County launches taxi-like service for local seniors

Racine County seniors have a new way of getting around.

County Board Supervisor Van Wanggaard sent over information about ITNRacineCounty, which offers a taxi-like service for local seniors. The Racine County Board signed a contract with ITNAmerica in December to create the service.

To use the service, seniors need to pay a $40 membership fee ($50 for families) and a certain amount per ride. ITNRacineCounty's website says the average cost is $10 per ride, which includes a pickup charge and a mileage charge. Tipping is not allowed. Low income seniors can apply for scholarships to help cover the costs of the service.

The program relies on volunteers and corporate sponsorships to provide rides to seniors.

Wanggaard described the new service as an affordable way to expand local transportation options. Wanggaard writes:

While other elected officials are tossing around ideas for new transportation systems with multi-million dollar price tags attached, my colleagues and I on the County Board, County Executive Bill McReynolds, and the County Human Services Department proactively worked to implement a program that delivers a valuable service to seniors at a very small up-front cost to the taxpayers. I am proud that instead of saying “It can’t be done” or “It can only be done with a large tax increase,” we worked towards an affordable transportation solution that will transform quality of life for our county’s seniors.

For more information about ITNRacineCounty, visit: www.itnracinecounty.org or call (262) 664-1640.

Racine County turnout: A pathetic 6.78%

So, how low was the turnout in Racine County? Very low, indeed.

Predictions before the primary suggested about 15% of voters might vote in what was a lackluster election in most races -- an awful lot of unopposed candidates -- except for the Democrats' 1st District Congressional contest. That race started out with four candidates, and ended up with three.

Fifteen percent, it turns out, would have been great. Instead, less than half that percentage voted... even when we include the minor parties.

Racine County has 126,228 registered voters. There were 4,361 Democratic ballots cast, 3,728 Republican, 22 Wisconsin Green and 69 Libertarian -- for a total of 8,559.

In other words, 6.78% of those eligible to vote did so.

Pathetic.

A new look for a 132-year-old barn

Jim Limburg's finishing touch

Gary and Sally Nelson's big, faded red barn on Airline Road has served three generations of farmers in his family, and survived a lot of history. It was built in 1876, the year Samuel Tilden was elected president according to the popular vote. (How Rutherford B. Hayes then snatched the White House from him is a story for another day, and perhaps a lesson for this year's voters.)

The barn was bought by Gary's great-grandfather back in 1915 (Woodrow Wilson was president, if you need another touchstone), and was used as a dairy barn by Gary's father until 1984.

Now, although he works as a mechanic for Racine Unified, he and Sally raise sheep -- they have 15 ewes and about twice as many lambs most years -- and the barn anchors a hobby farm, more or less, whose 112 acres are rented out.

Still, it sits by the side of the road, unaware of the goings-on that will affect its future.

Earlier this year, highway engineers came through, and stuck two stakes in the ground. One, was placed right at the south corner of the barn; the other, across the narrow road, would have bisected the barn had it been on the other side. The stakes represent the northern limit of an upcoming intersection project; at one point, there were plans for a roundabout at the nearby corner of Airline Road and Spring Street but now it will just be a traffic light. The barn has been spared although a shed will be taken down.

This morning came the second change, one the barn would no doubt smile about, if 132-year-old barns allowed themselves to show emotion. The crew from Racine County's Quilts on Barns project arrived before 8 a.m. (What is it with these artists? Can't they ever sleep in?) and installed a red, white and blue barn "quilt" on the face of the Nelsons' barn. The quilt square is in the Indian Paintbrush pattern, and was painted by staff members of the SC Johnson Office Support Network. It was sponsored by Sew 'n Save Fabric Gallery.

Some time before 8:30 a.m., quilt hanger Jim Limburg could be seen climbing a ladder with a paintbrush in his mouth, to paint the heads of the screws holding up the 8-ft. by 8-ft. quilt panels. This was a level of obsessiveness I hadn't seen in his other quilt installations, but Limburg explained, "The others weren't as close to the road."

This is the ninth barn quilted so far this summer. Go here for pictures of the Aug. 24 marathon when five received quilts in one day, and links to previous quiltings. Later this month, another five, as far west as Rochester and Wind Lake, will be done in a single day.

And on Oct. 11, the entire project will be celebrated with, among other events, a "Quilt Hang," in which it is hoped that everyone who has a quilt will hang it outside for the day -- even if no barn is involved.

Two joggers were the first 'tourists' to see the Nelsons' barn quilt

Painters, sponsor and owners pose for the obligatory photo

There's always another quilt worth examining...

Is Racine County bucking poverty rate increase?

Racine County's poverty rate appears to buck the statewide trend and held steady over the past seven years, according to data released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The state's poverty rate is considerably higher today than it was in 2000, both for children and overall, but the Racine County rate is only marginally worse today for children, and actually declined overall.

There's one important caveat: Racine's numbers are valid only if one ignores the study's margin of error. The report notes: Because the sample sizes for the county/city data in the table are much smaller than for the statewide figures, it is important to note the margin of error when drawing conclusions about poverty at the local level.

For Wisconsin as a whole, the poverty rate worsened from 8.7% in 2000 to 10.8% in 2007, with a margin of error of just .3%. For Wisconsin children, the rate increased from 11.2% to 14.4%, with a margin of error of .7%. In other words: no question at all, considerably more state residents adults and children, are living in poverty.

