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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.
| 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
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