Local Green Karas volunteers for New Orleans Congressional candidate

Karas and Malik

Former Alderman Pete Karas emailed a report from New Orleans about a Congressional election that was pushed back to Dec. 6 because of Hurricane Gustav. Karas, a member of the Green Party, is supporting Malik Rahim's bid to unseat (allegedly) corrupt Democratic House member William Jefferson.

Rahim is something of legend in New Orleans. He stayed through Hurricane Katrina and is credited with on-the-ground organizing in the aftermath of the devastation. He opened the first free health clinic in New Orleans, helped thousands of people back into their homes and worked to re-open schools.

Greens like Karas from around the country are targeting the seat in hopes of winning their first Congressional office. They hope Jefferson's corruption troubles (the Republican candidate apparently doesn't stand a chance in the district) push people Malik's way.

Here's Karas' report from New Orleans:

It’s an interesting race. “Dollar Bill” Jefferson is not to be seen. He apparently thinks he has it in the bag. The Republican is visible, but has very little support in this district. I’m seeing true excitement surrounding Malik’s campaign. He is being supported both with dollars and people from not only here, but also from around the country.

It is a very grassroots campaign. There are many people on the street working for him. Radio ads are running. There are even three billboards in prominent locations. Signs are popping up all over town. There is a real feeling that this is a winnable race.

I’ve been canvassing at the doors and talking with people. One of the challenges is to remind people there is an election on Saturday and get them to the polls. I have not talked to one person who had anything nice to say about “Dollar Bill.” And most everyone seems to know who Malik is.

Détente: It's time you subscribe to the JT

I'm worried about The Journal Times. Not for any coverage issues or decisions they're making. Those are just my half-baked media opinions that don't amount to much anywhere, much less 212 Fourth St.

Lee Enterprises' financial situation is dire. The JT's parent company saw its stock close at 82 cents a share on Monday and 81 cents a share on Tuesday. For perspective, I bought stock through the employee purchase program at around $40 a share a few years ago and thought it was a bargain.

Over the past year we've linked to stories reporting on Lee's demise. The stock fell to $10, then $5 and now under $1 a share, while their CEO's pay hit nearly $4 million. It was laughable. Now it's not funny.

There's a good chance the company is going to get delisted from the New York Stock Exchange, and bankruptcy may not be far behind. That puts jobs at the JT at risk, and jeopardizes our city's daily newspaper.

I have friends at The Journal Times, and save a few new people, worked for years with everyone over there. I wish no one harm to any of them, and certainly not unemployment in an industry that's shedding jobs by the day.

In all likelihood, the JT is still making money. This is a good thing, because it should keep the paper going in the face of a corporate bankruptcy. We all need the JT to survive this mess and come out the other side stronger than ever. But with the economy struggling and the print ad market dwindling, there's cause for real concern.

Wanna help? Subscribe to the JT - you'll make up the cost with the Sunday coupons. If even 50 people bought new subscriptions heading into the new year it would go a long way toward preserving Racine's historic daily newspaper.

It's time we rally together to protect a local business. Your subscription can make a difference, so set aside a few bucks and learn about what's going on in the community. Then come over to our site and learn a little more. We need to share more stories, and we need our established vehicles to share them in.

State rejects Tingle's claims against city

Update: Click here to download the Equal Rights Division's full report dismissing Tingle's complaint.

---

Ben Hughes in his City Hall office.

City Administrator Ben Hughes has a reputation for being a "buttoned-down" manager at City Hall. In his own words, he's the "guy that wears a suit every day to the office, even on Fridays."

So sexual harassment accusations against him back in August came as a surprise. Former City Hall employee Sandra Tingle made a series of sensational, if somewhat bizarre, claims against Hughes and Mayor Gary Becker accusing them of creating a hostile work environment. The fact that those claims came a few weeks after Tingle was fired on July 18 raised some flags, but the complaint was sent to the state Equal Rights Division for investigation.

