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Capitol for a Day Breakfast reception offers Governor warm welcome Community, business and local government leaders gathered at the banquet room an the Barn Restaurant Tuesday morning to enjoy a meal and meet with Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle. Doyle and several members of his cabinet visited Prairie du Chien, Crawford County and Grant County as part of the Governor's "Capitol for the Day" outreach program. "We come here so there is an opportunity for people in Crawford County to get to know people in state government," Doyle explained. A total of 180 people attended the event. Attending the breakfast and visiting the county were the Secretary of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection Rod Nilsestuen; Commerce Secretary Mary Burke; Secretary of Tourism Jim Holperin; Workforce Development Secretary Roberta Gassman; Corrections Secretary Matt Frank; Financial Institutions Secretary Lorrie Keating Heinemann; Health and Family Services Secretary Helene Nelson; and Natural Resources Secretary Scott Hassett. The breakfast began in a relaxed atmosphere, with diners sampling the buffet while waiting for the Governor to arrive. Cabinet members joined diners at the tables. Seating was arranged by cabinet department, so locals could sit with a cabinet member they were interested in meeting. Governor Doyle arrived shortly after 8 a.m., greeted the crowd briefly, then he sat down at the head table with Chamber President Roy C. George, Rep. Lee Nerison, new Chamber of Commerce Director Bob Moses, Mayor Cheryl Mader, Crawford County Board Vice Chairman Larry Kapinus, and Chair of PdC Downtown Revitalization Marlene Dyer. Also seated at the head table were First Lady Jessica Doyle and Lieutenant Governor Barbara Lawton. As Mayor Cheryl Mader sat down with Gov. Doyle she exclaimed "We are so tickled to have you here!" After introductory remarks by Mayor Mader, Gov. Doyle took the podium. He thanked his guests and hosts for the warm reception. "You know, the secretaries are all very busy people, but getting them to come to Prairie du Chien was easy. This isn't a hard sell, everyone was happy to come," Gov. Doyle noted. Gov. Doyle remarked on the expansion of tourism in the region. "Prairie du Chien is a tourist destination, but my favorite spot is the dungeon in the basement of the courthouse," he joked. "When I was in law enforcement, there were a few people I thought ought to be sent there," he added. Governor Doyle also presented a certificate of recognition to retiring Chamber of Commerce Director Sharon Dearborn, for her service, and also presented Crawford County Board Vice Chair Larry Kapinus with a certificate proclaiming Crawford County Capitol for a Day. Following the reception, The Governor went to the County Administration Building for a Town Hall meeting about a new health care proposal. Several members of the cabinet fanned out across the city and the county to visit various locations, while some headed for appearances in Grant County. Cabinet heads touring in the area included: Tourism Secretary Jim Holperin who visited the Wisconsin Welcome Center, the Villa Louis and Wyalusing State Park. Corrections Secretary Matt Frank visited the Crawford County Law Enforcement Center, and Natural Resources Secretary Scott Hassett visited Cabelas. The Capitol for a Day events wound to a close with activities in Grant County. Governor speaks to county residents about affordable health insurance Governor Jim Doyle visited Prairie du Chien Tuesday morning as part of his "Capital for a Day" program. At approximately 10 a.m., Doyle spoke in a meeting room at the Crawford County Administrative Building about the proposed expansion of the BadgerCare program. The new program would be called BadgerCare Plus and would be designed to ensure that all children and all farm families in Wisconsin would have health insurance. "Every Wisconsin resident has a right to high-quality, affordable health care," said Doyle as part of his speech before approximately 50 county residents. "No child should ever be without health insurance." Doyle pointed out that 91,000 children were without health insurance in the state for at least part of the year 2004 and that the state can do better. "We're in the top 10 in the nation," said Doyle. "But that isn't good enough." Doyle said that the BadgerCare Plus proposal would create a single health care safety net program that streamlines the family Medicaid, BadgerCare and Healthy Start programs and eliminates barriers to enrollment while giving more people access to the affordable health insurance they need. "We're going to try to get this done this year," said Doyle. To that end, Doyle and the Department of Health and Family Services are taking suggestions and concerns from farming families, health care providers, advocates, social workers, policy makers and members of the public in order to work out all bugs and develop a fine-tuned BadgerCare Plus proposal that would hopefully be more readily accepted by the State Legislature as well as the federal government. Doyle said that he has been baffled as to why the State Legislature and the federal government have been against