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Tue
13
Jun

Ahrens receives Retiree Achievement Award from Southwest Tech

Submitted by admin1 on Tue, 06/13/2017 - 08:55

Southwest Tech retiree Lowell Ahrens stands with Holly Clendenen and Jason Wood. (Submitted photo)

The Southwest Wisconsin Technical College Foundation recognized seven individuals and one organization that have made significant impacts in the college’s 50-year history at the Foundation’s donor appreciation and alumni and retiree awards program May 19 at the Fennimore campus.

The Foundation has recognized 30 individuals and businesses as outstanding philanthropists to the organization since 1995, but this was the inaugural year for distinguished alumni and retiree achievement awards. Those recognized with the Philanthropy Award included Huntington National Bank and Shyrle Sedgwick. Recipients of the Distinguished Alumni Award were Kevin Raisbeck, Terri Slapak-Fugate, and Gerald Ward. Honorees of the Retiree Achievement Award were Lowell Ahrens, Mary Davis and Carol Needham.

Mon
12
Jun

Program for Bluff View students emphasizes ‘Smart Girls Rock’

Submitted by admin1 on Mon, 06/12/2017 - 11:58

Bluff View girls like Michaela Langdon in sixth, seventh and eighth grades had an interesting time trying to make glowing goo during Smart Girls Rock, a STEM symposium at Bluff View School May 23. This was a fun activity to show what chemistry can do even in the most basic form. It also taught them the importance of following directions. A few groups’ goo did not work like it was supposed to and turned more runny than expected, as pictured.

Like all the girls attending Smart Girls Rock, this crew had a good time posing with some props representing their potential careers. Pictured (from left) are Sadie Torgerson, Jadyn Jenks, Grace Pedretti, Allyson Schroeder and Meg Katzung. (Photos by Jim Rohde)

By Correne Martin

Smart Girls Rock was a fun and unorthodox morning of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) enlightenment for Bluff View School’s sixth, seventh and eighth grade girls, May 23.

Sponsored by 3M Company’s Women’s Leadership Forum, 110 middle school girls rotated among more than 20 stations—a few girls per group for four minutes per table—as they listened to female professionals discuss their careers and participated in hands-on activities advocating empowerment for girls. The event was held in the Bluff View gym.

Mon
12
Jun

Bloomington native fills intern role at Courier Press

Submitted by admin1 on Mon, 06/12/2017 - 11:56

Rachel Mergen, of Bloomington, will be the news reporter intern at the Courier Press through August. She has experience as a published author and enjoys talking to people. (Photo by Correne Martin)

By Correne Martin

The Courier Press office has welcomed an intern again this summer. Rachel Mergen, a Bloomington native who just completed her freshman year at UW-La Crosse, has joined the staff. She will be reporting on community news through August.

Rachel is a 2016 River Ridge High School graduate and the daughter of Al and Dawn Mergen. She is the granddaughter of Thomas and Ruth Mergen and Carson and Arlene Clifton. She has one older brother, Trevor.

Rachel, 19, possesses a multitude of skills necessary to interview and report about the people, places and things in the Prairie du Chien coverage area. She comes to the Courier having written and self-published four young adult books as a teenager, her first when she was only 16 and the other three in high school. She said she’s working on two more now.

“I wrote a lot of short stories in middle school. It was a nice escape from stress for me,” she said.

Mon
12
Jun

Regal Marina granted extension through July 7, may get more time

Submitted by admin1 on Mon, 06/12/2017 - 11:55

Dennis Regal Sr., president of Regal Marine Group, sat in Crawford County Court June 8, listening to how soon his 34-year-old, family-run marina business may need to move out from the premises. (Photo by Correne Martin)

By Correne Martin

The Regal Marina in Prairie du Chien was recently under flood waters for nine days. That’s nothing new to the family that’s run the operation for 34 years though. The difference, this season, is that the family was given 30 days to move its docks and other belongings off the city-owned property, by an arbitration panel’s May 22 order granting an eviction judgement in favor of the city of Prairie du Chien.

However, both parties were in court Thursday afternoon, June 8, as Judge Craig Day considered a possible modification of the arbitration award’s terms. Regal Marine Group requested an order allowing them until July 31 to remove personal property, due to the flooding, and until Oct. 1, to remove buildings, consistent with what the corporation believes are its rights under the lease.

