Given the fact that every road seems to be under construction ALL THE TIME, that is the practical effect of this law.
Starting on October 1st, 2016, you cannot talk, text, navigate or otherwise use your cell phone while driving in construction zones.
When politicians do things like hike the minimum wage and impose expensive regulations on businesses, many businesses can’t afford it and close shop. The huge corporations tend to do OK because they have the resources to absorb the cost and pass it on to their consumers, but small businesses don’t have that luxury. They just quietly close up shop and there aren’t any news stories. And then the same people who supported the increases in minimum wage and regulations moan about the dearth of small businesses being able to compete with the “big box” stores. Here’s one story of one business that couldn’t take it anymore.
Cantina 1910, a farm-to-table Mexican restaurant located in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood, opened in September 2015.
Former Cantina 1910 employees said they were shocked to find out late Sunday evening of the closing, DNAinfo reported.
“We are unable to further raise prices in this competitive restaurant market in order to sustain the labor costs necessary to operate Cantina 1910,” Mark Robertson and Mike Sullivan, Cantina 1910’s owners, said in an emailed statement to The Daily Signal.
In December 2014, the Chicago City Council passed an ordinance to raise the city’s minimum wage from $8.25 an hour to $13 an hour by 2019. The minimum wage for nontipped employees went up to $10.50 an hour on July 1.
“Unfortunately, the rapidly changing labor market for the hospitality industry has resulted in immediate, substantial increases in payroll expenses that we could not absorb through price increases,” the restaurant’s owners said. “In the last two years, we have seen a 27 percent increase in the base minimum wage, a 60 percent increase in kitchen wages, and a national shortage of skilled culinary workers.”
The owners say they “do not see a path forward” with mandatory paid sick leave and minimum wage set to increase in 2017. They stated:
As we look down the road, we are facing a Dec. 1 change in federal labor regulations that will nearly double required salaries for managers to qualify as exempt, a 2017 mandatory sick leave requirement and another minimum wage increase. Coupled with increasing Chicago and Cook County taxes and fees that disproportionately impact commercial properties and businesses, we are operating in an environment in which we do not see a path forward.
This is pretty ridiculous.
West Bend School District teacher scorecards from the 2015-16 academic year, which are tied to teacher compensation, have not been finalized.
The scorecards use a 100-point system based on student surveys and test scores. Once finalized, they indicate whether or not a teacher receives a raise or stipend during the following academic year.
[…]
In a statement sent to principals, Olson said, “The purpose of this message is to update you on the progress of calculating our teacher scorecards from the 2015-16 school year. The (Curriculum and Instruction) Department has been working and continues to work with ATI (Assessment Technologies Institute) to get the accurate student growth information from over the summer. Any data received has been reviewed by the C& I Department to ensure accuracy. Once we have all the data confirmed and verified, the scorecard in MLP (MyLearningPlan) will be updated and individual teacher letters will be sent. When this occurs, we will send you notification of specific dates.”
If a grading system is to be effective, it needs to be timely. It is now the middle of September and the school year has started. How are teachers supposed to take corrective actions to improve if they don’t know their scores? There’s really no good excuse to not have the scores done and the fact that the administration isn’t even offering an estimated time for completion is troubling.
My column for the West Bend Daily News is online. Here you go:
Despite the fact the state of Wisconsin spent more than $450 million more on K-12 education last fiscal year than it did four years ago, the persistent lie about Republicans “gutting education” is apparently taking its toll as legislative Republicans signal a willingness to spend even more in the next budget. But two enormous school referenda by the Germantown and Kewaskum school districts show why state legislators should hold the line on state education spending.
The Germantown and Kewaskum school boards have both decided to put large school referenda to a vote on the November ballot. The referenda are similar in both scope and intent. In Kewaskum, the School Board wants to borrow more than $28.4 million. With an estimated 3.25 percent interest rate for 20 years, that would be a total expenditure of about $38.7 million.
