One of my favorite things about Appleton is the high-quality cultural events that abound in this town, especially musical events. Appleton and the Fox Cities in general has a wealth of musical talent, partly fueled by the fine musical programs at Lawrence University. One of the musical stars at Lawrence is Patrice Michaels, a famous and tremendous soprano who has performed with many orchestras and ensembles around the world. She even has her own Website, PatriceMichaels.com.

How fortunate we were to have her as a guest soloist at the recent year-end performance of the Fox Valley Youth Symphony and Philharmonia Strings on Nov. 13, 2005, at Fox Valley Lutheran High School. Fabulous performance! I enjoyed it so much that I snatched up three CDs of her music after the performance - welcome additions to my collection. She has made 9 or 10 CDs.

Below are a couple of photos I took right before and after her performance on Nov. 13. The handsome young man with the cello is my son, Benjamin.




My wife has just informed me that Patrice Michaels has a free public concert (a faculty recital) on Feb. 12, 2006, at 3:00 PM in Harper Hall at Lawrence University. Mark that on your calendar!

My wife, a music teacher at the Classical School, also just reminded me that Patrice Michaels has been very involved in helping local schools and is "very generous with her time, a very lovely person, and a favorite professor with her students at Lawrence." Patrice helped in the founding of the Classical School and spent an entire spring break doing a workshop with students at the school to help them compose and perform a blues piece. All the more reason for today's tribute to Patrice Michaels. Given her generous but not widely touted work with students and the community, I'm almost tempted to call her an unsung hero, but that's not entirely fitting, is it? Kudos, Patrice!

Appleton's annual Christmas parade is said to be the largest Christmas parade in the nation. Here are a few scenes from this year's event, held on the evening of November 22 (more to come later). Over at JeffLindsay.com, I've got a larger photogallery of 64 photos from the 2005 Christmas parade. Also see my photos from the 2004 Christmas parade.

This is just one of many colorful scenes in downtown Appleton. This was taken on Nov. 17, 2005 on West College Avenue.

On a vacation day this week, I remembered that we needed some electrical work done in the basement. I checked the yellow pages and selected Steffens Electric (4902 N. Lynndale Drive, 920-739-6569). To my delight, they had a guy who was already going to be in the area the same day that could stop by. I needed him to install to new electrical outlets on a cement basement wall in a finished area, and also check the outlets in my office area where I suspected some kind of overheating in an outlet. He got the new outlets installed rapidly and professionally, and then checked all five outlets in the office where he found one that showed signs of overheating and needed to be replaced. He was here for two hours, helped me explore several options for the work to be done, and did excellent work.

Today I got my bill in the mail and was surprised to see how inexpensive it was: $108 for parts and labor. Hats off to Steffens Electric for great work at a reasonable price.

Congratulations to Will Weider, CIO of Affinity Health System, for identifying the mystery photo posted yesterday. OK, as Will noted, the previous mystery photo was probably too easy (the file name of the photo gave a big clue). Yes, it was from Regal Cinema on College Avenue, just east of Appleton. Regal, by the way, is a good theatre that tends to have smaller crowds than Hollywood Cinema - an important factor if you're worried about a show being sold out. We went to Hollywood to see the Chronicles of Narnia on Dec. 27 and couldn't get in a few minutes before showtime, but then drove to Regal for the same movie a few minutes later and it was only half full. (Awesome movie, by the way. I am deeply moved by the powerful imagery of the sacrifice of Aslan for the traitor Edmund, but I'm sure many will be appalled by the religious message.)

Anyway, here is another mystery photo from Appleton, taken just a few weeks ago. Can you tell me the event and the source of the flames?

Just warming up for the next Fox Cities Mystery Photo Contest. Can you guess where this photo was taken? Hint: it has something to do with entertainment (e.g., a bowling alley, movie theater, playhouse, playing field, curling center, or yodeling establishment). (Click to enlarge.)

A Green Bay site offers a list of bowling alleys in the area, with access to maps and other information. Just used it tonight to find a bowling alley in Kimberly that my son will be at.

This area is loaded with bowling alleys!

Another photo from a 2005 Oneida Indian Pow Wow in Green bay. (Click to enlarge.)

