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Here are a selection of brief news items from this week’s paper edition, and possibly a few news briefs that didn’t make it in the paper.
Scouts raise $3,000 for Freedom Flights
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PET OF THE WEEK: Buddha is a 3- to 5-year-old shorthair black cat who is neutered. Buddha hopes people will look past his color and focus on his wonderful personality — black cats often are overlooked by adopters, which is so very unfortunate as black cats are just like other cats offering friendship and many other wonderful qualities. Buddha loves to cuddle. He loves to receive attention, but do not interpret this as being needy as Buddha can do very well on his own, too. We feel he can share his life with children 7 and older due to his wonderful, calm demeanor. Buddha should do well sharing his home with other cats and possibly dogs. For more information on any of the animals at the Coulee Region Humane Society, call 781-4014 or stop by 1 to 5 p.m. Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday or 1 to 7 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday. |
Even in tough economic times, people are happy to chow down and cough up donations for a good cause. Last weekend, Boy Scouts from Brice Prairie-based Troop 21 served up burgers and brats at the Holmen Festival Foods store, aiming to raise $500 to pay for one veteran to go on the Freedom Honor Flight to visit the war memorials in Washington, D.C.
In the end, the scouts raised $3,000, enough to send six veterans on the flight. Festival Foods donated the food for the fundraiser, which was worth about $550, and Troop 21 took in almost $1,300 from brat barn sales alone, said Scoutmaster Jay Hesselberg.
That total was bolstered by outright donations, with major contributions coming from Ryan Howell of Black River Archaeology, Bill and Brigitta Gautsch and Union State Bank.
“Unbelievable is the only word I have for the event,” Hesselberg said, “other than thank you to so many people who helped make this possible.”
Woman seeks police help, gets OWI
A Holmen woman who thought she was lucky to break down in front of the police station got some help but also ended up with a drunken driving ticket.
According to police reports, Diane Payne, 49, came into the La Crosse Police Department a little after 11 p.m. Sunday and said her car had broken down in the intersection of Seventh and La Crosse streets. The dispatcher said she appeared intoxicated and sent an officer out to investigate.
Payne told the officer she was glad she was near the police station. When questioned, she said she’d had two beers at a friend’s house. According to the report, her blood-alcohol level was 0.08 percent.
Nutrition talk set at Onalaska library
Are you getting full nutritonal value from the food you buy? Are you certain about interpreting correctly when you read food labels? What are reliable sources of nutrition information?
These and many other questions will be answered by Jackie Bartz at a program — “Mysteries of Food Labels Revealed” — at the Onalaska Public Library on Thursday, May 28, starting at 7 p.m.
Jackie Bartz, who has a master’s degree from Ohio State University, has more than 35 years of hospital and clinic diatetics and clinical nutrition management experience. She served for 11 years as clinical nutrition manager at Franciscan Skemp Healthcare until her retirement last year.
This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Onalaska Library and is free and open to all.
McGilvray Road friends mark 20 years
The Friends of McGilvray Road are celebrating their 20th anniversary with a walk on the historic bowstring arch truss bridges on the Old McGilvray Road. The walk begins at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, May 17.
The road was called the Seven Bridges Road, but the longest bridge, which crossed the Black River’s main channel, has been gone since 1954. The road once was the only way to get from La Crosse into Trempealeau County and points north.
Two of the five bowstring arch truss bridges were built 100 years ago, with the other three completed by 1908. Since 1980, they’ve been on the National Register of Historic Places.
As part of the celebration, there also will be a dinner at 5 p.m. at Drugan’s Castle Mound in Holmen. An RSVP is required for the dinner. Reservations are due by May 15 to Mariel Carlisle at mariel@acegroup.cc or (608) 385-1938 or (507) 643 7090. More information can be found online at www.7bridgesrd.org.
Miss Holmen program info session set
The Miss Holmen Scholarship Program will host an informational meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 19, at Pizza Corral in Holmen.
Pageant volunteers and the current Miss Holmen, Hannah Rock, will be on hand to answer questions. Potential contestants unable to attend may contact Bridget Pfaff at 386-2177 for more details about the program.
Legion Auxiliary selling poppies
The Onalaska American Legion Auxiliary is again conducting its Dollar a Poppy Club program, which was started in 1976.
