COURIER PRESS PUBLISHED IN HISTORIC PRAIRIE DU CHIEN, WISCONSIN • SINCE 1848
SPORTS
Hawks stopped in sectional finals Pages 15-16
VOLUME 166 • NO. 44 ❘ PDCCOURIER.COM ❘ WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5, 2019 ❘ ONE DOLLAR
F LO O D E H T G N FEELI
St. Feriole Island events
Rendezvous canceled, flea market follows suit Event loss means local businesses need support Editor’s note: This is the first story in a series about Prairie du Chien’s St. Feriole Island experiencing sustained flooding for more than two months, and how that has affected the community.
By Correne Martin The annual flea market held in conjunction with the Rendezvous every Father’s Day weekend was formally canceled Tuesday, in the wake of Monday’s historic announcement to forego the Rendezvous for the first time in its 44 years due to sustained Mississippi River flooding. “We usually have over 100 vendors,” said Jaaren Riebe, a representative for the Prairie du Chien Fire Association, which took over the flea market organization last year. “We’ll be writing refund checks
or we can save fees for next year, whatever they want.” Together, both the Prairie Villa Rendezvous and the flea market offer one of Prairie du Chien’s largest events each summer. Leaders from both organizations and the city explored alternative options for weeks leading up to this decision. An event of this magnitude was simply too difficult to relocate off St. Feriole Island. “With the cancelation comes loss of revenue to our business community. Such a long-standing event as the Rendezvous brings thousands of people to the area,” Prairie du Chien Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Bob Moses said. “The best way we can rally around our business community is to remember to shop
Alice in Dairyland Kaitlyn Riley (left) gets the 2019 Crawford County Dairy Breakfast crowd in on the excitement of the first ever milk chugging contest at the breakfast. Pictured competing are young dairy celebrities (from left) Brooke Mitchell, Crawford County Fair Junior Ambassador; Lorelai Young, Little Miss Squirt; and Breckyn Schlee, Little Miss Squirt Attendant. (Photo by Dave Krier-Boscobel Dial)
Curt Check takes bucking bulls to Saudi Arabia for Camel Fest King had never seen a rodeo before
See ST. FERIOLE, page 2
Road work between Fennimore and Patch Grove beginning Construction season continues to ramp up as the Wisconsin Department of Transportation has announced that it will begin resurfacing the stretch of Highway 18 between Fennimore and Patch Grove. According to the announce-
Not as easy as it looks
By Correne Martin
ment, resurfacing will begin within 10 days of May 28 on the stretch. Also planned for later this summer, probably around July 4, would be covering the stretch between Patch Grove and the Wisconsin River Bridge.
Curt Check is pictured in the arena with some of the bucking bulls he flew over to Saudi Arabia for the Camel Festival.
