Remember when Patch introduced you to Police Duck last Friday? Well, Mrs. Duck now has her own live webcam so duck lovers can keep an eye on her anytime, and watch patiently for her ducklings to hatch. The stream can be found on the Greenfield Police Department's website. Will Police Duck gain the notoriety that the eagles in Trempealeau County did earlier this year? Only time will tell.

Earlier this week, Greenfield Patch ran a story on the Greenfield Historical Society's efforts to identify 30 of the city's subdivisions with specially designed placards. Below are the subdivisions that will receive the signs, separated into the years they are expected to get them, courtesy of Greenfield Historical Society president Bob Roesler: 2012 BOULDER LANE PARK - 1938 - Spring Green & Edgerton The name of Edgerton Avenue was originally “Boulder Road”. It was changed to “Edgerton Avenue” as part of a county-wide street and address reorganization  in 1930. EDGERTON ACRES - 1954 - 68th & …

Hustlin' Hawks. Falcons. Ducks? No, neither of the city's high schools are considering a mascot change, but the Greenfield Police Department should seriously think about adopting the web-footed fowl as its unofficial good-luck charm. Or at least one particular duck. The Police Duck, as she has been dubbed on the department's Facebook page, has taken up residence at the Law Enforcement Center, creating a nest in a planter outside of Chief Brad Wentlandt's office. She spends most of her time sitting on three eggs. Kudos to her — presumably, there shouldn't be a safer place in the city, right?

The students and faculty at Glenwood Elementary School did their share during Earth Week April 23-27. Principal Dan Carr said the students participated in a handful of events geared toward "going green" and other Earth Day-like initiatives. The week of events culminated in a school-wide clean-up day April 27. One activity involved milk cartons. Each class receive used, cleaned milk cartons, enough for every student. The students were tasked with coming up with an activity that re-used the cartons in some fashion, either through functional uses or with an artistic flair. The "paper waste …

While trolling through some social media searches yesterday, I came across a tweet from former Whitnall High School student @ginavillani. She wrote: “Whitnall is cursed.” Her post came in response to the death of 26-year-old CJ Lomas, who was laid to rest Thursday after his unexpected death a few days earlier. Lomas graduated from Whitnall in 2004. On Thursday, the body of Thomas Hecht, a 2001 graduate, was found in the Milwaukee River, 12 days after Hecht was last seen participating in a pub crawl with friends on Water Street in Milwaukee. But the devastating news of young people with …

In typical Whitnall fashion, the Falcons boys basketball team relied on balance, balance and more balance as it disposed of ninth-seeded Catholic Memorial in a 78-63 WIAA Division 2 regional semifinal win at home Friday. And if the top-seeded Falcons are to do the same tonight in the final at home against New Berlin West – one of only two teams to beat Whitnall this season – the b-word will most likely play a significant role. (Update: The Falcons beat New Berlin West, 69-49, Saturday. Read the full game story here.) But every balance has a fulcrum, and during Whitnall’s amazing 2011-12 …

Happy Monday, Greenfield! As many of you are aware, I'm in town all the time, but I'm here and there, and sometimes it's tough to find me. So I'll periodically be scheduling weekly office hours, in a place where you can easily find me. And I’ll tell you in advance where I’ll be. This week, I’ll be at Bakers Square on 76th Street, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday. Stop by and say hello! Bring your story ideas, bring your complaints, bring your thoughts on Greenfield, Patch and anything else you'd like to talk about. I can show you how to make Patch work for you and I’ll have some Patch …

Every week, it’s the same, sad thing. A look through the Greenfield Police Department’s daybook – a log of every call the department responds to during a one-week stretch – produces four, five, maybe even six or more calls categorized as “Drug Offense.” Just this week, Greenfield NOW’s police report round-up had five different drug-related write-ups. Five different people, all in their late 20s to early 30s, arrested for possession of marijuana or drug paraphernalia, or both. This week also included the 18-year-old “man” and 17-year-old girl who allegedly had marijuana with them during a …

Editor's note: This column is provided by Mary Bell, a teacher in Wisconsin Rapids and the president of the Wisconsin Education Association Council. The past 12 months have marked an unprecedented time in Wisconsin history. On Feb. 11, 2011, Governor Walker came out with his surprise attack on worker rights – announcing union-busting legislation designed to silence the voices of public employees, including teachers. Soon after, the foundation of public schools was shaken as state funding was cut by $1.6 billion. Divisiveness was embraced by state policymakers as the new way to govern. Few …

Editor's Note: Welcome to Blog Week, where each weekday we introduce you to one of Greenfield Patch's finest Local Voices bloggers. Over the last year, Greenfield Patch has tried to recognize needs in the community and offer solutions to fill them. When compiling a list of potential bloggers last spring, it was clear the Alverno College athletic program was under-reported by the local media, and I thought a Greenfield Patch blog would be an outlet for the Inferno to get some "ink." So, I begged, er, asked Josh Larson, the college's Sports Information Director, to utilize the Local Voices blog…

