Town of Porter Annual Meeting

Town of Porter Annual Meeting next Monday, 

April 15, at 7 PM 

at the Porter Town Hall

Here's your chance to bring up concerns 

and listen to the plans of the Town Board.

Drawing by Chris Beebe

Number One Silo, by Chris Beebe

In 1974 I bought the "Ortman Farm" situated on the northeast side of the now replaced, 1916 one lane steel-truss bridge called the Leedle's Mill bridge.   The Leedle's Grist Mill once stood on the west side of the bridge,  long since removed.

The Leedle's Grist Mill looking northeastward

The Leedle's Grist Mill, an earlier photograph showing the mill in operation

The Leedle's Mill Bridge, before it was razed in 2011

I got to know Mr. Ed Ortman and his wife Geaneyce who were living in one of the Cooksville red-brick homes, known as the Collins house, nearly across from the General store in Cooksville.   I had him out to the farm often as he tried helping/teaching me how to operate the water,  plumbing and ailing electrical system of the old house.  It did have indoor plumbing and facilities,  ... but just.

Ed told me he and his family ran an ice cream and sandwich Shop,  and operated the General Store for a spell in Cooksville.  

He also told me he had ten children with his wife who had since died.  Her name was Clara.  She must have been a wonderful woman,  and I often wished I had known her.     For years their kids would help stocking/prepping the store and serving customers after school.  It became quite a hang-out, he told me, ...  quite fondly I might add. 

The sandwich shop location is where John Julseth now lives, nearly across the street from their red brick, Collins house, or the second house north of the General Store.

For further information on the Ortman family including their snack-bar,  see the archives listed in the October, 2013 "Cooksville News."   Included in the article is a fine photo taken in 2011 of the Ortman children born in Cooksville.  Here is a link to the article :  http://cooksvillenews.blogspot.com/2013/10/memories-of-cooksvilles-snack-shop-by.html

It might have been 1995 when I was asked to do an appraisal of another car collection,  something I am used to and have done frequently.  This collection was different and required assistance due to it's size.  He said there might be 1 to 2 hundred vehicles in his many buildings and lots.

Matt Joseph,  a good friend and co-historian of automobiles,  and I tackled the job set out for us via the daughter of the man who, over many decades, collected the cars. I believe his name was Lloyd Smith.

After our first visit to his storage facilities near the intersection of Hwy 51 and Hwy 59, no/west of Janesville,  we were invited to a sit-down meal with the family so as to meet Mr Smith, the retired head of A.O. Smith Corp. 

The meal was lovely and the family gracious with their daughters, sons ( I think) and their children seated with us.   The talk eventually turned to his car collection and how far we had gotten that first day. 

We described the building number (there were many) and what highlights were seen in the first few structures.  Most were somewhat common sedans of little interest and value to the market or me, 1950's Plymouth,  Dodge and Chrysler cars. 

After the discussion waned and dessert was served,  I made a comment that I had one of his fine silage facilities on my property.  I told him it seemed like an unusual unit,  was of a shorter stature yet wide-based compared to most I had seen.  He inquired as to where I live.    I told him I lived just about one mile north of the village of Cooksville,  north and a bit west.

My old Dairy Barn and the very First Harvestore Silo

"Really !   That's my number one !", he exclaimed, showing some unexpected enthusiasm.   "I'll never forget number one !  I sold that Show-Silo to Ed Ortman,  who saw it and bought where it was displayed at the Wisconsin State Fair near Milwaukee.   That was in 1949.   When the show was over we disassembled it on the spot to show an audience how they are constructed. We invited folks to watch it be assembled in two weeks at the Ortman farm.  The parts and panels were transported by truck and trailer to his farm.  The concrete base was poured and we re-assembled it on that farm near the one-lane bridge crossing a fine river.  I remember going down off of the bridge for a swim to cool off after that silo was all finished. Was that the Badfish River?" ?

I told him it was actually titled the Badfish Creek.

