Portage County capsules STATE DEMOCRATS CONVENE IN POINT: Stevens Point will host the 2001 annual convention of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin at the Holiday Inn Convention and Expo Center in Stevens Point Friday and Saturday, June 15 and 16. More than 1,000 delegates and guests are expected, making this one of the top area conventions of 2001. The convention begins Friday evening, June 15 and runs through Saturday, June 16. Convention delegates will hear many speakers, including keynoter Donna Brazile who was the manager of Al Gore's 2000 presidential campaign. She began campaigning at age 9, going door-to-door for a city council candidate who promised to build a new playground in her neighborhood She entered presidential politics at age 16 as Jimmy Carter's youth coordinator in her home of Jefferson Parish, La. She has worked on every Democratic presidential campaign since then. She also was national student coordinator for a holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr.; has been chief of staff for Washington, D.C., delegate to Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton; and now is a fellow at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. * * * ROSHOLT RUMMAGE SALE: Rosholt Rummage Rama, rummage sales throughout the village, will be held Friday, June 15, and Saturday, June 16, beginning at 8 a.m. Signs will be posted throughout the village. Maps will also be available at some Rosholt businesses. The event is sponsored by the Rosholt Community Development Committee. * * * FLAG DAY PROGRAM: The Elks Flag Day program will be held Thursday, June 14, at 5:30 p.m. at the band shell in Pfiffner Pioneer Park. Members of the AMVETS, American Legion, VFW, PLAV and DAV posts will have their color guards. Barb Kranig of Stevens Point, past national president of the American Legion Auxiliary, will give a short history on the origin of Flag Day. At the conclusion of the ceremony, refreshments will be served at the Elks Club. In case of rain, the ceremony will be held at the Elks Club. * * * THRESHERMEN'S SHOW IN PLAINFIELD: The Tri-County Threshermen's Association 13th Annual Show will be held Saturday and Sunday, June 9 and 10, in Veterans Memorial Park in Plainfield. On Saturday, grounds open at 8 a.m. with a parade at 1:30 p.m. and a pig roast. On Sunday, grounds are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a church service at 9 a.m., a kids pedal tractor at 1 p.m. and a power parade at 2 p.m. Events include entertainment, demonstrations, pie stand, micro-mini tractor pull, threshing corn shredding, sawmill, blacksmith, antique tool display, farm toys, flea market, shingle mill, collector autos, crafts, gas engines, old tractors, garden tractors and steam engines. The show also features a Rumely Oil pull and Maytag and ice harvesting equipment. * * * PABA HONORS GALLE-TESKE AND OKRAY FAMILY FARMS: The Plover Area Business Association's Reception and Annual Dinner was scheduled for Thursday, June 7, at the Elizabeth Inn & Convention Center. Sherri Galle-Teske was selected to receive the Citizen of the Year honor and Okray Family Farms the Business of the Year honor. The honors are presented to those who devote special time and efforts to the Plover area and community. The evening's agenda also included installation of the 2001-2002 Board of Directors and the annual recaps from the Portage County Business Council, the Stevens Point Area Convention and Visitors Bureau and the village of Plover. * * * BOUND FOR RUSSIA: Two teachers and four students from Stevens Point Area Senior High School are leaving for Rostov-Veliky, Russia, this week to teach at the English Language Institute in that city for three weeks. Making the trip are teachers Laurel Hoeth and Paula Rose and students Nikki Zimmerman, Erin Cisewski, Orian Welling and Shanna Huff. The group packed Tuesday, June 5, following a list of items requested by Rostov residents. Heading the list, said Mary Thurmaier, was a U.S. flag for an upcoming event in Russia. Also on the list were school supplies and videotapes, including an instructional tape for basketball. * * * MARIJUANA OPERATION BUSTED: Members of the Portage County Sheriff's Department and Central Wisconsin Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force found an indoor marijuana growing operation Friday, June 1, at a town of Almond residence, authorities said. While executing a search warrant at the home, they found 17 pounds of processed marijuana and about 260 growing marijuana plants worth an estimated $277,000. The growing operation included an automated lighting and watering system for the purpose of cultivating Sensimilla marijuana. Sensimilla marijuana refers to a process of cultivating female marijuana plants with an elevated level of THC - the active ingredient in marijuana. Authorities suspect a 53-year-old town of Almond resident is involved in the case and are continuing their investigation. * * * ANTENNA QUESTIONS: The Stevens Point Plan Commission denied two conditional use permits for a telecommunications antenna while recommending another Monday, June 4. The commission denied the requests from Community First Bank for towers at 5525 Highway 10 E. and 3273 Church St. so the bank can communicate between the bank and the one in Rosholt. Presently, the banks use dedicated telephone lines, which are more expensive. The commission wants to avoid too many towers in the area, and requested Community to negotiate the use of the tower at Lakeland Overhead Doors, 5477 Highway 10 E., instead of constructing a new tower. The tower that was recommended for approval was actually three towers on the roof of the Community Development Authority of Stevens Point building at 1300 Briggs St. * * * PURCHASE OF HOUSE ADJACENT TO LINCOLN CENTER ENDORSED: The Plan Commission said Monday the city should acquire the house at 1540 Elk St., which the owner wants to sell. The property has been identified as a possible site for expansion of Lincoln Center. * * * CITY ANNEXATION: The Jehovah's Witnesses of Stevens Point have requested annexation of the church property at 3600 North Point Drive, and the Plan Commission recommended it. The property is already served by sewer and water from the city. The property would be zoned single family district, where churches are permitted uses. * * * VIDEOCONFERENCE ON BIOSECURITY ON FARM SCHEDULED: The University of Wisconsin-Extension will host a live, interactive videoconference from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 13, on biosecurity practices to protect Wisconsin's farm animals. Wisconsin Public Radio's Larry Meiller will moderate the program with panelists from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection; the U.S. Department of Agriculture; Wisconsin Emergency Management; UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine and College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and UW-Extension. Speakers will discuss identifying foot-and-mouth disease, the distinctions between that disease and mad cow disease, government precautions in place to prevent the introduction or spread of foreign animal diseases, biosecurity "best practices," food safety and consumer confidence issues. Persons interested in attending the program should contact the UW-Extension office at 346-1316. * * * SUMMER REC PROGRAMS SPONSORED: The International Center for Injury Prevention, an advocacy group for child safety, has donated money in support of the Supervised Playground Program of the Stevens Point Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department. Other agencies or businesses interested in supporting other summer programs can contact the department at 346-1531. * * * PLOVER BUILDING PERMITS: The village of Plover issued two building permits for single family homes in May. The residences were for $185,000 at 2030 Norway Drive and $110,000 at 3090 Lexington Place.