October 6, 2022

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Administration: The City of Sun Prairie and Sun Prairie-based Wisconsin Public Power Inc. have been awarded two grants from the Wisconsin Public Service Commission’s (PSC) Energy Innovation Grant Program.

Clerk's Office: Hey, Sun Prairie Voters!   Check your voter registration today to make sure you are ready for the remaining elections in 2022.  Please don’t wait to do this. 

Community Development: The City of Sun Prairie is excited to welcome Becky Binz as the Housing and Equitable Development Planner.

Community Spotlight: Check out this section to learn more about some important dates for SPASD's referendum. 

Parks, Recreation and Forestry: Join us for Dance to De-stress -  a fun class where you learn classical Indian Dance and let your stress melt away. Learn hand-gestures, rhythmic postures and fun movements! 

Public Safety: We have some new faces we would like to introduce you to! Check out our section to meet Ashley Gullixson, Cassie Hohlstein, and Officer Jason Lingle. 

Sun Prairie Media Center: KSUN and 103.5 FM The Sun Community Radio will be joining over 70 stations across Wisconsin in airing a U.S. Senate debate between Senator Ron Johnson and Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes as well as a gubernatorial debate between Governor Tony Evers and challenger Tim Michels. 

Sun Prairie Public Library: Please help us by taking our 10-15 minute survey. Let us know how you feel about the library's current and potential services. Survey is available in English y tambien en Espanol! The survey will be available until Friday, October 7th

Administration

City of Sun Prairie Awarded Two Energy Innovation Grants 

The City of Sun Prairie and Sun Prairie-based Wisconsin Public Power Inc. have been awarded two grants from the Wisconsin Public Service Commission’s (PSC) Energy Innovation Grant Program. The applications submitted requested funding for the Wastewater Recovery Campus Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Installation and City Hall Campus EnergSustainability update!y Optimization & Electrification.

Background

The Wisconsin Office of Energy Innovation (OEI) is an organization that provides assistance to residents, businesses, and local governments interested in investing in clean energy and energy efficiency projects. The Energy Innovation Grant Program is offered under this organization and supports a variety of energy projects related to energy efficiency, renewable energy, energy storage, energy planning, and more. Every year, the Commission receives applications for eligible activities based on its energy priorities, emerging trends, and public input.

Wastewater Recovery Campus Solar PV Installation - $59,000

In 2020, the City was awarded a collaborative grant by the OEI to create a Municipal Energy Plan. That plan was foundational to creating a strategy to identify, prioritize and implement energy reduction projects. City staff have been working across departments to follow this strategy and implement successful projects. The Wastewater Treatment Plant campus is a high-impact area of focus due to the facility being the single largest consumer of energy.

This project will result in the largest renewable energy generation facility in Sun Prairie, with a total system size of 400 kilowatts (kW). PSC grant award amount of $59,000 will go towards equipment installation and ensuring optimal size of a Solar PV system. The applicant cost share is made of up $600,000, which is originally budgeted for in the City’s Capital Improvement Plan, in addition to the $71,000 Focus on Energy incentives and $20,000 WPPI Energy incentives. Total project cost includes all of these funding sources.

“The vision is to create a sustainable Wastewater Recovery Campus that uses the latest technology and processes to provide innovative solutions that require far less energy and produce fewer negative externalities compared to existing processes,” said Scott Semroc, Sustainability Coordinator.

City Hall Campus Energy Optimization & Electrification - $131,488

City Hall is the primary hub of municipal operations and houses a variety of key governmental functions. Based on the City’s Municipal Energy Plan, this facility had a total annual energy cost of $77,200, and accounted for 8% of total CO2e of municipal buildings/operations energy consumption. This project will be a comprehensive upgrade of this important municipal facility and result in major cost savings.

