This is the first chapter of my new fiction book, which is available to buy via this site. Now, follow up and post some of your own stuff.

Chapter 1
When It Hit Me

I can remember the moment it first hit me. I was covering a Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls basketball game at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

During a timeout, I watched Energee, the Bucks’ dancers, do their bumps and grinds in front of the press table (sort of a free table dance in the name of work). Nike, POWERade, Fox Sports Net, Miller Beer…all those products and more barraged my senses in a flood of commercial messages that were delivered on the arena’s scoreboards, on the revolving marquees, and by the time-out entertainers. The players came out, and there was superstar Martin Johnson wearing Nike shoes with the swoosh emblem and a Champion jersey and trunks. The other nine players walking onto the court sported almost as much advertising. They weren’t just basketball players; they also served as highly paid human billboards.

It dawned on me that this display of commercialism was going on in every NBA arena on this night and on several other nights, as well. It was also going on in every other sports and public event in America.

Hell, the event didn’t even have to be public. When you went to take a leak in the men’s room, Miller Beer or some dating-services ad appeared above the urinal. I’m not talking about those hand- scrawled ads—“For a good time, be here at 1 PM and meet Donny.” I’m talking about big-time corporate companies trying to capture you at a vulnerable moment.

I always thought it was ironic that you were probably in that particular spot, at that particular time because you had bought some of that advertised beer. And that you would rather be using the appendage you had in your hand at that particular moment with one of those beauties in the dating-services ads. I had lived among these messages, in this bubble of a false environment, for years, decades, without thinking much about it. But, on that particular January night, it hit me: This is bullshit, and you are a part of it!

I continued to cover the game—which the Bulls won on a Martin Johnson shot at the buzzer—and filed my story for Metro America News Service, just like I had for the last twenty-five-plus years. For years, it had given me great satisfaction to type my name—Garrett Hartmann—on top of the story. When a newspaper or other publication decided to actually use my byline, it gave me more satisfaction. Usually, they just used Metro News.

The creative act of watching some event—whether it was a sporting event, a political press conference, an academic speech, or a breaking news story at the scene—and then writing it quickly (after all, journalism is literature in a hurry) had always stimulated me and gotten my blood flowing.

But for the last couple of years, I had not been getting that same rush. I couldn’t figure out why. Maybe it was because I could bat out such stories in my sleep. Sometimes I did, which is why I slept sporadically and not more than four to five hours a night.

I had become good at what I did. That’s why I got to cover both sports and news, and why I periodically received bylines for Metro News. In fact, maybe I had become too good, too automatic, to still get the same creative satisfaction. I know at times I could write and actually be thinking of something else. When that happened, it was scary and demonstrated to me that I was no longer deeply involved in my work.

Maybe it was the fact that everybody seemed to have a sales pitch: basketball players, TV celebrities, politicians, pimps on the streets, the guy who had cheap watches for sale under his coat. It didn’t seem to matter what level of society they were in. Everybody had their pitch, their spin.
Or maybe my divorce from the woman who had been the love of my life for more than a couple decades contributed to this dwindling satisfaction, concentration, and energy. After all, she told me I was married to my work more than to her, before she moved out and back to the hills of southwestern Wisconsin.

Whatever the reasons, it had become clearer to me at that basketball game that I was not satisfied with my life, something was missing. What was I going to do about it? Who knows?

For the short-term, I headed back to Chicago, the headquarters for Metro America News Service. If I got back in time, I would head to the Windy City Pub, the hangout for Chicago-area journalists—no, make that media people (since a lot of TV guys also hung out there).

No, not all journalists or media people are drunks. That’s a nasty stereotype that has been around for years. Sure, when I first started, there were cigar-chomping, heavy-drinking guys, but that had changed. Many of the TV guys were health nuts. They had to look good at six and ten, you know. Newspaper guys usually weren’t as concerned about that, since most of them shared something with me. I always said I had a great face for print journalism.

It wasn’t even accurate to use the term “guys” anymore when referring to media people. Women had been flooding into the journalism business for a decade or more. Some of the women even hung out at the Windy City, but more were men.

For me, I used to hang out there once in awhile—still do at times. Primarily, I just needed to stop there because that rush from writing on deadline seldom allowed me to go right to sleep. Plus, since Patricia had left, some of these guys had become my substitute family, albeit, a rather dysfunctional one. At least it was better than my empty one-bedroom apartment, which didn’t exactly give you a warm, fuzzy feeling.

I wondered at times how many people felt the same vague emptiness I did. It wasn’t depression or even despair; it really never got to that intensity. It was more a feeling that “there has to be more than this.”

People went on with their lives: going to work; making money; racking up debt in pursuit of larger homes, bigger boats, and faster cars; attending basketball, football, and baseball games; taking in concerts and movies. They functioned, and if I asked most people, they would tell me they were happy. But when I pressed them, sometimes after a beer or two, they often expressed feelings similar to mine. “Something is missing,” they would say, or, “At times, my life feels like it is lacking something … something that is real, something that is true.”
As I hit the freeway and sped through the south side of Milwaukee, billboards whisked by: Aurora Health Care, Ford, Chevy, Nike, Miller Beer.

“Jesus Christ,” I said out loud. “You never get away from it.”

Fall
The leaves are turning
Smells are crisp and clean
Have some tea and start stirring
Perhaps with some sugar and cream

Fall is the time for harvest
A season for all to prepare
Winter comes to test
How many of us really care

Live your life with full potential
Each moment like it is the last
Faith holds truth that is essential
The answers can only come from Jesus Christ

October 2005

Reflection
A single tear falling
In my spirit holds His pain
Believe He is calling
Feeling the sun shine through the window pane

We are all a reflection of God
Each one molded to love
Those that fell are controlled by His rod
Allowing the unknown to fall from above

Do you desire Him your Brother
He died for each sin that all committed
Look deep within love one another
You can not win inside me He controls and I shifted

Do you love your reflection?
In all there are precious gifts
Show some affection
For your spirit He lifts

Open your windows everyone
If they are sealed they will break
There is a new kingdom
Collide with your reflection before it is too late

THE MIRROR

Climbing out in the middle of the night
From the mirror bringing fright
The Spirit roams through the halls
Trying to find ears to its call
Trapped to wander through the wall
Of the room of its last fall

The Spirit watches people sleep
During its night creep
The people sleep without a care
Not knowing what happened there
During the night years ago
A Stranger took one life more
Forcing the Spirit into flight
Into the hours of the night

The rising sun causes the Spirit to flee
Into the mirror where it is free
From wandering and trying to find
A Killer who is always on its mind
A Killer trapped within a frame
Killed the Spirit just the same
The Killer was freed forever more with Another in its place

                 And in the case

That the Spirit follows in the path the Killer laid
Then Another shall obey this curse unafraid
So the circle spins unbroken
Never noticed by the awoken
Until their turn comes to spend time
Which starts with a violent crime
And from the sun they will hide
On the other mirror side.

The belongings I carry,
Luggage frayed and torn,
The suitcase losing its handle,
Similarly, I've becoming worn,
Worn by all the others,
Tossed away in the mountain of rejection,
My only regret is this feeling,
Sticking around like it is an infection,

Broken promises dragging behind,
Like cans stuck to newlywed's car,
the farther down the path I travel,
The more shattered the pacts are,
My promises bounce off the wall,
Reaching their final peak,
Before falling to the ground again,
To their hands I am so weak,

I wear my heart on my sleeve,
Because it lost its original place,
Many time has it been broken,
And I picked it up in utmost disgrace,
I need a replacement,
Maybe someone who can sew,
Because my heart needs a mend,
But my safety pins are running low,

Inside my walls of uncertainty,
I house all of these traits,
And in no time these responsibilities of mine,
Could lead me to different fates,
Yet, at this point in my path,
With nothing left to feel,
I now believe that I am,
The world's most resistable good deal.

The sun is rising the night is gone
I made it back safely but nothing was wrong
The nightmares I thought I left behind
were still there burnt into my mind.
I had won the battle but what of the war?
I wondered what tonight would have in store.
The day passed by in a blur,
and as the sun set I felt my nightmares begin to stir.
they were preparing for tonight
completely unaware that I intended to fight.
I would not let them take me. I would not give in.
I could not let my terrible night visions win.
As I lay in bed pretending to sleep,
into my thoughts they began to creep.
I saw them more clearly than ever before
They were eager to settle the score.
A multitude of horrible things;
bat like demons with gossamer wings,
fearsome gargoyles with faces of stone,
rotting corpses protruding bone,
ghostly figures in shades of grey,
I had to drive them all away.
They tried so very hard to find
the door to lead them to my mind.
They intended to drive me mad,
but I believed they already had.
In that madness I found something strange.
I felt myself begin to change.
In my mind I was no longer scared
Now I just grimly prepard
to finish these monsters once and for all.
Back to their midnight realm I'd make them all crawl.
The battle was long. The battle was hard.
Both sides would end up terribly scarred.
The battle raged into the night
and ended with the morning's light.
The deed was done.
The war was won.
Tired and broken I lay in my bed.
I no longer felt the sense of dread.
I could finally sleep in peace.
I felt like I had been released.
I let myself sink into the black,
and wondered if I had the strength to come back.
I slept all day and into the night,
and woke with the next morning light.
It was over. I was free.
My nightmare finally ceased to be.

No Place to Go
           A novel
      By John H. Sime

Prologue:
Saturday, Oct. 24, 1953
6:58 P.M.
…Beyond a ridge top overlooking the city of LaCrosse, Wisconsin…a silver-colored, inverted crescent or ark-shaped craft hovers below treetop level, a few feet above an enormous hayfield surrounded on all sides by tall trees. Inside the craft, a large, insectoid figure, assisted by smaller, large headed gray creatures, studies images projected onto thin air, as if in a hologram …images of certain human beings now in the city below: Cy Butt, the Master, Bernard, Ned Lein, and Madeline Marley….


Chapter 1
Thursday, October 29, 1953
 LaCrosse, Wis.
 
 “It’s not true that we have no place to go.” said LaCrosse, Wisconsin police chief, George Lewis (forefinger nervously wrestling collar, notes Philio).
 Tall, gawky, crew-cutted, fresh out of law school Philio DeGarmo heard these words. He watched as like fresh-picked fruit, they went into a grubby, hip- pocket, notebook owned by Nels Nelson, the still young, but balding reporter of the LaCrosse Tribune. Upon the orders of his boss, Wisconsin Attorney General Grover W. Townsend, Philio DeGarmo was there to study the event and keep an eye on one of their contacts in LaCrosse. Nelson, and a mob of other reporters from throughout the Midwest were jammed into the dingy press room deep in the fortress- like courthouse of the County of LaCrosse. The overcast sunlight, gray as a dead man’s eyes, filtered through the huge, double hung windows. It barely reflected the ash-strewn and tobacco- streaked, stone tile floor It was a cold and windy Thursday afternoon. It was now five days since the ghastly, mysterious disappearance of fifteen-year-old baby sitter Madeline Marley. She was taken from a ranch style home in LaCrosse’s newly-developed eastern addition, at the base of the towering landmark, Grand Dad‘s Bluff, which itself was almost symbolic of the city. Beneath this commanding bluff, the city of LaCrosse half-moons outward from the eastern bank of the Mississippi River. About 50,000 people live on the alluvial plain between the huge river and the rock escarpment-topped bluffs.
  It had been Saturday night, and the homecoming game at LaCrosse State University was being held. Professor and Mrs. Arvid Magnussen decided to attend the game with their good friends and English Department colleague, Professor. and Mrs. Norman Marley. The Magnussens hired the daughter of the Marleys, the young Madeline --to baby-sit 20 month old Theresa. When they returned from the game to retrieve their daughter at the Marley home, they found their baby unharmed, but they also found Madeline missing and everyone tried to untangle the unravel-able mystery. Which, eventually did happen, although the results were classified.
 Philio watched Nels scribble a few lines into his notebook as Chief Lewis delivered his statements and answered questions from the reporters. But these were almost the same lines he had scribbled day after day for nearly a week--no progress, no news. After the press conference, Nels headed over to one of his favorite watering holes--The Coo-Coo Club on Jay Street. Philio naturally followed him, but at some distance. This was a small establishment run by a husband and wife, named Sterling, with a rare sense of humor. A siren device and bells went off as patrons entered the door. A heating grate in the floor concealed an air blower, which could be set off by the bartender whenever women in skirts stood over it. The walls were covered with cartoons, paintings of dogs playing cards, raucous jokes.
 When Philio entered the establishment, he noticed that Nels Nelson was already huddled with Cy Butt, the very man DeGarmo had come to town to keep an eye on, and so, he slipped in quietly and sat back against the wall, watching his two targets.
 

…
 The first person Nels noticed as soon as he entered the Coo-Coo Club was certainly Cy Butt. Now, sometimes, Nels might have just turned around and headed back outside in order to avoid being in the same bar with this decadent scion of a Viroqua, Wis. pioneer family. But, sometimes Nels sought him out. And this was one of those times. Cy Butt was well known in every bar within a hundred miles of Viroqua. He was a professional student at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, which he had attended on a family inheritance for decades. Somewhere along the line he actually became a lawyer, and for a while in the 1950s he worked part-time in the office of the State Attorney General. In the years after his death in 1968, he would be written up in more than one history of the University and remembered as a sort of quaint joke, a memorable symbol of the wild life of Madison. Nels, however, himself a native of Viroqua, knew that there was a more tragic side to Cy Butt. Butt was described by bartenders as “a bottle a day man”. While he was never violent under the influence of alcohol, Cy was well known to concoct elaborate jokes, stunts, and to compose sharp tongued letters to the editor.
 But, now, Cy was probably just what Nels needed after a week of depressing news about the disappearance of Madeline Marley. All of LaCrosse was walking about in a numb stupor. How could such a thing happen in this placid city next to the Mississippi? Chicago, yes, Madison, maybe, but LaCrosse--impossible. And Nels could now detect the growing signs of hysteria. A crackdown seemed to be yearned for. Cy had talked about how the mentality of Sen. Joe McCarthy seemed to be lurking about the streets. Nels found that kind of talk risky. It was Philio’s job to know this type of thing about the people who hung about Cy Butt. Nevertheless, cars were being searched by gas station attendants and plastered with “I’m O.K.” stickers. Those who refused were turned over to the police.
 So, when Nels saw Cy Butt--despite the danger-- lounging on one of the stools of the Coo Coo Club, he headed right for him. As was his custom in all bars, Butt was seated near the bathroom. He did this because after decades of dedicated drinking his kidneys were beginning to give out on him. He also did it because the bathroom served as a good location for him to prepare his sometimes-disgusting practical jokes. Jokes such as his legendary smearing of peanut butter on a toilet seat in order to pass it off to an unwitting bartender as some loathsome toilet accident. Then in mock outrage Cy demands that it be cleaned up, while reaching down with his bony index finger to scoop up some of the offal and wag it under the nose of the bartender. Then Cy would conclude the performance by sticking the brown glob in his mouth. Bartenders more than once vomited on the spot, making Cy’s triumph all the more complete, as he struts out of the toilet cackling like a rooster. Only his generous cash tips to the bartenders enabled Cy to get back into some bars after such stunts. And the painful thought of some of those jokes was in the mind of Nels as he approached the skinny, hunched-over, slightly built figure crouching like an alley cat, eyes 3/4 shut, but still watching, also like a cat.
 “Well howdy doody there Nels, old boy, pull up a bar stool and have one on me.” Cy motioned the bartender: “Barkeep, get me another glass of I.W. Harper, with water, no ice, and get Mr. Nelson a wee dram as well.”
 “ Gimme a Peerless beer, John.” said Nels to Mr. Sterling. “Thank you Cy. Don’t mind if I do. It’s been a hell of a rough day.”
 “Been over at Lewis’s press conference I presume?”
 “That’s right. This time no news is bad news.”
 “They won’t ever find her.”
 “What makes you say that? She’s probably walking the streets of Tijuana right now with some Army deserter boyfriend.”
 “I don’t think she is. I think where she is she’ll never come back from.”
 “Well, they’ll probably find her body. They need to start dragging the river.
 “That won’t do a bit of good. She is not to be found.”
 Nels let that remark fall into silence as the bartender brought Cy’s whiskey and Nels’ beer. The way the old drunk said those words with such certainty generated a measure of concern--was he somehow involved? But finally, Nels could resist no longer and asked:
 “Cy, do you know something about the case?”
 “Only that she was kidnapped by a gangster named Bernard.”
 “What?”
 “He went over there with a weird old farmer named Ned Lein to kidnap her. Dragged her out of the house. Took her away in a car parked up the street a ways. Drove her out of town, then a flying saucer came down and took her away, and one of the aliens shot a paralyzing ray …” Cy paused.
 It took a few seconds for the full measure of this remark to sink into Nels. But he soon was laughing uproariously.
 “By God, Cy. You really had me going there. I was almost believing that stuff there for a while. You oughta be careful here in this town talking like that now. Some people in LaCrosse don’t think that type of joke is real funny right now.”
 Cy replied: “The trouble is kid--it ain’t no joke.’

…
 It was when Philio heard this remark that he rose and walked across the bar room to intercept Cy before he began to babble drunkenly about aliens, and flying saucers, and a whole host of other things that F.B.I. Agents had sternly cautioned them to say nothing about. Cy of course, knew Philio was coming without even turning his skinny, hunched figure around and looking:
 “Howdy doody there Philio, why’nt ya start being sociable and come sit with us instead of being such a wall flower?….”

This is a post winning speech for the VFW's 2006 Voice of Democracy contest.

 Good morning Chicago-land! Why is it a good morning you ask? Well, you just woke up an American – alive and independent!
To each individual, freedom is just that – individual. Freedom is individual because it is unique with unlimited self-expression. The gift of liberty allows fearlessness in speech, worship, and action. To be free means to be American because freedom is synonymous with America. If you are American you are independent, proud, patriotic, and filled with unlimited possibilities. If you are American, you are free.
 As Americans, we are free to have any thoughts and express those thoughts without fear of retaliation against us for speaking. Being American also means possessing the privilege of ultimate self-expression. When we express ourselves, we have freedom of choice to be what we want, talk how we like, worship any deity we wish, and dress how we desire.
 Our freedom also consists of security of our unalienable rights. We are equal regardless of race, sexuality, gender, age, and denomination. We are given a fair say in our government with the privilege of voting. As a child, we are offered endless possibilities to choose what we want to be “when we grow up.” If we do not like the choices, we can even become entrepreneurs and start our own corporations. We are not chained down to a certain level in society, but instead we have the ability to navigate our positions in the social class ladder.
I can watch fireworks and celebrate Independence Day realizing that others shed their blood so that I may call myself free. I owe my pride to the countless young men and women who have been so unselfish and grateful to their countries, that they have spilled their blood or even sacrificed life so my rights are secure. Because of these remarkable soldiers, I can show my gratefulness by putting American flags on my house or displaying a “Support the Troops” magnet on my car. Their sacrifice allows me to be able to express myself without the risk of scorn and penalization. Because of them I am able to proudly walk down city streets without worry of violence being inflicted upon me for my beliefs.
“O beautiful for spacious skies, / For amber waves of grain, / For purple mountain majesties / Above the fruited plain! /America! America!” Not even these words can do justice to describe the grandeur of our country. The true splendor lies not only within its natural beauty, but within the security and pride we hold dear, knowing that we are all equal no matter if we are old or young, male or female, are attracted to men or women, earn an immense amount of money or enough to get by, are Christian, Agnostic, Jewish, Protestant, or Atheist, or are black, white, brown, yellow or any color of the rainbow for that matter. Whoever we may be, we are American, and we are free. Overall, we need to be thankful for our freedom and realize how precious it is. Don’t take it for granted; pass on the American pride and tradition to your children so that they may pass it on to their children who will pass it on to their children and so on.
 In conclusion to this broadcast, I challenge you to challenge yourself. Wake up everyday just as we did today, knowing it was a good morning because you are American. Fly your flags high, maintain your patriotism, and relish in being American. Most of all, savor being American by knowing you are free; live each day to the fullest and complete all tasks and achieve all goals to the best of your abilities knowing that no hierarchy is anchoring you down. Take your liberty and soar. You are free because you are American.

THE EXPERIMENT

     The clock sounded its final tick. The buzzer went off. The Chicago Bulls had just won their third straight NBA title. They had completed the 3-peat they started in 1991. They defeated the Lakers, Trail Blazers and Suns in three consecutive years. Michael Jordan was named MVP of the championship series for the third year straight.
     Michael went home after the celebration ended late that night. As he began to fall asleep, he started dreaming about that night's game. He could not get over how great he and his team were.
     Michael awoke the next morning, finding himself no longer in his bedroom but in a large empty metallic room. He tried to scream, but no words came out of his mouth. He tried again, but it was to no avail. He could not understand why he could not talk. There was nothing over his mouth. He looked around as best he could and saw strange objects surrounding him. It seemed as if he was inside a gigantic laboratory.
     Michael was confused. He tried to get up and examine his surroundings but was held back by some invisible force. He started to scream but quickly remembered that no one could hear him. He concluded that he was stuck on a long piece of metal. He was being constrained by some invisible force. Michael closed his eyes thinking that this was all a dream. When he did open his eyes aain, he saw someone leaning over him. It was like looking into a mirror. This person looked exactly like Michael himself. Michael tried to escape but the exertion only caused him to pass out.
    When Michael awoke, he saw two green figures standing over him. They were not talking to each other. They were only looking into each other's eyes and then looking at him. They had a machine, something like a computer, behind them, which they glanced at every so often. Michael tried to talk to them and was surprised to hear his own voice. The green figures began to communicate with him.
     The one on the left said, "Hello, my name is Churro."
     The other figure nodded and said, "My name is Yelnats."
     Michael was confused. He heard the figures' voices, but they had no mouths. It was as if they were communicating with him through his brain.
     Michael began to talk but could not hear himself yet again.
     Churro said, "Yelnats and I are from the planet Saturn. We have placed invisible bonds made of antimatter to prevent you from movement while you are awake. We have come to take you and do experiments on you as a reperesentative of the carbon-based creatures of Earth. We heard nothing but your name on the radio transmitters last night, so we took you into our spaceship."
     Yeknats added, "We want to see how the creatures on your planet operate. We are going to run experiments. We want to see if we can add more powers to your being. Since you can already jump high and have great speed, we may not have to do much work."
     Churro said, "Okay, Mike, I am going to take off the bonds from your face so that you can talk."
     Michael said, "So you two are aliens..."
     "We prefer the term extra terrestrial," responded Churro.
     "Okay, you two extra terrestials abducted me just so I can be part of your plan to turn me into some sort of superhuman?"
     "Yes," said Yelnats.
     "So you are going to use me just so that you can make me stronger, faster, and basically greater than the rest of the human race?"
     "Exactly," answered Churro,
     "That's AWESOME. How long will it take?"
     Yelnats said, "About two years."
     "What!" screamed Michael, "I have a team to play for. I have to get back to Chicago to practice with the Bulls."
     "We have it all worked out," answered Churro. "Remember when you woke up? That was your clone you were staring at. We sent him down to Earth to take your place. He has all your knowledge so that he cannot be confused. He is going to retire from basketball today."
     "What! I can't retire. I have to help Chicago win another championship."
     Churro said, "Do not fret, Michael. Everything will be fine. Your clone is going to play baseball until you are prepared to go back to Earth. This way no one will be suspicious of all your extraordinary talents when you return to the basketball court in two years."
     "Well, I guess if it will give me super abilities, that will be good enough."
     "Good, well then, I'll cryogenically freeze you so that we can easily conduct our experiments. I'll defrost you in two years," said Yelnats.
     Michael tried to respond but was again at the mercy of the invisible restraints.
     Two years passed. During this time, Yelnats and Churro conducted many experiements on Michael. They found a way to allow him to feel and act as if he were ten years younger. They discovered how to give him the ability to fly and how to run faster than the speed of light. Also duting this time, the clone was failing miserably as a baseball player.
     The day Churro was about to defrost Michael, he accidently hit the wrong buttons. Though he tried to fix his error, it was too late. The result of Churro's mistake was that most of Michael's superpowers were lost. The only power that remained was that Michael still felt 10 years younger.
     Churro broke the news to Michael and told him that his clone was being destroyed that night. Michael was told he should go back and play basketball. Michael agreed.
     As Churro and Yelnats beamed Michael back to earth, all the memories of the clone playing baseball were placed into Michael's mind. All memories of Churro and Yelnats were deleted. The day he returned Michael announced his retirement from baseball. He also announced that he would return to the Bulls to play basketball again.
     Michael had stellar performances in the next three seasons with the Bulls. He could not understand why he was doing so well at such an advanced age. He decided to not push his luck and retire after the Bulls' second 3-peat.
     Eventually as he sat in retirement from basketball once again, Michael devised a plan in the back of his mind. He thought that by retiring for a few years and resting his body, he would be able to return again and be just as great as he was in 1995.
     Michael stayed retired for two years and then joined the Washington Wizards. He realized that his little experiment was not going to work, and he retired for a third time after two season with Washington.
     He never saw Yelnats or Churro again.

Edited by author 11-26-2006 10:08 AM
This is an example of The Almost Daily Blog, which will be posted with some regularity, starting Jan. 1, 2007. Feel free to respond.

The Democrats have a golden opportunity with their takeover of Congress to move the country in a different direction and diminish what is left of the Neo-Cons' influence in the Bush Administration. But, they are not off to an auspicious start. Certainly, some bi-partisan reaching out is needed, but with Karl Rove still calling the shots for Bush the Administration also could use the Dems' willingness to seek cooperation as a sign of weakness and just continue its misguided policies.

If the Dems don't get it together and put forth some bold initiatives -- such as a timetable for redeployment of troops in Iraq, movement on domestic issues like health care, energy and environmental issues, etc.-- they won't have a chance in the 2008 Presidential election or other upcoming Congressional races. Bold is beautiful right now!!! The Dems need not wait until January to get some proposals out there.

If you'd like to read a story on Cadott, Wisconsin, and other places halfway between the North Pole and the equator, go to the address below:

http://onmilwaukee.com/visitors/articles/beyondcadott.html

Here's another example of the blogs that will be posted regularly, starting Jan. 1:

The debate rages between the Bush Administration and media outlets over whether Iraq should be called a civil war. The debate smells of some obvious flaws in both our politics and the way we transmit information. First, politicians, led by spinmasters like Bush's "brain," Karl Rove, believe they can manipulate symbols and therefore change reality. Doublespeak has become the normal political rhetoric. Second, NBC made the big deal about the fact it had decided to use the civil war term. The LA Times had been doing it since October without fanfare. It shows how TV tries to market everything with a superficial label -- including a war where people are dying. I doubt very much if the semantics debate means anything to the Iraqis and GIs who are dying there.

George Bush is scheduled to announce his "new" approach to the War in Iraq this coming week. It likely will include a troop surge and no deadline for the withdrawal of American forces, according to sources. It is the exact opposite of what should be done to hand Iraq back to the Iraqis and save American and other lives. It also flies in the face of the recommendations from the Baker commission, most Democrats and many Republicans and many of the military leaders in the field. Only a stubborn idealoque could have gotten us into this mess, and continue to keep us in it.

Gerald Ford was the only President I ever interviewed 1-on-1 when he dedicated the MSOE library for Bob Spitzer. I remember him as an athletic-looking nice guy, who made a nervous young reporter feel at ease. We could use more politicians like Ford today, with his moderate approach and overall honesty and integrity.

Can we do anything right in Iraq? Now the execution of one of the most despicable men in human history has people expressing sympathy for Saddam and condemning the Bush Administration for allowing it to become a spectacle and an affront to a major Islamic holy celebration. We say we want the Iraqis to take over control of their country, but when they do for one act they tell us to go to hell and make the execution into a Shiite act of revenge. Start withdrawing US troops now!

The Democrats took over Congress Thursday with a lot of optimism and promise. Now, reality will settle back in. Bush still will do what he wants in Iraq and fight the Dems on several domestic fronts. The non-partisan, touchy-feely environment will soon turn pugilistic again. This time, the Dems have to show some guts. Tell Bush they will start cutting back on approved funds in six months if he does not start to redeploy some US troops. That's the only control Congress has over a President who is stubborn and stuck on "staying the course" in Iraq. When they were in the minority, the Dems worried about looking like they were under-cutting the troops, but if they give Bush enough notice and make it public, they won't be doing that at all. Bush undercuts the troops each day he keeps them there without any clear mission.

How long will Milwaukee officials talk about a rail commuter link with Chicago before actually doing anything about it? This writer covered stories about a possible link 20 years ago and nothing has happened. I often took the train to Chicago while living in Milwaukee and thought it was great, but more runs, and quicker ones, are needed.

For too long, Milwaukee has insisted on remaining independent of Chicago, not wanting to be seen as the northern suburb of the metropolis. But, to resist natural ties like a rail link and others is ludicrous and borders on self-destructive for Milwaukee. The city can maintain its uniqueness and autonomy while also enjoying some of the benefits of stronger links to one of the three biggest cities in the country.

Joe Biden has announced he is taking the initial steps to run for President. Like any politician, Biden has his baggage, but this guy is one of the most knowledgeable people in Washington on foreign affairs and is a straight talker who makes sense. He probably has no chance of getting the media attention of Hillary or Obama, however. He talks in long sentences and actually takes time to be thorough in his explanation of his stands, etc. Those are assets for any thinking person, but liabilities for a candidate in this electronic media age.

So now it's a strategic strike in Somalia. At least this was done with the apparent blessing of the Somalian government leaders. If we're going to use force abroad to allegedly keep us from fighting terrorists here, it makes more sense to work with the respective governments than to overthrow them. Of course, Bush will probably be emboldened now. And, who knows what he or Israel might eventually do to Iran? Any attack there would be yet another blunder.

This writer would have voted for Mark McGwire for the HOF. I'm a big believer that a player should qualify on his record of what he does on the field and not what he did, or allegedly in McGwire's case did, off the field. Granted, if Big Mac took performance enhancing substances, what he did off affected what he did on, but he has never been tried and convicted of anything. Also, the substances alleged to have been used were not banned by MLB at the time McGwire played.

A bunch of sportswriters decided to use McGwire as an scapegoat because they were lazy in reporting the steroid problem overall. Hope they do the same for Sosa, Bonds, etc.

This writer also thinks Lee Smith and Bert Blyleven should be voted into the Hall. Again, both had records that should qualify them. Both have been on the ballot for a long time and have not received the required 75% of the votes. Goose Gossage is another deserving candidate and did come within a few percentage points this year. Some of these guys could get in next season when the overall field for qualification is not quite as strong.

Kudos to Ripken and Gwynn, who were no-brainer picks. But, more should have been picked in this writer's opinion.

Bush's speech Wednesday night basically did nothing but repeat what news outlets had been reporting for a couple days. He cherry-picked a few details from the Baker committee and other sources to put together a strategy that does nothing but perpetuate what has been failing for the past year or more in Iraq. We've sent more troops before with no positive outcome.

Apparently, Karl Rove convinced him that to appear on TV would persuade the American public that he really has something new, but it didn't work. That spin strategy is history for Rove and Bush. The vast majority of Americans now know Bush is misguided in his approach to Iraq and too stubborn to really make substantive changes. No amount of looking into the camera -- especially by a guy who looks like Alfred E. Newman and has a mentality that is similar -- and speaking "sincerely" will change any thinking person's mind.

At one time, I thought McCain was a lock for President in 2008. But, indications are that he is out of touch with where the public is going. He is a big advocate of more troops in Iraq, while the public cries for the U.S. to start re-deploying troops. He also seems to have lost some of that maverick quality which was appealing to those of us who try to vote an independent ticket and not for one party's candidates. He still might be the frontrunner for the GOP nomination, but looks beatable overall.

More than half of the women in America are now not married. This is one of those news stories that really isn't a story at all, except that a designated milestone has been reached in the 50% mark. Demographic changes have led to the trend for decades -- more people co-habitating without getting married, females out-living their spouses and not re-marrying, etc. It's likely the percentage will continue to climb, especially since women not out-number men in the U.S. People should not take false meanings away from the story -- that morals in the U.S. are declining, that the institution of marriage is threatened, etc. Many conservatives try to assign those meanings to such a story, but the trend more likely can be traced to those demographic and socio-economic factors than any decay in our morals.

Iraq: The Philippines of the 21 Century?

 The hand wringing over the state of Iraq has even led President Bush to read a book lent to him by Henry Kissinger. Confounding his ankle-biting critics that yes, Mr. Bush actually reads, the volume was about the French experience in dealing with their colonial Algerian uprisings. The only thing to learn from the French is how NOT to do it.
 It would be more instructive for Mr. Bush and everybody really, if they examined our history with the Philippines, in the aftermath of the Spanish-American War of over a century ago. The explosion of the U.S.S. Maine prompted that “Splendid Little War,” and the United States gained not only Cuba, but Puerto Rico, Guam, and most distantly, the Philippines. The latter was but one front in a multi-faceted war. (Sound familiar?)
 If William Randolph Hearst fueled the fire against the Spaniards on the battlefi-eld, as a means to sell his newspapers, careers such as that of Rough Rider Teddy Roose-velt were made as a result. Whatever the ultimate motivations, our nation was left in con-trol of the aforementioned foreign lands. Imagine our modern media inspiring a war, but was this really the Pax Americana imperialism of modern critics, writ 1898?
 The Philippines posed the toughest nut to crack. Though Roman Catholicism pre-vailed from the long Spanish domination of this island country, tribalism and a hostile Muslim minority in the south confronted the American presence. The word “insurrection” peppered newspaper headlines for the first decade of the Twentieth Century, even though a civil government was established in two years. (Sound familiar?)
 The Moro were and are the Muslim people on the southern island of Mindanao. But 5 percent of the Philippine populations, the Moro are a cluster of subgroups not raci-ally different from the rest of the nation, but their practice of Islam predated the arrival of the Spanish Catholics by 200 years.
 The current Abu Sayyaf terrorist group there has its roots in Muslim conflict with Spanish colonialism for three centuries. The American response to this ongoing insurgen-cy (sound familiar?) was General “Black Jack” Pershing, later of World War I renown, quelling the Muslim Moro twice over, in 1909 and 1913. Legend holds in the latter year, General Pershing’s forces captured 50 of these terrorists, of which 49 were shot by bull-ets soaked in pig’s blood. This affront to Islamic sensibilities, wherein the fiftieth man watched his fellow terrorists dumped in a mass grave with pork entrails and the like, all but stymied any further insurgency efforts. Until Philippine independence, that is.
 For those impatient with the rate of progress in Iraq, it took a full 37 YEARS, from William McKinley’s expulsion of the Spaniards in 1898 to FDR’s approval of the Philippine Commonwealth and greater self-rule by 1935. Our reduced influence was curi-ous in the face of larger events in the region at that time. (Sound familiar?)
Japanese imperialism was already on the march across various parts of China. The point here is that as we reduced the size of our contingent in the Philippines in the late 1930s, the more lucrative its invasion appeared to the Japanese. Ultimately, Douglas Mc-Arthur upheld his vow of “I shall return” during the God-awful cost of World War II.
 We can walk away from Iraq at the very time Iran and Syria are licking their chops to carve it up between Shiite and Sunni Arabs. Iraqi Kurds would be left in the middle to fight for their own independence. Our society may treat matters like marriage or the pre-born as disposable as Bic pens, but this is one responsibility that must be seen through. Otherwise, like McArthur, history will then demand for us to return.

