3. May 2015 | Fond Du Lac | SceneNewspaper.com | L3
culvers.com
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4. L4 | SceneNewspaper.com | Fond Du Lac | May 2015
FOND DU LAC
EDITION
Advertising deadline for June is May 20 at 5 p.m. Submit ads to ads@
scenenewspaper.com. The SCENE is published monthly by Calumet
Press, Inc.The SCENE provides news and commentary on politics, current
events, arts and entertainment, and daily living.We retain sole ownership
of all non-syndicated editorial work and staff-produced advertisements
contained herein. No duplication is allowed without permission from
Calumet Press,Inc.2015.
PO Box 227 •Chilton,WI
53014 •920-849-4551
Calumet
PRESSINC.
L4
COVER STORY
L6 Dave Steffen
FINE ARTS
R8 A
FOOD & DRINK
L16 Urban Fuel Coffee Shop &
Cafe
ENTERTAINMENT
R10 C
NEWS & VIEWS
L20 The Gentleman from Fond
du Lac
OUTDOORS
L12 FDL’s Greenway Arboretum
EVENT CALENDARS
R44 Live Music
L20 The Big Events
Michael Casper
Scott Wittchow
Dorothy Blisky
Rohn Bishop
CONTENTS
SCENE STAFF
Publisher James Moran • 920.418.1777
jmoran@scenenewspaper.com
Associate Publisher
Norma Jean Fochs • 715.254.6324
njfochs@scenenewspaper.com
Ad Sales Greg Doyle • 920.251.8944
gregdtdoyle@yahoo.com
CONTRIBUTORS
L16
L12
Dave Steffen has been making music for a long time, specifically,
singing and playing blues - rock on his collection of acoustic and
electric guitars.
It was a year or so ago that I caught he and his band at Frenchie’s
Bar in Fond du Lac, and was reminded just how good he was.
His career path, and his Chevy van have taken him from here to California and back, and
included many talented musicians and transmutations. He’s met and played with some real
greats whose names you’ll discover within. His story is one of determination to learn his
craft, hone his skills, and play from the heart every night no matter where the stage, or how
large the crowd.
Having seen he and his mates several more times through this past year, I thought it time
to let him tell you his musical tale of wanderlust.
Also within your SCENE this month you’ll find the story of a fishing shanty, and the man
who built it. The journey of this enduring shack from the ice of Lake Winnebago to its new
home in our state museum is told by Mike Mentzer.
Plus a lot of food, entertainment, nature, politics, humor, art, wine and beer are also in
the coming pages.
Enjoy your ‘merry, merry month of May!’
Michael, Editor
Fond du Lac
and surrounding
south valley
FROM THE EDITOR // MICHAEL CASPER
The Plaid Squrirrel
5. May 2015 | Fond Du Lac | SceneNewspaper.com | L5
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7. May 2015 | Fond Du Lac | SceneNewspaper.com | L7
ENTERTAINMENT // COVER STORY
BY MICHAEL CASPER
Growing up in Plymouth, Wisconsin
in 1951, there wasn’t a lot a 6 year old
could do to occupy his time. When Dave
Steffen and his family moved to the Crystal
Lake area, he says he was a loner who liked
to run away from school at recess.
“I was pretty much out of the main
stream,” Dave said “I was shy, and when
I got off the bus, I was pretty much by
myself, and there wasn’t really anyone
around. I had a basketball hoop, so I was
pretty good at hoops, but music was what I
liked, and the guitar is what I loved.”
Dave had older sisters who were into
Dick Clark’s American Bandstand.
“It was there that I was first introduced
to the likes of Chuck Berry,” Dave said
“The Ventures, Everly Brothers. Pretty
much any group or performer that played
guitars, I was into. I liked the Rock and
Roll side of things. So for me, my ‘guitar
life’ began at age six.”
Like many youngsters, Dave got a toy
guitar for Christmas, and his parents were
very supportive of his musical passion. But
he didn’t get his first real guitar lesson until
he was ten.
“My folks rented it from a guy by the
name of Joe Champeau from whom I
took lessons,” Dave said. “He lived about
20 miles from the Sheboygan area. I can’t
remember what type of guitar it was, and
I think my folks paid like $2 or $3 for
the rental. My first lesson I flat out stunk
(laugh). In fact my parents told me I didn’t
have ‘it.’ But after that first lesson, I went
back home, and basically practiced my
guitar until my fingers bled. I was ticked
off. I was not a natural. But I came back
after the first week and I blew everybody
away. At ten years old, I was totally deter-
mined.”
Playing the guitar may seem easy for
those who watch Dave Steffen play, but
it’s hard. And even Dave didn’t realize how
hard.
“To this day, when I teach students
the first time,” he said “I recognize all over
again how hard it is. It’s not like a piano
where you can play a single, clear note.
You have to work at it, your fingers get
calloused, muscles have to do things they
have never done before. It looks easy on
TV.”
Dave’s bullheaded determination led to
his first performance.
“My instructors were so impressed with
my enthusiasm and quick progress,” Dave
said “they put me in the ‘studio recital,’ after
just three weeks. I was one of the last kids
to perform, there were like fifty students. It
was in a hall, and I played ‘Blue Tail Fly.’ I
screwed up the first measures, so I started
over again. I was nervous, it was my first
time on stage. But I was already headlining
(laugh)! And the studio was using me as
an example of what can happen when you
work hard.”
Dave’s the first to say he wasn’t a natu-
ral but he had learned some music from his
dad, who had his own big band.
“The Roy Steffen Band,” Dave said “a
twelve-piece band that played all the Glenn
Miller-like standards. They toured all over
the Milwaukee and southern Wisconsin
area. I remember my dad telling me about
when they came to Cedar Lake to play a
wedding, and found out they had to play
polkas, and they didn’t know any polkas
(laugh) they ended up having to pull out
some sheet music in a hurry!”
Dave continued to take lessons once a
week. He would spend a lot of time listen-
ing to “guitar stuff,” picking it up by ear.
And that led into Dave’s first gig at age 14,
with his group “The Wanderers.”
“It was during Road America at the Pit
and Paddock,” Dave said “back in 1965.
We had to have our parents there, since
we were all under age. We played some
Beatles, Herman’s Hermits. I’ll never forget
that night because I had an ‘awakening.‘
We were playing when all of a sudden
Still Bending Strings...
The String Benders - left to right Dave
Steffen, Russ Reiser, Ron Kalista and
Craig Neuser Photo by Trish Derge
Continue on Page L8
8. L8 | SceneNewspaper.com | Fond Du Lac | May 2015
ENTERTAINMENT // COVER STORY
out of nowhere, there was a chick who
came out of the crowd, climbed up on our
piano, and started dancing and taking off
her clothes! And that’s when I realized, I’m
going to keep practicing guitar because this
business is for me!’ (laugh)
In 1968 Dave put together another
band called Love Society. They took the
song “Do You Wanna Dance,” by Bobby
Freeman and gave it more of their own
sound, and entered a Battle of the Bands,
where an agent by the name of Al Posniak
from the production agency Target Produc-
tions, heard it and wanted to record them.
“It actually became a hit locally,” Dave
said “and we had a bidding war between
three or four companies who wanted to
sign us. We eventually signed with Scepter
Records, which at the time had a singer by
the name of Dionne Warwick signed to
the label. The song made Top 10 across the
country, we landed a manager, got a Grey-
hound bus, and we were off. We toured.
Did a live show on WLS radio in Chicago,
did a show for TV called “Upbeat” which
was out of Cleveland.”
They were on a roll. Then came the
realization that they needed another hit.
“We tried doing a follow up,” Dave
said “but we were kids. We were getting
into heavier music. Against our manager’s
will, we did a song called Tobacco Road, a
psychedelic version of it which to this day I
still think sounds cool, but it wasn’t a good
business move. We ended up getting a
contract with RCA, at the time located at 1
Wacker Drive in Chicago, and we recorded
an album there. We had one hit, “Bang on
Your Own Drum,” which was getting air-
play, but no sales due in part to a shipping
or trucking strike or something. There were
no records to be found in the stores.”
It was in 1974 when Sun Blind Lion
was formed out of the Love Society, and
with it came that harder edge sound. They
recorded an album at Sound 80 Studios in
Minneapolis. Bob Dylan had just recorded
‘Blood on the Tracks’ there two weeks prior.
“It was at Sound 80 where ‘Jamaican
Holiday’ was recorded in just a few days,”
Dave said “it was a regional hit in 1976.
We were doing a lot of midwest touring.
Scott Rivard was the engineer, and he also
was the engineer for Garrison Keillor and
Prairie Home Companion. Record compa-
nies were coming to see us, and we almost
got signed. But they had a different idea of
what they wanted us to be. Spandex pants,
and all that...they were looking for a ‘for-
mula.’ That was not our style. We decided
we couldn’t be something we weren’t.”
Sun Blind Lion kept gigging until
about 1979.
“And then in ’80 I decided it was time
to follow my guitar playing and blues rock
roots,” Dave said. “And we started the
Dave Steffen Band. Back then you made
‘cassettes’ instead of vinyl albums. In ’81
we recorded in Sheboygan. In ’82 we did
another studio album in Waupun at Madi-
son Street Studio. Nick Kazulka, the engi-
neer there, did a fantastic job. He had an
old sound board that Jimmy Hendrix has
once used, it sounded killer. And it wasn’t
just the board, but also Kuzulka’s engineer-
ing on that album was brilliant.”
Then California called.
“I had this friend, Don Burhop who
lived in San Francisco,” Dave said “and he
was doing the lighting for Jefferson Star-
ship, Santana, Grateful Dead, bands like
that. He told me, ‘Dave, you gotta come
out here.’ He invited us to come out. We
were playing a few gigs in some smaller bars
at the time here, until in January of 85’ we
finally thought we’d give California a try
for a while. We loaded up the Chevy van
and headed for the coast. That ‘few month
trip’ turned into 10 years.”
The band got by on very little.
“It was not easy,” Dave said “ for quite
a while we lived off a sack of potatoes
(laugh). I mean there are only so many
ways you can make a sack of potatoes into
something appetizing.”
They lived at Burhop’s house.
