Zien: Lawsuit costly, ill-advised

Ran on Friday, June 29, 2007

Zien: Lawsuit costly, ill-advised
Former lawmaker expected challenge over keeping bill drafts private to fail

By Leader-Telegram staff and The Associated Press

The state wasted "hundreds of thousands of dollars" of taxpayers' money because a former attorney general incorrectly went after the wrong cause, former state Sen. Dave Zien said.
A judge ruled this week that lawmakers can continue to share bill drafts with lobbyists while withholding them from the public without violating the open records law. The lawsuit originally was filed in 2005 by former Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager, a Democrat, even though she lost her re-election bid last year.
"Everybody told her that she would be ashamed of herself and it wouldn't go anywhere, and she would not listen," Zien said.
"She chose to pick this piece of legislation, which was an obvious statement on her behalf which turned out to be ludicrous. It was a waste of hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayers' money."
A spokesman for Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said he had not seen the ruling, so he could not comment on whether it will be appealed.
The conflict was over legislators' ability to keep original drafts private despite sharing the copies with elective groups. Drafts are exempt from public records laws.
Lautenschlager cited Zien and Rep. Scott Gunderson, R-Waterford, in the lawsuit.
Both were authors of the concealed carry bill later approved by the Legislature but vetoed by Gov. Jim Doyle. The bill, in draft form, was revealed to the National Rifle Association.
Zien, of Eau Claire, said he showed the NRA the draft for clarity's sake.
"When legislatures do bill drafts, they might be working on a hundred different pieces of legislation at the same time," he said. "In the crafting of it they're having assistance from different groups or individuals who know much more about the subjects than do we."
The presiding judge, David Flanagan of Dane County, said it would be inappropriate for the courts to tell the legislative branch how to conduct itself on a core function such as drafting legislation. He said lawmakers could make drafts available to the public in the interest of transparency, but "it is extremely questionable that any court has the power to compel such a change."
Peter Fox, executive director of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association, said the ruling "stacks the deck for whoever is promoting" a specific cause in the Legislature.
If individuals or special-interest groups are allowed to see drafts of bills, they and legislators they work with are "totally prepared" to go on the offensive when the bill is introduced, Fox said.
But that process leaves opponents "totally flatfooted," especially when something is introduced at the last minute, Fox said.

DNR: Ground water safe after fire

Ran on Thursday, June 26, 2007

DNR: Ground water safe after fire

By Keighla Schmidt
Leader-Telegram staff

A massive chemical recycling plant fire just south of Eau Claire last week left 11 toxic chemicals in WRR Environmental Services' runoff.
"We found a significant amount of volatile organic compounds that went into the wetlands," said Dave Weitz, public affairs manager for the west-central region of the Department of Natural Resources.
The compounds found in the water are in a nearby wetland containing other contaminants.
Despite this, Weitz said residents shouldn't be concerned about the safety of their ground water.
"It shouldn't have any impact on humans," Weitz said. "There's no risk to any private wells, and there is no risk to people at all."
Ash that blew into Eau Claire also was not a health concern, Weitz said.
"A lot of ash fell some distance from the site," he said. "But some wooden structures burned that you would find in a normal ... house fire."
The fire on June 22 started in a boiler room and spread to chemical tanks, causing dozens of explosions. More than 125 fire and emergency workers - 90 percent of which were volunteers - responded to the blaze that closed Highway 93 near the plant, temporarily shut down Interstate 94 and closed the Fairfax Park Municipal Swimming Pool.
WRR is open for business, but company officials declined to discuss operations on Wednesday.
Weitz estimated 700,000 gallons of water were used to extinguish the fire.
Mark Briski, Township Fire Department spokesman, said WRR will be billed for the water used to extinguish the fire. Most of the water came from Eau Claire city wells and from a nearby pond.
Briski said the department does not typically calculate the cost of fighting a fire.
A damage estimate from WRR was unavailable. Company officials plan to hold a press conference later this week.

