Holiday season arrives in Racine

Racine's holiday season began Saturday night, with an hour-long parade that culminated in the lighting of the city's Christmas tree in Monument Square.

Thousands of families and kids lined the streets Downtown, in milder than usual weather, watching more than 50 parade entries and happily waiting for the arrival of Santa, who did not disappoint. There were floats, rescue dogs, reindeer, beauty pageant winners, dancers and kids singing carols. Postal carriers collected kids' letters to Santa -- and promised an answer to each. Here are a few of the pictures we snapped along the route.

Milwaukee's Dancing Grannies

Some new toys from Bombardier in Sturtevant

Postal carriers collected mail for Santa

Southeastern WI Harley Riders opened the parade

The traditional parade finale: Santa Claus himself

Kids of all ages happily greeted Santa

Brad and Dani Weber brought Emma, 17 months, to the lighting

Parade Chair Barb Ehrhart took her grandson on Santa's float

Gateway celebrates opening of new welding lab

Gateway Technical College held an open house celebrating its new welding lab on Thursday at the Technical Building on the Racine Campus.

The 9,000-square-foot lab features 18 booths each with four different kinds of welding equipment. The lab allows Gateway to deliver modern practical welding training – the larger space means more opportunity to work with larger fabrication projects and the additional training it provides. The lab offers improved training opportunities and experiences for welding students because of its state-of-the-art equipment.

Attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony were Mayor John Dickert; Gateway President Bryan Albrecht; Gateway welding instructors Mark Uttech and Ben McFarland; Gateway Board of Trustees President Fred Burkhardt; and Jim Zondlak from Mahar Tools and Bruce Jensen from Bert Jensen & Sons.

21st Century Prep swears in student peer mediators

Judge Faye Flancher shakes hands with newly sworn-in mediators

Fourteen fifth, sixth and seventh graders from the 21st Century Preparatory School were sworn in as peer mediators on Tuesday, by Judge Faye Flancher in her courtroom.

Last month, the students attended a two-day training program that provided them and their advisors with conflict management skills, problem-solving strategies, and intensive instruction in the peer mediation process. Active listening, dealing with feelings, effective questioning techniques, and building workable agreements are highlighted.

Mediation is a process for resolving disputes and conflicts in which a neutral third party acts as a moderator seeking to work out differences constructively. Mediation provides the school with an alternative to traditional disciplinary practices. Peer mediation is not about finding who is right or wrong; instead, students are encouraged to move beyond the immediate conflict and learn how to get along with each other.

The peer mediators for this school-year are: Sierra Hogard, Jackson Tracy, Makayla LaRue, Etaly Perkins, Isabella Huizar and Emma Graves, 5th grade; Brianna Smith, Jada Colbert, Fernando Huerta and Marissa Dyess, 6th grade; Ahmad Qawi, Caitlin Obernberger, DeAysa Riley and Ashley Coutts-Heaney, 7th grade.

Not every kind of problem is suitable for peer mediation. Assault or other criminal activities are usually not referred to the school’s mediation program. Common situation involving name-calling, rumors, bumping into students in the hallways and bullying can be successfully resolved through peer mediation.

The peer mediation team at 21st Century Prep School

Mason asks state-county sit-down on Wisconsin Shares

Lost in the misdirected obfuscating shots over Cory Mason's remark about the county's inadequate Wisconsin Shares oversight is this:

• Fraud in Racine County was the centerpiece of the Journal-Sentinel's first investigative article, back on Jan. 25. Refresh your memory here and re-read how county workers continually missed warning signs and kept the checks flowing for years. Part 2 of the series raised the county's fraud ante to about $1 million in just the handful of cases the newspaper investigated.
  
• And then three days later came County Executive Bill McReynold's reaction, in a Journal Times article whose headline said it all: "No county inadequacy over child care system, says McReynolds." He went on to give a more nuanced response than that -- "I don't condone fraud," for instance -- but at the same time seemed more interested in investigating how the newspaper got its facts than stopping the fraud.

Taking those two points into account, we saw nothing out of the ordinary when Mason said on the Assembly floor, that county officials "failed to take full responsibility for the child care fraud that's been going on in Racine."

But county officials -- um, mostly Republican county officials or those reporting to them -- were shocked, shocked!

So now we've had a week of potshots taken at Mason, D-Racine, for stating the obvious: dueling commentaries on the JT's editorial page, two County Board members taking sides, a JT editorial calling for everyone to make nice, accept responsibility and fix the system.

