County capsule HIGHWAY 10 INFORMATION MEETING: The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) will hold a public information meeting to discuss improvements on Highway 10 between Amherst Junction and County Trunk A from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 20, in the Amherst Town Hall, 4023 County Trunk Q, Amherst Junction. The meeting will follow an open house format, with a brief presentation scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. The proposed improvements include constructing a four-lane divided highway to bypass Amherst and Amherst Junction. Grade separation structures are proposed at Lake Road, Canadian National Railroad, Lake Emily Road and County Trunk Q. Diamond interchanges are proposed at Country Trunk A and County Trunk B. The project is scheduled for construction in 2003 and 2004. DOT staff will be on hand to answer questions. All citizens with concerns that may assist in the development of the project are encouraged to attend and/or contact project personnel. Persons unable to attend the meeting can submit their comments to Lynn Saeger at the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, District 4, 1681 Second Avenue South, Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494 or (715) 421-8391. * * * HIGHWAY 10 ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING: The DOT will conduct a citizens advisory committee meeting on route options for Highway 10 between Interstate 39 and Highway K. The meeting is scheduled from 6-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 20, at P.J. Jacobs Junior High School, 2400 Main St., Stevens Point. Earlier this year, DOT asked the potentially affected local units of government to nominate two representatives to participate on the committee. Each member of the committee was nominated based on knowledge of the area and ability to participate. During the meeting, DOT will discuss and accept input from committee members regarding the highway alternatives east of Interstate 39 shown during the last public informational meeting in May. The committee will accept comments from the general public from 7:15 to 7:30 p.m. Seating is limited. * * * MSTC FOUNDATION NAMES NEW DIRECTORS, OFFICERS: The Mid-State Technical College Foundation Board of Directors elected officers and welcomed new directors at its quarterly meeting in July. New directors with three-year terms on the board are Jenifer Binder, Stevens Point and John Wandrey, Plover. Binder is as an associate attorney at First Law Group S.C. in Stevens Point. Wandrey recently retired from Wisconsin Public Service Corporation. New directors serving two-year terms on the Foundation's Board include Sharon Frazier, Stevens Point. Frazier is vice president-nursing at St. Michael's Hospital. Directors selected for one-year terms include Gary Rogers, Stevens Point. Rogers is the vice president of sales and marketing at Delta Dental Plan of Wisconsin. New officers elected include Marg Coker-Nelson, Stevens Point, president; Larry Turba, Wisconsin Rapids, vice president; Carol Dix, Wisconsin Rapids, secretary and John Moffat, Wisconsin Rapids, treasurer. Other Foundation directors include Jerry Bach, Dar Blanke, Guy-Robert Detlefsen, Robert Lindaas, Dan Meyer, Mel Schneeberg, Loretta Schoechert, James Shewchuk and Craig Timm, all of Wisconsin Rapids; Barb Fleisner, Marshfield; Jack Gennaro, Nekoosa; Don Kropidlowski, Stevens Point; and MSTC President Brian Oehler, as an ex-officio member. The Mid-State Technical College Foundation was established in 1979 and is a nonprofit organization which supports the students, staff and educational programs of MSTC. For more information contact the Foundation at (715) 422-5322. * * * CHARTER SCHOOLS APPROVED: The Stevens Point Area Public School Board approved implementation grants for three proposed charter schools when it met Monday, Aug. 12. The board officially approved the Wisconsin Rivers Community, Jackson Environmental Discovery Center and McDill Academies. * * * BOARD SPEEDS HIRING PROCESS: The Stevens Point Area Public School Board gave David Anderson, school district director of human resources, authority to issue binding letters of intent to recommend candidates for teaching positions between now and Monday, Aug. 26 (the next board meeting). A letter of intent would essentially be the same as board approval during the time period - giving interested candidates the assurance of employment that they need in order to either resign a position or make other preparations to begin their teaching positions in the district. Anderson will still present the candidates for formal board approval at the Aug. 26 board meeting. * * * BLOOD DRIVE: The American Red Cross has scheduled a blood drive from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 22, and from 7:30 a.m. to noon, Friday, Aug. 23, at the Elk's Club, 1132 Clark St., Stevens Point. Appointments are encouraged, but walk-ins are welcome. Call 344-4052 to make an appointment. Persons may donate every 56 days. Donors must weigh at least 110 pounds, be at least 17 years old and in good health. All blood types are needed. * * * KENNEDY DRIVE CLOSING: Kennedy Drive east of Green Avenue will be closed to traffic beginning at 7 a.m. Monday, Aug. 19, said Jon Van Alstine, director of the Stevens Point Department of Public Works. Local traffic will be able to access Kennedy Drive from the east end of Mitchell Drive. The road closing is for the extension of sanitary sewer and water main, and road reconstruction. Work is expected to take about three to four weeks to complete. * * * UCP HOLDS 50TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION: United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of North Central Wisconsin will hold a special family celebration in honor of its 50th birthday on Saturday, Aug. 