by Cheryl Mathis on October 31st, 2008
Thursday night at Malarkey’s was a great idea. I was very pleased with the turnout, though I missed seeing some of our regulars there. I’ll forgive you as long as you promise to try harder to make it to the next one, okay?The CW community is relatively diverse except in one regard: we’re all rather sarcastic with dry senses of humor. Get us in a room together and add booze, and this happens:
“What does an agnostic dyslexic insomniac do? Stays up all night wondering if there really is a Dog.” “Wausau can comfortably support 5 folk musicians – the formula is one per every 8,000 residents.” ”Your social phobia is not a problem tonight.” ”There was a squirrel, so of course it was fun.”
Now for our Friday questions. This week, we’re doing an “introductions” theme.
1. What was the most important personal introduction you were ever involved in?
2. What was your most awkward introduction ever?
3. Do you have an introduction “style”? A firm handshake, a joke you like telling, a nervous habit?
4. If you had to introduce Wausau to some out-of-towners, how would you do it?
5. Do you introduce yourself to new neighbors or keep to yourself?
A note to our readers: We want more people writing our Friday questions. If you’ve ever thought of any questions that would be fun or interesting for this format, I want to hear them! You can provide a whole week’s worth, or just one or two. Email me at cheryl at this domain dot com if you are game.
by Dino Corvino on October 29th, 2008
This week Citizen Wausau explores the considered updates to Wausau’s City Square on the 400 Block. For your reference, have a look at these plans. They are not final, but they give a good idea of what is to come.
One of the joys of being a small town fighting its big town future, is we still have interesting little pockets of personality that have tremendous influence. Whether it be Janet Herring and her ad hoc ‘committee’ trying to band teenagers and skateboards from downtown, to the guy who wants electric cars, to the small group of insiders who want 400 Block redesign.
It is an amazing time for Wausau. The economy is in the tank in this country, local dude John Noell got a little of the bailout money, factories are closing, local cultural icons are being led by bad business people…and the city wants to spend a half of a million on a park.
The position has been taken that this money is needed for tourism improvement, and then that position was further explained away. For a while I read that this was State of Wisconsin money, but that appears to not be the case now. This appears to be money that the city is CHOOSING to spend on the block.
If you read the WDH, or even worse, the WDH forum, you see the amount of vocal dissent about this very issue. While I am not one to hold up the wisdom of mobs, at a certain point the mob is telling you to stop this process. To save the money. No one is upset with current layout of the park. No one has been vocal about NEEDING to change it. Yet we have a push from a very small group of people, and alderpersons who want this to go through.
It has become a cult of personality. We have read extensively from Councilman Rosenberg talking about how it will be like a Parisian park, and it will only grow the city. How it is better to fix something before it breaks. How the people who are saying no, just simply do not understand urban planning. All valid, if somewhat argumentative from an elected official.
So right now the 400 Block is the place where The City Pages/Wausau Area Events concerts draw thousands of people each week. The farmers market draws a giant amount of vendors now, and hundreds of people to buy…wait for it…produce. The balloon thing is so pretty. Those dogs and the Frisbees, pretty cool. It is also a place to sit during the day, to sit in the grass and just sort of let it go during the day.
Yet we choose to change it. We choose to go against the will of the people once again. Our elected officials have sought to, and continue to seek to thumb their nose at the people by doing something people do not want. Recently the people were vocal about the 8 Million dollar pool rehab or something, and it went away. At what point will this stop. It seems every few months these folks try to push this through.
We choose to add trees, which diminish space so less people can come to events. We choose to add concrete structures; once again less people can come to events. We seek to put what appears to be a water fountain in front of the stage, because not only is that limiting space, adding water to electrical instruments is a bad idea.
In 2008 we have no money as a country. Wausau is part of that country. We need to conserve our resources. Let us not spend money on something like this now. A strong enough case has not been made, the design is not available to the public on the cities website, the people have no idea what is going on. Make this discussion public, at the very least embrace your City Council plank of transparency, and show us the plans. Bring in real voices of change on this like Jim O’Connell, or Leah Alters, or Tammy Stezinski from the City Pages. Bring in event planners through out the state to give testimony on the idea of what the plan is now, versus what you want to make it.
