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Oregon School District Board approves new SRO deal Village, district reps to meet in summer to Inside evaluate program District-wide time change plan SCOTT DE LARUELLE Unified Newspaper Group questioned

The Oregon School Dis- Students pick trict has a new agreement school name for having a police officer at Oregon High School for Board approves the rest of the school year, new elementary putting at least a temporary end to a dustup with village school attendance and police officials. boundaries The school board unani- mously approved a school Page 3 resource officer (SRO) agreement Monday night, as did the Oregon Vil- officials were “working Photo by Mackenzie Krumme lage Board. The deal runs very diligently” with the Sharon Stewart teaches six midwife students during a level one course in the Brooklyn Village Hall on Sunday, Nov. through high school gradu- village on a new deal after 10. Ashley is pretending to be dead so students can practice washing, dressing and laying a body out in honor. ation in June and states, as an interim agreement was the district had requested, set to expire Dec. 31. She that the SRO has a role as said a district listening ses- an educator and mentor, as sion Nov. 14 was “very pos- well as a law enforcement itive” and helpful in getting ‘Laid out in honor’ officer. feedback. The two sides will meet “Our discussion has been April 24 to evaluate how very collaborative,” she Brooklyn resident volunteers to help patients at end of life things went before discuss- said. “We’ve agreed we ing a new agreement. have prioritized the safety MACKENZIE KRUMME her foot. emotional connection and . OSD corporate coun- Unified Newspaper Group Everyone is singing in unison to a “Lying out in honor is just that – sel Jina Jonen said district Turn to SRO/Page 16 body laid out in honor. lying them out with all the love and On a Sunday afternoon at the Sharon Stewart is teaching a class all the beauty and surrounding them Brooklyn Village Hall, six students on death midwifery, guiding students with all their favorite things and let- surround a woman lying on a table. through preparing a body for . ting people come and have a personal Together, they are washing the She has been volunteering as a death goodbye,” she said. Village of Oregon motionless body of an actor portray- midwife, to help people at the end During the class, Stewart tells the ing a dead body before they wrap her stages of their life since she became students who have come from Middle- in colorful sheer, flowers and senti- certified in 2012. She supports the ton, Oregon, Madison and even North mental blankets. One student whis- dying and their families through Bike Trail repair on hold pers in her ear; as the other massages home , insurance, paperwork, Turn to Death midwife/Page 16 time because of record high Trustees want to levels in the Lake Barney evaluate funding area. The trail installation limited the glacial kettle’s options ability to drain out through the soil. Armed bank robbery under investigation EMILIE HEIDEMANN High precipitation in the Man showed firearm and suspect was not captured despite Unified Newspaper Group area in recent years has also multiple law enforcement units contributed to the flooding demanded money from responding, including a K-9 unit Despite receiving a of the trail. and drone. $173,536 grant to help fix On Monday, Dec. 16, BMO teller According to the release, the sus- the partially submerged trustees directed pub- pect is a man who was dressed in a Rotary Bike Trail, the Vil- lic works staff to place EMILIE HEIDEMANN black hooded sweatshirt, a dark-col- lage of Oregon is pulling repairing the trail on hold Unified Newspaper Group ored baseball cap with glasses and a back on reconstruction pending future develop- wrap to cover his face. efforts for now. ments and options for path The Oregon Police Department Anyone who has a tip about the The village has been improvements. It also ter- is searching for a man involved robbery or details about the suspect working for almost two minated an agreement with in an armed bank robbery that can reach out to OPD detective Sgt. years to establish alter- the Keller Family, which occurred at Oregon’s BMO Harris Chad Schaub at 835-3111. native Rotary Bike Trail owns land in that area, and branch, 127 Jefferson St., in the Email Emilie Heidemann at emi- Photo courtesy Oregon Police Department routes for a reconstructed will distribute $10,000 in afternoon of Friday, Dec. 13. [email protected] or The Oregon Police Department is searching path on the village’s north- earnest money back to the Officials arrived at 1:51 p.m., follow her on Twitter at @Heide- for the suspect involved in a robbery west side. Sections have a department release stated. The mannEmilie. incident that occurred at BMO Harris bank, been underwater that entire Turn to Bike/Page 14

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Chef Michael’s Boneless Pit Ham ...... $3.99 lb. adno=125773 16 December 19, 2019 Oregon Observer ConnectOregonWI.com Death midwife: Death midwives help fulfill wishes of dying loved ones at the end of their lives Continued from page 1

