Local NewsColumbia County Dems host first debate for 47th Assembly SeatThe Columbia County Democrats hosted the first debate at the Lodi Women’s Club Library on June 11th for the two Democratic candidates contending for the 47th state Assembly seat currently held by Republican Eugene Hahn. Hahn announced he would not be seeking re-election earlier this year. The Primary is scheduled for September 9. "The 47th Assembly seat has never been Democratic, despite having Democratic representatives Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold in the U.S. Senate, Tammy Baldwin in the U.S. House of Representatives, and Mark Miller in the State Senate," stated Ray Frey, Chair of Columbia County Democrats. "For some reason we have never been able to win this seat, but we think this might be the year we win." The two candidates running for the 47th are Paul Fisk, of the City of Lodi, and Trish O’Neil of the Town of Columbus. O’Neil is a registered nurse and former small business owner and former President of the Columbus School Board, Fisk is a retired Alliant Energy manager and former Mayor of Lodi. O'Neil presented her platform first, the order decided by a toss of a coin. After expressing her ‘heartfelt concern to the victims of flooding in recent days and the yeoman effort public servants were doing’, O’Neil began. She presented herself as a 'home grown Wisconsin girl,' and mentioned that she and her husband Tim had for eight years ran a family practice clinic in Columbus. "There are 400,000 citizens in Wisconsin with no access to health care," she declared. "We need quality, affordable health care at the state level if not the federal level." When asked how this would be funded she added, "we are already paying for these people now – they are using the system at the most expensive end – the emergency room and hospital, and we need to get them in earlier, and into preventive care." Her second issue was public school funding and she mentioned Rio just having diverted closing. "Unfortunately, the current property tax system pits property tax owners, many of them on fixed incomes, against education of our young people," she shared. When asked how she would fix this she said, "we don’t do enough with corporate taxes, ours is 39% to 45% nationwide. " "The economy and the price of gas are the number one issue I hear from people," she said. "We need to re-tool the economy and move away from the carbon-based model." Paul Fisk welcoming the group to Lodi and shared that he had been born and raised on a dairy farm in the area. Regarding the flooding, he said, "A lot has been damaged here. Government is ready to help the people. That is the proper role of government. Reach out and give a hand – not pummel them." He spoke of energy policy, and his background at Alliant Energy, as critical to the 47th district. "People don’t like wind energy, it spoils the view. We put in solar panels on the city well house," he said, "we got grants form WPPI, Focus on Energy. When I see an issue I come up with positive solutions. Wisconsin needs its own energy policy." "When I see an need I get things fixed," he affirmed. "Low income housing, environmental issues, stormwater, fiscal management - these have all been things I have given leadership to in Lodi. Leadership in these areas is lacking in Madison for the past 20 years." "This district is where Wisconsin will go," he said. "Meagan lost by only 150 votes last time. We need a working majority. We have to have a 6 to 7 seat pick up (in the Assembly) to set and implement the agenda. I am the candidate that has the breadth of experience." Fisk also felt the state fell short in funding schools. "The state promised two-thirds and then doesn’t fund it. Education provides opportunity – corporations and businesses and society benefit. Our corporate tax is a ‘voluntary’ tax," he stated. "Some companies, like Associated Bank and Kohls Foods pay nothing and that is not right." The primary is set for September 9th. There are three Republican candidates also. It will be an interesting race. Pulling, farming – long time family traditionsThere aren’t many women involved in tractor pulling, but Danielle Reuter-Breunig keeps the It comes straight from the fields of their Honey Creek Farm, a working machine used every day in their fields. The years before Danielle and her brother Matt began pulling, their parents Lynn and Dennis pulled, for the fun of it. Dennis had a 1256 International and pulled about 35 years while his wife pulled with an M International for about 20 years. Danielle’s been pulling about 10 to 12 years. The Reuter Family Pulling Team was ready to compete at the May 24 Spring Mud Fling in Prairie du Sac. "I pulled with Dad’s tractor when I was about 12 years old," said Dennis. "Then people lined the track and jumped on the stone boat to add weight." From the Ivan’s time, it was for fun, and that’s the way it stayed when Dennis and Lynn raised their children years later. "We stayed close to home," Dennis said. "Used to drive the tractors to the pulls. We didn’t have a trailer." "I remember that," said Danielle. They went to the pulls in Prairie du Sac, Baraboo and Lodi. "Win, lose or draw, it’s the same," he said. "When you take it too serious, then it’s time to get out of it." It remained fun and when their children became interested in pulling, they switched to crew and cheering section. Now Danielle and her brother pull. Danielle for the fun of it and Matt interested in more competition. While Danielle brought her tractor around, Dennis continued with the family story. Matt’s