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life in rock county 1

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L I F E I N R O C K C O U N T Y

2 Great People. Great Stories. | spring 2012 life in rock county 3 MercyHealthSystem.org

Your passion for life inspires us to continually grow to meet your healthcare needs. Because you deserve onlythe very best.

• Private patient rooms• Advanced surgical capabilities• State-of-the-art technology• The finest doctors and staff • Private registration area• Family consultation suites • Cell phones keep you updated

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Inspired by you.Created for you.

Mercy Hospital and TraumaCenter expansion

4 Great People. Great Stories. | spring 2012 life in rock county 5

30 FiGhtinG Poverty, one School at a time Young volunteers donate their time through VISTA

34 JaneSville JetS Photo eSSay

38 mark madSon’S mad, mad world

Clinton man is known for wacky inventions

42 the comFortS oF home Hospice staff help patients prepare for a “good death”

46 community calendar

FeatureS

06 JuSt in time A chance encounter leads man

to discover skin cancer

10 a noble PurSuit Horse rescue group gives equines a chance at life

14 a booSter Plan For StruGGlinG StudentS

Beloit schools find key to success

19 rock county in PictureS

Community photo submissions

22 Finally, a liFe without Pain

Young mom finds relief for back pain

25 SendinG a huG acroSS the GlobeOperation Ooh-Rah brightens soldiers’ days

1938

10

table of contents Dear reaDer:

In our dog-eat-dog world, it is difficult to imagine a person who would devote most of his or her waking hours to an effort which pays nothing. Yet that is exactly what many of the people featured in this issue have done. They have found a concern about which they are passionate and thrown themselves into it.

The Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) members at Janesville and Beloit schools (p. 30) have dedicated a year of

their lives to improving conditions at the schools in which they serve. These young women live in poverty-level conditions while setting up programs that will improve families’ lives. Those programs include clothes and food closets, parent resources and family fun nights. Some of the women have already been so touched by the VISTA program that they want to spend the next year of their lives volunteering, too.

For Linn Krafjack, the tipping point came when she heard about a deployed Marine who hadn’t had a broken toothbrush replaced in three months. The Beloit woman sprang into action, putting together Operation Ooh-Rah (p. 25), a care package program that sends hundreds of necessary items to deployed men and women every year. The project has grown into a nearly full-time job for Linn, but she feels she can’t do enough for the military personnel who serve our country.

DeeDee Golberg’s entire life has become about rescuing animals. At her farm in Janesville, she has founded Spirit Horse Equine Rescue (p. 10), an organization that finds new homes for horses whose owners have abandoned them or who don’t have the time, energy or money to care for them anymore. DeeDee has developed a network of foster homes to house the horses, who likely would have lost their lives if it had not been for her.

It is difficult to match the level of volunteerism and selflessness that these people have attained. But they can serve as examples for all of us of how passion for a cause can turn into something wonderful. If you know a person or a group who has done something special, please e-mail me at [email protected].

Beth Earnesteditor, “Great PeoPle. Great StorieS.”

Visit us at gpgsmagazine.com

06

25

On the cOver: Second-grader Jonathan Soberano has benefitted from the School District of Beloit’s program to help struggling students.


Just in time Scott Hembrook is not the sort of man to stay awake at night worrying about health

issues. So while the 43-year-old’s wife urged him to see a doctor about a mole on his left leg that was becoming darker, he put it off because he said he never felt sick.

Scott, who lives in Janesville, is a salesman for Culligan water company (yes, he has heard “Hey, Culligan

Man!” way too many times), and was manning the company’s promotional booth for the Rock County 4-H Fair in July 2011. At the end of the fair, he stopped by Mercy Health System’s booth to pick up empty water bottles. Before leaving, he hesitated, then asked a marketing representative if one of the nurses at the booth would take a look at his leg. A nurse said she would be glad to help.

a chance

encounter

leadS man

to diScover

skin cancer

life in rock county 7 6 Great People. Great Stories. | spring 2012


SPF

50

It didn’t take her more than one minute to see that Scott had a problem. She told him to call Mercy dermatologist Jeanne Godar, MD, the next day. “I thought, oh boy, this can’t be good,” says Scott.

Dr. Godar was able to see Scott right away. The mole turned out to be a bigger deal than he had originally thought: It was likely a melanoma.

catchinG it earlySkin cancer is the most common form of cancer. While melanoma is not the most common type of skin cancer, it causes the most deaths, which means catching it early is vital. Melanomas often resemble moles and can sometimes develop from moles. To determine whether you might have melanoma, look for the ABCDEs:

Asymmetry – If you draw a line through the mole, the two halves do not match.Border – The borders of the melanoma are uneven.Color – A mole that has several different colors, such as different shades of brown, tan, black or even another color, may be a melanoma.Diameter – Melanomas are usually larger in diameter than the size of a pencil eraser.Evolving – Melanomas tend to change shape, size and color.

Though Dr. Godar had been prepared to remove the melanoma right away in her office, Scott—who was in the middle of a workday—told her he wasn’t quite ready to undergo minor surgery yet. So they scheduled an incisional biopsy the next week with Robert Paresi, MD, plastic surgeon at Mercy Hospital and Trauma Center. “Though we were not yet sure whether it was cancerous, when you think a mole is a melanoma, you need to remove it,” says Paresi.

“I liked Dr. Paresi,” says Scott. “He was funny. I was making stupid jokes during the procedure and he was coming right back at me.”

After Dr. Paresi removed the mole, the biopsy revealed it was, indeed, a melanoma. It also showed that the melanoma was deeper than previously thought, which meant Scott had to come back two weeks later for another surgery with both Dr. Paresi and Patricia Garner, MD, general surgeon at Mercy.

“My family was a wreck,” says Scott. “But I’m an optimist, so I always look for the best outcome. I don’t play the ‘what if’ game.”

During the second procedure, Dr. Paresi removed the remainder of the mole while Dr. Garner removed one of the nearby lymph nodes to find the extent of the disease. Testing revealed that the melanoma had not spread to the lymph nodes, much to Scott’s relief.

Sunblock iS keyAfter the surgery, Scott was officially done with his cancer treatment, but he has to see a Mercy medical oncologist, Shahid Shekhani, MD, every three months for several years. “Melanoma is a pretty common skin cancer in fair-skinned people like Scott, even if they are not exposed to the sun a large amount of time,” says Dr. Shekhani. “Scott will need to follow up with both Dr. Godar and me. We want to make sure we do not have a recurrence of the same disease or a new disease starting somewhere else.”