For further information on the Oneida Indians in this area, see my page on the History of the Oneida Indians of Wisconsin.

Dec. 2006 update: Taste of India has closed its doors! A tragic loss for the Fox Valley.

I took my wife to Taste of India on October 22, 2004, and had a magical meal for very little money. This new restaurant is at 2333 West Wisconsin Avenue, right next to Cinders (you need to enter via the Cinders parking lot on Perkins Street). Phone 731-9200. The decor was pleasant, the lighting just right for a romantic evening, and the background Indian music was at a subtle, unobtrusive volume. But forget the ambiance - the food was awesome! Just moments after placing our order, we were brought a simple appetizer of a cracker-like bread with three choices of delicious toppings - an onion chutney, a thick mint sauce, and a tamarind sauce. These simple but delicious offerings were a pleasant beginning to a great meal, and the sauces were fun to try on other parts of the main course that came later

I ordered the vegetarian Thali dish, a delightful combination plate that included naan bread, a truly delicious samosa appetizer, four interesting vegetarian dishes, the best Basmati rice I've had, and a dessert similar to rice pudding but tastier, made with noodles. My wife ordered a remarkable version of Chicken Makhani that was simply flawless, beautiful, and exciting. The vegetarian Makhani in my Thali plate was also outstanding - such rich flavors!

One thing that really stood out for both of us was the quality of the Basmati rice. This was the first time that I can remember where I viewed "plain" rice as a dish to be enjoyed on its own. With remarkably long grains, a rich aroma and subtle flavor - aided by a touch of cumin and clove, I believe - the Basmati rice made the meal even more memorable. I'm not sure what brand they use or how they prepare it, but already it beckons me back. And for a new restaurant, the service was surprisingly rapid and responsive. The restaurant was moderately busy, but we were served promptly and were genuinely surprised with how fast we were enjoying great good. For two of us, the bill for two entrees plus extra naan bread came to under $28 before tax and tip. Most dishes are in the range of $10 to $13. The one weakness, in my opinion was the naan bread, but it may have just been too authentic. The naan bread I get in most Indian places has a lot of butter on it, and this tasted pretty much fat free. I suppose that's how it "should" be, but I prefer the less healthy version. And yes, for lunch, they do offer a buffet. I'll try that soon. One more thing: right next to the restaurant is new Indian grocery store if you like cooking Indian food yourself. Yes, they carry several brands of Basmati rice, and a great mix of spices.

Appleton boasts a number of famous residents and other tidbit that make us might proud. Here are a few:

• Appleton is where Harry Houdini grew up. He was born in 1874 in Budapest as Eric Weiss, then brought to Appleton in his infancy. Internationally known as an escape artist and a magician, the Houdini name remains prominent in this area. For example, in 2004 Appleton became an epicenter for magic and illusion as part of the incredible Houdini Days magic festival, held in honor of Appleton's own Harry Houdini. For photos, see my page of photos from Houdini Days in Appleton.
  
  
• Actor Willem Dafoe of Green Goblin fame began his career acting with the local Attic Theatre. He was a student body vice president in middle school here, I've been told by the candidate who lost to him.
  
  
• Maury Laws may be one of the more famous people from Appleton. He was the music director for many movies, TV shows, etc. He directed the music for Frosty the Snow Man, The Hobbit, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and many more. His web site is www.maurylaws.com. He moved away to Hollywood but now lives in the heart of Appleton once again. Welcome back, Maury, and thanks for your significant accomplishments!
  
  
• Senator Joseph McCarthy got his political start in this area. A bust of him is on display in the Outagamie Museum.
  
  
• Author Edna Ferber moved here in her youth and graduated from high school in Appleton. (An elementary school is named for her.)
  
  
• John Bradley, a man from Appleton, is one of the soldiers raising the flag in the famous photo from Iwo Jima in 1945. His son, James, is author of the best-selling book, Flags of our Fathers, which deals with the lives of the six men in that photo. John Bradley died in 1994, the last of the six to pass away.
  
