Success Section special to Courier Press

5/21/2018 Success Section special to Courier Press

1/16

PUBLISHED BY THE COURIER PRESS 2014

CELEBRATING

Building a successful business

takes hard work and dedication.

In this section we pay tribute to

our local businesses

whose commitment to

providing quality productsand services help to

enrich our community.

By Correne MartinOwning your own small

business takes a lot of hard

work, but if youre like Te-resa Champion, of e Plant-ed Tree Gallery and Gifts indowntown Prairie du Chien,you absolutely love it.

You have to be willing towork at itwork off hours,take work home, stay late,open early and be realistic,said Teresa, who has ownedand operated the art galleryat 200 West Blackhawk Ave-nue for two years. When I dosomething, Im full throttle.From my decision to buy thisplace until I opened the doorsthree weeks later, I was work-

ing 60 to 70 hours a week.Now Im here five days a weekand, the two days I have off,Im painting and picking oth-

er pieces for the gallery.e art gallery opened

July 11, 2012, and repre-sents about 40 artists who

live within an hour radius ofPrairie du Chien or have tiesto the community. Offeringsinclude beautiful, eclecticand unusual items you wontfind anywhere elsespecifi-cally fine art, folk art, jewelry,stained glass, childrens art,fiber art, graphic art, designart, photography, wood, met-al, stone art, primitive dcorand a sprinkling of antiquesin addition to handmade can-dles and body care products.

Its definitely reward-ing to be able to give back tothe community by support-

ing local artists, Teresa said.When somebody buys here,

Teresa Champion, owner of The Planted Tree Gallery and Gifts in downtown Prairie du Chien,

enjoys meeting new customers and chatting with her regulars too. (Photos by Correne Martin)

Art gallery, gift shop firmly planted in downtown PdC

Stop in for a little tender loving care with the Tender Care family. From left, Ken Quick (hold-

ing Flicka), Jessica Hein, Stephanie Waterman, Lisa Hagensick, Kaitlyn Paulsen (holding

Scout) and Dr. Jami Quick (holding Hope). According to the Quicks, the offi ces fourth cat,

Sully, is right where he thinks he belongsfront and center. Staff members missing from the

photo are Alicia Bradley and Dr. Laura Johnson. (Photo by Caitlin Bittner)

By Caitlin Bittner

Ever wanted to go to a vetwho cares as much aboutyour furry family memberas you do? Look no furtherthan Tender Care AnimalHospital in Prairie du Chien.

Owners Ken and Jami

Quick purchased TenderCare in November of 2003,in order for Jami to be ableto practice veterinary medi-cine the way she wanted.Now, eleven years later, thecouple is loving all the suc-cess they have achieved.

Ive loved seeing it grow

and being able to help. Wevealso established a lot of re-lationships with people andpets. I see people at the gro-cery store and they tell mehow their pet is doing; itsnice, said Jami.

TLC for your four-legged family

At Jones Accounting,everybody is somebodyBy Ted Pennekamp

Jones Accounting, 209 W.Blackhawk Ave., has beenhelping Prairie du Chien

area people and businessesfor many years. Through thedecades, Jones Accountinghas garnered a very solidand reliable reputation intax service, bookkeepingand accounting for individu-als, farms, partnerships andcorporations.

The late Jim Jones found-ed the business in 1957.Jim and his family movedto Prairie du Chien on LaborDay weekend of that year.He began with the certifiedpublic accounting firm ofRueschlein and Stortroenof Madison, working out ofthe branch office at 215 W.Blackhawk Ave. in Prairie duChien. The building has re-cently been torn down.

In 1962, the businessmoved into the building thatformerly housed the Craw-ford County Venterans Ser-vice Office behind the SatterBuilding on South PrairieStreet.

Jim shared office space at215 W. Blackhawk and at the

South Prairie Street locationwith Rodney J. Satter, attor-ney at law, from 1957 until1972.

Jim began business on his

own as W.J. Jones Account-ing in January of 1965. Thebusiness incorporated in1984 and became known asW.J. Jones Accounting Ser-vices, Inc.

In May of 1987, Jim pur-chased the building that hadbeen the former home ofThe Knotty Pine Bar at 209W. Blackhawk Ave. The busi-ness has been serving clien-tele from that location eversince.

Jims eldest son Bobbynow runs Jones Account-ing. Having begun in 1986,Bobby has served his ownclients since 1990. Secretaryand tax preparer Linda Wit-ter helps Bobby in providingservice to the clientele.

As for the future, Bobby,60, said that plans are in theworks to pass the baton tohis nephew Matt Jones, theson of Mike and Mary Sue ofPrairie du Chien. Matt, 24,is studying accounting and

See PLANTED TREE, page 2

See JONES, page 3See TLC, page 3


2/16

Page 2 Courier Press Success, 2014

Celebrating 105Yearshistory heritage tradition

PETES HAMBURGER STANDDowntown Prairie du Chien, WI

OPEN FRIDAY through SUNDAYMEMORIAL DAY through LABOR DAY

AssortedColor

s

IndoorandOutdoor

CARPET

300 S. Marquette Rd., Prairie du Chien WI

608-326-1700

Areas Largest Selection of Flooring On Hand!CARPETS TO GO

TILE

LAMINATE

AREARUGS

VINYL


Celebrating28Yearshistory heritage tradition

Open 24 Hours - 7 Days a Week

SUPERSTORE38020 U.S. Hwy 18 South,

Prairie du Chien, WI

PROUDLY SERVING THE COMMUNITY

FOR THE PAST 28 YEARS!

theyre not only supporting a localbusiness but 40 other people and theirfamilies.

When customers shop at e Plant-ed Tree, they say they love the vibe,Teresa added. Its not all the fluores-cent lights youll see at a big box store;its more intimate and friendly.

Youre going to get superior cus-tomer service when you buy from a

local business, Teresa pointed out.As downtown businesses, were like aneighborhood. People are welcome tocome and just visit if they want. I likefinding out where my customers comefrom and chatting with them whiletheyre here. I believe if people knowyou, theyll be more aptto support what youredoing.

e Planted Treestarted as an idea thatcame to Teresa whileshe was watching a pa-rade. She saw that theowner of the PrairiePeddler bicycle shop,

which once occupiedher current space, wasmoving.

When I saw the bike shop wasmoving, I thought this place was justscreaming to be an art gallery, Teresasaid. With the exposed brick on thewalls and the tin ceilings, and beingright next to a coffee shop, I thoughtit would be perfect for an art co-op.

Teresa quickly came to the realiza-tion that there wasnt enough people,time and resources for a co-op, so sheopened the space as a private business.

She had been working at a local bankand had to leave due to health issues.But I have to be around people. And

I used to consign in other shops andwas looking for a steadier place for mypieces, so this place was basically bornout of necessity, she explained. I felta shop like this was needed in Prairiedu Chien.

Teresas parents were both artistswho owned a gallery in McGregor,

called the Snowbird. So naturally,she grew up on a main street hub in asmall community with a lot of creativeinfluence. My dad did hand-tooledleather work and my mom did oil andpastel paintings, she said.

As her own hobby, Teresa has beenmaking vintage screens, stenciledsigns and painted antique buckets forsome time. She has a knack for repur-

posing what others may consider junk.One such display can be seen in howthe stained glass is hanging in ePlanted Treeon an old steel securitydoor.

If you clean things up and repur-pose them, they can look really great

but also be done verycheaply, she noted.

Teresa opened herstorefront in July of2012 with 10 artists,including herself, thatshe hand-picked.

I knew I wantedtheir art displayed hereand that I wanted to

work with them. I con-tacted them person-ally and invited them

to take this journey with me, Teresastated. By the fall of 2012, she hadadded another 15 to 20 artists, andthe gallery has continued to grow eversince. Most of my artists are here be-cause theyre happy to share a piece ofthemselves with the world.

Artists who have items on display/for sale at e Planted Tree receive themajority of the purchase price (thatthey set). e business gets a smallerpart of the commission, which is usedtoward overhead costs of running thegallery. Many of the artists will create

commissioned pieces on special ordersfrom customers.Artists featured in the shop are se-

lected on a juried basis. e board thatreviews the artists includes three peo-ple as well as Teresa herself.

e Planted Tree always welcomesnew artists; however there is a waiting

PLANTED TREE, from page 1

If you havent stopped by The Planted Tree Gallery and Gifts since it opened

two years ago, you should take some time to do so. Its a great shop to findthe beautiful, eclectic and unusual items you wont find anywhere else.

list for most mediums.I limit the artists doing any one

medium in order to give them all a fairchance at sales, Teresa said. For ex-ample, I have four jewelry artists anda handful of photographers. I have 12photographers on my waiting list; itsa popular category.

e price range of the products isfrom a couple of dollars on up. Itspretty amazing what we can sell inhere for $50, Teresa said.

