2014 Fall Your Family

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2014 Fall Your family

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Day Trip:
Lake Geneva
5 football hotbeds
Q&A with
Scott McDonell on
‘gay marriage week’
FALL
2014
A hand up
How Operation Fresh Start brings
responsibility to ‘disconnected youth’
SENIOR LIVING:
ADVANCE DIRECTIVES
adno=363109-01
FALL 2014 YOUR FAMILY 3
210 S. Main St. • Verona, WI • (608) 845-6478
Mon - Sat 6:30am - 9pm, Sun 6:30am - 7pm
For the Classroom:
❏ Pencils
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For Lunches:
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❏ Deli Meats & Cheeses
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Find what you need in one place.
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4 YOUR FAMILY FALL 2014
FAMILYLIFE
Persistence and love are enough
INSIDE YOUR FAMILY
BY DAVID ENSTAD
I
am in awe of the selfless people who
are willing to open their homes and
adopt children then raise them in a
stable, loving environment. Especially
those that have biological children of
their own they are raising.
Contrast this to the wave of children
that are crossing our borders and are
in need of help and support. It must
be with great desperation that their
parents let them – even force them – to
make this kind of cross country trip,
considering all the pitfalls they will
face, in the hope of finding a better life.
Our cover story is about one of the
great local programs that helps at-risk
youth find their way by giving them
that extra bit of support and attention,
showing them that they can make their
own better life. It reminded me of a
story from many years ago, involving
youth at a much younger age, yet the
lesson is the same: Persistence pays.
It was some friends of mine who
had agreed to take in a 3½-year old
boy on a temporary basis from his an
“at risk” parent. Six months later they
were informed by social services that
the boy would eventually be moved to
a permanent foster home because his
mother had been determined to be an
unfit parent.
Having grown attached to the lad –
and with no children of their own at the
time – they applied for adoption, which
was granted. Within three years, they
had two children of their own, adding to
the family.
As their children grew, they started
to notice the adopted son was having
issues with his concentration and ability
to stay focused.
Certainly that is not unusual for what
was otherwise an intelligent and active
child. I know my son had the attention
span of a flea when he was young, so
I felt I could understand. But as the
boy aged, they noticed more situations
where common sense things just weren’t
making a connection with him.
One of many examples was when
he was 9, running a full bath and
determining the water was too hot, then
letting all the water out of the tub only
to fill it again.
My friends took the boy to the
doctor for regular checkups and always
mentioned his behavior, but the doctor
would simply pass it off as “a kid being
a kid.”
As their son aged into middle and
junior high school, they started to
get more complaints from the bus
drivers and frequent notes from the
school about his bad behavior. The
school confirmed and supported the
parent’s decision to get their son tested.
Two independent doctors diagnosed
attention-deficit disorder and prescribed
Ritalin.
They did not agree with the doctors’
assessments, because he exhibited
only a few of the symptoms supporting
their diagnosis. They took him to third
specialist who told them the boy was
fine, but would develop more problems
if they kept taking him to doctors!
Frustrated, they talked to social
services, friends, educators and even
searched the Internet looking for
answers and direction.
On one of those searches, came
an article in a medical journal about
children that were born to mothers who
had abused alcohol or drugs while they
were pregnant and how this could arrest
the development of those children as
they grew older. The doctor doing the
research happened to be close enough
to travel for a visit.
There was no “test” to be
administered, just background history
and interviews with the adopting
parents and son. He was diagnosed with
fetal alcohol syndrome. It took a couple
of years working with the doctor to get
everything square with their son.
Through all the trials and
tribulations, those parents never
gave up on their son’s health and
development. Their reward was seeing
their son marry and have a healthy
daughter and family of his own. l
David Enstad is the general
manager of Unified Newspaper
Group, which publishes Your Family
magazine.
(608) 630-9800
www.madisonswimacademy.com
5200 Anton Drive, Madison WI 53719, Fitchburg
FALL 2014 YOUR FAMILY 5
CONTENTS
YOUR FAMILY Fall 2014
ON THE COVER
OPERATION FRESH START
Covered in paint from a hard day’s work,
Operation Fresh Start workers Baley Storey and
Dayne Meyer (both 17) take a break during
construction of a home in Sun Prairie in July.
Operation Fresh Start offers troubled teens a way
out, helping them earn valuable skills and even
a high school diploma. More than 7,000 high
school dropouts or other “disconnected youth”
between ages 16 and 24 have passed through
the program since it was launched in 1970 by
Jack Osteraas, a former Madison police officer.
Jeremy Jones Photo
page16
is published by
UNIFIED
NEWSPAPER GROUP
133 Enterprise Dr. PO Box 930427
Verona WI 53593
(608) 845 9559
...................................
GENERAL MANAGER
David Enstad
[email protected]
EDITOR
Jim Ferolie
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Ellen Koeller
PHOTO EDITOR
Jeremy Jones
...................................
YOUR FAMILY STAFF
Samantha Christian, Scott De Laruelle,
Scott Girard, Mark Ignatowski,
Anthony Iozzo, Jeremy Jones,
Rob Kitson, Donna Larson,
Bill Livick, Angie Roberts, Carolyn Schultz,
Catherine Stang and Kathy Woods
.................
CONTACT US
Send all questions or submissions to
[email protected]
.................
YOUR FAMILY
is printed four times a year by
Woodward Printing Services
If you would like to have a copy of Your Family
delivered to your home, the cost is $8.00 for 1 year.
Please call (608) 845-9559 for more information.
Publishers of the
Oregon Observer
Stoughton Courier Hub
Verona Press
Great Dane Shopping News
Fitchburg Star
Family Fun
5 football hotbeds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Day Trip Geneva Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Wisconsin Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Calendar of events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Family Health
Senior Living Advance directives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Family Life
The joy of planning a wedding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Technical colleges are following the jobs . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Q & A with County Clerk Scott McDonell . . . . . . . . . 20
Teaching technology to seniors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
College Planning Define success before you start . 26
The Organized Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Estate Planning Children as beneficiaries . . . . . 31
Family Food
My Blood Type is Coffee Tommy tomato . . . . . . . 8
Recipes: Buttermilk cornbread, Akooi (Indian scrambled eggs),
Gai Yaang (Thai BBQ chicken), Jamaica lime pie . . . . . 29
6 YOUR FAMILY FALL 2014
FAMILYFUN
Lancaster
The Flying
Arrows play
in the middle
of a cornfield,
but there are
few towns that
show so much
life during the
football season.
On a drive
to Lancaster
in 2009 for a
Level 3 playoff
game, you couldn’t find a business that wasn’t closed during
the game. What appeared to be the entire town came to the
football field, and the rest of Lancaster was a ghost town.
Pile on the success Lancaster has had since 2000 with 110
wins overall – including five state titles and two runner-up
finishes – and the fan base continues to remain steady as
newer fans get interested.
Stratford
Nestled up near
Marshfield, Stratford
is another small
town that fills up its
stadium every game.
Much like
Lancaster, there are
few businesses that
remain open during
a playoff game.
Stratford is a town of
1,500 people, and there are 483 students enrolled at the high
school.
During playoff games, the attendance at Stratford can
soar near the 700 range, and even during the regular season,
approximately 400-500 fans fill the stands.
Success has been a big part of keeping the interest from
old fans to new ones. 119 overall wins in the 2000s is more
than any other team, and Stratford has also earned six state
titles in that stretch.
T
here are many good football teams in Wisconsin, and it is tough to find a school that doesn’t have a huge following on
Friday nights.
But there are a few towns that go above and beyond for their gridiron squads – towns that shut down for a few
hours on Friday evenings.
These are towns, many small, that have more than half of the residents go to games and not even come close to that
attendance for the rest of the school’s sports. These are towns that talk about their high school teams’ games at the water
cooler about as much as they do the Green Bay Packers.
While there are more than five football towns that may have these criteria, there are a few that stand out:
Photo courtesy of CentralWisconsinSports.net
Five great places to watch football in Wisconsin
by Anthony Iozzo
Photo by A.J. Gates, Grant County Herald Independent
Ready for some
FALL 2014 YOUR FAMILY
Edgar
Edgar is another small village near Marshfield with fewer
than 1,500 residents, but this Division 6 high school still packs
its football stadium every week, even with an enrollment of only
210 students.
In 2009, I covered Edgar’s state title victory at Camp Randall
Stadium, and there were more than 450 fans cheering on their
team. During home games, that number can get even higher as
the village takes a four-quarter break.
Success is always a huge factor with these towns, because
the pride unites everyone – leading everyone to root for their
hometown team. Edgar has won 103 games in the 2000s,
including three state titles and two runner-ups.
Kewaunee
Kewaunee is a bigger place than the first three towns listed
here, nestled on Lake Michigan and east of Green Bay, but even
with over 3,000 residents, the school’s enrollment is closer to
400.
Still, a football playoff game can see anywhere from 500 to
800 fans. But even when the stadium isn’t that packed, the town
is littered with the purple and gold colors of the storm.
Kewaunee has also had much success in Division 4, with
105 overall wins in the 2000s, including a state title and three
runner-ups.
Black Hawk
Black Hawk High School is located in South Wayne, Wis., a
village of 485 people.
The district serves Gratiot, Martintown, South Wayne, Wiota
and Woodford, so the entire population that the school serves is
around 1,600, but its enrollment is only 110.
During football nights, the stadium is packed, and the already
tiny towns are shrunken into the confines of South Wayne.
During home games in the playoffs, between 300 and 500
people fill the stands. Even in the regular season, attendance
reaches 200.
Black Hawk won its only state title in 2013, but the Division
7 team has made the playoffs 11 times in the 2000s, winning 13
out of 23 games. l
FAMILYFUN
Photo courtesy of Edgar Football Alumni Facebook page
Photo by Alyssa Bloechl, Kewaunee County Star-News
8 YOUR FAMILY FALL 2014
FAMILY
The Tale of Tommy Tomato
MY BLOOD TYPE IS COFFEE
BY RHONDA MOSSNER
P
lease don’t tell my husband but
I’ve been having a saucy affair...
Tommy and I met a few months
ago in a humid nursery in Janesville
on a bright summer day. It began as
most steamy trysts often do...without
either of us really looking for anything
permanent.
I was simply browsing the aisles and
admiring all the beautiful possibilities
for my balcony garden when I spotted
him sitting there across the aisle.
Tommy was everything I was looking
for in a new companion. He was healthy,
clean and shiny. I could tell he didn’t
fall off the vine yesterday, either. He
was his own plant. He was going places.
