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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 |
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Governors proposed budget changes could have dramatic
effect locally |