Meet Me at the Corner

Celebrity Status. . .I Knew Her When. . .

Marjorie Pagel — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:23:38 GMT

Last week I was invited to a book launching party hosted by author Kimberly Stezala whose book Scholarships 101 is hot off the press and available at local bookstores for students and parents wondering how they’ll ever be able to afford college. The publisher is AMACOM (American Management Association.)

Kim has been so busy this past year she’s scarcely had time to respond to my e-mails.She’s had to fly to New York t work with her publisher and to other destinations for interviews. She’s launched her own website and started a newsletter for college-bound young people, and she’s been frequently interviewed about her book and her experetise on tapping into the scholarship market.

I met Kim 10 years ago when we both worked at St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care in Bay View – and I’ll write more about that in another blog. Her radiant energy and her ability to connect with people on a sincere and down-to-earth level is what attracted me to her. I was there at her wedding when she married Darren (who gets well-deserved credit in her acknowledgments) and I’ve met their two children, Sophie and Jack. Even though she’s kind of a local celebrity now and destined for an even rosier future (or so I predict), Kim Stezala will always be the same Kim Stezala at heart – and I’m proud to call her my friend.

These days Kim refers to herself as “The Scholarship Lady.” On the back cover of her book, next to her photograph, we learn that she founded Wisconsin’s first online scholarship database, that she is an advisory board member at Parents Plus Wisconsin, and that she writes a newspaper column about scholarships.

In her introduction to Scholarships 101, Kim says: “I know that the cost of college continues to rise faster than inflation, costs more than a loaded luxury car, and petrifies college-bound students of modest means.” But there’s hope – and Kim’s encouraging voice emerges with practical advice in every page of her book, subtitled “The Real-World Guide to Getting Cash for College.”

“I have devoted my career to helping families achieve their education dreams,” Kim tells her readers. Dreams may indeed be the starting point for the students she counsels, but if you’ve ever met Kim you’ll know she’s not the type to walk around with her head in the clouds. “I tell it like is,” she told her well-wishers at the book-launching party.

In a radio podcast at the beginning of the summer, Kim offered five tips for students thinking about college. In summary, those tips are: 1) Volunteer; 2) Work at places that offer scholarships to their employees; 3) Demonstrate a positive work ethic; 4) Join or attend a pre-college program (see Chapter 4, “College Prep” for details on this;) and 5) Start looking for those scholarships now. (See: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/The-Scholarship-Lady)

A second podcast, “Surfing for Scholarships,” features Kim interviewing guest Christopher Penn, who has authored an e-book on using Google to search for scholarships. Kim also offers a free newsletter at her website, http://scholarshipstreet.com. And, on top of all that, she has just produced a new video, “Scholarships for Beginners” that offers much of the same advice and practical tips found in her book.

“What folks should know is that there is about three billion dollars in private scholarships,” you’ll hear Kim say if you check out that site. Tapping into those billions is her mission. (I especially like her upbeat voice and enthusiastic “you-can-do-it!” attitude.)

Although I have no children in college right now, I know it took Ericka and Matt many years after graduation to pay off their college loans. I also see many college students through my teaching at Concordia University, and I have friends and relatives who have kids with college aspirations. Although my oldest grandchild is just entering first grade next week, if the next 12 years fly by as quickly as these first 6, it won’t be long before he and his parents will be looking for scholarships too. Of course, by that time Kim will be launching an updated version of Scholarships 101.

In the meantime, her book is available at Harry W. Schwartz bookstores, at Barnes and Noble, and through Amazon.com. Many of our local libraries should be carrying it soon – if enough of us request it. I plan to donate autographed copies to both Franklin and Hales Corners libraries so that high school students and their parents can start thinking and planning for college scholarships NOW.

Decisions, decisions. . .

Marjorie Pagel — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:47:04 GMT

At my age I’ve known many people who decided to retire. Some have embraced their new life, finding pleasure in the new opportunities all this free time gives them – some to spend more time with family and friends, others to volunteer for organizations and causes they believe in, still others to follow individual pursuits that their working life didn’t allow for – reading, taking classes, gardening, travelling, improving their golf game. The list goes on. A year or two after their retirement, you ask, “How’s retirement?” and these people give you the stock answer of how they don’t know how they ever had enough time to work.

Others, though, are at loose ends. They visit old friends at the office and go out for lunch, only to come home dejected with the realization they are no longer part of the working force which have the office (or another kind of job) to return to. Eventually, most of these people find worthwhile activities (as in the list above) or they find another job – full-time or part-time, something to fill the empty hours and augment the bank account. The lucky ones would be hired as consultants, drawing both a pension and a paycheck; the others would be offered a part-time job at minimum wage or told to look elsewhere.

And then there's Brett Favre – choosing to retire at the end of one season, choosing to make a comeback at the beginning of the next.

The word decide comes from the Latin decidere, meaning “to cut off.” In other words, once we decide to take one course of action, we're cutting off other options, since most of us can't do two things at once. (My apologies to you multi-taskers who claim you can.)

I'm reminded of Robert Frost's poem, "The Road Not Taken." Looking back at his life, the poet recalls a time when "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood/ and sorry I could not travel both/ And be one traveller. . . ." (It was that both/and. . . either/or dilemma.) The poet chose the road "less travelled by" and later wonders how his life would have turned out had he chosen the other. Of course, he’ll never know.

It must be hard to be Brett Favre – wanting, on the one hand, to retire and wanting, on the other hand, to do what he loves best – play football. Seeing his wife, Deanna, follow him out of the airplane on the newscast last night, reminded me of all those wives who have followed their husbands into the midst of waiting photographers. They’re smiling on the outside but what are they really thinking? With Deanna, for example, is she thinking, “That’s my man, Brett, whatever he wants is fine with me” . . .or perhaps, “I wish this husband of mine could make up his mind!”

I’m not a great sports fan but I do wish both Brett Favre and the Packers well this season. If Brett helps bring the Packers to victory, all those fans clamoring for his return will say, “I told you so,” but if things don’t work out so well, the others will say, “I told you so.”

One thing is certain though: the next time Favre retires, there won’t be nearly so much hoopla as we saw this past year.

Blogging about Bloggers

Marjorie Pagel — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 02:12:48 GMT

Last week I was delighted to receive an e-mail from a former student who also happens to be a blogger for Brookfield Now. Kyle Prast ("Practically Speaking") was Kyle Knapp when I taught at Shorewood High School. She wrote how she was looking forward to getting together with some of her friends, and her blog of July 8 shares some of the highlights with her readers.

I particularly liked the last four paragraphs of her blog where Kyle concluded:

"I have not giggled that much in a long time; however, life's road is never all laughs. There have been tragedies too: the death of a husband, siblings, and parents, and serious illnesses for some of us or our children. It makes you realize how precious life is.

"Good friends are precious too. The old saying, a friend in need is a friend indeed and the Girl Scout song, Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold. certainly hold true for me. Last summer, when I needed to sell my dad's Shorewood home, my 2 Shorewood friends pitched right in to help me hold the estate sale. They were there for me.

"Although we may be of differing religions, political parties, and economic status, the same good, solid core beliefs that brought us together in grade school and high school are still there.

