Mason has second daughter

A stork flew over our house this morning (Whew!) on its way to Rep. Cory Mason's house, where it left a baby -- Mason's second daughter.

 Mason and his wife, Rebecca, have named the little girl Amelia Earhart Mason, joining her older sister, 20-month-old Eleanor Roosevelt Mason.

Mason, a Democrat seeking his third term in the state Assembly, representing Racine's 62nd district, is opposed in the November election by Republican Chris Wright of Sturtevant. Wright and his wife, Mary, also have two children: Bria, 5, and Luke, 3.

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Racine Camera Club picks photo scavenger hunt winners

The winners of the Racine Camera Club's 2010 Photo Scavenger Hunt were chosen at the club’s first meeting of the programming year.

Winners in each category are: LEAF: (tie) Linda Peterson, Perry Rossmiller; HAPPY: Jason Madson; HUMAN SILHOUETTE: Linda Peterson; TRAVEL: Paul Oemig; WILDLIFE: (4-way tie) Mary Barrows, Tom Leih, Paul Oemig, Ron Morishita;  SUNRISE OR SUNSET: Perry Rossmiller; CLOUDS: Perry Rossmiller; FIREWORKS: Perry Rossmiller; FOOD: Tom Leih;  GLASS: Linda Peterson. We've posted most of them below.

The photographs will be posted on the club’s website, www.racinecameraclub.com. The RCC meets the second Thursday of the month from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Racine Arts Council, 316 Sixth St. Another competition will take place at the Oct. 14 meeting.

  Leaf, by Linda Peterson

 Happy, by Jason Madson

 Human silhouette, by Linda Peterson

 Travel, by Paul Oemig

  Sunrise, by Perry Rossmiller

 Clouds, by Perry Rossmiller

 Fireworks, by Perry Rossmiller

Food, by Tom Leih

Glass, by Linda Peterson

 Wildlife, by Mary Barrows

Wildlife, by Paul Oemig

 

Wildlife, by Ron Morishita

 

Wildlife, by Tom Leih

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Racine's 'Ball Star' releases video featuring the city

Here's an excellent new video from Racine's 'Ball Star featuring B Dubb" ...



You can hear from Ball Star, including their song "Pick N Save or Sentry," on their MySpace page.

Ball Star is Justin "Jynx" Christensen, Jesse "Jay Novel" Booker, and Tom "Tuts" Tuttle.

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No truth to rumors about Tony Romo buying Racine's Meadowbrook Country Club, general manager says

The general manager of Meadowbrook Country Club said there is no truth to rumors that Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo is interested in buying the club.

"I have never spoken to Tony Romo in my life," said Niall Power, general manager of Meadowbrook. "If he was interested in buying the club, he would have to talk to me. But Brett Favre also wants to buy the club. That's not true either."

Power's statement runs contrary to sources with knowledge of the club. They say Romo, who lives in Dallas, has looked at buying Meadowbrook for his father to run. Sources for the rumors have knowledge of discussions by Meadowbrook's Board of Directors. We first heard the rumors about a month ago, and have heard them repeated at least three times by independent sources.

Power flatly denied the rumors. He did, however, confirm the club has streamlined operations since he took over about nine months ago. The club has laid off employees in its banquet and accounting departments and made other changes to cut down on operating costs.

"They were all business decisions to straighten out the club," Power said.

He added that he's heard the rumors about Meadowbrook's financial difficulties. But Power said recent changes have improved the club's financial outlook.

"There are a lot of bad rumors out there," he said.

Court records show Meadowbrook had two claims filed against it in August, and it also filed claims against seven people in small claims court. Outcome of the cases are still pending.

Meadowbrook also has unpaid property taxes from 2009, but Racine County Treasurer Betty Majeski said club officials have been in to see her and are working out a plan to pay the back taxes.

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Y receives $15,000 'Excellence' award for Focus on Fathers

The Racine YMCA has been given a $15,000 Families Count/Family Strengthening Award from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, in recognition of its Focus on Fathers program.

The Y was one of five across the country honored. Three received $15,000 Excellence Awards and two got $7,500 Inspiration Awards.

The award recognizes the Y's "exemplary work to strengthen and support families."

Excellence Awards recognize innovative and proven family strengthening programming that can serve as a model for Ys across the country.  The Racine Family YMCA began its Focus on Fathers program in 2007, after learning that 75 percent of community households were headed by a single parent, most often the mother. The goal is to nurture a healthier father-child relationship by addressing parenting challenges for dads no longer living with their children.