Equipment budget for both PSC Grant Request and cost share were calculated based on four project components. Quotes were obtained for all associated equipment costs, and cost share was included to reflect budgeted amounts along with additional incentives. The four components include:

1. Facility-wide LED Lighting Upgrade: The grant amount of $15,000 will be allocated toward costlier LED fixtures and lighting controls. The cost share amount is a city budgeted $91,000;

2. HVAC System Controls Upgrade: This is a planned upgrade with $35,000 already marked in the 2023 budget. The grant amount of $75,500 will be spent for the upgrades of building-wide HVAC controls;

3. Building Inspection Cargo Van Electric Vehicle: An existing budget item of $30,000 in the 2022 budget with a grant amount of $18,000 for increment between the budgeted vehicle and electrical vehicle (EV) model;

4. EV Charging Station Installation at City Hall Parking Lot: The installation will feature 2 two-port level EV chargers stationed at City Hall for $12,494 each and totaling $24,988. This is a 2023 submitted budget initiative of $15,000 to reflect EV charging installation and new electrical service, resulting in EV charging for Building Inspection vehicles as well as fleet and flex use.

This project aligns with the City’s effort to meet its Energy Independent Communities “25x25” goal set in 2009 to generate 25% of electricity and transportation fuels from renewable resources by 2025. City staff are working with the Sun Prairie Sustainability Committee to strengthen this goal in 2022, and while not yet finalized is likely targeting a 100% clean electricity target for municipal operations by 2030.

With City Council’s approval of the grant awards, implementation of these projects will begin soon. The Sustainability Committee recommended that focus be placed on the City Hall project first and then the Wastewater Treatment Plant.

"We are an organization of continuous improvement and want to embed the value of sustainability in all that we do,” said Aaron Oppenheimer, City Administrator. “These are significant steps Scott is leading us through to become a more sustainable Sun Prairie.”

For additional information on Sun Prairie’s sustainability efforts, please visit www.cityofsunprairie.com/sustainablesunprairie 

Mental Health Matters

The City will be teaming up with NAMI Dane County to offer community programming on the topic of mental health challenges. NAMI will be leading programming on learning the fundamentals of mental illness, what does it look like to support someone with a mental health issue, how is the Sun Prairie Police Department trained to respond to mental health calls, and more. Food will be provided.
There are two sessions being offered. You can scan the QR code of the session you would like to attend or click the links below. Have questions? reaching out to Jake King at jking@cityofsunprairie.com
Wednesay, November 16 - https://form.jotform.com/222766282183157  

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There are still shirts!

Did you like some of the swag you saw at the 2022 Multicultural Fair? Well we've still got more to sell! 
We are continuing to sell the Multicultural Fair shirts for $15 a shirt. You can purchase them at the Sun Prairie Parks, Recreation, and Forestry office at 2598 W Main St | 2nd floor. You can by cash, card, or check. 
For specific questions, please call (608) 837-3449.


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Clerk's Office 

Ballot Mistake - Notice to Voters

The ballots for the November 8th General Election have a mistake in the listing for the Representative in Congress District 2.

What was the mistake?

Behind each candidate’s name is their party in parenthesis, e.g. (Democratic), (Republican), (Independent). Most voters are used to this, but a provision in Wisconsin law allows independent candidates to instead list a “statement of principle” with five words or less. 

Instead of (Independent), the words behind Candidate Alexander’s name should have read (Term Limits on Congress). All other candidate information for Congressional District 2 is correct.

The ballot should have read:Corrected Congress District 2 Ballot

How did this happen?

Wisconsin Statutes Sections 5.64(1)(e)1. and 5.64(1)(es) allows independent candidates to include a statement of principle, if any, in five words or less, along with their name on the ballot. Due to an administrative error by State-Level Election Officials, County Clerks in United States Congressional District 2 did not receive all the required information to include on the applicable ballots before having those ballots printed.

What is the remedy?

A notice of the mistake is being sent to all voters who receive a Congressional District 2 ballot during absentee voting. The notice will also be posted at in-person polling locations. Voters do not need to do anything differently as a result of this error.

Where can I get more information?

For more information please click here.

First batch of Absentee Ballots have been mailed!

The first batch of absentee ballots was mailed a  few weeks ago.  It is so important that your Certificate Envelope is completed correctly and completely BEFORE YOU RETURN IT OUR OFFICE.  