While the investigation was underway, Tingle's attorney released salacious documents to the press claiming Hughes gave her an over-night bag and the mayor used inappropriate language.

The city hired an outside attorney to investigate and found no substance to the report. Now, the state is backing up the city's findings.

An investigator with the Equal Rights Division released a report on Nov. 26 dismissing Tingle's complaint and refusing to move forward with a formal hearing. Tingle and her attorney, Nola Cross, can appeal the decision, but the ruling largely ends their case.

The complaint arrived at City Hall on Monday. In an interview in his office Monday afternoon, Hughes spoke out about Tingle's claims and the state's ruling. In a controlled tone - there were no signs of anger - Hughes described Tingle and Cross as "unethical" and as perpetrators of intentional lies designed to ruin his and Becker's careers.

"It's very sad, and also frustrating, that a small segment of our society, such as Sandra Tingle and Nola Cross, lack the integrity to use the law as it was intended," Hughes said. "Sexual harassment laws were designed for people who need that help ... anyone who considers themselves a feminist should be outraged at how they used the law."

Tingle's complaint cost the city thousands of dollars in legal bills, Hughes said. The case had to be handled by an outside law firm because a number of city employees were interviewed.

"None of this needed to happen," Hughes said. "Her (Tingle's) dismissal was caused by her own poor actions as an employee."

He added that Cross and Tingle owed Racine residents an apology for making false allegations.

"Citizens should know democracy worked here in recognizing a fraudulent claim," Hughes said.

The Division of Equal Rights report revealed the three witnesses who testified on Tingle's behalf during the complaint. They included Kay Collins-Schulz, who testified Mayor Becker swore in front of her and made a second lewd comment; Cindy Wanek, a health department employee, who testified Becker made additional inappropriate comments; and Alderman Jeff Coe, who said he had heard the mayor had used swear words to refer to women.

Investigator Christine Brunow concluded there was no evidence to support Tingle's claims.

On a personal level, Hughes said support from coworkers and city residents helped him through a tumultuous first year on the job. Despite a public grilling, including ugly accusations against his character, Hughes said he is more confident then ever that Racine is a good fit for him.

"I have not lost faith in Racine," he said. "I've chosen the right place to spend, hopefully, the rest of my career."

Hughes said he and Becker have been silent on Tingle's complaint out of their professional obligation not to address her firing. But now that the complaint was been settled by the state, Hughes said he was happy to defend his reputation on the record.

Hughes said the incident has not changed him as an administrator. He doesn't feel the need to turn into a recluse or change procedures at the office. He added City Hall didn't "miss a beat" through the turmoil.

"This didn't derail any of the good work that's going on in the city," Hughes said.

Hughes also addressed a lingering rumor Cross filed a complaint against him at a previous job. In fact, he said, an employee resigned because of a medical issue and Cross represented her in working out a benefits package. There were no charges of harassment, Hughes said.

The City Council is in the process of sorting out the future of Tingle's position. Becker asked the council to fund the full-time administrative assistant position. A retired city employee is working the job now for 32 hours a week.


Original post:

We'll have the full story shortly, but for now:

The state has "unequivocably rejected" the claims of sexual harassment filed in July by Sandra Tingle, who was fired as the mayor and city administrator's assistant at City Hall, according to Ben Hughes, city administrator.

The state's rejection came Wednesday, in a seven-page report that was just received at City Hall today.

More coming...

Our earlier story about her complaint is here.

Racine contingent protests School of the Americas

Words and photos by John Heckenlively

Stephanie Nistler, Sharin Tellez, Sue Craanen, Gary Craanen in Columbus, Georgia, shortly before the procession ceremony Sunday morning. Nistler and Tellez are students at Saint Catherines; The Craanens represented both St Catherines and the Racine Dominicans.

Last weekend (November 21-23) marked the 18th annual protest at the gates of Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia to protest the School of the Americas, now known as the Western Hemispheric Institute for Security Cooperation. The WHISC is a training facility for Latin American military personnel that has been linked with most of the major human rights abuses in Central and South America since the 1960s.

