jan 28-30-2002

Click here for NOAA Mississippi River Stage information

January 30, 2002

Annual Ice Fisheree this weekend
The 52nd Annual Ice Fisheree will be held on Lake Gremore, north of Prairie du Chien on County K, on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 2 and 3, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
The Ice Fisheree offers fishing enthusiasts of all ages a weekend of fishing fun. Prizes are awarded for the largest fish (by weight) caught in eight categories and a grand prize drawing for a 14-foot Alumacraft boat.
In addition, the 52nd Annual Ice Fisheree Raffle offers a chance at a vast array of prizes including $500 cash, a 25-inch color television, a $250 Cabela's gift certificate, binoculars, weekend getaways, fishing equipment and more.
This year marks the inauguration of a new "prestigious'' award at the fisheree. In light of the notoriety the carp has brought to Prairie du Chien through the New Year's Eve "Droppin' of the Carp,'' a special "Carp Champ'' prize will be awarded for the "biggest'' carp caught at the fisheree.
Maurie Pearson of Black River Ice Sculptures, will again have ice sculptures on display outside area businesses. Sculpting demonstrations are planned for Saturday - 10 a.m. at Commerce Court Mall Pearson will create "Statue of Liberty," 12:30 p.m. at Cabela's, "Howling Wolves," and 3 p.m. at the Sawmill Saloon, "Paul Bunyan."
Advance fishing registration tickets and raffle tickets may be purchased at the Chamber of Commerce, Lakeview Marina Bar, and from Jaycees and American Legion Baseball Team members.
The event is sponsored by the Prairie du Chien Area Chamber of Commerce, Prairie du Chien Jaycees and American Legion Baseball Team.
For more information, call the Chamber of Commerce office at 326-8555.

Teachers file complaint against Prairie du Chien School District
The Prairie du Chien Education Association has taken legal action against the Prairie du Chien School District alleging unfair labor practices.
A prohibited practice complaint was filed by the South West Education Association Jan. 25 on behalf of the teachers of the district. The complaint was filed with the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission (WRC).
Prairie du Chien teachers have been working without a contract since July 1 and the complaint alleges that the district has since committed several violations of the previous collective bargaining agreement. According to state law, the previous contract remains in effect until a new contract is reached.
The complaint alleges that the district:
.assigned duties to members of the K through 8 teaching staff without proper pay,
.failed to pay two teachers for teaching combined classes.
.refused to pay two teachers for emergency leave and, in one instance, directed a teacher to use sick leave instead.
.failed to pay a teacher for substituting on behalf of another member of the bargaining union.
.failed to assign students to a teacher in accordance with Department of Public Instruction standards.
.failed to pay mileage to three teachers.
.refused to process the grievances filed by the teachers concerning the alleged violations.
H. Leroy Roberts, an executive director of the South West Education Association, said that since the district refuses to hear grievances, there was no other recourse for the teachers but to file the prohibited practice complaint.
Roberts, who has worked with Prairie du Chien administrators for the past 11 years concerning labor relations, blamed District Administrator Jim O'Meara for the current situation.
"Clearly, the morale (of the teachers) is at an 11-year low and is directly related to the district administrator," Roberts said. "He introduced himself to the teaching staff as a benevolent dictator. He is not very benevolent."
"Prairie du Chien has always had a cooperative district. It's a really good district and school system." Roberts continued. "I believe the new administrator has harmed the district significantly. This is really sad."
Roberts said that attorneys for the South West Education Association felt that the allegations are "major issues" and that the teachers have by far the stronger case.
Roberts said that although costs for mileage and other pay cited in the complaint is relatively small, the district could end up paying far more in attorney's fees, especially if it loses.
O'Meara says none of the things listed in the complaint violate the district's contract with the teachers. O'Meara said he and the school's attorney both believe the master contract is being followed and they are "in the right."
He also noted that in accordance with the master contract, the teachers have the right to file grievances.
Now that the complaint has been filed, an investigator from the WCR will investigate the case.

