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NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2013
8 FEATURE ARTIST JAMES MILTON SMITH
12 THE VAN HARENS Roger and Marilyn have participated in every aspect of the theater’s success.
14 A SEED Ideas are not created for brief consideration; they should be played with.
16 THE FIRST An invitation to reprise a BDAO concert from 13 years ago in celebration.
Skill sharpened with the fine edge of originality and talent honed through time.
18 F E A T U R E BD’S FAVORITE DAD
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LEGEND & LORE
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VIEWFINDER
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HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Loving with a good-natured wit, the kind of father every child wanted to have.
Dedicated to the community of Beaver Dam since 1858, McKinstry’s.
John Walcott loves helping capture the essence of life with portraits.
Christmas memories as the temperature drops and nights are getting longer.
28 THIS & THAT 30 InQUIRE WISCONSIN 35 FoR MY CHILDREN
29 THE WANDERING MAN 31 STUMP THE BEAVER 35 PARTING THOUGHTS 3
FROM ThE EDiTOR If you remember way back to our premiere issue two years ago, I said, “This is not my magazine. It is your magazine.” It is a weird idea - but it has worked. You as a community have built this magazine into what it is today. Your unique contributions are the content - we just give you a place to share it. But there is more! Now we have the ability to be up to the minute online. We invite you, local non-profits, service groups and clubs, to send your press releases to us at content@localeben.com. It can only happen with your participation. The intention is to create a truly community-generated source for local information and events. Most importantly, the information on LocaLeben.com is FREE to view by anyone. No subscription, no paywall. We have been extremely humbled by the participation we have seen from you our readers on LocaLeben.com. In just a couple months you have taken it as your own by submitting events and made it the place to be for local events through our online calendar. It is exactly what I had hoped. Please keep it up! The magazine and the website will only be what you make of it. A major part of what LocaLeben strives to do is help create stronger support for local businesses. This holiday season we are participating in a national movement Shift Your Shopping. The idea behind this movement is to encourage people to think local first during your holiday shopping. Our local merchants are members of the community - your neighbors and friends. They support the things that make Beaver Dam unique. By thinking local first this holiday season, we strengthen our local economy, expand employment, nurture a sense of community and provide a more relaxed, fun and rewarding gift-buying experience. Join us in shifting those dollars - we will all generate 2-3 times as much economic activity than if we had spent our money at a national chain. One great stocking stuffer is the 2014 Beaver Calendar. We have partnered with The Beaver to raise funds for the Family Center and the Dodge County Parenting Project - details are on page 31. Finally, I invite you to our Anniversary Party at Wayland Academy Lindsay Gymnasium on January 11th to celebrate what we have accomplished together. It will be a wonderful night of great food and drink with live music by one of my favorite local bands The Madpolecats. There will also be a silent auction to benefit Beaver Dam Area Arts Association. See details on page 34 and visit LocaLeben.com to purchase tickets.
Front Cover: “Floating Clydes” Back Cover: “Steamy Night Air” Photographs by Julie Zahn
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TICKETS - $35 PER PERSON OR $60 PER COUPLE ™
FOOD LIVE MUSIC SILENT AUCTION
Log on to see our new digital edition and join us on Facebook! Kyle Jacobson
When not working on his book or A Seed, Kyle writes a bi-weekly column on LocaLeben.com. His unique perspective and captivating writing style will be sure to engage you and keep you thinking long after you are done reading.
McKinstry’s & MacMurray Fred MacMurray and McKinstry’s have more history in this community than we worth of magazines. See more photos and historical documents, as well as a video interview.
Free Obituaries
We have recently partnered with the area funeral homes to provide obituaries. These funeral homes provide an invaluable service with their thoughtful writing. We are honored that they have agreed to work with us. These elegant tributes to the valuable members of our community that we have lost can be seen under the “announcements” tab or the obituaries graphic on the right sidebar on LocaLeben.com
Wednesday - Saturday: 10am - 7pm 507 Madison Street, Beaver Dam Sunday: 11am - 5pm 920-885-CORN (2676) Closed Monday & Tuesday Extended Holiday Hours Starting Black Friday, Nov. 29 www.chippyspopcorncreations.com
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KARLA JENSEN
HANNAH KAZMAREK
Karla Jensen has been a freelance writer for 24 years. A published playwright with husband Mark, she teaches writing at the Seippel Center. Karla’s background includes radio, television, magazine publishing, tourism and real estate, not to mention Danish Dancing.
Hannah Kazmarek recently completed her undergraduate degree in journalism and moved back to Beaver Dam. A freelance writer, she is rediscovering her hometown by unearthing treasures in its heritage and excited to be sharing those stories in LocaLeben.
A SEED
ROBIN MACHEEL
A Seed was started by Kyle Jacobson and Jeff Zimpel. With great passion, the two examined art and philosophy as educators at Wisconsin’s Shorewood High School. Jeff continues teaching, painting and doing graphic design work, and Kyle is actively pursuing a career in writing.
A BD native with degrees from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and Purdue, Robin is no longer a full-time “starving” musician, but continues to freelance as a keyboardist, conductor, composer and clinician; he lives in Indiana with his wife and their 16-month-old son.
LLOYD CLARK
SPENCER HUPF
Lloyd Clark, writer, jouster, swordsman and sometime political operative, has lived in Beaver Dam for 11 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.
Spencer Hupf graduated from UW-Stevens Point with a degree in English and Creative Writing. He is currently employed as an English teacher at the Beaver Dam High School. Born and raised here, he has been a resident of Beaver Dam his entire life.
ANNETTE KAMPS
LAURIE PROPST
Annette, a recipient of the Governor’s Award in Support of the Arts, cofounded the community theater and has been a director, producer, board member and a playwright. First an English teacher, she was also Director of Project Aware and PR for the Beaver Dam school district.
Laurie loves learning about Beaver Dam’s past and helping preserve that knowledge for future generations. She is retired from John Deere and with her husband Dave owns the Propst Christmas Tree Farm. She also had the privilege to serve for 30 years on our school board.
The MAGAZINE
VOLUME 2 - IssUE 6
EDITOR Erik Dittmann
PUBLISHER Jim Dittmann
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Preston Bowman
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Benjamin Dittmann
COPY EDITOR Kathy Dittmann
BUSINESS MANAGER Emma Dittmann
LocaLeben The Magazine is mailed bi-monthly to 10,684 homes and businesses in the 53916 zip code
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OUT OF 53916 SUBSCRIPTION We offer a subscription to interested readers who live outside of 53916 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
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.
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
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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) 2013. No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means, including electronic retrieval systems with the expressed, written consent of LocaLeben LLC. LocaLeben The Magazine reserves the right to refuse to publish any advertisement deemed detrimental to the best interests of the community or that is in questionable taste. Editorial content does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher of this magazine. Editorial or advertising does not constitute advice but is considered informative.
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J
ames Milton Smith. He’s got talent. Incredible, unmistakable talent,” I hear. And not just once in a while either. These words flow freely. Often. Unsolicited. Candidly. At times, Smith is as popular as the Packers in Wisconsin, a beer with a brat and turkey on Thanksgiving. His work can be singled out in a crowd like a celebrity appearance, paparazzi at the ready. Little mystery dwells behind Smith’s popularity and perfection. He has honed his talent through time, sharpened his skill with the fine edge of originality, and polished his technique with the supple cloth of character. He is at the same time confident and considerate, wistful and wise, assertive and gentle. He is never at a loss for words or motivation. He thrives on painting like cars run on gas. But his tank is always full, with the fumes of motivation catapulting him forward onto the next new project. He is an idea man. Despite his height, his talent, his signature ponytail, and his penchant for storytelling in his artwork and through the time-honored tradition of oral narrative, James is a classic professional artist deserving of recognition. James began his career after graduating from Beloit College as a professional commercial artist, designing artwork by hand long before computers lent their virtues to the creative design process. An original Mad Man of the sixties and seventies, he excelled in commercial art in Janesville and gained a solid reputation as an artist. He has worked for General Motors, John Deere and for himself. He may not have had as many risque adventures as the character Don Draper from AMC’s Mad Men, but Smith certainly rubbed shoulders with A-List company heads and has even communicated about his art to many famous celebrities. A copy of the letter James sent to Jay Leno is impressive, and Smith is just the artist with enough savvy to pull that off.