father said it’s learning about rules and safety equipment now, but eventually, if Matt enters the Badger State Tractor Pullers, he may become serious, bring home some purses and trophies. Danielle smiles. She admits she has a couple trophies at home. "My best finish," she said, "second place." Her yellow Minnie Moline waited in the lot by the pullers track. Shiny Massey Fergusons, Internationals, Deeres and Olivers growled on all sides as drivers checked timing and prepared for weigh-in. Danielle would place eighth, pulling 254.4 feet. She’s got Lodi and Baraboo on her calendar. But tractor pulling is only one of the family traditions. They are proud to say they farm, raising crops and dairying; they hosted the 2006 Sauk County Dairy Breakfast and their family has deep roots in the town of Honey Creek. Their farm has been in the family for 150 years, three generations of Steubers, then the Hehenbergers and now the Reuters. "We’re all the same family," said Dennis. "We’re going to the state fair this year for the 150th award. Caspar Steuber built our barn. It’s the only barn in the area built in block and stack." German/Swiss block-and-stack masonry is unique to the Sauk Prairie area, Roxbury and Honey Creek. The Reuter barn is part of the Honey Creek Historic District which is focused on block-and-stack stone masonry. Bartholomew Ragatz founded a Swiss settlement along the Honey Creek in 1842. He came from Tamins, Canton Graubeunden, Switzerland, picked farms and his 10 sons, with oxen and a moldboard plow, broke prairie sod for their families that followed. Dedicated to their religious beliefs, the Ragatz family log cabin was the Sunday gathering place until the stone church by the Honey Creek, also known as the Ragatz Church, was built in 1875. Wayne Hatz, now deceased, told his mother’s stories about how Ragatz children walked the fields, bringing lunch and drinking water to the masons and staying to hand up stones. Limestone quarried near Roxbury from the Baraboo Hills surrounding the Sauk Prairie is called dolomite, a rock that can be sawn, chiseled and hammered. It naturally splits into six to 12-inch layers or it can be cut into blocks that can be fitted together to form a smooth surface called ashlar. This requires much work. The technique used by the three Swiss masons requires less labor while creating a strong wall with an attractive “ashlar” appearance. They alternated large blocks facing out with rubble stones behind next to a stack of flat stones the width of the wall with strips of raised white mortar in each joint. From 1850 to 1885, Caspar Steuber, Peter Kindschi and John Peter Felix constructed block and stack buildings. After the Civil War, when the hops boom made farmers wealthy, fashions in clothing, furnishings and architecture became more elaborate. Buildings featured textured stone, elaborate woodwork and fancy shingling, reflections of taste and refinement. The demand kept the three masons busy. Nine farmhouses built in block-and-stack style remain; there are 28 such buildings in the Prairie du Sac/Sauk City/Roxbury area, most privately owned. The three masons built the Ragatz Church, now a museum, and St. Norbert’s Catholic Church in Roxbury. The Roxbury Tavern, across CTH Y from St. Norbert’s is one of the public accessible block and stack buildings. The masons also built rubble buildings with style. An auto tour guide to the German/Swiss Block-and-Stack District is available at the Tripp Museum on Water Street in the village of Prairie du Sac. Sidebar: Need a new friend?
DNR, coordinated response to ZEBRA MUSSELS in Lake WisconsinGreetings to all Columbia County lakes and rivers groups, Townships, and other interested parties! You may have heard that a reproducing population of zebra mussels was found in Lake Wisconsin this spring, both at the Sauk City dam by Alliant Energy staff, and up-lake by a volunteer lake monitoring citizen. Previously, the mussels had been found up in the Castlerock Flowage, so it's really no surprise they now appear in Lake Wisconsin. WDNR has added Lake Wisconsin to the official list of zebra mussel-infested waters, and the Wisconsin River below Lake Wisconsin has also been officially designated as occupied by zebra mussels because it's reasonable to assume they are there, even though no veligers or adults have yet been documented there. This finding increases the risk that nearby waters could become infested because of the number of boats that people move from lake to lake, often within a single day. WDNR lakes staff are working with Devil's Lake State Park on strategies to prevent spread to that lake. Other local lake groups are also rightly concerned, and are requesting information and assistance. It will be important for all of us to work together to try to prevent more spread of zebra mussels between lakes, and provide information and support to the public about what they can do to reduce the risk. Responses to Zebra mussels:
AIS (Aquatic Invasive Species) grant awards may fund up to 75% of the cost of a project up to a maximum grant amount of $200,000 for Education, Prevention and Planning projects. These funds can be used to conduct workshops, training or coordinating volunteer monitors; develop prevention and control plans for AIS; monitoring, mapping and assessing waterbodies for AIS; and watercraft inspection and education projects following department guidelines. Watercraft inspection projects are limited to $2,500 per public boat launch facility, but can be a component of a larger project. This could make a good county-wide project.
