January 17, 2002

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School board reviews contracts and selves

by Laurel Menne

 

Members of the Prescott School Board met Wednesday, January 9 in a special meeting to consider performance evaluations of central office personnel and administrators, extended contracts of administrators and perform a self evaluation.

The first portion of the meeting, considering performance evaluations, was held as a closed meeting. After the meeting was opened to the public, it was announced that the contracts of the principals and the Special Education Director have been extended for another year.

The board then sat down to accomplish the task of self-evaluation. The members used a self-evaluation instrument developed by the Wisconsin Association of School Boards.

The self evaluation instrument started with the statement " I attend all school board meetings". Because the board has had an attendance problem with one of their members, they decided to start with the other questions and end with the attendance discussion.

Some of the statements dealing with superintendent issues, such as supporting the superintendent's professional growth, were also passed over because Carroll Lehman, the current superintendent of Prescott schools, has given the board his resignation.

The board discussed their presence at school events and determined that they covered everything at this time because of the various ages of their children.

While discussing the board members interaction with the public, Tom Magnan pointed out that, "Everyone has a tendency to associate with people who think the same as them," and it is important for board members to seek people who may think differently than they do.

School board member Linda Johnson said that she often comes to the meetings with strong feelings about a particular topic but appreciates the opportunity to get more information at the meetings. Johnson also stated that the budget process is becoming easier as she studies it each month.

Other board members echoed that opinion.

Board Chairman Mark Helmer said he felt the board was doing a better job of staying on task at the meetings. Board member Anne-Marie Johnson countered that by saying that there have been times when Helmer has been too short and she felt things could have been discussed more completely. Lehman said that the district has had an unwritten rule of not having meetings go over two hours.

In general, the board felt they were doing a good job of learning to work together.

The board then discussed the absence of member David Rohl. Rohl has missed several committee assignments in addition to regular board meetings and has failed to attend school functions or visit the schools. He has also said he would attend meetings and then has not shown up.

Lehman explained that the board is limited in what they can do about a member who does not attend meetings. The board has the option to censure him, however Lehman felt that was not an appropriate action at this time. It was decided that Lehman and Magnan would try to set a meeting with Rohl to see if there is a way to make him feel more comfortable participating in board activities.

Lehman pointed out that if two members met with him at the same time, they would violate the open meeting law.

Lehman said, "In my 28 years in education, I have never run into this problem."


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County suffers rash of serious accidents

Pierce County Sheriff's Department has reported a rash of serious accidents recently, including a fatality and two serious injuries.

On Wednesday, Jan. 9, at 5:25 a.m., the Sheriff's Dept. was notified of a two-vehicle accident on Highway 29 and CTH I in Gilman Township.

A vehicle operated by Tara J. Frion, 26, Spring Valley, was stopped facing eastbound on the wrong side of Hwy. 29 delivering newspapers when a westbound vehicle driven by Karen L. Meyer, 40, Menomonie, traveled over a hill and struck the Frion vehicle.

Meyer was transported to the River Falls Area Hospital by Spring Valley Ambulance.

Assisting the Sheriff's Dept. at the scene was the Spring Valley Fire Department.

The accident is still under investigation.

On Wednesday, Jan. 9, at 8:45 a.m., the Sheriff's Dept. was dispatched to a one-vehicle accident approximately .7 miles north of Hwy. 29 on CTH F.

Nicholas A. Huppert-Wahlberg, 20, Hudson, was injured when the car he was driving left the roadway and struck a power pole, ejecting him from the vehicle. The vehicle was traveling south on County F in the town of Clifton.

Prescott Ambulance and Fire were also dispatched to the scene.

Huppert-Wahlberg was flown by LifeLink helicopter from the scene to Regions Hospital in St. Paul, where he is listed in good condition.

On Friday, Jan. 11, at 6:28 p.m., the Sheriff's Dept. was notified of an automobile accident in the Village of Spring Valley, where a pedestrian was struck.

Mark Ragowski, 18, Spring Valley, was struck while standing on Newman Avenue. Tara Frion, 26, Spring Valley, was the operator.

Information gathered so far alleges that Ragowski may have been in the lane of travel when he was struck. Some statements allege that other vehicles had to go around Ragowski because he would not move out of the roadway.

It was alleged that the Frion vehicle came to a full stop and then moved forward slowly. As this occurred, Ragowski was struck and fell to the pavement where he struck his head. He may have been partially run over by Frion's van.

Ragowski was transported to Baldwin Hospital by Spring Valley Ambulance and then was taken by LifeLink III helicopter to Regions Hospital, St. Paul.

Ragowski died on Saturday, Jan. 12, due to critical head injuries.

The accident remains under investigation.

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Packers face ultimate test at St. Louis

That old Lambeau Field magic came into play as the Green Bay Packers pulled out a dramatic fourth-quarter win over San Francisco last Sunday.

Don't tell me there aren't any ghosts at Lambeau Field working in favor of the Green-and-Gold. Heck, all you have to do is look at the Ring of Honor in the stadium and see the legendary names: Lombardi, Starr, etc. Something tells me the ghost of St. Vince had something to do with that pass being intercepted late in the fourth quarter.