Mason today made his own effort to tone down the rhetoric and make peace. He invited county officials to sit down with him and state officials for a discussion about Wisconsin Shares. That could be more promising and less like the invitation to a hanging county officials earlier extended to Mason -- to have him come to a County Board meeting to explain his votes and defend his criticisms.

“The issues surrounding Wisconsin Shares are too important for us to discuss through the press, as has unfortunately happened in recent days,” said Mason. “Both County officials and legislators must work together to ensure the program’s success. I am interested in a productive, respectful dialogue about Shares to guarantee that we can meaningfully pair tougher state laws with effective County enforcement.”

Mason proposes a meeting with McReynolds, Board Chair Peter Hansen, and Human Services Board Chair Mike Miklasevich, Rep. Peter Barca who co-chairs the Legislature’s Joint Audit Committee, and Rep. Tamara Grigsby, who chairs the Assembly Committee on Children and Families. "Rep. Barca will bring the details and experience of the Legislative Audit Bureau’s recent and ongoing audit of the Shares program. Rep. Grigsby can bring her insight as the lead author of the bill passed last week by the Legislature cracking down on Shares fraud," Mason said.

“I hope we can convene as soon as possible," Mason said, "and meet for as long as necessary to ensure that we get to the bottom of current state-county tensions related to the Wisconsin Shares program. I am looking forward to this important and hopefully productive conversation. I hope that Racine County’s officials share my desire to work together to ensure the integrity of Shares and preserve this vital program which serves so many of the Racine-area’s working families.”

It'll be interesting to see whether this meeting takes place, and whether anything comes of it. For now, it appears that Republicans are having too much fun trying to make Mason the scapegoat and planting seeds for the next election.
_______________
Full disclosure: As most readers of this site already know, my daughter works for Cory Mason; she had nothing to do with this article. -- Pete Selkowe

A dual biography of two of our artistic native sons

Root River with D.P. Wigley, from the State Street Bridge

Watercolor, ink and pencil, 1939, by Theodore Czebotar

By John Dey
For RacinePost

Racine’s unofficial poet laureate David Kherdian has written a touching portrait of another artistic native son, Theodore Czebotar, whose paintings and sketches of Racine were featured earlier this year by the Mathis Art Gallery downtown.

Czebotar’s watercolors of local scenes and buildings do for the eye what Kherdian’s well-drawn poems do for the ear, preserving an artistic vision of the old Racine, the industrial town of hard-working immigrant families somewhere on the young side of the 20th century.

But it was a town that young men go walking from as well. Kherdian with kindred sympathy for Czebotar, who preceded him by about a half generation, gives us a compelling picture of a young artistic soul at odds with a life being drawn up for him by parents.

It is in some ways a dual biography, for those who know Kherdian, as he holds up Czebotar’s compulsion to leave Racine for artistic reasons as a lens for viewing his own story.

Finding Theodore Czebotar
by David Kherdian. Tavnon Books, 2009, $25
Cover art: Self-portrait by Czebotar

Both were young, from immigrant families – Czebotar Polish and Kherdian Armenian – ethnic identities that shared a sense of being put upon, a downtrodden quality.

Kherdian writes about Czebotar not from memory but from notes gathered from surviving relatives and from his own research in the last year or so. That he did not know the artist is amazing, given his insight in piecing together the tale of his life.

We follow Czebotar from Racine to the west coast and back, then to New York for several successful gallery exhibitions. In between he befriends a rising William Saroyan, makes a great splash in New York art circles, and finally finds a wife and settles in a small homestead in rural New York.

Peripatetic, yet always returning to Racine, Czebotar became reclusive and is a forgotten artist today. This book with its warm-hearted, engaging style will help to correct that.
_________
John Dey is a reference librarian at the Racine Public Library

The book can be purchased from Dey at the Library, Martha Merrell's Books (online), Milaeger's and the Racine Art Museum.

For more examples of Czebotar’s work, visit Mathis Gallery's website. Although the gallery's show ended last February, Emile Mathis still has some Czebotar paintings on hand.

More about David Kherdian, when he was awarded the Racine Public Library's Emily Lee Award, is here. And here's his website.

St. Monica's honors its 19 veterans... and all vets

Stella Supiano holds photos of herself and her deceased husband;
he was a Marine during WWII and she was a WAC

Dick Roloff, a volunteer at St. Monica's Senior Citizens Home, sent us these pictures from the Veteran's Day program held yesterday at the assisted living center, 3920 Green Bay Rd.

