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Retirement of Dillman marks the end of an era for Crawford County

Following the spring election in April, Crawford County will have its first new County Board Chairman in more than 33 years. Robert Dillman, who announced his noncandidacy in January, will step down as the county's longest reigning chairman ever.

Bob was elected to the Crawford County Board in the spring of 1968, taking office April 19 at the age of 41. Four years later, he was elected by unanimous vote as the chairman of the board. He has been elected chairman without opposition ever since.

Many have believed that D.C. McDowell was the longest serving chairman, but this notion is false. McDowell served on the board for many years, but he served "only" 17 years as chairman.

Bob, who is stepping down due to health concerns, said that he has loved his time serving the citizens of Crawford County.

"If I were well, would I do it over again? You better believe I would," he said. "I've enjoyed every minute of it. You have to have a love for it. I would've died in office."

"I'm going to miss the whole county," he continued. "I'm going to miss working with everyone. For the most part, people are decent, understanding and easy to work with. I'm going to miss my daily visits to the Administrative Building."

Bob's office in the new County Administrative Building is sparsely furnished but it does have a display of historical photographs and other memorabilia. One note posted on the wall behind his desk states, "Chairman of the Bored." A photograph on the bulletin board shows a much younger Robert Dillman pointing to his bumper sticker, which reads, "What the Good Lord giveth, the DNR taketh away."

Integrity
Integrity is very important to Bob and he said that he is proud of the fact that upon becoming board chairman, he helped "clean up" the way the county government was run. "You need to keep a good, clean government," he said in pointing out the fact that he did not serve on a single committee while he was chairman in order to not have influence on committee decisions or recommendations. In addition, none of Bob's vice chairmen served on the finance committee or the personnel committee. Also, Bob helped to rid the county government of favoritism concerning such things as awarding bids and the like. "Whoever the new chair is, they're going to have to follow the same plan as mine," he said about running a tight ship and a clean government.

During Bob's 33 years as chairman, there were some controversial issues and several notable accomplishments.

Rattlesnakes
One memorable and somewhat controversial issue in the 1970s was rattlesnakes. Lots of rattlesnakes were coming down off the bluffs and becoming a nuisance.

The state had removed the 50 cent bounty on rattlesnakes and Bob couldn't get attention for the problem until he threatened to collect a sack of snakes and deliver them to Madison and let them loose on the floor of the legislature. He knew an old snake handler from Boscobel who could defang the snakes. The state officials took him so seriously that on the appointed day, they dispatched the State Patrol to the county line to stop Bob should he come with his sack. His snake hunter friend either didn't or couldn't catch enough snakes.

Bob got the needed publicity and he will still sing his rattlesnake ditty with a wide grin. Crawford County did, in fact, vote to reinstate the bounty but it did not matter because the state law superceded.

Bob now concedes that the state turned out to be correct. "The state was right. We haven't had anybody bitten by a rattlesnake," Bob said.

The Satter Building
The purchase of the Satter Building for $130,000 in 1974 was Bob's first big project as chairman. At the time, some referred to it as Dillman's Folly, but after the purchase, the county sold $30,000 of surplus equipment, thus making the purchase even more of a bargain. The Satter Building was paid off in five years at $25,000 per year. Bob approached the city and tried to get them to share office space and some functions with the county, but the city wasn't interested. "We saved a barrel of money over the years by buying that building and land," said Bob. "It served it's purpose well." The building and land are now for sale at $1.2 million.

The bridge closing
In the 1980s, Bob was very vocal when the bridge closed. He called several officials several times a day until they got the clear message that he was not going away. Bob demanded immediate action because he was very concerned about the devastating economic impact of a long closure.

During a meeting with officials from the Department of Transportation in the basement of the People's State Bank, Bob would not be silenced. He kept the floor when they tried to get him to sit down and demanded answers and action.

At the end of the meeting, two aides of the DOT officials were walking out when one asked the other, "Who was that SOB?" Two locals overheard the conversation and one said to the other, "He may be a SOB, but he is our SOB."

In the 1990s, Bob worked hard to build the Joint Law Enforcement Center with the city. Combining services is an old theme of Bob's and he still wants the county and city to share a dispatch center.

The Administrative Building
The new Crawford County Administrative Building is the latest example of Bob's leadership. He couldn't see spending $200,000 to tear down the Satter Building. Renovating the Satter Building would have cost nearly as much as building a brand new facility and would not solve the problems of the need for a second courtroom and the need for parking at the courthouse. By building on the 3M site, the county would have its parking, the historic courthouse and its beautiful grounds would be saved and all other county services would be provided from the new administrative building nearby.

Bob had wanted the city to join the county and make one administrative building before the city purchased the new City Hall.

The Muscoda Incinerator
One thing that Bob is very proud of is the fact that Crawford County did not invest in the Muscoda incinerator. It didn't make economic or scientific sense to Bob. "I was frightened of the thing. Nine out of 10 of them don't work," he said. Bob was getting heavy pressure from the city and from Iowa, Grant and Richland counties. Bob told them that Crawford County didn't have any upfront money and wasn't willing to go into debt for the incinerator. He told them that Crawford County would promise all of their garbage at a tipping fee of $30 per ton.

