Droppin of The Carp 10th Annual Prairie du Chien, WI.
Let's Drop a Carp!
This project went to a new level as we have expanded the activities, and it is now known as Carp Fest in its 2nd year. It is this new direction that we give credit to Mike Ulrich and the Park and Recreation program of Prairie du Chien with a variety of activities for the young and old throughout the week. It is these activities that will assure the growth, expansion, and the dreams of kissing the carp to continue bringing good luck to the community of Prairie du Chien.
The City of Prairie du Chien, received a lot of great attention from this event. The Courier, Press, WQPC/WPRE Radio, and the regional news network: the State Journal, the Telegraph Herald of Dubuque lA, the La Crosse Newspapers and TV Channel 8 coverage, along with Discover Wisconsin Radio Network, and Tractor Supply Quarterly Magazine all helped to publicize the event. But, the high light, was watching CBS Sunday Morning on January 2, 2011 as Lucky the Carp was lowered to its cradle of fame and two young girls "Kissed the Carp" for good luck.
I guess the proudest moment for me was at midnight. It was a humbling experience standing on the stage with Dan Kapanke, my State Senator, Lee Neirison, my State Representative, and Dave Hemmer, my Mayor of Prairie du Chien reading a proclamation from Governor Doyle about the Droppin' of the Carp. For Dan and Lee this was their 4th year at this event. This was special, because these men chose to spend their New Years at Lucky Park in downtown, Prairie du Chien, WI.. The thought of this still gives me goose bumps as they led us in the Pledge of Allegiance to our Flag.
But truly, this project is about people, coming together on a cold winter night in South West Wisconsin with hopes and dreams of a new beginning, a fresh start, at making our Community, our state, and our nation a better place. I wish everyone a Happy New Year and many more to come.
Tom Nelson, Carp Master
Carp King and Queen Nomination
We nominate Ken Meyer for Carp King. He is well qualified for this grand title. Ken is a very active man when it comes to rive life on the Mississippi River. He boasts the nickname Captain Ken, He is a 'boat mechanic and keeps a lot of the fisherman's boats in working .order so that they too can enjoy the river. He spends countless hours working on their boats, and does it with a smile When he isn't fixing boats, he also enjoys trying to catch the big one, although it seems to always get away. Who else do you know that has. a collection of over a dozen different boats lying around his property. They may not all 'be up and
running but he can't just fathom tossing away a piece of floating history. Ken also has attended different Corps of Engineers meetings to voice his concern 'of the way the river life is handled. He enjoys eating smoked carp and other fish delicacies. Ken also has a big heart in helping others out, as he is a member of the Masonic Lodge and the Zor Shriners.
His wife Jan is well suited for the title Carp Queen as she has to put up with Ken's boat collecting and being away so much fixing boats.
To summarize it best, just look at his Cadillac and truck license plates that read CAPT- KEN.
*Excerpted from Ken and Jan Meyer's nomination for Carp King and Queen. See here for additional Dropping of the Carp photos.
week went by so fast I hardly had a chance to get geared up to start the work I had to finish. The weather didn't cooperate starting on Wednesday which put us behind. We persevered and the weather on the 31st threw us another curve. I think I counted the weather change 6 times that day. It started out comfortably warm, turned cold, the wind changed, turned warm, rained, the wind changed again, turned cold, and at 11:57 I could have swore the snowflakes where about three inches around. Our equipment, being tarped, survived the rain but not the wind gusts, so we had to do an almost complete reset of the light equipment at 9:00. 
like a rock star as I saw all the camera flashes geared toward the light and fireworks show with myself at the sound controls. We played in the New Year with some of the top pop and dance hits of 2010 and noticed a few enthusiastic hangers-on attempting to dance away the midnight chill. I only wished people could have hung around a little longer but the cold night drove them back to the comfort of the establishments with the convenience of heat. I was pumped up and the ideas for next year began to flow before the volume control was twisted back down to a non-ear piercing level. Keep an eye out for us next year. I believe the Dropping of the Carp festivities have now turned the corner of the first decade of the millennium and is now headed progressively into its teen year's. 
