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Sandy Pasch has some explaining to do.
Charlie Sykes tweets:Dem Sandy Pasch is listed as a member of the Board of Directors of Citizen Action: the group that organized this protest
And this:Sandy Pasch is on brd of directors of group spending big $ backing her campaign. Coordination between candidate and indy groups illegal
Corruption.
Will the media expose Pasch?
Waiting...
Union thugs once again are targeting people with special needs.
In June, a Special Olympics event at the Capitol in Madison was disrupted by protesters. Here's video, from MacIver Institute:Disgusting.
The latest union disgrace: AFSCME pickets Opportunities, Inc., a "a business that makes a point of hiring people with special needs."The union thugs are so incredibly selfish. Their agenda is all that matters to them. They don't think about its impact on anyone else. They don't seem to think at all.
Speaking of cranberries, DEMOCRAT Bob Wirch is guilty of the unauthorized use of the Ocean Spray logo, a copyrighted image. Kenosha, WI- Senator Bob Wirch was asked to cease and desist after he was caught misusing a copyrighted image in a desperate attempt to line himself with a local business.
Wirch included multiple uses of the Ocean Spray logo in his campaign literature without permission from the company.
"This is a desperate attempt by Bob Wirch to align himself with a successful business when his record on job creation for the 22nd district is so dismal," says Jonathan Steitz. "In fact, the state chamber of commerce gives Senator Wirch a 19% rating on votes in the Senate for creating and protecting jobs in 2009. He does not know what it takes to create jobs because he has neither owned nor managed a job-creating business."
Steitz added that it's more than ironic that Wirch is trying to curry favor with business leaders when the longtime liberal senator has voted to punish job creators with more than $4 billion in new taxes and another $3 billion in reckless government spending.
"Wirch's votes in favor of job-killing taxes and reckless spending has only damaged our frail economy and put more middle class families out of work," Steitz said. "Since Wirch was sent to Madison more than 7,200 jobs have been lost in the district, and businesses like Chrysler and J.W. Peters, Inc have closed their doors. Wirch not only owes Ocean Spray and the voters an apology for illegally using a copyrighted image in this desperate ploy, but he also owes the large number of unemployed workers an apology for helping destroy thousands of jobs with his big government spending and massive tax increases."
Apparently, Wirch believes he's above the law. He better cease and desist.
Without question, Wirch's record reveals that he is not a friend to middle class families. The job-killing taxes and reckless spending that Democrats are so fond of is the enemy of working people.
The pro-Wirch ads attacking Jonathan Steitz paint Wirch as standing up for the middle class while Steitz stands up for the "super rich." Nothing could be further from the truth.
Steitz is looking to help middle class families.
Wirch's class warfare tactics are really sleazy.
Enough.
Here's a new "food on a stick" offering coming to the 2011 Wisconsin State Fair: "Cran on a Stick."
From FOX 6 News: The dried sweetened cranberries are covered in dark chocolate, clustered on a stick, and then drizzled with white chocolate.
Although people who have tried "Cran on a Stick" think it will be a hot commodity, you will only be able to get it during the 11 days of the fair. You can buy them at the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association Booth for $2.50 a piece.
That sounds so good.
I love cranberries. Add dark chocolate and a drizzle of white chocolate and you've got a fantastic treat. ...According to the [Wisconsin Cranberry] Growers Association, Wisconsin produces more than 60% of the nation's supply of cranberries and well over 50% of the world's supply as well.
Wow! Wisconsin is a cranberry powerhouse!
Fifty percent of the world's supply?
Very impressive!
UPDATE, July 28, 2011: Sheboygan Mayor Bob Ryan says he will not resign____________________
FOX 6 News reports that Sheboygan aldermen will ask Mayor Bob Ryan to resign. __________________
From the Sheboygan Press:City aldermen, meeting as the Committee of the Whole, recommended Wednesday night that Mayor Bob Ryan resign his post in the wake of an alleged weekend-long drinking binge in Elkhart Lake.
In a prepared statement made following a closed-door meeting that lasted almost two and a half hours, Council President Eric Rindfleisch said if Ryan refused to resign, the committee “recommends that the council take further steps.”
The episode “has brought embarrassment to the city. The council is reviewing its options from censure to removal if a formal complaint is filed,” Rindfleisch said in the statement.
I think Ryan should resign.
I hope people close to Ryan convince him that his resignation is in order.
