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Assault Awareness & Prevention, Daily Bread, Education, Law, Legislation, Misconduct

Daily Bread for 3.24.24: Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Students Against Strip Searches and Sexual Misconduct

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 Good morning.

Sunday in Whitewater will be cloudy with a high of 38. Sunrise is 6:48 and sunset 7:13 for 12h 24m 52s of daytime. The moon is a waxing gibbous with 99.5 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1603, Tokugawa Ieyasu is granted the title of shogun from Emperor Go-Yozei, and establishes the Tokugawa shogunate in Edo, Japan

Long overdue, but as Baylor Spears reports Gov. Evers has signed bipartisan legislation to protect students against strip searches and sexual misconduct:

Gov. Tony Evers signed education-related legislation Friday, including a measure to tighten protections for students against strip searches and sexual misconduct.

One measure, Senate Bill 111, now 2023 Wisconsin Act 198, was introduced in reaction to a 2022 incident in which a Suring School District employee, who was searching for vaping devices, allegedly ordered six teenage girls to undress down to their underwear. Neither the students’ parents or law enforcement were informed about or present at the time of the strip search.

The law redefines the meaning of “strip search” and “private area” to include undergarments in order to protect students from any official, employee or agent of any school or school district conducting strip searches. 

Rep. David Steffen (R-Green Bay), who coauthored the legislation, said in a statement that “being treated with dignity and basic privacy is something that every student should expect when they enter our schools.

“The event at Suring revealed a statutory loophole that needed to be closed,” Steffen said. “This bill will protect our students from experiencing such intrusive searches in the future.”

Another measure, Senate Bill 333, now 2023 Wisconsin Act 200, seeks to better protect students by making sexual misconduct against a student by any school staff member or volunteer a Class I felony. It also adds more violations to the offenses where the state superintendent would be required to revoke a license  without a hearing, and prohibits a licensee from ever having their license reinstated by the state superintendent if they are convicted of a crime against a child that is a Class H felony or higher or a felony invasion of privacy or sexual misconduct by a school staff person or volunteer. 

It should not have required reporting on strip searches over a vape pen for this legislature and this governor to agree on legislation against those kinds of searches.

Better late than never is worse, and too late, for some.

Building a heart atlas:

Daily Bread, Drink, Faraway Places

Daily Bread for 3.23.24: Tiny Windows Serving Wine

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 Good morning.

Saturday in Whitewater will be sunny with a high of 34. Sunrise is 6:49 and sunset 7:11 for 12h 21m 58s of daytime. The moon is a waxing gibbous with 97.4 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1909, Theodore Roosevelt leaves New York for a post-presidency safari in Africa. The trip is sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution and National Geographic Society.

Tiny Windows Serving Wine:

A glass of wine…served out of a window 🍷

In Florence, Italy there are tiny little windows built into the side of most noble palaces. And from these tiny windows, wine is served.

Affectionately known as “buchette del vino”, Florence’s wine windows date back to the 16th Century, and were a means for noble families to sell their wine directly to the public. Their usefulness, however, really became apparent during the Covid-19 pandemic, and doubled as a unique solution to minimizing contact and halting the spread of illness.

We explore the history and preservation of these wine windows, and how they are still used today. Watch as @JacobHarrell guides you through this story.

‘The Empire (State Building) strikes back with a ‘Star Wars’ light show:

Daily Bread, Government Spending, State Government, Wisconsin

Daily Bread for 3.22.24: Less State Office Space Means More (in Taxpayer Savings)

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 Good morning.

Friday in Whitewater will be snowy with a high of 37. Sunrise is 6:51 and sunset 7:10 for 12h 19m 02s of daytime. The moon is a waxing gibbous with 93.4 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1765, the British Parliament passes the Stamp Act that introduces a tax to be levied directly on its American colonies.

Sarah Lehr reports State agencies could offload even more office space, remote work audit finds (‘State administrators say they’re tightening up policies for tracking remote work’): 

Wisconsin state agencies could consider offloading even more office space than previously planned, according to an audit presented to state lawmakers this week.

Three years ago, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ administration released a Vision 2030 plan, which laid out a roadmap for the state workforce in the coming decade. Because of the continued popularity of remote work, it called for consolidating state office space and for selling multiple state buildings in the coming years.

In all, state officials say Wisconsin could save $9 billion in occupancy costs plus more than a half a billion dollars in deferred maintenance expensive by cutting down on office space, according to an update to the plan released last spring.

There’s a hard-nosed (but short-sighted) attitude that says state office workers should sit all day at their office desks. As it turns out, those state office desks are in state office buildings, and state office buildings do not pay for themselves. If workers who do not interact directly with the public can do their work remotely, then the rest of Wisconsin should not be paying for office buildings for those very workers. 

