Central may scene

CENTRAL WISCONSIN EDITION | WWW.SCENENEWSPAPER.COM | MAY 2015

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L2 | SceneNewspaper.com | Central Wisconsin | April 2015

May 2015 | Central Wisconsin | SceneNewspaper.com | L3

CENTRAL WISCONSIN EDITION

Advertising deadline for June is May 20 at 5 p.m. Submit ads to [email protected]. The SCENE is published monthly by Calumet Press, Inc. The SCENE provides news and commentary on politics, current events, arts and entertainment, and daily living. We retain sole ownership of all non-syndicated editorial work and staff-produced advertisements contained herein. No duplication is allowed without permission from Calumet Press, Inc. 2015.

PO Box 227 • Chilton, WI 53014 • 920-849-4551

CalumetPRESSINC.

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COVER STORYL4 Rising Star Mill

FINE ARTSR8 A

FOOD & DRINKL8 CSA Farm Shares

ENTERTAINMENTR10 C

NEWS & VIEWSR18 T

OUTDOORSR30 Se

EVENT CALENDARSR44 Live Music

L10 The Big Events

Bonni Miller

CONTENTS

SCENE STAFFPublisherJames Moran • [email protected]

Associate Publisher & Ad SalesNorma Jean Fochs • [email protected]

CONTRIBUTORS Shrimp tempura, cream cheese and onion in the middle. Topped with a layer of spicy tuna and a layer of avocado, along with some yum-yum, eel sauce, tempura flakes and black tobiko on top.


ENTERTAINMENT // SERIOUSLY FUNNY

April and May every year are filled with art shows, art fairs, and art walks in Portage County. It’s an ongoing celebration of the arts. Even if you’ve gone to all the rest of the events, don’t forget to put May 23 and 24 on your calendar. The RISING STAR MILL ANNUAL ART SHOW AND SALE is again scheduled for the Saturday and Sunday of the Memorial Day week-

end. If you and your family are spending the holiday weekend in central Wisconsin, the show at the Mill is one destination you don’t want to miss. Besides looking at fine art and fine craft, take a good look at the wonderful old grist mill built 147 years ago; there’s a self-guided tour to explain how the mill worked.

It’s another “full house” of artists this

year and several tented booths outdoors, too. Folks familiar with the show will find their favorite “old timers” at the show – artists that are enthusiastic about the show and always are there to show what’s new in their collections.

But “new” artists have joined the show, too - artists who’ve heard what a good regional show this is, with almost a party-like atmosphere where they can relax, chat with visitors, eat BBQ and refreshments from the Mill’s Feed Sack and enjoy them-selves.

Mark Brueggeman, long-time resident of Nelsonville and newly retired from the UWSP art dept. finally has the time to join the show and add his mixed-media drawings and prints to the variety of media offered by others. Mark was part of the show years ago when this show was first held. Now we enthusiastically welcome him back to the Mill.

Andrea Salchert of Stevens Point, also joins the show this year. She does encaus-tic painting, a process whereby bees wax is mixed with pigments and used as paint.

Her work is colorful, modern, and brings a new dimension to the show.

Clark and Sara Jane Snyder live in Nekoosa and run an arts and crafts school. For all the hikers at the show, Clark pres-ents some really magnificent, intricately carved walking sticks. Sara Jane has a substantial background in art basketry with some pieces quite large and not nec-essarily vessels to hold something. She blends a variety of naturals into sculptural woven works of art. More recently, she’s followed her husband’s interest in carving and will have carved wood pieces as well as hand painted silk scarves in her collection – another of her skills.

Sue Semrow of Coloma joins the show for the first time, too. She’s an expert weaver and probably knows more about antique looms (other than Marge Krogwold) than anyone around. She collects them even if they never get assembled. She’s making an inventory of scarves and shoulder wraps that any woman’s wardrobe should have. She’ll be working on one of her looms

Rising Star Mill “Granary” room - John Morser Photo Continue on Page L6

Region 5 (The Scene)Size 9.5 x 10

For a complete listing of programs and events, visit our online Health Connection Calendar of Events at ministryhealth.org/events

Unless otherwise noted, all programs are free and located at:

Ministry Saint Michael’s Hospital, 900 Illinois Avenue, Stevens Point

MAY CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Loss of Spouse Support GroupFridays • May 1, 8, 159 - 10:30 a.m.McMillan Memorial Library 490 East Grand Avenue, Wisconsin RapidsHosted by Ministry Home Care For information, call 800.397.4216

Stevens Point Bariatric Support GroupMonday • May 46 - 7 p.m.2501 Main Street, Stevens PointOak RoomNo registration required

Featured Event Grief Support GroupsThursday • May 71:30 - 3 p.m.Ministry Home Care 2501 N. Main Street, Stevens PointFor information, call 800.398.12972. Friday • May 8Noon - 1:30 p.m.Goodwill Store Community Room2561 8th Street South, Wisconsin RapidsFor information, call 800.397.4216Monday • May 186 - 7:30 p.m.Redeemer Lutheran Church Conference Room900 Brilowski Road, Stevens PointFor information, call 800.398.1297

Loss of Spouse Support Group Thursdays • May 7 & 145:30 - 7 p.m.Lincoln Center 1519 Water Street, Stevens PointCo-sponsored by Ministry Home Care and the Aging & Disability Resource Center of Portage County. To register, call 800.398.1297

Annual Hospice Foundation of America National ProgramWednesday • May 1311:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.Plover Municipal Center 2400 Post Road, PloverPlease join Ministry Home Care for the Hospice Foundation of America’s 22nd Annual Living with Grief Program, “The Longest Loss: Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia”For information, call 800.398.1297

FAMILY BIRTH CENTEREDUCATION OFFERINGS

New Moms Class Mondays • May 4, 11, 18,

10:30 - 11:30 a.m.

Breast Feeding BasicsWednesday • May 20

6 - 8:30 p.m., $15

Life with Baby: How to Navigate through Your Baby’s First Months

Wednesday • May 276 - 8:30 p.m., $15

Lamaze One-day Saturday ClassSaturday • May 30

9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., $55

For information and to register for all programs, call 715.346.5655

PREGNANCY FAIR

Wednesday • May 13 6 - 8 p.m.

Ministry Saint Michael’s Hospital Conference Rooms 6 & 7

The purpose of the fair is to educate families on a variety of topics and resources available to you in our community

to enhance your pregnancy journey.

Topics include fetal development, body changes and discomforts, nutrition, prenatal exercise, massage, car seat safety, lactation support, child care resources and referral services, safety, WIC, Ministry Dental, public health nurse services and Lamaze. There will be a short presentation at 6 p.m. The fair is free of charge. Pre-registration is suggested; however, on-site registration is available.

For information, call 715.346.5655


FINE ARTS // RISING STAR MILL

during the show. Returning artists to the Mill

show include Milanne Buch-holz, making hand fabricated polymer beaded jewelry; Dianne Brown-Hahn, art baskets and art gourds with a southwest flavor & motif; Jeanne Chase who eagerly demonstrates painting with alco-hol inks and silk acrylic glazes; Mary Therese Murphy who makes the most fantastic silk fusion into delightful masks, wall hangings, purses, and garments; and Marsha Haynes, who’s camera is ever busy finding new images for her lovely

greeting cards Mary Sipioriski has been sewing

since she was a child and brings her very unique zippered totes made of recycled bags as well as adorable purses – maybe even some expert quilting that she designs herself. Toni Starr designs small jewelry items and displays them among her pencil drawings and paintings. Look for Ashley Megal’s very organic and free form draw-

ings - “under the ash tree” – which appear as framed or matted prints, or on greeting cards. Linda Kasten brings the Norwegian flavor to the show with her rosemalling and you can watch her paint right there in her booth. And we’ll all wait to see where Susan Groshek has been this past year as she paints whatever inspires her as she trav-els. Another Tomorrow River artist, Jim McKnight will show his watercolors, paint-ings of mostly local landscape subjects.

Vincent and Arlene Heig have been with this show since the beginning, some twenty-eight years ago. Vincent makes dec-orative and utilitarian pottery items while Arlene has framed and matted drawings and paintings. Byron Shaw carves birds, turns bowls, and fashions kitchen tools, pen sets and other small items. Bob Cline, another woodworker, does intricate carving on soft cottonwood bark, designing what could be called “gnome homes” stacked upon each other as Bob follows the nature of the piece of bark. John Shamrowicz will have more black iron work and Eric Linde will have come up with some new designs for his home grown gourds which become

Dianne Brown-Hahn

Milanne Buchholz

Mary Sipiorski

SIGN UP TODAY before all spots are gone!Singing Camps: Ages 5- 12 meets from 9:30 am-Noon

June 15 - 19, June 22 - 26, July 13-17 and July 27-31Ukulele/Guitar Camp: Ages 8-Adult meets from 9:30 am-Noon

July 27 - 31 only 6 spots left!Musical Theater Camp: Ages 12-18 meets from 9:30 am-Noon

July 6-10 CALL 715-252-5052 to Register

Violin ROCKSTAR Camp: Ages 12-18 meets from 9:30 am-NoonJuly 13-17 (prerequisite of 2 years on violin)

Got Questions? visit spmusiclessons.com or

email:[email protected]

Looking for something FUN this Summer? SINGING, UKULELE, GUITAR, VIOLIN, AND

MUSICAL THEATER Day Camps FOR KIDS AND TEENS!

Camps held on site at Stevens Point School of Performing Arts

Continued from Page L4


FINE ARTS // RISING STAR MILL

“ There is no way to be a perfect mother,and a miion ways to be a good one.”

thanks mom…for being a good one!

- Jill Churchill

BOUTIQUE

TIMELESS CLOTHING • MODERN FRIPPERY

DOWNTOWN STEVENS POINT 1016 MAIN ST 54481 715•345•7819

MON-FRI • 10-5:30 SAT • 10-4:00for fashion & accessory updates, follow us on facebook

We can help you find the perfect gift& it won’t c t you a miion.

give her a fun afternoon ofshopping with a gift card!

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lamps, planters and bird houses and feeders.Joe Clark of Port Edwards is a master

of raku pottery, achieving beautiful col-orations from the unique firing process. Steve Rued-Clark has a good ear for sound as his hand- tuned wind chimes pick up the breezes around the tents outside

Another weaver, Marge Krogwold of Amherst Junction, works the antique loom that was donated to the mill a long time ago. Built in the mid 1850s, the loom still works as Marge demonstrates the art of making rag rugs. The rugs that are pro-duced on that loom are available to visitors by way of a donation to the Mill’s upkeep fund. Meanwhile, Marge also sells the rugs that she’s produced on her own looms at home.

Brenda Gingles of Nelsonville and

Kathryn Negaard bring their own, very dif-ferent styles of jewelry to the show. Brenda is a fine metals jeweler. She uses mostly sterling silver, sometimes additives of gold, and gemstone beads to make her modern little pieces of art work. Kathryn Negaard, however uses her hand made papers over metal to produce very unique wrist cuffs, earrings, and pendant necklaces that appear in her booth along with her paintings, both large and small.

Always a big hit with adults and kids alike is Bud Eagon of Amherst Junction, working on his lathe, turning out little colored tops that spin and spin and spin. Once in a while he has bowls or other turned items to sell, but mostly, Bud just enjoys entertaining folks and showing how the lathe works.

Bud Eagon enjoys visiting with everyone at the show

Steve Rued-Clark


BY BONNI MILLER

Tell me that you’re sold on the impor-tance of buying locally grown food. Tell me that you understand the impact it has on your health and the health of the environ-ment, the robustness of our economy, and the overall stability of our communities. Then ask me about CSA shares, and I’ll tell you about one of the biggest ideas in sustainable agriculture.

WHAT IT ISCSA stands for Community Sup-

ported Agriculture. It’s a business model

based on investment, securing a share of a given farm’s output for a set price and a set period of time. The consumer’s carrot (so to speak), is that they get fresh food at a lucrative price. The potential stick is that the buyer also assumes some of the farmer’s risks. If there’s a hail storm, there’s no spinach that week. If the cabbage loopers are bad that year, there might not be any broccoli at all. You get the best of what the farm has.

And still, the truth is that if you’re truly interested in eating the very best fresh food of the season, there are few better ways to do it. In the nearly 20 years that I’ve been following CSA’s, all I’ve seen are people getting a good deal. Early in the season, the boxes might be a little light. But in a very short time, most folks are amazed by the bounty of excellent food.

“The flavor of local food really cannot be compared to that which has been shipped over 1000 miles,” said Brigid Ferkett, who co-owns Gravel Road Farm in Waupaca with her husband, Ross. “The word ‘fresh’ gets tossed around willy nilly

in the grocery store aisles. But imagine spinach and lettuce picked in the morn-ing and on your table the same day. That is fresh!”

To pique your appetite and help with the occasional unfamiliar vegetable, most CSA farms include a weekly newsletter with recipes and preservation tips. These notes often provide news of what’s going on at the farm, offering a deeper connec-tion with the farm and its other members.

CSA farms typically have harvest par-ties, “you-pick” days for bonus bumper crops, and the opportunity to get a winter-harvest share of storage crops to fill your pantry for the long months when the garden is snow-covered.

Additionally, many offer “worker” shares, which trade food in exchange for labor. Sometimes the workers get more than food, they get a vocation. “We’re now in our 20th year, going strong, and the longest running CSA in the area, and we’ve had some amazing staff pass through here

CSA FARM SHARES: A Locavores Best Deal

Late Season Radish Harvest at Sunny Sky

BUY IT: Central Wisconsin CSA farms

East Slope Farm, Manawaeastslopefarm.com

920-596-3474vegetables

Gravel Road Farm, Waupaca gravelroadfarm.com

715-281-0812meat, eggs, vegetables

Liberation Farm, Almondliberationfarmers.blogspot.com

715-366-2656fair trade coffee, eggs

Painted Rock Farmon Facebook,

715-340-2495meat, fish

Riley Crest Farm, Waupacaon Facebook

715-258-2892meat

Stoney Acres Farm, Athensstoneyacresfarm.com

715-432-4683vegetables, meat, maple syrup

Sunny Sky Farm, Amherst Jct.Sunnyskyfarm.com

715-824-2697vegetables

Whitefeather Organics, Custerwhitefeatherorganics.blogspot.com

715-252-2051vegetables, eggs, cheese, coffee

Many more CSAs are to be found at:

www.farmfresheastwi.org and www.farmshed.org/farm-fresh-

atlas/pdf/ Continue on Page L9

May 2015 | SceneNewspaper.com | R1

Friday/SaturdayAdmissionAdult (age 13 & up)Child (age 4 to 12)

AdvancePass

Toddlers age 3 & under admitted free

$4.00$2.00

$5.00$3.00

GatePass

PERFORMING ONTHE MAIN STAGE

$1CARNIVAL

RIDES!

SATURDAY, JUNE 6Cheddar Chase Walk/Run @ 10:25 a.m.

Big Cheese Parade @ 10:30 a.m.

@LCCheeseFestLike LC Cheese Fest

Follow us on Twitter @LCCheeseFestand help trend #CheeseJam

Like us on Facebook at LC Cheese Fest

VIC FERRARIJune 5th • 8 p.m. to midnight

BOOGIE AND THE YO-YO’ZJune 6th • 8 p.m. to midnight

UNITYJune 7th • 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Come celebrate your love of cheese at this year's Great Wisconsin Cheese Festival. This wonderful family event

includes music, food, amusement rides, children's entertainment, animal petting zoo, walk/run, parade,

cheese tasting, cheese carving demonstrations, cheese curd eating contest, cheese breakfast, grilling

competition, and more!

Proceeds from each year's festival are donated back to the community. A grand total of $1,140,734 has been distributed since the festival's inception. In addition, numerous non-profit groups have raised

funds by operating a food booth atthe festival.

An admission pass is required to enter theDoyle Park festival grounds on Friday and

Saturday. Each pass allows a person to enter the park on both days.

Sunday is FREE admission day, so no pass is needed.

June 5, 6 & 7, 2015Doyle Park, Little Chute

Directions To Little Chute:Little Chute is located 10minutes north of Appleton and20 minutes south of GreenBay. To get here, please takeHighway 41 to Little ChuteExit 146/N, then go south onCounty Road N (scan QR Codebelow for Google Map to park)

2015 SPONSORS

KISS FM SUMMER SLAMfeaturing CASH CASH and ANDY GRAMMER

WWW.LITTLECHUTEWI.ORG/CHEESEFEST

Advance admission passes are available from Monday, May 4thru Thursday, June 4, at the Little Chute Village Hall, BLC CommunityBank, Capital Credit Union, King's Variety Store, Larry's Piggly Wiggly,

Simon's Cheese, and Vanderloop Shoes.Pass allows individual entry to festival grounds on Friday & Saturday.

No pass required on Sunday, which is FREE admission day.

June 6th • 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

R2 | SceneNewspaper.com | May 2015

FOOD & DRINK // BREWMASTER

BY STEVE LONSWAY

Our beer selection for this month once again came from bottle stock at the Stone Arch Tap Room. It is the first imported beer our team decided to write about and we are all glad we did! Hardcore IPA from Ellon, Scotland based Brew Dog, a release from their “Amplified series”. This time around, our entire brewery team of 8 got to sample this Scottish offering. It was really neat for me to page though the tasting notes from each team member and compile them all into this article. It still amazes me, after so many years in the beer industry, how differently people per-ceive flavors and aromas

The amber colored long neck bottle boasts a label that is a simple dark green with reverse white in a dis-tressed print. Explicit Impe-rial Ale, as it is explained as well as the fact it is a product of Scotland. The side panel explains some fun numbers it took to create this beer including mention of the 9,900,000,000 yeast cells it took to make it all come together. With a best before date of 08/15/2026, we certainly didn’t have to rush to drink it, matter-of-fact I wish I had the patience to cellar this bad boy for several years to enjoy the inevitable changes it will incur.

This sample was poured into several snifter-style glasses. The pour allowed perfect foam formation consisting of a mixture of loose and tight bubbles from the CO2 and an ivory colored head. The head height was right where it needed to be at around two inches – very inviting! The appearance is a tad bit hazy which is typical in highly hopped beers. The color is a rich copper and reddish hue.

The nose this beer expels got so many

different associations from our team, I could have written this entire article on the nose alone. Lively citrus, malty, bready, piney, resinous, sweet, nutty, tangerine, Skittles, freshly shampooed carpet, just to name a few. With orange and fruity the

most common notes. Quite complex to say the least.

The taste/flavor wasn’t too far behind with fun associations. Strong, caramel, bitter fruit, earthy, nutty and a little bit of oxidation is what we all agreed on as to what you can expect when enjoying this beer. With grand amounts of Maris Otter Malt and obvious huge hop additions of Centennial, Columbus, Simcoe, Amarillo and Citra, this beer comes across the taste buds as pretty balanced, maybe a bit light on the hop tones even at 125 IBU’s (again; this coming from a group of hop hounds).

Important to mention is the belief of many experts that anything over 100 IBU’s is not perceived by the majority.

This beer finishes dry from the elevated alcohol content of 9.2% abv and still carries through with big citrus and caramel tones.

Overall this beer has a strong, complimen-tary balance with good body and a mellow warming sensation. Taylor was fortunate enough to be enjoying an Indian dish for lunch at the time of sampling and seemed to think the pairing was staged because of how perfect the beer paired with the spices.

Now let’s learn more about the Scot-tish blokes who brought this brand to the states. It all started back in 2007 when two 24 year olds and their trusted canine companion begged and borrowed cash and converted it into stainless to start their dream in Fraserburgh, Scotland. Their first

year produced 1,050 hectolitres of beer (895 U.S. barrels) with the two founders/stakeholders (and again their dog) at the helm. Year two they pushed the envelope by brewing the U.K.’s strongest beer and the media storm that followed help them

persuade the banks to loan them more cash for stainless and a new bottling line. Finishing out the year of 2008 at 4,050 hl and up to nine employees and “1 dog”.

After a very suc-cessful on-line offer-ing of stock dubbed Equity for Punks and brewing the world’s strongest beer (at 32% abv), 2009 showed growth to 24 employees and 9,500 hl of beer produced. 2010 brought beer a n d t a x i d e r m y together when Brew Dog released a 55% abv beer that the bottle was cleverly hidden inside a taxi-dermy squirrel. This subsequently became the world’s most expensive beer and their business growth continued.

With help from crowd funding, gimmicky brews (like brewing under water), exporting to 55 countries, the addition of tied-house bars and a very successful TV show named Brew Dogs, 2014 production numbers grew to 90,000 hl. They now employ 358 people, own 26 tied-house bars and have 14,568 shareholders, yet still only one dog.

FINAL WORD: Search this beer out, buy two. Drink one tonight with Indian fare while you whisk through the pages of their website and stash the other in your cellar for later enjoyment.

