Attorney Scott M. Paler Elected to DeWitt’s Executive Committee

GREEN BAY | MADISON | MILWAUKEE | MINNEAPOLIS – Today DeWitt LLP law firm announced it has elected Scott M. Paler to its Executive Committee effective April 14, 2021.  The role of DeWitt’s Executive Committee is to oversee and hold accountable the firm’s management team, including the President and Managing Partner.   This includes providing feedback and opinions about the management team’s sustainability and growth strategies, operational plans, budgets, financial performance, and risk assessments. 

About Paler

Paler is a partner at DeWitt LLP. He serves as Chair of the Firm’s Background Screening Practice Group, Past-Chair of the Firm’s Employment Practice Group, and an active member of DeWitt’s Litigation Practice Group.  He has developed a niche expertise in background screening and has advised more than 100 background screening companies on compliance and business issues.  In addition to working with background screening companies, Paler has assisted employers nationwide in creating and administering sound, legally compliant background screening programs.  Paler earned a J.D., cum laude, from the University of Wisconsin Law School and a B.A., with distinction, from University of Wisconsin, Phi Beta Kappa.  He is admitted to practice in Illinois and Wisconsin and is a member of the Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA).

About DeWitt

DeWitt LLP was founded in 1903 and is one of the 10 largest law firms based in Wisconsin, with an additional presence in Minnesota. It has more than 120 attorneys practicing in Green Bay, Madison and Metropolitan Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, and has the experience to service clients of all scopes and sizes. The firm is known for its work in a variety of legal areas including intellectual property, patents, trademarks and copyright law, construction litigation, corporate law, employment, environmental, employee benefits, estate planning, family business, family law, government relations, health care, litigation, real estate, and tax law.  More information is available at dewittllp.com.

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Capitol Bank Announces Plans for East Madison Location in American Center

Capitol Bank has announced plans to open a third location, which will be on Madison’s East side in the American Center, at the intersection of American Parkway and Eastpark Boulevard. Construction on Capitol Bank East will commence in May 2021, with an anticipated grand opening in late 2021.

“While many customers utilize digital banking channels, we know that people still tend to bank close to where they live or work,” said Ken Thompson, President and CEO of Capitol Bank.

The strategic location on Madison’s East side will allow for nearly anyone in Dane County to be within 15 minutes of a Capitol Bank location.

“No matter how many banking transactions we can conduct from our smartphones, there will always be a need for bankers to be accessible to customers. We’ve seen the desire for face-to-face interactions even amidst the pandemic,” said Thompson.

Capitol Bank’s main location will remain at 710 N. High Point Road on the West side of Madison, where it has been located since the Bank was founded in 1995. Capitol Bank Verona, which opened in 2006, is located at 108 E. Verona Avenue. Capitol Bank specializes in commercial lending, treasury management, mortgage lending, personal banking and private banking.

To follow along with construction progress and other updates related to Capitol Bank East, visit Capitol Bank’s website: www.CapitolBank.com/east2021. The Capitol Bank East project team includes OPN Architects, Inc. as building architect and JP Cullen as general contractor.

About Capitol Bank: Capitol Bank, locally-owned and operated since 1995, is committed to serving the communities in which we live, work and do business. We are proud of the partnerships we have established with organizations, businesses and individuals in the Dane County area. Our philosophy of community support is demonstrated at the corporate level, as well as in the time and energy our employees devote to our community each year. Capitol Bank is Member FDIC and an Equal Housing Lender.

Contact: Natalie Gregerson
Director of Marketing/Officer
Capitol Bank
710 N. High Point Road
Madison, WI 53717
608.836.1616

Keller, Inc. to Build for Rhodes Bake-N-Serv, Wisconsin Pallet & Storage

Contact: Katie Mangin, Director of Marketing, 920-759-3335

Keller, Inc. has been chosen as the general contractor on a 7,500 square foot building addition project for Rhodes Bake-N-Serv located in Columbus, Wisconsin. Keller has also been chosen as the general contractor on a building addition project for Wisconsin Pallet & Storage located in Monroe, Wisconsin.

Keller, Inc. is an award winning, single-source, design/build general contractor headquartered in Kaukauna, WI, with additional offices in Madison, Milwaukee and Wausau.  As 100% employee-owned, they are leaders in the construction industry specializing in new construction, remodel, retrofit, and reroof projects. They have the staff and expertise to take projects from the early phases of design through the construction process to ensure that the project is completed on time and within budget.

For more information on Keller, Inc., Top Metal Builder in the Nation as reported by “Metal Construction News”, visit www.kellerbuilds.com.

Lift Every Voice: Madison Ballet’s First-Ever Dance Film Series

MADISON, WI –  Madison Ballet is taking ballet beyond the stage to create their first dance film series, Lift Every Voice. This project among invited artists from our community brings three new dance works to life in the form of three short films. Choreographers Rachelle Fochs, Kia Smith and Jacob Ashley are paired respectively with filmmakers Dave Alcorn, Jordan Biagomala and John Urban.  Each choreographer and filmmaker collaborate with Madison Ballet’s dancers to form a new ballet.  The three ballets in Lift Every Voice provide choreographers of color, filmmakers and dancers the opportunity to create, collaborate and share their experiences with one another — forging pathways for those artists who follow.

