Lodi WI & Lake Wisconsin Area News & Information

Hack Chat with Tracy Sachtjen, Fifth Player of the USA Women’s Olympic Curling Team

Rating 3.00 out of 5

Lodi, WI
2/8/10

February 4, 2010 ~ 8 Days until the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games

Today is the day I am packing my bags for Vancouver. I am having a hard time trying to figure out what to pack, I hear you get a lot of gear, but what about all the favorite things that we already have been sent? I also, want to pack all the nice cards and signs that everyone has given me this week to hang all over our Condo and locker room to feel all their good vibes through the next few weeks.

This week has been a busy one, getting our final practices in, finishing up work before leaving and the exciting “Good Luck” send off parties. Tuesday, my teammate, Nicole and I were honored at the Badger Men’s Basketball game versus Michigan State. Right before the game started we took center court with Barry Alvarez, which was also the same time that the Michigan State players came out to court, “WOW”, you could just feel the energy in the Badger Fans. I now understand what home field advantage really means at the Kohl Center, very intimidating. Then Wednesday morning at 5AM our Lodi YMCA workout group got to train at the Lodi Curling Club. We did a bit of a workout, then I taught them how to curl and we played a mini game. It was a lot of fun. That evening was my send off party at the Lodi Curling Club. I have pretty much grown up at the curling club, my parents curled there when I was little, I would go cheer them on and then I started competing at the Lodi Curling Club myself. It was a great evening, there were so many people there to send me off it was amazing. The Mayor of Lodi, Mikel Bilkey came and declared it Tracy Sachtjen day on February 3, 2010, which was quite an honor. It says something about living in a small city – I love LODI! I can’t thank everyone enough, on all their support and well wishes, I am a very lucky person.

I also found out today that it is official, I am the eldest female USA athlete in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, oh geez!

Chat with you soon from Vancouver~

Tracy

A new look for Lodi Reads Leopold

Rating 3.00 out of 5

Lodi, WI
2/8/10

Each year, the Lodi Reads Leopold committee works to find ways to make Aldo Leopold’s writings relevant and interesting to modern Lodi residents.

Participants have hiked, built benches, watched movies and more – all in addition to the ever-present readings from Leopold’s “A Sand County Almanac.” This year, the group is taking the project to the streets by coordinating an outreach project for Leopold’s ideas.

“Leopold’s 1949 book has always been at the heart of the Lodi Reads Leopold events, and the words still seem to apply to our lives,” said Patti Herman, Lodi Reads Leopold committee member. This year, the group is hoping to apply fresh perspectives through a series of events from now through the end of March.

Rather than a single day of readings, for this eleventh annual event, the readers will make Lodi Reads Leopold an interactive program by taking “A Sand County Almanac” into the places where Lodi residents live and meet. To do that, LRL volunteers will be attending the March meetings of many local organizations. Volunteer readers will give a 15-minute presentation, including a reading and a brief personal perspective.

“We’re very excited to have this opportunity to discuss Leopold across the community,” Herman said. “We expect there will be some people for whom this will be their first experience hearing Leopold read aloud, and they’re in for a treat!”

Additionally, a community forum event will be held Saturday, March 6, during the statewide Aldo Leopold Weekend. “Homegrown Meals: How can Lodi citizens eat nutritional and locally-produced food?” is the topic. The forum will be held from 10:30 until noon at the Lodi Woman’s Club Public Library.

Confirmed panelists will include D&D Piggly Wiggly co-owner Duane Westlie, Lodi Canning Company President Bob Goeres, Lodi Farmer’s Market Manager Gail Lamberty and Lodi School District Food Service Director Paula Larrabee. According to emcee Bill Haupt, the forum will address nutritional, environmental and economic concerns relating to the local food movement.

“This is a topic that seems to be gaining steam as a movement in Wisconsin and throughout the country,” Haupt said. “Given our strong agricultural culture and resources, it seems natural for us to examine this topic and the potential benefits it can provide to our community.”

Leading up to the forum discussion, the Lodi Public Library will host a book discussion on Michael Pollan’s “In Defense of Food.” Anyone who has read the book and would like to discuss it can join in at 7 pm on Monday, February 22 at the library.

“We’re sure that many topics of conversation from the book discussion are likely to overlap with the panel discussion,” said library co-director Trish Priewe. “This way, over a span of the next month or so, people will be able to read a book, think about and discuss their impressions of the book, and then attend the forum to discover new avenues and local approaches to implementing those same ideas.”

