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L I F E I N R O C K C O U N T Y

2 Great People. Great Stories. | fall 2012 life in rock county 3

the difference for him is heart surgery

It’s the way anything worth doing should be done.With all our heart. With all our mind.

Mercy Hospital and Trauma Center Heart.MercyHealthSystem.org

And it’s right here in Janesville

He is the heart of his family. That’s why he turned to Mercy Hospital and Trauma Centerwhen he experienced signs of a heart attack.

From prevention and diagnosis, to treatment and rehabilitation, we are the only hospital in Janesville to offer comprehensive heart care right here at home so your familycan be by your side every step of the way.

In addition to advanced diagnostic procedures, we also provide a full spectrum of minimally invasive treatments, bypass and aneurysm surgeries and vascular services.Our accredited chest pain center is just minutes away to treat your heart attack by stopping it early. Our Definition dual-source CT scanner takes 3D images of your heartto pinpoint areas of concern. Electrophysiologists help you manage—or even cure—yourheart rhythm disorder. And state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization labs provide the latest technology to keep your heart pumping strong when every second counts.


30 an emotional journey VetsRoll program brings hundreds of veterans to see war memorials

38 cSi: rock county Adolescents learn crime scene chemistry skills at summer camp

41 rock county in PictureS

Community photo submissions

46 community calendar

Features

06 creatinG a Safer community

Mercy pharmacists help recycle drugs

08 aGainSt the oddS Janesville man recovers from

both heart attack and stroke

12 overcominG the rare and unuSual

Beloit man battles breast cancer

17 the thrill of the build

Janesville men construct their own airplanes

21 body reconStruction

Mercy surgeon repairs motorcycle rider’s bones after accident

25 the boyS and GirlS of Summer

Janesville Youth Baseball and Softball Association photo essay

4117

06

Table of contents Dear reaDer:

I have been extremely fortunate in that I have not been directly affected by war. None of my immediate family or friends are currently deployed, and I have not lost any loved ones overseas.

That’s not to say I don’t have family members who have served. My uncle is a retired colonel in the U.S. Air Force who rushed to the Pentagon in the days following September 11, 2001 to help in any way he could. Both of my husband’s grandfathers were in the U.S. Army during World War II, and my father-in-law

was in the Army during the Vietnam War.

But I have rarely talked about war stories with my husband’s family, either because the subject has not come up or because they don’t care to share that part of their lives.

So when I found myself arranging (or trying to arrange) interviews with some of the World War II and Korean War veterans who went on the 2012 VetsRoll trip to Washington, D.C., I was at a loss for words. How could I know anything about what these men had experienced? I had never even heard of “Class 4-F” (for the record, it means

“unqualified for military service”) or any of the other phrases and designations that are so familiar to military folks and their families.

Many of the veterans with whom I spoke did not want to share their story. Some felt uncomfortable giving interviews decades after their friends had been killed in combat, while others had no desire to relive unpleasant memories. Finally, I found two courageous men — Bob Larsen and Dr. Bill Pruett — who were willing to talk with me.

These men had very different, yet equally incredible stories to share (their stories begin on p. 30). Their time spent serving changed their lives forever, and the VetsRoll trip afforded them the opportunity to honor those with whom they served. I may not have had an inkling of what they endured during their time in the service, but I could at least appreciate what they did for our country.

Bob and Bill are my favorite kind of people to interview because what they say truly comes from their hearts. Do you know a great person with a great story to tell? Drop me a line at [email protected] and tell me about him or her.

Beth Earnesteditor, “Great PeoPle. Great StorieS.”

Visit us at gpgsmagazine.com

30

38

On the cOver: Gene Calkins of

Janesville spends hundreds of hours

constructing his own airplanes at

Brodhead Airport. For more about how

to build your own airplane, see p. 17.

cOUrAGe AGAInSt ALL ODDS

Bob Larsen’s story

tWO WArS In A rOW

Bill Pruett’s story

A DIFFerent KInD OF DUtY

Shane Hutter’s story


Creating a Safer

Community

You should never throw away unused medications. If you do, and there is a high enough

concentration of medications in a landfill, the drugs can contaminate groundwater.

So what can you do with your prescription medications when you don’t need them anymore?

Two Mercy Health System pharmacists are actively helping Rock County residents recycle medications through community recycling programs. Rick Mullen, RPh, helps with the Milton recycling program, while Jennifer Snow, RPh, assists with the Janesville program.

“This all started a few years ago, when a teenager died after getting a hold of a family member’s medications,” says Rick, who is a pharmacist at Mercy Milton Pharmacy. “What could be worse than that? We can’t have medications just sitting around.”

Milton was one of the first municipalities in Rock County to implement a medication recycling program. Through the program, residents can deposit medications (preferably in their original bottle) in a drop box in front of the Milton Police Department at 120 Parkview Drive.

Twice a month, Rick works with the police to separate controlled medications (such as strong pain relievers that could potentially be abused) from non-controlled medications. Once a year, the state collects all the controlled medications and sends them to be incinerated at a special facility in St. Louis — a process that is much safer for the environment than throwing drugs in the trash. The Rock County Health Department periodically destroys the non-controlled substances.

Jennifer, who works at Mercy East Pharmacy, collaborated with the City of Janesville to start a medication recycling program last year. The city set up three drop boxes — one at the Janesville Police Department, 18 N. Jackson

6 Great People. Great Stories. | fall 2012

Street; one at Mercy Health Mall, 1010 N. Washington Street; and one at Mercy Clinic East, 3524 E. Milwaukee Street.