The program honored the 19 veterans now living at St. Monica's, as well as all veterans.

The Agerholm-Gross Detachment of the Marine Corps League performed a living reenactment of the flag-raising on Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima. Flag raisers, below, were: J. Neufeld (representing Harlon Block), D. Kramer (representing Rene Gagen), J. Maller (representing Mike Strank), J. Solberg (representing John Bradley), S. Buchaklian (representing Franklin Sousley) and J. Thompson (representing Ira Hayes).

Pat Murphy narrated the program.

Lakeview Pharmacy offers free medication alerts

Did you take your medication today?

Lakeview Pharmacy is offering a new service to help patients keep track, by providing daily reminders.

The service, aimed at improving patient safety, is called My Dose Alert. It helps patients keep track of medications by providing telephone, text or email alerts daily, at whatever time the patient specifies.

According to a report by the National Council of Patient Information and Education, 84 percent of patients say forgetfulness is the major cause of medication non-adherence. Medication therapy has become more sophisticated over the years, with people of all ages taking multiple medications. One out of two patients does not take or refill medications as instructed by the prescribing physician, according to the World Health Organization.

Lakeview Pharmacy's solution takes the worry about complicated medication schedules. People sign up for the program at the pharmacy (or it can be done by mail), and their specific medications and the times they want alerts, are entered into a database. Lakeview has a staff member available to answer questions or concerns. Patients should notify the pharmacy when there are changes in medication. Alerts are then made automatically.

“We are very pleased to be the only pharmacy in southeastern Wisconsin to offer this important service,” said Amy Schiveley, PharmD, managing pharmacist. “It is free to everyone in the community, not just our current patients. My Dose Alert is very valuable because patients taking medication incorrectly will not get the desired results. Many times physicians determine a certain medication is not working and may change the medication or dosage, possibly leading to a more expensive drug or uncomfortable side effects.”

Lakeview Pharmacy, at 516 Monument Square, is open Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information stop in or visit the My Dose Alert website.

More national courtroom exposure for Racine -- oh, joy

As if Racine hasn't had enough national exposure from miserable court cases -- Gary Becker's upcoming trial and the SC Johnson trucking scam come immediately to mind, neither one of them over -- on Thursday we get another round.

Oh, joy.

This time, it involves hairless cats and rambunctious chihuahuas, the starting point of an angry dispute between two former friends. The venue: the Judge Joe Brown show, which bills itself as the No. 2 syndicated courtroom show and tells us it's been on the air for 11 years. No, we never heard of it either, but a check of local TV listings shows "It's Joe time" every weekday at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on WITI-TV, Fox 6 in Milwaukee, two episodes daily -- right before Judge Judy, who we have heard of (but never watch either.)

Judge Joe Brown's PR aparatus gives us this summary of "our" episode, which will be broadcast on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 3 p.m.:

"Dawn Talos, 31, left, is suing her ex-friend, Nicole Brainerd, 29,, right, for $350. Talos claims she loaned the defendant $300 which the defendant refuses to repay after they had a falling out regarding pet sitting. Brainerd claims she paid back most of the loan and gave the rest to her daughter after the plaintiff canceled a pet sitting job with her."

Reminds us of the famous quote by David Frost: "Television is an invention that permits you to be entertained in your living room by people you wouldn't have in your home." If this kind of "entertainment" is your cup of tea... well, enjoy. Please don't tell us how it all comes out.

Actually, minimal Goog-search reveals that Judge Joe Brown has an interesting backstory , although whether this is a positive recommendation is up for debate.To quote Wikipedia:

Brown became the first African-American prosecutor in the city of Memphis...before becoming a judge on the State Criminal Court of Shelby County, TN. Brown was thrust into the national spotlight while presiding over James Earl Ray's last appeal of Ray's conviction for the assassination of Martin Luther King. Brown was removed from the reopened investigation of King's murder due to alleged bias—former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney of Georgia wrote that Brown told her and the Congressional Black Caucus unequivocally, that the so-called murder rifle was not the weapon that killed Martin Luther King, Jr....It was during this time that Judge Brown came to the attention of the producers of Judge Judy.

Ashley, a little Boxer looking for a new home

Want a new girlfriend as this holiday season approaches? One who will never criticize your party outfits, or pout if she doesn't get jewelry for Christmas?

