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Volunteers work to provide shelter for animals
November 4 through 10 has been designated
National Animal Shelter Week. Although Crawford County has two
active groups, CASA and Faith's Friends, working for the
protection of animals, neither one has an actual shelter. For that
matter, neither do Grant or Clayton County.
With luck and persistence, however, that may change. The
Faith's Friends group, which started with discussions among staff members at
Tender Care Animal Hospital, is raising funds for an animal shelter and looking
for land on which to build it.
President Debbie Polkinghorn said they have set themselves a
goal of three years in which to raise the money and build the shelter. The size
of the shelter, she said, will depend on the land available for the site. It
must be zoned either agricultural or industrial. Polkinghorn said the group has
had a lot of encouragement. "Even if people are not animal lovers," she
explained, "they want to see stray cats and dogs rounded up and off the
streets."
They are also getting support from other animal groups. The
Coulee Region Humane Society and the Dodgeville Humane Society have been very
helpful, and they are following ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals) guidelines in planning and raising funds for the shelter.
At present stray animals in Prairie du Chien are taken to
Southwest Veterinary Service, where they are kept for two weeks at city expense.
If they are not claimed or adopted at they end of that period, they are put to
sleep.
In addition to Polkinghorn, board members are Bev Pozega, Dr.
Jamie Quick, Sandy Kittle, Prairie du Chien Police Officer Stacy Poladna and
Dale Huston. Anyone wishing to make a contribution or obtain further information
about Faith's Friends may contact Polkinghorn at 994-2229 or Bev Pozega at
326-2914.
Dhjana Franson of Ferryville is the founder and president of
Crawford Area Shelter for Animals (CASA). She and a friend started CASA in 1999
because there was no place for stray animals. It is not an animal shelter but
recruits individuals to foster animals. There are currently about 10 people who
will take in dogs and cats, most of which come as strays.
In the past, the organization has fostered a couple of
horses, a goat, a ferret and a rabbit. There was also a snake at one time, but
Franson said they found a permanent home for that immediately. In 2006 the group
took in 118 dogs and 42 cats, although some of the dogs were from an adjacent
county that has no shelter.
The animals' pictures and a short description are posted on
www.petfinder.org so that people can see what's available in the area. Most of
their inquiries come from that source. Potential owners must then fill out an
application and meet with the animal's foster parents. Applications generally
come from the surrounding area, but Franson remembers one case a few years ago
in which a couple had been caring for their dead daughter's dogs and simply were
unable to continue doing so. CASA posted the dogs on their website and a woman
in Tennessee adopted them. The dogs were transported to her with the help of
four different volunteers.
The organization charges an adoption fee to cover the cost of
veterinary fees, including spaying and neutering. The fee for dogs is $125; $65
for female cats and $45 for male cats.
Both Franson and Polkinghorn emphasize the need for neutering
pets. Polkinghorn said that a cat and one litter of kittens can produce up to 10
million cats in 10 years if allowed to breed freely. Over 50 percent of the dogs
that come in to animal shelters in the Midwest region are lab mixes, most likely
from indiscriminate or unplanned breeding.
Vicki Moore of rural Prairie du Chien is one of
the CASA foster volunteers. She started taking in animals about
three years ago, and estimates she has taken in 50 or 60 animals
in that time, some of them female dogs or cats with kittens or
puppies.
At present she is down to one dog who needs adopting, but has
a total of 15 cats, six of them kittens. The animals come to her in various
ways. One, a cocker cross, was found tied to her porch in a snowstorm; a cat was
found left behind in a house from which its tenants had been evicted. Many
people simply turn them in because they can't keep them or no longer want them.
She has stories about animals who have been placed as well.
One "sweet golden lab" was adopted by a man who still brings her back for an
occasional visit.
She had a wire-haired terrier with "six of the largest
puppies I've ever seen." She found homes for all of them. A rat terrier was
adopted by a woman in Iowa whose terrier had died. It now sleeps at the foot of
the woman's bed.
Moore said she takes in the animals because "it's rewarding
when you saved an animal's life and found it a good home."
Unfortunately, CASA has had to turn animals
away for lack of foster volunteers. Anyone who is interested in
volunteering should contact CASA at 608-648-2461.
