1. Art and Diseño

Voice
FREE
February 2015
of the River Valley
A guide to people & events that inspire, inform and enrich life in the Lower Wisconsin & Sugar-Pecatonica River Basins
Arena ~ Avoca ~ Dodgeville ~ Lone Rock ~ Mazomanie ~ Mineral Point ~ Muscoda ~ Plain ~ Prairie du Sac ~ Richland Center ~ Sauk City ~ Spring Green
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Welcome to February
mack in the middle of a visit with family
The evening’s theme was the “birth of the
in Florida last month, a French satirical
American orchestra” and the selections celnewspaper and a Jewish deli were atebrated the American phenomenon of the “big
tacked in Paris. (Now, before you start wonderband.” The unity and cohesion of the JALC
ing, I am not reversing our stated policy of not
Orchestra was as uplifting as the music itself.
focusing on politics or sports in these
Watching and listening to them
pages — not even during the trials
perform together, and then yield the
and tribulations that impact local fans
spotlight to one another made me,
of a certain national football team.)
quite frankly, proud. Even though I
The day after I got home, I atdon’t know a single one of them, I
tended the Wyoming Valley School
felt so proud of them, and proud to
Cultural Arts Center’s monthly “Live
be in the presence — thanks to the
from Lincoln Center” jazz concert.
glory of the Internet and the efforts
This fall/winter series, which began
of the Wyoming Valley School
Sara Lomasz
in October and runs through April,
Cultural Arts Center — of a diverse
Flesch
offers free opportunities to expericollective of people who could come
ence the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra’s
together to share their art at a time when there’s
performances via live Internet webcast. Before
so much chatter about division and dissent.
the music begins, an optional $12 family-style
My hope for this new month is that, amid
BYOB jazz-inspired meal is available.
the inevitable ups and downs of the coming
With the news from Paris still dominatdays, you, dear readers, will find something in
ing the headlines and fresh on my mind, I sat
our pages that you find uplifting and that makes
in the historic Frank Lloyd Wright-designed
you want to share the many good things hapelementary school assembly hall surrounded by
pening in our corner of the Driftless Area.
friends, acquaintances and strangers from the
Happy reading,
Wyoming Valley and beyond, enjoying worldclass jazz performed by an ensemble of talented
musicians from all over the country.
Sara Lomasz Flesch
Inside Voices
Portrait of an Artist & Her Paddlefish
by Sara Lomasz Flesch.................................3
Between the Lines
by Kathy Steffen............................................4
Living Well, Dying Well
by Mary Friedel-Hunt...................................6
Pedagogy Stew
by Marnie Dresser.........................................9
Gardener’s Delight, Gardener’s Dilemma
by Heidi Schmalz........................................14
Driftless Terroir: Landscaping and Place
by Cory Ritterbusch.....................................16
Driftless Dark Skies
by John Heasley...........................................18
Calendars
by Sara Lomasz Flesch......................7, 10-13
Thanks, Advertisers!
Business & Consumer Services
Kitzke & Associates, 8
Mary the Tax, 5
McKinney-Lins Law, 5
Royal Bank, 15
Design Services
Amber Westerman Building Design, 15
EDUCATION & CULTURE
Folklore Village, 11
Shake Rag Alley, 4
FARMS, FARM Markets & PLANTS
Friends of UW-Madison Arboretum, 20
My Fine Homestead, 18
FOOD & BEVERAGE
Brewery Creek, 15
Driftless Depot, 18
Driftless Market, 14
Freddy Valentine’s Public House, 13
Gray Dog Deli, 10
The Kitchen at Arcadia Books, 4
The Shed, 13
The Shoppe at Herbs, Spices & More, 4
Spring Green General Store, 11
GALLERIES, STUDIOS & RETAILERS
43/90 North Earth, 4
Arcadia Books, 4
High Street Sweets, 9
Nina’s Department & Variety Store, 9
Spring Green Retailers, 10
Wantoot, 18
Wildwood Woodworks, 15
HEALTH, WELLNESS & BEAUTY
Lyrea Crawford Coherency Training, 5
Greenway Terrace Assisted Living, 20
Dean Lesser PhD, Psychotherapy, 8
Upland Hills Health, 8
HOME & AUTO ESSENTIALS
Center Stove & Fireplace, 9
Hottmann Plumbing, 18
Specialty Auto, 14
Film, MUSIC & THEATER
Folklore Village, 11
Freddy Valentine’s Public House, 13
Gray Dog Deli, 10
Shake Rag Alley, 4
The Shed, 13
Spring Green General Store, 11
PETS & ANIMAL WELFARE
Mew Haven Cat Rescue, 5
Ocooch Mountain Humane Society, 9
On the Cover
February’s cover art by Spring Green artist Linda Kelen, “Rock Wall on Y at ZZ,” is one of 12 paintings she produced in 2014. “Painting is the
only thing that terrifies me,” Linda says of the art of putting brush to canvas. Thanks to Linda for her contribution to our cover; learn more about
her work in our story on p. 3. If you would like to share images with Voice of the River Valley, please write to [email protected].
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Voice of the River Valley is a monthly independent newsletter published by
Wording LLC © 2015 All Rights Reserved. Circulation is 3,000 copies distributed to
more than 140 communities across southwestern Wisconsin. For submission guidelines, advertising options and rates, and to submit events, please visit our website.
Editor & Publisher: Sara Lomasz Flesch
P.O. Box 745, Spring Green, WI 53588, (608) 588-6251
Founding Publishers: Mary Friedel-Hunt (2006-2012) & Bill Hunt (2006-2010)
E-mail: [email protected] Website: voiceoftherivervalley.com
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A Portrait of an Artist & Her Paddlefish
Courtesy of Timm Zumm/Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway
Flo, the painted foam paddlefish Linda Kelen created in 2009, took a break from appearances with Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway,
or FLOW, to join Kelen during last year’s Fall Art Tour. “We had no idea [Flo] would have such a lively post-documentary life,” Kelen says.
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By Sara Lomasz Flesch
PRING GREEN—In early January, during one of this
winter’s coldest weeks so far, with high temperatures ranging more than 10 degrees below normal and lows about 20
degrees below normal, The Capital Times had some sunny news:
A National Geographic Top 10 List had ranked our state’s capital
among the 10 happiest cities in the world (and one of only two in
the United States).
The ability to “stay active all year round” was a deciding
factor in Madison’s ranking on the list. Accompanying the story
was a cheerful photo taken in much warmer times of celebratory
paddlers floating down the Yahara River between lakes Mendota
and Monona in kayaks, canoes, a motorboat — and on top of a
giant 15-foot-long painted foam paddlefish named Flo.
Later that January day, a friend posted a link to the story
and picture of Flo on Spring Green artist Linda Kelen’s
Facebook wall with the question, “Is that your fish?”
Flo is indeed Kelen’s creation, a now-iconic paddlefish she
carved “like a bar of soap” out of a 500-pound, 16-by-4-by-3.8foot block of virgin expanded polystyrene foam using a friend’s
hot wire set. It was a labor of love for Spring Green filmmaker
Dave Erickson’s 2011 documentary, “Rhythm of the River,” for
which Erickson received a National Endowment for the Humanities Grant to produce. The film was screened throughout the
state, at festivals and in select public television markets. That
all adds up to a lot of air time for Flo, who’s gone on to be a featured performer in boat parades and other public events such as
the Bald Eagle Watching Days, and serves as the mascot for the
Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway, or FLOW.
“We had no idea it would have such a lively post-documentary life,” says Kelen, who grew up in Oak Park, Illinois, with an
artist father and in a family she describes as “stubborn, independent, determined people.” She began attending the School of
the Art Institute of Chicago’s Young Artist Studios at age 8, and
went to the SAIC/University of Chicago for college.
Asked when she knew she was an artist, Kelen explodes: “HA!
That’s sort of like, ‘When did you find out you were infected?’
“I think ‘artist’ is more a condition that one learns to
live with,” she says. “I believed work of real artists hung in
ARTIST Continued p. 19
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Between the Lines
B
e honest: Those pesky New Year’s resolutions are fading,
aren’t they? Remember how excited you were when you
decided to commit? The way inspiration rushed through
your body, making you feel like a creative marathon runner?
How you couldn’t wait to get going and enjoyed the thought of
being creative every day?
Now you are in the “one-foot-in-front-of-the-other” phase
and thinking, why did I start this? Maybe I need to take a break.
After all, I need to do my laundry. The honeymoon is over and your creative endeavor is
no longer shiny, new and exciting. It’s work.
Which, if you are anything like me, hits you
like a fist to the gut.
