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Hello Hillsboro: Well earned thanks to Sgt. Pat Clark
patrick clark sgt
Sgt. Pat Clark of the Hillsboro Police Department received a commendation for helping save a man's life June 8. - photo by Hillsboro Sentry Enterprise archives
Jack Knowles
Hillsboro Sentry-Enterprise Associate Editor
Updated: Aug 18, 2015, 11:43 PM
Published: Aug 18, 2015, 11:49 PM

Ever wonder what our police officers do besides writing tickets?

That’s easy …it’s saving lives! And, keep in mind, sometimes they do that just by suggesting that you slow down a bit, or save the texting until you get home.

Hillsboro Sgt. Pat Clark was the recipient of a commendation from Police Chief Tom Richardson at the City Council meeting Monday night that made everyone present feel proud …including his best friend, Teagan, who was right across the hallway trying to listen through the Police Department office door.

Clark had the once in a lifetime opportunity for a police officer to perform his highest calling, saving a life, and that’s just what he did.

Richardson read the commendation to the Council members and visitors:

“This Commendation is for Sgt. Pat Clark of the Hillsboro Police Department, whose action of June 8, 2015, helped in saving a person’s life.

“Sgt. Clark was called to help Hillsboro EMS and Hillsboro Fire with a male who was struck in the head while working on getting dried concrete out of the barrel of a cement truck.

“Sgt. Clark made contact with the injured male from a catwalk where you could see the male with his feet sticking out from the barrel. Sgt. Clark tried to tell the injured male to stay where he was but the man was backing out of the barrel. Sgt. Clark was able to catch him from falling 20 feet to the ground.

“Once the injured male was caught by Sgt. Clark, he became unconscious and Sgt Clark was losing his grip on the injured male, but was able to make a spot on the small catwalk where he was able to get him to a fireman and then down to the ground to the EMTs.

“A very bad situation worked out well that day, with the quick thinking and actions by Sgt. Clark and the Fire and EMS squads that were there.

“The injured male thanked Sgt. Clark for saving his life. The City Council, along with the Mayor and Chief of Police,  would like to thank Sgt. Clark for his actions on that day.”

Richardson can add the signatures of every Hillsboro citizen to that statement, because every one of us faces the possibility of needing the help of police, EMS, or Fire Department at any moment.

We can all feel proud and grateful to thank each and every one of them. 
Mice paddling a canoe?
Random Thoughts, August 3
Mice paddling a canoe
This is a reproduction of a Huppler card drawing, done with tiny black dots. He gave it to me in 1961 when he was living in Muscoda with his father.
Wendell Smith
Updated: Aug 10, 2023, 3:25 PM
Published: Aug 10, 2023, 3:24 PM

MUSCODA - Probably few folks in this village remember when mice in Muscoda paddled canoes and/or drove a Hudson roadster automobile. Don’t worry, the little rodents existed only in the mind of a Muscoda native and artist, Dudley Huppler.

         Huppler was born in Muscoda August 8, 1917. He attended high school in Muscoda where he developed a life-long interest in reading. He then enrolled in the University of Wisconsin-Madison, receiving  bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

         He first worked for the WPA, a make-work federal program during the Great Depression when jobs were scarce. He later returned to the U.W. as a teaching assistant.

         Through the years he made frequent visits to Muscoda to visit his family who operated a meat market here. I interviewed Dudley in September, 1961. By then he was an international traveler with many connections throughout the art world. He also spent time teaching at the University of Minnesota and had studios in Santa Monica, California and New York City

         As an artist Dudley developed a system of tiny black dots to portray mice and other characters. He used the method in children’s books and on sets of cards that he marketed in New York City and small places like Ed’s Store and Ruth’s Dress Shop in Muscoda.

         One of his books has characters who lived in “Mouscoda”  during the 1920s, including a young girl who is given a croquet set and struggles to learn the game. 00

         His books for children are not among the collection at the Muscoda Public Library. However there is a book on local shelves that chronicles Huppler’s life and accomplishments.

         His life ended in August, 1988 in Boulder, Colorado. By that time he estimated he had created more than 38,000 drawing and paintings.