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Wed
14
Aug

Hartig family drops by PdC retail pharmacy as new generation takes over

Submitted by admin1 on Wed, 08/14/2019 - 11:12

Two generations of the Hartig family visited the Prairie du Chien Hartig Drug store Aug. 1, as a farewell stop for one of them who is retiring and an introduction for his sons who are stepping up to run the company. Pictured (back row, from left) are Wes, Dick and Charlie Hartig; (front row) Manager Jennifer Stoehr and Pharmacist-in-charge Erin Greenya. (Photo by Correne Martin)

By Correne Martin

A new generation of Hartigs is overseeing the local retail pharmacy chain of 22 tri-state stores, including the Prairie du Chien location. 

Dick Hartig is retiring after 46 years in the family business, started by his grandfather A.J. Hartig in 1904. Brothers Charlie and Wes Hartig, the fifth generation, are “excited to face the challenges” of the Dubuque, Iowa-based company, according to their father.

Charlie slid into his new role of Hartig Drug CEO in March 2018, while his brother Wes manages one of the company’s subsidiaries, MedOne Health Care Systems. 

Mon
12
Aug

ICAN intergenerational group tours sculpture park

Submitted by admin1 on Mon, 08/12/2019 - 11:46

Jim Rux was impressed with the great detail each of the sculptures in the Mississippi River Sculpture Park had. When taking a tour last week, he fell in love with the exciting history he learned about his community.

Nicole Dilley had to hug and pose alone with each of the intricate figures in the sculpture park. (Photos by Correne Martin)

The artist responsible for the statues that have gone into the sculpture park, Florence Bird, showed pictures and explained to the ICAN visitors the process of making a clay, then bronzed sculpture.

Sculpture park board president Randy Paske shows Matt Roach how the augmented reality application on his smart phones helps to bring the statues to life to tell their stories.

The group posed by each one of the statues for a picture altogether with artist Florence Bird.

The group gathers around Emma Big Bear to see the great detail showcased in the sculpture, which was the last one installed in the park, in 2011.

Some of the intergenerational group members posed by the sculpture of Voyageur Julian Coryer at the Mississippi River Sculpture Park Aug. 7. Pictured (from left) are Charlie Marx, Nicole Dilley, the voyager statue, Darin Dilley, Matt Roach, Sculpturist Florence Bird, Deb Larson, Lisa Hendrix, Jim Rux, Scott Tippery, Lorrie Duff and Danny Dremsa.

By Correne Martin

A dozen local individuals with disabilities received a personalized tour of the Mississippi River Sculpture Park Aug. 7. The men and women from the Intergenerational Community Activity Network, aka the ICAN program, met Chief Blackhawk, Voyageur Julian Coryer, a Victorian Lady, Emma Big Bear, and Dr. William Beaumont and son Israel. They also learned about Aunt Marianne LaBuche (and baby Louisa), as well as the park board’s intention to install her as the next life-size bronze statue as soon as a finalizing $11,000 is collected in donations.

Mon
12
Aug

Trading the fast pace of life for furs

Submitted by admin1 on Mon, 08/12/2019 - 11:39

Eleanor Lybeck was born and raised in Prairie du Chien. She now lives in Decorah, Iowa, but brought her five grandchildren—from St. Louis and New York—back to her hometown for the fur trade-themed Fridays at the Fort. She took a moment, here, to help Ainsley sew her suede medicine bag. Pictured (above), down the line, are granddaughters Avery, Addison and Taryn. Below, her youngest, Derrick, learns how to stitch around the outside of his bag, with some help from instructor Abbey Harkrader, of Clayton County Conservation. They all got to take their bags home. (Photos by Correne Martin)

Pictured are examples of the many animal pelts that were traded centuries ago. In trading, one beaver pelt was equal to 1.5 pounds of gunpowder, 2 pounds of sugar, 1 pound of lead, 30 musket balls, 1 brass kettle, 10 finger rings, 4 knives, 1 silver fur trade cross, 25 sewing needles, 3/4 pound of colored glass beads, 1/2 pound white beads, 8 moose hooves, 10 pounds of feathers, 1 pound of castoreum, 2 deer skins, 2 otter pelts, 2 wolverine pelts and 1 fisher pelt.

A history of the fur trade and the French, British and American eras of the 250-year time span was retold as part of the free, educational Fridays at the Fort program Aug. 9, at Prairie du Chien’s Ft. Crawford Museum. 

Around 20 children and adults heard a summary of this pivotal part of the region’s past. They learned about the Native American, French and British traders and the goods they exchanged, which included pelts from fur bearing animals that roamed the area at the time. Fridays at the Fort participants felt the softness of various animal pelts, from the small weasel on up to a black bear. 

Mon
12
Aug

See Villa Louis’ nooks and crannies, become a Friend at Summer Social

Submitted by admin1 on Mon, 08/12/2019 - 11:06

The Friends of Villa Louis have been a great support for the historic site in many ways, most recently helping the Villa install new interpretive markers across the grounds.

