|
Gays Mills Flood Pictures g Soldiers Grove Flood Pictures g Steuben flood pictures on this link |
|
Click here for NOAA Mississippi River Stage information CONTACT US for picture reproduction of photos in our paper...reasonable prices! |
Fire in substation causes blackout The lights flickered, then went dead. The power to a large portion of Crawford County, including the city of Prairie du Chien went out Tuesday afternoon after a fire in the Hillside Substation. Gays Mills and Seneca were also affected, as were the rural areas to the east of Prairie du Chien. Just when the power went out and when it came back on, depended on where you are located in the city. The north end of the city went out before the rural areas. The south side of the city got power back before the north side. All power was restored in Prairie du Chien by about 3 p.m. Some areas were without power for as long as an hour and a half. Thousands of customers, including local businesses that were forced to shut down temporarily, were affected. According to Steve Lyman, a customer service manager for Alliant Energy, no one was injured in the fire. No staff was at the substation when the blackout occurred, but several Alliant Energy staff people were in town for a meeting about the construction of a new substation out on La Pointe Street. Lyman said that the fire occurred in a device called a reclosure. The reclosure unit is what causes the flickering in the lights as it tests a line after a momentary power interruption, such as that caused by a branch touching a line, or a squirrel. The reclosure had 12,400 volts of power running through it when it caught fire. "It"s not uncommon for sparks and heat to occur" noted Brian Downey, a spokesman for Alliant Energy. The Prairie du Chien Fire Department responded to the scene not long after the problem was identified, at about 1:40 p.m. They put the blaze out and left the scene by about 2:45 p.m. Local and regional Alliant staff worked to shutdown the substation and to reroute the power to other substations. Oil from the reclosure unit was released during the fire. Downey said that the company uses DNR- approved procedures to clean up such substances. The cause of the fire is still unclear. Downey said it is possible that the reclosure was damaged by lightning previously, but the damage was not detected. School District projects $100,000 budget deficit Business Manager Mike Coughlin told the Prairie du Chien School Board Monday night that it is projected that the district will have a $100,000 budget deficit next year. Coughlin cautioned board members that this is a preliminary report and that factors that affect the budget may change in the near future. "This is still a moving target" said Coughlin, who noted that the teacher's negotiation deadline is June 30 and that changes in the state legislature may also affect the budget. Rising utility costs and fuel prices were also mentioned. Coughlin said that the budget is "reachable to break even" with a $50,000 leeway within the next couple of years. Coughlin said that balancing the budget does not increase the district's unspent balance of approximately $558,000, however, and that the board may have to make further budget cuts in the future to prevent the unspent balance from dwindling. Coughlin projected that the district will be losing 20 students per year and along with them the state aid that is paid for each student. District Administrator Jim O'Meara and Coughlin told board members that the district may have to make the hard decision to have a referendum in the future in order to alleviate budget problems. Platteville and River Valley were cited as recent examples of school districts who went to a referendum. Everyone needs to become more involved in the budget process now, said Coughlin. "The budget is not all about money. It"s about results" he said, in noting that the school board needs to provide the best educational programs it can for the students while at the same time adhering to budgetary constraints. Coughlin told board members that some tough decisions are ahead. In other business, the board unanimously approved the expenditure of $103,500 to further upgrade the district's computer system. The money will come from the State Trust Fund Loan and will be paid off over five years. New computers will purchased, along with setting up a portable, wireless computer lab for Bluff View Intermediate School. Coughlin said that this technology upgrade had been figured into his preliminary budget projections. As part of the technology upgrade, the board also approved of a switch from AT&T to Badger Net for the district's internet service. The move will double the speed of the district's internet capability while decreasing the cost from $1,000 per month to $405 per month. In further business, the district: ŽApproved an expenditure for roof repairs of $15,000. The $15,000 had already been budgeted for as part of the $1.2 million roof referendum. The $15,000 will be used to seal some seams. ŽApproved of a new alternative education option, GED Option II, which will be set up at no cost to the district. ŽApproved Lacy McCarthy as a high school Spanish teacher. ŽAccepted the resignation of Violet Lenzendorf as a support staff member. At 80, Lenzendorf was the oldest staff member in the Prairie du Chien School District. Turning in her apron Violet Lenzendorf can still remember where her desk was in the second floor classroom at Eastman School. Lenzendorf, 80, has been associated with the school in one form or another her entire life. Since 1973, she has been the school cook. "I've been here so long it's pathetic" she chuckles. Lenzendorf attended Eastman School (now ECHOES School) in the 1930"s and 40"s, through the tenth grade, after which she completed school in Seneca. "There wasn't any bus running to Prairie then" she recalls. Later, she and her husband, the late Robert Lenzendorf, farmed just a few miles south of Eastman and raised nine children, Gary, Dennis, Robin, Phyllis, Renee, Sandy, Roxanne, Jeff and Sherry. All of the children also attended Eastman School. She still lives on the family farm with her son Robin and his wife Shelly. When the children grew up, she was offered a job. "One of the teachers come to me and said 'We need a cook and how about you tryin' it?' So I did" Lenzendorf remembered. After cooking for such a large family, cooking for 30 or so school children was not hard. Violet enjoys making homemade treats for the children as much as possible. "I sneak things in. Now today, I made banana cake. I make the bread, bake cookies" she said. Violet says she has always enjoyed the children at the school, and watching the children of area families grow up, such as the Kramers, the Martins, the Granzows and the Achenbachs. "Through the years, it's been wonderful for the kids to be so good to me" Violet said. She also recalls teachers at the school she knew well, such as Mrs. Dobbs and Hazel Elgin, who asked her to take the cook's job. ECHOES School is closing for good at the end of this school year. It will be the end of an era in Eastman, where some in the community have fought to keep the school open. The change will not be easy for Lenzendorf, either. She is not sure what she will do with her time. She says she will miss her well-appointed kitchen, and especially the children. "The kids have been good this year, not sassy. They know that this is going to end" she added.
Biographies in brick will
kick-off Historic Preservation Month
Have you ever wondered about the history of the wonderful old buildings in downtown Prairie du Chien? Are you curious what kinds of stories these architectural treasures could tell about the people who lived, worked and did business within their walls? If so, you'll be very interested in a new program initiated by the Design Committee of Prairie du Chien Downtown Revitalization, Inc. set to kick-off in May during Historic Preservation Month. The Blackhawk Avenue of today took shape in the decade following the Civil War. From 1866 to 1875, 15 business blocks went up along Blackhawk. Nine remain; five were lost in the fire of 1899, and one was demolished. A 19th century block was a two or three-story substantial business building usually of brick. The first floor was for retail; the second for offices, and the third was a public meeting hall. Blocks were single, double and sometimes even triple depending on their width. The Kappel, Seigbert, Grace and Raffauf (SmartyPants) buildings are double blocks. The Wachute (Title Company), Wetzel-Garvey (Himrich's Drugs), Schwiezer (Fort Crawford Hotel) and Masonic Block are single. With the exception of the Irishmen, John Grace and the Garvey Brothers, the builders were all Germans. Another 1870s feature of Blackhawk Avenue is the line of single story buildings west of the old city hall. Originally, the series was called Sausage Row because the merchants were Germans and the buildings resembled sausages lined up on a plate. The Sausage Row Fire of 1867 destroyed everything west of the old city hall to Main Street. Most were rebuilt in their original style by the early 1870s creating the current Sausage Row. While Blackhawk Avenue is dominated by 1870s construction, the street includes buildings from the 1842 Knowlton House to the refurbished 2004 City Hall. Volunteers have been researching the histories of many of the buildings downtown and creating displays, which will be presented to the current property owners for use in their lobbies or storefront windows. I am doing the historical research and Mary Antoine and Kathy Koch are putting the displays together. Norb Aschom of WQPC\WPRE will be doing interviews with people who owned or leased the buildings. The first building to be