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A PAIR TO DRAW TO...TRICOLORED HERONS
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OLD PONY BARN - DODGE COUNTY With more talent than luck, and with perseverance and passion, Smith became the first Artist in Residence in Cedarburg through the Cedarburg Cultural Center. He has racked up a mountain of accolades for his artwork and his style is known by sight alone. John Deere hired Smith to produce limited edition prints celebrating the two-millionth lawn and garden tractor produced at the Horicon plant. He has also been on the staff at GM, where the company commissioned him to produce the artwork marking their hundred-millionth automobile at the Janesville assembly plant. In ancient manuscripts, artists applied ornate illumination and employed steady, loving hands to allow the story to come to life. Art lifted characters and settings from the page. James is much the same; a walking, talking atlas of images and stories. His art invites the reader into the scene like a Saturday movie double feature. We look. We like. We stay for a second helping. We love to hear about the story behind the story of his works. When the credits roll, we want to see the secret scene. Literally all of Smith’s artwork connects to a story much like dogs have owners. They are often inseparable, part of the family, and for James, his stories are as important and even vital to the makeup and DNA of his entire art collection. How does his work differ from other high caliber artists? He owns his own style. It is unmistakable. James himself has told me, “I don’t know lots of people because my artwork is solo work,” he claims, and yet, his reputation precedes him. He enjoys repeat customers. Notable pieces of work stand out for Smith’s fans who
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have told me exactly why they love his work. Through his original watercolors, he has made friends and held hands with history, its people and the environment. We can walk side by side with his work and feel at home. This appeal is universal. It is first-rate. It is dynamic. For example, Farewell England’s Rose depicts a spot-on Princess Diana against the backdrop of a 1949 Jaguar. Smith captures the timelessness of both. The civil war battlefield with a Gettysburg mist of silence settling over a formerly blood stained field beckons us to hear the voices of patriotic ghosts who died for our country. Further evidence of his lively storytelling that captivates so many are found in several Art Nouveau pieces, a Holy Hill beauty, Boston Common, Wild Horses, Nippon’s Tsunami (plucked from the headlines), and even Lady in the Purple Boa. Smith’s captivating art allows us to sample his unmistakable panache. James loves to share the remarkable tales behind his paintings. Too often, art lovers bask in the glow of beautiful art at one of The Seippel Center’s amazing exhibits and do not get to hear the story of how an artist imagined or created a specific piece that spoke to him or her. To me, that is a beginning without an end, or winter without spring. We art lovers enjoy garrulous artists like Smith because he will address the ubiquitous unanswered questions of the heart. “When did you imagine this scene? Why did you place that character in this painting? What inspired you to include that object as part of this painting? Where were you when this happened?” This fall, James is the first artist to display a mini art exhibit at Old Hickory Golf Club in Beaver Dam. His Heron Collection is showcased along with some classic automobiles he is famous for and a few more eclectic pieces from his art arsenal. He participated in the driving art tour in October at Old Hickory and generously donated work toward the gala fundraiser “Evening in Paris” back in August to benefit Church Health Services and the Beaver Dam Community Foundation future hospice house. He has contributed to many auction fundraisers, including those for LocaLeben and BDAAA. In 2012, a tidal wave of watercolors arrived at The Seippel Center as BDAAA enjoyed a one-man exhibit of his work, a never-ending menagerie of colors and parables. Through these avenues, the story of James Milton Smith has been told to me. It is the fascinating back story of Smith and his work with General Motors, John Deere and other amazing incidents that give James his storied reputation for grandeur, beauty and excellence.
NAVAJO RAIN MAN
Last year, as BDAAA prepared to house James’ monumental amount of work, we sat side by side in my office, which has become a bean bag chair of places to hear stories. I enjoy getting comfortable for a good spin, recited in James own unique way, full of vivid recollections and details that only artists are able to relate. Smith especially has an uncanny memory for exact names, places and circumstances about his art, which is atypical. I recline and listen, awed by how inspiration sent James on a mission to complete this piece or that. I asked if he had difficulty letting go of any of his favorite pieces. He answered me with a story, of course. “A mentor once told me never, ever turn down an opportunity to sell your work. If you do, it will get in the way of your career.” Finally, I like listening to Smith’s stories as if I am at home with my nose in a fabulous book. From Harley’s to herons, civil war battlefields to cornfields, Smith uses his mind’s eye to recreate famous and not so famous corners of the universe that are tied sometimes to the beauty of God’s great earth, and other times to the intriguing people who impact James for no particular reason, or for amazing reasons. He shows prejudice towards neither. His stories grow like the tales in those storybooks that are larger than life, that are juxtsupposed against the backdrop of how ultimately his story came to live on canvas or on watercolor paper. We are a human race that craves to meet memorable characters, engage in compelling scenes, and be touched by emotion and passion. James’ stories are translated into a new language through his exceptional craft of painting where no words are needed, where a picture truly is worth a thousand words.
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ANNETTE KAMPS
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oger and Marilyn VanHaren have been the “star couple” for ville shows and one-act plays during college. The “star-crossed” Beaver Dam Area Community Theatre for almost 50 years. In sweethearts met at Oshkosh State when Roger got Marilyn’s atten1964, they joined area enthusiasts to form what was then Bea- tion with his red suede shoes. Later, he joined the college choir “to ver Dam Community Theatre and have remained loyal, active get to know Marilyn better.” members, participating in every aspect of the organization’s success. In 2011, the VanHarens, now longstanding Beaver Dam When their five children were young, the VanHarens took residents, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Roger said, turns on stage, but were always engaged in some way. While Mar- “We weren’t going to stay very long, but our family grew, our ilyn was in the hospital with their new baby Mike, Roger played friends Bob and Carmen Hanson were here, and we found friends a lead in the community theater’s first production Harvey. The through the theater and other groups.” Perhaps Eric Becker, Disfollowing summer, Marilyn was a memtrict Superintendent at that time, gets the orable Nellie Forbush in South Pacific. credit for attracting them to this commuWhen not on stage, she helped actors nity, especially since the VanHarens were with their makeup, took publicity phothe first married couple in the school tos, worked props, promoted shows and district. Marilyn was teaching in Beaver more. Her very first community theater Dam when they became engaged. “So, I job was sewing a ticket holder. “I was resigned because of the ‘no-married-coupregnant, so that’s what I could do, but ples’ rule.” Happily, the rule changed. I almost killed my sewing machine and Roger began teaching English at the Jumyself sewing through that tough fabric!” nior High and Marilyn returned as elSome of Roger’s best backstage ementary music teacher until their first work involved his set designs and buildchild Jill was born. Later, Roger taught ing ingenuity. He remembers Oliver!, his at Wayland Academy, and Marilyn taught first set design; the multi-level Diary of and did some directing at Wayland, then Anne Frank set; and Music Man, one of taught at the high school. many shows performed on the makeshift Both of these talented, dedicatstage at the old Wisconsin movie theed troupers are remembered for specific ater. “Tom Higgins and I stretched cables roles, and they have especially memoraSeated: Jill, TJ, Mike, Chris across the stage so that we could slide ble ones too. Roger recalled his dramatic Standing: Mark in Roger’s arms, Marilyn set changes. You can still see the braces role as Otto Frank as particularly emoon the outside of the building.” Roger tional. Marilyn’s favorite role was “always designed a hidden staircase to be pulled out for Marilyn’s entrance the one I was doing, but I Do, I Do has an especially meaningful in Hello, Dolly! Marilyn reflected, “There was no railing - it was a story, and being “Anna” in King and I and “Mrs. Henry Ford” long walk down those stairs!” She mentioned the trials at different in Any Color You Like As Long As It’s Black was great fun. Of venues before BDACT had its own building. “At the Elks Club, course, when Roger and some of our children were on stage with there was no stage, no backstage, no costume change room, and no me, that was especially nice.” (Several of the children also particiactors’ restroom! We just coped the best we could.” pated in BDACT’s Tell-A-Tale Children’s division, which their son So, how did these two thespians discover their love of Christopher named.) theater and each other? Marilyn’s first role was at St. Mary’s grade Roger shared, “Fiddler on the Roof was our first show school in Oshkosh when she played “Fudgie” in an operetta. In high together, then My Fair Lady, the Beaver Dam Sesquicentennial show school, she was encouraged by drama coach Olive Davenport; and at Do You Remember?, Morning’s at Seven, and we shared lead roles Oshkosh State College, now UW-Oshkosh, she performed in “every in Over the River and Through the Woods. John Kraft, who played play and opera.” Roger’s participation in forensics and play contests our grandson in that show, constantly broke us up during those trivia at Oconto Falls High School influenced him, and he was in vaude- game scenes!”
