Wake Up! Waukesha

1,400 teachers, staff and administrators gathered at Waukesha South H.S. to kick-off the 2006-07 school year. In addition to catching-up on the “where did you go, what did you do, and how is the family”, there was a noticeable buzz in the field house until Superintendent David Schmidt brought everyone’s attention to the brass section from Waukesha North’s Marching Band. The Star Spangled Banner has a very special way of becoming the center of attention…

The tone was set early as the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Ms. Elizabeth Burmaster, commended everyone for their outstanding work. Mayor Larry Nelson was greeted with a standing ovation. His 30 years of teaching experience brought an understanding of his audience that an “outsider” could never hope to achieve. Mayor Larry’s words of thanks and his expressed support for education in Waukesha were welcome words from his heart to the assemblage.

The District honored corporate partners, and commended our School Board for their tireless, often thankless work on behalf of the 13,000+ students in the District. A guest speaker wrapped it all up with messages of hope and inspiration.

What struck me as special was the goodwill demonstrated before, during, and after the assembly. People were genuinely pleased to reacquaint and be a part of this. This sense of “community” was on display everywhere you turned.

In speaking with the Superintendent afterwards, Dave Schmidt professed this to be one of his favorite days of the school year; “The energy of this group is contagious, and you could feel the excitement of another school year building…”.
I agree wholeheartedly. Welcome back, Waukesha students - your teachers are recharged and ready to expand your universes.

Have a great school year!

Do people really read the non-headline grabbing, run-of-the-mill, feel good, non-controversial stories concerning education in Waukesha?

This question begs for a different answer then the one I will presumably receive. My work as a Board member with the Waukesha Education Foundation as well as numerous other volunteer positions within organizations supporting our School District obviously makes me a target for criticism when things go awry. It sometimes feels as if some people experience a joyful glee in verbally “piling-on” to missteps by our School Board and District Administration. Yes, these human beings can be occasionally guilty of mistakes and errors in judgment. They would admit to this. But do they deserve the nasty headlines and public scorn when often, but not always, they are juggling the needs of the students against the need for a responsible tax rate?

Well sit up and heap praise upon the School District, the Board, and one very talented Waukesha South high school principal, Mr. Mark Hansen. Mark has recently been named a finalist for National Principal of the Year!

Hats off to our School Board whose policies empower the District Administration to make critical placements like a high school principal without meddling and micro-managing!

Kudos to the District Administration that recognized Mark’s burgeoning talents and matched him (at a very young age) to an environment where they would best serve the students and our Community!

And please join me in roundly congratulating Mr. Mark Hansen. He would graciously accept “congrats”, but he would also immediately follow that with – “there’s still a lot more we can do for the kids.” And his graciousness is totally sincere. Mark Hansen’s ”Glass of Water” is eternally full with the next progressive program, the next student recognition, the next motivational tool for his staff, the next concept where student, teacher, and community all benefit.

My own District experiences have brought me into contact with literally hundreds of teachers as well as the Administration. The closer I worked with them, the more I realized the great majority really care and are impassioned to educate our children well.
Given my first-hand, personal experiences, it is particularly gratifying to see Mark’s work recognized on a much larger stage. Earlier this year, he was named a State Principal of the Year. His selection as a National Finalist now validates the phenomenal efforts Mark has put forth on behalf of South High. Mark’s selection has also brought well-deserved attention to the Waukesha District which has served as an incubator for his many initiatives. He is an overachiever’s overachiever!

Thanks, Mr. Mark Hansen, and good luck when the final votes are tallied! You are deserving of the plaudits and we all congratulate you and your ever-growing family (Are you planning your next child already?). So much good work in such a short time…Truly, your story is one deserving of a blaring, feel-good headline.

The kids are going back to school already?

What happened to the Summer of ’06? Seems like it was only a couple of weeks ago and we were steeling ourselves for the return (invasion) of our (2) college kids and planning out the summer activities and trips. The kids were arranging gainful employment and everyone was anticipating the promise of great weather and great fun.

Summerfest, graduation parties, the 4’th, waterskiing at the lake, vacationing “up-north”, State Fair, the Brewers… all quickly becoming distant memories. Superseding everything and adding to the blur was our family dealing with the health challenges and eventual loss of a loved one. And a parent’s quest to spend just a little more quality time with each of the kids looks like it will fall short – again.

Maybe all the summer’s shared events will create their own aura of positive images in the minds of the 17, 19, and 21 year old. And its’ entirely possible that at some (hopefully) distant time they will build on these activities with their own families. Finally, these are pivotal years in the context of their advancement to young adulthood. Did I as a parent grow with them?

Summer is quickly becoming a vapor trail of recollections with its’ swift passing. Time to move the (2) college kids into their first apartments and initiate a new type of learning cycle. I’m reminded our youngest child’s senior year is bringing our seventeen years of elementary and high school to a close. We will now watch her car drive off for the last two semesters instead of waiting with them for that late school bus on the first day of school.

Yep, the kids are really going back to school already …and I’ll miss them.

“Can’t we just all get along?”

The recent announcement that Aurora, Oconomowoc, and Summit were resolving a 5-year dispute immediately brought these words to mind. I don’t know who first uttered this phrase, but rest assured the sentiment will be echoed countless times in the coming years as development continues its’ inexorable movement westward.

Without taking sides and with respect to everyone’s position, including that of ProHealth, doesn’t it now appear that cooler heads didn’t prevail? It’s painfully obvious that “a big money development” forced compromise where no common ground could be found prior. The elected officials, lawyers, and business executives had reached an impasse where the public perceived everyone was suing someone; neighbors were turned against neighbors; and no one was winning except for the lawyers.