“He took us in. And that cassette
album we recorded in Waupun...it opened
a few doors, and we ended up opening for
The Tubes, Santana, Robin Trower. We
entered a Battle of Bands, took 2nd place,
we got to be known, but it took time and it
was not easy.”
True to his Wisconsin roots, Dave
always returned in the summer months.
“That blue Chevy van went more than
600,000 miles,” Dave said “it never rusted,
thanks to the California weather, so we
just kept dropping in a new engines and
tranny’s when we needed to!” (laugh) We
met a lot of great folks in California, hang-
ing out in Marin County like Huey Lewis
and the News, Carlos Santana, guys from
the Dead. It was exciting, thrilling, but we
never really got the ‘big deal’ we always
wanted.”
Dave moved back to Wisconsin in 1995
when his mom was diagnosed with cancer.
“I came back to take care of her,” Dave
said “it’s what you do.”
Dave misses California, and its vibrant
music scene, but as he says, “the times were
changing out there, and we’ve been able to
carry on what we love here in Wisconsin.”
Playing the blues guitar is what he
knows.
“I’m not getting rich,” Dave said “I
have a buddy of mine that does some yard
work, and I’ll occasionally help him out, I
call it ‘raking for the rich’ (laugh) to give
my muscles a work out. But music is my
love! And I’m making a living playing.”
Dave will be the first to tell you he
couldn’t do what he’s done without a core
group of performers and friends.
“Craig Neuser has been with me since
we did our Hawaii gig,” Dave said. “He was
19 at the time, so it’s been 20 years. I was
teaching Craig’s brother at the time, and I
was doing an acoustic set; Craig came out
and played with me, and he played pretty
good, and the dude could sing, which was
a bonus! Didn’t take much to convince him
to come along to Hawaii. We also have
Spencer Panosh, who was Craig’s good
friend from Whitelaw, Wisconsin and I
really liked his drumming, and I loved
how he and Craig worked together so well.
He joined Reverend Raven for awhile, but
came back 10 years ago. Spencer is very
talented, and a natural drummer. So when
you match that up with the voice that
Craig has, you get something special. They
are reliable, with no baggage, you know?
These guys are straight forward guys.”
Dave also co-fronts another version of
the Dave Steffen Band called The String
Benders, a quartet including two acoustic
guitars, drums and a bass.
“Russ Reiser sings and plays acoustic,”
Dave said “he started the Benders as a part
time band. I joined him, along with Ron
Kalista on drums, and Craig Neuser on
stand-up fiddle, and harmonica. And Sun
Blind Lion still gets together…a few gigs a
year. We’re scheduled to do Mile of Music
in August in Appleton.”
To find Dave’s complete upcoming sched-
ule, visit davesteffenband.com
May - 2015
1 - Fri. Wisconsin Brewing House - Verona
2 - Sat. Firehouse - De Pere
3 - Sun. Smilin’ Moose - Osman
9 - Sat. Arrow Bar - Weston
14 - Thur. Fat Seagull - Manitowoc
15 - Fri. Cimarron - Menasha
16 - Sat. Waverly Inn - two Rivers
17 - Sun. Jakum’s - Sheboygan
22 - Fri. Fin & Feather - Winneconne
23 - Sat Road House - Dundee
24 - Sun. Fudgienuckles - Glenbeulah
27 - Wed. Cimarron - Menasha
29 - Fri. Silver Springs - Plymouth
30 - Sat. Stone Harbor - Sturgeon Bay
31 - Sun. Stone Harbor - Sturgeon Bay
Continued on Page L7
11. May 2015 | Fond Du Lac | SceneNewspaper.com | L11
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12. BY SCOTT WITTCHOW
Thanks to the vision and
persistence of Laura DeGo-
lier, Fond du Lac now
boasts what has until
recently been a secret
of sorts – a nature
area of neatly kept
24 acres located
in the middle
of the city –
the Greenway
Arboretum.
Located just
north of Culver’s,
Pick ‘n Save and
Pioneer Road, the
Greenway features paths
for walking, a prairie loop
filled with new tree plant-
ings, heavy woods which can
be explored by trails and a “back
to nature” feel just yards from
businesses, restaurants and homes.
The scenic East Branch of the Fond
du Lac River forms the western border
of the Greenway and one trail extends
nearly a third mile along the waterway.
“The Greenway is a great place to escape
and return to nature right here in the city,”
said DeGolier.” You can walk up there, cross
the railroad tracks and you are in a whole other
world. Sometimes you could imagine yourself in
the north woods. There is incredible natural beauty
there when the frost falls on the plants or the soft
winter snows come that cling to everything. It’s quiet;
the river provides beauty and attraction for wildlife.”
The main entrance of the Greenway Arboretum is
located between Pick ‘n Save and the Salvation Army Thrift
Shop. Signage is located in an opening of a fence that was
erected last fall to keep motorized vehicles (ATVs, snowmobiles,
etc.) off of a newly seeded two-acre field that will eventually
become a savanna with grasses, trees and plants that were native to
this area before development.
Another access point is on the north end and connects a former
railroad bed now turned into a walking path, from 12th Street.
There are more than five trails in the Greenway plus several loops
so that one can spend hours traversing the property.
DeGolier and several others, including Diana Beck, were
instrumental in getting this city land turned into the greenway
nature preserve that it is today. She had spoken to several people
(Beck, Ruth Dauterman, Gerda Strupp, Christine Kaup, Margie
Winter and Sid and Carol Knight were big supporters) about the
importance of the property.
She explained that “a very small group of about six people had
been meeting and doing some studies on parks. One of the speak-
ers was from the East Central WI Planning Commission and he
taught us that we should not try to change existing parks, but look
to celebrate all the wonderful water that makes its way through
Fond du Lac. My friends convinced me I should take action.” The
result was a letter, dated Sept. 27, 2004, to Fond du Lac Parks
Director John Kiefer.
After a meeting with Kiefer, DeGolier talked with the FDL
League of Women Voters and other friends in the FDL Audubon
Society and told them she asked the city for maps of the city’s open
spaces. “I was told that no list existed and no maps existed to show
the location. Finally in the summer of 2005, I told (City Manager)
Wayne Rollin that I was going to put in a Freedom of Information
request. Finally, in August of 2005, we got three copies of maps of
the city with the open spaces outlined in red.”
DeGolier and Beck decided to explore the area that is now
the Greenway Arboretum because it was one of the sizable pieces,
and DeGolier likes its location because it was near her home.
What they found out is that the property, once home to a house,
had been turned into a dumping ground. Huge slabs of cement
dumped there many years ago are still visible on the northeast edge
of the property along the seldom used railroad tracks which serve
as the east boundary of the greenway.
At that time that land was owned by Phil Majerus and he used
it as a land fill, according to DeGolier. “There were heavy duty
sewer pipes and other items with value in the area. We had a meet-
ing with Mark Lentz, FDL Public Works Director, and Rollin and
talked about this piece, mostly about the junk and metal items.
The city sent the zoning officer and he suggested Majerus clean up
the property (in 2006). He then promptly asked the city to buy it
from him.”
The city was happy to do that, noted DeGolier, because cities
can assess developers a fee or land when they do a new develop-
ment for the purpose of creating a park. The city had money in
such a fund in 2006 and the legislature was not happy with those
FDL’s Greenway Arboretum
becoming 24-acre
Nature Gem in Middle
of the City
Continue on Page L14
L12 | SceneNewspaper.com | Fond Du Lac | May 2015
13. May 2015 | Fond Du Lac | SceneNewspaper.com | L13
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14. L14 | SceneNewspaper.com | Fond Du Lac | May 2015
GREEN CHOICES // GREENWAY ARBORETUM
who were sitting on such funds and not
using the money. Rollin used $25,000 on
4.5 acres and in 2006 acquired the prairie
area.
DeGolier, Beck and others soon found
out that turning the property into a green-
way would be a monumental task.
“The buckthorn was so thick that one
had to crawl through in some parts. The
garlic mustard grew in many places and was
harder to reach through the briars,” said
DeGolier. “We hauled out bags and bags of
the mustard for the city to pick up.”
She also noted a local landscaper had
huge piles of dirt in the open spaces piled
15 to 20 feet high. During rains, soil
washed down through the Greenway to the
river. It took volunteers several years to get
the city to have the landscaper change his
ways.
Today, a host of volunteers (many who
have formed an informal group called Park
Watch of Fond du Lac) have made great
headway in the Greenway Arboretum.
Those who walk it will notice huge brush
piles of cut buckthorn limbs as well as piles
of wood ready for the furnace or campfire.
It is estimated that there are over three
miles of trails in the property and more are
being developed each week, especially now
that spring has arrived.
DeGolier, of course, is very thankful
for all the help that has been obtained in
developing the Greenway.
She said the DNR early on gave some
help and encouragement and some herbi-
cides. “The City of Fond du Lac has always
been incredibly helpful. They do some of
the really big things that no one else can do
like burning brush piles. There are two sec-
tions of trail that their summer crews built
under the guidance of Mack Whitmore
who has become a trained crew leader for
the purpose of building trails.”
Also, Fond du Lac County and Consul-
tants Lab provided the funds for the trees
on the prairie - there are about 25 plants.
Marian University under Dr. John Morris
started very early in the greenway’s history
to bring students to pull garlic mustard
and work on buckthorn removal. Margie
Winter continues his tradition. Fond du
Lac Noon Kiwanis has gotten involved in
the past year and the Community Service
Officers of the FDL Police Department
have taken a real interest in the Greenway.
In 2014, DeGolier received a grant from
the Fond du Lac Area Foundation to assist
with the oak/hickory savanna restoration.
DeGolier is a Sheboygan County native
and did not move to FDL until 1982. She
started in the insurance profession as an
agent with Thrivent Financial (AAL at the
time) in December of 1979 and changed
companies to Northwestern Mutual in
1983. On Feb. 1, 1999, she was appointed
by Gov. Thompson to be the executive
secretary of the Wisconsin Conservation
Corps. Her term ended at the end of 2002
and the subsequent budget under Gov. Jim
Doyle terminated the WCC. When DeGo-
lier
returned
to Fond du
Lac full time
in 2003, she continued in the insurance
business.
Her love of the outdoors led her to
working on land restoration with The
Nature Conservancy and the Greenway
Arboretum.