Mon
12
Jun

Rendezvous will return to Prairie du Chien for 42nd year

Submitted by admin on Mon, 06/12/2017 - 11:51

No running water or electricity is allowed for the participants in the 1840s camp portion of the annual Rendezvous in Prairie du Chien. So there’s plenty of time for relaxing, like this gentleman did while also showcasing his wares. (Courier Press file photo)

By Rachel Mergen

 

Big River Long Riffles is once again bringing the Prairie Villa Rendezvous to Prairie du Chien. The event will be held on St. Feriole Island, Thursday, June 15, through Sunday, June 18, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day. The Rendezvous is one of the most popular, as well as free, events in the area and welcomes the entire family, including pets. 

The Rendezvous started 42 years ago on much smaller grounds than it’s on today. Originally starting only on the grounds of the Villa Louis, the event now covers six blocks of Prairie du Chien. Since its rise, many more games have been added and the number of traders has escalated greatly, turning it into one of the largest trade rendezvous in the Midwest. 

Mon
12
Jun

Blooming business at The Flower Barn

Submitted by admin on Mon, 06/12/2017 - 10:26

Suzy Oppriecht waters her plants and flowers at The Flower Barn. (Photos by Ted Pennekamp)

Planted shutters were a new creation this past season.

 

New ideas planted each spring at The Flower Barn

By Ted Pennekamp

 

A Crawford County dairy farmer also enjoys a vibrant and blooming business called The Flower Barn which she runs each spring at 53364 Lone Pine Lane, Ferryville. 

Wed
07
Jun

City’s new administrator likely to start this week

Submitted by admin1 on Wed, 06/07/2017 - 12:40

A contract with the city of Prairie du Chien’s chosen new administrator was approved following closed session Tuesday night.

According to Interim City Administrator Tina Fuller, a contract was extended to Art Osten Wednesday, June 7.

“He will be starting today if he signs it,” Fuller said Wednesday morning.

Osten was chosen from a pool of applicants last month to fill the vacancy left when Aaron Kramer resigned from his post in March. Osten has 16 years of previous experience in municipal administration in Illinois.

Wed
07
Jun

Prairie du Chien marks 130 classes of graduates

Submitted by admin1 on Wed, 06/07/2017 - 12:27

By Correne Martin

The first graduating class of Prairie du Chien High School, in 1887, included five young women, all named Mary—the five Mary maids. The school’s 2017 class of senior graduates totaled 77.

This year marked 130 years of graduating classes for Prairie du Chien Schools. The average class size has been 110 to 120.

A proclamation was signed by the board of education in April 1886, after a referendum passed approving a free high school to be provided with nine different courses of study. Twenty-seven pupils were prepared to enter. The paperwork was examined and sent to the state in June 1886.

In the beginning, the city school system had four ward schools, one of which still stands: the Old Rock School, located at the intersection of Marquette Road and East Parrish Street.

Wed
07
Jun

Prairie du Chien marks 130 classes of graduates

Submitted by admin1 on Wed, 06/07/2017 - 12:23

By Correne Martin

The first graduating class of Prairie du Chien High School, in 1887, included five young women, all named Mary—the five Mary maids. The school’s 2017 class of senior graduates totaled 77.

This year marked 130 years of graduating classes for Prairie du Chien Schools. The average class size has been 110 to 120.

A proclamation was signed by the board of education in April 1886, after a referendum passed approving a free high school to be provided with nine different courses of study. Twenty-seven pupils were prepared to enter. The paperwork was examined and sent to the state in June 1886.

In the beginning, the city school system had four ward schools, one of which still stands: the Old Rock School, located at the intersection of Marquette Road and East Parrish Street.

Wed
07
Jun

Extension request expected in Regal Marina saga

Submitted by admin1 on Wed, 06/07/2017 - 12:11

By Correne Martin

Only one longtime boater from the Regal Marina spoke at the Prairie du Chien Common Council meeting Tuesday night, June 6. Craig Smith, the son of the Smith family, which previously owned the marina decades ago, spoke in concern about his boating opportunities in the city and what’s to become of them.

At this time, the city has not determined or officially announced its future plans for the marina. The Regal family was given 30 days to remove its belongings—including docks, outbuildings and equipment—following a May 22 arbitration panel order granting the business’ eviction from the city-owned land. The property must be vacated by Wednesday, June 21, according to the order.

According to Ed Erdos, the family’s spokesperson and close friend, Regal Marine Group “is going to file a motion in circuit court within days requesting modification to the arbitration order to ultimately request an extension” to that 30-day order.

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