County Capsules COUNTY EXECUTIVE REFERENDUM ADVANCES: Portage County Clerk Roger Wrycza has certified the direct legislation petition for creating the office of county executive is in proper form and has a sufficient number of signatures from electors. Wrycza made his certification on Thursday, Jan. 6. Portage County is required within 30 days following the receipt of this certification to either create the office of county executive or submit to the electors at the April 5 spring election. The county Executive/Operations Committee voted Tuesday, Jan. 11, to forward the direct legislation petition to the County Board with the recommendation that the issue go to referendum in April. * * * UNITED WAY OF PORTAGE COUNTY SCHEDULES ANNUAL MEETING: The 2005 United Way of Portage County Board of Directors will hold its annual meeting at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 19, at Delta Dental Plan of Wisconsin, 2801 Hoover Ave., Stevens Point. The meeting agenda will include the election of new officers. Pat Wesenberg will assume the responsibilities of board president, and Kathy Davies will become past president. The public is invited to attend. * * * LOCAL EFFORTS TO HELP TSUNAMI VICTIMS: The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point's (UW-SP) South Asia Society and Shama Inc. are joining hands to help those who lost everything in the recent natural disaster in South Asia. The organizations are collaborating with Integrated Rural Health Care Hospital in South India at Pavagada, Karnataka. Chair of this health facility, Japanand, came to Stevens Point last August to talk to UW-SP students at the University Center and at a yoga studio. He emphasized the natural need to be connected at the global family level. This health care center has special programs for leprosy, blindness prevention and cure, and tuberculosis. Shama Inc. was working closely with this health care center even before the disaster. The hospital is planning to adopt two villages that have been severely affected. President of UW-SP's South Asia Society, Ellen DeCruz, is from Kerala, a state in the southern part of India. There was loss of life near her town. Checks may be written to South Asia Society or to Shama Inc. and sent to Kameshwar Razdan at 2624 Peck St., Stevens Point, WI 54481. Shama Inc. is a local tax-exempt organization dedicated to advancing cultural diversity education in Wisconsin and to help the poor in India. For more information, e-mail Jyoti Chander at j2chande@uwsp.edu or call 346-3574 or 341-2058, or Ellen DCruz at (715) 252-4562. * * * SISTER CITY COMMITTEE WILL HOST RUSSIAN COSMONAUT: Russian cosmonaut Valery Tokarev will visit the Stevens Point area from Thursday, Jan. 13, to Sunday, Jan. 16. The visit is sponsored by the Sister City Committee linking Stevens Point and Rostov Veliky in the X Province of Russia. As part of his visit, Tokarev will interact with students and staff from local schools Friday, Jan. 14. At 8:30 a.m., Tokarev will share his story with students at Stevens Point Area Senior High School (SPASH). At 1 p.m., he will speak with students at Washington Elementary School. Throughout his four-day visit, Tokarev will visit with many different community groups. He will meet with a group of pilots at the Central Wisconsin Airport Thursday night and attend a concert at Clark Place. On Friday night, he will make a public presentation at the SPASH auditorium. On Saturday, Tokarev will have a free day to explore the area. He will travel to Houston, Texas, on Sunday. "It really is a unique opportunity for our community and for Mr. Tokarev," said Mary Thurmaier, a member of the Stevens Point Area Public School District Board and co-chair of the Sister City Committee planning Tokarev's visit. "I'm sure that our community will roll out the red carpet for him. This sort of cultural interaction does so much to give everyone involved a wider sense of the world, and awakens all of us to the fact that we are truly part of one global community." * * * SCHOOL BOARD CHANGES BUS SERVICE: The Stevens Point Area Public School Board approved two changes to its bus service at its meeting on Monday, Jan. 10. The first was to terminate its contract with Palmer Bus Service, which provides transportation for students in Junction City. Palmer failed to pick up students on a number of its bus routes on Monday, Jan. 3. Schuler said the failure was due to a communication problem with the company's dispatcher but that even one mistake was unacceptable when it comes to children's safety. The district will continue to use Palmer until a suitable replacement is found. The second change was to resume service for a number of Ben Franklin Junior High School students that it discontinued last year. The bus service was initially offered because there were no sidewalks across McDill dam so the area was designated "unusually hazardous," which allows the schools to bus children who are normally too close for such service. When sidewalks were installed, the designation was removed as was the bus service. However, a number of parents appealed the board's decision to the Department of Public Instruction under the assertion that the Post Road/Highway HH intersection should be classified as unusually hazardous. The Sheriff's Department conducted a review of the intersection on Oct. 27-28 and raised concerns about the safety of the intersection for junior high school students. Because of that, the board voted to resume the service beginning Jan. 17. "Had the Department of Public Instruction or the Sheriff's Department raised concerns in the past about the intersection, the district would not have ended busing service in the first place," Schuler said. * * * SCHOOL DISTRICT, CUSTODIAL UNION REACH TENTATIVE AGREEMENT: In closed session after its Monday, Jan. 10, meeting the Stevens Point Area Public School District Board reached a tentative agreement with the custodial union, a process which Schuler said has been ongoing for more than a year and a half. "We're very pleased," he said. No details on the contract have been released as it still has to be approved by the board and the custodial union membership, but both bargaining teams have agreed to the contract, Schuler said. He said that he expected it