The Appleton Blog

Wisconsin Life from NPR

2011-12-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

Wisconsin Life is a page over at Tumblr with interesting features around the theme of Wisconsin life. Podcasts, recipes, photos, articles, and more. Nice resource for those of us who love this majestic state.

Be sure to check out their photo resources.

How Do I Explain This to the Folks in China: Tens of Thousands at the Christmas Parade?

2011-11-27T06:56:00.000-08:00

I've heard the news about the massive turnout at this year's Christmas Parade, with estimates of around 50,000 participants braving cold weather to watch floats and bands. I'm wondering how I can explain this phenomenon to my friends here in China. They don't seem to have parades here, at least not in Shanghai. Christmas isn't a big tradition either, though it's catching on with merchants. And here in the warm south, where people complain about bitter winter cold that we call early summer in Wisconsin, the idea of standing in the cold for hours to watch something like our parades is truly a foreign concept. Frankly, I'm starting to forget why I enjoyed the parades so much--but I'm sure it will come back to me when I return.

How do I explain to people on the other side of the world what this remarkable Appleton tradition is all about?

Plus, recognizing that the attendance at the parade represents a crowd almost equal to the population of Appleton itself, well, that's pretty impressive.

Remembering Wisconsin's Saints

2011-11-27T06:44:00.000-08:00

One of the things I miss about Appleton, now that I'm away for about a year or so, is the freedom of religion found in Wisconsin, especially the freedom people exercise to venerate their favorite saints. Shown here are two statues of leading saints from Wisconsin's most sacred shrine, Lambeau Field. Saint Vincent of Lombardi and Saint Curly of Lambeau are shown with the appropriate halos around their heads (courtesy of the Miller Beer signs on the stadium behind them--love the angle here).

Things I Miss About Appleton

2011-10-25T07:42:00.000-07:00

Now that we've moved out of Appleton in the Appleton of the Far East, Shanghai, there are a few things I really miss about Appleton, even though I really love Shanghai. The peacefulness and safety of the town is really remarkable. It's so clean with such safe and polite drivers. The air quality and water quality are wonderful--something one can't take for granted in most parts of the world. The abundant musical performances, often free or very inexpensive, reflect a heritage rich in the fine arts and in public sharing of talents. The city offers so many well-organized events such as the farmers' market, numerous parades, arts events, etc.

Appleton's residents are a friendly, happy mix for the most part, with a great "can do" attitude reflecting independence, self-reliance, and a desire to constantly make things better. Appletonians are increasingly diverse and sometimes very vocal about their differing views, but know how to tolerate differences and get along while disagreeing.

Appleton has the virtues one expects from a small Midwestern town with some of the excitement of urban life. Shanghai is overflowing with urban excitement while having a population that is generally friendly, respectful, and honest, making it one of the best large cities to live in. But Appleton has so much to offer as well. If the secret gets out, we might see more Shanghaiese heading to Appleton versus the other way around, but that secret might be hard to translate into Chinese.

Appleton, don't change too much while I'm gone. Hope to see you again in a year or two.

North Shore Bank: Really Nice - with Free Notary Public Services

2011-08-20T10:56:00.000-07:00

I needed a notary public today. One bank told me that they had notary public services, but only for current customers. I'm a recent but still former customer. Too bad. But my wife heard about North Shore Bank and they solved my problem. North Short Bank on Northland Avenue is open today until 3 pm and offers free notary public services. "But I'm not a customer," I explained. "That's OK," the woman on the phone told me. "We're just really nice." Thanks, North Shore! Their web page is at http://www.northshorebank.com/.

Koreana Misses

2011-08-18T05:58:00.000-07:00

During my return trip to Appleton, I've had a chance to visit some of my favorite restaurants here. It's been a tad disappointing so far, I'm afraid to say. Perhaps my standards have been elevated by Shanghai and its marvelous restaurants, or perhaps things are starting to slide here. Yesterday, for example, I met some friends at Koreana for lunch and had a dish I've enjoyed many times at many places, including once at Koreana. Bee Bihm Bapp, with rice and veggies and bean paste. The array of veggies was great, but the brown rice was dry and hard to chew. My Chinese friends also complained about it. The ingredients lacked flavor and even the egg was poorly done. I had the tofu version, and the tofu was some of the worst I've ever tasted. Just a real disappointment.

My wife had bulgolki and the meat was dry and not very tender. The other couple didn't seem impressed with their food, either. Too bad!

That Small Town Appleton Guy Now Lives in Shanghai: Introducing a New Voice for the Appleton Blog

2011-06-24T07:42:00.000-07:00

I (Jeff Lindsay) have been doing the Appleton Blog for about five years now, and have been doing web pages about the Appleton experience since 1994. After nearly 20 years of living in and loving the world's best small town, Appleton, a dramatic change has come into my life. Now I'm in the world best large town--in fact, the world's largest city proper (population of the official city limits excluding suburbs): Shanghai. My last day of work in the Fox Valley was Friday, June 10, and the next morning I was on a plane to Shanghai, where I began work on Monday, June 12. I've accepted a big opportunity to guide intellectual property at a large global company based in China but expanding toward the west, and will be in Shanghai for 1-2 years before returning to the US to help create some jobs in the States.

Walter Reade, a longtime Fox Valley enthusiast, will be taking over this blog, but adding a broader Fox Valley twist. He's a great friend and has sharp insights and lots of great tips, so I hope you'll be back.

Meanwhile, if you come to Shanghai, let me know. We'd love to meet some fellow Fox Valley fans.

My wife and I just moved into a great place with a stunning view. Such a beautiful skyline! Such an amazing place. It's a lot like Appleton, but with a little less snow, a few dozen million more people, and a somewhat different accent. Probably about the same number of Packers fans!

A big adjustment for a small town guy, but I love it. I love the chaos and bustle, the excitement and charm, the thousands of new faces each day and all the adventures on every street.

Free Car Wash in Neenah!

2011-06-23T17:57:00.000-07:00

If you'd like a free car wash, stop by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints building in Neenah (map and directions) Friday from 10am to 5:45pm.

115 W. Castle Oak Drive, Neenah. (Just south of Copps)

This free car wash is offered as a service to the community by youth ages 14-17 from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Absolutely no donations accepted.

A Bigger, Better Farmers Market: June 18 is the Start of the 2011 Summer Season

2011-06-03T08:20:00.000-07:00

June 18 is a big day: the summer opening of the famous Farmers Market in downtown Appleton. This will run each Saturday morning from June 18 to Oct. 29 , 8 am to 12:30 pm. This lively and entertaining market is one of the quintessential elements of the Appleton experience. Large, friendly, diverse, awesome food, good music, many interesting vendors with zillions of great products, and lots of fun. It's being expanded to cover an additional block of College Avenue, so now it's bigger and better than ever!

Wisconsin Flags at Half Mast Today for Fallen Soldier from Appleton: Staff Sergeant Matthew D. Hermanson

2011-05-12T09:12:00.000-07:00

According to news from the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs, the flags of Wisconsin are at half-mast today in honor of a hero from Appleton, Wisconsin. Here's the announcement:

Flags lowered to half-staff in Wisconsin Thursday for Army Staff Sergeant Matthew Hermanson

Date: May 11, 2011

Flags at Wisconsin National Guard armories, air bases and other facilities across the state will fly at half-staff Thursday (May 12) in honor of Army Staff Sgt. Matthew D. Hermanson of Appleton, Wis., who lost his life while serving his country in Afghanistan. The Guard will render these honors in accordance with an executive order issued by Gov. Scott Walker.

EXECUTIVE ORDER # 28 reads:

Relating to a Proclamation that the Flag of the United States and the Flag of the State of Wisconsin be Flown at Half-Staff as a Mark of Respect for Staff Sergeant Matthew D. Hermanson of the United States Army Who Lost His Life While Serving His Country During Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan

WHEREAS, on April 28, 2011, Staff Sergeant Matthew D. Hermanson, a member of 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Polk, Louisiana, United States Army, died while serving his country in Afghanistan; and

WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Matthew D. Hermanson provided faithful and honorable service to the people of the State of Wisconsin and the people of the United States; and

WHEREAS, the people of Wisconsin mourn the death of Staff Sergeant Matthew D. Hermanson; and

WHEREAS, a memorial service will be held for Staff Sergeant Matthew D. Hermanson on May 12, 2011;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, SCOTT WALKER, Governor of the State of Wisconsin, by the authority vested in me by Federal and State law, do hereby order that the flag of the United States and the flag of the State of Wisconsin shall be flown at half-staff at all buildings, grounds, and military installations of the State of Wisconsin equipped with such flags beginning at sunrise on Thursday, May 12, 2011, and ending at sunset on that date.

Make Mi Casa Su Casa: Great Mexican Restaurant in Menasha

2011-05-07T15:36:00.000-07:00

After driving by it many times, I finally tried the Mexican restaurant in downtown Menasha, Mi Casa on 14 Tayco Street, near the intersection with Main Street. Wow! The pleasant decor and friendly service raised my expectations right away, and they were met and exceeded with the food. My first time there I had their famous fish tacos, one of my favorite Mexican meals. It's easy to make fish tacos bland or to overcook the fish, but at Mi Casa the fish was perfect and the tacos were flavorful and delicious. The corn tortillas were prepared just right, at least for my tastes. I was also delighted to have horchata, the Mexican rice drink that I love. Most Mexican restaurants in the Valley don't offer horchata, and some that do just use a mass-produced powder mix instead of making it themselves. Mi Casa's horchata is homemade and delicious.

My second time there I made a stunning discovery: they offer Oaxaca-style tamales, an unusual tamale steamed inside banana leaves with a completely different texture and intriguing flavor. I've been searching for that kind of tamale since I encountered them in southern Mexico in 2009 during an innovation-related business trip in Veracruz State. The search is over! I'll be back for sure. These were absolutely delicious.

The chef is actually from Veracruz State in Mexico, a southern area on the Atlantic coast that is famed for its great seafood and flavorful dishes. It's close to Oaxaca, which may explain the Oaxacan influence. I love both Veracruz- and Oaxaca-style food.

The chips and salsa are OK, but they don't include the bean dip that is popular in many local Mexican restaurants. I miss the bean dip, but their homemade tortilla chips are among the best in the Valley.

Give Mi Casa a try and tell them that a tall crazy gringo sent you. They'll know who you mean.

Mi Casa: 14 Tayco Street, Menasha, WI 54952. Phone: (920) 720-3600.

NEW North Event for Entrepreneurs and Innovators: NEW END

2011-05-05T08:48:00.000-07:00

Hundreds of Wisconsin entrepreneurs will attend NEW END:
One day event for start-up businesses to focus on creativity and networking

On Wednesday, June 22, 2011, hundreds of entrepreneurs will join together in a one day event to celebrate innovation and job creation in the "New North" of Wisconsin. Northeast Wisconsin Entrepreneur Networking Day—or NEW END—takes place at Fox Valley Technical College, Appleton, WI. The event is dedicated to the specific needs of entrepreneurs and small business owners by packing networking, education, and collaboration into one day.

This is the seventh year for the influential business meeting which has been attended by hundreds of entrepreneurs annually. NEW END features nationally known author, speaker and entrepreneur, Barry Moltz, who will conduct a workshop specifically designed to get business “un-stuck.” Moltz has been a featured speaker at NEW END in the past, but this year’s event will provide more one-on-one learning with Moltz.

“Entrepreneurs are not used to taking the easy path,” Moltz said. “But when they get stuck either in an existing business or a new venture, sometimes they just need to change perspective—that’s what this workshop will do,” Moltz said.

NEW END is sponsored by the FVTC Venture Center, the leading entrepreneur center in Northeast Wisconsin. In the last five years. The Venture Center has helped launch more than 200 businesses through the E-seed and Pro-Seed programs. Executive Director Amy Pietsch says this event is not only popular with entrepreneurs, but is a critical element of their business plan.

“For years, one of the most popular events at NEW END has been the ability to network in person with other entrepreneurs and business resources,” Pietsch said. “Entrepreneurs who attend will connect with the people and information they need to be successful.”

New for NEW END 2011, the “Pop-up-Pitch.” Entrepreneurs may register to be part of this competition in which they could win $2500 by telling a panel of judges in only 60-seconds who they are, what their business is, and how they will use the $2500 to advance their enterprise. Entrepreneurs are encouraged to come prepared for the “Pop-up-Pitch”. A limited number of registrants will be presenting their ideas in front of the entire NEW END conference and are urged to register early.

“Start-ups are constantly pitching their business idea to investors, partners or lending institutions,” Pietsch said. This is a fresh, creative way for them to hone their pitch into a short, specific message.”

In addition to the Pop-up-Pitch, NEW END 2011 will feature:

Day long workshop with Barry Moltz
Afternoon Networking session with business owners and other entrepreneurs
Taste of Entrepreneurship featuring area food entrepreneurs and their finest fare

Cost for the day-long workshop with Barry Moltz is $100/person; attendance is limited. Cost for the evening NEW END networking, Pop-up-Pitch and Taste of Entrepreneurship event is $39/person. To register, please visit www.newend.biz or www.venturecenterwi.biz.

# # # # # # # #

MEDIA ADVISORY:
Barry Moltz is available via phone for personal interviews. Visit his website for more information www.barrymoltz.com

The Venture Center can provide interviews with regional entrepreneurs who have been involved in NEW END.

For more information, contact Mary Schmidt, mkschmidt at centurytel.net, 920-284-7165

This information is cross-posted at SharpIP.com (Sharp Innovation).

Kimberly-Clark Recognized as One of the Nation's Best Employers

2011-04-20T09:08:00.000-07:00

As reported by the Post-Crescent, Kimberly-Clark Corp. was justed named among the Top 100 Companies to Work For in 2011 by Savoy Magazine. Factors considered in making this award included management philosophy, communication, career opportunities and diversity outreach. I spent 13 years at Kimberly-Clark and have to agree with that assessment. I found a wonderful climate and many terrific opportunities inside that company. May they continue to do well. Congrats, Kimberly-Clark!

Kimberly-Clark, of course, is one of the largest employers in the Fox Valley.

Carmella's Featured in Food and Beverage Packaging Magaziine

2011-04-11T11:11:00.000-07:00

A sidebar on digitally printed labels in Food and Beverage Packaging magazine highlights Carmella's bottled marinara sauce and describes the work for Directions, Inc. in creating the high-end label. Interesting to see the technology and design choices that went into the label for their product.

The article, which I ran into just through the course of my reading related to green packaging and innovation topics for work, reminds me of the great food Carmella's offers. One of Appleton's finest places. Yes, I'm hungry as I write this....