Cheers!

Brew Dog Hardcore IPA


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FOOD & DRINK // FROM THE WINE CAVE

BY KIMBERLY FISHER

May Day… May Day… Next on our journey of investigating the big six, it is time to see what the reds have in store by exploring Cabernet, Pinot Noir and Merlot, this time with another twist.

Cabernet Sauvignon is King. It is a grape that ages into subtle splendor, and is a world traveler. When its tiny dark blue berries are coupled with great winemaking, Cabernet Sauvignon can produce some of the longest lived and the most intrigu-ing wines in the world. Cabernet from Bordeaux can produce some of the world’s costliest wines in the world and yet you can find an amazing value such as those offered by a Petite Chateau, Chateau Picau Perna. This Cabernet based wine gives you structure and depth and blends with the addition of a bit of Merlot, ensures you won’t break your wine budget. Cabernet Sauvignon from Argentina deserves to be mentioned as that nation’s high altitude has an affect on grape growing that along with a unique climate showcases a specific style and quality of wine.

Terrazes from Mendoza, Argentina harnesses quality over quantity. With an average rainfall of 8 inches a year, the vines

have to work harder to get their nutrients which leads to a wine that showcases ter-roir. If you were to travel to Paso Robles, which is located in the Central Coast of California, you find Cabernet Sauvignon takes on two personalities. On one side of Highway 101, it is hot with no direct access to cooling ocean breezes. Here the soils are deep, fertile and produce subtle fruit. On the other side, the soils are more calcareous, the vineyards are cooled by marine influence and you will find wines such as those of Justin, who pioneered Cabernet Sauvignon grape growing, long before Cabernet was cool in the area.

Pinot Noir is an extremely elusive grape as it is very sensitive to terroir and ripens early. When planted in warm climates, it ripens too fast and can lose its fascinating

flavor compounds. Pinot Noir’s perfect place on earth lies in Burgundy where it can convey intricate flavors. Another great Pinot growing area is Oregon where the climate is similar to Burgundy. One pro-ducer that was a pioneer in the Willamette Valley is Erath winery. Another producer and region to explore across the globe is Villa Maria located in Marlborough New Zealand. This region is best known for Sauvignon Blanc, but try Pinot Noir from this area and you will be hooked.

Merlot is often used as a blending partner. It ripens earlier that Cabernet Sauvignon in cooler vintages, and it lends to more alcohol in warmer climates. It has bigger berries and thinner skins than Caber-net which lends to less tannic, more opulent wines. The traditional style of Merlot is plump, soft and plummy. Matanzas Creek Merlot from Bennett Valley California takes plantings from the original clones from Pomerol located in Bordeaux and produces an amazing bottle of wine. Merlot from the Wahluke Slope in Washington comes from a warmer climate showcasing brilliant bright fruit. A good example that is reflec-tive of this warmer climate style comes from Chateau Ste Michelle and that winery’s Indian Wells offering.

These last two months we have explored the big six grapes. These grapes can vary according to location, soil, aspect, barrel treatment, terroir and types of clones. Don’t stop with one varietal if you decide you don’t like it. Continue to walk down the path and see what else awaits you. By doing a comparison tastings like these, you will be amazed at the differences, the similarities and the passion that goes into taking these majestic grapes and turn-ing them into something so amazing… WINE!

From the Wine Cave

Seeing is smelling for a camera system developed by scientists in Japan that images ethanol vapor escaping from a wine glass. And, perhaps most importantly, no wine is wasted in the process.

Kohji Mitsubayashi, at the Tokyo Med-ical and Dental University, and colleagues

i m p r e g -

nated a mesh with the enzyme alcohol oxi-dase, which converts low molecular weight alcohols and oxygen into aldehydes and hydrogen peroxide. Horseradish peroxide and luminal were also immobilized on the mesh and together initiate a color change in response to hydrogen peroxide. When this mesh is placed on top of a wine glass, color images from a camera watching over

the mesh on top of a glass of wine can be interpreted to map the concentra-

tion distribution of ethanol leaving the glass.

Different glass shapes and tem-peratures can bring out completely

different bouquets and finishes from the same wine. So Mitsubayashi’s team

analyzed different wines, in different glasses – including different shaped wine glasses, a martini glass and a straight glass – at different temperatures.

At 13°C, the alcohol concentration in the centre of the wine glass was lower than that around the rim. Wine served at a higher temperature, or from the martini or straight glass, did not exhibit a ring-shaped vapor pattern. ‘This ring phenomenon allows us to enjoy the wine aroma without interference of gaseous ethanol. Accord-ingly, wine glass shape has a very sophis-ticated functional design for tasting and enjoying wine,’ explains Mitsubayashi.

Wine scientist Régis Gougeon, from the University of Burgundy, France,

says the work is really interesting when considering its experimental setup, which allows for a rather straightforward and inexpensive detection of ethanol. ‘Bearing in mind the flavor enhancer properties of ethanol, this work provides an unprec-edented image of the claimed impact of glass geometry on the overall complex wine flavor perception, thus validating the search for optimum adequation between a glass and a wine.’

In the future the system could help indicate the best wine glass and precise temperature to serve a certain wine.

chemistryworld.com

Shape of Glass DOES Affect Taste!



FOOD & DRINK // TRICIA’S TABLE

BY TRISH DERGE

I know it sounds simple, and it actu-ally is...but there are a few tips I’d like to pass along to you on how-to make the best hard-boiled eggs. There are several cooking method variations, but no matter which you use, there are common mistakes you should try to avoid.

1. Using the wrong size potDon’t try to cram too many egg

in a pot. Not only will the eggs cook unevenly, but there’s more risk of an egg cracking.

Trish’s Tip: Eggs should sit in a single layer and have enough space to move around.

2. Starting with boiling waterIf you’re about to place uncooked

eggs in a pot of boiling water, stop!Hard-boiled eggs should always

be started with cool water. Bringing the water and eggs up in temperature together helps promote even cooking and prevents cracking.

Trish’s Tip: Place the eggs in a sauce-pan and cover with cold water.

3. Using eggs that are too freshHard-boiled eggs can be difficult

to peel, and this is especially true when

they’re made using eggs that are too fresh. As eggs age, two things happen that make them easier to peel. First, they lose mois-ture through small pores in the shell, and the air pocket at the tip of the egg gets larger. I don’t want to get too scientific here, but the pH level of the egg’s whites rise as they age, which makes them adhere less strongly to the shell.

Trish’s Tip: For hard-boiled eggs that are easier to peel, use older eggs. Buy your

eggs a week or two before you plan to boil them.

4. Overcooking themEver found that the yolk has a gray-

green tint? A slightly stinky sulphur-like odor? A rubbery white? Dry, crumbly yolk? All of these are results of an overcooked hard-boiled egg.

Trish’s Tip: Put the eggs in a saucepan, cover them with cold water, bring to a boil.

Then, remove the pan from the heat, cover it, and let it sit for 10 minutes for firm yet creamy hard-boiled eggs, or up to 15 minutes for very firm eggs.

5. Not using an ice bathIn theory, it seems like the eggs should

be finished cooking when the timer buzzes. But, in reality, that’s not the case. Even once the eggs are removed from the water, they’re still hot. The heat from carryover

cooking will continue to cook the eggs, risking overcooking.

Trish’s Tip: Not only is an ice bath your ticket to stopping the cooking immediately, but it will also help sepa-rate the egg membrane from the shell, making it easier to peel. Once the eggs have finished cooking, drain the water from the saucepan and transfer the eggs to an ice bath. Let them soak until they’re fully cooled.

Egg Salad is Easy... Right?

Trish’s Easy-Egg Salad1. Place six eggs in a sauce pan, and cover with cool water

2. Bring water to a boil, and cook 7 to 10 minutes

3. Remove from heat, and rinse with cold water, or place in ice bath

4. When cool, crack and remove the shell, then slice and chop the eggs into pieces in a medium size bowl

5. Add 1/3 cup Mayo, 2 tbsp Yellow Mustard, mix well, salt and pepper to taste

Serve on toasted bread of croissant...or use as a dip with crackers!


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FINE ARTS // FOXY FINDS

Foxy FindsMusical instrument art series by Erinn Kom-schlies. Originals & Prints of Erinn’s work are available at The Fine Fox in Downtown Neenah. Full spectrum colors on black backdrop sets a dramatic tone. An Appleton native, Erinn is a naturally talented artist and currently attends St. Olaf College as a music major and plays the clarinet in the St Olaf Orchestra.

BY JEAN DETJEN, ARTFUL LIVING

Ceramic garden mush-rooms add a sense of whimsy and color to garden beds and potted plants. Avail-able at The Wreath Factory (Plymouth & Menasha).

Bring on your inner scorpion with these eye-catching El Alacran de Durango cowboy boots from Joyeria Ordaz (Green Bay & Appleton). Supple alligator leather in rich cognac hues with embroidery detail and contrast stitching. Handcrafted in Mexico. $350. A variety of motifs and colors combinations are available. Mens sizes 5-12, custom orders accepted.


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Lipstick red sleeveless a-line cutout dress from Neesha. Available at Lil-lian’s of Fond du Lac in sizes S/M or M/L. $58

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Bring on the Wisco lovefest with custom print merch from Blue Moon Emporium is a curated market-place featuring the works of local independent artists and designers. Stop in and find unique wares like Wisconsin-themed clothing, ceramics, screen-printed pillows, jewelry, upcycled accessories and other con-temporary handmade goods.

Good mood induc-ing ceramic bicycle mugs from Scatter Joy, Appleton.


BY RICHARD OSTROM

With a much trumpeted, late in the game, return to the strange environs of the fabled world of Twin Peaks, Washington at an apparent stand still between chief archi-tect David Lynch and new host network Showtime, I see no better time to pay a quick revisit to the original, legendary series and its most recent home video rebirth. So, while Lynch threatens to turn his back on a proposed 9 part, 25 year’s since an update on whomsoever still remains above ground from the cast, the fine cats at Paramount have, in recent months, sought to grace us all with something undeniably attractive called ‘Twin Peaks: The Entire Mystery’.

This enticing, all Blu Ray box set (10 discs in total) collects together the com-plete (to date) run through of the quirky highs and murky (and often nightmarish) lows of Lynch and conceptual partner Mark (‘Hill Street Blues’) Frost’s intricately fabricated slice of life in the extreme upper Pacific Northwest.

We are presented with all of the 29 parts of the under two season long run of the once stratospherically hip prime time melodrama that first introduced the pop culture universe to Special Agent Dale (Kyle MacLachlan) Cooper, his eternally disembodied assistant Diane (represented only ever by a tiny cassette recorder), Coo-per’s philosophy on the value of a damn fine cup of java and how this agent (and his assorted peers) would come to play a crucial role in aiding the wonderful yet far from conventional Twin Peaks locals in finding a solution to the shocking murder of their girl most beloved, Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee).

Also stuffed inside the set’s elaborately designed packaging is the highly polarizing ‘prequel’ feature film follow up, ‘Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me’. With this separately concocted film, David Lynch set to the task of fleshing out the explicit particulars that led a seemingly innocuous ‘good girl’ like Mrs. Palmer down the path of rank deprivation that was to ultimately place her in harm’s way in the very worst fashion. The film also swapped out certain characters from the series (for various reasons) and introduced new key players

into the T.P. mythos, including Special Agents Chet Desmond (singer Chris Issak) and Sam Stanley (a pre-24 Kiefer Suther-land) and greatly made use of the content freedoms an MPAA sanctioned R-rating granted.

The legacy of ‘Twin Peaks’ as a whole, from inauguration to this point today, is one of swift rise and fall in the critically fickle context of the public eye with the (at the time) ill advised prequel landing D.O.A. in theaters in late summer 1992. Yet, as a born-to-be ‘Cult Classic’ is wont to do, ‘Twin Peaks’ refused to lay down and die a quiet death. The whole thing gave rise to clubs, conventions (one of which is spotlighted within the set’s special features, more on that stuff in a bit) and fervent campaigns to unearth unseen materials (primarily from ‘Fire Walk With Me’) that were said to hold more overall worth than your average ‘Deleted Scenes’ supplement. The fan-love pushed the saga forward, spawning several home video releases (VHS and DVD) before arriving at this most rewarding confection I am blathering on about here.

Now, the basic storyline should prove familiar to many who’ve dabbled at all in the realm of David Lynch or cult screen curiosities in general. If not, here goes; one foggy morning, the body of town princess Laura Palmer is discovered washed ashore and wrapped in plastic by gentle old Pete Martell (played by ‘EraserHead’ lead man Jack Nance) which in turn sets off a chain of twisty events entwining the citizens of Twin Peaks with the All American Power-house known as the F.B.I. Thus the arrival of the relentlessly chipper Agent Cooper to the base of operations of one Sheriff Harry S. Truman (Michael Ontkean) and his stable of goofy but dedicated cronies. These none too battle tested, bumpkin type police officials turn out to be just the kind of support group our golden boy Cooper was greatly hoping for. The bulk of the first portion of the series details the convoluted specifics of the homicide investigation with growing supernatural influence transpiring across the stomping grounds of a passing carnival of strange and unique personas who love, fight, frustrate and continually work to confound expectations as the

inevitable (if sadly premature) network mandated reveal of Laura’s killer looms on the horizon.

Once the murderer is given a proper face though, things begin to fracture and the narrative starts to veer all over the damn place. Sure, a new plot device/vil-lain is slotted in as a long standing rival of Cooper’s, one Windom Earle (Kenneth Welsh), arrives deep into the second season to dole out the sadistic head games, but the ensuing episodes became a great deal more, well, episodic. Apparently this was somewhere around the time both Lynch and Frost were becoming immersed in new big screen projects (‘Wild At Heart’ and ‘Storyville’ respectively) so it was all largely left up to the hands of various writers and a wild assortment of directors (among them, Tim ‘River’s Edge’ Hunter and Diane Keaton, doing her very best odd duck Lynch impression) to carry the load, and the results truly did vary. A sudden succession of guest star bits were added to help maintain some semblance of a creative spark (most of note, future X-Files heart-throb, David Duchovny, as an

F.B.I. Agent dressed up in slick femi-nine attire) but regardless of all this tireless overexertion, the series had clearly lost a major chunk of its mojo and several plot points came off as irrefutably forced (such as a beauty pageant sub-plot) and accord-ingly, the public interest waned. Pity, as the project as a whole comes across a bit like a small screen masterwork left incomplete (the final episode does provide a fitting cliffhanger). So perhaps the rumblings of a rekindling of that Twin Peaks fire should not seem so surprising, even this many moons on.

This here super-duper box set has so much to share beyond just the series and its companion film. Apart from providing all of Twin Peaks tale in a pristine HD transfer there is a boat load of nuggets from archi-val and more current sources that work to break the phenomena of the thing down in ‘in depth’ measures. Cast and crew mem-bers help to, somewhat enlighten upon the steps it took to make a bit of prime time television history with a collection of new and older interviews and on set asides. Most triumphantly, the long lusted

after ‘Fire Walk With Me’ cut footage por-tion (arranged here by Lynch himself as a 90-minute segment meant to stand on its own) is not likely to elect much in the way of disappointment. Many key ideas and supporting characters receive expanded screen time, including odd bits pertaining to David Bowie’s enigmatic agent Phillip Jeffries and a whole bunch more footage of the prophetic dwarf (Michael J. Anderson) who dwells in that, mostly red, ‘other place’.

Still further elements that never made it anywhere near the final release cut of ‘Fire Walk With Me,’ finally have their day too; Sheriff Truman, his stoic, Native Ameri-can deputy Hawk (Michael Horse) and the impossibly dense lovebirds Andy (Harry Goaz) Brennan and Lucy the receptionist (Kimmy Robertson) are on hand as they all originally had filmed cameos, as did Pete Martell and the lovely Josie Packard (Joan Chen). The resolution of the whole damn thing (perhaps the entire Twin Peaks universe in total) may have originally held a more cosmic, time melding agenda than viewers were previously aware of, accord-ing to a few revealing sequences on display here. Yes, the wait for this missing stuff is finally over, and the rewards do measure up.

Elsewhere in the set, David Lynch enacts his own fond (albeit expectedly eccentric) memories of the project in features both semi-vintage and brand new in which he picks his own cranium as well as those of several key cast members (Kyle MacLachlan, Sheryl Lee, Ray Wise, Grace Zabriskie and others) from the program both in and out of character. There are also plenty of old school promo spots, photo stills of anything from on set action to long obscured trading cards of the show and both the domestic and international (stand alone and slightly longer) versions of the pilot episode that set it all in motion.

Yeah, not much has been left behind. This beast is very concise. Recommended to anyone adventurous enough to hold a fair opinion of David Lynch, or this series in the first place.

[email protected]

The Mystery as Solved is Still a Mystery

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ENTERTAINMENT // LIVE FROM JAPAN

BY JAMES PAGE

GAME OF THE MONTH:Double Dragon NeonDeveloper: WayForwardESRB: TeenRelease Date: 09/11/2012System: PC/PlayStation 3/Xbox 360

Rating:Graphics: 3.0 out of 4.0Game Play: 3.0 out of 4.0Personal: 2.0 out of 2.0Total Score: 8.0 out of 10.0 Player’s Page: Double Dragon Neon

Pop in a cassette tape and travel back in time to the 1980’s. Visit a world of neon, leather, hair picks, and violence. This place, and story are not unfamiliar to long time video game fans, but it has been a long time since anyone has visited this bleak and depressing city. This place is home to

the martial artists Billy and Jimmy Lee and Billy’s girlfriend Marian. As in any city, the inhabitants try their best to live their lives in peace but that is not always possible especially in a city riddled with crime.

In the past Marian has been kidnapped on numerous occasions requiring Billy and Jimmy to come to her rescue.

Flash forward to the current day and nothing much has changed since the world was originally introduced to the beat‘em up style of the Lee Brothers. One can easily see the dominance of 80’s music has been maintained, the cassette tape is still the most popular media format, and everyone is still hell bent for leather. Unfortunately

for Marian, the various gangs in the city continue to want to kidnap her and keep her for themselves. This case is proven in a recent encounter on the streets of the city. Marian was standing on the sidewalk when she was approached by members of the Shadow Warriors gang who attacked and kidnapped her, and now it is up to Billy and Jimmy to rescue her once again,

from the clutches of an evil gang with an unknown purpose.

Double Dragon Neon is a relaunch of the classic side scrolling beat‘em up series Double Dragon. Maintaining the basic actions of punch, kick, and jump players will need to fight through multiple waves of enemies to reach the end of a stage and confront the boss. Players will not have to rely on their brawn alone to overcome the forces of the Shadow Warriors because they will be able to use various weapons such as knifes, whips, bats, and hair picks found lying on the ground or taken from enemies. The game can be tackled solo, but it is meant to be played cooperatively and is easier and more fun when two friends are

sitting on a c o u c h filling the shoes of the Lee Broth-ers.

W a y -F o r w a r d has t r ied to replicate the original game play s t y l e o f D o u b l e D r a g o n

while trying to add new elements which have been developed and accepted by the industry since the release of the original. The game improved upon the original games by adding a stage select menu, super moves, and in stage shops. The player will be able to acquire new super moves and passive stat improvements by obtaining

cassette tapes which are dropped by ene-mies or purchased in shops. These moves and stat improvements can be leveled up by collecting multiple copies of the same cassette tape and by collecting ore which can be used to increase the number of each cassette tape which can be held.

Although many game play elements have been improved from the originals the game maintains some of downsides of the genre. The movement of the characters tends to be a bit sluggish and jumping can be tricky if the player does not take a run-ning start. Playing through the game solo will be a bit difficult due to the number of enemies, but this is offset by the cassette

tape leveling system introduced by the developers. Due to the 2D layout of the game fighting enemies can be difficult due to the need to line up attacks with the enemy’s location, but this can be easily overcome with a bit of practice.

Double Dragon Neon immerses the player in the world of the 1980’s with a nice mix of graphics and music. Rich and vibrant colors help to recreate the distinc-tive color patterns of the 80’s, but at the same time the colors are slightly muted to help simulate the atmosphere of a dreary city. The soundtrack remixes a number of songs from the original games while adding new and upbeat characteristics. This helps to create a bridge between the old and new while helping to remind players of the sounds of classic arcades.

Double Dragon Neon is a fun experi-ence which brings back the game play style from the early days of video games while blending it with more modern graphics

and sound. The game can be purchased through the PlayStation Store, the Xbox network, or one of the many PC gaming clients. The digital nature of the game allows for one to use the co–op feature with a friend on the same system or with a friend who is online. One will be amazed how fast the hours fly by while playing this modern take on a video game classic.

Remember, like all games if you play them just to have fun there will never be a bad game.