By Correne Martin

The Friends of Villa Louis are hosting a Summer Social with a nooks and crannies tour of the mansion, highlighted by a peek into the attic and a look at parts of the collection kept there. This special event will be Friday, Aug. 16, with a social hour and hors d’oeuvres from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., followed by the exclusive views behind the scenes. 

“The nooks and crannies tour will show the inner workings of how things happen at the Villa Louis that the general public doesn’t necessarily get to experience,” stated Sarah Hohlfeld, guest experience coordinator at the historic site.  

Mon
12
Aug

Blue boxes being relocated for safer, easier mail dropoff downtown

Submitted by admin1 on Mon, 08/12/2019 - 11:05

The Prairie du Chien street department crew constructed this new U.S. Postal Service blue mailbox kiosk, located within the parking lot between the Courier Press and Century Link, off Beaumont Road.

The city and postal service are working together to complete the amenity for users within the coming weeks, which will include relocating the mailboxes from in front of the post office to this spot. (Photos by Correne Martin)

By Correne Martin

A change in location is happening for the two U.S. Postal Service blue collection boxes in front of the Prairie du Chien Post Office on Beaumont Road, as was decided and paid for by the city’s Redevelopment Authority (RDA).

The mailboxes will be reconfigured, in the coming weeks, within the new city parking lot between the Courier Press office and CenturyLink station. One blue box will face the north and the other will face the south. This will allow drivers to pull up on either side, drop mail into one of the boxes, then drive away. Drivers may enter off of Beaumont Road and exit in the alleyway, or vice versa.

Mon
12
Aug

Highway 18 project to begin Aug. 14

Submitted by admin on Mon, 08/12/2019 - 10:07

Motorists going over the Wisconsin River Bridge on Highway 18 are warned by a message board stating that construction will begin on Wednesday, Aug. 14. (Photo by Ted Pennekamp)

 

By Ted Pennekamp

 

The Highway 18 resurfacing project from Fennimore to Patch Grove was completed in July, and now the resurfacing of the highway from Patch Grove to the Wisconsin River Bridge is scheduled to begin on Aug. 14.

Thu
08
Aug

American Duchess cruise ship coming to Prairie du Chien

Submitted by admin on Thu, 08/08/2019 - 09:52

By Peyton Meisner

 

The American Duchess cruise ship will be docking in Prairie du Chien, Thursday. Aug. 15 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The ship carries 168 passengers and those aboard the cruise ship will have the opportunity to partake in a hop on/hop off tour around Prairie du Chien, including stops to the Villa Louis Historical Site, Fort Crawford Museum, Valley Fish and Cheese and the old Crawford County Jail “The Dungeon.”

“We’re hoping to roll out the red carpet for the cruise ship tourists to hopefully leave a lasting impression on them. If we can do that, hopefully they will want to come back to our city,” said Bob Moses, Prairie du Chien Area Chamber of Commerce CEO.

Thu
08
Aug

Public Health: more than just shots- Stop the Bleed Campaign

Submitted by admin on Thu, 08/08/2019 - 09:43

Each training kit comes with a limb, hemostatic gauze, a SOFT-T Wide Tourniquet and a CAT Tourniquet. (Photo by Peyton Meisner)

By Peyton Meisner

 

This is a series about the Crawford County Health Department and the array of services they provide.

In April 2013, in the wake of the active shooter event at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, what has become the known as the Hartford Consensus was convened to bring together leaders from law enforcement, the federal government and the medical community to improve survivability from manmade or natural mass casualty events.

In October 2015, The White House launched a national awareness campaign called Stop the Bleed®. The campaign serves as a call to action to encourage bystanders to become trained, equipped, and empowered to help in a bleeding emergency before professional help arrives. 

Wed
07
Aug

City Council hears presentation about improving St. Feriole Island

Submitted by admin on Wed, 08/07/2019 - 11:17

 

By Ted Pennekamp

 

Olivia Breuer, who will be a senior pursuing a bachelor of design in architecture degree at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in the fall, gave a presentation about improving St. Feriole Island to the Prairie du Chien City Council Tuesday night.

Mon
05
Aug

Los Aztecas starts to renovate old Coaches

Submitted by admin1 on Mon, 08/05/2019 - 13:15

A banner on the front of the coming Los Aztecas restaurant displays how the property is designed to appear upon completion of a remodel. (Photos by Correne Martin)

Owner Lorenzo Dominguez is hopeful construction of his Mexican restaurant site will be finished so Los Aztecas can open in about three months.

By Correne Martin

Two years ago this month, the owners of Los Aztecas Mexican Restaurant, of Dubuque, Iowa, announced they had purchased the former Coaches Restaurant in Prairie du Chien. The time has finally come for them to start renovating the eatery and surrounding property, with the intent to open a restaurant serving authentic Mexican cuisine, according to owner Lorenzo Dominguez. 

Work to strip the interior for a completely new look began the week of July 22, with excavation of a portion of the parking lot happening the next weekend. Last week, regionally-contracted companies continued removing concrete from the parking spaces north of the restaurant, where Dominguez said there will be an addition for a patio and bar. 

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