Freezing weather in California and Arizona, record warmth on the east coast, followed by big snow storms. Across the world, our weather gets wackier year after year. There is no doubt we are contributing to the problem through release of carbons, etc.

Global warming has never been an adequate term to describe what is going on with our environment because it leaves the reader with a concept that it should just keep getting hotter and hotter. Yet, the warming of the globe actually has multiple environmental and climatic effects, including the wide, wacky variations we are seeing this winter and in recent years.

Of course, there are those who will always argue that global warming doesn't exist, or that it is caused by natural evolution of the planet. Certainly, some of what is going on is natural, but to deny that we contribute to the pace of change in our environment is mostly just an excuse to go on consuming resources and spewing pollution into the environment without taking any responsibility.

The media continue to annoint Hillary as the Dems' candidate, but the list for the party has better qualified people. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has executive and legislative experience and has formed a committee. Joe Biden and Chris Dodds have much more experience. The interest in Hillary primarily centers around the facts her last name is Clinton and she is a woman. Do we really want a succession of Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton in the White House? And, while it certainly is time for a woman President, is Hillary the right woman? Those who lean toward the Dems should consider those questions.

Thomas Jefferson had it right. Mail in your State of the Union speech next year, W. Nobody will be listening anyway because attention will have shifted to 2008. Plus, any time you give a speech you just expose your limitations.

Meanwhile, a new star was born in Jim Webb, who gave a pointed, organized and tough response to Bush's speech for the Democrats. Webb, of course, is a writer by trade and showed he can handle the language much better than the President.

The Democratic-controlled committee passed a symbolic anti-surge resolution Wednesday. The full Senate likely will pass something closer to what Warner is proposing. But, will the Dems have the guts and power to eventually pass something that says the bucks stop here after a certain date? That's the only thing that will stop Bush, because he wants to find a way to save face for himself. If the funds are cut off, he'll say the Dems are at fault for failure in Iraq. Actually his flawed reasoning and the lack of resolve by the Iraqis themselves have doomed the effort. Cut the funds, effective at the end of the year, and force redeployment. Bush is the guy who is hurting the troops by sending them into a no-win situation.

Health care has managed to creep back on the politicians' radar screen again after a long absence. It's always been on the minds of the average citizen -- whether he or she is a retiree, new father or mother, self-employed, the head of a corporation, etc. The high costs of health care negate any gains that the Bush Administration tout in our economy. Higher wages are wiped out by the increased costs of insurance, etc. Bush's plan is a joke and would not even make a dent in the number of uninsured. Look to California, where Arnold is closer to being on the right track. Also, allow purchasing coops for people who cannot get insurance through their jobs, unions or other organizations. The problem calls for some creative, compassionate thinking if we are going to come up with solutions.

Bill Gates recently said we will laugh at what we considered TV in five years, primarily because of convergence with the internet. I couldn't agree more. Right now, we're still slaves to the gatekeepers on TV, having to wait for when they decide to report news, suffer through endless commercials, etc. But, YouTube and others have shown how the public can create their own content and interact. By the time, the nightly news comes on, or even by the time the cable news networks get on a news story, a savvy internet user has been able to read or watch the information on the internet.

I started in newspapers and remember when the people in that industry said they would always be the kings. Now, most newspapers, as they are put out, are anachronisms. Expect commercial TV to become so also unless the leaders in that industry see the inevitable and adapt to it.

A fellow lefty friend has always said two words will keep George W. president -- Dick Cheney. Nobody would want the VP as an alternative. Through the Scooter Libby trial, details are coming out about how much of a ruthless, political animal Cheney is. Those details just form the tip of the iceberg. Maybe Cheney will go the route of Spiro Agnew. We all know what happened to Nixon after Spiro was gone. But, to ask history to repeat itself in that manner, with less than two years left to the W Administration, is too much to ask.

Edited by author 02-01-2007 10:15 AM
Media Day for the Super Bowl passed this week. Speaking as one who was involved in the circus, let me say it epitomizes the hype and BS that has clouded the actual competition for the NFL's biggest game. Legitimate media are joined by entertainers, marketing shills and others who are there only to promote themselves or products. It is pack journalism at its worst. No wonder the game often seems anti-climactic.

Joe Biden has little chance to win the Dems' nomination or the Presidency, in part because he talks too much. His remarks about Obama this week and how they were interpreted by the media provide good examples of that. But, Biden has the creds, and if anything it's an indictment of our mediated world that a guy with a great track record in civil rights, and representing a state in Delaware that has one of the largest African American populations in the country has to be defending himself against at least innuendoes of possible racism. Obama, Jesse Jackson, Sharpton all have said they know Biden and he meant no harm. But, the initial reports are most often the ones that stick with people, especially when the media, primarily TV, put remarks in no context.

The biggest story in Wisconsin on Friday was that Brett Favre decided to return for another season. I'm glad to see it since he should be able to grab a couple records and the team did show signs of improvement near the end of the season. But, Packers' fans should accept two things: 1) Favre can't go on forever and, in fact, probably should hang it up after this coming season for a variety of reasons; and 2) one of those reasons is the Packers do eventually have to move on. And, they will likely take a step or two backwards in their progress until a young QB can develop. No young QB can do that if Favre hangs on.

A final observation: even though I covered sports for years, and probably made whatever reputation I have more for that rather than for other things I wrote about and taught, I still find it rather disappointing how people tend to make more of sports than they do about much more important things. Should Favre, or the Super Bowl, really attract more attention than the reports on climate change and the Iraq war as a civil war. Both came out late this week, but played second fiddle in the news to sports stories, at least in Wisconsin and likely in Chicago and Indy.

It's Super Bowl Sunday. The hype starts at 11 a.m. for a game that kicks off around 6 p.m. Perhaps no event, in any area of our culture, demonstrates over-commercialization and consumerism more than this one. You have to wonder what Lombardi's attitude would be to it now. I remember watching the first one between the Packers and Chiefs, never knowing what a big production it would become. Prediction: Colts 20, Bears 14. We'll find out how accurate that is about 9-10 hours after the hype starts.

We can put the Super Bowl behind us. Despite all its hype and over-commercialization, the big game does allow people to gather and have fun at a time of the year when the weather in the North gives us all cabin fever. That's a good thing. As for the commercials, the most creative ones were those done by the amateurs in the contests. Maybe the big corps will start thinking twice about throwing Madison Avenue all that ad money, which ultimately increases the prices of goods for all of us.

Edited by author 02-06-2007 03:47 PM
Republicans are fillibustering to prevent a vote on a resolution that symbolically opposes Bush's surge of troops to Iraq. Meanwhile, the Dems lack the guts to consider a resolution that could actually have an effect -- to cut down funds later in the year thus forcing some redeployment. While the wind bags on both sides of the aisle do their debates, young kids are dying and the situation worsens every day on the ground in Iraq. Old white men have traditionally sent young kids off to die in war. Now, we simply have a Congress that includes more women and ethnic minorities doing the same thing.

Tim Russert testified at the Libby trial yesterday. Two things bother me about this whole thing: 1) it shows how too many journalists in Washington are too tight with their sources. Why wasn't this effort to discredit Wilson by outting his CIA wife reported back then, when these journalists were meeting with Libby and the other flaks for the VP?; 2) the main point of the trial is trivial in comparison to the underlying theme, Cheney and others would do anything to get the U.S. to attack Iraq, including going with intelligence that was not true or had not been adequately checked out. That is not really being brought out in coverage and commentary about the Libby trial.

If you wanted a prime example of what is wrong with TV news, all you had to do was watch coverage of the Anna Nicole Smith death this week. Wild speculation over her cause of death and countless rehashes of her personal problems ran over and over while we watched file shots of her both thin and beautiful and fat and...less beautiful. TV exploited her as eye candy even after her death. Certainly there is some intrique over her death, on the heels of the death of her son and others who were related in some ways to her. But, the cable TV channels sensationalized the story and included more innuendo and conjecture than facts. Meanwhile, Iraq continued to go backwards and other truly significant stories went un- or under-covered.

Obama formally announced his candidacy for President from the old capitol where Lincoln gave his house divided speech. Great symbolism from probably the most intriguing candidate in the race so far. We need substance from him though -- specifics of what he will do in health care, environment, etc. His inexperience is a negative in we don't have much of a record to make judgments on. But, he could wipe that away if he proposed some specific programs that seem workable and gets us out of the trap of Iraq.

Edited by author 02-12-2007 08:41 AM
The best thing for the Dems would be for Hillary and Obama to hook up. It's doubtful that Hillary would accept the VP slot, but Obama might since he is still a relative rookie. Such combos were rather commonplace in the old days of politics, when the Presidential nominee would pick his closest competitor as a runningmate. A Hillary-Obama combo would grab the vast majority of women and African-American voters and cover the ticket from centrist to left. Give the right wingers to McCain, although many of them are not sold on him, and the Dems would still pull out a win.

Location of Presidential Announcement Suggests Romney Needs American and Jewish Histories 101
Washington, DC - The National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) expressed its deep concerns today about Republican Mitt Romney's decision to announce his candidacy for President from the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit, Michigan. Located on grounds formally owned by Ford, the museum is a testament to the life of Henry Ford, a notorious anti-Semite and xenophobe whose belief that Jews were second-class, inferior citizens were expressed in detail in his writings on his theory of Americanization. Ford was also bestowed with the Grand Service Cross of the Supreme Order of the German Eagle by Adolph Hitler.

"NJDC is deeply troubled by Governor Romney's choice of locations to announce his Presidential campaign. Romney has been traveling the country talking about inclusiveness and understanding of people from all walks of life. Yet he chooses to kick his presidential campaign on the former estate of a well-known and outspoken anti-Semite and xenophobe. Mitt Romney's embrace of Henry Ford and association of Ford's legacy with his presidential campaign raises serious questions about either the sincerity of Romney's words or his understanding of basic American history," said NJDC Executive Director Ira Forman.

This is not the first time that Mitt Romney has raised concerns in the American Jewish community. As Governor as Massachusetts, Romney vetoed 2003 a budget provision increasing the cost and reducing the availability of kosher meals for Jewish residents on Medicaid. Romney was criticized at the time by Jewish community officials. The Orthodox Union was disappointed by the veto, calling "access to kosher meals" a "religious liberty issue."

Political candidates who have used Henry Ford as a cornerstone of their campaigns have often been met with skepticism by the American Jewish community. Most recently, former Congressman J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ) lost to Henry Mitchell last November after Hayworth refused to distance himself from his previous praise of Henry Ford's theory of Americanization.

"Mitt Romney's courtship of the Jewish community has primarily occurred within the realm of political fundraising. He will soon find out, however, that simple pro-Israel platitudes will only get him so far in the Jewish community. We hope that Mitt Romney will dedicate himself to learning American history - and especially the history of the American Jewish community," Forman concluded.

Hello~
 
Finally some real winter weather! We invite you to join Instructor Chuck Hatfield in a celebration of the beauty of winter as he hikes participants to some of the Reserve's spectacular ice formations.
Search for the Ice Caves: Saturday, February 17 1PM-4PM
Program is limited to 25 participants so register early!
 
For more information click on this link and then scroll down to Ice Cave Hike and click for more details. http://kvr.state.wi.us/home/events_calendar.htm
 
Or contact us at 608-625-2960.
 
If you are unable to join us for the Ice Cave Hike on the 17th, don't forget that the "winter wonderland" of the Reserve is open for you to enjoy anytime. The skiing, skating and hiking opportunities abound. Stop in at the Visitor Center (open 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday) if you'd like a map or suggestions about areas to visit.
 
Cheers,
 
Jonel Kiesau
Education and Events
608-625-2965

The Navy has recruited dolphins to help fight the War on Terrorism. Now if we could just get Flipper and his friends into the White House and Congress we could all feel safer.

Community Dialogue

E. coli bacteria in the Kickapoo

Feb. 20th 2007 from 7 PM - 9 PM

 

Agenda

            

o Welcome and Summary (Gary Thompson, Valley Stewardship Network)

 

o Audience question and answer session

 

o Facilitated Dialogue - suggestions for workable solutions (Tim Rehbein)

            

 

                                                  

Summary of Data Results:

Data results are from the M-TEC test for E.coli bacteria (cfu/100 ml) / Most sites sampled twice weekly May - Oct.

 

                                    Average all samples Average non-rain dates Highest Lowest

2004 – La Farge: 2109 370 40000 70

2005 – La Farge: 717 191 6500 25

2006 – La Farge: 3612 391 110000 25

 

2004 – Ontario: 5540 991 48000 180

2005 – Ontario: 3805 415 95000 25

2006 – Ontario: 3637 793 64000 50

 

2005 – Billings Creek: 513 185 6000 6

2006 – Hay Valley Creek: 1653 1701 12000 100

 

2006 – West Fork: 395 320 1200 84

 

Rainfall Totals

2004 – 26.82 inches May - September

2005 – 20.23 inches May - September

2006 – 21.74 inches May - October

 

Notes on Data

· M-TEC - This is the current standard EPA and thus the standard DNR recreational water testing method. This method exclusively tests for E. coli. The DNR uses this test widely for evaluation, regulatory and enforcement actions.

· E. coli stands for “Escherichia Coliform,” one of many types of coliform bacteria.

· CFU is Colony Forming Units. We count colonies of bacteria, individual bacteria are less accurate to count.

· These results are based on CFUs per 100 ml samples of water.

 

 

Dialogue hosted by Valley Stewardship Network, 124 ½ South Main St. Viroqua, WI ~ 637-3615 ~ www.kickapoovsn.org

 

Looking at the Numbers

The DNR listed the following guidelines for monitoring bacteria levels and identifying their possible threat to human health at public beaches on their website in 2005. “A membrane filtration test is used to give a fecal coliform or E. coli counter per 100 ml of water. A general rule for quality maintenance is that no one fecal coliform count should exceed 400 CFU/100 ml, and that the average of 5 samples over 30 days should not exceed 200 CFU/100 ml. The average count of 5 samples over 30 days should not exceed 60 CFU/100 ml for E. coli.” Remember E. coli bacteria are a subset of all fecal coliform bacteria.

 

Valley Stewardship Network’s Commitment

Valley Stewardship Network will provide a summary of meeting notes to Vernon County Land Conservation Committee, the Vernon and Monroe County Health Departments, local units of government, and any organization working to improve water quality.

 

If you would like to receive a full copy of the project data, summary of today’s meeting notes, notification regarding future gatherings, or have any other questions concerning this public dialogue, please contact the Valley Stewardship Network.

Dear Friend,

Governor Doyle delivered a bold budget last night - a budget full of opportunity for hardworking Wisconsin families.

Governor Doyle's budget is a fiscally responsible budget that funds key priorities like education and health care. It is a budget that provides much-needed tax relief for Wisconsin families. It is a budget that will put our state on the permanent path to fiscal responsibility.

And it is a budget for Wisconsin's middle class families.

The Governor's budget:
Maintains the state's commitment to funds two-thirds of the costs of our public schools.
Makes a significant investment in our successful small class size program.
Triples the state's support for school breakfast, so our kids are ready to learn.
Funds the Wisconsin Covenant - a promise to our kids that if they work hard and make the grade, they'll have a place in higher education and the financial means to pay for it.
Increases financial aid by $44 million to help families afford college.
Keeps our kids safe by expanding funding to track down online sex predators.
Reauthorizes and expands the Stewardship Program, to protect our environment for future generations.
Ensures affordable health care through BadgerCare Plus, a program that gives every Wisconsin family the opportunity to buy coverage for their kids.
Provides health insurance coverage to eligible adults without children through a major expansion of BadgerCare Plus.
Provides much-needed tax relief for middle class families.
And holds down property taxes without endangering our schools or public services.
The Governor's budget is an opportunity budget that the people of Wisconsin can be proud of. It is a budget that invests in our shared priorities from education to health care. It is a budget that is fiscally responsible. And it is a budget that will continue moving Wisconsin forward.

Sincerely,
Joe Wineke

You might notice that an eclectic array of postings have found their way onto DWB over the last few days. Since prospective writers have not rushed to the site to post their poetry and prose, I've decided to open it up for additional posts, including the following:

** my periodic Almost Daily Blog on politics and other topics.
** Political viewpoints and blog comments that are sent to me or posted directly on the site.
** Info and announcements about the Driftless region community.

Writers are still encouraged to use the space as a place to post their fiction and non-fiction writing. If those postings would increase, we might even split the Almost Daily Blog and political stuff into a separate blog board. But, for now, you can read a mix of things on DWB.

The defense rested in the Scooter Libby trial without calling Libby or Dick Cheney to the stand. What better hint that Scooter is being made a scapegoat and every effort being made to protect higher-ups in the Bush Administration who have been doing all kinds of lying, thieving things. The outing of Plame never has been the main thing with that trial. It's that what happened provided a peep hole into the other lies and deceit that led us to war in Iraq.

The battle over the body of Anna Nicole Smith and custody of her baby is really a battle over who might get her late-husband's $55M inheritance. No fewer than five men claim they could be the father of the child. It's a disgusting example of the greed in our society, especially at the so-called celebrity level of living. The media express disgust in side comments, etc., yet continue to flock to the story, including live coverage of a hearing on Thursday. Come to think of it, I'm writing about it, at least for the second time. That's enough.

Today we leave the Driftless area to start our way to Arizona, where I cover spring training for 6 weeks. I've always had the wanderlust and still love traveling, not to mention the warmer weather of the SW. But, I also feel a little bad when I leave this beautiful part of the country we now live in. At this age, it's good to have a home where you know you will live the rest of your life. The Driftless area has become that home for us.

Edited by author 02-20-2007 02:10 PM
On our way to Arizona, we are swinging through Texas. We stopped at a Chamber info office between Austin and San Antonio today and when we walked in saw Jerry Taff, a former anchor for WISN 12 in Milwaukee. He is retired and works part-time for the Chamber. It truly is a small world.

My favorite all-time small world story belonged to one of my first editors. A paratrooper in WWII, he came down during a night operation, involving several units, in France. His chute became entangled in a tree and while he struggled with it a trooper from another unit came to help. They looked at each other for a moment and then realized they had been good friends in Reedsburg, Wisconsin, until about age 12. They then went separate ways when one moved away.

They could not talk during this operation. My editor simply mouthed "are you XXXX?" The other trooper nodded yes. They hugged and went off to their individual assignments, never to see each other again.

The Walter Reed mess typifies the phoniness of the Bush Administration when it comes to actually "supporting the troops." While Bush never gives a speech without citing the troops and the War on Terrorism, his administration has continued to cut funds for many veterans benefits. In San Antonio, where I just was, a new facility for vets was built primarily with private funds. The donors didn't want to rely on the government under Bush. Any military types who still support Bush should wake up and realize he uses the troops primarily for political purposes and probably is one of the worst Commanders in Chief we've ever had.

So Al Sharpton is related to Strom Thurmond through blood lines that were recently traced. Sharpton called it shocking, but in some ways it almost makes you chuckle. It also should make you think about the history of slavery and the stupidity of bigotry -- whether it is whites' bigotry towards blacks or vice versa. We're all related in that we are human. But, we consistently look for dividing differences, and then make those differences reasons to hate.

A Honus Wagner baseball card sold for $2.35 million this week. Meanwhile, a Derek Jeter card came out with George W. Bush and Mickey Mantle inserted into the stands and dugout in the background. Modern technology allows all kinds of fraud and phoniness in collectibles -- fraudulent autographs, fudged graphics and photos, etc. In some ways, it symbolizes the over-emphasis on marketing and spin that pervades our entire society. Who cares if it is real? Will it sell? While %2.35 million is ridiculous for any sports collectibles, it is good to see that Honus trumped some of the modern marketing stuff.

Midwest Organic Farming Community Announces Top Priorities for 2007 Farm Bill -- Key U.S. Senator Says Federal Support Needed to Assist Farmers' Transition to Organic

Leaders in the organic farming community on Friday said that there is considerable interest among Midwestern farmers in making the transition to organic production, but that some significant changes are needed in the 2007 Farm Bill to provide much needed educational and financial support for these producers. And a key U.S. Senator attending the conference agreed.

Speaking at a news conference at the 18th annual Upper Midwest Organic Farming Conference being held in La Crosse, Wisconsin, Faye Jones, executive director of the Spring Valley, Wisconsin-based Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) said that Congress and the USDA need to minimize the obstacles to organic transition and to offer incentives to farmers considering this change. Jones noted three specific priorities. “We need expanded support for organic agriculture research and education, we need a federal commitment to share the costs of organic certification, and we need the full funding and implementation of the Conservation Security Program."

U.S. Senator Herb Kohl told conference attendees, "As Chairman of the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee in the Senate, I am an advocate for transition assistance that helps family farms make the leap to organic. These farmers will need our encouragement and our support."

 
     Kohl added, "We need to make sure that basic agriculture research reflects our nation's priorities and leads us to a brighter future with cleaner water and cleaner air and energy independence." Quoted in the
La Crosse Tribune, Kohl also told news conference attendees, "I'm a huge fan of the organic movement. I think it's great for America."
 
     Faye Jones said that MOSES’ toll-free Farmer Transition Hotline has been receiving 10 calls per week from Midwestern farmers since its inception last fall. The hotline provides technical assistance to those considering organic farming. Jones said that making the transition to organic production is an important and serious management decision that can benefit not only individual farm families, but the broader public as well. “With organic farming, we get more stable income for the producer, an improved environment, and food grown without pesticides and antibiotics.”
Jones also said that with Midwestern lawmakers now leading key Congressional agriculture and appropriations committees, there is a real opportunity for the region's citizens to have some influence in farm and food policy. More than 2300 people registered for this year's conference, continuing its tradition as the largest conference of its type in the U.S.

Western Wisconsin, southeast Minnesota and northeast Iowa already have a substantial number of organic farmers. In fact, according to the USDA, Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District, bordering the Mississippi River from the Illinois border to Minneapolis-St. Paul, has the second highest number of organic farmers of any congressional district in the nation (506). Only the State of Vermont, which is its own congressional district, has more organic farmers (650).

The Bush Administration now says it will talk with Iran and Syria. It's about time. Up to now, W's approach to diplomacy has been to talk only to those who agree with you. Sort of like he ran his campaigns, speaking only to groups of "invited" guests so it would look like the crowd loved him. Now it will depend on what the Administration determines "talks." If it only preaches and tries to dictate, diplomacy will go nowhere.

The stock market drops 400 points in a single day, and the Bush Administration people are all over TV saying the economy is still strong. These guys think they can spin their way out of any situation, but it won't work anymore. Talk to anybody whose income is not keeping up with the cost of health care and energy, or whose home is not selling, or whose company is downsizing, and they will tell you they've known for a long time that the economy is not that strong despite the numbers Bush and his people always like to tout. And, all the numbers don't include the spending for the war in Iraq and borrowing that is going on outside the annual budget to pay for it. Those costs will end up on the shoulders of the next generation.

When you spend time in the Southwest, you see the impact of the immigration issue even more. You first realize how many people from Mexico are in the country legally, and have been for a couple generations. You also realize that a guest worker system is almost essential for many resorts and other industries to operate. This is one area that Bush seems to be on the right path -- give Mexicans who already are here a path to citizenship they must follow and work out a guest worker system. Meanwhile, enough resources also should be given to border patrols so they can really enforce the laws to prevent the continued flood of people who sneak into the country. Constructing a fence is a waste of money. Spend the money instead on getting enough well trained border control people for enforcement and for aiding those who do want to follow the laws to enter the U.S. so they can better support themselves and their families.

The story about some teens giving toddlers pot to smoke has shocked a lot of people. But, what do we expect when we have a pill popping, chemical abusing society overall? And, the mother, who was sleeping at the time, was not much older than the teens who gave the kids the pot. The story is just one, rather extreme example of a couple of ills in our society.

The protestors already were organizing as Bush planned a trip to Latin America. Chavez has exploited Bush's arrogance and incompetence, and resentment over the Iraq War, to build his influence in the area. Bush has virtualy no chance of winning back the hearts in the region of the world. For those in Latin America, Chavez, an extremist himself, has more credibility.

The Democrats believe U.S. troops should be out of Iraq by fall of 2008. This is reasonable for a couple reasons. First, it should give the Iraq government plenty of time to stablize. Second, this is Bush's war, and he should end it rather than pass it on to a new Administration, which will still have the overall War on Terrorism to focus on.

The FBI has abused the Patriot Act. Should this really surprise anybody? It was an ill-conceived act, put through in a panic because of 9/11. The terrorists can't do as much to ruin our lives as poorly thought out responses to their attacks can. If our own government officials erode our civil rights, make us live in fear in the name of fighting terrorism and bankrupt the country by fighting all around the world, they are assuring that the terrorists will indeed win in the long run.

Meet the Press, the best political show on TV in my opinion, tackled two issues this Sunday -- talks with Iran and a possible pardon for Scooter Libby. A diplomat revealed that he has had authority from the Administration to talk with Iran for a year, and indeed both countries were present at a recent meeting over Iraq. This is a good move by the Administration, but it does not match up with Bush's rhetoric, which just confuses the issue for people in all the countries involved. Why doesn't Bush show some character and admit it was a mistake to not talk with Iran, Iraq and others, and then get on with some real diplomacy?

On Libby, he has been used as a scapegoat in the entire controversy, which probably could actually be traced to Cheney if not Bush himself. Bush should not pardon Libby and instead should lead a probe even further into the issue and how intelligence was fudged to justify entering war with Iraq.

So the Bush Administration tried to influence prosecutions of the Justice Department. Should that be any surprise? This Administration has demonstrated repeatedly it has no respect for the separations of powers and checks and balances. Gonzales was nothing but a political stooge appointment cloaked in the guise that Bush was being fair to a Hispanic. The Administration also has been dominated by a rigid ideology, which had little to no tolerance for other opinions. Gonzales should resign, and the Administration's role in tampering with decisions should be further investigated.

Pete Rose admitted again he bet on baseball while the manager of the Reds. That's at least once privately and a couple times publicly that Rose has made the admission. Now, a public apology to fans should come. If Rose would do that, Bud Selig should then allow him to be reinstated to baseball and become eligible for the Hall of Fame. After all, he does have more hits than any other player. Players should get into the Hall because of their deeds on the field. This goes for McGwire and Bonds too, as far as I'm concerned.

Here is the Agenda for our March 21st Board meeting, let me know if you have any questions. Hope you are enjoying our spring weather!

Christy Stellner
Projects Coordinator
Valley Stewardship Network
124 1/2 S. Main St.
Viroqua, WI 54665

(608) 637-3615
www.kickapoovsn.org

Join others concerned with stewardship of the Kickapoo -
become a member of Valley Stewardship Network for all those who live, work, and play in the Valley



Valley Stewardship Network - Board Meeting Agenda

Wednesday March 21, 2007 at 7 PM

*** Meeting at the Valley Stewardship Network Office ***

 

 

Standing Items:

- Introductions / Meeting Roles / Agenda Review

 

- Review of Minutes from 3/5/2007

 

- Organization

o Financial Report - Liz

 

o Fundraisers- who/how/when

 

o Organizational strategic planning near financial new year

 

o Spring Newsletter

 

o Board Participation/attendance

 

Committee reports:

- Projects and Programs

o Water Quality Monitoring

§ 2007 E.coli Monitoring Season

§ Equipment to purchase for CBM, WAV and E.coli

§ Grants/projects

 

o Stewardship and Education

§ Kickapoo River Cleanup-scouting report

§ Friends of Jersey Valley

§ Kickapoo Country Fair

 

o Comprehensive Planning.

 

 

Additional Items:

- Projects Coordinator Report - Christy

 

- FYIs

 

 

Next Meeting: Wednesday, April 18th 2007 - 7:00

  
  
Dear Gregg,

During the campaign and since then, we have talked to Americans from coast to coast about the environment and the critical challenge we all face in protecting the earth for future generations.

From those conversations the idea emerged that we should write a book, This Moment on Earth, which we hope will help spark a new conversation about ways that everyday Americans from all walks of life can have an impact on the environment around them.

The stories have inspired and moved us. Our hope is that they lead all of us to question the way things are, and look for small but significant ways that each of us can make a positive contribution to this new environmental movement.

Here's where you come in: We'd love to hear from you. Please take a moment and send us your stories about people you know -- even yourself -- who have found ways to make the world a greener place. They don't have to be famous and they don't even have to consider themselves environmentalists. They just need to be people with the imagination and courage to envision the world as a better place. We can't wait to read about their stories and we look forward to hearing from you.

Tell us your stories. Nominate a neighbor to be among the ranks of the New Environmentalists

It was 1970 when the first Earth Day was held. Over the more than thirty-five years since, it's become a day when we recommit ourselves to the environment and look for ways to broaden the movement. In our own ways we've both dedicated ourselves to this issue -- from efforts to fight acid rain, to joining in hearings on global warming, to helping to bring green building efforts in Pittsburgh and elsewhere to the forefront. We feel passionately about this issue and hope that this book sparks a new national dialogue about our planet and the steps we must take if we are to preserve it for future generations.

Learn more about our book.

Sincerely,

John Kerry
Teresa Heinz Kerry

war stories: Military analysis.
Confession as Propaganda
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed displays his PR skills.
By Daniel Byman
Posted Thursday, March 15, 2007, at 2:27 PM ET
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed issued a fascinating confession March 10 at the beginning of his Combatant Status Review Tribunal hearing at the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay. So far, attention has understandably focused on KSM's acceptance of responsibility for the 9/11 plot, as well as involvement in a host of other terrorist conspiracies, many of which failed or never came to fruition. This attention has obscured an equally fascinating part of KSM's confession: his use of the trial as a propaganda vehicle for al-Qaida.

KSM's prepared statement emphasizes what he calls "the language of war." He repeatedly argues that al-Qaida's acts, as well as his own, should be judged as a rival army or captured soldier would be judged. In doing so, he echoes a claim made by almost all modern terrorist groups: They are warriors, not murderers and criminals. KSM compares Muslim support for Osama Bin Laden with U.S. admiration for George Washington. In KSM's narrative, both fight for liberation against an oppressor.

It is through the language of war that KSM tries to justify the killing of women and children on 9/11 and in the overall jihadist struggle. He begins his justification by conceding, "I don't like to kill children," and he notes that Islam forbids it. However, because KSM sees the terrorist acts he conducted as part of a legitimate war, he compares them to U.S. military actions. The United States, he argues, has killed and arrested the children of al-Qaida leaders, including KSM's kids, while conducting a war, and al-Qaida's murders should also be judged in this context.

Another theme that permeates KSM's statement is an attempt to discredit the detention of captured terrorists at Guantanamo. This is a more subtle jab. Here, KSM notes that many of the prisoners held there are not part of al-Qaida and that some were not even tied to the Taliban. They simply fought the Soviets and then ended up being detained by the United States years later because they were not able to return to their home countries. KSM even claims that the United States "supported me … when I was fighting Russia." Other detainees, he claims, were sent to Afghanistan by Arab governments to assassinate Bin Laden and were arrested by the Taliban. Those too, he says, ended up at Guantanamo. The implication is that the United States not only arrested the wrong people but also betrayed those it once supported.

KSM's confession has four audiences: the U.S. enemy, fellow jihadists, uncommitted Muslims, and international opinion. To the United States, he is trying to elevate al-Qaida into a worthy foe and undermine support for the Bush administration by attacking the legitimacy of U.S. claims against the organization. This appeal will fail, but he may have more success with fellow jihadists, uncommitted Muslims, and world opinion. To these audiences, his depiction of 9/11 and other attacks as acts of war rather than mass murder will find some resonance. In particular, many will accept the moral equivalence between U.S. actions in Iraq and elsewhere and the 9/11 attacks, even though the logic is strained. For those outside the jihadist community, the reaction may be "a pox on both your houses," which is not KSM's ideal outcome but also falls well short of the international outrage against al-Qaida that the United States would like to foster.

The claim that many of those at Guantanamo are innocent—or even unwitting U.S. or Arab government agents—will have some appeal. Guantanamo is widely unpopular around the world, and the failure of the United States to justify detaining people without trial for many years or to otherwise demonstrate the camp's necessity led to a sense that America is knowingly holding innocent people. The United States thus becomes both evil and ineffectual—a particularly damning combination.

KSM's use of the trial as an al-Qaida propaganda vehicle is particularly ironic because the United States also wants the tribunal to serve political as well as legal purposes. The Bush administration hopes this trial, and those of other senior al-Qaida operatives, will restore faith in America as a nation of laws and convince the world that the unusual U.S. detention program and the use of military tribunals are necessary given the magnitude of the crimes. KSM is the poster child for this approach—a truly evil man who for years plotted mass murder and on 9/11 succeeded even beyond his own expectations.

Still, we should not be surprised that KSM is trying to turn the tables on the United States. Such jujitsu is a time-honored terrorist tactic. They try to undermine the legitimacy of their enemies and sway uncommitted audiences. Violence is one tool for this, but the most successful groups constantly hone their propaganda campaigns as well.

More than five years after 9/11, the United States is rightly criticized for falling short in its effort to sway Muslims around the world. KSM's trial proves that PR remains one of al-Qaida's strengths.

Perhaps nobody has done more to drag American politics into the gutter than Karl Rove. Bush's Brain has always been a divide and conquer advocate and was never beyond lying, spinning, leaking, etc. to accomplish his goals. Now, it has been revealed that he was at the heart of the Plame and other incidents leading uo to the Iraq War, a fact some of us never doubted from the start. Bush should fire him, but then that would amount to a brain extraction for the president.

A fourth anniversary of the start of the Iraq War passed this weekend. Protestors marked it in Washington DC, and polls show most people in the US believe it was a mistake, but true outrage is lacking. Perhaps most Americans are just too fat and comfortable to really get fired up, especially when the was is being fought by a volunteer army, primarily fought by volunteers from working class and poor families. If you really want people to come out against the war, call for a draft that would include kids from middle class and the rich. Then, you'd see troops withdrawn within a year or so.

Here on the fourth anniversary of the beginning of the Iraq War, I just wanted to drop a quick note to all of you, updating you on the state of progress in the Iraq debate and legislation in the Senate.

Last week, I voted for legislation I brought to the floor with Sen. Harry Reid, Sen. Biden and Sen. Levin, legislation that demands, once again, that we change course and set a deadline for the redeployment of our troops in Iraq.