[email protected]

Live From Japan


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BY DOBIE MAXWELL

I sadly admitted technology passed me by years ago, but now it’s getting ridiculous. The last straw was broken last week when my neighbor invited me over to sample some of his barbecue –another area in which I lack severely but that’s another tale for another time. One crisis per day.

My neighbor has two teenage sons that think I’m extremely funny – I think. It’s either that or they are constantly laughing at me instead of with me. I’d like to give myself the benefit of the doubt but a recent incident made me start to lose hope. I think I need to pack my bags and move to an Amish colony immediately. I could use a fresh start, and the beard would help hide my shame.

The event in question started innocently enough. I walked into the house and saw a basketball game on the living room television screen. All I did was ask who was winning and was informed it was the older son Jeremy. When a quizzical look occupied my face even more quizzical than usual, younger son Ryan dropped the crushing blow. “Uh…it’s not the TV. It’s a video game.”

Excuse me? The graphics on video games are now so well developed I actually mistook it for a real game? I was so embarrassed I wasn’t able to maintain eye contact with the boys. I felt like a puppy that had been caught pooping on the carpet and all I could think of was how to slink out of the room and act like it never happened. I was half expecting the boys to rub my nose on the TV.

Thankfully there was no mention of it at dinner, but I still felt like a total jackass. Video games have never been my thing, and I don’t really know why. It’s only the biggest

explosion of fun in the history of human-kind, and I was born into the generation that was able to watch it all happen.

I can still remember when “Pong” was the talk of the neighborhood. Everybody thought it was the second coming of George Jetson, and expected cars to start flying shortly thereafter. How did they manage to pack all that fun into one game? Blip. Blip. My heart can’t take it. Stop already!

That was about sixth grade on my per-sonal time cycle, and my whole generation got hooked on the concept of video games at once. Nobody could have predicted then just how huge it would all eventually become, but one thing for sure is nobody would have mistaken Pong for a real tennis match. It was all so laughingly primitive, and shows just how close to monkeys all of us still are.

Next up in my generation’s techno play world was a hand held football game made by Mattel, the fine folks who brought us Hot Wheels and Barbie. The football game wasn’t really football but rather a new series of blips on a smaller screen. They also had an auto race game, but at least in my neigh-borhood that never really caught on. The football game did, and it was a huge hit.

The reason it likely became so widely popular is all it had to follow was the highly forgettable “Electric Football” game by a long out of business company called Tudor. Boys my age all recall having to take ten minutes to set up their team of tiny plastic football players on a metal “field.”

Then when both teams were in position, a switch was flipped and a “play” allegedly happened. The field vibrated and the play-ers all went in separate directions – usually headed for the sideline out of embarrass-

ment that kids had to suffer through this miserable excuse for actual football.

To top off the realistic experience of it all, the “football” ended up being a piece of lint stuck in between the arm of a running back. If we really wanted to go nuts we could have our quarterback attempt a forward pass by flicking that piece of lint in the direction of one of the other players.

All it had to do was hit the player any-where and it would be a completed pass. I know it sounds funny now, but this was the cutting edge of sports for millions of kids that now have kids of their own who will never be able to commiserate. We are the generation that has to suffer in silence.

Another stinko sports spoof was the hockey game that was played with a series of rods that had to be manipulated to make the players move. The “puck” was a magnet that got whacked around the “ice” and maybe once every month or two the magnet might actually find its way into the net for a “goal.” There was no electricity involved, but this was just as useless as Electric Football.

Probably the worst of all the sports games was “BAS-KET” by Coleco. This was an insult to our intelligence and consisted of a cardboard “court” and two baskets where an ordinary ping pong ball would land in one of several holes that had a lever that would flip the ball up to the general direc-tion of a basket. There was no defense, and stopped being fun after five minutes.

Every kid I know got this game for Christmas, and we all grew weary of it simultaneously. It would have been more fun to throw snowballs at moving cars – which we eventually did. That’s the ultimate thrill...when an old man that looks like Fred Mertz’s father threatens to kick your butt.

As my high school years arrived, so did Atari and video arcades in the mall. Alladin’s Castle was the ultimate hangout for the video game clan, but that’s when I started to lose interest. I did enjoy a pinball game now and then, but I didn’t let it take over my life like so many of my friends did.

Pretty soon I was out of high school and then I had to play the ultimate game – how to keep my bills paid every month. That’s a lot harder than Pac Man or Frogger or Tetris or any of the games that hooked millions and became the gateway drug to the games of today. Who’d have thunk it?

I sure would hate to be a video game designer today. How can anybody top what’s out now? My generation was easy to fool, as we had never seen anything before. Those two little blips on a Pong game were an out of this world cosmic mystery, and it grew from there. Every game was a new adventure, and it blew the minds of those playing. Now, five year-olds are bored with it all.

Eventually it will have to come full circle, don’t you think? There will be a video game that has an attachment of a real ball or something and two kids will actually have to get together to throw it around in the yard. Then before long some other kids will join in and who knows, maybe some actual baseball or basketball or football will get played. There’s a novel concept for the future. It doesn’t help now though. I still feel like I got cheated out of fun, and I’m not thrilled about it.

Dobie Maxwell is a stand-up comedian from Milwaukee. To find his next hell-gig visit dobiemaxwell.com

“Game Off”ENTERTAINMENT // DOBIE MAXWELL

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NEWS & VIEWS // RIGHT WING NUT

BY ROBERT MEYER

We have heard complaints about the “do nothing congress” for the past several presidential administrations. Indeed, we frequently see that congressional approval numbers flirt with historically low positive rates. This has occurred whether the major-ity of congress has belonged to democrats or republicans.

The American people have often

decried the inability of congress to stop the bickering and work together to get things done. At the same time, we hear of politi-cians campaigning on the platitude that they will be willing to reach across the aisle. Still little improvement seems to come out each new session of congress.

So where does the dissonance come from and, how might it be corrected? We must first understand that the Constitu-tional Convention created two houses of congress, in part, to make it difficult, but not impossible to quickly pass legislation.

The problem as I see it, is that we have unwavering loyalty to political party at

the expense of all other priorities. I am not speaking so much about commitment to political ideology, or philosophical worldview, as I am of an administrative apparatus of coercion.

Our first president, George Wash-ington, warned us of this in his Farewell Address. Washington’s sentiments epito-mized the perspective of the Founders in general.

“Let me now take a more comprehensive view, and warn you in the most solemn manner a g a in s t t h e baneful effects of the spirit of party generally.

This spirit, unfortunately, i s i n s e p a -

ra b l e f r o m our na ture , having its root in the strongest p a s s i o n s o f t h e h u m a n

mind. It exists under different shapes in all governments, more or less stifled, controlled, or repressed; but, in those of the popular form, it is seen in its greatest rankness, and is truly their worst enemy.

The alternate domination of one fac-tion over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a fright-ful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual;

and sooner or later the chief of some prevail-ing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty.”

So while party loyalty forms out of the lesser angels of the human condition, it was viewed as a destructive force by the Found-ers. What is missing today is zeal toward the specific branches of government, which assures a robust operation of separation of powers.

Congress today, seems to have devolved into the weakest branch of government, because members have not vigorously exercised their checks over the judicial and executive branches. Courts have been allowed to legislate from the bench through activism that ignores the jurisprudence of original intent. They have permitted judges to act as philosopher-kings. Likewise, con-

gress has permitted itself to be outflanked by increasing numbers of executive orders which circumvent its constitutional role.

Again, Washington comments on this state of affairs.

“It is important, likewise, that the habits of thinking in a free country should inspire caution in those entrusted with its admin-istration, to confine themselves within their respective constitutional spheres, avoiding in the exercise of the powers of one depart-ment to encroach upon another. The spirit of encroachment tends to consolidate the powers of all the departments in one, and thus to create, whatever the form of government, a real despotism. A just estimate of that love of power, and proneness to abuse it, which pre-dominates in the human heart, is sufficient to satisfy us of the truth of this position. The necessity of reciprocal checks in the exercise of political power, by dividing and distributing

it into different depositaries, and constituting each the guardian of the public weal against invasions by the others, has been evinced by experiments ancient and modern; some of them in our country and under our own eyes. To preserve them must be as necessary as to institute them. If, in the opinion of the people, the distribution or modification of the constitutional powers be in any particular wrong, let it be corrected by an amendment in the way which the Constitution designates. But let there be no change by usurpation; for though this, in one instance, may be the instrument of good, it is the custom-ary weapon by which free governments are destroyed…”

In the Constitution, congress has a remedy to limit the jurisdiction of courts. “In all the other Cases before mentioned, the supreme Court shall have appellate Jurisdiction, both as to Law and Fact, with

such Exceptions, and under such Regula-tions as the Congress shall make.” Article III, Section 2, Clause 2

Congress has the ability to impeach judges as well, but when is the last time you heard of that happening?

Congress has checks on presidential authority as well. The chief problem is that congress can not unite as a body, zealous of their particular powers and duties, but fragments itself according to party affilia-tion. If a judge legislates from the bench to accomplish what has failed legislatively, the portion of congress that has affinity with the judge’s decision will approve of the actions, rather than dissent with the usurpation. It is likewise with overreach by the executive branch.

As long as this practice continues, people will feel betrayed by their represen-tatives and disapproval will be high.

The Do-Nothing’s

Courts have been allowed to legislate from the bench through activism...


Weidner


BY DENNIS RILEY

Judging by the look on his face or the tone in his voice as Indiana Governor Mike Pence tried to fend off some decidedly pointed questions from ABC’s George Stephanopolous that Sunday in late March, you would have thought that the Governor had found himself in the middle of a real firestorm and not just the verbal one that had accompanied Indiana’s passage of its very own Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) earlier that month. Doing his best to defend a statute that a substan-tial number of American citizens, both individual and corporate, were convinced provided a license to discriminate against members of the LBGTQ Community, Governor Pence kept telling us two things. First, RFRA statutes are common. The federal government passed one as far back as 1993 and that one passed almost unani-mously and was signed by none other than Bill Clinton. Nearly 20 states have fol-lowed suit. Barack Obama, he reminded us, had voted for the Illinois version of the law. Second, the law was not intended to permit discrimination. It was intended to protect the freedom of Americans of deep and abiding religious faith to act on that faith as is their first amendment right. The first of these arguments is disingenuous. The second pretty much glides past disin-genuous to dishonest.

Start with Governor Pence’s contention that RFRA statutes are common. Yeah. But consider the history of the first one,

the federal statute that everybody loved, even Bill Clinton. It came about, and it came to get such universal support because most people believed that the Supreme Court had significantly diminished reli-gious freedom, hence the name of the law. To keep it short, from 1963 to 1990 if a citizen challenged a government action as interfering with his or her religious free-dom, the government taking that action had to prove that it had a “compelling state interest” (usually public health or safety) that required taking that action despite its impact on the challenging citizen’s religious liberty.

In 1990, the U.S. Supreme Court – in an opinion written by relative newcomer to the Court, Antonin Scalia – did away with the “compelling state interest test” in favor of a far less restrictive test requiring only that the action in question have a legiti-mate secular purpose and be administered in an even handed way. It did not, in other words, single out religion. The federal RFRA was to restore the “compelling state interest test.” Nothing more. The state versions of RFRA were to do the same because the Court held that the Federal RFRA did not apply to state actions. To add to the Governor’s disingenuousness, virtually every one of the RFRA’s passed in the last 20 years were passed before the Supreme Court granted religious liberty to certain kinds of corporations in the Hobby Lobby case. If corporate personhood conveys religious liberty rights on “closely held corporations” of the size and scope of

the Hobby Lobby folks, it surely conveys those same rights on a small bakery, a floral shop, or a free-lance organist, incorporated or not. That means that Indiana’s RFRA really is cut out of a different cloth.

Governor Pence might not have been aware of the history of the various RFRA’s floating around, but he had to know that one of the underlying purposes of Indiana’s version was to allow people – corporations are people remember – to act on their faith in the marketplace, even if that faith said that some people could not or should not be served in or by their place of business. He held the bill’s signing ceremony in private, surrounded by what one Indiana journalist referred to as a who’s who of Indiana religious conservatives. Beyond that, no discussion of the law by its sup-porters can go more than three sentences without reference to the example of the baker who doesn’t want to prepare a cake for the wedding of two gay people. Don’t forget that supporters of the law raised almost $1,000,000 on line to support an Indianapolis Pizzeria on record as having said that it would not cater a gay wedding. The intention of the law may have been the protection of religious freedom, but in the minds of a great many people in Indiana – possibly including its Governor – the freedom they expected to see exercised was the freedom to treat the LGBTQ Commu-nity differently than any other community. Sounds a bit like discrimination, doesn’t it?

The weakness of Governor Pence’s arguments notwithstanding, there is a real

issue of religious freedom to be considered here. Millions of deeply religious Ameri-cans want to be able to live their respective faiths in all aspects of their lives, even their work/business lives. But letting them do so creates so many problems for a society that recognizes rights in addition to reli-gious rights.

In some sense we have to start with ground zero, when does a belief system become a religion due the protections of the first amendment? What about the guy in Indiana who wanted to proclaim himself Archbishop of the Church of Cannabis? But far more to the point, of course, what about the rights of others, including that most fundamental right, equal protection of the laws? Our hypothetical baker can’t deny a wedding cake to an African Ameri-can couple, a Muslim couple, a couple in which one of the two is in a wheelchair. And on it goes. There were once plenty of wedding cake bakers who would have refused a cake to a mixed race couple and done it on religious grounds. We decided they cannot. We are pretty far along in the process of deciding that today’s bakers cannot deny a cake to a gay couple. I fully realize that an awful lot of truly religious Americans believe that to be forced to do that will violate their religious rights. But should their religious rights trump the human rights of others? My answer remains No. I understand the conflict, but alas, I see no middle ground.

Enough out of me.

“Hoosier Hospitality”

NEWS & VIEWS // THE VIEW FROM THE LEFT-FIELD SEATS


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BY ROB ZIMMER

Over the past few years, you may be aware of increasingly urgent news regarding the status of the honeybee and native bee populations throughout North America.

Numbers of both honeybees, as well as native bees, such as bumblebees and others, have declined seriously in recent years.

Many area resi-dents are looking for ways to help. Thank-fully, there are many things we can do to help maintain or restore populations of these beneficial and important insect spe-cies.

Bees for beginnersDenise Wagner

of Black Creek, was concerned about the lack of bees near her rural Outagamie County property. She called on the experts at Honey Bee Ware, a specialty store in Greenville that provides education and supplies for those interested in maintaining healthy honeybee popula-tions on their property.

“We started thinking of keeping bees after watching a PBS program about colony collapse disorder and the plight of honeybees,” Wagner said. “One theory for the cause of colony collapse disorder was pesticides.”

This prompted Wagner and her hus-band to cease renting a portion of their land for farming, thereby preventing pesti-cide use on that piece of property.

“The year after, we stopped renting some of our land to a farmer for crops and the field came back with a lush stand of clover,” Denise said.

From there, the Wagners went to work creating a valuable and safe pollinator habitat.

“With that, we started to plan our first

hive,” she said “in addi-tion to the clover, we also have a large wildflower patch of coneflowers in summer and purple asters in fall, although honey-bees will travel quite far

to find pollen and nectar.”

Honeybee school“I attended a beginner beekeeping class

in March sponsored by Honey Bee Ware, a family-owned beekeeping supply and bee-keeper education business in Greenville,” Wagner said. “The instructor was engaging and presented the information with subtle humor. With about 60 people attending that class, it was evident that interest in beekeeping is ramping up. One classmate came all the way from Manistique, Michi-gan, so I feel lucky to live minutes from the store which carries everything I could possibly need to keep bees.”

Honey Bee Ware provides everything necessary to keep bees, including the bees themselves, which Wagner expects to arrive the first week in May.

From there, her bee-keeping adventure will continue to grow.

For more information, visit honeybee-ware.com

Pollinator gardensIn addition to raising bees

on your property, there are a number of other helpful actions we can take to help maintain and restore bees.

Pol l inator gardens are becoming increasingly popular throughout our area. More than butterfly gardens, pollinator gar-dens are designed with specific plantings to attract and provide valuable, safe nectar for pollinat-ing species, including bees.

Utilizing pesticide-free native perennials is especially important when growing a pollinator garden. Providing a wide assortment of host plants increases the number of pollinators you can attract and help maintain throughout the growing season.

Providing blooming plants that are rich in nectar and span the seasons from spring right through late fall is important.

Early flying native bees and honey bees often do not have access to blooming wild-flowers when they first emerge in March and April. The same situation may occur late in the fall if warm weather persists. Therefore, it is important to include late-blooming wildflowers in your palette of plants, as well.

Examples of late season bloomers that make excellent pollinator plants include Joe-Pye Weed, Purple Coneflower, New England Aster, Goldenrod, Cardinal Flower, Blue Lobelia, Black-Eyed Susan, Helenium, Sunflowers and Sedums.

Bringing Back Bees

OUTDOORS // ROB ZIMMER

Silver Mist

Garden Center


Meyer Theater


NEWS & VIEWS // MEDIA RANTS

BY TONY PALMERI

Mainstream American journalism, as the Media Rants column has been ranting about for more than 12 years, occasionally meets standards of excellence but more typically runs on a spectrum from medio-cre to insanely bad. Political journalism is probably the worst of the lot (too often it meets Joseph Goebbels definition of the press as a great keyboard on which the government can play) with science and business reporting tied for second. That CareerCast recently ranked newspaper reporter as the worst job of 2015 (#200 out of 200), with broadcaster coming in at #196 is no excuse.

Mainstream sports journalism? I wish I could wax eloquently about it with a verbal dexterity and grace equivalent to the awesomeness of a Lebron James layup. Unfortu-nately the quality of sports journalism (to the extent that such a thing even exists) requires only one blunt descriptor: SUCKS. Unless of course your idea of quality sports journal-ism is mindless cheerleading, bland press conferences, inability to tell the difference between real and manufactured scandals, and so-called experts screaming at each other on cable television. If that’s what we mean by quality sports journalism, then without question we have the best in the world.

Poor sports journalism is not strictly a modern phenomenon. The late Howard Cosell complained about it in the 1970’s. Cosell is most remembered for being one-third of the original ABC Monday Night Football broadcast team and for his theatrical banter with heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali. Less remem-bered is the fact that Cosell saw sports as

more than just entertainment or distrac-tion. His interviews with Ali during the champ’s Vietnam War draft refusal period and subsequent suspension from boxing raised the bar for what should be legitimate sports news; in his 1973 autobiography Cosell recounts how the ABC network received complaints along the lines of, ‘Get that nigger-lovin Jew bastard off the air.’

Cosell in 1973 lamented the general absence of journalism in sports coverage, both in broadcast and in print. Not much has changed, as can be seen in the treat-ment of three recent sports stories that cry out for competent journalism: (1) Chris Borland’s retirement from football, (2) The Chicago Cubs treatment of prospect Kris Bryant, (3) The NCAA final four basket-ball tournament in Indianapolis.

Chris Borland’s Retirement: Refusal to Tackle the Elephant in the Room. When 24-year-old Chris Borland announced his retirement from the San Francisco 49ers this year (he was one of four players under age 30 to retire in 2015) after citing the possibility of future head trauma and

diminished quality of life, he presented the mass media with a golden opportunity to give urgency to the issue of the National Football Leagues many decades long attempt to cover up the dangers associated with the sport. Remember how the major media for decades minimized or ignored the dangers associated with cigarettes? The rush to get Borland and others out of the

headlines as quickly as possible is eerily similar.

Kris Bryant: The Media’s Uncritical Acceptance of the Business of Sports. Baseball’s spring training is supposed to be the time when players compete for spots on the major league roster. So when Chi-cago Cub third base prospect Kris Bryant hit 9 home runs in spring, he appeared to be a lock to make the big league squad. Bryant may be on the team by the time you read this, yet the Cubs sent him down to the minor leagues for at least the first 12 days of the season so as to guarantee that he could not become an unrestricted free agent until 2021 at the earliest. In other words, the integrity of the game came in

second to the owner’s bottom line. This is of course not unique to the Cubs; in fact it is typical across franchises in all profes-sional sports. What’s distressing is the media’s almost uncritical acceptance of the business side of sports, resulting not only in lower quality play (i.e. delaying the big league arrival of prospects like Bryant), but also making it easier for owners to raise

ticket prices at will while having the audacity to ask taxpayers for money to refurbish stadiums or build new ones. Absent a critical media, sports team owners can get away with just about anything.

The NCAA Final Four: Sports Media Called For Blocking Foul. In an epic case of bad timing, the Indiana legislature passed a homo-phobic version of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act during the height of March Madness in Indianapolis. The legislation in its original form would allow private businesses to refuse to serve gay, lesbian, and transgender persons on religious grounds. Massive protests erupted in Indianapolis, and even all four Final Four coaches signed on to a statement rejecting discrimination in any form. Yet moving the games out of Indianapolis was never seriously considered. Why? Because sports reporting mostly blocked any seri-

ous discussion of that issue, leaving it for the serious news to handle.