UPDATE, July 28, 2011: Sheboygan Mayor Bob Ryan says he will not resign____________________
Sheboygan Mayor Bob Ryan is struggling again with his alcoholism.
In 2009, Ryan was filmed at a bar, apparently drunk and making sexual remarks about his sister-in-law.
The antics of Sheboygan's mayor became fodder for comics, like Jay Leno.JAY LENO: Oh, well, here -- here is another one of those stupid men behaving badly stories. The mayor of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, a man named Bob Ryan, has apologized after he was caught on a cell phone -- He was at a bar, and somebody had a cell phone camera, and he's talking to the guys about his sister-in-law, and saying that he heard she was good at one particular sex act.
Well, he gave a press conference, and his wife was standing next to him. The sister-in-law wasn't there... Well, she may have been under the podium, but she wasn't at, she wasn't at, you know, at the press conference.
(Laughter, applause)
But anyway, so far calls to his office are split down the middle -- half want him to resign, the other half want the sister-in-law's phone number. So, I don't know what's going on there.
Very embarrassing.
Now, Ryan is involved in more embarrassing public incidents, this time in Elkhart Lake, a small town in northwestern Sheboygan County, home to Road America and resorts.
From the Sheboygan Press:Mayor Bob Ryan — an admitted alcoholic who a year ago said he was seeking treatment — confessed Tuesday to having a "couple drinks" over the weekend.
But while Ryan downplayed the relapse as one night out with friends, employees and customers at two Elkhart Lake nightspots said Ryan had been an obnoxious regular for at least several days, drinking from mid-afternoon until closing time while being rude and vulgar, especially toward women. They said he passed out at least once and was even seen getting into his car after drinking.
"He basically came to town on a rampage," said a bartender at the Barefoot Bay Tiki Bar in Victorian Village, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
"He's been on a bender," said another man, who saw Ryan over several nights.
This comes three weeks before he is scheduled to face a judge over a sexual harassment complaint filed after he allegedly made drunken advances on Angela Payne, then the city's director of human resources. Payne filed a complaint with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development that will be heard before an administrative law judge Aug. 16-19.
City officials responded Tuesday by scheduling a closed session Committee of the Whole meeting for 6:30 tonight.
Ryan on Tuesday called the matter a "setback" to his ongoing treatment program — the same term he used after a relapse last July.
"It's not that big of a deal, anything that transpired," Ryan said. "I got off my program a little bit here, had a little minor setback, was out in Elkhart, went to a different couple places, end of story."
Ald. Eric Rindfleisch, president of the Common Council, said he was concerned with Ryan's version of events and information making its way to him and other leaders.
"I feel that (Ryan's comment) minimizes what took place and I feel that whatever did happen was far more serious than the mayor is discussing at this time," Rindfleisch said. "As a city leader and a resident and a taxpayer … I'm again appalled that the person that occupies the office of mayor has dragged the city through the mud."
...Witnesses at the Brown Baer grill and tavern said Tuesday that Ryan became a regular in recent days, arriving in the afternoon and staying until near closing time.
Three witnesses — two women and one man — said Ryan was at the Brown Baer after hours Sunday night, drinking Jack Daniel's whiskey and diet colas. Ryan made rude and sexually explicit comments to staff and patrons — when he wasn't passed out, said the witnesses, who asked to not be identified.
"He said some really inappropriate things (to women). Things you can't print in your newspaper," one woman said.
Ryan was passed out for long periods of time, during which bar patrons took pictures with him.
In one case, two women bared their breasts next to the passed-out mayor, the witnesses said. In another instance, a man took Ryan's watch off and put it on his own wrist, had his picture taken wearing it and then put it back on Ryan's wrist, they said.
"There are probably some pretty good pictures on the Internet by now," a witness said.
One man, who declined to give his name because Ryan is a "pretty powerful guy," said Ryan's comments led to a physical altercation at the Brown Baer.
"(Ryan) was basically being a (jerk)," the man said. "After a while, one guy got sick of it and punched him twice. Bar stools went flying; glasses went flying."
Both men were kicked out of the bar and Ryan sat outside the bar until police arrived. They did not arrest Ryan but told him to move on, the man said.
Yikes! The patrons at the Brown Baer sound like a real classy bunch, don't they?...On another night after Ryan had been drinking, one woman said she saw him leave the Brown Baer and get into his car, a metallic blue Corvette convertible.
