Chariots of Fire, a British dramatic film released in 1981, tells the true story of two British runners who brought glory to their country in the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris.
Greek composer and keyboardist Vangelis wrote the theme and the soundtrack for the movie. His score won an Academy Award.
Vangelis died this week in France of an undisclosed illness at the age of 79.
Forty (40) years ago this month his single from the movie went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Its uplifting piano motif became world-renowned, and the music became synonymous with slow-motion sporting montages. “My music does not try to evoke emotions like joy, love, or pain from the audience. It just goes with the image, because I work in the moment,” he later explained. —The Guardian
From the Panathenean Stadium in Athens, Greece, the Opening Ceremony of the 6th IAAF World Championships in Athletics in 1997…
Today (05/20/22) I sent the following e-mail to Franklin’s elected officials:
Dear Mayor and Common Council members:
On Tuesday during my citizen comments at the Common Council meeting I suggested that after being personally attacked by Alderman John Nelson a few weeks ago at an open public meeting that the council should consider in its code of conduct discussions a provision that elected officials refrain from such behavior.
After I left the meeting Nelson did it again, repeating previous name-calling.
Acting dumbfounded (then again, maybe he really was) Nelson tried clumsily to defend himself by saying he never mentioned me specifically at meetings a few weeks ago and was surprised I could possibly imagine he was talking about me.
In doing so Nelson insulted everyone’s intelligence. How dumb does he think people are? Everybody knew exactly who he was referring to!
If you persist in pursuing this nearly yearlong wasted exercise of a code of conduct I request that you include a stipulation that the Mayor and Common Council members be strictly prohibited from personal attacks on private citizens, whether those citizens are specifically identified or referred to in the manner Nelson attacked me. This type of behavior is unprofessional and inexcusable.
I’ll be curious to see if anyone has the common sense and decency to make such a proposal. Thank you for your consideration.
Today’s read is from the Editorial Board at Issues and Insights. Here’s an excerpt:
The U.S. recently passed the 1 million mark for COVID-19 deaths, a grim milestone recognized with the lowering of flags to half staff around the country. More than 60% of those deaths have come during the bungling tenure of President Joe Biden, who said in a late-October 2020 debate with Donald Trump that the president should be kicked out of the White House because of how many had died from the virus on his watch. Based on his own standard, Biden should be back in his Delaware basement.
Of course there are other reasons beyond his COVID death toll that Biden should not, to use his words, “remain as president of the United States of America.” Read the entire column here.
Today’s read is from The Editorsof The American Mind. Here’s an excerpt:
Dinesh D’Souza: There is a widespread suspicion across the political spectrum that the 2020 election was not all right. Now, not everybody might think it was stolen. But the idea that something was deeply awry, I think, is actually shared by the vast, vast majority of Republicans—including the Republican establishment, but also including a substantial number of independents and Democrats.
There are two questions here that should be separated. The first one is, is there adequate proof? And the second question is, even if there is adequate proof, is there anything that can be really done about it?
At its Tuesday meeting the Franklin Common Council discussed and considered this idea of enacting NO MOW MAY (isn’t that clever?) during the month of May in the city. Mind you that when this item came up the month was already half over with.
For some background here’s a Channel 4 report from late April.
Pollinator Protection Committee?
OK.
Franklin resident Debbie Davis brought a petition to the council this week asking that the city participate and also refrain from issuing citations to anyone that chooses not to do their lawns. In her letter of petition to the council Davis said she surveyed 25 Franklin citizens and nobody disagreed with the idea.
Alderwoman Shari Hanneman didn’t flat out reject the concept but was concerned because she has constituents that don’t control their weeds and worries that NO MOW MAY would simply offer an excuse for violators to keep violating.
Mayor Steve Olson remarked that the program would create more work time for city staff, time the staff doesn’t have. Olson also said bees have no trouble pollinating in semi-rural Franklin.
At the risk of sounding less than analytical I just think the idea is just plain goofy.
Near the end of May in 2020 when Appleton’s NO MOW MAY was about to conclude lawns at some residences had grown to 18 inches or higher. Weeds were even taller
“How some people are going to cut this, I don’t really understand myself,” Public Works Director Paula Vandehey said. “There’s no way a lawnmower is going to do it.”
And as the month progressed and the grass got higher at homes the complaints grew as well.
