Dear Friend, Can you believe that the primary election is just 13 days away? And can you believe that some Fitchburg politicians are on a fishing ex

         
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Working to preserve the land west of Lake Waubesa from poorly planned development

Dear Friend,

Can you believe that the primary election is just 13 days away?
And can you believe that some Fitchburg politicians are on a fishing expedition to punish me? Read all about it in this edition of the WWPC e-newsletter!

Fitchburg Mayoral Forum tomorrow, Thursday Feb. 5!
The primary election has started; vote early!
"Just this one vendor"

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Alder Steve Arnold, our choice for mayor

Come hear all four mayoral candidates Thursday, Feb 5!

What: a forum put on by the Fitchburg Star newspaper where you can hear the mayoral candidates answer questions.
When: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 5
Where: Fitchburg Senior Center, 5510 Lacy Rd. (Enter at the back of the Community Center, on the lower level.)
Cost: free!
Cost of not attending: missing insights into who would best serve Fitchburg as mayor
Distance viewing option: if you get FACTV, you can watch it live. It will also be available on the FACTV website to view later.

As you know if you read our last e-newsletter, the WWPC has endorsed Steve Arnold for mayor, because of his integrity, intelligence, perseverance, diligence, and progressive values. Please try and bring some friends or family members to this forum to increase the voter turnout on Feb. 17.

This election will whittle down the choices for mayor from four to two. The general election between those two will be on April 7. Please put both dates on your calendar!

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The primary has started – vote early!

Early voting for the Feb. 17 primary has started, so please go to your City, Village, or Town Hall and vote! You never know what might happen on election day: you could get sick, there could be a blizzard, your car could break down.

So schedule a time in the next 10 days and just do it! The Fitchburg election is the key to the future of Fitchburg, Lake Waubesa, and the Waubesa Wetlands.

Fitchburg City Hall is open for early voting all the weekdays from now til Feb. 13.

Monday Feb. 2 – Friday Feb. 6: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Monday Feb. 9 – Friday Feb. 12: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 13: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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District 2 aldermanic race

There is one aldermanic primary, in the second district, seat 3. We have sent out a questionnaire, and we'll be making our endorsements on Feb. 10, after we get back the questionnaires and hold a candidate educational event on Feb. 9.

If you live in District 2 (click here to see the map), please wait to vote until we have announced our endorsement in the race! The three candidates are Roger Backes, Julia Arata-Fratta, and Matthew Pulda.

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"Just this one vendor…"

Here's a letter that I sent to the editor of the Fitchburg Star on Jan. 29. Hopefully it will appear in the next edition, but I wanted you all to know about it now! To read a transcript of the episode described below, click here. Or you can click on the link in the letter and watch the 2.5 minute video.

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Phyllis Hasbrouck, person of interest!

Dear Editor,

I was alerted by a friend that my name was mentioned at the City of Fitchburg Finance Committee meeting on Jan. 27. The FACTV video, which you can watch online here starting at minute 25, is really disturbing; it makes you wonder what country you are in! Chair Alder Richard Bloomquist and Alder Dan Carpenter ask City Administrator Tony Roach to provide them with extremely detailed information about my contract employment with the Fitchburg Senior Center as a Spanish teacher.

They give no indication of why they want "every single" bit of information about my employment there, including the names of all the Spanish students, and in response to Mr. Roach's clarifying question "Just that one vendor?" Alder Bloomquist replies, "Just that one vendor."

I can reach no other conclusion than that they are hoping to find some excuse to punish me personally because the group I chair, the West Waubesa Preservation Coalition, has so far been successful in stopping the hugely unpopular development of the Northeast Neighborhood, which the current mayor and a 6-2 Common Council majority supported. Bloomquist and Carpenter are part of that majority, as is Alder Patrick Stern, who listened to the exchange and said nothing.

Vindictiveness against opponents is not a Fitchburg value, and I hope that the voters will let these alders know that we want civilized deliberations that serve the entire community, not petty political revenge schemes that betray the people who voted for them.

Sincerely,

Phyllis Hasbrouck

Chair, West Waubesa Preservation Coalition

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Alders Bloomquist, Carpenter and Stern at the Finance Committee mtg.

Friends, if you want to communicate with the three alders on the Finance Committee, here are their emails. Let them know what you think of their actions! (But be polite.)
richard.bloomquist (at) fitchburgwi.us
dan.carpenter (at) fitchburgwi.gov
patrick.stern (at) fitchburgwi.gov

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The southern end of Lake Waubesa, looking northwesterly towards the Northeast Neighborhood.
Photo © Nadia Olker

That's all for now! Stay tuned for our aldermanic endorsements on Feb. 10.

Thanks for all you have done and will do to protect Lake Waubesa and build a better Fitchburg!

Yours,

Phyllis Hasbrouck

Chair of the West Waubesa Preservation Coalition

www.westwaubesa.org
westwaubesa@gmail.org

CD Rainbow over Waubesa Wetlands during flood

The Waubesa Wetlands after a storm. Thanks for helping us to protect them!
Photo by Cal DeWitt

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