To learn more about the Greenway
Arboretum, contact Laura DeGolier at
920-921-4191 or 920-948-8041(cell).
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15. May 2015 | Fond Du Lac | SceneNewspaper.com | L15
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for Mom!
16. L16 | SceneNewspaper.com | Fond Du Lac | May 2015
BY DOROTHY BLISKEY
Urban Fuel, a new specialty coffee shop
and café has opened its doors in Peebles, a
tiny community just northeast of Fond du
Lac. Serving breakfast and lunch Monday
through Saturday, Urban Fuel is located in
the same space that housed the former Gift
‘n Gab eatery and gift shop.
Urban Fuel’s owner, Terri Deanovich
of Fond du Lac, has had a dream for 10
years to open a coffee shop. As the owner
of Deanovich Decorating for 20 years, she
says she’s been waiting for just the right
timing and the perfect location. In Febru-
ary, she ended ownership in one business
to launch her new venture as a coffee shop
café owner.
A few staff members from the former
restaurant as well as several popular menu
items were brought on board by Deanov-
ich – making it a smooth transition. The
comfortable leather couches and chairs
surrounding the fireplace for extra “cushy”
relaxation are also being recognized by
former patrons.
Urban Fuel’s atmosphere is unique –
it’s in a building that was an old feed mill,
dating back to the 1800’s. The result is an
old world, rustic ambiance. Historical
pictures from the old working mill line
the walls. “My café space dates back to
1901,” Deanovich said, noting while part
of the old feed mill burned down in the
1980’s, her spot was untouched. “There is
so much history here, and I can’t wait to
learn more about it.”
As for the food and drink served at
Urban Fuel, diners will find specialty cof-
fees, teas, sandwiches, soups, salads and
breakfast items – all deliciously homemade
from scratch.
Topping the list for breakfast is the
quiche of the day. Varieties like spinach
bacon or artichoke asparagus tantalize
hungry diners who arrive for a relaxing
first-meal-of-the-day or those who choose
to have breakfast for lunch! Other choices
include homemade oatmeal, breakfast
sandwiches and mouth-watering pastries
like cinnamon rolls, muffins, cookies and
scones.
Lunch selections include soups, salads
and sandwiches on a variety of breads,
wraps and Paninis. Soups like Lobster
Bisque and Mushroom Brie, as well as
sandwiches such as Turkey Brie and Grilled
Cheese on a Panini delight leisure diners.
“Even our salad dressings are made from
scratch right here,” Deanovich said, noting
Thousand Island and Avocado Ranch are
two examples. “Everything we make is
created after you order it, piece-by-piece.
Nothing is prepackaged or rushed. We
aren’t a fast-food type of place -- we’re an
experience to be enjoyed.”
Coffee is derived from high qual-
ity beans purchased from Stone Creek
-- a Milwaukee coffee roaster, making the
“fuel” in the name Urban Fuel come to
life. Specialty coffee drinks are an art --
one that Deanovich excitedly has jumped
right into. Patrons will find her behind
the counter, mastering “coffee art” which
is the manipulation of cream and other
ingredients into the coffee drinks. The art
results in the creation of heart shapes and
other designs in the specialty coffee drinks
served. “Being a decorator for years, I love
Urban Fuel Coffee Shop & Café
Opens in Former Feed Mill
Continue on Page L18
17. May 2015 | SceneNewspaper.com | R1
Friday/Saturday
Admission
Adult (age 13 & up)
Child (age 4 to 12)
Advance
Pass
Toddlers age 3 & under admitted free
$4.00
$2.00
$5.00
$3.00
Gate
Pass
PERFORMING ON
THE MAIN STAGE
$1
CARNIVAL
RIDES!
SATURDAY, JUNE 6
Cheddar Chase Walk/Run @ 10:25 a.m.
Big Cheese Parade @ 10:30 a.m.
@LCCheeseFestLike LC Cheese Fest
Follow us on Twitter @LCCheeseFest
and help trend #CheeseJam
Like us on Facebook at LC Cheese Fest
VIC FERRARIJune 5th • 8 p.m. to midnight
BOOGIE AND THE YO-YO’ZJune 6th • 8 p.m. to midnight
UNITYJune 7th • 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Come celebrate your love of cheese at this year's Great
Wisconsin Cheese Festival. This wonderful family event
includes music, food, amusement rides, children's
entertainment, animal petting zoo, walk/run, parade,
cheese tasting, cheese carving demonstrations, cheese
curd eating contest, cheese breakfast, grilling
competition, and more!
Proceeds from each year's festival are
donated back to the community. A grand
total of $1,140,734 has been distributed
since the festival's inception. In addition,
numerous non-profit groups have raised
funds by operating a food booth at
the festival.
An admission pass is required to enter the
Doyle Park festival grounds on Friday and
Saturday. Each pass allows a person to
enter the park on both days.
Sunday is FREE admission day, so no
pass is needed.
June 5, 6 & 7, 2015
Doyle Park, Little Chute
Directions To Little Chute:
Little Chute is located 10
minutes north of Appleton and
20 minutes south of Green
Bay. To get here, please take
Highway 41 to Little Chute
Exit 146/N, then go south on
County Road N (scan QR Code
below for Google Map to park)
2015 SPONSORS
KISS FM SUMMER SLAM
featuring CASH CASH and ANDY GRAMMER
WWW.LITTLECHUTEWI.ORG/CHEESEFEST
Advance admission passes are available from Monday, May 4
thru Thursday, June 4, at the Little Chute Village Hall, BLC Community
Bank, Capital Credit Union, King's Variety Store, Larry's Piggly Wiggly,
Simon's Cheese, and Vanderloop Shoes.
Pass allows individual entry to festival grounds on Friday & Saturday.
No pass required on Sunday, which is FREE admission day.
June 6th • 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
18. R2 | SceneNewspaper.com | May 2015
FOOD & DRINK // BREWMASTER
BY STEVE LONSWAY
Our beer selection for this month once
again came from bottle stock at the Stone
Arch Tap Room. It is the first imported
beer our team decided to write about
and we are all glad we did!
Hardcore IPA from Ellon,
Scotland based Brew Dog, a
release from their “Amplified
series”. This time around,
our entire brewery team of
8 got to sample this Scottish
offering. It was really neat
for me to page though the
tasting notes from each team
member and compile them
all into this article. It still
amazes me, after so many
years in the beer industry,
how differently people per-
ceive flavors and aromas
The amber colored long
neck bottle boasts a label
that is a simple dark green
with reverse white in a dis-
tressed print. Explicit Impe-
rial Ale, as it is explained as
well as the fact it is a product
of Scotland. The side panel
explains some fun numbers
it took to create this beer
including mention of the
9,900,000,000 yeast cells
it took to make it all come
together. With a best before
date of 08/15/2026, we
certainly didn’t have to rush
to drink it, matter-of-fact I
wish I had the patience to cellar this bad
boy for several years to enjoy the inevitable
changes it will incur.
This sample was poured into several
snifter-style glasses. The pour allowed
perfect foam formation consisting of a
mixture of loose and tight bubbles from
the CO2 and an ivory colored head. The
head height was right where it needed to be
at around two inches – very inviting! The
appearance is a tad bit hazy which is typical
in highly hopped beers. The color is a rich
copper and reddish hue.
The nose this beer expels got so many
different associations from our team, I
could have written this entire article on the
nose alone. Lively citrus, malty, bready,
piney, resinous, sweet, nutty, tangerine,
Skittles, freshly shampooed carpet, just to
name a few. With orange and fruity the
most common notes. Quite complex to
say the least.
The taste/flavor wasn’t too far behind
with fun associations. Strong, caramel,
bitter fruit, earthy, nutty and a little bit
of oxidation is what we all agreed on as to
what you can expect when enjoying this
beer. With grand amounts of Maris Otter
Malt and obvious huge hop additions of
Centennial, Columbus, Simcoe, Amarillo
and Citra, this beer comes across the taste
buds as pretty balanced, maybe a bit light
on the hop tones even at 125 IBU’s (again;
this coming from a group of hop hounds).
Important to mention is the belief of many
experts that anything over 100 IBU’s is not
perceived by the majority.
This beer finishes dry from the elevated
alcohol content of 9.2% abv and still carries
through with big citrus and caramel tones.
Overall this beer has a strong, complimen-
tary balance with good body and a mellow
warming sensation. Taylor was fortunate
enough to be enjoying an Indian dish for
lunch at the time of sampling and seemed
to think the pairing was staged because of
how perfect the beer paired with the spices.
Now let’s learn more about the Scot-
tish blokes who brought this brand to the
states. It all started back in 2007 when
two 24 year olds and their trusted canine
companion begged and borrowed cash
and converted it into stainless to start their
dream in Fraserburgh, Scotland. Their first
year produced 1,050 hectolitres of beer
(895 U.S. barrels) with the two founders/
stakeholders (and again their dog) at the
helm. Year two they pushed the envelope
by brewing the U.K.’s strongest beer and
the media storm that followed help them
persuade the banks
to loan them more
cash for stainless
and a new bottling
line. Finishing out
the year of 2008 at
4,050 hl and up to
nine employees and
“1 dog”.
After a very suc-
cessful on-line offer-
ing of stock dubbed
Equity for Punks and
brewing the world’s
strongest beer (at
32% abv), 2009
showed growth to 24
employees and 9,500
hl of beer produced.
2010 brought beer
a n d t a x i d e r m y
together when Brew
Dog released a 55%
abv beer that the
bottle was cleverly
hidden inside a taxi-
dermy squirrel. This
subsequently became
the world’s most
expensive beer and
their business growth
continued.
With help from
crowd funding, gimmicky brews (like
brewing under water), exporting to 55
countries, the addition of tied-house bars
and a very successful TV show named
Brew Dogs, 2014 production numbers
grew to 90,000 hl. They now employ 358
people, own 26 tied-house bars and have
14,568 shareholders, yet still only one dog.
FINAL WORD: Search this beer out,
buy two. Drink one tonight with Indian
fare while you whisk through the pages of
their website and stash the other in your
cellar for later enjoyment.
Cheers!
