The La Crosse Tribune from La Crosse, Wisconsin • 9

LA CROSSE TRIBUNE etown HOI REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK Here's the scorecard for political races Tuesday, May 27, 2008 Local and regional news City desk; (608) 791-8343 A iroort hangar rolans on hold. Higher cost of materials, lower demand delays new project up, he said. The new facility was part of the airport's 20-year master plan the La Crosse Common Council adopted in 2003. Gov. Jim Doyle in March approved an $80,000 plan to design a new hangar and other improvements at the airport.

Samantha Marcus can be reached at (608) 791-8229 or smarcuslacrossetribune.com. By SAMANTHA MARCUS La Crosse Tribune Construction slated to start this summer on a new La Crosse Municipal Airport hangar has been postponed indefinitely, airport officials said. The sluggish economy has cut demand and swelled costs of construction and materials. Airport officials had anticipated a $275,000 price- tag for the new 10-stall hangar, but the price of steel has raised that estimate from $460,000 to more than $600,000, said Airport Manager Dan Wruck. The airport would have to charge $450 to $700 a month for hangar space just to make the project financially viable, he said.

"I don't think we would be very successful renting that out at all," he said. "We could build the building, but it's questionable at this time whether we can fill it." The airport already has vacancies that officials are struggling more than usual to fill. Pilots on waiting lists who typically jump at the chance to park at the French Island facility are turning them down, said Wruck. Wruck said they'll proceed with hangar site and preparation work as planned but hold off on constructing the hangar itself. The economy will determine when the building will go REID MAGNEY La Crosse Tribune In 42 days, we'll know 'who's truly running for the Wisconsin Legislature.

Until the filing deadline at 5 p.m. July 8, it's the season for trial balloons and speculation about who's a candidate. We know there will be good race between state TV station gets green light for new tower Dan Kapanke, Crosse, and Democrat Tara Johnson of the town Shelby for District 32. But what about all the area Assembly races? Let's go in numerical order. District 91: The retirement of state Rep.

Barbara Gronemus, D-1 Whitehall, is drawing in all kinds of folks. Eight potential candidates five Democrats, three Republicans and one Independent had filed paperwork with the Government Accountability Board's I Elections Division as of late last week. We've got Democrats Margaret M. Baecker of Independence, Chris Danou of Trempealeau, Jeff Hauser of Whitehall and James K. Kraft of Durand; we've got Republicans David Anderson of Whitehall, Tom Bice of Trempealeau and Dave Hegenbarth of Galesville; and we've got I mil.

wwwwwswwm.iw i il immm'ytF r'V, MMM e.n--1', 'X v---: I By RYAN HENRY Lee Newspapers LA CRESCENT, Minn. WLAX-TV has received the go-ahead to start construction on a new television tower next to its current one off Tschumper Road on South Ridge. WLAX, like all television stations, must switch from analog to digital signals by February 2009 at the prompting of the Federal Communications Commission. At first, WLAX planned to simply attach a new digital television antenna to the side of the existing tower. Independent Paul Beseler of Ettrick.

And that doesn't count Arcadia Mayor John Kimmel, who announced plans to run last week as a Democrat but hadn't filed yet District 92: State Rep. Tumi Jl r- TI I w-Lr ERIK DAILYLA CROSSE TRIBUNE cancer fundraiser tied in with the local premiere of the movie "Sex and a pair of Prada shoes worn by Kim Cattrall in the show. Funk clothing store owner Janelle Parcher is doing a breast the City." Among the memorabilia on display in her store is rcher is doing a breast display in her store is Angels wear Prada 4Sex and the City' movie inspires fundraiser for breast cancer "The question was, could the existing tower handle the heavier equipment?" attor- ney Gerard O'Flaherty, speaking for the station and Grant Media LLC, recently told the La Crescent Township Planning Commission and Town Board. Bolstering the existing tower, built between 1958 and 1962, would cost nearly as much as building a new one, O'Flaherty said, and doing so leaves little room for error. Building a new tower is much less complicated than it used to be and will be safer, he said.

The new tower will be just north of the current one and more centrally located on the 1-acre property, he said. "It's going to be the same height, except it's actually located on terrain that's fairly gradual," O'Flaherty said. "The top of the replacement tower is actually 6 feet lower because it's located a little further north and there's a six-foot elevation change." The township Planning Commission and Town Board both endorsed the plan, as did John Strehl, the property owner closest to the tower. The station plans to take down the old tower by the summer of 2009. Ryan Henry is editor of the Houston County News.