Meet Ashley, an 8-month-old Boxer mix. She is brindle-colored, with white, and has a dark mask. She is mixed with something smaller than Boxer, so she will remain slightly smaller and lighter; she'll be a medium-sized adult with a slender, delicate build.

Our friends at Countryside Humane Society tell us Ashley is very eager to please and enjoys being with people. She also gets along well with other dogs.

Ashley is recommended for children four years old and up. She still has the activity level of a puppy.

To take a look, stop in at Countryside Humane Society's shelter 2706 Chicory Road, or call (262) 554-6699.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Dave Novak snaps a picture as tree is lifted from his yard

It took less time to set up Racine's 25' tall Christmas tree in Monument Square than it usually takes me to set up mine in the living room.

And Racine's had to be cut down and transported from Mount Pleasant.

Crews from Klaus Cranes, Dykstra Brothers and Tree Guys began the process at 8 a.m. By 9:30, the tree was resting in place in Monument Square.

This year's tree was donated by Dave and Theresa Novak of 5115 East Prairie View Drive, who were happy to get it out of their front yard, where it blocked the view from their living room. Dave agreed the tree was "very beautiful," but he's wanted to cut it down since he moved into his home two years ago.

Crane gently lowers tree
onto Monument Square

A retired Vietnam veteran, with 20 years' service, who has Army, Marine and POW service flags flying from a tall pole in his yard -- and two of his five children, Douglas and Christopher, serving in the military -- Dave dedicated the tree to servicemen everywhere.

He estimated the age of the tree at about 32 to 36 years. "My house was built in 1968," he said, "and another tree I cut down yesterday had 32 rings."

In any case, it took less than 30 minutes for workmen to hook the tree up to a large crane and lift it from in front of Novak's house onto a flatbed trailer. It quickly followed a police car escort to Monument Square, where it was gently lifted into place without incident. The lights and decorations are scheduled to be hung over the next couple of days.

Ryan: 'This is not about health care, it's about ideology'

Rep. Paul Ryan, R-WI, 1st District, voted against the health care bill that passed the House of Representatives late Saturday night, 220 to 215.

If that's a surprise, you haven't been paying attention. Still, regardless which side you're on, it's hard to disagree with Ryan when he says, “This is not about health care policy. this is about ideology.”

Ryan's statement on the issue, sent out just five minutes after the vote, makes crystal clear how he feels about this bill that provides health coverage for millions of uninsured Americans, while providing subsidies for millions more. Here's a summary of the bill's provisions from the Wall St. Journal, which is nobody's Democratic mouthpiece.

We're a long way from making up our minds about the bill, but it's fun to see how firmly Ryan is locked into the opposition. He credits its passage to "Pelosi's arm-twisting" and "political horse-trading" and sees in the bill the replacement of the "American ideal" by a "European-style social welfare state." And he's just getting warmed up.

Decide for yourself about the bill, which still has to go through the Senate. Meanwhile, here's our Congressman, in his own words:

WASHINGTON – Wisconsin’s First District Congressman Paul Ryan voted against the Democratic Leadership’s massive health care overhaul, which passed the House of Representatives at 11:15 pm on Saturday night. Despite Speaker Pelosi’s arm-twisting enough Democratic votes for final passage, there was a bipartisan coalition opposed to the legislation – the result of mounting evidence that the legislation contradicted its own goals, along with growing concerns with its costly consequences.

While the Majority’s health care overhaul faces an uncertain future in the U.S. Senate, Congressman Ryan continues his efforts to promote fiscally responsible, patient-centered health care solutions. Prior to the vote on final passage of H.R. 3962, House Republicans offered a simpler and less expensive health care alternative, focusing on reforms that would reduce health care costs by empowering patients and small businesses, encouraging true competition to allow coverage to be purchased across state lines, and curbing the practice of defensive medicine by reigning in junk lawsuits. The Majority rejected this common sense proposal, opting instead for a 2,034 page, $3 trillion overhaul that will ultimately restrict individual choice and increase the cost of coverage.

As a result of last minute political horse-trading, House Leadership was able to secure 220 votes to pass H.R. 3962 late on Saturday night. In advance of tonight’s vote, Ryan delivered the following remarks on the House floor:“I firmly believe that this is the most consequential vote each of us will take in our service here in Congress.

“When you expose this bill’s budget gimmicks, does it increase the debt and deficit? Yes. Will it take coverage away from seniors, raise premiums for families, and decrease health care innovation? Yes. Will it raise taxes on small businesses and workers, and cost us nearly 5.5 million jobs when our unemployment rate is 10.2%? Yes. Does this bill mean the government will take over running our health care system? Yes.

