March/April 2014 by LocaLeben

Whether you始re looking for a new or used vehicle, the most valuable asset after price is time. At Countryside GM Auto Group, we won始t waste a minute of precious time in getting you the best price for new or used vehicles and we始ll work to get you on the road with less money spent and less time wasted. For every new or used vehicle purchase in the month of March, a portion will be donated to the Beaver Dam Community Theater Building Project.

MARCH - APRIL 2014

To The Reader Feature

A City Built

Powerful Ambitions

Stump the Beaver

This & That The He-Man Cigar Club

Bunny

Viewfinder Noah Katsma

Legend & Lore Family Stories told by a Tree

Feature Artist Chef Chanse

A Royal Clark: Worth a Risk

Teddy the Bull Moose

The Wandering Man

Historical Society Another Connection

The Social Luxury of Beer

Parting Thoughts

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Not a Mistake

What can a community accomplish when we band together? Anything – When you look around this community, all of the best things were simply created by those who buckled down and got to work making something they felt was needed. Looking back into the history of our community always impresses me. It is one of my favorite parts of this job. We have an amazing history in this little part of the country. I enjoy bringing you snippets of it with each issue. I truly believe knowing our history can give citizens a sense of pride and commitment to make history that will be worth putting in a magazine (or its equivalent format) 100 years from now. In just the few years we have been doing this, I have seen great energy come through in the community. This is the main reason I felt this magazine was needed. We needed a place, a platform where people could share the great, energetic things they were doing - in their own voice. But most importantly, in a format that everyone could easily access – FREE both in print and online. I admit, I am partial to the paper copy, though – mainly because I need it to be able to slow down and disconnect. Paper allows you to truly dive into what you are reading. No random notification from your computer or tablet that you have a new email or text message. I am more guilty than anyone of not taking a break and simply relaxing. I am more connected than I need to be. How about you? I hope in the time you take to read the magazine you are able to disconnect – then connect with the positive energy in this community. I give all of the credit to the contributors in each and every issue. Honestly, what I do is nothing in comparison to the work of the people featured in each issue. What continues to delight and surprise me is how little I know about what is going on in the community. If you are one of those who is finding your own way of making history – let’s meet for coffee and share your story with the community.

Cover Photo by Dave Edwards Used with permission Back Cover: Monarch Range Sales Binder Source: Dodge County Historical Society

Submit Press Releases, Events, & Story Ideas on www.localeben.com

Dodge County Lifespan Respite Network is holding a concert fundraising event on April 4, 2014 at 6:15 p.m. at the Beaver Dam High School Auditorium. The proceeds will be used towards recreational programming for children with disabilities. Advance tickets are only $20.00 and are available at Piggly Wiggly and Rechekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Food Pride or by calling the DCLRN office at (920) 356-9870. Tax-deductible donations are also being accepted to help offset the cost of the event. This special event will feature returning artist Jake Simpson of OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network Star Search Champion, Rolling Stone LA Artist in Residence. Also performing will be Devin Velez the Top 8 Finisher in 2013 from American Idol Season 12 and Rion Paige the Top 4 Finisher in 2013 from X Factor Season 3. This event is being held by Dodge County Lifespan Respite Network, a United Way of Dodge County member agency. Also sponsored in part by the AmericInn, Beaver Dam Jazzercise, Family Youth Interaction, Hometown Glass and Improvement, PT Community Properties, The American National Bank and the Beaver Dam High School SWAZZ group.

Karla Jensen

Emily McKnight

Karla Jensen has been a freelance writer for 25 years. She is a published playwright with her husband Mark, and she teaches writing at the Seippel Center. Karla’s background includes radio, television, magazine publishing, tourism and real estate, not to mention Danish Dancing.

Feature artist in our May-June 2012 issue, Emily is a student at Beaver Dam High School. She was born in Bristol, England and also lived in Wales and Scotland. She is a selftaught artist with an interest in different cultures and a love of music. She will be attending university this fall.

Lloyd Clark

Julie Fleming

A writer, swordsman, jouster, and sometime political operative, Lloyd has lived in Beaver Dam for 12 years, the longest of any place in his life. Devoted husband, father and observer of the human condition, he can’t think of a better place to call home. He enjoys riding horses and teaching jousting.

Retired from a career as a librarian in schools and public libraries, Julie now writes articles and presents historical talks. History is a passion of hers, as well as live music, especially jazz. She coordinates the annual Bunny Berigan Jazz Jubilee, a 3-day event that begins May 16 in Fox Lake.

Jim Hasey

Alan Bennett

Born and raised in Columbus, Jim spent 18 years in California before moving back to the area and starting Next to Heaven Properties. He is owner/operator of Chapel of the Archangels (weddings/receptions/parties) with his partner Jimmie Walker and works 9-5 as a Sr. IT Business Analyst.

An ecologist, woodcarver and environmental educator, Alan spends much of his time restoring a small piece of Wisconsin’s pre-settlement oak savanna on a place he calls “Prairiehill Farm.” His father’s stories explain the scars and irregularities in the rings of an old shagbark hickory tree.

Jacob Friede

Laurie Propst

An accomplished freelance writer, Jacob keeps his work ethic in shape through auto detailing and chasing roosters without a dog. He appreciates being able to commit point of view crimes by appearing in a third-person piece, placing the blame on the band and the objectivity required by the genre.

Beaver Dam is Laurie’s hometown. She loves learning about its past and helping preserve that knowledge for future generations. She is retired from John Deere and owns Propst Christmas Tree Farm with her husband Dave. She also had the privilege to serve for 30 years on our school board.

COME SEE THE NEW URBAN ATTITUDES COLLECTION The MAGAZINE

VOLUME 3 - IssUE 2

EDITOR

PUBLISHER

Erik Dittmann

Jim Dittmann

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

Preston Bowman

Benjamin Dittmann

COPY EDITOR

BUSINESS MANAGER

Kathy Dittmann

Emma Dittmann

LocaLeben The Magazine is mailed bi-monthly to 16,014 homes and businesses in the 53916 zip code and select carrier routes in the surrounding communities. An additional 2,500 copies are available for FREE at all public libraries in Dodge County and any advertiser in LocaLeben.

OUT OF DISTRIBUTION SUBSCRIPTION We offer a subscription to interested readers who live outside of our distribution for $15 per year. To subscribe to LocaLeben, please send payment to the mailing address below. Call (920) 306-1189 to subscribe by phone. Send E-mail requests to subscribe@localeben.com. Energy Savings for LED lights vs Incandescent vs CFL

ADVERTISE WITH US Our purpose is to embrace Local - When you advertise in LocaLeben you will be promoting the local living economy - enabling an environment that is sustainable - growing - and prosperous! Please contact Erik to learn more about our marketing and advertising services.

Life Span (In Hours) Cost

Incandescent

CFL

LED

1,500

10,000

50,000

$1.50

60 watts

14 watts

6 watts

Price of Electricity/hour ($.30/kWh)

$0.02

$0.004

$0.0002

Electricity Cost used of 50k Hours

$900

$210

$90

Wattage

Bulbs needed for 50k of Usage

$20

Replacement Cost

$60

$15

Total 50,000 Hour Lighting Cost

$960

$225

Only $90

READER SERVICES 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. Phone: (920) 306-1189

Email: content@localeben.com

Mailing Address: N8369 S. Sunset Pt. Rd. Beaver Dam, WI 53916 Back Issues: Internship Inquiries: To order back issues, please intern@localeben.com send $5 per issue. Designed in Beaver Dam. LocaLeben The Magazine is published in Beaver Dam, WI by LocaLeben LLC. All rights reserved. The entire contents of LocaLeben The Magazine is Copyright (c) 2014. No portion may be reproduced, in whole or in part, by any means, including electronic retrieval systems, without 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.

Style D Coal-Wood Monarch Range Source: Dodge County Historical Society

Monarch Billboard Source: Dodge County Historical Society

or nearly a century, the Malleable Iron Range Company, called Monarch by most after their extremely popular stove, towered above the east side of Spring Street on land where Rechek’s Food Pride now stands. On eight and one-half acres, the 430,000 square foot factory provided much more than stoves to the residents of Beaver Dam; it provided jobs, homes and livelihood to generations of our citizens. Monarch did not start out in our fair city. The founders Silas McClure and A.C. Terrell started the Malleable Iron Range Company in 1896 in St. Louis, Missouri. When they formally incorporated the business in 1899, they used “Monarch” as their trademark and a legend was born. In the early 1900s, Beaver Dam already had an iron manufacturing company: Beaver Dam Malleable Iron Works owned by local lawyer (judge, city official, State Assembly Representative, U.S. Commissioner of Lands, Civil War Veteran and President of the German National Bank) Silas W. Lamoreux. Lamoreux, having been contracted by the Dauntless Stove Manufacturing Company, a Nebraska company, to provide $5000 worth of parts for their stoves, suddenly found himself as owner of the Omaha corporation when they failed to be able to pay. Never one to pass up an opportunity, Lamoreux moved all of the company’s tangible assets, machinery, equipment and product to Beaver Dam, and the Dauntless Manufacturing Company was formed. Dauntless was successful in getting a contract to produce stoves for the Army, which attracted the attention of McClure and Terrell, and on February 2, 1902, they finalized a deal combining the two companies into the Malleable Iron Range Company (Monarch). Moving manufacturing to Beaver Dam created a business entity that would employ thousands of our citizens over the convening decades; however, the “renaming” of the company brought about a circuit court case when the “middle men” in the Army stove contract attempted to back out of the deal.

