UPDATE: Five years later at the last soybean field in Madison?

Photo by Retiring Guy

4/24/2017 update, "Ten months later at the last cornfield in Madison", starts here.

Most of the exterior work at Brownpoint Reserve Apartments is completed 

6/22/2016 update, "Two weeks later at the last cornfield in Madison", starts here.

Original 6/9/2016 post, "The last cornfield in Madison?", starts here.

Probably not, but this parcel in the Old Sauk Trails Office Park on Madison's far-west side has been farmed for as long as I've lived in the area (30 years), despite the increasing amount of office and residential development surrounding it.

That wisp of dust in the background is the site of the Brownpoint Reserve Apartments, a project in the early stage of construction.

The photo was taken from a Deming Way perspective.

Sauk Trails II office building, bonus round 4 years later

Photo by Retiring Guy

5/15/2018 update, "Final shot, sunkissed", starts here.

Photo by Retiring Guy

3/13/2018 update, "From afar and close up", starts here.

Photos by Retiring Guy

Iconica toots its own horn.

In January, NSI, a division of West Bend Insurance Company, moved into their state of the art office inside Sauk Trails Plaza II on the west side of Madison. The new five-story, 160,000 square foot office building was designed and built by Iconica.

Photo by Retiring Guy

9/23/2017 update, "Close-up and distant views", starts here.

From the back of Sprecher's parking lot.

From John Q. Hammons Drive

From Fourier Drive

4/13/2017 update, " Structural steel surrounds elevator and stairwell towers at construction site of Sauk Trails II", starts here.

Photos by Retiring Guy

Original 3/7/2017 post, "Elevator and stairwell towers rise at construction site of Sauk Trails II development", starts here.

Located at Fourier Drive and Deming Way in Madison, just south of Middleton's Greenway Center.

A view across Deming Way.

Photos by Retiring Guy

A view across Fourier Drive.

Must be planning for lots of parking.

It's been mighty windy of late.

5 stories.  160,000 square feet.  Planned completion December 2017.  The trees, of course, are decorative for the time being.

Rendering credit:  The Gialamas Company

Wisconsin 2022 elections: Who's running in the 84th Assembly District?

Located in southwest Milwaukee County, the district includes Greenfield and Hales Corners.

Source:  Ballotpedia (and election results below)

 Mike Kuglitsch (R-New Berlin) represented the district since January 2011.  He is not running for re-election. 

Although the district no longer includes a portion of Waukesha County, it's likely to remain red.

Three Republicans and one Democrat are running for this open seat..  The winner of the August 9th GOP primary will face off against Lu Ann Bird in the fall general election.

Other "Who's Running" posts:

1st Assembly.  (6/14/2022)

4th Assembly.  (6/14/2022)

5th Assembly.  (6/14/2022)

13th Assembly.  (6/15/2022)

31st Assembly.  (6/15/2022)

32nd Assembly.  (6/16/2022)

45th Assembly.  (6/18/2022)

52nd Assembly.  (6/19/2022)

59th Assembly.  (6/19/2022)
60th Assembly.  (6/21/2022)

61st Assembly  (6/21/2022)

68th Assembly.  (6/22/2022)

71st Assembly.  (6/23/2022)

73rd Assembly.  (6/28/2022)

74th Assembly.  (6/29/2022)

79th Assembly.  (7/13/2022)

80th Assembly.  (7/14/2022)

81st Assembly.  (7/15/2022)

Wisconsin "Who Will Run" in 2022 races:

15th Assembly.  Joe Sanfelippo  (4/14/2022)

19th Assembly.  Jonathan Brostoff.  (4/30/2022)

27th Assembly.  Tyler Vorpagel.  (4/14/2022)

33rd Assembly.  Cody Horlacher.  (4/14/2022)

45th Assembly.  Mark Spreitzer.  (3/19/2022)
52nd Assembly:  Jeremy Thiefsfeldt.  (2/28/2022)
54th Assembly: Gordon Hintz.  (3/6/2022/

55th Assembly:  Rachael Cabral-Guevera.  (3/19/2022)
68th Assembly: Jesse James.  (1/28/2022)

73rd Assembly.  Nick Milroy.  (4/15/2022)
74th Assembly:  Beth Meyers.  (3/7/2022)

79th Assembly.  Dianne Hesselbein.  (3/18/2022)

80th Assembly.  Sondy Pope.  (4/15/2022)

84th Assembly: Mike Kuglitsch.  (3/1/2022)

5th Senate:  Dale Kooyenga.  (3/13/2022)

15th Senate:  Janis Ringhand.  (3/11/2022)

19th Senate:  Roger Roth.  (3/14/2022)

23rd Senate:  Kathy Bernier.  (3/15/2022)

GET ME REWRITE: Trodlodytes on U.S. Supreme Court stir up global hornet's nest

 

Headline:  Christian Science Monitor, 7/8/2022

It’s a sign of how the Dobbs decision has reverberated around the globe, and how countries and reproductive rights advocates have mobilized to secure women’s rights at home. It has raised complicated questions about how best to do that, and whether measures to legislate or codify abortion might backfire – and in some cases even work against female equality. 

