The climate change summit in Paris that aims to tackle global warming will itself pump an estimated 300,000 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, it was claimed today.
Gannett has an excellent bit of journalism examining disparities in sentencing in Wisconsin. Here’s a part:
The idea that “similarly situated” persons should be treated similarly is a foundational tenet of the American legal system, but Wisconsin falls far short of that standard, our study found.
We examined 12 of the most frequent felony offenses from 2005 to 2014, chosen for their relative lack of extenuating circumstances with input from dozens of attorneys, judges and law professors.
The inequalities were striking across all 12 offenses. Get a speeding ticket anywhere in Wisconsin, and — unless you’re in a jurisdiction with a municipal court — the fine will be identical. But get convicted of a felony, and your penalty is at the whim of the sentencing judge.
A conviction for second-plus offense marijuana possession meant an average of 10 months behind bars from Milwaukee County Judge William Brash, but six other judges around the state averaged less than a month for that crime.
Five- and six-time drunken drivers before Judge Dee Dyer in Outagamie County were sent away for an average of 25 months in prison, but sentences in Bolgert’s courtroom averaged less than 10 months.
Similar divergences cropped up even between judges in the same county. Brown, Fond du Lac and Outagamie counties each had a gap of 10 months between average sentences handed down by the harshest and lightest judges on the serial drunken driving offense.
The analysis included a total of 140 judges statewide, 98 of whom currently are on the bench. To be included, judges had to sentence at least 10 offenders in five of the 12 felony categories to ensure a large enough sample size that one extreme sentence couldn’t unduly alter the ranking.
Read the whole thing. One thing that I really like about the study is that they name names. For instance:
The analysis identified Milwaukee County Judge Carl Ashley as the state’s most lenient active judge, followed by Sheboygan County’s Bolgert and Milwaukee County Judge Glenn Yamahiro. The three harshest sentencers were Milwaukee County judges Daniel Konkol and Rebecca Dallet, and Marinette County Judge David Miron.
Remember that Wisconsin’s judges are elected. The voters have a choice in kicking judges they don’t like out of office, but far too often then run unopposed and/or the people know nothing about their records. Given how much power individual judges have over the lives of the people in front of them, it is a travesty that they are not subject to more scrutiny.
This is a real quandary for lawmakers. On the one hand, lawmakers could pass very detailed and specific legislation mandating certain sentences for certain crimes, but that would prevent judges from exercising any JUDGEment other than how they run the trial.
On the other hand, leaving judges so much latitude in sentencing is clearly leaving citizens at the mercy of the whims of individual judges. Arbitrary justice is no justice at all.
On the other hand (as Tevya would say), is this a problem at all? If the voters are OK with such disparity in judicial rulings as the judges’ reelections would seem to indicate, why should the legislature overrule the will of the voters as expressed through their electoral choices?
I wonder what the carbon footprint of the Global Warming Conference is? But consider this nugget:
More than 40,000 delegates from 195 countries are attending COP21, which has the goal of achieving a legally binding agreement to keep global warming below what most scientists say is the critical threshold of 2 degrees Celsius of warming.
40,000 delegates!?!? That’s an average of over 205 delegates from each country.
And given that we haven’t had any warming in almost 20 years, can we assume that any agreement would be to just freeze the status quo in place? What does that do to developing countries?
The 2013-15 state budget created a rule for some recipients of the state’s food stamp program known as FoodShare: If you’re an able-bodied adult without children living at home, you must work at least 80 hours a month or look for work to stay in the program.
That rule went into effect in April, and between July and September, about 25 percent of the 60,000 recipients eligible to work were dropped from the program when the penalty took effect, according to DHS data.
Meanwhile, about 4,500 recipients found work through a new job training program for FoodShare recipients.
We’re talking about single, able-bodied adults. If they are not willing to even look for work, why should the rest of us be handing our hard-earned tax dollars to feed them? This allows those resources to be focused on those who actually need them and are trying to improve their lot in life.
by Owen | 1946, 28 Nov 1515 | Off-Duty | 0 Comments
Amity Rolfs nativity in place at Bits ‘n’ Pieces
New home for Amity Rolfs nativity: It was a labor of love this week as a group of downtown business owners and volunteers gathered to help set up the Amity Rolfs nativity.