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Other co-leads brought challenges and humor to their roles. Calamity occurred in Mame when Marilyn’s zipper broke on her “Gooch” dress and Nancy Nashban lost her dress on stage! There was some stress, too, when the wife of one of Marilyn’s co-stars was nervous about the kissing scenes. Roger related how Lee Schmitt and he practiced show lines while painting houses (Roger’s summer business). He especially enjoyed performing in Cactus Flower, Arsenic and Old Lace and more with the Hansons. They both confessed that dramatizing with the popular actor David Proctor was always fun, but a little unnerving when he interjected his infamous adlibs. The scariest time for Roger alone was singing one line in Oliver! “The orchestra was in the balcony of the Wisconsin, so I ran up there to get the pitch, and then humming the note, ran backstage for my cue.” As F.D.R. in Annie, he lost his voice and nursed it on honey and tea, although Marilyn’s “Magic Mouthwash” was her best cure. The couple’s energies for BDACT never stop. They have served multiple terms on the BDACT board including several stints as President. Always looking for ways to promote theater, Roger started his Backstage Mark Twain and wife, Livy column in the Beaver Dam Daily Citizen in the 60s. In 1967 he was on the board when BDACT purchased its first building, St. John’s church, which was not suitable for performances, but used as workshop space. In 1983, when the building at 219 N. Spring Street was purchased, Roger was on the fundraising committee, as he is now for BDACT’s current building improvement campaign. In addition to board and other services, Marilyn directed The Gazebo, Plaza Suite, and Pajama Game, and was vocal director for the first production of West Side Story. In the late 90s, following Roger receiving a federal grant to study Mark Twain in Elmira, NY, the VanHarens expanded their acting partnership with their original tour show Mark Twain and Livy. Initially, at the request of local teacher Michael Belongie, then President of the South West Education Association, Roger gave his first solo show at the Madison Civic Center for the association’s convention. A year later, with some rewrites to include vocals, Marilyn became Twain’s wife “Livy.” For 10 years they presented shows for several Beaver Dam non-profits, schools, and theaters throughout the Midwest and even did a riverboat show. They were pleased to perform the last of 75 shows in the new auditorium at Roger’s Oconto Falls High School. But perhaps the biggest thrill was when the VanHarens visited distinguished actor Hal Holbrook in his dressing room following his own Mark Twain show in Madison. With 50 years of theater experiences and more to come, the VanHarens see BDACT as a central part of their lives. Marilyn shared, “It’s education, entertainment, escaping - It brings people of all walks of life, all ages, all skills, into one community. BDACT offers so many opportunities in addition to our main productions.” Roger sees BDACT as “a cultural outlet that people here didn’t have before. We build interest in theater even beyond our own community.” Reflecting on the importance of BDACT’s building project, Marilyn shared her concerns. “I have seen people carried up the stairs in wheelchairs or with their canes. Others say, ‘I would go, but there’s no handicap access, there aren’t enough rest rooms, and the air conditioning needs improvement.’” Roger emphasized, “BDACT’s such an important entity in the city, and everyone deserves to get into the theater. The building improvements are not as much for us - actors will perform shows anywhere - but we need to get an audience in to see them, we need to give access to all.” Marilyn added, “And where can anyone go to see great shows by outstanding talent at such a price?!”
PHOTOS
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ROBIN MACHEEL
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hirteen years ago I sat down with the Beaver Dam Area Orchestra to play Rhapsody in Blue. It was sort of the culmination of my “high school years.” I had been playing with the orchestra for five years and I was getting ready to head off into obscurity at Indiana University. That night I sat in front of dozens of musicians I had been playing with for all those years. It was a memorable night. I have a video tape of that concert somewhere. I have never watched it. I don’t want to because that night is perfect in my memory. When the music director, Rich Zeman, asked me to come back to Beaver Dam to reprise that concert 13 years later, I knew I was going to be in for a treat. About a month ago I had the privilege of attending a BDAO rehearsal and playing through the Rhapsody. I just happened to be passing through town. I have been away from Beaver Dam for 13 years. There is not too much to recognize coming back to this town. A lot has changed since the change of the millennium. The YMCA is now a police station, the WALMART is now a bigger WALMART
Rich Zeman with Robin
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further away, there is a sushi place and various coffee shops, and recently I heard (gasp) that Park Plaza Pizza is gone. Despite all that has changed over the years, the Beaver Dam Area Orchestra appears exactly as I remember it. Sure there are new faces but a lot of the core people are there. Rich Zeman still recycles the same jokes from the podium. Most importantly there is still the sense of community and joy which happens only when such a group of people gather to share in grass roots music-making. Thirteen years after leaving town, I return to see this wonderful group as I left it. But why does this matter to me so much? In those 13 years, I have played with and conducted hundreds of orchestras. I have had a whole lifetime of rich musical experiences, but you never forget your first. It has been 13 years since I last played with the BDAO. Interestingly, I was 13 years old when I began my relationship with the orchestra, a relationship that would shape me tremendously as a musician and a person for years to come. I remember a lot of things about that first day. I remember waiting around on my front porch clutching my viola and waiting for the right time to arrive. I did not want to arrive too early (I grew up across the street from the Beaver Dam High School so everything was a street crossing away). I remember timidly entering this strange room bustling full of noise and happy people. I remember the walk from the back of the room to my seat in the orchestra. I had to maneuver around the low brass. I made sure there was plenty of space between myself and the tuba as I circled around. I guess you never know what a tuba player will do when he sees a 13-yearold viola player entering the room alone. As I came around the corner, I saw the face of Mark Leiser, my middle school orchestra teacher. Good, he will protect me if the low brass decide to attack me on my way to my seat. I found a seat in the back of the viola section. Made it to my seat: still invisible. Enter the grey-haired who I knew as Rich Zeman. He stood up on the podium and silence filled the room. He started talking for what seemed like hours. I am sure whatever he was talking about was interesting, I just did not want to be noticed, and I believed that as soon as we started playing, I would be safe. If someone noticed me, they would be listening to me and judging me. Then they would find something wrong with me and I would not be allowed back the next week. The room was starting to shrink. These are the things that go on inside the head of a shy and self-conscious 13-year-old when he wanders into the wild for the first time. Soon came the time to welcome the “new members.” I was asked to stand in front of the whole room. I do not think this
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is actually the case, but this is the first time that I felt like I was the center of attention in a room. So much for being invisible. Finally it was time to play. First up was a Beethoven Symphony, the 8th. I looked down at the page: hefty long note. Use your whole bow Robin, let’s show these folks how to play. Big breath, silence (there is nothing like the deadening silence immediately before an orchestra starts playing). Every bit of apprehension that I felt leading up to that single downbeat disappeared in that exiting opening F-Major chord. From that moment on, I was one of the gang. Beethoven’s 8th Symphony is the first piece of music I have every played with an orchestra. I have certainly played (and conducted) them all many times. To this day, I sit down at the piano and play through the 8th when I am feeling tense. It is kooky, playful, and often downright sarcastic. A lot of my colleagues in “serious Beethoven circles” dismiss this 8th symphony but I hold it as high as any other. I guess you never forget your first. All this reminiscing makes me feel old. As I sit at my old piano and revive the playful passages of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, I get to have a conversation with a teenaged version of myself. An older version of myself struggles with hands embronzed with bad habits of years passed. For perspective, try to imagine yourself as a teenager trying to impress the adult version of yourself. Time has given me tremendous musical perspective but the last time my hands made these exact movements such perspective did not exist. This is one of the reasons that you don’t learn serious music at a young age: if you ever become serious about what you do, it is very hard to unlearn technical flaws. As I began to relearn the Rhapsody, it was a struggle. I was fighting these bad habits. A few days into the process, I had an epiphany: What am I trying to fix? How many situations in life can you honestly say that you can make a direct connection to your youth? Somewhere, deep inside my finger muscle memory, was a visceral shadow of my 18-year-old self. That is when the collaboration began: the spirit of naive youthful energy mentored by years of experience. Music is a unique art in that it exists within the bounds of time. It has a beginning and ending, and then it is over. Yet, as I have just demonstrated, music is timeless. It can connect us between different moments of our lives and, by extension, can connect us to people and cultures centuries old. The witty F-Major opening of Beethoven’s 8th mentioned earlier has been bringing young musicians joy all over the world for 201 years just like it did for me 13 years ago. Congratulations to the Beaver Dam Area Orchestra for 60 long years. As the community grows and becomes unrecognizable may you continue to bind together generations and provide inspiring moments for musicians and music lovers alike. 16
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or a relatively small rural town, Beaver Dam has produced more than its fair share of notable and famous citizens. From our quiet neighborhoods have come professional football, basketball and baseball players, along with one Hall of Famer. Beaver Dam has produced Congressmen, writers, singers, a hard skating NHL winger and even a world famous professional wrestler. There is one individual, however, a self-professed “lazy” person, who was a football, baseball and basketball star for our high school; played in the prestigious American Legion Band; and went on to appear in over 85 Hollywood movies, who will always hold a special place in our history: Fred MacMurray. Fredrick Martin MacMurray, known to his friends as “Bud,” came into the world on August 30, 1908 in Kankakee, Illinois. Bud’s father, also named Frederick, was a concert violinist who preferred to play in small concert halls on the road to the concert palaces of New York. Shortly thereafter, the MacMurray clan moved first to Madison and then to Beaver Dam, when Bud was five years old, where the elder MacMurray found the small town life he was looking for and a very elaborate concert hall in which to practice his vocation. Bud found a home and a community that supports the dreams of its youngest citizens and provides opportunity to those willing to work hard for them.