People donating $1 for a poppy by May 28 will have their names posted on the poster on display in the Legion clubrooms.
Donations can be sent to Onalaska American Legion Auxiliary, P.O. Box 22, Onalaska, WI 54650, with checks made payable to Onalaska Legion Auxiliary — Unit 336.
Briggs Road closed for construction
Reconstruction of the Briggs Road intersection with Highway XX in the town of Onalaska is under way.
The project, which is headed up by Fleming, Andre & Associates, is meant to improve the safety of the intersection. Briggs Road will be closed at Highway XX until completion of the project, which is expected in early July.
Cost of the project is $285,635, of which $125,000 will come from a state Department of Transportation grant.
Lung Walk scheduled for May 17
The American Lung Association’s La Crosse Lung Walk will be held May 17, at La Crosse’s Myrick Park. Registration starts at noon with walk to begin at 1 p.m.
House concert planned for May 27
The Bluff View series of house concerts in rural Holmen continues May 27 with an evening of pop acoustic jazz courtesy of Allison Sattinger, performing with Matt Coleman and Phil Mielke.
Sattinger’s work has drawn favorable comparisons to Norah Jones and Joni Mitchell, and her May concert schedule also includes stops in California, Idaho, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
The concert starts at 7 p.m. at the home of Dave and Lori Schippers at N7916 Bluff View Court. Admission is $10. Seating is limited to 40 people, so early reservations are advised. Call 526-9051 for tickets or more information.
River to Ridge run set for May 16
The 15th annual River to Ridge Run/Walk benefiting the Myrick Hixon EcoPark will be Saturday, May 16.
The walk starts at 9 a.m., and the challenge run is at 10 a.m.
This five-mile event starts at Riverside Park and follows the River to Bluff trail through the marsh and forest to the top of the bluffs on Highway FA, where participants will be treated to a cookout.
Registration is $20, $25 the day of the event starting at 8:30 am. Forms are available at local sporting and fitness facilities, YMCA and at Myrick Hixon EcoPark office.
For more information, call 784-0303, e-mail info@mhecopark.org or log onto www.mhecopark.org.
WTC to graduate 1,364 students
On Friday, May 15, Western Technical College will hold a commencement ceremony at the La Crosse Center honoring 1,364 graduates from the seven Western District campuses. The ceremony begins at 7 p.m., and a reception for the graduates will follow.
Keynote speaker will be Lisa Thill, owner of Train Station BBQ in La Crosse, who was recently named Distinguished Alumnus by Western’s Alumni Association.
Of the graduates, 561 will receive associate’s degrees and 368 will receive technical diplomas. There will be 300 graduating from the certified nursing assistant program, and 100 will receive other certificates.
An additional 35 will graduate from the apprenticeship program in various technical fields.
Western Technical College is part of the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS). Each year, more than 400,000 Wisconsin residents receive education and training from the state’s 16 technical colleges.
Fort McCoy plans celebration May 16
Fort McCoy will celebrate “A Century of Service to America” during its Armed Forces Day open house from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 16. The event is free and is open to the public.
Many family-oriented activities are planned, including bus tours of the installation, camouflage face painting, equipment displays and information exhibits, an interactive marksmanship gallery and much more. The installation’s History Center and Commemorative Buildings will be open throughout the day.
Visitors should enter the installation via Gate 15 off of Highway 21 between Sparta and Tomah. Adults should have a photo ID. For more information, call (608) 388-2407.
Digger’s Hotline season is back
Whether it’s landscaping improvements, installing a fence, building a deck or planting a tree, no project is too big or small to place a call before digging to the Digger’s Hotline, 1-800-242-8511 or 811.
Calls from anywhere in the country are routed to local One Call Centers and to the affected utility companies. Utility companies send a professional locator out within three working days to mark lines free of charge. After knowing approximate locations of utility lines, safe digging can begin.
Utility line depths can vary. Digging without calling has the potential to disrupt service to an entire neighborhood. It could also result in fines and repair costs. One call gets underground utility lines marked for free and prevents undesired consequences.
For details, visit www.diggershotline.com or call 800-242-8511 or 811.
Trempealeau Refuge plans birding festival
The Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge will host its annual birding festival to celebrate International Migratory Bird Day on Saturday, May 16.
This year the refuge will celebrate “Birds in Culture.” In some cases, the fate of birds and human cultures may be intricately linked.