  
• As a center of the papermaking industry, Appleton hosts the Paper Industry International Hall of Fame, celebrating the accomplishments of major stars from industry and academia. It's housed within the amazing Paper Discovery Center.
  
  
• Appleton's Fox Valley Technical College began in 1912 as the first school in the United States exclusively dedicated to vocational education.
  
  
• Appleton's Lawrence University is the second oldest coeducational college in America.
  
  
• Appleton had the nation's first hydroelectric station which opened on Sept. 30, 1882, providing 12.5 kilowatts to light two paper mills and a home (see The Evolution of Hydropower). The facility can still be seen along the riverside down on the "flats" behind Lawrence University). The first home with electric power, the Hearthstone, is now a historical site open for regular tours. (For more info, call 920-730-8204.)
  
  
• Appleton also had the first electric cable car (running along College Avenue), and the first hotel with all electric lighting.
  
  
• Appleton claims to have the nation's first enclosed shopping mall, the Valley Fair Mall at 2145 S. Memorial Drive. (But I am told that Watertown, New York, may have a more legitimate claim to this honor.)
  
  
• Rocky Bleier, a football star, grew up in Appleton and was a star player at Xavier High School. After serving (and being injured) in the Vietnam War, he joined the Pittsburgh Steelers (I guess football looked easy after Nam!). He was in the National Football League for 12 years . His story is told in a book (Fighting Back) and a TV movie.
  
  
• Alex Rodriguez (a.k.a. "Arod") played for the Appleton Foxes for a season before going to the Seattle Mariners.
  
  
• Tony Kubek is another famous name from baseball who lived in Appleton for many years, though he was a native of Milwaukee (a large suburb of Appleton, about 100 miles to the south). With the New York Yankees, he was rookie of the year in 1957, played on six World Series teams, and was in three All-Star games. He was also a well-known broadcaster for NBC in the 1970s. After achieving fame, he moved to Appleton. I think he's still here.
  
  
• Speaking of baseball, major league umpire Gerry Davis is from Appleton.
  
  
• Appleton was honored in 1986 as "Sports City USA" by Sports Illustrated. Appleton was featured on the cover.
  
  
• Blane Reichelt, the recently retired NBA referee widely viewed as one of the best NBA refs in the game, was from Appleton.
  
  
• Greta Van Susteren, another graduate of Xavier High School and daughter of an Outagamie County judge (Urban Van Susteren), has became quite a TV celebrity. She was an on-air analyst for CNN during the O.J. Simpson trial, then had her own show, "Burden of Proof," and has recently joined FOX.
  
  
• Lou and Peter Berryman are famous folk singers from Appleton.
  
  
• Actor Campbell Scott (who, I am told, was in Dying Young with Julia Roberts) is a Lawrence alumnus, and has even come back and lectured at Lawrence, where he also serves on the board of trustees. He is the son of George Campbell Scott (Patton) and Colleen Dewhurst.
  
  
• Terry Meeuwsen was Miss America in 1973. Before that she was Miss Appleton and then Miss Wisconsin (Wisconsin's only Miss America in the 50-plus years of that pageant). She has recently cohosted Pat Robertson's "The 700 Club."
  
  
• Linda Butler, an outstanding photographer noted for her fine black and whites, hails from Appleton.
  
  
• Ellen Kort, an award winning poet and speaker, hails from Appleton.
  
  
• Rob Brackenridge, a well-known comedian, is an Appleton native now living on the West Coast.
  
  
• Professor Mark Dintenfass of Lawrence University English professor has
  published several many of fiction and has done numerous book reviews for the New York Times.
  
  
• Dale Duesing is a well-known opera star and graduate of Lawrence University. He lives in Appleton for part of the year.
  
  
• Judah Bauer, guitarist for the very popular national new wave/blues band, The John Spencer Blues Explosion, grew up in Appleton and went to Appleton East High School (go East!).
  
  
• Mike Lowe, Editor in Chief for Madison's weekly The Onion, came from Appleton. This spoof paper used to be just something enjoyed by southern Wisconsinites but now is internationally popular.
  
  
• Mark Stewart, lead guitarist and cellist for Paul Simon, grew up in Appleton. You'll see his name on many of Paul Simon's solo CDs. I understand that his father was a head pastor at the Episcopal Church at College and Drew.
  
