Story originally printed in the Onalaska Life or online at www.onalaskalife.com
Published - Saturday, July 19, 2008
News in brief
Here are a selection of brief news items from this week's paper edition, and possibly a few news briefs that didn't make it in the paper.
Paul Tracey of Holmen was the big winner on July 6 in the Children’s Museum of La Crosse’s BIG Giggle Raffle.
Tracey won the grand prize of a 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt courtesy of Ray Hutson Chevrolet. The vehicle is valued at $14,585.
This raffle netted approximately $20,000 to help the museum in its mission to provide affordable, hands-on learning and fun for our region’s children. The Children’s Museum extended appreciation to all BIG Giggle Raffle sponsors, prize donors ticket purchasers and volunteers.
The Children’s Museum of La Crosse, located at 207 5th Ave. S. in La Crosse, offers three floors of hands-on exhibits and programming for children ages 1 to 12 and their adult companions. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Regular admission is $5 per person with infants and members free; Save-on-Sunday admission is $4 per person.
Holmen Middle School’s registration for students in grades six, seven and eight will be held Tuesday and Wednesday, Aug. 12-13, from 7:30-1:00 a.m. and 3:30-7:30 p.m.
 PET OF THE WEEK: Kathleen is a 2- to 3-year-old female domestic shorthaired cat. She has been living at the Coulee Region Humane Society for over three months and cannot wait to have a home of her own. Her stay has been extended due to no fault of her own; black cats are adopted at much slower rates than others and it's believed it is her color that has caused her to still be at the shelter. But she has a charming character and personality. While staying at the humane society, a local veterinarian spayed and vaccinated her for rabies. Kathleen is a very sweet and outgoing girl; however she is a bit slower to adjust to new environments and needs some patience. She is living in the Sunbeam Cat Room with several other cats and does very well with all of them, so she should do well in a multi-cat household should her new home have cats. She may also do well with dogs as long as she is allowed to adjust. Her adoption fee has been reduced to $50 so that she may find a new home as soon as possible. For more information on any of the animals at the Coulee Region Humane Society, call 781-4014 or stop by 1 to 5 p.m. Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday or 1 to 7 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday. |
At registration, the students’ school portraits will be taken, breakfast and lunch accounts will be activated, sign-up will be available for fall sports and activities and forms and fees will be collected.
Registration will take place in the middle school’s cafeteria. Parking is available outside Entrance A, which is located on the south end of the building. Entrances A, D, E and F will be open during registration times.
The July meeting for the Holmen Middle School PTO will be held on Tuesday, July 22, at 6:30p.m. at the Blue Cup Coffee Shop in the Holmen Square Mall.
This month’s agenda items include final discussion on the spring fundraiser; discussing the open house-egg roll sale; and discussing chickencues with Premier Catering.
All parents are welcome and encouraged to come and give their input on how to make the school the best.
Air Force airman Rachael L. Johnson has graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas.
During the six weeks of training, the airman studied the Air Force mission, organization and military customs and courtesies; performed drill and ceremony marches; and received physical training, rifle marksmanship, field training exercises and special training in human relations.
In addition, airmen who complete basic training earn credits toward an associate degree through the Community College of the Air Force.
She is the daughter of Steven Johnson of Onalaska and granddaughter of Marian Johnson of Mesa Grande Place, La Crosse. Johnson is a 2007 graduate of Holmen High School.
The Holmen Lions Club is taking applications for participants in the 26th annual Kornfest Parade, to be held Saturday, Aug. 16, starting at 11 a.m.
Entries are limited to 140 participants, and the deadline for submitting applications is Aug. 4.
Cost to be in the parade is $50 for political entries, $35 for business/commercial entries and $20 for others.
Application forms are available online at www.holmenlions.org or by stopping by the Edward Jones office at 106 S. Holmen Drive.
For more information, call Kornfest parade chairman Barry Ploessl at 526-9364.
Guitars for Vets and Dave’s Guitar Shop in La Crosse recently announced they will team up to supply guitars and instruction to veterans.
Dave’s will become a drop off point for donated guitars and funds along with hosting periodic events and possible clinics for the Milwaukee-based Guitars for Vets.
Dave’s Guitar Shop is a nationally recognized retail and Internet outlet for new, used and rare collectable instruments, in business since 1982. The store, with its trademark guitar neck sign, is located at 1227 Third St. S.
“It is truly exciting and speaks volumes when someone of Dave Rogers stature in the industry gets involved in helping America’s heroes to heal wounds both physical and mental.” said John Lindner, executive director of Guitars for Vets. “The power of music and its ability to allow you to emote in a positive manner through the instrument does wonders in the healing process.”
