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NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2014 4 To The Reader
Lloyd Clark
6 The Holiday Parade 8 Feature
The Y
12 The Wandering Man Which Way Should I Go? 13 This & That I Could Have Told You That 14 Designing an Experience 16 Lines From Upstream 17 The Social Luxury of Beer 18 Viewfinder Josh Devries 22 Stump the Beaver 23 Small Business Saturday 24 Feed Your Angel 26 Dreaming Out Loud 28 View from the Kitchen 29 Feature Artist Betty Singer 32 Historical Society
Red Arrow: The Berlin Crisis
Lloyd is a devoted husband, father and observer of the human condition who has lived in Beaver Dam for 11 years and cannot think of a better place to call home.
Jonas Zahn
Jonas and his wife Julie are the founders of Northwoods Casket Company, delivering handcrafted, eco-friendly caskets to every funeral home in Wisconsin.
Dave Geschke Dave lives in Waupun with his wife Laurie and their dog Cosmo. They enjoy traveling and prefer tropical locations. He is currently working on his first book.
Michelle Roth Michelle is a writer, a photographer and the mother of four. She lives in Beaver Dam, writes about unique family dynamics, and her first novel is “hot off the press.�
Karla Jensen 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.
Bob Frankenstein Bob is an author, an advocate for the soldiers that courageously protect our country. Community history tugs at his heart and is one of the great joys of his retirement.
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The MAGAZINE Well here we are: - Volume 3 Issue 6 Wie geht es dir? From Jim: My son Ben and I are heading to Park Falls - long weekend at the shack - opening weekend of deer season. I’ve been seeing a nice little six pointer hangin’ in the neighborhood the last few days – somebody will be chasing him - we’ll go north. Going to make a nice batch of chili to take along - that always goes good. Did I mention Ben took first place at his workplace chili “cook off” – he used my recipe, gave it a little personality and won by a single vote! See, every vote counts and that’s as political as I’m going to get for now… Bob Frankenstein’s article on the 32nd (Red Arrow) Division provides an excellent account from a very local perspective. I still remember riding aboard that Greyhound bus with my mom – all the way to Fort Lewis to visit my dad. Many neighbors still recall those frightening times. Remember President Ronald Reagan’s speech delivered at the Brandenburg Gate? “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” … 25 years ago - November 9, 1989 the Berlin Wall finally fell… We’re changing up the routine a little - going forward Erik and I will share this space to make room for more community content. This is your magazine – you don’t need to hear so much from us. And from Erik: Our perspective is shaped by what occupies our minds. I don’t read or listen to the news in traditional media. Mainly because it just makes me sad. I think far too much credit and publicity is given to all the bad things going on in the community. There is plenty of good news to celebrate that deserves the spotlight of the front page. The Beaver’s caretakers on Park Avenue are a great example of people making a difference in their own unique way. Driving by always lifts my spirits no matter what mood I am in. We should all find a way to contribute in our own unique way. If a Beaver on a tree stump can – can’t we all? The holidays are here and I cannot think of a better time to share with you what we have been working on for a few months. Fred The Beavercorn! Enjoy a sneak preview on Page 14. We will be taking pre-orders soon. If you would like to be notified when the book will be available, sign up on LocaLeben.com
VOLUME 3 - IssUE 6
EDITOR
PUBLISHER
Erik Dittmann
Jim Dittmann
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Preston Bowman TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Benjamin Dittmann COPY EDITOR
ADVISOR
Kathy Dittmann
Emma Sutter
LocaLeben The Magazine is mailed bi-monthly to 16,014 homes and businesses in Dodge County. 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 visit LocaLeben.com/subscribe.
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READER SERVICES LocaLeben is Local Life. We invite you to share your stories in LocaLeben. All stories in LocaLeben are written by people like you. Phone: (920) 306-1189 Email:content@localeben.com Mailing Address: N8369 S. Sunset Pt. Rd. Beaver Dam, WI 53916 Designed in Beaver Dam. LocaLeben The Magazine is published in Beaver Dam, WI by LocaLeben LLC.
Cover provided from private archive Used with permission
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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.
NOV./ DEC.
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THE BEAVER DAM HOLIDAY PARADE COMMITTEE
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Beaver Dam Senior Center 2013 First place float Photo submitted by Downtown Beaver Dam Inc.
he sound of a child’s excited laughter, the last minute attach- every year. Aaron also recalls the skateboarders’ entry negotiatment of decorations, the place in the lineup, the lights, the ing carefully as they were scheduled behind a group of horses and sounds of Christmas and the community standing on the side- vividly recalls the evening that it snowed four inches when the walks of downtown are all the ancillary events to the Holiday weather forecast stated just a flurry or two or no snow at all. Parade held the first week in December in downtown Beaver Dam. The first parade route started at Wayland Academy and The first parade organizers and traveled downtown. Later, the parade creators of the Holiday parade were the lined up in the lower Tower Parking lot Jaycees, and they named the parade the and proceeded to Mill Street, to South Jaycees Beaver Dam Holiday Parade. Center Street, to Front Street, to Park The parade began in December of 1992. 23rd Annual Holiday Parade Avenue, and ended at Swan City Park. Their mission was to bring people down(Theme “Let It Snow”) Finally, the parade lined up on South town. Ken Jacob served as the parade Saturday December 6, 5:30 Center, followed the same route to Vita chair for several years until he received Avenue, and then wound back downtown. help with co-chair, Aaron Holbrook. Snowflake Hunt begins December 6 This is the same route that is used today. The Jaycees hosted the event until 2000. (First clue read at the After Party The party after the parade was When the Jaycees dissolved, the Lake immediately after the parade) held at Swan City Park for years. The Days Committee began hosting the event prizes were awarded, carolers sang, and in 2001 and did so for 10 years until 2010. After Party - December 6 cookies and hot chocolate were served. Aaron Holbrook served as parade chair American National Bank When the parade wound back downtown, and members included Doug and Carrie 115 Front Street the parade committee selected the Elks Sackett, Dianne Bell, and Lisa and Kurt Club and Dos Gringos for the party after Tesch. Aaron stated that there were the parade. spectacular entries at times with Neuman Two to four judges were selectPools, Green Valley, the Beaver Dam ed to judge the parade entries. Judging HOG chapter motorcycle group, the Must-Skis, and the Beaver was done by categories under the Lake Days reign. Some of the Dam Senior Center. Each of them has been a constant entry in entry categories were: bands/live music, businesses, individuals, the parade each year. The number of entries in the parade fluctu- and non-profit organizations. First, second, and third place winated each year with the average being about 35 to 40. Aaron re- ners were awarded plaques in their categories. For years, parade calls some memorable stories: The parade was about to start and judges have judged the parade entrants in front of McKinstry’s three wise men appeared leading a llama (probably could not find Home Furnishings, and for a number of years Ric Fiegel from a camel) to be a part of the parade. Another time a car was sliding McKinstry’s Home Furnishings sponsored the live broadcast of and could not negotiate the hill on Park Avenue, so the Boy Scout the parade. WBEV/WXRO provided the live broadcast of the troop behind them pushed them up the hill. A traditional entry parade. The long time hosts were John Moser and Bill McCollum. was the young lady who brought her goats dressed as reindeer John continues today with a new sidekick each year.
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Those that wish to enter the parade fill out a parade entry form and return it with a $10 entry fee. The form is mailed in October to those who have participated in previous years. The Chamber has assisted for years in providing parade entry forms at the Chamber office. Downtown Beaver Dam, Inc. began hosting the parade in 2011. The mission remains the same: to bring people downtown. Kay Appenfeldt serves as parade chair. Members include Mayor Tom Kennedy, Glenna Vilmin, Ken Thomas, Betty Reals, Ric Fiegel, and for two years Susan Janssen. Don Zilisch served as Parade Marshal until 2014. Their first year, the committee continued with the entry categories; but at their wrap-up meeting, determined that entries were overcrowded in some categories and minimal in others. The Committee made the decision to give out cash prizes for first ($75), second ($50), third ($25), fourth, ($20) and fifth ($15) places in 2012, which continues today. Each year the plaques given to the winners have been created, designed, and crafted by the Woodshop at the Beaver Dam Senior Center. The committee began putting a theme to the parade in 2013 with “Ring in the Holidays.” Consistently, the parade entries have increased each year. The theme for 2014 is “Let It Snow.” The Committee began the Business Decorating Contest in 2012. Participating downtown businesses decorate their store windows. The community judges the store windows and a traveling trophy is awarded to the winning business each year. A Bell Hunt was added in 2013. A bell was hidden in one of the participating businesses’ decorated contest windows. The community searched for the correct bell through a series of written clues
Holiday Parade Committee (l-r) Josiah Vilmin, Betty Reals, Kay Appenfeldt, Ken Thomas, Don Zilisch, Mayor Tom Kennedy, Glenna Vilmin Photo submitted by Downtown Beaver Dam Inc.
which were printed in the Daily Citizen, broadcast on WBEV/ WXRO radio and posted on LocaLeben.com. In 2014, a snowflake will be hidden. Mayor Tom Kennedy donates the $100 prize for the winner. The After Party continues downtown. In 2011, the After Party was held at the Elks Club. In 2012 and 2013, Black Waters Coffee hosted the event. In 2014, American National Bank will host the After Party immediately after the parade. For the 2014 parade, the committee has requested that “please for the children, no Santa(s) are allowed on any parade entry. There will only be one Santa in the parade, and he will make his grand entry at the end of the 6 parade lineup.” EVENT Info @ www.LocaLeben.com
BEAUTIFUL HOLIDAY MEMORIES DESERVE BEAUTIFUL FRAMES.