Welcoming Green Gecko

2011-04-07T06:12:00.000-07:00

The Appleton Blog welcomes Green Gecko, a high-end grocer and deli, to the Appleton scene. Green Gecko is in the City Center Mall at the very heart of Appleton on College Avenue. Enter from College Avenue and they are on your left, a prominent location. Looks like a great place for imported cheeses, good meats, and many delicacies. I've seen Green Gecko in Madison--not sure if they have other outlets in the State. I hope they do well. Good food is never out of style.

Adios, Black and Tan Grille--and Some Thoughts on Red Meat

2011-04-05T18:26:00.000-07:00

Parted ways with the Black and Tan Grille tonight on a slightly disappointing note. Took my wife there for what I hoped would be a special night out, the first time there in several years. The signature Black and Tan steak was tender, yes, but with little flavor. Ditto for my rack of lamb--there ought to be some kind of seasoning on it, in my view. Neither had the basic flavor I get when grilling meat even on a simple gas grill, not to mention what ought to be added with a little seasoning. Probably due to my lack of sophistication when it comes to red meat, of course.

Both dishes were rather cold. Mine was cold enough that I sent it back--it really wasn't very palatable at just slightly above room temperature. OK, it was medium rare, so it can't be flaming hot throughout--but it can be warm. I had just taken a little bite from two or three of the pieces of meat on my plate and expected to see all of my meal brought back after a few seconds of reheating. But after a surprisingly long wait, I received only a fraction of my meal back in a small bowl. The sections of lamb that I had sampled were apparently discarded. My three or four pieces of lamb were now replaced with one small, pristine piece.

The small bowl of hot au gratin potatoes was gone--I hadn't finished it (the tastiest part of the meal, frankly, and the only thing that was actually hot). The person who brought the food to my table said he had "refired" the vegetables also, but everything was still on the cold side. The veggies seemed cold, and the meat only marginally warmer. Instead of the large slightly warm plate my food had been on, it was now piled into a small, cold bowl. This was really surprising. I just stared at it in surprise for a while and tried to figure out what they were thinking. What happened to my food?

It was hard to cut the remaining food in the highly curved little bowl it was in, so I had to put it on the bread plate, but the whole thing made me frustrated that I had chosen to go there. The manager came by, astutely noticing I hadn't eaten much of the scraps they returned. I didn't want to complain but he probed. I finally asked what happened to the rest of the meal, though I wasn't really interested in having more uninteresting food at that point. I didn't want to say much about it--simply a misunderstanding, a little mistake, no big deal, but when you visit a place for the first time or the first time in years, that one experience is pretty much the only deal. Too bad.

Fortunately, they deducted the price of my lamb from the bill. I had about 3 bites of it. Didn't take it out on the waiter, who was fairly good, but I'm still just really surprised at how a classy place can fall so flat. at least this time.

While there, I learned that this will be the last week of the Black and Tan Grille. They are changing to an Italian restaurant, something "Vita," keeping the current chef. I hope they do well--and keep the food warm, please. They could also improve the decor. It's nice, but too dark, and the fully exposed 50W bulb right over the table is a poor illumination choice. Like the meat, it lacked appeal. I hope it's better when the lights come up on the new place. Italian? Sounds good to me. Let's give them a chance.

By the way, I got a nastygram recently decrying my taste in steak, arguing that I'm hopeless if I like a low-class place like Texas Roadhouse. So, to redeem myself, I tried some red meat at one of Appleton's classier establishments tonight. Sorry, but I would have been much better fed and happier at Texas Roadhouse. Yes, I know it's not the top end of steak, but it's always palatable, warm, and has a touch of flavor. I also like Lombardi's for steak, when someone else is paying. Sometimes less expensive places offer pretty darn good food without a lot of pretense. Bennigan's is another place like that. Yes, I like their food and have enjoyed my couple of visits there.

Mystery Photo Contest Extended: New Clues

2011-04-05T05:25:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: We have an instant winner: Ben Miller of Appleton. Way to go, Ben!

Apparently my latest mystery photo contest was too difficult, so I'm offering some clues and relaxing the rules. Now you will win instantly if you can identify just 4 of the photos. You have until April 15.

Here are some scattered clues: Bowling is featured. "RK" comes from a short word in downtown Menasha. A furniture store is shown. Spock's home. Good place for kids in Appleton. Downtown mural.

Win the prizes and get your answers in.

Appleton Becoming More Diverse

2011-03-18T17:13:00.000-07:00

The Mayor's Office of Appleton has released their Diversity Breakdown for Appleton. Actually, there isn't a breakdown at all: Appleton is making strong progress in diversity. Minority populations now account for 15% of Appleton. compared to 2% in 1980, 4% in 1990, and 9% in 1990, based on census data.

In 2010, Appleton's population of 72,623 people had 5.9% from Asian and the Pacific Islands (dominated by our Hmong population from southeast Asia), 5% Hispanic/Latino, 1.6% African or African American, and 1.7% representing two or more races.

Much of the Hispanic population comes from Mexico. Interestingly, one state in Mexico seems to be very highly represented: Guanjuato. I base this just on my personal experiences: so many Spanish-speakers that I meet in the area say they are from there. I've also got a lot of friends with roots in the beautiful city of Puebla, Mexico, famous for its many churches and church festivals.

I'm allegedly part Mohawk, just a minuscule fraction, though one of my Oneida Indian friends says he can see it in my face and the way I walk. Is he just flattering me? The Oneida Indian Tribe of Wisconsin is the major source of Native American roots in this area, though a variety of tribes are represented.

I think Appleton has become much more comfortable with diversity in the past decade or two. May that continue. It really is a fabulous place to live, one where I hope people from all cultures and races will feel welcome and warmly greeted, no matter how cold it may get some days.

March 2011 Appleton/Fox Valley Mystery Photo Contest: Sponsored by Affordable Rare Coins in Appleton

2011-03-06T20:22:00.000-08:00

UPDATE, April 5: We have an instant winner! Congratulations to Ben Miller of Appleton!

UPDATE: Contest extended to April 15. Rules relaxed: now you will win instantly if you can identify just 4 of the photos. To help, here are some scattered clues: Bowling is featured. "RK" comes from a short word in downtown Menasha. A furniture store is shown. Spock's home. Good place for kids in Appleton. Downtown mural.

Sorry this one was so hard!

It's time for another Appleton Mystery Photos Contest, expanded to include other parts of the Fox Valley such as Menasha and Neenah (in this contest). Here are 10 photos. The contest ends March 22. The first one to identify the locations of all 10 photos, or the one with the most correct answers by March 22, will win $20 credit at Affordable Rare Coins of Appleton (402 W. Northland Ave., Appleton, WI 54911), a great place to explore history, learn about real money, and prepare for the ravages of inflation. You can pick up some nice silver coins for $20 with no need to purchase more, but I suggest you do. In addition to $20 at Affordable Rare Coins, you'll also win your choice of either a free copy of my book, Conquering Innovation Fatigue (by Jeff Lindsay, Cheryl Perkins and Mukund Karanjikar, John Wiley & Sons, 2009) or, if don't enjoy top-notch business books, then an 8x10 print of one of my Fox Valley photos that you select. Not to mention fame and glory. Send submissions by email with "MYSTERY PHOTO CONTEST" as the subject. Send them to jeff at magicinnovation d0t com and copy your submissions to jeff at jefflindsay d0t com for good measure.

If you've won in the past, feel free to win again! We've got some good photo sleuths out there and I don't consider this contest to be especially difficult, so act fast to win.

As with most of my photos on this blog, you can click to enlarge.

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Franklin Street Inn's New Video, Featuring Some of My Photography

2011-03-05T20:09:00.000-08:00

The great people at Franklin Street Inn asked for some of my photography help in making their new video about the Fox Valley and their inn. They provided the photos of their establishment, but many of the photos of the Appleton area and beyond come from my ever growing collection of Fox Valley photos.

For even more, why not visit Appleton's Glass Nickel Pizza, where you'll see my photos from the Valley mounted on their walls, including my famous psychedelic train photo. Please be sure to tell them that Jeff the photographer sent you. If you like any of the photos hanging there, you can buy them. Contact me at jeff at magicinnovation d0t com and jeff at jefflindsay dot com.

Carmella's Continues to Shine

2011-03-03T17:39:00.000-08:00

Recently I had a little time before my wife dropped me off at the airport to catch a flight, so I surprised her by stopping at Carmella's for a lite meal. Perfection! We tried a cappicola panini and their soup of the day (had sausage and potatoes in a light white base--a hearty country dish). Both were just scrumptious. Plus wonderful bread. What I really liked about the panini was the flavor of the cheese, a rich Italian cheese called Tallegio that is hard to find but very good. Has a rich flavor that might remind you of brie.

At Carmella's, they really get food. Probably my favorite place at the moment. We were there at around 4 pm on a weekday. Not crowded at all and service was brisk. The panini was $11 and the soup was $4. Not bad at all.

Favorite Asian Restaurants in Wisconsin

2011-02-14T17:50:00.000-08:00

While the Fox Valley has some great Asian restaurants, the rest of Wisconsin has numerous fun places to choose from. Madison, with one of the most diverse culinary settings, has unusual and exciting offerings such as two Nepalese restaurants near each other on State Street. Himal Chuli Restaurant at 318 State Street is a cramped but delicious little place for what I think is authentic Nepalese food. The son of the owner, if I understand correctly, owns the nearby Chautara Restaurant at 324 State Street. We tried the Himal Chuli and really enjoyed it. My wife's parents lives in Nepal on a service mission for their Church and loved the country, making the food all the more interesting to me. Related to some of my favorite Indian flavors.

In 2010 I also tried Saigon Noodle at 6754 Odana Road Madison, WI 53719. Awesome place--some of the best and least expensive Vietnamese food you'll find. I love pho and many other Vietnamese dishes. I was also pleased to see that many of the guests were Asian. That's not a sure sign of good Asian food, but it's a hint that I don't take lightly. Delicious! Phone: (608) 827-9120.

For Thai food, the King and I in Milwaukee is a perennial favorite (but it's been a while since I was there), though the lunch buffet may not always appeal. But for dinner, it's highly rated and delicious.

The best Chinese in the state, though, may be Confucius in Appleton, especially if you arrange for their authentic banquet. This is the place to take a special visitor, such as the official from the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C. that I had the privilege of entertaining a while back. Home run!

What are your favorite Asian restaurants in Wisconsin?

Appleton is Proud of Our Northern Suburb: Congratulations to Green Bay and the Indomitable Packers!

2011-02-08T11:24:00.000-08:00

Appleton has been in the news a lot this week--or rather, it's northernmost suburb, Green Bay. We're very proud of that part of our community. :)

Actually, it's wonderful living in the tall shadow of Green Bay, just a few miles to the north and a little bigger than Appleton. The Packers make all of us incredibly proud (almost all of us: there is the exception of a local Bears fan apparently still in hiding, last spotted staggering on College Avenue after the bars closed).

The Packers and the whole network of folks who support them and help them are a real class act. It's nice to see class rise to the top like it did this week in Dallas. Go Packer!

"Save Me a Spot" - A Touching Story from a Real Sports Hero, Aaron Rodgers

2011-02-01T19:59:00.000-08:00

Appleton is just 30 minutes away from Green Bay, Wisconsin, a.k.a. the Center of the Football Universe. It's a privilege to be in a region with such a great legacy of excellence. As dramatic as the Packers' games can be, some of the most important drama occurs off the field. One touching example was shared by an observant reporter in Milwaukee who attended a charity event that Aaron Rodgers did for the MACC Fund (Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer). I learned about this story today while attending the downtown Appleton Rotary luncheon (what an amazing group of Rotarians Appleton has, by the way!).

"'Save me a spot': A side of Aaron Rodgers you may not know" by Jen Lada of WITI-TV in Milwaukee gives some great insights into Aaron. I was thrilled to see that Aaron's favorite book is the Bible. Wow. I was also thrilled to see that we share the same favorite movie, The Princess Bride. But I was caught by surprise and a bit of emotion with the dedication that he wrote on a football at the charity event for a father whose daughter passed away from cancer. What he wrote wasn't done for show but was simply a reflection of the mindset and compassion of this real hero. Jen explains:

Rodgers' answers and poise on this night were certainly admirable. And I honestly didn't think I could respect Aaron more than I did when we wrapped our hour-long question and answer segment. But I was wrong.

My friend, the father of that young girl who passed, was there that night - enjoying the opportunity to reconnect with many of his MACC Fund family members and revel in the charity's big night. He was one of several attendees brought up on stage where he caught a football thrown by the quarterback of the Green Bay Packers. The evening was already a smashing success for him and his grateful family.

And then he asked Aaron to sign the football he'd caught. He wondered if he'd make it out to his daughter. It isn't shocking that Rodgers obliged. What caught me off guard was the dedication he made. It wasn't until after Aaron left that I first saw the autograph... and the simple yet sweet message that brought tears to this father's eyes: "To Cheri the angel. Save me a spot. - Aaron Rodgers"

Awesome. Go Packers!

Proud of Our Vulcan Heritage

2011-01-27T05:48:00.000-08:00

Since this is National Extraterrestrial Cooperation Month, I'm proud to note that Appleton is one of the more progressive cities on this planet that proudly recognizes the contribution of those from other planets in our community's history. Appleton is especially proud of its Vulcan Heritage and even has a Vulcan Heritage Park, a neighborhood park located at 535 W. Water Street near the Paper Discovery Center. The park is named for the Vulcan Street Power Plant, "the first hydro-electric central station to serve a system of private and commercial customers in North America" according to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (per Wikipedia). Apparently outstanding mechanical engineers from the Planet Vulcan assisted early Appletonians in jump-starting earth's advances in electrical power. Did they leave any Vulcan genes behind among us locals? You decide.

View of Downtown Neenah

2011-01-16T14:51:00.000-08:00

Right before Thanksgiving as Neenah's downtown was becoming quiet, I snapped this photo. Downtown Neenah, just a few minutes south of Appleton, has some terrific shops and restaurants. Love the old buildings. Click to enlarge.

Battle of the Gyms: Favorite Workouts in Appleton

2010-12-30T19:57:00.000-08:00

Fox Valley residents have some great choices when it comes to fitness. Recently Anytime Fitness came to the Valley, offering 3 gyms with great equipment and a 24/7 model. The facilities are staffed from 10 am to 7 pm most day, but members can come anytime using a pass to unlock the door and gain access. Video cameras monitor all parts of the gym. Equipment is high-end, with individual cable TV monitors for the many various cardio units. One of my sons and I have been trying it out for the past month and really liked it - until something went wrong with their system and kept my son out for two days during this holiday week. Frustrated with the bug in their service, an unusual fluke but still disappointing, I checked out a competitor before deciding to renew and enter the six-month or year-long contracts required at Anytime Fitness.