Lodi Reads Leopold began in 2000 when a group of local citizens met to read aloud from “A Sand County Almanac.” Since then, the idea has spread to other communities and also spawned state legislation that designates the first full weekend in March as Aldo Leopold Weekend to celebrate the life and works of this Wisconsin conservation leader. To learn more about Lodi Reads Leopold, visit www.lodireadsleopold.org.

If your group would like to participate in this Leopold outreach project and has not been contacted, please contact Patti Herman at 592-5666 or billpatti@charter.net to schedule a reader/presenter. For more information about the community forum, please contact Bill Haupt at bhauptlodi@aol.com. To reserve a copy of “In Defense of Food” or for more information about the book discussion, contact the Lodi Public Library at 592-4130 or www.lodipubliclibrary.org.

Lodian Tracy Sachtjen to Vancouver for Winter Olympics

Rating 3.00 out of 5

Lodi, WI
2/8/10

Lodi's Tracy Sachtjen will compete in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver as a member of the USA Women's Curling team. Go Tracy!

As many of you probably know, Lodi is honored to have Tracy Sachtjen, on the US Women’s curling team for the winter Olympics. Way to go! Attached is a copy of the TV schedule Tracy sent out yesterday – it starts on Feb 16 – and gives you the cable or dish channel you can watch and the local time.

Awesome! Please share with anyone whom may be interested.

USA Women’sCurling- Olympic TV Schedule

(Madison, WI Market)



Date	Time (CST)	Channel			Opponent	Charter	Charter HD	DirecTV	Dish

2/16/2010	4:00 PM	CNBC	USA	vs.	Japan	63		355	208
2/17/2010	11:00 AM	USA	USA	vs.	Germany	34	628	242	105
2/18/2010	4:00 PM	CNBC	USA	vs.	Denmark	63		355	208
2/19/2010	11:00 AM	USA	USA	vs.	Russia	34	628	242	105
2/20/2010	4:00 PM	CNBC	USA	vs.	Great Britain	63		355	208
2/21/2010	11:00 AM	MSNBC	USA	vs.	Canada	64		356	209
2/21/2010	8:30 PM	CNBC	USA	vs.	Sweden	63		355	208
2/23/2010	11:00 AM	USA	USA	vs.	China	34	628	242	105
2/23/2010	8:30 PM	MSNBC	USA	vs.	Switzerland	64		356	209

2/24/2010	4:00 PM	MSNBC	Tie-breaker round if needed			64		356	209
2/25/2010	11:00 AM	USA	First Semi-Final			34	628	242	105
2/26/2010	11:00 AM	USA	Bronze Medal Game			34	628	242	105
2/26/2010	5:00 PM	CNBC	Gold Medal Game			63		355	208

River Currents

Rating 3.00 out of 5

Lodi, WI
2/5/10
by Gary Engberg
©2010 Gary Engberg Outdoors

Enjoy the Outdoors, Even in Winter

Watching eagles at the Overlook on the Wisconsin River at Sauk City, WI

I have a friend who I regularly talk to and sometimes see during the week with problems and glitches with my computer, website, or something technical. When I have problems, he’s a genius at fixing my mistakes. He usually is my savior when it comes to fixing the problems that I encounter on a computer. But, I rarely see this person when it doesn’t have to do with work or business. This past weekend, I thought that I’d ask my “friend” (let’s call him Dave) if he’d like to join me in an outdoor experience or activity. This past weekend looked like it was going to be a nice one, so I thought that I’d ask my friend what he had planned and see if he was interested in joining me for a day outdoors doing “something” like ice fishing, snowshoeing, eagle watching, driving the back roads looking for wildlife, or checking out the many fisherees and trap shoots that take place every weekend this time of year. Now when so many baby-boomer are stopping their participation in outdoor activities that they have taken part in for decades, its time to try and recruit or bring some new and fresh blood into all outdoor activities, not just fishing and hunting.