A huge hat tip to Pat and Deb Bohn from Bits ‘n’ Pieces Floral as they will be hosting the nativity at their store, 319 S. Main Street.
“We wanted to keep it on the parade route,” said Downtown West Bend Association event manager Kellie Boone. The change in location came after Westbury Bank said it feared there were safety concerns with the manger.
A group of handymen and women, including Chris and Larry Porter, Scott Schmidt, Jim Spaeth, Kellie Boone, Carol Baranyk, and Pat and Deb Bohn worked to resurrect the nativity. All channeled their inner Tom O’Meara III to help recreate the nativity which dates to the late 1960s. For years O’Meara took charge of setting up the nativity.
Someone suggested that in order to get our “real Tom on” we needed to stop at Dublin’s first for a pint. While a popular idea, the group took advantage of the sunny, unseasonably-warm weather, and remained on task. Also a special thanks to West Bend Elevator for donating the straw for the manger.
Blooming Acres to try again
Blooming Acres is on the Dec. 8 agenda for the West Bend Plan Commission meeting.
If you remember, Blooming Acres was a popular seasonal gardening business in the Westwood Shopping Center, 2374A W. Washington Street. Owner Nathan Neumann started as a bare-bones operation in 1989 selling holiday trees and plants out of a temporary shelter across from the old Pick n’ Save north.
When he first opened Neumann ruffled a couple feathers across the driveway with Stein’s Garden’s and Gifts as it carried similar product and fought for the same customer dollar.
In 2014 the West Bend Plan Commission approved an outdoor permit for Neumann’s shop with the qualification he meet fencing requirements, standards for an outdoor greenhouse and staffing for a year-round operation.
In April 2015 the Plan Commission reviewed and unanimously revoked the site plan for Blooming Acres saying Neumann did not meet the obligations of the approvals originally granted by the commission.
Now, Neumann is back with a similar request to sell holiday trees from the same spot. City administrator T.J. Justice said the city has a responsibility to pave the way for open commerce.
“We’re doing research on whether a conditional use permit that was revoked – would preclude him from being able to obtain another approval,” Justice said.
Blooming Acres is based in Dodge County. The number of Christmas tree outlets in West Bend has dropped over the years. In 2012 the Terlindens stopped selling trees from their front lawn at the corner of Eighth Avenue and Poplar Street. Meadowbrook Market has Christmas trees for sale as does PMF Landscaping.
Dragonfly Healing Arts Center
A new aromatherapy shop is opening in downtown West Bend. Dragonfly Healing Arts Center, 105 N. Main St., is sharing space inside Portraits Today.
“I want to teach people how to take care of themselves,” owner Kim Ward said. “I want to empower them to take care of themselves in a healthy way.”
Ward, 48, is a registered nurse with a double major in health and wellness. “I believe a majority of disease is caused by our immune system being weakened by products on our store shelves,” she said.
“I’m going to use the aromatherapy bar as a vessel to communicate and show the all-natural products people can use for medicinal purposes, stress relief, and to detoxify their home.”
Ward will incorporate aromatherapy into a person’s health and stress level. “It’s multi-tiered,” she said. “There are massage oils, room spray, non-toxic cleaning products, and eventually I’d like to start classes on how to detoxify your home and body work. It’s all about knowledge.”
Ward has created an assessment form along with a medicinal and home care product line that’s nontoxic and hormone balancing.
“I’m going to start with three phases including the aromatherapy bar,” she said. “People can come in and make their own personalized products.”
A full-time home care nurse, Ward will operate Dragonfly on Saturdays and by appointment by calling 920-883-7494 or dragonflyhealingarts04@gmail.com
Wash. Co. to kick in $85,000 for new main stage at Fair Park
West Bend Mutual Insurance Company has offered Washington County a generous donation for the construction of a permanent stage at the Washington County Fair Park.
This week the county accepted the donation and agreed to move forward with the project development. “West Bend Mutual will be providing for the project over $500,000 for the project,” said Washington County Administrator Joshua Schoemann.
