November / December 2012 by LocaLeben

LIVE LIFE LOCAL

E N I Z A G A The M

NOVEMBE

20 R E B M E C - DE

TRUE PAIN RELIEF IS NOT JUST IN YOUR HEAD.

Our Popcorn Goes Under the Tree.

Chiropractic care works on correcting misalignments that cause headaches and relieving symptoms associated with tension headaches and migraines. To see if chiropractic may be able to help you call

Just in case Santa spills.

(920) 324-9899 today for a complimentary consultation.

Call Flyway for clean up before or after your Holiday event.

Not On It.

Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!

160 Gateway Drive, Waupun (920) 324 - 9899 www.waupunchiro.com

Flyway Carpet Cleaning Call Bruce For all your Holiday Cleaning Needs (920) 885 - 6188

111 Rowell Street Beaver Dam, WI 53916 Phone Fax (920) 356-1255 (920) 356-1270 2

507 Madison Street, Beaver Dam Extended Holiday Hours: Nov 26-Dec 24 Tues - Sat: 10am - 8pm Sun: 11am - 7pm

920-885-CORN (2676) www.chippyspopcorncreations.com Find us on Facebook!

VOLUME ONE - ISSUE SIX

FEATURE A BEAVER DAM SLEIGH RIDE

6 Feature Artist MICHAEL

contents

BELONGIE

It is impossible to capture his wisdom, encouragement, power, and perceptions imparted all at once.

8 B.D.A.O. Our area is fortunate to be able to enjoy the music of the Beaver Dam Area Orchestra.

10 P.A.V.E. Due to confidentiality, you will not often hear a story of someone who utilized PAVE’s services.

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2012

As we approach the holiday season, it is enjoyable to take a few minutes out of our hectic shopping and decorating schedules to reflect on how BD residents during Victorian times celebrated the holidays.

15 COMMUNITY C.H.S

LEGEND & LORE

THIS & THAT

DOWNTOWN TOUR

As a child, the only thing Marcia Haase really, really wanted was a horse.

Small insights and thoughts that life sends our way. “One Small Step...”

From St. Pete’s to Home - Christmastime in the ‘40s in Beaver Dam.

As Church Health Services approaches their 20th anniversary, we recognize their dedication to healthcare.

VIEWFINDER

THE WANDERING MAN

Lifelong BD citizen Tom Helfert strives to bring a “Wow” through his lens.

Musings and Meanderings in the everyday life. “Values”

PARTING THOUGHTS Bringing attention to things important to us, before they are lost.

CONTRIBUTORS Lloyd Clark An 11-year Beaver Dam resident, Lloyd left political writing to pursue his dream of doing something that will actually pay his bills. Lloyd has opened his own commercial writing and marketing shop. When not watching his wife and daughter figure skate, he spends his time driving a Zamboni, riding REAL horses and teaching the insane to joust.

Karla Jensen Karla Jensen has been a freelance writer for 24 years. A published playwright with husband Mark, she teaches writing at the Seippel Center and serves as leader of the writers’ group at Beaver Dam Community Activities and Services. Karla’s background includes radio, television, magazine publishing, tourism, and real estate, not to mention Danish Dancing.

Jamie Kratz-Gullickson Jamie’s commitments reflect her passion and dedication to service, the arts and education. After moving to Beaver Dam with her husband Jason and daughter Liberty in 2005, she began volunteering with PAVE through the Legal Advocacy program. A paid legal advocate position opened up in 2007, and in 2008, she was promoted to Executive Director of the agency.

Chuck Oestreich Chuck grew up in Beaver Dam, graduating from BDHS in 1955. His dad Les was a photographer. After graduation from college in Chicago, Chuck taught English at Rock Island High School in Illinois for 32 years. In retirement he has been very active in bicycling activities, heading a major northern Illinois weeklong bike tour for 11 years.

SOMETIMES, JUST SOMETIMES, WISHES DO COME TRUE. 2013 LINCOLN MKZ

O R D E R Y O U R S T O D AY

Lidtke Motors Inc 701 Park Avenue

Beaver Dam, WI 539162203 920-887-1661 www.lidtkemotors.com

Need a Website? Design Development Training Consultation Content Entry Domain Name Content Management System - f o r m a n a g i n g y ou r co nte nt-

Everything you need for a successful website is here in Beaver Dam. Full Website Package: /Month

Mobile Website Package: /Month

Available Now At:

Cover Image: James Milton Smith

www.WeMakeTechSimple.com

Inter-Quest, Corp. 304 S Spring St. Beaver Dam, WI 53916 Phone • 920.885.0141

*All-Inclusive package prices are for the ﬁrst 12 months. $30/month hosting starts after 12 months.

F rom

t h e E di t or

A short year ago, we began work on the first edition of LocaLeben. How we got here has been one serendipitous event after another. Rewind a few months to May of 2011. I was graduating college and deciding which job offer I would take. I was coping with the idea that I would be starting somewhere new. Deep down I knew that it was not what I was supposed to be doing. If you had asked me during my sophomore year what I was doing after graduation, I would have told you “moving back home to start my own business.” Over the next couple of years, a series of events diminished my confidence. I was unsure of how that was going to happen, and I could not help but wonder how I had let that desire fade. What was it that made me simply forget about what I was so passionate about? Was it the security of the job? Or was it the comfort of not having to face the disappointment of not achieving my goal? Long story short - In my self-reflection I discovered that my reason for wanting to come back to Beaver Dam was not about owning my own business. It was about giving back to the community that had shaped who I am. Serendipitously a way to achieve that was right there all the time: LocaLeben. LocaLeben is the product of my father’s imagination. It was something we talked about passionately at the dinner table. Working on this as a family was the perfect way to fulfill both his dream and mine. Not to mention the joy of having everyone including family, friends, and people we have met along the way that have helped make LocaLeben a success. Most recently, Gwen Hansen graciously gave us a copy of the 1941 Beaver Dam Centennial book. It is a wealth of information and a great resource as we continue to reconnect with our Beaver Dam history. Gwen also shared several photographs and story ideas for future issues. I cannot thank her enough. You will also notice that the font in this issue is slightly larger. We did this on the request of our readers - special thanks to Sue Link and Jan Sutter for their help in making the adjustment. We thrive on the feedback and contributions from our readers. Please keep it coming. LocaLeben is Local Life. We invite you to share your stories in LocaLeben. They bring meaning to our lives together. Help us restore our town back to the vibrant community it longs to be. Give me a call at (920) 306-1189 or send me an email at content@localeben.com.

Need extra copies? LocaLeben is available for pick up at all public libraries in Dodge County and any advertiser in LocaLeben.

The MAGAZINE EDITOR Erik Dittmann

PUBLISHER Jim Dittmann

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Benjamin Dittmann

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Preston Bowman

LocaLeben The Magazine is published in Beaver Dam, WI by LocaLeben LLC. PHONE: 920 306 1189 EMAIL inquire@localeben.com WEB localeben.com LocaLeben The Magazine is mailed bi-monthly to all homes and businesses in the 53916 zip code. All rights reserved. The entire contents of LocaLeben The Magazine is Copyright (c) 2012. No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means, including electronic retrieval systems with the expressed, written consent of LocaLeben LLC. LocaLeben The Magazine reserves the right to refuse to publish any advertisement deemed detrimental to the best interests of the community or that is in questionable taste. Editorial content does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher of this magazine. Editorial or advertising does not constitute advice but is considered informative.

Local Real Estate, Local Living. Kelly Hoffmann Broker Associate, ABR, e-PRO Licensed Appraiser Cell: 920-296-2752 Direct: 920-356-1100 ext 226 Email: HoffmannK@FirstWeber.com www.kellyhoffmann.firstweber.com

This Could Be You or This Could Be Us Your Call.

