Janesville Gazette Articles
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Less bitter, more sweet: Delavan bookstore closing after 18 years
July 29, 2013
DELAVAN — Creaky floorboards, antique furniture, floor-to-ceiling shelves and even two quiet cats make Bibliomaniacs a classic brick-and-mortar used book store.
Located at 324 E Walworth Ave., Bibliomaniacs opened in December 1994 and has seen celebrities, musicians, countless regular customers and a few random wanderers. It is one of those places that cannot be replaced by online shopping.
But just like thousands of bookstores around the country, Bibliomaniacs is going out of business. It will close its doors in downtown Delavan for good at the end of August.
According to Eco-Libris, a website dedicated to research in the book industry, more than 1,000 independent bookstores closed between 2000 and 2007. In 2011, the American Booksellers Association had 1,900 independent bookstores as members, compared to about 2,400 in 2002, The New York Times reported. The trend in independent bookstores is evident, and Bibliomaniacs is part of it.
Owner Gerry Mosher said he is not upset about closing the store because it has been difficult to keep it running the last couple years.
“You don't need a brick-and-mortar store anymore because you can buy books online, and that really cut into the foot traffic,” Mosher said.
When Mosher and Gary Lenox, a librarian at UW-Rock County, opened the store, it was Lenox's retirement plan: Mosher would manage it until Lennox reached retirement; then Lenox would handle the book side, and Mosher would handle the business side.
After the two owned the store for two years, their plan was dramatically altered when Lenox died unexpectedly.
Mosher inherited the business -- with all the furniture, thousands of books and the building -- and decided to keep it running.
In its first 10 years, Bibliomaniacs flourished. There was a 15-foot Christmas tree and a total of five cats through the years. The store hosted musicians playing old-fashioned Victorian music and Broadway songs, authors coming in to talk about their books and librarians needing a place for gatherings. At its height, Mosher said, the store had about 25,000 books in its 4,000 square feet.
Jeanene Welker has worked at Bibliomaniacs for 16 years and is the only other employee. Among the most important aspects of the store, she said, were the customers, and not just for business. They brought character and have provided Bibliomaniacs with a rich history.
John Mahoney, who played Martin Crane on the television show “Frasier,” owned a house on Delavan Lake and would stop in every couple of months. Shel Silverstein, author of “Where the Sidewalk Ends” and other books, would stop in when visiting his sister who lived in town.
But even more noteworthy than celebrities were the regular customers.
Mosher said that regulars drove from Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha and even Illinois to see what they could find. One customer was always looking for biographies of movie stars, and she and Mosher would reminisce about old movies.
“You really get to know a lot of people,” Mosher said. “We've seen kids grow up. There was a little boy who loved Pinocchio that came in, and he's now in college. I remember when his mother was pregnant with his sister, and now that little girl is in high school starring in musicals.”
As online shopping and its competitive pricing emerged, however, local businesses took a hit.
In 1998, Mosher started selling books online, which was easy and profitable at the time, he said. But as the web gained momentum, both in-store and online sales were affected.
Mosher will continue selling books online part time while finishing his culinary arts degree and trying his hand in restaurant management.
“The thing about having a brick-and-mortar store is browsing, and going online, you lose that,” Mosher said. “We've always said we're a place where you come to browse and see what you find. You don't come looking for a specific book.”
Another disadvantage of online selling, Mosher said, is that customers lose the atmosphere of a cozy shop with antiques and pets.
Mosher said the books and antique furniture came from yard sales, bookshops, auctions and people calling up to offer odds and ends. Whatever doesn't sell by the end of August will probably go to auction, and whatever books are left will be sold online, he said.
Everything in the store is 50 percent off, and Mosher estimates that more than 9,000 books are left in the store. He will have a sidewalk sale with $1 books and other deals during Delavan Daze on Aug. 9 and 10.
For Mosher, closing the store is less bitter than sweet. He said it was great while it lasted, but he accepts the fact that the time to close has come.
“You always want to give it one more chance, but then you have to accept that it's not worth having a physical store,” Mosher said. “Selling online is more difficult than it was 10 years ago, too. But that I can do without having to open the doors and maintain a store.”
Located at 324 E Walworth Ave., Bibliomaniacs opened in December 1994 and has seen celebrities, musicians, countless regular customers and a few random wanderers. It is one of those places that cannot be replaced by online shopping.
But just like thousands of bookstores around the country, Bibliomaniacs is going out of business. It will close its doors in downtown Delavan for good at the end of August.
According to Eco-Libris, a website dedicated to research in the book industry, more than 1,000 independent bookstores closed between 2000 and 2007. In 2011, the American Booksellers Association had 1,900 independent bookstores as members, compared to about 2,400 in 2002, The New York Times reported. The trend in independent bookstores is evident, and Bibliomaniacs is part of it.
Owner Gerry Mosher said he is not upset about closing the store because it has been difficult to keep it running the last couple years.
“You don't need a brick-and-mortar store anymore because you can buy books online, and that really cut into the foot traffic,” Mosher said.
When Mosher and Gary Lenox, a librarian at UW-Rock County, opened the store, it was Lenox's retirement plan: Mosher would manage it until Lennox reached retirement; then Lenox would handle the book side, and Mosher would handle the business side.
After the two owned the store for two years, their plan was dramatically altered when Lenox died unexpectedly.
Mosher inherited the business -- with all the furniture, thousands of books and the building -- and decided to keep it running.
In its first 10 years, Bibliomaniacs flourished. There was a 15-foot Christmas tree and a total of five cats through the years. The store hosted musicians playing old-fashioned Victorian music and Broadway songs, authors coming in to talk about their books and librarians needing a place for gatherings. At its height, Mosher said, the store had about 25,000 books in its 4,000 square feet.
Jeanene Welker has worked at Bibliomaniacs for 16 years and is the only other employee. Among the most important aspects of the store, she said, were the customers, and not just for business. They brought character and have provided Bibliomaniacs with a rich history.
John Mahoney, who played Martin Crane on the television show “Frasier,” owned a house on Delavan Lake and would stop in every couple of months. Shel Silverstein, author of “Where the Sidewalk Ends” and other books, would stop in when visiting his sister who lived in town.
But even more noteworthy than celebrities were the regular customers.
Mosher said that regulars drove from Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha and even Illinois to see what they could find. One customer was always looking for biographies of movie stars, and she and Mosher would reminisce about old movies.
“You really get to know a lot of people,” Mosher said. “We've seen kids grow up. There was a little boy who loved Pinocchio that came in, and he's now in college. I remember when his mother was pregnant with his sister, and now that little girl is in high school starring in musicals.”
As online shopping and its competitive pricing emerged, however, local businesses took a hit.
In 1998, Mosher started selling books online, which was easy and profitable at the time, he said. But as the web gained momentum, both in-store and online sales were affected.
Mosher will continue selling books online part time while finishing his culinary arts degree and trying his hand in restaurant management.
“The thing about having a brick-and-mortar store is browsing, and going online, you lose that,” Mosher said. “We've always said we're a place where you come to browse and see what you find. You don't come looking for a specific book.”
Another disadvantage of online selling, Mosher said, is that customers lose the atmosphere of a cozy shop with antiques and pets.
Mosher said the books and antique furniture came from yard sales, bookshops, auctions and people calling up to offer odds and ends. Whatever doesn't sell by the end of August will probably go to auction, and whatever books are left will be sold online, he said.
Everything in the store is 50 percent off, and Mosher estimates that more than 9,000 books are left in the store. He will have a sidewalk sale with $1 books and other deals during Delavan Daze on Aug. 9 and 10.
For Mosher, closing the store is less bitter than sweet. He said it was great while it lasted, but he accepts the fact that the time to close has come.
“You always want to give it one more chance, but then you have to accept that it's not worth having a physical store,” Mosher said. “Selling online is more difficult than it was 10 years ago, too. But that I can do without having to open the doors and maintain a store.”
Levell Coppage sentenced to four months
in jail, three years probation
August 14, 2013
ELKHORN — A Walworth County judge reluctantly followed a plea agreement and on Tuesday sentenced former UW-Whitewater football standout Levell Coppage to four months in jail and three years probation.
“There's an old saying, 'To whom much is given, much is expected,” Walworth County Judge Phillip Koss said.
Koss followed a joint recommendation from the prosecution and defense in sentencing Coppage, a former running back for the Warhawks.
The joint recommendation came from District Attorney Daniel Necci and defense lawyer Mark Pecora.
Koss said he struggled to agree with the recommendation.
"I not sure I was going to grant this. This isn't just casual use,” Koss said. “I've often seen people who engage in athletics--especially at an elite level as you have--who have an expectation that things will be good and easy for them.
"Your gifts won't get you off; more should be expected rather than less. We don't cut you slack because you're a good athlete. I don't care," Koss said.
Coppage told the judge that while he has often been told he is a good athlete, he also has been told he is a good person.
“I think that goes a long way, and that's who I am, not what you see on paper,” Coppage said.
Coppage was arrested in September 2012 on four counts of felony delivery of marijuana and two misdemeanor charges of possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
According to the criminal complaint, a confidential informant bought 61.4 grams of marijuana from Coppage over four controlled buys in Whitewater. In the same month, police found marijuana, a marijuana grinder and a glass pipe in Coppage's backpack during a traffic stop.
As part of the plea agreement, one felony count and the two misdemeanor charges were dropped but still considered in sentencing.
Additional terms of the agreement include $500 in fines plus court costs, 80 hours of community service over two years, no alcohol or controlled substances and alcohol and other drug abuse assessment and compliance. If all the conditions are met without additional legal problems, the case will be expunged from Coppage's record.
The only disagreement in the sentencing hearing came from Pecora, who asked that Coppage be allowed to start his jail term Sept. 15, after he moved to his new residence and finalized his enrollment at UW-Whitewater.
Koss declined.
“I don't know why he shouldn't go today,” Koss said. “I realize that probably wasn't a realistic expectation, but he should have his affairs in order. This date has been set for quite a long period of time.”
Pecora noted that Coppage had gone beyond what Pecora had advised, logging 30 hours of community service to be subtracted from his sentence. Necci stated the evidence since the arrest shows that Coppage has been “doing a good job” and he was “impressed with Coppage's personal growth.”
Koss ended the hearing with advice for Coppage.
“Mr. Coppage, my lecture will do nothing, it will all be up to you," Koss said. “If you're going to succeed in life, you have graciously gotten the tools to do that today.”
“There's an old saying, 'To whom much is given, much is expected,” Walworth County Judge Phillip Koss said.
Koss followed a joint recommendation from the prosecution and defense in sentencing Coppage, a former running back for the Warhawks.
The joint recommendation came from District Attorney Daniel Necci and defense lawyer Mark Pecora.
Koss said he struggled to agree with the recommendation.
"I not sure I was going to grant this. This isn't just casual use,” Koss said. “I've often seen people who engage in athletics--especially at an elite level as you have--who have an expectation that things will be good and easy for them.
"Your gifts won't get you off; more should be expected rather than less. We don't cut you slack because you're a good athlete. I don't care," Koss said.
Coppage told the judge that while he has often been told he is a good athlete, he also has been told he is a good person.
“I think that goes a long way, and that's who I am, not what you see on paper,” Coppage said.
Coppage was arrested in September 2012 on four counts of felony delivery of marijuana and two misdemeanor charges of possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
According to the criminal complaint, a confidential informant bought 61.4 grams of marijuana from Coppage over four controlled buys in Whitewater. In the same month, police found marijuana, a marijuana grinder and a glass pipe in Coppage's backpack during a traffic stop.
As part of the plea agreement, one felony count and the two misdemeanor charges were dropped but still considered in sentencing.
Additional terms of the agreement include $500 in fines plus court costs, 80 hours of community service over two years, no alcohol or controlled substances and alcohol and other drug abuse assessment and compliance. If all the conditions are met without additional legal problems, the case will be expunged from Coppage's record.
The only disagreement in the sentencing hearing came from Pecora, who asked that Coppage be allowed to start his jail term Sept. 15, after he moved to his new residence and finalized his enrollment at UW-Whitewater.
Koss declined.
“I don't know why he shouldn't go today,” Koss said. “I realize that probably wasn't a realistic expectation, but he should have his affairs in order. This date has been set for quite a long period of time.”
