jan 3-5, 2005

Christmas at the White House
Glowing with elaborately decorated Christmas trees, the East and Cross Halls elicited gasps of wonder and delight from guests when they first entered. In the previous story about the Prairie du Chien area resident's trip to the White House that appeared on Dec. 8, in the Courier Press, the article stated that the couples were invited to the White House at the suggestion of Linda Hansen, Crawford County Republican Party chairwoman. Hansen denies this. She says that the invitations and guest list selections were made by the White House, and she was not involved in any way. People have begun the dull task of taking down their Christmas trees, putting away the ornaments. But for a few area residents, the sparkle of this holiday season will remain in their memory for years to come. Mike and Tina Hendrickson, Jim Hutchison and Mary Bohenkamp, Linda and Don Hansen and Christine and Mark Seeley will never forget the awesome splendor they experienced at a White House Christmas reception on December 15. The couples and more than 400 other guests were invited to the two-hour reception. Most were ordinary Americans, like the group from Prairie, who offered assistance to President Bush's re-election campaign last fall. (There were other guests as well, such as former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, and Laura Bush's personal physician.) Linda Hansen is the Crawford County chairwoman of the Republican Party and the other couples appeared with the President last spring during his campaign stop in Prairie du Chien as representative "tax families" ‹ people who have benefited from the President's tax cuts. The reception was held in the East Wing of the White House, centered on the grand foyer of the East Hall and Cross Halls, which were elaborately decorated with about 40 Christmas trees. Guests were escorted by Marines in dress uniform to the foyer where the Marine Orchestra was playing. As people entered the grand foyer you could hear a "staggered line of little gasps," according to Christine Seeley. "The beauty of the place was just, stunning, overwhelming, really," said Seeley. Then guests were allowed to wander and mingle in a number of rooms along the halls, including the Red Room and the Blue Room, where the National Christmas Tree was set up. Two state dining rooms on either side of the hall were laid with tables of elaborate finger food like crab cakes and lobster roll ups, and miniature lamb chops. Hansen said she couldn't help returning for more of the shrimp. A dessert table accompanied the food in each dining room as well, filled with goodies such as yule log cakes, rice puddings, and homemade cookies and candies. Formally attired waitstaff served drinks and whisked away glasses as soon as they were set down. Christine said she felt like she was in a scene from the movies. An air of excitement permeated the reception as people exchanged greetings and shared stories of how they participated in the President's campaign. People chatted easily, according to Seeley, and frequently handed each other their cameras for photos to remember the night. Many people used their cell phones to call friends and family, as did Jim Hutchison. "I'm in the White House!" he announced to the party on the other line. Christine Seeley even ran into an old classmate from Worthington Community College, Worthington, Minn., whose wife is the chair of the Winnebago County Republican Party. The highlight of the reception was the opportunity to meet briefly with the President and First Lady and have their picture taken with them by the White House photographer. According to Seeley, as each guest entered the White House they were given a color-coded card to indicate when they would meet with the President. People were organized into color groups ‹ Seeley and husband were in the white group. Marines circulated through the reception to tell people when it was time for their color group to meet with the President. Before being presented to the President, each person had to give their name, address and phone number, and they had to leave their handbags and cameras outside the Presidential reception area at a table guarded by Marines. Marine privates coached each couple on how to present themselves to the President and First Lady as the guests waited in line. Walker, a young man from Texas, assisted the Seeleys. He told them that the gentlemen was to present himself to the First Lady, while the lady was to approach the President, then switch. According to Hansen, while the President was gracious to all his guests, he seemed especially glad to see the group from Prairie du Chien, and he remembered some of their names. Seeley said to First Lady, "Mrs. Bush, you have a lovely home." Laura Bush replied with a smile in her soft Texas drawl, "Thank-you, it is, isn't it?" Both Seeley and Hansen commented on how genuine and real the President's appreciation of them was. "It reminds me how important what we do on the local level is," said Hansen. The meeting with the President, though brief, was very memorable. Hansen said that for her, seeing Christine's face when she met the President was unforgettable. "For me it was really rewarding to see how it all ended up [becoming] such a blessing," said Hansen.

During their trip to D.C., the group from Prairie spent quite a bit of time together, visiting monuments and museums, and enjoying an insider's tour of the Capitol which Hansen was able to organize. They also visited the former Wisconsin governor and outgoing Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson in his office. Seeley noted how exhausted everyone in the group was at the end of the short trip. But no one was complaining. To have the opportunity to be a guest in the White House, to experience the grandeur and the history, is something none of them will ever forget.

Whooping cough outbreak makes its way to Crawford County 11 cases have been
After seeing an outbreak of pertussis, most commonly known as whooping cough, in Milwaukee County last summer, local officials were aware of the possibility of the highly contagious disease spreading to Crawford County. Then in October, the first documented case of pertussis in the county came at North Crawford High School.

Since then, there have been 11 known cases of pertussis in the county, according to Crawford County Public Health nurse, Mary Mathison. Pertussis is a bacterial infection of the respiratory tract that most people are immunized for as infants or young children. The last dose of immunization is administered in Kindergarten. Once thought to be a disease of the Great Depression, 2004 saw the comeback of pertussis in Wisconsin and across the nation. Through Dec. 8, Wisconsin had reported 4,481 cases of pertussis, which is well above the national average. However, Mathison said that part of the reason why the number is high may just be that doctors are more aware of the symptoms of pertussis and properly diagnosing the disease. "Everyone has their own philosophies when it comes to diagnosing the symptoms," Mathison said. Most cases so far have been affecting teenagers, as schools provide a prime opportunity for diseases to spread, according to Mathison. Exposure most often occurs after face-to-face contact, and household spread is also common. Mathison said that one simple way to prevent the spread of whooping cough is simply by practicing good hygiene, including covering the face when coughing and sneezing and washing hands. The first signs of pertussis in infants and young children are usually cold or even flu-like symptoms, including a runny nose, low fever or irritating cough. Eventually, the disease progresses to explosive coughing or vomiting, and following a cough, a loud "whooping" noise may occur as the patient struggles to inhale air, giving the disease its nickname. More than half of infants or young children affected with pertussis are hospitalized. In adolescents and adults, the symptoms are usually milder and without the whoop, but contagious nonetheless. Mathison said that she cannot pinpoint an exact reason of why the disease has experienced a resurgence, but did say that diseases like pertussis tend to happen in cycles. In any given year, a particular disease may have more documented cases than in the past, and this winter finds pertussis on an upswing. In addition to communicating with local clinics to be on the lookout for symptoms, the state also contacted school districts in late August to alert them to various signs and symptoms of pertussis. The immunizations are recommended for infants four times before the age of 18 months, along with a booster dose between four and six years of age. Mathison said that part of the current problem is that the booster dose is not having a lasting effect beyond five years, and it is not recommended to children over seven. As part of a solution to that problem, an adult vaccination to pertussis is in the works, according to Mathison, but would probably not be available for at least a few years. Mathison said it's difficult to know when cases of pertussis would go down, but she doesn't expect it to stop before spring. "It's difficult to predict," Mathison said. "But I suspect that all winter we'll continue to see it."

Jan. 5. 2005

Jan. 3, 2005