by Kristy Medo on March 10th, 2009
Both words in this title stir up so much controversy these days that you almost wonder if they replaced the “F” word with the “E” word (Economics or Exercise).
Before I go into how economics and exercise go together I’m going to go off on a rant and tell you that I do not believe in allowing anything negative to draw me a conclusion on any given topic. With that being said I firmly believe that the economy situation is only as “bad” as you allow yourself to believe it is.
Let me draw a picture…. John gets laid off at his job and immediately thinks, “This is the worst thing that could ever happen to me right now. I have a ton of bills to pay and no job!” Bob gets laid off and says to himself, “This is just what I needed; some time off to do the things I need to do.” In all reality John is stressed and Bob is relieved. John is most likely living “the good life” with the nice house, car and numerous other things that require his financial commitment while Bob most likely lives a modest life with minimal things and a decent “nest egg” to keep him going so he can somewhat enjoy this time of rest in his career.
During these economic struggles I’ve seen a vast increase in the number of people who are now just beginning to surrender their time to their benefit by attending local gyms and working on their health through other various activities. Suddenly now that people do not have jobs, etc., they’ll improve their health by committing their free time to the much needed activity that they didn’t have time for before. Those who are stressed about their work or financial situation are now using exercise as a way to expel all of the stressful buildup that they feel inside. This is another “Positive” that I am beginning to see.
All in all I would suggest that we all focus on what we do have some control over, the very thing that will make our lives as rich and fulfilling as possible, and that is to work on ourselves both inwardly and outwardly through our health and fitness. There is never any good excuse for not doing that, and the economic standpoint sure is not one of them either.
Look at the economic flow as a parallel to human life; there is a time for work and a time for rest.
by Cheryl Mathis on May 9th, 2008
Greetings Citizens of Wausau!
I think we’re far too stagnant of a community. For such a city full of so many warm and vibrant personalities, it’s a shame that we wait until summer concerts to get outside and feel vital and connected to each other. It’s also a shame that so many of us are overweight and out of shape and seem unwilling to make basic changes in our lives to rid ourselves of the old, harmful patterns.
(more…)
by Citizen Wausau on January 4th, 2008
What an amazing year 2007 was. It’s brought about a a lot of change in our community, and in some ways, I myself will never be the same.
A few months ago, I was walking into my friend Forest Young’s drugstore to pick up a prescription. As I entered, I was quickly asked to leave and not touch anything. Why? Was I a loitering miscreant? No, not this time. It was because the ladies behind the counter had just been accosted by a gun-wielding burglar. (more…)
by Jim Rosenberg on December 23rd, 2007
So I’ve picked up a competitor in the April Fool’s Day election for the Wausau City Council. It’s no big surprise because this will be my sixth race and in that time, I’ve faced four different competitors. As the longest-serving elected official in the City of Wausau, I’ve made some very good friends and I also have what has thus far been a smaller, but dedicated group of detractors. That’s normal.
I don’t take competition lightly, since I won the seat from a 12-year incumbent myself in 1998. It’s a one-time luxury to run as a challenger, if you happen to end up winning. After that, I think it’s more about what you’ve done than what you say. I don’t make any bones about what I’ve supported over the years, including an aggressive approach to developing tax base and jobs, as well as efforts to make Wausau a more attractive and livable community for people of all ages, from many different aspects. It’s about making a difference — not holding an office.
Someone asked me about what is involved in getting on the ballot and it’s not all that complicated, but people who are interested in the spring election need to get moving quickly.
For Wausau City Council, go to the City Clerk office to pick up a packet. There are several forms to fill out which are not complicated. You can then circulate your nomination papers in your district. You only need 20-40 signatures to qualify; still very doable by the deadline to turn them in (which is the first week of January). If you live in another city, village or township, check with the respective office or you may want to inquire through the County Clerk office, which is responsible for many different local elections. For school district seats, check with the respective school district office for information about what terms may be ending.
For the Marathon County Board of Supervisors, you will need to turn in 50-100 signatures to appear on the spring ballot. Those information packets are available at the County Clerk’s office.
For a look at the forms, go to:
http://elections.state.wi.us/subcategory.asp?linksubcatid=412&locid=47
While it might not seem like a great time of year to be running around knocking on people’s doors to get signatures, you can often catch folks home between the holidays and you might even find that it’s kind of fun.
As for my own race, I don’t know a whole lot about my opponent. He had an oversized sign in his front lawn for my last competitor in 2006 and he railed on me against the re-opening of the Washington and Third Street to traffic areas several years ago. People still thank me for that project on a weekly basis and that’s something I just flat-out think he was wrong about, so the voters won’t be able to say they don’t have a stark choice in my district. They surely will.
by Citizen Wausau on November 26th, 2007
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking the last few days about Community. For example, what does that mean – really, what is it specifically, what does it look like and why do I crave it? There has got to be reason this void forces me to drive on and create it wherever I can.
