NOWHIRING! Full or parttime in agreat workplace - It’s your paper! we’vegot aspotfor you! Friday, December 14, 2018 • Vol. 5, No. 10 • Fitchburg, WI • ConnectFitchburg.com • $1 CALL TODAY! 608.243.8800 allsaintsneighborhood.org adno=29419 Inside Badger Prairie Needs Network Dancing Nomination papers available for spring election lions Page 3 abroad Tax bills in the mail OMS students travel Page 5 to China for dance competition EMILIE HEIDEMANN Unified Newspaper Group Two Oregon Middle School seventh-graders recently traveled to Macau, China last month to tell a tale – the tale of a lion who crossed a bridge in a simple act of bravery. Josie Feldhausen and Renee Erdmann did this Veterans Day while operating a colorful, ceremony photos puppet-like lion costume in a Chinese martial arts Page 13 tradition known as a lion dance. The dance won the Photo by Kimberly Wethal seventh-graders and the rest Business Steve Barry places food items on the shelf in Badger Prairie Needs Network’s new warehouse. of their junior United States team a bronze medal in the first junior lion dance com- petition at the Metro-Gold- wyn-Meyer International Lion Dance Invitational, Kitchen to table held Nov. 10-11. “They were thrilled,” said Expansion allows for partnerships, feeding more people Colleen Feldhausen, Josie’s mother. “They practiced for KIMBERLY WETHAL ‘From almost the day we Second Harvest post it as available months.” Unified Newspaper Group for delivery,” she said. “I was surprised and Noble Knight moved in, we’ve been As a result, Kasieta said, BPNN ecstatic and I felt like I was When Badger Prairie Needs Net- expanding our programs, will have an impact on food-inse- going to explode,” Josie brings thousands of said in a later phone call work expanded into a county build- and we are out of space.’ cure homes not just within the Verona games to Fitchburg ing in 2015, it found itself with twice Area School District, but throughout with the Star. “I couldn’t the space but still “bursting at the Dane, Jefferson and Waukesha coun- comprehend the feelings Page 17 seams.” – Marcia Kasieta, BPNN executive ties, as well as around a dozen more that were rushing into my “From almost the day we moved director in southern Wisconsin that are ser- head.” in, we’ve been expanding our pro- viced by Second Harvest Food Bank. The junior team also Sports grams, and we are out of space,” Dawn Bradshaw, foods division included Emerson Elemen- Marcia Kasieta, executive director Recovery Network” initiative will program leader for CAC, said while tary fourth-grader Solomon for the nonprofit social services agen- involve conducting “rescues” from the 52-year-old anti-poverty nonprof- Beebe Collum of Madison, cy, told the Press last month. cafeterias from places like Epic and it has been conducting food rescues who played drums during With an addition onto the west- UW Hospitals and Clinics and using from Epic for years, the partnership the girls’ performance. ern and northern parts of the now BPNN’s facility to repackage food with BPNN with repackaging the They traveled with their 9,000-square-foot Verona facility, and store it. food will allow it to better serve the families, and the Zhong Yi BPNN has the space to widen its Regional networks, including the population of those who have food Kung Fu Association wom- impact on reducing food insecurity. It Community Action Coalition and insecurity. en’s team with whom they served 1,100 families in 2017 – two Second Harvest of Southern Wiscon- Previously, the packaging would train in Madison. thirds of whom were from Fitchburg sin, and individual food pantries will be flimsy and not keep the food safe, While at the competi- – and expanded its service territory in be able to collect the prepackaged or it wouldn’t include lists of ingre- tion, the seventh-graders 2018. meals from BPNN and distribute dients, a concern for those who have met teams from all across Edgewood girls A 576-square foot warehouse is them. allergies. southeast Asia — including swimming repeats already mostly filled with dry goods, That increases the amount of pre- “That’s a big concern when you’re China, Australia, the Philip- and a larger cooler and freezer area pared food its clients will have access dealing with a vulnerable population pines and Indonesia. Feld- Page B1 was ready use by the first week of to, and other food service agencies to begin with,” she said. “You cer- hausen said in their free December. Those additions allow that feed Fitchburg can receive pre- tainly don’t want to be causing any time, the girls were able to BPNN to have the space to turn over packaged food that comes through medical issues to those folks who explore Macau with their Schools more product, which