For a little perspective, the Kewaskum School District has had declining enrollment and had a total enrollment of 1,847 kids last school year compared to 1,931 kids in the 2011-12 school year. Kewaskum has a population of about 4,030 people with a median household income of almost $58,000. The school referendum represents spending of about $21,000 per kid, or $9,600 per resident of Kewaskum. It is a lot of money any way one slices it.
The Kewaskum School Board has a list of things they want to spend the money on, including renovating large sections of the schools, upgrading and expanding a security camera system, installing sprinkler systems, remodeling entrances, adding a gym and a lengthy collection of other routine needs.
In Germantown, the School Board will ask the voters to borrow $84 million. Using the same 3.25 percent interest rate for 20 years Kewaskum is estimating, the total expense would be more than $114 million. Again, for perspective, Germantown’s enrollment has been declining slightly. Last school year, the entire district had 3,931 kids compared to 3,994 in the 2011-12 school year. The superintendent projects flat enrollment for the next few years. Germantown has a population of 19,791 with a median household income of almost $75,000. The referendum breaks down to about $29,000 per kid or nearly $6,000 per Germantown resident.
The Germantown referendum is even more ambitious than Kewaskum’s. The School Board wants to spend the money on renovating the elementary schools ($20.7 million), the middle school ($10.3 million), high school ($26.2 million), building a performing arts center ($12.5 million), building a gym and track ($8.6 million) and a swimming pool ($5.8 million).
While Kewaskum Superintendent James Smasal ignored multiple requests to discuss the referendum, Germantown School Superintendent Jeff Holmes was exceedingly open in discussing the referendum. He stressed the Germantown School District has been disciplined stewards of taxpayer money for many years and had delivered high results with the highest average ACT scores of every public school district in the county. Holmes characterizes the referendum as a comprehensive list of spending initiatives the School Board believes is necessary to upgrade the district for the next generation of kids.
It appears the Kewaskum school referendum has the same goal. Both school boards seem to have thrown everything they can think of into their respective referendum instead of asking the voters for multiple, smaller referenda or giving the voters some choices. It is a savvy political strategy that bloats the referendum, but seeks to cobble together enough constituencies to gain passage.
If I lived in either Germantown or Kewaskum, I would vote against either referendum. They are both too large, too expensive and include far too many “nice to haves.”
But this is how it is supposed to work. When the state Legislature passed Act 10, they gave school boards enormous authority to properly manage their budgets within the revenue limits. Then, if after the school boards had managed their resources appropriately and decided that they still needed more money, they can ask the voters for more money through a referendum. If the voters of the local community think their school board has been good stewards and the additional expense is justified, they can vote to raise their own taxes appropriately.
If Germantown residents want to spend $114 million to revamp their schools and build a pool, PAC, etc., then so be it. It is their community, their kids and their taxes. The same goes for Kewaskum. Sitting here in West Bend, I think they would be insane to do so, but it is not my community or my money. This is what local control is all about. And credit goes to those local school boards for putting the referendum on the November presidential ballot to ensure maximum turnout.
As long as local communities have the power to decide to increase spending on their local schools if they so choose, then there is no need for the state government to continually increase state spending on the same thing. The state Legislature did their job supporting school districts when they gave them power over their budgets and a mechanism to ask the voters for more money if they need it. The legislature now has a responsibility to be frugal with state tax dollars and let local taxpayers decide for themselves how much they want to spend on their schools.
A Dane County Judge strikes again.
Madison — A Dane County judge on Monday ruled a state commission violated the open records law last year when it refused to quickly turn over information about a union election.
[…]
The elections are overseen by the commission and held over 20 days, with ballots cast over the phone and over the Internet. Unions want to monitor who is voting so they can encourage those who haven’t done so to cast their ballots.
The union Madison Teachers Inc. on Nov. 10 sought documents under the open records law that would show who had voted so far in the election that ran from Nov. 4 to Nov. 24. The commission’s chairman, James Scott, denied the request while the election was ongoing.
After the election — which the union won overwhelmingly — the commission released records showing who had voted.
The union then sued the commission, a three-member panel appointed by Republican Gov. Scott Walker, the architect of Act 10.
