A 49-year-old rural Prairie du Chien woman has been charged in Crawford County Circuit Court with one count of theft in a business setting. The case involves an alleged embezzlement of possibly up to $50,000 from a Wauzeka daycare.

Pamela J. Buchen faces up to 10 years in prison and a $25,000 fine if convicted. Buchen is accused of embezzling from Daycare on Dousman, which is run through the Lutheran Church in Wauzeka.

According to the criminal complaint, Buchen admitted to investigators that she had forged numerous checks in her role as a volunteer accountant at Daycare on Dousman. Buchen said that she took the money for a personal gambling habit and that she began taking money in October of 2004, the complaint stated.

Buchen admitted that she embezzled in excess of $25,000 from Daycare on Dousman, according to the complaint.

A formal audit was done on the account of Daycare on Dousman. The results showed that more than $50,000 of "suspicious transactions" consistent with Buchen’s admitted embezzling method were undertaken, according to the complaint. The audit showed that these "suspicious transactions" occurred back into 2002.

Prairie du Chien Common Council last night, following discussion of location and hours, approved the Colgate Country Showdown for June 27. They also approved the issuance of a total of $2,850,000 in General Obligation Promissory Notes for the downtown sewer and water project and authorized amending the project plans of TID Districts to make TID funds available for use outside the TID districts.

Dan Moris of WPRE Radio Station and Pam Ritchie of Prairie du Chien Downtown Revitalization, Inc. (PDRI) appeared before council with a request to hold the Colgate Country Showdown in the downtown area June 27 with the same hours as last year and a slightly amended siting plan.

Because of the street work being done on Blackhawk, the stage will be in the city parking lot at the southeast corner of Main Street and Blackhawk, backed up to the AmericInn parking lot.

Ritchie said they plan to use a sturdier barrier fence to maintain greater security at gate entries. They have met with Prairie du Chien Police Chief Mike King to assure adequate police presence, and will help pay for two additional police officers from 6 p.m. to midnight. The contest will begin at 7 p.m., and a street dance will run from 9 to 11 p.m.

Waste Water Superintendent Terry Meyer reported that by that date, construction should have moved past that section of Blackhawk, and construction equipment will be removed to a secure, off-street area.

Council member Frank Pintz questioned why the event remained at the west end of Blackhawk, saying he understood that when the event was first proposed, it would alternate between the east and west end of downtown.

Dan Morris said he believed it was former PDRI directorCraig Moser who made that statement. "It was never my intention to flip-flop," he said, and added that he felt the west end, with its concentration of taverns and restaurants, was the only place that could handle the number of people who attend. Last year, he said, the taverns had a hard time keeping up with the number of people, and to move it to an area with fewer facilities would create problems.

Pintz also asked why a number of nonprofit organizations which wanted to set up booths were turned down. Ritchie said there are two reasons: the event is designed to help downtown businesses, and PDRI does not have enough volunteers to work with outside vendors.

Council member Jaaren Riebe also questioned the hours, suggesting that it shut down at 10 p.m. rather than 11 p.m. to minimize the possibility of violence. Last year, there was a fight following the event.

Ritchie said the fight occurred after midnight, and the dispute had started elsewhere and was brought to the event. Furthermore, she said, she had feedback that many citizens liked the idea of a downtown street dance. Chief King added that there will be a total of five police officers in the area this year.

The application was approved with Riebe and Pintz voting no.

The General Obligation Promissory Notes, $1,350,000 for sewer and $1,500,000 for water in the downtown project, were obtained at an interest rate of 2.95 percent. They will be used as temporary financing for about six months until state financing for the projects comes through.

Because of a change in state law, council authorized preparation of an amendment which would allow use of TID (tax increment district) funds within one half mile of the TID districts. Because of the location of these districts, many of the city’s upcoming projects would fall within these areas, said Kurt Muchow of Vierbicher Associates. The resolution will be referred to the Planning Commission for establishment of a public hearing date for the amendment.

In other business:

•Council authorized issuing up to $625,000 in general obligation promissory notes in a Ready for Reuse program environmental remediation of the former Quality Woods Site. City Planner Garth Frable said Prairie du Chien is only the second community to receive funds from this program. It is a zero-interest loan which will be repaid by an environmental remediation TIF.

•Frable reviewed deletions made from the downtown streetscape plan after the project came in over budget. Items to be eliminated include elimination of an error which double-bid concrete around the light poles, saving $20,000; a decorative cardinal point design which was to have gone in the street at the intersection of Blackhawk and Beaumont; a trench grate over downspouts; three colored crosswalks at Main and Blackhawk, two trees and grates east of Michigan. In addition, they added in the revenue they will receive from the sale of milled asphalt from the downtown construction projects. A total of $96,000 has been eliminated. Frable also reported that staff has been working on covering the additional $150,000 cost difference without expense to the city. He said he felt it can be accomplished. He added, "I want to thank all the downtown businesses for being so positive and supportive, and I encourage the citizens of Prairie du Chien to go downtown and shop and have lunch and support the downtown."

•Approved a request by Scott Sheckler to use fill from the downtown construction project to raise the level of his property 113 S. Main Street across from AmericInn. Sheckler plans to build a hotel on the site. Approval was granted with the understanding that, should there not be sufficient fill, the convention center had priority, and that Sheckler ask the Design and Preservation Committee to review his plans. They also approved a Class B liquor license for that site with the stipulation that the license be used within a three year time period.

•Turned down a request for forgiveness of fees and penalties for late payment of room tax from the Brisbois Motel. Owner Gerald Frydenlund said all 2007 and part of 2008 taxes have now been paid.

•Approved the hiring of a new park director. Council member Riebe reported that the personnel committee had interviewed five candidates and have made their first and second choices. Because some of the candidates are still employed elsewhere, no names were released. Council authorized the job be offered to the committee’s first choice.

•Approved a Finance Committee recommendation to deny a claim by Troy and Christa Morrison and refer it to the insurance carrier. The Morrisons suffered extensive flood damage to their house during one of last summer’s downpours. The denial is necessary before the insurance company can act.

•Approved applying for a Ready for Reuse Grant for petroleum contaminated sites Frable said he had been encouraged to apply for the grant through the DNR. It would be used in case there are additional costs in remediating the Stratton property.

•Tabled a request for a Class B liquor license for DeBrad Inc., to be located in the old A.W. Thompson building at 219 N. Marquette Road. Council requested more information about when the building will be ready for use.

•Referred a request for creation of a dog park to the Parks and Recreation Committee. Joy Tremethick requested that a an area on the St. Feriole Island rodeo grounds be designated a dog park. She said she had 119 signatures and that the area is already used informally as a dog park. That site presents some issues, however, because soccer games are also played on that site, and there have been complaints of dogs chasing the soccer balls and of failure by some dog owners to clean up after the dogs.

Council member Riebe said the Park and Recreation Department has discussed the idea of a dog park. It was referred to that committee with the understanding that the request receive further consideration.

•Approved a request to close one block of Fowler Street for a block party May 24.

In her annual report to City Council, Nancy Ashmore last evening reported that over the past years, visits to libraries throughout Wisconsin increased by 28 percent, but the visits to the Prairie du Chien library had risen by 35 percent in that same time.

The library, she reported, has 6,961registered patrons with their own library cards, 2,610 more than at the end of the year 2000. Of these, 2,857 are Prairie du Chien adults, 1117 resident juveniles, 121 temporary residents and 37 who fit in other categories.

The library also serves 2,135 non-residents.