Scott doesn’t know exactly what caused his melanoma, but he does acknowledge that he used a tanning booth for about 10 years of his life. He also spends lots of time outside during the summer playing softball and golf.

He has now pledged to be even more careful about the amount of skin he exposes to the sun. “No matter when I go out now, I always wear sunscreen,” he says.

“melanoma iS a Pretty common

Skin cancer in Fair-Skinned

PeoPle like Scott, even iF

they are not exPoSed to the

Sun a larGe amount oF time.”

-dr. Shekhani,

medical oncoloGiSt

Skin cancer ScreeninGS

Dr. Shekhani recommends

that fair-skinned people

undergo a skin cancer

screening once a year.

The dermatology dept at Mercy

Clinic East can put your mind

at ease when you want quick

answers about a variety of skin

concerns. Make your appointment

today by calling (608) 756-7100.

Scott has vowed to use

sunblock every time he goes

outside from now on.



Ella can sense that the person approaching her in the field doesn’t know much about

horses. The gray Arabian horse stands aloof, not paying very close attention to her visitor’s awkward attempts at petting her. But when the visitor turns away to speak to another human, Ella suddenly comes to life. She maneuvers herself so that she is in between the two people, making it inevitable that they will pay attention to her.

This is Ella’s true nature—a loving horse who craves human attention. Yet a few hours before she found her current home at Spirit Horse Equine Rescue and Education Center in rural Janesville, she had come close to losing her life. Due to her previous owner’s failing health, he could not care for her anymore and was preparing to humanely kill her. He was relieved his daughter found a place for Ella at Spirit Horse.

The horse rescue began in 2008 as the brainchild of DeeDee Golberg. DeeDee, 57, has been a horse lover all her life, and has owned the elegant creatures since she and her husband Jeff built a house on a farm in 1995. She had been rescuing various animals on her own for many years, but didn’t have the idea to form a horse rescue until her husband

developed advanced melanoma. “I was looking for something to distract me from all of that,” she says.

Someone had told her about a horse rescue north of Madison, so she and a friend trekked there to do some research. What they found shocked them. “We came away with the idea that we needed to rescue the horses from the rescue,” says DeeDee, describing a farm with conditions so filthy no horse could ever thrive there.

An Internet search led DeeDee to the book “How to Start and Run a Rescue,” written by Waco, Texas-based Jennifer Williams. She used the book—and her new friendship with Jennifer—to create Spirit

Horse Equine Rescue and Education Center. She quickly attained 501(c)3 status, turning Spirit Horse into an official non-profit organization.

a StronG FoSter SyStemDeeDee estimates there are about 100,000 unwanted horses in the United States at any one time. These horses are “unwanted” for a variety of reasons—their owners can no longer afford to care for them, they are injured, or they are no longer able to perform at the level their owner desires.

In many cases, the horses who are sent to slaughter are actually the

10 Great People. Great Stories. | winter 2011

A noble pursuit

H o r s e r e s c u e g r o u p

g i v e s e q u i n e s A c H A n c e At l i f e

10 Great People. Great Stories. | spring 2012

Ella, an Arabian horse, came

close to losing her life before

she landed at Spirit Horse

Equine Rescue and Education

Center in rural Janesville.

DeeDee Golberg spends her days tending to horses whom

she eventually hopes to place in loving homes.


lucky ones. Some people simply abandon their horses, leaving them to die of starvation. “There is no market for selling horses,” says DeeDee. “Often you will see people giving away horses on Craigslist.”

Spirit Horse acquired its first big group of horses in 2008 when Rock County took control of a negligent farmer’s feral herd. Today, there are about 35 horses spread between seven foster homes in the rescue.

Alissa Gauger, who lives in Mount Horeb, Wis., has both fostered and adopted horses from DeeDee. She uses horses and ponies for equus coaching, a kind of life coaching in which human participants use nonverbal feedback from horses to make changes in their

lives. Before meeting DeeDee, she had been using horses at a local stable for her business. Now, however, she has built two paddocks on her property—one for Copper and Spice, the two horses she adopted from DeeDee, and one for the four horses she is fostering.

“DeeDee has been incredibly supportive,” Alissa says. “She always takes my calls and is there to help. Since this is our first time having horses, we didn’t know what to expect. I spent weeks checking on them in the middle of the night just to make sure they were OK. I was like a new mother. It’s nice to have a lifeline to an organization that can help us with our horses.”

Another foster and adoptive mom, Angie Vidruk, saw Spirit Horse as an opportunity for her to realize her dream of owning horses. She moved to rural Janesville six years ago and started riding lessons with her daughter. She

met DeeDee shortly after the rescue began and before she knew it, she had horses living on her property.

Angie, her three children and her husband all have their own rescued horses now, who live alongside their foster horses. “We cry every time one of our foster horses finds a home,” she says. “But when the horse goes to a really good home, it’s easier.”

a Plan For GrowthAlthough Spirit Horse has come far in four years, it still has a long way to go. DeeDee wants to build a dedicated facility for rescued horses. Every week, she has to turn away horses because she simply does not have enough foster homes—and there’s not as much turnaround for horses as there is for dogs and cats. In 2011, only five horses were adopted from Spirit Horse.

“We have made it our mission to show people that a rescue horse can be every bit as ‘good’ as a non-rescue horse,” says DeeDee.

She has also committed herself to education. DeeDee practices “natural horsemanship,” a philosophy of training horses that appeals to the animals’ herd instinct. (The traditional philosophy of horsemanship usually involves what some refer to as “breaking” the horse through domination.) Although only 15 percent of horse owners subscribe to the natural philosophy, that number is growing. DeeDee offers lessons to anyone who wants to learn.

Life is certainly never dull on DeeDee’s farm these days; it is full of surprises. After she and her husband had resigned themselves to the fact that he would lose his battle with cancer, an experimental treatment worked better than they could have hoped, and he is now in remission.

She and her volunteers believe that every horse should have as much of a chance at life. “DeeDee is an amazing woman,” says Angie. “She gives from the heart. Everybody in Spirit Horse would give their last dime to these horses to make sure they’re taken care of.”

“we have made it our miSSion

to Show PeoPle that a reScue

horSe can be every bit aS ‘Good’

aS a non-reScue horSe.”

