Local

MIDDLETON - Denise Schmidt, long-time chair of the town of Middleton Plan Commission, was recently appointed to fill the second year of Paul Connell’s term on the town board.

Schmidt is just the second woman to serve on the five-member board, after Cynthia Richson was elected town chair in 2017 and re-elected last month

“This is history making,” Richson said last week.

In recent years, the Plan Commission has served as a stepping stone to the town board for Stephen Tumbush and Bill Kolar, and Schmidt said the job serves to prepare a resident for the work of steering the town into the future.

“The Plan Commission not only looks at things in a holistic manner, it touches on the multiple operations of the town. It’s good experience to have,” Schmidt said.

MIDDLETON–Learning about wild edibles and medicinals, survival skills and naturalist skills may not seem like your typical summer camp, but at Wild Harvest Nature Connection, wants to change that mindset. The Dane County business offers outdoor experiences for not only children, but adults as well.

“We have homeschool programs from September through May, summer camps June through August, adult groups, and individual classes. All of our groups meet at various parks around Dane County, one of which is Indian Lake County Park (Cross Plains),” explained Heather Hutchinson, co-founder and mentor at Wild Harvest Nature Connection.

She said Wild Harvest takes a wholistic approach to nature that focuses on the well-being of the individual, the group and the land. The programs also aim at forming a sense of community with attendees. 

MIDDLETON–Traffic signals will be installed at Mineral Point (CTH S) and Pioneer Roads this summer during a months-long project that restricts travel on CTH S through the town of Middleton to CTH P.

CTH S will be closed to through traffic and open only to local traffic accessing residential and business driveways within the construction zone.

“If you have a way out of your neighborhood other than Mineral Point, then you must avoid the construction area,” Greggar Peterson, a Dane County Highway Department engineer, said during an April 16 informational meeting at the town of Middleton.

Residents in the Cherrywood neighborhood and those along Welcome Dr. will be among the most impacted, he said.

Through traffic will be detoured on US 12 to US 14 to CTH P. Peterson understands most motorists will know a shorter route than the detour or use a GPS to find one.

MIDDLETON–The Good Neighbor Festival Board of Trustees is honored to announce that Michael Leckrone, retiring director of the Marching Band and Director of Bands at the University of Wisconsin and a long-time Middleton resident, has accepted the role of Parade Marshal for the 2019 Good Neighbor Festival. Leckrone will lead over 100 entries during the August 25 parade through the streets of downtown Middleton.

He retires this year after 50 years as Director of the University of Wisconsin Marching Band. He has had a remarkable career, and has served as a clinician, guest conductor and adjudicator for concert and marching bands throughout the United States and Canada. His experience also includes considerable professional work as an arranger, composer and performer.

MIDDLETON–The Middleton-Cross Plains Area School Board reviewed the progress of the Internal Attendance Boundary Committee which held its first meeting March 6. More than 35 residents applied to serve on the committee and 25 were selected.

The committee is tasked with reviewing the attendance area with a focus on the district’s strategy map, a determined criterium, historical and future enrollment trends, and building capacity. The committee is also charged with making up to recommendations to the board regarding elementary and middle-school boundaries and communicate those to the broader community. 

The meetings are being facilitated by Drew Howick, who has also worked with DeForest, Sun Prairie and Verona school districts on committees looking at internal boundaries. Howick presented an update to the board April 22.

 MIDDLETON–The Middleton Public Library will undergo some changes in 2019 in an effort to more efficiently use existing space, with a remodel, named Next Chapter. A 2015 study of the building estimated that the library would need to triple its current square footage to accommodate the volume and needs of consumers. 

“This project is making the most of what we have while we have it,” said Jocelyne Sansing, Middleton Public Library Director.

MADISON–A 19-year-old Madison man who robbed two Middleton banks at gunpoint during and nine bank robbery spree last year, was sentenced Tuesday in federal court to 11 years in prison and ordered to make restitution of $49,582.

Kiefah A. Marbra pled guilty earlier this year in connection with the Feb. 19, 2018 robbery of Associated Bank on Allen Blvd. and the Feb. 22, 2018 robbery of the Wells Fargo Bank on University Ave.

Marbra was indicted last May with his uncle, Jonathan Thompson, 30, of Madison, and Robert Minette, 31, of Shakopee, MN. 

Thompson was considered the leader of the robbery spree. He selected the banks, sent either Marbra or Minette in to hold them up and drove the getaway car back to his apartment where the proceeds were divided up.

Minette held up only the first two banks, located on Madison’s east side. He pleaded guilty to robbery charges and was sentenced last month to nine years in prison.

MIDDLETON–James ‘Moose’ Werner who’s owned the Club Tavern at 1915 Branch St. for 39 years officially sold the business Monday. The Club Tavern is known for live music, Cajun food, volleyball and supporting local charities.

The bar was purchased by Dale Beck, who owns the restaurant and bar North of the Bayou, on Madison's East Side, and two other bars. Moose plans to continue catering at Club Tavern and Beck’s other bars.

He said Beck will be doing some remodeling and repairs, but the staff and operations will stay the same. Long standing employee Mike Hart will take over for Moose.

“He’s been my righthand man forever and he’s the one that is going to be taking over the operation,” Moose said. “It’s going to become Mikey’s place and that man is going to make them forget about Moose in a heartbeat.”

Moose said he is confident any change will be for the better.

CROSS PLAINS–Citizens of Cross Plains saw a need for leadership to promote exercise and healthy living in the village, and in response, the LIFE (Lifestyle Initiative for Fitness Empowerment) Foundation was founded. The LIFE Foundation is a community-based non-profit organization with a mission to improve health by decreasing obesity via improving nutrition and increasing physical activity within a local safe environment to ultimately lower obesity-related disease risk. Jane Busch, Briana Swanson, Dr. Dan Jarzemsky and others founded the LIFE Foundation initiative in 2013 to respond to a perceived deficit of health promotion and wellness in the community.

MIDDLETON–The City of Middleton and Dane County are working collaboratively on a planned reconstruction of University Avenue from just west of Park Street to Cayuga Boulevard. Weather permitting, we anticipate a full closure of east- and westbound traffic on this stretch from Monday, April 22, until Thursday, July 4. More details will be forthcoming soon, but we wish to get public notice out now to inform the general public. Access for residents will be made and cross access at Bristol and Parmenter Streets will be accommodated throughout most of the project. However, delays are likely, and we ask for your patience. A detour will be posted.