The Historical Society of Walworth & Big Foot Prairie will conduct their Third Annual Farm and Place Drive-by Tour. The event will occur on Wednesday, July 28 at 6:30 PM with the participants meeting in the parking lot of the Agape School at 215 South Main Street, Walworth. This is the site of the former Seventh Day Baptist Church. The tour will include the farms and homes where the Seventh Day Baptist Society members lived, Cobblestone Cemetery, farms on a route to Zenda, a farm museum tour and South Shore Geneva Lake historical sites. Each family will receive a free map and tour book, then proceed on the tour lead by Co-chairwomen Virginia Hall and Mary Kaye Merwin of Delavan. The tour committee consisting of Virginia Hall, Mary Kaye Merwin, Nancy Lehman, Mike Palmer, Denise Woods, Terry Woods, William Wendeberg, Mary Jordan, Beth Shodeen and Jennifer Coon has worked for months acquiring historical information and personal interviews for the tour. For additional information please call 262-275-2426.
Author Archive for JOHN ADAMS
Public Meetings
Library Board
by JOHN ADAMS •
Public Meetings
Planning Commission
by JOHN ADAMS •
Public Meetings
Park and Rec Board
by JOHN ADAMS •
Eleven Fifty-Nine
Eleven Fifty-Nine for 7-11-10
by JOHN ADAMS •
Good evening,
It’s a cloudy night, with a low temperature in the mid sixties for Whitewater. Most of the day here was beautiful, as the day was, also, in the French Alps on Stage 8 of the Tour de France.
If you’ve been watching the Tour, you saw today how unpredictable cycling is. A race over weeks, and thousands of miles, could hardly be otherwise. Contador saw his chances of a second Tour victory fade, and Armstrong saw his (less likely) chances of an eight Tour victory vanish altogether. Armstrong was well behind after seven stages, and Contador hardly a sure bet, but todays’a racing changed the likely outcome in paris still more.
I’ve not been a great fan of Armstrong, to put it mildly, yet I still feel sorry for the day he had today. He feel three times, and he leave Europe a couple of weeks from now to bigger disappointments ahead. I know that there’s a certain kind of American cycling fan who’s quick to champion a European favorite (anyone, really) over an American. It seems sophisticated to them, as though to support a European makes them seem more knowledgeable and genuine.
I am not such a fan; it’s natural and customary to support competitors from one’s country. I have no favorite this year, but I would always prefer to cheer on a fellow American. We’ve also no need to favor a European in a futile, transparent attempt to appear sophisticated. More important still, America doesn’t need to look to Armstrong to find a great champion. We had a great champion, whose legacy looks better by the day, in Greg LeMond.
We can always feel good about that.
There’s a cycling race coming to Wisconsin, this Wednesday, in nearby Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. See, Bicycle races come to Walworth County about the Point Premium Root Beer International Cycling Classic/Superweek Pro Tour. From that story, here are the details of the Lake Geneva component of the tour:
The Lake Geneva race officially is titled the Keefe Real Estate Lake Geneva Criterium presented by Simple Café and the Geneva Lakes YMCA.
Criteriums are held on short courses, usually less than a mile long, and riders race dozens of laps to cover the total race distance.
The Lake Geneva course is eight-tenths of a mile. It heads north on Center Street, east on Main Street, south on Lakeshore Drive and west on Baker Street. Riders will zip along Geneva Lake, past Flat Iron Park and down Main Street. Spectators can line the barriers along the entire course.
The story also has links on competitive cycling information, Wednesday’s race, and even where to go for a good spot to watch.
Few better ways to end a day than with something from Duke Ellington. “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” was composed in 1931; the embedded video is of a 1943 performance. Enjoy.
