Column I wrote that was published in two Wisconsin newspapers: The Rice Lake Chronotype and The Superior Catholic Herald

1. OPINION & COMMENTARYOPINION & COMMENTARY
It is too late for Republicans such as
AttorneyGeneralJ.B.VanHollentoundo
his pre-election efforts to fix the phony
problemofwidespreadvoterfraud.Butit
is not too early to say that in Wisconsin,
at least, there is no evidence of any such
problem on Election Day.
Lastweek,VanHollenreleasednearly
300 pages of reports from the 50 agents
andprosecutorshedispatchedtoWiscon-
sin polling places as election monitors.
The result? They found an orderly,
lawful process.
Consider how different those thou-
sandsofpollingplacesmighthavelooked
if the lawsuit filed byVan Hollen in Sep-
temberhadn’tbeenthrownoutofcourtin
October.Thesuitwouldhaverequiredall
ofthestate’scityandmunicipalclerksto
cross-check the identities of every voter
Registration flap
was waste of time
Viewpoints: State and regional perspectives
I am completely frustrated by how
Barron County and its judicial system
works.Ihavebeenfightingforcustodyof
my children since 2002 only to result in
losing more privileges myself. My main
concern is my son who was involved in
a one-car rollover. His mother let an
unlicensed person drive her vehicle. In
addition, they both were cited with open
intoxicants in the vehicle and she was
citedwithknowinglyoperatingwithouta
license and causing injury. She lost con-
trol of the vehicle that night and it rolled
five times. My son was ejected from the
vehicle because they failed to check his
seat belt. I have to say that if this was
me, I would have been thrown into jail
thatnightandmyparentalrightsrevoked
immediately. However, since this is a
woman, she was let free with no loss of
parental rights. How is this so?
Back in 2003 the mother also let a
drunk driver drive her vehicle while she
was drunk in the passenger seat with my
childreninthecar.Didshegetintrouble?
Of course not. Barron County let her off
with counseling. Counseling? Evidently
it didn’t work.
So I asked the judge for a emergency
hearing and was denied. Instead he is
forcing us to go to mediation. What for?
I have not done anything wrong.
If you look at her record she has been
in contempt so many times for all the
games she plays... yet Barron County
keeps awarding the children to her. I
have contacted seven different lawyers
to help me win my children, and none of
themwilltakethecaseinBarronCounty
in fear that they will lose.
Where are a father’s rights? I have
not done anything wrong I am a loving,
caring father who wants nothing but the
best for my children.
Sean P. O’Neil
Oakdale, Minn.
Barron County Court
frustrates concerned dad
Rice Lake, WI.
registered since Jan. 1, 2006.
Because that would have involved a
combination of two different unwieldy
electronic databases maintained by the
state,thiswouldhavemeantlongerlines
at the polls and a spike in provisional
ballots cast by legally qualified voters.
Inevitably, this would have meant some
legalvoteswouldhavebeendisqualified,
andsomeeligiblevoterswouldhavebeen
discouraged by the long waits.
To be sure, some of the Democratic
objectionstoVanHollen’steamofmoni-
tors, which characterized them as goons
and intimidators, was overblown. That
doesn’t mean the scheme wasn’t politi-
callymotivated,anditdoesn’tjustifyVan
Hollen’s decisions.
Let’s leave aside the dubious claim
thatVan Hollen had no knowledge of his
own party’s wishes before filing the suit.
Van Hollen went on to call this contact
“wholly appropriate,’’saying that “any-
bodyshouldbeabletomakeacomplaint
to law enforcement if they think a law is
being violated.’’
True enough. But part of the job of
an honest attorney general is to make
good-faith decisions about how to use
resources.
The reality is that there is simply
no good-faith reason for Van Hollen to
have wasted so much time this year on
a problem that doesn’t exist.
A voice from
Christmas past
Words 26 years ago from state Sen.
Clifford “Tiny” Krueger, R-Merrill, are
worthmullingonthisChristmasweekas
cries come again for cutting government
spending in hard times.
Krueger,thelastlegislatorinWiscon-
sin to wear the Progressive Party label,
became known as the “conscience of
the state Senate” in his 34 years in elec-
tive public services. His retirement and
farewell speech came Jan. 3, 1983, an
inaugural day when Wisconsin was in
a dire economic time with double digit
unemployment.
He said, in part:
“The oath of office you took today is
the same one I took so many years ago.