To read Kyle's full blog, and some of her others, check out http://blogs.brookfieldnow.com/practically_speaking

Another one of my favorite bloggers is Philip Chard, who writes a syndicated weekly column, "Out of My Mind." (It appears every Tuesday in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. While browsing his website at http://www.philipchard.com, I found three inspirational quotes that bear repeating:

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"There are two things that we can count on in life: You will die and everything is going to change between now and then. How we adapt to and accept those things is the measure of how we lead fulfilling lives."
-- Joseph Ketner

"I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble."
-- Helen Keller

Then, browing through Chard's blogs, I found some good advice he gave on February 5. (Wasn't that when gas was still below $4 a gallon?) His message: "Quit whining!" And he gave eight practical suggestions for all of us to deal with this problem -- which he, and others, call "an addiction."

1. Elect public officials who pledge to make America energy independent, and not with fossil fuels. Think innovative green energy.
2. Use public transportation, if you can. Or car pool, if you can. Or walk or ride a bike, if you can.
3. Purchase a fuel efficient vehicle — either a hybrid or a smaller auto with high gas mileage.
4. Go the speed limit. Speeding, rapid acceleration and late braking can decrease fuel economy by a whopping 33%.
5. Keep those tires properly inflated.
6. Avoid long idling and warm-ups.

7. Be efficient when you drive. Combine multiple errands into one foray, not several different ones.
8. Quit whining. It doesn't save fuel, but it helps clean up the collective emotional environment.

To read Chard's full blog, check him out at http://www.philipchard.com/page7/files/f369a8adfd5916173a5e931cc8db68a9-1.html

I'm off to Salt Lake City for a churchwomen's convention -- will do some blogging of my own when I get back.

The Guys in Our Basement

Marjorie Pagel — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:27:00 GMT

Today it’s sunny outside and life is good. For one thing, the basement is clean and dry. For another, I have telephone and internet service. It was nice to come back from vacation and get back to my computer. And, just in case you’re wondering, there really aren’t any guys in our basement – not any more. But I’m grateful to all of the ones who spent time down there after the downpour three weeks ago.

First, there was Justin Castleman, our plumber who lives down the block. In spite of all the calls he received that night, he was Justin-on-the-spot when he got the message that our basement was flooding and was there anything he could do.

In the 37 years we’ve lived in this house, we’ve never had any real problems with flooding. (Dottie King, of Hales Corners, remarked how, over the years, she has come to value sump pumps more than jewelry.)

Although there wasn’t anything Justin could do to help us out with our failing sump pump at the moment, he gave us the telephone number of two flood clean-up services and advised us to call right away, to be at the top of the list. The first number we called gave a constant busy signal, but the receptionist at the second one, Flood Busters, assured us that someone would be out that night to survey the damage. I waited until after 11 with several reassuring calls from “Don” telling me he was on his way, after completing stops at several more homes.

By that time, our telephone wasn’t working either, so I learned the value of my cell phone to keep in touch with Don and everyone else who would help solve our basement flooding problem.

Compared to hundreds of other people in Southeastern Wisconsin, our problems were minimal, and I’m grateful for that. I’m also grateful to all the “guys in our basement” over the ensuing days. In addition to Justin, who came back to clean out the sump pump and install a new back-up system, and the Flood Busters team who lugged giant machines into our basement to clean up the water and dry it out, there was our insurance adjuster and the guy from AT&T – the flooding had caused a short in one of the telephone connections. (The following week our telephone/internet service were again interrupted, but that turned out to be a problem with an outside line. We just returned from vacation, and I truly appreciate my resumed Internet service and a chance to get back to blogging!)

An incident like this makes me appreciate all those people who have the knowledge and skills to deal with minor catastrophes like ours – and the major ones as well – to clean things up and make things work. For me, it’s a lesson in humility and gratitude. Thanks guys!

"We're All in Our Places, with Sunshiny Faces"

Marjorie Pagel — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:24:34 GMT

When Barbara Pforr retired from teaching in the Franklin Public Schools, she knew what she wanted to do with her extra time. For one thing, she wanted to join an orchestra where she could play her violin, so she joined the Community Orchestra that rehearses at UWM. For another, she wanted to organize an educational program for elementary school children that would give the youngsters a taste of what it was like to live in Franklin 100 years ago.

Barbara and her husband Dale have been active in the Franklin Historical Society since moving to this community almost 40 years ago. She liked to bring her 3rd grade class to the old Whelan School at Legend Park so the children could sit in the old-fashioned desks and learn firsthand what school was like in their grandparents' or great-grandparents' day. Although the Franklin Historical Society offered tours for school groups at the time, Barbara had some ideas of how to make that experience more than a traditional field trip.

With the support of her brother-in-law Al Block, former Director of Instruction in Franklin Schools and a board member of the Franklin Historical Society, Barbara devised a program where individual classrooms are invited to spend four hours at Whelan School and the other three historical buildings on Legend Park grounds. She has found two other retired teachers who share her passion for local history and alternate with her as lead teacher of the day, whevenever tours are scheduled. In addition, there are half a dozen or so volunteers who serve as assistants. It's a very well-run program, enjoyed by children, their teachers, and volunteer parents who help out.

Last week I volunteered as one of the assistants. The two requirements are to join the Franklin HIstorical Society and to come dressed like a woman from the early 20th century. A trip to the Goodwill store helped me out there. What surprised me is that most of the children came in old-fashioned dresses and trousers as well, and they brought their lunches in cloth-covered baskets or tin pails. There were no zip-lock bags or canned beverages. In fact, one of the tasks before lunch was to make their own drinking cup by following the teacher's step-by-step folding directions.

The previous week I had dropped in during one of the classroom visits to observe a fourth grade class from Robinwood and had a short chat outside the school with a girl identified by the nametag Vivian. "That was my mother's name!" I told her, thinking How quaint that these old names are coming back in vogue! Then I learned that each child is given a different name when he or she enters the classroom, along with some true-life stories of actual children who lived a century ago. Some of the Franklin children were amused to find out they were attending school with a brother or sister, as was common in the days when grades 1 through 8 were all taught in the same school.

Some of the children were asked to carry in wood to place in the box beside the potbelly stove (not operative in 2008.) They also pledged allegiance to the flag and then they sang the "Good morning" song as one of the assistants played the pump organ: "Good morning to you! Good morning to you! We're all in our places, with sunshiny faces. Oh, this is the way, to start a new day!"

The children practiced reading from an old McGuffey Reader in their desks, and they practiced penmanship with pens dipped in real ink. They also had arithmetic problems to solve and lessons in spelling, history and geography. After lunch they played ring toss and other games outside. Then they went on an artifact hunt to the other three historic buildings on the property -- St. Peters Chapel, the Sheehan-Godsell Log Cabin and the Franklin Town Hall, where Dale Pforr, dressed like a turn-of-the century town clerk, demonstrated the victrola and stereoscope, and helped the children identify some of the artifacts listed in their booklets.

All too soon four hours had elapsed and the children boarded the 21st century bus which would take them back to their own 3rd grade classroom at Southwood Glen. There wasn't time to sing the "Goodbye" song printed in their booklet: "Let us put our books away, Study time is over. Happy tripping, homeward skipping, Soon we'll be at play."

