There is no better time of year than autumn. The grass crunches underfoot after the first hard frost, wisps of fog settle into the valleys in the early morning, and the wildlife seems to stir as the air turns colder. The maples, oaks and hickories around us flare into reds, oranges and golds, giving us Mother Nature’s last great hurrah before winter settles in.
And somehow, the sports calendar makes it even better. The Packers just beat the Bears, which feels good no matter what month it is. The Badgers are playing good football again for the first time in a handful of years, and the Glarner Knights football and volleyball teams, along with the Sugar River Raiders, are all likely marching toward the postseason. And then there’s another team that doesn’t always give us reason to be hanging on every pitch this late in October, but this year has us sitting on the edge of our seats. And so far, we're loving every minute of it.
Wisconsin is beautiful any time of year, but autumn is when this place feels like it is showing off. Green County, the Town of New Glarus and the village itself all seem to hit their stride at once. The air is crisp, the hills are glowing, the games matter and winter has not yet arrived. Damn, I love autumn.
Biggest Stories of the Week
What We’re Working On
The antennas are now installed for free public Wi-Fi in downtown New Glarus, and the system is expected to be switched on soon. We’ll explain where the service will be available, how it will work and what visitors and residents can expect.
The Sugar River State Trail crossing on Highway 69 has long raised safety concerns, and a person was injured there this summer. With the crosswalk markings difficult for motorists to see, we’re asking who is responsible for repainting and maintaining the crossing — and what can be done to make it safer.
It will soon be five years since Melissa Trumpy disappeared, and we’re taking a deeper look at the case. We’ll examine where the investigation stands today, what has happened since her disappearance and what questions remain unanswered.
Football and girls volleyball tournament seedings will be announced this week, setting the stage for postseason play. We’ll tell you where the New Glarus Glarner Knights land, who they will face and what their road through the tournament looks like.
The Canter Inn is approaching its first anniversary in New Glarus, and we’re checking in with the owners about their first year. We’ll look at what they’ve learned, how the business has evolved and what they have planned for year two.
Plans for new pickleball courts in New Glarus have taken another step forward, with fresh developments in the effort to bring the increasingly popular sport to the community. We have the details on what has changed and what still needs to happen before construction can begin.
The late Linda Scheisser became well known for scherenschnitte, the traditional art of intricate paper cutting, but the art form did not disappear with her. We’re talking with others who are continuing the tradition and keeping this distinctive Swiss craft alive.
With Halloween approaching, we’re investigating stories of supposedly haunted homes and places in the towns of New Glarus and Perry. We’ll dig into the history behind the tales and separate local legend from what can actually be documented.
There is renewed pressure for the Wisconsin Supreme Court to review Act 10, a law that significantly changed collective bargaining for many public employees. We’re looking at what a potential change could mean for the New Glarus School District, its employees and future school finances.
We’ll also have the latest New Glarus Police Report, with a roundup of notable calls, incidents and activity handled by the department.
Photo of the Week
What You May Have Missed
Todd Klassy
Todd Klassy
Todd Klassy
Todd Klassy
Todd Klassy
Something We Noticed
When I lived in Montana, there was a phrase people sometimes used: “Montana justice.” It suggested something swift and harsh, though not always administered through the courts. Growing up near New Glarus, I remember a different kind of justice — less severe, but still very real.
You could do wrong, and people would know it. Friends would admonish you, neighbors would speak straight, and you would face the court of public opinion. And in New Glarus, that can be awfully harsh. But once you paid your penance, there was also an understanding that you would eventually be welcomed back into the fold. Maybe that was simply how the old Swiss families and their descendants took care of their own: accountability, certainly, but not permanent exile.
New Glarus is not the same community it was back then, and perhaps too many years have passed for that old way of thinking to mean much anymore. Still, the principle may be worth remembering.
There is an old Zen story called “Two Monks and the Woman.” Two monks traveling together came upon a woman who could not cross a muddy road. One monk picked her up, carried her across and set her down on the other side. Hours later, the second monk was still troubled by what had happened and finally confronted him.
“We are not supposed to carry women,” he said. “Why did you do that?”
The first monk replied, “I put her down hours ago. Why are you still carrying her?”
There is wisdom in that story, particularly for a small community. Once someone has been held accountable and has paid a price, maybe there comes a point when the rest of us should ask whether continuing to pursue that person serves justice or simply prolongs the grievance.
Christian tradition offers a similar warning in the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant in Matthew 18. Justice and accountability have their place, but endlessly collecting a debt can eventually change the person doing the collecting.
Justice does not require an endless pursuit or a crusade. At some point, further punishment no longer changes what happened; it only determines how much of the future will be consumed by the past. And in a town the size of New Glarus, vengeance rarely remains between two people. Before long, neighbors are asked to choose sides, and an entire community begins carrying the grievance.
Perhaps, for the sake of the community, there comes a time to set the woman down on the other side of the road.
Past Issues
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Todd Klassy
New Glarus 360
