From enduring opinion, one often hears that small towns are places of folksy and humble people. Small-town America is meant to be unpretentious. We should be clear with ourselves: America is meant to be unpretentious, a rejection of the tyranny of status and title so much a part of the Old World. And yet, and…
167 search results for "Brunner "
City
Review: Predictions for Whitewater, Wisconsin for 2009
by JOHN ADAMS •
Here is my early January 2009 post with predictions for the year. How did I do? Results below the post…. Here’s my local, amateur version, in honor of former columnist [the late] William Safire’s long-standing tradition, of offering annual predictions. The list for 2009: 1. In 2009, the University will win the following number of…
City
Whitewater, Wisconsin’s 2010 Municipal Budget, Part 2
by JOHN ADAMS •
There’s a second part of Whitewater’s budget that deserves special mention – the purchase of additional insurance in the event of municipal sewer backups. I wrote at length, months ago, of the unfortunate situation of a homeowner who experienced an expensive sewer backup while serving in Afghanistan. There was a meeting of the Whitewater common…
City
Whitewater, Wisconsin’s 2010 Municipal Budget, Part 1
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Daily Bread, Inbox Reader Mail
Daily Bread for Whitewater, Wisconsin: 12-3-09 (Reader Mail Edition)
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
I awoke to a light dusting of snow on the lawn this morning; it’s the second time, by my count, that there has been any snow this season. Today’s won’t last long; Whitewater will have to wait for appreciable accumulation. At my home, the House of Dissenting Opinion, my Internet connection is down, so it’s…
City
Curious Aspects of a Rural Town
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
I have written a few overview posts, these past two weeks, highlighting unusual and curious aspects of life here. I will resume a more conventional posting schedule, with a daily morning feature, beginning next week. In the meantime, I will finish highlighting some of the ways that we’re just not the rural town that the…
Holiday
Boo! Scariest Things in Whitewater, Wisconsin 2009
by JOHN ADAMS •
Here’s the FREE WHITEWATER list of the scariest things in Whitewater for 2009. The 2007 and 2008 editions are available for comparison. The list runs in reverse order, from mildly frightening to super scary. 10. The Census. It’s only a year away, and in can’t be avoided — a decennial census is a federal, constitutional…
Uncategorized
Happy Friday
by JOHN ADAMS •
Posting has been light this month, as I have thought about FREE WHITEWATER’s readers, and how to describe and explain our town to a growing, out-of-town audience. When I started writing, I never thought about how many readers I might attract. I wrote what I felt like writing, and if anyone wanted to read, they…
City
Attitude, Behavior, Programs
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
There’s more than one way to change an organization. I’ve thought, over the years, that there were two principal ways: begin by shaping the attitude of employees, or by shaping their behavior. (I see that it’s possible to begin with both, but my point would be that one typically begins by emphasizing one over the…
City
The Mild Political Weather in Whitewater, Wisconsin
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
It’s a chilly October in Whitewater, Wisconsin, but the political climate has never been milder. That must seem odd, in a time of economic hardship with rising unemployment. There’s a gap, though, between the condition of ordinary residents and their interest in the plans and schemes from our municipal building. The political climate in the…
City, Police
Vandalism and Alcohol
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Whitewater’s had more than its share of property damage from vandalism. Strong property rights make a for a strong community; free markets in private property are the foundation of a productive society. We have vandalism, too, and just about everyone contends that much of it comes from over-drinking, leaving a bar, after weekend last call.…
City
Come On, Whitewater! Stop Disappointing Your Politicians and Bureaucrats (Part 2)
by JOHN ADAMS •
Over at the Daily Union, there’s coverage of the first of two scheduled municipal budget listening sessions. In a story entitled, “No Input at Budget Hearing,” Whitewater City Manager Kevin Brunner comments on the lack of attendance, and his own trailblazing listening session concept. It’s not that Brunner receives hard questioning from the newspaper; that’s…
City, Press
Common Council from September 8, 2009: Risk and Accountability
by JOHN ADAMS •
City, Press
Bureaucrat vs. Property Owner
by JOHN ADAMS •
From the main page of the City of Whitewater’s website: Thanks for visiting the Whitewater website. If you have not been to our City, please feel free to visit us in person as well. The Whitewater Municipal Center is open daily from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Monday through Friday) to answer your questions and…