Brew Dog Hardcore IPA
19. May 2015 | SceneNewspaper.com | R3
May 1st - Point Reyes
May 8th - Misha Siegfried and His Band
May 15th - Soap
May 16th - Jam Funk All Stars
May 23rd - Sly Joe and The Smooth Operators
May 29th - Miles Over Mountains
Fas
t Shipping • Great Prices • F
riendlyService
Vast Selection of:
• Speciality Grains 50+ varieties
• Hops 50+ varieties
• 20+ dry yeasts & all Wyeast strains
• Ready-to-go kits for beer/wine
pointbrewsupply.comLocated at 3038 Village Park Drive, Plover, WI 54467 Exit 153 off of I-39 S| | 1-715-342-9535 |
Just over an hour from Fox Valley area!
Shop with a Pint!
20. R4 | SceneNewspaper.com | May 2015
Timeless Creations, Old World Charm
Make Your Dream Home a Reality in With a
Custom Designed & Built Home by Jesse Burg
21. May 2015 | SceneNewspaper.com | R5
Walt Sinisi
Call 251-2229
sinisiw@firstweber.com
www.waltsinisi.firstweber. com
Call 251-2229
COMMERCIAL
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serving the Fox ValleyJason Zellner
Call 960-3898
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GREAT RESTAURANT/BAR LOCATIONS
TURN KEY RESTAURANTS
BUSINESSES FOR SALE WITHOUT REAL ESTATE
Prior Sports Bar/Grill with all furnishings.
Loads of potential, Over 10,000 sq. ft on
main level & 7,000 on lower level.
65 N. Main St. Fond du Lac $279,000
Unbelievable Price! 2 buildings on 1.4 acres!
Front 7,900 sq.ft. was a banquet hall/bar.
Back 9,500 sq.ft. building has 4 seperate
areas used as antique & retail shops.
239 W. Scott St Fond du Lac $239,000
1300 W. Fond du Lac Ave. Ripon $495,000
Ongoing Sports Bar/Supper
Club in Ripon, seats 200+
patrons. Included all trade
fixtures & fully equipped
kitchen. Very profitable
venture awaits you!
137 E. Main St. Brandon $149,400
Profitable Bar & Grill with a
huge 2 br/2 bath apartment
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Balsamic/Olive Oil Retailer. All fixtures,
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Great opportunity for self-starters.
$37,7000
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WALT OR JASON
FOR MORE
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Commercial Janitorial
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Very profitable!
Owner Relocating. $100,000
22. R6 | SceneNewspaper.com | May 2015
FOOD & DRINK // FROM THE WINE CAVE
BY KIMBERLY FISHER
May Day… May Day… Next on our
journey of investigating the big six, it is
time to see what the reds have in store
by exploring Cabernet, Pinot Noir and
Merlot, this time with another twist.
Cabernet Sauvignon is King. It is a
grape that ages into subtle splendor, and is
a world traveler. When its tiny dark blue
berries are coupled with great winemaking,
Cabernet Sauvignon can produce some
of the longest lived and the most intrigu-
ing wines in the world. Cabernet from
Bordeaux can produce some of the world’s
costliest wines in the world and yet you
can find an amazing value such as those
offered by a Petite Chateau, Chateau Picau
Perna. This Cabernet based wine gives you
structure and depth and blends with the
addition of a bit of Merlot, ensures you
won’t break your wine budget. Cabernet
Sauvignon from Argentina deserves to be
mentioned as that nation’s high altitude
has an affect on grape growing that along
with a unique climate showcases a specific
style and quality of wine.
Terrazes from Mendoza, Argentina
harnesses quality over quantity. With an
average rainfall of 8 inches a year, the vines
have to work harder to get their nutrients
which leads to a wine that showcases ter-
roir. If you were to travel to Paso Robles,
which is located in the Central Coast of
California, you find Cabernet Sauvignon
takes on two personalities. On one side
of Highway 101, it is hot with no direct
access to cooling ocean breezes. Here the
soils are deep, fertile and produce subtle
fruit. On the other side, the soils are more
calcareous, the vineyards are cooled by
marine influence and you will find wines
such as those of Justin, who pioneered
Cabernet Sauvignon grape growing, long
before Cabernet was cool in the area.
Pinot Noir is an extremely elusive grape
as it is very sensitive to terroir and ripens
early. When planted in warm climates, it
ripens too fast and can lose its fascinating
flavor compounds. Pinot Noir’s perfect
place on earth lies in Burgundy where it
can convey intricate flavors. Another great
Pinot growing area is Oregon where the
climate is similar to Burgundy. One pro-
ducer that was a pioneer in the Willamette
Valley is Erath winery. Another producer
and region to explore across the globe is
Villa Maria located in Marlborough New
Zealand. This region is best known for
Sauvignon Blanc, but try Pinot Noir from
this area and you will be hooked.
Merlot is often used as a blending
partner. It ripens earlier that Cabernet
Sauvignon in cooler vintages, and it lends
to more alcohol in warmer climates. It has
bigger berries and thinner skins than Caber-
net which lends to less tannic, more opulent
wines. The traditional style of Merlot is
plump, soft and plummy. Matanzas Creek
Merlot from Bennett Valley California takes
plantings from the original clones from
Pomerol located in Bordeaux and produces
an amazing bottle of wine. Merlot from
the Wahluke Slope in Washington comes
from a warmer climate showcasing brilliant
bright fruit. A good example that is reflec-
tive of this warmer climate style comes from
Chateau Ste Michelle and that winery’s
Indian Wells offering.
These last two months we have explored
the big six grapes. These grapes can vary
according to location, soil, aspect, barrel
treatment, terroir and types of clones.
Don’t stop with one varietal if you decide
you don’t like it. Continue to walk down
the path and see what else awaits you. By
doing a comparison tastings like these,
you will be amazed at the differences, the
similarities and the passion that goes into
taking these majestic grapes and turn-
ing them into something so amazing…
WINE!
From the Wine Cave
Seeing is smelling for a camera system
developed by scientists in Japan that
images ethanol vapor escaping from a wine
glass. And, perhaps most importantly, no
wine is wasted in the process.
Kohji Mitsubayashi, at theTokyo Med-
ical and Dental University, and colleagues
i m p r e g -
nated a mesh with the enzyme alcohol oxi-
dase, which converts low molecular weight
alcohols and oxygen into aldehydes and
hydrogen peroxide. Horseradish peroxide
and luminal were also immobilized on the
mesh and together initiate a color change
in response to hydrogen peroxide. When
this mesh is placed on top of a wine glass,
color images from a camera watching over
the mesh on top of a glass of wine can
be interpreted to map the concentra-
tion distribution of ethanol leaving
the glass.
Different glass shapes and tem-
peratures can bring out completely
different bouquets and finishes from
the same wine. So Mitsubayashi’s team
analyzed different wines, in different
glasses – including different shaped wine
glasses, a martini glass and a straight glass
– at different temperatures.
At 13°C, the alcohol concentration
in the centre of the wine glass was lower
than that around the rim. Wine served at a
higher temperature, or from the martini or
straight glass, did not exhibit a ring-shaped
vapor pattern. ‘This ring phenomenon
allows us to enjoy the wine aroma without
interference of gaseous ethanol. Accord-
ingly, wine glass shape has a very sophis-
ticated functional design for tasting and
enjoying wine,’ explains Mitsubayashi.
Wine scientist Régis Gougeon, from
the University of Burgundy, France,
says the work is really interesting when
considering its experimental setup, which
allows for a rather straightforward and
inexpensive detection of ethanol. ‘Bearing
in mind the flavor enhancer properties of
ethanol, this work provides an unprec-
edented image of the claimed impact of
glass geometry on the overall complex
wine flavor perception, thus validating the
search for optimum adequation between a
glass and a wine.’
In the future the system could help
indicate the best wine glass and precise
temperature to serve a certain wine.
chemistryworld.com
Shape of Glass DOES Affect Taste!
24. R8 | SceneNewspaper.com | May 2015
FOOD & DRINK // TRICIA’S TABLE
BY TRISH DERGE
I know it sounds simple, and it actu-
ally is...but there are a few tips I’d like to
pass along to you on how-to make the
best hard-boiled eggs. There are several
cooking method variations, but no matter
which you use, there are common mistakes
you should try to avoid.
1. Using the wrong size pot
Don’t try to cram too many egg
in a pot. Not only will the eggs cook
unevenly, but there’s more risk of an egg
cracking.
Trish’s Tip: Eggs should sit in a
single layer and have enough space to
move around.
2. Starting with boiling water
If you’re about to place uncooked
eggs in a pot of boiling water, stop!
Hard-boiled eggs should always
be started with cool water. Bringing
the water and eggs up in temperature
together helps promote even cooking
and prevents cracking.
Trish’s Tip: Place the eggs in a sauce-
pan and cover with cold water.
3. Using eggs that are too fresh
Hard-boiled eggs can be difficult
to peel, and this is especially true when
they’re made using eggs that are too fresh.
As eggs age, two things happen that make
them easier to peel. First, they lose mois-
ture through small pores in the shell, and
the air pocket at the tip of the egg gets
larger. I don’t want to get too scientific
here, but the pH level of the egg’s whites
rise as they age, which makes them adhere
less strongly to the shell.
Trish’s Tip: For hard-boiled eggs that
are easier to peel, use older eggs. Buy your
eggs a week or two before you plan to boil
them.
4. Overcooking them
Ever found that the yolk has a gray-
green tint? A slightly stinky sulphur-like
odor? A rubbery white? Dry, crumbly yolk?
All of these are results of an overcooked
hard-boiled egg.
Trish’s Tip: Put the eggs in a saucepan,
cover them with cold water, bring to a boil.
Then, remove the pan from the heat, cover
it, and let it sit for 10 minutes for firm
yet creamy hard-boiled eggs, or up to 15
minutes for very firm eggs.
5. Not using an ice bath
In theory, it seems like the eggs should
be finished cooking when the timer buzzes.
But, in reality, that’s not the case. Even
once the eggs are removed from the water,
they’re still hot. The heat from carryover
cooking will continue to cook the eggs,
risking overcooking.