There are some great sports journalists out there. Mark Fainaru-Wadas and Steve Fainarus work on football’s concussion crisis and other issues is extremely well researched, provocative, and powerful. Dave Zirins Edge of Sports column brings a sense of social justice and moral clarity to sports. Regrettably, the Fainarus and Zirin are the glaring exceptions to the general rule of suckiness.

Tony Palmeri ([email protected]) is a professor of communication studies at UW Oshkosh.

Sports Journalism Sucks


The Rivers Bar & Supper Club


BY ROHN BISHOP

In May, we Republicans will gather in La Crosse for our annual convention; which reminds me that back in March I took to social media to commemorate the birthday of the Republican Party.

I wrote: “On this date in 1854 a group of abolitionist met in Ripon Wisconsin to form the Republican Party. 11 years later they’re dream to end slavery would be realized with the passage of the 13th amendment to the Constitution.”

The response from liberals wasn’t surprising, “That was Lincoln’s Republican Party. Today you guys are a bunch of religious zealots, corporate sellouts, racist, homophobic, sexist, knuckle dragging, anti-science, war mongering, treasonous, backwards thinking goofs!”

This onslaught of liberal compassion and desire to coexist with a different view point got me to thinking about the two political parties and their histories. I’ve written about the great history of the Republican Party; it’s why I’m a Republi-can today. Great leaders like Lincoln, Ever-ett Dirksen, Thaddeus Stevens, Richard Nixon, and Ronald Reagan.

I’ve never written about the history of the Democrat Party. It’s a history the public schools don’t want to teach, the media doesn’t discuss, and most American’s don’t know. It’s a history of treason and racism; it’s a history of shame!

Kill those IndiansDemocrat President Andrew Jackson

signed the Indian Removal Act of 1830, forcing the relocation of five Indian tribes, known as the trail of tears. The Supreme Court ruled against Jackson, but Jackson was a Democrat, and the law doesn’t apply to Democrats. Today liberal’s pretend to atone for this human tragedy by opposing Indian nicknames for sports teams.

SlaveryThe party of James Buchanan and

Roger Taney wasn’t exactly anti-slavery. In fact, when slavery was threatened, Democrats, lead by Jefferson Davis, com-

mitted treason and created a new country, a Democrat utopia called the Confederate States of America.

Democrats opposed Lincoln, opposed the war, and wanted peace at the expense of tearing apart America and allowing a slave holding Confederacy. Democrats opposed the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments too.

KKKFollowing the Civil War black Ameri-

cans were voting Republican and electing black Republicans to congress, this atrocity so outraged democrats that they formed the Ku Klux Klan to keep blacks from the polls, thus returning the democrat party to the party of dominance for a hundred years in the south.

The KKK was a great place for Democrats to launch political careers, and allowed the Democrat Party to install Jim Crow laws to help keep the “colored” man in his place. These laws would remain in place until the late 1960’s, when Repub-licans were finally able to splinter the Democrat majority, and get Civil Rights Bills through the congress!

Segregate the black kidsFor decades Southern Democrats segre-

gated schools, “Separate but Equal” schools

for white and black kids, today Democrats continue to segregate kids; having climbed into bed with the education establishment to oppose school choice. The choice initia-tive, started here in Wisconsin by Governor Tommy Thompson, allows poor black kids an opportunity at a better education. Alas, Democrats stand in the school house door, demanding that those black kids attend failing, crime ridden, hell holes of inner city public schools, while Democrats send their children to the best private schools we have.

It’s as if Democrats want an ignorant black population.

Death to AmericaDemocrats seem to have affection for

America’s enemies: from secession in 1861, to defending communist spy Alger Hiss, to releasing terrorist prisoners from GITMO, Democrats are always helping the enemy.

In the 1960’s Democrats got stuck in Vietnam, only to run off and protest the war on Richard Nixon’s first day in office. Then, in the 1970’s Democrats cut funding out from under President Ford to ensure a communist victory in Vietnam. During the 1980’s democrats repeatedly undercut President Reagan, with secret letters from Senator Ted Kennedy to General Secretary

Yuri Andropov, to John Kerry meeting with Daniel Ortega to help communism spread to Central America.

In 1991 former President Jimmy Carter traveled to the UN to undercut President Bush’s attempts to build a coalition to unseat Saddam Hussein from Kuwait, and just like with Vietnam. Democrats sup-ported removing Saddam Hussein in 2002, only to run off and protest the war when the going got tough.

Today’s Democrats led by President Obama, are implementing policies to turn our military victories into defeat, while surrendering the Middle East to ISIS, assuring those who hate America a safe haven to expand their empire, while at the same time Democrats are working to allow Iran a nuclear bomb!

Same ‘ol partyThe same Democrat Party that put

Japanese-Americans in internment camps, opposed Civil Rights, destroyed black families and America’s inner cities with welfare payments, is the same party that today opposes school choice for poor kids, wants to amend the First Amendment to shut down opposing political speech, all the while they’re nationalizing the internet, healthcare, school lunches, and mucking up the Middle East

It’s the same Democrat Party that defends Bill Clinton’s treatment of women, defended Ted Kennedy’s murderous drunken behavior, defended slave owner’s treatment of blacks, defended FDR’s treat-ment of Asian-Americans, and Andrew Jackson’s treatment of Indians.

From Andrew Jackson to Barack Obama, the Democrat Party has a history of shame.

Rohn W. Bishop is a monthly contributor to the Scene. Bishop, a former Waupun City Council member, currently serves as treasurer for the Republican Party of Fond du Lac County Contact Rohn: Email: [email protected] Twitter: @RohnWBishop

The Democrats: A History of Shame

NEWS & VIEWS // ROHN’S RANTS


Michele’s Wheelhouse


BY JOHN PRICE - KABHIR, THE BUDDHIST ADVISER

And who will It be?Will it be a screaming little slimy

lump, jerking in uncoordinated manner and beautiful only to the people directly responsible for creating it? People who are just now investing their entire lives in its growth and development? People who immediately look it over carefully for signs of wholeness and health, and who would be devastated by any tiny flaw it might exhibit?

Or would it be a shriveled and aged thing, long used to the point where it would offer little or no future. Would it strike terror in the people it encountered, aghast at the wasted ugliness of age and decay brought to the doorway as a direct sign of death: age, moaning its last gasps of life as they gurgle out of a body in the throes of death?

Or, would it be somewhere in-between, showing those answering the door an image of robust life, offering the glow of a creature in the midst of life, offering noth-ing but striking beauty as in the smiles of true life, borne of midlife true existence, a creature in its prime, giving the image of growth and simple being?

So, we have the juxtaposition of birth and death, with life between, the baby just born and the grim reaper. Would the archetypes of life looking at us in its truly infinite beauty--the glory of birth and the image of decay?

Throughout the ages, we are offered steadfast symbols of a baby born, so beau-tiful in its ugliness only seen by parents who gave it life, gestation, and the pain first played against the impossibility of the birth canal; then the ugliness of impend-ing death, a sight frightful in the personal horror only seen by those close to the end . These are longtime images of the mysteri-ous beginning and end of days.

We generally associate encounters with archetypes of birth the death with the night. We imagine a knock at the door as a booming, “Knock, knock, knock, come to us,” disturbing our slumber, causing us to pad down the hallway to our front door,

wondering, “who, or what, could it be?” Or, we associate being awakened in the night with an announcement of someone dying. There is deep apprehension associ-ated with that knock, bringing us news of a baby about to be born or the news of someone dying.

As a two-edged symbol of life-death, in Buddhist monasteries, it is common to place little leftovers, like dessert treats, being left out for the “hungry ghosts,” to help themselves to goodies, much like western children leaving treats for Santa on the mantle overnight.

So, we have a stage set metaphorically f o r b o t h darkness a n d

l i g h t c o m i n g to our door. Again, it’s like the phone ringing at 3:00 am; we answer, expecting the worst. And usually, it is the worst. We awake abruptly to horrific news of death. But is it so horrific? Death comes inevitably and surely. It isn’t something to be feared. On the most healthy and enlightened level, death is just like any moment of life: a breath, or not. Traditionally, we are taught that death brings eternal judgment, and facing that judgment, we fear punishment for all our misdeeds.

The great Judgment Day: something to fear, whereby we are put before a vengeful God who knows of every little transgres-sion we made in our lives. It knows of our

shunning kids in elementary school, mis-treating insects, lying to our parents with disrespect, straying from a committed rela-tionship, on and on. We imagine a mighty God taking us to task for every bad thing we’ve done.

Then of course is the question of hell. Is it there? Are we doomed to eternal suf-fering? From the perspective of a Judgment Day, it’s pretty much all negative and fear-ful. If we’re Roman Catholic, just missing taking Holy Communion at Easter, our “Easter Duty,” brings hell and eternal damnation.

There is of course the other side, the side of all the good we’ve done.

The side of us bringing blessing and happiness

to the world and its creatures. Even

though these are most defi-

nitely real, we dwell not so much on goodness at Judgment, but rather, at our trans-

g r e s s i o n s . How strange

it is that we judge ourselves

more negatively than positively.But the summoning

in the night brings the greatly anticipated arrival of another kind

of visitor. This visitor, often comes in the night; indeed, we often associate its arrival in the depth of the night, startling the home with a cry of, “It’s time!” And the bags, packed and waiting for this moment of excitement, are taken up for a hurried ride to the local hospital or the home birthing room. While the first visitor’s imminent appearance is associated with fear, this arrival’s emotions connote joy and expectation. Naturally, we’re talking here of birth in the arrival of the second visitor.

There is so much cliché associated with these two arrivals, it would be funny if it

weren’t so tied with deep emotion. In other words, death brings slow mourning. Birth offers us joyous dancing. Both ushering’s imply a boat. The most famous of these boats bringing life is little Moses riding quietly in his reed basket; whereas the Grim Reaper arrives silently to take us away from earthly life in his ominous raft, across the river Sauran to the land of eternal death. Whether the newborn, pink with happi-ness, arriving on the banks of a new life or the old, stinking, decaying death, taking us into the netherworld pulling us on a raft into the knowing sea of eternal mystery of death. Each boat has its commonalities as it takes us to a new land.

It is profoundly interesting that the two greatest mysteries associated with our humanly life involve being conveyed across water. But truly, out bodies reside in water. A great percentage of our literal being is composed of water, which has throughout history involved water. And there is no escaping the human story of water, as both a building block of life and a means of decomposing our corporeal body by water, the universal solvent. It takes our bodies apart as it works it magic of undoing the life water has built for our bodies.

This column is laden with so many cli-chés it is nearly funny. But from a linguis-tic perspective, how can we paint a word picture of life and not fill our proverbial cup with the great metaphors of life, by not acknowledging the absolute impor-tance water plays in birth and death. Do complete the sewing of our garment into a whole, can we not say with certainty that our very existence is a weaving of water. From before our being born, the great mys-tery, to the Grim Reaper’s coming to get us with his dark raft, we are faced with the greatest mysteries: where were we before we were born; and where are we going after we die?

John Price-Kabhir, is a retired public school educator and a writer. He is an ordained householder in the Rinzai Zen tradition. He welcomes your input at 920-558-3076 or [email protected].

A Knock at the Door

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GREEN CHOICES // BATS

BY WILL STAHL

Last month I wrote about the first appearance in Wisconsin bats of “white-nose syndrome.” Most of you have prob-ably heard about this disease, a highly contagious fungus that attacks bats as they winter over in their hibernacula––usually caves or mines––where ideally they remain in a state of torpor until spring when insect food again becomes available.

The white-nose syndrome fungus (Psuedogynoassus destructans) infects the bats’ faces and wings, and through the pri-mary effects of the infection and secondary effect of causing the bats to become active in winter kills them by starvation and dehydration.

Since 2007 when the disease was first discovered in New York State, it has spread through 25 states and five provinces of Canada, killing millions of bats. It was long expected in Wisconsin and finally was observed on a few northern long-eared bats (Myotis septentrionalis) in a cave in Grant County.

None of the other 85 caves and mines inspected showed signs of the disease, but given its virulence, the US Fish and Wild-life Service is putting a plan into action under the Endangered Species Act.

Though a highly restrictive endangered species designation was considered, it appears the USFWS will list the species as “threatened.” Under the threatened desig-nation, the service will adopt a 4(d) Rule that will go into effect on May 4, 2015.

This rule will allow a much greater range of activities in and near the bats’ habitat than would have been allowed had the bats been listed as endangered.

Still, most all activities of any poten-tially disturbing type would be prohibited within a quarter mile of known northern long-eared bat habitat, depending on time of year. In winter this zone would surround caves and mines that the bats use as hiber-nacula. In summer it would include areas of the forest around known bat maternity roosting sites, usually trees, especially those with shelter such as cavities or loose bark.

These roost trees are where the bats give birth and nurse their pups until they are ready to fly.

Given that most bat habitat is in for-ested areas, many of them in private hands, and in caves, many of them undeveloped, these new regulations will not affect a great many people. But those for those affected, the effects will be significant.

Brian Kleist, vice-chairman of the Wisconsin Speleological Society, which is an organization of cavers, people who are skilled and equipped for cave exploration, brought this issue to my attention. When he first called me, over a month ago, it was uncertain whether the USFWS would go for the threatened or the endangered designation.

The caving community was alarmed because an endangered designation might close down caving completely, perhaps in most of the eastern US. I remember when I began floating Ozark rivers in the seven-ties, we often visited caves that were shown on our maps. Within a few years we found most of those caves were gated off with steel bars and posted with a sign that said they were sites used by the Indiana bat, which had been declared endangered. My interest in caves was casual, so I shrugged it off, but many people are dedicated, and for them this was serious.

Kleist said his group members were not only recreationists; they also spend time maintaining caves for visitors and restor-ing caves in eastern Wisconsin that had been filled with sediment by the glaciers. By chance I had observed them at work at Cherney Maribel Caves County Park near Manitowoc. What they were doing was hard, dirty work shoveling sand and gravel that had been packed into these old cav-erns by the Ice Age thousands of years ago.

The DNR maintains, he said, that humans are a vector for transmission of white-nose syndrome, but the pattern of its spread suggested the bats themselves had spread it. The cavers are scrupulous about following USFWS decontamination protocols and are working to improve bat habitat by opening up more cave space.

When I suggested that people might see their arguments as self-interested, he acknowledged that could be true, but he felt they have good evidence on their side. When I asked who else might be affected by these regulations, he said loggers might be required to stay at least a quarter mile from any bat habitat all year long. I left off with him saying I would write an article about white-nose syndrome and a follow-up about how the new regulations might affect his group and others.

Unfortunately, though I had a follow-up conversation with Bryan Kleist, I was unable to reach the DNR people who would be able to comment on this until too late for press time. That will have to wait for next month. But I still wanted to talk to people about the effect on logging, which is a major industry in Wisconsin.

To that end I contacted Scott Sawle, president of the Lake States Lumber Asso-ciation. In a phone conversation he told me that the USFWS had not finalized their 4(d) rule and so he could not comment in great detail, though the general outlines were known. He said his organization was relieved they hadn’t settled on the endan-gered species designation for the bats, as that would have been far more restrictive. Still, the threatened designation will be, “just one more regulation we have to deal with.” It will keep loggers out of the woods for another 15 days a summer and limit areas where logging can be done, since they will need to stay well away from any roost-ing sites during the summer months and possibly a quarter mile from hibernacula year-round.

That creates a problem since known roosting sites already cover a fair amount of wooded area, and the bats change from year to year the sites they use. Another concern is that more bat species might be listed, increasing further limitations on logging activities. The rules may also affect power line and railroad right-of-way maintenance.

The loggers understand the bats have value, but their activities are not the cause of the white-nose problem. “The industry

is already struggling,” Sawle said. Already they are restricted by rules about oak wilt and wood turtles, and in most places they can’t work during deer season. How can someone maintain a business requiring an investment of several hundred thousand dollars if, “they can only do it six or seven months a year?”

The only person from the DNR I could reach in time to comment for this story, Drew Felkirchner, deals with forestry issues, not bats as such. He confirmed that the interim rules do exclude logging activ-ity within a quarter mile of hibernacula, but he stressed these are interim rules. Public comment will be accepted until May 4, which is when the interim rules will go into effect. The finalized rules may not be completed until near the end of the year.

He also confirmed that “take,” killing of species individuals, would not be pro-hibited as long as it was done in the normal process of logging. He added that if white-nose syndrome progressed as it has other places, there might not be many roosting trees left to avoid, as no bats will be around to use them. “This has killed up to 98 or 99% of the bats in some populations.”

The loggers of west and southwest Wis-consin are not Weyerhaeuser or Georgia Pacific. They are for the most part small operations that buy standing timber from farmers who would like to make some extra money. Though they didn’t bring in white-nose syndrome, they have to live with the environmental regulations designed to manage it.

In the long run, the disease will either drive the bats to extinction or they will adapt and carry on. Given the resilience of life in general, I would suspect the latter, but in the meantime, efforts to save the bats, as necessary as they may be, have profound effects on certain relatively small groups of people.

Next month we will look at what the cavers, people who explore some of the strangest and most interesting environ-ments on Earth, will have to do or not do in response to these new rules.

Bats, Continued


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ENTERTAINMENT // POSTCARD FROM MILWAUKEE

BY BLAINE SCHULTZ

Last August over 200 artists performed at over 60 venues in downtown Appleton.

Twenty five years ago Rebel Waltz released their album Rubber Walls, to a small but dedicated following. To quote Lou Reed, “Those were different times.”

Think about it. If you were around three decades ago and wanted to hear cutting edge music in the Fox Valley your choices were limited. Forward thinking arbiters like a few Menasha skate punks led the way to weeknight record spins at gay bars, or the Thirsty Whale in Appleton or Lefty’s in Green Bay. WAPL even played a few hours of Punk/New Wave each week. The odd college r ad io p rog r am from Lawrence, UW-Green Bay or UW-Oshkosh might spike the airwaves.

Eventually the soldiers took up arms. Fun With A t o m s ( Gre e n Bay), East Side Kids (Appleton area), Second Childhood and Twistin’ Egyptians (Oshkosh) may not have been the first but they were all gaining a bit of a local audi-ence.

By 1987 Rebel Waltz had joined the pack. Bassist Timm Buechler and child-hood buddy Jeff De Goey (guitar) added Jeff “JJ” Verner (guitar) and drummer Dave Moore, then set their indefatigable work ethic in motion. They chalked up many late-night drives from Kimberly to Oshkosh, doing the work that would result in high energy shows and recordings.

According to DeGoey, by the time the band called it a day, “we had written a couple hundred songs between the four of us. Playing three sets a night was no prob-lem and became a regular gig. Not bad for a couple kids from Westside elementary.”

With their name a nod to the Clash, Rebel Waltz boasted three songwriters.

Buechler and Verner operated from a more melodic approach adding vocal harmonies and jangly guitars, while DeGoey’s impas-sioned vocals perfectly matched his edgier, anguished guitar playing. Moore was simply a fantastic drummer who tied the jigsaw puzzle together.

Boasting a discography that spanned cassettes, 7” singles, LP’s and compact

discs , Rebel Wa l t z h a s chosen Record S t o r e D a y 2015 to reissue their Rubber Walls LP plus additional cuts from the ses-

sions.Constantly honing new material the

band remained in fighting shape. Situ-ated two hours from either Milwaukee or Madison, in those pre-internet days Rebel Waltz was patient and took things one step at a time.

Buechler offers his take on the band’s sense of accomplishment. “I am proud of the effort the guys put into this band to build our success. More miles than money indeed. We played anywhere and every-where we could just to try and build our fan-base. We worked our asses off to make things happen for us,“ he said. “I also like to think that we were a very good live band who played with a ton of energy and pas-sion, which turned into good reviews and word-of-mouth, so there were usually more people there the next time we played.”

DeGoey echoes the sentiment. “Rebel Waltz was a band that made its own original music in its own time. We have

known so many great bands that have done the same. Venison/Drunk Drivers in Eau Claire; Ripp Winkler in Oshkosh; Uncle Eddie/Droids Attack in Madison; Die Kreuzen/Go Go Slow in Milwaukee; Andrew Johnson with Happy/Haunted Heads and countless other great original Wisconsin bands who made their own music in their own time.”

In the twenty years since Rebel Waltz came to a halt (aside from odd reunion per-formances) the members have kept busy: Verner with Andy’s Automatics, Moore with Scrap Heap Kings, DeGoey with The Catastrophe and Buechler with solo work, tours with Peter Case, Paul Collins and The

Lyres, as well as gigs with Half Empty.“We all have continued to participate

in the great evolution of original music,” DeGoey says. “ I consider original music to be a giant centipede….one pair of legs gets the music from the pair ahead of it and passes it on to the pair behind it. To be a pair of legs in the great chain is the ultimate reward.”

