierce

(6.2%) counties.Technical colleges levies are also

tied to net new construction. This

years 1.3% increase is the smallest inover a decade. Technical college levy

growth peaked in 2001-02 at 9.7%.With the exception of North Central

(+3.2%) and Western Wisconsin(+19.0%), changes in technical college

levies varied little, ranging from a de-cline of 1.1% in Milwaukee to an in-

crease of 1.6% in Blackhawk. Theincrease in Western Wisconsin was due

to voter approval of $79.8 million innew buildings.

More detail on December propertytax levies are contained in a two-part

series of WISTAX Focus newsletters,New property tax bills for 2013-14.

The reports are available at www.wis-tax.org or by emailing wistax@wis-

tax.org; calling 608.241.9789; orwriting WISTAX at 401 North Lawn

Ave., Madison, WI 53704-5033.


TTAXESAXES

Photo contributed

Elizabeth Pritts is co-founder of the Wisconsin Fertility Institute, a Mid-dleton company that specializes in reproductive endocrinology and infertility,as well as complex and advanced gynecology.

WISTAX report: school taxes increase

The Middleton Police Department isreminding local residents and busi-

nesses to not leave mail in their mail-

boxes overnight for pickup thefollowing day. In a recent case, anoutgoing check was stolen from a busi-

ness mailbox in the 2100 block ofEagle Drive sometime overnight on

Tuesday, December 3. The suspect(s)copied and altered checks and pre-

sented the fraudulent checks for pay-ment, resulting in the suspect(s)

cashing them in for almost $10,000.This is an active investigation with

further follow up to be done. If youhave any information about this crime,

please call or text Middleton Police at608-824-7300. Tipsters can submit in-

formation anonymously on atwww.middletonpd.com/crimestop-

pers.htm. Please reference incident

number 13-8089.

Cops warnof theft frommailboxes


11/24


Times-Tribune photo by Matt Geiger

A holiday traditionDebbie Roth, of Black Earth, enjoyed sunny but frigid temperatures while helping her family pick out a tree

Friday at Summers Christmas Stree Farm in the Town of Middleton.

At approximately 4:50 p.m. on

Tuesday, December 3, Dane CountySheriffs deputies responded to a car

vs. pedestrian crash at 5538 SunsetTrail in the Town of Westport.

Michael J. McGettigan, age 50 ofWaunakee, was traveling north on Sun-

set Trail when he struck Tyson M.Krueger, age 30 of Spring Green.

Krueger was working on the side of the

road with a leaf collecting crew. Hewas transported to UW Hospital with

non-life threatening injuries.McGettigan was arrested for OWI,

3rd Offense, Causing Injury, and Oper-ating Without a License. He was

booked into the Dane County Jail.

Car hits man in heavy fog


12/24


Weve got

everything

you needto have a

wonderful

holiday

season!


13/24


Stuff their

stockings, cards,

bags and boxes

with a subscrip?

tion to the

Middleton

Times-Tribune.Call today to give

the gift of news.

It?s a gift that

keeps on giving

the whole year.

See page 11 of

this newspaper

for a special

offer!

Call or email.

VISA & MasterCard

accepted. Please call

608?836?

1601,or email with your name

and daytime phone to

[email protected]

and we will contact you


14/24

Middletons boys basketball team

believes it can win the Big EightConference championship this fall.

And theres certainly evidence to sug-gest thats possible.

But if the Cardinals are going tomake a run at the crown, they cant

have any more hiccups.Middleton fell to Beloit Memorial,

64-53, last Friday in a game thatundoubtedly stunned many through-

out the conference. The loss came justthree days after Middleton defeated

10-time defending conference cham-pion Madison Memorial.

The Cardinals fell to 1-2 in theleague and overall, while Beloit

Memorial improved to 4-1 overall and2-1 in the conference.

We knew coming in that this wasthe best the league was going to be top

to bottom since weve been here,

Middleton coach Kevin Bavery said.There are no Vander Blues or Will

Hudsons, but its the deepest andmost senior-led rosters across the

board.Beloit fits right in. Theyre senior

dominated with two- and three-yearstarters, good shooting and point

guard play, and two big physical pres-ences inside. So no apologies about

losing to an inferior opponent, yet weare disappointed any time the result

could have gone another way.Disappointed but definitely not dis-

couraged.Middleton senior forward Max

Oelerich led the Cardinals with 13points and five rebounds, while senior

guard Luke Schafer added 12 points.Senior guard Derek Rongstad had 11

points, six rebounds and three assists.Draylen Fair led Beloit with 15

points, while Armann Carbrera had14, Andre Neal 13 and Blake Farr 12.

