Caged Bird

Maya Angelou's book "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" will remain part of the English curriculum at the Fond du Lac High School. It was interesting to see how many people weighed in with some kind of opinion on the book and whether it should be removed from the curriculum after a student's parents asked for its removal.

I've never read the book, but can sympathize with students who are assigned a book to read with little say about it. Having said that I'm now glad that I had no choice in the matter when I was in high school myself. "Lord of the Flies," "A Tale Of Two Cities," "A Seperate Peace," "Black Like Me," and "The Jungle" were just a couple of assigned books I can remember reading.

Each of them had an impact in their time and something to say. It's a rarity that a book raises so much controversy in the school district, but maybe that's a good thing. Then again people with opinions on whether the book should be removed from the curriculum e-mailed and called the district offices from all over the country and world. I know district officials frowned on using the word "censorship," but that's how a lot of people saw the issue. It's good to see an open mind was kept about the issue and it's been resolved. I do have a problem with one or two people trying to impose their values on a majority. However everyone in this country has a right to voice their opinion.

About eighty people turned out to speak during a meeting of the district's Reconsideration of Materials Committee. That may not seem like a lot, but it's twice as many as showed for any of the information sessions scheduled by the district during last spring's referendum and the meeting wasn't publicized, at least not to the extent those sessions were.

As the old saying goes there's no such thing as bad publicity. In talking with someone at work I mentioned I'd never read the book. He admitted to that too, but both of us are now considering adding it to our own personal reading lists to see what all the to do was about. I can only imagine a few middle schoolers that can hardly wait themselves. After all they've now heard about the book too!

Bo Knows Football

My fondness for college football more than likely grew out of the success of the Michigan Wolverines when I was a kid. That was due largely to the coaching of Bo Schembechler. It didn't seem right if the Wolverines weren't in the hunt for the Big Ten Conference title and the Rose Bowl each fall.

I loved the rivalry between Bo and Woody Hayes, the longtime coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes. It did my heart good when the Wolverines could spoil the Buckeyes season. Unfortunately the Buckeyes did that to the Wolverines this past Saturday, but what a game and what drama.

I'm not sure Schembechler was a man I could say I idolized, but I did respect what he did on the field and how he represented the game. Sure he stormed up and down the field yelling at referees and players, but that's a desire to win. If you grew up in Michigan you might root for some of the smaller college teams, but when it came to picking someone to cheer for at the Division One level it was either Michigan or Michigan State. Although I did pull for the Spartans on occasion, it was always Michigan I hoped would win the game between them.

Once Schembechler retired from coaching I had to find another coach to throw my support behind. It took a few years, but there was this former assistant coach from Notre Dame who had gotten a new gig coaching for the Wisconsin Badgers. Barry Alvarez did a fantastic job for the Badgers. Like Bo he took the Badgers to conference wins and Rose Bowl victories. Like Bo there were no National Championships. Like Bo his success can be measured by wins on the field, the respect he earned from his staff, players and fans. That makes them both winners in my book.

It may take me a few more years to find another coach to admire in the big game, but every year I look forward to the start of college football. Meanwhile I think there's this other coach at Wisconsin who did a great job in his freshman season. Hmmm?

Vacation

That's the main drag in my hometown of Manistique, Michigan. It hasn't changed much over the years, but the town continues to. I just got back from vacationing there where I visited with family members.

Being a reporter I have to write about my observations, which were many and some were just strange. Driving through Peshtigo I spotted a mannequin fully dressed standing with its back to the street. The hands were placed zipper level and mocked a position sometimes taken by the after hours bar crowd who can't wait until they get home.

There's a new Arby's restaurant in Manistique. That's a big deal in a town of 3,500 and could become gossip central for the breakfast goers. Gasoline was $2.23 a gallon when I traveled through Escanaba and $2.29 when I got back to Fondy.

My sister Diana shared a story with me that I just had to tell, although it's going to gross some out. She works as a secretary at a Catholic school. One day the lady who oversees their pre-school program came in and told her she caught a four-year old boy in the restroom drinking out of a urinal. The next day the janitor came in and said he caught a four-year old boy licking a urinal. I told her that it sounds like a bad Up'er joke. She said more likely mom and dad should have explained the difference between a urinal and a drinking fountain to their youngster.

Having Halloween off I helped pass out candy and popcorn balls to trick or treaters. In Manistique they held trick or treating on Halloween. I kept up the tradition of buying too much candy. I never can seem to get that right. My nephews Max and Derek went as a hippie and ghoul respectively. At least that's what I think they were shooting for. Since they are family they got a popcorn ball and one piece each of the three different kinds of candy we were passing out. Derek asked if he could have three of each.