The festival runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with activities including an early bird hike, birding by canoe (all equipment is provided), more guided bird hikes and wildflower walks with refuge volunteers who are “in the know” about what’s blooming.
Visitors also will have a chance to meet a live raptor on the observation deck and listen to the words of “Eagle King”, a Ho-Chunk native, as he weaves together the meaning behind Ho-Chunk names and the rich cultural connection to the area. There also will be bird banding demonstrations and an evening slide presentation (7 p.m.) by an accomplished local photographer, as well as nature painting, mini digital photography sessions, exhibits and a demonstration about birds and their wingspans.
For the night owls, an evening Owl Prowl hike is scheduled at 8 p.m. for those that want to experience nature at night on the refuge.
Advance registration is required for the canoe tour and early bird hike. Reservations can be made by calling (608) 539-2311, ext. 16.
A full brochure with all the event activities may be downloaded at www.fws.gov/midwest/trempealeau/documents/09IMBD.pdf.
Work starts on Black River trails
Renovation of all-terrain vehicle trails at the Black River State Forest began recently, with small segments of trail to be closed weekdays during the project.
The plan is to upgrade one wetland crossing a week with the affected section of trail ready to ride again by the weekend. The first area to be affected is the 2.2 miles of trail between Highway 54 and Bartos Road. Once these six crossings have been improved, work will begin on the eight crossings to the south between 54 and the state forest border.
ATV trails in the state forest are part of a 230-mile regional trail system in Jackson and Clark counties.
After Labor Day, phase two will begin with work on remaining crossings just south of Highway 54 followed by the six crossings between East Seventh Street and Cranberry Drive.
ATV trails are open from May 15 through Oct. 15 and from Dec. 15 through March 15. Weekly trail condition reports are available online at www.dnr.state.wi.us/forestry/StateForests/SF-BlackRiver/. During construction updated maps showing the section of trail closed will be on the Web site.
The plan is to upgrade one wetland crossing a week with the affected section of trail ready to ride again by the weekend. The first area to be affected is the 2.2 miles of trail between Highway 54 and Bartos Road. Once these six crossings have been improved, work will begin on the eight crossings to the south between 54 and the state forest border.
ATV trails in the state forest are part of a 230-mile regional trail system in Jackson and Clark counties.
After Labor Day, phase two will begin with work on remaining crossings just south of Highway 54 followed by the six crossings between East Seventh Street and Cranberry Drive.
Weather radio touted as good idea
Gov. Jim Doyle declared May 13 as NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards Awareness Day, part of a campaign to encourage Wisconsin residents to keep ahead of severe weather by tuning in to a 24-hour source of weather forecasts, watches, warnings and non-weather emergency information.
The information is provided by the National Weather Service and its parent agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Weather radios are known as “smoke detectors for severe weather and hazardous conditions.” An NOAA weather radio with an alarm and battery back-up is one of the best ways to protect your family, officials say, especially at night when the alarm feature can wake you up during severe weather and give you and your family time to seek appropriate shelter.
If there is no severe weather then your weather radio can be switched to a silent, stand-by mode.
Weather radios come in many sizes, with a variety of functions and costs. They can be purchased at most electronic stores. Most weather radio receivers are either battery-operated portables or AC-powered desktop models with battery backup.
Many receivers have digital technology called Specific Area Message Encoding that allows users to program their radios to alarm only for hazardous conditions that affect their county.The NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards network started in 1972 and is the sole government-operated radio system to provide direct warnings for conditions that pose a threat to lives and property. There are 33 stations that broadcast weather and hazards info to Wisconsin residents, and more than 1,000 stations nationwide.
Weather radios come in many sizes, with a variety of functions and costs. They can be purchased at most electronic stores. Most weather radio receivers are either battery-operated portables or AC-powered desktop models with battery backup.
Many receivers have digital technology called Specific Area Message Encoding that allows users to program their radios to alarm only for hazardous conditions that affect their county.
Pump House sets Tracy Grammer show
Tracy Grammer will perform at the Pump House Regional Arts Center on May 15 starting at 7:30 pm.
Grammer rose to fame as one half of the duo, Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer, who were called “one of the fastest-rising acts in folk music” by the Boston Globe.
