Discover Janesville

Discover Janesville at UW Rock County

2011-04-12T06:09:00.000-07:00

Adventure continues...

2011-03-23T23:14:00.000-07:00

Join me at www.TuesdaysWithYuri.blogspot.com as the adventure of getting to know our community continues with episodes of my new program "Tuesdays with Yuri", broadcast live at www.LocalVisionTV.com every Tuesday at 8 pm and then reposted online for anytime viewing. I am excited about this opportunity to continue the important conversations in real time, with your phone calls and emails. So please join me, won't you?

Discover Janesville at Local Vision TV

2011-02-15T12:29:00.000-08:00

This episode focused on the finalists and the winner of the business plan contest organized earlier last year by Rock County 5.0. First interview is with Adam Baumel and Chuck Pennell of Tailgate Tasters. Adam and Chuck were one of the finalists

&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Adam Baumel and Chuck Pennell of Tailgate Tasters&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;

Mary Rajack was the person involved in organizing of the contest and she shared some important details on how the contest was conducted and the goals and mission of the contest.
&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Mary Rajack&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;
Heidi McLain has since developed her own program with Local Vision TV
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Local Vision was the winner of the contest and so it was particularly interesting for me to speak to the visionary - Tony Huml - and learn about what it was that in his opinion put Local Vision at the top.
&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Tony Huml of Local Vision TV&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;

Discover Janesville at Janesville Academy for International Studies

2010-12-10T09:36:00.001-08:00

For a while I have wanted to do an episode of Discover Janesville which would showcase the charter schools in Janesville. Designed to help students who either struggle at traditional schools or need something that public schools may not necessarily offer, Janesville charter schools have grown over the years and feature a number of dedicated educators. My goal for this particular program was as always to highlight the people involved, but also to provide some information for students and parents considering whether these would be helpful to their situation.

First interview is with Carrie Kulinski, ATODA and CRES Academy coordinator. CRES Academy was started for youth who completed alcohol and/or drug treatment programs but for whom returning back to regular classes is only likely to return them to behavior patterns that got them in to trouble in the first place.

Carrie Kulinski

Next interview is with Dr. David Parr, mentor and on-line teacher for the Virtual Academy. Besides his involvement with the Virtual Academy, Dr. Parr also serves as the president of the Janesville Education Assocation.

Dr. David Parr

Next, please take a look at this interview with Jane Thompson, lead teacher at the Janesville Academy for International Studies. International Academy's goal is to provide extra educational opportunities for students who want to learn more about international relations. Students spend part of their day at regular high school - Parker or Craig - and spend the second part of their day at the Academy. Besides being a teacher, Jane Thompson also serves as Rock county Supervisor.

Jane Thompson

Next, please take a look at the interview with Jon Simon, at-risk teacher at TATE Center. TATE is a place for students who were expelled from the Janesville School District.

Jon Simon

Next, take a look at this interview with Mary Hathaway. Mary is at-risk teacher and Dean of Students at Rock River Charter School, the original charter school of the Janesville School District.

Mary Hathaway

Finally, here is my interview with the Superintendent of the Janesville School District and current principal of TAGOS Leadership Academy, Dr. Karen Schulte.

Dr. Karen Schulte

Discover Janesville at Woman's Club

2010-12-10T08:54:00.001-08:00

This episode was a culmination of several ideas: one is that I am always on the look out for a good theme for a show. The next was that I am interested in history and the historic building at 108 S Jackson in Janesville has attracted my attention for a while. It is a regal building in its appearance yet it is hidden so unless you know it's there or remember to turn your head while driving down the street, you may never notice it. Thanks to a suggestion by my friend Meredith Helgerson and with help from JATV and Julie Richardson, I was able to put together an episode highlighting the 108 S Jackson Street building housing several women organizations in Janesville. Thanks also to Vivian Creekmore who helped me with research as I prepared for the taping of this episode.

First interview is with Julie Richardson. Julie is the past president of the Woman's Club and is the current president of the Foundation for the Preservation of 108 S Jackson.

Julie Richardson

Next is the interview with Wendy Facinger, co-president of the AAUW (American Association of University Women). I originally got to know Wendy through the Janesville Noon Lions and thanks to Discover Janesville, I learned of Wendy's involvement with AAUW.

Wendy Facinger

Doing this program gave me a wonderful opportunity to sit down for a taped conversation with someone who deserves the name of Janesville Institution as much as anyone, namely Jackie Wood. It is hard to imagine all the things that Jackie has done in Janesville from working endlessly to help the downtown to having served as a County Supervisor and on and on and on, suffices to say that her small stature can't hide her energy or track record of getting things done in Janesville for very long. Jackie is also a past president of the Woman's Club and is a wealth of information on history of the building.

Jackie Wood

Next, please take a look at this interview with Anne Wanke who represents Daughters of American Revolution in her position as Regent. Anne provided an absolute wealth of knowledge about this organization and should inspire anyone who thinks they may be related to anyone involved in the Revolution to research and certify their family roots.