In 1996, my brother and I initiated what would eventually become RockWater. Teens were looking for something relevant to do in the city. It was straightforward — we saw the need for Internet, music and a place to hang out — but that was a distinct target market.
The Citizen Wausau experiment is much more fluid. Our target is dynamic and opinionated, even more so than teenagers.
So here is where I’m struggling: the Citizen Wausau project is elusive and free; it can spike with participation or dry up with silence, seemingly on a whim. No one has the ability to control it – and that freaks me out a bit.
At the same time, it’s exhilarating to watch this site take on its own personality. It’s an organic experience, one that can only be compared to child rearing. In this case, it really is going to “take a village” to raise this baby.
As parents we should discuss things about our baby. How are we going to raise it? What do we want it to do and how shall we go about getting it there? Those sorts of things:
- Should it be just another “news-y” sort of discussion?
- Who’s going to collaborate in contributing to its content?
- What is the sole purpose of CitizenWausau.com?
These are pretty important conversations that need to be wrestled with – we’re only six weeks in and content is only being driven by a handful of people. So maybe this is the time to discuss where we should go from here.
- How should we diversify content?
- Have micro-blogs on topics like Politics, Food, Reviews, Events?
- Who should should take ownership for these pages?
Let’s mull over this idea. Assuming only 20% of our signed up audience participates, that’s about 60-70 people. We could get a lot done with that many people helping, don’t you think?
The idea of taking this online offline seemed to suggest several ideas (and we still fully intend on doing that). Before the first of the year we’ll have a calendar in place to list new events and activities – just like we talked about before; game nights, concerts, poker, computer training, hacking and probably some more parties!
These too take time and effort to create, so we all have to work together. Many hands make for light work (as the saying goes), and Citizen Wausau has got to be a collaborative effort if it’s to form into an actual community site.
So, we should probably get more organized, which is why the calendar would be a useful tool.
Another useful tool we could start using immediately is Twitter. It’s a messaging tool for short form blogging. I’ve created a more thorough explanation on my blog, but I think if we can get people talking, both here and online – that would be a good step to growing this online community.
So let’s talk.
- What would you like to see?
- What part would you like to play?
- What other ways could you contribute?
by Barry Liss on November 17th, 2007
Dr. Michael Moore: Drug Trafficker or Modern American Hero?
The right to nonviolently protest in peaceable assembly for redress of grievance is a cardinal guarantee so primary that the founding fathers placed this privilege in the American Constitution’s First Amendment. We ought recognize this with due homage to our Veterans this past week.
Out of respect for the holiday, I suggest you read the Letter from a Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr. Reverend King’s I Have A Dream speech given late August of 1963 is widely recognized as one of the great rhetorical performances of the Twentieth Century. The Letter from a Birmingham Jail preceded the march on Washington by four months and a better summary of the belief system supporting civil disobedient nonviolent protest is yet to be written.
The blood of peaceful disobedience runs deep in American veins. In addition to the Bill of Rights, the philosophy is present in Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay Politics, when he writes “Every actual State is corrupt. Good men must not obey the laws too well” (205). Emerson bestowed the sacred flame over to his good friend Henry David Thoreau who penned the Essay on Civil Disobedience, contending “Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison”(275). The Essay on Civil Disobedience profoundly influenced Mahatma Gandhi whose Satyagraha method of peaceful disobedience overthrew the stale subdivisions of the caste system and liberated India from British imperial rule. I cannot stress enough the Christian roots of nonviolent protest. A fundamental inspiration of Gandhi’s method is Jesus Christ of Nazareth, specifically the Sermon on the Mount’s edict “love thine enemy.”
I offer this local example as a method for establishing doubt – to unsettle the taken for granted by pointing out an instance whereby perhaps morality and the law hold opposing ground. Recently, a man and his wife were arrested in Antigo. Their names are Michael and Kerry Moore. There is no doubt that these two were growing marijuana for non-personal consumption – over 5 pounds! The police found all the evidence necessary to warrant a host of charges involving the felonious manufacture of the substance. Case closed. Given the clarity of the evidence the two miscreants deserve a hefty prison sentence as penance for their unlawful acts against the state. So meets the naked eye.