Pecora noted that Coppage had gone beyond what Pecora had advised, logging 30 hours of community service to be subtracted from his sentence. Necci stated the evidence since the arrest shows that Coppage has been “doing a good job” and he was “impressed with Coppage's personal growth.”
Koss ended the hearing with advice for Coppage.
“Mr. Coppage, my lecture will do nothing, it will all be up to you," Koss said. “If you're going to succeed in life, you have graciously gotten the tools to do that today.”
Walworth County deputies cleared in fatal shooting of Jeremiah Krubert
August 8, 2013
ELKHORN — Four Walworth County sheriff's deputies involved in a June 13 shooting that ended with the death of an Elkhorn man have been cleared by the Walworth County district attorney.
Deputies Todd Neumann, Jeffery Shaw, Wayne Blanchard and Garth Frami responded to a home invasion call at N7248 County O, Elkhorn, that led to the shooting of Jeremiah Krubert, 39. The residence belonged to Krubert's mother and her boyfriend.
A letter from District Attorney Daniel Necci to Sheriff David Graves details each deputy's involvement in the shooting based on statements and evidence from the scene collected by the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation.
According to the letter, Neumann arrived as Krubert was trying to leave in his mother's boyfriend's truck. As Neumann approached the truck, Krubert got out and approached Neumann “holding a large blade knife in a threatening manner,” according to the statement.
Neumann shot at Krubert an “unknown number of times,” but Krubert continued his approach.
“Neumann began to move backwards away from Krubert, continued to command Krubert to 'Get down,' and experienced a mechanical failure of his handgun. Krubert continued to approach and now began to say 'Kill me, kill me,'” the letter reads.
Neumann continued to back away but tripped over an electrical box. Neumann drew his baton “preparing for mortal combat,” but Krubert ran past him and got into Neumann's squad car and drove off, heading south on Millard Road, according to the letter.
Shaw and Blanchard pursued Krubert on Millard Road. Krubert drove through the “T” intersection of Millard and Pierce roads and into a field, where the squad car he had stolen smashed into farm equipment, according to the letter. Frami also had joined in the chase.
Krubert exited the stolen squad car with a shotgun from the squad, and Shaw saw Krubert “appearing to attempt to chamber a round.” The three deputies fired their rifles, and Krubert fell to the ground, according to the statement.
The investigation later revealed Krubert had forcefully entered his mother's home and attacked her boyfriend, Michael Boyd, 54, with a led pipe, according to the statement.
Necci wrote in his Aug. 6 letter to the sheriff that he has “no reason whatsoever” to believe Krubert's death resulted from the commission of any crimes that would require an inquest.
The deputies' actions were “privileged as acts of defense of themselves or others … and, therefore, Wisconsin law is clear that I can not order that an inquest be conducted,” Necci wrote.
The deputies were assigned to administrative duties after the shooting. The Gazette was not able to reach sheriff's officials Wednesday to find out the deputies' status.
Court records indicate Krubert had a history of mental illness and arrests for crimes including theft and lewd and lascivious behavior. Probation records obtained by The Gazette from the Wisconsin Department of Corrections indicate he repeatedly abused drugs and alcohol.
In a questionnaire he filled out as part of his probation, Krubert claimed to have had a troubled childhood. Responding to questions on the form, he indicated there had been violence in his home and that he had experienced traumatic childhood events, although no details were provided.
In the same questionnaire, Krubert admitted to using alcohol and marijuana since he was 14.
When asked to describe himself, Krubert wrote: “Healthy, athletic, generally good person, with a mental illness that has led me to behave criminally and ruined my life.”
Deputies Todd Neumann, Jeffery Shaw, Wayne Blanchard and Garth Frami responded to a home invasion call at N7248 County O, Elkhorn, that led to the shooting of Jeremiah Krubert, 39. The residence belonged to Krubert's mother and her boyfriend.
A letter from District Attorney Daniel Necci to Sheriff David Graves details each deputy's involvement in the shooting based on statements and evidence from the scene collected by the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation.
According to the letter, Neumann arrived as Krubert was trying to leave in his mother's boyfriend's truck. As Neumann approached the truck, Krubert got out and approached Neumann “holding a large blade knife in a threatening manner,” according to the statement.
Neumann shot at Krubert an “unknown number of times,” but Krubert continued his approach.
“Neumann began to move backwards away from Krubert, continued to command Krubert to 'Get down,' and experienced a mechanical failure of his handgun. Krubert continued to approach and now began to say 'Kill me, kill me,'” the letter reads.
Neumann continued to back away but tripped over an electrical box. Neumann drew his baton “preparing for mortal combat,” but Krubert ran past him and got into Neumann's squad car and drove off, heading south on Millard Road, according to the letter.
Shaw and Blanchard pursued Krubert on Millard Road. Krubert drove through the “T” intersection of Millard and Pierce roads and into a field, where the squad car he had stolen smashed into farm equipment, according to the letter. Frami also had joined in the chase.
Krubert exited the stolen squad car with a shotgun from the squad, and Shaw saw Krubert “appearing to attempt to chamber a round.” The three deputies fired their rifles, and Krubert fell to the ground, according to the statement.
The investigation later revealed Krubert had forcefully entered his mother's home and attacked her boyfriend, Michael Boyd, 54, with a led pipe, according to the statement.
Necci wrote in his Aug. 6 letter to the sheriff that he has “no reason whatsoever” to believe Krubert's death resulted from the commission of any crimes that would require an inquest.
The deputies' actions were “privileged as acts of defense of themselves or others … and, therefore, Wisconsin law is clear that I can not order that an inquest be conducted,” Necci wrote.
The deputies were assigned to administrative duties after the shooting. The Gazette was not able to reach sheriff's officials Wednesday to find out the deputies' status.
Court records indicate Krubert had a history of mental illness and arrests for crimes including theft and lewd and lascivious behavior. Probation records obtained by The Gazette from the Wisconsin Department of Corrections indicate he repeatedly abused drugs and alcohol.
In a questionnaire he filled out as part of his probation, Krubert claimed to have had a troubled childhood. Responding to questions on the form, he indicated there had been violence in his home and that he had experienced traumatic childhood events, although no details were provided.
In the same questionnaire, Krubert admitted to using alcohol and marijuana since he was 14.
When asked to describe himself, Krubert wrote: “Healthy, athletic, generally good person, with a mental illness that has led me to behave criminally and ruined my life.”
City estimate of ash trees in Janesville revised from 15,000 down to 346
August 21, 2013
JANESVILLE — An inventory showing Janesville has 346 ash trees on public property, not 15,000 as earlier estimated, has changed overnight the city's strategy for fighting the emerald ash borer, city officials said.
“We were all surprised of the small number of ash trees in our parks and public areas. I think everyone thought it was going to be in the thousands,” interim City Manager Winzenz said. “Now, this smaller number of ash trees allows the city to be more proactive.”
Parks Director Tom Presny said the earlier estimate was formed after consulting with the state Department of Natural Resources and communities of a similar size and assuming Janesville would have a similar number of ash trees.
“These were pretty broad averages, so I never took them to be accurate or refined numbers, but they were something we grabbed on to because we had no other information at the time,” Presny said.
The earlier estimates indicated 15,000 ash trees on Janesville public property, including half in developed parks. In reality, the city has only 346 ash trees in developed parks.
The city already has treated 136 of those trees against emerald ash borer, and the city's goal is to treat all 346 this year, Winzenz wrote in a memo.
The new estimate will change how the city uses its $107,000 forestry budget for 2013.
Originally, $25,000 was set aside to hire a consultant forester. Presny said the forester is not needed, now, because the city has fewer ash trees than estimated and because the emerald ash borer infestation has not gotten out of hand.
Instead, that money will go toward treating the remaining 210 trees.
Presny said it's possible the city has 7,500 ash trees in undeveloped parks, but that number is speculation and city officials have no plans to inventory those trees because they are “out of sight, out of mind.”
The estimated number of ash trees on city terraces--the area between sidewalks and curbs--also has dropped significantly. According to Winzenz's memo, earlier estimates ranged from 3,100 to 7,500 trees on terraces, but a recent drive-by survey indicates only 2,000 ash trees on city terraces.
The city will conduct a formal inventory of terrace trees by spring 2014, Winzenz said.
It's not clear how many ash trees Janesville has on private property.
Initial city estimates indicated about 15,000 ash trees on private property. Winzenz said the city will not speculate on a new estimation and has no plan to conduct an inventory of trees on private property.
The city has been getting advice from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, a professor at UW-Madison, communities that have had emerald ash borer infestations and from an intern pursuing a degree in forestry.
“One of the issues we're dealing with is the treatment options seem to change on a monthly basis,” Winzenz said.
When the emerald ash borer was first discovered in Janesville in June, the Department of Natural Resources advised the city to cut down all the affected trees. As a result, about 80 ash trees were removed from public property. Now, the city is being advised to treat the trees with either an injection or a bark spray, which could save the trees when treated every couple years, Winzenz said.
The city is treating ash trees in public areas and will host forums in September for residents to share opinions about what should happen to the other ash trees in the city.
One of the main focuses of the forum will be ash trees on city terraces. The terraces are city property but are maintained by the owners of adjoining properties.
Winzenz said one option would be for the city to take over maintenance of
ash trees on terraces, but he is not sure where the money would come from
based on the city’s current budget. He estimated it would cost about $270,000 for treatments that would last two or three years.
Presny said the city will bring in education and forestry professionals to give suggestions about how to move forward and help inform the public about the options.
“We very much want to share what we know as we learn it, then listen to the community of what they think our course of action should be in the future,” Presny said.
The date for the tree forum has not yet been set, but Winzenz recommended residents watch the Janesville city website, ci.janesville.wi.us, for an announcement.
“We were all surprised of the small number of ash trees in our parks and public areas. I think everyone thought it was going to be in the thousands,” interim City Manager Winzenz said. “Now, this smaller number of ash trees allows the city to be more proactive.”
Parks Director Tom Presny said the earlier estimate was formed after consulting with the state Department of Natural Resources and communities of a similar size and assuming Janesville would have a similar number of ash trees.
“These were pretty broad averages, so I never took them to be accurate or refined numbers, but they were something we grabbed on to because we had no other information at the time,” Presny said.
The earlier estimates indicated 15,000 ash trees on Janesville public property, including half in developed parks. In reality, the city has only 346 ash trees in developed parks.
The city already has treated 136 of those trees against emerald ash borer, and the city's goal is to treat all 346 this year, Winzenz wrote in a memo.
The new estimate will change how the city uses its $107,000 forestry budget for 2013.
Originally, $25,000 was set aside to hire a consultant forester. Presny said the forester is not needed, now, because the city has fewer ash trees than estimated and because the emerald ash borer infestation has not gotten out of hand.
Instead, that money will go toward treating the remaining 210 trees.
Presny said it's possible the city has 7,500 ash trees in undeveloped parks, but that number is speculation and city officials have no plans to inventory those trees because they are “out of sight, out of mind.”
The estimated number of ash trees on city terraces--the area between sidewalks and curbs--also has dropped significantly. According to Winzenz's memo, earlier estimates ranged from 3,100 to 7,500 trees on terraces, but a recent drive-by survey indicates only 2,000 ash trees on city terraces.
The city will conduct a formal inventory of terrace trees by spring 2014, Winzenz said.
It's not clear how many ash trees Janesville has on private property.
Initial city estimates indicated about 15,000 ash trees on private property. Winzenz said the city will not speculate on a new estimation and has no plan to conduct an inventory of trees on private property.
The city has been getting advice from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, a professor at UW-Madison, communities that have had emerald ash borer infestations and from an intern pursuing a degree in forestry.
“One of the issues we're dealing with is the treatment options seem to change on a monthly basis,” Winzenz said.
When the emerald ash borer was first discovered in Janesville in June, the Department of Natural Resources advised the city to cut down all the affected trees. As a result, about 80 ash trees were removed from public property. Now, the city is being advised to treat the trees with either an injection or a bark spray, which could save the trees when treated every couple years, Winzenz said.
The city is treating ash trees in public areas and will host forums in September for residents to share opinions about what should happen to the other ash trees in the city.