FoF focuses its work on neighborhoods with high concentrations of poverty and/or high rates of juvenile crime, alcohol and drug use. Trained Y staff meets with groups of fathers for a 13-class session. In addition, fathers are provided opportunities to meet at home, school or community sites to share and learn from one another. Success is measured by the amount of time father and child spend together and the father's attendance and  participation at community events and activities, such as visiting the Y.

"The Families Count / Family Strengthening Awards recognize organizations that work to give vulnerable children what they need most – strong, capable and economically successful families," said Bonnie Howard  of the Annie E. Casey Foundation. "The Ys selected this year truly make a difference in their communities. Their outstanding work opens doors to real opportunities for the families they serve."

Other Y's honored are in Phoenix, AZ; Elgin, IL; Brocton, MA; and Richmond, VA.

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Turner declares victory in Racine Assembly primary

State Rep. Bob Turner, D-Racine, released the following statement after gaining the Democratic nomination to serve the people of the 61^st Assembly District:

“I am so humbled by the outpouring of support from the great people of Racine. Whether you are my friend, neighbor, supporter, or just want to bring Racine back to its roots, I am so grateful to all of you, and am honored to have the chance to serve you again.

I want to first thank my wife Gloria for the time she puts in and the time she allows me to put into my campaign. Her and my three sons have been by my side since I first ran for State Assembly, and I am thankful for them every day.  I also want to thank the great volunteers that helped me have face-to-face conversations with voters. Without them, none of this would have been possible. 

I also would like to recognize my opponent Jim Dematthew for his willingness to serve this district. I know that he shares a great concern for this district just as I do, and I look forward to working with him in the future to fight for hard working families.

Tonight we made a big step forward in our campaign and in the next seven weeks, I will continue to talk to voters about their concerns facing Racine.  While Republicans want to continue to help Wall Street and not Main Street, I will continue to work to make sure working families have a voice. We need to elect good democrats this fall to ensure that middle class families come first, and so we do not go back to the failed policies of the Bush administration.

I will continue to make bringing good paying, family supporting jobs to Racine my top priority. I will not stop until we bring Racine back to its roots. I believe my experience mixed with the new ideas I have, makes me the most qualified candidate to serve Racine. I look forward to continuing to earn your trust and work for you on November 2^nd.” 

Bob Turner represents the 61^st Assembly District in the Wisconsin State Legislature, where he has served for more than 20 years. Turner also served for nearly three decades on the Racine City Council, as well as numerous local boards and committees. The general election will be held on November 2nd.

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Election results thread

Smiles lit up Chris Schmaling's election night party -- as he led the Sheriff race

 We'll post election results here as they come in ...

9:04 p.m. - We're still waiting on results. Word earlier today is some polling places were running short of ballots. Not sure anyone thought turnout would be a problem, but maybe the Republican governor's and sheriff's races brought people out. Or maybe just not enough ballots were ordered.

9:06 p.m. - State Rep. Bob Turner is declaring victory. Not sure where his numbers are coming from, but here's the statement from his campaign:

Bob Turner released the following statement after gaining the Democratic nomination to serve the people of the 61^st Assembly District:

“I am so humbled by the outpouring of support from the great people of Racine. Whether you are my friend, neighbor, supporter, or just want to bring Racine back to its roots, I am so grateful to all of you, and am honored to have the chance to serve you again.

I want to first thank my wife Gloria for the time she puts in and the time she allows me to put into my campaign. Her and my three sons have been by my side since I first ran for State Assembly, and I am thankful for them every day.  I also want to thank the great volunteers that helped me have face-to-face conversations with voters. Without them, none of this would have been possible.

I also would like to recognize my opponent Jim Dematthew for his willingness to serve this district. I know that he shares a great concern for this district just as I do, and I look forward to working with him in the future to fight for hard working families.

Tonight we made a big step forward in our campaign and in the next seven weeks, I will continue to talk to voters about their concerns facing Racine.  While Republicans want to continue to help Wall Street and not Main Street, I will continue to work to make sure working families have a voice. We need to elect good democrats this fall to ensure that middle class families come first, and so we do not go back to the failed policies of the Bush administration.

I will continue to make bringing good paying, family supporting jobs to Racine my top priority. I will not stop until we bring Racine back to its roots. I believe my experience mixed with the new ideas I have, makes me the most qualified candidate to serve Racine. I look forward to continuing to earn your trust and work for you on November 2^nd.”