Denzel Barnes had seven points to gowith his 12 rebounds.

Our guys always play hard,Bavery said. But the focus needs to

take another step up.Beloit Memorial jumped to a quick

5-0 lead and held an 18-13 lead at the


Findinga groove

There are positives all around.There are also areas that must be

shored up.But perhaps the most encouraging

thing for Middletons girls basketballteam is its winning games in spite of

a few problem spots.The Cardinals opened Big Eight

Conference play last week with a 78-60 dismantling of Beloit Memorial on

Thursday and a 71-64 win overJanesville Parker on Saturday.

Middleton improved to 2-0 in the con-ference and 2-1 overall.

After the first two conferencegames there are some positives as well

as some concerns, Middleton coachJeff Kind said. On a positive note,

were scoring points and were gettingproduction from a variety of players.

Of concern are three major areasright now. While were making teams

play up-tempo, weve been concedingtoo many easy baskets. We have to

clean up our press, especially in therecovery and defensive rebounding

phases. Weve been putting people onthe line too much and must learn to be

aggressive without fouling. And we

are still turning the ball over too

much.Still, theres much to be excited

about.Janesville Parker is the defending

Big Eight champion and has had oneof the states elite outfits for more than

two decades.But sophomore guard Grace

Douglas scored 19 points to lead fourMiddleton players in double figures as

the Cardinals upended the Vikings.Senior guard Darby Raffel knocked

down four three-point shots andscored 14 points, junior forward Jenna

Blair added 13 points and junior guardElizabeth Norregard added 11 points.

Middleton led, 48-47, heading to thefourth quarter. But the Cardinals used

a big final period to pull away.Grace Douglas came up with a big

night against Parker, Kind said. Andweve been able to get some fairly

consistent three-point scoring fromElizabeth, Darby and Jenna when

teams have zoned us.Weve gotten people to the rim

when theyre going player-to-player.Weve been able to make the games

our pace so far.Middleton definitely had the pace it

wanted against Beloit Memorial.Junior forward Cole Jordee led all

scorers with 19 points, whileNorregard added 16 and Douglas had

14.Middleton led, 19-12, after the first

quarter and 44-29 at halftime. The

Girls basketball

team rolls past

Beloit, Parker

by ROB REISCHEL

Times-Tribune

See GIRLS BB, page 18

ShockerBoys basketball

team falls to

Beloit Memorialby ROB REISCHEL

Times-Tribune

See BOYS BB, page 19

Follow RobReischel onTwitter at@robreischel

Times-Tribune photo by Mary Langenfeld

Grace Douglas and Middletons girls basketball team won their first two Big Eight Conference games last week.

Times-Tribunephoto by Mary

Langenfeld

C o l eZillner (21)a n dMiddletons

boys basket-ball team areoff to a 1-2start in theBig EightConference.


15/24

just fell into their style rather than

remaining responsible to our plan and

teammates, Libert said. We still had

plenty of chances to score, but the

problem was we gave them too manychances.

Middleton got first period goals

from Carey, Bunz and Garrett Graf.

After the Silver Eagles scored three

straight goals, Harper had two in a

row as Middleton surged to a 5-3 lead.

But the Cardinals couldnt seal the

deal.

Our undisciplined play allowed

them the take the middle ice and get

scoring chances while we chased

them around, Libert said.

Sometimes it is better to let the play

come to you. Maybe we just did not

have enough gas in the tank to finish

this game.

On deck: Middleton was atJanesville Tuesday, then is off an

entire week before hosting Madison

East/La Follette next Tuesday at 8

p.m.

Dec. 7Monona Grove 7, Middleton 5Monona Grove ........ 0 3 4 7Middleton .... 3 1 1 5

First period: Mi Carey (Harper), 8:43;Bunz (Graf), 13:28; Graf (Bunz, Harper) (pp),

15:59.

Second period: MG Johnston (pp), 0:12;Probendaro (Patton) (pp), 5:23; Johnston (pp),

12:00; M Harper (Carey) (sh), 16:59.

Third period: Mi Harper (Reifsteck),1:51; MG West (Johnston) (pp), 5:25; Patton

(Dutcher), 12:51; Dutcher (Johnston) (pp), 15:42;

Patton (en), 16:54.