Storm water agreement not yet ready for adoption
Last night's City Council meeting was a
combination of action, items tabled for further information and a
closed session on the proposed storm water agreement between the
city and area business people.
The storm water agreement, which was to have been ready for
action last night was instead discussed in a closed session. Waste Water
Superintendent Terry Meyer said that City Attorney Tom Peterson had expressed
some concerns about details of the agreement and the alternative storm water
utility proposal. Meyer said Peterson will set up a draft of the agreement
before another meeting is set with the business people
The council approved refinancing the city's debt payments to
avoid hitting the taxpayers with an approximately 13 percent increase in taxes
next year and the prospect of a greater increase in the following years.
Dave Anderson of Public Finance Management explained that the
amortization schedule previously laid out was not a good one for city
government. The new financing will be at a lower interest rate, although the
city will pay about $20,000 a year more until the debt is paid. That figure will
decrease as the principal decreases.
Council approved the levying of special assessments from last
year's sewer and water project on the east side, setting interest rates of five
percent per annum on the unpaid balance of deferred payments.
City Attorney Tom Peterson introduced a discussion of
forgiveness of interest for those special assessments. Peterson said he
understood from discussion with property owners in that area that the city's
previous city planner, Garth Frabel, had told them there would be no charge on
deferred interest. Peterson said the statute stipulates that interest be
charged. He said he felt the city needed to discuss the issue and make a clear
decision.
Waste Water Superintendent Terry Meyer said he thought the
statement was made that assessments paid by a certain date would have no
interest, but he would have to review his notes. Action was tabled until the
next meeting.
In other business council:
´Denied a proposal by Alltel to renegotiate its wireless
communication lease with the city. The revised lease would have provided a lower
rent payment in exchange for 12 years of guaranteed annual income. The current
lease would allow Alltel to terminate the agreement any time with a 60 day
notice and a one year payment of $9,000. Council member Joe Ruskey, who made the
motion to deny, said "I can guarantee that if they pull out, someone else will
be moving in.
´Approved the public works committee recommendation to pave
an eight foot blacktop bike path on the west side of Water Street on St. Feriole
Island. There will be a three to four foot green space between the path and the
road.
´Approved the development of an accident/incident
investigation program. Council member Dave Hemmer said this stems from some
loader incidents which had occurred over the past year or so. Procedures have
now been established for reporting and investigating an incident. The object,
said Terry Meyer, is to find out how and why an accident happened and how to
prevent it.
´Approved a recommendation to triple the fee for
non-compliance of utility permits. Meyer said there have been some instances of
non-compliance, which could result in leaks or dirt entering the sewer system.
´Tabled action on snow emergency parking. The public works
committee, which had discussed the issue earlier, was unable to come to
consensus.
´Tabled action on a water and sewer agreement with the
town of Bridgeport. The agreement will be ready for the next meeting.
Two new councilmen elected in Marquette
Lively races fuelled a reasonable turnout at
the polls yesterday in Marquette, where two new city council
members were elected. Jim Meana and Jason Winter will take the
council seats formerly held by Norma Mason and Norb Hammes. Meana
received 75 votes and Winter polled in with 80. Hammes received 42
votes. Mason was not running for re-election. About one-third of
registered voters showed up at the polls.
In the Marquette mayors race, Darren Matthew made a good
showing as a last minute write-in candidate with 41 votes, but incumbent John
Ries was elected to another term with 68 votes. Larry Breuer, the other mayoral
candidate, trailed behind with 16 votes. Both Breuer and Hammes may have been
hurt in the election by their involvement in a legal dispute between the City of
Marquette and Breuer, who was seeking to develop his property on North Street.
The trial in that case resumes on Friday.
In McGregor, there were no contested elections, and a
get-out-the-vote effort by local candidates did not seem to have much effect.
Less than 100 voters turned out to elect Roger Knott as mayor and Rogetta
Halvorson and Jason Solberg as council persons.
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Local airport continues
expansion
Anyone driving along Highway 18 south of
Prairie du Chien may have noticed quite a bit of activity at the
airport lately.
A new blacktop ramp is being built by Mathy
Construction of Onalaska. The ramp will serve as a parking area
for planes and will also be used as a taxi route to the two
runways. This taxi route will make the airport safer, said Prairie
du Chien Airport Manager Richard Yeomans.