I have to admit, I did notice he was
leaning in just a little too close to his
leafy neighbor for my liking, but I knew
I could change him and his wandering
ways if given the chance. I decided I
needed a closer look.
Yes, for Tommy and me it was love at
first sight. I couldn’t get enough of his
furry little arms, strong rooting and the
way he looked up towards the sky with
confidence.
I checked him out a little closer, and
after careful observation of his nametag
I discovered he was a Red Grape
Tomato. I immediately untangled him
from his little friend and stole him away
into my cart. This was no seedy affair.
We were meant to be together!
I paid a pretty penny for my Tommy,
but what is money when it comes to
true love with a tomato? We knew then
that there was nothing that could match
or catch up with what we had going.
Tommy didn’t even mind the ride
home in the backseat of my car, wedged
between two big grocery bags. He just
smiled and took it all in.
To me, his compliance was very
important. I didn’t tell him but this was
a test of his temperament.
Nobody wants a testy tomato on their
hands for the long hot summer ahead.
We did have a few adjustments
trying to figure out just what corner
he wanted on the balcony when we got
home. Since we face the north, it was
challenging to be sure he received his
required hours of sunlight each day.
He was a little fussy, but I took that in
stride.
Yes, Tommy and I have enjoyed
many happy mornings sipping coffee
together. He doesn’t usually say much
– sometimes he bobs his head around
in agreement when there is a slight
breeze, but he pretty much just listens
to whatever I have to say.
We have a good daily routine. I do
my work inside the house in the air
conditioning and he soaks up the hot
sun outside and grows and grows and
grows. As a matter of fact, he’s very
industrious. He grew close to three feet
in only six weeks.
He’s also a great provider. Since
we’re in the process of delivering close
to 25 Little Tommies in the next few
weeks, I can tell he has great plans
for their development and maturity. I
couldn’t be more proud.
What a great example he is to his
children.
I am a bit red in the face to admit
that we have had our difficulties. For
instance, Tommy took a few tumbles
during the overnight storms, and several
mornings I looked out and found him
face down with broken arms and legs,
but after a little recovery he came out
OK.
My Tommy is the jealous type. He
was not at all happy when my husband
and I took a long weekend vacation to
Door County and left alone.
He was beyond depressed when we
returned and I thought he had decided
to take his own life in desperation.
But after a few talks and a little tender
loving care, he was back on the mend
in no time and thriving once again. I
promised never to leave him high and
dry and he was satisfied.
I know that soon our time together
will come to an end. Tommy Tomato
will eventually have to go where all
tomatoes must go: into the nearest
compost pile. That will indeed be a
sad day.
I will probably delegate that duty
to my husband. I just can’t bear to
imagine looking out onto the patio
and not seeing Tommy there smiling,
waiting for water.
But such is the life of all great
love stories. Our affair must come to
an end, but there is always hope of
another tomato... and maybe some
salsa next year! l
In addition to her blog,
TheDanglingThread.blogspot.com,
Rhonda Mossner is a professional
speaker, quilter and chef. She is
known as The Quilter Cook and travels
throughout the area sharing her quilts,
stories and recipes.
THE QUILTER
COOK’S SUPER
EASY SALSA
Shhh....don’t tell Tommy Tomato!
Yield: 5 cups
3 cups chopped tomatoes with
seeds and juice
1
⁄2 cup chopped green peppers
discard seeds
1 cup chopped onion
1
⁄4 cup fresh minced cilantro
2 Tablespoons fresh-squeezed
lime juice
4 teaspoons of finely chopped
jalapeno pepper with seeds
1
⁄2 teaspoon of ground cumin
1
⁄2 teaspoon of kosher salt
1
⁄2 teaspoon of fresh ground black
pepper
As you chop ingredients, toss all
of the ingredients together into a
medium-sized bowl.
Cover with plastic wrap and
place in refrigerator overnight if
possible to allow flavors to meld.
Serve with your favorite tortilla
chips.
I
glanced at my fiancee’s computer
screen the other night as we sat on
our couch. “40 Awesome Signs You’ll
Want At Your Wedding” read one of the
“pinned” items on the webpage.
This was just one link out of millions
that brides-to-be and wannabe brides
can spend countless hours searching
Pinterest while they plan their dream
weddings. After reading the article, I
was disappointed they missed the two
most obvious and useful signs – “Men’s”
and “Women’s.”
Still, I have to hand it to the guys who
founded the website just over four years
ago. People can now scour links like our
ancestors once scanned billboards and
paged through magazines.
Users pick bits of information and
store it on their own pages, where they
find it again later. It leaves us with
access to a seemingly endless load of
information.
And for me, it’s completely
overwhelming.
I was only recently introduced to the
multi-billion dollar wedding planning
industry by asking a simple yes or no
question to my girlfriend, Jenny. She said
“yes,” and now we’ve begun an 11-month
odyssey to create the perfect wedding.
The key, I think, will be to have some
give and take in our relationship as we
plan the event – and the rest of our lives
together. We already complement each
other pretty well, so I’m hoping that we
can continue to strike a balance between
what a perfect Pinterest wedding looks
like online and what we’re actually going
to have in Madison next June.
That said, I’m still overwhelmed and
the wedding planning experience thus
far has been much more than I bargained
for.
For starters, I’ve learned that if you
want to get married in Dane County,
you need to plan ahead. That’s good
for me, because I like to plan ahead.
But apparently not far enough ahead. I
foolishly thought that a year would be
enough time to get whatever venue we
would like.
I’m sure there are plenty of places
that offer beautiful ceremonies and
receptions that are available right
now, but finding a venue that fit our
criteria turned out to be surprisingly
challenging.
We wanted to be near a lake in
downtown Madison, and we wanted
the ceremony and reception to be
convenient for our friends and family.
That left us with some pretty limited
options.
The prime time spots are pretty much
booked during the summer next year at
Olbrich Gardens.
The Overture Center had limited
availability, too. And we could have
tried our hand at the Wisconsin Union
wedding lottery. For only $1,000, we
might have been able to win a date that
worked for us… in 2017.
None of those locations seemed
like they’d really worked out, so we
decided to go with a hole in the ground
along Lake Mendota. It’ll soon be the
Edgewater Hotel and I hope it looks
beautiful when it opens this August. And
even with picking a place that hasn’t
been completely built, we still ended
up booking a Friday wedding to give us
some flexibility with the date.
But now that we have a date and
location, I’m amazed at how much we
still have to do. And I think that’s OK.
Jenny said the other night that she’s
overwhelmed, too.
“There’s so much I need to learn,” she
told me.
And probably so much I don’t.
I’m not boorish by any stretch of the
imagination – I want to have a heartfelt
ceremony, a delicious dinner and I want
to be surrounded by my good friends
and family – but I’m still inundated with
details about wedding registries, the
ceremony and reception.
I know that a tank-top with a tuxedo
print isn’t going to cut it, but I probably
won’t be able to distinguish “coral” from
your run-of-the-mill “pink.” And based
on what Jenny’s told me so far, I’m glad I
don’t have to pick out a dress.
So, I’ll happily leave the details up to
Jenny and her mom, who has embraced
the challenge of planning a wedding.
Only a few hours after we were engaged,
Jenny’s mom declared that the flowers at
the wedding “had to be beautiful.”
I couldn’t disagree. Hopefully the rest
of the decisions are that easy. l
Mark Ignatowski has been a reporter
with Unified Newspaper Group for
more than four years. He hopes to only
be part of planning one wedding in his
lifetime.
BY MARK IGNATOWSKI
Marriage: a Pinteresting proposal
FALL 2014 YOUR FAMILY 9
FAMILY
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FAMILYFUN








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MORE THAN
Lake
Geneva
Discover beaches, water opportunities, music and hidden sanctuaries
around Geneva Lake
10 YOUR FAMILY FALL 2014
Photos courtesy Lake Geneva Chamber of Commerce
G
eneva Lake is more than the City
of Lake Geneva.
While the city is one of the
state’s big tourist draws and offers lots
of fun things to do, the larger lake area
includes two other communities, with
some hidden treasures of their own, and
Big Foot Beach State Park.
Fontana (technically Fontana-On-
Geneva Lake) is a village of about 1,600
people located at the southern end of
the lake, nine miles from Lake Geneva.
Williams Bay is a village of about 2,500
residents and is situated on the lake
between Fontana and Lake Geneva.
The City of Lake Geneva is a
community of about 7,600 residents. It
feels much larger on summer weekends,
when throngs of people flock there from
Chicago, Milwaukee and rural areas of
Illinois and Wisconsin.
Much music
On weekends the small downtown
becomes a bustling hub of activity
and commerce, and the city’s pretty
lakeshore park and beach fill with sun-
and water-worshippers.
Across the street from the lakeshore
and beach is Flat Iron Park, where a
free Concerts in the Park series takes
place from early July until late August.
I visited the city the last Thursday in
July and had the pleasure of hearing the
Lake Geneva
Symphony Orchestra perform.
Another nice summertime spot for
outdoor music is the Music by the
Lake concert series at George Williams
College in Williams Bay. The venue
offers seats under a pavilion, outdoor
terrace seating and lawn seating.
This year’s series
included performances
by (among others) Blood,
Sweat and Tears, the
BritBeat – a top-rated
Beatles tribute band – and
The Beach Boys, who
performed Aug. 9.
Fun on the water
One the area’s most popular options
is a tour on the Lake Geneva Cruise
Line. The company offers a one-hour
Lake Geneva tour or an extended tour
that goes around the lake, affording
views of the many mansions on the lake
as well as the Yerkes Observatory in
Williams Bay.
Another way to see those amazing
mansions is by foot. The 25-mile Geneva
Lake shore path allows anyone to
literally walk through the properties of
the century-old mansions. The path was
created by the region’s earliest settlers,
who dictated that the 20 feet of land
next to the shoreline be deemed public
domain.
For more fun on the water, the
Marina Bay Boat Rental company rents
watercraft of various sizes – speed
boats, pontoon boats and wave runners
(sometimes known as jet skis). Marina
Bay Rental is located in downtown
Lake Geneva on the lakefront across
from all the major downtown hotels and
restaurants.
The landscape
If you head away from the water,
you’ll find the area has two zip-lining
companies that offer an entirely
different perspective of the lake and
surrounding environs. Packages start at
about $50 and go all the way up to $90
per individual.
The topography of the Geneva Lake
area is spectacular. The tree-covered
hills around the lake are large, steep and
numerous, affording scenic vistas from
various points on the lake.