"He couldn't even focus," she said.
At the Tiki Bar, Ryan also was rude and vulgar to waitresses and other women, said a bartender, who also asked that his name not be used.
"He would show up in the early afternoon and stay pretty near closing time every night," he said. "Two nights in a row I had to cut him off."
I imagine Sheboygan residents must be losing patience with their mayor.
Perhaps he should focus on battling his alcoholism and step down.
Ryan is downplaying the reports of his drunkenness in Elkhart.Ryan said he was out drinking Saturday with several business owner friends who live in Elkhart Lake, whom he declined to identify. He said he was only in the village on Saturday, and he stayed the night before driving home Sunday.
"I was not drinking and driving if that's the question," he said.
When questioned about reports of sexually inappropriate comments, he denied anything the various allegations.
...And Ryan denied ever passing out: "I was not passing out in any bars," he said.
Ryan said in April 2010 that he realized through the two-pronged scandal that representing the city is a 24-hour job, saying, "I thought I could keep a private life and be the mayor at the same time. I realized that is not possible."
But Tuesday he took the opposite tact in explaining his behavior, adding that the incident is mitigated because he wasn't in Sheboygan.
"Is it a newsworthy story? No, I would hope it would not be. Nothing happened. It's not a story. It's my personal life," Ryan said. "I was out and about in Elkhart Lake. I was not in Sheboygan. … It's a different city."
Ryan acknowledged being part of a physical altercation, which he said started when a man he didn't know at the Brown Baer confronted Ryan about being out drinking.
"Not that I should be out drinking alcohol, but if I can't even go to a place for year after year without people giving me a hard time, something's wrong with that picture," Ryan said. "I think there might have been a little pushing and shoving on his end toward me, but it was nothing major. It wasn't a big deal."
Ryan's excuse that his drinking and alleged bad behavior took place in another city is ridiculous.
That doesn't make it OK.
Sheboygan aldermen will meet tonight to discuss the matter.Here's video, from FOX 6 News:
It would be nice if a streetcar line in Milwaukee would spark development, increase business, and improve the overall quality of life in the city.
That would be nice, but it's a pipe dream.
This is a major time warp.
From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:After nearly 20 years of debate, Milwaukee aldermen voted 10-5 Tuesday to build a modern streetcar line downtown.
They stopped short of final approval, however. In response to concerns raised by Comptroller W. Martin "Wally" Morics, the Common Council agreed to limit spending to engineering expenses for now, and to seek a review by the comptroller before releasing money for construction.
Still ahead in the next year are key decisions about how to run the line, how to pay its operating costs and how to resolve concerns raised by utility companies about moving their underground lines out of the way of the streetcar tracks.
The measure now heads to Mayor Tom Barrett, the plan's chief advocate, for signing.
"We know there's a lot of work to be done," Barrett said. "I view this as a significant step, but by no means do I view this as the end of the road."
Plans call for a 2.1-mile line, from the lower east side to the downtown Amtrak-Greyhound station, starting in 2014. Streetcars would run every 10 minutes on weekdays and every 15 minutes on weekends and during late-night and early-morning hours.
Modern streetcars, resembling light rail vehicles, would run on rails laid in streets, draw power from overhead wires and operate in traffic.
Rails laid in streets, overhead wires.
This would be a step in the right direction, if this were the 19th CENTURY. ...Utilities have warned it could cost $50 million or more to move utility lines along the initial route, but utility and city representatives have agreed those early projections are likely to come down with design adjustments and possibly even a route change. The council voted to cap the initial segment at $64.6 million and trim costs if needed.
Barrett has said he wants the streetcars to be operated by the nonprofit company that runs the Milwaukee County Transit System, but no formal deal is on the table.
Downtown Ald. Bob Bauman said the streetcar line would stimulate development, expand the tax base, create jobs and improve mobility for downtown workers, residents and visitors.
City officials predict the project will create 680 jobs at construction and supply contractors with the initial route, or 1,080 if the extensions are included. The extensions also would raise the number of permanent operating and maintenance jobs from 20 to 35.
The council voted 12-3 to reject south side Ald. Bob Donovan's move to subject the project to a referendum in the spring 2012 elections. Donovan cited the potential utility costs and Morics' concerns about insufficient information, while deriding predictions of economic development along the line as "incredibly rosy."