Also going in is a heavy concrete pad designed
to handle the heavier corporate jets, which have become
increasingly frequent at the airport. A new single-point fueling
system is being constructed by METCO Petroleum Equipment Sales and
Service of Hillsboro. Yeomans said that the new fueling system
will allow jets to refuel much more quickly. Also, there will be a
credit card reader so that the fueling of any airplane can be done
24 hours a day. Yeomans said that the old fueling system will be
taken out.
"It's going to be quite a thing when they get
it done," said Yeomans, who estimated that the project will cost
between $800,000 and $1 million. Yeomans noted that the vast
majority of the project will be paid for by the federal and state
aviation fuel tax. "There will be no cost to the taxpayers," he
said.
The project is expected to be completed by the
end of December, said Yeomans, who also noted that the parking
area for planes in front of the building will be replaced in the
spring of 2008. This parking area is expected to be completed by
May.
Several hangers were built at the airport two
years ago and more hangers are planned. One of the newer hangers
belongs to NASCAR racer Matt Kenseth.
"It's amazing," said Yeomans about the
continuing airport expansion. He said that airport traffic has
increased over the past several years, although exact counts are
not known. There has been a noticeable and continuing increase in
the number of corporate jets that use the airport ever since a
5,000-foot runway was added seven years ago to accommodate them.
Yeomans said that Prairie du Chien's location
is a factor, along with companies that have come to the area. He
pointed out that Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison, Minneapolis and
other cities are not that far away by air.
Yeomans said that the increased use has
increased the income of the Prairie du Chien Airport. Two recent
noteworthy jets that have used the airport were those carrying
Presidential hopefuls Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Joe
Biden.
Future projects at the airport will include
resurfacing the older 3,999-foot runway. It is not yet known when
this project will be scheduled.
Marquette
to hold elections Tuesday
Candidates in Marquette city elections were
invited to respond to questions for this candidate forum. Not all
candidates responded. The responses we received are included
below.
Council Candidates
Norbert Hammes
Address: 302 North Street
Age: Not submitted
Occupation: Retired
Family: Wife, Nancy Hammes:
Marquette faces a number of challenging issues.
What do you feel are the most pressing problems facing the city
and what do you think ought to be done about them?
I feel that the management of stormwater runoff
is the most pressing issue at this time. The Timber Ridge addition
is another issue we can both be proud of and also encourage
further development of. Hopefully, many new homes will be built in
the area. This will be a great tax revenue to the city of
Marquette for many years to come. To be able to encourage more
tourism in our downtown is also vital to our city as it would be
to any small town in Iowa. We now have new stores to be very proud
of, and hopefully more to come. We should also be very proud of
the Marquette Railroad Museum as well.
The Great Places Visioning Team has proposed
creating a number of public facilities including a Community
Wellness Center, trails and other amenities at the former
Roundhouse site using a variety of funding sources. What are your
thoughts on this proposal?
The city of Marquette has been working for a
number of years to develop the former Roundhouse area. The city
has spent thousands of dollars on environmental issues and on
contamination clean up. This is mandated by the state and federal
government before any use of the area can take place. I believe
the city is now near the point where use of the land can begin. We
hope to work closely with the Great Places Visioning Team on this
issue.
What actions has the City of Marquette taken in
the past year that you have disagreed with and why?
I feel that the present City Council works well
together and have been in total agreement on issues before them.
Nicole Shaw
Age: 25
Address: 201 Brown Street
Occupation: Full-time student, earning M.A. in
Secondary Education. Student-teaching at Allamakee Community
Schools, 8th grade English.
Marquette faces a number of challenging issues.
What do you feel are the most pressing problems facing the city
and what do you think ought to be done about them?
Stormwater management is critical at this point
in Marquette's agenda, as the runoff problems from the new
addition on Eagle Drive have put the Bench in serious danger for
erosion, flash floods, and other runoff concerns. We have to be
sure that our storm sewers are adequate for the new amounts of
runoff, and we need to be sure that they are functioning properly
and cleaned out before the rain comes.
The Great Places Visioning Team has proposed
creating a number of public facilities including a Community
Wellness Center, trails and other amenities at the former
Roundhouse site using a variety of funding sources. What are your
thoughts on this proposal?