So I went to Gold's Gym in Menasha in the Shopko Plaza on Highway 47 (Appleton Road) just south of Highway 441, north of Midway Road. Wow - I had no idea that it was that large. In contrast to the quiet, low-key atmosphere at Anytime Fitness, Gold's Gym is a sprawling, bustling place with lots of staff, large classes, a sea of equipment, many users, but still plenty of free equipment. They have something for everybody, including a lady's-only gym room if you don't want to work out with muscle-bound guys nearby. There's also a pool, a hot tub, a theater room where a group can watch movies playing all day long while using cardio devices, and many other features. Very impressive. They are less expensive than Anytime Fitness, with a regular program going for $10 a month and a more advanced program for $17 that includes classes and some other perks. But the $10 plan looks great for me. I took my wife over there and she liked it, too.

A nice thing about Gold's is that membership is month-by-month, so you don't have to get locked into a contract for a long period of time. I'll let you know how it goes.

I was all set to renew at Anytime, but the unfortunate glitch really causes a problem for two days in a row of the very short time I had with my son before he begins college again in January. The problem was supposedly fixed after I left a message, but the next day he was denied entry again. Had to drive him him and go back alone to exercise that morning. That's what led me to look at Gold's.

There are other choices, of course. Many women in the area really like Curves, which has a great business model and good offerings. But what is your favorite fitness center or fitness-related business in the Fox Valley?

Update: Gyms of course, are interested in selling you on expensive services like a personal trainer. Gold's Gym offers you a free one-hour session with a personal trainer who supposedly will get you acquainted with the equipment and so forth, but it turns out to be pretty much a sales pitch for a $780 month-long package of about 20 sessions with a personal trainer to help you reach your goals. Less intensive, less expensive options are available. A friend of mine has had great results with his training, but that's too pricey for me.

The Seasons: Back in Style, Now More Affordable and with Asian Specialties as Well

2010-12-14T05:44:00.000-08:00

Had a wonderful evening at the Seasons last night for a work party with the Innovationedge team and family. Especially enjoyed their amazing jumbo shrimp and spectacular apple dessert (also tried some of their chocolate mousse--yum!). The Seasons struggled for a while with a reputation of being too pricey, but a look at their menu refutes that. The lunch menu has everything between $8 and $12, such as dill seared salmon for $10 or their Reuben sandwich for $9, or seared ahi tuna salad for $12. The dinner menu has butternut squash ravioli for $18, Chilean sea bass for $28, and rack of lamb for $30. For starters, there are crabcakes for $12, a cheese plate for $12, etc., and four salads at $6.

They also have a page of Asian dishes, having brought in the chef that was doing Lemon Grass, the excellent Thai restaurant that was in an awkward location. The Asian menu features orange glazed chicken for $18, red, yellow, or green curry for $17, shrimp and scallops for $25, and among appetizers, there is ahi tuna tacos for $12 or Thai spring rolls for $6.

Great food, excellent service, and a very pleasant, classy setting, now including some touches of Thai decoration.

Thumbs up for the Seasons. They are at 213 South Nicolet Road in Appleton, a few yards south of the golden reflective Berbee building near the College Avenue entrance to the mall, and just west and a bit south of Outback Steakhouse.
(920) 993-9860

Hmong New Year on Dec. 18, Appleton East High School

2010-12-10T19:51:00.000-08:00

Next week the Hmong New Year celebration in the Fox Valley will be at Appleton East High School, 10 am to 3 pm. This is a wonderful, busy event filled with beautiful costumes, dancing, music, food, and fun. The vibrant Hmong community in the Fox Valley will be showing many aspects of Hmong culture and fun. Hope you'll stop by and experience some of it.

The Amazing Appleton Boy Choir

2010-12-07T05:07:00.000-08:00

An important part of Appleton's wonderful musical heritage is the Appleton Boy Choir. They have been ambassadors of Appleton for over 30 years. On Saturday, I heard the incredibly beautiful performance of the Boy Choir combined with the adult male voices of the Mastersingers in their Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols performance, an annual event that has been held every year since 1979. Nine readers from the community offer short readings from the Bible, each followed by hymns and carols that shine light on the powerful message of Christmas. The event was held at Lawrence Chapel.

My beautiful wife, Kendra, was selected as one the readers this year. I'm very grateful for that (it also meant I got a great seat near the front of the chapel). Other readers included our outstanding mayor, Timothy Hanna, Ellen Kort (Wisconsin's Poet Laureate), Brian Pertl (Dean of Lawrence University's Conservatory of Music), Dar Stumpf (as in Stumpf Ford--a big supporter of the Choir), Eli Oestreich (choir member), Barry Hoff (one of the MasterSingers), Todd Nennig (Boy Choir Camp Dad), and Anne-Marie Brunner Abderholden (Exec. Director of the Valley Academy for the Arts). Wonderful readings and beautiful singing. Such a treat.

I lingered after the performance to keep listening to the wonderful organ music afterward by Marianne Chaudoir, the organist for the Festival. Just wonderful!

Appleton has so many great cultural events. Love it! And really, the people of this community are so terrific, from the Mayor and big leaders of commerce and government to my neighbors, co-workers, and random people I meet at the store. There are some exceptions, but this really is a wonderful place to live. And the great is part of the Appleton experience.

Extending the Appleton Mystery Photo Contest, with Clues

2010-11-28T18:50:00.000-08:00

The latest Appleton Mystery Photo Contest has proven too difficult, so I'm extending it and adding a few clues, plus upping the ante. The prize for the most correct answers will include the previously announced coupon for free pizza at Glass Nickel Pizza plus two silver half dollars from Appleton's best coin shop, Affordable Rare Coins on Northland Avenue. These coins come from the good ol' days in the United States when money had intrinsic value and wasn't just an expression of creative work with a printing press. Total value of the prize is about $40 now, so give it a try. The contest is now extended to 5 pm, Dec. 10, 2010. Get the most right answers and you win the prize. First person to identify 5 photos gets a pizza coupon also.

Nov. 30 Update: We have a winner!
Early on Nov. 29, Kevin Vonck of Green Bay correctly identified all of the mystery photos from this round. His answers:

>> 1: rear entrance of Vagabond Imports in downtown Appleton
>> 2: inside of Lawrence Memorial Chapel
>> 3: Appleton Boat Repair on North Popp Lane in Grand Chute
>> 4: west exterior wall of old gym @ Appleton East HS
>> 5: statue at intersection of Main Street and Racine Street in Menasha
>> 6: "Isle of Valor" arch over pathway @ Smith Park in Menasha
>> 7: Union Jack on South Olde Oneida Street in Appleton
>> 8: the old synagogue on North Meade Street (now Hmong Alliance Church?) in Appleton

Good enough for victory. Thanks, Kevin!

Honorable mention and a pizza coupon also goes to Ben Miller of Appleton, who correctly identified the photos a little later the same day. Kudos to both of you!

Clues:

1. Rear of a downtown shop.

2. From the inside of a building that houses many cultural events.

3. Not far from Fleet Farm.

4. That car might belong to a coach.

5. Menasha. On a major road.

6. Menasha honors some who gave their all.

7. Don't get the knack of this? Maybe you'll get the jack.

8. A church in Appleton.

Appleton's Sushi Surge: Sapporo Shines

2010-11-28T18:35:00.000-08:00

What's up with the invasion of sushi into Appleton? Whatever is motivating the sushi surge, I welcome it. As I've previously reported, Appleton has long had great sushi at Koreana (delicious, high-end) (pricier but even more delicious), Far East, Nakashimas, and Fuji Sushi (a buffet with perhaps the best value for hungry sushi cravers), not to mention the relatively recent addition of Dong Po's sushi bar and limited sushi offerings (mostly in the style of California rolls) at Asia Garden, Hong Kong Buffet in Neenah, and some other places. But in the past few weeks, we've been had a surprising sushi surge on the southeast side of town, where Sapporos and the Thai, Sushi, and Japanese Steakhouse establishments are competing within a few blocks of each other on Eisenhower Road. Sapporo's is just north of Calumet in the strip mall on the east side of the street across from Kohls, very close to the popular new Anytime Fitness gym (where I happen to have a membership - awesome place, by the way).

I took my son, recently returned from two years in Taiwan, to Sapporo Sushi for lunch. What I love about Sapporo's is that they use the fun and convenient floating sushi boat system, popularized in Japan, I believe, to deliver a steady stream of sushi offerings to customers who can simply take what looks good right off the moving sushi boats. Based on the color of the plates, the cost of the dishes (typically two pieces of sushi, sometimes more) ranges from 99 cents to $3.99 in one dollar intervals. Ringing up the bill is simplified: just count the plates and multiply by the cost.

When I was there, the 99-cent dishes included a daily special that was two pieces of a terrific spicy tuna roll. A tremendous and delicious value. There is a large mix of sushi types to choose from plus some other items like edame (very good soybeans), seaweed salad, and fruit. In addition to sushi and sashimi, one can also order a hot dish of unagi (eel) on a bowl of rice, miso soup, or just a bowl of hot rice. I tried both the unagi and miso soup and was especially impressed with the unagi--perhaps the best unagi I've had. Miso soup was OK but nothing to write home about and just barely interesting enough to blog about. Service was excellent and the sushi chefs were friendly and warm. This was a late lunch, about 1:30 pm, and there were just four or five others eating.

I took a group of 7 people back for dinner the same night. The restaurant was crowded, with a majority of the seats around the central sushi boat track being occupied by about 25 people. The food was still good, but there were some glitches, perhaps due to overtaxing the system and personnel. It took a surprisingly long time for utensils and water to be brought to us after we were seated. Only half of our group got water--I just got up eventually and brought glasses and water over for the others myself. We also ordered some bowls of rice, a miso soup, and the unagi. It never came. When I went to ask for the bill, the waitress, who had spent most of the night standing at a computer terminal--puzzling--said, "Oh, sorry about not bringing the rice--did I tell you were are out of rice?" That's a strange thing to run out of at a sushi place, but that still didn't explain the missing miso soup. I let it go and still left the usual tip, being a softy when it comes to sushi.

Since my group had kindly focused on the 99-cent plates for about half of what they consumed, the bill for 7 people with tax came to only $44. Not bad! And eating can be very fast if you are in a hurry.

Overall, I love the sushi boat concept and have respect for their sushi chefs and the excellent products they provide. Based on my two experiences, one at dinner and at lunch, service can vary and if you are there at a busy time, you may encounter some glitches. Stay focused on what is floating past you, though, and you should be pleased.

Update: On Dec. 2, after a fun dance class, I took my wife to Sapporo's for a quick bite of sushi. She's not a big fan of sushi, but loved it. She noticed that the sushi has more flavor than she's had in the past - partly because the chef often uses sauces in sushi rolls that add zest and flavor. I also noticed that the rice was exceptionally good--outstanding flavor just with the rice. I talked to the chef, Mr. Li, for a minute. He's actually Chinese but has 7 years of experience with AMC (?) in Japan. Very good technique.

My wife and I had a delicious and filling meal for just $12 plus two tips (waitress and chef). The miso soup was free that night--and great, as always.

Sapporo Sushi: N162 Eisenhower Drive, Appleton, WI 54915. Phone (920) 993-2222.

Christmas Parade Tonight! 6:20 PM, College Avenue

2010-11-23T12:21:00.000-08:00

As reported by the Post-Crescent, the somewhat-world-famous (SWF) Appleton Christmas Parade (APC) is tonight, starting at 6:20 PM. It should be cool but not as bad as we've had some years. Best place for photography is in front of Houdini Plaza, where TV crews will have bright lights. Use the skyway over College Avenue from the west side of the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel to move from one side of the street to the other, if needed.

Should be spectacular! Might even have some flames from our local ballooning club, if we're lucky. That's usually at the end.

If you live on the south side, Jones Park can be a good place to park if you don't mind walking up a long flight of stairs to reach city level.

Hot, Hot, Hot in Appleton

2010-11-21T14:38:00.000-08:00

The reported temperature on Oneida Street in southern Appleton was well above average recently. Maybe it is time to panic about climate change.

Another Winner for the Appleton Mystery Photo Contest - and New Photos for a New Contest

2010-11-13T14:16:00.000-08:00

She did it again! Eveyln Li got the highest number of right answers to the last Appleton Mystery Photo Contest. Evelyn wins a coupon for a free pizza at my sponsor, Glass Nickel Pizza of Appleton. Mmmm!

Photo #7 from the last contest was not identified, though, and I'll keep it for this contest. Here are eight new photos for this week. This contest will end on Black Friday, Nov. 26, at 5 PM. First one to name them all or the one who gets the most correct wins. Good luck! (Note: two of the photos are from Menasha.)

Benigans: A Great Start and a Great Addition to the Valley

2010-11-09T21:32:00.000-08:00

On Nov. 2, Bennigan's opened their doors in Appleton with a kick-off celebration for this new restaurant on Mall Drive near the Fox River Mall (149 N. Mall Drive, Appleton). They had the street smarts to invite yours truly, and I brought along my wife and two friends. It was busy, bustling, and bodacious (remember that word? slang for "gnarly"). And did I mention delicious?

This new Bennigan's has an upbeat decor that emphasizes the themes of fun, lively, and tasteful. They have a gas fireplace on the patio outside, a nice place to gather when the weather permits, while the inside is classy, bright, and comfortable.

The food is what I came for, and I was not disappointed. Everyone in our group was impressed with their meal. We started with a Southwest Sampler, an appetizer with a variety of southwest-themed foods such as a delicious cheese and chicken quesadilla, nachos, and other items, all surprisingly good. I ordered something that looked simple but was another surprise on the plus side: the O'Toole Pretzel Sandwich, a turkey and cheese sandwich on an awesome pretzel bread bun. Excellent flavor.

Another surprise was the chicken spinach salad. Sounds hohum, but it was beautiful, flavorful, and filling. I got to sample some of that and plan to order it when I go back, A lot of chicken, wonderful sauce, and many of my favorite sald fixings. More of a high protein meal than a salad.

The hand-battered fish and chips also delighted. Might be the best in the Valley. Very fresh, cooked just right, not greasy, with a batter that really added value. Nice.

For desert, the Smores Brownie Sundae also exceeded my expectations. Beautiful presentation including a toasted marchmallow on the side of the plate, with an arrangement of ice cream and browniea on the plate.

Service was excellent--surprisingly informative, friendly, efficient, and accurate. We had Chandra helping us plus a fun chat with the bar manager who helped us feel even more welcome.

