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Chamber presents annual awards

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The C.F. La Pointe Award, the Chamber’s most prestigious and longstanding award, was presented to Charlie Connell on behalf of Crossing Rivers Health. He is pictured (left) with Chamber President Bob Moses.

The Crawford County Dairy Breakfast committee was recognized for promoting agri-tourism in our community. Pictured (from left) are Curt Zinkle, Royce Havlik, Bob Standorf, Jane Achenbach, Ken Johnson and Bob Moses.

The Opportunity Center was awarded for providing 50 years of service. Pictured (from left) are Crystal Alexander, Angie Engrav, Bob Moses, Pam Ritchie, Dolores, Wiedemann, Betty Broadbent, Jesse Aspenson, Deb Reed, Andrea Panka, Karen Cooper and Curt Zinkle. (Photos by Gary Howe)

Pat Balk (center) accepted Homeward Bound’s plaque for 30 years of service to the community from Board President Curt Zinkle and Chamber President Bob Moses.

Bob McDonald (center), Prairie du Chien Economic Development Corporation director, was selected for this year’s Chamber Board President Award. He is pictured with Board President Curt Zinkle (left) and Chamber President Bob Moses.

Sue Tiller and her dad, Frank, accepted a plaque for 65 years of retail service to the community from Chamber Board President Curt Zinkle (right).

Taking home the Chamber’s Community Investment Award was Nelson True Value and the Kanis family. Pictured (from left) are Chamber representatives Curt Zinkle and Bob Moses with Dan Kanis, Jake Kanis, Mark Brueggen, Donna Teynor and Oscar Eastman.

The Prairie du Chien Area Chamber of Commerce held its annual meeting and awards banquet aboard the Celebration Belle on Wednesday, Sept. 30. About 220 attended.

“An important reason our area is able to continue to grow and prosper is due to the solid foundation that has been built by so many faithful, dedicated individuals who have been in business in the community for so many years,” Chamber President and CEO Bob Moses said. “We are also very appreciative of investors for the support, encouragement and commitment they have shown this past year.”

Award winners included:

•C.F. La Pointe Award—Crossing Rivers Health. This is the most prestigious and longstanding award the Chamber bestows on its members. It is named for Fred LaPointe, who was the Chamber’s executive director from 1976 through 1994.  The C.F. La Pointe Award is given to an employee of, or an owner of, a Chamber member business who goes above and beyond their normal job related duties to enrich the Prairie du Chien community.

•Board President Award—Bob McDonald. The Chamber board’s president selects the winner of this award. McDonald has been the volunteer Prairie du Chien Economic Development Corporation director for the past seven years. He has also been a longstanding businessman and community leader in Prairie du Chien.

•Community Investment Award—Nelson True Value and the Kanis family. The Community Investment Award is given to a business or individuals who make a substantial financial investment to the Prairie du Chien business community. The recipient is recognized for their outstanding community service contributions such as special programs, partnerships, job creation, in-kind support of goods and services, employee volunteerism or other activities that have resulted in a positive impact on a community, an organization, or its citizens.

•Years of Service—Tiller’s Furniture was presented an award for 65 years of retail service in the Prairie du Chien area. The Opportunity Center and Homeward Bound were presented awards for providing 50 years and 30 years of service to the Prairie du Chien community. Waste Management received recognition for 25 years of service.

•The Chamber honored the Crawford County Dairy Breakfast committee for promoting agri-tourism in Crawford County for 35 years.

FURTHER DESCRIPTION OF AWARDS

Celebrating 25 Years: Waste Management
Presented to a long standing Prairie du Chien Chamber business that has been providing service to the Prairie du Chien community for 25 years.
 
Waste Management may be a large company with facilities that span the North American continent, but when it comes to delivering there services, they are still just a local business and we see their trucks all over town. They consider their customers as their neighbors, associates, friends and family.
 
Homeward Bound Celebrating 30 Years
Homeward Bound was established in 1985.  Rita and Greg Schmitz from Lancaster bought the company from George and Betty Lane in July of 1997.  When the opportunity came to become owners it wasn’t a simple decision, but just felt right to them.  Both attended UW Platteville, Greg in Business Management and Rita with degrees in Sociology and Psychology.  

