Pellitteri New Year's Holiday Refuse Collection

Residents normally serviced on Monday, January 2 through Thursday, January 5 will be serviced one day later than their normal pickup day. Please have carts out by 7:00 AM for collection. Please contact Pellitteri at (608) 257-4285 if you have any questions. There will be additional trucks servicing Waunakee and its important that your carts are put out on time for pickup.

Year-End Tax Collections

Do you want to make your tax payment in time for use on your 2011 federal and state tax return?  Any tax collections received after the close of Village Hall on December 30, 2011 will be marked as received in December if one of the following methods is used:

1.       Payment is dropped off in the village’s drop box out front of the Village Hall by 12:00 midnight December 31, 2011.  The drop box will be emptied promptly on January 1, 2012.

2.       Payment is made to the State Bank of Cross Plains during office hours on December 31, 2011 which are 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

3.       Payment is made by placing your tax payment in the mail so it has a December 31. 2011 postmark.

Please remember, if you want a receipt you will need to enclose your entire tax bill and a self-addressed stamped envelope.  The village will stamp the top part of your tax bill and mail it back in the self-addressed envelope.

In addition, many mortgage companies wait until the very end to mail in escrow checks.  The village will be processing these as they come in early next week and the payments will be posted to December if the mortgage payments are postmarked by December 31, 2011.

Village Hall will be closed December 31, 2011 through January 2, 2012. 

Rotary Lights

Just a friendly reminder that the Rotary lights at Village Park will be up until December 31st, open daily from 4:30 p.m.- 9 p.m.

Silver Notes Newsletter

The January 2012 Waunakee Senior Center Edition of  "Silver Notes" is just a click away to view this newsletter online!

Village Board & Committee Agendas and Minutes Are Now Available Online

Agendas and minutes are now available for the public to view at www.waunakee.com/village  in the center of the page (purple site tools section) click on Agendas and Minutes.  A new window will open, there you will be able to click on the meeting you would like to view. 

To view older minutes please visit our archive center at www.waunakee.com/village at the top of the page you will see a "file folder icon" called the Document Center; click here and then choose Search Archives. 

If you have any questions please forward them to Ashley Greiber agreiber@vil.waunakee.wi.us

Red Cross Blood Drive

The American Red Cross will host a blood drive co-sponsored with North Ridge Church from Noon to 5:00 p.m. on December 30, 2011 at the Waunakee Village Center, 333 South Madison Street. To make an appointment, call the Red Cross at 800-733-2767. A blood donor card or driver's license or two other forms of identification will be required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age, weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate.

Terrace Tree Trimming in Southbridge

Steven R. Basset, Arborist, will be trimming terrace trees in the Southbridge neighborhood this week and possibly next week.  Questions: please contact the Public Works Department at 849-5892.

Holiday Tree Pick Up

Holiday tree collection will begin Tuesday, December 27, 2011. When discarding your tree, place it at the curbside or in the alley trunk end to the street. Please remove all ornaments, lights, and tree stands. Trees in tree bags will not be collected. For more information, contact the Public Works Department at (608) 849-5892.

Holiday tree collection does not pertain to private streets.

Pellitteri December 25th Holiday Collection Schedule

Normal refuse service will be observed Monday, December 26th through Thursday, December 29th and will not be affected by the holiday. Please have carts out by 7:00 a.m. for collection. Please contact Pellitteri at (608) 257-4285 if you have any questions.

Waunakee Snowmobile Trail Map

Please take the time to look over the updated village snowmobile trail map.  There have been some changes to the map this year that were recently approved by the Village Board. Village Ordinance can be found here.

To find more information on village snow polices please visit www.waunakee.com/publicworks

Snowmobile Map

Designated Snowmobile Routes and Trails

Hero Club Pancake Breakfast

Please join Santa and the Hero Club at the annual Pancake Breakfast on Sunday, December 18, 2011 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 Noon at the Waunakee High School Commons located at 301 Community Drive. $5.00; children under 5 are free and all proceeds go towards various community projects.

Waunakee's 2011 Tax Levy Information - CORRECTION

The 2011 tax levy for all taxing jurisdictions in Waunakee is $21.333690, which represents an increase from 2010 of 3.15% with the MATC levy increase accounting for almost 1% of this increase.

The Village of Waunakee 2011 tax levy is at $6.604760, which represents an increase from 2010 of 2.31%.

