Time to spruce up Grand Avenue and other roads in preparation for the motorcycles next month.

I decided to take the Gold Wing for a ride around where the motorcycle crowd will be cruising about come the big event next month. Waukesha, we have some work to do on Grand Avenue and other streets! Potholes are still horrible between Wisconsin and College Avenues. Some of the motorcycles that will be visiting have no spring suspension which means jarring impacts and even damage to some very expensive and often custom made machines.

Anyone who has cable TV and watches American Chopper knows that many motorcycles are hand made. This means if a part breaks, there isn't one waiting for them at the motorcycle shop.  Paul Teutul probably doesn't work cheaply either when a new custom part is required. No template so send the motorcycle back to New York and maybe a few thousand dollars and a year later your motorcycle will be ready to ride.

They aren't the only people making custom motorcycles. Even factory motorcycles can have fiberglass and plastic parts that can break from the jarring and be expensive to fix.

My Subaru still has the steering wheel cockeyed from an ocean sized pothole that was along side a manhole cover by the Citgo station near Frame Park.  Which brings up another hazard. These covers seem to have trouble staying flush with the road.

I bring this up not because of nothing better to write about. It is a serious issue for safety and for the city because it has been ruled that the city can be held liable for damage from road hazards that it has knowledge about. Many motorcyclists ride side by side leaving little room to swerve around potholes. This creates a collision potential. Harley riders also seldom wear helmets.

Lawsuits and subrogation anyone?

Did you know that City of Waukesha gas stations can't sell beer? I didn't. Since people are cutting back on their driving and buying less gasoline, the walk-in business for Slim Jims and Twinkies has dwindled. Now some are asking the city to reconsider the ordinance so they can buck up some of the shrinking profits.

This is a tough one for me as you probably know of my family's recent loss to a convicted drunk driver that should have been sitting in jail rather than behind the wheel of an Escalade. I believe that the intention of this ordinance was to reduce the possibility of popping one open after gassing up. One can argue that beer is available at many places. Grocery stores and the liquor stores for example. Although not quite as quick and easy as getting a 12 pack at the gas station, it is just as easy to pop one open driving home from there.

Personally, I'd rather it be easier to get some air for the tires than it is beer from today's serviceless stations, but that is change. So, it is fine by me with two conditions. First, we also require them to sell the cheap, disposable blood alcohol breath analyzers in a prominent location by the beer. It will at least serve as a "sobering reminder" of the consequences of driving under the influence of the stuff. Second, how about lifting the ban on sales of non-alcohol beer after 9PM? What part of non-alcohol do we not understand?

Which makes me wonder, why stop the sales of alcohol after 9pm when the taverns remain open, where people are getting schnockered and then driving rather than just transporting a six pack home?

I don't know about you, but I'd be willing for a tax raise to fund a "Department of Logical Analysis and Recommendations" for the city! I suspect it'd pay for itself and maybe reduce our taxes too!

There is no shortage of articles about the flood. I didn't realize just how bad it was until I got out of the neighborhood, even though the intersection of Bel Ayr and Pine Street, just a few houses from me, had water that appeared as deep as four feed deep and many flooded basements in the vicinity. This is not the time to talk about it here. It'd get lost in the flow of things. Later.

Sunday I did decide to visit Mitchell Park and Minooka Park's Dog Parks. Kanook and I went to Mitchell first as I knew it would be flooded and that the flooding would be over the sod which would allow Kanook to splash around and not get muddy. It was more than I expected.

It is not unusual for River Road along side the railroad tracks to flood out just east of Mitchell Park Road. However, it was not only flooded between it and Barker road, Barker Road was also flooded with a good flow of water heading east into the park's marsh. A car could negotiate it so long as it wasn't going fifty miles per hour.

Once in the dog park, there were several dogs splashing and even swimming in the water. Kanook immediately joined them. While watching them splash in and out of the water, I noticed something splashing at various location near the new shore. Closer inspection showed them to be carp. The ones that broke water appeared to be ten to fifteen pounds to this seasoned fisherman. Once the waters recede, these fish will be trapped and die off leaving not only a smelly mess, but for whatever reason, many dogs love to roll in such stinking stuff. This is not the first time fish have wandered into the park.  Last spring someone was complaining about a dead carp near the end of the fence that their dog rolled in. Once again, I'd like to see them put up some snow fencing to block off the area.  Soon it will be a mud hole from the dogs running in and out.

Speaking of mud holes, out next visit was to Minooka. Two months of evaporation and seepage were erased and the "seasonal pond" was restored to near winter melt off conditions. Except there is a rim of mud surrounding it.  Even fewer visitors are seen at the large dog area because of it while the small dog area thrives and continues to have many users.

