Accomplishing one of your life goals is very fulfilling and a rural Eastman woman has done just that with the publishing of her first fiction novel.

"Now that it's all done, I'm very proud of it," said author Susan M. Gordon, who has just released The Inside Mind with Belle Ink LLC Publishing.

The Inside Mind is a suspenseful tale of horror about the brutal abduction of a young girl whose captor has delusions that he is living in a pre-historic time. "It's very gripping. It grabs you," said Gordon, who described her work as "very adult."

"I wanted to write something nobody else had written and I think I accomplished that," said Gordon, whose story takes place in the Ozark wilderness. "If I could write a book that would scare me when I read it back to myself, I knew I would be successful."

Gordon began the book in the mid-1990s while living in Oconomowoc. She and her husband Ken then moved to the Eastman area four years ago and Gordon's creative juices began to flow once again. "We fell in love with this place. It's a creative paradise," said Gordon. "I enjoyed the area and it allowed me to finish my book."

One of Gordon's toughest challenges in writing the novel was the creation of the villain. Locked in her office after midnight, in total darkness except for the light of the computer screen, Gordon was able to get inside her villain's mind and flesh him out. "It was very hard for me to make the villain become a full character," she said. "It's so not in me to think like that. He was very difficult to write to say the least. I am very proud of my character development."

Gordon spent years researching her book, and she and her husband traveled to the Smokey Mountains and various other parts of Tennessee, Kentucky and Arkansas to make sure every geographical detail was rendered with the utmost accuracy. They even explored various caves and recorded everything they observed.

In writing the ending to her novel, Gordon talked to Crawford County Sheriff Jerry Moran to make sure the law enforcement depiction was accurate and believable. Dr. Craig Cole of Gundersen Lutheran of La Crosse gave insight into the medical side of the story. "Jerry Moran is a wonderful guy," said Gordon's husband Ken. "Dr. Craig Cole was very helpful," said Gordon.

Gordon also praised the work of her publisher Jack Magestro and her artist Christie Preuss, whose watercolor adorns the book's cover. "Christie is a child of my heart," said Gordon. "Jack was wonderful. He was very encouraging, a wonderful mentor."

The Inside Mind has been released for special order for a pre-market audience at www.lulu.com/content/1838475. In the near future the book will be available nationwide in bookstores, libraries and at Amazon.com, said an excited Gordon.

Gordon, a teacher's aide and an advocate for children at risk in a Prairie du Chien school, said her next book will be penned under her maiden name and will be aimed at an audience in the 10-to-14-year-old age group. "I will also be writing a sequel to The Inside Mind at some point," she said.

Prairie du Chien Common Council last night authorized advertising for bids for the replacement of downtown sewer and water mains and laterals along Blackhawk Ave., but delayed bidding out the streetscape project.

Kurt Muchow of Vierbicher Associates, the consulting firm for the project, said that, while the initial plan was to bid out both projects at once in hopes of getting the best possible results, an archeological report required for the streetscape project has not been completed. Muchow said, however, that "it is a good bid environment now." He added, "We could continue with one process but out concern is that delay could cost more. Muchow said the La Crosse firm preparing the report was aware of the city's needs, but had not been very responsive. Once the report has been received, the DOT must still review it before streetscape bids can be let.

The total budget for the sewer and water project, which will include Beaumont Road north from Wisconsin St., Main from Wisconsin to Washington, and Prairie from Iowa St. to W. Louis St. is $3,450,466, and, while the city has applied for a Clean Water grant, they are also exploring other means of financing the project should that not be approved. Council member Frank Pintz asked, "If it wasn't downtown and we didn't have the money, would we be rushing into this project?"

City Administrator Jim Gitz said that, with the money the city has already received in grants and loans, it's a manageable debt. "We already have $960,000 in grants. The streetscape improvements would be an incomplete investment without sewer and water being completed. The total package proposal is to ïdo it once, do it right, and do it on time.'" Gitz said it was a good buy for a minimal investment of local dollars.

Should the archeological report come in, they might still be able to include the streetscape in the bidding process. Gitz said Mayor Mader told him she would drive to La Crosse and pick up the report if it would speed things up.

Council also authorized a plan to widen North Beaumont Rd. from Perry to McLeod Streets to increase safety for St. Gabriel students. The street will be widened by three feet on each side. Buses park and unload on the west side and parents drop off and pick up children on the east side. The project will be completed as sewer and water improvements are made to Beaumont Rd.

The annual telethon to raise funds for cancer and heart research is scheduled for Saturday Jan. 26.

The telethon begins at 5 p.m. at Bluff View Intermediate School and will be televised over Channel 6.

There will be concurrent activities at the Eagles Club beginning with a dinner at 4:30 p.m.

