Sometimes loving a thing – as one loves our small city – requires seeing it through the perspective of other experiences and other towns’ customs and habits. When someone touts having been in Whitewater for decades – as though that’s all that matters in the world – he does neither himself nor Whitewater the credit…
City
City, Cycling, Development, Economy, Good Ideas, Health, Hip & Prosperous, Planning
In Support of the Complete Streets Initiative for Whitewater
by JOHN ADAMS •
This Tuesday, January 20th at 6:30 PM, Common Council will consider a Complete Streets ordinance (item O-3) for Whitewater. A Complete Streets program simply requires planners to consider bike and pedestrian travel, for example, when either building or reconstructing streets within our city. (I listened closely to discussion of the idea at our 12.16.14 Common…
City
Whitewater Predictions for 2015
by JOHN ADAMS •
Here’s my amateur version of the late William Safire’s long-standing tradition of offering annual predictions. The list for 2015, the FW eighth-annual edition: 1. The biggest policy discussion of 2015 will be A. City of Whitewater’s scrutiny of vendors B. Campus culture and policies C. Police Department community relations D. Over debates about the direction…
City
Review: Predictions for 2014
by JOHN ADAMS •
Here’s a review of my amateur version of the late William Safire’s long-standing tradition of offering annual predictions. This was my list for 2014, the seventh-annual FW edition. Let’s see how I did: 1. In the governor’s race, Scott Walker will: A. Win the city and the state B. Lose the city but win the…
City, Culture, New Whitewater, Politics
The Absence of Equilibrium
by JOHN ADAMS •
Later this week, I’ll check to see how I did on my predictions for 2014, and make some new ones for 2015. The week of January 6th, I’ll elaborate on themes from the predictions for 2015. Here’s an observation, however, that I think describes Whitewater’s politics and culture, generally: there is an absence of equilibrium,…
City, Government Spending, Health, Waste Digesters
The Wastewater Facility Upgrades and a Digester
by JOHN ADAMS •
On Tuesday night, Common Council heard the proposed cost of wastewater upgrades ($18.7 million) and the separate possibility of large digester. Let’s be clear about what a big digester’s “solids treatment” truly is: a process of importing other cities’ unwanted manure, human excrement, and industrial filth into Whitewater. A few quick comments, as there is…
Beautiful Whitewater, City, New Whitewater
Causes and Monuments
by JOHN ADAMS •
City, Waste Digesters
Update on a Digester Project: ‘Wastewater Facility Poised for Upgrades: Memo 4’
by JOHN ADAMS •
On Thursday, I posted about a technical memo on the City of Whitewater’s website, entitled, ‘Wastewater Facility Poised for Upgrades: Memo 4.’ The memo concerned the digester at the wastewater facility, and contained one line of text: ‘Technical Memorandum #4 – Digestion Complex and Energy Production – In Progress.’ In my post, I said that…
City, Waste Digesters
‘Wastewater Facility Poised for Upgrades: Memo 4’
by JOHN ADAMS •
Over at the City of Whitewater’s website, there is an announcement entitled, Wastewater Facility Poised for Upgrades (http://www.whitewater-wi.gov/residents/recent-news/2803-wastewater-facility-poised-for-upgrades). Among several memos about these upgrades, one finds Memo 4 – Digestion Complex and Energy Production. The text of that memo (embedded below) is brief: Technical Memorandum #4 – Digestion Complex and Energy Production – In…
City, Waste Digesters
One Year On
by JOHN ADAMS •
Some ideas, good or bad, are worth remarking on promptly. Some, but not all: there are times when a proposal is so destructive of a community’s well-being, so terribly misguided, that a few remarks, or even many, would not be enough. In those times, one meets a light, misplaced enthusiasm with diligent, well-placed work.…
City, Development, Government Spending
The Peddler’s Egg
by JOHN ADAMS •
A peddler visits a local town, and announces that he has a Fabergé egg to sell. Townspeople gather near his freshly-painted cart to see the shiny jewel. The seller contends his merchandise is the Rose Trellis Fabergé egg. He extols the beauty of the object, tells listeners that he recently purchased it from a museum,…
Charity, City, Good Ideas
The ‘Nearly Naked’ Run/Walk for Whitewater’s Community Clothes Closet
by JOHN ADAMS •
On Sunday, December 7th @ 11 AM, here’s a chance to join others in a very clever idea in support of a very good cause: Whitewater’s inaugural Nearly Naked 5K Run/Walk. Participants in the 5K run/walk will bundle up in clothing they’d like to donate to Whitewater’s Community Clothes Closet, and remove those items at…
CDA, City, Development, Economy, Government Spending, Infrastructure, Local Government
Is Whitewater’s Public Infrastructure Undeveloped? No.
by JOHN ADAMS •
I wrote on Friday that I would consider a bit more about Whitewater’s 2015 proposed budget today. This post’s title frames how to think about the budget: the city’s fiscal condition is only a small part of the local economy’s condition. Important, to be sure, but also small. Many city services are ordinary and commonplace…
City, Government Spending, Local Government
Catching Up with Last Night’s Council Session
by JOHN ADAMS •
Common Council met last night, and continued her discussions toward a November 18th final vote on the proposed 2015 budget. I’ll write more about Whitewater’s budget on Monday. It’s best to keep this principle in mind: that one works diligently to overcome setbacks, but spends far less time reflecting on successes. So, just a bit…