A View of the Valley

by Linda Schwanke I don’t know about you but I’m starting to feel cabin fever creeping up on me. I think it didn’t help that I spent far too much time on the internet over the weekend looking up the Tonga volcano with granddaughter Mildred, who is into volcanos like so many little kids are. Not to downplay the seriousness of what happened, but the resulting tsunami sent waves splashing onto beautiful, warm, sandy, palm-covered beaches all over the Pacific. All I could think about was feeling the hot sun on my face while laying on a peaceful beach somewhere. (If you haven’t read about it, the volcano and its aftermath is pretty fascinating stuff. It became a really “teachable moment” not just about volcanos but about water safety when we saw a video of people going down to a beach to watch the tsunami come in and then they got swept away in the current. I told Mildred the people were ok, but stupid, and I really hope that’s true.)  Anyway, thinking about ocean beaches didn’t do a lot to improve my cabin fever. While I don’t dislike winter, I am longing for sunshine and spending time outside. But I can dream about it. And as luck would have it, I can look forward to something new and different to do in the great outdoors that’s closer to home than the ocean and sounds like a lot of fun. An effort to raise money to fix the courts at North Park is now underway. There’s a story about how to donate and details on the front page of this issue about plans to fundraise for one new tennis court and three pickleball courts in the space that used to have two tennis courts. It’s pretty amazing that a project that was looked at five years ago by the village board but didn’t pan out because of lack of interest is now not only back on the table but has active support in our community. I don’t think it will take long to reach the $75,000 fundraising goal. Times have changed and the pandemic has taught us just how fast. What I think I’m looking forward to most about the project is learning about pickleball. I’d never heard of it until a few years ago when a friend got interested in it and was talking me into playing with her. We haven’t played yet but the opportunity will be presenting itself close to home soon. The Spring Green American Legion project to build a veterans memorial at North Park, which will be renamed Veterans Park when completed, is an outdoor space to look forward to. Fundraising for that is ongoing.  Other outdoor recreation projects are fundraising, too. The track and football field at the school campus has been crumbling for years. The schools kept them in useable condition by the skin of their teeth. Just last year a fundraiser to revamp and improve the area was begun. The River Valley Schools stadium project fundraising effort was up to $665,507 of the $750,000 goal last week, an amazing feat.  The splash pad in Lone Rock was built with money fundraised by the community. It is one of the more entertaining places to take kids in the summer in the Valley. They usually have some fun new addition each summer and I’m looking forward to seeing what they do this year. Ball diamonds dot the area. There are dog parks in Arena and Spring Green. Parks for people, too, can be found all over. The Nature Conservancy is a beautiful spot to hike. There are just so many places to go and be outside in the Valley that thinking about it helps me let go of my cabin fever.  Meanwhile, if we get a little more snow, Mildred and I can build snowmen and maybe recreate the Tonga volcano in ice and that will keep both of us busy until summer gets here.  Stay in touch. My phone number is (608) 574-3159 – call or text me anytime. You can also email me at homenewseditor@newspubinc.com or write to me at the Home News, P.O. Box 39, Spring Green WI 53588.  Visit our website at homenewsrv.com Get in touch with Gwen for sports or features at homenewssports@newspubinc.com. If you need a display ad, Dave Pronold can be reached at homenewssales@newspubinc.com or by calling him on his cell at 588-4777. Display ads, or ads that are in boxes, are due by 1 p.m. on Wednesdays. The classified ad deadline is noon Thursdays the week prior to publication for both the Buyer’s Guide and Home News. Classified rates are $13 for the first 10 words, then 30¢ per word for each additional word. Call (608) 767-3655 or email classifieds@newspubinc.com  Legal notices are due by 2 p.m. on Fridays, email them to legals@newspubinc.com Call the NewsPub central office at (608) 767-3655 for subscriptions and all other information Monday through Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon, although afternoon hours can vary. Closed Fridays.