Bob Turner represents the 61^st Assembly District in the Wisconsin State Legislature, where he has served for more than 20 years. Turner also served for nearly three decades on the Racine City Council, as well as numerous local boards and committees. The general election will be held on November 2nd.

9:41 p.m. - With early results in it looks like Chris Schmaling will win the Republican nod for Sheriff. He's blowing away Ron Molnar and Gonzalo Gonzalez at the moment, but few results from the city are in. It's possible the east end could even things out.

10:20 p.m. - Schmaling continues to more than double Molnar and Gonzalez combined.

10:21 p.m. - Scott Walker easily defeated Mark Neumann for the Republican nomination for governor. Looks like Rebecca Kleefisch is also going to win.

10:49 p.m. - Looks like it'll be Walker/Kleefisch vs. Barrett/Nelson for governor.

11:59 p.m. - Gonzalez and Molnar combined couldn't beat Schmaling in this election. An aggressive campaign, a decent amount of money, and a strong candidate added up to a route for the Sheriff's Department investigator. Wonder if Schmaling is going to return to work or extend his leave of absence through the Nov. 2 general election.

No surprises tonight. Turner and Wannggaard rolled, as did Walker. Some good news out in Union Grove where voters approved money to build some new science classrooms. That's only to help the district lure Mount Pleasant students away from Racine Unified.

The County Clerk's office appeared to struggle a bit with this election. Not sure what happened, but it's rare that we have to wait until after midnight for election results. Voter turnout was projected at around 33 percent, which is pretty good for an election many people didn't even know was going on.

Vote Today!

It's an election day!

There are two key races on today's primary ballot, both within the Republican Party.

Locally, the Republican nomination for Racine County Sheriff is up for grabs. Gonzalo Gonzalez, Ron Molnar, and Chris Schmaling are competing for a slot on the general election ballot. It's an important race because odds are the winner will be the county's next sheriff. All three candidates have run strong campaigns, and the outcome is up in the air.

Statewide, Mark Neumann and Scott Walker are running for the Republican GOP nomination. Walker is largely expected to win the race and the right to take on Tom Barrett in the Nov. 2 general election.

There are a number of smaller races on the ballot. Both the Republican and Democratic parties have primary elections for lieutenant governor. Democrats running are Spencer Coggs, Tom Nelson, James Schneider and Henry Sanders. Republicans running are Brett Davis, Dave Ross, Rebecca Kleefisch, Ben Collins and  Robert Lorge.

Locally, Rep. Bob Turner is expected to easily win his Democratic primary over challenger James DeMatthew, and Van Wanggaard should defeat Union Grove businessman Bob Gulan for the Republican nomination to challenge Sen. John Lehman in November.

Voting is countywide. If you need to find your polling place, visit: http://www.elections.racineco.com/voting/districts.aspx

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Olympia Brown UU Church signs statement of support for Muslims, people of all faiths

At church on Sunday, September 12, 2010 and for several days before, over 170 members and friends of Olympia Brown Unitarian Universalist Church, signed onto a Statement of Support for religious tolerance for Muslims and people of all faiths.  

The statement reads as follows:  

“We, the undersigned members and friends of the Olympia Brown Unitarian Universalist Church, along with Unitarian Universalists throughout the country, stand in solidarity with our Muslim brothers and sisters and their right to the free exercise of their religion in these United States.  We deplore the senseless destruction of their places of worship and we denounce all acts of intolerance against Islam and other religions.  We support the right of Muslims and those of all religions, as affirmed in the U.S. Constitution, to worship in their faith tradition.” 

            

Rev. Tony Larsen, minister of the church, explained the rationale behind the effort.  “We’ve seen a lot of anger lately directed against Muslims – people vandalizing mosques, a man in New York attacking a taxicab driver because he was Muslim, and a minister threatening to burn Qurans on September 11^th.  So we felt that it was important to stand up for tolerance and understanding not only for Islam but for all faiths and for people of no faith, too.”

            

Rev. Peter Morales, President of UUA, the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, issued a statement on September 8^th asking Unitarian Universalists across the country, to devote service time to “topics of religious freedom and tolerance” and “to speak up for diversity and freedom.”