What’s In A Name? Francis Buzzacott and Charles Pusey were partners in a business that actually secured the government contract. On November 19, 1901, they contracted with Dauntless “to manufacture army ranges and deliver them to Buzzacott, f.o.b. (free on board) railcars at Beaver Dam, for $20 each.” On June 17, 1902 (after the official name change and the bill for the first installment of payments) Buzzacott and Pusey “executed and delivered an instrument in writing,” i.e. a contract, specifying that the total of the contract would be for no more than $3200 and that they were accepting the terms of the Beaver Dam Malleable Iron Range Company. In August of 1902, Buzzacott contacted Monarch stating that there were damage issues with many of the ranges and that he wished to cancel the contract immediately, for cause. Monarch agreed with the acknowledged stipulation that Buzzacott and Pusey would purchase the stoves already made. Buzzacott was to come to Beaver Dam and personally inspect each stove before they would ship it. This apparently transpired as written and on August 30, 1902, Buzzacott owed Monarch $3200. In the journal, Reports of Case Law and at Chancery of the Illinois Supreme Court, 1910, on the case Malleable Iron Range Company vs. Pusey, it states that “Francis H. Buzzacott owed the Malleable Iron Range Company upward of $3200, and demand having been made upon Pusey for payment to the extent of $3200, and payment having been refused, an action of debt was commenced by the Beaver Dam Malleable Iron Range Company, a corporation, against Buzzacott and Pusey, in the superior court of Cook county (Illinois).” From the records, it appears as if it was Pusey, and not Buzzacott, that was refusing to pay for the delivered stoves. After losing in court, Pusey pled the case to the Illinois Supreme Court, basing his appeal on the delivery of subpar product and the fact that the contract had been with the Beaver Dam Malleable Iron Range Company not with Malleable Iron Range Company. The Jus-

Third Shift Shell Department (See First and Second Shift Online) Source: Dodge County Historical Society

tices refused the subpar product statement, “This evidence the court excluded, upon the ground that all controversies with respect to defects in the ranges or damages suffered by Buzzacott by reason of any such defects had been settled by the acts and agreements of contracting parties.” They further denied that the contact would be null and void due to a misprinting of the company’s name, as this was already a set piece of case law as it was common during the early years of the United States for contractual “typos” to appear in handwritten documents. In the end, Pusey ended up paying Monarch more than $4000 for the stoves delivered and their legal fees. Monarch employed 20 people in 1902, and that number grew somewhat slowly during the early years of the company. Up until 1910, Monarch had purchased most of the cast iron parts for the stoves and heaters they built. In that year, they added a foundry to the factory and began to produce 100% of their own parts. They would later add a warehouse, as well as multiple buildings dedicated to fabrication, annealing, a machine shop, and then an even larger warehouse when production took off. Monarch expanded to multiple, semi-attached buildings that stretched from Rechek’s to the Shoe Factory. Monarch’s line of ranges moved out of merely the home market and became the standard for restaurants, hotels, and in chefs’ kitchens the world over. More than 4500 retailers sold Monarch ranges and the company had grown to 26 departments. Monarch ranges went literally to the ends of the earth as famous explorer Admiral Richard Byrd (who discovered the South Pole) personally visited the Monarch factory, worked with Monarch engineers to design a coal/wood burning stove for his second Antarctic expedition and an oil burning stove for his third. He then used both these stoves in all his further expeditions. Monarch inventor and President Herbert Burrow designed and patented the combination coal-wood-electric range in 1938. Never satisfied to rest on their laurels, Monarch developed and patented dozens of ideas. Their trademark stove moved from wood burning to coal burning to gas burning to electric powered. The 1950s brought in the rage for enamel and chrome appliances and Monarch once again led the way. By the mid-1950s, Monarch employed 1,200 and became the standard for quality in stoves, refrigerators, heaters and water heaters. Many homes in Beaver Dam, including the author’s, still have Monarch gas or electric water heaters performing brilliantly. Andrew Hill, Monarch’s first President, served in that

position until 1921. Hill’s mansion, built around 1910, can still be seen at 1202 North Center. However, this is not the home’s original location. Many of us can remember back in 2005 when the home, which was then owned by Trinity Church on Oneida Street, was sold to a local resident who, along with the carriage house next door, had the entire building lifted from its foundation and moved ever so slowly up Center Street to its current location. Fred W. Rogers became the next Monarch President in 1921, when he was elevated from the position of Vice-President by the Board of Directors. Rogers was extremely active in moving the company, and the community, forward. Known for his Producing 75 mm. Shells for the Army during WWII at the Monarch Factory Source: Dodge County Historical Society

philanthropic efforts, Rogers also built a quaint little place near to the factory to allow visiting businessmen and dignitaries a place to stay – the Rogers Hotel, which was operated until 1987 by his daughter Ann Rogers Pfeffer. Gone, But Not Forgotten By the 1980s, Monarch had passed its peak as a corporation. By the time the doors closed for good in 1985, only around 250 employees still made the trek each day to the mammoth factory on Spring Street. In March of that year, Monarch filed for bankruptcy and its assets were sold off in July of that same year. Unfortunately, Monarch left another legacy for Beaver Dam, that of a toxic waste “brownfield.” For decades, Monarch had proudly stated the use of asbestos in their products. Unfortunately, this was before science understood the detrimental effects that asbestos has upon the human body when inhaled. Further, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources found more than 500 barrels of toxic waste when they toured the closed factory in 1986. When the corporation that had bought out the assets of Monarch refused to be held accountable for disposal of the toxic chemicals, the Environmental Protection Agency stepped in and used Superfund money to “clean” the site. In 1990, a fire destroyed a large portion of the decaying buildings. The city, which had taken over ownership of the property, went ahead and leveled the buildings. While this may have been the end of Monarch’s era in Beaver Dam’s metal fabricating history, it was by no means the end of metal fabricating in Beaver Dam. Our city is dotted with metal shops. As long as there is a

Fire-damaged Monarch Buildings, 1990 Source: Dodge County Historical Society

need for custom crafted metal products, our proud Beaver Dam craftsmen will be there to supply those needs. Beaver Dam may not be the manufacturing “giant” that we once were; however, we can take pride in the knowledge that the “can do” attitude and drive to succeed still exists in our town. Monarch may be gone, but the dream, along with the drive and the determination that built a world-leading manufacturing plant, PHOTOS is still here – and is not forgotten. See more @ www.localeben.com

The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body. It is surrounded by nerves, tendons, bursa and other tissues which can cause pain when irritated.

Chiropractic adjustments of the shoulder, neck, and mid back can help restore function and relieve pain in the shoulder. Mention this ad and get your new patient exam at no charge!

EMILY McKNIGHT

remember always being a shy and introverted person. My mother remembers worrying about me when she would see me by myself at school. I was always the different one, whether it was that my parents were American, or I was quiet and shy. It never really bothered me. I never could have known back then how that difference would develop into something I could hardly have imagined called Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). My first memories of OCD are from when I was six or seven. I had some compulsions, like touching things evenly with both hands. I never told anyone about these things and tried my best to hide them. In 2006, at the age of ten, my parents moved my family back to the United States. My older brother and sister were very open about their negative feelings toward our move. However, since I did not openly talk about my feelings, my parents did not think it affected me that much, but it did. I, like my siblings, loved Scotland. It was my home. I loved everything about it. I am not sure if the move was a trigger, but things went downhill from there. My first year in the United States was pretty hard. As I advanced to middle school, I felt surrounded by kids who hated school. I did not understand why they hated it so much, because I loved to learn. Learning made me happy. Disruptive kids would do nothing but wreak havoc for the teachers, so I was afraid to speak up in class or do anything that would attract attention to myself, especially in seventh and eighth grades. At that time, intrusive thoughts and anxiety increased to a more severe level. I developed more rituals to decrease my fears and anxieties. If I would think about something bad while walking or doing something, I would have to retrace my steps or “rewind” my motion to the spot I began to think about it. I remember my mum or sister seeing me and asking what I was doing. I had to lie and say I thought I had forgotten something in the other room or whatever suited the situation. In mid-eighth grade, my compulsions began to interfere with school. I significantly decreased my activities and classes. I could not touch anything there or breathe heavily because I thought I would inhale all the germs.

After school my obsession for cleanliness consumed me and I developed a strict cleaning ritual that took up all of my spare time. I would wash my hands well over 20 times after school. I spent an hour in the shower, scrubbing my hands until they were raw, and it was a real killer. I would have to scrub my eyelids until I could not open them. I would spend the rest of the day curled up somewhere trying to get away from contaminated things and trying not to do anything in general because of the hell my OCD would put me through. Summer, although more relaxing due to no school, allowed me a break, but my OCD was still very much there. On the first day of high school, my mother tried so hard to make me go to school. I fell apart and could not physically let myself go. I cried and panicked until my energy plummeted to zero. That was when my parents decided to home-school me. This move got me out of the contaminated halls of the school and away from the “bad” things, but it did not in any way help with the illness. Compulsive thoughts distracted me from schoolwork, and I could not get much done. I would never leave the house, except for medical appointments. At home, I would not let anyone talk about anything I considered “contaminated.” School was at the top of that list. This was hard, because school is such a big part of my siblings’ lives, especially my brother, who is disabled and loves school. Every afternoon I would hide under a blanket on the floor of my room with my eyes closed. I thought the germs would be floating around because everyone was home and walking around

YOU CAN PROTECT YOUR DREAMS FOR LESS THANPROTECT YOU THINK. YOU CAN YOUR DREAMS FOR LESS THAN YOU THINK.