The only weakness in the meal, in my opinion, was with the flavored lemonades we tried. Too sweet for my taste and too much ice in the glass. Still good.

In spite of beginning with a "B", in my book, Bennigan's began it's journey in Appleton with an "A" in every category: service, flavor, friendliness, fun, creativity, and value (and not just because we ate for free: the listed prices make this one of the best values in the Valley). Thank you, Bennigan's, and thanks for the chance to try out a welcome new addition to our town.

920-830-7704

Magician Jeff McBride Performs at Kaukauna High School Tonight - One of the World's Best Magicians!

2010-11-01T06:54:00.000-07:00

Jeff McBride performs tonight, Nov. 1, at Kaukauna High School at 6:30 PM. Jeff McBride is one of the world's best and most theatrical magicians. He had a positive experience in the Fox Valley a few year ago for our Houdini Days, and, as I understand, is coming back more as a favor to the good people he met and the terrific audiences he experiences. Come out and enjoy! 6:30 PM, $15 per person. You'd pay several times that much to see him in Vegas. javascript:void(0)

Another Appleton / Fox Valley Mystery Photo™ Contest, Week Two

2010-10-30T14:02:00.000-07:00

It's time for another Appleton Mystery Photo™ Contest! This contest ends Friday, Nov. 5 at midnight. Person with the most correct answers wins, or, if there is a tie, the earliest submission wins. That means if you can tell me the location of all 10 photos--oops, I've got 11 this week--, you win instantly. Not easy, though. Actually, this round should be called the Fox Valley Mystery Photo™ Contest since a few of the photos are from the Fox Valley (hint: Neenah and Menasha). Some are very easy, but others are quite difficult. Winner gets a coupon from our sponsor, Glass Nickel Pizza, for a free 14-inch large pizza (specialty pizza or up to four toppings), a value of up to $17.70. (You're still responsible for tax and tip.) Glass Nickel is also one of the most aesthetically interesting restaurants in the Valley because of the photography on their walls from, uh, yours truly. Yes, the 11 x 14 or 8 x 10 photos displayed there can be purchased. Other sizes are available.

A couple of notes and hints: One of the photos is of one of my sons at a site that some people like for Neenah prom photos. Three of the photos were taken indoors in places where the public is welcome. I did not have to pay any kind of entrance fee to go there to take these photos, but for at least one of the indoor places, there are events held there that may require a ticket sometimes. For the one showing a dock, to get full credit, tell me how to reach the place where I stood. That means giving an approximate street address, or the name of the apartment complex nearby--don't just say "on the shore of Little Lake Butte des Morts." For onbne of the photos, you might be tempted to name a place that is actually very large, spanning many acres. That's not good enough. To get full credit, give enough detail that someone could go there and take the same photo without having to wander around like a professional voter fraud practitioner who got lost en route to their fifth voting booth of the day. Oh, one more suggestion for this round: click to enlarge.

Good luck!

Mystery Photos, Set B. Deadline: Midnight Friday, Nov. 5, 2010.

Background: Week 1 photos and introduction, also answers for Week 1.

A Winner Has Identified All 10 Appleton Mystery Photos for This Week's Contest: Congratulations, Evelyn Li!

2010-10-28T09:11:00.000-07:00

This week's Appleton Mystery Photo Contest has come to an end thanks to the outstanding photo detective work of Appleton resident Evelyn Li, who has managed to correctly identify all 10 of our mystery photos for the week.That's her standing on the stairs that were one of the more difficult photos to identify. The most difficult, though, was #2, the "Y" that many people assumed was part of the YMCA. She was the only contestant to identify that correctly.

Here are the winning answers:
1. The Fire - by College and the Durkee Street - always see photographers there shooting senior photos.

2. The Y can be found by the boat sale warehouse on S. Oneida St. This one is by far the most difficult one. We knew that we have seen it somewhere but couldn’t recall. (She included a photo of her standing in front of it.)

3. The building is part of Lawrence University, near the Appleton downtown Y. Brokaw Building.

4. Those stairs can be found on newly built College Ave Bridge. (See the photo above.)

5. The newly restored old church by E. Harris Street and Durkee St.

6. The Mary Gold Mile sign can be seen at the corner of Olde Oneida Street and Oneida Street.

7. In front of The Building for Kids museum The Il Angolo restaurant in the background gives it away.

8. The S.C. Shannon building is currently occupied by the Appleton Area School District on Morrison St.

9. The Body Shop is a tattoo shop, located on Wisconsin Ave, near Richmond St.

10. Highland Memorial Park on Richmond Street, next to the Affinity Health Center.

Here is what Evelyn has to say about her victory and about Appleton, used with her permission:

Most locations were easy to find, since they are either close to where I live or they are on my way to work.... What got me stuck were the Y and the stairs. The Y painting got solved when you provided the hint since we recognized the warehouse. But we spent lots of time looking for the stairs, especially when you hinted that one of them is located south of Hwy 441 [Jeff's note: this was an error on my part. Sorry!]. We resorted to Google maps and Bing/Live maps to scan every building along the major streets south of 441! (Found some great places to visit in the near future though.) Eventually we analyzed the clues in the photo: new paint, new wide cement steps, and road sign along the top of the steps. We decided to check it out ourselves at 10:30 on a stormy night!

I have lived in Appleton for more than 12 years and still love it every single day. We found your blog (Appleton Rules!) many years ago and have relied on it for suggestions of all sorts of places to eat and to visit. Appleton has the best balance of big city variety and small town charm. Pretty darn good food and excellent tiger paws of course.

Congratulations, Evelyn! I'll have more photos posted this week to begin next week's Appleton Mystery Photo Contest. Evelyn wins a free 14-inch pizza from our sponsor, Glass Nickel Pizza--one of the few places in town where you can see some of my photos mounted on the walls. Go check them out and let them know that you came for the photos (and the food). Yes, the photos can be purchased. Contact me for details. Good luck on the next Mystery Photo Contest!

Calumet County Sales Tax to Increase?

2010-10-27T05:41:00.000-07:00

Calumet County is considering adding a half-cent sales tax. The theory is it will help reduce property taxes. Good luck with that. How about reducing spending? Government jobs nationwide have been increasing, government salaries have remained bloated, while jobs that contribute to the economy have been declining and salaries dropping. Let's cut the size of government before we cut the economy even more.

While on the topic of spending, has anyone noticed how many of our expensive concrete roads in this area are torn up and rebuilt year after year? Out in southeast Appleton, Midway Road and nearby roads have been torn up and rebuilt about six times in the past decade. Midway and Plank Road just received two very expensive roundabouts this year. Did we really need to spend so much money at this time of economic crisis?

Mystery Photo Contest: A Clue to Help with the Mysterious Y Photo

2010-10-26T08:35:00.000-07:00

Contestants for the current Appleton Mystery Photo contest have struggled with the mysterious "Y" photo. Many assumed it must be part of a YMCA building, but that's not where it was taken. It was taken in Appleton but not near the downtown Y. To help you find it, here's photographic clue taken just moments before the challenging "Y" photo (#2) was taken. The clue isn't a piece of cake either, but good sleuths should be able to move forward.

One more hint: you may not be able to see this easily by just driving on major roads in Appleton. That's why the clue photo may be needed to help you hone in on this one.

One of Two Winners for This Week's Mystery Photo Contest: Congratulations, Ben Miller!

2010-10-23T09:47:00.000-07:00

Ben Miller of Appleton was the first person to correctly identify at least 5 photos in this week's Appleton/Fox Valley Mystery Photo Contest, netting him a coupon good for a free 14-inch pizza with up to four toppings at the delightful Glass Nickel Pizzeria. There's still one more prize for this week for the person who gets the most correct answers. No one has identified all 10 yet. You have until Friday at 4 PM, but the first to get all 10 wins instantly.

Congratulations, Ben!

Ben has a blog that I'd like to share with you: BenAndLeanna.com. I'm adding it to the links on the lower left side of this blog under "Other Blogs from Fox Cities Folks." Kudos, Ben and Leanna!

Parents, Protect Your Children from This Dangerous Book! Protestors Needed ASAP - Attention Post-Crescent!

2010-10-23T08:37:00.000-07:00

The big headline story on the front page of this morning's Post-Crescent newspaper is "'Coming of Age' Book Challenged in Appleton." The story features a nice color photo of the book The Body of Christopher Creed. It's supposedly a dark book and some parents may feel it's not appropriate for use in middle school, hence an objection by a parent and a front-page story. We can learn two important lessons from this:

1. There isn't any news about the Packers right now that would make people want to buy a newspaper.

2. A single concerned parent objecting to a book can result in front-page publicity for that book.

With Lesson #2 in mind, I need to alert Appleton parents about an even darker, more objectionable book that is even more inappropriate for use in middle school. It's Conquering Innovation Fatigue: Overcoming the Barriers to Personal and Corporate Success (John Wiley & Sons, 2009). Please, dear readers, would one of you help save the children by launching a protest about this book? No, it's not currently being used in the schools, but what kind of parent would sit back and what for that threat to occur before defending our children? NOW is the time to act and let the world know that we won't stand for this kind of garbage messing with the minds of our children. Kids exposed to this book could very well turn our to become social misfits such as inventors or entrepreneurs instead of going into sports. Let's work together to ban it now! Why do I care so much? Hey, it's all about the children.

If you're not in Appleton, no matter. This is a book that should be objected to across the nation, especially where local sports teams aren't doing well. Make sure you contact your local media to explain why this book is so inappropriate. Watch the comments below for good ideas on how to object and why.

Care to join the fray? Just let me know your reason for banning this book. The person with the best reason will win a free copy of, uh, Conquering Innovation Fatigue. Deadline for submitting your reasons is midnight, Oct. 31. Post them here or send me email: jeff at jefflindsay.com.

The Appleton Mystery Photo Contest Returns: Win Free Pizza from Glass Nickel Pizza

2010-10-21T05:58:00.000-07:00

It's been a while, but I'm finally ready for a new round of Mystery Photo Contests. From now until Christmas, we'll be giving away free pizza each week, courtesy of Appleton's hottest new pizzeria, Glass Nickel Pizza. Glass Nickel Pizza has awesome pizza crust with top-notch ingredients, along with delightful salads and sandwiches. And I love the clever artwork made with thousands of nickels embedded in the glass (actually acrylic, I think) along their bar. That's not the only artwork you'll see at this establishment. Glass Nickel now features some of my photographs from the area on their wall (right side of the restaurant, last time I checked). Yes, the photos are available for purchase.

So here's how the context works. Each week I'll post some photos from Appleton or the Fox Valley (I'll tell you if any are from outside of Appleton). Identify as many photos as you can and tell me where each photo was taken. You get points for each correct answer (one point per photo unless otherwise indicated). Person with the most points that week gets a coupon worth up to $15 for a free pizza (you still need to cover the taxes and tip). Identify the location by giving either the approximate street address (e.g., "intersection of College and Meade, north side" or "169 W. 8th Street") or identifying the establishment (e.g., "interior of Lawrence Chapel" or "outhouse behind Planet Lindsay LLC Global Headquarters"). My immediate family members are excluded. Sorry, honey!

Here are this week's photos, all from greater Appleton. To submit your answers, email me at both jeff at jefflindsay.com and jeff at magicinnovation.com. That decreases the chance of missing your answer. I'm the final judge.

Oh, I'll sometimes provide hints during the week for more difficult photos, so check this blog regularly. Special update: We'll have two winners this week. One for the person with the most correct answers, and another for the FIRST PERSON to name 5 or more locations correctly. So hurry!

If you like any of the photos on this blog or elsewhere on my website, ask the good folks at Glass Nickel to display it there. The best recommendation for a new photo that results in an addition to Glass Nickel's display will win a pizza as well.

Here are 10 photos for this week. Photo #5 features my brother, FYI, the famous Dave Lindsay, owner of Avalanche Studios, the place to go for professional video productions. Get your answers to me by 4 pm on Oct. 29. I'll try to announce the winner of Week 1 that evening. Meanwhile, anybody can enjoy great pizza and a little photography at Glass Nickel in Appleton. Hey, other pizza places and restaurants in general are welcome to become sponsors of the Appleton Mystery Photo Contest.

One more thing: please don't give away any locations yet in the comments.

Mystery Photos, Set A. Deadline: 4 PM Friday, Oct. 29.

One hint: At least one difficult photo is taken near a major street south of Hwy 441.

Garage Door Trouble? My Amazing Experience with American Door Systems and Controls

2010-10-20T13:47:00.000-07:00

If you've got trouble with your garage door or need one installed, I'm happy to recommend a company and an expert that wowed me today. Norman Teer, the owner of American Door Systems and Controls, gets my highest accolades for expertise, honesty, service, and going the extra mile. He can be reached at 920-730-5697.

My heart sank the other night when I pushed the garage door button to close it before locking up and turning out the lights. As the door closed, I heard a horrible crunching sound. I opened the kitchen door and looked out to see the garage door pressing down on the back of my car--I had left it slightly under the garage door because a couple bins of apples were in the way from our apple harvest. The opener that moves the garage door had continued pressing down so hard that the top panel of the door had been ripped open by a metal bracket that kept moving into the door. Another panel was warped. The beam that holds the garage door opener looked bent. I figured everything was ruined and needed to be replaced, and guessed that it would cost $2000 or so. I was mostly worried about the car, but it was unscratched, amazingly. Thank goodness for shocks.

With three sons in college and a fourth going back to BYU in January (he just returned from a two-year mission in Taiwan) and several people around us needing financial help, and with the largest tax rise in history about to take place in January (ouch! don't do it, Steve!), and with some other demands on our resources, I was worried about facing a huge bill for my stupidity in wrecking the garage door. (To be fair, the boys all have great scholarships and hardly cost us anything, but we do help a little.)

I called ADS (American Door Systems) as a somewhat random selection after Googling garage doors in Appleton, WI. Am I glad I did! Norman came over that day and explained a lot of things to me -- I love it when skilled people can teach and explain what's happening. He helped me understand why we've had problems with the door for years, and some of the errors that others had made in installing it and then repairing it. He also explained that he could take advantage of another repair job to get door panels for me at no cost. He also showed me how the trolley had been damaged, but not the beam, and told me the most cost effective route would be to order that part myself from Sears, but he could do it if needed.

A couple days later, I had the part and he had the panels, and so today he came by and installed it. He again explained a lot of things to me and helped me understand more about the door and its maintenance. He got everything looking and operating great. I was expecting all sorts of charges besides his time in the bill, but was amazed to see that he only charged me for his time. In fact, he only charged for part of his time, being a little too tight with his chronology. After all he did for me, he only asked for $65. I was flabbergasted and told him he was being unfairly generous. I wrote him a check for a lot more than than, but it was still under 10% of what I thought the cost would be, and far far less than I would have paid anywhere else, I 'm sure.