It shows a lack of foresight to say one is holding office workers accountable for their in-person attendance when that in-person attendance does not account for wasted money on state buildings.

The State of Wisconsin can and should sell office buildings that have become relics of a last-century service model. 

‘Paddington’ bears spotted in Bolivian forest raise hopes for species’ survival:

Cats

Friday Catblogging: They’re Only Misunderstood

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Colleen Grablick reports Cats aren’t jerks. They’re just misunderstood (‘Feline researchers say many cats are quite social. Yours might even want to learn a few tricks):

Monique Udell is the director of the Human-Animal Interaction Lab at Oregon State University, which has been investigating the social potential of domestic cats. According to Udell, cats actually have a “flexible” social structure, meaning they can exist successfully on their own or in groups, depending on early life experiences (such as whether they were exposed to humans as babies) and their environment.

“What we’re finding is that when we give them the same kinds of opportunities or challenges that we regularly give dogs, that oftentimes cats not only can engage in high levels of social behavior, but many cats actually prefer social interaction,” Udell says.

Of course, no one — cat or human — wants to be around others all the time. Leslie Sinn, a veterinary behaviorist in Ashburn, Va., says domestic cats, just like their wild ancestors, navigate conflict by dispersal; they remove themselves from an uncomfortable situation as protection. “That’s often where we run into issues in our home, because there’s limited movement that can take place in order to be able to avoid conflict,” she says.

City, Film

Film: Tuesday, March 26, 1:00 PM @ Seniors in the Park, Nyad

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Tuesday, March 26th at 1:00 PM, there will be a showing of Nyad @ Seniors in the Park, in the Starin Community Building:

Drama/Biography

Rated PG-13

2 hours, 1 minute (2023)

The remarkable, true story of athlete Diana Nyad (Annette Bening) who,  at age 60, and with the help of her partner and coach (Jodie Foster), commits to achieving her lifelong dream of swimming the 110 miles from Havana to Key West, Florida. This film earned Oscar nominations for both actresses!

One can find more information about Nyad at the Internet Movie Database.

CDA, City, Daily Bread

Daily Bread for 3.21.24: The Agenda for the March CDA Meeting

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 Good morning.

Thursday in Whitewater will be cloudy with a high of 39. Sunrise is 6:53 and sunset 7:09 for 12h 16m 06s of daytime. The moon is a waxing gibbous with 88.4 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

Whitewater’s Community Development Authority meets at 5:30 PM. 

On this day in 1963, Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary closes.

Linked above is the agenda for the 3.21.24 meeting of the Whitewater Community Development Authority. Embedded below is the agenda for that meeting.

Athens zoo welcomes the birth of a rare pygmy hippo: 

City, Competition, Daily Bread, Free Markets, Housing, Law, Litigation

Daily Bread for 3.20.24: A Legal (and Free Market) Victory Against the National Association of Realtors®

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 Good morning.

The first full day of Spring in Whitewater will be sunny with a high of 40. Sunrise is 6:55 and sunset 7:08 for 12h 13m 11s of daytime. The moon is a waxing gibbous with 81.3 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

Whitewater’s Parks & Recreation Board meets at 5:30 PM. 

On this day in 1815, after escaping from Elba, Napoleon enters Paris with a regular army of 140,000 and a volunteer force of around 200,000, beginning his “Hundred Days” rule.

 

For generations, the National Association of Realtors® has controlled (as though it were part monopoly, part cartel) the process of buying and selling homes. That control has now come to an end with much of the credit going to a personal injury lawyer in Missouri and his five clients. 

The end of the Association’s stranglehold on the housing market is a legal victory that’s brought about a free-market victory for buyers and sellers. See Powerful Realtor Group Agrees to Slash Commissions to Settle Lawsuits (‘The National Association of Realtors will pay $418 million in damages and will amend several rules that housing experts say will drive down housing costs’) and Five Ways Buying and Selling a House Could Change (‘The National Association of Realtors has agreed to change its policies to settle several lawsuits brought by home sellers — a move that could reduce commissions’). 

These changes won’t solve housing shortages in Whitewater or other small towns, but they will benefit buyers and sellers across the nation in reduced commissions. (America has had among the highest commission fees in all the developed world.)

Well, done, Missouri attorney Michael Ketchmark and clients. You’ve helped all the nation end entrenched, expensive, anti-competitive practices. 

Notre Dame Cathedral could reopen at the end of 2024 as new spire emerges:

City, Daily Bread, Education, Freedom of Speech, School District, Speech & Debate, Tragic Optimism

Daily Bread for 3.19.24: Better Days for the Whitewater Schools

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 Good morning.

Tuesday in Whitewater will be windy with a high of 53. Sunrise is 6:57 and sunset 7:07 for 12h 10m 16s of daytime. The moon is a waxing gibbous with 73.1 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

The Whitewater Common Council meets tonight at 6:30 PM. 