Saves: M (Wuesthofen) 22; MG (Nahirniak)

33. Penalties: Mi 10-28; MG 6-12.

Dec. 5Middleton 2, Madison Memorial 1 (OT)Middleton 1 0 0 1 2Madison Memorial .... 0 1 0 0 1

First period: Mi Dohmeier (Harper),8:27.

Second period: MM Padley (Byce,

Karns), 8:36.

OT: Mi Carey (Harper), 0:24.

Saves: M (Kasdorf) 25; MM (Osborn) 29.Penalties: M 8-30, MM 2-4.

Dec. 3Middleton 4, Sun Prairie 1Middleton ............ 0 1 3 4Sun Prairie .............. 0 0 1 1

Second period: Mi Carey (Bakken), 9:54.

Third period: SP Mikula, 0:14; Mi Sheehan (pp), 6:26; Carey (Harper), 12:06;

Dickert (Bunz, Reifsteck), 14:14.

Saves: M (Wuesthofen) 13, SP (Thornton)30. Penalties M 2-4, SP 1-2

Middletons hockey team would

love to win every time it takes the ice.

But if the Cardinals were going to

suffer a defeat last week, they picked

the right game to do so.

Middleton won a pair of Big Eight

Conference games, toppling Sun

Prairie, 4-1, last Tuesday and down-

ing Madison Memorial, 2-1, in over-

time last Thursday. The Cardinals fell

to Monona Grove, 7-5, last Saturday,

but still felt pretty good about gaining

four points in the conference.

The good news is we won the two

conference games, Middleton co-

coach Steve Libert said. We had a

great opportunity to sweep the week,

but we ran out of gas and let our fad-ing legs affect our hockey brain.

The phrase for the week is activ-

ity is not achievement. In two of the

games we really played with a lot of

energy, but that energy is blasting out

in all directions rather than being

focused. Our inexperience showed up

via our lack of knowing and accepting

our responsibilities during the game.

Middleton rolled past Sun Prairie,

despite the fact Libert said his team

did not play well.

Jordan Carey gave Middleton a 1-

0 lead at 9:54 of the first period on an

assist from Michael Bakken.

It stayed that way until the third

period, when Sun Prairie scored just

14 seconds into the period. But

Middleton responded with three

straight goals.

First, Taylor Dickert scored less

than three minutes into the period to

give Middleton a 2-1 lead. Davis

Bunz and Daylon Reifsteck had

assists.

Carey made it 3-1 at 12:06 on a

shorthanded goal assisted by Casey

Harper. And Brendan Sheehan had a

power play goal with 6:26 remaining

in the game.

Tony Wuesthofen got the win in

goal and made 13 saves.

The game was played with a lack

of tenacity and discipline, Libert

said. We floated around like plastic

bags in a windy parking lot. A lot of

activity but nothing accomplished.Tony played goalie and did well.

He only had to make 13 saves, but

was ready when he needed to be.

Middleton then earned a hard

fought win over a much-improved

Madison Memorial team.

With less than a minute left in

overtime, Ryan Dohmeier beat two

players out of the corner. Dohmeier

fed the puck to Carey, who scored the

game-winner with just 24 seconds left

in the OT.

Middleton had eight penalties that

totaled 30 minutes, while the Spartans

had just two penalties for four min-

utes. But the Cardinals persevered.

Dohmeier scored midway through

the first period, while Memorial gotthe equalizer during a 5-on-3 in the

second period. It stayed that way until

Careys game-winner.

Zach Kasdorf got the win for the

Cardinals after registering 25 saves.

It was a great win, Libert said.

There was a ton of adversity, but the

guys stayed calm and kept playing as

well as they could. There were plenty

of opportunities to go haywire, but

they remained on the page by minding

themselves.

The Cardinals then fell to Monona

Grove Saturday night. Middleton led,

3-0, through one period and 5-3 early

in the third period. But the Cardinals

ran out of steam.

As the (third) period went on we


Hockey Cards start Big 8 play strongMiddleton 2-0

in conferenceby ROB REISCHEL

Times-Tribune

Times-Tribunephoto by Mary

Langenfeld

T a y l o rDickert (10)a n dMiddletonshockey teamjumped to a2-0 start inthe BigE i g h tConferencelast week.


