Breaking News: Dr. Pulliam withdraws application for Unified superintendent

Dr. Pulliam at Golden Rondelle forum in April

Final, final update: The J-S reports the telling detail about Pulliam's decision. The Georgia district -- with just 2,100 students, one-tenth the size of Unified -- is paying her $155,000. Racine Unified started negotiations at $120,000. Could that be why the district is having a hard time attracting candidates? Here's how her hiring was announced in Georgia.

Final Update: The Greene County Board of Education voted unanimously tonight in Greenesboro, GA, to hire Barbara Pulliam as its superintendent, thus snatching her from the Racine Unified School District, whose board made a similar vote in April. She will be joining a district in turmoil, one that fired its superintendent last Wednesday, one year into a three-year contract, in a dispute over a plan to implement gender-separate classes.

She starts work there Monday.

According to a story on OnlineAthens, she interviewed with the board the same night it decided to fire Shawn McCollough last week.

Unified has been negotiating a contract with Pulliam since selecting her from a field of three finalists on April 29.

Not everyone in Greensboro is happy to have Pulliam. A Georgia state legislator, familiar with her previous district in Clayton, GA, "the worst school district in the South," he said, was quoted by the owner of the Greensboro newspaper in the Journal Times, saying: "If the captain of the Titanic had survived, and got another ship, would you like to be a passenger on his next voyage?"

And let us be the first to ask out loud: Does this mean we get our $37,000 back from PROACT Inc., the executive search firm that produced our superintendent candidates? Or just a discount on the next search?

Update: Here's an official statement from Tony Baumgardt:

The Racine Unified school board was notified last night, before its closed door session, by a phone call from Dr. Barbara Pulliam's attorney that she was withdrawing her application for the Superintendent position. The Board had every indication from Dr. Pulliam that she was coming to Racine, and her attorney did not give any reason for her withdrawal. The Board is surprised and disappointed that she will not be our next Superintendent.

The district will proceed immediately with a new search for a superintendent. Dr. Jack Parker, who has served as interim superintendent, will continue to provide leadership at least throughout the summer allowing the board time develop a plan for its next steps. We will keep the staff and community apprised of the process and the progress of the search for a new leader for the district.

Original post: Barbara Pulliam will not be Racine Unified School District's next superintendent. Pulliam withdrew her name for the job, according to an email sent to Unified teachers on Tuesday. She and the board had been negotiating a contract for more than a month, and she had been expected to start work here on July 1.

The school board was notified last night, before its closed door session, by a phone call from Pulliam's attorney.

Unified School Board President Tony Baumgardt said in an interview on WRJN this morning: "Every indication that we had from Dr. Pulliam was that she was coming to Racine. Something's happened and we honestly don't know what it is.

"Basically, the message we got from her attorney is that she's not in a position to call us. I don't know how to read into that. I really don't. I'm unsure.

"I'm actually very surprised and disappointed that she won't be coming to be our superintendent."

(Update: The Journal Times this afternoon quoted her attorney saying she found another superintendent's job that she prefers. “She simply found another offer a better fit for her and she took it,” said Joe Flynn, who represented Pulliam in her negotiations with Unified. “It’s unfortunate, but it is not unusual.”)

Baumgardt indicated the district probably would have to proceed with another interim superintendent. Dr. Jack Parker, who has served as interim superintendent since Dr. Tom Hicks' resignation last fall has said he is not interested in staying on longer. His contract ends June 30.

Pulliam was selected by the Racine Unified School Board to replace Hicks, who resigned under fire for his handling of district finances. The board voted 7-2 on April 29 to hire Pulliam. Dennis Wiser and Julie McKenna voted against her.

Pulliam, the former superintendent of Clayton County Public Schools in Jonesboro, Ga., was one of three finalists for the job. She never reached a contract with the School Board.

Pulliam did not return multiple calls to her cell phone Tuesday morning.

