On Brought to you by the letter S
Posted on November 10 at 1:42 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
I'm sentimental for the episode that handled Mr. Hooper's death (and Big Bird not understanding the permanence of it). It still makes me cry to think of it, and for the one I caught while babysitting since I was too old to watch...Maria and Luis' wedding.
On Should the city of Milton subsidize a taxi service?
Posted on November 6 at 7:34 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
There is already precedent for this type of service (Medicaid pays for trips to the doctor), but I think Milton can do better than that. Sure, Mrs. Allen had money, but she just learned to ask for help when she needed it. Maybe a better solution is to study who would use the service and then rideshare with volunteers or (worst-case) charter a school bus to take a group from the senior center to Woodman's, the mall, etc. once or twice a week. Some seniors could pay a fare and those who can't afford it could be subsidized by donations (maybe the seniors with more money could "adopt" another rider even). It's Milton and people there have always found ways to help themselves. I'd hate to think that system would break down now.
On UW-W student questions on-campus grocery prices
Posted on November 6 at 6:22 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Or jump in a car with a few friends and head to Janesville...that's where most of Whitewater shops when it wants to save actual money (even their Wal-mart was always more expensive).
Posted on September 8 at 10:49 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
I don't think the raises themselves are the problem; rather, it's that teachers are governed by a union that sets benefit levels and the pay scales for everyone (to be "fair"). Trouble is, that means there's no negotiating. I have a Master's Degree and a J.D....if I wanted to go back into teaching, they couldn't afford me now, and I can't negotiate a lower salary. Freezes wouldn't be necessary if unions didn't demand teachers with x numbers of credits and x number of years got x number of dollars. I should be free to bargain for a lower pay rate (after all, the benefits are still better than in most other professions). Administrators get to do some bargaining for their salaries...why shouldn't all district employees? That would save money for everyone.
On Cruising the strip remains a popular activity
Posted on August 17 at 9:43 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
I'd rather see the Circuit re-opened than continuing to put up with this nonsense. The Circuit had its regular police presence (they'd walk around checking things out, even) and the kids cruised around in an area WITHOUT much traffic with a lot of one-way streets that ended up cutting down how much damage they could actually do. Today, to "save" us all from the mess that was the Circuit, the kids set up shop up and down Milton Avenue...arguably the busiest street of the city. Teens will always find a place to call their own, so banning it here (and enforcing it better) wouldn't matter. I just found it a lot safer when that place was in a less-busy area of town that police could more easily walk as "beat cops" and get to know the kids (and keep an eye on things). Good luck training this generation of teens to head back downtown, though...the damage has been done. Pity we can't turn back the clock.
On "Race to the Top" - Change WI state law
Posted on August 12 at 9:34 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Merit-based pay will work if administrators (and other well-meaning teachers) would get out of the way, so to speak, and encourage more testing, not less. If students were tested annually and the teachers are given the goals each year and allowed to design their own curriculum to meet those goals based on the children they have before them that year, the children would learn and the teachers would appreciate the recognition of their hard work. Currently, many public schools (and some private schools) love to interfere with academic freedom and want to tell teachers how to teach...which would be fine if each child learned the same. What results? Students are "taught the test" and still fail to achieve satisfactory results. Instead, education should be a sonnet: the "testing" should provide the rhythm and meter and the individual teacher should compose the words, taking into account the students in his or her class THIS year (and the test results he or she will already have from last year's test). A good standardized test can be a tool to help teachers design lessons to meet each child's needs...not a punishment or a crutch. NCLB wasn't the PROBLEM, it was an invitation to do better...it was school districts who refused to take up the challenge and improve TEACHING by allowing teachers to teach (and inviting those who can't teach to exit the profession). Instead of telling teachers WHAT to teach, they should be focusing on helping teachers learn how to individualize instruction better while still meeting common end-goals. Merit pay is a way to achieve this goal.
On Filmmaker to look at life after GM
Posted on July 29 at 6:47 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
One effect people may not notice is those who have to stay away from Rock County, but would prefer to be there. My family would love to move back home (particularly with the glut of affordable homes on the market even BEFORE the plant closed), but until the work situation improves we have to stay in the Twin Cities. It's hard for my son to only see his family when we can afford to drive to Janesville when I'd rather he could see them every day the way I did when I was growing up. A lot of Gen X and Gen Y professionals are like me...once we leave for college, we CAN'T come back, even when we want to. The plant may not have employed people in my profession directly, but it fueled the economy in such a way I could have moved home, shopped at my much-missed Woodman's, visited Hedberg Public Library, and regularly ate in Rock County restaurants and shopped in Rock County stores, yet commuted to Madison or Rockford if necessary. Now it's too late for us to come home. With things the way they are now, it affects employment rates in both Madison and Rockford so it's just not an option for professionals to come home, either.
On Janesville fireworks show lacked community support
Posted on July 6 at 6:44 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Historically, haven't a lot of people just gone to Milton and maybe even other communities? When I was growing up, we always chose Milton's fireworks since they were a lot easier to actually see than anything in Traxler Park since it never had enough space for all the people who would go to see it...of course, when the festivities moved to the new park in Milton, I didn't find things as easy-to-see as when they were behind the high school, but maybe moving the fireworks provided an excuse for more Janesville residents to check out other smaller area fireworks displays and festivals (as an earlier comment mentioned that they went to Whitewater). Kudos to the Odd Fellows for trying, but does Janesville really NEED its own festivities when so many smaller communities have always done a great job as well? If nothing else, maybe its members want to check out the "competition"...what were they doing to get money and support for their shows and events? And in Rock county, the competition isn't generally Madison since people don't usually drive that far for the carnival...they go where they sense the crowds will be lighter, those smaller communities surrounding Janesville.
On Finding fashion for Rascal Flatts
Posted on June 14 at 7:17 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
As one of John's classmates at Milton High School, I am unbelievably happy to see how well he did. He's worked with SO many stars and he's still just "John from Milton" whenever I see him. In a lot of ways, he's one of the least "changed" in our class and I'm so proud to know him! (His parents did a GREAT job of raising him, too!) Thanks for printing this article to call attention to our classmate's work and his parents' fine job of being his mom and dad.
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On Jaloit/Beloiville
Posted on November 13 at 8:59 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
As a Gen-Xer from Milton (the schools, but rural enough to be equidistant to Edgerton and nearly as close to Janesville), I'll chime in. I think the rivalry is bigger. Janesville residents (in some cases) moved to Janesville from Beloit since they felt it was safer. Meanwhile, my dad went to Janesville schools and moved US to Milton schools for the "safer, better" schools. Thus Milton kids viewed Janesville like Janesville viewed Beloit. So...my question is, does Beloit treat greater Rockford with the same scorn? And is Edgerton the one who has scorn toward Milton (we did always have football rivalry)?