the house. I would wait until the germs would settle, and then I would come out for dinner. I would not let anyone talk about anything I considered to be contaminated. That left few topics. I still feel horrible about that, but at the time, I could not help it. When someone touched me or said anything “contaminated,” I would feel trapped in the thoughts of my OCD, like there was no escaping. There was nothing I could do to erase what had happened, so I knew I would have to do some OCD ritual like scrubbing my hands or eyes. I could only show people what those things did to me and how they made me feel. Some days it was so bad it almost drove my parents to take me to the hospital. I lived trapped in my mind and thoughts for a year and a half. Everyday I struggled. Sometimes I thought about giving up. That would have been the easy way out. I was trapped in this misery, while my older brother and sister each found a great college is a and followed their dreams. I had dreams too. I wanted to attend a great college and make Protection Better service, better coverage and better value with our great new lineup of family tradition. discounts—you could get it all when you make the switch to American Family something of myself. I had dreamed of that since I was a little girl, standing in the playInsurance. We’re the like right yours choice for protecting your dreams. Since 1927, families have ground at primary school, lost in my thoughts. I never lost hope that my dreams could Your dream is out there. Go get it. We’ll protect it. trusted our Family to protect them Call today for a competitive quote. service, better coverage and better value with our great new lineup of still come true. I just could not let that one last source of hope leave me. As much as the from Better unexpected could losses. meyou make the switch to American Family discounts—you get itCall all when thought emotionally hurt me, I knew that if I ever wanted to do something good with my todayInsurance. We’reyour the right choice Kevin for protecting dreams.LLC Carnineyour Agency, to discuss needs. Your dream is out there. Go get it. We’ll it. 718protect Park Avenue life, I had to combat this debilitating illness and fight the compulsions. I would no longer Call today for a competitive quote. Beaver Dam, WI 53916 Bus: (920) 887-9700 let OCD control me. KCARNINE@AmFam.com Kevin Carnine Agency, LLC As a high school sophomore, I had to make a very difficult decision. I knew that 718 Park Avenue Beaver Dam, WI 53916 if I wanted to get my life back, I had to return to school. That would be the first step, a Bus: (920) 887-9700 big one, but a hard one. I had to face all of my bad thoughts and contamination issues, KCARNINE@AmFam.com and just do it. My mother was apprehensive about letting me go immediately and wanted me to slowly return to school. I did it my way. The rest of the year at Beaver Dam High School was terribly difficult. I placed many restrictions upon myself like having my hair tied up, wearing thick clothes and staying completely covered. I spent the year with hunched shoulders, trying to avoid as many germs as possible, capable of nothing more Discounts may vary by state, property policy form and company underwriting the auto policy. Discounts may not apply to all coverages on an auto or property policy. than school itself. I knew people saw that something was wrong, but I kept all my issues a American Family Mutual Insurance Company and its Subsidiaries, American Family Insurance Company 3.5” x 2.5” | Maximum Font Size: 30 pt pt Home OfficeFont – Madison,Size: WI 53783 ©2012 005598 Rev. 8/12 3.5” x 2.5” | Maximum 30 secret. After school, I could not touch anything in my house unless I took a shower. Often3.5” x 2.5” | Maximum Font Size: Size: 30 30 pt pt 3.5” x 2.5” |Font Maximum Font 3.5” x 2.5” | Maximum Size: 30 pt I took two showers. I used a towel to touch everything. My towel was my best 3.5”friend x 2.5”in | Maximum Font Size: 30 policy pt form and company underwriting the auto policy. Discounts may vary by state, property Discounts may not apply to all coverages on an auto or property policy. American Family Mutual Insurance Company and its Subsidiaries, American Family Insurance Company terms of keeping my hands clean. One of my rituals included washing my hands for five Home Office – Madison, WI 53783 ©2012 005598 Rev. 8/12 seconds really hard and then repeating that 60 times. After the second shower, I used a different towel. On bad days, I could be stuck in a ritual for hours. I remember on multiple occasions standing by my bedroom door with my hand on the doorknob for hours, often past 1 a.m., until exhaustion forced me to go to bed. David Geschke, AAMS® AAMS® The next year I made a big effort to release some of my rituals. It was my junior Geschke, AAMS® AAMS® David Geschke, Advisor Financial Advisor David Geschke, AAMS® year, so every day was getting closer to graduation and college. Even though I was still AAMS® Advisor Financial Advisor Financial200 Street Suite Suite 2b 2b Advisor Front Street entrenched in my illness, I found that my goal of going to college really helped motivate Street Suite 2b 2b 200Dam, Front WI Street Suite Beaver WI 53916 53916 200 Front Street Suite 2b me to push through the hard times and, in turn, make my college dreams feel like they 2b WI Dam, WI 53916 53916 Beaver Dam, 920-885-4885 920-885-4885 Beaver Dam, 920-885-4885 WI 53916 920-885-4885 were actually tangible. Those realizations made me feel great. Even though my obsessive 920-885-4885 thoughts were still bad, I was learning to cope with them and control the rituals that they caused. It was very hard, but when I had those days with bad thoughts, I just would think about my ambitions and how, if I kept on fighting, each day would be one step closer to MemberSIPC SIPC Member MemberSIPC SIPC Member my dream. I was even able to do more than just school and joined clubs and began volunMemberSIPC SIPC Member teering, things I knew were important to the college application process. Now, as I come into my senior year, I feel that I am more confident than ever. The bulk of my prominent rituals are behind me, and I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. It was a long journey, one that I would not wish on my worst enemy. However, I would not change any of it. My experience has made me stronger, more resilient and focused on life and all it has to offer. And I feel that with my story, I have found my calling, what I have been born to do: help others. I want to dedicate my life to helping anyone and everyone with this menacing illness by sharing my story and giving them the courage to fight and never give up. Personally, I know that I still have a ways to go, but I can finally say that I will not let my OCD and anxiety control my life anymore. I hope that my story will inspire other people, especially young people, to face their problems and live their life on their own terms. Dreams and ambitions are powerful forces; they literally saved my life! Kevin Carnine Agency, LLC An Outstanding Customer Experience J.D. Power and Associates certified Distinguished Insurance Agency (920) 887-9700 Bus www.kevincarnine.com

American Family Mutual Insurance Company and its Subsidiaries American Family Insurance Company Home Office – Madison, WI 53783

002139 – Rev. 6/11

PHOTOS

See more @ www.localeben.com

caused by miserable, little, stinky, parasitic, out-of-control, brainless invaders from Canada, with absolutely no musical talent, so I fail to see the connection with Mr. Bieber.

THE BEAVER

ear Stump, My mom and I really loved the popcorn box costume you had on this weekend. When is your birthday? What did you think of the road construction by your house? Was it noisy? Did you have to take a bath every night to get all the stuff off your body? Beaver Dam will always be the BEST!! Your Friend, Hanna. Answer: I love birch-bark birthday cake, so I celebrate three birthdays every year: 1) January 28th, when my seed fell from the cone, 2) May 26th, when I germinated, and 3) September 28th, when I was carved into a beaver. The road construction on Park Avenue was a tad dusty, but I didn’t mind, because it was a warm summer and I enjoyed getting hosed off. Note: I’m not sure why the street is called “Park Avenue” since parking is not permitted. Do you think it should be renamed “No Park Avenue”? Your Friend, Stump Forest from Chengdu, China, asks: Is it true that Justin Bieber is responsible for Beaver Fever? Answer: Beaver Fever (Giardia) is

Jim from Beaver Dam asks: Do beavers hibernate during the winter? Answer: We don’t usually hibernate; however, it was kinda tempting to hibernate through this last killer winter! Rather than hibernating, we spend Wisconsin winters inside our cozy Beaver Lodges, which we stockpile with food during the summer and fall. The entrance to our lodge is underneath the water, to keep out predators. However, once inside, the rooms are above the waterline, so we have a dry place where we watch “Leave it to Beaver” reruns. How about that Eddie Haskell . . . Sena from Beaver Dam asks: I saw a huge beaver in Idaho that must have weighed 90 pounds; do they often get that big? Answer: Most adult beavers are in the 50-75 pound range, but some wellfed beavers can reach 100 pounds. Over the holidays, I occasionally tip the scales at 85 pounds, but then slim down at the “Y” after my blue jeans start getting a little too tight around the brisket. Speaking of the “Y,” have you seen the good-looking beaver slide by the swimming pool? When coming down the slide, you are actually cascading down her huge green tongue, which has got to be the largest tongue in the entire animal kingdom! Except for Miley Cyrus, of course. Send your questions to: Beav@localeben.com.

Beaver Dam Community Hospitals Foundation, Inc.

Derby Day

A “Run for the Roses” fundraising gala for

Beaver Dam Community Hospitals Foundation, Inc.

SATURDAY May 3, 2014 - 3:00 p.m. We invite you to the fourth Derby Day fundraising gala that includes premier viewing of the 140th Kentucky Derby, the first jewel in the Triple Crown! Glam yourself in Derby style fashion (and don’t forget your hat)! Enjoy hors d’oeuvres and dinner while sipping on a mint julep and choosing your winning horse. A silent and live auction as well as a Derby hat auction will round out the evening.

Old Hickory Golf Club Tickets: $60 each For more information or to purchase tickets, please call (920) 887-4851. All proceeds from the event will support the BDCH Foundation’s Hillside Hospice Home Fund.