Like Rick, Jennifer also helps sort the medications. If a medication is unused with the seal still intact, the volunteers can donate it to HealthNet, a nonprofit organization that offers free medical services and medications to community members who don’t have access to health care.

The Janesville program has been incredibly successful in its first year. “We believe that one of the reasons we have collected so many medications is because we have three drop boxes,” says Jennifer. “That’s very convenient for our residents.”

Both Jennifer and Rick jumped at the opportunity to help with such an important community effort. “This is my community,” says Rick of Milton. “I was born and raised here, and now I work here. I care about the safety of everyone living in Milton. This is what I was trained to do, and if I can spend just a couple of hours a month doing this — especially if it will prevent anotherdeath — it’s completely worth my time.”

Rick Mullen, RPh

Pharmacist JenniferSnow, RPh, searchesfor a medicationat Mercy EastPharmacy.

Jennifer Snow, RPh

Mercy pharmacists help recycle drugs


against odds

Bill, now 69, first noticed strange symptoms the morning of Dec. 22, 2010. “He doesn’t complain,

so you never know if he’s really sick,” says his wife, Judy. “So when he told me his body was really aching, I knew it was probably something.”

He headed to Mercy’s emergency room, where doctors determined he was having a heart attack. Mercy cardiologist Gene Gulliver, MD, performed an angioplasty procedure during which he inserted a catheter into Bill’s groin and inflated a small balloon to open Bill’s blood vessel.

The next day, Bill underwent quintuplebypass surgery under the skilled handsof Mercy cardiothoracic surgeon A. Sandor Goldstein, MD. When he woke up from the surgery on Dec. 24, he couldn’t feel the right side of his body. He had suffered a stroke while he was still unconscious after the surgery.

a long reCoveryThe next logical step, of course, wasrecovery, but that was difficultto do after suffering the doublewhammy of heart surgery and stroke.Mercy cardiothoracic surgeon KennethWolnak, DO, one of the surgeons whohad operated on Bill, came intohis room to explain the process.

“He was wonderful,” says Bill. “He sat and talked with Judy and me for anhour about what we could expect.”

A couple of weeks after the surgery,Bill was moved to Mercy Manor Transition Center, a short-term nursing home located on the fifth floor of the hospital. He needed intensive rehabilitation, but was just too weak to go to Comprehensive Inpatient Rehabilitation yet. “That’s the advantage of a setting like Mercy Manor — people who aren’t ready for intensive therapy can recover there and still stay in the same building,” says Kathy Cramer, PT, therapy supervisor at Mercy.

Finally, on Feb. 7, Bill transferred to CIR to begin rehabilitation in earnest. The unit includes nine rooms, each of which is designed to feel like home to the patients. One of the rooms is designed more like an apartment than a hospital room; therapists use it forpatients who are close to discharge so they have a better sense of what they will encounter when they return home.

In CIR, patients undergo three hours of intensive rehabilitation every day. They eat as a group and everything they do is designed to help them become more prepared for going home. “The nurses on the floor are specially trained to care for these patients,” says Kathy. “Instead of dressing them, as they would other patients, they give them time to struggle through the process on their own. It’s all to promote the patients’ independence.”

Additionally, the therapists in CIR are all very experienced. “Everyone has worked here for a minimum of 10 years, and the average is more than 15 years,” says Kathy.

Janesv i l l e man reCovers from

both heart at taCk and stroke

Recovering from both a heart

attack and stroke at the same

time sounds like a hopeless

task. But during the winter of

2010-11, Bill Bever of Janesville

achieved the impossible, thanks

to the help of the staff at Mercy

Hospital and Trauma Center’s

Comprehensive Inpatient

Rehabilitation (CIR) unit.

“you lay there and wonder if you’ll ever Get back to the way you were.”

—bill bever

the



For Bill, therapy was especially difficult because he has an artificial left leg. He lost his leg 44 years ago in a truck fire and has had to rely on his right leg ever since. After the stroke, however, he had to relearn how to use even that leg.

“I prayed a lot, and I had four churchespraying for me,” says Bill, a devoutCatholic. “Ever since I first lost myleg, I’ve always told myself, youcan look around and always findsomeone worse off than you.”

In addition to physical and occupational therapy, Bill also underwent speech therapy because he had suffered some memory loss after the stroke.

“At first I was worried, because there were certain things he just couldn’t remember,” says Judy.

“You lay there and wonder if you’ll everget back to the way you were,” says Bill,who spent hours each day undergoing physical therapy with Kathy and physical therapy assistant Deb Galpin, PTA. “They got me up and walking every day. They would make me walk all around the hallway.”

PreParation for indePendenCeFinally, after 59 days in the hospital, it was time for Bill to go home. A few days before his discharge, Bill’s occupational

therapy assistant, Dorraine Hallett, COTA, visited his home with him and his wife.

“We want to see how our patients perform in their home environment,” she says. “We watch how they get on and off the bed and their chairs and make recommendations for easing their home transition.”

She recommended Judy arrange for a transfer tub bench, grab bars, a handheld shower head and a higher toilet. Because Dorraine performed the assessment a few days before Bill’s return home, Judy had enough time to prepare for him.

After he arrived at home, Bill began receiving visits from Mercy Home Health Care therapists, who helped him continue his recovery.

“From start to finish, I received really good care at Mercy,” says Bill.

Now, more than a year and a half later, Bill is almost fully recovered. He can mow his lawn, play with his four grandchildren and care for himself. “I feel really good,” he says. “I do basically everything I did before, but it just takes me a little longer.”

• Chest pain or discomfort

• Upper body discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or upper part of the stomach

• Shortness of breath

• Nausea or vomiting

• Cold sweats, dizziness, fainting

signs of a heart attaCk

Bill Bever works with occupational therapy assistant Dorraine Hallett, COTA.

