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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.
Hearing set on West Salem water rates
The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin will conduct a public hearing on West Salem’s application for a water rate increase at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13.
Commissioners will conduct the hearing from Madison, with people able to join the proceedings through a telephone connection at West Salem Village Hall, 175 S. Leonard St.
Written comments may be filed by noon Jan. 12 by faxing them to (608) 266-3957 or posting them online at http://psc.wi.gov/apps/dockets/comments.aspx.
WS kindergarten registration is Jan. 13
West Salem kindergarten registration for the 2009-10 school year will start at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13, in the elementary multipurpose room.
West Salem School District residents who have a child who will be 5 years old by Sept. 1 are encouraged to attend this parents-only meeting and bring a birth certificate for the children to attend kindergarten next fall.
To register, call the elementary office at 786-1662.
Bangor group offers sunshine pins
The Bangor Area Cancer Support Group that put on the recent Sunshine on the Trail event is selling lapel pins as another fundraiser.
The pins depict an elegant gold-plated sun and sell for $5 each. These pins can be worn on a coat, jacket lapel, baseball hat, as a tie tack or for many other uses. The group hopes area residents will support neighbors and friends who are fighting cancer by purchasing a pin, which will serve as a daily reminder of those who are facing a difficult time in their life.
The pins will be available at various Bangor businesses. They also are available by contacting : Deb Gerke (486-4347), Joanne Mashak (486-2635), Julie Linhart (486-4429), Cheri Horstman (486-2147) or Rosemary Hansen (486-2022).
OMS hosts class on storytelling
Sara Slayton will teach a 10-week storytelling class through UW-L Continuing Education at Onalaska Middle School starting Jan. 29.
The class meets on Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m. through April 2. People can register by calling Karen Hansen at 785-6513 or sending an email to hansen.kare@uwlax.edu.
Wisconsin Singers coming to Heider
The Wisconsin Singers will perform their Broadway revue, “Let Us Entertain You!,” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 30, at the Marie W. Heider Center for the Arts in West Salem.
The West Salem High School show choir will open for the Wisconsin Singers, which include several area natives, including Matt Huston of West Salem and Claire Udell and Nick Coorough of La Crosse. The show is a new addition to the Heider Center performance schedule.
General admission tickets are $10 and are available by calling the Heider Center box office at 786-1220, ext. 4, or the La Crosse Radio Group office at 782-8335.
Humane society urges cat licensing
The Coulee Region Humane Society is selling honorary cat licenses to help reunite felines with their owners, should they become lost.
“It’s a service we want to be able to provide to help cats find their way home,” said Heather Schmid, executive director of the shelter. “Any animal not (identified) makes it more challenging.”
While state law requires dogs to be licensed in all municipalities, Schmid said only La Crosse, Onalaska, Shelby, Campbell and Rockland have the same requirement for cats.
The honorary cat license program will maintain a record that includes the owner’s contact information and an identification number. A valid rabies certificate is required.
It costs $10, and the money will support the animal control program.
The humane society sees two stray cats for every stray dog. Of these, one cat is reclaimed for every seven dogs.
“We are hoping to really encourage pet owners and municipalities to look at the general idea of treating cats and valuing them the same,” Schmid said. “We have to start doing something.”
To register, stop at the shelter on Critter Court in Onalaska from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday; and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday.
County Democrats to celebrate inauguration
The La Crosse County Democratic Party will celebrate the inauguration of President Barrack Obama with a buffet dinner and dessert starting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20, at the Radisson Hotel Ballroom, 200 Harborview Plaza, La Crosse.
A cocktail hour will begin at 6 p.m. Cost is $20. The program will include a replay of Obama’s swearing in and inaugural speech.
Reservations are due by Jan. 15. Send checks payable to La Crosse County Democratic Party, P.O. Box 1861, La Crosse, WI 54602-1861. All are welcome.
For more information, call Vicki Burke at 781-0737 or Pablo Ruiz at 738-8251.
