June 2019

Sat
29
Jun
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Dead Fish

“Daddy, can I get another pet?”

“Maybe,” I replied. 

“And this time can I get one that won’t die?”

“Well, I’ll do a Google search for ‘immortal pets,’ but I can’t promise anything,” I said, unsure, as always, if I was doing permanent psychological harm with my words. 

When the fish we won at a summer carnival a couple weeks ago perished, some friends were kind (read: cruel) enough to bring us a replacement fish. That fish also died. I’d like to make it clear, and I didn’t ever expect to need to make it clear, that we are not running an aquatic hospice at our suburban home. 

“I think maybe a few days is just the life expectancy of a goldfish,” I told my little girl, hoping it was true. “I think I heard they live about three seconds? Or maybe that’s their memories? Maybe that’s not true, though.”

I quickly added my boiler plate final statement to everything: “I’m not sure. We should look it up.”

Sat
29
Jun
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American Driving Society, Headquartered in Cross Plains, to Hold Local Event

VERONA–For Mary Ruth Marks, it’s the thrill of the drive. But not cars–horses. She owns 11, all but one a cross of Arabian and German Sport Pony, she said. 

“Makes for a Ferrari model,” she quipped, adding that on her latest carriage drive around the course with her horse, Adeszko, “He was flying! You gotta hang on or you’ll be gone and get hurt.”

For years, the 70-year-old has competed in, as well as organized, carriage driving events. In 2018, driving a “four-in-hand,” four horses, she nearly qualified for the World Equestrian Games; in 2010 she and Adeszko were first alternate for the U.S. team competing in World Championships, she said. 

For the seventh year, she’ll host an American Driving Society (ADS) event at her 40-acre Notara Farm, just outside Verona. She expects 25 participants, men and women of all ages, as well as children. Seated in a carriage, they’ll drive a single or a pair of Very Small Equines (VSE), ponies or horses, she said. 

Sat
29
Jun
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Cool Hand Customs to Expand Business

MIDDLETON–EJ and Amy Fitzgerald, co-owners of Cool Hand Customs, have been doing custom car and motorcycle builds at the corner of Clark and Lee Streets for the last 10 years. The couple are looking to expand their operation but worried about how they will fit in with a changing landscape.

EJ and Amy saidthey took a risk when they decided to walk away from their construction business and open their own custom motorcycle and car shop. EJ says it was something he always wanted to do, and construction wasn’t offering a lot. 

“I’m going to be an old man with busted up knees and nothing else,” he said. 

Amy’s mom encouraged them to start a business with EJ’s passion for doing custom paint and body work on motorcycles and cars. EJ had reservations. 

“This is going from stuff that somebody might need to get done on their house to a complete extravagance,” he recalled.

Fri
28
Jun
Thu
27
Jun
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MHS basketball standout Tanin chooses Loyola

Location.

Teammates.

Academics.

And a belief in what is the coaching staff is building.

Middleton girls’ basketball standout Sitori Tanin viewed all of the above as extreme positives when she chose Loyola University in Chicago as her future home. The 6-foot-2 Tanin, a senior-to-be at MHS, announced her decision last week.

“The girls on the team, the coaching staff, the campus, the athletic facilities and the location,” Tanin said when asked what drew her to Loyola. “And since I was looking for a higher academic school, Loyola was a great fit.”

Tanin helped the Cardinals reach the WIAA Division 1 state championship game in March, where they fell to Bay Port, 50-49.

Tanin also received first-team all-Big Eight Conference honors after leading the Cardinals in scoring (13.2), rebounding (11.0), steals (2.2) and blocks (1.1), and finishing second in assists (2.0).

Thu
27
Jun
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MHS golfers earn top honors

Tom Cabalka couldn't stop gushing.

Middleton’s boys golf coach was recently discussing how Kip Sullivan, Jacob Beckman and Carson Frisch were named first-team all-Big Eight Conference, and Tommy Kriewaldt received second-team honors.

The foursome was also recognized by the Wisconsin Golf Coaches Association. Sullivan was named second-team all-state, Beckman received third-team honors and both Kriewaldt and Frisch were named honorable-mention all-state.

And Cabalka simply couldn't find enough plaudits to throw in the direction of his four golfing standouts.

“I'm finding it hard to say enough good things about these guys,” Cabalka said. “They are all great young men, and such an enjoyable group to work with. 

Thu
27
Jun
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Baseball Cardinals named all-conference

Middleton’s baseball team had four players earn all-Big Eight Conference honors.

Senior pitcher Matt Ballweg and junior outfielder Ben Collier were named second-team all-conference. Senior outfielder Cooper Holewinski and junior infielder Adam Casali received honorable-mention all-conference honors.

In 42 innings pitched, Ballweg struck out 40 batters, walked 17 and had a 2.33 ERA. Ballweg allowed just 30 hits in conference games and had a WHIP (walks + hits/innings pitched) of 1.119.

“He was a tremendous pitcher for us who kept us in nearly every game he pitched,” Middleton manager Brent Jorgensen said of Ballweg. “Matt had a great pickoff move to complement his ability to locate all three of his pitches for strikes. His demeanor, pitching abilities, and work ethic were the three things that really set him apart this year.”

Sun
23
Jun
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Two Arrested for Alleged Weapons Violation

MIDDLETON–On June 22, at approximately 9:24 p.m. Middleton Police Officers responded to a report of possible gun shots heard in the area of 2110 Allen Blvd. in the City of Middleton.

When officers arrived to check the area, they located a handgun and eight individuals nearby. Cesar Rivera-Luna, 28, of Madison, was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon. Shyla Femrite, 28, of Madison, was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon and obstructing an officer.  Both individuals were transported and booked into the Dane County Jail.

This investigation is ongoing. The Middleton Police Department is asking anyone who may have information regarding this incident to contact the police department at 608-824-7300, tipster line at 608-824-7304, or text at 608-824-7300.

Thu
20
Jun
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District Breaks Ground on New Elementary

MIDDLETON – Ground was broken last week for this first new elementary school in the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District (MCPASD) in 23 years.

Located adjacent to the 102-acre Pope Farm Conservancy on Old Sauk Rd., the new Pope Farm Elementary is scheduled to open to grades K-4 in September 2020.

The school building will be located near the crest of a glacial moraine putting students in the middle of the natural laboratory while preserving views from the conservancy of the State Capitol and Lake Mendota to the east.

The town of Middleton purchased the Pope family farm in 1999, reserving the right to later sell 40 acres to the school district to help defray the cost of the purchase. Placing a school next to the conservancy enhances both parties, said Mel Pope, family spokesman

“The family was very much behind this because…we’d rather see kids use the conservancy instead of having a housing development here,” Pope said.

Thu
20
Jun
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4-0!

I turned 40 last week. Luckily for me, I got my mid-life crisis out of the way early (in my mid-30s), and this official onset of middle age doesn’t have me as rattled as it could.

There is an old saying that age is “nothing but a number.” It’s certainly a number, yes, but it’s a number that has a pretty solid relationship with how much time you have left on Earth, so I don’t think it’s exactly insignificant.

At 40, I’ve outlived most rock stars, most Neanderthals, and even a couple of Messiahs who started major world religions. I tracked down a few studies on life expectancy over the ages, and was surprised to learn that I’ve also outlived, well, pretty much everyone.

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