–deedee GolberG

For more information about how

to donate to Spirit horse equine

center or become a foster

or adoptive parent, visit

spirithorseequinerescue.org

there iS no market

For SellinG horSeS.

oFten you will See

PeoPle GivinG away

horSeS on craiGSliSt.”

-deedee GolberG

“



A booster

plAn for

struggling

students

Jonathan Soberano is a

ray of light in his 2nd-

grade classroom. His eyes

shine when he talks, and

he has become a leader

among his peers.

However, Jonathan wasn’t always so happy to be in school. In fact, at the beginning of this school year he was a grade level behind the rest of his class in reading—a problem that affected how he acted in school. “When you’re so frustrated trying to read, sometimes your best sparkling personality doesn’t come out,” says Teresa Freitag, Jonathan’s 2nd-grade teacher at Merrill Elementary School in Beloit.

The difference came when teachers and specialists at Merrill identified Jonathan as a student who needed help and worked as quickly as they could to give him a boost. The program they used,

called Response to Intervention (RTI), is an educational “best practice” schools across the nation are using to identify and help students who need assistance.

The School District of Beloit has been especially successful in implementing RTI practices in its classroom. It has been so successful, in fact, that the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board—a state agency that delivers educational and public safety media to the citizens of Wisconsin—shot a video in Beloit to illustrate how some Wisconsin schools are using the framework to help students.



“(RTI) definitely focuses on how we as teachers are using our strategies to meet the needs of every child,” says Laura Phillips, another 2nd-grade teacher at Merrill.

helP with meetinG StandardSIn 2001, the U.S. Congress passed the No Child Left Behind Act, an education initiative based on the premise that setting high standards and establishing measurable goals would improve individual outcomes in education. Under the act, each state developed a standardized test that all students would take. Schools that had large numbers of students who fell short were publicly labeled as being

“in need of improvement” and often faced consequences as dire as staff replacement or school restructuring.

“Shortly after the No Child Left Behind Act, educators were looking at ways to help children meet those standards,” says Tracy Donich, director of curriculum and instruction for the School District of Beloit. “RTI provided us with a framework to do that.”

At every school in Beloit, students take standardized assessments three times a year to determine how their reading and math skills measure up to their grade level. If a student needs help reaching grade level (or if he or she exceeds grade level and needs extra enrichment), teachers submit the student’s name to the principal. The student then becomes the subject of an intervention meeting, where the principal, teachers and reading and math specialists determine the best course of action.

“The principal, teachers and specialists meet every week to discuss students,” says Tracy. “Floating substitute teachers

will cover classrooms so the teachers will have enough time to address the students’ individual needs.”

Eventually, every student in the school becomes the subject of an intervention meeting—even those who do not need individual attention.

“It’s similar to how a doctor’s office operates,” says Tracy. “Some children might just need screening assessments (a quick check-up), while others need more extensive follow-up.”

a true SucceSS StoryAt the beginning of every school year, all teachers at Merrill use a “running record” to measure each student’s reading ability. During the test, a student reads from a passage and the teacher marks his or her errors, gauging the student’s reading level. That’s how Jonathan’s teacher Teresa determined he was only reading at a 1st-grade level.

Every morning, students spend 30 minutes in “reading intervention.” The class is divided into three groups of six or seven students each. The top, or Tier 1 group, works on enrichment

“… when SomethinG GoeS

From beinG indeScribably

hard to beinG eaSier, it

JuSt doeS wonderS For

your SelF-eSteem.”

-2nd-Grade teacher

tereSa FreitaG

Second-grade teacher Teresa Freitag, left, and reading specialist Sarah Larson have

helped Jonathan Soberano improve his reading skills in a record amount of time.

Second-grade teacher Teresa Freitag works with Jonathan during Merrill Elementary School’s reading intervention time.


activities, while the Tier 2 and Tier 3 groups work with their teachers, reading specialists, interventionists and other educators to improve their skills.

Jonathan was placed in Tier 2, but only because Tier 3 was already filled with students whose reading skills were even poorer than his. So to give him the extra help he needed, reading specialist Sarah Larson asked his mother’s permission to put him in a before-school reading group. That group was an even more intensive environment for him to focus on his reading.

The two-front approach worked. Just seven weeks after Jonathan’s teacher placed him in intervention, he was reading at grade level. In November, he graduated out of the before-school group and was placed in Tier 1 for reading intervention time.

“He obviously was ready—he just needed a little boost to get him up to grade level,” says Sarah. “Through the RTI process, we can see if a student truly has a learning disability or just needs some extra support.”

According to Teresa, Jonathan is now a completely different child than he was at the beginning of the school year. “When you crack that code, when something goes from being indescribably hard to being easier, it just does wonders for your self-esteem,” she says.

“Jonathan is just this innately wonderful little guy,” Teresa continues. “For him, the system worked. Every resource that was available to him was right at his side, and now he is more focused and on task.”

For more information about how

response to intervention works in

wisconsin schools, visit dpi.wi.gov/rti.

community photos

Rock county


the photos on this page were taken by kevin kelly in Janesville.

Jonathan Soberano has become much more excited about reading this school year.

the Janesville 14-year-old all-Stars celebrate a victory at the beloit youth Sports complex in 2009.

20 Great People. Great Stories. | spring 2012 life in rock county 21 life in rock county 21 If you would like your photos to be considered for publication in “Great People. Great Stories.” please e-mail them to [email protected].

the photos on this page were taken by terry Astin in Janesville and around rock county.

these photos were taken by Suzanne cook in Janesville.

these photos were taken by tatiana March in Janesville.


At age 30, Melissa Reed was beginning to think back pain would be a permanent part of

her life. Since she was 22, she had had to endure varying levels of discomfort in her lower back. Physical therapy sometimes helped, but not for long.

“When my back would ‘go out,’ it was bad,” says Melissa, a Fontana, Wis. resident and mother of three who owns an insurance agency with her husband. “I would be sweating and I couldn’t move.” She tookher concerns to her primary carephysician, who did not find any problems upon examination. But Melissa’s pains grew progressively worse until she started feeling a constant numbness in her toe and on the side of her foot.

In 2009, after Melissa’s brother was hit by a car, she spent every day for nearly two weeks with him at Mercy Hospital and Trauma Center in Janesville. During that time, she talked to her brother’s trauma surgeon about her problems, who told her she should see Christopher Sturm, MD, neurosurgeon with Mercy Health System.