There are a couple aspects the county will have to cover in a cooperative agreement including kicking in $85,000 for preliminary site work, architectural engineering and professional services for the Fair Park stage project.
The county will also have to cover the relocation of some electrical and work to relocate the tractor pull area to a more suitable location on the grounds. Renegotiation is also taking place between the county and the Agricultural and Industrial Society on the lease and operating agreement. A design for the new stage is still underway. The full county board will vote on the resolution at its Dec. 8 meeting.
Kettle Moraine Sport Riders absent from WB Christmas Parade
Don’t look for the Kettle Moraine Sport Riders in Sunday’s West Bend Christmas Parade as the group is bowing out this year. This is the second time in the past five years the Sport Riders will not participate; time and a shortage of volunteers are to blame.
In 2010 the Sport Riders took a year off – they returned the next year with gusto. The Kettle Moraine Sport Riders are a parade favorite. The group is a mix of local business owners, farmers and cycling enthusiasts. They normally create one of the most interesting entries in the parade.
In 2005, the Sport Riders were credited with saving Santa, whose sleigh float got a flat tire. Parade organizers scrambled and the Sport Riders stepped up, quickly slicing a hole into their sleigh and squeezing Santa into a spot next to the amplifier.
That year the Sport Rider’s 70-foot-long float featured a locomotive hauling a toy factory complete with a conveyor loading toys into Santa’s sleigh. The Sport Riders took first place in the adult-non-profit category. Aside from being talented mechanics, the Sport Riders are also procrastinators, typically crafting a float within 24 hours of the start of the parade.
Parade organizer Mike Husar said there will be four bands in this year’s parade including the West Bend High School Marching Band, Northern Ozaukee High School Band, Mayville High School Band, River City Christmas Brass and watch for a final appearance by the St. Mary’s cheerleaders. The 63rd annual West Bend Christmas Parade steps off at 5 p.m. Sunday from Regner Park.
Radio communications upgrade underway in Washington County
The Washington County Finance Committee unanimously approved a Radio Communications System Upgrade and 700 MHz Overlay Project to the tune of about $4.85 million. “This is a half-step upgrade for this 10-year system,” said County Administrator Joshua Schoemann. The countywide radio system has been in operation since 2010 and there have been problems with the system penetrating buildings.
Schoemann said they are trying to work together with Ozaukee County, which has the same digital system. Schoemann said if the radio communication projects are done simultaneously there’s a chance for Washington County to save $150,000. Ozaukee County also contracts with Harris Corporation for a radio system replacement project.
A portion of the resolution reads: Harris Corporation has proposed adding four tower sites that transmit and receive communications on 700 MHz frequencies and all necessary equipment and upgrades including but not limited to network switches, microwave and logging updates and dispatch consoles and upgrades, portable radios for Sheriff personnel for a total cost not to exceed $4.85 million. The resolution goes before the full county board on Dec. 8.
St. John’s Guild cookbooks are in the house!
The latest shipment of St. John’s Guild cookbook, “Our Favorite Recipes” has arrived. The first printing was in 1949 when a committee of nine women, led by Esther Klein and Frieda Lange, collected the best recipes in a cookbook that would be sold at a low price. Proceeds would go to build a new kitchen at St. John’s Lutheran Church in West Bend.
“A majority of recipes were all tried and true,” said Carol Gerner, a member of the cookbook committee since the 1980s and the author of the recipe for cottage cheese rolls. “It was a good project and we got our kitchen.”
The cookbook had a unique style with hand-written recipes supported by the antics of stick-figure cartoons. Many households in the community had a copy of Our Favorite Recipes tucked in the drawer or standing on the kitchen shelf. Reliable recipes included the Mile High Strawberry torte, pumpkin bread, banana bread and peanut butter cookies.
The same lovable cookbook produced in 1949 is back – it’s a little more modern with an upgraded binding. Our Favorite Recipes sells for $15 and is available at Tennies Ace Hardware, St. John’s Lutheran Church, Hankerson’s Country Oven Bakery, and All in Books.
Slinger teen receives diabetic alert dog
Moose delivered to teen in Slinger by Judy Steffes: “Moose is here!” It was a cheer heard throughout the household as an English male chocolate Labrador retriever diabetic alert dog was delivered to William Springer of Slinger.
