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June 30, 2004

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.

June 28, 2004

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.