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May 13, 2009

Man’s body exhumed in PdC for investigation

The body of Kenneth J. Allington was exhumed from the Evergreen Cemetery the morning of May 13 as part of an investigation.

According to a Crawford County Sheriff’s Department report, the Sheriff’s Department and the Coroner’s Office exhumed the body for the purpose of conducting an autopsy.

Allington was found dead at his home on Mill Coulee Road in the town of Prairie du Chien on April 30, 2005. An autopsy was performed at that time and no cause of death could be determined.

In February of 2008, the Sheriff’s Department received new information, which led to the re-opening of the case.

After consulting with Forensic Pathologist Dr. Michael Steirs, it was determined that a second autopsy of Allington was warranted. Allington’s body has been taken to the VA Medical Center in Madison for an autopsy.

The Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation is assisting with the investigation.

As of presstime, the Sheriff’s Department has not revealed what type of investigation is being conducted, or whether the investigation is a murder investigation.

In its report, the Sheriff’s Department is asking for information about the death of Kenneth J. Allington, however. The Crawford County Crime Stoppers urges anyone with information about Allington’s death to call 326-8933 or 1-866-779-PAYS, or to visit the website at Crawfordcrimestoppers.com.

Anyone calling with a tip will remain anonymous and a reward of up to $1,000 will be paid for a tip which solves a crime with an arrest, charges being filed and/or recovery of stolen property. Anyone submitting a tip via the website will also remain anonymous.

Recycling easier ifit becomes a habit

This is the first of a series on recycling and its benefits. It is not only good for the planet; it is also good for the pocketbook, since reducing the city’s landfill tonnage can mean reduced trash collection rates.

Getting started

Once recycling becomes a household habit, it isn’t very difficult to continue. The key lies in making a plan and setting up a routine. For those who have never participated in recycling, a few suggestions may be useful.

•Know what can be recycled. If not sure, obtain a copy of the 2009 recycling instructions from City Hall.

•Take a look at your kitchen, entryway and garage layout. Is there a place you can temporarily store rinsed cans and glass and plastic bottles for recycling? In some cases, it’s possible to add an extra bin or container somewhere near the sink, so the rinsed item can be tossed directly into the recycling container. Is there space in a laundry room or an entryway closet? If not, designate a spot in the garage that’s easy to reach.

•Assess your family’s patterns for disposing of paper such as discarded letters and envelopes. Maybe a separate container would help the family keeps these items separate from the trash.

•Find a box or specify a spot to place old newspapers, magazines and catalogs until recycling day. Then bundle them and put them out for pickup.

•Take small steps. It might be easier to select one set of materials at a time to recycle and let that become a routine before moving on to the next batch of materials.

Parents ask for dual track math program

High School Principal Andy Banasik and Bluff View Principal Aaron Amundson gave a presentation about the district’s integrated math program at the Prairie du Chien School Board meeting Monday night.

The presentation showed various data about the integrated math program after it was instituted last year. Amundson and Banasik both emphasized that one shouldn’t draw hard and fast conclusions when looking at only one year’s worth of data. Amundson said that it would take about three or four years before any real trends could shown and conclusions reached about the effectiveness of the program.

Even though there are relatively low samples of tested students so far, the statistics presented did show a normal bell curve regarding math grades. Other statistics also indicated that the program is proceeding well.

"There is no reason to believe that we are not meeting the targeted goals that prompted the switch to integrated math," it was stated on the last slide of the Power-Point presentation.

Integrated math had been a contentious issue when it was first proposed about a year ago and several parents were on hand for the presentation Monday night.

Three parents spoke about the integrated math program following the presentation. Angie Jones, Ken Wall and Jeff Nack all said that they would like to see a "traditional" math program back at the high school. Jones, Wall and Nack all said that the school could have a dual track featuring both integrated math and traditional math courses.

"I’m begging you to bring back traditional math," said Jones, who noted that she has spoken to several parents and that many students are very frustrated with integrated math.

Wall said that the school should offer traditional math for college bound students and he questioned whether integrated math adequately prepares students for college level math. Wall also said that the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam and the ACT test do not offer high enough standards.

Nack said that traditional math has served his family well over the years and that he is also in favor of a dual track whereby both integrated and traditional math courses are offered.

Board member Jamie Wager then made a motion, seconded by Tina Ruskey, that the school board re-open a discussion and review the possibility of offering traditional math. A roll call vote was taken and the motion was defeated in a 3-3 tie. Wager, Ruskey and Ron Quamme voted in favor of re-opening a discussion about offering traditional math. Lonnie Achenbach, Joe Adkins and Mark Forsythe voted against the motion. Board President Brain Edwards was absent.

In other business, District Administrator Drew Johnson said that the consolidation study regarding the possible consolidation of the Wauzeka-Steuben and Prairie du Chien school districts was proceeding into Phase III. Johnson said that the R.W. Baird company will be hired to develop a seven-year projection involving what the Wauzeka-Steuben District would look like by itself in seven years, what the Prairie du Chien District would look like by itself in seven years, and what the two districts combined would look like seven years hence.

Johnson also said that the Prairie du Chien High School locker room project is scheduled to be completed shortly. The locker room project is the last phase of the facilities improvement referendum that was approved two years ago. Johnson said that there may be the possibility of a greenhouse project at the high school if there are enough funds left over.

May 11, 2009

Historical context, tourism, natural resources top three ideas at planning workshop

Prairie du Chien’s first public planning workshop for waterfront development yielded many ideas and suggestions.

The workshop was held April 23, with approximately 50 people participating. Vierbicher, the city’s planning consultant, summarized the results of the workshop and presented it to the Planning Commission last week.

