Note to Alan Borsuk: Mobilizing Around Reading is What Librarians Do

But I'm,sure he already knows this.  Just wish he would have acknowledged it in his most recent "On Education" column..

LINK

to Marge "Game-Changing" Loch-Wouters blog,

"Tiny Tips for Library Fun"

Game-changing steps needed to improve reading, by Alan Borsuk. (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, 11/5/2011)

Excerpt: So, what to do? Some brief thoughts:

However much community leaders are pushing reading, it's not enough. We need more mobilization from educators, politicians, pastors and civic leaders around reading.

As for parents, far too many are poor allies of their children's reading skills. More needs to be done to reach them and teach them. Parents, turn off the television a lot more often and read more yourself - it's great modeling for your kids, especially matched with reading aloud to younger kids.

Play Learn Read

LINK to

Marge Loch-Wouters' blog,

"Tiny Tips for Library Fun"

In addition....

1000 Books Before Kindergarten graduation celebration @ the Menasha Public Library.  (A program that Marge initiated in 2006.)

1000 Books Before Kindergarten:  Kimberly-Little Chute Public Library.

Library Begins “1,000 Books Before Kindergarten” Program. (Peshtigo Times)

Wine & Chocolate for a good cause @ the Fond du Lac Public Library.

Happy to add other Wisconsin examples to this post.

Wisconsin Concealed Carry Update

More than 20,000 concealed carry applications pour in this week. (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, 11/4/2011)

20,476 to be exact, slightly less than the population of the Town of Grand Chute, just west of Appleton.

At the time of the article's publication, 879 applications had been approved and 177 rejected.   Likely reasons for the latter:  insufficient information provided on application, insufficient training documentation, no payment.

The article also notes that 30 to 35 employees have been assigned to process applications "at any given time".  Not sure if these are limited-term workers -- Hey, I thought we were broke! -- or current, temporarily reassigned Department of Justice staff.  If it's the latter case, what's not getting done, and is this suspension of duties delaying the implementation of some other crazy scheme?

Many Wisconsin Township Governments Unable to Use Governor Walker's Tools

Townships of Wood County

Some small towns struggle with state cuts to shared revenue. Wisconsin Rapids Tribune, 11/5/2011)

Excerpt: Changes in state shared revenue and employee contribution laws have helped the budgets of some municipalities, but many smaller communities are struggling to make up for a reduction in state aid.

To help municipal governments deal with a reduction in shared revenue -- a state program that distributes Wisconsin taxes to local governments -- state officials created a requirement that employees make contributions to their state retirement fund and group health plans. However, only a small percentage of the 1,257 towns in the state are part of the two programs, said Rick Stadelman, Wisconsin Towns Association executive director.

"We have about 233 towns in the Wisconsin retirement system and only 83 towns in the state group health plan," Stadelman said.

Gotta tell you that I'm with Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels on this one.

I doubt of Gov. Daniels' picture is found in any office of Wisconsin Towns Association officials.