To find out more about the Franklin Historical Society and how you can get involved, check out the website: http://www.franklinhistory.net. The book, "From Cabins to Condos," published by the Society two years ago, is available at the Franklin Public Library and through the website, as is the recently published book, "They Came to Bowl," by Doug Schmidt.

The Franklin Historical Society will be hosting a series of Open Houses at the four historic buildings in Lions Legend Park. The next one will be held Sunday, June 22. The buildings will open for tours from 1 to 3 p.m. There will also be a special Open House event on Friday, July 4th, which will run from 1 to 6 p.m. in conjunction with the City of Franklin's Civic Celebration.

Other Open Houses are tentatively scheduled for Sunday, July 20, and Sunday, Aug. 17, between 1 and 3 p.m. There is no charge for admission.

May is the Month of. . .

Marjorie Pagel — Thu, 15 May 2008 14:01:38 GMT

What do Jenna Bush, tennis star Nicole Vaidisova and Disney Channel's Dylan and Cole Sprouse have in common?

Answer: they are all part of the 2008 initiative to get kids to read. May is "Get Caught Reading" month, promoted by Association of American Publishers. In addition to the named celebrities who are promoting reading, politicians are using the event as an opportunity to be photographed for the "Get Caught Reading" posters which are sent to libraries and schools in their home state.

Educators approve of this campaign as well, and in some areas the local media features students reading their favorite books. For more information about "Get Caught Reading", check out the website: www.getcaughtreading.org.

Rochelle Melander, a local writing coach who inspires teen girls to "Write Now!", acknowledges that adults need to turn on to reading too. In this computer age we're surrounded with more and more words, but people tend to get "news bites" rather than read in-depth stories behind the headlines.

We're too busy to read, many of us say. Melander has a number of tips to help all of us become more frequent readers. She shared this in her most recent newsletter.

First, make sure you have books! Support and use your public library. It offers all of us equal access to books. That said, it’s helpful to have a few books of your own. I encourage clients to develop a small library of must-read professional books and resources and a stack of fun or interesting books.
• Keep your books in sight—seeing them might remind you to read.
• Always keep a book in the bathroom.
• Keep a book in the car (or on your person) for the times you end up waiting. This turns the dentist’s waiting room or the time you spend waiting for kids at soccer or ballet into reading time.

Next, find the time to read.
• Get up 30 minutes earlier than your family and use the time for a quiet breakfast and reading.
• Read while you exercise. But be safe! Though I’ve seen others read on treadmills and elliptical gliders (and while walking outside! Yikes!), I only recommend reading on a stationary bicycle.
• Commute to work and read on the bus or train.
• Read during your lunch hour.
• Set aside work time each week to catch up on the reading you do for your profession.
• Replace one hour of email or computer time with reading.
• Tape or TiVo all television shows—and get back 20 minutes per hour show to read!
• Stop watching television a little earlier (or start watching a little later), and take back an hour or more for reading.
• Dedicate one afternoon (or day) per week (or month) as a reading retreat—and head out to a coffee shop, park, or library to read.

Consider the audio option. Audio books make it possible to “read” while running, driving, cleaning the house, crafting, cooking dinner and more.

Give it time. Reading is a habit that takes time to establish—like exercising and eating well. My final bit of advice will help you ease into it: start with a book that rocks your world. Don’t try to devour War and Peace if you haven’t read anything since college. You’ll just get frustrated. Instead, pick up a book that makes you forget the time. You’ll get hooked. I promise!

To find out more about Rochelle Melander's motivational enterprises, check out her website: www.rightnowcoach.com.

A Good Read by Good Drive Press: Meet Nancy!

Marjorie Pagel — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:41:00 GMT

Nancy Goodman Driver is a teacher in Franklin schools. She is also a published writer. On Saturday, May 3, she will be reading from her newest book, Coast to Coast: Arrivals and Departures, at the Franklin Public Library.

The reading will begin at 2:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome.

I met Nancy last week when she was reading from her first book, Beverly Arlene: Saving the Stories. This memoir of her mother had the audience laughing one moment and dabbing at their eyes the next.

Coast to Coast was published this year by her own publishing company, Good Drive Press. The name, a derivative of her own, is also an appropriate catchword for the content. As a child, she and her family took many road trips together, and her subsequent travels have taken her all over the United States and abroad.

Nancy won my admiration in Beverly Arlene as she recounted the travels through England and Scotland the two of them took together. Nancy’s mother was in a wheelchair then, but Nancy was determined that her mother, a lifetime “Anglophile,” should have a chance to see the places she had only read about. There were many challenges along the way, some exasperation – and lots of laughs.

At the reading last week Diana Burns, of Greendale, read the part of Beverly Arlene. Diana and Nancy were colleagues at Franklin High School. Nancy teaches English as a Second Language at the high school and middle school. She does most of her writing in the summer.

Nancy divides her new book, Coast to Coast, into three sections: vignettes, short fiction and essays. The first section is part of a longer work on travel, written with the support of the Wisconsin Arts Board when Nancy lived in Door County. Most of the stories in the second section are set in Door County though some were written in the 80s, while she was living in Spain. The third section, about life in Barcelona, was written to accompany a friend’s photographs.

Nancy spent many hours this past summer editing her work, culled from 25 years of writing. "Writing is 99 percent revision and 1 percent inspiration," she told Molly Snyder Edler, of OnMilwaukee.com, in an interviewed published April 20. (See www.onmilwaukee.com/ent/articles/goodmandriverarticle.html)

Nancy’s brother Steve helped create the cover, using old slides from their father’s collection of a trip to California in the 60s. She calls it, “The Goodman kids on the road.” For every book she sells, Nancy is donating $3 to the Next Door Foundation. (See http://www.nextdoormil.org). She believes every child deserves to grow up in the presence of good books, both at home and school.

According to the Edler article, Nancy plans to write two more books. A possible title for one (her reflections on growing older) is Bits and Pieces; the other will be about teachers and students who have inspired her, Learning to Teach and Teaching to Learn.For more information about her writing, contact Nancy at gooddrive@sbcglobal.net. (Telephone: 414-372-0109) She is available for readings, workshops and book club presentations.

Want to be a hero? Try the Red Cross

Marjorie Pagel — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 17:55:12 GMT

After her retirement, Margie Sutton, a friend from Brookfield, decided to volunteer for the American Red Cross. Her work took her all over the country, including New York City immediately following the events of 9/11.

Margie shares her enthusiasm for the Red Cross whenever she can. At a small group meeting in her home earlier this year, I learned there was much about this organization I didn’t know. In this blog I’m going to highlight some of the interesting information about this organization.

First, just a bit of history: You probably remember the name of the woman who started the Red Cross in this country: Clara Barton. She and a small group of acquaintances founded the American Red Cross in Washington, D.C. in 1881. Barton, a nurse who provided aid to wounded and dying soldiers in the Civil War, later became inspired by the International Red Cross Movement, which began in Switzerland. Barton headed the American Red Cross for 23 years.

