Portage County capsules GREEN AVENUE CONSTRUCTION APPROACHES: Reconstruction of Green Avenue between Highway 10 and Highway 66 by the Portage County Highway Department may begin as early as next week. The street will be closed to through-traffic but will remain open to residents of the neighborhood. The department is reconstructing the street prior to turning jurisdiction for its maintenance over to the city of Stevens Point. The street is also known as County Trunk YY and most of it runs through the city. County crews will apply 4 inches of gravel and then pulverize the existing blacktop to a depth of 10 inches to use for a base course. Crews will then apply 4 inches of asphalt and match driveways along the route. Crews will also rebuild existing dry wells. * * * DEMOCRATIC PARTY PICNIC WILL BE HELD SUNDAY: The Portage County Democratic Party will hold its annual picnic on Sunday, Aug. 26, in the Pfiffner Building at Pfiffner Pioneer Park in Stevens Point. The event begins at noon and continues until 5 p.m. This year's picnic features food, refreshments, a rummage sale, games for the family and music by Music Express. Barbara Kranig, chair of the Portage County Democratic Party, said many candidates for statewide office have confirmed their intentions to attend the annual picnic. U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett, D-Milwaukee, Attorney General Jim Doyle, and State Sen. Gary George, D-Milwaukee, have confirmed their plans to attend. They are all announced candidates for governor. Lieutenant governor candidates in attendance will be State Sen. Kevin Shibilski, D-Stevens Point, and Joe Parisi of Madison. State Sen. Brian Burke, D-Milwaukee, and Nancy Nusbaum, both candidates for attorney general, will also join local Democrats for this event. The event is open and free to the public. * * * LABOR DAY LIBRARY CHANGE: The Portage County Public Library will be closed at all locations on Monday, Sept. 3, for Labor Day. The libraries will begin fall hours on Tuesday. The Charles M. White Library will be open in the adult department from 9:30 a.m. until 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday. The youth services department will be open from 9:30 a.m. until 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Both departments will be open from 9:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Friday and 9:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturday. On Sept. 9, Sunday hours from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. will begin. The Plover Branch Library hours are Monday and Friday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday from 1 until 8 p.m., Wednesday from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. The Almond Branch Library will be open on Monday and Thursday from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. until noon. The Rosholt Branch Library will be open from 1:30 p.m. until 5 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. until 9 p.m. on Tuesday and from 9:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Thursday. * * * NATURE CENTER HAS TWO NIGHT EVENTS LEFT: The Nature Center at Jordan County Park has two Saturday night programs remaining among its summer educational events, one at Collins Park and the other at DuBay Park. On Saturday, Aug. 25, the program from 8 to 10 p.m. will be held at Collins Park. The programs begin with a campfire and injured wildlife presentations and end with a night hike, following the theme of "Neighbors of the Night." On Saturday, Sept. 1, the program from 8 to 10 p.m. will be held at DuBay Park. The program is the same at the Aug. 25 one. The Nature Center at Jordan is open from noon to 5 p.m. on Thursdays through Sundays until Labor Day. On Saturdays from 1 to 2 p.m., the Nature Center has children's storybook hour for younger visitors. The final summer program at Jordan will be hayrides from 6:30 to 10 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 2. * * * MSTC BOARD HEARS REPORT ON URBAN FORESTRY: The Mid-State Technical College Board of Directors heard a report on the urban forestry technician program when it met Monday, Aug. 20. The program offering a two-year associate degree was launched in January 2001 and more than 50 students are enrolled for the 2001-2002 school year. The program is linked with the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point's forestry degree program as a 2 + 2 partnership. The board approved a new arborist technician advanced technical certificate and a resolution awarding the sale of $3 million in general obligation promissory notes to finance various infrastructure improvements and budgeted capital facilities and equipment expenditures for the current fiscal year, ending June 30, 2002. The next board meeting will be on Monday, Sept. 17, at the Adams Center on the Wisconsin Rapids campus. Committee meetings will begin at 5 p.m. and the board meeting at 6 p.m. * * * PORTAGE COUNTY BUILDING PERMITS: The Portage County Planning and Zoning Department reported 20 building permits were issued for single family residences valued at $2,742,900 in July. Four permits were issued in the town of