“This project reflects Madison Ballet’s commitment to dedicating its time, space and resources to bringing important new works by choreographers of color to life through its dancers and the film medium.  Madison Ballet amplifies the shared vision of all those involved in this collaboration,  as it presents Lift Every Voice to our audiences in the Madison community and beyond, and looks forward to continuing this initiative for years to come.”   Sara Stewart Schumann, Artistic Director

Grounded in classical dance, these works only hint at the visions of Sugar Plums most of us think of when we hear the word “ballet.”  The film medium gives the choreographers and dancers a wonderful collaborative tool, allowing them to bring imagination to life in a reality that, until now, could only be dreamed.  These thought-provoking ballets remind us that dance – and the joy it brings – remain essential to our community.  Following the release of the films, Madison Ballet hopes to present in-person “triple bill” viewings of the three films and facilitate conversations about the project’s goals for community growth. 

The films will be released for free viewing on Madison Ballet’s YouTube with the dates as follows: April 15, 2021; April 22, 2021; April 29, 2021.  All films will close for viewing on May 16, 2021. 

Subscribe to Madison Ballet’s YouTube channel and activate notifications to receive an alert when the films are released. 

For nearly 40 years, Madison Ballet has been an integral part of the vibrant Dane County arts community. Full scale productions of inspiring traditional ballets, innovative contemporary performances, and the timeless holiday tradition of “The Nutcracker” reach more than 13,000 people each year. The School of Madison Ballet empowers students of all ages and skill levels with the poise, confidence, discipline, and fundamental life skills intrinsic to the study of dance. Outreach programming, presented in partnership with dozens of local school and community groups, enriches thousands of young people’s lives by introducing them to the joy of dance.

Contact: Gretchen Bourg, Managing Director

Phone: (608) 571-7670

Email: gretchen@madisonballet.org

Author Ocean Vuong to Take Attendees on Journey of Self-Discovery During Free, Virtual Reading from His Debut Novel on April 22

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 9, 2021

Contact Information:
Shauna Breneman, Communications Director
Email: sbreneman@wisc.edu
Phone: (608) 262-8862

AUTHOR OCEAN VUONG TO TAKE ATTENDEES ON JOURNEY OF SELF-DISCOVERY DURING FREE, VIRTUAL READING FROM HIS DEBUT NOVEL ON APRIL 22

Vuong to read from ‘On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous’ and participate in a Q&A at Wisconsin Book Festival event co-hosted by the Wisconsin Union Theater

MADISON – The Wisconsin Union Theater, in partnership with the Madison Public Library’s Wisconsin Book Festival, will host a virtual reading with author Ocean Vuong, who will read from “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous,” his powerful novel about self-discovery through storytelling, followed by a moderated Q&A with Vuong on April 22 at 7 p.m. CDT.

“On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” examines the intersection of complex themes, such as race, class, masculinity and family, and considers how people’s connections with others help construct their own narratives.

Vuong composed the novel as a letter from a son to his mother, who cannot read, a paradox that allows Vuong to explore whether language can transcend time and circumstance to bring two people closer together.

Vuong established his writing career in 2016 with his collection of poems titled “Night Sky With Exit Wounds.” “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” is Vuong’s debut novel. He carries his poetic style into his fiction, defying traditional genres to create a final product that blends poetry, prose, essay and letter.

“The vulnerability and honesty portrayed in ‘On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous’ illuminate Ocean Vuong’s unparalleled talent as an artist and, in a sense, a poetic journalist,” said Wisconsin Union Theater Director Elizabeth Snodgrass. “Vuong embraces the raw emotion of his characters, in their times of beauty and their moments of hardship, in order to paint an intimate portrait of what it means to be human.”

Guests must register to obtain access to this free, virtual reading and Q&A. Patrons can pre-register here to receive a link to this event.

Daniel Sanji, the cultural programming intern at the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Student Center and APIDA Heritage Month chair, will serve as the Q&A moderator. Event organizers are honored to have this event included in APIDA Heritage Month 2021, a month-long exploration of the many ways that APIDA identity is shaped both within and outside the community.

This presentation is part of the Wisconsin Union Theater team’s commitment to taking action against racial inequities, which includes presenting events that highlight BIPOC’s stories. Click here for a full statement on the Theater’s stance.

The Theater team is hosting this event in partnership with the Wisconsin Book Festival. The Wisconsin Union Theater presents this event, in part, with the help of financial support from Wisconsin Arts Board funding from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Wisconsin Union Theater team strives for all of its spaces to be accessible. The Theater will offer live captioning for this event. Those that need accommodations can reach out to the Theater team at wisconsinuniontheater@union.wisc.edu.

Click here for more information about the reading and Q&A with Vuong.  

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About the Wisconsin Union Theater

For more than 75 years, the Wisconsin Union Theater has served as a center for cultural activity in the heart of the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. The Theater hosts performances in multiple locations, including Memorial Union, and has an expansive history of remarkable performances. The Wisconsin Union Theater is part of the Wisconsin Union, a membership organization that blends study and leisure to create unique out-of-classroom opportunities. Learn more: union.wisc.edu/wisconsin-union-theater.

[Click here to download a photo of Ocean Vuong. Photo by Tom Hines.]

To read this release online, visit union.wisc.edu/about/news/ocean-vuong.