DAVE BOWMAN

“I have made it a rule never to smoke more than one cigar at a time.” – Mark Twain

ecently I was invited to join a several-times-a-year ritual taken up by a small group of friends within my sphere. After a hearty manly burger meal at a “Five Guys” hamburger haven, we sauntered to a nearby establishment to partake in a bonding experience like no other. As we approached it, I noticed the haze wafting out of the door and began to pick up the fragrant bouquet of well-rolled, aromatic cigars. Yes, I was going to become a part of the “He-Man Cigar Club” in a well-established cigar bar. Now, there are differing opinions on the subject, but there are times in life to check off another box on the ol’ “Bucket List.” There are many different types of cigars – Torpedo, Pyramid, Parejo, Presdiente, and different places of origin – Brazil, Cameroon, Dominican Republic and, of course, Cuba. The list is endless of famous people who have partaken – among them Mark

BLUE RIBBON SCHOOLS LINCOLN ELEMENTARY SOUTH BEAVER DAM ELEMENTARY

Twain, Groucho Marx, John Kennedy, Milton Berle, Ernie Kovacs, Rush Limbaugh, Ulysses S. Grant, Red Auerbach, Demi Moore, and Winston Churchill, who has a cigar size named after him, the “Churchill Cigar,” and invented the practice of dipping his cigar in port wine or brandy. My first shot at showing my cigar savvy was 26 years ago when I was running around the hospital birthing area handing out pink bubble gum cigars to everyone and anyone, ecstatically yelling out, “We had a girl! We had a girl!” Suffice it to say, one of my compadres was helpful in determining the best choice for my inaugural run. After choosing the right kind for my taste, I learned that the end has to be snipped, it needs to be gently rolled as it is lit up, and then the required admonition, “Whatever you do, don’t inhale.” Well, as I was sitting there, not inhaling and trying to determine if there is a taste and what I should be tasting, I realized that it is not just the physical act. As we settled in, there were others in the bar doing what we were doing. Chatting, taking a puff, expounding knowingly on every subject under the sun, taking a puff, talking like Mr. Howell on “Gilligan’s Island” comparing our stock portfolios, taking a puff, and quite honestly just enjoying our friendship with each other. As I did not wish to embarrass my friends, I asked if I was doing it right, and one of them glanced over and told me that I looked “quite senatorial.” I have been asked to join them again, and I do believe I will. And this time, I will definitely know not to ask for the special “Blue “or “Pink” cigars with “The Stork” brand embossed on the label, kept hidden well below the counter.

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

507 Madison Street, Beaver Dam Hours: Wed.-Sat. 10am - 7pm Sun. 11am - 5pm Closed Mon. and Tues.

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

JULIE FLEMING

oland “Bunny” Bernard Berigan was born on November 2, 1908, in Hilbert, Calumet County, Wisconsin, where his father worked for the railroad as the station agent. He was the second son born to William P. “Bill” and Mary (Schiltzberg) Berigan, whose extended family all lived in either Fox Lake, Wisconsin, or on farms in the Fox Lake area. In July of 1909, with encouragement from his mother-in-law and due to Bunny’s health, Bill Berigan moved his family to 524 State Street in Fox Lake, although he continued to work in Hilbert for a time. When eightmonth-old Bunny arrived in Fox Lake, he was a very sick baby with whooping cough, but under his Grandma Schlitzberg’s good care, and in the spacious house and shady yard, he began to improve. It took a number of weeks to restore him to good health. Bunny became a great trumpet player, but he learned to play the violin first, and he also played alto horn in a 14-piece concert band led by his grandfather John Schlitzberg that played weekly summer concerts in Fox Lake. As a kid, he took lessons from the finest musicians in the Fox Lake/Beaver Dam area. While still a young teenager, Merrill Owen of Beaver Dam discovered Bunny and he played in the Merrill Owen Penney Jazz Band for three years. When he started with Merrill Owen, he was still wearing knee pants. One day after a gig, he went home and asked his mother if he could not please get a pair of long pants. He felt foolish wearing knee pants while the rest of the guys in the band all wore long pants. At the end of his sophomore year in the Fox Lake High School, Bunny transferred to Madison and attended Wisconsin High School. In Madison, he lived with his widowed grandmother Mrs. Margaret Berigan. Bunny joined a band in which one of his uncles played and it was during this time that Hal Kemp heard him and was very impressed. He signed Bunny up to play with the Kemp Orchestra, and leaving from New York City, the orchestra had a successful tour of England and Europe. During this tour, Bunny played his first trumpet solo with a big band. Upon his return to the United States, Bunny began to freelance, making public radio appearances and recordings. In New York City, he had all the breaks that any musician could have had, including featured spots with great names and bands like Benny Goodman, Paul Whiteman, Tommy Dorsey, Gene Krupa, Buddy

Bunny Berigan and his Martin Trumpet Source: Fox Lake Harriet O’Connell Historical Room

Rich, Frank Sinatra, Pied Pipers, Eddie Miller, Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby, The Mills Brothers, Mildred Bailey, the Boswell Sisters, Billie Holiday, Red McKenzie and Red Norvo. He led his own band, had recording contracts galore and even did movie work. He actually led a very fast-paced life, often playing in recording studios in the morning, playing live radio in the afternoon and perhaps playing with a popular orchestra in the evening. His great love was popular music. Bunny really began to shine brightly in 1935 when he joined the Benny Goodman band. At that time he was a pretty stolid, serious-looking fellow, a characteristic not at all reflected in his playing, as noted in a very pertinent remark by Red McKenzie: “If that man wasn’t such a gambler, everybody’d say he was the greatest that ever blew. But the man’s got such nerve and likes his horn so much that he’ll go ahead and try stuff nobody else’d ever think of trying.” While with the Benny Goodman band, Bunny recorded such pieces as King Porter Stomp, Blue Skies, Jingle Bells, Goodbye and Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. Later as a member of the Tommy Dorsey band, he recorded such memorable sides as Marie, Song of India, Melody in F and Spring Song. His superb trumpet was a dynamic factor in the rise to fame of both the Goodman and Dorsey bands. He was a giant of the swing era and perhaps could even be credited with the introduction of that music to the world. Don (right) and Bunny (left) with Tubby and Rover Source: Fox Lake Harriet O’Connell Historical Room

In 1936 Bunny set out on his own and his band made its debut at New York’s Pennsylvania Hotel in April. The Berigan star burst into full brilliance with the release of the monumental RCA Victor recording of I Can’t Get Started, an instantaneous hit and one that remains a classic of recorded music today. Bunny struggled with alcoholism, as did many of the musicians of the era. The pace was grueling with the strain of one-nighters as band members often ended a gig, traveled many miles all night in a car, ate breakfast (or whatever meal they called it at 2:00 a.m.) and then continued to travel through the night to another town where they got ready to play another engagement for the evening. It was not uncommon for the band to play for days in a row with never a break. In the last few months of his life, Bunny was really struggling. He returned to the bandstand of his own band just days after a siege of pneumonia, but the pace and the strain and the alcohol were all too much. By June of 1942, the last note had sounded from Bunny and the music world was shedding tears. Bunny died in New York City on June 2, 1942 at the age of 33. His body was brought back to Fox Lake, Wisconsin, where he was buried in the Berigan plot in St. Mary’s Cemetery, two miles south of Fox Lake on Breezy Point Road. Just a month after Bunny died, one of the nation’s leading Jazz critics prophesied: “One of these years they are going to start talking about Bunny Berigan. They are going to rave about his trumpeting feats, they are going to dig out his records and they are going to play them for the next generation, pointing out passages to prove that Bunny was one of the true greats of all Jazz.” That has certainly happened, and even now in 2014, fans collect and lis-

Boys Band of 1919: Top row - Witthun, Mullin, Church, Jones Middle row - Miller, Morrison, D. Berigan, J. Schlitzberg, Bercu, Mr. Schlitzberg (Director) Front row - A.Schlitzberg, B. Berigan, Bauer, Casey, Davies, Porter Source: Fox Lake Harriet O’Connell Historical Room

ten to the music of Bunny Berigan. For 40 years the Fox Lake Community has celebrated the memory of Bunny with the “Bunny Berigan Jazz Jubilee.” In 2014 it will be a three-day event held from Friday, May 16 through Sunday, May 18. Bands at the event will include the Bunny Berigan Memorial Band with the Rev. Al Townsend and Steve Lilley, the Bob Schulz All-Stars, David MacGregor leading his Vagabond Reeds, the Kaye Berigan 5Tet playing music from the great American Song Book, The Barb City Stompers, The Classic Red Hot Dixie, and the Matt Miller Trio. Details of the event can be found on the website www.bunnyberiganjazzjubilee.com.

The ideal home comfort system is the one you will never notice.

With You From the First Step. Timely appointments with your doctor on your schedule.

Heating & Air Conditioning Our trusted, expert service and quality heating and air-conditioning systems can bring energy-efficient, quiet, consistent comfort to your indoor space.

Call us today! 800-281-4676

• INSTALLATION • SERVICE • RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL • GEOTHERMAL

• GAS FIREPLACES • IN-FLOOR HEATING • INDOOR AIR QUALITY

W8238 Hwy 33 Beaver Dam, WI 53916 920-356-8860

www.aircareinc.com

here is nothing more embarrassing than nearly failing a college elective course in photography 101. I was not even sure what encouraged me to take a course in film photography; I had never used a Single-Lens Reflex Camera (SLR) in my life. Sure, I remember back in the day when I would occasionally use my parents old SLR and try to take blurry pictures of random animals at the zoo, but that was the extent of my experience. Still, I decided to sign up for the class using my parents’ 20-year-old SLR that I would play around with as a child. I had no idea that I would be processing the film myself. I was completely unaware that I would be splashing dangerous chemicals in a very dark room to bring life to the photos I took, and it did not help that my class was being taught by a last minute adjunct “professor” who entertained the idea he was teaching us just so he could collect his paycheck. And to top it all off, I did not realize my camera’s light meter was broken until the semester was nearly over. It was plainly an awful experience overall. I remember classmates destroying their film rolls repeat-

edly in attempts to process their images. I can clearly recall the screams of frustration in the dark room as my peers and I threw away one failed enlargement after another. And if we did manage to miraculously create a finished image, our lackluster professor judged us extremely harshly on our composition and flaws. If it had not been for the camaraderie and support that my classmates and I had for one another, I am certain we would have all been given failing grades. But because we all worked together and shared our lessons learned from trial and error, we were able to help one another, even if that meant staying into the early morning bearing one another’s burdens when things were not going right. That was the beginning of my journey into photography. I could have come out of that class with a bad taste for photography, but somehow that experience had awakened an interest in me. Even though it was not very much fun, it was probably the best experience I could have encountered. It taught me how to experiment, explore, and teach myself the many different techniques and styles that photography has to offer.