The American Red Cross had its first opportunity for action just six months after it was formed – called to fight wildfires in Michigan. Nearly 300 people were killed, and there was $2.5 million in damage. (To see photographs and other information about that national tragedy, click on http://www.redcross.org/museum/history/wildfires.asp)

In 1906 the American Red Cross assisted local government with emergency service following the San Francisco earthquake, and in 1909 the organization set up a pension fund for widows and orphans of miners killed the St. Paul Mine at Cherry, Illinois. This eventually led to creation of workers’ compensation laws.

Providing disaster assistance to victims of hurricanes, tornados, fires and floods is one of the main functions of the American Red Cross. A current news story tells that more than 50 volunteers are right now in the Jackson, Mississippi area, helping with disaster relief for storm victims. Wherever a disaster may strike tomorrow, we can count on the Red Cross to be there.

While the Red Cross is recognized for its efforts in peacetime, the organization is respected world-wide for its service to those injured in war. It doesn’t matter what side an injured soldier has been fighting for – all human beings receive the same care and concern by Red Cross workers. Although the Red Cross does not take sides on any political issues and avoids being involved in controversy, it did work for ratification of the Geneva Convention, providing that injured soldiers and prisoners of war are treated humanely while in custody of their captors.

According to the website of the International Committee of the Red Cross, The Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols are part of international humanitarian law – a whole system of legal safeguards that cover the way wars may be fought and the protection of individuals. They specifically protect people who do not take part in the fighting (civilians, medics, chaplains, aid workers) and those who can no longer fight (wounded, sick and shipwrecked troops, prisoners of war).The Conventions and their Protocols call for measures to be taken to prevent (or put an end to) what are known as "grave breaches"; those responsible for breaches must be punished.

The United States and 193 other countries have agreed to abide by the conventions. (For more specific information about the Geneva Conventions, see: http://www.icrc.org/Web/Eng/siteeng0.nsf/htmlall/genevaconventions

Sometimes, Margie Sutton said, the most important work a Red Cross volunteer can do is get word to someone’s family that their loved one is alive and safe. Since she is no longer able to go into emergency relief areas (where volunteers may find it necessary to work long hours without rest and then sleep outside in primitive conditions), she continues to work as a community educator.

Numerous volunteer opportunities in this area are available. From the website of Red Cross – Southeast Wisconsin, we learn: Each year hundreds of people from southeastern Wisconsin serve as Red Cross volunteers. With their help, time and commitment, the Red Cross is able to help people in emergencies, teach first aid and CPR courses, deliver emergency messages to members of the military, organize programs for the elderly and youth, and much more. Red Cross volunteers work directly with people or provide behind-the-scenes support. Be a Red Cross volunteer! Helping others feels good and helps you feel good about yourself. Your local Red Cross can work with you to provide rewarding experiences, opportunities to utilize your talents, or provide training to help you serve your community.

To learn about these opportunities, or just to check on the Brave Heart awards presented in 2007 to local heroes and heroines who risked their own lives to save another, check out: http://www.redcrossinsewis.org/content/category/14/33/117 While you’re browsing the local website, find out how you can be “Red Cross ready.”

If you just want to shop, check the online store at that link: you can buy a T-shirt for $8, a first aid set for your cat or dog for $17, or a babysitter backpack for $8.
Note: The Red Cross is asking donations of your old cell phones. Call 414-342-8680 for more information.

There’s another way to be a Red Cross hero – and it will take less than an hour of your time: Donate blood!

It's Always Summer on a Virtual Tour in Hales Corners and Franklin

Marjorie Pagel — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 15:11:00 GMT

Most computer users are familiar with MapQuest or similar programs that show us how to get from here to there by following detailed directions and a line on a map. Of course, it’s still possible to get lost, depending on who’s the navigator sitting next to the driver. (Just ask my husband, who generally does the driving when we go anywhere together.)

A couple of months ago, as you probably know, Google has added a feature to Milwaukee area maps that should make it even harder to get lost navigating the local streets. Google now includes the “Street View” option, with photographs of the streets we drive on, along with glimpses of homes, signs, and scenery in our own neighborhoods.

The first time I did this, I had an eerie sensation that the Big Brother of George Orwell’s novel, 1984, had come to life and could see right into my kitchen window and tell everyone what I was doing. But then I realized, there was no snow on the ground. Everything was green, the way it will be in a month or two. All of these Milwaukee area photographs were taken last summer.

If you haven’t yet tried this, start by typing into your browser: www.google.com/maps There are all sorts of options to try, but I’m suggesting we start by typing “Franklin City Hall” into the box next to “Search Maps.” Almost instantly you’ll see a little map of the area, with Legend Park in green, Highway 36 and Drexel Ave. in yellow, and a choice of 17 specific locations to visit. For today’s tour I clicked on the library, and voila! – there in full color is our magnificent Franklin Library, and I can zoom in to see it up close or back off to see it from the street. That’s a helpful feature for people trying to find the library for the first time.

But now, for the real fun, I click on “Street View” and all of a sudden it’s as though I’m behind the wheel of a car looking northeast along Loomis Road. By clicking on the white arrows, I can choose to drive either northwest or southeast, or I can click on one of the curved arrows at the top of the insert to whirl around for a panoramic view. And then suddenly there it is: the Franklin water tower. If I click ”full screen”, I can see it up close. Ah yes, I remember -- Ted Fadrow was mayor when that familiar Franklin landmark was built!

Now you try it. Just zoom in and zoom out, follow the arrows and explore. Don’t worry if you get lost. You don’t even need a driver’s license. You’ll be safe and sound, sitting in front of your computer and – depending on how much time you have for local touring -- you can keep typing in different addresses, including your own, and take a spin around your own neighborhood.

In the meantime, I’m going to take my Hales Corners readers started on a virtual tour in their own village. Again, begin at www.google.com/maps and then type “Hales Corners Village Hall” in the “Search Maps” box. A little red balloon marked “A” will pinpoint the address at 5635 S. New Berlin Rd. You will see Grange Ave. in yellow to the north and Schoetz Park in green, to the southeast.

Driving southeast at 5634 S. New Berlin Rd., I see a white van approach in the opposite lane. Using the curved arrows, I reverse direction and, at 5612 S. New Berlin Rd., l can see two adults, dressed in shorts, their backs to the camera, taking a brisk walk along the left side of the road.

Sometimes on your virtual tours, you may see an orange stick figure. If you click on him, you can drag him to anywhere on the map. I did that just now, for fun, and moved him, as I would a board game piece, over to another green area southeast of Hales Corners – Whitnall Park. But all of a sudden, I found I wasn’t even on a road. My virtual tour had me navigating among the trees. Oh, it’s beautiful up here, but I’m glad my husband isn’t riding along beside me. He’d chide me about getting lost AGAIN and want me to put him back on the streets – even if they’re all covered with pot holes after this long Wisconsin winter.

Excuse me, while you make your own virtual tour discoveries. I’m going to put both hands on the steering wheel to see if I can navigate back to earth!

