Local

MIDDLETON–The Town of Middleton’s Plan Commission will be holding an Open House on June 19, starting at 6:30 pm to 8 p.m. to discuss planning issues with the public and obtain their input, comments, and concerns on the 10-year update to the Comprehensive Plan.

A Pheasant Branch Creek Corridor Public Input Session will be held on June 2o, 7 p.m., at the
Kromrey Middle School Ccafetorium.

The Department of Public Lands, Recreation, and Forestry is seeking public input as we develop the Pheasant Branch Creek Corridor Restoration & Improvements Master Plan.

MIDDLETON­–On June 10, the Middleton Action Team, a group of concerned citizens, held a Racial Equity in Middleton forum at the Middleton Public Library. About 60 people turned out and a panel made up of City Administrator Mike Davis, Percy Brown Jr., Director of Equity and Student Achievement for the Middleton Cross Plains Area School District and Pastor Jim Iliff, of the Middleton Community Church-United Church of Christ gave reports and answered questions. All three men are on the Middleton Equity Team.

Iliff started off the night and gave some background information about himself, telling the group about how he came to the realization that he was not living in the community he thought he was living in when he read the city’s racial equity report. That was back in 2001 and Iliff said, “Once you learn about inequity, you can’t unlearn it.” 

SPRINGFIELD–The Springfield Town Board had questions about the reclamation process and whether or not the land is grandfathered in as non-conforming for the planned expansion of the Meinholz Quarry owned by Yahara Materials on June 5. Homeowners near the quarry had some questions of their own. The special meeting, which had an item of revisiting a resolution on Dec. 18, 2018 concerning the reclamation, had a representative from Yahara, as well as their attorney, in attendance, trying to provide answers to both the board members and residents during the agenda item’s discussion. 

Town Chair Jim Pulvermacher told the crowd that after the December meeting, he thought the NR-130 permitting process for excavation had been stopped because the town had not heard anything else from Yahara. The item then came up on a City of Middleton agenda in late May.

MIDDLETON–Communicator in multiple languages, world traveler, partner of Howard Statz, and catcher of suspected law-breakers, Szeci (pronounced Zekey) has already led an adventurous life in his short 16 months on Earth. The German Shepherd Belgian Malinois mix is also the newest member of the Middleton Police Department, and the first of his kind on the force.

“I’m his only handler, and I hope to get five to seven years working with him, as long as possible, before his body slows,” said Officer Statz of his 65-pound, rambunctious sidekick. Statz intentionally selected a smaller dog, he said, in case he must lift his partner. However, Szeci’s bobbed tail wasn’t for weight reduction—the pup had injured himself doing backflips in his Pennsylvania kennel, Statz explained. 

CROSS PLAINS–At approximately 2:10 a.m. on June 9, Dane County Sheriff’s Deputies, along with fire departments from Cross Plains, Dane, Black Earth, Mazomanie, and City of Middleton responded to a structure fire at 3107 Hillside Trail, in the Village of Cross Plains. Upon arrival, the residents were located safely outside of the home, and flames were visible on the roof of the residence. The fire was safely extinguished after about an hour. 

At this time, the fire does not appear suspicious.  The home was a total loss, and an estimated damage is unavailable at this time. The owners did not have pets.

VERONA–On June 7, at approximately 9:46 p.m., Dane County Sheriff’s Office Deputies along with Verona Police, Verona Fire and Fitch-Rona EMS responded to a crash versus a horse on CTH PB near Wesner Rd. in the Town of Verona. The preliminary investigation indicated a Chevrolet Silverado was traveling southbound on CTH PB near Wesner Rd. when it struck a horse in the middle of the highway.  Furthermore, a Toyota Prius traveling northbound on CTH PB near Wesner Rd. later struck the same horse.  

Unfortunately, the horse died as a result of the crash.  Additionally, two other horses and a donkey were running loose but were quickly corralled by passersby and law enforcement.  The animals were safely returned to their barn at a nearby property off of CTH PB.  

MIDDLETON–The Middleton Plan Commission reviewed three items under the jurisdiction of other governing entities that may impact the potential for real estate development in one of the city’s targeted growth areas.

City planning staff member Mark Opitz said he added an item to the agenda as informational to brief the commission on a few projects moving forward that have piqued public interest and could have an impact on an intergovernmental agreement between the city and the Town of Springfield.

Planning Director Eileen Kelley said there were three areas identified in the agreement that may need to be revisited with current proposals. 

The first area Kelley said is the growth area determined in the agreement consisting of about 640 acres. With the planned 160-acre conservancy expansion by the county and development of Misty Valley Middleton Ridge subdivision there is roughly 400 acres remaining.

MIDDLETON–The Town of Middleton Board went into closed session Monday night to confer with their attorney, Eileen Brownlee, concerning “current or likely litigation” regarding a storm water retention pond in the Stonebrook Estates subdivision.

When the board reconvened, then approved the project as well as a directive to the town engineer, Rod Zubella, who is also the president of the engineering firm, Vierbicher, that will be awarded the job.

“We believe the engineering firm is pushing this for their own profit,” Stonebrook Estates resident, Lisa Pardon, told the Times-Tribune, referring to herself and neighbors in the subdivision. 

When the Home Owner’s Association (HOA) covenant was drawn up in 1995, it left the matter of storm water ambiguous in regard to the town and resident rights. At that time storm culverts and ditches were favored means of water control. 

MIDDLETON–Michael Charles didn’t set out to be a blues musician, but rather came about it by happenstance as a child growing up in Australia. “I became a blues musician without even knowing I was playing the blues. My father always had a guitar in the corner of the room which he forbade me to touch,” Charles said. 

After picking up the forbidden instrument at age five, he said he never looked back. “After a while my father saw this was serious passion and taught me my first chords. What I heard on the radio; Clapton, Buddy Guy, Stones, Elvis, BB King influenced me and put the blues in my soul forever,” he recalled.

Charles has been touring since the age of 12 with 12 consecutive tours in the US. Currently, the Chicago Blues Hall of Famer and Grammy nominee is traveling the US, Canada and Australia, and on June 8 the “Soundtrack 2019” tour will make a stop at the Club Tavern in Middleton.