For Buechler, the memory of a night in Chicago defines Rebel Waltz.

“We were wined and dined in Chicago one night in 1993, with the chance to sign with an independent label to release an album with a collection of our older songs,” he said.

“We had about 20 new songs at this point and wanted to release the new music instead of rehashing the past. As much as I wanted to sign that deal and fulfill the dream of signing a record contract, it didn’t happen. What I’m getting at is that Rebel Waltz was always looking forward as a band and we didn’t have a lot of interest in taking a step back, just to take it to a national level. For better or worse, we lived in the moment as a band. Knowing that, it feels good to look back and have no regrets.”

Rebel Waltz has confirmed an August 1st show in Green Bay. Details to follow.

Rebel Waltz - Rubber Walls (25th Anniversary Reissue)


Holts


ENTERTAINMENT // THE SPANISH INQUISITION

BY GEORGE HALAS

May arrivals are not just for flowers. Hillary Reynolds will be gracing the Fox Cities with a new album and a musical career in full bloom.

“In May, I’ll be coming back home for a couple of shows,” she said. “On the 14th,

I’ll be opening for The Ball-room Thieves at The Vox Concert Series in Marshfield and, on the 17th, I’ll be in Appleton to help celebrate the 20th anni-versary of Appleton North High School. It should be a fun night. Cory Chisel is a fellow alum and we’re planning on singing a few tunes together.”

If the opportunity presents, she will almost certainly sit in with Baba Ghanooj, the family band that includes her father, Ric Reynolds on guitar, aunt Marci Beau-coup on keyboards, mandolin and vocals and uncle Fran Rademacher on guitar, mandolin and harmonica.

Ric Reynolds saw it early.“When she was two, three years old,

she would get into the music of whatever Disney movie was out – I remember “The Little Mermaid” in particular – and she would sing all the parts with vibrato,” he recalls. “We didn’t know she had perfect pitch until later.”

“My family,” she said, “has played a major role in my musical background, being my first collaborators in learning the language of music even before I knew how to speak.”

“She got her voice from her mother and her ear from me,” Ric said. “We speak the same language.”

While there are loyal Inquisitors who double as fathers wondering “is that even possible?” it seems that it’s hard-coded in the DNA.

“My dad and his siblings played bar gigs all over Wis-consin, my favorite being the Harbor Bar on the Chain O’ Lakes,” Hillary recalls. “My parents sang in the church choir and my mom had a killer voice. Grandpa Reynolds would sing Frank Sinatra tunes for me and my cousins before bed – he

also has killer voice - and Grandma Reynolds was a concert pianist.”

The DNA apparently included strands of moon dust and spice.

“Through nurture and nature, I was born with a soul full of music. Before taking proper lessons for piano at age seven and joining the Lawrence Arts Academy Girl Choir at eight years old, I wrote my first song at recess called, “Man on the Moon,” she continued. “Yes, to this day, I still remember the chorus. On weekends, I would sing along and choreograph some pretty awesome moves to the Spice Girls with my cousins in my bedroom. We called ourselves the Cousins Club & wrote all of our hits in my *Nsync notebook.”

Reynolds waited until she was much older to begin performing.

“My first gig was when I was 11. I sang “God Only Knows” at my aunt’s wedding,” she said. “My first paid gig was at Copper Rock Cafe as a freshman in high school. That gig taught me that caffeine filled vanilla chai lattes plus nerves do not mix!”

“There’s still an out of tune upright piano living at the downtown location,” she added. “I played that piano a number of times because I didn’t have any sort of

rig when I started gigging.”“After high school, I moved to Boston

and went to Berklee College of Music, where I met the great loves of my life - my band.”

The development of the music and the sound have been not always been smooth.

“My musical career is open. It has taken a few years to feel that way,” she said. “My mom died months before the release of my first full length album, “Since September”, due to breast cancer complications and in the eye of the storm, I found myself in a Brian Wilson spell, spending weeks in my bed, paralyzed by grief, deeply contemplat-ing quitting music. Losing her filled my heart with insurmountable doubt”

“My therapy became an EP release called “Your Love.” It was through five recorded tracks and my soul’s expression of grief that gave me peace and the ability to move forward with my career,” she said. “It has been a long road to healing - some days still suck, but through my own vul-nerability, I’ve been able to cut the bullshit and connect with life because of an experi-ence that has broken my heart open.”

Touring has its benefits as well.“I’ve toured for the last five summers

with my band - again, the loves of my life,” she said. “We’ve played to sold-out crowds across the country and we’ve also played to a toothless one-man crowd at a dive bar in Kentucky. It was definitely one of the creepiest sets I’ve ever played. I have a tour journal that has the highs and lows logged from the road.”

“The best part about releasing “The Miles Before Us” has been letting the music sink into the hearts of fans and then playing shows to a singing crowd. That connection is so powerful.”

“When I’m not on the road, I’ve done jingles for everything from Disney to Sony to air conditioners. Recently, I’ve been wrapping up production on a duo project called ‘The Arrow & The Bow’ with a fellow Midwestern soul, Hannah Christianson. Together, we explore the healing and heart opening power of music, meditation, yoga, and travel,” she said. “Our music blends the worlds of folk, pop,

and alternative, and our raw lyrics offer an honest expression and insight into the human experience.”

“Two summers ago,” she added, “we toured Ireland & Scotland. A couple of the tracks on the EP were written there.”

Her creativity and songwriting are on-going.

“My creative process is unpredictable, sometimes a bit manic,” she revealed. “I wrote the track “Pretending I’m in Love” on our way to the first Mile of Music in the car with a guitalele. I started writing it somewhere in Pennsylvania and by the time we got to Indiana, Jeff, my drummer was in the front seat, my guitarist was in the back seat with me strumming along and then the song was finished.

“Braver Than We Think” was born on my way back from a writing session in Colorado. My cellist and songwriting partner, Trevor, picked me up from the airport and within five minutes of the car ride, I told him I had a song inside me that was going to be written that day. Sure enough, I called my favorite collaborator to come over and help me with the odds and ends, and the song was done. When muse strikes, I listen and create.”

Her collaboration with Chisel recalls a special moment for Ric Reynolds.

“At the first Mile of Music, she opened for Cory Chisel at the Lawrence University Chapel,” he said. “She needed a bass player. It was a father’s dream to share a stage of that stature with his daughter.”

Hillary and the band are still based in Boston.

“I’m glad every time she comes home. She’s so far away. I wish she could get home more and that we could collaborate more,” Ric said. “I know that for her to achieve her career goals, it’s probably not going to happen based out of the Fox Cities.”

“I am very proud,” he added, “of how she has grown from a trained musician into artist. She puts her heart and soul into it. I’d listen to her album even if I did not know whose it was.”

The Inquisition takes great pride in giving Dad the last word.

THE SPANISH INQUISITION 44


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BY MICHAEL MENTZER

Bill Casper’s sturgeon shanty may trace its origin to the humblest of beginnings but it is destined for historical greatness.

Those who wander the vast expanse of Lake Winnebago’s field of ice during the sturgeon-spearing season each February no doubt know of Casper’s distinctive shanty in the shape, design and hue of a Green Bay Packers helmet.

Tens of thousands of people have seen it on the ice of Big Winnie, or on Highway 151 and neighboring roads on its way to or from its off-season haunts, or maybe in Washington, D.C. on a site between the U.S. Capitol and the Washington Monument during a two-week stretch in 1998 when Wisconsin celebrated its 150th anniversary as a state.

Casper, his family and a circle of close friends have speared sturgeon in the Packer shanty for nearly a half century.

The winter of 2015 marked the famed shanty’s last season on Winnebago, not far from where Bill and his wife Kathy make their home along the East Shore between the lake and the historic limestone ridge of cliffs and rock that reaches from Fond du Lac County all the way to Niagara Falls in New York.

A NEW PERSPECTIVEThe old shanty is about to begin its

retirement…in a style reserved for only a chosen few.

“I’ve been told I can’t fish alone any-more,” Casper said recently as he recalled some of his favorite sturgeon memories. “My balance isn’t the greatest,” he noted, adding that he’ll be 85 when the next stur-geon spearing season rolls around.

“So I fished in the shanty with a friend of ours, Theresa Mayer, this season…the last time.”

Mayer took a photo of the shanty awash in early morning tones on Casper’s last day of the season amid the colors that only the Winnebago ice and a Wisconsin winter sun can conceive.

A framed photo of that setting has a special place on the living room wall at the

Casper home.It’s an emotional

image for a number of reasons. The emotion is evident in Bill Casper’s face and his eyes and in a long silence that he needs before he contin-ues his story.

MUSEUM POINT OF VIEW

“That shanty i s iconic. It has character, legitimacy, authenticity,” said Joe Kapler, a curator at the Wisconsin State Historical Society and the person who will be instrumental in eventu-ally placing the Casper shanty on permanent display at the Historical Society Museum on the Square in Madison.

Then, after thinking a bit more, he finds the word he really wants. “It has provenance,” Kapler added. The word even has an appropriate, elegant sound to it.

Kapler points out that Casper’s Packer shanty embodies “so many levels” of state history and storytelling.

It speaks of the Packers themselves; the birth of professional football; Coach and General Manager Vince Lombardi; the Ice Bowl Game against the Dallas Cowboys in 1967 (the year Casper built his shanty); the “frozen tundra” in the sense of 215 square miles of arctic Lake Winnebago desert; outdoor recreational pursuits; hunting, trapping, fishing and spearing; prehistoric sturgeon (Hiawatha’s Mishe-Nahma, the king of fishes); the founding of Sturgeon for Tomorrow by Bill Casper and others; the sense of community in shanty villages on the lake and within the comfortable homes and colorful towns that dot the Holyland of northeastern Fond du Lac County and beyond; practicality and folk art in the form of steel ice chisels, spears,

sturgeon decoys, ice skimmers, gaff hooks, old-fashioned saws and countless artifacts handed down through generations; con-servation and preservation; fish biology; water quality; and the social phenomenon that somehow binds all of those aspects together.

IN PERPETUITY“Just think of the layers it all involves,”

Kapler added. “You can call that shanty an artifact in itself. It deserves to be preserved in perpetuity.”

What he’s saying is that the shanty deserves to be on permanent display for the educational and historic benefit of the people of Wisconsin and any other state for that matter.

Kapler intuitively grasped that simple fact when he first learned of Casper’s shanty and saw it nearly 13 years ago as a rookie museum curator.

“I just knew it…I could see it…the value it had,” Kapler said

He recalls talking with Casper and

saying to him, “Keep us in mind when the time comes.”

The time is now. Within a year or two, the shanty will be placed on permanent display at the State Historical Society. A special exhibit will be built. It will be photographed endlessly and cataloged. Interviews will be conducted. Videos will be produced, and no doubt, there will be examples of sturgeon mounts available, along with all the related sturgeon artifacts that Casper and his family have used over the years.

What is on the shanty walls today will be there decades from now. The wood stove will be there, and the special Lake Win-nebago maps and placemats from Sturgeon for Tomorrow banquets will remain. He hopes to add an antique hand saw if some-one can provide one and contact him.

A special sturgeon decoy made and painted by Bill Casper’s sister, Mary Lou Schneider, will accompany the shanty to the museum. Schneider’s decoys and other artistic artifacts are prized by countless outdoor enthusiasts and collectors in the Fond du Lac area.

She fashions the decoys and artifacts in her workshop on the farm overlooking Lake Winnebago where she and Bill grew up.

FINDING THE PROPER PLACE“We’ll probably have to knock out a

wall to get it in the museum,” Kapler said of the shanty.

“I don’t know all the details yet. We’re working on it,” he said.

The shanty will be a museum main-stay for 50 years or longer, Kapler hopes, adding, “We’ll take the best care of it we can.”

If it makes it to 2067, the shanty will note the century mark, an age matched by some of the sturgeon speared and netted each year in the Winnebago System.

As many as 80,000 people will see the shanty every year, Kapler said, pointing out that 30,000 fourth- and fifth-graders annually visit the museum on class trips as part of their study of Wisconsin history.

“It would be ideal if people could

Bill Casper’s Iconic Packer Shanty

OUTDOORS // PACKER SHANTY

Bill Casper and his Green Bay Packer fishing shanty that’s headed for Madison. Photo by: Theresa Mayer


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OUTDOORS // PACKER SHANTY

actually go inside the shanty, to see what a real spearing shanty is like,” Kapler noted. “We’ll give it some thought.”

Until the permanent museum display is completed, Bill Casper’s shanty will be available for viewing by the public at loca-tions in the state.

“We’re not prepared to make that announcement yet,” Kapler said. “We’ll be letting the public know when we know.”

For Bill Casper, it’s almost like watch-ing a member of the family or an old friend leaving for a faraway destination and knowing they’ll never return to their old stomping grounds.

The shanty is about to answer a higher calling, but that doesn’t make it any easier for the heart and soul to process.

BUILDING AN ICONCasper recalls the day he saw a bunch

of curved rafters his old friend Bernie Baker from Giddings & Lewis was trying to get rid of.

“I ended up buying them for a dollar apiece,” Casper said. “I had an idea what I was going to do. I wanted an arched roof and so that’s what I built.”

A machinist at Giddings & Lewis, Casper had the know-how to get the job done with a combination of wood frame, metal and mechanics. It’s surprisingly roomy, with dimensions of 12 feet in

length, six feet in width and more than six feet at its greatest height.

He and Kathy’s four children — Shar-ron, Mike, Barb and Nick — were young-sters when it was built, and they spent many hours in the comfort of their Dad’s shanty.

It was Kathy’s idea to transform the shanty shape into a Packers helmet.

“It looks like a helmet,” Kathy remarked at the time. “Why don’t you make it a Packer helmet?”

She is surprised to this day that none of the Green Bay TV channels ever focused on the shanty for a story.

After all, it became one of the most rec-ognized and sought after structures on the winter lake-scape every season. In a sense, it was famous.

STURGEON FOR TOMORROWTen years after the shanty was built,

Casper led the founding of Sturgeon for Tomorrow, a conservation and preservation organization that spawned a number of other chapters.

The organization has helped make the Winnebago System arguably the healthiest, most prolific sturgeon fishery and habitat in the world. Winnebago sturgeon are being utilized to save and foster sturgeon populations across the nation and around the world.

Sturgeon for Tomorrow volunteers known as the Sturgeon Patrol are instru-mental in protecting vulnerable spawning sturgeon throughout the system, and local fish biologists lead the way in propagating the species for generations to come.

“We’ve come a long way,” said Casper, who earned the nickname Sturgeon General for his leadership abilities. “We’re almost at the million dollar mark,” meaning that the organization is close to donating $1 million to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for sturgeon improvement proj-ects.

For his leadership and devotion to the organization, Casper is a recipient of the Outdoor Life Conservation Award, a distinction shared by some of modern history’s acclaimed conservation leaders, including Wisconsin’s Aldo Leopold.

Casper points out that the Smithson-ian Institution in Washington, D.C., also wanted his Packer shanty for permanent display.

“That was quite an honor that they wanted it,” Casper said. “But I just felt it belonged in Wisconsin.”

That’s perfectly understandable. It has its lifeblood here…and its treasured memo-ries are rooted here.

UNCLE AMBROSE“I was 8 years old the first time I went

sturgeon spearing,” Casper recalled. “I went with my Uncle Ambrose Langenfeld. And when I was 14 — that’s 70 years ago — my Uncle Ambrose gave me his shanty and his spear. That was my first shanty.”

His uncle’s antique spear and one of his uncle’s ancient decoys will be going with the Packer shanty to Madison.

With a sense of amazement, Casper added, “Would you believe that Paul Langenfeld, my cousin…Ambrose’s son, got the last sturgeon to be speared in my shanty! Paul was born the winter Uncle Ambrose gave me my first shanty. Amaz-ing!”

The final installment of the Casper shanty is yet to be scheduled. There will be a dedication and Bill Casper and his family will be there, God willing.

The Packer shanty will enjoy a place of honor at its final resting place in a museum on an isthmus between Mendota and Monona.

And 80,000 people will visit it each year.

What an auspicious ending and what an eventful beginning!

Michael Mentzer, now retired after a 40-year newspaper career, writes a monthly column for Scene.

Twenty five hundred people will jour-ney to Dundas, Wisconsin on Saturday, May 16th for the annual Testicle Festival. That’s right… Testicle Festival, where large numbers of people come to enjoy a true delicacy, deep-fried testicles.

According to Linda Fassbender, owner of 2 of a Kind, one of two drinking holes in Dundas, “We skin’em, slice’em, bread’em, and fry’em, and I can only say that if you ain’t afraid to try’em...you’ll love’em.” That day more than 240lbs of testicles will be prepared for the masses to enjoy.

“It takes experience and skill to prepare a good tasting nub. You don’t want it to be stringy, too juicy, or chewy, it has to be tender and prepared with our secret spices to have the perfect succulent treat,” say

Fassbender.“We have people from all over the state

and from all walks of life come to this yearly event. We have a large number of motorcycle enthusiasts, local farmers, and people who love live music join in, and each year the event gets bigger and bigger,” explains Tara Erickson, the owner of the other bar across the street appropriately named, The Nut Haus.

The Testicle Festival was first held at Debbie’s Dundas Inn starting back in the early 90’s, and as the crowd grew, the bar across the street took in the overflow. Today Fassbender and Erickson have decided to work together to make the event even better. “People who attend will only have to pay one cover charge. For

$5 you’ll enjoy some great live music and eat as many testicle nuggets as you want,” Erickson said.

The street between the two bars will be closed this year for the first time since the event started about 25 years ago. And the two establishments will be working together to host this unique event.

“This year we have a 100x60-foot tent that will be erected for the live music. We have two bands scheduled to play. The first band called the 18 Days Band will play from 3:30 – 7:30 p.m., and the second band will be Half Empty starting at 8:00 till around midnight,” explained Erickson. “This is usually the first festival of the year for most, and we have it rain or shine. We will start serving about 11 in the morning

for the early testicle enthusiasts and keep frying until we are out of nuts.”

In addition to testicles, each of the establishments will be serving “regular food.” Hot turkey and beef sandwiches served on a Kaiser bun will be available at The Nut Haus, and Two of a Kind will have its complete menu available for those inter-ested in different fare. Both places promise to have plenty of ice cold beer on hand.

Dundas is located in Calumet County in the town of Woodville. It is an unincor-porated community that really has just two bars in it. It is located on the corner of St. John Rd. and Dundas Rd. You’ll see the tent from there. Be careful it is rumored the testicles are an aphrodisiac and make people do crazy things. Enjoy.

Testicle Festival


June 23 - 27, 2015 Ford Festival Park, Oshkosh WI

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THURSDAY JUNE 253:00pm Rachel Lipsk

4:00pm Home Free6:00pm Parmalee

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FRIDAY JUNE 262:30pm David Bradley4:00pm Bella Cain6:00pm The Swon Brothers8:30pm Craig Campbell11:00pm ERIC CHURCH

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11:00pm Judas Priest

Friday July 17Gates Open 2:00 2:30pm Death Glare4:00pm Pop Evil6:00pm Papa Roach8:30pm Breaking Benjamin11:00pm Avenged Sevenfold

saturday July 18Gates Open 2:00 2:30pm Dellacoma4:00pm Jackyl6:00pm Tesla8:30pm Styx

July 15-18, 2015 Ford Festival Park, Oshkosh WI

ROCK USA

Get your tickets today!www.rockusaoshkosh.com

Get ready for four days of non-stop, world class entertainment, featuring ...

... rock music’s biggest and hottest headliners.


ENTERTAINMENT // CONCERT WATCh JUNE 2015

BY JANE SPIETZ

Watch out for the up and coming Lake Street Dive (LSD). This super talented indie pop-soul quartet is well on its way to great things. Members Rachael Price (lead vocals/ukulele/guitar), Mike “McDuck” Olson (trumpet/guitar player/vocals), Bridget Kearney (standup bass/vocals) and Mike Calabrese (drums/vocals) met in 2004 and begin perform-ing together while they were students at the New England Conservatory of Music. Olson says the name of the band origi-nates from the abundance of dive bars located in a neighborhood in his Min-nesota hometown. The band submitted a recording of a tune penned by Kearney to the John Lennon Songwriting Contest in 2005 and she won in the Jazz Category. LSD used the winnings to record their debut CD, in this episode, in 2006.

LSD’s big break came in 2012 after the four gathered around a single microphone on a Boston street corner and performed an inspiring cover of the Jackson Five’s “I Want You Back.” It was posted on YouTube and went viral after Kevin Bacon tweeted it. In December 2013, iconic producer T Bone Burnett requested LSD to contribute musically to the performance of Another Day, Another Time show, featuring music from and inspired by the Coen Brothers’ film Inside Llewyn Davis.

