By Ted Pennekamp

The Seneca School Board approved of a tax levy of $1,778,927 at its meeting Monday night. The levy means that the tax rate will be $12.33. Last year’s tax rate was a little more than $8. A tax rate of $12.33 means that the owner of a home valued at $100,000 would pay $1,233 for school purposes.

During the Seneca School District’s annual meeting before a full house in the high school gym Oct. 14, people voted down a proposal for a tax levy with a corresponding tax rate of $13.03. They also voted down a levy with a tax rate of $10.50. Approved was a levy with a tax rate of $12.33.

The levy of $1,778,927 that was approved by the School Board Monday night means that the district will need to cut just over $100,000, said District Administrator David Boland.

"We will do the best that we can to take it out of areas that don’t affect students, such as maintenance," said Boland, in noting that the board and the district do not want to cut programs or opportunities for students. "At the end of the year, if we have to dip into the fund balance, we will dip into the fund balance."

"It’s a difficult time for people and everyone understands that," Boland said. "It’s too bad that the state cut the amount of state aid that much. We will do the best that we can with the situation."

Originally, the state was talking about a cut in state aid for the Seneca District of 3 to 5 percent. However, when the actual notice arrived, state aid for Seneca was cut by 15 percent, which left a large and unanticipated gap in the budget.

Property valuation in the Seneca School District increased by $23 million in the past year. That increase has been blamed as the major reason for the large cut in state aid.

By Ted Pennekamp

Prairie du Chien High School wrestling coach Mel Dow has been awarded with the opportunity to coach the United States Wrestling Team in the Pan American Tournament this week in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Dow will be the coach of the Pan Am Junior Greco-Roman and Freestyle Teams. His assistant will be Dale Oliver of New York, who was a wrestler on the 1985 United States Team at the World Championships and coached at the World Championships in 2005.

Dow and Oliver will prepare the US wrestlers as they take on the top wrestlers from 32 countries at the Pan Am Tournament. The team arrived on Wednesday and will depart from Mexico on Monday, Oct. 26.

The wrestlers are of college age and cannot be older than 22. The US Team will be competing in six of the eight weight categories. Some wrestlers will be competing in both freestyle and Greco-Roman, said Dow, who noted that in Greco-Roman, a wrestler can’t go for his opponent’s legs, it’s all upper body wrestling. There is also a US Women’s Wrestling Team at the Pan Am Tournament.

"Coaching at that level keeps the knife sharp," said Dow regarding the coaching of such elite wrestlers. "And, the experience gained helps at our local level because our kids accelerate faster."

Because he is coaching such top talent, Dow said that the emphasis is not on technique but rather on match preparation and strategy. Part of the coach’s job is to scout the wrestlers from the other teams and to prepare the US wrestlers for the tendencies of each upcoming opponent. Also, keeping a wrestler in a good mental state, such as coming back after losing a big match, can play a big part.

The Pan Am Tournament will be the second time that Dow has coached in international competition. He coached in Germany two years ago at the Brandenburg Cup. The wrestlers at the Pan Am Tournament are trying to become members of the US Team for the World Championships, and later the Olympic Games.

Dow has been coaching for USA Wrestling for 10 years and his latest assignment is yet another step in his goal of someday coaching for the World Championships or the Olympic Games.

"The Olympic movement in wrestling is strictly volunteerism," explained Dow, who noted that a prospective coach starts out at the Copper level and then proceeds to the Bronze, Silver and Gold levels through ever increased work, coaching, taking classes and teaching. The more work a coach does and the more successful his teams are, the higher his level. Dow is at the Silver level. The Gold level coaches are those chosen for the World Championships and the Olympics.

"I’m very excited to be coaching at the Pan Am Tournament," said Dow, "But, I’m also disappointed that it is happening during the school year and that my family can’t go." Dow said that normally, he wouldn’t get a coaching assignment that would affect his teaching duties, but because of the swine flu outbreak in Mexico, the Pan Am Tournament was postponed from June to October.

