VOL. 125, NO. 52 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017 MIDDLETONTIMES.COM SINGLE COPY PRICE: $1.

25

A LOOK BACK AT 2017

Clockwise from top left: Gurdip Brar was elected mayor in

File photos

the City of Middleton; Ellen Carlson became Middleton Out-

reach Ministry’s new executive director; city leaders said
farewell to outgoing mayor Kurt Sonnentag, who chose not to
seek re-election; a new memorial for local veterans was unveiled
at Lakeview Park; citizens in Middleton sent quilts to members
of their sister church in Puerto Rico, which was devastated by
storms; Middleton-Cross Plains mourned the passing of Al
Ripp, former director of Middleton Outreach Ministry.
PAGE 2
BRAR FACES
HILBERT IN
MAYORAL RACE
Gurdip Brar, the City of Mid-
dleton’s current District 2 alder-
man, has announced his
candidacy for mayor in the
April 4 election.
Kurt Sonnentag, who has
served as the Good Neighbor
City’s mayor since 2007, will
not seek re-election. Hans
Hilbert, the current District 7 al-
derman, already announced his
candidacy for the mayor’s seat.
With Brar and Hilbert both
running for mayor, two new
candidates - John Orlikowski
and Danny Ramsey - filed pa-
perwork at city hall, hoping to
fill Hilbert’s District 7 seat on
the common council.
MISS WISCONSIN’S
MIDDLETON
CONNECTION
Skylar Witte, who is cur-
rently Miss Wisconsin USA,
visited the Middleton Senior
Center on Tuesday, December
20. She is a sophomore at the
University of Wisconsin-Madi-
son and the granddaughter of
Middleton residents Sandy and
Harvey Witte.
Seen here with her grandpar-
ents, Witte was crowned in the
fall and is the youngest Miss
Wisconsin USA at the age of
19. She addressed local seniors
about her journey to become
Miss Wisconsin as well as talk-
ing about the next steps in com-
peting in the Miss USA pageant
in 2017.
She also shared with them
her platform, which includes
following your dreams and has
an emphasis of speaking to mid-
dle school children. She ex-
plained that she remembers
what an awkward time middle
school is for students, and is
hopeful that speaking to them
will help to inspire them to re-
alize they are just like everyone
THE BIG STORIES OF 2017 (PART 1)
else. She says they will get
through the middle school years
and can determine their own
destiny - to become whatever
they want - even Miss Wiscon-
sin USA and hopefully, as in
Skylar’s dream, Miss USA.
Watch for future updates on
Skylar as she continues on her
path to the Miss USA Pageant.
RAMSEY VS.
ORLIKOWSKI
One thing is certain: The City
of Middleton’s seventh alder-
manic district will have a new
representative on the common
council in 2017.
Whether it is John Or-
likowski or Dan Ramsey II,
both of whom are running for
the seat being vacated by may-
oral candidate and current Dis-
trict 7 alderman Hans Hilbert,
will be up to voters when they
head to the polls on April 4.
After their candidacies be-
came official, both Orlikowski
and Ramsey II recently took
some time to tell the Times-Tri-
bune who they are and why they
are running for a seat on the
council.
Ramsey II ended up winning
the seat in the spring election.
TOWN MOVES
TOWARD LEAVING
COUNTY ZONING
Town of Middleton Board
Supervisors has passed a reso-
lution that continues prelimi-
nary work toward putting a vote
to opt out of Dane County zon-
ing before residents at the April
18 annual meeting.
The unanimously approved
resolution recommends adopt-
ing the model zoning ordinance,
version 7, by the towns that
withdraw from county zoning.
To date, 13 towns have noti-
fied the county of their intent to
hold referendums this year to
either remain under county zon-
ing or withdraw and make zon-
TIMES-TRIBUNE
ing decisions themselves.
“The towns that opt out have
to have a common ordinance,”
to govern their zoning deci-
sions, said town board supervi-
sor Tim Roehl.
A link to the 104-page model
ordinance is posted under “An-
nouncements” on the homepage
of the town’s website:
town.middleton.wi.us.
The model ordinance is very
similar to the county’s decades-
old zoning ordinance other than
making towns responsible for
zoning decisions and not the
county, said Roehl who has
worked with the Dane County
Towns Association in drafting
the ordinance.
The board has not taken a po-
sition on opting out but supervi-
sors have said they are
approving measures required by
state statute to put the choice
before town residents.
In a separate action, the
board approved a fee schedule
for zoning and other town serv-
ices similar to the existing
schedule, which would be im-
plemented in the event residents
vote to opt out.
Calling the opt out decision
“a pretty big deal,” board super-
visor Brent Renteria joined
Roehl suggesting holding two
informational meetings on the
opt out issue.
“It’s not like passing a dog li-
cense ordinance,” Renteria con-
tinued.
Residents have questions
about the cost to the town, ex-
pertise available, administration
and enforcement of zoning that
would fall on the town if it
would take over that responsi-
bility from the county.
Invitations for neighboring
towns of Verona and Spring-
field and county representatives
should be extended, said town
chair Bill Kolar and Roehl.
The town will include opt out
information in a newsletter to
be mailed to residents in March
or early April, said town admin-
istrator David Shaw.
Reminders about information
posted to the town’s website
will be sent to subscribers of the
town’s email list, said Shaw.
The Times-Tribune will con-
tinue to provide in depth cover-
age of the process.
“The better informed people
are, the better the result will
be,” at the April 18 vote, said
Renteria.
Keep reading to find out
more about where this contro-
versial issue went later in the
year.
NORTH OF DIXIE…
IN MIDDLETON
Selling books is always a
nice thing to an author, but
sometimes the reward comes in
people appreciating the mes-
sage.
That’s been the highlight for
Mark Speltz as he travels to dis-
cuss “North of Dixie: Civil
Rights Photography Beyond the
South” across the country, in-
cluding Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 7
p.m. the Middleton Public Li-
brary. The next night he’ll be at
the New York Public Library’s
Schomburg Center for Research
in Black Culture before return-
ing home for an event at the
Wisconsin Historical Museum
on Feb. 7.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to
see that covering civil rights
from this perspective piques
people’s interest, even if they’re
not a scholar or head of a mu-
seum,” says Speltz, who lives in
Madison and is a senior histo-
rian at American Girl. “The in-
terest is there and it’s
resonating. That you have
something to say that is relevant
is as important at the sale.”
Speltz’s book features 100
photographs of civil rights
struggles and resistance from
the 1930s to the 1970s in cities
well north of famed sites such
as Selma, Montgomery or
Birmingham. Instead, Speltz’s
book illustrates that the strug-
gles spread far beyond that and
even into smaller communities
such as Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
“People have been writing
about Milwaukee, Chicago,
Seattle, St. Louis or Brooklyn
for 20 years,” Speltz says. “But
they are still not part of the
common story we tell in our
schools or the narrative we see
during Black History Month.”
Some of the images in the
book come from famed photog-
raphers such as Gordon Parks,
Leonard Freed and Bob Adel-
man. There are also photos from
ordinary citizens and even sur-
veillance photos from police de-
partments.
The photos from the North
are different than those from the
South because the issues were
different. The images tell the
story of fair housing, employ-
ment and policing.
“It’s not a bus seat, it’s not a
hamburger at a lunch counter or
voting,” Speltz says of the
events that gained much of the
attention 50 years ago in the
South.
That doesn’t make them any
less dramatic, or less relevant.
Armed Black Panthers on the
steps of the Washington state
capitol cast a powerful pres-
ence. A portrait of a man beaten
by police in Detroit ran in the
black press to bear witness of
what was going on. Uniformed
soldiers are part of a protest at a
roller rink in Chicago, holding
signs that point out that they
could fight in World War II but
cannot roller skate at home. The
cover photo of a young black
child with his hands up while
being followed by armed
guardsmen evokes protests of
recent years.
“The ultimate point is to
show that the movement was
nationwide,” he says. “The
other point I like to make is that
it makes known less visible but
equally important stories.”
The seed for the book was
planted by an assignment he
had when he was in graduate
school at UW-Milwaukee. The
task was to choose a photo, take
a close look at it and find the
full story behind it.
Civil rights had always been
an interest of Speltz’s and he
knew he would do one on that
topic. Rather than looking at the
South, a professor suggested he
look closer to home. Speltz
wasn’t familiar with the unrest
in Milwaukee in the 1960s that
sprung from housing discrimi-
nation there. Learning more
about Milwaukee opened a win-
dow to understanding civil
rights in an entirely different
way, and he continued research
over the course of a decade.
The book has gotten national
and international attention. The
New York Times featured it on
its weekly photography blog,
and it was also featured in the
Smithsonian magazine, the
Huffington Post, and the
Guardian and Daily Mail in the
United Kingdom. American
Photo magazine included it in
its best photo books of 2016, as
did Elizabeth Avedon, daughter
of famed photographer Richard
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017
Avedon.
“North of Dixie” is not
Speltz’s first book. His two
books for the Wisconsin State
Historical Society, co-written
with Jim Draeger, have much
lighter topics. “Bottoms Up: A
Toast to Wisconsin’s Historic
Bars and Breweries” came out
in 2012 and “Fill’er Up: The
Glory Days of Wisconsin Gas
Stations” was released in 2008.
NEW FIRE STATION
The Middleton Fire District
has an agreement to add a third
fire station, this one at the inter-
section of CTH Q and M, where
it will serve the city’s growing
north east side, according to
Fire Chief Aaron Harris.
Harris told town of Middle-
ton board supervisors Monday
that the district has an approved
contract to buy the Wisconsin
Bank & Trust Co. property for
$742,600 and the purchase
could be funded from cash re-
serves set aside by the district’s
four municipalizes.
“You came here to ask us for
no money,” Board Supervisor
Tim Roehl quipped, “motion
approved.”
The town’s share of the cost
to acquire the 1.07 acre prop-
erty, assessed at $1.228 million,
is $186,244, said Harris, which
could be covered by the town’s
capital replacement fund.
The funds are available be-
cause last year the district re-
ceived a $336,000 federal grant
to replace air tanks firefighters
wear, freeing up money the mu-
nicipalities had set aside for the
tanks, he said.
The town of Springfield has
approved the acquisition, the
town of Springfield and the city
of Middleton are “on track” and
expected to formally approve
the purchase soon, Harris said.
While the call volume from
the northeast side has not
reached the point where a sta-
tion is needed immediately, the
area has seen significant devel-
opment in the North Lake com-
munity and the Villages of