16/24


Kari Steck is a little different than

most coaches.Middletons girls gymnastics boss

doesn't talk about conference champi-onships, sectional titles and trips to

state. Instead, Steck likes to keep hergoal list lighter.

I have the same expectations forthe girls every year, said Steck,

whose team opened its seasonTuesday at Mount Horeb. I want

them to have fun, make memories, andaccomplish their personal and team

goals.To me, thats what gymnastics is

all about. When the girls are havingfun, it will show in their routines and

scores.Thats certainly been the case dur-

ing Stecks first two seasons.Middleton won Big Eight

Conference and sectional titles in both2012 and 13. The Cardinals were

then sixth at state in 2012 and seventha year ago.

With several gifted gymnasts back,the Cardinals could be poised for

another big year.The star of the show will once

again be senior Aryn Skibba. A yearago, Skibba was fifth at state in the

all-around competition. She was also

fourth on the vault, fifth on the bal-

ance beam and sixth on the floor exer-cise.

Skibba will miss some time early inthe season due to some chronic pain.

But when Skibba returns, she could bepoised for a memorable year.

Aryn worked very hard over thesummer and has several new skills to

show for her senior year, Steck said.Staying healthy will be a biggie for

Aryn,Aryn has never been a gymnast

that is in it for her. I think her goals areto stay healthy, have fun, and be suc-

cessful as a team. She is a senior and acaptain, and this year is a year she

wants to remember.Junior Lucy Bergenthal is compet-

ing on varsity for a third year.Bergenthal figures to be one of the

Cardinals all-arounders once again.Lucy works very hard and is

determined to help her team, Stecksaid.

Senior Gabby Aranda has battledinjuries throughout her career, but

hopes to compete in all four eventsthis season.

If she stays healthy, Gabby willdefinitely be one to watch this year,

Steck said. She has a drive and moti-vation that you cant teach.

Sophomore Katherine Marshalland junior Lauren Ace are two others

that Steck expects to blossom.Lauren also worked very hard

over the summer. She has improveddrastically this year, and I think shell

be a key player, Steck said.Katherine has a great amount of

power and drive. As a sophomore, I

think shell be one to keep an eye on.Freshmen Madeline Pflasterer-

Jennerjohn and Daniella Aranda alsofigure to make some noise.

Pflasterer-Jennerjohn recently had

back surgery, but has returned asstrong as ever.

You wouldnt know it by watch-

ing her practice, Steck said ofPflasterer-Jennerjohn. She works

very hard, has a great attitude, and i s avery talented gymnast.

Gabby Aranda is another gymnastwith a world of potential.

She will also be one to watch,Steck said of Aranda. She has a ton

of potential.

So do the Cardinals. And that couldmake for another memorable season.

MHS GIRLS

GYMNASTICS ROSTERSeniors: Aryn Skibba, Gabby

Aranda.Juniors: Lucy Bergenthal, Morgan

Charlton, Maygan Neisius, KarleeKetelboeter, Lauren Ace, Marie

Lawton.

Sophomores: Megan Lange,Katherine Marshall, Kat Stein,Hannah Miller.

Freshmen: Madeline Pflasterer-Jennerjohn, Daniella Aranda.

Learning

to flyMiddletons girls

gymnastics team

set to take flightby ROB REISCHEL

Times-Tribune

File photo

Aryn Skibba and Middletons girls gymnastics team are hoping for another big season.


17/24


Making

a splash

It was a week that had to border on

exhausting and exhilarating all at

the same time.

Middletons boys swimming team

opened its season with three meets in

five days, and performed admirably

at each one.

The highlight came Saturday,

when Middleton won a champi-

onship at the 14-team Nicolet Sprint

Invite. The Cardinals also dropped a

dual meet to Madison Memorial and

finished in third place at the

Brookfield East Invite.It was a long week for the team,

Middleton coach Luke Lengfeld

said. The times got better and we

put our best foot forward.

Middleton was at its best during

the Nicolet Invite.

The Cardinals were runaway win-

ners, finishing with 386 points.

Cedarburg was a distant second at

252, while Shorewood (236),

Verona/Mount Horeb (227) and

Waukesha North/ Kettle Moraine/

Pewaukee (202) rounded out the top

five.

Middleton won the 400 yard med-

ley relay and the 500 yard freestyle

relay, and was third in the 200 yard

freestyle relay.

Middletons Hans Kunsch won

the 50 yard backstroke, while Cooper

Green was third. Lex Peterson was

third in the 50 yard butterfly, while

teammates Derek Petit, Luke

Delaney and Harrison Bielinski were

sixth, seventh and 10th, respectively.