The decision has also put many foreign activists, who once looked to the United States as a beacon when it came to reproductive equality, in the unexpected position of aiding the American women who once aided them.

Meet liar liar pants on fire Chunky the Clown (aka Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita)

 

Headline:  NPR, 7/15/2022

Caught in a lie

The release of the document comes after Indiana's attorney general said he would investigate the physician, claiming without providing evidence that she has a history of failing to report abortions as required under Indiana law. 

In the document released by the Indiana Department of Health and reviewed by NPR, Dr. Caitlin Bernard says she provided a medication abortion to a 10-year-old girl at Indiana University Health Medical Center in Indianapolis on June 30. That procedure uses pills to induce an abortion and involves a two-drug protocol approved for use up to 10 weeks of pregnancy.

Wisconsin 2022 elections: Who's running in the 81st Assembly District?

Located in south-central Wisconsin, the GOP gerrymandered district comprises southwest Dane County, the northern half of Green County, and part of eastern Iowa County.

Source:  Ballotpedia (and election results below)

Dave Considine (D-Baraboo) has represented the district since January 2015.  He is running for re-election.

Two Republicans are challenged Considine.  The winner of the August 9th GOP primary will face off against him in the fall general election.

Other "Who's Running" posts:

1st Assembly.  (6/14/2022)

4th Assembly.  (6/14/2022)

5th Assembly.  (6/14/2022)

13th Assembly.  (6/15/2022)

31st Assembly.  (6/15/2022)

32nd Assembly.  (6/16/2022)

45th Assembly.  (6/18/2022)

52nd Assembly.  (6/19/2022)

59th Assembly.  (6/19/2022)
60th Assembly.  (6/21/2022)

61st Assembly  (6/21/2022)

68th Assembly.  (6/22/2022)

71st Assembly.  (6/23/2022)

73rd Assembly.  (6/28/2022)

74th Assembly.  (6/29/2022)

79th Assembly.  (7/13/2022)

80th Assembly.  (7/14/2022)

Wisconsin "Who Will Run" in 2022 races:

15th Assembly.  Joe Sanfelippo  (4/14/2022)

19th Assembly.  Jonathan Brostoff.  (4/30/2022)

27th Assembly.  Tyler Vorpagel.  (4/14/2022)

33rd Assembly.  Cody Horlacher.  (4/14/2022)

45th Assembly.  Mark Spreitzer.  (3/19/2022)
52nd Assembly:  Jeremy Thiefsfeldt.  (2/28/2022)
54th Assembly: Gordon Hintz.  (3/6/2022/

55th Assembly:  Rachael Cabral-Guevera.  (3/19/2022)
68th Assembly: Jesse James.  (1/28/2022)

73rd Assembly.  Nick Milroy.  (4/15/2022)
74th Assembly:  Beth Meyers.  (3/7/2022)

79th Assembly.  Dianne Hesselbein.  (3/18/2022)

80th Assembly.  Sondy Pope.  (4/15/2022)

84th Assembly: Mike Kuglitsch.  (3/1/2022)

5th Senate:  Dale Kooyenga.  (3/13/2022)

15th Senate:  Janis Ringhand.  (3/11/2022)

19th Senate:  Roger Roth.  (3/14/2022)

23rd Senate:  Kathy Bernier.  (3/15/2022)

This Week in the Cereal Aisle: And after a few minutes in milk, it looks like a bowl of barf

 

Photo by Retiring Guy

Best Products, 1/12/20221

The next time you’re at the grocery store, you may notice a new, yet familiar cereal lining shelves. Let us explain. General Mills has taken two of its beloved varieties and put them together in a single box. Gone are the days when you’d have to make a choice between the them! 

The concept of this new cereal is simple, but makes an impact on your palate. In each box, you’ll get both Lucky Charms and Cinnamon Toast Crunch, which means you can expect the frosted toasted oat cereal with marshmallows and sweetened cinnamon squares. Between the marshmallows and cinnamon, it’s hard to believe that the Lucky Charms Cinnamon Toast Crunch Mix cereal would be anything short of delicious.