  

While in Mexico city earlier this year, I noticed a Packers fan riding in the back of Mexican truck in front of us as we approached a toll booth. Photos are below. I hear a lot of people saying that the performance of the Packers has been going south. I guess this is more proof. (Click to enlarge.)




Here in Appleton, it's amazing how seriously people take the Green Bay Packers. It goes far beyond a few jackets and sweaters with Packers logos. Multiple homes are painted in the green and yellow of the team, yard ornaments highlight the Packers, some vehicles are painted in Packers colors, and even Appleton fire hydrants are often green and yellow. It's serious stuff. It's a great team with a proud history, and the most loyal fans on earth. For those who weren't weaned on the Packers, it takes a little getting used to, but it's one more colorful aspect of Appleton (just 30 minutes south of Green Bay).

Appleton has hosted a number of authors over the years, including Edna Ferber, who spent her childhood here. A former Appleton resident is now getting some good publicity for his book on management. I refer to Dr. Ted Farrington, formerly a professor at the Institute of Paper Chemistry and then a Director at Kimberly-Clark and an executive at the former Fort James Corporation. He is now a Senior Director at Johnson and Johnson. His book is What Do I Do Now?: Becoming a 21st-Century Leader. It is aimed for those in management, and provides some key insights into management styles with practical guidance about how to motivate and empower employees and resist the urge to micromanage. I just purchased an electronic copy of the book for $3.95. The paperback is slightly more. It's a short book, about 40 pages. Definitely a worthwhile read with some fresh perspectives. It has drawn the attention of some significant people, including at least one business school.

If you're aware of other recent books from Appleton folks or former Appleton residents, please let me know.

Appleton residents awoke to a thick coating of ice over all the roads from freezing rain early this morning, making driving exceptionally dangerous. School is cancelled in the city - a welcome Christmas gift to most students and teachers (speaking for my family, anyway).

It's amazing how slippery everything is. I watched a car in our neighborhood attempt a turn at low speed, lose control, and almost slide into a parked car. Stay off the roads if you can! I'm sure the highways are well salted, but the side roads aren't.

Appleton voters in April 2005 approved a smoking ban that affects workplaces and many other places like restaurants, bars, and hallways in apartment complexes. Our local newspaper, the Post-Crescent, now has a collection of information on the smoking ban on their Website.

It has caused a great deal of controversy and may yet be changed or overthrown. Bar and restaurant owners content that it is driving business away to other cities and hurting jobs in Appleton.

Personally, I oppose smoking, but am not sure that it's right to tell private property owners that smoking is suddenly illegal in their establishments. Yes, I prefer smoke-free restaurants, but I don't think I or other citizens should have the right to tell Appleton bars that their patrons can't smoke, while it's still legal at their competitors in Menasha or Neenah. I guess I'm one of those folks that worries about the erosion of civil liberties, the loss of property rights, and the limitless growth of government. Call me crazy!

The good news, for those of us who can't stand tobacco smoke (I'm one!), is that it's easier to enjoy oneself in Appleton without the occasional whiff of smoke. I didn't think it was that much of a problem before the ban, but this week another news story reports that there were surprisingly high hazardous levels of secondhand smoke in Appleton's bars before the ban, so the public health issue may be more significant than some of us realized.

Wisconsin snowmobile trails are in great shape after the heavy snow we've had. It's going to be a great season, I think. But for those of you who engage in this activity, be careful. Last year (with little snow) Wisconsin had 37 snowmobile fatalities, and some years it has approached 100. A news report I heard this morning said that 29 of the 37 fatalities last year involved alcohol. That's almost 80%. (Just goes to show that alcohol tests fail about 20% of the time.) C'mon, Wisconsin - don't touch alcohol if you're going to be snowmobiling.

Out here by Lake Winnebago, snowmobiles zoom around the lake when its frozen over, going from on on-shore bar to another. Frankly, it's surprising there aren't more fatalities. Stay sober, snowmobilers. And have a great season.