The Village collects the tax bill on behalf of Dane County from mid-December through January 31, 2012.  After this date, Dane County assumes collection and collects the remainder of the tax bills through the final due date of July 31, 2012.  The village receives $0.29 from each dollar collected to provide the following village services:

• Emergency medical (EMS)
• Refuse, tree, brush and leaf pickup
• Engineering and street related services including snow removal
• Library
• Senior services
• Park maintenance
• Village Center
• Infrastructure maintenance and equipment purchase/replacement
• Administration
• Police
• Fire

Of each dollar the village receives in property taxes:

• 15 cents funds Police operations
• 4 cents funds Fire and EMS services
• 9 cents funds Engineering and street related activities
• 5 cents funds Refuse, tree, brush and leaf pickup
• 9 cents funds Administration
• 5 cents funds Library services
• 4 cents funds Senior services
• 3 cents funds Park maintenance
• 4 cents funds Village Center services
• 11 cents funds Infrastructure maintenance and equipment purchase/replacement
• 31 cents goes to run all of the other service areas of the Village

 

 

WNC Night at Papa Murphy's

Stop in at Papa Murphy's on Wednesday, December 14, 2011 from 11:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and 10% of the proceeds will go to the Waunakee Neighborhood Connection. Papa Murphy's is located at 219 South Century Avenue.

A Thing of Beauty: Waunakee water tower is runner-up in calendar contest

This summer the water tower in Ripp Park was given a make over, now it is a runner-up in a calendar contest out of 140 entries.

"The award is part of the promotion, but it was nice to get an 'attaboy' for the utility and commission for deciding to come up with a tank that looks good and is a landmark for the community," Tim Herlitzka

Check out the article in the Wisconsin State Journal from Thursday December 8th.

Also view this video to see the other entries and the winner.

Again thank you to Tim Herlitzka, Waunakee Utilities Manager and for every ones hard work on the project.

New Business Park Sign

The Village of Waunakee would like to thank TMH Masonry, LLC and Speedpro Imaging for the creation and installation of the new Business Park Sign.  This is definitely an eye catcher when entering Waunakee from HWY 19 and the business park. Waunakee Utilities has run electricity to the sign as well so we can light it at night. What a great classy look for our classy Village!

Holiday Skating Exhibition

The Waunakee Skating School presents its inaugural Holiday Skating Exhibition Tuesday, December 20, from 6:50-7:50 p.m. Watch all levels of fall-session students showcase the skills they've learned to holiday music favorites.  


Admission - $2 donation per person or non-perishable items for the Waunakee Food Pantry. 


The Ice Pond at Waunakee 
1110 Prairie View Drive


Jean Calzavara-Uhlmann Skating School Director 608-289-5427 

Snowmobile Use

No one shall operate a snowmobile upon any public right-of-way, in any public park or on any municipal property except upon snowmobile routes and trails designated by the Village Board (map can be found at www.waunakee.com/parks). Ordinance Sec. 94-181-190.

Mailbox Policy

Village snow plow operators try very hard to avoid mailboxes when plowing streets. However, weak posts or support brackets, rusted mailbox components and improperly placed mailboxes could result in damage.

If your mailbox does not meet the placement guidelines (guidelines can be found at www.waunakee.com/publicworks), the village will not replace ore reimburse for damage.

• The village will provide reimbursement up to $50.00 (receipt is necessary).
• Claims must be received by May 1 and must be accompanied by a picture of the damage and receipt(s) for replacement materials. Claims will be reviewed and forwarded to the Village Board for approval.
• Village crews will install the replacement mailbox or repair the mailbox upon request.

The Village of Waunakee Mailbox Policy does not pertain to private drives.

Snow on Sidewalks

Sidewalks are to be kept free of snow and ice. The property owner which fronts upon or abuts any sidewalk shall be responsible for keeping such sidewalk clear of all snow and ice. The sidewalk should be cleared within 24 hours from the time the snow ceases to accumulate on the sidewalk. Failure to remove snow from sidewalks may result in the village removing the snow at the owner's expense and potential penalties. Violations can be reported by visiting www.waunakee.com/RequestTracker.aspx or by calling (608) 850-8500. Ordinance Sec. 82-281 through Sec. 82-287.

Property Trax: Looking to buy over the winter? Dane County has interest-free down payment loans for first-timers

The Dane County Housing Authority has $100,000 in federal money that can be used for deferred, interest-free down payment loans for first-time home buyers who meet income requirements and buy a house outside the city of Madison. 

To read the full article click here.

To learn more about the Dane County Housing Authority click here.

Holiday Carol Sing and Tree Lighting

Join us for an old-fashioned carol sing in our restored farmhouse, decorated for the season. Jean Erickson will accompany on the 1917 Sohmer upright Grand Piano. You don't want to miss the tree lighting with real candles! Hot cider and cookies will be served. This event is free to members and a $3.00 donation is requested from non-members.

Schumacher Farm Park is located at 5682 Highway 19 in Waunakee, one-half mile east of Waunakee on the hill across from Culvers. For more information, contact 849-4559 or visit us at http://www.schumacherfarmpark.org/.

Schumacher Farm County Park is a 100 acre open-air museum and conservancy dedicated to preserving old-time rural farm ways of Dane County. It is owned by Dane County Parks and run by the Friends of Schumacher Farm park, a non-profit organization.