it will need BPNN, as well. are perhaps already having medical respective families. after increasing its services. “If the pantries at St. Vincent De issues.” “We did quite a bit of OSD approves land The new 1,000-square foot cooler Paul, Good Shepherd Church or In addition to feeding people, a sightseeing,” she said. “We and freezer space off the back of the Allied Drive want to receive pack- goal of Kitchen to Table is to create saw a lot of ancient Bud- purchases kitchen will allow for a new initiative aged surplus food, they can come a working model for food recovery dhist temples.” to be rooted in BPNN’s facility. The out to BPNN and shop the cooler Page B6 “Kitchen to Table: Wisconsin Food – or they can order it when CAC or Turn to BPNN/Page 15 Turn to China/Page 16 PRSRT STANDARD ECRWSS EXPERIENCE THE UPTOWN LIFESTYLE US POSTAGE PAID UNIFIED NEWSPAPER GROUP 608.441.9999 avanteproperties.com 5120 E Cheryl Parkway, VISTA APARTMENTS Fitchburg, WI 1 & 2 Bedroom Units Available adno=28613 ConnectFitchburg.com 2 December 14, 2018 Fitchburg Star Santa listens as Jaiden Jones, 3, tells him what he wants for Christmas this year during the 32nd Annual Children’s Holi- day Party. Photos by Kimberly Wethal Gabriel Martin, 6, of Oregon, twists pipe cleaners around at the craft station during the 32nd Annual Children’s Holiday Party on Sunday, Dec. 9, at the City of Fitchburg Community Center. Making holiday memories The 32nd annual Children’s Holiday Party was held on Sunday, Dec. 9. Hundreds of children took the opportunity to visit with Santa, get their faces painted, decorate holiday crafts and decorate cookies. At left, Zoe Farley, 4, of McFarland, bites into a sugar cookie. On the web To see more photos from the 32nd Annual Children’s Party, visit: ConnectFitchburg.com LocalHome INVENTORYis LOW Let’s talk about lot & construction loans. Call Howard to discuss your Future Home Howard Cagle NMLS#593729 [email protected] CapitolBank.com/mortgages adno=41950 Kenya Rose, 5, of Madison, decorates her popsicle stick project with silver glitter glue during the 32nd Annual Children’s Holiday Party on Sunday, Dec. 9, at the city of Fitchburg Commu- CapitolBank.com/mortgages | 108 E. Verona Avenue | 608.845.0108 | Member FDIC nity Center. ConnectFitchburg.com December 14, 2018 Fitchburg Star 3 Spring election What’s online Read these and more news stories at ConnectFitchburg.com: Mayor, 8 alder seats all on April ballot McKee Farms beer Last election before clerk by 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 2, for three-year terms. paperwork yet, according to the City garden proposed to get on the ballot. Amy Almond, who has been on the of Madison clerk’s website. The group that opened openings become staggered County and statewide elec- board since 2005, and board president In Seat 4, incumbent James How- a beer garden in Mad- tions include the open seat of state Noah Roberts, who is finishing his ard has not declared whether he will ison’s Olbrich Park is SCOTT GIRARD Supreme Court Justice Shirley first term, both said they plan to run run. But Ali Muldrow, who ran for hoping to bring another to Unified Newspaper Group Abrahamson, a Dane County circuit for re-election, with each mentioning the board last year, and former coun- McKee Farms Park. court seat and a Court of Appeals finishing the high school project as ty supervisor David Blaska, have BKM Group responded The April election will mark the judge. Each of Fitchburg three part of their motivation. both filed a declaration of candidacy, to the City of Fitchburg’s last time all of the City of Fitchburg school districts will also have seats “I would very much like to stay on according to the clerk’s website. request for proposals to elected offices will be on the ballot on the ballot. the board to see the high school proj- The final seat, currently held by TJ sell food and drink con- at the same time. The general election is Tuesday, ect, capital improvement, and school Mertz, only has one candidate listed cessions in city parks that Under an ordinance approved ear- April 2. If a primary is required for moves through to the end,” Almond on the clerk’s website: Ananda Miril- could generate revenue lier this year, four of the aldermanic any races, it would be Tuesday, Feb. told the Star in a Nov. 28 email. “It’s a li. Mertz has not declared if he will for the city. The propos- seats – one in each district – and the 19. yes from me so I can finish what was run again as of Wednesday, Dec. 12. al was first discussed mayoral election will all be for one- City of Fitchburg started so long ago.” Dane County in August by the Parks year terms this time Roberts is in an at-large seat, while Commission and again at around.