And baby makes...

The Racine Zoo has had its share of babies this season: meercats, lion cubs and a tur (a form of goat).

Here are some pictures of the kids, from smallest animal to largest.

First, the meercats, a small mammal and member of the mongoose family that comes from South Africa. Mom Sydney had her four babies on April 3.

Here's one of the babies, already alert for predators.

Next, the West Caucasian Tur, which Wikipedia describes as a mountain dwelling goat antelope found only in the western half of the Caucasus Mountain range. Ours was born on May 18 to mom Daisy and dad Tarek.

Daisy leads the way for the unnamed male baby

And finally, here are three of our four new lion cubs, born back in September. The babies -- three males and one female -- now weigh about 150 pounds each. They may be napping, but mom was alert, pacing back and forth.

Look up, and say hello to the Zoo's newest arrivals

Bosephus, above; Mac is pictured below

Singer/songwriter Paul Simon must have been thinking of the Racine Zoo back in 1967 when he wrote:

It's all happening at the zoo
I do believe it
I do believe it's true

Couldn't be more true, in fact. We've got four new lion cubs, a new tur, four baby meercats and, just this week, two new arrivals that everyone has to look up to: a couple of young giraffes.

We knew the giraffes were coming from a story last week on a Cleveland blog that said the Cleveland Zoo was sending two of its giraffes on a road trip, one to Wisconsin and another to Kentucky, all part of efforts by the International Species Information System (ISIS) to maximize the gene pool and breed healthy animals from the U.S.'s limited population of these animals, who came originally from North Tanzania or South Kenya in Africa.

Cleveland's loss is our gain. They sent papa giraffe Walker, an 18-ft. tall Masai who had fathered 11 calves while in Cleveland, to Louisville, and his son, Mac, a 14-ft. tall youngster -- he'll be three in August -- to Racine. At the same time, we received Bosephus from Louisville; he's another male, who will be four in July.

Meanwhile, the game of giraffe genetics musical chairs sent Twiga, the female giraffe who's been here since 2002, to the Ellen Trout Zoo in Lufkin, Texas. Twiga, by the way, is Swahili for "giraffe." She brought a calf with her when she came to Racine.

All these moves were overseen by Laurie Bingaman Lackey, the wildlife biologist with ISIS who is the custodian of the reproductive history of all 68 living Masai giraffes in North America. It is she who will decide in two or three years whether Racine will get a female giraffe from some other zoo to mate with one of our males, or whether one of ours will go somewhere else. Racine does not "own" any of these giraffes. "We are just the caretakers," said Jay Christie, director of the Racine Zoo. Walker and Twiga originally came from the San Diego Zoo.

Racine has room for just two adult giraffes and one youngster, Christie says.

For the moment, the two giraffes are being held in quarantine, their fecal matter continually tested for parasites and disease. Cydney Peterson, the zoo's animal care specialist in charge of the two new arrivals ("But I don't look at their poo -- it's not my job," she says emphatically.) is busily involved in socializing the two animals, who have very different personalities.

Zoo director Jay Christie and Bosephus

"Bosephus was hand-raised, socialized with people," she says. "Given a choice, he follows a person not another giraffe. Bo is a people-lover." And, indeed, when visitors to their pens came close to the railing, Bosephus stuck his head over and gently nuzzled an offered hand. Mac, in contrast, was visibly unsettled and nervously paced at the far end of his pen.

The two will be kept separate for 30 days, although individually they will be let out into the zoo's outdoor enclosure for public viewing starting on Monday.

More excitement is coming to the zoo this summer. Christie says two female zebras are due here shortly, from Peoria. And on July 30, the zoo will open its new restaurant, gift shop and admissions area, now under construction at the south end of the campus. The $2.2 million project was financed with $250,000 from Racine County, $300,000 from the city and the rest from donations from the business community and zoo members.

Here's a picture of Jay Christie in front of the new gift shop.

Rep. Turner running for re-election

Rep. Bob Turner is running for re-election this fall. He was first elected to the Assembly in 1990, and has coasted to re-election since then. The one exception came a few years back when John Dickert challenged him in a primary. Turner won the Democratic nod and cruised in the general election.

Here's Turner's full announcement:

Turner Announces Re-Election Bid

RACINE, WI – State Representative Robert Turner (D-Racine) announced today that he plans to seek re-election to the 61st Assembly District in the State Legislature. Turner was first elected to the seat in 1990.

“I am grateful for the support I’ve consistently received from my 61st Assembly District constituents,” said Turner. My service in the Legislature has always been challenging and fulfilling. However, the past few years have been the most challenging, as we have dealt with the change in our state’s fiscal scenario due to falling tax revenues and a decrease in federal funding for state programs,” said Turner. “There has been reluctance in the Legislature to address the priorities that most of our citizens support,” he added.