Going on vacation gives me a chance to listen to other radio stations and watch other television channels. It gives me comfort that Michigan's candidates for office also use dirty tactics in their advertising. Thank goodness the Badger state isn't alone in that. Manistique cable television subscribers get two Green Bay TV stations (channels 5 and 11). The Marquette, Michigan station Channel 6 has a lot to cover, but often not much that really grabs you. One of their reports was on a picket in front of a Manistique casino by workers who claimed they were laid off because they aren't Native American. That was in the 7 p.m. newscast. During the 6 p.m. newscast they ran an ad for that casino.

One radio station from the northern part of the Lower Peninsula ran a promo for their morning show. A key radio personality for that show goes by the name "Omelet." I hope no one at KFIZ gets the swift idea to rename me for "The Breakfast Club." Now here's "Flapjack" with the news.

Scary Movies

I was talking the other day with Bob Hoffmaster the host of KFIZ's "The Morning Show with Bob Hoffmaster" about our favorite scary movies. I told him I always enjoyed John Carpenter's "The Fog." It wasn't so much the scares as the story I liked. The remake wasn't too bad, but the director of the film had his own vision and I don't share it.

Anyway I told Bob when I was a kid a couple movies I saw on television that scarred me were "The Screaming Skull" and another about the hand of a dead man that was driving another man insane. The later was done a long time ago, but it was effective for scaring a little kid.

Most of the movies I saw were served up by cheezy late Saturday night horror film hosts. When I lived outside of Memphis, Tennessee it was this guy who was part Frankenstein and part Dracula. As a teen I was living in the U.P. and we could watch "The Ghoul" (pictured) on Channel 50 out of Detroit. He was perfect for his time and actually was out of a station in Cleveland owned by the same broadcasting company as Channel 50.

By the time I was in college we were watching some guy out of Traverse City, Michigan who dressed up as a bald vampire and hung out in a casket in between movie segments. In truth he hosted a movie show for them during the week, but in regular garb. You may have seen him. Once in a while you can spot him in a bloopers clip where the casket he's in collapses beneath him destroying his whole set.

In this area I've caught "Ned the Dead" from time to time, but have kind of grown out of the need to tune in to see if the host is going to be more interesting than the movie they are showing.

Today's scary movies have better effects, but sometimes leave the imagination out of it. Once in a while there's something different like "The Grudge" or "The Ring," but there's too much slash and dash in most. Still it's good training ground for up and coming actors. Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Bacon, Jennifer Aniston all had roles in horror films when they began.

If you're not sure how good a horror film is, here's a test. Look for the moment in a scary movie when there's a fake scare. Almost every horror film has one. If it isn't handled well or is done better than the first real scare in the film then you've been tricked. Happy Halloween.

Soft Serve

We've been watching with interest as remodeling progresses at the A & W across the street from our KFIZ studios. It got me to wondering if the most pretty and popular girls still work at drive-in restaurants.

As Ricky Ricardo would say, "I've got some splaining to do!" You have to understand that growing up in a small town of 3,500 people we only had three drive-in or drive-up restaurants. One was Clyde's, which served half-pound hamburgers well before somebody else got the idea. Then there was the local A & W that no longer is open. However it seemed that all the popular girls I went to high school with worked at the "Dairy Cream." Yeah the name's right think McDougal's in the Eddie Murphy movie "Coming to America."

Anyway I got to know some of the girls that worked at the "Dairy Cream" over the years. They got paid next to nothing for the privlege hoping to get tips from classmates and the middle-aged adolescents who hadn't gotten over themselves yet.

When I was a kid it was a treat for the family to go to the "Dairy Cream." When I was teenager it became another teen angst moment where you pondered whether you were going for the ice cream or to catch a glimpse of a girl you might have a crush on. To be honest I don't remember going to the "Dairy Cream" as a high schooler, but was dragged along for good old time sake once when I was going to college.

The "Dairy Cream" is still there, but other restaurants have popped up because of a bypass that was put in and you can get your soft serve ice cream or frozen yogurt at a number of restaurants now. That's kind of sad in a way. Gille's and the A & W have long histories in Fond du Lac serving generations of the same families. But I'm not sure the "Dairy Cream" in little old Manistique, Michigan will stand the test of time and competition.

As for the girls that worked at the "Dairy Cream," I think working there was the price of popularity for some of them or a way to nurture it for others. I remember a few of them. Some of them ended up doing very well in life. They found out early that some times with life you have to serve others before you can serve yourself.

Going to a drive-in restaurant is still a kick, but a little further removed from my high school years I can now appreciate what my fellow classmates went through working at one.

Changes!

I've been working in radio long enough to have seen some interesting changes. There's always going to be changes in personnel. Our host of Backstage Live on News-Talk 1450 KFIZ Joe Scheibinger recently announced his semi-retirement. He's had a tough time with his voice and had to go through surgery, which he passed through with flying colors this week.

