Home
Archives
Classifieds
Contact us
Obituaries
Hoffman Hall
Local Sports
Meeting notices
Feature Photo
Subscribe
Guttenberg Press
North Iowa Times

 

Click here for NOAA Mississippi River Stage information

Link to LEGALS

CONTACT US for picture reproduction of photos in our paper...reasonable prices!

Feb. 2, 2005

Great lady down: The making of a celebrity eagle 
It was New Year's Eve, 1980, when I received a call from a local farmer located a few miles south of Guttenberg. He told me had found a bald eagle in his field three days earlier and it couldn't get off the ground. He had left it alone most of the first day, but it became more apparent to him that it couldn't fly, and it would have a tough time surviving. He made a decision to move the eagle to an out-of-use milkhouse on the farm. He put water and two small newborn pigs that had died in with the bird. Checking the next day, he found the pigs were gone, and the eagle looking much better, however, it did favor one wing. Two more dead pigs were left with the eagle, and the next morning he called my office. I drove directly to the farm and met with the eagle's rescuer. I could see the eagle did have an injured wing. I explained to the farmer my biggest concern when dealing with injured birds of prey was dehydration and the bird would be shipped to the Raptor Research and Rehabilitation Center in Minnesota. I cut a hole in the bottom of a gunny sack for the eagle's head and pulled the sack down over the bird - this would keep the wings from being injured further. Next, I tied the feet together, without getting a talon in my hand. (I've had that happen in the past, and it's not a good feeling, and infection is very probable). I then slid a sweatsock over the head of the bird covering its eyes. This would keep it more calm while riding in the car. I stopped in Guttenberg at Butch's Gas Station to fill up and make a phone call. I called John Lyons, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Refuge Manager stationed in McGregor. I told John I realized it was close to a holiday, but if we would get the ball rolling, we would get the eagle on its way to the rehab center in the next day or so. I gave him my location and phone number. He said he would call back in a few minutes. I walked out to my vehicle where Butch was gassing it up. He pointed to the gunny sack in my rear window, and asked. "What ya got there?" he asked. "An injured eagle," I explained. Butch looked at me with a big grin and said, "Watch this." He then walked back and forth next to my rear window. As he moved, the sweatsock moved to follow him. Butch moved and then the sweatsock‹ back and forth. Stands to reason, if you have eyes that could read a newspaper from a mile away, an old sweatsock wouldn't be a problem. About that time the phone rang. It was John. He told me, "You aren't going to believe this. You have a very important passenger! Holiday or not, a pilot is being called out, and will be landing his plane at the Prairie du Chien airstrip in a few hours." I was to chauffeur my guest to Prairie du Chien and meet with Wisconsin DNR Officer Dennis Kirschbaum at his residence. Dennis had a larger bird transport cage and he would deliver the eagle to the airstrip when the airplane arrived. Weeks went by and then months. I was working on a trapping case on the Mississippi River with Dennis Kroush, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Officer. I told him I had turned in several eagles over the years, but didn't know if they made it or not. I told the story of the New Year's Eve eagle. He said he would check it out and get back to me. The next time I met this officer, he said, "Sit down, Ed this is some story." He then told me that the veterinarians called in to work on the eagle on New Year's Eve discovered that the bird was a mature female and that she had been shot. The Raptor Center's chief surgeon repaired the fracture in her wing, and she came through it just fine. She was the most impressive specimen of a bald eagle that had ever gone through the center to that date. The majestic eagle was given the name, "Freedom," and she was chosen to be part of the ceremony in Washington D.C. to honor the returning Iranian hostages. I learned later from the Raptor Center that the eagle tipped the scales at thirteen and one-half pounds, and it was judged to be four or five years old. For Freedom's trip to Washington D.C., a private Lear jet was donated to transport her and her escorts - staff from the Raptor Center, several press personalities and a photographer. The bird was carried in her own specially designed crate topped with a huge yellow ribbon. In Washington D.C., the group was met by television cameras, press photographers, political representatives and American ex-prisoners of war. During her four-day visit, Freedom was housed at the Washington National Zoo, and her health monitored closely. The day of the ceremony, with more than 3,000 in attendance in Constitution Hall, Freedom stood tall and proud on the arm of her caretaker.