“I want to help people listen to each other, so we can all work together in encouraging state solutions that are workable, yet cost effective,” Turner stated. Representative Turner said he hopes the voters will allow him to continue working to shape state policy in the areas of health care, education, tax fairness, crime, and the environment.

“My job begins with the individual, and then requires determining how state programs, policies and legislation can improve the lives of each resident of my district. Whether it be people in need, those who require assistance with tax forms or the Division of Motor Vehicles, or people wanting to advance new ideas for consideration in the Legislature, I thoroughly enjoy working on behalf of all the residents of the 61st Assembly District,” Turner emphasized.

“I once again look forward to hearing from my constituents as we discuss the well being of Racine, and how those of us at the state level can strengthen and encourage what’s best in our community. I trust in my constituents’ views and opinions, and I want to carry on with the task of communicating those concerns to my colleagues in the Legislature,” Turner concluded.

80% of us say country is on 'the wrong track'

70% of Wisconsinites give President an unfavorable rating

There's good news for Barack Obama in poll results released today by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Political Science/ WisPolitics.com. If the presidential election were held today, it would not be the squeaker it was in 2000 and 2004. 50% say they would vote for Obama; 37% would vote for John McCain; 10% say they are undecided.

George Bush can take solace only from the fact he isn't running again. Seven out of ten Wisconsinites have an unfavorable impression of the President.

Five hundred and six "likely voters" were questioned between June 8-10. Here are some of the results that caught my eye (keep in mind that 38% of the respondents identified themselves as Democrats; 24% as Republicans and 29% as Independents):

Wrong track: 80% responded that the country is not going in the right direction, but is on the wrong track. 51% think the state is on the wrong track.

Barack Obama: 64% give him a favorable rating, with 33% "strongly" favorable. 74% feel he "shares my values;" 43% feel he is "experienced."

John McCain: 53% favorable, with 16% "strongly" favorable. 46% feel he "shares my values;" 84% feel he is "experienced."

George Bush: 30% favorable, with 9% "strongly" favorable; 70% unfavorable, with 50% "strongly" unfavorable.

Jim Doyle: 57% favorable, with 14% "strongly" favorable.

Wisconsinites split right down the middle on the question of jobs vs. the environment. Asked: "Some people say that it is important to protect the environment, even if it costs some jobs or otherwise reduces our standard of living. Other people say that protecting the environment is not as important as maintaining jobs and our standard of living. Which viewpoint comes closest to your own?" the respondents split 45% in favor of protecting the environment, and 44% for maintaining jobs.

No such agreement on whether the war with Iraq was worth fighting: 66% said no; 31% said yes. Only 19% felt strongly it was worth fighting, while 52% felt strongly it was not.

I was interested in how people get their news. 30% said they watch network TV news every day; 25% said they watch cable news every day; 32% watch local news every day; 34% read a local newspaper every day; 23% get news from the internet every day.

There's lots more. If you want to see how your neighbors feel about abortion, how often they go to church, what they think about African-Americans' work ethic, what their priorities are for both state and national government, read the full results of the poll HERE.

Final touches to cannon bases precede reinstallation

Just a few finishing touches need to be completed, and Racine's two Civil War cannons will return to Monument Square.

Reinstallation is scheduled for Thursday, but the cannons' official welcoming ceremony will be held on Saturday, heralded by the U.S. Air Force Band of Mid-America, Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln, fireworks and all the accoutrements. Details of the ceremony are HERE.

Before then, however, Monte Osterman of Osterman Granite and Marble, who designed the bases for the city and ordered them from a quarry in Cold Spring, MN, has a little more work ahead of him. See, the 3,650 lb. cannons don't fit perfectly onto their new 3,300 lb. granite bases. The fit is a tad too tight, so Osterman has directed his crew -- led by master craftsman Asael Torres, assisted by apprentice Kyle Perroni -- to widen the semicircular bed just a hair -- an eighth of an inch here, another eighth there.

"Some CNC work (computerized numerical control) is involved," Osterman said, "but it's mostly hand work."

Osterman and Torres were hunched over the cannons this afternoon, carefully measuring, then transferring those measurements back to the bases, which arrived in Racine last week. At first, the tools involved were no more complicated than squares, rulers, duct tape (Yes!) and a propane torch, but soon would involve the delicate application of gentle cuts from a 12" diamond saw blade, grinders and elbow grease. All to ensure that the two cannon barrels fit perfectly onto the Mesabi black granite bases. The cannons themselves have been given a coat of an epoxy-type black paint, which makes them look far newer than their 1863 origins.