Other cereal aisle posts:

2022

Retiring Guy arrives late to Cheerios 80th birthday party.  (7/13/)
Wheaties 100 Years of Champions limited edition collector series.  (4/27)

Living dangerously.  (4/19)

2021

Give your kids a sugar buzz with a new Elf on the Shelf tradition.  (11/26)

Limited Edition Kellogg's Frosted Flakes Apple Jacks Mashup,  (10/3)

Fall is here and so are limited edition pumpkin spice choices.  (9/28)

Kellogg;s adds another variety to the Frosted Flakes brand.  (7/12)
Team Cheerios.  (7/9)

Remembering the Apple Jacks bullies jingle.  (6/1)

Kellogg's shamelessly promotes major breakfast sugar buzz.  (5/19)

Kelloggs Crayola gets the puff piece treatment @ BestProducts.  (4/5)
Grape Nuts.  (2/22)
Kix just keep getting harder to find.  (1/23 update)
Cheez-It horns in.  (1/10)

2019
This box wants to party with you.  (6/4)
Blueberry Cheerios.  (5/16)
Snap, crackle and redpop.  (2/26)
Kellogg's Honey Oat Frosted Flakes.  (2/19)
Kellogg's All Bran fights for shelf space.  (1/22)
 
2018
Cheerios adds to its long list of flavors. (12/31)
General Mills offers two flavors of Dippin' Dots.  (11/28)
Kellogg's vanilla latte Frosted Mini-Wheats.  (10/1)
Nutter Butter.  (6/24)
Still a little bit of shelf space provided for boxes of Big Biscuit Shredded Wheat.  (4/3)
Chocolate Frosted Flakes.  (3/30)
It's just peachy, part 2 (with probiotics).  (3/26)
It's just peachy (Cheerios).  (3/25)
Snap, Crackle and Pop shrug off competition from Fancy Friends Cereal Treats.  (2/23)
Lucky Charms wants you to have a daily dose of yellow 5 and blue 1.  (3/9)
The takeover of Mom.  (3/1)
Hoopla over rainbow marshmallows added to Lucky Charms.  (2/22)
Kellogg's Donut Shop in your choice of flavors.  (2/14)
Just a spoonful of sugar helps the shredded wheat go down.  (2/6)
General Mills offers yet another flavor of Cheerios -- chocolate and peanut butter.  (1/30)
I suspect this special edition Cocoa Puffs isn't exactly flying off the shelves.  (1/16)
What's really going on with this General Mills blend.  (1/10)
Giant size bargains to kick off the new year.  (1/3)

2017
Satisfy your craving for chocolate.  (12/22)
Pumpkin Spice runs amok.  (11/7)
Danger lurks.  (11/2)
Dan G. wets himself over Special K Blueberry with Lemon Clusters.  (9/20)
Limited Edition Mocha Crunch.  (7/16)
Kellogg's Frosted Flakes with Marshmallows.  (2/1)
A marriage between General Mills and Girls Scouts of America.  (1/19)

2016
Alpha-Bits is getting squeezed out.  (11/23)
Special K continues to branch out.  (10/23)
Wedding bells chime.  (10/5)
The price of convenience (22.54 cents per ounce).  (8/19)
Make up your mind already!  (8/14)
Remember Nabisco Shredded Wheat?  (7/13)
Features Batman and Superman.  (7/7)
Post wants you to have ice cream for breakfast.  (6/30)

Tiny Toast.  (6/21)

2015
Fewer of us are starting the day with a breakfast "hoop-de-do"!  (2/13)

2014
Kellogg's wants you to put out the box at bedtime.  (12/20)
Decline in cereal sales bite into Kellogg's results.  (Fortune, 10/30)
Americans aren't eating their Wheaties.  (CNN Money, 9/18)
Cereals Begin to Lose Their Snap, Crackle, and Pop.  (The New York Times, 9/10)
Why Don't Americans Like Breakfast Cereal Anymore? The once-loved product whose sales went soggy.  (Adweek, 8/14)
I imagine General Mills has done the research, but what if this is the case?  (7/1)
Maybe it's the rainbow colors.  (7/1)
They still call it 'breakfast cereal'.  (2/14)

2013
Cereal killers:  Americans' new breakfast habits.  (CNBC, 8/23

Around Town Middleton UPDATE: Klinke Cleaners closes its North Gammon Road location

Emptied out and ready for occupancy!