But for Racine County, the numbers are less clear: The overall poverty rate went down from 8.4% in 2000 to 8% in 2007, but with a margin of error of 1.8%, which could negate the whole decline. For Racine County children, the figures show the poverty rate marginally increasing, from 11.9% in 2000 to 12% in 2007 ... but with a margin of error of 4.4%, which again could turn everything on its head.

Although Racine's figures are better than the state as a whole, those statewide totals are grossly affected by the figures from the City of Milwaukee, whose poverty rates are roughly three times that of any county: 24.4% overall in 2007, and a numbing 34.8% for children for the same year. The figures show 16 counties with worse poverty rates than Racine, and seven with lesser rates, again ignoring any margin of error.

The typical Wisconsin working family’s income, when adjusted for inflation, has declined during the same seven-year interval.

A report from the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families puts all this data into perspective:

“The frightening thing is that this data does not reflect the impact of the current economic downturn,” said Charity Eleson, executive director of the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families. “Too many families were being left behind even when the economy was relatively strong, and the situation has certainly worsened since this data was collected.”

Newly released data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey show that Wisconsin’s overall poverty rate declined slightly from 11.0 percent in 2006 to 10.8 percent in 2007, a change that is not statistically significant. The child poverty rate dropped from 14.9 percent in 2006 to 14.4 percent in 2007, also a non-statistically significant change. Overall, more than 588,000 Wisconsin residents (including 187,000 children) lived in poverty in 2007. Wisconsin’s overall and child poverty rates remain substantially better than the national rates, but by less of a margin than in 2000 and earlier. Nationally, the 2007 overall poverty rate was 12.5 percent, and the child poverty rate was 18.0 percent; both are similar to the previous year’s figures. The federal poverty level for a family of four in 2007 was $20,650.

“These figures should be a wake-up call for policy makers,” said WCCF Executive Director Charity Eleson. “The effects of poverty are devastating for children and for our communities. Wisconsin has many strengths, but we could be doing much more to help kids and families escape from the poverty trap.”

Median household income in Wisconsin was $50,578 in 2007, compared to $50,821 in 2000. During that period, the share of families with children in Wisconsin living in poverty grew significantly from 8.8 percent to 12.0 percent.

Educational attainment has long been a powerful indicator of family success. Nearly 30 percent of those with a high school education or less live in poverty; only 3 percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or more are poor.

“We know that access to quality early care and education, adequately funded K-12 schools, and opportunities for low-income parents to qualify for good-paying jobs by pursuing higher education and skills training are all critically important in moving families out of poverty,” Eleson said. “These are areas we must focus on as we make decisions about how to invest public resources in Wisconsin’s future.”

The Census Bureau figures illustrate that health care is an area in which Wisconsin continues to be a national leader. Based on a three-year average from 2005 to 2007, 8.8 percent of Wisconsin residents were uninsured for all or part of the year; only three other states had a lower percentage of uninsured. However, that still left nearly half a million Wisconsinites without coverage. Since the collection of the data released today, more than 76,000 children and parents have enrolled in the highly successful BadgerCare Plus program, thereby reducing the number of uninsured people in Wisconsin.

“We are edging closer to the ultimate goal of insuring every kid in Wisconsin,” Eleson said. “If we continue to make health care coverage a priority and fill the few remaining gaps in our system of programs, we can achieve that goal in the foreseeable future.”

WCCF, in partnership with the Wisconsin Community Action Program Association and the Wisconsin Head Start Association, has launched a campaign to end child poverty in the state. The campaign, called Vision 2020, represents a systemic approach to battling poverty that is both visionary and practical, focusing on solutions grounded in public policy. Vision 2020 addresses poverty on four key fronts: family-supporting jobs; access to high-quality early care and education; health care; and safe and affordable housing. Eighty-five organizations and 900 individuals have signed on to the campaign to date.

“The Census Bureau data make it clear that we need a coordinated, strategic plan to end child poverty in Wisconsin,” Eleson said. “The Vision 2020 campaign is a way for public officials, citizens and organizations to get involved in a tangible, focused way. Poverty need not be something we just accept as inevitable. We can address these issues, and Vision 2020 provides a roadmap for doing so.”

Its recommendations:

-- Education and training that meets the needs of both Wisconsin families and employers by providing targeted training and financial aid to workers seeking to improve their skills and credentials.

-- Improve the effectiveness of the state’s economic development incentives to ensure that public investments made in businesses are producing family-supporting jobs.

-- Preserve and bolster BadgerCare Plus, and continue to find ways to reach the more than 400,000 people in Wisconsin who are still uninsured.

-- Support and improve policies that help mitigate the effects of poverty on children, specifically quality early education opportunities for every child in Wisconsin.

-- Maintain Wisconsin’s critical income support programs, including child care tuition assistance, the refundable Earned Income Tax Credit, the Homestead Tax Credit, and food security programs.

All the Census data is HERE.

Volunteers add gardens and a train at Ridgewood

Forget KRM: Amtrak is already making a daily run in Racine.

The proof is above, showing the train speeding along the track around the oriental water garden at the Ridgewood Care Center, Racine County's 210-bed nursing home located at 3205 Wood Road.

OK, it's just a model train (unless those are gigantic flowers!), but it sure is pretty. Volunteers have been maintaining the garden areas at Ridgewood since 1999. There are many gardens, but to the right of the main entrance is a lily pond, a small waterfall and a blooming flower garden. And snaking around the garden and lily pond is a double set of train tracks.

