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!

March 9, 2005

McGregor man to test his limits as professional boxer

As with many people, a 39-year-old McGregor man is working hard to fulfill his dreams. Unlike the vast majority of folks, however, Doug Hundt's dream lies within the rough and tumble world of professional boxing. In fact, Hundt has been training extremely hard with Prairie du Chien professional trainer and boxing coach Eric Comer in preparation for his first professional boxing match, which is anticipated to take place sometime in April. "Eric Comer and his gym have made my dream a possibility," said Hundt. "He has brought me up to a higher level and is maximizing my potential. He really cares about a person and is genuine. He is the real deal. One on one personal training is really a luxury." Hundt has been boxing for about four and a half years and has previous "semipro" experience in four Tough Man tournaments in Davenport, La Crosse, Cedar Rapids and East Dubuque. In addition to his regular full-time job, the powerful184-pound light heavyweight has been training about four hours every night, nonstop, with Comer since September of 2004. "It's a dream getting ready for my first pro fight," said Hundt. "I'm on a mission to see how far I can go." "He's definitely got what it takes," said Comer, a powerlifter and former professional boxer. "I'm really getting excited about it. He's got 100 percent heart. He just doesn't quit and he's so strong." Comer and Hundt have been working diligently on conditioning and the finer points of Hundt's offensive and defensive technique. With the coming of spring, they will also soon begin road work again. As he continues to make strides as an aspiring professional, Hundt says that there are numerous benefits to boxing, including setting goals and living out one's dreams, testing one's limits, developing and testing one's courage and fortitude, team spirit and camaraderie, to do one's best and have fun and making new friends. As with anyone who takes on a tough challenge and pursues a dream, a boxer seeking to turn pro at age 39 is sure to draw a few skeptics. However, the physical, mental and emotional toughness created through boxing, along with a life guided by spirituality allows Hundt to easily shove aside the naysayers and the imposter of negativity as he continues to move forward.

"I thank God, he enables me to do all things," said Hundt.

Closing the gaps: Work continues for domestic violence response team 
A group of professionals from Catholic Charities, Couleecap, Crawford County Human Services, Prairie du Chien Memorial Hospital, the city police department, the Crawford County district attorney, and others, have been meeting monthly since last fall. Their aim is to create a system in which victims of domestic abuse can be recognized and offered safety and help, no matter where they turn. The system is called Coordinated Community Response to domestic violence, or CCR. The meetings have been focused on creating simple tools that can be used by people in all kinds of setting where they might encounter women dealing with domestic abuse, and creating the relationships and structures for a permanent CCR team. So far the specific tasks the group has accomplished seem small, but they will begin the process of institutionalizing a response to domestic violence in many settings where currently it is ignored or not recognized. For example, a flow chart of organizations has been modified. The chart can direct a nurse or a school counselor or anyone in a professional setting who to call if they encounter an abuse victim in order to help that person. They have written a mission statement and draft memorandum of understanding that creates a joint agreement between all of the participating agencies to cooperate. They have also created a draft comprehensive resource directory of private agencies such as therapists and counselors, clinics, social service programs, hospitals, and law enforcement offices that anyone can use to contact someone who can help a victim of battering. "Even baby steps in the right direction is moving forward," said June Hoeger, domestic violence coordinator for Crawford County with Catholic Charities. All of this activity has been funded by a $17,000 grant Wisconsin's Office of Justice Assistance. City planner Garth Frable and police chief Mike King were instrumental in writing the grant and have assisted with the project. Once it is formalized, the CCR team will continue to focus on creates an awareness of and intolerance of domestic abuse within the community, and more effective ways to create safety for victims and justice for abusers. But first they must complete the tasks necessary for meeting the terms of the grant. This initial work must be completed by June 30 of this year, and the group must reapply for continued funding for the process. At yesterday's meeting of the CCR group, people reviewed the information in the directory and made corrections, and they talked about the difficulties in discussing issues of domestic violence with women. Finding a way to talk about such a private and hidden problem in an institutional setting can be difficult, everyone agreed. Knowing how to approach the topic and what questions to ask is critical, said Hoeger. "The person who is asking the questions has to feel comfortable in that role to be effective," said Hoeger. Several people agreed that when an abuse situation is recognized, many will do nothing because they don't know what to do or how to talk about it. That's where training comes in. Hoeger has planned a brief training session for physicians at the hospital later this month. And she intends to conduct a training with officers and staff at the city police department as well. Police Chief Mike King was not at the meeting because he was in De Witt, Iowa, at a federal Department of Homeland Security domestic violence training session for police. Later this spring, King and Hoeger plan to invite Pete Helein, police chief of Appleton, Wis., and a specialist on police response to domestic violence, for a one-day training for city police officers. King and Hoeger will de follow-up training. The training for city officers and the expense of Chief Kings' attendance at the workshop is paid for through the grant. The County Sheriff's office has not participated in the CCR meetings. At their next meeting state CCR facilitator Lori Jorgenson will be invited to attend to assist the group in identifying exactly what the role of each agency is in the whole system; where there is overlap and where there are gaps. Jorgenson also attended the initial meeting of the group and has offered guidance and support when needed.