For further information, contact: Plant a row … Little girl has a big heartShe doesn’t know anyone who is hungry. Her friends and family are all well fed. But, she knows that there are other kids out there who do not have a healthy diet with fresh produce, because the cost is too steep for their parents. She knows there are families who don’t have a garden plot, or perhaps they have health problems and can’t put a garden in. So when scrappy, bright-eyed Paige Karls attended a recent 4-H “Family Day of Learning” in Portage she heard about the program called “Plant a Row.” Here was something an 11-year old girl could do to ease hunger in her own community. “I signed up to help at our market here in Lodi, so that people around here would know they could bring their extra stuff here,” she said.
For the past four or five years, the Lodi Valley Farmers’ Market has joined with the Lodi Food Pantry to gather extra produce for those who may be struggling financially and need to use the pantry to supplement family meals. The market barn has been a perfect place to store big coolers and receive donations of produce from vendors who have too much, or from local gardeners whose plots runneth over. The market is held from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. every Friday and the pantry deliveries are made on Saturday morning. Judy Brownrigg and her volunteers (now working in the 25th year of the Lodi Food Pantry) swings by and loads the produce. No wasted food. If there is too much for food pantry recipients then it is allocated to the senior apartments across Lodi. “The idea is that I give you a starter kit that explains the program and that you plant one row in your garden for the project and then bring that produce, or any extra produce to the market barn here so it can be given out,” Paige said. A simple concept that is catching on. The idea of growing food for those in need is a great lesson for all gardeners to appreciate. Paige is a member of the Lodi Challengers 4-H Club. She has gotten help from the Columbia County Extension and Becky Gutzman. She also had assistance from the Lodi High School “Creative Economics” students and teacher. The starter kit that Paige is so proudly handing out contains a package of seed, growing instructions and a row marker. Her younger sister, Julia, 7-years old, is helping Paige also. They are the daughters of John and Cecille Karls. Lodi Teacher HonoredJanel Anderson was honored on May 21st at a Luncheon in Middleton Recognizing Extra-Ordinary Women. Anderson was nominated for her leadership and service to the community and school district in Lodi. "I nominated Janel for this recognition since I think she has done so much for us," stated Sheila Landsverk, Lodi School Board Treasurer, whom made the nomination. The event was chaired by Sondy Pope-Roberts, of the State Assembly. Other note-ables nominating strong women that had made a difference included: Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk nominated Becky Young, a former Assembly Representative; First Lady Jessica Doyle, whom nominated Mary Thiele, a Madison teacher at Cherokee Middle School; and Superintendent of Schools, Elizabeth Burmeister whom nominated her mother in memorium. The luncheon introduced to the public five women whom are running for the state legislature, and as Pope-Roberts stated, the wish was to "take back the majority one woman at a time." For our area Trish O'Neil is the candidate whom was introduced and recognized. O'Neil is running for the 47th Assembly seat vacated by Eugene Hahn. |
|
Think before you shop, support your local Mom & Pop! ©2008 LodiValleyNews.com. All Rights Reserved.
|
 |
tradition that started with her grandfather Ivan Hehenberger. He pulled with the same tractor she uses, their Minneapolis Moline 670, a tough machine.
"She learned to pull in the 7000 class," Dennis said. "She’s outclassed here. She should be in the 7000 class, but she’s in the 8500 non turbo class. She no longer gets nervous."
Pointing to a red machine by their trailor, Dennis said, "Matt’s got a 1466 International, a little more souped up. He joined the Alter Club. They adjust the equipment. He’s a member of the South Central Wisconsin Tractor Pullers. He’s not ready yet for Badger State Tractor Pullers."
It’s a 12-square-mile National Historic Registry Site. The stone church, mother church of the Evangelical congregations of southern Wisconsin, is now a church museum; behind the church is the community cemetery.
Steuber built the schoolhouse on USH 12, the Ballweg House on USH 12 and the Enge House on CTH O as well as the Steuber barn. Kindschi built the Kindschi/Luck House on Luck Road while Felix built a house in Witwen which is now destroyed. 
These three cute little puppies are looking for a new home. They'd love to stay in Lodi! They will be available starting Friday, June 6 at the Columbia County Humane Society. For more information, call 608-742-3666, or stop by the CCHS, located at:
N7768 Industrial Road
Portage, WI 53901. Also on the web at 
"Janel is the leader behind the Mock Trial Team in Lodi and International Week. Both of these initiatives have been very successful for Lodi and Janel is the person who is responsible for both. She is an enigmatic, outgoing woman whom succeeds with everything she givers her energy to." Anderson teaches Social Studies at Lodi High School.