Tourists are a main aspect of herbusiness. Teresa has plenty of local

customers but she also caters to an ex-tended summer tourist base of camp-ers and annual event-goers in thePrairie du Chien area. In addition, cus-tomers visit frequently from withina four-hour radiusfrom cities suchas Chicago and the Quad Cities. Shesalso welcomed people from around thecountry as well as out of the country,

from Canada, Finland, Australia, Bei-jing and Germany.

ats what I love about this.eres something different everyday. I never know whats coming inthe doorwhether its my customersor new art. e one thing that sepa-rates this space from other galleries isthat its like a home, Teresa said. Iman artist who is compelled to createthings and, being here, I have that cre-ative outlet, plus the gallery providesa space for local artists to feature theirmasterpieces. Its a place where we can

all thrive.e Planted Tree is open Wednes-day through Saturday from 10 a.m.to 4 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4p.m.

For more information or to keep upwith whats new at the art gallery, finde Planted Tree Gallery on Facebookor call (608) 326-8733.

I thought thisplace was just

screaming to bean art gallery.

-Teresa ChampionThe Planted Tree


3/16

Courier Press Success, 2014 Page 3


601 E. Blackhawk Ave.


Office: 608-326-2511

Office Hrs ~

Monday 8:30- 8:00 pm

Tuesday, Wednesday, and

Friday 8:30- 6:00 pm

Saturday 8-noon by

appointment

Closed on Thursday

Dr Alan Weber is a practicing chiropractorwith an emphasis in sports injuries. WeberChiropractic offers laser therapy, lower backand neck traction and soft tissue work. We holdHealth and Nutrition classes a few times a yearwhich offer one-on-one consultation and have awide selection of nutritional products on hand.

We appreciate our loyal patients and arealways accepting new patients.

WeberChiropractic

Will be celebrating 18 years of practicein prairie du chien, Wisconsin

The relaxed atmosphere of Bobby Jones offi ce, along with his outgoing per-

sonality, helps to put clients at ease.

income tax preparation at WesternWisconsin Technical College in La

Crosse and is scheduled to graduatein May of 2015.

Western and wildlife artwork, aswell as head mounts from huntingtrips to South Africa, lend a touchof personality and a relaxed atmo-

sphere to Bobbys office, but thestrict professionalism remains as

the business serves its clients needsand keeps abreast of ever-changingtax laws.

I always treat everybody withrespect, said Bobby. Everybody issomebody.

JONES, from page 1

The sense of community and cus-tomer service is very important toTender Care, noted Ken. We reallywanted this to be a family business.

The family aspect of the businessthe Quicks want to focus on is notone of blood, but rather a need to lettheir customers know that the staffcares as much about their animals as

they do. Although, they wouldnt bedisappointed if Tender Care grew toinclude their two children, Kyle andKailee.

We keep try ing to groom them [totake over], but our daughter reallywants to make pizzas, Ken laughed,noting that shes young enough tochange her mind many more times.

Until then, Ken and Jami con-tinue to employ individuals they feelmeet certain care requirements. Wecan teach people techniques if they

dont have them, but we cant traincompassion, explained Jami.

Ken expanded upon Jamis ideaby saying that they like to make surethe reception area is bright and wel-coming. Our staff is really the keyto that. They go the extra mile with-out us or the customers asking. Likeif someone buys dog food, our staff

will help the customer carry it out tothe car, he added.Another feature of the reception

office many people feel adds to thewarm welcome is the friendly cats.We didnt plan on having this many,but theyre so socialized. We usuallylet them wander the place, com-mented Jami, who did note that theywill confine the cats if they know acustomer doesnt like them.

Other services that Tender Careoffers besides a warm and furry wel-

TLC, from page 1

Profiles of a Door GreeterNo matter whether theyve been there for years or

months, the feline door greeters are never too busy toleave you with a smile on your face and fur all over yourclothes.

Sully, the only male, is known as quite the ladies man.He believes he owns the place, and,according to the staff, he may becorrect. He came to Tender Care asa surrender in 2010, and hes beenthere ever since.

Hope, the mirror image of TenderCares first cat, Faith, was born in

March of 2010, and easily found her way into the hearts of the staff. ough,Hopes mischievous nature has gained the nickname Hopeless, the staff hasdecided to love her anyway.

Scout came to the clinic in 2004, as a feral cat. Af-

ter years of love, shes decided that the world wasntquite as scary as she believed andnow roams the building looking forplants to munch.

Last, but not least, Flicka seemsto be integrating herself well into life at Tender Care. Shecame to the clinic this winter, very sick and in need of alot of attention. After mending her body and heart, Flickawas adopted, but when she got to the house, she was tooscared and had to come back to the clinic, where she hassince been very happy.

We think shes probably here to stay, said Jami, notingthat they would love to see her find a forever home, even ifit wasnt in their offi ce.

Sully Hope

Flicka

Scout

come include veterinary care, petwellness exams, treatments for sick-ness, pain management, dentistry,digital x-rays, cardiology, surgery,24/7 emergency care, as well asboarding and grooming. Althoughmany of these things seem to comewith your standard veterinary of-fice, Tender Care has a few areas it

feels superior in service. We offerindoor/outdoor runs for boarding.We also have laser surgery and withthat, you get less pain, less bleedingand less swelling; its amazing, saidJami.

The teams dedication to the prac-tice of small animal medicine is oneof Jamis favorite things about herpractice.

Theres just so much to knowwith small animals and stay up todate with, commented Jami, whowent on to explain that the entirestaff is required to continue theireducation and training.

Even our vet techs need training.Our staff of two vet techs and threevet assistants are all certified, Kenadded.

When it comes to success, theQuicks have a very thorough defini-tion. Success is hard work and per-severance with a goal in mind. Youhave to be genuine, said Jami.

In addition, Ken said that theirbusiness success can be chalked upto the unwavering quality care theyprovide. Quality care is what ourcustomers look for and its what wewant to provide. You have to make aconscious effort to stay true to yourbeliefs even when times are tough,he said.

Tender Care Animal Hospital, lo-cated at 1420 E. Lessard St. in Prai-rie du Chien, is open Monday andFriday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesday andThursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.;Wednesday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; andSaturday, 8 a.m. to noon.

In Beautiful Downtown Prairie du Chien, Bonnie & Denny, your hosts

SAWMILLSALOON

Come join us in our Beer Garden for fun, relaxing atmosphere Cold Beer Great Drinks Good Times

Celebrate holidays or every day with us!Bonnie & Denny hope to see you soon at the Sawmill Saloon.

LiveMusic! CoolDrinks!

Pool! BeanBags!

GoodTimes!

JukeBox!



4/16


106 West Blackhawk Ave.

Prairie du Chien, WI 53821

608-326-8461

[email protected]

www.suttoninsuranceinc.com

in downtown

Prairie du Chien!

Third generation family business:

George Sutton1957-1988

Robert Sutton1977 - present

Tarah Sutton Marx

2000 - present

Celebrating57Years

history heritage

tradition

120 N. Marquette RdPrairie du Chien, WI

6083262387email: [email protected]

Monday thru Friday 8 am to 8 pm

Saturday & Sunday 9 am - 6 pm

l i i li i ll ili i i i i i il i l I ll i l l l i

i i i i l i i l il l

i


Serving Prairie du Chien and the surrounding area withfriendly, expert advice for 25 years!

Interstate Federal Savings and Loan celebrates 100 years

By Audrey Posten

Interstate Federal Savings and Loanin McGregor celebrates its 100th birth-day this year. Originally named theHome Building and Loan, the institu-tion was founded in 1914 by a groupof McGregor businessmen, including

Logan Blizzard, Anton Huebsch, JohnJack Kramer and Charles Kramer,who felt providing funds, especially forhome ownership, was a much-neededservice in the community.

Home Building and Loan startedin the Kramer Clothing Store buildingand, in April 1915, it was incorporated

Interstate Federal Savings and Loan Association of McGregor celebrates its

100th year in business this year. The institution currently has three full-time

employees: Treasurer Kathy Davies (left) with 20 years of service, Secretary

Cheryl Smola with 23 years and President Cathy Denning with 35 years of

service. (Photo by Audrey Posten)

in the state of Iowa. e first home loanwas made to William Myers, father ofRichard Myers, on the present Craigand Terri Strutt house.