By RYAN ST0TTS La Crosse Tribune anelle Parcher decided to combine her cus tomers' love of the tele vision show "Sex and the City" with the fight said she's always thrilled to see the memorabilia when she shops there. She's also thrilled to be part of the fundraiser. "I think a lot of the ladies who shop at Funk are clothes horses, just like the women on 'Sex and the Eglash said. "You also support a good cause and get a shopping spree of your own." Parcher said she hopes to raise $500 to and she'd like to do another fundraiser. While she realizes it might seem like a small amount of money, "every bit counts," she said.

said. "My demographic is mainly women. Many have known somebody or experienced this themselves." Visitors can enter to win a drawing to be done at 6 p.m. Thursday. Each entry costs $1, and all proceeds will be donated to the Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation.

The winner will receive four tickets to the premiere of the movie version of "Sex and the City" set to open Friday at Marcus Cinemas on Ward Avenue along with a $100 Funk gift card. "Our customers love the show," Parcher said. "Sarah Jessica Parker was, and still is, a fashion icon. What we love about her style is she uses vintage and designer items and combines and wears them with attitude. That's what we do here." The store also displays items from the TV show, such as a signed pair of Prada shoes worn by Kim Cattrall, a plaid pair of pants worn by Parker and a T-shirt autographed by Parker, Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis, all stars of the show and upcoming film.

I leidi Eglash of La Crosse, a regular customer at Funk, ci i mussel, iv uiaip. River Falls, announced last week he's not running again, either, saying he's fed up with nasty politics in Madison. Candidates already Vere lining up to run against Musser, including -Democrats Curtis Miller of Sparta and Mark A. Radcliffe of Black River Jails; and Republican Dan who lists his taddress as Onalaska but tias ties to Sparta. District 94: Skipping over District 93 up in the sf.au Claire area, District 94 Assembly Speaker -Mike Huebsch, R-West Salem, likely will face Democrat Cheryl Hancock pf Molmen.

Hancock told me last week she's not ieady yet to make an announcement. But somebody's taking her candidacy seriously nough to spend bucks an extensive phone survey to gauge her viability. A Tribune colleague received a 20-minute phone survey May 21, asking about a potential I luebsch-Hancock race. It was done by a private survey firm, and based on the questions my colleague couldn't tell which candidate or party was behind it District 95: Local Republicans are sniping It each other over who Is tr Isn't going to challenge tatc Rep. Jennifer fhilllng, D-La Crosse.

She was unopposed In 2004 4nd 2006. Steve Cores came back from the GOP convention fri Stevens Point all fired up about somebody running against Shilling. Gores himself considered Sec MAGNEY, B-2 against breast cancer. Parcher owns the clothing shop Funk at 1446 Rose St. It was her customers, and their personal stories, that inspired Parcher to organize a fundraiser called "Funk and the City." "We have a lot of customers who have been affected by this disease," Parcher La Crosse native helps guide concrete canoe team to victory The team has worked on the XX I classes started I last fall, purely ns an extracur University of Wisconsin engineering students designed this concrete canoe named Buckingham, which will compete in the National Concrete Canoe Competition in Montreal, Canada.

lUKMlttlOfMCrtO The regional event, held this year in Evansvillc, challenged students from 15 schools throughout the Great Lakes region to build a canoe entirely of concrete and then compete in a scries of races. The concrete is made with hollow spheres instead of rocks, and air Is added to create a substance that weighs less than water, said Madison team member Jodl Zwickcy. See CANOE, B-2 ricular engineering activity. "The experience was good, because you By KJ LANC La Crosse Tribune When David Johnson tells people he's on a concrete canoe team, the typical response Is a puzzled look. The La Crosse native and his 21 teammates, all University of Wisconsin engineering students in Madison, not only can get concrete to float, their lightweight craft won the Great lakes Regional Concrete Canoe Conference in late April.

Johnson put all this time and effort Into the canoe and then you don't see it in action until the competition," said lolinson. nr r- mti fTn I FROM TRIBUNE FILES May 27, 1948 A look back at the Coulee Region 60 years ago: WKTY, a new La Crosse radio station, began broadcasting today from studios on the second floor of the First Federal building at 110 Fourth St. N. la Crosso Is currently home to 135 taverns nndor bars. Houston County man killed in tractor rollover HOUSTON, Minn.

A rural Houston man died Sunday In what appears to have been a tractor rollover, according to the Houston County Sheriff's Department. Larry Thorson, 63, was pronounced dead at the scene after the accident was reported at 3:52 m. on his Sheldon Township prop, erty, according to the sheriff's department. Cause of death is unknown pending an autopsy, the sheriff's department reported, Humane Society holding chickencue Saturday ONALASKA, Wis. A chickencue fundraiser for the Coulee Region Humane Society will be orvcd from 11 a m.

to 5 p.m. Saturday at Sam's Club, 1211 Crossing Meadows Drive, Onalaska, Cost is S7.50, with advance tickets available at tho Humane Society, 811 Critter Court, Onoloska. If five or more chicken dinners are purchased, delivery will be available to one location between noon and 2 m. For more Information, coll (600) 781 4014 or visit www.couleohumane.com..