THE CROSSES The Crosses depicts the story of the criminals hanging on the cross next to Jesus. One man rebuking and turning away from Jesus, and another with a self-inflicted scar of a cross on his chest, that man representing the criminal turning to Jesus and repenting for his sins. This is a piece I created while in college.

WEDDINGS This bridal portrait was captured using the light shining through an old window of a barn. The rustic nature of the barn created such a beautiful texture that cannot be replicated anywhere else.

MARRIED IN A DREAM LAND This perfect backdrop at Olbrichâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Garden almost felt a little like a scene from Alice in Wonderland. By getting real low to the ground while using a telephoto lens, I was able to create this dreamlike look by using an aperture of F1.2 and incorporating beautiful bokeh.

Over the years I have put a couple hundred thousand actuations on my cameras while learning new and exciting techniques. I love exploring the world of photography, as there are so many facets and niches available to learn. I pride myself on being able to capture the story and emotions that one photograph can offer. I also enjoy being well versed in the technical aspect of photography that I have taught myself over the years. These photos show some of the diverse skills I have learned over the past seven years. Some of these images show off lighting and composition styles, while others focus on interesting editing techniques. All the images, however, have interesting stories and reasons behind their creation. Lucky enough for me I persevered through my difficult beginnings and worked hard to learn how to capture all of the beauty the world offers.

SELF PORTRAIT NOAH KATSMA LANDSCAPES

There is nothing more majestic than driving through the American countryside capturing the beautiful scenes that the world has to offer.

THE ELECTRIC FOREST This was a fun experiment while having a sleepless night this past summer. These spheres of light are man-made creations. Long exposure times and fun with a flashlight were both involved in the creation of this unique image.

THE EMPTY BIRDFEEDER After a fresh snow and as the sun was setting, I ventured out of the warmth of the house to take a total of 36 images. Each of those images was then hand stitched together in Photoshop to produce this one image.

Photos: Alan Bennett

ALAN BENNETT

ate in the afternoon of June 1, 2000, a tornado dropped from the sky south of Horicon, Wisconsin. It raced along the Rock River and flattened my grandparent’s barn, which had stood for over a century. Trees standing in the path of the tornado were uprooted or broken in half like matchsticks. Among its victims was a gnarly old shagbark hickory that stood atop an island on my grandparent’s farm. It was short and stocky with low branches, signs that it likely began its life in the open sunlight when this part of Wisconsin was savannah. The Rock River carved this farm from a long drumlin as it drained glacial Lake Horicon following the last ice age. It is an even mix of uplands, wetlands, and a round oxbow island. My grandparents were dairy farmers and moved onto the land in 1914. After the storm, several weeks passed before I was able to visit the island. Picking up the pieces left by a tornado is both sad and nostalgic. The old hickory held special meaning to me because I am a woodworker and an ecologist, and as a young boy, I had spent many hot summer days sitting under its canopy. As I walked up to where it once stood, there was no sign of that canopy. What remained was the

branchless trunk of the hickory standing like a pillar 10 feet above the ground. I used a chain saw to lower the truck, and after several minutes of shaving off shattered and splintered wood, I salvaged a 7-foot log. On my way home I stopped at an Amish sawmill. A team of horses pulled the log from my truck and nudged it into position on a long saw table. A diesel-powered circle saw roared to life and then groaned as its giant blade sliced into the log. Suddenly, sparks and smoke exploded – almost as if part of the storm that ended the tree’s life had been locked inside and was set free. My Amish neighbor quickly stopped the saw and muttered, “There is metal in this log.” Just as I began to fear the end of a friendship and my hickory lumber, he turned his head to add, “but its soft, must be bullets.” Hickory is one of the hardest, heaviest, and strongest American trees. Its wood is known for its bold flowing grain patterns and wide variations in color from cream to dark chocolate. It is typically used to make axe handles and flooring, but a few bold woodworkers use it to make furniture. One winter many years later, I decided it was time to turn that pile of

hickory lumber into a nightstand. As I milled the boards into the necessary lengths and widths, I had many more close calls with the bullets, but what really captured my attention were the patterns formed by the tree’s annual growth rings. As a tree grows it produces new layers of wood around the trunk. The layers are visible in cross section as concentric rings and are known as tree rings. How old was my hickory? With the aid of hand lens and a light stain to make the rings more visible, I made several counts and estimated it was 150 years old when it was sheared in half by the tornado. It grew rapidly for its first 60-65 years, adding 1 inch to its diameter every 6-8 years. Then, very abruptly, its growth slowed. For the remainder of its life it took 35-40 years to add 1 inch to its diameter. Something had changed during the years 1915-1920, but what? Variation in the widths of tree rings is due to environmental conditions when they were formed. As I pondered the circumstances that might have slowed the hickory’s growth, I remembered something my father told me. As a young boy he grew up on the farm and recalled how every summer the cows would wade through the marsh to reach the island. Once there, they would graze and bed down in the shade of the hickory and oak trees. More often than not, they would fail to come home at milking time and he or his brothers would have the unpopular chore of wading out there to get them. I recalled from my years afield as an ecologist that trampling and soil compaction around the base of trees by grazers has a profound effect on rates of tree growth. Studies have demonstrated that it even overshadows the influence of soil moisture and

air temperature. Although it is impossible to be certain, it is quite likely that the dawn of my grandparent’s dairy farming operation and the arrival of cattle on the island was recorded in the hickory’s tree rings. What about those bullets? I had noticed that the lead seemed to bleed into the sapwood creating a light gray coloration almost like a stain. It traveled vertically up and down the trunk within the tree rings extending up to 20 inches beyond the point of penetration. The stain left a distinctive signature in cross section. I backdated several cross sections and each pointed to the mid-1950s. I again recalled a story told by my father. After a road was built to the island in 1953, one of his gun-loving nephews and his friends would drive old cars out there and shoot them up with handguns and semiautomatic rifles. His only guess was that this was an adolescent re-enactment of the epic 1930’s shootout between John Dillinger’s gang and the F.B.I. Was the old hickory caught in the line of fire? Assembling the pieces of my hickory nightstand, I was reminded of other family stories. I imagined that I was peering into a historical timeline laid out across the face of each board. Why not capture part of the old tree’s history in my nightstand? I carefully end-matched two boards on the tabletop to showcase the full 150 years of the tree’s life. A bullet-riddled board became a drawer front. Front and rear legs where cut to expose knotholes that formed around bullet wounds. The old hickory tree lives on in my memory, this time as family stories told by a nightstand.

AI H a r m o ny

KI Spirit

DO T h e Pa t h

A Modern Japanese Martial Art Based on the Principle of Non-Resistance and Peaceful Reconciliation

AIKIDO

INTEGRATING THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY, TECHNIQUES AND RESEARCH, ROOT-DOWN PROVIDES THE HIGHEST QUALITY TREE CARE POSSIBLE

PUT YOUR REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS IN THE RIGHT HANDS If you are serious about selling or buying a home, call us today or visit us online to start your customized home search or a comparative market analysis.

of MARSHALL

Instructor · Mark Uttech 212 West Main St. Marshall, WI 53559 www.aikidoofmarshall.com

920-885-3312 www.c21affiliated.com

ome artists are teachers. Some are students. Some are hairdressers, social workers or librarians. One of the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most talented unconventional artists is a chef, and he is serving up more than mouthwatering cuisine. He has got a side of charisma that is positively addictive. He is a Foodie Maximus, along with his wife Livia, and his menu is nonexistent since every food endeavor is a clean slate for creativity. This chef â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s artistic pecs are solid and his culinary abs are a six pack from pumping all that iron in the kitchen. No wonder he has been on fire as a sought-after chef and artist for nearly two decades. Chef Chanse is so well known most people have not bothered to learn his last name. Customers do not bother because his reputation for great food, spot-on customer service and showmanship outranks that which might appear on a driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s license or at the bottom of an email. Chanse is the go-to guy for expos, specialty food presentations, top-notch fundraisers and, surprisingly, hugs. Whether you have known him for an hour or a minute, be forewarned. He will be treating you like lifelong friends, maybe even family, instantly, and you will not want to surrender his presence easily.