Anne Wanke

Next, please take a look at this interview with Claudiadair Fitzgerald. A woman who has done so much to shape our community, Claudiadair has been involved with the visual arts for many years and while she is technically credited on the show as being the 2nd VP of the Arts League, in the past she has been the President and practically everything else that the Arts League needed over the years. Claudidair has also been inducted in the United Arts Alliance Rock county Arts Hall of Fame.

Claudiadair Fitzgerald

Finally, here is the interview with Frieda Lubkeman, treasurer for the MacDowell Music Club. The club is an organization that supports music and has been part of Janesville for many decades.

Frieda Lubkeman

United Arts Alliance presents: Summer Acoustic Series

2010-10-04T12:08:00.000-07:00

During the summer of 2010, Discover Janesville took a vacation and instead, I worked with Teresa Nguyen and Judith Detert-Moriarty to produce United Arts Alliance: Summer Acoustic Series. Jointly with JATV we put together 3 concerts, featuring 8 local performers performing mostly acoustic, mostly original pieces. Designed to showcase local talent, these 3 tapings resulted in 8 shows, which air for 8 consecutive weeks on Saturday and Sunday at 10 am, 4 pm and 10 pm on JATV 98. Once the shows air on JATV, they are uploaded on YouTube and are available for viewing to those who do not have access to the station, which is currently available only to Charter subscribers.

To those who may not be familiar with the United Arts Alliance, the organization started in 1996 with the original goal of creating a performing arts center in Janesville. Clearly that mission was a success and these days UAA continues to work to bring local performers together in order to bring the arts to Rock county residents. Members of UAA include many local theaters and performing organizations, but we are also looking for more local individual artists to become members. Learn more about the United Arts Alliance and upcoming events at www.RockCountyArts.com

Important note: While the tapings were free to the invited audience, we did ask for donations, which went in their entirety to support United Arts Alliance Scholarship Fund. From this fund, UAA gives scholarships every year to local students. Donations for UAA Scholarship Fund are still being accepted. Please send your contributions to PO Box 8132, Janesville, WI 53547-8132. We appreciate your support.

Check out this performance by Teresa & Anthony Nguyen!.

Second program featured Yuri Rashkin & Theresa Carroll

Check out United Arts Alliance Summer Acoustic Series concert featuring Greg Winkler and Bill Hatfield!

Here is the performance by Gaia Galvan and Friends!

Here is the performance by Al Hulick!

Here is the performance by Claire Olsen, JP Merz and Brandon Stottler!

Here is the performance by Bethany Conway and Michael Bachmeyer!

Here is the performance by Chris Kohn!

Discover Janesville at Rotary Gardens

2010-06-29T12:57:00.000-07:00

John McCally
General Manager of Janesville Jets

John McCally part 1

John McCally part 2

Meredith Helgerson and Brad Cantrell

Tallman House committee

Meredith Helgerson and Brad Cantrell part 1

Meredith Helgerson and Brad Cantrell part 2

Meredith Helgerson and Brad Cantrell part 3

Christine Rebout
Executive Director of Janesville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau

Christine Rebout part 1

Christine Rebout part 2

Mark Dwyer
Director of Horticulture
Rotary Botanical Gardens

Mark Dwyer part 1

Mark Dwyer part 2

Discover Janesville at Best Events - David Marling

2010-06-02T12:53:00.002-07:00

Underwritten by Alliant Energy, this episode of Discover Janesville is titled "Future Leaders" and features interviews with people who are likely to be involved in shaping our community in the future. Take a look at this interview with David Marling and see the passion that Dave has for his community and his family business - Marling Lumber.

Dave Marling

Discover Janesville at Best Events - Sam Liebert

2010-06-02T12:53:00.001-07:00

Discover Janesville at Best Events - Matt Kealy

2010-06-02T12:52:00.000-07:00

Discover Janesville at Best Events - Britten Grafft

2010-06-02T12:16:00.000-07:00

Underwritten by Alliant Energy, this episode of Discover Janesville is titled "Future Leaders" and features interviews with people who are likely to be involved in shaping our community in the future. Take a look at this interview with Britten Grafft. Born and raised in Janesville, Britten is back in town after graduating from college where she studied architecture, which is extremely important considering that Monterey Hotel is one of several important historic structures owned by her family in Janesville. Watch for Britten and her brother Jay in the coming years to become more involved in shaping the future of Janesville.

Britten Grafft part 1

Britten Grafft part 2

Discover Janesville at Basics Cooperative - Allison Rollette

2010-05-06T18:15:00.000-07:00

Sustainability efforts in Janesville has long been a subject I wanted to address on Discover Janesville. Grassroots efforts in general have always been important to me, and sustainability has provided an excellent platform for many in our community in becoming more politically active.

The first interview I would like to share with you is my conversation with Allison Rollette. Desire to become more self-reliant as well as more economical in her expenditures, led Allison to do research on chickens in private residences. Her efforts coincided with efforts by another Janesville resident who at first generated substantially more publicity for his interest in this subject than Allison. Yet it was Ms. Rollette who put together a 30-page report outlining the benefits of this idea, which she presented to the city council, and consistently responded to criticisms of those opposed to allowing chickens (or rather hens) in private residences, on the Gazette's website and in other venues. Allison also showed a great deal of organizing skill in bringing together a group of citizens who supported the idea of allowing residents to have up to 4 hens within the city limits, an ordinance similar to the one passed by the Madison City Council. The Janesville City Council ultimately voted down the idea but I was impressed with Allison's tenacity in her desire to improve the lives of others and to change a government regulation her common sense told her made no sense.