Of course, it will cost more than projected. That's certain. Additional costs will pile up. They always do.
I think Donovan's idea of having a referendum on this is an excellent idea.
Let the people of Milwaukee decide if they want a streetcar line.
It shouldn't be jammed down their throats.
Council members are probably afraid of a referendum because they know people don't want a streetcar line.
So, in their arrogance, they're bypassing the people, acting like they know what's best for the community.
They view residents as dolts, incapable of choosing the proper means of transportation to suit their needs....[Mayor Tom] Barrett, Kovac and Bauman said they viewed the initial line as a starter system that could be expanded if it is successful, with potential extensions to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Marquette University, Mitchell International Airport and various neighborhoods.
"This will remain controversial until people start riding it," and then begin clamoring for extensions to other parts of the city, following the pattern of similar systems elsewhere, Barrett said.
People are going to be "clamoring for extensions to other parts of the city"?
Yeah, right.
Back in the 1800s, streetcars replaced horses. That was progress.
This isn't progress.
It's a waste.
I'd rather have horses than streetcars.
Linebacker Nick Barnett is no longer a Packer.
From WBAY: Among the first Packers to return to Lambeau Field Tuesday morning was Nick Barnett, but he might not be with the Packers for long.
Barnett was well aware that his fate in Green Bay would be determined shortly after the conclusion of the lockout. He and everybody else knew the handwriting was on the wall when both Desmond Bishop and Hawk received large, lucrative contract extensions in the last year.
Barnett did not wait long to find out what the team's plans were for him, being among the first to arrive when facilities opened at 9 A.M.
At that time he was keeping an open mind about his future in Green Bay.
"At this point, all I have heard has come from you guys and no one here. I'm sure they will talk to me or talk to my agent. I am just concentrating on being ready to play and not worry about rumors," he said before the meeting.
Less than an hour later, Barnett left. He did not stop to talk to reporters. He wrote on his Twitter account, "Just talked to Ted. Thanks for the great 8 years. Very blessed to be part of a great tradition and fans.
"Happy I was able to be here for the great (Super Bowl) XLV run. I will always keep a special place in my heart for this team and city."
Barnett says he was told the Packers will try to trade him, but if not, they will release him -- a move that will save the team about $5 million of salary cap space.
Nick Barnett is a class act, expressing thanks to the team and fans at what has to be a difficult time for him.
Packer fans owe Barnett thanks for his contributions to the team.
He won't be forgotten.
Best of luck in the next jungle!
Aaron Rodgers tweets:Watching Obama on tv talking about the debt ceiling, hope he hasn't forgotten about the SB. Still waiting on the invite... #budgetcut??
Super Bowl champs - the Green Bay Packers!
I'm so happy the NFL mess is resolved. ______________________
Video of Charles Woodson's NFC Championship locker room speech here.
WHITE HOUSE!!!
Here's a primer on public employee unions and what they're doing to the country:
Over the weekend, I saw a barrage of TV ads attacking Jonathan Steitz.
Previously, I wasn't aware that he's the antichrist. Good grief.
Apparently, Democrat Bob Wirch supporters are afraid of dealing with the issues and believe mudslinging is their best approach to secure a victory.
Wirch refuses to debate Steitz.
A press release from Steitz for Senate:Steitz Campaign: Wirch Ducking Debates with Steitz
Fleeing Senator Now AWOL on Debates
Kenosha, WI- The Jonathan Steitz for Senate campaign today called on state Senator Bob Wirch to stop ducking debates and engage voters on the issues instead of launching personal attacks.
The Kenosha Area Business Association (KABA), an association dedicated to the economic health of the greater Kenosha area, has issued a formal invitation to both Wirch and Steitz. Thus far, only Steitz has committed and Wirch has refused to respond.
"What can be more important to the area than to compare ideas for how to grow jobs and get people back to work," said Steitz. "Bob Wirch should stop ducking debates and explain to working families throughout the district why he thinks more government spending and higher taxes are the answer to getting people back to work."
In addition, the American Association of University Women has also issued a formal invitation for the two state senate candidates to debate. The Steitz campaign said they are calling on Sen. Wirch to attend these forums and explain his recent votes against the budget repair bill that has had increasingly positive effects statewide.