Past stories:

Pulliam's successor making $285,000

Statement by RUSD on hiring Pulliam

Wiser, McKenna: Why we voted 'no'

Grading Unified's superintendent finalists

Kohl asks FEMA for State of Emergency declaration

U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl, D-WI, was joined by the Wisconsin congressional delegation in urging Administrator David Paulison of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to give immediate consideration to Gov. Jim Doyle’s state of emergency declaration after severe storms and flooding caused massive damage throughout the state.

The delegation's letter says:

Dear Mr. Paulison:

Yesterday Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle declared a state of emergency for 29 counties hard hit by widespread flooding and severe storms. These storms have caused considerable damage to homes, businesses, roads, power lines and trees.

These storms are particularly challenging to regions of our state which had already experienced above normal rainfall. As of 9:30 A.M. (Eastern Time) today the Red Cross has opened shelters in Columbus, Gays Mills/Soldiers Grove, Spring Green, La Farge, Ontario, Viroqua, Reedsburg, Richland Center, Elroy, Madison, Avoca and Racine,Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Department of Corrections has or is preparing to dispatch work crews to Baraboo, Fall River and Columbus. The state Emergency Operations Center continues to receive requests for sandbagging, evacuation and other assistance.

Over the next few days damage assessment reports will be analyzed in more detail. Once that occurs, we anticipate a state appeal for federal disaster assistance. We encourage you to give any appeal submitted by Governor Doyle your immediate and full consideration.

Are you on the dry side of the street ... or under water?

No picnics in this backyard on Island View

The bridge at Kinzie and Horlick

In many cases, it came down to something very simple: for example, what side of the street your house is on.

On one side: dry basements, few problems. On the other -- closest to the Root River -- disaster. Water up to the ceiling in the basement, rooms and possessions ruined, the furnace gone forever.

Lucy Chaffee, who has lived on Park View for seven years, has a line of sandbags, three deep, on the river side of her house, put there by a Public Works crew about 8:30 this morning. So far, the Root River hasn't risen beyond them. Not that it really matters: she has six feet of water in her basement anyway.

"Our house is at the highest point on the street," she says wryly. "It's never been like this before." Her basement flooded, apparently, due to runoff and ground water. She has no sump pump -- "I wish I did," she said -- not that it would have done any good once the power on her street was turned off by We Energies.

Still, she says she's one of the "lucky" ones, who has flood insurance. "I've complained about paying it for the last seven years, but now it's OK!"

While we spoke, Norb Rolfers of We Energies was high overhead in a crane, cutting powerlines to this house and that -- making sure that when the power was restored to the neighborhood as a whole it would not come on to those homes still flooded. Electricity and gas crews were walking up and down the riverside, on Park View, Domanik and other flooded areas, asking homeowners whether they had water in their basement. The answer, on the river-side of the street, was usually yes, and those houses lost power -- to be restored who-knows-when.

Over in Island Park, there were places you just couldn't go. The streets were knee-high in water and police were routing traffic as best they could.

Jennifer Doyle said, "It was like a carnival atmosphere last night; people with cameras were out at Spring Street, watching the rushing water." Normally the Root is 6 inches to two-feet deep there -- too shallow for canoes even. But that was then, this is now. "They had sandbags stacked up on the wall at the bridge. We were watching and it was amazing how fast the water was rising. We drove on Spring Street at 10:30 p.m., but by midnight the water was too high," she said.

The city has a wastewater pumping station on Spring Street, which pumps sewage toward the treatment plant. This morning, a hose from the building was pumping water into already-flooded Spring Street ... but it wasn't sewage, only rainwater from inside the building. Sam Hoffmann, wearing hip waders, ran up with a spare pair of boots for a co-worker.

Waiting for the next batch of sandbags at Lutheran

At Lutheran High School, hope was palpable. A line of more than 1,000 sandbags ringed the school, courtesy of the Department of Public Works. Around noon, there was no water in the school ... although predictions that the river would rise another nine inches made workers nervous. Across the street, sump pumps were trying to keep up with basement seepage.