Matthew Zellmer: A Personal Viewpoint from Hales Corners

Marjorie Pagel — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 22:52:59 GMT

At the end of December 2007, Matthew Zellmer, of Hales Corners, was named to the Reader Advisory Committee of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Editorial Board. Since then, his opinions on a variety of issues have appeared in the Crossroads section of the Sunday paper.When Zellmer first learned he had been accepted on the Reader Advisory Committee, he shared this happy news on his blog at www.onmilwaukee.com:

“Greetings amidst time away from work during the holidays. I received word that I’ve been accepted to the 2008 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel advisory committee, meaning as many as 12 people (including myself) will be advising the paper’s editorial board on what positions to take on news stories. We don’t have all the details of what the position entails yet, but we’ll apparently be working from a list of something called ‘advisory hits’ and getting an opportunity to pen occasional snippets of commentary that will appear on the editorial page, ideal for an aspiring journalist like me. I’m excited to be the first person with a significant disability to serve on the committee, and even more pumped that this role could lead to a community columnist job at the end of the one-year term. I’ll do my best to post goings on from our monthly meetings in this space, unless a ‘What’s Said Here Stays Here’ edict is imposed. Please feel free to email me thoughts on what’s important to you in terms of news coverage. Happy New Year.”

Early congratulations came from Independence First, where Zellmer has worked as a volunteer. “Check out his blog,” the newsletter editor advised readers. Zellmer’s blog, "The World On Wheels," was originally intended to offer “his insights and experiences being a young professional with a disability in Milwaukee.” Lately, though, it covers a whole range of topics, including primary election politics and teenage pregnancy. (See “Election Year Advice,” published Jan. 27, and “Pregnant Pause,” Feb. 24.)

Here’s an excerpt: “Don’t pay much attention to anything the national media call a ‘trend.’ Hillary Clinton went from surefire nominee to dead after one caucus nominee to dead after one caucus defeat, now she’s suddenly rejuvenated. Barack Obama was the hot guy, but his expected post-Iowa bounce hasn’t translated into more victories. Rudy Guliani was a GOP lock until almost no one actually voted for him. Nobody knows what’s going to happen, but that’s a good thing. Wisconsin’s primary might actually matter this time. It’s up to the voters to make informed decisions.”

Of course, a lot has happened since Jan. 27 in the various primaries, but Zellmer had it right – it’s not over yet.

Here’s another excerpt: “Teen pregnancy is a growing problem best solved the old-fashioned way: by teaching abstinence. Contraceptives aren't foolproof, and the magnitude of the crisis suggests they often aren't used at all. There is no compelling reason society should accept the notion that kids are going to have sex. No matter what they might think, teens aren't ready to have sex. Their loved ones and schools need to explain why.”

One of my personal favorites from this Hales Corners blogger was posted on Jan. 21, a day off from his job with the NBA in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

“With the day off on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day (thanks, NBA, for the respite) I got to thinking. The good Reverend once said, ‘I have a dream that one day people will be judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.’ This was a man of vision, someone willing to be thrown in jail (and sadly, give his life) to see justice served and social change enacted. This was a man who emerged and is remembered today as unquestionably the most influential leader of the Civil Rights Movement. Forty years after his assassination, we of course focus on the progress he achieved toward racial equality.

"But as someone with a physical disability, I see another application of Dr. King’s vision. I believe that if he had gotten the chance, he would have been at the forefront of the disability rights movement as well. One could just as easily replace “color of their skin” with ‘functioning of their limbs’ or ‘effectiveness of their eyes and ears.’ From my observation, MLK had such a desire to implement positive, revolutionary reforms that there’s no reason to believe he would have stopped fighting after conquering the barriers of segregation. And since his methods of choice were nonviolence, oratory and civil disobedience, there’s no reason to believe his message wouldn’t have resonated with the masses in any era. But unfortunately he left us too soon, leaving everyone to wonder how much more he could have achieved.

“That’s not to say people with disabilities can’t use him an example of how to advocate. We do need to be careful not to distort his message by excessively whining, complaining, or becoming overly reliant on the government in an attempt to advance ourselves. I don’t believe he’d want that anymore than he’d want kids to skip school in order to attend ceremonies honoring him. (You may scoff, but I witnessed this happen.) What I believe MLK would want is for people with disabilities to battle for change using faith, intellect and determination, just as he did. Can’t you picture him sitting on the steps of a government building in the 1980s, refusing to go in as a peaceful protest of the lack of a wheelchair ramp? I sure can.

“So as we commemorate this solemn occasion today, let’s thank him for helping open the door to opportunity for so many previously oppressed minorities. Let us also remember that we need to try to walk (or push) through the door ourselves, rather than wait for someone to help us.”

Zellmer’s online I.D. is “mz80” and on his blog he describes himself briefly: “I graduated in 2003 from UW-Whitewater with a Bachelor's degree in journalism and then in 2006 earned a Master's in communication from Whitewater. I'm an aspiring sportscaster but just landed a job as a sales associate with the Bucks, so now you know whom to call for season tickets.”

I hope this brief introduction to Matthew Zellmer, aspiring sportscaster, will have you watch for his next published opinion at www.jsonline.com/blog/index.aspx?id=107 and on the onmilwaukee website listed above.

You can reach him at mz80@yahoo.com.

The Three Amigas

Marjorie Pagel — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 18:01:00 GMT

From left to right: Pat Warchol, Kathy Zellmer, Diane Edward
Photo courtesy of Alice Plale

They call themselves “The Three Amigas”: Pat Warchol, Kathy Zellmer and Diane Edward. Amiga is the feminine form of the Spanish word meaning “Friends” and that’s what these three women consider themselves – good friends.

They’re friends with one another – and they need to be on friendly terms in order to work together cooperatively for the benefit of Hales Corners Woman’s Club. All of them are friends of the community as well. It all fits together.

Let’s start out with the Mission Statement of the Woman’s Club, conceived in the middle of a sleepless night many years ago when Verena Faherty was President. “The woman reflects the community; the community, the woman.” That statement continues to hold true in 2008. The Woman’s Club lends its support to other organizations in the community including the library, historical society, Stahl-Conrad Homestead, Trimborn Farms, and others.

In December 2007, the club raised $600 at the annual Christmas luncheon raffle, donating $400 to two needy families in the area and putting the other $200 into Project Study for future distribution to worthwhile causes and endeavors. The Project Study committee reviews requests for specific causes each spring and makes awards in May. In 2007, the club made $4,000 in awards plus an additional $2,000 to local scholarship winners.

Pat and Diane have previously served as President of the club – Pat, in fact, held the office for two terms, and Kathy has served in various capacities, including Vice President. When no member stepped forward to be president in 2007-2008, the “Three Amigas” decided, Let’s do this together. Women traditionally are skillful at team leadership and cooperative management, so this has been working out well. They take turns presiding over meetings; they each take responsibility for lining up monthly programs, and they all pitch in to help wherever else their leadership is needed.

Pat Warchol has been a member of the club for over 20 years. She has helped get club members involved in the Stahl-Conrad Homestead, where she serves on the board, as well as at Trimborn Farms, the Historical Society’s Christmas House, and for other house tours to support breast cancer research. About eight years ago Pat organized one of the club’s most popular interest groups, “Unique Antiques.” These women get together in one another’s home to learn more about particular collections and usually incorporate a lunch outing afterward. Pat also serves as hostess at Tuckaway Country Club for the club’s annual Christmas luncheon.