That of course opens the door for changes. To paraphrase something I read my first year in radio. No one is indispensible. If you take a teaspoon of water out of Lake Winnebago no one will notice a significant change in the water level. That's not to say that Joe isn't unique and he'll be back from time-to-time.

Aside from the change in personnel a radio station is constantly undergoing changes in technology. Most of ours over the past few years have been associated with computers. More than six months ago our News and Sports went digital. What does that mean? Well, it means that we now record interviews, games, etc. on digital recorders and upload it into a computer. There it's edited and put into programs that allow us to play it back on a computer and out over the air. Maybe that doesn't sound like much of an accomplishment, but now we can review hours worth of recordings in minutes for the best possible quotes and moments.

You can now hear some of that sound on our homepage at KFIZ.com (www.kfiz.com). I'm still not that comfortable with the term podcast, but it's a way you can hear the newsmakers and sports stars put things in their own terms. I kind of like it because through our KFIZ Today newsletter I occasionally hear from someone who grew up in Fond du Lac, but now lives in Texas or England, even Australia and is still keeping tabs on what's going on at home. For them it's an added attraction and you as well. Plus you never know when that next million dollar soundbite ("Today is a day that will live in infamy," "We've just received word from Dallas..") might be something we can share with you.

Vinyl records,cart machines, reel-to-reels, cassettes, digital audio tapes, minidiscs, compact discs...now MP3s. There's certainly been some changes in the way radio has brought you sound over the years. Now the blessed computer has become one of the ways we can do that. I'm not sure what is next, but can hardly wait to see.

How much has radio changed over the years? Consider the picture included in this blog. It's the first mass produced radio from the Marconi Company. Yes that Marconi and this particular model was made in 1922...the year KFIZ first started broadcasting. My Mr. Marconi haven't we come far!

Move that bus!

When you watch Christine Koepke and her four children see their new home in Dundee for the first time on "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" next month, it's going to be much different than what onlookers experienced.

There were thousands who filled the small community to see the family's reaction and chant "move that bus." I talked with a few. People camped overnight, including students from Winnebago Lutheran Academy where two of the Koepke children go to school. Some napped while they waited for the reveal. Other area residents I spoke with, including several women from Fond du Lac, had gotten there about 5 a.m. The reveal wouldn't be until just before 3 p.m. as we found out the hard way.

Being in the area designated for the press was interesting. It was a mix of reporters from radio, television and various print media. One young woman asked me if she could get into the area, which was closer than her vantage point. I told her it was for the media. She wondered if she snuck in if she would be able to get away with it. I answered security was pretty tight. Later I spotted her filling out a media credential form. She had written down she was representing the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She should have put down a smaller newspaper, they asked to see a business card that she couldn't produce.

Most people were patient and there to express their support for the Koepkes. A few were obnoxious like one drunk on a rooftop that was yelling something unintelligible that only he apparently understood. Two men in the press corp started their own chant just for him, "roll off the roof, roll off the roof." Fortunately he didn't, but did quiet down after that.

There was a lot of waiting. Occasionally one of the show's stars would go by on a gator and toss bags of potato chips or beef sticks. A few women were heart broken when I told them that as I was coming in Michael Moloney (pictured) handed out a few roses to some women in the crowd.

There was also plenty of practice. They'd roll the empty limousine by and one of the directors on a bullhorn would tell the gathering to cheer. Don't look at the camera, "eyes on the limo." They'd also run the show's bus up and down in front of the home and the crowd knew enough to chant "move that bus." That happened about 4 or 5 times. Stars of the show would be spotted and that would send up another roar.

I was not only there to get a story, but call in reports. That didn't happen. Apparently there's a dead spot in the area for cell service and only a few providers could cut through it. There was plenty of time to talk with people about why they were there and how long they'd been waiting. No one wanted to miss anything and left emotionally and likely physically exhausted. Myself I found out I could overcome physical inconveniences (standing for hours, the need for a restroom break) for a story.

Finally the Koepkes arrived. What you could see was an intense emotional reaction. The house represented Matt Koepke's dream for them. Unfortunately he died of cancer. No doubt it will be tough for them too when the episode airs on Sunday, November 19th..about 2 months after Matt's death from cancer.

Now that I've seen how they put together the key element of the show I want to see it too. To be honest when the limo with the Koepkes rolled up some thought it was another test run. There was no appearance by Brett Favre, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw or Kenny Chesney. What you did see was thousands of area residents who volunteered their time, services and cared enough to make Matt Koepke's dream come true. That my friends is the reality in this episode of the ABC-TV reality show!

Extreme Makeover

I've never been on a Hollywood set so the Koepke home build for "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" will have to suffice.

Information materials for the show consider the site in Dundee a Hollywood set. It has in many ways turned the small southeastern Fond du Lac County community into exactly that with security, spectator and media areas.