Over 20,000 people gathered at the northern entrance of Fort Benning and placed crosses with names of victims on the fence. During a procession which took over two hours, names of the dead were read as the crowd responded "Presente" -- "here" or "present" in Spanish.

Six people crossed onto Fort Benning property to protest the school, and are facing up to six months in federal prison for trespassing. Since 1995, almost 300 activists have spent time in prison for protesting against the School of the Americas. The six activists will be tried in Columbus in late January.

Craanen makes cross during Wisconsin prayer service Sunday morning, with Sharin Tellez and Stephanie Nistler



Gary Craanen attaches his cross to the fence during the "Presente" ceremony. This was Gary's second trip to Ft Benning; his first was in 1998.

Thanksgiving Eve Service

The Racine Downtown Cooperative Parish held its Thanksgiving Eve Service on Nov. 26 at First Presbyterian Church. Here are photos and stories from a wonderful evening:




Ben Johnston-Krase, of First Presbyterian Church, hosted the event and gave the welcoming talk after a performance by Olympia Brown UU's choir. First Presbyterian organist Jerry Buck played the prelude.

The photo above is the combined choirs of the Downtown Cooperative Parish, which performed the song, "For the Beauty of the Earth" by John Rutter.

Nabeeh El Amin, of the Racine Islamic Center, gave the call to prayer and Lori Gorgas Hlaban, interim minister at Olympia Brown, gave a scripture reading.

John Brosseau, of the Beth Israel Sinai Congregation, Jim Schatzman of St. Luke's Episcopal Church, and Martice Scales, of the HOPES Center, offered meditations.

Father Ricardo Martin of St. Patrick's Catholic Church and Cristo Rey Catholic Church offered a prayer and Joyce Gregg, of Evangelical United Methodist Church, read from James 3:13-18.

An offering was collected to support the Downtown Cooperative Parish Food Pantry, and Brad Van Fossen of First United Methodist Church offered a prayer of dedication.

Johnston-Krase and the Rev. Tony Larsen, of Olympia Brown, led the audience of about 150 people in a sing-a-long hymn, "Giving to Life."

Master Teacher Tony Somlai, of the Original Root Zen Center, helped the audience pass the peace by encouraging everyone to wish people they meet happiness. He then had the crowd mix together and wish each other happiness, a greeting that spread to the fellowship of homebaked pies following the service.

Arr. Wilber Held played "Simple Gifts" as a postlude to the gathering.


Tony Somlai encourages the audience to wish their friends, and their enemies, happiness.

Racine Camera Club names competition winners

Snowy Egret of Alcatraz, by Pam DeGrace

Members of the Racine Camera Club focused intently as three judges scrutinized entries submitted in the club's first photo competition this year. A wide array of subjects were submitted in three categories: digital, slides and prints. Judges Armin Clobes, Eugene Dodd and Norris Richardson determined Award and Honorable Mention recipients by a point system, gradually reducing entries through consecutive reviews.

Lester River Bridge–Duluth, by Pam DeGrace

Results of the competition are as follows:

Digital: The two photos chosen as award winners turned out to be by the same photographer, Pam DeGrace, for "Snowy Egret of Alcatraz" and "Lester River Bridge–Duluth." DeGrace said she spent more than an hour gaining "the Egret's trust in my presence -- long after my friends left me stalking this bird. He was about 10 feet away. I shot the close up with a Canon 40D/70mm-300mm lens. The sun was in the right place, as was the bird. He was worth the wait."

Honorable Mention went to DeGrace for "Snowy Egret on Alcatraz," Mary Barrows for "Sunrise Beach" and "Rainbow #2" and Dianne Surendonk for "Time To Remodel," a photo of a building under construction in Paris.

Time to Remodel, by Dianne Surendonk

Slides: Award winners were Mary Barrows for "Missing Man Formation" and Dianne Surendonk for "Springtime in the Rockies." Honorable Mention went to Taylor Mackey for "Pelican" and Mary Barrows for "Beautiful Balloons."

