Here Comes Santa Claus

The Emergency Care and Safety Institute autho- rized BSA Troop 87 to conduct wilderness training in the Village of Cross Plains recently. The training offered participants a chance to learn how to as- sess an injury or illness, treat the victim and move them from the area to receive professional care. To read the full story, turn to page 10. VOL. 127, NO. 48 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2019 MIDDLETONTIMES.COM SINGLE COPY PRICE: $1.25 Here Comes Santa Claus Council Approves 2020 Budget– Property Taxes, Sewer See Increases By Cameron Bren Times-Tribune MIDDLETON–The Middleton Common Council unanimously approved the 2020 budget and property tax levy. The tax levy totals $17,985,016 with $13,100,016 designated to the general fund and $4,885,000 to debt service. A total tax levy is a 2.8 percent increase over last year. The tax rate for the city portion of property taxes is $5.94 per $1,000 of value. Middleton maintains one of the lower tax rates in Dane County at about a two-thirds of Madison’s tax rate. Finance director Bill Burns points out Middleton also has no additional fee for refuse and recycling collection compared to most other municipalities in the county. The 2020 budget funds compensation increases for EMS and police as per their contracts, provides non-union employees a 2 percent cost of living increases across the board and covers a 5.9 percent increase in health insurance rates for city employees. The 2020 approved budget requests for personnel items includes $3,101 for additional youth center director hours, $8,397 for an IT intern and a personnel contingency fund of $139,416. The personnel contingency fund was considered to cover a full Photo Submitted year of funding with $50,000 for merit pay adjustments, $53,551 Santa Claus was surrounded by children after he flew into town to light the city’s tree in front of Middleton City Hall on Saturday. Hundreds of families turned out to enjoy games, crafts and entertainment in downtown Middleton and kick off the holiday season. See Budget, page 5 Downtown Plaza Moves Forward, Named Stone Horse Green By Michelle Phillips of Boulders,” that will be in- green space was presented to sessions and that helped us to ages in a safe, flexible environ- town. Times-Tribune stalled at the park. In addition, the Plan Commission in 2015 hone in on five design prin- ment. “The city worked with Ro- MIDDLETON–The down- plans are moving forward to and the city purchased proper- ciples for the space,” Attoun 3. Serve as a place to strengthen shelle Ritzenthaler, who served town plaza, located next to start work on the green space in ties in January 2018. The city explained. community around music, art, as public input facilitator. Ro- Village Green, officially has spring of 2020. then asked residents their vision Those principles are as fol- food and culture. shelle lives near downtown a name, Stone Horse Green. Abby Attoun Middleton Di- for the space. lows: 4. Be a source of light and Middleton and was an early The moniker reflects the stone rector of Planning & Commu- “We started with a sign on 1. Be a respite for downtown warmth in the cold winter supporter of the project. She horse sculptures, called “Herd nity Development said the city the property saying, ‘What do life, and incorporate nature and months. offered her services pro-bono,” has contributed $500,000 and you want to see here?’ We held natural materials. 5. Create a central destination still needs to raise $1 million widely attended public input 2. Encourage gathering for all to begin exploration of down- See Plaza, page 5 to cover the costs for the new park. She said the concept for the Table of Contents Local 1-3, 5-6 Opinion 4 Cross Plains 7-8 School 9-10 A & E 11 Business 12 Sports 13-19 Legals 17-19 Image Submitted This computer image of Stone Horse Green shows off warming features at the downtown park including “Herd of Boulders,” scul- Help Wanted 20 ture that will be heated, a cauldron firepit, and a gas fireplace located on the performance stage. Community input revealed that citizens wanted the space to offer a variety of options to best serve Middleton as a whole. PAGE 2 TIMES-TRIBUNE THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2019 Fuszard Serves Community Through Volunteerism By Katherine Perreth “We’ve pivoted recently,” service in 1980, moved around Times-Tribune Fuszard said, “giving first re- the nation and throughout Wis- MIDDLETON–For Curt sponders large quantities of consin. Fuszard, the project size is im- books to give to kids when they After a 32-year absence from material. Of primary impor- meet positively, instead of stick- the Madison area, Fuszard, his tance is the bang for the buck: ers.” wife, Barbara, also an East High the greatest impact for the good In 