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Local Girl Scout Leader Removed

Well, this is interesting.

Stacy Hintz wants everyone to know she is not a Satanist. Lately, she’s been accused of that, as well as promoting sin.

  “I’m a Pentecostal Christian,” said the West Bend mother of two and until this week a local Girl Scouts Troop leader. Following a flurry of complaints from three mothers of troop members, including the troop’s coleader, Hintz was fired from the volunteer position she held for four years by the Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast because of her involvement with a website called Wisconsin Sickness.

  Started in 2007 by Stacy Hintz’s husband Charles, a computer graphics web designer, the website defines itself as a “project created to expose and preserve the dark and disturbing underground world of Wisconsin art in all its forms, including art, film and the worldrenown WI metal!”

  Stacy Hintz prefers using the term “alternative” to describe Wisconsin Sickness and the artists, musicians, authors, and off-beat Wisconsin-based topics it contains. While the website has edgy content, she said, it is far from being a bastion of evil some have portrayed it.

  “Yes, it’s controversial,” she said, but it also provides information on state bands, artists and performers.

  “It’s a harmless interest,” Hintz said. “I’m not breaking any laws. I’m not breaking any Biblical laws. It’s a hobby.”

  Hintz was first told she would be removed “from all of your volunteer positions with Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast” on Feb. 8, with the decision confirmed Tuesday by Mary Black, chief program officer for the Milwaukee-based Scouts council.

  In her email, Black said Hintz was removed as troop leader “due to violations of policy, including your endorsement, while in a Girl Scout capacity, of a website service that does not live up to the Girl Scout standards and principles.”

There are a lot of issues floating through this. First, let’s remember that the Girl Scouts are a private organization and they can choose to accept or deny volunteers on almost any basis. If they say that her affiliation with the website violates their standards, then so be it. It’s their choice. But that’s just one aspect of the story.

If you haven’t already, go check out the website in question, Wisconsin Sickness. You can see what they are about and read the contributor’s own commentary on this situation. What do you think? Is it satanic? There are overtones of the occult, for sure. Is it pornographc? While it mentions porn in places, I don’t see anything pornographic. Is it creepy? Somewhat. Is it interesting? Very. I’m thinking of picking up that book about paranormal Washington County. Does it indicate that the creators of the site are evil, abusive, or in any way a danger to kids? Without any further evidence, no.

What happened here seems pretty straight forward. Hintz was a scout leader for a few years. By all accounts, she was good at it and lauded for her efforts. Then some parents found out that she was affiliated with Wisconsin Sickness. They disapproved and complained to the authorities of the Girl Scouts to have her removed. The leadership of the Girl Scouts in Milwaukee agreed, and let her know that her services were no longer needed.

Were the parents justified in being concerned? Yes, I think so. At first blush, Wisconsin Sickness is disturbing and Hintz’s role involves a lot of contact with the parents’ kids. I would have been concerned. At the same time, the situation must be put into the context that Hintz has served in the role successfully for several years. While it looks like she’s into some goofy stuff, there doesn’t appear to be any indication that she exhibited bad behavior toward the kids. In the absence of any such bad behavior, I would have been reluctant to call for her removal, even if I would have asked her about it and kept an eye out.

I suspect that there is more to the story here. It doesn’t smell like we’ve heard the whole tale.

Home Sweet Home

Has it really been almost 27 years?!?!?

WIAA Moves State Tournaments to Green Bay

This has been fairly entertaining to follow.

The WIAA Board of Control has voted to accept a bid from PMI Entertainment, which manages the Resch Center, to hold the WIAA state tournaments there as early as next year.

WIAA executive director Dave Anderson confirmed the vote, but said that the Board also authorized him to “clarify the understanding of (UW’s) most recent proposal” regarding the availability of the Kohl Center in 2013 and 2014. The UW has said that it could not guarantee access to the facility due to conflicts with WCHA men’s hockey in 2013 and a possible NCAA Women’s Frozen Four in 2014.

Gyroscopic Self-Leveling Pool Table

This is slick.

OK, How ‘bout a Little Neil Peart

Home Sweet Home

My first memories of listening to Motley Crue (Shout at the Devil) was in my home in Riyadh with my brother. It’s kind of hard to listen to them nowadays. But this particular song makes me think of that time, even though it was released some time later.

Whitney Houston

Dead at 48. RIP.

Tough Mudder

I have 7 months to get ready.

Aging Americans

Heh.

WASHINGTON—Recent side-by-side photographic comparisons of Americans before and after he assumed the presidency have confirmed the stress of Barack Obama’s time in the White House has taken a significant toll on the U.S. populace, dramatically accelerating the nation’s signs of aging.

“It’s striking, really, to see how, after just three years of being president, Barack Obama has markedly aged the country,” Beltway ob­server Andrew Soisson said Wednesday, adding that the stress of watching Obama deal with a stagnant economy, multiple wars, and other crises at home and abroad has left the country with more pronounced wrinkles and significantly grayer hair. “It’s a far cry from inauguration day, when a younger, healthier, and more vibrant populace watched Obama take the oath of office.”

“Remember Obama’s 2008 campaign?” Soisson added. “People were energized and full of spunk and vigor. But you look at pictures of Americans then compared to now and it’s like night and day.”

Conservationists Kill Rhino

Wanna get away?

A conservation group demonstrating an anti-poaching method for reporters in South Africa accidentally killed the rhinoceros they were using in the demonstration.

The rhino, nicknamed Spencer, went into convulsions and died after he was shot with a tranquilizer dart in front of a crush of TV cameras and photographers who had been invited to document an operation to insert a poison capsule into his horn.

Norovirus Outbreak in Dane County

I blame Scott Walker.

An unusual string of norovirus outbreaks has hit Dane County, including a suspected new outbreak of the foodborne illness in a church group, a health official said Monday.

Patriots Release Player on Eve of Super Bowl

Wow. That’s harsh.

Tiquan Underwood, the guy who loved being a Patriot so much that he did that to his hair, was released by the team on Saturday, just hours before the Super Bowl.

It’s callous and it’s cold-blooded, but that’s football, and that’s Bill Belichick. I’m sure that Underwood is emotionally devastated, but that’s a head coach’s job. If he feels like another player might help a little more on Sunday, even if it’s just for one play, then it’s the coach’s job to make that decision. Feelings aren’t a part of it.
 
Underwood probably didn’t expect this, but he’s no stranger to being released, either. It’s the third time the Patriots have cut him this season.

Charles Haley Misses Out on HOF

What a shame.

After six Cowboys contributors were elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the past six years, the 2012 class will not have any Dallas connections.

Defensive end Charles Haley and coach Bill Parcells both survived Saturday’s initial cut from 15 modern era candidates to 10, but neither passed on for final consideration.

The man has FIVE Super Bowl rings, fer cryin’ out loud. Put him in the Hall.

It’s That Time