When I visited on Friday, there was an Amtrak train making the rounds. But resident Norm Voll, 86, a retired mailman who was watching the train from the lobby, said that on some days a 4x4 switching engine, pulling a caboose, makes the rounds. Voll knows his trains; he used to have his own N gauge set, far smaller than the one at Ridgewood.

Ridgewood's tracks were donated by Tim Zuch, whose wife, Rhonda, works at the center. Another train enthusiast, John Pixler, donated engines and assistance.

Here's another picture of the setup:

Superior Linens: Everyone kisses and makes up

If there were a Nobel Prize for laundry service, the Racine County Board would have awarded it Monday to Superior Health Linens.

The board's Health and Human Development Committee/Ridgewood Care Center Trustees finally had "Laundry service/Superior Linen" on its meeting agenda -- after resisting doing so for months -- and members spent much of this months' 35-minute meeting extolling the virtues of the laundry company that had been accused of mingling clean and dirty linens, and that was just awarded its professional accreditation some 10 months after signing a contract that indicated it already had it -- at least until the county wrote that provision out of the contract four months ex post facto.

But all that was forgotten and forgiven Monday, as County Board members, a longtime Ridgewood resident, and the facility's administrator all provided testimonials about Superior Health Linens' service, its plant's efficiency, its workers' professionalism in their new uniforms... it went on and on.

The love fest was so hot and heavy one was tempted to tell them all to get a room...

The meeting began with a short statement during the three minutes set aside for "Citizen Comments" by District 3 Supervisor Diane Lange, who has been trying to get Superior Health Linens on the agenda for a 30-minute discussion since March. She settled Monday, not happily, for a short statement decrying the committee's refusal to allow her to bring the matter up since February. "The process needs to be addressed," she said, but agreed that it is a "good thing" that Superior has achieved accreditation.

John Shultz, a Ridgewood resident since 1981, said linens used to be stained, and sometimes there had been shortages, but since Superior Health Linens got the laundry contract four years ago "there's never been a shortage of linens, there's been plenty; everything's been fine."

Fran Petrick, Ridgewood administrator, said, "I've made two unannounced visits to Superior's plant; I brought my infection control nurse to the plant. I was really pleased the last time we went; I saw many changes. I didn't see any problems with cross-contamination. I have absolutely no problem with their service."

District 19 Supervisor Joseph F. Bellante, Jr., who when he was Ridgewood board chairman in March cancelled a scheduled meeting on the controversy because County Executive Bill McReynolds couldn't attend, said "I visited the plant in February. From a layman's perspective, I have no problems."

District 2 Supervisor Gaynell Dyess described her visit to Superior's Milwaukee plant this way: "I was so impressed. It was super. I feel it's a great place."

District 14 Supervisor Michael J. Miklasevich, the new Ridgewood trustees' chair, said the two issues are the quality of the product provided residents, and the price the county pays for the service. "Both are being addressed," he said.

The meeting was also attended by Superior's president and CEO, Scott Reppert, who said his company has 170 employees, serves 45% nursing homes and 55% hospitals and recently engineered a buyout of the company, with employees participating in the purchase. The company is growing at a 10% clip, he said, and has plans to build a new plant, in addition to the ones it now operates in Madison and Milwaukee. "We try to say current with standards," he said.

The committee broke protocol and permitted Lange to speak during its discussion of Superior, and she said she was pleased that supervisors were able to visit the plant, and "there's a reason why we want to be sure they run a safe operation." She said she had hoped to bring a speaker with "specialized information" about linen service to the meeting. Later she elaborated: "These are not red bugs you can see. I wanted them to hear from a national expert in cleanliness and contamination. Laymen can't see this. I'm glad they went; it seems things are better, which is a good thing. But I still have problems with the process. A supervisor should be able to speak on issues."

In other business, Petrick disclosed that patient counts at Ridgewood are up -- the facility had 235 admissions in the second quarter of the year, more than it had in all of 2004 -- and both private pay and Medicare patients are above budgeted levels. In addition, some $750,000 above what had been budgeted has been received from the state, putting the budget in good shape.

County Executive Bill McReynolds said he hears good things -- "People come up to me to say they were so happy with the facility. I think you're going to see even greater demand." He also said he will get the county to provide a closed circuit TV system to monitor the parking lot, for safety. "It won't cost a real lot of money," he said. "You used to have it, but it became obsolete."

Quilts on Barns: First two will be hung shortly

Jim Limburg, left, and Al Barry, with 'Wild Goose Chase' quilt panel

that will go on Adrian and Richard Kessler's barn on 7-Mile Road.

Anyone who's visited Lancaster County, PA, will remember the country barns, decorated with colorful, round hex signs, a good luck symbol for the Pennsylvania Dutch.

Well, in a few years, travelers around Racine County will have a similar experience -- except our rural barns will be decorated with colorful "quilts."

The first two of 15 barns to be "quilted" this summer will receive their decoration in two weeks. By October, all 15 should be completed ... and project organizers project a similar schedule for the next two years as well.

This project, taking shape as quickly as it has since January, had its beginning when local quilter Kathi Wilson saw an article in a magazine about Grundy County, Iowa, where the idea began.