Call for Residential Snow Removal Packages

314 North Spring Street Beaver Dam,WI 53916 paradiseland2011@hotmail.com 920-319-9308

PARADISE LANDSCAPE 5

FEATURE ARTIST

M IC H A E L B E L O NG I E KARLA JENSEN

f you are a lover of first lines and titles, you revel in how wordsmiths lure us from our normal existence with the hopeful bait of drama, high emotional stakes, humor and conflict. When I first spotted the work of local poet Michael Belongie, something significant drew me in. “Now is All We Have,” a recent poetry collection, spoke to me in a way other poetry titles had not. It was as if my heart suddenly stood at attention and listened up to that certain teacher I grew fond of back in school. This title sounded nothing like a simple title but maybe a special message, like a personal telegram for me and for you. If you have any mileage on your years, then you know the ease by which we, in certain times and places, do not dwell in the now. We get caught up in work, in our finances, in our needs and wants, in our differences. Michael instantly knew how to get me with this title, how to choke hold with his words and force me to admit my inability to accomplish what he has realized ahead of many. Life is short. Live in the moment. Take it all in and be thankful for your blessings. “Now is All We Have” compelled me to get to know this poet better. I wanted to explore what other words and insights dwelled beneath the cover of his book and what transpired in Michael’s own life to reach this poignant and authentic conclusion about life. “Now is All We Have” is not Michael’s first poetry collection, but it might be some of his best work. The opening poem, “Sophia,” in this particular compilation carries the line of that weighty title, but the visual Belongie produced for the reader was unexpected. He writes, “The toad uncovered in pruning spirea, motionless, transmutes eons of toad wisdom: Now is all we have.” Michael, a gardener, knows how to trim his words back like he manicures bushes. He snips here and shears there to expose the truth, the beauty, perhaps even the conflict, and he knows how to do it with as few words as possible. And we still get the message. When I recently met Michael at a local coffee shop to discuss his passion for verse, I marched into the day determined to learn how one comes to be as focused as his frog Sophia, and

live in the moment. “It’s amazing what stillness allows you to do. To be a poet, you need quiet,” he claimed. Michael advocates stillness. He is a faithful volunteer at Holy Wisdom Monastery in Madison and has found enjoyment as a contemplative. I pictured how difficult sometimes that is to achieve in a society spilling over with media 24 hours a day. How does one sort through the fog of texts, phone calls, emails, radio, television and chatter? The secret is quiet. He listens to that inner voice, which allows him to find his own voice on paper. Through meditation and study, his awareness as an artist is insightful. Belongie is a torch when it comes to enlightenment. His works taken together create their own prairie of reflection and commentary. He is as centered as a level and has somehow trimmed his poems as short as his spiked hair. He becomes one with nature with little effort. His words are often uncommon and as sophisticated as his wardrobe. Much of his work is centered in nature and I wonder as I am reading if he perhaps missed his calling as a DNR employee. Instead, Belongie retired from teaching after 34 years at the Randolph High School. He was just as innovative in his career as in his poetry. Just when I think he is forever tied to nature in his writing, Michael catches me off guard - like a kid running out in front of a car - and writes of emotion to which we can all relate. In the poem

Artwork by: Shannon Kelly “His Passing,” I was catapulted back to my own encounter with sorting my deceased parents’ personal effects. Michael writes, “The wallet holds identity and personhood. Years have spanned his death, and yet the moment is not resolved as acceptance must.” (from These Kindred Stars) Belongie also wrote a remarkable piece called “Do Me a Favor.” In the coming days, think of me and take a deep breath, hold and recall a laugh or smile shared with me.

ver Dam artist Bonnie Moll’s companion pen and ink artwork of Madonna and Child appeared with Michael’s poetry on a highly publicized print and Christmas card. This November, he will unveil a collection of his Christmas poems entitled “Beckoned by the Star Maker” with artist and illustrator Shannon Kelly. In 1985, Belongie wrote a special piece for the new library dedication. He spoke to the values of the founding fathers of Beaver Dam. “We are a city that values learning,” declared Michael, proud. “Beaver Dam had one of the first libraries to allow customers to remove books by themselves from shelves rather than have librarians do it for them.” On April 17, 1985, this poem was recited, calligraphied by an artist and mounted behind glass. His work hangs in the current library. The entire state knows him well due to his involvement in the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets. He has appeared with over 20 poems in the Wisconsin Poet’s Calendar since 1990, and has also been a distinguished editor. He has coordinated the visitation of celebrity poets and introduced Bruce Dethlesen, Wisconsin’s Poet Laureate, who led a class during BDAAA’s Week of Art and hosted a reading this past spring. It is impossible to capture all the wisdom, encouragement, power and perceptions imparted by Belongie all at once. His career spans 40 years plus. Yet, this gentle naturalist is also a succinct poet who continues to produce commentary in all manner of poetic fashion for readers to consider. Whether one line or one title entices you to read his work, you will experience something new, something in the now that may take your mind off your ordinary life, move you to do something extraordinary or empower you to consider letting go of differences and, eventually, live in the now.

Artwork by: Shannon Kelly

In the coming week, call to mind an unhappy thought, realize I am freed of such moments. In the coming month the changes you notice are unobservable for me in this sublime ever present. In the passing of another season Observe and enjoy God’s unending palette of color and beauty. In your favorite holidays invite me back in celebration; I will be there as much as you want me to be. In your journey, remember the weight I carried and realize God releases us Sooner than can be known. In your life be encouraged; I await; for eternity is to be enjoyed with you. In 1972, Michael began the tradition of creating an original Christmas poem for friends and family that has endured for 40 years. As his poetry evolved, so did his ability to broaden his artistic expression. He paired the poems with artwork, creating a striking composition of keepsake. Bea-

B.D.A.O. RICH ZEMAN

Greetings from the Beaver Dam Area Orchestra!

ou may have heard of us, or perhaps you have heard us! Our orchestra is a symphonic ensemble made up of your friends and neighbors from Beaver Dam and the surrounding area. Now before I go any further, let me clarify one particular item that often confuses non-musicians and musicians alike. When you hear names like “symphonic” or “symphony” or “philharmonic” or even “orchestra,” they all mean the same thing: A large instrumental group that uses string instruments as its featured voice. So, the Milwaukee Symphony, the New York Philharmonic and the Beaver Dam Area Orchestra refer to similarly designed music groups. Back in the 1920s and ‘30s, the dance bands of the day often included in their rosters a handful of string players to add an element of sophistication and “color” to their sound. These string players were by no means a featured entity in the dance bands, but they adopted the moniker “orchestra” in their titles anyway. Think of the Glenn Miller Orchestra or the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra as examples. But enough of the history lesson! The orchestra was originally formed as part of the City of Beaver Dam’s Park and Recreation Department in the fall of 1954 with Maestro

Glenn Wood as its musical director. (There is another one of those terms. Maestro can be used to refer to someone who is the leader, but it is most often used as a sign of respect, endearment and honor. Glenn Wood was a true Maestro.) At the orchestra’s inception, Mr. Wood was the Beaver Dam public school string director and would lead our group for nearly 40 years. The “rec orchestra,” as it was referred to at the time, eventually dissolved its relationship with the City of Beaver Dam and incorporated in 1991 as the Beaver Dam Area Orchestra. The orchestra became responsible for its own funding and formed a controlling board of nine directors (not the musical kind) who would develop by-laws that would govern the future operations of the orchestra. I became the music director of the orchestra for the 1992-93 season; I am proud to be celebrating my 20th year! In the early ‘90s, the “founding mothers and fathers” of our new independent orchestra were extremely adept in the rebranding of the old rec orchestra to the Beaver Dam Area Orchestra. As of today, nearly 30 different communities from six different counties are represented in a total roster of 80 “area” musicians. Members currently travel from West Bend, Sun Prairie, Madison, Fond du Lac and Hartford to rehearse weekly with our orchestra. Several current musicians were members of the old recreation orchestra of

Protection is a family tradition. Since 1927, families like yours have trusted our Family to protect them from unexpected losses. Call me today to discuss your needs.