On Domanik, the United Way -- located on the first floor of Lincoln Lutheran's four-story headquarters -- was fighting the rising water. You couldn't get to the building without wading through it, and by about 9 a.m. this morning, the place was "waterlogged," with about three inches of water on the floor. Computers had been relocated to the second floor. "We're closed for the week, I'm sure," said Dave Maurer, United Way's executive director. Staff and volunteers will meet off-site as necessary.

Horlick Dam was a maelstrom. Water was rushing over the top creating a whirling rapids below. More problematic, water was pouring through the dam's retaining wall on the north side, next to the Day's Inn Riverside.

Horlick Dam, not holding back much water.

...and here's the dam's leaking retaining wall.

Meanwhile, more rain is predicted.

YPR hosting anniversary party to benefit local nonprofits

Here's a cool event from the Young Professionals of Racine. The group is hosting an anniverary party Thursday night and asking people who come to bring a "wedding present" to benefit local nonprofit organizations. Here's all the details, as written by Chris Terry of YPR:

The leaders of Young Professionals of Racine are optimistic that this year’s anniversary party will be remembered as more than just a party celebrating the organization’s sixth year of existence.

YPR is asking its members, and the general public, to bring a typical wedding gift or donation in lieu of an entrance fee for the celebration, which will begin at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, June 12 at Infusino’s Banquet Hall on Rapids Drive. The celebration, dubbed My Big Fat YPR Wedding!, will benefit HALO, the Bethany House Apartments, Safe Haven of Racine and the Women’s Resource Center. Dinner, dancing and a wedding cake will all be part of the celebration.

“One of our goals is to involve young professionals in the community,” said YPR Program Director Dana Grueter. “This event allows to not only be of service to some wonderful organizations in our community, but to introduce young professionals to what they do, as well.”

The organizations chosen were selected because they all assist individuals who, in the near future, will be out on their own beginning a new life, oftentimes without many items typically associated with wedding gifts, such as plates, silverware, pots, pans, toasters, microwaves, etc.

In addition to the donation of gifts and any financial contributions, many of YPR’s partner companies have donated items which will be included in a silent auction, again with all proceeds benefitting the four organizations.

“We expect to donate over $5,000 in gifts, financial donations and silent auction contributions to four great organizations in Racine,” Grueter said. “Also, we’re offering an amazingly fun networking opportunity for our young professionals in addition to letting them know about these organizations which do so much for the Racine community.”

YPR has had success in previous fundraising ventures, contributing $10,000 to the American Red Cross’ Hurricane Katrina relief effort in 2005 via the organization’s Hurricane for Hurricane Relief fundraiser.

Young Professionals of Racine is a membership-driven organization created in 2002 as a division of Racine Area Manufacturers and Commerce as a vehicle to engage the next generation of Racine’s leaders. Founded by 12 enterprising professionals, the group has grown to more than 2,200 members representing more than 150 companies regionally.

Feingold for VP?

OK, we've had lots of fun with the Paul Ryan for VP movement (?) on the Republican side of the aisle, if only John McCain would listen to the chattering pundits.

Now here's a suggestion that's equally not gonna fly: Sen. Russ Feingold, D-WI, for VP on the Barack Obama ticket.

Here it is verbatim from Kay's Blue Racine blog:

"Don't you think that Feingold would be the perfect VP? After eight years he would still be young and vital enough to run for President. He actually read the Patriot Act. He would be no doubt the most popular among Obama's base. He's Jewish so that would really toss the whole Muslim crappola out the window for the Swiftboaters. I hope Obama doesn't take some woman just because she is a woman -- ye, Gods: Phyllis Shlafly is a woman and look at what she is like! No Pelosi: not after her famous 'impeachment is off the table speech.' "

So far, just three comments -- but they're all favorable! Can we classify it as a groundswell?

Mogk joins Democratic field to oppose Ryan

And then there were five!

John Mogk of Kenosha has announced his entrance in the Democratic primary in Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District, for the right to oppose Rep. Paul Ryan, the Republican incumbent. He joins Paulette Garin, Marge Krupp, Jeff Thomas and Mike Hebert. Democrats began collecting signatures on June 1; the necessary papers to gain inclusion in the September primary must be filed by July 8.