The official CCR team members will be named by June 30. Hoeger already has a list of issues for the team to address once this group is formalized, such as how to provide services for children, follow-up for victims, treatment for batterers. And there are still quite a few baby steps that must be taken first. But Hoeger is optimistic, noting that the CCR group has been dedicated, and that domestic abuse awareness is slowly growing in the community. "We've already come a long way," she said.

The Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade will be held this Saturday, March 12 at 10 a.m. in Downtown Prairie du Chien. Marge Robejsek is Grand Marshall for this years' Parade. Betty and Frank Nolan will preside as King and Queen of the parade. The parade will start from St. Feriole Island at 10:00 a.m., go East on Blackhawk Avenue, then North on Michigan Street, and back to the island. Parade celebrities will be introduced at Huckleberry's Restaurant following the parade, and many area businesses will serve Irish food, green beer, and other Irish traditional favorites.

Mississippi Blackhawks to present exhibition on Saturday

Blackhawks skiers wow crowds through the summer months with pyramids like this one.
It's that time of year again for the Mississippi Blackhawks to start gearing up for another year of watersking on the Mississippi. Look for them in the St. Patrick's Day parade on Saturday, and then if you are brave enough come down to St. Feriole Island and watch the Blackhawks first skiing runs of the year, some with skis and some without!! The group has started their dry land practices. Persons interested in joining, or those who have already come to a 'Learn to Ski Day,' now is the time to give them a call and get some information on practices. The Blackhawks need people who want to ski, drive boats, announce, and run their sound system. If you are interested in joining them call Jackie at (563)864-7588, or stop any member and ask about how you can have a summer to remember. The Blackhawks are planning several events during Prairie du Chien's St. Patrick's Day celebration. Look for them in the parade and selling walking tacos downtown. At 4:00 p.m., the group is hosting a celebration at the Armory, with a soup supper, silent auction and carnival, and of course, come and shake your shamrocks with the Blackhawks and the Back Home Boys. The Mississippi Blackhawks Water Ski Show Team will ski every Friday night starting on June 3 at 7 p.m. on St. Feriole Island.

March 7, 2005
Lights, action, baseball

St Feriole Island Park Baseball Complex to officially open this spring 
The St. Feriole Island Park Baseball Complex will officially be up and running this spring. Beginning Saturday, March 5, a crew from Randy Weeks and Design Homes will be using their crane to help install light poles for two of the three ballfields, including the large baseball diamond. In addition, an operations committee is getting organized in order to properly run the facility, according to St. Feriole Island Park Committee member Bill Wessling, who said that volunteers are needed for the operations committee. The St. Feriole Island Park Committee is a nonprofit organization run solely by volunteers. The baseball diamond played host to some exhibition games last year but come this spring, the park will be ready for a full slate of activity. "Whoever wants to play, can play," said Wessling, who noted that Rick Boylen is setting up league play, including men's, women's, and mixed adult softball, American Legion and Junior American Legion baseball, 13 to 14-year-old boys' Little League and maybe more, including the possibility of forming a Home Talent League team in Prairie du Chien. "It's the public's facility," said Wessling about the St. Feriole Island Park Baseball Complex. "It's for everybody in the community and the area." Home talent involves post high school baseball players who are mostly in their 20s and 30s with many having college playing experience. It is a long-standing tradition of several decades in many small Wisconsin communities, which host down-home, good old-fashioned, hardball of a relatively high level of play on Sunday afternoons. There also is a Thursday night Home Talent League. Wessling said that committee members have been looking into the possibility of forming a Home Talent team in Prairie du Chien in the future. As for now, the lights are going up and the ballplaying will soon begin. Anyone who is interested in playing in a softball or baseball league at the St. Feriole Island Park Baseball Complex can call Rick Boylen at (608) 326-4427. Wessling said that the St. Feriole Island Park Committee extends its heartfelt appreciation to the community and all the volunteers who donated their time, talents, labor and materials to the public facility. The St. Feriole Island Park Baseball Complex was several years in the making, but with the grass that was seeded and sodded last year and the lights that are now being installed, the park will soon be a reality, ready to serve the Prairie du Chien area for generations to come. St. Feriole Island Park features two softball fields and a baseball diamond, lighting, irrigation, a concession stand, restrooms and below-ground-level dugouts in its top-notch facility. The park cost approximately $400,000 and was built entirely through donations from businesses, organizations and individuals. Wessling said that about $125,000 still needs to be raised.

To donate funds or time and expertise, interested persons may call Bill Wessling at 326-4972.