Allison Rollette

Discover Janesville at Basics Cooperative - Julie Backenkeller

2010-05-06T18:14:00.002-07:00

Next, I sat down for a conversation with Julie Watson Backenkeller. Long an advocate of increased awareness of the impact that development activities have on the environment, Julie is known to many for her ongoing crusade to promote sustainability efforts in the city of Janesville as well as in the entire Rock county. An eloquent speaker, Julie also regularly writes on sustainability issues for the Janesville Gazette.

Julie Backenkeller part 1

Julie Backenkeller part 2

Discover Janesville at Basics Cooperative - Al Hulick

2010-05-06T18:14:00.001-07:00

In the conversation on sustainability, I felt it was important to have as many different points of view represented, and a very important side to this discussion are the efforts undertaken by the city of Janesville in order to become more sustainable in its operations.

Al Hulick is a Management Analyst with the city of Janesville. Al is also one of the most educated members of the city staff when it comes to sustainability issues. I was glad to sit down with Al and have him list the many initiatives, old and new, efforts and accomplishments that the city has been able to claim to its credit. After all, when activists speak of the many things that can be done still, its important to remember that sustainability efforts are on-going, which means that some goals are yet to be accomplished, while some initiatives are already paying off.

Al Hulick part 1

Al Hulick part 2

Al Hulick part 3

Discover Janesville at Basics Cooperative - Chris Blakeney

2010-05-06T17:31:00.000-07:00

Finally, no conversation about sustainability would be complete without understanding how these efforts are resonating with the general public, and I felt that a good way to do this was to interview a business that functions according to the sustainability principles. Basics Cooperative fit that part - a successful local business that's been around for many years - Basics was represented on the program by Chris Blakeney, floor manager at the cooperative.

In the interest of full disclosure, the episode was taped at Basics and Basics Cooperative was a partial sponsor of the episode.

Chris Blakeney part 1

Chris Blakeney part 2

Discover Janesville at the Elks Club - Rob Phelps

2010-03-31T08:07:00.001-07:00

Rob Phelps was on Discover Janesville just over a year ago and back then he was talking about his journey from being a laid off worker at Lear corporation to becoming a culinary student at the Blackhawk Technical College. Rob struck me by his positive and proactive attitude and by a great saying: Rob said that there is no magic "job fairy" out there and it's up to us to figure out what we want to do with our lives.

By now, Rob is well on his way to successfully completing the program. He has recently competed as part of the Blackhawk Technical College team of chefs in a competition in Milwaukee where the team placed second, and Rob's desert was even featured on the front page of the Janesville Gazette! Best of luck to Rob and to all the other nontraditional students who are pursuing their dreams as the complete their education and become successful in areas they may have never expected.

This interview was underwritten by the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board (SWWDB). Learn more about the SWWDB at their website: www.swwdb.org

Rob Phelps

Discover Janesville at the Elks Club - the Service Clubs round table

2010-03-31T07:35:00.001-07:00

I wanted to do an episode of Discover Janesville about the service clubs in Janesville for sometime. The culture of service clubs in Janesville is strong and many great people I've met in our community belong to one club or another, and in fact some people belong to more than one!

The tradition of service clubs was fostered for many years by the corporate culture where local businesses and organizations felt that it was important to have representation in a service club. These days this approach is on decline, and it is forcing the clubs to be more proactive in seeking out new members, which should not be difficult as all of the service clubs do great things to make our community a better place.

Once a year all the clubs get together for a join service club breakfast (this takes place in December) but other than that, the clubs function separately from each other, though as different fund-raisers and events come up, it is not uncommon to find a member of the Lions, for instance, addressing the Rotary and vice versa.

Because my goal is to bring spotlight to great people in Janesville, doing a show on the service clubs was an obvious choice. However, I also wanted to showcase the positive interaction and communication between the clubs who ultimately have the same mission - to make the community a better place. To accomplish this purpose, Dave Haldiman who tapes the Discover Janesville shows and myself did something that we have never done before on the show - we taped a round table discussion - which is quite a challenge considering the not-so-big budget of the show, and I think we pulled it off very well.

I want to thank all the guests - Jon Wangerin representing the Lions, Laurie Huml Eckert representing the Kiwanis, David Arndt representing the Noon Rotary and Jim DeWitt representing the Elks.

The clubs are facing somewhat of a perennial challenge in getting each new generation of community-minded folks to recognize service clubs as a great opportunity to get involved. It is my hope that by watching this program, you the viewer will see the benefits of service clubs to you as well as to the community and will join one of the many service clubs in Janesville, of which by some count there are nearly 15! So the choice is yours.

Each club is also known for their fundraisers, which in some cases have become so popular that they eclipse the club itself in their name recognition. Still, each club their own structure, mission, and goals and so doing some research on the club that makes the most sense for you is a very good idea.