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What defines a “Pillar of the Community?”
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he dictionary defines it as “a term of respect for someone who has financially and morally assisted in the community with good will,” and “because they play an important and active part in society or in the community.” But do we really believe that only people, the “someone” in the description, play an important and active part in the community? No, I think you will agree that the definition is too narrow and that there are businesses and organizations that admirably fit the definition through multiple owners and chief executive officers. One organization, in particular, comes to mind when you consider a pillar of the Beaver Dam community – the YMCA of Dodge County (the Y). For nearly as long as there has been a Beaver Dam, the Y has been an integral part of the community. Although its look, mission and focus has evolved since it first took root in our city in 1893, there are very few citizens that can honestly say that the Y has not touched their lives in a positive way. Providing advanced workout facilities and teaching children to swim, providing childcare and health and wellness programs, and even holding babysitting and CPR classes, the Y admirably fits the pillar of the community description.
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YMCA Logo 1967-2010
Photo: Dodge County Historical Society Does anyone know the names of the boys in this picture? If so, please send us a note at content@LocaLeben.com
A Long and Evolving History The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) began as an organization that provided support, Bible study, and prayer groups for young men that were flocking to London in the early 1840s. Industrialization had created the need for hard laborers; however, the rough and dangerous city streets were “chewing up and spitting out” the men coming in from rural areas, and it was George Williams that identified a vital need and aimed to fill it. Williams himself had been a farmer. He had moved to the city and worked in a department store. Daily, he met and spoke with others who had come from farming backgrounds and now were either working up to 18 hours a day, seven days a week in horrendous conditions or starving because they had been injured and could no longer work. Williams created the YMCA to provide support and comfort for these people and to facilitate communication across social class lines that were prevalent at the time. Once again, a small act of kindness was to shake the world. In 1851, a Boston sea captain, Thomas Valentine Sullivan, who had witnessed the effectiveness of the YMCA with his own eyes, opened the first Y in this country in the Old South Church of Boston on December 29. In 1853, a freed slave by the name of Anthony Bowen opened the first YMCA for Black Americans in Washington, D.C. The small flame Williams had lit in London was now spreading like wildfire. Across the country, YMCAs sprang up to fill social needs in diverse communities: In Cincinnati, the YMCA created the first English as a Second Language (ESL) program for German im-
migrants. In Chicago, Farwell Hall was the first YMCA lodging hall and soon the YMCA provided more safe and secure rooms for rural men moving to the cities than any hotel chain at the time (more than 100,000 by 1940). The YMCA partnered with railroad companies in 1872 to provide “wholesome overnight lodging and meeting places for railroad workers.” In 1875, the YMCA in San Francisco opened its doors to Chinese and other Asian workers who came to the city looking for a new life. In 1893, the Boston YMCA offered liberal arts and vocational classes to working adults, and by 1950, there were 20 city colleges being operated by the YMCA across the country. President Lincoln met with YMCA leaders in 1861 which led to an immense increase in YMCA volunteers who later, according to the YMCA website, served as “surgeons, nurses and chaplains during the Civil War,” as well as “…distributed medical supplies, food and clothing, and taught soldiers to read and write.” By now, you are probably wondering how the social leader YMCA became the athletic leader; the Y we know now. It started in 1869 when they built the first YMCA with a gymnasium. In 1891, James Naismith at the International YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts created basketball, and a few years later, William Morgan invented volleyball as he felt that basketball was too strenuous for businessmen. He called his game “mintonette” but they changed the name to volleyball in 1896 to better describe the action of the game. During this time, a growing YMCA movement sprang up on college campuses across the nation, including at a small campus known as the Beaver Dam Academy in 1893. This was a student-led, student-run organization that no doubt incorporated the
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Childcare Halloween at old facility Photo: YMCA Archives
passion for learning with the newly discovered benefits of physical exertion and formed the foundation for the 117-year history of the Y in Beaver Dam. Officially, the YMCA became a part of Beaver Dam in 1914 and found a “permanent” home in 1920 when T.L. Newton bequeathed his mansion at 117 Park Street to the Y. T.L. Newton had come to Beaver Dam in 1856 from his home in Templeton, Massachusetts and began his career here as a clerk in A.P. Lawrence Grocery. Newton went on to open his own grocery the following year and then a general merchandise store in 1865 and became a pillar of the community in his own right after retiring and selling his store to his employees in 1900. Newton built a beautiful Victorian mansion for his family and on his death he willed it to the YMCA on the condition that the building was to be named after his deceased daughter, Meta. Though formally the Meta Newton Barber YMCA, most people called it the Beaver Dam YMCA until 2006 when it officially became the YMCA of Dodge County. The YMCA replaced the Newton Mansion with a stateof-the-art physical education building in 1960. The building served its purpose well until 2006, when the constraints of being centrally located on a city street without access to its own playing fields became all too apparent. By this time, the limitations of having to contract for field time with schools and parks really began to influence the number of activities the Y could offer. Flag football, soccer, T-ball and softball all needed field space the Y did not have. After nearly a half century, the YMCA building was no longer state-of-the-art and its ability to expand to meet the needs of an ever-growing population was extremely limited. Embracing the evolutionary spirit that had always driven leaders of the YMCA, in 2007 the Y moved from its downtown location to a wide-open area on Corporate Drive. Once again, the Y offered state of the art facilities to the
1891-1895 1881-1890
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1897-1966 1896
2010-Present 1967-2010
residents of our community with ample room to grow in the future. Not only did the Y finally have its own playing fields for baseball, softball, flag football and soccer, but an Olympic pool and an indoor water park. The Y could now offer residents so much more than a gym with an uneven floor, a cramped basement workout room, and a pool not conducive to meeting the needs of both classes and open swim. According to the national website, today’s Y concentrates on making a difference in three areas: 1) Youth Development: Nurturing the potential of every child and teen, the Y now offers highly rated pre-school and 4K classes to area children, not just daycare or child watch, but state licensed education. 2) Healthy Living: Improving the nation’s health and wellbeing; healthy living classes, flu shot clinics and free health screenings are just a few of the services the Y provides. 3) Social Responsibility: Giving back and providing support to our neighbors; the Y hosts quarterly blood drives, fundraising events such as triathlons, the Fitathon, and is a major sponsor of the yearly Children’s Radiothon. However, with change often comes controversy and the recent rebranding of the YMCA to just “the Y” has created some. Many residents raised concern that the Y was moving away from their wholesome, nurturing history to become just another gym chain. To respond, Kate Coleman, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of the YMCA of the USA, responded to concerns by stating, “We are changing how we talk about ourselves so that people can better understand the benefits of engaging with the Y. We are simplifying how we describe the programs we offer so that it is immediately apparent that everything we do is designed to nurture the potential of children and teens, improve health and wellbeing and support our neighbors and the larger community.” Circus Day at original Newton Home YMCA Photo: Dodge County Historical Society
Excellence. Delivered.
Dinner’s on us Photo: YMCA Archives
This makes sense when you realize that the Y no longer restricts itself to providing services to men, nor only to Christians. The YMCA of the USA proudly states that they provided services to 21 million men, women and children, regardless of race, religion, age, income or background, in more than 10,000 communities. But even as the Y grows and provides more physical activities for children, teens, and us adults who really need them, they are still providing services far beyond those of simply a gym. It was just announced that the Y, our Y, will not only manage the Waupun Family Aquatic Center, but will also be taking over management of the Waupun Senior Center and summer parks program. The Y also manages the aquatic centers in Fox Lake and Horicon, as well as managing recreational programs for the City of Horicon. These services serve the Y well, continuing their history of social service and community engagement that began the organization way back in 1844 across the Atlantic Ocean. For as long as anyone alive today in Beaver Dam has lived, the YMCA of Dodge County in Beaver Dam – the Meta Newton Barber YMCA, the Beaver Dam YMCA or just the Y – has been providing a safe place for our children to learn, play and grow, and for adults in our community to exercise, socialize and sometimes even be a kid again. If that is not the true definition of a Pillar of the Community, I don’t know what is.
A photo of Lyle Hilker, with wife Clara Hilker, center, daughter Sherry Zuhlke, left, and daughter Lori Hill, right.
Looking Back in Remembrance; Looking Forward with Hope November is National Hospice Month Beaver Dam Community Hospitals, Inc. recognizes the challenge individuals face at end of life. Hillside Hospice provides services that: • Honor Life • Respect Choice • Respect Individuality We appreciate the trust patients and families place in our care. We understand the vulnerable emotions that exist at this time and strive to support everyone during this journey.
