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| | A grand
time along a grand old river
No matter what the reasons were that they came, it can be safe to
assume that the crowd that swelled along the riverfronts in Prairie du
Chien, Marquette and McGregor had a good time during the historic Grand
Excursion the past few days. They began trickling in on Friday and about
150 were present for Friday night's Opening Ceremony on Prairie du Chien's
St. Feriole Island. Hundreds more attended the antique tractor show and
quilt show at The Commerce Court Mall over the weekend and many visited
the encampment of the Big River Long Rifles on The Island. The crowd
expanded to its biggest proportions, however, in anticipation of the
arrival of the big riverboats, the Julia Belle Swain, the Anson Northrup
and the Mississippi Queen, late Tuesday afternoon as Lawler Park was
filled to capacity at the height of what will surely be the biggest
event in the Prairie du Chien area for quite some time. Officials have
no estimates as of yet but the Grand Flotilla and the many activities
that surrounded it drew thousands to the area from Friday through
Wednesday. "You don't want people to have a bad impression of your city
and you want people to have a good time when they're here," said Patty
Hamann, one of about 75 volunteers that were on hand to give out
information and assistance. "I've given out many Grand Excursion Special
Editions published by The Courier Press, numerous brochures and several
city maps." Hamann also answered numerous questions from tourists
unfamiliar with the Prairie du Chien area. "Try to explain St. Feriole
Island," Hamann said. "People envision an island out in the middle of
the river and wonder how to get there. But, once they realize that there
are two roads to drive in on, they're fine." In addition to the big
riverboats and the many activities on The Island, Hamann said that many
people came to Prairie du Chien for the program held at the Fort
Crawford Museum. "The Grand Excursion is a reenactment of an historical
event and many people wanted to learn some history as well as be a part
of history." Indeed, hundreds turned out at the museum to hear the
lecture about Marquette and Jolliet, followed by a concert by "Paddle
Wheel 6." Many visitors also whetted their historical appetites by
touring the Villa Louis on St. Feriole Island. After enjoying the
historical program at the Fort Crawford Museum, visitors flocked to
McGregor and Marquette to view the riverboat's arrival and to partake in
the many activities in those communities. Hundreds took full advantage
of the shuttle buses that enabled them to avoid heavy traffic and to
enjoy the activities of McGregor and Marquette before returning to
Prairie du Chien. "We came to Prairie du Chien because of everything. It's
a fun place to be," said Greg Phaneuf of Mukwanago. "We saw the
activities on the website and the island offers a great facility. It's a
very fun day, we saw the Delta Queen and the steam locomotive side by
side." Phaneuf was visiting Prairie du Chien with his wife Barbara and
his parents Marv and Pat from Waukesha. "Prairie du Chien is doing
itself proud," said Phaneuf. "All the people have been so friendly and
it's all the little things that have made it really nice." The family of
Scot and Karen Campbell of Fennimore took in the Grand Excursion from
several vantage points before stopping in Prairie. The Campbells were in
Dubuque on Monday for all of the activities in that city and then hopped
aboard "The Spirit of Peoria" for a cruise upriver to Cassville. "Oh, it
was wonderful," said Karen Campbell about the cruise. "I wish we had
taken it all the way to Prairie du Chien." The Campbells said that they
came to Prairie in order to see the Grand Flotilla "one more time." One
cute couple walking through Lawler Park on Tuesday afternoon was Tom
Jones of Columbus and Judy Stuntbeck of Deerfield. "It's always pretty
exciting to see the big riverboats," said Jones, who along with
Stuntbeck, was dressed in a blue "sailor" outfit topped by a blue sailor
cap bearing the inscription "Mark Twain." Jones and Stuntbeck explained
they saw some large riverboats several years ago in Hannibal, Missouri.
In addition to the big riverboats, the paddle-wheeler "Lille Belle" made
a grand entrance Tuesday as it cruised upriver under a full head of
steam past the Lawler Park onlookers before circling back to the Prairie
du Chien dock. Crew member Jon "Hawk" Stravers said that it took 17
hours for the Lille Belle to navigate from Dubuque to Prairie du Chien. "It's
been a long day," said the tired but smiling Stravers later Tuesday
night. The dedicated people at the Prairie du Chien Tourist Information
Center said that no exact numbers are known but that several thousand
attended the once-in-a-lifetime event. Some people estimated between six
and 10 thousand swelled the streets of McGregor, Marquette and Prairie
du Chien. In addition to viewing or riding on the riverboats in all of
their grandeur, visitors enjoyed numerous activities in the festive
atmosphere. Some of the activities in Prairie du Chien included musical
performances by the National Brass Quintet on Friday evening, Three
Beers ŒTil Dubuque on Tuesday night and The Hallbergs on Wednesday.