She eventually did see Dr. Sturm, who showed more concern for her than any other doctor she had met. “He actually listened to me and talked to me about how my back pain was affecting my life,” says Melissa. According to Dr. Sturm, the two bottom discs (structures that act as cushions between vertebrae) in Melissa’s spine had dried out and collapsed. The collapsed discs had caused her nerves to compress, which was why Melissa was in so much pain all the time.

Melissa needed spinal fusion surgery, and Dr. Sturm was her first choice to perform the surgery.

“Back surgeries have this stigma,” she says. “There are a lot of people who tried to talk me out of it, because everybody knows somebody for whom a spinal fusion surgery didn’t work. But I researched Dr. Sturm. He has a really high success rate for spinal fusions.”

“it’S kind oF nice to be able

to Go to my kidS’ GameS

and not be in aGony aFter

SittinG on the bleacherS.”

–meliSSa reedfinAlly, A life witHout pAiny o u n g m o m f i n D s r e l i e f

f o r b a c k p a i n


From left, Melissa Reed’s children Ian Garreau and Madeline

Reed play a game at home with her husband, Tom Reed.


a SucceSSFul SurGeryMelissa’s back pain had become nearly intolerable by 2010, and she was ready for surgery in November of that year. However, she had to go through six months of insurance discussions before she was finally able to undergo surgery in May 2011. “It was horrible,” she says. “When you have three kids and a job and you hurt all the time, it’s really depressing.”

In May, Dr. Sturm performed a two-level posterior lumbar interbody fusion on Melissa. During the surgery, he removed bone to completely decompress the nerves and removed the two worn-out discs. He replaced the discs with special spacers, which were packed with bone to reestablish the normal disc space height and to get the spine to fuse in this normal position. The vertebrae were further held in place with implanted rods and screws.

“The main objective of the surgery was to decompress the nerves, thus relieving Melissa’s leg pain,” Dr. Sturm says. “We also needed to reestablish normal anatomic alignment—and make sure it stayed that way in an effort to improve her back pain.”

After her surgery, Melissa didn’t start feeling better right away. But three or four weeks later, she was feeling much

better and was even able to walk around the block. She worked from home for four months and officially came back to her office in early fall. “It was a long road,” she says. “Unless you’ve been through it, it’s hard to understand that.”

Now, almost all her pain is gone. “In the mornings I’m stiff,” says Melissa, who is now 32. “But most days I’m feeling pretty good. It’s kind of nice to be able to go to my kids’ games and not be in agony after sitting on the bleachers.”

In his years as a surgeon, Dr. Sturm says he has learned that X-rays and other imaging tests do not necessarily tell physicians everything they need to know about what is going on inside a patient. “We’re in the profession of

taking care of people, not pictures,” he says. “A large part of identifying problems is talking with and examining the patient. Melissa said she was in tremendous pain, so I did what I could to help her. I had to have faith thatwhat she was telling me was correct. And it was.”

For Melissa, Dr. Sturm’s attitude made all the difference. “He changed my life,” she says. “I don’t know where I’d be right now if I hadn’t been able to have the surgery.”

sending A Hug Across tHe globe

o p e r a t i o n o o h - r a h b r i g h t e n s s o l D i e r s ’ D a y s

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Clockwise from front, Lucy Reed, 9; Madeline Reed, 4; Ian Garreau, 11; Melissa and Tom

Reed and their dog, Trigger, pose for a family portrait outside their home in Fontana, Wis.


to make an appointment with dr.

Sturm or another mercy health System

neurosurgeon, call (608) 756-6826.


The energy Linn Krafjack exudes is almost palpable. As the Beloit woman sits in her

slightly chilly office explaining how her military care package program works, her excitement about her pet project heats up the room. The words can’t come fast enough for her.

“I want all of our deployed soldiers to have the comforts of home,” she explains. “It’s not fair they’re putting their life on the line for us, and they’re not getting recognized.”

Thanks to Operation Ooh-Rah, U.S. soldiers all over the world are receiving the supplies they want and need. And Linn is just getting started.

FillinG a GaPLinn’s oldest son Henry (she has three children) first enlisted in the Marine Corps one week after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. “I didn’t panic right there and then,” says Linn, 50. “I didn’t get scared until after he graduated from boot camp. Then I realized we were hot and heavy in this (Afghan) war, and I knew he was probably going to be deployed.”

And deployed he was—to Iraq in 2003. Linn’s first major effort to help her son was to organize a magazine and book drive to provide reading material for him and his fellow Marines.

In a letter written shortly after Linn’s reading care package arrived, Henry mentioned one of the soldiers in his unit had had a broken toothbrush for three months before he received a replacement. “I said, that is so unacceptable,” remembers Linn. “We need to do something about that.” So she organized a golf playday to

raise money to send more items to the soldiers during Henry’s second deployment in 2005.

During Henry’s third deployment to the Middle East in 2008, Linn wanted to again provide necessities for Henry’s battalion, the 2nd LAAD Battalion. The challenge was that the military group included 700 men and women—a bigger project than Linn had ever tackled. She asked for her husband Jim’s assistance, and Jim—who has a part-time job in sound and lighting reinforcement—suggested they put together a day of music, hot

dogs and beer for the Beloit community that would raise thousands of dollars for a major care package shipment.

Thus Operation Ooh-Rah—named after the U.S. Marines’ battle cry—was born. Linn contacted the battalion’s top officers to find out what they needed and proceeded to buy hundreds of socks, hats, gloves,

razors and other items. Operation Ooh-Rah’s first major shipment in December 2008 included 37 70-pound boxes. Linn, satisfied with a job well done, prepared to “retire” from the care package endeavor.

becominG biGGer and betterRetiring wasn’t so simple, however. After the project’s first shipment, veterans began calling Linn, begging her to continue Operation Ooh-Rah the next year and open it up to other branches of the military. She told them she would, but her plans were temporarily derailed when her mother received a brain cancer diagnosis and died seven weeks later in March 2009.

Linn fell into a deep depression after her mother’s death and didn’t “wake up” until May 2009, when she realized she only had three months to prepare for the August music festival. But Operation Ooh-Rah persevered. “Somehow, all the people I called for help were able to speed things along, and we put it together in just a few months,” Linn says.

Now that Linn’s efforts were becoming more well-known, she was receiving help from unlikely sources. A representative from Taylor Company in Rockton, Ill.—which makes soft-serve ice cream and yogurt machines—called to ask how the company could help. Taylor President Greg McMaster is an Army veteran who served in Vietnam, and when a company employee told him

Linn Krafjack’s oldest son Henry enlisted

in the Marine Corps one week after the

terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. He

has been deployed three times.