“The most meaningful gift a person can give their family is communicating their wishes. This gift extends beyond the life of that person. Knowing their loved one received the type of health care they desire, provides For more information, please call Hillside Hospice at
(920) 887-4050.
PHOTOS More on www.LocaLeben.com
During November, Countryside Auto Group will donate a portion of the sale of every new or used vehicle to the BDCH Foundation’s Hospice Program
peace and assurance to family members who are faced with making health care decisions. I have seen first hand the power this has.” Lindsey Cleary, DO, Advance Care Planning trainer and Hillside Hospice Co-Medical Director
With BDCH’s Advanced Care Planning Service, a trained Advance Care Planning facilitator assists and supports individuals in developing and communicating the care they choose if a time comes that they are unable to communicate those wishes themselves.
709 S. University Avenue Beaver Dam, WI 53916 www.bdch.com
YOU HAVE OUR WORD ON IT. 11
TAMON MARK UTTECH
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negaishimasu, how are you? I am watching three sparrows no more than six feet away from me, clinging to a suet cake holder, pecking at the cake it holds. When I first put the suet cake holders outside the window that is in front of my writing desk, I didn’t want mere sparrows to come; I wanted to see colorful birds. Colorful birds did come, here and there, but the common sparrows seem to be in the majority in this country neighborhood. “There’s a true story here,” I thought. We like stories that are true because they help us believe in the trueness of our own stories, our own lives. A squirrel taught me a life lesson on the streets of a bad neighborhood in Chicago. When I saw the squirrel meandering near downtown outside a dumpster I wondered, “What in the world compels a squirrel to forsake all the beautiful parks to come to these mean streets?” Then I saw that squirrel grab a piece of uneaten bun that lay in the street outside the dumpster and I had my ready answer, crystal clear: “Ah, easy pickings when it comes to food…” Blackbirds also seemed to know about the food that was too easily tossed aside, because those blackbirds were everywhere. It was a little amusing to note that while some of the squirrels and blackbirds would have a wary meal right where they were, even
with cars, trucks, and buses going by, others would grab a morsel of food and scamper or fly off to a safe place to dine; reminiscent of “to-go” or take-out orders. This is a picture of life around us; it doesn’t stay amusing when the scavengers become people; we’d like to look away then, deny we ever saw it. We are not as idealistic as we were when we were younger; saving the world no longer seems a possible business. It was easier when we were younger; we who had been raised listening to fairy tales with all of their “happily ever after.” All one needed to do was find the one soul mate, the worthy companion, and the range of life opportunity would be ‘fun’ to explore. Instead, for many of us how it happened was the ‘many soul mates’ theory, the ‘more than one way’ theory, and the ‘order of disorder’ theory. We called many places home and they were all temporary. The map would keep saying, “You are here,” when we wanted to be somewhere else. And what am I thinking about? I am always thinking about where my life is going to go from here. Maybe it won’t go anywhere and here is where I will always be. Ready to dance? Yes, ready to dance.
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DAVE BOWMAN
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ecently there was a news item of which the scope of its significance will be felt for many generations to come…or maybe until the next news cycle. The main component of the story was about a government study whose findings concluded that wireless devices can distract you while you are driving. And here I thought just setting down a cup of coffee in the cup holder, fiddling with the radio dial or putting on makeup were the only possible distractions. Whew! I am sure glad our tax dollars are working to keep us safe and informed. But, on the other hand… “I could have told you that!” There have been other worthwhile and cost effective government studies done for our benefit. The U.S. Department of Agriculture once gave researchers at the University of New Hampshire $700,000 to study methane gas emissions from cows. And then our illustrious “Department of Human Services” plans on shelling out $500 million on a program that will seek to solve the problem of 5-year-old children who “can’t sit still” in kindergarten classrooms. Hey, give me the money right now. I have the answer… “Lucky Charms” for breakfast. Who doesn’t like a wholesome marshmallow and candy cereal to start your day? Now, here are a few government studies that are itching for a grant to be written: “Over/Under” - the emotional impact on family members of choosing which direction the toilet paper should be put on the roll. “A Drop In The Bucket” - the physical changes in the brain that cause the decision to put a gallon milk jug back in the refrigerator with only a drop of milk left in it.
When first introduced to the LIFE training materials, I was operating a tree service company on a negative cash flow. I accumulated approximately $800,000 in debt by December 2008. Faced with almost certain bankruptcy, attorneys were recommending that I “see the writing on the wall.” I was reading a book from the LIFE system, God’s Plan for Your Finances by Dwight Nichols who mentions that many people never realize the monetary value of the expertise they have acquired. That one small statement changed my entire outlook. I made the decision that I would become an expert at getting out of significant debt without bankruptcy. With that expertise, I could provide hope for so many people who are looking for a way out of their financial woes. In the end, my financial difficulty could actually be turned into a financial surplus. To date, we have eliminated $700,000 of debt and look forward to complete financial freedom in the coming year. Come into Total Business Products in Beaver Dam or Waupun to see the Financial Fitness Pack and other selections from the LIFE Leadership Series. So much of what determines better results in life has to do with the information we consume. It is my hope to inspire many to seek information that will alter their lives as it has altered mine. Sincerely, Kevin Hamm
“Project Rainbow” - an M.I.T. study of wives’ reactions after their husbands decide to help with the laundry and toss their red Wisconsin Badger “Rose Bowl” sweatshirt in the washing machine with their wife’s one of a kind “Nieman Marcus” silk white blouse. “Remote Control” - how many remote controls can REALLY fit under a sofa cushion? Come to think of it, I think I will try to write a grant for a study on why we need more government studies. Now, that’s the ticket!
available at 18 North Madison Street - WAUPUN, WI 53963 (920) 324-3711 205 DeClark Street - BEAVER DAM, WI 53916 (920) 356-1711
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Personalization wall Photos by Julie Zahn
JONAS ZAHN
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here is no guarantee in life as certain as death. Despite the inevitable, making end-of-life arrangements for a person we love is not an easy task. It is uncomfortable. The death of someone close to us reminds us of our own mortality and of those we have loved and lost. When my wife Julie and I purchased the former Koepsell-Murray Funeral home at 109 North Lincoln Avenue last summer to create a gallery for our growing casket and furniture company, we embraced our opportunity to “design an experience” around the needs of a family making funeral arrangements. This would be no trivial task; we accepted the challenge, and we have learned a few things along the way that are worth sharing. With keys in hand for the first time in June, I explored the empty building alone. I needed to experience the space in its emptiness and begin to imagine its transformation. Lucky for us, the former funeral parlor was already beautifully decorated with a soothing elegance, a practical selection of wool carpets and painted woodwork. Something occurred to me that summer day as I lay flat on the floor staring up at the ceiling. In those few moments, it became clear to me that of all the things that needed to happen to transform this place into a casket gallery, the single most important idea was to understand the needs of the families that would walk through those doors. Creating a positive experience means we need to be prepared to welcome many different people for various reasons. Some people will come to see the Arts & Crafts furniture, Edison lighting, and the wide selection of eco-friendly natural oil wood finishes and milk paint, with no interest in caskets whatsoever. Others who might come through our doors could include a recent widower accompanied by his funeral director or a large family of 20 or more people of all ages seeking to honor Grandpa or perhaps a middle-aged married couple pre-planning their funerals so their children won’t have to. Unlike a typical purchase decision where we tend to think logically and objectively (like buying a car), planning a funeral catches us in a more subjective state of mind. We are thinking emotionally, not rationally, when we lose someone we love. This is normal and largely unavoidable even for the most stoic of indi-
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viduals. In our gallery there is a display card on each casket that tells a story. Each story is written in the first person from my own personal and emotional experience. The story is less about the casket and more about life and how our individual experiences make us each who we are. These stories help the reader identify with their own personal experiences and often remind us of someone we know. The Importance of Explaining Why: Being transparent about our individual motivations does not come naturally. I have borrowed a chapter from the teachings of Simon Sinek and his “Golden Circle of Motivation” to overcome my own inhibitions about sharing what drives me. There are a lot of things I could do for a living – some of which are far easier and make more money than what I have chosen to do. Mr. Sinek explains that it is easy to tell people “What” you do. I build eco-friendly, handcrafted, locally sourced caskets and furniture. This is the outer ring of his golden circle of motivation. Imagine a bull’s-eye target with three concentric circles. The middle circle is “How” which is only slightly more difficult to explain. But the bull’s-eye, the very center of our motivation, is “Why” it is that we do what we do. When we understand “Why” a person chooses to do whatever it is that they do, we trust them and become loyal to that person and their cause. The Seafarer
I build caskets for several reasons. I want families who care about sustainability, biodegradability, carbon footprint, local-sourcing, or toxic pollution to have an alternative choice in their end-of-life plan. I want to help families at a time of loss and transition. I have learned that when a family is involved in selecting a unique, handcrafted or personalized casket, shroud or urn, the collaboration among family and friends helps individuals begin to heal. I have also witnessed the solace that a family experiences when a loved one has pre-planned their funeral, having made choices consistent with their values in advance so their families did not have to make those choices. Being of service to family, friends, and the great people of our state-wide community, is a large part of what drives me; but the largest component of “Why” I build caskets is much more personal. For every casket we build, we plant 100 trees in Wisconsin. We plant trees in our urban settings and in our state forests. We plant trees to sequester carbon and to restore wildlife habitats. In 2013, I made a commitment to the people of Wisconsin to plant ten million trees in my lifetime. And above all else, I have made the same promise to my two children, Lilian and Cecelia. It is this promise that is at the very center of my golden circle of motivation – and it is very personal.