On one of a few visits, I brought along
my kayak and bicycle, anticipating some
fun on the water and on roadways or
bike paths. It turned out that kayaking
options on the lake were very limited
due to the volume of motorboats.
Opportunities for cycling weren’t great,
either.
I later learned there is a bike path or
two in the area, but Lake Geneva is not
what you would call a bicycle-friendly
city.
I noticed that kayaks are for rent at
the village beach in Williams Bay, but
didn’t see any in use during three visits
to the lake.
Instead, I chose to cycle about 25
miles around the lake, on a mix of busy
highways and quieter
country roads. It was a good workout
on a hot summer day.
Riding around
One of the more pleasurable stretches
of the ride was on Snake Road, a 2.5-
mile Rustic Road, with a 25 mph speed
limit, that “snaked” through a heavily
wooded, hilly area with mansion lots
along both sides of the road.
The actual homes were not visible
from the road – only gated driveway
entrances to the sprawling estates.
It took about half an hour to
reach Williams Bay, where one of
the first things I discovered was the
Kishwauketoe Nature Conservancy,
a 230-acre preserve with four
miles of hiking trails, including an
extensive boardwalk over a wetlands.
“Kishwauketoe” is the Potawatomi
Indian word for “clear water.”
The conservancy is located across
from the village beach, which held more
appeal than the beach in Lake Geneva
because it was less crowded and equally
inviting.
The water quality of Geneva Lake
is very good, making it an exceptional
lake for swimming and other forms of
recreation.
FALL 2014 YOUR FAMILY
FAMILY
Continued on page 12
12 YOUR FAMILY FALL 2014
FAMILYFUN
The communities
Williams Bay seemed less touristy
and more like an ordinary small town
than Lake Geneva or Fontana.
The community does draw some
outsiders, however, mainly for tours
of Yerkes Observatory and the
college.
Fontana is just a few miles down
the road from Williams Bay and at the
opposite end of the lake from Lake
Geneva. A main attraction is The Abbey
Resort and Spa, a 90-acre, 334-room
complex in the hills overlooking the
lake. The village also has a beautiful
marina and beach.
Leaving Fontana, I pedaled east
and north about 10 miles back to Lake
Geneva. Just before reaching the city, I
came across Big Foot Beach State Park.
The lakeshore was crowded with people
taking advantage of the free beach
access.
The municipalities charge a fee to use
their beaches, and it’s far from an ideal
arrangement.
The beach in the state park is a thin
strip of land between the busy highway
and the lake, where dozens of boats
were anchored.
Back in Lake Geneva, however, I
noticed a quiet 4-acre park just two
blocks from the busy downtown and
beach area.
The Samuel Donian Wetland Nature
Sanctuary, located on Center Street,
is largely hidden by a grove of trees
and includes an open green space with
one picnic table. A beautiful spring-fed
creek flows over river stones in the
streambed and through the park.
It struck me as an amazing little
retreat amid the noisy confusion of
automobiles and vacationing tourists.
MORE THAN LAKE GENEVA
Continued from page 11
A customized day full of imaginative adventures for them.
A stress-free party for you, or in other words an
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I
first heard about zip lining more
than a decade ago from someone
who’d done it in Central America.
In March 2011, zip lining came to
southern Wisconsin with Lake Geneva
Canopy Tours.
The company offers several ways to
use its 100 acres of densely wooded,
hilly land just north of the City of Lake
Geneva.
One is the challenge course:
16 different obstacles of various
difficulties that allow participants to
push their limits, conquer fears and
build self-confidence.
I signed up for the canopy tour – a
2-plus hour excursion, 20 to 50 feet
above the ground, on steel cables
strung from one tree to another
through the forest. It was exciting and
fun and it required very little skill, only
a crash course in safety.
The tour consists of eight zip lines,
the longest being “The Beast” – an 841-
foot section.
Each tree that serves as a stopping
point along the tour has a wooden
platform capable of holding at least 10
people. Tour groups are limited to eight
participants, with each group led by
two guides.
The guides’ job is, above all, to make
sure that everyone is safely attached
to a cable (the zip line) by a trolley, a
device that rolls along the cable and
allows a rider to “zip” from one end of
the line to the other.
When a rider reaches the end
platform, the guide unclips the person
from the cable and secures the rider
to another cable, thus clearing the way
for the next rider to arrive.
Once the guide indicates by walkie-
talkie that the cable is clear, the next
rider leaves for a zip down the line.
Riders are secured to the trolley by
two pieces of lightweight webbing with
large carabiners (the type used by rock
climbers). The webbing is essentially
a harness that supports the upper and
lower body, so participants are able to
sit back with legs extended during the
ride.
Our lead guide, Tara, explained
things about the operation along the
way. At each platform, she would point
out interesting or important aspects
about the next upcoming zip line – its
length, what to expect or watch for,
etc.
She was also responsible for
gesturing with hand signals to
each rider when to begin slowing
themselves as they approached her on
the next platform. There she would
catch or help guide the rider to a
smooth landing.
It was also important for our guides
– Tara and Cassie – to keep things light
and entertaining. Part of that was to
put beginning riders at ease and help
them relax.
Riding a zip line takes virtually no
skill, and the action is dictated by
gravity. The slope is steeper at the start
of the ride and then rises slightly near
the end platform to help slow the rider.
Instruction at a “ground school”
before beginning the tour teaches
riders how to keep themselves facing
straight ahead while on the zip line,
and also how to slow themselves by
pressing a gloved hand on the cable
above their heads as they near a
destination platform.
Once everyone in the group has
demonstrated a basic competence, they
climb a stairway up to a platform to
begin the tour.
The canopy tour consists of eight
different zip lines, five sky bridges
(walkways built of rope and wood),
three spiral stairways to regain
elevation before embarking on the
next zip line. There’s also an amazing
“floating double helix” stairway (so
named because the spiral stairway
leading up a very tall ash tree
resembles a strand of DNA). l
FALL 2014 YOUR FAMILY 13
Hold the Line
What: Lake Geneva Canopy Tours
Where: N3219 County Road H,
Lake Geneva, WI
Weight limits: 70-250 pounds
Age limits: 7 or older;
minors must be accompanied by an adult
Phone: (262) 248-9271
On the web: lakegenevacanopytours.com Photos courtesy of Lake Geneva Canopy Tours
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FAMILYLIFE
W
ith the economy still in flux
and demand for skilled trade
workers on the rise, Dane
County high school graduates are
increasingly turning to technical schools
like Madison College for post-secondary
education.
While state numbers have remained
about the same in the past decade for
high school graduates going to two-
year technical schools or four-year
universities, it’s changing locally, with
Madison College experiencing a 10
percent increase in county grads.
Senior vice president for student
development and success Keith Cornille
said a main reason is the amount of
good jobs available right away in the
skilled trades – something the college
is taking full advantage of in its
programming.
“People are realizing the value for the
dollar in the technical and community
colleges nationwide – it’s designed to
give you the training and skills you need
to go into the workforce,” he said.
Cornille said many jobs in the future
will be available to people with two-year
degrees.
“You don’t necessarily need a four-
year degree,” he said. “You can get all
the state-of-the-art training and get a
job right away ... in some cases they will
come in to a job environment and their
skills will be much more advanced than
maybe incumbent workers and people
coming from other institutions.”
With advanced manufacturing and the
health care professions experiencing
“huge growth,” high school career
counselors have told Your Family
magazine that it’s becoming more
common for high schools to work more
closely with technical colleges to offer
dual credit classes to prepare students
for skilled trades.
Senior vice president for student
development and success Keith Cornille
said a main reason is the amount of good
jobs available right away in the skilled
trades – something the college is taking full
advantage of in its programming.
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Photos submitted
FALL 2014 YOUR FAMILY 15
FAMILYLIFE
Madison College students are taught about a variety of skilled jobs, from auto
technology to 3D printing and much more, thanks to an increased emphasis
on high tech skills. In recent years, more Dane County students are opting for
programs at the school, which gives them the possibilities of either getting into
the workplace after a two-year degree or transferring to a four-year university.
Providing options
Oregon School District school to career coordinator
Greg Granberg said since the 2009-10 school year, Oregon
High School has gone from offering three transcripted
credit courses to 14 for this upcoming year - 11 at Madison
College and three at Blackhawk Technical College.
Cost is also a factor. Granberg said based on his talks
with students, more are looking at technical colleges
because of the tuition difference between enrolling there
and at a four-year university, as well as the fact that some
are still exploring what they want to do for a career.
Verona Area School District director of curriculum Anne
Frank said tech schools like Madison College are also
“making it very easy” to transfer credits to four-year state
universities.
“They have done a great job of making those connections
for students more seamless than it has been,” Frank said.
“That might be one of the reasons students are taking the
two-year option, because if they (change their minds), there
are lots of opportunities to continue at a four-year school.”
Stoughton Area School District school to career
coordinator Cindy Vaughn said many high school graduates
will start at a four-year university, don’t find success and go
back to work for a bit before often enrolling in a two-year
tech college.
“(Four-year) university is still the draw for the majority
(but) those going directly to a technical college or into an
industry certification program are growing in numbers,” she
said.
For those students who are unsure whether to attend a
two-year or four-year college, Cornille said it’s important to
have the option of later transferring to a state university.
“We transfer more students to UW-Madison than anyone
else does,” he said. “The best part is it allows you to
continue on a path to get more education if you want.”
Rising numbers
Frank said in the past three years, the percentage of
Verona Area High School graduates indicating they will
attend a four-year college has dropped from 70 to 63
percent, with number of graduates opting for a two-year
technical college rising from about 30 to 37 percent.
At Stoughton High School this past school year, of
seniors asked about post-secondary plans, 167 planned to
go to a four-year college (63 percent) and 54 planned to
enter a technical college or program (21 percent).
About 20 percent of Oregon High School graduates go
on to attend Madison College the year after graduation. By
three years after leaving high school, that number rises to
about 30 percent.
Aside from the opportunity to get good-paying jobs after
two years of schooling, Frank said the stigma of technical
schools has changed in the past few decades, as well.
“Tech colleges are a really great, viable option, and
there’s plenty of data out there that a lot of the two-year
degreed people are making more money than four-year
school graduates. You can actually get a really good job.”
DeForest Area School District coordinator for college
and career readiness Judi Walsh said while most students
still intend to pursue four-year degrees, less than half of
them reach that goal.
“The culture around this area is that everyone should
pursue a four-year degree, but we know from business and
industry that this is not always what people need,” she
said.. l
Operation Fresh Start
is a life-changing program
for Dane County’s
neediest youth
by Seth Jovaag
I
t’s a Tuesday morning in early August when Doug
Crowder answers my phone call. He’s standing in
a city park on Madison’s West side, mentoring a
group of so-called “at-risk” teens as they pull weeds for
a community service project.