Recent Tweets, 7-4 to 7-10
by JOHN ADAMS •
WSJ.com – Fowl Fans See Golden Eggs in Catering to Pet-Chicken Market http://on.wsj.com/9VRgKI
about 11 hours ago
Android Gains, Apple Wanes — Oh Yes, Yet Again – PCWorld http://bit.ly/9imcZr
6:42 PM Jul 9th
Two billion, five-hundred million reasons Wisconsin’s government needs true reform to return to responsibility: http://bit.ly/a4KtE3
2:08 PM Jul 9th
Secrets of Successful Cricket Spitters (as reported in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) http://bit.ly/dazWcs
3:27 PM Jul 8th
When gov’t budgets based on “needed” services, rather than need to deduce tax burden, there will be too many services, costing too much
2:35 PM Jul 8th
Right way to reduce bloated government budget: How much in taxes/fees should be returned to people for prosperity? Cut spending accordingly
2:30 PM Jul 8th
He’s very right Laffer: Unemployment Benefits Aren’t a Stimulus http://bit.ly/9apVa9 Laffer’s better idea: a federal tax holiday
2:23 PM Jul 8th
Lindsay Lohan’s not a libertarian; she’s a coddled & curdled mess One can see she still has money for a ghostwriter http://bit.ly/cqPPML
1:38 PM Jul 8th
RT @MSpicuzzaWSJ: Developers avoid millions in property taxes using a Wisconsin tax relief law for farmers http://alturl.com/9xywb Gaming!
12:42 PM Jul 8th
Sushi’s okay but raw milk isn’t Why? Because there’s no fish lobby fighting sushi as there is a big dairy lobby fighting raw milk
2:38 PM Jul 7th
RT @IJ: IJ op-ed: The McDonald case was not just about guns, but about all of our rights. Find out why: http://iam.ij.org/9QyuWj
12:16 PM Jul 6th
Running for governor (of WI) with hope — but without much money or recognition http://bit.ly/9jr4vP
9:08 AM Jul 5th
The Volokh Conspiracy » “If they are endowed with inalienable rights, that is final.” http://bit.ly/bSARB0
7:56 AM Jul 4th
Cartoons & Comics
Sunday Morning Comic: Pearls Before Swine
by JOHN ADAMS •
Laws/Regulations
Wisconsin State Journal: Proposal Would Ban Dogs (and Other Animals, Too) from Many Madison Events
by JOHN ADAMS •
There’s a proposal, offered at the request of a Madison businessman, to ban dogs, etc., from some public events, like fairs, in Madison. The businessman (Keith Peterson of Madison Festivals) runs some of these events, like the Taste of Madison. See, Proposal Would Ban Dogs (and Other Animals, Too) from Many Madison Events.
That the businessman who runs the events, rather than patrons, asks for the legal ban on dogs should trigger suspicion. That’s because it’s a classic case of special interest pleading, in which a private, well-connected party asks for a change in the law that benefits and makes its own endeavors easier.
Here’s the contention:
The proposed city ordinance would prohibit dogs and other animals from any Madison event where a street use permit is required and there are 10 or more food vendors.
“We love pets, but we just don’t think it’s appropriate to have them around 50,000 people and small children and food,” said Keith Peterson, event director for Madison Festivals Inc., which puts on Taste of Madison and requested the ordinance.
The tip off is Peterson’s use of the word ‘appropriate‘ — he doesn’t quantify harm or risk, just offers a justification not far removed from ‘we just don’t think it’s polite,” or ‘it’s not what proper people do.’ Perhaps he’s right, but one needn’t care, as it’s not law’s place to establish rules of mere politeness. The law should be used for bigger things.
One can guess that Peterson’s patrons disagree with him, as they’re the ones bringing dogs to his events. So what he really should admit is that some of his patrons are vulgar and inappropriate in his eyes, and he’d like the CIty of Madison to make unlawful their ongoing conduct (and his failure to discourage them).
Event organizers can ban pets now, of course, and if they can’t prevent patrons from bringing dogs, and they can’t show violations other existing criminal statutes, Peterson should be out of luck.