The Absent-Minded Professor Used by permission © Walt Disney Productions
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Bud took to music and at the age of five joined his father onstage to play a duet with the violin. According to Bud, it was a disaster. In a 1970 article in the Pittsburg Press, Bud recounts, “I trembled, I shook. I had trouble fingering the strings. I loathed every second of it, but I did it.” Unfortunately, the experience gave the boy a tremendous case of stage fright, a malady that would take him years to overcome. Even in the latter part of his career, he acknowledged that he hated facing audiences, was extremely nervous and often broke out in “sweats” at the thought of it. Not exactly the kind of response one would expect from a renowned “movie star.” Bud earned 10 varsity letters at the high school, while playing the baritone horn and working at the pea canning factory to make extra money. He took that money and bought the instrument that would set him on the path to fame - a saxophone. Bud formed a band here in town called “Mac’s Melody Boys” a three-piece ensemble that was soon playing and traveling with the esteemed Beaver Dam American Legion Band. It was during this time that Bud forced himself to “face his fear” of audiences and even ventured up to the microphone to sing from time to time. Bud received an American Legion scholarship to Carroll College in Waukesha. While the scholarship covered the costs of school, Bud played six nights a week in a band to earn money and played on the Carroll College football team. Like many college students, Bud found it difficult to work study into his busy schedule. So, Bud packed up his sax, quit school and headed to Chicago to become a professional musician. To that end, he spent the year of 1926 studying at the Chicago Academy for the Performing Arts while playing in multiple bands and orchestras around Chicago. Unfortunately, he ran into a time, as many performers do, when he couldn’t get a gig playing his sax. As luck would have it, his mother Maleta Martin and her sister Hazel wanted to go to California to visit their mother, and neither could drive, so Bud was drafted as chauffeur and the rest, as they say, is history. When they arrived in California, Bud could not get a gig playing sax, as he had to be a member of the union and that required six months of continuous residency. He went to Central Casting to
Fred in 1941 Centennial Celebration Parade with Mr. and Mrs. Rogers Photo: Dodge County Historical Society
Randall McKinstry and Fred MacMurray Photo: Dodge County Historical Society see if he could get a job as an extra in the movies; however, Central Casting was not hiring extras at that time. Bud mentioned that he was a musician and a singer, and since “talkies” were just taking off, he landed a few roles as an extra because of his vocal talent, but recalled “I worked in two or three pictures as an extra. And I sang in none of them.” While on one movie set he met up with a band that had recently lost their saxophone player, the California Collegians, and Bud was once again a happily employed musician. They immediately set off for New York where they played for a number of stage shows including one called Roberta where another young crooner and future star was getting his start, Bob Hope. Still intrigued about the possibility of getting further work in motion pictures, Bud did a screen test in New York where he caught the eye of the talent scouts from Paramount Pictures. Paramount signed him to a contract and sent him back to Hollywood, where he twiddled his thumbs for nearly five months before RKO Pictures took him “on loan.” It took three pictures, but in The Gilded Lily where he starred opposite Claudette Colbert, his fame took off.
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BD Chamber Ambassadors at Performing Arts Center Hall of Fame Installation Ceremony: Milwaukee, June 18, 1987 Left to right (1st row): Jim Roedl, Jeff Kitchen, Ruby Maloney, June Haver, Fred MacMurray, Julie Hein, Myrtle Clifton, Sue Grow, Randall McKinstry (2nd row): Sandy Schwefel, Jim Schwefel, Tom Sandblom, Bea McKinstry, John McKinstry
With his tall, lanky frame and easy-going Midwest manners, Bud’s career as the “good guy” in movies seemed to be set. Bud, however, wanted to stretch himself as an actor and in 1944 he starred as a condemned murderer in Double Indemnity. He went on to play the good guy turned bad in two other movies and admitted, “Whether I play a heavy or a comedian, I always start out Smiley MacMurray, a decent Rotarian type. If I play a heavy, there comes a point in the film when the audience realizes I’m really a heel.” (As he was quoted in his New York Times obituary.) In his 1976 book A Biographical Dictionary of Film, David Thomson writes about Bud’s ability to shift to the heel character. “The ingredients of the MacMurray man are paradoxical but consistent: brittle cheerfulness; an anxious smile that subsides into slyness; a voice that tries to be jocular and easy-going but comes out fraudulent; the semblance of a masculine carriage that turns insubstantial and shifty. In other words, MacMurray is a romantic lead built on quicksands, a hero compelled to betray, a lover likely to desert.” Throughout his career, Bud would spend hours talking about his hometown of Beaver Dam. In numerous interviews across the years, he would always interject a story or anecdote about growing up here. In fact, in the 1945 film Pardon My Past Bud and his war buddy, William Demarest, are moving to Beaver Dam to start a mink farm. Though acting took Bud far from the shore of Beaver Dam Lake, where he apparently loved to fish, he never forgot where “home” was. Though movies made him famous (he was nominated in 1962 for a Golden Globe Award for The Absent-Minded Professor), it was his 12-year role on the television show My Three Sons from 1960 to 1972 that brought Bud the love of America. In the role of Steve Douglas, a widowed aircraft engineer raising three sons, Bud brought a new type of father figure to the screen. Non-judgmental, loving, but with a good-natured wit, Steve Douglas was the kind of father that every child in America wanted to have. The character Steve Douglas was actually much like the kind of dad that Fred MacMurray was off the screen as well. He commented that “you have more freedom making movies than making a TV series” and professed he was “too lazy” for the working hours demanded by a
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television series. He contracted to work only 65 days a year for the production, which allowed him to spend the rest of the time with his family at his home and his ranch in California, as well as to pursue other film work, hunt, fish, cook, golf and work in his woodshop. He retired with his final performance being in the 1978 movie The Swarm, and then in 1987, he was the first person honored as a Disney Legend. Bud was married twice. He married his first wife, dancer and actress Lillian Lamont, on June 20, 1936, and they adopted two children, Susan and Robert. He had met Lillian during his stint on the Broadway stage run of Roberta in 1933-34 while on tour with the California Collegians. Lillian gave up acting to be a stay-at-home mother and they lived happily together until her death on June 22, 1953. He married his second wife the following year, retired actress June Haver, whom he had worked with in the 1945 film Where Do We Go From Here? Together until his death in 1991, Bud and June also adopted two children, twins Kate and Laurie. In his declining years, Bud suffered from both throat cancer and leukemia and passed away on November 5, 1991, at the age of 83 from pneumonia. He and his wife June, who passed away in 2005, are buried together in Culver City, California. In his New York Times obituary, Bud was quoted as saying, “I take my movie parts as they come. I don’t fly into an emotional storm about them. I just do them. I guess I am an offhand comedian in a natural way.” Fred “Bud” MacMurray was an offhand comedian, a beloved father, and a dedicated family man, and he continues to make our community proud to this day.