The commission had to promptly make available information about who had voted because the records law requires documents to be produced “as soon as practicable and without delay,” the union argued in its lawsuit.
Anderson agreed the records were wrongly withheld. He said the matter was important to resolve because it could come up again this fall, when hundreds of public-sector unions will hold elections.
The commission maintained it could not release the records while the election was pending because doing so could result in “voter coercion.” It also contended releasing the records would undermine the secrecy of the ballots because non-votes are considered “no” votes.
If the union truly wanted to just “encourage” people to vote, they wouldn’t need a list. They would just run campaigns encouraging everyone to vote. If they are doing calls, then they can simply mark someone as having voted if they are told so. No, the union wants the ongoing list of who voted while the election is going on so that they can bully and intimidate people.
Defying a seemingly united Congress and risking a public backlash, President Obama will veto legislation allowing relatives of the 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia in U.S. courts, the White House confirmed on Monday. Obama’s rejection of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act will trigger what seems likely to be the first-ever successful congressional vote to override his veto.
“The president feels strongly about this, and I do anticipate that the president will veto the legislation when it’s presented to him,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters at his daily briefing.
The legislation never explicitly mentions Saudi Arabia, which was home to most of the 9/11 hijackers, but that American ally is widely understood to be the main target. The bill would change federal law to allow lawsuits against foreign states or officials for injuries, death or damages stemming from an act of international terrorism. Current law recognizes “sovereign immunity,” which protects governments and government officials from civil cases.
The White House has argued that eroding the legal principle of sovereign immunity could lead other countries to change their laws to permit their courts to try cases against the U.S. government or its diplomats and military personnel.
With all of the House and a third of the Senate on the ballot in November, it’s not surprising that all of them support a bill packed full of so many emotions, but it is bad law. Just think of all of the millions of people in other countries who argue that Americans engage in terrorism every time one of our highly-sophisticated precision weapons misses and kills a bunch of innocent folks. Do we want those nations suing our military personnel or our nation? Sure, they can do it now, but we can rightly cling to international law. We lose that grip if we do it ourselves.
A sharpshooter killed a top ISIS executioner and three other jihadists with a single bullet from nearly a mile away — just seconds before the fiend was set to burn 12 hostages alive with a flamethrower, according to a new report.
The British Special Air Service marksman turned one of the most hated terrorists in Syria into a fireball by using a Barett .50-caliber rifle to strike a fuel tank affixed to the jihadi’s back, the UK’s Daily Starreported Sunday.
The pack exploded, killing the sadistic terrorist and three of his flunkies, who were supposed to film the execution, last month, the paper said.
The ISIS butcher — who reportedly delighted in burning hostages alive — had been on a US “kill list” for several months, sources told the paper, which did not identify the sniper or the executioner.
He and his band of wicked men had been traveling around ISIS-held compounds in Syria slaughtering civilians labeled as spies.
Their prisoners were tied to stakes or thrown in cages before being torched by the executioner, according to the report.
ISIS started using flamethrowers after the torture method was popularized in North Korea.
I was just out on the Eisenbahn yesterday and snapped this picture of West Bend’s Bridge to Nowhere.
As the air begins to turn a little cooler and the leaves on the trees begin to fall, I was reminded that it is the middle of September and nothing has happened with this bridge. As a quick refresher, this bridge hasn’t been in use for a decade and the city was going to tear it down in January. A group of folks who want it as part of a refurbishment project for the West Bend Theater convinced the city to hold off on the demolition and put up a surety bond to that effect. The city agreed, but gave them a year to get something going with it. It has been 8 months and I haven’t seen any movement whatsoever on the project other than the group running it changed their name and makeup.
Well, it appears that something is happening. Here’s news from the Washington County Insider:
The West Bend Common Council will go into adjourn into closed session Monday night to discuss the bridge and the Downtown West Bend Theatre.
We’ll see what happens.
Heh.
(CNN)Hillary Clinton has pneumonia, her doctor said Sunday, hours after the Democratic nominee stumbled and exited a 9/11 commemoration ceremony early.
