Welcome to KickTime - News of the Kickapoo Valley, WI

A Driftless Regional web space for Kickapoo Valley news, events and local commerce (like recycling, ride sharing, eating from local sources, buying and supporting local entrepreneurs.) Look here for more information.

More Resources

Visit our Kickapedia site for links to local businesses, farms and services. This is a community wiki (like Wikipedia only smaller) that can be updated by anyone who logs in.

Please visit the video site for the area, Kickapoo Valley Video Collective. It is easy to contribute using the "Add a video" button at the top. Give it a try!

Also link to the KickTime_Calendar. We try to keep it as complete, up-to-date and accurate as possible. Please forgive any errors and use the contact information provided for events to double check times and dates.

Where to find us

Want KickTime on Email?

To get a daily digest enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Opinions

15 Things to Love about the Kickapoo Valley


By borges, Section Opinions
Posted on Sat Feb 14, 2009 at 12:21:18 PM CST

Milwaukee blogger K Cinpinski had a very popular post yesterday about the 50 things she loves about Milwaukee.  Since we now know  "Imitation: The sincerest form of theft." I thought I'd list 15 things to love about the Kickapoo Valley.  The target of 50 seemed a bit high for such a small place.

  1.  All those working for social justice.

  2.  All those vocal environmentalists

  3.  That we can eat from local sources:  Community Supported Agriculture, local farms, farmer's markets, and excellent food coops

  4.  All those local cheeses! coffee roasters, beer/wine and other stuff people here produce.

  5.  Complementary Medicine EVERYWHERE.

  6.  Unique homegrown stores

  7.   Library Systems that keep us in touch and plugged into the wider world.

  8.  Canoeing

  9.  The Historic Temple Theater although I'm not a big fan of their website.

  10.  Kickapoo Reserve and Wildcat Mountain State Park

  11.  Our Dark Sky

  12.  Ed Barlow...oh I'm running out of gas here, maybe I should have made it the 10 things to love...

  13.  This is unlucky, so I'll skip it.

  14.  The Calendar that tries to cover the happenings around the area.

  15.  All the faithful KickTime readers...you know who you are. Post your ideas in the comments? Oh never mind.

You can also post to Kickapedia any corrections, additions and new sections you would like. It is a wiki and was designed to be a participatory free-for-all.

 

(1 comment) Comments >>

Sarah Palin on Health Care Reform: A Modest Proposal


By Quality Counts, Section Opinions
Posted on Sun Oct 05, 2008 at 08:56:07 PM CST

I've spent a good portion of my life working to measure and improve health care quality, so I was very interested to hear what Sarah Palin had to say about the McCain-Palin solution to our health care crisis.  It seems that she and her running mate have developed a perfect solution not only for our too costly health care system, but also for all those other financial crises with which our nation is beset.  It's called the budget neutral tax credit, and it puts financial derivatives to shame.

Full Story for more...

(384 words in story) Full Story

I wouldn't want to be negative...


By borges, Section Opinions
Posted on Wed Feb 20, 2008 at 09:43:12 PM CST

But our local election results from yesterday's primary night made me think of those great posters produced by my friend out in the great Northwest.  Here is one that seems to fit:

Comments >>

Barking Dogs in Viroqua and elsewhere


By Edward Barlow, Section Opinions
Posted on Sat Nov 03, 2007 at 09:19:30 PM CST

     Dogs make wonderful pets and can be a joy to have around.  However, there is one dog issue that can be quite stressful to others - and that is barking. There is nothing more aggravating, stressful, and nerve wracking than listening to a dog's chronic barking, howling, and/or whining for hours on end - and especially into the night.

See full story for more and a poll to see if people think this is a problem. Haven't had a poll in a long time, so we will give it a try--you don't have to log in to be able to vote.

(574 words in story) Full Story

In Honor of Diversity Day Viroqua


By oriole, Section Opinions
Posted on Wed Apr 11, 2007 at 02:13:42 PM CST

Public speakers, radio personalities (Imus), as well as actors are now under scrutiny in the manner they describe others.

It is interesting to me that I don't always know what is insensitive because I don't know the meaning of words at times.  Very often, friends have to clue me in on the meaning of words and phrases.  What I find astounding is that so much of the music my granddaughter listens to on the airwaves is so much worse than what I've heard discussed to date.
   
Some of the words of the rap music may have a beat to be desired - but the words are appalling - denigrating women and girls.  Denigrating police and public officials.  Totally disrespectful of the ordinary person/families.  It should not be a shock to anyone that this kind of talk is happening these days with greater frequency.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could start a movement of honesty, courtesy and respect for ALL others no matter how different?