For your absentee ballot to count, it needs to be signed by you as the voter, as well as having a witness’s signature and their complete address.  Double-check your envelope before sending it back to our office!  Unfortunately, if it’s not completed, we have to mail it back to the voter for the proper correction. 

You can check the status of your ballot here: https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/ 

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Last Day to Establish Residency

Voters need to establish residency 28 days prior to an election.
 
 For the November 8th General Election, that means a voter must begin to establish residency by October 11.
 
 By way of an example, say you move into a new apartment today, October 6. You will have lived there for at least 28 days before the November 8th election, so you're able to register to vote from your new address and vote from that address.
 
 What if you move into a new place on October 15? Well, the 28-day residency requirement means you won't have lived at your new place long enough to vote from that address. So, what do you do?
 
 If you move within the 28 days before an election, you are able to vote from your previous address.
 
 It's important to note that a temporary leave does not affect residency. If you move into a new place today and leave for a weekend or two, you're still good to go because you intend to return home.

Please Don’t Wait to Register

Hey, Sun Prairie Voters!   Check your voter registration today to make sure you are ready for the remaining elections in 2022.  Please don’t wait to do this.  The sooner the better and then you can rest assured you’re all set for the upcoming elections.

The remaining election is:

November 8, 2022 – General Election

You may also request absentee ballots for the remaining elections this year.  Simply to go:  https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/

Community Development

Becky Binz to Serve as Housing and Equitable Development Planner

The City of Sun Prairie is excited to welcome Becky Binz as the Housing and Equitable Development Planner. This new position will have a dedicated focus on expanding housing opportunities through professional city planning, project policy analysis, project management and pursuit of social and economic equity. Becky will serve as the city liaison in several areas of housing and equitable development policy goals, including the City’s role in improving the supply of affordable housing, eliminating racial disparities in housing, addressing homelessness, and more. Becky’s prior experience and knowledge will serve her well in this role.

In her most recent position, Becky served as a planner for MSA Professional Services, a multidisciplinary consulting firm. In this role, she led and managed multiple market needs assessments for communities ranging in size from 1,000 to over 100,000 as well as crafted and implemented stakeholder engagement plans aimed at maximizing community involvement. From 2012 to 2014, she was a Program Assistant for the Gathering Waters Conservancy where she offered support with the organization’s communications efforts, grant proposals, and planning for the statewide conservation event. Becky attended the University of Wisconsin (UW) – Eau Claire and received her Bachelor’s in Economics and Spanish. She went on to earn her Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning with a focus on Economic and Community Development from UW-Madison. Additionally, Becky is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners.

Becky is eager to begin this work and develop relationships with key community partners to assist in improving housing for all.

“Sun Prairie is a rapidly growing community and I look forward to applying my knowledge and skills to assist in making equitable change” said Binz.

This is new position fulfills a recommendation from the 2022 Sun Prairie Housing Study to have a dedicated staff member to focus on housing priorities. The City is using funds from the American Rescue Plan Act to bring this position on board this year.

“With Becky’s extensive knowledge and experience in housing activities, she will be instrumental in advancing solutions in Sun Prairie,” said Joshua Clements, Planning Director. “This role will have many responsibilities and equity will be all the forefront of everything.”

When not involved with community development, Becky enjoys spending time on different trails with her husband and two kids. They are a family who loves parks and according to Becky’s children, no park is better than Wetmore Park. For more information on the Planning Division, please visit https://cityofsunprairie.com/375/Planning. 

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Sun Prairie BID presents 16th Annual Fall Fun Event in Downtown Sun Prairie!

The Sun Prairie Downtown Business Improvement District is pleased to announce details for the 16th annual Fall Fun! event in Downtown on Saturday, October 15 from 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM. 

