Wisconsin State Journal from Madison, Wisconsin • 27

Wisconsin State Journal, Sunday, March 22, 1998 LOCAL 5C BRIEFLY Commuter rail makes its way The contest sought out the students' vision of the future by asking them to project where technology might be in 20 years. The Leeds students proposed a "smart" smoke detector, said teacher Jeff Stern. Their detector would be able to communicate immediately to the fire department what type of fire was occurring and where the occupants were in the structure. It was developed by fourth-grader Chuck Delorey and fifth-graders Ashly Hall and Jeff Mueller. POYNETTE Thousands of dollars missing at plant Authorities are investigating the disappearance of hundreds of aterto COLUMBIA COUNTY Small school again shines in science A small Columbia County school with just 47 students has once again made an impressive showing in a national science contest An entry by three students from Leeds Elementary School has been named the Midwest winner and a national finalist by the National Science Teachers Association.

Leeds, which placed second nationally in the same contest two years ago, is part of the DeForest School District and is about seven miles north of DeForest IF YOU GO: Commuter service begins Tuesday, April thousands of dollars from a Stokely USA plant Poynette Police Chief Don White said a criminal investigation is ongoing. There have been no arrests in the case, he said. "We had an incident of apparent employee theft and there is an investigation ongoing," said Robert Brill, vice president and general counsel for the Oconomowoc-based Stokely USA. The company was completing an investigation of its own records, and planned to forward that information to Poynette police this week, Brill said. SPRINGFIELD, Food recalled due to bacteria A deadly bacteria in cheese from a Chicago-area food company has prompted a voluntary recall of Mexican-style food sold in several states, including Wisconsin.

The Illinois Department of Public Health ordered La Hispa-mex to suspend production and distribution of its Queso Fresco product Tests indicated the presence of Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium that can make healthy peo ple ill and can be fatal to some victims, public health spokesman Tom Schafer said Friday. No cases of illness had been reported. It includes Queso Fresco Mexican Style products with an expiration date before July 14, 1998. Products are El Tapatio and El Caporal in five-ounce and 15-ounce packages. FTTCHBURG 4 arrested in drug case Four Fitehburg men were arrested Friday night after police seized 62.8 grams of cocaine base at their home in the 2500 block of Chesapeake Drive.

David Drone, 18, and Roy West, 20, were arrested on tentative charges of possession with intent to deliver cocaine base. Drone also was held on a probation violation. David J. Brock, 45, and Jack D. DeWitt, 45, were arrested on tentative charges of maintaining a drug house.

Acting on a complaint from neighbors, police also seized $600 in cash, drug paraphernalia, scales and electronic communication devices, according to police reports. GREAT OPPORTUNITIES AT WORK i r-J 14. Fares to Milwaukee and stops in between will range from $2 to $4 one-way; service to Chicago costs $23. Departure times from Watertown are 4:50 a m. Monday through Saturday; and daily at 6:20 a.m., 7 p.m.

and 9 p.m. Arrival times at Watertown are 3:43 a.m. Monday through Saturday, 5:28 a.m., 6:23 p.m. and 8:08 p.m. Station locations are in Watertown, 3rd and Clyman streets; Oconomowoc, Main and Summit streets; Pewaukee, Capitol Drive and Oakton Street; Brookfield, Barker and River roads; Wauwatosa, State and 68th streets; Milwaukee, St.

Paul Avenue and 5th Street; Chicago, Union Station. For more information, call (800) 242-2514. COMPANY INC By Meg Turville-Hertz For The State Journal WATERTOWN When the inaugural run of the first commuter train to serve Watertown in her lifetime departs April 14, Maggie Jones and her Riverside Middle School friends plan to be on board. Also riding will be the governor and a slew of other dignitaries, civic leaders and media. It's no small event for people here.

Many residents hope it will be the first step toward regular train service to and from Milwaukee, and perhaps eventually Madison. Maggie and fellow eighth-graders are part of a youth effort to help promote a 90-day commuter rail pilot project The run is an extension of Amtrak's Hiawatha service from Chicago to Milwaukee, which will link Watertown to Oconomowoc, Pewaukee, Brook-field, Wauwatosa and Milwaukee for only a few dollars each way. If there's enough interest, the pilot could lead to permanent rail service. But getting people to change their habits in so short of time won't be easy. "Once people realize it's here, it'll be a success," says Watertown Mayor Fred Smith.

"Nobody wants to subsidize a program people mmmVf: lk Tries, Wisaxt State Jound and WsS.tti") Just in! A SPECIAL collection of SPRING DRESSES. Only $39.99 Madison COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL EST. 197 Academically Challenging Intellectually Stimulating Emotionally Nurturing aren't using. But if ridership is up, and fees help pay for (the service), it will be a success." The train service will be paid partly by money set aside to help ease traffic congestion expected during Interstate 94 construction work thi summer. "The first thing is to attract rid- -ers when the negatives for car travel are at their worst: congestion, cost, parking, time," says Railroad Commissioner Rodney Kreunen.

Generating youth interest in' train travel is crucial to sustaining commuter rail in the future, Kreunen says. But Maggie says there are some powerful incentives for youth to avoid train travel including -those newly laminated driver's li- censes they'll get at age 16. "I think it's a really good idea having commuter trains, but it's hard to know how (teens) will react," Maggie says. Smith sees the commuter rail as another attraction to his growing community. Besides the benefit to commuters, it will be a way to at-.

tract out-of-town visitors. "The train line runs through south of the downtown area and is eminently walkable," Smith says. "A major shopping area is being' developed along the river where the train stops. We're al- ready trying to encourage pedes- tri an traffic between the sites." The landowners have agreed to allow commuter parking. Regular train service to Water-town ended in 1972, with a brief 1980 attempt to reintroduce it When talk of commuter rail was raised in the early 1990s, the city applied for a grant to rebuild the historic depot But again the train didn't come, and neither did the grant Even if successful, continuous service is not assured.

The pro- posal must pass the legislative budget process and agreements are needed with Canadian Pacific, the owner of the rail line But there is still optimism: if successful from Watertown to Mil- waukee, Kreunen says the natural next step would be to extend to Madison, though parts of the rail line would need millions of dol- lars' worth of repairs. "It would be a nice thing if it went to Madison," says Smith. "I would like to see transportation in both directions. i Compare at $80 and up. I Fabulous selection of dresses from FV famous makers in exquisite fabrics such 1 as crepe, linen, georgette and more.

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