Beaver Dam Civic Orchestra WTMJ Radio Broadcast - 1932 Photo: BDAO Historical Archives the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s. Mrs. Betty Henning was a charter member of the original 1954 orchestra while a student at the Beaver Dam High School. To this day Betty still serves as the BDAO’s principal in the second violin section. If you have been around the Beaver Dam area for a time, you may remember the old rec orchestra performances at Trinity United Methodist Church. This was back when the sanctuary of the church faced north instead of south as it does today. At the time, I was a much younger and much darker haired clarinet player with the orchestra and I can recall the challenges of trying to pack 30 or 40 musicians in a space designed for 10 or 20. Hauling dozens of music stands as well as instruments and percussion equipment up the hill from the old Junior High to Trinity was not a lot of fun either, especially in December! Our community’s 1991 addition of the Beaver Dam High School Auditorium offered the orchestra and its audience members a chance to experience our music in a state of the art facility. I believe our new auditorium also created an atmosphere that allowed the orchestra to grow both physically and musically, which resulted in larger audiences, who in turn became generous sponsors of the BDAO. It was a true win-win for musician and community alike. Just like our historic traditions of the band program in Beaver Dam, orchestras also have a rich and varied tradition with strings players first being included in our school music programs way back in 1923. The Beaver Dam High School Band was formed officially one year earlier in 1922. While the first recreation orchestra was not established until 1954, there were other orchestras in the area that significantly predated the one the city formed. Beaver Dam featured a very good orchestra called the Beaver Dam Civic Orchestra and I have included a picture that shows this orchestra in a 1932 performance at the old Odeon Theatre in Beaver Dam (now known as the Rogers Movie Theater) during a live radio broadcast for Milwaukee’s WTMJ radio station. Notice the formality of this group with all the men in tuxes and the women in long formal gowns. Fast forward to present day and the Beaver Dam area is still incredibly fortunate to offer a viable musical outlet for musicians of all ages with the Beaver Dam Area Orchestra. If you are familiar with us, I wish to thank you for your support. If you are not, I hope you might be able to check us out at our November 17th or December 15th concerts. The concerts are free and I know we will perform something that you will enjoy!

Kevin Carnine Agency, LLC An Outstanding Customer Experience J.D. Power and Associates certified Distinguished Insurance Agency (920) 887-9700 Bus www.kevincarnine.com

002139 – Rev. 6/11

FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS...

You can get more information about the BDAO at www.bdorchestra.org. Musically yours,

Rich Zeman 1991 Rich currently teaches instrumental music at Beaver Dam High School and conducts the Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, String Orchestra and the Jazz Ensemble. Rich is a saxophonist and woodwind specialist and has performed with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra as part of the popular Concert on the Square Series. Rich is celebrating his 20th year as music director of the Beaver Dam Area Orchestra.

BEST WISHES FOR PEACE, JOY AND PROSPERITY THIS HOLIDAY SEASON AND IN THE NEW YEAR TO COME

3 Beaver Dam Locations 115 Front Street (920) 885-2700

1519 N. Spring Street (920) 885-2710

120 Frances Lane (920) 356-9300

www.anbnet.com

P.A.V.E. JAMIE KRATZ-GULLICKSON

he need was great, the resources few, and yet in 1978 a coalition of individuals concerned about violence in our community began to discuss the possibility of offering services to victims in Dodge and Jefferson County. At that time, national acknowledgement of domestic violence was in its infancy. With roots in the feminist movement of the early 70s, domestic violence shelters and crisis lines were just starting to crop up across the nation. Due to the gas embargos and fuel costs of the time, the original group soon split and the Dodge County group formally created People against a Violent Environment (PAVE) in 1981. In the beginning, PAVE was no more than a crisis line held together by volunteers taking calls at home. The first PAVE office was in the Beaver Dam Community Hospital and housed in two renovated patient rooms. Here volunteers could meet with victims privately while also covering a more business-like crisis line. Those needing shelter were referred to local individuals that offered an extra bed in their home and were referred to as a “safe house.” The safety risks must have been great for those kind souls that started the local work of PAVE, and because they believed in the mission, PAVE continued to grow. In the early 80s, the State of Wisconsin began to offer funding to a handful of programs in Wisconsin, and by 1984, with the addition of federal dollars allocated through the state, 42 programs were up and running in Wisconsin. Our very own long-time Beaver Dam resident Marge Theis wrote for PAVE’s first grant. Once funding was received, staff were able to be hired and trained both for crisis services and to provide community education. Throughout the 80s it became apparent that the safety risks and increased client needs made a formal shelter a necessity, and the Samaritan House opened its doors in 1990, with the hard work of past director Rene Firari

Will (who now runs a batterer’s treatment program at St. Agnes in Fond du Lac) and collaboration from Dr. Mark Molldrem, currently senior pastor at First Lutheran Church, to secure a building and appropriate funding. Over the years, PAVE’s services have ebbed and flowed based on staffing and funding. In 1995, grant dollars for sexual assault victim services became available and PAVE added appropriate programming. In 2011, Beaver Dam Community Hospital started a SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) program to provide exams and evidence collection for victims. PAVE collaborates by sending an on-call advocate to support and offer options to the victim in these cases. We currently provide free and confidential services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, including a 22 bed shelter, crisis line, case management services, legal advocacy, SANE exam support, children’s services and assistance with economic needs like food, clothing and other household items. We find that collaborating with other agencies is what works best. The YMCA provides free passes for clients, BDAAA collaborates to hold art therapy and display victim work, several police departments including the Dodge County Sheriff’s department forward us police reports on domestic calls so we can offer services to victims that may not be aware of us, and we perform stop backs with the Watertown police department where our advocate goes with an officer to check on victims of repeat offenders (when they are safe). Our staff does a lot with very little and we rely on local funding sources like United Way of Dodge County, United Way of Watertown, local businesses and individuals to support over one-third of our annual budget. Without this support, we literally could not function. We are local. Due to the confidentiality of our work, combined with the shaming that is still so prevalent for victims, you will not often hear a story of someone that utilized our services. We see nearly 600 individuals from our community every year for crisis help and another 3000+ for prevention education. The following is shared by one strong and brave victim: “When my parents got divorced, they left my siblings and I behind in our home. We lived in a house with no water, heat or lights for a couple years. We were ashamed that our parents left us, we were scared and I felt ‘I must have done something to make them leave.’ We would not let anyone know they left us, it was our secret. After all, we couldn’t get them to love us, why would anyone else. We went to school and no one knew that we did not have parents taking care of us. We took care of each other. We would escape to an old fallen down tree in the woods behind our house. The tree was hollow inside. This was our safe place; we knew no one would bother us back there. We spent a lot of time in that old tree.

Egg Shells

Our parents were not the best parents. They were both alcoholics and often beat us, along with other things. I am sure you can imagine what kind of life that was for us. Eventually, my older sister would find a boyfriend to live with and my dad came and got the twins. I figured he had enough to deal with, with them. My sister was happy and they would be okay. My mother would come to see me, but she was a very sick person. I have had to do a lot of things that you would not expect a child of my age to have to do. I did not hear from my dad. Later, I lived in a lot of different homes and situations. I have had to do a lot of things I did not want to do to survive. I came to PAVE to find some answers to questions that still haunt me. I often write to help me cope. Even that I had to hide. While writing was an escape for me, I was so ashamed of my life. Sometimes I would write poems to try to cover up my real life. This way if someone found them they would just think it was a poem and not my real life.

Walking on eggshells, too afraid to speak. Trying hard not to breathe too deep. Don’t look up keep your head down. And whatever you do don’t slow down. Just a little farther and I will be able to breathe When I can stand between the pine trees as they sway in the breeze Free from the hands of the parents that I regret. Even if it is just for a little bit. I can take in all the beauty I can surround myself in it. I listen to the wind. I let it fill me with its song Just for a little while I can’t be too long I look up towards the sky so I can feel the suns warmth Then I would get down on my knees and kiss the good earth. As I would whisper to the wind and thank God for all His work.