It's amazing to see how many people are working on the home and how fast it goes up. Many of the local residents involved will carry away a lifetime memory.

Our good old Wisconsin weather saw fit to throw rain, lightening, high winds and a cold snap at volunteers and construction workers. Obviously that makes for less than ideal conditions. At times those working had to wonder if they were building a home for a deserving family or if it was time to go out and collect pairs of animals.

Some of those working the site were hoping to carry away souvenirs. One person I talked to wanted a construction hat. I hoped to leave with the all access pass given to members of the media, but alas that was collected to be used by another member of the press.

Before making my visit to the site Tuesday morning I stopped by the Culinary Arts Center at Moraine Park Technical College in Fond du Lac. Students at the Center were working on a meal for the volunteers that would be served the following evening. In particular pumpkin-spiced cream puffs and croissants were coming out of the ovens. I was given a croissant filled with ham and cheese before I left. It was heavenly. Of course that's one small sample of donations for the build, there are many.

The main goal was building a home for Christine Koepke and her four children: Derek,22; Jayna,20; Mitchell, 17; and Johanna, 15. Her husband Matt died at the age of 41 of cancer on August 21st. He thought he had plenty of time to fix up their home while he working on projects like restoring the Dundee Mill into a museum, and helping build the Sportsman's Lodge and local baseball diamond.

As I write this it's getting closer and closer to "The Reveal." That's when Ty Pennington and the design team turn over the keys to the new home to Christine. If you're going Friday at 2 p.m. expect it to be a crowded affair. Of course you can catch it around Thanksgiving on Sunday, November 19th or 26th on ABC-TV.

Unsubstantiated Rumor:

One we heard, but haven't been able to confirm is that Faith Hill and Tim McGraw will be there for the key ceremony. Maybe that's just wishful thinking, but the show is known for its surprises. Whatever happens "The Reveal" will be special and will be long talked about after the fact and the show has moved on to help out the next family.

If you'd like to know a little bit more about the build here's the site Monarch Homes has established giving a few details and a clock counting down to the end of the project: www.extrememakeoverwisconsin.com.

100 Miracles

Wade Bates, one of our KFIZ on-air personalities, asked me while we were standing in front of Ma & Pa's on South Main Street in Fond du Lac if I'd ever covered anything like it? He was referring to the group of "100 Miracles" or 100 Sargento Foods employees celebrating their $208.6 million Powerball jackpot win. Course not. I've never been part of reporting any such event. But pardon the pun, I feel lucky I was able to do that.

There were some good stories to come out of it. Like winner Mary Entringer who said she and her husband have children who could have used some of the winnings to make their own lives easier. However Mary said her kids told them no, use the money to buy the Lake home up north that you've always wanted.

The money may not be a blessing for everyone. One person told me about a couple she knows who have a son that's one of the winners. He has had past problems with drugs and alcohol and they aren't sure what kinds of temptations that money may put in front of him.

Sargento Foods helped out those lucky employees by providing a financial consultant to aid them in making decisions about their winnings. The employees returned the favor when most of them decided to keep their second shift jobs at the cheese factory in Plymouth.

Fond du Lac City officials were overjoyed for the national exposure. Phil Moses of Ma & Pa's rightly said that exposure was their own version of a lottery win because people will continue to buy lottery tickets from them well into the future hoping the "Miracle Mile" will give them a big win.

The event was staged under several big awnings that slightly resembled a circus tent, which had me wondering if what I was covering could be termed a "media circus?" There were reporters from across the country attending the happening.

I never knew the lottery had so many people working for them. They kept the winners focused and until they were ready the media at bay. The United Way sold brats, Sargento had samples of their cheese, the lottery had their own booth. It, like the win, was a one of a kind event.

A day after the event someone said to me it would be interesting to visit with the winners in five years and see what came of them. Instant wealth can change anyone's life. Those "100 Miracles" have a chance to change their lives in positive ways. Hopefully Dame Fortune will continue to have something good in mind for them.

Complaint Department

Nobody likes to hear complaints, but I got two in two days. You have to understand that it's rare for me to receive two complaints over even a few months time.

Occasionally I'm going to do a news story that rubs someone the wrong way. That goes with the job. It's incentive for me to do better and remain sensitive about the news that we do.

The first was from a Lomira man who receives our KFIZ Today newsletter. He didn't like the blurb that was included in the news about Charter Communications changes for the former WB and UPN local affiliates. I thought since thousands in the area are cable subscribers that they might appreciate hearing what Green Bay and Milwaukee stations would be carrying the new CW network. He wasn't happy because he's a satellite dish subscriber and has some beefs with Charter. Just information, that's what news is all about. He left his name and where he was from, but not a phone number in the voice mail complaint.