“But what is worse is this bill replaces the American Idea with a European-style social welfare state. This bill – more than any other decision we are going to make in this body – will lead to millions of Americans becoming dependents on the state rather than being dependent upon themselves. This is not about health care policy – if it were, we could pass a bipartisan bill to fix what’s broken in health care without breaking what’s working in health care. This is about ideology.

“The choice is not whether or not you’re going to stick with your party leaders. The choice here is what side of history do you want to be on? Will you be on the side of history where you stick with the people and the principles that built this exceptional nation? That is the choice we face.”

As the House Leadership muscled through its overhaul of 17% of our economy tonight, Congressman Ryan raised a number of substantive concerns with the legislation:

A Government Takeover of Health Care – Rather than address the current health care market distortions imposed by flawed government policies, H.R. 3962 would expand Washington’s heavy hand and exacerbate what’s broken in health care. Specifically, the legislation proposes:

• One-Size Fits All Health Care. The bill’s rating restrictions, coverage mandates, and benefit requirements will halt innovation and drive individualized health products out of the market. The bill disqualifies Health Savings Accounts, which provide more than eight million Americans with access to low-cost coverage. All plans would be subject to approval by a new Health Choices Commissioner, with the authority to penalize any health plan that does not comply with this new federal bureaucracy.
• Government Rationing. In an unprecedented power grab, this bill provides the federal government even greater leverage in deciding which medical treatments are worth paying for and which are not. In an effort to contain costs of its new health care entitlement, a new “Comparative Effectiveness Research” program will inevitably impose government control over physicians’ medical decisions, and cause private-sector insurers to limit coverage in line with the government’s choices.
• Price Setting. While the legislation suggests providers will be able to negotiate rates with the government, there is nothing to prevent this from becoming a take-it-or-leave-it, price-setting system. Put simply, prices will be dictated to health care providers at rates determined by the federal government.

Another Unsustainable Health Entitlement – The unsustainable growth in federal spending is driven largely by the exploding costs of existing federal government entitlement programs. Paradoxically, this bill attempts to address our entitlement and fiscal crisis through the creation of a costly new open-ended entitlement. H.R. 3962 dramatically adds to the federal government’s already unsustainable liabilities, including the following specific spending concerns:

• $3 Trillion Ten-year Price Tag. Proponents continue to tout a massive budget gimmick, using 10 years of revenues but only seven years of cost. Even with this timing trick, the CBO’s score of H.R. 3962 remains in excess of $1 trillion. Once the spending is fully phased in after 2014, its true cost exceeds $3 trillion over ten years.
• Driving States Deeper Into the Red. Rather than make quality health coverage more affordable, H.R. 3962 attempts to cover the uninsured by adding them to ever expansive government-run programs. The dramatic expansion of Medicaid would force cash-strapped States to spend an additional $34 billion over the next 10 years – on top of the already unsustainable Medicaid burdens States already face.
• $279 Billion Doc Fix Shell Game – In a final-hour political deal, the Majority sought to gain credit for a Medicare reimbursement increase doctors want (the so-called “doc fix”), while hiding its $279 billion cost. This quarter-trillion dollar budget gimmick is a fiscally reckless stunt: Democrats will claim support for the doctors’ payment hike as part of their overall health care plan, but at the same time pretend its cost is a separate matter.

Heavy Taxes and Fees on Individuals and Small Businesses – The massive expansion of the federal government’s role in the delivery of health care relies heavily on a number of mandates and tax penalties. H.R. 3962 imposes $729.5 billion in new taxes on families, employers and workers, including the following:

• A total of $460.5 billion in job-killing surtaxes on small businesses;
• Another $135 billion in employer mandates, including the “play-or-pay” scheme punishing even small companies that are unable to provide group health insurance;
• An additional $33 billion in individual mandates – including an unprecedented Washington requirement that everyone must buy health insurance or be subject to federal penalties (including jail time).

Long lines for flu shots end earlier than expected

Noor Khan watches intently as mom, Iman, gets her shot

Little Noor Khan, 8, of East Troy, wasn't happy. She stood by and watcher her mother, Iman, get her flu shot this morning, but was less than eager to take her place in the chair and roll up her sleeve. There were no tears, mind you; just a natural reluctance.

Finally, the nurse's promise of stickers put her over the tipping point and ... voilà, it was done, almost before she knew it.