Stop by Cannery Square and the Sun Prairie Historical Museum to enjoy the sights and sounds of fall with fall games and crafts; and enjoy live music and entertainment throughout the day. Live music and entertainment lineup: 

  • 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM, Ed Ford in Cannery Square
  • 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM, Simple Company Acoustic on the lawn of the Sun Prairie Historical Museum 
  • 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM, Danielle Lee with Hoop Elation LLC (live hula hoop show) in Cannery Square
  • 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Back2Back Acoustic in Cannery Square
  • 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM, Halloween Sing-A-Long with Two Birds on the lawn of the Sun Prairie Historical Museum 

Enjoy all that downtown has to offer with special business promotions happening throughout Downtown Sun Prairie.  Here’s what participating businesses are planning for event attendees:

  • Beans ‘n Cream Coffeehouse, 345 Cannery Square: Warm up the wee ones with a delicious kids cocoa or spiced apple cider special and enter into our Fall Fest drawing. Pumpkin Spice Caricatures for your sweetie pie from 1 - 4 PM (limited availability) While you’re downtown participate in #socktober by dropping off a donation of new socks for C.A.R.D.S. closet at Beans n Cream!
  • Carpe Diem Boutique, 243 E. Main Street: Enjoy an outdoor activity for kids (weather pending) and a free gift with a purchase over $30!
  • Faded Roots Boutique, 375 E. Main Street: Faded Roots will be celebrating their 4 year anniversary! Enjoy live music by SpareTime Bluegrass Band. Try your luck at the wheel of fashion for deals, drawing for FOUR Faded Roots goodie bags, drawing for a $100 Faded Roots Gift Certificate, 40% OFF selected racks, and 60% off Trunk sale!
  • Flavors! Wine Bar, 100 E. Main Street: Flavors! is bringing fall fun with the ever popular caramel apple! Apple slices, caramel, and toppings will make this a family favorite! $5.00 per apple bowl.
  • Forever Yours Jewelry, 211 E. Main Street: Forever Yours Jewelry will be hosting extended store hours until 3 PM. Enjoy face painting and balloon animals!
  • Meant to Bead LLC, 201 E. Main Street: Meant to Bead is offering a make-n-take event. Join us in making a fun fall wish bracelet. Open 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
  • Nest Interior Design, 223 E. Main Street: Enjoy 15% OFF Storewide at Nest Interior Design - Thursday, 10/13 - Saturday, 10/15! Hundreds of new entertaining and serving pieces for your Fall & Holiday gatherings.
  • The Piano Gal Shop, 365 E. Linnerud Drive: Primal C'ue will be setting up in front of The Piano Gal Shop and serving delicious bbq all day and inside The Piano Gal Shop all seasonal merchandise will be 30% off and all other merchandise will be 10% off. 
  • Razor Sharp Screen Printing, 227 E. Main Street: T-shirt coloring for kiddos while supplies last! 
  • Rosati’s Pizza, 355 E. Linnerud Drive: Fall Fun! Special - Get $3 OFF a 10" Deep Dish or $5 OFF a 14" Deep Dish. Only available at Fall Fun! 
  • Sun Prairie Farmer’s Market, Market Street: Live music by Thomas Heiber-Cobb from 8AM - 10AM and Farmer Market Tote giveaway (while supplies last) starting at 7AM!
  • Sun Prairie Historical Museum, 115 E. Main Street: Stop into the museum to make a craft hosted by the Sun Prairie Parks, Recreation, and Forestry Department. Enjoy live entertainment and fall games on the museum lawn throughout the day. 
  • The Wire Basket, 243 E. Main Street: Visit the Wire Basket for in-store specials! Sign up to win a fall basket of treasures and treats. The kids will have fun doing a fall craft. 

Untitled design (41)Promotional offers and activities are up to the discretion of each business.

The Farmer’s Market will be have extended hours from 7:00 AM – 1:00 PM   There will also be a Pie Baking contest during the Farmer’s Market at the Downtown Sun Prairie booth. It is free to enter! Submit your pie by 9:15 AM. Pie tasting and voting will take place from 9:30 AM – 11:30 PM. 

The 16th annual Fall Fun in Downtown Sun Prairie event is sponsored in part by the Bank of Sun Prairie, Forever Yours Jewelry, Beans n’ Cream Coffeehouse, and Faded Roots Boutique.