One of the main focuses of the forum will be ash trees on city terraces. The terraces are city property but are maintained by the owners of adjoining properties.
Winzenz said one option would be for the city to take over maintenance of
ash trees on terraces, but he is not sure where the money would come from
based on the city’s current budget. He estimated it would cost about $270,000 for treatments that would last two or three years.
Presny said the city will bring in education and forestry professionals to give suggestions about how to move forward and help inform the public about the options.
“We very much want to share what we know as we learn it, then listen to the community of what they think our course of action should be in the future,” Presny said.
The date for the tree forum has not yet been set, but Winzenz recommended residents watch the Janesville city website, ci.janesville.wi.us, for an announcement.
Summer school class gets kids
unplugged, off couch
July 20, 2013
JANESVILLE — Water? Check. Heat? Check. Bugs? Check.
A full week of constant water, extreme heat and endless bugs? Check.
This is what kids from the Janesville School District endured this past week, when the district participated in the Summer Saunters program for the first time.
Summer Saunters is a summer school program at six districts in Wisconsin. Students spend a week during their vacation hiking different parts of the Ice Age Trail around Wisconsin, sometimes driving as far as an hour and a half to get to a section of the trail.
“One of the purposes of this program is to get them off the couch, unplugged from the electronics and get them out into nature,” said Neal Boys, a teacher in the science department at Parker High School.
Thirty-three students from Janesville elementary and middle schools registered for the event. Boys said he was surprised the majority of students attended the program all five days, despite the heat.
Many students said the heat was bad but they braved through it to discover parts of nature they didn't know.
Although her favorite part about the program was going into the air conditioning after a long day's hike, Alyssa Riley, 12, said she liked seeing “all the really cool plants” that she had never seen before.
Elijah Murphy, 10, said he had been to Devil's Staircase in Janesville before, which the saunters hiked on Friday, but didn't know how far that part of the trail extended.
Katelyn Posey, 12, said she was able to see some plants and rocks that she learned about in school, but her favorite part was hearing all the different animal noises as she hiked.
Making new friends was Hailey Hurkmans' favorite part. The 11-year-old didn't know anyone else in the program when it started.
“I like that we can get out and learn new things about plants and what not to touch,” Hurkmans said. “The hard part was avoiding all the poison ivy and other plants getting in the way.”
Amelia Kind, despite falling and hurting her hand on the last day, said she would participate in Summer Saunters again if it were offered.
Unanimously, the kids were excited at what they had accomplished throughout the week, hiking more than 15 miles total, and they would like to do it again next summer. That, and they all have a lot of bug bites.
Luke Kloberdanz, outreach and education manager for Ice Age Trail Alliance, is a former teacher who helped start Summer Saunters six years ago with Chris McNeill, a teacher from Beloit. Kloberdanz said there are three purposes for the program: fighting childhood obesity; preventing the “summer-slide,” or loss of knowledge over the summer holiday, and avoiding nature-deficit disorder, making sure kids have a good balance of nature in their lives.
“Safety is the No. 1 priority,” Kloberdanz said. “We say it's safety first, then having fun, then maybe hiking a trail.”
McNeill added that instead of taking a course that involved sitting in a classroom, why not spend summer school outside?
“This was a brutal week, one of the warmest weeks in the entire summer. We had humidity, bugs. We had a couple trails that were very challenging, and the kids were absolutely amazing,” McNeill said. “It wasn't amazing conditions, but they trekked through.”
The Janesville Summer Saunters went as far as Hubertus, 70 miles from Janesville, and had four teachers, one retired teacher and four high school mentors almost every day.
Alison Wagener, 18, was a volunteer mentor and said she enjoyed traveling around the state, but “when we got to our section Friday, I realized that some of the most beautiful trails are here in Janesville.”
The saunters started the Janesville hike Friday at Riverside Park, went past Devil's Staircase and came out at the Janesville Schools Outdoor Lab.
Wagener said she enjoyed being a mentor and watching the kids make new friends and interact with nature.
Everyone had a favorite part of the trip, whether it was traveling, discovering nature or making new friends. But every person, from the youngest student to the oldest adult, agreed on the biggest struggle: the heat.
“We've had issues with heat, but the kids have been great troopers,” Boys said. “It's been a fantastic experience, and a lot of the kids are getting really excited, and it seems they will want to sign up again next year.”
A full week of constant water, extreme heat and endless bugs? Check.
This is what kids from the Janesville School District endured this past week, when the district participated in the Summer Saunters program for the first time.
Summer Saunters is a summer school program at six districts in Wisconsin. Students spend a week during their vacation hiking different parts of the Ice Age Trail around Wisconsin, sometimes driving as far as an hour and a half to get to a section of the trail.
“One of the purposes of this program is to get them off the couch, unplugged from the electronics and get them out into nature,” said Neal Boys, a teacher in the science department at Parker High School.
Thirty-three students from Janesville elementary and middle schools registered for the event. Boys said he was surprised the majority of students attended the program all five days, despite the heat.
Many students said the heat was bad but they braved through it to discover parts of nature they didn't know.
Although her favorite part about the program was going into the air conditioning after a long day's hike, Alyssa Riley, 12, said she liked seeing “all the really cool plants” that she had never seen before.
Elijah Murphy, 10, said he had been to Devil's Staircase in Janesville before, which the saunters hiked on Friday, but didn't know how far that part of the trail extended.
Katelyn Posey, 12, said she was able to see some plants and rocks that she learned about in school, but her favorite part was hearing all the different animal noises as she hiked.
Making new friends was Hailey Hurkmans' favorite part. The 11-year-old didn't know anyone else in the program when it started.
“I like that we can get out and learn new things about plants and what not to touch,” Hurkmans said. “The hard part was avoiding all the poison ivy and other plants getting in the way.”
Amelia Kind, despite falling and hurting her hand on the last day, said she would participate in Summer Saunters again if it were offered.
Unanimously, the kids were excited at what they had accomplished throughout the week, hiking more than 15 miles total, and they would like to do it again next summer. That, and they all have a lot of bug bites.
Luke Kloberdanz, outreach and education manager for Ice Age Trail Alliance, is a former teacher who helped start Summer Saunters six years ago with Chris McNeill, a teacher from Beloit. Kloberdanz said there are three purposes for the program: fighting childhood obesity; preventing the “summer-slide,” or loss of knowledge over the summer holiday, and avoiding nature-deficit disorder, making sure kids have a good balance of nature in their lives.
“Safety is the No. 1 priority,” Kloberdanz said. “We say it's safety first, then having fun, then maybe hiking a trail.”
McNeill added that instead of taking a course that involved sitting in a classroom, why not spend summer school outside?
“This was a brutal week, one of the warmest weeks in the entire summer. We had humidity, bugs. We had a couple trails that were very challenging, and the kids were absolutely amazing,” McNeill said. “It wasn't amazing conditions, but they trekked through.”
The Janesville Summer Saunters went as far as Hubertus, 70 miles from Janesville, and had four teachers, one retired teacher and four high school mentors almost every day.
Alison Wagener, 18, was a volunteer mentor and said she enjoyed traveling around the state, but “when we got to our section Friday, I realized that some of the most beautiful trails are here in Janesville.”
The saunters started the Janesville hike Friday at Riverside Park, went past Devil's Staircase and came out at the Janesville Schools Outdoor Lab.
Wagener said she enjoyed being a mentor and watching the kids make new friends and interact with nature.
Everyone had a favorite part of the trip, whether it was traveling, discovering nature or making new friends. But every person, from the youngest student to the oldest adult, agreed on the biggest struggle: the heat.
“We've had issues with heat, but the kids have been great troopers,” Boys said. “It's been a fantastic experience, and a lot of the kids are getting really excited, and it seems they will want to sign up again next year.”
Playing inside the lines: Basketball tournament completely organized by kids
Aug. 8, 2013
JANESVILLE — Crowds cheered, gasped at surprise jump shots and chanted for good defense.
Music blared.
Referee whistles blew.
Players chugged water and Gatorade.
Basketball season was alive Thursday in the driveway of the George Lynch home in Janesville.
For a second year, the slab of concrete was the scene of a bracketed, two-on-two basketball tournament organized by neighborhood kids.
Cade Badertscher, 14, and Nick Lynch, 14, started it last summer.
“We were just really bored one day, so we just called up 10 kids and had a tournament,” Badertscher said.
What started as a short afternoon of random games developed into The Lynch 2 on 2 Tournament. Ten teams squared off Thursday starting at 10:30 a.m. They played for more than five hours.
Badertscher and Lynch refereed in their black polos and whistles, calling fouls and keeping the players in line.
Kids waiting for their turn on the court watched the clock and kept score on an iPhone app.
Players turned into spectators, eagerly watching the ongoing games and cheering.
A bracket drawn up on a poster board was tapped to the garage wall, along side a list of all the teams with their creative team names.
The tournament was not to be taken lightly.
The tournament Thursday was among several in the driveway this summer, but the first for a younger group of kids, ages 11 to 13. They expected to have one more tournament before the school year begins.
Each player pays $5 to enter a tournament. The fee covered water, Gatorade and food.
Each game has five-minute halves, with two-minute halftimes.
The two top teams won a trophy and cash prize, and a most valuable player was selected, too.
“They take this very seriously,” said George Lynch, whose driveway was the chalk-drawn court Thursday. “They make T-shirts, and some of their parents provide snacks for the day. A lot of the fun is just getting ready for the tournament.”
George's sons Nick and Jacob, 12, play in the tournaments. Jacob helped get the tournament for the younger kids started and helps referee and keep score when he's not on the court.
“It's really fun to have all of our friends over here,” Jacob said. “We all like basketball, and not all of them play for a team, so it's just really fun to have a chance to play.”
Most of the kids are experienced players. Jacob and others play for the Janesville Heat in a youth basketball league, which helped them create the rules and guidelines for the tournaments. Some of the rules included:
-- If someone from the audience influences or argues with the referee, they will be sent to the backyard until the game is over.
-- If a player is ejected, then his teammate has to play by himself.
-- Every game starts with a jump ball. The shorter person gets the top of the slanted driveway.
-- Team jerseys are optional, but you may not use any of Jacob Lynch's clothing unless he says so.
-- No going into the house after the tournament starts.
J.J. Brennan, 13, and Sam Nemetz, 13, trained specifically for the Lynch tournament, where they played as the Pink Demons. They practiced their plays Wednesday night and warmed up with lay-up drills before play Thursday.
J.J. and Sam, as well as most of the other kids, heard about the tournament from their teammates on the Heat and other friends.
“I really had nothing to do, and it's really fun to be here,” J.J. said.
Music blared.
Referee whistles blew.
Players chugged water and Gatorade.
Basketball season was alive Thursday in the driveway of the George Lynch home in Janesville.
For a second year, the slab of concrete was the scene of a bracketed, two-on-two basketball tournament organized by neighborhood kids.
Cade Badertscher, 14, and Nick Lynch, 14, started it last summer.
“We were just really bored one day, so we just called up 10 kids and had a tournament,” Badertscher said.
What started as a short afternoon of random games developed into The Lynch 2 on 2 Tournament. Ten teams squared off Thursday starting at 10:30 a.m. They played for more than five hours.
Badertscher and Lynch refereed in their black polos and whistles, calling fouls and keeping the players in line.
Kids waiting for their turn on the court watched the clock and kept score on an iPhone app.
Players turned into spectators, eagerly watching the ongoing games and cheering.
A bracket drawn up on a poster board was tapped to the garage wall, along side a list of all the teams with their creative team names.
The tournament was not to be taken lightly.
The tournament Thursday was among several in the driveway this summer, but the first for a younger group of kids, ages 11 to 13. They expected to have one more tournament before the school year begins.
Each player pays $5 to enter a tournament. The fee covered water, Gatorade and food.
Each game has five-minute halves, with two-minute halftimes.
The two top teams won a trophy and cash prize, and a most valuable player was selected, too.
“They take this very seriously,” said George Lynch, whose driveway was the chalk-drawn court Thursday. “They make T-shirts, and some of their parents provide snacks for the day. A lot of the fun is just getting ready for the tournament.”
George's sons Nick and Jacob, 12, play in the tournaments. Jacob helped get the tournament for the younger kids started and helps referee and keep score when he's not on the court.