You probably won't be this lucky to have expensive replacement parts provided for free, but I'm willing to be you'll be delighted with the expertise and professionalism of Norman if you have him do your door. He's a real expert, dedicated to high quality and safety, and is just too kind for his own good. Please don't let him get away with undercharging you!

Now the garage door opener is set so that the door stops its descent after only a light force is encountered. Before it could have seriously hurt someone, or ripped the door to pieces before it stopped if something like a car was in the way.

When you do get a new door, make sure you get the higher quality springs that Norman always uses (springs that can last for roughly 20,000 cycles). They last much longer. And make sure each door has two springs to support it, not just one. Much safer when a spring finally fails.

Favorite Wireless Hot Spots in Appleton?

2010-10-16T08:51:00.000-07:00

As I write, I'm at Fox Tire on Valley Road, one of Appleton's longest running tire service shops. It's in an old building, but I just noticed that they have free wireless. It's great seeing so many places recognize that customers who may spend time in your shop might appreciate free wireless.

My favorite wireless hot spot in town is the Outagamie Country Airport. No need for overpriced Boingo or other commercial wireless services--it's completely free and not nearly as annoying as, say, the free service at the Denver International Airport that keeps adds mounted on every page and requires you to log in again every 30 minutes or so.

The Appleton Public Library, a real gem of a library, has free wireless, of course. As do many cafes and restaurants such as Copper Rock, one of my favorites.

What are your favorite hot spots in town?

Cool Job Alert: User Experience Designer Needed in the Fox Valley

2010-10-01T15:39:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine at one of Wisconsin's coolest companies, Red Fusion Studios, is looking for a User Experience Designer. See http://www.milwaukeejobs.com/jobs.asp?pagemode=15&jid=2107614. The project they have is in the lower Fox Valley, so while the company is further south, they likely wouldn't have to relocate for a while, if ever. Eventually, they may want the person in Madison or Port Washington. But at the rate Red Fusion is growing, they could easily open a 3rd studio in the Fox Valley. That would be cool!

Here's some info from the posting:

Red Fusion Studios is seeking an experienced interactive designer. We need someone who is equal parts strategist, architect and art director. This individual will be responsible for coordinating with the internal team to solve a complex but exciting user interface problem. We need someone with talent and skills in both graphic design and user experience design. That is, someone who can design the structure and experience of an interface and then apply an aesthetic layer over that structure. Moreover, we need this person to play a mediation role between the various client stakeholders, help align their internal priorities to actual user needs, so great communication skills are a must.

Requirements:

* BA/BS in Graphic Design, Information Architecture, User Experience, or portfolio demonstrating equivalent expertise
* 6+ years professional experience creating interfaces
* Application UI design experience preferred
* Information architecture experience preferred
* User Experience design experience preferred
* Expert skills in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop a given
* Excellent communication skills a must
* Must be self-managing and able to deliver quality result, every time, on time

To apply, please provide a resume and links to an online portfolio to: beth.pelland at redfusionstudios.com

Tell them Jeff Lindsay sent you!

Robbed on My Doorstep, Held at Smilepoint by a Local Gang

2010-09-25T12:36:00.000-07:00

Here in "safe" Appleton, I was actually victimized today by a bold gang who robbed me right on my doorstep. Beware, you could be next. I should have noticed the bright gang colors as they approached: blue and yellow shirts, baseball caps, with bright bandannas around their necks. There were two main perpetrators, relatively short white males, about 3 foot four, no visible scars or tattoos, and there was an accomplice nearby, an older white male who pulled the red getaway wagon. This dreaded local "Cub" gang held me at smilepoint until I agree to fork over $20 for a 1-pound bag of toffee popcorn. Thank goodness I didn't have a lot of cash with me, or it could have been much worse. I might be wolfing down two bags instead of just one.

This is the price I pay for being stuck working at home, getting ready for a presentation on Monday when I should have been at Octoberfest today. Could have been enjoying Tiger Paws! Maybe there's still time....

Don't waste your time calling the police when these gangs come after you--turns out quite a few police have sons who are tied to these groups. Some even help them out during so-called "fundraising drives." The only thing you can do to protect yourself is to be prepared: remember, no matter what they say, don't look at those eyes and especially not at those smiles. It's kind of like a reverse Gorgon effect: one look and your stone cold heart will turn all soft on you and have you handing out your hard-earned money to fundraising gangsters. Be prepared!

Hey, this popcorn is actually really good. Whoa, maybe I should have bought two....

Love That Truck: The Learning Shop

2010-09-20T21:00:00.000-07:00

The Learning Shop on West College Avenue is still an fun place to visit, even with my kids all mostly grown up. Went there the other night with my wife to pick up some items for some classes at the Classical School where she teaches. What fun I had! Couldn't resist buying a few things. And hey, I love that truck. One of the prettiest in the Valley. This was a shot at about 7:30 pm, after dusk.

Higher Education in Appleton

2010-09-18T19:19:00.000-07:00

Appleton offers some terrific options for advanced education. Here's a partial list of opportunities in the Valley:

Lawrence University - a private university with an outstanding reputation and a beautiful campus, drawing students (1400, all undergrad) from nearly every state of the US plus over 50 foreign countries. Founded by the Wisconsin territorial legislature in 1847, it has been coeducational since its founding and is the second oldest coeducational college in the U.S. In 1964, Milwaukee-Downer College in Milwaukee consolidated with Lawrence, thus merging the traditions of an established coeducational institution with a highly regarded women's college. Lawrence University is a source of numerous cultural events for the community. The music offerings rival that of many larger cities and larger universities.

Fox Valley Technical College - a college providing training in many career-related areas. It began in 1917, becoming the first school dedicated exclusively for vocational education. It is one of the best technical colleges in the nation, in my opinion and the opinion of many others. Large, beautiful campus with numerous high-quality courses and leadership committed to excellence. It's a gem for the Midwest and truly one for the Valley.

University of Wisconsin-Fox Valley - A significant institution in the UW system, UW-Fox Valley sits on 41 acres of land and boasts 1,782 students. It hosts the world-class Barlow Planetarium and the state's official mineralogical museum, the Weis Earth Science Museum.

Extension campuses or centers in the Fox Valley:
- Concordia University, Appleton Center. A Wisconsin university with a center in our town and a partnership with Fox Valley Technical College. Outstanding programs, according to one student I talked to.
- Marian University, Appleton Center - A Fond du Lac university with a center in Appleton.
- Rasmussen College, Appleton. Rasmussen College - Appleton offers Bachelor's and Associate's degrees in Business, Allied Health, Justice Studies, and Technology & Design. Founded in 1900, Rasmussen College is an accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, and offers degrees both online and through a network of 21 campuses in the Midwest and Florida.
- University of Phoenix, Appleton Learning Center. Popular remote learning school with a center in town.

Two Fox Valley Men to Be Honored with Johann Gutenberg in a Hall of Fame Ceremony, Sept. 23

2010-09-15T10:21:00.000-07:00

What does Johannes Gutenberg have in common with Henry Frambach of Kaukauna (1840-1921) or John Swanson of Appleton (1917-2004)? These three men, with two others, will be inducted to the Paper Industry International Hall of Fame on Sept. 23, 2010 in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Henry Frambach was a  pioneer papermaker who built and ran six paper or pulp mills in Wisconsin and Michigan. Frambach was instrumental in bringing an advanced groundwood process to Wisconsin in 1872 which helped accelerate the US paper industry. He obtaiined fourteen U.S. patents. One interesting part of his career was being the manager for paper making exhibit at the Chicago Columbian Exposition of 1893e.

John Swanson was a famous professor at the Institute of Paper Chemistry, where he served from from 1941 to 1982. (The Institute later moved to Georgia and became part of Georgia Tech as the Institute of Paper Science and Technology.) He was an expert in the chemistry of surfaces and colloids and used his expertise to help advance papermaking from a mysterious art into a science.

Gutenberg, I understand, was some guy from Germany who had something to do with early non-electronic media (maybe early precursors of the Kindle and iPad?), apparently using some kind of printing technology to create reading material that had to be physically picked up to be accessed. Go figure. Well, I guess that's cool, too.

There are two other inductees: Friedrich Gottlob Keller (1816-1895, Germany) who helped develop ways to use trees for papermaking (it was his process that Frambach brought to Wisconsin and further refined), and Jasper Mardo (1921-1997, Vancouver, Canada), a leader and educator who brought about many advances in knowledge and practice in papermaking.

Congressional District Republican Debate Tonight

2010-09-07T09:16:00.000-07:00

As reported by the Post-Crescent, there will be a debate tonight at Fox Valley Lutheran that I'm planning to attend.

An 8th Congressional District debate among Republican candidates Terri McCormick, Reid Ribble and Roger Roth will take place from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 7 at Fox Valley Lutheran High School, 5300 N. Meade St., Appleton.

Maybe some fireworks? Should definitely be interesting.

Doors open at 6:30 pm.

I used to be a debater in high school and always enjoy a meaningful debate, rare as they are.

Fox River to Be Featured in New Movie, Waterwalk

2010-08-26T06:57:00.000-07:00

The Post-Crescent reports that the Fox River will be featured in an independent movie being filmed in this area right now. The movie, Waterwalk, treats the story of a father-and-son journey retracing the route of French trader Louis Joliet and Jesuit missionary Jacques Marquette as they canoed across the Midwest. An especially dramatic moment in the movie, a near tragedy for the father and son team, occurred near an Appleton dam. The Fox River is not the biggest river in the Midwest, but it's a beautiful and powerful one that needs to be respected. It's a core part of Appleton history and culture.

Good luck to the movie crew. Hope they feel welcome while in the Valley.

Performance Plumbing - Great Experience

2010-08-13T07:04:00.000-07:00

Today I was extremely impressed with the expertise and service I received from master plumber Andy Nielsen of Performance Plumbing, LLC. They are based in Shiocton but do a lot of work in Appleton and the Fox Valley. Performance Plumbing Services can be reached at (920) 585-5370. He quickly diagnosed a problem that others had missed (or caused, frankly), and explained to me how my do-it-yourself effort to fix the problem had missed a couple of subtleties and eventually failed. He is a great educator as well as a skilled plumber. Very impressed!

I learned about Andy from my favorite building expert in the Valley, Bradd Syring of Syring Homes.

Opportunity May Be Knocking: Opportunity Way

2010-08-09T19:58:00.000-07:00

Opportunity Way in Menasha, just south of Appleton off of Midway Road, is a street filled with opportunities to serve and make life better for the community. The Community Clothes Closet, St. Joseph's Food Pantry, and local headquarters for United Way are all there. What a great part of town. We have a service-minded community here where lots of people donate and volunteer to help others. It's the Wisconsin way. (Jan. 2010)

New Discoveries in Fox Cities Dining: La Michoacana and Cherry on Top

2010-08-08T08:23:00.000-07:00

One of the best places for real Mexican food in the Fox Cities is a place most of you might not have noticed at all. La Michoacana (or Restaurante Michoacán) is hard to spot as a restaurant when you drive by--sign isn't all that clear. But they are there at 2188 South Memorial Drive, Appleton, near the old Valley Fair Mall across from the large Express convenience store, just north of the Hmong-Lao Partnership building. The place is clean and the food is great. Perhaps the most authentic Mexican food in the area, according to one Mexican friend of mine. Also some of the most affordable. From the state of Michoacan in southern Mexico, corn tortillas are the norm here with terrific flavoring. You'll find some items you've probably never seen before, such as the torta ahogada, a wet sandwhich covered in chili sauce. I loved it! But the less challenging tacos, tamales, burritos, enchiladas, and other dishes are also great and surprisingly inexpensive. Oh, and they serve horchata, a Mexican drink made from rice, sugar, and a touch of cinnamon. Please give this place a try!

For great dessets, I'm happy to recommend Neenah's new ice cream shop, Cherry on Top. At 130 West Wisconsin Avenue, the black and white Holstein cow motif on the building makes it easy to spot. They offer real hand-scooped ice cream that can be served as cones, sundaes, shakes, etc. They also offer real fruit smoothies, some of the best you'll find, and a few other treats. One thing I like is the presence of a water fountain in the shop since good ice cream often makes one thirst. Tip: a single scoop can be split into two flavors, but they half-scoops for each flavor are big enough to count as one scoop in my book. Very friendly staff, great quality ice cream, and good prices. Nice place to take the kids or your date for a treat.

Glass Nickel Pizza: Some of the Best in Town (New Restaurant)

2010-08-06T06:54:00.000-07:00

Some of the best pizza in town is now being served at Glass Nickel Pizza at 2120 West College Avenue. This building recently was Los Compadres, and a few years ago was a Friar Tucks. Now it's a beautiful, comfortable location for outstanding pizza, salads, and more. I had what was probably the best veggie pizza I can remember while there for lunch recently. The hand-tossed crust was terrific. They offer pizza with a variety of crusts and a large range of toppings. The salads are also terrific.

This restaurant will soon be featuring a few of my photos from the area also. Stay tuned!

If you're familiar with Madison, you may already have tried Glass Nickel Pizza. Popular there and soon to be popular here.

Whence the name? Look at the counter around the bar. You'll see an intricate, massive display of nickels in artistic patterns, embedded in clear plastic. Makes a fascinating design for an interesting establishment. Give them a try and tell them that Jeff Lindsay sent you.

The First Electric Car?

2010-07-29T05:11:00.001-07:00

Here's a proud moment from Appleton's history, courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society, where you can see the clipping directly.

According to the Appleton History page from the Appleton Public Library, the first electric street cars began operating in Appleton on August 16, 1886. Appleton was also the first community in the nation to have electric street cars. They ran until 1930. A couple other cities have claimed to have the first electric street cars, but one must realize that they are terribly biased. Here in Appleton we are simply objective lovers of history.

What Are the Top Inventions from the Fox Valley?

2010-07-26T13:57:00.000-07:00

I'm helping a reporter with information about the top inventions/innovations that have come from the Fox Valley. What would you suggest? On my list so far are things like carbonless paper and microencapsulation technology from Appleton Paper, major diaper innovations like superabsorbents in diapers, the popular Pandora application for smart phones [note: just some of the programming is being done here], and the hydro-electric powered home.

