Portage County capsules SOUTH SIDE SUMMER FEST: Businesses on Stevens Point's south side from Dixon Street to McDill Pond will celebrate South Side Summer Fest from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 17, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 18. The event is on the same weekend as Brews Brats and Bands at Point Brewery and Brewery Park. The events include an open house from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 18, at engine 2713, the steam train, in the 1700 block of Monroe Street. Displays at the open house will include historic train pictures and memorabilia, a steam-powered boat, a Waupaca trolley car and model railroading. * * * COMMISSION CONCURS ON LINCOLN CENTER ADDITION: The Stevens Point Plan Commission gave tentative support to a proposal for an addition to the Lincoln Center Monday, Aug. 6. John Gardner, city director of planning/community development, said the proposal is the least expensive and least disruptive to the existing program at the center, but the costs could change as the proposal is further refined. The project has been proposed to cost $3 million, but the cost could increase in order to replace the existing roof and make some renovations. The proposal would add to the south of the building and move closer to Water Street than the existing structure, also adding a basement under the addition. The existing building has no basement. In order to construct the building closer to Water, the commission recommended an amendment on setback requirements to allow community and senior centers closer to a street. Gardner said the setback issues generally occur in older neighborhoods. * * * COMMISSION ACCEPTS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: The Stevens Point Plan Commission accepted a draft of the public participation plan of the Portage County Comprehensive Plan Monday. All municipalities in the county are participating in the development of the plan, which will be used to identify a comprehensive land-use plan throughout the county. What's unique about the plan, John Gardner said, is each municipality will develop its own plan and get together so it knows the impact on surrounding communities such as roads and commercial areas. Jeff Schuler, senior Portage County planner, said each county property owner will be surveyed about the plan for community input. The Portage County Comprehensive Planning Joint Steering Committee meets on the fourth Wednesday of every month at 6:30 p.m. in conference room 1-2 of the County Annex. Reports on those meetings will be a monthly agenda item for the commission. * * * REZONING ENDORSED: The Plan Commission endorsed a request to rezone 200 Indiana Ave. from R-3 single family district to R-4 multiple family to allow expansion of the parking lot for an addition to the Clifton-Gunderson Building, 201 Frontenac Ave. Neighbors questioned construction of a fence on the lot line as well as drainage problems in the area. Mayor Gary Wescott said the drainage issues would be addressed immediately because they are not part of a zoning issue. The screening and landscape issues will be part of the zoning. * * * ANNEXATION RECOMMENDED: The Plan Commission recommended the Kulas property at 100 Bukolt Park Drive be annexed to the city from the town of Hull. The single-family home will be connected to the city sewer service with annexation, eliminating a septic system along the river. * * * CWA PROJECTS APPROVED: Gov. Scott McCallum has approved a $2 million project at the Central Wisconsin Airport near Mosinee to purchase snow removal and emergency response equipment, replace taxiway lighting, reconstruct the air freight apron and provide design and engineering services. McCallum's action releases $100,944 in state funds to acquire a loader-mounted snow blower, two airport pavement sweepers and an aircraft rescue and fire-fighting vehicle. The bituminous air freight apron will be reconstructed and the edge lights for taxiway C will be replaced. Marathon and Portage counties will contribute a total of $100,944 with the Federal Aviation Administration providing the remaining $1,816,985. The project should be completed by Sept. 1. The project also includes completion of design work for next year's planned rehabilitation of runways and taxiways, according to David Johnson, airport development engineer with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. * * * DEMOCRATS MEET AUG. 14: The Portage County Democratic Party will hold its monthly business meeting at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 14, at the Olympic Restaurant, corner of Division Street and Maria Drive, Stevens Point. The public is invited. The main business of the meeting will be plans for the annual Democratic Picnic, to be held Sunday, Aug. 26. This year, the location will be different, Pfiffner Pioneer Park, and so will the activities, which will concentrate on fun for all ages and attracting families. The executive committee will meet at 7 p.m. * * * INTERSTATE 39 IMPROVEMENTS APPROVED: Gov. Scott McCallum signed a $3.8 million contract Thursday, Aug. 2, to resurface 17 miles of northbound Interstate 39/Highway 51 from Archer Avenue in Waushara County to Highway 54 in the town of Plover. Rock Road Companies of Janesville is the contractor for the project, which will include the replacement of beam guards and bridge railings. Construction is scheduled to begin this month and last through October. Traffic will be reduced to one lane during construction. Funding for the project is 90 percent federal and 10 percent state. * * * OBEY WILL GIVE REBATE TO CHARITY: U.S. Rep. Dave Obey, D-Wausau, said Monday that as a protest against the unfairness of the tax rebate bill passed by Congress earlier this year, he will contribute his rebate check to charities that help the 34 million low-income Americans who will get no rebate under the tax package because their income is too low to qualify under the bill's provisions. Obey said the IRS recently informed him he would be receiving a $300 tax rebate. Obey noted that when the tax bill was passed, its supporters, including the White House, allowed the impression to be created that all taxpayers would receive a $300 rebate. Obey points out that the reality is far different: a Citizens for Tax Justice analysis shows that 34 million taxpayers, 26 percent, will get no rebate check at all. In Wisconsin, 528,000 taxpayers, or 21 percent, will get no rebate check. Of the Wisconsinites excluded from the tax rebate, more than 503,000 earn less than $40,000 per year. * * * PLOVER BUILDING PERMITS: The village of Plover issued building permits for seven houses valued at $932,000 and two four-unit apartment buildings valued at $290,000 in July. The houses and their valuations include $210,000 at 1841 Ashford Drive, $175,000 at 1031 Victorian Lane, $117,000 at 4930 Fieldstone Drive, $110,000 at 2960 Saddlewood Drive, $110,000 at 3371 Derby Court, $105,000 at 2711 Porter Road and $105,000 at 4810 Fairfield Drive. The apartment buildings, valued at $145,000 each, are at 3610 Patti Drive and 3620 Patti Drive.