Make it a habit with wiggle room. This
year, I committed to writing 700 words a
day. I know, Stephen King suggests 1,000 a
Kathy Steffen
day, but writing 700 words feels less gigantinormous to me. Besides, at my pace, I will
complete two novel-length manuscripts and one novella this
year — or a load of short stories. Next, I gave myself some
wiggle room, and I focus on my weekly word count. When I
miss a day goal, I can make it up during the week, turning it
from failure to — yep, just a little wiggle room needed. So set
your creative goal, give yourself a daily or weekly “habit” and
allow for wiggle room. Now you have space for your creative
endeavor and for life to happen.
Get a writing buddy. A writing partner can make all the
difference. Meet weekly or monthly, giving you the motivation to complete something to share. Go where you can sit, talk,
enjoy and eat (always a plus) so you look forward to it. A writing
partner will reward you with friendship and a great time discussing something you both love. And did I mention eat? Nothing
motivates me like a cinnamon scone. You can find a writing,
painting, knitting, any type of creative-endeavor buddy — the
point is to share your passion and make it fun.
Reward, reward, reward. Immediate satisfaction works.
So after your creative session, reward yourself. Enjoy a piece of
chocolate, have a glass of wine. Pick up a good book and spend
a half hour reading, take a walk all by yourself, watch a favorite television show guilt-free, or do something that feels like a
luxury to you. One caveat — if you choose something you already do often, your subconscious won’t perceive it as a reward.
Make it something you wouldn’t otherwise indulge in or set aside
time for on a regular basis. Do you have to reward yourself every
time? Nope. Just when the going is tough. After a few reward
sessions, your brain will associate writing (or whatever your
creative endeavor) with gooey-goodness or glorious “me” time
and you’ll feel motivated, even without the sugar. And when you
struggle again, drop your reward system in place.
Kathy Steffen is an award-winning novelist and author of the
“Spirit of the River” series: “First, There Is a River,” “Jasper
Mountain” and “Theater of Illusion,” available online and in
bookstores everywhere. She writes from a log home in the woods
of southwestern Wisconsin that she shares with her husband and
three cats. Find out more at www.kathysteffen.com and find more
of her columns at voiceoftherivervalley.com/archives.
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Friends of SG Library
Host New Contest
For Readers’ Theater
10-Minute Plays
Press Release
SPRING GREEN—The Friends of the
Spring Green Community Library invite submissions of original 10-minute plays by local
authors to be performed at their annual meeting March 23.
For the past several years, the Friends
group has performed a Readers’ Theater at
their annual meeting. A Readers’ Theater
does not require the actors to memorize their
lines and there are minimal props, costumes
and staging required. Sara Rath, a longtime
Friends board member and author, has written
several of the most recent Readers’ Theater
plays, with a standing-room only audience in
the library’s Community Room. This year, the
Friends board wants to start a new tradition
and offer original plays by other local authors.
The 2015 guidelines for the contest are:
Only original plays, never before produced, are
eligible, and the play, exclusive of cover page,
title and cast pages, may be no more than 10
pages long. The cover page must include the
playwright’s name, address, phone number
and e-mail address. All other pages should not
identify the playwright.
The deadline for submissions is Feb.
14. Entries must be postmarked on or before
Feb. 14 or hand delivered to the Spring Green
Community Library by 12:30 p.m. Feb. 14.
Mail submissions to: FOL Play Contest, Spring
Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St.,
Spring Green, WI 53588.
A panel will judge the plays anonymously
and three winners will be chosen. The finalists
will be notified of the judging results by Feb. 20.
The winning playwrights will be awarded
prizes of $100, $75 and $50 and the opportunity
to stage their play before an enthusiastic audience. The winners will be responsible for the
selection of cast, rehearsals and production at
the Friends of the Spring Green Library’s annual meeting at 7 p.m. March 23. Since this is
Readers’ Theater, scripts will not be memorized; minimal props and costumes should be
utilized but imaginative techniques are a plus.
Authors retain copyright and full ownership
of their plays.
For basic instructions in how to write
a 10-minute play, see http://www.10-minute-plays.com/how_to_write_a_10_minute_play.html
Drama Buffs, Rejoice: Play Readings Abound
Voice of the River Valley
SPRING GREEN—If cabin fever is
starting to get the better of you, and
American Players Theatre’s June opening
seems interminably far off, fret not — for
not one, not two, but three series of play
readings are happening this month and
beyond on upcoming Sundays, Mondays
and Wednesdays in Spring Green.
Literary Festival’s Plays Out Loud
The Spring Green Literary Festival kicked
off their free series of five plays from
the upcoming APT season in January.
Participants gain a deeper understanding
of the plays and can have fun reading out
loud with friends and other readers who
love dramatic literature. In addition to
January’s reading of Tennessee Williams’
“A Streetcar Named Desire,” the Sunday
series will feature Noel Coward’s “Private
Lives” on Feb. 15; Athol Fugard, John Kani
and Winston Ntshona’s “The Island” on
March 15; and Edward Albee’s “Seascape”
on April 19. The fifth play on May 17 will
be chosen by readers of the previous plays.
All readings are upstairs at The Shed,
123 N. Lexington St., at 2 p.m. Free scripts
or play books for sale are available in
advance at Arcadia Books. Play books are
available to check out at the Spring Green
Community Library with a South Central
library card. Scripts also will be available
at the door the day of the event. Readers can
choose the part they want to read or wait to
be assigned. Listeners are also welcome.
Arcadia Winter Play Readings
Arcadia Books’ series on upcoming
Wednesdays features local actors reading
at the Gard Theater, 111 E. Jefferson St.
The readings, presented in part with a
grant from the Spring Green Area Arts
Coalition, began Jan. 21 with Keith
Huff’s “A Steady Rain” and continue
Feb. 18 with a play to be determined
(call Arcadia to confirm); March 18 with
Samuel D. Hunter’s “Bright New Boise”;
and April 15 with “Outside Mullingar”
by John Patrick Shanley.
The Kitchen at Arcadia Books, 102
E. Jefferson St., features an Asian menu
on Wednesdays. To make reservations
for dinner before the plays, call (608)
588-7638.
APT’s Winter Words
A me r ica n Playe r s T he at r e’s play
readings inside the 201-seat Touchstone
Theatre, 5950 Golf Course Rd., are
$15 on four Mondays in February and
March: Feb. 9, “Eurydice” by Sarah
Ruhl; Feb. 23, “Red Velvet” by Lolita
Chakrabarti; March 9, “Elizabeth Rex”
by Timothy Findley; March 23, “Stupid
Fu--ing Bird” by Aaron Posner. To
buy tickets, see americanplayers.org or
brownpapertickets.com.
APT’s regular season starts June
6. Tickets go on sale in early March for
returning patrons and mid-April for new
buyers.
Call for Limericks, Poems and Haiku
If you have always wanted to try your hand at a poetic form of five lines and two
rhymes, a lilting rhythm and a bit of humor, now is your chance. A limerick will
make you and everyone around you smile and, whether or not you are Irish, it will
add a touch of green to our long Wisconsin winter. Please submit your limericks by
Feb. 15 to [email protected] with the subject line “Limerick,” and
include your name and location. Selected limericks will be published in March.
It’s not too early to start thinking about April’s National Poetry Month and
National Haiku Poetry Day. National Poetry Month was established in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets to celebrate
and raise the profile of poetry, poets and our poetic heritage.
Voice of the River Valley invites submissions of original
poetry and haiku to be published in our April issue. Submissions
can be sent to [email protected] by March 15 with
“Poetry” or “Haiku” in the subject line; please don’t forget to
include your name and location.
Publication of limericks, poetry and haiku is at the discretion of the editor based on
space, subject matter and quality. Thank you!
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Living Well, Dying Well
I
t was 3 a.m. on Jan. 3. A light snow was falling as three
rabbits ate grass in my back yard. They looked cold. I rarely
have sleep problems now, but I know not to fight them. I
make herbal tea, grab a book or sit in the dark.
I had driven to Dodgeville that day for a computer repair
and flipped on public radio feeling relieved that the holidays,
so difficult since my husband, Bill’s, death, were finally over.
“On Point” with Tom Ashbrook came on: It
was his first day back following the death of
his beloved wife. Most anything of value on
the subject of grief draws my attention. I am
a therapist/bereavement counselor and I am
grieving. Certainly not like I was at first, but
grief is forever. One learns to live with the
hole. Most who grieve search for anything
that will ease the pain. I have spent 40 years
working with those who hurt, many of them
grieving. How I wish all that experience had
helped just a bit after Bill’s death, but nothing could ease that gut-wrenching pain; pain
Mary
that sits more quietly now, but still rears its
Friedel-Hunt
head unexpectedly in spite of all the grief
and Bentley
work I have done.