The incinerator never got off the ground and surrounding counties paid hefty bills for years. Some took five years to pay it off.

Salary cut
During a tough budget year in the 1980s, while the county was in the midst of negotiations with the union, Bob cut his salary as County Board Chairman from $7,500 to $2,500 in an effort to show good faith. Even though it ultimately did not influence the negotiations, Bob's salary remained at the cut level for many years. "That was a foolish thing I did," he said with a wry smile.

County representation
Bob has thoroughly enjoyed being the face and voice of Crawford County and he would be the first to say that he had much help from many good people. "There are so many people to thank over the years. I would not be able to list them all," he said.

Music
Many people may be aware that Bob has had a lifelong love of music and playing his trumpet. They would be glad to know that Bob still practices regularly and can still belt out a tune as good as he ever could.

Stage set for this weekend's 31st Annual Eagle's Telethon

The 31st Annual Eagles Heart and Cancer Telethon will be held this Saturday at Bluff View Elementary School. The many volunteers, groups and clubs will be taking their places on the phones, behind the scenes and in front of the camera to bring you a memorable night! Tune in to Cable Channel 6 on Saturday, Jan. 28, starting at 5 p.m.

Everyone on the Eagles Telethon Committee has been busy getting donations and auction items ready, as well as lining up the talent. Viewers will be asked to call in their pledges the night of the telethon. There will be two auctions taking place that night. One will be at Bluff View School with the items displayed on TV. Viewers can call in their bids on a special phone number. The other auction will take place at the Eagles Club. Auction items include: a family membership, plus a cart, from Barnyard Nine Golf Course; a Œmovie for a month' for the year from Star Cinema; a neutering for a pet dog or cat from Southwest Veterinary; an overnight package from Bridgeport Inn; a Weedeater Leaf and Snow Blower from Small Engine Doctors; a pontoon rental for a day from Boatels of McGregor; Rose Stram's Famous Pickles; a duck decoy from Valley Fish and Cheese; a Deer Valley golf package from Design Homes; a cabinet from Novey Construction; Danny Ruehlow's Beanie Babies collection; a package from merchants at Commerce Court Mall; items from Waukon Harley Davidson Shop and Waukon Implement; gift certificates to Prairie Fun Land and items from Cabela's.

The Fraternal Order of Eagles, Aerie #1502 also has raffle tickets available. The top prize is a trip for two to Las Vegas for three nights and four days, along with many other cash prizes.

Take advantage of a fantastic meal at the Eagles Club on Saturday night, starting at 5 p.m. On the menu this year is roast pork with all the trimmings, plus dessert. Ed Nagel of Eastman has donated the hog and Kevin and Jane Schaaf of Eastman Locker are donating the processing. Everyone is welcome to eat at the Eagles Club and carry-outs are also available.

The Jaycees will have a concession stand at Bluff View School again this year. Last year, it was a big hit for the hungry volunteers, performers and supporters who like to be where the "action" is.

All of the time, effort, talent, food, auction items and money is donated for this event. One-hundred percent of the proceeds from the auctions, concession stand, roast pork meal, raffle and pledges will benefit heart and cancer research efforts at the University of Wisconsin, as well as Gundersen-Lutheran and Franciscan Skemp Clinics.

This event would not be a success without the help and support of MediaCom, CenturyTel, Prairie du Chien Public Schools, Orion Computers and the many businesses, clubs, volunteers and individuals.

Emcees for this year's telethon will be Dewy Christoph, Tom Nelson, Tom Stram, Jim Bittner and Angie Mikkelson. Please plan to take part in the 31st Annual Eagles Heart and Cancer Telethon, and whether you watch or attend...enjoy!

Bald Eagle Appreciation Days receives 'Putting Wisconsin on the Map' award

On Monday morning, Secretary Jim Holperin delivered Governor Doyle's "Putting Wisconsin on the Map" award in Prairie du Chien for it's annual Bald Eagle Appreciation Days, held February 3-4 this year. The award is designed to honor groups or individuals that creatively promote Wisconsin tourism attractions and raise the state's profile nationwide.

The recipients of this award are the entities that are involved in making the bald eagle event happen each year, including: Prairie du Chien Area Chamber of Commerce/Tourism Council, Effigy Mounds National Monument, Wyalusing State Park, Pikes Peak State Park, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Upper Mississippi Wildlife & Fish Refuge, Upper Iowa Audubon Society, Iowa Welcome and Nature Center and AmericInn Lodge and Suites.

"Wisconsin is home to the largest population of wintering bald eagles in the country, making us a premier destination for eagle watching," Holperin said. "By hosting eagle-related events and activities, the communities [that host these events] have lifted the state's visibility as an eco-tourism and bird-watching destination. In addition, the events create economic impact for local areas by attracting visitors during the winter months and by focusing national media attention on Wisconsin."

Also receiving the prestigious award on Monday for eagle-watching events were Prairie du Sac and Cassville.