He went on to say, "Some of my workers caught some beautiful trout down there,  one right off of that old bridge. That 'number one' was a high-moisture silo.  How is the unit working out for you?  What do you use it for ? "

I told him I had rented it out for years for high-moisture corn but no longer had electricity to it.   I had cleaned out the huge cavity a year earlier,  unsure of it's future use.   He showed such a spark of high spirit over the memory of his 'Number One' and setting it up in place with an audience watching.  That was a pleasant collection of memories for all of us to have heard.

Now,  these many years later I admittingly have had thoughts to make something else of the ol silo.  I have thought to make a sort of 'darkroom' or observatory into the heavens by modifying the roof so that a few panels would slide to a side, exposing the dark skies  as one looks upward.    I would then be able to use the fine telescope I have.  We have been losing the dark skies.  They have become lighter since the creation of the new and used car lots, Walmart, the restaurants, and fuel stations set into place west of Stoughton these past few years.

As it is,  'number one' stands empty, is cleaned out and at the ready for a fresh, new life.

Chris Beebe's Memories of Race Car Driving

A lot of interesting people have called Cooksville "home" over the years.  The following is an inside-the-body look at what it's like to drive a race car.  Chris lives, works on cars, draws and plays music just north of Cooksville on Leedle Mill Road along the Badfish.

 

The car that beat me at Road America (see end notes)

Many auto enthusiasts seem to know the power and traction required to propel a car up to 60 mph from a stop,  0-to 60 mph, requiring so many seconds.  My 1000 lb, 165 hp Lotus Super 7 has a spec of O-to-60 mph in just over 4 seconds, 0-to-80 in about 5.5.  That's up there with Corvettes.
 

 I wonder what you might think.  How short a period of time (in seconds) it takes a 'Can-Am' race car from a stopped position, launched up to 100 mph and then back to stopped (0-to-100-to-0)?  Realize that the brakes are terrific and the tires are wide and sticky for grip, besides the 850 horse power propelling the rig.  I'll leave the answer till later so you can mull it over. 

        
I was offered to drive this Can Am car in a race and these thoughts came up first. I had to stay quite fit to be competitive driving the Lotus or Tiga,  so what would be needed to be capable of tolerating these sort of loads?   I remember watching the Can Am cars shoot up the hill from turn 14 up the hill toward the start/finish at Road America. The sight of Jerry Hansen and Jack Hinkel come to mind, looking nearly sling-shot.   That had me worry about the ability to drive such a powerful car.    What does the body go through?  What was the condition and history of the car?  What had it been through?  What maintenance had it had?

  

As for the driving speeds of race vehicles,  I think driving a race car at 200 mph isn't as exciting as one might think, really.  The scenery just whisks past quickly.    What is impressive and hard on one's body is getting up to high speeds and down from them so quickly.  All road-course racing cars are driven as hard as the car and driver are capable to be competitive, drive as fast as the power will take you and slow as quickly as possible to deal with corners, having to accurately down-shift,  (not using the clutch is most efficient), and prepare the chassis for something completely different from the momentum carrying you.  Along with this is the human body trying to tolerate these changes, requiring all these changes to take place yet be kept mentally cool and alert enough to manage these violent up-heaving changes. 

 I don't need glasses for driving. I can pass an eye test, but use them for racing.  A problem I had was under braking hard in this Lola race car.  Keep in mind these cars have wide (29") and sticky tires, brakes from a jet fighter and the light-weight car is easily pulled down from high speeds repeatedly,  corner after corner, with straight shoots between them.  As hard as I tried, I couldn't squint hard enough to hold and contain my eyes from protruding out of their sockets and making contact with my glasses.

  
               So, ...   from O to 100mph and then back to O,  ...  in just under 6 seconds.                              Just imagine what the body goes through    ...  !   
               Lap after lap,  and so many laps, left, right turns and many slowing from near 200 to 60 for some corners,    ...                                                                                                                                                      Unsure I'd like to do that again.

That eye-pain is my threshold of braking in a car this powerful.  I would modulate to find that tiny G-load that is just shy of eye-contact and just where my focus isn't THAT altered. More than that, my judgement is just unable to make those minuscule maneuvers that make for a correct and smooth transition so the chassis isn't surprised or 'up-ended' enough to have 'messed up' a corner. 

