Daily Pioneer News

PLATTEVILLE - The audience attending "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" was barely able to keep its standing ovation from turning into a dance number at the close of this opening night extravaganza at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville's Center for the Arts on July 11.

This fourth offering in the eighth season of the Heartland Festival had the audience raving.

"Outstanding - truly first class. I feel fortunate to get to see something this good so close to home," said Steve Baldus, who came from Dodgeville with his daughter, Hannah.

Was it the harmonious lament of the 11 brothers singing "Those Canaan Days," the tropical tunes of the "Benjamin Calypso" or the "Poor, Poor Pharaoh's" wild, Elvis-like gyrations which got the crowd's toes tapping?

"I can't pick a favorite number," said Bethany Jarding of Platteville. "It's one of the best ensemble productions I've ever seen."

"And the coat was really cool," added Hannah Baldus.

The story of Joseph, described by director and musical director Paul Helm as being essentially about dreaming and storytelling, follows the trials of Joseph as he is exiled and enslaved, but ultimately restored and redeemed. "Like many great dreamers of the world, Joseph is an inspiration to us all as he uses his courage and faith to make his dreams come true," said Helm.

The role of Joseph is performed by Heartland Festival newcomer, Aaron Sitrick. The narration of the tale is provided entirely through song, performed by Abby Shultz and Kelsey Klug. The supporting cast, including a children's chorus drawn from regional talent, includes over 70 actors.

"It just felt like every single person was made for the part," said Margaret Dalsing of Platteville, who attended with her granddaughters, Emily and Katie Hinderman. "It's wonderful that these young kids get an opportunity to be in the chorus at such an early age. I will definitely be back next year," she said.

"And it's really funny in many places," added Katie Hinderman.

Often, the audience burst into spontaneous applause simply in appreciation for the set, costuming and staging.

"The sets were beautiful, the pyramids were gorgeous, and it was so interesting the way they wove everything in and out. I would like to see it again just for that," said Joyce Hanson of Madison, who attended with her daughter, Tina Roth, a frequent Heartland Festival fan.

"It was magnificent," said first time Heartland Festival visitor, Vicki Schmitt, of Lancaster. "It was hard to sit still with so much energy in the room. This was a fabulous production."

Evening performances of "Joseph," starting at 7:30 p.m., will be held on July 17, 20, 22, 24 and 31. Matinee performances, starting at 2 p.m., will be held on July 19 and 27;and Aug. 3. Ticket prices are $17 for adults or $9 for children under 18 and UWP students with I.D.

Anyone interested in learning more about this or other Heartland Festival shows may call the University Box Office at (608) 342-1298 or visit the Heartland website at www.uwplatt.edu/arts/heartland. The University Box Office is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is located on the ground floor of the newly renovated Ullsvik Hall at the intersection of Hickory and Main streets. The CFA Box Office location opens one and a half hours before scheduled performances. Tickets are also available online 24/7 at http://tickets.uwplatt.edu.

Contact: John Hassig, executive director of Performing and Visual Arts, Programs and Facilities, (608) 342-1298, hassigj@uwplatt.edu Written by: Evelyn Martens, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194, martense@uwplatt.edu

(From left to right) Kathy Lomax of UWP Sponsored Programs; Brenda Dalecki, fifth grade teacher at Platteville Middle School; Nicole Kahl, UWP senior in art with an emphasis in graphic design; Bernie Harris, UWP professor of business administration-marketing; Greg Nelson, lecturer in fine arts; Takao Handa, NTT; Duane Ford, dean of the College of Business, Life Science and Agriculture; Yoshiharu Akiyama, NTT; Carol Sue Butts, UWP provost; Takashi Miwa, NTT; Jerry Johnson, director of UW-Stout Center for Innovation and Development; Michael Cropp, UW-Stout Center for Innovation and Development gather for a final meeting and reception.

PLATTEVILLE- Ozone is an air pollutant and health hazard. It is especially dangerous to children, older adults, asthmatics and people with other chronic respiratory ailments. Exposure to high ozone levels can result in chest pain, coughing, throat irritation and congestion.

Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, a Japanese telecommunications company, has developed a way for individuals to efficiently monitor their ozone exposure. More than a year ago, NTT asked the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, for help designing a holder that would hold their ozone monitoring system and appeal to children.

NTT currently produces ozone monitoring badges for use by working adults in industrial and business settings. These are being sold in the United States. The badge is clipped onto a worker's clothing and is periodically checked to determine how much exposure to ozone the worker has had.

However, a badge designed for industrial settings is not apt to appeal to children, so NTT asked UWP to develop a holder that children would want to wear.

"When NTT proposed this project, I was immediately interested and excited. Projects of this type offer our students the opportunity to work with a real customer, in this case NTT; to address a set of very real challenges; and to produce a product of value to the customer. I immediately knew that this particular project would allow us to involve a variety of different students because it included design, prototype production, and market analysis. It also became quickly apparent that we could involve the Platteville Middle School, since we would need to find out from children themselves what sort of designs might appeal to them," said Duane Ford, dean of the UWP College of Business, Industry, Life Science and Agriculture.