Dakota to move slowly, with love and reverent when trans- porting a person. “We are here to treat your body with honor and respect,” Stewart said out loud. “But we may make mistakes, but we still love you.” The woman lying on the table is alive and named Ashley Smiley. She has worked with Stewart since 2015, and this is not the first time she has played a Six students of a level one death midwife class practice dead body for training pur- lifting a body off the ground on Sunday, Nov. 10 at the poses. She helps correct the Brooklyn Village Hall. students as they maneuver her body around. “I felt like I was going to fall off the table a little,” Smiley said to the students after they had transported her from the kitchen back to the table. Death midwives are not medical professionals or director; instead, their services are offered in addition to a funeral home or . Their job is to fulfill the wishes of the dying, she said, whether that is dying at home, being cremated, having a funeral Candles are scattered through on the Brooklyn Village Hall service or having a green on Sunday, Nov. 10 during a level one death midwife class. burial. Death midwives are educated in all of the topics differently about death She said families often to ensure that people’s last when her brother was killed also want to put lipstick on wishes are conducted. in a car collision at the age their mothers, and grand- “We’re really educat- of 19. children want to paint their ed about what death looks Before he was embalmed, grandmother’s fingernails. like, sounds like, feels like, Stewart wanted to see his body During green , smells like,” Stewart said. to make sure he didn’t suffer, when families help bury “We are a good resource but the mortician refused. She their loved a shovel full of for the families and by this wanted to kiss her brother dirt at a time, Stewart told time we’ve gotten to know while he was lying in the cas- the students they will have them pretty well, so they’re ket, but the to bury the face. comfortable to come with discouraged it. “A family will never us to with questions.” “That is what I needed throw dirt on their face,” Similar to a birth doula, a for my healing process,” Stewart said. “I’ve never death midwife works with Stewart said. seen it happen.” the dying on a “death plan,” Photos by Mackenzie Krumme From that point forward, Stewart gets calls or Stewart said. Sharon Stewart has been a certified death midwife since 2012. She whispers something Stewart believed death did emails from people at least “We meet with the dying personal into Ashley’s ear who is pretending to be dead for the death midwife class at the not have to be a sterile, three times a week and sees person, find out what their Brooklyn Village Hall on Sunday, Nov. 10. taboo experience – it could death midwifery as a com- wishes are,” she said. “What be an experience steered by munity response to the pro- more people who want to matter where that dying per- take care of, or someone love, support and celebra- cess of death. a good death would look like honor the dead in a more son is, the dead person does who is a hospice volunteer for them, what it would con- tion. Training people to be death traditional way, similar to not have to be rushed away to and wants to advance their The decades of experi- midwives allows people to tain, what it wouldn’t con- 100 years ago when the a funeral home. training. tain, what they don’t want ence allow Stewart to use come and take care of one deceased were displayed in “Most of the time peo- Intertwined in the hands personal experiences and another like they did a hundred to happen and what they do the parlor and visitors were ple really do want to spend on experience of Stewarts want to happen.” anecdotes to guide her years ago, Stewart added. welcomed into the house to some more time with that classes, is also education classes. “Lying out an honor is A return to tradition say goodbye. loved one in the state that videos and discussion. For instance, one video just that lying them out with One of the most common “We returning to that they’re in versus after Stewart teaches two during the class on how to all the love and all the beau- requests Stewart said is place of laying them out in they’re embalmed and classes per year on death dress a body, suggests to cut ty and surrounding them people want to die at home. honor, in a place of respect dressed and lying in a cas- midwifery. Death has been a shirt up the back in order with all their favorite things Although dying at home so that people can come in ket,” Stewart said. a part of her everyday life to easily put it on. Stewart and letting people come and and having a home-based and say their goodbyes and for years – she has been quickly interjected. have a personal goodbye,” funeral takes a team of peo- give thanks, give him a hug, From personal a hospice volunteer for “Most people don’t want she said. “That’s it. I mean ple and a lot of paperwork, give him a kiss, do whatev- experience 12 years and she is on the you to cut the shirt up the they, they’re the reason Stewart said they can walk er they want,” she said. During her classes, Stew- board of Circle Ceme- back” she said, explaining that we’re there.” families through that pro- She wants to educate fam- arts students are often tery, a green near families take a lot of time pick- Contact Mackenzie cess every step of the way. ilies that a planned death is people who have a dying Barneveld. ing out the clothes their loved Krumme at mackenzie. Stewart said she sees not an emergency. And no parent that they’d like to She started thinking ones are buried in. [email protected].

SRO: Agreement states the officer is an educator, mentor; takes up an informal counselor role Continued from page 1 board members of not being of helping the (board) repair our kids.” Tim LeBrun thanked the Vil- willing to hold “meaningful dis- our relationship with the school School officials plan to work lage Board and police department of our schools, and we also want- cussions” about the SRO agree- board,” Carpenter wrote in a letter with Pagenkopf to set goals for for their assistance. ed to meet the needs of our stake- ment. He also said the village to board members. the program before meeting next “We were a little rocky when holders.” had requested meetings about Some of the changes from summer to evaluate the program we first got started, and I think The controversy over the con- the agreement and the district the previous agreement include before discussing a new agree- it was everyone’s willingness to tract language started Aug. 26, rejected them. the village and district hold- ment with the village. take a step back and understand after the school board unanimous- In November, village board ing a meeting before allowing Courtney Odorico said the new the others’ positions were,” he ly rejected the village’s version of president Jeanne Carpenter dis- an investigation to be initiated agreement took into account a lot said. “At some points in our the agreement, which would have tanced the board from Uhl’s com- on school grounds, something of parent feedback and stresses discussion, we were a long way allowed an assault rifle to be kept ments. She read a prepared state- Jonen said they have “already the specialized role of the SRO. away from understanding. Its inside OHS, as well as the poten- ment at a Village Board meeting started doing” with Oregon “(They are) a unique individ- real win-win for the students, tial for students to be interviewed to explain a closed session it held Police Department lieutenant ual that has three roles, and one the police department and the by police without their parents’ about Uhl, characterizing those Jennifer Pagenkopf, who super- of them is law enforcement,” village.” presence. School board members comments as part of a public vises the SRO. she said. “They are also an edu- Email Unified Newspaper Group also complained it was not clear campaign that included “a partic- “Those have been going very cator and an informal counselor reporter Scott De Laruelle at enough about the SRO’s role as ularly contentious interview” with well,” Jonen said. “I think our and mentor, and those are really [email protected]. an educator. WIBA FM. relationship is in a really great important things for us as an edu- Hours after the vote, Oregon “I believed that further negoti- place right now, and we are doing cational institution, and that is police chief Brian Uhl com- ations between the village board a nice job of balance in the safety known and agreed upon with the mented on the department’s and school board required a dif- of our students with a respectful village police department that’s Facebook page, accusing school ferent approach with the goal learning environment for all of the role of the SRO.”