PHOTOS
See more from the Historical Society archives @ www.localeben.com
The ABC cast of My Three Sons, with William Frawley circa 1962 Source: Public Domain
Excellence. Delivered.
A photo of Doug and Bonnie Gilmore, with daughter Leah Weber, left, and granddaughter Kayla Larson
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
Looking Back in Remembrance; Looking Forward with Hope November is National Hospice Month In May of 1988, Beaver Dam Community Hospital began offering Hospice services to the region. As Hillside Hospice looks back, we are reminded of the foundation on which our program stands. While striving to provide unprecedented support to the patient and family, Hillside Hospice: r )POPST -JGF r 3FTQFDUT $IPJDF r 3FTQFDUT *OEJWJEVBMJUZ Hillside Hospice staff come from our communities and has a deeply rooted commitment to patients and their families. Hillside Hospice’s presence in our community for the past 25 years demonstrates our commitment to our
patients. Perhaps more importantly we are looking forward with hope to the next 25 years. Our vision is to create a Hospice Home in which individuals who are unable to remain at home will have the ability to be cared for in a setting that specializes in end of life care. The need for a Hospice Home is a reality for one of every four Hospice programs across the nation. Hillside thanks the families for allowing us into their lives during an emotional time of life. You have taught us much about life. We also thank the community for their support and hope you will help us achieve our vision for a Hospice Home in our community.
Year round there are recreational activities in Beaver Dam, including: Holiday Gift Gallery at the Seippel Center for the Arts featuring unique gift items crafted exclusively by artists; holiday hours: M-F Noon to 6 pm, Sat. 10 am to 4 pm and Sun. 1 to 4 pm; Contact Karla Jensen, (920) 885-3635 Festival of Trees Silent Auction benDodge Central a Division of Landmark Credit Union; runs through December 5; Activities on the 5th begin at 5:30 PM including a visit with Santa, holiday music, Christmas caroling & refreshments. Contact (920) 887-7783, ext. 3060 Holiday Parade on Saturday December 7 in Downtown Beaver Dam with start; contact Kay Appenfeldt (920) 887-1693 Christmas Musical Revue with three performances: December 19, 20, & 21; Tickets $10 or $5 for 12 and under available at Rechek’s Food Pride Service Desk; contact David Saniter (920) 885-6891 Go to the BD Chamber website: www.beaverdamchamber.com for current calendar of events
For more information, please call Hillside Hospice at
(920) 887-4050.
709 S. University Avenue Beaver Dam, WI 53916 www.bdch.com
YOU HAVE OUR WORD ON IT. 21
HANNAH KAZMAREK
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Randall McKinstry, Pat Mlodzik and Edwin Bentz inspect a new miter saw used for picture framing. Source: McKinstry Family Archives
was standing at McKinstry’s Home Furnishings sales counter, Scottish people who fled the tyranny of starvation with nothing but eagerly fingering my debit card as the saleswoman retrieved my the hope of survival and a knack for it; McKinstry’s grandson would newly matted and framed picture. A collection of old McKinstry later describe his grandfather as “a terror for hard work.” Equipped magazine covers dated in the 1920s caught my eye above the with a trade, the cabinetmaker was soon carving a living. One of counter. I was astonished and romanced by the idea that the store the very first pieces of furniture he made was a workbench, now was so old having no idea the story was even more interesting. retired to a life of holding potted plants in the basement of McKSearching through the musty photos and newspaper clip- instry’s Home Furnishings. The thick wooden surface has thousands pings at Beaver Dam’s historical museum in search of the past, I met of nicks and marks; it is nearly impenetrable, a testament to its origa man named Jerry Kamps. I would later see him in a newspaper inal owner. The very first nick in the door-long bench could have clipping from 1978, when he lead a mural project on the side of come from his first sales push: bow back chairs. McKinstry would the McKinstry warehouse, consigned by the owner. I have mem- trudge down the frozen roads in winter with a pile of his chairs ories of the chipped and peeling strung across his broad back. His Fritz Eichel and John B. McKinstry (1958) images I saw there every day as a clientele were both settlers and NaPhoto by Milwaukee Journal child. At the time it had seemed tive Americans, often trading goods as relevant as its brick canvas. for goods. Now painted over, the mural’s abThree years later, he bought stract images told a story that had a modest building located across started 120 years before the first from where The Rogers Hotel now brush stroke, when a stout Scotsstands. Soon he was selling padded man named John McKinstry first chairs stuffed with marsh grass and stepped onto a small town called other luxurious pieces. His busiGrubville. It was 1855. Wisconness opened along with several othsin was only eight years old at the er standard operations in what had time, and with immigrants making become Beaver Dam. up a third of the state’s populaTaking on similar industries tion, the sight of a young foreigner was necessary in a place with limitand his wife would not have been ed tradesmen, and making furniture unusual. What may have drawn a included the construction of coffins, few post-colonial glances was the which lead the craftsmen to also man’s stature as McKinstry was a prepare what lay inside of them. solidly built 5 foot 2. McKinstry’s store seconded as an Born in Scotland, John “undertaking parlor.” By 1867 “J. McKinstry was among the wave of McKinstry & Co.” had boomed.
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They bought out their competitor and McKinstry’s first known advertisement touted the “finest hearse in Dodge County” pulled, of course, by horses. McKinstry would drive the wagon he owned with the coffin he made that contained the corpse he had prepared. Once he had delivered his cargo, he would unpack a small collapsible pump organ to provide somber music for the occasion. (I know it was somber because it still plays.) The fire that took his original store also claimed a nearby bakery, but the small city banded together to save its tradesmen! The bakery owner placed a notice in the newspaper to announce his reopening and to “tender his most grateful thanks to one and all who rendered me such timely assistance during the fire.” John McKinstry responded to the town’s aid: “Thankful for past favors I shall endeavor to merit an increase of the same.” By 1880 the store name was erected at 131 Front Street, and McKinstry’s never forgot their promise. By the early 1900s, viewings began to migrate from people’s homes into funeral parlors. Adjusting to the times, John McKinstry would empty a few rooms of furniture to accommodate the grievers, who would file into a narrow space at the far end of the building. This meant one less trip for McKinstry, who embalmed his former clients in the store’s basement, pulling up the coffins in a self-service elevator still in use today. To honor partnership with his son William, John McKinstry renamed the business “J. McKinstry and Son.” Four years later, William (W.D.) McKinstry was married the day after Christmas in 1882. (Needless to say, their house was properly furnished.) True to his nature, John McKinstry worked right up until his passing. W.D. inherited his father’s work ethic and eventually his sons Irwin and Randall would join him. McKinstry’s dedication to the community continued. When a customer could not pay off his bill in 1915, W.D. accepted two out of six installments in the form of a sack of potatoes. And in the 1930s, a woman was hit so hard from the Great Depression she paid off her debt bringing eggs in only when she could afford it. The affluent Charles Yauman entered the scene at the close of the First World War, and the store was renamed “McKinstry-Yauman Co.” Around this time McKinstry’s was one of the first businesses to acquire a motorized vehicle. It was employed as the city’s ambulance. As was common in those days, patients would find themselves being driven to the hospital in a hearse, which was the vehicle’s day job. And it would cost them nine dollars. When many companies had to close, McKinstry’s survived The Great Depression in part due to their mortuary services. In 1931 a wealthy entrepreneur was buried with lavish pomp, by far the largest funeral Beaver Dam had ever seen. No expenses seemed to be spared, and all the profit went to McKinstry’s - all 179 dollars and 60 cents, with “dressing and care of remains” costing five dollars and the “use and cartage of 300 chairs” at 10. The funeral business was going so well that in 1934 W.D. McKinstry and Yauman had an additional building built some blocks away. Today that building is known as the Murray Funeral Home. After 73 years with the business, W.D. McKinstry passed away at age 89, working within weeks before his death. A year later Randall’s brother Irwin retired to a warmer climate, and in 1953 Charles Yauman did the same. Suddenly Randall was left holding the reigns. He promptly sold the funeral home and renamed the business for the last time: “McKinstry’s Home Furnishings.” The 1950s brought another recession, but McKinstry’s survived unscathed thanks to the community giving the business “an increase of the same.” “Farmers around here are doing alright for themselves,” Randall explained to a reporter who was covering the store’s 100th anniversary. “Farmers these days are buying the best of everything and that doesn’t hurt us much.” In 1965, John B. McKinstry began working in his father’s store, and is the present-day owner, semi-retired. Sharing a name with the man who founded one of the lasting remnants of early Beaver Dam, he is certain to be the last McKinstry in the oldest family-owned business in the state. Although not a title we may always be able to boast, the story that stretched on the side of the warehouse for 20 years showed the history of a promise. A history that is our own, that no one can paint over.