The second was from the relative of a North Fond du Lac police officer who had resigned. She didn't like the story and felt it smeared a good person. It was in fact mainly information from a complaint the Village police chief had brought against the officer that prompted a settlement in which the officer settled for a six-day suspension without pay, but would never serve due to his resignation. She claims he took a better job and that might be the case, but when I offered to tell her and his side of the story she bulked and wouldn't go on record. She also wouldn't tell me who she was.

One thing she did say that irked me was that I get all of my news out of The Reporter anyway. Granted I cover some of the same meetings, news, court hearings and see their reporters there too. However if all I had to do for news was read stories out of the paper I'd be putting in much less time each week developing my own story ideas and covering events. She failed to note that the very story she called to complain about wasn't featured in the paper that day.

I do incorporate suggestions made from those who complain. You'll never hear details about sexual assaults get too graphic in a story I do because of one complaint I received earlier in my career. One librarian called me about the way I used to pronounce "library." I think about it every time I say the word. You won't hear me motor through reading the news because of another complaint I received about a reporter I worked with who used to speed through her stories.

I'll tell you a story about one of the first complaints I received while working for a radio station in Manistique, Michigan..my hometown. Every day I would get a call from a person who it would seem wasn't a listener. He would always ask for the current weather conditions and time. It never failed that he seemed to call right after I gave the weather and time on the radio. Finally one day I asked him why he always called for the weather and time. He explained to me that he liked to walk and had a special path mapped out along a road. He was blind!

If you are going to call and complain at least let me know who you are. I always start out at a disadvantage. When I get a call at KFIZ I always answer the same way. "This is Bob Nelson, how can I help you?"

Hard Concession

It was a long wait for what was supposed to be a victory party on Fond du Lac's North Main Street. Incumbent Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager waited out the results up the street at the Ramada Plaza Hotel as a contingent of reporters from across the state gathered at Theo's where she would make an announcement.

As Tuesday night stretched into Wednesday morning Lautenschlager's opponent in the Democratic Party Kathleen Falk was slowly building an insurmountable lead. In the end Falk got 53 percent of the vote across the state. When I first arrived for some reason I figured I'd be there to hear Lautenschlager give a victory speech, but as time wore on it became obvious that the gathering was going to be hearing. a concession speech.

While awaiting the announcement there was plenty of time to kill. I had a couple of diet sodas, sat at the bar and scratched down some notes on other election results, but I also had time to talk with other media representatives and do a little eavesdropping.

One radio reporter from Madison gave me her view on Falk, it wasn't very flattering. Other reporters were relieved to see Paul Bucher lose in the Republican primary to J.B. Van Hollen. Watching TV reporters do stand up reports saying they were still waiting for an announcement was interesting. One reporter made sure her lips were just right and checked herself out in a compact mirror. That's the nice thing about radio. Everybody is beautiful in the mind's eye.

One conversation between two men was hard not to hear. They were standing a few feet away from me. One of the men must have been a lawyer. He made a crack about how people who serve on juries are too stupid to get out of jury duty. I have friends who are lawyers and I respect what they do, but having had to sit in on a number of court proceedings over the years I'm sometimes amazed how some people pass the bar.

Speaking of bars, the staff at Theo's did a wonderful job with the press. It's hard to bus tables when you're dodging cameras, lights, microphone cords and the other equipment that comes with a full-blown media event.

Finally Lautenschlager arrived flanked by family and friends. She and some supporters shed a few tears as her campaign came to a conclusion. Afterwards she answered a few questions and not surprisingly the first one was whether her drunk driving arrest in Dodge County more than two years ago was her undoing. She handled it graciously enough, but noted there'd been other state officials arrested for similar circumstances who survived reelection campaigns.

There is a little truth to that. Governor Jim Doyle distanced himself from Lautenschlager shortly after her drunk driving conviction and has been an active Kathleen Falk supporter. Everything is fair game in politics and the drunk driving thing was an easy target for the others running for Attorney General. One person commented to me before I left, "Isn't it interesting how the two remaining candidates in the race have the least prosecutorial experience?"

It's going to be fun watching what skeletons J.B. Van Hollen and Kathleen Falk can find in each other's closets. Let the bloodletting begin!

Never Forget

A few months ago while talking about the film "Flight 93" in this blog I said I wasn't sure I was ready for a film about 9/11. Truth is, like everyone else, I'm still trying to adjust to the reality of what happened.

Over a couple days time I watched a few programs about the fifth anniversary and the aftermath of 9/11. Watching the chaos that was wrought still brings a sour feeling to my stomach.

Like Pearl Harbor, J.F.K's assasination and the Challenger explosion, 9/11 has now become an instant reminder of what people were doing when they heard the news that day. There are those of us who will "Never Forget," but then there's already a generation of four-year-old kindergartners who weren't even born when the terrorist attacks occurred. For them the day is something they will learn about in history books or carefully told stories from their parents.