Saudi Arabian King Abdul Aziz wanted to see a rodeo as part of his prestigious third Camel Festival in February and March. He had never witnessed one before. So his people reached out to some cowboys in the Midwest to make it happen. Curt Check, 38, from rural Seneca, was invited to be the stock contractor for the event, shipping 57 bulls on a 12-hour direct flight from Chicago to See SAUDI ARABIA, page 5
URGENT CARE
7 Days A Week 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. 37868 US Hwy 18 l Prairie du Chien, WI l 608.357.2222 l crossingrivers.org
LOCAL NEWS
A2 ❘ COURIER PRESS ❘ WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5, 2019 ❘ PDCCOURIER.COM
ST. FERIOLE, from page 1 locally.” In the coming weeks, as consumers make summer and outdoor purchases, they are encouraged to shop local before going out of town or online for items such as cooler clothes, replacements for old lawn tractors and garden supplies. Moses hopes shoppers looking for bargain prices on everything from bug spray to zip ties will start in their own community first. “When you have a large event canceled, the rippling effect will continue on more than just one weekend,” he stated. “So even though we may not have the typical traffic on Father’s Day weekend, remember that our local businesses will need your support throughout the summer.” City officials hosted another flood meeting Tuesday, as the Mississippi was on its way down from the Monday crest at 19.09 feet. Barricades on Blackhawk Avenue to St. Feriole Island were removed overnight Monday into Tuesday, according to City Administrator Chad Abram. If the river continues to recede significantly, as he said is happening up north near St. Paul, Minn., other street barricades will be removed. “Unfortunately, it’s going to be awhile before the water goes below flood stage, which is 16 feet locally,” he said. “We’re all waiting. Docks need to be repaired. Fishermen want to be on the water. The Villa (Louis) wants to be open.” The historic site opened for the tourist season May 11 after this spring’s first Mississippi crest faded. However, the Villa closed to the public again May 28 and remains closed at
Precipitation
this time. According to a report at Tuesday’s flood meeting, staff hopes the site will reopen Friday, June 7. The first Concerts in the Park planned for Thursday, June 13—featuring 16 Strings & a Stick—is relocating from Lawler Park on the riverfront to Lochner Park off Wacouta Avenue. From there, concerts will return to the island unless the river is uncooperative again. The Music Fights Back rock festival fundraiser is slated for June 21-22 on St. Feriole Island. Abram was hopeful, as of Tuesday, that things would dry up and it would still happen on the island. He said organizer Jeremy Cuff has met regularly with the city as the site is monitored. Once the island is in the clear, Abram said there will be a coordinated effort among street, utility, fire and parks and rec departments to clean things up. “The statue park fencing is damaged. Lawler Park fencing is damaged from the log jam (in early spring),” he noted, while Street Superintendent Dan Titlbach added that some fence on the northern part of the island is also in need of repairs now. A meeting is planned this week regarding the Fourth Street and Villa Louis Boat Landing project, which was intended to happen yet this summer. Though activities are moving and changing at Mother Nature’s mercilessness, there are still places to go, events to attend and fun to be had in Prairie du Chien. According to Abram, “We’re still open for business. There’s plenty to do.”
River Stages
data from rivergauges.com
Published in the interest of service to its community est. 1848 Wm. H. Howe, Publisher 608-326-2441, 132 s. Beaumont rd, Prairie du Chien, Wi 53821 e-mail: howenews@mhtc.net
By Peyton Meisner Bluff View’s sixth grade band recently continued its dynasty by extending a streak of 1st ratings at the Wisconsin School Music Association’s Solo and Ensemble Festival to 20 years in a row, a streak that started back in 1999. The band is directed by Stewart Slaman, who is in his 21st year of teaching at the Prairie du Chien school. Slaman started bringing his sixth grade band to the festival in just his second year. “During my first year, I immedi-
(usPs 564-640) Active member of Wisconsin Newspaper Association, National Newspaper Association Gary J. Howe, General Manager Lori Heisz, Advertising
