The Journal Times from Racine, Wisconsin • 15

CLASSIFIEDS INSIDE mm it -j VU is wwwjaumaffirnesxora TUESDAY, JULY 27, 2004 THE JOURNAL TIMES SECTION l2 Transit cente rolls into operation IfiBlis BY MICHAEL BURKE Journal Times Should diseased or dead branches cut off of pin traas, and why? A dead or diseased limb contributes nothing to the tree It's dead weight in the phrase's truest sense Lop it off. "Deadwood pruning is a health treatment," mam mi -f Michael Glasheen. The transit center, a bit short of 2 acres in size, lies in the 1400 block of State Street, primarily on land that sat beneath the old State Street post office The west part of the property includes the old train depot which is scheduled for renovation. It will then become a heated- waiting area with the the transit center now lacks. That renovation, to be built mostly with federal money, has been delayed because the bids came in higher than expected.

Construction is expected to take about a year, Glasheen said. The new transit center so far features canopies over the bus parking areas, protected bus shelters and a drop-off zone city officials call a "kiss-and-ride." Glasheen said plans for a new transit hub began in about 2001. Downtown development RACfC Mass transit here took on a new look Monday when the new, $3 million-plus transit center along State Street was officially put into use. Following a morning ceremonial opening, Belle Urban System buses began using the new transit center a few minutes after noon. The center begins as the bus terminal.

It will also be the stop for intra-city service, for other coach lines, said City Traffic Engineer John Rooney. Later, a park-and-ride lot is to be built at the back side, connecting to Liberty Street. And someday possibly in 2007 the Metra train would come through Racine, using the old train depot at the transit center. "We hope it will be truly multimodal at some point," said City Transit Planner Racine City Forester Chuck Klimek said. "It removes a food source for decay fungi and eliminates potential risks." You need to eliminate risk during pruning.

"If (you) don't know what to do, hire an arborist," Klimek said. "For anything (you're) not comfortable with, hire an arborist." Keep some simple rules By Kills Bennett SCOTT ANDERSON Journal Times Travelers Step onto and Off Belle Urban System buses Monday at Racine's new Metro Transit Center, 1400 State during the center's first day of operations. advocates thought a transfer town's revitalization. train depot area. The money point on Monument Square The search for a different for tne center was 80 percent was not in keeping with Down- transfer point led to the old federal and 20 percent local.

Labrador catches race fever as he escapes during triathlon r. BY PHYLLIS SIDES Journal Times TOWN OF RAYMOND The Spirit of Racine Triathlon got a late entry Sunday and the last-minute competitor was the last one to find his way home. But Max, a 12-year-old yellow labrador, had a happy reunion with his owners Jim and Debbie Streit on Monday, a day after he ran away from their Raymond home to chase bikers participating in the triathlon. Debbie said the reunion was a very happy birthday present for Jim, her husband. "I think all the excitement at the road sort of drew him," she said.

"He was found on 51st and 3 Mile Road. This was a good birthday present for my husband." Max's escape occurred at about 8 a.m. on Sunday when the first bikers passed the Streits' home. Max was tied in the front yard, Debbie said. Her best guess is that his leash got caught in some weeds in the yard, allowing him to pull himself out of his collar and to run free.

He took off as the triathletes passed. The Streits searched the neighborhood and contacted Countryside Humane Society and the Wisconsin Humane Society in Milwaukee, but no one had seen Max. They planned to travel the bike race route to look for him Monday night. However, before they started looking again, Cindy and Scott Jurk called to say they had found Max. The Jurks knew he had to belong to someone, Debbie said.

So they called the Racine County Sheriff's Department to see if anyone had reported a lost dog. Max returned home without any injuries, muddy feet the only reminders of his adventure, Debbie said. This was the first time he had run away and not come back right away, she said. "He never went very far, this was out of character for him," Debbie added, noting that Max even made a friend on his adventure. "They (the Jurks) have a lab too, so he probably had a good time." for pruning in mind if you don't hire an arborist.

Wipe the saw between cuts. Clean the blade if you finish sawing a diseased limb and decide to saw a healthy portion of the tree or a different shrub or tree. This ensures you won't spread the disease. Pay attention to the cut. Cut most of the weight off first and cut the rest of the limb in manageable pieces.

"Then make the final cut just outside the branch collar, where it meets the main part of the tree," Klimek said. You also shouldn't work from a ladder and should be extremely cautious if climbing and cutting. Avoid pruning paints. The only exceptions are for oaks and elms during growing season. Pruning paints help prevent oak wilt and Dutch elm disease.

Klimek said the City of Racine stopped using pruning paints in the mid-1980s. "It makes people feel good to use the paint, but it really has no value," Klimek said. How does someone get a copy of their birth certificate? This is handled through Racine County's register of deeds and is painless. Go to wvm.racineco.com, the county's web site. Scroll through the index and click on the link to birth certificates.

Instructions explain how to obtain your birth certificate electronically, in person, or by mail. The cost is $12. The register of deeds' office is on the first floor of the county courthouse, at 730 Wisconsin Ave. Call (262) 636-3208 or (262) 636-3477 for more information. What is the meaning of the phrase "full of piss and vinegar?" The phrase refers to a rowdy or boisterous person or group of people.

The origin is believed to be with sailors of antiquity. Swabbies who drank too much were said to be "full of piss and vinegar." The vinegar might refer to the acidic taste of cheap alcohol or the vinegar sailors drank to fight scurvy. I found this answer on a British web site: www.phrases.org.ukmeanings I'm certain some of you feel differently about the phrase's origin. Several years ago we purchased yellow and blue trashrecycle bags from an organization which contacted us by phone. Do you know who we can get in touch with or where we can purchase them again? This is a frequent question on the GYA hotline.