More than that though, let this idea be in response to the needs of the people. The people are everyone, not just people we share drinks with at Loppnows, or at the Golf Club. Let us not be lobbied by the people who do not use the space, but you know socially. Let yourselves hear the voices of everyone.
by Cheryl Mathis on October 28th, 2008
This week Citizen Wausau explores the considered updates to Wausau’s City Square on the 400 Block. For your reference, have a look at these plans. They are not final, but they give a good idea of what is to come.
I am really looking forward to the proposed changes to the 400 Block. Progress, especially progress that will enhance the beauty and branding of our fair city, can be a very good thing. After talking about and planning these changes for years, I think it’s time to get them done.
I like the 400 Block, but honestly? It’s a little bland. It’s a huge expanse of grass and a few benches and tables. For a community so full of creativity and ingenuity, the current 400 Block is a disappointment. It’s not a destination; it’s an afterthought.
The boundary walls will create a sense of intimacy for the block and offer some separation from traffic. The patio area will be ideal for lunches on the Square, with the same idea as the food court seating in the mall. The concrete concert stand will add some visual interest to that side of the block, and it will be less of an eyesore than looking at the slapdash steel structure left in place during the summertime.
Giving the downtown area a sense of identity is important in branding our city. Harvard Square in Boston is brought to mind. That place is a tourist destination because of what it has become for the community, a collaboration of the best of the city, a launching point for commerce and creativity.
We’ve been trying to turn the 400 Block into that for years with all of the community events held there. It’s time to give our downtown community the backdrop it deserves. It’s not “pork”; it’s progress, and our city is due for some progress that isn’t another parking lot.
by Tom Neal on October 27th, 2008
This week Citizen Wausau explores the considered updates to Wausau’s City Square on the 400 Block. For your reference, have a look at these plans. They are not final, but they give a good idea of what is to come.
The city has announced plans for implementing “improvements” to the downtown 400 Block. They say they work will start in fall of 2009 and finish up in spring 2010. Right now, cost is estimated at about $500K (with the city ponying up $274K and planning to fundraise for the rest). The WDH came out in an editorial saying this was a bad time (i.e. recession) for such things. But, to me, it doesn’t seem like a huge expense, even in these troubled times. (more…)
by Shawn Sullivan on October 24th, 2008
Fall is my favorite time of the year. There’s something inherently romantic about the trees turning colors, the weather cooling down, and every day being jeans and sweatshirt weather. Halloween is just a week away, and then comes the slide to Thanksgiving and Christmas (or whatever holiday celebrations are had during this time). I always look at Halloween as the last hurrah for the tolerable weather.
Also, I seem to have heard something about Citizen Wausau having a birthday in October. I also recall something about a meet-up at Malarkey’s on Oct. 30…that being said…
1. I remember fondly my time trick-or-treating as a child. It started at 5 and went until 9 pm, and it was always on Halloween. My friends and I ran around our neighborhood until our bags were brimming with candy. So many things have changed since then and I’m wondering if you prefer doing trick-or-treat on the actual date of Halloween, or the day or weekend before? How long should trick-or-treating last?
2. I’m kind of a coward, and as such, have never really been a haunted house kind of guy. What about you? If you are, what is the best one you’ve seen?
3. On the other hand, I really dig horror and scary movies. I’ve seen every Friday the 13th, every Halloween, and every Saw movie. I think the best horror movie I’ve seen is the original Nightmare on Elm Street. The best thriller I’ve seen is Seven. What’s the best one you’ve ever seen?
4. What is your stance on candy corn? What about the peanut butter toffee wrapped in the orange and black wrappers? I believe these are polarizing candies and were grounds for a serious toilet-papering in my neighborhood.
5. I believe that neighborhood location can make or break trick-or-treating. How is the trick-or-treating in your neighborhood? Do you “bus” your kids to other neighborhoods to trick-or-treat because the treats are better? Describe your best “haul” trick or treating.
by Dino Corvino on October 22nd, 2008
October of last year wasn’t a particularly notable month, save for one thing: it’s when Citizen Wausau was born. A year later, we think it’s time for a party. We want to meet each and every one of you who read, lurk, comment, or blog. So on October 30th at 5:30pm, Andy, myself and the rest of the CW crew will be at Malarkey’s, and we hope you’ll join us.
When we started this site last year, this is what we hoped for. It has taken on a life of its own and moved in new and exciting ways – some expected, some… not so much. We have had some significant challenges that have tested us, and we have had some significant successes that have boosted our spirits. It’s been a great year.