BANG! In comes a proposal for 1,000,000 sq. ft. of retail space and everyone finds “common ground” to make room for the new development. Amazing – all the pent-up bad feelings evaporate within weeks after years of battle-scarring when there is enough money on the table. Well, experience should and does tell us this is not the last (witness the Delafield Lang development) time bad-blood over development will come to the surface. Face it – “We’re not in Kansas anymore” and development west of Waukesha is inevitable, but sorely needing guidance and control. Accept the fact that there will be new subdivisions, apartments, condos, roads, infrastructures, gas convenience stores and more needed for the ever-growing number of employees needed for the ever-growing number of retailers and ever-growing groups of now-needed health-care providers. And does every new sign of development (which in many cases is inevitable) have to become headline fodder and divisive to a community?

The lessons learned from the Aurora, Summit, Oconomowoc controversy are that future thoughtful, planned developments (and developers) should pay respect to the input from all parties; that additional development will be forthcoming; and that Communities’ positive energies would be far better served planning for controlled growth instead of fighting over it when it’s upon them. Quality projects like Pabst Farms should serve as a model for other developers (Delafield Lang development) in taking a measured, planned approach (even if it takes years) respectful of their community's input.

The Waukesha area should also pay heed to what's happening west of our borders. Our area will continue facing re-development, and it would be prudent to now, more then ever, re-emphasize working "with" businesses approaching our local Community. Competition has emerged, and Waukesha has to continue its' efforts to retain and attract quality projects. Compelling reasons for investment such as quality schools, a ready-made workforce, top-notch municipal services, a responsible tax rate, and cooperative local government must be vocalized. The urgency to proactively plan and respond quickly and right here/right now must be understood to ensure Waukesha does not lose traction over the next decade. Don't wait and expect development will automatically just come to this area!

And when and should everything else break down, be careful out west and remember – “Big money heals a lot of wounds.”

The Waukesha Civic Theatre is kicking-off their blockbuster 50'th Season, and you can be a part of it. Whether an actor or audience member, peruse the following and see if you are "a male or female between 20 and 80" to qualify for an audition. (FYI: Main Street in Waukesha has an incredible resemlance to River City.)

The Music Man By Meredith Willson



Open auditions for the Waukesha Civic Theatre’s production of The Music Man will be held Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, September 10th, 11th and 12th. Children ages five to 15 will be seen on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. All others (ages 16 and up) will be seen on Monday at 7:00 p.m. Auditioners of all ages will be seen on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. Callbacks, if needed, will be on Wednesday and Thursday, September 13th and 14th at 7:00 p.m. No appointment is necessary. Auditions will be held in the Ralph North Studio Theatre of the Margaret Brate Bryant Civic Theatre Building at 264 West Main Street, Waukesha.

The Music Man was produced by the WCT in 1971 and is one of the most beloved musicals of all time. It follows the machinations of Professor Harold Hill as he sells a boys marching band to the citizens of a small town in Iowa. The show features “Seventy-Six Trombones,” “Goodnight, My Someone,” “Shipoopi,” and numerous other well-known and loved songs. Matching the rich history with the vibrant present, this show features two incredible talents. The WCT Board of Directors has asked John Cramer, our current Managing Artistic Director to star as Harold. Howard Bashinski, WCT’s most successful guest director will direct the show.

Available roles include:

15 or more men, ages 20 to 80; 15 or more women, ages 20 to 80; 15 or more boys, ages 5 to 20; and 15 or more girls, ages 5 to 20.

Those auditioning should prepare 16 to 32 bars of a song and will be asked to read from the script and learn a short dance routine. Actors must supply sheet music. An accompanist will be provided.

The Music Man will run weekends, November 3rd through the 19th, 2006.

For more information, call the Waukesha Civic Theatre Business Office at (262) 547-4911 or visit our website at www.waukeshacivictheatre.org for updated information.
er acting or not, this is your advance notice to get tickets for yourself, family, and friends to join in the hoopla on Main Sreet.

The Waukesha area is home to an amazing array of businesses whose impacts extend far beyond WI. ITT Flygt Corporation is a prime example. They are the Country’s largest industrial pump manufacturing company for movement of water and other fluids. And if you like “big” pieces of equipment, ITT Flygt ranks with the biggest for big-boy toys.

Jim Peterson, Manager of Project Engineering, travels the world for ITT Flygt performing inspections, providing technical assistance, and negotiating local partnerships. Jim’s history with the company goes all the way back to when ITT Flygt was known as the Allis Chalmers Pump Company. He related the company’s ongoing work with the New Orleans area in maintaining the critically-needed current pumping capacity while looking to the area’s future needs. ITT pumps currently provide daily fluid control for over 29 billion gallons in the New Orleans area!

And how cool is it to have your own indoor company “pool”? A pool 30 feet deep with over 440,000 gallons of water! The ITT Flygt plant/office on Roundy’s Drive has the Country’s largest water-flow test pit which has a pump capacity of 300,000 gallons a minute. Pumps are final-assembled, tested and certified here, and then shipped to far-flung locations such as Brazil, Korea, China, Chicago, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, and Thailand.

NOTE:No ITT pumps are in use in the Milwaukee Deep Tunnel Project!

The pumps themselves are the real stars. They start at a 4”diameter, 50 HP municipal sewage pump. The “big boy” pumps similar to the New Orleans installations have an 11’ diameter, a 3000HP motor, and weigh in excess of 140,00 pounds.

ITT Flygt has a daily worldwide impact on fluid handling. The expertise to engineer and manufacture for the most-demanding fluid-handling environments starts here.



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