The incident seems certain to prompt further scrutiny of Clinton’s health and her campaign’s transparency.Clinton was diagnosed on Friday with pneumonia, and “was put on antibiotics, and advised to rest and modify her schedule,” Dr. Lisa Bardack said in a statement.
I hope she recovers OK, but the whole episode illustrates one of the key problems with Clinton. She is a liar. Pure and simple. She lies. All. The. Time.
Just follow this story… she passes out at the event this morning and is whisked away. First, her campaign says that she’s fine and was just feeling overheated despite the fact that it was 77 degrees with low humidity and she was sitting in the shade. Then, after a couple of hours at Chelsea’s apartment, they make a big show of her walking to her car with nobody within 20 feet of her. She’s playing the “see, she’s fine” role. In the meantime, however, video had surfaced of her leaving the event in which she is clearly incapacitated and was carried into the waiting car.
Now, after it’s been several hours and it is clear that the video of her is extremely damaging to her campaign, they decide to tell us that she has pneumonia and it was diagnosed on Friday. In other words, assuming that she is telling the truth about her illness, her campaign flat out lied when it told us that she was fine and she’s just overheated.
Throughout the entire day, Hillary Clinton’s intent and actions were to lie and cover up. Despite presumably having an illness and passing out, she went to her daughter’s apartment instead of a hospital – where no medical records are kept. She made a public show of being fine and told everyone that she was perfectly healthy. If that video had not surfaced, she probably would have gotten away with her lie with the help of a friendly media.
And it was all unnecessary. If she had just been honest and said, “I have pneumonia and am going to get some rest, let the antibiotics work, and then return to the campaign trail,” it would not have been a big deal. People get sick. It happens. Especially when you are running 100 miles per hour and not taking very good care of yourself. Just tell the truth and move on. But no. Clinton can’t do that. She lied because it is her first and most natural reaction to everything.
I’m glad she’s feeling better.
(CNN)Hillary Clinton left the 9/11 commemoration ceremony Sunday early after she felt overheated and went to her daughter’s apartment, the Clinton campaign said.
“Secretary Clinton attended the September 11th Commemoration Ceremony for just one hour and 30 minutes this morning to pay her respects and greet some of the families of the fallen. During the ceremony, she felt overheated so departed to go to her daughter’s apartment, and is feeling much better,” Clinton spokesman Nick Merrill said in a statement.The pool accompanying Clinton says she left the ceremony around 9:30 a.m.
The memories feel like it was last week, but it has been 15 long years since that searing day. Some folks say “never forget” as a reminder or admonishment. I need neither.
Lovely. Justice?
John Hinckley Jr, the man who tried to assassinate US President Ronald Reagan, has been released from a psychiatric hospital after 35 years.
[…]
Associated Press reported that he had arrived at her home having been freed on Saturday.
[…]
Mr Reagan was shot in the lung, but recovered.
His press secretary James Brady was shot in the head, suffered brain damage and used a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
Mr Brady’s death in 2014 at the age of 73 was ruled to be a homicide, but no further charges against Hinckley were brought.
Two law enforcement officers suffered less serious injuries in the shooting.
Why should I care if a traitor starves to death? I support Manning’s choices.
(CNN)Former US Army soldier Chelsea Manning has begun a hunger strike to protest her treatment at the prison where she is serving out a 35-year sentence for leaking a trove of classified documents to WikiLeaks.
On Friday, Manning announced she will not cut her hair or consume food or drink voluntarily except for water and medications unless she is given “minimum standards of dignity, respect, and humanity.”
Yes, they have a long, long history of being incredibly scummy people. One might even say that they have a history of being deplorable people.
One of the most irritating aspects of the 2016 presidential election — and God knows there are so many to choose from — is this moral superiority Democrats display over the GOP’s unfortunate nomination of Donald Trump. As if choosing one of the most mendacious and corrupt people in American politics makes them exemplars of responsible governance.
Younger voters who weren’t around in the 1990s may not be fully aware of the range and depth of the Clintons’ duplicitous behavior. We’re getting a little taste of it now, but it’s worth remembering that these are people who used the execution of a man with a partial lobotomy to divert attention away from Bill’s lying about an extramarital affair.