“It's really fun to have all of our friends over here,” Jacob said. “We all like basketball, and not all of them play for a team, so it's just really fun to have a chance to play.”
Most of the kids are experienced players. Jacob and others play for the Janesville Heat in a youth basketball league, which helped them create the rules and guidelines for the tournaments. Some of the rules included:
-- If someone from the audience influences or argues with the referee, they will be sent to the backyard until the game is over.
-- If a player is ejected, then his teammate has to play by himself.
-- Every game starts with a jump ball. The shorter person gets the top of the slanted driveway.
-- Team jerseys are optional, but you may not use any of Jacob Lynch's clothing unless he says so.
-- No going into the house after the tournament starts.
J.J. Brennan, 13, and Sam Nemetz, 13, trained specifically for the Lynch tournament, where they played as the Pink Demons. They practiced their plays Wednesday night and warmed up with lay-up drills before play Thursday.
J.J. and Sam, as well as most of the other kids, heard about the tournament from their teammates on the Heat and other friends.
“I really had nothing to do, and it's really fun to be here,” J.J. said.
Treyton's Field of Dreams close to reality
August 8, 2013
WHITEWATER — After almost three years of planning and fundraising, Treyton's Field of Dream's is finally set to begin construction in a few weeks at Starin Park, 504 W. Starin Road.
The Whitewater Common Council on Tuesday approved a contract with E and N Hughes Co. and accept donated services from local contractors. The project is set to be completed by June 1, 2014.
Treyton Kilar was a 6-year-old boy who loved baseball and dreamed of playing in the big leagues. On Sept. 2, 2010, his dream was cut short when he was killed in a drunken driving crash.
Treyton's family became determined that people should remember Treyton and know where destructive decisions could lead. With that goal in mind, Treyton's Field of Dream's developed.
Originally planned to be a basic baseball field, the field has since grown to a design for a youth-sized baseball diamond for kids to “feel like they're playing in the major leagues” with concessions stands and elaborate lighting and more features that will set it apart from other fields, said Mary Kilar, Treyton's mother.
“If this field can represent, even in a small way, that we need to make better decisions in our society and even in our culture, then we have achieved a goal just in that,” Kilar said.
Matt Amundson, Whitewater parks and recreation director, is one of the leaders in getting the field built. He said it has been almost three years of constant planning and hurtles to get the project to where it is today because it kept growing and getting support from the community.
There have been multiple fundraisers each year to support the field, including kickball tournaments, dodgeball games and marathons, and they will continue in the future.
The Major League Baseball Association is hosting a golf outing on Monday with retired baseball players and has chosen to support Treyton's Field of Dreams. The Third Annual Run for Trey is Oct. 13, and all proceeds will go to the field. Details can be found at TreysField.org.
There have also been donations made from friends, families and businesses, including the Milwaukee Brewers.
“This vision and project has brought us so much joy and comfort, knowing that there are so many good people that are supportive and will give anything to help their neighbor,” Kilar said. “When this tragedy happened, I can't say enough how much our people, our society, has done to support us and our vision.”
But even with all the support, Treyton's Field of Dreams posed major challenges for Amundson and others planning the field. The only bid to construct the field came from N Hughes Co. and was more than planned, Amundson said. He had to get creative if the field was ever to be more than just a dream.
Amundson went to local contractors to pitch the idea of getting services and supplies donated to bring down the price of construction. The plan worked, and the Kilar family and all of its supporters can finally celebrate.
“We love that the field is going to be a memorial to our son, but our entire family loves that Treyton's legacy will live on because we are gifting the community with something that our children will be utilizing for years to come,” Kilar said.
The Whitewater Common Council on Tuesday approved a contract with E and N Hughes Co. and accept donated services from local contractors. The project is set to be completed by June 1, 2014.
Treyton Kilar was a 6-year-old boy who loved baseball and dreamed of playing in the big leagues. On Sept. 2, 2010, his dream was cut short when he was killed in a drunken driving crash.
Treyton's family became determined that people should remember Treyton and know where destructive decisions could lead. With that goal in mind, Treyton's Field of Dream's developed.
Originally planned to be a basic baseball field, the field has since grown to a design for a youth-sized baseball diamond for kids to “feel like they're playing in the major leagues” with concessions stands and elaborate lighting and more features that will set it apart from other fields, said Mary Kilar, Treyton's mother.
“If this field can represent, even in a small way, that we need to make better decisions in our society and even in our culture, then we have achieved a goal just in that,” Kilar said.
Matt Amundson, Whitewater parks and recreation director, is one of the leaders in getting the field built. He said it has been almost three years of constant planning and hurtles to get the project to where it is today because it kept growing and getting support from the community.
There have been multiple fundraisers each year to support the field, including kickball tournaments, dodgeball games and marathons, and they will continue in the future.
The Major League Baseball Association is hosting a golf outing on Monday with retired baseball players and has chosen to support Treyton's Field of Dreams. The Third Annual Run for Trey is Oct. 13, and all proceeds will go to the field. Details can be found at TreysField.org.
There have also been donations made from friends, families and businesses, including the Milwaukee Brewers.
“This vision and project has brought us so much joy and comfort, knowing that there are so many good people that are supportive and will give anything to help their neighbor,” Kilar said. “When this tragedy happened, I can't say enough how much our people, our society, has done to support us and our vision.”
But even with all the support, Treyton's Field of Dreams posed major challenges for Amundson and others planning the field. The only bid to construct the field came from N Hughes Co. and was more than planned, Amundson said. He had to get creative if the field was ever to be more than just a dream.
Amundson went to local contractors to pitch the idea of getting services and supplies donated to bring down the price of construction. The plan worked, and the Kilar family and all of its supporters can finally celebrate.
“We love that the field is going to be a memorial to our son, but our entire family loves that Treyton's legacy will live on because we are gifting the community with something that our children will be utilizing for years to come,” Kilar said.
Field of Dreams project counts
on donated services, supplies
July 16, 2013
WHITEWATER — Treyton Kilar was your average 6-year-old boy who loved gym class, gardening and baseball — especially the Milwaukee Brewers.
Three years ago, Treyton lost his life in a vehicle accident with a drunken driver.
While his family has been left with the emptiness of losing their son and brother, Treyton is on his way to being memorialized with a youth-sized baseball field in Starin Park.
Matt Amundsen, parks and recreation director for the city, presented a progress report on the field project Tuesday to Whitewater Common Council, asking for the council's recommendation on how to proceed.
Amundsen said the Whitewater Community Foundation, which is raising money to build the field, so far has raised about $600,000 in donations.
That's not enough to pay the $732,361.20 bid from E&N Hughes Co. of Monroe, the only company to bid on the project.
“The concern is that, at this point, we're not going to be able to move forward with the bid as it is," Amundson said. "We just don't have the funds, so we have to find another way."
At Tuesday's meeting, Amundsen suggested asking local contractors and businesses to donate services and supplies to the project.The council recommended moving ahead with that plan.
During his presentation, Amundsen also talked about two construction projects associated with the field that the city needs to pay for: an extension of a bike and walking path around the field and the relocation of a water service line that runs directly over the planned site for the field.
If the line ever needed repair, it would cause construction in the middle of the field, Amundson said. E&N Hughes suggested the line be moved now to avoid such problems in the future, he said.
The council asked for more information on both projects before it could approve spending. However, at-large council member Ken Kidd suggested the water service line be moved.
“To me we definitely have to budget the $52,000 (for the service line),” he said. “There is a Murphy's Law that applies here.”
Amundsen will take the council's recommendations and prepare a new report for its Aug. 6 meeting. The council asked that the report show how much money donated supplies and services would save, and what would be the costs for field construction projects the city will fund.
Amundsen said that before he can determine how much donations can save, he would need to know the entire cost of the field project. Previous estimates for the field came in at $774,000.
To help with funding, the Whitewater Community Foundation still is accepting donations for the field. The group's next fundraising event is the Third Annual Run for Trey 5K run/walk from 8 to 11 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 13 at Starin Park.
Registration is $20 in advance and $25 the day of the race.
The event also will feature a children's obstacle course, which costs $5 in advance and $8 the day of the event.
Three years ago, Treyton lost his life in a vehicle accident with a drunken driver.
While his family has been left with the emptiness of losing their son and brother, Treyton is on his way to being memorialized with a youth-sized baseball field in Starin Park.
Matt Amundsen, parks and recreation director for the city, presented a progress report on the field project Tuesday to Whitewater Common Council, asking for the council's recommendation on how to proceed.
Amundsen said the Whitewater Community Foundation, which is raising money to build the field, so far has raised about $600,000 in donations.
That's not enough to pay the $732,361.20 bid from E&N Hughes Co. of Monroe, the only company to bid on the project.
“The concern is that, at this point, we're not going to be able to move forward with the bid as it is," Amundson said. "We just don't have the funds, so we have to find another way."
At Tuesday's meeting, Amundsen suggested asking local contractors and businesses to donate services and supplies to the project.The council recommended moving ahead with that plan.
During his presentation, Amundsen also talked about two construction projects associated with the field that the city needs to pay for: an extension of a bike and walking path around the field and the relocation of a water service line that runs directly over the planned site for the field.
If the line ever needed repair, it would cause construction in the middle of the field, Amundson said. E&N Hughes suggested the line be moved now to avoid such problems in the future, he said.
The council asked for more information on both projects before it could approve spending. However, at-large council member Ken Kidd suggested the water service line be moved.
“To me we definitely have to budget the $52,000 (for the service line),” he said. “There is a Murphy's Law that applies here.”
Amundsen will take the council's recommendations and prepare a new report for its Aug. 6 meeting. The council asked that the report show how much money donated supplies and services would save, and what would be the costs for field construction projects the city will fund.
Amundsen said that before he can determine how much donations can save, he would need to know the entire cost of the field project. Previous estimates for the field came in at $774,000.
To help with funding, the Whitewater Community Foundation still is accepting donations for the field. The group's next fundraising event is the Third Annual Run for Trey 5K run/walk from 8 to 11 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 13 at Starin Park.
Registration is $20 in advance and $25 the day of the race.
The event also will feature a children's obstacle course, which costs $5 in advance and $8 the day of the event.
Mailboat captain recruits
summertime mail-jumpers*
June 13, 2013
LAKE GENEVA — In his 40 years behind the wheel of the Geneva Lake mailboat, Capt. Neill Frame has seen some dirty tricks played on the mailboat jumpers—the young employees who jump from boat to dock to deliver summer mail.
One resident ran a garden hose from the house, down to the pier and into the back of the mailbox. He watched from his home and waited for the jumper to approach the mailbox and sprayed him as soon as the box was opened.
Sometimes, jumpers face other challenges.
“Dogs get in the way on the pier, and the jumpers lose their timing,” Frame said.
“Some of the homeowners are crafty: All it takes is a piece of Scotch tape or rubber band on the mailbox to throw the jumper's timing off,” he said.
Frame was back on the water Wednesday as nine people, ranging in age from 17 to 21, tried out for a chance to be one of the mailboat jumpers. Some were seasoned veterans, hopping onto the boat as if stepping on a sidewalk. Some were rookies, slamming into the side and gripping the boat for dear life.
The Geneva Lake Mailboat Tour has been a tradition since 1916. Tourists sit back and watch as people jump on and off the boat to deliver mail and newspapers to mailboxes on docks.
In addition to focusing on the jumps and trying not to fall in the lake, the jumpers narrate the lake tour for passengers. The 75-foot boat is filled to its capacity of about 160 passengers most days.
Frame has been the mailboat captain since the early 1970s.
The retired boat caretaker returns to Lake Geneva Cruise Line every summer to participate in the Mailboat Tour. He said it's the jumpers and the tourists that keep him coming back.
“If I had been captain all these years just going around and around the same lake, I probably would have given up a long time ago,” Frame said.
Jumpers aren't the only ones with challenges during the tour. Frame has to be sure during deliveries that the boat isn't going too fast, that it's properly aligned with the pier and, above all, that jumpers are safe. If a jumper falls into the lake, Frame has to make sure the propellers won't harm them.
Frame tries to coach the rookie jumpers.
During Wednesday's tryouts, he had the experienced jumpers show the rookies how the process works. He then had each rookie make a jump. He told them what they did wrong before having them make the jump at least one more time.