Mercy cardiothoracic surgeon Kenneth Wolnak, DO, spent more than an hour with Bill Bever and his wife post-surgery, explaining what they should

expect in the coming months.

• Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm or leg, especially if on only one side of the body

• Sudden confusion, or having trouble speaking or understanding

• Sudden trouble seeing with one or both eyes

• Sudden trouble walking, with dizziness and problems with balance or coordination

• Sudden or severe headache with no known cause

signs of a stroke


Mercy Hospital and Trauma Center is accredited by the Joint Commission as a Chest Pain Center.

Mercy Hospital and Trauma Center is accredited by the Joint Commission as a Primary Stroke Center.


Wayne Overby thought he had already paid his “cancer dues.” The 64-year-

old Beloit man was diagnosed with prostate cancer several years ago, and never had any problems after doctors removed his prostate gland. “I thought to myself, well, I’ve had cancer; now I’m done with it,” he says.

But cancer doesn’t play by the rules. In December 2010, Wayne found out he had male breast cancer — an incredibly rare disease. He sought treatment at Mercy Regional Cancer Center in Janesville, where he encountered thorough physicians, caring nurses and staff and

overComing the

rare and unusual

a place where he felt safe. “The whole staff in the oncology department was so helpful, caring and concerned,” he says.

a ChanCe diagnosisWayne, who has owned and managed restaurants and gas stations most of his life, moved to Costa Rica seven years ago to “get out of the rat race.” In 2010, he came back to visit family and decided to move back to the United States permanently. First, however, he had business to finish in Costa Rica. Before he left the country again, he saw his primary care physician — Henry Juan, MD, internal medicine physician with Mercy Health System — for a physical.

Beloit man battles breast cancer

Wayne Overby, pictured here at Mercy Hospital and Trauma Center, has fought both prostate and breast cancer.



All tests came back normal, but Wayne mentioned he had a small, itchy lump next to his nipple. Dr. Juan told him he should undergo a mammogram right away. After having a biopsy, Wayne was diagnosed with breast cancer. “Breast cancer was the last thing I thought I had to worry about,” says Wayne.

According to Dr. Shekhani, medical oncologist with Mercy Health System, about 1 percent of breast cancer cases occur in males. “It is not natural to have breast cancer in males,” says Dr. Shekhani. “Because of that, male breast cancer tends to be more aggressive than female breast cancer.”

Wayne was fortunate — he caught his cancer early, so it was quite treatable. “It’s a good thing I mentioned it to the

doctor when I did, because by the time I came back from Costa Rica, it might have progressed to another stage,” he says.

good doCtors, suPPortive

family, Positive attitudeBohdan Wasiljew, MD, general surgeon at Mercy Hospital and Trauma Center, performed a lumpectomy on Wayne on Dec. 23, 2010. “I had a great recovery from the surgery,” says Wayne. “I came home the next day.”

Then, the real battle began. Wayne underwent chemotherapy with Dr. Shekhani from February through July, and he had radiation therapy with James Richardson, MD, radiation oncologist at Mercy. “The chemo took a little out of me, but the radiation was a snap,” says Wayne.

He has been cancer-free for a little more than a year now. He attributes his success to three factors — the care he received at Mercy, his family’s support and his good attitude. “I had wonderful doctors and staff at Mercy,” he says. “My three grown children were also very supportive; my son would wait for hours in the car during my chemotherapy sessions.”

“Not once did I doubt I was going to get through this experience,” he adds.

Dr. Shekhani was the right fit for Wayne. “I trust him completely,” he says. “He was patient and took the time to describe exactly what he was doing and why. I had confidence in him because he portrayed self-confidence.” Wayne says he developed a close relationship with both Dr. Shekhani and Linda Brethauer, APNP, AOCN, nurse practitioner and genetic counselor at the Mercy Regional Cancer Center.

Four months after Wayne’s last chemotherapy session, he received a birthday card signed by everyone in the oncology department. “I considered myself very lucky to be treated by such a good staff,” he says.

Wayne is now retired, but he stays busy gardening in his son’s backyard, babysitting for his grandson and mentoring an up-and-comer in the bar and restaurant business. “I feel that God just isn’t done with me yet,” he says.

Alexa Howell helps Wayne with his chemotherapy at the Mercy Regional Cancer Center.

Mercy medical oncologist Dr. Shekhani guided Wayne Overby through his breast cancer treatment.



thrill of the build

Can you imagine flying your own airplane? Not just an airplane you own, but one you built

yourself? For a few men at Brodhead Airport, building airplanes is a hobby that has turned into a passion.

Simon Smith of Janesville spends so much time working on his planes, he even keeps kitchen appliances and camping gear in his hangar for longer stays. “My father built the first airplane he ever flew,” Simon

Janesville men construct their own airplanes

the


male breast CanCerMen account for 1 percent of all breast cancer cases. Unfortunately, says Dr. Shekhani, medical oncologist with Mercy Health System, there are no screening guidelines for male breast cancer.

“Men need to be aware of the area behind their nipples,” he says. “Usually in a man’s chest, there should be no hard nodule behind the nipple, which makes an abnormality easy to find.”

While researchers have not been able to identify a cause for male breast cancer, there are a few risk factors:

Strong family history or genetic marker: If there are several women in a man’s family who have had breast cancer at a young age, the family may have one of the two most common breast cancer genes — BRCA1 or BRCA2. Those genes can increase a man’s risk for breast cancer.

