Heh.

Well, hopefully it’s taught me something.

The fact is that I am continually asked when PdCToday.com will return. “It’s how I found out what was happening,” many would say. Others, “it was part of my morning routine.” That’s all very flattering stuff to a writer. Albeit, a writer pressing onward with a true labor of love.

My goal with PdCToday.com was, in part, to show that a respectable news source could be provided costing only a few man hours of labor each day. A person with a laptop, an internet connection, and the right connections could do some pretty remarkable things, even on an extremely local level. During those spurts when PdCToday was buzzing along nicely, it was very evident that goal is achievable. But, just because you CAN do it, doesn’t always mean that you SHOULD.

The benefit of not having any sponsors to be indebted to is that if I feel burnt out, I can shut it down. That is the only benefit, by the way. Money would be nice.

But that’s the problem. One person gets burnt out after a while. I believe it’s happened three times now with this site. I’m not that incredibly smart, but I do recognize a pattern when I see one.

But, the demand is there. This site has developed some pretty darn loyal readers. And while I’m not a slave to sponsorships, I don’t like letting people down. In fact, I hate it.

So, here’s my offering. I won’t be posting daily. That’s asking for another flame-out in a couple months. But, I’ll put big news on here. Also, commentary on local issues when I feel inspired to write. Maybe a few other things here and there. Unique things. Things that are worthwhile to come and read. We’ll see how this goes.

Thanks, as always, for your patience with this online experiment.

- Dan

This year’s Country on the River has come and gone. Another year of pretty nice Summer weather. Another year of bigger crowds (even bigger this year) and big stars.

It truly is a special thing to have an event like this in the city. I hope the city and it’s citizens realize that. Whether you like country music or not, you can’t deny the vibe that comes from a big concert. Driving around town during the weekend, I noticed so many people just sitting in their yards listening to the ambient music coming from the island. If you got closer to the bluffs, the sound really cut through pretty clear.

Kind of like walking into a bakery…it costs money to eat, but the smells are free!

Those that paid to get in – and there were plenty, tens of thousands – got their money’s worth. The energy of “being there” is a worthwhile human experience. Like I said before, you don’t have to necessarily like country music to feel that energy.

Plus, it was announced that there will be a Rock on the River in 2012 to go along with Country on the River.

Bring it on.

And quite honestly, it’s damned hard to continue to be motivated to research and write late each weeknight (for the following morning). Operating PdCToday has always been an unpaid labor of love and I’m constantly seeking a balance between what’s worthwhile for you, the readers, and what’s rewarding for me as a writer.

The purpose of these Pulse columns has always been to seek out and link to articles related to the Prairie du Chien area, southwest Wisconsin, and northeast Iowa, while offering some commentary when applicable.

Moreso, the purpose of PdCToday has been to provide a credible example of how local, online news and commentary can be presented…with limited investment. Granted, it would be great to sell advertising and make a bit of money doing it, but I’ve never wanted to see this site cluttered with ads. In that case, it’s a good thing that not terribly fond of selling advertising.

I’m continually seeking the right “direction” for the site. The fact that this site continually evolves is very appealing to me. It may drive you nuts, but each time the site “changes gears”, changes design, changes direction, etc, it provides new inspiration.

I think I’m getting close to that.

In the meantime, the Pulse column may continue to be sporadic.

In the meantime, if you’re looking for Prairie du Chien information, I’d highly recommend “liking” the city of Prairie du Chien facebook page. All the meeting notices are there, plus links to some area articles, press releases and more.

In the meantime, check Google News for Prairie du Chien. A lot of the links I get come from there. Or, do a Prairie du Chien search on Twitter. I see that country singer Trent Tomlinson just tweeted that he’s excited for Country on the River.

Hey, even the Courier Press is on Facebook. Though, you have to “friend” them instead of “liking” them – which drives me nuts when businesses do that. Regardless, they are there…though, PdCToday still has more fans, errr, friends.

The evolution of PdCToday will be cool and worthwhile. Thanks for your patience and coming along for the ride.

- Dan

It can be hard for some people to find a place to go and cool off. Grant County has opened 18 “cooling centers” (in libraries, churches, community rooms, etc) throughout the county.

The La Crosse Tribune published an article about the effort to save the Mount Sterling post office from being closed down.

Though, it’s probably too hot for suspense. Sweet pickles almighty, is it hot! Now, I strongly believe that far too many people fuss and worry about the weather. However, it’s times like these where it is important to pay attention. Drink plenty of water. Don’t over-do it. Check-in on any vulnerable family & friends. These high temperatures and humidity make it pretty easy for heat-related complications to set in.

Expect a high of 96 today with a heat index possibly as high as 118. There’s little relief in the forecast, either, as high temperatures are expected to stay in the 90′s through the weekend.  It’s been about a decade since we’ve seen this level of heat take hold for this long.

A man from Bridgeport died Saturday after being thrown from his SUV and then hit by a train along Highway 35 near Ferryville. He was identified in a report released Sunday as 28-year-old Justin Wilkins.