“That's the only way they can learn,” Frame said. “I don't want to see anyone get hurt, so I want them to do it right. If they're afraid, they're never going to get it. They should be apprehensive, but they can't be afraid, because that's when they do something stupid and get hurt.
“Some of them will never get it. We've had kids who have tried and kept trying and haven't figured it out.”
Frame, along with current and former employees of Lake Geneva Cruise Line, help pick the jumpers from tryouts. Frame says jumpers must be athletic, work very well with people and show interest in the area in order to present the tour narration. In addition to delivering mail, they are giving a history lesson, Frame said.
What started as a necessity in the early 1900s grew into tradition for the Mailboat Tours, and it has become an attraction that is filled to capacity by tourists almost every trip.
“I can't remember the names of all the kids I've worked with over the years,” Frame said. “I like the people that come as customers every day and I love working with the kids and being part of the whole experience.”
*This story picked up by the Wausau Daily Herald
One resident ran a garden hose from the house, down to the pier and into the back of the mailbox. He watched from his home and waited for the jumper to approach the mailbox and sprayed him as soon as the box was opened.
Sometimes, jumpers face other challenges.
“Dogs get in the way on the pier, and the jumpers lose their timing,” Frame said.
“Some of the homeowners are crafty: All it takes is a piece of Scotch tape or rubber band on the mailbox to throw the jumper's timing off,” he said.
Frame was back on the water Wednesday as nine people, ranging in age from 17 to 21, tried out for a chance to be one of the mailboat jumpers. Some were seasoned veterans, hopping onto the boat as if stepping on a sidewalk. Some were rookies, slamming into the side and gripping the boat for dear life.
The Geneva Lake Mailboat Tour has been a tradition since 1916. Tourists sit back and watch as people jump on and off the boat to deliver mail and newspapers to mailboxes on docks.
In addition to focusing on the jumps and trying not to fall in the lake, the jumpers narrate the lake tour for passengers. The 75-foot boat is filled to its capacity of about 160 passengers most days.
Frame has been the mailboat captain since the early 1970s.
The retired boat caretaker returns to Lake Geneva Cruise Line every summer to participate in the Mailboat Tour. He said it's the jumpers and the tourists that keep him coming back.
“If I had been captain all these years just going around and around the same lake, I probably would have given up a long time ago,” Frame said.
Jumpers aren't the only ones with challenges during the tour. Frame has to be sure during deliveries that the boat isn't going too fast, that it's properly aligned with the pier and, above all, that jumpers are safe. If a jumper falls into the lake, Frame has to make sure the propellers won't harm them.
Frame tries to coach the rookie jumpers.
During Wednesday's tryouts, he had the experienced jumpers show the rookies how the process works. He then had each rookie make a jump. He told them what they did wrong before having them make the jump at least one more time.
“That's the only way they can learn,” Frame said. “I don't want to see anyone get hurt, so I want them to do it right. If they're afraid, they're never going to get it. They should be apprehensive, but they can't be afraid, because that's when they do something stupid and get hurt.
“Some of them will never get it. We've had kids who have tried and kept trying and haven't figured it out.”
Frame, along with current and former employees of Lake Geneva Cruise Line, help pick the jumpers from tryouts. Frame says jumpers must be athletic, work very well with people and show interest in the area in order to present the tour narration. In addition to delivering mail, they are giving a history lesson, Frame said.
What started as a necessity in the early 1900s grew into tradition for the Mailboat Tours, and it has become an attraction that is filled to capacity by tourists almost every trip.
“I can't remember the names of all the kids I've worked with over the years,” Frame said. “I like the people that come as customers every day and I love working with the kids and being part of the whole experience.”
*This story picked up by the Wausau Daily Herald
UW-Whitewater close to having its
first doctoral program
July 19, 2013
WHITEWATER — UW-Whitewater hopes to add a doctor of business administration program at the school, joining a handful of accredited schools in the nation with such a program.
UW-Whitewater would be the sixth institution in the United States accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business offering a doctorate of business administration.
UW-W would be the only accredited university in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan or Minnesota with the doctoral program.
The program would mean area business teachers and professionals could get a doctorate degree without quitting their full-time jobs, school officials said.
The University of Wisconsin Board of Regents approved the program last week. It now needs to be finalized by the Higher Learning Commission before UW-W could start the program.
If approved, it would be UW-W's first doctoral program.
Christine Clements, dean of the College of Business and Economics, said the university has been planning the program for a year and is confident that the program will be approved.
The major advantage of the program, which focuses on big-data research and analysis, is that it does not require people to quit their jobs and become full-time students, as is typical of most Ph.D. programs. Clements said the need for business professionals with doctorates is growing as technology and big data grow, but the programs are becoming more difficult to get into because people have less time.
“A number of colleges and universities in the area have people who are teaching with masters degrees who would like to get doctorates, but they would have to quit working, become a full-time student and probably have to travel,” Clements said. “This is set up for people who are working full-time in the field or teaching who don't have time to get a doctorate degree otherwise.”
The program UW-W is hoping to obtain is a hybrid program. Students would attend intensive classes one weekend per month for two years, followed by a year of dissertation work. Meetings would be on campus and online.
Celements said UW-W is a perfect fit for the hybrid program because it already puts a great effort into educating adults with full-time jobs in its graduate programs. She said the format is rare in the United States, but similar hybrid formats have been adopted in Europe.
Provost Beverly Kopper said the doctoral program would at first admit 20 students and eventually grow to 50 students.
The university has enough resources to operate the program but eventually would need to hire more faculty as the program becomes more popular, Kopper said. The program would be self-sustaining. The cost to run the program and eventually hire new faculty would be covered through tuition.
Kopper said the university has not yet calculated a tuition price.
“We're very excited about this program because we think that the program will meet a growing demand for doctorate credentialed business professionals in our region, in our state, and in the nation,” Kopper said. “This program is designed to address the changing professional expectations in the fields of business of administration and the teaching of business administration at the college level."
UW-Whitewater would be the sixth institution in the United States accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business offering a doctorate of business administration.
UW-W would be the only accredited university in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan or Minnesota with the doctoral program.
The program would mean area business teachers and professionals could get a doctorate degree without quitting their full-time jobs, school officials said.
The University of Wisconsin Board of Regents approved the program last week. It now needs to be finalized by the Higher Learning Commission before UW-W could start the program.
If approved, it would be UW-W's first doctoral program.
Christine Clements, dean of the College of Business and Economics, said the university has been planning the program for a year and is confident that the program will be approved.
The major advantage of the program, which focuses on big-data research and analysis, is that it does not require people to quit their jobs and become full-time students, as is typical of most Ph.D. programs. Clements said the need for business professionals with doctorates is growing as technology and big data grow, but the programs are becoming more difficult to get into because people have less time.
“A number of colleges and universities in the area have people who are teaching with masters degrees who would like to get doctorates, but they would have to quit working, become a full-time student and probably have to travel,” Clements said. “This is set up for people who are working full-time in the field or teaching who don't have time to get a doctorate degree otherwise.”
The program UW-W is hoping to obtain is a hybrid program. Students would attend intensive classes one weekend per month for two years, followed by a year of dissertation work. Meetings would be on campus and online.
Celements said UW-W is a perfect fit for the hybrid program because it already puts a great effort into educating adults with full-time jobs in its graduate programs. She said the format is rare in the United States, but similar hybrid formats have been adopted in Europe.
Provost Beverly Kopper said the doctoral program would at first admit 20 students and eventually grow to 50 students.
The university has enough resources to operate the program but eventually would need to hire more faculty as the program becomes more popular, Kopper said. The program would be self-sustaining. The cost to run the program and eventually hire new faculty would be covered through tuition.
Kopper said the university has not yet calculated a tuition price.
“We're very excited about this program because we think that the program will meet a growing demand for doctorate credentialed business professionals in our region, in our state, and in the nation,” Kopper said. “This program is designed to address the changing professional expectations in the fields of business of administration and the teaching of business administration at the college level."
First Janesville Community Dinner offers networking without a cause
July 20, 2013
JANESVILLE — When Vivian Creekmore walked into the Janesville Community Dinner, someone she didn't know shook her hand.
So Creekmore turned and said, “Hi,” to the next person who walked into 29 South Café, 29 S. Main St., Janesville.
She didn't know that person, either.
Yuri Rashkin, who operates the Janesville Community Facebook page, organized the event for people to network without any objectives other than meeting new people and supporting local restaurants.
“The best way to get people to experience locally owned businesses is to invite people to a fun get-together with a good purpose,” Rashkin said.
The 13 people who attended the Thursday evening dinner chatted with friends or family, but people quickly started table hopping and moving chairs to make new acquaintances.
What started as a quiet dinner evolved into a social gathering filled with loud chatter.
Cynthia Walker noticed a face she recognized but had never officially met, and so she walked right over and introduced herself. Two tables of two became one table of four enjoying iced tea and lemonade and chatting for an hour.
Walker's new acquaintance is Creekmore, who said the community dinner was a great venue to meet people in a fun, relaxed setting.
“I think a lot of times people don't talk in public and don't meet people unless it's labeled a public or community event, so people wouldn't necessarily be going from table to table unless they're told they should,” Creekmore said.
Community members paid $8.50 for a spread of fresh fruit, roast beef sandwiches, spinach artichoke dip, iced tea and lemonade.
Angela Collas, who runs the café with her brother, donated 25 percent of the proceeds to the Rock County Humane Society. She said it was a way to support the community while the community supported her business.
Rashkin said he had no expectations before the event, but it went as well as he could have hoped. He would like to have a community dinner every month, and he's waiting from feedback from Thursday's event.
He said he would post more information on the Janesville Community Facebook page.
So Creekmore turned and said, “Hi,” to the next person who walked into 29 South Café, 29 S. Main St., Janesville.
She didn't know that person, either.
Yuri Rashkin, who operates the Janesville Community Facebook page, organized the event for people to network without any objectives other than meeting new people and supporting local restaurants.
“The best way to get people to experience locally owned businesses is to invite people to a fun get-together with a good purpose,” Rashkin said.
The 13 people who attended the Thursday evening dinner chatted with friends or family, but people quickly started table hopping and moving chairs to make new acquaintances.
What started as a quiet dinner evolved into a social gathering filled with loud chatter.
Cynthia Walker noticed a face she recognized but had never officially met, and so she walked right over and introduced herself. Two tables of two became one table of four enjoying iced tea and lemonade and chatting for an hour.
Walker's new acquaintance is Creekmore, who said the community dinner was a great venue to meet people in a fun, relaxed setting.
“I think a lot of times people don't talk in public and don't meet people unless it's labeled a public or community event, so people wouldn't necessarily be going from table to table unless they're told they should,” Creekmore said.
Community members paid $8.50 for a spread of fresh fruit, roast beef sandwiches, spinach artichoke dip, iced tea and lemonade.
Angela Collas, who runs the café with her brother, donated 25 percent of the proceeds to the Rock County Humane Society. She said it was a way to support the community while the community supported her business.
Rashkin said he had no expectations before the event, but it went as well as he could have hoped. He would like to have a community dinner every month, and he's waiting from feedback from Thursday's event.
He said he would post more information on the Janesville Community Facebook page.
Highway 12 expansion project takes
a turn in the right direction
July 14, 2013
WHITEWATER — The expansion of Highway 12 in Walworth County is now in the hands of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
Last week, Gov. Scott Walker signed an environmental impact study conducted by the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, sending the project to the department of transportation for consideration.
The report, finished in 2011, indicates Highway 12 is almost at its capacity of 14,000 cars per day capacity. The planning commission projects by the year 2035 there will be 21,000 vehicles per day using the highway, causing significant traffic issues.
The two options the planning commission developed are widening the current route between Elkhorn and Whitewater to four lanes, estimated to cost $64.2 million, or creating a more direct route between Whitewater and Elkhorn that would pass through the town of Sugar Creek, estimated to cost $116.7 million.
The next step is for the department of transportation to conduct its own study. It may agree with the options the planning commission suggested, or it could come up with its own possible routes. There is no projected date for when the study will be finished, but Jefferey Knight, president of the Greater Whitewater Committee, said it could take years.