Sandhill Cranes

2010-07-25T06:48:00.000-07:00

Wisconsin is such a beautiful state. One of my favorite things about it are the birds, especially the cranes, herons, and egrets. Here are some Wisconsin sandhill cranes. They are most common further south of Appleton. These photos were taken Friday while camping at Harnischfeger County Park in Dodge County, north of Oconomowoc and close to Watertown (and just around the corner from the Honey Acres Honey Museum and not far from the House of Home-Made Sausage).

Click to enlarge.

Art in the Park Today

2010-07-25T06:44:00.001-07:00

Appleton's famous Art in the Park event is today at City Park. Due to all the water from heavy rainfall recently, exhibits will be in different locations than originally planned. They will all be on the streets around the park rather than on the grass. See the artist alert for setup instructions.

It begins at 9 am and continues until 4:30 pm. Enjoy!

Recent Positive Consumer Experiences in Appleton: Cars, Food, and Homes

2010-07-08T20:40:00.000-07:00

Quick update on my experiences as a consumer.

We needed to get a decent used car. We went to Bergstrom's Nissan/Hyundai area out on Victory Lane (terrific street name). We were wowed by the service and expertise (thank you Peter Holt and Jeff Buckner), by the prices, and by the company in general. I soon drove away with a wonderful car that cost less than I had expected. I have no hesitation in recommending Bergstrom, especially their Nissan and Hyundai team. Very pleased.

The next day we went back to pick up a floor mat and get some tips on the sound system (I love being able to plug my MP3 player into my car's stereo system now). Afterwards we drove by Jonathan's Italian Bistro and decided to give it a try for dessert only. It re-opened in May under new management and I've had people tell me it's great. Yes, wow, it really is. We tried two desserts and they were both home runs - artistic, beautiful, delicious. My wife had the Lemon Cialde, which was an amazing creation of lemon wafers and blackberries with chamomile-infused cream. The chamomile cream floored me. Brilliant. I had the strawberry and raspberry bread pudding, and it was also brilliant. The presentation for both was delightful. Real home runs. The rest of the menu looked great, too. Talked with the executive chef (Shawn Covill, I think was the name) and liked how he answered my questions - nice artistic flare to his work. Solid, well executed cooking. Mmmm.

I've also learned that one of my favorite home builders and realtors, Bradd Syring, is the go-to-guy for many people when they have repair needs. For electrical work, plumbing, flooring, painting, or whatever, Bradd knows some of the best people for the job and can send them out. You won't get the cheapest in the Valley, but you'll get the work done right. You can learn more about his home building business at Syring Homes. Tell him Jeff sent you! (I have no financial interest here, but know and greatly respect Bradd as one of the most honest and competent professionals I know.)

So there's my consumer update for the date. Happy shopping!

Appleton's Increasingly Diverse Community

2010-07-04T18:45:00.000-07:00

In spite of its strong northern European toots, Appleton and the Fox Valley has become increasingly diverse over the years. If you knew Appleton 30 years ago, you might be surprised and proud of some of the changes the town has gone through. For example, we have a surprisingly large Hmong community that started coming here in the early to mid 1990s as refugees from genocide in Asia. Hmong soldiers fought bravely for the United States in the secrets wars in Laos during the Vietnam War, and families that sacrificed for the US were finally given a little help by being rescued from dismal situations in the camps of Thailand and brought here. Learn more about the Hmong people and the reasons they are here on my page, "The Tragedy of the Hmong." Asians make up about 5% of our community. This also includes small numbers of people from other parts of Asia such as China, India, and Japan. I've got wonderful neighbors from northern India, for example.

Appleton is near to the Oneida Indian Reservation, hosting the Oneida Indian Tribe of Wisconsin. I've got some good friends among the Oneida Indians and am proud to have them be part of our northeastern Wisconsin community.

Appleton has growing numbers of Hispanic immigrants. I find many in the family have family roots in Guanajuato, Mexico, but I also know people from Veracruz State, Guadalajara, and many other regions. We also have people from the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and other Spanish speaking nations.

Appleton has a small number of Brasileiros, but not enough for my taste. We really need a Brazilian food store here. If you know of any place with Brazilian foods in the area, let me know - I'm in withdrawal after falling in love with the country a few weeks ago.

The African-American community is small, around 1%, but growing. My ties to that community are weaker, but some in it have told me that Appleton has been a relatively decent place to be. I think the community has made a lot of progress in terms of being an easy place for people of all races to live and hope that everyone feels welcome here.

A Serbian friend (actually from Montenegro) came here looking for a peaceful community for his family, and has been truly impressed with Appleton. Others from eastern Europe have shared similar positive experiences.

We're doing pretty well in terms of religious diversity also. Catholics and Protestants dominate (well, second to the Green Bay Packers, the unique local religion), but we have a good Jewish community and a variety of other traditions. We also have a small but thriving Muslim community. I know some of their people, have attended an open house with them, and am happy to report that the community has been kind to these friends who live their religion peacefully and make up valued parts of our community.

Our community is not without its problems and occasional acts of intolerance, but from my vantage point, it is a peaceful, tolerant, and kind community willing to give strangers a chance and to let good people from anywhere join us.

Looking for a great community? Come to Appleton--we still have openings!

Fourth of July Fireworks in the Fox Valley, 2010: Appleton Fireworks, Plus Neenah, Menasha, and Kimberly

2010-06-28T21:01:00.000-07:00

Appleton's fireworks show will be held, as usual, in our spacious Memorial Park on the north side of town. The event in on Saturday, July 3, NOT the Fourth of July. Why? Because our fireworks are coordinated with the other major shows in Neenah and Menasha, and this year they will have their on the 4th. This way you can attend fireworks both Saturday night and Sunday night. Whose got the best program? Hard to say - they are all worth attending. It's one of the few times that I can sort of enjoy watching my tax dollars going up in smoke.

The Appleton events begin at 5 pm, including music, games, food, and some kind of cosmic convergence, I think. The fireworks begin when it gets sufficiently dark - probably around 9 or 9:30 pm. Bring earplugs. Oh, and this year the fireworks will be in 3D. That is, enhanced with 3D effects if you're wearing 3D glasses that will be given out at the Park. To be safe, you can pick them up ahead of time at US Bank
at 200 N Durkee St. (the cool bank with the mirror-like exterior).

As reported by FoxCitesEvents.com, Neenah and Menasha have a full program of activities on the 4th of July, both culminating in fireworks shows running at the same time. The fireworks in both Menasha and Neenah begin at 9:30 PM on Sunday, the Fourth. The Menasha show occurs in Jefferson Park while Neenah's display is across the water in Riverside Park.

Then you can top off the holiday with more fireworks on Monday evening, July 5, at Kimberly's Sunset Park, one of the most beautiful parks in the Fox Valley. The fireworks begin at 9:30 pm, but get there earlier for more fun and to enjoy the beauty of sunset along the Fox River.

Great Summer Events in the Fox Valley: Celebrate Summer 2010 with Science, Art, History & Nature

2010-06-26T18:49:00.000-07:00

There are so many ways to have a great summer in the Fox Cities while experiencing art, science, history, and nature. Thanks to good friends supporting the Fox Cities Community Learning Connections project, I'm able to share some exciting info below. The Fox Cities Community Learning Connections is the result of collaboration among many non-profit educational venues and the Appleton Area School District. The result was an excellent teacher resource for planning field trips. Much more is in the works - I hope the community will get behind this effort and help make more rich experiences available for families and children. You can learn more about the project on the Paper Discovery Center website and you can view field trip opportunities on the Appleton Area School District website. Nice work!

Here are some of the fun events waiting for you and your family this summer:

Appleton Art Center

Description: The Art Center promotes, teaches and nourishes the creation and appreciation of the visual arts through exhibitions, educational programs and information resources.
Summer plans: Art classes scheduled for ages 2 through adult. Please check website or call for more. (Remodeling has been completed.)

Barlow Planetarium

Description: Sharing the wonders of the universe with Northeast Wisconsin since 1998. Explore the starry nighttime sky, visit the planets, travel to galaxies and beyond in Wisconsin’s first major planetarium. Family shows for the young and young-at-heart; feature shows for a more in-depth astronomy experience.
Summer plans: Wisconsin Space Academy and Wisconsin Astronomy Academy, week-long rocketry and astronomy classes for 3rd-8th graders featuring hands-on science, math and engineering activities. Educating & entertaining summer fieldtrips for youth and daycare groups that are both. Monthly family astronomy nights featuring telescope viewing on 5/22, 6/19, 7/ 24 & 8/ 21.

Bergstrom-Mahler Museum

Description: Be inspired at Wisconsin’s Glass Museum on Lake Winnebago. The museum preserves four glass collections: a world-renowned paperweight collection, a Germanic drinking vessel collection, Victorian glass baskets, and contemporary glass sculpture. See temporary exhibitions in a variety of media throughout the year.
Summer plans: The Wizards of Pop: Sabuda & Reinhart exhibit (through 6/19), Art Camp: The Art of Illustration (6/8-10 and 6/14- 18), Art Activity Days (5/1, 6/5, 8/7), Arts Festival at Riverside Park and Art Activity Tent on the museum’s front lawn (7/18). Art on-the-go totes available for check out from Neenah and Menasha Public Libraries with art activities for you to do at home. Check our website for additional information and programming.

The Building for Kids

Description: 30,000 sq. feet of family fun. 2-story tree with five tree forts, water play area, art and science studio, kids town, airplane, fire truck and much more!
Summer plans: Pizza Any Way You Slice It opens 6/5. This exhibit uses kids’ favorite food to teach math concepts. Sponsored by Aramark and Affinity, we will have many programs on healthy pizzas throughout the summer featuring fresh farm market produce. The Building for Kids Children’s Parade on 7/28 encourages children to use their creativity to build non-motorized parade floats. Free, but registration required. See our website for information.

Gardens of the Fox Cities

Description: The Gardens promote an understanding and appreciation of plants and gardens in a beautiful inspiring environment. Summer plans: Summer Safari field trips offered to Pre-K and daycares Marvin's Garden's summer-long gardening program Garden Adventure Series offered every Wed. afternoon throughout summer. Weekly Summer Gardening Camps on various topics are offered in summer. Listing of Adult and Child classes can be found on our website.
*Fox Cities Passport to Nature participant

Gordon Bubolz Nature Preserve

Description: Enjoy walking or jogging on our rustic woodland and meadow trails, or spot a wide variety of wildlife in the cedar swamp, pond, meadow or forest habitats of our 776-acre preserve. Visit the earth sheltered Nature Awareness Center to see educational exhibits.
Summer plans: Numerous summer programs including Frogging after Dark (5/21), Whittle a Walking Stick (6/19), Teen Geocache Bash (7/8), HerbFest (7/31). Check our website for all programs.
*Fox Cities Passport to Nature participant.

Hearthstone Historic House

Description: Tour a home on the National Register of Historic Place. Built in 1882, the beautifully restored home was the first in the world to have electric lights powered by a centrally located hydroelectric station using the Edison system. Summer plans: “From Headlines to History” exhibit looks at the history of newspapers in the Appleton area and some of the major news headlines over the last 125 years (through June 19). Visit our website for other upcoming events & programs.

Heckrodt Wetland Reserve

Description: Get outside and enjoy nature! This 76-acre nature reserve has a over 3 miles of stroller-friendly trails, Nature Center with live animals, and outdoor children's play area. Explore wetlands, forest, and prairie.
Summer plans: Summer general public programs, summer day camps, fieldtrip programs for daycare and youth groups.
*Fox Cities Passport to Nature participant

The History Museum at the Castle

Description: Perform magic for your friends and family and escape from jail like Houdini! Explore history through hands-on activities at The History Museum where children of all ages are welcome.
Summer plans: Make paper crafts in our 1850s paper workshop on select Thursday evenings. Visit FREE on International Museum Day (5/18), Moms FREE on Mom’s Day (5/9), Dads FREE on Dad’s Day (6/20). See website for dates and details about these and other events!

Mosquito Hill Nature Center

Description: Owned and operated by Outagamie County, Mosquito Hill Nature Center features an 11,000 square foot interpretive building; 430 acres of preserve with more than 5 miles of hiking trails, a 12-acre prairie planting and 300 acres of Wolf River bottomland hardwoods.
Summer plans: The center operates a 1,500 square foot enclosed structure landscaped for native butterfly species during the months of July and August. Butterfly House is open Wed., Sat. & Sun. 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Organized group tours of the butterfly house available upon request.

Paper Discovery Center

Description: Explore the world of paper through the study of science, technology, art & history. Make paper, climb through a paper machine, move a boat through the locks, and much more.
Summer plans: Summer Science Series sponsored by SCA Tissue. Extra hands-on science activities, starting the 3rd & 4th Wed of June, July and Aug and running through Saturday. Each week focused on a new science concept. Included in regular admission price.

1000 Islands Environmental Center

Description: Located on 350 acres of conservancy zone along the Fox River, 1000 Islands is home to numerous wildlife species including bald eagles. There are 7.2 miles of trails and a unique nature center that houses live animals, interactive displays and animal mounts from all over the world. Summer plans: Many free public programs are offered to visitors of all ages throughout the summer including Bird House Building and Crayfish & Critter Hunts. See website for a full program schedule.
*Fox Cities Passport to Nature participant

Weis Earth Science Museum

Description: Where science rocks! Explore the geology of our planet and our state. Make an earthquake, walk through a lead mine, detonate a quarry blast, touch a dinosaur bone, and much, much more!
Summer plans: Wisconsin Earth Adventure summer geology camp has week-long, hands-on, interactive geology programs in 4 levels for 3rd to 6th graders. Fun fieldtrips for daycare and youth groups. Year of the Niagara Escarpment exhibit opens 5/31.

There's so much going on this summer in Appleton! One of my personal favorites, of course, is Art in the Park, scheduled for July 25 at City Park.

Scenes from the Memorial Day Parade, Appleton, Wisconsin, May 31, 2010

2010-05-31T20:13:00.000-07:00

Here are some photographs from the big Memorial Day Parade in Appleton this morning (May 31, 2010). I'll start with a large view of my favorite photo, followed by small thumbnails of others. Click to enlarge (these images are linked to 700-pixel wide or tall photos).

Kudos to the Music Teachers in Appleton

2010-05-21T05:37:00.000-07:00

At the beautiful year-end choral performance of Appleton East this week, it became obvious that the leaders and teachers in that fine music program aren't just focused on creating a great experience for the audience, but in creating great experiences for their students to grow and succeed. What I saw goes beyond competence and professionalism, also revealing a genuine love for the students and an inspiring desire to help them succeed, not just in a single performance, but in life. Many teachers might be surprised to hear me say that since that's the natural attitude that teachers should have, but it really is an extra-mile thing and one that deserves a lot of respect when we see that kind of leadership in action. Especially when helping a student succeed involves personal risk for the teacher, such as selecting a soloist that might not necessarily be the top performer and may need a lot of extra time and coaching from the teacher. As a parent, it's just awesome to see teachers who really care and help kids to become better people. It's something I've seen not just at Appleton East, but throughout the district. It's easy to recognize in music, where we are blessed with many gifted and caring instructors and leaders, but it's an attitude you'll find in many other areas as well.