Fall Fun in Downtown Sun Prairie is designed to offer a variety of fall-themed activities and entertainment in Downtown Sun Prairie.  We hope that residents and visitors explore Downtown Sun Prairie during the event. 

Follow Downtown Sun Prairie on Facebook for more event details:  www.facebook.com/downtownsunprairie

Downtown Sun Prairie… we’re having fun down here!

Community Spotlight

Updates from the Sun Prairie Area School District - School Referendum

We are a little more than a month away from Election Day, November 8. We want to make sure that our community is informed about what the district will be asking on the ballot and have the knowledge to make an informed vote. There are several ways we are sharing this information so please engage in the method that works the best for you.

The referendum website hosts answers to questions you may have and more. Flyers in English and Spanish were sent to all SPASD mailboxes and are full of information.

School finances can be hard to understand so this 9-minute video by the Business and Finance Director, Phil Frei will give you a comprehensive overview of what is being asked on the ballot and why.

Attend an in-person Open House on October 10, 2022, at Sun Prairie West High School from 4:45-5:45 PM. Stop by a variety of tables to ask questions.

Other upcoming opportunities to learn more:

October 12, 2022, Attend a Virtual Open Door with the Superintendent 4-5:00 PM

October 14, 2022, Attend a Virtual Open Door with the Superintendent 3:30-4:30 PM

October 18, 2022, Attend a Virtual Open House from 6:30-7:30 PM

More events will be scheduled soon.

Please email your questions to: ref2022@sunprairieschools.org 

If you have a group that you would like us to present to, email Patti Lux to coordinate.

The Sun Prairie Area School District will continue to share referendum information throughout the month. Please do not hesitate to reach out with questions. 

Parks, Recreation and Forestry

Recreation Department
The Sun Prairie Parks, Recreation & Forestry office is open: Monday – Friday 8:00am-4:30pm, or by phone at (608) 837-3449 or by email at rec@cityofsunprairie.com.

Announcements:

Fall Rec Connection Guide out now!

Registration now open for all fall programs. To view the guide or to register, visit rec.cityofsunprairie.com

“Recreation is for Everyone” Scholarship form!

Come join us for fun and enriching programs available for the whole family!  Requesting a scholarship is easier than ever with our NEW online form!   This easy, streamlined form provides "no questions asked" financial access to SPPRF programs.

In order to request the Recreation is for Everyone Scholarship you must be a resident of Sun Prairie or enrolled in the Sun Prairie Area School District.

For questions or assistance contact us at 608-837-3449 or visit Recreation is for Everyone Scholarship Information

  • Scholarships cover 50% of enrollment fees on most programs
  • No formal documentation is required for approval of financial assistance
  • Online submission with approvals within 2 business days

Fitness Flex Pass 

Not sure what fitness class is right for you?   Enjoy the flexibility to try them all with our new Fit Flex Pass.  Click here to purchase a 5 or 10 class pass, Fit Flex Pass - Sun Prairie Parks, Recreation & Forestry (cityofsunprairie.com), passes never expire! 

Upcoming Events

2022 Trunk or Treat Save the Date

Upcoming Programs Not to Be Missed: 

Outdoor Fitness – NEW!

Join our SPPRF Fitness Instructors out at our parks for a pop-up fitness program outdoors! Free and open to the public, we will dance, stretch, and sweat in some of Sun Prairie’s “hottest” parks!

CLASS

AGES

DAY

DATE

TIME

Location

Zumba with Valerie

16+

Tues

10/11

6:00 – 6:45 p.m.

Wetmore Park

Pound

16+

Thurs

10/13

6:00 - 6:45 p.m.

Sheehan West

Beginner’s Yoga

16+

Sat

10/15

9:30 - 10:15 a.m.