You were there at the start, so I don't need to remind you that when Russ Feingold and I first introduced legislation to do exactly that, there were 13 of us in the Senate that voted for it. Now, in no small part because of all of your work pushing for change, nearly the entire Democratic caucus stood together in this important vote -- 48 Democrats strong.

I just wanted to thank you, all of you, for getting us this far. Your help (and courage because I know it isn't always easy to speak out) has shifted the debate a long way. We still have more fighting to do, of course; the legislation came up just short of passing. I'm an impatient person, but I've been in the Senate long enough to know that these things take time. That's the nature of legislating. And we can't stop until we finish this fight. I learned a long time ago that you support the troops by getting the policy right, and that's the only endgame here -- but progress is progress, and I want you to know and see what you've accomplished.

I'll let you know some of the ways you can help. But that's later; for now, I just wanted to send off this email to thank you for getting us this far. Together, we can do this.

John Kerry

March Madness is here.

Only this time it's not just a chance to follow your favorite team through the NCAA brackets -- it's time to fill out your first bracket of 2007 to decide which great Democrats the johnkerry.com community will rally behind this spring.

It's your chance to choose which candidates to support.

Please click the link below and vote for 2 Senators and 2 Representatives you want to advance to the final bracket.

http://www.johnkerry.com/action/marchmadness/

Over the last two years, you mobilized to deliver over 14 million dollars to help win a Democratic House and Senate.

Now the Republicans are applying political heat on our Democratic majority -- it's an ugly version of Republican "March Madness" as they work overtime to damage our leaders who are fighting for your agenda.

Our Democratic majority must be sustained and a strong show of early fundraising is the best way to show that we stand by those who want to change the direction of our country.

The Republicans are targeting many great Democrats for tough re-election fights in 2008. So please vote to see which of these courageous candidates we will help this month. This early money can be an important signal to any potential challengers that these Democrats will fight and fight hard. Voting ends Sunday at midnight ET, so vote right away.

Please click the link below and vote for 2 U.S. Senators and 2 U.S. Representatives you want to see advance to the final bracket.

http://www.johnkerry.com/action/marchmadness/

Thank you,

John Kerry

Budget flap over earmarks obscures more wasteful spending

 To cut out a large swath of wasteful government spending, according to today’s Snapshot by policy analyst Monique Morrissey, cut the $60 billion in wasteful defense spending. Pork barrel spending merits scrutiny, but it is not the primary cause of the budget deficit, or the biggest source of government waste, as Morrissey illustrates. “If you want to eliminate the budget deficit, simply reverse the Bush administration tax cuts,” Morrissey said.

Read the EPI Snapshot below. The true US deficit has grown tremendously under the Bush Administration because of his hidden spending for Iraq, which is not included completely in his budgets, and his tax cuts which primarily have helped the rich and have done little to stimulate economic activity other than spending on Wall Street. We would be better off giving the tax break revenue to local communities to help them truly prepare themselves for protection against terrorists, and cut the defense budget by ending the Iraq War and changing what Bush calls a pre-emptive approach to fighting the War on Terrorism. It will only allow other invasions and intrusions into other nations, which we will then spend billions to rebuild.

The Southwest, where I have been for several weeks, has been running out of water for years. They have tried some innovative things with recycling of waste water for golf courses, etc., but they still are heading for severe shortages. The one thing they have refused to do is cut back on development, which is the main reason the shortages are getting so severe. Eventually, our society will have to realize that we live within an eco-system that is changing itself, and that we affect the pace of that change. We have always thought we can master nature rather than live within it, as the Native Americans believe. Nowhere do you see the folly of that misguided approach more than in this part of the country.

The House passed a measure with a timeline for withdrawal of troops from Iraq, but it won't go very far in reality. The Senate will be lucky to get the votes for a similar measure, and neither body will have enough votes to oveer-ride a Bush veto. But, it does make a statement that this is Bush's war, it is his stubbornness that continues to misguided approach. It could have a major impace on the 2008 election, since most GOP members are unwilling to vote for such a measure.

Bush says he'll veto any bill that sets a deadline for withdrawal of troops from Iraq and that it "makes no sense" for politicians in Washington to dictate to commanders in the field. He, of course, ignores the fact that previous commanders basically said the war cannot be won militarily and that the role of the troops should either be changed or they should be removed. Bush simply removed those commanders and replaced them with somebody who agrees with him. That apparently "made sense" to Bush and doesn't constitute politicians calling the shots. The real amazing thing is that Bush doesn't see the conflict in what he is saying.

As a pet owner, the recent recalls of tainted foods has prompted anxieties for my wife and I. Those recalls, and e coli and other tainting of human food in recent months, demonstrate the flaws in our food growing and processing system during a time of environmental degradation, in part by the very chemicals and fertilizers used to grow our food. It is time to make the environment the No. 1 political and social issue, or we will continue to threaten our furry friends and ourselves.

Our friend Governor Tommy Thompson will be at Messmer High School on Wednesday morning this week. From Wisconsin, he will go to Iowa and New Hampshire to make a very important announcement.

 

I thought you might be interested in attending. If so, his campaign can be reached at 608/661-0777 or via email at info@tommy2008.com to ensure that you have a seat for the gathering.


 

Tommy would make a great President. He was one of the longest serving Governors with one of the best track records - gaining national acclaim on school choice, welfare reform, and healthcare. Plus, he actually knows how to use a line-item veto.


 

He built on that success by then heading up the largest department in the federal government. Tommy was a great Secretary of Health and Human Services.

 


Now, he is doing very well in the private sector. Still, he has the call to public service.

 


2008 will be the first time since 1928 that a President or Vice President is not running for the highest office in the country. The race is wide open and the first caucuses are in Iowa where a down-to-earth candidate with a good grasp of Midwestern issues and a strong sense of retail politics could be a real surprise. Sound like anyone we know?

 


I will be there on Wednesday morning and I hope you will, too.


 


-Scott Walker

A bad year for violent weather is predicted. My wife and I recently drove through Tornado Alley, where one night saw 65 tornadoes alone. Many laymen don't believe it, but increased violent weather is an offshoot of global warming. It's likely that we will experience such years every other year or so as the globe's climate continues to change. But, primarily because of ignorance and an unwillingness to listen to people who know, we will do little about it.

So Bush now insists that Wisconsin end its SeniorCare program and instead offer his confusing Medicare package. This despite the fact that SeniorCare has actually saved the federal government millions of dollars, in part because it allows Wisconsin to negotiate drug prices with manufacturers. The Medicare program does not, but then why would it when Bush got millions from the drug industry for campaign donations. Once again, W has shown that he is not really a fiscal conservative at all and lacks the maturity to go along with plans, even well-thought-out plans, if they don't agree with his. You can almost see him whining and stomping his feet at times.

So now even Newt Gingrich is calling for Alberto Gonzales to resign. The Bush Administration is managing to alienate conservatives as well as moderates and liberals. That's because, no matter what your political leanings are, you can recognize incompetence.

I've been a Don Imus fan for years because he is an universal rip man, who goes after conservatives and liberals, and because I believe he does good work off the air with his ranch for kids with cancer and his environmental work with his wife. Certainly, he went too far in his remarks about the Rutgers women's basketball team. It wasn't funny, and was indeed racist. But, I do not think Don Imus is racist and I believe his attempts to apologize for the remarks are sincere. His two weeks suspension seems sufficient reprimand for his stupid comments. I do not think he should be removed completely from the airwaves, however. I do not say that simply because I like his show, and the fact he has good guests who have time to express themselves. I do not think anybody should be removed from the airwaves, simply because free speech is protected in this country. That includes stupid free speech too. This sentiment applies to Rush Limbaugh, Stern, and many others with philosophies I don't agree with.

SAY WHAT, RUDY?
Giuliani Demonstrates Lack of Knowledge about Iranian Threat;
Unaware of Whether N. Korea or Iran is Further Along in Nuke Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Steve Rabin
April 11, 2007 Office: (202) 216-9060, Ext. 304
                Cell: (202) 486-6198

WASHINGTON – Today, the National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) called on
Republican presidential candidate Rudolph Giuliani to spend more time
educating himself on Iran and Middle East politics. NJDC’s rebuke of the
former Mayor comes in light of Giuliani’s comments to a New Hampshire
audience that he is unaware whether North Korea or Iran is further along in
the development of nuclear weapons. This after boasting about his foreign
policy credentials.

NJDC, which is deeply troubled by the Iranian threat, has serious concerns
about Giuliani’s ability to manage U.S. policy in the region.

“In order to offer intelligent proposals for addressing Iran, one ought to
be able to speak intelligently about the Iranian threat itself,” said NJDC
Executive Director Ira Forman. “With Iran posing such a grave challenge to
American policymakers, we can ill afford to have a Commander-in-Chief who
doesn’t truly understand the threat.”

“At a house party in New Hampshire, Mr. Giuliani suggested that it was
unclear which was further along, Iran or North Korea, in the development of
a nuclear weapons program,” reported the New York Times. The Times article
went on to say that Giuliani then suggested a link between Iran and the
September 11 attacks with no substantive evidence other than “they have a
similar objective … in their anger at the modern world.” [New York Times,
3/7/07]

The editors of Foreign Policy offer this rebuttal to Giuliani: “For the
record, North Korea tested a nuclear device on October 9, 2006, while the
Iranians have yet to do so. The U.S. intelligence community believes Iran
could have a nuclear weapon as early as 2010, but most likely in the time
frame of 2012-2015.” [Foreign Policy Blog, 4/9/07]

“In the 1976 election, voters punished incumbent President Gerald Ford when
he claimed in a debate that there was no Soviet domination of Poland,”
continued Forman. “American voters do not want someone who misunderstands
geo-politics with a finger on the button. Giuliani is apt to learn this the
hard way, if he doesn’t move away from soundbyte politics.”
President Ford’s notorious debate gaffe on Poland has been described as “One
of his most famous verbal gaffes [which] helped Jimmy Carter win the
presidency.” From the Associated Press: “’There is no Soviet domination of
Eastern Europe and there never will be under a Ford administration,’ Ford
said during the second presidential debate in October 1976, still the height
of the Cold War. The audience gasped, but when the moderator gave Ford the
opportunity to clarify his answer, he went on to say that Poland was
‘independent or autonomous.’” [AP, 12/28/06]

It's become obvious that the main lesson the Pentagon learned from Vietnam was to lie better. But, lies always backfire, as his happening with the Tillman and Jessica situations. The latter has disputed the official Pentagon/Administration spin in the past and wants to tell the truth. Walter Lippman once said the first casualty in war is the truth. It died a long time ago when talking about Iraq.

I'm no Tommy Thompson fan after watching him bankrupt the state of Wisconsin while claiming to be a fiscal conservative. But, he has come up with a couple good ideas on Iraq: 1) if Bush wants to promote democracy in the country hold a referendum to let Iraqis vote if the U.S. should stay there or not, and 2) divide the country into 18 self-governing provinces or states. Joe Biden has talked about a version of the latter too, allowing the Kurds, Sunnis and Shiites to maintain control over certain things in their regions. How is this different than the U.S., where states have auspice over certain things and the federal government over others? Some version of this makes sense for Iraq.

ALL MAJOR DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES
TO ADDRESS NJDC CONFERENCE
Biden, Clinton, Dodd, Edwards, Obama, Richardson to Speak

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 12, 2007

CONTACT: Steve Rabin
Office: (202) 216-9060, Ext. 304
Cell: (202) 486-6198

WASHINGTON – The National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) will be welcoming
Senators Biden, Clinton, Dodd, Edwards, Obama, and Governor Bill Richardson
to speak at its Washington Conference, Monday April 23, Tuesday, April 24
and Wednesday April 25 at the Almas Temple, 1315 K Street NW in Washington
DC. The candidates will be addressing Democratic Jewish activists from
throughout the country and taking questions on issues ranging from Middle
East politics to church-state matters and other domestic issues. A schedule
follows.

The conference will also feature DNC Chairman Howard Dean, Israeli
Ambassador Sallai Meridor, and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. More than
two dozen Jewish Senators and Representatives will be chairing a reception
for the attendees.

WHEN: Monday, April 23, 2007 - 5pm-8:30pm (see schedule for details)
    Tuesday, April 23, 2007 - All day (see schedule for details)
    Wednesday, April 23, 2007 - 9:15am-12pm (see schedule for details)

WHO: U.S. Senator Joseph Biden
    U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton
    U.S. Senator Chris Dodd
    U.S. Senator John Edwards
    U.S. Senator Barack Obama
    Governor Bill Richardson

    DNC Chairman Howard Dean
    Majority Leader Steny Hoyer
    Ambassador Sallai Meridor of Israel
    
WHAT: NJDC Washington Conference

WHERE: Almas Temple, 1315 K Street NW

###
 
NJDC WASHINGTON CONFERENCE
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

Almas Temple, 1315 K Street NW*
All Events Open to Press


MONDAY, APRIL 23

7:00pm Senator John Edwards addresses NJDC dinner audience

TUESDAY, APRIL 24
 
9:15am Senator Chris Dodd addresses conference

11:00am Governor Howard Dean addresses conference

11:45am Senator Joe Biden addresses conference

1:30pm Senator Barack Obama addresses conference

6:30pm Jewish Senators and Representatives chair congressional reception
-- OFF-SITE, LOCATION TBA

8:15pm Majority Leader Steny Hoyer addresses NJDC dinner audience

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25

9:00am Senator Hillary Clinton address conference

10:00am Governor Bill Richardson addresses conference

10:45am Ambassador Sallai Meridor of Israel addresses conference

            

*except where otherwise noted

Edited by author 04-14-2007 07:25 AM
Watched a great discussion about Don Imus' firing and the state of discourse over race in America. A young African American columnist said Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are hypocrites for condemning Imus when they attacked the three Duke lacrosse players last year without ever thinking that they might be innocent. The columnist asked why Sharpton and Jackson weren't apologizing for their remarks and said the political pair can no longer claim to speak for all black people in America. He called for Americans of all races and ethnic backgrounds to address problems unified and to not divide along racial lines. Amen, I say. It will not be progress if the old white supremism is simply replaced by a new politically correct power structure, where African Americans and other PC police are allowed to criticize others without looking at their own prejudices. The Rutgers women were victims of Imus' thoughtless remarks, but the Duke lacrosse players also were victims of remarks and protests by Sharpton and Jackson.

Jackie Robinson Day was celebrated throughout baseball Sunday. But, the game continues to lose African Americans as players and fans. One reason might be it remains, in part, a "rural" game. Many Latin countries are still predominantly rural, including the Dominican Republic, which turns out numbers of players. Many American blacks live in urban areas, where basketball courts are easier to put up than baseball diamonds. Basketball also has done a better job of appealing to young people in these urban areas. But, under Selig, baseball recognizes the need to pay attention to the African American demographics and tap into the rich pool of talent and potential enthusiasm that is there.

Valley Stewardship Network - Board Meeting Agenda
Wednesday April 18, 2007 at 7 PM
*** Meeting at the Valley Stewardship Network Office ***
 
Time Topic Action/Outcome Leader
Everyone STANDING ITEMS
 Intro/roles/agenda review Review
  Review minutes Approve
 ORGANIZATION
 Financial Report Approve Liz
  Fundraising Discuss
  Board Member recruitment Possible candidates
 WATER QUALITY MONITORING
 E.coli Monitoring purchases Review Gary
  Grants/projects Discuss
 STEWARDSHIP & EDUCATION
 Kickapoo River Clean-up Scouting report, strategic planning Mark, Mike, Gary, Christy
  Kickapoo Country Fair Approve committee ideas, strategic planning Joe, Jamie, Kathy, Christy
 COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING
 Projects Coordinator Report
 FYIs



Next Meeting: Wednesday, May 16th 2007 - 7:00

The administration at Virginia Tech made a big mistake when it didn't shut down the campus after the shootings at the dorm Monday. The shooter was running around on campus for two hours before he entered a classroom and shot more people. But, it is very difficult to stop a crazed person with a perceived cause, and almost impossible to detect such a nutcase or predict his or her behavior.

WASHINGTON – Today, the National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) called on
Republican party leaders to offer a public rebuke of right wing pundit Bob
Novak’s harsh anti-Israel stance and string of unbalanced columns.

In recent columns, Novak has suggested Israel’s policies are “worse than
apartheid,” implied that Israel is oppressing Christians, claimed that
terror organization Hamas wants peace, and chastised President Bush for
failing to pressure the Israeli government. [Washington Post, 4/9/07,
4/16/07 and 4/5/07]

“This is a major example of Republican hypocrisy,” said NJDC Executive
Director Ira Forman. “Republicans jump up and down and paint Democrats with
a broad brush whenever anyone on the left says anything remotely
questionable about the Middle East. Yet, here is right wing pundit Bob
Novak writing a series of awful columns and the silence from Republican
leaders is deafening.”

Novak has a long history of unbalanced reporting on Israel. In 2001 he
referred to Hamas terrorists as “freedom fighters” and in April 2005, he
wrote a column accusing the Israeli government of “walling off
Christianity,” a theme he has repeated in multiple column. Novak has also
blamed Israel for the Iraq war. [Newsday, 12/7/01; Townhall.com 4/18/05;
CNN 12/23/03]

“Why are Republicans afraid to stand-up to Bob Novak?” continued Forman.

A fact sheet on Novak’s recent anti-Israel writings follows.

Democrats from former President Bill Clinton to Speaker Nancy Pelosi to NJDC
have publicly distanced themselves from people like Jimmy Carter, who have
taken an unreasonable position on Middle East politics. Republicans are
apparently afraid to do the same and stand up to influential conservative
Bob Novak.
 
###

 
NOVAK’S ANTI-ISRAEL DIATRIBE

April 16, 2007: Novak writes that Hamas is “calling for peace” in a column
criticizing the Bush administration for refusing to meet with terrorist
organization Hamas.u “On April 2007, ending a seven-day visit to Israel, I
finally got an interview I had sought for a year. I sat down in a
Palestinian Authority office in Ramallah with a leader of Hamas, the
extremist organization that won last year's elections. This leader pushed a
two-state Israeli-Palestinian solution and deplored suicide bombers. But
officials in Washington seem not to want to hear Hamas calling for peace.”
[Washington Post, 4/16/07,
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte.../04/15/AR2007041500
563.html]

April 9, 2007: Novak suggests that Israel’s policies are “Worse than
Apartheid.” The Washington Post’s headline for his piece read ““Worse than
Apartheid?,” and Novak wrote: “Jimmy Carter raised hackles by titling his
book about the Palestinian question ‘Peace Not Apartheid.’ But Palestinians
allege this is worse than the former South African racial separation.”
[Washington Post, 4/9/07,
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte.../04/08/AR2007040800
924.html]

April 9, 2007: Novak implies that Christians are oppressed by Israelis.
“Contact with the PFLP is not a requirement for being holed up by the Israel
Defense Forces. Bethlehem University students cannot get to Jerusalem, a few
minutes' drive away, unless they sneak in illegally …. Republican Rep. Chris
Smith of New Jersey was at the university the same day I was …. Smith later
was given a tour of Jerusalem to see with his own eyes that the separation
barrier in most places is a big, ugly and intimidating wall, not merely a
fence … Smith, an active Catholic layman, was drawn here because of the
rapid emigration of the Holy Land's Christian minority. They leave more
quickly than Muslims because contacts on the outside make them more mobile.
Peter Corlano, a Catholic member of the Bethlehem University faculty, told
Smith and me: "We live the same life as Muslims. We are Palestinians.
Concerned by the disappearance of Christians in the land of Christianity's
birthplace, Smith could also become (as I did) concerned by the plight of
all Palestinians. If so, he will find precious little company in Congress.”
[Washington Post, 4/9/07,
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte.../04/08/AR2007040800
924.html]

April 5, 2007: Novak blames Israel – not terror group Hamas – for breakdown
in the peace process.“The aphorism (originated by Israeli statesman Abba
Eban) that Arabs "never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity" now can
be applied to Israel. Last week's Riyadh declaration indicated the
willingness of the Arab world to consider a peaceful solution. Now, belief
here among peace-seekers is that nothing will happen until a new president
enters the Oval Office in 2009.” [Washington Post, 4/5/07,
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte.../04/04/AR2007040402
317.html]

April 5, 2007: Novak wants Bush to pressure apply pressure on Olmert without
calling for reciprocal pressure on the Palestinians. “Nothing could be
accomplished now without Bush pressuring Olmert.” [Washington Post, 4/5/07,
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte.../04/04/AR2007040402
317.html]

April 18, 2005: Novak accuses Israel of “Walling off Christianity.” Rep.
Henry “Hyde's tone is markedly softer than the desperate voices of Christian
clergy who find themselves cut off by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's security
wall. Their fear and frustration stems from their inability to move anybody
with power in the Bush administration and very few members of Congress.”
[Townhall.com, 4/18/05,
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertD...8/walling_off_chris
tianity]

December 23, 2003: Novak blames Israel for the Iraq war. From a CNN
interview:

WOLF BLITZER: Was the president sold a bill of goods on Iraq?

NOVAK: I think they got in a mindset where they really wanted change of
government, and then it was a need to find reasons for a change of
government.

BLITZER: Why was that?

NOVAK: I believe that they felt that this was the key to American foreign
policy. I think it was -- they thought it was very important to our ally,
Israel, to get rid of him, to [have] peace in the Middle East, and then you
kind of think of reasons to get it done.

[CNN, 1/17/07, http://www.theconservativevoice.com/article/11577.html#]

November 2001: Novak refers to Hamas terrorists as “freedom fighters.” From
former NYC Mayor Ed Koch’s column in Newsday: Two weekends ago, I watched
'Capital Gang' on CNN, featuring Robert Novak … On his Nov. 24 show, Novak
went ballistic in his ill will toward Israel. While discussing the Israeli
assassination of Mahmoud Abu Hanoud, a senior military leader of Hamas on
the West Bank directly responsible for dozens of Israeli civilian deaths,
Novak denounced Prime Minister Ariel Sharon for ordering Hanoud's
assassination. Novak's colleague, Margaret Carlson, rightly called Hanoud a
terrorist, and Novak defended him as a freedom fighter. Carlson responded,
"Bob, you're the only person who would call Hamas freedom fighters. ‘Oh,
no,’ Novak rejoined. ‘People all over the world do.’" [Ed Koch, Newsday,
12/7/01, http://www.likud.nl/press115.html]

Minimum Wage – States aren’t waiting for a raise

States are still reluctant to wait for the federal government to raise the minimum wage, according to today’s Snapshot by EPI economic analyst Liana Fox. States are frustrated by the longest period without an increase in the federal minimum wage since it was adopted in 1938. Already this year, Iowa, Kentucky and New Mexico joined the 17 states that have raised their minimum wages since the beginning of 2006.

 

EPI’s Minimum Wage Issue Guide has a complete listing of state minimum wage rates.

(New York, NY April 18, 2007) The CRO today announced that its one-day CRO
Conference lineup will include two Fortune 500® CEOs. Tim Solso, CEO of Cummins
(#237 on the Fortune 500®) and Douglas Baker, CEO of Ecolab (#457) will have
back-to-back Keynote addresses on May 10 at the Marriott New York Financial
Center. Both Cummins and Ecolab have been featured on the CRO Magazine 100 Best
Corporate Citizens list for 8 years running.

"Both Tim Solso and Douglas Baker know what it takes to deliver both superior
performance and corporate responsibility," said Jay Whitehead, CEO of The CRO
and Publisher of CRO Magazine. "Their companies rank high with an overwhelming
number of stakeholders because both Tim and Doug have made CR among their top
priorities. The CRO Conference is proud to feature these two outstanding
leaders."

As a result of the strong program, a sold-out crowd of approximately 300
corporate leaders, providers and NGOs is expected in attendance, according to
Whitehead.

In its second year, the one-day CRO Conference features 17 world-class speakers
on topics from stakeholders to sustainability to SarBox to supply chain.
Examples include the Sustainability panel. In that event, the world's two
leaders in sustainability advocacy-Mindy Lubber CEO of Ceres and John Elkington
founder of SustainAbility-face off with two corporate leaders-Trip Jobe of
leading paper manufacturer Neenah Paper and Neel Bradham of carpet and textile
leader Interface Group.

In other sessions, Mattel's SVP Jeff Denchfield addresses his company's
sustainable practices. Agile Software CEO Jay Fulcher talks candidly about
managing a NASDAQ company in the era of SarBox and unprecedented supply chain
scrutiny. Governance, Risk Management and Compliance hotshots from Altria,
Deloitte and NY Life square off with one-another in the world-famous
Presidential Debate. The 2007 CRO Magazine 100 Best Corporate Citizens will be
honored in a special dinner, with Keynote speaker Bill George, former CEO of
Medtronic and author of leadership best-seller True North. The entire agenda
can be found at www.TheCRO.com by clicking on "CRO Conferences" at the top
right.

One of the dangers in this mediated world after an incident like that at Virginia Tech is copycats. We saw several attempts at violence in schools after Columbine. A couple days after the killings in Blacksburg, a bomb threat was called in at UW-La Crosse. There undoubtedly are, and will be, other type bluffs and attempts. For a sick individual, seeing the killer again and again on TV, which always goes to excess on such coverage, makes that person a celebrity. And, many of these sick-os are craving attention in any way. Media, especially cable news, should think carefully about how they cover such stories. Certainly, it is a big story, but whether coverage needs to go on and on, and include every so-called expert, many whom didn't even know where Blacksburg was until asked to go on the show, is very debatable.

Edited by author 04-22-2007 08:28 AM
Earth Day 2007 finds the globe in worse shape than ever. Scientists now predict the earth will warm 2-11 degrees by 2100, resulting in a 2 feet rise in sea levels that will take many coastal areas around the world. Those scientists also say there is a 90% chance that human behavior is contributing to this rise in temps. Yet, you have many doubters out there, including several in leadership roles. No wonder we do so little to stem or reverse the trend.

It will take a revolution in Western cultural thought, to incorporate some of the approaches to our environment practiced by Native Americans and other indigenous people into our scientific. materialistic culture. We will need to learn that some things in nature should just be left alone, and that nature holds its own truths, while ours primarily are just our perceptions of what might be true. This is the point I made in my fiction book, Searching for UnMediated Truth. Others also have been making it for years. But, the ideas fall on too many deaf ears.

Dear Gregg,

A quick note from me to you on this Earth Day -- a day on, not a day off as they say.

Earth Day brought me into activism in the first place -- and I still find it empowering because it's not a day for the politicians, it's a day that began to pressure the politicians -- a day that was built from the ground up. Teresa and I are in Boston and Austin today telling the stories of everyday community activists from the book we wrote -- but working for a better environment isn't just about public events or one holiday on the calendar.

Saving the environment also involves the everyday choices we all make. At the end of our new book, This Moment on Earth, Teresa and I listed some things all of us can do in our lives to help the environment, direct action that can improve the Earth's health. Here, on this Earth Day, I wanted to share these:

Keep your car in good condition: Get your engine tuned up regularly, change the oil, and keep your tires properly inflated -- proper maintenance can increase your car's fuel efficiency by 10 percent and reduce emissions.


Switch to compact fluorescent bulbs: Change the three bulbs you use most in your house to compact fluorescents. Each compact fluorescent will keep half a ton of carbon dioxide out of the air over its lifetime. And while they may be slightly more expensive than the incandescent bulbs you're used to using, compact fluorescents last ten times as long and can save $30 per year in electricity costs.


Buy energy efficient products: When buying new appliances or electronics, shop for the highest energy-efficiency rating. Look for the yellow and black Energy Guide label on the product. According to the EPA, the typical American household can save about $400 per year in energy bills with products that carry the Energy Star label as the most efficient in its class.


Turn off lights and other electrical appliances such as televisions and radios when you're not using them: This is a very simple step, but it's surprising how many times we forget. Install automatic timers for lights that people in your house frequently forget to flick off when leaving a room. Use dimmers when you can.


Choose PVC-free building products: this can reduce the exposure of your family to toxins in your home environment. Steer clear of vinyl windows and doors and choose wood instead. Adhesives, caulk, grout, and sealants may also contain phthalates. You can check for phthalate ingredients in these products using the National Institutes of Health's Household Products Database: www.householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov.


Choose toys carefully: this is another important step to reduce your children's exposure to toxins. Look for toys and feeding products for babies and young children that are labeled "PVC free."


Have a great Earth Day!

Sincerely,

John Kerry

Hello to the Valley Stewardship Network!
 
We are once again cleaning up the Kickapoo River's streams and banks. Our annual River Clean-up will be held on Saturday, May 5th. We will assemble at the old county buildings in Gays Mills at 208 Main St at 9:30 AM. Our focus area will be around and south of Gays Mills. There will be several road crews to clear debris from several town roads, and several river crews working in canoes to remove debris from the river. We need all the volunteers possible, please register by phone or email as soon as possible so we can plan accordingly. There will be good food and entertainment following our hard efforts. Please come and join us for this important event!
 
Sincerely,
 
Christy Stellner and Jessica Buer
Projects Coordinators
Valley Stewardship Network
124 1/2 S. Main St.
Viroqua, WI 54665
 
(608) 637-3615
www.kickapoovsn.org

Outpost Natural Foods Thinks Outside of the Cage
 
The Humane Society of the United States Applauds Milwaukee Cooperative
 
WASHINGTON (April 23, 2007)—The Humane Society of the United States, the nation’s largest animal protection organization, applauded Milwaukee-based Outpost Natural Foods today for its exclusively cage-free egg policy.
 
Outpost Natural Foods has three locations in the greater Milwaukee area. The cooperative sells approximately 840,000 eggs a year and celebrated its 37th anniversary on April 21st.
 
“Outpost’s cage-free egg policy fits with our mission vision and values—both supporting local producers and animal husbandry practices that are better for the animals and the environment,” stated Margaret Mittelstadt, director of communications for the cooperative. “If people were made aware of animal welfare conditions at factory style egg production facilities, they wouldn't purchase those products. Cheap eggs come with a much greater cost, and consumers need to be made aware of that difference.”
 
“The HSUS commends Outpost Natural Foods,” commented Paul Shapiro, Factory Farming Campaign director for The HSUS. “By refusing to sell eggs from caged birds, the cooperative is helping to improve animal welfare and encourage the egg industry to end its confinement of laying hens in battery cages.”
 
Locally, Milwaukee-based Suzy’s Cheesecakes recently became the nation’s first cheesecake company to use exclusively cage-free eggs. Bruegger’s has implemented a cage-free egg policy for its seven Wisconsin locations. University of Wisconsin-Madison now uses organic, cage-free eggs, and in a recent campus election, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh students voted overwhelmingly in support of the campus switching to cage-free eggs.
 
Facts
 
· U.S. factory farms confine nearly 300 million hens in barren battery cages that are so small, the birds can’t even spread their wings. Each bird has less space than a single sheet of paper on which to live. The European Union has banned barren battery cages, effective 2012.
· Cage-free hens generally have better lives than birds confined in battery cages. While caging is not the only animal welfare problem in the egg industry, it is a significant cause of laying hen suffering. Cage-free hens generally have approximately 250-300 percent more space per bird and are able to engage in more of their natural behaviors than are caged hens.
· Several major grocery chains have also stopped selling cage eggs. Wolfgang Puck is ending the use of cage eggs. Burger King is moving away from cage eggs. Bon Appétit , a major food service company, is phasing out the use of cage eggs in all of its 400 cafés. Companies such as AOL and Google have ended the use of cage eggs in their employee cafeterias. And local municipalities in Maryland , California and Florida have publicly condemned battery cages.
 
Timeline
 
· March 2007—Bagel chain Bruegger’s switches to cage-free eggs in all its Wisconsin locations.
· March 2007—Suzy’s Cheesecakes becomes the nation’s first cheesecake company to use exclusively cage-free eggs.
· March 2007—Burger King announces that it has started phasing in the use of cage-free eggs.
· March 2007—Wolfgang Puck announces the implementation of a wide-ranging program to improve animal welfare in his supply chain, including not using battery cage eggs.
· January 2007—West Hollywood, Calif., unanimously passes a bill condemning battery cages and encourages egg consumers to not purchase eggs from caged hens.
· September 2006— Ben & Jerry’s announces that it will phase out the use of eggs from caged hens in all its ice creams.
· May 2006—Google implements an exclusively cage-free egg policy for its employee dining facilities.
· May 2005— Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats Natural Marketplace announce that they have ended sales of eggs from caged hens.
· November 2003—The Better Business Bureau rules that it is misleading to label eggs from battery-caged hens as “Animal Care Certified.”
 
The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization—backed by 10 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education, and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty—on the web at www.HumaneSociety.org .

The recent exchange between Cheney and Reid symbolizes with what is wrong with the old-style politics: two old white guys getting personal while doing little of substance. The people have been sick of that for years. Obama has alluded to a new style of politics, richer in diversity, more intelligent and honest in rhetoric, and action-oriented. Even if he doesn't get the nomination and elected if he can move the country toward that new politics he will have accomplished something. Speaking as a semi-retired white guy himself, I think Cheney and Reid would do the country a service by retiring to grandkids, fly fishing, golf and hunting (on second thought maybe Cheney should skip the latter, unless he only goes hunting with Republicans).

So now we definitely know one thing about George Bush. He has no rhythm.

Hi Gregg,

Here they go again...

On the eve of a dangerous Bush veto of a new course in Iraq, the desperate Republicans sent out the attacker in chief Dick Cheney to assail yet another Dem leader.

Why? Because the Majority Leader Harry Reid said that "as long as we follow the president's path in Iraq, the war is lost. But there is still a chance to change course -- and we must change course."

Any questions? The president's own generals say there is no military solution to the civil war in Iraq, that it requires the political solution the Iraqis have resisted. But that didn't stop the GOP from trying to spin conscience into controversy. Predictably, Dick Cheney went on the attack, calling Harry Reid's comments "uninformed and misleading."

We know better. Uninformed and misleading? If Dick Cheney wants to see the meaning of those words, he should look in the mirror...

Come see a history of the vice president's rhetoric to see something really uninformed and misleading:

http://www.johnkerry.com/standingwithharry/

Write letters to you local paper, call in to talk shows, let our media gatekeepers know that you want a real debate, and you stand by people who are fighting for one.

I started us off by posting a defense of Harry Reid on the Huffington Post. You can read it here:

Huffington Post

Thanks,

John Kerry

Any one of the Democrats involved in this week's debate is more qualified to be president than Bush. I'm for an Obama/Richardson ticket. The latter makes up for Obama's inexperience. But, Obama has the ideas and the appeal.

Give that active officer a Purple Heart for having the guts to speak out against the military generals while he is still active. He'll need it because you know the military will hit him with friendly fire now. But, his sentiments about how the Iraq war has been botched, in a similar way to Vietnam, is shared by many, including many retired military officers. They just don't say anything until they are out. At the top of the botch job is the commander-in-chief, Bush, but then how could you expect him to learn anything from Vietnam when he was spending most of his time snorting coke, drinking and trying to figure out how to stay out of the draft.