Looks like some decent work going on over in Hartford.
At the district’s annual meeting this week, district residents unanimously approved the district’s 2016-17 budget that includes a drop in the tax levy of about $39,000, but more significantly, a cut in the mill rate of about 26 cents per thousand. The owner of a home in the district valued at $200,000 could see a cut in their district tax bill of about $52.
“The drop in the levy, assuming 2.2 percent growth in property values, would decrease the mill rate from $6.52 per thousand to $6.36,” District Director of Business Services John Stellmacher said. “This is the sixth consecutive year the School Board has reduced the property tax levy.”
The Board has cut taxes by about $1.4 million in real dollars over the past six years. The cuts total $5.8 million when adjusted for inflation, Stellmacher said.
This is an amazing bit of history.
For the next eight hours, with American airspace completely cleared of jets, a single blue-and-white Boeing-747, tail number 29000—filled with about 65 passengers, crew and press, and the 43rd President, George W. Bush, as well as 70 box lunches and 25 pounds of bananas—traversed the eastern United States. On board, President Bush and his aides argued about two competing interests—the need to return to Washington and reassure a nation and competing need to protect the commander-in-chief. All the while, he and his staff grappled with the aftermath of the worst attack on American soil in their lifetimes, making crucial decisions with only flickering information about the attacks unfolding below. Bush struggled even to contact his family and to reach Vice President Dick Cheney in the White House bunker.
Story Continued BelowThe story of those remarkable hours—and the thoughts and emotions of those aboard—isolated eight miles above America, escorted by three F-16 fighters, flying just below the speed of sound, has never been comprehensively told.
This oral history, based on more than 40 hours of original interviews with more than two dozen of the passengers, crew, and press aboard—including many who have never spoken publicly about what they witnessed that day—traces the story of how an untested president, a sidearm-carrying general, top aides, the Secret Service and the Cipro-wielding White House physician, as well as five reporters, four radio operators, three pilots, two congressmen and a stenographer responded to 9/11.
Go read the whole thing. You won’t regret it.
It’s good to see an attempted crime end in this fashion.
Some Granite City residents are still in shock after police say a man sitting in his car in the 2500 block of Revere’s Route Early Friday morning was approached by an armed robber.
The victim was dropping off a friend after work when the suspect attempted to rob him. He was able to defend himself by firing his concealed weapon at the robber. Detectives say the victim’s action saved his life.
The suspect was stopped in his tracks. The suspect is now hospitalized.
Officials haven’t said what charges the suspect may be facing. The conceal carry permit holder is not currently facing charges.
“To just be grossly generalistic, you can put half of Trump supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables,” Clinton said. “Right? Racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamaphobic, you name it.”
A top Milwaukee Public Schools administrator exerted undue influence over employees this summer when she solicited principals for contributions to her daughter’s debutante fund, the head of a group that represents MPS principals has claimed.
Regional Superintendent Katrice Cotton also used district materials and facilities to prepare and mail the solicitations on work time, John Weigelt, executive director of the Administrators & Supervisors Council, complained in a letter to top MPS leaders in July.
But MPS denies any wrongdoing by Cotton. Spokeswoman Katie Cunningham said this week that the district conducted a thorough review of the statements in Weigelt’s letter and found “no evidence to substantiate the claims that were made.”
The difference of opinion may underscore some of the tension these days between mid-level managers in MPS — school principals, supervisors and other professional staff — and their bosses in the central office. Cotton, who oversees principals in the district’s East Region, is one of five regional superintendents. Above them is Keith Posley, chief school administration officer, and Superintendent Darienne Driver.
First, I had to look up what a “debutante fund” is. Second, I hate it when people at work solicit for fund raisers for their kids. I don’t do it and it annoys me when others do. Third, look at all of those layers of administration. No wonder MPS is so darn expensive.
WWII Navy vet Edward Burke heading out on Honor Flight
Edward Burke, 88, of Hartford will be one of five veterans from Washington County on the Sept. 17 Stars and Stripes Honor Flight to Washington D.C.