As I listened to Tom and his guest,
author/bereavement counselor Rabbi Earl Grollman (someone
I respect), I could feel Tom’s pain as he shared openly and as
callers and guests attempted to describe and discuss grief. “If
only everyone could hear and absorb this program,” I thought.
They all spoke so honestly about how deep the pain is; how
society tends as a whole not to understand or want to deal
with grief or death or pain. One caller said how lonely the
path is especially as others quickly go on with their lives. She
spoke truth. After only a short time or even five years, rarely
do people ask someone who has had a huge loss how they are.
Education is so needed in our death-phobic society and it is
happening … finally; but all valuable change is slow. I sat in
the parking lot while my computer was being worked on. I
had to hear this program and listened with tears rolling down
my face. An unexpected wave of grief, a trigger, had grabbed
me … again.
There are no words that can heal. But listening to the bereaved helps, as do warm hugs. With a significant loss (loss of
a child or spouse usually top the list of most painful/traumatic),
the bottom suddenly drops out of life; what was normal disappears; nothing is the same, including the bereaved. I have assisted literally hundreds of people in grief, and though grief is
unique to each one, similarities abound … gut-wrenching pain
being a common denominator and feeling alone being another.
To hear the “On Point” program, go to http://onpoint.wbur.
org/2015/01/02/grief-mourning-tom-ashbrook-family
Mary Friedel-Hunt MA LCSW is a psychotherapist, thanotologist
and certified bereavement counselor. Bentley is a registered therapy dog. Mary sees clients in Spring Green and can be reached
at [email protected]; P.O. Box 1036, Spring Green, WI
53588; or www.PersonalGrowthandGriefSupportCenter.com.
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Standing Community Events & Services
Sundays Mazomanie
Shenanigans Knitting Group, 3-5 p.m. Bring
your own project and enjoy the company of
other knitters while you sip tea or coffee.
Donations accepted, no registration needed,
just drop in. 25 Brodhead St., (608) 301-5080,
http://shenanigans4u.com.
Mondays Spring Green
Al Anon/ACOA Meetings, 7:30 p.m., Cornerstone Church basement, 210 Lexington St.,
(608) 935-5900.
2nd Monday Dodgeville
Gilda’s Club Cancer Support Group, 6 p.m.
A representative from the well-known Gilda’s
Club will be available to provide support and
information to people facing the challenges of
cancer. Upland Hills Health, 800 Compassion
Way, (608) 930-8000, http://uplandhillshealth.
org.
2nd Monday Spring Green
Bloomin’ Buddies Garden Club, 7 p.m.
Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., (608) 588-2276, www.springgreenlibrary.org. No dues required, all are welcome.
3rd Monday Richland Center
Autism Support Group, 7-8:30 p.m. Country
Kitchen/White House, (608) 588-2585, www.
angelautismnetwork.org.
Tuesdays Muscoda
Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings, 8 p.m.,
west door at St. John’s School, 116 W. Beech
St., (608) 929-4970.
Tuesdays Spring Green
Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings, 10 a.m.,
Christ Lutheran Church conference room, 237
E. Daley St.
1st Tuesday Dodgeville
Caregivers Support Group, 10:30 a.m.noon, facilitated by Joan Pape (608-437-7500)
& Rita Stanton, RN (608-437-6959). Iowa
County Health & Human Services, 303 W.
Chapel St. All caregivers welcome. Free.
1st Tuesday Richland Center
Pioneers monthly meeting of gay, lesbian,
transgender social group, 7 p.m. Open to
anyone in southwestern Wisconsin. For more
information and location, contact (608) 6271902 or [email protected].
1st Tuesday Sauk City
Sauk City Writing Circle, 6:30-8:30 p.m. A
place for writers of all genres and skill levels
to gather together to listen and critique one
another’s work in a safe environment. Members
should be willing to commit to improving their
work while helping others improve as well.
Sauk City Public Library, 515 Water St., 608643-8346, www.saukcitylibrary.org.
2nd Tuesday Dodgeville
Grief Support Group, 5:30 p.m. If you are
grieving the loss of a loved one, you are
welcome to attend this monthly support
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For more events information, see pp. 1013 and voiceoftherivervalley.com/events.
To submit events, e-mail
[email protected]
All events subject to change.
group facilitated by a certified social worker.
Center Cafe Conference Room, Upland
Hills Health, 800 Compassion Way, http://
uplandhillshealth.org. For more information,
contact Diana at (608) 930-7136.
2nd/4th Tuesday Richland Center
Rolling Hills Toastmasters, previously Plain
Toastmasters, 7-9 p.m. Members are from
a variety of communities including Plain,
Richland Center and Spring Green. Richland
Hospital, Pippin 3, 333 E. 2nd St. For more
information, contact [email protected].
3rd Tuesday Plain
Plain Page Turners Book Club, 7:30 p.m.
Upcoming selections include “The Reef” by
Nora Roberts on Feb. 17. Kraemer Library &
Community Center, 910 Main St., (608) 5464201, www.scls.lib.wi.us/pla.
3rd Tuesday Platteville
Southwest Wisconsin Photography
Club, 7 p.m. Join local photographers to
share photos and thoughts on photography.
Free to join and open to all skill levels.
UW-Platteville Art Building, Room 109. For
more information, contact Michael Smith at
[email protected].
4th Tuesday Mineral Point
Mineral Point Book Club, 7 -8:30 p.m.
Lower level of Trinity Episcopal Church
(enter door on lower level), 403 High St.
Refreshments served. All are welcome. For
more information, call Ann Bachner at (608)
935-5541.
2nd Wednesday Dodgeville
Heart Building 101, 10 a.m. A supportive
group for anyone with heart problems and
their families. Heart, Lung & Sleep Center, Upland Hills Health, 800 Compassion Way, (608)
930-7160, http://uplandhillshealth.org.
3rd Wednesday Dodgeville
Dodgeville Public Library Book Club, 6:30
p.m. February’s title is “The Boys in the Boat:
Nine Americans and Their Quest for Gold at
the 1936 Berlin Olympics” by Daniel James
Brown. 139 S. Iowa St., (608) 935-3728.
3rd Wednesday Spring Green
Phone Photo Club, 6 p.m. Interested in
phone photography? A new group is starting
to explore this medium. Spring Green General
Store, 137 S. Albany St. For more information,
call Wayne Farra at (608) 588-5562.
Thursdays Mineral Point
Gray Dog Deli Knitting Group, 7-9 p.m. 215
High St., (608) 987-4000, www.graydogdeli.
com.
Thursdays Mineral Point
The Pear & Salvage Home Knitting Group,
7-9 p.m. 12 Fountain St., (608) 987-2902,
www.thepearonline.com.
Thursdays Richland Center
Al-Anon support group for family and friends
of alcoholics, 12 p.m., Peace United Methodist
Church, 265 N. Church St., use Union St.
entrance.
Thursdays Richland Center
Miracles Study Group, 5 p.m. Brewer
Public Library, 325 N. Central Ave. For more
information, contact Bill at [email protected].
Thursdays Spring Green
“Stitch and Bitch,” 3:30-5:30 p.m. knitting
and fellowship at the round table. Spring
Green General Store, 137 S. Albany St., (608)
588-7070, www.springgreengeneralstore.com.
Thursdays Spring Green
Nina’s Knitting Group, 6-8 p.m. Nina’s
Department & Variety Store, 143 E. Jefferson
St., (608) 588-2366.
3rd Thursday Dodgeville
Third Thursday Film Group, 1 p.m. Join
the group for tea, conversation and Woody
Allen’s latest magical film about the moonlight.
Dodgeville Public Library, 139 S. Iowa St.,
(608) 935-3728, www.dodgevillelibrary.com.
Free, drop-ins welcome.
3rd Thursday Spring Green
Thank-you Note Thursdays, 6:30-7:45 p.m.
This is an experiment. Write a note. Mail it.
See what happens. All ages welcome. Free.
Arcadia Books, 102 E. Jefferson St., For more
information, call Pat at (608) 924-9234. Fridays Spring Green
Alcoholics Anonymous, 6:30 p.m. “Twelve
Steps and Twelve Traditions.” Christ Lutheran
Church, 237 East Daley St.
3rd Saturday Madison
Ancient Earthworks Society of Wisconsin,
10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Help preserve, research,
document, protect and honor Wisconsin’s
prehistoric earthworks and associated
landscapes. Optional lunch available for
purchase following presentation. Elie’s Family
Restaurant Banquet Room, 4102 Monona Dr.
(608) 223-2040, www.ancientearthworks.org.
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Pedagogy Stew
S
ometimes when I tell people I’m a college professor they
tell me they still have anxiety dreams about final exams —
they’re late, they don’t know where the room is, or they totally forgot all semester that they had the class, and now they’re
staring at the exam, utterly clueless.
