Hello petition signers and Happy New Year! As our efforts continue into 2018, we have a variety of updates to share with each of you. Many of you may have seen the article and Roberta Baumann's editorial in the Tribune supporting our petition. The main article has not been published online as of yet, but we will share when (or if) it becomes available electronically. However, here is the link to the editorial: http://www.hngnews.com/waunakee_tribune/opinion/editorial/article_239c6fd9-de65-57f7-a2e5-85e0a9674911.html We thank the Waunakee Tribune for helping us spread the word and sharing our thoughts and concerns with other citizens in the community. We are excited to share that two citizens, Erin Moran of West Main Street and Joe Zitzelsberger of Meadowbrook have decided to run for trustee positions on the Waunakee Village Board. Erin signed our petition and resides on the opposite side of Main Street from the proposed Terrence Wall development we are petitioning against. If elected, Joe and Erin will bring fresh insight and perspective to our Village Board. We encourage each of you to vote for these individuals to prevent the Wall project from being approved. Right now, we do not have anyone on the board who lives north of Main Street. It is our goal for this election that either Joe or Erin, both of whom reside north of Main Street, or both of them, make the Village Board. Erin and Joe will be running against three incumbents, which are Steve Kraus, Gary Herzberg, and Dr. Bill Ranum. The top three vote-getters will receive trustee positions on the board. The election will be held in April. Thank you to Erin and Joe for choosing to run for Village Board. Peggy Hill-Breunig is not running for reelection for her school board seat, which includes Westport, Middleton, and Madison. No individuals have filed to run as candidates for her seat, so the school clerk's office is asking for an official write-in candidate. If interested, you can register at the clerk's office on Bethel Circle. While this is only a requirement for write-ins interested in campaign funding, registration will provide official notice to voters in our area. More info here: http://www.hngnews.com/waunakee_tribune/news/government/article_92151451-1357-5656-8b4d-4c47393eb434.html No challengers are running against the incumbents for the spring election in Vienna, Springfield, and Westport. Todd Schmidt, in an interview with the Tribune's Roberta Baumann about 2018 building projects in Waunakee states that "he likes the idea of dense residential development in that area to capture an audience for new economic development in the form of new retail." However, many residents will be displaced, demolition of historic structures will be required, and Waunakee will lose retail if the development proceeds. These comments make the election of Joe and Erin even more crucial, as our Village Board will most likely attempt to push the proposal through as fast as they can. We need to work together as a community to tell our Village Board that we have had enough, and elect Joe and Erin to the Board. Here is a calendar reminder of the upcoming meetings where residents can provide input and share their concerns about the Wall project with officials. Plan Commission Meeting (Monday, January 8th at 6 pm, Village Hall). This meeting will be related to the creation of a Main Street TIF district that will provide funding for developers to build more large apartments downtown, including the Wall project. Westport Plan Commission Meeting (Monday, January 8th at 7 pm, Town Hall Community Meeting Room, 5387 Mary Lake Road). This meeting will be about final design approval for the INSPIRE daycare center. Consider attending to inform the Town Board that the size of the daycare must be decreased. Potentially, Dane County supervisors will be in attendance at this meeting, so this is a RARE opportunity to voice concerns about Bishop's Bay, the Wall project, and the Inspire center to a higher government body, but that is uncertain at this time. Agenda: http://www.townofwestport.org/allMinutes/planAg/agenda/Plan%20Commission%20Agenda%2001-08-18.pdf We hope all of you had a wonderful holiday season, and we hope to see many of you in attendance at either of these meetings.