I was actually working for a radio station in Beaver Dam when the attacks happened. I worked an afternoon shift and had just returned from a morning walk when I heard our stations broadcasting ABC News uninterrupted. At first like others I believed the plane they were talking about that hit the first tower must have been a small plane, until I watched the second plane hit.

It was actually three days later that the enormity of the event hit me. I was busy working on local angles to the story. One person I talked to was a frantic mother whose 20-year-old son had just moved to New York and was working in a building near the World Trade Center. She couldn't reach him and was understandably concerned. I eventually reached him and found out that like many others after seeing what happened he just had to do what he could. He gave blood and delivered water bottles to those he could help. It didn't occur to him to call Mom because he had survived.

I really never tire of heroes stories from 9/11. A good piece on 60 minutes talked about Tuesday's children, the kids that lost parents in the attacks. Most are still young or just hitting high school age. The grief is still strong, but they are overcoming their fears. One teenage girl lost a parent on one of the planes. She couldn't deal with airplanes at first, now she's taking flying lessons. America is all about resilence.

In the photo for this blog are flags at memorial field in Inwood Hill park in New York that were put up for the anniversary. Each included the name of one of the victims. For me it's easy enough to put 9/11 in perspective. More than 3,000 people lost their lives in the terrorist attacks. That's roughly the size of my hometown. As long as nature allows me to have memories I will "Never Forget."

Sinners and Saints

Someone said to me the other day that they liked the current television ad gubernatorial candidate Mark Green is running playing on a comment made by Governor Jim Doyle that Green was an "extreme" candidate.

I know that person and am sure they won't be basing their vote this November on the ad alone, but how many people take what's said in campaign ads seriously? Hopefully voters do a little research instead of vote on what's being said in television and radio ads. There's some truth to what's being said, but often there's much more to it.

Any congressional candidate who tells you they'll be able to do something about gas prices better take a look at what grandpa was paying and how much impact their predecessors have had over the last 35-40 years.

Watch out too for the candidates who tell you they did this and accomplished that. If their claim to fame is state or county office they had to work with a bunch of others. Being one of 99 assemblymen or woman or a county executive that works with a number of department heads should tell you that somebody isn't getting their fair share of credit.

I'm glad I don't have to vote in the 8th Congressional District race. Two Republicans and three Democrats are vying for Mark Green's northeastern Wisconsin seat in next week's primary election. Because Nancy Nusbaum, Jamie Wall, Steve Kagen and John Gard are running so many TV ads I've taken to comparing them to some people they look like. I haven't seen any ads for Terri McCormick.

Based on the look alike factor I'd vote for Nancy because she reminds me of Angela Landsbury's TV sleuth Jessica Fletcher. Jessica could solve any mystery and usually in less than 60 minutes. Gard reminds me of that Subway sandwich eating spokesman who lost all the weight. Wall, Howdy Doody. Kagen, I'm still working on. Of course voting for people based on who they look like is ridiculous, but people do have some strange reasoning for the choices they make at the polls.

When I was growing up in the U.P. a state legislator was an automatic for reelection. It didn't matter who ran against him. He was trusted and well liked, but he became a little disenchanted with the job. One night after a few drinks at the State Capitol he propositioned a woman. It was an undercover cop. That did what no challenger could do, it unseated him. Does that story have an unhappy ending? Bill Clinton would be proud. This man was forgiven by people from the town he called home and ended up serving another long stint as City Manager. The only woman he ever kissed, other than his wife, while holding that job was Tammy Wynette who appeared at the County Fair one year. He told me that was the toughest thing he ever did while holding the job.

I liked the guy, would I have voted for him?

Server Down!

The two words high on my list that make me cringe, "Server Down!" Because of the nature of my job I can usually find others things to do on the computer if I don't have access to the Internet, but it sure is an inconvenience.

Tuesday we had three different power spikes over a course of about 6 hours. You know that brief millisecond of time that dims your lights and is the visual equivalent of electricity waving its fist at you.

Because of the way we use computers in our studios it was something you could hear over your radios briefly as the computers we use to play commercials and programs hiccuped along with the lights.

Now this wasn't just a short interruption, its effect lasted a few hours. In addition to writing and recording news I am responsible for helping edit and send out an online newsletter. Sadly that wasn't possible Tuesday morning. That same program is also used for our KFIZ.com online news, sports, etc. So our "Server Down" became the computer version of "It's a Wonderful Life." It meant an inconveniece for the thousands of people that get the newsletter and view our website for up to date information. As Clarence the Angel in training would say "Isn't it strange how one life (server) can touch so many others?"

Okay so that's a little bit dramatic, but people have come to depend on the Internet. Many people I correspond with every day use e-mail as their main form of communicating. I didn't miss the spam, but did miss a few messages I should have gotten.