“I just ran down the stairs when I saw him I was so excited,” said Springer. “I had been counting down the days until he’d get here.”
The 17-year-old Springer was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in summer of 2013. On April 25, 2014, he received a severe concussion from a soccer ball to the head and ever since he has not been able to recognize or feel the lows and highs in his blood sugar. The dog will help Springer keep his blood sugar within a normal range.
For several hours Saturday certified trainer Nicole Parayno with Diabetic Alert Dogs of America put Springer and Moose through their paces.
“When he places his paw on you, that means you’re out of your normal sugar target range,” Parayno said. “He’s trained to use his paw for that, but he’s not trained to alert just because. This is only when a scent is present.”
Scent samples were gathered from Springer and used to train the dog the past six months; Moose will turn 1 year old on Thanksgiving. “Just one treat,” instructed Parayno. Moose eagerly took to Springer spending a majority of time at his feet, resting his head on his owner’s leg. “I can’t really feel my sugar lows like I used to so Moose is going to be a big help,” Springer said.
Moose will sleep in the same room as Springer and he’ll accompany him to high school. “Stay,” said Springer holding his palm up as a signal.
In the last few years Diabetic Alert Dogs of America has placed over 400 dogs. “They range anywhere from $7,500 to $15,000,” Parayno said. “We’re actually the cheapest company but we’re paying the trainers and the vets and the travel.”
Moose and Parayno flew in from Las Vegas on Friday. “He enjoyed playing in the snow,” she said. The West Bend Lioness Lion’s Club, along with other area Lion’s Clubs, helped raise money to pay for Moose.
Bikes, Bars, Beer, Santas!
Grab you bicycle and join fellow Santas on Sunday, Nov. 29 for the inaugural West Bend Santa Ramp-Up. The ride starts at Dublin’s (10 a.m.) with stops at Benders (11 a.m.), Moonlighting (12 p.m.), West Bend Tap and Tavern (1 p.m.), and The Norbert (2 p.m.). Meeting at 10 a.m. at Dublin’s and then bicycling south on the Eisenbahn State Trail. Santa or Christmas attire recommended. Organized by Ashley Walker and Dave Renick.
Updates & tidbits
– The Washington County Senior Center will have cookies, hot chocolate, popcorn, soup and more at Enchantment in the Park this weekend at Regner Park.
– The WB COLUMNS Holiday Pops Concert is Dec. 8 at 7:30 p.m. at the Silver Lining Arts Center. The annual scholarship concert benefits graduating seniors of West Bend East and West High Schools. Last year, WB COLUMNS awarded $612,050 in scholarships for graduates to continue their education. More information www.wbcolumns.org
-The Kewaskum Indians 2015 football season awards will be presented after the Kewaskum Christmas Parade on Sunday, Dec. 6 at 6:30 p.m. in the Kewaskum Theatre. Awards will be presented and then transition to the cafeteria for a reception.
-Start the holiday season off with a four-course dinner Dec. 10 at the Top of the Ridge Restaurant at Cedar Ridge followed by Christmas music by Ryan and Celia Meisel. Dinner at 5 p.m. Music: 6:30 p.m. Fee: $20 adult meal $10 kid’s meal. Register at ce.uwc.edu/Washington
-National speaker and author Robyn Leigh Dykstra is coming Friday, Dec. 4 to the Women’s Christmas Gala and fundraiser for the Seed of Hope Center, a faith-based crisis pregnancy and counseling center in West Bend and Hartford. Dykstra will offer an inspirational message through her true-life story about loss and the transforming power of a loving God. The event is 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. at Bend City Church, 224 Butternut St. Registration is required at eventbrite.com
– Trivia Night by the church Work Campers (St. Gabs and St. Boniface) is Dec. 5 starting around 5:45 p.m. You don’t have to be a parishioner. There will be food and drinks to purchase and babysitting too! Register this weekend at rivia.stgabrielshubertus.org
– Sunday, Nov. 29 is the First Sunday of Advent. Here is the beginning of Rev. Nathan Reesman’s message in the St. Frances Cabrini/ St. Mary’s bulletin. Our entrance antiphon for this First Sunday of Advent is worth lingering over just a bit. It is chosen from Psalm 25: “To you, I lift up my soul, O my God, In you, I have trusted; let me not be put to shame. Nor let my enemies exult over me; and let none who hope in you be put to shame.” The antiphons that we have for our celebrations, especially in the high seasons like Advent, often come down to us from ancient days in the Roman liturgy, and they communicate very intentionally the key themes or ideas that the Christian community is to make our own as we move throughout the year. This Sunday is no exception. For each of the years in our three-year Lectionary cycle, the readings for the First Sunday of Advent center on Christ’s call to vigilance for His grand coming. Advent always opens with a glimpse of the end of the world as we know it, as the Lord promises that He will usher in an era where His power will be undisputed and His Kingdom will be established in its fullness.