George Tenet now is talking about a lack of planning and serious discussion in the Bush Administration before rushing off to war. Sorry, George, but it's too little, too late. Why didn't you show the guts of that military officer mentioned in a previous blog, and raise some questions before the U.S. entered Iraq? If the "slam dunk" reference attributed to you was misused by Cheney, why didn't you say so then? Only now, when you're on a book tour, do we hear from an insider what many of us on the outside expected.

As threatened, Bush vetoed the Iraq funding bill that included a timetable for withdrawal. Of course, he has no clue on how to actually get us out of the mess, and will just spin that the Dems are not supporting the troops. But, that won't fly, since the vast majority of the American public wants to see a plan for our exit. Dems also put more money in the bill than Bush even requested, so they can spin that it's the President who actually is endangering funding for the troops through his veto. Perhaps a compromise will be worked out, but it would be smarter for the Dems to put pressure on Republicans in Congress to back a timetable. They have public opinion on their side, and Republicans will either have to change their minds, and help over-ride any vetoes, or face another solid defeat in 2008.

Body: Don't pump gas on may 15th
>> >...in April 1997, there was a "gas out" conducted nationwide in protest
>> >of gas prices. Gasoline prices dropped 30 cents a gallon overnight.
>> >
>> >On May 15th 2007, all internet users are to not go to a gas station in
>> >protest of high gas prices. Gas is now over $3.00 a gallon in most
>> >places.
>> >
>> >There are 73,000,000+ American members currently on the internet
>> >network, and the average car takes about 30 to 50 dollars to fill up.
>> >
>> >If all users did not go to the pump on the 15th, it would take
>> >$2,292,000,000.00 (that's almost 3 BILLION) out of the oil companys
>> >pockets for just one day, so please do not go to the gas station on May
>> >15th and lets try to put a dent in the Middle Eastern oil industry for
>> >at least one day.
>> >
>> >If you agree (which I cant see why you wouldnt) resend this to all your
>> >contact list. With it saying, ''Don't pump gas on May 15th"

  
Hi Gregg,

When I first introduced legislation with Russ Feingold to set a deadline to end the open-ended policy of massive military presence in Iraq and bring our heroes home, I knew it would take a lot of work to get us to that point. And, as I've said to all of you before, we've made tremendous progress. Thanks to all of your work, we have a Democratic Congress that has passed legislation to challenge President Bush's failed policy in Iraq and put us on a new course.

But the Republicans are putting up a roadblock to our efforts, succumbing to White House pressure to back the President on this. And the President vetoed our efforts.

It's time for that to change. It's time to put the pressure on these Roadblock Republicans.

The Republicans are already showing signs of cracking. Many are running away from this President's disastrous policy. But that's not enough; we need to splinter the GOP on this one. To do that, we need to speak to them in a voice loud enough that they can't help but hear it, and we need to speak in the language any politician understands: grassroots pressure.

So we're launching a unique campaign to pressure the critical points in the GOP caucus. We are targeting a few key Senators for this message: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and Senators Sununu, Collins, and Coleman. The last three are already top races for 2008, and Senator McConnell is the bulwark of the GOP leadership on this.

So go here to contribute to a fund run by our friends at ActBlue that will go to the eventual Democratic nominee in those states and then write an email message to those Senators explaining why you did this.

This is an extraordinary campaign; to my knowledge, nothing quite like this has ever been done. But this money can make all the difference in each of these races, and these Senators will know it. Senator McConnell is secure in his belief that no one will be able to raise the money to challenge him. We can show that he's wrong. The other Senators are already top targets in 2008, but they hope the power of incumbency and fundraising can save them. We can show them that the power of Washington won't stand against the power of the people.

We can raise the stakes for them and make the pressure they feel from the people greater than the pressure they feel from the White House. And when that happens, they just might help tell this President that his policy is a disaster and we must change course.

Let's clear the way for a new direction in Iraq -- let's insist on a policy that lives up to the sacrifice of our incredible troops.

Sincerely,

John Kerry

 LEADERS TO DEBATE IF CONSERVATIVES CAN BE TRUSTED
     TO GOVERN AT NATIONAL PRESS CLUB THURSDAY

     Experts Probe Conservative Failure As Presidential Candidates
     Prepare To Debate At Reagan Library

WASHINGTON – Editor of The Weekly Standard, William Kristol, and founding
co-editor of The American Prospect, Robert Kuttner, will face-off on Thursday in
a debate on whether conservatives can be trusted to govern, the same day
Republican presidential candidates gather for their first debate at the Ronald
Reagan presidential library. The debate, which will be moderated by Time
Magazine’s Karen Tumulty, is part of a daylong conference at the National Press
Club exposing how conservative ideas have failed America.

Kuttner joined Campaign for America’s Future co-director Robert Borosage and
other progressive leaders on a conference call with reporters today to announce
a major offensive to link conservative ideas and policies to their failures.
Thursday’s conference, sponsored by the Campaign for America’s Future and The
American Prospect, kicks-off the effort. The Campaign for America’s Future also
recently launched a new blog, “The Big Con,” to track the conservative failure,
arguing that conservatives can’t govern because they get the world wrong.

DEBATE ON CONSERVATISM

DATE: Thursday, May 3, 2007

TIME: 1 p.m. ET
**NOTE: Lunch will be served at 12:30 p.m.**

PLACE:
National Press Club Ballroom
529 14th Street NW

PARTICIPANTS:
Robert Kuttner, co-editor, The American Prospect
William Kristol, editor, The Weekly Standard
Karen Tumulty of Time Magazine will moderate

To repeat a theme expressed after the Democrats' debate, everybody in Thursday night's GOP debate is better qualified to be president than W.

  
  
Hi Gregg,
Last year, Connecticut Democrats heard my call for an end to the war in Iraq and nominated me to be their U.S. Senate candidate. The pundits derided our campaign, but John Kerry had my back. We didn't win the general election, but the explosion of activist energy my campaign triggered helped change the debate nationally and led to Democrats winning a majority in both houses of Congress.

John Kerry and the new Democratic-majority Senate you helped elect are fighting to end the war in Iraq. They have passed legislation to set a deadline for bringing our troops home. But President Bush vetoed that bill, and Senate Republicans continue to act as a roadblock, giving cover for the President and planning to shoot down any attempts at challenging his potential veto.

Four of those Roadblock Republicans -- Susan Collins (ME), John Sununu (NH), Norm Coleman (MN), and minority leader Mitch McConnell (KY) -- will face the voters in 2008. Nothing changes a politician's mind like the prospect of a tough challenge at the polls. Click here to help Clear the Roadblock.

When you're done, please be sure and use John Kerry's site to send an email to the Senators you've targeted telling them what you did and letting them know that it's time they get with the program. They need to hear our voices. And if they get thousands of messages, not only telling them what they should be doing, but also telling them that we are actively working for that change we seek, I assure you they will have to hear it.

The activist energy of the 2006 campaign moved the entire national debate on Iraq. From that point onward, people like John Kerry, who were fighting against the odds for a change of course, had the support of the Democratic caucus -- and now a Senate majority committed to change. It's time for another burst of activist energy to move this issue forward in GOP territory, and I'm proud to join John Kerry in calling on you to apply some pressure to the Republican caucus.

If we can put enough pressure on these members of the Senate, we can force the Republican Party to change their thinking and start isolating the White House to force a resolution. They won't lead, so we have to tell them to follow, or we'll force them out of the way.

Put pressure on them and try to get our troops home. Click here to help Clear the Roadblock.

Thank you,

Ned Lamont

Edited by author 05-05-2007 09:36 AM
Paris Hilton gets jail time. Maybe they can put her in the cell that Martha had, so she feels at home with some luxuries. Why do we make major news out of these divas, who have little talent and little to offer our culture other than booties that they are more than willing to expose? Sexism is alive and well in the media, and Paris, Britney and the rest of the young women who are in and out of jail or rehab every other week exploit it to grab attention.

Hello to VSN Members!
 
As many of you know the invasive plant species Garlic Mustard threatens native plants and animals in our local woodlands. The spread of Garlic Mustard is an issue not to be taken lightly and we need your help before local patches of Garlic Mustard go to seed. A single plant produces thousands of seeds that can survive in dormancy for up to 7 years!
 
Recently we have been notified of a rather large patch of Garlic Mustard that is nearly in full bloom and needs to be destroyed and controlled RIGHT NOW. This patch of Garlic Mustard in located between Avalanche and Bloomingdale on County S. The current property owners have given VSN and volunteers permission to enter the property to destroy this large patch before it goes to seed. If we are not successful, it is feared that this beautiful section of the Kickapoo Valley will lose many of its beautiful wildflower species.
 
WE NEED YOUR HELP! Time is of the essence. We are coordinating a Garlic Mustard Cleanup Challenge. VSN and local volunteers will meet in Avalanche during the following days: Tuesday, May 8th - Thursday, May 10th. We will operate two shifts per day (3-5 PM and 6-8 PM). Volunteers will be primarily pulling Garlic Mustard plants while other methods of control are being discussed.
 
This is strictly a volunteer event and our success depends on your involvement! If you are free for two or more hours over the next few days please join our effort. If you are interested please contact the following coordinators:
 
Barbara Christie (608) 634-2110
Gary Thompson (608) 632-0058
 
You can also call the VSN office at (608) 637-3615.
 
Thank you very much!
 
Jessica Luhning
Projects Coordinator
Valley Stewardship Network

Tony Blair has announced his time in office will be ending. How bad must he feel about ever hitching his wagon to the horse of George W. Bush? The war on terror would be much better run today if it had been the other way around.

 
Hello to VSN Members!

The next VSN Board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, May 16th at 7:00 PM at the VSN office. I have attached a meeting agenda for your review. As always, VSN members are welcome and encouraged to attend the Board meetings! If you cannot attend the meetings but have ideas, comments or suggestions you can call me at the office and I will pass them along.

Thank you,
Jessica Luhning
Projects Coordinator
Valley Stewardship Network
124 1/2 S. Main St.
Viroqua, WI 54665

(608) 637-3615
www.kickapoovsn.org

Join others concerned with stewardship of the Kickapoo -
become a member of Valley Stewardship Network for all those who live, work, and play in the Valley

 
Hello to VSN Members!

Spring has sprung in the Kickapoo Valley and we hope that you have been able to enjoy the warmth and all of the beautiful wildflowers that are beginning to bloom! I have attached the Spring 2007 Member Update for your viewing pleasure.

Recently VSN coordinated a local "Step-It-Up" event to combat global climate change in downtown Viroqua, which was held April 14th. Also, water quality monitoring is full swing and many thanks go out to our Kickapoo Citizen Water Monitors.

In addition, we enjoyed a successful Kickapoo River Clean-up on Saturday, May 5th. The event was held in the Gays Mills area and we had a great volunteer turn-out! Volunteers were able to remove over 1,500 lbs of litter from the river including 3 propane tanks, a water heater, a gas stove, lawn chairs and countless plastic containers and other misc. items. Volunteers enjoyed music, brats, and vegetarian chili after the event. THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS!

Also, I would like to informally introduce myself to all VSN members. I have recently taken over as the new Projects Coordinator. Christy Stellner has been busy teaching me the ropes and I am sorry to say that her last "official" day as Projects Coordinator was April 30th. She will be missed and I am sure we will all look for her to assist with future VSN events. Please stop by the office or give me a call...I would love to meet you!

Have a great day!

Jessica Luhning
Projects Coordinator
Valley Stewardship Network
124 1/2 S. Main St.
Viroqua, WI 54665

(608) 637-3615
www.kickapoovsn.org

Center Analyzes EPA Diversion of Money Needed by Hundreds of Superfund Sites
 
WASHINGTON, D.C., May 10, 2007 — The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has collected $709 million from possible Superfund polluters over the past seven years and diverted the money into special site-specific accounts, according to a Center for Public Integrity analysis , effectively placing hundreds of millions of dollars out of reach of other Superfund sites waiting for cleanup.
 
The EPA Inspector General’s office has criticized the agency for holding these funds in special accounts longer than necessary and it, along with other federal agencies, are reviewing how the money is managed.
 
After a little-noticed 2000 policy reversal, the EPA began to tuck away cleanup settlement reimbursements into site-specific accounts used only for future work at those sites.
 
After multiple requests, EPA officials refused to provide the Center with information on the exact number of these special accounts, although an August 2005 agency memo put them at more than 500 at that time. There are no publicly available documents clearly breaking down cleanup reimbursements, balances in these accounts or how the money is used. The EPA internal documents detailing this information can be obtained only through filing a Freedom of Information Act request, which the Center has done.
 
The findings are part of “Wasting Away: Superfund’s Toxic Legacy,” the Center’s investigation into the dramatic slowdown in waste site cleanups and the declining amount of cleanup costs recovered by the EPA from potentially responsible companies.
 
Reimbursements from companies for site cleanups during the Superfund program’s peak was $320 million in fiscal years 1998 and 1999, but that significantly declined to $60 million in 2005 and 2006. The Center confirmed these cost recovery numbers in several public sources — the federal budget, Treasury department and Congressional Research Service reports — but the EPA made no mention of including the hundreds of millions of dollars in site-specific accounts in its comments or public accounting.
 
# # #
 
The Center for Public Integrity is a nonprofit, nonpartisan Washington, D.C.-based organization that does investigative reporting and research on significant public issues. Since 1990, the Center has released more than 300 investigative reports and 15 books. It has received the prestigious George Polk Award and more than 20 other journalism awards and 16 finalist nominations from national organizations, including PEN USA and Investigative Reporters and Editors. In April 2006, the Society of Professional Journalists recognized the Center with a national award for excellence in online public service journalism for the fifth consecutive year. In October 2006, the Center also was honored with the Online News Association’s coveted General Excellence award.

Gas prices have soared to record levels, and the summer driving season is not even here. Despite spin by the Bush Administration and others in bed with the oil companies and refineries, the high prices are pushing us into a recession -- as evidenced by the slump in housing sales, the lowest retail sales in any one month for years, etc. Even Walmart has slumped, and it is linked with fuel costs. As the public has to pay more to go from here to there, they have less to spend once there. And, the higher transportation prices are passed on by many businesses. The federal government could step in and regulate prices, but don't hold your breath.

The Republicans are actually fighting among themselves during the campaign. Usually, the Democrats are the ones who shoot each other up before they pick a candidate. Each of the GOP frontrunners have baggage they are carrying. Probably the heaviest bag is that of George W. Bush. The candidate who can distance himself from W --basically convincing people they won't run from GOP principles like low taxes, etc., but will conduct business more intelligently -- is likely to become the party's candidate.

Hello to VSN Members!

Come spend the day on the river!

Due to the overwhelming success of the Kickapoo River Cleanup held on
Saturday, May 5th a few dedicated volunteers and VSN members are headed back
to the river for a second cleanup. The second Kickapoo River Cleanup is
scheduled for Sunday, May 20th and we are looking for hard-working,
fun-loving volunteers to spend a few hours removing trash and litter from
the main channel of the Kickapoo River between Readstown and Soldiers Grove.

Interested volunteers should meet at the Crooked River Resort Office located
on Highway 61, 1/4 mile south of Junction 14/61. The scheduled meeting time
is 9:30 AM. Please bring your own bottled drinking water and gloves.

If you plan on attending or if you need additional information please
contact Mark Drake at (608) 735-4574 or you can also call Jessica Luhning,
VSN Projects Coordinator, at (608) 637-3615.

Thanks so much and we hope to see you Saturday!

Jessica Luhning
Projects Coordinator
Valley Stewardship Network
124 1/2 S. Main St.
Viroqua, WI 54665

(608) 637-3615

Jimmy Carter called it on the head when he called the Bush Administration the worst in history. Of course, Carter's time in office will never be seen as a model for presidencies either. But, it looks good in comparison to the current administration. Carter and Clinton have actually been better, and more respected, leaders as ex-presidents than they ever were a presidents.

Americans who are satisfied with the direction of the country have dropped by half since 2003, according to a recent poll. Discontent has grown primarily because of Iraq and the general conduct of the Bush Administration. If this translates into a good turnout for the 2008 election, and some intelligence demonstrated in the voters' choices, it might be turned into a good thing. You can't fix a problem until you recognize there is one, and not enough voters recognized this in 2004.

Gas prices continue to climb even though we aren't into the summer driving season yet. They inevitably will lead to inflation, followed by a slowdown in the economy. They come when crude oil actually is selling at $7 per barrel less than it did a year ago. Gas companies cite breakdowns at refineries as the reason. So in other words, incompetence in maintenance, planning, etc. on their parts should cause pain at the pump for all of us. Those companies have been making record profits for years now. They should simply take less profit, reinvest in their processing plants and provide a decently-priced product to the consumer, until we can get off gas and onto alternative sources of energy.

So the Dems have given Bush through the summer to see if his surge will work in Iraq. It's a political compromise, but how many more Americans will die there while an obviously flawed policy is carried on so Bush can save some face. The Iraqis reportedly already are preparing for a U.S. pullout, starting in the fall. Why not accept the inevitable and get our people out now. This is one reason many people no longer have respect for our politicians, Dems of GOP. They are willing to play with the lives of our young people in the military for the sake of political compromise.

So ths U.S. and Iran are finally talking, at least about Iraq. It took the Bush Administration long enough to realize that diplomacy doesn't just mean you talk to people who already agree with you, like one of W's campaign stops.

Here are some dream team matchups from the debates the other night: Obama/Richardson, Obama/Dodd, Edwards/Richardson, Hillary/Obama. Of course, the latter will not happen, since both are only interested in the top jon. But, the other combos all would give the Dems a ticket that would be hard to beat.

Hello to VSN Members!

VSN has been very busy this spring working with local VSN members and other
citizens of the Kickapoo Valley to promote good stewardship through a
variety of activities and events such as the Step-It-Up Rally in April and
the Annual Kickapoo River Cleanup in early May. Most recently, VSN and a
group of hard-working volunteers have been working on a local Garlic Mustard
Eradication Effort (GMEE).

Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is an invasive plant species that poses
a severe threat to native plants and animals in our Kickapoo Watershed
forest communities. Two VSN members, Lloyd and Mary Lee Croatt, who own
property on County Trunk S near Avalanche became alarmed by a large patch of
garlic mustard on a neighboring property. Fearing further garlic mustard
infestation and the loss of nearby prairie restoration efforts, they worked
in a proactive manner by contacting the local media in an effort to spread
awareness about this rapidly invading, non-native plant. As a result, the
Westby Times' Dorothy Jasperson has dedicated two articles to the Croatt's
and VSN's local Garlic Mustard Eradication Efforts (GMEE).

In addition, the community's response has been quite positive. VSN received
interest from a number of volunteers, especially students from the Youth
Initiative High School, Laurel High School and Waters Edge High School in
Wauconda, Illinois. Volunteer crews spent roughly two weeks removing garlic
mustard plants from the infested property located on County Trunk S near
Avalanche. As a result, over 3,000 pounds of garlic mustard was removed and
successfully disposed of! Many thanks go out to the number of student
volunteers who dedicated time and effort to this cause. Next year, in
addition to the students, let's rally the adults!

The good news is that local units of government are working to secure funds
to tackle garlic mustard removal but at this point it is a community effort
and VSN is looking to you for assistance. VSN has dedicated funds for our
annual river cleanup and citizen-based water quality monitoring project but
no available funds for events such as the Garlic Mustard Eradication Effort
(GMEE). The costs associated with the garlic mustard removal event total
approximately $200.00. For those of you who were not able to donate time, a
donation of funds would be much appreciated.

If you would like to donate funds, please send a check or money order to the
Valley Stewardship Network and make sure to include a notation on your check
or money order indicating that you would like your donation to go towards
the Garlic Mustard Eradication Effort (GMEE).

VSN would like to thank all members and volunteers who have assisted us in
our efforts to promote good stewardship in the Kickapoo Watershed!

Thanks again,

Jessica Luhning
Projects Coordinator
Valley Stewardship Network
124 1/2 S. Main St.
Viroqua, WI 54665

(608) 637-3615
www.kickapoovsn.org

Join others concerned with stewardship of the Kickapoo -
become a member of Valley Stewardship Network for all those who live, work,
and play in the Valley

Lieberman says war options should be weighed against Iran. Just think we almost elected him VP in 2000. He is such a hawk that he scares you as much as Bush and Cheney.

Registration Deadlines and Special Fees
Announced For Viroqua Writers Workshop


 VIROQUA, WI – The registration deadline and $200 fee for this fall’s Viroqua Writers Workshop has been set at Sept. 6, it was announced today by organizers of the conference.
The Sept. 27-29 workshop will feature two prominent guest authors, experts in a variety of story subjects from Wisconsin’s Driftless Area, and a special panel on the business of freelance writing and photography.
 In addition, it was announced that writers and photographers who sign up by Aug. 1 will be able to do so for one-half of the conference fee, or $100.
 “Interest in the workshop has been strong, and we already have a number of writers and photographers who have lined up to take part, so we decided it was time to set a registration deadline,” said Ingrid Mahan, executive director of Viroqua Partners, the not-for-profit community group that is organizing the fall workshop.



 
“We have also received a great deal of interest from folks for whom the full conference fee is a little steep, so we decided to offer them an opportunity to take part by registering early for the fee of just $100,” she added.
Mahan said the registration fee income will help to offset some of the workshop expenses, although financial support from the Viroqua community for the workshop “has been just tremendous, which makes it possible for us to bring in more people at the lower fee level.” She said any registrations already received at the $200 level will be refunded $100.
Wisconsin best-selling authors Ben Logan and Michael Perry will be taking part in roundtable meetings with the participants, to share their own insights and thoughts about the art and craft of writing during the workshop on Friday, Sept. 28.
Both authors are also scheduled to read from their published works at an informal Friday evening community reception and cookout at the West Fork Sports Club in the countryside outside Viroqua.
“Everyone who knows and loves the writing of Ben Logan and Mike Perry are being invited to attend the Friday evening cookout,” said Mahan. “We will have a special ticket available for $35 for those who want to attend this very special and unique Wisconsin literary event.”
Program and registration materials are available on the Viroqua web site: www.viroqua-wisconsin.com

Industry analysts now say we soon will have a surplus of ethanol. Not enough cars have been converted to use it all. If that doesn't show how quickly we could actually supply alternative fuels, what does? Meanwhile, the auto and other traditional industries lag behind.

So now Bush, and his old man, are implicated in the stealing of Geronimo's bones through the Yale Bonesmen. No response from the White House to the accusation leveled by Geronimo's grandson. It's apparently not enough to pick the American public's bones clean with an expensive war in Iraq and unchecked health care. They join a so-called elite club that basically supported grave robbers. To be somewhat non-partisan, John Kerry also is a member of the group.

Almost everywhere you look, alternative energy facilities face opposition before they are built. "Great idea, but not in my backyard" is the norm. But, ethanol plants, wind farms, solar panels, etc. has to be in somebody's backyard if they are to be built at all. If we really want change, we have to take some responsibility for it.

Hello Concerned Citizens and VSN Members,

There is strong support on the Vernon County Land & Water Conservation
Committee for a one-year moratorium of any new, large animal confinement
operations. We need this time to craft a local ordinance that protects
family farmers, property rights, local control, and our unique environment
and way of life. You can help!

1. Print the attached petition, sign it, gather signatures from your
friends and neighbors, and return it by Tuesday July 10th to the VSN Office
at 124 1/2 South Main Street, Viroqua, WI 54665.

2. Call your County Board representatives and tell them "I support the
moratorium". They are ready to hear your concerns and ideas. If you are
unsure of who your representatives are go to the following Vernon County
webpage: http://www.vernoncounty.org/board/board.htm

3. Come to the Land and Water Conservation Committee meeting at 9:00 a.m.,
Friday July 13th at the Vernon County Court House (3rd Floor) to show your
support for a moratorium.

Your voice matters. It WILL make a difference. Take action today.

Thank you!

Joe Hart - Kickapoo Free Press

Matt Urch - Land Stewardship Project and Local Farmer

Jessica Luhning, Projects Coordinator - Valley Stewardship Network
124 1/2 S. Main St.
Viroqua, WI 54665

(608) 637-3615

McCain has fired some of his staffers. That's a sure sign of a campaign that is in trouble. He's acting like a conservative version of his buddy, John Kerry. With McCain's stance on the Iraq war, and penchant for saber rattling, he has no chance anyway. The public wants out of Iraq and wants the U.S. to fight the war on terrorism with some brains, not just brawn.

     
 
 
  

ON TAP TODAY …

From the Editor
My Manuscripts on WritersMarket.com
Excerpts From Market Watch
Writer's Market Praise
Freelance Success Stories Contest
Writer's Digest Blogs
News for Writers

 
   QUICK LINKS

WritersMarket.com
Contact us




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RESOURCES FOR WRITERS
Writer's Digest magazine
Books for writers
Online writing courses
Writer's Digest Book Club

 
  
  

FROM THE EDITOR

National Poetry Month was in April, but that doesn't make my latest good news any less special: I have a poetry blog with Nancy Breen, editor of Poet's Market, called Poetic Asides. We started blogging around the end of June and have already received a great response from readers. I encourage you to check it out too.

It was only a matter of time until I joined the teeming masses of poets who blog, and I'm happy that Nancy and I can present something a little different because of our dual identities as mild-mannered editors by day and crime fighting poets by night. These days, everyone seems to be blogging.

Blogging is exciting, to be sure, but can also become a little frightening and overwhelming. For some, it even becomes addictive.

What do you think about blogging? Do you blog? Would you blog? Do you think writers should be blogging? Send your thoughts to me at wmonline@fwpubs.com (and let me know if you'd prefer to stay anonymous if quoted in a future newsletter issue).

Until next we meet, keep writing and marketing what you write.

Robert Lee Brewer
Editor
Writer's Market
WritersMarket.com

If you're only subscribed to the newsletter, it's about time you signed up for WritersMarket.com so you can take advantage of more than 6,000 markets where you can sell your writing. At only $29.99/year, it's the best way to stay connected with the publishing industry, while you write!



MY MANUSCRIPTS ON WRITERSMARKET.COM


With the relaunch of WritersMarket.com, Submission Tracker was replaced with My Manuscripts, an easy-to-use record-keeping tool for your submissions to markets listed on WritersMarket.com.

 

First, add a manuscript (a "manuscript" can be any project you're working on, from an article to a movie script) to My Manuscripts:

Click the My Manuscripts button located in the top navigation.
Click the Add Manuscript button. Give your manuscript a title and include as much or as little additional information as you like.
Click the Save button.
Now, you're ready to locate a market you intend to query about your project.

On the My Manuscripts page, click the View Submissions link located to the right of your manuscript.
Click Add New Submission.
Select the option to search the entire WritersMarket.com database for a market listing, or browse the market listings you have already saved in My Folders.
Once you've found a market listing that interests you, add that market listing to your manuscript's submission history.

Find "Submit a manuscript to this market" box on the right-hand side of the page. (Note: WritersMarket.com does not actually submit anything to markets as this is to be used as a record-keeping tool.)
Choose a manuscript from the dropdown list.
Click the Save button.
Once a manuscript is added, you can edit that manuscript entry as often as you need by clicking on My Manuscripts.

 




EXCERPTS FROM MARKET WATCH


Follow the latest publishing news you can use, updated daily, on our exclusive Market Watch feature, by columnist Debbie Ridpath Ohi. Recent headlines include:

FIGHT!: martial arts magazine to launch: Published by Bluff Media, FIGHT! magazine launches in late July and will provide in-depth coverage of mixed martial arts, its competitors, and the lifestyles of fighters.
Organize: independent women's magazine launches: Launched by a former homemaker, Organize targets women who work full time or are full-time mothers and aims to help these women find "a sense of order and feeling of control over the work desk or toy bin."
Putnam launches new imprint: Effective July 9, Amy Einhorn will be VP and publisher of her own imprint at G.P. Putnam's Sons. Amy Einhorn Books will publish fiction, narrative nonfiction and commercial nonfiction.
Keep checking Market Watch for all your publishing news. Missed a Market Watch item? Subscribers to WritersMarket.com can access a three-month archive of Debbie Ridpath Ohi's Market Watch news.

 




WRITER'S MARKET PRAISE


In the previous newsletter, I mentioned the recent release of the 2008 Writer's Market. I've heard reports from many of you about how it's been making it onto bookshelves. Here are a few words of praise for the book:

 

"I can hardly wait to get my hands on my own copy of the 2008 Writer's Market. Some of my friends and writing buddies have asked why I get the newest version each year...simple answer...'I love it!' I will close my office door and read every word of the article pages, then thumb through for a peek at new market possibilities and other changes. I usually read all 1,150 or so pages, including the index, to see what's changed and to get inspired to try some new markets. Can't wait!!!"

 

—Mary Davis

Montrose, Iowa

 

"When I discovered the writing section of my local bookstore, I was like a kid in a candy shop. But when I discovered the Writer's Market; I discovered gold! Everything you ever wanted to know about writing was in that hefty book. I've been studying the world of writing and reading the WD how-to books for about five years, preparing myself for the writer's life. I just have one thing to add...thank you!"

 

—Jim Cessna

Writer in Training!





FREELANCE SUCCESS STORIES CONTEST


With the publication of 2008 Writer's Market also comes the publication of the inaugural Freelance Success Stories contest winners, who are Jeff Yeager, Michelle Bermas, and John K. Borchardt. And now also opens up the competition for the 2009 edition of Writer's Market.

 

The contest is free with first, second and third prizes, ranging from $250-100, plus publication in 2009 Writer's Market, as well as a copy of the book and WritersMarket.com subscription. You can get a good feel for what works by looking at the Freelance Success Stories piece on page 33 of 2008 Writer's Market, but essentially, I'm looking for personal (no tips pieces) or unique stories of success from everyday freelance writers. It may concern a first sale, a unique sale, a crazy situation, etc. Think inspirational or humorous. (And yes, it must be true.)

 

You can check out the full details of the Freelance Success Stories contest (including the deadline and where to send your entries) by either checking out the listing on WritersMarket.com. After logging in, type Freelance Success Stories in the Keyword Search field.




WRITER'S DIGEST BLOGS


Nancy Breen and I recently started our Poetic Asides blog on WritersDigest.com (as mentioned above), but WritersDigest.com offers other great blogs as well.

 

The Writer's Perspective, by Maria Schneider, is dedicated to the publishing industry and other writing-related news. She'll keep you up-to-date on the writing essentials, all while providing links that might interest you and commentaries on the industry's hottest topics.

 

Questions & Quandaries, by Brian A. Klems, answers some of the most pressing grammatical, ethical, business and writing-related questions. This is an extension of his popular column in Writer's Digest magazine.

 

This Writer's Life, by Kevin Alexander, gives his witty take on starting a writing career. Join in his often amusing, occasionally heartfelt experiences trying to get a leg up in this challenging field.

 

Plus, Guide to Literary Agents' editor Chuck Sambuchino maintains a blog over at http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com. Be sure to check it out for all the latest news and views on literary agents.



NEWS FOR WRITERS


Chuck Sambuchino, editor of Guide to Literary Agents (www.guidetoliteraryagents.com) and assistant editor of Writer's Market, will be speaking at the Harriette Austin Writers' Conference, held July 20-21, in Athens, Georgia. Chuck will speak on "Building Your Freelance Portfolio" and "What You Need to Know About Agents." For more details, visit http://harrietteaustin.org/default.aspx.

 

Jane Friedman, editorial director of Writer's Digest Books and Writer's Market annuals, will be speaking at Sacramento State's Summer Writers' Conference. Her sessions focus on the internal workings of the book publishing industry and how to avoid sabotaging your writing career. The conference will be held August 10-12 on the campus of Sacramento State University. For more details, visit http://www.cce.csus.edu/conferences/writers/Conf07/.

 

Chuck Sambuchino will be speaking at the Writers' Conference at Ocean Park, held August 13-17, in Ocean Park, Maine. Chuck will speak on "How to Get Your Writing Published" and "Writing for Magazines." For more details, visit http://www.oceanpark.org/programs/events/writers/writers.html.

 

Chuck will also be speaking at Killer Nashville, a writers' conference with a strong emphasis on mystery writing. The conference will be held August 17-19, in the Nashville area. Chuck will speak on "Writing the Killer Query Letter," "Playwriting 101," and "Where is My Audience: Locating Markets." For more details, visit http://www.killernashville.com.

 

*****

 

Our MySpace roll call. Be sure to request the following profiles as your friends if you are on this popular social networking site:

Writer's Digest Books http://www.myspace.com/wdbooks
Writer's Market http://www.myspace.com/writersmarket
Writer's Digest http://www.myspace.com/writersdigest
CWIM's Alice Pope http://www.myspace.com/alice_cwim
*****

 

The Market Books now have mini-sites with information about each book and a place to sign up for a free newsletter. To check these mini-sites out and sign up for the free newsletters, go to:

Novel & Short Story Writer's Market www.novelandshortstory.com
Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market www.cwim.com
Poet's Market www.poetsmarket.com
Guide to Literary Agents www.guidetoliteraryagents.com
Photographer's Market www.photographersmarket.com
Artist's & Graphic Designer's Market www.artists-market.com
Songwriter's Market www.songwritersmarket.com
*****

 

Interested in markets in the United Kingdom and Ireland? Then check out, Writer's Market UK at: http://www.writersmarket.co.uk

 



   
 

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Edited by author 07-06-2007 09:32 AM
It's clear now that Libby always was set up as the fall guy in the Plame case. Take the rap, get convicted, but W will take care of you in the end. Bush is not sharp enough to figure out such a diabolical plot, but Cheney, who could run any Mafia mob, is and probably did. The Dems should push for an investigation of the Veep. There isn't time to boot him out of office, but they can humiliate him to the degree his arrogance deserves, and perhaps even lead to a criminal conviction once he is out of office.

Hello VSN Members,

VSN will hold their July Board Meeting this Wednesday, the 18th at the VSN
Office at 124 1/2 S. Main Street in Viroqua (above the State Farm Insurance
Office). The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. VSN members are welcome and
encouraged to attend. I have attached a meeting agenda for your review. If
you have any comments or suggestions regarding an item on the meeting agenda
please feel free to contact me or come to the meeting to discuss your
thoughts.

Have a great day!

Thanks,Jessica Luhning
Projects Coordinator
Valley Stewardship Network
124 1/2 S. Main St.
Viroqua, WI 54665

Dems and Republicans in Wisconsin differ on a universal health plan. The Gov is in between, wanting to enhance BadgerCare rather than reinvent the wheel. All the politicians should remember that most members of the public don't care who wins politically in this debate. All they want is a workable plan that gives them coverage the can afford.

There's nothing worse than watching a bunch of old men try to stay up late at night. That's what the all-night Senate debate over Iraq amounted to. The Dems don't have enough votes to over-ride a Bush veto anyway, and W won't go along with a timetable for withdrawal, unless he comes up with the idea eventually. You probably could have caught a more intelligent debate by going to a 24-hour restaurant and drinking coffee all night.