Photo by Retiring Guy

5/15/2021 update starts here

Wisconsin State Journal, 5/13/2022

Some dry cleaners, unable to weather the plunge in business, closed their doors for good. Others have added or are increasing their emphasis on wash-and-fold services as more casual wear becomes the norm. Meanwhile, staffing continues to be an issue for most. 

Business at Klinke and other dry cleaners in the Madison area has rebounded from the early days of the pandemic, when sales were off by more than 80%. Most say they are now down less than 10% when compared with the days prior to the pandemic, but changes in the industry abound.

Original 4/14/2022 post starts here

Photo by Retiring Guy

No longer on the map

Middleton posts
May2022

Strickers Pond showstoppers.  (5/15)

April 2022

Tiedeman Pond observation platform replaced.  (4/20)

January 2022

Vin Santo reopening?  (1/17)

November 2021

Stunning fall foliage.  (11/8)
What a concept!  Dual-purpose dumpster.  (11/4)

Club Tavern still sits empty.  (11/3)  

October 2021
Jim's BP reboots as Jim;s Auto Service.  (10/18)

September 2021

Old National Bank.  (9/29)

June 2021

Tiedeman Poud pumping station upgrade.  (6/14)

Public art on the sald shed.  (6/10)

Algae bloom at Strickers Pond.  (6/10)

May 2021

Buying in bulk almost looks like Before Times at at Willy Street Co-op.  (5/5

February 2021

2 inches of fluff is not a snowstorm.  (2/10)

January 2021

Hidden Oaks subdivision.  (1/28)

4-way stop signs installed at Middleton Street and South Avenue.  (1/17)

December 2020

Unhappy neighbors of construction site.  (12/10)

November 2020

Good Neighbor City message.  (11/12)

Buying in bulk is backj at Willy Street Coop. (11/4)

October 2020

Free House Pub patio.  (10/4)

September 2020

This Franklin Avenue home has no curb  appeal.  (9/11)
A family of sandhill cranes paid us a visit yesterday.  (9/6) 

The beaches of Stricker's Pond.  (9/1)

August 2020

The latest in Woodside Heights Park amenities.  (8/19)
Sugars Court.  (8/31)

December 2019
Roman Candle survives the cut, even without the availability of convenient parking.  (12/12)
The Monona side of town.  (12/6)

November 2019
Bike rack at Sauk Trail Elementary School.  (11/8)
Not everybody's on board in the Meadows neighborhood.  (11/4)
 
October 2019
Matching car and garage door.  (10/11)

September 2019
Around Town Middleton: Bees love ornamental onion plants.   (9/4) 

August 2019
60-year-old resident arrested for armed robbery.  (8/21)
Staff and visitors may now park in the MCPASD Services Center lot .  (8/2)

June 2019
"ROAD WORK AHEAD" trumps "DRIVE LIKE YOUR KIDS LIVE HERE" on Park Street.  (6/27)
Free lunch Friday.  (6/24/2019)
CBD, just like everywhere else in Wisconsin.  (6/24)
 
February 2019
According to chapter 8.07 of the city ordinances....  (2/4)

January 2019
More than a snow fort, but not a standing-room igloo.  (1/2)
 
December 2018
This section of sidewalk was replaced in 1980.  (12/18)
The post office's new and improved self-service kiosk.  (12/18)

November 2018
Spell checker.  (11/19)

August 2018
Must be on a tight schedule.  (8/6/)

July 2018
What type of seeds?  (7/6)

June 2018
If it's not one thing, it's another.  (6/23)
Bloom Bake Shop to reopen as Bloom Bindery, a bakery/bookstore.  (6/15)

May 2018
The Tiedeman Pond frog chorus.  (5/15)

March 2018
Tiedeman Pond winter fish kill.  (3/30)
Hear that lonesome whistle blow.  (3/22)
Explosion on Elmwood Avenue.  (3/20)
Googling 'Henry Hubbard'.  (3/18) 
A not-so-faded Flo strikes a new pose.  (3/12)

February 2018

3 orange cones on sidewalk.  (2/26)

January 2018
This corner house is now a rental.  (1/16)
This 1955, 1296-square-foot ranch on Cooper Avenue was listed at $219,500.  (1/13)
It's always the season of the witch at this Anderson Street address in Middleton.  (1/11)

December 2017
A sure sign that this request went unheeded, if not unseen.  (12/24)
Turnstile Christmas Eve services at St. Luke's.  (12/13)
You've heard of a bear hibernating, but how about a bakery?  (12/13)

In light of this news, Brett Favre might want to consider a name change

 

Left:  Encyclopedia Britannica

Right:  AlterNet

Dear AlterNet,

'Favre' rhymes with 'carve', but the 'v' comes before the 'r'.