Currently active in the Kenosha County Democratic Party, Mogk started in 1994 as a member of the Racine County Democrats, serving as a local party officer and a brief stint as a vice-chair of the 1st CD.

He served as a volunteer in Racine on the 1996 Clinton/Gore campaign, and actively supported the special election that moved Kim Plache from the State Assembly to the State Senate.

In 2004 Mogk worked as the Kenosha Field Organizer for the Kerry/Edwards campaign. About his prior campaign work Mogk said, “My favorite memory is the incredible work by hundreds of dedicated volunteers that helped John Kerry win Kenosha County and the 1st CD.”

Mogk said he is running because Congress has been out of control and out of touch for too long. “Representatives in Congress are supposed to represent the interests of the people in their district, not the special interests as they do now.”


He said, “People in the 1st CD are paying record prices for gas, while the oil companies make record profits and continue receiving our tax dollars in subsidies. Whose interest is being served? Where is the common sense in that?”

A personal peeve of Mogk’s is the fight for affordable and available health care for everyone: “The health care system is killing this country,” he said, “costs are rising double the rate of inflation and people are being left with nothing.”

Mogk feels some of the proposals offering tax credits would help those working or who already have insurance, but they do not go far enough. He says the problem needs to be attacked on a number of fronts including insurance and medical costs, industry greed, duplication of work, and insurance companies who deny and limit care.

“700,000 declared bankruptcy last year over a health care crisis. About 500,000 of them had insurance when the crisis began. Common sense should tell us the system is not working. It will take bigger measures to handle this crisis,” he said.

Discussing the war in Iraq, Mogk’s focus is the troops. He believes lack of budget oversight and no-bid contracts are still leaving the troops without necessary equipment such as body armor and fortified vehicles. He says billions of tax dollars have been lost and mismanaged through privatizing the war. “World War II gave us the Marshal Plan. The war in Iraq has given us the Halliburton Plan. And the results have been deadly.”

Mogk believes more needs to be done to protect the troops, and fulfill the requests of generals, not the fanciful ideas of the Administration who lost America’s respect around the world. “If the 1st CD makes the right change in Congress this election, we won’t need another 5 years before the mission really is accomplished.”

Other issues Mogk discusses are improving education, the student loan crisis, alternative energies and jobs for Wisconsin, the pettiness in Congress, eliminating government waste, and the housing crisis. Mogk says the common theme through many of these issues is a lack of common sense approach.

“If you do the right thing for the right reasons, the solutions will benefit everyone. Perhaps if GM had done the right thing and looked beyond one fiscal quarter at a time, 2,400 residents of the 1st CD would not be losing their jobs.”

Mogk feels the 1st CD and Wisconsin are losing out in the development of alternative energies. “There is not a single solution. Common sense should tell us what works in the southwest might not work in the midwest.”

“But we have to do more now. Oil is a finite resource. We got lazy after the last oil crisis and are still unprepared. The 1st CD and Wisconsin are great places to develop and test ideas such as the fusion project at UW-Madison, and the KRM that could have been running already, saving residents from $4 gas.”

Mogk says that as a Representative in Congress he would pursue these ideas for the environment and jobs. “Southeast Wisconsin has the best workers, top universities, great communities with sun and wind. Bringing the research, testing and development to our backyard will have long-term economic, education, and health impacts for a better quality of life for all of us. Common sense says it’s the right thing to do. Why hasn’t Paul Ryan done it?”

Mogk has a B.A. in Business Administration. He worked at Carthage College in Kenosha in the student affairs and development departments. Currently he is call center manager at Lake Forest College.

Sphere Madness, garden division

As Sphere Madness takes over Downtown, it's also represented in the garden.

This allium popped out of my wife's garden, rising on a stalk more than four feet tall, a single white bloom of intriguing intricacy. At least to my eyes.

Wikipedia says allium "is the onion genus, with about 1,250 species, making it one of the largest plant genera in the world. They are perennial bulbous plants that produce chemical compounds (mostly cystein sulfoxide) that give them a characteristic onion or garlic taste and odor, and many are used as food plants."