providing access to affordable health insurance for all citizens in the recent past. He noted that the state had to fight hard with the Congress in order to keep SeniorCare. The state won that battle but will need approval from the federal government for BadgerCare Plus. Doyle said that he is very concerned that President Bush's budget proposals have continued to cut funding for health care programs during a period when many states were facing budget deficits and the cost of health insurance has continued to skyrocket. During the past few years, the federal government has cut funding for health care programs in the state of Wisconsin by hundreds of millions of dollars. Doyle said that SeniorCare is a kind of model for the proposed BadgerCare Plus in that it streamlined the process, saved administrative effort and costs, saved taxpayer money and involved only one simple form to fill out. In addition to cutting red tape and making the process much simpler, Doyle said that the BadgerCare Plus plan will give farm families access to high-quality health insurance at a price that is roughly 50 percent lower than the average that farmers face in the private insurance market. BadgerCare Plus will change the way a farmer's income is calculated to determine eligibility. Currently, farm equipment depreciation is counted against farmers when applying for health insurance through BadgerCare. Doyle's new proposal would allow more farmers to buy into BadgerCare Plus even if they have depreciation income. "Currently the value of a farmer's tractor or hay baler counts against them when applying for BadgerCare. But those things aren't income. They don't help you pay the bills and they shouldn't be counted that way," Doyle said. "Farmers shouldn't have to choose between investing in new equipment to keep their operations profitable and health insurance for their family. I am cutting through the administrative red tape so that BadgerCare Plus can include more families, ensuring that not only kids are covered, but everyone in the family has access to health care." According to a Farm Bureau report from July 2006, 14 percent of Wisconsin's farmers have no health insurance. Doyle noted that if approved, the new BadgerCare Plus would allow access to affordable, high-quality health insurance for 500,000 state residents who could not have otherwise afforded insurance. Five hundred thousand is approximately 10 percent of the state's population. "This is quite a big deal," said Doyle. "We want to get all families, no matter what their income, to have health insurance." Also while in Prairie du Chien Tuesday morning, Doyle announced $67,452 in funding for Youth Apprenticeship grants for Southwest Wisconsin, to be administered through CESA #3. The funding will allow approximately 88 high school students from throughout the area combine employment with area businesses and classroom instruction in the coming school year to explore career options and set a course for jobs with a future, good pay, and benefits. Airborne wanderers drop in at Winneshiek Marina Imagine you have two weeks on your hands, and access to a classic small airplane that you know how to fly. Two recent visitors to Prairie du Chien are experiencing this special brand of freedom. Bob May, 56, and his friend John Ford, 57, met when they were in training as Delta Airlines pilots in 1979, and have been friends ever since. Now they are retired. They left Wedowee, Alabama, BobÍs hometown, on July 17, flying BobÍs 1946 Piper SuperCruiser float plane. They fly low, at about 500 feet, cruising at 85 m.p.h. After a night in Kentucky and in Illinois, the pair stopped at the Winneshiek marina for gas and to get out of a rainstorm that blew up last Wednesday afternoon. ñWeÍve flown this area for years, but itÍs so boring at 30,000 feet,î John commented. The men went on to say how much they have enjoyed watching wildlife on the ground, really seeing the landscape and waving back to the people who see them. Since a float plane is somewhat unusual, their rig has attracted attention everywhere they land. ñWeÍve been treated like movie stars, people have been very friendlyî said John. Travelling in a float plane requires special planning and preparation. The plane is equipped with pontoons, but no wheels, so a body of water is necessary to land. Bob said he had to map out a route where he identified areas where the plane could be landed and fueled, as needed, since both water and a marine fueling facility is necessary. That can be a hard combination to find in places like central Illinois. ñYou donÍt want to run out of gas and have no place to land,î Bob said. Fortunately, the plane runs on regular gasoline. Weight is another consideration. The fuselage and wings of the Piper are made of a special synthetic fabric, not aluminum. So the plane which carries two passengers, can only handle a certain amount of weight. The pair has been following the river for some distance, but their primary destination was the Oshkosh Air Festival, held last weekend. Bob said that the event attracts 10,000 aircraft. After the show, theyÍll point the Piper in the direction of Minnesota, then wander home, with no particular route in mind, just following the water and the gas docks.