Government owes this private businessman no ordinance; a municipality should not extend legislation for him, or his festivals. If he can’t manage the area now, from the profits he derives, then he should find another line of work.
Legislation should have a broader origin than this.
Free Markets, Libertarians, Planning
Reason.tv: Lessons From LeBron – What Clevelanders Should Really Be Pissed About
by JOHN ADAMS •
I’ve posted before about libertarian Drew Carey’s series for Reason.tv on ways to revitalize Cleveland (“the mistake on the lake.”) Those ways did not, and never will, include demonizing LeBron James for taking a job in Miami.
Here’s a follow-up to the Reason Saves Saves Cleveland with Drew Carey series, entitled, Lessons From LeBron:
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yP7HCKweZiY.
Here’s the description accompanying this latest video:
LeBron James has decided to move to Florida and play for the Miami Heat rather than bear another season with the Cavaliers.
Everybody is piling on: How could a dude with a tattoo of the word loyalty on his chest abandon “the mistake on the lake?”
But LeBron is only doing what more than half of Cleveland’s population has done over the in the last 60 years: Getting the hell out of the place.
He didn’t leave because of money, though some analyses show that he can take home more in pay in Florida despite a lower salary. Ohio used to be one of the lowest-tax states in the country. Now it’s one of the highest.
That’s what Clevelanders should be outraged about. Their economy has enough to deal with already without being put in a full court press by high taxes.
Cleveland needs to get rid of its savior complex. LeBron James could never have saved Cleveland–no single sports star or entrepreneur or bailout can–but there are definite, proven steps that any city can take to improve life for its citizens.
Reason.tv highlighted a whole host of possible steps in our series “Reason Saves Cleveland” available at www.reason.tv.
“Lessons from LeBron” was produced by Dan Hayes and Nick Gillespie. Production Assistant Joshua Swain.
more >>
Eleven Fifty-Nine
Eleven Fifty-Nine for 7-9-10
by JOHN ADAMS •
Good evening,
It’s a cool and clear evening ahead, with a low of fifty-nine.
If you’ve been following the Tour, it’s been a very good couple of days for Mark Cavendish. He had his second consecutive stage win on Stage 6, and Cancellara is still in yellow.
Here’s the list of General Classification leaders (that is, overall leaders) after six stages:
1 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank 28:37:30
2 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Sky Professional Cycling Team 0:00:20
3 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:00:39
4 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin – Transitions 0:00:46
5 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Quick Step 0:01:01
6 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank 0:01:09
7 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo Test Team 0:01:16
8 Alexander Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana 0:01:31
9 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana 0:01:40
10 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto 0:01:42
11 Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale
12 Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Garmin – Transitions 0:01:47
13 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank 0:01:49
14 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Professional Cycling Team
15 David Millar (GBr) Garmin – Transitions 0:02:06
16 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas-Doimo 0:02:24
17 Luis León Sánchez Gil (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne 0:02:25
18 Lance Armstrong (USA) Team Radioshack 0:02:30
19 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne 0:02:32
20 Thomas Löfkvist (Swe) Sky Professional Cycling Team 0:02:34
One hears that there’s much left — and there is, for if there weren’t the many stages ahead would be dull and insignificant — but I think one will find the probable top finishers in Paris near the top of this. list.
Versus, on which American viewers can watch the Tour, has embeddable video highlights of each stage, and there’s a sample from Stage 6 at their website. See, http://www.versus.com/shows/tour-de-france/.
Perhaps that’s not enough for them, just the Tour, for the ratings they need. I suggest as much because in their cable coverage and on the web, they offer other programming segments interspersed during the day and evening.
There’s an example, as sponsored from RadioShack, on ‘Training.’ An illustration, one imagines, of the many benefits of exercise, yet — or perhaps because — of this, RadioShack’s still in 18th place.
In Madison, there’s a bike-friendly, bike-exclusive restaurant proposal: “Proposed bike path restaurant would be inaccessible by automobile.”
