KFIZ News Monday 9/19/16

Crosswalk Work Begins Today In FDL

Fond du Lac’s Public Works Department will be working on the brick crosswalks at the intersections of Main St. and Second St. and Main St. and Sheboygan St. Work begins today at the intersection of Main St. and Second St. and the crosswalk on the east side of Main and Sheboygan St. will be closed completely. The bricks in the crosswalks will be removed, and new stamped and colored concrete will be placed in the crosswalk areas. The intersections will be reopened Friday. There will be no detours for the work.

Girder Repair Work Set Wednesday And Thursday Night On Highway 151

The state DOT tells us southbound Highway 151 between State Highway 23 and Rienzi Road will be closed a couple nights this week for girder repair. The southbound lanes of Highway 151 will be closed Wednesday and Thursday night from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Prairie Trail from Highway 23 to Rienzi Road will also be closed at that time. State Highway 23 off-ramps to southbound Highway 151 will be closed as well. The posted detour is Highway 23 to southbound 1-41 to rejoin southbound Highway 151. An oversized vehicle struck the girder during construction of the new County Highway T overpass in June. The overpass project should be completed by mid-November. The work on the girder is weather dependent.

Library Budget Requests

The Fond du Lac Public Library is hoping to make a couple of capital improvements next year. Library Director Jon Mark Bolthouse recently reviewed his department’s budget for the City Council. Bolthouse says this past year they put in new carpeting in the lower level and it has really made a difference. He says they would like to do the same on the first floor, which could cost $110,000. He says the carpet is equally as well used as the carpeting in their basement. He also would like to replace their book drop with a bigger book drop and relocate it for the convenience of library users. The price tag for that would be about $35,000.

FDL And Dodge County United Way Team Up On Food Packaging Effort

United Way chapters in Dodge and Fond du Lac counties are teaming up this Saturday for a food packaging event. It’s hoped the 150 volunteers for the event will be able to put together 50,000 packages from 10 a.m. to noon at the Union Youth Center in Waupun. Susan Jentz is the executive director of the Dodge County United Way. She says there is a need for nutritional food when food pantries are running low. She says about 13 percent of households in both counties do not have sufficient food coming in. Fond du Lac Area United Way Executive Director Amber Kilawee says it’s the first time the two United Way chapters have collaborated on such an effort, but United Way officials encourage collaboration. Volunteers will be packing tomato and basil pasta and apple and cinnamon oatmeal packages. The outreach food packaging event will benefit nine different types of food pantries in Dodge and Fond du Lac counties.

MPTC Celebrates Year Of The Student Veteran

Moraine Park Technical College is placing a special emphasis this year on celebrating students who have served in the military or are currently serving. The College has proclaimed the academic year as “Year of the Student Veteran.” Dean of Students Scott Lieburn says it can be difficult for veterans to make the transition to student. Lieburn says they want those veterans to know the staff is there for them. Student Veteran Specialist Steve Pepper says they have veterans’ on-campus virtual reality training students and staff can go through to make sure they respond appropriately when they are working with or having an exchange with a veteran. Special activities will be held throughout the year celebrating the “Year of the Student Veteran” culminating with the first ever Student Veteran of Year award at the Student Awards Banquet in May.

Ripon Common Council Tablet Request Still Being Reviewed

Whether Ripon Common Council members get tablets for their meeting agendas and materials comes down to how much the City budget will allow. City Administrator Lori Rich says a council member asked to look into the possibility. She says tablet request depends on the budget. She says they did contact the school district and several other cities to see what they are doing. She says they narrowed it down to one kind of tablet to look at, but it is pricey. She says they also need to determine whether it would be an asset to council members. Rich says they need to look at some software options too.

Landscaping Winner Pleased With Results

Maggie McCullough of Mount Calvary says she was surprised to learn she won $5,000 worth of landscaping in American Transmission Company’s Grow Smart® Sweepstakes. She says as landowners with ATC transmission wires above their property she and her husband Steve received a postcard about the sweepstakes. She says it sat on a counter for awhile and then she decided to send it in to receive a free garden kneeling pad. Stuart’s Landscaping did the landscaping for them this past week. Maggie says they have a steep slope in the back of their home and the new landscaping nicely ties in with the rest of their property now. Nationally known garden expert Melinda Myers even consulted on the landscaping. The Grow Smart program helps property owners and communities identify low-growing, beautiful vegetation that can be planted a safe distance from transmission line rights-of-way.

Growing Up In The 1950s Topic At Byron Historical Society Meeting

Two women who are featured in a book about growing up on Bischoff Street in Fond du Lac in the 1950’s are the featured speakers for tonight’s Byron Historical Society meeting.  Margaret Wirth Hicken and Jane Feudner McCullen were two of three girls featured in the book, The Leaf House: A Memoir of Growing Up Happy, by Mary Silgen Vogt. Vogt was the third girl.  The meeting is tonight at 7 p.m. at the Byron Village Hall. It is free and open to the public.