A Community Wellness Center would be a great
addition to our small town. We could potentially draw people in
from neighboring communities, creating more revenue for the town.
The Wellness Center proposal addressed many of the needs for our
small town and would be an exciting addition.
What actions has the City of Marquette taken in
the past year that you have disagreed with and why?
I am greatly concerned about reaction time to
potential flash floods, especially since my neighborhood was
greatly impacted by the flash flood in July. It is necessary that
the city be more prepared and take necessary steps to protect its
citizens and their assets, especially if we are trying to promote
the quality of living in our small town to potential businesses,
families, and other investors
Jim Meana
Age: Not submitted
Address: 123 2nd St.
Occupation: I was born and raised in Marquette and have lived here
all my life except for 10 years that I lived in Florida and
Kentucky. I am a lifetime member of the VFW Post #1062 and member
of Marquette Legion Post #305.
Marquette faces a number of challenging issues.
What do you feel are the most pressing problems facing the city
and what do you think ought to be done about them?
One of the more serious issues facing Marquette
is stormwater management. The existing council has a approved an
engineer study and survey of this problem. When the council
receives the findings of survey it needs to be acted on as soon as
possible. The rains we had this summer were way above normal and
nobody expected all the chaos caused by all the water coming off
the surrounding hills. Thanks to the quick response of local law
enforcement and fire departments there were no injuries or loss of
life.
Another issue is Marquette's need to start
investing in our town and not in the banks. Money invested in CDs
or savings accounts is great to a point, but does nothing to
improve our city or promote growth. With growth we will build up
our tax base and can once again have some of the shops and stores
that we all have to drive across the bridge to Prairie du Chien
for.
The Great Places Visioning Team has proposed
creating a number of public facilities including a Community
Wellness Center, trails and other amenities at the former
Roundhouse site using a variety of funding sources. What are your
thoughts on this proposal?
I believe the Great Places Visioning Team has
done an excellent job researching and putting together a plan for
a Community Wellness Center. I believe a center of this caliber is
way overdue for the area. The team working on this center have put
together a plan that will benefit everyone in the area, and will
bring in tourism from outside the area. The site for this center
needs to be in our town where locals, young and old can walk to
the center and enjoy its many amenities. The former Roundhouse
property is an excellent location in that it is close to downtown
and is very accessible from Highway 18.
Jason Winter
Age: 33
Addess: 207 Natures Drive
Occupation: Special Agent with the Iowa Division of Criminal
Investigation
Family: Wife - Kelly teacher at MFL MARMAC, Blake - 13, and Bailey
- 5
Marquette faces a number of challenging issues.
What do you feel are the most pressing problems facing the city
and what do you think ought to be done about them?
The most challenging issue facing the city of
Marquette at the present time would be stormwater management,
especially in the Bench area. It seems when there is a heavy rain,
at least a few homes on the bench receive some kind of damage,
either to the yards people have worked hard on or direct damage to
their homes. I feel the city has already taken a step towards
fixing the problem by having a group come in and do a study on the
area. I would like to see the city move forward and act on
recommendations from the study. This is not something the city
should drag their feet on, as so many people have invested too
much time and money into their properties to see it get washed
away.
The Great Places Visioning Team has proposed
creating a number of public facilities including a Community
Wellness Center, trails and other amenities at the former
Roundhouse site using a variety of funding sources. What are your
thoughts on this proposal?
Being a member of the Great Places Visioning
Team, I see this as a GREAT project for the area. I see it
bringing a number of different opportunities to the area for the
young people as well as the elderly. I believe putting a facilty
like this in a brownfield area would add to its already panoramic
view. It would also allow foræ educational opportunities for the
young and young-at-heart to explore the beautiful surroundings
while walking on the trails.
What actions has the City of Marquette taken in
the past year that you have disagreed with and why?
I have disagreed with the way the Great Places
Visioning Team was received the first time the idea was presented
to the Marquette Council. I think the Council was defensive and
not open to the ideas that were being presented. However, in time,
I do credit the Marquette Council for collaborating with the
McGregor Council and putting up funds to move forward with a site
study.
I believe strongly that this area has endless
opportunities. We need to find a way to bring families into the
area that will help our school and local economy. We want to
continue to see this area thrive. If we do it right, we can truly
make it Iowa's Great Place.
