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Mercury clean up plan gets good reviews

August 9, 2007 By

Wildlife advocates praise a major breakthrough in cleaning up mercury pollution in the state.

ERCO Worldwide, owners of a chlorine production plant in Port Edwards, says it will invest ninety-five million dollars in new technology that will cut mercury emissions to zero.

George Meyer, former DNR Secretary and current Executive Director of the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, says it's great news. He says that means twenty-five percent of the mercury pollution in the state will be eliminated within five to seven years.

The Wood County plant has long been considered the number one mercury polluter in the state and Meyer says this will go a long way to protect fish and the people who eat them from mercury contamination.

Meyer says it will still take a long time for mercury levels in fish to drop but this is a start.  He calls the efforts by ERCO Worldwide, “truly outstanding”.

AUDIO: Jim Dick reports ( :52 MP3 )

Filed Under: Environment & Conservation, Top Story

Someone needs to stand up and take charge

August 9, 2007 By

The Milwaukee Brewers weren't quite as good as they appeared to be early on, and they're not as bad as they've been playing the last few weeks.  Somewhere in between is what they need to find and it'll probably still be good enough to win the National League Central.

Finding that common ground won't be easy though.  This is a team that lacks confidence right now.  They have a pitcher (Chris Capuano) that has lost nine in a row and in his last 14 starts, the Brewers are 0-14.

The bullpen has just collapsed.  Yes, they've been overworked, but this is ridiculous.  Somebody stand up and make a play.  Somebody come through with some key hits when you need them.  And please, the next time a starter leaves with the lead, would it be too much to ask for the bullpen to save one for a change.

As bad as things look, the Brewers are still up a game in the Central.  No other team seems to want it any more than they do.

I said at the beginning of the season this team was a year away.  The young players haven't been through it yet and that is showing right now.  And veteran players, not that there's much to pick from, but they're no place to be found.  But again, inspite of what I thought then or think now, this thing is still up for grabs.  Stop feeling sorry for yourselves, pick your rearend up off the floor and go punch somebody in the mouth.  It could be one ugly pennant race, but it'll be a whole lot worse for the team or teams that can't seem to win this terrible NL Central race.

Filed Under: Brewers

Concerns raised about shoreline property changes

August 9, 2007 By

The DNR has been holding statewide hearings on a proposal that would revamp basic restrictions on lot sizes and building set-backs on shoreline property. Waterway Protection Chief Mary Ellen Vollbrecht says they've been dealing with a lot of confusion at those meetings. She says there are two main issues that keep coming up, where people have apparently heard bad information about the proposal.

The first deals with set back requirements for buildings on waterfront property. Vollbrecht says many people claim to have heard the DNR wants to increase those set back from 75 feet to 300 feet. She says the proposal would not change that distance at all.

The other major concern deals with impervious surface areas on waterfront property. Many owners are worried the changes will prevent them from expanding any structures. The new requirement would limit areas where building, patios, and similar surfaces to 20 percent of the overall property. However, Vollbrecht says property owners will be able to expand those surface areas if the project includes activity to protect habitat and water quality.

The rules are being rewritten in response to decreasing water quality and the harm caused to natural habitats by larger shoreline developments. 

AUDIO: Andrew Beckett reports (MP3 1:08)

Filed Under: Environment & Conservation

Farmers markets moving online

August 9, 2007 By

Wisconsin ranks third in the nation for farmer's markets, with over 200 held in communities around the state. Starting next spring, a $29,600 grant from the state Ag department will help expand that market, by allowing people to pre-order produce online.

State Agriculture Secretary Rod Nilsestuen says the statewide listing system will allow regular customers and commercial buyers to know in real time what's available at markets across Wisconsin. They'll also be able to order what they want ahead of time, and then pick it up at the market.

Nilsestuen says the system will also help producers know what to bring with them to market. He says many producers end up with spoiled product at the end of the day that didn't sell. By being able to anticipate demand ahead of time, he says they can keep their products from being wasted.

Nilsestuen says farmers markets are a growth industry in Wisconsin. For every dollar spent at a market, $3 returns to the community where it's located. 

AUDIO: Andrew Beckett reports (MP3 1:02)

Filed Under: Agriculture

Burmaster continues to push world languages

August 9, 2007 By

Wisconsin's top teacher touts the benefits of teaching world languages to our kids for their success in the 21st century.  

State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster says she's very proud of our world language educators in Wisconsin. She says our state puts a lot of emphasis on global literacy, with over 50% of our students in grades six through 12 studying a language other than English.

"As we look at the skills that will be needed for the 21 st century in our interconnected world, the ability to communicate in other languages is going to be critical."

Burmaster says it's important that more of our students study world languages and they need to begin at younger ages, and continue for at least a few years, with four years being optimal. Burmaster says that will get our kids ready for college and beyond.

"These are all efforts that help to develop global literacy which will be a very important skill for all students as they move into the workforce after graduating from high school and higher education."

Burmaster says there are predominately ten languages that are taught throughout Wisconsin. She says the leadership at the Department of Public Instruction is working with a federal grant to advance world languages, and the DPI is embarking on a Chinese initiative. Although the DPI provides leadership, local school districts decide which languages they want to offer their students.

NOTE: State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster addressed participants in the Summer Language Leadership Institute on Wednesday at the Pyle Center on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.

AUDIO: Jackie Johnson report (1:32 MP3)

Filed Under: Education
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