It isn't often that the word "Action!" is heard in Prairie du Chien, but it was said quite often on Friday, August 27 as the film crew for Waterwalk shot scenes on the
Mississippi River.
The script is an adaptation of Steve Faulkner's Waterwalk: A Passage of Ghosts, a true story of a father and son's nine-week canoe journey that retraces the 1,000-mile 1673
French explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet journey from St. Ignace, Mich. to St. Louis, Mo.
"The story is about rebuilding a relationship between a father and a son," comments actor Chase Maser, who plays Justin, the son, in the movie
"It's really turned out to be a beautiful movie," comments Robert Cicchini who plays Steve Faulkner in the film.
As an independent film, Waterwalk's crew depends on the local communities for support. Captain Jack Libbey along with his wife Dixie and their tour boat, the Mississippi
Explorer, took the film crew out on the backwaters of the Mississippi and educated the crew about the local landmarks on the river. Robert Moses, executive director of the
Prairie du Chien Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Council helped find lodging arrangements and spent the day with the crew. AmericInn of Prairie du Chien also helped
support the crew by offering lodging.
The small crew began filming on August 17 and hopes to be done by September 9. Roger Rapoport, the film's producer, says that there has been some safety concerns with
high water, but other than that filming on location in Wisconsin and Michigan has been great.
The movie, scheduled for release next spring, will include a 15-minute educational documentary which is being produced in association with Marquette University and the
Michigan Council of History Educators. Premieres for the movie will take place across the Midwest and in many of the small communities where scenes were shot including
Prairie du Chien and Boscobel. Rapoport says there will be approximately 40 premieres for the movie.
For more information about the film, visit waterwalkthemovie.com.
Possible commuter bus routes in Crawford and Vernon counties being studied
By Ted Pennekamp
A feasibility study for possible commuter bus routes linking Prairie du Chien, Viroqua and La Crosse is beginning to take shape. Since the city of Prairie du Chien
received a $30,000 grant from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) in February, a committee has been formed and Vierbicher Associates Inc. has completed maps
depicting five possible routes for small commuter-type buses.
"This is an exciting project for us to investigate," said City Planner Garth Frable during an open house Aug. 18. "There are still a lot of details to be worked out.
There are a lot of options."
The Crawford County Transportation Coordination Committee, which consists of several individuals representing the city, the county, municipalities throughout the county,
the Regional Planning Commission and various other agencies, has met four times and is working with Vierbicher, who was hired for the study.
One mapped route is a loop running from Viroqua to Westby to Coon Valley to La Crosse to Stoddard to Genoa and back to Viroqua. The route would involve two buses.
Another route involves two buses connecting Mount Sterling to Gays Mills to Soldiers Grove to Readstown, to Viroqua to Mount Sterling to Eastman to Prairie du Chien to
Eastman to Mt. Sterling.
A third route would run from Genoa to Stoddard to La Crosse to Coon Valley to Westby to Viroqua.
A fourth possibility is a route from Viroqua to Westby to Coon Valley to La Crosse to Coon Valley to Westby to Viroqua.
A fifth possibility is a route from Prairie du Chien to Lynxville to Ferryville to De Soto to Genoa to De Soto to Ferryville to Lynxville to Prairie du Chien.
The feasibility study is still in its early stages and the routes are considered flexible and can be revised.
"The focus will be on commuters but a lot of people could potentially use this service," said Sarah Pittz of Vierbicher. "Our overall goal is to serve as many people as
possible as efficiently as possible."
People going to and from their jobs, elderly people needing to get to medical appointments, or people just enjoying a recreational trip are just a few of the
possibilities for potential bus riders.
Pittz said that numerous employers in the region have been contacted regarding the possible bus routes and how the buses could best serve those employers. Pittz said that
feedback from employers would be very helpful and appreciated.
"Hopefully, this project will enhance the economic development of the region," said Pittz.
Pittz said that a DOT grant will be applied for by Oct. 15 to fund the project. The committee should know by early next year if they have received the grant and how much
money they will get. If the grant is approved, Pittz said that it might be possible that the project could be implemented by the middle or end of 2011.
Depending upon the amount of funding, different routes could be phased in over time as more funds become available, said Pittz. If possible, the different routes could
eventually all be connected to each other. "That would be the ideal scenario," she said.
Once a route gets up and running, it could still be revised so as to better meet the needs of the customers.
"These smaller buses can adjust quickly and the route can continually evolve depending upon the needs of the commuters," said committee member Garth Frable.
Frable also noted that there is a possibility that the buses could be paid for with the help of American Reinvestment and Recovery Act funds. He said that federal
stimulus money could pay for up to 80 percent of the cost of new buses.