I haven’t had that dream for a long time. I now have the professor version — I’m walking into a class I was supposed to be
teaching but somehow forgot about, and I’m
trying to make up the final exam on the fly.
This past December I had a final exam
experience (in real life, not the dream world)
that I’ve never had before. I got to pretend
to be a squirrelly elementary school student
(which is not really a big stretch for me).
Gail Hoffman, who teaches in the Health
& Education Science Department at UW-Rich- Marnie
Dresser
land, needed help with the final exam for HES
211, Physical Education for Elementary Schools.
All semester the students had been practicing on each other, but Gail
felt like they needed a challenge for the final. When she put out the
call for volunteers, several of us gave our enthusiastic consent.
The course description lists “the development of curriculum,
including lesson and unit plans, and peer teaching assignments”
as well as “15 hours field experience involving the observation
of local elementary school Physical Education.” Based on what I
saw, the students had a strong semester.
We volunteers practiced various squirrelly behaviors,
including wandering off, not following directions, arguing with
our classmates, and asking off-topic questions.
When the student-teacher who had showed us some different
dance moves asked us if we had any questions, I raised my hand
and said, “One time when I was outside dancing I stepped in dog
poop.” One of my colleagues said, loudly, “She said poop!” The
student-teacher came over to me, squatted down (I was sitting
on the floor), made good eye contact and said, “Oh, I’m sorry to
hear that. That must have been upsetting.” And then almost immediately said, “Do you need to take your shoes off?”
Good teacher instincts abounded here. She ignored the “She said
poop!” outburst completely, made me feel attended to, and in what I
thought was a genius move, checked to see if the dog-poop incident
was recent enough to cause problems on the gym floor. I said, “Oh no,
it was last summer.” She could have said something to make it clear
that I was acting inappropriately and should just be quiet if I didn’t
have a relevant question, but Jessica probably would have kept saying
“she said poop!” if that had happened, and who knows what my squirrelly instinct would have been at that point, all of which would have
taken more time to deal with than her gracious attention.
The pretend-students got so good at being disruptive that
Gail had to ask us to reign it in a little. But the student-teachers
shined the whole time, regardless of what we threw at them.
Marnie Dresser is a poet, creativity researcher and English
professor at the University of Wisconsin-Richland. She lives in
Spring Green with her husband and son. More of her reflections
on teaching theory and teaching reality can be found at
voiceoftherivervalley.com/archives.
9
Voice of the River Valley Calendar Listings
Ongoing
appreciated. Folklore Village, 3210 Cty. Hwy BB,
(608) 924-4000, http://folklorevillage.com.
Through February Spring Green
“Meet the Maker” art exhibit: Jean G. Langer’s
Photographic Series “Landscape Notes.”
Mon. & Wed. 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Tues. & Thurs.
12:30-7 p.m.; Fri. 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Sat. 9 a.m.12:30 p.m. Community Room, Spring Green
Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., (608)
588-2276, springgreenlibrary.org.
2 Spring Green
“Groundhog Day,” 7 p.m. The Spring Green Area
Arts Coalition presents the 1993 film starring Bill
Murray, Andie MacDowell and Chris Elliott about
a TV weatherman in Pittsburgh who is assigned
to cover the annual groundhog event in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, and becomes trapped in
a time warp whereby each day is the same, and
the first day didn’t start out well. Admission is free;
donations accepted to support arts and cultural
programs in the River Valley. The Gard Theater, 111
E. Jefferson St., www.springgreenarts.org.
To Feb. 14 Sauk City
Eagle Watching Bus Tours. Tours run from
Cedarberry Inn, 855 Phillips Blvd. and Highway
12. 10 a.m. $5 per person, kids under 5 free. For
reservations, call (800) 683-2453. For more information, see www.ferrybluffeaglecouncil.org.
To March 1 Prairie du Sac
2nd Annual River Arts Community Photo
Contest Exhibit featuring photography by 18
winners. 8 a.m.-8 p.m. on school days. Free and
open to the public. River Arts Center Lobby, 105
9th St., (608) 643-5215, www.riverartsinc.org.
Through May 2015 Prairie du Sac
“River ~ Dam ~ Lake: 100 Years of Transformation” exhibit, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Tuesday,
9 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday-Saturday, by chance or
appointment. Tripp Heritage Museum, 565 Water
St., (608)-644-8444, www.saukprairiehistory.org.
FEBRUARY
2 Arena
Mostly Mondays Poetry Society, 7 p.m. Listen,
read, sing, play your own work or favorites by other
authors at this “mostly” first Monday of the month
gathering. All welcome to enjoy the free open-mic
format. For more information, contact Pat at (608)
924-9234. The Shoppe at Herbs Spices & More,
7352 U.S. Hwy 14, (608) 753-9000.
2 Dodgeville
Folklore Village Open Mic, 7-9 p.m. Musicians,
poets, audience members of all ages, accomplished or aspiring, are welcome to this friendly,
supportive monthly event. Mike Wolkomir, MC;
Scott Stieber, sound. Piano, coffee and tea provided. Feel free to bring a treat to share. Donations
3 Richland Center
Keep on Rockin’ in the Free World: A Live Music
Life in America, 2000-2015, 7 p.m. A special
lecture event combining stories from concerts, festivals, basements and studios with the social, cultural
and political history of the last 15 years. Park Hotel
Apartments, 213 S. Central Ave.
4 Dodgeville
Dodgeville Area Chamber of Commerce Open
House, 5-7 p.m. Meet new Chamber Executive Director Lynn Price, chat with the Board of Directors,
and enjoy the newly remodeled interior. Beverages,
light snacks, and mini-chamber tours. 338 N. Iowa
St., (608) 935-5993, www.dodgeville.com.
4 Dodgeville
Uplands Garden Club Monthly Meeting with
guest speaker Stanley A. Temple, 7 p.m. The
UW-Madison Beers-Bascom Professor Emeritus in
Conservation and Aldo Leopold Foundation Senior
Fellow, Temple will share “The Passenger Pigeon’s
Extinction: Lessons from the Past for a Sustainable
Future.” Stonefield Apartments, 407 E. Madison,
(608) 935-9441.
4-7 Mineral Point
Paint the Point: Winter Edition. Following the success of the inaugural Paint the Point plein air painting competition in August 2014, artists from several
states will return to capture scenes of Mineral Point
en plein air in an invitational competition composed
of 20 artists who participated in the 2014 event.
Nearly $2,000 in prizes will be awarded. Completed
paintings with be exhibited and sold in a silent
auction format Feb. 7. A portion of the proceeds
Shop
Spring Green
Art, Books, Clothing,
Eateries, Jewelry,
Music, Organics, Wine
www.springgreen.com
10
FEBRUARY 2015
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For more events information, see the
community events & services listings on
p. 7 and voiceoftherivervalley.com/events.
To submit events, e-mail
[email protected]
All events subject to change.
benefits Arts Mineral Point, www.artsmp.org.
5 Mineral Point
Paint the Point Kickoff. Special dinner menu
5-9 p.m., live music by Monica and Aaron Dunn,
8-10:30 p.m. Gray Dog Deli, 215 High St., (608)
987-4000, graydogdeli.com.
6 Mineral Point
Live Music: Back 40 Band, 8:30 p.m. Gray Dog
Deli, 215 High St., (608) 987-4000, graydogdeli.
com.
6 Sauk City
Live Music: Dueling Pianos at the Dorf Haus,
a River Arts Inc. Fundraiser, 7-10 p.m. The
Chicago Keys, a quartet of all working pianist/
vocalists, headline a night of live music where you
can request your own songs, bid on silent auction
packages, and take photos in the original Traveling Photo Booth. Drinks and appetizers available
for purchase. $20 tickets available at River Arts on
Water Gallery, 590 Water St., Prairie du Sac; by
phone at (608) 643-5215; or at www.riverartsinc.
org. Dorf Haus Supper Club, 8931 Cty. Rd. Y, (608)
643-3980.
6 Spring Green
Made in the Valley Market, 5-8 p.m. An indoor
monthly market featuring locally handcrafted food
and non-food goods. Spring Green General Store,
137 S. Albany St., (608) 588-7070. www.springgreengeneralstore.com.
6 Spring Green
Stories of Beyond, 6-8 p.m. Cecilia Farran’s onewoman performance of music, poetry and story to
take you beyond. Free-will donation. 43/90 North
Earth, Albany Street Courtyard. For more information or to RSVP (much appreciated so there are
enough chairs), call (608) 588-3313.
6 Spring Green
River Valley Players Annual Meeting, 7 p.m.
Socialize with those who love community theater
and enjoy a review of 2014 and a look forward
to 2015. New ideas and new people are always
welcome. The Shed, 123 N. Lexington St.