Historic West Bend Theatre
Today’s history photo is courtesy Roger Strack. The movie The Collegiate was released Jan. 22, 1936.
The Austria Press Agency cited German federal police chief Hans-Georg Maasen as saying that some who blend in with the migrants fought with IS and are planning a “combat mission” once they arrive in Europe. He said Thursday that his office knows of 7,900 Islamic radicals in Germany who advocate violence to advance their goals, with some trying to win migrants to their cause.
He said German authorities receive one or two “fairly concrete tips” a week of planned terrorist activity. And he described IS extremists as “combat-hardened professionals” more dangerous than those from al-Qaida
Driving without a valid license could result in a vehicle being impounded under a Republican proposal aimed at reducing drunken driving, but which critics say will disproportionately harm poor people.
Rep. Joe Sanfelippo, R-West Allis, circulated a bill Tuesday that would require a police officer making an arrest or issuing a citation for driving without a license or with a revoked or suspended license, to immediately impound the vehicle. The bill includes an exception for motorists whose licenses expired within the previous six months and haven’t previously been cited for driving without a license.
Under the bill, a court could extend the length of time a vehicle is impounded after which the driver would have to pay any fines and impoundment fees. If the vehicle isn’t claimed within 30 days of the release date, it could be disposed of or sold. The vehicle would be released immediately to its owner if the driver didn’t own the vehicle, or if the driver is found not guilty of the offense.
The police already impound too much private property for questionable reasons. It puts the burden of proof on the accused to get their property back before a conviction. Everyone is still entitled to their day in court.
Also, in this case, it leaves open the potential for innocent people to have their cars impounded if they let someone without a license drive their car. Granted, people shouldn’t do that, but would you check your friend’s license before loaning them a car?
I would rather leave the punishment for after conviction. Perhaps confiscate a person’s car if that person is cited multiple times for driving without a license. If they don’t have a car, then jail them (or both)
Pesticides that are illegal to use on marijuana plants in Colorado are being found in some recreational and medical pot products being marketed and sold to the public — leading to product recalls, plant quarantines and even a class-action lawsuit involving people who say they would not have inhaled the product had they known illegal pesticides were used on them.
Pesticide testing is not mandatory for pot businesses in Colorado, nor are they subject to random pesticide testing, as are other crops, according to Mitch Yergert of the state’s agriculture department. Pot businesses generally are left to self-regulate pesticides use, though officials say they are working to come up with a plan for better oversight.
Given that the Supreme Court issued its order months ago for the prosecutors to immediately return or destroy all of the materials they confiscated in their illegal crusade, why do they still even have them?
Milwaukee County prosecutors want a federal court to order them to preserve evidence from a John Doe probe that the state Supreme Court has said must be destroyed.
Milwaukee County DA John Chisholm and two of his top deputies argued in yesterday’s filing the materials the state Supreme Court wants returned to witnesses or destroyed may be essential to their defense in a lawsuit filed against them by former Walker aide Cynthia Archer.
Archer’s lawsuit claims she was targeted in John Doe I for her work helping Gov. Scott Walker advance Act 10.
The prosecutors said the Supreme Court order, which shut down John Doe II, does not make specific reference from the first secret probe, which resulted in the convictions of six aides or associates of then-Milwaukee County Exec Walker. But the evidence compiled in John Doe II, which focused on coordination between Walker and conservative groups in the recall elections, includes some evidence from the first probe, according to the filing.