Prints, Class A: Award winners were Kathy Brand for "Hydrangeas" and Taylor Mackey for "Bloom." Honorable Mention went to Kathy Brand for "Trolley" and Jason Madson for "Top of the Brooklyn Bridge," at right.

Prints, Class B: Award winners were Rigo Alcala for two untitled prints and Tammy Dowhower for "Towering Splendor."

Racine Camera Club meetings are free and open to all interested photographers. The next competition will be held Feb. 12, 2009. The club meets the second Tuesday of the month from 7–9 p.m. at the Racine Arts Council, 316 Sixth St. For more information, call 681-3219.

Bass Lake in Minong, WI, by Rigo Alcala

Rigo Alcala's Windpoint Lighthouse

The kids grow up so fast!Two of Zoo's lion cubs leaving home

Mom, Elsa, kept watch while three of her cubs napped in June

Two male Transvaal lion cubs born at the Racine Zoo will leave on Friday, Nov. 28, for the Miami Metro Zoo in Florida. The two males, Jabari and Kwame, are part of the Pride of Racine litter of four born to Elsa and her mate, Aslan, on Sept. 6, 2007.

“While we are certainly sad to see them go, we knew that space was going to be a future issue when Elsa gave birth to four happy, healthy cubs and the moves are in accordance with our mission to foster the growth and development of threatened animal populations,” said Jay Christie, the Zoo's president and CEO.

The lion moves are a result of the recommendations of the Lion Species Survival Plan managed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, of which the Racine Zoo is a member. The Species Survival Plan program began in 1981 as a cooperative population management and conservation program for selected species in zoos and aquariums in North America. Each survival plan manages the breeding of a species in order to maintain a healthy and self-sustaining population that is both genetically diverse and demographically stable.

Elsa and Aslan will remain at the Racine Zoo indefinitely, while the remaining two members of the Pride of Racine, Bomani, a male, and Kya, a female, will be moved to other institutions in the future. A gift from Johnson Bank, Elsa and Aslan were brought to the Zoo in November 2005 with the intent that they would breed.

Meanwhile, in other Zoo news, the two female zebras recently acquired from the Glen Oak Zoo in Peoria, are now out of quarantine and on exhibit in place of the black rhinos who are often indoors during winter avoiding the cold weather. One is a 25-year-old Grant’s zebra, while the other is a 4-year-old Damara zebra. This is the first time the Racine Zoo has had zebras in the collection for 26 years. More on the zebras (and how to tell them apart) HERE.

More on the Zoo's summer babies here.

Mayor Becker to have cancer surgery Dec. 1

Mayor Gary Becker is scheduled to have a cancerous kidney removed on Dec. 1.

Becker will have the surgery at Froedtert Memorial Hospital in Wauwatosa and, if all goes well, will be out of work for two weeks.

In an interview Wednesday, Becker described the procedure as routine. He said the cancer is contained within the kidney and has not spread. No chemotherapy is needed.

"They say taking out a kidney is the new gall bladder," Becker joked.

The tumor was discovered earlier this month after Becker spent Nov. 5-6 in the hospital with an upper respiratory infection. While X-raying his lungs, doctors noticed a mass on his kidney, Becker said.

"I was fortunate to be in the hospital when I was," he said.

Becker said his absence should not affect city operations. Becker expects to miss one City Council meeting. City Council President David Maack will run the meeting in his absence.

Here is the message Becker sent out to city staff Wednesday:

As most of you know I have had some respiratory problems, and spent a few days in the hospital on November, 5th and 6th.

That has gotten much better, but while in the hospital they did discover a tumor on my kidney. It is contained and has not spread, so it is not a big deal. However, the kidney will have to be removed.

I will be going in to Froedert on Monday December 1st for the operation. I plan on a 2 or 3 night stay and then another week or so of recovery at home.

I will keep you posted, but at this time it is not something to worry a great deal about, and I expect a full recovery without any need for follow up treatments.