Home Building and Loan was orga-nized as a mutual savings association,a non-stock institution. As a mutual as-sociation, the ability to raise capital isrestricted to retained earnings. eseare the earnings that stay with thebank after expenses, salaries, taxes andinterest are paid on accounts. Becauseretained earnings grow slowly, manymutuals are conservative in their capi-tal investment and maintain healthycapital levels to weather severe eco-nomic storms. All depositors are own-ers, and their ownership ends when de-posits and interest are withdrawn fromthe bank. Mutual associations werepopular among savers and borrowersduring the world wars and the GreatDepression, as many distrusted tradi-tional banks.

Upon receipt of its charter and fed-eral insurance of deposits in Aug. 1935,the institution was renamed Interstate

Federal Savings and Loan Associationof McGregor. In 1956, Interstate Feder-al moved to its current location at 154Main St., following the purchase of thebuilding from famous local photogra-pher Margery Goergen.

Although long gone are the days(1981) when borrowers paid 20 percentinterest for mortgage loans and saversearned a 5.5 percent interest rate onregular passbook savings and 16 per-cent return on a two-year certificate ofdeposit, there are a lot of things thathavent changed at Interstate Federal.

Customers can open savings ac-counts and have loans serviced, butchecking accounts are still not available.

Weve not been forced into addingthat, President Cathy Denning said ofchecking, adding that customers aresatisfied to have their homes financedthrough a different bank than some oftheir other accounts.

Community members can also be as-sured the level of service hasnt changedeither. Denning said customers oftencome in after shopping around forhome financing and are relieved to havethe process explained to them at Inter-state Federal.

ats the biggest thing, Denningsaid of getting that understanding. Somany times, they hear whats the pay-ment, not about how thats going toadjust.

Denning said Interstate Federallooks at income-to-debt ratio and helpspeople readjust over time.

We wont set you up to fail, shesaid. We service loans to where theydont end up in foreclosure.

In 2009, when the economy nose-dived, Denning said an article was writ-ten about the number of delinquent

loans at Iowa banks, and InterstateFederal was mentioned.

We had zero percent, while therewere some with 25 percent or more,Denning said. Weve had very few fore-closures. Maybe two properties sinceIve been here. Before that, there wereonly a couple as well.

Unlike other banks, Interstate Fed-eral does not sell its loans to the sec-ondary market and money isnt spentout to stockholders.

It all stays here, Denning said.e institution received an out-

standing rating on the 2014 Federal

See INTERSTATE FEDERAL, page 5


5/16



Building Supplies - Tools - Paint - Diamond Pet Food & Bird Food!

1155 E. LaPointe St., (608) 326-8497 Prairie du Chien, WI

Started in 1904!

Miniature Precision Components(MPC) has been a major employerfor the Prairie du Chien area formany years.

MPC is a recognized leader in theinnovative design and production ofworld-class, thermoplastic qualityparts for the expanding automotive,and commercial industries.

Throughout its history, MPC hasmaintained the unique ability tomake a wide variety of thermoplasticcomponents and assemblies. MPCscustomers confidently rely on MPCspractical design, efficient manufac-turing processes, consistent quality,and competitive pricing.

Jay and Shirley Brost founded thecompany in March of 1972. Withinthe first year of business an automo-tive check valve was developed, pat-ented, and manufactured for FordMotor Company. The entrepreneur-ial spirit in which the company wasfounded in 1972 is alive and well andshared by MPCs 1,500 employees.MPC attributes their successes tothe creativity and dedication of itsemployees.

The Prairie du Chien facilityopened in 1986 on the north side oftown near Design Homes. Recogniz-ing the need for expansion, MPC pur-chased a grocery store on the southend of town in 1988 and moved thefacility to its current location. Partof the original store front construc-

tion is still in place near the centerof the facility. Since that time, MPChas added four additions for a totalof 100,000 square feet. The Prairiedu Chien facility primarily assem-bles high volume automotive com-ponents used for under the hoodapplications of vehicles, i.e. oil caps,check valves, PCV valves, quick con-nects, oil fill tubes, coolant adapterassemblies and many more. On aver-age, MPC ships more than 2 millionparts per month from the Prairie duChien facility and chances are if youdrive a car, truck or van you haveparts on it that came directly fromthis facility.

Prairie du Chiens largest cus-tomer is currently Chrysler followedclosely by Ford, GM, Nissan, Toyotaand Honda.

MPC currently has 137 employeesat the Prairie du Chien location with45 percent of its employees havinga 10-year or greater tenure. It is be-cause of these dedicated employeesthat MPC is as successful as it is to-day. MPC is, and will continue to be,a positive influence on the commu-nity by participating in communityevents such as the Relay for Life,Eagles Heart and Cancer Telethon,blood drives, Back-to-School Drive,

Adopt-A-Family, Coat, Hat and Mit-ten Drive, food drives and muchmore.

MPC continuesto be a positiveinfluence in community

The employees are the reason that MPC is a world class automotive manu-

facturer. Some of the employees are, front row, from left: Peggy Johnson,

Brian Knox, Tyler Kirby and Tom Hampton. Back row: Plant Manager Lisa Es-

ser, Bryan Barrette, Patty Ronnfeldt, Cindy Slama, Lisa Mara, Sandy Guern-

sey, Carleen Hilburn, Diane Kohlstedt, Dawn Clinton and Karla Posten.

BuyLocalIt Maers

Over 3X more of your money

stays in your communitywhen you buy local.

You Matter!

ThankYouto all ofour customers that have

supported us the past 2

years. The Planted TreeGallery & Giftsdowntown Prairie du Chien


PRAIRIE CAMPER SALESHwy 18 & 35 South, Prairie du Chien, WI (608) 326-2014

Service Supply Store LP & Dump Station

Pre-Owned Trailers, 5th Wheels and Park Models

INTERSTATE FEDERAL, from page 4

Celebrating 1Yearhistory heritage tradition

NCS Gunsmithing& Sales

Tues-Thurs 10am-6pm;Fri & Sat 10am-8pm

Certified & LicensedGunsmith & Duracoat

Specialists

Gunsmithing

Indoor Archery

Duracoat Finishing

Firearm & Bow Sales

Chad & Nick

Smethhurst

815 E. Campion Blvd., Prairie du Chien, WI 608-326-HUNT

Community Reinvestment Act Evalu-ation, the first such rating its ever re-ceived. at track record and level ofservice has served Interstate Federalwell.

It speaks well for what we do in thecommunity, Denning said, mentioningthat Interstate Federal has also not re-ceived any consumer complaints.

In fact, added Secretary Cheryl Smo-

la, most of Interstate Federals businesscomes from repeat business and refer-rals, especially from generation to gen-eration.

When a person comes in and paysoff their loan and says its been a plea-sure doing business with us, that feed-back makes our work special, Denningsaid. ats why were here. e com-munity keeps us viable.

e employees and directors over100 years have also contributed to In-terstate Federals viability. InterstateFederal currently has three full-timeemployees: Denning, who has workedthere for 35 years, Smola with 23 yearsof service and Kathy Davies with 20.

Current directors include James Teaser(22 years), Robert Eggen (16 years), Jo-seph Breckler (eight years) and LindaWitter (seven years).

e institution has had 26 direc-tors, including dentist W.F. Todd, at-torney Frank OBrien, Ed Norhus, FredHuebsch, Norman Scrogum, Robert R.Brooks, Robert E. Coon, Duane orn-burg, Charles Brooks, Esten Williams,Dale Reynolds and Christine Hammel.

ese individuals listened carefully,

weighing possibilities, and made deci-sions that would not only benefit thecommunity, but also profit the institu-tion, said a statement from InterstateFederal. ey could look at dollars andcents and still see each customer as anindividual with strengths and weak-nesses.

Francis Miller was once a clerk andEva Rogers a collector. Former secre-

taries/bookkeepers include Norma Pe-terson, Mattie Saeugling, Jean Eggen,Carol Voss and Tammy Meyer. CPA Wil-liam Legler from OConnor, Brooks andCo., PC, began performing InterstateFederals independent audits in 1965and still does the audits today.

Filling the shoes of previous work-ers was hard to do. For Smola, that wasJean Eggen.

Maybe she would be busy, but [cus-tomers] would wait for her [rather thango to another person]. ey didnt carehow long they had to wait, Smola said.at impressed me. Such a wonderfulexample of service.