Hillary and Obama are sniping at each other while the W administration continues with the surge in Iraq, when it's already clear it is not working. The best candidate for President would be somebody who could coax enough lawmakers to over-ride a Bush veto of a timetable for withdrawal. Instead, of trooping through the cornfields of Iowa and calling each other names, be Senators, do your work effectively and prove while you should be President.

The NASA program is filled with controversy, from drunkenness and bizarre behavior by the astronauts themselves to sabotage. This is a program that should have been shifted to more private funding, and less tax dollars, a long time ago. It needs to come under close scrutiny and in this day of watching public money should be re-evaluated, not eliminated. Certainly, interests of some high tech and scientific private sector firms are more similar to the goals of NASA than the goals of the average taxpayer.

Good Morning VSN Members and Local Citizens!

Calling all green t-shirts...

On Friday, July 13th over 200 citizens took part in a peaceful rally on the
Vernon County Court House lawn to show their support for a large, animal
confinement operation moratorium! As you may already know, the Vernon
County Board of Supervisors will make their final vote on the moratorium at
the August 7th full County Board meeting. Before County Supervisors vote on
such an important local ordinance, they will have one last public
opportunity to hear from the concerned citizens who live, work, and play in
Vernon County. This opportunity comes in the form of a Public Hearing,
which is scheduled for Monday, July 30th at 7:00 p.m. The Public Hearing
will be held at the Western Technical College on Main Street in Downtown
Viroqua. Everyone is welcome to attend.

The previous rally that was held on July 13th was a huge success and has
gathered the attention of surrounding communities and counties. Our State
Legislature in Madison has heard our calls of concern. We have been
diligently working every day to inform our local representatives that their
are documented air and water quality risks associated with large, animal
confinement operations. We NEED your support once again at the Public
Hearing on Monday, July 30th.

We are organizing a rally in the parking lot of the Western Technical
College (WTC) in Viroqua at 6:00 p.m. So, put on your favorite green
t-shirt and head on down to the WTC to show your support! We ask that you
join us at 6:00 p.m. because word is out...those in opposition of the
moratorium and in favor of large, animal confinement operations will cease
their silence and make their way to the Public Hearing by means of a large
tractor brigade. Yes, it has come down to this.

Please join us, we need your support. The rally will last from 6:00 p.m.
until 7:00 p.m. Those of you who can't stay for the meeting, your presence
at the rally will be much appreciated. Bring you family and friends.
Spread the word. Feel free to pass this email on to at least five people
you know will be interested.

Thank you again for all of your efforts!

Jessica Luhning
Projects Coordinator
Valley Stewardship Network
124 1/2 S. Main St.
Viroqua, WI 54665

The Twin Cities bridge collapse is a tragic example of what is happening because of goverment officials' reluctance to spend any money on infrastructure. The bridge was deemed structurally unsounds a few years ago, yet only tweaking was done, as everybody from Pawlenty to local officials tried to keep down taxes. Infrastructure is a public entity and therefore should be adequately maintained. That's where our taxes should go rather than to rebuilding Iraq and some of the other stupid spending that is done by federal, state and local governments.

Quick kudos to those 300 or so people who attended the hearing mentioned in the VSN post of a couple days ago. Citizens presented their viewpoints, and while there were many instances of muttering among those in the crowd the overall proceedings were very civil and a true exercise in democracy. A 2400 hog operation in the terrain of the Driftless is just too big, and a moratorium should be passed. Then, government officials, environmentalists, farmers of all sized-operations and others should come together to determine how agriculture and the environment can both be served by any future regulations.

Good Evening VSN Members and Concerned Citizens,

The Vernon County Board will meet this Tuesday, August 7th to cast their
vote on the proposed livestock siting moratorium. The proposed moratorium
is a six month temporary freeze on the development of new and expanding
livestock facilities of 500 animal units or more. According to the
Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, "Local governments may temporarily halt
the development of livestock facilities to aid in their efforts to study and
possibly adopt new livestock siting regulation. This authority is referred
to as a moratorium or interim control ordinance."

This is by no means an anti-farming request. We are simply asking for a
short window of time to craft a livestock siting ordinance that protects the
health and safety of all Vernon County residents. According to the U.S.
Census of Agriculture, there were 2,230 farms in Vernon County in 2002. Of
the 2,230 farms, 97% of those farms were too small to be affected by the
proposed temporary moratorium. That said, between 1997 and 2002 only three
farms were established that would have been affected if the six month
moratorium had been in place.


Vernon County's legal counsel has advised the County Board that the proposed
moratorium is legal and defensible in the court of law. Threats of a
lawsuit have left County Board members unsure of whether they should support
the moratorium. Our local government should never be in a position to
sacrifice public health to ensure the monetary needs of outside interests.

A recent straw poll of Vernon County Supervisors has been completed. As of
Saturday, August 4th, 15 of the 29 Vernon County Supervisors remain
undecided as to whether they will vote in favor or against the proposed
temporary moratorium. We urge you to contact at least two of the undecided
Supervisors before this Tuesday. Please give me a call (608) 637-3615 in
the VSN office on Monday and I will be more than happy to provide you with
the phone numbers of our undecided Supervisors. We only ask that you call
two of the undecided supervisors and tell he/she to support the moratorium.
Your assistance in this effort could make the difference on Tuesday.

Please join us as we rally in support of the moratorium at the County Court
House lawn this Tuesday at 9:00 a.m. Feel free to attend the County Board
meeting after the rally.

Thank you for all of your efforts!

Jessica Luhning
Projects Coordinator
Valley Stewardship Network
124 1/2 Main Street
Viroqua, WI 56445

Good Afternoon VSN Members,

As you may or may not already know, the Vernon County Board of Supervisors
voted 23 to 6 against the proposed livestock facility moratorium. We knew
going in that this would be a difficult issue for the Board to consider but
there is always a rainbow to be found at the end of every dark storm.

Progress is happening. Many steps have been taken in the right direction
towards comprehensive planning and local livestock facility siting
regulation. The County Board voted in favor of beginning the comprehensive
planning process while also voting in favor of the proposed livestock
facility siting ordinance, which will provide the County with some
regulations regarding the siting of livestock facilities over 500 animal
units. We will continue to work towards more restrictive regulations
regarding the siting of livestock facilities in Vernon and Crawford
Counties. This process will take some time but we have technical and
community support to assist us in this process.

We currently have a support base of 1,200 people just in Vernon County alone
and the number is growing everyday. Our Crawford County friends and
neighbors to the south will need our support as they are currently facing a
very similar situation regarding proposed hog confinement operations. We
are developing both a short and long-term strategy to facilitate our efforts
as we move forward. Your continued support and volunteer efforts are needed
now more than ever.

We will be looking to expand our Citizen-Based Water Quality Monitoring
Program to collect baseline data in Rush Creek and the tributaries of the
Bad Axe River Watershed. We also hope to facilitate Comprehensive Planning
in both Vernon and Crawford Counties. Comprehensive planning is a crucial
component in the protection of surface and ground water quality as well as
the overall health and safety of local citizens. We encourage all of you to
take part in your Township planning and zoning process. If your Township
has not already started working on land use planning, encourage them to do
so. If you need assistance getting the ball rolling on township planning
please do not hesitate to call the Valley Stewardship Network Office at
637-3615. We can help you with this process.

Stay tuned...we will continue to keep you informed regarding this issue and
others affecting our local watershed. Thank you for all of your efforts!

Jessica Luhning
Projects Coordinator
Valley Stewardship Network
124 1/2 Main Street
Viroqua, WI 56445

(608) 637-3615
vsn@frontiernet.net

The recent debate over a large pig farm in Vernon County brought to light a weakness in the entire American economic system. Several supporters of big agriculture said farmers must plan to double the size of their operations every decade or so to survive. I do not doubt that contention, and you can see the mantra of growth throughout industries in America.

But, it's time that growth as a must has to be re-examined. In the case of big ag, it increases the chances of pollution from manure, etc., the main concern in Vernon County. It has stripped top soil from farms for years in the plains. It turns family farms into corporate farms.

You can't have Walmarts in every industry in America, especially those that depend on, and impact, the environment. In our overall economy, bigness leads to the exporting of jobs to the cheapest labor possible, planned obsolescense to growth can continue, the encouragement of consuming even it if means going into debt., etc.

Big vs. small, with the latter meaning sustainability, is an essential debate for us to all have.

The wicked witch is dead; make that Karl Rove has resigned. Rove has led American politics into the cut-throat, overly partisan, spin-dominated mess we see with his tactics. He likely leaked information about Valerie Plame and is probably leaving the Administration before he gets indicted. Good riddance to the man many called Bush's Brain. If Bush made the decisions he did with Rove as his brain, what will he do now that he is brainless?

The suicide rate in the military is at the highest rate in 26 years, according to a story by the AP. Such things always go up in a time of war, but especially during a time when the purpose of the war is not clear. Vietnam vets faced doubts and demoralization during that war. No mstter what the spin on the motivation of the troops is from the Bush Administration, many question what our purpose is in Iraq, and if we really have a strategy to help the Iraqis and eventually get the U.S. out.

Hello VSN Members,

The Valley Stewardship Network and the Vernon Economic Development
Association would like to formally invite you to a special presentation.
On August 28th, one of the Mid-West's premiere presenters on Sustainability,
the New Economy and the Eco-Municipality Movement, Fred Schnook, will speak
at the Vernon Memorial Hospital, Community Conference Rooms - Downstairs,
407 South Main Street, Viroqua, from 7:00 to 9:00 pm.

As the former Mayor of Ashland, Economic Developer and Public Administrator,
Fred brings a unique perspective to the topic of sustainability and is a
must see for elected officials, business people, government managers,
non-profit organizations, students, church members and anyone who cares
about the future direction and prosperity of the Kickapoo Valley Region.

Mr. Schnook's talk will be followed by a facilitated discussion. The
audience will have an opportunity to ask questions and form a dialogue with
the speaker and other audience members. Thank you and we hope to see you
Tuesday, August 28th. The presentation will begin promptly at 7:00 p.m. but
you are welcome to join us early for a networking session at 6:30 p.m.

Please contact me with any questions concerning the event.

Thank you,

Jessica Luhning
Projects Coordinator
Valley Stewardship Network
124 1/2 S. Main St.
Viroqua, WI 54665

(608) 637-3615
www.kickapoovsn.org

Join others concerned with stewardship of the Kickapoo -
become a member of Valley Stewardship Network for all those who live, work,
and play in the Valley

Hello VSN Members!

Please read and pass on the following email that we received from the
Kickapoo Valley Association (KVA). We will be coordinating clean-up and
relief efforts with KVA over the next several weeks. During this time of
need please help us assist our friends and neighbors who have been affected
by recent flooding. If you are interested in volunteering please contact me
at the VSN office (637-3615) as we are currently organizing volunteer
efforts. In addition, we will keep you updated by email regarding volunteer
opportunities. In the meantime, please make a food contribution to your
local collection center mentioned in the email below.

August 21, 2007


Food Needed For Kickapoo Flood Victims


As you probably know by now, it is estimated that 90% of the homes in Gays
Mills and an unknown number in Soldiers Grove have been damaged by flood
waters. Additional damage abounds. The Kickapoo Valley Association has
been in contact with the Crawford and Vernon Counties Emergency Management
representatives and is assisting in a food collection for the flood victims.
We have set up several food collection points in the valley. Please bring
non-perishable food only to these locations. We will then collect it and
deliver it to the distribution points. We need your contribution by 5:00 PM
on Friday, August 24.


Please forward this message to as many friends and family as you can or
phone them so we can accumulate as much food as possible.


The collection points we currently have are:



Peoples State Bank, Soldiers Grove

Bluedog Cycles, Viroqua

Cashton Mercantile, Cashton

George Wilbur Attorney/Celeste Gibson Office, LaFarge

Crooked River Resort, Readstown

Westby House, Westby

L & M BP, Wauzeka


On a related matter, we have been asked to inform our members that there
will be an informational meeting at the North Crawford school tonight at
6:00 pm for anyone in the Gays Mills/Soldiers Grove area that has been
affected by the flood. This meeting will provide information on what is
happening and where to seek help.



Jerry Quebe
President, Kickapoo Valley Association


Jessica Luhning
Valley Stewardship Network
124 1/2 S. Main St.
Viroqua, WI 54665

(608) 637-3615
www.kickapoovsn.org

Driftless Writers Blog will serve as a place for any posting of notices about flood relief in the Driftless area. Agencies and groups can send information to me at gregghof@aol.com or post it directly in this message board. If it helps to have an outlet for your stories about battling the flood, post them here too. My wife and I are also donating food stuffs, but I want to help additionally by offering this forum for VIP info.

Media fundraiser planned for Friday

By Tribune staff

.
The La Crosse Tribune will join other local media outlets for 12 hours Friday to raise money for The American Red Cross.

From 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., money for flood relief will be collected in front of the La Crosse Center, Nelson Agri-Center in Viroqua, Wis., and the City Auditorium in Caledonia, Minn.

The Winona Daily News is working on a fund drive in Winona, and details should be announced Wednesday.




Other ways to help



The American Red Cross is requesting money to help area flood victims. To make a donation, call 1-800-HELP-NOW.


Vernon County Emergency Management will collect money for flood victims at two locations. Money can be sent to Bethel Butikk, Food Pantry and Thrift Shop, 341 Blackhawk Ave. Westby, WI 54667; or American Red Cross, 2927 S. Losey Blvd., La Crosse, WI 54601. Designate your donation for “flood victims.”


Houston County Women’s Resources will hold a donation drive to assist residents of Houston County affected by the flood. Donations will be given to families in need. Items for donation include cleaning products, blankets and bedding, personal care items, non-perishable food items, and gift cards for grocery, department and hardware stores. The donations can be dropped off at The Houston County Women’s Resources Office between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. at 114 Main St. Hokah, Minn. For more information, call (507) 894-2676.


Catholic Charities is organizing a relief effort for people in the flooded areas of La Crosse, Vernon, Crawford and Richland counties. Send donations, to Catholic Charities of the Diocese of La Crosse, Flood Relief, P.O. Box 266, La Crosse WI 54602-0266.


Curves in La Crescent, Minn., is holding two silent auctions for Lynn and Sharon Parington, who lost their home in the Brownsville, Minn., mudslide. The first is from Aug. 27 through Sept. 15. The second is from Sept. 16-30. To donate items, call Theresa Skiles at (507) 895-5700.

Good Morning VSN Members!

VSN is coordinating flood relief efforts this morning with the Red Cross.
Last night, DeSoto was hit pretty hard by the most recent storm and people
there are in need of water. We are looking for volunteers with two pick-up
trucks or one three-quarter ton pick-up to make a one-time trip to haul 50
cases of drinking water from Viroqua to Desoto today.

Please contact the VSN office at 637-3615 ASAP if you can help!

Thank you!
Jessica Luhning
Projects Coordinator
Valley Stewardship Network
124 1/2 S. Main St.
Viroqua, WI 54665

(608) 637-3615
www.kickapoovsn.org

A crisis usually brings out the extremes in human behavior -- the best and worst if you will. In the Driftless Area, you have seen some of the best, by people willing to help those victims of the floods and landslides. Many of these people also have been victims, and didn't have a whole lot of resources to begin with. But, they are helping, with food and cash donations, labor, you name it. Undoubtedly, there will be some who try fraudulent schemes, etc. to exploit the situation. That's the worst I mentioned earlier. But, most of the efforts by folks here make me proud to say I live in the Driftless Area. Help these folks help themselves by checking out the various relief agencies, etc. that are being posted here and elsewhere on DWB.

Hello VSN Members!

VSN is organizing flood relief efforts for Gays Mills and the outlying
communities starting tomorrow, Friday August 24th at 11:00 a.m. For those
of you interested in volunteering, please meet at the North Crawford High
School between Soldiers Grove and Gays Mills on Highway 131. VSN will have
a volunteer command center set up as a place to organize. As volunteers we
need you to check in at the VSN command center to sign-in when you arrive
and when you leave. We will be working throughout the weekend; your efforts
are needed as soon as you are able.

We will need volunteers to staff the command center, help residents and
businesses with clean-up efforts in Gays Mills, and possibly go door-to-door
assessing needs in some of the outlying communities that have not received
any assistance as of yet. Crew leaders will be identified at the command
center.

If interested in volunteering please come prepared with rubber boots,
gloves, and drinking water. Also, the following supplies are needed to help
our volunteer crews: shovels, rakes, trash bags, chain saws and trained
operators, and any other item or equipment you think might be helpful.
Please bring what you can as supplies are very limited.

As of Thursday afternoon, there was no standing water in Gays Mills and the
water has receded to the bridge. Please come prepared to work and
understand that the work will be DIRTY.

Your help with VSN volunteer flood relief efforts is needed and will be very
much appreciated. If interested in volunteering you can reach a VSN
Coordinating Member at the following phone numbers:

Mike Wheeler: 608-624-5292
Gary Thompson: 608-632-0058
Jessica Luhning: 608-637-3615 or 367-8568

Thank you again!

Jessica Luhning
Projects Coordinator
Valley Stewardship Network
124 1/2 S. Main St.
Viroqua, WI 54665

(608) 637-3615
www.kickapoovsn.org

Alberto becomes the latest member of the Bush Administration to resign under pressure. W and Cheney might be the only men standing by the end of an Administration that has to go down as one of the worst in our history.

 
Good Morning VSN Members,

VSN flood relief efforts will continue throughout the week and the coming
weekend. VSN Board members and staff want to thank all of you who have
volunteered to help those in need over the past few days. Our efforts have
at times been chaotic and disorganized as we attempt to coordinate with
various emergency relief organizations/agencies. Thank you for your
patience!

VSN has been contacted by Lori at the Vernon County Emergency Mgmt. Office
(637-5207). Lori is requesting one-two volunteers to help an elderly woman
(84 years) in Stoddard who has a wet & muddy basement because of last night
and this morning's storms. She is fearful of going into her basement as she
doesn't want to fall. Her name is Marianne Hull and her address is W297 St.
Hwy 162. Her phone number is 457-2544. If you are able to volunteer to
help Marianne please contact me here at the VSN office so we can make
arrangements.

Also, for those members interested in helping out folks in Gays Mills flood
relief efforts will continue throughout the week. Volunteers can report to
the Gays Mills Community Building on Main St. in downtown Gays Mills. The
volunteer command center has been moved from the Firestation to the
Community Building. Volunteers must report to the Community Building,
check-in and receive a volunteer wrist band. Volunteers are working morning
to night and your help is needed. Breakfast, lunch and dinner is being
offered at no cost to volunteers at the North Crawford High School on Hwy.
131 between Soldiers Grove and Gays Mills.

 In addition, the Red Cross has just received a delivery of water,
non-perishable food, and clean-up kits. A supply distribution center is
being set-up at the Living Faith Church in Viroqua (behind Midway Motel and
Main Street Kitchen). It has taken some time for the Red Cross to organize
the distribution center but it should be up and running early this week.
Max Olson is the Red Cross Coordinator and he can be reached at 637-6388 or
(512) 745-7905. There will be varying volunteer shifts at the distribution
center so contact Max if you are interested.

Below are a couple of the many flood relief stories that have emerged in the
last few days. Our hearts go out to those who have been affected by recent
flooding and wind storms. If you can contribute volunteer time, food,
monetary donations please do so. The following stories were provided by
our Board Member, Mike Wheeler.

While at the North Crawford School - I talked with the Red Cross Director
and he relayed this to me. He had an elderly woman come in for assistance
that said she had a piano wash down the river into her back yard - she
doesn't know who it belongs to. She told him that every time the sun pokes
through the clouds, she goes out and plays a song on the piano - and she
began weeping. Soon he was weeping and it spread to the entire group at the
school. As he was retelling the story to me, his eyes began welling again
and soon the tears spread to me and others in the area.

My friend John brought his Bobcat from Madison to help clear flood debris.
We finished rebuilding a driveway that was washed out from a flooded stream.
It was about 11:00 pm when we finished so the Bobcat and trailer was left at
the site. When John returned the next morning to retrieve the equipment the
woman came out in bare feet and PJ's to thank John for helping repair their
drive. She asked him why he had decided to come from Madison to help
strangers. His reply was 'someone needs to help these people' - she began
crying and gave John a big hug and thank you. Afterwards, John told me he
had never felt as good as he did at that moment. He said he'd remember the
feeling forever.


Another avenue for volunteers: contact Lori at the Vernon County Emergency
Management Office 637-5207. She can provide you with a list of people in
the area that are requesting help.

Thank you!

Jessica Luhning
Projects Coordinator
Valley Stewardship Network
124 1/2 S. Main St.
Viroqua, WI 54665

(608) 637-3615
www.kickapoovsn.org

At 12:30 this afternoon all residents below many dams located in Vernon Co are ordered to evacuate again by 4:00pm today .That includes Avalanche.2" of rain this morning with more expected this evening
The WFSclub has changed the date of its fundraiser to Sept 29 at club grounds located in Avalanche
Please pass the word along
Clean up is going to start as soon as it stops raining!!!
Work day this Sat. at the club grounds for myself,your help will be needed
I pump a foot of water out my basement every day
Serious flood damage to riverbanks on club grounds
 
  Bryan Voldahl
  Avalanche

I just wanted to drop you a quick note to remind you of two events:

First, tomorrow is the date for Americans Against Escalation in Iraq's Town Halls and MoveOn.org's End It in September Vigils. Those organizations are working hard to make these events as large and important as humanly possible, so if you can attend an event in your area, please do. The Republicans in the Senate have stood in the way of getting a new direction in Iraq policy long enough. Show them that we won't stand for it anymore.

Click here to find the event in your area.

Second, today is the last day to vote in the Roadblock Republicans Radio Contest. We've had many thousands of votes, and the voting has been extremely close. Only a few hundred votes separate the top 4 candidates, so vote for the ad you think is the best. Voting closes tonight at midnight.

So go here to vote.

You'll receive an email after the votes have been tabulated to let you know which script will be aired in the Roadblock Republican states.

We're going to have a busy month in September. I'll keep you up to date as everything unfolds.

Thank you,
John Kerry



John Kerry For U.S. Senate
129 Portland Street, Suite 500, Boston, MA 02114-2014
info@johnkerry.com
www.johnkerry.com

 
Good Afternoon VSN Members & Friends!

Friendly reminder...

Tomorrow, Tuesday - August 28th, one of the Mid-West's premiere presenters
on Sustainability, the New Economy and the Eco-Municipality Movement, Fred
Schnook, will speak at the Vernon Memorial Hospital, Community Conference
Rooms - Downstairs, 407 South Main Street, Viroqua, from 7:00 to 9:00 pm.
The presentation is being cosponsored by VSN and the Vernon Economic
Development Association (VEDA).

If you've not yet heard of Sustainability, The Natural Step or the
Eco-Municipality Movement, you soon will. Wisconsin communities that have
adopted the Eco-Municipality Movement are the Cities of Washburn, Ashland,
Bayfield, Madison, Manitowoc, Marshfield, La Crosse, Douglas County, La
Crosse County, the Village of Johnson Creek and the Town of Bayfield. In
addition to these, there are dozens of communities currently in the process
of adopting sustainable principals. Why? Because The Natural Step is a
comprehensive, common sense, proven approach to sustainable planning. Its
potential for combining economic success with social well-being and
environmental responsibility is creating tremendous interest throughout the
public and private sectors.

For those of you who are able, please take tomorrow evening off and join us
for this very timely presentation. Feel free to come early at 6:30 to
network with friends and neighbors. There is no cost for attending the
presentation and everyone is welcome!

See you tomorrow!

Jessica Luhning
Projects Coordinator
Valley Stewardship Network
124 1/2 S. Main St.
Viroqua, WI 54665

(608) 637-3615
www.kickapoovsn.org

 
Hello VSN Members!

The Red Cross has a food and supplies distribution center up and running at
the Living Faith Church (852 N. Main Street - behind the Midway Motel and
Main Street Kitchen) in Viroqua. They have all of the volunteers they can
handle but are having extreme difficulty spreading the word to those in
need. The distribution center has fresh milk, water, non-perishable food
and clean-up kits all available for those in need...now we need to spread
the word.

The Red Cross and VSN volunteers who have dedicated time to staffing the
distribution center are concerned that those in need are not receiving
available food, water and cleaning supplies. The distribution center is
open Monday-Friday from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

Please spread the word. Reach out to those areas hard hit and let them know
food and supplies are available to them. If those in need are unable to
travel to the distribution center consider distributing supplies, food and
water to those requesting help.

If you are able to distribute supplies, food and water consider contacting
Lori at the Vernon County Emergency Mgmt Office at 637-5207. Let's get
these people the food, water and clean-up help they need!

Thank you!

Jessica Luhning
Project Coordinator
Valley Stewardship Network
124 1/2 S. Main St.
Viroqua, WI 54665

(608) 637-3615
www.kickapoovsn.org

Good Morning VSN Members!

Due to recent flooding and tonight's weather related concerns, VSN has made
the difficult decision to postpone tonight's presentation "Sustainability:
The New Economy". VSN would not want to put anyone in harms way trying to
navigate the roads for tonight's event.

We understand that there is a great deal of interest in Fred Schnook's
presentation on The Natural Step. This comprehensive and ecologically-based
approach to land use and community planning is quite timely given the
complex issues facing SW Wisconsin. We hope that your interest in attending
Fred's presentation will remain.

The presentation has been rescheduled for Thursday, October 25th 2007 and
will take place at the Western Technical College (220 S. Main Street,
Viroqua)
Rooms 115 &116. The presentation will start at 7:00 p.m. although we will
again encourage people to come early for networking at 6:30 p.m.

Again, we are sorry to postpone the event but given recent flooding
tragedies and weather warnings for this evening we feel this is the right
decision. If you are aware of any friends or family who were planning on
attending the event please give them a quick phone call to inform them of
the cancellation.

Take care and we hope to see all of you in October!

Jessica Luhning
Projects Coordinator
Valley Stewardship Network
124 1/2 S. Main St.
Viroqua, WI 54665

(608) 637-3615
www.kickapoovsn.org

 
Good Afternoon VSN Members!

Sergeant Jason Crume from the Vernon County Sheriff's Dept is requesting
assistance from VSN members and friends of VSN to lend a helping hand to
several folks who are stranded due to driveway washouts near Chaseburg. A
handful of families, young and old, have been stranded at their properties
since the heavy rain storms on the weekend of August 18th & 19th.

Volunteers are needed with heavy equipment experience that may be interested
in helping these families repair their driveways. Tonight's predicted storm
may worsen the issue leaving them in more need of help. The families
requesting help are all located in Coon Township, Section 30.

If you are available to help please contact Richard Bauer at (608) 483-2438.
Richard lives at E4666 Bean Lane in Chaseburg, WI.

Feel free to contact me here at the office as well.

Thank you!
Jessica Luhning
Projects Coordinator
Valley Stewardship Network
124 1/2 S. Main St.
Viroqua, WI 54665

(608) 637-3615
www.kickapoovsn.org

 
Friends and neighbors,

The Kickapoo River Watershed is now recovering from what may be the most
devastating flood on record. Local residents in Crawford County feel that
water levels have exceeded the previous record flood stage of the 1951
flood. I have an 'unofficial' electronic weather station at my house near
Soldiers Grove that has recorded 20.2 inches of rain since August 1. In a 24
hour period on August 18 and 19, 9.01 inches fell at my station and
rainfalls of 12+ inches were recorded on watershed in Vernon County above
the Soldiers Grove and Gays Mills areas.

The heavy rainfall has created serious flooding in most towns along the
Kickapoo River and -- in particular -- the valley streams that are
tributaries of the Kickapoo River. These tributary streams that normally
range from dry creek beds to 20 foot wide streams became raging torrents,
that spread several hundred feet wide and 4-5 feet deep. The rushing water
swept basketball sized rocks, gravel, silt, 18' long by 2' diameter trees,
brush, farm crops, and debris into the homes scattered throughout the
valleys of the Kickapoo. Fallen trees, mudslides, washed out bridges, washed
out gravel and blacktop roads, driveways, and downed electric and telephone
lines left many of these valley residents flooded, isolated, and stranded.
State, county, and township crews have done an amazing job of repairing
roadways and bridges to make travel possible and most roads are open.
Utility companies have also restored power and telephone service to almost
all areas.

For the past 10 days the Valley Stewardship Network has been sponsoring
flood relief efforts in the Kickapoo River Watershed. The watershed lies
within parts of Monroe, Vernon, Richland, and Crawford counties. A
concentrated effort has been made to make door-to-door contact with
residents in the hardest hit outlying areas in Crawford and Vernon counties.
I have logged almost 600 miles on my truck in this door-to-door effort since
the flooding began around 1:00 am Sunday, August 19 and I believe I have
located one of the hardest hit families in the area.

This young Star Valley family with three children has lost everything. They
are literally taking everything from inside the house and putting it on a
pile that will eventually be taken to the dump. Water flowed through the
house at about 3.5 feet deep. That's above the kitchen countertops. Mud and
silt was 4" deep throughout the house when I first visited the family.
Clothes, furniture, carpeting, beds, appliances, kids toys -- anything that
can't be cleaned of mud and silt - is trash. They have emptied the house and
have begun cutting sections of the interior floor so that water, mud, and
silt can be removed from the inside of the concrete foundation below the
floors (the house has a crawl space that filled). They have started removing
interior drywall to remove soaked exterior insulation and replace the
drywall. The house has vinyl siding that will need to be removed to get the
wet debris from behind the siding. Their well and septic were covered by 3
1/2 feet of flood water. Their Chevy Lumina totaled. (Vehicles parked near
their home at the intersection of CTH B and C were washed 600 feet down
stream and pushed against trees).

This family was lucky to have escaped the raging waters with their lives.
The woman's father works for the Crawford County Highway Department and was
called out at 1:00 am for emergency road work due to flooding. His first
call was to his daughter to tell them to get to high ground. When the family
checked outside, the water was running through the yard about 1' deep. By
the time they grabbed their kids and loaded them into their vehicle, the
water was up to the door sills of their Jeep wagon. They needed to cross CTH
B to get to a neighboring house on higher ground and could feel their
vehicle being pushed around by the current in the driveway and on the road.
They did make it to safety but with little time to spare. They watched their
house throughout the night and saw the water rise to over 4' in their yard.

Please talk with your family, friends, and coworkers about this family's
dilemma. FEMA inspectors have reviewed the damage to this property but
relief money is likely a long way off. (It's my understanding the hurricane
Katrina victims don't have FEMA funds yet!). As a board member the Valley
Stewardship Network (a local non-profit organization that deals with issues
within the Kickapoo River Watershed), we will set up a Star Valley family
relief fund at a local bank. Donations to this fund are tax deductible. At
this point, if you are interested in making a donation to the Star Valley
Family Relief Fund please make your check or money order out to VSN - Star
Valley Family Relief.
Later today I will have more details on the family, the relief fund, and a
flier to post at your workplace. Please begin spreading the word about the
need to help this family. Hundreds of people in the Kickapoo Valley have
received flood damage in this disaster but this is the worst I've seen.

"it's up to you and me...."

Regards,

Mike Wheeler, Board Member

Valley Stewardship Network
124 1/2 South Main Street
Viroqua, WI 54665
608 637-3615
vsn@frontiernet.net
http://www.kickapoovsn.org/

The flood waters have receded, but the cleanup from the devastating storms in August will continue for weeks if not months. First, kudos to VSN, KVA and the many other volunteers who have helped with the recovery efforts. Hundreds of people have been helped. Driftless Writers Blog will continue to post info on cleanup efforts, with links to places people can get help until mid-September and then go back to its regular publishing format. But, a brief notice with a link to VSN will be retained.

The heralded report fromo the field in Iraq is scheduled this week and we already know it will basically be an appeal to continue the misguided policy of the Bush Administration. Did anybody really expect any different? The commander was hand-picked because he basically agreed with Bush to begin with. Meanwhile, another high-bred panel of people with long time international experience -- many who also were on the Baker/Hamilton committee -- has urged a draw-down of troops over the next three years. Of course, that committee will be ignored by W.

Good Afternoon VSN Members!
 
Join others concerned with climate change in Wisconsin on Thursday, September 20th, 7:00 p.m. at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Viroqua. Global Warming in Wisconsin is a free event and everyone is welcome to attend. Please read the following event bulletin for additional information.
 



Global Warming in Wisconsin

Thursday, September 20th, 7:00 pm, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 504 S. Main St.,Viroqua

Drought, extreme heat, terrible flooding. Our climate is changing worldwide. How are our lives affected? What can we do? Join us for a free presentation and discussion with a focus on our state. Ryan Schryver of Clean Wisconsin, a non- partisan environmental organization, will talk about local based solutions to climate change. Ryan also serves on the Board of Directors for the Wisconsin Interfaith Climate and Energy Campaign. His presentation will address why many consider global warming to be one of the most important moral issues of our time. This is an ecumenical event supported by Good Shepherd Lutheran, St. Mary's Catholic and United Methodist Churches. Refreshments will be served. All are welcome!

*The presentation takes place in the basement (Fellowship Hall) of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. Entry is from the back parking lot.





Jessica Luhning
Projects Coordinator
Valley Stewardship Network
124 1/2 S. Main Street
Viroqua, Wisconsin 54665
 
(608) 637-3615
www.kickapoovsn.org
 
Join others concerned with stewardship of the Kickapoo Watershed
Become a member of the Valley Stewardship Network for all those who live, work and play in the Valley

Hello VSN Members!
 
One of our VSN Board Members, Mike Wheeler, has put together a nice email providing an update on flood concerns in Crawford County. In addition, the email announces recent efforts by the Crawford Stewardship Project (CSP), a VSN affiliate organization. CSP has been diligently working on CAFO issues in Crawford County for the past several weeks. CSP contact information is provided below. Also, please note an invitation to the 4th annual Soldiers Grove Neighbors Oktoberfest. VSN Members are welcome to attend. The event is a potluck so consider brining a dish to share, your own food for grilling and drinks. As soon as a date is chosen for Oktoberfest I will send a follow-up email to any VSN Members who are interested in attending. Please reply to this email if you are interested in attending.

