Wake Up! Waukesha

Following are my intuitive thoughts on what could happen to the following individuals and/or what they would like to see in the coming 2007 year. Remember, these “wishes” or “events” have not been confirmed, nor are they official, but the “best guess” method is usually quite reliable…

Larry Nelson: Waukesha Mayor - Another (28) on-call snowplows. A fresh, radium-free water supply for generations to come. Kinder/gentler bi-partisan approaches to the Waukesha political process. “State outlaws talk radio except between 3:00 – 3:20 a.m... In the future, Talk Radio can only be broadcast on Hartford’s polka station”


Keith Henderson: Town of Brookfield Chairman - The chance to “re-plan” the Bluemound road development before every driver/visitor to the Town experiences the State’s new “no left turns in medians” plan.(Aaaaarghhh!!!) Enjoys breakfast with a congenial, forthright, forward-thinking, openly honest Mayor in a like-named adjacent City – then realizes the “other guy” didn’t bring his wallet and expects Keith to pay for both.

Dan Vrakas: Waukesha County Executive - Slips on icy City of Waukesha street adjacent to Moreland Blvd which allegedly remained unplowed for “3 weeks”! Hits his head on pavement. Awakens, curses Mayor Larry Nelson, and finds he has an epiphany which reveals to him the true and correct size for future County Boards. The County Board, in a true showing of equanimity, overwhelmingly welcomes his new plan for 172 Supervisors…

David Schmidt: Waukesha School District Superintendent - A non-partisan, Statewide “call to arms” where politicians, unions, and educators roll-up their sleeves together and…have a marathon bocce ball match on the lawn of the State Capitol. Finishing off with a beer, the combatants emerge “liking each other”, and present a new, immediate, equitable plan for education funding in Wisconsin

Rodney Stillwell: Town of Waukesha Chairman - Wakes up one day and realizes that allowing the School District to sell its’ property might actually improve his carefully crafted curmudgeonly image while generating additional tax dollars for his Town. New image emboldens him to announce he’s running for Town chairman for a 27th term.

John Cramer: Waukesha Civic Theatre Managing Director - Street signs on every County highway pointing out directions to the home of live theater in Waukesha – The Pix! An epidemic of “word of mouth” suddenly spreads the quality of this homegrown treasure to the ears of the uninformed…

Karen Richards: Waukesha BID (Business Improvement District) Director – Garter snakes are found in quantity within Pabst farms development. Construction halts (for next 4 years) while DNR debates, and debates, next step. National retailers have shelving, fixtures, and merchandise “en-route” diverted to Waukesha where every available square foot is leased at top dollar for years to come. Existing Downtown merchants sub-lease to the “chain stores” and retire handily off of the profits. National Retailers then find that Downtown Waukesha is captivating. This emboldens the City to build a $100,000,000+ Town Center with Cosmic Records signed on as first anchor tenant...

Mark Maley: Journal/Sentinel “NOW” Editor - Gets latest data pertaining to “hits” the “NOW” sites generated in December. Decides to recruit additional Community bloggers. Starts new program by adding “all residents with computers living in houses on east sides of streets”. Plan is met with skepticism by his bosses until the March “hit count” shows 42% improvement. Mark immediately signs-up anyone living on West, North, and South sides of streets. Plan backfires as there are only 2 hits for Southeastern Wisconsin in the entire month of August. It appears everyone was now too busy “writing blogs instead of reading them!


That’s it for me…I’m on hiatus for a couple of weeks as we are off to Pasadena to watch and enjoy my youngest daughter marching in the Waukesha Northstar Band in the Tournament of Roses Parade.

Christmas arrived on December 22’nd this year.

Every year my family asks “What do you want for Christmas this year?” Every year I give the same ritualistic response: “Good kids”.

My wife received a call from the Waukesha North School Resource Officer, Terry Thieme. Officer Thieme related how our senior daughter, Caitlin, had been commended for turning in a “wad of money”. She found the money in a school hallway and, without disturbing or counting the money, turned it in to the Officer.

