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Nolan Memorial Playground construction to begin this summer Jenny Wachuta is not sure how many people attended the Austin and Justin Memorial Playground fundraiser held the National Guard Armory last Saturday. But it was a lot. "Things went really well - it was pretty steady with people all day. An overwhelming number of people attended," Wachuta added, estimating the number at around 500, old and young. "We raised over $40,000, so we're pretty thrilled," Wachuta said. The event included a free will donation hog roast dinner, kids games, an auction of donated items and a dance with music by the Back Home Boys. Proceeds for the event will be used to build a new playground at St. Gabriels School in honor of two young boys who died in an ATV accident last summer, Austin and Justin Nolan. Wachuta, a third grade teacher at the school, says that demolition of the old playground may begin after the final bell rings on the last day of school this spring. Work on the playground will occur over the summer in order for it to be completed in time for the start of the next school year in September. According to Wachuta, parents of students at St. Gabes had been expressing concern about the safety conditions of the school playground for some time. Carrie and John Nolan, Austin and Justin's parents, approached a school committee considering playground issues with the idea of a new memorial playground. The Nolan family children attend the school. Since then there have been many meetings and other fundraising events, such as a weekly bake sale at the school that the kids hold, a Valentine's Dance and a server night at Pizza Hut. Before the Nolan event last weekend, the committee had netted $26,000. According to Carrie Nolan, abut $50,000 will be needed for new playground equipment alone, and the committee is still considering the costs for surfacing and fencing, among other things. The playground will be located in the same area as the current playground behind the school. It will include play areas for preschoolers as well as older children. "The children at the school, teachers, and our whole family are really excited about this special memorial for Austin and Justin. The benefit was a very bittersweet day for us all, but we know that the boys are proud of us for what we have accomplished so far. It is just a beautiful thing to see so many coming together and working so hard to help remember our sons. Our angels are watching us each step we make," said Carrie Nolan said in a written comment to the Courier Press. Eagle's Landing Winery destination on the spring Iowa Wine Trail Tour Not long ago if you were interested in taking a few days off to tour wineries and vineyards and eat gourmet food you would have to call a travel agent and book a flight to California. Now all you have to do is cross the river and go to Marquette. This weekend, the Eagle's Landing winery will be part of weekend-long, seven winery tour of eastern Iowa on the Iowa Wine Trail. The theme for the weekend is Spanish tapas. Tapas (pronounced tahp'ahs) is a tradition of snacks or light meals eaten with wine. In some regions of Spain, people visit several local bars to enjoy wine, tapas and conversation after work and into the evening. The delightful custom of tapas-hopping in bars and restaurants has become popular in many U.S. cities, along with the growth in popularity of wine. The tapas-hopping weekend is the main spring event for the wineries of the Iowa Wine Trail. Eagle's Landing Winery will be serving up tapas-style snacks and wine to event ticket holders. They will also host winery tours and music at their facility and hospitality room at 127 North Street. "There's a lot more interest in wine," noted Roger Halvorson. Halvorson, along with his wife Connie and their son and daughter Jay and Rogeta, own and operate the winery. There was a time, Roger said, that "ƒpeople made wine out to be a snobbish drink." But now, he explains, people have come to see it as an enjoyable accompaniment to food. The Eagle's Landing tapas menu includes meatballs in a red wine sauce, bacon wrapped jalapeno peppers, mixed Spanish and Greek olives (a tapas staple) and mushroom tortellini along with a selection of chocolate desserts. Wines served will include several whites and reds and Big Red, a raspberry dessert wine. All wines are made from grapes grown at the Halvorson's own vineyard and other regional vineyards. According to Connie Halvorson, despite early frosts that set growth back, there was a good crop last year. This will not be the last opportunity this year to attend a wine event at Eagle's Landing or other Iowa wineries. Eagle's Landing will also host a May Day festival on Saturday, May 6. In November, the Iowa wineries will sponsor another tour event. For ticket information and a list of participating wineries, visit the web site www.iowawinetrail.com, or call Eagle's Landing at 873-2509.