One may wonder how Chef Chanse has achieved near- At the corner of improvisation and craftsmanship is where ly 17 years of culinary experience, what with the fresh face and Chanse the chef becomes Chanse the commissioned artist. I rank mischievous grin of a teenage boy. It is a little known fact he him among top visual artists because he is equally as savvy in his would prefer a tall glass of chocolate milk to an adult beverage, study of the color palette as any other aritst, knowing precisely and he would rather pull out the snowboard than the golf clubs. how colors correspond and contrast. Where paint or pen would His youthfulness is appealing but do not be deceived by his boyish be, Chanse has replaced traditional art mediums with food as a dispersona. He is a savvy businessman with passion, a vision and an tinct canvas of choice. He is proud to be unabashed in new flavors, inspiration all his own. uncommon food pairings and presentations, with no real effort to Chanse Schomber mask the artistic license he kicked off his culinary has allowed himself. In his career at the age of 15 kitchen, he transforms to and found early success the visual artist while taste as an apprentice. “I was is top dog and appearancthe first student enrolled es vie closely behind. He at Fox Valley Technical has purposefully allowed Institute to petition the his incomparable style to school board to allow me influence his art. In other to accept Executive Chef words, his food is equally status with still one year full of flavor and flair. of my apprenticeship reThe most distincmaining,” he shared. “I’m tive results of his artistic not sure if they’ve allowed labors are his hundreds, anyone else to do that about 500 carvings in fact, since, but the school board of one-of-a-kind carved agreed.” If they had not, watermelons, and even he would have had to drop cheese sculptures. He leads out of the program and his peers in his pursuit of give up his dreams. He finding just the right image was not about to do that. carved into his organic canHis passion from that vases that represent annichallenge ignited a burnversaries, weddings, birthing desire to blaze his own days, special events and culinary trail as a food artnumerous themes for fundist, and he has been stokraisers, and even represening the fire ever since. tations reflecting personal Chanse is a food ities. Chanse flaunts these genie, granting culinary creations like other artists wishes to brides, service stand beside their framed clubs, party planners and work, a proud daddy showhungry palettes. When ing off his children. These he says he does not have expressions are a part of a typical menu, he means him, his ingenuity, his theit. He is always willing atrics, and his repertoire. to find out what the cus“I taught myself tomer wants before sughow to carve because the gesting ghosts of culinary chef above me enjoyed his preparations past. He is own food sculptures and I looking for his Aladdin, thought I could do better,” one who will challenge recalls Chanse. “His bunny and set him free to be the looked like a Bullwinkle.” Chef Chanse at LocaLeben Anniversary Party most creative food artist Typically, he props his melPhoto: Noah Katsma he can be. Ideas for new on on a table, steadies the dishes course through his exacto knife and similar mind like a roiling pot on the stove, ready to boil over. From mind, wood carving tools and goes to town with a headlight as luminous to flame, and then to plate, he produces without the slightest hint as a miner in a cavern. His masterpieces, including an intricate of apprehension. “I am an improviser,” admits Chanse, yet he du- Eiffel Tower from last summer’s CHS fundraiser Evening in Paris tifully follows the standards of culinary arts, mindful of color con- and others as elaborate, take an average of eight to nine hours to trast, height, and organization on the plate. achieve. This is no easy undertaking.

As if food sculptures were not difficult enough, Chanse the artist did not turn down an opportunity to explore ice sculpturing either. “Ice is three-dimensional and cold, but not much different than watermelon,” explains Chef Chanse. “I get out my knee pads, bundle up and go for it. I’m always up for a good challenge,” he adds. He is as proud as any Olympic athlete in placing in food competitions, especially around Wisconsin, receiving gold and silver medals for the Wisconsin Restaurant Association. He has completed commissioned work for many prominent companies too numerous to mention. Livia, Chanse’s wife, says, “He’s a hurricane in the kitchen, wielding power, control and force, which he delivers with precision, followed by an after-the-storm calmness and confidence. He brings the kitchen to life. He loves doing food demonstrations and teaching kids.” At food shows, his relationship with distributors is equally as impressive. “I’ve been the corporate chef for Dierks Waukesha. They give me product. I produce something (from scratch) on the spot.” He also has enjoyed success nationally, presenting cheese twelve ways in Pittsburgh to Heinz Corporation. “My niche is my hospitality, my food and my personality,” Chanse reveals. “If I can touch one person’s life, mission accomplished.” This food genie is also an adrenaline junkie; his thrills do not come from skydiving or motorcycling, but from the people he

works on behalf of. It is the diners and patrons who complete him. “There’s a difference between a chef and a cook. A cook can make something and screw it up, but a chef could fix it up as if the food mistake never happened.” Chanse is considering several ideas for food shows, but he says, “Right now, my future is my daughter.” He and Livia had a baby girl last August. He has cooked with her in his arms and it is obvious she will know her way around the kitchen just like dad.

Chef Chanse’s main work takes place at the Juneau Community Center and his business name is “Entrees by Chef Chanse.” Chanse is currently sponsoring the BDAAA Artist Cookbook, which was produced in 2013 in conjunction with the Food in Art exhibit. The cookbook remains on sale at The Seippel Arts Center. Watch for Chef Chanse as he continues to plan parties around the area, give food demonstrations and hugs to customers and clients.

Patty will be shopping at participating stores in the Park Village Shopping Center starting in mid March. Find her & WIN BIG!

Photo: Ryan Bilitz

JACOB FRIEDE

n a spring afternoon in 2008, five musicians stared back and forth across the room between their computer and the rain pouring outside the window. Under a serenade of tornado sirens, they contemplated if the rumors were true that their building was to be evacuated due to flood, and based on that decision, whether or not to take that mammoth PC and make a run for it. Why the drastic measures? Surely not for the computer itself: it was an antique, unreliable, slow and awful, and most unfortunately, unable to save off of. But what was on that computer, to those five musicians, was sacred scripture. Not the crumbled, broken blocks of the ten commandments, but a sonic stone tablet, intact and inscribed with street psalms and small town revelations. And though the Beaver Dam River was no Red Sea, waters were

rising, and the songs were worth a risk. Under those biblical black skies, which envelop as one senses the complete loss of six months’ labor, the guys of A Royal Clark imagined their first record racing down the rapids toward Lowell. And that pondering on no payout that proceeds to question if you do what you do because you must, is what laid the foundation for A Royal Clark’s music, because you just never know. They sure didn’t. They were not then even a band. They were musical nomads from the same town, brought together for a collaboration of Beaver Dam songwriting by guitarist Robby Hull, who at that time was playing in the group 120 Volt Jimmy with drummer Kevin Bedker and bassist Jim Pasewald. Josh Pearson was also recruited for the album, as he was a principle songwriter

Photo: Jackie Sanders

in the local band Just Like You. And Jake Friede was back in town from wandering between Portland, Oregon and Madison on singer/songwriter ventures. The songwriting collaboration went from one month to six, as the song list and stress level went from four to ten. The album survived the spring storms and was performed at a summer festival as Dewey Decimal and the System. It was that performance, that first time the guys could hear it live, which lured them into continuing on as a working band. And since everyone had already been in bands for years, that decision was not made lightly, though quickly. After carving a new band name, out of gravestone with broken keys, Joe Cabreda eventually took over on drums. He diligently learned the ten songs of the album and the remainder of a three-hour set, which was scheduled for a Thanksgiving Eve performance less than two weeks after he joined. Joe’s ability to process a heavy song load played right into A Royal Clark practice, which is to write a lot of songs. The result is a song list of rock-country-blues that is as diverse as it is deep. This has allowed the band to play full original shows at country bars, city clubs, fairs, and festivals all over the state, including quite a bit of work at home. They have appeared locally from the Swan City Concert Series to the Madison Street bars to a pontoon boat in the middle of Beaver Dam Lake. In or out of Dodge County, A Royal Clark’s musical path passes one fan at a time and friends at every turn. Like Randy and Ann Lee, who are two of A Royal Clark’s best friends, and not just because they recently brewed and re-

leased a beer inspired by the band (Supernova: A Royal IPA). The Lees own and operate Valkyrie Brewing and have invited A Royal Clark way up to Dallas, Wisconsin, every year for the last five years to perform at their famed Oktoberfest, where cannons boom and kegs are bottomless. Wherever they visit, in order to keep the song list evolving, A Royal Clark keeps their eyes and ears open. They see the first snow of the year start to fall as they open a show outdoors in October and listen to the only person at the bar bellow out to keep on bringing it and learn from the bands they have the honor and pleasure of sharing the stage with. A Royal Clark’s tunes are cultures of the towns they play in and conversations of the characters they meet. The music has mud in it, can get gritty and heavy, and is at times pretty, all the parts of a prairie. And their show features variety, like five different visions of rain pouring outside the window. For more info, tunes, and booking,  check out www.aroyalclark.com  or reach us at aroyalclark@gmail.com

MUSIC More @ www.localeben.com

Metal Rooﬁng Specialist Complete Interior & Exterior Contractor Insurance Restoration Specialists Free Estimates · Fully Insured

Family Owned & Operated with Over 15 Years of Experience!

Jason Stofflet (920) 319-9308

JIM HASEY

heodore Roosevelt is regarded as one of America’s most influential presidents. Outside the Gilpatrick Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on October 14, 1912, an unemployed saloonkeeper shot the former president and Progressive Party candidate. Rather than being rushed to the hospital, Roosevelt calmly delivered his 90-minute speech at the Milwaukee Auditorium with the bullet still lodged in his chest. The folded 50-page prepared speech in his breast pocket probably saved his life. Theodore’s opening line was quite unremarkable: “Friends, I shall ask you to be as quiet as possible.” His second line was the kicker: “I don’t know whether you fully understand that I have just been shot.” The horrified crowd gasped as Roosevelt unbuttoned his vest to reveal a bloodstained shirt. Then he uttered his famous line: “It takes more than THAT to kill a Bull Moose!” (This referred to the Bull Moose (a.k.a. Progressive) Party started by Roosevelt in his 1912 election bid, and many historians have concluded that the resulting split of the Republican Party allowed the Democratic Party’s candidate Woodrow Wilson to win the presidency.) Roosevelt reached in his coat pocket and pulled out a bullet-riddled 50-page speech. Holding up the pages, which had two big holes blown clear through each page, he announced that the bullet was still in him and that he couldn’t make a very long speech, but would try his best. Fortunately, Joe Wegand as Teddy Roosevelt the combination of a Photo: Mark Glenn Studio dense overcoat, a steel eyeglass case, and the hefty rolled-up speech slowed the trajectory of the bullet. The bullet lodged against his fourth right rib on a path to his heart, leaving a dimesized hole in his chest. The bullet remained in his body the remainder of his life. The speech ran till its conclusion – a full 90 minutes.