Editor's Note: Welcome to Blog Week, where each weekday we introduce you to one of Greenfield Patch's finest Local Voices bloggers. Back in April, when I and Greenfield Patch were still getting our bearings, I set out on the Patch Spring Tour, where I met tons of great people, spread the word about Patch and even enjoyed the grand opening of one of the city’s most popular restaurants. Hours into the tour, literally, Pastor Steve Rogers of Elim Tabernacle stopped by to chat with me at Starbucks. In fact, Steve was the only person to chat with me at Starbucks that day, other than perhaps Mayor …

For several months, we've been hard at work recruiting bloggers to help build our team of Local Voices, our community contributors who share their thoughts, feelings and expertise. By writing about what they know best, from Whitnall wrestling to Alverno athletics, from community events to gardening tips, our Local Voices have enhanced your Greenfield Patch experience. And this week, we're thanking a select few of those Patch-enhancers by celebrating Blog Week! What's that you say? You didn't even know there was a blog week? Well, that's probably because there wasn't one until Greenfield Patch…

Raise your hand if you dread 76th Street and the surrounding area during the peak of holiday shopping season. With lines of traffic clogging up 76th and Layton Avenue, savvy drivers try to "avoid" the city's busiest intersection, many times by working their way to 74th Street, past Dan Jansen Park behind Olive Garden and FedEx Kinko's. But often times those opportunists only make the situation worse. They travel north on 74th, hoping to turn westbound on Layton. Or worse yet, they turn east on 74th Street, then whip a U-turn as soon as possible try to make their way back west, many times with…

Thanks to the Greenfield High School National Honor Society and those who made donations during the annual Holiday Sharing food and toy drive, nearly 50 local families received food, toys and holiday cheer when they normally might not have had any. What the students and event organizers were able to accomplish in such a short period of time was astounding. Some of the highlights included: Forty-six families received non-perishable food, gently used clothing (as much as they wanted/needed), poinsettia plants, fresh fruit, bread/pastry box, toys/gifts for each of their children and $50 in gift …

As if giving respect wasn't rewarding enough, Greenfield High School, thanks to the generosity of several local businesses have upped the ante. Throughout the course of each week, students who are observed exhibiting the characteristics of the RESPECT - Responsibility, Effort, Support, Pride, Encouragement, Courtesy and Tolerance - are given tickets by a staff member. Every Friday, five tickets are drawn from a container and the lucky winners  receive a prize. The initiative and the prizes are a means to recognize, reward, and encourage respectful behavior, according to assistant principal …

Remember the first time someone said to you, "Did you see Greenfield Patch today?" The typical response was probably, "What is Greenfield Patch?" We've come a long way in a year, huh? Today marks the one-year anniversary of Greenfield Patch. On this very day in 2010, someone somewhere “flipped a switch” and this website was born. In the time it takes to snap your fingers, Greenfield had its very own daily online news site. Quick show of hands: does anyone remember any of those first stories? It’s OK. I’m probably the only one who does. The first featured story was a Q & A with Mayor Michael …

I’m not sure why she picked me, but she did. Maybe I just looked like a guy who wouldn’t turn down the gesture. This afternoon, an attractive woman, maybe in her late 30s or 40s, whom I’d never met or seen before in my life, stopped at my table on her way out of Starbucks, handed me an envelope and said, “Merry Christmas.” Before I could say much more than “thanks,” she turned and walked out the door. When I opened the envelope, I expected maybe a coupon for a free coffee or something like that. Instead, there were two $1 bills and this note: “This envelope started with $1.00 inside. It is …

The sudden passing of Oak Creek Mayor Dick Bolender got me thinking: What if something similar happened in Greenfield? Morbid, I know. But the tragedy in Oak Creek makes it the perfect time to brush up on Greenfield's succession plan, and according to City Attorney Roger Pyzyk, it’s all a matter of timing. By state law, the Common Council president takes over immediately as acting mayor. In Greenfield’s case, if something were to happen to Mayor Michael Neitzke, Alderman Karl Kastner would take his place. But what happens next depends where the deceased mayor is in his or her term, Pyzyk said…

It just doesn't get much Patchier than this. A few weeks ago, I got an email from Rebecca Whitnall, yes, as in Charles B. Whitnall, whose name is everywhere on the west side of Greenfield. Turns out Rebecca is the great-great granddaughter of Charles, and just happens to be a Patch editor out in Moorpark, Calif. So, naturally, I asked her a few questions. Greenfield Patch: Have you ever spent any time in Wisconsin? More specifically, have you ever been to Whitnall Park, which is named after your great-great grandfather? Rebecca Whitnall: I’ve never been to Wisconsin, let alone Whitnall Park. …

Thanksgiving is a day for self-reflection, to look back on the year and all that you are grateful for. I am of course grateful to have the job that I do, knowing full well so many are far less fortunate. And every night I thank God for the good people I have surrounded myself with day in and day out. Over the last year or so, there are a few specific things that come to mind. I am thankful: … for a wife who doesn’t mind too much that I talk about Greenfield … All THE TIME. … for that spot being just a spot and nothing more. (Not me, but someone close to me). … for the thousands of readers, …