If anyone has a few acres of unused but buildable property in the area that could be donated to a worthy cause, The Rivers and Bluffs Animal Shelter (RABAS) would like to hear about it. RABAS members are hoping that some generous person will donate three to five acres of land on which to build an animal shelter.

It has been two and a half years since the Rivers and Bluffs Animal Shelter (RABAS) group came into being following a discussion at a picnic shelter near the Prairie du Chien swimming pool in July of 2007. Since then, the group has grown to over 50 members, who have worked tirelessly to raise the necessary funds to build a shelter.

They have held an average of one fundraiser a month—bake sales, dog washes, dog walks, dog swimming parties and the recent Wake Up Santa event for children.

With almost $40,000 raised to date, board member Bev Pozega said the group is hoping that someone will step up and offer a piece of land for the shelter. If they did not have to purchase the land, she said, they could begin researching the costs of building the shelter. "It would be wonderful," she said, "to put up a sign saying ‘future home of Rivers and Bluffs Animal Shelter." Otherwise they will have a much longer wait before they can proceed.

Crawford Area Shelter for Animals (CASA), headquartered in Ferryville, finds foster homes for as many animals as possible, but has no actual shelter.

Among its many fundraisers, The Wake Up Santa breakfast for children has been one of RABAS’ most successful fundraisers, Pozega said. Started last year, it doubled in size this year, with 72 children who signed up to have breakfast and visit with Santa.

Pozega knows that a donation of land for building the shelter would be a generous gift indeed, and RABAS would appreciate help and donations of any size. The organization is tax exempt and non-profit.

For more information contact Bev at 326-2914 or Jamie at 412-0052. Additional information is also available at their web site, riversandbluffsanimalshelter.org.

By Ted Pennekamp

A new Veteran’s Group has been formed at Prairie du Chien Correctional Institution and the group is helping veterans to help themselves and others. Crawford County Veterans Service Officer Jim Hannah said that the Veteran’s Group was formed four months ago and has been meeting on the second Tuesday of each month.

The Veteran’s Group meets to discuss projects that they could do that could be of a benefit to the Correctional Institution or the community. The first project that the group completed was to take down, clean up, paint and generally refurbish the flag pole at the Correctional Institution. In the midst of the project, a newspaper from 1919 was found in the top of the flagpole. The big headline on the newspaper announced the end of World War I.

"These projects give them something to do, give them pride and help them to develop leadership skills," said Hannah, who noted that the group would next like to sell ice cream within the institution to other inmates and staff. Hannah said that he, institution personnel and the inmates are looking into the possibility of buying ice cream from a Prairie du Chien business and then selling the ice cream. The money made from the ice cream sales would then be donated to a local charity, possibly the Food Pantry.

Hannah said that the Veteran’s Group is also looking into raising money for schools in Prairie du Chien so that underprivileged students can buy school supplies.

There are approximately 30 veterans in the Prairie du Chien Correctional Institution and all are involved in the Veteran’s Group, said Hannah, who meets with the veterans either as a group or one-on-one in order to ensure that they receive all of the veteran’s benefits to which they are entitled.

"If they have been honorably discharged, they are eligible for every benefit as those veterans on the outside are," said Hannah.

In addition, Tim Murphy of Workforce Development meets with the Veteran’s Group to help them develop job skills, resumes, contacts and other job-related skills so that they are more prepared for when they are released.

"The idea is to help them to get ready to go back into society," said Hannah.

Hannah and others also strive to get the veterans into the Veteran’s Assistance Program at Tomah upon their release. Under the Veteran’s Assistance Program, the veterans can live in Tomah for up to two years while they work towards their GED and towards obtaining job skills and jobs. The Veteran’s Assistance Program also helps the veterans to stay focused upon something positive while also avoiding falling back into the habits that got them incarcerated, said Hannah.

Hannah, Murphy and Lynn O’Kane, a social worker at the Correctional Institution who oversees the Veteran’s Group, also strive to have the inmates develop special skills and talents that they may have. For example, Hannah said that there is an inmate that is an accomplished painter. It would be nice, said Hannah, if that inmate could gain exposure for his artwork and possibly a job in an art-related field.

Murphy, Hannah, O’Kane and others are also available to write letters of recommendation for veterans who are seeking employment.

Hannah said that he had been going to see the veterans in Prairie du Chien for one-on-one visits, and then the idea came about for forming a Veteran’s Group after he and others visited a job fair in the Jackson Correctional Institution in Black River Falls. The job fair was set up in large part by the veterans incarcerated at Jackson, Hannah said.

About three months ago, the Prairie du Chien Correctional Institution held its own job fair, during which inmates were able to speak to several potential employers.

Hannah said that the Veteran’s Group at Prairie du Chien has been proceeding quite well, but that ideas for projects can take awhile to come to fruition because of the rules and regulations of a correctional institution.

"I hope it keeps going and the program works for them," said Hannah. "Even if one or two out of the group get back into society, it’s a good thing."