The perpetrator, 36-year-old John Schrank, had stalked Roosevelt all over the country for 3 weeks, waiting for his chance. A handwritten note in his pocket reflected his troubled thoughts: “To the people of the United States: In a dream I saw President McKinley sit up in his coffin pointing at a man in a monk’s attire in whom I recognized Theodore Roosevelt. The dead president said – This is my murderer – avenge my death.” At his trial, Schrank claimed he acted to defend the two-term tradition of American presidents. “I did not intend to kill citizen Roosevelt; I intended to kill Theodore Roosevelt, the third termer.” Schrank pled guilty, was determined to be insane, and was confined to life in a Wisconsin state asylum. During the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt, the United States built the Panama Canal (for which his effigy was included on Mount Rushmore), started the US Park service, the Federal Drug Administration and the first National Parks. Only Presidents Lincoln and Washington have more books written about them. Teddy’s many quotes include: “Walk softly and carry a big stick. When you’re at the end of your rope, tie a knot and hold on. Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” The Beaver Dam AM Kiwanis will sponsor White House performer Joe Wiegand whose portrayal brings Theodore Roosevelt to life at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 29 at the handicapped accessible Chapel of the Archangels, 839 Madison Street in Beaver Dam, where cocktails will begin at 6 p.m. There will also be a meet and greet following the show. Admission is just a $10.00 ticket that includes hors d’oeuvres and raffle. Tickets will be available at the door or can be purchased in advance at Rechek’s.

Valid only with ad. Free upgrade to Low-E 366 Neat Glass on all types of windows. Expires 4/15/14

N7171 Raceway Rd · Beaver Dam · www.hometownglass.com 887.3757 Mon. - Fri. 7am - 5:30pm · Sat. 9am-Noon

read that if we learn to understand rules and regulations thoroughly, we will also understand when and how to bend and break them. Making and breaking is a classic human trait; more than a trait, it is the very basis of being human.

TAMON MARK UTTECH

spent New Year’s Eve just like I did the New Year’s Eve before, staying home and watching “Stranger Than Fiction” a film starring Will Ferrell and Emma Thompson. Will Ferrell is an IRS agent who discovers that his life is happening because someone other than himself is creating it; Emma Thompson plays a British author who discovers that the main character of her latest novel is a real person. I thought the movie fit well with the perennial fiction of New Year’s resolutions; it did fit with mine! My own New Year’s resolution started out in a joking manner: I simply resolved one New Year’s Eve that for the coming new year I was going to commit myself to making “one less mistake.” It seemed honest. It also seemed both doable and impossible. January, being the first month of a new year, is depicted as an infant – fresh, strong, leaping with life! The first day of January, many of us who scaled the heights of foolishness just the night before would rather stay in the warm womb and sleep. I’ve

What could have been? What should have been? We don’t know! -tamon Last night I had the most Technicolor dreams that I remember having only once before in my life. I wandered in foreign cities and surreal landscapes, passing through crowds and streams of people that just seemed matter of fact. There were wastelands as well as elaborate jungles, wild animals that seemed tame. Bathrooms that seemed designed to look like fountains with no trace of toilet paper anywhere. I had moments of waking up, so it seemed to be a series of short dreams braided together. No sooner would I wake up from one colorful dream only to plunge into another, thinking, “Wow, dreams arising from dreams…” And when you wake up from such dreaming, things around you seem different; you seem to know that you have been somewhere. It is no place that you can will yourself to go; it is a mystery and it is enough. All you can do is wonder about an experience like that. Was it a chance to wake up? Or a chance waking up? Once you wake up, it does not matter. That is an interesting point, I think: that it does not matter. Right up to the point. And what if there is no mistake about it?

At Landmark, we provide a comprehensive package of hospitality and personal care services. Our programs are designed to make it easy to maintain friendships, make new ones, pursue lifelong interests and retain your current ties to the community.

S.P.K. Lewis Home Source: Dodge County Historical Society

LAURIE PROPST

his is the tale of two houses. Actually, it is the history of two homes, because families make a house a home. There is a connection between these homes that I was unaware of until I did some reading and research on earlier times in our community. These homes have always been two of my favorites in a city that abounds in wonderful, historic buildings. In her book A Closer Look at Beaver Dam Jean Goodwin Messinger states this when talking about historic architecture in our city. “Our buildings are part of what we are, and they also reveal what we have been.” She is right. These two buildings still stand proudly, one on Yankee Hill (Park Avenue) and the other on what was North Division Street, renamed Lincoln Avenue. One of the homes was built in 1866. The other may date to the 1870s. Two totally different types of houses, and yet, a connection… In 1841, Joseph Goetschius and his father-in-law Thomas Mackie became the first settlers to choose our city for their new home. These early pioneers looked for fertile soil, an abundance of fish and game, and access to fresh water. The area we now call Beaver Dam provided all of these. Soon, others joined them. Jacob and Paul Brower, Abraham Ackermann, Moses Ordway, and their families settled here and began to tame this wilderness. In l847, S.P.K. Lewis and his wife Sara came to Beaver Dam, as did so many of our early residents, from the state of New York. He had apparently considerable experience with water power and engineering and saw the potential for its use here in our frontier town. The first five years he lived in this community, he ran a general store under the name S.P.K. Lewis and Company. Several years later, he and Abraham Ackerman built the Empire Flour Mill on the south side of Mill Street between the river and South Center Street. The high grade flour was shipped to market in barrels, manufactured by the Hodgman Barrel Company, the first cooper or barrel maker, another local enterprise. The mill also did considerable business grinding grist for growers of grain. The Empire Mill kept one-eighth of the product as a grinding fee. In 1853, Mr. Lewis became part owner in a local woolen mill. The firm specialized in the manufacture of high grade cassimere, a closely woven smooth, twilled fabric, which is mostly wool. He was involved in other various successful business inter-

ests, and he was a well-respected member of the new community. He served as mayor, alderman, school board member, justice of the peace and town treasurer. Sometime during the early years of the Lewis family’s arrival, they bought property located at 219 Park Avenue. They lived there in a comfortable home of modest means. Then, Lewis became a very successful businessman, and he and his family wanted a home that reflected his success. Beaver Dam has always had a “waste not, want not” philosophy, even in our early days. A building could be and was moved to another location. Much like children’s building blocks, churches, homes, hotels and old mill buildings were relocated. They might be utilized for a different purpose or perhaps just a change in location. Our early settlers saw no reason to destroy them because they had outlived their original reason for existence or stood in the way of progress. Many of the homes you see in the neighborhood of South Vita once had a life on Park Avenue. The first Lewis home was relocated to Henry Street. Construction could now begin again at the Park Avenue site. Park Avenue was the grandest of Beaver Dam’s early neighborhoods and the new Lewis home, built in l866, only enhanced the neighborhood. The house is considered to be a light version of the Italian Villa style. The red brick used on the exterior was transported from Milwaukee by oxcart. The cupola, or belvedere (Belvedere means “beautiful to see” in Italian), was a vantage point from which one could see for miles around. It was a natural play and pretend area for the five children of the Lewis family and their friends. It is amazing to me that a home like this was constructed only 25 years after Goetschius and Mackie began settling the wilderness now called Beaver Dam. If you look carefully at the picture of the Lewis home, you will see small maple trees planted in the parkway of the home. As mature trees, these and the other maples planted on Park Avenue created almost a cathedral effect over the street. It was a gorgeous sight in fall with the big maple leaves in vibrant colors covering the lawns and sidewalks. These trees, undoubtedly, came from the Gould Nursery, another local enterprise. This nursery grew to be the largest in the country west of Rochester, New York. One of the Lewis’ daughters, Annie, married Warren

Shipman, a merchant in our community. Lewis gave the young couple a home located on the corner of Division Street (later renamed Lincoln Avenue) and Maple Avenue. Many of us know this early Shipman home as the Murray Funeral Home. The Shipmans lived here for only a few years. When Mr. Shipman died, his widow and the children, including their 10-year-old daughter Lucy, moved back to her father’s home on Park Avenue. Lucy Shipman, holding tightly to her mother’s hand as they walk to “Grandpa’s” house, trying to understand what has happened to her little world, is our connector. Lucy lived her childhood in these two wonderful homes. This building‘s exterior has been altered over the years as both owners and usage of the building changed. No construction date has been established, but Greek Revival features are apparent. Compared to other Greek Revival houses in Beaver Dam, the Shipman home was distinctive because of its size. The styling of the house may date this structure to the l870s. I cannot help but wonder. We know the early address for this building was Division Street which was renamed Lincoln Avenue. Was this building turned to front on Maple Avenue, or remodeled, changing the entrance? In 1928, McKinstry-Yauman purchased the house from Dr. Edward McDonald and converted it into a funeral home of “Old English Colonial style.” This was the first funeral home in the city. In 1951 the name was changed to McKinstry, Yauman and Murray, and by 1972, the name used was Murray Funeral Home. In my memory, this building has always been as it is today, beautifully kept with a pristine, white painted exterior and green shutters. Since the brick is painted, what color was the original brick that has been hidden behind its painted exterior for so many years? Jerry Hankes, a funeral director and one of the owners of the Murray Funeral Home answered that question for us. Jerry said in the attic of the funeral home the original bricks (hidden due to additions) are a light cream color. Bricks that were made from Beaver Dam clay were an orange red color. The light cream color tells us that these bricks were imported from Watertown, Portage or Milwaukee. What happened to Lucy? In 1902, Fred Rogers from Quincy, Illinois, became actively associated with The Malleable Iron Range Company (Monarch). Here in Beaver Dam, he married Lucy Shipman. Fred and Lucy had a daughter, Ann Rogers Pfeffer. We have a model of the Empire Mill at the museum. The museum also houses a wonderful cutter. This cutter was donated to the museum by the F.B. Sherman family, early owners of the Spring Brook Farm property. Oil paintings of these early settlers are on the wall, near the cutter. Spring Brook Farm was one of the childhood homes of Ann Rogers Pfeffer. Come see us at the museum and enjoy these and other treasures from our community’s early years.

