Wake Up! Waukesha

The Thanksgiving Holidays have come and gone. This year's Feast was hosted by the in-laws and it held many special meanings. Our (2) UW LaCrosse kids were home as was my wife's brother from Las Vegas. The cousins and grandchildren were all in attendance. The house was alive with warm feelings, and the smells of cooking turkey, dressing, pumpkin and apple pies, and much more filled the air.

The grandkids caught-up with each other during dinner in the dinette. Stories touching on each other's lives were exchanged with several promises made to see each other during the upcoming semester break. The adults "deformalized" the formal dining room with teasing and bad humor that somehow seemed just right. The food was savored and complimented; tired and old family stories resurfaced; harmless jokes were made - usually at someone's expense; and Grandma Ginny lapsed into her comfort zone as she tried to keep order while making sure we all had too much to eat.

The contrast between Thursday's family gathering and Friday morning's retail free-for-all was striking. How did I lapse from truly appreciating the genial family Thanksgiving mood to then, just 10 hours later, becoming a rabid, maniacal Friday AM shopper willing to almost commit a felony in my pursuit of those coveted "Doorbuster Specials"?

Was it the "once in a lifetime" savings? Would I be judged better by my neighbors if I could brag about how little I paid for items not really needed? (What was really wrong with my old shop vac?) Did it feel good to "compete and triumph" over others in the melee of competitive shopping? What if "everyone else is doing it" and I wasn't a part of it?!

...And now my kids have gone back to school; the brother-in-law is on his way home; leftovers have already been sampled; and we have the tender reassurances of another round of Thanksgiving memories being added to the family archives.

It's striking how comforting those personal memories are - and how insignificant and trivial my "retail bonanza" has already become.

A lesson learned as I approach the balance of the holidays...

Floats
Marching Bands
Dignitaries
Kids to Grannies
The Holiday Season has begun in Waukesha!

There was so much to see at the 44'th Waukesha Christmas Parade that you had to swivel your neck and look real fast! Over 90 units participated in this showcase of Waukesha Community Spirit organized by the Waukesha BID (Business Improvement District). The BID Executive Director, Karen Richards, and her staff have every reason to feel proud of their efforts.

The 2006 theme was "Scenes of Christmas" and the parade participants reflected this throughout. Generously sponsored by the Blood Center of Wisconsin, this celebration of the start of the Holiday Season should also serve as a reminder of the critical need to help those in need.

The Parade was exhilarating! Cub scouts, Brownies, Grannies, Wacky Wheelers, Officials (including Mayor Larry Nelson, County Executive Dan Vrakas, State Senator Ted Kanavas), old cars, old and new fire engines, veteran's groups, a water-ski team, civic groups, singing stilt-walkers, clowns, and much more.

And the High School Marching Bands!!!!
New Berlin crossed political boundaries as the Eisenhower Marching Band proudly added their brassy sound to Main Street. The award-winning Waukesha South, Waukesha West, and Waukesha North Marching Bands capped-off the musical extravaganza as their music soared to new heights while resonating off of the Downtown buildings!

And while thousands of kids (of all ages) took part in the parade, there were literally thousands more lining the streets. Official crowd estimates ranged from +100,000 (Mayor Nelson's "best guess") to +20,000 (Official police estimates). All this does is further ratify Waukesha's standing as the best City in Wisconsin! What a great outpouring of support for the many great things occurring within our Community. Great schools; a beautiful Riverwalk and Downtown; a revitalized business District; strong optimistic leadership; and a populace that comes together to harmoniously celebrate the upcoming season of cheer and camaraderie.

Congratulations and thanks to all who either marched in or viewed the Holiday Christmas Parade. It was a great evening. If you missed it, there will be encore showings starting at the beginning of December on both Waukesha Channels 13 and 25. (Filming courtesy of the "Education Connection" and the telecommunications students at Waukesha West, and the cooperation of the Waukesha Civic Theatre)

This Holiday Season, remember to give special thanks for the many blessings many of us are fortunate to have. As an added thought for this year, consider how you can make a true difference in someone else's life. The Blood Center, the Salvation Army, the Food Pantry, La Casa, and a host of other Waukesha institutions always have unmet needs. Share the "Waukesha Season of Giving" with those who need it most - assuredly, it will add to the warmth of your Holidays.

On behalf of the WEF 'Celebration" Committee, we thank the entire Waukesha Community for their support in making this a rewarding and successful Event. Over 500 attendees bore witness to what makes Waukesha and its exemplary school district so very special.

Visitors engaged the students in the 'Hall of Excellence". The 40 student-staffed display booths brought the school pride and spirit of these kids to the forefront. Questions were answered and exhibits explained. Raffle tickets were offered by some while other student volunteers kept soda, water, and coffee glasses refreshed. The Lowell Elementary Choir and North HS Madrigal Singers provided dining entertainment. A combined "All-Star" Band from the high schools pushed all the right buttons with "Danny Boy" and "America the Beautiful".