For Denning, who started as a teller,

it was learning from Hammel, CharlesBrooks and other directors.Its learning it, learning that the cus-

tomers always right, she said. Learn-ing how to give that kind of service.

As a celebration of 100 years of suc-cess and as a token of appreciation toits customers, Interstate Federal willpresent a customer with a gift certifi-cate from a local business from a weeklydrawing held now until the end of theyear.


6/16



Ridge-N-River Realty934 B South Marquette Rd,


To view pictures and details on each listing visitwww.ridgenriver.com

Our heart is where your home is.

Licensed in Wisconsin and Iowa

Kristin and Randy Kozelka

608-326-1600or

608-412-3103Each ReMax ofce,

independently owned & operated

BOSCOBELREADYMIX 608-375-5071 GAYSMILLSREADYMIX 608-735-4696

FERRYVILLEREADYMIX 608-734-3786 PRAIRIEDUCHIENREADYMIX 608-326-6471

PRAIRIESAND & GRAVEL608-326-6471

Ready Mix Concrete

Prairie Sand& Gravelfor your:

Sand, Gravel & Fill Rock

Prairie Excavationfor your:

Basement Excavation

Site Preparation

Roads Top Soil

Crushed/Recycled Asphalt - Dust Free! Ideal for driveways or parking lots

for your:

Foundations

Feedlots

Retaining Walls


Rolling out the carpet for 16 years locally

Carpets To Go General Manager Bryann Pickette is proud to offer customers

pretty much anything they want for home and commercial flooring, includ-

ing carpet, tile, laminate and vinyl, in thousands of different styles and colors.

The Carpets To Go flooring outlet has been located at the corner of Mar-quette and Iowa Streets in Prairie du Chien for 16 years. The company

also has a store in Onalaska, which opened about five years prior to the

local outlet.

By Correne Martin

Carpets To Go in Prairie du Chiencan find its customers nearly anyflooring surface they wish, in thou-sands of different styles and colors,and at a better price than the big

stuffy stores.We can pretty much get anythingyou want, General Manager BryannPickette said. If you want the bestprice, obviously you want to orderwhat we have in stock. But chancesare, if you see something in a maga-zine or online, we can order it too.

We probably have more carpet in-ventory in stock than anybody within60 miles, said Manager Barb Rickels,one of two full-time employees at thestore (in addition to Kirk Laufer).

Carpets To Go started in Onalas-ka in 1995 when Ray Hale, who hadowned a flooring store since the early1970s, saw a change in the market.

He noticed outlet stores were more indemand as customers were becomingmore price conscious. ey werentlooking for all the design fees of a fullservice store. Instead, they were insearch of great products at great pric-es. So Hale opened a store there.

In 1995, he opened a second outletin Prairie du Chien.

Pickette, who married Hales daugh-ter, started in the family business af-ter he graduated college in 1998. Sincethat time, he said there havent beenmany significant changes in the indus-

try, though hard surfaces are current-ly growing in popularity, in compari-son to the indoor and outdoor carpet.

Were always going to sell carpet.But, we used to sell about 70 percentcarpet and, now, its more like 50 per-cent of the business, Pickette said.

Luxury vinyl tiles are the hot thingright now. You can put them downand grout in between to make it looklike ceramic flooring or wood flooring.eyre also a lot softer and warmerunder foot, theyre waterproof andthey wont shatter if you drop some-thing on them.

Pickette also listed vinyl flooring,wood flooring and laminate as moredesirable choices for customers thesedays.

People like a lot of the frills too.Weve seen more glass tiles and kitch-en back splashes in the last two tothree years, he added. Almost every-body who builds a new home wants a

custom shower put in, with tiles upthe walls, too.When it comes to carpet, the types

sold are less shaggy and pulled tighterthan they were five years ago, accord-ing to Pickette. People are tending topurchase more of the high-end car-pets, particularly for living rooms andbedrooms.

Popular brand names include Shaw,Mohawk and Mannington, whilestyles include frieze, berber and in-door/outdoor. Carpet prices at thePrairie du Chien Carpets To Go floor-

ing outlet range from $1.15 per squarefoot up to $3.50 per square foot.

Im hearing from our reps that car-pet designed with patterns will be thenext big thing, he noted, things likeleaves and geometric designs.

Customers shopping at Carpets ToGo will find the experience to be pleas-ant. Pickette said people seem to likethe big, bright and open layout. eycan pick up tiles, feel the carpet andtouch all of the products up close.

If you want, you can take a coupletiles home and see if you like your

choice before you spend the money,Pickette stated.ose who purchase flooring from

Carpets To Go will be connected witha local sub-contractor who can in-stall the carpet for a fee. Customersalso have access to financing and theywont be pressured by a force of salespeople.

We want our customers to be hap-py with what they ultimately choosefor their home, Pickette added.

Carpets To Go is open Mondaythrough Friday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.,and Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Designs and patterns, such as the

leaves shown here, are the next big

thing in the carpet industry.


7/16



TENDERCAREANIMALHOSPITALLLC

We offer comprehensivecare including: LASER surgery Digital X-rays EKGs Ultrasound In house bloodwork

www.tendercareanimalhospital.com

Boarding &

Grooming Available!

1420 E. Lessard St. Prairie du Chien, WI608-326-7101

Mon & Fri 8am-5pm

Tues & Thurs 7:30am-5:30pmWed 8am-6pm

Sat 8am-12pm

The best equipped clinic to takecare of your pet

Routine Checkups Advanced Hygiene Care Crowns in one appointmentDentures & Denture Repair Invisalign - (clear braces) Bridges

Extractions Teeth Whitening Options Cosmetic Dentistry & More!

820 S. Marquette Rd, Prairie du Chien, WI - 608-326-6886

Celebrating 21 Years

We are equipped with the latest in dental

technology and are committed to serving our

patients with compassion and value.

Accepting New Patients! We have openings to fit your busy schedule!

Other whitening options available too!

Focus is onquality at Picture ThisBy Ted Pennekamp

Quality has always been my fo-

cus, said Kris Rogers, owner of Pic-ture This 1 Hour Photo and Digitalin Prairie du Chien. I want every-ones photographs to be the bestthat they can be.

Picture This, located at 60 River-side Square, opened in September of2004. Picture This has much to offerincluding film and digital process-ing, print scans, slide scans, photoretouching, invitations (includinggraduations and the like), greetingcards, frames (including some un-usually sized frames), albums, can-vass prints, and photo gifts (includ-ing mugs, calendars, T-shirts, mousepads and more). You are only lim-

ited by your imagination, said Kris,who noted that photo gifts can beordered online at picturethisinpdc.com.

Kris said that she is always hap-py to offer advice and to work withthe client in order to make the cli-

ents photo the best that it can bein terms of cropping, sizing, color,proper exposure, and many other as-pects. Photographs are memories,she said. They are a way to writewith light.

Kris uses wet chemistry tech-nology at Picture This because itprocesses the image so that it actual-ly becomes part of the photo paper.The image is actually a photographicprint and not just four layers of inkprinted on top of photo quality pa-per. I always wanted to have thequality, said Kris, who noted that aprint made via wet chemistry is bet-

ter and more archival than ink onpaper.Kris at Picture This can be con-

tacted at (608) 326-2341.

Kris Rogers of Picture This offers numerous photographic services and

items to help preserve your treasured memories.

By Correne Martin

If youre at all like the rest ofthe public interested in the local,organic and healthy food move-mentgood food minus the GMOs,pesticides and otherharmful practicesyouve been anxiouslyawaiting the openingof Driftless Edibles indowntown Prairie duChien.

Ericka Stubbs of-ficially opened herdoors for business at126 West Blackhawk

Avenue, on May 8,

offering basically awhole grocery storeon a small scale.

Within just tworooms, shoppers canfind everything fromfresh and plentifulproduce; grass-fed beef; bulk herbs,spices, pastas and candy; sunflow-er and olive oil; honey; dairy freeand gluten free products includingcheeses, yogurt and ice cream; fro-zen foods; baking goods; homemadebread and buns; health and beautyproducts like fluoride-free tooth-paste; cleaning products; essential

oils; kids food, diapers, books and

toys; and miscellaneous items suchas citronella candles, bug spray andlump charcoal.

We have a strong focus on sellinglocally-grown, locally-made items.

We buy the bulk ofour goods from localfarmers/growers whocare about this areaand about providingquality food to thepeople who call theDriftless Area home,Stubbs said. Peoplecan literally do alltheir grocery shop-ping here. If theres

something peoplewant, Im more thanhappy to try to getit for them. And ifsomeone is interestedin selling their prod-ucts here, theyre wel-

come to get in touch with me.To compliment the various shop-

ping opportunities at Driftless Edi-bles, Stubbs has some exciting pro-grams shes offering her customers.