Bishops Bay, making the bank
property is an ideal station loca-
tion, Harris said.
“This is a perfect property…
and the price is right,” Harris
said.
The location gives fire vehi-
cles “great access” to the north,
east and west, said Harris, with
Lake Mendota just to the south.
Fire Station #3 will not be
See 2017, page 3
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017
2017
staffed full time, said Jesse
Schluter, battalion chief, but
several of the district’s 120 vol-
unteer firefighters live nearby.
A fire engine and a rapid re-
sponse vehicle would be
garaged there.
Fire insurance rates are
lessen when a fire engine is sta-
tioned within 1.5 miles of a
dwelling or building and the lo-
cation puts more the district
within that distance.
Capt. Brandon King, also an
architect, and others, will in-
spect the property this week
with an eye toward determining
if it can be readapted for fire
service use or require rebuild-
ing.
The district has enough funds
to convert 3,500-square-foot
bank office into sleeping quar-
ters and equipment storage and
provide for an enclosed area for
a rapid response truck.
Longer term plans call for
two or three pull-through truck
bays made possible by being lo-
cated at the intersection, Harris
said. A bay for a water tender
deployed to fires in rural area
also are in longer term plans.
Construction cost estimates
for major renovations or re-
building would result from fur-
ther examination of the
property.
The district could finance a
major renovation or rebuilding
by borrowing and seek a pro-
portional share from the four
municipalities, Harris said.
The purchase agreement
gives the district the ability to
opt out until April if it deter-
mines it’s too costly to renovate
or other unforeseen difficulties
are discovered.
A rapid response truck has
been stationed for the past few
months next door at the Artisan
Seniors Living Community,
5330 Century Ave., and has re-
sponded on four or five calls as
it’s being “ramped up” for serv-
ice, Harris said.
A reserve fire engine, now
the Fire Station #2 in the town
of Middleton, would be moved
to station #3.
The need for a station to
serve the northeast was identi-
fied in a 2003 study and the dis-
trict has looked at 11 properties
since then. The bank offered its
location after deciding to relo-
cate elsewhere, Harris said.
Harris would like to move the
rapid response vehicle “as soon
as possible” to the bank prop-
erty after its purchase this
spring. The bank has up to 100
days to relocate after closing,
but has already notified its cus-
tomers to the impending move.
SANSING IS NEW
LIBRARY DIRECTOR
Librarians were scary.
That was Jocelyne Sansing’s
childhood impression, she ad-
mits with a vibrant laugh.
“There was nothing about them
that said, ‘Come! Explore the
world of books.’”
“I didn’t exactly grow up
saying, ‘I want to be a librar-
ian.’”
Sansing, 37, is not scary. In
fact, she is the very antithesis of
frightening. She is cheerful, eru-
dite, pragmatic, and the biggest
complaint ever lodged against
her was that she, while working
in an academic setting, and this
is a direct quote, was “overly
helpful.”
Yet she did grow up to be a li-
brarian. The new executive di-
rector at the Middleton Public
Library, to be exact.
And under her watch, the
city’s much-used and much-cel-
ebrated hub for books, ideas and
so much more looks aimed for
dizzying new heights.
Despite some very early
reservations regarding the peo-
ple running them, Sansing was
always drawn to the idea of li-
braries. As a child, she had trou-
ble finding books with relatable
protagonists and adequately
subversive plotlines. And she
knew any place that valued and
protected freedom of thought
must be good.
Today, Sansing sees libraries,
including the one here in Mid-
dleton, as frontlines in the “con-
tinued fight for intellectual
freedom and democracy.”
“After all,” she points out.
“Not everything on the Internet
is true.”
“The 21st Century library is
really exciting,” Sansing says.
“It’s not just books, it’s not just
programs; it’s a place where
people can connect.”
“It’s a place where people
TIMES-TRIBUNE
have equal access to informa-
tion, regardless of income or
anything else,” she later adds.
That access isn’t just to
books – it extends to Sansing as
well. One of the first changes
she made when she took over as
director last year, following a
unanimous vote by the library
board, was to move her office to
a more accessible location. Her
door is, quite literally, open
(most of the time) for those who
have questions or queries. She
regularly heads upstairs, too,
where she works a desk and em-
braces the full scope of the pub-
lic’s many, varied questions and
demands.
Sansing is many things: yoga
instructor, former student of
folklore, proud parent, lover of
the great outdoors, ravenous
reader, natural leader and ques-
tioner of authority. (She is also
the sheepish owner of a Middle-
ton Public Library book that
was actually eaten by a pet
dog.)
She is also, she explains, very
hopeful about the future, and
aside from a healthy dose of
butterflies when making a big
decision, she is happy to be in
Middleton for years to come.
“I didn’t just want some
snoozer library position,” Sans-
ing explains. “I wanted an op-
portunity to learn from people
and become a better person, and
that is already happening.”
“It’s not just about any one
person’s skillset,” she muses.
“It’s about the fit. And this feels
right. It’s exciting to think that
all that’s needed here is just the
best version of yourself.”
THE OPT-OUT
CONTROVERSY
CONTINUED
Dane County towns could
opt out of county zoning with-
out approval from residents
under a proposal Republican
legislators were seeking spon-
sors for this week.
The proposal titled, LRB
1041/2, was being circulated for
co-sponsorship by State Reps.
Keith Ripp, R-Lodi, John Jagler
R-Watertown, and State Sen.
Luther Olson, R-Ripon, who
each have parts of the county in
their districts.
The proposal would repeal a
section of Act 178, passed last
year, that required a positive
vote of the residents at an an-
nual town meeting or in a refer-
endum.
ACT 178 was amended to in-
clude residents’ approval in
order to give town residents in
Dane County a voice in the de-
cision enjoyed by every other
town resident in the state where
the county has zoning authority,
said Majid Allan, the county’s
senior planner.
Under current law, if town
residents do not vote to opt out
of county zoning, then the
county would continue to make
zoning decisions for that town,
Allan said.
However, under the proposal,
the opt out decision would
made by the town board and not
town residents, a situation that
concerned County Board Super-
visor Nikki Jones, town of
Cross Plains.
“That would expedient but it
removes an important choice
from the residents…If it were
up to me, I’d want input from
the people in that town and the
decision to be made in an open
and transparent process…not
just leave it up to just the town
chair and the (town) board,”
said Jones.
Mark Hazelbaker, attorney
for the Dane County Towns As-
sociation, which has advocated
for town-controlled zoning, said
zoning is too complex an issue
for voters to decide on an “up or
down” basis.
“[The issue] is not the best
suited for a referendum deci-
sion,” said Hazelbaker.
Also, towns are not true
democracies; he said, residents
only get a direct say on the
amount of money a town would
borrow or raise in taxes or dis-
posing of property.
Town of Middleton residents
resoundingly voted not to sell
acreage behind the town hall at
a 2014 annual meeting and the
town board dropped the idea of
developing it into a residential
subdivision. However, town of
Middleton Board Supervisor
Tim Roehl, would not say what
he would do as board member if
the law changed to give town
boards the only vote on the opt
out decision and residents voted
against opting out in April.
“I’m not going to preordain
my vote,” he said.
Roehl did say that he would
look at the annual meeting dis-
cussion to see if more education
was needed on the merits of
withdrawing from county zon-
ing. That could lead to another
vote by residents or the town
board acting contrary to the res-
idents’ choice, but Roehl re-
mained uncommitted to any
course of action after the annual
meeting.
Asked if he thought town res-
idents would vote to opt out,
Roehl said, the issue is being
manipulated by a “micro minor-
ity…who don’t understand that
(town-controlled) zoning would
save the town and its residents
money.”
The opt out choice also is
about a power struggle between
the county and the towns and
the “contention has always
been, Dane County doesn’t
want to lose power. That’s the
issue,” Roehl said.
The 1041/2 proposal could
become law by the town’s an-
nual meeting, and for opt out
proponents to introduce it now
shows that they lack faith in the
public wanting to opt out, too,
said County Executive Joseph
Parisi.
“For people in towns, the an-
nual meeting is democracy at its
most basic level. It allows the
people to take part in the deci-
sion-making process but now, a
few weeks before the vote, ap-
parently the people pushing this
idea feel the election isn’t going
their way and want to change
the rules,” Parisi said.
Keep reading. The issue was-
n’t dead yet.
LOCAL MAN TRIED
TO JOIN TERRORIST
ORGNIZATION
A former Cross Plains man
who tried to join ISIS but was
arrested while trying to enter
Syria was sentenced Friday in
federal court to 10 years in
prison, to be followed by a life-
time of supervised release.
Joshua Van Haften, 36, was
angry about being a life regis-
PAGE 3
continued from page 2
trant of the state’s Sex Offender
Registry after a 1998 conviction
in Rock County for second-de-
gree sexual assault of child that
he continues to call a consen-
sual act. Coupled with a feeling
of isolation after being physi-
cally and emotionally abused as
a child, Van Haften was looking
for acceptance and a “life path,”
when he turned to Islam in
prison, his attorney Joseph
Bugni said.
A conviction for not inform-
ing the Department of Correc-
tions about a change of address
in Cross Plains in 2013 seem to
set off Van Haften. He began
posting hateful messages
against the U.S. and Americans
on Facebook and online to
friends and family.
By September 2014, Van
Haften was in Turkey and
texted his mother, “If they ask
you if you know where I am,
say the truth, that I went to Iraq,
to fight the Americans.”
Van Haften also encouraged
a Georgia man to travel to
Turkey and join him and sup-
port ISIS. Instead, the man,
Leon Davis, was arrested at an
Atlanta airport and sentenced in
July 2015 to 15 years in prison
for attempting to provide mate-
rial support to a foreign terrorist
organization, the same offense
Van Haften pleaded guilty to in
November.
At sentencing on Friday U.S.
Attorney John Vaudreuil called
Van Haften “a home-grown vi-
olent extremist,” whose anger
fueled by what he believes to be
an evil U.S. and wanted to join
ISIS but was arrested in Turkey
in April 2015 ironically in con-
nection with his prior sex of-
fense.
RESIDENTS HOLD
THEIR OWN
TOWN HALL
Local residents who say they
are “disappointed with U.S.
Sen. Ron Johnson’s failure to
schedule a Town Hall meeting
in Wisconsin during the Febru-
ary Congressional break”
scheduled their own Town Hall
See 2017, page 4
PAGE 4 TIMES-TRIBUNE THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017