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Youth Building area of Marathon County Park in Wausau. The admission-free event is open to all families in the nine counties that UCP serves, Portage, Clark, Langlade, Lincoln, Marathon, Oneida, Taylor, Vilas and Wood. The celebration will offer a petting zoo, horse rides, a dunk tank, bounce house, educational exhibits, face painting, a coloring contest, door prizes, concessions, food and ongoing musical entertainment. Scheduled activities include 10 a.m.-noon, Pine Ridge Medical Equipment Wheelchair Safety Clinic; 10:30-11 a.m., Wausau Chapter SPEBSQSA of Barbershoppers; 11 a.m.-noon, Brian West's Magic Show; noon-12:30 p.m., musical performances and cake lighting ceremony by Jayme Dawicki, Miss Wisconsin (who will sign autographs from 12:30-2 p.m.); 12:30-1:15 p.m., Volunteers from the Wausau Concert Band. Dan Gruetzmacher, who was inducted into the Concertina Hall of Fame in 1979, will provide music throughout the day. Persons attending are asked to bring a favorite recipe for the UCP's 50th anniversary cookbook, or a special card or message to be placed within the UCP's 50th time capsule. Marathon County's largest birthday card will also be available to sign. For more information contact the UCP's marketing department at (715) 842-8700. * * * HOUSE FIRE: A fire Sunday, Aug. 11, destroyed the Chester Raschka residence, 327 Highway J, town of Stockton, a Portage County Sheriff's Department report said. The Plover Fire Department and sheriff's deputies were dispatched to the scene, the report said. The Amherst Fire Department provided mutual aid. When he arrived home from church at about 9:30 a.m., Raschka smelled something burning, the report said. The fire began in a detached garage and spread to the south side of his home. Both structures were destroyed. No one was reported injured. The fire also melted siding and caused some shingle damage to a neighboring home owned by Karen Raschka, the report said. * * * GOERKE PARK WORK APPROVED: The Stevens Point Common Council approved a Goerke Park renovation project during a special meeting Monday, Aug. 12. The project includes pressbox renovation, stadium tuckpointing and surface sealing of the stadium. Bids for the tuckpointing and sealing work came in at $113,690, with $60,000 estimated for the pressbox work. The project was estimated at $120,000, before the sealing work was added because water has been dripping through the bleacher area into the restrooms and storage below. The city had budgeted $143,230 for the work and will use revenue from the Goerke cell tower rent of $1,030 per month during the next two years to cover the shortfall. * * * CRIME STOPPERS SEEKS HELP ON DONATION THEFTS: During the months of June and July of 2002 the Portage County Humane Society reported an unknown person or persons had taken six Humane Society Donation cans from various stores within Stevens Point, including the Companion Shop, 937 Main St., and Grubba Jewelers, 949 Main St. Items taken were soup cans with a Humane Society label on it. There was also a picture of an animal from the Humane Society attached to the top of the donation can. Based on previous collected amounts for the Humane Society, it is estimated that more than $180 had been taken along with the six donation cans. To report any information about these crimes or any other crime, call Portage County Crime Stoppers at 1-888-346-6600. Callers can remain anonymous and still be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000 from Portage County Crime Stoppers. * * * FOREST OWNERS WORKSHOPS SET: The Golden Sands Resource Conservation and Development Council will hold two workshops for private landowners interested in managing their woodlands. The first "Realizing Multiple Benefits of Forest Management Planning" workshop is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 24, at The Chalet, 3310 8th St. South, Wisconsin Rapids, and the second will be on Saturday, Sept. 21, at Parkside School, 16th Avenue, Wautoma. Both workshops are from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The registration cost is $20 and includes lunch and refreshments. For registration information or questions, contact the Golden Sands Resource Conservation and Development office at 343-6215. Workshop topics include financial assistance available to landowners, getting rid of exotic species and managing property for Karner blue butterflies. * * * PORTAGE COUNTY BUILDING PERMITS: The Portage County Planning and Zoning Department issued 16 permits for single family homes valued at $1,664,000 in July. The houses were three in the town of Hull valued at $420,000, two in the town of Sharon at $278,000, two in the town of Grant at $270,000, two in the town of Buena Vista at $255,000, two in the town of Amherst at $128,000, one in the town of Stockton at $180,000, one in the town of Plover at $120,000, one in the town of Dewey at $115,000, one in the town of Carson at $40,000 and one in the town of Linwood at $20,000. * * * PLOVER BUILDING PERMITS: The village of Plover issued building permits for four new single family residences during July. The value of the homes and their location are $198,000 at 2371 River's Edge Court, $180,000 at 2501 Clar Re Court, $125,000 at 711 Chandler Ave. and $120,000 at 1961 Norway Court. * * * STEVENS POINT BUILDING PERMITS: The city of Stevens Point issued two building permits for commercial buildings and five for single family residences in July. The commercial permits were for the Parkdale Center, 5733 Windy Drive, valued at $650,000 and River Cities Bank, 5709 Windy Drive, valued at $629,511. The residences and their valuation were 1825 Halstad Ave., $200,000; 4908 Hummingbird Lane, $173,500; 5557 Old Highway 18, $165,000; 5756 Kingfisher Drive, $115,000; and 5201 Crocus Court, $98,000.