Although their original common denominator was jazz, LSD’s music now additionally blends in influences of the British Invasion and soul, pop, and folk. The beautiful simplicity of their mostly acoustic instrumentation further highlights their exceptional talent. All four perform vocally and take turns with songwriting. They are huge fans of the Beatles. Their 2012 EP, “Fun Machine,” contains great covers of McCartney & Wings’ “Let Me Roll It,” Hall & Oates’ “Rich Girl,” George Michael’s “Faith” and The Drifters’ “This Magic Moment.” The band has also put together fun Halloween tributes to the B-52s, the Mamas & the Papas, Fleetwood Mac,

the Starland Vocal Band and ABBA. As a personal disclosure, I am a huge ABBA fan and thought that LSD did a great rendition of “Take a Chance on Me” in 2010! The title song of their new album, Bad Self Portrait, was written by Kearney and takes a jab at selfies with references to loneliness and regret.

As lead vocalist and the focal point for the group, Rachael Price’s amazing voice is strong yet smooth, exuding hints of Bonnie Raitt and Amy Winehouse. Price belts out songs with natural enthusiasm

and fullness, wrapping effortlessly around each note. Members of LSD exhibit an easy kind of comfortableness with each other but don’t let that fool you. They are tightly knit and totally on target with their exquisite four part vocal harmonies and instrumentation. LSD has been performing across the U.S. and Europe and sold out concerts are common these days. A performance with Grace Potter & the Nocturnals at Red Rocks is well worth watching on YouTube. They recently completed a tour to Australia and New Zealand. The band has been receiving critical acclaim. In 2014, LSD was named one of this year’s “artists to know” at Bonnaroo and Rolling Stone called LSD “this year’s best new band.” Do not miss an opportunity to see LSD in concert – you won’t be disappointed.

I connected with Mike “Mc Duck” Olson not long ago to learn more about LSD.

Jane Spietz: How did the Australia/

New Zealand tour go?Mike “Mc Duck” Olson: Fantastic.

Great crowds, lovely festivals, and marsupi-als. What more can a band ask for on their first time to a new hemisphere?

JS: How did the four of you get together and start up Lake Street Dive?

McD: That’s my doing. I wanted to play in a band, like a real band, not just jam with random, different people all the time. I had a few startups going, but LSD was the one that stuck. Which is was cool, cuz it was the only one that had a singer, and none of us were really writing a lot of original music with lyrics, so this really forced us to expand, and quickly.

JS: How would you describe Lake Street Dive’s musical style?

McD: We like to say we live at the intersection of the British Invasion and Soul music. We’re massive fans of both styles, and can’t help but have those things shine through in our writing and playing styles.

JS: Talk about Lake Street Dive’s love of the Beatles and their influence on the band’s music.

McD: Well, in our humble opinion, the Beatles are the best rock/pop band of all time. They were great musicians, great writers, great arrangers, and in the rela-tively short time they were around, they changed their sound more ways than you can count, but it always sounded like the Beatles. I think we are chasing their legacy (isn’t everyone?) in that we don’t want to be hampered by one sound, and hope that we can retain a band personality even if we are writing and playing in ways we haven’t even imagined yet.

JS: A tweet by Kevin Bacon helped your YouTube cover of the Jackson Five’s “I Want You Back” go viral in 2012! Share the story about that experience.

McD: Talk about surreality. When it happened, my first reaction was “wait, is Kevin Bacon a real person?” It’s so easy to think that nothing you ever do will ever have an impact on the life of someone like him. It’s like we live on two different planets. But getting access to his followers and fans was a major windfall for us, and it came at the same time as a few other big things, like getting shared on a few big blogs, like Wimp and World Star Hip Hop, of all things. I don’t know if we’ll ever understand how things like this happen, but the stars really aligned for us two years

ago, and we’ve been grateful of it ever since.

JS: Talk about the experience of playing Bonnaroo for the first time last year.

McD: Well, it was hands down the biggest thing we’ve ever been involved in. It was pretty amazing, walking around and experiencing what is, essentially, a mid-sized city devoted exclusively to the consump-tion of music. Talk about a com-

munity. But we had an excellent time, interacting not only with the fans, but with the other bands and musicians and festival organizers. Also, Elton John. Hello? Amaz-ing. We hope to go back again!

JS: What can your fans expect when you play at Turner Hall in Milwaukee on May 27?

McD: We’re trying to mix up the show a little bit this year, because we’ve played every major market in the country at least once in the last year two years, and we want our fans to be excited each and every time we come back! We are also working on a new record, so you’ll for sure hear a few new songs, but we don’t want to give the whole thing away, so we’ll probably be reaching further back into our catalog and playing so old favorites, maybe some new covers...who knows! We’re brainstorming ways to make it fun and fresh but still the same old LSD.

Lake Street Drive

7 PM May 27 Turner Hall, Milwaukee with The Congress

$20.00

6 PM July 16 at Waterfest, Oshkosh with Cory

Chisel’s Soul Obscura and special guests Sly Joe and The Smooth

Operators$10 before 6 PM, $15 before 7

PM, $20 after 7 PM Vets and kids under 12 are FREE

Info: www.lakestreetdive.comwww.pabsttheater.org/ Perform


Great Estates


BY GEORGE HALAS

There are rumors that a wise guy reviewer once answered the question “what kind of music do you like?” with “I like good music.”

“Good music” seems like the best way to describe the offerings on “The Miles Before Us” by the Hillary Reynolds Band because it’s otherwise hard to nail down the rich combination of styles and influ-ences that are woven together in unique and creative ways. “Miles” is an album that will sound very good on first listen and gets better as the nuance and textures are revealed subsequently.

Reynolds’ versatile voice and her lyrics are the constants shared by the 14 compo-sitions on this CD. Her voice gives texture and additional meaning to her rumina-tion’s on love and its attendant heartaches.

The opening cut, “Took Me A While” sounds like it should be the first track on an album by a female singer-songwriter who understands that “it’s never been so

real.” Reynolds’ sense of irony emerges in “Pretending I’m In Love,” as she awaits “someday, someway, we’ll speak the truth.”

One of the aspects of the band that makes the sound unusual is the excellent but understated cello playing of Trevor Jarvis. It sets the tone for a country-flavored ballad, “Honey Come Home” that features nicely blended harmony vocals. Jarvis is credited as a co-writer on that tune and “Can’t Let You Go,” which follows and laments “can’t stop even though I know you’re no good.”

Guest mandolinist Forrest O’Connor provides the fuel for the bluegrass-flavored “I Surrender” which also features some excellent guitar work by Connor Reese. Bassist Chris Mewhinney sets a solid foundation for Reynolds’ and her hopeful longing in “Braver Than We Think.”

“What It Is” is perhaps the most radio-friendly song on the CD, a pleasant mid tempo pop tune that seems to accept that “we don’t have to make it more than what it is.” Rich harmonies and Jarvis’ cello fills

highlight “Balloon and Kite,” which notes “that’s what love is about.” Reynolds’ “does not want to fall asleep alone tonight” on the acoustic guitar-accented “Crossing The Line,” then gently asks “take my heart when you leave in the morning” in “This Love Is Ours.”

Co-writer Reese contributes under-stated but lyrical guitar to Reynolds’ almost whispered vocals on “How.” She teams with Jarvis and his cello to create a poignant angst on “I Don’t Know Who Else To Call” as she begs “save me from my worried mind.”

The band steps the energy up a notch and sets a slow, bass-accented blues groove on top of Jeff Hale’s tasteful drumming to shape the lyrics on “Looking For A Way Back.”

This reviewer is convinced that Reyn-olds and her band mates saved the best for last with “Keep On Driving,” which departs lyrically into more metaphysical territory as Reynolds’ notes that “the future is in the dawn, I gotta keep driving ‘til I get

where I belong.” Jarvis’ cello highlights a fine band effort.

While the tunes on this CD are now a staple of the band’s set list, Reynolds, like many artists, is already looking to what’s next.

“This album will always hold a special place in my heart,” she said. “The Miles Before Us” was one big DIY project from preproduction to the release date to the road. It hasn’t even been a year - but the cruel thing about my songwriting process is this: in order to allow space for new inspiration and songs, I can’t think about the finished record anymore. It’s a little annoying given the fact that I spent all last year with an amazing creative team bringing that record to life and now all I can think about is the next time Trevor and I will get together to finish a new crop of songs.”

THE MILES BEFORE USHillary Reynolds Band

ENTERTAINMENT // CD REVIEW

BY GEORGE HALAS

With Red Gold, Kevin Fort delivers a strong, consistent album of originals and standards that will have fans of piano jazz that stays true to bebop, while incorporat-ing modern elements, considering a trip to the Windy City.

Fort is a Chicago-based jazz pianist, composer, and arranger who has worked with such notable musicians as John Clay-ton, Bill Watrous, Ramsey Lewis, Wayne Bergeron, and Rick Baptist. For this recording, he has assembled a top-notch trio that includes Doug Hayes playing bass and drummer John Deitmeyer.

The album has a pleasing pace that enables Fort and company to explore a number of emotional soundscapes. The band kicks the energy up a couple of notches on Irving Berlin’s I’ve Got My Love

To Keep Me Warm, flawlessly and smoothly executing from start to finish while show-casing Fort’s technical brilliance as well as a right-on-the-money solo by Hayes. The Leslie Bricusse-Anthony Newley composi-tion, Cheer Up, Charlie, follows as Fort, et al, gently slow the tempo and guide the listener into a relaxing sonic easy chair.

The trio’s best work comes on the Fort originals. As a composer, he writes in a way that provides plenty of room for Hayes and Deitmeyer to contribute enthusiastically to the melody and the tempo. Fort’s playing is equally energized and the result is that the originals are the highlights of the album. The title piece, Red Gold, is an up tempo expression of joy – you can almost see Fort having fun playing this one – and Hayes contributes a melodic bass solo that adds another dimension to the composition. Dietmeyer keeps his solo work comfortably

within the structure and his choices resulting in perfect touches.

Coastin’ In is another Fort original that features a combination of a unique melody with a high-energy, take no prisoners approach and satisfying contributions from Hayes and Deitmeyer. Fort initially lays back then builds the tempo in a way that you don’t sense it, until you feel your toes tapping or fingers snapping. Another excellent Hayes solo gives way to Fort and Dietmeyer trading fours in a way that highlights their excellent chemistry and Dietmeyer’s ability to apply very taste-ful rhythmic flourishes without going over the top.

In many ways, Fort saves the best for last with Whirled and Whirled Above, a composition with a variety of textures and nuance. He uses Hayes to set a unique tone

a n d follows with what is argu-ably his best playing on the album. Fort is one of those rare piano players who can temper his technical brilliance in the service of the composition, but it is not hard to hear that his playing is something special.

More information including purchase: www.kevinfort.com

Kevin Fort Hits Red Gold


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CALENDAR // LIVE MUSIC

MAY 1

ERIN KREBS DUOCANNOVA’SNEENAH 6:00 PMCONSULT THE BRIEFCASEBIG AND RICHGREEN BAY 6:30 PMSEPARATE WAYSSTATE AUDITORIUMEAU CLAIRE 7:30 PMBADGER UNDERGROUNDCIMERRONMENASHA 8:00 PMERIC LEE CARPENTERLYRIC ROOMGREEN BAY 8:00 PMTHE LEVELLYRIC ROOMGREEN BAY 8:00 PMTHE WHISKEY SOURSTHE SOURCEMENASHA 8:00 PMTRAVELING SUITCASEBECKETS RESTAURANTOSHKOSH 8:30 PMTHE JIMMYSSLIPPERY NOODLEINDIANAPOLIS 8:30 PMMR. TALLPANTS AND THE SHORTSDEJA’ VUAPPLETON 9:00 PMCOWTOWN FASHIONISTASLYRIC ROOMGREEN BAY 9:00 PMFOLLOW SUITSARDINE CANGREEN BAY 9:00 PMSLY JOE AND SMOOTH OPERATORSMALARKEYSWAUSAU 9:30 PMMISSBEHAVINISLE CASINOWATERLOO IA 9-1:00

MAY 2

SPENCER JONESCANNOVA’SNEENAH 6:00 PMTHE REGLANDERSJIMMY SEASGREEN BAY 6:00 PMBAD HABITZTHE SHACKFOND DU LAC 7:30 PMWILDSIDEBEAR LAKE CAMPGROUND & RESORTMANAWA 8:00 PMHOT SHOTCIMERRONMENASHA 8:00 PMDELLACOMALYRIC ROOMGREEN BAY 8:00 PMHEAD GAMESLYRIC ROOMGREEN BAY 8:00 PMSLOWBURNLYRIC ROOMGREEN BAY 8:00 PMSTEVE AND MARK BANDBECKETS RESTAURANTOSHKOSH 8:30 PMROOFTOP JUMPERSOSHKOSH LANESOSHKOSH 8:30 PMHURRY UP WAITPLANK ROAD PUBDE PERE 8:30 PMTHE JIMMYSSLIPPERY NOODLEINDIANAPOLIS 8:30 PMTWEED FUNKDEJA’ VUAPPLETON 9:00 PMCONSULT THE BRIEFCASEEMMETTSAPPLETON 9:00 PMTHE CHOCOLATEERSSARDINE CANMENASHA 9:00 PMBIG AND TALL

WORLD OF BEERAPPLETON 9:00 PMDIAMOND AND STEELWOUTERS SPORTS BARLITTLE SUAMICO 9:00 PMJOHNNY WADANDUZZI’S SPORTS CLUBGREEN BAY 9:30 PMSPITFIRE RODEOHEADLINERSNEENAH 9:30 PMR P MHYATT REGENCY - 333 KILBOURN AVENUEMILWAUKEE 9:30 PMTHE BOMBLEAP INNFREEDOM 9:30 PMDOOZEYMILWAUKEE ALE HOUSEMILWAUKEE 9:30 PMSTAR SIX NINESTONE TOADMENASHA 9:30 PMTHE COOL WATERS BANDTHE SOURCEMENASHA 9:30 PMCHASIN MASONFAT JOESFOND DU LAC 10:00 PMBRUCE KOESTNERHEIDEL HOUSEGREEN LAKE 7-10:00MISSBEHAVINISLE CASINOWATERLOO IA 9-1:00KITTY CORONAPOTAWATOMI CARTER CASINOCARTER 9-1:00LITTLE VITO & TORPEDOESHIDDEN VALLEY CAMP-GROUNDSMILTON

MAY 3

GRASSCUTTERS WITH 2ND

STRINGTHE SOURCEMENASHA 12:00 PMLUCAS CATES BANDMILL CREEKAPPLETON 7:00 PMHARVEY BROWNLYRIC ROOMGREEN BAY 8:00 PMMUDDY UDDERSLYRIC ROOMGREEN BAY 8:00 PMSPEELANDER-ZLYRIC ROOMGREEN BAY 8:00 PM

MAY 5

ERIN KREBS AND JEFF JOHNSONTHE SOURCEMENASHA 6:00 PM

MAY 6

ROB ANTHONYTHE SOURCEMENASHA 6:00 PM

MAY 7

WAYNE NEUMANNANDUZZIS - HOWARDHOWARD 7:00 PMBRIAN JAMESANDUZZIS EAST GREEN BAYGREEN BAY 7:00 PMHAPPY HOUR HEROESTHE BAR LYNNDALEAPPLETON 7:00 PMSUN RAY EYESTHE SOURCEMENASHA 7:00 PMMATTHEW HAEFFELDEJA’ VUAPPLETON 9:00 PM

MAY 8

JOE SLYZELIACANNOVA’SNEENAH 6:00 PMDONNY PICKCIMERRONMENASHA 8:00 PMATTALLALYRIC ROOMGREEN BAY 8:00 PMBLACK PUSSY LYRIC ROOMGREEN BAY 8:00 PMDEAD MODERN VILLIANS

LYRIC ROOMGREEN BAY 8:00 PMCONVENIENCE STORE FLOWERS & ONE STRONG ARMYBECKETS RESTAURANTOSHKOSH 8:30 PMKYLE MEGNA AND THE MONSOONSDEJA’ VUAPPLETON 9:00 PMCONSULT THE BRIEFCASESARDINE CANGREEN BAY 9:00 PMIVY SPOKES WITH ELECTRA COLORTHE SOURCEMENASHA 9:30 PMTHE 40NTHEFLOORMILL CREEKAPPLETON 10:00 PMDAN TULSA DUOPOTAWATOMI CARTER CASINOCARTER 3:30-7:30COOKEE...TIMELESS MUSICHIGH CLIFF RESTAURANTSHERWOOD 7-10:00

MAY 9

JUDY GAROTCANNOVA’SNEENAH 6:00 PMRED LIGHT SAINTSCHAMBERS HILL BAR AND GRILLSUAMICO 6:00 PMHAPPY HOUR HEROESCHADDERBOXTWO RIVERS 6:30 PMBOBBY DARRINCIMERRONMENASHA 8:00 PMDAPHNILYRIC ROOMGREEN BAY 8:00 PMGREEN SCREEN KIDSLYRIC ROOMGREEN BAY 8:00 PMHANSOME MIDNIGHTLYRIC ROOMGREEN BAY 8:00 PMVINYETTELYRIC ROOMGREEN BAY 8:00 PMREVEREND RAVEN AND THE CHAIN SMOKING ALTAR BOYS

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MAY 2015

LIVE MUSIC CALENDAR



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BECKETS RESTAURANTOSHKOSH 8:30 PMR P MPLANK ROAD PUBDE PERE 8:30 PMSONIC CIRCUSTILLARS PUBWEST BEND 8:30 PMJOSH FARROW BANDDEJA’ VUAPPLETON 9:00 PMBIG MOUTHFOX HARBOR PUB & GRILLGREEN BAY 9:00 PMROOFTOP JUMPERSJIMMY SEASGREEN BAY 9:00 PM“OWEN MAYES, RACHEL HANSON, OLD WOLVES”THE SOURCEMENASHA 9:00 PMAVATARWATERING HOLEGREEN BAY 9:00 PMBRIAN JAMESWORLD OF BEERAPPLETON 9:00 PM

BAZOOKA JOEWOUTERS SPORTS BARLITTLE SUAMICO 9:00 PMCONSULT THE BRIEFCASEHEADLINERSNEENAH 9:30 PMCRANKIN YANKEESSTONE TOADMENASHA 9:30 PMSTAR SIX NINETWISTERSHORTONVILLE 9:30 PMSLY JOE AND SMOOTH OPERA-TORSDEJA’ VUAPPLETON 10:00 PMROAD TRIPFAT JOESFOND DU LAC 10:00 PMNASHVILLE PIPELINEJJ MALONEYSKAUKAUNA 10:00 PMHALF EMPTYWISEGUYSGREENVILLE 10:00 PMBILL STEINERTHEIDEL HOUSE



GREEN LAKE 7-10:00COOKEE...TIMELESS MUSICMACKINAWSGREEN BAY 7:30-11:00DAN TULSA BANDPOTAWATOMI CARTER CASINOCARTER 8-12:00KITTY CORONASILVER CRYSTWAUTOMA 8-12:00

MAY 10

PBR BLUEGRASSTHE SOURCEMENASHA 6:30 PM

MAY 12

EDDIE DANGERTHE SOURCEMENASHA 6:30 PMDEAD SOLDIERSLYRIC ROOMGREEN BAY 8:00 PMDITCHRUNNERSLYRIC ROOMGREEN BAY 8:00 PMURBAN PIONEERSLYRIC ROOMGREEN BAY 8:00 PM

MAY 13

SAM LUNATHE SOURCEMENASHA 6:30 PM

MAY 14

KYLE MEGNA & DAVE LEBLANCTHE SOURCEMENASHA 6:30 PMTED EGGEANDUZZIS - HOWARDHOWARD 7:00 PMDAN TULSAANDUZZIS EAST GREEN BAYGREEN BAY 7:00 PMROB ANTHONYDEJA’ VUAPPLETON 9:00 PMKAI-MAN PROJECTWORLD OF BEERAPPLETON 9:00 PM