2017 continued from page 3

in Middleton this week and in-
vited Johnson to speak and field
questions from constituents.
As of press time, there was
no word whether Johnson, a Re-
publican who twice defeated
Middleton’s Russ Feingold for
his seat, would leave regions
where is enjoys popularity in
order to speak with constituents
from Middleton and Madison,
where he has never polled well,
was heading to the Good Neigh-
bor City.
The Town Hall was initially
supposed to take place from 6 to
8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 22
at the Middleton Public Library,
7425 Hubbard Ave. in Middle-
ton. But organizers said due to
large numbers of people inter-
ested in attending, the location
for Senator Ron Johnson’s
Town Hall Meeting has been
changed to First Congregational
Church, 1609 University Av-
enue, 6-8:30 p.m.
“The week of  February 18-
26 is the 115th Congress’s first
congressional recess, a time
when members of Congress tra-
ditionally travel to their home
states and host town hall
events,” explained Stephanie
Kurtz, one of the event’s organ-
izers. “For many constituents,
this is the first opportunity since
President Trump’s inauguration
to ask questions of our repre-
sentatives in person. This con-
stituent-led town hall grew out
of Wisconsin residents’ desire to
have that face-to-face engage-
ment with Senator Johnson,
who chose not to schedule a
town hall of his own during this
time.”
“We believe that as an
elected official and our voice in
Washington DC, Senator John-
son has a responsibility to en-
gage in two-way
communication his constituents
- even those who ask tough
questions - and to address our
concerns and directly. Tele-
phone town halls are not suffi-
cient to meet that obligation,
and other avenues of communi-
cation are ineffective,” she con-
tinued. “We genuinely hope that
Senator Johnson will accept the
invitation to join us on Wednes-
day to engage with the people
he represents.”
PUTIN EXPERT
SPEAKS IN
MIDDLETON
How did a Leningrad street
kid become one of the most
powerful men on earth? Just
what does he plan to do with
that power?
Well, the answer – just like
the kid and the hulking country
he now rules - is complicated.
It does not help that the coun-
try in question is, to quote Win-
ston Churchill, “a riddle,
wrapped in a mystery, inside an
enigma.” But an upcoming lec-
ture in Middleton will offer
ample clarity and insight to help
Americans understand the
country that created Vladimir
Putin, and the country Vladimir
Putin is currently working to
create.
“When we look at Russia in
the last 180 or 200 years, we
tend to see ourselves as nor-
mal,” explains David McDon-
ald, a celebrated professor of
Russian history at the Univer-
sity of Wisconsin. Russia, that
ancient, wild marriage of con-
tradictions – full of lavish
monarchies and primordial
wilderness - is often seen by
westerners as the typical, alien
“other.” Russians are seen as
perverse, or backward, or sim-
ply far behind the west on hu-
manity’s assumed march toward
the future.
“I think in many ways the
west, particularly America and
Britain, kept waiting for Russia
to ‘come to its senses,’” ex-
plains McDonald. But the real-
ity is far more complex.
The fact is, whether the west
wants to admit it or not, Russia
has “taken a different approach
to building a society” than we
have. They have taken a differ-
ent approach to security, and to
order, and to economics, he
adds.
McDonald will present
“Putin’s Russia” at the Middle-
ton Public Library on Thursday,
March 9, at 7 p.m. It will be a
talk worth attending, and worth
talking about with your friends
afterward.
In addition to his many aca-
demic credentials, McDonald is
also in a unique position to un-
derstand Russia and Russian
culture. He began studying
Russian language in high
school, in Canada, and then
traveled to Leningrad as part of
an extended collegiate study
abroad program that would
launch a long career.
“What I saw and experienced
did not in any way correspond
with what we had been told
[about Russia],” he recalls.
“Going to Russia, I had ex-
pectations framed by my studies
in political science at the Uni-
versity of Toronto,” he adds.
“The professors there were in-
ternational authorities - one had
received his training at the UW-
Madison - and subscribed to
one or another version of the
dominant outlook at the time,
i.e. that the Soviet Union was a
tightly ruled authoritarian or to-
talitarian state, with oppressive
censorship, an all-powerful
state and a daunting military
machine.”
Plus, McDonald was a child
of the Cold War, with memories
of Khrushchev at the United
Nations, the invasion of
Czechoslovakia, the Cuban
missile crisis, with “all the
greater or lesser fears that the
Soviet Union elicited in the
west.”
“When I got there, at the age
of 20, I quickly learned that the
place was a very complex soci-
ety in which there was an un-
mistakable, but not inescapable,
state presence,” McDonald re-
calls.
Any illusions he entertained
about communism’s  “ruthless
efficiency or infinite
reach”  quickly evaporated,
however.
He saw the state of the con-
sumer goods economy. He saw
a wide dependence on the black
and grey markets to purchase
such hot commodities as Amer-
ican blue jeans or western
pop/rock records. And he saw
“tight-knit circles of lifelong
friends who shared lively polit-
ical discussions behind closed
doors - and who shared with
countless other similar groups a
deep suspicion of and contempt
for a state and party they saw as
cynical or self-dealing if not to-
tally corrupt.”
McDonald also witnessed
“widespread criminality - most
of it very petty and casual - as
well as a pervasive culture of
shortages all offset by a deep
patriotism for their country and
pride in its accomplishments in
culture, the arts and sports, and,
above all, a fierce pride in their
compatriots’ central role in win-
ning World War II.”
“I had not expected to find
any of this and found myself
constantly surprised or befud-
dled by what I was seeing and
hearing,” he says. “In fact,
briefly, I was perhaps most
struck by the sheer humanity of
the society, albeit cast in a much
different key than our own ex-
pression of it.   It was just an-
other society in which people’s
attentions and energies were de-
voted to earning their daily
bread, making a nice life for
themselves and their families
and navigating a system that,
however perverse or irrational it
might seem to us, made sense to
them, since that was their world
and there was nothing to com-
pare it to.”
So, why should Americans
make an effort to understand
Russia? Well, because it created
Vladimir Putin. And he will, ac-
cording to a report in the
Moscow Times two weeks ago,
likely remain in power until at
least 2024.
According to McDonald,
Putin grew up a “street kid” in
Soviet-era Leningrad (today’s
St. Petersburg). Through a mix-
ture of guile, intelligence and
determination, he earned a law
degree, then got a job with the
KGB.
Then, as is often the case
when the KGB pops up on
someone’s resume, things get a
little fuzzy. Was Putin, as an
agent in East Germany, deeply
traumatized by the things he
saw as the USSR began to col-
lapse? McDonald says some
people think so.
Whatever Putin did (or did
not do) as a KGB agent, he
emerged as the protégé of a
prominent reformer in
Leningrad, and he wound up in
charge of foreign investment.
McDonald’s event absolutely
packed the library’s lower level,
where it was standing room
only.
TIMES-TRIBUNE
TEAMS UP WITH
STUDENETS TO HOST
MAYORAL DEBATE
Mayoral candidates Gurdip
Brar and Hans Hilbert were
fairly cordial in the second of
two debates leading up to the
April 4 election, while they both
went to great lengths to accen-
tuate the things they believe
make them unique.
The second debate, which
was hosted by the Middleton
High School Current Events
Club and the Middleton Times-
Tribune, took place at the Mid-
dleton Performing Arts Center
on March 15, one week after
Hilbert and Brar faced each
other in the Middleton Review’s
town hall forum at the Village
Green bar and grill.
Perhaps the most striking
area where Brar and Hilbert di-
verged was on the legacy of
outgoing Mayor Kurt Sonnen-
tag.
Brar said he supported, and
was an instrumental part in,
many of Sonnentag’s initiatives,
citing the sustainability com-
mittee and work to protect and
enhance local ponds. But Brar
also ran against Sonnentag for
mayor in 2009, and has not
been shy about voicing his con-
cerns about government spend-
ing and a host of other issues.
Hilbert, on the other hand,
said he is part of Sonnentag’s
“succession plan.”
“One thing is for certain,”
said Hilbert. “On April 4 we are
going to lose an amazing
mayor.” Hilbert said he sat
down with Sonnentag about a
year ago to discuss the possibil-
ity of launching his campaign
when Sonnentag announced he
would not seek another term
this spring after a decade in
Middleton’s highest office.
“This is Kurt’s chance to pass
the baton,” Hilbert said.
Brar countered Hilbert by
stating: “It’s not the mayor who
will select the next mayor, …
it’s the citizens.”
“I’m running for mayor be-
cause people want me to,” Brar
added. He said he admires Son-
nentag, calling him a “great
guy,” but Brar also said the city
needs “change” and a “new vi-
sion” going forward.
Hilbert disagreed. “I don’t
see the need” for a new direc-
tion, he stated
In the first forum one week
earlier, Hilbert came out with a
fairly aggressive tone, airing
years of disagreement among
members of the council. But last
week, both candidates were
more subdued.
Yet their core differences,
and their disagreements about
several key issues, remained.
Hilbert was battling two op-
ponents: Brar and a severe flu
that made him visibly queasy
throughout much of the debate.
He took every opportunity to re-
mind voters that he is the home-
town candidate. He grew up in
Middleton, went to local public
schools, and chose to stay in the
community he loves, where he
has now served on the city
council for a decade, he said.
He told several stories about
specific personal interactions
with residents, and, in a subtler
manner than one week earlier,
again suggested that Brar is
more of a campaigner than an
effective planner or executive.
Brar, who was just getting
over an illness himself, grew up
on a farm in India and told the
crowd that he was the first in his
family to go to school. He made
his way to the United States,
where he earned his Pd.D. in
genetic science, and has called
Middleton home for longer than
Hilbert has been alive (34
years). Brar, who has served on
the council for nine years, took
every opportunity to remind
voters that he is a scientist who
can combine analytic thought
with a “passion for serving” cit-
izens in the Good Neighbor
City.
They answered questions
covering topics ranging from
road repair to the opioid epi-
demic, from “Jesus Lunches” to
the legacy of Sonnentag.
While the newspaper origi-
nally proposed the forum, local
students and their advisor,
Molly Meck, did the heavy lift-
ing. As a result of their meticu-
lous planning, the event, which
was attended by an estimated
120 people ranging from
teenagers to senior citizens, ran
incredibly smoothly. The Mid-
dleton Performing Arts Center,
with its impressive sound sys-
tem and vast seating, allowed
everyone to see and hear the
candidates. At the even, stu-
dents reminded their 18-year-
old classmates to vote.
In their opening statements,
the candidates each talked about
their core strengths.
“This is our home,” said Brar
of the Good Neighbor City. He
spoke of the “great education”
his children received here and
said he has “delivered results
for” his constituents during his
time as a city alderman. He said
he is running “to serve the com-
munity I love” and because of
his “passion is to serve people.”
Hilbert said he had “the priv-
ilege of growing up in Middle-
ton,” fondly recalling looking
out his childhood bedroom win-
dow at the Pheasant Branch
Conservancy. He spoke of his
time at Middleton High School
and said he knows how to pro-
tect natural resources amidst the
pressures of development.
In their closing statements,
Hilbert reiterated his lifelong re-
lationship with Middleton,
while Brar took the opportunity
to address some of his critics.
Hilbert pledged to respect
and protect natural resources,
and to work to keep Middleton
a wonderful place to live. “I will
work really hard as mayor” to
protect natural resources and in-
crease the tax base, he said.
While Brar has proven to be
wildly popular in his own alder-
manic district – nigh unbeat-
able, it would appear – he is
also facing an opponent in
Hilbert who has now earned the
official endorsements of every
member of the city council who
is not running for mayor, along
with the endorsement of the
outgoing mayor. Brar said the
accusation that he does not
work well with others on the
council is a myth.
“There is the perception I
don’t work as well with the oth-
ers, but 90 percent of the time
the council [votes unani-
mously],” Brar said. When he
does vote against the majority,
it is because he is doing so in
accordance with his con-
stituents’ wishes, he added.
“Let’s make Middleton an
even better place,” Brar con-
cluded.
OPT OUT PLANS
SPARK OUTCRY
Proponents of opting out of
Dane County zoning received a
chilly reception Saturday during
a debate on the now controver-
sial issue at the Middleton Town
Hall.
About 100 residents turned
out and their most popular ques-
tions focused on the need for
withdrawing from county zon-
ing and why the town board was
See 2017, page 5
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017 TIMES-TRIBUNE PAGE 5

2017 continued from page 4

hurrying to put the question be-
fore them at the town’s April 18
annual meeting.
Some, like Mike Schultz,
wanted to know how it would
affect their input in zoning de-
cisions.
“Does [opt out] make our
voice stronger or weaker,” he
asked.
Town Board Supervisor Tim
Roehl, with Mark Hazelbaker,
an attorney for Dane County
Towns Association, defended
opting out by saying it would be
more cost effective to give the
town control over land use de-
cisions.
“Would you benefit by only
having to go to the town for
zoning decisions…Decisions
will be made at your town hall
not in downtown Madison,”
Roehl said.
However, when Roehl asked
“don’t you want your neighbors
to make [the] zoning deci-
sions?” the audience loudly re-
sponded “No, no, no.”
Majid Allan, the county’s
“I’m pleased,” he said. “The
people of Middleton have spo-
ken, and I’m going to do exactly
what I said I would do during
my campaign.”
Brar, a retired Ph.D scientist
who grew up on a farm in India
and has been an active member
of the Middleton community for
more than 30 years, has always
been wildly popular in his own
aldermanic district. But he lost
his initial bid to unseat Sonnen-
tag back in 2009, so Tuesday’s
victory appeared to be some-
thing of a vindication for him.
He promised to represent all
voters in Middleton in much the
same way he represented his
constituents in District 2 for the
past decade, but with a “broader
vision.”
“I guess I was listening to my
constituents, and now I’ll listen
to the whole city,” he said.
Brar’s win does set up an in-
teresting dynamic between the
mayor-elect and the rest of the
city council, all of whom (ex-
cept for Brar, of course) en-
TOWN INCUMBENTS
LOSE SEATS TO
WRITE-IN
CANDIDATES OVER
OPT-OUT ISSUE
Two Town of Middleton
write-in candidates Tuesday
rode a wave of voter indigna-
tion over proposed zoning
changes on their way to a pair
of upset victories.
Cynthia Richson, a town plan
commission member, defeated
incumbent Town Chair Bill
Kolar 707 to 651.
Richard Oberle defeated in-
cumbent Tim Roehl by the size-
able margin of 761 to 585 for
Seat No. 1 on the town board.
Richson called her win a win
for the people.
“The people have finally
been heard, respected and lis-
tened to...This is very exciting
for the town,” she said moments
after getting the voting results.
Kolar declined to comment
Tuesday night on the election’s
outcome.
As a lobbyist for the Dane
Oberle, who had been a town
board supervisor from 2002-
2014, said he became a candi-
date when asked by residents
upset with the prospect of los-
ing their vote on opting out of
county zoning.
“They asked me what are we
going to do about it? So, I said
yes, what are we going to do
about it…meaning it would take
an effort by all of them in order
to win,” he said.
In an email Tuesday night,
Oberle wrote that he and Rich-
son will respect the residents’
right to “a binding vote on opt
out,” at the annual meeting.
Town administrator David
Shaw said Tuesday that he
could not remember any write-
in candidate for town board
ever winning prior this.
Brent Renteria was re-elected
running unopposed for Seat No.
2 on the town board.
TOWN RESIDENTS
VOTE TO STAY IN
COUNTY ZONING
years, watch the experience an
opt-out town has with zoning
and then revisit the decision, a
resident suggested.
Only eight of the county’s 33
towns have proceeded to an opt
out vote, which indicates the
lack of interest out there, an-
other resident said.
The county board has sup-
ported each of the 60 zoning pe-
titions the town board has
approved in the past five years,
it was mentioned.
It would be more costly if the
town assumed control over zon-
ing, said Danny Aerts, as much
as $130,000 more annually, as
the town only pays a share of
the funding it takes administer
and enforce zoning.
Another reasons not to opt
out is that it puts too much con-
trol in the hands of the five-
member town board, said a
resident, which allows contro-
versial zoning decisions to be
made by a majority of three
people.
Tom Wise called placing zon-
ing solely in the hands of the
town board that may also have
development interests a “recipe
for corruption.”
Recently re-elected Board
Supervisor Brent Renteria said
the town is “generally happy”
with the zoning authority Dane
County has exercised.
“Also, they are the experts,
we are not,” he said.
If the town wants to take con-
trol over its zoning it should
consider incorporating into a
village, and idea Renteria said
he will research this year.
Residents voted by paper bal-
lot and many did not stay to
hear the results, assuming the
status quo would win by a land-
slide. David Salmon said he
would be surprised if people
voted to opt out.
After Town Administrator
David Shaw announced the to-
See 2017, page 6