Appleton East has been a terrific high school for all four of my sons, but all our area high schools have a lot to offer. But if you can, encourage your kids to get involved in music. There are tremendous experiences and great instructors waiting for them.

Portages Added to the Fox River for Increased Access for Canoers, Kayakers

2010-05-13T05:37:00.000-07:00

The lock system along the beautiful Fox River is being augmented with portage features to allow paddlers to more easily move along the various stretches of the Fox River. By 2012, it will be possible to paddle from Lake Winnebago all the way to Green Bay. Thanks to the nonprofit Friends of the Fox organization, a major section of the river has now been made accessible to paddlers, and more work is underway. Michael King's story in the Post-Crescent, "Ceremony to open portage landings on first segment of Fox-Wisconsin Water Trail on Fox River in Appleton," reveals details and shows a map of the newly added portages.

Fox11 News ran the following story also:

Local Proms: Neenah Rocks, Appleton Area Dances Need Improvement

2010-05-09T13:39:00.000-07:00

For those parents and students who are troubled by permissive attitudes about inappropriate and offensive "grinding" at school dances in Appleton and elsewhere, there is good news. Nearby Neenah, Wisconsin has demonstrated at its last prom and other dances that "class" can still be part of school functions. Classy behavior without an abundance of grinding appears to be the norm at Neenah High dances. I congratulate Neenah High students, parents, and school officials! Whatever you all are doing to create that classy culture, I hope we can import it to Appleton, where we still have more of a problem with permissiveness toward bad behavior.

I know people are horribly offended to be told that their behavior or their children's behavior is inappropriate. Some can't imagine that in an earlier, more decent era that some "accepted" public behaviors today would have gotten a young man slapped, thrown out, and possibly suspended or even arrested. Some can no longer imagine why the so-called "dance" form of grinding is inappropriate and offensive, why it creates a hostile and unsafe environment for some kids, or, for example, why some young women would feel sexually assaulted to have an unknown male grab her from behind and begin grinding his hips against hers. This can now be done without fear of punishment of even noticeable objection from others. This kind of behavior, however, is much closer to sexual activity and sexual assault than it is to appropriate public dancing. Some parents and young people have spoken out on this issue, but school officials have had a hard time doing anything more than letting committees of popular "pro-grinding" students make predictable comments on the few complaints received. (Am I wrong? Am I missing some more serious action? I hope so - let me know.)

Many young people and their families have simply chosen to avoid school dances to keep away from that kind of atmosphere.

I had heard that this is just how it is going to be everywhere, but reports from trusted eye-witnesses at Neenah dances indicate that much better behavior is possible in school dances. Congratulations to Neenah, whose school dances rocks. Appleton's still need improvement. But be careful about expressing such an opinion for it suggests that somebody isn't doing their job when it comes to maintaining a safe and wholesome environment for our kids, and that's pretty darn offensive to some. So be it.

As for the Appleton area prom, the defense will surely be offered that the prom is not really a school event since it's done off school property by a third-party. But the schools still promote it and make it the Appleton prom, and surely can't be without responsibility for the nature of the event.

Know a Horn Player in the Fox Valley? Plan Now for the Horns a Plenty Christmas

2010-04-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

Master hornist and horn instructor Don Krause of Neenah is leading another "Horns a Plenty Christmas" this year. If you play the French horn or know someone who does, here is a link to a brochure for those wishing to participate: Horns a Plenty 2010 Application Form.

Here is some info from the brochure:

The Fox Valley Horn Club and its director, Don Krause, host Horns a Plenty Christmas each year on the Saturday before Christmas. Over 80 horn players come together from all over the state of Wisconsin (and some even further) to perform Christmas carols for the Appleton and Fox Valley communities. In conjunction with the event, featured guest artists perform solos and lead master classes for the participants. In addition, Horns a Plenty Christmas offers music scholarships to horn players through attendance fees, book and souvenir sales, and donations. Now you can host your own event!

This year the event will be at the UW Fox Community Arts Center in their new facility--a perfect setting with lots of seating and a stage. The date will be December 18 at 2:00 PM. Free admission! Guest soloist to be determined.

Website: www.hornsaplentychristmas.com

Contact: krause.donald at sbcglobal.net

Here are some views of a Horns a Plenty event a few years ago with my son Daniel as a performer:

Free Choral Performance at Lawrence University Last Night:: One More Reason I Love This Town

2010-04-24T20:58:00.000-07:00

Last night my wife and I caught a stunning performance of the combined choral groups and orchestra of Lawrence University. All 20th-century music, selected and conducted by mind who love great music. Deeply touching, powerful, inspiring . . . what an evening. The performance was in beautiful Lawrence Chapel. And it was free. Parking was free, too. We have so many terrific, low-cost performances in this area. Experiencing something similar in a large town would eat through your wallet in a hurry and require a lot more time, traffic, and hassle. Appleton has such a nice mix. Broadway comes to the PAC, but there's always something almost as good for a lot less nearby.

Sirocco's Replaced by Cena Restaurant

2010-04-24T20:56:00.000-07:00

Cena Restaurant is in the quaint College Avenue setting that was Sirocco's, a terrific restaurant that I'm sad to lose from our town. Cena looks more affordable with an interesting menu--any of you been there yet? Suggestions?

Just a Few Days Ago....

2010-04-24T20:53:00.000-07:00

Such a beautiful week, in spite of some rain today. Sunny, warm. Hard to remember that just a few days ago we had a heavy snowstorm to remind us who's in charge. This was a view on my street on April 10.

The College Avenue Bridge: Photo Essay

2010-04-13T17:29:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, I took my wife on a special cheap date: a walking tour of Appleton's new College Avenue Bridge. Ho hum, you say? No way! It was actually quite romantic. We walked along both sides of the bridge, enjoyed the different views each side offered of the beautiful Fox River, then continued with a walk below the bridge along the trail along the river, where we saw several deer, a variety of birds, a beautiful fish make a dramatic jump, and met some great people. Total cost: 12 cents in gas driving from our house to the bridge.

The bridge itself, with four lanes and wide walkways on both sides, is really a marvel. But the walk is more about the river than the bridge. Here my wife is standing by a very accurate sign: yes, there's a river and a fox. Bingo.

We actually began our walk below the bridge, ascending the pretty new stairway that takes us to the west side of the bridge. (Click on any photo to enlarge it slightly, by the way.)

One of the dams on the Fox River can be seen from the west side.

Here is one of the lovely mansions that flank the north end of the bridge.

From the east side, you can see one of the locks on the Fox River that played such an important role in the history of the town.

Three deer were running around between the trail and the backyard of several homes and the Alexander Gym of Lawrence University.

I like the ironwork along the bridge and the structures below it.

I even liked the rusty old drain covers on the bridge--probably rusted quickly from all the salt we use on our roads. The bridge was just completed a couple months ago.

And a bonus shot of some new buds on a tree over the river--with a tweak in coloration to make the bluish water look pink. Must be some subliminal political statement I'm making, but I can't make sense of it yet. Just seemed like the thing to do. Thanks for dropping by! Be sure to enjoy your own walk along our lovely College Avenue Bridge and Fox River. It's much prettier in the summer and fall, but I couldn't wait.

The Ubiquitous Red-Winged Blackbird

2010-04-12T20:47:00.000-07:00

The red-winged blackbird is one of the most common birds in the Appleton area. They are lovely and feisty, ready to defend their territory at all costs. There are frequent sky battles between them and red-tailed hawks. I realized why once when a hawk swooshed over my head carrying an adult blackbird in its talons.

Here's a photo I took on a walk with my wife along the Fox River on Saturday. Click to enlarge. After enlarging, notice the feet of this little creature--I find them especially beautiful. Also notice the wry little smile and the merry twinkle in his eye. This one was obviously in a good mood.

A Three-County Town (and Greetings from Chilton)

2010-04-08T19:14:00.000-07:00

Appleton lies across three countries: Outagamie, Winnebago, and Calumet. I live in Calumet County, with its seat in Chilton on the other side of Lake Winnebago. A calumet, of course, is the ceremonial smoking pipe used by some Native American tribes. As a reminder, here's a photograph I took recently while in Chilton showing the calumet. It's one of my favorite signs on the side of any brick building. (Click to enlarge.)

Downtown Neenah at Night: A View from the New Oak Street Bridge

2010-04-05T05:19:00.000-07:00

Here's a photo taken from the beautiful Oak Street Bridge, formally known as the W.G. Bryan Bridge, the new bridge that runs in front of Theda Clark in Neenah, Wisconsin. It offers a nice view of downtown Neenah along the water. I took this on a cold February night.

Summer Jobs for Graduating Seniors: Opportunities?

2010-04-04T20:16:00.000-07:00

For high school seniors on their way to college in the fall, what are the best job summer job opportunities in the Valley? A couple people I know are in that situation-- one of them is my son, who has a terrific part-time job that he's enjoyed for the past couple of years, but adding some full-time experience would be nice. Yes, he's exploring opportunities on his own, but thought I'd see if any of you have suggestions for things that people might miss otherwise.

Actually, jobs of any kind can be shared here, as I've done with some opportunities other have sent to me in the past.

Here's one resource: Job postings at Craiglist for the Appleton area.

Downtown Kaukauna

2010-04-04T12:26:00.000-07:00

Downtown Kaukauna is still there, in case you were wondering. A bit quiet, but still interesting. Kaukauna is about 15 minutes northeast of Appleton and is one of the cities along the Fox River in the beautiful Fox Valley.

There is also a hydroelectric plant in Kaukauna. Here are a couple of shots of it, including a detail of some of the ice there earlier in March.

Praise for the Girls Choirs of Appleton and the Lawrence Academy of Music

2010-04-04T11:41:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, March 27, my wife and I attended a beautiful performance of the Lawrence Academy of Music Girl Choirs at the Lawrence Chapel in Appleton. Simply stunning! Six choirs performed - five auditioned choirs and Ragazze, a new non-auditioned training choir. The choirs of the Lawrence Academy include a total of over 300 girls, ages 8 to 18. We were thrilled with the quality of the music, including some very complex pieces with challenging and hauntingly beautiful songs. Was also pleased to see that some beautiful religious music was part of the program, offered without shame. Many thanks to the Girls Choirs of Appleton and their masterful directors.

Favorite Mexican Restaurants Around the State?

2010-03-27T16:58:00.000-07:00

While Appleton has plenty of great Mexican cuisine, I'd like your feedback on the best places around the state to eat.

In Madison, for example, I love the authentic Mexican cuisine at a little dive on Midvale Boulevard north of Highway 12/18. It's Guanajuato's (or Taqueria Guanajuato). Having been in Mexico recently, this place was a refreshing change of pace from the Americanized Mexican food we usually find. Great tortas and other cuisine from the State of Guanajuato. Not far from there, just one exit further west on Hwy 12/18, is Cancun Mexican, a little more standard but very tasty. Their fish tacos are tremendous.

Milwaukee has a huge selection of places. La Perla is one of its most popular gems, one of the few places in the world to offer a chili pepper ride (like a mechanical horse, but it's a chili). The food is actually quite good. But what's your favorite place?

Celebrating 35 Years of the Fox Valley Symphony Youth Orchestras

2010-03-25T07:15:00.000-07:00

One of the surprising things about Appleton is its rich musical heritage. It is a wonderful town to raise a family if musical education means anything to you. It's also a great place to enjoy numerous musical and theatrical productions.

One of the many gems in the Fox Valley is the Fox Valley Symphony Youth Orchestras, which include the Fox Valley Youth Symphony and the Philharmonia Strings. The Youth Symphony is a dazzling orchestra with over 100 members from grades 9-12 conducted for 25 years now by veteran musician Gary Wolfman. The Philharmonia Strings is a large chamber ensemble for grades 7-10 directed by Greg Austin for over a decade (I think it's been 12 years).

They had their Spring Concert on Sunday, March 21 at Lawrence Chapel. I was so impressed! Greg Austin's own arrangement of the theme music from the Chronicles of Narnia was beautifully performed by the Philharmonia Strings, with a couple other great pieces. The Youth Symphony approached a professional level, with just about as fine a rendition of the Mars and Jupiter segments of Gustav Holst's The Planets that you'll ever hear. Dramatic, awe-inspiring sound. Wow! Very strong horn section, terrific strings, beautiful woodwinds, and powerful, precise percussion. Sweet!

In addition to strong support from the Fox Valley Symphony, Lawrence University, and numerous parents, significant credit for the strong musical education culture in the Fox Valley goes to the visionary musician, Austin Boncher, who had the vision over 35 years ago of a youth symphony in the Valley. His talent, vision, and persistence created opportunities and traditions that continue to enrich the lives of thousands of us in the Fox Valley. The rich musical heritage of Appleton and the surrounding communities is just one of many reasons why this is such a great place to live.

Here are a few photos from the March 21st event, including a shot of Gary Wolfman receiving an award celebrating his 25 years of service, and student Becky Johnson receiving a special conductor's award from Mr. Wolfman. My son Mark Lindsay, a bassoonist, is standing in one also.

Appleton Renames College Avenue to Google Avenue! (Temporarily)

2010-03-18T08:40:00.000-07:00

The Post-Crescent reports that Appleton's Common Council just voted to rename College Avenue, our main street through beautiful downtown Appleton, to "Google Avenue" to show Google how much we love them. Appleton wants to be one of the next communities to benefit from Google's offer to bring broadband service to selected communities, with speeds roughly 100 times faster than typical.

The Google Avenue name will remain in place through March 26, when our application to Google is due.

If any of you are giving birth in the next week or two, please consider naming your child after Google. I've renamed my neighbor's dog to "Google Adsense." A local salon is offering "Google Wave" perms. And my son's car, which he has long called Lucky, is now "I'm Feeling Lucky."

Even if you can't contribute a child, a pet, or a car to the cause, at least refrain from doing anything that might offend the Google Gods during this critical time. For example, PLEASE DO NOT EAT BING CHERRIES. Don't listen to music by BING Crosby. Don't play with toys that go "Bing!" Don't mess up our chances for being blessed by Google.

Keep you're fingers crossed. We all need to be feeling lucky for this one.