Funding, ideas and strategies come together for Main Street
Downtown Prairie du Chien is going to change. Most believe it will be for the better. Volunteer committee members and others have spent the last month in a flurry of activity preparing the Main Street application materials and raising funds for the first three years of the project, as is required for applicants to the program. Main Street is a state-run initiative for economic revitalization of downtowns based on historic preservation and restoration of downtown buildings. Prairie du Chien Downtown Revitalization Inc., (PdCDRI) a non-profit formed to spearhead the Main Street effort, submitted the city's application on February 25. "I think we have a very strong application," said Sharon Cuchna, director of the Chamber of Commerce and a volunteer who helped write answers to application questions. The committee members divvied up the 66 application questions and then critiqued each others answers to make them more effective. "It was a good process," she added. Cuchna said that the biggest challenge was getting letters of support and raising funds for a long-term project. According to Garth Frable, city planner who helped keep track of the fundraising effort, people and businesses were very supportive of the Main Street effort. To qualify for Main Street assistance, PdCDRI had to show that they could raise $60,000 per year for the first three years of the project in advance, for a total of $180,000. Frable says that so far they have raised $65,265 for year one, $59,515 for year two and $58, 515 for year three. The money came from small and large donations from individuals and businesses from inside and outside the downtown district, and also from funds set aside for the project by the City. The funds will be used in large part to hire a full-time staff person whose job will be to facilitate downtown renovation and economic revitalization, and to run an office for the Main Street Program. The primary benefit to the city of becoming a Main Street city will be the technical expertise that will be made available through the Main Street program. Expert staff from the state's Main Street office work with Main Street communities to develop specific goals and objectives, business and market analysis to help draw new businesses to the community that will be successful and help existing businesses grow. Main Street architects are available to work with business property owners who want to renovate their structures. All of these services are offered free of charge to Main Street communities for a period of several years as a community works through the revitalization process. Although Prairie's Main Street is currently under consideration, committees are already hard at work to create the resources and strategies that will be needed to support such an effort. The committees are organized along the Main Street model, and include a Design Committee, an Economic Restructuring Committee, a Promotions Committee, and a general Organization Committee. According to Judy Wall, who sits on the Economic Restructuring Committee, several banks in the city have committed to offering $250,000 each to create a revolving loan fund pool that downtown businesses could apply to for low -interest loans to renovate their buildings, or that new businesses could use for start-up. PdC Downtown Revitalization Inc. is seeking a grant of funds to match what the banks will put in. "We're hoping to garner as large a pool of money as we can," said Wall. "We could change the face of downtown in the first year [of the project]," she added. Wall also noted that several downtown area businesses had already expressed interest in rehabilitating their structures with money from the revolving loan fund, and that she is working with several businesses that have expressed interest in locating in downtown, although she cannot offer any details at the present. "All I can say is that it is going to be awesome," she said. The Design Committee is responsible for guiding the aesthetic aspects of redevelopment. Currently, they are accepting sketches for the design of a new downtown banners that will adorn the streetlights this summer. Designs have been submitted by members of the community and area students and will be on display this week (until March 12) at City Hall for the public to comment on. The Design Committee will take the comments into consideration and make a final selection. Design Committee member Kathleen Hein says that the committee is still welcoming new members if anyone is interested in sharing their creativity and ideas for projects such as improving the downtown gateway at the corner of Blackhawk Ave. and Marquette Rd., or creating "pocket parks" - areas of greenery and benches downtown. These are some of the projects the Design Committee will be looking at this year, among others. Hein notes that while the Design Committee will work to draw up a set of design criteria for the exterior renovation of downtown businesses, she wants people to understand that the criteria are a set of suggestions and ideas, not a mandate, and that property owners will not be required to follow them. One of the first official activities the Promotions Committee will be a downtown-wide sale to correspond with the St. Patrick's Day Parade this coming weekend. Todd Yeomans, a Promotions Committee member and owner of the Sports World stores downtown, says that for the first time in years downtown merchants are working together. Last fall they worked on the ŒChristmas in November' sale event, and they are planning a spring customer appreciation event, a summer Crazy Day and perhaps events such as a carnival or festival with street performers in which one or more blocks of the downtown is closed to traffic. As a business person, he knows it is important to have an attractive downtown to help draw people to events and stores. "That's how people look at downtowns," he said. "If you have a sharp-looking downtown, it can affect how people to see the community," he added, noting that it is a component that will draw new businesses to the city. Prairie du Chien Downtown Revitalization Inc., will make a presentation before the State main Street Committee on behalf of their application on April 5. On that day, they will be notified if the city has been accepted into the program. While committee members feel very confident about the city's chances, they also know there is no going back. With all of the work and progress and commitments that have been already been made, downtown revitalization will be moving forward with or without Main Street.

Gays Mills man killed in tractor rollover accident