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The Vintage Casket in the gallery
Since opening in September, I have observed several families come though our doors. Often one or two members of the family are visibly uncomfortable at first. They hesitate to enter the main gallery “where all the caskets are” and stay in the Stickley Dining Hall or seek refuge in the Leopold Family Lounge. These spaces were designed and furnished for exactly this purpose. Families can enter our gallery to experience our handcrafted furniture, enjoy the art, learn about natural wood finishes and milk paint, or play with young children next to the toy box in the lounge. Several people have commented that it is easy to forget they are in a casket gallery, because there is so much more to do and learn. Much like the casket and furniture stores of years passed, there is a lot of space and content in the gallery that is engaging for individuals not ready, or not comfortable putting their hands on caskets. Families who come to our gallery to select a casket, be it an at-need situation or a pre-planning visit, will discover a carefully thought out experience. One that we hope is helpful, comforting, and above all else, sincere. To those families who have already chosen a Northwoods casket, we thank you for your support. Together, we will continue building a company that values locally sourced LINK TO BLOG materials and talent, sustainability, and the importance of planting trees. More on www.LocaLeben.com
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SCOTT SCHMIDT
GRANDMA AND GRANDPA’S UTOPIA It started as a gravel pit On the Highway across from the Dump The Farm of Grandma and Grandpa Schmidt Where everything’s luscious and plump The gravel pit bloomed to a garden They added a barn and some sheds Chickens and pigs, put a yard in, And seven more little Schmidt heads A fine house built by Grandpa’s hands A fertile garden sown Grandma and Grandpa tend the land And love the home they’ve grown
Grandpa in bibs with a hammer Fixing and making repairs Chickens squawking a clamor He goes back in the house to his chair Grandma in jeans and a jacket Her scarf tied under her chin Ducks and geese join in the racket Emma the dog chiming in
Woods and yard a playground For Grandchildren, puppies, and friends Who swing and sled and hang around Or do chores if Grandpa recommends Feel welcome, you’re always invited To stop for a chat or a treat Fresh butter, fresh bread, be delighted Fresh honey makes everything sweet
A wood cook-stove in the kitchen At Grandma and Grandpa’s Utopia Bakes cookies and biscuits and bread Everyone feels they belong Fries hamburgers, pork chops, and chicken A twenty-acre Cornucopia Or just warms the house up instead Filled with food, love, laughter, and song Homemade sausage, Homemade bread Homemade wine and cheese It’s better made from scratch, it’s said So wonderful Grandma agrees
That little twenty-acre farm On the Highway across from the Dump Reaps love, harvests charm Grows everything luscious and plump
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MATT KENEVAN
T
he holiday season is upon us and before we all know it we’ll be rushing the stores for last minute gift ideas. Might as well get ahead of all of it and plan to give the gift of beer. Sure, you may think to yourself, a suitcase of Blatz takes care of Dad and Uncle Al, but what about the rest of the family? Over the past several years more and more men and women alike are drinking craft beer and even joining clubs and organizations to promote their locally produced libation. Remember college when you went to a campus dive bar for the all-you-can-drink domestic light? That’s changed too. Nowadays the college kids are reaching more and more for small batch beers from local craft breweries. Getting back to the old world styles of ales has converted some of the elder generations as well. I get it, craft beer – or beer at all – isn’t for everyone, but there is a reason craft sales are growing while macro beer sales remain stagnant. Craft beer spans a wide range of styles with a variety of flavor-profiles that can appeal to wine drinkers, coffee lovers, and lite beer die-hards alike. In short, people are interested in the variety of flavors that craft beer can deliver. Who knows, maybe one day your sister, son, brother, cousin, or uncle will remember you fondly as the person that got them into craft beer while sitting at the helm of their new brewery. Here are a few ideas in the realm of craft beer for you to consider. The first step to a successful craft beer holiday is to visit your local liquor store. For example, Chill Zone never disappoints when I come back home to Beaver Dam. Ask which holiday seasonals are in stock. Don’t be bashful. Local liquor stores specializing in craft beer generally have staff that are very educated about beer and take great pride in helping people of all beer skill levels. Replace the bottle of wine for the dinner party with a few select 750 mL bottles of craft beer for everyone to sample. Your offering will be a great hit. How about the old saying: “Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish and he eats for life.” Well, you can teach that special someone to brew with a complete homebrewing set this holiday season and give them the gift that keeps on giving. Two great sites to check out are midwestsupplies.com & northernbrewer.com. They offer lots of options for the first time brewer OR the homebrewer who is working on batch #478, and both have excellent online and customer service by phone with knowledgeable people who can assist you. What about stuffing that stocking with beers from numerous different craft breweries? Easy as pie, in fact, even easier. Or how about a ticket to a craft beer festival? I myself have been busy preparing for our outdoor Beer Dabbler Winter Carnival, which will take place on Saturday, January 24th. Last year we had 10,000 of my closest beer friends in attendance. I would be absolutely honored to have more people from the great state of Wisconsin coming across the border for it. This coming year, we will be hosting over 140 craft breweries who will each be offering more than one kind of beer to sample, plus live music, food, hot air balloons, and lots of other entertainment to keep you active, warm and having fun. If you think this would make a great gift for a friend or family member (or yourself), go to thebeerdabbler.com for tickets today. Lastly, there is a great selection of novelty gifts, beer glassware, artisanal beer art, and brewery apparel in every price range for that beer fanatic in your life at the online Beer Dabbler Store: store.thebeerdabbler.com. I hope these ideas help you in your search of the perfect gift to let that special person in your life know how much you appreciate them and to remind them how thoughtful you are.
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O
n March 3, 2012 I bought my first camera with nearly all the money I had saved from a cold winter spent washing dishes and frying onion rings. Driving home with 31 cents in my pocket was a strange sensation, considering I had to secure my cash with a rubber band nearly an hour earlier. I had no idea what I was getting myself into; I only knew where I wanted to go. My interest in photography peaked as I saw Alzheimer’s disease affect the families around me. Yet, no matter how distant a loved one seemed, I started noticing things that brought them to memories and presence in small doses. Thus, I saw the power in a photograph. In this moment, what once was only a piece of paper to me transformed itself. What I now saw was a vault of memory;
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a photo could mean everything to someone who could remember nothing. This was, and to this day still is, the driving force behind my work. I photographed my first wedding in October of 2012 and the rest, in my head seemingly, is history. So there’s my story, but if you are at all like me, your eyes have wandered to the photos surrounding this text and you may have noticed that the subject matter doesn’t pertain to the portrait and lifestyle photography I am known for. There are no bright and beaming seniors or brides preparing for their big day; there is me, myself, and I. Conceptual photography at its most basic definition is a photo that illustrates an idea. For me, conceptual photography is one of a few ways I can directly connect to myself.
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My creative process and the final image itself are often reflective of whatever I am experiencing in my life at that particular moment. Conceptual photography has always allowed me to express the broad spectrum of my emotions that are not always easily conveyed in words. What may look like a surreal photo to a stranger, to me is a representation of my happiness, my struggles, my victories and/or my losses. It is a process of healing, self-reflection, and presence in the moment. It solidifies what I may have forgotten about my craft; that it is an art form. I absolutely love being a commercial photographer, but at times it can be stressful and that stress can make one forget his or her purpose. Conceptual photography, in colloquial terms, gives me a “taste of my own medicine.� I have the connection to a photo that say a bride may have to the portrait of her moments before she walks the aisle. In one image, a day, month, even a year of memories can be encapsulated. To me, this is why all photography is beautiful. A concept needs not to be complicated or flashy, it just needs to be meaningful to the person who creates it. For me, conceptual photography is one of a few ways I can directly connect to myself, my emotions, and make a positive impact on my own life and the life of others.