The cannons were originally installed on Monument Square in 1889, about five years after the monument itself. (Inflationary note: The 61-ft. tall monument cost $8,000 in the 1860s; some 140-years later, the two cannon bases cost almost $15,000.) The cannons stood sentinel alongside the monument until 2005, when they were removed during the renovation of Monument Square ... almost to be lost to Kenosha's new Civil War museum, until a public outcry and the deliberations of an Ad Hoc committee brought them back permanently.

I learned more about our cannons from a Civil War buff named Michael Haynes, in Victoria, TX:

Our guns, he says, are 30-pounder Parrott rifles, with a 4.2 inch caliber tube. The initials RPP engraved on the rear end of our cannons "indicate that the ordinance officer who proofed them was none other than the inventor of this cannon design, Robert Parker Parrott." The following item appeared in the April 30,1864, issue of Scientific American:

"Parrott Guns.--A 30-pound Parrott gun, in Fort Putnam, Morris Island (off Charleston S.C.) was recently tested by firing until it burst. The weapon threw 4,615 shells into Charleston, five miles distance, at regular intervals of five minutes, before it burst. Such endurance is unprecedented."

The writer might also have noted that shelling the civilian population of Charleston was illegal, but that would have led to the magazine being shut down by Lincoln's military censors and quite possibly jail time for the publisher

Here is an article about Parrott from the Civil War Artillery website:

One famous U.S. inventor was a former West Point graduate and ordnance officer named Robert Parker Parrott. Robert Parker Parrott In 1836, Parrott resigned his rank of captain and went to work for the West Point Foundry at Cold Spring, New York. This foundry was a civilian operated business and Parrott, as a superintendent, was able to dedicate some forty years perfecting a rifled cannon and a companion projectile. By 1860, he had patented a new method of attaching the reinforcing band on the breech of a gun tube. Although he was not the first to attach a band to a tube, he was the first to use a method of rotating the tube while slipping the band on hot. This rotation, while cooling, caused the band to attach itself in place uniformly rather than in one or two places as was the common method, which allowed the band to sag in place.

What our cannon looked like on the battlefield

The 10-pounder Parrott came out in 1860 and was patented in 1861 and the 20- and 30-pounder guns followed in 1861. He quickly followed up these patents by producing 6.4-, 8-, and 10-inch caliber cannons early in the war. The Army referred to these as 100, 200, and 300-pounder Parrotts respectively. By the end of the conflict the Parrott gun was being used extensively in both armies.

Parrott's name is also associated with the ammunition fired by his cannon. The elongated Parrott projectile employed a sabot made of wrought iron, brass, lead or copper that was attached to the shell base. When the projectile was fired, the sabot expanded into the rifling of the tube. In 1861 Parrott patented his first projectile with the sabot cast on the outside of the projectile.

Our earlier story about the designing of the cannon bases is HERE.

Rainbow

On Saturday there was a wedding going on at the DeKoven Center under dark skies. Then, befitting our odd spring weather. the clouds parted, blue skies poked through and a double rainbow appeared over the lake. Wedding guests ran to the front of the DeKoven building to take pictures and marvel at the site. One person asked the groom (not pictured): "How'd you make this happen?" The lucky guy could do little more than laugh.

Homicides cast shadow on community's shining weekend

Sometimes, Racine just can't get out of its own way. After a weekend of wonderful events and beautiful weather, we're left Monday morning with two homicides to report.

The first was near 11th and Hilker streets at 10:50 p.m. on Friday. Twenty-year-old Jamaal M. Stanciel was killed in the shooting.

Early Monday morning, a 29-year-old Racine man was shot and killed in the 900 block of Hamilton Street. The homicide occurred around 12:53 a.m., according to police.

Both shootings are new tragedies for our community. But as a commenter wrote yesterday, how does Racine want to identify itself? By events like the new mosaic in Uptown and Caron Butler's bike giveaway, or by random violence in the middle of the night?

Too often the latter drowns out the former. Cliche as it is, it's a media problem The JT does sell more papers when they put a murder, fire or some other sort of tragedy on the front page. But to sell those extra 500-1,000 papers, they pretty much ignore their daily subscribers - many who don't want to see the community's newspaper focus on crime and violence.

Think about it just from a numbers perspective. Thousands of people visited Uptown or drove through the area to see the mosaic. Thousands more attended Juneteenth Day and Caron's events on Saturday.

The community is energized by positive events, which are just as newsworthy as any sort of crime. So, it's a matter of choice for all of us. Where do we want to focus our attention? On the bleak and negative? Or the hopeful interactions of our community?

