Bears sought for hospitalized kids

Bears in the Air, an annual event to collect newly purchased teddy bears for children in area hospitals, will be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 18, at Vinny’s Runway at the La Crosse Airport.

There will be door prizes, refreshments and a light buffet with cash bar and music. The food will be provided by Vinny’s Runway. The master of ceremonies is Kelly Wilde of the La Crosse Radio Group.

Admission per person is one newly purchased teddy bear. Cash donations will be accepted as well.

People unable to attend this event who want to donate a bear, can bring one to the airport or drop one off at The Treehouse Gift and Home store, 9546 E. Hwy. 16 Frontage Road, Onalaska, until Dec. 31.

Youth orchestras plan auditions Jan. 13

The La Crosse Area Youth Symphony Orchestras will hold auditions for the second semester on Wednesday, Jan. 13, at Lincoln Middle School in La Crosse.

Walk-in auditions will be accepted from 6 to 7 p.m. To register for an audition, log onto www.lyso.org.

Instrumentation needed in the intermediate level Philharmonic Orchestra include violin, viola, cello and bass.

Instrumentation needed in the advanced level Youth Symphony Orchestra include violin, viola, cello, bass, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone and percussion.

For more information, call 788-0159.

Democrats elect board members

The La Crosse County Democratic Party held elections for the executive board for 2010 at the November general party meeting. Officers elected to the board include the following: Vicki Burke, chair; Helen Kelly, vice chair; Kris Troyanek, treasurer, and Paula Stanek, secretary.

At-large members include the following: Justin Fons, Andrew Londre, Keith Knutson, Marcia Wine and Dr. Bob Freedland. Pablo Ruiz remains on the board as a past co-chair and Elizabeth Guck is the college representative.

For more information about the La Crosse County Democratic party, log onto www.laxdems.com.

Whitetail Ridge Ski Area opens Dec. 19

Whitetail Ridge Ski Area at Fort McCoy will open for the season Saturday, Dec. 19, weather permitting.

Whitetail Ridge will be open Friday-Sunday, offering downhill skiing, snowboarding, snowtubing, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Additionally, Whitetail Ridge Ski Area has extended the season pass special for skiing or snowboarding until Dec. 16. Equipment rental is available for downhill skiing and cross-country skiing.

For more information about Whitetail Ridge Ski Area, call (608) 388-3517.

Library to show classic movies

The Friends of the Onalaska Library will wrap up its classic film series, “Friends Film Festival … The Classics,” with a screening of “To Kill a Mockingbird” on Dec. 29. The screening is free and open to all.

La Crosse County 4-H offers six-week youth archery program

La Crosse County 4-H is offering an archery program led by certified 4-H leaders for youths in grades 3 and older.

The program, which starts Jan. 9, is offered for six sessions every other Saturday at La Crosse Archery, 1231 Oak Forest Drive in Onalaska.

Youths do not need to be 4-H members to participate in this program. The six sessions include a safety session, insurance, use of all archery equipment and the facility at a total cost of $10 (4-H members qualify for a special rate).

Dates of the program are Saturdays, Jan. 9 and 23, Feb. 6 and 20 and March 6 and 20. Shooting times are available at 8, 9 or 10 a.m. Participants also will be eligible for additional archery tournaments in the spring and summer.

To register or for more information, call the La Crosse County Extension office at 785-9593. Registrations are due Jan. 4 and will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis.

Last smoke-free guide coming soon

The Coulee Region Smoke-free Dining Guide will have one final printing and be distributed January 2010.

“With the passage of Smoke-Free Wisconsin Act 12 in May, 2009 and its implementation July 5, 2010, all Wisconsin worksites will be 100 percent smoke-free,” said Paula Silha, health educator and LAHI coordinator. “It is exciting to see the elimination of the guide because of the strong protection of the public with Wisconsin’s smoke-free law.”

The county has been printing the guide since the mid 1990s. It now includes nearly 300 smoke-free dining and entertainment establishments in a six-county area.

Businesses planning to beat the July 2010 deadline and go smoke-free early can contact Silha at 785-9854 to be included in the guide. Deadline is Dec. 11.

Winter road condition info available at 511

The 511 Traveler Information System, a service of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, has activated its winter road condition report feature. The report covers interstate highways and higher volume U.S. and state-numbered highways.

Winter road conditions are updated regularly as conditions change based on the field reporting from law enforcement and county highway departments. It does not include all highways at this time due to the limitations of the physical reporting requirements.

Information on winter road conditions can be obtained free by dialing 511 from a landline telephone or cell phone or by going online (www.511wi.gov).

In addition to winter road conditions, 511 provides information on incidents, including crashes and lane closures due to work zones. Information is provided by county or roadway segment.

511 traveler information is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and can be obtained by using either voice recognition or a phone’s touchtone keypad for those using a telephone or cell phone.

If in a moving vehicle, only passengers should call 511.

For best service when calling 511, WisDOT recommends minimizing background noise, including radios or open windows. Some cell phone service providers do not supply direct access to Wisconsin’s 511 traveler information system. Alternatively, the information is available free by dialing 866-511-WISC.

Program offers discount on LED lights

LED (light emitting diode) holiday lights are a proven way to help consumers trim energy costs while trimming their trees. Focus on Energy, Wisconsin’s statewide energy efficiency and renewable energy resource, is offering financial incentives toward the purchase of Energy Star-qualified LED holiday light strings.

