April 18, 2007

Officials at the Wisconsin Rural Water Association have found the best-tasting water in Wisconsin. On March 29, the winner of a statewide competition was announced in an effort to identify the tastiest rural water in the state and, participants hope, in the nation.

Small and rural water utilities from around the state submitted samples of their water, straight from the tap. The winner of the event was the City of Prairie du Chien, whose water sample was chosen by judges as the most appealing. "It tasted clean, pure and refreshing," stated judge and WRWA Board President Dennis Wartgow of Park Falls. The city also won this award in 2002.

According to Prairie du Chien Water Department Superintendent, Larry Gates, "We pride ourselves in providing strict testing, maintenance, and the overall quality of the water that we provide to the City of Prairie du Chien."

"Because of the quality of this water, Wisconsin has a good chance at the national taste test in Washington, D.C.," added Wisconsin Rural Water Association Executive Director, Ken M. Blomberg.

The competition is part of a Quality On Tap! campaign to emphasize the high quality, standards and, consequently, taste of rural water. Winners of the state taste test will compete in a national contest at Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. April 30. This event is part of the Rural Water Rally, an annual legislative event for the 45 state affiliates of National Rural Water Association.

Wisconsin Rural Water Association (WRWA) is a non-profit organization of rural and small water and wastewater systems. Its mission: To assist water/wastewater systems improve and preserve the quality and quantity of water resources in the State of Wisconsin.

Recently, one of Couleecap's program participants stated "Our transportation is starting to get unreliable. We don't have the money for repairs. If anything out of the ordinary happens to our car, our budget falls apart."

When budgets fall apart, lives can fall apart. Families already struggling to survive can be severely affected by problems with transportation. We need transportation that is reliable, convenient, safe, affordable, and physically-accessible. However, good transportation comes with a high price.

What does it cost to own a car? In 2004, the average annual cost of owning and operating a midsize car in the U.S. (assuming 15,000 miles driven per year) was $8,759. In 2003, American households in the highest 20 percent of income earners averaged 2.9 vehicles.

However, the average number of vehicles in American households in the lowest 20 percent of income earners was 0.9 percent. Many low-income families cannot afford to own a car. However, transportation is a critical element for most people to get to work, go to school, reach needed services, and prosper. A 2003 BTS (Bureau of Transportation Statistics) study found that the working poor spend nearly 10 percent of their income on getting to and from work. This compares to just over 2 percent for individuals earning $45,000 or more annually, and 3.9 percent for all working Americans. For the 66 percent of the working poor who commuted by private vehicle, the expense of commuting is even more burdensome. Those individuals spent 21 percent of their income to get to and from work.

High transportation costs can have a significant effect on a family's long term financial outlook. Spending on vehicles erodes wealth, while spending in the other major household category„housing„can build wealth. For example, over 10 years, for every $10,000 invested in a home, the homeowner can get a return of over $4,730 in equity. For every $10,000 invested in an automobile, a car-owner receives equity of just $910.

Low-income families that rent their housing and pay for a car have few chances to build financial assets. Automobile loans are the largest category of household debt outside of home mortgages. Frequently, low-income workers do not qualify for traditional automobile loans at prime rates, pricing many out of the auto market. Others are forced to pay a premium when purchasing cars from dealers who charge higher interest rates.

For low-income families, the expense of transportation poses a tremendous burden and inhibits wealth creation. Nearly 95 percent of funds spent on transportation by the poorest American families are devoted to private vehicle expenses. But communities designed with the car in mind give low-income families no other alternative.

To meet life's daily needs, to reach jobs, doctors, and buy groceries, most American families, including those who can least afford it, must rely on a car.

In the Coulee Region in Couleecap's four-county service area, more than 21,000 people live in poverty according to the poverty line set by the federal government. What is the poverty line? In 2007, the federal government classifies a family of four as "poor" if its gross cash income is less than $20,650; for a family of three, $17,170; for a family of two, $13,690; and for an individual, $10,210.

Editor's note: This is the first of a two-part article on transportation and poverty. The second part will describe what is being done and how community members can be of assistance.

A new club has formed in Crawford County that may just be the bees' knees for those looking for a new hobby or business opportunity.

The Ridge and Valley Beekeepers held its first official meeting in February and had its second meeting on Sunday. About 20 people attended the first meeting and the club is seeking more members. The age range so far is 12 to about 80 and everyone is welcome, from veterans to beginners to wanna-bes.