‘Egg Shells’ is one of my poems and I hope it helps you understand what it feels like in an abusive relationship, whether it is with your parents, your husband or your boyfriend.” To learn more about PAVE visit our website www.peopleagainstaviolentenvironment.com There you can watch a video of our history, make a donation, view our wish list, get to know our staff and Board and learn more about our services and other resources for victims of abuse.

Together

LET’S REMEMBER

You’ll See Insurance Diﬀerently.

Serving the Beaver Dam

For some, it has been a difﬁcult year and the holidays - traditionally a time of celebration can magnify a tragedy or loss. We’ve found that remembering a loved one with a special tribute or a memorial service often helps families work through difﬁcult times. If you have lost a loved one, please join us for our holiday program and we’ll take a moment to remember and celebrate that life... together.

and the surrounding communities for over 35 years.

You’re Invited What: An Evening of Rememberance and Support When: Monday, November 26 7pm Where: Bayside Supper Club Beaver Dam RSVP: Not necessary but appreciated 920-885-6600 Transportation Available on Request

131 E. Maple Avenue Beaver Dam, WI 53916

(920) 885-6600 www.MurrayFH.com

130 Park Avenue  Beaver Dam 920.885.5589 myknowledgebroker.com 11

F E A T U R E

A BEAVER DAM SLEIGH RIDE LLOYD CLARK

“Historic continuity with the past is not a duty, it is only a necessity” - Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

s we approach the holiday season, it is enjoyable to take a few minutes out of our hectic shopping and decorating schedules to reflect on how Beaver Dam residents during Victorian times celebrated the holidays. Would the Swan House have an enormous tree in the front window of the home atop Yankee Hill? Would Judge Rose lead a parade down Spring Street to downtown to encourage shoppers to patronize the stores and businesses of the day? If they held a parade, would Santa Claus bring up the end in his sleigh pulled by eight reindeer? Exactly how did Beaver Dam celebrate the holidays in its first 50 years of existence? To start, large-scale celebrations of Christmas and the New Year were a relatively new occurrence in the late 1800s. Would you be surprised to learn that the “traditional” Christmas holiday that we celebrate today owes much of its existence to Washington Irving, Charles Dickens, Prince Albert of England and Victorian-era sensibilities? Or that the great “melting pot” of cultures that is our country brought together pieces of celebrations from across the globe to create a uniquely American Christmas? To the Puritan Pilgrims of New England, the observance of Christmas in any way other than attendance at a church service constituted blasphemy, with offenders fined five shillings for the seemingly small infraction of hanging decorations. The General Court of Massachusetts in 1659 passed a law outlawing “pagan mockery” of the solemn day, making a penal offense of any celebration on December 25. In Jamestown, further down the coast, Captain John Smith is quoted as saying that Christmas was enjoyed by all and passed without incident. After the American Revolution, Christmas was considered to be an “English” holiday. King George had reinstated the holiday that had been banned by the Cromwell-led government when he returned to the throne, and all things “English” were in definite disfavor. Following the Revolution, the Winter Holidays were celebrated very differently from today. In religiously heterogeneous communities like the Monrovians, the celebration

was more sedate and serious, lacking the joviality that infects the holiday now. While traditions dating back to the Roman holiday of Saturnalia, with wild parties, music, drinking and eating, were the norm in some areas, other communities did not celebrate the day at all. During this era, Christmas was a catch-as-catch-can holiday. It was not until June 26, 1870, that President Ulysses S. Grant actually signed an act making Christmas a national holiday. At that time, America was much more a land of immigrants than it is today. Christmas celebrations varied widely across 19th century America, depending upon the religious tradition your community followed. In 1819, Washington Irving wrote The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, a series of 34 fictional stories including his two most famous works Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. It also contained a story about life in an English country manor. Squire Bracebridge, master of Bracebridge Hall and lands, invited the peasants that lived on and near his land into his home to celebrate the Christmas holiday. Upper crust and lower caste got along swimmingly and descriptions of “traditional” Christmas customs graced the story. The traditions, according to modern historians, seemed to have originated in the mind and imagination of Irving. At this time, the classless United States was undergoing a serious period of class conflict. Unemployment was high and would remain so for more than a decade, which led to gang riots in some major cities. In New York, following the Christmas season riots of 1827, the inaugural New York City police force came into being. Historians surmise that Irving, with his story about the classes mixing without dispute and enjoying the holiday season together, was commenting on the current state of society in the United States of America and encouraging the resurgence of Christmas in America. The upper classes in America took notice and the way Christmas was celebrated began to change. Victorian-era thought and practices, first in England and then later

Postcard of Spring Street Source: Dodge County Historical Society

taken up by the upper classes on the East Coast, created the customs and traditions of the holiday season that we enjoy today. During the Victorian-era, there was a decided movement toward family that had been somewhat absent in previous generations, and the need for a “family holiday” was filled by Christmas. Prior to and during this time, parents rarely showered their children with gifts as most do today. “Spare the rod and spoil the child” was a motto recounted daily across America from the coast to the frontier. This sentiment was suddenly at odds with the greater emphasis on family, and Christmas was a day parents could give gifts in abundance without being seen as spoiling their children. German and Irish immigrants came to America, and with both countries having long non-interrupted traditions of celebrating Christmas, they brought their traditions with them. As their numbers increased dramatically during the 19th century, so did the celebration of Christmas. In 1846, Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s Prussian husband, brought a symbol of the season from his native land, now called Germany, into the royal palace - a Christmas tree. News spread like wildfire and soon all of the fashionable homes in England and the United States had to have one. Unlike the towering trees of today, the Victorian Christmas tree was usually no taller than four feet and displayed upon a table. Trees would be brought into the house only a few days or the day before Christmas, trimmed by the parents in a room closed to view from either inside or outside the

home, and with the decorating complete, the parents would open wide the doors and shades to reveal their tree to their children and the world. It was a custom at the time for the entire family to hold hands and circle around the tree, drinking in the sight and smell of the evergreen. The tree, decorated with strands of popcorn and cranberries, small candles, and some with glass ornaments much later in the century, would be a joy for the children to behold. A number of paintings from the period show a father lifting a child up to light the candles on the tree, and ironically enough, one of which was actually sent out as a “holiday card” by a New England insurance company. Christmas cards of the period were very different than those we use today. Most cards, obtained in packages of flour or coffee or from local retailers ensuring that the name of their business was prominently displayed, seemed to have very little to do with either a religious or secular Christmas. The vast majority had images of robins on them or pictures of flowers and fruit. Advertising from the era shows a Santa, dressed in white fur, handing gifts to children with the reminder that you can get a “Handsome Christmas Card in Every Package of Lion Coffee November 5th to Christmas Day.”