Wetmore Park


 

Thursday Early Release Afterschool Programming (previously TGIT) 

Thursdays, 1:30-5:00pm 

September 8-29 - $95

October 6-27- $95

November 3-17 - $71, No class 11/24

December 1-22- $95

Elementary School Site Locations:
Meadowview  
Northside 
Token Springs - NEW

Beginning in the 2022 – 2023 school year, Sun Prairie Area School District Elementary Schools will be dismissing students at 1:30 pm on Thursday afternoons to accommodate professional staff development. In an effort to provide high quality afterschool childcare to our growing community, Sun Prairie Parks, Recreation & Forestry, the Sun Prairie Area School District and Community Schools are putting forth a collaborative effort to provide a community partner-based afterschool program. This program will aim to provide families with safe, affordable and engaging childcare on Thursday afternoons for students in kindergarten through 5th grade. 

Childcare will be available from dismissal at 1:30 pm until 5:00 pm. We will pilot this program, starting in September, at three elementary school locations and will have programming at all nine elementary schools starting in January 2023. Program partners will be brought in monthly to provide fun and exciting programming ranging from chess to sports to ukulele lessons.  

If this program isn’t offered at your school initially you do have the option to attend any site, but transportation will not be provided at this time.  Registration will be by month for September -December.  Please click “register” to be added to our interest list to be notified when enrollment begins and when new sites are added to this program. 

For more information visit rec.cityofsunprairie.com and the digital version of the Rec Connection which will be updated prior to the start of the school year. Please contact Emily Rebarchek, erebarchek@cityofsunprairie.com, or call 608-837-3449 with any questions.

Dance to De-stress!

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A fun class where you learn classical Indian Dance and let your stress melt away. Learn hand-gestures, rhythmic postures and fun movements! No prior knowledge needed.

About the Instructor: Yogitha Rajkumar is a Sophomore at Sun Prairie West High School. She has been learning and practicing Classical Indian Dance for over 10 years. Yogitha has performed at various venues such as the Overture Center, charity events, and schools in Sun Prairie and other surrounding districts. In her several years of dancing, she has won several accolades. She was selected as an apprentice as part of the Wisconsin Arts Board’s Youth Apprenticeship and was awarded the IndianRaga fellowship. Yogitha has also performed and competed at the Cleveland Aradhana festival which is the largest Indian classical music festival outside of India. She has won numerous prizes in competitions across the U.S., both in-person and virtually. She has had experience teaching dance to the younger students in her dance company and is excited to continue to share her art form with the community.

Public Safety

POLICE New Hires & Position

Ashley Gullixson began her field training as our new full time community service officer on September 12th. She will be training for the next several weeks. Ashley was a dispatcher with our agency and will also be staying as an LTE to help the dispatch center when available. We are very excited for Ashley!

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Cassie Hohlstein joined the department on September 6th as our new coordinated response specialist. Cassie will be an integral part of the department’s mission of building relationships and solving problems by allowing the department to provide additional resources for mental health, homelessness, victim services, and much more. Cassie is a licensed social worker with five years of previous experience in the field. Welcome, Cassie!

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Officer Jason Lingle returned to the Sun Prairie Police Department as an officer and was sworn in on September 5th. Officer Lingle was an officer with our agency for several years prior to leaving for another agency for a short period of time. Officer Jason Lingle is also a K9 handler with his partner, K9 Eragon. He will have an abbreviated field training and will be assigned to second shift patrol. Welcome back Jason!

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Flex Grant Award

The City of Sun Prairie is excited to announce that Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has received the Flex Grant Award in the amount of $141,490 from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. The funds from this grant will have a major impact on equipment upgrades, purchasing of training materials, and more.

The EMS Flex Grant is intended to support Wisconsin EMS providers who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic through increased demand for services and limitations on public funding for those services. Under the Flex Grants, funds were made available for EMS operating expenses such as medical and personal protective equipment and supplies, response equipment, emergency response vehicles, and more. The total grant amount that has been allocated to Wisconsin EMS providers is $12 million.

Chris Kaiser, EMS Paramedic, applied for the grant in June and notification of award was received in late September. Sun Prairie EMS plans to use a portion of the funds to replace cardiac monitors and training materials. The grant payment will be made in two parts. The initial payment will include half of the award amount and be distributed beginning September 30. The remaining award balance will be released after successful submission of budget and progress reports. All awarded funds must be spent by September 23, 2023.