“It’s funny, I was just telling them, ‘I come from
the same situation as you guys,’” says Crowder, 21.
“The big picture is just to show them they don’t
have to resort to being anything less than what
they want to be.”
If anyone can speak from experience, it’s
Crowder.
Originally from Birmingham, Ala., his childhood
was rough. His mother got pregnant after a one-
night stand; his dad was long gone before he was
born. Throughout his youth, Crowder’s mother
was addicted to drugs and, as kids sometimes do,
Crowder blamed himself for her plight.
When he was 13, his grandmother and aunt
traveled from Madison to pick him up and bring
him to the Midwest, hoping new surroundings
would give him a better life.
His mom later followed, and for a time, he
again lived with her – and her drug addiction – as
they moved house to house, sometimes monthly.
“It was bad,” he says. “I think I lived on every
side of town in Madison.”
By his sophomore year at La Follette
High School, Crowder had moved into his
grandmother’s apartment. His home life had
stabilized, but they were poor. Really poor. At
times they lacked electricity or food. Paying rent
was a struggle.
“When you’re poor, it kind of takes your mind
off of, ‘Let’s go to school and get good grades,’”
Operation
Fresh Start
16 YOUR FAMILY FALL 2014
FAMILY
OFS students secure the frame of a new greenhouse at
Silverwood Park near Edgerton. Photo by Seth Jovaag
Continued on page 18
he said. “It’s like, well, I don’t even know if I’m
going to eat tonight. It weighs on your mind very
heavily.” Crowder admits he was a teenager with
a chip on his shoulder. He’d fight anyone that
“looked at me wrong,” and fell in with a crowd
that shoplifted. He was falling behind in class, too.
And then a school police officer told him about
Operation Fresh Start, a program on Madison’s
East Side that, as the name suggests, offers
troubled teens a way out. He enrolled and was
accepted.
Within two years he had a high school diploma
and his sights set on a college degree. “It really
kind of changed my whole outlook on life.”
Building skills and trust
Helping teens like Crowder is essentially the
mission of OFS, says Greg Markle, executive
director of the non-profit organization.
More than 7,000 high school dropouts or other
“disconnected youth” between ages 16 and 24 have
passed through the program since it was launched
in 1970 by Jack Osteraas, a former Madison police
officer. The goal, both then and now, is to keep
kids from falling through the cracks by putting
them to work, both on real-world job sites and in
the classroom.
Each year, the group serves about 150 of Dane
County’s neediest young adults. To qualify, they
must come from low-income homes in which
their guardians earn less than $36,000 annually
for a four- person household. Roughly half are
“housing insecure,” a term that ranges from actual
homelessness to not having a residence secured
for more than a month or two into the future.
About three in 10 have a child of their own, and
some have criminal records.
The students can’t have another job or be
enrolled in high school while working at OFS.
Most importantly, they have to show they “want”
to be there during their application interviews,
Markle said. “They have to have some sort of
personal goal, where they understand there’s a
need for them to change something with how they
deal with the world in order to move forward.”
Four days a week, participants meet at 8 a.m.
at OFS headquarters on Winnebago Street to begin
eight- hour shifts. In groups of 10 or 12, they load
into red vans driven by OFS project supervisors to
one of a half-dozen job sites. One day a week, they
attend classes at OFS with on-site teachers, taking
FALL 2014 YOUR FAMILY 17
“Within two years I had a
high school diploma and my
sights set on a college degree.
It really kind of changed my
whole outlook on life.”
— Doug Crowder
FAMILY
Jonathan Enerson, an OFS student from Madison, waters produce grown
at Silverwood Park near Edgerton. Photo by Seth Jovaag
FAMILY
18 YOUR FAMILY FALL 2014
courses toward earning high school
diplomas.
For their efforts, students earn about
$700 a month and $2,000 in AmeriCorps
grants for post-secondary education.
They also get free breakfasts and lunches
on work days, job-hunting assistance and
health check-ups from a staff nurse.
Since 1970, OFS students have built
more than 200 affordable homes – mostly
in Madison but also in Cambridge,
Fitchburg and Sun Prairie – that are
sold exclusively to low-income families
in Dane County. They’ve also tackled
dozens of conservation projects, yanking
invasive shrubs, fixing broken picnic
tables, clearing trails or cleaning up
shorelines at area parks.
It’s physical, often sweaty work that
teaches kids lifelong skills and habits
to help them land jobs in the future,
Markle says. Perhaps more critically,
participants build trusting relationships
with adult mentors, which many of them
lack.
“When someone’s holding a ladder for
you, you have to trust them,” he said.
On a muggy morning in late July,
Markle introduced me to Dayne Meyer.
Meyer’s jeans, work boots and T-shirt
are flecked with off-white paint as he
trudges down the stairs from the second
floor of a duplex under construction on
Sun Prairie’s southeast side, one of about
five homes the organization builds each
year.
“We’re just painting the upstairs
bedroom today,” said Meyer, a 17-year-
old McFarland resident. Meyer’s story is
a familiar one for many OFS participants.
In high school, he said, he was getting
nowhere fast.
“I didn’t like going to class, period,”
he said. “I was rude a lot. I think I just
got sick of school and didn’t care.”
Some days, he’d intentionally get
kicked out of class, preferring in-school
suspension to following directions from
teachers. He didn’t do homework and,
even though he lived across the street
from school, was often late.
“I don’t know if I would have had
enough credits to graduate if I stayed
there,” he said.
Then a high school counselor, Janice
Gerlach, whom Meyer considers “a
second mother,” suggested
OFS. He took her advice, enrolled and
started last February.
He’s never worked harder, he said,
and he’s never been late to the job. “I
feel like I’ve grown up a lot since I’ve
been here.”
‘Extraordinary work’
OFS serves about 150 participants
annually and its waiting list usually tops
100, Markle said.
In the late 1990s, with the encourage-
ment of then-Gov. Tommy Thompson,
the group expanded its model to other
cities in Wisconsin. Today, there are
similar Fresh Start organizations in
cities ranging from Superior to Beloit,
Milwaukee to La Crosse, though
Madison’s is by far the largest.
With a $2.1 million annual budget,
the local group relies on donations from
corporations and citizens, as well as a
web of public funding from Dane County,
Madison, partnering school districts,
AmeriCorps and more.
Proceeds from selling student-built
homes help offset expenses, but most
sell at a loss, Markle said. Construction
is slow-going, as each home is really
viewed as a “job training site.”
But Markle argues that money spent
on at-risk teens pays huge dividends
down the road. He cites research
saying high school drop-outs can cost
communities an average of $250,000
over their lifetime, and he notes that
80 percent of prison inmates lack high
school diplomas.
By contrast, Markle says 80 percent
of OFS graduates move on to post-
secondary education or “self- sustaining”
jobs.
“They do extraordinary work,”
said Tom Linfield, vice president of
community impact for the Madison
operationfreshstart.org
Operation Fresh Start
workers enjoy a break
during a busy day of construction
and painting in Sun Prairie.
Photo by Jeremy Jones
FALL 2014 YOUR FAMILY 19
FAMILYLIFE
“It showed me that there are people
who care, that you can do better.”
Community Foundation, a financial
supporter of OFS. “They are taking kids
who probably would have zero chance of
graduating … and building them into the
kind of young people you’d want in your
community.”
In addition, OFS “plays a critical
role” in confronting one of Dane
County’s stickiest problems: the
wide socioeconomic divide between
whites and African-Americans, said
Erica Nelson, who helped author the
groundbreaking 2013 “Race to Equity”
report from the Wisconsin Council
on Children and Families. Among its
findings, the report showed African-
Americans here are unemployed at a rate
six times higher than whites, and they
were five to six times more likely to be
poor. In schools, black students are 15
times more likely to be suspended than
white students.
About 80 percent of OFS participants
are minorities, and the organization
offers those students “opportunities to
thrive” and “prove their employability,”
said Nelson, who also sits on the OFS
Board of Directors.
“Some of these kids go on to have
union-grade paying jobs,” she said. “It’s
not just being employed; these are actual
family-supporting jobs.”
Adapting the model
The housing bubble hit OFS hard in
the latter part of the last decade. With an
overabundance of homes on the market,
the group had too many that weren’t
selling.
To adapt, they expanded into
conservation efforts at area parks, a
venture that led to the creation earlier
this year of the Youth Conservation
Corps. Dane County’s 2014 budget
included a $64,000 taxpayer investment;
another $180,000 came from OFS.
From managing controlled burns at
Festge County Park near Cross Plains
to building trails at the new Silverwood
Farm Park near Edgerton, the
conservation crews are taking on jobs
that typically overwhelm county crews
or volunteers hoping to beautify local
parks, Markle said.
It’s another example of how OFS
benefits participants and the community
at large, he said.
“It will save the county money … and
it gives participants something they can
look at and say, ‘Yeah, I accomplished
that.’”
That sense of accomplishment is
something OFS alumni like Crowder
say is invaluable. Since wrapping up his
time with Fresh Start nearly three years
ago, he’s worked as a certified nursing
assistant, a lab technician and, most
recently, as a security guard, all while
earning general education credits at
Madison College. In January, he’ll enroll
in the school’s criminal justice program,
with the goal of becoming a police
officer.
Before OFS, he said he struggled to
find direction in life.
“Your parents are supposed to act as
motivators sometimes, and there was
never anything like that for me,” he said.
His time at OFS “showed me
that there are people who care,
that you can do better. It provided
a lot of the tools I need.” l
Working with Operation Fresh Start, local youth can find a passion and
direction while picking up some valuable skills. The organization also helps
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FAMILYLIFE
W
hen U.S. District Court
Judge Barbara Crabb ruled
Wisconsin’s ban on same-sex
marriage was unconstitutional June
6, couples flooded to clerks offices to
get their marriage licenses while they
could, especially in liberal areas such as
Dane and Milwaukee counties.
One week later, Crabb issued a
stay on her decision, meaning the ban
returned as law for the state.
State Attorney General J.B. Van
Hollen has appealed Crabb’s initial
decision, though federal court decisions
involving similar bans in other states
could ultimately determine the fate of
Wisconsin’s own ban, created in 2006
via a statewide referendum.
Your Family spoke with Dane County
Clerk Scott McDonell about the initial
rush to his office, the decision to
remain open late on June 6 and add
hours Saturday, June 7, and how his
own family reacted to his being part of
a historic week in Wisconsin.