Ford, acting as overall project manager, recruited Greg Nelson, lecturer in fine arts, and the students in his advanced graphic design studio to develop designs. He made arrangements with the Platteville Middle School to allow the design team and later the marketing team to obtain input from fifth grade students. He recruited Jerry Johnson, director of UW-Stout's Center for Innovation and Development to make prototypes. Finally, he recruited Bernie Harris, UWP professor of business administration-marketing and one of his senior students, Derek Dietmeier, to do the marketing analysis once the prototypes were available for review by the fifth graders.

The project began with Nelson and his students surveying fifth graders to obtain information regarding what children would attach to their backpacks or otherwise wear and what shapes, colors and other design elements might be considered "cool" by children of that age.

"We could tell that the students enjoyed the interaction with the university people judging from their excitement about being allowed to meet with them in the first place and then their body language when they returned to our rooms later," said Brenda Dalecki, fifth grade teacher at Platteville Middle School.

From that research and with input from the entire project team, a final design concept emerged for a keychain attached to a plastic penguin. The penguin's body would hold NTT's ozone monitoring system. The keychain would allow children to attach it to their backpack or elsewhere. Nicole Kahl, a senior in art with an emphasis in graphic design, was one of the students who worked on the design.

"There was pressure, but excitement, working towards something that may be out on the market someday. It's a real life scenario. We learned what you don't learn in the classroom," explained Kahl.

Johnson took the design and manufactured 25 prototypes. The CID is part of Wisconsin's Small Business Development Center network. CID specializes in the development of prototypes for entrepreneurs who can then use those prototypes for testing or for obtaining financing. Johnson sent the 25 prototypes to UWP and NTT for testing.

Dietmeier, under Harris' supervision, took 20 prototypes to the Platteville fifth graders to see what they thought of the design. According to Harris, the children liked the penguin design. Dietmeier also explored possible marketing approaches, packaging ideas, and colors.

While the prototypes were being tested with the fifth graders, NTT tested copies of the prototype to be sure that the holder met their technical standards. The prototype passed all NTT tests.

Dietmeier completed his part of the project by writing and presenting a marketing analysis for the completed holder. Harris appraised the value of the entire project for students.

"This adds a whole other dimension to education ... Something like this is an absolute life experience. The work has to be the absolute best. It's so far beyond class experience alone," said Harris.

On June 18, NTT came to UWP to discuss and celebrate the completed project. The project team presented the final results of their work and made additional suggestions to NTT about the next steps in marketing the product. NTT plans to develop the product for the Japanese market and will take the research done by the project team into account as they make their plans.

"We are very satisfied with the project. The market research is very useful and provided useful data for us," said Yoshiharu Akiyama, NTT senior research engineer and supervisor.

Anyone wanting more information about this project may contact Ford at (608) 342-1547 or fordd@uwplatt.edu.

Contact: Duane Ford, dean, College of Business, Industry, Life Science and Agriculture, (608) 342-1547, fordd@uwplatt.edu Prepared by: Krystle Kurdi, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194, kurdik@uwplatt.edu

PLATTEVILLE - The University of Wisconsin-Platteville web office is currently accepting comments and ideas for the redesigning of the UWP webpage. The designers are looking for thoughts about how the webpage should look and what feel the webpage should give off.

According to Daniel Frommelt, university web coordinator, this process would normally take six to nine months to complete, but he is hoping they can reduce it to a two to three month process.

Anyone wanting more information about the redesign may contact Frommelt at (608) 342-1444 or web@uwplatt.edu. To make a comment or suggestion, visit www.uwplatt.edu/beta, click on the "What Do You Want to See?" link on the left hand side and then click on the "Post a Comment" link found below the instructions.

Contact: Dan Frommelt, university web coordinator, (608) 342-1444, web@uwplatt.edu Written by: Megan Mowry, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194, mowrme@uwplatt.edu

(From left to right) Ryan Bartscher, Jay Cullen and Jason Slattery are all performing in UW-Platteville's Heartland Festival productions this summer for the first time.

PLATTEVILLE - Three new actors have joined the Heartland Festival this year at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. Jason Slattery, Ryan Bartscher and Jay Cullen all came to the festival after auditioning at the Midwest Theater Auditions in St. Louis, Mo.

Slattery is a junior music theater major at Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory of Music in Cleveland, Ohio. His background includes regional theater at Cleveland's Playhouse Square and a national tour of "The Sound of Music," in which he played the role of Friedrich von Trapp. He plays the role of Timothy O'Reilly in "Wake Me When I'm Dead," the role of the Man (actually multiple roles) in "I Love You, You're Perfect ... Now Change," and the role of the brother and the baker in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," which opens July 11.

He says he chose the Heartland Festival because of the variety of roles he was offered. In addition to performing in multiple productions, he plays several different parts within "I Love You," which is a musical revue of the mating and dating game and has been very warmly received by audiences since it opened June 20.

"I've been wanting to do this show for a long time. Each new character I become is totally different - with a new scene and a new song. It's very challenging and so much fun to do," he said.