Slow down, stay safe and enjoy our beautiful natural resource during low water
periods, says local warden
Every year about this time water levels on area rivers tend to get low and stay there for quite some time. This year, the river stage seems to be exceptionally low, however, having been hovering around the 6.5-foot mark on the Mississippi for about the past month. Even some experienced fishermen and boaters who are familiar with the backwater sloughs of Pool 10 have been reporting that they have occasionally hit objects where they had never hit anything before. "First of all, be careful at the boat ramp," said Conservation Warden for Crawford County Mike Cross. Cross noted that during periods of low water, people should make sure that their boat motors are tilted up and out of the way so that they don't strike rocks or other objects while the boat is being launched or loaded. Cross said that he has heard of several instances in which propellers have been damaged while launching or loading. Also, despite the fact that power loading is prohibited at most launch sites, most boaters continue to power load, thus scouring out a hole at the end of ramp over time. Cross said that caution should be used while launching or loading so that the wheels of the boat trailer don't go down into this hole or over the ridge and down the other side. When the wheels go down over the ridge, it can be difficult to pull the boat and trailer out of the water and up the ramp. Cross said that he saw one recent instance where a trailer axle was broken because of a ridge at the boat ramp. Cross said that there are also many hazards lurking just below the surface out on the river right now, including wing dams, closure dams, deadheads, snags and sandbars. He noted that there have been no major incidents recently but there have been several minor incidents involving boats getting stuck or hitting their lower units on objects and becoming disabled. Cross said that there was one incident last week in which waves put a boat up on some rocks and the boater couldn't get his boat off. He said that the biggest problems are with boaters who are unfamiliar with this area of the river and with boaters traveling too fast. "The higher the speeds, the higher the damage," he said. If boaters are unfamiliar with a particular stretch of the river, they should get a good river map before heading out, Cross advised. "Boaters should stick to the channels and slow down," he said. Cross said that boaters also need to take the time to "read the river." Wing dams or other structure below the surface are apparent by the swirling current or a high number of waves in that area. Really shallow areas also produce a high number of waves, which give a different look from that of the deeper water of the channel. In addition, to being very low, the Mississippi River has been exceptionally clear this season, with many longtime local river rats reporting that they can't remember it ever being this clear. In fact, experienced anglers fishing at the Lynxville Dam say that they can see fish even in the areas of heavy turbulence. Fishing in clear water can be an advantage and a disadvantage. If the angler can see the fish, they can also see the angler. Some fishermen report that keeping a low profile and making longer casts can yield good results. Other anglers have said that it can be a challenge to get their jigs past the stratified small fish and down to the big ones. Although, once the lure gets to were the bigger fish are, the angler can often direct the lure to the biggest fish in that zone. "I think that it's a positive thing," said Cross about the much improved water clarity. He said that clearer water leads to more aquatic plant growth, which in turn is the start of the chain of life. Bait fish and the fry of many species including northern pike and bass can take refuge in the weeds. "Plants are spectacular as a nursery for little fish, a good safety net," said Cross. Cross said that zebra mussels probably have a role in the improved water clarity because they are a filter-feeder and because there are billions of them. Zebra mussels are an invasive species, but improved clarity is one side benefit of a bad situation with the species. Cross also noted that there have been few "gully washer" rains this season to "muddy" the river and the increased plant growth may also help water clarity because plants act as a filter and produce oxygen. Cross advised all recreational enthusiasts