And then Noor's bg smile came out.

Actually, there were far more smiles than frowns at Case High School Saturday morning, as 90 health department workers and volunteers lined up to give thousands of flu shots -- a total of 5,500 doses were on hand.

During the first 90 minutes it looked like they would be needed. There was a long line when the free clinic began, and 1,000 people received either the shot or the nasal spray. But by 10:45 a.m., the crowd was down to a trickle, and most of the nurses' stations were empty. (Update: The Journal Times reported tonight that a total of 2,220 vaccines were administered Saturday.)

Margaret Gesner, health officer from the Caledonia/Mt. Pleasant Health Department, was on the fence about whether the sudden end of the long lines was good news or bad.

"We expected the lines to persist," she said, "and we'd like to vaccinate as many people as possible. But this may not be bad because it may mean that people are getting the vaccine elsewhere."

Both forms of flu vaccination -- with a needle in the arm or a nasal mist -- were being administered this morning. The live virus nasal spray is for healthy people aged 2 to 49, and the shots are for older folks and those with underlying conditions, like asthma. The clinic continues until 3 p.m. today.

The county already has tentative plans for more free flu shot clinics, depending upon vaccine availability.

Nurses' vaccination stations lacked only patients

Time capsule highlights Sixth Street rededication

Sixth Street's chilly but enthusiastic rededication ceremony

Well, if you really want to start at the beginning, Friday night's party on Sixth Street had its origins in 1848, when planks were first installed on the Janesville Plank Road, making it the gateway to Racine. There was a toll booth near Mound Cemetery; the fee was one cent per mile for a wagon and horse.

It wasn't until 1884 that the first pavers -- limestone blocks from the Horlick Quarry -- were installed; bricks didn't come until 1895, and they lasted until the 1940s.

This brief history was presented by John Busey, chairman of the Downtown Racine Corporation, as long-suffering merchants joined city and construction officials to rededicate Sixth Street, celebrating the completion of a two-year, $3 million project that officially began six years ago. Hopefully, it will last for another 50 years.

Busey and Devin Sutherland, executive director of DRC, presented 100-year-old "ceremonial bricks" unearthed during the project, to many of the local officials and workers from HNTB and Oakes Construction who were instrumental in the street's rebirth.

The first went to State Sen. John Lehman, D-Racine, who led the successful effort to get an extra $500,000 from the state, money that turned an everyday street into the attractive streetscape that is the new Sixth: with street furniture, ornamental lighting and brick pavers. For Lehman the day overflowed: he also celebrated the birth Friday of a granddaughter.

The nip in the air kept speeches mercifully short. Mayor John Dickert brought a proclamation, but said, "there are far too many 'whereases' in it; read it in 100 years."

DRC's John Busey and Devin Sutherland showed off time capsule

The highlight of the rededication ceremony in the parking lot of Porters of Racine was the burying of a time capsule, full of mementos from Sixth Street merchants, the Racine Heritage Museum and DRC. There's a history of Sixth Street, a copy of the legislature's proclamation this week in honor of the city's 175th anniversary, a CD with 250 photos of the city, t-shirts from Joey's on Sixth and some other businesses.

The capsule -- an 8" in diameter tube about two feet long -- was built by Feiner Plumbling. Although it looked like stainless steel, in reality it was PVC pipe painted silver. The biggest problem with similar time capsules is that people forget about them long before, say, 50 years goes by. Sutherland said he's got that problem under control: there's a national register for time capsules, and Chris Paulson, director of the Heritage Museum, will geocache the location. (A lesser problem will be whether our descendants who open the time capsule during the street's next reconstruction in 2060, or whenever, will know what to do with a CD -- but that's their problem, not ours.)

The capsule was handed to Bob and Micah Waters of Porters of Racine; their store, which opened in 1857, is almost as old as Sixth Street itself. Bob gently lowered the capsule into a hole drilled by Feiner Plumbing into the sidewalk. Barely an hour after the ceremony ended, two workmen from Midwest Paving had cemented the capsule into place and covered it with one of the decorative granite inserts designed by Erika Adams.

By then, the party was well underway, with cheesecake and other snacks available at most of Sixth Street's galleries and eateries, and along Main Street, a bigger kickoff than usual for Downtown's First Friday celebration.