Finally, I want to thank the Elks club for graciously letting us tape the show in the lodge, and I want to express my gratitude to all the clubs one more time for doing all the great things for our community that you do! Enjoy the show and get involved!

part 1

part 2

part 3

part 4

GM Stories - In Their Own Words

2010-02-15T11:31:00.001-08:00

This latest episode of Discover Janesville involved interviews with three people who spent many years working at the General Motors plant in Janesville. This is only the latest of several projects looking to document the experience and impact that the General Motors had on Janesville over its long history here. One of the most comprehensive attempts to document the history of GM in Janesville can be found at the Hedberg Public Library website. Titled "In Their Own Words", it is a series of first-person accounts of people who worked at the plant. These interviews were recorded in the mid-1970s and at this point certainly deserve some recognition for becoming a historical artifact themselves.

Check out the interviews for yourself by clicking here

Discover Janesville at Fagan Automotive - Tom Westrick

2010-02-15T11:24:00.001-08:00

Tom Westrick was employed at the General Motors plant for many years and during that time he went from working on the line to running the education center. Currently a chair on the Blackhawk Technical College board, Tom talked about the experience of working at the plant and about the difference that education made in the lives of workers, some of whom decided to continue their education after years of working at the plant.

Tom Westrick part 1

Tom Westrick part 2

Discover Janesville at Fagan Automotive - David Jennings

2010-02-15T11:23:00.001-08:00

David Jennings was part of the management team at the General Motors plant and in our interview he talked about joining GM as a young local kid and what it was like to work at a plant that was such a big part of our community for so many years. We also talked about David's new adventure as the Executive Director of the Rotary Botanic Gardens, one of Janesville's jewels.

David Jennings part 1

David Jennings part 2

David Jennings part 3

Discover Janesville at Fagan Automotive - Tom Brien

2010-02-15T11:18:00.000-08:00

Tom has been at the General Motors for 42 years, which is a long time by any measure. But on top of that Tom also spent 16 years on the Janesville City Council. In our conversation we touched on all of those things as well as Tom's more recent involvement with the Janesville Noon Lions.

Tom Brien part 1

Tom Brien part 2

Tom Brien part 3

Discover Janesville at Janesville Fire Station #1 - Gary King

2009-12-29T21:10:00.000-08:00

Gary King has as he himself says "a good resume". Prior to driving for the Janesville Transit Authority, Gary has managed many different operations large and small including the McDonald's bus fleet in the 1970s. For a while, Gary was the driver of McDonald's Ray Kroc's personal bus. In our interview, Gary was kind enough to share some of those stories. And if that was not enough, Gary is a trombone player and leads the jazz band at the Janesville Senior Center.

Gary King part 1

Gary King part 2

Gary King part 3

Discover Janesville at Janesville Fire Station #1 - Sue Melton

2009-12-29T18:36:00.000-08:00

Sue Melton is the Director of Marketing with the Janesville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau though she is actually employed by 4 different area non-profits. Prior to becoming a marketing professional, Sue was a welder for 16 years. The journey that a person goes through to so completely reroute their live I found fascinating and am glad to be able to share it with you. This interview was underwritten by the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board.

Sue Melton

Discover Janesville at Raven's Wish - Alicia Reid

2009-12-29T18:17:00.000-08:00

Alicia Reid is the person behind the Art Loop and the Winter Art Loop. When the Tallman Arts Festival was cancelled earlier this year, Alicia and several other local business owners stepped up and put together their own version of an arts festival. Each business hosted several of the artists, some of whom were scheduled to perform at TAF. The artists set up their tents in the parking lots adjacent to the sponsor-store. This ended up bringing more and new business to the store owners. Besides offering framing services, Alicia also has a lot of interesting art in her store and my hat is off to her for becoming the first small business in Janesville to become a sponsor of "Discover Janesville."

Part 1

Part 2

Discover Janesville at Raven's Wish - Barb Tapovatz

2009-12-15T22:33:00.000-08:00

I have known Barb for some time and I can honestly say that she is a real gem. Retired from Alliant Energy, Barb is not only involved with so many good things in Janesville - from Rotary Gardens and the Bower City Garden Club to Janesville Presents - but she also paints, published a cook book full of tried and true recipes (in fact the book is called "Tried and True") and is even a realtor. As Barb says: "if you can help, you should."

Barb Tapovatz

Discover Janesville at Raven's Wish - Connie Glowacki

2009-12-15T22:25:00.001-08:00

Connie Glowacki is a well-known artist from Janesville, WI with a great story: Connie started out as an elementary school teacher, then took time off to raise her kids, and in the meantime discovered a talent and ambition for painting. So with the help of her husband Mike, Connie became a professional artist, doing the national circuit and selling her works throughout. During the winter, Connie teaches painting in Hawaii. As a friend of mine said: "now there's somebody who visualized their job!" My hat is off to Connie and Mike for doing what they love and succeeding at it.