"I’m just a guy from Prairie du Chien," he said. "And, to be able to coach at this level, it was never really a thought when I was growing up. I’ve been blessed."

Dow said that coaching at international events such as the Pan Am Tournament, offer a great experience and help to make him a better coach.

"It helps me incredibly with coaching at Prairie du Chien," he said, in noting that a coach can learn a lot from other top wrestling countries such as the former Soviet Union, Cuba and others regarding some of the techniques they use and how they prepare for matches.

It is also very helpful in forming connections, which give a boost to coaches and their wrestlers. For instance, Dow has wrestled with Gold Medal winner Rulon Gardner during a demonstration at a clinic at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. He has also met Gold Medalist and outstanding coach Dan Gable and many other top wrestlers and coaches. Dow has formed an Elite Development Camp for the top 50 wrestlers in Wisconsin under 20 years old, and the connections he has made allow for the wrestlers at this camp to receive tutelage from top college wrestlers. One graduate of this camp, Henry Cejudo won the Olympic Gold Medal at 121 pounds at the 2008 Olympics.

Various Prairie du Chien wrestlers over the years, such as Jon Quamme and Zach Elliott, have also been able to go to the Olympic Training Center to see what it is like to compete with higher level wrestlers. Prairie du Chien graduates Quamme and Elliott are currently wrestling at the college level.

Dow has always tried to keep his "outside" coaching work low key and non-publicized, but the Pan Am Tournament has proven too big to be kept under wraps.

"Going to international competitions such as the Pan Am Tournament is pretty cool," said Dow. "I’m thankful for all of the support. Hopefully, it will show some of our wrestlers and athletes in other sports that anything is possible. There are great opportunities out there."

Local man enjoys showing Pit Bulls

A Prairie du Chien man, Kent Stark, enjoys the unusual hobby of raising American Pit Bull Terriers as show dogs.

"My dogs are from the Razor’s Edge bloodline," said Stark. "They are bred for being show dogs and are bred for their temperament, which is non-aggressive." Stark said that he would like to dispel the public misconception that all pit bulls are mean. "My dogs are not mean at all," he said.

Stark has been showing two dogs in recent years. Drama Queen is a 3-year-old female and has received four best female major titles, four first place titles and has been titled as champion for the United Kennel Club.

"We are working on getting her grand champion title," said Stark, the owner of Stark Kennels.

Stark has just started showing his 3-year-old male King of Hearts, who has won two first-place ribbons and a second-place ribbon so far.

"King is a Purple Ribbon Breed," said Stark, in noting that a Purple Ribbon Breed means that the dog’s lineage can be traced back for seven generations. "King’s mother was a champion and his father was grand champion."

Stark noted that all of the dogs at United Kennel Club shows are each shown in two separate arenas in front of two separate judges. There are male and female classes for each breed. The dogs are judged on their confirmation, their movement and their looks. A dog can earn the title "Best of Breed," and also "Best of Show."

Brandy Moore of Moore’s Family Kennels in Green Valley, Illinois is the handler of Drama Queen and King of Hearts at their shows, said Stark, who also breeds and sells dogs. "It is very important that these dogs are well taken care of," said Stark, whose clients sign a contract for this purpose. "I want them to go to good homes. That is very important."

While American Pit Bull Terrier show dogs are noted for their non-aggressive behavior, they are a little bit larger than other pit bulls, said Stark. In addition to judging events, Stark said that he might begin entering Drama Queen in weight pulls, which are also popular events at shows.

Stark said that he co-owns two other American Pit Bull Terriers. The dogs live with other families, but Stark owns the breeding and show rights.

"I just like dogs," said Stark. "And, I love these types of dogs. I enjoy these dogs. They’re a great breed and they’re very loyal to their owners."

