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help housing project proposed for Prairie du Chien
Self help housing has been quite successful in communities
throughout Wisconsin for many years and now it may come to Prairie du
Chien and Crawford County. Lori Bekkum of Community Development
Alternatives, Inc. of Prairie du Chien said that Community Development
has been looking into self help housing for about two years now and
that, hopefully, the program will be able to assist 12 families in
Crawford County over the next two years. "Itıs so good," Bekkum said of
the self help program. "They do so good in other areas, we thought it
could be very good here as well." Bekkum explained that "starter homes"
are expensive and that self help housing allows for an affordable way
for a family to build their first home. Bekkum said that the first six
families will construct homes in Prairie du Chien with a scheduled start
date of Aug. 30. Two homes will be constructed on Beaumont Road and four
more are slated for South First Street. Bekkum said that families are
being sought for the project, in which each family will help the others
in building their homes. "No one can move in until all the houses are
complete," Bekkum said, in noting that the families will work together
to build their homes. Families supply the necessary labor while
obtaining a Rural Development housing loan to purchase land, materials
and subcontract work for technical items, such as electrical or
plumbing. The sponsor, Community Development, will purchase tools and
hire staff to coordinate the project and provide a construction
supervisor to instruct the families every step of the way. Bekkum said
that the self help housing program will help "build up" Prairie du Chien
and other areas of Crawford County. She said that families generally
save about $20,000 to $25,000 on their homes by providing their own
labor. "No one can take that equity away from you," she said. Bekkum
said that Community Development studied self help housing programs in
communities throughout the state, including Burlington and Richland
Center, where they have been successful for many years. "Working
together builds strong neighborhoods and communities," said Bekkum, who
noted that because of peopleıs job schedules, the work is often done on
weekends and construction of the houses will need to be coordinated in
order to best fit job schedules. Community Development proposes that the
second phase of the self help housing project will assist six families
in the northern part of Crawford County, or possibly again in Prairie du
Chien, depending upon response and availability of land. The second
phase is scheduled to begin July 1, 2005. Bekkum explained that the
construction stage lasts eight to 12 months. Each family must complete
at least 65 percent of the construction labor tasks, until the group of
homes is completed. Generally, this is 1,000 to 1,200 hours of labor per
family. Participating families will live in comfortable, affordable,
owner-occupied housing. They acquire construction skills, increase job
possibilities and live in standard housing, along with building pride in
their community. The Rural Development loans range from 1 percent to the
market rate. No down payment is required and the repayment period is 33
to 38 years. This self help housing project is required to serve
households of a certain income. Forty percent of the participating
households must have an income which is 50 percent of the median income
for Crawford County. Sixty percent of the households must have an income
which is 80 percent of the median income. The median income for a family
of four in Crawford County is $52,900. However, Community Development
has received HOME funds from a state housing agency by which Community
Development can "write down" the mortgage to a level at which those with
less income will be able to service the resulting mortgage. This allows
those households with less income to participate, provided they have a
good credit history. The money provided to "write down" the mortgage
will be secured with a second mortgage at 0 percent interest and payment
deferred so long as the household continues to own and occupy the
property. For more information about the self help housing project,
contact Community Development at (608)326-7333 or (800)655-0683. This
topic was discussed at Tuesday nightıs city council meeting. See
article one this page for more information.
Badger Camp volunteer dies in lightning strike
At 8:24 a.m. on Aug. 2, the Grant County 9-1-1 communications center
received a call of a person who was struck by lightning at the Wisconsin
Badger Camp in Millville Township, as intense storms passed through the
area. The victim, 27 year old Amy Wenger of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was
transported to the Prairie du Chien Memorial Hospital by West Grant EMS,
and was pronounced dead at the hospital. The victim was a volunteer
staff member at the Wisconsin Badger Camp facility, which is a summer
camp that provides recreational and social opportunities for persons
with developmental disabilities. There were no other persons injured in
the incident.
Council discusses new housing program
The Prairie du Chien City Council heard a proposal by Dale Klemme to
build housing for six families on the 900 block of South 1st Street as
part of the Wisconsin Community Development Block Grant housing program
for small cities. The 1,200-1,300 square foot homes are valued at around
$110,000 each, and the residents themselves would play a big part in
helping them get built. Klemme said that 35-40 applications have been
received, but the number of eligible applicants, which is based on
household wages, are low. Klemme visited Burlington last week, a city
where it has been very successful. He said that it took just five weeks
for those houses to be built and completely finished. The council voted
to send the project to the community development committee. Klemme also
updated the progress of the bike path. He said that the group, which
needs a lot of outside help, is asking for an 80% grant from the DOT.
