Portage County capsules MICHIGAN AVENUE CONCRETE WORK PLANNED: Work on the Clark Street reconstruction project is progressing, and Jon Van Alstine, Stevens Point director of public works, said concrete work on Michigan Avenue will start either today (Aug. 17) or next week, weather permitting. The concrete usually takes about two weeks to cure, he said, and crews hope to have Michigan reopened at the end of August, which would be before school opens after Labor Day. Crews were grading gravel on Wednesday and set up the guides for the formless concrete. Pouring is scheduled to begin at Michigan and move westward, Van Alstine said. * * * CAR SEAT CHECKUP CLINIC: The Portage County Child Passenger Safety Association/ Portage County Safe Kids Chapter (a United Way Agency) and Other Mothers will be sponsoring a car seat checkup clinic on Saturday, Aug. 18. The check up clinic will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot of Other Mothers, 5474 Hwy 10 East, Stevens Point. Also that day, PCCPSA will be offering an Exersaucer Activity Center for $10 in exchange for an old walker. (Stationary walkers or walkers with lockable wheels will not be accepted for the exchange.) A limited number of Exersaucers will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. The exchange will begin at 10 a.m. For more information contact the PCCPSA at 341-SEAT(7328). * * * HUMANE SOCIETY MUD VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT: The Portage County Humane Society will hold its annual Mud Volleyball Tournament at Royal Sports Center in Plover on Saturday, Aug. 25. Games begin at 8 a.m. and are played throughout the day. Registration is limited to the first 50 coed teams to enroll, with up to 12 players on one team. Team registration is $130 and must be received by Aug. 18. Trophies are awarded for first- through fourth-place teams. Registration materials can be obtained by calling the Portage County Humane Society at 344-6012, e-mailing the society at critters@g2a.net, visiting the Web site at www.pchs.org to download a form, or stopping by the shelter at Bukolt Park after noon. Dunn Entertainment will provide the musical entertainment that day. Refreshments, food, baked good and raffles will be available throughout the day. All proceeds from the event benefit the animals of Portage County. * * * FAMILY CRISIS CENTER SEES INCREASING LENGTHS OF STAY: Victims of domestic violence seeking shelter at the Family Crisis Center in Stevens Point are staying longer according to a report prepared by CAP Services. It shows continuation of a four-year trend, which was one of the reasons CAP expanded the shelter last year. Since 1997, the average length of time a family stays has increased 12.4 percent, to more than 20 days," said Sue Sippel, CAP's assistant director for Intervention Services. She said someone has been in the center every day for six months in a row for the first time since 1991, and in July the center had an average of 10 people per night. The Crisis Center also sheltered 17 youths in crisis at the center in the first six months of the year compared to 11 last year. The report also showed that CAP's Sexual Assault Victim Services program experienced a 37 percent increase over last year in the number of victims accessing services. * * * PLOVER MAY REFINANCE DEBT: The recent economic downturn, which has caused interest rates to plummet, may end up saving village of Plover residents money. The village Finance Committee made a recommendation to the Village Board to refinance its $6.325 million general obligation bond issue. The refinancing would save the village $379,874 from 2002-2010. The finance committee also recommended that the Board pre-pay its $1.825 million general obligation note issue. The pre-payment would save the village an additional $77,700 in future interest costs. * * * TOMAHAWK MAN DIES IN DEWEY CRASH: Darryl E. Steinback, 35, Tomahawk, died after he was thrown from a motor vehicle that left Interstate 39/Highway 51, about a mile south of County Trunk DB, in the town of Dewey early Tuesday morning, Aug. 14. Steinback was pronounced dead at the scene. Portage County Sheriff's Department deputies, who were summoned at 2:52 a.m., said the driver of the vehicle apparently fell asleep and the vehicle went off the left side of the roadway. The driver awoke and overcorrected, deputies said, losing control of the vehicle, which rolled over in the right ditch, ejecting Steinback. The driver and four other passengers were transported to St. Michael's Hospital. The Dewey Fire Department and the Hull Fire Department were also called to the scene. * * * POOL WILL REMAIN OPEN: The Donald Copps Municipal Pool/Waterslide Park will remain open through the Labor Day holiday weekend because Stevens Point Area Public Schools will be opening after Labor Day. The pool will officially close for the 2001 season at 4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 3. The Stevens Point Parks and Recreation Department's three city beaches at Iverson, Bukolt and Mead parks will officially close for the season on Sunday, Aug. 26, at 4 p.m. * * * HIGHWAY 10 MEETING SCHEDULED: The Wisconsin Department of Transportation will hold a public information meeting from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 23, in the Washington School gymnasium regarding the proposed reconstruction of 1.7 miles of Highway 10 (Main Street) in Stevens Point from Minnesota Avenue to Maple Bluff Road. Exhibits and maps will be available for review and DOT representatives will be on hand to answer questions. Citizens are encouraged to make verbal or written comments during the meeting. The proposal calls for improving intersections, changing medians to mountable, adding more green space, removing additional driveways and redecking the westbound bridge over the Plover River. Construction is scheduled for the spring of 2003, and the road is scheduled to remain open to traffic during construction. Information about the project is available from Gary Metzer at the DOT District 4 office, 1681 Second Avenue South, Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494 or by calling 421-8381. * * * STEVENS POINT BUILDING PERMITS: Stevens Point issued building permits for properties valued at $8,035,000 during July. More than half of the valuation, $4,050,000, went for a planned housing development at 801 DuBay Ave. to a 46-unit community-based facility, three four-unit buildings and four duplexes. A motel, Stevens Point Inn & Suites, at 1100 Amber Ave., has a valuation of $2.9 million. Permits for six single family residences were also issued. They were valued at $300,000 at 3133 Oak Ave., $280,000 at 441 W. Trillium Court, $150,000 at 2101 Ironwood Ave., $128,000 at 5624 Kingfisher Drive, $125,000 at 5640 Kingfisher Drive and $102,000 at 3101 Lampman Drive.