Kathy Zellmer specializes in fund-raisers and community events. Twice a year, in cooperation with the Whitnall Rotary Craft Fair, the Woman’s Club sponsors a bake sale. Kathy coordinates the transportation of those bakery items from Village Hall where they are delivered and packaged to Whitnall High School for the sale. (The next sale and craft fair will be on Saturday, March 8.) Kathy has also led the efforts to get the club involved in the Hales Corners Chamber of Commerce and at the Channel 10 auction in May. She’s usually at the forefront on the 4th of July as well, when the club participates in the annual parade. In recent years the club has been one of the community organizations to sell brats and hot dogs outside Sentry grocery store in summer months. (Kathy also manages to hold down a full-time job!)

Diane Edward refers to herself as “the new kid on the block” because she didn’t join the club until after her retirement from teaching. Initially, she was drawn to the club because of her interest in singing. She joined the Women of Note, a group that initiated in the 60s with the Hales Corners Woman’s Club. The singing group decided to become independent but many of the members, including Diane, retained membership in the club. Diane is enthusiastic about the community service work of the club and the scholarship program, which was started within the first few years after the club organized in 1956. In May of 2008, the club will again award two $1,000 scholarships to graduating high school seniors in the Hales Corners area. Applications are available from guidance counselors at Whitnall High School and Martin Luther High School or by contacting the current scholarship chair Audrey Peterson, (414) 427-1738.

“The Three Amigas” can be seen on Local Access Television (Channel 14 in Hales Corners) talking about the club, their involvement, and opportunities for other women in the community to get involved. Special thanks to Roger Brinkmeier for videotaping this discussion and editing it for public viewing.

For more information about membership, programs, and opportunities to support the club in its philanthropic endeavors, please call one of “The Three Amigas”: Pat Warchol – (414) 529-1158; Kathy Zellmer – (414) 529-3175; and Diane Edward - (414) 425-8635.

"I Laughed at the Wrong Time"

Marjorie Pagel — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 04:56:04 GMT

The annual Channel 10/36 auction doesn’t start for another three months, but donations are already starting to come in. I happened to be at the auction site in Brookfield last week and something caught my attention: a box of cylindrical records to be played on an old Edison phonograph.

Hmmm, I thought to myself, maybe I’ll want to put in a bid for those old records. What would I do with them? Well, I could send them to my 88-year-old Aunt Mae in Oregon because she and her family still have the old wind-up phonograph that has been in our family since Mae and my mother were girls in 1920. When I was growing up on a farm in rural Westfield, Wisconsin, the phonograph sat on top of the wooden bookcase in the upstairs hallway. My two sisters, my brother and I had a good time winding up the machine and singing along. When the phonograph started winding down, the tempo lagged and then we’d crank it some more.

Seeing those cylindrical records from the early 1900s brought back some of the tunes and lyrics. The most ridiculous one I can remember was “I Laughed at the Wrong Time” (and the word the was strongly accented, sounding like thee.) It was a song about various incidents which caused uncontrollable outbursts of laughter – in fact, there was much more laughing than singing.

Another silly song was “What Does the Little Dog Mean. . .” (when he says ‘ruff ruff, bow wow’?) and then there was “Oh Katarina, Oh Katarina” (to keep my love, you must be leaner.) One ballad, “Casey Jones,” told the story of a railroad engineer who took his last ride to “that promised land.” It went on for five or six stanzas, and I used to know every word.

Curious to learn more about the “laughing” song, I did some Internet searching and learned this song was written and recorded by Cal Stewart. Born in 1856 or ’57, Stewart became known for his humorous monologues and the character Uncle Josh Weathersby from a make-believe town of Pumpkin Center. When he was about 40 years old, he began recording some comic sketches of the Uncle Josh character.

According to Tim Gracyk, author of Popular American Recording Pioneers, Cal Stewart recorded many songs that include hearty laughing; not all of them make direct reference to the Uncle Josh character. On March 30, 1899, he cut "Laughing Song" for Berliner 046. Later recordings included "Ticklish Reuben," "And Then I Laughed." The one I remember, "I Laughed At The Wrong Time," was first recorded in 1911.

To hear the recording, go to: http://wfmu.org/playlists/shows/21700

For more information about Cal Stewart and other early recording artists, see http://www.glowingdial.com/joshartc.htm

Wehr Nature Center: It's For the Birds!

Marjorie Pagel — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 16:44:00 GMT

“It’s for the birds!” To many people that expression is a put-down, but if you’re a naturalist like Bev Bryant, of the Wehr Nature Center, any place where birds gather is a place for her.

In 2006 she and her family moved to Scherrei Drive in Franklin, about two miles from Wehr. “Our house is located in a fantastic neighborhood for birds,” she wrote in the current issue of Wehr Words, a quarterly newsletter. “Being bird friendly was a criterion for us when we were house hunting . . .so we looked at any potential home from a bird’s viewpoint. Are there a variety of habitats? Mature trees? A source of water? How many yards are ‘diversity dead zones’ or worse, poison zones? Scherrei Drive got high marks on all these factors.”

Bryant told about the oak woods conservancy in her neighborhood, the natural spring and wet wood. “People say I’m lucky to live in such a place, but I insist I’m just picky. I wouldn’t live anywhere a bird wouldn’t find fit to live. In my opinion if more people choose to be so picky we might start seeing developers that include preservations and restoration of natural areas as a part of every subdivision.”

Like most birders, Bryant keeps a record of birds she sights in her yard and neighborhood. Among those she lists are Black-capped Chickadees, Cardinals, Goldfinches, House Finches, both White-Breasted and Red-Breasted Nuthatches, Orioles, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Warblers, Blue Jays, Woodpeckers -- Red-Bellied, Downy and Hairy. She and her husband have identified the hoot of the Great Horned Owl and the song of the Wood Thrush.

The Wehr Nature Center, located south of College Avenue in Whitnall Park, is 220 acres of Wisconsin at its best – its “natural” best. Following our recent snowfall, it is a photographer’s paradise. Indigenous birds like it too, so that means year round, bird watchers flock to Wehr. One excellent spot for birding is on the new Warbler Bridge, which received the Design of Excellence award two months ago from the Wisconsin Park and Recreation Association (WPRA).

On February 2nd, when some people will be watching for the groundhog to surface, those who prefer to look upward will gather at Wehr for the second annual “Bird Fest: a Day Dedicated to the Birds.” From 9 to 10 a.m. there will be a program, “Getting to Know the Warblers,” followed by “Live Birds of Prey” (10:30 to 11:30 a.m.) The rest of the day will be open house at the Nature Center; there will be experts and exhibits on all aspects of birding. The last week in January there will be two more opportunities to learn about birds: the “Owl Prowl” (for adults) from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, January 25th.

Quoting from the newsletter Wehr Words: “Join a naturalist for an evening out with the owls. We will walk the woodlands of Wehr listening and looking for the Eastern Screech Owl and the great-Horned Owl. Come discover the habits and adaptations of our nocturnal neighbors an be treated to a guest appearance by Tufts, the Owl. Come prepared and dressed to spend an hour outside.”