Snow in Streets

No person shall push, carry, or deposit any snow or ice onto any roadways or sidewalks maintained by the village for pedestrial or vehicular traffic. Depositing snow or ice in the roadway or sidewalk is dangerous and could cause injury or accidents and may not allow for safe vehicular or pedestrial passage by the public. THIS APPLIES TO ALL SNOW REMOVAL CONTRACTORS. Ordinance Sec. 82-281.

¿¿What's That?? Winner!!

Congratulations to Tom Hadfield and Molly Murphy for submitting the first correct answers.  REX'S INNKEEPER.  The photo was the fireplace right as your walk in the front entrance.  The original picture is posted below. 

Rex's Innkeeper is located at 301 N. Century Ave. 849-5011. Rex's is locally owned and operated since 1988.  Rex's is well known for their steaks, prime rib, seafood, and nightly specials.  Rex's is open daily for lunch (Monday-Friday) from 11-2 p.m. and daily for dinner (Monday -Sunday) 4:30 p.m. - close.  Stop in for a cocktail/drink while watching the big game!

Thank you to Rex's for participating and thank you to everyone who participated this week.  I would like to give another round of thanks to all of the business who participated the last few weeks; Piggly Wiggly, Waun-A-Bowl, MNM's Coffeehouse, Zoe's Pizzeria, Molly's Depot Cafe, Ace Hardware, and Rex's Innkeeper. 

Fire Hydrants

Residents of Waunakee are asked to clear snow and ice away from fire hydrants. This can save valuable time in case of a fire when seconds count.

Grandma Gretel's House

Getting into the holiday spirit couldn't be easier when you help decorate Grandma Gretel's House! Take the whole family to this gingerbread house decorating event on Saturday, December 3, 2011 at the Waunakee American Legion Hall Post 360, 417 East Main Street in Waunakee! Come any time between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. and for $10.00 donation, you can decorate a gingerbread house with all of the decorating goodies provided there for your! 100% of the proceeds to to the Waunakee Neighborhood Connection (WNC) and local projects for our Armed Services. Partnering with Grandma for this event include: Waunakee American Legion Post 360, Wipperfurth's Piggly Wiggly, SOAR-Kenya and HERO students of Waunakee High School.

¿¿What's That?? - November 30

Today is the final installment of ¿¿What's That?? for the year.  The picture to the right is a photo taken at a Waunakee Business.  The first two correct responses will receive a gift card from the featured business!

Please submit your answer to Administrator Intern, Ashley Greiber by e-mail at agreiber@vil.waunakee.wi.us.  For more information on "¿¿What's That?? click here. 

Good luck and thank you for participating!! p.s. stay tuned for the picture reveal and winner.

Waunakee Police Department - December Newsletter

Winder Ordinance Reminders:

Alternate Side Parking- Alternate side parking is in effect from the hours of 2:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m.  During these times vehicles should be parked on the even numbered side of the street on even numbered days and on the odd numbered side of the street on teh odd numbered days. 

Citations not paid within 10 days of issuance result in higher fines.  Citations not paid within 28 days of issuance will result in vehicle registration being suspended. 

Snow and Ice Removeal- According to ordinance 82-281, snow and ice must be removed from sidewalks within 24 hours from the time the snow or ice ceases to accumulate on the sidewalk.  It is also illegal to deposit any snow or ice onto any public street, alley, public or priveate sidewalk.  Persons responsible for doing so may be cited. 

Snowmobiles- Snowmobiles are only allowed to be operated on designated trails or private property with the owners consent while in the village limits.  If the snowmobile is being operated on private property and not on a designated trail, the snowmobile cannot be operated between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.  The speed limit is 15 mph throughout the village.

Keys2Drive:

AAA has created a comprehensive teen driving website- www.teendriving.aaa.com - which is gaining in popularity.  It speaks to both parents and drivers.  You may want to check it out as a resource.  It is specific to Wisconsin in terms of teen driving rules but also has a number of safety strategies.

Better Business Bureau announces Top 10 Scams:

Attempted scams continue to be reported to the Waunakee Police Department.  During the month of November 2011 we received 5 reports of attempted scams or fraud.  They included:

1. A gift card/rebate scam
2. A family or friend in trouble in a foreign country needing financial assistance
3. A text message advising a frozen bank account asking you to text back or enter the bank account number to release the account
4. $10,000 grant where you only have to pay a commission fee to get the money
5. International lottery winnings

Thankfully none of our citizens responded and no one was out any money.  Please continue to be alert and aware of anything that sounds to good to be true.  Also, educate any elderly family members or friends of the trending scams to keep them from being victimized as they are often targets of these scams.  

This year's Top Ten Scams looks at not only those scams that affected us in 2010, but what to watch out for in 2011, and beyond.  One of the biggest trends is in scam artists taking advantage of the public's eagerness to embrace new technologies and services, like social media and online commerce, which allows them to cast a new over countless victims from a safe distance. 

"Many people view their online personality as separate from their real-life one, and don't take the same precautions to protect their identities, their computers, or their money". Many people differentiate their online experience from their non-virtual environment, as a result are particularly vulnerable to scams.  Scam artists are savvy to consumers who click first and ask questions later. 