Trish’s Tip: Not only is an ice bath
your ticket to stopping the cooking
immediately, but it will also help sepa-
rate the egg membrane from the shell,
making it easier to peel. Once the eggs
have finished cooking, drain the water
from the saucepan and transfer the
eggs to an ice bath. Let them soak until
they’re fully cooled.
Egg Salad is Easy...
Right?
Trish’s Easy-Egg Salad
1. Place six eggs in a sauce pan, and cover with cool water
2. Bring water to a boil, and cook 7 to 10 minutes
3. Remove from heat, and rinse with cold water, or place in ice bath
4. When cool, crack and remove the shell, then slice and chop the eggs into
pieces in a medium size bowl
5. Add 1/3 cup Mayo, 2 tbsp Yellow Mustard, mix well, salt and pepper to taste
Serve on toasted bread of croissant...or use as a dip with crackers!
25. May 2015 | SceneNewspaper.com | R9
FOND DU LAC (920)922-2006 62 N. ROLLING MEADOWS DR. • OSHKOSH (920)233-3200 • DELAFIELD • STURTEVANT
Home for the Holidays!
Introducing
Our Design & Sales Staff
Tracy Lyons Chris Groesbeck
• One-on-one Customer Service
• Professional Installation on All Flooring
• Interior Design Advice
• Estimates are Always FREE
Visit us online! WWW.FLOORQUEST.NET
177 S. Main Street, Downtown Fond du Lac • 921-3113 • www.thegoldsmithfdl.com
Goldsmith
Ron Emanuel
Diamonds
Engagement
Rings & Wedding
Bands • Custom
Designs • Jewelry
Repair • Unique
Gifts • Watches
SHOPDOWNTOWN
Joshua Emanuel
Goldsmith
the
Goldsmith
the
Original Designs in
Gold & Silver for
Over 40 Years!
Original Designs in
Gold & Silver for
Over 40 Years!
26. R10 | SceneNewspaper.com | May 2015
FINE ARTS // FOXY FINDS
Foxy Finds
Musical instrument art series by Erinn Kom-
schlies. Originals & Prints of Erinn’s work are
available at The Fine Fox in Downtown Neenah.
Full spectrum colors on black backdrop sets
a dramatic tone. An Appleton native, Erinn
is a naturally talented artist and currently
attends St. Olaf College as a music major and
plays the clarinet in the St Olaf Orchestra.
BY JEAN DETJEN,ARTFUL LIVING
Ceramic garden mush-
rooms add a sense
of whimsy and color
to garden beds and
potted plants. Avail-
able at The Wreath
Factory (Plymouth &
Menasha).
Bring on your inner scorpion
with these eye-catching El
Alacran de Durango cowboy
boots from Joyeria Ordaz
(Green Bay & Appleton).
Supple alligator leather in rich
cognac hues with embroidery
detail and contrast stitching.
Handcrafted in Mexico. $350.
A variety of motifs and colors
combinations are available.
Mens sizes 5-12, custom
orders accepted.
27. May 2015 | SceneNewspaper.com | R11
FINE ARTS // FOXY FINDS
Here’s to living ArtFULLY in the
heart of Wisconsin!
Send your suggestions for Jean’s
Foxy Finds to jdetjen@scene-
newspaper.com
Lipstick red sleeveless a-line cutout
dress from Neesha. Available at Lil-
lian’s of Fond du Lac in sizes S/M or
M/L. $58
Avenue Art & Co.zigzag multi micro
hooked area rug from by Dash & Albert.
Add a bit of zip to your favorite space with
this wool/cotton floor art with a bold,
dimensional pattern of aqua, fuchsia, grass,
and more. A guaranteed style statement!
Other fun patterns available,prices vary by
size.
Bring on the Wisco lovefest with custom print merch
from Blue Moon Emporium is a curated market-
place featuring the works of local independent artists
and designers. Stop in and find unique wares like
Wisconsin-themed clothing, ceramics, screen-printed
pillows, jewelry, upcycled accessories and other con-
temporary handmade goods.
Good mood induc-
ing ceramic bicycle
mugs from Scatter Joy,
Appleton.
28. R12 | SceneNewspaper.com | May 2015
BY RICHARD OSTROM
With a much trumpeted, late in the
game, return to the strange environs of the
fabled world of Twin Peaks, Washington at
an apparent stand still between chief archi-
tect David Lynch and new host network
Showtime, I see no better time to pay a
quick revisit to the original, legendary series
and its most recent home video rebirth. So,
while Lynch threatens to turn his back on a
proposed 9 part, 25 year’s since an update
on whomsoever still remains above ground
from the cast, the fine cats at Paramount
have, in recent months, sought to grace us
all with something undeniably attractive
called ‘Twin Peaks: The Entire Mystery’.
This enticing, all Blu Ray box set (10
discs in total) collects together the com-
plete (to date) run through of the quirky
highs and murky (and often nightmarish)
lows of Lynch and conceptual partner
Mark (‘Hill Street Blues’) Frost’s intricately
fabricated slice of life in the extreme upper
Pacific Northwest.
We are presented with all of the 29
parts of the under two season long run of
the once stratospherically hip prime time
melodrama that first introduced the pop
culture universe to Special Agent Dale
(Kyle MacLachlan) Cooper, his eternally
disembodied assistant Diane (represented
only ever by a tiny cassette recorder), Coo-
per’s philosophy on the value of a damn
fine cup of java and how this agent (and
his assorted peers) would come to play a
crucial role in aiding the wonderful yet far
from conventional Twin Peaks locals in
finding a solution to the shocking murder
of their girl most beloved, Laura Palmer
(Sheryl Lee).
Also stuffed inside the set’s elaborately
designed packaging is the highly polarizing
‘prequel’ feature film follow up, ‘Twin
Peaks: Fire Walk With Me’. With this
separately concocted film, David Lynch
set to the task of fleshing out the explicit
particulars that led a seemingly innocuous
‘good girl’ like Mrs. Palmer down the path
of rank deprivation that was to ultimately
place her in harm’s way in the very worst
fashion. The film also swapped out certain
characters from the series (for various
reasons) and introduced new key players
into the T.P. mythos, including Special
Agents Chet Desmond (singer Chris Issak)
and Sam Stanley (a pre-24 Kiefer Suther-
land) and greatly made use of the content
freedoms an MPAA sanctioned R-rating
granted.
The legacy of ‘Twin Peaks’ as a whole,
from inauguration to this point today, is
one of swift rise and fall in the critically
fickle context of the public eye with the
(at the time) ill advised prequel landing
D.O.A. in theaters in late summer 1992.
Yet, as a born-to-be ‘Cult Classic’ is wont
to do, ‘Twin Peaks’ refused to lay down and
die a quiet death. The whole thing gave
rise to clubs, conventions (one of which is
spotlighted within the set’s special features,
more on that stuff in a bit) and fervent
campaigns to unearth unseen materials
(primarily from ‘Fire Walk With Me’) that
were said to hold more overall worth than
your average ‘Deleted Scenes’ supplement.
The fan-love pushed the saga forward,
spawning several home video releases
(VHS and DVD) before arriving at this
most rewarding confection I am blathering
on about here.
Now, the basic storyline should prove
familiar to many who’ve dabbled at all in
the realm of David Lynch or cult screen
curiosities in general. If not, here goes; one
foggy morning, the body of town princess
Laura Palmer is discovered washed ashore
and wrapped in plastic by gentle old Pete
Martell (played by ‘EraserHead’ lead man
Jack Nance) which in turn sets off a chain
of twisty events entwining the citizens of
Twin Peaks with the All American Power-
house known as the F.B.I. Thus the arrival
of the relentlessly chipper Agent Cooper
to the base of operations of one Sheriff
Harry S. Truman (Michael Ontkean) and
his stable of goofy but dedicated cronies.
These none too battle tested, bumpkin type
police officials turn out to be just the kind
of support group our golden boy Cooper
was greatly hoping for. The bulk of the first
portion of the series details the convoluted
specifics of the homicide investigation with
growing supernatural influence transpiring
across the stomping grounds of a passing
carnival of strange and unique personas
who love, fight, frustrate and continually
work to confound expectations as the
inevitable (if sadly premature) network
mandated reveal of Laura’s killer looms on
the horizon.
Once the murderer is given a proper
face though, things begin to fracture and
the narrative starts to veer all over the
damn place. Sure, a new plot device/vil-
lain is slotted in as a long standing rival
of Cooper’s, one Windom Earle (Kenneth
Welsh), arrives deep into the second season
to dole out the sadistic head games, but
the ensuing episodes became a great deal
more, well, episodic. Apparently this was
somewhere around the time both Lynch
and Frost were becoming immersed in
new big screen projects (‘Wild At Heart’
and ‘Storyville’ respectively) so it was
all largely left up to the hands of various
writers and a wild assortment of directors
(among them, Tim ‘River’s Edge’ Hunter
and Diane Keaton, doing her very best odd
duck Lynch impression) to carry the load,
and the results truly did vary. A sudden
succession of guest star bits were added to
help maintain some semblance of a creative
spark (most of note, future X-Files heart-
throb, David Duchovny, as an
F.B.I. Agent dressed up in slick femi-
nine attire) but regardless of all this tireless
overexertion, the series had clearly lost a
major chunk of its mojo and several plot
points came off as irrefutably forced (such
as a beauty pageant sub-plot) and accord-
ingly, the public interest waned. Pity, as the
project as a whole comes across a bit like
a small screen masterwork left incomplete
(the final episode does provide a fitting
cliffhanger). So perhaps the rumblings of
a rekindling of that Twin Peaks fire should
not seem so surprising, even this many
moons on.
This here super-duper box set has so
much to share beyond just the series and its
companion film. Apart from providing all
of Twin Peaks tale in a pristine HD transfer
there is a boat load of nuggets from archi-
val and more current sources that work to
break the phenomena of the thing down in
‘in depth’ measures. Cast and crew mem-
bers help to, somewhat enlighten upon
the steps it took to make a bit of prime
time television history with a collection
of new and older interviews and on set
asides. Most triumphantly, the long lusted
after ‘Fire Walk With Me’ cut footage por-
tion (arranged here by Lynch himself as a
90-minute segment meant to stand on its
own) is not likely to elect much in the way
of disappointment. Many key ideas and
supporting characters receive expanded
screen time, including odd bits pertaining
to David Bowie’s enigmatic agent Phillip
Jeffries and a whole bunch more footage of
the prophetic dwarf (Michael J. Anderson)
who dwells in that, mostly red, ‘other
place’.