During dinner, the student servers elicited compliments from all. These kids were engaging, polite, and attentive. These same kids who arrived early also ended-up staying late to help with clean-up. At day's end, over 330 Waukesha students of all ages volunteered their Sunday for the betterment of their schools.

The "Celebration of Excellence" is staged by the Waukesha Education Foundation to raise monies (and awareness) for grants and endowments. Last year's Event raised money which provided 14 grants to the schools. The success of this year's Event will allow for even more funding in the upcoming year. (Additional grant and WEF information is available at the WEF website.)

Thank you to the C.O.E. Committee; the many volunteers - young and "not so young"; the parents; the District teachers and administrators; the host South HS Staff; the Community donors/contributors; and, finally, a big thank you to our guests! Your generous outpouring of time and money will truly make a difference as our "students of today" evolve into our "leaders of tomorrow".

Jay and Colleen Walt, and Betsy Crosswaite - "Celebration" Co-Chairs

Last night, our group of 8 went to see the Waukesha Civic Theatre production of The Music Man! It was exciting to see it "sold out" as well as witnessing the number of people it brought Downtown at night on the weekend. The show was first rate and fun to watch.

And while they have added "Music Man" shows to meet demand, the fact remains that local theatre needs additional support from the Waukesha Community to thrive long-term. As a member of their marketing committee, my thoughts are to ask the next "potential group" of theatre-goers what they want and, if given that, will they attend shows?

ATTENTION: Parents of children 16 and up!
You are the next generation of "potentials" for the Theatre. Your kids no longer need your constant oversight. You are staring at your spouse and looking for something new and different to do. College, cars, insurance and other bills are still coming in. You are calling friends and trying to add a little variety to "just going out for dinner...".

The Civic Theatre can provide the answer to the preceding question, but...It needs and wants your input to make it work for you and them.

In the coming months, we will be asking Waukesha for honest answers to the questions of paragraph 2. And while everyone wants to see great Broadway shows such as "Cats", "The Producers", and "The Lion King", costs to buy the rights to and stage those shows are "out of sight". We will be reaching-out to ask: Comedy, Drama, Musical, or ??? Will you attend more then one show a season? Will you bring others? What's a "win-win" price per ticket?

We had a great time last night capped off by a "beverage" on the way home. Affordable, convenient, and fun, the Civic Theatre is finding its place on our calendars more and more.

When we next pick-up a Waukesha Journal/Sentinel, will we stop and reflect on what it took to get that paper in our hands (or on the screens of our monitors)?

Tonight I visited the JS Waukesha office and was immediately struck by the task in front their staff - It's Election Night! All the background has been written; two storylines woven (for either outcome) where elections and referendums are contested; and nothing more to be done prior to results except eat screamingly good pizzas provided by their very generous boss.

Work backwards with me - home delivery of the Journal/Sentinel Tuesday morning around 5:00am. Papers sorted and picked up by delivery people - about 3:00am. Papers loaded on trucks @ 2:00. Papers printed and bundled between 11:30 - 1:45am. Editors review stories and play Solomon to the reporters hard work while layout people determine story locations and spacing:10:30-11:30. Attention-grabbing headlines are created - 10:15pm.

WAIT! This timeline means Amy, Scott, Lisa, Dave, Darryl, and the balance of the Waukesha Bureau have...about 1 hour to write and re-write their stories! Election results don't start trickling-in until after 9:00. These intrepid warriors are miracle-workers! Deadline is too nice a descriptor for the pressure they have been submitted to in their Herculean task. They must write accurately, interestingly, thought-provokingly (?) where warranted, and scribe with full-knowledge that their editor might lean over their shoulder and state "Cut it by a third and we need it (revised) in 10 minutes!"

Readers - That's pressure! And that is just one of many differences between amateur writers, critics and bloggers (myself included), and the true professionals! Assuredly, theirs is a craft where criticism comes quick and compliments are heard rarely. Drop them a complimentary email for one of their well-written stories some day just to let them know you appreciate their work. Let them know what's "good" instead of what's "wrong" with their writing. Advise them on factual errors in polite, conversational tones instead of challenging their schooling, lineage, gender, political leanings and so forth. Remember - Reporters are human (often unlike their editors), and we are darn fortunate to have a pretty decent group right here on Dolphin Drive in Waukesha. My personal experience is "They try to get it right every time".

Pizza, bad coffee, another glass of lousy tasting Waukesha water, excruciating deadlines, write and re-write... All of that and you still get your name in print!

You know what they say? ..."Mommas, don't let your babies grow up to be writers..."