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PdC School District installing state-of-art computer technology 
The Prairie du Chien School District is in excellent shape as far as computer technology is concerned, according to a presentation by Joe Rusky at Monday night's school board meeting. "Everything is going great," said Rusky about the installation of 150 new computers and software that were purchased near the beginning of the school year for $614 apiece. Rusky, of Dependable Solutions of Prairie du Chien, said that the installation and integration of 21 computers at B.A. Kennedy Elementary School has been completed and the installation of 70 computers at the high school has begun. "There was no down time and there has been a very positive response from the B.A. Kennedy teachers," Rusky told the board. The installation of new computers at B.A. Kennedy was done first because B.A. Kennedy was the worst off of the district's schools, said Rusky, who is a private computer consultant for several area school districts as well as the new Crawford County Administrative Offices Building. The computer installation process began last week at the high school and should be completed the Friday after Thanksgiving, Rusky said. The project will then move to Bluff View Intermediate School, where computer installation is expected to be completed by Dec. 15. B.A. Kennedy received 21 new computers, Prairie du Chien High School will receive 70 and Bluff View will get 59. Rusky told board members that the district still needs 10 more computers this year. The 10 computers have been budgeted for. "You are at a very, very good spot right now with your technology," said Rusky, who noted that the Prairie du Chien District has "both hardware and software that is state-of-the-art equipment." Rusky said that the Prairie du Chien District now has far better computer technology than any other area school district that he works with. Rusky also said, however, that the district should not get complacent. Rusky told board members that he recommends that the district have a constant "migration" of 100 computers each year starting next year in order to keep current. That would mean bringing in 100 new computers and getting rid of 100 old computers each year.

In other business: €High School Principal Andy Banasik told the board that the newly approved School Resource Officer position will begin in January. Banasik will be working with Prairie du Chien Police Chief Mike King to form a job description and Banasik and King will conduct interviews for the position after Thanksgiving. Banasik also said that $14,000 has been raised for the School Resource Officer position. €Prairie du Chien High School students Laura Forsythe and Erica Nelson gave a presentation before the board concerning a trip to Costa Rica by 12 International Club students and four other students. The trip will be for 12 days in June and will involve living with host families as well as educational experiences and sight-seeing. The trip will cost each student more than $2,600 and students will be undertaking fund-raising efforts. Following the presentation by Nelson and Forsythe, the board unanimously approved the trip to Costa Rica. €B.A. Kennedy Principal Kathryn Roe gave a presentation to the board concerning the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam. Roe said that 91 percent of the district's third graders tested in the advanced or proficient range in reading and that one of the district's goals is to have students continue to display such a high level of reading. Roe also informed the board of upcoming changes in testing procedure as the district strives to increase student achievement in all grade levels in accordance with the federal "No Child Left Behind" act.