Previous exposure to radiation therapy: A man who has been treated for lymphoma (which involves intensive radiation therapy in the chest) carries an increased risk for breast cancer.

Excessive alcohol intake andobesity: These are low-rankedrisk factors, as there are plentyof overweight men and men who consume large amounts of alcohol who are never diagnosed with breast cancer, says Dr. Shekhani.

•

•

•

“(dr. Shekhani) waS Patient and

took the time to deScribe exactly

what he waS doinG and why.”

—wayne overby


says as he shows off his own home-built airplane. “I’ve been around aviation all my life and it kind of spilled over to my children. I just love aviation — it’s one of the great freedoms we have in this country.”

While Simon learned aviation from his father and passed his love on to his sons, Gene Calkins, also of Janesville, got started in aviation by accident. “I was wandering along on crutches,” he says, “and a guy offered me an airplane ride. I’ve been flying ever since.”

Building an airplane is such a monumental and expensive

feat, one might wonder why a pilot wouldn’t just buy an already-made commercial plane. Simon, who ownsseveral airplanes — including one he did not build — prefers flying his own constructions. “(Commercial airplanes) are not as much fun to fly,” he says.

how to build a PlaneIf you think you’re up to the challenge of building your own airplane, there are two ways to get started: You can either purchase a kit or buy the plans.

“Basically, it’s just like an 8-year-old building a model airplane,” Simon says. “It’s a step-by-step process.”

For a kit-built airplane, you’ll receive one or two 3-inch binders full of thin sheets of paper with very thorough instructions. If you possess basic mechanical skills — such as welding and riveting — and the right tools and materials, you can follow the step-by-step instructions and build an airplane of your own. If you don’t have those skills, no need to despair — there are workshops and websites to help you develop them. But it takes a lot of time to go from the first page of the binder

to the last. “An experienced builder can probably build an airplane in about 1,800 hours,” Simon says.

Right now, the airplane Simon is building looks rather like the skeleton of some large, metallic beast with hollow bulkheads forming the cage-like fuselage. Over to the side, a hollow wing sits on a table. The wing is surprisingly light, though a bit awkward to lift.

The airplane Gene is working on is another beast entirely. This one has bones of hollow, metal tubes that are shaped and bonded together to create a complex lattice-work that forms the airplane’s body. Instead of a metal skin, he starts with a special fabric called Dacron, which feels like thick satin until it is heated, shaped, and shrunk. Once it’s painted, the untutored eye can’t tell that it’s fabric at all — it looks shiny like plastic and feels as stiff as metal.

For a plans-built airplane, builders don’t receive a binder or preformed parts; instead, they work with sheets of drawings that provide thorough instructions. “You have to have some different skills,” says Matt Smith, Simon’s son. “Anybody

Simon Smith works on his airplane

in a hangar at Brodhead Airport.

Gene Calkins takes great pride in

inspecting every detail of his planes.

Aviation instruments, like these, provide

the pilot with the necessary information —

such as altitude, speed and direction — to

to keep the airplane on the right course.

Simon Smith got started

in aviation after a man

offered him a ride while

he was on crutches.



who doesn’t have any (mechanical) background still could (work with) a set of these, if he or she has the perseverance to see it through.”

“Here’s the thing that people don’t understand,” Matt adds. “Here this airplane sits and looks like it’s pretty much done, but there’s still probably 800 hours of work yet to do.”

Sometimes a builder can spendup to eight hours working and notsee the progress he or she is making,Matt says. “A lot of first-time buildersdon’t realize that, and they get reallyfrustrated at that stage,” he adds.

“You put it together and take it apart a number of times before you ever fly it,” Gene says. Luckily, the second airplane is easier than the first. “When I built my second airplane, I knew what I was getting myself into, so it didn’t take so long.”

a widesPread PassionOne of the biggest advantages tohome-built airplanes is the easeof making modifications. Whilecertified, commercial airplanes need to be recertified after any modification, home-builders are free to experiment with changing technologies and new designs. If they want to make an improvement, they simply notify the Federal Aviation Administration and undergo a five-hour test period. Once home-builders have proven a new design works, commercial builders might even pick up their modifications.

Home-built airplanes require annual inspections just like commercial airplanes, and pilots still need ratings to fly, which can be expensive considering the price of gasoline. “You have to have a love of aviation to continue our sport, because the cost is getting really outlandish,” Gene says.

Still, many people do love it. Airplane builders organize gatherings and conventions across the United

States and in Canada and Mexico. Builders will fly up to Alaska to see the polar bears or down to Baja, Mexico to bask in the sunshine. They participate in cross-country races, poker runs and spot-landing contests.

But for the builders themselves, creating their own airplanes is about more than just the love of flying.

“When it’s done, and you fly it for the first time, and you know that you built it …” Matt says. “I don’t know how I can convey to somebody who has never done it the feeling of accomplishment you have.”

Gene Calkins shows off his hand-built plane.

“i juSt love aviation — it’S one

of the Great freedomS we

have in thiS country.”

–Simon Smith of janeSville

This is what the exoskeleton of some

homemade airplanes looks like.

Body reConstruCtion

Mercy surgeon repairs motorcycle rider’s bones after accident

Mike Geske — who was bound to a wheelchair for several months after his accident— plays with his dogs.



It happened in an instant. One minute, Mike Geske was riding his motorcycle on his way to work

on a Friday morning in May — the next, he was sprawled in the dirt 30 feet from his bike after colliding with a minivan in an intersection.

“I knew I was in really bad shape,” says Mike. “I could tell my whole left side was busted up, and I was going into shock.”

