FREE WHITEWATER

Monthly Archives: July 2008

Charity

Relay for Life Brat and Burger Fry — Friday, July 25th

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I received an announcement in support of a Relay for Life team that I am happy to post.

The Relay for Life team sponsored by Pete’s Tire Service of Whitewater will host their annual Brat and Burger Fry with the proceeds to go to Whitewater’s Relay for Life.

The Brat and Burger Fry will take place at Pete’s Tire Service, Highway 12 East, in Whitewater from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Friday, July 25.

The plate price is $5 and includes a brat or burger, a small bag of chips and your choice of a bottle of water or a can of soda, tea or lemonade.

Last year’s Brat & Burger Fry brought in just over $1,700 and the special fundraiser of flocking area Whitewater yards over the summer helped the Pete’s Tire Service team raise over $8,000, which is the most they have ever raised.

Here’s your chance to help them and to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Come and have lunch with us and let us do the cooking and cleaning up. Bring your family and friends!

Whitewater will host its Relay for Life event Aug. 1-2 at the Cravath Lakefront in Whitewater. The relay begins at 4 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 1 and ends at 10 a.m. on Saturday Aug. 2. The Survivors Lap will take place at 6 p.m. Aug. 1. (Whitewater’s Relay for Life also has its own website, for additional information about the August event.)

For more information about the Brat and Burger Fry, call Pete at (262) 473-8788.

Daily Bread

Daily Bread: July 10, 2008

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Good morning, Whitewater

The National Weather Service reports that today will have a chance of thunderstorms, with a high of 85. The Farmers’ Almanac reports that there will be scattered showers today, with high temperatures.

In Wisconsin history on this day, in 1897 — the high temperature reached 115 degrees in Ashland, Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Historical Society reports that the high temperature was recorded outside a drugstore in that town, and even lists the time as mid-afternoon, round 2 p.m.

There are no public meetings today, and we find ourselves with the appearance of those circumstances we were in truly for most of our history — limited government activity, and private life wholly predominant.

Press

Janesville Gazette’s Appreciation of Free Speech

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There are many reason to like the Janesville Gazette, among them that paper’s appreciation and commitment to the First Amendment.

One sees that commitment in the active (anonymous) comment sections following the Gazette‘s stories, and in its willingness to publish stories and columns that address First Amendment issues.

The Gazette also publishes an excellent, thoughtful column entitled, “Inside the First Amendment,” from Charles Haynes of the First Amendment Center.

Daily Bread

Daily Bread: July 9, 2009

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Good morning, Whitewater

There are no public meetings scheduled in the city today.

The National Weather Service reports that today will be sunny, with a high of 81. The Farmers’ Almanac reports that there will be scattered showers today, with high temperatures. In fact, they say that hot weather continues. For a summer forecast, that’s scarcely a prediction at all.

In Wisconsin history on this day, in 1755 — French and Native American fighters ambushed Britain’s General Braddock during the French and Indian war. A reproduction of a painting depicting the ambush is available at the website of the Wisconsin Historical Society.

Daily Bread

Daily Bread: July 8, 2008

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Good morning, Whitewater

There are no public meetings scheduled in the city today.

The National Weather Service reports that there is about an even chance of thunderstorms, with a high in the mid 80s. The Farmers’ Almanac reports that there will be scattered showers today, with high temperatures. A near match.

In Wisconsin history on this day, an odd event from 1850 — a king. According to the Wisconsin Historical Society:

James Jesse Strang, leader of the estranged Mormon faction, the Strangites, was crowned king; the only man to achieve such a title in America….As he gained more followers (but never nearly as many as Brigham Young), Strang became comparable to a Saint, and in 1850 was crowned King James in a ceremony in which he wore a discarded red robe of a Shakespearean actor, and a metal crown studded with a cluster of stars as his followers sang him hosannas…. A number of followers lived in Walworth County, including Strang at a home in Burlington. In 1856 Strang was himself assassinated, leaving five wives. Without Strang’s leadership, his movement disintegrated.

Daily Bread

Daily Bread: July 3, 2008

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Good morning, Whitewater

The National Weather Service predicts today will be mostly sunny with a high of 73 degrees. The Farmers’ Almanac, looking ahead from last year to today, predicts thunderstorms.