SWTC gives region more than just graduates
Southwest Wisconsin Technical College plays a key role in the economic health of Southwest Wisconsin according to a newly released economic impact study.
"This study took into perspective all of the benefits for the community and taxpayers which come from Southwest Wisconsin Technical College," said President of Southwest Wisconsin Technical College. Dr. Karen Knox in a phone interview last week.
Although SWTC does do self studies every six months to monitor the success of their graduates, the college had never done anything along this line before.
The study documents the college's contribution to the regional economy and credits Southwest Tech with a total regional economic impact of $65 million in annual earnings, equal to about 2,800 jobs.
The $65 million includes two categories. The first category is the impact of wages and salaries paid by the College to its employees and the portion of its annual operating and capital expenditures that remain in the community. Together, the wages and operating expenditures generate over $13 million annually. The second category is increased earnings by past students. The College has provided over 800,000 credit hours of instruction to the Southwest Wisconsin community over the last 30 years and this accounts for more than $51 million in additional annual income for students of the five-county region.
"We've known that Southwest Tech makes a significant contribution to our local and state economies through spending by the College and its employees and students. We typically provide instruction to over 11,000 people each year, and we are especially pleased to see new data that measures the actual income benefits they receive as a direct result of that instruction,'' stated Knox.
Several major benefits emerged from the study. They include, higher earnings realized by students who take classes at the college; increased tax revenue generated by those improved earnings; expansion of the regional workforce's skill base, a key element in attracting new business to the region; and cost savings for taxpayers as a result of lower expenditures for publicly supported social programs due to higher education and income levels of residents.

Study highlights
.Southwest Wisconsin Technical College accounts for $65 million worth of annual earnings in the region.
.Every dollar of state and local taxpayer support for Southwest Wisconsin Technical College creates approximately $10 in higher student earnings and other public benefits.
.Southwest Tech Operations and Capital Spending
SWTC pays wages and salaries, which generate additional incomes as they are spent. Likewise, Southwest Tech operating and capital expenditures generate still further earnings. Altogether, these earnings account for $13.6 million annually in the SWTC District economy.
Taxpayer Perspectives
State and local government spent $11,026,502 in support of Southwest Tech during the analysis year. Is this a good use of taxpayer money? This analysis indicates that the answer is a resounding yes: returns far outweigh the costs, particularly when a collection of social savings is included in the assessment. For example, persons with higher education are less likely to smoke or abuse alcohol, draw welfare or unemployment benefits, or commit crimes. This translates into associated dollar savings (avoided costs) amounting to some $38 per credit per year that can be counted as an indirect benefit of Southwest Tech education. When aggregated across all existing students, the State of Wisconsin will benefit from $800,000 worth of avoided costs per year, broken down as follows:
Improved Health
Southwest Wisconsin Technical College District area employers will see health-related absenteeism decline by 2,530 days per year, with a corresponding annual dollar savings of $300,000. The state will benefit from the health-related savings of 109 fewer smokers and 26 fewer alcohol abusers. The corresponding dollar savings are $159,800 and $92,700 per year, now and into the future (these savings include insurance premiums, deductibles, and withholding for Medicare/ Medicaid).
Reduced Crime
Studies show that incarceration drops with each year of higher education. In the Southwest Wisconsin Technical College District, 15 fewer individuals will be incarcerated per year, resulting in annual savings of $94,000 (combined savings from reduced arrest, prosecution, jail, and reform costs). Reductions in victim costs result in savings of $30,000 per year.
Reduced Welfare/Unemployment
There will be 25 fewer people on welfare, and 15 fewer drawing unemployment benefits per year, respectively saving some $73,000 and $62,000 per year in the state.
the area to work, generate income, and pay taxes. In the end, the regional economy and tax base, and ultimately our communities, are much stronger as a result of Southwest Tech's services and our students,'' stressed Knox.
Knox noted the "drain of young people" Southwest Wisconsin has been experiencing. She said if students go to La Crosse or Madison, they often stay there to work rather than coming back to our district.
"Even the taxpayers who believe that schools, including K-12 facilities are a benefit to them, don't think about the economic factor of dollars spent. Schools have a economic benefit. We want people to understand the benefits of education. We create jobs. We are also an economic engine for the area," said Knox.
Just how big are the rewards of tending Southwest Tech? The study found that every technical college credit completed equates to $128 in increased future income. This means that for every year a student attends Southwest Tech fulltime, he or she will average an additional $3,826 in earnings. The higher wages also translate into additional spending for local businesses. This in turn allows businesses to employ more people, expand their facilities and inventories, and pay higher salaries; which are then recycled back into the community to stimulate even more growth.
Southwest Tech serves Crawford, Grant, Iowa, Lafayette, and Richland counties and offers over 40 career programs plus customized training for business and industry and economic development support services. The College also provides continuing education and professional certification classes to the community as well as basic skills, GED, and literacy classes.