Here are the top ten scams of 2010 and 2011 from the Better Business Bureau:

1. Door-to-Door Scams Every new season seems to attract a new door-to-door scammer offering unbelievable deals: roofing contractors in the spring/summer, paving contractors in the summer, and heating contractors in the fall.  These fraudulent contractors use high pressure sales tactics to frighten people into expensive yet substandard-often unnecessary-work, with no way to contact them when the product fails. Quick Tip: Don't give into high pressure sales tactics.  Take the time to do your due diligence, getting the name and location of the company and ensuring all details and verbal promises are included in a contract.  
2. Not-so-Free Trial Offers Online ads may tempt you to try out a diet product, acne cream, or teeth whitener, but be careful about signing up for so-called "free trial" offers.  Many websites that offer a free trial for products do not disclose the billing terms and conditions on their website.  Before giving the company any credit or debit card information, review the website fully and be aware that free trials may result in repeated billing.  Quick Tip: Consumers considering trial offers are urged to determine whether they are enrolling in a membership, subscription, or service contract that allows the company to charge fees to credit cards.  Check with BBB to find a company reliability report at www.bbb.org.
3. Anti-Social Network Social networks like Facebook and Twitter are becoming more and more popular.  Users are often subject to targeted advertising and direct messages, and scams of all colors use social networks to operate.  Fraudulent work-at-home job offers are sent through Tweets and Facebook messages, deceptive "free trials" are advertised, and "clickjacking" on Facebook convinces users to post malicious links on their status updates. Quick Tip: Your computer should always have the most recent updates installed for space filters, anti-virus and anti-spyware software, and a secure firewall.  Use the most up-to-date versions of your web browsers to offer further protection.  Be wary of messages from friends and especially strangers that direct you to another website via hyperlink.  
4. Advance Fee Loans Consumers have reported losing substantial sums of money responding to advertisements that "guarantee" loans to people, often online.  Consumers complete credit applications and are told the loan (from $5,000 to $10,000) has been approved and the promised funds will be received once a fee is paid.  After payment, the loan is never received as promised.   Quick Tip: It is illegal for a company to change a fee in advance to obtain a loan, even if that fee is disguised as the first or last month's payment.  Watch for claims of "guaranteed" loans even if you have bad credit, not credit, or a bankruptcy, and demands that you wire or send money before you can have a loan offer confirmed in writing.  
5. Phising, Vishing, and Smishing Identity thieves are always looking for new ways to strike, and taking advantage of new technologies is a boon for scamming unsuspecting users.  "Phising" scams send emails that look legitimates, requesting your "account information needs to be updated."  Recipients are sent to a phony, but legitimate, looking website and prompted to enter their information details.  "Yishing" attacks come via telephone, usually through a recorded messages that tells users to call a toll-free number.  The caller is then typically asked to punch in a credit card number or other personal information.  "Smishing" scams target mobile device users, sending text messages that might ask a recipient to register for a service that downloads a virus or warn that the consumer will be charged unless he cancels his supposed order by going to a website that then extracts such credit card numbers and other private data.  These are all tactics to get you to reveal personal or financial information.  Quick Tip:  If you receive these messages just delete them and do not click on any links, and hang up on callers you aren't familiar with.  Never give credit information online or over the phone unless you are sure of the identity of the caller.  If you are a victim of ID theft, call your financial institutions to have them cancel your cards and re-issue new ones.  Contact your local police and the main credit reporting agencies. 
6. Relative Scam This phone scam targets grandparents who think they are aiding their grandchildren by sending money for an emergency situation, but are in fact giving thousands of dollars to con artists.  The victim receives a distressed phone call from someone he believes is his grandchild, who typically explains that he has been arrested or involved in an auto accident and needs the grandparent to wire money to post bail or pay for damages-usually amounting to a few thousand dollars.  Quick Tip:  Watch for the common tactics. The scam caller might say, “It’s me, your favorite grandchild” or “Grandma, do you know who this is?”, to which the grandparent will guess the name of the grandchild it sounds the most like, and then the call proceeds from there. Other scammers search Facebook profiles to find out when grandchildren and other family members are out of town before placing their well-timed phone calls. Seniors should always confirm the status of the individual by verifying the story with other family members before taking any further action like wiring money. 
7. Job Scams In tough economic times, scammers target the unemployed and others through work-at-home, online, and mystery shopper job scams. Online job-hunters are told they will be paid to work from home once payment is sent for a start-up kit that never arrives. Mystery shoppers are hired to secret shop a wire-transfer service; they’re sent a check, told to deposit it, keep a small percentage of the money as their wage, wire the rest, and then complete the survey on the service you encounter. The so-called business address often turns out to be fake, with the money wire-transferred to another unknown location. In the end, the check received is a counterfeit or bogus, which the victim finds out only days later when it’s returned by their bank and they are out the money transferred. Quick Tip: : Be skeptical of work-at-home and mystery shopper ads in newspapers or online job listings. In most cases, these are bogus services requiring you to pay money upfront. Avoid companies that promise guaranteed jobs and that sell directories of companies that provide mystery shoppers. Check with the BBB first. 
8. Business Opportunities You may have heard about a new investment opportunity presentation in your neighborhood. Perhaps a good friend or family member has invited you to attend a presentation. These investments appear lucrative, but often are more hype than substance. Attendees don’t know anything about the company and are desperate to hear that it is legit. The promoter convinces investors that they can be part owners of investment portfolios if they enlisted new recruits, often promising commissions.  Quick Tip: In reality, this is most likely a pyramid scheme. The new capital brought on by new investors is keeping this imaginary investment afloat. Get the facts. If you do go to an information session, collect business cards, promotional materials, and ask questions: Who are the principals of the company? What are the average earnings for a “typical” participant? What is the start-up cost? Gather as much information as possible before agreeing to anything.  
9. Business Directory Scams Small business owners are often targets of scammers. Unauthorized invoices, unordered packages, and phony business directories are all common tactics used to bilk businesses out of money. Many businesses have received lookalike, or phony, invoices for advertising space in the familiar, locally distributed yellow page directories. These invoices are actually solicitations for listings in alternative business directories that differ from the well-known yellow pages. In fact, the different directory may not be that widely distributed, can be of little or no value to advertisers, or may never be published at all.  Quick Tip: Businesses can protect themselves by alerting their accounting department or bill-payers to be on the look-out for disguised solicitations and carefully check suspicious bills from companies with which they don’t normally do business. To check the reliability of the company that is sending the solicitation, businesses should contact the BBB.  
10. Overpayment Scams Online buyers and sellers, particularly those that use websites like Craigslist and Kijiji, are potential targets for overpayment scams. A person selling merchandise is contacted by someone claiming to be interested in buying the product. The purchaser arranges to make the payment by check and even offers more than the value of the product, asking for the extra money to be sent back to them by check or wired to an account. The check turns out to be fraudulent, leaving the shipper out of both funds and product.  Quick Tip: If you sell a product and the purchaser agrees to pay by check for more than the asking price, stop right there. The money being wired back will be lost, and the person who cashed the bogus check will be on the hook for the whole sum. Online buyers should watch out for deals that appear too good to be true, like items selling for below market value. Sellers of these items claim to reside out of town and will ask for shipping costs to be wired to them, when in fact the goods listed don’t even exist.