The order from the state Supreme Court requires prosecutors to “return all property seized in the investigation from any individual or organization, and permanently destroy all the copies of information and other materials obtained through the investigation.”
The United States has 900 investigations pending against suspected operatives it says ISIS inspired. There is at least one investigation in every state.
A man who was kicked out of Camp Randall Stadium during Saturday’s Wisconsin football game let UW-Madison police know he wasn’t happy about what happened — but that there were no hard feelings — by sending them 240 coconut doughnuts on Monday.
Why coconut doughnuts?
“Nobody likes coconut donuts,” a friend of the man wrote in a post that has been viewed more than 75,000 times on the photo-sharing site Imgur.
I agree… coconut donuts are awful. Well, “awful” on the donut scale.
Smoking in a car with a child would be prohibited under a bill being circulated at the state Capitol.
Sen. Janet Bewley, D-Ashland, and Rep. Beth Myers, D-Bayfield, have proposed the measure that would not allow people to smoke in any vehicles with a child young enough to sit in a car seat or booster seat.
“The painful and costly effects of cigarette smoke are especially tragic when experienced by a child who is exposed to secondhand smoke,” a memo supporting the bill said. “We view this proposal as an option to augment our work to discourage smoking and reduce the potential for harm.”
Anyone who is caught smoking in a vehicle with a child would be subject to a $25 fine for the first offense, and $50 each time after, with the money going to the tobacco use control program.
The most recent statistics from U.S. Bureau of Justice from May 2015 (with statistics from 2013) look at the level of police in the 50 largest local police departments in America and Milwaukee, with 38 sworn officers per 10,000 residents, has more per capita than all but eight of the 50 biggest cities. The number of sworn officers ranks from a low of 10 per 10,000 residents in San Jose to 61 in Washington, D.C.
Washington, as the nation’s capitol, with unique policing issues, is likely an outlier. Remove it from the list and the next biggest force per capita is Baltimore’s, with 47 sworn officers per 10,000 residents. Baltimore is the only comparably-sized city with more police per capita than Milwaukee. The others are far bigger cities like New York, Chicago and Philadelphia.
ANKARA/MOSCOW (Reuters) – Turkish fighter jets shot down a Russian warplane near the Syrian border on Tuesday after repeated warnings over air space violations, but Moscow said it could prove the jet had not left Syrian air space.
It was the first time a NATO member’s armed forces have downed a Russian or Soviet military aircraft since the 1950s and Russian and Turkish assets fell on fears of an escalation between the former Cold War enemies.
A Kremlin spokesman said it was a “very serious incident” but that it was too early to draw conclusions.
Footage from private Turkish broadcaster Haberturk TV showed the warplane going down in flames in a woodland area, a long plume of smoke trailing behind it. The plane went down in area known by Turks as “Turkmen Mountain”, it said.
by Owen | 0606, 24 Nov 1515 | Culture | 11 Comments
My column for the West Bend Daily News is online. Here it is:
There is a growing chasm between the skills that people need to succeed in modern American society and the skills we are emphasizing in our system of education and our culture. It is a chasm that bodes ill for the future of our country and for our children.
A quick scan of the open job postings on any given day reveals some companies searching desperately for workers, but many of those job postings have been open for a long time. The hardest jobs to fill continue to be engineers, technical workers and virtually every skilled trade. While unemployment is low, underemployment is still high, and yet these goodpaying jobs continue to go unfilled. Why?
The primary reason is that we, as a culture, have devalued those jobs. We have benefited from the hard work of our forbearers and enjoy the most leisurely and advanced society in the history of the world. For the vast majority of Americans, our necessities are relatively easy to provide. This allows us time to focus our attention on our leisure activities and indulge our creative impulses.
This is not a bad thing and is certainly nothing for which Americans should apologize. We should be proud that our civilization has advanced so far that we are debating the relative merits of the iPhone versus the Samsung Galaxy instead of whether we should boil the water another 10 minutes before drinking it.