The bundle of money was $107! His call reflected on how a fellow student had reported the loss and was able to identify and get the money back. We were told the student had the money to pay for Christmas presents. We also received an email from the North H.S. Principal, Dr. Ryan Champeau, congratulating us on Caitlin's actions.

The Officer has a fund which rewards students for positive actions. He gave Caitlin $25. She rejected the reward because she was “just doing the right thing”. When pushed, she accepted the money and then promptly drove to the Elmbrook Humane Society where she donated it in the name of Waukesha North. (She has volunteered there over the years.)

Interestingly, Caitlin had not even found her actions worth mentioning at home…

It's rare when as parents you get concrete validation that your efforts and hopes are paying off. Our entire family is very proud of Caitlin from start to finish. Hers is a heart-warming story for the holidays, and I have to believe the student who lost the money has to be relieved.

Christmas came early this year to the Walt household, and I received everything I asked for and more – “Good…no…Great Kids!”

Here’s to the most unsung hero of the 2006 Walt Holiday Season – my wife, Colleen!

My co-workers have just left our home following a nice out-of-office get together and clean-up commences once again. Fast becoming a choreographed routine, Colleen has once more organized, cooked, arranged, set-up, and presented a wonderful array of appetizers, snacks, treats, and beverages. …Enough to feed our group and another dozen or so.

Feeling guilty because clean-up is disproportionate (“I’ll do it because you don’t know where it goes…”), I was overwhelmed by the amount of personal effort and number of hours Colleen has invested to make these Holidays special for Family and friends alike. (6) Christmas trees (4’H or larger) individually decorated and color coordinated to match the rooms they are in; another 4-5 smaller trees in bedrooms; and her special “Rock ‘N Roll” tree layered in singing ornaments with Elvis, Bing, Sinatra, Marilyn and many more musical icons represented in the kids lower-level disco. Every surface including mantels and hearths, stair railings, counters, ledges, is festooned with bright festive decorations.

And as I was actually, finally, taking the time to recognize and acknowledge her work, I heard our kids’ voices. Suddenly the true sense of Holiday spirit came over me. Kelly and Jordan are home from college; Caitlin finished her school day; …we’re home together as a family! A warm feeling welled-up while recalling the many memories we have shared over the years during the Holidays: the many ornaments with special significance harking back to the kids first Christmases; the fireplace stockings so critical on St. Nick’s; milk and cookies for Santa; the many different shapes and sizes of Christmas presents under the tree on Christmas morning; and the parental transition from excitement for the young kids to appreciation for the shared experiences we have had.

Thank you Colleen! Assuredly, you are not taken for granted! You truly have made this special time all the better for those around you. Photos and movies are fine, but in the coming years the true spirit of the Walt Family Holidays will live on in the rich textures of our personal memories.

Leaving Carroll College’s Shattuck Hall after tremendous performances by the Waukesha North freshman/sophomore band; the Chamber Singers; and the junior/senior band, I was absolutely struck by the wonder of these presentations. The countless hours of private and group practice paid dividends for all in attendance.

And then the reality of leaving for Pasadena (our senior daughter, Caitlin, plays flute) in 2 weeks…Entertainment books, pocket peelers, candles, gift wrap, coffee – these kids sold almost everything that wasn’t nailed down. Parent meetings, student meetings, rehearsal upon rehearsal, marching in every parade – all those memories are now replaced with the building excitement of representing Wisconsin in the grand-daddy of all parades; The 2007 Rose Parade!

The Waukesha North Marching Band members raised almost $300,000 in just under a year to pay for the cost of this trip. Band directors Jim Doepke and Steve Fisher coordinated this Herculean effort and the payoff is right around the corner. These (2) incredible gentlemen bring a dedication to their work which extends far beyond the boundaries of the classroom. Their personal zeal and efforts have resulted in a “Trip of a Lifetime” for many of the students.