In closing, I do want to acknowledge the people of the city who suffered flooded basements.  I know what  it is like as I endured several floodings when In Milwaukee near the Lincoln Creek. So much destroyed and so much work to clean up. More about this when we've had time to finish the work, rest and think about what happened.

It's been a year now that I've been transfered from working in Pewaukee to West Allis. I'm in the middle of the action between State Fair Park and Miller Park. Last week it was interesting as I frequently heard the roar of the race cars qualifying for the big race. Not much different than the Harley's roaring up and down in front of my house.

I also suffer the effects of a clogged up freeway when the Brewers have a game where the traffic coincides with the evening rush hour. This is one of the concerns that I have about the proposal for Frame Park. The traffic patterns in the area are not designed well to handle traffic. I suspect that the roads are typical of older cities in that they started out as horse trails and didn't change much when Mr. Ford facilitated us from horse apples to carbon footprinting. 

It seems clear that most people don't think that it would be an attraction to Frame Park. Indeed it could spoil it. I do think that it would be good for the area. I might even consider attending a few games with family. But I don't want to get into a traffic snarl either. Nor do people living or passing through the area.  So it would seem to best be located close to the Hwy 59 bypass. Perhaps the old Nike missle site by 59 and Broadway. It's free from the Federal Government and is just sitting there gathering mulch. I think that there is plenty of room for both the stadium and parking. Has it been checked out and considered?

Having donated toward the creation of the Minooka Dog Park, both the cities of Waukesha and New Berlin must insist that the county sees if there is any connection between the bacteria killing dogs at HAWS and the seasonal pond at the dog park that consists of melted snow and run off from the higher ground and has a trash receptacle immersed in the water.

Concerns from users of the area have been expressed to me and I in turn have asked the county to fence off the huge puddle to prevent dogs from splashing around in it and drinking the water. For the record, I have also asked Brookfield to put up snow fencing to block the seasonally flooded swamp area of their dog park. Kanook had been ill from what I believe was drinking the contaminated water there.

Were these cleaner water areas, it'd be great for the dogs.  Most love to splash around and retrieve sticks and such. Many are bred to do so. But puddles end up being muddy and bacteria ridden doing the dogs ill.

From time to time there will be a topic brought up in the council that comes from committee. If the topic is controversial sometimes there will be comments from aldermen that they have not heard from people with one side or another on the matter. I suggest that perhaps we need a change.

In this presidential election year, the promise of change seems to be catching people like honey draws insects. What troubles me is that in most cases we do not know what the change is going to be. We need specifics. Here’s one.

When it comes to aldermen or county supervisors for that matter, reaching a decision when it comes time to discuss and vote for a topic, they seem to rely on citizens searching them out to air their views. Lets face it; people have opinions but are usually too busy or unwilling to communicate their views. This should not mean that their opinion on a topic doesn’t matter because they didn’t put forth an effort to express it! This is how special interest groups get their agenda through, often contrary to the popular wishes of the taxpayers.

So how can the views of an apathetic population of taxpayers be made known to our representatives?  Ask them!

It’s time that in this age of instant communication, we utilize it rather than continue to do things as we have since two centuries ago.

The city wants to join the county in the ability to have the state transfer tax refunds to the city from people who allegedly owe money to the city.  I say allegedly because such process denies the person in question due process. It's a legal way of the city to zip in between the citizen and the bank teller and taking the money off the counter.

This manner of bullying money from citizens should be challenged in court, where the validity of the debt should have been argued before a judge in the first place.  Tell your alderman to vote against tax refund intercepts! While you are at it, tell your county supervisor that you don't like the county doing it either.  Let the citizens have their day in court!

I hope that if you've read my previous blog, you noticed that I tagged it as satire. Just keep in mind that satire and stereotypes have roots in truth.

I am wondering one thing though. Many of the good citizens of Waukesha have complained about noisy motorcycles.  The police response is usually that they have to hear the offender in order to do anything with it. Just to let you know that I'm not Saint Steven, I used to make my share of noise around Cutler Park in the very early 1970's on my Triumph Bonneville with non-mufflers on it. I was eighteen then. I got a citation after a time and ended up buying mufflers for it. That was the end of my "to heck with other people" days. 

I don't exaggerate when I say that fully half of the attending motorcycles will probably have shed their adequate factory mufflers and put on something louder or often no mufflers at all.  The Americade rally that I've attended several times, specifically warns that loud motorcycles will be ticketed by Lake George New York police. I witnessed it being done almost constantly during the rally. 