highlighted in this project is the Kappel Block, built in 1866/67, currently owned by Pat Lorenz where he has his chiropractic clinic. A public presentation kick-off, including stories and memories from some of the people with a direct connection to the building will be held on Tuesday, May 23, at 11 a.m. The public is invited and encouraged to attend. "We hope to highlight the interesting lives of these buildings and really make them come alive for current residents and visitors to Prairie du Chien," said Prairie du Chien Revitalization Inc. (PDRI) Program Manager Craig Moser. "When people begin to look beyond the bricks and mortar and realize that these buildings truly do have lives of their own, I think the importance of preserving and restoring these historic landmarks is more readily understood and accepted." Historic Building Biographies will continue to be presented to historic building property owners throughout the year. If you have any information, stories, photographs or artifacts related to any of the historic buildings in downtown Prairie du Chien, or are just interested in this topic and would like to help out, please call PDRI Program Manager Craig Moser at 306-2461, e-mail him at c.moser@mchsi.com, or stop by the office at 109 W. Blackhawk Ave. in the Knowlton House, the oldest building in downtown Prairie du Chien. Working together, we're making downtown Prairie du Chien "A Place to Rendezvous." One proud new American While controversy swirls over United States citizenship concerns as of late, a Wauzeka couple can report a much more satisfying and happy story. Luba Welsh, who resides in Wauzeka with her husband Bob Welsh, proudly became a United States citizen on April 27. Originally from Moscow, Luba was sworn in at the Eastern District Courthouse in Milwaukee, along with about 40 others of all nationalities, during a ceremony at 11:30 a.m. Approximately 60 people received their highly sought after U.S. citizenship at an earlier ceremony at the courthouse that morning. "It was really impressive, all these people with their hands in the air," said Bob Welsh. "It was all smiles afterward. Everyone was incredibly happy. I gave a hug after my wife got done and she began crying." Bob said that all of the people who worked so hard to receive their Certificates of Citizenship were "absolutely ecstatic." "There were smiles, hugs and tears all around," he said. Bob said that the event was truly inspirational and he recalled that the judge gave a short speech to the new and very proud Americans. The judge said in part, "You are all so proud to be here. Well, we are all very proud to have you here." "We who are born here tend to take it for granted," said Bob about being a United States citizen. "These people worked very hard." Bob and Luba said that the event was the culmination of an arduous five-year process involving numerous trips to the Immigration and Naturalization Services Building in Milwaukee. The happy couple first met in Moscow and fell in love in July of 2001. Luba came to the United States with Bob on a fiance visa and the two were married on Sept. 22, 2001. Many applications and much paperwork followed, along with numerous trips to Milwaukee in an effort for Luba to obtain her citizenship. "These people, (those aspiring to become U.S. citizens) are among the most searched people on the planet," said Bob. Luba also put in many hours of study in order to gain knowledge of the United States government, the history of the United States and the laws and court system of the United States. She then had to complete an interview and pass a test. There were 100 questions to study in preparation for the test. Ten questions would be asked but Luba didn't know which 10. Eleven months after being interviewed and taking the test, Luba received notice that she could take the Oath of Citizenship. Bob noted that after Luba had become an American, he and Luba went across the street to the historic Pfister Hotel, known for its grand, Victorian elegance. There, Luba would have her first meal as an American citizen. Upon learning of the importance of the occasion, the hotel staff replaced the regular silverware with their most elegant plate and silver service. They also congratulated Luba and told her that the meal was on the house. "Thanks for having your first meal with us," they said to Luba. In addition, the hotel gave the plate, silver service and a big "Pfister Hotel" cloth napkin to Luba in commemoration of the event. "I was totally blown away," said Bob. "They were so kind." Upon learning of Luba's new citizenship, United States Congressman Ron Kind called and offered his congratulations. "I thought that was very thoughtful of him on a Sunday, on his day off," said Bob, who noted that Kind was very helpful throughout the process. "Many people in Wauzeka are very kind and supportive also," said a beaming Luba. |