Neighborhood Watch group receives gardening grant

First District volunteers Annabelle Rohleder, Gloria Oliver, Josephine Wilson, Polly Carter, Mary McIlvaine, Johnie Woods. Photo by First District Volunteer Annette Harpole

Mary McIlvaine of Neighborhood Watch sent over news that the First District Friends Neighborhood Watch group received a grant to improve the gardens at the city's COP Houses. Here's the news ... congratulations!

Racine Neighborhood Watch, Inc. announces a grant award of $1,500 from the Sustainable Racine Fund within the Racine Community Foundation. The money is to be used for enhancing the gardens at the Thelma Orr COP House, 1009 Davis Place, and the newest COP House, 1146 Villa St.

"That is good news," said First District Friends chairperson Cleveland Scaife, upon hearing of the grant award. "Know that we appreciate it."

The First District Friends Neighborhood Watch group also thanks the Racine Police Department and the Racine Community Outpost, Inc. for allowing gardening activities at the COP Houses.

First District Friends Neighborhood Watch volunteers have maintained foundation plantings and vegetable gardens at the Thelma Orr COP House for several years. They have received previous funding from the Sustainable Racine Fund. The First District Friends Neighborhood Watch volunteers are joined by area high school students from Walden III and St. Catherine’s High School, in gardening projects at the COP House and neighborhood parks.

Milan Meyers (in the purple hate), Gloria Oliver (in the black shirt) and Johnie Woods (in the brown hat) garden with Neighborhood Watch.

The perennials planted at the Thelma Orr COP House have been divided and shared in the past, and are being divided and shared again, for replanting at the new 1146 Villa COP House, and for interested neighborhood gardeners.

The grant will allow for the purchase of soil amendments, gardening equipment, annuals, additional perennials and shrubs, to beautify both COP Houses in 2008. The partnership of neighborhood and student volunteers, educators, police, and the property owner demonstrate what can be done when the community unites. The generous grant from the Sustainable Racine Fund within the Racine Community Foundation has made this a reality.

Hot Rods will return to Racine in 2009

Mark your calendar early: The Hot Rod Power Tour will be returning to Racine on Sunday, June 7, 2009. Dave Blank, executive director of the Racine County Convention and Visitors Bureau, whispered the news into my ear this morning -- before then blabbing it all over WRJN's airwaves. Thanks for the scoop, Dave!

The tour will bring 3,500 to 4,000 souped-up cars here direct from the era in which nobody cared how much gas cost. Beautiful cars with pampering owners.

Last year, the tour brought about 2,200 hot rods to Racine, although the weather did not cooperate.

Update, 6/16: Here's the press release Dave Blank just sent out:

Racine County will welcome the 14th Annual Hot Rod Magazine Hot Rod Power Tour, one of the greatest auto tours in the world, to the streets of Downtown Sunday, June 7, 2009. Revving through seven cities in seven days, spectators can expect to see their favorite Camaro’s, Cadillac DeVille’s, Dodge Challengers, Ford Ranchero’s and many more.

The retailers will be open and the lakefront will be hoping as 3,500 one-of-a-kind hot rods are expected to cruise the streets of Downtown. 5,000 participants and 10,000 spectators from all fifty states are expected to take part in the event. The tour begins Saturday, June 6, in Madison before coming to Racine.

The event will take place in downtown Racine and along the lakefront in Pershing Park from noon to 7 p.m. Public parking along Main Street and the adjoining side streets will be curtailed and Pershing Drive will be closed to traffic.

The majority of the estimated 1,000 “long haul” participants will be arriving between noon and 2 p.m. and will then check in and be directed to their designated parking area. About 2,500 “short haul” cars are expected from all over the Midwest.

The participants will spend the day looking at the cars, visiting with the many event sponsors, renewing old acquaintances with other participants and shopping. At 6:30 p.m. there will be a door prize drawing on the Main Stage that will be set up at the corner of 6th Street and Pershing Drive. Following this, the crowd will disperse to local restaurants, bars and lodging facilities.

The Racine event is sponsored by the Racine County Convention and Visitors Bureau. The Hot Rod Power Tour is sponsored by GM Performance Division and co-sponsored by Flowmaster Exhaust Systems. The event is free to spectators. More information and car registration can be found at http://www.hotrod.com or contact the RCCVB at 262-884-6400.

Juneteenth Day in Racine... Caron steals the show

Pay attention, son, this is your first Juneteenth!

It was Juneteenth Day in Racine on Saturday, celebrating the Emancipation Proclamation that freed the slaves in 1863. But it was not Abraham Lincoln who got all the attention here, not when Caron Butler was present at the Bryant Center.

There was lots going on -- gospel singers, great food, games for the kids, booths set up by various organizations. But once Caron appeared, the Washington Wizards star from Racine stole the show.