A nurse who happened to be in the area stopped by the side of the road and comforted Mike while he waited for an ambulance. Then, emergency medical technicians transported him to MercyHospital and Trauma Center in Janesville — the only Level II Trauma Center south of La Crosse.

Mike was about to embark on a painful recovery process that would take months, possibly even years.

an extensive rePairAfter riding a motorcycle for about 30 years, Mike, 52, has learned a thing or two about motorcycle safety. The

Janesville resident always wears a full face helmet, boots, gloves, full pants and a jacket with body armor. Yet despite all that protection, he was still injured quite seriously in the accident.

After he arrived at Mercy’s trauma center, doctors there quickly assessed him and paged Mercy trauma surgeon Derek Wall, MD. Dr. Wall determined that Mike’s broken bones needed immediate care and called Mercy orthopaedic surgeon Sidney Schulman, MD, who performed multiple surgeries on Mike that afternoon. Mike’s many injuries included a fractured left shoulder, left wrist, left hip, left thigh and left lower leg.

“Unfortunately, motorcycle accidents are pretty common — more common than motorcycle enthusiasts would like,” says Dr. Schulman, a former motorcycle rider himself. “Fortunately, Mike had a helmet and full layer of clothing on. If he didn’t have a helmet, he may have died.”

Dr. Schulman used plates and bone screws to fix the shoulder and wrist, a rod with screws for the thigh and hip and a combination of a rod with plate

and screws for the lower leg. He did not complete the repair of the lower leg and shoulder, however, until 12 days after the accident.

“The injury is not just the bone alone,” he says. “The skin and muscles around the bone are also going to get injured. For the lower leg, I thought it was safest to do the final fixation surgery later on, after the swelling from the initial injury had quieted down. Initially, I temporarily stabilized the legby putting an external frame on itwith pins above and below the break.”

the road to reCovery Mike stayed in the hospital for 18 days. While he was waiting for the second surgery and for a short time afterward, he was often in pain. “The nurses were giving me everything they could for the pain, but I was afraid I was going to end up losing my foot,” he says.

He knew, however, that Mercy was the best place for him to be. “The care was incredible,” he continues. “I appreciated every nurse and nursing assistant. Even the housekeepers were great. The level of care was above what I would ever have anticipated.”

Occupational therapist Todd Schell helps Mike through some hand exercises.

Mercy orthopaedic surgeon Sidney Schulman, right, works on a patient’s leg with Natalie Johnson, OR tech.



While Mike was in the hospital,physical and occupational therapists worked with him to help him gain mobility. After he returned home, he began receiving regular visits from physical therapists with Mercy Home Health Care. He is working to regain regular body function but knows it may be a long time before he is able to function normally.

“I will have months, if not years of therapy ahead,” says Mike, who was a facilities manager for SSI Technologies in Janesville before his accident. One particular concern is that he is left-handed, yet has been unable to perform tasks with his left hand. “I may just have to learn how to use my right hand,” he says.

In the meantime, he and his wife, Wanda, and daughter Amanda (he has another adult daughter named Miranda) are grateful they live in a ranch-style house, which is ideal for a man recovering from a traumatic injury. “I owe my wife a lot,” says Mike. “She has to take care of the entire household while I’ve been laid up.”

Mike is also grateful he is under Dr. Schulman’s care. “He’s very good at taking the time to talk with you and explain what’s going on,” he says. “I’ve been in a lot of pain the past few months, but I’m glad I’m still here and have had such great doctors, nurses and therapists.”

staying safe on a bike

Mercy Health System orthopaedic surgeon Sidney Schulman, MD, was a

motorcycle enthusiast for years before he decided to quit riding. “Too many of my

friends were limping around with life-altering injuries,” he says. “I just became a

little more afraid than I was before.”

That said, Dr. Schulman acknowledges that riding a motorcycle can be quite fun

— as long as you keep a few safety tips in mind:

• Always wear a helmet.

• Drive defensively. Assume every car you encounter will potentially be

involved in an accident with you.

• Don’t show off; always keep safety at the front of your mind.

• Look in people’s side mirrors to determine if they see you as you travel

through their blind spot.

• Wear a protective, full outer layer of clothing.

“unfortunately, motorcycle

accidentS are Pretty common —

more common than motorcycle

enthuSiaStS would like.”

—dr. Schulman

Mike Geske poses with his teenage daughter Amanda.

sof tbal l 2012

the boys and girls of summerLast year was a work year for the JanesvilleYouth Baseball and Softball Association This year, however, it was time to play — the association’s new fields and facilities at the Janesville Youth Sports Complex are nearly complete.

The complex includes four softball fields,three Babe Ruth fields and three Little Leaguefields, as well as two concession stands withrestrooms. “We hosted six local tournaments,plus two state tournaments this year,” saysassociation President Brian Martin. “Those brought in a ton of money, which is why the program has done better financiallythis year than we have any other year. We also depended tremendously on support fromthe community.”

The association is not yet where it wants to be financially, however. Board members and parents are still working hard to raise enough money to put lights in the new fields.

“That’s going to be a long-range project,because lights are a pretty big expense,” says Brian. “We will need continual support from our community to accomplish that goal.”


26 Great People. Great Stories. | fall 2012 life in rock county 27 life in rock county 27


baseball 2012



VetsRoll program brings hundreds of veterans to see war memorials

emotional Journey

The economy may be tough right now, but Mark and John Finnegan have learned

that when the cause is right, people will still donate money.

That’s why their VetsRoll program — which just finished its third year in May — has been so successful. People in Rock County and northern Illinois are so grateful for World War II and Korean War veterans’ service that they are willing to pony

up money to send them on the trip of a lifetime to Washington, D.C.

