Across the Fence: I’m A Winter Olympics Junkie (2010/03/10)
I’ve got to admit it; I’m a Winter Olympics junkie. I seldom watch television, but for the last two weeks, I’ve been plunked down in front of our TV each evening. On the evenings when I had meetings, I recorded the coverage so I could watch it later, even though I knew the results by that time.

Feingold comments on listening session in county (2010/03/10)
I appreciate the input from everyone who attended my Feb. 20 listening session in Vernon County. The feedback from these meetings is invaluable, and it is critically important for me to hear directly from the people I represent. I try to create an environment at these meetings where people feel comfortable sharing their concerns with me and members of their community.

Across the Fence: Good Witch or A Bad Witch? (2010/03/08)
As Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz would say, "Are you a good witch or a bad witch?" In keeping with Across the Fence thinking, I would ask you, "Is that a good memory or a bad memory?"

What’s the Point?: School administration contract extensions seem hasty (2010/03/08)
On Feb. 8, by a vote of 4-3 the Westby Area Board of Education approved a rollover contract extension for school district administration until 2012. This action was taken in the light of a projected budget deficit for years to come.

WAHS girls basektball teams pull together for breast cancer awareness (2010/02/26)
For the second year in a row the Westby Area High School Girls Basketball teams pulled together like they do on the basketball court to raise money for a cause near and dear to many hearts. Everywhere you looked on Thursday, Feb. 18, women, men, girls, boys, mothers, fathers, grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbors, friends, students, teachers, athletes and coaches were stepping out in pink to raise money for breast cancer awareness.

Across the Fence: Country Teacher Made a Difference (2010/02/19)
Corrine Zable has made a difference in many lives. She’ll always be "Miss Fredrickson" to those of us who had her as a teacher at Smith, our one room school, south of Westby. She grew up on a farm west of Viroqua and attended Vernon County Teacher’s College in Viroqua. I found out that another friend, Naomi (Flugstad) Bekkum, was one of her teachers there. Naomi also has fond memories of Corrine as a student and knew she would make a great teacher.

Across the Fence: Decoding Those Valentine Messages (2010/02/12)
Poor old Charlie Brown. How many times did he go to the mailbox in hopes of finding a valentine from the little red-haired girl that he had a crush on, but every time he checked, the mailbox was empty? Poor old Charlie Brown. I think he would have settled for any valentine from anyone, but his heart was always broken. Maybe the postal service misplaced his valentines.

Westby’s Main Street repairs are unacceptable (2010/02/12)
I was just wondering what in the world contracted workers were smoking when they did the pathetic black top patchwork job on Main Street in the city of Westby in 2009.

Across the Fence: Searching for a Quiet World (2010/02/08)
As I was snowshoeing on the trails at Norskedalen near Coon Valley, the silence that surrounded me was very welcome after a hectic week. I was the only person in the whole place on a beautiful Saturday morning when hoarfrost covered the trees and transformed everything into a winter wonderland. As I hiked uphill and down, across streams, and watched deer watching me, I started thinking about how much our world has changed in the last 100 years.

When it’s time to leave our temporary home (2010/02/08)
Andy Peterson and Myriah Erickson were deemed the perfect couple. Like a fairy tale story of childhood sweethearts they were classmates who began dating at the age of 12, they were voted prom king and queen by their peers and they graduated from high school together in 1999.

Across the Fence: Trust Me, I Know What I’m Doing (2010/02/01)
I had a dream. Well, it was more of a nightmare. I still have them every once in a while. They’re always Vietnam related. Many of them involve me being drafted again and back in Vietnam because the war is still raging. It usually has something to do with the army being short of medics so they’re calling up old buggers like me because we have experience.

Across the Fence: Two Voices Struggle Within (2010/01/22)
Help! I’m trapped inside and can’t get out. You’re probably thinking I’m referring to all this snow and the cold temperatures we’ve been blessed with this winter. You’re partially right. It’s been a tough winter so far. At least with winter, we know each day is getting longer and the sun will eventually chase the snow and cold weather away for a few months.

Across the Fence: Snowshoeing In A Winter Woods (2010/01/15)
It’s the first day of a new year. We’ve got more than enough snow and it’s cold… VERY COLD! What a frigid entry into 2010. Tonight we’re expecting a low of 15 degrees below zero. Factor in the wind chill and it feels like 25-35 below. This weather is expected to be with us for several days. Uff da, this IS the frozen tundra you hear about. On the bright side, this will give us bragging rights for years to come as we tell everyone about how cold it was at the start of 2010.

Across the Fence: The Good Old Days? (2010/01/11)
I had several responses to my column about looking back. Most people appreciate the memories, but wouldn’t want to go back to living without the modern technology we’ve become accustomed to. One exception to that is my old army buddy, Kenny Lee, who lives out in California.