The first option, widening the current route, would cause significant disruption to homes and businesses and loss of land along the highway.
Whitewater City Manager Cameron Clapper said he personally would like the second option, allowing for a more direct route between Elkhorn and Whitewater, bringing more customers to local businesses.
“Long-term, having this highway expansion is going to be a huge benefit to the people in this community in terms of getting more commercial access in Whitewater,” Clapper said. “Providing a larger number of cars is going to mean a larger number of customers, and that's going to improve our business community across the board.”
Knight said Whitewater city officials have been trying to move the project forward for three years because it would be good for the local economy.
“This should be the beginning of conversations for companies to come to Whitewater, which means more jobs and money for the local economy,” Knight said.
Another factor contributing to the need for the expansion is UW-Whitewater, which is the only University of Wisconsin System university that does not have direct access to a four-lane highway.
“It would help the university because it brings in over 1,000 students from Illinois, and it's not the easiest route to get back and forth, so those parents might come up here more and spend money in restaurants and other businesses,” Knight said.
Both expansion options that the planning commission suggested go through the town of Sugar Creek. David Duwe, town chairman, said the town has not settled on a preferred option. Either way, people will lose land.
“Every time it comes up, it's a huge deal for Sugar Creek,” Duwe said. “It's to the point where people in Sugar Creek want it to go one way or the other. Either they're going to do something or not instead of holding peoples' lands ransom.”
Samuel Tapson, an administrator for Elkhorn, said the city has not taken a position on the options because city officials believe the expansion should be handled at the state level.
Last week, Gov. Scott Walker signed an environmental impact study conducted by the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, sending the project to the department of transportation for consideration.
The report, finished in 2011, indicates Highway 12 is almost at its capacity of 14,000 cars per day capacity. The planning commission projects by the year 2035 there will be 21,000 vehicles per day using the highway, causing significant traffic issues.
The two options the planning commission developed are widening the current route between Elkhorn and Whitewater to four lanes, estimated to cost $64.2 million, or creating a more direct route between Whitewater and Elkhorn that would pass through the town of Sugar Creek, estimated to cost $116.7 million.
The next step is for the department of transportation to conduct its own study. It may agree with the options the planning commission suggested, or it could come up with its own possible routes. There is no projected date for when the study will be finished, but Jefferey Knight, president of the Greater Whitewater Committee, said it could take years.
The first option, widening the current route, would cause significant disruption to homes and businesses and loss of land along the highway.
Whitewater City Manager Cameron Clapper said he personally would like the second option, allowing for a more direct route between Elkhorn and Whitewater, bringing more customers to local businesses.
“Long-term, having this highway expansion is going to be a huge benefit to the people in this community in terms of getting more commercial access in Whitewater,” Clapper said. “Providing a larger number of cars is going to mean a larger number of customers, and that's going to improve our business community across the board.”
Knight said Whitewater city officials have been trying to move the project forward for three years because it would be good for the local economy.
“This should be the beginning of conversations for companies to come to Whitewater, which means more jobs and money for the local economy,” Knight said.
Another factor contributing to the need for the expansion is UW-Whitewater, which is the only University of Wisconsin System university that does not have direct access to a four-lane highway.
“It would help the university because it brings in over 1,000 students from Illinois, and it's not the easiest route to get back and forth, so those parents might come up here more and spend money in restaurants and other businesses,” Knight said.
Both expansion options that the planning commission suggested go through the town of Sugar Creek. David Duwe, town chairman, said the town has not settled on a preferred option. Either way, people will lose land.
“Every time it comes up, it's a huge deal for Sugar Creek,” Duwe said. “It's to the point where people in Sugar Creek want it to go one way or the other. Either they're going to do something or not instead of holding peoples' lands ransom.”
Samuel Tapson, an administrator for Elkhorn, said the city has not taken a position on the options because city officials believe the expansion should be handled at the state level.
UW-Whitewater prepares
unlikely students for college
July 11, 2013
WHITEWATER — Being a first-generation college student and not knowing the steps to getting into higher education can be terrifying.
Being part of a low-income family and wanting more for the future, but not knowing how to pay the way can be frustrating.
UW-Whitewater is attempting to ease the fears and frustrations of 100 high school students with its Academic Excellence Program.
Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corp. has awarded UW-Whitewater a College Ready Grant of $216,901, which will be used to serve low-income and first-generation precollege students.
Richard McGregory, assistant vice chancellor for Multicultural Affairs & Student Success, said assisting low-income and first-generation students is a high priority at the university.
“Typically, those are students who don't often have as much tangible instruction on how to get to college,” McGregory said. “These students have a lot of potential but don't have the proper guidance or information to make critical decisions about college, so this helps to bridge the gap.”
The Academic Excellence Program has two elements: a six-week summer camp and sessions throughout the school year.
“Great Lakes is allowing us to bring these students on campus and provide them with rigorous academic experiences that help them compete academically and improves their college-going trajectory,” said Ramon Ortiz, director of precollege programs.
During summer camp, 60 high school students are living in campus residence halls and getting to know a college environment and culture while stemming the loss of knowledge that typically occurs over summer break, Ortiz said.
During the school year, the same students and 40 more will attend advising sessions at least once a month, learn how to apply for college, financial aid and get other information that students who wish to attend college need to know.
Ortiz said the only requirement to participate in the program is for a student to show genuine interest in attending college. It does not cost their family any money.
“It doesn't cost the students anything but a commitment to academic excellence, hard work and dedication,” Ortiz said.
The grant funds the Academic Excellence Program for one year. After that, the university must reapply for the grant, and if they do not receive it, Ortiz said, they would try to fit the students into different or limited programs to keep them on track.
Ortiz said it's important for high school students to start thinking about college as early as their freshman year, especially for first-generation and low-income students. He said being part of this type of program “reaffirms the fact that college is a possibility” and puts them in an environment where college is expected.
McGregory said he has spoken with students in the program, and they like learning how to be independent and spending time with university students who were in their position a few years ago. He said it “really makes them feel like they can get there.”
Being part of a low-income family and wanting more for the future, but not knowing how to pay the way can be frustrating.
UW-Whitewater is attempting to ease the fears and frustrations of 100 high school students with its Academic Excellence Program.
Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corp. has awarded UW-Whitewater a College Ready Grant of $216,901, which will be used to serve low-income and first-generation precollege students.
Richard McGregory, assistant vice chancellor for Multicultural Affairs & Student Success, said assisting low-income and first-generation students is a high priority at the university.
“Typically, those are students who don't often have as much tangible instruction on how to get to college,” McGregory said. “These students have a lot of potential but don't have the proper guidance or information to make critical decisions about college, so this helps to bridge the gap.”
The Academic Excellence Program has two elements: a six-week summer camp and sessions throughout the school year.
“Great Lakes is allowing us to bring these students on campus and provide them with rigorous academic experiences that help them compete academically and improves their college-going trajectory,” said Ramon Ortiz, director of precollege programs.
During summer camp, 60 high school students are living in campus residence halls and getting to know a college environment and culture while stemming the loss of knowledge that typically occurs over summer break, Ortiz said.
During the school year, the same students and 40 more will attend advising sessions at least once a month, learn how to apply for college, financial aid and get other information that students who wish to attend college need to know.
Ortiz said the only requirement to participate in the program is for a student to show genuine interest in attending college. It does not cost their family any money.
“It doesn't cost the students anything but a commitment to academic excellence, hard work and dedication,” Ortiz said.
The grant funds the Academic Excellence Program for one year. After that, the university must reapply for the grant, and if they do not receive it, Ortiz said, they would try to fit the students into different or limited programs to keep them on track.
Ortiz said it's important for high school students to start thinking about college as early as their freshman year, especially for first-generation and low-income students. He said being part of this type of program “reaffirms the fact that college is a possibility” and puts them in an environment where college is expected.
McGregory said he has spoken with students in the program, and they like learning how to be independent and spending time with university students who were in their position a few years ago. He said it “really makes them feel like they can get there.”
UW-Whitewater education program criticized in national study
June 22, 2013
WHITEWATER — A national study that gave UW-Whitewater teacher education a low score was incomplete and shallow, the dean of education at the school said.
“They never talked to our students, and they never interviewed student teachers or principals to find out how our students were doing,” said Katy Heyning, dean of the UW-Whitewater College of Education and Professional Studies.
“It's a very incomplete picture in terms of what they were looking at, so I don't know how they can possibly understand our program,” she said.
Kate Walsh, president of National Council on Teacher Quality, said the Teacher Prep Review gives a “pretty good indication” of teachers UW-Whitewater and other schools are turning out.
The study released Tuesday judged the quality of teacher training programs across the nation, analyzing course documents, state laws and requirements and school districts' needs for teachers.
UW-W scored one star for its undergraduate elementary teacher prep program, and one and one-half stars for its undergraduate secondary teacher prep program. It is one of 608 higher education institutions that have had their teacher training programs analyzed.
Heyning has concerns about the methodology of the study that rated more than 1,100 education programs based on course syllabi, program handbooks, blank forms and applications and policy guidelines from education programs.
Walsh said it would have been impractical to analyze the programs in the classroom, because it would require years of study at each institution.
“I think it is useful to know what people are requiring of teacher's before they get in the classroom,” Walsh said. “If I'm going to be a teacher, I want to know who is going to do the best job training me. The work that we've done is going to provide someone with a pretty good indication.”
Heyning said she saw problems with UW-W's results that easily could have been fixed if the council had talked with people in the programs. Heyning said the study:
n Incorrectly reports UW-W was not teaching English language learning and early reading, which are required in education programs.
n Incorrectly reports students are not learning reading and math methods for elementary education, something required in education programs.
n Incorrectly reports graduates are not assessed in the workplace. She said the university conducts alumni and employer surveys. A recent survey shows UW-W graduates doing well and superintendents and principals eager to hire more UW-W graduates, Heyning said.
n Incorrectly reports UW-W's education programs do not require students to be in the top half of their classes, but the College of Education and Professional Studies requires a minimum 2.5 grade point average, and most programs in the education department require a 3.2, which is “far above” half, Heyning said.
Walsh said the National Council on Teacher Quality is allowing deans to submit new evidence of their education programs next month, and they will rescore the institutions if necessary. Walsh said most of the time when deans say they have something the council did not find, “it's usually not the case.”
The 12 University of Wisconsin System schools that participated in the study initially refused to provide the documents the council was requesting but eventually were forced to turn them over when the organization filed an open records lawsuit.
“We don't think that speaks well of the institutions,” Walsh said. “Our view was, 'You a are publicly approved program. 'You're here to prepare public school teachers. We think you have an obligation to be transparent.' And they did not think they did.”
The council paid $25 to $200 stipends to students that provided course syllabi and student teaching handbooks. Walsh said the organization paid about $10,000 getting documents from students.
As president of the Wisconsin Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, Heyning initially refused the council's request for documents on behalf of all teacher education programs in Wisconsin. In the letter of refusal, Heyning wrote, “while we welcome fair assessment and encourage public sharing of our strengths and weaknesses, we believe your survey will not accomplish these goals.”
“It's like trying to do a restaurant critique just by reading the menu,” Heyning said. “You would never do that. You want to eat the food and find out whether the food is appealing, not just read the menu. All they did was read a menu, and it wasn't even our entire menu.”
Walsh said she was not surprised by the criticism.
“We recognize that these are peoples' livelihood, and when you say things that they perceive as threatening their livelihood, they're going to act very defensively for the most part,” Walsh said. “But they are also very good people that are dedicating their lives to a very important job. I would hope they could all get to a place where they feel a lot more comfortable looking at what we have to say and considering it.”
Walsh said the reason most schools scored two stars or lower, UW-W included, is because there is a “fundamental difference between what higher education sees what it means to prepare a teacher and what public schools need.”
Public schools want educators who use proven methods to teach students, while higher education instructs students to create and learn their own approach, she said.
“I can't imagine being 21 years old and knowing how to teaching reading,” Walsh said. “The best methods of reading took decades of research to develop, but we're not teaching those to future teachers. The same goes for classroom management.”
Walsh said higher education is not requiring teacher candidates to take comprehensive courses in subjects they are going to teach.
“We found out that 70 percent of all the institutions in the United States don't require elementary teachers to ever take a science course; that's something they are going to have to teach,” Walsh said.