7 Baraboo
Mirror Lake Candlelight Ski/Hike/Snowshoe,
6-8 p.m. Ski, walk or snowshoe two easy, 1-mile
candlelit trails starting at the beach area. Complimentary hot beverages available from the Friends
of Mirror Lake can be enjoyed around a roaring
bonfire. 2015 Wisconsin State Park sticker is
required and can be purchased at the park office.
Mirror Lake State Park, E10320 Fern Dell Rd.,
(608) 524-2333, http://Friendsofmirrorlake.org.
7 Dodgeville
Whole Farm Planning Workshop, 8:30 a.m.-2:30
p.m. Landowners can learn about the concept of a
whole farm plan to assess natural resources and
production capacity. $15 per person, $10 for second
person from the same household. Iowa County
Health and Human Services Building, 303 W. Chapel St., http://www.swbadger.org.
7 Dodgeville
Healthy Hoe-Down sponsored by Mt. Horeb’s
Trillium Natural Foods Co-op, 6:30 p.m. potluck,
live music with a “mystery” caller follows. $7
adults, $5 seniors/teens, $4 kids, kids under 5 free.
Folklore Village, 3210 Cty Rd. BB, (608) 924-4000,
http://folklorevillage.com.
7 Mineral Point
Shake Rag Alley Valentine Sale/Fundraiser, 10
a.m.-3 p.m. Head for the warmth of the Cabinet
Shop and choose from hundreds of one-of-a-kind
valentines handmade by local artists in all styles,
price ranges and sentiments. Shake Rag Alley Center for the Arts, 18 Shake Rag St., (608) 987-3292,
www.shakeragalley.com.
7 Mineral Point
Paint the Point Winter Edition Auction &
Exhibition, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. View and purchase
select paintings created during the Feb. 4-7
Paint the Point Winter Edition invitational at
sponsoring galleries Longbranch Gallery, 203
Commerce St., and Wantoot Gallery, 236 High
St. A portion of the proceeds benefits Arts Mineral Point, www.artsmp.org.
the Emmy Award-winning actor and host of PBS’s
“Around the Corner with John McGivern,” who will
be on hand for the Spring Green episode premiere.
Free and open to the public. The Gard Theater, 111
E. Jefferson St.
7 Spring Green
Valentine Tea and Cardmaking, 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
Learn how to transform ordinary items into one-of-akind cards. Traditional tea, punch and sweets will
be served. This event is for ages 10 and up. A small
fee and pre-registration is required. Spring Green
Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., (608) 5882276, www.springgreenlibrary.org.
9 Spring Green
APT’s Winter Words Play-Reading Series: Sarah
Ruhl’s “Eurydice,” 7 p.m. $15. American Players
Theatre’s Touchstone Theatre, (608) 588-2361,
americanplayers.org, brownpapertickets.com. See
story, p. 5.
7 Spring Green
Live Music: John Duggleby & Dave Hopper,
2-4 p.m. Spring Green General Store, 137 S.
Albany St., (608) 588-7070, www.springgreengeneralstore.com.
8 Avoca
35th Annual Avoca & Rural Fire Department
Fisheree Fundraiser. Ice fishing on Avoca Lake 7
a.m.- 2 p.m. and festivities at the Avoca Community
Building, 401 Wisconsin St., including door prizes,
bake sale, euchre tournament, food stand, auction
and more.
8 Spring Green
Author Talk: Nicholas Butler, 1 p.m. Butler
launches the paperback release of his critically
acclaimed novel “Shotgun Lovesongs.” Arcadia
Books, 102 E. Jefferson St., (608) 588-7638, www.
readinutopia.com.
8 Spring Green
Live Music: Acoustic Jam, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Come
to play, come to listen. Spring Green General Store,
137 S. Albany St., (608) 588-7070, www.springgreengeneralstore.com.
8 Spring Green
Meet the Maker Artist Reception with Jean G.
Langer, 2-4 p.m. Meet February’s featured “Meet
the Maker” artist at a mid-show reception presenting new landscape works taken in the Spring Green
area. Meet Jean, view the works and experience
a visual interpretation of the Driftless Area. Spring
Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., (608)
588-2276, springgreenlibrary.org.
8 Spring Green
Free Premiere of “Around the Corner with
John McGivern” in Spring Green, 3 p.m. Meet
10 Mazomanie
It’s a Crime! Book Club, 7 p.m. This month’s
selection is “Dying on the Vine” by Aaron J. Elkins.
Mazomanie Free Library, 102 Brodhead St., (608)
795-2104, http://www.scls.lib.wi.us.
10 Richland Center
UW-Richland Creativity Workshop, 9-11 a.m.
Join UW-Richland professor, creativity researcher
and Voice of the River Valley columnist Marnie
Dresser (see p. 9) to learn how to measure and
increase creativity with methods you can use immediately to enhance success. $30. To register contact
UW-Richland Continuing Education at rlnce@uwc.
edu or (608) 647-6186, ext. 227. UW-Richland,
1200 Hwy. 14 W.
12 Prairie du Sac
River Arts Community Photo Contest Exhibit
Opening Reception, 3:30-6 p.m. Free public reception celebrating the opening of River Arts Inc.’s
second annual Sauk Prairie photo contest exhibit
featuring photography by 18 winners. River Arts
Center Lobby, 105 9th St., (608) 643-5215, www.
riverartsinc.org.
12 Spring Green
Psychic Readings, 5:30-8 p.m. Call Robin
Fitzsimmons at (608) 574-3201 to schedule an
angel-card reading and Melanie France at (608)
235-7778 to schedule Rider Waite Tarot Cards,
crystal skulls or numerology. 43/90 North Earth,
Albany Street Courtyard, (608) 588-3313.
13 Mineral Point
Live Music: Better Daze, 8:30 p.m. Gray Dog Deli,
215 High St., (608) 987-4000, graydogdeli.com.
13 Dodgeville
Iowa County Astronomers Monthly Meeting,
7 p.m. Free and open to all astronomy enthuContinued p. 12
11
Calendar Continued from p. 11
siasts — the only requirement is the ability to
look up and say “wow!” Stargazing at Bethel
Horizons following the meeting if skies are clear.
Quality Liquid Feeds, 3586 Hwy. 23 N., http://
icastro.org. See column, p. 18.
14 Mineral Point
Valentine’s Dinner, 5-9 p.m. A Gray Dog white
tablecloth event featuring music by Jen Logueflower
and friends. Gray Dog Deli, 215 High St., (608) 9874000, graydogdeli.com.
14 Spring Green
Valentine’s Day Tea Party, 4-6 p.m. Traditional
English-style afternoon teas with tea sandwiches, scones and sweet Valentine’s treats. Door
prizes. $20 reservation. Bird of Paradise Tea/
No Rules Gallery, 120 S. Albany St., (608) 5887509, gallerytea.com.
14-15 North Freedom
40th Annual Mid-Continent Railway Snow Train.
Travel through the Winter Wonderland of scenic
Sauk County on the 40th annual Snow Train. All
cars are kept comfortably warm using the over
century-old tradition of steam heating or coal-fired
stoves. For train schedules, services and fares,
see http://www.midcontinent.org/ride/snow.html or
call (608) 522-4261. Mid-Continent Railway, E8948
Museum Rd.
14-15 Spring Green
Enos Farms Valentine’s Day Dinner at the
Spring Green General Store, 5:30-7 p.m. Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a special evening menu
by Enos Farms. Spring Green General Store, 137
S. Albany St.,
(608) 588-7070, www.springgreengeneralstore.com. Call for menu and prices.
15 Mineral Point
Mineral Point Municipal Building Centennial
Celebration, 1:30-4 p.m. Celebrate the centennial of the Mineral Point Municipal Building, which
includes the Mineral Point Opera House, Mineral
Point Library and City Hall, at an afternoon of
presentations, films and a re-dedication. 1:30-4
p.m. Mineral Point Municipal Building, 137 High St.,
(608) 987-2447, [email protected]. See
story, p. 13.
15 Spring Green
Plays Out Loud: “Private Lives” by Noel Coward, 2 p.m. The Spring Green Literary Festival
sponsors the second of five readings from American Players Theatre’s 2015 season. Free scripts
available at the door on the day of the event or
playbooks for sale at Arcadia Books. Playbooks
also available at the Spring Green Community
Library with a South Central library card. Choose
the part you want to read, wait to be assigned or
come and just listen. Upstairs at The Shed, 123
N. Lexington. See story, p. 5.
18 Spring Green
Table Play Reading: Play Title Pending, 7 p.m.
Enjoy an Asian meal at 5:30 or 6 p.m. at Arcadia
Books (reservations can be made by calling (608)
588-7638), and then a free play reading with some
of your favorite local actors starting at 7 p.m. at the
Gard Theater, 111 E. Jefferson St. Presented in part
with a grant from the Spring Green Area Arts Coalition. See story, p. 5.