Lars Haskins was fourth in the 50

yard freestyle, while Petit and

Matthew Lieferman were 12th and

13th, respectively.

MHS swimmers

start off strong

by ROB REISCHEL

Times-Tribune

Green was fifth in the 200 yard

freestyle, while Josh Reddemann waseighth and Delaney was 11th.

Haskins was fifth in the 100 yard

freestyle, while Josh Reddemann was

11th. Rory Slattery was fifth in the 50

yard breaststroke, while Ethan

Lengfeld and Will Zocher were ninth

and 10th, respectively.

The Cardinals Jacob Aegerter and

Peterson were sixth and seventh,

respectively, in the 100 yard IM.

Aegerter was also seventh in the 200

yard IM, while teammate James Mai

was 10th.

And Middletons Jack Zocher was

fifth in the one-meter diving, while

Will Myrland was ninth.

This year we won by more points

then we did the last two years, LukeLengfeld said of winning the Nicolet

Invite. As the days went on and

throughout the week the guys were

more and more focused.

Memorial won all 11 events dur-

ing its win over the Cardinals. But

Middleton won the JV event.

It was the first time Madison

Memorials JV lost since that coach

took over, Lengfeld said. That is a

great accomplishment for the begin-

ning of the year.

Middleton was also third at the

Brookfield East Invite. MadisonMemorial won that event with 567

points, followed by Arrowhead

(362), Middleton (328), Brookfield

East (321) and Brookfield Academy

(114).

Middletons quartet of Kunsch,

Slattery, Peterson and Haskins was

third in the 200 yard medley relay.

Peterson and Petit finished third and

fourth, respectively, in the 100 yard

butterfly, while Haskins was fifth in

the 50 yard freestyle.

Haskins was also fifth in the 100

yard freestyle, and Middletons 200

yard freestyle relay team of Green,

Aegerter, Bielski and Delany was

third.

Middletons 400 yard freestylerelay team of Haskins, Peterson,

Green and Aegerter was also fourth.

On deck: Middleton hosts

Janesville Parker and Madison La

Follette in a triangular Thursday at

5:30 p.m. The Cardinals then are at

the Janesville Parker Invite Saturday

at 11 a.m.

Dec. 7

Nicolet Sprint Invite

Team scores 1, Middleton 386; 2,

Cedarburg 252; 3, Shorewood 236; 4, Verona/

Mt. Horeb 227; 5, Waukesha North/ Kettle

Moraine/ Pewaukee 202; 6, Kenosha Tremper173; 7, Nicolet 155; 8, Wauwatosa East/ West

141; 9, Whitefish Bay 136; 10, Grafton 127; 11,

Milw. Marquette 126; 12, Madison La Follette

47; 13, Madison East 39; 14, Brown Deer/

University School 26.

Event winners 400-yard medley relay:

MID, 3:26.97. 200 freestyle: Nick Plachinski,

CED, 1:43.27. 100 individual medley: Danny

Larson, TEW, 56.57. 50 free: Kade McGilvray,

VER, 22.52. 50 butterfly: McGilvray, VER,

24.61. 100 free: Larson, TEW, 48.71. 200 indi-

vidual medley: Plachinski, CED, 2:01.18. 200

free relay: VER, 1:31.10. 50 backstroke: Hans

Kunsch, MID, 26.22. 50 breaststroke: Jack

Senczyszyn, GRA, 29.40. 500 free relay: MID,

3:54.98. Diving: Joe Kaszubowski, WFB,

490.90.

Dec. 3

Brookfield East Invite

Team scores 1, Madison Memorial 567;

2, Arrowhead 362; 3, Middleton 328; 4,

Brookfield 321; 5, Brookfield Academy 114.

Event winners 200-yard medley relay:

MM (Justin Temprano, Sam Szotkowski, Ben

Gebhart, John Hornacek), 1:38.55. 200 freestyle:

Brian Borden, BRO, 1:47.75. 200 individual

medley: Kevin Van Cleve, BA, 1:58.05. 50 free:

Alex Peterson-Weber, MM, 22.19. 100 butterfly:

Gebhart, MM, 53.86. 100 free: Hornacek, MM,

48.57. 500 free: Van Cleve, BA, 4:55.18. 200

free relay: MM (Peterson-Weber, Szotkowski,

Alex Battaglia, Nathan Eckerle), 1:28.82. 100

backstroke: Borden, BRO, 53.72. 100 breast-

stroke: Amos Kaldor, MM, 1:02.44. 400 free

relay: MM (Temprano, Peterson-Weber, Eckerle,

Hornacek), 3:17.58.

