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March 12, 2008 |
Norb Aschom has been the voice of Prairie du Chien for 40 years
Norb Aschom, WPRE radio personality and the voice of Prairie du Chien and the surrounding area for almost 50 years, has worked long enough that he could easily be counting the days until retirement. However, he has no intention of retiring„he's having too much fun.
Aschom, who hails from Lansing, Iowa, had no clear idea of what he wanted to do in life once he finished high school. He attended Loras College in Dubuque for a year but was unable to find a niche there. He then enrolled at Brown Institute in Minneapolis to study broadcasting, and a career was born.
He finished his training at Brown in late 1960 and was hired at KATE radio station in Albert Lea, Minn. "That was fortuitous," he said, "because my mother's name was Kate." When he returned to Lansing for a visit one weekend, he found waiting for him a letter from Walt Schlaugat, owner of WPRE, inviting him for an interview.
Aschom began work at WPRE April 1, 1961, and, despite other offers, has never wanted to leave. "When I had chances to leave for something bigger I would go for an interview, but I'd come back home and decide I didn't want to move," he said.
It was in Prairie du Chien that he met his wife, Nancy. He was doing a remote broadcast from Piggly Wiggly and "there was this really pretty girl checking out," he said, and he flirted with her. It was his roommate Steve, however, who asked her out. Steve didn't have a car, so he asked Norb to drive. The three of them went to George's Bar south of town. "She and I had a lot in common," he said, "we were both from poor, large Catholic families, and we just hit if off." Even Steve had to agree they were a good match.
They were married in April, 1964, and have two grown daughters, Amy (Jeff) Krohn and Sara (Tom) Heiss, and four grandchildren.
Over the years, Aschom has seen major changes in radio. Technology has made the job much easier, he said. They moved from records to CDs, and now all the music is in the computer hard drive. "Years ago," he said, "doing a music show was a lot of work. We had to pull the music, come up with comments and put on the tapes to play. You sweated going back and forth."
Today, he said, a person can sit and push buttons and access the internet. "All the background is there on the internet„artist's background, ad lib material, anything you want. At one time we had to research all that." As an example, he said, if he were going to talk about Bing Crosby, he'd have gone to the library or purchased a reference book.
Another big change is that the broadcast can be programmed ahead of time and go on automatic pilot, which happens in the evenings. Even interviews can be recorded ahead of time. When the transition was made, Norb said he thought he'd be able to tell the difference between the voice track and a live broadcast, but said "it fools me and I never thought it would."
During the course of his career, he has seen more than technological changes, and several things stand out as memorable.
One such was the time when President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalyn came to town. "We were on the air live for four hours or longer," he said. He covered the event starting with the appearance of the boat and the arrival of the president's entourage, and was able to interview Rosalyn Carter.
He also interviewed Paul Harvey, who was on the Delta Queen. Helen Hayes was on the same trip, and he interviewed her as well. He had been tipped off that they'd be on board, and someone on the boat arranged the interviews for him.
The flood of 1965 was a devastating event, but Aschom is proud that the station, located on low-lying St. Feriole Island, was able to continue broadcasting. "We moved the station overnight," he said. "We loaded the equipment„transmitter, teletype machine, records and files„on a small barge." Schlaugat, the owner, had them set up in his house and garage. "We were on the air the next morning," said Aschom, "we didn't lose a minute of air time." To be able to keep people informed and make emergency announcements, he said, was a vital community service.
Other memorable times were when the Hwy 18 bridge across the Mississippi was closed and the years when Campion Jesuit high school was open. Between their famous graduates, their basketball camps that brought in famous athletes and other events, the school generated a lot of news. "I miss that," he said.
Although he seems to enjoy all aspects of the radio business, doing interviews is his favorite, and doing several a day is not unusual. Aschom doesn't like to use a script. "I don't want anything prepared," he said, explaining that the interviewee's answer leads to the next question. For years, said Aschom, announcers didn't even pre-read the news. "We did OK unless it was written wrong, and then you had to talk your way out of it." The important thing, he says, "is not to take yourself too seriously."
Being part of a local radio station, he believes, means having an opportunity to be involved in the community, and he tells that to all the new people: "I like to think we serve a real community need local news, local names, local focus„that's what's important to people."
Norb himself has been heavily involved in two causes, Prairie Catholic Schools and the American Cancer Society. The Catholic schools, he said, can teach values. "Our local public schools are also excellent," he added, "but you can't pray there." He was active in the cancer society for over 20 years.
In his spare time, he likes to read detective novels, which he calls pure escapism. He is also an avid baseball fan and collects stamps and records. "I can get lost in my basement doing some of these things," he explained.
Interestingly enough, he doesn't have a computer at home. "I have enough of that at work," he said.