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Feel Good for the Holidays
THE BEAVER
Matt from Beaver Dam writes: Dear Stump, When I was a young whippersnapper growing up in the “Home of 14,000 Busy Beavers,” the noon whistle would blow signaling that it was time to go home and eat lunch. Now, the noon whistle blows at 12:30 on Saturdays. Does this mean that we can’t start eating until 12:30? Answer: No worries; it’s still okay to begin eating at noon. Rather than the “Noon Whistle,” my children call it the “Dessert Whistle,” since it now signals when dessert should be served. Bill from Beaver Dam writes: Dear Stump, Have you ever considered writing a book? Answer: Indeed. A book titled FRED THE BEAVERCORN is at the publishers! Lovingly illustrated by Karyssa Dittmann, Fred looks even more handsome than he is in real life. There will be both digital and paper copies. Personally, I prefer paper since I can eat each page as I read along. That way, I don’t need a bookmark. See below for a sneak preview of FRED THE BEAVERCORN. Send questions to: Beav@LocaLeben.com and check out weekly updates on www.LocaLeben.com
One day, I asked Papa Unicorn why he is such a free spirit. “It’s important to follow your dreams,” he told me. “My passions tell me what to do. Why would I ever settle for mediocre, when I can do what I love?”
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Like my mother, I feel a duty to care for my family. Like my father, I want to follow my dreams and do what I love. So, to prepare myself for a wonderful job - one that provides for my family and that I really love doing, I try very hard in school.
NOV 29 PHILIP FRITSCHE
D
id you know that America has more than 27 million small and independent businesses? Sometimes they are franchise-owned national chains, like the local Beaver Dam Cousins Subs. Oftentimes they are mom and pop proprietors of unique operations to a community, like Kornely’s Craft and Hobby Center or Chippy’s Popcorn Creations. Occasionally like Beaver Dam’s Benvenuto’s, they branch out with new locations in other communities after starting locally. Eventually some of these businesses begin franchising their idea or opening dozens of corporate-owned locations and the once “small” business now becomes a big business like Culver’s or Menard’s, both of which started in Wisconsin. It is generally accepted that whatever the size business, the holiday season between Thanksgiving and Christmas is the biggest sales time of the year. To capitalize on those potential sales, for decades Americans have been bombarded with “Black Friday” sales by big box national retailers on the day after Thanksgiving. Over the last nine years consumers have also been hit with “Cyber Monday” - the Monday after Thanksgiving - promoting using the Internet to make holiday purchases. But somewhere along the line, the lifeblood of retail business in many communities – locally owned small businesses – were left behind. That is, until four years ago in 2010 when American Express began another annual holiday promotion specifically for America’s small businesses: Small Business Saturday, the Saturday following Thanksgiving and “Black Friday.” Many skeptics in the media mocked the idea of Small Business Saturday and thought the promotion would never take hold in our American retail culture. But thanks to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce joining forces with American Express in 2013, and a renewed marketing investment by American Express, this great program has been pushed out through local chambers of commerce across the United States, including the Beaver Dam Chamber of Commerce, with promotion and participation growing every year. It is estimated that over 100 million people shopped locally on Small Business Saturday in 2013, spending an estimated 5.7 billion dollars! Small Business Saturday in Beaver Dam this year finds local businesses participating in a Ring in the Holidays Passport promotion with a half-day of activity on Saturday, November 29th, coordinated by the Beaver Dam Chamber of Commerce. Holiday shoppers can get a free donut and coffee at 8:00 a.m. at Piggly Wiggly, where Mayor Tom Kennedy will officially kick off Small Business Saturday in Beaver Dam. All shoppers who wish to participate in the Ring in the Holidays Passport promotion will receive a passport book contest entry for a chance to win valuable prizes including $25 gift cards. The passport book is designed to take stamped imprints from businesses participating in the Ring in the Holidays Passport promotion. Shoppers will be asked to get at least 10 stamps in their passport book when shopping locally, and to fill in their name and contact information. Participation in the contest is free, with no purchase necessary at any of the businesses
where shoppers can get a stamp for their passport. There will be an official drop-off of completed passport book contest entries to wrap up the Small Business Saturday Chamber event at noon on Saturday, November 29th. However, the Beaver Dam Chamber will accept completed passport books through noon on Friday, December 12th for those who want to keep shopping locally beyond November 29th! Winners will be chosen at random from all qualifying passport entries received. NOV 29 Shop Small and Small Busi Watch for signs promoting ness Saturday that will be popping up throughout the community 29 in the days ahead NOV leading up to Small Business Saturday.
I SHOP SMALL TO COME IN AND SUPPORTSHOPMYSMALL WITH US NEIGHBORHOOD ®
COME IN AND SHOP SMALL WITH US ®
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#ShopSmall
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To date, these local businesses are on board for the Small Business Saturday Ring in the Holidays Passport promotion being coordinated by the Beaver Dam Chamber of Commerce: Alyssum Health Coaching, Aspire Bodywork, Aspire Boot Camp, BMO Harris Bank, Cherry Berry, Chippy’s Popcorn Creations, Cousins Subs, Hometown Glass & Improvements, Kornely’s Craft & Hobby Center, Laundry Connection, LocaLeben, Mane Stage Salon, McKinstry’s Home Furnishings, Organic Health & Wellness Center, Piggly Wiggly, Preferred Realty, Propst Christmas Tree Farm, Reconnect Spiritual Sanctuary, Sake House and Verlo Mattress Store. These businesses and others will be participating in Small Business Saturday with the Ring in the Holidays Passport. The Beaver Dam Chamber of Commerce website will be updating the participating businesses through #ShopSmall November ®29 29th. For more information, go to EVENT www.beaverdamchamber.com. Info @ www.LocaLeben.com
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DAVID GESCHKE
T
he room is dark. The only phone is a land line, still off the hook from the night before. The last few days are blurry, but I awake with an emptiness in my heart and a familiar thought that my life is worthless, that I have no value. I can’t continue like this. I peek through the drawn shade; it’s sunny out. Two o’clock in the afternoon. I lie back down, pull the covers over my head and wonder how I ever created this moment in time. I don’t want to live. I shake and cry and think about ways to kill myself, but never make a serious attempt. This will be my day, as it has been in many days past. Drugs and alcohol abuse have created a negative mindset that has spiraled to this point. I don’t see a way out. I want a drink. A few years later, I’m playing bass guitar in a rock band with three other musicians whose affinity for drugs and alcohol matches my own. By the end of the night we’re usually all pretty high. On Friday the 13th of May 1988 we play a club called Arbuckle’s in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. It’s a decent night, so the club manager asks us to play four more songs for an additional twenty dollars and he’ll put a bottle of Jagermeister on the bar for us to help ourselves to while we load out. This seems like a fair offer, so we accept. After a long load out, we’re ready to go home. The rest of the guys are in the “band van,” but I have my own vehicle that night... a broken down Duster that you can actually see the road through where the shift knob is between the front seats. No speedometer. I think about trying to sleep in the car and head home later, but decide to just “be careful” and try the drive back to Oshkosh now. Main Street in Fond du Lac is known to have police cruising the area at bar time. There are a lot of bars there, so I know I need to take it easy, especially since I have no speedometer. As I head down Main Street, I find out later that I’m going 40 mph in a 25 mph zone. I miss the left turn at the end of Main Street to head back to Oshkosh, my car veers and smacks the curb by the Lakeshore Park statue, flattens both tires on the driver’s side, totals the car, and there’s an officer right behind me who was getting ready to pull me over for speeding anyway. Breathalyzer reads .29. I’m thrown in jail for the night. I remember this date because this was rock bottom for me. I lost my license for six months. Our greatest moments, our highest achievements, are often sown from the seeds planted during the darkest hours of our lives. Every day is a crossroads. The choices we make can and will affect our lives from that point on. We can change our lives the second we decide to head in another direction.
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I am asked to attend a “personal inventory program” to assess whether or not I might have a problem with alcohol and/or drugs. I need to do this to get my license back. That same weekend of my arrest, I met a woman who would help me start to be truly honest with myself for maybe the first time in my life. The counselor for the “personal inventory program” was the perfect counselor for me; I stayed late and discussed my issues with him after every class. At the end of the program, there’s a one-on-one meeting with the counselor, and you have to follow his guidance to get your license back. He told me in no uncertain terms I was a chronic alcoholic and recommended treatment starting the following week. He introduced me to the counselor who would be running those sessions. Outpatient treatment four nights a week for two months with follow-up meetings and AA support after that. Tuesday, November 1st, 1988 I changed my life forever. I began treatment. The new counselor was the perfect person to guide me at that point in my life. I was 29 years old, had been using alcohol and drugs since I was 14 - over half my life. Within two weeks my desire to use was gone. I’m one of the lucky ones in that regard, many people in recovery struggle daily to overcome their desire to use again. There was still plenty of work to be done, though... on a daily basis... for the rest of my life. We all have our demons. Alcohol and drugs created, within my heart and soul, a self-image of my own capabilities and worth that was extremely negative and limiting. That didn’t go away just because I put the cork in the bottle. We’ve all seen the cartoons on TV where a person will have an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other. It is usually portrayed as a fair fight - both sides with about equal power. Life is not always like that, though - one side or the other will take control. For me, at that point in my life, I had a 300-pound demon on one shoulder and an angel on life support on the other. If you try fighting your internal demons, you will lose. You need to start feeding your angel. This is the work that began for me that day, years ago. This angel/devil dichotomy affects not only our overall attitude, but our views on everything in our lives - our families, money, work environment, virtually every subset of our being. Every day we need to feed our angels. We start with ourselves. What are you capable of? Do you love yourself? Are you making a contribution to society? Where is your passion? Train yourself to spend time daily changing your views on what is possible in any area of your life that you are unhappy with. Two of my favorite quotes on this are: “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t - you’re right.” Henry Ford “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” Napoleon Hill I spent two hours a day, seven days a week studying selfhelp and spiritual material for the first seven years of my sobriety before I ever really got to the place where I thought the angel and the devil were evenly matched. My life depended on it. What if we all did that? What if everyone on earth spent two hours a day looking for what was good about life, or in conscious contact with God? Would our lives be better? Would our community be better? Would the world be better?