you’ll catch a fish, to t n a w ou y If ore. With bait and a sh e, ol p a d ee n ait and find poles, b ’ll ou y s, le a T can find ith Nehls you w d n A e. or m the ice shore. So as ct fe er p t a th to bite, e fish begin th d n a ts el m ing of the best pair to ll ca a ve gi trust ght. You can si in es ic rv se our time is is worth y th of ll a t a th tten this was wri because all of e. with a rhym catch fish ’re trying to Whether you home, rice for your or the best p LLC has Nehls Realty Tim Nehls of . you covered

305 W. State Street Fox Lake, WI Office: 920-928-2548 www.nehlsrealty.com sold@nehlsrealty.com

Open 7 Days 529 W. State Street Fox Lake, WI 920-520-0015

The Dodge County Historical Society is located on the corner of Front and Spring Street in the old Williams Free Library. Hours are 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday through Saturday. Auto • Home • Business • Life Interior of Lewis Home Source: Dodge County Historical Society

Lock in a great Lock auto ratetoday. with auto Call us for a quote Erie Insurance Erie Blochwitz Agency 300 W State St Fox Lake, WI 53933-9540 Contact us

Call Keri, Steve or Gordy today! Call Keri, Steve or Gordy today! Blochwitz Insurance Agency Blochwitz Agency 300 W State Insurance St FoxW Lake, WISt53933 300 State 920-928-2828 Fox Lake, WI 53933 920-928-2828 www.blochwitzinsurance.com

www.blochwitzinsurance.com

Cost may change if you make a policy change. Not everyone is qualified to purchase ERIE Rate Lock. Insurance is subject to terms, conditions and exclusions not described in this advertisement (e.g. does not guarantee continued insurance coverage). For terms, conditions, exclusions, licensure and states of operation information, visitifseriouslygoodinsurance.com. Patent pending. S1242eto©purchase 2012 ErieERIE Indemnity Company Cost may change you make a policy change. Not everyone is qualified Rate Lock. Insurance is subject to terms, conditions and exclusions not described in this advertisement (e.g. does not guarantee continued insurance coverage). For terms, conditions, exclusions, licensure and states of operation information, visit seriouslygoodinsurance.com. Patent pending. S1242e © 2012 Erie Indemnity Company

S882 Not all companies are licensed or operate in all states. Not all products are offered in all states. Go to erieinsurance.com for company

MATT KENEVAN

t has been a long, trying winter, but one way to stay positive is to think like a brewer and look forward to spring seasonal beers. Brewers are constantly planning ahead in their production schedule in order to source their raw ingredients and to clear enough room in the tanks for upcoming brews. The good news for beer drinkers is that even if winter lingers on like last year, the new seasonal beers will still be released in time for spring because they were brewed in the winter doldrums. Stout Season A good stout never goes out of season in Ireland, but here in the States many folks consider St. Patrick’s Day to be the peak of stout season before moving onto spring seasonal beers. If you are looking to trade your Guinness for a locally crafted stout, Wisconsin’s breweries are happy to oblige. Try Rush River Nevermore Chocolate Oatmeal Stout, Karben4 Deep Winter Coffee Stout, New Glarus Coffee Stout or any of the superb bourbon-barrel and imperial stouts from Central Waters. The Bock family of beers: Bock, Maibock, Helles Bock, Eisbock, and Dopplebock Of German origin, bock beers hold a great history. While many modern-day craft brewers have their focus on the tremendous variety of ales, these lagers are a true tradition for springtime. Bocks take a long time to make. As a lager, they ferment at cooler temperatures and need to age longer than ales – usually about six weeks. Brewers start these bock beers at the end of fall or beginning of winter, then let them age in cellars or caves, a process called lagering, until they are ready to be finished and served in the springtime. Look for Sprecher Maibock and Dopple Bock, New Glarus Back Forty Bock, O’So Dominator Dopplebock, or the many fine bocks and dopplebocks from Capital Brewery this spring.

It’s a three-day celebration of all things handmade! Please join us as more than 225 of the top contemporary jewelry, clothing, furniture, and home décor artists from across the country gather under one roof. It’s your chance to touch, feel, and explore high-quality American craft like you’ve never seen before! This is the American Craft Council's only Midwest show—a must-attend for craft lovers!

FRIDAY, APRIL 11: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. SATURDAY, APRIL 12: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. SUNDAY, APRIL 13: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. $12 one-day pass $28 three-day pass FREE for American Craft Council members SPECIAL FRIDAY EVENING ADMISSION $5 after 5 p.m. Can’t beat that!

Wheat beers: Wit, Weiss, Weizen Witbier, from the Dutch for white, is brewed mainly in Belgium and the Netherlands, while Weissbier, from the German for white, is brewed in Germany. Weizen is a designation that points to the use of wheat in place of malted barley, oats, or rye. These beers are supremely refreshing, and when people start to spend time outside again, their thirst takes on a different form than a try-to-warm-upfrom-the-inside wintertime thirst. Reach for New Glarus Dancing Man Wheat and Thumbprint Berliner Weiss, Furthermore Fatty Boombalatty, Lakefront Wisconsinite Summer Weiss or the classic Leinenkugel’s Summer Wheat for prime examples of the styles. What is The Beer Dabbler up to this spring? We are diligently preparing for the summer festivals we produce. The Beer Dabbler at Twin Cities Pride in Loring Park of Minneapolis to be held on Friday, June 28, 2014, will again pair 25 food trucks with 25 Minnesota breweries. New this year is our Fourth of July Beer Dabbler beer garden at St. Paul’s Harriet Island on the Mississippi River. Details will soon be available at www.thebeerdabbler.com We have also been invited to open up a taproom within the American Craft Council’s spring show at The RiverCentre in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota. The American Craft Council is dedicated to showcasing artists who handcraft jewelry, clothing, furniture, décor, and for the first time, beer. The show hosts 225 of some of the country’s finest artisans. Our booth will be one of ten featured spaces constructed by local architects and builders. Each day we will feature three brewers who will sample their beer. We also include local art in the project and will feature nine limited-run brewery posters, screen-printed by the artist of their choice. We will also feature handcrafted beer-related merchandise made by some very talented artists. The breweries participating in this year’s show are Indeed Brewing Company, Fulton Beer, Dangerous Man Brewing Company, Hayes Public House, Fitger’s Brewhouse, Sociable Cider Werks, Bang Brewing, Bent Paddle Brewing Company, and Blacklist Brewing.

JIM DITTMANN

Well here we are: - Volume 3 Issue 2 Wie geht es dir?

inter of ‘14 huh! Well I’ve taken on a new attitude - convinced myself that if I ignore it - it will go away. By now it is mid March - is the snow gone yet? News story the other day says this is almost as bad as the winter of ‘78. Oh yeah I remember that one. Snow was so deep I could touch the electric lines while walking to the grocery - “just kidding.” That year - still living in Watertown when I bought my first new car. It was a 1977 GMC pickup – two-wheel drive with an in-line six - three on the tree. Those days a rear bumper was extra and I took mine without. But after a close call with a fence post - I sucked it up and for an extra $179 ordered a painted one - chrome was a whole lot more. Soon I learned that these trucks with an empty box don’t go so well in the snow. I was working at a print shop and our plates came in these really nice plywood crates. Carl the boss said I could have an empty one. I placed it right over the rear axles - blocked in good so it wouldn’t slide around and

filled it up with “free” sand from the orange boxes that the city had all over town. Now I was set… We lived in this great farmhouse with your typical long driveway - just north of the hospital in Watertown. It was January of ‘78 - started snowing early and I made a quick run to town for supplies. Then it snowed some more and the wind picked up - I made it back and buried that little jimmy right in the driveway. This is the day I learned a bit about family - my “future” fatherin-law loved big snow. Sonny ran an excavating business in Watertown with his trademark red pickup 4X4 - had to be a Dodge. He would go non-stop for days during the big snows - running on coffee - cigarettes and crawlers. Kathy got word to him that I had the whole works plugged up. In almost superhero fashion, he and the red truck would appear. Boom - tires were a spinnin’ - snow was giving way - I was rescued. “There you go, Dittmann - don’t do that again!” Then he would vanish - off to rescue another idiot. Sonny loved the snow… Friday Fish Fry is a Wisconsin tradition! I do like a good fish fry - and I always chuckle thinking of Mike over at Gene’s Tires when he says - “Fish Fry on Friday, it’s a state law!” So, here’s what I have in mind: Reader’s choice award favorite fish fry place in Dodge County. Send us your suggestions. Deadline is April 11, 2014. We’ll do a ballot on www.LocaLeben. com and follow up story. Here’s your chance to share with everyone your favorite local spot - send your entries - vote early and… Special Thank You to Dave Edwards for making available our cover image - very fitting after a long hard winter! Cheers!

New Equipment Coming in Daily. Stop in and check out our extensive inventory of new products for work or play. Make sure you’re ready for spring by taking advantage of our spring tune up specials.

N8309 Kellom Rd. Beaver Dam WI 53916 920. 887.2709 www.powersportscompany.com

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

Postal Customer

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Columbus, WI PERMIT NO. 73