2015 LaCrosse Oktoberfest Medallion Hunt

The hunt has begun. The change in meter of the clues points to a change in the way the clues are delivered. The specificity of the type of shoes hint something exercise related.

There is a collegiate connection; UWL Professor Dixon helped create the LaCrosse Community Theater, which today has a connection with Viterbo - the Sister's small normal school that has grown into a university - in the space they share in the Weber Center. This is the area of a major part of the beginning of the clue.

The former area in today's Riverside Park that included train tracks and boathouses was where the old Wagon Bridge crossed the Mississippi River between Jay and Pearl streets at the base of the former Mount Vernon Street - near where a major part of the clue is based. The clue also points to an educator, as well as looking east in the direction of the medallion site, and also a scene depicted on the UW-LaCrosse seal.

The sculpture of two dancers dancing "above the clouds" in the parking lot of the Pump House and across the street from the coffee shop, designed by local artist Donna Gerke-Cuta, is a focal point. Dance steps are also sculpted in the sidewalks in this area - all where a major part of the clue is based. The dancing also points to exercise.

The Pump House, built in 1880, first drew water for the city, and in recent years has drawna rtwork. The "hearty" refers to the Heart of LaCrosse that performs up the stairs - taken from the old post office. The Pump House is home to the major part of the clue.

The trompe l'oeil mural on the side of the Pump House will give you a major clue to the medallion's actual hiding site. The artwork depicts a person directly related to the hiding site.

The fooling of the eye points to one of the images being directly linked to the hiding site. The person standing is Walter Wittich, the father of the physical education program at UWL. The "normal" reference is a former name of the University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse, where the medallion is located.

Walter Wittich, depicted in the trompe l'oeil, was the originator of the university's physical education program, with the mens corpusque - mind and body - philosophy, which remains the university's motto and is depicted on the seal. The original physical education building on the campus was named for Wittich.

UWL Professor Walter Wittich established a First Aid Wheel, along with other physical educations standards. The original physical education building,- with the words physical education etched above the door - opened as one of the finest gymnastics facilities in the country. This is also another reference to Wittich Hall, which is the area where the medallion is hidden.

The "reflect" reference refers to the "Area of Reflection" marker on the southwest corner of the building. The many champions refers to the women's gymnastics program, housed in the building, that has won 16 national championships. The reference of the lone tree signifies where the medallion is located - under a single blue spruce on the south side of the building. Congratulations on your sharp eye and finding the medallion!