YEAR IN REVIEW: A look back at the news of 2008(2009/01/06) With the arrival of the new year comes our traditional look back at the events of the previous year. Here’s a look back at what was in the news in the first six months of 2008 for the Onalaska and Holmen area. See next week’s edition of the Courier-Life for the exciting conclusion of our year in review:
Shared ride program is on a roll(2009/01/06) The chauffeur pulled up to Sheila Larson’s door on a recent morning. He hopped to open the door for her, had some kind words for her 3-year-old, Zach, and when they were comfortably situated, carefully pulled away from the curb in the heated vehicle. Larson had planned some errands including going to the bank and dropping Zach at daycare.
COULEE CONSUMER: Common questions from consumers in the economic downturn(2009/01/06) With drops in the housing and stock markets, and increases in foreclosures and layoffs, it’s no wonder consumers are nervous. There is a good deal of rumor and myth circulating right now, and this probably will continue well in to 2009. Before you make any major financial decisions, take time to do some research and become well-informed.
Icicle Toes tradition still has traction with founder moving on(2008/12/30) Not many fourth-grade students can say they started a tradition. And not many high-school seniors can say they have helped more than 6,800 people in need. Morgan Ludington can say both because her Icicle Toes project is still standing after eight years.
Holiday displays win honors from city(2008/12/30) Laurie Haas loves decorating her house and yard for holidays, especially for Christmas. Every year people driving by her house at 203 15th Ave. N. in Onalaska will see something new — this year a Snoopy figure is out for the first time.
Book celebrates region’s natural wonders(2008/12/30) People have been asking Bob Lee to write a book ever since the early 1990s, when he first began putting together a newspaper column about the outdoors. Lee, whose “Along the Trail” column was featured in this newspaper in the 1990s, has finally done so and anyone who enjoys exploring and investigating the unique flora and fauna of the Driftless Area has reason to be thankful.
RIDGERUNNER REPORTS: Improvements seen in island deer herd(2008/12/30) As we all know now, the deer herd on Goose Island had gradually outgrown its habitat over the years. That not only put a strain on the deer, but on the vegetation they ate and on other wildlife as well.
LIBRARY NOTE: Setting the record straight on libraries(2008/12/30) Here are 10 myths about libraries and librarians: 1. Librarians have lots of time to read on the job. FALSE. Our while-at-work reading is usually job related n publisher’s catalogs, professional journals, software manuals, work-related e-mails, etc. We do, however, have to know what’s going on in the world in order to provide better serve you, so I consider People magazine an essential tool for good reference service.
Big high for Munderloh: OHS choral director to sing with orchestra(2008/12/22) La Crosse Symphony Orchestra conductor Amy Mills wanted her last holiday concert with the LSO to be memorable, so she set about assembling a program filled with favorites from her years as maestra.
New publisher looking to mine Midwest’s stories(2008/12/22) An editor turned lawyer turned publisher has moved to the area to establish a new branch of Fulcrum Publishing, a 25-year-old firm based in Golden, Colo.
Onalaska woman gives gift of communication(2008/12/22) Onalaska resident Karri Bjornstad, a speech and language pathologist for the Bangor School District, was named Top Notch Teacher for the month of December, an award presented by WKBT, Honda Motorwerks and the Wisconsin Education Association Council.
RIDGERUNNER REPORTS: Noch Hanai wolf pack doing well(2008/12/22) One of the real highlights of the year 2007 for me was the sighting of my first wild Wisconsin wolves in January of that year. Well, it seems that 2008 is winding down in the same rewarding way — I saw some more timber wolves in the wild.
Advent hymn sing a cherished tradition(2008/12/22) Organist Dean Whiteway and the La Crosse Chamber Chorale started an event in 1993 that has become a holiday community tradition today.
LIBRARY NOTES: Presidency has a dark side(2008/12/22) Last month, American voters spoke loud and clear that our nation is in need of a change in the political atmosphere. After serving as president of the United States for eight years, George W. Bush will leave office with the lowest approval rating of any president in memory.
Prayers go into every stitch of women’s knitting ministry(2008/12/17) There are always people in need of comfort and joy, so Lu Pertzsch and Mary Hok hardly have time to drop a stitch in their knitting ministry. The two Holmen area women — and half a dozen others at Holmen Lutheran Church — keep busy knitting baptismal, bridal, grief and comfort shawls and skullcaps for people they, for the most part, don’t know.
Essay winner thankful for parents ... and brain(2008/12/17) Carlie Hanson, a third-grader at Onalaska’s Irving Pertzsch Elementary, submitted the winning entry in the city recreation department’s first holiday writing contest. And she didn’t even know she was entering.
La Crosse event re-creates Bethlehem(2008/12/17) English Lutheran Church in La Crosse will host The Bethlehem Event, an opportunity to step back in time to experience what the little town of Bethlehem looked like during Christ’s birth.
Church news in brief(2008/12/17) Here are a selection of brief news items pertaining to area church activities:
Rotary Lights: a tradition of caring(2008/12/09) Pat Stephens must have a big bull’s-eye target on his back for all the pointing at him that people do. Ask any of the volunteers helping set up Rotary Lights at Riverside Park in La Crosse and they all point to him.
Well-done video footage can save great holiday memories(2008/12/09) The holidays are one of the most common times to bring out the old video camera. We all want to capture the holiday joys of opening presents and family gatherings.
RIDGERUNNER REPORTS: Telemetry teams tracking 10 tundra swans(2008/12/09) Though we have seen tundra swans in the region throughout November, I learned Thanksgiving week that some of them were actually transmitting the story of their journey through radio telemetry.
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