I asked Dave if he was interested in doing “something” in the outdoors with me over the weekend. To my surprise, he said declined and said no! He said that during the winter he rarely does much outside and usually stays home and watches movies or sports. I was disappointed because there are so many diverse outdoor activities I was sure that I could find something that might get “old” Dave fired up. We get along fine, but most of this is superficial and part of work process. Dave grew up in a big city and never was introduced to anything in the outdoors. To him, the outdoors was taking the dog for a walk in the park or driving in the country to an apple orchard in the fall. Read more »

Lodi Haiti Fundraiser Scheduled

Rating 3.00 out of 5

Lodi, WI
2/4/10

Sunday, February 7
1 to 3 p.m.
At Lodi Sports and Recreation Center

Performers include:

Will, Jackson, Steve and Bryce’s band
Dan Pertzborn, Jessie Pieper, Taran O’Reilly & more to be announced

Proceeds go to: American Red Cross Haitian Disaster Relief Fund

Matching funds provided by: Thrivent Financial for Lutherans

Featuring: River Dog Red Hots-hot dogs and brats

For information or donation: call Jackson Pertzborn

Lodi High School CTE Career Fair

Rating 3.00 out of 5

Lodi, WI
2/3/10

You are invited to participate in the Lodi High School CTE (Career and Technical Education) Career Fair!

The event is scheduled to take place, Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Set up time begins at 10:30 a.m.

Booth operation is from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Take down can begin at 3:00 p.m.

Lunch and Drinks will be provided.

Each business, school, or representative will be provided a table to display their items. If you need anything else please let us know ahead of time.

It is highly suggested that some type of information be provided for the high school students to pick up if they are interested in more information about your career area. Lodi High School’s population is about 560 students. 200 copies should be more than sufficient.

In addition please be prepared to discuss with the students information about the educational pathway required for the career, advancement opportunities, salary and benefit information, and intern positions that may be available.

The materials you present should be student oriented.

The CTE staff will be labeling each career booth with a career cluster to assist students in determining which types of careers fit in their cluster of interest. For your reference or interest a list of the 16 Career Clusters can be located at http://www.careerclusters.org/list16clusters.php

Please RSVP before March 1, 2010, by contacting Glenda Crook, CTE Department Chair, at Lodi High School either by email: crookgl@lodi.k12.wi.us or phone: 608-592-3853 ext. 4449.

Ice Age Trail Annual Meeting Scheduled

Rating 3.00 out of 5

Lodi, WI
2/2/10

Greetings Friends – you have been invited to attend:

Ice Age Trail Alliance
Lodi Valley Chapter
Annual Meeting

Saturday, February 13, 2010
West Point Town Hall N2114 Rausch Road

Social Hour: 5:00 PM (BYO)
Potluck Dinner: 6:00 PM. Bring a dish to pass.
Program: 6:45 PM
Chapter recognition and awards
Celebration of Rainbow Bridge Completion and recognition of people who volunteered substantially during construction
Keynote speaker: Rich Evans, recently retired superintendent of Devil’s Lake State Park and Gibraltar Rock State Natural Area.
Recognition of Rich Evans’ years of service to the DNR and the IATA

Fabulous Door Prizes!

Short Business Meeting and Election of 2009 Chapter Officers

Bonus Event !!!! Snowshoe hike over the land connected to the Colsac Segment.
Meet up at 8:00AM, Sat., Feb. 13th for coffee at Downtown Coffee Grounds, Main Street, Lodi, and carpool to trailhead. Tim Malzhan & Luke Kloberdanz with guide us across the newly acquired land which is scheduled for new trailbuilding in 2010. This will be an excellent experience!

Directions to West Point Town Hall

From Lodi, take WI-113 – go 5.0 mi. to the Ferry landing. Continue on WI-188 – go 3.5 mi. Turn Right on RAUSCH RD – go 0.1 mi. Arrive at West Point Town Hall

For more information, contact:

Bill Beers
IAPTA Lodi Valley Chapter Coordinator
608-963-1625
williambeers@verizon.net

The Cat’s Pajamas Vocal Band set to perform at Lodi High School

Rating 3.00 out of 5

Lodi, WI
2/1/10

The Cat’s Pajamas Vocal Band, including Lodi graduate Grant Hendrickson, will be back for their final concert before moving to Branson, Missouri. The show is at the Lodi High School Performing Arts Center on Saturday, February 13, 2010 and will begin at 7:00p.m. The Lodi High School Show Choir will open the show.

The Cat’s Pajamas are thrilled to come back to Lodi as a part of their 2010 Music in Schools Promotional Tour around Wisconsin. A portion of the ticket sales will go directly to the Lodi music fund. The Cat’s Pajamas strive to inspire students, generate more interest in music, and encourage all students to get involved in the arts and continue their involvement upon completion of high school.