Connie Glowacki part 1

Connie Glowacki part 2

This episode centered on visual arts in Janesville and it was taped at and underwritten by the Raven's Wish Art and Framing located at 2871 Liberty Lane, Janesville, WI 608-757-2622

Contact them at ravenswish@sbcglobal.net
www.ravenswish.com

Discover Janesville at Raven's Wish - Christine Moore

2009-12-15T22:08:00.001-08:00

Have you seen the new giant murals in downtown Janesville? Designed to illustrate different periods of Janesville's history, three of these have been mounted on the sides of different buildings: Prospect 101, the City Municipal building and the Janesville Gazette building. Christine Moore with the Janesville Design and Development Center was the force behind this project and we talked about the murals: how they came about, what they mean, what they are made of, and much more.

Christine Moore part 1

Christine Moore part 2

This episode centered on visual arts in Janesville and it was taped at and underwritten by the Raven's Wish Art and Framing located at 2871 Liberty Lane, Janesville, WI 608-757-2622

Contact them at ravenswish@sbcglobal.net
www.ravenswish.com

Discover Janesville at Janesville Fire Station #1 - Dennis LeCaptain

2009-11-15T20:27:00.001-08:00

Dennis LeCaptain is a detective with the Janesville Police Department specializing in crimes against children, and he is also the President of the Wisconsin Professional Police Association. In our conversation, Dennis shared what it's like to be a cop on night beat, which he during his first 9+ years with the JPD. Then, we talked about what Dennis does now as a detective. Please take a look as Dennis gives some great insights into what goes on in an abusive relationship, the 2nd part of the interview has some particularly good information. We also talked about what is required of a police officer and of the importance of treating people with respect.

Dennis LeCaptain part 1

Dennis LeCaptain 2

Discover Janesville at Janesville Fire Station #1 - John McManus

2009-11-13T09:31:00.000-08:00

I wanted to do a show that highlighted people who work in Janesville's Police and Fire departments. Thank you to both departments for making it so easy!

John McManus and I have talked in the past and I was glad that John was going to be able to join me on Discover Janesville. John was going to be on duty that day but I had little idea of what that actually meant until in the middle of our conversation.

John told me about what it's like being a fireman. He talked about having the trust that our firemen receive. And he talked about the excitement of having to be a constant learner because there's so much that our fairly small fire department is asked to do.

And then a man walked in with chest pains, and John got up and basically saved the man's life. A few minutes later he came back and we continued our conversation. It was incredible and almost ordinary all at the same time.

Thank you John, and thank you to our firefighters who save us from fires but really do so much more than that.

John McManus 1

John McManus 2

Discover Janesville at Speakeasy - Frank Fiore

2009-11-10T20:20:00.001-08:00

I've known Frank for sometime and he is not only a great musician and a guitar instructor but always a fun person to talk to. For our interview we sat down and talked about what it's actually like to be a working musician in Janesville. Perhaps surprising to some, Janesville's location plays a big part in what a musician can do - gigs in Madison, Rockford, Milwaukee and even Chicago are not out of the question. Frank always puts on a great show and if you have a chance - go and check him and his band out at your favorite local coffee shop or bar.

part 1

part 2

Looking for guests!

2009-10-29T13:47:00.000-07:00

As I work through ideas for future episodes of Discover Janesville, I find myself calling on my friends to suggest future guests for the show. This only makes sense as I have only been in Janesville for a few years now and do not know everybody. Yet. :)

Thus, I'd like to ask you to suggest ideas for future shows and guests. In the meantime, I'd like to share with you some of the upcoming
So here are some of ideas for future shows:

Visual Arts - Who do you think are the most accomplished Janesville artists?
Sports - Who do you think personifies Janesville sports?
Coolest houses on the market - Of all the houses on the market in Janesville, what are the 3 coolest ones?
Business Legends - Who do you think are the legends of Janesville business?
Future Leaders - Who do you think are the future leaders of Janesville?
Automotive History - Who do you think are the people that personify Janesville's auto history?
Education - Who do you think are the leaders in Janesville education?

NBC 15 features Discover Janesville!

2009-10-18T17:18:00.000-07:00

Sarah Carlson of NBC 15 in Madison came down to the taping of Discover Janesville and did a great story about the program, which aired on the evening news both at 6 pm and at 10 pm. Here's the story

Watch the video of the story right here

The show itself turned out great and I can't wait to be able to post the finished footage.

My first guest was Sue Melton from the Janesville Area Conventions and Visitors Bureau. Sue's interview was also sponsored by the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board because prior to becoming a marketing professional, Sue was a welder, first at Beloit Corp., and then at another company in Evansville.

Other guests were Dennis LeCaptain of the Janesville Police Department, Gary King of the Janesville Transit System and John McManus of the Janesville Fire Department.

Discover Janesville at Speakeasy - Aaron Keim

2009-10-15T19:32:00.000-07:00

Originally from Janesville, Aaron is a multi-instrumentalist who lives in Colorado and plays with the Boulder Acoustic Society. Aaron also has a Master's Degree in Musical History and he manufactures ukuleles. In our conversation, Aaron talked about growing up and working in Janesville and support he received from the Janesville community while developing his musical skills. Eventually our conversation shifted to talking about teaching and learning from others using the internet, which can be done from anywhere, and of course about the joys of playing a ukulele. Enjoy!