Best, 

Retiring Guy

Wisconsin 2022 elections: Who's running in the 80th Assembly District?

Located in south-central Wisconsin, the GOP gerrymandered district comprises southwest Dane County, the northern half of Green County, and part of eastern Iowa County.

Source:  Ballotpedia (and election results below)

Sandy Pope is currently serving her 10th term in the Assembly.  She is not running for re-election.

Five Democrats and two Republicans are running for this open seat.  The winners of their respective August 9th primaries will face off in the fall general election.

Related reading:

Democratic candidates Q&A.  (Wisconsin State Journal, 6/18/2022)

GOP candidates Q&A.  (Wisconsin State Journal, 7/2/2022

Other "Who's Running" posts:

1st Assembly.  (6/14/2022)

4th Assembly.  (6/14/2022)

5th Assembly.  (6/14/2022)

13th Assembly.  (6/15/2022)

31st Assembly.  (6/15/2022)

32nd Assembly.  (6/16/2022)

45th Assembly.  (6/18/2022)

52nd Assembly.  (6/19/2022)

59th Assembly.  (6/19/2022)
60th Assembly.  (6/21/2022)

61st Assembly  (6/21/2022)

68th Assembly.  (6/22/2022)

71st Assembly.  (6/23/2022)

73rd Assembly.  (6/28/2022)

74th Assembly.  (6/29/2022)

79th Assembly.  (7/13/2022)

Wisconsin "Who Will Run" in 2022 races:

15th Assembly.  Joe Sanfelippo  (4/14/2022)

19th Assembly.  Jonathan Brostoff.  (4/30/2022)

27th Assembly.  Tyler Vorpagel.  (4/14/2022)

33rd Assembly.  Cody Horlacher.  (4/14/2022)

45th Assembly.  Mark Spreitzer.  (3/19/2022)
52nd Assembly:  Jeremy Thiefsfeldt.  (2/28/2022)
54th Assembly: Gordon Hintz.  (3/6/2022/

55th Assembly:  Rachael Cabral-Guevera.  (3/19/2022)
68th Assembly: Jesse James.  (1/28/2022)

73rd Assembly.  Nick Milroy.  (4/15/2022)
74th Assembly:  Beth Meyers.  (3/7/2022)

79th Assembly.  Dianne Hesselbein.  (3/18/2022)

80th Assembly.  Sondy Pope.  (4/15/2022)

84th Assembly: Mike Kuglitsch.  (3/1/2022)

5th Senate:  Dale Kooyenga.  (3/13/2022)

15th Senate:  Janis Ringhand.  (3/11/2022)

19th Senate:  Roger Roth.  (3/14/2022)

23rd Senate:  Kathy Bernier.  (3/15/2022)

James Gray (1947-2022) Warren Area High School class of 1966

 

1966 Dragon yearbook

Donald Lewis Funeral Home

1967 Warren City Directory 

• Gray Burdette F (Ruth) maintenance man Warren General Hospital h607 Fourth Avenue
• Gray James (Mary) USA r607 Fourth Avenue

1983 Warren City Directory

• Gray James C & Mary M driver New Process Company h319 Water Street
• Gray Mary M Mrsmailing clerk New Process Company h319 water Street

The popularity of James as a baby name is graphed here.  Let's take a look at grandson .

Source:  Social Security Administration Popular Baby Names

 

Renee struggled early on but eventually climbed into the top 200, where she spent 43 years (1948-1990) --  21 of them in the top 100 (1960-1978, 1981, 1983) -- peaking at #62 in 1967, She quickly fell out of favor after 2000, dropping off the chart in 2020.

Other members of the class of '66 (20):

2022

Charlotte Loper Strickland.  (5/4/)

Larry  Donaldson.  (3/30)

Allen Eugene Wenzel.  (1/23/)

2021

Roger Jenkins.  (1/20)

Loren Sederberg.  (3/15)

2020
Harry Rosequist.  (8/28)
Donna Dunkle Spahr.  (8/17)
Victoria Hanson.  (1/27)
Darrell Robinault.  (1/4)

2019
Edward Houser.  (10/22)
Michael Phillips.  (6/12)

2018
Sue Ellen Strandbert Nazario.  (11/25)
Frank Chiaravalloti.  (9/21)
Howard Johnson.  (8/3)
Albert Conklin.  (4/11)
Betsy Colt Brinkley.  (3/9)

2017
Deborah Snyder Sproveri.  (8/8)

2015
Sally Johnson Horrocks.  (4/3)

2014
Charlene Postlethwait Knowlton. (10/8)
Dennis Peterson.  (8/31)