Part of the cultural diversity of the Fox Cities area comes from the presence of the proud Oneida Indian Tribe of Wisconsin. Their reservation and tribal headquarters are just a few miles north of Appleton in Oneida, Wisconsin. The rich heritage of the Tribe is something I discuss on my page about the Oneida Indians (and for you politically correct souls, yes, the term "Indian" is one that the Tribe uses). Below are a couple of photos from an Oneida-sponsored Pow Wow that I attended on the UW Green Bay campus earlier this year. The marching and dancing of the Native American representatives from multiple tribes at the beginning of the program was a truly dramatic moment.

Today Appleton got over 6 inches of snow in our heaviest snowstorm of the season so far. Whenever there is much snow, we have drivers spinning out of control and heading into ditches, median strips, or curbs. The photo above shows one such example that I saw today (snapped the photo while waiting in traffic).

Here's one vital driving safety tip: check your tires. Worn tires are terrible in snow. I just got some new inexpensive tires at Autotrust on south Oneida Street for my Toyota Camry. What a difference the new tires have made for my winter driving. I was sliding a lot before the change, and now feel like I'm in a 4-wheel drive vehicle. Of course, driving more slowly is the most important winter safety tip. But you've got to have good tires to stay in control.

One more tip: the offramp from Highway 441 northbound onto College Avenue can ice up and make it terribly difficult to stop. It's a long downhill ramp, and when it's iced over, you run a high risk of losing control. Be careful there!

And if you've had more than one beer in the lest few hours, stay off the road. Just my opinion!

Springz is a new entertainment center just west of Appleton at 1160 North Mayflower between the Mall and the airport (from College Avenue, turn north onto McCarthy Drive and then right on Mayflower, and then continue for about a block). Interesting place. Has laser tag, indoor go-carts, arcade games, and an indoor rock climbing facility. I've included two photos of the rock climbing tower (my son, Ben, is climbing in the photo on the left). It has a more natural look and feel than other rock climbing facilities I've seen, but Vertical Stronghold in Appleton offers greater course variety and experienced experts to help you. The Springz tower uses an auto-belay system, so you can go there by yourself and climb.

My boys told me that the laser tag there had some bugs and was not as good as LaserQuest by Media Play in Appleton. For one thing, it lacks the mist in the air that lets you see the laser beams easily.

I heard that the simulated golf system was pretty good but it's expensive - $20 an hour.

The indoor go-carts looked pretty fun. Relatively high speed, in my opinion.

One perk for adults with laptops is that there is a wireless network system for free Internet access while your kids play.

Overall, an interesting and pretty fun place.

You may also wish to read a review in the Post-Crescent.

When early morning fog comes in from Lake Winnebago or elsewhere and it's cold enough and free of wind, the moisture can build up on twigs and branches to form beautiful, lacey crystals of frost. It's one of my favorite things to see. The photo above is from a tree on my yard last winter.

The Fox Cities area abounds with beautiful displays of Christmas lights. Below are a couple scenes from this year. I've also got a photo gallery of winter scenes in Appleton. As with other photos on this blog, click to enlarge (but the enlargements are still greatly reduced versions of my 4 megapixel originals).


This house is on the northeast corner of City Park taken a couple weeks ago.



This home is in Menasha on Stead Street, just south of Midway Road, as viewed a few says ago.



This is a scene from downtown Appleton.

When the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center was opened, many of us wondered how it could survive the competition from the Weidner Center in Green Bay or the Grand Opera House in Oshkosh. But the Performing Arts Center appears to be thriving, and now the Weidner Center is facing bankruptcy. That's right - see today's news story, "Weidner Center Fights the Final Curtain." I hope they can solve their financial problems, but meanwhile I'm glad we've got the PAC, a real gem for Appleton.

Today was the Hmong New Year celebration at Appleton East High School. Below are a few scenes from my visit to this exciting event (click photos to enlarge). I also have a photo album of the Hmong people in Wisconsin on another blog.









Yes, that's Mayor Timothy Hanna, shortly after an excellent speech he gave to the large crowd on behalf of the city of Appleton. Nicely done. And as you can see, he's dressed for success, Hmong style!

Three views from the Festival of Trees. Don't miss it! See my previous post on the festival for details.