All of Waukesha should be proud. Proud of having Waukesha and Wisconsin’s “best” showcased in front of millions of worldwide tv viewers. Proud of the opportunities which exist within the Waukesha School District. Proud of these “Citizens of Tomorrow” as they march the 4 ½ mile parade route. Proud of the work it took for this Waukesha North Marching Band to be a part of the world-wide New Year’s Day Celebration.


…Now…Does anyone need a pocket peeler, candle, or some gift wrap? I still have some for sale…

A 1951 Wurlitzer 1400 Jukebox!

This rare treasure will be finding it's way into my office (replacing a 1978 "Disco Era" juke) this week. After a long journey, this Wurlitzer will have found a permanent resting place.

The Challenge:

Select only 24 records to put in this beautiful marvel of entertainment! Imagine, in this day of 300GB external hard drives and 80GB IPODS (with thousands of songs), you must limit your music to 24 records (48 songs) for all visitors to enjoy. ...Only 24 Records...

Do you go with 24 no-compromise selections and sacrifice the "B" sides? Do you load-up your personal Top 10 and then try to find 14 which have decent "A" and "B" sides? Do you canvass your friends and associates and keep them happy? How about samplings from several music generations? Should the 50's carry more weight then the 60's? Is there politically correct balance needed between male and female vocalists?

How do you face up to duplication of the same, favorite artist? Waukesha School Superintendent Dave Schmidt recommended 24 Bob Dylan records - how sad. Another thought bubble-gum music would be acceptable (it's not). Do you try to accommodate a variety of genres to appeal to everyone or does one deliberately put in music which alienates one's wife (take that - Colleen!)?

Send in Your Suggestions Now!

I will be securing the music shortly. Any and all ideas are welcome. Go to the top of this blog - click on "Email Jay", and send in your own favorites and ideas. Truly, this is a throwback to the kinder and gentler of times while also becoming a fun Holiday adventure and a huge personal challenge. The more the merrier!

How cool!

For the first time in a very long time, we can be entertained by the opposite end of the age spectrum from our typical expectations. Instead of adorable little kids performing seemingly oblivious to their limitations, we will be witness to the charms and life-learned skills of our Waukesha "somewhat mature", residents; aka "Seniors"!

Opportunities now exist for seniors to have their own level (reduces "trip & falls") playing field in competing for space to display their talents on the vaunted Waukesha Civic Theatre Stage! We, the not-quite-as-mature group, can then admire and applaud their efforts. It's just another in the list of wonderful experiences you can enjoy at the upcoming Waukesha JanBoree...


Senior Talent Search
The Waukesha Civic Theatre Is Looking For Talented Seniors!

The Waukesha Civic Theatre is looking for seniors who would like to 'strut their stuff' for cash prizes and more. The annual Senior Talent Search will be held on Saturday, January 13 at 1:00 pm. Up to 20 finalists will be chosen to perform in the finals on Sunday, January 21, as part of the Waukesha JanBoree Festival.

Last year's search was a wonderful success. Singers, dancers, instrumentalists, comedians, actors, jugglers or any other act is welcomed. Even if you've never performed before a live audience, this can be a fun and rewarding experience.

Entrants must be at least 55 and both solo acts and groups are welcome to compete. There will be a $10 entry fee for solo acts and $5 per member for groups of two or more.

A distinguished panel of theatre managers, directors and professional musicians, will judge entrants. Entrants should limit his, her, or their performance to 5 minutes at the initial audition. We'll have an accompanist on hand and an excellent keyboard if needed. The final competition will be open to the public and will be promoted with tickets sold in advance or at the door.
Prizes will include cash and tickets to WCT shows. In addition to the prizes, entrants will be chosen for participation in the up-coming "Waukesha Senior Follies" which will give them further opportunities to entertain.

You can register to enter by calling 262-547-8454 or by email: JSchulein2@Netzero.com.