>Mike Wheeler's Email:

> We've had a hectic 3 weeks since the flood and things are beginning to
> return to normal again. Even though all River Road residents escaped the
> flood devastation, there are some issues that we should all keep in mind.
> The ground in the flood plain to the east of River Road remains saturated.
> I drove my truck into the Big Bend parking area yesterday and made ruts in
> the grass several inches deep. The water table appears to be up to the
> surface and will likely take some time to lower to a normal level. The
> hiking trails are overgrown and I won't be able to mow them until the
> ground is more firm. I hope to be able to mow before the snow flies so
> that we will have clear hiking trails for winter.
>
> If you venture into the flood plain on foot - wear rubber boots and take
> them off before going into your house. The record flood levels passed
> through many pastures and barnyards in the watershed above us and bacteria
> levels will likely be high on the saturated ground for some time. Our
> watershed is mixture of farms, river bottoms, and forests - and high
> bacteria levels are unavoidable during and after flooding. Hopefully a
> lowering water table, cold temperatures, and sunlight will reduce the need
> for concern. There has been much talk of the need to have your well water
> tested. The land in our watershed is formed by what is called Karst
> Geology. Karst Geology is a combination limestone and sandstone bedrock
> with a relatively thin layer of topsoil covering. The limestone and
> sandstone has numerous cracks and fissures that allow surface water to
> quickly reach the water aquifer below. (One reason for the many caves in
> our area). In areas without this lime/sandstone rock, water percolation
> rates may be as low as 1 foot per day. In Karst Geology regions, the
> surface water can flow downward up to several hundred feet per day and
> quickly reach the aquifer. After events such as our recent flood, well
> testing is recommended.
>
> FYI -- Crawford County has received an application for an operation over 1000 unit
> Confined Animal Farming Operation (CAFO) hog farm. 1000 units converts
to 2500 pigs. Generally these are contract farmers that agree to feed and raise hogs for slaughter and
> the hogs are owned by large AG companies. Iowa, the nation's largest pork
> producing state, has many of these factory farms and a legacy of bad
> health and safety issues in areas surrounding these farms. Contaminated
> wells, manure spills during rain runoff, and harmful air quality issues
> seem to be a part factory farming. Safely getting rid of the manure
> generated by this many animals is a huge problem. A grass-roots
> organization is forming in Gays Mills - the Crawford Stewardship Project
> (CSP) to address the health and safety issues of these factory farms - and
> hopefully not allow the CAFO permit based on our unique Karst Geology and
> easily contaminated aquifer.
>
> I recently read a follow-up story about a CAFO in our region that lost
> 1700 hogs to what was thought to be a lightening strike to the metal
> confinement building during our big storm. An insurance investigation into
> the incident found that the hogs didn't die of electrocution - they
> suffocated from a methane gas buildup in the confined space when power to
> the ventilating fans went off during the storm. Now there's a real humane
> way to go...... If you'd like information about the permit application and
> work being done to block these types of factory farms in Crawford County, you can
> contact:
>
> Edie Ehlert
> Crawford Stewardship Project
> PO Box 284
> Gays Mills, WI 54631
> 608 735-4277
>
> I think they are planning a web site soon and I will forward that link
> when it becomes available.
>
> It's way past time to plan for the 4th Annual Soldiers Grove Neighbors
> Oktoberfest. Let's see if we can get together on either the 6th or 13th of
> October (both Saturdays) for our gathering. Check your calendar and let us
> know so that we can pick the date when most people can attend. The
> mosquitoes were fierce after the flood but have simmered down a bit with
> the cooler temps and drying. Let's hope the rain had an adverse effect on
> the Asian Beetle population so they don't make their annual appearance at
> our Oktoberfest. Remember, kids, dogs, friends, relatives, in-laws,
> out-laws, and bears are all welcome. Yes, Laura, you can bring your
> ferret.
>>
> Regards,
> Mike and LaNah Wheeler

Hello VSN Members and Friends!

The following event information was graciously provided to us from the Kickapoo Valley Association.


This is a reminder to you, your family, your friends, and your customers that there are some great events in the Kickapoo Valley this weekend.


The Driftless Area Art Festival is being held in Soldiers Grove Saturday from 10:00-5:00 and Sunday from 10:00-4:00. Over 75 artists from the Driftless Area will be exhibiting and selling some fantastic art. There will be five musical acts over the course of the weekend, also from our region. There’s great food and drink, too. KVA is one of many generous sponsors for this event. Detailed information at www.driftlessareaartfestival.com.


Two Kickapoo Valley communities are a part of “Crawford County Celebrates.” Seneca will hold its sesquicentennial celebration on Saturday, with a quilt show, antique tractor pull, granny basketball tourney, and many other activities. Wauzeka will hold its second annual Craft Fair and Farmer’s Market on Saturday from 8:00-5:00, and a street dance from 7:00-11:00. KVA is the prime sponsor of this event. Detailed information at www.crawfordcountywi.com.


These events are still new and need your support. Please attend if at all possible, and we encourage you to pass this email along to your family and friends, inviting them to attend.


We hope to see you this weekend!

 

Jerry Quebe

President, Kickapoo Valley Association

It's clear Bush hopes to just hand off the Iraq war to the next Administraton to deal with. His idea of a long term presence in Iraq, where we will always meet with mixed sentiments, is ridiculous. Some type of peace-keeping force in the region, perhaps in Kuwait or elsewhere, will likely be necessary, such as we have in Korea, Europe and elsewhere. But, to keep us in Iraq for the long term, supporting a government which isn't even legitimate yet, is just the latest in a lot of dumb proposals from perhaps our dumbest President.

Hello VSN Members!
 
The following bulletin is a reminder for the Global Warming in Wisconsin presentation this Thursday at 7:00 p.m. This event is being sponsored and supported by Good Shepard Lutheran, St. Mary's Catholic and United Methodist Churches.
 
 
 
Join others concerned with climate change in Wisconsin on Thursday, September 20th, 7:00 p.m. at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Viroqua. Global Warming in Wisconsin is a free event and everyone is welcome to attend. Please read the following event bulletin for additional information.
 



Global Warming in Wisconsin

Thursday, September 20th, 7:00 pm, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 504 S. Main St.,Viroqua

Drought, extreme heat, terrible flooding. Our climate is changing worldwide. How are our lives affected? What can we do? Join us for a free presentation and discussion with a focus on our state. Ryan Schryver of Clean Wisconsin, a non- partisan environmental organization, will talk about local based solutions to climate change. Ryan also serves on the Board of Directors for the Wisconsin Interfaith Climate and Energy Campaign. His presentation will address why many consider global warming to be one of the most important moral issues of our time. This is an ecumenical event supported by Good Shepherd Lutheran, St. Mary's Catholic and United Methodist Churches. Refreshments will be served. All are welcome!

*The presentation takes place in the basement (Fellowship Hall) of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. Entry is from the back parking lot.

Sparta ethanol column

By Gregg Hoffmann

Just about everybody thinks alternative energy makes sense, and in many cases presents a good business opportunity.

That is until the alternative energy production clashes with mainstream businesses, or threatens neighborhoods -- either through perceived or actual threats. Then, it often becomes “not in my backyard.”

One of the most graphic cases in the state has been the clash over a proposed ethanol plant in Sparta, to be built by Coulee Area Renewable Energy LLC (CARE). At first, it looked like a great idea, with Sparta city officials offering land at a reasonable rate and CARE made up of regional farmers and other agribusiness men.

But, then Century Foods, the largest employer in Sparta, raised some concerns about emissions from the plant harming its milk food products. Others started questioning the location of the plant under the theme, “Good Idea, Bad Location.”

It’s gotten ugly over the months. Century has threatened to move its plant, costing about 350 jobs, and filed a lawsuit. Protestors have shown up at meeting after meeting about the plant.

The issue has gone to a mediator. Gov. Jim Doyle has met with both groups. Now, a citizens group called The Friends of Sparta has filed a petition for a referendum on the matter.

The Sparta City Planning Commission will hold a public hearing Monday on a conditional-use permit and rezoning for the plant. No vote will be taken by the Commission after the hearing, which starts at 5 p.m.

Although tempers have flared over the issue, both sides seems to be making understandable arguments. CARE officials say many of the concerns over emissions are unfounded, and any possibility of such problems could be addressed by some of the latest technology.

Sparta officials who favor the ethanol plant say the city would benefit from having such a facility, and area farmers also will have another market for their corn.

Yet, Century Foods understandably does not want to jeopardize its products. The company has even offered to buy the proposed site for the ethanol plant from the city and help officials find a suitable business for the land..

Other ethanol plants have faced similar concerns around the state. In most cases, compromises have been worked out and the plants are running.

Some solutions seem possible in the Sparta case. Perhaps an alternative site could be located, not as close to the Century plant. CARE might have to make guarantees that the latest technology would be installed and demonstrate it would limit emissions. If they did that, opponents might have to put their fears aside.

Ethanol plants are not the only alternative energy facilities that raise some concerns. Wind farms proposed for western Wisconsin have stirred some controversy, in some cases before any actual proposals were even brought to municipalities. Bio-diesel plants also raise some eyebrows.

Just because an energy is labeled alternative does not mean that the process won’t produce some emissions and perhaps in some cases odors. It will likely need some infrastructure to produce and distribute the energy. Ethanol and other similar alternative fuel plants will want to be near rail lines or truck routes.

These alternative energies are not perfect, pie-in-the-sky solutions to our overall energy crisis. But, they merit exploring, refining and improving. The benefits have to be weighed against any consequences. In most cases, they still do offer alternatives to oil, coal and other conventional energies, which have documented impacts on the environment and human health.

It would seem that rather than continue the controversy and acrimony, the people in Sparta, city officials, and officials of CARE and Century Foods have an opportunity to serve as a model for decision-making and compromise, not only for Western Wisconsin but for the entire country and beyond.

##

Hello VSN Members and Friends!
 
The Valley Stewardship Network (VSN) is organizing a Kickapoo River flood clean-up effort in Gays Mills, Wisconsin on Saturday, October 6th and possibly Sunday, October 7th. Devastating August floods have left the river and surrounding fields and woodlots littered with trash, appliances, boats and trailers...you name it and it's most likely there. VSN members have scouted the river and surrounding properties just south of Gays Mills. We have a target clean-up area in mind and landowners have granted VSN permission to access target properties.
 
Now, we need you! A clean-up effort like this will require many hard-working and able-bodied volunteers. We will be organizing crews to tackle at least two log & debris jams on the Kickapoo River while other volunteer crews will be needed to gather and haul trash and debris from fields and woodlots. We need warm bodies who are willing to spend the day helping us cleanup our river. The hope is to retrieve and return personal property that victims of the flood may still find serviceable and to get some work done before the winter weather hits. FEMA and the Red Cross no longer have a presence in Gays Mills...it's up to you and me.

Due to the nature of this clean-up effort we are restricting the age limit to those volunteers 18 years of age or older. Volunteers should wear proper clothing, boots and gloves. You will be responsible for your own safety and we always stress the importance of watching out for others as well. We are working to round-up equipment but those volunteers with the following equipment/vehicles are encouraged to join us.
4-wheelers with trailers/winches
Trucks with or without trailers
Trucks with winches
Flat-bottomed boats/pontoons
Chainsaws
Heavy-duty trashbags
FYI...Canoes may not be stable enough to be useful in hauling items, but can be used to access debris for bagging.
 
So here's the plan...
 
When: Saturday, October 6th and possibly Sunday, October 7th if we have enough volunteers willing to work a second day.
Where: Gays Mills, Wisconsin - Crawford County Fairgrounds (located on Highway 131 just south of Gays Mills)
Time: Registration will begin at 9:00 a.m. and crews will head out at 9:30 a.m.
 
A warm and tasty lunch will be provided by VSN as well as local music! The Crawford County Fairgrounds has graciously offered to let VSN use their facilities for our effort. Free weekend camping and showers will be available to volunteers.
 
What you need to do...
 
If interested in helping VSN clean-up the Kickapoo please contact Jessica Luhning, VSN Projects Coordinator, at (608) 637-3615 or vsn@frontiernet.net. We need interested volunteers to sign-up early so we have an idea as to the number of available crews, camping needs and lunch fixins'. Please sign-up prior to Wednesday, September 26th!
 
Please join us for a day of hard work and good fun!
 
Jessica Luhning
Projects Coordinator
Valley Stewardship Network
124 1/2 S. Main Street
Viroqua, Wisconsin 54665
 
(608) 637-3615
www.kickapoovsn.org

Hello VSN Members and Friends!
 
A few days ago you received an email about the upcoming VSN Kickapoo River Clean-up scheduled for Saturday, October 6th. It seems this is a busy weekend because we have had very few volunteers (less than five) sign-up to help out. If you happen to be free on Saturday, October 6th please consider joining us for a day of hard work and good fun. VSN will provide a hot and tasty lunch as well as local music for your enjoyment. There is much work to be done and little time before winter weather hits. The target clean-up area is outside of the Village of Gays Mills flood relief jurisdiction and nearby residents and landowners are requesting help as they are simply overwhelmed trying to put their homes and lives back together. In addition, FEMA and the Red Cross no longer have a presence in Gays Mills...it's up to you and me.

 
Due to the nature of this clean-up effort we are restricting the age limit to those volunteers 18 years of age or older. For those volunteers 18 years of age or older, there will be work for every comfort and ability level. Volunteers should wear proper clothing, boots and gloves. Gloves are mandatory. You will be responsible for your own safety and we always stress the importance of watching out for others as well. We are working to round-up equipment but those volunteers with the following equipment/vehicles are encouraged to join us.
4-wheelers with trailers/winches
Trucks with or without trailers
Trucks with winches
Flat-bottomed boats/pontoons
Chainsaws
Heavy-duty trashbags
FYI...Canoes may not be stable enough to be useful in hauling items, but can be used to access debris for bagging.
 
So here's the plan...
 
When: Saturday, October 6th
Where: Gays Mills, Wisconsin - Crawford County Fairgrounds (located on Highway 131 just south of Gays Mills)
Time: Registration will begin at 9:00 a.m. and crews will head out at 9:30 a.m.
 
A warm and tasty lunch will be provided by VSN as well as local music! The Crawford County Fairgrounds has graciously offered to let VSN use their facilities for our effort. Free weekend camping and showers will be available to volunteers.
 
What you need to do...
 
If interested in helping VSN clean-up the Kickapoo please contact Jessica Luhning, VSN Projects Coordinator, at (608) 637-3615 or vsn@frontiernet.net. We need interested volunteers to sign-up early so we have an idea as to the number of available crews, camping needs and lunch fixins'. VSN has extended the sign-up period to Sunday, September 30th! If less than 10 volunteers sign-up for the clean-up event VSN will have to cancel it all together as the work demands seperate crews of at least four people per crew.
 
We need your help. Please join us for a day of hard work and good fun!
 
Jessica Luhning
Projects Coordinator
Valley Stewardship Network
124 1/2 S. Main Street
Viroqua, Wisconsin 54665
 
(608) 637-3615
www.kickapoovsn.

Greetings to all,
 
Yet another volunteer opportunity to get outside and enjoy the beautiful fall weather. Come and join others in the community to clean-up flood related debris and build a mountain bike trail on Sat. 9/29, starting at 9:00 am. at the main shelter, Sidie Hollow Park.
 
VSN will help coordinate a group of local youth called "Kids with a Mission". We will be working to clean-up flood related debris and trash, beginning at 10:00 am. Kids of all ages welcome to join in, with parental supervision. Please dress in work clothes ( gloves, rubber boots ) and bring along hand tools ( shovels, rakes, pruning saws ) if you have them. We will be breaking for lunch at 12:00, so bring a sack lunch and join us for fellowship and fun. Drinks will be provided by VSN.
 
The "Vernon Trails" group will also be holding their second annual "Sidie Fest". This will be a combination volunteer trail building effort and celebration of their accomplishments in promoting biking in the region. Trail work will begin at 9:00 am and end at 3:00 pm., at which time there will be a food, music, and fun.
 
Come join others in celebrating Public Lands Day!

Hello VSN Members and Friends!

 

VSN has received numerous calls and requests for information regarding the proposed Dairyland Power Cooperative landfill. As many of you may or may not know, Dairyland Power Cooperative is proposing a 600-acre landfill that could displace as many as 20 Vernon County landowners. The proposed landfill will be used to dispose of coal ash from the Dairyland plant in Genoa. The proposed landfill site is located in Harmony Township, home to many small to mid-sized family farms. The proposed landfill has come as quite a shock to many landowners and local citizens. It seems the project has been in the works for over a year but has only recently been brought to the public’s attention.

 

VSN as an organization is by no means an expert regarding this issue. We are concerned for those landowners directly and indirectly affected by the proposed landfill. In addition, as an organization concerned with protecting the quality of our surface and ground water we feel the need to research the issue and respond to concerns from our members and the interested public. We encourage anyone who is interested in learning more about the proposed landfill in Harmony Township to attend a public meeting Saturday, October 6th at 1:00 p.m. at the Volden Brothers Farm (E4993 Hwy 56, Genoa). Everyone is welcome to attend. Dairyland Power representatives, Wisconsin State Senator Dan Kapanke and Wisconsin State Representative Lee Nerison will be in attendance and ready to answer questions from the public.

 

Why a landfill and why now? Due to recent Clean Air Act amendments regarding mercury emissions from coal burning power plants, Dairyland and others are now required to install air emission control devices. The ash that is now produced is no longer suitable for previous recycled uses in concrete for instance due to increased amounts of carbon and/or sulfates. According to the American Coal Ash Association’s Executive Director, Dairyland is left with very few “traditional” options. The alternatives to landfilling the ash include possibly using the ash as a soil amendment or for geotechnical application such as structural fills or mining reclamation. Due to the economics of either of these alternatives, most coal burning plants choose to landfill the ash. Given the size of the intended landfill (55-75 acres of the 600 acres) and the number of semi-trucks hauling material daily (8-20) the Executive Director of the American Coal Ash Association estimates that the landfill will receive between 85,000-130,000+ tons of coal ash every year.

 

Are there any alternatives?

Yes and No. Technology has unfortunately not kept up with the need to dispose of increased amounts of ash resulting from the newly installed air emission control devices on coal burning power plants. The current and most commonly used alternatives mentioned above (soil amendment and/or geotechnical application) may not be suitable for the Driftless Region due to our soil structure and underlying bedrock. That said, we are encouraging Dairyland to explore every option available to them before choosing to landfill the ash. The University of North Dakota’s Energy and Environmental Research Center is currently conducting research and trials regarding alternative uses for coal fly ash. One possible alternative is the conversion of ash to a highly marketable aggregate.

 

As you can see this is a very complex issue. If you have questions or concerns regarding the proposed landfill we encourage you to attend the public meeting this Saturday, October 6th at 1:00 p.m. at the Volden Brothers Farm (E4993 Hwy 56, Genoa). In addition, an information meeting hosted by Dairyland Power Cooperative is scheduled for Wednesday, October 17th at the Viroqua High School Commons.
 
I have attached a press release regarding Saturday's meeting provided by a group of landowners in Harmony Township.
 
Thank you,
Jessica Luhning
Projects Coordinator
Valley Stewardship Network
124 1/2 S. Main Street
Viroqua, Wisconsin 54665
 
(608) 637-3615
www.kickapoovsn.org

 Western Wisconsin health care expansion must be cost effective
10/9/2007

By Gregg Hoffmann

Health care is a growing industry in western Wisconsin.

Recent reporting in the River Valley Business Report details the multi-million-dollar growth in facilities run by Gundersen Lutheran, Franciscan Skemp Healthcare and other facilities in the region -- investments affecting residents of La Crosse, Onalaska, Black River Falls, Viroqua, Tomah and other communities.

Officials cite a growing demand, as baby boomers age and require more health care, as breakthroughs in research require health care facilities to stay current, as technology grows, and as patients demand more services.

Overall, it's good for the area that these facilities are growing. They provide services and employ people in a variety of skilled and professional positions.

But the biggest question has to be, “What does all this do to health care costs?” The crisis in costs and health insurance has been well documented nationally, and western Wisconsin definitely isn't immune to the trend.

A 2005 study showed higher-than-average health costs for La Crosse. The study indicated La Crosse had the third-highest health insurance costs of any metro area in Wisconsin.

La Crosse County Board members said at the time the study validated the county’s experience with health care hyperinflation — a 220 percent increase in the past 10 years.

Some local health care executives disputed the findings. Dr. Robert Nesse, president and CEO of Franciscan Skemp Healthcare, claimed the findings were based on data from the state’s employee health insurance plan. The Madison area looks much less expensive, he told the La Crosse Tribune, because health providers are competing to serve the thousands of state employees.

Dr. Jeffrey E. Thompson, CEO of Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, told the newspaper, “Although this study disagrees with the more comprehensive Wisconsin study on costs done by the Milwaukee Business Foundation and a national study on cost and quality done by Dartmouth, we can all agree that the burden of health care costs is very great and will need big changes from the health care providers as well as significant efforts from business, the government, and the public to help slow the rate of rise in health care expenditures.”

So, by no means, have the CEOs and others at the area facilities gone on a building spree without recognizing the need to control costs of the care that will be provided within these buildings.

One of the administrators at Vernon Memorial Healthcare might have struck at one of the problems when he said “health care is a competitive business.” Certainly, we all like having the choices in our health care decisions that competition can bring.

But several national studies have cited the need for health care facilities to also share technologies, research facilities and other things to keep costs down. Hopefully, as the facilities in western Wisconsin expand they consider such measures.

Several facilities in the region already participate in the La Crosse Medical Health Science Consortium, which primarily concentrates on sharing research. Perhaps the group could also work on ways of sharing resources and keeping costs affordable.

Bricks and mortar alone don't necessarily lead to great education, government, corporations or health care. It’s good that the health care industry is alive and growing in western Wisconsin. As the old joke goes, “It beats the alternative.”

But let’s hope that growth is being undertaken with an intelligent eye on balancing services and costs, so all people can afford the former and not bankrupt themselves because of the latter.

Note: This column ran on www.wisbusiness.com.

Dear Driftless Area Professionals, Friends and Neighbors,
 
As you know, the August presentation by Fred Schnook, former Mayor of Ashland, was postponed due to inclement weather and area-wide flooding. The presentation has been rescheduled for Thursday, October 25th at 7:00 p.m. Please note that the venue has changed and it will now be held at the Western Technical College in Rooms 115 & 116.
 
The Valley Stewardship Network (VSN) and the Vernon Economic Development Association (VEDA) would like to extend to you a personal invitation to attend. One of the Midwest’s premiere presenters on Sustainability, the New Economy and the Eco-Municipality Movement, Fred Schnook, will share his perspective on rural planning and economic development. His presentation will include a discussion of The Natural Step, a successful model for sustainable development specifically addressing the intersection of government, business and environment. (See attached flyer).
 
If you’ve not yet heard of The Natural Step, you soon will. Its potential for combining economic success with social well-being and environmental responsibility is creating tremendous interest throughout the public and private sectors. Wisconsin communities that have adopted The Natural Step are the Cities of La Crosse, Washburn, Ashland, Bayfield, Marshfield, Manitowoc and Madison. La Crosse County has also recently adopted The Natural Step to help guide present and future planning efforts. It is a comprehensive, common sense, proven approach that can assist citizens and local municipalities in creating vibrant, healthy communities.
 
The talk will be followed by a facilitated discussion, giving the audience an opportunity to ask questions and form a dialogue with the speaker and other audience members. We hope to see you Thursday, October 25th. The presentation will begin promptly at 7:00 p.m. but you are encouraged to come early at 6:30 p.m. for a networking session.
 
Thank you,
Jessica Luhning
Projects Coordinator
Valley Stewardship Network
124 1/2 S. Main Street
Viroqua, Wisconsin 54665
 
(608) 637-3615
www.kickapoovsn.org

Hello VSN Members,
 
Dairyland Power Cooperative will host a public informational meeting on Wednesday, October 17th from 4:30 - 8:30 p.m. in regards to the proposed lime and coal ash landfill in Harmony Township. The meeting is being held at the Viroqua High School Commons. Dairyland representatives will provide four 60 minute presentation/discussion sessions, the first one starting promptly at 4:30. Each session will include a 20-30 minute presentation by Dairyland regarding the proposed landfill followed by a 30 minute discussion/question and answer session.
 
Everyone is welcome to attend.
 
The following press release has been provided by People for H.O.P.E. (a citizen group of landowners directly and indirectly affected by the proposed landfill).
 

 

People for H.O.P.E.

Harmony Township, Organic and Conventional Farms, Property, Environment

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information contact: Carl Volden, S4899 Volden Lane • Genoa, WI 54632
Phone: 608-689-2602 Web: www.dontdumponus.org • E-mail: Volden@mwt.net or jen@leumsoftware.com

Sent Out October 12, 2007

 

Dairyland Power Cooperative Faces Second Challenge October 17th!

More Hard Questions Regarding Proposed Lime and Coal Ash Pit

 

Here we go again! Round two of the David vs. Goliath struggle against Dairyland Power begins at the October 17th public meeting, Viroqua High School Commons, 4:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Harmony Township landowners and many others expect better answers from the Dairyland Power Cooperative higher-ups than were given at the People for H.O.P.E. meeting at the Volden Brothers Dairy Farm on October 6th. We fully expect the October 6th attendance of approximately 250 to swell on the 17th. Check out our booth, separate from Dairyland’s displays, in the entryway where buttons, information, and a video will be provided. We urge all landowners, community members, activists, and media to attend. Ask hard questions, demand answers. Got ideas for alternatives? Share them!

        

People for H.O.P.E. is a group united against Dairyland Power Cooperative’s attempted takeover of 600-800 acres of land for a caustic and toxic lime and coal ash waste dump site in Harmony Township of Vernon County. We strongly object to this abuse of the land and stand firm in our resolve to find better alternatives than putting this new waste into the ground. Not in my back yard? Not in anyone’s back yard! See www.dontdumponus.org

This column was first posted on www.wisbusiness.com

Dairyland Power needs to be clear on landfill plans
10/15/2007

By Gregg Hoffmann

Dairyland Power Cooperative has a chance this week to regain credibility in what has become something of a public relations nightmare. And in the process do the right thing for the community it serves.

The co-op, which wholesales electricity to 25 electric co-ops and 19 municipalities in a four-state area, will hold a public meeting this Wednesday, Oct 17, on a proposal to create a 600-acre landfill for ash from its Genoa coal-powered plant.

That meeting will run from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Viroqua High School. The proposed landfill would be on Highway 56, in the Town of Harmony, near the Genoa plant.

Up to 11 property owners, many organic farmers, could be displaced to make room for the site. Those 11 property owners have organized, are gaining support from other farmers, environmentalists and others who fear they could be affected by pollution from the site, and are gearing up for a fight .

In part, Dairyland’s credibility problems stem from how the search for the dump site has been communicated to the public. Consider this excerpt from a story in The Kickapoo Free Press (www.kickapoofreepress.com): “It came from out of the blue,” says Paul Fuenger, another farmer who stands to lose his land to the project. “I’m still in shock. It didn’t seem real. It’s like a bad dream.”

Fuenger, an organic farmer who owns 250 acres, says a Dairyland Power representative
offered him $14,000 to allow the power utility to drill test holes and a well on his property to determine if the land is appropriate for a landfill. “I told him that if I don’t want to sell out, there’s no point in letting you test. He told me, ‘I’m not threatening you, but you will have to sell to us eventually anyway.’ That’s the way he put it. I didn’t plan on moving until I died, and now they tell me that I have to.”

Dairyland comes off looking like a bully in this and other stories about the issue. The co-op also looks like it was trying to keep its search for a site as secretive as possible.

The co-op explains its search on its web site: The vast majority of the ash produced at Dairyland’s coal-fired power plants has been recycled. While some of this recycling will continue, installation of the environmental control technologies (in particular, the addition of pebble lime in the scrubber system which reduces sulfur dioxide and mercury emissions) will change the composition and volume of the byproducts. This change will make much less of the ash eligible for a recycling program, forcing Dairyland to seek a different disposal method.

Indeed part of the problem is that in Dairyland’s efforts to reduce air pollution from the Genoa facility it has created another problem. By doing something right, it has created a dilemma.

The Dairyland Genoa and Alma facilities ranked in the top 10 percent of the nation’s air polluters as recently as 2002, according to the website Scorecard.org, which analyzes data from the EPA to identify sources of pollution.

Dairyland has installed high tech scrubbers to reduce sulfur dioxide, mercury and other forms of air pollution from its Genoa plant, but as explained on the co-op web site the lime and other components left over in the ash now raise concerns about other environmental problems if the material is recycled.

The co-op has emphasized that any landfill for the ash would be lined and that the DNR would monitor water quality and other possible pollution.

But, opponents to the dump site say the ash could do as much, or more damage, to water and soil near the dump site, as any emissions currently do to the air. Dairyland estimates that between eight and 20 dump trucks would haul the waste from Genoa to the landfill every day.

In a Web site put up by opponents to the dump site, appropriately called www.kissmyash.org, alternatives to the dump site are proposed. They include: choosing a different site for the landfill, using existing landfills in Vernon and La Crosse counties, transporting the ash back to coal mines and lime pits for storage, and converting the material into an inert gravel-like aggregate.

These proposals do not sound like the ranting of the lunatic fringe. In fact, several sound like well-thought-out alternatives, which are being used by some power companies around the country.

Dairyland needs to do the right thing in this ash controversy. No amount of spin can make up for what already has been poor communications on the issue. The co-op has to be upfront and honest with the public.

Improving communications also won’t likely be enough. Dairyland has to listen to the public and consider alternatives to the dump site. It has to consider the karst geology of the Driftless area, which is more prone to runoff and leaching.

Any new landfills, or even expansion of existing ones, seem like poor solutions to the problem. The last two alternatives listed in the www.kissmyash.org Web site make the most sense, even though they undoubtedly would cost more.

This is not the only coal-powered plant in the state, or country, with a waste storage problem. It is an industry-wide challenge. Dairyland -- which has been a leader in the conversion of methane from manure to electricity and other innovative green practices -- has an opportunity to become a model for the industry by doing the right thing.

Hello VSN Members!
 
We all want to make smart economic and environmentally sustainable choices for the future of Vernon County, right? Well, here is one chance for all of us to make a difference.
 
The proposed bike and multi-use path has been revived thanks to several local community stakeholders! The Viroqua-Westby multi-use path will go back to the Vernon County Board of Supervisors for final vote at their regularly scheduled November 6th Board meeting. Many of us were quite shocked and disappointed after the September 25th Vernon County Board meeting where the path was turned down by a 15-14 vote. Recent contributions by local stakeholders may convince the County Board to approve the path.
 
Here are the details:
 
~Recent Contributions~
 
Vernon Memorial Hospital - $27,000 for initial path & tunnel development, $7,200 annually for maintenance
Organic Valley/CROPP - $2,000 for initial path & tunnel development, $2,000 annually for maintenance
Vernon Trails - $3,000 for initial path & tunnel development, $1,000 annually for maintenance
Quality of Life Chiropractic - $7,300 for initial path and tunnel development
 
These local stakeholders are commended for their community spirit and generous contributions of nearly $50,000 to make the path a reality!
 
Now, they are counting on you!
 
~County's Fiscal Impact~
 
One-time cost for Vernon County for path development $0.00 (down from $18,300)
Yearly maintenance $1,700 (down from $3,500)
 
~Impact on Landowners~
 
9 acres (path and tunnel) BUT only 4.5 acres are cropland
No homes, buildings or businesses will be displaced because of the path
Because of the elevation most homes won't even see the path from thier windows
 
~Reasons to Support the Path~
5 mile paved path that will connect our two largest communities
Outdoor recreation for bicycing, hiking, jogging, skating, commuting, etc...
Sustainable transportation option
Study after study indicates that cities and towns with multi-use paths are more economically viable than those without
~What You Can Do To Make This Happen~
 
The Vernon County Board of Supervisors must approve the path for the project to go forward...please call your county supervisor before Tuesday, November 6th! See the attached Vernon County District Map for all County Board Supervisors.
          
The following Board Supervisors voted against the path and need to hear from you. Please be short, polite and question them about why they don't support the path. It is important for supervisors to hear from constituents in the districts they represent. Please encourage any friends or family members from the following districts to call their supervisors.
 
Will Beitlich (Stoddard Village, Bergen Twp.) (608) 483-2664
Richard Hansen (Harmony & Jefferson Twp.) (608) 689-2442
Richard A. Brose (Coon Valley) (608) 452-3923
Robert Johnson (Westby City and Christiana Twp.) (608) 634-3156
Raymond Moser (Westby) (608) 634-4995
Orvis Primmer (Christiana, Viroqua & Clinton Twp.) (608) 637-2542
Layton Thompson (Viroqua City; Jefferson& Viroqua Twp.) (608) 637-2279
Jerry Cade (Viroqua & Franklin Twp.) (608) 637-7435
Frank McCoy (Readstown Village & Kickapoo Twp.) (608) 629-5262
Frank Easterday (Clinton Twn.) (608) 634-4521
Jack Robinson (Ontario Village & Whitestown Twp.) (608) 337-4445
Thomas Spenner (Forest & Union Twp.) (608) 489-2302
Harry Baller (Hillsboro City & Hillsboro Twp.) (608) 489-2288
Brian Richardson (Hillsboro City) (608) 489-3563
Leo Verbsky (Hillsboro & Greenwood Twp.) (608) 489-3295
Let's help make this happen for the future of Vernon County. Also, thank you to those Vernon County Supervisors who support the multi-use path: Kevin Gobel, Jo Ann Nickelatti, Ralph Hicks, James Servais, Herbert Cornell, Sherman Erlandson, Todd Overbo, Lynn Chakoian, Karen Dahl, Chet Lee, Judy Wilmes, Ole Yttri and David Ebbert.
 
Thanks,
Jessica Luhning
Projects Coordinator
Valley Stewardship Network
124 1/2 S. Main Street
Viroqua, Wisconsin 54665
 
(608) 637-3615
www.kickapoovsn.org

This column first ran on www.wisbusiness.com

Big farming vs. small farming debate obscures commonalities
10/22/2007

By Gregg Hoffmann

For many urban dwellers, and others not involved in farming, it looks like a relatively simple endeavor.

Plant your seeds, tend and harvest the resulting crops, sell them or feed them to livestock, sell the livestock. Sort of like having a garden, only bigger.

But, farming actually is a large, scientific, increasingly complex industry, and -- despite continued loss of “family farms” -- luckily remains a vital part of the economy in Western Wisconsin and the state in general.

There also is not just one way of farming. That became graphically clear this past summer, when a debate over a proposed large hog operation in Vernon County became big news.

The dust-up was portrayed as large farmers vs. small farmers. Many who supported the hog operation argued that farmers today, in order to remain financially viable, have to grow in size.

That requires a farmer to acquire more land, or when that is not available, to consider alternatives like the indoor feeding operation that spurred the debate. It means a farmer often has to work closely with corporations which own the processing and distribution areas of the industry.

Many smaller, in some cases organic farmers, argued that big agriculture produces wastes that at times can foul the air and environment. Large farming operations often are not compatible with other land uses, opponents of the hog operation argued.

When a farmer gets too big, he eventually cannot keep up and in essence becomes a “tenant” farmer, or has to sell the farm to the corporation, other opponents said.

At one of several public hearings over the matter, one speaker made an important point: “We’re all farmers, big, moderate size and small. I hate to see farmers arguing with farmers.”

