Badger Girls Elizabeth Dahlke and Christine Wertti, along with Badger Boys Ben Emond and Nathan Rasmussen were chosen to attend Badger State events this summer, representing Montello High School.

MHS Badger State reps are chosen for 2008

Montello High School Badger Boys and Badger Girls State representatives have been announced for 2008.

This year’s American Legion Post 351 representative is Ben Emond. Representing the Montello Lions Club is Nathan Rasmussen. Girls chosen for Badger Girls State and representing American Legion Auxiliary to Post 351 are Elizabeth Dahlke and Christine Wertti.

Selection is based on leadership, interest, character and fitness.
Leadership is the ability to lead and to assume responsibility for leadership; an organizer, with ability to execute a project in harmony with others.

Character is a high standard of conduct, good reputation, dependable, truthful, fine ideals, punctual, interest in family and school, and willingness to follow rigid rules.
Interest in government and citizenship, includes American history and social problems, community participation and services, keen sense of right patriotism, and citizen responsibility.

Those chosen must also attain grades through their junior year in the upper one-third of their class, with evidence of industry, efficiency and application in studies.

 

Montello Arts Gala at J. P. Vaughn Hall

By Kathleen McGwin
It’s a secret, but you can shout it all over the place. Montello is a hot bed of visual and performance arts and a showcase of these talents will be held at J.P. Vaughn Hall on Saturday, April 19. Get your reservation in now because you won’t want to miss this event.

Planned and organized by Catherine Ellenbecker, Montello High School art teacher, who has witnessed the great artistic talent that has been nurtured and has bloomed here, the gala affair is the first step in recognizing the importance of the arts to the Montello community. Proceeds from this event will be the seed money to elevate the arts to their valued place. The talent in Montello deserves to be showcased, and kept secret no more.

The gala begins at 6 PM with a red carpet entrance for the guests. The mood will be set by the Montello High School Jazz Band and complimentary wine will be served during a gallery showing of high school student art, many pieces award winning work. There will be a silent auction and John Berkevich owner of On Edge Photography of Ripon will be taking complimentary photos of guests.

Dinner will be served amid 400 long stemmed roses being imported from Brazil. Tenderloin tips and chicken cordon bleu are the main course with fresh fruit and other delights accompanying the special meal.

The evening will continue with Montello High School students performing solo and ensemble works from the State competitions. Special guest speaker will be world known sculptor Jim Hopfensperger who will give a power point presentation about creating metal sculpture through the lost wax method.

This kick-off fine arts event is the beginning of something big for the Montello community. One goal is to bring a bronze sculpture designed by Montello High School students and poured by Jim Hopfensperger to Montello. High school art students have posed for the piece, entitled Secrets, and will be making the wax molds for the sculpture. Mr. Hopfensperger has donated his service and the cost will be only for the bronze and then for installation. It is a dream in the making for the community of Montello.

Catherine Ellenbecker’s roots in Montello go back generations. Her great great grandfather traveled down the Fox River in 1820 to settle where the Fox and Montello rivers meet. Atu Quantius came from Prussia and sent for a mail order bride. Together they started their family and their son, Catherine’s great grandfather, Martin, was the first mayor of Montello. Her grandmother and grandfather laid the floor in J. P. Vaughn Hall. With this heritage and her 25 years of teaching art in Montello, she is committed to telling the world about the legacy of arts in Montello. Her mother, Mary Riedl, who was born in Montello in 1917 will be attending the event.

Before the gala, there will be a Cows on Parade auction. Just like the cows that have graced New York, Chicago, and other international cities, the high school students have created colorful art cows that will march from Kwik Trip to J. P. Vaughn Hall where they will be available for purchase, with all proceeds going to the arts and sculpture project.

“The originator of Cows on Parade, Pascal Knapp of Zurich, Switzerland has given us permission to use his slogan for this event,” said Ellenbecker. “The cows are the signification of a tremendous art celebration in Montello.”

In preparation for this grand event, youth and adult volunteers have been working on the upstairs of J. P. Vaughn Hall, which is on the National Historic Register. Ellenbecker wrote for and received a grant from Sherwin Williams and from Home Depot to pay for the paint for the pressed iron/tin coated walls and ceiling. In her research, Ellenbecker found that the 6,000 sq feet of historic pressed iron/tin wall and ceiling covering in Vaughn Hall is valued over 1/2 million dollars now that it will be encased and preserved with the primer/ sealer. She took a paint sample to the Wisconsin Historical Society and is having the paint matched for authentic colors of green and gold.

The volunteers have done countless hours of work cleaning, sorting historical metal wall pieces, washing the floor and windows, and hand scrubbing decades old adhesive off of the hard wood floor. Chase Wright of the Standing Room Only Players is building an extension on the stage for the events that night. Ripon Royal Ridges Pick and Save is donating the use of tables, chairs and linens and place settings. Adam Malsack is setting up the sound system.

The Montello Historic Preservation Society is thrilled to be facilitating and supporting the arts in Montello with the re-opening of J. P. Vaughn’s community hall. It’s no longer a secret, Montello is the place to be and on Saturday, April 19, you’re invited. But you have to call quickly, it’s reservations only for the Arts Gala at Vaughn Hall. Dinner and program are $30 per guest or $55 per couple. Call Sara McNamara at 297-7168 to reserve your place at this celebration.