            

Rev. Tony Larsen connected the issue of tolerance with the Constitutional rights of our country.  “A great thing about America is our freedom to worship in our own way.  That is why we took this action, to remind ourselves and others what our country stands for, in hopes that people of good will from all religions will join with us.  We can be the great nation we are called to be.”

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City's new housing program in trouble?

Mayor John Dickert's signature program may be in trouble, according sources close to the situation.

They described the city's Neighborhood Stabilization Program as "in shambles" after problems with contractors and the DNR forced rehab work on 18 homes to shut down.

Dickert recently announced the NSP created hundreds of jobs in the city. But sources said those jobs are at least on hold pending review of the program.

More as it develops ...

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Spirited bidding winds up downtown's summer clocks project

Time ran out on Racine's summer art project Saturday, as the large artist-decorated clocks were auctioned off on Monument Square.

Despite the rain -- which let up just an hour or so before the scheduled start of the outdoor auction -- bidders filled the seats and gave each other a couple of spirited bidding wars. While some clocks sold for just a little above the $350 minumum, six brought $800 or more. The top price went for Sherri Shaver's Poppies in a Poppy, which sold to its sponsor, Ron Jones, for $1,600.

The second-highest price went for Bill Reid's Loonatick, which was snapped up by Gene Johnson -- yes, that Gene Johnson -- for $1,300.

Eighteen clocks were sold at voice auction by auctioneer Bob Hagemann. Another 42 were offered via a silent auction. More on the three prize-winners here.  Pictures of all the clocks are here.

This year marked the ninth season of a Racine summer public art project, the longest run and most successful in the country, according to Devin Sutherland, executive director of the Downtown Racine Corporation, which stages the event. This year is also DRC's 30th anniversary, and to celebrate that milestone jeweler Chris Sklba of Art Metals Studio downtown created a Tahitian pearl necklace worth $1,000  (pearl being the traditional 30th wedding anniversary gift), that DRC gave away in a drawing Saturday. Winner was Kenneth Wesley Kozack of Kenosha. (UPDATE, Sept. 23: DRC said today that Kozack's winning entry was invalid -- the application form "wasn't completely filled out" -- and a new winner was named: Robert Philopulous of Racine.

No word yet on what next year's summer art project will be (we've already had cats, dogs, otters, lighthouses, fish, etc.) -- but everyone at DRC is determined to make the 10th year of the project special.

The first and second place award winners: Fish In Time,

by Robert Andersen, left, and Bill Reid's Loonatick, on stage.

Anderson's sold for $975, and Reid's for $1,300.

Gene Johnson (bidder No. 152) sponsored Loonatick, and determinedly won it.

Sherri Shaver's Poppies In A Poppy brought the highest amount: $1,600.

Chris Sklba with DRC's 30th anniversary pearl pendant necklace

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'Freedom' rings through Racine Tea Party gathering

 Congressman Paul Ryan was definitely a Tea Party favorite

Towards the end of the Racine Tea Party's rally Saturday at Pershing Park, a woman on stage announced to the crowd that Community for Change was collecting food and money for the Racine County Food Bank. There was a brief pause, perfect for a chorus of boos in response to mention of the organization formed by the volunteers who helped get President Barack Obama elected.

The boos didn't come. Actually, there was a smattering of applause and many people at the rally donated money and canned goods to the food drive. One person walking to the rally gave $20. Another person pulled a quarter out of his pocket saying he was unemployed and it was all he could give.

While it was a day of pointed, even heated, political rhetoric, the Tea Party's gathering was civil, friendly, peaceful. No one called Obama a Muslim. No one ripped Islam. Democrats didn't even take much of a beating. But the message was clear. The government is taking away people's freedom, speaker after speaker said, and it's time for people take their freedom back.

Rep. Paul Ryan was the star of the afternoon. His clear, concise attack on government deficits drew stirring cheers from the crowd of more than 1,000 people standing and sitting on the soccer field in Pershing Park. Ryan noted that you can't love jobs, but hate the people who create jobs. Government needs to get out of the way and allow free markets to work, he said. When he was finished, emcee Vicki McKenna said five people asked her to tell Ryan to run for president in 2012.

Ryan was followed by columnist and TV commentator Jonah Goldberg, who made the same point by comparing taxes and government programs to slavery. Goldberg said only markets create wealth, and that government needs to support markets by reducing debt and entitlement spending.

Author of the NY Times best-seller "Liberal Fascism," Goldberg mixed comedic one-liners in with his conservative libertarian message. He compared the Tea Party movement to white blood cells healing a wound.

