The La Crosse Tribune from La Crosse, Wisconsin • 4

nt'Hsmwt'-'- yiwti --(( ft 4 La Crosse Tribune, Tuesday, February 12, Guest editorial Abe head heaviest bu irdeb KENNETH 0. BLANCHARD. Publisher KENNETH F. TEACHOUT, Editor GREG ft VEON, General Manager RICHARD MIAL, Opinion Page Editor DA VID B. OFFER, Managing Editor Founded in 1904 Main Street fights back Over a half century ago our family visited Hardin County in the state of Kentucky.

We went especially to see a home that I had always wanted to visit. The home was built over 175 years ago by Thomas Lincoln and was the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln. When I first saw the actual building it looked so worthless that I could not believe it was authentic. Built of logs by Lincolns father, the small cabin included a single room, a hard dirt floor, a window without glass and an old door made of boards. There was a bed in one comer made of poles.

A large split log, supported by legs, served as a table. The fireplace was built of sticks and rocks and plastered with clay. It was difficult to believe that a boy bom in this cabin in 1809 would some day become president of the United States and live in the White House. This experience taught me many things about our countrys early history, but most important it proved, without doubt that in America all people, regardless of their color, social or economic background, have the oportun-ity to make it to the top. Lincoln and Washington were bom with an entirely different heritage.

Washington's background was imbued with health, refinement and prestige, while Lincolns heritage was one of extreme poverty. Washington had very few enemies; but at one time there were many who distrusted and misunderstood Abraham Lincoln. He met slavery in the United States. No doubt all presidents have had monumental problems in administrating the affairs of our nation, but many historians agreee that Abraham Lincoln carried the heaviest burden of all. During his tenure as president he was the object of more abuse and criticism than any other president in our history.

It is ironic that the very year his long struggle to preserve the Union and heal the nations wounds had been accomplished, he was struck down by an assassins bullet. The entire civilized world now recognizes Abraham Lincoln as one of the world's greatest men. Many of his speeches have never been surpassed for greatness, simplicity and purpose. None of the hundreds of speeches made by Abraham Lincoln are more beautiful and effective than the famous speech he made in 1863 on the Gettysburg battlefield where 6,600 Union and Confederate soldiers lay buried. The dedication of this battlefield was of great importance and an all day program had been scheduled.

Edward Everett, the famous orator, and President Lincoln, were tq be the speakers at the dedication. Mr. Everett spoke for an hour and his oratory held the attention of the hundreds of people present. Lincoln did not consider himself a good speaker and at the close of his five minute speech, following Mr. Everetts oratory, he sat down humbly believing that he had failed.

The two speeches made at the dedication of the Gettysburg battlefield were made iver a century ago. Mr. Everetts orajtory has long since been forgotten but Lincoln's' brief speech known as 'Lincolns Gettysburg Addresss has, become immortal. What citizen can ever forget the closing words of that brief speecty: That we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in Vain that this nation, under God, ihall have a new birth of freedom Jand that the government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth. Our nation honored him by building one of the most beautiful memorial buildings in the United States.

'The Lincoln Memorial was dedicated in Washington, D.C. in May, 1922. Built of white marble it stands facing' the Washington Monument and the capitol building in the distance. A majestic statue of Abraham Lincoln dominates the center of this beautiful edifice. When visiting this shrine I was Jim-pressed by the words inscribed within: In this temple, as in the hearts oi the people for whom he saved the Union, the memory of Abraham Lincoln enshrined forever.

Raymond C. Bice, 1934 Nakpmis La Crosse, is a retired state legislator. search And the paranoia of many faculty members on outlying campuses would seem to prohibit the appointment of anyone from the Madison campus. Picking someone from within the system will immediately produce cries of the sky is falling somewhere in the university system. The regents, of course, may just get their back up and pick someone from within the system just to prove that they, and not the noisy faculty members, are running the system.

That kind of boldness could convince the Legislature that the best way out of the sniping over faculty pay would be to appropriate the salary money and let the regents divide it. Matt Pommer covers state government and politics for the Capital Times, Madison. An interesting and important meeting on the future of downtown will be held Feb. 27. The interesting thing is not the meeting so much meetings have been held ad infinitum but the fact that this time there are specific approaches being explored.

Sponsored by the La Crosse Area Development the Chamber of Commerce and other organizations, the one-day conference, Mainstreets in the Coulee Region, will emphasize specific actions that can be taken to make Main Street (any Main Street) a more viable economic force. There will be two parts to the Feb. 27 conference, to be held at the Radisson Hotel. The first is the approach taken by the National Mainstreet Center, an organization that has developed a systematic way of looking at downtown problems, which for the most part are similar no matter what small city is involved. But more specifically, the conference will discuss the idea of a Business Improvement District for La Crosse.

And that is what sets this meeting apart from many others. Gov. Earl signed legislation last year authorizing communities to establish such districts, if they so choose, by a vote of the property owners involved. If 60 percent of the property owners of a given area agree, a Business Improve ment District can be established. Such a district allows for certain development tools not otherwise available to individual businesses, including the development of plans and the ability to levy special assessments on businesses to carry out those plans.

