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- March 16, 2023
March 16, 2023
Administration
Mark Your Calendars!
There are variety of events to celebrate the diversity that lives in Sun Prairie! Mark your calendars because you won't want to miss them!
Inflation Reduction Act
City Clerk
Know Your Options!
WHAT'S ON THE BALLOT?
Absentee ballots are on their way for the Spring Election being held April 4, 2023.
The easiest way to see what is on your ballot, go to: https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/Whats-On-My-Ballot
Community Spotlight
Community Mental Health Programming
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:
The following parks are currently closed:
- Pheasant Run Park
Summer Rec Guide coming soon!
Summer Rec Connection Guide will be available at the week of March 20th! Registration will be available online for residents on April 4th and April 11th for non-residents. In-person will be available the day after online.
Winter/Spring Rec Connection Guide
Winter/Spring Rec Connection Guide now available and registration is open!
1. View the Winter/Spring Guide at rec.cityofsunprairie.com!
2. Log in to our website to make sure you know your password and that your account is up to date, including street address and email address.
3. If you don’t already have an account, create your account. If you think you have an account, but cannot find yourself on the website, please do not add yourself again. Call the Recreation Department office at 608/837-3449 and we will assist you.
4. If you do not have a Sun Prairie address, but live in the Sun Prairie School District, the system will not know that and will charge you Non-Resident rates. If you continue your registration and pay Non-Resident rates, the difference is non-refundable. Please contact our office prior to your registration so that we may adjust your account to reflect the proper designation.
5. If you accidentally register for the wrong program, do not immediately register for the correct program. Call us (608-837-3449) and we can make the transfer for you.
“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
We’re Hiring!
Upcoming Programs Not to Be Missed:
March 30th
6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Registration Deadline: 3/23/2023
Make a fun wood centerpiece box for your home or as a gift! Centerpiece boxes measure approx. 16” long and 6” wide and come with a stencil to add your design to one side. Personalize with your choice of stain & paint colors and beautiful wood flowers arrangement. Our creativity coach will guide you step by step through the process to complete this special one of a kind piece.
STENCIL OPTIONS TO SELECT DURING REGISTRATION:
1. Together is our favorite place to be
2. Welcome to our home
3. Home Sweet Home (with last name personalization)
4. Hello Springtime
5. Last Name with Established Date
6. LOVE
Foundations of Athletic Development
April 3rd – April 24th
5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Registration Deadline: 3/27/2023
Foundations of Athletic Development is a 60-minute training session designed for 9-12 year olds with the focus of learning and developing fundamental athletic skills and movements that translate directly to their sports. Learning these quality skills and movement patterns can set each child up for a successful path in sports or an active lifestyle, while also decreasing bad habits from forming that could lead to injuries. Sessions will incorporate skills such as body weight strength, core stability, coordination, body control/awareness, and fundamental positions/skills used in athletics and training.
Rec on the Go April – Spring Science
Pick up dates: April 6th and April 7th
Registration Deadline: 3/30/2023
Rec on the Go are theme-based exploration kits for kids ages 5 and up. Each bi-monthly kit will feature crafts, experiments and other fun activities for kids. Kits are available for pick up or delivery.
April - Spring Science
This kit will explore the science of plants, nature, and how the world changes during spring. We'll explore the power of seeds, pollination, and bees!
Pick up and delivery will be available April 6th and April 7th. Participants will be emailed when kits are ready, so make sure your email address is in your profile is correct.
Thursday Early Release Afterschool Programming (previously TGIT)
Thursdays, 1:30-5:00 p.m.
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.
Fitness Classes
Public Safety
Sun Prairie Historical Museum
Sun Prairie Historical Library and Museum
The Museum is operating on winter hours and is available to the public on Wednesdays 11:00am-4:00pm or by appointment. Staff can be reached by phone at (608) 825-0837 or by email at museum@cityofsunprairie.com .
The Historical Library and Museum is located at 115 East Main St. Sun Prairie with parking behind the building. Admission is always free.
Announcements:
Continue Celebrating Black History
Visit the Museum on Friday, March 17th between 4:00-6:00pm to view our newest exhibit highlighting artwork by local students and stories of Black community leaders.