As a result, 200 veterans and “Rosie the Riveters” (women who worked stateside to help support the war effort) traveled on 10 busses to see the war memorials May 20-23. Organizers used $225,000 in donations to completely cover the cost of the veterans; assistants and medical personnel paid their own way.

“In the three years we’ve been doing this, it’s gotten to be a huge deal,” says Mark. “People are doing fund-raisers for us all the time.”

The Finnegans, who own Finnegan RV in South Beloit, began VetsRoll in memory of their father, Cy Finnegan, who served in the Navy in World War II. Cy had always wanted to see a memorial created for the men of his generation who served, but he died before the memorial in Washington, D.C. opened to the public in 2004.

In 2009, Mark and John were involved with an episode of ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” and were able to raise more than $11,000 for the recipient family in just five days. Through that experience, they realized they would be able to raise enough money for a veterans’ trip. “We had been hearing about the Honor Flights, in which veterans fly to Washington, D.C. in one day to see the memorials,” says Mark. “We wondered if we couldprovide ground transportation tostretch the trip into a few days.”

an

The first year, they were able to raise $90,000 and send 125 veterans and Rosie the Riveters on the trip. “We thought it was going to be a one and done thing,” says Mark. “But people kept on giving.”

The trip has continued to grow, and veterans from several different states are now coming along for the ride. This year, the group visited Arlington National Cemetery and the World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Lincoln and Flight 93 memorials. Additionally, organizers arranged for special speakers along the way and treated the veterans to several surprises, including a mail call in which veterans opened more than 7,000 letters from friends and family members.

When they returned home on May 23, they received a police escort to the Eclipse Center in Beloit, where they greeted thousands of well-wishers amid a massive fireworks show. “It’s an incredible way to honor these veterans,” says Mark.

To learn more about VetsRoll, visit

its Facebook page or contact Mark

Finnegan at [email protected].


Supporters await the arrival of the veterans at the Eclipse Center in Beloit.

Thousands of people came out to support the returning veterans.


Courage against

all odds

It has taken Bob Larsen a long time to feel comfortable talking about the night he lost nearly

all his platoon during the Korean War. In fact, he had been married to his wife Marilyn for decades before the subject even came up.

Bob, now 80 and a Janesville resident, was a master sergeant in Company F, 2nd Batallion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division in the Army. He was only stationed in Korea for one year, but that was enough to give him nightmares for the rest of his life. “This isn’t just a story,” he says. “It actually happened. It was real.”

The night of Nov. 6, 1952, Bob’s platoon was near a hill called Jackson Heights — a Chinese-held outpost. His platoon was one of four in Company F, and the sergeants drew straws to determine which men would climb the hill to get a better look at enemy lines. Bob picked the short straw.

The platoon, comprised of 30-40 men, slowly climbed the hill, not exactly sure what it would encounter. The men soon found out when mortar shells rained down on them. The Chinese were attacking from three sides of the hill. “In a

situation like that, you don’t just retreat,” says Bob. “You stay there and fight.”

After a short amount of time, nearly all of the men in Bob’s platoon were either killed, wounded or captured. He attempted to gather the men who remained and lead them toward safety. The problem was, it was difficult to see exactly where that was. “What was left of us didn’t have any communication with the rest of the company,” he says. “I lost my rifle and helmet. I even lost my billfold — though I didn’t know it was gone until later.” Eventually, the men found their way toward the Main Line of Resistance.

Bob’s commander told him he would submit his name for a bronze medal for valor, but he never did. It wasn’t until 57 years later — after Bob’s son informed officials at the Pentagon of his father’s bravery — that Bob received a Bronze Star Medal with Valor Device. It now sits in his dining room.

When Bob heard about the VetsRoll trip, he was eager to go along. Though

he had been to Washington, D.C. before, he had never seen the Korean War Veterans Memorial. “Seeing the memorial was a pretty emotional experience for all the guys, I think,” says Marilyn, who accompanied Bob on the trip.

Today, the retired dairy farmer still has a difficult time relating certain parts of his story. But he is determined to share it as a testament to the men who lost their lives that day. “Nobody knows the real truth except the people who lived it,” he says.


Master Sergeant Bob Larsen

is pictured in a military

portrait from the 1950s.

Master Sergeant Bob Larsen of Janesville was awarded the bronze star for bravery during

the Korean War.

Master Sergeant Bob Larsen, right, poses

with a friend during the Korean War.

Master Sergeant Bob Larsen is pictured

in a snapshot from the 1950s.


two wars in a row

But when he tried to enlist, the military didn’t want him; it turned out he had a heart murmur and was

designated as Class 4-F — not qualified for military service. So he decided to support the war effort by joining the U.S. Maritime Service, the training arm for the U.S. Merchant Marine. He trained as a radio operator and went to sea in April 1945.

Bill wound up in Okinawa, Japan right before the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. He spent six months hauling troops from Europe to the United States after the war ended.

After he returned home, he began college — first at Houghton College in Houghton, N.Y., then at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Ill. At Wheaton College, he met his future wife, Lorraine. The two of them became engaged and planned to marry on Sept. 9, 1950.

But timing wasn’t on his side. The Korean War was beginning, and he was re-examined for military service in July 1950. “I sort of wanted to be designated 4-F again,” Bill says. “I really didn’t want to go into the service because I wanted to be with Lorraine.”

Alas, this time he was designated as Class 1-A — available for unrestricted military service — and was set to be drafted into the U.S. Army on Sept. 8 — the day before his wedding. He would have had to postpone his wedding if his father hadn’t pled his case before the governor and obtained a deferment until after the wedding.