On this day in 1918, the US Congress establishes time zones and approves daylight saving time.

I went to sleep last night nearly a pessimist; I awoke this morning an optimist yet again. People choose freely, sometimes well, sometimes poorly. For the Whitewater Unified School District, these many months — ending at last night’s board meeting — were a time of free choice for the district’s board president and the district’s superintendent. 

The board president has chosen not to run for reelection; the superintendent has chosen to seek employment elsewhere. In both cases, those decisions are right for those officials and for the Whitewater Schools. Some relationships, including political and employment ones, sadly become irretrievably broken. Repair requires reconciliation, and reconciliation requires a willingness to accept the principles on which a sound relationship rests.

For the Whitewater Schools, reconciliation required these officials to make a choice and commitment they chose not to make. See Speech & Debate in the Whitewater Schools.  See also What Ails, What Heals, and Heals & Ails, General & Particular, Public & Private.

No one should be compelled to choose; it must be a free decision. One wishes the best to both — truly — in the future.  They deserve situations suitable to them. Not every fit is a good fit. The Whitewater Unified School District’s board will soon have the opportunity to choose a new president. That board will be able to oversee the selection of a new superintendent at the earliest opportunity, either through her employment elsewhere, a settlement agreement, or if regrettably necessary through lawful public action of the board.

For Whitewater, the daunting — yet hopeful — building of a new administration in a new district awaits. We need not fear that a choice today will lead to worse outcomes tomorrow. This community can achieve for its students academic success, athletic accomplishment, and artistic achievement under principles of individual rights and tolerance for all, without prejudice toward race, ethnicity, gender, or orientation.

The principles of limited, open, responsible government and individual rights hold the commanding heights. They occupy good ground; they have a defensible position. Those who hold these values will over-match those who oppose them. We need not be afraid of what comes next — we will shape what comes next. 

The work of crafting a new district begins. It is the work of years to come. It will require ongoing attention. Sometimes hard, but easier if we join together. Sometimes daunting, but always possible. 

It’s spring break for the Whitewater Schools next week, but while our students, teachers, and families enjoy their well-deserved vacation, others of us can begin our reflections and recommendations for the future. 

The Whitewater Schools will come through just fine. 

Daily Bread, School District

Daily Bread for 3.18.24: The Agenda for the Whitewater School District’s Regular March Meeting

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 Good morning.

Monday in Whitewater will be partly sunny with a high of 36. Sunrise is 6:58 and sunset is 7:06 for 12h 07m 19s of daytime. The moon is a waxing gibbous with 63.4 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

Whitewater’s Ethics Committee meets at 5 PM and the city’s Library Board meets at 6:30 PM. The Whitewater School Board’s Policy Review Committee meets at 5:30 PM. The Whitewater School Board then holds its regular meeting this evening, going into closed session shortly after 6 PM and returning to open session at 7 PM.

On this day in 1865, the Congress of the Confederate States adjourns for the last time.

Linked above is the agenda for the 3.18.24 policy review meeting and the regular meeting of the Whitewater Unified School District Board. Embedded below is the agenda of the school board’s regular meeting.

It’s an ordinary agenda of a regular meeting in a district that has experienced extraordinary turmoil and irregular practices. (More precisely: irregular practices that the board and administration would prefer others to treat as regular.)  This approach is unfortunate but predictable. It will prove futile.

See Speech & Debate in the Whitewater Schools.

Wolves in Yellowstone: 

Daily Bread, Holiday

Daily Bread for 3.17.24: St. Patrick’s Day 2024 Timelapse of Chicago River Being Dyed Green

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 Good morning.

St. Patrick’s Day in Whitewater will be windy with a high of 38. Sunrise is 7:00 and sunset 7:04 for 12h 04m 24s of daytime. The moon is a waxing gibbous with 53.7 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1958, the United States launches Vanguard 1, the first solar-powered satellite, which is also the first satellite to achieve a long-term orbit.

St. Patrick’s Day 2024: Timelapse of Chicago River being dyed green:

Iceland volcano erupts for fourth time in three months:

Daily Bread, Food

Daily Bread for 3.16.24: Trying the Ramen Spice Challenge

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 Good morning.

Saturday in Whitewater will be windy with a high of 51. Sunrise is 7:02 and sunset 7:03 for 12h 01m 29s of daytime. The moon is a waxing crescent with 43 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1935, Hitler orders Germany to rearm herself in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. Conscription is reintroduced to form the Wehrmacht.

Trying the Ramen Spice Challenge:

This ramen is on 🔥 .

If you’re looking for a ramen that can surprise you, excite you or even BLOW AWAY your taste buds? Then you’ve stopped on the right video! This is Samyang’s Buldak-Bokkeum-Myeon. This instant ramen has set the benchmark for all other ramen producers with its explosive flavors, intense heat, and creative inventions.