Today, as it did then, the oath confers
two important obligations. There is the
obligationtoprovidevigorousleadership
insolvingthestate’sproblems.Butthere
is an equal obligation to care for those
who cannot walk at our pace. I ask you
always to do the same.
“Inourstatemotto,Wisconsinfound-
ers gave us a command to go forward.
Throughourpoliticaltraditions,ourPro-
gressive ancestors gave us a mandate to
care for those who cannot walk at our
pace. While here, I have always listened
to both those voices from the past.
“I began my career the same week
Robert La Follette Jr. ended his. I did
so determined to continue the tradition
of the Progressive Party whose banner
we both carried.
“Iwasalsocommittedtothedreamof
themanwhobeganthattradition,Robert
La Follette Sr. His was the dream that
one day every human being would have
a life of dignity and honor.”
Krueger said he still believed in that
dream, and urged the new Legislature to
makeittheirown.In1947whenKrueger
came to office Wisconsin and America
were prosperous.
“Today, many do not share that confi-
dence.In1947theProgressivedreamwas
anopportunity.Today,manyconsiderita
burden,aluxurywhichtoday’seconomy
cannot afford.
“I and my friends had to convince
our generation that the Progressive
dream was possible. Today, you must
convince yours that it is not a mistake.
Youmustremindthosewhowanttodelay
the dream that human dignity is not a
privilege dependent upon prosperity, it
is a right upon which prosperity itself
depends,” continued Krueger.
His farewell remarks also may frame
the coming changes in Washington.
“Elected office is a noble calling.
There is nothing lazy, immoral or selfish
aboutbeingacareerpolitician.Thegiants
of our Republic were political animals.
They spent their lives in politics because
being good at it demands a great deal.
“The career politicians, the Adams,
the Jeffersons, the Clays, the Websters,
the Lincolns and the La Follettes of our
system have kept us together in times of
crisis.Theyputpartyinterestsasidewhen
the going got tough,” said Krueger.
Words still for a Christmas week.
Marshfield News-Herald
Marshfield
Matt Pommer,
State Capitol Newsletter
OUR READERS
Telephone...............................715 234-2121
Fax ..........................................715 234-5232
Internet...................www.ricelakeonline.com
E-mail.................. publish1@chronotype.com
newsroom@chronotype.com
Warren Dorrance.............................Publisher
Sam Finazzo...........................................Editor
Robert Dorrance.......... Advertising Manager
James Dorrance............Production Manager
James Stavran..............Circulation Manager
Jennifer Sirek..................................Controller
Dave Greschner........................ Sports Editor
Gene Prigge.................................... City Editor
Established 1874
Volume 134, Number 17
Published weekly at Chronotype Publishing Co.,
Inc.
28 S. Main St., Rice Lake, WI.
Periodicals postage paid: Rice Lake, WI. 54868
Postmaster: Send address change to:
The publisher shall not be liable for slight changes or typo-
graphical errors that do not lessen the value of an advertisement.
The publisher’s liability for other errors or omissions in connec-
tion with an advertisement is strictly limited to publication of the
advertisement in any subsequent issue or the refund of any monies
paid for the advertisement.
Rates:
Single copy ................................................... $1
Local Annual subscription ............................ $37
$50 if more than 50 miles from Rice Lake
USPS 465-040
Wisconsin Newspaper
Association
Active Member
Frac sand mine
may bring issues
News that there could be a frac sand mine in the
Barron County Town of Arland is a mixed blessing. If
it comes to fruition millions of dollars will be pumped
into the county’s economy. But, judging from what has
happened in neighboring Chippewa County, getting
there might be a long and bumpy road.
Fracsandisusedinthedevelopmentofoilandnatural
gas wells. It’s a relatively rare type of sand because its
grainsarestrongandroundratherthanjagged.Theround
grains allow it to remain porous even after it’s pumped
under high pressure into oil and gas wells to fracture
rock. The property of remaining porous enables natural
gas and oil to flow through it to the surface.
Earlier this year a frac sand mine was proposed east
of Colfax in the Chippewa County Town of Howard.
There was local opposition about the impact of heavy
trucksinthearea,silicadust,noiseandpreservingwater
tables. The project became bogged down in a jurisdic-
tional question between the township and the county.
Its future remains unresolved.
Evenstrongerenvironmentaloppositioncamewitha
proposal to build a $45 million sand processing plant at
ChippewaFalls.Adeveloper’sagreementforthatproject
was recently approved on a 4-3 vote by the Chippewa
Falls City Council.