Your Family: What was your first
reaction after Judge Crabb’s decision
to strike down the ban on same-sex
marriage?
Scott McDonell: Well, the very first
reaction was just trying to read it as
fast as I could and figure out what it
meant, because I knew there would be a
flood of phone calls and questions and
decisions to be made. That was kind of
a difficult 45 minutes trying to read it
and decipher what the next thing to do
was.
YF: Had you and your staff prepared
for the possibilities like this, or what
had you done ahead of time?
Scott: We were ready. If there was
a ruling saying ‘the same-sex marriage
law has been stricken, there’s no stay
attached to it,’ which is what we were
kind of expecting, we were prepared.
We’d had some training sessions for
some volunteers who were willing to
help do marriage licenses, we’d stocked
up on application forms and even
money to make change for folks, made
arrangements to stay open late. So we
had gotten all of that preparation done
in advance. The hard part was that the
ruling was a little bit unclear, so we
hadn’t quite anticipated having to do
as much legal analysis in as short an
amount of time.
YF: Who was involved in doing that
legal analysis with you?
Scott: It was a combination of
our corporation counsel here, and
then having some conversations with
Milwaukee County, as well. We had been
keeping in touch so that there wouldn’t
just be one county weighing in on this
by itself.
YF: What was the decision process to
extend the hours?
Scott: It was really just my call. I
thought we should stay open late and
then be open again on Saturday. We
were anticipating, based on things that
had happened in other states and what
happened when we had a domestic
partnership registry here a few years
ago, that we would see about 200
couples. We didn’t quite see 200 over
that weekend, though we did in that
full week time. Part of that was based
on reading the decision, it was our
conclusion that couples that had gotten
married out of state were now legally
married in Wisconsin. That could have
been a whole nother round of folks who
had maybe gone to Minnesota, Illinois
or somewhere else to get married,
whether they would have to do it again
here in Wisconsin. And it seemed clear
that that was not the case.
YF: Was the stay issued one week
later something you were expecting to
see?
Scott: What we asked was, ‘Don’t
issue a stay, it’s unnecessary. There’s
been several courts in a row have ruled
the same that this is a trend. Legally,
you’re not hanging out there, so you
don’t need to issue a stay.’ But what
we did ask for is clarity, so either do
it or don’t do it. We were a little bit
frustrated by the lack of clarity. That
was one thing we did ask for, so Judge
Crabb’s decision was, ‘OK, you’ve asked
for clarity, we’re going to be explicit in
a ruling that you’ll stop issuing marriage
licenses to same-sex couples.’
YF: Were there any specific moments
that stood out for you from the week?
Scott: Oh yeah. There was a lot.
There were several couples that – one
had waited 50 years to get married,
they’d been together 50 years and one
other couple had just gotten out of
the hospital and was very slow getting
down to the City-County Building. In
fact, I was really glad we stayed open
until 5, normally we close around 4:30
and they wouldn’t have made it if we
were closed at 4:30. It was really nice
to see them. There was another couple
that had decided, ‘Well, maybe they’ll
get married at some other point,’ and
then when they came down here as
sort of a last-second decision, became
overwhelmed by emotion. They had
their kids with them and it was sweet to
see that. There was a lot of examples all
weekend of folks who had waited a long
time for this day.
YF: Moving forward in your career,
how will you carry those with you?
by Scott Girard
Part of history Part of history
County clerk relives one crazy week of gay marriage
Scott McDonnell Scott McDonnell
FALL 2014 YOUR FAMILY 21
FAMILYLIFE
Scott: There’s a lot of days in county
government that aren’t all that exciting
or memorable, so it’s rewarding to be
part of something historic in the state
of Wisconsin and to be able to be there
when folks get the civil rights that
they’ve been denied for so long. It was
a long weekend, but it didn’t really feel
like work, either.
YF: What was it like to see the
couples with children and their families
all together?
Scott: It was great. Actually, the
first night it was little loud. What we
learned from the first night going into
the second day was wait out in the
hallway, because no one could hear
anybody. We kind of put the kibosh on
the whole clan being in the office at
the same time, but it was, for the first
evening, really exciting and we got by.
It was very festive. It’s not always just
about the couple, it’s about the family
members who are really happy for them
and are excited for them as well. Some
of the kids, you could tell, were like,
‘Something’s going on.’ They couldn’t
quite figure it out, but they’d never seen
their parents like this before. They’re
little, but they get something is going
on.
YF: What do you see as the future of
same-sex marriage in Wisconsin?
Scott: We knew it was going to
happen eventually. If you look at
the demographics, even 30-year-old
Republicans don’t think people should
be denied those rights. It was just a
matter of time. What surprised folks
was that it was accelerated so quickly.
Public opinion changed and the law
changed. I think it’s nice when you
can have a situation where you say,
‘Well, just be patient, wait for your
recognition as being equal.’ To see it
happen that much sooner is gratifying.
YF: What was it like for your own
family to see you in the middle of a
historic situation?
Scott: I was gone for days. My kids
at one point were with some friends,
because my wife was working. Usually
one of us can be there for them, so
they knew something was going on.
They were full of questions when I got
home late. They’re excited. Living in
Madison, some of their friends, one of
my youngest daughter’s best friends
has two moms. I don’t think she totally
grasped what was going on until this
happened.
YF: What was it like trying to explain
that to them?
Scott: They were pretty good about
it. They just thought, ‘Well if they love
each other, they should be together.’
It’s a little bit over their heads because
they’re little, but they were happy that
something exciting was going on. My
9-year-old got a better grasp of what
was going on than the 7-year-old. l
stoughtonhospital.com
Upcoming Classes
We were a little bit frustrated by the lack of
clarity. That was one thing we did ask for, so Judge
Crabb’s decision was, ‘OK, you’ve asked for clarity,
we’re going to be explicit in a ruling that you’ll stop
issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.’
YOUR FAMILY FALL 2014
FAMILYHEALTH
Make end-of-life decisions
before you get there
22 YOUR FAMILY FALL 2014
M
y hometown, La Crosse, has been
featured recently on National
Public Radio (NPR), as well as in
numerous health care journals.
La Crosse is a jewel of a town nestled
between the bluffs and the Mississippi
River in the unglaciated region. It is an
all-American City and is often referred to
as “one of the best places to live” but is
getting more well known as a great place
to die.
The popular NPR program, “Planet
Money” related the city’s unusual
experience, where 96 percent of those
who die have given clear instructions
for what they want done in the event of
serious illness or death.
Just imagine that for a moment.
Almost everyone you know has done
advance care planning before they die.
Nationally, of course, the average
is far lower, with several recent polls
finding less than half of people creating
living wills or other forms of advance
care planning.
Advance care planning is a process
across time of understanding, reflecting
on and discussing future medical
decisions, including end-of-life
preferences. It is always better to have
this conversation earlier in life rather
than later.
The process is crucial to assist those
closest to you and your physician(s)
BY STEPHEN RUDOLPH
Advance Directives
Some of the most common advance directives are listed
below. For forms valid in Wisconsin and some information, visit
dhs.wisconsin.gov/forms/advdirectives.
Living Will (also a Declaration to Physician)
A living will describes the kind of medical treatments or life-
sustaining treatments you would want if you were seriously
or terminally ill. It doesn’t let you select someone to make
decisions for you. For a template of a living will in Wisconsin
visit doyourownwill.com/living-will/states.html.
Power of Attorney (PoA) for health care
A Power of Attorney for health care states whom you have
chosen to make health care decisions for you. It becomes
active any time you are unconscious or unable to make
medical decisions. A DPA is generally more useful than a living
will. But a DPA may not be a good choice if you don’t have
another person you trust to make these decisions for you. For
information, visit caringinfo.org/files/public/ad/wisconsin.pdf or
gundersenhealth.org/advance-care.
PoA for finances and property
A Power of Attorney for finances and property allows you
to plan for future financial decisions even if you are unable
to make your own decisions. You do not give up any rights to
control your finances or property, rather you give your agent,
as well as yourself the authority to handle your finances and
property.
Do not resuscitate (DNR) order
A DNR is a request not to have cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR) if your heart stops or if you stop breathing.
Unless given other instructions, hospital staff will try to help
any patient whose heart has stopped or who has stopped
breathing. You can use an advance directive form or tell your
doctor that you don’t want to be resuscitated. Your doctor will
put the DNR order in your medical chart. Doctors and hospitals
in all states accept DNR orders. Information concerning
do-not-resuscitate orders and bracelets is available on the
Division of Public Health, Bureau of Local Health Support
and Emergency Medical Services at: dhs.wisconsin.gov/ems/
EMSunit/DNR.htm
Authorization for final disposition
This document allows a competent adult to designate
another competent adult to make funeral arrangements on his
or her behalf.
Beware of the fine print
* Advance directives are legally valid throughout the United
States. While you do not need a lawyer to fill out an advance
directive, your advance directive becomes legally valid as soon
as you sign them in front of the required witnesses.
The laws governing advance directives vary from state
to state, so it is important to complete and sign advance
directives that comply with your state’s law. Also, advance
directives can have different titles in different states.
* Emergency medical technicians cannot honor living wills
or medical powers of attorney. Once emergency personnel
have been called, they must do what is necessary to stabilize
a person for transfer to a hospital, both from accident sites and
from a home or other facility.
After a physician fully evaluates the person’s condition and
determines the underlying conditions, advance directives can
be implemented.
* One state’s advance directive does not always work in
another state. Some states do honor advance directives from
another state; others will honor out-of-state advance directives
as long as they are similar to the state’s own law; and some
states do not have an answer to this question.
The best solution is if you spend a significant amount of
time in more than one state, you should complete the advance
directives for all the states you spend a significant amount of
time in.
* Advance directives do not expire. An advance directive
remains in effect until you change it. If you complete a new
advance directive, it invalidates the previous one.
* You should review your advance directives periodically to
ensure that they still reflect your wishes. If you want to change
anything in an advance directive once you have completed it,
you should complete a whole new document.
FALL 2014 YOUR FAMILY 23
FAMILYHEALTH
to provide you the best care when
you cannot make your own decisions.
Through this process you can create
a plan. This plan is called an advance
directive.
Advance care planning includes
understanding your health care treatment
options, clarifying your health care goals,
weighing your options about what kind
of care and treatment you would want
or not want, making decisions about
whether you want to appoint a health
care agent and/or complete an advance
directive, communicating your wishes
and sharing any documents with your
family, friends, clergy, other advisors and
physician and other health care people.