The Cat’s Pajamas recently signed a three-year contract at The Dutton Family Theater in Branson, Missouri and are excited about their new entertaining career there. Their first performance there will be March 13, 2010.

To check out more about The Cat’s Pajamas, visit www.vocalmeow.com. Tickets are available at all Lodi School offices, Associated and Amcore Banks in Lodi, and Lyle & Chris Hendrickson. For questions, call 592-5890. Students/ $8.00, Senior Citizens/$10.00, Adults/$12.00.

Local Horse Going For World Record

Rating 4.00 out of 5

Lodi, WI
2/1/10

Jerry Gilbert of Smokey Hollow Farm, rural Poynette, is submitting his Belgian horse, Big Jake, to the Guiness Book of World Records in an attempt to be recognized as the world’s tallest living horse. In the photos below, Big Jake is pictured with Jerry at the measurement. Big Jake unofficially measured 20 hands 2.75 inches or 82.75 inches from the bottom of his left front hoof along a line from just behind that leg to the top of his shoulder. If certified by Guiness, Big Jake would beat the record by some 2.5 inches.

Badger Contamination Has Reached Lake Wisconsin

Rating 4.00 out of 5

Lodi, WI
1/28/10

A new environmental study has confirmed that groundwater contamination from an old hazardous waste dump at Badger Army Ammunition Plant has moved beyond the plant boundary and is discharging into Lake Wisconsin at Weigand’s Bay. Concentrations of the carcinogenic explosive DNT exceed state groundwater standards and low levels of solvents may have also migrated outside the plant. So far, contaminant concentrations in two affected drinking water wells are below health advisory levels.

The Army’s December 2009 groundwater investigation recommends that additional shallow and deeper monitoring wells be installed in three rural neighborhoods at Weigand’s Bay to monitor DNT and solvent concentrations and contaminant trends. The new well locations will be discussed with the WDNR, the report says.

The primary source of the groundwater contamination is the Deterrent Burning Ground – a closed hazardous waste disposal site located in the northeast corner of Badger. It was used as a demolition landfill and for open burning of deterrent, asphalt shingles, building timbers, and office wastes. Deterrent is an organic liquid containing dibutyl phthalate and DNT that is used to modify the burning characteristics of nitrocellulose-based propellants.

In September 2009, groundwater testing at the Deterrent Burning Ground detected DNT at 3.8 parts per billion (ppb) in groundwater which is 76 times higher than the safe drinking water advisory of 0.05 ppb.

Area residents do not feel the recommendations go far enough. “The Army should be taking steps to evaluate the cleanup remedy,” said Laura Olah, a Weigand’s Bay resident and Executive Director of Citizens for Safe Water Around Badger. “There is nothing in the plan to prevent further contamination of drinking water and the environment.”

A 2009 technical review by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers confirms that Badger does not have a method in place to determine if operation of the on-site bioremediation system could be affecting groundwater contamination and migration. If the current cleanup remedy is found not to be effective, the Corps identified a number of alternative cleanup methods that could help remedy the problem.

The Deterrent Burning Ground, Landfill #3, and Landfill #5 are also potential sources of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in groundwater, the report says. All are located approximately 1.5 miles northwest (upgradient) of Weigand’s Bay.

The Army sampled private wells in the Weigand’s Bay area for volatile organic compounds twice during 2007. The carcinogenic solvent trichloroethylene (TCE) was detected in five private wells; none of the detections were above safe drinking water standards. The Army said that the source of the TCE is not known however the parent product perchloroethylene (PCE) has been detected in groundwater at Badger.

Certain forms of DNT are harmful to aquatic organisms and may cause long-term adverse effects in the aquatic environment. The Army report does not discuss potential harm to wetlands and fisheries.

Accurate Appraisal Website

Rating 3.00 out of 5

Lodi, WI
1/28/10

Accurate Appraisal LLC, the new Town and City of Lodi appraisal service provider has announced that local tax information will be accessible through their website. Go to www.accurateassessor.com, click on the state of WI map and then your municipality name. You will have several search options.

This link makes it easy to compare all properties in the city and the town.