“Nobody really wanted to go into the service for the Korean War,” says Lorraine. “They had just fought a war.”

“I said to myself, you have a choice,” says Bill. “You can be miserable for 18 months, or you can get the most out of the Army that you can. So I did.”

Because Bill had attended college, the Army sent him to officers’ training, then stationed him in the chemical corps at Fort McClellan in Alabama. There, he taught soldiers how to use biological warfare.

Bill later learned the group of men with whom he had gone through basic training was deployed right after he went to officers’ training. Nearly all the men were killed. “I had some good friends in there,” he says. “I felt guilty having such soft duty when all those other guys were in Korea.”

After Bill was discharged from the Army, he applied to medical school. In the meantime, the Central Intelligence Agency wanted him to work for them in

Vietnam, where the political situation was beginning to heat up. (Bill had spent much of his childhood in Vietnam, where his parents served as missionaries.)Bill figured he would go to Vietnam if he didn’t get into medical school.

Fortunately for him, he was accepted at Baylor University Medical School in Houston, Texas just days before he was to start with the CIA. “It was an answer to a prayer,” says Lorraine.

Bill went on to become a family practice doctor and general surgeon — a profession from which he is now retired. When he was invited to participate in VetsRoll, he was reluctant at first. But he was pleasantly surprised at how organized the trip was, and what a warm reception the veterans received.

“When the bus rolled into a parking lot, the teenagers would just stand aside and clap,” he says. “That really meant a lot.”

When Bill Pruett, MD, graduated from high school

in 1944, he had no problem with being drafted to

serve in World War II. “(The United States) had

been attacked,” he says. “I wanted to serve.”


This portrait of Bill was taken on graduation

day for Officers’ Training School, May 1952.

This photo was taken during Bill

Pruett’s basic training in 1951.

Bill learned how to build a pontoon

bridge capable of allowing trucks

and tanks to cross rivers.


A different kind of duty”

When many students his age were going home after school to

watch TV or play video games, Shane Hutter, 18, had a much higher purpose in mind his last two years in high school — he was raising money to send veterans on a trip of a lifetime.

Shane, who recently graduated from Turner High School in Beloit, first heard about the VetsRoll program during a 4-H meeting in 2011. Through the program, veterans of World War II and the Korean War travel to Washington, D.C. for a few days to see memorials and other sights.

Inspired, Shane decided to raise enough money to send one veteran on the trip in memory of his grandfather, Wayne Hutter, and to honor his uncle, Army Sgt. Richard Stanek, who has served several tours of duty in Iraq. “I figured the veterans had done their duty, so it could be one of my duties to help them see the memorials before they die,” he says. He set up tables at local events and dropped off donation cans at businesses, eventually raising more than $1,000.

This year, Shane redoubled his efforts. A friend of the family had won a half-barrel party at The Last Lap bar in Beloit, and

Shane used the party to host a benefit. Additionally, every day after track practice, he drove around with his parents asking businesses for donations.

“We placed about 20 donation cans around Beloit, Janesville and South Beloit,” says Shane. He raised $2,240, enough money to send nearly four veterans on the trip.

“I got to attend the welcome home party and meet some of the veterans who went on the trip, which was really cool,” says Shane, who is now a freshman at University of Wisconsin-Rock County majoring in geology.


Shane Hutter helped raise more than $2,000 for the VetsRoll trip through a benefit and by placing donation cans inside local businesses.

”


Csi: roCk County

“I thought I’d get a little pushback these first few days of the class, because we’re just talking about the science of crime scene investigations,” says Kristin. “But they’re really interested and working hard.”

UW-Rock County has been offering College for Kids one week every summer for about 30 years. The program is divided into two age groups — second- to fourth-graders and fifth- to eighth-graders. Kids can choose from among six to nine different classes with topics such as Hot Air Ballooning 101, Group Guitar and Fun With Photoshop.

One might wonder whether the classes would be too much work for adolescents during the lazy summer months. Not to worry,

say the students. “I like school,” says Becca Parker, 11, of Janesville. “I’m actually missing homework, so I read the dictionary instead.”

fostering an interestThe youngsters who signed up for the Crime Scene Chemistry class had a variety of reasons why they wanted to be involved. For some, it was a chance to mimic their favorite TV show.

“I love watching CSI,” says Lindsey Lucas, 13, of Edgerton. “I watch it all the time.

Annika Leverson of Janesville, however, just wanted to test the chemistry waters, so to speak. “I’m starting fifth grade, so I’ve never taken chemistry before,” the 11-year-old says. “I want to see whether

it’s something I might like.” And, it turns out, she does like it. “I love seeing how things react with each other.”

In her classroom, Kristin uses “inquiry learning,” meaning she doesn’t tell the students what they’re supposed to discover — she allows them to discover it for themselves. “I’m letting them own the material,” she says.

adolesCents learn Crime sCene Chemistry skills at summer Class

It’s difficult to find an opportunity to talk to the adolescents in the Crime Scene Chemistry

summer class at University of Wisconsin-Rock County.

First, they have to fill test dishes with various powdery substances, such as laundry detergent and baking soda. Then, they have to mix the powders with liquids such as vinegar to determine how they interact, eventually using their newfound knowledge to identify an unknown substance.

These kids simply don’t have time to talk to a curious outsider.

That’s as it should be, says Kristin Plessel, assistant professor of chemistry at UW-Rock County and a teacher at the College for Kids summer program. The class she’s teaching shows fifth- to eighth-graders how to use chemistry to decode secret messages and identify suspects through blood typing and lip prints. Eventually, the kids work together to investigate a fictional crime scene.