Burke served in the Navy during WWII. “I was at Pulaski High School in Milwaukee and enlisted when I was 17,” Burke said. “The Navy gave a bunch of high school seniors a test and I passed and it said we were suitable for training.”
Burke went to Great Lakes, Illinois for basic training where he pursued radar repair. Stationed at Wright Junior College in Chicago the Navy eventually shipped Burke to the west coast. “It was 1945, the war was over and the military didn’t know what to do with us,” he said.
While on the coast, Burke served on a sea-going tug boat. He became ill and by the time he got out of the hospital the tug had left.
Burke later found himself sailing out of San Francisco to Hawaii. “We were called the Magic Carpet Fleet,” said Burke referencing Operation Magic Carpet which was a post WWII effort to bring military personnel home. “We went to Hawaii and brought back people from the war zone and we took others over there to replace some.”
Burke said they made two trips on the U.S.S. Arthur Middleton AKA 25 and then the military “decommissioned our ship in Norfolk, Virginia.”
In the Navy for about “one year exactly,” Burke was discharged, returned to the Milwaukee area where he made his way to West Bend and bought a small farm in 1958.
Burke said he’s excited to be going on the Honor Flight. His guardian is his granddaughter Allison Dunavant.
Pizza Ranch property is sold
The scenario surrounding the incoming Pizza Ranch got a little wacky recently after PRWB Real Estate LLC (Pizza Ranch West Bend) closed on the property purchase August 15, 2016 – then, turnaround and sold the same 1.7 acres on August 29, 2016 for $200,000 more than its purchase price.
The buyer was Keajen Properties LLC, also known as Steve and Jeanne Kearns. According to records at City Hall, Kearns paid $500,000 for the parcel at 2424 W. Washington Street.
Stacy and Matt Gehring, the couple behind Pizza Ranch, say they have another site in mind.
“We are still bringing Pizza Ranch to West Bend,” wrote Stacy Gehring. “We are actively pursuing another site location and will know within the next week or two if the site is going to work. Once we know we will be in contact with you.”
Pizza Ranch was approved in June by the West Bend Plan Commission and quickly approved by the Common Council. There are currently 180+ locations across 13 states.
Successful fundraiser for volunteer firefighter
The ribs went fast on Friday afternoon as neighbors arrived in droves to pick up some Fat Boy BBQ and support Slinger volunteer firefighter Tim Roskopf, who is recovering from his second heart surgery.
“We opened at 11 a.m. and we had people immediately,” said Steve Wegner. “By 4:10 p.m. we had a line of people 25 deep.”
Cars were parked around the block and both Wegner and Roskopf, 49, said the turnout was amazing. “I can’t believe the way the community pulls together,” Roskopf said.
Although Wegner ran out of food before 5 p.m. he said folks from the community were still giving donations and placing orders for Saturday.
“I already have another 50 racks of ribs ordered for Saturday,” said Wegner.
Prepping for Friday’s event took Wegner about six hours to smoke 230 racks of ribs … the first night he worked from 9 p.m. – 3 a.m. “This makes me feel great,” he said.
Firefighters from a number of area departments turned out to show their support including Thiensville, Allenton, West Bend, Hartford, Slinger, Jackson, Richfield, and St. Lawrence.
There will be another fundraiser for Roskopf at West Bend Tap & Tavern on Sunday, Sept. 25.
Wet down in Allenton
On Wednesday, Sept. 28, the Slinger and Kohlsville Fire Departments will hold a wet down ceremony for Allenton Volunteer Fire Department’s Engine 1361. The event starts 6:30 p.m. at Zuern Building Products, 426 Railroad Street in Allenton.
A wet down is when neighboring fire departments come with a rig to spray water over the new unit. A similar ceremony is held for ships and aircraft as they enter service to help others when they can no longer help themselves. Organizers said 15 or more fire departments will be on hand to help with the christening.
Interestingly this ceremony is for a unit which is replacing the apparatus [1361] that had the first wet down in Wisconsin.