How quickly, or even whether, frac sand mining de-
velopsinBarronCountyremainstobeseen.Becausethe
materialisusedinenergyproduction,oilpricesdropping
from $150 a barrel to less than $50 may delay things for
awhile.Butenergypriceswilllikelyincreaseagain,and
the Town ofArland may face the same issues that have
come with frac sand in Chippewa County.
by Julie Kelemen, Chronotype staff
When I tell people I lived in Africa as a kid, they
usually ask, “Were your parents missionaries?”
No, from 1966-’68, Dad taught electrical engi-
neering at a college in Nigeria’s second largest city,
Ibadan. The U.S. government sent Dad and other
professors there to teach the locals technical and
business skills. America’s generosity probably had
something to do with Nigeria’s massive reserves of
oil.
I was 7 years old; my brother, Vince, was a pre-
schooler.
In December 1966 Mom took us to visit Fa-
ther Christmas–as the British call Santa Claus—at
Kingsway department store downtown. This wasn’t
like popping into
Penney’s. First, Mom
had to maneuver our
VW through traffic
slowed by huck-
sters, livestock, dogs,
broken-down cars,
children, cyclists and
beggars.
Next, after park-
ing, we ran a gauntlet
at Kingsway’s doors,
where locals mobbed
us. Some peddled
wares, but most, es-
pecially children, had
hands outstretched to
beg.
Mom told us to ignore them, and we knew the
routine. Ex-patriate veterans advised, “If you give
to one they all want something. It can get really
bad.”
I ignored the beggars, even when a barefoot,
bony child reached into my face. Malnutrition had
distended his belly as it had those of countless other
kids. I pretended not to see those who hobbled to-
ward us on crutches or whose amputated legs forced
them to use wooden blocks to help them move.
This act never got easy. Such experiences rightly
seared themselves in my memory. Some kids simply
wanted to touch us, to see if white skin felt different
from black.
We entered the cool, modern, western-style de-
partment store, and guards kept the mob outside.
Months earlier, a bloody military coup had replaced
one general with another. Civil war brewed 350
miles away. I didn’t know these things then but
learned them later.
We anticipated lining up behind other kids as
we’d done in the States. On an upper floor, a modest
North Pole scene awaited, complete with a child-
sized train to ride round a track that encircled Father
Christmas’s hallowed hall.
A nice woman greeted us and shepherded us to
the train. We rode, smiling, no other kids on the
train. We disembarked, and the nice lady escorted
Vince and me into a dark little tunnel dimly lit with
stars.
There was no line. There were no other children.
We entered Father Christmas’s chamber and
clambered into his lap. The dim little room he sat in
featured black walls hand painted with white Christ-
mas trees. He welcomed and enfolded us like a
down comforter. Unlike Santa in the U.S.A., Father
Christmas had dark skin. We thought nothing of it.
Of course Santa would be black in Africa.
We got down to business and recited our wish
lists. Father Christmas gave us each a wrapped gift
and a sweet. Someone snapped a photo. We waved
good-bye and left that
alternate universe
for the brightness
outside.
In the photo Vince
and I look happy. Not
so Father Christmas,
whose eyes seem
stern and prophetic.
Minutes earlier he’d
gently smiled with
us, but he showed a
different face for the
camera and posterity.
My years in Ni-
geria were a blessing
that has carried with
it a responsibility
to learn and remember Africa’s challenges. My
problems don’t amount to a hill of beans compared
to those of people in many parts of the world. I
saw what most American kids never see but should
– some of it ugly and not festive at all but instead
heart-rending. That, too, is a gift. To this day I hate
seeing food wasted. I get impatient when someone
complains about their food. I desire few material
things because I’ve lived among people who’ve
cheerfully managed to live with so little. I shop
thrift stores even if I can afford better. I feel my dis-
cretionary dollars belong elsewhere. The feeling is
like survivor guilt and constantly prods me.
Maybe it was only indigestion, but Father
Christmas’s penetrating eyes in the photo humble
me. They remind me to respect Africa’s people, its
descendants whose ancestors came to America as
slaves, and the continent’s positive influences on our
culture, especially our music. Those eyes compel
me to learn what that man might have struggled
with after Kingsway folded up the North Pole.
I haven’t returned since 1968. Nigeria is still a
wild west sort of place not for the faint of heart. But
heart is what Nigeria’s people gave me. And that’s
one dandy of a Christmas gift.