Still further elements that never made it
anywhere near the final release cut of ‘Fire
Walk With Me,’ finally have their day too;
Sheriff Truman, his stoic, Native Ameri-
can deputy Hawk (Michael Horse) and the
impossibly dense lovebirds Andy (Harry
Goaz) Brennan and Lucy the receptionist
(Kimmy Robertson) are on hand as they
all originally had filmed cameos, as did
Pete Martell and the lovely Josie Packard
(Joan Chen). The resolution of the whole
damn thing (perhaps the entire Twin Peaks
universe in total) may have originally held
a more cosmic, time melding agenda than
viewers were previously aware of, accord-
ing to a few revealing sequences on display
here. Yes, the wait for this missing stuff is
finally over, and the rewards do measure
up.
Elsewhere in the set, David Lynch
enacts his own fond (albeit expectedly
eccentric) memories of the project in
features both semi-vintage and brand new
in which he picks his own cranium as well
as those of several key cast members (Kyle
MacLachlan, Sheryl Lee, Ray Wise, Grace
Zabriskie and others) from the program
both in and out of character. There are also
plenty of old school promo spots, photo
stills of anything from on set action to long
obscured trading cards of the show and
both the domestic and international (stand
alone and slightly longer) versions of the
pilot episode that set it all in motion.
Yeah, not much has been left behind.
This beast is very concise. Recommended
to anyone adventurous enough to hold a
fair opinion of David Lynch, or this series
in the first place.
killpeoplenamedrichard@yahoo.com
The Mystery as Solved is Still a Mystery
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30. R14 | SceneNewspaper.com | May 2015
ENTERTAINMENT // LIVE FROM JAPAN
BY JAMES PAGE
GAME OF THE MONTH:
Double Dragon Neon
Developer: WayForward
ESRB: Teen
Release Date: 09/11/2012
System: PC/PlayStation 3/Xbox 360
Rating:
Graphics: 3.0 out of 4.0
Game Play: 3.0 out of 4.0
Personal: 2.0 out of 2.0
Total Score: 8.0 out of 10.0
Player’s Page: Double Dragon Neon
Pop in a cassette tape and travel back in
time to the 1980’s. Visit a world of neon,
leather, hair picks, and violence. This place,
and story are not unfamiliar to long time
video game fans, but it has been a long
time since anyone has visited this bleak
and depressing city. This place is home to
the martial artists Billy and Jimmy Lee and
Billy’s girlfriend Marian. As in any city,
the inhabitants try their best to live their
lives in peace but that is not always possible
especially in a city riddled with crime.
In the past Marian has been kidnapped
on numerous occasions requiring Billy and
Jimmy to come to her rescue.
Flash forward to the current day and
nothing much has changed since the world
was originally introduced to the beat‘em
up style of the Lee Brothers. One can easily
see the dominance of 80’s music has been
maintained, the cassette tape is still the
most popular media format, and everyone
is still hell bent for leather. Unfortunately
for Marian, the various gangs in the city
continue to want to kidnap her and keep
her for themselves. This case is proven in
a recent encounter on the streets of the
city. Marian was standing on the sidewalk
when she was approached by members of
the Shadow Warriors gang who attacked
and kidnapped her, and now it is up to
Billy and Jimmy to rescue her once again,
from the clutches of an evil gang with an
unknown purpose.
Double Dragon Neon is a relaunch of
the classic side scrolling beat‘em up series
Double Dragon. Maintaining the basic
actions of punch, kick, and jump players
will need to fight through multiple waves
of enemies to reach the end of a stage and
confront the boss. Players will not have
to rely on their brawn alone to overcome
the forces of the Shadow Warriors because
they will be able to use various weapons
such as knifes, whips, bats, and hair picks
found lying on the ground or taken from
enemies. The game can be tackled solo, but
it is meant to be played cooperatively and
is easier and more fun when two friends are
sitting on
a c o u c h
filling the
shoes of the
Lee Broth-
ers.
W a y -
Fo r w a r d
has tried
to replicate
the original
game play
s t y l e o f
D o u b l e
D r a g o n
while trying to add new elements which
have been developed and accepted by the
industry since the release of the original.
The game improved upon the original
games by adding a stage select menu, super
moves, and in stage shops. The player will
be able to acquire new super moves and
passive stat improvements by obtaining
cassette tapes which are dropped by ene-
mies or purchased in shops. These moves
and stat improvements can be leveled up
by collecting multiple copies of the same
cassette tape and by collecting ore which
can be used to increase the number of each
cassette tape which can be held.
Although many game play elements
have been improved from the originals
the game maintains some of downsides of
the genre. The movement of the characters
tends to be a bit sluggish and jumping can
be tricky if the player does not take a run-
ning start. Playing through the game solo
will be a bit difficult due to the number of
enemies, but this is offset by the cassette
tape leveling system introduced by the
developers. Due to the 2D layout of the
game fighting enemies can be difficult
due to the need to line up attacks with
the enemy’s location, but this can be easily
overcome with a bit of practice.
Double Dragon Neon immerses the
player in the world of the 1980’s with a
nice mix of graphics and music. Rich and
vibrant colors help to recreate the distinc-
tive color patterns of the 80’s, but at the
same time the colors are slightly muted to
help simulate the atmosphere of a dreary
city. The soundtrack remixes a number of
songs from the original games while adding
new and upbeat characteristics. This helps
to create a bridge between the old and new
while helping to remind players of the
sounds of classic arcades.
Double Dragon Neon is a fun experi-
ence which brings back the game play style
from the early days of video games while
blending it with more modern graphics
and sound. The game can be purchased
through the PlayStation Store, the Xbox
network, or one of the many PC gaming
clients. The digital nature of the game
allows for one to use the co–op feature
with a friend on the same system or with
a friend who is online. One will be amazed
how fast the hours fly by while playing this
modern take on a video game classic.
Remember, like all games if you play
them just to have fun there will never be a
bad game.
theplayerspage@yahoo.com
Live From Japan
31. May 2015 | SceneNewspaper.com | R15
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32. R16 | SceneNewspaper.com | May 2015
BY DOBIE MAXWELL
I sadly admitted technology passed me
by years ago, but now it’s getting ridiculous.
The last straw was broken last week when
my neighbor invited me over to sample
some of his barbecue –another area in which
I lack severely but that’s another tale for
another time. One crisis per day.
My neighbor has two teenage sons that
think I’m extremely funny – I think. It’s
either that or they are constantly laughing
at me instead of with me. I’d like to give
myself the benefit of the doubt but a recent
incident made me start to lose hope. I think
I need to pack my bags and move to an
Amish colony immediately. I could use a
fresh start, and the beard would help hide
my shame.
The event in question started innocently
enough. I walked into the house and saw a
basketball game on the living room television
screen. All I did was ask who was winning
and was informed it was the older son Jeremy.
When a quizzical look occupied my face even
more quizzical than usual, younger son Ryan
dropped the crushing blow. “Uh…it’s not the
TV. It’s a video game.”
Excuse me? The graphics on video games
are now so well developed I actually mistook
it for a real game? I was so embarrassed I
wasn’t able to maintain eye contact with the
boys. I felt like a puppy that had been caught
pooping on the carpet and all I could think
of was how to slink out of the room and act
like it never happened. I was half expecting
the boys to rub my nose on the TV.
Thankfully there was no mention of it
at dinner, but I still felt like a total jackass.
Video games have never been my thing, and
I don’t really know why. It’s only the biggest
explosion of fun in the history of human-
kind, and I was born into the generation
that was able to watch it all happen.
I can still remember when “Pong” was
the talk of the neighborhood. Everybody
thought it was the second coming of George
Jetson, and expected cars to start flying
shortly thereafter. How did they manage to
pack all that fun into one game? Blip. Blip.
My heart can’t take it. Stop already!
That was about sixth grade on my per-
sonal time cycle, and my whole generation
got hooked on the concept of video games
at once. Nobody could have predicted
then just how huge it would all eventually
become, but one thing for sure is nobody
would have mistaken Pong for a real tennis
match. It was all so laughingly primitive,
and shows just how close to monkeys all of
us still are.
Next up in my generation’s techno play
world was a hand held football game made
by Mattel, the fine folks who brought us
Hot Wheels and Barbie. The football game
wasn’t really football but rather a new series
of blips on a smaller screen. They also had
an auto race game, but at least in my neigh-
borhood that never really caught on. The
football game did, and it was a huge hit.
The reason it likely became so widely
popular is all it had to follow was the highly
forgettable “Electric Football” game by a
long out of business company called Tudor.
Boys my age all recall having to take ten
minutes to set up their team of tiny plastic
football players on a metal “field.”
Then when both teams were in position,
a switch was flipped and a “play” allegedly
happened. The field vibrated and the play-
ers all went in separate directions – usually
headed for the sideline out of embarrass-
ment that kids had to suffer through this
miserable excuse for actual football.
To top off the realistic experience of it
all, the “football” ended up being a piece of
lint stuck in between the arm of a running
back. If we really wanted to go nuts we could
have our quarterback attempt a forward pass
by flicking that piece of lint in the direction
of one of the other players.
All it had to do was hit the player any-
where and it would be a completed pass. I
know it sounds funny now, but this was the
cutting edge of sports for millions of kids
that now have kids of their own who will
never be able to commiserate. We are the
generation that has to suffer in silence.
Another stinko sports spoof was the
hockey game that was played with a series of
rods that had to be manipulated to make the
players move. The “puck” was a magnet that
got whacked around the “ice” and maybe
once every month or two the magnet might
actually find its way into the net for a “goal.”
There was no electricity involved, but this
was just as useless as Electric Football.
Probably the worst of all the sports
games was “BAS-KET” by Coleco. This was
an insult to our intelligence and consisted of
a cardboard “court” and two baskets where
an ordinary ping pong ball would land in
one of several holes that had a lever that
would flip the ball up to the general direc-
tion of a basket. There was no defense, and
stopped being fun after five minutes.