One, every third Monday of themonth will be Community-Minded

Organic, healthy foodsavailable at BlackhawkAvenue grocery store

See GROCERY STORE, page 11

We buy thebulk of our goods

from localfarmers/growers

who care about thisarea and about

providing qualityfood to the people

who call the Driftless

Area home.

-Erika Stubbs

Driftless Edibles


8/16



Maggies DinerMaggies DinerCheck out the video

on Maggie'sFacebook page!

Try our delicioushomestyle meals &homemade desserts!

28534 Hwy 18 McGregor, IA 563-873-2935 Open Daily!

Good Food, Great Company


Kohler

MTD

Toro

Murray

Small EngineDoctors, LLC

115 S. Michigan,


608-326-1990

Stihl

Oregon

Husqvarna

Simplicity Briggs & Stratton


Happy

Hour

M-Th11-6Downtown Prairie du Chien, WI

326-2232

ROWDYS D&DDan & Deb Welcome You!

... Join us for

Happy Hour 3 - 5 pmServing Daily Lunch Specials,

Burgers w/Homemade Fries,

Homemade Pizza, and

Appetizers

By Correne MartinPrairie Industries was established

20 years ago, on April 15, 1994. JimHutchison began the company with aworkforce of eight who manually in-spected packaging and provided sort-ing services to 3M. Today, it is oneof the larger employers in Prairie duChien with a core workforce of about220 employees (plus 50 to 60 summertemps) between two plants located onthe north and south ends of the com-munity. It provides a wide range ofpackaging, converting, manufacturingand warehouse services to a number ofcontracted customers all over the coun-try.

e humble beginnings of Prairie In-dustries developed in a 6,000-square-foot warehouse at 800 North StateStreet, in Prairie du Chien. Since thattime, there have been three additionsto the original retail packaging facili-tyin 1997, 2001 and 2002bringingthe warehouse up to 125,000 square

feet. An additional 100,000 square feetof space is available at the chemical/liq-uid packaging plant at 38023 Industri-al Drive in Bridgeport. at plant waspurchased in 2004, opened in 2006 andexpanded in 2008.

Remarkably, all of that growth hasbeen accomplished through word ofmouth from the companys customers.Prairie Industries prides itself on let-ting the services they provide serve asa marketing tool to expand and growthe business over the past 20 years.It also uses media tools like websites,Facebook, and various manufacturingmemberships to create awareness forpotential new customers.

We have an excellent reputationestablished with our customers. Wethrive on offering top notch customerservice, stated Tina Stoeffl er, plantmanager at Prairie Industries North.With local ownership, that means wecan get things done in a shorter time-frame which benefits our customers.

Hutchison is the owner and JeffPanka is the president of both PrairieIndustries and its sister company, Nu-Pak, in Boscobel.

According to Prairie Industries Face-book page, the companys number onegoal is to put out the highest qualityproduct possible, on time, at competi-tive prices, and in an employee friendlywork environment.

As somewhat of a hidden secret inPrairie du Chien, many citizens arentaware of what happens at Prairie Indus-tries.

If you arent an employee or knowsomeone who works here, you probablydont know what we do, Stoeffl er com-mented.

However, theres quite a spectrum ofcapabilities the company provides itscustomers, including liquid mixing andfilling, blister packaging, die cutting,shrink wrapping, as well as display as-sembly.

Prairie Industries also has clamshellsealing machines and several small bag-

ging machines that offer a variety ofpackage styles for various products andcustomers.

Also in retail packaging, the compa-ny offers a wide variety of die cuttingoptions that can service both small andlarge volumes.

Prairie Industries is an emergingcompany in the processes of liquid mix-ing and packaging for products suchcleaning chemicals, humidity controlledpackages, and liquid pouches. Accord-ing to the companys website (www.pind.com), it offers an unboundednumber of packaging options custom-tailored to fit any volume requirement.

Finally, display building is another

significant portion of the business forPrairie Industries, which assemblesmore than 50,000 large retail displayseach year. e website says, We arecapable of filling any display assemblyneed you have, regardless of size orquantity. We have years of experienceand can ship these displays direct to

Shown here are a variety of the packaging capabilities Prairie Industries of-

fers its contracted customers.

Prairie Industries hidden secret: world-class quality packaging

your customer.Most people dont realize how many

different types of packaging and prod-ucts we have, Stoeffl er said. Some ofour product lines have even been de-veloped in house. We do a lot of engi-neering and reverse engineering for ourcustomers. We work with the customeron lean principles and practices to im-prove processes where we can, mini-

mize waste, and reduce overall costs forour customers. We are environmentallyconscious as well with our recyclingprograms at each facility. In addition,our South facility here in town hassolar panels that generate energy andpower for that facility

Futhermore, Prairie Industries sis-

See PRAIRIE INDUSTRIES, page 10


1501 E. Lessard St., Prairie du Chien, WI

608.326.0800 century21welter.com

TO ASK A QUICK QUESTION. TO SEE WHATS GOING

ON AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD. TO GET SOME

REAL ESTATE KNOW-HOW. BUT WE WONT BE

OFFENDED IF YOU JUST STOP BY TO SHOOT

THE BREEZE AND SHARE A CUP OF COFFEE.

PEOPLE DO IT ALL THE TIME.

Steve Welter

Tina Osterhaus

Tahra Ferguson

Kendra Maulsby

Gary Welter

Cyndi Luster

Becky Hackett

Lauren Lund

Each office is independently owned and operated. Licensed in Iowa & Wisconsin.


9/16


10/16


Celebrating68

Yearshistory heritage tradition

GARRITYFUNERAL HOME

Serving all faithsin SW Wisconsin & NE Iowa since 1946

Please call(608) 326-2212

or visit our website: www.garrityfuneralhome.com

Corner of Taylor & South Ohio StreetPrairie du Chien, Wisconsin

328 E. Blackhawk Ave., Prairie du Chien, WI

608-326-6488 800-299-6488 www.halpintire.com

Auto, Light Truck, Commercial, Farm & IndustryAUTOMOTIVE SERVICE CENTER

Brakes Air Conditioning Exhaust Tune-Ups

CompleteTire Service


Celebrating 55Years in PdC


JIMS BARDOWNTOWN

PRAIRIE du CHIEN

Come and joinyour friends

and enjoy

your favoritebeverage!

Five employees recently celebrated their 20-year anniversary of working at

Prairie Industries, which opened two decades ago on April 15, 1994, in Prai-

rie du Chien. They are (from left) Jeff Crusan, Tina Hendrickson, Tina Stoef-

fler, Stacy Gramlich and owner Jim Hutchison. Missing from the photo are

Rose McDermott and Ruth Redman.

ter company, Nu-Pak, specializes inready-to-eat meat and cheese packag-ing. Slicing and shredding of the prod-ucts can be done in addition to pouch-ing at the plant. Nu-Pak is most proudof being A rated, BRC certifiedthehighest food safety rating available.

Approximately 375 employees work atthat facility in Boscobel.

Locally, Stoeffl er said, the businessis a strong, stable company that sup-ports the local economy and providesgood jobs for many employees through-out the area.

We have great working conditions,

said Brad Smock, production managerat Prairie Industries North. We offer

good benefits to our employees. Mostmanufacturing facilities arent air con-ditioned, whereas most of our produc-tion areas are temperature controlled tomake for a better work environment.

Smock explained that employees arecredited for their attendance as well. Ifan employee works 100 percent of theirscheduled hours, they can earn up toanother week of time off in each year,he said.

Our employees are the core andheart of Prairie Industries. We operateas one team and their ideas and inputare key factors that help us continue be

a long-standing, stable business in thePrairie du Chien area, Stoeffl er said.

We encourage and reward employ-ee suggestions with various rewardsthroughout the year, including timeoff, drawings, gift cards, and even apreferred monthly parking space draw-ing for those employees participatingin our safety suggestion program.

Another incentive is that employeesare recognized and rewarded for everyfive-year increment of employment

with the company. Prairie Industriesbelieves that it is important to recog-nize these employees for their hardwork and dedication during their em-ployment.

In addition, Prairie Industries is abig supporter of activities and organi-zations in the Prairie du Chien area.e company has given to local sportsorganizations, little leagues, civic clubs,Easter egg hunts, Operation Santa,hospital events, golf outings, postproms and much more. It uses South-west Technical Colleges customized

trainings and certification programson a regular basis. It also has offeredscholarship programs with the collegeas well as the local school district.