 

                                                                  Gotta rest my two fingers now...

And later he writes,

I suppose it was during a period before there was E-Mail and I was not writing or drawing much.  It was when I was in an extreme low and worn period of my adulthood.  I then took the very foolish attitude of "I don't care anymore" and accepted the challenge of driving this old powerful car offered me. It's owner was a fella who also has a Lotus Super 7, but a series 4, a model newer than my racing Lotus Super Seven.  The owner  approached me after a race, claimed, "You whooshed right past me on the straight at Elkhart."  He asked if I would work on his car so that it would at least keep up with me on the straights. It already had a professionally built 1600 twin-cam Lotus engine but I still roared right by him with my smaller engined Lotus. After spending one winter on his car he found the changes I made were terrific,  and it was after the last race of the season at Elkhart when he offered this Lola Can Am car for me to have a go at. I delightedly accepted,  but asked him to let me think it over, ... over winter.  "We'll keep in touch."   E-Mail wasn't yet known to me.

Me waving to friends at the end of the race.

Here I was in this difficult and low period,  thrown into the mess was this amazing offer,  mulling over just driving such an old powerful car, and further yet, possibly racing it.  The more I learned of this particular car, I realized how foolish accepting the offer would be.  It was a car that I viewed as having had a new heart but an old and fragile body, bones ready to break when loads were given.  It had a new and more powerful engine, brake pads, tires, etc, and I learned the 'chassis' (monocoque design)  had been re-skinned over the old skin. It was prepped by a firm that had great Can Am car background so my accepting the car in October had it being readied and fit to me (though I never saw the car) over winter.  It was this 'not caring for my well-being' attitude that had me question myself for those 5 months, right up to mid-April, the arrival of the test day held in Michigan, at Grattan Raceway.  Though I knew the track well (still hold the lap record in my Lotus' class),  I worried about all of that power and how I might adjust to it.
 

When we arrived it was just being rolled out of the semi-tractor trailer, and it looked long and yellow, had a hideous teal-colored wing at the back.  I sure was doubting my abilities just looking in the cockpit.  I suited up wearing the tattered suit, worn and thin underwear, tattered gloves and crummy helmet.  The adjustments took a while... moving the pedal assembly to the best place for me sitting as recumbent as I do, (The seat does not move.),  strapping myself in with assistance from a crew of fellas I didn't know.  They knew of the help needed to adjust and buckle-up all of the harness, arm and helmet restraints.   It's a job a driver can't accomplish alone.
 

The engine fired up with a huge blast of raw power, even easing the throttle made for more response than intended. I wended my way onto the track at the end of the pit row, very uneasy about what I had taken on. I found it required extremely high effort to steer around all of Grattan's clever and difficult corners, set amongst the rolling hills in Southern Michigan. It's a course intended for much smaller and more nimble vehicles, like my Lotus Seven.   It did have one very long straight, and early on I (wrongly) found this was the easy part of the track, because I hadn't given it full throttle. The variety and number of off-camber corners, short but sharp hills, dips and decreasing-radius turns had me work very hard at the wheel before I was able to figure out how to use the engine to assist the strength needed to steer the wide-tired chassis. I was finally getting the enormously wide rear tires to break free and that would lessen the input I was otherwise required to put into steering through each corner. As wide and sticky as those tires were, that engine could separate them from the pavement almost anytime wished for.  That controlled loss of adhesion at will left me awe-struck. Learning this took a better part of an hour, lap after grueling lap.   The loads were so great on my body, I had to pull into the pits and threw up.

Just before the start of the race at Elkhart Lake's Road America.  See end notes.