MULTIMEDIA
From November 18 - December 11 new patients can donate $15 or a new, unwrapped toy/clothing item valued at $15 to receive their exam and x-rays complimentary.
See more historical documents, photos, and video interview @ www.localeben.com
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J
ohn was born August 18th in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. For his first five years, he lived on Sunset Beach Road in a log cabin his father built. Then his family moved to Columbus when his parents purchased the Pratt and Emkow studio. He grew up at his father’s feet in the darkroom, watching his mother [Frances] hand paint portraits, helping in the studio and assisting his father [Mert] photograph sports events, confirmations, large first communion groups and weddings. John had a camera and would photograph football games. He sang in church and school choirs, studied piano and organ for many years and began playing Clarinet in high school, which he continues to play in the New Horizon’s bands sponsored by Ward-Brodt Music and H.O.B. At 17 he joined the Navy and went to their photography school and then spent 3 years processing pictures of the earth, which were used to update navigational charts. He spent winters in Spain and Puerto Rico and the warmer times in England, Iceland, and Norway. After finishing his time in the Navy, he attended Layton School of Art (now Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design-MIAD) and graduated with honors. Today he and his wife still attend many schools and professional classes. In 1972, John married Suzanne and they moved to Columbus. He went into business with his father and bought Walcott Studio in January 1976. He and Suzanne own and operate Walcott Studio, photographing: Families, Children, High School Seniors, Couples, Pets, Architecture Products and lots of sports. Two of their specialties are custom framing and copying and restoration of old photos. John earned his Masters of Photography degree in 1996 and his Photographic Craftsman degree in 2001. John “loves helping others by capturing the essence of life with portraits of distinction.”
SIR WINSTON
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A FROSTY SUNDAY MORNING
FAMILY FUN
SWEET INNOCENCE
JAEGER RYE MILLDANVILLE, WI
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EARLY MORNING FLIGHT - ROTORUA, NEW ZEALAND
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DAVE BOWMAN
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hroughout this wondrous world there are many cities that can be identified by the iconic look of their skyline. Skylines often give a city its distinctive identity and panache. You can often identify a city just by the silhouette of its majestic buildings. To our south lies the city of Chicago, offering a “twofer” with the John Hancock Building and the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower. Out on our east coast, New York provides the emotional welcome of the Statue of Liberty, as well as the Empire State Building and the new World Trade Center. To the west, the Golden Gate Bridge graces the horizon of San Francisco, and to the north, Seattle has the Space Needle. Our nation’s capitol Washington, D.C. holds bragging rights with the Washington Monument, the White House, the Capitol Building and the Lincoln Memorial, and Paris, France touts the Eiffel Tower. Skylines can be “in the eye of the beholder” so to speak. Just up the road the Wisconsin Dells offers a skyline that rivals any in the nation with Mt. Olympus’ wooden roller coasters and the
gazillion-story water slides of Noah’s Ark. And who has not had their breath taken away by the sight of the large “Toilet Bowl” water slide at the Great Wolf Lodge as you are coming up I-94. I am misty-eyed just thinking about it now! Now if you stand on the right county road or street, and squint your eyes a bit, you could even say that our little burg, Beaver Dam, has a skyline. The historic Hotel Rogers (you know, the one where Johnny Depp shot a movie) and the Williams Free Library are still a presence, but the skyline, alas, is evolving with the times. There have been several buildings removed from the downtown area since the flood of ’08, buildings which had been a part of the downtown mystique and lore, with the latest being the old Masonic Lodge building on Front Street. Now a water tower has been added and businesses are cropping up in the outlying area. So, alert the city marketing department to update the souvenir Beaver Dam snow globes, key chains, T-shirts and post cards. The “skyline” of Beaver Dam is changing!
Thursdays: Build your own Pasta Made to order - All you can eat $13.95 Serving 5:00 - 9:00 Fridays: Enjoy the Area’s Best Fish Fry $9.95 (Get it to go!) Serving 4:30 - 9:00 Sundays: “ Plated” Sunday Brunch Serving 9:00am - 1:00pm
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SCHOOLS OF RECOGNITION JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY LINCOLN ELEMENTARY BEAVER DAM MIDDLE SCHOOL SOUTH BEAVER DAM ELEMENTARY
W W W . B E AV E R D A M . K 12. W I . U S
THE WANDERING MAN A BEDTIME FA I R Y TA L E
TAMON MARK UTTECH
H
ow are you? I was glad to see you when I did; “Oh Brief Encounter!” I had said I would write, and I have been at it ever since! How many letters have been started, tottered about like a child learning to walk or like an older person determined to try it again, ‘without the cane, without the walker’ (just to see if I can do it). Indeed. Was there ever a time when we did not struggle? To try? To understand?
Everything we couldn’t know or couldn’t remember rushes to the ‘fore, “Yes, I remember now, I didn’t like that…” But there was also, a time when you did… When it was all new. When everyone who ever appeared in your life could well have been a messenger from the Most High. You could always trade one set of problems for a different set. If it was new you thought it could be fixed. Me too. We probably still think that way; grandchildren are a different matter. If they aren’t being raised the same way, is something different going to happen? Something better? Worse? Heaven forbid! You can never go wrong by holding someone’s hand and taking a walk with them. Every single person knows what to do. Stay with their private thoughts or share them. It is a chance everyone takes. And now? Is it up to our children to accomplish what we could not? They should at least be making an effort! Because we did. Our effort may have become nothing but a memorial park, some place to visit. “Yes, I got that certificate, that diploma. My dad told me that any moron should be able to do it.” You can see my name. And the date. But the summer nights! Oh, those summer nights! They weren’t a puzzle, some problem to be solved. Oh wait, yes they were. The problem of the time. Just like a season. Leaves turned red from hearing the stories they heard, from the people passing beneath them, and later, amongst them. Some of those people didn’t just like to tell stories, they liked to scream and kick! And I managed to write the letter, something I said I would do. It works out as a bedtime fairy tale. For adults. You know what doesn’t matter? I’m sure you do and I hardly know you -tamon
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Meeting an old friend is like meeting a fairy taleMeeting “once upon a time” again.
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RUDY RODING (SPENCER HUPF)
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reetings dear readers! Rudy Roding here to bring you the first of many inside looks at the mysterious people of Wisconsin. The inhabitants of Wisconsin are part of a varied and fascinating society and I hope to bring you, my readers, an exclusive inside look into the lives of these colorful and unique people! I have only recently arrived here in Wisconsin and have decided to temporarily settle in the southern area of the state. My fear is that the northern people of Wisconsin will outright reject my presence or intrusion into their midst if I do not have at least some understanding of their customs or ways. It is my understanding that the people of the North are a very different breed from those of the South. I am very excited to observe them! I am worried what it would be like in the North though, seeing that upon my arrival in the southern area of the state, the first thing that I was forced to observe is the intense cold.
