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Construction workers injured as 12 tons of tresses fall at new county
highway building
Nearly 12 tons of rafters fell on construction workers from LDL Construction
of Boscobel Tuesday afternoon, as they were putting up trusses on the new County
Highway Department salt storage building. No one knows for sure what caused the
32 80-foot-wide trusses, weighing about 740 pounds each, to fall, according to
Highway Commissioner Dennis Pelock. The Crawford County Sheriff's Department
received the call at 2:20 p.m. One worker had three rafters fall on top of him,
pinning him under 2,300 pounds of lumber. Once emergency personnel and
co-workers got him out, he was taken by medical helicopter to La Crosse. His
name was not available at press time, but Sheriff Bob Ostrander said Wednesday
morning that he has now been released from the hospital. A second construction
worker was taken by ambulance to Prairie du Chien Memorial Hospital. He was
treated and released. Another man refused medical treatment and several were
treated for minor injuries at the scene. Pelock estimated between eight to ten
construction workers were in the structure or fastening trusses when the
accident occurred. Pelock said several trusses fell during one of the first days
of construction on the building, about two-and-a-half weeks ago, but no one was
injured. Construction on the project is now stopped, and clean up will not
occur, until a consultant from the truss company can investigate why this
occurred. The 80 by 108 feet salt storage shed is part of the new County Highway
facilities located at the intersection of County E and Highway 27 between Seneca
and Eastman. The walls are 24-feet high, and the peak reaches 32 feet.
Edwards says school board may have violated open meetings law in
April
In a rather unusual move Monday night, the Prairie du Chien School Board did
not approve the minutes of its April 14 School Board meeting. Those minutes were
tabled and will be discussed in closed session at a future board meeting. The
minutes were not approved because board member Brian Edwards objected, saying, "I
want to file a complaint that we (the board) did not comply with open meetings
law. I might ask the district attorney or the state attorney general to look
into the matter and rescind the contracts for Mr. O'Meara and have the items
placed on the agenda again." Edwards said that the agenda for the April 14
meeting did not adequately inform the public nor himself as a board member as to
what was going to be discussed and voted on that evening. He said that the
agenda given to the public simply stated "Personnel" in regards to personnel
issues to come before the board, which included the possible rollover of
Superintendent O'Meara's contract as well as raises for the administrators and
management. Edwards said the agenda given to him stated that one issue to be
discussed under "Personnel" involved a contract extension for O'Meara for July
1, 2003 through June 30, 2005. The second extension, which is to run from July
1, 2005 through June 30, 2007, was not on the agenda, he said. Following the
closed session on April 14, the board voted 6-1 to approve two 2-year contracts
for O'Meara with Edwards voting against the measure. The second 2-year contract
had not been listed on the meeting agenda, according to Edwards, and therefore
the board had not complied with open meetings law. Edwards said that he had
talked with one of the district's attorneys and that he will investigate the
matter further. The matter will be discussed in closed session at a future board
meeting, and if further investigation shows that the board violated open
meetings law, O'Meara's contract extensions might be rescinded and placed on the
agenda again to be discussed and voted on by the board. Edwards said that the
issue involves almost $300,000 and that neither he nor the public were given a
fair opportunity to discuss the matter. "I want to make sure this was done
legally and properly," he said. "And, if it wasn't, I want it put back on the
agenda." At the April 14 board meeting, the district's six administrators
received total package (salary and benefits) raises of 3.8 percent. O'Meara's
salary is listed at $88,000 per year. On July 1, it will become $90,290. In
other business, Bluff View Intermediate School teacher Jane Yeomans-Petrowitz
asked what the budget is for each school for materials and supplies. She was
told that those budgets were $35,000 for B.A. Kennedy, $65,000 for Bluff View
and $120,000 for the high school. Yeomans-Petrowitz then asked, "Why is one age
group more important than another"? Superintendent O'Meara and Business Manager
Mike Coughlin each said that one age group is not more important than another,
and that there are other factors that affect the materials and supplies' budgets
at each school. Coughlin pointed out, for example, that there are more classes,
teachers and other staff at the high school. O'Meara also said that
discrepancies between elementary, middle and high school supply budgets occur in
the majority of school districts. He said that the Prairie du Chien District
will look into how other school districts in the area of similar size compare.