Seizures won't stop survivor's climb for cancer

Ran on Thursday, June 26, 2007

Seizures won't stop survivor's climb for cancer

By Keighla Schmidt
Leader-Telegram staff

To attempt to fight breast cancer, some people get mammograms, conduct monthly breast exams or take note of their genetic history of the disease.
Jo Lindoo will climb a mountain.
The Eau Claire resident had planned to climb Mount Shasta in California with WQOW-TV 18 news anchor Brooke Allyson on July 6 through the Breast Cancer Fund.
However, Lindoo won't be able to because she has seizures resulting from the removal of a cancerous brain tumor 12 years ago. Because the Mount Shasta climb is very technical, Lindoo's application was denied.
"I wasn't too sad I couldn't climb with them," she said. "I just decided to climb one on my own."
Instead, Lindoo will climb Mount Quandary, near Breckenridge, Colo., on Thursday, July 5, with her friend, Gretchen Beckstrom, also from Eau Claire. Sonja Gilbertson from Strum will go along to photograph the seven- to nine-hour climb.
They left Wednesday to get acclimated to the environment.
"Since I had brain cancer, that's what motivated me," Lindoo said. "When you're preventing breast cancer, you're preventing all cancer."
Lindoo has suffered from secondary seizures since the brain-tumor removal. When a seizure is approaching, Lindoo is aware and does not lose control of her body.
The duration is typically 15 seconds, and she usually makes an audible sound while her head jerks to the right.
The frequency varies and is not related to stress, sleep deprivation or elevation, but it can range from once a day to once a month.
Because she always maintains control, falling off the mountain is not a fear.
Despite the tumor being near the area of the brain that controls motor skills, the occasional seizures are the side effect, Lindoo said.
The Breast Cancer Fund annually organizes "Climb Against the Odds." Forty participants each try to raise $5,000 and climb a mountain.
"When I first heard about the climb," Lindoo said, "I thought it would be a huge commitment but a great way to challenge myself to get up that mountain."
The climb blended with her routine as a personal trainer. She has trained alongside her students.
Because of the seizures, she can't drive. She bikes year-round.
To prepare for her climb, she has been running a steep hill in the country near Eau Claire Orchards.
Beckstrom climbed Mount Quandary about 15 years ago.
"I very much admire Jo's drive. She is a survivor herself. I really respect her gung-ho attitude," Beckstrom said.
Lindoo, who has climbed three other mountains, began raising her $5,000 in January and reached her goal by the end of March. She then increased her goal to $8,000. To date, she has raised $6,500 through 93 donations from friends and family. Donations can be sent even after the climb.
Schmidt can be reached at 833-9203 or keighla.schmidt@ecpc.com.

Berry treasure

Ran: Thursday, June 28, 2007

Berry treasure
Time winds to a close on the local strawberry season

By Keighla Schmidt
Leader-Telegram staff

Summer is just under way, but the local strawberry season has begun to lose some of its color.

Berry stands and pick-your-own patches throughout the Chippewa Valley have been open for several weeks and are getting ready to wrap up their seasons by Saturday.

Sellers said supply of the fruit has been about average this year.

Red Cedar Valley Farms has two stands in Eau Claire, near ShopKo on Clairemont Avenue and near The Potting Shed on Brackett Avenue. Lucas Pillman of Menomonie has been selling strawberries at the stands for four years.

Pillman said he sells about 100 five-quart pails of strawberries each day. His morning starts at 6 a.m., when he supervises berry picking. He then drives to his stand and sells them out of a trailer.

"The first part of the day, from about 9:30 to 12, is nonstop," Pillman said.

He has regular customers who come out as early as they can to get straight-from-the-patch strawberries.

Down the road on Hastings Way, Rollie Kriesel of Trempealeau has been setting up shop in a yellow van he drove from The Berry Patch in Centerville. Kriesel has been in the strawberry-selling business for more than 60 years.

"I've always had a yellow van," Kriesel said. "People know where to go then."

For the past 20 years, he has traveled on June mornings to Eau Claire to his post in the Mega Pick'n Save parking lot. He said the selling season is about two weeks.

Kriesel's red-stained fingers are kept busy during the day, not only selling to customers but transferring the berries from cardboard flats - where they are put when picked each morning - into quart containers. He said each flat holds six quarts of strawberries.

He estimated somewhere between 200 and 270 quarts are sold daily from his van.

Kriesel often fights the urge to sample some of the fruits while working, but he loves to eat them over ice cream.

Eau Claire resident Jeanne Brown also likes to eat berries over ice cream. Brown usually buys from stands when she can. "They're fresher and better," she said.

Brown and her two children will eat a five-quart pail in a few days, either plain or with sweets, she said.

Anita Fike has volunteered to sell strawberries from a blue Jack's Strawberry's stand on Hastings Way for two years. Jack's is from Fairchild.

Despite receiving a cut to her leg that required seven stitches while she helped bring a purchase to a customer's car recently, Fike loves the job.

"I get to eat as many strawberries as I want," she said. "It's one of the benefits of volunteering."

She also has met many interesting people. "It's really neat to see how a strawberry stand can help so many people," Fike said.

Schmidt can be reached at 933-9203 or keighla.schmidt@ecpc.com.

Cooks in the making

Ran on Tuesday, June 26, 2007 Cooks in the making

Area youngsters can head back to the classroom this summer to become ...