Questions can be sent to newsletter@waunakeepd.org.  Questions submitted may be featured in future newsletters.  The person submitting the question will not be identified.  

Culver's Hometown Hero - Please Vote!

Waunakee Neighborhood Connection Executive Director, Genna Eaton, has been nominated for the Culver's Hometown Hero Award.

The winner of the award will win $5,000, if Genna wins, the money will go to WNC.

Please vote for Genna on Facebook: https://apps.facebook.com/hometownhalloffame/entry/217934 once per day until the deadline of 4:59 p.m. on December 5th.

Please tell your families and neighbors to vote so we can all help win $5,000 for WNC, the organization that does so much for our neighbors!

Santa at the Village Center - December 3

Santa and Mrs. Claus will be making their way to the Waunakee Village Center this Saturday, December, 3 from 1-4 p.m. to talk with the children about the North Pole and to hear their wish lists.  (Parents are invited to take pictures of Mr. and Mrs. Claus.)

Come enjoy a cozy afternoon making crafts, enjoying musical entertainment, candy canes, cookies, cider, and holiday cheer!!  (this event is FREE and all ages are welcome to participate)

Trash/Recycle Containers

Please remember that trash and recycle containers from Pellitteri must be placed behind the curb. Placement anywhere else is prohibited by village ordinance. If your containers are in the street and get damaged from the snow plow, it will not be the responsibility of the village to replace your containers. This does not pertain to private streets.

Chamber Open House at the Depot

The Waunakee/Westport Chamber of Commerce invites the community to the historic Waunakee Depot located at 100 East Main Street for the annual holiday open house celebration from 4-8 p.m. on December 1, 2011. Enjoy company with food and beverages, compliments of the Chamber board and local businesses. The Waunakee Society of Model Railroaders will showcase their Chicago Northwestern railroad models in the lower level of the Depot. For information call the Chamber at 608-849-5977.

WaunaSHOP SuPeR Saturday

Residents of our community and communities across the country are being asked to support small business merchants on Small Business Saturday and throughout the year. Therefore, President John Laubmeier and the Village Trustees of Waunakee hereby proclaim November 26, 2011 as WaunaSHOP SuPeR Saturday in Waunakee and encourage all residents to recognize the importance of supporting local businesses.

Get out this Saturday and beyond to enjoy the unique shops and services of Waunakee and help preserve your vibrant community by keeping your money at home. The business community invites you to shop locally and make this Saturday your 1st Annual WaunaSHOP SuPeR Saturday!