However, with a little magnification the lens uncovers disconcerting facts. Michael Moore is a board certified physician with a lucrative salary. Greed, the typical motive for narcotics manufacture and trafficking, cannot be applied in this context. What could be happening here? I have no evidence as of yet to support my contention, but my sense is that Dr. Moore was providing marijuana to patients as a means to medically alleviate their suffering. In confronting the misery of AIDS, Cancer, Glaucoma, Lupus and the other diseases we turn away from in unspeakable fear, is it not likely that this man adhered to his Hippocratic Oath instead of obeying the laws of the land? If this be true, the case is potentially precedent-setting and could find its way to the United States Supreme Court.
It’s a generalization, I realize, yet American physicians today maintain the ugly tendency of tranquilizing themselves in the material trivialities of luxury their fiscally rewarding careers provide. The effect is a diminution of character evident in their everyday speech. If the topical content of conversation is a golf handicap, new automobile, expensive wine, professional sports, or most recent vacation experience, the physician maintains little difficulty in establishing some measure of commonality in the communicative interchange. These topics pose little risk to identity because they fall within the boundary of cursory small talk with little potential for substantive disagreement. However, in matters of significance such as culture, philosophy, morality or aesthetics too often I have seen the medical doctor’s words take on the awkward contortions of the dilettantish dabbler who lacks the spiritual force requisite for eloquent speech. Moreover, rather than assume the risk of taking an argumentative and moral position, the medical doctor stands down and folds for the easy stream of trivial talk. Monetary wealth that maintains its foothold in buying an endless array of baubles causes a scarring effect of inducing complacency and indolence in the higher social forms.
However, in Antigo we have a highly distinct situation. Could it be possible that a local physician would place his entire life in the balance to heroically stand his ground against what he believed were the government’s unjust and inhumane edicts regarding his patients’ suffering? And further, will those whom this man helped publicly speak out in his defense or cower like frightened rabbits if the authorities attempt to brand this man a common criminal, a felon, a drug trafficker? The case is in its preliminary stages and I will be following its unfolding.
Barry D. Liss
References for further consideration:
- Emerson, Ralph Waldo. Essays (Second Series). New York: A.L. Burt, Publisher, no date (originally 1846).
- Thoreau, Henry David. Walden and Civil Disobedience. New York: Barnes and Nobles Classics, 1854/2003.
American Constitutional Amendment I.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
by Dino Corvino on November 14th, 2007
I am a City Council fan. I like going to the meetings, I like listening to the folks, and at the end of the day (is that my catch phrase?) I like everyone up there for the simple reason that they are leading. Yeah, some of them are not my favorites, but that is like trying to pick a favorite pizza topping. They are all good people, trying to lead the city they care about in the way they think works. Sure, the alliance or voting block is a bit upsetting, but so it goes. It is politics after all.
This post is not about them though. This post is about you, dear reader, dear commenter, dear complainer, dear curmudgeon. You who sit at home and complain that your taxes are too high, that the 400 block is a bad idea, that renaming Stewart Avenue or buying new pools is a waste of your tax dollars. You who complain that Mr. Dudley, both father and son got too much public funding to build the buildings that will end up being cornerstones of Wausau future. You who get on 550 AM morning show and accuse the Sustainable Wausau folks of being owned by the Concrete Lobby or Smart Growth weirdos from California. Heck, this post is even dedicated to Pat and Tom from that morning show. (more…)
by Marcus Nelson on October 23rd, 2007
Last week we hosted a Launch Party for Citizen Wausau at Citizen Desk. We had a great time and the event got people talking – in fact, we were asked several times if this could be a monthly event – or at least one that happens more frequently. This got me thinking.
Why not create other opportunities to take this online community offline?
I imagine being able to host groups, clubs or individuals for organized (or unorganized) meet-ups. There was this non-profit meet-up I used to attend in San Francisco called Net Squared, where they partnered non-profs with technology. Pretty cool stuff.
A couple of weeks ago I attended a large scale meet-up called Barcamp in Milwaukee. This was an “un-conference” where anyone could participate or present. It was an amazing chance to network with other geeks in the state, reconnect with old Wausau acquaintances and make many more new ones!
Back in the RockWater days we used to have LAN parties for online gaming and that sort of thing – it was a great time!
That said, we have this space at Citizen Desk that could be perfect for these sorts of activities.
I searched on Meetup.com just to see if there is a perceived need for such space – but there does not seem to be a whole lot of people using this tool to advertise meetings happening around Wausau. I found similar results when searching Upcoming.org.
There’s just so many ways we could connect to each other in ways that this site doesn’t provide for (although I understand there are those that are fine with that). So, I’d like to put this out – what kinds of events or meet-ups could we get going to create further community?
Here’s a few suggestions I’d throw out:
- Friday night happy hours
- Writing classes
- Discussions or workshops for programmers
- Weekend hack-a-thons
- Graphic designer meet-ups or critique.