20 Mineral Point
Live Music: Open Mic, 8:30 p.m. Gray Dog Deli,
215 High St., (608) 987-4000, graydogdeli.com.
20 Prairie du Sac
Live Music: The Cat’s Pajamas, 7 p.m. Five-man
a cappella group performing pop classics from the
’50s, ’60s and ’70s as well as contemporary hits
by artists like Jason Mraz and Michael Buble, all
in their innovative style. $20 adult, $18 senior, $7
student. River Arts Center, 105 9th St., (608) 6435215, www.riverartsinc.org.
20 Spring Green
Live Music: Karaoke, 9 p.m. The Shed, 123 N.
Lexington St., (608) 588-9049, shedspringgreen.
com.
21 Baraboo
Wisconsin AACTFest hosted by the Baraboo
Theatre Guild. The Wisconsin Association of Community Theater brings community theaters from
around the state to perform one-hour selections of
plays for the public and earn the chance to advance
to a regional and national competition. Performances are throughout the day broken down into two
show sessions. Each session is $10 and proceeds
go to WACT to support the festival. Al. Ringling Theatre, 136 4th Ave., [email protected].
21, 28 Richland Center
Women’s Beekeeping Workshop, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Feb. 21 and 28. Designed for women who have a
passion for their natural environment and a desire
to learn about the plight of the honey bee and
beekeeping. Hands-on learning, open conversation
and the opportunity to explore the life of a honey
bee as well as order beekeeping equipment and
honey bees. UW-Richland, 1200 Hwy. 14 W. $100
early registration by Feb. 12; class size is limited. To
register, call Sue at (608) 604-9005. http://zzhoneyfarm.com.
21 Spring Green
Live Music: Wade Pronschinske, 2-4 p.m. Spring
Green General Store, 137 S. Albany St., (608) 5887070, www.springgreengeneralstore.com.
21 Spring Green
Jazz at Wyoming Valley School Cultural Arts
Center, Live from Lincoln Center: New Orleans
Songbook, doors at 6:30 p.m., music at 7 p.m.
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton
Marsalis explores the New Orleans Songbook. Free
musical simulcast (donations welcome to support
the nonprofit center) and $12 family-style Cajun
dinner by Chef Jacki Singleton of the Kitchen at
Arcadia Books. BYOB. Wyoming Valley School
Cultural Arts Center, 6306 Hwy. 23, (608) 588-2544,
wyomingvalleyschool.blogspot.com.
22 Richland Center
Live Music: Pro Arte String Quartet, 2 p.m. The
Richland Concert Association presents the Pro Arte
String Quartet in the fourth concert of the 201415 series. $15 adults, $5 students, UW-Richland
students with ID admitted free. Town & Country
Presbyterian Church, 345 S. Cairns Ave., (608)
Winter Activities
Ice skating
Baraboo
Langer Park Outdoor Ice Rink and Warming
House; 501 Remington St.; maintained by
Baraboo Parks & Recreation. Open skate
1-5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays weather
permitting; bring your own skates.
Pierce Park Pavilion, 1100 Walnut St.;
maintained by Baraboo Parks & Recreation.
Open skate 6-9 p.m. Sundays weather permitting.
$2 per person (5 and under admitted free);
10-session punch cards $25; family season
passes (up to 6 skaters) $60; $3 skate rental.
Weber Park Outdoor Ice Rink, 700
Grove St.; maintained by Baraboo Parks &
Recreation. 1-5 p.m. Saturday and Sundays
weather permitting; bring your own skates.
12
Dodgeville
Ley Pavilion, Harris Park, 600 Bennett
Rd. and Highway 18; sponsored by the
Ice Wolves Youth Hockey Association and
the City of Dodgeville, www.iwyha.com.
Open skate 6-9 p.m. Feb. 20; 6-9 p.m.
Saturdays through March 7; and 2:30-5:30
p.m. Sundays through March 8. Affordable
admission and skate rental available. Kids 4
and under and parents not skating admitted
free.
Prairie du Sac
Sauk Prairie Ice Rink, 1700 Tower St. Open
skate 4-5:45 p.m. Feb. 18, 22 and March 18.
Free to Sauk Prairie Youth Hockey Association
members, $5 non-members; season passes
$50 for a single pass, $100 for family pass; $4
skate rental.
Skiing & Snowboarding
Mt. Horeb
Tyrol Basin, 3487 Bohn Rd.
Through March 8 10 a.m.-9 p.m. MondayFriday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. For
rates and information, call (608) 437-4135 or
see http://tyrolbasin.com.
Snow Shoeing/Cross-Country Skiing
Baraboo
Devil’s Lake State Park, S5975 Park Rd.;
Mirror Lake State Park, E10320 Fern Dell Rd.
Blue Mounds
Blue Mound State Park, 4350 Mounds Park Rd.
Dodgeville
Governor Dodge State Park, 4175 State
Highway 23 N.
Calendar Continued from p. 12
647-3977, richlandconcertassociation.org.
23 Spring Green
APT’s Winter Words Play-Reading Series:
Lolita Chakrabarti’s “Red Velvet,” 7 p.m.
$15. American Players Theatre’s Touchstone
Theatre, (608) 588-2361, americanplayers.org,
brownpapertickets.com. See story, p. 5.
27 Dodgeville
Live Music: Beverly Smith & John Grimm,
7 p.m. doors, 7:30 p.m. concert. An intimate
concert of country uets and both raucous and
haunting fiddle and banjo tunes by one of the
most respected guitar players of old-time music
today. $15 general admission. Folklore Village,
3210 Cty Rd. BB, (608) 924-4000, http://folklorevillage.com.
27 Mineral Point
Live Music: Driftless Beggars, 8:30 p.m.
Gray Dog Deli, 215 High St., (608) 987-4000,
graydogdeli.com.
28 Spring Green
21st Annual Paul Bentzen Day, 1-6 p.m.
An annual mid-winter bash to celebrate the
birth of APT’s Paul Bentzen, local musician,
actor, humorist and culinary artist. Featuring
bluegrass music, microbrews, and Paul’s
own jambalaya served noon until it’s gone.
Blue Grass Jam, 1-4 p.m., Old Tin Can String
Band, 4-6 p.m. Spring Green General Store,
137 S. Albany St., (608) 588-7070, www.
springgreengeneralstore.com.
Join Mineral Point’s Centennial Celebration
Press Release
MINERAL POINT—Mineral Point is getting ready for a party: The Mineral Point
Municipal Building dedicated in 1915 is
turning 100 this month. The new Mineral
Point City offices, the recently beautifully
updated Mineral Point Public Library and
the ever-dazzling Mineral Point Opera
House all are housed in the distinguished
“city block” building on High Street.
At 1 p.m. Feb. 15, supporters will come together on the Opera House stage to commemorate this 100-year milestone and celebrate those
who have played a part in stewarding the building through the years. The public is invited to
enjoy the event and help to toast to the next
100 years for this historic community building.
The building itself has stories to tell, as do
our community members who have spent time
working in the City Offices in the Mineral Point
City Hall; have served our literary community
in the library; and have cared for the Opera
House and its storied stage over the years.
The afternoon will begin on the theater
stage with slides and presentations from the
City Hall, the library and the Opera House.
The celebration will continue as adjoining
doors will all be opened and food and drink
IF YOU GO
Mineral Point Municipal Building
Centennial Celebration, 1 p.m.
Feb. 15 at the Mineral Point Opera
House, 139 High St.
Free admission, all welcome.
from local businesses will be available
throughout the theater, library and City Hall. “Save the Date” postcards around
Mineral Point have been announcing the
celebration. The postcards have space on
the back for those who would like to share
their personal history or memories of the
building or experiences at the library, Opera House or City Hall. It’s also possible to
e-mail thoughts or memories to [email protected]. Submissions will be
posted the day of the event for all to see.
Additionally, a special film is being
made of the history of the Opera House by
the notable local film duo of Tony Wood
and Claudia Looze. A special “preview” of
the film will be shown at the Feb. 15, 2015
event, with an extended release of the film
planned later in 2015.
13
Gardener’s Delight, Gardener’s Dilemma
I
t’s February, and I’m thinking about light. It has a particular quality during this stretch of months when the days are
getting longer but the shady canopy of summer leaves is a
far-off dream. Though it may be stark, the winter light brings
delightful views of forest floors and rock
outcroppings, as well as clearer lines of sight to
distant horizons.
For gardeners, this revealing light can be
instructive. Without green leaves to obscure
our view of the earth, we can make an honest
appraisal of ground-level conditions. Latent but
burgeoning weed patches, bare areas in need of
mulch, misshapen edges, crowded plant spacHeidi
ings … with all of this time to observe, it’s easy
Schmalz
to generate ambitious to-do lists for spring.