"I just had to go see it," Kathi says, and so she drove to Iowa. "You're driving along a country road and all of a sudden there's this beautiful quilt pattern on a barn. They're just stunning. I thought, 'this will be awesome in Racine County.' "

She knew she had a great idea, but held back, for two years, also knowing how much work would be involved. (Although she's been a quilter since 2001, Kathi says her real passion is "bringing people together.") Finally, Kathi contacted Lorna Henning of the Racine Arts Council. "She thought it was a great idea, and suggested I talk to Dave Blank of the Racine County Convention and Visitors Bureau. He loved it, asking me, 'Why did you wait so long? We've been trying to attract people out into the county." Right away, he was on board."

And so, work began on what is called the Quilts on Barn project. Starting last October, Wilson, Henning and others came up with the criteria -- mainly an active, wooden barn visible from the road -- and in January they put out a press release, seeking ten barn owners willing to participate.

"It's just been wild, the response was unbelievable," Kathi said. Before they knew it, they signed up the first 15 barns that were offered, and started a waiting list "that will cover next year."

Now comes the fun part, painting the "quilts." Traditional quilt patterns are transferred to a grid so the design will fit on the two 4' x 8'' plywood panels, and various groups have each agreed to paint one, more than 200 volunteers in all. Some of those organizations are Cops 'n Kids, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, the Norway Garden Club, the Potpourri Garden Club, Racine Montessori School, Allese Orthodontics Appliances. And my three favorites -- how appropriate! -- local quilters from the Lighthouse Quilt Guild, the Rainbow quilt Guild and the First Friday Quilt Guild will each paint a "quilt."

Al Barry is the project's manager, in charge of bringing carefully primed panels to the painters, and then storing the completed panels in a pole barn out in the county. And finally, hanging them on each barn. Right now, he and his crew have seven completed panels ready to be hung, and they're out auditing the barns, to see what kind of ladders or cherry pickers will be needed to hang the "quilts."

The first barn to be decorated belongs to Jean Jacobson, former Racine County executive, whose Norway barn quilt was painted by the Norway Garden Club. It will be hung on July 25. The following morning, Saturday, July 26, the public can watch the second quilt being hung, at Bill and Sandra Swantz' barn at 4603 108th Street, Franksville, starting at 8:30 a.m. At noon there will be a reception at Jacobson's.

By Oct.11, all 15 quilts will be hung around the county, and there a plans for a road rally, a quilt raffle and a reception.

Meanwhile, the already multi-media project has yet another media dimension: Nicholas Ravnikar, Pat Levine and Kathi are making a documentary about the project , having spent March, April and May interviewing each of the barn owners on film. And, of course, taking "before" pictures of each barn, to go along with the quilted barn picture to come.

Supreme Court rules that county can outsource social workers

Below is County Executive Bill McReynolds' statement on the state Supreme Court ruling that the county can outsource its social workers rather than use union employees. The ruling allows the county to save money by paying its social workers less, and is a significant loss for the social workers' union. McReynolds, certainly no fan of unions, "expressed pleasure" at the ruling.

Here's the statement:

RACINE COUNTY EXECUTIVE PLEASED BY WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT DECISION IN FAMILY COURT SOCIAL WORKER CASE

Racine – Racine County Executive Bill McReynolds expressed pleasure at today’s Wisconsin Supreme Court decision in a case involving social workers for the Racine County Family Court. The Court rejected a challenge by the union representing county social workers, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 10, to using contract social workers instead of county employees.

Said McReynolds: “The Supreme Court’s decision recognizes two very important principles. First, the Family Court Commissioner, as a member of the judiciary, has broad powers with respect to selecting staff members. Second, in public employment cases, arbitrators must consider all relevant laws, including those that may affect the applicability of collective bargaining agreements.”

“But,” McReynolds added, “What’s more important is that this is a victory for the people of Racine County and for the hard-working social services professionals who work for the Family Court Commissioner.”

To provide social worker services for families, the Family Court Commissioner can decide whether to hire county employees or contract with independent individuals. In 2004, the decision was made to contract with persons who had provided these services as county employees, but who were eligible, by age and length of service, to retire under the Wisconsin Retirement System.

The shift to contracting with these retirees was intended to ensure that Racine County families would continue to have access to the services of dedicated, experienced social service professionals, but at the same time, to save Racine County taxpayers some employee compensation costs. The union objected.

A state arbitrator found for the union, but that decision was overturned by a Kenosha County circuit court judge who heard the case because all Racine County circuit court judges recused themselves. That circuit court decision was reversed by the Wisconsin Court of Appeals; and, in turn, today’s Wisconsin Supreme Court decision reverses the Court of Appeals.

McReynolds observed: “This case was brought by the union; it was not supported by the individuals who retired and then provided contracted services. This decision, rejecting the union’s position, is good news for those retirees and for the people of Racine County.”

More jobs and better workers: Now Racine County has a plan

Racine County's long-awaited Workforce Development Strategy report aimed at lowering unemployment and improving the quality and skill levels of our work force was released Thursday. The report iss called "Higher Expectations," and there are plenty to go around.

It is 62 pages of vision, challenges, strategies and tactics -- offset by hope-deadening statistics detailing the long way we have to climb.

Workforce development in the county is at a "crucial crossroads," the report states, listing some of the county's critical concerns:

--Even though manufacturing employment has declined, there is a shortage of skilled employees; dislocated workers are "poorly prepared for anything other than lower-wage jobs;" even entry-level jobs go begging because applicants can't pass drug or background checks or lack "soft skills, such as motivation, punctuality and attendance."