Waunakee Wins when you WaunaSHOP Locally!

Rotary Display of Lights

Sunday, November 27, 2011 at 6:00 p.m. marks the 2011 lighting of the Greater Waunakee Rotary Club display of lights in Waunakee's historic Village Park located at 500 East Main Street. The display of lights is scheduled to run through December 31, 2011.

Portable Basketball Hoops & Recreational Equipment

A reminder that all portable basketball hoops and all other recreational equipment must be removed from all public streets within the Village of Waunakee from November 1 to April 1.

Little Free Library in Blue Ridge Park

Little Free Libraries are growing in popularity in Waunakee, with two locations in the downtown area and a brand new one in Blue Ridge Park.

These wooden structures look very similar to large birdhouses that contain reading materials for children and adults to borrow or take for their own. Neighbors are welcome to drop off books that they would like to share with fellow residents.

For more information about Little Free Libraries, please visit the website at http://www.littlefreelibrary.org/

Alternate Parking

The alternate side parking ordinance is in effect from 12 midnight through 6:00 a.m. from November 1 to April 1. Ordinance Sec. 94-83.(3). To ensure you are not in violation follow these steps:

• Think of what the date will be between the hours of 12:00 midnight and 6:00 a.m.
• If the date is even numbered, park on the even house numbered side of the street.
• If the date is odd numbered, park on the odd house numbered side of the street.

If possible, please keep parked vehicles off the streets when it snows. The ordinance does not pertain to private streets.

Pellitteri Thanksgiving Holiday Collection Schedule

Residents normally serviced on Thursday, November 24th and Friday, November 25th will be serviced one day later than their normal pick up day. Please have carts out by 7:00 a.m. for collection. There will be additional trucks servicing each community and it is important that your carts are put out on time for pick up. Please call Pellitteri at 608-257-4285 if you have any questions.

¿¿What's That?? Winner!!

Congratulations to Deb Endres for submitting the first correct answer, ACE HARDWARE.  The photo is the sign hanging above the paint center.  The original picture is posted below. 

Ace Hardware is located at 205 S. Century Ave.: 849-8500.  Ace is family owned and Waunakee's one-stop hardware shop.  From a large array of housewares to all your hardware needs, Ace is the place!! Stop in and meet the friendly staff and load up on weekly deals...remember the holidays are around the corner, Ace has seasonal decorations and lights!

Thank you to Ace Hardware for participating and thank you to everyone who participated this week.  Watch for another installment of ¿¿What's That?? next week!

Cocoa Mocha Monday

Join Ms. Armstrong's 4th graders from Arboretum Elementary as they start your day off right with a warm cup of cocoa, coffee or a mocha! Drive thru the 1st National Bank at 1330 Montondon Avenue on Monday, November 21, 2011 between 7:15 a.m. until 9:15 a.m. to get your warm treat! All proceeds support the Waunakee Neighborhood Connection (WNC). Thank you to Ms. Armstrong and her class for their continued support of WNC and to MNM's Coffeehouse and 1st National Bank for sponsoring this event!

Last Week for Leaf Pick-Up

The last week for fall leaf pick-up will be THIS week November 14-18th.  This is due to the fact that we need to get the leaf equipment switched over for snow removal operation.  Leaves can still be taken out to the compost site on Highway Q.  


Recently a letter was sent to the editor of the Oregon Observer, from a local Girl Scout Troop.  This letter is a good reminder to us all, why leaves must stay in the terrace and not raked in the street.

Please Keep Your Leaves Out of the Street

            As Brownie Girl Scouts we took a “journey” last year called, “Wonders of Water”.  We learned all about water conservation and pollution.  Now that it is Fall, we are concerned as we see many of our neighbors in Oregon are raking their leaves directly into the streets.  Did you know that this is not only against the rules in our Village, but also bad for our lakes? 

            The village has rules about leaf pickup that can be found on the Village website.  One of these rules says that if you want your leaves picked up then, “Leaves shall be raked into the terrace area and not in the street and shall be piled or windrowed in the terrace area”.  We learned that leaves contain nutrients that fertilize algae, which and turn our lakes green.  When leaf piles sit in the street, wind and rain carry them to storm drains and eventually into lakes and streams.  Rain seeping through leaf piles creates a rich “nutrient tea” that flows along the curb and into storm drains, even if leaves themselves don’t move and inch! 

            We also learned that it is a good idea to compost leaves.  That is what our Village does with the leaves after vacuuming them up.  Composted leaves make a great fertilizer and good to use as mulch in gardens and around trees.  Also, mulching leaves on your lawn can replace one fertilizer application each year. 

            Please “Love Your Lakes, Don’t Leaf Them” and rake your leaves out of our streets!  For more information about how to protect our lakes, visit “myfairlakes.com”.  We’d also like to thank all of you for supporting Girl Scouts by buying our cookies!  Girl Scouting is celebrating it’s 100^th year in 2012!