What each community decides to do with its Business Improvement District, of course depends on local conditions, financial ability of property owners involved, and specific strategy. One district might decide that some specific new physical development is necessary, another might opt for a more coordinated approach to advertising and marketing. The idea of another body with the ability, in effect, to levy taxes, is one which may not be greeted warmly by all sectors of downtown. But we would urge that the idea be taken seriously enough to be given a full airing keeping in mind, of course, the idea that nothing can happen unless property owners want it to. One potential obstacle to establishing a district is the diversity of every downtown.

There are businesses that own their own buildings and land, and there are those which rent from somebody else. And, the interests of property owners who are landlords and property owners who are retailers may not always coincide on every issue. So the establishment of such districts is not an easy task. Since last April, when the law was signed, only one Wisconsin city Eau Claire has such a district. Attempts were made to start districts in Wausau and Waukesha, but those efforts did not succeed for a variety of reasons.

Eau Claires district has taken a modest approach involving the assessment of $35,000 in fees which concentrates on business signs and promotion. Other cities have attempted to be more visionary in their approach, but the more ambitious and costly proposals tend to generate the most opposition. Vital to the whole process is education. As James Hill, director of the La Crosse Area Development put it, People tend to be down on what theyre not up on. Mainstreets in the Coulee Region will be held from 9 a.m.

to 1:30 p.m. The cost is $10, for each participant, including lunch. The broad range of sponsoring organizations is encouraging. Besides the Chamber of Commerce and the La Crosse Area Development other sponsors are the Downtown La Crosse Business Association, the West Salem Business Association, the Holmen Area Civic and Commerce Association, the Bangor Business Club, and the Mississippi River Regional Planning Commission. There is plenty of time to discuss the Business Improvement District idea in more detail.

The point for now is to emphasize the need for coordinated action by the private sector. While cities may have plans (and the city of La Crosse has been particularly aggressive in seeking developers and providing parking and other support services), the business owners and property owners of downtown need to work together and support each other as well. David H. Fleck, a lawyer with the Milwaukee firm of Foley Lardner, wrote a 10-page explanatory memo on the Business Improvement District idea. One thought deserves to be passed along.

Fleck wrote, The process necessarily includes arriving at a community consensus that the result is in the communitys best interests and deserves the support of the community. In effect, property owner democracy returns again, this time in the form of a Business Improvement District. A mechanism for property owner input and participation in the decision-making process is essential." Thats the bottom line. Positive things will happen only if we want them to, and if we are able to work with one another long enough to bring them about. Arriving at such cooperation is the challenge, and the opportunity.

malice in a spirit which displayed malice toward none and charity for all. For over a century the legend of Abraham Lincoln has continued to grow in the hearts of people throughout the world. Unlike Washington, Lincoln became interested in politics when he was 23 years of age. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Illinois State Legislature but later was elected and served eight years. He was subsequently elected to Congress in 1846.

Lincoln was defeated for the U.S. Senate by Stephan Douglas in 1858 after a series of bitter debates relating to the troublesome problems of slavery and the secession of several southern states. He was elected President of the United States in 1860. The rising tide of bitterness could not be halted and Civil War could not be avoided if the Union was to be preserved. The first shots of the Civil War were fired at Fort Sumter on April 13, 1861, and in 1863 Lincoln issued the final Emancipation Proclamation which would eventually abolish Capitulation is probably what the Association of Faculties people want, but the regents already have taken enough heat rejecting that idea.

The regents would be the laughing stock of the Capitol if they now dropped the plan. That's not saying that some compro-' mise may be needed in May or June. But shifting gears now would destroy the credibility of the regents in the State Capitol. And the university and participating in many community projects in addition to her practice of law. One of her concerns has been the environment.

Another has been women's issues and government as reflected by her activities in the League of Women Voters. Maureen Kinney has ideas that will improve the function of the judicial system. She also has ideas on how we as taxpayers may be better able to evaluate the activities of the court. Maureen Kinney has broken few records jogging, but I see her on the road to success, judging. On Feb.

19, 1985, Maureen Kinney will appreciate your vote at whatever poll you jog to. Cameron Gundersen, M.D., 3539 Eboer Coulee Road, La Crosse. Save the trees If a joint city-county library would be built in Onalaska as recommended by the ad hoc committee and would be approved by the Onalaska -Common Council, the La Crosse County Library Board and the La Crosse County Board, are there any other Onalaska citizens who are concerned about the site recommended? In addition to our park, the high school is a magnificent landmark in our city. The beautiful Pay issue muddies UW What Tribune readers say its faculties need that in the long run more than they need any particular catch-up pay plan. Worse yet, capitulation would em-barass the governor who submitted the regents pay plan as his own.