--Too many students drop out of school (only 77% of the county's ninth graders, and 71% of the city's, finish high school in four years); and a diploma "may not signify either 12th grade competence or employability."

--Too many residents view the community in negative terms, "which impacts employee recruitment and retention."

Whew.

Despite all that bad news -- and there was more (crime statistics, out-migration, unflattering comparisons with Kenosha and Waukesha Counties) -- the report issued a call to action: six "core challenges ... to ensure the county prepares a world-class competitive workforce that will fill available jobs and reduced unemployment and poverty." There's not a quick fix or easy answer in the bunch. They are:

--Raise standards and expectations for public education.
--Support stronger, more financially stable families.
--Create jobs in communities with concentrations of unemployed workers.
--Enhance workforce transportation alternatives.
--Improve job seeker information about opportunities in new and expanding businesses.
--Communicate a more positive community image.

Each of these challenges has been assigned to a different "convener," like the County Executive, the United Way, the Racine County Economic Development Corporation, the Workforce Development Center.

There is a strategic plan for each, with specific challenges listed, goals, strategies, tactics and "outcome metrics" to measure progress. For example, the challenge of creating jobs in communities with concentrations of unemployed workers has as its goal: to create an average of 200 new jobs annually "through business attraction and existing business growth programs" between 2009 and 2014. How? By redeveloping vacant land and underutilized manufacturing facilities, creating new business parks, creating business development incentive programs like low-interest loan funds and micro-lending, and expand ties between the county's minority companies and businesses and governments.

The transportation challenge -- fewer than 1,300 city and county residents use public transportation regularly to commute to work -- seeks to provide alternative transportation options "that more clearly link underutilized workers with employment and educational opportunities." No, KRM isn't mentioned; this is more a Belle Urban System challenge, although it also calls for the recommendation of "possible new transit services ... between Racine County and other counties."

The sixth challenge -- communicating a more positive community image -- seeks a 3% increase by 2014 of residents with a positive community image of Racine County. How? "Hire a public relations professional to identify key target audience and relevant messages..." and "identify and align key media partners required (including web-based media, print media throughout the region from Northern Illinois to Madison, public television and radio) ... to communicate positive news stories affecting Racine County and providing perspectives on other news events."

Want to read the whole report? You'll find it HERE.

There's also a six-minute video introducing the plan, which was played at the Racine County Economic Development Corporation's 25th Anniversary celebration Thursday night at the Marriott. You'll find the video online HERE.

The steering committee that put the plan together was chaired by Michael Batten, Chairman, President and CEO of Twin Disc, Inc. Others on the committee were:

Bryan Albrecht, President, Gateway Technical College

Gary Becker, Mayor, City of Racine

Roger Caron, President, Racine Area Manufacturers and Commerce

Debra Jossart, Director, Racine County Human Services Department

Gordon Kacala, Executive Director, Racine County Economic Development
Corporation

William L. McReynolds, Racine County Executive

Jeff Neubauer, Chief Executive Officer, Kranz, Inc.

Alice Oliver, Manager, Workforce Development Center

John Rote, Vice President, Office of the Chairman, S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.

Marguerite Vanden Wyngaard, Chief Academic Officer, Racine Unified Schools

Democrats honor three; 'November is our turn'

Diane Lange receives Phyllis Dresen Spirit of Democracy Award

from Doug Dresen, and Phyllis' granddaughter

Racine County's Democratic Party held its annual banquet Sunday night, honoring three long-time members and declaring, in the words of keynote speaker Rep. Cory Mason, "November is our turn."

The dinner was a combination pep rally, campaign meeting and celebration, as some 200 Democrats heard brief speeches from a number of candidates while honoring County Board Supervisor Diane Lange with the first annual Phyllis Dresen Sprit of Democracy Award, for making a positive impact supporting democratic principles; Michael Corona with the James Arena Award for long and continuing contributions to the county party; and Judy Van Koningsveld with the Democrat of the Year Award for Party-building activities during the past year.

Some of those who spoke included:

Ken Lumpkin, county board supervisor also running for city council, noted: "It's exciting having two sharp candidates on the ticket, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama."

Lisa Neubauer, running for a full term on the Appeals Court to which Gov. Jim Doyle appointed her in December, noted that hers has turned into "the most overtly political race," especially unfortunate since judges are non-partisan. "What people are looking for," she said "is someone who is hard-working, competent and has integrity.'

Doug Dresen, who with his son, Scott, and two granddaughters, honored Diane Lange with an award named after his late wife, pointed out "how pleased she'd be" to see the award go to "such a force for positive activism, someone who does what's right even when the cause is unpopular."

For her part, Lange noted, "a woman is like a teabag; she never knows how strong she'll be until she's in hot water." She said, "Politics is serious work; it matters, it affects the whole world... and the world is ready to welcome us back."

Racine Mayor Gary Becker said, "Lord knows, this country needs the Democrats to take control."

Paulette Garin, who is seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, said "every issue can be tied to the economy...we need fair trade over free trade." She also noted, "we are so past due in creating universal health care."

One of her opponents, Marge Krupp, said, "We have a real chance at taking this seat back. Tax breaks for big oil does not work to create jobs here."

Rep. Bob Turner agreed with both of them, hoping "we can remove that old rubber stamp Ryan from Congress." Turner also pointed out that the state is just a few votes shy of having a Democratic-controlled Assembly, "and it's a big difference being part of the majority. We need it to bring the bacon home." He noted that the Assembly has spent $24 million so far this session, but met only 23 days -- far fewer than in previous years.