- Poker or board game nights
Possibilities are endless, really – if you were to leave the comforts of your home to attend an event, what kinds of things would you be interested in attending?
Personal note: My wife and I have a son with Cystic Fibrosis – it sure would be nice to connect with other parents who have children struggling with life threatening diseases. Just another thought.
by Kevin Rector on October 8th, 2007
You may be wondering, “who is this Kevin” and other such thoughts, so I guess I’ll tell you even if it does ruin the sort of mystery that life tends to thrive on. I’m a resident of Wausau (which I sometimes like to call waubitysaubity for no real reason). I have lived here for just about two years and absolutely love this town. I pastor a small church as well as doing a very tiny bit of contract computer programming. My contributions will primarily focus on issues of faith and social justice, but I might also talk about fishing or the weather or really anything else that I decide I just need to talk about.
One of the things that make life good, and enriches our soul is to do good things for other people. Just think about how much your heart goes “pitter-patter” with joy each time a loved one opens a gift from you. So in the interest of making life good I wanted to bring your attention to two fabulous opportunities to actually make a difference to the lives of actual living people here in Wausau. Your heart might even pitter a little patter. (more…)
by Tom Neal on October 5th, 2007
This may be one of my most “pet” causes … looking for and finding ways to make Wausau a better place to live. (Why? Because I and my family live here!) You may live in Mosinee, so whenever I write “Wausau” here, you could just as easily substitute “Mosinee” and apply it to your life, maybe altering a few details.
So, what am I on about here? This thing in front of your eyes “citizenwausau.com” is one example of people doing something new to contribute to the quality of life, quality of thinking, quality of discourse in our community. There are plenty others.
Too often, when we think about building a better Wausau (or Mosinee, whatever), we’re apt to think of the big-buck movers and shakers who pull strings and finance things and erect buildings. Yeah, we need those. Then there’s the volunteers, board members, professional networkers. Can’t do without ‘em. And, there’s the risk-taking entrepreneurs, the small business owners with humbly shallow pockets and seemingly inexhaustible grit (insert Mike Capista here). Bless ‘em all.
But what of the rest of us? How many working Joes and Janes decry the lack of this or dearth of that …
“We need more stuff for kids.”
“We need more nightlife.”
“We need a Red Lobster.”
“We need to attract our own homegrown college graduates to settle here in Wausau.”
Those may all be things we need, but what we especially need is more people “out there” doing things, making things happen, proposing ideas, taking up causes, providing support, rattling cages and yanking chains. More people lugging their guitar (or whatever instrument) to play on the sidewalk downtown like that one young lady I see from time to time. More people not just gawking at a street musician, but actually dropping a buck in the case. More sidewalk artists, even when it’s not sidewalk art day on the 400 Block. More businesses thinking up low- and no-cost ways to connect with the public in public. More grassroots Exhibitour-style event ideas, and people to follow them up. More concerts in Marathon Park. More volunteers. More people at city council meetings who aren’t just there to fight taxes or some zoning ordinance that cuts too close to home.
Less? Did I hear someone say “less?” What do we need less of? Complaints. Laziness. Egos. Complacency. Blaming. Television. Backseat drivers. Monday morning quarterbacks. Less bemoaning the loss of Scott Street and more energy directed toward establishing the next cool thing that can carry on its integrity and vibe. Case in point: many of us await the opening of the Fillmore in the old Rogers Cinema, yet how many of us extend help and support to those who are sticking to making changes in town.*
You know … I’ve heard Marcus and Dino and others (yours truly included) talk about the really cool things we love about cities like Chicago and the Big Apple or major college towns or smaller groovy, arty places we’ve come across or some other idyllic locale. The food, the street scenes, the cool peeps, the arts communities, the culture, events and all that jazz. And then talk turns to battling brain drain here and “wouldn’t it be great if we had a …?” and so on. It’s good to know that there are people “of the people” here in Wausau with passion and drive to help build things from the grassroots level. More often than not, they get nothing in monetary gain, and precious little in fame or glory for their efforts. But little by little they make things happen.
But we need more of THEM … maybe you can be one too. What’s your passion? What’s your talent? Your dream? Your resource? I’m so glad to see the many people who are busy building things here. I’ve lived in Wausau since spring of ‘99 and the change has been dramatic. Be part of it, or if you already are, then maybe be a bigger part of it. Maybe lay out your dreams for all to chew on right here at citizenwausau.com and get new things started that way.
[* Publisher Note to Author - this sentence had no resolve, so I added, "to those who are sticking to making changes in town." so it would be coherent - though it may not be accurate. Please revise if need be.]