In collaboration with the Black Student Union of Prairie View Middle School, the Boys Group of Westside Elementary School, and the City of Sun Prairie’s Neighborhood Navigators, the Museum is proud to present this community reflection!
Returning to Open Season Hours
On Wednesday, April 5th the Museum will return to its expanded hours of Wednesdays-Saturdays 11:00am-4:00pm and by appointment.
Join us to celebrate the new season with the opening of a 1971 time capsule found in the walls of the Sun Prairie Junior High, most recently the home of Prairie Phoenix Academy. Find out what staff and students thought future community members should know!
We are thrilled to offer this event in partnership with the Sun Prairie Area School District on Wednesday, April 5th. The capsule will be opened in the Museum at 4:00pm with public viewing available until 6:00pm.
Sun Prairie Media Center
The Awards!
Wisconsin Community Media, in conjunction with the Alliance for Community Media’s Midwest Region, has announced their annual award winners for the 2023 Best of the Midwest Media Fest.
The Sun Prairie Media Center is happy to announce that no fewer than 20 original shows created for either KSUN, KIDS-4, or 103.5 FM The Sun Community Radio are set to receive awards at the fest, which will be held in Madison on Thursday, May 4. The total represents 13 percent of all awards to be given out at the event.
Included in the 20 awards are three “Best in Show” winners: SPMC’s coverage of Sun Prairie West vs. Sun Prairie East football, the Mark Gonwa-produced radio program “Bluesology,” and “Voyageur Canoe Excursion,” a documentary filmed by Tim Hatfield at the Historic Indian Agency House in Columbia County. This is Hatfield’s second straight “Best in Show” win.
Elsewhere SPMC programming was honored with three additional “Excellence” awards, one for its weekly movie review program “Reel Reviews,” hosted by Jamison Rabbitt, and “Spine Chilling Cinema,” its weekly horror movie showcase hosted by Oliver “The Caretaker” Collins (aka Jamie Ostrander), and one for “Grrl-Powered Radio,” a weekly radio program showcasing female artists hosted by Caprise Waak.
Six additional programs produced at the SPMC were selected for “Achievement” awards, including two other mini-docs shot by Tim Hatfield: “The Great Race” and “Landscape of Families.” Other “Achievement” winners include “The Weekly Chat,” “The Sun Prairie Real Estate Show,” “Sun Prairie News,” and “Song Archaeology.”
Finally, eight SPMC shows are taking home “Merit” awards, including “The Parenting Game,” “Front Porch,” “The Prairie Home Show,” the 2022 SPARC Spring Candidate Forum, “Greglist,” “Inside Your City with Aaron and Chris,” “Now You Know,” and “Breaking the Song Barrier.”
In addition, long-time SPMC football announcer Mike Powers will be honored with a “Friend of Access” award.
More information on any and all of these shows (and the shows themselves) can be found on sunprairiemediacenter.com.
SPMC director Jeff Robbins was thrilled with the results. “We have a fantastic collection of member producers,” said Robbins. “And with a whopping 20 awards, clearly the judges for the annual Media Fest agree!”
“Besides thanking our awesome producers, I would like to thank Colin, Mara, and Rachel, who aren’t necessarily formally recognized by these awards but who do a lot – and sometimes all – of the behind-the-scenes work on these shows. I also want to thank our Friends of Sun Prairie Media Center group,” continued Robbins. “They picked up the cost for entry fees so producers could enter the judging process with no cost out of pocket. So kudos to our awesome Friends group!”
To be eligible for an award, a program must have been produced and/or distributed through the facilities of a community media center and premiered on a cable access channel, community radio station, or its website.
Want to be an award-winning community media producer? The Sun Prairie Media Center is currently looking for producers to take advantage of its awesome studio facilities and excellent staff. Anyone interested should call 608-837-4193 or check out sunprairiemediacenter.com, where program ideas can be submitted directly to SPMC staff.
Episodes of SPMC’s award-winning programs can be accessed by going to sunprairiemediacenter.com by downloading the Sun Prairie Media Center app, available for free from the App Store or Google Play.
More information on Wisconsin Community Media and the Media Fest can be found at wisconsincommunitymedia.com.