"Bob Wirch and his liberal allies have chosen to taint this election by running baseless attack ads on me, rather than being focus on the issues," said Steitz. "Senator Wirch doesn't want to speak to the issues because he knows his votes to increases taxes and spending by billions has not created jobs or helped the economy. Evidently, Wirch is unwilling to stand on his record so he can avoid public discussion at all costs."
Yet another request was made by WLIP radio and host Lenny Palmer. Senator Wirch has not responded to that request either.
"The voters of the 22nd District are looking for a leader who won't avoid the issues, which is clearly becoming a pattern for the Runaway Senator," Steitz said.
Wirch displays a disturbing pattern of failing to communicate with the public and discuss his record.
He left the state with his Democrat comrades when he didn't want to carry out his responsibilities as a state senator. Now, he's running away from the rigors of this recall election.
Doesn't Wirch realize that he's accountable to his constituents?
There's one reason Wirch won't debate Steitz. He's afraid he'd lose.
I think he's right.
The lead story of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel online edition is a "what if" piece by Craig Gilbert.
It's a Democrat fantasy about Paul Ryan struggling to win reelection and the possibility of him losing.
It's a very odd article, something that reads more like Democrat party campaign literature than news. As the fiscal voice of the GOP and the architect of its plan to scale back Medicare, Paul Ryan is the Republican many Democrats would most like to defeat next year.
A Ryan loss would cost his party a lot more than a seat in Congress. It would deprive it of one of its most influential figures. And it would be a huge blow to its policy agenda, which Ryan has played a central role in crafting.
Could Ryan, often touted as a candidate for Senate or even president, lose a re-election bid for his own U.S. House seat?
That would be a shock. By any conventional calculus, the odds are substantially against it.
At the same time, Democrats are correct in saying this contest won't be a nonevent like Ryan's past campaigns. Wisconsin has been turned upside down politically since the last time Ryan was on a ballot.
"It will definitely be a race he's not used to running," says his likely Democratic opponent, Kenosha County Supervisor Rob Zerban.
In other words, prepare for national money to probably pour into the state again, this time to bloody Ryan.
I'm sure Obama would encourage roughing Ryan up.
Gilbert concludes:Ryan will enjoy obvious advantages next year (money, the makeup of the district, his own political skills, his electoral history). But there are major wild cards: the political fallout from his Medicare plan, the impact of having Obama on the ballot (and possibly even Walker if there's a successful recall drive next year), and the mad intensity of Wisconsin politics these days.
Gilbert seems to be giving a "you gotta believe" pep talk to Democrats: Stop Ryan. Recall Walker. Reelect Obama.
I think Obama being on the ballot will help Ryan, not hurt him.
This election is going to be a referendum on Obama's policies and his stunning ineffectiveness, especially in terms of the economy.
He can't be serious!
Unretiring is a sickness with Brett Favre.
Someone stage an intervention. He needs to enter rehab for the affliction. Eagles may want to sign Brett Favre; Vick would be ‘honored’Folks, we're really sorry for this. We really are. But it's our duty to keep our Spidey-Senses up for NFL news, and we've caught wind of a … well, we're searching for the right word to describe it … rumor. Howard Eskin of 610 WIP Sports Radio in Philadelphia has it out there that the Eagles are interested in possibly procuring the services of ...
Br…
Bre…
Brett Fa…
Oh hell, we can't even write it.
...Right now, this is just Eskin's rumor, though he's fairly dialed in. The Eagles can't talk to free agents or draft picks, but there's nothing in the lockout rules we're aware of preventing them from talking to retired players. If Favre is interested in coming back to a team able to challenge for a Super Bowl, in a media hotbed, behind a vulnerable quarterback, which a staff he knows, and talented targets all over the place … well, there would be few better places for him to go.
Then, there's the intangible argument. The lockout has taken the attention of the NFL media through the spring and summer; very few people have made Favre the primary subject of their attention, and we all know how he reacts to that.
It's tempting to ask the owners and players to put some sort of "Anti-Favre" provision in the new CBA before the NFLPA signs off on it, but we suppose we'll have to see how this plays out.
...UPDATE: Here's Vick's take on the whole thing; he's pretty clearly setting the terms of such a deal by mentioning Favre as a 'backup.'
I can't wait for training camp to begin in Green Bay. I love the atmosphere.
I wonder if Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers would be "honored" to have Favre as his backup.
I crack myself up.
Obama and his political machine are meddling in Wisconsin politics.
