|
|
|
Click here for NOAA Mississippi River Stage information CONTACT US for picture reproduction of photos in our paper...reasonable prices! |
Convention center agreement to be discussed at special meeting It was a long night for Prairie du Chien’s Common Council last night, with a proposed development agreement for a new convention complex, Mayor Karl Steiner’s appointments to various committees and the bids for the sewer, water and streetscape work on Blackhawk Avenue consuming the lion’s share of the meeting. In a step toward development of the site into a proposed convention complex, council authorized purchase of the Stratton property located at the southwest corner of Blackhawk Ave. and Main St. They have received a $205,000 grant from the Department of Commerce for land acquisition, and will apply those funds toward purchase of the property for $270,000. The remaining $65,000 would come back to the city when it is sold to the developers of the convention site. Funds from a site assessment grant will be used to demolish the buildings, and the fill needed to bring it up to the required flood elevation could come from the downtown sewer, water and streetscape construction, said City Planner Garth Frable. Once that is done, he said, the developers could begin work. Almost 100 percent of the Stratton property, Frable said, is located in the flood fringe. It is permissible to build in the flood fringe as long as the elevation is raised at least one foot above the so-called hundred year flood, which for Prairie du Chien was the 1965 flood. Ultimately, said Frable, the whole development area consists of three separate development proposals: a convention complex, a hotel-motel complex, and possible retail and housing. All three parties, he said, are agreeable to using a planned community zoning approach to development of the area. Although it was on the agenda for action, the proposal by Gary Bartow and John Cejka for development of the convention complex was postponed until a special meeting set for Thursday, May 3. Although a draft of the agreement was prepared, City Attorney Tom Peterson said he had a meeting set up with city staff and the developers on Thursday morning, and did not want to draft the final agreement until after that meeting. Karen Bartow said they have done all the preparation and will be ready to send out for bids as soon as the agreement is signed. She said their goal is to be open by April 1 of next year. Tabled from a previous meeting, the mayor’s list of committee appointments again came up for discussion, and after lengthy debate and several failed motions, was finally approved. At issue was the appointment of non-residents to several committees, especially LaRiviere Farm Park. City ordinance requires that a non-resident appointment can be made only when that person brings a special expertise or experience to that committee, and must be approved by a two-thirds vote of the council. Several council members objected to non-residents making decisions about city taxpayer’s money. At a previous meeting, council member Frank Pintz had appealed to residents to step forward if they were interested in serving on committees. Council member Kathleen Hein said she had given the major names of two residents who would be willing to serve on a committee, but those names did not appear on the appointment list. Mayor Steiner said that was because he had already drawn up the list by the time he received the names. A motion to approve the appointments received majority approval, but lacked the two thirds majority required for non-residents. A second motion, to table the action, failed, as did a motion to allow the non-residents on the list to serve. Council member Karen Solomon said if the issue was non-resident voting power, they were still outnumbered by city residents. A motion to approve the appointments with the stipulation that council examine its policy before more appointments are made finally passed with the required majority. After considerable discussion about ways in which to deal with the over-budget cost for the streetscape portion of the street and utility work on downtown Blackhawk Ave., council approved the low bid from McHugh Excavating and Plumbing of Onalaska for a total of $1,912,231.02. The approval is subject to review by the Department of Transportation and "creatively reducing costs by $100,000." Bill Nelson of Vierbicher Associates reviewed the bids and total costs with the council, presenting both the good and the bad news. Total costs for the sewer and water project, including work on Main and Prairie Streets, amounts to $3,054,781.62, which is $361,748.38 under the amount budgeted for the project. The bid for the streetscape part of the project, however, was higher than anticipated. Even after removing $100,000 worth of items from the streetscape, the total cost comes to $1,114,902.40. Although grants will cover almost all of the cost, that still leaves the local cost share at $154,902.40, a little over $100,000 more than the $50,000 anticipated, which Prairie du Chien Downtown Revitalization, Inc. (PDRI) had pledged to raise. Council discussed various means of obtaining the extra $100,000. Because of funding restrictions, there seems little possibility that the extra money from the sewer and water project budget could be transferred to the streetscape. One possibility, said Frable, is that a recent change in TIF (tax increment