Here are some pictures from the event, starting with one of Caron, who spoke about his 3D's that got him where he is, a star in the NBA: Discipline, Determination and Dedication.

Caron Butler is everywhere this weekend in Racine

Tom White, head of the Community Action Agency

Nothing better than corn almost as big as you are!

Beverly Hicks, head of the Racine NAACP

Allena Berry, Park valedictorian, plays a violin solo

Pictures of Caron's earlier bicycle giveaway, and a schedule of other events with him this weekend, are HERE.

And HERE's the Journal Times' coverage of Caron Butler's Friday activities.

First, you pack everything into a U-Haul...

The smaller mural, on the Hoernel Key Shop

As finishing touches were put on Uptown's two wall mosaics Saturday morning, I fleshed out the backstory to one of the workers.

Muralist Isaiah Zagar had an assistant working to herd the many local volunteers who showed up to build the mural, a young woman named Angela Talle.

Angela Talle, one determined young artist

Angela was a young artist living in Minnesota when she decided she wanted to learn how to do mosaics from the master, Isaiah Zagar in Philadelphia. So she wrote him, and sent along pictures of her work, asking for an apprenticeship.

Never got a reply.

So she did what any self-respecting, determined, 25-year-old artist would do: She packed all her stuff in a small U-Haul trailer, drove to Philadelphia and knocked on Zagar's door. Turns out, he had never received her initial mailing. This time, he liked what he saw, gave her an apprenticeship, which lasted for six months, and then a job ... and she's been making mosaics and murals ever since.

Angela is married now -- her husband, Adam, was here this weekend also, helping out on the Uptown mural. Angela mostly does smaller pieces today -- vases and so forth -- but has done four large wall murals and one smokestack mural in her hometown of Minneapolis.

Below are a few more photos of our murals.

Adam Talle, Angela's husband, does his part

Closeup of one of the "blobs" on the Hoernel mosaic

The mermaid on the larger mosaic mural

Our main story about Uptown's mosaic murals is HERE.

Bicycles for 500 -- compliments of Caron Butler

Ty'zai Jones, 8, happily shows off her bicycle

Ever seen a kid smile with happiness when she gets her first bicycle?

Well, multiply that by 500 and you have the scene at the Bryant Center this morning, when NBA Wizard and hometown hero Caron Butler gave away that many bikes to Racine kids.

Two-time All-Star Butler has done this twice before, but it seems there are always kids needing bicycles. And so he arrived with a huge truck from Wal-Mart, bringing 500 two-wheelers of all sizes and 500 helmets. Every kid who registered in advance got one, and many were available for late arrivals. Almost every kid who showed up got a bike fit for his or her age and size.

And the smiles were ear-to-ear. Racine Parks Director Donnie Snow and his minions, along with Police Chief Kurt Wahlen, and his, were on hand to keep everything moving smoothly. It was the start of a joyous -- and sunny and dry! -- Juneteenth celebration at the Bryant Center, with food, music, games and lots of activities.


Butler, who donated $10,000 to the city, will be recognized at 3 p.m. as the festival's "Kids Corner" sponsor, just one of many activities he's participating in this weekend. On Friday, he was on hand for the unveiling of a classroom at the Cops 'N Kids Learning Center, along with Mayor Gary Becker and Cops 'N Kids founder and Director Julia Burney-Witherspoon.

On Sunday, Butler will host a Father's Day Clinic at the Bray Center, from 10 a.m. to noon before hosting a family skate party at Skatetown USA at 4 p.m.

"I grew up here, my family is here and the dreams that I had as a child have now come true, so I want to show all the youth in Racine that you can make a difference, you just have to work hard and put your mind to it. Follow the 3D's: Discipline, Determination, Dedication and there will be no limit to what you can accomplish," Butler said.

Nor is the bicycle giveaway Butler's only philanthropy in Racine. Each year, he also hands out 500 winter coats and hundreds of turkeys at Thanksgiving.

Art on a big scale, to transform a neighborhood

Isaiah Zagar works on his mural Friday

Sometimes, things just happen.

Last January, Gary Becker was in Washington for a meeting, and he took a side trip to see an old friend. The friend took Racine's mayor on a day and a half "art death walk" the mayor recalls with a laugh, all over Philadelphia. One of the last stops was Isaiah Zagar's Magic Garden. Telling the story of the Magic Garden could take all week; suffice it to say it's an incredible yarn about art triumphing over commerce, of protests honed during the Vietnam War era transforming part of a city and preventing its destruction by yet another expressway. (You can see pictures and read all about it HERE).

But what's important to Racine is this: "Within a few minutes of seeing the Magic Garden," says Becker, "I started thinking, 'This would be great in Racine.' "

More pictures of Racine's mural HERE.

