Letters to the Editor

Dear editor, The Spring Green Veterans Memorial Committee thanks the Spring Green community for providing valuable information on veterans whose names will be engraved on the marble tablets to be displayed at the Spring Green Veterans Memorial.  Over 1,200 names were identified for the monument to be located at North Park and are being sent to the monument company who will plan how the names will be displayed and later engraved on the six marble Tablets.  Any Veterans Names that are validated after the initial 1,200 names have been sent to the monument company will incur an engraving fee.   Thanks again to the Spring Green community for helping the committee with this project. John Shogren Spring Green Veterans Memorial Committee Chairman  Keith Maxwell Commander Spring Green American Legion Post #253   Dear editor, Following is a letter to Senator Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green) and Representative Todd Novak (R-Dodgeville): RE: One Person/One Vote  I want to alert you to Proposed  Bill LRB 0513/1 that Representative Gary Tauchen (R-Bonduel) began circulating on January 5 to restrict the popular vote for U.S. president by tying eight of our 10 electoral votes to our  eight congressional districts.  According to this proposal, the popular vote for president in a congressional district would be “awarded that district’s sole elector”... and “it would better reflect Wisconsin’s diverse political landscape.”   Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) in his recent address to the Assembly said ‘we must restore confidence in the electoral process’.  Pshaw! What evidence is there that Wisconsin voters have no confidence in our electoral process? All of our Congressional representatives supported our electoral vote on January 6. They have confidence. If Wisconsin had picked its electoral college delegates using this proposed LRB 0513/1 congressional district method, former president Donald Trump would have received the majority of Wisconsin’s 10 electoral votes in 2020. Six, to be precise.  This is a slap in the face to the majority of voters in our state who voted for President Joe Biden.  It is going BACKWARDS since 48 states direct all of their electoral votes to the winner of the popular statewide vote. How DARE leaders of the Wisconsin Republican Party devalue the votes of all Sauk County voters.  Statewide, my vote and all Sauk County votes count equal to all others. Under this bill my vote, and all Sauk County votes, would only count equal to the smaller number of voters in our congressional district.  This bill would give control of the U.S. presidential candidate to a minority of the popular vote.  It would  eliminate our statewide popular vote for the president of our country.  It would eliminate one person/one vote.  Please do not sign on to this proposed legislation. This is just another ploy by the Republican Party leadership to restrict my vote and negate the One Person/One Vote. Linda Donnelly Spring Green   Dear editor, The teen years are marked by a wide range of emotions which can be difficult for teens, their parents and educators. It is easy to misread depression as typical adolescent turmoil; however, depression (among the most common of mental illnesses) appears to be occurring at a much earlier age.  According to the Department of Public Instruction (DPI), Wisconsin continues to have one of the highest youth suicide rates in the nation with it being the second leading cause of death for youth.  January through May have been the most common months for emergency room visits and hospitalizations for suicide attempts.  Wisconsin youth report higher levels of binge drinking than most states and binge drinking can be positively correlated with suicide attempts. To proactively address this issue, River Valley Middle School is offering a depression screening and suicide prevention training based on the Signs of Suicide (SOS) Prevention Program.  This program has been used by hundreds of schools and has shown success in increasing awareness and providing assistance to students concerned about themselves or a friend. The program is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, February 23. Students will be shown a depression/suicide awareness video and staff will discuss the A-C-T (A=Acknowledge, C=Care, and T=Tell) approach to suicide prevention. River Valley pupil services members, as well as community counselors/ clinicians will be available during the day to address student concerns. If there is a safety concern about a student, parents/guardians will be contacted.  If you have questions about SOS, please feel free to contact the pupil services staff at River Valley Middle School at 588-2556.  The River Valley School District Pupil Services Team, Holly Lochner, middle school counselor Claire Knoll, school psychologist Missy Hilliard, high school counselor Mitch Heinemeyer, high school counselor Jordyn Wendlhausen, school nurse Brittiney Belche, registered nurse Heather Olson, health assistant Stacy Hauden, elementary counselor Lisa Kjos, pupil services director Helplines: Suicide Prevention Lifeline The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a 24-hour, toll-free suicide prevention service available to anyone in suicidal crisis. If you need help, please dial 1-800-273-TALK (8255). HOPELINE Text “HOPELINE” to 741741 or go to www.centerforsuicideawareness.org for 24/7 free trained crisis counselors. The Trevor Lifeline 1-866-488-7386 A national organization focused on crisis and suicide prevention efforts among LGBT youth.