Recent experience has disclosed another facet of winter
light. I had the fortune of moving to the area last year at the end
of winter, when the illumination of the lawn in our backyard was
at its fullest. I was entranced. In my bedazzled state, all I could
see were our future garden beds, spanning the width of the yard,
maximizing all of that solar potential.
Sure, there were some trees along the edges, but my plans
for converting lawn to vegetable garden trumped any suggestion
of waiting to see where the shade would fall. By mid-April the
beds were staked out and I proceeded with zeal and determination, to establish what I thought of as permanent beds.
14
It was the first opportunity in my adult life to have a garden
with any promise of permanence. I had started many gardens in
previous locations, but they were always disappointingly small
and inevitably temporary. In this new space, the lure of illumination blinded me to realities of shade. When I finally slowed
down, I realized my folly: Half of the beds were too shaded for
intensive vegetable production. We reaped a decent harvest, but
the hard-earned conversion of sod to garden bed is not over.
Walking among the beds now, I’m still proud of their design,
which was thoughtfully crafted to account for slope, sun angle,
accessibility and geometric aesthetics. But now I understand that
this site has an inherently different design that I must discover and
follow — one that takes into account the stately row of spruces that
shade the garden until mid-morning and the handsome mature ash
that casts the garden in late-afternoon shadow.
For those gardeners prone to the rapture of winter light, I
offer this advice: Give yourself over to the winter-time pleasure
of dreaming your gardens into existence, and then wait. Wait
until June to start cutting sod. Even then, be prepared to heed
the shadows.
Heidi Schmalz grew up in Oshkosh and now lives and gardens
in Mineral Point, where she works at Sandstone Nursery and
Shooting Star Farm. She studied soil science and earned an
M.S. from the University of Idaho and has worked in Idaho as a
wilderness ranger and in Oregon as a field botanist.
SGAAC Grants Deadline
Press Release
SPRING GREEN—The Spring Green Area Arts
Coalition will be awarding $10,000 in grants
to area artists, arts organizations and groups
involved in art or cultural endeavors in the River
Valley.
All first drafts of applications are due by Feb.
20 to Barbara Morford, who will provide technical
assistance and feedback to each applicant by Feb.
27. Final applications must be submitted by March
6. After peer review, recipients of grants will be
announced on March 31.
Two types of grants are available: Creative
Community Grants for no less than $500 and no
more than $5,000, and the Artistic Development
Grant, for an individual’s artistic development.
Grants are funded by a grant from the Wisconsin
Arts Board, which is matched with funds raised
in the community.
For applications and more information, visit
springgreenarts.org or contact Terry Kerr at (608)
588-4330. For technical assistance, call Barbara
Morford at (608) 544-2695. Applications should
be mailed to SGAAC Grant Program, P.O. Box
700, Spring Green, WI 53588.
Sauk Co. Calls Encore! for Earth Day Art
Press Release
BARABOO—The Sauk County Art
Association invites people of all ages
to make a creation from discarded
materials in preparation for the April
26 ENCORE!! Art Show to be held at
the Sauk County Earth Day celebration at UW-Baraboo/Sauk County.
“Winter is when many people
clean out closets, basements and junk
drawers. Could some of the discards
become something funny, beautiful,
weird, or just oddly wonderful, instead of just being put into the trash?”
asked Judy Spring, show coordinator.
Begun in 2009 as a way to connect
the visual arts with Earth Day, all
show entries must contain at least 75
percent discarded, reused or recycled
materials. This year there will be six
award categories with cash prizes.
“We have two innovative categories this year: Best Entry Collaboration by one adult plus another person
of any age to vie for a $50 prize, and
Best School Art Project by four young
people attending the same school
competing for a $250 prize to be
awarded to the school’s art program,”
said Spring. Other award categories
include Most Innovative Use of Materials (adult level, $50 prize); Best Interpretation of the Earth Day Theme
— Water (adult level, $50 prize); Best
Individual Youth Entry (under age 18,
any theme, $25 prize); and Best Individual Youth Entry — Water Theme
(under age 18, $25 prize.) All artists
may price and sell their entries at the
event for no commission fee.
Entry applications and fees
must be submitted by 5 p.m. April
17. Guidelines and application forms
can be found at www.wi-scaa.org or
at the Sauk County Art Association
Gallery, 136 4th Ave. in Baraboo
11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday.
Proceeds from the entry fees will
help support the Sauk County Art
Association’s annual visual arts grant
to area schools.
For more information, contact
Judy Spring at (608) 356-7325 or
[email protected].
15
Driftless Terroir: Visions of Manmade Landscapes Bursting with Place Identity
Driftless Terroir is a series featuring guest voices celebrating the intersection of land and culture — the essence of life in the Driftless
Area — with topics including art and architecture, farming and gardening, cooking and eating, fermenting and drinking, and more. To
read past columns, see voiceoftherivervalley.com/archives. To contribute to Driftless Terroir, e-mail [email protected].
T
oday there is an ever increasing importance on “local.” Whether food, shopping or economy, it’s clearly
an important means to a more sustainable future. In
art, there is a genre that focuses on geographical rural landscapes called “regionalism.” Architecture has a counterpart:
“Vernacular architecture” focuses on utilizing materials and
designs built for the specific needs of a local area (think:
steep roofs in snow belts).
“Native landscaping” is the closest
term that applies similar principles to landscape plantings. The past decade has seen
an increase in popularity and use of native
plants. The movement deserves praise,
but “native landscaping” is often broadly
thought of as using plants that are typically native to a region, not a more specific
locale.
Cory
The Driftless Area is a unique ecoRitterbusch
type on a worldwide scale. Nowhere else in
the world do these soil types, plant preferences, relationship
with limestone, slope and even cultural influences combine
to define an area like they do here. Like the components that
constitute a fine wine, this unique set of features is “Driftless terroir.” When designing a Driftless landscape project,
historical information, terroir and the personality of the user
should be applied. Hard materials must also work in unison
with the plants to provide a local feel.
Like our eating habits and building designs, landscaping
across the United States has fallen to homogenization. Too
many homeowners are purchasing the same plants from big
box retailers and hardware store nurseries, often because
there is not another option. The geographic singularity that
is the Driftless presents an opportunity to showcase unique
plants and landscaping designs to rival desert xeriscaping.
Plants: Luckily, the Driftless is full of unique plants to
utilize. As a matter of fact, where small remnants of original prairie still exist here, two species of grass are typically
found. Luckily, they are very attractive across seasons:
little bluestem (Andropogon scoparius) and prairie dropseed
(Sporobolus heterolepis). Unless the site is wet or shady
these two grasses serve as wonderful foundation plants in
a landscape. Both these grasses have lasting beauty during the winter months, an under-emphasized characteristic
when choosing plants, especially when the dormant season
lasts half the year. These plants are utilized by all sorts of
wildlife and can even serve as snow fence during these long,
cold months.
Another Driftless classic is leadplant (Amorpha canescens), which is probably the only plant to derive its common
name locally. Early miners searched for the plant in their
quest to find lead. In the landscape, leadplant matures to a
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short-statured shrub, growing to 3 feet and offering a stunning violet raceme in June and July. During winter, when
other plants are snow covered, the rigid stance of leadplant
provides birds with perching habitat.
One plant that should not be planted but can still utilized, is the widespread Eastern red cedar tree (Juniperus
virginiana). Although beneficial in some situations, this
tree is generally considered an invasive species as it spreads
quickly on dry rocky slopes
Like our eating
and fence lines. During one
habits and building project, we were removhundreds of these trees
designs, landscaping ing
to encourage the growth
across the United
of native prairie. Since the
States has fallen to wood is rot resistant, smells
quite good and was free, we
homogenization.
decided to utilize some of
… The geographic
them to construct an arbor.
singularity that is
It has worked very well
the Driftless presand a native vine was even
ents an opportunity planted at the four bases.
uses for Red Cedar
to showcase unique Other
include: Christmas trees (as
plants and landscap- early settlers did), landscape
ing designs to rival timbers, greenery as decoration and submerging them
desert xeriscaping.
into farm ponds or lakes for
fish habitat. This is a perfect example of turning an invasive
tree that would otherwise require a high output of energy for
its elimination into a usable material. These are just a few
plant examples of the hundreds that can be used.
Hard Materials: Limestone, limestone, limestone. Many of
the oldest buildings in the Driftless are constructed of limestone. Why? It was plentiful and nearby. This is still true.
Homogenization has led to the increased use of brick pavers,
fieldstone and concrete. In most applications, limestone is a
more appropriate alternative — it ref lects the land, is easily
obtainable and provides a greater sense of place to the Driftless. Whether it’s a patio, sidewalk or path, landscape bed
accent, fire pit or when used on a building, limestone should
always be considered.