Heyning said the study “is not anything I would call research.”
“I think the best way is to evaluate our students by the effectiveness they have in the classroom,” Heyning said. “What we know from employers, superintendents and principals who hire our graduates is that our students are doing a good job.”
“They never talked to our students, and they never interviewed student teachers or principals to find out how our students were doing,” said Katy Heyning, dean of the UW-Whitewater College of Education and Professional Studies.
“It's a very incomplete picture in terms of what they were looking at, so I don't know how they can possibly understand our program,” she said.
Kate Walsh, president of National Council on Teacher Quality, said the Teacher Prep Review gives a “pretty good indication” of teachers UW-Whitewater and other schools are turning out.
The study released Tuesday judged the quality of teacher training programs across the nation, analyzing course documents, state laws and requirements and school districts' needs for teachers.
UW-W scored one star for its undergraduate elementary teacher prep program, and one and one-half stars for its undergraduate secondary teacher prep program. It is one of 608 higher education institutions that have had their teacher training programs analyzed.
Heyning has concerns about the methodology of the study that rated more than 1,100 education programs based on course syllabi, program handbooks, blank forms and applications and policy guidelines from education programs.
Walsh said it would have been impractical to analyze the programs in the classroom, because it would require years of study at each institution.
“I think it is useful to know what people are requiring of teacher's before they get in the classroom,” Walsh said. “If I'm going to be a teacher, I want to know who is going to do the best job training me. The work that we've done is going to provide someone with a pretty good indication.”
Heyning said she saw problems with UW-W's results that easily could have been fixed if the council had talked with people in the programs. Heyning said the study:
n Incorrectly reports UW-W was not teaching English language learning and early reading, which are required in education programs.
n Incorrectly reports students are not learning reading and math methods for elementary education, something required in education programs.
n Incorrectly reports graduates are not assessed in the workplace. She said the university conducts alumni and employer surveys. A recent survey shows UW-W graduates doing well and superintendents and principals eager to hire more UW-W graduates, Heyning said.
n Incorrectly reports UW-W's education programs do not require students to be in the top half of their classes, but the College of Education and Professional Studies requires a minimum 2.5 grade point average, and most programs in the education department require a 3.2, which is “far above” half, Heyning said.
Walsh said the National Council on Teacher Quality is allowing deans to submit new evidence of their education programs next month, and they will rescore the institutions if necessary. Walsh said most of the time when deans say they have something the council did not find, “it's usually not the case.”
The 12 University of Wisconsin System schools that participated in the study initially refused to provide the documents the council was requesting but eventually were forced to turn them over when the organization filed an open records lawsuit.
“We don't think that speaks well of the institutions,” Walsh said. “Our view was, 'You a are publicly approved program. 'You're here to prepare public school teachers. We think you have an obligation to be transparent.' And they did not think they did.”
The council paid $25 to $200 stipends to students that provided course syllabi and student teaching handbooks. Walsh said the organization paid about $10,000 getting documents from students.
As president of the Wisconsin Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, Heyning initially refused the council's request for documents on behalf of all teacher education programs in Wisconsin. In the letter of refusal, Heyning wrote, “while we welcome fair assessment and encourage public sharing of our strengths and weaknesses, we believe your survey will not accomplish these goals.”
“It's like trying to do a restaurant critique just by reading the menu,” Heyning said. “You would never do that. You want to eat the food and find out whether the food is appealing, not just read the menu. All they did was read a menu, and it wasn't even our entire menu.”
Walsh said she was not surprised by the criticism.
“We recognize that these are peoples' livelihood, and when you say things that they perceive as threatening their livelihood, they're going to act very defensively for the most part,” Walsh said. “But they are also very good people that are dedicating their lives to a very important job. I would hope they could all get to a place where they feel a lot more comfortable looking at what we have to say and considering it.”
Walsh said the reason most schools scored two stars or lower, UW-W included, is because there is a “fundamental difference between what higher education sees what it means to prepare a teacher and what public schools need.”
Public schools want educators who use proven methods to teach students, while higher education instructs students to create and learn their own approach, she said.
“I can't imagine being 21 years old and knowing how to teaching reading,” Walsh said. “The best methods of reading took decades of research to develop, but we're not teaching those to future teachers. The same goes for classroom management.”
Walsh said higher education is not requiring teacher candidates to take comprehensive courses in subjects they are going to teach.
“We found out that 70 percent of all the institutions in the United States don't require elementary teachers to ever take a science course; that's something they are going to have to teach,” Walsh said.
Heyning said the study “is not anything I would call research.”
“I think the best way is to evaluate our students by the effectiveness they have in the classroom,” Heyning said. “What we know from employers, superintendents and principals who hire our graduates is that our students are doing a good job.”
Whitewater school taxes likely to rise
July 8, 2013
WHITEWATER — The school district's schare of property taxes in Whitewater are predicted to rise at least 5 percent because of an expected cut in state aid, said Nathan Jaeger, director of business services for the Whitewater Unified School District.
The district is projected to receive $748,731 less state aid for the 2013-2014 school year, the largest dollar amount among school districts in Walworth and Rock counties. It is a 10.5 percent decrease from the 2012-13 school year, according to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
Jaeger said the predicted decrease was not a surprise to school board members. This is the fifth consecutive year the school district has lost money, he said.
“The decrease in aid simply results in an increased reliance on taxpayers,” Jaeger said. “I think our board has done a fantastic job with managing our tax levy over the years. In fact, our tax levy this past year was almost a quarter of a million dollars less than what it was two years ago. Despite the continued decreased level of support from the state, we've been able to decrease and stabilize our tax levy.”
One of the reasons the district is losing state aid is because of decreasing enrollment, a statewide trend, Jaeger said.
The Wisconsin State Equalization Aid formula also considers property value: the more valuable the property in a district, the less aid the district gets.
“I think it's a misconception that Whitewater is a property-wealthy district,” Jaeger said. “We have a property value per (student) that happens to be above the state average, which negatively impacts us on the aid formula.”
The state aid numbers are estimates, so the predicted property tax increase might change after the final state aid numbers are released in October, he said.
State funding for school districts is based on a formula that considers multiple factors, including enrollment and property values within the district.
The Janesville School District is expected to gain an estimated $892,663 in state aid, a 1.39 percent increase. Rising debt payments are expected to offset the increase in state aid, meaning school taxes in Janesville will rise 1.7 percent, according to a memo from Keith Pennington, the district's chief financial officer.
In the Lake Geneva J1 School District, enrollment has gone up and equalized property values have gone done, causing the district to have the area's highest estimated percentage increase in state aid. With the current predictions, Lake Geneva J1 School District will receive an additional $1.51 million, an increase of 34.01 percent.
Business Manager Warren Flitcroft said he was “pleasantly surprised” when he learned of the predicted aid. He said the district is accustomed to losing aid in past years.
“The increase in state aid will help reduce the burden on the local property tax payers,” Flitcroft said.
The district is projected to receive $748,731 less state aid for the 2013-2014 school year, the largest dollar amount among school districts in Walworth and Rock counties. It is a 10.5 percent decrease from the 2012-13 school year, according to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
Jaeger said the predicted decrease was not a surprise to school board members. This is the fifth consecutive year the school district has lost money, he said.
“The decrease in aid simply results in an increased reliance on taxpayers,” Jaeger said. “I think our board has done a fantastic job with managing our tax levy over the years. In fact, our tax levy this past year was almost a quarter of a million dollars less than what it was two years ago. Despite the continued decreased level of support from the state, we've been able to decrease and stabilize our tax levy.”
One of the reasons the district is losing state aid is because of decreasing enrollment, a statewide trend, Jaeger said.
The Wisconsin State Equalization Aid formula also considers property value: the more valuable the property in a district, the less aid the district gets.
“I think it's a misconception that Whitewater is a property-wealthy district,” Jaeger said. “We have a property value per (student) that happens to be above the state average, which negatively impacts us on the aid formula.”
The state aid numbers are estimates, so the predicted property tax increase might change after the final state aid numbers are released in October, he said.
State funding for school districts is based on a formula that considers multiple factors, including enrollment and property values within the district.
The Janesville School District is expected to gain an estimated $892,663 in state aid, a 1.39 percent increase. Rising debt payments are expected to offset the increase in state aid, meaning school taxes in Janesville will rise 1.7 percent, according to a memo from Keith Pennington, the district's chief financial officer.
In the Lake Geneva J1 School District, enrollment has gone up and equalized property values have gone done, causing the district to have the area's highest estimated percentage increase in state aid. With the current predictions, Lake Geneva J1 School District will receive an additional $1.51 million, an increase of 34.01 percent.
Business Manager Warren Flitcroft said he was “pleasantly surprised” when he learned of the predicted aid. He said the district is accustomed to losing aid in past years.
“The increase in state aid will help reduce the burden on the local property tax payers,” Flitcroft said.
Clark remembered as
life-long teacher, adviser
June 26, 2013
JANESVILLE — What would Janesville be like if not for James Clark? It would be a lot less active, that's for sure.
Clark died Thursday at age 79 after a short battle with melanoma. As community members remember his life, many recall his athletic contributions to Janesville.
Clark, known by his loved ones as Jim, spent 38 years in the Janesville School District as a physical education teacher, guidance counselor and tennis coach. Not one to spend his retirement lying down, Jim immediately adopted pickleball while spending time in Arizona.
Similar to tennis, pickleball is played on a badminton-sized court with a net 2 inches lower than a tennis net. The game is played with a hard paddle and a small version of a wiffleball.
David Schollmeier is actively involved in pickleball, both organizing and playing the game.
"Jim drew a court on the cul-de-sac out of chalk. They put up a temporary net, and they started playing with some people there," Schollmeier said. "Then he did it again, went down to Palmer Park where the tennis courts are. From there, it kept growing."
Clark had been keeping people active for more than 50 years, at first as a physical education teacher and tennis coach, then later with pickleball. After showing many of his friends the game, Clark took pickleball to the Janesville Athletic Club, and there are now 66 active players.
"He wanted people to stay active and have fun being active," Schollmeier said. "He was always looking for something that could keep people going, even as they got older and couldn't do the same things physically as when they were younger."
Brett Smith, a former tennis player for Clark and close friend of his son, Joe, remembers Clark's funny side.
Smith recalled a story when he and Joe had mopeds in 1978, and they rode around running errands and using the mopeds whenever they could. They were racing up a hill when Joe ran a stop sign he didn't see and drove into a moving car.
"He flew off the bike and landed hard on the ground. He couldn't even talk," Smith said. "He was pretty shaken up but mostly unhurt, and it damaged the bike. We took it back to Joe's house, and I told his dad what happened. I told him it was terrible and how he flew into the air and landed on the ground. Jim's reaction was, 'What did you do to the bike?'"
Clark saw that his son wasn't seriously hurt, and he couldn't help but bring his humor into the somber situation, Brett said.
Clark not only provided good laughs but also good advice to anyone who needed it. He was Smith's guidance counselor at Craig High School. When he asked Smith what his plans were after college, Smith wasn't sure how to answer.
"I just thought I would graduate, get a job, make lots of money, and it was going to be a simple thing," Smith said. "But it was him that really forced me to think about my future, more so than my parents because at that age you don't listen to your parents. Sometimes, it takes someone from the outside to really make you think."
Years later, Schollmeier noticed that Clark still had a mentoring hand as he watched him teach their friends how to play pickleball and saw Clark's desire to share the game with his peers. Three years ago, pickleball players were given their first outdoor painted court at Marshall Middle School.
"I remember how good and patient he was with new players," Schollmeier said. "From his history of being a physical education teacher, he was so good at gradually moving them forward in the game."
Clark's five children couldn't pin down a specific story in a lifetime of memories with their father. From the nearly 700 people who attended his visitation Monday—including many former students of Clark, athletes he coached and pickleball players he mentored—they know their father was appreciated and recognized for his many gifts to the community.
"The life work he did went much deeper than anything he did with a racquet," said his son, Daniel. "But that was certainly one of the tools he used to reach people."
Clark died Thursday at age 79 after a short battle with melanoma. As community members remember his life, many recall his athletic contributions to Janesville.
