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Closeout of TID is historic occasion for city The development of a housing needs assessment, termination of a TID, the annual library report the revision of street work schedules and comments on the proposed roundabouts on Marquette were among the items considered by the Prairie du Chien City Council Tuesday evening. The closeout of Tax Increment District (TID) Three, where Design Homes is located, was an historic event for the city, according to Mayor Cheryl Mader. Mader said it was the first time the city has seen the completion of a TID and its benefits to the city, putting $340,000 in property value back on the tax roll. Council also authorized preparation of a contract with Community Development Alternatives to complete a housing study for the city. The study is to examine the current state of housing in the area and determine future needs so the city can match supply with demand. The city agreed to the study in accepting a $1.5 million grant from the Department of Commerce. Part of that grant was $25,000 for a housing needs study. $1.2 million was for land purchases related to Block 43, which includes the Walgreens and the property being developed by the Rifkin Group. $300,000 was for infrastructure in Bloyer Industrial Park. The addition of two sewer projects to the summer construction schedule means an adjustment to the already-scheduled work on Cass and Prairie Streets. Waste Water Superintendent Terry Meyer explained that sewer would be replaced in a three-block area from Brunson to Broadway between 10th and 11th Streets, and a one block stretch from Wall to Broadway between 11th and 12th Streets. Construction on this project is tentatively set to begin April 23, with expected completion by May 11. The water and Sewer project on Cass Street from Beaumont to Prairie will begin May 14 and be completed by May 25. The Prairie Street construction between Iowa and Cass will commence after Memorial Day. Librarian Nancy Ashmore presented the annual library report. She said there were 33,000 individual library visits, not including people who used the computers or needed tests proctored. There are 3,867 registered library users in the city, and 6,673 in the service area. She noted that many people are using resources other than books, such as genealogy reports, newspapers, magazines and the computers. She said people are coming in for wireless access or bringing in flash drives to download material. She said the library is continuing to develop its long-range plan which includes physical expansion and continued exploration of ways to be of assistance to the community. The library currently has $8,000 in donations to be used for expansion. She noted the library also has resources for learning about energy conservation and "living green." "Our mission is to give people the tools they need to improve their lives, " she said. With acceptance of a petition objecting to construction of roundabouts on Marquette Avenue, council also asked that the Public Works Committee schedule a meeting with the Department of Transportation (DOT) asking that the DOT provide further documentation about the proposed roundabouts. Wally Maass also spoke against the roundabouts, citing their proximity to each other and to the railroad tracks. "I'm not against roundabouts in general, but in this case I am," he said. He also expressed concern that a roundabout would destroy the attractiveness of the intersection at Marquette and Blackhawk. In other business council: ´Receipted a notification from Mediacom that rate changes would become effective with the May billing cycle. Basic broadcast rates rise from $15.50 a month to $19.95; expanded basic decreases slightly from $33.45 to $32.00 and total family cable increases from $48.95 to $51.95. Councilmember Joe Ruskey said "I encourage people to go to local retailers and see what's out there." They'll [Mediacom] continue to jack up prices as long as people go along with it." ´Approved applications for the Town and Country Jamboree July 6 to 10 and for the Blues Fest July 25 to 28. ´Approved sending out for bids for $826,000 in 2007 capital financing needs. ´Approved the Protection and Health Committee recommendation that the city retain a full time fire chief. Councilmember Pintz reported that there may be one or two internal candidates for the position of chief being vacated by Mark Hoppenjan. ´Approved the final development agreement with the Rifkin Group to build a shopping center along Marquette Road near Walgreens. Construction should begin soon. Streets, sidewalks and fire stations top Committee of the Whole discussions Streets, sidewalks, signs and a fire station were the items for discussion at the Tuesday evening meeting of Prairie du Chien's Committee of the Whole. A city resident is requesting permission to remove a sidewalk along property at South 10th and Broadway. The sidewalk is already damaged because of protruding tree roots. Since there are no other sidewalks around it, the resident wants to remove it, with the understanding that if sidewalks are put back in that area, the property will be assessed 100 percent of the cost of a new sidewalk. Council members discussed whether or not removal of a sidewalk was setting a precedent, and the city attorney advised that, whatever decision is made, it be memorialized in writing, and, if the sidewalk is removed, recorded, so the fee for a new sidewalk stays with the property. Street Superintendent Rodney Fishler presented a report on the condition of the city streets, emphasizing that a few streets are in very poor condition and need reconstruction, and that the money budgeted for the year will not cover the cost of both maintenance and reconstruction. Last year, he said, $100,000 was in the budget for streets. That amount has been reduced to $96,000 this year, and he needs approximately $120,000 just for sealcoating and maintenance. Fishler said the longer the city waits for repairs and maintenance, the greater the cost is going to be. Council members thanked him for presenting his report this far in advance of the next budget, but indicated little could be done this year. City Planner Marty Larson suggested a change to the ordinance setting