In further business, the board: *approved the transfer of Daniele Penney from
elementary art teacher to high school art teacher. *approved Vicki Bond to
replace Steve Coppernoll as high school English teacher, who recently resigned.
*approved the 2003-2004 SWEEP Consortium agreement, under which the Prairie du
Chien School District shares landscaping equipment with several other school
districts at a much lower cost than were they to buy, maintain and use
landscaping equipment on their own.
Seneca residents vote to close South Elementary
Seneca School District residents voted down a referendum Tuesday 156-70 to
authorize the district budget to exceed revenue limits by $60,000 per year for
three years. In the town of Seneca, the vote was 111 no, 51 yes. In the village
of Mount Sterling, the vote was 20 no, 6 yes. In the village of Lynxville, the
vote was 25 no, 13 yes. "It's a testament from the people that they would rather
close the South Elementary School than exceed the revenue limit by $60,000,"
said Seneca Superintendent Ron Welch. Welch said that keeping South Elementary
open would create extra expense and that he is going under the assumption that
the school will now be closed. There is a school board meeting scheduled for May
20, which has the South Elementary School issue on the agenda.
Prairie du Chien woman turns 100
Mae Tirado will celebrate her 100th birthday on May 15, 2003 at Prairie Health
Care Center. She was born in Crawford County. She came from a large family of
which she is the last living member. Her maiden name was Johnson and she
attended Ferryville School through the seventh grade. While she spent most of
her life in the Prairie du Chien community, she operated a restaurant in the
Chicago, Ill. area in the late 1930's. She married Raymond Tirado and they had a
good marriage and were the parents of two sons, Thomas and Raymond. Together,
she and her husband also helped to raise a serviceman's daughter during World
War II. Mae also worked as a telephone operator for the phone company during
this time. Mae was an avid gardener and enjoyed working in her garden into her
80's. She enjoyed canning the vegetables she grew and also raised many chickens.
She will be remembered by many people as a very charitable person, sharing what
she had with friends and family. Mae has several nieces and nephews who live in
the Ferryville community. She enjoys her mail and is looking forward to the day
she becomes a Centenarian. She will celebrate with her family. Mae was delighted
to hear from President Bush and welcomes cards.
This school is all bull
Area cowboy teaches techniques for riding a ton of muscle and rage
Eastman's Cory Check has been a professional bullrider since 1995 and,
in fact, he has been so engrossed in his sport that he gives something
back by holding a bullriding and bullfighting course for three days each
spring at Childrens Ranch in rural Prairie du Chien. This May 9, 10 and 11
one prospective bullfighter (formerly known as rodeo clowns) and 14
budding bullriders, ranging in age from 16 to 28, participated in Check's
course in hopes of one day becoming a professional. "You need to be
confident you can ride that bull no matter what he is, or you might as
well not be there," Check told his students Friday. "You're going to end
up in the dirt." During the three-day course, Check's students do various
bullriding drills, ride bucking machines, ride saddled horses, undergo
chute training, ride practice bulls and watch videotapes demonstrating
proper bullriding form. Some of the things the students were doing Friday
included learning proper arm movement techniques, foot position and proper
dismount while riding on a bullriding machine under the tutelage of Check.
The students later went out to the arena, where they learned how to
properly mount a bull, how to properly cinch up and grip the rope and how
to communicate with the spotters and other personnel attending the chute. "The
most dangerous part of bullriding is in the chute," Check told his
students. "You need to control your emotions in the bucking chute. You
have to turn that fear into aggression." Check also said that a large part
of the course is goal setting and teaching each student how to achieve his
individual goals. As the students were watching videos of some of the top
bullriders of the past, Check told them that they need to pick out a role
model whose technique they will try to emulate. For instance, a tall rangy
bullriding student should emulate a top professional who has a similar
build and physical makeup. Check's role model as he was coming up was Jim
Sharp. Check also said that a large part of bullriding is confidence. "You
have to think that you are the best," he told his students. "But, you have
to let your bullriding show how good you are." Check said that he has held
12 bullriding schools around the Midwest, but about five or six years ago
he established a permanent home for his school at Childrens Ranch. "When
we got this great place here, I came here permanently," he said. Cory
Check is helped at the bullriding school by his brother Curt, who is also
a professional bullrider. Check said that his students come from
throughout the Midwest and class sizes vary from year to year. Last year
there were 29 students, he said. Although this spring's bullriding school
has concluded, persons interested in learning the sport of bullriding or
bullfighting can contact Check at (608) 734-3469.