Clark, known by his loved ones as Jim, spent 38 years in the Janesville School District as a physical education teacher, guidance counselor and tennis coach. Not one to spend his retirement lying down, Jim immediately adopted pickleball while spending time in Arizona.
Similar to tennis, pickleball is played on a badminton-sized court with a net 2 inches lower than a tennis net. The game is played with a hard paddle and a small version of a wiffleball.
David Schollmeier is actively involved in pickleball, both organizing and playing the game.
"Jim drew a court on the cul-de-sac out of chalk. They put up a temporary net, and they started playing with some people there," Schollmeier said. "Then he did it again, went down to Palmer Park where the tennis courts are. From there, it kept growing."
Clark had been keeping people active for more than 50 years, at first as a physical education teacher and tennis coach, then later with pickleball. After showing many of his friends the game, Clark took pickleball to the Janesville Athletic Club, and there are now 66 active players.
"He wanted people to stay active and have fun being active," Schollmeier said. "He was always looking for something that could keep people going, even as they got older and couldn't do the same things physically as when they were younger."
Brett Smith, a former tennis player for Clark and close friend of his son, Joe, remembers Clark's funny side.
Smith recalled a story when he and Joe had mopeds in 1978, and they rode around running errands and using the mopeds whenever they could. They were racing up a hill when Joe ran a stop sign he didn't see and drove into a moving car.
"He flew off the bike and landed hard on the ground. He couldn't even talk," Smith said. "He was pretty shaken up but mostly unhurt, and it damaged the bike. We took it back to Joe's house, and I told his dad what happened. I told him it was terrible and how he flew into the air and landed on the ground. Jim's reaction was, 'What did you do to the bike?'"
Clark saw that his son wasn't seriously hurt, and he couldn't help but bring his humor into the somber situation, Brett said.
Clark not only provided good laughs but also good advice to anyone who needed it. He was Smith's guidance counselor at Craig High School. When he asked Smith what his plans were after college, Smith wasn't sure how to answer.
"I just thought I would graduate, get a job, make lots of money, and it was going to be a simple thing," Smith said. "But it was him that really forced me to think about my future, more so than my parents because at that age you don't listen to your parents. Sometimes, it takes someone from the outside to really make you think."
Years later, Schollmeier noticed that Clark still had a mentoring hand as he watched him teach their friends how to play pickleball and saw Clark's desire to share the game with his peers. Three years ago, pickleball players were given their first outdoor painted court at Marshall Middle School.
"I remember how good and patient he was with new players," Schollmeier said. "From his history of being a physical education teacher, he was so good at gradually moving them forward in the game."
Clark's five children couldn't pin down a specific story in a lifetime of memories with their father. From the nearly 700 people who attended his visitation Monday—including many former students of Clark, athletes he coached and pickleball players he mentored—they know their father was appreciated and recognized for his many gifts to the community.
"The life work he did went much deeper than anything he did with a racquet," said his son, Daniel. "But that was certainly one of the tools he used to reach people."
Whitewater police say head-mounted cameras will increase efficiency
June 24, 2013
WHITEWATER — Cameras are everywhere: in banks, in schools and even on some stoplights.
In Whitewater, cameras are now being worn on police officers' heads.
Whitewater Police Department officers wear head-mounted cameras and record all contact with residents.
“A lot of the video that you see out there is only capturing parts of what's happening,” Capt. Brian Uhl said. “This camera system will capture everything the officer sees from their point of view, the entire incident.”
The department chose Axon Flex cameras from the company Taser because they record everything officers see as they turn their heads. Other cameras worn on the chest are easily blocked, he said.
Uhl said the cameras make the collection of evidence more efficient. For example, officers can record interviews with people at incident scenes, eliminating the need to interview them again at the police department. The cameras also could be used to record crime scenes.
The recordings make unambiguous evidence, he said, and the police department is working with the Walworth County District Attorney's Office to track the effectiveness of the cameras in court.
Cameras also protect officers from false complaints, he said. People have tried filing complaints against officers but changed their minds after learning the incidents were recorded, he said.
Steven Riffel, President of Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Association, said he expects most Wisconsin police departments soon will adopt some type of body camera. Because body cameras still are new, many departments are waiting for technological kinks to be worked out and prices to drop.
Riffel also is police chief and director of public safety at the Sheboygan Falls Police Department. His department recently updated squad car cameras because department officials recognize the value of recordings for police and residents.
“It reduces lawsuits and allows officers to realize everything is being recorded,” Riffel said.
The Whitewater Police Department has had the cameras since May 1, and Uhl said the department has heard no privacy complaints.
“I think communities and citizens now are expecting that there is video around them, so I think the stigma of being recorded is rapidly going away,” Riffel said.
Officers wear the cameras on headbands or attach them to baseball caps or sunglasses. Officers are responsible for turning on the cameras whenever they come in contact with people. Uhl said the department's policy is to have the cameras running during the entirety of interactions.
At the end of their shifts, officers download the videos to a general file. If they feel nothing of value happened during a recording, they leave it in the general file, where the video is automatically deleted after 120 days.
If something of consequence happens during a shift—a citation or arrest, for example—officers move recordings to a file where they are saved until administrators delete them. The recordings also are burned to a disc and stored in evidence.
Each camera costs $600 to $800.
The Whitewater Police Department has 10 cameras—enough for every officer each shift.
Uhl predicted the cameras will pay for themselves with time saved.
In Whitewater, cameras are now being worn on police officers' heads.
Whitewater Police Department officers wear head-mounted cameras and record all contact with residents.
“A lot of the video that you see out there is only capturing parts of what's happening,” Capt. Brian Uhl said. “This camera system will capture everything the officer sees from their point of view, the entire incident.”
The department chose Axon Flex cameras from the company Taser because they record everything officers see as they turn their heads. Other cameras worn on the chest are easily blocked, he said.
Uhl said the cameras make the collection of evidence more efficient. For example, officers can record interviews with people at incident scenes, eliminating the need to interview them again at the police department. The cameras also could be used to record crime scenes.
The recordings make unambiguous evidence, he said, and the police department is working with the Walworth County District Attorney's Office to track the effectiveness of the cameras in court.
Cameras also protect officers from false complaints, he said. People have tried filing complaints against officers but changed their minds after learning the incidents were recorded, he said.
Steven Riffel, President of Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Association, said he expects most Wisconsin police departments soon will adopt some type of body camera. Because body cameras still are new, many departments are waiting for technological kinks to be worked out and prices to drop.
Riffel also is police chief and director of public safety at the Sheboygan Falls Police Department. His department recently updated squad car cameras because department officials recognize the value of recordings for police and residents.
“It reduces lawsuits and allows officers to realize everything is being recorded,” Riffel said.
The Whitewater Police Department has had the cameras since May 1, and Uhl said the department has heard no privacy complaints.
“I think communities and citizens now are expecting that there is video around them, so I think the stigma of being recorded is rapidly going away,” Riffel said.
Officers wear the cameras on headbands or attach them to baseball caps or sunglasses. Officers are responsible for turning on the cameras whenever they come in contact with people. Uhl said the department's policy is to have the cameras running during the entirety of interactions.
At the end of their shifts, officers download the videos to a general file. If they feel nothing of value happened during a recording, they leave it in the general file, where the video is automatically deleted after 120 days.
If something of consequence happens during a shift—a citation or arrest, for example—officers move recordings to a file where they are saved until administrators delete them. The recordings also are burned to a disc and stored in evidence.
Each camera costs $600 to $800.
The Whitewater Police Department has 10 cameras—enough for every officer each shift.
Uhl predicted the cameras will pay for themselves with time saved.
Hundreds of bikers expected to take part in Saturday's MDA Tub Run
June 16, 2013
JANESVILLE — Jacob Slack wants to be a firefighter or police officer when he grows up.
The 10-year-old loves to play outside, and his favorite part of school is recess.
Jacob also loves to see the motorcycles at the Muscular Dystrophy Association's annual Tub Run, which benefits people in Southwestern Wisconsin who have muscular dystrophy, including Jacob and his brother Logan.
Jacob and Logan have a form of muscular dystrophy called mitochondrial myopathy, which causes problems in the heart, lungs, kidney and liver. Both boys are stable in their disease but have health problems, especially Logan.
Because of the MDA fundraisers, Andrea Slack, the boys' mother, is reassured that her sons are provided for.
“Without the MDA Tub Run and other events and everyone who contributes to them, the kids, including mine, won't be able to go to camp,” Andrea said. “They also help with supplies like Logan's braces and other equipment. Parents can't afford this stuff because of all the medical bills. It's helped out quite a bit, not with only my family but other families out there.”
Jacob hopes to see the motorcycles at the 19th annual MDA Tub Run on Saturday.
More than 1,000 motorcycles will leave Kutter Harley Davidson, 3223 N. Pontiac Drive, Janesville, at noon Saturday and arrive at Thresherman's Park, 51 E. Cox Road, Edgerton, at 4 p.m. The Tub Run is expected to interrupt traffic on Highway 14 for about 30 minutes.
Riders pay $25 per person, and all the money goes to the MDA. Registration will be open from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday. Money also is raised through pledges, raffle tickets and events after the ride at Thresherman's Park.
Rebecca Hildebrandt, executive director of MDA Southwestern Wisconsin, said their goal is to raise $125,000. That would put the Tub Run at about $1.8 million raised for the MDA of Southwestern Wisconsin in 19 years
Motorcycles enthusiasts are not the only people who participate. Paige McCaslin is 13 years old and has been helping with the MDA Tub Run for years. In fact, she can't remember not being involved.
“My favorite part is the satisfaction of helping people who really need it,” Paige said.
Paige was able to see how her efforts have paid off recently when she visited Jacob, Logan and other kids with muscular dystrophy at Wonderland Camp in Kenosha County. Some of the money raised at the Tub Run sponsors kids to go to camp every year.
“It was a really neat experience,” Paige said. “We got to watch them play games and watch them do arts and crafts, fishing and other stuff.”
Paige said Logan, who went to camp for the first time this year, had a big smile the whole time.
The 10-year-old loves to play outside, and his favorite part of school is recess.
Jacob also loves to see the motorcycles at the Muscular Dystrophy Association's annual Tub Run, which benefits people in Southwestern Wisconsin who have muscular dystrophy, including Jacob and his brother Logan.
Jacob and Logan have a form of muscular dystrophy called mitochondrial myopathy, which causes problems in the heart, lungs, kidney and liver. Both boys are stable in their disease but have health problems, especially Logan.
Because of the MDA fundraisers, Andrea Slack, the boys' mother, is reassured that her sons are provided for.
“Without the MDA Tub Run and other events and everyone who contributes to them, the kids, including mine, won't be able to go to camp,” Andrea said. “They also help with supplies like Logan's braces and other equipment. Parents can't afford this stuff because of all the medical bills. It's helped out quite a bit, not with only my family but other families out there.”
Jacob hopes to see the motorcycles at the 19th annual MDA Tub Run on Saturday.
More than 1,000 motorcycles will leave Kutter Harley Davidson, 3223 N. Pontiac Drive, Janesville, at noon Saturday and arrive at Thresherman's Park, 51 E. Cox Road, Edgerton, at 4 p.m. The Tub Run is expected to interrupt traffic on Highway 14 for about 30 minutes.
Riders pay $25 per person, and all the money goes to the MDA. Registration will be open from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday. Money also is raised through pledges, raffle tickets and events after the ride at Thresherman's Park.
Rebecca Hildebrandt, executive director of MDA Southwestern Wisconsin, said their goal is to raise $125,000. That would put the Tub Run at about $1.8 million raised for the MDA of Southwestern Wisconsin in 19 years
Motorcycles enthusiasts are not the only people who participate. Paige McCaslin is 13 years old and has been helping with the MDA Tub Run for years. In fact, she can't remember not being involved.
“My favorite part is the satisfaction of helping people who really need it,” Paige said.
Paige was able to see how her efforts have paid off recently when she visited Jacob, Logan and other kids with muscular dystrophy at Wonderland Camp in Kenosha County. Some of the money raised at the Tub Run sponsors kids to go to camp every year.
“It was a really neat experience,” Paige said. “We got to watch them play games and watch them do arts and crafts, fishing and other stuff.”
Paige said Logan, who went to camp for the first time this year, had a big smile the whole time.