senior planner, seized on the
outburst and said the current
system of the town and then the
county approving zoning mat-
ters provide some distance that
removes the emotion from those
decisions.
“I think we can be more ob-
jective, less personal. We don’t
take sides and we treat every-
body fairly,” Allan said.
BRAR’S
BIG WIN
One candidate promised a
“new vision.” The other
pledged to continue the course
charted by outgoing mayor Kurt
Sonnentag and the majority of
the current city council.
The voters have spoken, and
the new vision has won.
District 2 alderman Gurdip
Brar defeated District 7 alder-
man Hans Hilbert 51.8% to
48.1% on Tuesday in a tightly
contested race to become the
City of Middleton’s next mayor.
Brar, a longtime critic of exces-
sive spending, of what critics
see as rubber stamping of staff
initiatives, and of the status quo
in general, said in a recent may-
oral debate that the community
was ready for a change.
Speaking from his home just
moments after learning of his
victory, Brar said he was “really
pleased people put their faith
in” him.
dorsed Hilbert for mayor.
Hilbert also had the endorse-
ment of Sonnentag.
But as Brar pointed out dur-
ing the debate, “It’s not the
mayor who will select the next
mayor, … it’s the citizens.”
“I’ll have to persuade the city
council, of course, but as mayor
you provide a vision,” he added
on Tuesday night.
Hilbert was not available for
comment following the an-
nouncement of the election re-
sults.
HISTORIC UPSET
CHURCH NOTES IN I
County Towns Association,
Roehl helped pass legislation
last year that required an affir-
mative vote by town residents
in order to opt out of county
zoning.
Responding to the push back
against opting out, Roehl
backed legislation introduced in
March which made the resi-
dents’ vote advisory. That
caused Richson and Oberle to
register as write-in candidates.
The legislation’s conserva-
tive backers then amended the
bill to have town residents vote
to opt out - but at a special
meeting, not the annual meet-
ing.
The bill remains pending in
the Legislature but Richson
called it “a step too far.”
“That’s taking away a core,
fundamental value of our
town…and someone had to
stand up against it,” she said.
Roehl was not available for
immediate comment Tuesday
night.
Town of Middleton residents
voted overwhelming Tuesday
not to opt out of Dane County
zoning.
A motion by newly-elected
Town Chair Cynthia Richson
made to remain in the current
shared zoning authority with
Dane County was approved 352
to 29 at the town’s annual meet-
ing.
The turnout may have broken
attendance records. Fire Chief
Aaron Harris called in some
firefighters and two vehicles to
allow the meeting to continue in
a room in the town hall that had
an official capacity of 150.
No one spoke in favor of opt-
ing out, while several people
came to a microphone to say
there was no good reason to
withdraw from county zoning.
The town would be working
with a new, untested zoning or-
dinance and contracting with a
firm outside of Dane County to
administer zoning matters. It
would be better to wait three
PAGE 6 TIMES-TRIBUNE THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017

2017 continued from page 5

tals, he gave Board Supervisors
Richard Oberle, Richson and
Renteria the oath of office.
Richson thanked those still in
attendance for coming and
urged them to participate in
town government by coming to
meetings and volunteering to
serve on communities and com-
missions.
“Feel free to speak up” on
matters of interest to the town,
she said.
AFTER A DECADE AS
THE CITY’S MAYOR,
SONNENTAG SAYS
GOODBYE
There was a public celebra-
tion of Kurt Sonnentag’s
decade-long tenure as mayor on
Wednesday, April 12, from
5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Pleasant
View Golf Clubhouse. Sonnen-
tag, who took over as mayor for
Doug Zwank 10 years ago,
opted not to seek another term
in the Spring Election earlier
this month. Throughout his time
in the city’s highest office, Son-
nentag was known for an ab-
sence of bombast almost
unheard of in the realm of poli-
tics. He was replaced by new
Mayor Gurdip Brar, who took
the oath of office on Tuesday of
this week after defeating Hans
Hilbert in the April 4 election.
According to city administra-
tor Mike Davis, Sonnentag
“served honorably and ably as a
public servant” during his time
as mayor, and during his time
on the city council before that.
“His sunny disposition, hearty
laugh and smile have all en-
abled Middleton to continue to
enhance its reputation as the
Good Neighbor City,” Davis
said.
HORRIFIC MURDER
SHOCKS MIDDLETON
On Wednesday of last week,
82-year-old Agnes Bram was at
the Middleton Senior Center,
playing euchre with her friends,
as she often did. It was the last
time she was seen alive.
Also at the senior center that
day was a man named John
“Jack” Hamann, who investiga-
tors believe later killed Bram,
from whom he was renting a
room.
While police say the motive
was unclear, news of the alleged
homicide sent shockwaves
through a community that is,
both in terms of perception and
crime statistics, usually remark-
ably safe.
And while the chilling story
pieced together by authorities
seemed ripped from the pages
of Crime and Punishment, those
who knew the victim were also
quick to share fond memories
about the friendly woman
known to her many friends as
“Aggie.”
Bram, whose body was dis-
covered in her garage by a fam-
ily member, was remembered
for being active in the commu-
nity, for enjoying and telling
jokes, and for caring for others.
Jodi Tomaszewski said Bram
“took the time to remember
everybody.”
“She made everybody feel
important when she came
around,” said Tomaszewski.
“She could always light up a
room. I thought about her fre-
quently; how she brought so
many of us together.”
“I know she’ll be sadly
missed by many, including the
children she cared for,”
Tomaszewski continued. “My
heart bleeds and goes out to her
family.”
The preliminary results of a
forensic autopsy “suggest that
Ms. Bram’s death was the result
of homicidal blunt force trauma
[to] the head,” according to
medical examiner Barry Irmen.
According to police, on April
28 at 2:52 p.m., the Middleton
Police Department was con-
tacted by a male caller who
stated that he had just found a
family member deceased at
7113 University Avenue.  He
had gone to check on Bram be-
cause family members, who had
not heard from her since
Wednesday, had grown con-
cerned.
Upon arrival, officers located
an elderly female deceased in
the garage.  Observations of the
first officers on the scene indi-
cated that the death was “of a
suspicious nature,” according to
a police statement.
Authorities learned that Bram
lived at the residence with a
boarder who rented a bedroom
within the single-family home.
The boarder was identified as
53-year-old John “Jack”
Hamann.  Hamann had been a
tenant of Bram’s for approxi-
mately six months. Records
show Hamann lived in the area
previously, both in the City of
Middleton and in Cross Plains.
Upon learning of his iden-
tity, on Friday evening officers
immediately began searching
for Hamann “to confirm his
safety and interview him.” He
was found sleeping in a Univer-
sity of Wisconsin Hospital wait-
ing room during the morning
hours of Saturday, April 29.  nership considered all sides of
Hamann was returned to the
Middleton Police Department,
and a search warrant was then
executed and evidence was col-
lected from his clothing and
person.
Hamann was subsequently
booked into the Dane County
Jail on a preliminary charge of
First-degree Intentional Homi-
cide.  regarding the divisions felt by
Upon the issuance of a search
warrant for the residence, a
complete search and forensic
analysis of the Bram home was
conducted by detectives from
the Middleton Police Depart-
ment and the State of Wisconsin
Crime Laboratory on Sunday,
April 30.   recommendations to the Mid-
During this investigation it
was determined that Hamann
had been observed carrying a
brown satchel or bag through-
out downtown Middleton on
Friday. Video evidence of
Hamann leaving Middleton at
approximately  6 p.m. on Fri-
day  showed him without the
bag.  mosphere included getting stu-
Using social media, police
asked citizens for help finding
the potential piece of evidence.
Then on Monday, just as inves-
tigators were convening a press
conference at the Middleton Po-
lice Station, a local woman con-
tacted police and told them she
had found the bag.
Police “gloved up” and
quickly confirmed that the bag
in question contained personal
property belonging to Hamann.
The property was then trans-
ported to the State of Wisconsin
Crime Laboratory for examina-
tion and analysis.
PARTNERSHIP FORMS
IN RESPONSE TO
‘JESUS LUNCHES’
The Partnership for Student
Support and Success was
formed late last year in response
to the controversy sparked by
the Tuesday free lunches, also
known as “Jesus Lunches,” in
Fireman’s Park.
The partnership consisted of
a diverse group of staff, stu-
dents and members of the com-
munity including Middleton
Police Chief Chuck Foulke and
Asbury Church pastor and past
parent Harold Zimmick. The
partnership was created specif-
ically to provide Middleton-
Cross Plains youth with the
support they need to traverse
any issues, local or global, that
might arise.
Jesus Lunches have been tak-
ing place sporadically over the
last few years in Fireman’s Park
directly adjacent to Middleton
High School during the open
campus lunch hour. The event
got the attention of the school
district and the community
when its numbers grew to hun-
dreds and became weekly dur-
ing last school year. The school
district had a longstanding lease
with the city for Fireman’s Park
but has since given full regula-
tion over to the city, which al-
lowed the events to continue
based on First Amendment
grounds.
Laura Love, director of sec-
ondary education, said some
children felt parents made a big-
ger issue of the situation than it
really was.
In order to tackle the “Jesus
Lunch” controversy, the part-
the conflict. According to Love,
the plan included modeling for
youth and community how to
hold important dialogue
through differences in perspec-
tive, as well as agreement. They
listened to presentations from
both the supporters and oppo-
nents of the lunches in question
and brainstormed with students
the student body. A survey was
developed and administered to
all high school students to hear
from as many Middleton-Cross
Plains high school students as
possible.
Using the feedback from the
survey, the partnership provided
dleton-Cross Plains Area
School Board for consideration.
The recommendations in-
cluded: conducting the survey
annually, suggesting creating a
more inclusive and open atmos-
phere in order to foster dia-
logue, suggestions for how to
pursue a more open and safe at-
dents invested by identifying
student leaders, expanding the
social justice forum, creating a
Student Equity Coalition, and
introducing bystander training
in order to tackle bullying.
The partnership also recom-
mended helping acclimate new
students and families and pro-
viding mentors in order to cre-
ate a more inclusive and diverse
student body. The recommenda-
tions were focused on the high
school level and spanned the
entire school district. The part-
nership will be working with
school and district administra-
tion as well as teachers and stu-
dents to implement the
recommendations.
School board president Bob
Green said he was amazed by
the effort and detail that went
into the survey.
“It gives a very in-depth
viewpoint into the students and
some of the issues they have,”
Green explained.  “There is a lot
of valuable information in there
that would make our decision
making easier knowing what
our students are going through.”
TOWN ATTORNEY
STEPS DOWN AFTER
CLASH WITH BOARD
After 43 years as attorney for
the Town of Middleton, Thomas
Voss abruptly resigned after
being told to leave a May 1
town board closed session, ac-
cording to his resignation letter.
“By the actions of the Town
board on May 1, 2017, I do not
believe that my counsel is re-
spected, and I respectfully re-
sign, effectively immediately,
my position as Town Attorney
for the town of Middleton,”
Voss wrote in a May 2 letter to
Town Chair Cynthia Richson,
Supervisors Brent Renteria,
Gary Whitney, Richard Oberle
and Paul Connell.
The board was meeting to
discuss the resolution of a law-
suit Michael Adler and others
had brought against the town
board for their vote in August to
convert Sunset Ridge Dr. from
a cul-de-sac to a through street.
The board was considering
offers to settle the suit when a
supervisor asked Voss and
Town Administrator David
Shaw to leave the closed ses-
sion, said Oberle.
Eight days after Voss re-
signed, Circuit Judge Richard
Markson dismissed the Adler’s
request to undo the road exten-
sion. The board and Adler are
still negotiating a settlement,
Shaw said Monday.
Oberle said he was surprised
by the “tone of the message” to
Voss and has since sent Voss “a
note” but had not heard back.
“He treated (Voss) somewhat
rudely when he asked him to
temporarily leave the meeting,”
Oberle said.
While only one supervisor
asked Voss to leave, the others
seemed complicit by their si-
lence, Oberle said.
Voss made his departure per-
manent.
On Tuesday, (May 16) Voss
said his decision was not driven
by a personality clash but out of
a professional disagreement.
“They didn’t respect my
counsel and went a different
path. I pretty much would have
hoped that my guidance would
not steer them into controversial
matters. I hope I guided them
correctly,” Voss said in a phone
interview.
Voss, a founder of the Erbach
& Voss, S.C., said the Middle-
ton law office had closed in No-
vember, the practice had wound
down but he “fully intended to
stay on as the town’s attorney.”
Neither Oberle nor Voss
would comment specifically on
who asked Voss to leave the
meeting or why, saying it oc-
curred in a closed session and
citing attorney-client privilege.
Voss was known to “talk
tough” to residents and others
appearing before the board but
it was usually welcomed,
Oberle said.
“At times he went overkill
but we could have calmed him
down. Other attorneys talk
tough too, and if you don’t
agree with them you tell them
not to do it again…Generally
when he did it, it was appropri-
ate,” Oberle said.
Shaw agreed that Voss’ at
times was combative at meet-
ings but he was saying the
tough things board members
were happy they did not have to
say themselves.
Shaw, Richson, Connell and
Deputy Clerk Sara Ludtke will
screen new attorneys or firms to
succeed Voss.
The board may not continue
the practice of having an attor-
ney at every meeting, Shaw
said.
Voss will be missed, said
Oberle. He genuinely liked him
and his presence over the
decades has been helpful as the
board considered the variety of
issues that come up in a grow-
ing municipality.
Voss functioned as an attor-
ney and a counselor to the
board, said Shaw, often advis-
ing on how things should be
done so all parties reach an un-
derstanding.
Voss said he did not have a
vote on the town board and
hope the board did not perceive
he did. He said his comments at
meetings were made to avoid
future conflicts and resolve
present issues.
Being involved in the town
government for so many years
made Voss an incredible re-
source that will be impossible to
duplicate, Shaw said.
Experienced and knowledge
of a client’s matter are what
makes an attorney valuable to
them, Voss said.
“You can’t put history and
knowledge in a vacuum. Prior
actions, precedent and an under-
standing of the subdivision
rules and ordinances, even the
prior behavior of applicants are
all useful information that I
hope has been helpful,” Voss
said.
Voss said he had no serious
plans for the near future.
He became the town’s attor-
ney, “almost immediately”
upon graduation from the Uni-
versity of Wisconsin Law
School. He said he has had
other clients for about the same
time span but none longer than
the town.
LOCAL CASE GOES
TO SUPREME COURT
The Wisconsin Supreme
Court last week concluded that
Middleton police properly ob-
tained a motorist’s consent for a
blood draw which indicated the
driver’s blood-alcohol content
was well above the legal limit.
In a 5-2 decision, the court
upheld a Verona man’s third
OWI offense, finding that he
had agreed to a blood draw
without a warrant despite later
disputing the officer’s interpre-
tation of his remarks.
Officer Michael Wood
stopped Navdeep S. Brar, 39,
for speeding in July of 2014.
During the stop, Wood con-
ducted field sobriety tests,
which Brar failed, and a prelim-
inary breath test, during which
Brar blew .19.
According to the opinion:
Wood arrested Brar for OWI,
took him to the police station
and read him a form about his
rights as a drunken driving de-
fendant. Brar agreed to a chem-
ical test of his blood, which he
later disputed giving.
Brar then asked Wood if he
needed a warrant to conduct a
blood draw and the officer
shook his head to indicate that
he did not. At the hospital
Brar’s blood was drawn and the
test results showed he had a
.186 blood-alcohol content, far
in excess of the limit to operate
a vehicle.
Brar’s attorney sought to
throw out the blood test results,
claiming her client had not vol-
untarily consented to the test.
Wood testified that Brar said,
“of course” when asked if he
See 2017, page 7
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017 TIMES-TRIBUNE PAGE 7