And so, the wheels started turning that brought mosaic muralist Isaiah Zagar to Racine this week, where he has been creating -- with the assistance of a host of local volunteers -- not one but two incredible mosaics on the sides of two buildings at the entrance to Uptown, in the 1300 block of Washington Avenue.

Becker was at the site Friday morning, watching the white-bearded Zagar -- his hands deep into a bucket of grout -- direct more than a dozen young people (including the mayor's daughter, Maggie, 16) as they created artwork where there had been none, out of broken pieces of tile, mirror, stones, shells, an egg plate, cups and other scrounged and donated "stuff."

And, indeed, what they were creating is art, with a capital A.

The murals are perhaps 12 feet tall and 75 feet long, a swirling mass of color and shapes. Look closely: there's a face! Wait, it's a mermaid. And over there's a fish. And ...


Almost all of it has been created by the adult and youth volunteers assembled by Kerry Turner, the project manager from Racine County Economic Development. RCEDC, the city and the Uptown Business Improvement District helped fund the $10,000 project, which with the Create Uptown Festival this weekend is aimed to kick off the Artists Relocation Program, which seeks to revitalize Uptown by helping artists buy neighborhood buildings in which they can work and live.

I say "almost" all of the mosaic was created here, because Becker recalled picking up Zagar at the airport and lifting his suitcase. "I said, 'Holy Cow, do you have bricks in here?' " No, it was just tile and pieces for what Zagar calls the "blobs" -- some of the key design elements in the murals. The face of the mermaid, for instance; some extra large eyes for another. Zagar created and then installed them on the blank wall, and then drew the rest of the design in chalk for his workers to follow.

Since Tuesday -- in between thunderstorms -- they have been sticking the broken mirror glass, tile and what not on the brick walls of a building owned by Linea Anthony, and on the Hoernel Key Shop building on the other side of the empty lot. "Sticking the mirror on is the simplest part to learn," Zagar said, after doing it for 40 years. Friday was for grouting, "the most difficult."

"Come over here and watch me," he instructed the volunteers, clearly a teacher as much as an artist. "Once you have put something on, the sponge has to go back and forth. I'm doing it with my eyes, not my heart. I'm filling in those cracks. The thing is to get a great deal of joy from finding those edges, getting it flat so there are no bumps. There is no spot you should feel is your work. You've got to dance around," he said, "If you're in one spot, you're not doing much."


I asked Zagar the "vision" question, wondering how it feels to have his design created by others. "There is no vision," he said. "What comes out, comes out. If I had a vision I would be stymied and I'd tell these people 'you can't work with me.' "

This isn't the first mosaic Zagar has made away from his Philadelphia homebase, which has scores of them. His wife, Julia (to whom he has been married for 45 years -- they were in the Peace Corps together in Peru) accompanied him to Racine, and joins him on about a dozen far-flung projects each year. (In January, they created a mural on a cinderblock changing facility by the beach in Maui. "That was nice," she said, reemphasizing "January" in case I missed it.) She was impressed by "the tremendous participation by the mayor," she said. "We've never gotten this anywhere else." She said Becker already has invited the couple back.

"You can see a whole neighborhood change with one of these murals," she said.


Friday night, the couple presented a screening, in the old M&I Bank Building on Washington, for city officials and volunteers, of a new documentary about their life. Called In a Dream, it was made by Jeremiah, one of their two sons, and already has won numerous "best director" and "best new talent" awards on the independent film circuit: in Austin at South by SouthWest, in Philadelphia and at Full Frame in North Carolina. The movie deals with the events that shaped the Zagars' life -- and everyone's -- breakdowns, an almost-divorce, raising children, as well as artistic issues.

"This is what I can get a thrill out of," said Zagar, 69, "manufacturing these large scale mosaics." And then he scooped out another handful of grout and energetically began spreading it between the tiles, smoothing the bumps and edges.

The free festival Saturday runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the municipal parking lot at the corner of Washington Avenue and 13th Street. It features music, clowns, food, projects for kids and, hopefully, completion of th murals. Our earlier schedule of Saturday's event is HERE.

Shhh, that's a coon hound calling you...

Listen closely: Can't you just hear the mournful sound of a coon hound at suppertime, that sweet-sounding Bluetick voice?

Well, if it appeals to you, as it should, then step up and meet Cody, a four-month old Bluetick Coonhound mix. He is white with black spots, full of energy and eager to please. He does have a small malformation -- a bump at the end of his tail -- but, let's face it: are you perfect?

Cody will need someone who likes to take walks, jog or is willing to teach him to play fetch, as his energy level is fairly high.

For more information, visit Countryside Humane Society, 2706 Chicory Road, or call (262) 554-6699

Last week's pet looking for a home, Tiny, the playful cross-eyed kitten, got adopted into one where she will be the spoiled addition to her young new family.