Freedom was returned to Minnesota and later released along the Mississippi River bluffs near Prescott, Wis. A television special was made from the footage taken at the Washington D.C. ceremony and during her release. Nationally recognized artist Ed Bierly painted the eagle's portrait, entitled "Flight to Freedom" celebrating 1982 as the Year of the Eagle. Freedom was released far from the Guttenberg farm where I first met her. Since then, I've made a few calls and talked to a few people expressing my concern that if eagles mate for life, we should make every effort to get rehabbed birds back to the location they were found. This has been done, at least for the ones I have since sent in since. As you can see, Freedom's story was a joint effort and it began with a call from a farmer. Lately I have been reading newspaper articles of how a few farmers are concerned about the population increase of our national bird, and their concerns about losing livestock. Well, I'm here to tell you I've worked and lived around both eagles and farmers all my life, and the farmers I know are as proud of Freedom and her family as you and I. Maybe there are those that aren't. But then again, maybe they haven't taken time to look into her eyes. That will change you, believe me, take it from one who knows, that will change you.

Ed M. Lawrence retired from a 31-year career as conservation officer for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources in northeast Iowa in 1999. He and his wife Kris live near McGregor.

Bagley State Patrol officer carries torch for Special Olympics
A Bagley woman, Wisconsin State Patrol Inspector Lorie Floyd, has been selected to deliver the "Flame of Hope" to the 2005 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Nagano, Japan. Floyd will be one of 110 runners from 19 countries participating in the final leg of the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics. "This is so exciting for me," said Floyd, who has never traveled to Japan. "It's a wonderful opportunity." Floyd will fly out on Feb. 16, then carry the torch through Japan leading up to the Games, which begin on Feb. 26 and end on March 5. The journey consists of more than 7,300 miles delivering the "Flame of Hope" from Athens, Greece to the Opening Ceremonies of the Games in Nagano, Japan. Floyd said that there will be 12 teams of runners in the final leg of the Law Enforcement Torch Run. She will be one of nine in her group, which will run between three and nine miles a day for nine days. One member of Floyd's group will be a Special Olympics participant. Each member of the group will carry the torch for one day and will speak during presentations at several communities along the route. The 12 teams will each run a different route, and in all, will visit 66 communities across the Nagano Prefecture as they spread friendship and promote the Special Olympics World Winter Games. Floyd, who is married and has three children, was instrumental in the start up of the first Crawford County Special Olympics team. She has been with the State Patrol for nearly 24 years, with 15 of them devoted to doing Law Enforcement Torch Run work with Special Olympics. "The Torch Run and Special Olympics has been an opportunity for me to teach my children about volunteering," said Floyd. "Each year, we do the Torch Run together and my children look forward to participating with me." Floyd's favorite Torch Run memory to date is carrying the torch into the state final leg run in Stevens Point as well as traveling through the city of La Crosse with motorcycles, squads, horses and officers from many agencies. "I will be 44 years old and haven't run in 24 years," said Floyd. "I started to run several months ago and am working to achieve a goal just like our athletes. I expect to be able to share in their joy in the Final Leg, to feel what they feel when they do their best." Floyd said that when she began training about four and a half months ago, she couldn't make it a half mile up a hill near her rural home. She now can run up to seven and a half miles at a time and trains four to five days a week, running three to four miles a day on a hilly gravel road near Bagley. "It (the training) has been good for me all the way around, mentally and physically," said Floyd, whose training runs on the quiet, long and winding road are aided by her spirited training partner "Sammy," the family dog who runs alongside. "It's important that I train properly in order to fulfill my part of the commitment," said Floyd, who noted that the weather in Nagano is much like the weather here. Floyd said that during one training run it was so cold that her eyelashes started to freeze. Another time, icicles formed in her hair due to freezing rain. Floyd said that she continues to support Special Olympics as it give the athletes a chance to build confidence and achieve goals. "It gives them a wonderful new social life and makes their lives better physically and mentally," she said. "I do feel inspired by all the Special Olympics athletes," said Floyd. "They have fun when they compete, whether they win or lose. The joy I see as they simply gain confidence to try anything makes me proud to be part of their lives." The Crawford County Special Olympics Program is in its infancy, having begun last spring, said Floyd. Last summer, Crawford County had a team for the first time. The team consisted of 11 track and field athletes, seven of whom participated in the State Special Olympics Meet in Stevens Point. Floyd is the president of the Crawford County Special Olympics and board members include Randy Weeks, Darci Knapp, Milo Connors and Tom Rehmus. Anyone interested in volunteering as a coach, helping out or who has a family member who may wish to participate in the Crawford County Special Olympics may contact Floyd at (608) 996-2107, or Lori Books at (608) 485-0423, or Tom Rehmus at the Opportunity Center at (608) 326-6486. The Law Enforcement Torch Run is the largest grass-roots fundraiser for Special Olympics programs in the world. This year, the Final Leg teams will carry the torch more than 2,000 kilometers before completing the journey to the Opening Ceremonies of the Eighth Special Olympics World Winter Games. During the ceremony, the cauldron will be lit and the Games will be declared open. Roughly 2,500 athletes from 80 countries will compete in seven sports including alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, figure skating, speed skating, snowshoeing and floor hockey. The Lighting Ceremony will take place at the Atrium of Athens' famed Zappeion Olympic Palace. The Arrival Ceremony, welcoming the Flame to Japan, will be held in Tokyo's Metropolitan Square. The Unification Ceremony, combining the "Flame of Hope" with the "Flame of Friendship" (a similarly symbolic flame that has traveled through Japan to raise awareness of the Special Olympics movement) shall be held at Matsumoto Castle in Nagano Prefecture. A cultural landmark, the castle is located in Matsumoto City. Daily departure and arrival ceremonies will be held for the Torch Run Final Leg participants as they visit the 66 communities across the Nagano Prefecture. The Opening Ceremonies of the Games, to be held in Olympic Memorial Arena in Nagano City, will mark the conclusion of the Torch Run Final Leg.