financing) regulations would allow the city to use some of those funds. Frable said it would be a good fit because industries considering a move to the area want "a more vibrant and healthy downtown" to attract personnel to the area. Another proposal was to increase the city room tax for a specific period of time, with the amount of the increase applied toward the project cost. No final decision on obtaining the extra funding was made. Downtown gears for summer of construction Somewhere at the end of it all—before winter, if everything goes as planned—is the promise of a refurbished downtown, with eye-catching two-tone sidewalks and crosswalks, street lights with hanging baskets or banners, trees and park benches and even a little mini-park—all right on downtown Blackhawk Avenue. In between now and then, however, lies not only an above-ground facelift, but a major street project. Sewer and water mains, as well as the laterals connecting to each building along Blackhawk Avenue will be replaced from Main Street almost to the railroad tracks before any visible ‘beautification’ takes place. For the short term, merchants along this strip can look forward to torn up streets, noise from machinery and heavy equipment, and limited access to parking and building entrances. Work on Main and Prairie streets adjacent to Blackhawk has already begun, and work is expected to begin soon on Blackhawk Avenue itself, starting at Main Street and progressing east toward the railroad tracks. Concerned about how all this construction will affect downtown businesses, city officials and Vierbicher Associates, the consulting firm overseeing the project, have worked with Prairie du Chien Downtown Revitalization, Inc. (PDRI) to take steps they hope will alleviate some of the stress. In anticipation of the building project, PDRI last fall brought in construction consultants to help them develop a plan. Since then they have put together a streetscape task force, the group has established contact with each building and building owner, and block captains will assure that all business are provided with timely updates on construction. A parking committee has identified employees, downtown tenants and construction people who will be in the downtown on a regular basis, and have arranged parking places for them. Parking lots nearest the places of business will be reserved for customers. A promotions committee is charged with continuing to bring people downtown. They will put up signage directing people to parking lots and building entries. For example, with normal access to the parking lot at Blackhawk and Main blocked off, signs will direct people to enter through the AmericInn lot. Their goal is to maintain front door access to all buildings as much as possible. Promotions have been planned throughout the summer to keep the downtown lively. These include Moonlight Madness May 2, the Colgate Country Showdown June 27, Crazy Days July 16, a "Downtown Olympics" in August, participation in Crawford County Celebrates Sept. 20 and 21, and Fall Moonlight Madness Oct. 23. PDRI will also have a web cam which will enable viewers to watch the construction progress as well as a blog with daily entries for progress updates. This can be accessed at pdcmainstreet.org. In addition, the Courier Press will carry weekly construction updates. To assure that all of the downtown streets are not torn up at once, construction has been planned so that no more than two blocks at a time will be torn up. In other words, a two block stretch will be dug up, sewer and water will be installed, and the street returned to drivable condition before another two block stretch is started. To keep shoppers downtown during construction, many businesses are participating in special promotions for the summer. In the Downtown Dollars promotion, participating merchants will give away $50 worth of downtown dollars each week, with additional prizes as well. Shoppers may also purchase a Construction Rewards bracelet which entitles them to discounts and bargains in 16 different downtown businesses. A check of several downtown businesses revealed a variety of other plans as well. Teek Landvogt, co-owner of The Main Entrance and a partner in City Sounds and Murphy’s Law, said, "It’s definitely going to be a hardship, but city officials have assured us that they’re going to make our businesses accessible to the front door after the construction is done each day." Landvogt said that the bars and restaurants in the area of the initial forthcoming streetscape construction have been working together to make the best of the situation. "It’ll hurt, but we’re going to do the best that we can," she said. "The end result will be fantastic." Landvogt said that members of the Crawford County Tavern League who have businesses on Blackhawk Avenue have been getting together to come up with ideas in order to help each other. She noted that when Blackhawk Avenue was ripped up in 1984 the Sawmill Saloon organized "tugs-o-war" across the sidewalk area. "We have been talking about having tugs-o-war and other festivities between taverns," she said. As for her own businesses, Landvogt said that City Sounds and The Main Entrance have added new lighting to their back door areas and are making those areas more aesthetically pleasing. In addition, City Sounds will be offering prizes such as hats and shirts every hour that they are open and will have a drawing for an MP3 player every week