I've heard positive comments from a variety of people about the dentists in Appleton - generally a competent, honest bunch. I have a perception that dentists here are, on the average, definitely better than you'll find in many other cities. Bias? Perhaps. On the other hand, the culture in Appleton is grounded in a high work ethic, professional excellence, and integrity, and perhaps the climate motivates those looking for a quick buck to stay in warmer climates.

Anyway, I'd appreciate your comments on favorite dentists as I explore this topic. I'll mention that my dentist is one of the finest professionals I've ever met, Dr. Gregory Ludden. In addition to outstanding skills that he constantly keeps up to date, he his human warmth makes him really stand out. I used to hate going to the dentist, but not with him. He somehow makes me feel like a human being, one that is valued and welcomed. Amazing - I leave feeling cheered, uplifted and refreshed. Last time I was there I was trying to figure out just how he does it - there's really some secret sauce in his personality and style that I would love to bottle. Part of it is that hearty, warm, down-to-earth Wisconsin aura that outsiders can't imitate, but it's more than that. In any case, he's a terrific practitioner! He's at 1707 S Oneida Street, Appleton, WI 54915. Phone: (920) 734-2392. I don't know if they are taking new patients.

A reader of this blog also gave me the details of his very positive experiences with Dr. Edward Polzin of Polzin Family Dental. It was an impressive testimonial of the willingness of Dr. Polzin to respond to emergency situations on short notice and with much compassion and helpfulness. He told me he "couldn't sing the praises of Dr. Ed enough" and urged me to share his thoughts with others. So done!

I welcome other thoughts on great dentists in the area. Not looking for complaints, please, unless they are sent to me by email (jeff at jefflindsay d0t com).

The recipients of the 2009 MIT Club of Wisconsin Technology Achievement Awards have just been announced.

• Individual: James Hyde, Department of Biophysics, Medical College of Wisconsin


• Small Company: Paradigm Sensors, Impedance Spectroscopy, Milwaukee


• Large Company: Orion Energy Systems, Energy Efficiency & Directly Renewable Technology, Manitowoc


• Special Award: Venture Center @ Fox Valley Technical College, Appleton

This is very exciting news for me, for I had the privilege of nominating Orion Energy Systems, based on the impressive experience I had there in interviewing company leaders and touring their operations to develop a case study of excellence in a chapter of the forthcoming book, Conquering Innovation Fatigue: Overcoming the Barriers to Personal and Corporate Success by Jeff Lindsay, Cheryl Perkins, and Mukund Karanjikar (John Wiley & Sons, July 2009).

I've also worked with Fox Valley Technical College and am highly impressed with their Venture Center and the FABLAB at FVTC - one of the finest such facilities in the nation.

The Tech Awards will be held on Friday, March 13 at the Country Springs Hotel, 2810 Golf Road, Waukesha, WI starting at 5:30 pm. The keynote speaker will be Sherwin Greenblatt, MIT, Co-Founder & Former President of BOSE Corporation.

I'm planning to be at the awards dinner. This will be quite a treat!

Register for the event today at:
https://alum.mit.edu/smarTrans/register-login.vm?eventID=28721&groupID=195

(Also posted at SharpIP.com.)

United Express's inflight magazine, SkyWest, will feature Appleton in its May edition. If you want to get an ad in, copy is needed by March 2. This magazine reaches is the nation's largest regional in-flight magazine and reaches tens of thousands of people, including many coming to the Midwest. For more information, please contact Keith Sauls, SkyWest Magazine, at (208) 354-5400. Tell him Jeff sent you.

People know Appleton for its cold winters, but few outsiders realize that this little paradise of ours has unusually short winters. It's still early February, and spring is already here! That's right, we had a thaw this week, with temperatures skyrocketing all the way to 40 for a while. We even had several new songbirds come into the area, chirping away wildly. Sure, there may be a few feet of snow yet to come, and there could be an occasional day below zero, but we locals have begun celebrating the arrival of spring. Winter? Distant past! Forget about it.

This weekend, most of us will be outside working on our tans. Make sure to have your frostbite kit along, just in case.

Copps and Pick 'N Save are both owned by the same company, and thus have a number of similarities. One important similarity is the salad bar. It really is outstanding and offers an opportunity for a quick and inexpensive lunch. I especially love their spinach-based salad with abundant raspberries, blueberries, nuts and cheese. But there are many other fine ingredients to choose from, including fresh pineapple, watermelon, broccoli salad, artichoke hearts, Caesar salad, etc. A few of the ingredients would cost you more to buy them alone than they do for $4.99/pound in the store.

With the salad bar, I often get a fresh baked roll from a nearby bin where they are just 33 cents each. One of the easiest, fastest, healthiest, and least expensive lunches around.

Throughout February, Appleton's beautiful Performing Arts Center is hosting the amazing Broadway show Wicked. Locals who have been to it already have been stunned at the quality and majesty of this production. I've got tickets for Feb. 27 - can't wait!

People from out of state are surprised that a small town like Appleton, with just around 80,000 people, would have such a cultural magnet as the Performing Arts Center with 2,000 seats. The director of one Broadway company (Lion King), Frank Lott, told us during a backstage tour that it is the finest theatre he has seen, that everything had been thought of and taken into account, with not a bad seat in the house. Once inside, I think you'll agree that it's also one of the most beautiful theaters in the nation. We're excited that it can attract so many outstanding shows and performers.

Mi Pueblo is a new Mexican restaurant almost next to Wal-Mart in Darboy (east end of Calumet Street, just east of Hwy 441). It's in the strip mall close to Radio Shack, replacing the former Los Compadres restaurant. Took my family there recently for lunch. Food was good, portions were large, service was good - but nothing really exciting. Like many places in town, they bring you a salsa and a bean dip with the nachos - both the salsa and the bean dip seemed a tad dilute (watery) and not very flavorful. The bean dip was a little more like pork and bean soup than the bean dips I prefer elsewhere. Minor point - but the food in general ranged from OK to good, but not "wow!" But that's OK for the low prices they offer - one of the least expensive places to eat, I'd say. So save your cash for investing in something of lasting value, and have a nice meal at Mi Pueblos.

And hey, this was just lunch. I bet the dinners are more exciting. Let me know!

Sam Polcer's article, "A Sense of Place" in Midwest Express's flight magazine, MyMidwest, mentions a number of good art resources in eastern Wisconsin, such as the Racine Art Museum, the Peninsula School of Art, and the Milwaukee Art Museum. Many other sources of art (both creating and displaying) are mentioned, with links to the Websites. Helpful article for those who love the arts. Several individual artists are features, such as Shirley Gruen.