Klemme is hoping that the project will be done by 2006-07. A public
hearing was held about the city vacating a portion of 13th St. and
Beaumont Rd. to allow for a new insurance agency. Council member David
Hemmer said that some residents have concerns not about that business,
specifically, but about what that would open up in the future. However,
the council said that this was an important part of the expanding
downtown, and the measure passed unanimously. The new business will be
located near the courthouse and the future County Administration
building. An ordinance amending the municipal code of the city was
passed to include penalties for issuing worthless checks. The new
ordinance states that anyone who issues a worthless check that pays any
tax or other charges levied by the city of Prairie du Chien will pay
interest at the rate of 1% per month and $25 for each worthless check.
The council also discussed the regulation of scooters on public
sidewalks. Under current law, it is illegal to ride scooters on
sidewalks because they are, by statute, a motor vehicle, making it
different than a bicycle. Police Chief Mike King said that as of right
now scooters can only be operated on private property. He also stated
that many cities have tried to allow for the use on sidewalks but all
have been unsuccessful. A motion was carried to continue the report to
the health protection committee. A public hearing has been set for Sept.
7 to re-zone 12th, 13th, 14th and Paquette St. to allow for the
construction of Spahn and Rose Lumber Companyıs new lumberyard. The
council also passed, by a 6-3 margin, a $750 per month lease for an
Alltel cell phone tower. Frank Pintz, Brad Steiner and Irene Schauf
voted against the measure, which was originally supposed to be a $1,200
per month lease, but Alltel said that $750 was as high as they would go
or they would not build a tower in Prairie at all. With the passing,
Alltel is now ready to break ground on the new tower, which is located
by the fire and water departments.
Explore Prairie du Chien's past by carriage
Drivers beware: there's a new kind of vehicle in town. No, it's
not a bird nor a plane; it's a horse with a carriage. Historical Tours
by Horse and Carriage has been in operation since the end of June and
will hopefully continue until the end of the year, according to
carriage operator Matt Mink. The beautiful horse was purchased by Paul
Krienke of AmericInn to "give people the chance to do what they never
do." The tours are Monday through Saturday from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.,
although they are still playing around with times to accommodate
people's needs. They last approximately 50 minutes. The tour begins in
the parking lot of AmericInn and trots down to St. Feriole Island,
going along the former "fur trade row." The carriage then makes its
way to Beaumont Road and travels by St. Gabriel's and the courthouse
on its way back to the AmericInn. The carriage hails from Dallas,
Texas and was transported via U-Haul by Krienke. The harness and
diaper came from Dean Achenbach. The eight-year-old horse, named Tony
Egidius, is a Shire-Morgan cross that was originally a plow horse for
an Amish farm. Tony is kept at the horse ranch of Dan Boom on East
Brunson Street. For a little less than a month, the already-trained
horse taught Mink a few lessons as he began to learn how to operate a
carriage. After the first horse he attempted to train turned out to be
a little too wild, Jim White was gracious enough to trade horses. "She's
real easy, real calm," Mink said of the horse. "It's a great horse."
He said the only minor problem was getting him used to the traffic and
he still runs into problems with impatient drivers. "It really scares
the horse," Mink said, noting how some drivers rev their engines when
driving by. There was also an incident where someone threw a
firecracker. But nevertheless, Mink gets as much pleasure out of it as
the riders do. "It seems like the people that know the most history
are older," Mink said. "It's cool to know that information is being
passed on." And if anyone can give people a nice, fun tour, it's Mink.
He spent last summer as a tour guide at Kickapoo Indian Caverns,
although the UW-Eau Claire sophomore and Prairie du Chien native says
it is not a career. "I have a great time," Mink said. "It's a very
relaxing summer job." In addition to the regular times, AmericInn
offers two special packages. One is the "Romance on the River"
package, where a couple can spend an intimate evening with a 20 minute
historic ride and then come back to some special treats awaiting at
the hotel. The other is "Prairie Tales Historical Special," featuring
a pair of tickets to the Villa Louis and Ft. Crawford to go along with
a luxurious stay. Mink encourages the public to look for the big
yellow tent in the AmericInn parking lot along Wisconsin Street and
stop in for a glimpse at Prairie du Chien's past. The carriage can sit
about five people, give or take. For more information or to schedule a
tour, contact the AmericInn at 326-7878. "Anybody can come in at any
time," Mink said. "It's not just for AmericInn guests. It's open to
the public."