There were airplane rides, helicopter rides, pony rides, backwater river
eco-tours and a hot air balloon lift off. Author of "The Last River Rat,"
Kenny Salwey captivated the audience with river rat tales over the
years. Visitors to McGregor were treated to a historical walking tour of
McGregor, music by Old Man River Band, a fiddle contest, a Huck Finn-Tom
Sawyer contest and fashion show, a fine art exhibit, music by
Mississippi River Blues Band and a staged "old time" bank robbery. The
Hallbergs performed "river music" on the Marquette Riverfront on Tuesday
and there were historical recreations all day by the First U.S. Dragoons
Iowa Detachment and the Third Iowa Light Artillery in McGregor and
Marquette.
Parades, fireworks to highlight area fourth of July celebrations
There are many events coming up in celebration of the Fourth of July
weekend in area municipalities. In Eastman on Sunday, July 4, the parade
will begin at 10 a.m. Following the parade there will be kid's Olympic
games, ball games, volleyball, other games and food on the grounds of
the ECHOES School. Rollicking, good time country music on the grounds
will be provided by area favorite "The Back Home Boys". A raffle drawing
will be held at 8 p.m. and fireworks will begin at dusk. In Bagley on
Sunday, July 4, the parade will begin at 10:30 a.m. followed by the
chicken barbecue at 11:30 a.m., along with children's games, bingo and
the flea market at the Bagley Community Park. At 1 p.m., cow chip bingo
will begin. At 2 p.m., there will be a raffle drawing and at 5 p.m.,
ballgames will begin. Fireworks will commence at dusk and the
ever-popular street dance will be held immediately following the
fireworks. Bagley's Independence Day Celebration is sponsored by
American Legion Post 482, the Bagley Volunteer Fire Department and the
Bagley Community Park. McGregor and Marquette will celebrate
Independence Day by holding a parade at 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 3 in
Marquette. Fireworks will begin at dusk on July 3 at the Isle of Capri
Marina. The ever-popular flea market will be held in Marquette from 9-5
p.m. on July 2-4.
One paper next week
Due to the Fourth of July Holiday, there will be only one issue of
the Courier Press this week. We will not be publishing an issue on
Monday, July 5. Our office will be closed on Monday, July 5, and reopen
at 8 a.m. on Tuesday.
Mormons on a mission
Volunteers completing mission work in PdC
Elders Warner and Young have been in town since the end of May
going door to door to spread the message of the Jesus Christ of Latter
Day Saints, affectionately known as the Mormons. The pair are originally
from Utah, growing up in Mormon homes. When they turned 19, they
voluntarily decided to become missionaries for their church. Young began
serving about a year and half ago and Warner has been a missionary for
about six months. They are not paid for their services, but their
expenses are paid for by the church. "We found something true," Young
said. "We want other people to find it, too." They will serve here
anywhere from six weeks to two months, depending on what the church
tells them to do. The choice of Prairie du Chien as their next mission
came after much praying and deliberating by them and the church. The
missionaries are coming off a stint in the "ghetto of Milwaukee." "It's
a totally different world," Young said of the two experiences. "Because
of the difference in size, there's different attitudes." A typical day
for the missionaries, who can't give out their first names for security
reasons, starts with exercise at 6 a.m. They study various religious
material and teaching techniques for a few hours before heading off to
volunteer. They have helped out at a few places, including the hospital.
Currently, they work at B.A. Kennedy Elementary School at around 9:30,
helping with recess and other activities, but not preaching religion.
And then, it's off to the streets. Warner and Young are usually
canvassing the city between noon and 8:30 p.m. to teach the community
about their religion. The church was founded in the 1800's by prophet
Joseph Smith. According to their beliefs, Smith was praying one night
because he was confused about all the different denominations of
Christianity. After that, he said he had a dream in which God and Jesus
Christ came before him and told him to join none of the churches that
existed at that time. The church believes that prophets such as Smith
are as much a part of the world today as they were during biblical
times. There are lot of misconceptions about the religion. For example,
many are still under the impression that Mormons practice polygamy,
which means having more than one wife. This was discontinued by Mormons
in 1890. "Those are break-offs," Young said of the polygamists. "We are
not affiliated with them." As one might guess, Warner and Young don't
always find success in their daily routes, but that has never stopped
them. "It just makes us pray harder and work harder," Young said. Even
though a lot of people may not have the time or patience for them, most
of Prairie's citizens are nice and respectful, Young said. One glimpse
of this is the short trip that the interviewer and the missionaries went
on. After the first two houses turned up empty, a woman answered the
knock on her door and conversed outside with the pair. Young started
with some small talk about what she was up to that day, and she
mentioned how she was working on her pool, among other things. Then they
asked if they could talk to her for a little while about Jesus Christ
and their religion. The woman politely replied that she didn't have
time, saying the family was busy packing for a trip. They said their
thank yous and good-byes and went on their way. Afterward, Young said
that the conversation was "pretty typical." The local chapter of the
Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is located at 1300 South Marquette
Road. It meets every Sunday at 10 a.m. with Rev. Timothy Fitzner, who
said that the people Warner and Young help enjoy them immensely. "I love
the guys," said Fitzner, whose son Craig is doing mission work in
Germany. "They do a tremendous amount of service. They've been
wonderful." Warner and Young are just a few of the missionaries the
church has had in town. This practice has been going on for about a year
and a half and they are hopeful that it will continue. For more
information, Warner and Young can be reached at 326-4447.