One Student Wins $2,500 EdVest Scholarship

Rating 4.00 out of 5

Lodi, WI
1/27/10

7 others will take home $500 for writing essays about going to college

Madison – On Wednesday, January 20th, 2010 at 2:00pm at the Governor’s Mansion, Treasurer Dawn Marie Sass and First Lady Jessica Doyle will award 8 Wisconsin students EdVest College Scholarships. The students were among 400 who took part in the 2009 Higher Education Day Essay Contest. The 4th-6th graders wrote about why they want to continue their education beyond high school.
The winners are:
·        Zachary Atkins –Racine County, 6th grade, REAL School
·        Jillian Tuscher – Sauk County, 6th grade Jack Young Middle School
·        Kaitlyn Skala – Vernon County, 6th Grade, Hillsboro Elementary
·        Tyler Yang – Milwaukee County, 5th Grade, St. Bernadette
·        Cole Wirth – Milwaukee County, 6th Grade, Longfellow Middle School
·        Natasha Brantley – Manitowoc County, 6th Grade, Franklin Elementary
·        Jackson Her – Wood County, 6th Grade, Grove Elementary
·        Kyle Thieme – Brown County, 4th Grade, Forest Glen Elementary

The winners come from each of the state’s Congressional Districts. While all 8 know they have won college scholarship money through the EdVest Program, the grand prize winner of $2,500 will be announced at the event.

“I am proud of all the children who took the time to write the essays,” said Treasurer Sass. “These students already realize it’s never too early to start saving for their future.”

The EdVest essay contest was launched on Higher Education Day, created by the Treasurer’s Office four years ago in order to focus attention on the importance of higher education, and to highlight the many excellent resources already available in our state for students, parents and teachers. Teachers used the curriculum to create a teachable moment to talk about the importance of an education, especially in today’s financial world.

For more information on the EdVest College Scholarship program, visit www.statetreasury.wisconsin.gov.

L.O.D.I. Annual Meeting

Rating 3.50 out of 5

Lodi, WI
1/26/10

Dear Friends of L.O.D.I,

L.O.D.I. cordially welcomes you to attend our Annual Meeting and New / Expanded Business Reception on Wednesday, January 27^th at Lodi’s Northern Edge. Hors d’oeuvres and musical entertainment begins at 5:30 pm. As you mingle, plan to register for numerous door prizes!

Following the reading of the L.O.D.I. Annual Report at 6:30, we will recognize over a dozen New or Expanded Businesses in the Lodi area. Recognition of these businesses is a great opportunity to hear about and meet the people who have committed to economically developing our business community. Three other awards will also be presented. They are:

Vilas Hibbard Beautification Award recognizes a business or organization that has renovated its facility or property.
L.O.D.I. Director’s Award is presented to an individual or organization for efforts exemplifying L.O.D.I.’s mission of promoting the Lodi area and supporting area economic development.
“Green Awards” recognize businesses which strive to conserve energy by installing energy efficient devices

Our keynote speaker is Mark O’Connell, Executive Director of Wisconsin Counties Association. His message will center on how to use your unique talents to help strengthen our community’s economic vitality.

Enclosed you will find your 2010 L.O.D.I. Membership Form. Please take a moment to complete and return it along with your dues to L.O.D.I. so that we may continue to support, improve and energize economic development. Your interest and involvement is greatly appreciated. We look forward to your attendance at our Annual Meeting on Wednesday, January 27^th! Read more »

Tips, Tactics and Tuesdays With Wally

Rating 3.50 out of 5

Lodi, WI
1/26/10

Gary N-Ski recently spent some time ice fishing with Guide Wally Banfi and they have this tip to share…

Van Dyke Honored by Hospice Family

Rating 3.50 out of 5

Lodi, WI
1/26/10

Van Dyke received a Guardian Angel award from Rick Bourne with HHU CEO and Denise Gloede

Mildred Bruhn of Lodi made a donation to the Home Health United – Visiting Nurse Service Foundation in honor of John Van Dyke, registered nurse for Home Health United – Hospice. Van Dyke, a Madison resident, received a Guardian Angel award from Rick Bourne, president and CEO of Home Health United and Denise Gloede, hospice program director.

“John was our primary nurse for my Dad’s care while in hospice status,” wrote Bruhn. “He was excellent keeping us abreast of changes and giving us the support we needed at his passing.”

HHU offers an integrated and comprehensive variety of home health services in 25 counties of southern Wisconsin. Home Health United – Hospice has served patients facing life-limiting illnesses wherever they call home for 20 years.