The 49ers never had a chance.

No other team has such a great home-field advantage as the Packers, especially in the playoffs, where Green Bay is 13-0. Unfortunately for the Packers, they will have to travel to St. Louis this weekend and face "the greatest show on earth" on their home turf.

Sunday's match-up features the two best quarterbacks in football facing off against each other. Kurt Warner of the Rams is this year's MVP, while Brett Favre is a former MVP. They both appear to be at the top of their games, which makes this match-up even more compelling.

For the Packers to have any chance on Sunday, Favre will have to be near-perfect. You just know the Rams are going to light up the scoreboard with their quick-strike offense. The Packers will need to score at least 35 points, in my opinion, to come out victorious.

That's a tall order for Green Bay. The Packers are certainly capable of scoring a lot of points, but it will be difficult to keep pace with the Rams.

Like Favre, Kurt Warner is a precise passer. He has several speedy receivers to throw to, most notably Isaac Bruce. And then there's the Rams' main offensive weapon, running back Marshall Faulk, a fast, shifty running back who's a double threat.

Stopping the Rams is just about impossible. And the Rams' defense has improved greatly this season, which is why they boast the best record in the league at 14-2.

The Packers will have to try and win it in a shoot-out. That means (are you reading this Mike Sherman?) taking chances and going for it on fourth-and-short situations. (Just for the record, let it be known that I think Sherman blew it when he opted to go for a two-point conversion late in the third quarter against the 49ers. An extra point would have put the Packers up by nine points and given them a two-score lead. Luckily for the Packers they won anyway).

No matter what happens this Sunday between the Packers and Rams, it should be a fun game to watch. I'm sure there will be many local Packer fans glued to their TV sets this weekend. If this game were played at Lambeau it would be a different story. But the Rams are at home, on the fast track, and are just too quick to stop. I have to go with the team I picked at the start of the season to win the Super Bowl. In other words, I'm picking the Rams.

Here are my picks for the other playoff games this weekend:

Philadelphia at Chicago: This could be the last game at Soldier Field. The Bears will be pumped up because they still don't feel like they've received any respect this year, even though they're 13-3. I give the edge to the Bears, playing at home.

Oakland at New England: The Silver-and-Black attack is back! After ending the season with three straight losses, the Raiders came out fired up last Saturday night in whipping the Jets at home. Now, Oakland faces the hottest team in the league in New England. I picked the Raiders to go to the Super Bowl at the start of the season, so I've got to stick with them now.

Baltimore at Pittsburgh: This game is really a toss-up. Despite owning the best record in the AFC, I'm just not convinced the Steelers are the best team. The Ravens are still the defending champs until someone beats them. I give the slight edge to the Steelers.

NFL notes: Mike Tice looks like the right guy to take over as the Vikings new head coach. A former tight end for the Vikes, Tice seems to have the respect of many of the current Viking players. Tice has been described as a hard-nosed disciplinarian, which is just the kind of coach the Vikings need right now. So far, he's said all the right things, and he wants to get the ball more to Moss. With high draft picks (hint: defense, defense, defense!) and an easier schedule, look for the Vikes to improve next season.

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Wisconsin deaths prompt reminder of dangers of thin ice this winter

The recent deaths of two northern Wisconsin snowmobilers riding on thin ice has safety officials with the Department of Natural Resources reminding snowmobilers and others engaging in wintertime outdoor activities to be careful when venturing out on frozen lakes and rivers.

On Dec. 26, a 30-year-old man died after his snowmobile broke through thin ice on Dorothy Lake in Oneida County and in Oconto County on New Year's Day, a 74-year-old man died after breaking through the ice on Reservoir Pond.

"Ice is never completely safe," warned DNR snowmobile administrator Karl Brooks. "The only way to be absolutely sure you never break through is to never venture out on it."

A recent cold snap has improved ice conditions across the state, but there are plenty of places where the conditions remain extremely dangerous and should be avoided by snowmobilers, ice fishermen, cross-country skiers and others who recreate outdoors during the winter months. Ice formation is particularly inconsistent on rivers and near dams where the water currents are strong.

"Ice does not form or maintain uniform thickness," Brooks added. "A sheet of ice can vary from 12 inches to only one inch within a few feet."

DNR safety specialists offer the following advice to those who plan to be out on any of Wisconsin's frozen bodies of water:

· Use the buddy system. Never go out on the ice alone.

· Wear a waterproof exposure suit and a life preserver. When a person falls into freezing water they are likely to drown because their muscles fatigue quickly. Wearing a personal flotation increases the chances of being rescued by staying afloat,

· Carry two ice rescue picks. In the event that you fall in, use them to dig into the ice to pull yourself out. Screwdrivers will also work.

· Carry a whistle or other noisemaker to alert people if you are in danger.

· Always be aware of weather conditions. Any change can result in a change in the ice thickness.

"Check conditions before going out on the ice. If there's any doubt about safety, don't risk it," Brooks added.

"People have been venturing out onto the ice for thousands of years and I don't expect that will end anytime soon," Brooks said. "If you do plan to be out on the ice, take some precautions to help ensure that your trip doesn't end in tragedy."

 

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