forth the procedure for a sign encroachment waiver in the downtown area. Larson said that since many downtown businesses are adopting projecting or hanging signs as part of the downtown revitalization, it seemed redundant to ask for council approval of each one, because city staff and the Design and Preservation Committee already review the requests. The question of whether or not the Prairie Street fire station should continue to exist was also discussed. Larson said the fire department would like to expand its existing facility to accommodate more trucks. The Prairie Street station was originally built so there would be fire equipment on the west side of the railroad tracks in case a fire broke out when the railroad crossing was blocked. Since there is now an overpass on the north side of the city and a second one will be built in a few years, that station may not be needed once the other one is expanded. No official action can be taken at Committee of the Whole meetings. Happy trails to you La Riviere Riders to host membership drive Group to maintain, promote La Riviere Horse Park for the enjoyment of all The La Riviere Riders Inc., an organization formed this past fall, will be having its first membership drive on Friday, April 27 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Crawford County Administrative Building. "We're a group of riders who ride at the La Riviere Horse Park and other places," said La Riviere Riders President Dee Baker. Baker said that everyone is welcome to stop in at the Administrative Building to find out what the La Riviere Riders and the Horse Park are all about. "We wish to maintain the integrity of the horse park and to promote the family equestrian experiences there," said Baker. "We're just getting off the ground, so we decided it was a good time for a membership drive." The La Riviere Horse Park is part of the overall La Riviere Park, which is owned by the city of Prairie du Chien. It is one of only a handful of city-owned horse parks in Wisconsin. Along with camping, the park offers several miles of hilly, wooded riding trails. Equestrian enthusiasts from near and far come each year to enjoy the trails and camping at the park. "There are people from all over the United States that come here," said Baker. "It's quite amazing. It's been very interesting." Baker also praised the owners of land adjoining the park for sharing parts of their land for trail riding. Baker said that anyone with a horse is welcome to camp or ride at the park. The La Riviere Riders, however, will be giving a little extra in order to maintain the park and the equestrian camping experience for future generations. There is an Annual Cleanup Day scheduled each year at about this time as the horse park gets ready for the new season. Baker said that this year's Cleanup Day, originally set for April 14, has been postponed due to sloppy conditions. Baker noted that another annual event is the Prairie du Chien EMS Fundraiser Trail Ride. Also, the 30th Anniversary Open House at La Riviere Park has been scheduled for May 5. There will be several presentations as well as a tour of the park. Information about the park and trail maps will also be available. Various presentations will be held from 7:30 a.m. to about 12:30 p.m. La Riviere Park is a nature park and a horse park located in the city of Prairie du Chien on Vineyard Coulee Road one mile east of U.S. 18 and Riverside Square. The 310-acre park is a mix of grasslands, native prairies and hardwood forests. All of this is interspersed with hiking and equestrian trails, campgrounds and picnic areas. Along with several other events at the 30th Anniversary Open House, the La Riviere Riders will have equestrian activities at the La Riviere Horse Park. The Horse Park continues to be a great place to enjoy equestrian activities and to meet other equestrian enthusiasts.
State Finance Committee comes to Prairie du Chien The seats and aisles of Prairie du Chien High School's auditorium were filled to overflowing, and speakers and observers spilled out into the school's hallways during the April 4 meeting of the state's Joint Committee on Finance. As is the custom in an out-state hearing, State Representative Lee Nerison, who was responsible for bringing the hearing to Prairie du Chien, and State Senator Dan Kapanke, as area legislators, took turns chairing the hearing. The speakers were divided roughly into two hard-to-reconcile groups: those who spoke against high taxes or tax increases, and those who wanted new, increased or continued funding for a variety of programs. Of those with funding requests, the majority sought help for education or health care, health insurance or other health-related issues. Administrators and teachers from various school districts addressed the committee seeking increased funding support. These included Prairie du Chien, Sparta, Cuba City, Lancaster, Pecatonica and Riverdale. A busload of AARP members from local chapters in Southwestern and Western Wisconsin came to urge the state to continue funding the popular SeniorCare program even if federal assistance is discontinued. David Krieg of La Crosse, a member of AARP Wisconsin's Advocacy Council, stated, "Many of you as state legislators have used your influence with the federal government to continue the program. Right now the ball is still in their court. But if the federal government says no, we will turn to you, the State Legislature and to the Governor, for continuation of the program." He said that over 100,000 seniors in Wisconsin depend on SeniorCare and that an AARP study found that 94 percent of SeniorCare recipients are better off under SeniorCare than they would be under Medicare Part D. Rep. Nerison said he was very pleased with the opportunity to bring the hearing to the area, giving members of the committee an opportunity to see what goes on in southwestern Wisconsin, and giving area residents a closer look at the working of their state government. "I thought it was a real good day," he said. Over 250 people registered to speak or to express their stand on an issue. Residential Spring Cleanup starts April 16 The citywide residential spring cleanup begins next week, April 16. This is the time to get rid of used appliances, brush, latex