Special Olympics Wisconsin is a year-round program of sports training and competition for children and adults with cognitive disabilities. More that 10,000 athletes in more than 220 communities train and compete in 18 different Olympic-style summer and winter sports. For more information, interested persons may visit specialolympicswisconsin.org or call (800) 552-1324.

Jan. 31, 2005
Going it alone

Kyle Wellumson performs for the love of the sport
Gymnastics is a challenging and demanding sport, one in which each individual performs in a pressure-packed situation before the discerning eyes of judges and the audience. Imagine, then, the challenges faced by being the only boy on the high school girls' team. Having endured his share of peer pressure comments and other obstacles, Prairie du Chien sophomore Kyle Wellumson has stepped up and shown his mettle as one of the very few male gymnasts in Wisconsin who perform on girls' teams. Wellumson is a gymnast for the pure fun of it, performing his highly-skilled floor exercise routines before the applause of appreciative crowds and the cheering of the other gymnasts. No matter how well done, however, his routines are exhibitions that are never judged nor scored. Thus, Wellumson does not actually get to compete, or, for that matter, earn a high school letter. "Sometimes I wish there was a way I could compete. It would help push me to get better. I wish I could know where I stand," Wellumson said. "But I kind of like it the way it is where I don't have to be perfect all the time and be judged." Ever the consummate teammate, Wellumson not only concentrates on his own routine, he helps others with theirs. "I enjoy helping my teammates get better," he said. "I help out the coach, help build routines and help spot a lot with new tricks." Wellumson also mixes music for his teammates' floor exercise routines and sometimes films the meets so that team members can see themselves in action and make improvements. Wellumson is quick to credit his teammates as well for their help with his floor exercise and vault and for their unwavering support. "They keep me on the team," he said. Now in the midst of his second season on the team, Wellumson has become used to being the only boy. "I'm used to it now," he said. "It would be weird if it was the other way around." Wellumson noted, however, that other teams in the SWAL 1 are not yet accustomed to seeing a male gymnast. "They're always staring at me with a kind of scared look," said Wellumson about his unintended intimidation factor. But, once the girls on the opposing team realize that they won't be competing against Wellumson, they get back to normal. The girls on opposing teams might truly have something to fear, at least on the floor exercise and possibly the vault, next season. That is because a Stevens Point boy and his mother have filed an injunction against the WIAA claiming gender discrimination. If Stevens Point Area Senior High junior Keith Michael Bukowski wins his case, boys would be allowed to compete on girls' gymnastics' teams if no boys' team exists. Thus, Prairie du Chien High School would have to allow Wellumson to compete on an equal basis with the girls. In such a case, Wellumson would not only get to compete, but would also have the chance to earn a letter, earn a trip to the state meet, earn a gymnastics' scholarship, and anything else that other gymnasts can achieve. "It's better him than me," said Wellumson in noting that he wouldn't be ready at this point to be involved in a controversial lawsuit against the WIAA. Wellumson did say, however, that he fully supports Bukowski and is considering attending one or more of the court hearings to show his support. "It would be cool to go to the courtroom and let him know that he's not the only one out there," Wellumson said. "I'm kind of excited because that (a win for Bukowski) would mean that I would be able to compete." The federal law, Title IX, enacted in 1972, prohibits gender-based discrimination in all federally funded education programs and activities. Since then, many girls have competed in such sports as football, wrestling and hockey. In fact, a Prairie du Chien girl competed as part of the wrestling team a couple of seasons ago. High school boys in Wisconsin, on the other hand, have not been allowed to compete on girls' teams when no boys' teams existed. For now, Wellumson is happy to be able to participate in exhibitions and is grateful to Coach Becky Nommensen for helping to make it possible to have him on the team. "I thank Becky a lot for pushing me and letting me be on the team," said Wellumson, who first became interested in gymnastics after watching the 1996 Olympics when he was 7 years old. Wellumson said that he was also inspired by his older sister Shauna, who participated on the Prairie du Chien High School gymnastics team. Mostly self -taught,Wellum-son began by completing his first back flip in his back yard when he was in the sixth grade. "I landed on my head a couple of times before I got it," he said with a smile. He learned more tricks and perfected them over the years by practicing on his own and with the Middle School team, which a couple of friends signed him up for in eighth grade. As far as the future is concerned, Wellumson said he will continue to participate on the girls' team through his high school years. He said that he hasn't thought about the possibility of someday competing on the men's team at the university level.