Now though, we look to the future. We want to meet you, hear from you about the things you would like us to take on in the future, and we would like to talk to you about some of the ideas in our heads. By listening to you, we are able to move in directions that will make your participation in CW more likely.
We want you to be involved! We want more contributors on the front page, more names in bylines, and more responses to threads. More than just a few regular writers (whom we appreciate very much!) – we want the voice of CW to be fluid, dynamic, ever-changing. We need your help!
But on October 30, we just want to sit back, have a drink, and have some fun with our friends. I love to introduce people to other people, and I will gladly introduce you to everyone there. Often times more than once. So to say it again, we are meeting up October 30th, at 5:30pm at Malarkey’s. Hope to see you there!
by Tom Neal on October 21st, 2008
I want to write this right. I want to refrain from typical, prideful, parental gushing. After all, who really wants to hear the beaming, boasting Dad who goes on and on about watching his kid excel on the athletic field or making all As or bagging their first trophy deer? Not me. But Dino pretty much said I had to write this! (And no one says you have to read this.) So …
Parents witness all sorts of proud moments, times when their kids shine. But what I’m thinking and feeling is less about shining, and more about carrying on, embracing a tradition, making a connection with something intrinsic and personal.
Recently, I watched my son Ian play lead guitar as he and his friends in Freedown opened the show at the Fillmor for Scott Holt (a national act!). A long way from their one-song gig a year ago at the East High School variety show. Back then, the kids were nervous … and so was I. It can be unsettling to put it out there in front of people. I sat in that auditorium and dreaded the possibility that they would murder (and not in a good way) Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song. But they came off well and the crowd liked them. I was relieved, and pleased. But it’s just one tune.
In short order, Dino asked if they’d like to open for Scott Holt in Woodruff in March of this year. Yes! They had three months to prepare a set list and pull their chops together. Long story short — they put on a great show in the smoky bar and even jammed with the headliner. Thankfully, they’re not into screaming and rapping and being all negative and Goth. They play rock. Good rock. Maybe what you’d call progressive alternative rock.
From there, it’s been teen nights at the Fillmor and Rockwater, a gig at the Harley dealership for the Big Ride, a long night at a bar in Park Falls. The boys have been paying their dues. Timbuk 3: “Things are goin’ great, and they’re only gettin’ better!” Increasingly, their tunes are tightly arranged, polished, with shifty changes, breaks, bridges, interplay, melody, power, physicality, even humor.
For this Fillmor show, as usual, Ian expressed no apprehension beforehand, no nervousness about being watched by a large “barful” of people. Freedown practices a lot, honing their craft, creating new tunes and arrangements. They have achieved a level of confidence that comes across on stage. They’re almost blasé. Cool.
I, on the other hand, still get the pre-show jitters. Am I living vicariously? Or just being a dad? I rush over with a pocketful of picks because Ian forgot to bring any. Agonize that there won’t be a good-size crowd. Worry that the sound will be bad, that his guitar won’t be loud enough. Hope that he’ll have fun. Hope that people will enjoy and applaud. Fear that the band will be ignored. I don’t want the kids to be disappointed.
Finally, Dino does the introduction and they break into their first number. For me, it’s not like watching a raggedy garage band or typical high school or bar cover band; to me, it’s more like a performance, a concert. And I’m glued to my spot, everyone and everything else just seems to “go away.” I watch every move, listen to every note, anticipate how a guitar lick will finish out, or zero in on drummer Danny’s spot-on fills. After the first tune, I erupt in applause. I make loud noises, like, “Wooo!” and “Yeah!” as if to draw everyone’s attention to the enormity of what’s happening on stage. “Everyone! You must give this your attention! Don’t miss this!” I want everyone to know that my kid’s playing the guitar, but have to settle for knowing that only a handful in attendance are aware of the fact. Next tune: I’m literally feeling a tremble, heart flutter, whatever the heck it was. Adrenaline? Vodka? Pride? Best of all, I snap out of my trance, look around and see virtually everyone’s eyes glued to the stage. Heads bobbing. Smiles and nods of affirmation. I see a professional bass player standing near me in rapt attention with a big grin. I talk to Ian’s former guitar instructor, who obviously is impressed. They play like grownups, cool grownups (sort of a rare animal), and these kids are barely 17. I’m humbled by them. My high school band was never this cool! But that’s okay. I’m a fan.