I don't know any of that. Just that we have the one white one, and a few dozen pretty purple blooms that may or may not be allium 'gladiator.'

There's no hidden significance to this post, just a pretty picture from the garden.

Beaches open; boy, how we've missed the sun

MY EYES! MY EYES! Racine's beaches opened for the summer today, and the display of pasty white flesh was too much to bear.

By 11 this morning, there were a few dozen families enjoying North Beach. Well, the kids seemed to be enjoying the sand and the water. Mothers mostly sat wrapped in towels while alternately complaining about the cold or warning about the need for sunscreen. Or hoping for some peace and quiet as she cracked the spine on her first summer beach novel, James Patterson's Along Came The Spider, a Hannibal Lecter kidnapping ripoff if ever there was one.


The kids, as you'd expect, were oblivious to all that ... running into the water, splashing, playing with toy boats, building the first sand castle of the season.

Off shore, a lone kite surfer was trying out his new kite, skimming the surface as he went back and forth, under the watchful eyes of the lifeguards.





Meanwhile, down the road a bit in Kenosha, the seventh annual Outta Sight Kite Festival was taking place at Kennedy Park, alongside the lake. Scores of kids and adults launched their kites simultaneously at noon for a spectacular display. The kite festival continues today until 5 p.m. and tomorrow from 10 to 5.

Weather cooperates, giving a great First Friday

Sphere Madness was the center of attention

Downpours and tornado warnings disrupted the morning and afternoon, but magically disappeared just before 6 p.m., leaving in their wake bright blue skies, pleasant temperatures and the perfect environment for Downtown's First Friday.

Main and Sixth Streets were packed Friday evening, with families wandering into various galleries and shops, listening to the street musicians, and poking and prodding and posing with the art spheres that made their debut this week.

On Monument Square, the Roy Edwards Band -- rained out from its noon concert -- made up for it during its encore performance. The square was filled with concert-goers on one end, children dancing around the Civil War monument or communing with one of the two carriage horses, and HarborFest's beer tent at the other end. It was a peaceful coexistence.

Posing with one of the 75 Spheres

The Roy Edwards Band played under clear skies

Astrid Pierce rocked on Sixth Street

Cheryl McCrary & Heir-Born Praise Band offered Christian music

Young Haley Miller sang standards on Sixth

At Monument Square, kids danced...

...showed off great haircuts...

...and made friends with a horse.

More Spheres pictures HERE and HERE.

In outdoor concerts, weather is king

Music lovers who attended today's first Music on the Monument lunchtime concert got more -- and less -- than they bargained for.

Just two and one-half songs into the performance by the Roy Edwards Band, the concert was cut short by a downpour. The few droplets of rain that greeted the start of the 11:30 a.m. concert grew to a slashing rainstorm and heavy winds within 15 minutes, cutting short the concert.

Chairs and umbrellas were blown over, and DRC's Downtown Ambassadors had to scramble to collect them all, while a couple of hardy concert-goers huddled under an umbrella or two. To no avail. The band packed up, and the crowd was gone within 15 minutes.

And then the sun came out again. Sometimes, a blues band gets no luck at all, just something to sing about the next time.

Property Transfers, May 27-30

Here are last week's property transfers: Property Transfers, May 27-30

UW-Parkside honors Dr. Herbert Roehrich

KENOSHA - The University of Wisconsin-Parkside recently honored Dr. Herbert Roehrich of Racine for his work in the community. Roehrich ('87, Biological Sciences), a psychiatrist, received the university's 2008 Distinguished Alumni Service Award.

It was while attending divinity school in Illinois that Dr. Roehrich was first called to return home.

"He decided he could better serve society as a medical practitioner than as a minister," said nominator Dr. Anna Maria Williams. "He chose the new and growing premedical program at UW-Parkside for his preparation."

After attending UW-Parkside, Dr. Roehrich was off again, to Madison for his doctorate and to Virginia, Michigan, and New Jersey for post doctoral training.

In 1987, while serving as the director of the National Cocaine Hotline, he visited UW-Parkside and local physicians convinced him to return home again. Since then, he has earned a legion of admirers.