“We are extremely grateful to have been awarded this grant,” said Christopher Garrison, Interim EMS Chief. “These funds will allows us to continue serving the community at the highest quality of service by replacing equipment and investing in necessary training.” Specific information about the grant can be found by visiting https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/ems/flex-grant-faq.htm. For additional questions or comments, please contact Chief Garrison at cgarrison@cityofsunprairie.com.

Open House


Sun Prairie Media Center

TRIVIA-PALOOZA AND SPMC

Think you know your stuff? Now’s the time to prove it.

The Friends of the Sun Prairie Media Center are hosting the second annual Trivia-Palooza trivia contest!

What is Trivia-Palooza? It is a live, on-air, ten-hour trivia contest happening live on 103.5 FM The Sun Community Radio from 9 AM-7 PM on Saturday, October 29. Besides 103.5 FM, interested participants can also play along on the Media Center app, on tunein.com, or at sunprairiemediacenter.com. 

Registration to play Trivia-Palooza is now open! You can sign up to play for free at sunprairiemediacenter.com/trivia. You must be registered to play and you must be 21 to register. But you will want to play.

Each hour of the contest will have a theme to its questions, a different special guest, and each hour will have special prizes awarded to the person who correctly answers the most questions.

And this year’s Trivia-Palooza has an extra bonus to it as it coincides with the first SPMC Open House held since the pandemic. If you’ve ever been curious about the Media Center, its studios, or the exciting opportunities it presents, please come in at 12-2 PM on Saturday, October 29 to meet the staff, take a tour, and see a live production in action.

Questions about the Trivia-Palooza questions or are you a business interested in sponsoring the Trivia-Palooza broadcast or providing gift cards to use as prizes? E-mail the Friends of the Sun Prairie Media Center at spmc.friends@gmail.com.

In addition, the Friends of the Sun Prairie Media Center are actively looking for new members to help with its mission of raising awareness and funds for the Media Center. Want to help? E-mail Sara Milewski at spmc.friends@gmail.com.

Trivia-palooza 2022 poster

U.S. SENATE AND GUBERNATORIAL DEBATES ON KSUN, 103.5 FM

KSUN and 103.5 FM The Sun Community Radio will be joining over 70 stations across Wisconsin in airing a U.S. Senate debate between Senator Ron Johnson and Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes as well as a gubernatorial debate between Governor Tony Evers and challenger Tim Michels. 

The debates will be sponsored by the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Foundation, which has a more than 32-year history of hosting debates.

The debates will be moderated by Jill Geisler, longtime Wisconsin news professional, WBA Hall of Fame member, and author.

“The WBA Foundation is honored to provide these important debates to Wisconsin’s voters as part our 32-year history of using our debates to promote the civic and political process.” said WBA President Michelle Vetterkind.

“Airing these debates helps us to fulfill our mission of providing important and empowering information to the citizens of Sun Prairie,” said SPMC director Jeff Robbins. “While these are not local races, the information presented within will be of relevance to every voter in Sun Prairie.”

Each debate will air multiple times on both KSUN and 103.5 FM The Sun Community Radio. Please check sunprairiemediacenter.com/ksun-schedule and sunprairiemediacenter.com/103-5-the-sun-schedule for more information and air dates. 

Election Day is Nov. 8.

The debates are sponsored by the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities and the Wisconsin Counties Association.

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Sun Prairie Public Library

Library Strategic Planning

 Over the past few months, the Sun Prairie Public Library has begun working on a new three-year strategic plan that will provide direction and set priorities for services for 2023-2025.

We are working with ReThinking Libraries, a library consulting firm. A key component to the strategic planning process is community input through surveys. The end result will be a plan for the Sun Prairie Public Library that will clearly identify the needs and aspirations of the community with both quantitative and qualitative data. We value your input and look forward to your participation!

Take our short survey!

Please help us by taking our 10-15 minute survey. Let us know how you feel about the library's current and potential services. Survey is available in English y tambien en Espanol! The survey will be available until Friday, October 7th

Children’s & Teen Services

Small Fry Storytime

Mondays, September 19-November 7 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.

