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Still on target
Dan McCarthy of Wauzeka is still right on target. Last year, Courier Press readers learned about Dan's talent in archery, and this 18-year-old is still winning. Last year he topped his age category at the International Bowhunting Organization (IBO) competition. This year, Dan has racked up a number of honors in the Men's Open Competition, including being the 2002 Shooter of the Year, Spring Tour Shooter of the Year, Fall Tour Shooter of the year, winning the Archery Shooters Association (ASA) National Tournament, and placing in the top three in a variety of other top competition. Dan said at the beginning of the season he was getting some flak about being too good for the open division and that he should be shooting in the semi-pro division instead. He said that once he explained to people that he was still busy finishing high school at the beginning of the season and had to keep his grades up, they backed off. He did manage to keep his grades up too -- he was the 2002 Wauzeka-Steuben salutatorian. Dan started shooting bow when he was about 12 years old, and just a year later he entered his first competition in Boscobel, where he won his age category. He started shooting a couple of hours a day, simply because he enjoyed it. He began competing for fun. He used to shoot at two national tournaments a year. He now travels around the nation shooting bow at International Bowhunting Organization and Archery Shooters Association competitions. He decided to put off college for at least a year to compete in archery competitions. Dan says it's a decision he does not regret. "It's an easy way to make money and it's what I want to do," he says. Dan also did note that on the typical day he shoots for about three hours, works on judging distances for about an hour and then goes fishing. He does work part time at a local retailer. He said at the first competition of the year, held in the spring, he placed ninth. "It was good to get beat," Dan says. "It was a great incentive to get better." That eye-opener gave him the encouragement to change his routine and increase the amount of time dedicated to practice. He won the next two competitions, and has just kept on winning. Dan shoots the 3D course, which consists of life-size animal targets. There is no bull's-eye Ñ instead competitors aim for the kill spots. The targets can be up to 40 yards away, through bushes and dark woods. Or, the targets may be set up on a flat, empty field, which can make it difficult to know how far away the animal is. They shoot at targets ranging from bears to beavers and deer to frogs. At competitions they shoot at 40 targets. The maximum amount of points which could be accumulated by a archer in a perfect shoot is 480 - a feat which no one has ever accomplished. Winners at the competitions earn money prizes, scholarships, trophies, plaques and buckles. He has purchased his own range of targets and set up his course. Competitors in the national circuit are required to shoot for an archery shop, in order to have a dealer and manufacturer sponsor. His current sponsors include Pikes Peak Archery, Evans Archery, Classic Scopes, T.R.U. Ball, Hoyt USA Bow Co., Doynker Stabilizers, SKB Cases, Muzzy Broadheads, and Hobbi Stitch. Dan is the son of Tammy and Bill McCarthy. Dan McCarthy of Wauzeka takes aim during a practice session.

PdC teachers speak against dress code
Bluff View science teacher Diane Morovits, along with many other Prairie du Chien teachers, confronted the Prairie du Chien School Board Monday night in voicing their opinions against a possible dress code for teachers. At a previous meeting, the board had stated that a dress code for teachers might be on the agenda of a future meeting. Since then, teachers have circulated a petition throughout the community asking for signatures against the dress code. Morovits and the teachers presented the petition bearing 700 signatures to the board and asked the board members opinions on a possible dress code. "Teachers are role models and should set the standard for what's appropriate," said board member Joseph Atkins as he explained that teachers should be dressed appropriately. "I think you're opening up a can of worms," Morovits told board members. "You're insulting the way we're dressed. The way it's being brought up, I think it's an attack on all of us." Morovits said that the Prairie du Chien Education Association at its Aug. 20 meeting unanimously passed a statement which reads, "The PEA will oppose any dress code which limits and restricts our freedom and individual rights to choose what we will wear to school." Superintendent Jim O'Meara said that he would discuss the dress code issue with the administrators during their October meeting. O'Meara said that the dress of the teachers has dramatically improved this school year and that there may not be a need to adopt a formal dress code. O'Meara also said, however, that a problem solving process needs to be in place whereby the principals could talk to teachers when the principal feels the teacher needs to dress more appropriately in school. O'Meara said that the idea of a dress code was brought up in part as a way to have something concrete should a teacher file a grievance over being told by a principal to dress more appropriately. In other business, Clark Jillson, director of the Southwest Rural Telecommunication Network Consortium, gave a presentation about the new long-distance learning lab being set up at the high school. The long-distance learning lab will be completed by Oct. 15. It will use digital fiber optic cable, cameras and monitors to allow two-way audio and visual communication between Prairie du Chien and other high schools or universities. Through the use of the long-distance learning lab, Prairie du Chien students would be able to take courses offered by other high schools or by area universities. Prairie du Chien teachers would also be able to teach courses to high school students within the consortium. The long-distance learning lab has a one-time cost of $40,000 to $50,000 and would cost approximately $3,000 per year for membership in the consortium. There are also costs of $250 per month for the fiber optic line and $107 per month for the new DS3 bandwidth for the Internet. Jillson and High School Principal Andy Banasik said that the district has received a $72,000 grant by which all costs of the learning lab will be covered for 18 months. In further business: * O'Meara said that an ad hoc committee of 16 people, consisting of teachers, board members, administrators and community members has been formed in an effort to come up with solutions for district budget and financing problems that may arise due to the state budget deficit. O'Meara said that the idea is to be "proactive" concerning finances for the next school year and any budget cuts that may have to take place. * The board gave unanimous tentative approval of a 10-day high school Spanish and German trip. The trip will be run by Tammy Antoniewicz and Catrina Pakalske and will take place during spring break.