2017 continued from page 6

would submit to a chemical test
of his blood. Circuit Judge John
Markson heard Brar’s “of
course,” on an audio recording
of Wood and Brar. Also, Brar
also said “of course” in re-
sponse to not wanting his li-
cense revoked, said Wood,
which indicated Brar consented
to the blood draw.
SCHOOL BOARD
OPPOSES LOOSER
GUN LAWS
The Middleton Cross Plains
Area School Board has passed a
resolution formally opposing
Assembly Bill 247, a piece of
legislation that proposes to do
away with current rules and reg-
ulations regarding the carrying
of concealed guns.
Current law requires citizens
looking to carry a weapon in
their day-to-day lives get a con-
cealed weapon license from the
state Department of
Justice.  Applicants must subse-
quently pass a background
check, indicate they aren’t
felons and complete a couple
hours of gun safety and opera-
tion  training.
Assembly Bill 247 or the
“Right to Carry Act” was pro-
posed by Republican Senator
David Craig of Vernon, Wiscon-
sin and Republican Representa-
tive Mary Felckowski of Irma,
Wisconsin. The bill would re-
peal current laws which prohibit
concealed carry of a weapon,
carrying of a weapon without a
license and carrying of a
weapon in schools, police sta-
tions and other specified loca-
tions.
Co-Author of the bill, Sena-
tor Craig described the bill as a
constitutional right.
“At its essence, this bill does
two things: removes barriers to
the exercise of a constitutional
right and simplifies the law,”
said Senator Craig. “If you de-
cide to carry a weapon to pro-
tect yourself or your family, you
should be able to do so easily –
without bureaucratic hurdles
and without cost.”
The Bill itself has been under
heavy criticism for its proposed
weakening of what critics see as
already lax gun control and the
unnecessary burden it puts on
police, schools and other insti-
tutions by making Wisconsin
ultimately less safe.
The Bill does have some re-
strictions, although citizens
would be allowed to carry
weapons on a school grounds
and zones, schools can post
their buildings and grounds
under the trespassing laws. This
would make trespassing on
school grounds with a weapon a
Class C misdemeanor.
The Middleton Cross Plains
Area School Board members
ended the resolution by reiter-
ated their commitment to the
safety of school grounds and
zones.
School Board members
stated the school district looks
to their first responders to ad-
dress safety and believes having
others who are armed on school
grounds, without preparation or
training, jeopardizes the lives of
innocent bystanders, police and
other safety personnel and most
importantly the students.
COMMUNTY MOURNS
AL RIPP’S DEATH
Al Ripp, executive director
of Middleton Outreach Ministry
(MOM), died unexpectedly last
week on Wednesday, June 14 at
a Madison hospital.  Caring program, as well as
Few people have ever em-
bodied the Good Neighbor City
the way Ripp did, spending
much of his career presenting
donations to the local charity,
before eventually taking over as
head of the organization in
2013.
Ripp was known for his kind-
ness, his affability, and the fact
that his personality seemed in-
exorably linked to the very
heart of the Middleton commu-
nity.
Gurdip Brar, the city’s
mayor, said Middleton lost “a
great humanitarian leader.”
“Al was kind, respectful and
humble,” Brar added. “He al-
ways had a great smile.”
While Ripp’s family, friends
and colleagues grieved, the di-
rector of MOM’s board, Todd
Smith, also assured the commu-
nity that the organization’s myr-
iad services for those in need –
from the food pantry to the
clothing closet – would contin-
ued to operate.
“There have been a lot of
tears, but also a lot of work to
make sure people who need
MOM’s help can get it,” said
Smith. “It’s critical to keep the
doors open and continue service
for the people who depend on
MOM.”
Smith went on to say the
board plans to meet next week
to begin searching for a replace-
ment, but he was quick to add a
caveat.
“Obviously you can’t just re-
place Al Ripp. He has such an
extensive family and friend net-
work,” he stated.
In a joint statement, MOM’s
staff and board of directors said:
“our thoughts and prayers are
with the entire family.”
City administrator Mike
Davis said Ripp “naturally was
a leader of the community by
his actions.”
“He cared with a compas-
sionate and loving heart for his
family, church and community,”
said Davis. “He also lived his
faith as a Christian in a very
humble manner.”
Davis worked with Ripp
through the United Way Days of
through MOM.
“Al and I had planned to get
together for lunch soon, and I
wish I could have had that mo-
ment of conversation just one
more time,” said Davis. “Al was
a cherished friend to me, and I
am truly blessed to have known
him. Our community is dimin-
ished by the loss of his life far
too soon, but we are exponen-
tially better for having experi-
enced his warm, caring
friendship and smile.”
Ripp seemed ubiquitous in
the Middleton community.
When he took over as head of
MOM less than four years ago,
he instantly provided a level of
stability that the charity organi-
zation, which had been going
through directors at a rapid
pace, sorely needed.
Back then, on the eve of the
move from MOM’s outdated
Hubbard Avenue offices to a
new facility at 3502 Parmenter
Street, Ripp, as the charitable
organization’s newly named ex-
ecutive director, was reclining
in a chair in an office stripped
almost bare. Boxes were piled
high, and volunteers were tak-
ing a break from carrying items
up and down the creaky wooden
steps of the old MOM offices.
Through the window, large
flakes of snow were gently
swaying in the breeze as they
made their way down to Hub-
bard Avenue.
Ripp, a lifelong Middleton
resident, was describing the
emotional impact of MOM’s
annual backpack give-away
program, through which young
students from Middleton, Cross
Plains and Madison receive
bags full of school supplies they
need for the coming semester.
“The overall need is just
shocking,” Ripp said. “You see
so many people. The children
come in with the biggest smiles,
and you see the anxiety just
melt away from the faces of
their parents.”
Ripp retired from his prior
job on the last day of 2012, after
nearly 40 years of service in the
telecommunications industry.
During his time with TDS
Telecommunications Corp., he
worked closely with MOM.
“I was very fortunate to be
able to work on the giving side
through TDS,” he said then.
“Now I get to give directly to
those in need.”
When Ripp retired, Dave
Wittwer, president and CEO of
TDS, said, “I know he did
everything he could to delight
others.”
Members of the MOM Board
of Directors chose Ripp for that
very reason, as well as for his
ability to communicate with the
business community upon
which MOM relies for much of
its financial support.
Ripp believed his corporate
experience, combined with his
longstanding relationships in
the community, helped him
greatly in his capacity at MOM.
“I can tell the story from both
sides,” he said. “We all know
the economy has been tight for
most businesses, it’s getting bet-
ter, but I know, from my corpo-
rate experience, that businesses
always want to help an organi-
zation like MOM, even when
things are tough.”
Ripp was MOM’s fourth ex-
ecutive director in as many
years, but his predecessors all
came from outside the non-
profit’s service area. He grew
up on a farm here, the second
youngest in a family of 10, and
as it turns out he stayed with
MOM until the end of his life.
He once said his local, agri-
cultural roots likely played a
part in his dedication to MOM.
“When I was too young to go
work on the farm with my older
siblings, I’d always stay with
my mom and help her with the
gardening, and with preparing
and canning all the food,” he re-
flected.
MOM had its own garden – a
cluster of community plots
where clients could grow fresh
vegetables to feed their fami-
lies. Ripp saw a direct connec-
tion to his agricultural roots.
“There’s a certain pride and
excitement that comes with
learning how to grow your own
food,” he said. “It’s really what
MOM is all about – and I mean
beyond the garden ... the goal of
helping folks become self sus-
taining.”
Jim Hartlieb, president of the
MOM Board of Directors when
he took over, said the organiza-
tion’s leadership felt “very for-
tunate to have someone with
Al’s dynamic background” as
the new executive director.
Of course, Ripp did have to
tackle problems. For instance, a
new facility and more accessi-
ble MOM equated to even more
demand for the organization’s
services.
But he approached the issue
with typical, good natured
aplomb. “Yup,” he stated sim-
ply. “That’s what we’re looking
at.”
During his career, Ripp re-
ceived several “TDS Telecom
Inspiring Excellence” awards
and served in clubs and on
boards throughout the Verona,
Middleton and Cross Plains
areas.  Tribute that is a symbolic repre-
He got his start washing ve-
hicles for Mid-Plains Telephone
Company in 1974. During his
tenure at TDS, he held a number
of different positions before
being named general manager
in the late 1990s.
In 2007, Ripp was named
market manager for TDS cover-
ing Dane County and eventually
working throughout Wisconsin,
Minnesota, and Michigan’s
Upper Peninsula.
“Al did his most important
life’s work after he retired from
Mid-Plains Telephone, now
TDS, and joined as Middleton
Outreach Ministry (MOM) Ex-
ecutive Director, in 2013,” said
Brar. “[He] envisioned combin-
ing all MOM functions at one
site, for client convenience and
expansion of services. He
helped create a huge MOM cen-
ter on Parmenter Street. His
transformative leadership led to
MOM co-operating with many
other groups. During Al’s tenure
as director many new programs
were started to meet the grow-
ing needs of disadvantaged
folks.”
“Al will be remembered for
making a difference in so many
people’s lives in Middleton,
west Madison and the surround-
ing areas.  Al would like us to
pursue his work and mission
vigorously,” the mayor con-
cluded. “He will be missed.”
LOCAL MONUMENT
TO VETERANS
COMPLETED
Following completion of and
in consultation with the general
contractor, The Bruce Com-
pany, and the designer, Ken
Saiki, the Board of Directors of
the VFW Middleton Commu-
nity Veterans Tribute Founda-
tion on Saturday, July 22 at 10
a.m. hosted a dedication cere-
mony for the Middleton Com-
munity Veterans Tribute
(MCVT).
Post 8216 Commander,
Calvin Rigsby and Lieutenant
Colonel John W. Hall, PhD, the
Ambrose-Hesseltine Professor
of Military History at the Uni-
versity of Wisconsin-Madison
spoke to the large crowd.
“We are honored and thrilled
to make this announcement
today,” said Tribute Chairman
and VFW Post 8216 member
James Kurtz prior to the cere-
mony. “It’s been a long journey,
but well worth the wait. After
three and a half years, we are in
the home stretch of dedicating a
sentation, rich in meaning and
meant to recognize the guiding
principle that military service is
to be honored and respected.”
The Middleton Community
Veterans Tribute vision is to
provide a place of solemn re-
flection, quiet dignity, and in-
spirational teaching that
military service is to be honored
and respected as the persever-
ance of freedom may depend
largely on the convictions and
courage of military service
members with the strong sup-
port of their families and their
community.
The design of the Tribute, by
the acclaimed firm Ken Saiki
Design, envisions a hallowed
place amid the bustle of the sur-
rounding activity at Lakeview
Park. Saiki’s design is meant
expressly for its audience, Vet-
erans, family members and the
community that supports them
as a place for commemoration
and quiet reflection.
The Tribute is located in
Lakeview Park at the corner of
Allen and Mendota Avenues.

