by Dino Corvino on April 9th, 2009
I spent last week in New York City for my job. It was an inspiring time, and an inspiring place. You see, I had been to New York before, but had not actually spent anytime in Manhattan. This week was all spent in Manhattan around a group of people who have literally spent their whole lives being inspiring. The weight of these people was overwhelming, and, coupled with New York City, I still have not recovered.
One of the threads that came up repeatedly was the concept of being worthy. What are you worthy of? What are your expectations? What do you as a citizen of America think you are worthy of?
That seemed like a massive overreaching sort of question for Citizen Wausau, but I think that the concept of worthy is something that we can explore, have a discussion about, and work on together.
The other day I saw a photo of Mayor Tipple at the new bus unveiling. This brought me to two ideas. 1. Who is Mayor Tipple? Seriously, I know the guy. Meaning I have met him, spent some time. I like the guy. But as a mayor, he has not talked to the public very often. He is not on the record in the newspaper or on the television very often. Are we not worthy of a mayor who is willing to speak in public? 2. Why do buses not run in the evening? I live in Weston, and I have to actually leave early to get the bus to get home. It takes me 90 minutes on the bus to replace a 10-minute car ride. I am committed to the bus, and I like the ride since I can listen to podcasts (like The Insophisticate), but I dislike having to leave work early.
So this brings me to this question: What sort of city government is this medium town worthy of? Do we expect too little of the government? Do we expect too much? With the scandals of the past few years, are we not paying attention after the garbage with Nagle, Morrissey, Fish, Jasurda, Van De Yacht, that guy who investigated something, the Janet Herring anti-skateboarding plan, the reshaping of downtown, the loss of business downtown?
What do you want from your City Council in the way of transparency, and are you getting it now?
What are you worthy of from your City Government?
by Dino Corvino on May 23rd, 2008
I guess, as I go to the woods, like Antler or that dude at Walden, I am reminded that laptops, no matter how cool, matter little in the woods. That a good blackberry, while cool to the kids on twitter, means little when you have leaves for pillows and might just occasionally need to poop outside.
- I reject the concept or belief that Wausau is just another Mayberry. That being said, do you think the recent scandals, is that even the correct term, have diminished the role of Mayor Tipple, Mike Morrissey, Bill Nagle or the City Council? While many people in town look at local politics even more apathetically than national politics, does this seem to be a time where this is not the case? Does a Core Value seminar matter?
- Have you been to the Filmor? What did you think?
- Is the grass always greener on the other side of the fence? I ask this, as I have grown up here, and I like it here, but so many folks just seem to want to complain and complain about everything, that everything everywhere else is better, that the great ideas are all someplace else. I often think, no one is holding you hostage. Just go.
- What will you do this long weekend?
- Have you ever returned to work after a long period off, say for childbirth or you saved up to travel the world sort of thing? What was that like?
- When you look back on your life, what was your best day? A friend told me her story of childbirth recently, and it moved me.
That is all I have. I have been ill, and am still pretty sick. Make due.
by Tom Neal on May 14th, 2008
This Friday night, Wausau’s downtown gallery night returns with a passel of businesses decked out as host galleries, exhibiting (and selling) original art, and generally treating Citizen Wausonians and neighbors to a good time. If you’ve never attended one of these gallery nights (this is the fourth year for this twice-a-year event), it’s a chance to stroll downtown, from gallery to gallery where you will be offered free delectables and drinkables.
Typically, there are free horse-drawn carriage rides, free collector wine glasses, sidewalk musicians, and just a dynamic social scene. It’s gratifying to see all those heads bobbing down the sidewalk; groups of friends congregating, wine glasses in hand, outside businesses to catch up on things; bars and restaurants packing ‘em in as gallery-goers settle in to make a night of it. And lots of art … all media … usually with the artists on hand to meet you or demonstrate their work.
The weather forecast looks pretty good so far. And, knock on wood, that’s usually the case for Exhibitour. It’s become a signature event for Wausau; a grassroots celebration of art. I’d like to applaud the 16 or so downtown businesses that are investing in this evening as host galleries … they’re footing the bill for food, refreshments, staffing and they’re dedicating time and floor space to put on a great show.
Thanks also to Wausau Area Events for their support in making it possible. I hope you’ll all make the scene downtown, enjoy art, buy art, be art.
Exhibitour takes place Friday, May 16 from 6- 8 pm. Go to wausauareaevents.org for a complete list of host galleries and accompanying “fringe” business venues.
by Shawn Sullivan on November 1st, 2007
This has been a pretty special year so far, being a Packer Fan. On Tuesday, virtually everyone I came into contact with looked tired, with dark circles under their eyes. As we’re engaged in meetings or other conversations, there’s very little that needs to be said about our exhaustion. We were all up late watching our beloved Packers pull it out in OT, watching Brett Favre tease us with the greatness he displays periodically.
In the interest of full disclosure, I’ve always been an over-the-top Packer Fan. Ask anyone and they will tell you about my (sometimes) unhealthy allegiance to the green and gold. In college, my Sundays would be ruined if they lost. I was in a foul mood which probably, among other reasons, contributed to my single status throughout my college years. Luckily, the losses didn’t happen much back then.
In fact, one weekend in college, I was so upset about missing a game to go to a work function, I snuck in a walkman and got busted when I couldn’t keep it to myself when Sean Jones ran back a Viking fumble to break the game open. True story; and that situation came up during a reference check for a future job (albeit in a tongue-in-cheek manner).
I’ve grown since then, and hopefully grown up. The losses drip away more quickly now, and I’ve realized I can’t take my frustrations out on the family like I could roommates and other acquaintances. But, there’s always the Monday (or Tuesday!) morning quarterbacking sessions, dissecting where things went wrong or right. There’s a certain camaraderie that goes with being a fan, being present in the moment, agonizing over the losses or celebrating the wins.
In a world where we struggle to find common ground (just look at the Daily Herald message boards) it’s nice to know that you can strike up a conversation with virtually anyone regarding “the game” and for that fleeting moment, we’re all just fans, unbound by any hang-ups or preconceived notions (or post-conceived notions, I guess).
What other things (local or otherwise) draw people together like that? I’m interested to hear what you think.