Kids in Crawford County don't have much chance at all„to get in trouble, that is. At every twist and turn of the path toward adulthood, there's an organization„or two or three„working to help them become happy, successful adults.

One of these organizations is the Children's Advisory Board, which collaborates with the schools, the hospital, area clergy, the county extension service and Crawford County Human Services, as well as many other groups to reach out to young people in the county.

The board's mission statement is to address the issues of children who are, or are at risk of becoming, abused, neglected, delinquent, habitually truant or uncontrollable„the at-risk children. "The mentality is," said chairperson Wendy Garrity, "how do we get to the kids and give them some alternatives to getting in trouble." However, in fulfilling that mission, the board's programs reach virtually every child in the county.

In the nearly two-year period from January, 2005 through November 2007, the board provided funds for various programs in the county's schools to the tune of over $39,000. These funds were used for such things as after school programs, post-prom parties, reading, outdoor education, fine arts and many others.

In addition, the board is sponsoring a county-wide mentoring program, a Prime for Life underage drinking education program for kids who have alcohol violations, and a summer day camp program called People Actively Linked with Students (PALS). They also give two scholarships yearly to each of the area schools and have begun a fund drive for a skate park.

The mentoring program matches adult mentors to Crawford County youth referred by their families, schools or social services. Right now, there are about 15 adults and children working together in the program, but there are children who remain on a waiting list due to a shortage of mentors. Any adult who would be willing to spend an hour a week with a child, and make a year's commitment, is asked to contact Kathy Quamme at 326-0217.

The program is funded in part by money from the pop cans recycled from can collection sites. In 2007 the board had an income of $7,226.00 from cans sold. "We still need to get the word out to recycle those cans," said Garrity.

The other funds come from money available to Judge Kirchmann through crime prevention funds paid by defendants in Crawford County Circuit Court. Last year, that amounted to $10, 759.31. That funding, however, is currently threatened by a bill coming to the state senate which would eliminate the the authority of a judge to require these funds be paid by a defendant, and the advisory board has been workng to inform legislators of the good done by those funds.

Dancin' and romancin' are two activities guaranteed to put a spring in your step and a smile on your face. Dancin' and possibly romancin' can be found at a new Prairie du Chien dance studio, Xpressions Dance, 124 E. Blackhawk Ave.

Couples engaging in ballroom basics not only can learn something new, they may also enjoy a new form of expression through this shared activity with their partner.

Xpressions Dance began offering courses in September of 2007 with instructor and owner Ashley M. Kakes. Xpressions offers adult courses in ballroom basics, ballroom continuing and zumba. The studio also offers children's courses, including ballet, tap, jazz and hip hop.

Each course meets once a week for nine weeks. Children's classes are 30 minutes to an hour long and adult sessions are 45 minutes.

"I like to see people walk out happy," said Kakes, who noted that dancing is a great stress reliever. "They leave their stress outside the door. Often they're a totally different person than when they first walked in. They walk out with a smile on their face."

Kakes said that there are currently five couples in the ballroom basics class. Also, several women have shown an interest and are seeking dance partners so that they can participate. There are three couples taking ballroom continuing, which is a more advanced course.

The ballroom courses include waltzes, the fox trot, the quick step and the tango as a fun way to end the course.

"I'd like to see a ballroom dancing venue open up in the Prairie du Chien area," said Kakes. "There are a lot of people who really want to have a place nearby where they can continue to enjoy their new skills."

Kakes also teaches zumba for adults. Zumba is a Latin American dance fitness course for individuals. No partner is needed. "It's really fun and it's really a popular class," said Kakes, who noted that there are 32 currently enjoying the lively workout sessions. "It's fun so it doesn't seem like you're working out," she said.

"Dancing is healthy and fun. It's healthy for the body and the mind," Kakes said. "It's really a good pick-me-up."

In addition to the adults, Kakes also is teaching 35 students in the children's classes. "I'm very pleased with our first year," she said.

"My life revolves around dance," said Kakes, who graduated in May of 2006 from the University of Wisconsin with bachelor's degrees in history and dance. While in Madison, Kakes taught dance for two years at a studio in Oregon, Wis.

"I've danced for as long as I can remember and I've loved it for as long as I can remember," Kakes said. "I started competing in the seventh grade and that's when I got serious about it."

Kakes hopes to be putting smiles on people's faces through dance for a long time in Prairie du Chien. "I will love to stay here for as long as Prairie du Chien will have me and I hope my numbers (of students) will keep growing."

Former City Planner Garth Frable has accepted an offer made by the city of Prairie du Chein to return to that position.

Frable, who resigned in November, 2006, had continued to do consulting work for the city, but had indicated recently that he was willing to return to his former position if an arrangement could be worked out which would allow him to spend part of his time working out of his home in Des Moines.