Carparee Family Fun Days August 6-7
Plan to attend Carparee Family Fun Days, Aug. 6-7 on beautiful St.
Feriole Island in Prairie du Chien. The activities include: Friday -
Aug. 6 Sand Castle Building Contest - 5 p.m. The Sand Castle Building
Contest is sponsored by the Family Resource Center. This is open to
all kids and their families that wish to participate. It will be held
on the sand beach of St. Feriole Island. Molds and digging tools will
be provided by Family Resource Center. Fish Fry - 5 -7 p.m. The
Carparee Fish Fry will be held on St. Feriole Island in the south
gazebo of Lawler Park. Enjoy delicious, batter-fried fish and all the
trimmings prepared by Mike Valley and his crew of the Carp Drop
Committee members. Young Entrepreneurs’ Trade Show - 5-7:30 p.m. The
Young Entrepreneurs' Trade Show will be held on St. Feriole Island on
Water St. near the south gazebo. Plan to visit the booths of young
people from our area who have selected a variety of ways to showcase
their talents and their wares. Young people may still register to have
a booth at the Carparee. Call the Chamber at 326-8555 for details. Kid's
Casting Contest - 5:30 p.m. The Prairie du Chien Rod & Gun Club is
sponsoring a Kids' Casting Contest as part of Carparee Family Fun
Days. Drive toward the Mississippi River to the end of Blackhawk
Avenue and see the area set up for the competition near the corner of
Blackhawk Ave. and Water St. Tae Kwon Do Club Demonstration - 6 p.m.
The Prairie du Chien Tae Kwon Do Club, under the direction of Eric
Frydenlund, will present a martial arts demonstration. Plan to watch
the young people in action on St. Feriole Island along the riverfront
near the first gazebo on Water St. Carp Bobber Race - 6:45 p.m. The
Carp Drop Committee has Carp Bobbers with numbers on them, which
people may select for $1 to enter in the Carp Bobber Race. The race
will take place at 6:45 p.m. with people watching anxiously to see
which three bobbers cross the finish line first. Penny Auction - 7
p.m. Viewing auction items begins at 5 p.m., which is when numbers
become available. For a donation of $1, a person will receive an
envelope, which contains 100 slips of paper each with the same number
printed on it. Auction items are displayed with small paper bags in
front of each item where bidders may place numbered slips of paper.
The more numbered slips of one particular bidder placed in a given
container, the better the chance of winning the bid on that item -
although it only takes one numbered slip to be the lucky
winner/bidder. At 7 p.m. they will start drawing and announcing the
winning bidders' numbers. Each "auctioned" item will become the
property of a lucky person for the equivalent of just one penny. The
Chamber is still accepting new and used items for the Penny Auction.
Call 326-8555, if you have things to donate or questions. Saturday,
August 7 Fishing Contest - All Day. The Fishing Contest will be held
Saturday. Register at Willy & Nellie's Place for the contest.
Youth, 15 and younger, may fish all day with family and friends to see
who can catch the largest fish in various categories. Prizes will be
awarded to the winners at 5 p.m. Carparee Parade - 10 a.m. The big
parade will be held on Sat., Aug. 7 at 10 a.m. Participants will
assemble on St. Feriole Island beginning at 9. No need to pre-register
for the parade, just show up with your parade entry and join in the
fun! The parade will feature many pets (with their owners) plus floats
and entries of all sizes and descriptions. The parade will travel the
traditional Blackhawk Avenue route ending at Michigan Street near the
bank parking lots. Flat-Bottom Rowboat Race - 11:30 a.m. Following the
Carparee Parade, a flat-bottom, rowboat race will be held. The race
will be held on the backwaters of the Mississippi River between the
bridges at Blackhawk Avenue and Washington Street. Contact Mike Valley
at Valley Fish Shop to register your team for the boat race. A $50
cash prize will go to the winning team. Plan to witness the lively
competition from a vantage point on one of the bridges to St. Feriole
Island. Sanctioned Pedal Tractor Pull - 12:30 p.m. Carparee Family Fun
Days will feature a Sanctioned Pedal Tractor Pull sponsored by Nelson's
True Value Hardware for children ages 4-12 - boys and girls alike, at
Commerce Court Mall. Registration begins at 12:30 p.m. with the
tractor pull commencing around 1. The registration fee is $1. First
and second place winners will receive trophies and the right to
advance to further competition. Fishing Contest Winners - 5 p.m.
Carparee Fishing Contest winners will be announced and awarded their
prizes at 5 p.m. at Willy & Nellie's to mark the conclusion
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