Shifting that huge transmission was wonderful, though I was taken aback at first as the car was right-hand drive (which I'm used to) but the gear lever was to the right. It was set onto the chassis sill cover, tucked under the body skin to the right of the steering wheel.  My Right arm is much stronger than Left and I needed that strength to steer the car. Shifting had to be completed before, after and away from the corner so as to not upset the chassis and allow the use of two strong arms. The ease of matching the engine/gears was easy for me, the lightweight flywheel and clutch-pack allowed the powerful and over-willing engine to rev free and respond quickly to throttle conditions, on and off, and the timing of gear selection came naturally for me kept in practice from years of racing British cars that lost their clutch operation during races.  I became quick, efficient and accurate with every shift, much quicker when not using a clutch.

It was surprisingly difficult for me to have the guts to try full throttle, only once having tried it a bit on the straight and I recall thinking, "Yikes, that was just too much." Those in the pits, watching my slow learning curve, realized I was at my personal limit, in a comfort zone.   I wasn't aware but they decided to do something to break me of myself.
 

The view to the rear of the very wide Lola was insufficient through the two little spot mirrors on the front fenders. They only offered a great view of the enormously wide, distractedly brilliant, teal-colored stabilizing wing over the tail.  They were nearly worthless to see rearward but they were all I had, aimed to the rear corners of the car, just outside of the big wing.  There were others setting up and testing their vehicles on the track this day but we staged our time on the track.   Occasionally overlapped occurrences would have a car appear suddenly,  startle me as they came out of seemingly nowhere, and suddenly be along side.  During an unusually calm many laps, I was SHOCKED and quite shaken when a formula 5000 Lola roared pass me on the straight. The surprise, the speed and noise as it passed really shook me.  I quickly absorbed what had just happened!  I recognized the driver and realized the reason he was there.  This is exactly what I needed. I thought,  picked up my pace, and the chase was on.   It's that mechanical rabbit a race dog instinctively chases.  Here was something I could chase.   I found what a different and raging animal that engine turned into when full-throttle was given. It was STUNNING !

 I'm one to dislike using the trite term turned so commonly used for putting a dish  away or picking something for someone.  But that raw, raging and raucous power is simply awesome.

Full throttle brought the high G-loads.  They pulled my facial skin right back filling up any voids in the rear of my loose helmet.  My eye-balls flattened and were recessed in their sockets making focus difficult.  The skin on my arms rammed back toward my shoulders.  Breathing was only available when shifting.  I heard in my helmet loud groaning and grunts I was making as I dealt with these extreme loads.  No longer was the 'straight' a place of comfort.  After some laps I realized I had control of that powerful thing back there, and managed the direction of the seemingly too-wide chassis on this narrow and clever track. I even had command of on-demand control, mastered the loss of adhesion from those massive and sticky tires.   That was a key to getting me out of my comfort zone, that and loss of fear for myself.   After some lively laps I found I was keeping up with the 'rabbit', and was ultimately able to catch it!   It took a lot of driving and mental effort but after quite a few laps, I was able to pass it. I terrifyingly breached that level of comfort by a great amount, that instinctive personal protection we all are given, wish to stay within, and rely on.

Getting out of the car in the pit lane I was met by a cheering crew of people , most I had never met before that day.  Apparently I had caught and passed Bud Bennett, a star driver in his very capable Lola F5000.  I looked down, over my driver suit, glancing across my shoes, legs and stomach and arms, ...   nothing showed to out of order, muscles still capable to hold me in the standing position though still shaking quite a bit.  I was so taken by the stress a body can withstand, the tolerance of all of that abuse.  Yet absolutely everything on my body still functioned! I saw no leakage, no blood nor urine, no messes to clean up after.   Yet on the track where I was pushed so hard, where I was being shoved, squeezed and tugged at in such high levels, I was certain I no longer was able to manage or monitor anything in my body but basic muscular input. I was, and am still, amazed. I have the 'chills' as I write this. This crew of folks realized I broke the fear factor my body I had been stuck in, the preservation of self we are all given.

This Lola T-163 was raced in its early years by Wilson, if I remember correctly.  Was it Gary Wilson?  Back then it was fitted with a 'big block', claimed to have more than 1000 horse power.  I'm glad I didn't have that to deal with. 