This country has been a "dream country" for immigrants and settlers of old.  Freedom of speech - YES - but let there be a balance.  Let it be freedom of speech with respect towards our fellow man (generic man).......

[ed note: oriole provides a view from Westby (welcome back oriole).  Viroqua High School students had a very successful set of Diversity Day presentations today.  KickTime is working to get video of the event available on the site.]

Comments >>

Gotta Watch Gonzales


By borges, Section Opinions
Posted on Mon Jan 22, 2007 at 06:54:17 PM CST

Watching Attorney General Gonzalez testify before the Judiciary Committee has exceeded even my paranoid expectations. Here's the habeas corpus exchange:

Specter: Now wait a minute, wait a minute. The Constitution says you can't take it away except in the case of invasion or rebellion. Doesn't that mean you have the right of habeas corpus?

Gonzales: I meant by that comment that the Constitution doesn't say that every individual in the United States or every citizen has or is assured the right of habeas corpus. It doesn't say that. It simply says that the right of habeas corpus shall not be suspended.

Article I, Section 9:

The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.

Here is the video and Leahy's spirited reply:

Earlier Leahy slammed Gonzalez about torture, via_C&L

And a very busy day is covered by C&L that includes firing 10 Senate approved US attorneys.

Nice letters to Leahy might be in order.

Comments >>

Gay Marriage Ban--Why now?


By borges, Section Opinions
Posted on Mon Nov 06, 2006 at 05:34:11 AM CST

[This in from Joe Plouff of Mennomonie.  He was a State Representative to the Assembly for that area.]

Recently a letter was published in the Dunn County News authored by Jane Redig and John Williams. In their letter discussing the so called marriage amendment they point out accurately that gay people are unable to marry in this state. Existing law prohibits such marriages.

They wrote, "So we have to ask, what is the purpose of this amendment?"

What a good question to ask. You see, once you begin to answer that question you find yourself asking, "If it is so important to ban something already banned, why was it not banned sooner?"

This referendum could have been held last year. Or, in April we could have voted on the issue. In fact, mid September found the polls open statewide for primary balloting. Why was my marriage of 23 years left unprotected for so long? Why was it placed on this Tuesday's ballot?

The vote is being held Tuesday to gather support for one political partys candidates.

No matter what you believe on the issue of marriage, most of us know it is morally wrong to pit one group of people against another for pure political gain.

Thank you
Joe Plouff

Comments >>

... From the Compost Pile...Week of October 16, 2006


By borges, Section Opinions
Posted on Thu Oct 19, 2006 at 03:48:57 AM CST

[Submitted by Jean Murphy from Boscobel WI]

History, n. An account mostly false, of events mostly unimportant, which are brought about by rulers mostly knaves, and soldiers, mostly fools.  Ambrose Bierce, Civil War veteran, author, social critic

The past is malleable and flexible, changing as our recollection interprets and re-explains what has happened.  Peter Berger

I had an odd occurrence in the garden this year.  A small section where I planted leftover pepper plants did not produce. This is odd because I am the self-proclaimed Pepper Queen.  Peppers abound on my plants.  I have gallons of frozen and dried red peppers and have given away bushels full for many years, including this one. But in this small section, though the plants matured and grew lush, few peppers appeared - too late to ripen.

Some of my friends regularly have this problem and I have chalked it up to soil that is too fertile. Why bother to set fruit and seed for the next generation while sucking up fertilizer like there's no tomorrow?  I am not sure if I heard that somewhere or just made it up.  It is a window onto my gardening method that I do not even care.  But it did make me pause long enough to reflect that our gardens are the sum of the soil they are planted in.

More below the fold...

(765 words in story) Full Story

Next 8 >>

Login

Make a new account

Username:
Password:

Opinions

Tuesday October 10th
+ World Day Against the Death Penalty (0 comments)

Friday October 6th
+ LaX Billboard For "NO" Votes On November Ballot (0 comments)

Saturday September 16th
+ Rove and Plame in the local paper (1 comments)

Sunday May 21st
+ Immigration Debate Reframed--Lakoff & Ferguson (0 comments)

Monday May 1st
+ When the Gavel Drops (4 comments)

Monday March 6th
+ What's wrong with this picture? (2 comments)

Monday February 20th
+ Black History Month (0 comments)

Saturday January 21st
+ Beneath the surface of the gay marriage battle (0 comments)

Wednesday January 4th
+ The Book Report Project (0 comments)

Sunday December 25th
+ Kapanke Senate Bill could cause more Jersey Valley Lake Disasters (1 comments)

Older Stories...

create account | faq | search | disclosure