No more waiting: New high school weight room project full speed ahead Construction of the new addition to the weight room at Prairie du Chien High School has begun and the new facility is expected to be completed near mid-June. Groundbreaking for the new weight room began on April 21 as heavy equipment cleared asphalt on what was a basketball court behind the school near the rear parking lot. "This addition will increase the weight room by more than five times," said Head Wrestling Coach Mel Dow, who noted that two full teams will be able to workout at the same time on top notch equipment once the addition is completed. Dow said that the new facility is expected to be completed by June 12, barring any unforeseen complications. The current weight room is nonhandicapped accessible and has 819 square feet of space for 20 lifters. In addition, many of the pieces of equipment are outdated and in dilapidated condition. Dow said that the new weight room will offer 3,888 square feet of workout space and durable new equipment for 60 lifters. The new facility will be a separate building from the high school but will be connected to the high school. It will also offer multi-functional equipment, along with restrooms and office space. Athletes, faculty and the general public will benefit from the new weight room, said Dow. The public currently has access to the high school weight room but public access is expected to increase with the completion of the new facility. An additional benefit of the project is that the current weight room will become a cardiovascular and rehabilitation area. Dow said that the new facility will be a 72x54-foot building, including restrooms, office space and workout area. It will be a metal building with brick on the outside to match the look of the high school. Design Homes of Prairie du Chien is constructing the facility, which is expected to cost a total of $162,500, including $61,858 for new equipment. Dow noted that many individuals, organizations and businesses have donated generously to the project and $109,500 has been raised so far. In addition, the Prairie du Chien School Board at its March meeting voted to use $30,000 from Fund 80 to help fund the cost of the equipment. At that time, board members stated that the board may approve another $30,000 from Fund 80 in the near future. The money from Fund 80 was already in the budget and the new facility is being built with no cost to the taxpayer. In order to help alleviate costs further, Dow said that donations of money are very much welcome, but in addition, those wishing to help can purchase items from a list at Design Homes. When an individual purchases a quantity of nails to be used for the project, for example, Design Homes will deduct that cost from the cost of the project. Anyone seeking more information can contact Mel Dow at (608) 326-8437 ext. 4131 or Joe Zydowsky at 326-8437 ext. 4160 or Kevin Schaaf at 326-6386.
Stark's new wine cellar offers unique international experienceThe wine business at Stark's Sport Shop has continued to expand in recent years, and in an effort to meet the growing interest of their customers, Stark's has now opened an experience unique to the Prairie du Chien area. The wine cellar at Stark's has been open since April 1 and it offers customers a more personal buying experience as they peruse a variety of wines in the $19 to $200 per bottle range. The cellar was the concept of Richard Stark and is based upon "Old Italian" wine cellars. It is a nice looking room with wooden walls, wine racks, memorabilia and a sawdust-covered floor. The cellar houses more exclusive wines and is naturally controlled in temperature and humidity. The temperature is kept between 58-62 degrees. The cellar was designed to provide customers with wines that are unique and rarely found in the Midwest, said Richard's son, Ron. The cellar was built to suitably store wines that buyers will tend to cellar for future consumption in the years to come. "We had the space and our clientele were becoming more knowledgeable and increasingly interested and they began asking about hard-to-find wines," said Ron. "We've really tried to concentrate on our wine business the last few years and as we go we try to educate the consumer more and more and to fill our customers' requests." Ron said that many of the wines in the cellar are more than 10 years old and are usually purchased to be enjoyed at a later date, perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime special occasion. "It can be a challenge to find a certain wine for a customer," said Ron. "When you produce it for them, it's a good feeling." Ron said that wine tastings and wine education classes may be offered in the future at Stark's. Stark's has added more than 150 new wines since January of 2006 and now offers more than 500 wines starting at $1.99 per bottle. Stark's purchases wines from four mainstream wholesalers as well as three boutique wine distributors. The wide variety of wine offered at Stark's comes from 13 different countries, including Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Portugal, South Africa, Spain and the United States. Ron said that the goal of Stark's is to provide the most complete wine selection in its marketing area at value pricing. The new wine cellar, of course, is the latest step in providing the most complete selection possible. "We will provide our customers with wines of good value and with expert service," said Ron. Cutline: Ron and Randy Stark display a couple of bottles of the more exclusive wines to be found in the new wine cellar in the basement of Starks' Sport Shop, 119 W. Blackhawk Ave., Prairie du Chien.Goodwill train rolls through Clayton CountyReminiscent of a scene from perhaps 50 years ago, passengers lined up to board the train behind the Marquette Hotel last Friday morning. Made up of only three cars, including a 1925 Pullman, the train arrived early in the morning on the first leg of a day-long trip through Northeast Iowa. The trip was organized as a get-acquainted tour by the Iowa, Chicago and Eastern (ICE) Railroad in order to connect with members of the communities along the route. Local government officials and business people from Marquette and McGregor were invited to ride a short roundtrip between Marquette and Guttenberg. About 60 local people, some with children in tow, came for the rare opportunity to ride the rails. During the first part of the journey the passengers moved about enjoying the scenery from the generous windows of the passenger and dining cars. The swollen Mississippi lapped at the trunks of trees on one side of the tracks. On the other side, spring wildflowers bloomed in the wooded bluffs, and the homes and industries of the village of Clayton rolled by. Those interested in fresh air could step out to the enclosed platform between the cars