There was a small humorous moment amongst the angst "Server Down" caused. One computer in the building still had access to the Internet for a short period of time. One of our morning announcers said e-mail your news to me and I'll put it the newsletter and website. And how was I supposed to do that? It reminded me of working at a radio station in the U.P. when we lost power during a blizzard and a listener called to tell us that we should go on the air and tell our listeners that we were off.

Breakfast With Jerry

It was nice to see all the people who stopped at Schreiner's Restaurant in Fond du Lac to wish Breakfast Club host Jerry St. John well prior to his surgery for prostate cancer. We managed to raise about $1,100 for St. Agnes Hospital Foundation's Cancer Care Fund, once again thanks to the generosity of you our listeners.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we all could have such a great send off just before we are to face one of life's big hurdles. I know Jerry was genuinely glad to see some familiar faces and meet people he'd never seen before.

It was also good to do the Breakfast Club on the road. Usually we have to make our own coffee and it has a tendancy to take on its own life after its been on the burner for awhile. Those who made donations and left with a KFIZ Breakfast Club coffee mug left with a true treasure and Jerry even autographed a few.

Afterwards some of the KFIZ crew sat down and enjoyed a delicious breakfast. We laughed and told jokes, had some time that we don't normally get to share on your typical radio station morning. Jerry ate his last meal prior to the fasting he would need to do for his surgery. It was one of life's small moments that usually goes unappreciated, but not this time.

A big thank you to those who stopped out to see us and make a contribution. It further demonstrates how caring people are that live in the Fond du Lac area. When we say we have the greatest listeners in the World, we really mean it.

Missing Kids

Even if DNA Evidence puts John Mark Karr at the scene of JonBenet Ramsey's murder there will always be one question that can never fully be answered. Why?

Now a lot of people are rethinking the suspicion the Ramseys went through in the death of their own child. The death of a 6-year-old child is hard enough even when you are able to recover the body of that child. The Walsh's know about that. Adam Walsh was the same age when he was kidnapped and killed. John Walsh host of America's Most Wanted will have to live with the fact that authorities probably did know who his killer was. However the man died in prison and never would admit to it.

Missing children haunt us from Internet sites, public kiosks, laundromat bulletin boards. Up until a couple years ago I'd walk by one law enforcement bulletin board several times a week and see Jacob Wetterling's poster staring back. Laurie Depies poster used to hang faded, but clinging for attention in a kiosk at the old bus pickup spot on North Main Street in Fond du Lac.

Ironically Depies and Jacob Wetterling would both be about 35-years-old now. Adam Walsh would be 31-years-old and JoBenet would be a 16-year-old high school student. For each we ask why? To the list we add Teresa Halbach. She was 25-years-old and wouldn't be considered a child. However as one of my favorite confidants would say as long as your parents are still living you're somebody's child. For a short time Teresa went missing and once she was found again the question of why.

If you'd like to find out more about Jacob Wetterling check out the Jacob Wetterling Foundatin site at www.jwf.org. For more on Laurie Depies go to www.lauriedepies.com. Adam Walsh's story can be found on the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.com. As for the rest we pray for a happy ending and wonder..why?

Life's Bridges

A story about terrorist plots and the Mackinac Bridge got my attention. Being a Michigan native I can say it's a unique structure and a source of pride for the state. Having said that I'll bet you can think of at least one bridge in your life that sticks out in your memory. I can think of several.

I always enjoy the Butte des Morts Bridge and especially early in the morning when the sun is on the rise and fishermen are just geting out on the water. For a couple years traveling across the bridge between Marinette-Menominee wasn't a sure thing. In fact you had to take an alternate route while Highway 41 was torn up.

There are simpler bridges like the ones in Fond du Lac's Lakeside Park, that are practical and scenic as well. One of the best examples of a scenic bridge I can think of is the Cut River Bridge. Not sure if I spelled that right, but it's on the way to St. Ignace, Michigan and the Mackinac Bridge. You'll find it on U.S. 2 and it's worth stopping at just for the view. Although if you suffer from vertigo it might not be the best to take in the view alone, it's literally hundreds of feet up from the river.

One of my favorite childhood bridges was one spanning between Arkansas and Tennessee. Between the ages of 6 and 12 my family lived in West Memphis, Arkansas. That's about 6 miles from Memphis where my Dad worked. There's a lengthy bridge over the mighty Mississippi River. As kids we'd try and hold our breaths in the car while we were crossing it. Never made it very far.

My favorite bridge isn't really much of a bridge at all. We called it the "Cope" that was short for an actual bridge in Copenhagen it was supposedly modeled after. The teenage right of passage was to swim at the "Cope" and dive off the bridge. The current could be swift, but the water was deep enough. Diving from the top rail was the true measuring stick. It also became a late night excursion as we got older. Watching the thunderstorms come across Indian Lake from the "Cope" was cool( but maybe not entirely safe). We'd also watch for UFOs. I never saw any, planes yes.