“We’re starting to get a lot of calls and emails,” Vandehey said. “We’re not really documenting how many we’re getting because we’re telling people we can’t take any complaints yet. We can’t take them until June 1.”
“Well, right now I wish we didn’t have it,” Alderman Bill Siebers said. “Their yards look awful. The grass is very, very tall.”
One unidentified woman complained to the local paper about her neighbors’ unattended lawn saying it aggravated her breathing problems. She described NO MOW MAY as ridiculous and moronic.
An Appleton alderman offered little consolation on cutting 18-inch grass: Just raise the mower deck to its highest height for the first cut and then come back back for a second cut at the preferred height.
Last month Appleton voted to make NO MOW MAY…permanent.
So what did the Franklin Common Council do this week? What it does a lot and quite well. Punt. Essentially nothing.
The matter has been referred to Franklin’s Environmental Commission that is now entrusted with developing recommendations for May 2023.
Failed Franklin aldermanic candidate Debbie Davis spoke at Tuesday’s Common Council meeting and mentioned that she had been criticized for using the word “we.”
In case you don’t know or remember what she is referring to, here you go.
I contacted Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport and asked about, in general, the range of beer prices there. They responded:
Kevin, we checked at several spots around the airport, and looks like prices are around $7-8 for a beer. We do want to note that MKE has the only beer garden in a U.S. airport.
Yes, we are aware of that (the $28 beer) and figured that’s why you were asking. Hopefully this helps more people choose MKE, which can help us get more flights from the airlines. Thanks Kevin!
Today’s read is from Betsy McCaughey, Ph.D, a former Lt. Governor of New York State and author of Beating Obamacare. Here’s an excerpt:
Adults deciding where to settle and raise their families once considered tax rates, job opportunities and housing prices. Now they also have to ask themselves whether they want their children in schools that push gender fluidity, teach masturbation and provide tampons in the boys’ room for females transitioning to become males.
Several states have already joined Florida in barring teachers from instructing their classes about gender identity and LGBTQ choices, and many are considering similar legislation.
It’s an uphill battle in deep blue states. But in red states, legislatures are enacting laws to protect parental rights and scrub the curriculum of divisive sexual indoctrination.
Last week the Franklin Public Schools district (FPS) announced the school board had selected Annalee Bennin as the district’s next superintendent starting on July 1. Bennin most recently was the superintendent for the Sheboygan Falls District and before that, she was an assistant superintendent of teaching and learning in the Oak Creek-Franklin School District.
Bennin was one of three finalists for the job, and in my view was the least objectionable of a pretty bad list to choose from.
The absolute worst was Corey Golla, the superintendent of Menomonee Falls who had a long horrible track district as the district leader there.
I recall telling a Franklin School Board member during the selection process that if they picked Golla, “there would be Hell to pay.” He should have never even been granted an interview.
And now Golla has stepped in it…again.
In a lengthy piece Newstalk 1130 WISN’s Dan O’Donnell lasers in on Golla’s ridiculously ineffective leadership marked by students committing physical and sexual assaults.
Here’s an excerpt from O’Donnell:
“Welcome 4k students! We’re so excited for you to come and join us at Ben Franklin,” says a chipper woman as she opens the doors to the Menomonee Falls School District elementary school, which houses grades 4k through second.
The virtual walkthrough, one of dozens of videos on the District’s YouTube page, is a testament to Menomonee Falls’ ability to market itself as a destination district which prides itself on being a beacon of academic achievement and a welcoming community.
“We are the home of the Statesmen,” the chipper woman continues, “where we practice being respectful, responsible, and safe.”
But for two former employees of Benjamin Franklin Elementary, it was anything but. There was no respect. There was no responsibility. And there certainly was no safety. Now, they are coming forward with shocking stories of physical and even sexual assault committed by shockingly young children.
They are both alleging the direct violation of the Menomonee Falls School District Code of Conduct, under which “physical assault on a District employee by a student is strictly forbidden.”
The Menomonee Falls School District and Superintendent Corey Golla did not respond to repeated requests for comment on this story, specifically why the District violated its own policy in refusing to discipline the students who assaulted Corrine and Kina.
Since it quickly became clear that neither student would be removed from the classroom or face any discipline whatsoever, (the two) repeatedly asked the district and school for support in dealing with their extreme behaviors, but were repeatedly rebuffed.
This Just In... From Franklin, WI 