A few of his funnier lines:

He said he was proud Barbara Streisand cancelled her subscription to the Los Angeles Times when his column started running in the paper, and that Keith Olbermann has named him "Worst Person in the World" four times. (One of those times was for Goldberg's prediction that the Iraq would have a stable government with no civil war by 2007, a prediction he later admitted was wrong.)

"The definition of 'fascist' is a conservative who is winning an argument."

"I didn't come here today to burn a Koran. You wouldn't want a radical Islamist to get mad at a guy named Goldberg."

He said liberals believe "there's nothing wrong with America that becoming Europe can't fix."

"Canada is Puerto Rico with EU (European Union) sensibilities."

He said the crowd should be "happy warriors" who are justified in their anger because they're on the side of prosperity.

Goldbeg and Ryan were joined by speaker Niger Innis, who is a political consultant and pundit, and Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen. Local Republican Lou D'Abrraccio got the crowd fired up about winning in November, along with Lora Halberstadt, Wisconsin Tea Party organizer.

The gathering was perhaps a little smaller than initially anticipated, due in part to a rainy morning, and part to the loss of John Stossel, and then Michelle Malkin, as the keynote speaker. Nonetheless, the turnout was impressive for a local political rally and it's clear the Racine Tea Party is a well-organized group capable of mobilizing large numbers of voters. That bodes well for conservatives in the November election - and maybe beyond.

Then again, things turn quickly. It was just two years ago that Obama and Community for Change looked formidable, and conservatives were on the outside looking in.

Update: Kelly Gallaher of Community for Change writes to say between the clock auction, Home Expo and Tea Party rally that the group raised $707 and a nice amount of food. Wilson's will accept food and cash donations through the weekend as will the Home Expo through closing tomorrow.

Update 2: The JT is reporting 3,200 people were at Saturday's rally. There's no way that many people were there. We actually counted a large portion of the crowd and came up with about 1,000 people. But that's just a point in time and you have to figure in people who came and went from the event, which is probably another 500-1,000 people, bringing total attendance to somewhere between 1,500 and 2,000 people.

Wisconsin Atty Gen. JB Van Hollen

Lou D'Abrraccio and radio host Vicki McKenna, who served as MC

Humorist/speaker Jonah Goldberg with Tea Party organizer Lora Halberstadt

Singer Krista Branch, a former American Idol contestant, entertained

Tee shirts gave a good picture of participants' feelings 

    

There was no exact count, but we estimate between 1,500 and 2,000 attended

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Odor closes Library on Saturday

The Racine Public Library will be closed today to clear the building of a strong chemical odor resulting from the second floor renovations.  The library is expected to reopen on Monday, Sept. 13, at 9 a.m.

Materials due on Saturday, Sept. 11, will be automatically renewed. The Mobile Library will make its scheduled stops.  Call 262.939.2264 for information about locations and times.

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Funky Hannah’s bead shop hosts 24+ hour Bead Camp at DeKoven

 
Spend the night at the historic DeKoven Center and create to your hearts content. It’s 24+ hours of beadin’ time! Laugh, share & create with fellow beaders! Bring your projects or stop in the shop for some inspiration and join us for this Saturday to Sunday bead time. We’ve got beautiful space for beading, several classes to pick from if you’d like to learn something new and a few fun activities up our sleeve!

The camp runs from Saturday, October 30th to Sunday, October 31st. It will be held at The DeKoven Center, just minutes from Funky Hannah’s on the shore of Lake Michigan, 600 21st Street in Racine.
Registration options include (download registration form):

Overnight Package
• $100 per person. Double occupancy, dormitory-style
rooms with shared bathrooms. All meals provided.
($10 additional for single occupancy room.)

Commuter Package
• $50 per person. Bead all day but go home to
the kiddies at night. Lunch & dinner included.
• Bring your own beverages & something sweet or salty for the snack bar. Refrigerator, ice & full kitchen available.

There will also be special Saturday afternoon classes with three amazing bead designers. Add an extra $25 for these classes.

Here’s the schedule:

Saturday, October 30th
10am – check in & bead! Open beading time all day & night!
Noon – Lunch & show-n-tell.
1-4pm Classes (optional) with Three Amazing Designers! (Classes cost $25)
Featured designers are:

Anna Draeger: Moons Of Jupiter – A new creation from Anna! Does she ever stop?! This bracelet is out of this world! Stitched with seeds, crystals, delicas & pearls.