during the construction in their two-block area. They will also have a drawing for a grand prize at the end. As for the new streetscape, Landvogt said, "There are a lot of good people who have put this together and there has been a lot of hard work. If all goes well, it will be something to be very proud of." Bonnie Fuller, the co-owner of the Sawmill Saloon, also said that they will make the best of the situation. She recalled in the early 1980s when tugs-o-war were held between pool teams and other teams sponsored by the Sawmill. She said that the construction crew would fill what was the sidewalk area with dirt on the weekends. Water would then be added to create a nice oozing mud. The losing tug-o-war team, of course would get pulled into the mud. "We had people from all over that would come down and watch," said Fuller. "It’ll be alright," Fuller said of the construction. "It’ll be grand when it’s done. I just want them to get started and get it over with. We’re going to continue to have music outside as always. It’s going to be fun, no matter what." John Kaber of Kaber’s Restaurant also remembered the 1984 construction. "We had two, 2x6’s for our customers to walk on," he said. "It was bad. I don’t want another summer like that. It was all summer long." Kaber said that the laterals were replaced in the 1980s and he thought that the main water and sewer should have been replaced back then as well. "It’s about time they got replaced," he said, in noting that the main water and sewer lines are probably about 100 years old. Kaber said that the upcoming construction will pose a hardship and he is concerned about how long it will take but he said that it should be worth it in the end. "These new streetscape plans are beautiful," said Kaber. "It won’t look like the same downtown. It will look similar to Decorah, Reedsburg and Viroqua. It should create a great atmosphere." "We should look good," Kaber continued. "We’re the second oldest city in Wisconsin and we sit on the Mississippi River and we need to promote that more." Kaber also noted that the city parking lot across from his restaurant should help. That parking lot didn’t exist in the early 1980s when the area was occupied by a gas station and an apartment building. The parking lot will be accessible during the construction via the AmericInn parking lot. The Pickett Fence is planning special sales and considering offering special rates for classes. They are also poised to rearrange store hours to make things more convenient for shoppers. Owner Louann Davis said if there is a demand, they would open an hour later in the morning and remain open an extra hour at the end of the day when construction has ceased. Althof’s Television Center is counting on back door access to make things easier for customers, and they are also planning to conduct more business by phone to save customers a trip downtown during construction. Nobody is promising an easy summer for downtown, but, said PDRI director Pam Ritchie, "We have to have a positive attitude and think about the long term vision. This won’t be easy, but if we put a smile on our faces and say ‘this is good for downtown’ it will make it easier to swallow the pill." River has crested The Mississippi River was flowing over the Lawler Park wall Monday afternoon with a river stage at 17.02 feet. The river has finally crested, however, and is dropping fast.
Perch, bullheads making big comeback in Mississippi This past ice fishing season and now, below the locks and dams, there have been reports of anglers catching a good number of big perch. These perch are much bigger than those of several years ago. Big, fat perch in the 12 to 14-inch range have been caught. Also, good numbers of bullheads have been caught at various locations in pools 9 and 10. Catches of numerous bullheads have been reported near Ferryville, for example. This increase in numbers and size indicate a resurgence of perch and bullheads in the Mississippi River. "Perch and bullheads have really taken off," said DNR Fisheries Biologist Patrick Short of Prairie du Chien. "The year-class for these and other species is really good." Short said that the two species are making a comeback for two different reasons. Bullheads "died off" due to a bacterial or a viral infection 10-15 years ago and are now in the midst of a big comeback. Perch, on the other hand, have benefited greatly by the sustained low water in the summertime the past four to five years. "The flood-then-drought conditions we have experienced each of the last several years creates a littoral zone in which there is increased vegetation near shore," said Short. "It’s great for lacustrine (backwater) fish such as perch, bluegill, largemouth bass and crappies." Short explained that sunlight is able to penetrate further in low-water, thus causing increased vegetation. This vegetation provides for more stable nesting areas, a better nursery and better feeding for the fish. It also produces more oxygen. "Green beds produce oxygen while the sun is shining," said Short. These littoral zones are also self-perpetuating because the plants keep suspended solids down and make the water clearer, which allows for more sunlight to penetrate and create more vegetation. Short pointed out that several habitat restoration projects that were completed in 2003 as part of the Ambro Slough Project have been coming into fruition. The U.S. Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Iowa and Wisconsin departments of natural resources cooperated on projects involving island reconstruction and dredging in areas such as Tilmont Lake, Upper Doubles Lake, Gremore Lake and Spring Lake. The overall effect has produced more perch, bluegills, bass and crappies -— and many anglers have taken notice. "Spring Lake was nearly dead," said Short. "Now, it’s a great fishery." Short noted that these areas of the river have greatly improved because they now provide a good refuge for fish to "overwinter" in. Cold Springs between Lynxville and Ferryville has always been a naturally good place for fish to spend the winter. Now, these other areas are also drawing large amounts of fish, he said. Short also noted, however, that the culvert-stop log-device at Gremore Lake has not been performing very well in low water conditions in the winter. He said that there is a "lip" of sediment on the Ambro side of the culvert, which along with ice, is restricting water flow in the winter when the water level is at around seven feet or lower. "It has not been performing up to specs," said Short. "We will need to tweak the project." Short said that more dredging will be done on the Ambro side of the culvert in order to remove the lip and allow more water to flow through in the winter. The dredging will be done as soon as Corps of Engineer equipment becomes available in the area. Or, dredging could be done by a private contractor. Short said that the culvert has improved the fishery of Gremore Lake but the dredging will improve it much more because more oxy gen will then be flowing into the lake in the winter.In the summer, the culvert is intentionally blocked with a "stop-log device" so that sediment rich water does not flow into Gremore Lake. "We do not want sediment filling in Gremore," said Short. A habitat rehabilitation project that will be forthcoming within the next few years is Capoli Slough near Ferryville. Short said that the expectations are that Capoli Slough will also become a winter refuge for backwater fish and a vastly improved fishery. Charlie Mason, a commercial fisherman from McGregor, said that he has noticed a lot more perch in the last two years. He said that in 2007 he first began to catch them in his commercial nets and he has noticed a lot more this year. "We have seen a lot more yellow perch, especially this spring," said Mason. "And, they are very healthy looking when we return them to the river. We used to catch them when we were kids (1950s) and there are as many now as there were then." Mason said that there were many perch around when he was young but that they then went into decline for many years until now. "There weren’t any for a long time," he said. "But, now they’re back and it’s a good thing." Mason said that he has heard from several sport anglers recently who have been catching perch. He said that he has also talked to several other commercial fishermen and they all told him that they are getting lots of perch in their nets. "The perch are spawning this time of year," he said. Mason said that there are large numbers of bullheads as well. He doesn’t target bullheads, but other commercial fishermen have told him that they have been doing very well with bullheads. Mason pointed out that bullheads eat perch eggs. "There are more bullheads in Pool 9 than in Pool 10," he said. He noted that the Ferryville area has always been a good spot for catching bullheads. Neglected orchards cause concern for Gays Mills growers Gays Mills apple growers have asked the county for help in what they see as a growing problem and threat to their livelihood: neglected orchards that are no longer used commercially and that harbor and attract insects and fungus diseases. John Rybarczyk, Crawford County zoning administrator, said that the County Land Conservation Committee has been asked to consider an ordinance which would require cleanup or destruction of diseased and neglected apple trees. The problem apparently began with the sale of Frank Orchards in the early 90s, with property stretching along Hwy 171 between Rolling Ground and Gays Mills, and some additional acreage in Bell Center. The owners of Fleming, Kickapoo and Sunrise Orchards estimate that the size of the abandoned orchards exceeds 300 acres. They claim that these neglected trees are a source of many pests, including codling moth, plum curculio weevil, and apple maggot, as well as fungus disease. According to these owners, these pests travel into managed orchards, requiring four additional sprays per year. Sunrise Orchards estimate the added pest pressure adds at least $250 per acre to their pest control costs. Sunrise Orchard grower Allen Teach said they had contacted owners of three separate parcels last year and offered to remove the trees to a distance of 400 feet at no cost. The owners, however, did not accept the offer. One wanted the trees to remain as a privacy screen; another wanted them left as deer habitat; the third did not respond. Orchard owners cited results of a 2005-2006 Michigan study on the impact of neglected orchards on pest abundance in commercial orchards, with the conclusion that the study provided documentation of a potential for neglected orchards to have a negative impact on adjacent commercial orchards. In a letter to the land use planning committee, John G. Aue, an integrated pest management consultant who has worked with the growers on Gays Mills ridge since 1988, said