            -4^th Grade Junior Girl Scout Troop #2140, Oregon, WI

To learn more about the rules and regulations in Waunakee please visit our online Municipal Code. 

¿¿What's That?? - November 15

Today is the sixth installment of ¿¿What's That??.  The Picture to the right is a photo taken at a Waunakee Business.  The first correct response will be receive a gift certificate from the featured business!

Please submit your answer to Administrative Intern, Ashley Greiber by e-mail at agreiber@vil.waunakee.wi.us  For more information on "¿¿What's That?? click here. 

Good luck and thank you for participating!! p.s. stay tuned for the picture reveal and winner

¿¿What's That?? Winners!!

Congratulations to Monique Mobley and Jean Elvekrog for submitting the first correct answer, MOLLY'S DEPOT CAFE.  The photo was the train phone Molly has sitting on her counter.  AND it really does sound just like a train!  The original picture is posted below. 

Molly's Depot Cafe is located at 105 E. Second Street: 850-6080.  Molly's serves breakfast and lunch Monday-Saturday and serves specialty coffees and made to order specialty drinks.  Molly's is located in the Murphy Mill which Molly and her husband Jeff bought in 1996 and have remodeled the building themselves.  Visit Molly's for a comfortable place to enjoy a meal and great conversation. 

Thank you to Molly's Depot Cafe for participating and thank you to everyone who participated this week.  Watch for another installment of ¿¿What's That?? tomorrow!

The “Let There Be Lights” campaign is coordinated by a non-profit group working to raise money to build lights on the Waunakee High School’s baseball field. All donations to the cause are tax deductible. The campaign has raised approximately $12,000 and it will cost $115,000 to get the lights up. The eight light bases are already in place, thanks to a fundraiser from a few years ago. The intention is to use the same company that designed the bases, to put up the lights.

Pennants that will be seen on the light stands themselves will be offered to businesses that donate money of $2,000-$3,000. At $45-$225, individuals can purchase pavers that will adorn the walkways behind the press box. These will be engraved with names. The third option for recognition for giving a donation will be an engraving on a wall or plaque. This is for those businesses such as law or orthodontics offices that really don’t need a pennant because they have no logo, but still deserve some recognition for their gift.

There are plans to sell concessions at baseball tournaments and some of the baseball coaches have generously donated their salaries made from summer baseball camps. The group also won a grant from an insurance company by having the most members respond to an online survey about athletics.

For more information or to make a contribution to the “Let There Be Lights” campaign, please e-mail LetThereBeLights@yahoo.com.

Senior Thanksgiving Breakfast

The Waunakee Rotary Club and the Senior Center Staff will prepare and serve a free breakfast to Waunakee area senior citizens Thanksgiving Day (November 24, 2011) beginning at 8:00 a.m. The breakfast will be at the Waunakee Area Senior Center at 333 South Madison Street in Waunakee.

Thanksgiving Food Basket Deliveries

The Waunakee Ecumenical Board along with the support of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is sponsoring their annual Thanksgiving food basket distribution to struggling community families in Waunakee. Your family is invited to help deliver food baskets with food for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner to these families in the Waunakee Community. We need help delivering 135 baskets on November 19, 2011. Deliveries will begin at about noon from the parking lot on the side of St. John's School and behind the Intermediate School, 303 South Street. Enter by the driveway between the Intermediate School and St. John's Church. Volunteers will help put Thanksgiving food boxes in your vehicle and provide directions for delivering. If you have 30 minutes or 2 hours, your help is appreciated. For more information, call Natalie Dresen 849-9742.

Craft Fair, Bake and Book Sale

The Friends of Waunakee Public Library are holding their huge annual Holiday Craft Fair, Bake and Book Sale on November 19, 2011 from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. in the newly enlarged Waunakee High School Commons at 301 Community Drive. It will feature over 50 vendors, with handcrafted items ranging from art glass and baby clothing to watercolors and wood turnings.

¿¿What’s That?? Hint of the Week

Although I have received quite a few guesses for last week’s ¿¿What’s That??  I haven’t received the correct answer.  Here are a couple of hints to help you out…remember the first person to guess correctly will receive a gift certificated from the participating business. 

• The owner's father was a conductor the Chicago North Western Rail Road.   
•  My home is located in the oldest mill in town.
• I have my own truck scale.

¿¿What's That?? - November 9th

Today is the fifth installment of "¿¿What's That??".  The picture to the right is a photo taken at a Waunakee Business.  The first correct response will received a gift certificate from the featured business!

Please submit your answer to Administrative Intern, Ashley Greiber by e-mail at agreiber@vil.waunakee.wi.us  For more information on "¿¿What's That?? click here. 

Good luck and thank you for participating!! p.s. stay tuned for the picture reveal and winner!