Linn Krafjack sorts donations with her son Jeff.

Linn Krafjack’s son Henry was her inspiration for starting Operation Ooh-Rah.


about Operation Ooh-Rah, he wanted to be part of it. Linn suggested Taylor could pay for the increasingly expensive shipping costs, which the company eagerly agreed to do.

“We feel privileged to be able to participate in a program that brings comfort to our brave troops,” says Greg. “It is our intention to support Operation Ooh-Rah until our troops are brought safely home.”

When determining where they should send the 2009 care packages, Linn and her volunteers launched a major networking campaign to find names of soldiers who were serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Operation Ooh-Rah was no longer just a Rock County venture anymore—it was national.

Over the next two years, Linn changed and refined the program. She procured bigger and better raffle items at her fund-raisers; she began soliciting care package items, rather than just cash; and she utilized groups throughout the community to raise funds. In 2011, she organized the first annual State Line Taverns Military Weigh-In, a competition that pitted local bars against each other in

a bid to collect the most donations for Operation Ooh-Rah. The winning bar won a beer and pizza party.

“Almost everyone who donates has either been in the military or knows someone who has,” says Linn. “Now that I’ve been doing

this for four years, I have contacts from here to there; it’s just a matter of putting them to good use.”

By the end of 2011, Linn was able to send out four shipments of about 63 boxes each.

the Future oF oPeration ooh-rahNot one to rest on her laurels, Linn has big plans for 2012. She is again sending out four separate care package shipments this year, which means she is in a constant state of collecting, sorting and packing.

Linn has also teamed up with the Janesville School District to put

together a donation drive in the schools. She found military coloring pages for the younger children online and researched some of the military heroes from Wisconsin in hopes that teachers would create a lesson plan out of the donation drive. “It’s not just telling them about the war that’s going on right now,” she says. “It’s about making them understand how much these men and women have sacrificed for their freedom.”

Linn has come a long way from where she was in 2003, when she literally made herself sick worrying about her son. “All I could do was sit in front of the TV and watch the news,” she says. “I went into a hole because I was so worried about Henry.”

She has pledged to keep Operation Ooh-Rah going for as long as she can. “We take for granted being all toasty warm when we go to bed at night,” she says. “But they’re sleeping on a cot in a tent. Sending them the comforts of home is the least we can do.”

to find out how you can volunteer

or donate to operation ooh-rah,

visit operationooh-rah.webs.com.

“i want all oF our dePloyed

SoldierS to have the

comFortS oF home.”

–linn kraFJack


Four times a year, Linn Krafjack, her son Jeff and a team of volunteers sort and pack thousands of items for deployed military personnel.


While both the Janesville and Beloit school districts have homeless

liaisons, the schools still struggle to provide enough support for the low-income families they serve. That’s where Volunteers In Service To America (VISTA) steps in.

Officially called AmeriCorps VISTA (a division of AmeriCorps, which is often called the “domestic Peace Corps”), the program seeks to create programs that help eliminate poverty. VISTA members can choose to volunteer for a variety of non-profit organizations. This year, 20 VISTA members are working with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, setting up projects to help low-income families that school districts can sustain after the volunteers leave. Volunteers serve for one year, receiving only a poverty-level stipend to cover food and living expenses.

Sarah knew she wanted to pursue her master’s degree, but she wasn’t sure in which direction she wanted to head. So she decided to volunteer with VISTA. At Edison Middle School in Janesville, she has been rebuilding the school’s mentoring program and working on setting up an Edison food pantry. “I think it is beneficial to have a food pantry at school, because kids can access the food themselves, rather than having to rely on their parents bringing supplies from a food pantry,” she says. Sarah has also been hard at work writing grants so that Edison can expand its after-school program’s garden.

“I was nervous when I was first driving here from Georgia back in August,” says Sarah. “But I just kept thinking about the impact I would have.” Sarah has enjoyed volunteering so much that she has already applied to the Peace Corps, with the intention of starting after she leaves VISTA.

Sarah abbey Age: 21 | Hometown: Smyrna, Ga.

Col l Eg E: K E NNE S AW S TAT E UNI V E R SI T Y

M Ajor : HUM A N SE RVIC E S W I T H A C ONC E N T R AT ION IN NONPROFI T A DMINI S T R AT ION

F i g h t i n g p o v e r t y , o n e s c h o o l

a t a t i m e

“The main goal of VISTA is to fight poverty, but I really think it’s to fight inequality,” says Sarah Abbey, a VISTA member serving at Edison Middle School in Janesville. “While some of the Americorps programs involve direct service, VISTA is more about recruiting volunteers and writing grants that will help the school grow and ensure its success in the future.”

There are three VISTA members in the Janesville School District this year, serving in Edison Middle School and Parker and Craig high schools. Last year, the district’s homeless liaison, Ann Forbeck, wrote and received a grant to fund a VISTA program there for three years. Forbeck and the district hope the program is successful enough this year to attract replacement volunteers for the next two years.

Two VISTA members are serving in the School District of Beloit this year. Their stipends are funded by a grant for which three elementary teachers applied, and they have been working together to create programs in three elementary schools—Gaston, Hackett and Cunningham. The school district has had one VISTA member before—in Cunningham Elementary School—and, like Janesville, plans to have the program continue for another two years.

Many VISTA members join the program after graduating from college, which is the case with all five volunteers in Janesville and Beloit. Here’s a little more information about where they came from and what they’ve been accomplishing:

younG volunteerS donate

their time throuGh viSta



Maureen Kelly Age: 23 | Hometown: St. Louis, Mo.

Col l Eg E: U NI V E R SI T Y OF W I S C ON SIN-M A DI S ON

M Ajor : P SYC HOL O GY A ND S O C IOL O GY

At Craig High School in Janesville, Maureen has been planning a mentoring program and running a clothes donation closet. She has also been working on obtaining bus tokens for teenagers who need to use public transportation to get to school. “I had no idea there were so many kids out there who needed so much help,” she says. “This job is really just about being their friend.”