But what about Santa, you ask? Most “Santa scholars” agree that the origin of Santa Claus began with a third century Turkish monk known as a protector of children, Saint Nicholas. One particular story states that Saint Nicholas provided a dowry to three sisters whose father was preparing to sell them into slavery. By providing the dowry, Saint Nicholas not only prevented their slavery but allowed the girls to marry well due to their dowries. By the Renaissance, Saint Nicholas was the most popular saint in Europe. In the late 18th century, newspapers in America ran stories about the custom of Dutch families gathering together on December 6th to honor the memory of Saint Nicholas (Sinter Klaas in their language). Sinter Klaas would later transform into the English Santa Claus. Washington Irving again steps into the picture as he named Saint Nicholas the patron saint of New York in his 1809 book The History of New York, and he rewrote the book, some say satirically, in 1812 to portray the saint flying over trees in New York in his horse-drawn wagon. The rewrite popularizes the character even more to the citizens of that state. Clement Clarke Moore described him in his 1822 story An Account of a Visit from Saint Nicholas, which is known to most children today as The Night Before Christmas, as a “jolly old elf” with magic powers and a rotund belly! The Santa Claus we know today was evolving. Credit must also be given to renowned American political cartoonist Thomas Nast for bringing the modern vision of Santa to life. In 1862, Nast published his first drawing of Santa Claus for Harper’s Weekly in which he pictures Santa as a sad but kindly man bereaved over the Civil War and the separation of the troops from their families. Nast continued to draw portraits of Santa, and his 1890 book Christmas Drawings for All Mankind featured images of Santa working in his toy shop, walking on roofs, descending down chimneys, and most of all, wearing red. Drawing on Moore’s words and his own German ancestry for inspiration, Nast created a joyful white-bearded man riding in a sleigh pulled by eight reindeer with a bag full of toys to give to children around the world. “Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.” - Norman Vincent Peale With this knowledge in hand, we can now imagine ourselves in a Christmastime Beaver Dam of the late 1800s. We would, of course, travel the town in a horse-drawn sleigh, a bearskin and wool blanket over our laps with our finest holiday fashions cladding our bodies. Monarch Christmas Ad - 1912 The snow is softly fallSource: Dodge County Historical Society ing as dusk approaches; the warm glow of oil lamps and candles lights the magnificent homes from within, and the rhythmic sound of our horse’s hooves lulls us into a sense of contentment as we pass by the Great Hall of Wayland. Traveling to the top of Yankee Hill on Park Avenue, we do indeed see that the Swans have erected a beautiful Christmas tree and display, visible through the windows of their home, the lace curtains pulled aside and tied to allow an exterior view.

Monarch Staff Christmas Greeting Source: Dodge County Historical Society Looking down the street, we see the downtown area resplendent in the soft light of the gas-powered street lamps that line the curb, garlands of evergreens and holly surrounding the poles, draping above and across the wooden sidewalks to the businesses beyond. As we descend the hill, the muffled sound of our horse’s hooves and the metallic whine of the skids on the snow interlaces with the sound of carolers singing and children laughing in the downtown area, creating a music all its own. The street is draped in the finest period decorations; holly garlands, Christmas trees and evergreen wreaths abound, setting the scene for a very special Christmas we will long remember. Santa Claus, well represented in the posters and artwork that line the streets, seems to have come to town early. There is a full-size Santa model in the window of the Carl Koch and Company clothing store and another on the balcony of the Clark House Hotel on the corner of Front and Center Streets. Santa must be a big business draw as there are many of our neighbors shopping in the clothing store and the Clark House has not a single vacant room for the entirety of the Christmas holidays. In the store windows, dolls and toys from across Europe catch the eye of the children as their parents marvel at the steam-powered figures depicting scenes right out of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. The smell of popcorn and warm chestnuts tickles our noses as we pass wagons parked against the curb selling these treats to happy families. We wave and bid “Merry Christmas” to friends and neighbors we see on the street, as the sound of a symphony warming up drifts down from the concert hall. Everyone is in a joyous mood, and laughter escalates as an impromptu snowball fight erupts across the street. Pulling our sleigh aside, we visit the butcher’s shop to pick up our Christmas goose and some sausages for our breakfast, before crossing the bridge over the Beaver Dam River and winding our way back home. The snowfall gets heavier as we travel back up Yankee Hill, and we notice at the Chandler Home an unusual sight, a huge Christmas tree standing proudly in the window. No simple table tree such as the Swans have, this tree is easily eight feet tall. No doubt this is another new tradition from Europe that will soon sweep our town. Of course, this is all imagination, but it is a fancy based upon facts. In Beaver Dam, we have a wealth of history that is literally down each and every street. As a community, we should take great pride in the architectural treasures that still exist here. The recent Architectural Tour of Homes, a fundraising event for the Beaver Dam Area Community Theatre, demonstrated there is a significant interest in our architectural history. Would it not be something to be able to see the downtown area as it was, the very literal heart of our great town.

COMMUNITY

CHURCH HEALTH SERVICES C.H.S. STAFF

REEDCHRYSLER.COM

ilestones ought to be celebrated, especially when scores of people’s lives have been changed by an organization and passionate people behind the scenes. As Church Health Services (CHS) approaches their 20th anniversary in 2013, the community recognizes their accomplishments, service and dedication to change the landscape of healthcare and the disparity associated with it. Back in 1993, Dr. Mike Augustson with his pastor Rev. Steve Polster at Trinity Methodist Church in Beaver Dam sought to create a free clinic. Moreover, they felt a need to offer care above and beyond what was given in a typical clinic setting. They developed care for patients treating body, mind and spirit. They incorporated whole person care with the assistance of volunteer clergy, physicians and nurses. CHS also expanded into area congregations with parish nursing programs and provided a positive health message for all through their “I CAN” poster campaign. Initially, CHS programs and services were mostly welcomed by those in need, but as time has proven, community, congregational and regional support has propelled CHS into one of the foremost essential nonprofits of our time. CHS now hosts clinics for those in need in Beaver Dam and Mayville, and in August, the Board of Directors voted to move forward with the most courageous of projects yet: Purchasing a building to house additional medical clinics, a dental clinic, a faith and health resource center for the community and a central location to house congregational ministries. What compels an organization like CHS to expand when the United States is on the verge of healthcare reform? Those at the top of CHS will tell you every time that their decisions are based on faith, hope and courage. Faith that the resources and finances needed to sustain CHS will continue. Hope that in time healthcare will evolve and change for the benefit of all, but CHS will be there to meet the needs that remain. Finally, courage is needed to step forth to do the right thing. If CHS did not step forward to meet the challenge, who would? Possibly no one and that is not an option. A glance at the CHS timeline is nothing short of miraculous. It is like watching an infant mature into a young child, move through puberty and finally approach adulthood. Sustaining a nonprofit like CHS for nearly two decades had to have momentum from the medical community to supply physicians and trained nurses, as well as willing clergy from all denominations, volunteers and mental health professionals. In addition, a facility was needed like Trinity Methodist in Beaver Dam that did not mind infringement on space that could have been utilized by other congregational members and programs. CHS likewise depended on and appreciated support from the United Way, the Beaver Dam Community Hospital, and area corporate and business funding partners whose checks, like money from heaven, appeared in the mailbox. CHS would remain open and active for another month, another year, another decade. What has not been said about CHS over the years in press releases, newsletters, patient stories, at fundraising events and from person to person? What often remains unstated, or understated, includes the emotional private discussions and prayers around a table at the onset of every clinic. This is where CHS staff informs the volunteer team about patient needs and what obstacles a patient has experienced. To be in this circle of trust is a holy experience, understanding that what science cannot always mend, faith may. There is nothing more powerful than to hear of modern-day miracles of healing that both medical science and faith produced. To understand that faith and health work in concert, especially here in our neighborhoods and in our county (not in some far away land) is exciting, impressive and inspiring.

Let our family take care of your family.