January 28, 2002

Governors proposed budget changes could have dramatic effect locally
Last Tuesday, Gov. Scott McCallum asked lawmakers to phase out Wisconsin's shared revenue program as part of his plan to fix the state's $1.1 billion shortfall.
Currently, local governments across the state receive about $1 billion annually through shared revenues, but under the proposal that funding will disappear within the next three years.
The formula for distributing state aid is based on how much municipalities raise in tax revenues. Generally, the less a government can raise on it's own, the more money it gets from the state. That means property-poor areas like Crawford County will be hardest hit if the governor's plan passes as proposed.
Under McCallum's plan, each local government in the state would see a reduction in state aid of $39 per person, regardless of how much they were supposed to get under the last state budget. If the reduction exceeds what the municipality now receives per person, all funding is cut.
All local governments, including the city of Prairie du Chien, would take an immediate hit with the reductions.
The city currently receives more than $1.4 million a year in state aid. If the budget bill were to pass as is, that funding would be phased eliminated within three years.
Under the proposed plan, Prairie du Chien will lose $236,269 this year, a reduction of 16.4 percent.
City Administrator Gary Koch said these changes would have a huge effect on the city if they pass.
Koch said removing $1.4 million from the city's budget would be taking away enough funding for the library, park and rec including Hoffman Hall, the Tourist Information Center, half of the police department and half of the street department.
"The effect this could have on our budget is extreme," said Koch. He added that the $236,000 in funding they may take away from 2002 is allocated in the city budget.
The proposed state budget also institutes levy limits.
"We could live with the levy limits, but not both the limits and the elimination of state aid," Koch said.
He added that Prairie du Chien, like many other cities in the state have been getting extra state aid by not increasing their city budget in accordance with the state's expenditure restraint program.
"We aren't says there hasn't been effort on the local government level to keep spending in check," Lt. Gov. Margaret Farrow said in a phone interview Friday afternoon. "But there may be ways of doing things better."
She said they are asking local governments to cut 4 percent out of their budgets, compared to 11 percent on most state levels. "We are asking everyone in the state to see how they can cut spending. . . We want to find new ways to conduct local government affairs. We need immediate action with long term implications."
Farrow said there are two things included in the budget reform bill to help local governments deal with the changes. One is waivers which can be applied for from the Department of Revenue for state mandated service requirements. The other is the possibility of referendums, similar to the referendums school districts can use to exceed budget limits.
"There is no question it is a challenge for local governments to deal with this," Farrow said.
Koch is hopeful that after alterations are made to the budget bill in the assembly it will have less of an impact on local governments.