But through that advancement, we have devalued many of the jobs that make our advanced society possible, and in doing so we have closed the doors of many great opportunities for our children. We see this cultural trend manifest itself in colleges.
Simply put, far too many kids are spending money they don’t have to get degrees they don’t need for jobs that don’t exist. A recent survey by the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Letters and Sciences showed that more than a third of their graduates were working in jobs that did not require their degree, and 10 percent of them said their degrees were “irrelevant” to their jobs. Almost half of those surveyed regretted getting their degrees.
The problem is that there are very few jobs for people with degrees in Scandinavian studies, Latin, gender and women’s studies, comparative literature, etc. There is absolutely nothing wrong with studying those subjects, but most graduates from those programs will only find employment teaching others the same topic in an educational pyramid scheme. Such intellectual aerobics are useful, but have historically been the indulgences of rich folks who do not need to worry about gainful employment after graduation.
Meanwhile, while our universities are churning out highly educated people whose degrees have little value in the job market, there are great jobs being left unfilled. Culturally, parents want to brag to their friends on Facebook about how little Jimmy got accepted to Marquette far more than they want to say little Sally just started an apprenticeship to become a plumber. Yet the odds are that Sally will more likely be employed, better paid and debt-free in 10 years compared to Jimmy.
Additionally, as the education committee from the West Bend Chamber of Commerce recently revealed, the skills that are most valuable to employers have little to do with formal education. Punctuality, respect, manners, clean attire, work ethic and other soft skills were more important to employers than knowing specific subject matter. Employers can teach specific skills. They cannot teach people to show up on time and work hard.
Our society can use a few experts in medieval tapestries, but it needs far more skilled people who work hard at things we need. And some of our kids are better served learning to be a great crane operator than getting a master’s degree in comparative literature and folklore studies.
According to WBHS tradition, this time of year means milk cartons being dropped 50 feet from the roof of the auditorium.
This tradition was a project done for physics class. Students were required to construct a protective system in a milk carton that would keep an egg, which was placed inside, from breaking. They could use whatever materials they wanted, but many students opted to use packaging materials, such as Styrofoam peanuts. Other students got more creative, using jell-o, shampoo, or even tomato sauce.
But now, for the first time in over 30 years, the egg drop has been canceled.
[…]
The decision was made due to safety concerns by people at the district level, according to Prost.
“Technically, we’re not allowed to have any employees on top of the auditorium within 8 feet of the overhang,” Prost said. “I understand where they’re coming from, but at the same time, I thought there would be a way that we could somehow make it work.”
Update: In an email, teacher Richard Prost said that he received word Tuesday morning that the project has been reinstated. “Just got word from Mr. Neitzke that he disagrees and that we have the green light to do the project. Obviously now we have to wait until the weather warms up. Interesting how powerful even the student press can be!,” Prost said. Neitzke is the district’s superintendent
Chicago (AFP) – The Muslim teenager arrested when a teacher mistook his homemade clock for a bomb threatened to sue his school and the town of Irving, Texas for $15 million, his lawyer said.
Ahmed Mohamed, 14, became an overnight sensation in September after his sister tweeted a photo of the aspiring inventor standing in handcuffs while wearing a t-shirt with the US space agency NASA’s logo.
[…]
They eventually moved to Qatar after Mohamed was offered a generous scholarship.
His attorneys are seeking $5 million in damages from the school district and $10 million from the city of Irving and said they will file a civil suit if they do not receive a reply within 60 days.
“These attacks may employ a wide variety of tactics, using conventional and non-conventional weapons and targeting both official and private interests,” the department said in issuing a travel alert that expires on February 24, 2016.
The alert does not instruct Americans to avoid travel, but it does urge U.S. citizens to “exercise vigilance when in public places or using transportation.”
“Be aware of immediate surroundings and avoid large crowds or crowded places. Exercise particular caution during the holiday season and at holiday festivals or events,” the State Department said in the alert.
The department said that terrorist attacks remain likely as ISIS members return from Iraq and Syria.
It warned that “there is a continuing threat from unaffiliated persons planning attacks inspired by major terrorist organizations but conducted on an individual basis,” pointing specifically to large sporting events, theaters, open markets and airlines.