Additional notes on the pictures:
 Above are pictures showing the car I raced, the British made Lola T-163.    The first photo is the car that beat me at Road America (Elkhart lake), driven by Denny Hulme (seen in this photo) of New Zealand, the car is a McLaren (M-8, I believe

The middle photo is me waving to friends at the end of the race.    Denny Hulme died the very next race in the Tooheys 1000 from Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia.    A link to his fabulous history follows: https://www.google.com/search?q=denny+Hulme&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8 

The last is one just before the start of the race at Elkhart Lake's Road America,  the two pace cars pulling off to allow us on our own.  I'm 4th in the only yellow car that has a teal-colored wing. I qualified 4th and am in some terrific company, the quite famous red 'Simonize Lola' directly in front, Charlie Gibson in the lead position in his well-driven and capable car (white w/red stripe), the very famous UOP Shadow next to me, then David Hobbs (from England)  in a newer Lola behind it and another Lola behind me.  Denny Hulme ( the orange car directly in front of another orange car in about 11th place) won the race, I was third and Charlie Gibson was second.  

 

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2017 Cooksville Community Events

Clean Up Day

 Saturday, April 29: Community Center Clean-Up Day (10:00am-1:00pm,Schoolhouse) By the end of April it’s a pretty safe bet that no shoveling will be required to get into the schoolhouse, but there is always a need for a good Spring cleaning to get the center ready for another season of activity. Bring your favorite feather duster.

Sunday, April 30: Tree Planting on the Commons (2:00pm-4:00pm, Commons) The Cooksville Tree Restoration Committee will present their annual State of the Oaks address, and tell us about environmental stewardship in our beautiful village.  Reception at the schoolhouse to follow.

Chris & Emily, 2016

Saturday, May 13: Community Sing (6:30pm-8:30pm, Schoolhouse) Join us for a family-friendly community sing-along and hootenanny at the schoolhouse led by local folk musicians Emily and Chris Beebe. Songbooks will be provided, but please feel free to come with your favorite songs to share.  Musical instruments, sheet music, lyrics, and snacks are welcome.

Stoughton Singers

Wednesday, June 7: Stoughton Chamber Singers Concert(7:00pm-9:30pm, Congregational Church) John Beutel and the Singers return to the beautiful brown church for a concert of American music,in honor of Cooksville’s dodransbicentennial year.  Tickets are available from McGlynn’s Pharmacy in Stoughton, from the Singers, or at the door. $5.00 admission benefits the singers and the CCC. A reception will follow at the schoolhouse.

 

Jerry Apps

Larry Reed

Saturday, June 10: Celebrating Cooksville’s History with Jerry Apps and Larry Reed (11:00am-4:00pm, Schoolhouse) This special event features a presentation about one-room schoolhouses and barns by well-known Wisconsin historian and author Jerry Apps, whose work is featured on Wisconsin Public Television. Larry Reed, historian and Chair of the Historic Cooksville Trust, will then share highlights of 175 years Cooksville history, drawing from a rich collection of documents, photos, and anecdotes. Larry will also conduct a walking tour of Cooksville after the presentation. A sack lunch is included in the ticket price. Tickets for this very special event will be on sale this Spring. $12.00. Limited seating.

Tuesday, July 4: Independence Day Picnic (12:30pm-2:30pm, Commons) Like sea turtles returning to the beach where they once hatched,generations of Cooksvillians have gathered every July 4^thunder the Oaks with picnic baskets for a community meal, and perhaps some softball.  Rain location is the schoolhouse.

Picnic on the Commons

Saturday, July 22: Art in the Park(10:00am-4:00pm, Commons) A day of fun is in store, with many attractions around the commons and schoolhouse, including art and crafts vendors, a classic car show, Play Day activities like horseshoes and sack races, food carts, and more! There will be celebratory fun for the whole family.

Saturday, July 22: Tours of the Cooksville Masonic Lodge (Cooksville Store) The Cooksville Masonic Lodge, located upstairs of the village Store, will be holding tours of its meeting hall. Lodge members will be discussing the importance of the Free Masons in Wisconsin society over the last century and a half.