A View of Neenah

2010-03-16T05:03:00.000-07:00

Downtown Neenah along Wisconsin Avenue by their beautiful public library is a great place for a stroll. The marina is beautiful, and there is a big open area where kids can play or people can stroll. If you're hungry, just cross Commercial Street to the wide range of eateries such as Cannovas, Zacatecas, Cy's Asian Bistro, Hong Kong Buffet, Uncle Ned's Deli, and one of my favorites, Great Harvest Bread.

Integrated Paper Services: Unique Testing Company in Appleton to Be Featured at PaperCon 2010

2010-03-16T04:43:00.000-07:00

Many people don't know that Appleton has a unique world-class testing and analytical services that provides assistance to large and small companies all over the US and beyond. IPS provides testing of material properties for products like medical devices, consumer products, paper, textiles (especially nonwoven materials), fibers, and a large variety of other goods and materials. I used their services once to get some information about the properties of an over-the-counter medication for one of our clients at Innovationedge. They have some remarkable talent and equipment behind their truly world-class microscopy services.

In the realm of innovation and intellectual property, many people don't seem to recognize how much a patent application can be strengthened with high-quality physical testing. It can help differentiate a product, can help establish ways to detect infringement, and can directly support powerful new claims that otherwise would not have been possible. The folks at IPS have many years of experience in creating unique approaches to highlight patentable novelty with sound testing. In fact, in my role as Program Chair for the paper management side of an upcoming paper industry conference, PaperCon 2010, I've invited Bruce Shafer, Vice President of IPS, to speak about the role that test methods can have in supporting innovation. His speech will be on May 4, 2010 in Atlanta, I hope you'll be there to join us!

Delighted by Car-X: Surprising Service

2010-02-27T19:10:00.000-08:00

I had a pleasant surprise at the CarX auto service shop in Kimberly this week. While getting an oil change elsewhere, that shop noticed that a brake light was out. They replaced my brake lights, but both burned out immediately, leading them to tell me that I must have an electrical problem that needed immediate attention. Strange. Local shops couldn't take me for a couple of days, so I tried CarX and was able to schedule a visit on the same day. They charge $69 an hour for diagnostic work, which sounded fine. They worked on it for a while and then gave me the news. They told me that they couldn't find an electrical problem and that the new lights they put in were working fine. Wow, that was a relief. I held out my credit card but the man shook his head and said it was no charge. No charge?! Who offers that kind of courtesy for quick and easy fixes these days?

CarX is a good place to consider when you need service in a hurry, for they can often get to work quickly, whereas local shops often require scheduling several days in advance. It's been a while since I've been there, but I think I'll be going back. I've had other work done there with good results. I think I made the assumption that being a national chain made them more expensive than local shops, but that may be erroneous.

Well, I'm a CarX fan. Thanks!

Local Computer Expert Performs Inexpensive Non-Destructive Removal of Malware from Computers

2010-02-17T14:39:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had your computer held hostage by someone else demanding large sums of money for its return? This can happen when malware like a virus or Trojan horse program snags your computer and demands payment to release your computer (don't pay!). Your computer can also be held hostage again when you take your computer back to a big box store and ask their squad of experts to repair it. One friend I met last week had to pay $400 to a big box store to repair the damage from a virus, and the repair still wasn't complete since the touchpad still wasn't working properly after the attack. That would be another $300, they said. She said forget it and now relies on an external mouse.

Many times the squads of commercial experts out there fix virus problems by simply reformatting your hard drive and reinstalling everything--everything except your data, programs, and custom settings that you may have lost. People are paying big bucks to have their computers wiped out when they just want them wiped clean of the bad stuff. Frustrating!

That's what I was happy today to learn about the work of Appleton's Luke Waldron, a computer expert who can remove malware non-destructively. He has years of experience in doing this and only charges if he's successful, and then only charges a ridiculously small hourly rate. I won't say what it is because I really think he needs to raise it--but you'll be delighted at how much you can save in terms of data, hassle, and cash.

Luke is with myDigitechnician.com and can be reached at luke at myDigitechnician.com. Before you let someone wipe out your data and your wallet, talk to Luke.

I have no financial interest in Luke's firm and have not been asked or paid to say this. I've met him before and heard good things about him, but first understood the details of his work when I met him today during an enjoyable networking lunch at the Hong Kong Buffer in Neenah (so good for just $7!). As a public service to those of you burned by viruses and other forms of malware, I want you to know that low-cost high-success alternatives are available.

Parents, Plan Your Year with the Appleton School District Calendar in Mind

2010-02-09T12:32:00.000-08:00

The Appleton School District Calendar is available online. It shows important events that parents need to know, like Spring Break from March 29 to April 2. Wanted to make sure you knew where to find it.

FYI, the Menasha District has their spring break the following week, April 4-9, 2010. The Menasha District Calendar is less convenient, IMO. If you can figure out the online Neenah School District Calendar and see when spring break is, let me know. I don't see it there.

This Is the Time to Think Like an Entrepreneur: The Hot Tub Medic Example

2010-02-06T04:55:00.000-08:00

At a "Pinewood Derby" cub scouting event, of all places, I ran into the local entrepreneurs behind Hot Tub Medic (HotTubMedic.com). Illustrating the kind of thinking that can lead to success for other local entrepreneurs, these businessmen told me why they decided to get into this business. With the economy down, people are less likely to spend their money on travel, new cars, or new homes, and more likely to focus on enjoying or improving what they already have. That's where hot tubs come in. Expect them to be used more, maintained more, and upgraded more. Many home owners might be adding hot tubs to upgrade their homes as well. Looking for the opportunities the seismic shifts in the economy might be creating, acquiring the business made sense to them. Coupled with years of experience in the market and a lot of business savvy in other areas also, they may have what it takes to succeed.

I don't have a hot tub and have no financial interest in the business nor financial incentive to mention it. I iike the thinking, like the owners, and like the example of looking for opportunities in whatever situation we are in.

The Appleton area actually has a thriving community of entrepreneurs and innovators, part of why it's an exciting place to live. I even understand that the innovator behind the successful new mobile phone application, Pandora, is here in Appleton. That might be a story for a future post--would love to learn more about that one.

Kagen vs. Pelosi?

2010-02-04T05:58:00.001-08:00

In my previous post, I mentioned Fox Banquets as a classy place for meetings and other events. At the Fox Banquets event I attended this week, I had the privilege of meeting Reid Ribble, a business man who has decided to run for Congress. I'm especially curious about something I heard from Mr. Ribble - maybe some of you can check this for me. He said the voting record of Rep. Steve Kagen is (nearly? virtually? exactly?) the same as California's Nancy Pelosi, which would be shocking if true since Kagen campaigns here as if he's something of a conservative. I think Ribble even said "100%" - but I'm not sure if that applies to all votes and issues. If Kagen's voting record is the same as Pelosi's, I want to know why! I know, I need to do my own homework on this, but I've been a bit distant from politics recently. Maybe that needs to change, given the importance of the issues we are facing today. If we do have a stealth Pelosi clone, someone who follows her lead 100% of the time, well, I'll be ticked.

If you know of an easy way to quickly compare the voting record of two people in the House of Representatives over a specified period of time, let me know. Seems like that should be easy, but I've been too far from politics to know the right resources to go to, and I'm feeling lazy today (meaning it's time to get back to my day and night job!).

Classy Place for Meetings, Receptions, Parties, Weddings: Fox Banquets ("Michiels")

2010-02-04T05:40:00.000-08:00

This week I was at a reception held at Fox Banquets, formerly known as Michiels. The website is MichielsFoxBanquets.com. My visit reminded me of what a classy place this one, one that we used a few years ago for a wedding reception for one of our sons. It's in the heart of Appleton, overlooking the Oneida Flats area from the edge of the steep hill that goes from downtown Appleton toward the river, just east of the Oneida Skyline Bridge. They have one of the nicest views of any place in the Valley and a beautiful interior as well with two floors and a variety of rooms for meetings and events. They also have a catering service, Rivertyme Catering, which is an approved caterer for events at the Performing Arts Center, so you know they are good.

Recent Restaurant Experiences

2010-02-02T06:08:00.000-08:00

In the past few weeks, for business and social purposes, I've been able to try a number of places. I really enjoyed the pizza and desserts at Wise Guys in Menasha. Great smoothies and burgers were found at Red Robin in Darboy. Awesome prime rib sandwich at the Red Ox in Appleton. Pretty good steak at Beefeaters in Appleton. Solea in Neenah is always good for sure-fire Mexican. Wonderful Chinese was experienced again at Confucius in Appleton as well as Dong Po on College Avenue. Also tried the Boba Tea again at Pooh Saan in Appleton.

I'll provide more details soon.

Looking for Real Estate Bloggers in the Valley

2010-02-02T06:03:00.001-08:00

Say, could you let me know of real estate blogs for the Fox Cities that I could list as resources for people looking for homes in the area? I'm aware of "Ask Laurel" by Laurel Stone. Are there others you can recommend?

Winter Can Bring Out New Beauty in Wisconsin Weeds and Wildflowers

2010-01-20T19:24:00.001-08:00

Here are portions of two photos of Queen Anne's Lace, a prolific wildflower in Wisconsin. It's beautiful in full bloom during the summer, but I haven't paid attention to it much during winter. Yesterday, though, I noticed how interesting it can be when coated with frost. Winter can bring out unexpected beauty in many ways--one more terrific reason to live here in Wisconsin. We get plenty of unexpected beauty during the long and cold winter. (Click to enlarge.)

A couple other plants:

Taste of Thai Lunch Buffet Today: Nice Choice

2010-01-12T18:22:00.000-08:00

Taste of Thai on College Avenue has a small but delicious lunch buffet. I was there for a late lunch today with a visitor from Milwaukee who was looking for a quiet place for conversation and good food. We both enjoyed the meal. There were seven main hot items to choose from, including a couple of rich, creamy curries with chicken and beef, a flavorful but light veggie and chicken dish, noodles, and other items. My favorite, though, was probably the unusual hot and sour soup. Unlike the standard Chinese soup that I'm used to, the Taste of Thai version has a light broth that looks like a chicken broth instead of the dark brown stock of Chinese hot and sour. It had some of the same ingredients otherwise, but with a lighter, more delicate flavor. Delicious!

Selection was certainly limited for a buffet, but it was more than adequate for my needs and very pleasing. Service was excellent. The interior is comfortable and quiet. We had a large table, good for taking notes and animated conversation.

Downtown Appleton, Sans Snow

2010-01-04T06:29:00.001-08:00

Here are a few photos of downtown Appleton before the snow hit in December 2009, with one from earlier in the summer showing Larence Chapel. Click to enlarge slightly.

Perfect New Year's Eve Dinner at Dong Po

2010-01-01T16:57:00.000-08:00

Dong Po Chinese Restaurant on College Avenue's intersection with Richmond Street is a great place for Chinese food, Thai food, and sushi. While the Chinese food, like nearly all Chinese food in America, has been Americanized to some degree, you can call ahead to order traditional Chinese style items that aren't on the English menu (this is true for many good Chinese restaurants like Confucius or Bao ~~Zhu's~~ Ju's in Neenah). For New Year's Eve, my wife and I ordered off the menu, but still looking for unusual items. I tried the Masaman Curry (beef), a Thai dish, and my wife had the Eggplant Stuffed with Shrimp. This was a rare case in which we both loved both dishes--usually one of strongly prefers one dish over the other, but this time both of felt like we had two terrific winners. The eggplant was a creative dish I haven't encountered before. A thick slice of eggplant had been split and stuffed with shrimp and other tasty items, and apparently sealed with a breading or coating before being fried. The crisp result was then covered in a perfectly seasoned plum sauce. Wow.

My curry had a rich curry sauced with tender beef, cashews, and vegetables. Very appetizing.

The hot and sour soup was some of the best we've tasted. The broth had a little extra richness of flavor to it and wasn't too sour. Great mix of ingredients and very flavorful seasoning, including a little more fresh pepper than one normally finds in hot and sour soup, which really worked well with the other flavors.

Throwing healthy caution to the wind, I ended 2009 with fried bananas drenched in chocolate. Maybe not a traditional Chinese dish, but quite good.

The service was terrific. Our waitress grew up in Fujian Province in China, but spoke English like a native, though she's only been here 3 years. Very friendly and helpful and really added to the fun of the evening with good suggestions, explanations, and some travel tips for a visit to China we're planning.

I look forward to returning. A+ for Dong Po.

Job Opening at Outlook Group: Business Development Manager

2009-12-21T14:47:00.000-08:00

Just got news of an interesting job opening at Outlook Group. Since some of my readers have asked for leads, here you go!

About the position

Reporting to the Vice President of Sales & Marketing, as the Business Development Manager you will be responsible for driving new business growth within your territory in the upper Midwest region of the U.S. including markets such as Minneapolis-St. Paul, Chicago, Cincinnati and Detroit.

What you will do
 Call on a variety of consumer product company prospects in order to build a relationship, uncover needs and win business.
 Intimately know volume, pricing and operational needs of new and existing customers
 Participate in trade shows and sales blitzes
 Actively prospect customers by generating target lists and cold calling
 Effectively manage existing accounts while aggressively develop new ones
 Collect, analyze and report competitive activity incorporating findings into strategic responses

What we require
 Bachelors degree in Business Administration or related field
 Label or packaging industry experience is strongly preferred
 Minimum of 2 years of relevant and recent packaging industry experience
 Exceptional listening skills
 Superb verbal and written communication skills
 Critical thinking personality with decision making driven by data
 Be located in major markets in the upper Midwest (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Chicago, Cincinnati or Detroit) without requiring relocation
 Have a “hunter” sales attitude

Ready to apply?
Please submit a resume by visiting https://home.eease.com/recruit/?id=480190

Beware Traffic Signs Altered by Snow

2009-12-20T19:30:00.000-08:00

Appleton was recently hit with a snow storm in which winds drove lots of snow that stuck onto the sides of trees, homes, and even traffic signs. The result is an occasional snow-impaired traffic sign that might confuse some drivers. Tip: Some signs become less correct after snow.

Tis the Seasons! Great Restaurant for Your Holiday Gathering

2009-12-20T06:22:00.000-08:00

Attended a marvelous office party at The Seasons restaurant last night, one of Appleton's classiest restaurants, but one that is surprisingly affordable for the quality. We had a beautiful side room with great food, buffet style. The scallops wrapped with bacon were my favorite item - just perfect and intriguing. I was especially impressed with the service. While standing around talking, anyone that wanted something to drink or wanted help with anything was instantly and quietly assisted. Unobtrusive but attentive - not easy to do.

The owners of The Seasons also own the classy Thai restaurant that too few of you have visited: Lemongrass. Give it a try for a high-quality Thai food experience. Yum!