For a quaint college town, Whitewater has a spooky past.
Its urban legends, chock-full of witches, spirits and mysterious happenings, may stem from stories surrounding the Morris Pratt Institute….
Even before the Institute, however, stories of witchcraft and a sacrificial altar, which allegedly lies near UW-Whitewater dorm Wells Hall, earned the town the nickname of the “second salem.”
Via Witches of Whitewater: Fact or Fiction? – The Daily Cardinal – Features.
Good morning,
It’s a breezy day in Whitewater, with a forecast for a high temperature of forty-five.
School’s out, for the next two days, a kind of pre-Halloween treat for thousands.
The New York Times reported that on this day in 1886, President Cleveland dedicated the Statue of Liberty:
The statue of Liberty yesterday was seen through a mist darkly. Piercing winds blew around Bedlow’s Island, and the numerous workmen, who were not in any way protected from the weather, worked uncomfortably. The speakers’ stand, and that for the use of musicians above it, were in readiness yesterday. Planks were removed and a semblance of tidiness was given to the island. A big barge, which looked extremely dismal, with its legend in red characters, “Eat, drink, and be merry,” stood at the Bedlow’s Island dock to land visitors. It will be used for that purpose this afternoon.
Police in Montana say a man robbed a bank and then called a taxi to make his getaway, tipping the driver $5 just before squad cars surrounded the cab. Taxi driver James Anderson told the Missoulian the man was acting strangely when he picked him up at a Missoula coffee shop.
See, La Crosse Tribune – Montana Police: Man Calls Cab to Make Robbery Getaway.
A woodworker builds and sells birdhouses. He gathers materials, maintains a shop, and makes a few at a time for display and sale. To advertise his trade, he puts a sign in the window of the workshop:
A customer visits the shop, takes a birdhouse off the shelf, and places it on the front counter for purchase. “I’d like to buy this one,” the customer says.
The woodworker smiles, and says, “Thanks. That’ll only be $40.00, less a $2.00 discount, for a total of $38.00. Would you like me to wrap it up?”
The customer’s surprised: “I thought your sign said birdhouses were $29.95 each. That’s $8.05 more than your sign says they cost.”
The woodworker replies: “We’ll, that’s last year’s sign. I have to add the out-of-the-area operations charges each year. Besides, I might have charged $40.00, so I think it’s unfair that you’re not taking that possibility into consideration. I’d at least like a little appreciation for the discount you’re getting. If you think about it, you’re not paying $8.05 more, you’re paying $2.00 less.”
The customer expresses additional surprise that there are ‘out-of-the-area charges,’ since the birdhouses are advertised as products of a ‘locally-owned and operated workshop.’
Exasperated, the woodworker exclaims,”Well, I am a locally-owned and operated shop. But, not all of the $38.00 that I’m charging you is really my responsibility. Years ago, when suppliers subsidized my goods, I was able to pass that along as a service from me to you. Their subsidies were really my gift to you.”
“Now, those suppliers from the big city keep coming down on me, you might even say hammering me, year after year. Although I seem to be charging you $38.00 for a birdhouse, I’m only responsible for about, say, $5.00 of the charges — the rest is the fault of those greedy, indifferent, scheming, manipulative suppliers in the big city. They’re the ones you should be upset with, not me.”
“If you think about it, I’m only charging you $5.00 per birdhouse, probably.”
The customer, puzzled, asks, “How can I tell which part of the work is really your responsibility?”
“That’s easy!” the woodworker declares. “If you find any part of the birdhouses that you like, whatever it may be, including subsidies from suppliers, that’s really from me. On the other hand, if there’s something you don’t like, including additional charges from suppliers, that’s the fault of other people, over whom I have no control, haven’t met personally, and wouldn’t like if I did.”
National Weather Service forecaster Mark Gehring says the tornado went six miles in six minutes….
It also knocked down power poles, uprooted trees and moved a dog house across a yard with a dog in it. Gehring says the dog was fine.
Via “Wis tornado moves dog house with dog inside” by Latest News — GazetteXtra.
Good morning,
Today’s forecast for Whitewater calls for a windy day with a high temperature of fifty-six degrees.
There will be a Halloween Party at Lakeview School today, from 6 to 8 p.m. At Lincoln School, proud home of the Leopards, it’s VIP day. IT’s Spirit Day at the Middle School.