Kristin Plessel, assistant professor of chemistry

at University of Wisconsin-Rock County,

believes in letting middle-schoolers learn

through their own experimentation.

The kids in the College for Kids Crime Scene Chemistry class listen intently to their teacher’s instructions.


So when she walks around the classroom inspecting their work, she doesn’t inform them if they’re right or wrong; she merely asks questions. For two boys who believe they have identified the unknown powdery substance, she asks them why the unknown mixtures looked slightly different than the mixtures to which the boys are comparing them. They eventually admit that they had used different amounts of powdery substances in the experiment, thereby introducing another variable.

On the last day of class, students use their new skills to analyze a fictional crime scene. Under the scene’s parameters, a man was killed in his house, and the only evidence that remained at the scene of the crime was a smear of lipstick on a napkin. The kids compare the lipstick print on the napkin with the lipstick prints of the only three women known to have visited the man that day, eventually coming up with a suspect.

Kristin tempers the students’ glee at solving the problem with a reminder that their analysis is only one piece of the puzzle. “Just because the lipstick is left at his house does not mean the woman killed the man,” she says.

But the kids are still jubilant. Even more than solving the crime, they say, they love the process of figuring it out. And they don’t even mind — that much — when they mess up. “I’ve messed up on experiments before,” says 13-year-old Isabel Winter of Evansville, “but since the room didn’t explode, I figure it’s OK.”

“i love SeeinG how thinGS

react with each other.”

–annika leverSon,

11, of janeSville

community photos

roCk County

The photos on this page were taken by Makenzie Augenstein of Janesville.


Emily Klein



The photos on this page were taken by Casey Martin of Janesville.

The photos on this page were taken by Amanda Bauer of Janesville.



The photos on this page were taken by Jen Rezdepagic of Edgerton.

The photos on this page were taken by Nan LaCaille of Janesville.



cancer networking support groups For women diagnosed with any type

of cancer — meets the first and third

Monday of the month, 10:30 a.m.-noon in

the Mercy Michael Berry Clinic, Janesville.

For men diagnosed with any type of

cancer — meets the second and fourth

Thursday of the month, 1-2:30 p.m. in the

Mercy Michael Berry Clinic, Janesville.

Breast cancer support groupFor women diagnosed with any type

of breast cancer — meets the second

Thursday of the month, 6:30-8 p.m. in

the Mercy Clinic North conference

room, Janesville.

empowered By hand work support groupFor the patient, friend, or family member

impacted by cancer who copes through

creating something with his or her hands

— meets the second and fourth Monday

of the month, 10-11:30 a.m. in the Mercy

Michael Berry Clinic, Janesville.

Mercy HealtH SySteM support Groups

octoberfridayS Fridays in the Park 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Event includes live music and picnic lunch First National Bank Plaza, Beloit

SaturdayS thrOUGh OCtOBer JanesViLLe FarMers Market 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Downtown Main Street, Janesville

SaturdayS thrOUGh OCtOBer BeLOit FarMers Market 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Downtown Beloit

SundayS thrOUGh OCtOBer rOCk COUnty FarMers Market 8 a.m.-1 p.m. 5013 Highway 11 West

calenDar of events

For other community education offerings, visit mercyhealthsystem.org

november3 tantaLize yOUr taste BUds 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

MacFarlane Pheasant, Inc.,

Janesville

11 annUaL WOnderFest arts & CraFts exPO 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Beloit Memorial

High School gym

17 deer hUnt WiVes’ day 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

Northleaf Winery, Milton

24 a CiViL War hOLiday 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Lincoln Tallman

House, Janesville

30-dec. 9 BOWer City theatre COMPany Presents “the sOUnd OF MUsiC” 7:30 p.m. Friday

and Saturday evenings

and 2 p.m. Sundays

Janesville Performing

Arts Center

December1-6 ChristMas in the COMMUnity Edgerton’s

Whobilation Events take place

throughout Edgerton

man to man prostate cancer support group For men diagnosed with any type of

prostate cancer — meets the first Thursday

of the month, 6:30-8 p.m. in the Mercy

Clinic North conference room, Janesville.

griefcare support groupMercy Hospice Care invites you to share

and receive the support of others facing

the challenges of grieving the loss of a

loved one. Family, friends and children

are welcome — meets the first and third

Thursday of the month, 6 p.m. at Emmanuel

Church, 4224 Whilden Ct., Janesville.

To attend any cancer support group,

6 Friends OF nOah’s k9 CarniVaL Thresherman’s

Park, Janesville

6 MiLtOn heritaGe day Milton House Museum

13 BLaCkhaWk teChniCaL COLLeGe CentenniaL CeLeBratiOn OPen hOUse 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

BTC Central Campus,

Janesville

20 treasUre QUest adVentUre , 8 a.m.

Traxler Park, Janesville

26 dOCs WhO rOCk 7 p.m. Janesville

Performing Arts Center

27 JanesViLLe Presents! “COMe sinG With Us!” “Mamma Mia,” 7 p.m.

Janesville Performing

Arts Center


Now certified as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission.

F

A

S

T

Facial numbness or weakness.Does one side of the face droop?

Arm numbness or weakness.Does one arm drift downward when raised?

Slurred speech/scrambled thoughts.Is his speech slurred or sound strange?

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF IT’S A

STROKE?

Time is of the essence.Call 911 immediately.

A stroke is the brain’s equivalent of a heart attack. Mercy Hospital and TraumaCenter, now certified as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center, is equipped withthe specialists and technology to diagnose and treat strokes FAST.

For more information on stroke and its treatment,visit MercyHealthSystem.org/stroke.

fall 2012 2012 - great people. great...

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