Music has always been a large part of Grammer’s life. Born in Homestead, Fla., and raised in southern California, Grammer comes from a musical family. In fact, her guitar-playing father was her first true inspiration.
Grammer is touring to promote her first solo album “Flower of Avalon.” It is her first album since the death of her musical partner in 2002. The album features nine previously unrecorded songs by the late Dave Carter.
For more information contact the Pump House at 785-1434 or log onto www.thepumphouse.org
UW-L plans Twin Cities art trip
UW-La Crosse Continuing Education will sponsor a “Day of Art Fun in Minneapolis,” which will include shopping for art supplies and a trip to the Minneapolis Institute of Art.
Travelers will board the bus at 6:30 a.m. Saturday, June 27, and arrive back in La Crosse later that evening.
The first stop will be “Wet Paint” in St. Paul to shop for art supplies. From there, travelers head to the Minneapolis Institute of Art for the afternoon.
To conclude the trip, a stop at IKEA for shopping and dinner are planned before heading back to La Crosse. Linda Steine, associate outreach specialist for UW-L Continuing Education in the Arts, will host the trip.
Cost of the trip is $45. To register or for more information, call UW-L Continuing Education at 785-6506 or log onto www.uwlax.edu/conted.
Talk on caregivers’ online resources set
More and more caregivers are turning to the internet for resources to assist their loved ones. Join
Gundersen Lutheran will present “Exploration of Online Tools for Caregivers” from 6-7 p.m. Wednesday, May 27, at the Gundersen Lutheran Green Bay Building, located at the corner of South Avenue and Green Bay Street in La Crosse.
This Getting Older, Living Better program will highlight Web sites that have information and tools to assist in the caregiving process. Participants will be able to access the Web sites during the presentation.
This program is free and open to the public, but space is limited.
For more information or to register, call 775-4717. Signup deadline is May 25.
Entries sought for Interstate Fair
The La Crosse County Agricultural Society is seeking entries for the 2009 La Crosse Interstate Fair, which will be held July 15-19 at the fairgrounds in West Salem. All entries for the 2009 fair must be submitted to the
La Crosse County University Extension office by 5 p.m. June 4.
The 2009 Exhibitor Guide and Premium List, including entry forms, are available at the extension office in the County Administrative Center, 400 N. Fourth St., Room 3140, La Crosse, as well as the La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce, and many bank and lending institutions around the county.
For the first time, the Exhibitor Guide is available on the Web at www.
lacrosseinterstatefair.com/home; click on “Exhibitor Handbook.”
Entry fees are $2 per person for Junior Fair Exhibitors, and $3 per person for Open Class Exhibitors.
For more information about the 2009 La Crosse Interstate Fair, call the
La Crosse County Extension office at 785-9593.
Youth fishing contest is next Saturday
The West Salem Rod and Gun Club will hold its fifth annual youth fishing contest from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 16, at Veteran’s Park in West Salem.
The event is open to youths up to 15 years of age. Bait, hot dogs and soda will be available on site from the West Salem Boy Scouts.
Survey about Internet use
U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wisconsin, urges residents of the 3rd Congressional District to complete a statewide Public Service Commission survey to ensure stimulus funds for broadband Internet access are delivered to western Wisconsin.
The survey can be found at: http://psc.wi.gov/apps35/eSurvey/Broadband/WIbroadband.aspx. Residents can also call Gary Evenson at (608) 266-6744 to give responses via phone.
Many residents of rural areas are limited to slow, dial-up Internet access, prohibiting them from efficiently accessing online resources. Many who telecommute or require the Internet for business purposes are struggling with the restricted connection, especially as more services become available solely online.
Vets scholarships available
Ten $1,000 scholarships are available to Wisconsin veterans attending University of Wisconsin System campuses during the 2009-10 academic year.
The Donald P. Weber Veterans Memorial Scholarship is available to Wisconsin residents enrolled full time as an undergraduate or graduate student at a UW school. Recipients must be a veteran of the U.S. armed forces and in good
academic standing. Potential recipients also will be required to give a short summary about themselves, their career plans and why they should receive the award. Financial need will be considered.
The deadline to submit applications
is May 15. For more information, go to www.foundation.uwlax.edu/
applications/WeberVeteransScholarship.pdf.
To submit your information for a public service announcement, e-mail it to wsm.news@lee.net
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