Sons of Norway to meet Jan. 15
The Sons of Norway, Wergeland Lodge will meet on Thursday, Jan. 15, at 7 p.m. at the La Crosse American Legion, 711 Sixth St. S.
Kids fishing derby set for Saturday
The La Crosse Parks and Recreation 2009 Winter Ice Fishing Derby will be held Jan. 10 at the Pettibone Park Lagoon.
Bait will be provided and there will be prizes in two age groups (11 and younger, 12 to 17), hot chocolate and a raffle. Equipment will be available for use. Fishing begins at 9 a.m. and weigh-in begins at 11 a.m. Cost is $3 per child. For more information, call 789-7533.
Ecopark plans two Saturday events
The Myrick Hixon Ecopark will host two Saturday events in January at Hixon Forest, both running from 10 a.m. to noon.
The Snowshoe Saunter program on Jan. 17, for ages 7 and older, will serve as an introduction to snowshoeing while observing the sights and sounds of nature in winter.
Participants in the Jan. 31 Stellar Snoflakes program will learn the different names of snowflakes and how they form, talk about Native American names for snow, paint in the snow and create their own snowflakes.
This program is appropriate for children ages 5 to 10 and is limited to 12 children. Parents are welcome to attend, but are not required.
Cost for both programs is $3 for members, $6 for nonmembers. Call 784-0303 or e-mail info@mhecopark.org to register.
Adult volunteers sought at Ecopark
People who enjoy the outdoors and working with children might want to consider joining the corps of volunteer naturalists at Myrick Hixon Ecopark.
Winter programs for third graders start Monday, Jan. 19, and run until Friday, Feb. 27. The 3rd Grade program focuses on predator/prey relationships, how animals survive and finding/seeing evidence of animal activity in winter.
Volunteers can go through training sessions either Jan. 14 or Jan. 24. New volunteer training goes from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., while veteran volunteers go from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
To register for training or for more information, contact Stephanie at 784-0303 or shanna@mhecopark.org.
Farm event set for Jan. 22-23
The 11th annual Midwest Value Added Agriculture Conference will run Jan. 22-23 at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, Minn.
The theme for this year’s conference is “Farm and Home Added Value: Profiting from Renewable Energy and Regional Food.” The conference brings together farmers and local food advocates to address issues such as farm business management, marketing products and bio-energy options.
Speakers include:
Kate Clancy, Minnesota Institute of Sustainable Agriculture, who will discuss her experiences with value-added food systems in today’s business climate.
Gary Zimmer, Midwestern Bio-Ag, will examine humane and safe food production.
Margaret Adamek, University of Minnesota, a sustainable food systems specialist, will speak on “Relocalizing Our Food Systems.”
Mark Seeley, UM-Extension meteorologist, will address climate effects on Midwestern agriculture.
Pat Walsh, UW-Extension, will speak on “Emerging Carbon Economy.”
Registration fee is $105 for an adult to attend both days. Reduced fees are available for additional members of the same family, students, children and single-day attendance.
For a conference brochure and registration form, log onto www.rivercountryrcd.org or call (507) 281-1959 ext. 4.
Blocks of rooms have been reserved at the Radisson Hotel Rochester, (507) 281-8000, at $95 per night and the Ramada Hotel and Conference Center, 1-800-552-7224, at $89 per night. Mention Midwest Value Added Ag Conference when reserving rooms.
For more information, call Jeff Koster, (507) 281-1959 ext. 4, or e-mail lindsay.raab@rcdnet.net.
Pine View taking 2010 reservations
Pine View Recreation Area Campground at Fort McCoy will be accepting reservations for 2010.
Active and retired military personnel may start booking 2010 reservations Dec. 26. All others may make reservations starting Jan. 2. Call (608) 388-3517 or (800) 531-4703 for reservations.
Fourth annual Leopold event set for Feb. 27
The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire’s Environmental Adventure Center will collaboratively host the fourth annual Aldo Leopold Banquet from 5-10 p.m. Feb. 27, at the Westgate Sportsman Club in Eau Claire.
