“Baraboo Bits” is a new section we’re adding to the Skillet Creek Journal.  It’s a quick hit commentary by me,  Derrick Mayoleth, the owner of Skillet Creek, on this week in the Baraboo Hills.  We’ll cover a wide range of topics in short little bites covering environment & nature, local issues, occasional politics, and sometimes we’ll just go with the wind.  Spelling errors will be added for flavor! Now of course you may not agree with something I’ve said.  Funny how that happens! I encourage you to comment ( In a civil fashion of course) and who knows, I could be wrong… I often am.

So with that, let’s get on with it.  Welcome to part 1 of “Baraboo Bits”.

 

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1. Houston We Have A Poop!

Not sure what happened yesterday, but we were really looking forward to a visit to the local indoor pool. We even called ahead.  When we got there we found a sign posted on the door.. “Closed due to Fecal Issue” or something of that nature.  I knew there was a toddler class earlier in the day.  Hmmm, Isn’t that what the chlorine is for?  Or was this something that couldn’t be controlled with a net?  Man, I don’t even want to think about it!

2. That’s Just Cold

So I got a call from my grandmother the other day because she and other tenants of the Donahue Terrace apartments on 1st Avenue here in Baraboo were “freezing” in the hallways.  Grandma was never one to tolerate cold well.  Apparently there is some game of footsie going on with the thermostat where some staff turn it up, and some turn it down.  The problem is that elderly folks just don’t tolerate cold  or constant temperature changes very well.  We actually went over and sampled the temps various hallways and public areas and they ranged from 64F to 70F depending.  The apartment temperatures themselves are controlled by the tenants and just fine as far as we know. Now for me, 64-70 is not bad at all, however I totally understand where folks in their 70′s and 80′s would be coming from.  Please guys, just stop fiddling with the heat.

3.  A Good Deed

So I was talking to local accountant & businessman, Walt Smith a couple weeks back.  He’s a busy guy.  At the time he was spending time over at a local nursing home helping folks there do their taxes.  He deserves a shout out for that.  “So shines a good deed in a weary world.”

4. The Manchester Pile

We need to talk about what’s going on with the city landfill.  There is one nasty, nasty view going on down in the Race Dr. area of town.  What a sparkling view from the Manchester Bridge wouldn’t you say?  Now I’m old enough to remember when there used to be a nice fishing pond in that area. It used to be, dare I say, pretty!?  Now it’s starting to look like a 1974 New Jersey shoreline.  The iceing on the cake for me is that Hill St is one of the saddest pothole ladden excuses for a road in any city I’ve every been it.  It would be nicer if it were dirt.  It’s no wonder there is a Downtown Baraboo sign on Old Lake Road to encourage people to bypass the area all together.

5. Bullying In Schools

Frankly I don’t believe one bit of the BS I’m hearing about Baraboo Schools dealing with bullying. Why? First, because I’ve heard it before, and second because of their overuse of “Fashion Words” .  You know, the words people use when they have no idea what they are talking about but that look really good in print.  Here we go again on another “aren’t we sensitive and caring” pose-a-thon while another kid get’s pummeled or called a “fagot” down the street. Been there. Let me tell you, “Fagot” is an equal opportunity insult regardless of your orientation. Yeah, so whatever papers your writing, speeches your giving and heads your quoting.. good luck with that. Personally I recommend self-defense training.

6. News You Can Use

The Baraboo News Republic has a new website.  That’s cool.  You see, like millions of others around the country I never read a physical newspaper.  If it’s not on the web, I rarely know about it.  Now that might seem like a limited point of view, but let’s face it, the internet is today’s media.  We’re not going back and even in small communities, ignoring the internet means simply falling further and further behind.  I’m reminded of that old phrase that says, “you never hear the bullet that kills you”.  For many small businesses, the internet is just like that.  So kudos to the BNR for a long over due update. Now all they need to do is update their “Title” tag..

7. Heads We’re Dancing!

The heads in the picture above are in the window of the Panache Academy of Beauty on Water St.  They can cause quite a shock if you’re walking by and not expecting them.

8. Cracks in the Ice

The sudden blast of warm air has been great hasn’t it?  So much so that we decide to take a bike ride out to Devil’s Lake State Park the other day.  One thing we found out, while the ice is still on the surface.. you can’t ride your bike on it!

 

So there you go.  Your Baraboo Bits for March 19th, 2010.

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