Mulch is another landscape material that is abundant
locally. Bagged mulch from hardware stores are from outside the region and usually dyed or contain preservatives.
Local tree care providers are usually happy to part with or
are already selling mulch as a byproduct of their practice.
Limestone, either gravel or crushed, can also be considered
for areas that would otherwise be mulched or hardscaped; it
mimics the rocky feel of the Driftless and exemplifies rural
grit. It won’t biodegrade like mulch and requires less maintenance and cost inputs than other options.
Courtesy of Cory Ritterbusch
Selecting a combination of native plant and stone species for our landscaping can connect our manmade landscape to the unique identity that
we cherish about the Driftless Area. Key Driftless foundation plants include little bluestem (top) and prairie dropseed (right) — native prairie
grasses that have lasting beauty during the winter months. Another classic species is leadplant (left), with its stunning violet inflorescence.
An individual site will determine exactly how these
principles are applied. An old farmhouse will have a different complementary design than a contemporary house, as
will a cabin in the woods versus an open hilltop situation.
There is no such thing as site constraints to a designer possessing knowledge of native plants and a bit of creativity.
We are lucky to live in this unique area; the land and
our lifestyles ref lect that. A blind eye should not be turned
to our manmade landscapes. Instead, they should support
and ref lect the history and the Driftless terroir that gives us
the identity that we cherish.
Cory Ritterbusch is a restoration ecologist, landscape designer and local historian. Since 2006, he has owned Prairie Works, a company specializing in the encouragement of
native plant communities. He lives in Shullsburg and can be
reached at [email protected]. For more information, see www.prairieworksinc.com.
17
Driftless Dark Skies: Starhopping with Orion
W
hen I was a student in the Netherlands, I biked
everywhere. I remember late one fall night struggling
against a head wind with kilometers yet to go and
being surprised to see Orion rising in the east. Maybe it was the
cold or being homesick or the nagging sense
of a wrong turn or one genever too many, but I
was happy to see a familiar shape to show the
way home. I soon learned the Dutch word for
constellation: sterrenbeeld, or “starry picture.”
The stars are strange and separated by cold
distances. We humans respond by connecting
the dots into familiar pictures and filling
the skies with our stories. Different cultures
John Heasley
have their own shapes and tales, yet most see
the stars of Orion as a human. According to
Professor Annette S. Lee of St. Cloud State University, the Ojibwe
of Wisconsin and Minnesota see these stars as Biboonkeonini
the Wintermaker. He is a skilled canoeist whose arms extend out
to Procyon and Aldebaran. A fitting constellation for those who
paddle the rivers of the Driftless Region.
Orion is familiar for many reasons. It’s visible in the
winter when the nights are longer and the skies are clearer. In
November, it’s rising in the east after sunset, but by February
Orion is high in the south as the sky darkens. It’s a bright
constellation with two 1st magnitude stars and five 2nd magnitude
stars. His shoulders are Betelgeuse and Bellatrix. His belt is
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Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka. His knees are Saiph and Rigel.
Half of the 25 brightest stars visible from Wisconsin are found
in or around Orion.
Orion is your guide for starhopping to some of the wonders
of the winter sky. Below Orion’s belt is his sword. Look at the
middle “star” with binoculars and you will see a fuzzy patch.
This is the Orion Nebula where interstellar dust is coming
together to form new stars. Follow the belt to the left to discover
Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. Follow the belt to the
right to two open clusters of young stars. First is the Hyades in
the shape of a V and then the Pleiades, which look like a little
dipper in binoculars. While you have your binoculars out, be
sure to enjoy the colors. Many of the stars in Orion are bluish,
but Betelgeuse (the left shoulder) is reddish orange.
Whether you see Orion the Hunter, Biboonkeonini the
Wintermaker or some starry picture all your own, enjoy
knowing the February sky. When photons have gone through all
the trouble of journeying decades and centuries, the least we can
do is to be there to welcome them when they arrive.
John Heasley is an astronomy educator and stargazer who
enjoys connecting people with the cosmos. He volunteers with
NASA/JPL as a Solar System Ambassador. For more information
about stargazing in southwestern Wisconsin, see Driftless
Stargazing LLC on Facebook, the Iowa County Astronomers
Facebook group and http://icastro.org.
ARTIST continued from p. 3
museums. Every Saturday I wandered
through the museum without the public,
guards … just me and their work. Every
Saturday. I felt at home.
“It’s only by default that I began to
accept ‘artist’ as description. Nothing else
seemed to fit. Everything I did looked like
I had done it, no matter what it was, and
then people began seeking me out to do
things for them just to have me do it.
“I quit my job of taking telephone
orders at Eddie Bauer, and began doing
anything and everything I could with my
art for money. I still didn’t use the word
‘artist.’ That’s a word I still hold sacred.
Never would I tell someone to be an
artist. If you are, it will surface and then
you just have to deal with it.
“Live artists came to the grade
school, and high school, but I never liked
them. I actually liked how it felt to be
around people who just made things,
like my dad, and his friend Fred Smith,
of Concrete Park in Phillips, Wisconsin,
and others who were so deeply involved
in making/creating that ‘art’ was never
brought up. I never saw them as artists,
just people busy with their visions.”
One day in 1986, Kelen headed from
Chicago to Wisconsin to enjoy a day at a
local county fair. By the end of the day, she
had an accepted offer on property in Spring
Green that would become her first art studio
in the area.
“I went to the fair, sank my hands
into sheep wool for the first time and
killed an afternoon driving the back roads
in Spring Green. I found I felt good here
and actually bought the property before
driving back,” she says.
Today, Kelen’s studio, which sits on
40 acres and has been featured on the
annual Fall Art Tour for some years, is a
testament to her tenacity. There are her
oil paintings of the Driftless Area landscapes around her. There are the chased
and repousséd “metal things” including
spoons and sardine tins with their raised
and lowered surfaces. There are the
woodprints, and the calligraphy, and the
drypoints she creates with her massive
etching press that commands attention
from its position in one room — when 7
Pound Betty, her feline companion, isn’t
demanding attention. There’s a playfulness to all of Kelen’s work that feels like a
Courtesy of Timm Zumm/Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway
help FLOW fix flo
Flo, the painted foam paddlefish created by Linda Kelen in 2009 in support of
Dave Erickson’s documentary “Rhythm of the River,” continues to be a featured attraction at events she travels to with Friends of the Lower Wisconsin
Riverway, or FLOW. Last month she was at Sauk Prairie Bald Eagle Watching Days, where she got some hands-on attention from some young friends,
pictured here. But at nearly 6 years old, Flo is showing some wear and tear,
and FLOW is inviting investments for a makeover. Donations in support of
Flo’s recovery can be made at http://wisconsinriverfriends.org via the PayPal
“Donate” button with a note indicating it is for Flo’s Makeover. Donations can
also be sent to FLOW, P.O. Box 614, Spring Green, WI 53588.
common denominator.
Asked how her craft has evolved over
time, Kelen says: “I think it’s just needing
something and then using what’s around
to make it. Hanging out in Dad’s garage
or his shop in the basement got me familiar with tools and machines, inventions
and printing presses. And then sitting at
the kitchen table carving soap with Dad,
when Mom thought I was in bed, was a
precursor of some things to come.”
Working in so many media keeps
Kelen “challenged and entertained,”
she says.
Take Flo, for example. When the
500-pound block of foam arrived at a storage unit that would serve as Kelen’s Flomaking studio for nearly a month, she had
never used a hot wire set before a friend in
North Caroline sent her his to borrow.
“I was in heaven,” she says of the
challenge of figuring it all out.
In addition to the annual Fall Art
Tour, which features select artists making
art in their studios, in December Kelen
participated in group show featuring a doz-
en artists at the Wyoming Valley School
Cultural Arts Center outside Spring Green.
She says she likes both solo and group opportunities to showcase her art.
“The Wyoming show was great. It
made me feel good to see how everyone’s
work complemented and got strength from
each other and how my work related. It was
sort of like watching to see how the kids
play together in the playground. I think we
all got high grades in ‘playing with others.’”
So far in 2015, Kelen has a few pieces
hanging at the No Rules Gallery in Spring
Green, and will also be exhibiting at the
Cedarburg Art Museum, Studio 3 Lysenko in Lodi, the Fall Art Tour, and the
Wyoming Valley School later this year.
She’ll also be returning to teach whiteline
woodblock printmaking at the Peninsula
School of Art in Fish Creek.
“I am thrilled by the surprise of
the results of a process that translates
what’s before me,” Kelen says. “I know I
can solve problems visually. I’ve always
known that, and it seems that I’m not
stopped by strange materials.”
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