Aaron Keim part 1

Aaron Keim part 2

Discover Janesville at Speakeasy - Theresa Carroll

2009-10-14T12:39:00.000-07:00

At daytime, Theresa Carroll is a mild-mannered associate at Bliss Communications, but at night, Theresa sings with Bop Ritual, a local rock/funk band. Our conversation centered on the value of expressing yourself, and remaining true to the things that are important in our lives. What I expected to be a good interview, turned out to be a great conversation. Enjoy!

Theresa Carroll part 1

Theresa Carroll part 2

Discover Janesville at Speakeasy - Caleb Burhans and Grey McMurray

2009-10-09T09:53:00.000-07:00

Episode 10 of Discover Janesville was filmed at Speakeasy and the interviews will be posted up on YouTube over the next couple of weeks. Huge "thanks" goes to everybody at Speakeasy.

The first interview is with Caleb Burhans and Grey McMurray. Caleb spent his formative years in Janesville and is now a recording artist in New York City. Together with Grey McMurray, they comprise the "itsnotyouitsme".

Our interview centered on what it was like to grow up in Janesville, to be from Janesville and be living in New York City, the value of community and self expression. We had a great conversation and I hope that you will find these interviews entertaining and perhaps inspiring.

Caleb Burhans and Grey McMurray part 1

Caleb Burhans and Grey McMurray part 2

Discover Janesville on Facebook

2009-09-24T09:48:00.001-07:00

Discover Janesville now has a Facebook fan page. Check it out right here

Introducing our newest sponsor: Alliant Energy!

2009-09-18T08:47:00.000-07:00

MADISON, WI – September 18, 2009 – Alliant Energy is providing a $4,000 sponsorship for two episodes of the Discover Janesville TV show during the program’s upcoming second season. The dollars will be used to underwrite the show’s episodes themed as “Future Leaders” and “Continuing to Discover Janesville’s Attractions.” Discover Janesville is a TV program broadcast on JATV, the City of Janesville public access television station.

“We are pleased to support Discover Janesville and its efforts to promote Janesville and its people, culture and history,” said Julie Bauer, Alliant Energy Community Affairs Manager. “Alliant Energy and Discover Janesville share a common goal of encouraging community involvement and leadership and we look forward to viewing the upcoming episodes.”

Discover Janesville is broadcast on the Charter Communication system at Cable Channel 98 and Digital Cable Channel 994 and it is also posted on YouTube. While no specific time slot is dedicated to the program, each episode of Discover Janesville airs at least six times over the season for community viewers.

“Discover Janesville appreciates the sponsorship from Alliant Energy for its second season,” said Yuri Rashkin, the show’s creator and host. “To successfully air a show on public access, it is critical that we receive sponsorship support from the community and businesses. This support allows us to further promote Janesville and instill a greater sense of pride and interest in our city.”

Discover Janesville is a winner of a 2009 Award of Merit from the Wisconsin Association of Public, Education and Government Access Channels. Ongoing sponsorship of the program is provided by the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board. For more information on Discover Janesville, visit http://www.discoverjanesville.com/

Alliant Energy is an energy-services provider with subsidiaries serving approximately 1 million electric and over 400,000 natural gas customers. Providing its customers in the Midwest with regulated electric and natural gas service is the company’s primary focus. Alliant Energy, headquartered in Madison, Wis., is a Fortune 1000 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol LNT. For more information, visit the company’s web site at http://www.alliantenergy.com/.

Looking to the future

2009-09-17T10:40:00.000-07:00

Discover Janesville is gearing up for its second season. Considering that the program was designed to be shot on monthly basis, it now is nearing completing its first 12-month cycle. During that time I have learned much about what I wanted this program to be. It is a lot of fun and has been tremendously helpful to me, and hopefully to the audience, in learning more about Janesville.

The first season the program had one sponsor: the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board. I can not overemphasize the importance of that partnership, for it helped the program find its feet, while proving its usefulness to the SWWDB. Now, for our second season, Discover Janesville will be joined by some excellent sponsors. Stay tuned for some exciting developments!

Here is a video designed to introduce our future supporters to Discover Janesville and its mission.

Viewer letter

2009-09-09T07:37:00.000-07:00

This letter came in the other day. Written in long-hand, it talks about our interview with Geoffrey Parker earlier this year:

"A must-see for every Parker pen lover and any affecionado of American craft of the twentieth century."

Carla Mortensen
President
Pen Collectors of America

Thank you!

Discover Janesville: Walk a Mile In Her Shoes and the Literacy Connection

2009-09-09T07:32:00.000-07:00

While we were out and about, Jon Wangerin stopped by to talk about the Walk a Mile In Her Shoes fundraiser for the YWCA that he is chairing for the second year in a row.

Jon Wangerin

Cathy Jennings is the executive director of the Literacy Connection in Janesville. This is an organization dedicated to eradicating literacy in our area. It is run in main part due to its many volunteers.

Cathy Jennings

Discover Janesville: Visiting a Weatherization Job Site

2009-09-09T07:13:00.001-07:00

For our August show, we visited a Summer Youth Employment Program site that is supported by the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board (SWWDB). As part of this program, youth in 6 southwestern counties in Wisconsin are set up with existing businesses to help them out for the summer.