The Wisconsin Historical Society recalls today as a day of service and sacrifice on behalf of the Union:
1864 – Waukesha Soldier Sinks Confederate Ship
On this date William Cushing led an expedition to sink the Confederate ram, the Albemarle, which had imposed a blockade near Plymouth, North Carolina and had been sinking Union ships. Cushing’s plan was extremely dangerous and only he and one other soldier escaped drowning or capture. Cushing pulled very close to the Confederate ironclad and exploded a torpedo under it while under heavy fire. Cushing’s crew abandoned ship as it began to sink. The Albemarle also sunk. Cushing received a “letter of thanks” from Congress and was promoted to Lieutenant Commander. He died in 1874 due to ill health and is buried in the Naval Cemetery at Annapolis, Maryland. [Source: Badger Saints and Sinners by Fred L. Holmes, p.274-285]
More on Cushing — born in Delafield, Wisconsin — is available online from Wikipedia:
Cushing was born in Delafield, Wisconsin, and was raised in Fredonia, New York. He was expelled from the United States Naval Academy for pranks and poor scholarship. At the outbreak of the American Civil War, however, he pled his case to United States Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles himself, was reinstated and went on to acquire a distinguished record, frequently volunteering for the most hazardous missions. His heroism, good luck and coolness under fire were legendary.
I received the following press release that I am happy to post —
Conservation efforts have helped a few species avoid extinction, but the impact hasn’t been broad enough to stem the long-term decline in biodiversity, new research finds.
The assessment, in two papers published Tuesday in the journal Science, concludes that the survival of one-fifth of the world’s vertebrates is threatened. However, the losses for three specific groups—mammals, birds and amphibians—would have been 20% greater without such conservation efforts as the creation of animal sanctuaries, habitat protection, captive-breeding programs and crackdowns on poachers.
A promotion for an upcoming AMC series made the commute more…interesting:
Two dozen zombies, their clothes spattered with fake blood, were staggering up and down the block Tuesday outside Madison Square Garden.
See, La Crosse Tribune: Zombies Invade NYC During Morning Rush Hour.
A man walks into a restaurant, and orders seven cheeseburgers for dinner.
Still hungry an hour later, he orders eight more.
After just another hour, he looks into his wallet, and sees that he has enough money to order yet nine more.
He motions to the waiter, and prepares to order nine burgers. Just as he’s about to make his request, he thinks about the prudence of ordering nine more sandwiches.
He says to himself, “I have a concern that this amount is too much, and so I will opt to order fewer than nine burgers, to reduce the amount of my eating.”
And so, satisfied with his new commitment to moderation, he orders eight burgers, rather than nine.
After his ex-wife moved out, Steven F. Wehler is accused of fatally shooting two cats she wanted in their divorce.
Via “Janesville man suspected of killing pet cats” by Latest News — GazetteXtra.
Good morning,
The forecast calls for a rainy and windy day in Whitewater, with a high temperature of sixty-four.
Whitewater’s Common Council will meet tonight, with additional discussion of the proposed 2011 municipal budget. The agenda is available online.
The Wisconsin Historical Society remembers the day as one on which, in 1818,
First Counties in Wisconsin Declared
On this date Lewis Cass, governor of the Michigan Territory, declared the first counties in Wisconsin. The counties included Michilimackinac (all areas drained by Lake Superior tributaries), Brown, and Crawford counties, which were separated through Portage. Michilimackinac County is now part of the state of Michigan. Govenor Cass later became the Secretary of War under President Andrew Jackson, as well as the Minister to France and a Michigan Senator. Cass, a Democrat, also ran for President in 1848, but lost to Whig Zachary Taylor due to factions within the Democratic Party and the formation of the Free Soil Party. [Source: Iowa County Genealogical Society]
I received the following press release that I am happy to post —
Trick or Treat
The Triangle
Saturday October 30, 2010
4:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Downtown Whitewater On First Street
(In front of Ketterhagen Motors)
In-Store Trick or Treating
Live Halloween Music by “Beyond Youth”
Pin the Eye on the Ghost * Bouncy House
Pumpkin Bag Toss * Candy Count
Pumpkin Bowling * “Corny” Pictures
Bobbing for Apples * 1,000 Luminaries
Pumpkin Seed Spitting Contest and much more..
Start your evening with us, then make your way to the Parks and Recreation Halloween Party at the Old Armory from 6 to 8 pm.