The banquet’s rustic-themed menu includes a variety of wild game dishes as well as vegetarian options. Cost is $20 per person or $12 for students. The event is limited to 400 and expected to sell out quickly, so early reservations are recommended.
The acclaimed Chris Silver Bluegrass Band will perform, and the pre-dinner program will feature six guest speakers, including Matt Frank, secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; Tex Hawkins, a watershed biologist representing the fish and wildlife refuge in Winona, Minn.; Kenny Salwey, author and star of the Emmy-award-winning film “Mississippi: Tales of the Last River Rat”; and Dr. Sean Hartnett, UW-Eau Claire professor of geography.
Tickets for the Aldo Leopold Banquet are available by calling 1-800-949-UWEC. For more information, contact Dan Langlois at (715) 836-3616 or langlodt@uwec.edu.
Vets award nominees sought
The Wisconsin Board of Veterans Affairs is seeking nominations for its Veteran Lifetime Achievement Award to be presented at its meeting on Feb. 20 in Madison.
The award recognizes Wisconsin veterans who have compiled a record of exemplary service as a military service member, a veteran and a citizen. The February 2009 award recipient will be selected from among nominations received for veterans residing in counties in southwest Wisconsin, including La Crosse County.
There are up to six annual awards, four regional and two statewide ones. Nominations may be submitted at any time during the year, but no later than the 15th of the month prior to each proposed award.
Completed nominations should be mailed to: Wisconsin Board of Veterans Affairs Lifetime Achievement Award, Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs, 30 W. Mifflin St., P.O. Box 7843, Madison, WI 53707-7843. They also can be faxed to (608) 264-7616.
For nomination forms or more information on the award, log onto at www.wisvets.com/boardaward, or call WDVA at (608) 266-1315.
Honda dealer sets monthly seminars
International Motor-werks at Fourth and Cameron streets in La Crosse will hold a seminar the first Saturday of each month at 1 p.m. on alternative fuel and other fuel efficient vehicles.
Topics include compressed natural gas vehicles and the refueling system available for installation in your home, hybrid vehicles and how they work, neighborhood electric vehicles that run completely on electricity, fuel cell vehicles that use zero gasoline and clean diesel vehicles that are efficient and environmentally friendly.
State offers guide for food marketers
The Wisconsin Local Food Marketing Guide, a new publication for local producers, is now available online and in hard copy.
The guide explains step-by-step how to move products from field to consumer. It covers selling directly to consumers via farmers markets, community supported agriculture, agritourism, on-farm stores, pick-your-own operations and roadside stands and selling through intermediate channels such as restaurants, grocery stores, institutions, and distributors.
The guide also provides information on pricing products, licensing, labeling, regulations, food safety, liability and insurance, and it lists resources to find additional information at the end of each chapter.
Up to five hard copies can be requested from Teresa Cuperus at teresa.cuperus@wi.gov or DATCP-DAD, PO Box 8911, Madison, WI 53708-8911.
The guide is available online also at www.datcp.state.wi.us — search “buy local."
Additional copies may be requested for workshops, classes and conferences for producers in the local foods movement.
Disabled American Veterans need drivers, money for new vans
The Disabled American Veterans is mounting a fundraising drive to replace five aging vans of its statewide fleet used to transport veterans to and from VA medical facilities.
In addition, volunteer drivers are needed for the one van per day transporting veterans back and forth between La Crosse and the Tomah facility for scheduled medical appointments.
Volunteers with a regular driver’s license will need to pass a physical and get tested for tuberculosis. They would also undergo a criminal background check and a driving record check.
The DAV is seeking $100,000 in contributions for their New Van Fund. Checks can be made payable to DAV State Department New Van Fund, and send to DAV Department of Wiscon-sin, 130 Dauphin St., Green Bay, WI 54301.
For more information, to donate or to volunteer as a driver, contact Peggy Anderson at the Tomah VA at (608) 372-3971, ext. 66227.
State urges attention to heating issues
The Department of Administration’s Division of Energy Services and the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin are urging energy customers to contact their local utility if their heat is currently disconnected.