Homeward Bound was born out of the desire to offer people choices.  No one grows old hoping they’ll get to live in a nursing home.  It’s not where we want to be.  There are many cases when a person could get by living at home with additional help from the outside.  Homeward Bound has offices in Lancaster, Prairie du Chien, and Baraboo servicing:  Grant, Iowa Richland, Crawford, Columbia, Juneau and Sauk Counties.  They offer Supportive Home Care services such as: housekeeping, laundry, meal preparation, shopping/errands, companionship and general supervision.   Homeward Bound also provides Home Health Services, which includes skilled nursing along with tasks such as: med management, bathing assistance, wound care, and tube feedings etc…  They serve every disability group, the mentally ill, elderly, children, and any group in between and offer care 24/7.  At the present time they are serving approximately 416 clients and employee 180 caregivers.  

Crawford County Dairy Breakfast Committee – Celebrating 35 years of Service
The date was Saturday, June 13, 1981, and the location was the Gale and Glen Beneker farm and the event was the first Crawford County Dairy Breakfast sponsored by the Crawford County Dairymen. Members of the Crawford County Dairymen at that time included: Mark Eulgem, Ken Johnson, Marlene Achenback, Bob Sutton, Ida Clark, Marie Bohonek, Jane Nolan, Mildred Mara, Gale Beneker, Leona Steinbach, Guy Ralph, Royce Havlik and Steve Gauger.

Glen and Irene and Gale and Cheryl and their children were the host for the first Crawford County Dairy Breakfast. At that time, the Beneker farming operation consisted of 200 registered Holsteins with 75 being milk cows, 30 Holstein steers and 200 hogs. In addition, corn was sold as a cash crop and approximately 400 acres of land was cropped, and the family farm is still active today.

Tonight we are honoring the Crawford County Dairy Breakfast Committee, and all of the dedicated volunteers, including the Farm Bureau women, who were instrumental in organizing an agri tourism event for Crawford County which is celebrating 35 years this year.

Celebrating 50 years of Service
The Opportunity Center’s Origin dates back to 1965 as a private effort initiated by Ruth Dessloch. Identifying a need to enhance the lives of the growing number of disabled individuals, Mrs. Dessloch opened up the basement of her home for evening activities. For the next 50 years, the organization continued to grow offering work, day activity, recreation and transportation services.  Now serving nearly 100 clients, the Opportunity Center continues to find innovative ways to develop opportunities for people with disabilities to reach their full potential in society.
 
Sharing Spaces Kitchen and Greenhouse is an extension of the Opportunity Center, offering new and exciting integrated work opportunities for people with disabilities, while also providing fresh and locally produced food choices to local businesses, schools and food Co-Op.
 
The new greenhouses are entirely run by solar energy and are very energy efficient.  Strawberries, basil, tomatoes and cucumbers are only a few things you will find at the Opportunity Centers new greenhouse. The Opportunity Center creates fresh, high quality products from scratch and strives to use local product whenever possible.
 
Community Investment Award:  Nelson True Value and the Kanis Family  
 The Community Investment Award is a prestigious award designed to recognize a Chamber business or Individual who makes a substantial investment to the community. The recipient of this award is recognized for their outstanding community service contributions such as special programs, partnerships, job creation, in-kind support of goods and services, employee volunteerism or other activities that have resulted in a positive impact on a community, an organization, or its citizens.
 
Tonight’s Community Investment Award is going to a business and a family who has been working on a project 10 years in the making. Having sustained a thriving business at their current location for over 40 years, Nelson True Value & the Kanis Family decided it was finally time to make a move.
 
April 1 was the official groundbreaking ceremony at their new location of the new Nelson True Value state-of-the art store.  The new site, which has really made tremendous progress this summer, is located in the historic downtown district on North Marquette road will be completed in November of this year.
 