2019, RAC provided and UW-Madison graduate, and upon the community. The soft- 25,000 books statewide. Just son, Luke, settled in Middleton. spoken Fuszard, 65, moved to last week, RAC received “sig- Luke, on the Middleton City Middleton only a decade ago, nificant donations” from the Council and recently selected to but the results of his volun- Green Bay Packers Foundation join the prestigious U.S. leader- teerism here and throughout and Steve Stricker American ship network NewDEAL, lives Dane County have been notice- Family Insurance Foundation, with his wife a few hundred ably tangible. Fuszard said, enabling first re- paces down the street from his “Each one of the organiza- sponders in Brown and Dane parents. tions I’m involved with has a counties, respectively, to reach While Fuszard acknowledges focus on doing something really out to their communities. that he and his wife instilled cool, making a small but cool Fuszard is pleased with public service values in their difference in this community RAC’s rate of growth under son, he quickly added, “Luke and in greater Dane County,” his leadership; RAC deliv- has far excelled what I have ac- Fuszard said. ered 79,000 books since 2016. complished. He’s amazing.” Since 2009, Fuszard has been “Every single state patrol, all About 15 years ago, Fuszard a member of multiple local 460 of them, carry our back- read Bob Buford’s bestseller, Katherine Perreth-Times Tribune boards, serving in leadership packs,” he said. “Halftime.” The thought-pro- Curt Fuszard has served as Middleton Chamber of Commerce interim director since June, capacity on most: University Books are donated by chil- voking book about a successful however his involvement in the health of the community extends far beyond businesses and of Wisconsin-Madison Founda- dren’s authors and publishers businessman deliberating how tourism. tion, Dane Buy Local, Middle- and the general public. Gently to impactfully live the second ton Optimists Club, Middleton used books are given to sher- half of his life, inspired Fuszard, paign to support scholarships ber, the annual Lakeview Park Orchestra. Statewide and na- Endowment, Middleton Good iff’s departments, he said, add- he said. He began looking and faculty. The fundraising has fishing day, where poles, bait tional organizations have ben- Neighbor Festival (GNF) and ing, “We find a home for every around for ways to “give back.” exceeded its $3.2 billion goal, and a lunch are provided for efitted as well, such as Badger Middleton Chamber of Com- book we’re given.” “I hope I have a chance to with one year left. kids and families, changed to Honor Flight and Gilda’s Club, merce. Since June, Fuszard has Australia and nearly half of do that,” Fuszard said. “I’m not In Middleton, Fuszard re- include first responders as fish- respectively. Grants supporting been at the helm of the latter, the states in the U.S. have no- sure I took a halftime, but I’ve cently addressed Good Neigh- ing coaches. Fuszard called the local children have been given serving as interim director. ticed and requested RAC ex- evolved, moving from private bor Festival (GNF) financial previous event “really neat,” to Kromrey Middle School, In addition, he serves on pansion for their communities. to nonprofit and community or- concerns. Annually, GNF raises but added the Cops ’n Bobbers Madison Reading Project and various City of Middleton com- At this time, RAC will remain ganizations to try and make an funds for trustee nonprofits, event “is absolutely awesome, Middleton Youth Center. mittees: Community Campus, Wisconsin-focused, Fuszard impact.” such as Kiwanis, Optimists and to have the police chief and The variety suits Fuszard, Stone Horse Green and the said. In December, a young man Lions Clubs, he said. The previ- other first responders connect who self-describes as “weav- Board of Review. Fuszard has spent most of his who benefitted from Fuszard’s ous maximum sponsorship con- with children and families.” ing” his way to initiatives While conceding there have life in the Dairyland state. As mentoring and service on the tribution was $5,000. This year, To support Middleton aes- that interest him. Whether via been many board meetings, he’s one of seven children of a “very UW-Madison Foundation will Willy Street Co-op committed thetics, Fuszard has helped employment or volunteering, never calculated the amount of patriotic” National Guard father, graduate from the university. He to $20,000 for three consecu- raise $10,000 for the Parmenter Fuszard embraces the same phi- time he’s devoted and insists the family moved frequently had transferred from Madison tive years. Circle Sculpture Project. The losophy: to empower individu- his involvement doesn’t feel but settled in Madison.

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