No more toilet papering during homecoming?
Toilet papering of trees and houses during homecoming week has been a
tradition in Prairie du Chien for quite some time, but action taken by the
city and school may put an end to it next fall. At the request of the
Prairie du Chien School District's administration, the Prairie du Chien
City Council's Health and Protection Committee agreed to meet during the
Spring of 2003 to discuss the problem of vandalism during the school's
Homecoming week festivities. Three open meetings were held (Feb. 5, March
12 and April 13) to receive input from the teachers, students, parents and
the general public. Thirty two individuals participated in one or more of
the meetings. According to a report presented to the Prairie du Chien
Common Council last week by Luanne Neumann, chair of the city's Health and
Protection Committee, the work of the joint committee was to focus on: *Schedule
of activities during homecoming week and how these activities could be
more inclusive of students and the community-at-large. *Current city
ordinances available to restrict incidences of vandalism by youth. *Ways
to encourage respectful, responsible behavior during Homecoming. As a
result of the joint committee discussion, further steps were taken by the
school administration, class sponsors and parents, and the student council
to make revisions to the activity schedule, according to the report.
Communication is in the works to create a partnership with downtown
business and high school classes to decorate shop front windows, the
report states. The time of the homecoming parade will be changed from
mid-afternoon to early evening to allow better attendance by the
community. The parade will be followed by a hog roast, open to the public.
Other activities are being initiated to try to get more students involved
in school related projects, said the report. The second area of committee
focus was the reoccurring vandalism during homecoming week. There was
great diversity of opinions on this topic. Teachers in particular who had
been victims of toilet papering, paint, eggs, motor oil, drain cleaner,
etc. on homes and lawns, were especially concerned that the behaviors not
be allowed to continue. Some students and parents expressed the view that
toilet papering was an "honor'' - a show of popularity and respect from
students to others. At the second joint committee meeting, Officer Chad
Abrams reviewed city ordinances and Wisconsin statutes which were
applicable to the behaviors that were reported. Toilet papering is
considered littering under city ordinance, and citations result in a $297
fine. Destruction of property citations result in a $295 fine, reduced to
$138 for juveniles, but community service could also be ordered by the
judge hearing the case. At the third meeting of the joint committee,
Student Council Advisor Ron Sedgwick shared the results of a poll of the
high school teachers. The teachers unanimously opposed the use of toilet
paper on their home, lawn and property during Homecoming Week. The final
focus of the joint committee's work was encouraging respectful,
responsible behavior. There was consensus that communication of
expectations is essential, and to that end the school administration has
made plans to include "homecoming guidelines'' in an August mailing to all
students and their parents. Another concern expressed, according to the
report, was for the safety of youth while riding in the back of pick-up
trucks, as the students were cruising the community after attending
activities at school. Riding in the back of a pickup is not illegal if the
passengers are sitting down, but youth with a graduated driver's license
are limited to one youth passenger and could face $163 fine and loss of
points if found to be breaking this statute. "I think people now know
where the school stands," says high school principal Andy Banasik. "
Teachers don't want to be toilet papered, and toilet papering can lead to
vandalism." He continued, "I know its a tradition, but things can escalate
quickly," noting the recent case in the national news of hazing which
occurred in conjunction with a powder puff homecoming game. "We are really
pleased to have been able to work proactively with the school officials
and parents on this issue," says Police Chief Mike King. "We will continue
to do what is needed to ensure a safe and enjoyable homecoming for all."
He noted that all reports of vandalism will be promptly investigated by
officers. Citations will be issued if the perpetrators are caught.
"It was the finding of the city's Health and Protection Committee that no
additional city ordinances are needed to ensure a happy, safe and
vandalism-free Homecoming, 2003," the report states. |