1724 N. Spring Street, Beaver Dam · 920-887-2300

LEGEND & LORE

S T OR I E S T OL D & U N T OL D

MARCIA HAASE

s a child, the only thing I really, really wanted was a horse. I read books about horses, drew pictures of horses, and of course, pretended to ride horses. I dreamt about my perfect horse - a beautiful bay steed with white socks and a white blaze down his incredibly handsome face. In 1987 my husband Steve and I built our home in the country and, eventually, for my lifelong dream of owning a horse, a barn. Our first horse was exactly what we needed . . . calm, well trained, tolerant. But she was quite aloof and not affectionate. In 1995 we saw an ad for a Clydesdale for sale. The price had to be a misprint, but Steve said, “Call them up.” Thinking we would find some old nag, we were blown away by this magnificent animal. We both fell head over heels in love with Cdric Shana Supreme Selector Ideal (AKA Bonnie). The next step was acquiring a harness. When the giant box arrived, we could not figure out how to put all the pieces together. Steve asked longtime horseman Billy Zahn to help us. When Steve slipped the collar over Bonnie’s head, Billy quietly walked over, flipped it 180 degrees and said, “I find it works better this way.” I am not sure how Billy kept a straight face! The following year, we went to the national Clydesdale sale and found the draft horse world to be warm and welcoming. As a very pregnant mare came through the sale, the auctioneer slammed his hammer and pointed to the buyer. As I turned around, I realized that it was Steve. In short order, we went from one Clyde to three, and the multiplication continued on from there. Most farriers prefer not to work on draft horses, so Steve went to classes and started shoeing. It is backbreaking work, and each horse needs to be trimmed and shod every six weeks. It seems like he just gets done and it is time to start the cycle over again. We also train our own horses, working them in the round pen and eventually hooking them to an experienced animal. The horses learn to pull farm implements and show equipment, and we also ride them. Over the years we have enjoyed our animals immensely, but we have also endured the pain of losing them. Clyde foals can have all kinds of complications. When a foal cannot stand to nurse, you need to milk the mare and feed the foal with a bottle and nipple. We took turns on duty day and night, and sometimes it was just easier to sleep in the barn. One of the most touching moments of my life with horses happened one of those nights. A foal named Homer dragged himself across two large stalls to lay his precious face next to mine. Putting Homer down was extremely difficult. He was perfect in every way, but his mind could not tell his legs how to walk. Showing horses is far from glamorous, at least for the humans. The

horses stay in nice stalls, each with their own fan with plenty to eat and drink. Humans endure bad fair food, slimy showers and the dreaded porta-potties. The animals get bathed and primped, while humans are hot and filthy. Some horses get nervous and try to take a tent down or go running through the campsites, while others might fall or flip over while hitched to a wagon. Oh such fun. There is a lot of genuine camaraderie among the exhibitors however, and we have become friends with many. At our very first show, there was a group of guys standing around, and one of them asked if we could use some help. With Steve’s resounding, “yes,” they were adjusting this and fixing that. Then they disappeared. When Steve drove into the show ring, we found out that these guys were our competitors. This is common in the draft horse world. We all help out when we can and lend equipment when needed. If you have a problem with a horse, there will be six or eight people coming to your aid. We have seen it time and time again. A scotch show collar weighs 75 pounds, and the rest of the harness is heavy as well. In fact, everything we use and haul is big and heavy. The hitch wagon weighs a ton (literally), and getting it in and out of the trailer can be a challenge. Horses have to be groomed, washed and bedded down the

Bonnie in the Woods Photo: Marcia Haase

Baby Homer with our granddaughter Lily Photo: Julie Zahn night before an event, and it is a lot of work. Our son Jonah is a natural with horses and was an integral part of our crew until he moved to California. Our friends Steve and Dawn Krezinski have been our right hands. We appreciate them more than we can say. Other than showing at fairs, we have exhibited at the Midwest Horse Fair, participated in a program via the Smithsonian Institute, put on a presentation with author Jerry Apps, done weddings, wagon trains, carriage events, a multitude of parades and hayrides, appearances at Old World Wisconsin, and of course, the delivery of our daughter to the altar the day of her wedding. Even though they relish the blue ribbons from shows, ‘my two Steves’ favorite event is Old World Wisconsin. For more than ten years, the Hazienda Clydesdales have made the trip each May and October to give rides on the antique Omni bus or pull farm machinery with our draft horse club. Visitors are full of questions, and there is nothing those two guys like better than talking about horses. We have been honored to have our Clydesdales appear in several national publications, calendars, state tourism magazines and Old World Wisconsin flyers. They grace the cover of a special edition book about Clydesdales, and a four abreast pulling a sleigh was selected for the cover of a magazine. Our 4-up currently is on the cover of a Wisconsin Horse Council brochure - Sweet! Bonnie started all this insanity, but she turned out to be the horse of my dreams. Not long after she came to live with us, the whole bunch was home for Christmas, and the house was full of noise and activity. To get a few moments of quiet, I took a walk out to the barn. Bonnie stood statuesque in the dim light of a late winter afternoon with big flakes of snow quietly falling. This huge animal was still overwhelming to me, and she exhibited quite an attitude. I turned the electric fence off to avoid becoming part of the Christmas decorations and just sat quietly on the upper board of the fence. Bonnie plodded over to me and laid her giant head in my lap. The next thing I knew, I found myself sliding onto her back. We just sat quietly in that spot with the snow falling. Breathing in that smell that only horses have and feeling the warmth of this mare’s broad back, I thought that I had died and gone to heaven. As the years went by, Bonnie and I had a ritual. After chores, I would sit on the big tire feeder as the sun was setting, and she would walk over and hang her head over my shoulder. It was usually a peaceful time of day with the wind dying down and the colors of the sky providing visual diversion. When Bonnie passed away at the Getting ready to deliver our daughter to the altar ripe old age of 23, our daughter Julie and her on her wedding day. Photo: Troy Freund husband Jonas did something very special. They arranged for a taxidermist to harvest Bonnie’s hide and have it tanned. At first I was a little creeped out, but I had a horseman once tell me that a faithful horse is happy to serve their master both in life and in death. Weather does not penetrate a horse hide, and on a cold day that faithful horse will keep you warm. Bonnie’s body lies comfortably on our property, but part of her lies over the banister upstairs. I run my hand across her back and down her mane every day. She continues to be part of our life.

We can heat and cool anything.

- INSTALLATION & SERVICE - RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL - GEOTHERMAL - GAS FIREPLACES - IN-FLOOR HEATING - INDOOR AIR QUALITY -

800-281-4676

W8238 Hwy 33 Beaver Dam, WI 53916 920-356-8860 www.aircareinc.com

Call us today for your project review and free estimate!

Childhood dreams can come true.

Ice Marbles

T OM VIEWFINDER H E L F E RT

Ice can form in a very interesting pattern. While taking this photo of water splashing over the rocks at Waterworks Park, my foot got stuck in the rocks; it took me 15 minutes to free myself. The picture was worth the embarrassment.

Twig on Ice

Witches Bower

This is one of my favorite pictures. I took it in the arboretum in Madison. Quick freezing water on a pond caused the effect. I tried to move the twig near the ice to get a better shot and the ice completely cracked. Glad I was able to get this one shot.

I found the witches bower pictured here in the arboretum in Madison. It is one of my favorite places to hike and find picture opportunities. This flower was very difficult to photograph because it is so delicate and moves around in the wind.

“Put yourself in a position to take great photos and the results will bring a ‘Wow’ from those viewing the finished product. That is what I strive for in my photography.”

did not start out wanting to be a photographer. I wanted to be a news reporter.. My dad, Joe Helfert, was the editor of the Beaver Dam Daily Citizen as I grew up. I wanted to follow in his footsteps.

Growing up in Beaver Dam in the 50s was like living in Mayberry. You had to be a paperboy back then and hanging out at the Liebig soda fountain and Bilitz Bakery across from the Citizen was truly living. In my high school years, I did everything at the Citizen from ditching metal type for the pages to writing stories for the paper. Then I was introduced to photography and everything changed. Seeing your photos in print is addicting. I quickly became the Citizen photograSelf Portrait: Tom Helfert pher and the yearbook photographer at the high school. I could not get enough of photography. The camera was always with me. In 1965 I was off to Layton Art School in Milwaukee to study photography for two years, hitchhiking home every weekend to take pictures for the Citizen and see the girl down the street, JoAnn Smith. In 1967 I married JoAnn, graduated from Layton, joined the Navy as a photographer and ended up in Vietnam. Four year later I was back in the Beaver Dam area, but photography never ended up a full-time career. I joined a photo group in Madison and wondered why there was not a similar group in Beaver Dam. That all changed one morning on my way to work - the clouds were perfect at sunrise and I knew exactly the right spot to put myself in a position to take a great photo. I got there just in time. When Jerry Kamps called to ask me to exhibit my photos at the Seippel Center, that early morning photo became the photo on the poster for the exhibit. Long story short, I asked about starting a photo club - Lightcatchers was founded. We meet the last Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. at the Seippel Center and all are welcome. I look forward to helping my peers put themselves in a position to take great photos, and I have to say “Wow” when I see their work.

