Feeling A Little Sheepish...

about my lack of posting, but I guess having a husband with half a Titanium heart, a crazy neighbor who is intent on turning our side yard into a self-styled Gaza Strip, the looming birth of my third child, several fireworks displays and a new puppy can give me some sort of pass. Especially since I was recently invited to join http://www.channel3000.com/ 's new community page featuring news and commentary from Monona / Cottage Grove area as a blog-correspondent (corresblogger? blogespondent? someone with too much time on my hands?)

Soft launch this week!

As some of you may know, my husband had open heart surgery almost three weeks ago and had his aortic valve and stem replaced with Titanium steel parts. Pretty cool, especially as one can actually hear the valve opening and closing. We want to thank all the countless friends and neighbors who stopped by and called after surgery. It really does bring tears to my eyes to think of how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful, giving community where folks who I only recognize from their daily walks stop by to give words of encouragement, best wishes, offers to walk our dog, watch the boys and mow the lawn and various ribald jokes about all sorts of demented things. And to the wonderful brigade of ladies organized by Chris Zenger who dropped us off three and four course dinners every single night, I can barely even express how much you all touched my heart! Sadly, we've all admitted that we have never eaten so well. I guess I had better step up my game in the kitchen or else tragically lose a limb. Thank you, thank you, thank you! We are truly blessed!

Monona Family Attraction Committee Meeting This Thursday, July 8th, Monona City Hall, 6:30pm

I'm not sure of the agenda this week, although I know we will continue to discuss the organization of our third annual Monona Family Fall Festival scheduled to take place this September 26th at Winnequah Park. If anyone is interested in vending, performing or volunteering, please drop me a comment or email jessicaace@hotmail.com. In other FARC news, I am very proud to see the banners that our committee picked out hanging on the Broadway corridor. They look wonderful and add a cohesive neighborish feel to the street. Thoughts?

There was a great article about my friend and neighbor, Jens Carstensen, in this Sunday's WSJ. He has a summer show at the Jura Silverman Gallery, 143 S. Washington St., Spring Green until September 15th. Full disclosure: I've never seen him prancing around in the buff, but he did give me his car.

Avery and the new puppy!

Monona Grove Board of Education Meeting This Wednesday, April 28th.

The School Board will meet this Wednesday evening at 5pm in the Glacial Drumlin IMC for the annual School Board reorganizational meeting. Board officers will be elected and we will discuss the possible establishment of standing Board committees. I plan to encourage the re-establishment of the Business Services Committee as well as the Policy Committee. I also hope that we can reorganize our Curriculum Committee to include a long-term continuous academic achievement plan. The Board is scheduled to move into closed session at 6pm to discuss administrative contracts and negotiations with the MGEA. Our regularly scheduled meeting will reconvene at 7pm in the IMC. We have a fairly light agenda this week, with only two items of unfinished business: the discussion and possible approval of Board Policy 185- Standing Board Committees and the discussion and possible approval of the walk zone extension. The Board received recommendations from Transportation Director, John Vandermerwe and Director of Business Services Mary Ellen Van Valin to remove this budgetary reduction recommendation from consideration and I am inclined to agree with them. Mr.Vandermerwe is finding and implementing other ways for saving on costs by:

• Reducing the number of stops on routes (largely enforcing Board Policy of 0.2 miles to the closest stop for K-4 and 0.5 miles for 5-12)


• Reducing bus idling times


• Making use of alternate bus maintenance and servicing opportunities.


• The possibility of reducing a midday run.

This is an excellent example of when asking for more detailed and thorough information can produce favorable results. Instead of just going with the flow and extending the walk zone as was originally recommended, affecting a couple hundred elementary-aged children and their families in the balance, the administration looked for better solutions and found them. And that's a good thing.