I fully expect that the law here will be enforced just as vigorously as it is in Lake George. Stock up on ticket pads and pens. Otherwise I want my citation money back, with interest from 1970! 

A former editor of a local newspaper has told his readers that if they don't want to contend with the big Harley party this summer, leave town for a few days. How quaint!

As I am a motorcyclist for over forty years and have taken several camping excursions into the Appalacian Mountains and attended many motorcycle rallies, Harley Davidison specific included, I believe I have a more knowledgable opinion of this than those in the city that only see $$ dollars $$ and a little rumble in the air. 

Harley Davidson riders are divided into three groups. They are the hard core riders. They look like Paul Tuetul. Tatoos are cool. Out of my way type of people. Also known as the 1%ers. Then there are the Wannabes.  Like Clark Kent, they lead boring lives in their community and help old ladies across the street during the week.  On weekends they transform into the appearance of Sonny Barger, the most famous 1%er, but stop short of riding up and down the street whacking the citizens of Hollister with chains and being served food and beverage then leaving without paying for it. They have a Walter Mitty desire to be looked at by the cowering spectators as a 1%er.  They do some good deeds and raise some money for charity from time to time so they can have the police look the other way when they push the limits of law. The third type of Harley Rider can be confused with a Honda rider. They don't necessarily wear the uniform or have the attitude.  They just like the looks and sound of the machine and enjoy the ride.

Harley events also have double lives. There is the main event. Perhaps the most well know is Dayton Florida. I've never been there but I think it is about to be held as I write this blog. It is a rite of spring and the season kick-off. The hard core riders visit the main event but look for something a little more thrilling.  These side events are usually miles away from the main event or in a neighboring city. They are not sanctioned by the main event sponsor. Camera crews from "girls gone wild" frequently show up. The smell of burning hemp is in the air and the syringes littering the area are not from diabetics. Hospitals have to call in off-duty doctors and nurses. Beer trucks are hijacked.

Waukesha's event will fall someplace between Lake George New York (Americade) and Hollister California, and I don't mean geographically. I mean mild and wild.  This is why I've gone on record that is it best held at the County Expo grounds. 

The organizers say that they will have security covered by rent-a-cops and the police will not have to lift a finger. Perhaps, and I certainly hope so. However, I've seen what naive little towns get themselves into.  We'll need the sheriff deputies near by.  Lots of them. 

Whenever there is an event that closes the streets downtown, it seems that I need to get somewhere there, such as the bank or to drive though it to get somewhere else that I need to be. 

This proposed Harley Party has all the appearances of trying to highlight a certain business that got rammed down the taxpayer's throat and a whole bunch of people are resentful of. Putting that aside, I've got no argument against hosting a Harley Party, but downtown is not the place to do it. The County Expo grounds is the place to hold such a function.  That is why it is there.

I would like to have the businesses around downtown see some income from such an event though.  There is a fun way to do it.  It is called a "Poker Run". Motorcyclists love to eat and they can be directed to the downtown area eating establishments by having them as a stopping point to have their card stamped or to draw a card. Some of the riders and passengers would like to see some of the artistic side of downtown too.  Perhaps a special bus shuttle could be operated to relieve congestion and allow people to easily get from the expo grounds to downtown.

A fun and profitable time can be had by all. Just don't shut the streets down for the people that have paid to use them!

Tonight someone is going to be appointed to finish out Joe LaPorte's term as Alderman. Having gone through the process myself, I'm uncomfortable with the process as it presently is. Holding an election would be the best way to do it. The people of the aldermanic precinct should vote for their representative.  Oh, I know that this democracy thing requiring voting is such a hassle. After all, American Idol or Dancing With the Stars might be on that Tuesday!

As it is, having the council voting to add one to their group can be looked at two ways.  One way is that they can recognize political genius that will benefit all of Waukesha. The other way is that some may vote for the person least likely to make a fuss for a while and get in the way of progress. It probably is something between those extremes, but I wonder....

Think about it. The people getting their alderman appointed have absolutely no say in who is about to represent them!

If for some good reason, other than expense, there cannot be a regular election of replacement aldermen, then I would suggest that a citizen committee be created from the taxpayer list in that aldermanic district.  These people can then interview the candidates, basing their selection on what is important for THEIR district.

Having someone other than the people appoint their representatives was halted 232 years ago in the colonies. Let's not forget our history.

I believe there is a wave of paranoia sweeping the country. Zero tolerance this, can't say that and so forth. I don't think it is any big secret that Mayor Nelson, if not a registered democrat, certainly has leanings that way.