to slow down, be safe and take it easy in order to fully enjoy what continues to be a great natural resource. Back Home Boys named Wisconsin Country Band of the Year With new members recently joining The Back Home Boys country music band, the group decided to once again take part in the Wisconsin Country Band of the Year contest. The group won the competition in 2002, which was the only other year they had competed in it. They first competed in the Q106 Pickoff Contest in Madison, where they faced five bands from the Madison area. The group then competed in the State Band Championships at the Rhinelander Hodag. The Back Home Boys challenged the likes of five other bands, four of which were from Wisconsin while one came from Michigan. The band played a 20 minute set, featuring classic country songs, along with some current hits. Tim Severson, a Prairie du Chien/Eastman native and the group's lead guitarist, said that he is thankful to the large group of locals who made the trip to the contest to support the band. "We had a mob of people cheering for us . . . that was pretty awesome," Severson said. The group's performances earned them the title of the 2006 Wisconsin Country Band of the Year. The Back Home Boys, who have been performing for the past 11 years, have only had to replace three members along the way. They also added an additional member to bring their current band total to six. Joe Schroeder (drums, acoustic guitar and vocals), Greg Webster (lead vocals and acoustic guitar), and Severson are the three original band members, all hailing from the Prairie du Chien area. New to the band are Charlie Chapman (bass guitar) from Manchester, Iowa; Doug Stock (fiddle), also from Manchester; and Mike Hartz (steel guitar and vocals) from Decorah, Iowa. The group has also added a sound man, Dave "Meat" Protsman, who is also from Decorah. Protsman worked as the soundman for Joan Jett and the Blackhearts before joining up with The Back Home Boys. "We just keep growing with our equipment and lighting," Severson said. "It used to take us 15 minutes to set up, now it takes us about three hours." The band's popularity is constantly on the rise, as the small town group who began playing in bars in Prairie du Chien, now opens for country music stars such as Rascal Flatts, Josh Turner, Neal McCoy, Terri Clark and the Bellamy Brothers. "We have played in four of the five largest country music fests in Wisconsin," Severson said. Fairs and festivals occupy the summer months for the band, as they travel all over Wisconsin and Iowa. This summer the group was the fourth band to play at Country USA in Oshkosh, which Severson said was the best time slot available with a crowd of 5 to 10,000 people. Between the time spent traveling and playing at their 80 shows per year, the band members still hold down full time jobs. "We also have really, really patient families," Severson said. The band, which put out a CD in 2002, has a video out now as well, which can be seen pdcvideo.com, thanks in part to Video Memories. Severson that the group would like to get back into the recording studio soon, but it has been hard working with everyone's individual schedules. The Back Home Boys also have a Web site, www. thebackhomeboys.com, which shows profiles of each of the members, along with a schedule of where they are playing at. "We started out our careers with a pick up truck to carry our equipment and we played for local bars wherever we could get a gig, and look at where we are now," Severson said. Accident reveals Ferryville police officer lacks driver's license After Ferryville police officer Larry Deluhery, 53, was involved in an on-the-job traffic accident, a Wisconsin State Trooper discovered that he was driving without a valid license. He was also cited for making an unsafe turn. Wisconsin State Trooper Dan Breeser responded to the accident scene along Hwy. 35 in Ferryville on July 14. Deluhery had attempted to make a U-turn to pursue a speeding car when he was struck in the rear drivers-side door by a Jeep driven by Joachim Hans Kostrau of Bagley. Deluhery was helicoptered into Gundersen-Lutheran Hospital, where he was treated for broken ribs and other injuries. He was released on July 16. The 2005 Dodge Durango Deluhery was driving was a total loss. Kostrau and his wife were treated for minor injuries at Prairie du Chien Memorial Hospital. Deluhery remains on medical leave. The Ferryville Village Board will meet this week to discuss the incident. |