Kids exhibited photos of what it's been like for two years

Couple marvels at old wooden water pipe that ran under the street

Bob and Micah Waters with the time capsule

...which Bob gently lowers into the sidewalk

...where it's now covered by this decorative granite insert

Fred Evans provided the music at Photographic Designs' party

Racine Lutheran Walkathon raises $12,000

Racine Lutheran High students raised more than $12,000 in the school’s recent Walkathon, as 90% of the student body participated in the 10K event. Top fundraisers were: Senior Maria Ilso with $272, Junior Katie Friesema with $350, Sophomore Ty Demuth with $600, and Freshman Peter Andersen with $135.

Racine Police may get new crime-fighting cameras

Update: We talked with Lt. Jim Dobbs about the cameras, which sound pretty cool. The cameras will be mounted on four squad cars' light bars and running nonstop while the cars are on duty. They can be used to track specific license plates and for general surveillance.

Dobbs gave a few examples of how this will be useful:

* The cameras can search for stolen vehicle. If the camera hits on a stolen plate, the system pings the officer so they can recover the car.

* They can also help investigators track down subjects. For example, if someone catches a license plate in an armed robbery, investigators can review the license plate cameras to find out where the suspect was before or after a crime.

* It gives police another tool to track track sexual offenders.

* It also could help spot people who owe significant amounts of money in overdue parking tickets. If these cars are spotted, police can tow them until the fines are paid.

Original post: Big Brother... um, Racine Police may soon be watching more closely than ever.

If you're on the right side of the law, that can be a good thing. If not ... well, tell it to the judge!

Yesterday -- according to a release from Sen. Herb Kohl, D-WI -- the U.S. Senate approved Kohl's request for $850,000 for crime prevention projects in Southeastern Wisconsin. Most of the money went to Milwaukee, but Racine could scoop up $100,000 for four license plate recognition cameras.

Here's what the release said about them:

This project will provide the City of Racine with four Automatic License Plate Recognition cameras on police patrol cars. The system will capture digital images of virtually every license plate within view of the patrol car, either moving or stationary.
The license plates are then instantaneously compared to a variety of databases. The officer operating the system is immediately notified of any irregularities and may then take appropriate actions.

These cameras will reduce the amount of time officers spend investigating crimes so they can spend more time patrolling Racine streets and neighborhoods. In addition to benefiting the City of Racine, the Racine Police Department regularly participates in multi-jurisdictional law and traffic enforcement projects, so those jurisdictions will benefit from the use of this equipment as well.

No word on how effective the city's existing crime-fighting cameras have been...

The money is in the Senate version of the 2010 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, which will now go before the House-Senate conference committee

All that hard work on Sixth Street finally pays off

The new Sixth Street, looking west toward City Hall

Has it been just two years?

Two years of construction, a torn-up street, blocked-off sidewalks, dark streetlights, pedestrian barriers, business-as-usual under the most difficult conditions?

Yes, it has been horrible -- but all that comes to an end Friday night, with the official completion of the Sixth Street renovation project. The pavement is done, utility lines rebuilt, brick sidewalks and bump-outs installed, new street lights erected and made operational. Crews were finishing up the fine points Thursday afternoon, installing decorative metal "shrouds" at the bottom of the last few street lights.

The Downtown Racine Corporation is throwing a party -- the centerpiece of this month's First Friday celebration -- to mark Sixth Street's rebirth, its rise from the ashes ... um, dirt and planks of the old Plank Road, revealed during the sometimes archaeological project.

The ceremonial rededication will begin at 5:30 p.m., in Porter's parking lot, where DRC will read a proclamation, install a time capsule, recognize many of those involved in the project ...and allow far too many to speechify about it (briefly).

Devin Sutherland, DRC executive director, and John Busey, DRC board chair, will welcome state and local officials, and those from the companies that completed the street work (on schedule, it must be noted).

After this, the real party will begin, with cake, music, free attractions and Sixth Street $6 bills good for special offers at many of the street's merchants. Go here for the real party specifics, as well as the details of other Downtown events marking November's First Friday.

Sixth Street, looking east toward the Lake

Letter to Editor: Avoid 'Where the Wild Things Are'

Dear Editor,

This letter is meant as a public service to the community. Where the Wild Things Are
is a dud. The film is boring again and again and again. It's unsuitable for adults and children no matter their ages. Where is wonderment?

Children watching were restless tusslers and feet scrapers. My adult friend and I agreed we could have left anytime and not missed a thing.

Tom Hanks, as a producer, done us wrong! Could Hanks's name as film tie-in be why high-profile critics are giving the film three, even four, stars?