LOCAL ACTOR TAKES

ON FOXCONN
A Middleton actor is putting
on a show that will ask tough
but intriguing questions about
our concepts of work, economy,
technology, corporate subsidies
and the very demonstrable

See 2017, page 8

PAGE 8
2017
human costs of our “progress.”
To put it in more simple
terms, “The Agony and the Ec-
stasy of Steve Jobs,” a mono-
logue being performed by Jason
Compton at the Evjue Stage of
the Bartell Theatre August 31
through September 2, will show
us “what the world we live in is
built on.” The answer, in some
ways, is the backs of people in
places like Shenzhen, China.
The monologue was written
by Mike Daisey, and it is
through his eyes that audiences
will take a journey that exam-
ines how and why our techno-
logical devices are so
inexpensive. It all started when
Daisey saw leaked photos from
a Foxconn plant in Shenzhen,
China that fascinated him.
“He realized, ‘Oh my gosh,
it’s people, and it’s in not very
nice circumstances,’ and it re-
ally rattles him,” Compton ex-
plains. “It really rattles him.”
Daisey got on a plane and
visited the plant. He spoke with
executives and workers. What
he learned and saw there
changed everything he thought
he knew about Apple, Steve
Jobs, and the unending techno-
logical revolutions that have
shaped our world for the past 40
years. He re-evaluated a life-
long obsession with technology,
and shared his transformation
with the world. Now, Compton,
who adores technology in many
of the same ways, in collabora-
tion with Left of Center, will
bring the story alive in Madi-
son.
“It asks, how did we create a
world where you can buy a
powerful smart phone – a com-
puter – for $20?” he says. “Part
of how we got there is people
spending a ridiculous amount of
time and energy assembling this
stuff for almost no money.”
CARLSON NAMED
NEW MOM DIRECTOR
Ellen Carlson is the new Ex-
ecutive Director of Middleton
Outreach Ministry, the MOM
Board of Directors announced
on Monday.
MOM is a non-profit, com-
munity effort dedicated to pre-
TIMES-TRIBUNE
venting homelessness and end-
ing hunger for families through-
out west Madison, Middleton
and Cross Plains.
Carlson began her tenure
with MOM in January of 2002.
She served in various capacities
in those 16 years. Her many
leadership roles included volun-
teer and donor development,
operations, program develop-
ment, communications and
strategic planning.
Upon accepting the position,
Carlson shared that she has
worked with a community of
people deeply passionate about
serving their neighbors with
compassionate care.
“I am honored to continue
working with them side by side,
and also expanding our reach to
include as many people as pos-
sible. MOM is truly for the
community, and by the commu-
nity,” Carlson said.
“The Board of Directors is
excited to welcome such a dy-
namic individual to the role as
executive director,” said Todd
Smith, MOM Board President.
“Over the past months, Ellen
has lead the organization
through a time of reflection and
great transition as the interim
director. We are confident that
she will continue in the tradition
of responsible and visionary
leadership. She’ll bring the peo-
ple of our community together
to make sure those most vulner-
able are cared for, with dignity
and hope.”
When asked about the future,
Carlson stated, “My vision for
MOM is to determine how we
can continue to make local
change to the issues of poverty
and to the inequities in our com-
munity.”
She plans to investigate cre-
ative ways the organization can
make sure that, despite unstable
times, people’s basic needs are
met.
“We can be a community
where those most vulnerable
have the basic supports needed.
Everyone has the right to a
healthier and more stable fu-
ture,” said Carlson. “We need to
use research to determine how
the work we do can create better
future outcomes for children
and better immediate outcomes
for adults in crisis.”
Carlson has a long history of
giving back to the community.
Upon graduation from Univer-
sity of Wisconsin-Madison,
Carlson joined AmeriCorps
VISTA. Through VISTA place-
ment, she worked with the
Schools of Hope Literacy Proj-
ect in the Madison area. She
was a VISTA Leader for a year,
a position that was housed at the
United Way of Dane County.  ready strong partnership with
Carlson is well known
throughout the Madison com-
munity for her creative and col-
laborative projects. In 2015, she
was named a 40 under 40 by In-
Business magazine, as someone
who contributed to MOM’s
growth, innovation, and success
in 2015. In 2017, Carlson was
again recognized for being in-
spiring, innovative and empow-
ering woman who enriches the
greater Madison area as a
Woman to Watch in BRAVA
magazine. Carlson also serves
on the governing board of her
church, First United Methodist.
“Having been part of the
MOM interview team that rec-
ommended hiring Ellen Carlson
in 2001, I am delighted that she
will be the new Executive Di-
rector. Ellen is diligent, caring,
thoughtful and dedicated. I’m
very confident she will excel in
this new opportunity,” said
Mike Davis, MOM Board
2000-2007 and Middleton City
Administrator.
“Ellen is very capable of car-
rying on the legacy that our
friend, Al Ripp, began. Her pas-
sion will be an asset as the
MOM team continues their
work to be one of the foremost
non-profit service providers in
Dane County,” Davis contin-
ued.
In 2016, 1,500 volunteers
gave over 39,000 hours of serv-
ice. Nine staff help administer
the programs and organize the
volunteers that serve nearly
4,000 individuals in West Madi-
son, Middleton and Cross
Plains each year. MOM works
closely with many organiza-
tions, including collaborations
with non-profits throughout
Dane County.
“Ellen will do great things for
MOM,” Dan Stein, CEO of
Second Harvest of Southwest-
ern Wisconsin, said. “We look
forward to building on our al-
MOM under her
leadership.” Second Harvest is
southwestern Wisconsin’s
largest food bank, filling nearly
one million emergency food re-
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017
continued from page 7
quests annually.
“Ellen Carlson  truly  under-
stands MOM’s mission. Pre-
venting homelessness and
eliminating Hunger is a big
charge,” said Sarah Shatz, a so-
cial worker with Joining Forces
for Families. “Ellen has the ex-
perience, the commitment, the
critical thinking, and the flexi-
bility necessary to guide MOM.
As partners we can work to-
wards a Middleton that is proud
responds effectively to issues as
important as homelessness and
hunger.” Joining Forces Serving
the greater Middleton and Ma-
zomanie areas, Joining Forces
for Families helps families ad-
dress their basic human needs
by quickly linking clients to re-
sources.
Carlson concluded: “I’m ex-
cited to learn and serve with
clients, volunteers and donors
throughout our good neighbor
community.”
-SEE THE
CONCLUSION OF
OUR YEAR END
REVIEW IN NEXT
WEEK’S EDITION
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017 TIMES-TRIBUNE PAGE 9

A Storm is brewing
Times-Tribune photo by Mary Langenfeld

Former Middleton High School standout

Storm Murphy (10), a freshman point guard
at Wofford College, helped engineer one of
the biggest college basketball upsets in years
on Dec. 20.
Murphy and the Terriers defeated fifth-
ranked and defending national champion
North Carolina, 79-75, in Chapel Hill, N.C.
The Tar Heels entered the game a 25-point
favorite, and Wofford was given a 2.6%
chance of winning beforehand.
Murphy finished the game with six points,
three rebounds and two assists in 34 minutes.
Wofford had been 0-22 all-time against
ranked opponents before the win. It was also
North Carolina’s first home loss to a non-
conference foe since falling to Iowa on Feb. 3,
2014.

