'Sitting at the Big Table'
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It’s your paper! adno=514924-01 Friday, May 12, 2017 • Vol. 4, No. 3 • Fitchburg, WI • ConnectFitchburg.com • $1 Inside City of Fitchburg ‘City in E. Cheryl parking restrictions during farmers market motion’ Page 3 Komen race moves to Agora May 20 Schools SAMANTHA CHRISTIAN First-year program Unified Newspaper Group brings Chavez to Fitchburg can add anoth- Fitchburg er 5K to its growing list of activity-based fundraisers Page 11 that have moved to the city in recent years. Susan G. Komen South Pet Week Central Wisconsin will hold its 20th annual Race for the Cure on May 20, starting and ending at The Agora. The breast cancer aware- ness event used to be held about two weeks later in spring at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison. The venue change will put less of a financial bur- den on the organization so Read about furry, Photo by Scott Girard it can “help more people Ald. Julia Arata-Fratta (Dist. 2), right, became the City of Fitchburg’s first Latina alder when she was elected in 2015, and in the area who need the prickly critters Mayor Jason Gonzalez became the city’s first Latino mayor with his victory in April. affiliate’s support and ser- vices,” according to a news Pages 13-18 release. About 75 percent of the race income stays in the community to fund breast Sports ‘Sitting at the big table’ cancer health education, screenings and treatment programs, while the other As city’s Hispanic population grows, so has its representation quarter supports national research and training pro- SCOTT GIRARD chambers as the best place for herself grams. Unified Newspaper Group right now and the mayor’s seat as an “These changes will be Inside important one for Gonzalez to fill at a the perfect way to enter a Just before she was appointed to time when many negative stereotypes new decade for our organi- the city’s Police and Fire Commis- • Latino chamber about Latinos have reached national zation and our communi- sion last month, Rosa Aguilu listened politics. She said she hopes to reach expands to Fitchburg ty,” Komen Wisconsin area as alders discussed her credentials. beyond her District 2 constituents director Michelle Heitzing- The discussion about the Puerto to areas of the city that have higher er said. “It’s a fresh new Rico native was all positive, but one Latino populations. • Latino elected officials take on everything.” West baseball exchange sounded a bit different “It is our job to break the stereo- And since Fitchburg is from most conversations taking place rare in Wisconsin type of Latinos,” she said. already accustomed to host- beats top-ranked in the council chambers – not just in There’s more to an identity than ing other events and races, Janesville Craig Fitchburg, but most places around Page 28 heritage, of course, as some of those Race for the Cure organiz- Wisconsin. whom the Star spoke with for this ers anticipate it will be an Page 19 “Bienvanida a la comisión de story stressed. But each acknowl- “easy transition” to the new Fitchburg,” said Ald. Julia Ara- from the Wisconsin Economic Devel- edged the significance of what the location, where they plan to ta-Fratta (Dist. 2), welcoming her to opment Corporation. No other demo- election results said about Fitchburg stay for at least three years. Business the commission. graphic group is projected to grow by as a welcoming community. The Agora already draws “I have a mayor that can speak more than 267 in that time. To Aguilu, a retired Madison several thousand people Spanish, so he can translate,” Ara- And it’s more than elected officials police officer who has lived in Fitch- each Thanksgiving Day to ta-Fratta added with a smile after in the wave of Latino growth here. burg since 1999, seeing Gonzalez the annual Berbee Derby Mayor Jason Gonzalez shared what Just one week after Gonzalez won and Arata-Fratta sitting in those lead- she had said. the mayoral race, the Latino Cham- ership roles is a significant, but inev- Turn to Komen/Page 27 While Spanish won’t be spoken ber of Commerce moved to the city. itable, step. with regularity in the council cham- “It seems like this is a hub for Lati- “It represents the same thing that’s bers (Gonzalez said he would not no businesses and families who want been happening all over the country,” want to exclude the majority there), it to succeed,” LCC executive director she said. “That wave is just coming If You Go was a moment that showed the grow- Jessica Cavazos told the Star. to Wisconsin.” ing influence at the city’s highest lev- Arata-Fratta, a former LCC board What: Race for the Cure els just as the Hispanic population is president before she was elected as ‘Scary’ times Expansion helps When: 8 a.m. Saturday, growing faster than any other here. an alder, agreed with that assessment. Aguilu said it felt “very positive” May 20 yoga studio find its Fitchburg already has the highest “They realized the potential of the to have the interaction in Spanish Hispanic population per capita in population we have here,” she said. with Arata-Fratta during her appoint- Where: The Agora, 5500 center Dane County, and it’s expected to “It’s in the best place the chamber ment, even if she generally tries to E. Cheryl Pkwy. grow by nearly 1,000 from 2016 to can be right now.” speak in English in front of larger Info: Page 31 Arata-Fratta also sees the council 2021, according to demographic data Turn to Latino/Page 28 komensouthcentralwi.org PRSRT STANDARD ECRWSS US POSTAGE PAID UNIFIED NEWSPAPER Meet Me At Tralee GROUP Opening Summer 2017 5410 Nobel Drive, Fitchburg, WI 53711 Studio, 1 and 2 Bedroom Units Available avanteproperties.com 608.441.9999 adno=514880-01 ConnectFitchburg.com 2 May 12, 2017 Fitchburg Star Dianne Moller of Hoo’s Woods talks about her red-tailed hawk, Casper. Photos by Scott Girard Kids and a member of the city’s tree advisory committee fill in dirt around a newly planted tree. Earth Day 2017 The City of Fitchburg celebrated Earth Day April 22 all around the city, including a tree plant- ing and presentation from Hoo’s Woods Raptor Center at McGaw Park. Other events around the city included a waterway cleanup, shred day, elec- tronics recycling and trees adno=507812-01 planted at Quarry Hill Park. CONCERTS Elsie Olmanson, 9, a member of the Fitchburg Fireflys 4-H group, helps cut the bag around a AT McKEE newly planted swamp white oak tree. IT’S APARTY IN THE PARK! On the web See more photos from the Earth Day events at McGaw Park: ConnectFitchburg. com People were also intro- duced to Houdini, a long-eared owl, during the Hoo’s Woods Raptor Center program. THE PARTYSTARTSAT6PM at McKEE FARMSPARK in Fitchburg! FREE live music food carts cold beer Open House june 19 july 17 august 21 Saturday, May 20th • 1 - 3 pm • Swim/dive lessons included • Swim/dive team • Tennis program • Open swim & social activities adno=514425-01 Facebook.com/ConcertsAtMcKee adno=507828-01 ConnectFitchburg.com May 12, 2017 Fitchburg Star 3 City of Fitchburg Disappointing TID 8 gets dissolved SCOTT GIRARD City finance director college and the school dis- Unified Newspaper Group Misty Dodge told the coun- trict) of the newly developed cil staff did not see any property. Less than a decade after upcoming projects that Dodge said the $35,000 its creation, the City of would likely be eligible for loss the city would take from Fitchburg has given up on a financing in the district, closing the district could be tax-increment financing dis- which still has administra- offset by money from the trict. tive costs for the city to run. closure of TID 7 earlier this The district, known as Tax-increment financing year. That district was more TID 8, covered the area west is a public financing method successful, including the of Syene Road to the rail that is used as a subsidy for north Fish Hatchery Road line and south of Rolfsmey- redevelopment, infrastruc- and Greenway Cross area. er Road, but it has not gen- ture, and other communi- erated the revenue expected ty-improvement projects Contact Scott Girard at when it was created. The by capturing property tax [email protected] Common Council voted revenue from all underlying and follow him on Twitter April 25 to close it. taxing jurisdictions (the vil- @sgirard9. lage, county, state, technical SPOT A STROKE Map courtesy City of Fitchburg Parking will be restricted Thursdays from 2-7 p.m. on East Cheryl Parkway. East Cheryl parking restricted during Lacy work SCOTT GIRARD city and a lower speed lim- Drive because of the new Unified Newspaper Group it on a portion of Nesbitt layout of that roadway, F A S T Road. including a roundabout. FACE ARM SPEECH TIME Parking on East Cheryl “It’s really just a safety “Removing parking from Parkway will be restrict- issue to get more visibili- these areas will avoid con- DROOPING WEAKNESS DIFFICULTY TO CALL 911 ed during Farmers Market ty,” said Ald. Aaron Rich- flicts with vehicles block- Thursdays this summer ardson (Dist. 3). “There’s a ing the entrance to the while the street is expect- lot more traffic on that road roundabout or parking in ed to see increased use by right now because of the (through) travel lanes,” the commuters. detour.” staff memo said. East Cheryl is the main Ald.