ately noticed the abundance of talent the school had to offer. The next school year I made the decision to send the sixth grade class to the festival, and I haven’t looked back from there,” he explained. To add to the accomplishment, Bluff View is also the only school in the area that sends its sixth graders to the festival for judging. “There have been other schools in the area that have sent their sixth graders to the festival for critique, but during my tenure here no school besides ours has sent the sixth grade for
judging,” Slaman added. The proud teacher is astonished that the streak has gotten to where it is, saying, “The first year I brought the sixth grade to festival, I never could have imagined it would result in 20 consecutive 1st ratings.” In the course of the twodecade-long streak, Slaman feels he never had a class that was not ready to perform at the festival. “Every class in the past 20 years has left me without any doubts they would receive anything but a 1st ratSee 6TH GRADE BAND, page 4
The sixth grade cadet band from Bluff View Intermediate School went to Large Group Festival in Benton. Three experts judged their performance. The sixth graders received a first rating from all three judges with an overall score of a first rating at the festival. Directing the group is Mr. Stewart Slaman. Pictured (first row, from left) are Jadyn Garbacz, Cameron Sedgwick, Hailey Kramer, Jasmine Olmstead, Piper Key, Kendra Jackson; (second row) Lillian Shedivy, Ben Baker, Leola Ledesma, Fiona Etemi, Evie Eastman, Kayli Kruk, Ashlyn Jenks, Jayden Henderson; (third row) Garnett Niedziejko, Hazi Farmer, Spencer Foley, Gabey Jacobs, Kaylee Matousek, Emmy Schroeder, Taia Dressler, Tyler Steiber, Liz Haug; (fourth row) Savanah Gordon, Aliya Earle, Jonnavin Ziehm, Malachi Ames, Jasmine Kansaku, Keelauna O’Neill, Kyle Mara, Brilie Esser, Katie Bosley, Allison Mathies, Tim Ames, Aaron Stout; (fifth row) Mr. Slaman, Nick Cox, John Nichols, Austin Konichek, Devon Chenaux, Alexis Feran, Tessa Higgins, Madison, Knepper, Zander DeHart, Rita Achenbach, Jackson Perkins, Aiden Thomas and Sascha Doll. (Submitted photo)
Weather
7 am readings As of June 5, 2019 June 05----------0.63" WEDNESDAY Mostly sunny, high near 86. June 04----------0.40" Calm wind. Tonight Partly cloudy, low around June 03----------0.00" 60. Light N wind. June 02-----------0.00" THURSDAY Mostly sunny, high near 82. Calm wind. Night Mostly clear, low around 59. 12 am readings http://www. Calm wind. weather.gov/arx/climate#other FRiDAY Sunny, high near 84. Calm wind becoming SE around 5 mph in the afternoon. Night Mostly clear, low around 58. Light SE wind. Mississippi RiveR SATURDAY Mostly sunny, high near 84. June 05----------18.81 Calm wind becoming SE around 6 mph in the morning. Night A 30 % chance of showers and June 04-----------18.97 thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, low around 62. June 03-----------19.07 SE wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the June 02-----------19.03 evening. SUNDAY 40% chance of showers and thunWisconsin RiveR derstorms. Mostly cloudy, high near 79. Light June 05----------5.27 SE wind. Night A 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, low around 56. June 04----------5.28 Light N wind. June 03 ---------5.7 moNDAY 20% chance of showers and thunJune 02-----------6.27 derstorms. Mostly sunny, high near 77. N wind 3-6 mph. Night Partly cloudy, low around 54. KicKApoo RiveR Light N wind. June 05----------9.15 TUESDAY 20% chance of showers and June 04------------9.07 thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, high near 77. Calm wind becoming N around 6 mph in the June 03---------9.34 afternoon. data from June 02rivergauges.com ---------9.8 Weather information courtesy National Weather Service - La Crosse
Courier Press
Bluff View 6th grade band earns 20th consecutive 1st rating
WEDNESDAYS
TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE Pay One Green Fee... and the Second Player Plays Free $18.00 with cart. $9.00 walking.
BARNYARD 9
3 Miles North on County K, Prairie du Chien, WI 608-326-2141 editors: Ted Pennekamp, Correne Martin Audrey Posten
Periodical Postage Paid at Prairie du Chien, Wi 53821. Postmaster, please forward address corrections to P.o. Box 149. owned and published by Howe Printing Co., inc., Prairie du Chien, publishers of the Courier Press.
The Courier Press (Publication No. 564640) is published every Monday and Wednesday, except Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Memorial Day, independence Day, Labor Day, when only one edition will be published.
subscription: single copy is $1.00.
Combined rate of the Monday & Wednesday editions of The Courier Press is $43.00 in advance. outside Crawford, Grant, Clayton and Allamakee Counties, rate for the Monday & Wednesday editions of The Courier Press is $53.00 in advance. Change of address out of area, $2.00 charge. serving both Wisconsin & iowa.