MAY 15

VIC FERRARI

ASSUMPTION CATHOLIC SCHOOLWISCONSIN RAPIDS 7:00 AMBRIAN JAMESUW-OSHKOSH ALUMNI CENTEROSHKOSH 6:00 PMSEPARATE WAYSURBAN MIDDLE SCHOOLSHEBOYGAN 7:30 PMJOHN LAMBERT & MIKE SCHULTZCHANDELIER CLUBAPPLETON 8:00 PMDAVE STEFFEN BANDCIMERRONMENASHA 8:00 PMMAD MAD ONESLYRIC ROOMGREEN BAY 8:00 PMSATELITE ECHOLYRIC ROOMGREEN BAY 8:00 PMSTAR SIX NINEMOLLY MAGUIRESOSHKOSH 8:00 PMMIKE MALONE COMBOBECKETS RESTAURANTOSHKOSH 8:30 PMREVEREND RAVENSLIPPERY NOODLEINDIANAPOLIS 8:30 PMMOOOSEDEJA’ VUAPPLETON 9:00 PMDAPHNISARDINE CANGREEN BAY 9:00 PMCOPPER BOXTHE SOURCEMENASHA 9:30 PMLOU SHIELDS AND CHRIS GOLDCRANKY PATSNEENAH 10:00 PMSLY JOE AND SMOOTH OPERATORSFRETS & FRIENDSGREEN BAY 10:00 PMHALF EMPTYMILL CREEKAPPLETON 10:00 PMBROKEN ARROWPOTAWATOMI CARTER CASINOCARTER 3:30-7:30LITTLE VITO & TORPEDOESRIVERSIDE CASINO

RIVERSIDE IA 8:30-12:00

MAY 16

MARK TE TAI DUOCANNOVA’SNEENAH 6:00 PMCORY CHISELTHE SOURCEMENASHA 6:30 PMJOHNNY WADOLD MILL PARK - PELLADAYSPELLA 7:30 PMHALF EMPTYTWO OF A KINDDUNDAS 7:30 PMCARAVANCIMERRONMENASHA 8:00 PMKURT STEIN & THE CON-SPIRACYBECKETS RESTAURANTOSHKOSH 8:30 PMREVEREND RAVENSLIPPERY NOODLEINDIANAPOLIS 8:30 PMDIAMOND AND STEEL10TH FRAMEAPPLETON 9:00 PMTHE POUNDING FATHERSDEJA’ VUAPPLETON 9:00 PMGRAND UNIONFOX HARBOR PUB & GRILLGREEN BAY 9:00 PMWILDSIDEIZZYS PUBBERLIN 9:00 PMUNITYJIMMY SEASGREEN BAY 9:00 PMROCKERWATERING HOLEGREEN BAY 9:00 PMCONSULT THE BRIEFCASEWOUTERS SPORTS BARLITTLE SUAMICO 9:00 PMSTAR SIX NINEFAT JOESFOND DU LAC 9:30 PMBOURBON COWBOYSHEADLINERSNEENAH 9:30 PMTHE COUGARSKOUNTRY BARAPPLETON 9:30 PMNASHVILLE PIPELINESTONE TOADMENASHA 9:30 PM

VIBES FOR THE TRIBESCRANKY PATSNEENAH 10:00 PMRABID AARDVARKSPAULIES PUBWEST ALLIS 10:00 PMFRAN STEENOHEIDEL HOUSEGREEN LAKE 7-10:00LITTLE VITO & TORPEDOESRIVERSIDE CASINORIVERSIDE IA 8:30-12:00VIC FERRARIWHITEHALL FIREMENS DANCEWHITEHALL 9-12:30

MAY 17

THE COUGARSLAMBEAU FIELD PARKING LOTGREEN BAY 9:00 AMLOOSE SCREWSFLAGSTONEAPPLETON 5:00 PM

MAY 19

SCOTT DERCKSTHE SOURCEMENASHA 6:30 PM

MAY 20

SLY JOE AND SMOOTH OPERATORSTHE SOURCEMENASHA 6:30 PMTURBOJUGENDLYRIC ROOMGREEN BAY 8:00 PM

MAY 21

KELVIN KASPERTHE SOURCEMENASHA 6:30 PMTEQUILA TANGOANDUZZIS - HOWARDHOWARD 7:00 PMCHAD DEMEUSEANDUZZIS EAST GREEN BAYGREEN BAY 7:00 PMKEVIN HUSS (OF THE SMALL TOWN DELIQUENTSDEJA’ VUAPPLETON 9:00 PMHAPPY HOUR HEROESWORLD OF BEERAPPLETON 9:00 PM

MAY 22

MOLLY CONRAD/ MICHAEL THEROUXCANNOVA’SNEENAH 6:00 PMTBACIMERRONMENASHA 8:00 PMBUIDING SEVENLYRIC ROOMGREEN BAY 8:00 PMLLOYD’S BASEMENT SHOWLYRIC ROOMGREEN BAY 8:00 PMMOLLIES WAYLYRIC ROOMGREEN BAY 8:00 PMSWEETALKLYRIC ROOMGREEN BAY 8:00 PMSLY JOE AND SMOOTH OPERATORSBECKETS RESTAURANTOSHKOSH 8:30 PMTHE LATELYDEJA’ VUAPPLETON 9:00 PMPOUNDING FATHERSSARDINE CANGREEN BAY 9:00 PMCONSULT THE BRIEFCASESKINNY DAVESMOUNTAIN 9:00 PMPHOCUSTHE SOURCEMENASHA 9:00 PMDAN TULSA DUOWORLD OF BEERAPPLETON 9:00 PMTHE BLUES DISCIPLESMILWAUKEE ALE HOUSEMILWAUKEE 9:30 PMROAD TRIPBOLTONVILLE FIREMENS PICNICBOLTONVILLE 9-1:00

MAY 23

BOURBON COWBOYSVETERANS MEMORIAL PARKCRIVITZ 3:30 PMADAMS WAYBLIND SQUIRRELSHAWANO 6:00 PMCHRIS WHITE TRIOCANNOVA’SNEENAH 6:00 PM



R P MVETERANS MEMORIAL PARKCRIVITZ 7:30 PMSAM BROWN AND THE BRINKCIMERRONMENASHA 8:00 PMROOFTOP JUMPERSGAMEDAY SPORTS BARAPPLETON 8:00 PMKEVIN FAYTE ROCK AND ROLL TRIOBECKETS RESTAURANTOSHKOSH 8:30 PMTHE COUGARSSTONE HARBORSTURGEON BAY 8:30 PMDARKDEJA’ VUAPPLETON 9:00 PMCONSULT THE BRIEFCASEOUTPOSTSHERWOOD 9:00 PMEARL BURROWSTHE SOURCEMENASHA 9:00 PMRAPID IMPULSEWATERING HOLEGREEN BAY 9:00 PMTHE BOMBBEAR LAKE CAMPGROUND & RESORTMANAWA 9:30 PMBOXKARCLEARWATER HARBORWAUPACA 9:30 PMDAN TULSA DUOMINESHAFTHARTFORD 9:30 PMKITTY CORONAHEIDEL HOUSEGREEN LAKE 7-11:00COOKEE...TIMELESS MUSICGIBRALTAR GRILLFISH CREEK 7:30-10:00

MAY 24

R2CLEARWATER HARBORWAUPACA 3:00 PMREVEREND RAVENCHOCOLATE FEST- MAIN STAGE - HWY 36BURLINGTON 5:00 PMSLY JOE AND SMOOTH OPERATORSJIM AND LINDA’S

PIPE 5:00 PMTHE PRESIDENTSPORTOFINO BAY RESTAU-RANT & MARINAMAUSTON 6:00 PMTHE COUGARSSAND BOXGREEN BAY 6:00 PMDIAMOND AND STEELBARZOSFREMONT 8:00 PMBOURBON COWBOYSFIN AND FEATHERWINNECONNE 8:00 PMSONIC CIRCUSGAMEDAY SPORTS BARAPPLETON 8:00 PMDRUM BEAT REDLYRIC ROOMGREEN BAY 8:00 PMI’M NOT A PILOTLYRIC ROOMGREEN BAY 8:00 PMLEADING THE BLINDLYRIC ROOMGREEN BAY 8:00 PM6 FIGURESTHE HAWK BAR AND GRILLCRIVITZ 9:00 PMROOFTOP JUMPERSCLEARWATER HARBORWAUPACA 9:30 PMROSETTI & WIGLEYOSTHOFF RESORTELKHART LAKE 2-6:00COOKEE...TIMELESS MUSICGIBRALTAR GRILLFISH CREEK 7:30-10:00VIC FERRARIINDIAN CROSSING CASINOWAUPACA 9:30-1:30

MAY 25

TEQUILA TANGOGAMEDAY SPORTS BARAPPLETON 4:00 PM

MAY 26

JOHNNY WADTHE SOURCEMENASHA 6:30 PM

MAY 27

KEITH BOUCHETHE SOURCEMENASHA 6:30 PMSTRING BENDERS

CIMERRONMENASHA 7:00 PM

MAY 28

WAYNE NEUMANNREGATTA 220GREEN BAY 6:00 PMKWT JAZZTHE SOURCEMENASHA 6:30 PMHAPPY HOUR HEROESANDUZZIS - HOWARDHOWARD 7:00 PMBIG AND TALLANDUZZIS EAST GREEN BAYGREEN BAY 7:00 PMREVEREND RAVEN1001 CLUBGREEN BAY 8:00 PMCRAIG HAWKINSONDEJA’ VUAPPLETON 9:00 PMTRAVIS LEE DUOWORLD OF BEERAPPLETON 9:00 PMSPITFIRE RODEOMENOMINEE CASINOKESHENA 8-12:00

MAY 29

JERRY SPARKMAN DUOCANNOVA’SNEENAH 6:00 PMDAN TULSAREGATTA 220GREEN BAY 6:00 PMCHRISOPHER GOLD & THE NEW OLD THINGSTHE SOURCEMENASHA 6:30 PMROOFTOP JUMPERSPRESSBOXFOND DU LAC 7:00 PMTBACIMERRONMENASHA 8:00 PMTHE COUGARSQUIETWOODS SOUTH CAMP RESORTBRUSSELS 8:00 PMJANET PLANETBECKETS RESTAURANTOSHKOSH 8:30 PMALEX WILSON BANDSLIPPERY NOODLEINDIANAPOLIS 8:30 PMKURT GUNN & THE OUGHTS

DEJA’ VUAPPLETON 9:00 PMR2SARDINE CANGREEN BAY 9:00 PMSPITFIRE RODEOMENOMINEE CASINOKESHENA 8-12:00HITSSTONE HARBORSTURGEON BAY 8:30-12:00JERRY & NORA DUOISLE CASINOWATERLOO IA 9-1:00

MAY 30

ANDY SACHEN DUOCANNOVA’SNEENAH 6:00 PMJAKE WARNEREGATTA 220GREEN BAY 6:00 PMKOPPER KREEKCIMERRONMENASHA 8:00 PMROOFTOP JUMPERSHOLIDAYS PUB AND GRILLNEENAH 8:00 PMANDY’S AUTOMATICSBECKETS RESTAURANTOSHKOSH 8:30 PMALEX WILSON BANDSLIPPERY NOODLEINDIANAPOLIS 8:30 PMTHE HOOK-UPDEJA’ VUAPPLETON 9:00 PMBIG MOUTH & THE POWER TOOL HORNSJIMMY SEASGREEN BAY 9:00 PMBAD HABITZMUDDY WATERSSHIOCTON 9:00 PMHYDESKINNY DAVESMOUNTAIN 9:00 PMBOXKARTHE SOURCEMENASHA 9:00 PMBIG AND TALLWORLD OF BEERAPPLETON 9:00 PMADAMS WAYCLEARWATER HARBORWAUPACA 9:30 PMREPLICAHIAWATHA BAR AND GRILL

STURDEVANT 9:30 PMJOHNNY WADLITTLE RIVER INNOCONTO 9:30 PMR P MSTONE TOADMENASHA 9:30 PMJONES BANDCRANKY PATSNEENAH 10:00 PMDEBBIE ROHRHEIDEL HOUSEGREEN LAKE 7-10:00ROAD TRIPCRYSTAL LAKE RV RESORTLODI 7:30-11:00SPITFIRE RODEOMENOMINEE CASINOKESHENA 8-12:00JERRY & NORA DUOISLE CASINOWATERLOO IA 9-1:00

MAY 31

GRAND UNIONTANNERSKIMBERLY 3:00 PMUNITYFOX HARBOR PUB & GRILLGREEN BAY 6:00 PM



FOOD & DRINK // CSA FARM SHARES

over the years. Many have gone on to start their own farms,” said Mark Anderson, owner of Sunny Sky Farm in Amherst.

HISTORYLike all good ideas, the CSA model

popped up like mushrooms in several

places at once. It’s the source of some dispute exactly where and with whom it originated, but instances of CSA food dis-tribution can be found going back 40 to 50 years, in Japan, the United States and elsewhere.

Regardless, since it’s inception the CSA model has taken the sustainable agriculture world by storm and while there’s no offi-cial count of how many CSA’s exist in this country today, the United States Depart-ment of Agriculture (USDA), estimates that there are at least 6500. Considering that there are more CSA’s in the immedi-ate Central-Wisconsin area than we have room to list here, that number doesn’t seem unreasonable. And I wouldn’t be surprised if there were far more than that.

In recent years, the CSA model has been extended to everything from milk, cheese, and meat, to freshly roasted fair-trade coffee, baked goods, and ready-to-eat meals. The benefits are the same all around. Food buyers can be fickle, and many food-entrepreneurs are happy to trade a little from the profit line in exchange for a steady income.

THE DARK AND THE LIGHTAccording to USDA statistics, most

direct-to-consumer outlets, such as CSAs and farmers’ markets, are highly labor-intensive and, on average, not very profit-able for farmers.

Also according to the USDA, disparity in profitability is driving vendors to urban

markets. I know of farmers delivering CSA vegetable shares from Central Wisconsin to Chicago. That means not only that the small town farmer is driving their product to the city market to get a better price, but that they’re doing it because they don’t have enough business at home.

Yet, small farmers enjoy a benefit that most small business owners don’t, in that the argument has already been, and contin-ues to be, well-made for their support.

According to the USDA, in 2014, 87.2% of consumers regard availability of locally grown produce as “very or some-what important,” up from 79% in 2009. And several non-profit organizations exist to promote their well-being: Farmshed in Stevens Point, Trust Local Foods in the Fox Valley, Reap Food Group in Madison, to name just a few.

And Slow Money Wisconsin, a group advocating for the flow of capital to

local food systems, has made the CSA or “prepayment” phenomenon the theme of their 2015 annual gathering. Offering attendees the opportunity to learn about cooperative and prepayment-model invest-ments in Wisconsin’s local food scene, they ask, “What would the world be like if we invested 50% of our assets within 50 miles of where we live?”

Ponder that, locavore.

Bonni Miller is the manager of the Waupaca Saturday Farm Market, which operates year round on the public square in Waupaca. She’s also the owner of Chez Marche Foodworks, which provides local food sourcing and personal chef services. She hates her phone, but she wants to hear from you. Your best bet for reaching her is to send her an email at [email protected]

Beautiful View of the Sunny Sky Farm in July

The work starts early in the greenhouse in March and April at sunny sky.

Continued from Page L8

www.hilltoppubandgrill.com

4901 Main StreetStevens Point, WI(715) 341-3037

Sunday - ThurSday 10:00 am -10:00 pm Friday & SaTurday 10:00 am- 11:00pm

20 beers on tap! Stop in for a frosty mug!

Central Waters BreweryBud Light Miller Lite New Glarus Brewery Point Brewery

GuinnessSeasonal Microbrews!Leinenkugel’sCapital SeasonSmithwick’s IrishAle

Our Bloody Mary is

the Best in Town!

All fish fry options are served with your choice of criss cut fries, natural cut fries, potato salad, baked potato or fresh fruit.

We also offer a Walleye Fish fry on Fridays.

Lake perchTender Canadian Perch fillets, breaded and deep fried. Served with coleslaw and our homemade tartar sauce. 12.99

FiSh FryFour plump, juicy North Atlantic Cod fillets, lightly beer battered and deep fried. Served with coleslaw and ourhomemade tartar sauce. 9.99

Baked FiSh8 oz. of North Atlantic Cod fillets, marinated in lemon, garlic and butter. Served with coleslaw and our homemade tartar sauce. 9.99

FamouS FiSh Fry


ENTERTAINMENT // SERIOUSLY FUNNY

May 1Amazing ArtCreate something spectacular and participate in fun and simple projects. Program begins at 10:00 am; $5 per person museum admission, 12 months and younger free. Central Wisconsin Children’s Museum, 1100 Main St., Stevens Point; 715-344-2003; www.cwchildrensmuseum.org. Also meets May 8, May 15, May 22, and May 29.

Elbow Room Presents Delta DoHoward “Guitar” Luedtke and Cadillac Pete return to the Elbow Room at 1321 2nd St., Stevens Point. Show begins at 7:00 pm; free admission. Call 715-344-9840 for more info.

Aaron Scharmer on PianoAaron will play your favorite jazz songs at Indulgence Wine Bar (1201 Main St., Ste-vens Point; 715-952-6152; www.facebook.com/IndulgenceWineBar) from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm; free admission.

Spring Candlelight HikeWalk a half-mile or one mile along the torch-lit path through the woods and along the lake. Arrive and leave when you like between 7:00 pm and 9:30 pm; dona-tion of $2 per person or $5 per family appreciated. Schmeeckle Reserve, 2419 Northpoint Dr., Stevens Point; 715-346-4992; www.uwsp.edu/cnr-ap/schmeeckle/Pages/programs/candlelight.aspx.

Open Mic NightQuality mixer and house PA system, house acoustic guitar and bass guitar provided. 8:00 pm to midnight; free admission. The

Landmark, 102 S Main St., Amherst; 715-824-2200; www.thelandmarkcoffeehouse.com.

Centertainment Presents Doozey with Green Screen KidLive pop/rock music starts at 8:00 pm; free with UWSP student ID, $5 without. UWSP, DUC, The Encore, 1015 Reserve St., Stevens Point.

May 1-3UWSP Theater Dept. presents AntigoneUWSP Jenkins Theatre, 1800 Portage Street, Stevens Point; 715-346-4429. Performances 7:30 pm on Fri. and Sat., 2:00 pm on Sunday; admission $19 adults, $18 seniors, $14 youth. For more info, visit www.uwsp.edu/theatre-dance/Pages/default.aspx.

AKC Agility TrialContact Camp Bandy for details. Free admission; public welcome. Camp Bandy, 9376 Main St., Amherst Junction; 715-824-3900; www.campbandy.com.

May 2RMC 5K Run/WalkThe one-mile walk/run race begins at 9:00 am ($10 registration); the 5K begins at 10:00 am ($15). Pre-registration is available online only at www.tandhtiming.com. Prizes awarded for best individual costume and best team costumes. Old Riverside School, 950 Park Ave., Waupaca.

Annual AIRO Pow-WowNative American Pow-Wow with fun for the entire family. Dozens of singers and hundreds of dancers from area tribes are expected, and a meal for participants and

spectators will be served. Grand entries 1:00 pm and 7:00 pm, meal at 5:00 pm; $4 admission, $3 for students with ID. UWSP Berg Gym, 2015 Fourth Ave., Stevens Point; 715-346-3576.

Book-to-Art Club: Making Altered Book ArtFeaturing The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer. Meets at 10:00 am; free admission. Waupaca Area Public Library, 107 S. Main St,. Waupaca; 715-258-4414; http://waupacalibrary.org.

Amherst Area-Wide Swap-O-RamaAmherst area garage/rummage sales event. Free schedules/maps available the Thurs-day before at Amherst area businesses.

“Portraits on the Porch” ClassLearn the basics of sketching on the studio’s relaxing front porch. Class runs from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon. Contact Jen to register and for more info. Judah Studios, Nelsonville; 715-347-4544; http://judahstudios.com.

Centertainment Presents SloslyloveLive electronica/soul music starts at 8:00 pm; free with UWSP student ID, $5 without. UWSP, DUC, The Encore, 1015 Reserve St., Stevens Point.

May 2-3Standing Rocks Open Disc Golf Tournament

This is a pro/advanced PDGA B-tier event with three rounds on two courses. All divi-sions play two rounds on Sat. and one on Sun., followed by a skins match between the top 4 scorers. Visit www.platypusdisc.com/wisconsin_disc_golf/wi_sro.htm for more info. Free for spectators. Standing Rocks County Park, 7695 Standing Rocks Rd., Stevens Point.

May 3Carlsten Art Gallery Reception for BFA ExhibitionsReception will run from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm; free admission. UWSP Carlsten Art Gallery, Noel Fine Arts Center, Portage St., Stevens Point; 715-346-4797; www.uwsp.edu/art-design/Pages/Exhibitions/carlsten.aspx.

“The Stargazer” PresentationLearn about the life cycle of a star, how astronomers study stars and the light they give off. Doors open at 1:30 pm, show begins at 2:00 pm; free admission, no reserved seating. Parking is available in Lot X near the building entrance and is free after 7:00 pm and on weekends. Allen F. Blocher Planetarium, UWSP Science Building, corner of Reserve and Fourth Ave., Stevens Point; 715-346-2208; http://tickets.uwsp.edu.

