July 2019

I was about two and a half years old when the Apollo 11 first landed on the moon 50 years ago, and Neil Armstrong declared the event, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” I have no recollection of that specific event, but I do remember other early moon missions. I remember watching the massive rockets take off from Cape Canaveral in Florida. I remember the marketing items that followed, particularly, moon boots. 

When reading about all the stories surrounding the anniversary of the moon landing, I came across a YouTube video of the other day called, “Buzz Aldrin Punches a Guy.” Well, I had to know what that was about, so I pulled up the video.  

In it, a filmmaker is harassing Aldrin about the moon landing being a hoax. He was in his face with a Bible, calling him a liar and yelling at him to swear on the Bible that he landed on the moon. 

MIDDLETON–University Ave., which reopened July 17, underwent a major overhaul spanning from Cayuga Ct. to Park St. that took cooperation from multiple levels of government, businesses, contractors, utility and public safety workers and the patience of thousands of drivers since it began in April. The overhaul includes repair of water and sewer, new traffic signals replacement, major intersection improvements at Parmenter Street, new concrete curb and asphalt pavement.

The $1.5 million construction cost was split between the city and the county each paying half. Dane County Executive Joe Parisi says the project improved public safety. 

“As Dane County grows, it is important that we continue upgrading our roads to maintain public safety,” says Parisi. “These improvements to University Avenue mean safer travel for drivers and pedestrians and a more robust infrastructure for Dane County moving forward.”

MIDDLETON–Sunflower Days at Pope Farm Conservancy on Old Sauk Rd. kicks off today and will run daily through August 4. Due to safety concerns, the event was cancelled last year by the Friends of Pope Farm Conservancy and revived by the Town of Middleton in 2019 after the one-year hiatus. 

To address the concerns the town decided to charge admission to the event and shuttle visitors to and from the 10-plus acre sunflower field. Shuttles will run from Wisconsin Brewing Company, Verona, Middleton Firefighters Memorial Park, Middleton and Blackhawk Church, Middleton (except for Sunday), and transport visitors the short distance to the conservancy. 

The event will feature two speakers:

VERONA–Dane County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the scene of a vehicle and bicycle accident on the Town of Verona Sunday afternoon. Just before 4 p.m. on July 21, the accident was reported near the intersection of CTH PD and Timber Lane, at Military Ridge State Trail.

An early investigation by deputies indicated that a Ford Escape, driven by a 34-year-old female, was westbound on CTH PD when the vehicle was stuck by a bicycle. The bicyclist, a 56-year-old-woman, was traveling southbound, and did not stop at the trail stop sign. 

The bicyclist was wearing a helmet at the time and was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Escape was not injured.

CTH PD was closed between Timber Lane and Gust Rd. for approximately four hours while law enforcement officials investigated the crash.The Dane County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Team responded to the scene and the crash remains under investigation.