At risk of sounding like a dumb lyric, I have to say that I was raised on rock. I never grew out of it, never let it go. I think it has a magic quality to it … when it’s done well. It can also be dumb. And in many cases, too many, it is dumb to the extreme. But here, I feel a sense of fulfillment — something is happening that constitutes a cultural continuity, another generation of kids who actually “get it” when it comes to rock. They’re not rejecting or trashing tradition; they’re embracing it, and building on it. And my kid is right in the thick of it.
So, here’s my son; I have a photo of him at about age two “playing” a guitar of mine on the couch, I gave him his first guitar and first lessons, his first listen to Led Zeppelin III, his first ticket to a Rolling Stones concert, his wah-wah pedal. He’s playing well … heck, he’s killing. Better than I ever was, by far. I think to myself, he’s a natural. But that implies some sort of freakish, unfair advantage. Truth is, he’s been exposed to music all his life, been encouraged without being pushed and been supported when he decided to pursue it. But, really, this is all his own doing. He’s worked hard at it. Researched it. Internalized it. And it is paying him back with interest.
He has told us that he’s never happier than when he’s playing. It’s right up there among my happier moments too, to see and hear him having so much fun. And I sense the band’s joy is infecting the people in the crowd. These older people. Watching the kids.
Afterward, after their encore, he walks up to me lugging his amp. I give him a hug, say the band was great. He says he screwed up in about six songs. He’s almost embarrassed. Mostly, he’s like a laborer that just got off his shift. Tired. Spent. Hungry. But it’s also evident that he is living a dream.
It will be similar for Jane and me next week when Ian’s younger sister Molly dances in Wausau Dance Theatre’s Thriller. Maybe I’ll cajole Jane into writing about how it feels to see her little girl on stage, being a dancer, enjoying performing for a packed Grand Theater, after weeks of rehearsals.
These are the moments. This is what it’s all about.
by Cheryl Mathis on October 17th, 2008
Every day I wake up and more leaves have dumped onto the ground. It’s startling how quickly it happens, but I guess life is just flying by me so fast right now; everything seems to be manic and blurry. I’ve been getting to know so many new and wonderful people here in Wausau and here online. Sometimes my journalist background kicks into high gear, and I switch into interview mode. Questions, questions, questions! Like this:
1. Did you do anything special this year to see the trees in peak color? I know some people went up Granite Peak or went for a drive up north. What did you do?
2. I’m in the process of acquiring a piano (once I can find enough people to help me move it). I’m feeling rather sentimental about this. It’s been years since I’ve lived with a piano, but I had faith I that another one would come into my life. I’m looking forward to a Christmas season full of carols. Do you listen to special Christmas music during the holidays? If so, what kind? Do you play your own?
3. If you had an unlimited variety of desserts to choose from, what would you pick as your favorite? For my daughter’s first birthday, we all picked out our favorite sweet treat from the grocery store to celebrate instead of getting a cake. I picked cheesecake with cherries. My husband and son picked out some chocolate-y cookies.
4. Here at Citizen Wausau, we want more of or neighbors to get online and join the conversation. It opens up new networking lines, gives many people the opportunity to speak up, and provides a table for civil debate. What do you do online? Do you have specific sites you go to every day? Do you interact with people online or just look at things?
5. In Wisconsin Rapids, a computer error caused the price of gas at one station to go from 3.47 to 34.7. A LOT of people took advantage of this and gassed up … and told their friends. Would you have done it? Were they just sticking it to the man?
by Lisa Stahl on October 15th, 2008
Can it be that there are hungry people in the richest nation on Earth? You don’t even have to think of the answer for that, you know there are.
In modern times the poor are more often children. In 2006 according to government statistics, about one out of every five children in this country lived in poverty, as compared to one in ten senior citizens. If things have changed since then, it probably has not been for the better. Unless we are looking for them, or work in some sort of social service agency, we don’t often see these children, but they live in our community.
Here in Marathon County there are many people who know hunger. Tom Rau, Executive Director of the Neighbors’ Place, the lead food pantry for Wausau, says the pantry serves about 1,000 unique families per month. And it is not just the same 1,000 families every month. If the statistics bear out, then some 3,000 to 5,000 families in Marathon County live in poverty and may seek food assistance.