Every kid I know got this game for
Christmas, and we all grew weary of it
simultaneously. It would have been more
fun to throw snowballs at moving cars –
which we eventually did. That’s the ultimate
thrill...when an old man that looks like Fred
Mertz’s father threatens to kick your butt.
As my high school years arrived, so did
Atari and video arcades in the mall. Alladin’s
Castle was the ultimate hangout for the
video game clan, but that’s when I started to
lose interest. I did enjoy a pinball game now
and then, but I didn’t let it take over my life
like so many of my friends did.
Pretty soon I was out of high school and
then I had to play the ultimate game – how
to keep my bills paid every month. That’s a
lot harder than Pac Man or Frogger or Tetris
or any of the games that hooked millions
and became the gateway drug to the games
of today. Who’d have thunk it?
I sure would hate to be a video game
designer today. How can anybody top
what’s out now? My generation was easy to
fool, as we had never seen anything before.
Those two little blips on a Pong game were
an out of this world cosmic mystery, and
it grew from there. Every game was a new
adventure, and it blew the minds of those
playing. Now, five year-olds are bored with
it all.
Eventually it will have to come full
circle, don’t you think? There will be a video
game that has an attachment of a real ball
or something and two kids will actually
have to get together to throw it around in
the yard. Then before long some other kids
will join in and who knows, maybe some
actual baseball or basketball or football will
get played. There’s a novel concept for the
future. It doesn’t help now though. I still
feel like I got cheated out of fun, and I’m
not thrilled about it.
Dobie Maxwell is a stand-up comedian from
Milwaukee. To find his next hell-gig visit
dobiemaxwell.com
“Game Off”
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34. R18 | SceneNewspaper.com | May 2015
NEWS & VIEWS // RIGHT WING NUT
BY ROBERT MEYER
We have heard complaints about the
“do nothing congress” for the past several
presidential administrations. Indeed, we
frequently see that congressional approval
numbers flirt with historically low positive
rates. This has occurred whether the major-
ity of congress has belonged to democrats
or republicans.
The American people have often
decried the inability of congress to stop the
bickering and work together to get things
done. At the same time, we hear of politi-
cians campaigning on the platitude that
they will be willing to reach across the aisle.
Still little improvement seems to come out
each new session of congress.
So where does the dissonance come
from and, how might it be corrected? We
must first understand that the Constitu-
tional Convention created two houses of
congress, in part, to make it difficult, but
not impossible to quickly pass legislation.
The problem as I see it, is that we have
unwavering loyalty to political party at
the expense of all other priorities. I am
not speaking so much about commitment
to political ideology, or philosophical
worldview, as I am of an administrative
apparatus of coercion.
Our first president, George Wash-
ington, warned us of this in his Farewell
Address. Washington’s sentiments epito-
mized the perspective of the Founders in
general.
“Let me now take a more comprehensive
view, and warn
you in the most
solemn manner
against the
baneful effects
of the spirit of
party generally.
This spirit,
unfortunately,
i s i n s e p a -
rable from
our nature,
having its root
in the strongest
passions of
the human
mind. It exists under different shapes in all
governments, more or less stifled, controlled,
or repressed; but, in those of the popular form,
it is seen in its greatest rankness, and is truly
their worst enemy.
The alternate domination of one fac-
tion over another, sharpened by the spirit of
revenge, natural to party dissension, which in
different ages and countries has perpetrated
the most horrid enormities, is itself a fright-
ful despotism. But this leads at length to a
more formal and permanent despotism. The
disorders and miseries which result gradually
incline the minds of men to seek security and
repose in the absolute power of an individual;
and sooner or later the chief of some prevail-
ing faction, more able or more fortunate than
his competitors, turns this disposition to the
purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of
public liberty.”
So while party loyalty forms out of the
lesser angels of the human condition, it was
viewed as a destructive force by the Found-
ers. What is missing today is zeal toward
the specific branches of government, which
assures a robust operation of separation of
powers.
Congress today, seems to have devolved
into the weakest branch of government,
because members have not vigorously
exercised their checks over the judicial
and executive branches. Courts have been
allowed to legislate from the bench through
activism that ignores the jurisprudence of
original intent. They have permitted judges
to act as philosopher-kings. Likewise, con-
gress has permitted itself to be outflanked
by increasing numbers of executive orders
which circumvent its constitutional role.
Again, Washington comments on this
state of affairs.
“It is important, likewise, that the habits
of thinking in a free country should inspire
caution in those entrusted with its admin-
istration, to confine themselves within their
respective constitutional spheres, avoiding
in the exercise of the powers of one depart-
ment to encroach upon another. The spirit of
encroachment tends to consolidate the powers
of all the departments in one, and thus to
create, whatever the form of government, a
real despotism. A just estimate of that love of
power, and proneness to abuse it, which pre-
dominates in the human heart, is sufficient
to satisfy us of the truth of this position. The
necessity of reciprocal checks in the exercise of
political power, by dividing and distributing
it into different depositaries, and constituting
each the guardian of the public weal against
invasions by the others, has been evinced
by experiments ancient and modern; some
of them in our country and under our own
eyes. To preserve them must be as necessary
as to institute them. If, in the opinion of the
people, the distribution or modification of the
constitutional powers be in any particular
wrong, let it be corrected by an amendment
in the way which the Constitution designates.
But let there be no change by usurpation;
for though this, in one instance, may be
the instrument of good, it is the custom-
ary weapon by which free governments are
destroyed…”
In the Constitution, congress has a
remedy to limit the jurisdiction of courts.
“In all the other Cases before mentioned,
the supreme Court shall have appellate
Jurisdiction, both as to Law and Fact, with
such Exceptions, and under such Regula-
tions as the Congress shall make.” Article
III, Section 2, Clause 2
Congress has the ability to impeach
judges as well, but when is the last time
you heard of that happening?
Congress has checks on presidential
authority as well. The chief problem is that
congress can not unite as a body, zealous
of their particular powers and duties, but
fragments itself according to party affilia-
tion. If a judge legislates from the bench
to accomplish what has failed legislatively,
the portion of congress that has affinity
with the judge’s decision will approve of
the actions, rather than dissent with the
usurpation. It is likewise with overreach by
the executive branch.
As long as this practice continues,
people will feel betrayed by their represen-
tatives and disapproval will be high.
The Do-Nothing’s
Courts have been allowed
to legislate from the bench
through activism...
36. R20 | SceneNewspaper.com | May 2015
BY DENNIS RILEY
Judging by the look on his face or the
tone in his voice as Indiana Governor Mike
Pence tried to fend off some decidedly
pointed questions from ABC’s George
Stephanopolous that Sunday in late March,
you would have thought that the Governor
had found himself in the middle of a real
firestorm and not just the verbal one that
had accompanied Indiana’s passage of its
very own Religious Freedom Restoration
Act (RFRA) earlier that month. Doing
his best to defend a statute that a substan-
tial number of American citizens, both
individual and corporate, were convinced
provided a license to discriminate against
members of the LBGTQ Community,
Governor Pence kept telling us two things.
First, RFRA statutes are common. The
federal government passed one as far back
as 1993 and that one passed almost unani-
mously and was signed by none other than
Bill Clinton. Nearly 20 states have fol-
lowed suit. Barack Obama, he reminded
us, had voted for the Illinois version of the
law. Second, the law was not intended to
permit discrimination. It was intended to
protect the freedom of Americans of deep
and abiding religious faith to act on that
faith as is their first amendment right. The
first of these arguments is disingenuous.
The second pretty much glides past disin-
genuous to dishonest.
Start with Governor Pence’s contention
that RFRA statutes are common. Yeah.
But consider the history of the first one,
the federal statute that everybody loved,
even Bill Clinton. It came about, and it
came to get such universal support because
most people believed that the Supreme
Court had significantly diminished reli-
gious freedom, hence the name of the law.
To keep it short, from 1963 to 1990 if a
citizen challenged a government action as
interfering with his or her religious free-
dom, the government taking that action
had to prove that it had a “compelling state
interest” (usually public health or safety)
that required taking that action despite its
impact on the challenging citizen’s religious
liberty.
In 1990, the U.S. Supreme Court – in
an opinion written by relative newcomer to
the Court, Antonin Scalia – did away with
the “compelling state interest test” in favor
of a far less restrictive test requiring only
that the action in question have a legiti-
mate secular purpose and be administered
in an even handed way. It did not, in other
words, single out religion. The federal
RFRA was to restore the “compelling state
interest test.” Nothing more. The state
versions of RFRA were to do the same
because the Court held that the Federal
RFRA did not apply to state actions. To
add to the Governor’s disingenuousness,
virtually every one of the RFRA’s passed
in the last 20 years were passed before the
Supreme Court granted religious liberty to
certain kinds of corporations in the Hobby
Lobby case. If corporate personhood
conveys religious liberty rights on “closely
held corporations” of the size and scope of
the Hobby Lobby folks, it surely conveys
those same rights on a small bakery, a floral
shop, or a free-lance organist, incorporated
or not. That means that Indiana’s RFRA
really is cut out of a different cloth.
Governor Pence might not have been
aware of the history of the various RFRA’s
floating around, but he had to know that
one of the underlying purposes of Indiana’s
version was to allow people – corporations
are people remember – to act on their faith
in the marketplace, even if that faith said
that some people could not or should not
be served in or by their place of business.
He held the bill’s signing ceremony in
private, surrounded by what one Indiana
journalist referred to as a who’s who of
Indiana religious conservatives. Beyond
that, no discussion of the law by its sup-
porters can go more than three sentences
without reference to the example of the
baker who doesn’t want to prepare a cake
for the wedding of two gay people. Don’t
forget that supporters of the law raised
almost $1,000,000 on line to support an
Indianapolis Pizzeria on record as having
said that it would not cater a gay wedding.
The intention of the law may have been the
protection of religious freedom, but in the
minds of a great many people in Indiana
– possibly including its Governor – the
freedom they expected to see exercised was
the freedom to treat the LGBTQ Commu-
nity differently than any other community.
Sounds a bit like discrimination, doesn’t it?
The weakness of Governor Pence’s
arguments notwithstanding, there is a real
issue of religious freedom to be considered
here. Millions of deeply religious Ameri-
cans want to be able to live their respective
faiths in all aspects of their lives, even their
work/business lives. But letting them do
so creates so many problems for a society
that recognizes rights in addition to reli-
gious rights.