Special Thanks

The Village of Waunakee and Town of Westport would like to send a special thanks out to the DOT and all of those who worked on the completion of Woodland Drive.  We would also like to thank the residents in the area for being patient and understanding throughout the process. 

Woodland Drive is now completed and looks better than ever.  We hope that you all enjoy the recreational path along Woodland Drive. It's been great to see everyone using it already.

Thanks again!

Waunakee Library Fundraiser at Pizza Hut

The Waunakee Pizza Hut invites the community to dine with us for lunch or dinner any day the week of November 13-19, 2011. For every buffet sold, we will make a $1.00 donation to the Waunakee Library to help build their Forever Fund. Come out and support the Waunakee Public Library!

McDonald's WNC Night Out

Did you hear the McRib is back? Or do you prefer the Big Mac? You can have these tasty sandwiches or anything else on the menu on Tuesday, November 15 and McDonald's in Waunakee will donate 10% of their proceeds to Waunakee Neighborhood Connection (WNC). The special promotion runs from 4:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m., so come in for an after school snack or have a family dinner night out!

Night Time WNC Volunteering/Donation Drop Off

Waunakee Neighborhood Connection (WNC) hours for donation drop off
and volunteering at the store will November 14 from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
This is a perfect window of timeto students to lend a hand and give back to their community!

Please visit our website http://www.waunakeeneighborhoodconnection.com/
for more information and other volunteer opportunities.

WNC Volunteering/Donation Drop Off

November 7, 9, 11 & 14
Waunakee Neighborhood Connection (WNC) hours for donation
drop off and volunteering at the store will be Mondays, Wednesdays
and Fridays from 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Please visit our website http://www.waunakeeneighborhoodconnection.com/ for more information
and other volunteeer opportunties.

Civil War Series

The Waunakee Public Library will host a free five-part reading and discussion series, "Let's Talk About It: Making sense of the American Civil War". Discussion will be held at 6:30 p.m. Mondays starting November 14 and continuing December 12, January 9, February 6 and March 5. Adam Malka, a senior Ph.D candidate in U.S. history at UW-Madison, will lead the discussions. The books to be discussed will be "March," by Gwendolyn Brooks, "Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam," by James McPherson, and "America's War," edited by Edward L. Ayres.

¿¿What's That?? Winner!!

Congratulations to Lori Hadfield for submitting the first correct answer, ZOE'S PIZZERIA.  The photo was one of the many signs hanging in the restaurant.  The original picture is posted below. 

Zoe's Pizzeria is located at 806 S. Division Street; 849-7900.  Zoe's has a very strong Internet presence with their website, twitter, and facebook.  Daily they spread the word on their lunch specials with updates to facebook and twitter.  Zoe's is known for their great pizza, pasta, Heroes (sandwiches) salad and even dessert.  Stop on by for just a slice or dinner for the whole family!

Thank you to Zoe's Pizzeria for participating and thank you to everyone who participated this week.  Watch for another installment of ¿¿What's That?? next Wednesday!

Intersection of 113 & Arboretum

I often get calls from citizens who are concerned about the safety of certain intersections in the Village. One in particular that I've heard a lot about is 113 and Arboretum. Recently I asked Police Chief Plendl to touch base with the DOT and find out what the future plans are for this area. We asked about the possibility of speed reduction and/or traffic signals. Below are snippets from the response we received from the DOT:

Regarding Speed Limits: "...STH 113 through the Arboretum Dr intersection is a wide open rural highway with full 12-ft lanes, wide shoulders, and few access points. Given these physical characteristics of the roadway it is highly unlikely that speed data taken in this area could justify anything less than 55mph..."

Regarding Traffic Signals: "...before [a traffic signal] can be considered on any state trunk highway, the intersection must first meet traffic signal warrants listed in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)...When traffic volumes at an intersection rise to and sustain the hourly levels listed in the warrants, then the positive aspects of a signal tend to balance out the negative aspects. ...[the DOT] conducted 12 hour turning movement counts at this intersection in 2005, 2006, and 2009. In each of those years the warrants were not met. [DOT staff have] asked that STH 113 & Arboretum Dr be added to [the DOTs] count list for the summer of 2012. [The DOT] will then evaluate the warrants again with the new count. The crash history of the intersection will also be reviewed as a part of this evaluation."

I am glad to report the good news that the DOT will carefully review this intersection next year. In the meantime, please use caution when navigating this and other busy intersections in our community. When possible during peak times you may want to consider alternate routes.

To all who have contacted me, thanks for your concern and feedback. We appreciate the open communication we have with our residents here in Waunakee.

¿¿What's That?? - November 2nd

Today is the fourth installment of  "¿¿What's That??". 

The picture to the right is a photo taken at a Waunakee business.  The first correct response will receive a gift certificate from the featured business!

Please submit your answer to Administrative Intern, Ashley Greiber by e-mail at agreiber@vil.waunakee.wi.us

For more information on "¿¿What's That??" click here.

Good luck and thank you for participating!!

p.s. stay tuned for the picture reveal and winner!