Everyone have a great Thanksgiving and I will see you in a few weeks.

Caledonia couple has new twist on St. Nick's Day

St. Nicholas Day is coming– Are you ready?

When you wake up on Dec. 6, will there be a shoe full of candy waiting for you? If you answered yes, you're one of the few Americans who live in a home where St. Nick's Day is celebrated.

St. Nick's Day?

It's not celebrated much in the U.S. -- although there has been some awareness of the holiday in Wisconsin -- but in Northern Europe St. Nicholas Day is a big thing. Traditional celebrations included gifts left in children's shoes (from which American Christmas stockings developed).

Good children receive treats -- candies, cookies, apples and nuts -- while naughty children receive lumps of coal. In Germany, children still put a shoe outside their bedroom doors on the eve of Saint Nicholas Day, and hope to find candy, coins and maybe a small gift in them on Dec. 6. In the Netherlands, children put their shoes in front of their chimneys in hopes of finding chocolate or a small toy in their shoe when they wake. (Illustration above is a Belgian postcard from the St. Nicholas Center Collection.)

But in the U.S. ... not so much. Patrick and Mindy Flynn of Caledonia are trying to change that. And they think they've improved on the idea of putting candy in kids' smelly shoes by creating special embroidered gift bags just for Saint Nicholas Day.

Patrick Flynn remembers his mother celebrating Saint Nicholas Day and asked her -- she's 80 now -- how the tradition started in her family. She said, "Gosh, I can't remember. It must have been after the 'little kids' started coming, because I didn't know about it earlier on." Flynn -- the sixth of nine siblings -- notes that his five older brothers and sisters are what his mother calls the "first generation;" the last four -- he's now 45 -- are the "little kids."

Nonetheless, his family isn't the only one to celebrate Saint Nicholas Day.

Mindy Flynn, a first-grade teacher at Fratt Elementary School, said, "I recall children in tears, after discovering many of their classmates had received a visit from St. Nick that morning, only to discover they had been left out. Some kids kept crying, 'Mrs. Flynn, why didn't he stop at our house?' "

That led to their eureka moment. "It was at that point my husband and I decided to create more awareness of the tradition by creating a shoe bag, embellished with an image of St. Nicholas and the date so parents would not forget.”

The bags are an offshoot of the couple's home-based "hobby business," Advantage Promotions, which focuses on embroidered corporate apparel items and school spirit wear.

Patrick says, "We came up with the idea last year during conversation over Christmas Eve Dinner. We registered the domain names www.stnicksday.com and www.stnicholasday.com. (Could not believe they were both available.) This is the first year we sold them. We actually started selling them a couple months ago and have sold more than we anticipated. One company in New York ordered over a hundred to give to their employees on St. Nicks Day. That was pretty cool!"

The shoe bags, which neatly hang on a doorknob or hook, are available for purchase at the couple's website. Order quickly and they'll arrive neatly embroidered with your child's name in time for this year's Saint Nicholas Day. To order, go to the website links above.

Ryan applauds Obama's budget director

Rep. Paul Ryan had nice things to say today about Peter Orszag, Barack Obama's choice to head his Administration's Office of Management and Budget. Here's Ryan's statement:

"I offer Dr. Peter Orszag my sincere congratulations on his nomination. I can’t think of a more qualified candidate to lead the Obama Administration’s Office of Management and Budget.

"During his nearly two years as director of the Congressional Budget Office, I believe Dr. Orszag has proven his mettle as one of our nation’s leading experts on the federal budget. He and I have enjoyed a strong, productive working relationship, and I have been particularly impressed with his understanding of the looming entitlement crisis, and the critical need for action."

Kalamazoo Promise: Showing Racine the way?

Remember the Racine Promise? It burst upon the scene earlier this month, as city officials announced they are seeking grants to study the feasibility of a program that would guarantee college tuition to any Racine high school graduate.

Well, here's a story about the Kalamazoo Promise, the program the city would like to emulate. A panel discussion in Kalamazoo last week -- about how to market the city and the Promise -- was filled with positive statements about the program, now in its fourth year, from local officials.