Times-Tribune photo by Mary Langenfeld

Josh Reddemann and Middletons boys swimming team won the Nicolet Sprint Invite las Saturday.


18/24

Middleton Ladies

Dec. 3

Jeanne Schenck 604, Verelene Morris

537, Patti Larson 536, Cheri Theis 511,

Mary Moody 507, Janie Lange 503, Janice

Williams 499, Bonnie Coy 496, Donna

Cushman 491, Kristie Stapleton 488,

Debbie Swain 479, Lyn Passini 479,

Theresa Meisel 476, Cindy Hall 452.

Nov. 19

Theresa Meisel 565, Cindy Hall 546,

Verelene Morris 543, Melissa Carlson 510,

Lyn Passini 494, Frayne Born 478, Janice

Williams 473, Jeanne Schrenk 467, Debbie

Swain 466, Paula Brunner 452.

Nov. 12

Jeanne Schrenk 580, Janie Lange 551,

Terri Scheel 531, Frayne Born 526, Melissa

Carlson 517, Sandy Statz 490, Cindy Hall

478, Mary Moody 474, Jane Resudek 470,

Lyn Passini 467, Nancy Hellenbrand 463,

Debbie Swain 450.

Nov. 5

Melissa Carlson 527, Patti Larson 521,

Bonnie Coy 514, Verelene Morris 507,

Mary Moody 506, Janie Lange 487,

Theresa Meisel 484, Rosemary Lange 479,

Cathy Matts 475, JeanneSchrenk 474, Lyn

Passini 462, Debbie Swain 462, Nancy

Hellenbrand 452.

Sunday Neighbors

Nov. 17

Jim Salzman 681 (237-247), Paul

Hughes 588 (227-215), Mitch Smith 561

(205), Kelly Capener 555, Steve Holznagel

541 (224), Tony Ziegler 529, Kari Capener

525, Janet Meinholz 523 (207), Dennis

Masaki 519 (202), Jim Campbell 509, Greg

Fritz 505, Cheryl Hitchins 503 (213), Vana

Smith-Steffen 479, Elaine Ziegler 475,

Cindy Hall 456, Mavis Severson 453, Mary

Jo Acker 452.


Cardinals then maintained a com-fortable lead throughout the second

half.Kind is extremely optimistic about

what hes seen the first two conferencegames. And he knows the Cardinals

could be deadly if they get a few areascorrected.

All things considered, I think wehave a great upside if we can shore up

those areas, Kind said. On deck: Middleton hosted

Madison East Tuesday night, then is at

Madison West Friday at 7:30 p.m. The

Cardinals then host Verona in anearly-season showdown next

Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 5Middleton 78, Beloit Memorial 60Beloit Memorial .. 12 17 18 13 60Middleton . 19 25 19 15 78

BELOIT MEMORIAL Whittington 8,Ellis 4, Anderson 8, Winston 6, Dorsey 13, Kiger7, Evans 14. Totals 22 16-27 60.

MIDDLETON Norregaard 16, Roach 4,Peterson 3, Raffel 9, McMahon 6, Blair 2,

Douglas 14, Bergum 2, Jordee 19, Bunion 3.

Totals 30 12-17 78.

Three-point goals M 6 (Norregard 4,Peterson, Raffel). Total fouls BM 20, M 20.

Dec. 7Middleton 71, Janesville Parker 64Janesville Parker .. 14 14 19 17 64Middleton .. 12 15 21 23 71

Parker P. Foster, 1-0-2; Porter, 2-0-6;Smith, 0-4-4; K. Foster, 6-8-21; Dubanowich, 3-

2-9; Thompson, 3-1-9; Uhl, 2-0- 5. Totals: 21-16-

64.

Middleton Norregaard, 4-0-11; Rassel, 4-2-14; Peterson, 0-1-1; McMahon, 3-0-6; Blair, 4-

2-13; Douglas, 5-9-19; Jordee, 0-5-5; Passini, 1-0-3. 21-19-71.

Three-point goalsParker 7 (Porter 2, K.Foster, Thompson 2, Dubanowich, Uhl),

Middleton 10 (Norregaard 3, Rassel 4, Blair 3).