The club discusses the numerous aspects of beekeeping and touches upon several topics during each meeting. For instance, at the meeting on Sunday at the Seneca Town Hall, the focus was on the major spring tasks, including the installation of new starter colonies and techniques for the care and feeding of a colony's most important resident, its queen, during the weeks before nectar flows begin.

Local beekeepers Harriet Behar and Aaron Brin explained what chores must be done during the spring months and Brad Niemcek discussed the importance of pre-season pollen feeding for colony development. The discussions were moderated by Chuck and Karen Lorence of Seneca, who have been beekeepers for more than 30 years.

Brad Niemcek of rural Gays Mills, who has been a beekeeper since 2003, recommended that prospective beekeepers help out at an area bee yard, also known as an apiary, to get a feel for the hobby.

"It's a really friendly group," said Niemcek about the Ridge and Valley Beekeepers and beekeepers in general. Beekeepers are more than willing share techniques and to help each other.

"It's a hobby that under good circumstances, can pay for itself," said Niemcek. "It's very satisfying and very enjoyable."

Niemcek said that beekeepers can take their activity as far as they want to, from having just a few hives to having a large business with more than 1,000 hives.

Niemcek currently has one active hive, but will soon have two more. He recently purchased a three-pound package of bees with a queen. There are about 11,000 bees in a package. By the end of the year, the 11,000-bee colony will have expanded from between 40,000 to 60,000.

Niemcek explained that the queen comes in a special "queen cage," which is sealed with a baby marshmallow. It takes the queen and the other bees about five days to eat the marshmallow so the queen can get out. In the process, the colony embraces the queen's particular aroma or pheromones. Niemcek said that bees have a sense of smell that is 100 times more sensitive than that of a human.

A colony is very structured, Niemcek noted. Every bee has a specific role for the betterment of the colony. The queen is fed and groomed by other bees, but her life is not all pampered frolic, as she must lay approximately 2,000 eggs per day.

Some bees have the role of security guard and they are there strictly for the defense and protection of the colony. There are also about 200 fertile males, or drones in a colony of 60,000. If selected, their sole purpose seems to be to mate with the queen or queens from other hives. Again, this isn't necessarily all it's cracked up to be because, as soon as they mate, the drones die. Most of the bees are infertile females, who are the workers. They gather nectar, pollen and a glue-like substance called propolis, which comes from the bark of trees.

Bees, of course, need a lot of high-energy food. Thus, they use the substances they gather to produce honey. In fact, bees always produce more honey than they need, just in case. "Bees constantly worry about the future," said Niemcek. "There is no deficit financing."

It is this "extra" honey that the beekeeper harvests. "It is an amazing thing in nature," Niemcek said. "Bees are the only insect in the world that produces food for human consumption."

Niemcek said that a colony of 60,000 will produce about 60 pounds of honey per year. Honey, aside from its sweet and agreeable flavor, is a very good source of vitamins and minerals. Niemcek said that locally produced honey is much better, health-wise, than "store bought" because store bought is pasteurized. Pasteurization, he says, neutralizes the pollen in honey.

"Pollen, which is the male seed of a plant, contains every vitamin known," said Niemcek. "It is a tremendous source of vitamins and minerals."

In addition, the pollen in honey is a source of relief for "hay fever" allergy sufferers. Niemcek explained that there are two different types of pollen. The light, dry, airborne pollen is the type that causes people to have an allergic reaction when they inhale it. The heavy, sticky pollen that bees transport on their legs neutralizes the effect of the airborne pollen on allergy sufferers.

Honey, of course, can have different flavors, depending upon what flowering plants are in a particular area. For instance, if bees are raised in or near an apple orchard, their honey will have a different flavor than that of bees using other kinds of flowers.

Some beekeepers, Niemcek noted, don't necessarily do it for the honey. They contract with apple orchard owners, cranberry growers or other agricultural enterprises strictly for pollination purposes. By having bees in the orchards during the pollination period, the production of apples will increase significantly, sometimes by as much as 30 percent, said Niemcek.

While beekeeping can be a great way to make honey and money, diligent beekeepers must also be aware of diseases and pests such as foul brood or Varroa mites, a parasite. Various methods, such as the regular application of medicine to the hives can help ensure a healthy and thriving colony.

Joining a club such as the Ridge and Valley Beekeepers can also give the prospective beekeeper the knowledge and support network to more fully enjoy the rewarding enterprise of beekeeping.

For more information, interested persons can contact Brad Niemcek at (608) 624-3409 or at bradn@wississippi.com.