From the TikTok famous Carbonara, Quattro Cheese and Jaijang to the Mukbang infamous 3x spicy. There are plenty of options to choose from. The first Korean Ramen brand’s popularity has transcended its original market and gained a following among spicy food enthusiasts globally.

At Samyang’s Wonju factory, we meet Oh Seung-ryong, Manager of Samyang Foods Miryang Factory, he gives us an insight into the history of Korean ramen and the process behind creating noodles. Then the Head of Flavor, who has worked across many soup and flavor creations that have led to their reputation; tells us how they develop and test some of their concepts.

Tornadoes tear through Ohio, Indiana, killing three:

City, Daily Bread, Excuses and Rationalizations, Law, Local Government, Open Government, Public Meetings, Public Records, School District, Wisconsin

Daily Bread for 3.15.24: A Sunshine Week Story

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 Good morning.

Friday in Whitewater will be sunny with a high of 52. Sunrise is 7:04 and sunset 7:02 for 11h 58m 32s of daytime. The moon is a waxing crescent with 33.4 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1991, the Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany comes into effect, granting full sovereignty to the Federal Republic of Germany.

  It’s Sunshine Week in America. You know, your right to know. Miles Maguire has published a story for Sunshine Week about the fight for open government in Wisconsin entitled UW-Oshkosh buried facts about mishandled Native American remains. Sunshine laws uncovered them:

Last April the Wisconsin Examiner published an examination of the way that Native American human remains have been retained by public institutions in Oshkosh long after the passage of a federal law that was intended to speed their repatriation to the tribes that once inhabited the area.

The article included some startling details that demonstrated the callousness of the institutions, especially the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. But the university also managed to keep even more graphic information out of the story.

For example, readers did not learn that a Native American skull, collected in Oshkosh on the south bank of the Fox River, had been stolen in 1990 from an exhibit case on campus and “broken during the bungled burglary.” Nor did they read about the time that the remains of one individual went missing from an excavation where an assistant professor found 43 burials but apparently lost track of one “en route to the archaeology laboratory.”

The reason that these details, contained in inventory records that had been easily accessible at the campus library, were not included in my story was that during the course of my reporting university officials stepped in and placed the documents in a restricted area. I was in the midst of reviewing the documents when the university decided that they needed to be kept from the public on the basis of what turned out to be a completely bogus rationale.

Last month the university released a full set of the inventory records under prodding from the Winnebago County district attorney, whose investigation showed that UW Oshkosh had repeatedly and egregiously manipulated state law.

The DA’s investigation confirmed what I had asserted in a complaint filed in July, that UW Oshkosh had made a mockery of the state’s public records law, slow-walking responses, making up excuses for redacting information and misapplying doctrines like the attorney-client privilege. Among other things, I pointed out, UWO had withheld documents from me that it had released to another news organization and claimed that it had the right to keep from me a copy of an email that I myself had written.

(Emphasis added.)

Again and again: public officials in public institutions conducting public business aren’t entitled to private avenues of concealment. Officials who would like private protections can find those defenses just as soon as they return to private life. 

Not a moment sooner.

See also Speech & Debate in the Whitewater Schools. 

Watch Brewers grounds crew remove outfield covering at American Family Field before opening day:

Books, Cats, Good Ideas

Friday Catblogging: Paying Library Fines with Cat Photos

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Vinay Menon writes Paying library fines with cat photos? It’s a purr-fect (sorry!) way to encourage literacy:

But since even paltry fines may prove too much for some forgetful bookworms, the Worcester Public Library has just purred out a revolutionary idea: now you can pay for overdue, lost or damaged items with a photo of your cat.

Forgot you borrowed “1984” in 1984? Bring it back and slap down a portrait of Fluffy.

“Show us a picture of your cat, a famous cat, a picture you drew of a cat, a shelter cat — any cat, and we will forgive WPL fees on your library account,” Worcester announced to promote this month’s literary amnesty known as “March Meowness.”

….

There is fine print, including “accounts with 5 or more items will need to be reviewed by a manager of Circulation.” Fair. “Felines for Fee Forgiveness” also does not apply to items that were lost or damaged in an “attempt to restrict access to diverse content.”

….

Not a cat lover? Not a problem. Read the italicized asterisk at the bottom of the March Meowness page: “*We will accept honorary cats as well, so you may show us a picture or drawing of a dog, raccoon, orca, capybara, or any other animal.”

This is a fine idea: the goal should be for borrowers return the books they’ve been lent, and this provides a low-cost, charming way to encourage returns without stigma. Fines as a deterrent aren’t (normally) so high as to work effectively yet at any price hold the library out as little more than a traffic cop. Traffic enforcement falls near the bottom of a list of socially beloved activities.

Well done, Worcester, Massachusetts.