January 2020

Mark Kryka’s retirement didn’t last long.

Kryka, Verona High School’s athletic director from 1989-2019, retired at the end of last school year. But with Middleton athletic director Bob Joers battling pancreatic cancer, Kryka recently agreed to become the Cardinals’ interim A.D.

Kryka is under contract to work 92 days between now and the end of the school year. Joers, who has been working limited hours since being diagnosed last fall, will continue in a reduced role.

“I was not looking to go back to work,” Kryka said. “But I had to do it for Bob.”

Kryka enjoyed a long and extremely successful run at Verona.

He was named the Big Eight Conference’s athletic director of the year in 2016, then was selected as the state’s 2016 A.D. of the year at the Wisconsin Athletic Directors Association meeting.

VERONA — Middleton and Verona’s girls basketball teams met earlier this season in a game where the Cardinals struggled with the Wildcats’ 2-3 zone, but eventually prevailed.

Middleton knew it would encounter another battle with Verona — and its aggressive zone defense — during last Thursday's rematch. This time, though, the Cardinals handled things much better.

Fueled by a strong second half from Sitori Tanin and clutch moments from their bench, the Cardinals pulled away in the second half and posted a 59-41 win.

“Verona is always going to battle. (Verona head coach) Angie (Murphy) coaches them very well,” Middleton head coach Jeff Kind said. “They’re going to be scrappers, they’re going to play sound defense. They’re a young team and did a nice job against us.”

MIDDLETON–Gilbert J. Esser, age 93, of Middleton, passed away on Jan. 21, 2020. He was born on Sept. 11, 1926, on the family farm in Middleton, the youngest child of Peter and Elizabeth (Bronner) Esser. Gilbert graduated from Middleton High School in 1944, and on May 21, 1947, he married the love of his life, Arlene Vosen.

Gilbert proudly worked as a farmer with his father and brother, Leo, on the family farms known as Esser Bros. Throughout his life, he was active in the local farming community. He always kept up with the crop and cattle cost with the farm report, even when he wasn’t physically able but was still actively involved with the farm. He was a lifetime member of St. Bernard Catholic Church. Gilbert loved traveling with his family, attending social card club with other local farmers and being with his dogs. He was known for his witty knowledge and he enjoyed conversation with any and every one. He touched the lives of everyone who was lucky to know him.

I went to a two day fais do-do (pronounced fay doh-doh) last weekend. What is a fais do-do, you ask? It means party in Cajun, and I have to say, the Cajuns really know how to throw a fais do-do. 

The party was in honor of my husband’s class reunion, along with a couple of other years, which they had dubbed the “Mega Reunion.” The school he went to is called Midland High School and it serves several small communities deep in the Louisiana bayou. 

The party began on Friday night with a trip to the basketball Homecoming game. One of his schoolmates has a party bus and a small group of folks gathered to take the bus a short distance to the school. 

In my younger years I would work on a party bus as a bartender from time to time when my boss would rent a big tour bus to take on casino trips. It was luxurious and new with cushy seats, air conditioning and a fold down counter that we would use to make drinks.