Man sought in stabbing
At approximately 2:15 a.m. on Wednesday, June 30, Prairie du Chien were
dispatched to a disturbance in the 600 block of North Michigan Street.
Upon arrival police learned that Sean Hogan, 22, Eastman, had been
stabbed twice in the abdomen during an altercation with his twin
brother, Patrick Hogan, 22, Prairie du Chien. Callie Dawn Hogan, 25,
Prairie du Chien, was also been physically assaulted during the attack.
Sean Hogan was conveyed to the Prairie du Chien Memorial Hospital by
local EMS and later med-flighted to La Crosse for treatment. As of
Wednesday morning, police were looking for Patrick Ian Hogan, 22 in
connection with the incident.
Rotary Youth Exchange students sees the beauty
The first Rotary Club was organized, in Chicago, in 1905, with the idea of
business men getting to know each other better. The name Rotary came into being
because the meetings were held at a different business each week. By 1910 the
organization spread around the world. In 1927, the Rotary Club of Nice, France,
initiated the exchange of European students, in order to expose them to
different cultures. In 1939, clubs in the United States began exchanging
students with Central American countries. In 1972, the Rotary International
Board of Directors agreed to recommend Youth Exchange to clubs worldwide as a
worthwhile international activity that promotes global peace and understanding.
Today, the program involves more than 82 countries and over 8,000 students each
year. The Prairie du Chien Rotary Club has been involved in the Youth Exchange
Program for a number of years. This years’ participant is Paola Nonelli, 18,
of Italy. Her stay in Prairie du Chien began in mid-August and will end in early
July. Paola resides in the small town of Darfo, population, 14,000. It is
located in a beautiful glacial valley, called Valle Camonica, nestled in the
mountains. The valley begins at Lake Iseo, in the southern part. All over the
valley there are small mountain lakes. Paola has a brother, Michele, 15 and
sister, Anna, 3 years old. Her mother, Lionella Savoltelli, worked in a clothes
shop until her sister was born. Her father, Lucio Nonelli, works for a
transportation agency. In Italy, women keep their last name when they marry.
Paola says her town and the area, is known worldwide for art and history.
Engravings were found dating from 6000 BC to the Roman conquest in 16 BC. The
area contains many museums and statues, along with a Roman Amphitheater. Paola
says there is a spa park in her village. "It contains four different types of
curative waters and a lot of people come here to drink this water and do special
treatments." Paola says, "I love to go swimming in the lake and hiking in the
mountains. The mountains contain many trees. "I was surprised to see so many
trees here," she said. "This area is very pretty." While attending high school
in Prairie, she played on the volleyball team and swam on the swimming team. "My
favorite sport is volleyball," she said, "and I learned to play softball." In
addition, she loves to play the guitar and read. Paola will have one more year
of high school, a total of five, when she returns home. In Italy, children
attend school six days a week for nine months. After graduation she plans on
attending a university, specializing in humanities. During her stay in Prairie
she has resided with the Mark and Ann Gruenwald family, Darrell and Carol Kifer
and is presently staying with Dennis and Martha Haeger. Some of the areas Paola
has visited in the U.S., include Disney World and Planet Hollywood, in Florida.
She also visited New Orleans. The senior class traveled to Great America Six
Flags in the Chicago area. One of her most enjoyable trips was to Michigan to
visit an exchange student whom she met in Italy two years ago. Before her stay
is over, she will be traveling east to visit Maine, New York, Baltimore, Boston,
Gettysburg, and the nation's capitol. "I now realize there are beautiful people
and beautiful places all over the world to visit," Paola said.
McGregor man reported missing
The Mar-Mac Unified Law Enforcement District is asking the public for assistance
in locating a McGregor man who was last seen on June 15. Ralph Sassi, 67, is a
white male with gray/black hair, green eyes. He is 5'9'' and weighs about 200
pounds. He was last seen wearing green shorts, a tan button short sleeve shirt,
and brown shoes. Ralph Sassi was entered as a missing person on June 23, 2004.
Ralph was last seen at his residence in McGregor on June 15. Mar-Mac Police and
the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation are investigating his disappearance.
If you have any information regarding this individual, please contact the
Mar-Mac Unified Law Enforcement District at 563-873-2500 or the Iowa Division of
Criminal Investigation at 1-800-346-5507. |