New Inventors and Entrepreneurs Club supports area business

This month Prairie du Chien will join the growing number of cities and towns around Wisconsin sponsoring free "Inventors and Entrepreneurs (I&E) Clubs" to support new and existing business owners. According club facilitator Laura Brown of the Crawford County UW Extension, "I&E Clubs are a safe place for inventors, new or existing business owners, people with ideas, resource providers, and investors to network and share resources. It’s about building a culture where people feel comfortable taking their idea to the next level." The Prairie du Chien meetings will be held every first Wednesday of the month at 6 p.m. at Prairie du Chien City Hall. The club will officially launch on Wednesday Nov. 4, featuring the topic "Growing A Culture of Innovation: Finding Opportunity in Tough Times" with speaker Terry Whipple, Executive Director of Juneau County Economic Development Corporation (JCEDC).

"America is undergoing a time of rapid change. Old ways and businesses that don’t keep up with the times are passing away. But at the same time, new opportunities are springing up like never before," said Whipple. "We must foster a culture that embraces and supports the innovators and entrepreneurs within our communities. They will be the ones to lead our economy to higher ground."

Last week, more than 45 people from the greater Prairie du Chien area attended the new Inventors and Entrepreneurs Club "preview" meeting and business workshop at Prairie du Chien City Hall which featured speaker Lisa Kivirist on "How ECO-preneurs are Leading America’s Rural Renaissance." Attendees enjoyed catered local foods from McGregor Coffee Roasters and browsed tables of business resources from Prairie du Chien Downtown Revitalization, Couleecap, the Small Business Development Center, and the Farm Services Agency. An online link to Lisa’s presentation will soon be available through the Crawford County UW Extension office http://crawford.uwex.edu/cnred/index.html.

I&E Clubs first started in Wisconsin in Juneau County where Economic Development Director Terry Whipple pioneered the idea. Facilitated by volunteers and staff and driven by the interest of business owners with an ethic of giving back to their communities, I&E clubs feature speakers ranging from local success stories (November’s Viroqua club meeting will feature the owner of Rural Route 1 Popcorn, Brad Biddick) to patent attorneys or marketing specialists. Club meeting topics are chosen based upon input from club attendees to provide resources that local businesses and entrepreneurs need most. There are currently more than 40 clubs throughout the state. The meetings are free, open to the public, and generally include a speaker and lots of time for networking and browsing current business opportunities and resources. According to Carol Roth, owner of the Roth House B&B in Soldiers Grove and a regular attendee of the Viroqua I&E Club meeting, "In these times businesses need to manage their resources carefully. As local business owners, we can really learn a lot from one another and the I&E Club is a great way to do that."

For more information about local I&E clubs contact Laura Brown at Crawford County UW Extension, 608-326-0223.

Upcoming regional I&E Club meeting speakers and topics include:

•First Wednesday, Nov. 4 "Growing A Culture of Innovation: Finding Opportunity in Tough Times," Terry Whipple, Executive Director of Juneau County Economic Development Corporation (JCEDC) and President of the 7 Rivers Region. This meeting will be held at the Prairie du Chien City Hall, 214 E. Blackhawk Ave. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Program is at 6 p.m.

•First Wednesday, Dec. 2, "Social Networking Tools and Tricks–How to be Recognized in the Social Network World," Tim Puyleart, Business Development Consultant, Environmental Health and Safety Professional. The meeting is at Prairie du Chien City Hall. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. The program is at 6 p.m.

•Second Wednesday, Nov. 11, "Holiday Party What Makes An Idea ‘POP’," Brad Biddick, Entrepreneur, owner Rural Route 1 Popcorn. The meeting is at Western Technical College, Viroqua. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. The program is at 6 p.m.

•Wednesday, Dec. 9, "Building A Business On Your Values," Richard de Wilde, owner of Harmony Valley Community Supported Agriculture. The meeting is at Western Technical College, Viroqua. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. The program at 6 p.m.

For more regional I&E Club meetings, visit www.driftlessentrepreneurs.com

Networking was the theme of the evening as participants shared stories and business ideas following Lisa Kivirist’s presentation "How Eco-prenerus are Leading America’s Rural Rennaissance" during the recent Business Workshop and Resource Fair in Prairie du Chien.