Total foulsParker 24, Middleton 19. Fouled

outSmith.

p rts briefsDance routine

The Middleton Dance Team will teach participants a routine to be per-formed at halftime of the boys varsity basketball game on Jan. 4. Kids wi ll

be divided into different age groups and each group will learn and performa different routine. The older the kids are, the more difficult the routine.

Kids will play games, get pizza and fruit, and receive a T-shirt to wearand take home. Parents will also receive two tickets for admission into the

game.More detailed information will be e-mailed to registered parents prior to

the clinic. Registration is due Dec. 20.The cost is $30 per child and checks can be made payable to the MHS

Dance Team. Any questions can be emailed [email protected].

Fundraiser at Middleton Sport BowlA fundraiser will be held for Patti Nicholson on Dec. 14 at the

Middleton Sport Bowl from 4:30-6:30 p.m.Nicholson was the secretary to the principal at Middleton High School

and a district employee for 18 years. She was diagnosed with ALS 1 1/2years ago.

There will be a silent auction from 4-6:30 p.m. and bowling from 4:30-6:30 p.m. There will be a raffle from 4-7:30 p.m. and a bake sale from 4-8

p.m.The cost to bowl is $30 per person on a team of four. That includes three

games of bowling, pizza and drink.

Sign-up and prepay prior to the event is preferred.Contact Kathleen Shaffer ([email protected] or 608-829-

9912) or Cheryl Lingard ([email protected] or 608-829-9926)

to register for the event.

GIRLS BB continued from page 14

B O W L I N G

Middletons wrestling team

opened its season by finishing in sec-

ond place at the Reedsburg Invite on

Saturday.

Host Reedsburg won the seven-

team event, followed by Middleton,

La Crosse Logan, Westby, Westfield,

Oregon and Monroe.

Middleton opened with a 38-36

win over La Crosse Logan.

The Cardinals got pins from

Brandon Best at 152 pounds, Nathan

Dresen at 160, Shay Haase (170),

Taggart Haase (182) and Sean

Benedict (heavyweight).

Middletons Chris Rogers notched

a 12-2 win at 126 and Marino Alcorta

had a 10-0 victory at 145.

The Cardinals then rolled past

Oregon, 57-15.

Middleton got pins from Trevaun

Turner at 113, Rogers (126), Best

(152), Dresen (160), Shay Haase

(170), Lon Yeary (220) and Benedict

(heavyweight). Middletons Colton

Best received a forfeit at 106, Justin

Swiersz posted a 6-5 win at 132,

Alcorta had a 9-2 win at 145 and

Taggart Haase notched a 3-2 win at

182.

Middleton also cruised past

Westby, 54-16.

Turner (113), Rogers (126),

Dresen (160), Shay Haase (170),

Taggart Haase (182) and Benedict

(heavyweight) all pinned their foes.

Terrence Self (120), Swiersz and

Shane Bishop (138) all received for-

feits as the Cardinals rolled.

Middleton then fell to Reedsburg

in the match that decided the eventual

champion, 45-29.

Turner notched a pin at 113, as did

Dresen (160), Shay Haase (170) and

Yeary. Bishop also won at 138 when

his opponent was disqualified.

But it wasnt enough and the

Cardinals settled for second place.

On deck: Middleton opens Big

Eight Conference play Friday at

Madison La Follette at 7 p.m. The

Cardinals then travel to the Tomah

Invitational Saturday at 9:30 a.m., then

host Madison East Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Wrestlers 2nd at Reedsburgby ROB REISCHEL

Times-Tribune

News Publishing Co. photo by Jeff Seering

Middleton heavyweight Sean Benedict scored a pin over La Crosse Logans Duncan Metz-Beard last Saturday.


19/24

end of the first quarter. The PurpleKnights led, 32-27, at halftime before

Middleton trimmed that deficit to 43-40 heading to the fourth quarter.

But the Cardinals never could getover the hump.

Middleton trailed by three pointslate in the contest, when Rongstad was

whistled for a technical foul and thePurple Knights gained some breathing

room.Middleton finished the game shoot-

ing just 32% from the field and 15.8%from three-point range (3-of-19).

Obviously at some point the ballhas to go in at a higher clip or were in

trouble no matter who we are play-ing, Bavery said. Most of those

threes were pretty open looks, thoughwe did force a coupl

MTT50MGFINAL

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