And what do our brothers and sisters find when they seek our help for themselves and their children? Lately, the answer has sometimes been, “Not much.” The food pantry shelves all across Wausau and Marathon County have gone bare several times over the past year. Generous people try to refill them, but the need remains great.
And so we will come together, in a small but significant way, to literally fill the empty bowls of the hungry. Our individual donations might be small, but together we can help meet the growing need in our community. Please contribute what your pocketbook will allow and what you conscience demands to this worthy cause.
There will be other times for talk about hunger and poverty, the causes and the cures, but Empty Bowls is a time for action. With the goal of raising money and awareness, a group of concerned community members, along with our presenting sponsor, River Valley Bank, are hosting the 1st Annual Wausau Area Empty Bowls at University of Wisconsin – Marathon County on Sat., October 25th from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Admission to the event is $10 for adults, $5 for children 6-12, with children 5 and under are free. Participants paying the $10 admission price will receive a handmade bowl to take home along with a lunch of soup and a side of bread. Throughout the event there will be live music with Jim Carlson, Aaron Scharmer, Barry Liss, Parker Siems, Gregory Venne, Jon Shea and Mike Dopkins. A Silent Auction will feature art, jewelry, books as well as bowls signed by Michelle Obama, Senator Hillary Clinton, Ricky Skaggs, LeAnn Rimes, Jon Bon Jovi and more.
All proceeds will do to benefit The Neighbors’ Place Food Pantry: emptybowls.wordpress.com.
by Cheryl Mathis on October 13th, 2008
Friday night brought a fantastic line-up of music to Downtown Wausau. I had the pleasure of being at The Fillmor for the all but the first of a three-band marquee, missing the first only because I was on a roady road trip with some guitar guys until 7:30.
Aaron Williams stood on the stage, oozing subdued sexual energy. Maybe it was his broody black hat tipped forward across his lean angular face and the effortless cool of his clothes. His forearm muscles were sinews, strong cords pulling at the guitar, drawing the music out in a frenzy of the beat, the guitar a machine strapped across his body. It was funk, it was rock, it was blues. He pursed his lips like he was sucking the fumes steaming off his guitar. He seemed lost in the music, mesmerized and manic at the same time.
ZT Auner on the bass guitar was a sight to see. Rail thin body, blue bandana across his forehead, he stood with his feet planted in place, twisting out once in a while when the riff traveled down his body and escaped out his toes. Moving mostly from the hips, he leaned and tilted his upper body to move with the chords and the flow. His face gave the distinct impression that he was on the climax of physical ecstasy, and he was just doing his part to keep the magic going on just another minute longer.
Their music was less melody and more art installation at times. Aaron tweaked and manipulated a lick and put it forth as modern art.
When Scott Holt came on stage, the mood changed. He summoned the ghosts on stage with Dalai Lama-blessed incense burning on side stage. Audience members were easily entranced by the performance. He began effortlessly spinning out the licks, a spider wrapping a web around a grateful prey. The masterful riffs felt like an afterthought in his worshipful meditation at the feet of all the other rock and blues gods who have gone before him.
From such subtle fingering against the strings, this sweet blues aria sang out. His voice went from a playful shout to an exasperated sigh to a low sexual growl that purred into the microphone. He was first rock god and then delicately sensitive lover. Watching him onstage with a song was like a delicious foreplay with a man who has all the time in the world to make you feel every last sigh and shudder.
Without an ego, he stepped back several times to let his bass guitarist Richard Sanders take the spotlight and do his thing. Sanders playfully tickled out songs on the bass like he was sharing a great joke with a friend who had seen it all, too. Marshall Weaver on drums, with a smile on his face, looked happy to chase after them both with frenetic and skillful beats. At times, Holt was the conductor on stage, orchestrating the best of the blues, leading his players through tight tempos and structured, but impromptu, melodies. Sanders and Weaver followed him intently, rising to the occasion, playing their roles in the blues man’s show.
Yeah. You could say that Scott Holt can play the guitar. You could also say that Beethoven could compose, that Renoir could paint, that Frank Lloyd Wright could design a building. For me, his level of mastery was very apparent. He was so confident with his instrument that he could start ignoring all the rules of guitar playing and could create new sounds and new beats that were totally outside the box. That’s a comfort level not often seen. As a man who says that the blues should not be sad, he romped on stage, having his playtime, soaring through creative covers and originals.