In a state where agriculture is still an important part of the economy, this speaker’s words should be heard everywhere, and especially in Western Wisconsin. Those involved in farming do have more things in common than differences.

They often love the land and want to be stewards of it. They are hard-working, independent folks who like being their own bosses. They often play several roles -- mechanic, nutritionist, chemist, environmentalist, bookkeeper, etc. They are very productive, with one farmer often producing enough food to feed dozens of people.

Many work for what amounts to something around the minimum wage when you add up their hours. They often are ignored, stereotyped and misunderstood in an increasingly urbanized world, with media concentrated in those urban areas.

There is evidence that diverse kinds of farming are very important for the industry’s survival. Wisconsin is losing 30,000 acres of farmland per year, but the state's agricultural diversity has insulated it against farming downtrends, according to a recent report by the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters.

Wisconsin had nearly 24 million agricultural acres in 1950. By 2005 that number had dropped to 15 million, according to the report. Nearly 60 percent of acres lost between 2000 and 2005 were in 19 counties, including those near the Twin Cities and Wausau as well as between Madison and Milwaukee.

But, the report found Wisconsin agriculture revolves around a wide, diverse range of animal and plant products, including milk, cheese, meats, cherries, oats, corn and peas. And farmers are branching out into specialty operations, such as making cheese or working organic farms.

As a result, Wisconsin agriculture is more resilient, the report said. "There are some issues that need to be faced," said Tom Lyon, a report co-chairman. "On the positive side, (the report) will say Wisconsin has a very diverse agricultural community that can withstand food production ups and downs."

In Western Wisconsin, diverse kinds of farming should be accepted and, in fact, are needed. In areas where the terrain is wider and not as hilly, larger farms can thrive, and with close attention to use of fertilizer, waste storage, etc. can be tended with minimal risk to the environment.

In the Driftless Area, in the southwest of the region, the karst geology and hilly terrain make large farming more difficult. Increased attention has to be paid to concerns about runoff and pollution.

This is especially true in the Kickapoo Valley, where organic farming has become a successful alternative that often fits better into the environment and is more compatible with recreational and other alternative uses of the land.

The debate this past summer in Vernon County will likely turn out to be healthy for farming. Locally, it led to the County Board starting movement on zoning, which has been long overdue. Through zoning, people can come together and make decisions regarding size of farms, waste disposal and other key issues.

On a broader scale, strengths and weaknesses in statewide farming regulations also became evident through the debate. The state law, known as AB 868, was developed after input from a variety of people within agriculture and related industries.

It has many strengths, but any law on a statewide level ultimately might not apply to certain situations in certain locations. Adaptability and customization by local officials and people should be part of any statewide legislation.

There will never be one way to farm. Debates over methods, size and other elements of the industry will probably always go on. But, the differences should not obscure the fact that farmers -- whether they have big or small operations, use conventional or organic methods, are corporations or not -- have much more in common than their differences as they all try to perpetuate an industry that has been, and remains, very important to Western Wisconsin and the entire state.

This column first ran on www.wisbusiness.com

Logistics Health needs to prove accusations false
10/29/2007

By Gregg Hoffmann

Logistics Health Inc. has become a major player as a provider of health services for the military and other branches of government.

That has been great for La Crosse and the region, as the company has grown dramatically, adding employees and two new headquarters buildings during the last few years.

But, as a major player, LHI also becomes a target for toppling from the top of the heap. Its operations are now being scrutinized by competitors and those who monitor government spending.

This means LHI has to make sure it operates with the utmost ethics and integrity, and as much transparency as possible.

Some competitors recently charged that LHI had an unfair advantage in bidding on a $790 million contract, let in September. Besides routine exams for reservists and National Guard members, the LHI program will provide full medical assessments to reservists, Guard members and members of the active military returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Logistics Health will be paid an estimated $151 million for the first year of a contract that can be renewed annually and extended up to five years, at a total cost of about $790 million.

The competitors note that LHI hired William Winkenwerder Jr. as a director and consultant in June. Winkenwerder had supervised military health programs at the Pentagon as assistant secretary of defense for health affairs from 2001 until April.

Of course, Tommy Thompson, former Wisconsin governor and secretary of Health and Human Services in the Bush Administration, serves as president of LHI.

Winkenwerder, Thompson and LHI chairman and CEO Don Weber all have denied any wrongdoings. Thompson labeled the complaints “sour grapes” from companies that lost in the bidding process.

But, these companies claim that their bids ranged from $80 million to $100 million less than the LHI bid. “They stacked the deck,” said Fran Lessans, president of Passport Health, one of the losing bidders, in a Los Angeles Times story. Her Baltimore-based firm lost despite a bid projected over five years to cost nearly $100 million less than Logistics Health’s winning proposal.

“It was wired. There is no doubt in my mind,” Lessans said of the Defense procurement process.

Two other firms involved in the bidding have filed formal protests with the Government Accountability Office (GAO). A draft copy of one protest letter, reviewed by the Times, cited Winkenwerder’s role and complained the winning bidder may have “gained unequal access to information not available to other competitors” by hiring the former Pentagon official.

In other letters of protest filed with the GAO, officials of rival firms also charged LHI won the pact despite questions raised about its performance under a previous agreement with the Department of Health and Human Services, according to the Times story. That pact originally was awarded in 2001.

Kenneth Moskowitz, an attorney for the Pennsylvania-based United States Military Dental Corp., said in an Oct. 12 letter that Logistics’ prior performance and practices under the Health and Human Services contract “put reservists and National Guardsmen at possible undue risk” because nobody monitored the LHI program.

Within the current political environment because of the war in Iraq, the accusations were bound to gain more attention and take on some image of credibility. We’ve all read and heard about exorbitant contracts to Halliburton and other companies providing services in Iraq.

Ties to Vice-President Dick Cheney and cronies have been scrutinized. Wasteful spending, sub-standard construction projects in Iraq and accusations of war profiteering by private companies have made headlines.

When Thompson was first hired by LHI, you could hear under-currents that he was brought on board to get more government contracts. That was a high profile hire by Weber, who had supported Thompson when the latter was still in politics. Winkenwerder’s hiring more or less ran under the radar screen of the media.

Cynics might say LHI has just learned the rules of the game, and it’s about time, since Wisconsin businesses have lagged behind others in procuring government contracts in the past.

But, it’s very important for LHI, and Wisconsin business in general, for the company to now be transparent and ethical, as the accusations are scrutinized. While LHI is a private company, it deals with public money in its government contracts, thus needs to be open about the process of obtaining those contracts -- at least as far as government security regulations allow.

The GAO has until early January to act on the protests. Government officials have refused to comment on the accusations, pending a possible review.

In the Times story, which also ran in the La Crosse Tribune with some local additions, Winkenwerder said the rules bar him from contacting his former Pentagon colleagues on Logistics’ behalf, “and I have followed those rules scrupulously. Further, I support such rules and place a high importance on strict ethical behavior in all of my conduct.”

Thompson said in the Tribune, “Logistics Health Inc. is so ethical, it’s beyond the pale.” Weber said as LHI becomes a larger company it has become a target. “We’re a very ethical and moral company,” he added. Weber said LHI has moved from the “minors leagues to the major leagues.”

With that move also comes the major league spotlight. LHI has been providing needed services on government contracts for quite some time and has received excellent reviews from government agencies in the past. Winkenwerder, Thompson and Weber might very well be right in their contentions that LHI has done nothing wrong.

But, the unpopular war in Iraq, and some of the practices by the Bush Administration, have created a climate of distrust and scrutiny. So, one of the consequences of becoming a major player is that LHI must prove its contentions.

This column first ran on www.wisbusiness.com

Sustainable planning makes business sense
11/5/2007

Sustainable has been a word you’ve heard used by community planners in Western Wisconsin and around the state and country for quite some time now.

Eleven municipalities around the state, including La Crosse city and county in the western region, have declared themselves “eco-municipalities.” Groups like the Wisconsin chapter of the American Planners Association, 1000 Friends of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Economic Development Association (WEDA) and others have held seminars and conferences on sustainable approaches across the state.

Government officials and planners seem to have bought into the concept that to make development sustainable it makes sense to combine the environment, economic and societal elements of a community.

It also makes business sense. That’s the main thrust of Fred Schnook’s message, as the former Ashland-mayor-turned-consultant for Foth Infrastructure & Environment LLC., goes around the state. Schnook recently brought his message to Western Wisconsin.

“I came to the sustainable movement for economic reasons,” Schnook said at a recent presentation in Vernon County. “You can’t bring back the old economy, and a sustainable approach is very much part of the new economy.”

The “old economy” was structured in a linear fashion -- based on mass production with specialists doing a specific task in an “assembly” line fashion. It produced goods at a relative low cost. It created jobs, but jobs that ultimately were destined to dwindle because of out-sourcing, or exportation overseas, or technology.

Communities that rely on old economy business are struggling, Schnook maintains. They cannot maintain long term growth.

The “new economy” requires more of a closed loop, creative model based on talented people; good paying positions, not just jobs; and “cool places” for recreation, education, etc. In this new economy, the public sector needs to help create an environment based on these entities. That environment in turn prompts the private sector to thrive and thus create long term business, which keeps the community healthy. Schnook emphasizes that this approach can retain current businesses, as well as attract new ones.

A sustainable approach means less reliance on fossil fuels and other high cost energy, less pollution and degradation of the environment, reduction of encroachment into nature, inclusion of as diverse a group of people as possible.

Schnook, who helped Ashland become the second “eco-municipality” in Wisconsin (Washburn was the first), bases his work on the Natural Step systems approach, which originated in Sweden.

The communities of Overtonea, Helsingborg and Kungsor in Sweden often are used as models for sustainable development throughout the world. Ashland, Washburn, La Crosse county and city and other Wisconsin municipalities are using modifications of the Natural Step approach in their work.

It does seem to indeed be a natural for Western Wisconsin. Recent controversies over a landfill site for coal ash, a large hog farm operation and potential pollution, development of the Mississippi River corridor, loss of longtime manufacturing businesses in several regional communities all smack of problems faced by those still operating within what Schnook calls the “old economy.”

The geography and terrain in many parts of the region make it an environmentally sensitive area, thus requiring business people and others to think about the long term impacts of their practices.

Farming remains a big part of the economy in much of Western Wisconsin and needs to follow sustainable approaches so it can remain strong.

Tourism is a natural for the region, which boasts some of the most beautiful areas of the state, yet intrusive, high impact tourism could be very harmful. Eco-tourism holds great potential for the region.

The St. Croix area and other pockets in the region face sprawl issues from the Twin Cities and elsewhere. Communities in such areas will not benefit if they become only “bedroom communities.“ They need to make sure that development creates business for the long term and does not harm the environment.

Some things must be kept in mind as the region moves forward on sustainable development. A coordinated, systems approach should give flexibility for each community to develop its own plans, after getting input from as wide a variety of people as possible. But, there also should be coordination and cooperation among communities because environmental concerns, transportation issues, etc. do not stop at the border of a village, city or county. For example, if La Crosse city and county develop sustainable practices, but are surrounded by communities that don’t, the effectiveness of those practices will be reduced.

Business people in the region need to become more aware of sustainable practices. They should become more involved in education, which provides the needed, skilled workforce. They need to make their operations as “green” as possible, because that will allow them to do business for generations.

Concrete projects and development have to come out of all this sustainable discussion and planning. If the discussion remains only theoretical, and does not result in grassroots projects and development, people will abandon it.

Finally, municipal planners, educators, business people and citizens in general need to work together and not go off in their own directions to pursue their own myopic, short-term interests alone. If they do the latter, a systems approach will inevitably break down.

Hello VSN Members and Friends!

 

Are you interested in farmland preservation, greater access to fresh produce and locally grown food items, building healthful eating among youth, opportunities for low income families to have access to fresh food, and increased economic opportunties for farmers and farm product businesses? Please consider joining us Tuesday, November 13th - 7:00 p.m. at Western Technical College (Room 115) for a discussion on the creation of a local food and farm initiative.

 

We are looking for dedicated community members who would be interested in serving on an advisory committee that would help define the mission and priorities of a locally based Food and Farm Initiative.

 

We will be gathering at this Tuesday to discuss these ideas. If you are able to come, please RSVP Jessica Luhning at Valley Stewardship Network office (637-3615 or vsn@frontiernet.net).

 

We look forward to seeing you,

 

 

Sara Martinez & Matt Urch - VSN Members & Volunteers

Jessica Luhning - VSN Projects Coordinator


Valley Stewardship Network
124 1/2 S. Main Street
Viroqua, Wisconsin 54665

(608) 637-3615
www.kickapoovsn.org

This column first ran on www.wisbusiness.com

Films, arts can mean business for region
11/12/2007

Western Wisconsin could become a hot spot for film-making and arts and culture tourism, if the region’s leaders see the opportunities.

When many people think of films and the arts, they don’t necessarily jump to the bottom line in business. In fact, some business people might even consider that such endeavors are supported at the expense of local economic development.

Yet, there is ample evidence that these forms of entertainment, and investments in them, can pay off for an area.

A study released a few months ago by the Americans for the Arts group showed that more than $16.4 million was generated in the St. Croix River Valley by non-profit arts and cultural organizations and their audiences.

About $6.8 million is spent by the non-profit groups that provide the entertainment and arts, and another $9.6 million is generated by audiences. That translates into 384 fulltime equivalent jobs and $1.58 million in revenue for local and state governments.

The St. Croix Valley was one of 156 regions in the Americans for the Arts study. The findings are consistent throughout the country. The report concluded:

“Arts and culture organizations are businesses in their own right — leverage additional event related spending by their audiences that pumps vital revenue into restaurants, hotels, retail stores, and other local businesses. When patrons attend a performing arts event, for example, they may park their car in a toll garage, purchase dinner at a restaurant and eat dessert after the show.

"Valuable commerce is generated for local merchants. This study shows that the typical attendee spends $27.79 per person, per event, in addition to the cost of admission. When a community attracts cultural tourists, it harnesses even greater economic rewards. Non-local audiences spend twice as much as their local counterparts ($40.19 vs. $19.53.

Arts and culture is a magnet for tourists, and tourism research repeatedly shows that cultural travelers stay longer and spend more. Whether serving the local community or out-of-town visitors, a vibrant arts and culture industry helps local businesses thrive.”

Studies by other groups in recent years have echoed the findings of the Americans for the Arts study. Arts, culture and entertainment add to the economic strength of an area.

Another opportunity to capitalize on arts and culture will soon present itself for Western Wisconsin. State tax credits and other film incentives that take effect Jan. 1 are expected to increase the number of films made in the state.

Western Wisconsin would be a natural for this initiative. From the rolling hills of the Driftless Area in the southwest to the St. Croix Valley, there is natural beauty. You need only drive through the area to see the potential.

The natural landscape looks like a movie backdrop. And, many of the villages and cities in the region have retained historic looking buildings and architecture, which would provide great sets for many films.

Tom Farley, director of marketing for the Greater Madison Convention and Visitors Bureau and brother of late comedian Chris Farley, recently told a convention group in La Crosse that seeing an area in a movie helps draw people to it. Plus, “nothing engages a community more than a movie production coming in,” Farley said.

Dave Clements, executive director of the La Crosse Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, said thousands of tourists still go to the site of the 1989 “Field of Dreams” film in Dyersville, Iowa.

Clements also said communities have to make themselves “film friendly” to attract a film. Tourism representatives, park and recreation personnel, fire and police departments, electricians and carpenters unions, and other groups have to work together to attract filmmakers.

Local tourism agencies throughout the state can refer filmmakers to the new Film Wisconsin nonprofit organization for information on the new tax breaks. Film Wisconsin has worked to promote film production in the state for about a year.

Leaders in Western Wisconsin communities should organize and put together coordinated efforts to work with Film Wisconsin. The making of films in the area can have a double impact -- bringing in revenue during the actual production and then providing a great promotional tool for the region.

These leaders also should look at the St. Croix River Valley as a model of what can be done economically by nurturing arts and culture of various forms.

The new, “sustainable” economy -- addressed in this column last week -- requires the merging of the natural environment, economic development and lifestyle concerns. Creative, innovative people want to come to an area that has interesting things to do.

Many come as tourists, and some decide to stay, find jobs or start businesses. They often can become the economic engineers for an area.

Films and other arts and culture events also have relative low impact on the natural environment, a definite concern in most areas of Western Wisconsin.

An investment in films and the arts is not just charitable or a nice thing to do. It makes sound business sense.

Films, arts can mean business for region
11/12/2007

This column first ran on www.wisbusiness.com.

Western Wisconsin could become a hot spot for film-making and arts and culture tourism, if the region’s leaders see the opportunities.

When many people think of films and the arts, they don’t necessarily jump to the bottom line in business. In fact, some business people might even consider that such endeavors are supported at the expense of local economic development.

Yet, there is ample evidence that these forms of entertainment, and investments in them, can pay off for an area.

A study released a few months ago by the Americans for the Arts group showed that more than $16.4 million was generated in the St. Croix River Valley by non-profit arts and cultural organizations and their audiences.

About $6.8 million is spent by the non-profit groups that provide the entertainment and arts, and another $9.6 million is generated by audiences. That translates into 384 fulltime equivalent jobs and $1.58 million in revenue for local and state governments.

The St. Croix Valley was one of 156 regions in the Americans for the Arts study. The findings are consistent throughout the country. The report concluded:

“Arts and culture organizations are businesses in their own right — leverage additional event related spending by their audiences that pumps vital revenue into restaurants, hotels, retail stores, and other local businesses. When patrons attend a performing arts event, for example, they may park their car in a toll garage, purchase dinner at a restaurant and eat dessert after the show.

"Valuable commerce is generated for local merchants. This study shows that the typical attendee spends $27.79 per person, per event, in addition to the cost of admission. When a community attracts cultural tourists, it harnesses even greater economic rewards. Non-local audiences spend twice as much as their local counterparts ($40.19 vs. $19.53.

Arts and culture is a magnet for tourists, and tourism research repeatedly shows that cultural travelers stay longer and spend more. Whether serving the local community or out-of-town visitors, a vibrant arts and culture industry helps local businesses thrive.”

Studies by other groups in recent years have echoed the findings of the Americans for the Arts study. Arts, culture and entertainment add to the economic strength of an area.

Another opportunity to capitalize on arts and culture will soon present itself for Western Wisconsin. State tax credits and other film incentives that take effect Jan. 1 are expected to increase the number of films made in the state.

Western Wisconsin would be a natural for this initiative. From the rolling hills of the Driftless Area in the southwest to the St. Croix Valley, there is natural beauty. You need only drive through the area to see the potential.

The natural landscape looks like a movie backdrop. And, many of the villages and cities in the region have retained historic looking buildings and architecture, which would provide great sets for many films.

Tom Farley, director of marketing for the Greater Madison Convention and Visitors Bureau and brother of late comedian Chris Farley, recently told a convention group in La Crosse that seeing an area in a movie helps draw people to it. Plus, “nothing engages a community more than a movie production coming in,” Farley said.

Dave Clements, executive director of the La Crosse Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, said thousands of tourists still go to the site of the 1989 “Field of Dreams” film in Dyersville, Iowa.

Clements also said communities have to make themselves “film friendly” to attract a film. Tourism representatives, park and recreation personnel, fire and police departments, electricians and carpenters unions, and other groups have to work together to attract filmmakers.

Local tourism agencies throughout the state can refer filmmakers to the new Film Wisconsin nonprofit organization for information on the new tax breaks. Film Wisconsin has worked to promote film production in the state for about a year.

Leaders in Western Wisconsin communities should organize and put together coordinated efforts to work with Film Wisconsin. The making of films in the area can have a double impact -- bringing in revenue during the actual production and then providing a great promotional tool for the region.

These leaders also should look at the St. Croix River Valley as a model of what can be done economically by nurturing arts and culture of various forms.

The new, “sustainable” economy -- addressed in this column last week -- requires the merging of the natural environment, economic development and lifestyle concerns. Creative, innovative people want to come to an area that has interesting things to do.

Many come as tourists, and some decide to stay, find jobs or start businesses. They often can become the economic engineers for an area.

Films and other arts and culture events also have relative low impact on the natural environment, a definite concern in most areas of Western Wisconsin.

An investment in films and the arts is not just charitable or a nice thing to do. It makes sound business sense.

This column first ran on www.wisbusiness.com

Veto Override Good for Mississippi River
11/19/2007




Kudos to Congress for over-riding a Presidential veto on a water resources bill that will have a big impact on the Upper Mississippi River.

 

President Bush recently suffered the first veto override of his presidency when the Senate enacted a $23 billion water resources bill despite his protest that it was filled with unnecessary projects. The House also voted to override the veto earlier in the same week.

The bill authorizes the construction of navigation improvements for the Upper Mississippi River, at an estimated federal cost of $1.9 billion, and an ecosystem restoration project for the Upper Mississippi costing $1.7 billion.

 

“This is a tremendously important bill to the Upper Mississippi River Basin,” U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, D-La Crosse, said in a statement after the House vote. “It will allow a number of infrastructure and environmental improvement projects to move forward, including new locks and dams on the Mississippi and a barrier to protect the river from harmful invasive species.”

 

It was also a bill that was long in the making and included a lot of work and thought by many people in the Upper Mississippi region.

 

The Big River is both a commercial navigation route and the largest wildlife reserve in the country. Hearing after hearing was held to blend those two seemingly conflicting uses of the river.

 

By no means is the bill perfect, but it will provide needed federal dollars for a good start on maintaining the navigable portions of the river while also bringing back the environmental quality.

.

Thirty-four Republicans joined in the Senate vote for override. Bush’s spokeswoman portrayed the issue as a divide between a budget-conscious president and a big-spending Congress.

“The president is standing up for the taxpayers,” White House press secretary Dana Perino said. “No one is surprised that this veto is overridden. We understand that members of Congress are going to support the projects in their districts. Budgeting is about making choices and defining priorities — it doesn’t mean you can have everything. This bill doesn’t make the difficult decisions on every idea out there. That’s not a responsible way to budget.”


But, many argue that spending money on perhaps the most important river basin in America is more responsible than spending money on infrastructure projects in Iraq and elsewhere.

 

The bill does not only deal with the Mississippi. It also funds hundreds of Army Corps of Engineers projects, such as dams, sewage plants and beach restoration, that are important to local communities and their representatives. It also includes money for the hurricane-hit Gulf Coast and for Florida Everglades restoration efforts.

 

Of course, of most interest in the Western Wisconsin region and elsewhere along the river are funds for the construction of seven new river locks on the Upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers, a part of the critical Mississippi River system.

 

Midwest farm and agribusiness interests have pressed for the locks for decades. Nearly 60% of U.S. exports of corn, soybeans and wheat, overall, are shipped via barges down the Mississippi River. The new locks will allow strings of 15 barges, 1100 feet end to end, to pass through without having to be separated -- twice the current length limit.

 

Jacqueline Taylor of the National Corn Growers Association says that a string of 15 barges can transport the same volume of grain as 870 semi-trucks. So, creating the locks would take a lot of truck traffic off the highways and save on diesel fuel needed to run the trucks, she notes.

 

Many concerned about the environmental quality of the river also want to make sure locks and other structures are added or updated without damaging the eco-system too badly. Some oppose locks completely, but the bill strives for a balance between the business concerns and the environment. That’s why the funding for eco-system restoration is so important.

 

Wetlands will be restored in several places along the river. Protection against invasive species, such as flying carp and others, will be put in place.

 

These environmental protection projects are not only the right thing to do for the eco-system. Tourism also is big business, as thousands come to the Mississippi River for recreation of various kinds that are dependent on a clean environment.

 

So, while national media coverage of the over-ride concentrated primarily on the politics of the action, folks in Western Wisconsin and throughout the Mississippi River basin should be happy Congress did the right thing for many other reasons.

This column first ran in www.wisbusiness.com

Crawford County considering huge pig-confinement operation
11/26/2007

Two meetings in southwest Wisconsin should draw interest this week.

A public hearing will be held tonight at 7 p.m. on the first concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) permit application in Crawford County . The hearing will be held at the Crawford County Administration Building in Prairie du Chien.

Crawford Stewardship Project (CSP) reminds Crawford County and neighboring county citizens and landowners that attendance is crucial. “This is our only chance to officially voice our opinion and show our concerns on the health and safety issues,” said Edie Ehlert, Coordinator of CSP.

Written comments are also accepted by the county. CSP is an organization of Crawford County citizens who are working to oppose CAFOs, based on documented health and safety concerns. The American Public Health Association has come out in support of a national moratorium on all CAFOs due to these same concerns, according to CSP officials.
.
The permit application is made by a sow farrowing operation along the Lower Wisconsin River Wildlife Area and on Boydtown Creek, east of Wauzeka. The application is requesting to expand to 2,900 sows and build a CAFO. This permit is in the approval or disapproval process now at the county committee level.

“We can expect what the industry calls ‘pods of 10’ application permits in Crawford and neighboring counties,” said Jennifer Nelson of CSP. “These industrialized operations want to move semi-trucks of feed and animals ‘efficiently’ in an area, thus requiring multiple operations.”

According to CSP, three recent township surveys in Crawford County showed approximately 90% of those responding support agriculture and 80% oppose or want to limit CAFOs.

A permit for a similar hog operation in the Vernon County sparked controversy over the summer. At the time, opponents to the 2,500 hog operation said Western Wisconsin would see more applications in the future.

Operators of the hog operations argue their proposals fall within state regulations for such farming. They also contend that CAFOs can be found elsewhere in Western Wisconsin and throughout the state.

Two days after the hog farm hearing, on Wednesday, Nov. 28, a meeting will be held at the Viroqua campus of the Western Wisconsin Technical College. State Senator Dan Kapanke is organizing the meeting as a planning session for a Western Wisconsin Women’s Entrepreneurial Forum, to be held somewhere in Western Wisconsin.

According to a press release, a Women’s Entrepreneurial Forum would bring women from Western Wisconsin who are interested in starting their own businesses together with existing women entrepreneurs and business owners.

Topics such as available services, networking ideas, financial investments and others could be discussed in such a forum, according to organizers.

Similar planning meetings will be held in La Crosse and Prairie du Chien. The location of the forum has not yet been chosen.

Those organizers hope such a forum could be held some time in 2008. Wednesday’s meeting will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in Room 115 of the Viroqua campus building. For more information on the organizational meeting, call 1-800-385-3385.

This column first ran in www.wisbusiness.com


Citizens group investigating county supes' pig operation vote
11/29/2007


Hog operations continue to stir up you-know-what in southwest Wisconsin.

 

While around 200 people showed up in Crawford County for a meeting on a 2,900 hog operation last week, Citizens for Responsible Government (CRG) announced it has filed a number of Freedom of Information Act requests with Vernon County as part of an investigation into how that county board handled votes on a 2,500 hog operation last August.

 

CRG is looking for the possibility of "collusion" on the part of supervisors in their handling of the confinement animal operation (CAFO) moratorium and siting ordinances that were considered because of the hog operation.

 

Vernon County officials should cooperate fully with the CRG requests. Crawford County officials also should look one county to the north and make sure they handle their application for a CAFO in a transparent and open manner.

 

Officials in both counties -- as well as many other rural counties around the state and country ---- have done business in the “old-fashioned” way for years. It often was more personal and worked in many cases.

 

However, things have changed in rural areas, and supervisors and officials have to keep up, or risk problems. Vernon County, for example, has no zoning. Supervisors formed a committee to start exploring zoning regulations as part of the discussion over the CAFO. It should have been addressed years ago.

 

The demographics in southwest Wisconsin have changed, and citizens now are demanding more accountability and transparency. Big business also has become involved in area farming -- whether it be Hormel and other meat packers contracting with those running the CAFOs or large organic cooperatives such as Organic Valley. Government regulations and relations with large business entities require more sophistication and expertise.

 

CRG has its roots in recall elections in Milwaukee. The group was formed originally in 2002 during the Milwaukee county retirement fund scandal.

The group, led by Milwaukee businessman Chris Kliesmet and former iron worker Orville Seymer, has focused on expanding across the state in the last couple of years and added a La Crosse chapter in September of 2006.

CRG’s involvement in Vernon County started when they were contacted by local citizens concerned that some county board members were working behind the scenes on the hog moratorium issue.

The Vernon County Broadcaster reported that one of the first FOIA requests was sent on Oct.1 to supervisor Maynard Cox. Cox has a son who worked for the owners of the proposed the CAFO, Jeff and Bonnie Parr. Requests then were sent to all 29 supervisors asking for any correspondence including emails (including deleted) that pertain to the hog facility.

An initial response from Vernon County Corporation Counsel Greg Lunde on Oct. 3 said that Cox does not have access to a county email address and any such records that would exist would be on a personal email account and therefore would not be subject to open records law. CRG maintains state statutes and the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council state county supervisor emails are subject to open records even if stored on a personal computer.

Lunde said later the county is coordinating the response for the 29 supervisors and will comply with the request, including personal emails. Lunde said it could cost up to $3500 to access the emails and the county would ask to be paid before it releases any records.

CRG agrees it is legal for units of government to require payment for such information if it can be shown it is a legitimate expense and not done to intentionally limit access to such records.

 

One county supervisor reportedly told CRG that he burns his records in a barrel behind his house every week. CRG questioned the handling of records by individual supervisors and the county as a whole.



This issue, and others involving environmental concerns, are not about to go away. Southwest Wisconsin has been designated as a good place for CAFOs by meat processors because it is relatively close to several processing plants. Yet, organic farmers and others concerned about the environment worry about the effects of manure and other pollutants from these large CAFOs.

 

The opponents to the large operations are organized, have some media savvy and contacts with state and national organizations that have expertise and resources.

 

All this means that county officials in the rural areas are no longer working outside the spotlight. That light will indeed be shown on them, and their actions, just like it has been for years in more urbanized areas.

 

So, those officials have to do their business in a professional, contemporary, manner. That means being transparent and open with the public. If they have done nothing wrong in how they handled their business, they should have nothing to hide.

Hello VSN Members!
 
One of VSN's primary mission statements is to support communication and coordination between communities and citizens within the Kickapoo Watershed. In an attempt to keep our members up-to-date on local events and happenings I am going to try my best to put out a monthly "local events" email. Please feel free to notify me of any event(s) you would like included.
 
We are putting the final touches on the new VSN website, which should be up and running by the new year. This process has taken us a little longer than expected so thank you for your patience! Once the new website has launched be sure to check out the Calendar section, which will be updated on a weekly basis.
 
Upcoming December Events:
 
 December 5 (Wednesday):
VSN Food & Farm Initiative Meeting -7:00 p.m. at the Western Technical College
December 8 (Saturday):
Kickapoo Valley Reserve Holiday Extravaganza (Cookie & Candy Sale, Photo Contest Winner Annoucements, Dance & Holiday Concert) 2:00 p.m. at the KVR Visitor Center
 
The Kickapoo Woods Cooperative - Sawmill Tour An educational event at the Rockbridge Sawmill, 19717 State Highway 80, beginning at 10:00 am on Saturday, December 8. Owners Terri and Scott Sawle will provide a tour of the facility while it is not running. Scott and his log buyers will show what they look for when procuring logs. Hardwood logs of different species and quality will be examined and various features pointed out that contribute to or detract from their value. This promises to be an interesting and practical workshop. All are welcome. Coffee and light refreshments will be served.
The Kickapoo Woods Cooperative’s mission is to provide forestry education, management and marketing services to landowners of the Kickapoo valley and neighboring watersheds that will improve the forestry resource in the region. KWC is accepting new members and can help them to develop Forest Plans.
        
 December 11 (Tuesday):
Inventors and Entrepreneurs Club meeting is Tuesday, December 11th at Gays Mills Community Building, 212 Main Street. (Look for our banner). Come early to network at 6:00 pm, program starts at 6:30 pm. Share ideas with other creative thinkers and find resources to help you. Existing businesses might also find ways to expand their markets or improve their business. New ideas are just a spark away!

This month John Zehrer and Phil Mueller will share their success story of Star Valley Flowers, a rural Soldiers Grove agri-business that’s been featured twice on “Martha Stewart Living”. Their products are also prominently displayed along Michigan Avenue in Chicago during the holiday season. Zehrer started in dairy farming and then found a better niche in horticulture with ornamental shrubs and decorative branches that make up most of Star Valley’s business today. Learn how they developed methods to expand market share, steer trends and turn brush into dollars. Everyone is welcome!

Please help us spread the word by bringing some friends along, forwarding this message or posting the attached flyer. Remember, the meetings are free, the second Tuesday of every month, so join us when you can.
Hope to see you there!

Susan Noble
Executive Director, Vernon Economic Development Association
402 Courthouse Square, Banta Building Suite 207, Viroqua, WI 54665
608.637.5396
snoble@veda-wi.org
 December 12 (Wednesday):
VSN Board Meeting - 7:00 p.m. at the VSN Office (124 1/2 S. Main Street, Suite 104 - Viroqua)

This column first ran on www.wisbusiness.com.


 Westby ski jump, and other winter events, could take a fall
12/10/2007




For more than 80 years, skiers have been flying through the air every February just outside of Westby in Vernon County.

 

But, the 2008 jump, scheduled for Feb. 9-10, could be the last. The Snowflake Ski Club, which has put on the event, is financially strapped for several reasons and could pull the plug on the event after its 85th annual staging. Just a couple weeks ago, there had been rumors that the 2008 event might not even be held.

 

The ski jump is just one example of events -- especially winter events -- throughout the Western Wisconsin region and the state put on by community groups, often as fund-raisers or benefits, that face financial challenges.

 

The financial problems in the ski jump case have several causes. First, attendance has dropped in recent years and volunteers to help groom the hill and staff the event are becoming harder to find.

 

A Snowflake golf course, which has made money in the past and helped support the ski jump, had to close for part of this past summer because of the August floods. Revenue was lost which could have been used for the ski event. The club did not quality for FEMA or Small Business Administration aid.

 

These are primarily local factors, somewhat unique to Westby and the Snowflake club. But, other factors are faced by other communities and have their roots in regional, state or even national and international causes.

 

First, sponsorships have become harder to find. Local and regional businesses are asked to sponsor so many events that they have had to choose, based on both community concerns and business sense.

 

Second, travel and energy costs have skyrocketed. In the case of the Westby ski jump, transporting international ski jumpers, who compete in the Continental Cup, has become more expensive. Community members have opened their homes to the jumpers for housing and often have forged long term friendships through these contacts, but the travel to Westby costs more.

 

Many other community groups are facing energy costs problems, whether it be because of heat costs or travel costs. Spectators and participants in these events also are less likely to drive long distances to events because of gas costs.

 

For the past several winters, Snowflake also has had to make snow for the jump. Other communities that put on winter events, including the famous Birkie, have faced similar problems, arguably caused by climate change on a global scale. Winter events just aren’t the same without the white stuff, and making it costs money.