Shortly after she applied to the VISTA program, Maureen decided she wanted to attend law school to eventually work in child advocacy in family law. VISTA has helped her grow professionally, she says. “I’ve been learning how to work with other people—running meetings for action teams and introducing new concepts that are foreign to the people who work at the school.”

elizabeth KlapheKe

Age: 22 | Hometown: Syracuse, NY

Col l Eg E: UNI V E R SI T Y OF S CR A N TON

M Ajor : C OUN SE L ING A ND HUM A N SE RVIC E S

At Elizabeth’s alma mater, there was a heavy emphasis on service, so she studied abroad in Africa a few times. The experiences gave her a taste for service, but she wanted to give back in her own country before she went abroad again. Elizabeth is stationed at Parker High School in Janesville, where, like Maureen, she has been working on mentoring and transportation programs. She and Maureen also have developed monthly podcasts for the high schools in which they address topics important to parents and students such as applying for colleges, registering for classes and preparing for homecoming and prom.

“I have been applying to graduate schools to study counseling, social work or social development,” she says. “I want to eventually work in Africa or in another developing part of the world.”

Katelyn zilleSAge: 23 | Hometown: New Berlin, Wis.

Col l Eg E: UNI V E R SI T Y OF W I S C ON SIN-M A DI S ON

M Ajor : HUM A N DEV E L OPME N T A ND FA MILY S TUDIE S

It was one of Katelyn’s professors who convinced her that working with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction as a VISTA member was the right move for her. “She told me the experience is unmatched,” says Katelyn. She has been working at Cunningham Elementary School in Beloit, helping plan events for families and community members such as Family Fun and Fitness Night and movie nights. “It’s important to build up parent involvement at the younger level,” she says. Katelyn also works with community groups such as the Latino Services Providers Coalition and local food banks.

After her year with VISTA, she wants to attend graduate school for marriage and family therapy and work in the court system.

aManda SchererAge: 23 | Hometown: Bowling Green, Ohio

Col l Eg E: BE L OI T C OL L E G E

M Ajor : IN T E R NAT IONA L R E L AT ION S A ND G E R M A N

Amanda had some friends who had already worked with VISTA, so she was intimately familiar with the program even before she applied. “I have always wanted to spend a year serving,” she says. “I wanted to do it before college, but my mom wanted me to finish college first.”

Amanda is stationed at Gaston and Hackett elementary schools in Beloit, but she and Katelyn Zilles work closely together creating programs at all three of their schools. Amanda runs a parent workshop once a month during which parents can learn ways to help their children read. She also has taken on a Lunch Buddy program. “It’s inspiring to me to see how hard these teachers are working,” she says. She plans on spending another year volunteering with AmeriCorps.


Amanda Scherer, left, and Katelyn Zilles set up for a kindergarten workshop at Gaston Elementary School in Beloit.



For three years, Janesville has been home to the Janesville Jets, a North American Hockey League Junior A level hockey team. The team is comprised of 16- to 20-year-olds who have dreams of playing college hockey. “These players come from all over the country and stay with host families during the season,” says John McCally, the team’s general manager. “Their goal is to get a Division I hockey scholarship.”

Though the team is relatively new to Janesville, it has quickly become a mainstay here. Players have volunteered in the schools and raised money for local charities. “We have gotten great support from fans, corporate sponsors and advertisers,” says McCally.

For the third year in a row, the Jets will be playing in the playoffs this April. For more information about playoffs games, visit janesvillejets.pointstreaksites.com.

aS iceSMooth


From left, Will Preston of Carmel, Ind.; Lennie Childs of Silver Spring, Md.;

and Connor McBride of Hartland, Wis. make their way down the ice.

Will Preston of Carmel, Ind. Head Coach Dane Litke of Beausejour, Manitoba, Canada Connor McBride of Hartland, Wis.

Byron Kronberger of Rhinelander,

Wis., left, fights for the puck with

Connor Lemirande of Janesville.

36 Great People. Great Stories. | spring 2012 life in rock county 37 life in rock county 37

Goalie Brock Kautz of Rochester, Minn. blocks a shot from Byron Kronberger of Rhinelander, Wis.


m a r k m a D s o n’s mad, mad world

Driving down Interstate 43 near Clinton, it is hard to miss the

famous “truck in a tree.” But area residents may not know about

the many other interesting, outlandish and downright wacky

inventions “Wisconsin’s Mad Man” Mark Madson has created.

I look at life upside down and backwards, which is actually frontwards,” says Mark, 59, of

Clinton. While that may sound strange, when you enter Mark’s world, it begins to make sense and you see how his ideas become reality.

Walking through his house, Mark is clearly proud of the many crazy stunts he has pulled and unbelievable things he has built. Photos of his exploits cover the walls—a floating Cadillac, a 600-pound mailbox made from a Chevy engine, racing lawn mowers and a hot rod with 30-foot flames shooting from the exhaust.

And visitors to Mark’s home won’t smell potpourri or candles; rather, they’ll catch a whiff of what Mark calls “the awesome unique smell of racing fuel” as he fires up his Harley-Davidson Heartbeat motorcycle parked inside his home.

Mark doesn’t care what others think of his outrageous ideas. He just wants to stop people in their tracks and have them leave with smiles on their faces.

born to be an inventorOne of Mark’s earliest inventions sits prominently in his living room. “In seventh grade, I took the engine off a lawnmower, put it on my bike and then left home for a week,” he explains.

Mark credits his stepfather, Kenneth Little, with teaching him how things worked. Following high school graduation, Mark began working at the Little Limestone Company, a quarry Kenneth began in 1952

“

Last year, Mark Madson and his friend Dieter Sturm won

Guinness Beer’s Biggest Fan contest after driving a 1978 Cadillac

with no roof to the 2011 Super Bowl in Arlington, Texas.



that supplies limestone in a 30-mile area around Clinton. When Kenneth passed away, Mark took over the company and now runs it with help from a small team of four including his brother and his son, Luke.

Mark talks with pride of his two children. Laura is an elementary school teacher in Clinton. Luke, who graduated from University of Wisconsin-Osh Kosh in 2004 and began working at the quarry, says running a small family business is a great bonding activity.

“Working day in and day out with my Dad has made me appreciate his positive attitude,” says Luke. “Nothing really bothers him and he finds the good in everyone and pretty much in every situation. Even if we are having a rotten day at work, he looks at what we can learn from the situation.”

Because he grew up around his Dad’s crazy antics, Luke says he just thought

it was all normal and fun. “There was never a dull moment growing up around this place,” he says. That is still true today as the quarry is often the site for some outrageous experiments—exploding a volcano, dropping cars from cranes and launching Mark’s floating Cadillac in the quarry lake.