The cold here in Wisconsin is harsh and bitter. The wind hit my skin with freezing air like the crack of a whip stinging me. I find it hard to believe that anyone would willingly choose to settle in this unforgiving land, yet I see people bustling everywhere as if this is simply business as usual. Absolutely astounding! Honestly dear readers, at first I thought that every person I saw was quite heavy and some even nearly bursting. I had come to the conclusion that Wisconsin people must put on winter weight to cope with this icy weather, but as it turns out dear reader, roughly half the population I was seeing was simply draped in numerous warm layers, thus adding to their bulk. The other half really were larger and also had winter garb on as well. My theory is that the larger ones are a more primitive group seeing as they obviously still rely on fat to keep warm in the winter. My theory that half the population is in a constant state of eating to keep up their winter weight was only given merit when I saw that Wisconsin people were regularly salting their streets and roads. It is a fact that salt is a common addition to many meals not only in Wisconsin, but around the world, so it must go that they add free salt to the roads so that the voracious eaters of Wisconsin will always be able to prepare food to keep up their polar physique even on the go. Well dear readers, I must go forth and continue my study of the mysterious Wisconsin people to bring to you nothing but hard facts and real, undistorted observations of these strange and majestic people. This is Rudy Roding signing off. Keep reading and join me next time!
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CLOSED ON SUN. & MON.
THE BEAVER
Roan from Oshkosh asks: Which one does not belong - 1) strawberry flavoring, 2) raspberry flavoring, 3) vanilla flavoring or 4) blueberry flavoring? Answer: Blueberry flavoring does not belong because it does not come from the butt of a beaver. The other three flavorings (strawberry, raspberry and vanilla) may be partially composed of beaver butt juice. Yes, it is true - humans harvest the bottoms of beavers for their castor sacs, which contribute to strawberry, raspberry and vanilla flavorings, and which can be found in such foodstuffs as iced tea, ice cream, gelatin, candy, fruit-flavored drinks and yogurt. In addition to flavorings, castoreum plays a supporting role in the perfume industry. Over the years, castoreum has also been used for medical purposes, which accounts for the fact that beavers were eliminated from Sweden in the 19th century (they have since resettled from Norway). Note: We are not talking about voluntary castoreum donations like the Red Cross Bloodmobile. Rather, castoreum is procured at the same time and through the same undemocratic process that beaver pelts are procured. If you wish to purchase some castor sacs, check out www.castoreum.com, where like-minded people can purchase ambergris, aka whale vomit, which is also a useful ingredient for parfumeurs. Followup question from Roan: Okay, so how do we know if our food contains beaver butt juice? Answer: It is hard to tell. The FDA allows manufacturers to list beaver butt juice as a “natural flavoring” because beaver butt juice comes from...well, it is natural.
an who as a gentlem w e er th ce n O reeling n for baiting, io ss a p a d a h el He loved to re hen. and catching. w or e er atter wh m o n , in m ’e family ked into the oo h s a w e h o S as well as real estate, of s es n si u b baits. ing tackle & sh fi r fo op sh a d for tale seems od is th gh ou h T y that ’s a true stor it , ke sa ’s d od Lake. appen in Fox could only h 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
Another followup question from Roan: What should be done about this? Answer: Well, the bottom line (so to speak) is that the Beaver Dam Common Council should pass an ordinance outlawing castoreum from all foodstuffs unless it is specifically listed as an ingredient. In other words, Beaver Dam would become the world’s first “Castoreum Transparent Zone” allowing our fair citizens to decide whether they wish to ingest this nasty stuff. Once the ordinance is passed, I suspect that most of humanity will “pull up stakes” and move to Beaver Dam, which will result in huge lines outside Edith’s and Ming’s, but we will deal with it. Ellen from Montello asks: I’ve heard rumors about a 2014 BEAVER CALENDAR; what’s with that? Answer: As a fundraiser, The Family Center Ice Arena in association with the Dodge County Parenting Project is selling BEAVER CALENDARS featuring mug shots of yours truly. These are bound to become collector items since there are a limited number available. I personally cannot think of a better Christmas present, with the possible exception of pickled cattails (the plant kind, not the furry ones). While supplies last, you may purchase a BEAVER CALENDAR from one of your skating friends, or stop by the rink, or contact Mr Jim Szopinski at 885-9816. Burt from Albuquerque asks: How’s the Busy Beaver sign coming? Answer: The sign is large and beautiful, it is world famous, it now welcomes everyone to the home of 16,000 busy beavers, it is located right next to a sign that states: YOU ARE NOW ENTERING A CASTOREUM TRANSPARENT ZONE, and unfortunately, it only exists in my mind, or perhaps our collective unconscious.
Regular Hours for the season (Nov. 25 - Dec. 23) Join us for our Holiday Open House at our newest location at the corner of Highway 33 and S Crystal Lake Road in Beaver Dam.
Mon - Fri: 10am-6pm Sat & Sun: 10am-5pm or by appointment.
Thursday, Nov. 21: 10am-7pm Friday, Nov. 22: 10am-6pm Saturday, Nov. 23: 10am-5pm Sunday, Nov. 24: 10am-5pm
Send questions to Beav@localeben.com and let me know if you’d like to receive my Sunday e-mail complete with photo and silly story.
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LAURIE PROPST
“For it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas when the Great Creator was a child Himself.” - Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Writings.
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he nights are getting longer and the temperature is dropping. The trees have shed leaves and their bare branches stretch to the sky. Little witches, goblins and ghosts have begged for goodies at our doors. We are moving quickly into early winter. Can Thanksgiving be far away? Thanksgiving, and then CHRISTMAS… Lyrics from a holiday song remind us that “Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year.” It is a magical time, a time of wonder and merriment. It is a time to reflect and remember.
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Beaver Dam is my hometown and I remember St. Patrick’s at Christmas. The creche or Nativity Scene that appeared in the church on Christmas Eve with natural balsam trees as a background, always decked in blue lights. Mary’s face had a warm smile. Joseph stood proudly at Mary’s side. The shepherds with their sheep, the cattle and the angels all carefully placed to honor the Baby lying in the manger. The three kings with their entourage, had not yet arrived. The nativity figures were beautifully painted in soft colors. The facial expressions were exquisite, truly heavenly perfection, except for one little angel. Whether the artist missed a stroke with his brush, or a paint line dripped, I have no idea. That little angel had a crossed eye. I loved that angel and she was always the first figure I looked for as I knelt at the creche each Christmas. Does anyone else remember her?