I understand that upon advice of our city attorney, the mayor removed a post from his blog on the city's website. What I know of the post, it seems ok to me.  I don't like censorship. I'd rather know as much as possible about our elected people's thought processes. This is also why I don't like anonymity. If there's no name associated with statements, take them with a grain of sand. We're about out of salt.

I also see that our new city administrator was seated along side the mayor at a Barack Obama rally.  The administrator was just doing her job, so a memo from her says. If so, fine. But, I'd like an explanation of why she wasn't doing her job at any republican rally? After all, she was on the clock.

There is one explanation that I'd buy as to the attendance at the Obama rally. Asking Obama to promise more money for the city for road salt and pot hole patch.

It is probably too late because the science experts called congressmen have already destined tungsten incandescent light bulbs to extinction in a few years.

To set the record straight, I have compact flourescent bulbs in my house.  I counted eleven. I also have several tube type flourescent fixtures.  All long before it became the "green" thing to do.  I did it because I like to save money and Wisconsin Focus on Energy had a big sale on them some years ago. That's market forces at work rather than dictation.

If you have been following the news, you'll know that compact flourescent bulbs have mercury in them. You may also know that there is a movement for dentists to collect the mercury in amalgams (tooth fillings) before they get into the sewage system and then the water systems. I never did understand how these fillings could be healthy.

I know a bit about mercury. Being in the heating business, we have used blobs of mercury in thermostats for decades. They are now obsolete but we collect old thermostats so the mercury can be salvaged. It probably ends up in our light bulbs now!

I also dabble in gold prospecting. Much of the mercury found in streams was from it being used to attach to gold dust and make it easier to "pan out".  This mercury coated gold would then be heated, the mercury turned to a vapor and the gas would go through a condenser coil and out would come clean fresh blobs of mercury. It was the vapor that was the real killer, but the liquid isn't much better.

So you can see, while we have made efforts to contain mercury from thermostats and tooth fillings, we've created a new way to reintroduce it into our landfills and work it's way into our groundwater. While these bulbs last a long time, I've had a couple fail way short of their touted five year life expectancy. We need to come up with a recycling plan for these bulbs now. Something voluntary would be nice, but I believe the best way is to charge a deposit, perhaps $1.00 each, so incentive to recycle them is made rather than disposing into the garbage.

Is this a bright idea or what?

If you check out the official map of the city, you will see nestled at the corner of Northview and Merrill Hills Roads, a piece of land not of the city.  It is surounded by the 14th district. In that piece of land is Pewaukee Fire Station #2. Over east of here on Northview is our fire station on Northview and Grandview.

Down the road from the Pewaukee fire station on Merrill Hills and Summit, the city wants to build a new fire station.  It would be one mile away and the firemen could walk out in the road and wave at each other. Well, not quite, but if the land were flat, it would be possible.  One mile is not much of a distance provided there are no railroad tracks to delay things and there are not.  However, our fire chief has set a goal of a seven minute response time to a call for help. That is a noble desire. Instantaneous response would be great, but something reasonable has to be selected.  I don't know if seven minutes is reasonable. I think the people footing the bill have to decided.

If you are thinking what I hope you are thinking, you will have looked at the map and wondered what happens when a dwelling in the 14th or 5th district has a fire?  Do our firemen wave while passing the Pewaukee station? Do we take back roads so as to avoid such an awkward situation? That would certainly add to the response time. I did a little checking on the drive time at legal speed limits from the proposed location of the new fire station to others.

1. St. Paul station to proposed site:         6:26 minutes
2. Northview station to proposed site:       4:46 minutes
3. Pewaukee Station #2 to proposed site: 1:08 minutes

Add some time to get suited up and fire up the trucks and I would suspect another two minutes could be added. I'm asking questions and not making any conclusions.  I'm trying to be a little like the news network that reports the news and you make your own conclusions.

I think about the extremes.  When I was on the farm, fire response was something between non-existant to minimizing damage to near by buildings. Many towns have volunteer fire departments. Sometimes while driving in the country you will be overtaken by a car or pick-up truck sporting a red light in the windshield or stuck on top of the roof. That would be a volunteer racing to the department to gear up and hopefully not be left behind when the truck rolls out.

I don't want anyone to get the impression that I'm against a new fire station.  I just don't know that it has been well justified. If one is built, I hope they patronize where I work as the new Slinger fire station in the center of town has.  It isn't complete, but I've worked there making sure the workers and the volunteers are warm and cozy this winter. So if a new station is built, it could be money in my pocket.  Unfortunately the tax collector is waiting to remove it!