The truck in the tree started out as a father/son project, too. Mark says one day he looked up at the split forked tree on his property and decided it would be the perfect place for a tree house for his young son Luke. But his version of a tree house was his refurbished

1959 Chevy pickup truck. He took out the engine and transmission and hoisted it into the tree with a crane. Then he added steel bolts to the tree so the daring few could climb up and enjoy the view or join Mark to ride out windy storms, as he did in 1996 when a tornado came through Clinton.

StandinG out in the crowdAs Mark’s list of unique inventions grew over the years, so did his attention from the media. “After I put the truck in the tree in my front yard, I had people calling me from Australia, Norway and around the world to do interviews,” says Mark. A number of TV shows, including “Monster Nation,”

“Ripley’s Believe It or Not” and “Only in America” with Larry the Cable Guy have chronicled some of his projects over the years. He also recounts many of his experiences in his 2006 book,

“Creations of the Wisconsin Mad Man,” and on his website, markmadson.com.

Recently Mark has gained attention for his chilly adventures driving the Packer Mobile, a 1978 Cadillac with no roof and a surfboard attached in its place. Shortly before the 2011 Super Bowl, Mark met Dieter Sturm, who owns a snow-making business. The “Snow Man” and “Ice Man” hit it off right away and made the perilous 1,300-mile journey to the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium in Arlington, Tex. together in the topless Packer Mobile, surviving snow and frigid temperatures.

“The trip was epic,” says Dieter. “We were constantly digging snow out of the car and clearing snow off the dashboard and rearview mirror as we drove through blizzard conditions.”

Once they arrived in Arlington and parked the Packer Mobile near the stadium, Dieter says they were mobbed by fans cheering and taking photos. “A few times, we had to drive away from the stadium to catch our breath before heading back into the crowds, because it was nonstop excitement,” he says.

“I was amazed at the number of people who embraced the car and wanted photos with us,” says Mark. “Even Cowboy and Steeler fans enjoyed the spectacle!”

After spending so much time with Mark on the trip, Dieter says he came to appreciate how well Mark connects with people. “He can go up to any human on this planet, start a conversation and have them smiling and laughing in the first minute or two.” An added bonus from the trip was winning Guinness Beer’s Biggest Fan contest, which included tickets to this year’s Super Bowl festivities.

the Sky’S the limitSo what is Mark’s next project? He says he’d love to be on a national TV commercial and make a YouTube video that gets a million hits.

“(mark) can Go uP to any

human on thiS Planet, Start

a converSation and have

them SmilinG and lauGhinG

in the FirSt minute or two.”

–dieter Sturm

You may even see him on the big screen next fall. John Mitchell, writer/producer of “Cheeseheads: The Documentary,” filmed Mark in the Packer Mobile and in Clinton for his upcoming movie, which celebrates the uniqueness of Wisconsinites. “Mark is one of the most eccentric guys I’ve ever met,” says John. “He is a hardcore Cheesehead by any stretch of the imagination because he is so unique.”

One thing is for sure: Don’t underestimate what Mark will do next.

“My life is made up of unbelievable true stories,” Mark says.

He can’t wait to add the next one to his life story.

Mark Madson drives his Packer Mobile near his house.

When Mark’s son was younger, Mark

hoisted his 1959 Chevy pickup truck

into a tree to make a treehouse.


It’s the only house on the block with brick halfway up. Inside, the house is cozy, neat and warm. Meeting

Robert O’Leary in the comfort of his home, you will find a man wearing his age and failing health with dignity.

You wouldn’t suspect he is also a man struggling with the prospects of a good death.

“(Death), I think, is the last taboo,” says Nancy Bracken, director of Mercy Hospice Care and Mercy Home Health Care. “People don’t want to talk about it.” Robert, 91, doesn’t talk about it—not easily, not openly, but he knows it’s there.

dyinG with diGnityBorn and raised on a farm southwest of Janesville on Route 5, Robert—or Bob as he’s often called—spent more than 20 years working at Fairbanks Morse Engines. He also sold new home constructions. “That was in the mid-70’s,” Bob says, “when the market was

really good.” Now, he lives in his home in Janesville, where he wants to stay for the remainder of his life. Mercy Hospice Care helps him do that. “I’ve been here since 1961,” Bob says. “I built this. Well, I had it built, I should say.”

Mercy Hospice Care meets the needs of those who know their death is coming, have stopped seeking life-saving treatment and are looking for the help they need to die in comfort and dignity. “Hospice is a philosophy of care,” Nancy says. “Our primary purpose is to provide care that maximizes the experiences and the quality of relationships.”

Debbie Kessler, RN, Bob’s nurse and case manager, adds: “We’re notabout the quantity that they haveleft; we’re about improving their quality of life.”

Mercy Hospice Care relies on a team of caregivers—including medical staff and support services—to provide the patient and family with the assistance

they need to help their patients achieve a good death. “We can bring in aides to help take care of them,” says Nancy.

“We can help get equipment into the home. Depending on their diagnosis, we help them with their meds and all the comforts they would need.”

“Besides doing what I have to do there, we also sit and talk,” says Debbie of her time with Bob. “It’s taken him a while, but he’s starting to open up. He knows the end is coming. For instance, he doesn’t want me to bring oxygen in the house. At first he told me it’s because he’s scared of tripping over the tubing. But then he told me hethinks that would mean he’d haveto ‘fess up that it’s getting closer.’”

FriendShiP at JuSt the riGht timeAlong with the paid staff, Mercy Hospice Care relies on a team of volunteers such as Chuck Hampshire, 65, the volunteer who visits with Bob. The volunteer coordinators, Julie Rasmussen and Laura Bergeron, try to match patients based on mutual interests.

The comforTs of home

h o s p i c e s t a f f h e l p p a t i e n t s

p r e p a r e f o r a “ g o o D D e a t h ”


Bob O’Leary receives regular visits from Debbie Kessler, RN, his nurse and case manager.


mercy hospice care relies on

volunteers and donations to

continue providing care, regardless

of a patient’s ability to pay. you

can help by calling the volunteer

coordinators at (800) 369-2201.

What does Chuck do as a volunteer? “Everything I can to help the people I see,” Chuck says. “I tell them when I walk in the door I’d like to see them smile and when I walk out the door I’d like to leave them smiling. But I’ve cleared a little snow. I’ve helped with meals and dishes and cleaning, and just sitting and visiting.” Chuck flashes his contagious smile and says, “Whatever makes them smile!”

As Chuck sits next to Bob in his cozy home, you can see how his friendliness adds its own warmth to Bob’s life. The elder man’s eyes drift across the room, settling on his enthusiastic friend, and Bob nods, relaxing into the comfort of their camaraderie like an easy chair.