Prairie Industries currently operateson a two-shift/five-day operation.

Were in a regrowth period, Stoef-fler stated. We lost some business toMexico a couple years ago, but we re-main confident that our cost competi-

tiveness, a new marketing strategy andour ability to look outside the box whenworking with our customers will helpus continue to gain additional businessas we move forward. I truly believe inthe contract packaging services weprovide to our customers. As a 20-yearemployee with Prairie Industries, I amvery proud and thankful to be a part ofsuch a great company in a wonderfulcommunity.

For more information, find PrairieIndustries on Facebook, visit www.pind.com or call 326-2500.

PRAIRIE INDUSTRIES, from page 8

Little Switzerland InnCell 608-412-0400 littleswitzerlandinn.com

Rob Roy Suite, 3 bedroom apartment, balcony view of Mississippi River

126 Main St., McGregor, IA 563-873-2057

Open

YearRound!

SadiesSweet Shop

In the store front of

Little Switzerland


Alpine Suite, sleeps 2/on ground floor

Chalet Suite, sleeps 6 Sadies Log Cabin, sleeps 6

Private Baths/WhirlpoolsCable TV/AC/Wi-Fi Private Entrances

Microwaves, Refrigerators & Coffeemakers

Children & Pet Friendly

Award Winning Ashbys Sterling Ice Cream Home Baked Pies & Chocolates

Stop By & SatisfyYour Sweet Tooth!


11/16


Nursing home ratings arecompiled by The Centers forMedicare and MedicaidServices and are based on:

Health Inspections Stafng

Quality Measures

1400 W. Main, McGregor, Iowa 52157 563.873.3527www.greatrivercare.com

Great River Care Center

Great River Care Center is celebrating their success of being a

5-Star facility!

Compare for yourself at www.medicare.gov/nursinghomecompare


Lorenz ChiropracticPrairie du Chien 608-326-2737

Mon, Wed, Fri 8-12; 1-5; urs 1-5

Boscobel 608-375-2411

Tues 8-12; 1-5; urs 8-12

Dr. Patrick Lorenz

Microtel Inn & Suitesoffers several amenitiesBy Ted Pennekamp

In a relatively short time, MicrotelInn & Suites of Prairie du Chien hasbecome quite successful. Microtel,located at 1833 S. Marquette Road,opened on June 12, 2009. For the pastthree years, the motel has been ownedand operated by Cary and Laurie Turn-er.

Microtel has 59 rooms, including 11suites, 35 doubles, four handicapped

accessible rooms (including twosuites), and nine single rooms.

Microtel has an indoor, heated pooland hot tub which offer recreation andrelaxation to guests year round.

Many other amenities are offeredas well, including a full complimentaryhot breakfast, 24-hour coffee and cap-puccino, and a nacho bar in the eve-nings from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Our breakfast is the last impres-sion that our guests will have, saidLaurie. So we make it a good one.Laurie noted that the breakfast buf-fet includes scrambled eggs, waffl es,biscuits and gravy, seasoned potatoes,sausage patties, blueberry and banana

nut muffi ns, chocolate and powdereddoughnuts, plain bagels, cherry/creamcheese Danish, various cereals, vari-ous breads (including white, wheatand cinnamon/raisin), oatmeal, hardboiled eggs, cinnamon rolls, cornedbeef hash (when available), and yogurt(raspberry, strawberry and cherry va-nilla). Breakfast hours are from 6 a.m.to 9 a.m. Monday through Friday andfrom 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Saturday andSunday.

e nacho bar includes nacho chips,cheese sauce, jalapeos and salsa. As-sorted cookies are also available. Na-chos are a big hit with our guests, saidLaurie.

For their guests who are anglers orboaters, Microtel offers several boatplug-ins.

Laurie noted that the dedicatedemployees of Microtel are an impor-tant part of the motels success. If itwasnt for them, we wouldnt be werewe are, she said. Business has beenquite good.

For more information, or for reser-vations, interested persons may call(608) 326-8500.

This is the typical spacious suite at Microtel Inn & Suites in Prairie du Chien.

Monday, when 1 percent of all Drift-less Edibles sales will benefit anarea non-profit organization (cho-sen by Stubbs).

Two, memberships can be pur-chased for $50 per year, earningthe customer access to member-on-ly sales twice a month and 10 per-cent off their order three times peryearno matter how large the ordermay be.

I think this will really give cus-tomers a chance to stock up on thethings they need, and get a discountwhen they do that, Stubbs said.

Members can also receive a 15percent discount on classes heldat Driftless Edibles. The classes/workshops, led by Stubbs and herknowledgeable network of friends,may include topics such as brewingkombucha, sprouting seeds, after-dinner cordial-making, and gluten-

free baking. Classes are also open tonon-members.

This has all been a dream in themaking for 25 years. It was justtime, Stubbs said of her new busi-ness. The response has been fan-tastic, more than I could imagine sofar.

Driftless Edibles currently em-ploys one part-time worker, in ad-dition to Stubbs, and plans to offerscholarships to students interestedin alternative careers.

When you shop at Driftless Ed-ibles, you are not only supportingone local business but a multitudeof other vendors the business sup-ports.

Store hours are Monday throughSaturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For more information about thebusiness, contact Ericka at 326-0685 or find Driftless Edibles onFacebook.

Prairie du Chiens Ericka Stubbs opened her new local, organic, healthy food

store at 126 W. Blackhawk Ave., in downtown Prairie du Chien on May 8.

She is shown in her customers favorite bulk foods room. (Photo by Correne

Martin)

GROCERY STORE, from page 7


12/16



300 N Marquette Rd,Prairie du Chien WI

www.thecannerygifts.com

Over 30,000 sq. ft. of Country, Primitive & Rustic Decor

Large Selection of Antiques, Crafts &

Unusually Hard to Find Gifts!

As your familys bridge to wellness across your lifespan,we are not simply about healingwere about the joy of

well-being. Its a new way of looking at healthcare.

Bridging your healthcare needswith over 60+ Services

Formerly known

as Prairie du Chien

Memorial Hospital

705 East Taylor Street l Prairie du Chien, WI 53821

608.357.2000 l crossingrivers.orgWatch for our new state-of-the-art

Medical Center Opening Spring of 2015!

MON-FRI

EVERY FRI & SAT

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT!DAILY FOOD SPECIALS!

Celebrating9 Monthshistory heritage tradition

1618 S. Marquee Rd.Prairie du Chien, WI608-326-2782

Leisure

TiMeFormerly Timber Lanes

NewExpandedMenu!

$2.50RailDrinks

$2.00

DomesticBeer

11AM-6PM

HAPPY HOUR

ASK ABOUT FREE USE OF OUR PARTY ROOMFor Groups up to 75 people Fundraisers, Parties, Receptions!

Creative Enz Salon and Spa a one-stop beautification destination

Julie Lorenz (left), Debbie Polkinghorn, Genna Welch and Bonnie Anghelescu

are part of the six-member Creative Enz Salon and Spa team. Creative Enzoffers a full-service salon experience, including haircuts and coloring, mani-

cures and pedicures, waxing, massages, facials and spray tans. (Photo by

Audrey Posten)

By Audrey Posten

For a full-service salon experi-encehaircuts and coloring, mani-cures and pedicures, waxing, mas-sages, facials and spray tanssomepeople might think they have totravel to a larger city. However,thats simply not the case. Nestledin the heart of McGregor, on MainStreet, is Creative Enz Salon andSpaa one-stop beautification des-tination.

Genna Welch opened Creative Enzin 2005, next door to its current lo-cation. She mostly worked alone,but occasionally added another styl-ist or two. Two and a half years ago,she was ready to expand, both in sizeand services. She also had friendsexperienced in other aspects of thebusiness lined up to join her.

Thats what gave me the jump todo it, Welch said. And its been go-ing well. Weve been really busy.

Six ladies make up the experi-enced Creative Enz teamWelch,Debbie Polkinghorn, Bonnie Anghe-lescu, Julie Lorenz, Kathy Slater andKatie Millerand each is indepen-dent, working as her own boss.

Welch said they service peoplefrom both sides of the riverfrom

Prairie du Chien and Bloomington toGuttenberg and Cedar Rapids.

We make people feel welcome,said Polkinghorn. Its a fun, relax-ing atmosphere.

Their main focus, said Welch, isto make people feel good both insideand out.