This is a view inside a special building built by the EPA for purifying groundwater at the N.W. Mauthe Superfund Site at 725 South Outagamie Street in Appleton, right next to Miller Electric. I toured it tonight and was amazed at the story. There use to be a metal plating facility at this location from 1960 to 1987. Apparently toxic chromium solution, with dangerous hexavalent chromium ions, was simply dumped behind the old building into the soil. This went on for years, resulting in high levels of chromium salts in the soil and causing contamination of the groundwater in the area. Norbert W. Mauthe purchased the property from the Wisconsin Chromium Corporation in 1978.

The Department of Natural Resources investigated a complaint about environmental contamination in 1982. The flyer that the DNR gives to visitors of this facility, dated Dec. 2005, states that Mr. Mauthe "did not take the legally required environmental response" so the DNR took legal action against him in 1982. This dragged on until 1986 when Mr. Mauthe died of cancer, possibly associated with exposure to chromium, and in 1988 the state settled with his estate.

In 1984 the DNR removed contaminated soils and paved the grounds with asphalt to reduce the flow of rainwater into the contaminated region.

The EPA added this site to their Superfund National Priorities List, making it eligible for federal funding. Millions were spent to install the clean-up facility, which has large tanks for pumping in groundwater from multiple collection points in the neighborhood, and for processing the groundwater by reacting it with ferrous sulfate to reduce the chromium to the less toxic trivalent form, which is then precipitated by reaction with alkali to form a sludge. Large quantities of water have been processes continuously since 1998, resulting in a negligible quantity of sludge - apparently just a few dozen pounds so far.

Why is so little chromium being removed? Apparently because the removal of the contaminated soil was so effective that there is very little chromium left in the water to remove. The initial groundwater concentration of chromium back around 1998 was 600,000 parts per billion. After removal of the soil, it dropped dramatically and has been relatively flat at about 600 parts per billion. The acceptable limit for chromium is 100 parts per billion.

Our guide was Jennifer Borski, the DNR project manager responsible for this site. This knowledgeable and dynamic person helped a group of about 50 young people learn more about environmental reclamation. Thanks, Jennifer!

Man, how would you like to have a national Superfund site named after you? I hope my grandchildren don't have to deal with brochures talking about the J.D. Lindsay Superfund Site.

Don't miss the 6th annual Festival of Trees at the Appleton Art Center. Nearly 130 beautifully decorated trees are on display, along with other items, at the Center at 111 W. College Avenue. The event runs from Dec. 3 to Dec. 11. Admission is $4. Hours:

Saturdays (Dec. 3 & 10) and Sundays (Dec. 4 & 11)
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Tuesday through Friday (Dec. 6-9)
10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Appleton East High School will host the spectacular Hmong New Year's Celebration on Dec. 10 - that's this Saturday. I believe it runs from 10 AM to 8 PM. I recommend showing up around 11 AM to catch Hmong dancing and food. Bring your camera! A lot of great photo ops will abound.

Appleton has about 4,000 Hmong people, I think. Many Appleton residents include Hmong people among their friends, but some don't yet know much about these immigrants from Asia. Did you know that the Hmong people, originally from northern Laos, are here because of genocidal persecutions against them for their valiant role in fighting for the United States in a once-secret part of the Vietnam War? I tell some of their story in my page on the tragedy of the Hmong people. I've also got a photo album of the Hmong people in Wisconsin at Sanity Defense.

Octoberfest in Appleton may well be one of the most enjoyable Octoberfest celebrations anywhere in the world. I've experienced a German "Oktoberfest" that paled in comparison to Appleton's. We have 100,000+ people show up with hundreds of great booths, live performances, and loads of fun - while other cities tend to focus on beer and bad music alone. I'm partial, but I think you won't find a better fall celebration anywhere.

Take a look at my collection of scenes from Appleton's Octoberfest in 2004 and 2005.


Another photo is available at Sanity Defense.

This is the place to learn the latest news, gossip, and fun facts about the greatest community on earth, Appleton, Wisconsin, and the surrounding Fox Cities.

This blog is an extension of the Appleton, Wisconsin Web site, hosted by JeffLindsay.com.