Planning for future medical decisions
should not to be taken lightly or entered
into on a whim. It makes an important
difference only when you have taken time
to engage in the process of planning.
In La Crosse, talking about death is
a comfortable conversation — because
they started talking about it years ago --
in the mid 1980s. It is universally agreed
that this approach to serious health
problems or death makes it much easier
on those left behind.
Nurses and other caregivers at
both Franciscan Mayo and Gundersen
in La Crosse started asking patients
questions like: If you reach a point where
treatments will extend your life by a
few months and side effects are pretty
serious, would you want doctors to stop,
or continue to do all that could be done?
And a lot of patients said stop.
Stopping, of course, is generally less
expensive than continuing treatment. So
it shouldn’t be surprising that La Crosse
spends less on health care for patients
at the end of life than any other place in
the country, according to the Dartmouth
Health Atlas.
The Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care
documents the vast difference in health
care costs from one place in the country
to another. At Gundersen, the cost of care
for someone in the last two years of life
is about $18,000. The national average is
close to $26,000. At one hospital in New
York City, it’s more than $75,000.
It’s not that dying people in La Crosse
are denied care. Rather, the study has
shown the people in La Crosse have
thought out their wishes in advance, so
they get exactly the care they want. And
often that means avoiding excessive,
unnecessary and unwanted care.
Advance directives include living
wills, power of attorney for health
care and for finances and property,
“do not resuscitate” (DNR) orders,
and designating a person for funeral
arrangements.
By creating an advance directive,
you are making your preferences about
medical care or your death known before
you’re faced with a serious injury or
illness. This can spare your loved ones
the stress of making decisions about your
care while you are sick and make sure
their decisions are aligned with what you
want.
Any person 18 years of age or older
can prepare an advance directive.
Discussions about end-of-life care
should be the norm rather than the
exception. But even as uncomfortable as
it is for many of us now, if it meaningfully
reduces patient anxiety and medical
expenditures, and if it helps ensure that
older Americans get the treatment they
want rather than the treatment their
relatives want for them, it’s an effort well
worth pursuing. l
Stephen P. Rudolph is the owner
of Comfort Keepers of South Central
Wisconsin, a home care agency that
provides skilled nursing and personal
care services for aging adults, those
with disabilities and others needing
assistance
Skaalen is located in a quiet residential
neighborhood. The beautiful campus offers
walking paths and comfortable outdoor spaces.
Skaalen’s continuum of care provides
residents a full menu of living options
from which to choose.
INDEPENDENT CONDOMINIUMS
ASSISTED LIVING
THERAPY AND WELLNESS CENTER
SKILLED NURSING
MEMORY CARE
Skaalen
RETIREMENT SERVICES
400 North Morris Street • Stoughton, WI 53589 • 608.873.5651 • www.skaalen.com
YOUR FAMILY FALL 2014
FAMILY
L
ocal school districts and senior
centers have adopted a new form
of community service over the
past few years – teaching technology to
senior citizens.
Senior centers in Verona, Stoughton,
Monona and Sun Prairie offer technical
assistance to senior citizens, and the
programs are growing in popularity.
The Stoughton model originated from
Glen McNaughton, president of the Key
Club, a community service organization
in Stoughton. As part of the club, high
school students have the opportunity
to join the service organization, which
brings service to the community and
particularly senior citizens.
McNaughton said that in the past,
students helped seniors with domestic
duties like raking yards, but a few
years ago the club decided to partner
with Stoughton High School to offer
technology assistance to seniors. At
the help sessions, students familiarize
seniors with new technology and social
media like iPads, laptops, Skype and
Facebook.
McNaughton said the technology
helps seniors re-enter the community, at
least digitally.
“After retirement, some seniors might
feel isolated from the community but
technology re-connects them with
their friends and the larger community,”
he said.
For people like 89-year-old Marylis
Hansen, it’s a way to keep in touch.
“I’m able to talk to family members
when I’m vacationing in Florida,” she
said
Verona Area High School has also
adopted a similar program. Business
education and technology instructor
Rita Mortenson thought of the idea after
many visits to the public library.
“I was amazed at how many people
were in line just waiting for computers,”
she said. “I thought, ‘What if we were
to come to people instead of expecting
them to come to the library?’”
Mortenson decided to target the older
population because she noticed the
particular challenges seniors face.
“What happens to people 50 and above
… can we expect them to wait in long
lines at the apple store for instruction?
“ she said. “Why not bring technology to
them in a low-pressure environment?”
Through a grant, VAHS was able to
purchase iPads and Chromebooks for
teaching materials.
“Seniors are interested in apps that
enhance their lifestyles, like health and
Seniors, students teaming up to teach technology
by Samra Teferra
The changing face
of community service
The changing face
of community service
FALL 2014 YOUR FAMILY 25
FAMILYLIFE
Technology for seniors is a
growing topic in the business
world. According to SF Gate, a San
Francisco Bay Area website, the
number of baby boomers in the
nation is 76 million; with the oldest
aged 68.
Seniors themselves are
often surprised at the growth
of technology over the years.
Maureen Park, a 79-year-old
retired custodian remembers with
amazement at how quickly things
have changed.
“This new technology is
amazing,” she said. “When we
first got computers in school we
couldn’t touch them. Now you have
to use a computer just to punch in.”
wellness and gardening,” Mortenson said.
In addition to helping seniors,
students also benefit from the programs,
said Stoughton Area Senior Center
volunteer director Theresa Pellet.
“The intergenerational piece is
twofold,” she said. “The youth build
communication skills on how to
communicate with older adults, which
is important in our business world.
The future consumers will be older
adults and the ability to communicate
effectively with this population is
essential.”
Most importantly, it’s the
interpersonal connections that bring
youth and seniors together.
“Some seniors come to the senior
center just to have a connection with the
youth,” Pellet said. “Some of them don’t
have grandchildren near by so the time is
more that just a technology lesson.”
Similarly, volunteers find just as
much meaning in their efforts, said
UW-Madison engineering student Matt
Terrance.
“It’s nice to give back,” he said. “It’s
nice to work with seniors – I hear good
stories, get good advice – it’s more than
just technology.”
The movement to connect seniors
and students though technology is
growing, as well. Monona, Sun Prairie
and Middleton senior centers have
senior technology programs, and Oregon,
Waunakee and Mount Horeb have had
programs in the past.
The common thread that underlines
all of the programs is the spirit of
community service, said McNaughton.
“It’s about kids teaching adults,” he
said. “The greatest thing is that kids are
teaching 70-80 year olds … just laughing
and getting along.” l
“After retirement, some
seniors might feel isolated
from the community but
technology re-connects
them with their
friends and the larger
community.”
Glen McNaughton
Growing
trend
At the Stoughton Area Senior Center, members of the Key Club, a high-school student-based community service organization,
hold regular “tech expos” to help seniors connect to new technology and social media. Photos by Derek Spellman
Photo by Derek Spellman Photo by Samra Teferra
YOUR FAMILY FALL 2014 26 YOUR FAMILY FALL 2014
FAMILYLIFE
M
ost families understand that
someday they will have to
seriously prepare for post-
secondary education for their children.
But one of the main challenges facing
parents is that they have not defined
what it means to be successful when it
comes to the college.
There are four central components to
college success.
The right school
We want our student to attend the
most appropriate school. When I refer to
college, I am referring to the time after
high school.
In this sense, “college” could mean
the traditional four-year brick-and-
mortar structure such as UW Madison
or Edgewood. It could also mean a two-
year college, an apprenticeship program,
joining the military or the Peace Corps.
Truth be told, one doesn’t need to
go to college to be happy. The most
appropriate school is that place which
brings out the best in our children.
Graduating on time
We want our student graduate in
a reasonable amount of time. It is
important for young adults to learn to
finish what they start.
In Wisconsin, over 40 percent of
students who begin at a four-year college
do not finish with a degree from that
institution. That is a very high percentage
of people who either transferred (more
time and money) or dropped out along
the way.
Keeping the cost down
We want our student to attend college
for the least amount of loans and out-of-
pocket expenses. Loans need to be paid
back, after all.
The fact is, most families pay too
much for their child’s education and take
out too many loans (i.e., not maximizing
scholarship funding). This does not mean,
however, that the least expensive school
is the best one for our child.
Remember, if you can spend less
money on college, you have more money
for other things.
The right degree
Ultimately, we want our student to be
happy and successful doing something
related to what was studied.
We all know of colleagues and friends
who are not passionate about what they
do; dreading go to work is a high price to
pay at the end of a college education. In
addition, many graduates do not have a
real sense of how much they are able to
earn with their post-secondary education.

The final word
Last, but not least, we as parents want
to retire someday. To college success
belongs the concept that Mom and Dad
do not postpone retirement in order to
help their children.
As Stephen Covey once wrote: Start
with the end in mind. Having a clear goal
helps us focus our attention and use our
valuable time better. l
Robert DeCock, certified College
Planning Specialist, founded the
Parents Planning 4 College, LLC
(Formally Quest College Program)
in Middleton. For information, visit
parentsplanning4college.com.
PLANNING FOR COLLEGE
BY ROBERT DECOCK
Define college success
before you start
Junior Leagues
Forming in September
Children’s Birthday Parties
OPEN BOWLING DAILY
Call for lane availability
Corporate Parties
Banquet Facilities
Specials on Drinks & Food
Friday
Fish
Fry
Daily
Lunch
Specials
FALL 2014 YOUR FAMILY 27
FAMILYFUN
Y
ou’re ready to hunker down.
With summer coming to an end, you’re ready to nest, cuddle up, to almost
hibernate. It’s that time of year and, fortunately for you, these three books by three
Wisconsin authors are perfect for doing just that….
Wi sconsi n
By
Terri Schlichenmeyer
B
o
o
k
s
Dead Lil’ Hustler
If you spent your summer fishing – or
if you can’t wait to do a little of it on
the ice this winter – then you’ll want
to read “Dead Lil’ Hustler” by Victoria
Houston. You might hook a killer.
When a snowmobile suit full of
bones was found on a creek in Northern
Wisconsin, Loon Lake Police Chief
Lewellyn “Lew” Ferris figured she knew
the identity of the deceased. Earlier in
the year, a big-city bank executive had
been reported missing and, since few
people ever ventured that far into the
heavy wilderness, the list of missing
persons was short. Unfortunately, that
wasn’t the only body in the woods….
This latest installment of the Loon
Lake Mysteries can be read alone and
out of order, if you please. If you’re up
for a gentle whodunit with no profanity
or gore, this is a book to catch.
