Local News Briefs Thursday 6/19/14

The state’s Department of Transportation will be holding a meeting next Tuesday at the UW-Fond du Lac to discuss proposed improvements to Highway 151 at Fond du Lac County Highways V and T. The meeting will be from 5 to 7 p.m. in the University Commons Room UC 114. There will be a short presentation at 5:15 p.m.  The project is located at the intersections of US 151 and County V and County T on the south and east sides of the city of Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac County.

The project will include:

Replacing the existing at-grade US 151 and County V intersection with a partial cloverleaf interchange.  A frontage road will also be constructed connecting County V and US 45 (Fond du Lac Ave.)

Replacing the existing at-grade US 151 and County T intersection with an overpass with no direct access to US 151. Prairie Trail will also be moved to go under the overpass structure with a connection to County T.

The project is scheduled for construction in 2015 and completed in 2016.  There will be no road closures or detours as part of this traffic.  

West Scott Street Reopened To Traffic

Officials with Fond du Lac’s Engineering and Traffic Division say due to the rain this week the bridge deck maintenance work on West Scott Street has been delayed and the street has been temporarily reopened to traffic. The street between Brooke Street and Lakeshore Drive will close again when the work resumes again next Monday. Drivers are encouraged to use the posted detour route. Bus service on Scott Street will be moved to Arndt Street from Brooke Street to Hickory Street.

Ten FDL Schools Named PBIS Schools Of Merit

The Wisconsin Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support (PBIS) Network recognized numerous schools within the Fond du Lac School District as Schools of Merit. Chegwin, Evans, Parkside, Pier, Riverside, Roberts, Rosenow, Sabish, Theisen and Fond du Lac High School were the schools selected as Schools of Merit based on an application process that included a comprehensive overview of team, data, systems and practices of PBIS implementation. PBIS is a proactive approach that establishes safer and more effective schools and is currently being implemented in 51 percent of Wisconsin schools at the Tier 1 level.

Access To VA Outpatient Clinic Difficult For New Patients

Fond du Lac County Veterans Service Officer Rick Patton says area veterans are having some issues with access to VA clinics. He says most of them use the outpatient clinic in Appleton for primary care. But he says they are full right now and can’t take new patients. He says the reason for that has to do with the slow start up of a new clinic in Green Bay. He says that clinic is about 4 to 6 months behind in its rollout of services. He says as a result veterans who would be getting care there have been sent to the clinic in Appleton. He says the clinics also have a problem getting and keeping physicians. He says that’s because there’s a huge gap in what doctors are being paid at the VA clinics and what they would be receiving if they were in general practice.

County Dental Health Programs Saving Smiles

Fond du Lac County’s Save-a-Smile program is making a difference in the dental health of about 1,200 kids in the County. Oral Health Coordinator Samantha Twohig says the program began in 2007 to serve children on medical assistance coverage who were having a difficult time getting their dental care needs met. She says the program is the envy of other counties. She says 39 of the 60 dentists in the County work with them through the program. She says the kids in the program have their basic dental care needs seen to. She says a generous donation from Agnesian HealthCare is also allowing them to help out adults with urgent dental needs who are on medical assistance. To learn more about the programs call (920) 929-3085.

NFDL Village Board Approves Bid For Sidewalk Replacement Program

The North Fond du Lac Village Board this week approved bids for the sidewalk replacement program. Village Administrator Chuck Hornung says letters were sent out to property owners who needed to replace sections of sidewalk with the option to contract someone to do it or have the village contract the work and charge them for the replacement. He says it’s actually cheaper for the village to contract someone to do the work because they get a better price. He typically it only takes the property owner a year to pay off the cost because not too many sidewalk squares need to be replaced. But he says they may be given a couple years if there is more work. Hornung says people can always to the village board if they feel their sidewalk doesn’t need replacing, but the sidewalk isn’t replaced unless it’s really needed. He says they usually pick one section of the village each year to inspect sidewalks for possible replacement.

FDL Woman Runner Up In Cranberry Recipe Contest

Cranberry applesauce and cranberry glazed carrots are two of the efforts that didn’t make the grade for a Fond du Lac woman who was a runner up in a statewide recipe contest that required the use of cranberries. Pam Zuberbier is the head cook and administrator at St. Peter’s Luther School in Fond du Lac. Her “Razzy Cran-Grape Gelatin” won her $1,000 in the Cranberry Marketing Committee USA/Wisconsin School Foodservice Cranberry Recipe Contest. Her recipe was featured in the Fond du Lac Reporter on May 25th. As for the winnings she was allowed to keep half and use half for the school. She says the school cafeteria needed a new slicer. For herself, she and her husband have had the same TV set for 21 years and it needed replacing. Pam has worked at S. Peter’s Lutheran School for seven years cooking for about 100 kids.

AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer Values Time In FDL County

An AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer working with the Fond du Lac County UW-Extension Service says his time working in the County was rewarding. Miguel Gonzales has been working as a volunteer with the Extension Service for nearly two years, but that time is nearly up. He says VISTA is about serving and empowering the poor and the Extension Service’s educational efforts fit right in with that. Through the UW-Extension he has helped with the entrepreneur development program “Going Solo,” the Wisconsin Nutrition Education program and has worked outreach to Latinos for the 4-H program. He says in many Spanish speaking households he’s observed the kids are bilingual and comfortable with that. He says his time in Fond du Lac County is something he will remember fondly. This fall he will attend the UW-Madison, majoring in political science. 

Coffee With A Cop In Juneau And Theresa This Morning

Juneau and Theresa residents are invited to have “Coffee with a Cop” this morning. The Dodge County Sheriff’s Department and Juneau and Theresa Police Departments are hosting two separate events in Juneau and Theresa from 8 to 10 a.m. The program in Juneau will be at the Village Garden and the one in Theresa is at Confections By Joel.