Mason, a freshman legislator with just 15 months in the Assembly, said "a freshman legislator in the minority party is humbled pretty quickly." The situation is "unreal," he said, noting hours of debate for such no-brainer questions as "should children under five who are deaf get hearing aids, or should autistic kids get health insurance?"

"These are the things we spend our time on; universal health care? Not so much."

But "the long political winter of our discontent" is nearly over, he said hopefully. "We say this every two years, that 'this is the most important election ever.' But this year it's true."

Ray DeHahn gives Michael Corona the James Arena Award;
at right, his wife Carol

Democrat of the year Judy Van Koningsveld,
given her award by Brent Nance

Michael Shields, Jeff and Lisa Neubauer, Bob Turner

Property values -- the have's and the have not's

Our headline on RacinePost said it all:

Racine property value growth
lags Kenosha's and state's

That was based on a short Business Journal story summarizing a report by the Milwaukee Public Policy Forum analyzing the growth in value of residential and commercial property.

The full report -- which you really should read in its entirety -- began like this:

Property values in southeastern Wisconsin counties grew 6% last year, a relatively healthy rate but the slowest since at least 2004, and for some counties, the past decade. Also, proximity to northern Illinois looks to be a key factor in fueling strong growth.

The slowdown in property value growth is not unexpected given the national downturn in property values and the explosive growth rates of recent years. Of significance, however, is that the region grew slower than the state of Wisconsin for the first year since 2002. Overall growth in Wisconsin was 6.2%, compared to the region’s 6%. From 2005‐2006, the region grew by 10.7%, while the state grew by 9.6%.

Rather than summarize the whole thing, I'll just present a few Racine County statistics that caught my eye.

Southeastern Wisconsin consists of 147 municipalities, of which 61 are towns, 57 are villages, and 29 are cities. Guess which one has the least amount of property per capita? No, it wasn't the City of Racine (Gotcha?); we came in next-to-last, 146th, with $50,640 in taxable property per person, down slightly from 2006 when we were 145th with $48,864. Most startling was the disparity between the have's and the have not's. The amount of property per capita in the No. 1 municipality -- the Village of Chenequa in Waukesha County -- is $971,508... 19 times more than Racine. Here's a table showing the richest and poorest among southeastern Wisconsin's communities.

Click on chart to enlarge

Four counties had a per capita property value of over $100,000: Walworth, Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington. Racine County overall has a per capita property value of $80,260, with the wealthiest communities being the Villages of North Bay ($164,265) and Wind Point ($160,910)and the Town of Yorkville ($144,500), while the poorest behind Racine's $50,640 is the Town of Union Grove ($70,439). A spreadsheet showing every community's per capita value and ranking for this year and last year can be found HERE.

There was at least one bit of good news: Racine County showed its first increase in manufacturing property value since 2003, growing 2.6%, following three years of decreases. From 2005 to 2006, it decreased 1.3%.

A spreadsheet comparing each community's total equalized assessed valuation, with breakdowns of residential, commercial and manufacturing real estate for the year 2007 can be found HERE.

Racine County vote totals

Here are the final unofficial returns, as reported by Racine County about 11:30 p.m. last night:

In the Democratic Primary:

Hillary Clinton: 16,294 votes, 43.65%
Barack Obama: 20,620 votes, 55.24%

In the Republican Primary:

Mike Huckabee 4,986 votes, 34.52%
John McCain: 8,337 votes, 57.72%

The county has 124,190 registered voters

51,861 votes were cast Tuesday
37,321 votes in the Democratic primary
14,446 votes in the Republican primary

Racine Unified School Board (top six advance to April election)

Carly-Anne Ravnikar 7,100
Dennis Wiser 11,906
David Thurwanger 5,090
Pamela Handrow 9,943
Melvin Hargrove 12,790
John Leiber 7,040
Karen Norton 11,776

The county's vote totals are being put online, as they are counted, HERE.

Top 10 List (if Letterman commuted from Racine)

As the state moves forward on its plans to spend nearly $2 billion to expand I-94 in southeast Wisconsin, 1000 Friends of Wisconsin has developed a top ten list of reasons to oppose the plan.

“Wisconsin is facing a budget shortfall that will require all state agencies to trim spending plans. The state Department of Transportation should set an example for all agencies by cutting back on wasteful spending. At the same time, the Transportation Department could help reduce the causes of global warming and help build stronger communities,” said Steve Hiniker, Executive Director of 1000 Friends of Wisconsin.

The Madison organization was created in 1996 "to protect and enhance Wisconsin's urban and rural landscapes by providing citizens with the inspiration, information and tools they need to effectively participate in the decisions that have the greatest impact on community health: where we live, work, learn, play and how we get from one place to another." The organization works for the reform of land use policies at the state and local levels.

Among the Top Ten Reasons to Oppose the I-94 Expansion:

1) It's not needed
2) We can't afford it
3) It will increase property taxes
4) It will add to the problems of global warming

For the complete list, go HERE.

1000 Friends of Wisconsin joined the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin, Midwest Environmental Advocates and the Great Waters Group of the Sierra Club in criticizing the Draft Environmental Impact Statement prepared to address the impacts of the project in southeast Wisconsin. The detailed document they submitted is HERE.