3M Plant 1 property
The Crawford County Board voted 12-2 at a special meeting Tuesday morning to purchase the 3M Plant 1 property for $400,000, which will allow the county to proceed with plans to build the new county government administrative office building on the site. County Board Supervisors Ron Leys and Gary Knickerbocker voted against the measure. The Board also voted 13-1 to demolish all buildings on the site, 217 N. Prairie St., in order to prepare it for the new administrative office building. Leys voted against the demolition. During a presentation by Jewell and Associates, it was stated that the total cost of the new administrative building project is estimated to be $5.8 million. Preliminary plans for the new administrative building call for a three-story office building containing 54,000 square feet, with 45,000 square feet of finished office space and 9,000 square feet of unfinished space in the lower level. The lower level will be at grade on one side, allowing use of that space for offices. The board also discussed the construction of the new Crawford County Highway Department facilities, which will be located near the intersection of Highway 27 and County Highway E. Plans for the new Highway Department facilities call for an office building, a shop building, a storage building and a salt storage building. There will also be an outside storage space. According to Jewell and Associates, the estimated total costs of the new Highway Department facilities would be $2.7 million. Approximately $624,000 of the cost of the new Highway Department facilities will be County to buy picked up by FEMA after completion. Another $124,000 would be paid for by the state of Wisconsin. The board had previously discussed combining the administrative building project and the highway department project together for bonding purposes. The total combined cost of the two projects is estimated at $8.6 million. Jewell and Associates stated that they will be applying for grants to help cover the cost of the two projects. They said that they expected construction of the administrative building to be completed by 2004. In other business, the board voted unanimously to give $375 towards the 9-11 Memorial at Lawler Park. The C.A.R.E. Youth Leadership Committee built the memorial and hopes to raise $7,500 for the project.

Plans in place for new motel with waterpark near Cabela's 
Plans have been announced by Central Group Companies of St. Cloud, Minn., to build a 63-room three-story motel including a 7,000 square foot waterpark and a bar and grill on the Cabela's campus north of the city. The new Country Inn and Suites will hopefully break ground in late October and be open by June of 2003. The construction will take place to the north of the retail store. Brad Bierman, project manager and vice president of general contractor Epic Construction, said the project is "well beyond the preliminary planning." They are in the process of getting city and state permits and the intent to purchase the property from Cabela's is already in place. Bierman said this is Epic Construction's first venture with Central Group, but according to Bob Pace, president and CEO of Central Group, this is their fourth time working with Cabela's. Central Group developed and manages two motels next to the Owatonna, Minn. retail store, and another next to the headquarters in Sydney. Bierman said the motel and restaurant will have a theme along the Cabela's line, with an emphasis on the outdoors. Bierman said the 7,000 square foot waterpark is certainly "not the Kalahari," referring to the 70,000 square foot hotel/waterpark in the Wisconsin Dells, but it will have a zero entry pool for small children, a recreation pool and at least one slide. Pace said Central Group Companies estimates they will have between 20 and 30 employees, including pool staff, restaurant staff, managers and housekeeping. The development is part of the agreement between Cabela's and the city of Prairie du Chien for TIF District #6.

Remembering 9/11 in Crawford County
The public is invited to a 9-11 Memorial ceremony this Wednesday, Sept. 11. C.A.R.E.'s Youth Leadership Committee (YLC) has erected a permanent monument that will be dedicated during the memorial ceremony. The memorial is an engraved granite bench placed at Lawler Park on St. Feriole Island overlooking the Mississippi River. The permanent monument and ceremony will: *Honor the brave men and women who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001. *Honor the dedicated men and women who serve area communities as emergency volunteers professionals. *Provide an opportunity for area residents to reflect on last year's tragic events as a community service. Music will begin at 6:30 p.m. The ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. Seating will be festival style Ñ bring your own lawn chair or blanket. Honored guests, individuals who serve Crawford County as law enforcement, fire fighters, EMTs or first responders are asked to sign in prior to the program. The Youth Leadership Committee is a committee of Crawford Abuse Resistance Effort (C.A.R.E.) Membership is open to high school students in Boscobel, North Crawford, Prairie du Chien, Seneca, and Wauzeka-Steuben School Districts. Each YLC member also serves on their school leadership team. C.A.R.E. is a community-based service of Prairie du Chien Memorial Hospital dedicated to the prevention of substance abuse in Crawford County. More than $3,200 has been raised to help cover the cost of the monument, and additional money is needed. Checks may be made payable to 9-11 Memorial Fund and sent to: 9-11 Memorial Fund, 705 East Taylor Street, Prairie du Chien, Wis. 53821.
Crawford County 9-11 Memorial Monument Dedication Lawler Park, St. Feriole Island
* Music 6:30 - Program 7 p.m
* Welcome and Introduction - Norb Aschom, WQPC/WPRE Radio, Prairie du Chien
* National Anthem - Tiffany Forde, Seneca High School, Prairie du Chien Honor Guard.
* Thoughts on the Sept. 11 Tragedy - Mark Dingbaum, Seneca High School.
* Thoughts on Work of Rescue Workers - Alison Rosenbaum, Seneca High School.
* Thank you to Active Duty Military and Veterans - Matt Elsinger, Prairie du Chien High School. 
* Bench Dedication - Matt Elsinger, Prairie du Chien High School; Elliot Stevenson, Seneca High School. 
* Reading of Crawford County Departments - Norb Aschom, WQPC/WPRE Radio, Prairie du Chien.
* Prayer - Rev. Lynn Schreck, United Methodist Church, Eastman and Wauzeka.
* Fire Fighters Call Home - Nicole Davies, Prairie du Chien High School.
*  Taps - Russ Hagen, Prairie du Chien Honor Guard. A project of C.A.R.E. Youth Leadership Committee.