By Keighla Schmidt

Leader-Telegram staff

Too many cooks may spoil the broth - but not the Dirt Bites. What's Cooking classes, which provide an opportunity for children to spend time in the kitchen, attract a mix of ages. "It's a fun way to have kids follow direction," said Marge Ongna, or "Mrs. O," who teaches the classes. Five- to 12-year-olds learn new skills and practice ones they learned during the school year, Ongna said. Reading recipes, following directions, learning kitchen safety and cooperating as a team are some of the skills Ongna hopes to teach or enhance with the program. The Eau Claire Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department offers the classes in partnership with the Eau Claire school district. Students recently became acclimated to their classroom "kitchen" at DeLong Middle School by embarking on a utensil hunt. Each apron-donning chef-in-the- making received a cookbook. During the class, which started June 11 and runs through Monday, they will learn to make nachos, cookie pizza and Dirt Bites, which blend together melted chocolate chips and cereal. The students also learn kitchen safety. Ongna teaches them how to respect sharp kitchen knives, ovens and microwaves. "It helps them academically and in life skills in the kitchen," Ongna said. "This is just a real fun way to do that." Ongna, of Eau Claire, previously taught third grade and a summer cooking class, both in Menomonie. A mix of boys and girls are enrolled in What's Cooking. "I thought it would be a neat way for a 10-year-old to learn how to cook," said Tiffany Weiss of Eau Claire, whose son, Jake, participates in the class. "My son is excited about the class. He said, 'Does this mean I can try to cook something by myself?' " Emma Anderson, 9, of Eau Claire enjoys the class. She said she appreciates being able to do things without the teacher's assistance. "We get to do all our own stuff," she said. "It's a little hard, but we work together." Another session will be offered later this summer. Kids ages 6 to 10 can enroll in Culinary Creations, while 5- and 6-year-olds can sign up for Fun With Food. For the Fun With Food class, Ongna plans to read a story to the students and apply it through a correlating food item. While the reading list is tentative, she hopes to read "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" and have children make "cheeseburgers" using vanilla wafer cookies.

Mistaken identity: Fans ask Rimes look-alike for autographs

Ran on Sunday, June 25, 2007

Mistaken identity: Fans ask Rimes look-alike for autographs

By Keighla Schmidt
Leader-telegram Staff

Valerie Gray, 18 of Eau Claire signed the T-shirt of Cathy Martin from Iowa as LeAnn Rimes. Gray was sitting at a picnic table at Country Fest when Martin approached her and told her she looked a lot like the singer.

^$^It's a Las Vegas attraction. Some people make a living doing it. Others simply dye their hair and — viola! They look like a celebrity.

Valerie Gray, 18, trekked off from Eau Claire to Cadott this weekend to enjoy Country Fest. While she was there, she began signing autographs as LeAnn Rimes even though she is not a singer.

Cathy Martin, who has traveled to Country Fest with a group from Iowa for many years, thought Gray looked just like Rimes. After Rimes's Thursday night performance, Gray was sitting at a picnic table with her mother when she was approached by Martin.

Martin said it was Gray's blond hair — as well as eyebrows, hairstyle and a black shirt similar to the one Rimes had just been wearing onstage — that made her think the young woman was the superstar.

Gray said she recently changed her hair color from dark brown to blond and suspects the change is what sparked people to see the resemblance.

"I was kinda surprised," Gray said by telephone from the festival grounds, describing her reaction when people came up to her asking her if she was the performer. "This has never happened before; it was the first time."

However, it wasn't the first time Martin had thought she had seen a celebrity.

She said in the past she has seen people she thought looked just like country singers Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban and Alan Jackson.

Gray said she signed three shirts and took one photo posing as Rimes with other people at the festival. She said she made the others aware she was not Rimes.

Gray said she enjoyed watching and listening to Rime's performance on Thursday night.

"It was a really good concert," Gray said. "I've never seen her before."

Woman found in CF woods

Ran on Sunday, June 24, 2007 Woman found in CF woods Leader-Telegram staff

By Keighla Schmidt The 93-year-old Chippewa Falls woman who was missing for about 11 hours Saturday was found about 7 p.m., according to the Chippewa Falls Police Department. Dorothy M. Murphy, who was reported missing at 8:25 a.m., was found by members of the Chippewa Falls Fire Department in a heavily wooded area near the intersection of Therbrooke and East streets, about a block north of where Murphy was reported missing. Murphy's daughter, Kathy Goettl of Chippewa Falls, said she was excited when hearing her mother was found. Murphy suffered minor injuries and was transported to St. Joseph's Hospital in Chippewa Falls. She was being treated for dehydration, according to Lt. Mike Farley of the Police Department. Murphy's injuries included a broken ankle, Goettl said Saturday night. Goettl said she suspects her mother fell and spent most of the 11 hours she was missing on the ground where she was found. Goettl said her mother has not previously wandered off. She said she thinks her mother, who suffers from dementia, was simply confused. Murphy is a resident of Our House Assisted Care on the city's northeast side. Schmidt can be reached at 833-9203, (800) 236-7077 or keighla.schmidt@ecpc.com.