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County acquires Indian Mound Park
The Crawford County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday morning to
approve the acquisition of the Cipra Table Site (Indian Mound Park) from the
state of Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT). It was noted that the DOT
no longer wishes to maintain and operate the site, which is along State Highway
60 in the town of Wauzeka between Bridgeport and Wauzeka. The state offered the
property to Crawford County for continued use as a public property. The Crawford
County Highway Committee concurred that the facility should continue to be
operated and maintained by the Crawford County Highway Department for use by the
public. The property, also known as Indian Mound Park, features several Indian
burial mounds that are of interest to tourists and other visitors. In other
business, supervisor Larry Kapinus brought up the possibility of the county
adopting a "time clock" system in order to keep track of where county employees
are Kapinus pointed out that such a system would not necessarily be intended to
record employees' hours but would rather be used to verify where they were at
and when. "There have been numerous people with complaints about people not at
their job when they are supposed to be at their job," Kapinus said. "Our own
people are saying there is a problem," said County Board Chairman Robert Dillman.
"You have to have accountability." Kapinus said that such a "time clock" system
would include all county employees except sheriff's department personnel, whose
whereabouts are already recorded by other means. "This would make government
more efficient in my book," Kapinus said. Other board members said that the
system may not need to be a "time clock" but that it could be a "magnetic scan
card system," such as the one used at 3M Company of Prairie du Chien. Such a
system is designed to efficiently verify written employee records of where the
employee was at during a given time period. The County Board may revisit the "time
clock" issue in the future. Other subjects the board discussed included: €The
possibility of setting new rules for the County Treasurer position, such as
requiring information and updates on a regularly scheduled basis. €A desire by
the Crawford County Area Shelter for Animals (CASA) to purchase five acres from
the county in order to have an animal shelter. CASA now leases two acres near
Seneca. The matter will continue to be looked into. €The new County
Administrative Offices Building completion date. Board member John Karnopp said
that the projected completion date is the end of April, 2005. Karnopp said that
the county should be able to occupy the new building by June 1, 2005.
Construction is on schedule.
Lt. Gov. Lawton takes tour of Prairie du Chien Haydn Street RR crossing
among topics discussed
You can't go home again, but you can, apparently, go back to your home away
from home. Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton, who spent many weekends in Prairie du Chien
as a child, came to town Monday to discuss the status of women in the state and
the Haydn Street railroad crossing, among other things. Lawton grew up outside
of Milwaukee, but used to spend a lot of time in Prairie du Chien and has fond
memories of her travels on the Mississippi River. "I can't tell you how excited
I am to be back," she said. "It was here I learned so much about Wisconsin and
the experiences I got I will never forget." Lawton began her day at Huckleberry's,
giving a speech called "Wisconsin Women = Prosperity" at a luncheon for 45 men
and women. Here, she discussed her Wisconsin Women Initiative, and talked about
trying to energize women to take an active role in government and society. She
said that she has been trying to figure out ways to remove hurdles in Wisconsin
since the state was rated a C- in a 2002 report done by the Institute for Women's
Policy Reseasrch in Washington, D.C. The topic was later discussed at an open
forum at City Hall. There, she gave an example of a Milwaukee County Board
member who quit her post after being excluded by other members in various
meetings and discussions. The incident, she said, shows what women who are
involved in politics sometimes have to go through. But then the question was
asked whether Prairie du Chien was an exception, as it is city where women have
a strong say in government. Cheryl Mader became the city's second consecutive
woman mayor in the April general election, following in the footsteps of Mary
Jane Faas, and sits at the head of a city council which has four women on it. "In
that sense, I think Prairie du Chien is quite special," Lawton said. "I don't
know, it would be an interesting academic study." In between the stops at
Huckleberry's and City Hall, Lawton went to Frazier's Old Faithfull Inn to talk
about the potential closing of the Haydn St. railroad crossing. The possibility
of closing the crossing has been debated for over two years now, dating back to
February, 2002 when it was recommended at a public hearing that it be closed due
to safety concerns. More than 100 people attended that hearing and all 25 who
testified were against its closing. The debate has been ongoing ever since.
Among those present at the meeting with Lawton included Frazier's Old Faithful
Inn owners Keith Coburn and Sharon Frazier, as well as Fire Chief Mark Hoppenjan,
Mader and a few residents of the neighborhood. Hoppenjan and Mader both stressed
the importance of keeping the crossing open. While it's being considered to
close due to safety concerns, Hoppenjan pointed out that it's needed for
ambulances and fire trucks, which are located on the other side of the tracks.