Gail Wing: Variation on the Russian Spiral Bracelet – A gorgeous bracelet created with
a variation on the Russian Spiral using size 15 seed beads, crystals or triangle beads.

Leayn Tabili: Flower Ring – Netted with seed beads, this rivoli is framed with leaves and
attached to a metal ring form.

6pm Dinner & White Elephant Bead Swap. –
Bring a sandwich size baggie of stu_ to swap & let the fun begin.
10pm Pajama Run to Funky’s! – If we need to – we’ve got the keys to the place & drivers standing by!

Sunday, October 31st
9am – Open Bead & Breakfast
11am – Make & Take Halloween project with inspiration for upcoming holiday gifts!
Noon – lunch on your own…depart at your leisure.

*Take part in as much or little as you want. Plans subject to change! Space is Limited.

To register call the DeKoven Center at 262-633-6401, email jpeyton@dekovencenter.org or download registration form here.

For questions about this event, contact the gals at Funky Hannah’s: 262.634.6088 or info@funkyhannahs.com
www.funkyhannahs.com

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Three RUSD Schools Named Wisconsin Schools of Recognition

Three Racine Unified School District elementary schools were recently named Wisconsin Schools of Recognition by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Jerstad-Agerholm, North Park and West Ridge Elementary Schools were recipients of this impressive award.

To receive this recognition, schools must be either a Title I school or Title I-eligible, be in the top quartile of the state poverty rates, have above-average student academic performance scores on the 2009-10 WKCE exams in reading and math and have met adequate yearly progress indicators for the last two consecutive years.

The 2010-11Wisconsin Schools of Recognition will be invited to attend a recognition ceremony at the State Capitol at noon on Monday, Oct. 18 in which State Superintendent Tony Evers will congratulate the winners. In addition, each School of Recognitionwill receive $2,000 to be used for school-related purposes and will be eligible to compete for a $250,000 Wisconsin Schools of Recognition grant. Teachers at these schools are also eligible to compete for the Wisconsin Schools of Recognition Teacher Fellowship Program.

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Four local communities create 'Central Racine County Health Department'

Village officials of Caledonia, Mt. Pleasant, Sturtevant and North Bay announce the signing of a new intermunicipal agreement creating a joint local board of health and health department to provide public health services to the four communities.  

Approved by the four villages this summer and effective January 1, 2011, this agreement allows the four villages to: 1) provide quality public health services at a low cost to their respective communities; 2) provide representation of all four villages on a joint board of health; 3) create a stable health department structure for the mutual benefit of all four partners; and, 4) reflect this new partnership for the provision of public health services by changing the health department name to the Central Racine County Health Department. 

The Central Racine County Health Department will continue to provide population-based services to the communities.  Public health nursing services include communicable disease surveillance and investigation, low-cost immunizations for children and adults, TB skin tests, blood pressure checks, case management for pregnant and parenting families, car seat checks, health education, and lead case management.  Environmental health services include a radon program, a medication collection program, well test kit distribution, and human health hazard, rabies and lead hazard investigations.  In addition, environmental health staff license and inspect restaurants, retail food establishments, temporary food establishments, hotels/motels, campgrounds, swimming pools and body art establishments.  The health department also works on emergency preparedness, regularly partnering with other agencies to practice and implement response to natural and man-made public health emergencies.

For information on the Central Racine County Health Department, go to our website at www.crchd.com, call 262-898-4460, fax 262-898-4490 or come to our offices at 10005 Northwestern Avenue, Franksville (2^nd floor of the US Bank building).

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Gateway to teacher RAMAC training classes

Gateway Technical College has entered into an agreement to partner on future training offerings for RAMAC’s membership.

Gateway will provide its expertise and teach RAMAC’s catalog of training offerings. Classes offered this fall range from supervision training to human resource and effective planning.

“Our new relationship with Gateway allows RAMAC to better meet the training needs of our membership now and in the future,” said RAMAC board President Daniel Risch. “I am excited by the possibilities that this partnership will provide to the association in expanding the breadth of training to which members

Gateway Technical College President Bryan Albrecht said he is looking forward to the partnership forged with RAMAC for the training offerings.

“Gateway is proud to partner with RAMAC to enhance and support the training needs of our local community,” said Albrecht. “This new partnership will increase the service capacity for RAMAC members and strengthen Gateway's commitment to workforce education.”