Here's an e-mail from Obama's campaign operation:Friend --
On August 9th, Wisconsin voters will go back to the polls to decide whether six Republican senators have failed to serve the needs of Wisconsin's hard-working families.
Senate Republicans broke the trust of Wisconsinites earlier this year when they forced drastic cuts in funding for schools, seniors, and the disabled to cut taxes for their own contributors.
Since then, hundreds of OFA Wisconsin supporters across the state have spoken up, saying they want to have an impact in the recall elections in August. So in the coming weeks, volunteers will be organizing their networks, working phone banks, and knocking on doors to get the word out about what's at stake on August 9th -- and this Saturday, there's an event in Glendale.
Can you make it? Here are the details:
What: Wisconsin legislative recall event
Where: 6807 N Green Bay Ave
Glendale, WI 53209
When: Saturday, July 23rd
10:00 am
If you can't make that event, find another one near you here.
Six Republican-held seats are up for grabs on August 9th -- and two more held by Democrats are up on the 16th.
While the campaign remains focused on re-electing the President, Organizing for America will provide support to OFA Wisconsin volunteers organizing around Democratic candidates in the recall elections.
I hope you can join the event in Glendale on Saturday. Sign up here:
http://wi.barackobama.com/Wisconsin-Recall-Events
Thanks,
Michelle
Michelle Kleppe
Wisconsin State Field Director
Organizing for America
Clearly, Obama considers Wisconsin to be vital to his own political future. It's no surprise that he's poking around in our state politics.
It's no surprise that Obama is waging class warfare and distorting what Governor Scott Walker and the Republicans have accomplished for Wisconsin's families.
Instead of being divisive and being a big labor hack, Obama should learn from Scott Walker and the Republicans.
"Wet blanket" Obama should observe the successes and reconsider his policies.
Festa Italiana's four-day run on Milwaukee's lakefront began with a beautiful summer night.
The heat wave eased up just enough and just in time. There was a soft breeze and less humidity at the lake. After a gorgeous sunset, the weather was perfect to enjoy the sights, the food, the music, and the fireworks.
It seemed less crowded. Maybe concerns about heat kept attendance down a bit.
What's new at Festa? New this year at Festa Italiana is Piazza di LEGO (LEGO square). In collaboration with MSOE, American Institute of Architects – Milwaukee and Milwaukee Public Schools, children of all ages are welcome to participate in a daily LEGO contest at the North end of the grounds.
...As part of Piazza di LEGO, members of MSOE’s student chapter of the Architectural Engineering Institute (AEI) will construct a five-feet tall Leaning Tower of Pisa out of approximately 18,000 LEGOs! The students, led by Justin Cosgrove, began their work in early February and are expected to complete the structure during the week of May 23. A team of students will spend approximately 130 man hours and 90 days shaping the LEGOs into a lifelike construction of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The completed tower will be driven to Festival Park from MSOE and will be on display at Piazza di LEGO all four days of the festival!
In addition, a fully functional LEGO model of Milwaukee’s Miller Park, constructed by MSOE alumnus Tim Kaebisch, will be displayed at Piazza di LEGO. The model stands over three-feet tall and the details are amazing!
Appleton's Police Chief David Walsh admitted on Monday that this was "not our finest hour."
Sound familiar?
Walsh's comments remind me of Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn's response to the Riverwest mob rampage earlier this month. He said the department's handling of the looting and beatings "may not have been our finest hour."
Walsh, however, wasn't apologizing for the disgrace of Milwaukee police officers failing to take statements from victims of violent crimes.
He was accepting responsibility for the Appleton police department shutting down a child's lemonade stand and the ensuing uproar.
From the Appleton Post-Cresent:Despite the Sunday snafu during the old car show, lemonade stands are not under attack in Appleton. The next big summer crowd pleaser is Art in the Park on July 31. There will be thirsty masses to serve. So, dust off the cash box and prepare for some squeezing if you live around City Park.
"Get out there. Stock up some lemonade because it's supposed to be pretty nice out. And good luck," Mayor Tim Hanna said Tuesday.
City and police officials have had a lot of explaining and backtracking to do since an officer shut down a lemonade stand set up by sisters Lydia Coenen, 10, and Vivian Coenen, 9.
The girls were near their home about 7:30 a.m. Sunday, getting ready to sell their lemonade to car enthusiasts heading to Pierce Park for the Appleton Old Car Show & Swap Meet when the officer told them the sales were prohibited by city ordinance.