This week's concert: No rain, just rock 'n roll

Unlike last week's noontime concert, which was rained out, today's Music on the Monument went off without a hitch. The south side of the square was packed with an audience for Final Approach's classic rock of the '70s and '80s.

Band members Bridget Kristan, lead vocals, and Kevin Grant, Steve Sustachek, Mike (Moon) Harmann and Mark Grant kept it rockin' for an appreciative crowd perched on chairs, the new granite benches and even a bicycle and motorcycle or two.

YPR's 'Big Fat Wedding Party' has it all...

The happy couple: Juliana Garcia and Jay Christie

UPDATE: The numbers are in ... the wedding party brought in $5,985 in contributions and gifts to benefit HALO, Safe Haven, the Women's Resource Center and Bethany Apartments, according to Chris Terry of YPR. Once the bills for the party are paid, YPR also expects to kick in an additional $500 for the party being under budget.

"The turnout was wonderful and everyone had a good time," said Terry (see below for proof).

ORIGINAL POST: It wasn't your everyday wedding party.

Oh, there was the lovely bride, and "Tex," the wealthy groom. Dinner, dancing, the garter toss and a wedding cake.

And also the pregnant bridesmaid, the quickly-sloshed best man, the mother of the bride telling everyone within earshot she wished her daughter had married someone else, "someone more like her brother." Ah, yes, the bride's brother: collecting the gifts and dates for later...

Mother of the Bride helps Best Man get ready

It was all in good fun -- and for a good cause. The Young Professionals of Racine staged the wedding party -- "My Big Fat YPR Wedding" -- as a benefit for HALO, the Bethany House Apartments, Safe Haven of Racine and the Women’s Resource Center. All 200 guests brought wedding gifts, many gaily wrapped, and bid on silent auction items donated by three dozen community sponsors.

Bride greets "family members;" what does groom see?

All the wedding gifts -- the crock pots, toasters, glass sets, appliances, blankets, cash and so on -- and all the proceeds from the silent auction will be distributed to the four recipient agencies on Friday. The event was YPR's sixth anniversary party, but the aim was to assist individuals who will soon be out on their own beginning a new life, often without many items typically associated with wedding gifts.

For the record, the bride was portrayed by Juliana Garcia, of Express Professionals; the groom was Jay Christie of the Racine Zoological Society. (He got the better of the deal; "Mom" was right.)

Best man was Chris Terry, of Carpetland USA, next year's YPR president; Maid of Honor was Tabitha Flores, of Express Professionals.

Bridesmaids were Angela Schott and Mandy Boroski, both of Leman USA. Groomsmen were Charlie Petrarch of The Party Company and Philippe Bisson of Bombardier Recreational Products.

Mother of the Bride was Loretta Olson of Express Professionals.

Dana Grueter, wedding planner extraordinaire

Guest J.J. McAuliffe forgot to wear pants

Best Man Chris Terry looked spiffy at first...

...but quickly fell victim to musical chairs and...?

What's a wedding without pictures?

Bride's "brother" taking care of business...

Property Transfers, June 12

Below is a spreadsheet with last week's property transfers.

The Rainbow Hotel in Burlington is the top item. It sold for $1.085 million. The second item is a four bedroom, two bathroom Burlington home that sold for $781,000 - nearly $100,000 less than its initial list price of $879,000.

Click the link below for the full list.

Property Transfers - June 12, 2008

Yellow Rose restaurant in Downtown Racine closing June 28

The Yellow Rose restaurant in Downtown Racine is closing on June 28. The owners decided not to renew their contract with the building at Fourth and Main streets.

Scott and Patrice Sebastian, owner of Sebastian's in Caledonia, opened The Yellow Rose in 2004. The restaurant received great reviews from former Journal-Sentinel critic Dennis Ghetto and a review for Milwaukee Magazine.

After closing Yellow Rose, the Sebastians plan to focus their efforts on Sebastian's, their Caledonia restaurant.

"Being able to focus on just one restaurant will allow us to further our goal to make Sebastian's one of the best restaurants in the state," said Scott Sebastian.

Those of us with longer memories remember the restaurant as Criag and Helen's Bistro. Actually, those with really long memories remember it as the Bistro, then the Pasta Grille, and then Craig and Helen's Bistro again -- all under the same ownership. Far as we know, the building is still owned by Helen Johnson-Leipold and her hockey-team-owning husband Craig. The adjoining building, which has housed the Grotto since October 2007 and shares the Yellow Rose/Bistro kitchen is owned by the Johnson family (yes, that Johnson family) as well. The Grotto is a banquet/conference room space best known to those who haven't been inside for its fiberglass cow on the sidewalk from Chicago's "Cows on Parade" street art display.