American Legion to raise money for U.S. flag
In 2014, members of American Legion Post 36 in West Bend purchased the former social Security Building at 712 Park Avenue with a vision of giving members a new home. Now the Legion is offering neighbors an opportunity to recognize veterans who have served honorably in the armed forces as a new memorial is constructed.
The centerpiece features a 30-foot aluminum flag pole donated by a member of Post 36. Money raised from the sale of granite engraved stones will help defer the construction costs of the memorial and the main granite stone.
Engraved granite stones will be inlayed forming a plaza area in front of the flag pole and memorial stone. An engraved granite stone can be purchased and inscribed with the name of the service member, rank, branch of service, dates of service, conflicts or other information which will reflect the honor of their service.
The honored veteran does not need to be a member of the American Legion. To launch the project, from now until Oct. 1, 2016 the granite stones can be purchased for half price.
A 16 x 8 engraved stone can be purchased for $200 to honor organizations or specific military actions, conflicts or wars. Contact Mike Hartwell at 262-305-4036 for more details.
Boost Mobile moving to downtown WB
A couple of changing storefronts in West Bend as Mind the Gap, 121 S. Main Street, has closed and Boost Mobile takes over that spot in downtown West Bend.
Ross Christifulli, owner of Boost Mobile, will be moving from his location at 1108 W. Washington Street. “Our current location has only three parking spots and even though it’s on Highway 33 the store has no window display so most who drive by do not know what we do,” said Christifulli.
On the plus side, Christifulli missed working downtown. For seven years Christifulli worked on Main Street at Mountain Outfitters and he owned a music business, Play it by Ear.
“There is more potential for Boost downtown,” he said. Currently in the midst of a major remodel, Christifulli expects to be open in his new location before November 1.
Washington Co. receives funding to improve Bike & Pedestrian Plan
Washington County Planning and Parks Department has received up to $72,000 of federal funds from the Wisconsin DOT for the development of a Bike & Pedestrian Plan for Washington County to increase opportunities for non-motorized vehicle transportation. Plans include developing a countywide network of trails and routes that provide accessibility to schools, commercial centers and major employment centers. The plan will also promote recommendations for policies, programs and ordinances that will support a safe and accessible network of trails which encourage active lifestyles.
Valedictorians and Salutatorians from 2016 WBHS
Following up on a request to post the 2016 West Bend High Schools Valedictorians and Salutatorians. 2016 West Bend East – Valedictorians – Emmalee Ciriacks, Amelia Daley, Morgan Dommisse, Kayla Furlano, James Griffin, Emily Rusch, Lauren Sorensen, Andrew Steiner, Elizabeth Williams and Salutatorian: Jacob Kruepke Salutatorian: Jacob Kruepke
2016 West Bend West – Valedictorians – Ifeoluwa Ekunsanmi, Mackenzie Heinen, Abigail Janto, Alexis Johnson, Rachel Kruepke, Matthew Stoll and Salutatorian – Rachel Monday Salutatorian.
Kewaskum Classic Car Show & Benefit is Sept. 18
One of the largest, local car shows in Washington County is just around the corner as the annual Kewaskum Classic Car Show & Benefit is coming up September 18.
“In 2015 there were 450 classic and modern cars, trucks, and street rods,” said organizer Mark ‘Curly’ Kissinger. Next Saturday’s show runs 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. Driver goodie bags will be given to the first 150 cars (includes dash plaques). This is a non-judged show (meaning no trophy). Raffle prizes, silent auction and 50/50 raffles.
Kewaskum Firefighters Association will be providing the food. Benefactors this year include Troy Krezinski (cancer) and Jason Anderson, who suffered a head injury this past winter.
If you’d like to donate contact Kissinger at 262-347-9992 or drop off at The Grand Larsony.
Updates & tidbits
– Paws for Pets is today, Saturday, Sept. 10 at Jackson Park. Pets and their human companions are invited to join the 9 a.m. walk to raise money for the Washington County Humane Society.