PdC students campaign to save lives
Prairie du Chien High School students are involved in a campaign that could save lives.
Members of the health occupations class at Prairie du Chien and the SOS Team (Students Offering Service) have been the recipients of a Youth Service Learning Grant sponsored by the Department of Public Instruction.
The grant encourages students to get involved in their school and community. Through the grant and with the help of School Counselor Nancy Becker and teacher Dana Einck, the students have begun a special project called the "Vial of Life Campaign."
As part of the Vial of Life Campaign, the students worked with Prairie du Chien Emergency Medical Services personnel to develop health history forms.
The forms come in two colors, blue for males and pink for females. The medical histories of each member of the family is recorded on the forms, which are then put into a prescription vial, a "Vial of Life."
The vial is then placed inside the door of the family's refrigerator. A window sticker labeled "Vial for Life" is placed near the front entry to the family's home. In case of emergency, the sticker will alert emergency medical personnel to the availability of the health history information.
Nancy Becker said that the goal of the project is to give away as many vials of life as possible.
"The ultimate goal, of course, is to save lives," Becker said. She said that students began distributing vials, medical history forms and window stickers at the wrestling meet between UW-La Crosse and UW-Platteville at Prairie du Chien High School Jan. 23.
Students will also be setting up booths to distribute the Vial for Life kits at upcoming home sporting events, parent-teacher conferences and several other community sites.
SOS Team members will be available to talk to community groups about the Vial for Life Campaign. Those interested in more information can contact Nancy Becker at Prairie du Chien High School.

Crawford County Retired Educators promote emergency medical envelopes
The Wisconsin Retired Educators Association, the WREA Foundation and the Crawford County Retired Educators are sponsoring an emergency medical information project.
The emergency medical information project involves having people write their medical information on an envelope, which is to be placed on the refrigerator at all times. The purpose is to aid emergency medical personnel in case an emergency arises.
These envelopes cost 50 cents apiece and the local Crawford County Retired Educators are asking for donations to cover this expense so they can be given to people free of charge.
The envelopes will be available at meal sites and distributed to Home Delivery clients. A local Crawford County Retired Educator will be available to explain and help seniors fill them out.
For more information, interested persons may contact Janet Finn, 326-6010, Prairie du Chien - Robin Baumeister, 375-5655, Boscobel - Sylvia Blazek, 874-4179, Eastman - Marian Welsh, 988-4455, Fennimore - Christine Gorman, 735-4326, Gays Mills - Marian Welsh - 988-4455, Mt. Hope - Judy Hansen, 734-3046, Mt. Sterling - Bob Chambers, 734-3201, Seneca and Laurel Hestetune, 624-5791, Soldiers Grove.
Donations have been received from The Crawford County Resource Center, Seneca Lion's Club, Boscobel Lion's Club, Wauzeka Lion's Club and a number of individuals.
Anyone wanting to donate to this project or willing to be a contact person, can call Chairperson June McMillan, 476-2275 or send donations to June McMillan at 46718 Scenic Boydtown Ave., Wauzeka, WI, 53826.

'Where in Prairie du Chien?' contest to begin
Looking for something the whole family can take part in? Looking for a fun way to win $25 in local chamber dollars?
You're in luck because the first-ever "Where in Prairie du Chien" contest is about to begin.
The Courier Press, in cooperation with the Prairie du Chien Area Chamber of Commerce, will be holding this fun contest starting this week.
Each week for the next four weeks, five to six photos will appear with an entry blank in the paper. The photos were all taken in the city of Prairie du Chien and can be viewed from public streets, public sidewalks or in public buildings. Your challenge is to identify where the photos were taken. Each week, one winner will be chosen at random from all correct entries.
On Wednesday, Jan. 30 and Monday, Feb. 3, the first contest will appear in the Courier Press. Entries must be received no later than noon on Thursday, Feb. 7.
Entries may be mailed to: Courier Press, Attn: Where Contest, PO Box 149, Prairie du Chien, WI 53821 or dropped off at the Courier Press office, located at 132 S. Beaumont Road. Answers may not be called in.
The contest is sponsored by Dick's Supermarket, Wisconsin State Bank, Spahn and Rose Lumber and The Cannery/ Neck of the Woods.
Pick up the Courier Press at any of our newstands to get in the game.
Good luck and have fun!!!