Major Warner Park renovations

Fans walk around between innings during a baseball game between Madison East and Madison La Follette at Warner Park in Madison, Wis., Friday, May 27, 2011. It was the first game played after major renovations to the stadium.

Scott West of Madison with his sons Adam, 7, center, and Brevan, 10, right, take in the sights, sounds and tastes of the game. Some seats were reclaimed from the Baltimore's Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

Madison East's Tony Ciufo (15) takes a few practice swings between innings.

Soggy weather

Ian Marsden walks northwest on North Carroll Street with his daughter Isabel, 4, as she plays with her umbrella in rainy weather near the state Capitol in Madison, Wis., Wednesday, May 25, 2011.

Voter ID bill-signing

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker lightheartedly explains to children in the audience why he has multiple pens during a signing ceremony for the Voter ID Bill (AB-7) at the state Capitol in Madison, Wis., Wednesday, May 25, 2011. Such pens are often given as keepsakes to sponsoring legislators or other key supporters of legislation.

"Madison Bcycle"

Joleen Nelson of Lodi and Angie Craugh of Mineral Point take a look at the new "Madison Bcycle" station at East Mifflin Street and Wisconsin Avenue near the Capitol on their lunch break in Madison, Wis., Tuesday, May 24, 2011. The station, one of many in the downtown area, allows customers to rent a bicycle for short trips and short periods of time.

Storybook Gardens

Storybook Gardens closes without a storybook ending. Storybook Gardens, a staple theme park in the Wisconsin Dells since 1956, will not reopen this summer. The park has succumbed to the wear, tear, and a diminishing interest in fairy tales.

Rock-a-bye Baby at Storybook Gardens in Wisconsin Dells, Wis., Wednesday, May 18, 2011.

An undated photo on a picture card envelope shows the Storybook Gardens of years past.

Paint has aged on the fairytale characters at Storybook Gardens, like on the face of Jack from Jack and the Beanstalk shown here.

The three bears, worn and soiled, still haven't left the kitchen table.

Storybook Gardens' sign is falling into disrepair along the main drag in Wisconsin Dells.

Ugly venue for tennis

It might just be the darkest place with the least number of shooting locations that I've ever shot in. Managed to get a couple frames I was okay with.

Madison East's Jake Rodgers serves to Middleton's Bennett Hogendorn at Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison, Wis., Thursday, May 19, 2011.

Middleton's Ben Luskin tosses his racket in the air after a poor shot against Verona's Ryan McLean.

Solidarity Singalong

From our story by Mary Spicuzza:

"Nobody at the gatherings, known as the “Solidarity Singalong,” uses a microphone, but the majestic marble floors and walls amplify their voices, carrying them through every corridor.
On some days only about two dozen people show up to sing, a shadow of the thousands of protesters who regularly filled the Capitol during the height of the demonstrations against Gov. Scott Walker’s plan to dramatically limit public sector collective bargaining in February and March.

But for the last nine weeks, the devoted group has come together from noon to about 1 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays to sing out its message."

Singers gather in the Rotunda for the Solidarity Singalong at the state Capitol in Madison, Wis., Tuesday, May 10, 2011.

Eric Rambo of Madison, left, sings with others at the Solidarity Singalong at the state Capitol in Madison, Wis., Tuesday, May 10, 2011.

State Sen. Robert Wirch (D-Pleasant Prairie) shows his support of the Solidarity Singalong from a second floor balcony at the state Capitol in Madison, Wis., Tuesday, May 10, 2011.

Prentice Berge of Madison sings during the Solidarity Singalong.

Schoolchildren on a class visit to the state Capitol take in the sights and sounds of the Solidarity Singalong.

Capitol cleanup

Ron Blair of the Division of State Facilities, right, and Charles Quagliana, a historic preservation architect, inspect stone walls in the basement of the state Capitol in Madison, Wis., Tuesday, May 10, 2011. The two were analyzing the effectiveness of various cleaning methods.

Beautiful day for baseball

Barneveld's Jeremy Kitelinger (12) pitches in the first inning against Pecatonica in the first of a doubleheader in Barneveld, Wis., Thursday afternoon, May 12, 2011.

Barneveld second baseman Beau Thompson (2) can't make the tag at second base in time on Pecatonica's Ross Gilbertson (16) in the second inning.

Flanked by coaching staff, Pecatonica left fielder Tyler Francois (1) walks off the field bloodied after being hit in the face by a foul ball he attempted to catch in the second inning.

Barneveld's Brad Zander (18) rounds third base on a two-run home run in the sixth inning.

Barneveld centerfielder Jeremy Kitelinger (12) reaches for the ball after second baseman Beau Thompson (2) missed a shallow fly ball in the outfield in the seventh inning.

Capitol in Bloom

Jorge Delgado waters tulips at the state Capitol in Madison, Wis., Tuesday, May 10, 2011.

Spotted at the Capitol

Saw this while walking to the Capitol and thought it was awfully clever vanity license plate on a legislator's vehicle.

The car of State Sen. Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend) displays vanity license plates at the state Capitol in Madison, Wis., Tuesday, May 10, 2011.

Beautiful day for track

Madison Memorial's Michael Salerno competes in the pole vault event during the Spartan Invitational boys track and field meet at Mansfield Stadium in Madison, Wis., Friday evening, May 6, 2011.