–West Bend West Junior Spartans 2016-2017 basketball tryouts are Monday Sept. 12, Tuesday Sept. 13, or Wednesday Sept. 14 at the West Bend High School Field House from 7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Please arrive by 7:15 p.m. The West Bend West Junior Spartans Basketball teams focus on teaching good sportsmanship, building character, and teaching leadership skills through high-level competition. Plans are to have at least one team at each grade level 3rd to 8th grade.
–On Wednesday, Sept. 14, you can honor the first responders who answered the call for help on 9/11 by donating blood between 1:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Call First Baptist Church, 2300 S. Main Street in West Bend to schedule an appointment, 262-334-9211.
-Dave Sobelman has inked a deal with Al and Nancy Hochmuth to bring his Sobelman’s Pub & Grill to Richfield. Sobelman is working with the owners of the former Amici’s Restaurant in downtown Richfield. “It’s not a done deal because now all of the legal paperwork etc. begins, but it is a major step forward,” said Sobelman. “Thank you to everyone for your kind words and well wishes. Stay tuned for more updates coming soon!”
– A gluten-free lifestyle can be challenging. Expand your knowledge and find available resources at the Gluten Free Expo on Sept. 24 at the Washington County Fair Park. The event is sponsored by Wellness Found Organic Foods. Tickets are $7.
– Laurel’s Camera and Gift has opened in its new location 239 N. Main Street. The Fehrings will share space with their son’s jewelry shop M.F. Diamonds.
-The 21st annual Boltonville Fire Department Street Dance is today Saturday, Sept. 10 featuring Rebel Grace.
-There are informational meetings next month for the Kewaskum School District referendum project. The Nov. 8 referendum is for $28.4 million. With interest total cost is close to $40 million.
– Badger Masonry & Fireplace Supply, 545 N. Main Street has a grand opening Sept. 16 – 17. The store is located in the former Tennies Buick building. The office number is 262-343-8580.
– Halloween Express is open; it’s in the former Walgreens on Decorah and S. Main Street in West Bend. Halloween Express secured its lease until Nov. 2 through Adam Williquette at Anderson Commercial Group.
– Early Farm Days in Kewaskum is Sunday, Sept. 11 at River Hill Park.
– DIVA night is on tap Thursday, Sept. 15 in downtown West Bend and Barton.
Flashback to Sept. 9, 2006 – Tandem update …..
I was combing through my archives of Around the Bend and found this gem from 2006 when my parents were living in the Milwaukee area. They were much younger at the time meaning my dad was in his 80s. The family had just presented them with a tandem and here’s the story that followed.
Several weeks ago I wrote about delivering a single speed orange tandem to my parents in the Milwaukee area. My 83-year-old father was the one who asked for the bike.
Since then my Mom’s been keeping me posted on their progress. They reportedly started slow, working on balance and coordination, signals and patience. My Mom said they’re actually turning a lot of heads. “And we’re starting to pass the walkers,” she said cheerfully. Speedy, I chided as my Mom started to talk about the catcalls.
“One young man ran past us and shouted “Schwinn Twinn,” said my Mother amused and amazed someone would know the make and model of the bike. “Then he said something like COOOL and TRAVEL ON.”
“Are you sure he didn’t say “Don’t fall down,” I asked knowing my mother was hard of hearing.
“Another time there were five young boys biking towards us,” said my Mom. “They pointed and yelled, “Look at the dynamic duo.” I’m hoping my parents don’t start wearing capes and crime fighting.
I tried explaining how the bike was unique. “You’re actually antiques riding an antique,” I said reminding her to always lock the bike.
“We were headed down to Veteran’s Park the other day to watch the kites by the lake but Dad said he was having problems with the seat.” Apparently my Dad has been blessed with the old man’s no-flab butt and he needs more cushion on his saddle. “I told him before we left that he should just shove a pillow down his pants,” said my mother the problem solver.
I can just see it, my German father down at Milwaukee’s lakefront with his long sleeve flannel shirt, fishing hat, and junk in the trunk. He’d be walking with my very small mother. They’d be cute. Two old people holding hands and my Dad’s red, corduroy throw pillow riding up the back of his pants.
I better start combing St. Vinnies for a bigger, softer bicycle seat. 