Although the menu changed when the Sebastians leased the Bistro's space, the decor did not.

It's a beautiful location for a restaurant, but I suspect parking is an issue. Salute does well, though, so hopefully somebody gives it a shot.

In a few weeks, another restaurant will open on the same corner, directly across the street. Sticky Rice, formerly located on the second floor balcony of the Historic Century Market on Sixth Street, will open on the northeast corner of Fourth and Main in the building most recently occupied by Braun's Wines (and before that by the Racine County Convention and Visitors Bureau). And, of course, Whey Chai still resides on the southwest corner of the same intersection, so we're unlikely to starve regardless what happens.

CORREX: The Journal Times reported Friday that the Yellow Rose's building is owned by "Design Partners, a commercial graphics company based above the restaurant. Design Partners needs the additional space for its own growth."

Where does Unified go? They need a Wiser approach

Dennis Wiser jokingly said Tuesday he was suing the Racine Unified School District for misrepresentation. His job just got a whole lot tougher.

When Wiser, the former head of the Racine Education Association, ran for School Board this spring it looked like a new superintendent would be in place before he was elected. Now, the district is bruised, embarrassed and back to the beginning.

"I don't think a lot of people realize the depth of the problem," said Wiser, noting Unified also needs to replace its chief academic officer, the district's No. 2 slot. That means the district is looking at a year of job interviews - and not much progress toward improving Racine's public schools.

"We're not going to see any significant change in test scores over the next year again," he said.

Moving forward, Wiser may be the best person for the School Board - and perhaps the community - to follow when it comes time to select the new superintendent.

The board's current leaders had their chances, first with Hicks and now Barbara Pulliam. Neither worked out well.

Wiser, along with veteran board member Julie McKenna, voted against hiring Pulliam. They both saw something the majority didn't: the community didn't support her. Questions were raised about how she left her old job, the state of her former district and what she was actually going to do to improve Racine's schools (after all, Unified already has an IB program).

"It certainly gives the board an opportunity," Wiser said in a recent interview. "I heard from a lot of community members and elected officials that they weren't happy with the process last time. If the board is really smart, they'll look at a process that makes a larger slice of the community happy with what's going on."

He recommended hiring a different search firm, finding better ways to engage the community and doing everything possible to make the hiring transparent. (It also requires better communication, Wiser said. The board found out at the same time as the public (thanks to Google searches by RacinePost) about problems with one of the finalists.)

However, Wiser didn't want to go back to the way Unified hired Hicks, who came to town with a lot of fanfare - and little scrutiny.

"In retrospect, that process had some flaws too," said Wiser, who was head of the REA at the time. "Specifically, by the time it got down to final selection we were literally looking at one person on a list of one."

Whoever Unified brings in, they'll have to be tough. Hicks entered the district at a relatively good time. Former Superintendent Dennis McGoldrick was well liked and respected, and the business community and School Board clearly backed Hicks.

"The new superintendent is walking into a much, much tougher arena," Wiser said. "Morale is a much tougher issue than it was 7-8 years ago."

The key to turning things around: get as many people involved in the new search process as possible, Wiser said. "The broader the sense of engagement, the more likely it is the superintendent will succeed."

That includes teachers, who were represented by union leaders in the last search process. Wiser wants to see more educators, not just the heads of REA, involved with picking the district's new leader.

No matter how the search unfolds, he added, Unified needs to make profound changes soon.

"We're falling behind the state on just about every test given," he said, referring to standardized test scores. "If the tests are good, bad or indifferent, if you're not keeping up with tests in the state, that's a bad, bad indicator."

Floodwaters recede; now the work begins

The Root River's receding (track it HERE). Many streets that were under water Monday are now dry, or almost dry. The air is filled with the sound of generators and pumps.

Homeowners, allowed to return to their homes, meet in small groups to compare and commiserate. Water that was up to the first floor is now only knee high in some basements. One of the questions they ask each other: "Did you have flood insurance?" For many, the answer is "no." It cost too much, they say... $1,200 or so. Now, in retrospect, it seems like a good idea.

For many, the power still isn't on, so there's no electricity, clean water or toilets. The pumps are all running off generators, or gasoline. Police are still stationed around the hardest-hit neighborhoods, both to keep unwary drivers out of danger and also to prevent any looting attempts at vacant homes.

Here are a few pictures taken Tuesday afternoon, from some of the same areas we photographed Monday (See HERE.) Clearly, the water is down. It's most noticeable in the picture at the top of this post, from the intersection of Spring Street and Island Avenue. Yesterday, that retaining wall by the bridge was totally under water.