Today begins with a Clean Sweep for the Downtown — beginning at 7 a.m. today —

What: Downtown Clean Sweep
Where: Meet behind Main Street Shops at 7 AM, or any time between 7 and 10 for information on what to do.
When: Thursday, July 3rd from 7 AM to 10 AM.
What to bring: Gloves if you have them, and brooms, which we seem to be short of. We’ll have bags.
What we’ll do: Pick up litter along parade route and the municipal lots. For more info: Bug Tami (preferred method at 262-473-2200 or 920-723-3375) or call Kristine at 473-9822.

Later today, the Independence Day holiday events in Whitewater begin. A full listing is available at July 4th events.

The website also has specific information on the Independence Day Parade, beginning at 10:00 a.m.

In Wisconsin History, on July 3rd, 1919, Milwaukee County’s public airportwas established.

Daily Bread, Uncategorized

Daily Bread: July 2, 2008

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Good morning, Whitewater

Here’s a quick reminder about tomorrow’s Clean Sweep for the Downtown —

What: Downtown Clean Sweep
Where: Meet behind Main Street Shops at 7 AM, or any time between 7 and 10 for information on what to do.
When: Thursday, July 3rd from 7 AM to 10 AM.
What to bring: Gloves if you have them, and brooms, which we seem to be short of. We’ll have bags.
What we’ll do: Pick up litter along parade route and the municipal lots. For more info: Bug Tami (preferred method at 262-473-2200 or 920-723-3375) or call Kristine at 473-9822.

The Clean Sweep is in support of the July 4th events (beginning July 3rd), a listing of which is available at July 4th events.

There’s also information on the Friday, July 4th Independence Day Parade, beginning at 10:00 a.m.

So what happened on July 2nd in Wisconsin History? Abraham Lincoln came through our way on this date in 1832, during the Black Hawk War. Interesting point about Lincoln — he served an officer, and later volunteered as a private, in the conflict. He had no expectation that he had to have a certain rank to serve.

The Wisconsin Historical Society website relates that Lincoln came through Janesville, but he was closer than that — there’s a marker near Cold Spring that refers to Lincoln’s experiences in our area.

Police, Uncategorized

Police Accreditation in the June 26th Register

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I recently offered an assessment of the accreditation of our police department. My post from June 17 on the subject is available on my website.

I noted four deficiencies with accreditation. First, accreditation is a self-selected status, and does not test or measure all departments in the state. Second, a list of several hundred standards includes many trivial ones. Third, the accreditation groups often include those who know and have ongoing contacts with those that they rate – rather than being truly impartial and untainted by routine association. Fourth, accreditation ignores serious abuses – a department can be accredited on small matters while large failings are uncorrected.

I erroneously predicted that the Register would run a screaming headline trumpeting accreditation as one of the greatest accomplishments in Whitewater history. Forgive me, Register: Police Chief Jim Coan carries his own water in your page three story.

The story merely repeats the same, often misleading, claims made on behalf of accreditation. Only in the eighth paragraph does editor Carrie Dampier acknowledge that accreditation is a “voluntary process.”

Here is the key question: (1) how many departments even bothered to participate, and (2) how many who participated received accreditation? You can easily guess the answer: if it were an impressive ratio Coan would mention it in a press release. He doesn’t provide the answer, but that is, in fact, an answer all its own.

I mentioned that a checklist of 220 items will include many that are trivial or have no unique connection to policing. In the Register story, Coan now contends that our department met 232 standards!

Does he think the larger number makes the department about 5% better? Both numbers are obviously silly, but it says something embarrassing and comical about the leadership of our department that someone even bothered to announce the larger number.

(Despite all those many checklist standards, could no one establish a standard for basic arithmetic and numbers-counting? Next time: 233 standards!)

Finally, I think there is no leadership in all Wisconsin that so loves flowery adjectives and adverbs over true quality. We hear over and over about a “very prestigious and professional honor” and – wait for it – that this is a “very good, nice honor.”

When will our leadership see that third-rate public relations is no substitute for first-rate accomplishment?

By the way, how much police leadership time did the city devote to this checklist award? Now, that’s a number – if provided honestly – that would really tell something.