Who'd thought trashrecycle bags would create such interest? The bags in question are sold as a fundraiser by the Racine Police Association. The RPA has sold the bags late each summer for about the past 12 years, according to Investigator Bill Chesen, RPA president. Clear, yellow and blue bags are available, and the bags can be used for garbage or recyclables. Chesen keeps a stash of bags when the sale isn't going on. Contact him at (262) 635-7843 and he'll personally deliver them to your home.

I'm not kidding. Can you tell me where handicapped parking is for the Racine Public Zoo? The Racine Zoo's handicapped patrons must park on the street. No one, including the zoo administration, is happy with the arrangement. Spokeswoman Stephanie Kratochvil said it's easiest if handicapped patrons, for now, are dropped at the zoo's main entrance. Please do so without blocking traffic, and park on Main Street or adjacent streets.

This issue will soon be dead Kratochvil said the zoo plans to build a parking lot at the zoo's south end for handicapped patrons and buses. The zoo recently removed a house near the comer of Goold and Main streets, a house donated to the zoo late last year by Charles and Jennifer Johnson. Kratochvil said construction of the parking area probably won't begin this summer, but said the lot might be done by next summer. She added that all the zoo's facilities are handicapped accessible, and wheelchairs are available at the zoo gift shop. Glad You Asked finds answers to questions.

Selected questions and the answers will be published in this column. Call (262) 6311 758 to submit a question, or do so by e-mail: askiournaltimes.com You may also submit questions online at: www.iournaltimes.com The Journal Times and the Racine Public Library are partners on research. For more information, call the library's Reference Desk jsl (262) 636-9217 or query their web site at: www.racmelib.lib.wi.usemailr.htm Photos by GREGORY SHAVER Journal Times Top: Bill Nahikian talks about the future of Color Arts Monday morning during the first day of business for the new owners of Color Arts. Below: Stacy Novinski takes some notes while working at Color Arts Monday morning. Novinski is one of three former salesmen that the new owners of Color Arts rehired.

The first day of a new beginning for Color Arts Ryan, church to co-host summit Journal Times staff RACINE U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Janesville, and St. Paul Baptist Church will co-host a Faith-Based Summit on Wednesday. The by-invitation summit will be held at St.

Paul's Miracle Center, 1100 Grand from 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesday. The summit will give local leaders of faith-based and community organizations access to information about grants and other resources that are available. Ryan, Kathy Wills, special assistant to the president for legislation and policy in the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, Del Reynolds and Sheila Ashley of the Wisconsin Office of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will speak at the summit.

Faith-based and community organizations throughout southeastern Wisconsin have been invited to attend. BY MICHAEL BURKE Journal Times -v" If. r. si its RACINE After a rapid decline, insolvency and a near-death experience, Color Arts reopened Monday, hoping to prove its Lazarus act will last. "This is the first day of the new Color Arts," Chief Executive Officer Bill Nahikian declared, sitting in the board room in the sparsely populated building at 1840 Oakdale Ave The vastly slimmed-down version of Color Arts that reopened Monday consisted of only about 15 people.

Some of them were still picking out which office to use for now. The parking lot was mostly barren. The Racine area has lost numerous manufacturers in recent decades. But Color Arts has started its bid to become one of the exceptions: a closed shop with a fighting chance of again becoming viable. Sue and one-half weeks ago Color Arts, once a slugger in the commercial screen printing industry, folded despite posting record revenues last year of $42 million.

But behind the numbers, some major problems had begun corroding the foundation of Pat Corcoran's company. On June 11, with the money supply shut off and a crisis manager in place, the company filed for receivership. A court-appointed receiver set about getting the remains of Color Arts ready for auction. The newly formed investors group which bought the company for $5.3 million consists of eight or nine individual investors. They include Nahikian, who was CEO of Color Arts from 1991-97, and two of his new vice presidents, Mark Bollmeier and Ralph Rhein.

The group also includes key people from DuraTech Industries of La Crosse. Nahikian said that strengthens both companies, as each has capabilities the other lacks, and can fill orders for the other. After choosing Johnson Bank as Color Arts' )- Mora on COUW Page 3B NewsTracker RON KUENSTLER Journal Times file photo Casom Kempken of Waterford washes his cow while at the 2003 Racine County Fair. This year's fair kicks off Wednesday at the fairgrounds in Union Grove. County fair guide inside Journal Times staff RACINE COUNTY What do a country music star, the demolition derby and diving pigs have in common? The Racine County fair, of course.

The annual gathering of all things Racine County, from carnival rides to dressed-up goats, kicks off on Wednesday and runs daily through Sunday. A new grandstand awaits fair-goers, as well as a lumberjack exhibition and the Fairest of the Fair pageant. Country star John Michael Montgomery will perform on Saturday night. Tickets are $5. Fair mainstays will also return.

The high-diving pip will perform three times each day, the demolition derbies will be on Sunday, and food vendors will be out in force with all sorts of goodies, like cream puffs, that would make Dr. Atkins cringe. For a full rundown on the fair, Including times, dates and prices, see the Racine County Fair guide inserted In today's newspaper. THE LAST WE KNEW: After the previous owners closed Color Arts and filed for receivership on June 11, the company was bought at auction for $5.3 million by a newly formed ownership' group. THE LATEST: The new owner6 closed on the deal Friday.

Color Arts reopened Monday with about 35 employees including most of the top owners and sales staff. WHAT'S NEXTt The company, now led by Bill Nahikian of Racine, hopes to slowly earn back business from its former customers and gradually add production workers as the work returns..