Small Fry Storytimes are 20-30 minutes long and are filled with 1-2 short books, songs, action rhymes and more!  Some songs, stories and rhymes are repeated each week and new ones are gradually introduced. Grown-ups and big kids, please share in the fun too! 

Little Kid Storytime 

Tuesdays, September 20-November 8 9:30-10:00 a.m. Registration Required

Fridays, September 23-November 11 9:30-10:00 a.m. No Registration 

Little Kid Storytimes are 25-30 minutes long and are filled with short books, songs, fingerplays, rhymes, puppets and more – a different variety each week. The content of Tuesday's Little Kid Storytime will be the same as Friday's Little Kid Storytime. We are offering Tuesday as a registration required program and Friday without registration, based on feedback from the summer surveys.Registration for Tuesday Little Kid Storytime will open two weeks prior to the event. Space is limited. All Storytime participants agree to abide by library policies and procedures.

Big Kid Storytime

Fridays, September 23-November 11 10:45-11:15 a.m.

Big Kid Storytimes are 30-35 minutes long and are filled with longer books, songs, fingerplays, rhymes, puppets and more – a different variety each week. This Storytime is geared for children who are ready for stories that are a bit longer.  

Family Storytime

Thursday, October 13 6:30-7 p.m.

Family Storytimes are 25-30 minutes long and are filled with songs and stories. Geared For ages 0-5, but all ages are welcome and encouraged to attend!

Star Wars Reads Day (All Ages!)

Saturday, October 15 10am-Noon

Celebrate Star Wars at the library, as we participate in this nationwide event! Come dressed in your favorite Star Wars costume and have fun with Star Wars games, crafts, and activities. The WI Garrison of the 501st Legion will once again be on hand for potential photo-ops to make this day amazing.   

Adult Services

Virtual Cultural City Tour of San Jose

Thursday, October 13 6:30-7:30 p.m. 

Take a live virtual walk through the historic city of San Jose! Led by experienced local travel guide, Alejandro Cano, we'll learn about Costa Rica's beautiful capital city of San Jose as we take in the beautiful sights and sounds. It's armchair travel at its finest. This event will be held via Zoom. To receive the Zoom log in information, please register on our Events Calendar at https://sunprairie.librarymarket.com.

Dave Martin Concert

Tuesday, October 18 6:30-7:30 p.m., Library Community Room

Dave Martin, musician and storyteller, takes us on a good-natured romp through the Midwest. He explores the culture and storied history of the region, performing both traditional and original songs while infusing quixotic anecdotes about his family’s place in America’s heartland. Dave's original lyrics and delightful music are influenced by folk and country singer-songwriter Steve Goodman, folk singer Greg Brown, and Irish balladeers. All ages are welcome and invited to attend! This evening is funded by the Friends of Sun Prairie Public Library.

Vital Signs Clinic

Friday, October 21 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Library Community Room

Sun Prairie EMS Outreach is bringing awareness to good health! Stop by between 10:00am and 4:00pm for a free blood pressure check, temperature check, and pulse & oxygen saturation reading, and gain some tools for managing and maintaining your health. EMS will also have free resources and giveaways on hand, including thermometers and pulse oximeters! No appointments needed, and children are welcome too.

Latino Nights @ the Library!

Family Story Time: Telling Our Stories & Resources for Families

Wednesday, October 12 6-7:30pm, In the Library 

  • Latino Resources for the community
  • Bilingual Storytime for kids and adults!
  • Connect with your neighbors and discover the joys of the Sun Prairie Public Library

Women’s Wellness Night, Our Stories of Survival, and Move Your Body with Robbi Domínguez

Wednesday, October 19 6-7:30pm, Community Room

  • Join Roots for Change for a meditation program
  • Hear Latina Coach Melky's story of surviving cancer
  • Move your body with #GymBestie Robbi Domínguez

Community Altar: Discover the Importance of the Day of the Dead

Wednesday, October 26 6-8 p.m., Center of Library

  • Everyone is INVITED! Build a community altar!
  • Come and eat traditional Day of the Dead bread and Mexican hot chocolate
  • Stories & activities for the whole family!