Risking Everything
Not long ago, when a volunteer
expressed surprise at what he
discovered about the Civil Rights
Movement, historian Michael Edmonds
realized that the young man only knew
“a children’s book understanding … a
sanitized version…” of the movement.
In his new book, “Risking Everything,”
Edmonds sets the record straight.
In the winter of 1963-64, after “much
discussion,” the Student Nonviolent
Coordinating Committee (SNCC)
decided to move forward with plans
for voter registration in the state of
Mississippi. They initially called it the
Mississippi Summer Project but it later
became known as Freedom Summer.
Through eyewitness reports and
information from more than 40
documents, editor Edmonds brings
readers an in-the-trenches look at
Freedom Summer in a way you’ll
never get from any class. Included
are letters to home from Freedom
workers, training manuals, essays,
testimonies, transcripts, photographs,
and curriculums; as Edmonds himself
says, “No punches are pulled.”
Vintage
And finally, you know what it’s like to
put on a favorite sweater.
It might be a little beat-up, worn
on one elbow, and as far from haute
couture as you can get, but you really
don’t care. Wearing it makes you feel
warm, inside and out and, as you’ll see
in “Vintage” by Susan Gloss, new friends
can give you that same feeling.
Ever since Violet Turner got
divorced, left her small Northern
Wisconsin hometown and moved to
Madison, life was almost exactly what
she’d envisioned. Hourglass Vintage, the
clothing boutique Violet owned, fulfilled
her dream of a career in fashion, which
was something she wanted practically
her whole life.
She figured it would be her dream
alone. She could do it by herself – but
no woman is an island, and friends have
ways of changing lives as easily as a
change of clothing.
If you’re tired of heavy drama,
screaming plots and unbelievable
characters, this book is the perfect
antidote. Grab your sweater, grab a
chair and grab “Vintage.” You might find
that it’s just your style. l
Read On...
...On Wisconsin
28 YOUR FAMILY FALL 2014
FAMILYLIFE
THE ORGANIZED HOME
BY NANCY KRUSCHKE, CPO
I
f your family was totally
disconnected this summer because
they had little or no routines or
because of sporting activities, lessons,
summer school, camps, sleepovers, or
different schedules, you might want to
consider implementing family meetings
this fall.
Family meetings are a good way to
help you communicate better, bring
everyone closer together and have some
fun.
I can almost hear the collective
groans from parents and even kids as
you read the words “Family Meetings.”
But don’t stop reading; it’s going to get
good. The benefits far outweigh the
initial uncomfortableness of the first
couple of family meetings.
Research has shown that weekly
family meetings can strengthen the
family bond, create harmony, and
experience more depth and connection
with those they love.
Here are some guidelines to assist
you in starting and holding family
meetings:
Getting buy-in
Take time to explain the idea to your
significant other and the kids. That it
is a fun idea to make it easier to work
out problems that come up. Serving
delicious snacks can help.
It is important to involve everyone
who is living in the house. In-laws,
foster kids, foreign exchange students,
friends and relatives.
Same time each week
Review everyone’s schedule to find
the best time during the week for the
meeting.
When I was growing up, that
was Sunday evening after dinner.
It seemed to be the only time
we were all at the table.
Determine the most
comfortable location; it might
be the dining room table, the
living room couches and chairs or even
outside on the deck or lawn.
Create an agenda
Determine what you’d like the family
meeting to cover.
You might want to start with what
everyone is appreciative of from the
week, the funniest thing that happened
at school or around the neighborhood,
something wonderful my family did for
me or that I did for my family.
Keeping it fun and having a sense
of humor makes it much easier to
communicate.
Next, ask if anyone has an issue
to bring up. Examples: kids fighting,
household chores, upcoming events or
trips, bedtime issues, parents working
too much, not making school or sporting
events. Let each member speak freely.
Keep the conversation short, maybe
even put time limits on each issue to
allow all of the issues to be discussed.
If a solution cannot be reached at that
time, defer it until more information can
be obtained or potential solutions can
be determined.
Finally, consider having discussions
involving money. This can be about
school fees, trips, vacation, sport fees,
lessons, etc.
Money discussions can often be a
sore spot under the best circumstances,
so don’t think this will be any different.
The family meeting forum can give
you an opportunity to share family
budgeting with the entire family and
increase everyone’s understanding that
money does not grow on trees.
Lead and record
An additional way to involve
everyone is by rotating who will lead
(run the agenda) and record (the
meeting minutes). This can help validate
the value of the meeting and decisions.
Remember, the parenting is best done
by example, so make sure you follow
through and do what you say you’re
going to do.
You might want to post the minutes
of the meeting on the refrigerator so
everyone can be reminded of plans for
the week and decisions made.
Wrap it up
Similar to a work meeting, end
the family meeting by recapping any
decisions that were made. Reviewing
what the upcoming week will look like:
appointments, trips, rides needed, etc.
To bring that happy, fun, lightness to
the wrapup, you might ask each person
what they are looking forward to in the
upcoming week.
Also, you might want to end the
meeting with a fun experience. Maybe a
family game, favorite dessert or popcorn
and a movie. This could be decided by a
different family member each week.
Holding a weekly family meeting
can be one of the highest return on
investment you will ever make. It
gives you an opportunity to teach your
kids how to love, the importance of
communication, patience, listening
skills, meeting skills, compromise, value
of money, and the list goes on.
So I encourage you to make plans
to hold the best meeting you will ever
attend with the people you love the
most and enjoy being a family. l
Nancy Kruschke,
Productivity Coach and
Certified Professional
Organizer is the owner of
Successful Organizing
Solutions (S.O.S.).
For more tips, visit
SOSorganize.net.
Meetings aren’t just for work
Gai Yaang (Thai BBQ Chicken)
Buttermilk Cornbread
Jamaica Lime Pie
Akoori (Indian Scrambled Eggs)
2
4
FALL 2014 YOUR FAMILY 29
30 YOUR FAMILY FALL 2014
Buttermilk Cornbread
Serves 6 to 8
1 cup fne yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
1 cup unbleached all-purpose four
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 extra-large egg
4 tablespoons melted butter
3 tablespoons honey
1 cup buttermilk
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Put the cornmeal, four, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl,
and stir with a wooden spoon until thoroughly mixed.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg with the melted butter, honey and buttermilk.
Stir into the dry ingredients to make a thick, smooth batter. Transfer the mixture to
the prepared pan and spread evenly.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden and a toothpick inserted into the
center comes out clean. Turn out onto a bread board, cut into large squares and
serve warm.
Gai Yaang (Thai BBQ Chicken)
Serves 4
4 bone-in chicken quarters with skin on
BBQ Marinade
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons fsh sauce (nam pla)
2 tablespoons cooking sherry
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
4 tablespoons palm or brown sugar
2 tablespoons minced lemongrass
1 fresh hot red or green chili, preferably Thai (deseeded if you prefer less heat),
fnely sliced
2 tablespoons honey
Dipping Sauce
1/2 cup rice or white vinegar
1/3 cup palm or brown sugar
1 tablespoon fnely chopped shallots
1-1/2 teaspoons Asian chili sauce, preferably Sriracha
1 tablespoon fsh sauce (nam pla)
BBQ marinade: Whisk together the garlic, pepper, fsh sauce, sherry, sesame
oil, palm sugar, lemongrass, chili, and honey. Place the chicken in a large sealable
plastic bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken. Place in the refrigerator for at
least 2 hours (up to overnight).
Dipping sauce: Bring vinegar, palm sugar, shallots, chili sauce, and fsh sauce
to a boil in a small sauce pan over high heat, stirring to combine. Reduce heat to
medium low and allow to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
Heat a grill to medium and brush with oil. Place the chicken on the grill skin
side down and grill for about 15 minutes. Brush the uncooked side with the BBQ
marinade, then fip the chicken over. Grill the second side for about 15 minutes.
Discard the marinade. When the chicken is cooked through, transfer it to a
serving platter and serve with the dipping sauce.
Jamaica Lime Pie
Serves 6
Filling
4 large egg yolks
1 large egg white
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 partially baked 9-inch pie crust, chilled
Meringue
3 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
6 tablespoons sugar
To make the flling: In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks and egg white until
they are very thick and lemon-colored. Stir in the condensed milk, lime juice and
salt until well blended. Pour into the chilled pie shell. Refrigerate for several hours
to allow the flling to set.
Shortly before serving, make the meringue. Preheat the oven to 425 F. In a
large bowl, beat the 3 egg whites with the cream of tartar until they form soft
peaks. Gradually beat in the sugar, and continue beating until it is dissolved. By
then the meringue should be stiff and glossy. Spread over the flling, being sure to
seal the edges well so that the meringue will not shrink.
Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, or until delicately browned. Let cool away from
drafts.
Akoori (Indian Scrambled Eggs)
Serves 4 to 6
8 eggs
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons fnely chopped green chilé (see tip below)
1 cup chopped tomato
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Tomato wedges and cilantro sprigs, for garnish
In a bowl, gently whisk eggs, salt and pepper. Do not beat.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat and add cumin seeds. Stir in
onion and green chilé and sauté until golden, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add tomato and sauté, stirring continuously, for 1 minute. Stir in cayenne,
turmeric and cilantro. Cook for 1 minute longer. Reduce heat to medium-low and
slowly add egg mixture. Cook, stirring gently, until eggs are soft and creamy, 3 to
4 minutes. Do not overcook.
Serve garnished with tomato wedges and cilantro sprigs.
Tip: The important thing in Indian cooking is to use a chilé pepper with spirit.
Fresh cayenne peppers, or any similar ones, would work very well. If using Thai
peppers, now readily available in North America, use only half the amount called
for in the recipe. In a pinch, jalapenõs also can be used.
Send your favorite recipe(s) to [email protected]
Send your favorite recipe(s) to [email protected]
2
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FALL 2014 YOUR FAMILY 31
FAMILYLIFE
F
or most parents of young
children, the primary asset that
would be available should a
death occur is life insurance.
Often, when I meet with parents,
I find that they have named their
children as the direct beneficiaries of
their life insurance policies. While the
intent is to protect their children, most
parents do not understand the potential
consequences of this strategy.
In Wisconsin, state law determines
that a child will be entitled to receive
insurance proceeds at the age of 18. In
the meantime, the insurance company
will not release the proceeds until a
guardian has been appointed by the
court.
The guardian will have limited
discretion regarding how the funds can
be used or distributed. Further, if a
child’s biological parents are divorced
or otherwise separated, the surviving
biological parent will most likely be
named as the child’s guardian and
therefore the person who is authorized
to manage the life insurance proceeds.