(Disclaimer: The real Dave Letterman had nothing to do with this post or with the amazingly lifelike picture above.)

County gets $450,000 for prisoner reentry program

The Wisconsin Department of Corrections is giving Racine County $450,000 from the U.S. Department of Justice to start a prisoner reentry program. And if the U.S. Department of Labor comes through, there'll be another $130,000.

The money will be used to mentor newly-released prisoners, arrange for their education, provide work employment skills, mentoring and case management.

So far, 30 per cent of the initial grant has been awarded to Zimmerman Consulting Inc. of Racine. Zimmerman will also get the Department of Labor funds, if they come through. Other community or faith-based organizations will be selected to provide services under the remaining 70% of the DOJ grant.

More information from the Wisconsin Department of Corrections is HERE.

'Getting into this jam will be really good news'

Racine County yesterday announced a new program to help keep youth from returning to juvenile detention.

The program, known as JAM, is administered under contract with the county's Human Services Department by Juvenile Aftercare Ministries, Inc., a non-profit corporation.

It may well be a good program -- let's face it, we spend so much on punishment it's always a surprise to see anything left over for prevention -- but my first reaction was to marvel at the press release author's chutzpah for concluding with this "quote" from County Executive Bill McReynolds:

"Most of us don't like getting into a jam. But for some of our youth, the chance to get into this JAM will be really good news."

Mac said that? Yeah, right.

Anyway, the county lists JAM's three phases this way: The first begins while the youth is serving in detention. The second phase continues after release, and the third phase is a one-on-one accountability relationship with a community mentor for a year. Similar programs in Boston and Memphis have radically reduced recidivism.

(Yeah, not much in the way of specifics, or cost. And I discovered the release online too late to make a clarifying phone call. News as it happens; film at 11.)

Another McReynolds quote: "I have always said that the juvenile justice system, especially its secure facilities, is like the farm team system for the adult criminal justice system. (That doesn't sound like Mac, either.) I don’t want to see youngsters unnecessarily in juvenile detention, and I sure don’t want to see them, as adults, coming into our jail. For some youth, juvenile detention is crucial to helping them mend their ways. But, once they’re out of detention, some of them need extra help to keep from repeating their past mistakes. In some tough, large cities, the kind of program JAM offers has been that extra help."

Uh, yeah; that too.

The JAM program joins, among others:

• ACE (Alternatives to Corrections through Education), which permits Racine County youth to remain near home, while receiving an intensive educational opportunity in juvenile detention;

• ARC (Afternoon Reporting Center), which provides a structured post-school environment for young persons with alcohol and drug abuse issues;

• TEP (Transitional Education Program), in cooperation with Racine Unified, which smoothes the return of young people from corrections or detention back to the school environment; and

• Alternatives to Detention, which permits young persons to report for Saturday programming rather than entering the detention facility for certain minor violations of court orders.

Pilot plant at CATI ... here's the rest of the story

Earlier today, we wrote about the new R&D pilot plant being constructed within the existing CATI building to produce a healthy milk product without cholesterol called Benelact.

Well, as Paul Harvey might have said, here's the rest of the story... the way this project touches area high schoolers, collegians and even Girl Scouts.

The project is loaded with academic linkages -- opportunities for students throughout the area to learn, work and participate in the creation of this new product. Alliance Enterprises, the company creating this start-up, sees its $1.5 million project both as an exciting new business, and as a way "to work in our values and give back to the community," said Brandon Malacara, Alliance's dairy division marketing director.

And so, Alliance is working with Therese Fellner, Gateway Technical College's director of business development -- she's the on-site manager for the business incubator that's part of CATI -- to find ways to provide both professional employment and student employment as part of the project. And boy, have they come up with a bunch of opportunities across a wide spectrum! For example:

Burlington High School has an R&D chemistry class that creates personal care products. Fellner already has spoken with Burlington's superintendent and principal to find ways to get their students working in the plant, getting experience with R&D and perhaps getting school credit at the same time.

Burlington is a good match in another way: Alliance -- which is minority-owned by Edward Salinas -- can be a role model for the district's Hispanic students. "The superintendent sees this as an opportunity to get his Hispanic student population excited about science and math, get some experience and get some of those kids to start altering their course selection," Dr. Fellner said.

Gateway Technical College has a culinary arts program, and the aim is to get students involved in nutrition to work on R&D and marketing -- with both internships and jobs.

Carthage and Parkside have chemistry departments that may be a source of chemistry assistants as well as a chemist with gas chromatography and sample preparation experience.

Even Girl Scouts may be involved as this patent given to CATI by Kraft is developed for market. Fellner has applied for a grant through the General Mills Foundation's Champions for Healthy Kids project. They fund organizations with innovative programs that help youth develop good nutrition and fitness habits. "We're working with the Girl Scouts of Southeast Wisconsin, Gateway and Parkside in proposing that girls 11-14 deliver a program that will focus on nutrition and health and this innovative technology. Alliance would be able to come in and provide experience and products, menu planning and taste tests."

Fellner also said the Humana Foundation is interested in funding organizations that promote new technology and tools that lead to a healthier community. Alliance and Gateway will work with the Culinary Arts Department on the Racine campus to help them understand and use this new, lower-cholesterol product.

Matthew Wagner, CATI executive director, is looking forward to an expansion of programs for students in the natural sciences catalyzed by the Alliance project. "This is a chance to teach them about business and entrepreneurship, to create mentorships and project-based learning. So very many educational institutions are playing a role in this."