Mayoral
Candidates
Larry Breuer
Age: 61.
Address: 208 North Street
Occupation: Self-employed in construction, residential/commercial
rentals.
Family: Father of three children, grandfather of eight.
Marquette faces a number of challenging issues.
What do you feel are the most pressing problems facing the city
and what do you think ought to be done about them?
Because of my ongoing property, zoning and use
disputes with the city of Marquette I am not going to comment at
length on specific issues. However, I do have some general
comments.
In view of the extensive stormwater damage
incurred in the city in May of 2004 and again last July and
August, I have many questions as to why stormwater management was
not addressed as part of the Bench project when it was done or the
reconstruction of the downtown infrastructure in 2003. We could
have better utilized an $80,000 study as a preventive rather than
corrective measure. The citizens of Marquette need a mayor who
will encourage the city council to develop short term and long
term planning and then follow the plans.
I have been personally involved in the start up
of three small businesses in town. None of them are still here.
Two other small businesses have begun and closed within the past
two to three years. This situation needs to be acknowledged and
addressed. As mayor, I would encourage the appointment of a
committee to deal solely with business development and to work
with our small businesses.
Last, but not least, all citizens of Marquette
deserve and have the right to expect and receive fair and equal
treatment by City Hall.
Trash collection is no longer a simple matter
Communities required to meet a recycling quota
Once it's been picked up at the curb, most of
us don't give a second thought about our trash. We're just happy
to have it off our hands.
Town and Country Sanitation in Boscobel,
however, does a lot of thinking about it, because that company has
to sort it and dispose of it. Town and Country currently serves
towns and cities in six different counties. In this area, it
serves, among others, Wauzeka, Eastman, Seneca, Patch Grove,
Bloomington, Bagley and Prairie du Chien.
Owner Doug Enke explained how the process
works. All garbage is hauled to the company's transfer station in
Lone Rock, where it is dumped onto the transfer floor and reloaded
into semis; then it is hauled to a landfill in the City of
Janesville and buried.
All recyclables are brought to their facility
in Boscobel where workers process them for shipment elsewhere. The
recycling crews actually sort the materials as they are picked up.
The pickup trailers contain large barrels into which workers sort
plastic, metals and various colors of glass. Paper is stacked in
the truck bed. When the vans return to the Boscobel facility, the
material is then emptied into the appropriate bins.
From that point, they are crushed or packaged
or baled and shipped out to different locations. Newspaper goes to
a paper mill in Canada; corrugated cardboard goes to Weyerhauser
at Cedar Rapids, Iowa; mixed paper is hauled to Green Bay
Packaging; glass goes to East Troy to a big glass company.
Plastic, tin and aluminum go to Midwest Recycling in Rockford,
Ill.
Enke says he ships out between 250 and 300 tons
of recyclables a week. In 2006, they shipped out just shy of
10,000 tons„10,000 tons of material that can be reused rather than
take up space in a landfill.
Handling the garbage and recycling is only part
of the work, however. Town and Country is required by the
Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to keep accurate recycling
records to meet the state recycling requirement adopted in the
1990's. That requirement bans materials which are highly
recyclable- from being placed in the trash. According to Cynthia
Moore, DNR recycling program coordinator, each town, city or
county is required to adopt a recycling program and meet a certain
recycling quota based on population.
Recycling companies are required to keep those
records and send each community a quarterly report. Each community
then must send that information to the DNR in an annual report. If
a community does not meet the quota set for it, the community must
justify it. "There are some good reasons why a certain community
may not reach that quota," said Moore. "Some have many elderly
people who don't generate many recyclables. Others, such as the
Amish, reuse a lot of the material themselves."
If a community does not meet its quota, the DNR
has the authority to withhold part of its grants or put it on
probation. "But generally, we try to work with them," said Moore.
She said there are few problems because people want to do the
right thing environmentally.
Enke provides printouts for each community with
separate categories for aluminum, glass (broken down into clear,
brown and green), tin, plastic, newspaper, cardboard and mixed
paper.
Although it is not something for which exact
records must be kept, it is also illegal to dispose of yard waste
brush, leaves and grass clippings in a landfill, and these
must be picked up separately and taken to a compost site.
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