"Dr. Roehrich is one of the best psychiatrists I have had the pleasure to work with," said UW-Parkside Clinical Professor Ed Conrad who is a licensed clinical psychologist. "He is the first person I think of when I need consultation regarding a psychiatric issue."

"He works with each person, even if they do not have the means to pay, and makes sure they receive the medications they need even when they cannot afford them," said another nominator.

He consults for the Public Defender offices in Racine and Kenosha counties, doing much of this work without pay due to limited budgets. Using the same pro bono arrangement, he consulted on UW-Parkside Professor Helen Rosenberg's research on geriatric alcohol abuse, providing "strong support...regarding older adult use of substances and the individual and community impact of this," Dr. Rosenberg said.

Since returning home again, Williams said Dr. Roehrich has "advanced his profession and made a significant difference in Racine and Kenosha."

The award was presented during commencement ceremonies in May at the Alfred and Bernice De Simone Gymnasium of the Sports and Activity Center on the UW-Parkside campus.

City beaches open Saturday

Here's a note from the city on beaches opening this Saturday. Weather looks OK for the weekend with temperatures in the 80s, but storms in the forecast.

The City of Racine’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department will open North and Zoo Beaches for the season on Saturday, June 7, 2008.

North Beach will be guarded seven days a week 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Zoo Beach will only be guarded Saturdays and Sunday’s from 10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

To help guarantee a safe beach and swim area for you and others we ask your cooperation by observing the following rules:

1. No motor boats, wind surfers, or floating devices in the protected area. For example, water wings, inner tubes, rafts, etc.
2. Please do not block the area in front of the lifeguard chairs, boats, or rescue boards. Your interference could hamper our effectiveness for a rescue.
3. Swim only in the protected area. Lifeguards may restrict the swimming area for your safety when hazardous conditions are present.
While you are on the beach and in the park area, there are several ordinances you should be aware of. The following are prohibited in the park and/or beach area.

1. Alcoholic beverages;
2. Motorized vehicles on beach;
3. Glass containers on the beach;
4. Fire on beach; and
5. Dogs or any pets in park and beach area.

NORTH BEACH CLOSES PROMPTLY AT 10:00 P.M.

Your cooperation in following the above will be appreciated by lifeguards and others on the beach. When you desire to know the water conditions at North Beach, please call the beach recording at 636-9233.

We look forward to having a safe and enjoyable summer with your help.
Should you need any additional information, please call Ray Hammermann at 636-9454 or James Wilson at 636-9445.

Wasting no time, Kohl endorses Obama

Sen. Herb Kohl, D-WI, issued the following statement today:

“Both candidates ran spectacular campaigns, and it’s clear that either would make a great President. We were fortunate to have two exceptional candidates who were willing to put themselves forward and work tirelessly these many months, and for that they have our gratitude.

“Now that Senator Obama has won the nomination, we can unite behind his historic candidacy. He has worked to restore the trust of so many Americans who are clamoring for a new direction. I endorse and fully support Senator Obama’s candidacy and will work to see that he is elected in November.”

GM announcement is 'gut-wrenching,' says Ryan

Update:Tuesday night, Sens. Russ Feingold and Herb Kohl and Rep. Paul Ryan sent a letter to GM CEO Rick Wagoner asking him to reconsider the decision to close the Janesville SUV plant and requested a meeting to discuss the possible retooling of the plant for different production lines. A copy of the letter is HERE.

Original post: Congressman Paul Ryan, R-WI, 1st District, a fifth-generation Janesville native, made the following statement in response to today’s announcement that General Motors will close it Janesville SUV plant by 2010:

“Today’s news is downright gut-wrenching for Janesville. Growing up and living in Janesville, this is something we’ve always feared. First of all, my thoughts and prayers are with the workers and their families, many of whom I’ve grown up with and am still close friends with. If GM’s plans are fully carried out, this would be a big psychological and economic blow to our community and our state; but Janesville will survive this, because we simply have to survive this. As I have witnessed time and again, I have faith that our community will pull together to support one another in the difficult days ahead. It is my hope that as this 2010 shutdown date approaches, Janesville will be in a better position to reverse this decision.”