"We're all thrilled to have Alliance here," Fellner said. "This is an environment that facilitates this kind of networking.

Pilot plant for dairy product being built at CATI

A 4,000 sq. ft. pilot plant for the research and development of a new, healthy dairy ingredient based on patented technology licensed from CATI is under construction in Sturtevant.

The Center for Advanced Technology & Innovation (CATI) announced that Alliance Enterprises of SE Wisconsin will use the plant, located in the CATI center, for initial production of Benelact, according to Brandon Malacara, Alliance's dairy marketing director.

“We are excited to be located in the CATI Center. Technological innovation and the economic growth of Wisconsin are as important to us as they are to them,” Malacara said. Alliance's existing facility,on Four Mile Road, is, according to the company's website, "a single-source assembly, custom contract packaging, warehousing, distribution and fulfillment facility." Benelact is the centerpiece of a new division.

CATI licensed the proprietary process now known as Benelact to Alliance Enterprises four years ago. The all-natural process extracts cholesterol from milk to create a healthy milk ingredient without altering the taste, texture, or properties of the milk. Matt Wagner, CATI executive director, said the technology was originally developed by Kraft Foods and donated to CATI.

The Benelact process removes up to 80 per cent of cholesterol and saturated fat from milk, resulting in a healthier product that can function as milk in a variety of food products. It will be marketed to dairy and bakery markets as an ingredient providing "healthy consumer options while still retaining the taste, texture and consistency that consumers desire,” Malacara said.

The project represents an estimated $1.5 million investment, Wagner said.

Dey responds to Hall's challenge

Brian Dey posted this statement in the comments on our story about Ken Hall challenging Dey's nomination papers. We're elevating the comments to a full post so both candidates have equal say. Note to JT: This could be one of the most interesting local elections in years ... anyone going to cover it?)

Here's Dey's comments:

Once again, Ken Hall has resorted to cheap tactics and mudslinging to try to distant himself from opponents. He tried similar tactics in the County Executive race last year.

The process asks for 100 signatures, which I surpassed and stand by 100%. Mr. Hall , in his first campaign for County Supervisor misled the people of his district that I endorsed him by placing my name in an endorsement ad, which I had previously told him after a visit to my home that I would not endorse him.

As in his failed bid for County Executive in which he employed similar tactics, the people of the 15th District will not tolerate such disrespect for the political process.

I can only hope that the County Clerk does not fall for such cheap tactics. Rest assured, if he is successful in this stunt, I will not go away and will continue to run with a write in campaign.

My only hope is that the people that signed the nomination papers are not disenfranchised by Ken Hall.

Hall contests Dey's nomination papers for County Board

County Board Supervisor Ken Hall is challenging the nomination papers submitted by Brian Dey, who is challenging Hall for the board's 15th District seat.

Hall alleges that Dey, a former Racine Unified School Board member, did not submit the required 100 signatures to appear on the ballot. The 15th District is based in Caledonia.

Here is Hall's statement on challenging Dey's signatures:

“On behalf of the qualified electors in District 15 and Racine County and in order maintain the integrity of the election, as prescribed by Wisconsin law, I have submitted a complaint today to County Clerk Joan Rennert contesting the sufficiency of Brian Dey’s nomination papers for the District 15 County Supervisor seat,” said Ken Hall, incumbent County Supervisor for District 15 in a statement released today.

The complaint alleges that the nomination papers certified by Mr. Dey contain 9 invalid signatures including duplicate signatures, signatures signed by persons other than the elector, invalid addresses, and other irregularities. Mr. Dey’s nomination papers list 103 nominating electors, but when the irregularities are taken into account, these papers are unlikely to meet the minimum standards under Wisconsin law for Mr. Dey to earn a place on the ballot. The minimum standard is 100 valid signatures from eligible electors.

“Accountable government begins with respect for the election process and its laws. This matter is up to the County Clerk to decide, but serious candidates easily avoid issues like this by planning, scheduling, and doing the work needed to gather far more nomination signatures than the minimum in order to ensure they actually do qualify for the election ballot,“ stated Ken Hall.

STD cases in Racine County nearly double since 1997

Young adults between 15 and 19 years old remain the most likely age group in Racine County to contract a sexually transmitted disease, according to state data.

Last year, 541 young adults between 15 and 19 reported getting chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis or genital herpes.

The second most common age group to contract an STD was 20 to 24 year olds with 482 reported cases, followed by 25-29 year olds with 218 cases. The numbers continue to fall as ages increase, though adults 50 and older reported 20 cases of STDs last year.

Women were more than twice as likely as men to get an STD, according to the data. In 2006, women reported 1,007 cases of STDs, compared to 474 cases for men. The disparity is partly due to women going to the doctor more often for prenatal exams and annual checkups.

The 1,481 reported cases of STDs last year was 16 more than 2005, but nearly double the total from 10 years ago. The increase, however, could be because more people are being tested and treated for STDs than in the past.

Blacks had the highest rates of infection among racial groups, accounting for nearly half of all cases of STD in the county. If Hispanics are added in, minorities accounted for 55 percent of all reported cases in the county.

Chlamydia was the most common STD with 991 cases, followed by gonorrhea with 334 cases, genital herpes with 149 cases and syphilis with 7 cases.

Here's a look at the reported number of STD cases since 1997