where an open window caught the breeze. Top speed was a leisurely 30 mph. Railroad president Kevin Schieffer welcomed passengers to the train. On the return from Guttenberg, he gave a presentation about the history of the company and its plans for growth and answered questions. "We have a lot of things going on in the railroad industryƒthere's a resurgence," Schieffer explained, noting that fuel prices and congested highways have become a problem for the trucking industry. He also said that an upswing in freight from the growing ethanol industry and demand for coal from eastern Wyoming made prospects for his business good. Still, he said that the company faces an uphill run because the condition of its track, purchased from larger railroads who were going to abandon them, is poor. The company plans to spend $15 million per year for several years to upgrade its tracks in Iowa. Schieffer explained that the ICE line is a sister company to the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad(DME). About ten years ago the DME proposed building an extension from the Black Hills in South Dakota to Gillette, Wyoming, that has proven controversial in some communities. Rochester, Minn., has battled DME in court to keep the rail traffic out of their city. Up to 34 one-mile long trains per day could run out of Wyoming, across South Dakota and Minnesota to the Mississippi River in Winona after the line is built. Schieffer said that only a small percentage of that rail traffic will likely come through the Mar-Mac area. He said that about six trains per day pass through the area now, and his company hopes to raise that to 11. Forty-five trains per day pass through Prairie du Chien. Although the communities of Marquette and McGregor have deep historical ties to the railroad, it is not a favorite neighbor to area businesses. Linda and Jim Boeke, owners of River Junction Trading in McGregor, had questions for Schieffer about trains snarling traffic, and how it affects area businesses that are also trying to grow. Marquette Mayor John Ries expressed similar concerns. He asked if the company had any policies on operational courtesy concerning busy crossings, such as the one across Hwy. 76 at the Isle of Capri Casino. The highway is the main link between the two towns, and can be be blocked by ICE trains several times per day. This crossing is a bottleneck for the railroad, too, Schieffer explained. He said that the railyard in Marquette, where switching and crew changes are initiated, is in such poor condition that it limits the ability of the company to make use of it, forcing switching to the crossing with Hwy. 76. He said that he hopes in the future that the company can upgrade the facilities in the railyard or move switching to another location. Schieffer promised to meet with Ries and other local government representatives later this summer to discuss problems and look for solutions. The beauty and enjoyment of the ride managed to edge into the discussion, too. A rider from Guttenberg asked whether the company had considered going into the passenger business. Schieffer said that yes, his company had considered the possibility of running a passenger excursion service a few times per year, beginning as early as 2008. Cutline: Zachery Trudo, 5 and his brother Jacob, 3, enjoyed the Iowa, Chicago and Eastern railroad excursion to Guttenberg last Friday. They are the sons of Maryanne and Dan Trudo.Prairie du Chien native making headlines in mathematics By Kellie Kramer Mary Clausen may not be a world-wide celebrity, or the topic of national media, but in the world of mathematics, she's certainly a rising star. Clausen, a native of Prairie du Chien, has been the math teacher at New Holstein Schools for 29 years. About five years ago, Clausen created a new way of solving equations that's been helping students ever since. She's termed the method "coding" simply because she says she "just didn't know what else to call it." Coding helps students to decide how to start the solution process of an equation; to decide whether they need to add, subtract, multiply or divide to find the answer. After the method took off in New Holstein, impressing teachers, students and parents, Clausen's fellow staff members urged her to do something more with her new idea. They successfully encouraged their co-worker to submit an article to "Mathematics Teacher," a magazine nationally known as the authority in math education. The magazine published Clausen's article, "Did You ïCode'" in the November, 2005 issue. In this article, Clausen best explains how coding works: About five years ago I began having my students use a process that I call "coding," in which they actually write down what they will need to do to solve the equation. Students start using this process with the simplest of equations, so that when we begin solving more complex equations, they are already familiar with the procedure. As we solve more and more equations using coding, I hear fewer students say "I don't know where to start." They can get started by looking at what is happening to the variable for which they are asked to solve. Besides publishing her article in magazine with world-wide leadership, Clausen has also spread the word about coding in other ways. Last May, she presented her method at the Wisconsin Math Council Conference in Green Lake, and will do another presentation at a regional mathematics conference in Chicago this September. "I'm really excited about speaking in Chicago," said Clausen, "because this is something that people can go home and apply right away." Don't think that because Clausen's speaking engagements haven't made it out of the Midwest that her idea's haven't. She's received accolades from all over, and even recently got an email from a woman in Kenya, Africa who read the article. "That's the most fun part of it „ hearing from other teachers who tried it and liked it," said Clausen of the method's success. While the high school teacher said that she started the coding method for students who couldn't read English very well, were learning disabled or were emotionally disturbed, coding works for anyone. "It really just makes math a lot easier for visual learners," she said. Clausen graduated from Prairie du Chien High School in 1965, and said that she went on to become a teacher because her own math teacher, Violet Dohse, inspired her so much. The family tree may also have a little something to do with her decision, though. Her mother, Virginia O'Brien was a teacher, along with four aunts and a father, Clem, who was very gifted with numbers. Clausen's daughter is also now a teacher. When asked if she's always been creative and innovator in the classroom, the modest woman replied, "As a teacher, you have to be creative every day. If something clicks with the kids, I just grab and go with it." |
