5th annual Relay for Life set for this weekend in PdC
The word "cancer" brings many different emotions to many different people.
The vast majority of these emotions are, not surprisingly, negative. Some
remember a loved relative or friend who was lost. Others may reflect back on the
time that they, themselves, have spent dealing with the disease. This weekend,
the focus will be not on death, but on life. The 5th annual Relay for Life will
take place Friday night through Saturday morning at Prairie du Chien High
School, both to remember cancer victims and survivors. The event kicks off at 6
p.m. Friday with the survivor's lap. All cancer survivors are asked to be
present for this lap. The entertainment will then begin at 7 p.m. Approximately
40 teams from around the area have been fundraising for several months, doing
everything from car washes to concession stands to team raffles. A few
businesses have even gone to giving a days' paid wages to the member who raises
the most money. Tom Stram, president of the local chapter of the American Cancer
Society, said that between 1,200 and 1,500 people participate in the Relay for
Life every year, and this weekend will be no different. But the grounds are not
limited to just team members. Everyone is invited to come out, show their
support and enjoy the festivities. There will be concession stands run by
Prairie Catholic Schools and live entertainment all night. From 6:30-9 p.m.
Friday, the Prairie du Chien Girl Scouts will be providing baby-sitting services
for anyone needing some help while walking on the track. The group has a
fenced-off area with games, coloring books, and other activities for youngsters.
A special Luminary Ceremony will be held at approximately 8:30 p.m. During this
time, luminaries will be lit to remember those lost to cancer and honor those
who have survived. Luminaries can be purchased for $5 at Dick's Supermarket or
Prairie Prescription. Most impressive about this year's Relay is the fact that
there are 13 corporate sponsors, the most of any community in Wisconsin holding
a Relay for Life, according to Stram. Although the goal for this year's event is
$90,000, Relay for Life will accept anything with open arms. "We'll be happy
with whatever we get," Stram said. "Every dollar counts." The money raised over
the weekend will go towards a variety of different cancer-related causes. Some
of these include research, advocacy work, early detection methods, and education
in schools, such as programs to stop kids from smoking. The American Cancer
Society spends approximately $100 million each year on cancer research,
including more than $7 million in Wisconsin. It's been paying off too: in 1946,
only one in four cancer patients were alive five years after diagnosis, and
today almost 60 percent live longer than five years.
Sharing the moment
Tim Stevens and Cheryl O'Brien share a hug following the graduation ceremony
Sunday at Prairie du Chien High School. More photos in the Education Section.
Nine area track athletes headed to State Meet
Nine area standout track athletes are headed to the State Track Meet in La
Crosse June 4-5. Prairie du Chien's Jaimie Edwards and Jesse Fitzner qualified
in the 300-meter hurdles and the long jump, respectively, at the McFarland
Sectional on Thursday. Edwards finished fourth in a time of 48.45 to qualify for
State, while Fitzner leaped 20 feet, 6.5 inches to take fourth in the long jump.
Six River Ridge athletes will make the trip to State. Rachel Wegmann won the
girl's 200-meter dash in 27.74 and also won the 400 in 1:01.47 at the Princeton
Sectional Thursday. Wegmann also qualified as a member of the River Ridge 400
relay team, which finished fourth in a time of 53.51. Other members of the relay
team include Allison Wegmann, Andrea Parkins and Alisha Bakkum. River Ridge's
Marsha Scott won the discus at 108 feet, 7 inches to qualify for State, while
Kyle Hampton finished third in the 100-meter dash in 11.78 to earn the trip for
the boy's team. Wauzeka-Steuben's Katelyn Hoffman finished sixth in the
100-meter dash at the tough Arcadia Sectional on Thursday but her time of 13.20
was better than the fourth-place finishers at other Division 3 sectionals from
throughout the state so she earned the trip to La Crosse as an "extra qualifier."
Those who finish in fourth place or higher at sectionals earn a berth in the
State Meet. Photos of area State qualifiers and further results from sectionals
are found on pages 20-22 of the Sports Section of today's Courier Press.
Dynamite removal on schedule, state can't pay for financial losses right
now
Last week's public information meeting concerning the dynamite removal,
scheduled for June 8, 9 and 10, ended with many disgruntled business owners.
Paul Nilsen, an attorney for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, told
business owners "The state cannot pay your losses at this time. We're hopeful
that the parties that are responsible for the dynamite will pay for all the
damages." Nilsen said the DOT has been in touch with all the insurance companies
of the parties responsible. He suggested that all parties keep in touch with
each other. "We have to know all the facts. We are working to find a solution,"
Nilsen said. Tom Stram, manager of Dick's Supermarket, said, "I'm ashamed to be
a taxpayer of the State of Wisconsin. I do not have the time to spend
investigating this. It is the responsibility of the State of Wisconsin. You
purchased the property - you own it." Other members of audience agreed with
Stram and demanded to know why the state cannot pay the owners and collect from
the parties responsible at a later date. Nilsen reiterated that, legally, the
state cannot pay for the losses at this time. He encouraged everyone to write
everything down. "I firmly believe that everyone will get paid in the long run,"
said Nilsen. He continued, "We have to act within the existing law. We don't
know all the facts yet. Who put the dynamite there; who touched it last - was
the building moved. We need to document everything." Nilsen told the audience
there is a lot of interest, about this situation, in Madison. When asked when he
thinks this will be all settled, Nilsen said, "We are optimistically looking at
midsummer or early fall. " Captain Arnold King assured the audience that
everything is on schedule. The temperature has been steadily holding above 70
degrees. "We are in good shape to hit the window of June 8, 9 and 10," King
said. Sheriff Robert Ostrander said, "All plans are in place. The state patrol
has done an excellent job setting things up. It is going smoothly." King said
there will be daily media briefings at 11 a.m. and briefing for evacuees every
evening at 7 p.m. Re-entry time for the evacuees will not be announced until
after the dynamite has been removed.
Mississippi River continues to rise
According to the National Weather Service, the river stage of the Mississippi
River at McGregor was 13.04 feet Tuesday evening. The river is forecast to rise
to 14.9 feet early next week, and may continue to rise slightly thereafter, but
indications are that the river will remain below flood stage of 16 feet.
Mayor breaks tie on capital improvement plans
Mayor Cheryl Mader broke a tie for the first time last night after a vote by the
Prairie du Chien Common Council ended in a 6-6 tie. The mayor's decision
approved the capital improvement plan. The $400,000 plan includes $50,000 "seed
money" for downtown improvements, a $7,500 contribution toward renovations at
the Villa Louis, $200,000 for the street program, $25,000 for a new roof for the
Old Rock School and $70,000 toward the Ft. Crawford Hotel project. Some council
members wanted to address the items individually, but the motion was made to
approve them all. In other business, the council approved the following bids:
Iverson Construction of Platteville for paving and asphalt, Larkin Construction
of Prairie du Chien for curb and gutter and sidewalk replacements, Pellock
Construction for the replacement of the Old Rock School roof and Schmidt Eng.
& Equip. for two reversible snow plows. Action on bids for seal coating and
the purchase of a pickup were tabled. Police Chief Mike King said he will be
meeting with the union president about a council order that all officers wear a
bullet proof vest while on duty. The council also met in closed session to
discuss a cell phone tower lease and lease of the St. Feriole Island Ballpark,
but no action was taken.