Dave Rogers, owner of Dave’s Guitar Shop, said he believes it is important for businesses to give back. “I can think of no better cause than America’s veterans,” Rogers said. “Having had the blessing to be successful over these years, teaming up with an organization like Guitars for Vets is a great fit for us.”
Guitars for Vets began in late 2007 with musicians performing at the VA every Friday in the spinal cord injury unit. The organization is seeking donations to fund current programs and future expansion.
More details are available online at www.guitarsforvets.org.
Wisconsin’s no-call list at the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection is doubling the number of intake lines from 48 to 96 in anticipation of consumers signing up their cell phones for the first time.
The law allowing cell phones on the list was recently passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Jim Doyle.
“No call is the most popular consumer protection program ever in this state,” said DATCP Secretary Rod Nilsestuen. “We are happy to be adding cell phones to the list.”
Consumers have from June 6 until the end of August to get on the next no-call list starting in October.
Consumers can sign up 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year by visiting the Wisconsin no-call list Web site at nocall.wisconsin.gov or calling 1-866-966-2255
Volunteers are needed to help organize the Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk 2008, the largest fundraiser to help those affected by Alzheimer’s disease.
Next fall, the Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Wisconsin will join more than 600 communities across the United States in a 2- to 5-mile walk to remember those with Alzheimer’s disease.
The 33 walks are organized by teams of local volunteers who are assisted by staff from the Alzheimer’s Association. The planning committees are forming now. Anyone interested in volunteering for a walk near them is encouraged to call Lori Bagniewski at 784-5011.
Tri-State Ambulance, Rudy’s Drive-In in La Crosse, The Frosty Mug in Holmen and the Dairy Queen in Onalaska are teaming up for a new bicycle helmet safety program called “Cool Kids — Cool Treats.”
When Tri-State Ambulance personnel observe a child 15 years old or younger wearing a helmet while riding a bicycle in public, the kids will be given a “ticket” entitling them to a free ice cream at The Frosty Mug or Dairy Queen or a root beer float at Rudy’s Drive-In when accompanied by an adult. The program runs through Aug. 31.
“Our hope is to raise helmet safety awareness,” said Matt Zavadsky, director of Tri-State Ambulance. “The goal is simple. Keep children out of the emergency room and provide some cool treats as incentive.”
As part of Project LEAD, the EPA grant received by the La Crosse County Health Department in October 2007, free blood lead screening will be available the last Friday of each month from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Parents should call 785-9865 to reserve a time and come to the La Crosse County Health Department, 2nd Floor of the Health and Human Services Building, 300 4th Street La Crosse.
As part of Project LEAD, the Nutrition Services Department which houses the WIC Program, will offer the free blood lead testing. The test also is available at other times through public health nursing by making an appointment at 785-9723.
Children younger than 6 who have never been screened are encouraged to have a blood lead test done, and all children younger than 2 who live in a home or spend time in a home built before 1978, should be tested.
The testing is done with a finger prick sample of blood. Children whose screening results come back greater than 10 ug/dl are recommended to have a confirmatory blood draw done through their doctor’s office. There is no cost for the blood lead screening test.
Project LEAD is working with agencies that serve families with children younger than 6 to increase awareness and screening for lead poisoning, which continues to be a risk to children residing in homes built prior to 1978.
Outreach is being conducted to educate home owners, contractors and landlords of the need to remodel with regard to disturbing lead paint which was very likely to be used on surfaces painted in the 1970s and earlier.
For more information, call the La Crosse County Health Department at 785-9872.
Low-income consumers may qualify for assistance programs that discount initial telephone installation and basic monthly service, according to a recent announcement from CenturyTel.
The assistance programs, known as Link-Up and Lifeline, are available to qualifying consumers in every U.S. state (territory and commonwealth). Link-Up helps these consumers pay the initial costs of getting telephone service. Lifeline provides certain discounts on monthly service for qualified subscribers.
Qualifications for participation vary by state. States with their own programs have their own criteria. In states that rely solely on the federal program, the subscriber must participate in one of the following programs: Medicaid, food stamps, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Federal Public Housing Assistance or the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), Head Start, the National School Lunch Program’s Free Lunch Program, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) or if the household annual gross income is at or below 135 percent of the federal poverty level.
The amount of the discounts also varies by state. This federal Link-Up program offsets one-half of the initial hook-up fee, up to $30, for qualified households.
People living in a CenturyTel service area should call 800-201-4099 or log onto www.centurytel.com/lifeline to inquire about eligibility.
All stories copyright 2006 Onalaska Life and other attributed sources.