Will Southwest Tech expand? Voters to decide April 1
Southwest Wisconsin Technical College in Fennimore will be having its first referendum in the 42-year history of the college on April 1. The referendum question will ask voters whether to approve of $31.9 million for a building and remodeling project.
If approved, the building project would cost $28 per year for 20 years for a homeowner with a $100,000 home. That is less than eight cents per day.
Residents of a 3,800-square-mile region, encompassing all or parts of nine counties can vote on the referendum. The region includes all or most of Crawford, Iowa, Grant, Lafayette and Richland counties, along with parts of Green, Sauk, Dane and Vernon counties.
SWTC President Dr. Karen Knox said that a successful referendum would allow Southwest Tech to expand and renovate the campus in ways that will positively affect 20 of the 42 degree and diploma programs. Should the referendum pass, SWTC would be able to expand labs, build structures, enroll more students and bring cutting-edge technology to Southwest Wisconsin, Knox said.
"We serve 12,000 people from the region each year," said Knox. "There are 58 fire departments and 59 emergency response units, all volunteer, who get their training at Southwest Tech. There are seven critical access hospitals in the region, including Prairie du Chien Memorial Hospital. Seventy-six registered nurses and 94 licensed practical nurses have trained at Southwest Tech. We have more than 18,000 graduates who are in numerous fields including police officers, welders, nurses, mechanics and many more. They take care of your children. They fix your cars. They take care of your health. They milk your cows and they protect your communities. We have a very broad spectrum and we have a very large impact on the region."
Because of Southwest Tech's success in providing a quality education in dozens of fields, the campus needs to expand, Knox said.
"Our record of success means that industry and student demand for our services has steadily increased since we first opened our doors," said Knox in a letter about the referendum. "Our facilities, while well-maintained, have not changed significantly since they were first built, and they can no longer keep pace with such growth."
If the referendum passes, some programs will move into entirely new buildings while other programs will be enhanced by the college's ability to renovate the vacated space. Proposed new buildings and the programs that will occupy them are described briefly below.
Health Sciences Building
A new Health Sciences Building to be located east and north of the existing Building 100. The proposed construction is a two-story, 63,000 gross-square-foot (GSF) structure. It is designed to serve as a signature architectural statement at one of the main campus entrances. Additional parking to serve the new facility is proposed in an expanded west parking lot.
This building would expand current facilities to train additional nurses and other high-demand healthcare professionals. It would allow for the possible creation of Radiography, Surgical Technician, Occupational Therapy Assistant, and Dental Hygienist programs to respond to critical industry needs and fill local health positions.
Programs expected to be located in this building:
Dental Assistant
Direct Entry Midwife
Esthetician
Human Services Associate
Medical Assistant
Medical Coding Specialist
Medical Transcription
Nursing Assistant
Nursing-Associate Degree
Agricultural/Automotive Technical Center
A new Agriculture/Automotive Technical Center would be located east of Bronson Boulevard. The proposed 68,000 GSF building will provide shops, classrooms, offices and storage for the growing agriculture equipment and automobile repair and servicing programs. It will be sited in such a way that it can be easily expanded in the future.
The building would enable students to train on larger modern agricultural equipment indoors. It would also allow the college to respond to the region's changing and growing agricultural training needs. It would expand Automotive Technician and Auto Collision Repair and Refinish Technician programs to feature more state-of-the-industry equipment needed to maintain today's complex vehicles. It would provide dedicated lab space for the Automotive Technician program and expand shops to hold full-sized SUVs and pick-up trucks, allowing Automotive Technician students to train on these common vehicles.
Programs expected to be located in this building:
Agricultural Power and Equipment Technician
Auto Collision Repair and Refinish Technician
Automotive Technician
Childcare Center
A new Childcare Center, comprising 10,000 GSF, would be located west of the existing Building 200. The proposal includes an expansion of the west parking lot to provide a safe area to drop-off and pick-up children. Proper site selection for the new Childcare Center would likely allow the existing outdoor play area to continue operation.
A new Child Care Center would create a nationally accredited childcare training center that mirrors state-of-the-industry facilities. It would improve hands-on clinical learning for Child Care Services and Early Childhood Education students. It would create a child-observation area, which integrates teaching and childcare services. It would provide convenient daycare for an increasing number of students with small children.
Programs expected to be located in this building:
Child Care Services
Early Childhood Education
Public Safety Training Complex
The complex would create a comprehensive facility to train more volunteer firefighters and emergency medical services personnel. It would expand training available to firefighters and other rescue personnel in tactics such as fire suppression, ventilation, search and rescue, rope rescue, and advanced extrication. It would provide a safer, more controlled training area for law enforcement, firefighting, and other public safety professionals through the construction of a firing range, controlled burn building, and emergency vehicle driving track. It would allow the college to respond to state-mandated training for fire and emergency volunteers. It would hold certified firefighter examinations in this region and better serve local volunteers.