The "Cope" is also a generational connection for me. While going through a scrapbook one day I came across an old Kodak photo. It's my Dad, then about 18-years-old, leaning against a rail on the bridge with a friend. Now that I'm older I've realized that soon my nephews Max and Derek will be going through their own right of passage on the same bridge. They're only a couple blocks and a few years away. They never met their Grandpa Nelson, but at least the "Cope" will be something they shared in common.

You Can't Go Home Again!

You really can't go home again. I found that out when I recently spent several days with my Mom in the U.P. She's on the move again. She just purchased a house and when I went to her current home I was greeted by packing boxes and a house in disarray.

She's giving up her "Dream House" on a Lake in exchange for a more modest 3-bedroom home in the city. I've told her she's going to miss the Lake, but she says it's too much work and after 5 years of money pitting she's had enough.

That got me to thinking about how many places I've called home over the years. Not counting living on campus in College, it comes to about 15 different apartments and homes. No place is perfect. You can find a flaw if you look hard enough. My Mom has already found some minor flaws with her new home and she's having them addressed before she moves in later this month.

Honestly the places you live in can be like ghosts, haunting your mind or your dreams. I still dream about the home I spent most of my teenage years growing up in. I sometimes go by there when I travel to the U.P. It almost makes me feel guilty, like abandoning an old friend.

Memories come to mind. That's the home we used to throw G.I Joe dolls out the window to see if their parachutes would really work. That's the home my sister Kathy learned that you can't carry a portable television down a stairs when you're only four years old. There's the home where we spent a Christmas huddled around the fireplace because the power was out for more than 8 hours while the temperature outside hovered in the teens.

Now I call a 2-bedroom apartment in Fond du Lac home. I guess home isn't really a house or an apartment, it's the memories you build and carry around with you the rest of your life. They survive whatever move you make. They're more precious and should be handled with care.

Operation Welcome Home!

It was a pleasure talking with Ellen Sorenson Fond du Lac County's Director of Administration during a recent "The Focus" program on KFIZ. She's a busy lady with her job with the County, but we were talking to the Mom in her. She has a son serving in Iraq with the local National Guard's Charlie Company unit.

Ellen and a couple of others are organizing "Operation Welcome Home." It's an official welcome home celebration for the more than 180 soldiers from the Fond du Lac, Ripon and Waupun areas that will be held at the County Fairgrounds Expo Center on Saturday, November 4th.

Ellen says they can't believe how much support there has been for the troops in the area and she's hoping that will continue on their special day in November. The troops will actually be home about a month or a little longer before that, but the Military requires a sort of cooldown period before a formal celebration can be held.

I was at the sendoff ceremony in June of 2005. The turnout was tremendous and the family support was multigenerational. It was a proud moment for those about to serve and the community. I was also at the funeral for Sergeant Andrew Wallace last fall in Ripon. Another huge turnout for the community to say goodbye to a member of the 127th Infantry, who along with Michael Wendling was killed by a roadside bomb.

We don't have all the specifics yet on "Operation Welcome Home," they are still being formulated. It will include a parade, then a ceremony at the Expo Center and a time for fellowship. Support Our Troops, we certainly will. We hope you will too.

Rolling Meadows Closing

I learned a long time ago that the news that I report is impacting lives. Once in a while a phone call helps remind me of that fact.

It was from a young man who wanted to know if we were going to be talking with some of the nurses from Rolling Meadows about losing their jobs. We had talked to a few since Fond du Lac County Executive Al Buechel made the original recommendation in May.

Sometimes you just have to listen, that's why this call came my way. Here's what I learned. His mother is working a couple of jobs to make ends meet, 16 hours a day some days. She'd been working at Rolling Meadows for 16 years and didn't have enough seniority to be among those who may have a shot at jobs on a wing at the Health Care Center (Harbor Haven).

He went on to say that his Mom had worked at other nursing home facilities and wouldn't want to work at another facility in Fond du Lac County again. She's 49-years old and will be looking out of the County for another job.

I share this with you in part because of a statement made by a County Supervisor who had heard from people or who had through his own interpretation believes the media and others thought the group trying to save Rolling Meadows was a loud and vocal minority. We never made such statements in our news. Given the chance to fight for a job that I love and one that affects my life, you better believe I'd be vocal too.

I did try and schedule a few nurses for our Focus program, but they declined because it was too soon after the Board's decision and they were still coping with what had been done.

During a meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee studying the issue some of the Rolling Meadows workers brought a group of balloons to represent the residents being served at the nursing home. They shouldn't be forgotten either. Hence the photo.

I've shared one story about how the closing of Rolling Meadows will impact an employee. There are more than 120 others.