The year Santa was African
Cultivate a spirit
of giving
Area school districts encourage students to give
back to their communities. This is especially nice to
see during the tough economic times leading into this
holiday season. Little things can sometimes go a long
way toward helping others.
Several clubs and other extracurricular activities that
studentscanchoosetobelongtorequiretheirmembersto
participateincommunityserviceprojects. Forexample,
kids are involved in delivering Meals on Wheels to the
homebound, walking dogs for the Humane Society and
raking and yard cleanup for people who are unable to
do it themselves.
Community service also plays an important part in
the Barron County Restorative Justice Teen Court pro-
gram. Young people who get in trouble by committing
minor offenses can voluntarily take part in the Teen
Court process. They are then put on trial by peers who
volunteer and are trained to serve on the court. Part of
successfullycompletingtheTeenCourtprogramusually
involves several hours of community service.
Then there are the opportunities the holidays bring
such as ringing bells to raise money for the Salvation
Army, helping children buy gifts for their parents at the
Children’sChristmasShoppingCorner andcontributing
gifts for needy families through the Spirit of Christmas
program.Studentsalsocandonatefooditemstothelocal
food pantries, sing Christmas carols at nursing homes
and participate in the annual Holiday Parade.
Byvolunteeringandtakingpartincommunityservice
projectsandeventswhiletheyareinschool,youngpeople
have an opportunity to learn a lifelong habit of giving
back to their communities and helping others.
Sound Off
See LETTERS, Page 5
The editorials that appear weekly in this space are the views of
the newspaper as determined by The Chronotype’s editorial board.
All editorials are written by one or more members of the board,
which consists of Warren Dorrance, Sam Finazzo, Gene Prigge
and Eileen Nimm.
Julie and Vince with Father Christmas
Donations critical
for Meals on Wheels
How do you define a good quote? Is
it one that makes you laugh? One that
motivates or inspires? Or are you partial
to the thought-provoking variety?
Ifyou’relikeme,itistotallydependent
upon my mood. Certain quotes will al-
waysbeamongmyfavorites. LikeErma
Bombeck’s “Never have more children
than you have car windows.”
Or how about the insightful words of
Calvin from Calvin & Hobbes by Bill
Watterson.
“Daybyday,nothingseemstochange,
but pretty soon, everything is different.”
Isn’t that the truth?
And one of my new favorites, which
has been attributed to nobody and seem-
ingly everybody, is “Inch by inch, life’s
a cinch. Yard by yard, life is hard!” I
wish I could tell you who said this, but
it seems to be “authored” by more than
a dozen people as well as anonymously.
Regardless, it’s still a very accurate
statement.
Certainly nobody can argue with the
factualnatureofthatone,especiallygiven
our current economy. Even Calvin hits
the nail on the head. Things were going
along pretty well and then, as if out of
nowhere, everything changed. Well,
perhaps it isn’t entirely accurate to say
that the turn in the economy appeared
out of nowhere. There were more than
a few hints along the way.
These quotes can also be applied to
our generosity in caring for our friends,
neighbors and community. When Meals
on Wheels began in the Rice Lake area
nearly 40 years ago it started with just
a few people needing meals after being
in the hospital and a few volunteers who
wanted to help them get back on their
feet. Two or three people a day, then
10, then 45, then 70, now more than
100! Fivevolunteers,then50,nowmore
than 150! “Day by day, nothing seems
to change”
State and federal funding for this pro-
gramhasalsochanged,butnotinthesame
manner. In the early days, government
funding for this program covered about
80% of the expenses, then 70%, 60%
and currently about 50%.
More people need meals. Increas-
ingfoodcosts,increasingdeliverycosts,
lessmoneycomingfromstateandfederal
sources–thetaskseemsinsurmountable
whenyoulookatitfromthatangle.What
a blessing that we can apply the “Inch
by inch, life’s a cinch. Yard by yard,
lifeishard!”philosophytoourcharitable
giving.
Certainly,itwouldbegreatifeveryone
could give $50, $100 or even more. But
the reality is this, every donation is im-
portant.And fortunately, enough people
considerMealsonWheelsavitalprogram
in our communities.
More importantly, when you give to
the United Way of Rice Lake, you are
helpingMealsonWheelsandmanyother
valuable programs.
Inch by inch, United Way reaches its
goal. Sure, some people may be able to
give a “yard,” but most of the fundrais-
ing is done inch by inch. You know that
loose change jar you keep? Make it your