Grant for $585,000, three in the town of Hull for $477,000, two in the town of Buena Vista for $360,000, two in the town of Sharon for $237,000, two in the town of Plover for $207,000, one in the town of Amherst for $225,000, one in the town of Linwood for $194,000, one in the town of Dewey for $150,000, one in the town of Alban for $120,000, one in the town of Stockton for $102,900, one in the town of Eau Pleine for $65,000 and one in the town of New Hope for $20,000. * * * LIPPERT SPENDS DAY WITH ADULT DAY CARE: State Rep. MaryAnn Lippert (R-Pittsville) spent Friday, Aug. 17, with workers at the Adult Day Care Center of Wood County as a part of her monthly job-shadowing program. Lippert shadowed Brenda Mansavage, director of the program. Adult day centers provide respite for families who are caring for loved ones at home. Lippert's Working Side-by-Side program is designed to help the representative learn more about the job-related issues facing the residents of the 70th District. * * * UW-SP WEB SITE ADDS MENOMINEE CLANS SITE: The UW-SP University Library and Museum of Natural History have added the new Menominee Clans Story Web site. The Menominee Clans Story displays wood figures carved by the Menominee traditional artist, James F. Frechette Jr. The carvings capture the cultural dimensions of the ancient clan system depicting dress, symbols, tools, colors, traditions and many details of the fast-fading way of life. Two years in the making, the Web site contains over 140 Web pages, and over 500 media files. The site features three-dimensional views and static view images of each carving, with the Menominee Origin Story read in English by the artist, and in Menominee by Mike Hoffmann, a Menominee linguist. All of the graphics used on the Web were custom designed and drawn by Frechette and are integrated into the story and site navigation. The collection is incomplete, and many of the images have yet to be photographed for the site. A permanent exhibit of the figures is being constructed by Ed Marks, museum curator, in the lobby of the University Library. The exhibit will be completed in mid-2002, and until that time the figures will not be on public display. An informational kiosk featuring the Web site, developed with funding from the University Foundation, will be constructed adjacent to the exhibit area. The new Web site is at http://library.uwsp.edu/MenomineeClans/. * * * PILOT ESCAPES INJURY: The pilot of a Cessna 188 crop duster escaped injury when the plane crashed in a field at the corner of First Street and Third Avenue in the town of Almond. Kent V. Carlson was flying for Farmers Flying Service, Bancroft, when the plane went down. Portage County Sheriff's Department deputies were called at 9:53 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 22, and they notified the state Department of Natural Resources and the Federal Aviation Administration. Deputies said the plane was demolished and a cleanup of the pesticide the plane was carrying will be conducted by the Department of Agriculture. * * * TWO WOMEN DIE IN TRAFFIC CRASHES: Two women were killed in separate accidents on Portage County roads in the last week. Alexandra E. Schoenberger, 30, Menominee, died in a collision on Highway 54 at Highway A in the town of Lanark Saturday, Aug. 18. Deputies said they were called to the scene at 6:51 p.m., along with the Portage County Ambulance Service, Wisconsin State Patrol and Amherst Fire Department and First Responders. A truck driven by Chance Butteris, 17, Mineral Point, was traveling on A and collided with a vehicle driven by David Schoenberger, Alexandra's husband, which was traveling on 54. Wendy S. Boyum, 39, Waukesha, died Monday, Aug. 20, in a one-vehicle rollover accident on Interstate 39, about a quarter-mile north of Business 51. Deputies said they were called at 122:50 p.m. and the Hull Fire Department State Patrol and state Department of Natural Resources also responded. The truck driven by Boyum went onto the right shoulder, deputies said, and she overcorrected, causing the vehicle to cross the roadway and roll over several times, coming to rest on its roof in the median. The deaths bring the toll on county roads in 2001 to 12. * * * TRAFFIC SAFETY CAMPAIGN CONTINUES: The Portage County Sheriff's Department is continuing programs to improve highway safety funded through grants. Lt. John Graettinger of the department said the programs emphasize enforcement of traffic laws by paying overtime costs to increase the number of deputies on patrol. In 2001, these deputies have issued more than 200 traffic citations and 1,000 warnings, as well as making numerous warrant and misdemeanor arrests, he said. During the week of Aug. 27 and continuing through Labor Day, deputies are joining in a statewide crackdown of seat belt and child passenger safety violations called "Click-It, Why Risk It?" "Everyone has heard the statistics, but to put this on a local level, so far this year 12 people have been killed in traffic crashes on Portage County roads. Of these, there is a good likelihood five people would be alive today had they been using their seat belts," Graettinger said.