Middleton’s best of 2017

Rob
Reischel

The years pass and the ath-

letes change.
But things seem to stay the
same when it comes to athletics
at Middleton High School.
Conference championships
are par for the course. State
titles are commonplace
throughout the athletic depart-
ment.
It was more of the same in
2017 for one of the elite athlet-
ic programs in the state.
Here’s one person’s opinion
of the top-10 Middleton sports
stories of 2017. The Times-
Tribune will rank No. 6-10 this
week, and the top five in our
Jan. 4 paper.

6. Boys spikers
reach state again
Middleton’s boys volleyball
team set a goal of “Play  on
Saturday” for the 2017 sea-
son.  That meant a trip to the
state semifinals.
And though the Cardinals
came up one match short of
reaching that plateau at the
WIAA boys state volleyball
tournament, the crop of depart-
ing seniors vowed to do any-
thing possible to help next
year's team attain that elusive
level.
“What coach said after the
match is our seniors from last
year, there were four of them in
the crowd (Friday),” said sen-
ior libero and captain Thomas
Robson, a four-year varsity
player. “The seniors will be on Times-Tribune photo by Mary Langenfeld

See TOP 10, page 10 Middleton boys volleyball coach Ben White led the Cardinals to the state tournament for a fifth straight year.
 MIDDLETON’S TOP 10 OF 2017
PAGE 10
TOP 10
the underclassmen. We've
built that kind of program and
we're always going to help
each other get to the next level.
That's what these seniors will
do.”
Robson's senior season
ended with a 3-0 sweep by
third-seeded Kaukauna by
scores of 25-22, 25-16, 25-20.
The loss continued a frustrating
run at Wisconsin Lutheran
College for the Cardinals (33-
7), who suffered their fifth
straight ouster in the state quar-
terfinals.  eight.
In 10 appearances at state,
the Cardinals have an all-time
record of 2-10, with their last
win coming in 2008. Middleton
arrived this year optimistic
TIMES-TRIBUNE THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017
continued from page 9
about ending that losing streak,
but never could get over the
hump against the Ghosts (29-
7), who advanced to the title
match before falling 3-0 to
Milwaukee Marquette.
Kaukauna's forward tandem
of Ben Brochtrup and Austyn
Bella dominated play at the net,
combining for 26 kills, while
Middleton recorded just one
block all night. Casey McKean
led Middleton with 10 kills,
Brian Vergenz had nine and
Eagan Peters-Michaud had
“We wanted to attack the
middle,” said Middleton coach
Ben White. “To be able to do
that you have to be able to pass.
High school volleyball is pretty
simple. It's a serving, passing
game and they served tougher
than we did, and kept us out of
our offense.”
The loss meant White had to
address another dejected locker
room following a run the
Cardinals didn't want to see
end.
“It's hard to go in there and
have the same talk you've had
the past years. Thomas
(Robson) is probably going to
be sick of hearing me say the
same thing,” said White, who
has 378 victories in 17 seasons
at Middleton. “But Thomas is
the winningest player in school
history. This year we set the
school record for most wins in
a season (33), so you've got to
be pretty proud of that. 
“We can't be too disappoint-
ed about everything we did this
year, but as a senior it's the
finality of it. There's no ‘lets go
back to practice tomorrow and
fix things.’ It's done.”
While the disappointment
lingered, White and his players
already were finding silver lin-
ings in what was an otherwise
astounding season. The
Cardinals set the school record
for most wins in a season, won Times-Tribune photo by Mary Langenfeld
Andrew Lepage and Middleton’s boys volleyball team set a new school record for wins in 2017.
See TOP 10, page 11
 MIDDLETON’S TOP 10 OF 2017
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017
TOP 10
another Big Eight Conference
championship and claimed
elite tournament titles in
Racine and at Wauwatosa East.
“You've got to look at the
positives,” White said. “This
senior class had a heck of a
career and they keep setting the
bar higher.”
Senior setter Andrew
Lepage, who finished the
match with 32 assists and was a
three-year starter who shared
captaincy with Robson and
senior Carson Blair, also chose
to look at the bigger picture.
“We talked about how one
match doesn't define our sea-
son,” Lepage said. “It was a
good run. We did what we
could to get here. We just didn't
win.”
7. HTL team
finishes second
Middleton's Home Talent
League team gave its fans a
summer to remember.
The 29ers went 14-2 and
won the Northern Section's
Eastern Division.
Middleton rolled through
the first three rounds of the
playoffs and reached the Final
Four. And the 29ers finished
second overall after going 2-1
in the Final Four's round robin
format.
Stoughton won the league
championship after defeating
all three of its Final Four foes.
“From us starting in basical-
ly March, working out once a
week to try to get ready for the
season, I'm proud of the way
these guys worked all year,”
said Middleton manager
Brandon Hellenbrand, whose
team went 19-3 overall.
“Overall, fantastic year. I can't
ask for anything more.”
In addition to the 29ers' stel-
lar record, they put up some
eye-popping stats.
Middleton outscored its
opponents, 221-63, over the
entirety of the season. Nine
players batted over .300 and
the 29ers finished with a .334
team batting average, which
TIMES-TRIBUNE PAGE 11
continued from page 10
tied for first in the league.
Middleton’s 10 home runs
tied for second in the league.
The 29ers had double-digit
runs in 10 games. Middleton
also hurled five shutouts and
had a staff ERA of 2.86.
Two losses midway through
the year lit a fire under the
29ers, and they finished the
year by going 8-1 and outscor-
ing opponents 97-18 in those
games. The lone loss came to
eventual champion Stoughton.
“We hit a little hiccup in the
middle of the year where we
lost the two games in the row,”
Hellenbrand said. “For them to
bounce back and get this thing
to the Final Four, I’m really,
really proud of these guys.”
Drew Farrell ranked among
the league's top pitchers.
For example, in the final
postseason game of the year,
Middleton needed a win over
Dodgeville and had to hope for
a Stoughton loss. Well, Farrell
certainly did his part.
Farrell went the distance
and led the 29ers to a 7-0 win
over Dodgeville. Unfortunately
for Middleton, Stoughton
defeated Montello, 5-4, to win
its first HTL title since 1986.
Stoughton finished the HTL
Final Four a perfect 3-0, while
Middleton was 2-1.
Farrell was nearly flawless
and needed just 88 pitches for
the complete game, two-hit
shutout. Farrell retired 23 con-
secutive Dodgeville batters at
one point, and only six balls
left the infield all day.
"(Drew) was back on it. He
came out today and dominated
again,” Middleton manager
Brandon Hellenbrand said.
“When you’ve got a guy like
(Drew) on the mound, it's easi-
er for everybody. Fantastic job
at the end of the day by him.”
Farrell was pretty pleased
with his final outing.
“After the first inning I set-
tled down, I located my pitch-
es,” Farrell said. “The defense
played great today.”
See TOP 10, page 12
Times-Tribune photos by Mary Langenfeld
Drew Farrell (top) had a terrific year for Middleton’s Home Talent League team. Overall, the 29ers (above) went 19-3 and fin-
ished second.
 MIDDLETON’S TOP 10 OF 2017
PAGE 12
TOP 10
with the way the team ended
the year.
“I'm glad we went out with a
bang,” Farrell said. “It was
great to get our one home game
(in the championship series)
and win it for our fans.”
8. Girls golfers
eighth at state
They would have liked to
play better.
They would have loved to
challenge for a top-five finish
for a fifth straight year and end
their memorable season on a
high.
That didn't happen for
Middleton’s girls golf team at
the WIAA Division 1 state
tournament in October.
The Cardinals posted a two-
day total of 700 and finished in
eighth place, 70 shots behind
Arrowhead, which repeated as
champions.
But as Cardinals’ senior
standout Payton Hodson
reflected on the tournament
just moments after it ended, she
was giddy about the season that
had just concluded.
“I’m so proud of my team-
mates, no matter what place we
ended up in,” Hodson said.
“We all just wanted to have fun
and kill it in our last rounds
together. No matter how it
ended up, it’s a great finish to
our season.”
Macro — not micro.
That’s how Hodson and
many of the Cardinals chose to
look at their season. While the
ending wasn’t perfect, in many
ways, the year was.
“At the beginning of the
year, we didn’t even know if
we’d make it to state,”
Middleton coach Becky
Halverson said. “Coming into
state, we definitely had some
high hopes and really hoped to
be in the top-five. But we got
here. There are a lot of teams
that would love to be here. I
just have to remind the girls of
that.”
Sophomore Kate Meier
agreed.
“It was a really good season
overall,” Meier said. “All of us
grew close to each other. It’s
going to be hard to see the sen-
iors leave, but we’ll always
look back and say we had a
great season.”
TIMES-TRIBUNE THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017
continued from page 11
The Cardinals certainly did
that.
Middleton won the Big
Eight Conference dual meet
season and the conference’s
postseason tournament. The
Cardinals also were regional
and sectional champions and
qualified for state for the
17th time in program history.
“I couldn’t be more proud of
the program on a whole and the
year we had,” Halverson said.
“There’s a lot to be proud of.”
Middleton knew challeng-
ing Arrowhead — which won
the 2016 state title by 51 shots
and this year’s crown by 27
strokes over Milton — might
be an impossible task. But the
Cardinals thought they could
compete with several of the
other schools and make a run at
a top-five finish.
The Cardinals shot 351 on
the first day, though, and found
themselves in seventh place.
“I think it was the combina-
tion of nerves and maybe a lit-
tle stress,” Meier said. “But
I’m very proud of the girls.”
Added Halverson: “I defi-
nitely think some of it had to do
with nerves. State tournament,
you’re always going to have
some nerves. We just had a lit-
tle more nerves because we had
so many girls that have never
experienced this before. And
it’s hard to prepare for that.”
The weather turned nasty
during the second round, with
rains falling on golfers
throughout their back nines.
Middleton never could find its
groove, shot 349 and slipped
from seventh to eighth.
“Obviously we would have
liked to play better,” Halverson
said. “But the girls gave it all
they have and you can’t ask for
more than that. They had fun. It
just wasn’t their time. I don’t
know what more to say.”
Hodson finished her career
in style, shooting a final round
74 and vaulting into fifth place
individually at 154 overall.
Hodson’s day included three
birdies, three bogeys and a
double bogey.
Meier shot a pair of 84s, fin-
ished at 168 and tied for
23rd  individually. Grace
Peterson shot 181 and finished
in a tie for 41st, while
See TOP 10, page 13
Times-Tribune photos by Mary Langenfeld
Kate Meier (top) and Payton Hodson (above) helped lead Middleton’s girls golfers to an eighth place finish at state.
 MIDDLETON’S TOP 10 OF 2017
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017
TOP 10
Makenzie Hodson shot a 96 on
the final day.
“I could not be more proud
or happy with our team,”
Hodson said. “It was our goal
the entire season to make it to
state. Just great memories.”
9. Meicher
second at state
The 2017 WIAA Division 1
state wrestling championships
had just ended. And already,
Middleton standout sophomore
Kevin Meicher was looking
forward, not back.
Meicher, who won a state
championship as a freshman,
couldn’t pull off a repeat in
February at the UW Kohl
Center.
Meicher reached the state
finals at 138 pounds, but
dropped a 4-0 decision to Sun
Prairie’s Drew Scharenbrock.
Afterwards, Meicher was
already plotting how to turn the
loss into a positive.
“I think of this as motivation
for next year and the year after
that and trying to win two more
(state titles),” Meicher said.
Meicher and Scharenbrock
— rivals in the Big Eight
Conference — had met twice
during the regular season, with
Scharenbrock winning both
matches. Scharenbrock took
control of the championship
match with a first period take-
down and never let Meicher get
anything going.
“He wanted to be a four-
time state champ,” Middleton
coach Kent Weiler said of
Meicher. “Last year we said
you had to win one to be a four-
timer and this year was the
same thing, you had to win
two. He had a great tourna-
ment, a great season. He wres-
tled well all the way up to this
match.
“We wrestle a schedule that
puts our guys in front of some
of the best guys in the state for
a reason. So when we come
here, we can be in a position to
win. Unfortunately, in a situa-
tion like this, there’s always
going to be a loser and today
we came out on that end of it.”
Meicher, who took second
at sectionals the previous week,
had a tough path back to the
finals. But Meicher put togeth-
er another stellar tournament to
TIMES-TRIBUNE PAGE 13
continued from page 12
put himself in position to cap-
ture another title.
In the preliminary round,
Meicher pinned Appleton
North sophomore Ian Laatsch
in 5:39. Meicher executed a
first-period takedown for 2-0
lead and extended that advan-
tage to 7-0 in the second period
before scoring a pin in the third
period.
Then in the quarterfinals,
Meicher pinned Oak Creek
sophomore Joey Colla in 1:59.
Meicher took Colla down early,
then rode him out and pinned
him just before the first-period
buzzer.
“My first day went well
with two pins,” Meicher said.
“I came in with a good
approach and got it done.”
In the semifinals, Meicher
defeated New Richmond senior
Bryce Younger 10-6.
That set up a Meicher-
Scharenbrock championship
match that many had forecast-
ed.
Scharenbrock took an early
2-0 lead with his first period
takedown, forcing Meicher to
wrestle from behind.
“Every match, you’ve
always got to get that first take-
down to open up the match,”
Scharenbrock said. “That was
huge.”
After a scoreless second
period, Scharenbrock notched
another takedown with 25 sec-
onds left in third period to ice
the match.
“Since I wrestled him twice
I knew what to expect, what he
was going to do,” Meicher
said. “I thought I was ready, but
he was ready, too. It was a good
fight.
“I knew it was going to be
low-scoring and I wouldn’t do
anything different. I tried to
work through as many ways as
I could to score points. He got
on more shots than I did. I did-
n’t get many.
“I thought I knew what to do
against Drew in the finals, but I
came up with nothing.” Times-Tribune photo by Mary Langenfeld
Meicher finished the year
Middleton’s Kevin Meicher finished second at 138 pounds at the WIAA Division 1 state tournament.
with a 48-5 record and is now
91-8 in his two years at MHS.
Scharenbrock, who was fourth
at state at 120 pounds in 2016,
ended the season 48-2.
“(Scharenbrock) took more
See TOP 10, page 14
 MIDDLETON’S TOP 10 OF 2017
PAGE 14 TIMES-TRIBUNE THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017