would be about six weeks before the official agreement takes place. * * * STEVENS POINT MAY IMPOSE MINIMUM WAGE: Stevens Point Mayor Gary Wescott says he will ask the Common Council in June to increase the minimum wage in the city if the state Legislature fails to act on the issue. The federal and state minimum wage has been $5.15 for eight years and the Minimum Wage Advisory Council, a bipartisan committee created by the Legislature to address the minimum wage, recommended by a 16-2 vote in March 2003 that the minimum wage be raised to $5.75 and $6.50 in June 2006. Cities and other municipalities are allowed under the home rule statute to raise the minimum wage, and Madison recently did so, an increase that the court has upheld. Ten states already have minimum wages above the federal level, while two, Kansas and Ohio, are below it. "My goal is to see the state Legislature vote on it," Wescott said, adding that politically some legislators may not want to and that he knows of no entry level jobs at $5.15 in the city. "I would prefer that the increase in the minimum wage remain a state matter," he said. "If they (legislators) don't want to act, I will ask the council to do so. I would encourage other municipal leaders to take similar action." * * * COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS AGAINST SATELLITE RECEIVING STATION APPEAL: The Stevens Point Public Protection Committee recommended Monday, Jan. 10, that an appeal to locate a satellite receiving station in the front yard at 1900 Clark St. be denied. Julie Lassa and John Moe asked that they be granted a variance because the location of the satellite dish was apparently the only location on the property to receive a signal because of large trees. The house is in the historic district in the city, which prohibits certain alterations that would affect the historic character. Neighbors voiced their opposition to the location, saying they were unaware the dish was being installed and thought it was permitted until they received a letter about the appeal. Lassa offered to camouflage the dish by installing shrubs or other items around it, but neighbors expressed concern about future upkeep of the site if Lassa sold the property. * * * BLOOD DRIVE SCHEDULED: As the New Year begins, The Blood Center hopes Wisconsinites will add one more item to their list of resolutions - donate blood. Blood supplies typically teeter at dangerously low levels during winter months. January is designated as National Volunteer Blood Donor Month. January can be a challenging month for blood centers to collect blood donations, due to holiday travel, inclement weather and more people getting sick. The goal of National Volunteer Blood Donor Month is to help ensure that blood is available to patients whenever it is needed because it helps save lives. The Blood Center would like to remind Stevens Point residents, that patients in the community need your donations. The Blood Center is the sole provider of blood and blood products to St. Michael's Hospital in Stevens Point. A community blood drive will be held Thursday, Jan. 20, at the Stevens Point Fire Department, 1701 Franklin St., in the Education Room. The drive starts at 1 p.m. and donors will be accepted until 6 p.m. For an appointment or more information, call The Blood Center toll free at 1-888-310-7555. All blood types are needed. * * * SNOWMOBILE SAFETY COURSE OFFERED: The Portage County Sheriff's Department is offering a snowmobile safety course beginning Feb. 7. Classes will run from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 7, Wednesday, Feb. 9, and Friday, Feb. 11. It will be held at the Portage County Sheriff's Department at 1500 Strongs Ave. in Stevens Point. Weather permitting, there will be an outdoor exercise on Saturday, Feb. 12, from noon to 3 p.m. The course cost is $10 and is open to snowmobile operators 12 years of age and older. The fee will be collected at the first class. The state requires anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1985, to hold a valid snowmobile safety certificate to operate a snowmobile. To register for this class, call the Portage County Sheriff's Department at 346-1466. * * * COUNTY AGENDAS WILL BE ONLINE: Portage County government will begin posting agendas and minutes for its meetings on the county's Web site at www.co.portage.wi.us. The effort will be coordinated between the County Clerk's office and Data Processing Department, Craig Flagel, county data processing manager, told the county Executive/Operations Committee Tuesday, Jan. 11. Meeting agendas and minutes should be online by late February or early March. Meeting minutes will be posted after they are approved at the following meeting. * * * CONFLICT RESOLUTION WORKSHOP OFFERED: A conflict resolution workshop will be held Wednesday, Jan. 19, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Pinery Room of the Charles M. White Public Library, downtown Stevens Point. The workshop will be presented by Jane Jones and Clara Cleve. There is no charge. Call the Family Counseling Clinic at 345-1965 for more information. * * * CRIMESTOPPERS SEEKS ASSISTANCE WITH PINE GROVE BURGLARY: On Monday, Nov. 15, deputies responded to 9608 Harding Road in the town of Pine Grove for a report of a burglary. The owner determined that the burglary took place during the daytime Nov. 15. The burglars broke into the residence by kicking in a service door to the garage. Once inside the house, the thieves took numerous items. Several of the items were jewelry and have some distinct characteristics. They are a 1998 class ring from Pekin Community High School which has a clear stone and a volleyball engraved on the ring, two Fossil brand watches, a diamond/sapphire ring, a pair of diamond earrings and a silver necklace with a daisy diamond pendant. Also taken was a wooden jewelry box with rings and earrings inside, a metal box with dolphins printed on it, and money in the form of state quarters and change jugs. The thieves also rummaged through other areas of the house but took nothing else. Anyone with information about this burglary or have seen any of the stolen property, can remain anonymous and still be eligible for a cash reward by calling Portage County Crime Stoppers at 1-888-346-6600.