Tom Helfert, College Self Portrait

Marsh Sunrise I love fog. In March of 2010, I was on my way to work just at sunrise and it was foggy. I had photographed the area around the dam north of town and knew it would be perfect. I had to climb over some rocks and a downed tree to get the perfect angle.

THIS & THAT DAVE BOWMAN

“ O N E S M A L L S T E P... F R OM A S M A L L T O W N ”

n a hazy warm summer evening in July 1969, I watch a grainy black and white picture on the large Motorola console television set placed in its proper majestic spot in our living room. Being 11 years old, I marvel at the idea that this picture could travel a quarter-million miles through outer space, bounce off a large radio dish, careen through the atmosphere, make its way to the state of the art television antenna perched atop our house and into our home. A shadowy figure makes his way down a spindly fragile metal ladder, bouncing down once, then up to the bottom rung, then down again, all the while describing the surface of another world as “almost like a powder.” He pauses and then tells the audience of over a billion earthbound souls, “I’m going to step off the LEM now. That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Neil Armstrong, from the small town of Wapakoneta, Ohio, had become the first man to step onto the moon. Watching television in the 1960s was an experience that cannot be replicated. Oh, there were iconic moments which will always be ingrained in our pop culture, and who cannot appreciate the fact that we had a whole THREE networks to choose from: NBC with its “In Living Color” Peacock, CBS with its ever present eye looking into your home over the shoulder of Walter Cronkite and ABC with its unique logo of its three letters “ABC.”

Television offered a veritable wasteland of tomfoolery, silliness, groan-inducing jokes and schlock drama, but it also had its “diamonds in the rough.” During the early ‘60s a show came on the scene which presented wholesome values, a moral compass, excellent writing and consistent bona fide entertainment. The Andy Griffith Show had a way of showing how people hoped their lives would be and how they would like to act toward their friends and fellow townsfolk. Andy was raised in Mount Airy, North Carolina, a small town which became the model for the fictional town of Mayberry. His homespun humor and gentle characterizations of everyday people and life in Mayberry made the show an instant classic. As the Mayberry story unfolded over the years, another real life story was playing itself out for everyday Americans - the quest for the moon. While Mayberry provided a welcome respite for those in need of an occasional rest, television also provided the chance for Americans to ride along and join the astronaut heroes on their space adventures. They both exemplified our dreams and aspirations for what we as a nation could achieve. Andy Griffith and Neil Armstrong, who both passed away this past year, never lost their humility and always exemplified the old adage: “Small town boys make good.”

Integrity, Diversity, Experience. · Registered Contractor since 1988 · Interior & Exterior Remodeling · Additions & New Homes

(920) 885-5910

BLUE RIBBON SCHOOLS LINCOLN ELEMENTARY SOUTH BEAVER DAM ELEMENTARY

www.BestDamBuilders.com

SCHOOLS OF RECOGNITION JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY LINCOLN ELEMENTARY BEAVER DAM MIDDLE SCHOOL SOUTH BEAVER DAM ELEMENTARY

W W W . B E AV E R D A M . K 12. W I . U S

THE WANDERING MAN “Good Guys” Photo: Emma Dittmann

VA L U E S : F O R W H A T I T ’ S W O R T H

TAMON MARK UTTECH

Publisher’s note: In honor of this holiday season, the wandering man photo has been replaced with a traditional holiday “good guys” photo; this one is from 2009. The good guys photo op has been a Christmas Eve tradition for 47 years. Generally we like to take it under the mistletoe, but even if there is no mistletoe, there is always a bottle of beer or two. Cheers!

y one wonder about this segment of the career development class was that I wondered if I would be able to look back and really remember what values I had when I graduated from high school 41 years ago. Do values change over time or not? Going through the values questionnaire gave me part of an answer to that question; I was able to recognize that some parts of myself had changed and some remained the same. I was pleased to discover that we actually do learn new things about ourselves as we get older. For example, it was when I returned to school and was asked about my hobbies that my true hobbies of simply “reading and writing” came so easily to mind, although in the past, for as long as I can remember, I always used to think about all kinds of things that I “liked to do,” and the difference now is that I simply look at what I do nearly every day. I suppose that means that we come to know ourselves better over time.

2013 Chrysler Town and Country

One of my ‘eye-opener’ events in Career Development was last week’s auction. I was ready to put all my money ($1000) on a learning center, with a library and video tools. The surprise came when the instructor told us that the next item auctioned would be the last one. It was not the learning center, but because I did not want to come away empty-handed, I put all of my money on the last thing auctioned, just so I could participate. That incident alone taught me something about the “golden handcuffs” segment of the class - the fact that something is better than nothing. That incident alone turned out to be a real treasure that I took away from that day’s class. I reflected on the thought that because I did not get the chance to bid on the one thing I wanted, I was ready to give away all I had just to get something. I wonder how that could have turned out, if I had had the chance to bid on the one thing I really wanted, only to lose? But then, if what you have is what everyone else has, at the very most you can tie with someone or everyone else who wants the same thing you do. A natural career develops out of your persistence, your being yourself, your determination to ‘keep going.’ Learning about your values is learning and relearning about who you are. There is a sureness that comes with time.

2013 Chrysler 200

Come to Homan’s. 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Super Low Prices, a Great Selection, Award Winning Service, and a Relaxed Buying Atmosphere For Over 38 Years

925 W. Main Street, Waupun 240 Gateway Drive, Waupun (920) 324-7979 (920) 324-3585 www.homanauto.com

A TOUR OF DOWNTOWN CHUCK OESTREICH

Editor’s note: Woefully missing from this author’s childhood memories are the specific names of places in long-ago Beaver Dam. Readers are invited to recall the establishments noted and numbered (1) through (23). Please see our message following this tale of Christmastime in the ‘40s in Beaver Dam. oing down the South Spring Street hill is a slide and a slip, my whole second grade (well, at least half of it) tumbling through the snow, climbing the plow-cliffs, pushing, shoving, releasing energy stored up all day long under the all- encompassing eyes of the Sisters of Notre Dame. At the blacksmith’s shop (1), the street levels off. A blast of heat hits us, seemingly from a snorting horse with brand new Christmas shoes, but actually from the glowing forge in the back of the smith’s dark leather-smelling cavern. We peek in, but do not stay long. A faintly heard melody pulls us toward the downtown.

Silver bells, silver bells - It’s Christmas time in the city

Crossing the street, we are drawn to the sweet sticky smells coming from the narrow entrance to the candy, ice cream and tobacco shop (2) run by a little man with a cryptic smile and a stained white apron. With no nickels or pennies, we only linger slightly before passing the just as enticing bakery (3). Then it is past the all-purpose clothing and furniture (4) run by one of the few Jewish families in Beaver Dam. We cross the railroad tracks and the entrance to the parking lot, subconsciously checking to see if the cadre of old men is lingering on the porch next to the shoe repair shop (5). Some of my pals take off on the riverside shortcut; perhaps we will meet them again at the narrow walk-through across the street from my dad’s studio. Just a few of us rush down the street and pass the department store (6), lured by the red and green festooned light poles, the increased pedestrian traffic on the sidewalks and the magnetic melody coming from just around the corner.

City sidewalks, busy sidewalks, dressed in holiday style

We reach the corner of Spring and Front, and the cold Wisconsin winter becomes as warm and familiar as the kitchen at home at 218 Fourth Street, the library (7) on one corner, the five and dime (8) on another, and across from it the corner popcorn stand (9) with the pool hall (10) on the last. This is the core of town, its epicenter. And now its heart is beating as fast as mine when I run down the stairs on Christmas morning. Front Street is a universe of light, movement, smell, and most wonderfully, music. Where is it coming from? I cannot tell. To a young boy, it is one of the mysteries of Christmas in a small town in Wisconsin in the ‘40s.