A Madison restaurateur wants to pioneer the antithesis of the drive-in restaurant.
Chris Berge, co-owner of Restaurant Magnus, the Weary Traveler and Natt Spil and cofounder of Barriques and the Blue Marlin, plans to build a bike-path-bound cafe on the city’s Near West Side that would be inaccessible by car, serve local food, produce zero garbage and cater to the city’s burgeoning bicycle population.
Described as “a hobbit hole meets the American Players Theatre meets a 1950s National Park recreational area,” the “Badger Den” would be a “bike-in” bar and grill open from April through October.
Food would be served on plastic or ceramic dishes at seating made from tree trunks. Coffee and juice would be dispensed in purchasable mugs that would fit in a bike holder. And to capture the zeitgeist of the Wisconsin north woods, beer and wine would also be on the menu.
If the restauranteur can make this work, good for him. If it comes to pass, I’d stop in, to see what it’s like.
Seating on tree trunks, with beer and wine? Sure, I’m in.
Government Spending
Journal Sentinel: Property Values Go Down, but Tax Rates, Levies Go Up
by JOHN ADAMS •
The story shows that as property values take a drop, the absolute amount of tax revenues sucked from the productive, private economy keeps growing.
Reporter Tom Kertscher correctly notes that even in good times politicians were disingenuous when they talked about tax rates going down – the absolute amount of tax levy dollars taken would typically rise.
There was an underlying dishonesty and danger in a growing levy that cannot be rationalized simply because home prices might have been climbing (as they are not doing now).
One might just as well say that it’s fine for a man to be morbidly obese, and grow larger still, so long as he keeps putting new additions on his house. Even if the house grows faster than the man, his sheer size represents an inherent health risk.
See, Journal Sentinel: Property Values Go Down, but Tax Rates, Levies Go Up.
Government Spending
Journal Sentinel: State Deficit for Next Two-Year Budget Swells to $2.5 Billion
by JOHN ADAMS •
Wisconsin will need to reduce government’s size across the board to avoid stiffling tax increases that are the only alternative to close the expected budget gap.
We can make those reductions, and have a more responsible and responsive state government.
See, State Deficit for Next Two-Year Budget Swells to $2.5 Billion
Uncategorized
Meet the New Solution, Same as the Old Solution
by JOHN ADAMS •
The last decade saw an explosion in federal spending, under a Republican administration, exceeded in scope and destructiveness by the amount of spending of the current Democratic administration. Following widespread pledges that Republicans would be different this time, billions upon billions later, Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Scott Walker unveiled a plan not to fill four thousand already-vacant jobs. See, Scott Walker promises not to fill 4,000 vacant state government jobs.
Understandably,
Walker’s main opponents were immediately critical.
“I am glad to see Scott Walker is following my lead in getting state government under control, but you don’t save any money by cutting positions that are already vacant,” said Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, the main Democratic candidate. “That’s a gimmick.”
Walker’s main Republican opponent, former U.S. Rep. Mark Neumann, agreed with the idea of cutting the state’s payroll. However, he did not think Walker’s plan would accomplish its goal.
“As a businessman and former math teacher, I have a tough time understanding how eliminating positions that are already unfilled actually save taxpayers $284 million, when the money isn’t being paid out in the first place,” Neumann said.
Walker’s simply not a credible — let alone creditable — budget-cutter if this is his idea of saving money.
Comment Forum
Friday Open Comments Forum: Private Ownership to Protect Endangered Species
by JOHN ADAMS •
Here’s the Friday open comments post.
Today’s suggested topic is ‘private ownership to protect endangered species.’ That might include private purchases of land, ‘adoption’ of animals, our even reductions in restrictions on owning and eating otherwise endangered animals.
The use of pseudonyms and anonymous postings will be fine.
Although the comments template has a space for a name, email address, and website, those who want to leave a field blank can do so. Comments will be moderated, against profanity or trolls. Otherwise, have at it.
I’ll keep the post open through Sunday afternoon.