The move provides RAMAC with the opportunity to tailor course offerings and class sizes to meet the specific needs of its members and the business.

“RAMAC now has the resources to offer nearly any training program that is needed by our members, and has the flexibility to scale our programs accordingly,” added RAMAC President and CEO Michael Kobylka. “Workforce development and having a trained populace is vital to the needs of our business community. RAMAC will continue to work to ensure that our companies maintain the highly trained workforce that is required in today’s global environment.”

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Community groups to hold forum on Transit in Racine

Saying "transportation is at a cross roads in Racine County," the Racine Interfaith Coalition and other community groups will hold a forum to discuss transportation issues on Thursday, Sept. 30 from 6:30-8 p.m. at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, 322 Ohio St., Racine. 

The theme of the evening will be: “When people use public transportation, Does the whole community benefit?”

Public officials, religious leaders, business leaders and union leaders are among those who have confirmed their participation. The highlights of the evening will be first-person testimonials from people across the spectrum of the Racine County community who depend on the bus for work, school, to keep their businesses running, and other needs. Personal stories will be shared in person and by video.

The forum will also provide solid facts and a frank discussion on Racine’s transportation, which has recently suffered from a great deal of mis-information. Some of the topics to be discussed will include a snapshot of the dilemma faced by the bus system, the coming transit referendum, what is happening with the KRM commuter rail, and the Regional Transit Authority (RTA).

The evening will also feature a speaker from the national Transportation Equity Network, who will share stories of successes and challenges in other communities, and the link between transit and jobs, as well as the outlook on the national level for investments in Transit. Local experts and community leaders will provide their insights on transit’s role in strengthening the Racine County economy and community.

The public and elected officials from across the county are encouraged to attend this important discussion about jobs, community, and transportation. A reception will follow the program.

The forum is free and open to the public. For more information, please call Nancy Holmlund at (262) 886-3602.

The forum is sponsored by Racine Interfaith Coalition (RIC), and is co-sponsored by: Downtown Racine Corporation, Hispanic Business and Professionals Association, IBEW Local 430, Racine Peace and Justice Coalition, Racine Transit Task Force, Transit Now, Sierra Club-Gateway Group and John Muir Chapter, UW Parkside Student Government.

Molnar hopes to bring outsider's perspective to Sheriff's Department

Ron Molnar

Ron Molnar speaks frankly when it comes to the Racine County Sheriff’s Department.

“There’s a lack of leadership and a lack of managing resources,” he said.

As the only Republican candidate who doesn’t work for the department, he doesn’t have to worry about hurting his co-workers’ feelings or returning to a job where he challenged superiors. He’s using that freedom on the campaign trail to raise pointed concerns about Sheriff Bob Carlson and the direction the Sheriff’s Department has gone in the past four years.

“I’ve met with police chiefs throughout the county,” Molnar said. “There’s an obvious need for improved relations.”

Improving relationships starts with dialogue, he said.  

“Every relationship starts with dialogue and that leads to relationships and relationships lead to trust,” Molnar said. “That’s what’s missing. Trust.”

Specifically, Molnar criticized the Sheriff for losing $710,000 when the state Department of Corrections cancelled its contract with Racine County. County Board members, including Molnar, have tried to investigate what happened for six months, but have made little progress.

“Information about why and what’s being done is sketchy, at best,” Molnar said.

“Citizens I’ve talked to are outraged,” he added about the lost contract.

Molnar also said the Sheriff’s Department needs to stop using the Racine County Jail as a “penalty box” for wayward staff. Right now deputies are reassigned to the jail when they get disciplined or rub someone the wrong way.

“That needs to stop,” Molnar said. “It needs to be a professional occupation. It needs to be a career path.”  

There’s no love loss between Molnar and Carlson. The two ran head-to-head in 2006 with Carlson winning by about 6,200 votes. Four years later, Molnar feels the Sheriff’s Department needs a “new direction.”

If elected, Molnar said he would work to improve the Sheriff’s Department’s relationships with Mount Pleasant, Caledonia, and Sturtevant. Right now the Sheriff’s Department handles many incoming calls from the villages and assigns their deputies to take the cases. In one instance, Molnar said, a deputy was called from Waterford to an armed robbery in Mount Pleasant at the same time that there were six Mount Pleasant police officers on the street.