I remember Billie the Brownie. He was a Christmas personality that Schuster’s Department store created in 1927 to promote their toy department during the holiday season. In 1931, Billie branched out into radio and had a daily show on WTMJ in Milwaukee until 1951. The program included updates from Santa at the North Pole. Billie and his pals read stories to us and, most importantly, read our letters to Santa on the Radio. Yes, on the radio! We listened to the radio. Billie was a very important Brownie. It was his job to travel the world and to check up on all the boys and girls. Then, he told Santa who was naughty and who was nice… Billie was in charge of “THE LIST.” Would Santa bring toys to you or would he bring you a lump of coal for your stocking? Ask anyone who has celebrated many years of Christmas and who lived withReplica of antique lithograph trading card in the reach of WTMJ’s broadcast Source: Dodge County Historical Society range. They will tell you that Billie was a VERY important brownie. Billie, of course, kept an eye on me, my sisters and all of our friends. Years later, he kept a watchful eye on our children. I am sure he is still patrolling the streets of Beaver Dam between Thanksgiving and Christmas. He is still making his list and checking it twice…. I remember seeing a wonderful picture at the Dodge County Historical Society. It was obviously taken at Christmas in front of our library. I knew it was a candle but what and why? A trip to the research section of our library (thanks ladies) and I found the answer or at least part of the answer. The picture was on the front page of the Daily Citizen on the 14th of December 1951. The caption tells that the Beaver Dam candle, after an absence of several years, would be lit again. Designed by Beaver Dam resident Orin Hofferbert, who also designed the mushroom lamps and colored lights in the fountain at Swan City Park, the candle was 28 feet tall and the candle stick holder, including the handle, was 14 feet in diameter. The climbing flame was made of 100 small red, blue and yellow bulbs and the climbing effect created by a motor driven flasher. Under the direction of the Music Department of the Beaver Dam Schools, 250 public school children sang Christmas carols as once again the towering Beaver Dam candle glowed. What I don’t know is when the candle initially joined our city’s Christmas celebration and why it had been dark for a number of years. If anybody knows the answer, please call the Dodge County Historical Society and let us know. Thanks! This, I do not remember, but it was the lead story, local news, in the 24th of December 1887 issue of Beaver Dam’s newspaper THE DAILY. “Front Street had a business appearance yesterday seldom seen in this city. All that was required to give it a Chicago appearance was the streetcars. There were 178 teams (of horses) standing on Front Street at one time and at least 500 shoppers were in the city during the day . . . Our merchants were very busy and sold an immense quantity of goods of nearly every description . . . It was well that the dealers had large stocks so that all purchases could be accommodated.” No doubt our downtown was so busy because of all the advertisements that appeared in the paper prior to Christmas. Here are two of my favorites. First, “Turkeys, oysters, new larger raisins, oranges, almonds, English walnuts, filberts, Brazils, hickory nuts, black walnuts, butter mints and maple syrup await your pleasure at Lawrence Company.” The second reads, “By a dispatch from Santa Claus we are pleased to announce he will be
111 Rowell Street Beaver Dam, WI 53916 Phone Fax (920) 356-1255 (920) 356-1270
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here December 25th to distribute his nuThat is not true. Our city continues to merous wares and choice articles. Not being grow and evolve as it should. Sometimes, able to be here at present, he forwarded an there are some of us that think it could spin immense stock of the very choicest to Shepjust a little faster. ard and McFadyen from which selections There are some things, though, that can be made.” have not changed in more than a century. Not unlike today, the newspaper We still like a little something extra. carried advertisements for large sales in the Come and see us at the museum stores following Christmas. I found this adduring the Holidays. Take a look at a wonvertisement for a dance held to celebrate derful framed poster, an advertisement, for the New Year: “The Hook and Ladder Band two Holiday Balls in 1866 and 1867. will give a dance on Friday, 30 December l897 at the Music Hall. Music will be “Happy Christmas to all, and to all, provided by Professor Harder’s Orchestra. a good night.” Admission will be 75 cents for men and there will be no charge for the ladies. All gentlemen are entitled, with their admission fee, to a chance on a 56 piece tea set that retails for $14.00, as well as is each lady who attends.” On 31 December the paper reported “The Hook and Ladder Band Poster advertising two Holiday Balls dance was well patronized last evening, Source: Dodge County Historical Society considering the weather. It was one of the very worst evenings of the winter and all who did attend did so under extraordinary difficulties. The china tea set was won by ticket 158, Joseph Hillier.” We liked a little The Dodge County Historical Society Museum, located at 105 something extra. Park Avenue in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, is open Wednesday It is often said that nothing ever changes in Beaver Dam. through Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m
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TICKETS AVAILABLE at Rechek’s, BDAAA and online @ LocaLeben.com
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LENA REIS
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he following two years are rather vague in my memory. But the summer of 1928 is very vivid to me even yet at this time. I was playing outside with my little girlfriend when my Mother called me into the house. Much to my amazement we proceeded to wash my hands and face and after changing into a clean pinafore, we started to walk toward the schoolhouse. As I was to learn in a very short time, this was the day I was to be registered for school. The required age for entering school was seven years, but whatever prompted my mother to enroll me in school at the age of six, I’ll never know. Upon entering the school building, we came fact to face with three men who were sitting there looking at us. After my mother made my age known to them, I was given an I.Q. test. Apparently I passed it as I was enrolled into the first grade that very day. While my mother was registering me, I remember gazing at various objects in the room and in particular at some pictures nailed to the wall. They were a series of pictures depicting the transmitting of tuberculosis germs from one person to another. The first picture showed the germs, shown as small red dots, traveling from one man’s mouth inth the other’s as they were shaking hands and carrying on a conversation. The next picture showed the T.B. carrier expectorating on the ground, while children were playing there at the same time. Again the red dots were seen entering the mouths of the children. There were other pictures hanging there some of which were paintings of the American Indians. One of these must have been a chief. He was standing very proudly, dressed in the most beautiful headdress and holding up his right hand. Many warriors who were ready to make battle surrounded him. There was also a picture of an Indian village showing the women and children performing various tasks in front of their tepees. The last pictures were of the Dark Continent Africa. One picture showed the black-skinned natives surrounding a thatch-covered hut, which was perched on top of slender stilts. The natives were trying to lure a snake down from one of these stilts. The next picture showed the natives feasting on the unfortunate snake, which was absolutely unheard of by me. The paintings were so beautiful, even if they did scare me. I was so involved in the pictures that I had to be shaken several times by my mother, but I wouldn’t go home until she had read me every single caption underneath each picture. Until that time I had never heard of Indians or Africans. After that, I already considered myself far wiser than any of my friends.
JIM DITTMANN
Well here we are - Volume 2 Issue 6 Wie geht es dir?
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his time of year is when we begin to get a little sentimental - this year perhaps more than ever. I had the good fortune of celebrating my 60th birthday in September (is it a particularly popular month to be born?) anyway - I made it! I’m thankful for all the good fortune - friends - family and great experiences. BDAO made it to 60 as well - all my best! November brings the Wisconsin tradition of deer season where everything else drops a notch or two in priority - but this annual event provides a unique type of benchmark for shaping many young peoples lives - did mine at least. Fifty years ago - too young to be at the huntin’ shack but in the fifth grade at the Rockfield school, two rooms - first thru fourth with Miss Piater and fifth through eighth with Mr. Farenkrug. How come I remember these names - do you recall your fifth grade teacher’s name? Mr. Farenkrug was a pretty cool guy - had a Chevy Corvair - I think it was a 2-door coupe - it was a beautiful blue (Horizon Blue?) - before safety questions distracted the Corvair. It was during the gun deer season 1963 when Mr. Farenkrug announced the frightening news from Dallas - President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated. It may have been the first time I ever heard that word spoken - scary - confusing and forever imprinted into the soul of a ten-year-old. Blur forward to the state funeral - the caisson - John Jr.’s salute. The photograph of Mr. Kennedy’s rocking chair being removed from the White House seemed to me at the time hurried and disrespectful. It’s been said that everyone alive on November 22 1963 - remembers exactly where they were... Many memories are still benchmarked by the November tradition - sections of LocaLeben were influenced by the many “characters” who visited physically or became legends through their stories being told at the “huntin’ shack.” My dad framed a portrait of JFK and hung it at the shack - where it remains. That Christmas a friend of dad’s gave me a book titled The Balance of Nature. It had a green cloth cover and my first thoughts were - a science book - I’m a fifth grader and I’m building model cars! I don’t think I ever finished that book - the idea of balance seemed to stick though. Special thanks to all of our advertisers, contributors and friends - you can never say thank you often enough. As LocaLeben embarks on its third year, I hope you will join us to celebrate with an Anniversary Party at the Wayland Academy Lindsay Gymnasium. Come to enjoy the music of The Madpolecats and bid on the original arts and gifts of the silent auction while enjoying some local cuisine as well. I look forward to seeing you there! Cheers!
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Front Cover: “Floating Clydes” Every winter, my parents Steve and Marcia Haase, hitch up their beloved Clydesdales to a sleigh and take a ride through the seas of snow in the countryside near their home south of Beaver Dam. I inherited my parents’ fondness for horses, and photographing them comes naturally to me. Clydesdales are especially enjoyable to photograph as their powerful feet deep snow with little effort. Back Cover: “Steamy Night Air” The Clydes make trotting through deep snow look easy, but in reality it is hard work that always leaves them sweaty and steaming in the frigid winter air. Here, one of the Haase’s long-time horsemen, Steve Krezinski of Beaver Dam, helps to unharness the horses after returning to the barn on a cold January evening.