Ryan said he will work closely with union leaders, GM officials, and members of the Janesville community to support those hit hardest by the closure.

Sen. Herb Kohl, D-WI, issued the following statement:

“It’s a tragedy that General Motors plans to close its plant in Janesville, leaving behind thousands of skilled and dedicated employees. The community of Janesville depends on these jobs, and I will do everything in my power to convince General Motors to reconsider their decision or help their employees find new work.

“Today I’m urging officials at the Labor Department to make job training and transitional assistance for GM’s employees readily available. The people at the Janesville GM plant are second to none, and I hope that GM supports these employees with the same loyalty and commitment that these men and women have brought to the job everyday.”

And Sen. Russ Feingold, D-WI:

“For generations, the people of Janesville have poured their heart and soul into General Motors and have proven to be an incredible asset for the company. GM should immediately take steps to ensure the continued success of the GM plant including retooling the plant for new production lines. I will continue to work with Governor Doyle, Senator Kohl, Congressman Ryan, state and local officials, related businesses, and the leadership of GM to do all I can to support an ongoing and vital GM presence in Janesville. The people of Janesville have worked too hard for too long to deserve anything less.”

And Sen. Barack Obama, D-IL:

"My heart goes out to the workers and families affected by the closing of these GM plants, including the Janesville plant that I visited a few months ago. Today's news is a painful reminder not only of the challenges America faces in our global economy, but of George Bush’s failed economic policies. For eight long years, we’ve had an energy policy that funds both sides in the war on terror without promoting fuel efficiency or helping make our auto companies more competitive. That’s part of the reason thousands of more Americans in Wisconsin and Ohio will no longer be able to count on a paycheck at a time when they’re already being pinched by rising costs. Unlike John McCain, I’m not in this race to extend the failed Bush economic policies; I’m in this race to end them. I’ve proposed investing $150 billion over ten years in green energy and creating up to five million new green jobs. We’ll finally provide domestic automakers with the funding they need to retool their factories and make fuel-efficient and alternative fuel cars. And we’ll invest in efforts to make sure that the cars of the future are made where they always have been -- in the United States. Because the fight for American manufacturing is the fight for America’s future – and I believe that’s a fight this country will win."

Gov. Jim Doyle:

“After all the years of work and everything the people of Janesville have given, it is tough to stomach what GM is doing here today. Families here have dedicated their working lives to this General Motors plant. The city of Janesville, the state of Wisconsin – we have all been committed to making this plant work.

“So many people here have put their hearts into building trucks at the Janesville assembly plant, and now they are left with a cold decision that casts them aside. We all feel it in our guts.

“GM made it clear that this was a plant that they were invested in. They brought Barack Obama here just months ago. It was clear that this plant was the pride of GM. It should have been obvious long ago that the future was not where GM was headed. Bad corporate decision kept these lines turning out gas guzzlers as fuel prices went from 2 dollars to 3 dollars and now to 4 dollars per gallon.

“Now we stand here, carrying the burden of those bad corporate decisions – failed leadership that culminated in a calculation that left out the very heart of this company, the workers who built it.

“I am inspired by the workers who in the face of all this – in these difficult times – are saying they will work to make the best of this. That’s the spirit that made this company worth something, and that’s the spirit that built Janesville. I want Wisconsin workers that the state will stand with you. We will work together to fight for Janesville and our future together.”

What are we, chopped liver?

Gov. Jim Doyle appointed 63 men and women to various state boards and commissions yesterday. To be honest, we'd never heard of most of the boards and commissions, and have barely a clue about what they do.

The Burial Sites Preservation Board? Sounds straight-forward enough, but do we need a board to preserve burial sites? The Invasive Species Council? Are members for or against? The State Interoperability Council? The Telecommunications Relay Service Council? The Health Insurance Risk-Sharing Plan Authority?

We could go on, but the truth is there were some appointments to well-known boards and commissions as well...the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, for example.