We love our job because we likemaking people feel good aboutthemselves when they leave here,she said.

Welch said she also enjoys tryingnew things, especially when coloringclients hair.

Its exciting to see the end re-sult, she said.

For those looking to try some-thing new, Welch said she encourag-es it, quipping that change is good.Just be careful if youre trying to doit yourself.

This year, Ive done a lot of cor-rective coloring, she said. I knowits cheaper to do it yourself, butthen I have to fix it and it costs a lotmore. We guarantee that youll get aprofessional look here.

One service Creative Enz of-fers that patrons might not knowa lot about is spray tanning. UsingFake Bake, which has no carcino-gens, Polkinghorn said she sprays

the person with an air gun. She alsoregularly rotates the product so itdoesnt get old.

I can make your muscles lookbigger and your collar bone stickout, she added, explaining that

shes taken classes, so it will lookprofessional.

Welch said the whole Creative Enzteam attends shows once or twiceper year, so they are always up todate on the latest trends.

Katie Miller (left) and Kathy Slater also work at Creative Enz, located on Main

Street in McGregor. (Photo by Audrey Posten)


13/16


Celebrating 1Yearhistory heritage tradition

Ashley Furniture

HomeStore219 N Marquette Rd,


608-326-0040Open 7 days a Week

Mon-Tues 10am-6pm; Wed 10am-7pm

Thurs-Sat 10am-6pm; Sun 10am-5pm

Certifed Public Accountants516 S. Marquette Road, Prairie du Chien, WI 53821

608 326-6456 Licensed in Iowa, Minnesota & Wisconsin

Give us a call and let us put our years of experience to work for you.We have a wide range of experience in all areas of small business tax, accounting and

auditing issues. Our firm continues to grow as we partner with you to increase your wealth.

Collins & Associates has offices in Prairie du Chien, La Crosse and Westby, Wisconsinand our staff to meet your needs.

Give us a call today at 608-326-6456, 608-784-6448 oremail us at [email protected].

Bill, Jean, Brad, Marlene, Robbie, Lisa and Nicole

Collins & Associates,S.C.



Prairie View Insurance

227 E. Blackhawk Ave. Prairie du Chien, WI 608-326-4443

Representing many companies including:

Assurant Health and National Mutual Benet, Life, Health, Disability and Annuity products

For medical supplement: Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield

Property & Casuality Companies including:

Partners Mutual, Progressive, Liberty Mutual, Dairyland, Foremost and Rain & Hail

Welcomes New Customers & the Opportunity of Working With You!

Rose Wright, Owner & Licensed Producer [email protected]

Leisure Time managers Mike Bowar and Shauna Rowley would happily

share the secret of their success, but if youre adverse to hard work and long

hours, you might not want to hear it. (Photo by Caitlin Bittner)

Space to kick back for an entertaining and leisurely timeBy Caitlin Bittner

Although theyve yet to be in busi-ness for a complete year, the staff ofLeisure Time Sports Bar and Bowl havehad an incredible amount of success.Since starting Oct. 1 of 2013. We tookover during league so we had to jumpright in, said Mike Bower, one of the

mangers of Leisure Time.Leisure Times other manager, Shau-

na Rowley, is still awed by the amountof improvement the business has seen.Weve expanded a lot. ey had fouremployees before. Now, I think wevegot 20-some employees, she said.

e new employees are hired in re-sponse to a demand for more workers,a demand that can be heard especiallyclear on Wednesday nights during ka-raoke. It was standing room only inhere for the last qualifier, said Mike.It was jam-packed at 7.

Aside from the newly-instated ka-raoke nights run by Prairie du Chiensown Kayla Taylor, Leisure Time has

also added many items to the restau-rants menu, as well as specials six daysof the week. e food menu is enor-mous now, said Shauna.

Until we started Taco Tuesday, Ihad no idea how big the demand for ta-cos was, chuckled Mike. People reallyeat a lot of tacos.

e restaurant and bar also offersa variety of drink specials, changingeveryday. We also offer Happy Houreveryday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., com-mented Shauna.

While the restaurant seems to beoperating without a hitch, both Mikeand Shauna were clear that they stillhad work they wanted to do. We al-ready added a pizza oven and deep fry-ers, but well probably end up doingmore, said Mike.

Mike and Shauna explain their busi-ness boom by the amount of services

they offer. Besides the bar and bowl-ing, we also have a banquet hall thatcan be reserved at no charge. It fitsabout 100 people, said Mike.

Shauna added that the thing thatmakes it all work is theres somethingfor people of all ages to do, especiallyon Sunday. We have Sunday Fundaywhere a family or group of eight peoplecan get an hour of bowling, shoes, apitcher of pop, and a large pizzaallfor half the price.

We get about 100 people comingover from the hotels every weekend,said Mike, who added that it was verynice to be kind of in the center of mostof Prairie du Chiens hotels.

Its clear that without the manyevents Leisure Time has begun to pro-vide, the business wouldnt be as suc-cessful as it has been; however, theowners of Leisure Time attribute muchof their success to Mike and Shauna.You can do all you want and plan tonsof events, but without good leadership,youre not going to succeed, said oneowner.

Right off the bat, Mike and Shaunalet their dedication to Leisure Timesfuture be known by putting in the long

days and hours. We were probablyputting in about 100 hours a week; itwas a lot of work, said Mike.

When asked if they would both do itagain, they both looked at each otherand laughed. Shauna was the first tospeak. Would we do it again? Yeah,absolutely, but I definitely wouldnt beexcited about it.

We were better off not knowingall we have to do, added Mike, wholooked tired just thinking about thework theyd put in last fall.

With the hardest part of the workbehind themhopefullythe staff isnow looking forward to Leisure Timesgrand opening, set to occur in Octoberon its anniversary.


14/16


Hair Color/Perms Waxing Manicure/Pedicure Nails

Spray/Tanning Packages Make Up Application

Massage Therapy Facials Body Scrubs/Mud Treatment

219 Main Street, McGregor, IAPhone: 563.873.1822

Open Monday-Saturday& Evenings by Appointment

Spa Packages Available!



Dr. Craig Strutt, 34 Years

Dr. Gary Bowden, 45 Years

Dr. Jonathon Moser, 4 Years

333 Main St., McGregor, IA

563-873-3404

www.struttclinic.com

Try our hand-made pizza!

Take a step back in time...

FRAZIERSOld Faithful Inn

Corner of Haydn & IllinoisStreets, Prairie du Chien

Celebrating 14Years

Originally establishedin 1905

history heritage tradition

Store Manager Patrick Nagovan (left) and Sales Associates Tirzah Kaizer

and David Cummuta can help you find the technical help you need at Radio

Shack. (Photo by Caitlin Bittner)

Getting technical about staying successfully savvyBy Caitlin Bittner

Are you the type of person who likesto be in the know and walk around

with all of the tech worlds latest gad-gets in hand? If yes, weve got a greatidea for youtake some time to checkout Radio Shack on Marquette Road in

Prairie du Chien, which has been serv-ing the areas technical needs for 25years.

According to Radio Shacks StoreManager Patrick Nagovan, its beenhard to keep up with all the changes intechnology, especially over the last fewyears. Seven years ago, [cell] phonesstill had antennas and people kept theirphones for four or five years. Now, ifyou want to keep up with the technol-ogy, you have to upgrade a lot; its hardto keep a phone for two years.

at said, if you are one of the folksconstantly changing cell phones, RadioShacks got you covered. Cell phonesare probably the bulk of our sales, thenucleus of it, explained Nagovan, whopointed out that aside from cell phones,the store also carries quite a few acces-sories to help personalize your device.

With all the changes in the cell phoneindustry, many members of older gen-erations who are not quite as tech savvyas societys younger generations mayworry about the day when the more ba-

sic cell phones will not exist; however,Nagovan said that the switch to Smart-phones doesnt have to be overwhelm-ing. You can still get what we call easymode for a less technical option, hesaid, adding that all you need to do ischange the phones settings.

Nagovan also said that if youre itch-ing to upgrade, the perfect time maybe coming up. Pretty soon well startour Back to School promo where youcan trade your phone in for $50 off on anew phone or accessories.

Radio Shack also offers a variety oflaptops, scanners, tablets, kindles, GPSunits, televisions, iPads and iPods. In

the Prairie du Chien store, Nagovan hasalso expanded their inventory to in-clude items for music lovers. ere re-ally wasnt anywhere in town that hadthis kind of stuff and since I love music,I saw an opportunity.