Bartscher is a junior musical theater major at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. In his hometown theater, he played such roles as Cornelius in "Hello Dolly," Lion in "The Wiz," and Jesus in "Godspell." He performs the role of Sean O'Brien in "Wake Me When I'm Dead," the role of Toad in "Frog and Toad," and the brother and butler in "Joseph."

One of the most enjoyable experiences for Bartscher, he said, was working with the cast and crew to bring the story of "Frog and Toad" to life.

"The set is perfect and the orchestra for this production is wonderful. I didn't know what to expect from the audience, so it's been phenomenal to watch the kids sit mesmerized through the whole show. It's like we are stepping out of the pages of a storybook," he said.

Cullen is also a student at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University and is pursuing a degree in acting. His credits include Lefou in "Beauty and the Beast," Leading Player in "Pippin," Max in "Lend Me a Tenor," and Bobby Child in "Crazy for You." He performs the role of Father Patrick O'Rourke in "Wake Me When I'm Dead," Frog in "Frog and Toad," and the brother and the pharoh in "Joseph."

Cullen said it is difficult to pick a "favorite" part as all three shows are unique and offer something special for the audience.

" 'Joseph,' obviously, is the 'big' show and I know people are going to love it. The set alone is worth the price of admission. But 'Frog and Toad' is also very special. The way the crew has worked to duplicate the storybook feel is awesome. And of course, 'Wake Me,' offers people an interactive chance to solve a murder mystery, so that's been very fun as well," he said. Cullen said that he has also enjoyed his stay in Platteville. "I love Chicago and plan to make my career there, but it's been nice to bike around here and get this breath of fresh air," he said.

Evening performances of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," begin at 7:30 p.m. and will be held on July 11, 17, 20, 22, 24 and 31. Matinees, beginning at 2 p.m., will be held on July 12, 19 and 27; and Aug. 3.

Ticket prices are $17 for adults or $9 for children under 18 and UWP students with I.D. All opening night performances include a post-show reception sponsored by Platteville Dairy Queen.

Anyone interested in learning more about this or other Heartland Festival shows may call the University Box Office at (608) 342-1298 or visit the Heartland website at www.uwplatt.edu/arts/heartland. The University Box Office is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is located on the ground floor of the newly renovated Ullsvik Hall at the intersection of Hickory and Main streets. The CFA Box Office location opens one and a half hours before scheduled performances. Tickets are also available online 24/7 at http://tickets.uwplatt.edu.

Contact: John Hassig, executive director of Performing and Visual Arts, Programs and Facilities, (608) 342-1298, hassigj@uwplatt.edu Written by: Evelyn Martens, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194, martense@uwplatt.edu

PLATTEVILLE- The University of Wisconsin-Platteville's Pioneer Farm is increasing its research capacity to more adequately evaluate agronomic and environmental practices and their effects on water quality.

To accurately find the effect of practices such as nutrient management, tillage and conservation practices on water quality, Pioneer Farm is collecting paired data. Researchers have been monitoring paired basins (two to 60 acre areas where surface water drains) throughout the farm. These basins are similarly managed and have similar qualities, so that one can act as the control while the other receives the treatment. Each pair of basins goes through an extensive calibration period, where researchers collect data to make sure they are similar. When all the calibrations are complete, Pioneer Farm will have four pairs of basins with which it can do water quality research.

Researches have already used one of the paired basins, to research upland infiltration basins. The team installed two small holding ponds in the basin, designed to provide temporary water storage, enhance infiltration, reduce runoff and sediment loading, and decrease the amount of sediment that leaves the basin. The research proved that the ponds did in fact reduce the amount of sediment in the basin.

"The infiltration had a significant impact on nutrient and sediment losses from the watershed," said Dennis Busch, research manager of Pioneer Farm.

Once Pioneer Farm is able to research the impact of more practices, Busch believes it will in turn have a positive impact on other producers.

"When there is a question regarding how a practice will impact a farm, this is the place to find out not only how it will affect water quality but also how the practice affects other things like profitability. We implement and evaluate practices at Pioneer Farm using a systems approach," stated Busch.

The paired data approach to researching water quality came out of a 2007 evaluation of the research methods and infrastructure. The research team changed the primary focus of the surface water monitoring program from baseline data collection to paired data collection. While baseline data is valuable, it did not contribute to their mission of evaluation of agronomic and environmental practices. Since then, the research team has been installing new sites and modifying their infrastructure to the paired data approach.

This project is part of the Wisconsin Agricultural Stewardship Initiative, of which Pioneer Farm is a member. WASI is "a statewide collaboration between producers, the government and the UW System to evaluate the best management practices in Wisconsin and form policies on those practices that will enhance the environment and produce a profit for the producer." Pioneer Farm has also been working with Discovery Farms and the U.S. Geological Survey on this project. Discovery Farms works with different privately owned farming enterprises across the state to demonstrate the adaptability and practicality of the best management practices in diverse geo-physical and management systems.

Anyone wanting more information about Pioneer Farm's water quality research may contact Busch at (608) 342-1657 or buschd@uwplatt.edu.

Contact: Dennis Busch, research manager, Pioneer Farm, (608) 342-1657, buschd@uwplatt.edu Written by: Krystle Kurdi, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194, kurdik@uwplatt.edu