Family & Community
Remember the Past but Work for the Future
August 6, 1945 we dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. The world changed forever. We came under the shadow of a nuclear mushroom cloud that is still with us 69 years later.
We should remember the dead and wounded from the horrific events of that time. At Hiroshima we killed an estimated 166,000 and, three days later, 80,000 in Nagasaki. Most of these dead were non-combatant civilians of all ages.
We should remember that war has always been destructive. But with the atomic age we reached a new level of destructiveness. During the arms race of the cold ...
“The Test” – Wisconsin Values – A Progressive Balance
Many months back a group of concerned citizens developed “The Test.” It was centered on three simple words - - - Fairness, Respect and Community. These words were chosen because they embody values that virtually all Wisconsinites hold dear. “The Test” was originally written to give citizens a basis upon which to assess proposed legislation and regulation, but it can also be applied to candidates for public office. As we approach the fall elections it is critical that we ask ourselves - - - does a candidate and what they propose and stand for represent fairness, ...
City Council Discussion on the future of Thomas Street’s Neighborhood This Tuesday, July 29th
City of Wausau Official Notice and Agenda
Committee of the Whole
Tuesday, July 29, 2014, 5:30 p.m. -- Agenda Item #1:
Discussion on selecting a design plan for proposed Thomas Street reconstruction: (2 plans of two lane/four lane cross section with four lanes from river to 3rd Avenue; two lanes from 3rd Avenue to 17th Avenue including turn lanes; and Kevin Korpela’s proposal)
Wausau’s City Council members will meet as a “Committee of the Whole” Tuesday, July 29th to discuss several plans for Thomas Street Reconstruction.
Many people recall the content...
Imagine Your Community Without a Public School
I grew up in a small Finnish community in northern Wisconsin. My mom finished eighth grade and went to work to help support her family. Her immigrant parents were farmers on cut-over land. My dad, the story teller, said he was kicked out of school after the first grade. He probably quit after third grade because he too had to go to work to help his immigrant parents who were also subsistence farmers.
Like the Norwegians who believe in “Books Before Bread,” my grandparents and parents were readers. We couldn’t afford many books, but we always had plenty ...
The Soul of Wisconsin is a Sacred Thing
“The Soul of Wisconsin is a sacred thing” are the words of poet, Marijane Curry.
The “Soul of Wisconsin” has had a proud heritage of working together for the good of all citizens,
but it has been bruised and battered by a governor who planned a “divide and conquer” strategy with billionaire, Diane Hendricks, who donated $500,000 to Walker in 2011. The strategy was to pit good, hardworking families, friends, and neighbors against each other. Walker bragged about “dropping the bomb.” Let’s look at the results for 2014.
Jobs lost as estimated: ...
The Community of Wausau – Thomas Street Project
In a commendable act of community spirit, the Wausau City Council voted at its July 7th meeting to delay any action on Thomas Street reconstruction to allow time for study of an alternative plan presented by local citizen and architect, Kevin Korpela. It was truly an example of citizens, neighborhoods and officials working together for the good of all.
We appear to be witnessing the quiet – and sometimes not so quiet – renewal of citizen involvement in communities throughout Wisconsin. People are working together in the best interests of families, neighbors, and ...
Unnecessary Plan to Decimate Thomas Street Neighborhood
The Wausau City Council will be meeting on July 8, 2014 at 7:00 PM, and Thomas Street is once again on the agenda. On June 12, 2014 the Capital Improvements and Street Maintenance Committee (CISM) voted to move ahead with widening the road. CISM voted to create a four-lane stretch of road into a two-lane bridge and will be recommending that the City Council vote to acquire about 50 properties along the Street, many of them homes of long time residents. The only apparent need for the acquisition of these properties is the eventual expansion of Thomas Street to four ...
Whose Freedom are we Celebrating?
WHOSE FREEDOM ARE WE CELEBRATING?
On our beautiful 4th of July weekend of parades, picnics and watermelon, I wondered what kind of freedom we were celebrating. There are two versions of freedom operating in our nation. One is the progressive view and the other is the conservative view. Each side thinks he is right and that the other will destroy our nation. For further reading on this subject, check out Bill Bishop’s THE BIG SORT.
I will refer to George Lakoff’s THE LITTLE BLUE BOOK, for the following insights:
Freedom, to the conservative, is based on a strict ...
The Soul of Wisconsin
“The Soul of Wisconsin is a sacred thing” is the way Marijane Curry begins her poem, Soul of Wisconsin.
Over the past three and a half years the “Soul of Wisconsin” has been trampled and broken by forces one can hardly comprehend. The “Soul of Wisconsin” has been “divided and conquered” by a governor and his billionaire friends.
Two of the governor’s “friends,” David and Charles Koch, are worth over $80 billion and have spent millions of dollars in Wisconsin to crush the “Soul of Wisconsin” by manipulating our governor to do their ...
Questions on Patriotism
Questions About Patriotism
Fourth of July celebrations get me thinking about patriotism and its role in our country. We are good at flag waving and platitudes. But our history shows we are not good at living up to our ideals. So patriotic holidays get me asking questions about what patriotism really means in America.
Why is patriotism considered the highest of virtues? Shouldn't we be more concerned about people? Shouldn't we love morality, justice, or tolerance more? Christ said we should love our neighbor, not our country.
Why is patriotism always expressed in ...