paint cans, glass and old tires. The city street crew will pick up brush, appliances and metal recyclables following this schedule: Blackhawk Avenue North, Monday, April 16; Blackhawk Avenue South and East of Marquette Road, Tuesday, April 17; Blackhawk Avenue South and West of Marquette Road, Wednesday, April 18. Used oils oil should be delivered by property owners to the rear of the City Street Shop and disposed of into the red 500-gallon used oils containment center. Other items will be picked up by Town and Country Sanitation on Saturday, April 21. Crews will arrive in the city at 6:30 a.m. with 12 trucks, and will pick up all the debris that is not usually collected during a normal garbage pickup or that the street crew has not picked up during the week. Because the cleanup won't be completed until April 21, residents are asked to wait until Monday, April 23 to notify the city of any items missed during the cleanup. Local artist markets products and good will Artist Lori Valley, who recently donated a 42-inch handmade Santa to Milwaukee Public Television's Channel 10 Great TV Auction, grew up on St. Feriole Island, has been there, done that and returned to Prairie du Chien, where she continues to pursue her artistic and humanitarian endeavors. She will be one of seven artists featured in the auction's Wisconsin Originals Collection, for those interested in purchasing artwork during the April 27 through May 5 event. Valley grew up in a family which nurtured her creativity and imagination. Her grandmother, Mary Valley, encouraged her. Her mother, Agnes Tesar, taught her to sew and bought her her first sewing machine. Dallas Valley, her father, was always carving or doing something in the outdoors. It wasn't however, until Valley moved to the Washington D.C. and Virginia area, married and had a child that she began to fully exercise her creative talents. Although she had always created things for friends and family, she now began doing it commercially. In Alexandria she was doing free-lance designing and creating miniature quilts. A neighbor suggested she contact Heart and Hand Persnickity Corporation. They contracted with her to continue to produce these quilts, and supplied her with vintage fabrics dating back to the 1800s. Valley toured the historic quilt display at the Smithsonian and replicated those quilts in miniature. It was during her tours of the Smithsonian that she viewed old fashioned Santas and became enamored of them„but simply put it in the back of her mind. From the quilts she branched out into dolls. She started to research the history of black culture, and found that there had always been black dolls, but none that reflected the historical reality of a black mother doll holding both black and white babies. Through a series of what Valley calls "God deals," she began to get connected. She started a catalog and store in West Virginia where she showcased the dolls and a collection of folk art and artists. When Valley relocated to Oklahoma, she started a pattern line on inspiration from a friend, who bet her she could turn $50 into something that would make a statement. In less than two years it went worldwide. Called the Karper Collection, it consisted of patterns for little handmade dolls and quilts. It sold in all 50 states and eight foreign countries. Valley was one of 50 dollmakers in the United States selected by Dollmaker Magic to make a statement doll which would travel to displays around the U.S. for a year. Inspired by a friend whose mother had Alzheimer's, she created "Mother of Memories," a doll with little pieces of memorabilia all over its apron„so she could reconnect with events in her life by seeing the pieces. It was when Valley attended an art show with an acquaintance that she revisited the Santa idea. She began making her own, and over the years has refined them. She has toured Goodwill and CAP stores, purchasing used items that can be recycled in the Santas. "It's important that we support these stores," she said, "and it's also a reminder that we can make beautiful things from things we already have." The Santas in particular are a reminder of benevolence„that people shouldn't give just once a year but all the time. No two are alike. Then came the tsunami in Indonesia and the war in Iraq. When the tsunami struck she was still in Oklahoma, and one of the girls who worked for her said she felt helpless and wanted to do something. This was the inspiration for a line of patterns called "You Are Loved." A missionary group was leaving for Thailand and was willing to take the dolls. Valley and her protégé took the cut out fabric to a coffee house and asked people to help stuff and sew them. They completed 80 dolls in a few hours. The missionaries visited an island where people had lost everything they owned. They distributed the dolls and learned that the villagers had lost their fishing nets„and thus their means of income„in the storm. They missionaries had nets flown to the island to resupply them. "The Valleys have always been commercial fishermen," she said, "so it was good to know that in some small way our family was connected with this." Because the dolls are small they don't take up much space, and families of soldiers serving in Iraq have made them for their service men and women to hand out to children in that country. Valley is continuing to create dolls for this line, and will be releasing three dolls a month with 10 percent of the proceeds from the pattern line going to a children's charity. Currently, the money is designated for the Children's Garden on St. Feriole's Island„right behind where she grew up. In addition to her Santas and doll patterns, Valley also has a religious card line, which includes a small, hand-painted icon with each card, and hand painted pillows. She also does interior design and consulting "for people who want to change their lives„not just their furniture." She has sold some of her products locally, and plans to have an exhibit at the Crawford County Art Fair this year. She also has a new website, www.lorivalley.com, through which she intends to market her products. "My goal is to have a full product line by June," she said, "but I'd also like people to visit the website and just be inspired." |