In terms of important topics to address, the top five were historical context (38 responses), tourism (33 responses) natural resources (30) responses, recreation (26 responses) and asset to economic development (23 responses). Other responses, in order of number, were: visual appeal, education, family, continuity with the rest of the community, safety, uniqueness, destination and informal gathering area.

People saw many opportunities. A few of the 51 separate suggestions included: a waterfront restaurant, kid’s fishing hole, safe, sheltered areas for canoes or paddleboats, outdoor theater, more bike and walk paths, playground, swimming beach with bath houses, handicap accessible fishing docks, need to make downtown accessible to boat traffic, more opportunity for outdoor festivals.

At one station, participants were asked not only what they would like but also where they would like it, using stickers and a map. People indicated where they would like bike or walking paths, bird watching area, fishing piers and other amenities.

Although they were asked not to consider costs or potential roadblocks when contributing ideas, people were also given the opportunity to identify possible threats or obstacles to riverfront development.

Funding for any future projects was, naturally, a concern, but one overriding concern was the need to balance development with the area’s natural beauty. Some specific comments relating to this were: "need to preserve small town quality and yet leave room for modern development," "over development," "so developed that the area restricts fun," "habitat for nature ruined."

Among other issues cited as potential problems were flooding and the possibility that state or federal regulations might limit development options.

Sarah Pittz, Vierbicher’s project manager, said of the workshop: "Everyone wanted to provide input and had great ideas. We were surprised by a lot of ideas, because no one had thought of them before. It was very beneficial, and everyone was really excited about the benefits and opportunities—both economic ad recreational."

The suggestions provided a place from which to start the planning, and Pittz said Vierbicher has drafted a map that puts all of the ideas into a visual format. At the May 4 meeting with the Public Works and Planning Commission, they began working through the ideas and their feasibility.They will continue to make revisions and develop these ideas for potential implementation. At a Public Works and Planning Commission meeting Monday, May 18, Vierbicher will present for review a draft design and land use plan. Following that meeting, an action plan will be developed for a June 1 meeting of the commissions, with a second public workshop scheduled for June 4. The public is invited to attend the Public Works and Planning Commission meetings as well as the public workshop.

A grant from the Department of Commerce covers the cost of the planning.

Mike Mara earns Silver Beaver award

The Silver Beaver Award is the highest award given to a volunteer in the Boy Scouts of America program. Recipients of this award are registered adult leaders who have made an impact on the lives of youth through service. The Silver Beaver is an award given to those who implement the Scouting program and perform community service through hard work, self sacrifice, dedication, and many years of service. It is given to those who do not actively seek it.

Local Scoutmaster Michael G. Mara of BSA Troop #320 of Prairie du Chien recently received the Silver Beaver Award during the Gateway Area Council’s annual recognition banquet. Mara has been Scoutmaster of Troop #320 for over 25 years, helping teach and guide area boys in grades 6-12 to become well-rounded, respectful, community-minded adults. He has seen several hundred boys go through the Boy Scouting program. Under his leadership, over 20 of these boys have received their Eagle Awards (the highest award earned by a Boy Scout).

Mara holds weekly Tuesday night meetings year round. In addition, the Boy Scouts attend Camp Decorah near Holmen for a week each summer and participate in many other outdoor activities. Some of their favorites include playing Capture the Flag in the moonlight, cookouts, canoeing trips, lock-ins, and campouts.

When Scoutmaster Mara goes to Camp Decorah with his troop each summer, he is not relaxing. He volunteers his time roofing various camp buildings, remodeling the camp kitchen, working on cabinets and a storage loft, and doing general repairs on doors and windows.

Mara also spends time behind the scenes planning the events, as well as coordinating community service projects. After his Boy Scouts graduate high school and the Boy Scout program, many of them still keep in touch with Christmas cards and e-mails. Several loyal Boy Scouts, now grown men, still visit Scoutmaster Mara’s home and engage in late night Risk board games.

Scoutmaster Mara recently had a special needs Boy Scout in his troop, who needed more time and patience than the other boys. The two of them developed a very special relationship, and the young man achieved his dream of becoming an Eagle Scout. This young man’s family nominated Mara for the special recognition of the Silver Beaver Award.

Michael Mara is a life-long resident of Prairie du Chien. He has four children: Kaitlin, Steven, Kristin, and Megan. He is the husband of Debbie Mara and the son of Arnie and Audrey Mara.

Area schools to get federal stimulus money

According to a state of Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction website, four area school districts will be receiving a total of $923,066 from $366 million in federal stimulus funding allocated for Wisconsin school districts.

The Seneca School District will be receiving $50,768 in Title I funds, $64,090 in IDEA Flow-Thru money and $3,030 in IDEA preschool funding.

"Our teachers, administration and school board will be putting together a plan in order to see how we can use this money as cost effectively as possible," said Seneca Principal David Boland.

The funding will be received as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and Boland said that it is to be used in order to increase student learning. Boland said that Title I money is to go towards improving reading and math programs and IDEA Flow-Thru money is for special education programs.

"This is an ongoing process," said Boland regarding the receiving of the money and how best to use it. He said it can be a rather complicated process, yet it is money that the school district would not otherwise have had. Boland said that there is a high degree of accountability regarding the funding and that each school district must show that the money is being spent properly.

According to the DPI website, the River Ridge School District is to receive $56,594 for reading and math programs, $132,814 for special education and $6,278 for preschool.

The Wauzeka-Steuben School District will receive $36,275 for reading and math, $72,190 for special education and $3,412 for preschool.

The Prairie du Chien School District will get $176,241 for reading and math programs, $306,866 for special education and $14,508 for preschool.

This ARRA money is being distributed to schools with a high proportion of low-income students and to special education programs. The school districts will have through the 2010-2011 school year to use the funds.