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas just like the ones I used to know

Now my pals scatter, but I am a reindeer, dashing through the crowds, drinking in the color and spirit. I romp past families, the drug store with its rows and rows of cards (11) and hardly pause at the soda fountain

and box-of-chocolates store with the mysterious double row of booths in the back (12), speed by the larger drug store (13) and the men’s clothing store (14) to get to my goal - Dad’s studio (15). Up the long flight of narrow stairs, past the loan company (16) and the medical office (17), I burst into the big waiting room with its framed photographs on the walls, its well-thumbed Life magazines, and now in December, its garlands of green and red on the walls and counter. There is no one waiting. I push my way through the hanging cloth doorway into the office and yell, “Hi Daddy! It’s me, Charles.” Expecting to find Dad waiting with his big grin and developer-stained hands, I hear a muffled call from the blackcurtained darkroom. “I can’t come out now, too busy. You run home and, oh yeah, tell mother that I’ll be a little late. I have to get this set of prints done.” I am disappointed. I wanted a penny for the candy counter at the dime store below (18). I say goodbye, but down the stairs I am quickly heartened as I wander through the crowded aisles of the store, making mini-inventories in my mind of the things on my Christmas list, and - I almost forget - the things I am buying the others in my family for Christmas. Even through the crowded store, the magic music seeps. Good tidings we bring to you and your kin I amble down the street all the way to the movie theater (19) and then turn up Center Street heading for home. But when I pass the crowdedwith-boys newspaper shack (20), a hint of music sends my mind and memory reeling and I know I have to make a detour down the alley to the hardware store (21) and its moving animated Christmas display. As an adult, I have seen Chicago’s Marshall Field’s store windows displays, but nothing ever can compare to the brightly colored figures with moving arms and legs in the back of the hardware store on Spring Street. (Second in my memory is the Christmas crib display at St. Pete’s. It did not move, but its background of light-filled greens was awe inspiring to me, especially when I half-crossed my eyes and the whole right side of the church became a kaleidoscope of shaded color.)

O Come All Ye Faithful, Joyful and triumphant

It is getting late, and I know mother will be anxious. I reluctantly leave the store heading up Spring Street to the Post Office and then turning on Maple Avenue. I pass a Catholic Church (22) before turning north on Center , running up the hill past the gas stations (23) to Fourth Street. I am almost home, only a block to go, but the snow banks that have to be climbed, the ice patches that command sliding and the tumbled down snow fort needing inspection all slow me down. Then I am home, bursting through the back door into the roasting kitchen alive with smells of mincemeat being prepared. Mother is busy at the stove. When I tug at her apron, she turns around and smiles, “Hi Charles.” I hardly hear her, so filled am I with being home with my mother in my Christmas-smelling kitchen. No radio is on, the only sound is mother cutting candied fruit at the counter, but the kitchen magically is filled with music - wonderful Christmas music.

Silent night, holy night - All is calm, all is bright

Dear Reader: You are invited to identify the numbered places in this story and send your list along with your name to: LocaLeben Magazine, N8369 South Sunset Point Road, Beaver Dam, WI 53916 or email contest@localeben.com. Anonymous submissions will also be accepted; however, we would like to recognize the historians that submit a complete list in our next issue, along with that complete list - which at this point we do not have! There are a few clues in the text of this issue, but we are hoping that someone will recognize all 23.

PARTING THOUGHTS

KATHY DITTMANN

Parting thoughts Volume 1 Issue 6 - It has been quite a year!

do not believe that even my wildest dreams ever included publishing a magazine - but here we are. Printing has been a part of my life since the early 70s when I was the sole typist for the Upper Keys Reporter in Key Largo, Florida. It was a weekly publication and my typing skills garnered from a single high school intro class were honed during my years at the newspaper office. It was a living - a way to pay the rent. Since the late 70s, I have shared my life with a printer here in Wisconsin. It has been interesting to say the very least. To quote a wise man, “When we succeed, we succeed because of our individual initiative, but also because we do things together.” I do not believe anything can be done without the help and support of others. The help and support that LocaLeben receives is the reason that it is - it is here to be a voice and a vehicle for all residents of the Beaver Dam Area. In this issue we are reminded once again that dreams can come true. Dreams of a home, a family, and Norman Rockwell-esque holiday gatherings - some of these dreams can become a reality, but for many these are only dreams. As we approach the holiday season, I hope our readers will be generous to the extent that they can to help fulfill the dreams of neighbors and friends throughout our communities. I did not dream of LocaLeben - that is Jim’s dream, but I have al-

ways shared in its philosophy of local. Our local area is rich in many resources - but its most precious resource is its people. In the many small communities encircling Beaver Dam, there are numerous opportunities to live life local. I sincerely hope that you are encouraged to do so during this holiday season, purchasing gifts produced by your neighbors and friends in our local area. LocaLeben will commemorate its one year’ anniversary with a celebration to benefit the Beaver Dam Area Arts Association on January 12, 2013. Your invitation can be found on the insert at page 6. It really does not seem that long ago that a celebration to launch the first issue took place. Since then, every 60 days we have gathered to finalize another issue - not necessarily a physical gathering thanks to our digital technology - but a gathering nonetheless. The eyes of many ensure the quality of the content that Erik has planned out months in advance. I am always pleased to peruse the submissions - so many interesting details to be shared. Thank you to all that have shared their stories this past year, and I look forward to the future. I must admit that I am out of my comfort zone to actually be sharing words for publication - I spend my days editing healthcare documentation and my role here at the magazine is to proofread and edit - the other side of the keyboard so to speak. I want to encourage others to share their stories of life in our local community - share what is important to you, your children and grandchildren, your parents and neighbors. We look forward to hearing from you here at LocaLeben - keep those cards and letters coming.

I Shop Park Village Shopping Center... You Should Too!

Holiday Hoopla 2nd Annual

Tired of DRILL, FILL, and BILL?

OPEN HOUSE

Saturday, December 8th Photos with Santa 11am-2pm Register to win thousands of dollars worth of door prizes by stopping at each store! Your one-stop shopping for

Black Friday - Nov. 23

Call (920) 887- 8079 to learn how you can end that cycle forever.

On the Beautiful East Side of Beaver Dam! At the Intersection of HWY 151 & 33

Home Books/Cards Food Specialty Improvement Real Estate Gifts Sake House Shopko Cost Cutters Evenson’s RE.BATH of Preferred Edward Japanese Hibachi & Pharmacy . Optical Hair Solon Hallmark Central Realty Jones Sushi Restaurant Cousins Subs Wisconsin Vineyard Laundry Piggly Wiggly Wonder Books . Gifts Grocery . Deli . Wine Connection Dollar’s Nails Coffee Shop Anchor Stores

Dr. Jack Stellpﬂug Dental Care and Educattion

Beauty

Popcorn Emporium

Dry Cleaning

Where Shopping is Always Fun!

207 S. University Ave. Beaver Dam, WI www.drjackdds.com

*********ECRWSSEDDM****

Postal Customer

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 577

A HAPPY HARLEY HOLIDAY Turning the calendar back to the 1960s in downtown Beaver Dam is both interesting and challenging from an historical point of view. The cover painting is in the heart of the city at 201 South Center Street. The focal point is Mischler’s Harley-Davidson, which began business when Bill and Curly opened the doors. Christmas trees were sold during the holidays in the parking lot next door. People shopping add to the busyness of this time of year with a new fallen snow. Add a little more nostalgia to the late afternoon – a tree-loaded 1941 Cadillac (“Woody”) Estate Wagon ready to head home at the end of the day. Brings to mind that old song ... I’ll be home for Christmas... you can count on me...

November 2012