This was a very exciting program as we got to talk with several people in this chain and we got to see (and show you) several different perspectives on this project. First, we talked with Ron Coppernoll who is the community outreach liaison for the SWWDB, then we talked to Glenn Swedlund, who works for CISA 2 and is the liaison between the program, the business owners and the employees. Then we talked to Cliff Wakefield who runs Beneficial Insulation Solutions and two of his new employees, Erica and Shirley.

The sense of excitement that came from all of the program participants is infectious. It is clear that these people are doing the jobs that they want to do and thanks to the stimulus funding they are able to do their jobs better and on a bigger scale. The biggest concern was that this program continues in its current form because it helps everyone involved - from the youth workers for some of whom this is the first job ever, to the business owners who are able to get more things done, to the homeowners who are able to get their homes weatherized.

Ron Coppernoll

Glenn Swedlund

Cliff Wakefield with Erica and Shirley

Discover Janesville with Yuri Rashkin - Terry Thomas

2009-09-04T08:26:00.001-07:00

Terry Thomas is a Rock Count Supervisor currently serving his first term. Terry retired from the General Motors plant a few years back and got his accounting degree. We talked about his experience of being a non-traditional student, as well as what it's like to serve on the Rock County Board of Supervisors.

Terry Thomas part 1

Terry Thomas
part 2

Discover Janesville at Codos Coffee - Teri Huber

2009-08-09T13:32:00.001-07:00

Teri Huber has been the manager of the Janesville Farmers Market for the last 4 years. Under her leadership, the market has grown steadily and has become a cultural event held on weekly basis in downtown Janesville. Featuring produce as well as arts and crafts provided exclusively by vendors from Wisconsin, the JFM delivers a wonderful opportunity for the visitors to the market to buy and eat local, as well as speak directly to the growers of their food. A number of different events take place at the JFM on regular basis, including appearances by buskers (street musicians) and tasting competitions, making it the place to be on Saturday mornings.

Discover Janesville at Codos Coffee - Jose Carrillo

2009-08-06T20:59:00.000-07:00

As is true for many of our guests, it is difficult to introduce Jose Carrillo as a representative of any one organization. He is a community activist in its most purest sense. Jose's involvement in our community is diverse and includes the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, Rock County Partners in Prevention, Rock County Council on Aging, Justice Overcoming Borders, Badger Council of Girl Scouts and Prison Industries Board. He is even one of the trustees of the Hedberg Public Library. A retired GM worker, originally from Mexico, Jose worked as a migrant worker in California before settling in Janesville.

In our conversation, we retraced the steps that brought Jose to Janesville, and the reasons behind his decisions to get involved with the community groups that he is helping. We also talked about the Labor movement, which is a very important part of Jose's life and some of the ways that we can preserve American jobs.

part 1

part 2

Discover Janesville at Codos Coffee - David McKay, PhD

2009-08-06T20:44:00.000-07:00

The episode filmed at Codos Coffee shop will be broadcast on JATV next weekend. It will feature interviews with Teri Huber, Terry Thomas, Jose Carrillo and David McKay. In the meantime, I will begin to post the clips of the interview here and on YouTube.

First is the interview with David McKay, PhD. David is a professional historian, who lectures on history and also works as the Fine Arts Coordinator at the UW Rock. We sat down and had a great discussion talking about several areas of David's expertise. These include the Electoral College and its value to our democracy. David made a very interesting statement when he said that so far the Electoral College has not disgraced itself sufficiently to warrant its removal.

We also talked about the Jeffersonian Dilemma, which had to do with the fact that Thomas Jefferson knew that slavery was deeply wrong. Yet Jefferson felt that correcting the evil of slavery was going to be difficult and thus he chose to not address the subject. A very interesting discussion that has to do with the philosophical implications of this simple dilemma: if we are aware of evil but feel that ending it will be too complicated, is that a sufficient justification to ignore the evil?

Finally we discussed a class that David teaches together a physicist and a philosopher at UW Rock that deals with the dropping of the Atomic Bomb on Japan by the United States, at the end of the WWII. David covers the historical significance of this powerful event, while the philosopher and the physicist look at this historic event from their respective perspectives. This has to be a very interesting class and I highly recommend anyone who has an opportunity to take it, to do so.

Here is the interview:

part 1

part 2

part 3

Update

2009-07-19T11:17:00.001-07:00

The latest show of Discover Janesville was taped at yesterday at Codos Coffee (119 N. Main). Many thanks to my guests: Terry Thomas, Teri Huber, Jose Carrillo and David McKay!

Terry Thomas talked about his experiences of working for the General Motors, becoming a student, receiving his Bachelors degree in Accounting and being a Rock County Supervisor.

Teri Huber talked about becoming involving and now doing her 4th year as the manager of Janesville's farmers market.

During the filming, Terry and Teri discovered that they live and have lived just several houses away from each and never knew that until they came to be on the show!

Jose Carrillo talked about some of the many community groups that he is involved with, and about his journey from being a migrant worker in California to a 30-year veteran with the General Motors.

