March 2021

MIDDLETON–Elizabeth Johanna “Betty” Schroeder, age 88, passed away peacefully on March 19, 2021. She was born on June 3, 1932, in Madison, the daughter of John and Mary (Wagner) Meier.

Betty was a 1950 graduate from Middleton High School. She worked at Oscar Mayer in Madison, Eagle Foods as a head cashier, The Flower Shop, Lands’ End and National Guardian Life where she retired in 1999. 

Betty was a volunteer for Meals on Wheels and the Middleton Senior Center. She enjoyed going to NASCAR races in Florida and Michigan, swimming with her friends at Swim West, hunting, fishing, and searching for morel mushrooms.

MIDDLETON–The Middleton Cross Plains Area School District (MCPASD) Board of Education voted to increase in-person instruction for middle school students to four days a week beginning April 19. High school students will continue with two days of in-person instruction through the end of the 2020-21 school year. 

Superintendent Dana Monogue explained the administration recommendation to have middle school students attend four days a week. The start date of April 19 is intended to provide a buffer to limit the potential spread of COVID-19 from traveling during spring break. 

Wednesday will remain as a planning day for staff and virtual independent instruction for students. Educators have to plan for in-person and virtual instruction because they are teaching students in the room and over Zoom simultaneously.

MIDDLETON–Thanks to the increased availability of vaccines and lower rates of community spread, the Good Neighbor Festival (GNF) Board of Trustees feels optimistic about the prospects of holding an in-person event on August 27-29.

Trustees have selected “All Together Now” as the theme for the 2021 festival to recognize the ways in which people have helped each other over the past year and to help inspire Middleton’s path forward as we recover from the pandemic.

This year will mark the 58th Annual Good Neighbor Festival. Since the 2020 event could only be held virtually, Mark Opitz will serve as Festival President again in 2021, with Courtney Reichard continuing as President-elect. 

Jason Pertzborn has spent the last two weeks playing doctor, nurse, receptionist, motivator — and oh yeah, football coach.

Middleton’s second-year boss has taken temperatures before practices, shuffled through piles of administrative work and tried keeping morale high — all while getting his team ready for Friday’s season-opener against Beloit Memorial.

At times, Pertzborn himself admits he’s been “beaten down.” But after a long battle just to have this alternate football season, all Pertzborn needs to do is look at his team to quickly feel rejuvenated.

“It’s been a lot of work, and it’s been stressful,” Pertzborn said. “But when we’re out on the field, it’s been therapeutic. The energy and the chatter of the kids has been awesome. There’s no place they’d rather be.”