The regents would be guilty of pushing the governor out on a limb and then sawing it off. The regents also will be busy this spring and summer looking for a replacement for ONeil. The board will have plenty of excellent candidates: being president of the University of Wisconsin system is one of the premiere jobs in public education. But the pay fight may eliminate all those who are now employed in the system. The snobbery of the Madison campus would bloom if the regents took any chancellor or dean from campuses scattered around the state.

majestic trees (of which there are approximately 110) would likely stand for generations to enjoy; yet our community leaders would be approving their destruction if this were the site chosen. Onalaska continues to become more of an asphalt jungle whenever trees are destroyed to make way for buildings and blacktop. Surely there must be one more site to be considered. Was the level land across from Luther High School considered? This doesn't have any trees. Common sense should prevail in the decision making process by our leaders.

It takes many, many, many years for trees to reach maturity and only a stroke of the pen to doom them to destruction. Charlotte Feruolz, 531 Ninth Onalaska. Senseless tragedy The paper as well as all aspects of the media even Peter Jennings on ABCs news of the world have carried the tragic and senseless killings of three good and holy men in Onalaska. Not much that we could add to it in that we did not know him the beloved Father Rossiter that well and did not know the others at all. The good father certainly was a friend to all that we MADISON The announced resignation of President Robert ONeil won't change the fight over catch-up pay raises for the University of Wisconsin faculty.

Some suggest ONeil will now speak more forcefully, defending the idea that Madison and two-year centers get 15 percent increases while most other campuses get 9 percent pay increases. He will be more outspoken, but the legislators know he is a lame duck. The 132 people in the Legislature know lame ducks may flap their wings loudly, but they (or their ideas) don't go too far. The Association of University of Wisconsin Faculties wants all campuses to get the same percentage pay increase. Its leaders hope ONeil's decision to go to the University of Virginia will push the regents in that direction.

hopefully serve her as long as I shall live. To those of you who believe as I do, let us join together and support one another, for people who need people are the luckiest people in the world. Let us pray that our leaders, on ail levels, national, state and local, be given the strength and guidance they need to make this country as great as our forefathers did. Attend church for the families of these innocent victims and for the soul of the person responsible for these horrendous crimes against man and community. Let us grow stronger as each day passes and may we all unite in saying Im proud to be an Onalaskan.

Ruth E. Root, 509 Fourth Ave. Onalaska Support Kinney Maureen Kinney, a practicing attorney in La Crosse, is running for a new judgeship in La Crosse County. Because this race, is for a new position, five people have entered. On Feb.

19, 1985, a primary election will be held to reduce the field to two candidates. Maureen Kinney is the person to vote for. She will keep the scales of justice in balance. Maureen Kinney has a record of City mourns To the citizens of Onalaska: It is 1:30 a m. I cannot sleep as the events of the previous day are as vtvid in my mind as it was when I first heard the news over the radio.

As I left my borne on this fateful morning, little did you or I realize what would befall our fair city within the hour. Driving down Hwy 53 to La Crosse, I couldnt help but Appreciate the beauty of the sun rising once again in Gods Country, the brisk temperatures and the mist ascending to the grandeur of the bluffs. I said to myself how thankful to God I am to be alive and welL. be an American and to have the freedom of coming and going as I please, and to live in an area flourishing with growth and anticipation for bigger and better things to come. We look to our city fathers to make the decisions for our continued growth and prosperity; their dedication is deeply appreciated by all of us, specifically those of us who are familiar with city structure and who are working with them now and have in the past.

But why? Why? Why? What attracts these elements to our society to Onalaska to commit these violent acts of crime? Are we guilty ourselves of know for sure. A few years ago our second oldest son was in a very bad automobile accident and in the intensive care center at St. Francis Medical Center. The good father made his usual rounds and called on him and gave him spiritual comfort even though we are not of his faith. It seemed that he was one of those persons who was always there when help was needed.

Even at the black top dance and celebration held up at St. Pat's for many years where we played for some years he was always there helping to get things going and serve the Lord in his own loving, kind way. We know for a certainty that some of the parishon-ers who go there will surely mourn his loss because he had a flair and style that was all his own. Once even witnessed a wedding in the church in December 1977 of a young fellow whom we knew and his new bride. There again Father John tied the nuptuat knot and sent them off to a good marriage to be forever together.

One wonders if anything good will come out of this tragedy but there again God moves in mysterious ways his wonders to perform. Frank Harris, 1530 Old Hickory Drive, la Crescent, Minn. something we are unaware of and is this our punishment as citizens of Onalaska? No, fellow citizens, we are not guilty if anything we are a growing community and this in itself attracts not only the undesirables, but also the best there is in all fields. We have everything we need here, employment, great churches to supply our spiritual needs, dedicated city employees, recreational facilities second to none, businesses striving to better serve you and I. Our children will grow and continue to grow and hopefully one day will be proud of our city and what she stands for.

May I extend my deepest sympathies to the families, friends and loved ones, of Father Rossiter, Ferdinand Roth, Sr. and William Hammes. Dear God, give us the strength to rise above another tragedy in our midst and stand tall in the eyes of all. We did not want national, state and local attention in this way; consequently, let us unite and support her, from the bluffs to the waters of the great Mississippi and let us try to forgive those who say I'm glad. I dont live in Onalaska.

I'm proud to be an Onalaskan; I adopted her 8 6 years ago and I will not abandon her. I will continue to support and r.j.'.