This arrangement is often contrary to
the deceased parent’s intent.
When minors are involved, a better
strategy is to establish a trust within
your will (known as a testamentary
trust) or within a revocable living
trust and to name this trust as the
beneficiary of your life insurance
policy. The advantage is that you can
choose the trustee (who will be in
charge of the proceeds), and you can
also determine the terms under which
the assets can be used and distributed
from the trust.
For example, you could name your
current spouse, your parent or your
sibling as the trustee and authorize the
trustee to distribute as much of the
trust assets as he or she determines is
appropriate for your children’s health,
education, maintenance or support
until each child reaches the age of 25
or 30.
A qualified estate planning attorney
can recommend the best strategy for
your situation, especially pertaining to
the establishment and use of a trust. l
Attorney Dera L. Johnsen-Tracy is
a shareholder and co-founder of Horn
& Johnsen SC, a Madison law firm
dedicated to estate planning, business
law, and real estate.
ESTATE PLANNING
BY DERA L. JOHNSEN-TRACY
Be careful when naming children
as beneficiaries
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YOUR FAMILY FALL 2014
If you know of an event that should be in this calendar, e-mail [email protected]
FALL 2014 CALENDAR
Sept. 20
Taste of Cross Plains and Hill Valley car show: Samples of food plus kids’
boat regatta, fly fishing, guided hike, bike tour, crossplainschamber.
net
REAP Food for Thought Festival, Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Madison:
Cooking demos, kids events and guest speakers focus on sustainable
eating, reapfoodgroup.org
Arts and Sparks in the Park, Ralph Park, Fort Atkinson: Welding rodeo
and fine arts and crafts fair, silent auction, fortartscouncil.org
Fall Fest, Cambridge: Scarecrow building, hay rides, face painting,
petting farm animals, contests, fun run and family wellness fair,
cambridgewi.com
Fall Fest, Mukwanago: Chili cookoff, apple picking, train rides, hay
rides, kids entertainment, food and more, mukwonagochamber.org
Rockman Challenge, Watertown: Paddle on the Rock River, bike, run
and military-style obstacle course, watertownchallenge.org
Kilby Supper, Swiss United Church, New Glarus: Church members wel-
comed back from their summer of farming in the Alps, swisstown.com
Sept. 20-21
St. Ann Fall Festival, St. Ann Church, Stoughton: crafts, games, auction,
rides, food and beverages and 5K run/walk, stannparish.4lpi.com
Sept. 26-28
Madison Classic’s Fall Car Show and Swap Meet, Jefferson County Fair
Park: one of the largest car shows in the Midwest with more than
3,100 vendor stalls, jeffersonswapmeet.com
Warrens Cranberry Festival, Warrens: crafts, demonstrations, flea mar-
ket, food, cranfest.com
Midwest Cornish Festival, Mineral Point: Historic tours, demonstrations,
ethnic food, music, movies, entertainment, cornishfest.org
Oktoberfest, New Glarus: Music, games, rides, food, tractor-drawn
wagon rides, historical displays and events, free shuttle and cab rides,
www.swisstown.com
Sept. 27
Fall Color Festival, Kettle Moraine State Forest: mountain bike event at
John Muir trails, children’s ride and activity tent, fallcolorfestival.org
Autumnfest, Brodhead: Chili contest, music, farmer’s market, sidewalk
sales, kids’ activities, cityofbrodheadwi.us
Sterling North Book and Film Festival, Edgerton, sterlingnorthbookfes-
tival.com
Brew-B-Que, Lodi: Block party, barbecue contest, chili cookoff, salsa
contest, music, games, lodilakewisconsin.org
Monroe Street Festival, Madison: annual street sale with family-friendly
entertainment, monroestreetfestival.com
10Fest, Overture Center, Madison: Celebrate the Overture Center’s 10
year anniversary with a block party full of performances and kids’
activities, overturecenter.org
Sept. 28
Barktoberfest, Cambridge: canine festival with vendors, rescue groups,
demonstrations, costumes and contests, cambridgewi.com
Henry Vilas Zoo Run, Madison: Seventh annual run features a 5K and
10K run, with proceeds going to renovate the zoo, vilaszoo.org
Sept. 30-Oct. 4
World Dairy Expo, Alliant Energy Center, Madison: A world-class trade
show featuring around 2,200 heads of dairy cattle, worlddairyexpo.
com
Oct. 2-5
Janesville Irish Festival, exhibitions, entertainment, music, food, chil-
dren’s events, janesvillecvb.com
Oct. 3-5
Indian Summer, Ashippun: living history event, carriage rides, flute and
drum circle, tipi tours and demonstrations, dirtykettle.com
Oct. 4
Autumn Fest, Jefferson: horse-drawn wagon rides, street vendors, shop-
ping, fall colors along the scenic Rock River, jeffersonchamberwi.com
Pipers in the Prairie, Aldo Leopold Nature Center, Monona: Celtic music,
drinks, food, silent auction, Irish dance demonstration, aldoleopold-
naturecenter.org
Run From the Cops, Watertown: donuts and 10K, 5K and 1-mile youth
run supports victims of domestic violence, watertownrunfromthecops.
com
Tyranena Oktoberfest Bike Ride, Lake Mills: charity fun ride through
Jefferson County, live music, tyranena.com
Fall festival, Albany: music, entertainment, craft fair, kids’ tractor pull,
albany-chamber.org
FALL 2014 YOUR FAMILY
FALL 2014 CALENDAR
Oct. 4-5
Fall Heritage Festival, Mount Horeb: Life-sized mythical creatures line
streets as activities include quilt show, buggy rides, antique tractor
show and Host Frokost, Norwegian fall breakfast, trollway.com
Oct. 4-13
Fermentation Fest, Reedsburg: Celebrate live culture farming with tast-
ings, culinary classes, performances and the self-guided, interactive
Farm/Art Tour, fermentationfest.com
Oct. 5
Fall Festival of Color, Lake Mills: An outdoor fall festival with arts and
crafts, produce, kid events and food vendors, lakemills.org
Oct. 10
Gallery Night, Madison: Receptions, tours and demonstrations at muse-
ums, galleries and businesses throughout the city, mmoca.org
Oct. 10-11
Lorine Niedecker Wisconsin Poetry Festival, Fort Atkinson: workshops,
speakers, open poetry readings, round tables, landmark tours and
writers cafe honors late poet, lorineniedecker.org
Oct. 10-12
Mid-Continent Railway Autumn Color, Freedom: Train tours, midconti-
nent.org
Oct 11
Durward’s Glen Fall Festival, Baraboo: guided tractor tours, flea market,
vendors, food and refreshments, durwardsglen.org
Fall Fair on the Square, Baraboo: arts and crafts, farmer’s market, food
court, kinds entertainment, music, downtownbaraboo.com
Fire Department open house, Fire station 1, Fitchburg: vehicles, refresh-
ments, staff, demonstrations, fitchburgchamber.com
Governor Hoard Day Celebration, Fort Atkinson: celebration Wisconsin’s
Dairyland, hoardmuseum.org
Taste of Sauk Prairie: facebook.com/saukprairieharleydavidson
Oct. 11-12
Oktoberfest, Lake Geneva: Food and craft booths, restaurant and shop-
ping specials, wagon hayrides, kids entertainment, music, magic,
pumpkin giveaway, lakegenevawi.com
Gathering of Rogues and Ruffians, Wilhelm Tell grounds, New Glarus:
Renaissance fair with a variety of performers, artisans dressed in
period agatheringofroguesandruffians.com
Oct. 12
Harvest Fest, Swiss Historical Village, New Glarus: Old-time artisan
demonstrations of cheesemaking, sausage, blacksmithing, swisshis-
toricalvillage.org
Oct. 13
Run for Trey, Whitewater: 5K run/walk, brat fry, bouncy houses,
treysfield.org
Oct. 16-19
Wisconsin Science Festival, various locations, Madison: interactive exhib-
its, workshops and lectures for any age, wisconsinsciencefest.org
Wisconsin Book Festival, Madison: Readings, lectures, discussions, work-
shops, interviews, children’s events, wisconsinbookfestival.org
Oct. 17-19
Autumn Harvest Festival, Wisconsin Dells: Hayrides, music, entertain-
ment, pumpkin decoration, dells.com
Fall Art Tour, Baraboo: fallarttour.com
Oct. 18
Candlelight Hike, Lake Kegonsa State Park: dnr.wi.gov
Great Pumpkin Give-Away, Oak Bank, Fitchburg: Benefit with pump-
kins, music, prizes, activities, horse and carriage rides, oakbankon-
line.com
Snowmobile Show, Jefferson County Fair Park: Indoor vintage/antique
show, outdoor swap and vintage grass drags, jcsawi.com
Oregon Firefighter/EMS Craft Fair, Oregon Middle School: oregonar-
eafireems.org
Oct. 18-19
The Pumpkin Special, Mid Continent Railway Museum, North Freedom:
Pick your Halloween pumpkin and ride, midcontinent.org
Oct. 19
Bridal Fair, Whitewater: whitewaterchamber.com
Oct. 23
Ghouls Night Out, Whitewater: Halloween and costume fun, various
locations uptown for sweets and activities, whitewaterchamber.com
Oct. 24
Fall Fest, Aldo Leopold Nature Center, Monona: Explore the “bone
yard,” search for hidden creatures while “trick or tracking” and join
the costume parade, aldoleopoldnaturecenter.org
34 YOUR FAMILY FALL 2014
FAMILYCHATTER
What is your favorite part
about a Wisconsin autumn?
The first cold
morning, when you
wake up and have
to put a jacket on.
That moment when
you know it’s here.
Reggie Manning,
Milwaukee, 37
Just nice
temperatures and
the changing of
the trees.
Peter Farrens,
Madison, 66
The nice cold
weather and the
cumulus clouds in
the sky. Oh and the
nice autumn attire.
Shane Patton,
Madison, 29
What do I like
about it? I don’t
like it. It means
winter is coming
and work starts to
slow. it means no
more shorts and no
more dresses.
Kirk Jones,
Madison, 46
Well, I haven’t
spent a fall in
Wisconsin yet.
We are just here
moving our kid
into school. But
in Minnesota I
like the colors of
the leaves and the
scenery changes.
Rob Thompson,
Minneapolis, 50
I like the football
games and the
cooler weather.
Isabelle
Peterson,
Madison, 16
The football games
are awesome,
especially
downtown during
the games when a
bunch of vendors
are outside. The
trees are nice too,
you know, the
maples.
Kara Epping,
Madison, 15
by Kathryn Chew
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