Of all 63 appointments, only one went to a Racinian: John Magerus of Racine was reappointed to the Council on Affirmative Action for a term to expire July 1, 2009. Thank goodness for John, or we'd have been shut out.

The complete list of appointees is HERE.

If you would like to serve on some obscure Wisconsin board or commission -- "Members of Wisconsin state boards and commissions are vital participants in policy making, regulation, advisory and advocacy efforts for many issues affecting Wisconsin," the governor's release said -- there's an easy way to submit an application. Just go to the governor's website, HERE and click on the Boards and Commissions link in the left rail.

City attorneys going to Brewers game Wednesday

If you're planning on suing the city, Wednesday would be a good day for a sneak attack. The staff of the city attorney's office is taking a group outing to the Milwaukee Brewers game vs. the Arizona Diamondbacks. It's an afternoon game.

We were initially tipped on this by an anonymous reader, who asked us to find out if this group outing would be at taxpayers' expense. Assistant City Attorney Nicole Loop assured that it wouldn't.

"There's no way we'd bill something like this to the city," said Loop, who is taking a vacation day Wednesday to go to the game.

She added that the "day off" comes at a good time for the office. "It's been crazy busy for all of us," Loop said. "This will be a good chance for us to get to know each other outside of the office. It's a morale builder."

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Here's lookin' at you, Tiny!

Once again, proving our ecumenical leanings here at RacinePost, our dog of the week is ... a cat!

Well, a kitten. Everybody loves kittens.

Meet Tiny, a small (Duh!) 10-week-old female domestic short hair gray kitten. Tiny was rescued by a caring person at a facility that does not do animal adoptions. When she was old enough, she was transferred to the Countryside Humane Society, 2706 Chicory Road, to find a new home.

All her brothers and sisters have been adopted, but not Tiny. Tiny has a special problem, you see ... she is cross eyed! Tiny acts like every other sweet playful kitten with the exception of her vision. She lifts her tiny head upwards and looks at you from the bottom of her eyes.

For more information, visit Countryside or call (262) 554-6699.

Our most recent dog up for adoption, Graham, has found a new home: Graham's new owners came all the way from Michigan to claim him ... a little girl with her Mom and Dad.

Racine Zoo collecting and recycling old cell phones

The Racine Zoo made this announcement today:

The Racine Zoo has teamed up with Eco-Cell to collect used cell phones at the Zoo’s main office and the Vanishing Kingdom historic building. The Zoo will accept all phones in any condition and donating your phone is free. A portion of the proceeds will directly benefit the Racine Zoo while also preserving animals in the wild.

Eco-Cell is a leading organization in responsible cell phone recycling. They emphasize their commitment to conservation by holding to a no landfill policy. Properly recycling cell phones is important because hazardous materials found in cell phones, batteries and chargers can end up in landfills and can send toxins into our environment.

Not only will recycling your cell phone help the environment, it will also help save some of its endangered inhabitants.

“Many people don’t know that some animals are in grave danger in part due to the mining of elements found in cell phones. According to the UN, the eastern lowland gorilla population has cut in half in the last 5 years. Recycling your cell phone is a great way to help these animals in the Congo,” said Jay Christie, President and CEO of The Racine Zoo.

Also, for every cell phone turned in to the Zoo, Eco-Cell donates a portion to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund.

The mission of the Racine Zoological Society is to foster an enlightening and affordable wildlife experience that improves the bond between people and nature. The Society will provide for the recreation and education of the people, the conservation of wildlife and wild places, and the advancement of science.

Caledonia's Christensen running for County Clerk

Caledonia Clerk Wendy Christensen is hoping to replace County Clerk Joan Rennert in the fall. Christensen will kick-off her campaign for the county-wide elected office on Wednesday, June 11.

"I believe that someone with experience as a municipal clerk would be a benefit to that office since Joan Rennert has decided to retire at the end of her term," Christensen wrote in an announcement.

Christensen has been the clerk in Caledonia for 13 years. Here's a nice rundown of her background, as reported by Caledonia Unplugged.