Tripped up

Madison Memorial's McKenna Meuer (8) eyes the ball as Middleton's Kirstin Gunderson (21) gets tripped up in the first half of a game at Middleton Soccer Complex in Middleton, Wis., Thursday evening, May 5, 2011.

Prep Golf

Verona's Tyler Reinecke, left, and Waunakee's Zach Gaugert, right, gauge their distance from the pin on the sixth hole during play at the Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Shoot-Out at University Ridge Golf Course in Madison, Wis., Wednesday, May 4, 2011.

Fuel prices on the rise

Fuel prices started at $4.05 per gallon of gas at the Citgo station at West Beltline and Todd Drive in Madison, Wis., Friday afternoon, April 29, 2011.

Chainsaw carving

With a chain grinder, Mark Stauffer carves a log into a tiki in his North Baldwin Street driveway in Madison, Wis., Friday morning, April 29, 2011. For fun, he calls his operation Stauffer East Side Tikis. Stauffer said he began carving with chainsaws, grinders, and steel wedges because he wanted a tiki and couldn't afford to buy one. It's mostly a hobby now for the east side man, sometimes selling his creations (tikis and bears) to family and friends.

Busy beavers

Beavers have been illicitly harvesting trees around the lagoon in Tenney Park, as evidenced by this toppled tree Tuesday afternoon, April 26 near the bridge close to Sherman Avenue. Madison parks officials reported that in March more than $5,000 in damage was caused by beavers to landscape trees in the park. A contractor was hired to live-trap the flat-tailed rodents, but they remain busy. Beavers like Madison's many waterways, and damage is a constant problem in parks. Two years ago, the banks of Wingra Creek were hard hit by a possible colony of beavers leaving wood chips and pointy stumps in their wake.

(Special thanks to George Hesselberg for the engaging, well-researched/well-written cutline!)

Cassville Fire

Cassville Police Chief Brent McDonald walks through rubble after helping investigators inspect damage at 111, 113 and 117 E. Amelia St. in Cassville, Wis., Thursday, April 21, 2011. Investigators are still looking into the cause of early Tuesday morning's blaze. One small area of the 111 E. Amelia St. structure continued to smolder Thursday.

Investigators inspect the damage in an upstairs room.

Bystanders from across the street view the damage.

Biomass

Wood biomass sits in the yard under a system of conveyors at the E.J. Stoneman Electrical Station in Cassville, Wis., Thursday, April 21, 2011. The power plant has been converted to burn wood biomass instead of coal.

Plant manager Rich Nelson holds a handful of wood biomass that will be burned for energy at the plant.

A view of the yard at the E.J. Stoneman Electrical Station in Cassville, Wis.

Shift supervisor Mike Walsh, left, and boiler operator Nate Vogt, right, man the control room.

Wood biomass rushes through the power plant on conveyors.

Wood biomass burns.

Family racing

A few snaps from a story on the Goldades, a Stoughton family with years of stock car racing in the books and motor oil for blood.

Ryan Goldade, right, pulls a wheel off his premier division limited late model race car in his family's shop near Stoughton, Wis., Wednesday evening, April 20, 2011.

TJ Goldade talks with racing fan Steve Wagner, right, in the Goldades' shop near Stoughton, Wis., Wednesday evening, April 20, 2011. Goldade is sitting in his sportsman division race car that was involved in a crash last season. Repairs are ongoing.

Ryan Goldade, left, and father Tod, right, work on Ryan's premier division limited late model race car.

Ryan Goldade peels out down a country road on a go-cart during a break from race car maintenance at the family's shop.

Out with the old, in with the older?

Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz was recently ousted by former longtime Mayor Paul Soglin. Soglin was mayor for three terms, previously, from 1973-1979.

Outgoing Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz replaces his name card with that of mayor-elect Paul Soglin prior to Soglin being sworn in as Madison Mayor in the city council chambers at the City-County Building in Madison, Wis., Tuesday morning, April 19, 2011.

Paul Soglin cracks a smile as he is sworn in as Madison Mayor in the city council chambers at the City-County Building in Madison, Wis., Tuesday morning, April 19, 2011.

Hair Affair

Hair architect Jekaterina Agaponova mounts a hairpiece to model Ashleigh CJ Nelson at William Jon Salon in Madison, Wis., Monday, April 18, 2011. Madison hair salons are preparing to participate in "A Hair Affair," a fundraiser for the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art on April 28.

Leo Pold

Vilas, an African Lion, assumes a posture of protection in front of her young cub, Leo Pold, bottom, at the Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison, Wis., Monday, April 18, 2011. It was to be Leo Pold's first public appearance at the zoo since his Dec. 18, 2010, birth, but the lion family was far too skittish to greet the masses assembled for a brief ceremony. Zoo staff led media and some select visitors to a private area to see the lions.

Going out of business

Owner Wayne Johnson, right, and his daughter Laura Rucks look through their store, Schenk-Huegel Co., 2005 Winnebago St., in Madison, Wis., while consolidating merchandise to fewer shelves Friday morning, April 8, 2011. Johnson is closing the store near the end of the month after about 27 years of business selling uniforms and equipment to police, sheriff's deputies, fire departments, and postal workers.