Mader said the crossing is important for the revitalization of downtown and also
for the police station, courthouse, and the future county administration
building that's currently under construction. Lawton agreed that the crossing is
too important to close down and she hopes to make a difference. "The indecision
has been going on way too long," Lawton said. "We want to be part of a good
solution here in Prairie du Chien." Afterwards, Coburn said he was satisfied
with what Lawton had to say. "She was very receptive," he said. "She seemed
determined to help us get the necessary things going and stop putting things
off." Later in the afternoon, she went to Commerce Court Mall, where she talked
to more people and heard their concerns. She also got a chance to venture down
Blackhawk Ave. to look at downtown projects and then to St. Feriole Island,
where she toured the Villa Louis with Michael Douglass and the Dousman Hotel
with Blair Dillman. Before leaving Prairie, she insisted on stopping at VAlley
Fish to taste the many samples that she probably had experience with during her
visits her in her youth. She then ended her stay in the area in Gays Mills for a
potluck with Crawford County Democrats. Although the weather didn't cooperate at
the beginning, Mader said she was happy about how the Lt. Governor's visit
went.. "I was very pleased," she said. "I was impressed with how willing she was
to take time with citizens. She wants to and can be an advocate for citizens in
government." Further, Mader said it speaks volumes to how great the city of
Prairie du Chien is. "It says to me that this town we live in really is a place
that's inviting," she said. "as well as a place with so much potential. "A lot
of good things could happen here and a lot of good things already have."
DOT threatens lawsuit over Prairie du Chien dynamite removal costs
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) is asking 10 entities to
make a settlement offer by Sept. 1 to cover the costs of the dynamite removal in
Prairie du Chien. The DOT is hoping to recover an estimated $475,000 for its
share of the removal costs, including $163,390 for security by the State Patrol.
If the offers aren't high enough, the DOT will file a lawsuit, according to
Assistant Attorney General JoAnne Kloppenberg. The 10 entities include: Slaght
Construction of Prairie du Chien, Ronald J. and Karen R. White of Prairie du
Chien, Westbrook Associated Engineers of Spring Green, K.L. Engineering of
Madison, Thomas Real Estate Appraisal of Madison, Robert E. Davies of Eastman,
AIG Insurance Services of New York, XL Specialty Insurance of Schaumberg, Ill.,
Acuity Insurance of Sheboygan and Wisconsin American Insurance Company of Fond
du Lac. The 829 pounds of dynamite was removed on June 8 from a site along
LaPointe Street near the People's State Bank branch. The dynamite was discovered
by DOT personnel in October 2003 after the DOT had purchased the site for road
construction purposes.
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Former Prairie du Chien resident making kids' dreams come true
No child should get left behind. It's a phrase that has been coined and
thrown around the last few years, but for Brigid O'Donoghue, it takes on a whole
new meaning O'Donoghue, a former Prairie du Chien resident of 14 years who now
resides in Pittsville, started the nonprofit United Special Sportsmen Alliance (USSA) in 2000 and has spent much of the last few years making dreams come true.
The USSA is a grassroots organization dedicated to providing seriously ill and
disabled children with the hunting, fishing and outdoor "adventures of a
lifetime." The satisfaction in the program, according to O'Donoghue, comes from
watching the happiness the children and families exhibit while on these outdoor
trips. "To me, there isn't anything more touching than putting my arms around a
Œspecial child'," O'Donogue said, "and letting them know how much we care for
them." The first hunt was put on in the fall of 2001 with a young Texas man who
had terminal cancer. He came up to Wisconsin and shot a 10-point buck on a
shooting preserve. Since then, they have helped more than 650 children on dream
trips. The goal for 2004 is to send more than 1,000 youngsters on these trips. "(It's)
a lofty mission to be sure," O'Donoghue said. "But one I truly believe we can
achieve." The roots of her interest in helping special children come from her
own childhood‹she can relate to what those children are going through. "I have
found that when parents of sick kids realize that I have struggled so much in my
own life," O'Donoghue said, "they feel a lot of ease working with me." When she
was 10 months old, she contracted encephalitis. She was in a coma, paralyzed on
the right side, and had epilepsy. While living in Prairie du Chien in 1985, she
had brain surgery and lost her ability to speak. After six years of speech
therapy, she now says that speaking is her greatest asset. "I struggled a lot
after my surgery trying to get words to my lips," O'Donoghue said. "I looked
down at the ground a lot when I talked to people out of embarrassment. "Now I
could out-talk anyone and I travel all over the nation." On July 31, O'Donoghue
and USSA threw a big outdoor event near Black River Falls for 25 disabled and
terminal children and their families. Their ages were anywhere from 2 to 17
years old. Mike Valley of Valley Fish in Prairie du Chien helped O'Donoghue
stock the lake, which is privately owned, with large catfish. The children,
whose illnesses range from blindness to leukemia to Downs Syndrome, were joined
by many professional fisherman from around the Midwest. "To a lot of those
children, that will be their only vacation," O'Donoghue said. "And we want to
make it special for each and every one of them." Four brothers who especially
touched O'Donoghue's heart are classic examples of lives the USSA has touched.