Control Building: This building would be the control center for the entire Public Safety Training Complex and would include an office, a large multi-purpose room for various training and classroom uses, toilets, and storage areas. Paved parking would be located adjacent to this structure. The entire Public Safety Training Complex would be enclosed with a security fence.
Fire Burn Building: This building would be designed for firefighter training, enabling firefighters to observe the behavior of fires and participate in suppression techniques in a controlled and safe environment. Other potential uses of the building include hose and pumper certification training as well as instruction in rapid intervention, search and rescue, and rope rescue techniques. The building could be used to provide instruction in the proper use of self-contained breathing apparatus, in how to conduct forced entry, and in procedures for suppressing LP gas leaks and fires.
Emergency Vehicle Operations Course (EVOC) and Pursuit Driving Track: The Emergency Vehicle Operations Course and Pursuit Driving Range would be built to train emergency response personnel, including firefighters, emergency medical technicians, and law enforcement officers in the safe operation of emergency, rescue, and police vehicles safely. The facility would be used for the two basic law enforcement academies that the college conducts each year and also would afford ongoing proficiency training for seasoned personnel.
Outdoor Firearms Range: The firearms range would provide a convenient facility for conducting the 52-hour minimum firearms training required by the law enforcement academy. The range also would be used by seasoned officers undergoing regular proficiency training.
Other programs that will benefit from the new construction:
Bricklaying and Masonry (expanded lab)
Building Trades-Carpentry (expanded lab)
Criminal Justice-Law Enforcement (creation of a Criminal Justice Center)
Culinary Management (expanded lab)
Golf Course Management (expanded lab)
Machine Tool Operation (expanded lab)
Mechanical Design Technology (expanded lab)
Welding (expanded lab).
There are 30 high schools that are served in the Southwest Wisconsin Technical College District.
In 2004-2005, 32.26 percent of Wauzeka-Steuben graduates enrolled at SWTC. Eleven percent of Seneca grads were enrolled at SWTC that school year, with a total of 27.78 percent enrolled in a technical college. Twenty-two percent of Prairie du Chien grads were enrolled at SWTC, with a total of 34.51 percent enrolled at a technical college. Of the graduates of River Ridge, 41.5 percent were enrolled at SWTC, with a total of 43 percent enrolled at a technical college.
March 10, 2008 |
Local Cub Scout shows one person can make a difference
Don't tell Will Seeley or his family„ that one person can't make a difference, because he knows otherwise.
Will, a fifth grader at Bluff View Intermediate School and a member of Cub Scout Pack 320, was visiting with his family in Columbus, Nebraska, a city of approximately 20,000, this past December. As they drove through the city, he noticed several ripped flags and told his family, "That makes me mad, and it's disrespectful of our country to fly a flag like that."
When the family returned home, his parents, Mark and Christine Seeley, who saw an opportunity to instill a civics lesson, told him if he felt strongly he should write a letter to the mayor. Will wrote his letter, and also sent a copy to the editor of the paper, which published it. It read in part: "I saw some ripped and cut American flags in front of businesses. I was really mad when I saw the ruined flags. Flags that are worn out show disrespect to our country. In Cub Scouts I have learned how to retire old American flags. On the usflag.org website it says, 'When a flag is no longer fit to serve as a symbol of our country, it should be destroyed by burning in a dignified manner.'
"I would like the businesses to properly retire their flags. Please call your local Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts or American Legion to learn about retiring flags. This will respect our country.
"I will be in Columbus the weekend of February 16th for another family wedding. Will the flags be fixed by then?
"I want the people in Columbus to check their own flags. If it is worn out, retire it and get a new one."
The mayor responded and said he would forward the letter to the American Legion and other pertinent groups. A few days later the mayor notified him he was asking staff to check out the city's flags. Then Will received a letter from the president of the Mid American Council of Cub and Boy Scouts. He had seen the letter, and scout leaders were visiting businesses with worn flags asking if they could have them replaced by Feb. 16.
Will's grandmother and great aunt planned a family flag tour prior to the wedding on the 16th, and as they assembled in the hotel lobby, they were met by Boy Scout officials who said that because of Will's letter, they were putting together a community flag retirement ceremony. They would invite people to bring flags to retire in honor or memory of someone. It is scheduled for Memorial Day weekend, and Will is to participate in the ceremony along with his great uncle Bill, a Vietnam veteran.