Of course it would. My life today is a complete antithesis of the life I was living pre-sobriety. Living a life of purpose and being known as a person with great honesty and integrity has replaced my obsessions as the things I want to focus on and create for myself. A few years after cleaning up, I had to walk away from playing music and being around the bar scene so much so I got a sales job. The only place that would hire me at the time was for a job selling vacuum cleaners door to door. My resume basically said “played bass in rock bands for 16 years.” I became one of the top salesmen in the country for that company. I stayed with that job until I was ready to get back into music, which was about eight years. In 1997 I was able to get the position of bass player with the band Road Trip, still one of the premiere bands in Wisconsin, a position I held for nine years. Great band, great people, no drug use, no drinking allowed during shows for the band members, it was the perfect spot for me. I continued to work sales jobs while also playing with Road Trip, eventually becoming one of the top realtors in my area. I got married, inherited a family, and eventually left Road Trip to start working as a financial advisor (the position I hold to this day). My wife and I have a beautiful home in the country, a great family, and we’re able to travel frequently. It’s not uncommon for us to be overwhelmed by gratitude for all that we have. It is not my intention to write about these successes to brag, but more to illustrate the power that our thoughts have to create our reality. Twenty-five years ago the life I live today would not have been possible for me because I couldn’t see and believe it for myself. Your thoughts brought you to this place, this magazine, and this article, at this time in your life for a reason. My entire life changed in one moment on one day over 25 years ago when I made the decision to believe I was not my past, and I began creating a new future for myself with new attitudes and behaviors; that power is available for all of us, every second of every day. Look for the best today, in yourself, in the people you meet, in the community, in the world. Look for the best and you will find it. Unless you are coming from a place as dark as I had created for myself, it doesn’t take a regimen of two hours daily to change your life for the better. It is more about catching yourself and being aware of the things you do, the habits you have, the thoughts that have become beliefs that unconsciously limit you – and then making small strides daily to move in another direction. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” - Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching Be nice to others along the way. We are all fighting our own personal battles. Find your demons; then feed your angels. It is in learning how to love that growth occurs. Fighting demons is fear-based and hateful. Feed your angels instead, and follow your heart. It is better than the alternative. I know. I’ve lived both ways.
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Dave Geschke is currently working on his first book entitled “Feed Your Angel” and is available to speak on the topic as well. You can sign up for the mailing list at his website and receive two free “Feed Your Angel” wristbands! For more information, or to inquire about having him speak to your organization, see the websites below or e-mail him at dave@feedyourangel.com FEED YOUR ANGEL: http://www.feedyourangel.com FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/feedyourangel TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/feedyourangel
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MICHELLE ROTH
W
rite what you know. This is what you will be told if you de- Writing a large work is like taking a long road trip, or cide to become a writer. Great advice, except that if you only being pregnant. It is not fast and it is not for the faint of heart, but write what you know, you end up with a memoir. And in it will teach you a lot about who you are. That is, if you are able to truth, unless you are already famous or have an exceptional- endure all those months (or years) losing yourself with imaginary ly amazing life, no one except your mother cares a whole lot about characters in your head. I often felt that I was bringing my past your memoir. And even then, your mother has probably heard all and my dreams and my demons to life while writing my book. your stories already. Regardless of the level of success a book may or may not bring, it My own stories were all I could write at first, but I wrote is a soul-cleansing process. them anyway, even if only a handful of people wanted to read I wrote my book about love, and about being a single parthem. We all have to start somewhere. There always has to be a ent, and about poverty. These are things that I knew well because first step. I lived them. But a book is like a stew, with pieces of what we I could say that I chose to be a writer, but it would prob- know added in with pieces of things we find intriguing or that ably be more accurate help make a point, so to say that it chose me. that by the time you get Writing is so much a to the finished product, part of who I am and you have created somewhat I do that it was thing entirely new out probably inevitable. I of many parts. have come to believe I wrote about that we all have gifts, being a mother, because a purpose in this life I see how every one of that we are supposed us cradles our babies to be sharing with the and comforts them and world. It is a matter of worries when they are finding what your gift sick. We all love our is and then putting in mothers and our chila lot of old-fashioned dren and our men. We hard work to sand off all have times when the the rough edges and best we can do is merely become good. I always make it through the day wrote, but it was not alin one piece and we fall ways good. But if you asleep exhausted in the Family: Michelle, Lincoln, Georgia, Holly, Stephen and Brice do something, anything, place we call home. Photo: Show Stopping Photography hundreds or thousands I wrote about of times, you will get women, because I worbetter. We are all a work in progress. ry about how we spend a lot of time comparing our lives and our It took me years to be ready to write a book, and then dress sizes and our cars and homes to each other’s. We share much more years to figure out what I really had to say. And since I am more in common than what makes us different, no matter what not famous or ridiculously interesting, I decided to take what I each of our living rooms looks like. I believe spending too much know and make it fiction, adding some interesting tidbits along time looking for our differences will merely separate us, leaving the way to make my point. I spent nine months writing my novel us all feeling lonely and disconnected in a time when our lives are Dreaming Out Loud and about the same amount of time editing and more like islands than communities. I want to change that, to help creating new drafts. My novel took 27 total drafts before it was us all to reconnect, even if it is one reader at a time. So I wrote published this summer. Like I said, work in progress. about a variety of women, hoping to show some common threads.
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Dreaming Out Loud is a story told in the first person by Sarah, Megan, and Lilly, three women battling with themselves and society’s judgments - about their lifestyles of polygamy, single parenthood, and interracial marriage. The characters show us that regardless of how our families are comprised, we all have the same hopes and dreams, to love and be loved. Sarah is in remission from the same cancer that took her mother and suddenly meets the man she has dreamed of since she was a girl. Only after she falls for Jacob does she learn that he is a polygamist who hopes to marry her and give her the family she cannot create on her own. Megan, Sarah’s sister, is a single mother of three, struggling to find her place raising her children in poverty, working numerous jobs, and trying to outrun a nasty small-town stigma from her messy divorce. The third woman is Lilly, an 82-year-old who left the south in her youth to escape the prejudice stopping her from raising a family with the man she loved. A surrogate mother to Sarah and Megan, Lilly is the bridge to a hazy past, stringing secrets and memories together, choosing what is brought forward into the light. I chose to write about polygamy mostly because I wanted to find something that would grab attention, something a little out of the norm and out of our comfort zone, and also because it is a subject of interest. I needed something unusual if I was going to get people to think outside the box. I feel that it is in the testing of the edges where we all grow and learn. I tried to do exactly that while writing this novel, not only for myself but anyone who chooses to read it. It is my sincere hope that I can encourage readers to find their own unique gift and share it with the world.
Photo: Show Stopping Photography
Readers are encouraged to feel free to get in touch with any questions or comments, as I would love to hear from you. My website www.michellerothwrites.com has regular blog posts about life, upcoming author events, and author contact information, as well as links to purchase Dreaming Out Loud. Amazon has print copies and electronic Kindle books available for purchase. The first two chapters of Dreaming Out Loud are available as a preview at www.LocaLeben.com
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You’ve probably already made stuffing for dinner at some point. There’s no getting around it, this is eating season. What I love most about this time of year is the proclivity to share food with others. Mom’s not feeling so hot? Bring her some creamed turkey and daniel.ohlson@ daniel.ohlson@ rolls. Works like a charm. What I see most is the propensity to bone up on your fudge countryfinancial.com countryfinancial.com skills for the coming work/home parties and bringing the not so perfect but still oh so delicious experiments to work to share. I love fudge. Thank you! Batting cleanup for this magical time of the year is Christmas. I realize that it’s hard to focus on Thanksgiving and all that it implies since most stores have been display042014-03026AC ing ornaments, trees and wrapping paper since the middle of October, which publicly I Policies issued by COUNTRY Mutual Insurance Company , Bloomington, IL. abhor but secretly has me smiling from ear to ear. Who doesn’t love the Christmas aisle? Policies issued Policies by COUNTRY Mutual Insurance Company , Bloomington, issued by COUNTRY Mutual Insurance Company IL. , Bloomington, IL. I must admit that the thought of Christmas Trees, ornaments, Christmas Carols and the 042014-03026AC 042014-03026AC downright festive feeling of this time of the year is enough for most, but I love it for my 042014-03026AC own selfish reasons. Food! This is the one time of the year that I get to make my favoritist (favorite doesn’t do this justice) thing in the world…Prime Rib. Some like it. Most love it. When cooked right it is truly magical. Throw in some mashed potatoes, gravy, au jus and caramelized Brussels Sprouts and you have the makings of the best meal you’re going to eat all year. Just don’t forget the wine. Until next time, Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours. Policies issued by COUNTRY Mutual Insurance Company®, Bloomington, IL.