Saturday, August 12: Christmas in Summer Program (1:30pm-3:00pm, Schoolhouse) Now in its fifth year, this favorite event is never without surprises for everyone, including those putting on the show! Jeanne Julseth will be rustling up some good old-fashioned schoolhouse fun with a cast of unlikely characters. Stay tuned for details. Free admission.

Sunday, September (date TBA): Cooksville Lutheran Church Fall Festival (11:00am-3:00pm, Lutheran Church) The Annual Fall Festival heralds the colorful harvest season in the village. The festival starts after Sunday services and features a quilt raffle, silent auction, great food, a farmer’s market, lively musical entertainment, and more. Everyone is welcome! Handicap accessible.

Monday, September 18: CCC Annual Meeting (6:30pm-8:30pm, Schoolhouse) Once a year, the membership of the CCC are invited to gather at the schoolhouse and talk about the year gone by, and the year to come at the Community Center. In this very special 175^th year of the village, all are encouraged to come out and enjoy hearing the news, meeting with neighbors, and eating ice cream.

Saturday, October 21: Cooksville Halloween Party (6:30pm-9:00pm, Schoolhouse) The Cooksville event

calendar ends with a Boo! at this annual costume party. You never know what to expect after dark, but for sure there will be fall fun for the whole family. Bring a snack, beverage, dessert, and a ghost story to share.

 

The Cooksville Community 2017 Events Calendar

 The Cooksville Community Center (CCC) is excited to be part of the commemoration of the175th year anniversary of the village of Cooksville. The community has planned some special events for 2017, including a historic presentation day with Jerry Apps and Larry Reed in June, and an Art Show on the Commons in July.  The CCC is the former one-room schoolhouse on the corner of State Rd. 59 and Church St.  Although it is not heated, the schoolhouse has air-conditioning, a kitchen with hot and cold water, and bathrooms (cold water only).  The Community Center is available for rentals and is a popular spot for family reunions, weddings, and picnics.The CCC is not handicap-accessible.

We are always looking for new ideas and help with programming and maintenance of the CCC. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact any board member.  The 2016-2017 Board of Directors:  Kathleen Hipke (president) 577-9921, khipke@gmail.com;Mark Verstegen (vice president) 446-0541, mark_verstegen@yahoo.com; Martha Degner (secretary) 335-8375, marthadegner@gmail.com; Mark Ballweg (treasurer) 334-9653, mballweg1@gmail.com; Emily Beebe (programming) 712-2976, etbeebe13@gmail.com; Bill Zimmerman (rentals) 628-8566, bzimmerman1947@gmail.com; and Dave Imhoff (building preservation) 206-7000 chiknman@litewire.net.

If you have an updated email address, phone number, or mailing address, please contact Martha Degner at 335-8375 or marthadegner@gmail.com.

You can also check the Cooksville Country Store for fliers or updates, or ‘Like’ the Cooksville Community Center on Facebook for notifications of upcoming events.  Many activities are free and all are open to the public.  Thank you for your support!

Event Locations:

·        Schoolhouse and Commons: Located on the Northeast corner of Hwy 59 and Church St.

·        Cooksville Lutheran Church:  11927 W. Church St.  (handicap-accessible)

·        Congregational Church: Southwest corner of State Rd. 59 and State Hwy. 138.

·        Cooksville Country Store: 11313 N. State Hwy. 138.

Mallon Tree Service planting 'arboriculture' seeds in area, by Steve Ehle

Kyle and Emma Mallon, husband and wife duo of Mallon Tree Service
 www.mallontreeservice.com

 Family-owned business has roots in 
Stoughton/Evansville/Cooksville communities

South central Wisconsin, with its array of tree and other plant species -- and obvious seasonal changes -- can be an arborist’s playground or a major challenge. For Kyle and Emma Mallon it’s both. But that’s what makes it fun. The Mallons, owners of Mallon Tree Service, LLC, of Cooksville, WI, recently relocated to northwestern Rock County, after plying their trades in the Milwaukee area.