The Prairie du Chien Area Chamber of Commerce is proud to present the Community Investment Award to Nelson True Value and the Kanis Family for making the substantial investment in the future of the business community for Prairie du Chien.
 
 
Tillers Furniture – Celebrating 65 Years
Frank and Pat Tiller first met through friends at a dance in La Crosse in September 1947.  Frank was born on his family dairy farm in Richland County, in 1925. His father died when he was eleven years old.  Frank graduated from Soldiers Grove High School in 1943. In July 1943 he joined the Metcalfe Funeral Home and Furniture Store as an associate in Bloomington.
 
Patricia was born on her family’s farm outside of Bangor Wisconsin in 1929. She graduated from the State College of La Crosse with a teaching degree. Pat taught at Eastman Elementary School from 1949-1952.
 
On Thanksgiving Day November 24 1949 they were married in St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in La Crosse. In 1950 the purchased the corner building at 129 West Blackhawk Avenue in downtown Prairie du Chien. They opened Tillers Furniture Plaza for business on November 26, 1950.
 
In 1960 they moved the stores location to their newly built building at 520 easts Taylor with an addition to the back in 1970 and added again in 1976 with a total of over 33,000 square feet of retail display area. Furniture, mattresses and flooring continues to be sold from this location.
 
Tillers Furniture is one of the founding businesses of the Prairie du Chien Area Chamber of Commerce.  In 2001, Frank and Pat received the C.F. La Pointe award and now Tillers is being honored for providing 65 years of retail service to the Prairie du Chien area, Crawford County and the entire business community.
 
Chamber President’s Award – Bob McDonald, President of the PdC Economic Development Corp.
The Chamber President Award is given from the Board President of the Prairie du Chien Area Chamber of Commerce. Tonight’s recipient has been a long standing businessman and community leader for many, many years. He career allowed him opportunities to work at Design Homes, Gencor Bi-tuma, Dillman Equipment and he owned his own company, Radio Shack from 1979 – 1988. He also was the Board President of the Chamber and Rotary Club. He stated that he became involved in the Prairie du Chien Economic Development Corporation, because he felt he needed to give something back to the community he was born in, raised his family in and work in all of this life.
 
As the volunteer Director for the past 5 years for the Prairie du Chien Economic Development Corporation, Bob McDonald has accomplished many great things.  He was able to secure $20,000 to hire a consultant to create a marketing plan for our community as well as conducting a Hospital Feasibility study and Business Plan.
 
There were other accomplishments such as the many prospects who contact Bob requesting information about Prairie du Chien, as well as the many individuals and businesses who were looking to start a new business or expansion here in Prairie du Chien. Through his many networking opportunities, Bob was able to get Governor Walker involved to make a special trip to discuss a project with the company CEO.  That conversation transpired a second line and created 45 additional high paying jobs, which resulted in state tax incentives for that project and that company was 3M.
 
C.F. La Pointe Award
The C. F. LaPointe Award is the most prestigious and long-standing award the Chamber bestows on its members. It is named for Fred LaPointe, who was the Chamber’s Executive Director for 17 years from 1976 through 1994.  The C.F. La Pointe Award is given to an employee of, or an owner of, a Chamber Member Business that demonstrates above and beyond their normal job related duties to enrich the Prairie du Chien community.
 
On Saturday, June 6th Crossing Rivers Health opened in Prairie du Chien.  Cross Rivers Health offers more than 60 services to help meet the health and wellness needs of the people throughout Southwest Wisconsin and Northeast Iowa. The Crossing Rivers Health campus includes a state of the art medical center and a new primary care clinic. The 105 acre- health care campus provides a peaceful setting which complements the high – quality care provided by expert staff, providers and collaborative health care partners.
 
Key features and enhancements of this new facility include a spacious Emergency Department, vibrant Rehabilitation Department, advanced medical imaging equipment and the private patient rooms. Best practices in health care design were incorporated throughout, creating a more private, patient-centered health environment.
 
The C.F. La Pointe Award was presented to Cross Rivers Health for providing high quality personalized healthcare and education in a new friendly and safe state of the art environment.

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