The law, which went into effect last month, bars licensed vendors from selling food and drinks within a two-block radius of any special events. The key word is "licensed."
Lemonade stands are not regulated in the state, and there are no plans to do so in the city. As a public health issue, they are low-risk for food-borne illnesses, health officials say. Additionally, the city doesn't want to get in the business of issuing permits to minors.
Police Chief David Walsh, in a letter sent Monday to members of the Common Council, said his department takes responsibility for the uproar.
"Not our finest hour, but I believe the officer was acting in the spirit of inter-departmental cooperation rather than malice toward childhood lemonade stands. We often have to tell good people that their actions violate an ordinance," he wrote. "In this instance, it appears we went a step too far. I'll make sure it does not repeat itself."
Sgt. Pat DeWall said officers will be trained on how to regulate who can and cannot sell food and drinks around special-permit events.
Common sense prevails in Appleton.
Once upon a time, local television news actually was informative.
The broadcasts weren't loaded with sensational crap and goofy features.
Those days are gone, and now so is the long-time anchorman of Channel 4, John McCullough.
From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:Even in so-called retirement, John McCullough remained a newsman.
He was best known as the respected anchor at WTMJ-TV (Channel 4) - long the station's lone anchorman at 5 and 10 - until he officially retired in 1988. He went on to start McCullough Productions, producing award-wining documentaries for WMVS-TV (Channel 10) and WTMJ.
"John was an icon in the TV news business in Milwaukee," said Mike Gousha, now distinguished fellow in law and public policy at Marquette University. "At a time when viewership for TV news was at its zenith, there was nobody bigger than John."
That said, McCullough didn't act it.
"It was always about the news," said Gousha, who found a mentor in McCullough as a young reporter at WTMJ. "It wasn't about John."
McCullough died Wednesday at a hospital in South Bend, Ind. He was 77. He collapsed Sunday while with his wife, Sandy, at their summer-and-football-season home in Granger near South Bend. No cause of death is known, but it might have resulted from a heart rhythm problem.
...McCullough joined WTMJ-TV in 1967. The station is owned by Journal Communications, which publishes the Journal Sentinel.
"McCullough personified the station," wrote Mike Drew, then TV-radio critic for The Milwaukee Journal. "Older, sincere, solid to the point of stolid, unflashy to the borderline of dull. But also, year after year, reliable, right and no-nonsense."
..."He was a legend," said Hank Stoddard, former WTMJ sports director and a longtime friend. "He was not big on too much happy talk - he could throw a one-liner out - but he didn't tolerate the fluff that you see today on TV news."
When he decided to step down, McCullough made the announcement himself - on his 5 p.m. newscast.
"I spent 22 years here breaking stories, and I wanted to break my own retirement," he said.
I can still hear McCullough's sign-off after the 10:00 news, before Johnny Carson's Tonight Show: "Sleep warm."
Rest in Peace.
Contessa Brewer, MSNBC, has yet another clip to add to her highlight reel.
Brewer, former TMJ4 reporter and anchor, is the gift that keeps on giving.
Video, from Breitbart:TranscriptCONTESSA BREWER: You're simplifying the issues that were on the plate of the nation at that point. We were looking at going, reverting into a depression at that point. Everyone-- the Fed Chairman, the...
REP. MO BROOKS: Well, I disagree that we were going into a depression; but go ahead.
BREWER: Do you have a degree in economics?
BROOKS: Yes, ma'am, I do. Highest honors.
BREWER: OK, so... so, you disagree with the Fed Chairman, Ben Bernanke.
Oh, Contessa, you stepped in it - AGAIN!
What a fool!
Mo Brooks is no schlub.Mo graduated from Duke University in three years with a double major in political science and economics, with highest honors in economics. In 1978, he graduated from the University of Alabama Law School.
Other "highlights" in Contessa Brewer's career:Contessa Brewer and John Ziegler
Contessa Brewer and Zach Lahn
Contessa Brewer, MSNBC, White People, and Guns
MSNBC Bashes Republicans on Olympics
Contessa Brewer: Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton
Contessa Brewer and Judd Gregg
Contessa Brewer: Global Warming Snow Job
Contessa Brewer: Islamic Ties, Faisal Shahzad
Contessa Brewer, MSNBC, and Living Green
Contessa Brewer and Tony Katz
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