Chuck knows personally how important that support is. “I had a significant other for 11 years and she got cancer,” he says. “There was hospice where we lived in Portage, Wis., but there were no volunteer services. I took care of her and two veteran buddies who had cancer for

a year and a half. One was a three-war veteran and the other guy lived next door to me.”

Bob’s face softens as he listens to Chuck’s story. Bob lifts his hand up, as if to comfort him, but his hand falls back to the arm of the chair, trembling.

“Nurses would come out to bathe my significant other, give her comfort meds,” Chuck continues. But there were no volunteers to visit with Chuck and his three friends. There was no respite for him as he cared for them. “So,” Chuck says, “I know that the need is there.”

Nancy, who is also a nurse, says, “Seasoned hospice nurses, when they look back on it, look at hospice care as the reason they went into nursing in the very first place. When you’re a little girl and you’re thinking

about becoming a nurse, you want to help people and feel good about it, and that’s what hospice does.”

Raising awareness is essential tothe continued success of MercyHospice Care. “Once people find out it’s there, they realize it’s a very good thing for the community,” says Chuck. “Ithink it takes a load off the familiesand just about everybody.”

“i think (hoSPice) takeS a load oFF the

FamilieS and JuSt about everybody.”

-chuck hamPShire,

mercy hoSPice care volunteer


Just one week after his

interview with “Great People.

Great Stories,” Bob O’Leary

died. He was able to enjoy

his last days at home.

“I wouldn’t be here in my home without them,” says Bob. Looking around his cozy home, you can’t help but see that as success.

E D I T O R ’ S N O T E

Bob O’Leary, left, became good friends with Chuck Hampshire, one of the Mercy Hospice Care volunteers.


may5 Downtown Beloit Farmers market Begins 8 a.m.-1 p.m.Downtown Beloit

5 spring time at the mill/pig roastNoon-4 p.m.Beckman Mill Park, Beloit

13 mother’s Day Brunch8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.Rotary Botanical Gardens, Janesville

19 Janesville Farmer’s market Begins8 a.m.-1 p.m. Downtown Main Street, Janesville

19 seconD annual armeD Forces Day Ball with the 1st BrigaDe BanD8-11 p.m. Creekside Place, Evansville

19 house oF mercy charity Ball5 p.m.-midnight, Janesville Country Club

BReast canceR suppoRt GRoupWhen fighting breast cancer, it helps to

know you’re not alone. Connecting with

others can inspire you and help you cope.

The Breast Cancer Support Group will give

you a safe place to express your feelings,

fears and anxieties, as well as your

experiences, strengths and hopes.

Second and fourth Friday of every month

10-11:30 a.m.

Sister Michael Berry Building, Room 2616

meRcy netwoRkinG canceR suppoRt GRoups

Women’s Group

First and third Monday of every month

10:30 a.m.-noon

Mercy Michael Berry Clinic, Room 2616

Men’s group

Second and fourth Thursday of

every month.

1-2:30 p.m.

Sister Michael Berry Building

Medical Oncology Consult Room

meRcy empoweRed By hand woRk suppoRt GRoupFor patients, friends, or family members

impacted by cancer who cope through

creating something with their hands.

Second and fourth Monday

of every month.

10-11:30 a.m.


man to man pRostate canceR suppoRt GRoupFor men diagnosed with any type of

prostate cancer.

First and third Wednesday of

every month.

3:15-4:45 p.m.


to attend any cancer support

group, call Michelle leverence

at (608) 756-6824.

GRiefcaRe suppoRt GRoupMercy Hospice Care invites you

to share and receive the support

of others facing the challenges of

grieving the loss of a loved one.

Family, friends and children are

welcome to this free support group.

First and third Thursday of the month.

6 p.m. Emmanuel Church,

4224 Whilden Court, Janesville

To attend, please call (608) 756-6100.

a.w.a.k.e.aleRt, well, and keepinG eneRGeticDo you or someone you love suffer from

sleep apnea? This support group, held

quarterly, is sponsored by the American

Sleep Apnea Association to help individuals

and their families who suffer from this

common sleep disorder.

Mercy Regional Lung Center

903 Mineral Point Avenue, Janesville

For more information and to find out the

next meeting time, call (608) 758-5765.

stRoke suRvivoRs’ suppoRt GRoupRecovering from or living with the effects of

a stroke is a challenge worth sharing. At our

Stroke Survivors’ Support Group, individuals

and loved ones affected by stroke have a

safe place to share emotions and personal

experiences, seek and give advice and

exchange practical information with others.

We also place an emphasis on education.

First Wednesday of every month.

4:30-5:30 p.m.

Mercy Hospital and Trauma Center

Mercy Conference Center, Room 1128A

1000 Mineral Point Ave.

For more information, call (608) 756-6842.

ms ciRcle of hopeOne in 500 people is diagnosed with

multiple sclerosis (MS) in Wisconsin. If you

or a loved one is affected by MS, join us to

hear the latest on this disease and find the

support of others who know what you’re

going through.

Third Tuesday of every month.

5:30-6:30 p.m.

Mercy Health Mall

1010 N. Washington St., Janesville

For more information, call (608) 756-6142.

Mercy HealtH SySteM support groups

april8 easter egg hunt11 a.m. Lincoln Tallman House grounds, Janesville

14 Beloit Janesville symphony orchestra

“New Directions!!” 7:30 p.m.Janesville Performing Arts Center

21 the BoDeansBenefit for the Alzheimer’s Support Center 7 p.m. Janesville Performing Arts Center

28 evansville Farmers market Begins9 a.m.-1 p.m. Creekside Place, Evansville

28 Dancing with the stars7 p.m. Janesville Performing Arts Center

calenDar of events

20 allegro iii: stravinsky l’histoire Du solDat (the solDier’s tale) 3 p.m. Easton Chapel, Beloit

27 rock aqua Jays water ski shows Begin 7 p.m.Traxler Park, RAJ Stadium

june2 annual take a kiD Fishing Day9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.Lagoon at Traxler Park, Janesville

16 worlD war ii living history Display8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.10 a.m.-4 p.m.Lincoln Tallman House Grounds, Janesville

30 FreeDom Fest11 a.m-10 p.m.New Life Assembly of God, Janesville

For other community education offerings, visit mercyhealthsystem.org

spring 2012 life nrocko - great people. great...

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