Construction headaches

The road construction season is in full swing in Fond du Lac. If you need to know, here’s the schedule for this week so plan your routes accordingly.

During the week of April 20 to 25, the southbound outside shoulder of Highway 41 will be paved for traffic. Storm sewer installation will continue in the southbound driving lane and start in the northbound passing lane. Work will start on the eastbound Highway 23 structure at the Highway 41/23 interchange.

Motorists should anticipate major backups on Highway 41 and are advised to consider alternate routes, according to a Wisconsin Department of Transportation press release.

The following traffic impacts are expected this week:

Northbound Highway 41

10 p.m. Sunday, April 20, to 10 a.m. Friday, April 25: The left (passing) lane on northbound Highway 41 will be closed from Highway 151 to two miles north of County OO.

Southbound Highway 41

10 p.m. Sunday, April 20, to 6 a.m. Wednesday, April 23: The right (driving) lane on southbound Highway 41 will be closed from County Trunk N to two miles north of County OO.

6 a.m. Wednesday, April 23 to 2 p.m. Friday, April 25: The left (passing) lane on southbound Highway 41 will be closed from County N to two miles north of County OO.

Eastbound, westbound Highway 23

8 p.m. Tuesday, April 22, to 6 a.m. Wednesday, April 23: Highway 23 will be closed for structure removal. A signed detour will be installed.

Now if you’re removing an overpass structure doesn’t that require Hwy 41 to be closed as well during that timeframe? I mean I could have sworn I saw an electronic board late last week on Hwy 41 stating it would be closed at 8 pm Tuesday April 22 at 8 pm.

Also who were the idiots that planned the lane alterations on Hwy 23 over Hwy 41?  Don’t you think it would have been wise to PREVENT left hand turns onto Pioneer?

WEAC Healthcare monopoly

continues in the North Fond du Lac school district. The new contract was recently ratified.

The North Fond du Lac Board of Education and the North Fond du Lac Education Association have ratified a 2007-09 working agreement.

The settlement calls for a 4.2 percent salary and benefits package in 2007-08 and a 4.2 percent salary and benefits package for 2008-09.

Included in the package is increased compensation for teaching summer school and a change in insurance plans from WEA Trust Select to WEA Trust Preferred.

Superintendent Jim Sebert said that negotiations began in April 2007 and finished this month. The bargaining teams employed a consensus bargaining approach.

“The consensus bargaining process allowed us to more fully understand issues and one another, thus further building relationships during the process as well,” Sebert said.

Minor language changes occurred in the areas of assignment of extra duty work, posting of extra-curricular positions and assignment of high school class advisers.

So did this consensus bargaining process allow for discussion on changing to a healthcare provider other than WEAC Trust?  Why no bidding if the insurance plan was being changed?