Participants are required to pre-register; the fee for Milwaukee Country residents is $7 ($9 for out of county residents, $5 for Friends of Wehr.)The other educational event, on Saturday, January 26th, is presented by the International Crane Foundation especially for teachers who want to use the ICF curriculum, “Cranes in the Classroom.” The fee for this all-day program (8:30 – 4 p.m.) is $25. For registration information, call (414) 425-8550.

Children’s programs offered in January include “Little Wonders” for 2 and 3 year olds (Jan. 7 and 21); “Naturenauts” for children ages 4 to 6 (Jan. 13 and 14); and “Nature Wizard” for children ages 7 to 9 (January 20.) The Naturenauts will learn about foxes; the Nature Wizards will learn about animals’ tracks. [Note: The “Earthroots” program for children recently received a Silver Star Program Award in November from the WPRA.]

While photographers aim their lenses at wildlife on or near the earth, those with telescopes meet at Wehr Nature center to gaze upward. In January members of the Camera Club will meet on Saturday mornings, Jan. 12 and 19 while the Wehr Astronomical Society meets on Tues. Jan. 8, at 7 p.m.; Dotty’s Crafters meet on Wednesday, Jan. 9, and on Saturday, Jan. 12, a program called “Wild Ones” will feature natural landscaper Michael Yanny telling stories about his favorite plants.

If the Wehr Nature Center sounds like a place where you’d like to be more involved, January is the right month. Experienced volunteers will meet Jan. 7 to plan activities for 2008; new volunteers will receive orientation on Jan. 8. Those wishing to become Volunteer Naturalists will learn the basics on Jan. 14; on Jan. 28 a class for Volunteer Naturalists will focus on “The Five Kingdoms of Life.”

To learn more about the various programs offered by the Wehr Nature Center, including volunteer activities, call (414) 425-8550 or stop any day 8 to 4:30 p.m. (9701 W. College). Admission is free, though a parking fee is requested ($3 a day or $18 for a season pass.)

For more information, check these links:
http://www.county.milwaukee.gov/router.asp?docid=10375;
http://www.county.milwaukee.gov/SpecialEventsatWehrN10347.htm; and www.friendsofwehr.org

In 2008, I Resolve To. . .Read More Books

Marjorie Pagel — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 17:31:07 GMT

In 2008, I Resolve To. . .Read More Books, and write more blogs! I apologize for the infrequency of my blog posts lately. Rather than bore you with all the things that have been going on in my life, I'll plunge right in on this one.

Janet Porte, editor of the Friends of the Franklin Public Library newsletter, asked me if I could find time to write a column for the January issue. Her deadline was today. Now that I've met that deadline, I'm going to make that column do double duty and post it here on my blog. Those of you who get the library newsletter can always say, "I saw it at the Franklin Now website first!"

Happy New Year! Before Christmas, I stopped at the Franklin Public Library to check out "what's new" on the shelves. In case you haven't already discovered the "new books" area, make a resolution to do so in 2008.

Browsing through the non-fiction shelves, a number of titles caught my eye. When the holiday hubbub is over, I plan to settle down in one of those comfortable chairs near the fireplace to do some reading. (For those of us planning to weather the Wisconsin winter right here at home in Franklin, there's nothing like warming up to a good book.)

These are some of the 2007 titles that appeal to me; there's a wide selection of others to interest you. And soon there will be even newer ones with a 2008 publication date.

Silence of the Songbirds: How We Are Losing the World's Songbirds and What We Can Do to Save Them, by biologist Bridget Stutchbury, published by Walker and Co., New York.

The summary on the bookjacket reads: "Following migratory birds on their six-thousand-mile journey from the tropics to North America, renowned biologist Bridget Stutchbury leads us on an ecological field trip to explore firsthand the lives of songbirds and the major threats they face. Although some of the threats must be addressed through local and international policy initiatives, there are several things each one of us can do to help save birds, such as buying paper and wood products from sustainable forests, buying shade coffee, avoiding pesticides in our food and on our lawns and gardens, keeping our cats indoors (domestic cats are responsible for a surprising number of bird deaths), and much more. As Silence of the Songbirds shows, we ultimately protect ourselves and our children by taking steps to save songbirds and the environment."

Chasing Kangaroos: A Continent, a Scientist, and a Search for the World's Most Extraordinary Creatures, by Tim Flannery, published by Grove Press, New York (the first American edition). This book appeals to me, not just because I like animals and the thought of these marvelous creatures hopping around in their natural habitat. . .but also since it's the closest I'll get to Australia this winter.

Everything is Miscellaneous: The Power of the New Digital Disorder, by David Weinberger, published by Time Books, Henry Holt and Company. For people trying to create order in their lives, this book will make you wonder if there's any use trying. "Human beings are information omnivores: we are constantly collecting, labeling, and organizing data. But today, the shift from the physical to the digital is ripping, burning, and mixing our lives apart. In the past, everything had its one place - the physical world demanded it - but now everything has its places: multiple categories, multiple shelves. Suddenly, everything is miscellaneous" (quoted from the inside book jacket).

Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain: How a New Science Reveals Our Extraordinary Potential to Transform Ourselves by Sharon Begley, published by Ballantine Books. Anyone who has seriously tried adhering to New Year's Resolutions in the past, without success, might be interested in a scientific approach.

Several other books that might interest the New Year's Resolution makers:

Total yoga: a step-by-step guide to yoga at home for everybody by Tara Fraser, published by Duncan Baird, London.

Fitness Made Simple: The Power to Change Your Body, the Power to Change Your Life, by John Basedow with Tom McGrath, published by McGraw-Hill. This book is the newest of the new that I found, bearing a 2008 copyright date.

Golf RX: A 15-Minute-a-Day Core Program for More Yards and Less Pain, by Vijay Vad, M.D. with Dave Allen, published by Gotham Books, New York. Even if you won't be swinging those clubs this winter, the exercises in this book will help strengthen the core abdominal muscles and work out other areas of the body that will help golfers and non-golfers alike.

When we're done with our physical makeovers, we can turn our attention to our homes with

52 Weekend Makeovers: Easy Projects to Transform Your Home Inside and Out, published by Taunton Press, Newtown, CT.

For those of us needing a little humor in our lives, here's one with a really long title: Before Your Dog Can Eat Your Homework, First You Have To Do It: Life Lessons from a Wise Old Dog to a Young Boy, by John O'Hurley, published by Hudson Street Press, New York.

And here's a short quiz: What do you think a book entitled God Machine is about? Answer:

Helicopters! The full title is: The God Machine : From Boomerangs to Black Hawks, the Story of the Helicopter, by James R. Chiles and published by Bantam Books.

I hope that 2007 was a good year for you, and I hope you aren't facing 2008 with bills incurred over the holidays. But if you are, there's another book published in 2007 that might help you out. Help! I Can't Pay My Bills: Surviving a Financial Crisis, by Sally Herigstad, published by St. Martin's Press, New York.

And that's another thing I like about libraries: I can do all the "shopping" I like and one swipe of my library card lets me take it home, NO COST!