The city leads the U.S. in per-capita job creation; hotel tax revenues are up 8 per cent; entrepreneurs are draw to the community. Robert Miller, Western Michigan University vice president for community outreach, says Kalamazoo is "ahead of the curve'' in revitalizing its economy through education. He credits the Kalamazoo Promise for that, and says. "The entire state and nation could take a lesson from Kalamazoo.''

Which is just what Racine hopes to do. Alderman Aron Wisneski -- who along with Greg Helding and City Administrator Ben Hughes is pushing for the two $8,000 grants to get a study under way -- sent us a link to the article referenced above. He adds, "For all the negative voices around here that complain about how we need to do something about jobs and crime, it strikes me as important that they finally get what this is all about -- jobs and crime. If there is one thing that we have learned throughout human history, it is that the more educated a populace is, the better off it is in all ways."

To Russia With Love (from Case IH)

Especially for Russia: Case's new JX95 Tractor

Any tractor aficionados from Racine who happened to be in Russia last week would have felt right at home.

The big news at the Moscow Agrosalon, the first Russian international exhibition of agricultural machinery, was a series of new models from Case IH.

With more than 220 models in 13 product lines, it should be no surprise that Case offers special models for a farm economy as large as Russia's. And they did: introducing big tractors and specialized equipment whose purpose is beyond a city boy like me. (Patriot Sprayer, anyone? Windrower?) Moscow is Case's hub for the entire Russian Federation, with several distributors including two appointed just this year. Case, we are told, "is steadily growing its market share in the combine and tractor segments."

Here are some pictures if you want to compare what's available in Moscow with what's parked in your barn or buried under today's fresh snowfall.

Case square baler LBX 332

Case's Patriot sprayer 4420

Discount bookstore open (briefly) at Regency Mall

Move over, Barnes and Noble and Martha Merrell's. There's a new bookstore in town.

This one has an exciting pricing approach: "80% off!" (And, shhhh! It's not advertised, but teachers and librarians will get another 15% discount just by showing ID.)

Regency Mall's new tenant for the space recently vacated by Linens and Things' bankruptcy, and then briefly occupied by Halloween USA, is Giant Book Sales, a "seasonal" retailer that has rented the space "at least until the end of February." It opened Wednesday, and was full of customers this morning.

Our Giant Book Sales store is one of anywhere between 20 and 30 here-today, gone-tomorrow retail outposts around the country, mostly in the Midwest and Northeast, operated by American Book Company of Knoxville, TN. They've sent two managers, Richard Thompson of Vermont and Erik Sczepanik of Texas, to open and set up the space, hire workers and get everything running. The chain specializes in publishers' overstocks -- and apparently in mall space remaindered as well.

What might you find in the cavernous space only half-filled by books stacked on four by four-ft. shipping boxes? "Every kind of book under the sun," says Thompson. "Coffee table books, sports, biographies, mass media paperbacks, a large selection of children's books -- even autographed copies sometimes."

The store started out with 48 pallets, each loaded with 64 boxes of books. "As sales progress, they'll send us more," he said. How long will the store be here? "A definite three months," Thompson said. "Longer will depend on sales." While many of the chain's stores stay open only three months, at least one was open for 18 months, he said.

Although he'd never been to Racine before, Thompson has had a long-time connection with the community. Since he was about 10 years old, he's collected Whitman Books (The Annette Mysteries, Sierra Summer, etc.) published originally by Western Publishing Co. "I have to admit, I was very excited to be coming here."


Even if Giant Book Sales remains at Regency Mall for the long-term, there will still be major changes at the west end of the concourse. For right across the aisle from the new bookstore is Steve and Barry's, the troubled sports apparel retailer that already has announced it will liquidate shortly after Christmas.

Beat the Obamas! Take Pebbles home now

OK. The Obamas are getting all the attention when it comes to bringing a dog into the family. So much for the mainstream media!

