July 2020

CROSS PLAINS–Mike Schmoller passed away unexpectedly on the evening of June 28, 2020, after returning home from a neighborhood walk. He will be missed deeply by his family, friends and colleagues. Mike was born in Waukesha on December 30, 1955, the son of Raymond and Laverne (Schultz) Schmoller.

Mike was a loving spouse and a dedicated father and grandfather. He is survived by his wife, Anne Biebel, Cross Plains; son, Daniel (Jenn Yee) Schmoller, Menomonee Falls; daughter, Mary Beth (Dane) Small, Aspen, CO; grand-daughter, Addison Schmoller, Menomonee Falls; mother Laverne “Bernie” Schmoller, Waukesha; and sister, Sandy (Bob) Gardener, Sequim, WA. 

Mike is further survived by his former wife and mother of his children, Diane Traxler Schmoller, Madison.

He was preceded in death by his father Raymond Schmoller of Waukesha in 1988.

TOWN OF MIDDLETON–The Town Board’s enthusiasm for a cross-country skiing facility proposed north of Pleasant View Golf Course, partly in the town of Middleton, has vanished like a snowball in July.

Three years ago, board supervisors welcomed the prospect of a regional training facility for athletes that could be also used by local skiers. But the Erdman Park Master Plan debated at the board’s virtual meeting Monday night, was viewed as putting the training facility on land annexed into the City of Middleton while leaving the town responsible for the road’s upkeep.

Basically, the city is proposing to put an $8 million recreation center just north of the golf course accessed by an extension of Schwartz Road, said Michael Lawton, an attorney for the town.

The city will annex undeveloped land for the trailhead area and the extension of Schwartz Road. Bollenbeck Acres will grant recreational easements for the ski trails to the west, Lawton said.

The task was daunting.

The Times-Tribune recently asked a 16-person panel to rank the best male and female athletes to pass through Middleton High School in the 21st century. Any athlete who competed in the 21st century was eligible to be nominated and their exploits across their entire career were considered, even if a portion of their playing days came in the 1990s.

The panel consisted of past and present coaches, local sportswriters and community members that have seen countless Cardinals’ events.

There were no set criteria outlined. Beauty was in the eye of each beholder.

If one voter thought a multi-sport athlete with solid production across the board rated ahead of a one-sport athlete who excelled at their craft, that was their prerogative. If another voter prioritized team success, that was fine, too.

Nearly 60 boys and 60 girls were nominated for consideration, and after the votes were tabulated, each field was trimmed to a top-20.

MIDDLETON–The Middleton City Council rejected the intergovernmental agreement with the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District to provide school resource officers (SRO) for the 2020-21 school year at Middleton High School (MHS) and Kromrey Middle School.

The agreement which was approved at the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District (MCPASD) Board of Education June 22 meeting came under scrutiny from district social workers and staff, alumni, parents and a district formed committee established to address racial equity in student and staff interactions when it was passed in the board’s consent agenda without discussion.

Under the agreement the city provides two officers for MHS and Kromrey and the district reimburses the city for 50 percent of the actual wages, fringe benefits, overtime and related officer compensation incurred over a 10 month period for each SRO. The city’s 2020 budget indicates the district paid the city $87,076.