Although Nagovan added that hehasnt spent much time advertis-ing the musical part of the store, thathasnt stopped word of mouth from let-ting people know. People come fromout of town to get music stuff. Beforethis, theyd have to go all the way to LaCrosse.

Radio Shack also offers a variety ofservices, including network setup forWi-Fi in homes, as well as Dish Net-work and DirecTV setup. We alsohave an employee who trained in Texasso that we could join the Fix It Hereprogram Radio Shacks starting, com-mented Nagovan.

While the Prairie du Chien RadioShack isnt quite ready to roll out thered carpet for this cell phone repairprogram quite yet, they cant wait until

they are able. When its all setup, itlldefinitely be cheaper than sending yourphone off somewhere. Its also not car-rier specific, so it wont matter whetheryoure with US Cellular, Verizon Wire-less or anybody else.

When the program first starts, thetypes of phones able to be worked onwill be somewhat limited to Apple prod-ucts and Samsung Galaxies; however,Nagovan hopes they are eventually ableto expand to cover most phones. Aftersome slight remodeling to add a work-shop for the repairs, Nagovan said thathe expects the program to be up andrunning this fall.


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WHERE CARING MEETS EXCELLENCE

FOR MORE THAN 28 YEARSGood health begins with great healthcare. Gundersen Health System has beenproudly providing medical care in Prairie du Chien for almost three decades.What does that mean to you?

Its where the specialists come to you to provide care Early morning walk-in clinic hours: 7:30 a.m. Monday- Friday Same-day appointments Three general surgeons and one orthopaedic surgeon to provide

comprehensive surgical service for the area.

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Caf McGregor offers colorful atmosphere, unique menuBy Audrey Posten

I had owned restaurants in thepast and thought McGregor neededa little caf, explained Caf Mc-Gregor owner Brenda Boeke. I washoping somebody would do it, butthey never did, so I just did it.

Boeke has been in the restaurant

business since 1980, dealing witheverything from a drive-in, caf andhotel to a supper club, catering andwedding decorating. Her latest for-ayCaf McGregorwhich openedin May 2013, combines the best ofall those worlds.

Located at 211 Main St. in Mc-Gregor, Caf McGregor provides pa-trons with a front row seat to all thetowns goings-on.

Its like were in a fish bowl,Boeke remarked. Anywhere you sit,you can see something.

For Boeke, the view is one of theestablishments most charming as-pects.

I really like the natural beautyand this old, historic town. Whenyou look out and see the hills andthe brick buildings and think ofwhat people have done in the past,it is just awesome, she said.

Tourists from all over the worldhave been in and 100 percent ofthem love the area. Living here,sometimes you dont realize justhow great it is.

The view looking in isnt half badeither.

Turquoise, black, gold and wine-colored walls greet customers. As doturquoise chairs, colorfully bespeck-led table coverings and seasonal

centerpieces. Contrary to what

Brenda Boeke opened Caf McGregor last May be-

cause she thought the city needed a little cafe. Caf

McGregor serves both breakfast and lunch, as well as

unique daily specials.

Located at 211 Main St., Caf McGregor provides patrons

with a front row seat to all the towns goings-on. (Photos

by Audrey Posten)

some may think, Boeke said the ta-ble coverings, which feature all the

wall colors, were not the inspirationbehind the cafs color scheme. Itwas actually the chairs.

We got our chairs and they wereblack and dreary, Boeke said of thefirst batch. Then I got the fan backsand they were turquoise. I keptthem and did two walls in that color,then the black and gold for Iowa andI thought the wine looked good withthe photos.

The photos Boeke speaks of arethe dozen or so framed shots of Mc-Gregors past that grace one wholewall.

However, the photographs arejust one aspe ct of Caf McGregor

that pays tribute to the past. Other

walls are dotted with antique signs.Outside, on the patio, sit two old

bikes, restored by Boekes husband,Jason.

I wanted it to be fun and cheery,Boeke said of the interior, a placefor people to be happy.

Boeke is surprised at the numberof men who comment on and enjoythe colors.

I wouldnt think theyd notice.Most dont know the color your hairis, she said with a laugh.

While the atmosphere is unique,so is Caf McGregors menu. Therestaurant features a breakfast andlunch menu, but that is livened upon a daily basis, with Boeke oftenmaking a spur of the moment deci-

sion based on some new ingredients.

Who knows whats going to beon that special board, she said. I

love trying new things.Boeke said the menu is not set in

stone; anything, whether it be theburgers, sandwiches, wraps or sal-ads, is up for new interpretation.

Caf McGregor has an extensivedrink menu of coffees and teas thatalso continues to evolve.

Her omelets have gotten a lot ofattention as well. Boeke said shedoesnt want to sound like a brag-ger, but some people have said theomelets are the best they have everhad.

People have been so supportive,she said. It makes you feel good.I want to have a fun place for Mc-

Gregor. Its theirs to enjoy.


16/16


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Forty years of care at McGregors Great River Care Center

By Audrey Posten

With elderly parents living in a ru-ral area, John Grubb felt there was aneed for long term care facilities in thelocal communities. In 1974, he settledon Elkader, founding the Elkader Care

Center, and McGregor, where GreatRiver Care Center (GRCC) resides. For-ty years later, a lot has changed.

Long term care and its regulationshave evolved head over heels, saidadministrator Deanna Kahler, who

joined GRCC one year ago, but westay abreast of the changes and listento the demands of the community.

In 2006, the John and Zelda GrubbCharitable Foundation saw a need foran assisted living facility, so TurnerPointe Assisted Living was added tothe McGregor location.

GRCC is a 50-bed facility, whileTurner Pointe offers nine apartments.

For years, said Kahler, theyve been afive star facility, an award bestowed bythe Centers for Medicare and Medicaidbased on the staff, a health inspectionand other factors.

When choosing a long term care fa-cility thats right for you or your loved

one, Kahler said its like choosing a ho-telyou see if the facility has the ser-vices you want and if theyre providedwell. Although making a decision canbe tough, she said its an importantone.

Its a topic no one wants to talkabout, but you must, she said. Manypeople wait until an emergency, thenscramble [to find a place]. In theirhaste, it might not be the best choice.

Kahler said each resident has anindividualized plan based on the levelof care needed. at level of care alsoaffects the transition into the facil-ity. For those who know they need

There are so many gifted residents who like to show what they can do, said

Great River Care Center and Turner Pointe Assisted Living Administrator

Deanna Kahler. For years, resident Jim Cowell created miniature vehicles.

He recently shared two mini semi trucks and a small jeep with the other resi-

dents and staff. (Submitted photo)

Kahler said residents help plan the activity schedule. One activity many of

them, like Lorna here, enjoy is tending to the garden. They also enjoy sam-

pling the fruits of their labor. (Submitted photo)

the care, it can be easier, she said. Forthose who were independent, but thenhad an accident, it can be more diffi -cult.

We focus on their goals and gearactivities and a care plan toward themgoing home, she explained. Whenyou come in here, its not a death sen-tence. Some people assume its the last

stop, but its just a stop to get you backhealthy and back home.

Some services GRCC offers areshort term rehab (a person stays untiltheyre strong enough to return home)and out-patient rehab (a person comesto receive care but lives at home). ereis also respite care, which allows fami-lies to bring a relative staying at hometo the facility for a brief timeas littleas two hours to up to two weekssothe family can run errands or vacation.

Kahler said she believes GRCC/Turner Pointes staff and small sizesets it apart from other facilities.

We can work one-on-one with fam-ilies. e residents become family and

their family and friends are like fam-ily, she said. Its also a more homeyatmosphere. ere are no overheadspeakers and the dcor is calming andwe encourage any type of personal be-

longings that make it feel like home.at also helps us get to know them.

Getting to know the residents is oneof her favorite parts of the job, saidKahler. She said the residents fill outan all about me form that helps thestaff learn more about them. e resi-dents also create the activity schedule.

ere are so many gifted residents

who like to show what they can do orwhat their activities were for a past ca-reer, she said. e memories they canshare with us are just incredible. Its ageneration that has so much to say.

Just being there for the residents iswhats most rewarding for her aboutthe job, Kahler said.

Were here to help in any way,whether its for comfort, pain manage-ment or socialization, she said.

Kahler said the residents love tovolunteer in the community, helpingat the library or with children. She alsowelcomes people to stop in, whethertheyre looking for a long term carefacility or not, to have a meal or join

in the activities. Volunteers are alwaysneeded to sit with, read to or play cardswith residents. Visitors who would liketo bring in well-behaved pets are alsoappreciated.

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