Boltslider
Racine

Editor's Note: Boltslider is the alias of a local writer who comments on cultural, community and all other types of events.

It's our day tomorrow in the Legislature;Happy Demisemiseptcentennial, Racine!

The Wisconsin State Assembly tomorrow will take up Rep. Cory Mason's resolution honoring Racine on the occasion of the city's historic milestone: the Demisemiseptcentennial Anniversary of its founding.

The city began 175 years ago, in November of 1834, when Capt. Gilbert Knapp, left, established his settlement of Fort Gilbert at the mouth of the Root River.

Mason's resolution -- with 39 Whereas clauses strung together pointing out the city's diverse attributes -- will be read and celebrated near the beginning of the Assembly's convening on Thursday, the last day of the legislature's fall session.

Mason solicited the community’s input for the resolution, and said he was pleased with the number of suggestions he received. “The numerous events, people, accomplishments and ‘firsts’ detailed in this resolution honoring Racine make it clear just how much we have to be proud of,” said Mason, a fifth-generation Racine resident. “It was very hard to select just a few items to commemorate all that makes Racine special.”

Among those he selected were the city's strong opposition to slavery before the Civil War; the birth here of Paul P. Harris, founder of Rotary International; the invention of malted flavoring by the Horlick brothers along with other iconic manufacturers like SC Johnson and JI Case; the Racine Belles and Raiders; architect Frank Lloyd Wright's buildings; the city's Danish population; the cleanliness of North Beach; and the Racine Symphony Orchestra, oldest in Wisconsin.

The most unusual attribute? "Whereas, the people of the Racine Community have the good sense to refer to a water fountain as a Bubbler..."

Read the entire resolution HERE.

Following passage of the resolution, legislators and the public will adjourn briefly to the Assembly Parlor to enjoy some Racine kringle. Members of the public are invited to the State Capitol to help celebrate Racine’s 175th anniversary; those who can’t make it can watch the proceedings on Wisconsin Eye.

State Assembly to Honor Labor Leader Rudy Kuzel Thursday

State Rep. Cory Mason, D-Racine, announced today that the state Assembly will take action Thursday on a resolution honoring Rudy John Kuzel (left), former president of the United Auto Workers Local 72, who died on Oct. 1.

Assembly Joint Resolution 86, authored by Mason, celebrates Kuzel’s life and legacy. The resolution will be read and celebrated near the beginning of the Assembly’s convening on Thursday, the last day of the legislator’s fall session.

Mason said, "Rudy Kuzel was a skilled, tough, and passionate leader. This resolution’s passage is a symbolic but lasting testament to his advocacy, and his ability to fight for working families through the strength of his union."

The resolution details and honors Kuzel’s life, public service, and deep commitment to the Wisconsin labor movement. Kuzel worked at American Motors Corporation and then Chrysler Automotive in Kenosha for 38 years. He was President of the UAW Local 72 during many challenging times, including the shutdown of the auto assembly operations in Kenosha in 1988.

"Honoring Rudy in this small way provides an opportunity for other legislators and the public to learn about this great man and to pause for a moment to recognize his tremendous contributions to the Racine community and, indeed, to the entire state," Mason said.

Numerous legislators joined Representative Mason in introducing this resolution, including Representatives Barca, Turner, Steinbrink and Kerkman, and Senators Lehman and Wirch.

Library team spells its way to championship

When it comes to spelling, the Racine Public Library rules. Must be all those dictionaries in the Reference section.

The Library's spelling bee team, the Dakota Bees, are champions again, winning The BUZZ, the Adult Spelling Bee that celebrated its 15th anniversary last week.

Competing against seven other teams, the Dakota Bees won the nerve-wracking, four-hour contest when Syzygy, the team from Sturino Funeral Home, tripped up on "verglas," a thin film of ice on a rock.

It was all in good fun, a fund-raiser for the Racine Literacy Council.

Dakota Bees are Craig Corson, Steve Calalghan and Star Lopez. Syzygy members are Darryl Sturino, Walter Hermanns and Jeff Barrow.

Other teams included: M&I Bank, Gateway Tech, Literacy Council, CNH-New Holland, Horlick High School, the Johnson Foundation and Olympia Brown Unitarian Universalist Church.

Between rounds, the crowd talked with Miss Racine 2009 Sha-Nita Rhea, enjoyed Roma Lodge's buffet, Night Wing's music and a silent auction. Event co-chairs were Peggy Groth and Cindy Strathman, who was also the pronouncer.