Starving Artist ShowcaseMusical performances featuring Geek The Hot, CrayJayy, Rocy Rococo and a special guest. Event begins at 7:00 pm; Wisconsin Rapids Community Theatre, 220 3rd Ave. S., Wisconsin Rapids.

While the SCENE does everything to ensure the accuracy of its Events calendar, we also understand that some dates and times change. Please call ahead to confirm before traveling any distance.

MAY 2015

For inclusion in our calendar of events, please contact us



CALENDAR // THE BIG EVENTS

May 4Autism NightThe Central Wisconsin Children’s Museum will be open the first Monday of each month from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm exclusively for families that have children with autism. Free admission. CWCM, 1100 Main St., Stevens Point; 715-344-2003; www.cwchildrensmuseum.org. Also meets June 1.

May 5Baby PlayBabies and their caregivers are invited to explore their senses by discovering how the world around them feels, smells, sounds and looks. Program begins at 10:00 am; $5 per person museum admission, 12 months and younger free. Central Wisconsin Chil-dren’s Museum, 1100 Main St., Stevens Point; 715-344-2003; www.cwchildrens-museum.org. Also meets May 12, May 19, May 26 and June 2.

UWSP Community Lecture SeriesUWSP College of Letters and Science scholars will be giving presentations about their research findings. Lecture begins at 6:30 pm; free admission. Appropriate for all ages. Portage County Library, Pinery Room, 1001 Main St., Stevens Point; 715-346-4211.

May 6Take a Step 5KThis community event benefits domestic and sexual abuse victim services provided through CAP Services’ Family Crisis Center. Race begins at 6:00 pm; onsite registration starts at 4:00 pm. A child-friendly Kiddie K starts at 5:30 pm. Registration is $18-$20 before April 5, and $30 after April 5. Pfiffner Pioneer Park, 1100 Crosby Ave., Stevens Point; 715-343-7194.

The Breakfast ClubThis organization provides support for local, home-based and small business own-ers. Meetings held the first Wednesday of the month for networking and support. All chamber members are welcome; meetings begin at 8:00 am at various locations. Call Kathy at 715-258-7343 for more info.

Toddler MusicEnhance early learning skills by introduc-ing easy musical concepts. Program begins at 9:30 am; $5 per person museum admis-sion, 12 months and younger free. Central Wisconsin Children’s Museum, 1100 Main St., Stevens Point; 715-344-2003; www.cwchildrensmuseum.org. Also meets May 13, May 20, May 27 and June 3.

Four Mile Creek Public ForumFriends of the Four Mile Creek is holding a public forum to discuss the potential project on the Four Mile Creek. Presenters will include members of the DNR present-ing information related to the project. Program begins at 6:00 pm. McMillan Memorial Library, 490 E Grand Ave., Wisconsin Rapids; www.mcmillanlibrary.org.

May 6-8UWSP Theater Dept. presents AntigoneUWSP Jenkins Theatre, 1800 Portage Street, Stevens Point; 715-346-4429. Performances 7:30 pm on Fri. and Sat., 2:00 pm on Sunday; admission $19 adults, $18 seniors, $14 youth. For more info, visit www.uwsp.edu/theatre-dance/Pages/default.aspx.

May 7First Thursday Film Series: The TrainCommentary by Dr. Jack Rhodes. Movie begins at 1:30 pm; free and appropriate for all ages. Waupaca Area Public Library, 107 S. Main St,. Waupaca; 715-258-4414; http://waupacalibrary.org.

Maximizing Women’s HealthLearn how to meet the unique needs for women to obtain optimal health in our ever-changing environment. Program begins at 6:00 pm; free admission. Infinity Wellness and Chiropractic, 2016 County Rd HH, Plover; 715-544-6508; www.infinitywellnessandchiropractic.com.

National Day of Prayer ObservanceSt. Paul’s Lutheran Church and School (1919 Wyatt Ave., Stevens Point) will be

open from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm for prayer and meditation. They will be taking prayer requests, playing music and offering a light lunch between 11:00 am and 1:00 pm. For more info., call 715-344-5660 or visit www.stpaulequips.com.

Leads NetworkExchange leads, ideas and info through the fellowship of members of diverse profes-sions. The Network meets the first and third Thursday of each month at 7:30 am at the Comfort Suites meeting room. Cost is $40 per year, plus breakfast cost. Call the Waupaca Area Chamber of Commerce at 715-258-7343 or email Terri at [email protected] for more info.

Centertainment Presents Belly Dancing ClassClass begins at 8:00 pm; free with UWSP student ID, $5 without. UWSP, DUC, The Encore, 1015 Reserve St., Stevens Point; 715-346-2412.

May 7-10CycleLove: The Art of the BicycleEnjoy this exhibit of art about bicycles, art made from bicycles, or art about cycling culture. Exhibit open Tues. through Thurs. 11:00 am to 5:00 pm, Sat. and Sun. 11:00 am to 3:00 pm; free admission. Riverfront Arts Center, 1200 Crosby Ave., Stevens Point; 715-343-6251; www.stevenspoint.com/rac.

May 8Evening of NoteThis concert fundraiser for the Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra will be held at Sentry’s Theater @1800. Formerly known as Jazz Night, this year’s event will feature Chris Norman and David Greenberg presenting a diverse program of traditional tunes from the Canadian Maritimes and the Celtic Isles. After the concert there will be a free open session with the guest artists at SentryWorld’s P.J.’s restaurant. Concert begins at 7:30 pm; $27 adults, $22 seniors, $12 students with ID. Contact the UWSP box office or visit http://cwso.org/tickets for more info. Theater @1800, 1800 Northpoint Dr., Stevens Point; 715-345-7726.

Carlsten Art Gallery Reception for BFA ExhibitionsReception will run from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm; free admission. UWSP Carlsten Art Gallery, Noel Fine Arts Center, Portage St., Stevens Point; 715-346-4797; www.uwsp.edu/art-design/Pages/Exhibitions/carlsten.aspx.

Story Time at the Natural History MuseumThe group will be reading Have You Seen Trees? by Joanne Oppenheim. Event runs 10:30 am to 11:30 am; free admission. Email [email protected] to register. UWSP Museum of Natural History, Learning Resource Center, Stevens Point; 715-346-2858; www.uwsp.edu/cols-ap/museum/Pages/default.aspx.

Centertainment Presents The Hi MaticsLive concert starts at 8:00 pm; free with UWSP student ID, $5 without. UWSP, DUC, The Encore, 1015 Reserve St., Stevens Point.

Women’s Fund of Portage County’s Spring LuncheonLunch program will announce the Women’s Fund Spark Award and 2015 grant recipients. There will also be a raffle with prizes. Program runs 11:00 am to 1:00 pm; $25 per person. SentryWorld Sports Center, 601 N. Michigan Ave., Stevens Point; 715-344-3624; www.womensfundpc.org.

May 9Portage County Cultural FestivalCelebrating central Wisconsin’s rich cultural heritage through the sharing of food, entertainment, exhibits, arts and crafts sale, and hands-on activities. Event runs 10:00 am to 5:00 pm; free admission. SPASH, 1201 Northpoint Dr., Stevens Point; 715-341-1525; www.portagecountyc-ulturalfestival.org.

Humane Society 5K9 Walk & RunJoin the South Wood County Humane Society for a day dedicated to shelter pets.



This annual 5K9 Walk & Run runs from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm and includes a huge plant sale, vendor fair, canine games, animal demonstrations, food and more. South Wood County Humane Society, 3621 64th St. N., Wisconsin Rapids; www.swchs.com.

Spring Plant SaleGreat variety of perennials, annuals and vegetables offered by Tomorrow River Youth and the Jensen Community Center. Sale is open 8:00 am to 1:00 pm; free admission. Lettie Jensen Community Center, 487 N. Main St., Amherst.

St. Paul ScamperRegistration for the fun family event opens at 8:30 am. Kid’s fun Run at 9:30 am, 5K run/walk begins at 10:00 am. Cash prizes for overall winner and prizes for age groups. Run begins and ends at St. Paul’s Lutheran School, 1919 Wyatt Ave., Stevens Point. Register at www.stpaulscamper.com or at the school. Call 715-344-5660 for more info.

CWN Singles DanceMusic runs from 8:00 pm to 11:30 pm; $8 members, $12 non-members. No T-shirts, tank tops or shorts. Moose Fam-ily center, 1025 2nd St. N., Stevens Point; 715-281-7823; http://cwn-singles.com.

May 10“The Stargazer” PresentationLearn about the life cycle of a star, how astronomers study stars and the light they give off. Doors open at 1:30 pm, show begins at 2:00 pm; free admission, no reserved seating. Parking is available in Lot X near the building entrance and is free after 7:00 pm and on weekends. Allen F. Blocher Planetarium, UWSP Science Building, corner of Reserve and Fourth Ave., Stevens Point; 715-346-2208; http://tickets.uwsp.edu.

TRISIS Vintage Vocal TrioA nostalgic Mother’s Day concert by Wisconsin’s Singing Sweethearts, featuring their new singe, “Grandma’s Jewelry Box. Concert begins at 2:00 pm. Wisconsin Rapids Community Theatre, 220 3rd Ave S., Wisconsin Rapids; www.wrctheatre.org.

May 11Bingo at Harmony Living CenterRefreshments served. Call to reserve a seat. Pulled pork dinner available for $3 per plate. Bingo begins at 5:00 pm. Harmony Living Center, 1801 Lilac Lane, Stevens Point; 715-343-9530.

May 12Lunch & Learn: Don Brill and the Gardens of BritainNeenah resident Don Brill will discuss his visit to several English Gardens and his book, 1001 Gardens You Must See Before You Die. A light lunch will be catered by a local restaurant. Program runs from 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm; free and open to the public. Please make your reservation online or by calling the library. Waupaca Area Public Library, 107 S. Main St,. Waupaca; 715-258-4414; http://waupacalibrary.org.

Community PotluckBring a dish to pass. This month’s theme is hunting and gathering. Dinner runs from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm; free admission. Central Rivers Farmshed, 1220 Briggs Ct., Stevens Point, WI 54481; 715-544-6154.

Customer Service Eagles WorkshopCustomer service is the key to the future success of your organization. Join us at our workshop to learn how to be the best. Contact the Waupaca Area Chamber of Commerce for more info at 715-258-7343 for more info.

Lunch & Learn: SpiritualityEmeritus at Oakridge and Aspirus will host a luncheon in the formal dining room at Oakridge to talk about Spiritual-ity. Presented by Pastor Bill Christiansen, hospice chaplain. Program runs 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm; free admission. Emeritus at Oakridge Community, 5625 Sandpiper Dr., Stevens Point; 715-343-7376; www.brookdale.com.

Dealing with Difficult People and Conflict WorkshopDo you sometimes feel people take advan-tage of you? Do you have a few people

that you deal with regularly that just drive you crazy? This workshop can help you be more effective in dealing with them and with everybody. Contact the Waupaca Area Chamber of Commerce for more info at 715-258-7343 for more info.

May 12-17CycleLove: The Art of the BicycleEnjoy this exhibit of art about bicycles, art made from bicycles, or art about cycling culture. Exhibit open Tues. through Thurs. 11:00 am to 5:00 pm, Sat. and Sun. 11:00 am to 3:00 pm; free admission. Riverfront Arts Center, 1200 Crosby Ave., Stevens Point; 715-343-6251; www.stevenspoint.com/rac.

May 13-15Oil Painting WorkshopThis class is for beginners and advanced painters who enjoy the outdoors and painting in oils. Includes info on how to set up in the field, thumbnail sketches, blocking in, palette selection and color mixing, tips on composition, self-critique, finding your own voice and much more. Lunch can be ordered in, or bring your own. Workshop runs 9:00 am to 4:00 pm; $300 workshop fee, with $50 non-refundable deposit to hold your spot by May 6. Balance due by May 13. Gallery Q/Q Artists Cooperative, 1108 Main St., Stevens Point.

May 15Vic FerrariConcessions start at 5:30 pm; $10 adults, $5 for students 18 and younger available at www.brownpapertickets.com or www.vicferrari.com before the event, $15 adults and $10 students at the door. Concert will be held at Assumption High School, 445 Chestnut St., Wisconsin Rapids. Call 715-422-0900 for more info.

Elbow Room Presents Bob AllenBob Allen is a vocalist/guitarist who has been performing in various bands for several years. Concert begins at 7:00 pm; free admission. Elbow Room, 1321 2nd St., Stevens Point. Call 715-344-9840 for more info, or visit www.boballenjr.

com/index.html to learn more about Bob’s music.

May 15-17cwACT Presents RavenscroftGothic horror meets dark comedy in this play surrounding the mystery of the seemingly accidental death of a young handyman at Ravenscroft Manor. Performances at 7:30 pm on Fri. and Sat., 2:00 pm Sun.; $12 adults, $8 for kids 12 years and younger. Theater @1800, 1800 Northpoint Dr., Stevens Point; 715-303-7471; www.cwact.org.

May 15-16WRCT presents Almost, MainePerformances are 7:30 pm each night. Wisconsin Rapids Community Theatre, 220 3rd Ave. S., Wisconsin Rapids; www.wrctheatre.org.

May 16Amherst Quilt, Craft and Amish Furniture AuctionFeaturing hundreds of quilts, wall hangings, crafts, furniture, flea market items and bake sale. Quilt viewing from 7:00 am to 9:00 am, craft auction at 8:00 am, quilt auction at 9:00 am. Additional crafts, flowers and outdoor furniture to be sold in another ring beginning at 10:00 am, furniture at 12:00 noon. Free admis-sion. Portage County Fairgrounds, 4504 Fairground Rd., Amherst; 920-450-1843; www.maderauction.com.

Portage County Plant SaleHardy central Wisconsin perennials on sale by UW Extension Master Gardener volunteers. Flats of popular perennials, herbs, some shrubs and vegetable seedlings will be available. Plants range in price from $2 to $5. Sale runs 8:00 am to 11:00 am; free admission. Rettler Corp, 3317 Business Park Dr., Stevens Point.

Tracks for Tina 5K Fun Run/WalkSupports the Tina Livernash Memorial Scholarship. Registration is $20 adults, $15 children. Register at www.facebook.com/



tracksfortina. Late registration opens at 8:00 am on day of event, run begins at 9:00 am. Assumption High School, 445 Chestnut St., Wisconsin Rapids; 715-422-0900.

May 16-17Spring Classic Bass/Walleye Fishing TournamentThis Prime Water Anglers fundraising tournament will be held on the Stevens Point flowage based at Club 10. Fish from DuBay Dam south to the New Page dam. Two-person teams, $100 entry fee per team; 80% payback based on number of entrants. Prizes, raffles and more. Manda-tory rules meeting on May 14. Event runs 7:00 am to 3:00 pm Sat. and Sun. Fishing awards at 5:00 pm. Club 10, 1602 Hwy HH West, Stevens Point; 715-344-7128.

Central Wi Youth Symphony Orchestra ConcertAlso featuring performances by the wind ensemble and philharmonia. Concert begins at 6:30 pm on Sat., 3:00 pm on Sun. Michelsen Hall, Noel Fine Arts Center, UWSP, 1800 Portage St., Stevens Point; 715-346-3838; www.uwsp.edu/conted/artculture/Pages/cwyso/default.aspx.

May 16-19Story Theater & Games Workshop with Carol SillsClasses run 4:00 pm to 6:30 pm on Weds., Thurs., and Fri., 11:00 am to 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm to 6:30 pm; price is $150 per person. Ages 14 and up welcome. Gerold Opera House, 136 E. Main St., Weyau-wega; 920-867-4888; www.wegaarts.org/gamesworkshop.html.

May 17Great Strides Stevens Point WalkRaise money for research and treatment of Cystic Fibrosis. Check-in and registration starts at 1:00 pm; walk begins at 2:00 pm. Register yourself or a team at www.cff.org/greatstrides (choose Stevens Point Walk). Pfiffner Pioneer Park, 1100 Crosby Ave., Stevens Point; 715-252-1005.

Sets in the CityAre you looking to play tennis but don’t know where to start? This is your chance to play and learn about league opportuni-ties. Open to adults 18 or older. Sponsored by the Central Wi Tennis Alliance. Event runs from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm; free admission. Goerke Park, 1100 Minnesota Ave., Stevens Point.

Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra Chamber ConcertMembers of the CWSO will share a variety of musical instruments, styles and genres with you in a wonderful chamber-music setting. Concert begins at 4:30 pm. Chestnut Avenue Center for the Arts, 208 S. Chestnut Ave., Marshfield; 715-389-8999; http://chestnutarts.org.

“The Stargazer” PresentationLearn about the life cycle of a star, how astronomers study stars and the light they give off. Doors open at 1:30 pm, show begins at 2:00 pm; free admission, no reserved seating. Parking is available in Lot X near the building entrance and is free after 7:00 pm and on weekends. Allen F. Blocher Planetarium, UWSP Science Building, corner of Reserve and Fourth Ave., Stevens Point; 715-346-2208; http://tickets.uwsp.edu.

35th Annual Royal EventFood, basket boutique, midway games, inflatables, entertainment, raffles and crafters with fun for the whole family. Event runs from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. Assumption High School, 445 Chestnut St., Wisconsin Rapids; 715-422-0900.

May 19-24 & 26-31CycleLove: The Art of the BicycleEnjoy this exhibit of art about bicycles, art made from bicycles, or art about cycling culture. Exhibit open Tues. through Thurs. 11:00 am to 5:00 pm, Sat. and Sun. 11:00 am to 3:00 pm; free admission. Riverfront Arts Center, 1200 Crosby Ave., Stevens Point; 715-343-6251; www.stevenspoint.com/rac.

May 21-23Farmshed Plant SaleMore than 3,500 plants for sale, featuring many vegetables. Thurs. and Fri. hours are 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm, Sat. hours 9:00 am to 1:00 pm; free admission. Central Rivers Farmshed, 1220 Briggs Ct., Stevens Point; 715-544-6154; www.farmshed.org.

WRCT presents Almost, MainePerformances are 7:30 pm each night except Sunday, which has a 2:00 pm matinee. Wisconsin Rapids Community Theatre, 220 3rd Ave. S., Wisconsin Rapids; www.wrctheatre.org.

May 21Cook Book Club: Picnic & Potluck FoodsLooking for new ideas to share at this summer’s gatherings and celebrations? Want to cook something easy and tasty to feed a crowd? Bring a dish to pass and a copy of the recipe for all to enjoy. Meeting begins at 5:30 pm; free. Waupaca Area Public Library, 107 S. Main St,. Waupaca; 715-258-4414; http://waupacalibrary.org.

May 22Elbow Room Presents Turpentine WineTurpentine Wine returns to the Elbow Room at 1321 2nd St., Stevens Point. Show begins at 7:00 pm; free admission. Don’t miss this fun and talented group! Call 715-344-9840 for more info.

May 23Rising Star Mill’s Art Show and SaleFeaturing 36 artists offering works in a wide variety of medias. Sat. 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Sun. 10:00 am to 4:00 pm; free admission. Rising Star Mill, County Rd. Q and First Street, Nelsonville; www.pchswi.org.

CWN Singles Rock ‘n Roll DanceDance runs from 8:00 pm to 11:30 pm; $8 members, $12 non-members. No T-shirts, tank tops or shorts. Bernards Sup-per Club, 701 2nd St. N., Stevens Point; 715-281-7823; http://cwn-singles.com.

iWalk for LifeThis fun, family-oriented event will get people outside and energized while raising awareness and donations for First Choice Pregnancy Resource Centers, located in Ste-vens Point and Wisconsin Rapids. The walk will take place at Lake Wazeecha. Register at the South Wood County Shelter House and walk the path that circles the lake. Registra-tion begins at 9:00 am, event begins at 10:00 pm. Registration is free, but walkers are encouraged to obtain sponsorships from friends and family to raise money for the community program. Concessions and raffle tickets available for purchase. South Wood County Park, 6411 S. Park Rd., Wisconsin Rapids; 715-421-8422.

May 28Family Game NightA family-focused evening for kids and parents of all ages. Sponsored by Galaxy Comics, Games and More. Event runs 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. Check with museum for admission prices. Central Wisconsin Children’s Museum, 1100 Main St., Stevens Point; 715-344-2003; www.cwchildrensmuseum.org.

May 29Elbow Room Presents Kari Arnett and Galynne GoodwillLive music begins at 7:00pm; free admis-sion. Elbow Room, 1321 2nd St., Stevens Point. Call 715-344-9840 for more info.

May 29-31Plover Boys Early Bird Baseball TournamentEarly Bird tournament for 13- to 15-year-olds. Woyak Park, 2381 Cedar Dr., Plover; www.pwya.org.

May 31Spring Flower Hike along Waupaca RiverHike 2.5 miles on the Ice Age Trail along the Waupaca River. Bring water and a camera. Walk begins at 9:30 am; free admission. For more information, call 715-344-5691.


Clearwater Harbor

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