The Stoughton July 14-31 Can for a Cone Campaign Bring in a canned good for the food pantry and receive a free cone or dish of custard Exclusively at… Courier Hub of Stoughton Thursday, July 17, 2014 • Vol. 132, No. 51 • Stoughton, WI • ConnectStoughton.com • $1 916 Nygaard Street (608) 873-6635 adno=358420-01 Stoughton Area School District Board tries to avoid pulling strings and buildings. system of many, many factors,” After parents, students pleas, they’ll try to keep fifth-grade program According to a district hand- including state initiatives, stu- out, a vast majority of Dane dent achievement, enrollment SCOTT DE LARUELLE included parents, students and school year. County school districts (with the participation data, contempo- Unified Newspaper Group music teachers attended Monday The district had 77 fourth-grad- exception of Oregon, McFarland, rary research, awareness of area night’s Stoughton Area School ers and 72 fifth-graders in strings Monona Grove and Middleton) school districts, fiscal responsi- No doubt encouraged by both District board meeting, highlight- programs this past year. do not offer fourth- or fifth-grade bility and opportunities for the impassioned pleas and reasoned ed by a discussion on a proposed District music teachers recom- strings. Waunakee and Sun Prai- greatest good. She said taking arguments to keep elementary phase-out of fourth- and fifth- mended the changes in May to rie offer only fifth-grade pro- strings students out of regular orchestra programs in the district, grade orchestra programs. Parents “preserve the high-quality educa- grams. “core” classes for music lessons school board members will take of these students were recently tion, lessons and concert schedule District director of curriculum two hours a week had a nega- the next several months to consid- notified about the district’s inten- for middle and high school music and instruction Judy Singletary tive effect on the classrooms, er the possibility of keeping the tion to eliminate the fourth-grade students.” They cited recent said decisions about the strings fifth-grade strings program. program this fall and offer only issues with staff being spread too programs are taken “within a Turn to Strings A small but vocal group that the fifth-grade program next thin over multiple grade levels /Page 10 City of Stoughton ‘Amend’ will go to voters Council OKs referendum but withholds support for amendment itself BILL LIVICK Unified Newspaper Group Stoughton voters will be asked in November if they support an effort to amend the U.S. Consti- tution and overturn a 2010 Supreme Court ruling that essentially gave corporations the same rights as citizens. A referendum will be on the November bal- lot asking if voters agree that corporations and unions should not have the same rights as Above, Hannah Gervasi, 6, scrubs the ink off her Turn to Amend block after making a relief print of a puppy. /Page 8 Below, Lilli Funk, 4, reaches to hang up her relief print of a horse to dry with a little help from her father. Commission dissects hospital parking plan Council will have final say in altered proposal for Ridge, Church streets MARK IGNATOWSKI Unified Newspaper Group Stoughton Hospital might not get the parking lot changes it has been hoping for. The city’s Planning Commission altered some of the proposed plans, including turning a street Photos by Samantha Christian into a dead-end, at its meeting Monday. The hospital had asked the city to discontinue part of Ridge Street, which drivers often use to Awesome art travel through the hospital campus, as part of the Art Cart, a joint effort of the Madison School and Community Recreation Department and remodeling of its parking lot. But that was tem- the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMoCA), stopped at Virgin Lake Park in pered by the commission after members had con- Stoughton on Saturday. The traveling art cart activity for the day was relief printmaking. cerns about traffic flow and excess vehicles on MMoCA intern Kelsey Knutsen, left, helps Charlie Reynolds, 9, roll blue water-soluble ink on his block design of a spy ghost. Turn to Hospital/Page 7 Courier Hub UP TO $500 OFF CLOSING COSTS* THINK OF IT AS YOUR FIRST HOUSE-WARMING GIFT! When you get your mortgage at Home Savings Bank you’ll receive low interest rates AND up to a $500 credit toward closing costs.* Just another way we help open the door to your new home. 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Adrienne Skar and Jayda Adams learn about water science at the library last week. adno=361679-01 ConnectStoughton.com July 17, 2014 Courier Hub 3 Dane County Election 2014 Town of Rutland Financial State reps, senators vie for local County committee backs votes in partisan primary town’s veto of radio tower SETH JOVAAG a July 1 memo that the 2013 outlook Polls open Aug. 12 Courier Hub correspondent law change doesn’t trump Partisan primary 2014 existing statutes governing MARK IGNATOWSKI A Tomah company’s years- farmland preservation. When: Tuesday, Aug. 12 Unified Newspaper Group long quest to erect a 486-foot The land in question – improves Info: gab.wi.us radio tower in Rutland hit owned by long-time local Perhaps you’ve heard Who’s on the ballot: another roadblock last week. farmers and siblings David Bond rating moved there’s a gubernatorial Backing a June 12 vote by Soldwedel and Sue Wollin – • Assembly District 43: Herschel Brodkey and Leon Town of Rutland officials, is zoned exclusively for agri- seat up for grabs in about L. Hebert from ‘negative’ to four months. members of the Dane County culture. ‘stable’ While that statewide • Senate District 15: Janis Ringhand, Mike Sheridan Zoning and Land Regula- Opponents have claimed race will draw many of and Austin Scieszinski. tion committee last Tuesday the tower would harm nearby property values and the rural Bond ratings might not the headlines leading up voted unanimously not to landscape, while proponents sound too exciting, but to the November election, rezone a 15.5-acre parcel near Sheridan, of Janesville, is a state. say it could help improve Dane County’s top admin- local seats for the state Old Stage Road, where Mag- former state speaker of the There will be a demo- emergency communications istrator said some recent assembly and senate are num Communications wants house but was defeated in cratic and republican pri- and allow broadcasts of local changes have provided wel- also being contested. to build the tower to service 2010. Scieszinski, of Janes- mary for state treasurer. high school sporting events. come good news on the Voters will be able to Stoughton’s first FM station. ville, is a project manager Dist. 31 supervisor Jerry county’s financial health. cast ballots Aug. 12 dur- Before the vote, an attorney with a real estate firm and Dane County races Bollig, who represents Ore- According to a press release ing the partisan primary for Magnum said the town former aide and campaign Dane County voters gon on the county board, said Monday from Dane County, election to see who will and county were ignoring a manager for Cullen. can cast a vote for demo- he was “uncomfortable” vot- both of the county’s bond- be on the final ballot 2013 change in state law that cratic candidates for Dane ing against the tower but felt rating agencies – Moody’s come November. prohibits municipalities from Statewide races County sheriff. Incumbent he had “no choice,” given the Investments and Fitch Rat- Stoughton area voters rejecting broadcast towers The biggest statewide Dave Mahoney will face advice of the county’s attor- ings – praised its restored will be able to cast votes unless they would harm pub- race this fall will be for a challenge from former neys.