Now through Dec. 31, or while supplies last, Focus on Energy is offering a $3 instant reward, taken at the register, on the purchase of Energy Star-qualified LED holiday light strings at participating locations including Ace Hardware, Hardware Hank, Menards and Shopko. The rebate is limited to 12 light sets per customer.

Web site offers anti-drug resource

Anyone who needs a tool to educate a family member or other friend about illicit drugs or alcohol can now obtain it through a new Web site: waragainstdrugs.org

The Web site offers a sampling of two booklets, “10 Things Your Friends May Not Know About Drugs,” and “How to Talk to Friends About Drugs.” Readers who need an anchor to educate their kids, grandkids, or other adult friends can use the booklets to explain and show how dangerous illicit drugs are to the body and mind.

Leaders of children and adult groups, such as clubs, charities, scouts, 4-H, chambers of commerce, businesses can use the booklets to raise much-needed funds as well as build positive PR for themselves.

The Web site was founded by Henry Schroeder, a longtime community newspaper publisher.

American Legion revives support fund

Wisconsin’s largest veteran service organization re-launched its Troop & Family Support Fund on Veterans Day.

The Wisconsin American Legion Family, which includes the Legion, Auxiliary, Sons of the American Legion and Legion Riders, is ramping up its efforts in anticipation of the 32nd Infantry returning from deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.

About 3,500 National Guard soldiers will be returning to Wisconsin, and their needs will be varied, ranging from post-traumatic stress disorder and family reunification issues to emergency financial relief and job reintegration.

To contribute to the fund, send checks payable to: Troop & Family Support Fund, Wisconsin American Legion, P.O. Box 388, Portage, WI 53901. People also can make a secure online donation by credit card at www.wilegion.org/howcanyouhelp.

“The Wisconsin American Legion Family stands ready to assist our troops and their families in communities across the state from Kenosha to Superior and Green Bay to Platteville. We are asking for the public’s assistance to make a difference in the lives of those who have given much in service to our country,” said Department Commander Leo A. Endres.

Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law and 100 percent of all funds received directly benefit the troops and their families. Administrative costs are covered by the dues Legion members pay.

VA extends Agent Orange benefits to cover more ailments

Relying on an independent study by the Institute of Medicine, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki decided to establish a service-connection for Vietnam veterans with three specific illnesses based on the latest evidence of an association with the herbicides referred to as Agent Orange.

The illnesses affected by the recent decision are B cell leukemias, such as hairy cell leukemia; Parkinson’s disease; and ischemic heart disease.

Used in Vietnam to defoliate trees and remove concealment for the enemy, Agent Orange left a legacy of suffering and disability that continues to the present. Between January 1965 and April 1970, an estimated 2.6 million military personnel who served in Vietnam were potentially exposed to sprayed Agent Orange.

In practical terms, veterans who served in Vietnam during the war and who have a “presumed” illness don’t have to prove an association between their illnesses and their military service. This “presumption” simplifies and speeds up the application process for benefits.

The secretary’s decision brings to 15 the number of presumed illnesses recognized by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Additional information about Agent Orange and VA’s services and programs for veterans exposed to the chemical are available at www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange.

Eagles band members for rent

People who need help getting their yards cleaned up or assistance with a long household to-do list can turn to the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Screaming Eagles marching band for help.

Band members are once again offering their “Rent-an-Eagle” fundraiser. Members of the band will help with any and all general maintenance work, including yard work, seasonal cleaning, preparation for winter and more.

Band members are looking for work to help pay for a trip to Mexico in January. Cost of their services is a donation toward the trip.

To reserve a band member, call 785-6733 and leave a detailed message with name, phone number and a brief description of tasks that need doing. A band member will return the call to set up a time to help.

Alzheimers registry seeks participants

The Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute at the University of Wisconsin of Medicine and Public Health and Franciscan Skemp Healthcare are recruiting for the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention.

To be eligible for participation, people must:

New brochures cover car insurance issue

As new auto insurance laws begin to take effect in our state in the next year, the Wisconsin Association for Justice has released two brochures containing helpful information for Wisconsin auto insurance policyholders.

The first, “Understanding Auto Insurance," describes the basics about auto insurance and what is required of drivers in Wisconsin under the law as recently changed. The second, titled “What To Do If You Are In a Traffic Accident," informs them of proper steps to take to protect themselves by gathering necessary information at the time of the accident.

The brochures will be distributed to state legislators, news outlets and WAJ members across Wisconsin. The brochures are also available by contacting the Wisconsin Association for Justice office or view them online at www.wisjustice.org/consumerresources.

Roller derby team seeks members

The La Crosse Skating Sirens, the area’s newest roller derby team, are seeking adult women to join the team or serve as referees.

No experience is required and all skating levels are welcome.

The Sirens are looking to expand their roster and are having open practices on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8 to 10 p.m. in the old rubber mill building on St. Andrew Street.

The Sirens, a nonprofit organization, are an all-woman, skater-owned, flat-track roller derby league founded in April 2009 by Melissa Larivee and Leslie Malekovic. The Sirens follow the guidelines and standards set forth by Women’s Flat Track Derby Association.

For more information, log onto www.SkatingSirens.com.

To submit your information for a public service announcement, e-mail it to wsm.news@lee.net