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CRANBERRY TEA
CHEF RON’S PRIME RIB
3 C. CRANBERRY JUICE 3 C. PINEAPPLE JUICE 1 C. WATER 1/3 C. BROWN SUGAR 3 CINNAMON STICKS 9 CLOVES
1 RIBEYE (13# AND UP) GRANULATED GARLIC DRIED THYME KOSHER SALT CRACKED BLACK PEPPER
Using a percolator, pour the juices and water in the carafe while placing the dry ingredients in the basket. Let percolate for at least 30 minutes for best flavor.
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At least 1 day before cooking, unwrap your ribeye and place it upside down on a sheet tray. Preheat oven to 350. Season the bottom of your ribeye as desired (you can never have too much garlic!), flip over and repeat. Roast ribeye for 1 hour at 350 (you should have a nice crust), then turn oven down to 190. This is where it gets tricky…No two ovens are alike. Are you using conventional or convection? For a conventional (no fan) allow your ribeye to slow-roast for about 2 hours for medium rare or 130-135 degrees. If you are using a thermometer, make sure to pierce your ribeye at the very top center to get the most accurate temperature and to avoid juice loss. NOW you can stop calling this beautiful piece of meat a ribeye and promote it to Prime Rib. Serve dry or with your favorite au jus. Enjoy!
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ilent sports are huge in the travel and tourism industry these days. Bird watching, biking, and geocaching are some of those lesser known and quieter pastimes. Sometimes they are pursued alone. Other times, they are shared with casual groups. They often do not get as much media coverage or as much hype as the more prominent sports. Just as subtle, in the art world there are sub groups of art categories much like silent sports. While other visual arts steal the limelight, there is an incredible group of artisans who make a living designing jewelry, scarves, purses and other wearable fashion statements. You may not hear about them as often as painters, photographers, sculptors or ceramics artists. There is no Terry Redlin or Louis Vuitton in this category, but many of their creations are timeless, while some are trendy, and others are tantalizing. These are the lesser recognized artisans who add flavor and flair to the art scene in a highly portable manner. At galleries with flourishing gift shops like the Seippel Arts Center, these goods are the bread and butter that cultivate steady sales year-round.
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Betty Singer is an amazingly talented silent artisan. Her work is not showcased at the forefront. It is not spotlighted in a large gallery space, awash in track lighting, consuming entire walls. Her work does not hang from a nail with a heavy wire, nor is it framed, matted and oogled at from afar. Instead, her art is irresistibly draped around a simple velour collar or mannequin bust, appearing as classic and sparkly as Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Like finding and examining a beautiful feather or pebble, you long to see Singer’s work up close and feel the weight of her creations in the palm of your hand or admire it around your own neck. Singer’s distinctive style is donned by women of all ages throughout the region. She has more beautiful pieces of jewelry, purses and scarves than a good hand in a card game; she can rarely hold on to them. She has to throw down those hands and give them up for a new set often, especially during Holiday Gift Gallery time in November and December. These are BDAAA’s busiest months, moving to expanded hours, open daily to accommodate an increased number of shoppers who love their one-of-a-kind finds. If you talk to Betty before the Holiday Gift Gallery opens, she might just tell you it feels like a zoo around the Seippel Center with so much activity and work to prepare for guests. Things can get wild and hairy with so much inventory and never enough space, but Betty keeps showing up. As for her own work, Betty’s art is more like an exotic meandering zoo animal than a parakeet on a perch, because it does not stay put. As gift shop manager at BDAAA, Betty and her art both tend to roam. We move her art from one place to the next, showcasing her wares at Expos, River Markets, and other places where BDAAA meets the public off-site to promote the gift shop. Purchasers who sport Singer’s jewelry, handbags, and scarves are also inadvertent walking advertisements. “Who made that great scarf?” or “Where did you get your lovely necklace?” women ask when they see someone wearing Betty’s beautiful handcrafted accessories. “The Seippel Center Gift Shop,” we say with pride, and think of Betty and many of the other sophisticated and innovative
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jewelry and accessory artists whom BDAAA is fortunate to feature throughout the year. I am one of the many proud BDAAA shoppers to reveal I wear “Betty Singer” like others don Coach purses and Converse tennis shoes. My personal favorites designed by Betty include a dainty bronze linked-chain choker with matching circular amulet and a longer baby blue necklace with a single teardrop-shaped stone that glistens in the light. I also own some gorgeous scarves. What do women absolutely love about Betty’s style and designs? They are timeless. They can be traditional yet contemporary all at the same time. Betty never creates anything outlandish or unsightly. She has discovered a perfect balance in her jewelry and accessories…a yin and yang to many of her creations that simply catches the eye. Her works are alluring and charming, and if you cannot find one to give as the perfect gift, you certainly will find one that you cannot live without for yourself. Singer did not learn jewelry, scarf or handbag making from master classes or from her grandmother or from YouTube videos. “These skills are all self-taught,” Betty declared. “I started making jewelry just after I retired from John Deere in October of 2002. Just a short time after that, I approached the Seippel Center to consider selling some of my items,” added Betty. Soon, Singer replaced the previous gift shop manager as a dedicated volunteer and artist. You have to have flair to know what flair is, and Betty has unique flair radar. She turns it on every time she scouts for new artists to add to the gift shop or Holiday Gift Gallery. She tours the area on a regular basis visiting art fairs, Art on the Square, the Women’s Affiliate Arts and Crafts Fair, driving art tours around the state, craft shows hosted by hospitals and churches, and any other gathering of creative people. She makes more connections than a power strip with a surge protector, promoting opportunities at the Seippel Center whenever she has time. Video footage of her days off would show many of them spent in pursuit of more artists and the unusual and unique gifts they bring to BDAAA.
When she is not volunteering for BDAAA, Betty thoroughly enjoys travel. Day trips, weekend jaunts with friends and family, bus trips throughout the United States. She has even taken a memorable trip abroad to Scotland. “I saved up dollar bills from tips as the bartender at Heine’s Pizza,” revealed Betty, a wellknown face at the classic Minnesota Junction pizzeria between Beaver Dam and Juneau. The only thing Betty raves about more than BDAAA is Heine’s, and she has probably added to their reputation by being their best spokesperson. Betty is also an avid gardener, and besides helping tend Mary Ann’s Garden at the Seippel Center with Dodge County Master Gardeners, she would win the award for the most decorated garden in the Community Garden plots on Judson Drive. Now that the garden beds are resting, you might find her at home whipping up another great scarf or visiting with her elderly mother who resides at Hillside Manor. Just so you do not think that Betty wears an angelic halo all of the time, she admits she is as regular as the next gal. She is a whirling dervish, feeling free to move beyond the mess to somehow create order out of chaos. At this, she
Open House at our newest location at the corner of Highway 33 and S Crystal Lake Road in Beaver Dam.
is an expert. Before an exhibit opens, you will find cupboards and drawers open, a trail of trash, abandoned tags with notes, a jumble of car keys, as if someone just let a six-year-old loose. Amazingly, give her five minutes and the place looks like company’s coming and we are prepared for them at a moment’s notice. When Betty Singer believes in something, she stands her ground, a statue of concrete. She is not a pushover or a wallflower. Neither is she a smooth stone. Instead, she is a lot like one of those imperfect gems or stones she works with to create her jewelry… the ones that do not blend in with all the others, the ones that stick out because of their character. She will bend over backwards to help if someone needs her and she does not demand the thanks and praise that she deserves as a dedicated BDAAA volunteer. When Betty greets you at Heine’s Pizza, or at the Seippel Center, thank her for sharing her silent sport with the arts community. You might have to mention that you have seen this article about her because she probably will not get to it due to her own busy holiday schedule with family and friends, keeping track of gift shop inventory or pouring yet another drink at Heine’s classic bar.
Thursday, Nov. 20: 10am-7pm Friday, Nov. 21: 10am-6pm Saturday, Nov. 22: 10am-5pm Sunday, Nov. 23: 10am-5pm
Regular Hours Mon - Fri: 10am-6pm for the season Sat & Sun: 10am-5pm (Nov. 24 - Dec. 22) or by appointment.