Micah, Alex, Zech and Aidan all attended the July 31 event. Micah, the big
brother at 5, made it a point to watch over the others. Alex and Zech are three
years old and were born prematurely and have various health problems, while the
youngest, Aidan, has to remain on medication daily for congestive heart failure.
Even O'Donoghue's own son was sick at a young age, and with the help of modern
medicine he is able to live a healthy life. "I'm hoping that in five years," O'Donoghue
said. "Micah, Alex, Zech and Aidan will be waterskiing and tubing with my
family." When she founded Bio-Tec Research, Inc., a deer and elk feed company
for farms and shooting preserves throughout the U.S., O'Donoghue applied a lot
of the lessons she learned while in Prairie. She lived in Prairie from 1983 to
1997, starting her business, K & L Wood Products, at the age of 30. She sold
a lot of sawdust to area farmers and found a great interest in working with them
before moving to Pittsville in 2002. "Pittsville has many of the same positive
qualities as Prairie du Chien," O'Donoghue said. "Such as friendly, hard working
people that place a high value on family and character." In addition to
O'Donoghue,
Joel Espe, a member of the USSA's board of directors, ran a business in Prairie
du Chien before he relocated and became a grade school principal in Wisconsin.
No wishes have been granted to children in the Prairie du Chien area yet, but
hopefully residents are now aware of this excellent opportunity available to
them. "Americans helping Americans is a time honored tradition for our country,
as all outdoor hunters and fishermen can attest to," O'Donoghue said. "USSA is
simply an extension of that tradition, and we want to bring our nation's outdoor
heritage to all Americans, regardless of their physical condition." To contact
the USSA, call (800) 518-8019 or email to biotec@tds.net. Their website can be
found at www.childswish.com. On the site is a lot of information on how to
involve your child, as well as an application.
Area school districts spend money in different ways, amounts
The non-profit, non partisan Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance recently came out
with their annual publication featuring 2001-02 actual and 2002-03 budgeted
figures for revenues and expenditures. In 2002-03, Wisconsin school districts
budgeted to spend more than $8.4 billion to educate the state's youth, 4.1% more
than in the previous year. According to the figures released by the group, the
four area schools, Prairie du Chien, River Ridge, Seneca and Wauzeka, spent more
per student than the state average. In the charts on the next page, "Total"
refers to the total expenditures on programs involving direct teaching
interactions between staff and students. Expenditures include supplies and
materials used in teaching. Although all the local districts were above average,
Wauzeka spent the most with $6,659. Seneca spent $6,455, River Ridge $6,240 and
Prairie du Chien $5,710. "Comp. Amt." on the next page represents the
comparative expenditures amount spent by each school district. In other words,
it shows the education-related expenses only, so it excludes pupil
transportation costs, debt service, non-program costs and miscellaneous
expenditures. Five teacher salary benchmarks are shown: the base and maximum
salary for a bachelor's degree, the base and maximum with a master's degree and
maximum salary. The number of years required to reach the BA and MA maximums are
also shown. These salary benchmarks do not include adjustments for longevity.
The 2002-03 per student revenues show the amount of property tax per pupil, the
amount of state general equalization aid per pupil and the total of various
state categorical aid per pupil. The percentages next to each shows the revenue
compared to the state average. Current trends revealed by the publication showed
that controls on local revenue have slowed overall school property tax
increases. The 2002-03 total state school levy increased 3.9%, but changes by
district varied. River Ridge had the largest levy decline in the entire state at
a 26% decrease. Because all four districts are kindergarten through 12th grade,
all averages are compared to other K-12 districts in the state.
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