103.5 FM COVERAGE SET FOR CARDINALS AND WOLVES - BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL
The Sun Prairie Media Center is pleased to announce that it is planning on live radio coverage of 32 games for the upcoming Cardinals and Wolves baseball and softball seasons. Games will be broadcast live on 103.5 FM The Sun Community Radio. Coverage will be split evenly, with 16 broadcasts scheduled for both East and 16 broadcasts for West. That works out to be 8 baseball games and 8 softball games for each school.
This will be the first season that features four different teams for Sun Prairie. In their final season as one school, both the baseball and softball programs saw success with a state run in 2022.
A full list of scheduled broadcasts can be found at sunprairiemediacenter.com/playball.
The Sun Prairie Media Center is currently looking for sponsors for these events. If you are interested in supporting the live coverage of baseball and softball games, please contact Jeff Robbins at jrobbins@cityofsunprairie.com for more information.
A big thanks goes out to Tim Perko, Mike Powers, Bill Baker and Marcus Carstens for volunteering to call these games on 103.5 FM this spring.
103.5 FM can be accessed via 103.5 FM in and around Sun Prairie, or streaming at sunprairiemediacenter.com, tunein.com, or via the free Sun Prairie Media Center app, available to download for free from Google Play or the App Store.
Good luck Cardinals and Wolves!
Sun Prairie Public Library
Children’s & Teen Service
Saturday, March 18 2:00-3:30 p.m., Community Room
Stop in and create with LEGO®s as a family! Our LEGO® and DUPLO® collections will be out for free play and creativity in the Community Room.
Wednesday, March 22 2:30, 3:30, or 4:30 p.m., Community Room
Thursday, March 23 10:30 or 11:30 a.m., Storytime Room
Join us for a Dog Man themed escape room, geared for ages 5 and up! You’ll have 30 minutes to solve all the puzzles and open the lock box! This is a family activity, adults stay and solve puzzles with the kids. Registration is required, register on our Events Calendar.
Case of the Mondays Escape Room
Thursday, March 23 4:30 p.m., Community Room – For Teens only
Thursday, March 23 5:30 or 6:30 p.m., Community Room
Friday, March 24 10:30 a.m., 2:30, 3:30, or 4:30 p.m., Community Room
What if you lived in a world of perpetual Mondays? Come save the rest of the week, especially the weekend! Multiple sessions offered for groups and families; geared toward children ages 8 and up. Adults stay and solve puzzles with the kids. The session on Thursday, March 23 at 4:30 p.m. is only for Teens in grades 6-12. Registration is required for all sessions, register on our Events Calendar.
Dance Wisconsin Preview: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Tuesday, March 28 6:30 p.m., Community Room
Stories and ballet with Dance Wisconsin! Get a sneak peek of their upcoming performance of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland!
Gaming with Sammy on Zoom
Thursday, March 30 2:30 p.m.
Only for ages 7-12. We meet on Zoom. To get the link, please register on the Events Calendar. We play Among Us, Gartic Phone, Jackbox Games, and Roblox.
Adult Services
Tuesday, March 21 7-8 p.m., Library Community Room
Artists for the evening are Carisa and Kody Feiner. Doors will open at 6:30, with performances starting at 7pm.
Carisa's music is best categorized as bedroom cafe. It hints at some of her influences, primarily bossa nova, folk, and jazz. Her lyrics are often straight from the pages of her journal and are always autobiographical in some way. She primarily performs music with her guitar and has been playing gigs steadily in the Madison area since moving here in 2020.
Kody Feiner is the lead singer of local bluegrass/americana band Soggy Prairie, a band that he helped found in 2002 while still a student at Sun Prairie High School. He has an extensive knowledge of mountain music from many eras, and his songs showcase a modern take on traditional music. The artists may have CDs or other merchandise for sale. Please bring cash to support these local musicians!
This series is generously funded by the Friends of the Sun Prairie Public Library.
COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics
Public Health Madison & Dane County will be holding walk-in vaccine clinics in the library’s Community Room on Monday 3/27, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Everyone 5 and older is welcome. No ID or insurance required, but children 5-17 must have a parent or guardian present. For the most current availability and appointment information, please visit the Public Health Madison & Dane County website.