Mallon Tree Service is a Wisconsin born and bred, small, family-owned business. Kyle Mallon has been an arborist in the public and private tree industry in Southern Wisconsin for over 10 years. 

Emma has roots in Evansville, Stoughton and Cooksville. “Kyle’s experience with, and passion for, trees is the backbone and drive of our honest and hardworking company,” Emma Wilde Mallon says. “With us, ‘What you see is what you get.’” Kyle “calls the shots” and “will be on location all the time, every time, you call MTS. He gives the free estimates, plans the work and executes it until the last leaf is raked,” Emma says.

Emma’s father, Jonathan (a well-known wildlife artist) grew up in nearby Evansville and her grandfather, internationally known artist John Wilde, lived near Cooksville. Emma and Kyle now reside in Emma’s grandfathers and step-grandmother’s (Shirley Wilde) house just east of Cooksville, about seven miles south of Stoughton and 25 miles southeast of Madison. Kyle, a Milwaukee native, is a certified arborist. Emma is a UW-Wisconsin Madison graduate with a degree in Journalism.

The young couple brings nearly a decade of experience in arboreal management to the area. After just a few months establishing themselves and their business in the Cooksville/Evansville/Stoughton/Edgerton area, Mallon Tree Service has already landed a number of jobs. Mallon Tree Service has 24/7 emergency services and offers the following services:

* Tree and shrub pruning and removals

* Tree preservation and plant health care

* Emerald Ash Borer treatment and prevention

* Tree planting, future plant management

* Tree cabling and bracing

* Firewood splitting and stacking

So, what is an “arborist”?

Kyle: “An arborist is an individual trained in the art and science of planting, caring for, and maintaining individual trees. Arborists are knowledgeable about the needs of trees and are trained and equipped to provide proper care.”

Cooksville Plants Seeds for Future Oak Trees

     

On hand May 1 for an Arbor Day celebration at the Cooksville Commons were, left to right, Porter Town Board Chairman David Viney, and Burr Oak Restoration Committee members, Mary Kohlman, Karl Wolter, Meri Lau, Abi Degner, Kyle Mallon and Emma Mallon.  The Mallons, who operate Mallon Tree Service near Cooksville, will assist with the planting and Burr oak restoration project at the Commons.

        Cooksville Wisconsin, “The Town That Time Forgot," has not forgotten its treasured oak trees. This winter, a group of concerned citizens began a group to look at ways to save Cooksville’s oak opening as well as the woods that is a significant part of the community Commons.

      On Sunday, May 1, Cooksville held an Arbor Day celebration to recognize the importance of its trees and to encourage others in the community to plant trees on their properties. 

Cooksville artist Meri Lau created this art piece, commemorating the planting of a Burr Oak seedling at the Cooksville Commons.  A group of Cooksville area residents hope this will spur others to continue a tradition to plant more trees in the Commons, which dates to the mid-1800s.

        Co-founders of the group, Meri Lau and Mary Kohlman, both of Cooksville, read a short history of Arbor Day and a Proclamation of the importance of planting new trees to 15 witnesses. David Viney, Town of Porter Chairman, signed the Proclamation.

        The group then unveiled a Burr oak sapling grown from a local acorn. Lau made a plaque to identify the tree and record the day for future generations. Refreshments were served at the Community Center and an opportunity to introduce our group to the community, sign on Tree Guardians for the Oak sapling for the Summer 2016 and invite new members to join the group.

        One goal of the group is to plant over the years 25 more tress in the Commons and oak opening.

     “Our group has much exciting work ahead of us, said Kohlman, “including making the Arbor Day celebration an annual event, educating our community on proper tree planting and stewardship, cleaning up our Cooksville Woods, applying for grants for financial assistance for our group, incorporating our group's work into our community's planning for our 175th anniversary celebration in 2017, just to name a few of the ideas in the early stages of planning. 

        “We invite others in community to contact us and welcome help in whatever way people feel they can offer.”

        Families and individuals are encouraged to plant trees in the Commons as part of Cooksville’s 175^th platting anniversary celebration in 2017.