 

Some of these events are destined to become history. Their time might have passed. But, some of the events, including the ski jump for Westby, have helped give communities an identity and provide economic boosts during an overall down business time of the year. It has helped put otherwise small towns on the map.

 

It would seem in the interest of the region and state to help keep these events alive. Perhaps state Department of Tourism and Department of Development funds could be made available for volunteer groups that put on such events. You can almost hear the cries of “no money through state taxes now,” but perhaps the funding could be raised by user fees at state parks and other facilities in the regions where the events are staged, or some other creative financing tool.

 

State business groups, especially those that benefit from tourism, also could start a fund, which could provide matching funds to a community group trying to put on an event. If such funds came from businesses statewide, it would not be as financially burdensome as it has become for some individual businesses, which are as tapped as “sugar daddies” for numerous events in a specific region.

 

Some of these events also could be staged more cost efficiently with the help of professional consulting. There might be a business opportunity for some company willing to provide professional event planning at reasonable costs. Or, again, perhaps the Department of Tourism or business groups might even want to provide such consulting for free, at least to non-profit groups.

 

If some of these events are winter sports events, perhaps the Wisconsin Sports Development Corporation could work with the local community groups in some ways.

 

The Westby ski jump would be a big loss for that area. Other winter events in other communities also would be losses for those areas. Every one of these events help us get through winter.

 

The Western Wisconsin region and state as a whole can’t allow rural areas and small towns to go into hibernation over winter. If that happens, the ill effects will be felt year around.

Hello VSN Members,

 

Thanks to the work of the Crawford Stewardship Project and citizens of Crawford County, the Crawford County Conservation Committee voted unanimously to table the decision on approving or denying the recent Crawford County CAFO expansion permit. A subcommittee of the Conservation Committee has been given the responsibility of hiring an independent nutrient management planner to review the CAFO plan. Once the plan has been adequately reviewed by the third party nutrient management planner, a decision to approve or deny the permit will be made at the January or February Conservation Committee meeting.

 

In case you are not aware, a farm operator in Crawford County has recently applied for an expansion permit for his hog farrowing operation. The expansion permit would allow the farm operator to house 2,900 hogs. The operation is located on a bluff right above Boydtown Creek, a direct tributary to the Wisconsin River near Wauzeka. Water contamination has been an issue in the past for this operation and there are contamination concerns if the operation is approved to expand. In addition to reviewing the nutrient management plan, issues of concern include the engineering plans and engineering inspections (the fact that they were never done) and building without a permit (against the county ordinance).

 

To express their gratitude for support, the Crawford Stewardship Project (CSP) invites the public to attend an evening of locally grown food treats and conversation on Tuesday, December 18 at 7:30 p.m. at the Crawford County Hwy Dept. Bldg on hwy 27 just south of Seneca at County Road E. This is an evening of thanks to everyone who has supported CSP, including those who raised their voices in concern for public health and safety at the public hearing for the first permit application for a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) in our County.

 

A short presentation of efforts to date will be presented followed by an invitation for others to join as the organization grows to include statewide efforts on the CAFO issue. “It’s time to shape the future of our organization,” explains Edie Ehlert, coordinator of CSP. “New ideas, new efforts, new citizen involvement are needed.”

 

Contact CSP at csp.county@gmail.com or call 735-4277.

 

Thanks,

Jessica Luhning
Projects Coordinator
Valley Stewardship Network
124 1/2 S. Main Street
Viroqua, Wisconsin 54665

(608) 637-3615
www.kickapoovsn.org

Join others concerned with stewardship of the Kickapoo Watershed
Become a member of the Valley Stewardship Network for all those who live, work and play in the Valley

This column first ran on www.wisbusiness.com

Hog farms, Dairyland Power should get together
12/17/2007


Probably the two biggest business issues in southwest Wisconsin since this column started have been two proposed concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) hog farms and the Dairyland Power ash problem at its Genoa plant.

 

If you’re not aware of the issues, here’s a quick summary. CAFOs in Vernon and Crawford counties led to opposition from people concerned about runoff from manure and other issues. The 2,500 hog operation in Vernon County was approved with some restrictions. Action on a 2,900 hog operation in Crawford County has been tabled for further study.

 

Meanwhile, Dairyland Power has installed new scrubbers which will reduce air pollution, but make ash from the plant not as useable for recycling. Thus, the coop has been looking for a possible dump site, again prompting opposition and bad public relations.

 

Dairyland also recently became the target of protestors, when its permits were renewed for discharging water into the Mississippi River. Some have expressed concern about mercury content in the water and monitoring of temperatures.

 

The issues are not directly related. Nothing involved with the hog operations can directly help Dairyland with its need to discharge water or its ash disposal problem -- at least not in a way this writer can see. But, this writer has an idea that might be able to help Dairyland with its overall PR problem and help the coop show its concern for the environment. Here’s how.

 

Dairyland has been a leader in methane production of electricity. The coop owns three animal waste-to-energy facilities on dairy farms in its service territory. These “cow power” plants use dairy cow manure as the energy source to generate renewable energy.

 

The manure is collected and heated, creating the natural byproduct of methane gas. That biogas is the fuel used to power the generators.

 

Dairyland’s animal waste-to-energy facilities include: Five Star Dairy farm near Elk Mound, Wild Rose Dairy near La Farge, and Norswiss Farms near Rice Lake. Each anaerobic manure digester facility can generate 775-840 kilowatts of energy, enough to power at least 600 homes. Dairyland’s long-term goal is to create up to 25 MW of renewable electricity via the manure digesters, powering approximately 20,000 homes.

 

Hog manure can work as well as cow manure for the production of methane. Consider this from The Power Partners’ Resource Guide (PPRG), a web-based resource developed to help electric power companies undertake voluntary actions to reduce, avoid, or sequester greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and/or reduce emissions intensity.

 

Livestock manure is composed primarily of organic material and water. When manure decomposes in an anaerobic environment (i.e., in the absence of oxygen), methane is produced along with carbon dioxide and stabilized organic material. The major sources of U.S. livestock manure methane are large dairy and cattle operations and hog farms that use liquid manure management systems.

 

About ninety percent of manure is currently handled as a solid (e.g., in pastures or stacks on dry lots) but this portion produces only about twenty percent of total methane emissions from manure. Liquid manure management systems, such as lagoons, ponds, tanks, or pits, handle a much smaller portion of total manure but comprise 80 percent of total methane emissions from manure.

 

Dairy and swine farms are typically the only livestock farms where liquid and slurry manure systems are used. Beef, poultry, and other livestock farms generally don’t use liquid manure systems, and as a result produce much less methane.

 

The general trend in manure management - in part because of the trend towards larger automated farms - is toward increased use of the liquid systems that produce greater quantities of methane emissions. Liquid management is the more cost-effective option for manure management at large farms. As a consequence of this shift to liquid management, combined with changes in animal populations and feed consumption, methane emissions from manure management have been rising steadily over the past few years and are projected to continue rising.

 

It should start becoming clearer what the connection could be between the CAFOs and Dairyland. The coop should link with the developers of the CAFOs and install digester systems.

 

By Dairyland’s own estimates, the digesters can reduce the volume of manure left after the methane process. Consider this excerpt from a WisBiz In-Depth column of July 15, 2005: By converting manure to methane, storage needs are reduced and winter spreading of liquid manure could be cut back.

“That was a tragedy,” Neil Kennebeck, director of planning services for Dairyland, said (about a manure runoff problem that contributed to a fish kill at Jersey Valley Lake). “Methane projects do give the farmers some ways to reduce their storage.”

In addition to those benefits, methane production addresses other animal waste problems associated with manure disposal on farms. Odor is reduced, and weed seeds and pathogens are killed during the digestion process, thus reducing the need for herbicides and pesticides on the farm.

 

The connection between the CAFOs and Dairyland now should be crystal clear. Manure from the CAFOs could be reduced dramatically, thus cutting down on storage and disposal problems. Up to 1,200 homes could get their electricity from the methane produced at the two CAFOs thus far on record.

 

Dairyland could demonstrate that, despite its ash and water discharge problems, it truly does care about the environment and alternative energies.

 

Certainly, there would costs for both the CAFOs and Dairyland. But, in the long run, they would recover this additional cost in energy and storage improvements.

 

This still should not open the floodgates for more CAFOs. Because of the karst geology in the southwest region of the state, caution still has to be used when considering large animal operations. This proposal also does not address philosophic differences of organic farmers and others who just don’t agree with so-called “factory farms.”

 

But, no matter what your philosophy is, more CAFOs are inevitable. It would seem like making them sources of methane-produced electricity and helping them reduce their manure are positive steps for all involved.

 

This proposal still doesn’t address the Dairyland ash disposal problem, or its water discharge. Methane from landfills also is a growing source of alternative energy, but whether ash in a landfill can produce methane, and whether any landfill is a good solution, will be left to people who better know the science, environmental and business factors than this writer does.

 

But, it does seem to make sense for developers of CAFO and Dairyland to get together.

This column first ran on www.wisbusiness.com

Trane employees have wild ride in 2007
12/20/2007


The 2,350 people or so who work at Trane Inc. in La Crosse have had a wild ride in 2007.

 

Earlier this month, American Standard, which bought Trane in 1984, completed a change in name to Trane. Rumors circulated that Trane might even move its headquarters from New Jersey to La Crosse. That looked like nothing but good news.

 

Then, Monday, in a reported $10 billion deal, Ingersoll-Rand Co. announced it will acquire Trane Inc. and create one of the world's largest makers of commercial and residential home air conditioners, refrigerators for trucks and stores, and other climate control products.

 

So, now where does the La Crosse Trane operation stand? That was the question on a lot of people’s minds after the sale was announced. The answers might not come for a while.

 

Trane, which was founded in La Crosse in 1913, is a great example of the strength of branding -- when the quality of the product lives up to the brand. Trane makes excellent quality air conditioning, ventilating, heating and building management equipment, and systems for large commercial buildings. It’s done so for a long time.

 

American Standard recognized that, restructured its operations and took the brand name of Trane for the entire company.

 

The $10.1 billion cash and stock deal announced Monday is one of the largest industrial buyouts in recent years. It gives Ingersoll-Rand, which makes Thermo King refrigerated trucks and Hussmann refrigerated display cases, access to Trane's building and transportation cooling systems.

 

The combined company will be No. 2 in air conditioning, after the $14 billion-a-year business of Carrier Corp., a unit of United Technologies Corp.

 

Trane employs more than 29,000 people and has 29 production facilities around the world. The two companies combined currently have a combined 64,000 employees in 109 manufacturing plants worldwide.

 

Of course, the concern in the western Wisconsin region is for those 2.350 employees who work for Trane in La Crosse.

 

That number of workers is down from a high of 4,200 in the 1980s, but that reflects changes in manufacturing processes -- with more technology and automation -- than necessarily a downturn in business.

 

Trane hired about 100 production workers in La Crosse this year. But, in late September, the company announced tentative plans to lay off up to 145 La Crosse workers when it consolidates parts distribution centers next year in Memphis, Tenn. The La Crosse distribution center was scheduled to close. It is not known if this change will still happen after the merger with Ingersoll Rand.

 

The La Crosse plant of Trane still makes its flagship EarthWise CenTraVac Chiller, as well as absorption water chillers. The company has increased production and size selection of EarthWise chillers made in La Crosse, offsetting the move of some other product lines elsewhere.

 

Trane had a local payroll of more than $140 million in La Crosse in 2006. It paid out another $20 million in health benefits to its La Crosse employees.

 

In 2006, Trane, its employees and the American-Standard Foundation contributed nearly $275,000 to local organizations and activities. Trane is one of the largest property taxpayers in the city and county of La Crosse. The company paid more than $1 million in property taxes in 2006. Another $1 million was paid in state and county sales taxes.

Trane bought more than $30 million in goods and services from area firms, and $50 million from businesses throughout the state. More than 1,500 international visitors, U.S.-based customers, sales office personnel and service technicians visit Trane in La Crosse. The financial impact of all these visits is estimated at more than $2 million per year.

 

So, Trane is still a major player, arguably THE major player among manufacturers, in the La Crosse area and western Wisconsin region.


Analysts believe the Ingersoll Rand deal will give the combined companies opportunities for growth, especially in the air conditioning market in emerging countries. That could filter down to more work at the La Crosse facilities.

 

But, any deal of this magnitude also prompts uncertainties and concerns at the local level. Will Ingersoll Rand have the same appreciation for the strong ties Trane has had with La Crosse? Could the local operations be reduced or even closed?

 

Corporate officials in such deals usually say reassuring things in initial announcements, but sometimes realities change.

 

The deal is expected to close in spring 2008 and requires approval by regulators and Trane shareholders, as well as usual closing conditions. So, we’ll have to wait until then to start getting concrete answers.

This column first ran on www.wisbusiness.com

Western Wisconsin should survive slowdown
1/3/2008


You’re hearing the R-Word used when people talk about business in 2008.

 

Some are predicting the American economy is entering a recession while others are saying that is too severe of a forecast and just slower growth will occur. Factors like high fuel costs, the weak dollar, mortgage foreclosures, high credit card debt, government spending on the war in Iraq are mega-factors that can’t be complete escaped, in Western Wisconsin or anywhere else.

 

But, the economy in the Western Wisconsin region looks to be diverse enough, and business people are wise enough, to avoid any disastrous downfall.

 

First, the farm economy looks relatively strong, and that still is a driving force in the region’s economy. Corn growers had a good year in 2007, in part because of the demand for corn in the making of ethanol. That should continue in 2008.

 

The growth of organic farming and niche agribusiness products also helps to shield the region’s farm economy from some of the factors that are devastating the rural economy in other parts of the country which might be dependent on one crop or product.

 

Real estate markets have not plummeted as severely as in some other areas. Housing costs in the region never rose to the heights they did in some areas, but also are not falling as dramatically. Foreclosures are up in the region, but again not as alarming as in other areas.

 

In La Crosse, the start of work on a new transit center and a new downtown hotel, the completion of the second Riverside Center office building by Logistics Health Inc., the completion of the church at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, S&S Cycle’s 50th anniversary celebration and other projects and events should pump dollars into the local economy in 2008.

 

Projects in Eau Claire and other larger communities in the region also will help their local economies. Some smaller towns have suffered losses of retail and other businesses, but several have redevelopment plans in place or in the works.

 

The region also has some service industries that are more shielded from bad times than manufacturing. Doug Granchalek of the La Crosse Chamber of Commerce recently told the La Crosse Tribune that continued strong demand for health care, “which is largely not impacted by those outside forces,” helps an area which has seen considerable growth in health care facilities. Service companies such as Logistics Health continue to do well, Granchalek said.

 

Manufacturing in the region is somewhat slow -- as it is in the country and state. For the first time since data has been kept, Wisconsin could dip below 500,000 jobs in manufacturing. But, innovative manufacturing, such as S&S, Phillips Plastic and others, are doing well in the Western Wisconsin region.

 

As fellow WisBusiness.com columnist Tom Still wrote last year: “A regional approach to economic development, cooperation between education and industry, and a commitment to innovation are reasons why this region is prospering.”

 

Passage of an Upper Mississippi River financial bill will lead to repair and construction of improved locks on the river and some environmental restoration. That should help both commerce and tourism on the river.

 

While all this seems relatively positive, experts still are not painting an unrealistic rosy picture. The La Crosse metropolitan area’s unemployment rate averaged 4.2 percent for the first 11 months of 2007, up slightly from 3.9 percent for the same period a year earlier. Experts believe it will average around 4.3 to 4.4 percent in 2008.

 

Unemployment in the Eau Claire area has ranged around 4 to 4.5% and will continue to hang around those numbers in 2008, according to most forecasts. You’d like to see those figures lower, but they are not rising at an alarming rate.

 

More things could still be done to help insulate the region from negative trends over time. The area could use more rail and bus service to reduce the reliance on automobiles. Ideally, these services could be fueled by alternative sources.

 

Rural areas need additional and faster connections to the internet, so business can be done from virtually anywhere in the region. An overall sustainable approach to economic growth can be increased.

 

These are long range approaches, which will take years to develop and implement. But, for the short term, Western Wisconsin will not completely escape the national trend of an economic downturn, but it also should not feel the effects as severely as some other areas.

Good Morning VSN Members,
 
Community Conservation of Gays Mills has initiated a group to study ideas and concepts about how to catalyze community conservation projects in the Kickapoo Valley. Community Conservation has developed a short course to help those interested in community conservation. They will be offering the course in the Kickapoo Valley as a hands on skills development workshop about how to carry out community conservation projects.
 
The initial meeting will be held at the WWTC building on main street in Viroqua on Saturday, January 12 at 10-12 a.m. with a potluck and additional discussion following. The lectures are open to the public but since the group has a long term goal, they prefer people who are interested in committing to the longer term course/meetings. If interested, please bring a dish to share after the main discussion.
 
The lecture on January 12 will be “Catalyzing Community Conservation Projects”. The following lectures and discussions are tentatively as follows: on January 26 - “Evaluating Community Conservation Projects”, on February 9, - “Defining Community Conservation Projects”, on February 23 - “Stimulating Regional Change at the Community Level” and on March 8 – “Building Community Capacity Through Training”.
 
For additional information about the course or Community Conservation see their website (www.communityconservation.org) or call (608)735-4717 or email ccc@mwt.net.
 
Have a great day!
Jessica Luhning
Projects Coordinator
Valley Stewardship Network
124 1/2 S. Main Street
Viroqua, Wisconsin 54665
 
(608) 637-3615
www.kickapoovsn.org

This column first ran on www.wisbusiness.com

Developments buck trend
1/14/2008

While much of the state is experiencing the same slowdown as the rest of the country, some developments in the La Crosse area of Western Wisconsin are bucking the trend.

Developers announced a $35 million project that will include a 12-screen cinema, an extended-stay hotel with about 88 rooms, one or two national chain restaurants and two or three multi-tenant retail buildings in the Onalaska retail corridor last week.

This is not the only large development in the area. Northside Development of La Crosse LLC plans to build a 128-room Hilton Garden Inn hotel and parking ramp this year in downtown La Crosse. Northside also is a partner with VEH Properties in the Onalaska development.

There are several reasons these developments are bucking the trend. First, the principals involved in the development companies are willing to cooperate and see the potential in the area. They include Paul Borsheim, Doug Stanton, Marvin Wanders, Mike Keil and Charles and Derek Kasten of Northside and Tim and Paul Eijl of VEH.

Such cooperation between firms is a wise approach in somewhat uncertain times, and can create more capital and resources than if one company tried to go it alone.

Second, the cooperation also is extending to the public sector. The City of Onalaska will create a tax incremental financing (TIF) district for the development in that community. The Hilton Garden motel will be build on a site that is now a City of La Crosse parking lot.

The developers also plan to do the Onalaska project in two phases. Construction is expected to begin this spring and completed on four buildings by fall. A second phase with three buildings is expected to be built in 2009.

This too is a wise approach and should allow a revenue stream from the first phase to help finance the second.

Onalaska will receive about $525,000 in property taxes once the development is completed. Right now, the property where the development will be built brings in about $10,000 in such taxes.

Developers also project that 250 to 300 jobs will be created by the various businesses that will locate in the development. No leases have been signed by businesses yet, but some are expected soon. Developers told the La Crosse Tribune they hope to release the names of some tenants within 60 days.

“I think this is wonderful,” Onalaska Mayor Jim Bialecki told the Tribune. “Most of the state is flat, as far as any new construction. But for this region as a whole, this doesn’t seem to be the case.”

While the two developments by Northside and VEH have gone public, others in the area are just starting to emerge. In tiny Westby, to the southeast of La Crosse, the city council passed a resolution last week to commit to a redevelopment project contingent upon receiving all the legal documents listed in a letter being drafted from the city attorney to the developers.

Developers Dorin Smalbergher, Dorene and Danny Arnautu, who are based in Chicago, are proposing a $4 million downtown development that would tear down several older buildings and construct 2-to 4-story buildings on both sides of the street.

The buildings would house an apartment complex constructed above lower level businesses that could be leased, rented or purchased, with a 10 percent discount to any existing business that agrees to utilize space in the new buildings after construction is complete.

The City of Westby would provide more than $1 million toward the project, about half of which would be recouped through some type of TIF arrangement. Westby officials are moving “cautiously” ahead on exploring the possible project.

Cautious also is probably a wise approach in the current economic climate. But, just to the northwest of Westby, you can see how cooperation, vision and a phased approach can help buck an overall slowdown trend.

Hello VSN Members,
 
I wanted to pass on some information regarding upcoming events for the Kickapoo Green Builders Guild (KGBG). For those of you interested in green building this is an excellent time to get involved with the newly formed KGBG. Check out their website at http://www.kickapoogreen.org/.
 
“The Kickapoo Green Builders Guild (KGBG) is an alliance of designers, builders, contractors, suppliers and consultants dedicated to the creation and maintenance of environmentally sustainable, energy efficient and non-toxic buildings, homes, and work-spaces.

Our goal is to supply the residents of the Kickapoo Watershed and surrounding regions with a body of experience, knowledge and support necessary to achieve building projects of enduring beauty, sustainable service and performance long into the future.

In addition we aim to provide an ongoing educational resource to the builders, professionals, and homeowners of the region on the advancing practices and benefits of green building”

The Kickapoo Green Guilders Guild would like to thank all who joined us to share your ideas, complements and enthusiasm and helped make our first Quarterly Meeting such a success. If you haven't seen it yet, the meeting was wonderfully covered in the December edition of the Kickapoo Free Press!

The Kickapoo Green Builders Guild (KGBG) recognizes that green building is inherently a values-based system. As such, it reflects one's personal world-view—and not simply a business opportunity! Yet as interest and demand for green building expands it's becoming more difficult for consumers to discern the green from the “green-wash”.

To meet this need the KGBG seeks to apply the proven benefits of the traditional trade guild. A traditional guild offers a living, dynamic way to support and learn from each other. It further provides the community with a measurement of authenticity that no “static” certification program or self-promotion could provide.

We hope you'll join us in embracing this exciting cultural-shift of awareness that's unfolding throughout the Kickapoo region...and indeed the World!

Mark Your Calendar:

We invite you to attend our second Quarterly Meeting set for February 7th, 2008 at 6:00pm, and hosted by the Firehouse Restaurant (located on the south end of Viroqua). A presentation is being planned for part of the evening, and we'll leave plenty of time available for questions, open-discussion & networking.

As a reminder the 4th annual Green Home Show is coming up on Saturday, March 15th. It will be held at the Green Man Music Hall (formerly The Move) located adjacent to the Main Street Station. Exhibitors wishing to participate may contact Wendy Crews at 608-637-6408 for more details.

Also, please bookmark our new (and of course still under construction) website www.kickapoogreen.org for more information, member pages, as well as ongoing announcements of upcoming events.

Thank you again and again for the incredible interest and support you've shown us so far! We look forward to seeing you at the next Quarterly Meeting on February 7th!

Hello VSN Members,
 
Gary Thompson, VSN Water Quality Monitoring Coordinator, is partnering with a local grazing specialist and a local conservationist to bring you an ag producers workshop on Thursday, January 31st. Please see the attached flyer and info below.
 
Ag Producers Workshop

“Protect Your Livelihood, Land, and Livestock”

 

 

Agricultural producers are invited to attend an informational workshop focusing on the benefits of using Grazing and Best Management Practices (BMPs) to improve individual farm operations. Topics that will be discussed include the effectiveness of using BMPs to manage natural resources, control erosion, and improve nutrient management. Using managed grazing techniques to get the most out of your available forage will also be discussed.

 

Bob Micheel, Monroe County Soil and Water Conservationist, will talk about various BMPs available to landowners. Discussion will focus on landowner benefits, cost share programs for implementation of BMPs, and compliance with current and future regulations.

 

Jean Stramel, Richland County NRCS Grazing Specialist, will explain how to integrate management intensive grazing into livestock production systems. A local dairy producer will share the practical and economic benefits he has found from using grazing on his farm.

 

Gary Thompson, Water Quality Program Coordinator, Valley Stewardship Network, will discuss the organization’s role in documenting the effectiveness of using these tools to reduce erosion, loss of valuable nutrients, and improve overall water quality.

 

“Protect Your Livelihood, Land, and Livestock” will be held Thursday, January 31st from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm, (lunch being served) at the Wilton Community Center, 400 East Street, Wilton, WI. Admission is free; there will be an $8.00 charge to cover lunch. Please RSVP to Jean Stramel at 608-647-8874, ext. 110.

This column first ran on www.wisbusiness.com

 Winter weather a boost for some businesses
1/21/2008

You won’t hear complaints about the winter weather from at least some business people in Western Wisconsin.

Businesses that depend on outdoor recreation are having their best season in years. Darcie Breidel, marketing director at Mount La Crosse ski hill, recently told the La Crosse Tribune, “It’s been one of our best in about eight years in terms of numbers, business and certainly for conditions.” All 19 of the ski area’s runs have been open since late December, she said.

Whitecap Mountains in Hurley, Cascade between Madison and Wisconsin Dells, Christie Mountain near Bruce and Tyrol Basin outside Mount Horeb all were reporting packed snow and excellent conditions for downhill skiing, tubing and snowboarding.

Western Wisconsin has gotten ample natural snow this season, and temperatures have been low enough for snowmaking.

It’s not only the ski hills that have benefited from the “real” winter weather the region and state has been getting. Snowmobiling has picked up considerably, which helps those who sell the machines, businesses along the trails and others.

For example, the Sparta Area Chamber of Commerce reported its parking lot has been full of vehicles with snowmobile trailers.

The state offers ample places to enjoy the sport. From the Travel Wisconsin web site:

"Today more than 22,000 miles of interconnected snowmobiling trails crisscross Wisconsin, including 350 miles of former railroad beds that convert to snowmobile 'highways' in the winter.

"County, state and national trails link every corner of the state and are dutifully maintained by local snowmobiling clubs." Some of the best trails in the state can be found in northwestern Wisconsin.

The so-called “silent” sports -- like cross county skiing, snowshoeing and others -- also have picked up because of the adequate snow cover. Northwest Wisconsin is a region rich in Nordic skiing tradition and history and blessed with some of the best cross country ski trails in the country.

Farther south, Norskedalen near Coon Valley and other recreational areas and resorts offer groomed trails for XC skiing.

Many participants in snowmobiling and the silent sports come from other areas of the state and Midwest. Northwest Wisconsin especially attracts winter enthusiasts from the Twin Cities area. That means they stay in local motels and other lodging, eat in regional restaurants, etc.

Ice fishing also is a big winter activity when the weather cooperates. Good ice fishing has been reported on Lake Onalaska and elsewhere in the region. This also attracts people from elsewhere in the state.

Unless the weather suddenly turns warm, annual events like the Birkie cross country ski event, the Badger State winter games, the Westby ski jump and others -- which have had difficulties because of warmer weather in recent years -- should have almost ideal conditions.

Winter weather came early this season, before Christmas. A brief January thaw earlier in the month turned out to be a blip in the colder and snowier trend.

These businesses and industries depending on winter recreation needed this break. In recent years, many have been strained because of poor winter conditions. Some have folded.

Winter weather has not been a god-send for every business. Regional retailers have reported that some weekend storms before Christmas contributed to a slower holiday sales season. Some restaurants also were hurt because of poor driving conditions and snow.

So, the winter weather can be either a blessing or a curse, depending on what business you are in. But, some businesses in Western Wisconsin couldn’t be happier about having a “real” winter and are still singing, “let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

This column first ran on www.onmilwaukee.com

Black Hawk's Trail of Tears runs through Wisconsin

Published Jan. 20, 2008 at 5:22 a.m.
Let's take a ride: through history along Black Hawk's Trail of Tears.

The route -- taken by Chief Black Hawk as he tried to lead his Sauk and Fox "British Band" away from pursuing U.S. troops and back across the Mississippi River in 1832 -- runs through several parts of South Central and Southwest Wisconsin.

We'll concentrate on the portion of the route running from the location of the Battle of Wisconsin Heights to the site of the Battle of Bad Axe, where a gunboat in the Mississippi slaughtered several of the Native Americans and ended the Black Hawk War.

On July 21, 1832, the U.S. militia caught up with Black Hawk's band as they attempted to cross the Wisconsin River, near the present-day town of Roxbury, in Dane County.

A few hours after midnight on July 22, with Black Hawk's band resting on a knoll, Neapope, one of the key leaders accompanying Black Hawk, attempted to explain to the nearby militia officers that his group wanted only to end the fighting and go back across the Mississippi River.

In a "loud shrill voice" he shouted in his native Ho-Chunk language, assuming Pauquette and his band of Ho-Chunk guides were still with the militia. However, the U.S. troops did not understand him, because their Ho-Chunk allies had already departed the battlefield. The troops instead took the calling out as a threat.

Some military experts consider the diversionary tactics used by Black Hawk and his warriors at Wisconsin Heights acts of tactical genius, as they allowed most of their tribe to cross the Wisconsin River. When the U.S. troops prepared to engage the Indians a second time, they found most of their opponents had disappeared. They did later capture and shoot some Fox women and children downriver.

"I was mounted on a fine horse, and was pleased to see my warriors so brave. I addressed them in a loud voice, telling them to stand their ground, and never yield it to the enemy," Black Hawk said of the battle, in his self-titled autobiography.

The Battle of Wisconsin Heights is cited by sign markers along Highway 14 and on Highway 78, two miles south of Sauk City. From those locations, you can take 14 west and basically follow a route that parallels the trail taken by Black Hawk and the tribe members who had escaped.

While the band fled west, Commanding Gen. Henry Atkinson rested his forces for a couple days and joined Henry Dodge and James D. Henry to regroup and re-supply at Fort Blue Mounds. Around 1,300 men, from the commands of Henry, Dodge, Alexander Posey and Milton Alexander, crossed the Wisconsin River between July 27 and 28 near present-day Helena. The militia force picked up Black Hawk's trail again on July 28 near present day Spring Green and pursued northwest.

In Vernon County, near Viroqua, Black Hawk and his tribe turned more due west toward the big river. You can find 11 historic markers near and in Vernon County that deal with various segments of Black Hawk's flight and the militia's pursuit.

Some can be found on Highway 27 just as it enters the county. More are along Highway 82, from Fargo to Redmound. Yet others are on Highway UU from Redmound to Victory.

Some are rather old and relatively inconspicuous. A few are on farmers' land, just off the main road. Taking a ride on any of these roads takes you through history and through some of the most beautiful scenery in the state.

On Aug. 1, Black Hawk and about 500 men, women and children arrived at the eastern bank of the Mississippi a few miles downstream from the mouth of the Bad Axe River.

According to an account carried by Wilkepedia.org: "Near the mouth of the Bad Axe River, on Aug. 1, 1832, Black Hawk and White Cloud advised the band against wasting time building rafts to cross the Mississippi River, because the U.S. forces were closing in, urging them instead to flee northward and seek refuge among the Ho-Chunk. However, most of the band chose to try to cross the river.

"While some of the band managed to escape across the river that afternoon, the steamboat Warrior, commanded by Captain Joseph Throckmorton, appeared on the scene and halted the band's attempt to cross to safety. Waving a white flag, Black Hawk tried to surrender, but as had happened in the past the soldiers failed to understand and the scene deteriorated into battle.

"Cries of 'Remember Indian Creek!', a reference to the Indian Creek massacre, were heard from the boat and someone on board opened fire on the stunned and unprepared Sauk, several warriors fell dead at Black Hawk's feet. (Ironically, Black Hawk's band almost certainly had nothing to do with the Indian Creek Massacre.) The warriors who survived the initial volley found cover and returned fire and a two-hour firefight ensued. The Warrior eventually withdrew from battle due to lack of fuel, and returned to Fort Crawford at Prairie du Chien.

"Twenty-three Native Americans were killed, including one young woman estimated to be 19 years old; she was shot through her child's upper arm as she stood watching the battle. Her child was retrieved by a Lt. Anderson after the battle, and taken to the surgical tent where the baby's arm was amputated. The child was then taken to Prairie du Chien where he is believed to have recovered.

"The fight convinced Black Hawk that refuge lay to the north, not west across the Mississippi. In one of his last actions as commander of the doomed British Band, Black Hawk implored his followers to flee with him, to the north. Many did not listen, and late on Aug. 1, Black Hawk, White Cloud and about three dozen other followers left the British Band and fled northward. Most of the remaining warriors and non-combatants remained on the eastern bank of the Mississippi. They eventually were captured."

The Battle of Bad Axe is cited by a marker along the Great River Road near Victory. Battle Island, where many of Black Hawk's tribesmen took shelter, also is in the area. Black Hawk State Park also is nearby.

Black Hawk eventually surrendered to the U.S. militia and lived until 1838. He was more or less lionized during a tour that included a trip to Washington D.C. in 1833 and was honored on Independence Day in Fort Madison before his death.

There are those who would dispute some of the account here, and other accounts of the Black Hawk War which seem sympathetic to the Native Americans. Those people will cite the fact Black Hawk violated terms of a treaty, brought his tribesmen back east of the Mississippi River and caused havoc from 1830 to 1832 in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin.

But, Black Hawk and others disputed the treaty, claiming that the full tribal councils had not been consulted, nor did those representing the tribes have authorization to cede lands. Angered by the loss of his birthplace, between 1830 and 1831, Black Hawk led a number of incursions across the Mississippi River into Illinois, but was persuaded each time to return west without bloodshed.

In April 1832, encouraged by promises of alliance with other tribes and the British, he again moved his so-called "British Band" of around 1,000 warriors and non-combatants into Illinois. Finding no allies, he attempted to return across the Mississippi, but his tribe clashed with the U.S. militia at a battle called Stillman's Run in Illinois. Black Hawk's warriors won that battle. That sparked the war and pursuit north and west.

As more research has revealed additional evidence and accounts of the war, many contemporary accounts are much more sympathetic to the Native Americans. It looks rather clear that Black Hawk and his tribesmen were ready to surrender and return west of the Mississippi.

But, the U.S. militia -- which during periods of the war included Abraham Lincoln and Zachary Taylor -- were itching for a fight during the era and doing everything they could to subdue Native Americans who rebelled. Some historians have been calling the Battle of Bad Axe a massacre since the 1850s.

Markers citing other battles and events in the Black Hawk War can be found in Jefferson, Dane and Rock counties. If you want to find out more about these, the Web site has more information. You can find out more about Black Hawk and the war through the Wisconsin Historical Society.

The books, "Black Hawk: An Autobiography," edited by Donald Jackson, "Life of Black Hawk," edited by Milo Milton Quaife, and "Massacre at Bad Axe," edited by Crawford B. Thayer are recommended by this writer. Their supply is limited, but can be found via Internet searches.

The label "Trail of Tears" most often is used in reference to a National Historic Trail that traces the route taken by the Cherokee from east to west of the Mississippi. They eventually were settled in Oklahoma and that general area of the country.

But, you can't travel the route taken by Black Hawk and his band without feeling the label also fits the Wisconsin trail.