Cases like these lead to tension between the villages and the Sheriff’s Department, Molnar said. He’d address those tensions by re-writing the Sheriff’s Department patrol plan to give the villages more control over their calls for service and using Sheriff’s deputies for backup.

“We need to eliminate the duplication of services, primarily on the east end,” Molnar said. “We’re not in competition with Sturtevant, Mount Pleasant and Caledonia. Our job is to supplement.”  

The new patrol plan should free up resources for the Sheriff’s Department to track down the more than 560 people wanted on felony warrants, report illegal immigrants to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and to cross-train deputies on various jobs, such as water patrol.

Joint dispatch plays an important role in this plan, Molnar said. Right now the Sheriff’s Department handles all incoming 911 calls from cell phones, which is one reason deputies and not village police are dispatched to calls. Moving to a combined dispatch would route all calls to the officer or deputy closest to the scene.

“Consolidated dispatch will help reduce the feelings of frustrations from the communities,” Molnar said.

Molnar is running his second campaign of the year and his third since 2006. He was elected to the Racine County Board in April. His district, No. 14, contains parts of Mount Pleasant and Racine.

He’s now making a run at a full-time elected position that matches up with his career experience. Molnar graduated with a degree in criminal justice from MATC in Madison. He’s also a trained emergency medical technician and a volunteer fire fighter in Kansasville.

Molnar grew up in DeForest the second oldest of five siblings, including four brothers. His Dad worked for the Dane County Sheriff’s Department and his grandpa was a police officer on the East Coast.

Molnar got hired in 1985 by the Department of Corrections and bounced around the state taking promotions and learning different skills. He wound up in the Racine area after the Racine Correctional Institution opened in Sturtevant.

Molnar, who lives in Mount Pleasant, was elected to the Racine County Board this spring. He now works at the Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility. Per state law, he’s on a leave of absence from his job until after the campaign.

Molnar’s job performance became news last month after the JT reported he was demoted by the Department of Corrections for rules violations. Molnar said the demotion was political retribution for running against Carlson in 2006. Carlson was appointed sheriff by Gov. Jim Doyle in 2004.

Molnar said his 25 years of experience in working in state prisons qualifies him to manage large budgets, schedule employees, handle evaluations, negotiate contracts, address grievances,  oversee training and develop staff.

“I’m not a patrol deputy and I make no apologies for that whatsoever,” Molnar said. “I have enforce state law and statutes and worked with people out in the community.”

Molnar has been campaigning for the Republican nomination since June. He spoke highly of his opponents, Chris Schmaling and Gonzalo Gonzalez.

“I like both of my opponents,” Molnar said. “They’re both good people. If you’re a victim of a serious crime, I would hope Chris was working on your case. I’ve known Gonzo for 15 years. He’s a very good person.  

“Each of us thinks we’re the best, each of us thinks we can win.”

Molnar said he’s a true conservative, noting he ran for sheriff as a Republican in 2006. He’s earned several endorsements from local government leaders, including a key endorsement from former sheriff and now County Executive Bill McReynolds.

Molnar said his law enforcement experience outside of the Sheriff’s Department makes him the most qualified for the job.

“I’m from the outside, I’m going to go in there and get things on track,” he said. 


Past stories on Republican Sheriff candidates: 


Gonzalez talks leadership in run for Sheriff


Schmaling touts law enforcement, business experience in run for Sheriff

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Michelle Malkin to speak at Saturday's Tea Party rally in Racine

UPDATE, Thursday 4:30 p.m: It's getting hard to keep up with who is NOT coming. Now we have word that Michelle Malkin will NOT appear at this Saturday's Tea Party rally.

Original post:

John Stossel is out. Michelle Malkin is in.

That's the word from organizers of this weekend's Tea Party gathering in Pershing Park. Fred Dooley over at Real Debate Wisconsin had the scoop.

Malkin, a New York Times best-selling author, is a conservative newspaper columnist who has gained international acclaim, and derision, for her occasionally controversial work.

In 2004 she wrote a book, "In Defense of Internment" arguing that the U.S. rightfully detained Japanese Americans during WWII and should have racially profiled Arab-Americans in the post-9/11 war on terror.

Her latest book, "Culture of Corruption: Obama and His Team of Tax Cheats, Crooks, and Cronies," was No. 1 on the NY Times best-seller list for six week.


She'll be in Racine Saturday during the Tea Party event from 2-3:30 p.m. in Pershing Park.


Read more about Saturday's rally here.

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