In some sense we have to start with
ground zero, when does a belief system
become a religion due the protections of
the first amendment? What about the guy
in Indiana who wanted to proclaim himself
Archbishop of the Church of Cannabis?
But far more to the point, of course, what
about the rights of others, including that
most fundamental right, equal protection
of the laws? Our hypothetical baker can’t
deny a wedding cake to an African Ameri-
can couple, a Muslim couple, a couple in
which one of the two is in a wheelchair.
And on it goes. There were once plenty
of wedding cake bakers who would have
refused a cake to a mixed race couple and
done it on religious grounds. We decided
they cannot. We are pretty far along in
the process of deciding that today’s bakers
cannot deny a cake to a gay couple. I fully
realize that an awful lot of truly religious
Americans believe that to be forced to
do that will violate their religious rights.
But should their religious rights trump
the human rights of others? My answer
remains No. I understand the conflict, but
alas, I see no middle ground.
Enough out of me.
“Hoosier Hospitality”
NEWS & VIEWS // THE VIEW FROM THE LEFT-FIELD SEATS
37. May 2015 | SceneNewspaper.com | R21
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UPCOMING EVENTS:
May 2nd – The Hits
May 9th – Third Wheel
May 16th – Kayla K and the Men-Brains
May 23rd – Grayling Pinkel
May 24th – Buffalo Stomp
May 25th – Mike Mcabee
May 30th – The Naturals
May 31st – The Cherries
June 6th – Jake Warne
June 7th – Red Fish Remix
June 13th – No Stone Soup
June 14th – Third Wheel
Where
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live Music • Food • Great Atmoshere
38. R22 | SceneNewspaper.com | May 2015
BY ROB ZIMMER
Over the past few years, you may be
aware of increasingly urgent news regarding
the status of the honeybee and native bee
populations throughout North America.
Numbers of both honeybees, as well
as native bees, such
as bumblebees and
others, have declined
seriously in recent
years.
Many area resi-
dents are looking for
ways to help. Thank-
fully, there are many
things we can do
to help maintain or
restore populations of
these beneficial and
important insect spe-
cies.
Bees for beginners
Denise Wagner
of Black Creek, was
concerned about the
lack of bees near her
rural Outagamie County property. She
called on the experts at Honey Bee Ware,
a specialty store in Greenville that provides
education and supplies for those interested
in maintaining healthy honeybee popula-
tions on their property.
“We started thinking of keeping bees
after watching a PBS program about
colony collapse disorder and the plight of
honeybees,” Wagner said. “One theory for
the cause of colony collapse disorder was
pesticides.”
This prompted Wagner and her hus-
band to cease renting a portion of their
land for farming, thereby preventing pesti-
cide use on that piece of property.
“The year after, we stopped renting
some of our land to a farmer for crops and
the field came back with a lush stand of
clover,” Denise said.
From there, the Wagners went to work
creating a valuable and safe pollinator
habitat.
“With that, we started to plan our first
hive,” she said “in addi-
tion to the clover, we also
have a large wildflower
patch of coneflowers in
summer and purple asters
in fall, although honey-
bees will travel quite far
to find pollen and nectar.”
Honeybee school
“I attended a beginner beekeeping class
in March sponsored by Honey Bee Ware, a
family-owned beekeeping supply and bee-
keeper education business in Greenville,”
Wagner said. “The instructor was engaging
and presented the information with subtle
humor. With about 60 people attending
that class, it was evident that interest in
beekeeping is ramping up. One classmate
came all the way from Manistique, Michi-
gan, so I feel lucky to live minutes from
the store which carries everything I could
possibly need to keep bees.”
Honey Bee Ware provides everything
necessary to keep bees, including the bees
themselves, which Wagner expects to arrive
the first week in May.
From there, her bee-keeping adventure
will continue to grow.
For more information, visit honeybee-
ware.com
Pollinator gardens
In addition to raising bees
on your property, there are a
number of other helpful actions
we can take to help maintain and
restore bees.
Pollinator gardens are
becoming increasingly popular
throughout our area. More than
butterfly gardens, pollinator gar-
dens are designed with specific
plantings to attract and provide
valuable, safe nectar for pollinat-
ing species, including bees.
Utilizing pesticide-free native
perennials is especially important when
growing a pollinator garden. Providing a
wide assortment of host plants increases
the number of pollinators you can attract
and help maintain throughout the growing
season.
Providing blooming plants that are rich
in nectar and span the seasons from spring
right through late fall is important.
Early flying native bees and honey bees
often do not have access to blooming wild-
flowers when they first emerge in March
and April. The same situation may occur
late in the fall if warm weather persists.
Therefore, it is important to include late-
blooming wildflowers in your palette of
plants, as well.
Examples of late season bloomers that
make excellent pollinator plants include
Joe-Pye Weed, Purple Coneflower, New
England Aster, Goldenrod, Cardinal
Flower, Blue Lobelia, Black-Eyed Susan,
Helenium, Sunflowers and Sedums.
Bringing Back Bees
OUTDOORS // ROB ZIMMER
Silver
Mist
Garden
Center
40. R24 | SceneNewspaper.com | May 2015
NEWS & VIEWS // MEDIA RANTS
BY TONY PALMERI
Mainstream American journalism, as
the Media Rants column has been ranting
about for more than 12 years, occasionally
meets standards of excellence but more
typically runs on a spectrum from medio-
cre to insanely bad. Political journalism is
probably the worst of the lot (too often it
meets Joseph Goebbels
definition of the press as
a great keyboard on which
the government can play)
with science and business
reporting tied for second.
That CareerCast recently
ranked newspaper reporter
as the worst job of 2015
(#200 out of 200), with
broadcaster coming in at
#196 is no excuse.
Mainstream sports
journalism? I wish I could
wax eloquently about it
with a verbal dexterity and
grace equivalent to the
awesomeness of a Lebron
James layup. Unfortu-
nately the quality of sports
journalism (to the extent
that such a thing even
exists) requires only one
blunt descriptor: SUCKS.
Unless of course your idea
of quality sports journal-
ism is mindless cheerleading, bland press
conferences, inability to tell the difference
between real and manufactured scandals,
and so-called experts screaming at each
other on cable television. If that’s what we
mean by quality sports journalism, then
without question we have the best in the
world.
Poor sports journalism is not strictly
a modern phenomenon. The late Howard
Cosell complained about it in the 1970’s.
Cosell is most remembered for being
one-third of the original ABC Monday
Night Football broadcast team and for his
theatrical banter with heavyweight boxing
champion Muhammad Ali. Less remem-
bered is the fact that Cosell saw sports as
more than just entertainment or distrac-
tion. His interviews with Ali during the
champ’s Vietnam War draft refusal period
and subsequent suspension from boxing
raised the bar for what should be legitimate
sports news; in his 1973 autobiography
Cosell recounts how the ABC network
received complaints along the lines of, ‘Get
that nigger-lovin Jew bastard off the air.’
Cosell in 1973 lamented the general
absence of journalism in sports coverage,
both in broadcast and in print. Not much
has changed, as can be seen in the treat-
ment of three recent sports stories that cry
out for competent journalism: (1) Chris
Borland’s retirement from football, (2) The
Chicago Cubs treatment of prospect Kris
Bryant, (3) The NCAA final four basket-
ball tournament in Indianapolis.
Chris Borland’s Retirement: Refusal
to Tackle the Elephant in the Room. When
24-year-old Chris Borland announced
his retirement from the San Francisco
49ers this year (he was one of four players
under age 30 to retire in 2015) after citing
the possibility of future head trauma and
diminished quality of life, he presented the
mass media with a golden opportunity to
give urgency to the issue of the National
Football Leagues many decades long
attempt to cover up the dangers associated
with the sport. Remember how the major
media for decades minimized or ignored
the dangers associated with cigarettes? The
rush to get Borland and others out of the
headlines as quickly as possible is eerily
similar.
Kris Bryant: The Media’s Uncritical
Acceptance of the Business of Sports.
Baseball’s spring training is supposed to be
the time when players compete for spots
on the major league roster. So when Chi-
cago Cub third base prospect Kris Bryant
hit 9 home runs in spring, he appeared to
be a lock to make the big league squad.
Bryant may be on the team by the time
you read this, yet the Cubs sent him down
to the minor leagues for at least the first 12
days of the season so as to guarantee that
he could not become an unrestricted free
agent until 2021 at the earliest. In other
words, the integrity of the game came in
second to the owner’s bottom line. This is
of course not unique to the Cubs; in fact
it is typical across franchises in all profes-
sional sports. What’s distressing is the
media’s almost uncritical acceptance of the
business side of sports, resulting not only
in lower quality play (i.e. delaying the big
league arrival of prospects like Bryant), but
also making it easier for owners to raise
ticket prices at will while having
the audacity to ask taxpayers for
money to refurbish stadiums or
build new ones. Absent a critical
media, sports team owners can get
away with just about anything.
The NCAA Final Four: Sports
Media Called For Blocking Foul.
In an epic case of bad timing, the
Indiana legislature passed a homo-
phobic version of the Religious
Freedom Restoration Act during
the height of March Madness in
Indianapolis. The legislation in its
original form would allow private
businesses to refuse to serve gay,
lesbian, and transgender persons
on religious grounds. Massive
protests erupted in Indianapolis,
and even all four Final Four
coaches signed on to a statement
rejecting discrimination in any
form. Yet moving the games out
of Indianapolis was never seriously
considered. Why? Because sports
reporting mostly blocked any seri-
ous discussion of that issue, leaving it for
the serious news to handle.
There are some great sports journalists
out there. Mark Fainaru-Wadas and Steve
Fainarus work on football’s concussion
crisis and other issues is extremely well
researched, provocative, and powerful.
Dave Zirins Edge of Sports column brings
a sense of social justice and moral clarity to
sports. Regrettably, the Fainarus and Zirin
are the glaring exceptions to the general
rule of suckiness.
Tony Palmeri (palmeri.tony@gmail.com) is
a professor of communication studies at UW
Oshkosh.
Sports Journalism Sucks