he had seen the increased need for pesticide use due to the neglected orchards. Incorporated into this problem, the letter stated, is that orchard owners often have to revert to using frequent applications of old broad spectrum pesticides rather than newer, more environmentally safe materials. Because three municipalities are involved—the town of Clayton and the villages of Gays Mills and Bell Center—the county is the logical decision-making body. The issue is on the county land use committee agenda for discussion Friday, May 2. The meeting will be held at 10:30 a.m., in the Crawford County Administration Building in Prairie du Chien. Elder abuse believed to be under-reported in county There are many individuals and organizations willing to help elderly and at-risk adults in Crawford County, and representatives from those organizations attended the April 22 Elder and Adult-At Risk Abuse community forum at the Crawford County Administration Building. Sara Ryan, director of Crawford County human services, and Bob Rowe, social worker and lead investigator for elder abuse in the county, provided an update on statistics for both Crawford County and the state, as well the state law regarding reporting of abuse. Statewide, Ryan said, a total of 4,372 cases of suspected abuse, neglect and financial exploitation were reported in 2006, an increase of 3.3 percent from 2005. Twenty four of these incidents were fatal and another 260 considered life-threatening. In Crawford County, there were only 12 referrals in 2006 and eight in 2007. Ryan said she believes there were more incidents, but people need to learn how to recognize elder abuse and how to go about reporting it. Ryan said it wasn’t until the 1960s that people began to recognize and do something about child abuse; laws regarding domestic abuse were finally put into place in the 1980s. The abuse or exploitation of the elderly was the last to be recognized. "I can remember in the 80s trying to protect vulnerable adults and there was no help or system," said Ryan. Bob Rowe explained that since 2006, each county has a reporting system in place. To report abuse or even suspected abuse in Crawford County, call 608-326-0248 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. During evenings, weekends and holidays abuse may be reported to the Prairie du Chien Police Department or the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department at 608-326-0241. The identity of the person making the referral is kept confidential. Crawford County Human Services has a staff of social workers who will investigate and take action as needed. Elder abuse is defined as the physical abuse, material (financial) abuse, neglect or self-neglect of a person who is age 60 or older or who is subject to the infirmities of aging. Prairie du Chien Police Chief Mike King reported on the many scams which, for the elderly, constitute a form of financial abuse. He mentioned telephone and e-mail scams asking for money or confidential information such as social security or bank account numbers; organized criminal groups which travel from state to state offering cut-rate home repairs; people photographing ATM transactions to obtain PIN or account numbers; even some so-called charitable organizations in which most of the money raised goes for expenses rather than good works. In a forum led by Jane Schaaf, Crawford County UW Extension Family Living Agent, following the presentation, participants discussed the many reasons why elder abuse is not reported. Among the many reasons are: fear of retaliation, shame, denial, fear of the unknown, the abuser is a family member, distrust of the system, fear of being mistaken, lack of a safe third party to tell, fear no one will believe it, caregiver burnout. The group then discussed action which could be taken to educate the general public and protect the elderly from abuse. Suggestions included disseminating information through the church community, bank statements, and the media; educating those who are out and about in the community, such as letter carriers, meal deliverers and others to watch for any suspicious occurrences; taking a community-wide zero tolerance stand; getting youth involved; visiting with elderly people; asking financial institutions to watch for suspicious activity in senior citizens’ accounts. One problem noted is that the Prairie du Chien community does not have a senior citizen center where people could get information. Several people indicated their organizations have volunteers willing to help the elderly, but they lack referrals. One such organization is Faith in Action. Director Cathy Lund said if people want assistance or simply someone to visit them, they should call 326-5523. Hospice and Parish Nurse services, both of which are headquartered at Prairie du Chien Memorial Hospital, also have volunteers available and can be reached at 357-2000. Many other organizations willing to assist in addition to Human Services include: Lori Knapp Inc., Rivercrest Villages, Coulee CAP, Food Pantry, Home Health Care, Alzheimer’s Association, Catholic Charities, nursing homes, home delivered meal program, Police/Sheriff, Crawford County Senior Resources, Victim Witness Program, Homeward Bound. Commenting after the forum, Ryan said she felt it was very successful, with over 60 people in attendance, and there are plans for a follow-up session in the fall to take action on some of the ideas proposed.
|