In the last several years, bird watching in Wisconsin has garnered national media attention from CNN, CBS Sunday Morning, Chicago Tribune, Audubon Magazine, Mother Earth News, UK Birdwatch, Midwest Airlines Magazine, Wisconsin Public Radio and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Previous recipients of the Governor's "Putting Wisconsin on the Map" award include the Great River Road, Green Bay Packers, American Birkebeiner, Road America, First Lady Jessica Doyle, The Overture Center and the 2004 PGA Championships.

PdC mother charged with giving her baby with drugs

A 43-year-old Prairie du Chien woman was charged in La Crosse County Circuit Court Jan. 18 with one count of the intentional physical abuse of a child by a caretaker and one count of the manufacture and delivery of a schedule IV drug.

Kimberly N. Barnett faces a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison and $20,000 in fines if convicted. Barnett is accused of regularly injecting her 6-week-old daughter with a powerful sleeping medication.

While being questioned last week, Barnett told police that she did not intend to harm her daughter when she gave the child injections of a drug-laced baby formula twice a day for several weeks at her home and while the baby was being treated at Franciscan Skemp Medical Center.

Barnett gave investigators a syringe and a film canister containing temazepam capsules, which are used to treat insomnia. She then appeared to speak as a split personality, according to the criminal complaint.

According to the complaint, Barnett began to cry and then said, "I didn't think it would hurt her." She then spoke in a different tone of voice and identified herself by a different name, and then a third name.

The dehydrated baby was brought to the hospital on Jan. 9 to be treated for diarrhea and being sleepy all the time. A nurse told police that the baby was very active and alert the evening of Jan. 10 but then slept for 19 straight hours after her 2 a.m. feeding.

A preliminary hearing for Barnett has been scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 26 in La Crosse County Circuit Court. Barnett is free on a signature bond and the baby is in foster care.

City council makes move to purchase 120-acre Bloyer property

Last Tuesday the Prairie du Chien City Council was called together for a special meeting. In a closed session of the meeting, there was a unanimous vote to authorize an offer to purchase property from the Bloyer family in the southwest area of Prairie du Chien.

The land totals roughly 120 acres and is going for the price of $1,800,000. According to Mayor Cheryl Mader, the land, which is currently used as a corn field, will be used for industrial purposes for the city of Prairie du Chien.

"This land has been ear marked for a long time," commented Mader.

She said that because of the current state of the land, it has been difficult to market the area to new businesses. "We want to build infastructure and make it more marketable [to prospective businesses]," said Mader. She also said that there are plans to relocate an existing business to the new area.

The land is located directly across the road from Prairie Fun Land, and is the current propety of George and Barbetta Bloyer and Norma Bloyer. The purchase will not include their homes and the land their homes are on.

The city had an option to buy the land years ago, but a transaction was never made, and the option expired. Mader said that the city council has been working on this transaction for the past two or three months. "The vote was unanimous ‹ everyone thinks this is a very good thing for the city," she said.

New Marquette city council addresses a wide array of issues

The new members of the Marquette City Council set to work without fanfare last Tuesday. New council members were ready to go. Mary Jo Pirc, Tracy Melver and Darren Matthew got together recently and toured the city and discussed problems and issues in order to prepare for their work as council members, according to Pirc.

The council voted unanimously to hire Public Administration Associates (PAA) as consultants to assist with the search for a city manager. The city had received bids from two other consultants of $17,000 and $20,000; but PAA was the lowest bid by far at $4,500. The mayor also expressed confidence in the company's work, as they assisted Prairie du Chien recently to fill their city administrator position. The concept of hiring someone to fill the position was not controversial. "There's definitely a need," noted Tracy Melver.

Randy Weeks of Design Homes attended the meeting to answer any questions from the council about the Eagle Crest subdivision. There are eight lots in the development, which the city has undertaken in conjunction with Design Homes. Two houses have been completed and a third will be ready for sale this spring, according to Weeks. The city has a contract for four houses in total. The council voted to make the contracted payment to Design Homes for $20,823.

The council discussed at length a $6,950 bid to trim trees in the city. The city tree board recommended the removal of trees in several areas where they cannot be accessed by trucks and heavy equipment and even have to be physically climbed to do the job. The council had tabled the issue at the last meeting to give it more consideration. Only one company bid on the job, Brinks of Waukon, and the council was displeased by this. Street Superintendent Ken Grennier said no other companies bothered to submit bids. "It's hard to find someone who will physically climb trees that is bonded and insured," Mayor John Reis noted. The council accepted the Brinks bid and get the work done.

The council also discussed and voted on bids for repair work to the exterior of City Hall, which Mayor Reis called an "eyesore." New limestone sills and new windows and doors will be installed on the front of the building, and limestone or brick will replace the plywood infill around the main entrance to the building. Vinyl siding will be installed on the side of the structure. City Clerk Maryanne Trudo was happily anticipating the improvement. "Every time that door slams, it feels like something is going to come down," she said.

Near the close of the meeting the council approved the annual calendar of events on city property, such as the flea markets, and discussed committee appointments and vacancies. The council voted to renew the appointments of Maryanne Trudo as City Clerk and Jim Garrett as City Attorney.