Frank Fiorenza

TH: I don't want to put words in your mouth, but in a way we've got a blessing and a curse called the Mississippi River. It's a great attraction for recreation, tourism, but it also creates a boundary. To what degree does that pose some challenges?
FF: I think those are just geographic boundaries, they're lines on a map or the river is just a stream that divides two land areas. But the fact of the matter is that that's all it is. People cross the river or cross the border for tourism, for various diversions, whether it's going down to the dog track or the casino boat or to shop in Dubuque or to take advantage of health facilities. In fact, about 3,000 people from Grant County (Wis.) work in Dubuque County. I think it's over about 2,500 from Jo Davies County (Ill.) work in Dubuque County. So in actuality, the border is an artificial dividing line. The region does not stop where the river stops. The region does not stop where the Wisconsin-Illinois border is drawn. The region goes beyond those geographic marker, I think.

TH: Are there certain experiences or skills that you experienced in education that you can now apply to what you do as the village board president?
FF: Yeah. I think standing in front of a group of people everyday, with students, I'm not really too fearful standing in front of a group and speaking my mind. So I don't have any fear of public speaking. I think just dealing with a variety of personalities on a daily basis certainly helps with working with people in government. I don't know. I don't know how to directly relate this, but I think the philosophy in the literature, believe it or not, was a good training or background because I think it helped make me a better thinker. I think it helped me to see things from many different perspectives. I think that's good training if you're going to be involved with government or any brewery project or anything of that nature.

TH: Looking back over a dozen years or so of public service on the board, if you had to go back and redo something, if you had that chance, what might it have been?
FF: For the Village?

TH: Mm, hmm.

TH: Quite truthfully, I don't know that I would have changed anything. A new storm sewer was put in. We put in new curbs and gutters. We have new streets. The brewery project. I don't know. I really don't know if there's anything I would change, to be honest with you. Maybe there's some things I would like to have done better, but I don't know if I would have changed what we did. One thing that I would like to do and I wish I could be successful with is just south of the village there is a jetty that goes out to the Mississippi River. I've been working with the Corps of Engineers and Fish and Wildlife Department trying to upgrade or enhance that area. I haven't been successful. If I have any regret, it's that I haven't been successful with doing something with that Point Road. It's a national wildlife refuge. It's visited by 270 species of birds during the year. It is a naturalist's paradise. I would love to see that area enhanced. I would love to see it enhanced but also with consideration for other people who use it. Fishermen - I guess I should say "anglers" to be politically correct. Anglers and the duck hunters. I don't want them to lose their privileges or their rights in using that Point Road or that natural wildlife area. But keeping their needs in mind, I would still like to have that area enhanced. Especially if this brewery project goes through, which I know it will, and if it brings more people into town, that would just be a great addition.