Growing Bolder Community

I'm writing from Wisconsin, which over the past couple of weeks has been "ground zero" in the conservative governor's fight to bust public sector employee unions. Seventy thousand people showed up at the state capitol yesterday to rally for the cause. Today's major Wisconsin daily newspaper noted that the level of hatred and vitriol in the debate across the state, in bars and restaurants and...

Door County is best known for its many lighthouses, quaint towns and those famous cherries. Beautiful Peninsula State Park, live theatre and galleries rank high on many visitors lists, but among the experiences you will remember are the culinary delights that await you and there are no shortage of great chefs in the area. From the fine dining to casual fare, there is something for everyone...

As I mentioned, my third act of each day, after getting coffee and reading the comics, is to peruse the BackPage of the newspaper for "News of the Weird." Here are a few from last week's North County Times:"Weinermobile crashes into Wisconsin homeMOUNT PLEASANT, Wis (AP) -- One southern Wisconsin homeowner is probably not in love with the Oscar Meyer wiener.The famed hot dog's Wienermobile...

Wisconsin offers landscapes dotted with farms along with towns packed with charm and the Fox Cities region is no exception. Comprised of the cities of: Appleton, Kaukauna, Menasha and Neenah along with several towns and villages, the area is a great stand-alone destination or can be combined with visits to Green Bay, Milwaukee or Door County. And as for food, you've come to the right place!...

John Doyle and John Williams make Irish music magic. Accompanied by a marvelously talented young fiddler, Duncan Wickel , Doyle and Williams recently played a concert in Wisconsin, to a packed house at a local college. If you ever have the opportunity to see these guys, GO without a second’s thought! RUN like the wind to the ticket counter! Doyle is a songwriter and guitarist, originally from...

I took a short side-trip into the past this weekend, back to the area of central Wisconsin where I spent a couple of years as a teenager. The journey started with a dark blue satin dress and rhinestones and the annual Viennese Ball at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire, and ended up the next day revisiting what used to be the farm where we lived after moving from Chicago. An anchor point was...