Iowa family will lease, operate Children's Ranch 
Last September, Doug Roelofson took a vacation that changed his life. Roelofson, a partner in a Ford-Chrysler dealership from the north central Iowa town of Belmond, had a tradition of taking his son on a week-long trail riding trip with a group of friends made up of dads and kids. Someone suggested that instead of heading for southern Illinois or northern Missouri as they usually did, that they come to the northeast Iowa-southwest Wisconsin region and try the trails. During the trip, the group stayed at La Riviere horse camp and Doug visited the Children's Ranch where the kids took part in a gymkhana. Doug learned that the Children's Ranch was for sale, and he got excited about the possibilities. "I was looking for a change," he said. He got a change alright. Doug along with his wife Christina and their son Tim, 11, are in the process of moving out to the ranch with their seven horses. They intend to begin leasing the facility on April 1. They sold their $250,000 home, and their interest in the car dealership. They will move into a mobile home on the property. And they have big plans. Roelofson plans to create a for-profit segment to the operation while retaining the free children's programs that the facility has become known for. "Keeping the [free] children's programs will be our number one priority," he said. Christina, Doug's wife, will run the programs for young children and Katie Dosio, a previous employee of the Children's Ranch, will continue to run programs for older children. A small herd of 14 ranch horses are used for the children's programs. The Roelofsons' don't plan to conduct raffles as a fundraiser as the Children's Ranch has done in the past. Instead, they will seek grant funds from foundations to help support the program. On the for-profit side of the operation, Roelofson intends to add horse camping amenities such as a shower building and hitching rails for 25 electrical hookup sites. He also intends to market the facility for boarding locally and regionally. He notes that the trails at the 462-acre facility add a special appeal for boarders from larger cities, such as Madison, and the large barn has 72 stalls. Additionally, they will sponsor equestrian events such as team penning, gymkhana and others. Eventually, Roelofson hopes to build bunkhouses (plus a new home for his family) and an indoor arena, and host organized horse camping outings for groups such as church youth or 4-H or just families. But that will have to wait. For now, Doug and his family have a one-year lease on the property, and have formed a company called Prairie Hills, in order to conduct business. Their intention is to purchase the property at the end of the lease period.

Jim White seemed happy and relieved with the arrangement. He had announced early last fall that he planned to shut down operations, sell the horses and sell the property. "It means everything to me, and it looks like our dream will continue," he said. Doug said that the process of creating the agreement with the White's and the Children's Ranch board took most of the fall and ten trips to the area. He said that while he expects the White's and others will offer some help and advice, "It's going to be our baby," he says. Doug said that although this is a big change for his family, it wasn't too hard to convince Christina. He just showed her the barn first. "She's one of those barn goddess types," he said. "She'd much rather be in the barn than the house."

Doug and Christina planned to retire to a small horse operation anyway. "Now we get to do it fifteen years early," Doug said.