Now here's your chance to get a dog, make your kids happy, transform your home -- long before Barack and Michelle, and Malia and Sasha, even move into the White House.

Pebbles is a three-year-old, apricot-colored poodle; a quiet loving guy who won't even ask who you voted for. He's a quiet, loving male -- timid at first, then very affectionate, according to our friends at the Countryside Humane Society.

Pebbles was picked up as a stray in Milwaukee by the Milwaukee Animal Control Commission. He is looking for a quieter home with children 10 years old and up (Sasha is just 7, so the Obamas need not apply). He is neutered, vaccinated, micro chipped and heart worm negative and really wants to go home.

With you?

Visit Pebbles at Countryside, 2706 Chicory Road, or call (262) 554-6699.

Nov. 22, 1963: Where were you?

Tomorrow is the 45th anniversary of the day JFK was shot. Where were you?

This link aggregates stories by a number of journalists -- what they were doing, how they felt, how their lives have been changed by the horrible event in Dallas.

We welcome your stories as well, in the comments below.

New lows for some Racine-based stocks

Can you say "bread line," boys and girls?

That's our word for the day, as the Dow fell yet another 444.99 points Thursday, breaking solidly through the supposed 8,000-point floor to wind up at 7,552, and taking the stocks of most Racine-based companies with it.

All the way down to new 52-week, and even historic lows.

Among the casualties -- all double-digit percentage drops except for Lee -- were:

• Case New Holland, CNH, which dropped $1.97, to $11.09 per share. Its 52-week high was $70 ... it seems a lifetime ago. In September, it was $37.
  
• Twin Disc, TWIN, dropped $.91 to $4.04 per share. Its 52-week high was $37.46. Just two months ago it was at $18 and a local broker assured me it was a "buy."
  
• Lee Enterprises, LEE, owner of the Journal Times, fell "just" $.09, to $1.24, but has touched $1.07 -- barely two cents above the New York Stock Exchange's delisting point of $1.05. Its 52-week high was $15.97.
• Marshall & Ilsley, MI, fell $1.33 to $11.86. Its 52-week high was $33.04.
  
• Modine, MOD, dropped $.53 to $3.52. Its 52-week high was $21.77. And in September it was a t$17.
  

Just remember: Some day we will look back upon today as a buying opportunity.

Property Transfers: Prices are falling in Racine County

First, here are the Property Transfers for Nov. 10-14.

Second, last week I compared a few sales prices to the county assessment and suggested that home values were not falling in the county. A few commenters with backgrounds in the real estate business jumped in to say that wasn't accurate, and a few days later the Wisconsin Realtors Association backed them up.

The median sale price in this year's third quarter (July, August and September) fell 6.6 percent to $154,500 compared to last year. The total number of home sales dropped from 597 last year to 484 sales this year; the 484 sales was the lowest total number for any third quarter dating back to 1997.

In other words, fewer people are selling their homes, and when they do, they're selling them for less than home owners were a year ago.

If you want to see the data yourself, click here.

Positively Racine: With CR 21, college is a real possibility

By Bill Griffiths

There is an exciting new program here in Racine to start some 8th graders thinking about college as a possibility and a goal. Each year 7th graders can apply and about 50 of them will have the opportunity to participate when they start the 8th grade. Other 7th graders can hope to get on the waiting list.

College Readiness 21 (CR21), which is about seven years old, first opened an office to serve Racine and Kenosha counties in January 2007. CR21 is administered by the Wisconsin Foundation for Independent Colleges (WFIC) located in Milwaukee, and is supported by foundations, grants, corporate and individual contributions. The goal is to help and encourage students, who may otherwise not have seriously considered college, to stay in Wisconsin for college and then perhaps become part of the talent pool for Wisconsin employers.

The program seeks out students living in Racine or Kenosha counties who are “first-generation college students” (whose parents have not graduated from a four-year degree program) and who currently qualify for free or reduced lunch programs. It is a five-year program that involves no cost for the students. The thought is that starting them in middle school increases their probability of completing the program, with the ultimate focus: helping the students be ready for college.