Open 7 Days 529 W. State Street Fox Lake, WI 920-520-0015
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All photos courtesy of the Dodge County Historical Society
BOB FRANKENSTEIN
F
ifty-three years ago on August 13, 1961, barbed-wire fence barriers were constructed to limit travel between East and West Berlin, and on August 14, 1961, the Brandenburg Gate was closed. By August 26, 1961, all crossing points were closed to West Berliners. Soviet and East German troops manned all crossing points, screening diplomats and other officials before they were allowed to enter or leave. The Iron Curtain that divided all of Europe between communism and democracy after World War II now included The Berlin Wall. Thousands of troops were pulled from the United States to beef up forces in Europe in retaliation. Cold War tension was so serious that President Kennedy decided to call up reserves. On October 15, 1961, he ordered the Wisconsin National Guard (Red Arrow Division) to active duty. This call-up hit Wisconsin hard. Armories in 72 cities and towns scrambled to activate and get ready to go to Fort Lewis, Washington for training. Equipment had to be loaded on 550 flatcars at 14 railroad sites in Wisconsin. It would require up to 20 freight trains. Some 10,000 men were ordered to duty from Wisconsin.
Troop train departure
All members of the Beaver Dam Armory were ordered to report for duty on October 15, 1961 at 8:00 a.m. Captain Kordus announced a duty roster, which put the Armory on a 24-hour alert basis. Work details were set up to pack all equipment, gear and footlockers. Physical training would take place at Tahoe Park. They were told they would be in Fort Lewis, Washington on or about the 27th, so they would leave from the South Beaver Dam depot on October 24th or 25th. They were ordered to report each day at 7:30 a.m. for duty at the Armory, until departure. Public support and send-off programs by churches and the city encouraged them until they left. Captain Kordus scheduled a company formation at 8:30 a.m. that Tuesday morning, October 24, 1961, and after a briefing of the trip to Fort Lewis, Washington, it was dismissed at about 9:00 a.m. for the rest of the day. Company E was to report at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday morning at the South Beaver Dam depot where a company formation would be held, after which the men would be able to visit with their families until it was time to board the troop train coming from the south. The train was to leave Milwaukee at 6:10 p.m. with stops at Racine at 6:35 p.m., Jefferson at 7 p.m., Fort Atkinson at 7:30 p.m., Monroe at 7:45 p.m. and Janesville at 8:30 p.m. and was then scheduled to depart from South Beaver Dam at 9:30 a.m. The Beaver Dam High School band was at the depot to send the company off. Waupun’s Company A would also leave on the same train as the Beaver Dam Company. Mt. Rainier - 1962 Fort. Lewis, Washington
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3.5” x 2.5” | Maximum Font Size: 30 pt 3.5” x 2.5” | Maximum Font Size: 30 pt 3.5” x 2.5” | Maximum Font Size: 30 pt
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Writer’s note: I interviewed Captain Dan Kordus before he passed away and asked him to share his military experiences including this crisis. His memories… Company A of Waupun and Company E of Beaver Dam all left from South Beaver Dam on the same train. They would eventually arrive in Fort Lewis, near Tacoma in the state of Washington, and were housed in the old North Fort. The main fort was located a couple of miles south of our location, he remembers. The 4th Division was stationed there. The North Fort had not been occupied for several years and was in poor and run-down condition. Poor living conditions and leaving home weighed on the men, he would confide. Morale of the men dipped. However, “we managed to improve on these conditions and with new busy training routines, morale improved considerably over the next few months.” There were about 80 men in Company E when they left Beaver Dam, but the company would be brought up to full strength with the use of “fillers.” Fillers were ordered to active duty from the military reserves in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and other Midwest states and several members of the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings were included. Ron Mayberry of the Vikings served in Company E. Training was quite intense. They had a lot of field exercises where they went out in the field away from camp for several days, such as “Operation Bristlecone” in the Mojave Desert in California, where they maneuvered against the 1st Division from Fort Riley, Kansas. It was cold and the wind caused severe sandstorm-like conditions making it very difficult to carry out any kind of training exercises the first few days; however, they stuck it out for a full seven days, completing the exercise. He continued that they also took part in “Operation Mesa Drive” about 108 miles east of Fort Lewis, Washington for a two-week exercise against another unit from the National Guard. Physical conditioning was a priority! Many of their field exercises were long and hazardous and of an obstacle course nature, and their physical condition was very good by the time they returned home, he would state. About 75% of the men were given ten-day furloughs to visit family in Beaver Dam for Christmas, and those whose families were living nearby, having followed them
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uilding caring relationships is at the heart of what we do at Columbus Community Hospital. Listening to the wants and needs of our patients is a key part of these relationships as we strive to offer new and innovative services to the communities we serve. It is because of feedback from our patients that we are excited to announce the opening of the Prairie Ridge Center for Orthopedic Excellence. The Center was developed for people with painful hip or knee injuries or chronic medical conditions like arthritis. It is different from traditional orthopedic care because it’s an advanced total joint replacement program designed to relieve pain, restore independence and return patients to work and other activities as quickly as possible. A team-supported system of care, Prairie Ridge Center for Orthopedic Excellence emphasizes wellness and provides improved outcomes and satisfaction levels compared to traditional orthopedic approaches. Here are some of the unique features of the program: • Most patients are able to walk the first day after surgery and leave the hospital two days after surgery. • In addition to experienced physicians and a dedicated
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Dr. Robert Coe
Erin Hills, APNP
care team, the program includes a Care Coordinator who oversees a patient’s entire course of treatment. The Care Coordinator for the Center is Erin Hills, APNP. • Patients are involved in their treatment through each step of the program and are given the necessary information— including a user-friendly Guidebook—to promote a more successful outcome. • Patients wear casual clothes instead of traditional gowns, enjoy a private room and have their family and friends participate as coaches in the recovery process. • Unlike a standard hospital stay, patient recovery is enhanced in group activities with other total joint replacement patients like themselves. Gaining access to the Center is simple. After meeting with Dr. Robert Coe, Orthopedic Surgeon, in either the Beaver Dam or Columbus Prairie Ridge Health Clinic location, patients needing a hip or knee replacement are scheduled for surgery and are automatically enrolled in the Center. After surgery, patients will recover in a dedicated unit on the third floor of Columbus Community Hospital. The Prairie Ridge Center for Orthopedic Excellence accepts more than 50 insurance plans, including Dean Health Plan, Physicians Plus, Unity, WPS, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Employer’s Health, The Alliance and WEA. If you are ready to get back to doing the things you enjoy, call Dr. Coe at 920-623-1200 (Columbus) or 920-356-1000 to schedule an appointment today.
Beaver Dam Armory
Tuesday Night featuring All You Can Eat Chef-Attended Pasta Bar Friday Night featuring Our Popular Fish Fry
to Fort Lewis for the duration, were given five-day passes. A local Washington state brewery exclaimed that a six-month supply of beer disappeared within the first 60 days after the 32nd arrived. (He shares this information with a smile.) As time went on, members of Congress and others began talking about an early release for the 32nd Division. The Berlin Crisis had cooled somewhat and it was felt the 32nd could stand-down. Captain Kordus said, “We were relieved of active duty in August 1962, after approximately 10 months of active duty, and returned to Beaver Dam.” Meanwhile on the homefront, families in Beaver Dam were building bomb shelters in their backyards or in basements using blueprints designed by the Beaver Dam High School drafting class. Our schools held air-raid drills and Civil Defense placed stores of water, rations, and medical supplies in all major buildings. Evacuation routes from major cities were set up and emergency alert tests were tested on the radio and TV systems. Then it was time to welcome back the returning Beaver Dam area National Guard 32nd Division family members. It was inconceivable at the time that the people of the United States would be confronted a few short months later with “The Cuban Missile Crisis.” This cruel shock would again disrupt our daily life and directly challenge the livability of this earth. We would discover powerful Soviet submarines lurking deep in the waters of the Gulf coast and a missile supply Soviet armada on its way to Cuba. Cuban nuclear tipped missiles were almost operational and would soon threaten the very heart of the United States of America. The Mississippi River route to the interior was also vulnerable and millions of people were at risk. Would this turn out to be a thermonuclear bomb war and the end of the world? This heinous threat had to be met head-on and is another historic moment to be written about at another time.
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If you would like a full-guided tour of the Veteran’s Museum in the Dodge County Historical Society building, we would be pleased to do this for interested families, civic groups, and school children. Veteran’s groups are always welcome.
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Get back to a normal lifestyle with total joint replacement at the Prairie Ridge Center for Orthopedic Excellence. Just think, no matter how painful your knee or hip is right now, in just six to 12 weeks you can get back to an active lifestyle, doing all the things you enjoy. It’s all possible thanks to the Prairie Ridge Center for Orthopedic Excellence total joint replacement program. The Prairie Ridge Center for Orthopedic Excellence Program is an innovative and proven system of orthopedic care that is different from traditional approaches. It all starts with our expert medical team, including a care coordinator who will guide you every step of the way. And your surgery takes place under the expert care of the dedicated surgery team at Columbus Community Hospital, with your choice of therapy services at two convenient locations in Beaver Dam and Columbus. To learn more about the Prairie Ridge Center for Orthopedic Excellence and how it can help you get back to moving full steam ahead, visit our website or give us a call.
Affiliated with SSM/Dean Steady Strides Total Joint Replacement Center 1515 Park Avenue, Columbus, WI 53925 920-623-2200 • 800-549-7511 columbuscommunityhospital.org