TOP 10 continued from page 13

shots,” Weiler said. “He was

more the aggressor than we
were.
“What did Kevin learn from
the match? He works hard.
He’s a competitor. He knows
what he needs to do already. I
don’t think he needs to change
anything a whole lot. He
worked really hard in the off-
season and all the way through.
“There’s some heartbreak
there. Drew’s a good kid. He’s
a good wrestler. He beat us
today. He beat us three times. I
don’t know where they’ll be in
the future in the coming
weights. But I’m sure that
Kevin’s going to want to get a
shot at him if he can.”

10. MHS boys

swimmers place
eighth at state
Middleton’s boys swim-
ming and diving team picked a
good time to get its groove
back.
A week after a mediocre
performance at their sectional
meet, the Cardinals came
through with an eighth-place
finish at the WIAA Division 1
state swimming and diving
championship at the University
of Wisconsin Natatorium  in
February.
“It was a fast state meet,”
Middleton coach Danny
Lynam said. “The guys
dropped times pretty much
across the board. They all
stepped up. We had a little bit
of a flat sectional meet and they
really kind of found that spark
here. They really got after it.”
Junior Michael Draves led
the way individually for
Middleton with a second-place
finish in the 500-yard freestyle
and a fourth-place finish in the
200-yard freestyle.
Top-seeded Waukesha
South/Catholic Memorial won
the meet with 246 points. Six-
time defending champ
Madison Memorial, which fin-
ished third at the sectional meet
behind Madison West and
Middleton, settled for second
with 216 points.
Madison West took fifth
with 174 points. The Cardinals
finished with 131 points.
Draves finished the 500 in 4
minutes, 33.52 seconds, more
than five seconds better than
his sectional time, but was
beaten out by top-seeded John
Acevedo of Waukesha
Michael Draves was second in the 500-yard freestyle at the WIAA Division 1 state meet.
South/Catholic Memorial, who
finished in 4:30.12.
“I swam a lot against
(Acevedo) at club swimming
all the time,” Draves said. “I
know how he swims and I
know he’s very good. I knew it
was going to be a challenge,
but I definitely wanted to try
my best to take him down. I
gave it my all and it was a good
time. I’m happy with it.”
Cardinals’ sophomore
Andrew Martin added an 11th-
place finish in the 500 in
4:50.42, nearly five seconds
better than his sectional quali-
fying time.
Draves finished the 200 in
1:40.87, more than a second
better than his qualifying time,
but lost a duel with Acevedo by
0.07 in a battle for second-
place behind Danny Larson of
Wauwatosa West/East in the
final heat.
“It was about the pace I
wanted to take it out in which
was all good,” Draves said. “I
just kept building and building
off of what I was doing which
was all good.
“That last 50 I tried to use
that final burst of speed to
catch (Acevedo) because I
think I was catching him at the
end. I was just hoping I would
get him and I think if I would
have had just one or two more
yards it might have been
close.”
“It was a great swim for
(Draves),” added Lynam. “He
swam his own race. A lot of
times in the 200, guys will go
out after each other and burn
out in the first 100. He sat back
and was right where he needed
to be.”
Draves, who competed for
the Badger Aquatics Club prior
to joining the Cardinals last
season, said it has been an
adjustment going from swim-
ming for a club to competing
for a high school.
“I know a lot of these guys
that are winning the races and
getting the top finishes,”
Draves said. “It’s a different
atmosphere. You go from hav-
ing a bunch of guys on one
team that are your teammates
then they kind of branch out to
all of these different high
schools. So it’s different
because all of a sudden they go
from being your best teammate
to being a rival. It’s a lot of fun
racing.”
The 200-yard medley relay
team of sophomore Archer
Parkin, senior Tommy
McGovern, senior Isaac
Hanson and freshman Nate
Lamers finished fourth in a
school record 1:35.57.
“The 200 medley relay
dropped time at sectionals
where they had a great swim
and they repeated it again,”
Lynam said. “It was great they
were able to come back and do
that.
“We had a lot of guys on
that relay that had great swims.
Everything kind of came
together for them. Good
Times-Tribune photo by Mary Langenfeld
exchanges, good walls. We
were able to beat our team
record last weekend and we
were able to beat it again this
weekend.”
Hanson said the first time
the group swam together was at
the conference meet.
“We knew that would be a
really good relay,” Hanson
said. “It was a really good
bonding experience with those
guys. I got to know them a lot
better because we swam
together that many meets in a
row. It was really good to go
out on a team record.”
The 400-yard freestyle relay
team of Lamers, Hanson, sen-
ior Gunnar Kunsch and Draves
just missed the podium with a
seventh-place finish in 3:12.12.
“We dropped about a second
(from sectionals),” Lynam said.
“It was a great way to finish the
season for us. We ended up
shaving off a little more time,
which is always good to see.”
The 200-yard freestyle relay
of Kunsch, senior Max
Hollfelder, McGovern and
Draves placed ninth in 1:28.35.
Individually, sophomore
Archer Parkin was 11th  in the
50-yard freestyle in 21.90 and
12th  in the 100-yard back-
stroke in 53.72.
Senior Luke Delaney was
12th  in the 100-yard butterfly
in 52.25. Freshman Nathan
Kim was 14th in the 200-yard
individual medley in 1:58.35.
Hanson finished 15th in the
100-yard butterfly in 52.62.
Lamers was 17th  in the 100-
yard freestyle in 48.60 and
20th  in the 100-yard back-
stroke in 54.73.
And junior Sam Young was
17th in the 200 individual med-
ley in 1:59.23.
“We should have the depth
to fill in the gaps for next year,”
Lynam said. “It should be a lot
of fun next year after all we’ve
learned from this year.”
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017 TIMES-TRIBUNE PAGE 15

CARD OF THANKS HELP WANTED HELP WANTED HELP WANTED HELP WANTED

LOOKING FOR HELP

AT YOUR BUSINESS?

REAL ESTATE
ADVERTISE FOR NEW
EMPLOYEES IN THE
TIMES-TRIBUNE!

Great coverage plus the

NEED TO SELL
best rates around! Call
OUR LOW COST classified

OR BUY?
for more information:
ads can get results for you! Call

Do it ALL in the
608-767-3655
767-3655.
SHOP LOCALLY! Putting

Classifieds!!
money back into our community
helps everyone prosper. Bring
your dollars home!

RENTALS
PAGE 16 TIMES-TRIBUNE THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017

Lancers hammer Cardinals

Middleton’s
four-game
win streak
snapped
Middleton
Roundup

BY ROB REISCHEL
Times-Tribune
Middleton’s boys basket-
ball team got a first-hand look
at one of the best teams in the
Big Eight Conference — and
the state of Wisconsin — last
Tuesday.
And the Cardinals discov-
ered they’ve got plenty of
work to do if they also want to
be one of those teams.
Visiting Madison La
Follette came to Middleton
and rolled past the Cardinals,
87-71.
Middleton had its four-
game winning streak snapped
and fell to 4-3 overall and in
the conference. The Lancers
improved to 6-1 in the league
and 8-1 overall.
Middleton senior forward
Brogan Brunker led the
Cardinals with 20 points,
while senior swingman Alan
Roden added 11.
Senior guard Anthony West
led four Lancers in double fig-
ures with a season-high 25
points, while junior guard
Troy Reeves added 16 points.
The Lancers built a 48-37
halftime lead, then used an Times-Tribune photo by Mary Langenfeld
early 7-0 second half run to
put the Cardinals away. Brian Vergenz (12) drives through two defenders during Middleton’s loss to Madison La Follette last Tuesday.

Dec. 19
MADISON LA FOLLETTE 87,
MIDDLETON 71
Madison La Follette ….... 48 39 — 87
Middleton ………………. 37 34 — 71 0-0 7, Reeves 6 3-5 16. Totals 32 13-26 Brunker 5 10-11 20, Boyle 0 2-2 2, — ML 21, MID 20. Middleton 2 — The visiting year and sits in fourth place in

MADISON LA FOLLETTE
— Seward 2 2-5 6, Probst 3 1-1 10, West
8 6-11 25, Smith 3 0-0 7, Gray 6 0-0 13,
Cameron 1 0-2 2, Nix 0 1-2 1, Stewart 3
87.
MIDDLETON — Roden 4 2-2 11,
Michaels 2 0-0 6, Roquet 3 0-0 6,
Ticknor 2 0-3 5, Ragsdale 2 0-2 5,
Bowman 3 0-0 6, Vergenz 3 2-4 8,
HOCKEY
Close 1 0-0 2. Totals 25 16-24 71.
3-point goals —  ML 10 (Probst 3,
Blue Dukes cruised past the the Big Eight Conference with
West 3, Smith 1, Gray 1, Stewart 1, Cardinals last Thursday. a 4-3 league mark.
Reeves 1), MID 5 (Michaels 2, Roden 1,
• Whitefish Bay 5, Middleton fell to 7-6 on the
Ticknor 1, Ragsdale 1).  Total fouls