Today, according to the local program manager, Angela Peterson, a total of nearly 100 8th graders and high school freshman are now participating in the program here. In coming years, that will grow to approximately 250, as students progress through the five year program and new 8th graders enter.

There are a variety of components that CR21 offers, all designed to increase a student’s ability to successfully graduate from high school and then college. The program includes: supplemental academic mentoring and tutoring, guidance in developing life skills, time management skills and goal setting, coaching assistance to better prepare for ACT testing, several Saturday college tours each year, assistance in applying for college admissions, and scholarship opportunities through WFIC and others. For the fortunate students in the program, they start in the 8th grade and continue through four years of high school.

To learn more about the program, take a look at their website www.collegereadiness21.org or call the Racine and Kenosha Program Manager, Angela Peterson at 635-3852.

Kohl: How about a few bucks for ... um, homeowners?

As Congress heatedly debates whether to give the auto industry a $25 billion or so chump change bailout package, Sen. Herb Kohl, D-WI, asks what to us is a rather obvious question about the banking bailout that already has gone down: What's in it for homeowners? (Answer so far: Nada, nothing, ничего, zip.)

Kohl today urged Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson to consider doing something to help distressed homeowners, perhaps give consideration to a proposal by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to help them refinance into more affordable mortgages. Now that $250 billion has already been used to purchase preferred stock in healthy financial institutions, donchaknow, and God knows how much has gone to insurance giant AIG (none of which have used a nickel, pictured here for reference only, for the purposes promised) "to mitigate foreclosures or help homeowners refinance their mortgages as property values plummet."

Kohl's letter:

Dear Secretary Paulson,

Recently, Congress learned about the progress of the Treasury Department’s implementation of the Emergency Economic Stability Act of 2008 and the usage of the authorized funds. The Treasury has spent $250 billion to purchase preferred stock in healthy financial institutions and an additional $40 billion to AIG. However, none of the funds have been used to mitigate foreclosures or help homeowners refinance into more affordable mortgages -- the area many experts and economists deem the heart of the financial crisis.

The goal of the legislation was to stabilize our financial markets, free up credit and help homeowners avoid foreclosure. Not only did the law authorize the Capital Purchase program, which you have fully utilized, but it allows the purchase of troubled mortgages. The foreclosure crisis’ negative impact on our economy is dramatically visible and evident. FDIC Chairwoman Sheila Bair has warned that the country will see another wave of foreclosures in the next two years if no action is taken, resulting in an additional 5 million homes lost. Wisconsin has already seen record foreclosures and home values drop by 5.3%. Residents in my home state, along with the rest of the country, will not be able to weather another deluge of foreclosures.

It is time we start addressing the root of the problem afflicting our financial markets and not just its symptoms. I urge you to consider the proposal by the FDIC to help distressed homeowners refinance into more affordable mortgages. The FDIC model has worked for loans when it took over IndyMac Bancorp this past July. The proposal will allow families to stay in their homes and decrease potential foreclosures. Chairwoman Bair estimates this will cost approximately $25 billion and can easily be taken from the bailout money allocated to the Treasury Department. Most people would rather see the government spend $25 billion to help struggling homeowners instead of letting them lose an estimated $164 billion in home equity and life savings.

Rebate processor's bankruptcy may affect you

Bad news for those of you waiting for cash rebates.

You might be in rebate limbo. A major national rebate processor, who works for many national retail chains and brands -- Bed, Bath and Beyond; Home Depot; Menard's; Canon; Costco; Abbot Labs among them -- filed for bankruptcy this week.

What that means is that your rebate may not be on the way after all, or that check you got last week -- yes, that check still sitting in your wallet or purse -- may bounce when you deposit it, adding bad check fees to your loss of the rebate.

We got this unwelcome news from a local reader, who pointed us to this detailed story laying out the gory details -- and what you can do about the situation, maybe. You do have all your receipts, right? Good luck.