Restorative justice program puts emphasis on crime victims and healing
Nearly everyone understands the feeling of injustice ‹ of being treated unfairly or being wronged by someone else's actions. But defining justice is much more difficult. We live in a society that follows the rule of law and we have a justice system that enforces the law and hands out sentences to offenders who break the law. But for crime victims there is often little satisfaction found in the process. Where in the justice system does the victim get to speak about what they feel is just for them? Where can they express their feelings of anger, fear and violation? That is what the Crawford County Restorative Justice program is all about. Mary Sterling, the Restorative Justice coordinator, has been with the program since its inception in 2001. She got involved after participating in a Bible study group where some of the participants, including herself, wondered how they could find a practical use for what they were learning. Mary had already worked as a teacher of basic education classes with juvenile offenders, so she felt comfortable with the idea of Restorative Justice. The criminal justice system, says Sterling, is focused on the offender ‹ determining guilt or innocence and then punishment for the guilty. "Sometimes the victim still feels left out," said Sterling. Restorative Justice "tries to be victim focused, on healing for the victim," says Sterling. To create greater healing, the Restorative Justice program offers a setting where victims and offenders can meet face to face and discuss their feelings in a safe environment with the guidance of trained volunteer mediators who facilitate the meeting. Crime victims can choose to participate in the process; offenders may be court-ordered to participate. The process begins with an interview of the offender by staff from the Restorative Justice program. They try to determine if the offender is a good candidate for the program. Restorative Justice mediation will not work if the offender denies responsibility for their actions. The offender must admit their responsibility and show some willingness to meet with the victim. Then the Restorative Justice volunteers meet with the victim to help them prepare them for the mediation. These preliminary meetings allow parties from both sides to vent some emotions that would not be appropriate in the mediation setting, and to prepare themselves. The mediation sessions are emotionally charged. Both parties come into the meeting with a lot of apprehension. But according to Sterling a sort of magic occurs during the one-hour meetings. "All of the negative feelings fall away," she said, and victims and offenders can talk as one human being to another about what needs to be accomplished for restitution. Together they can create a solution that is meaningful for the victim and possible for the offender, Sterling says. Usually, the offender apologizes to the victim. The results of the mediation session can be impressive. Victims can regain a sense of power and find meaning in a senseless event. Offenders can find accountability by seeing the results of their actions. "What's good for the victim is also good for the offender," Sterling observed. Many of the offenders sent to Restorative Justice are juveniles who are convicted of relatively minor offenses. Judges and victims hope to the process will have a significant impact on them, to help them avoid committing more serious crimes in the future. So far this year, Restorative Justice has worked with 22 offenders, about half were juveniles. The program does seem to have an impact on offenders who participate. In 2002, 75 percent of offenders who participated in the program did not re-offend within a two year time span. Of those who did commit another crime, the crime was similar, not a more serious offense. Even offenders who just met with volunteers of the program but did not meet heir victims had a lower rate of recidivism. There are just thirteen volunteers in the program, and Sterling would like to recruit more. Volunteers need to have good listening skills, be non-judgemental and willing to hear two very different sides of a story. Their job, Sterling emphasizes, is not to play judge and jury. Volunteers may accept as many or as few cases as they like, but once they accept a case they must follow it through to completion. Most cases average about 10 volunteer hours, and volunteers work in pairs where an experienced person works with a new person. Volunteers receive 24 hours of training before beginning their work. Restorative Justice is particularly useful in smaller communities like Prairie du Chien where victims and offenders may know each other, or are likely to encounter one another on the street. The program was inspired by tribal processes of the Maori people of New Zealand, where the program was first integrated into the formal justice system. Restorative Justice is a community process that can help restore balance to the community after a crime is committed. It has been so successful with juveniles in New Zealand that the country has now closed all its juvenile detention facilities, according to Sterling. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, call Mary Sterling at 326-2407. New volunteer training begins in January.

Dredge Thompson will retire in Winona, not PdC
According to a press release issued on Tuesday, Nov.9. the Maritime Heritage Society of Winona, Minn., will become the permanent home for the dredge boat William A. Thompson after it is retired from service this fall.

The Maritime Heritage Society is a private non-profit formed for the purpose of bringing the Thompson to Winona, and managing it's operation as an attraction if the group was successful in their bid. The 67-year-old, 230-foot long boat is currently the property of the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), who built and operated it, but when government property is retired or disposed of it is turned over to the General Services Administration, (GSA) which disposes of or sells all federal government property.

Prairie du Chien submitted an application to become the boat's final destination by the due date of Oct. 18. Blair Dillman offered to become a financial backer for the project, and Community Development Alternatives, a non-profit, submitted the application.

Applications were submitted to the state government, who fowarded them to the GSA for final disposition.

The Corps news release states that only one application was submitted ‹ the one from Winona.

According to Dale Klemme of Community Development Alternatives, this is inaccurate, and he has called both the Corps and a contact in state government to confirm that the Prairie du Chien application was forwarded to the GSA.

The Courier Press attempted to contact Mark Brantley, an administrator for the GSA, to confirm that the Prairie du Chien application was received, but he was unavailable at press time.