The latest stature in the sculpture park on St. Feriole Island, Emma Big Bear, was unveiled this past weekend.

That’s today’s Pulse. Stay cool. Thanks for hanging around.

Support for the project has come from a variety of places including the USDA, Wisconsin Department of Commerce, Wisconsin Department of Ag, Trade, and Consumer Protection, Crawford County, and the City of Prairie du Chien. Also, this project would not be possible without help from Prairie du Chien City Planner Garth Frable.

Tom Steiner, the project’s architect, has worked with the Opportunity Center for the past year developing the design. Olympic Builders is the general contractor.

The project is expected to be completed by October 15^th. Once open, the kitchen will house an artisan bakery named The Local Oven, provide small/medium-scale food processing and product development services for farmers and entrepreneurs, and offer educational opportunities through Southwest Technical College and other in-house food-related classes.

“Sharing Spaces Kitchen will have a tremendous impact on local food production and consumption in our area,” says Kitchen Director Dan Moris. He adds that the impact goes beyond local food. “This is true local economic development. This facility will help increase the capacity for local food products, enable more efficient local distribution, and promote local and regional consumption.”

The kitchen’s impact will be strengthened by an emerging network of local food processing and storage facilities in southern Wisconsin. The network, including facilities in Mineral Point, Viroqua, and Monroe, has attracted the attention of USDA – Rural Development Directors in Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois who recently met with the facilities to discuss future expansion of the concept. “These facilities are local food innovation centers that allow rural communities to sustain themselves from within doing something they are already good at – growing food,” says Moris, “there’s a lot of interest nationwide in what we are doing right here.”

An extension of the non-profit Opportunity Center, Sharing Spaces Kitchen’s primary goal is to provide employment opportunities for adults with disabilities. “We have very capable clients here that can do the job,” says Executive Director Pam Ritchie, “our mission is to provide the people we serve with an opportunity to gain valuable work and social experience so that they can develop their full potential.”

3rd District Alderwoman Mary Wayne tendered her resignation from the city council last night. Last night was her last council meeting. Her vacancy will be discussed at the July 19th meeting.

Drownings over the weekend claim three lives in Eastern Iowa, including one man near Prairie du Chien.

Sunny, high near 86 today.

Today will be similar, if not a few degrees warmer.

A few links today.

Number one, construction officially begins for the Opportunity Center’s 7,000 square foot Sharing Spaces Kitchen. The kitchen will offer small-scale food processing for area farmers and food entrepreneurs. In addition, it will be the headquarters for a new local Prairie du Chien bakery in addition to offering various culinary classes through Southwest Tech. It will be part of a group of networked facilities in southwest Wisconsin featured in this weekend’s Telegraph Herald. (Full article, no paywall!)

Bagley area goats from Driftless Land Stewardship are featured in this Wisconsin State Journal article. Check it out!

Have a great week. It’s already Tuesday!

By the way, work is underway at the Sharing Spaces Kitchen site. You can follow the kitchen’s progress at my other blog at http://kitchen.pdcopportunitycenter.org.

SO YOU THOUGHT IT WAS HOT YESTERDAY? Well, today will trump that…easily. Sunny and hot, with a high near 100. Heat index values as high as 112. Eeeks! Check in on your family members, pets, livestock, etc today. Drink plenty of water. Don’t overdo it outside in the heat.

The rest of the 4th of July weekend shapes up to be pretty nice, weather-wise. Summertime!

Marquette/McGregor shoots off fireworks Saturday night. Bagley’s celebration is Sunday. Eastman & Boscobel’s celebrations, like usual, are on the 4th.

The Kickapoo Transit bus service in northern Crawford County, Vernon County, and La Crosse  begins on July 7th. Crawford County stops include Gays Mills and Soldiers Grove.

Speaking of transit…

The City of Prairie du Chien and Effigy Mounds National Monument have initiated a study to evaluate the feasibility of a transit service that would improve access to all major parks in the area. Representatives from the Cities of McGregor and Marquette, Pikes Peak State Park, Wyalusing State Park, and the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge are also participating in the study, and each would also be connected by the proposed service. Local residents and visitors are asked to take a brief survey about use of the major parks and attractions in the area.

If you insist on a paper survey, you can find one at various area tourist sites. But, c’mon, you’re obviously online. Just click the link above.

The Mississippi River continues to “be up”. It crested last night at 13.9 feet and should steadily recede. Awfully high for this time of year.

Read about the new owners of Star Cinema (not a permalink), Lee and Diane Akin, in the Clayton County Register. The theater will likely be renamed and upgrades to digital and 3D are in the works.

Representative Ron Kind is expected decide later this summer if he will run for the Senate seat vacated by Herb Kohl. Kohl has announced that he will not seek a 5th term.

There, plenty of juice after a couple days off. Enjoy the 4th of July weekend. Be safe. Stay cool.