The agencies are also encouraging residents to take advantage of energy-efficiency programs and the state’s low-income bill payment assistance programs to reduce the burden of their utility bills this winter.
Wisconsin law states that consumers cannot be disconnected during the heating moratorium period from Nov. 1 to April 15, if they are connected at the start of the moratorium. Customers who are currently disconnected must make arrangements with their local utility to pay outstanding bills in order to have their service restored.
If a consumer has not made arrangements to pay an outstanding bill, the utility is not required to reconnect the service until payment arrangements have been made.
There is financial assistance available for eligible households who cannot pay their gas or electric bills this winter. The Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program administers low-income and energy assistance programs for the state. WHEAP is part of the state’s comprehensive Home Energy Plus program which also provides assistance with emergency energy needs, emergency furnace repairs, and weatherization and conservation services.
Eligibility is based on income and family size. For example, a family of four that earns $7,743.75 or less in the three months prior to applying for assistance is potentially eligible. For a two-person family the earnings must be $5,133.75 or less. Benefits are based on income levels and energy bills. Consumers do not have to be behind in their energy bill payments to qualify.
For information about WHEAP, including contact information for local energy assistance offices, call 1-866-HEATWIS (1-866-432-8947) or visit www.homeenergyplus.wi.gov.
Tips to conserve energy while staying warm
Worried about winter utility bills? The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin offers the following easy, low-cost steps that can help reduce energy use while staying safe.
Find and repair air drafts from windows and doorways.
Keep heating vents clear of rugs or furniture.
Ensure your furnace has clean air filters.
When doing laundry, use cold water and adjust water levels to fit the load size. Also, clean the lint filter after every dryer load.
Lower water heater temperatures to 115-120 degrees.
Remove window air conditioning units to stop winter drafts from coming through its vents.
Open the drapes or blinds during sunny days to take advantage of solar heat. Close them at night to reduce heat loss.
Turn down the thermostat several degrees when leaving the house for extended periods of time or before going to bed.
Close off rooms of your home that are not used.
Consumers also can help improve energy efficiency in their home by requesting a home energy audit through Wisconsin’s Focus on Energy Program. Focus on Energy consultants visit homes and suggest improvements to significantly lower energy bills, while staying safe and comfortable.
For more information about home energy audits, call Focus on Energy at 1-800-762-7077 or visit www.focusonenergy.org.
For more information about energy conservation, visit the PSC’s Web site at: http://psc.wi.gov/consumerinfo/conservation/indexConservation.htm.
County homeowners get septic repair grants
The state of Wisconsin has awarded seven La Crosse County homeowners $29,975 this year for replacement of their failing private on-site waste septic system.
The participants came from the towns of Hamilton, Holland, Onalaska and Shelby. Awards granted to county residents since 1983 have totaled $469,690.
The purpose of this program is to help property owners make needed corrections to have their existing system replaced so that it does not cause infusion of sewage into the groundwater or allow sewage to come to the surface and thus, be a health hazard to the individuals and their neighbors.
To be eligible for the program, homeowners must have failing systems and replace that system according to state and local plumbing codes. For more information, contact the La Crosse County Health Department at 785-9872.
Duck identification brochure released
“Waterfowlers Know Your Ducks” is the title of a new brochure printed by the La Crosse County Conservation Alliance in partnership with other local conservation organizations and La Crosse Graphics.
The brochure shows the distinguishing characteristics of canvasback and scaup. The reason is because there is no canvasback hunting season this year and the scaup bag limit has been reduced.
The Alliance also converted a VHS video “King of Ducks,” a 16-minute duck identification video, to DVD format.
Both the DVD and brochure are available online at www.Briceprairieconservation.org
Also available at the website is an online version of “Ducks at a Distance,” a waterfowl identification field guide by Bob Hines USFWS.
Paper copies of the brochure also are available.
Senior advocate volunteers needed
The Wisconsin Board on Aging is seeking volunteers to train as advocates for older adults living in La Crosse County nursing homes. For more information, call Karen Price at 789-6366.
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