One more piece of "news" I want to share with you in this New Year. Franklin Public Library now has a growing collection of digital audio books. Each "book" is about 2 by 3 ¼ inches and requires one AAA battery and earbuds. You can easily slip it into your pocket and listen wherever you choose. For this new library adventure, I chose Walden by Henry David Thoreau. Born almost 200 years ago, Thoreau sought refuge from the world in a cabin on Walden Pond, Massachusetts. What ever would he think if he could see me "connecting" to his thoughts with the modern technology of 2008!

Billie the Brownie Revisited

Marjorie Pagel — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 13:31:00 GMT

You know you're getting old when. . .

you're quoted by the Milwaukee Historical Society.

That's what happened to me recently. A friend of mine had been to the Billie the Brownie exhibit at the Milwaukee County Historical Society and reported enthusiastically, "I saw your name! Marjorie Pagel said. . . ." So of course I had to go and see for myself. Sure enough, there on one of the display boards was an enlarged copy from an article I wrote in 1979 for the Milwaukee Sentinel "Greensheet". (Remember the locally famous "Greensheet"?)

"When I was a girl, Billie the Brownie was as important to Christmas as Santa Claus himself or the big Christmas parade downtown. For weeks before Christmas, my two sisters, my brother and I would sprawl in front of the radio. We listened to 'Billie the Brownie' with as much reverence and credibility as we other times listened to 'The Shadow.'"

When I came home from the Historical Society exhibit, I dug through my boxes of collected writing and found a photocopied tear sheet of the article, published Dec. 11, 1979, with the caption "Brownie Stirred Yuletide Imagination." My byline was there too: "Marjorie Pagel - Special to the Sentinel." Even now, 28 years later, it feels good to feel on one day I was "special" to the Greensheet editors and readers. I especially treasure the original sketch of Billie the Brownie by Sentinel artist Bob Warner, which takes up most of two columns. Warner's captivating image of Billie, which was reproduced at the exhibit, shows Santa's little helper with a WTMJ microphone. Santa, next to a barbershop-style pole, with a sign proclaiming "North Pole," has his own WTMJ microphone and, behind him, is a sleigh filled with toys ready to make the long trip to Milwaukee in time for Christmas.

Talking to some of my friends who also grew up in the Milwaukee area before 1955, I learned that the memory of Billie's daily broadcasts is an essential part of their Christmases too. Joan Marquardt, of Greendale, said she'd rush home from school and ask her mom, "Is it time for Billie the Brownie?" and Mrs. Shumway would respond, "Not yet," but assure Joan that she would let her know when it was time.

Remembering that Greensheet article, I also started thinking about Bill Nelson. Some of you may remember him from all the years he wrote for the Milwaukee Journal (before it joined with the Sentinel); before he retired, he was editor of Insight. What I remember most about Bill is his gentle, encouraging manner as a teacher of writing. My Billie the Brownie article was the result of one of his assignments -- issued via radio hook-up to locations all over the state. These days we have Web TV and teachers can reach students all over the world by internet hook-up. Back then Bill's class, offered through the University of Wisconsin, was state-of-the-art technology. He could talk to Lorna in Green Bay and tell her how much he liked her story, reading parts of it to the rest of us, as we listened. But if I had a question to ask, I could press a button at the West Allis Library and he could talk to me, while everyone else listened at their stations. Sometimes when I took the ETN class, there were several other students in the same room; other times I was the only one.

Four of the articles I wrote for Bill were published, and it was just the encouragement I needed to devote more time to my writing, eventually ending up as a "Hub" reporter. Well, that's enough "Memory Lane" stuff, but I wanted to acknowledge Bill Nelson in this blog. Recently I sent him an e-mail to thank him for all he's offered me and many other writers through the years. He still does some freelancing and shares his wisdom in a newsletter with members of the Wisconsin Regional Writers Association.

The following websites give more information about the Billie the Brownie exhibit, which continues through January 6, 2008 at the County Historical Society, 910 N. Old World Third Street.

http://www.milwaukeeholidaylights.com/events/holiday-happenings.html

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=529726

http://www.jessicadoyle.wi.gov/wheresjessica/news_detail.asp?onid=2666&locid=136

And -- for those who are interested -- here is the full article I wrote 28 years ago:

Every year at this time I find myself thinking about Billie the Brownie. Yet whenever I drop a casual reference to his name, my two children feign only mild interest. "Billie the Brownie? Who's that?" they ask.

Brownies simply don't conjure up the same Christmas images for my children that they do for me: Santa Claus, the North Pole -- and radio. Because television has usurped the place of honor that radio used to hold, young children today don't know about Billie the Brownie. He's just not the type to hang around television studios.

When I was a girl, Billie the Brownie was as important to Christmas as Santa Claus himself or the big Christmas parade downtown. For weeks before Christmas, my two sisters, my brother and I would sprawl in front of the radio. We listened to "Billie the Brownie" with as much reverence and credibility as we other times listened to "The Shadow."

Early in December the four of us would sit down together at the kitchen table to compose our letters to Santa and Billie. My oldest sister was in fifth grade when I was still in kindergarten, so I entrusted her with the distinct honor of writing out my letter as I dictated. "I have been very good all year," I began, trusting that neither Santa nor Billie would suspect otherwise.

I knew my own mother would never tattle on me. But whenever an outburst of sibling rivalry erupted or when I "sassed" her, she reminded me, "One of Santa's brownies might be looking the window. Maybe even Billie." I would run to the window then to look out and see, but only my mother and older sister ever had any luck actually detecting those little spies.

My own children are not nearly so trusting or imaginative. And again, I blame TV. If brownies, elves or other Christmas-magic creatures appear on the screen, they're obviously fake -- puppets, Muppets or cartoons. My Billie the Brownie, the one that lived inside my imagination, was only six inches tall. He was completely dressed in brown -- that's why brownies were called brownies.

It's sad that my children don't get the same opportunities for developing their imaginations now that radio has been shoved aside by television. If I try to use my mother's ploy about brownies hiding outside the window, they just shake their heads in pity for me. They don't even bother to dash off a polite note to Santa, promising him a treat on Christmas Eve and fibbing, the way I used to, that they have been good all year.

Instead, they jot down some of the latest toys they've seen advertised on TV and present the list to their father and me with a wistful expression in their eyes. Well, fine. If they want to let some of the traditional joys of Christmas go down the tube, it's okay with me.

Sometimes, though, I find myself playing with the radio dial, thinking maybe one of the stations will resurrect "Billie the Brownie." And just the other day, when I went to wipe a cobweb off the window sill, I thought I caught a glimpse of a little guy dressed in brown, peeking around the corner.

***

There was an Editor's note affixed to my article: "Billie hasn't disappeared altogether. Since 1973, when Gimbel's resurrected Billie, he has played an important role in the department store's Breakfast with Santa program, according to Irene Baer, employe communications director and 'unofficial company historian' of Gimbels.

"Miss Baer said that Billie's 'glory years' on the WTMJ radio program were from 1931 to 1955. But Billie the Brownie was first used by the old Schuster's in 1927 as a pre-Christmas promotion gimmick in the toy departments and in advertisements."

***

P.S. My son Matt read a copy of the original article when he was home last month and commented that I'm still telling occasional fibs. He doesn't ever remember me dusting cobwebs off the window sill!