The Cub Master of Columbus, himself a veteran, said when he read Will's letter he cried because Will had so much conviction, and he was doing what boys are taught in Cub Scouts: applying what he learned. He gave him grommets and an embroidered star from a retired flag, and a bead for the Cub Master Award of Excellence, saying it was only the fifth time in 13 years he had given the award for scouts who go above and beyond what is expected. He also gave him flag beads for participation in the flag ceremony.
The District Executive and Unit Commissioner presented Will with a special edition Monopoly game of Columbus, which features the city's Frankfort Square filled with flags on Memorial Day.
Among the stops on Will's flag tour was a car dealership where he'd seen a large torn flag on his previous visit. The flag, 30 x 60 feet, had been replaced just the day before during a period of calm. Columbus is a windy city, and the wind had to be at five mph or less in order to change a flag of that size.
He had his picture taken at the dealership and was presented with a flashing Chrysler pin. The family also stopped at Frankfort square, where another torn flag had been replaced, and at Higgins Memorial, a veterans' memorial, to see great uncle Bill's memorial brick. There was another purpose to that stop, said Christine, and that was to give Will and his extended family "a perspective on why we teach kids to respect the flag and what it stands for."
Since that weekend, the city's Sertoma Club, an international nonprofit organization which promotes community service, has extended another invitation to Will. One of their projects is to raise and lower over 400 flags in the city on Memorial Day. They have invited Will to ride with one of the groups and help with the flags.
Will's entire family is amazed by what occurred. His parents wanted Will to write that original letter because "we're teaching our kids how to express themselves respectfully," said Christine, "but I soon began to realize we're in the middle of something bigger than us."
As for Will himself, he's overwhelmed by the response. "I just wanted to fix the flags," he said. The most he had hoped for was a response from the mayor to his original letter.
The family is now looking for something appropriate for Will to present to the city of Columbus when they return on Memorial Day.
Man officially charged in cattle theft case
A 46-year-old Wauzeka man has been charged in Crawford County Circuit Court with stealing 11 head of cattle from a neighboring farm.
Dennis R. Krachey faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $25,000 fine if convicted of intentionally retaining cattle belonging to Larry Stluka.
According to the criminal complaint, Stluka contacted the Sheriff's Department on Nov. 26, 2007 and stated that he had some cattle missing from his farm in the town of Wauzeka. Stluka stated that on Nov. 16 his cattle had broken through a wooden fence and some had gotten out of the fenced area. Stluka rounded up the cattle and fixed the fence. Stluka said that about a week later, he discovered that some of his cattle were missing from when they had previously been out.
Stluka said that he checked with his neighbors and none reported seeing his cattle. The cattle are an unusual breed for the Crawford County area (Maine Anjou/Shorthorn Cross beef cattle) and would likely be readily recognizable. All of the missing cattle would have had green ear tags with black numbers. Each cow was worth approximately $1,000, the complaint said.
On Feb. 21, 2008, Stluka and members of the Sheriff's Department went to Dennis Krachey's farm and found seven of Stluka's cattle. Krachey said that three more were at a different location and Krachey subsequently returned 10 of Stluka's cattle, the complaint said. Krachey said that one of the cows had died, according to the complaint.
Krachey told investigators that Stluka's cattle had gotten through the fence and onto his property about one week prior to deer season and that they had gotten onto his property numerous times in the past. Krachey said that he was sick of
Stluka's cattle getting into his pasture through the fence, and this time, he decided to keep the cattle, according to the complaint.Krachey admitted to investigators that he removed the ear tags and that he had no intention of returning, or giving back, Stluka's cattle to him, according to the complaint.
Clayton County deputy guilty of molesting girl
A former Clayton County Sheriff's deputy was found guilty Feb. 26 of child molestation. Terry Lee Austin received a 20-day sentence for molesting a girl while he was on duty.
Austin pleaded guilty to one count of lascivious acts with a minor and one count of misconduct in office in a plea agreement with Special Prosecutor, Allamakee County Attorney William Shafer. Austin was sentenced to a year in jail on each count, but Judge Margaret Lingreen suspended all but 20 days of the term.
Clayton County Sheriff Robert Hamann said in a press release March 5 that the incident occurred in April of 2007 while Austin was on duty. Hamann has also stated that it involved an underage girl, but her exact age was not given.
Upon receiving information about Austin in April of 2007, Hamann launched an internal investigation and placed Austin on unpaid suspension pending the outcome of the investigation. During the course of the investigation, Austin resigned his position with the Sheriff's Department.
The investigation was later transferred to the Division of Criminal Investigation for the state of Iowa. Upon completion of the DCI investigation, Clayton County District Attorney Kevin Clefisch commenced prosecution of Austin and referred the case to Allamakee County Attorney William Shafer to handle as Special Prosecutor.