Dave McKay teaches history at UW Rock. We talked about everything from the founding of the respublic, to freeing of the slaves to dropping of the nuclear bomb on Japan. Dave knows and cares deeply about history and it is very apparent when you see how he talks about it.

Discover Janesville at Janesville Senior Center

2009-07-02T14:44:00.000-07:00

Here is the latest episode of Discover Janesville with Yuri Rashkin. It features interviews with Roger Axtell, Kevin Murray, Janet McLean and Pat Tobin. Our guest from the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board this month is Gregg Bosak. This episode was filmed at the Janesville Senior Center, one of great amenities available to Janesville residents. In fact, you don't even have to be a Janesville resident to enjoy what the Senior Center has to offer. People come from many surrounding communities to take part in various programs offered.

Our guests:

Roger Axtell is a retired executive with Parker Pen Company. Roger has also co-authored of a whole series of books titled "Dos and Taboos", which cover any number of potentially embarassing situations, which can be encountered by American business travels. Roger has also served on the Board of Regents for the University of Wisconsin system and is a distinguished public speaker. In our interview, we took the opportunity to cover all of those areas of Roger's life and much more. On top of everything that Roger has accomplished, he is a famous story-teller!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Kevin Murray is a retired fire-fighter and a member of the Janesville School Board. Our conversation included talking about being a firefighter, being in public service, Kevin's experience working with Tim Cullen and the Studer Group.

Part 1

Part 2

Pat Tobin and Janet McLean

Pat and Janet are the two wizards of the Senior Center, who've been here for 20 and 15 years respectively. Both teachers, Janet and Pat are a big part of the reason that the Senior Center is as popular among those over 50 as it is. In our interview we learned more about the women running the center, as well as about the many programs offered to the center's users.

Part 1

Part 2

Gregg Bosak

Gregg works for the Southwest Workforce Wisconsin Development Board and he joined us for the interview to talk about the many programs offered by the SWWDB, including the newest - Hire a Neighbor - which is done in a partnership with Monster.com. Gregg also talked about CORD, which stands for Collaborative Organizations Responding to Dislocation.

Part 1

Part 2

Discover Janesville at Roosevelt Elementary

2009-06-08T15:30:00.000-07:00

Here is the latest episode of Discover Janesville with Yuri Rashkin, featuring interviews with Becky Weber Johnson, Lynn Karges, Earl Gretschman and Pam Good! We filmed this episode at the Janesville's Roosevelt Elementary, a historic building with memories going back 77 years when the building was originally constructed. Many thanks to Mrs. Langston whose room we used!

Our guests:

Becky Weber Johnson is the president of the Spotight on Kids, which is a childrens' theater. Becky is also involved with other projects including teaching sunday school, working for an insurance salesman and WCLO, scrapbooking and running Janesville Rental with her husband. How she finds the time is beyond me! In our interview Becky talks about the Spotlight on Kids and the upcoming production of Rogers and Hammerstein's Cinderella (July 17-19 at the JPAC), as well as about the value of theater to children.

Becky Weber Johnson part 1

Becky Weber Johnson part 2

Dr. Lynn Karges has been with the Janesville School District for 38 years and a principal of Roosevelt Elementary since 1991. She has made a tremendous impact at Roosevelt, as well as on the entire district and is now about to retire. Last year when my relatives came to visit from Russia, getting a tour of the Roosevelt Elementary by Mrs. Karges was the highlight of their trip. In the interview, Dr. Karges shares her perspective on her experience of working with the Studer Group as well as her opinion on various issues such as paying kids for good grades.

Dr. Lynn Karges part 1

Lynn Karges part 2

Lynn Karges part 3

Pam Good was employed by the General Motors plant in Janesville until its last day in December of 2008. Now, Pam is going to school and she shares her experiences as she looks forward to new accomlishments. This interview was underwritten by the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board.

Pam Good

Earl Gretschman was also formerly with the General Motors plant in Janesville where he worked for 43 years. Having newly acquired a CDL license, Earl looks forward to the future as a retiree and perhaps as a commercial truck driver. This interview was underwritten by the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board.

Earl Gretschman

Update

2009-05-23T11:53:00.001-07:00

With help from Dave Haldiman, the latest episode of Discover Janesville has been filmed. This time, we shot on location at Roosevelt elementary. Discover Janesville's guests were Dr. Lynn Karges, Becky Weber-Johnson, Pam Good and and Earl Gretschman.

I'm very excited about our next program, which is scheduled to be filmed in early June. Our guests will include Kevin Murray and Roger Axtell.

Discover Janesville at Mocha Moments

2009-05-03T19:47:00.000-07:00

Here's the latest episode of Discover Janesville with Yuri Rashkin, featuring interviews with Nick Fitzgerald, Pam Van Brocklin and Kay and Neil Deupree!

Nick is the leader of the Young Professionals group in Janesville and was just named one of the People Who Matter by the Janesville Gazette. Nick is an all around great guy who always looks for a way to help.

Pam Van Brocklin is the Vice President of Friends of Riverside Park group. A grass roots organization, the Friends were organized just a few years ago, and have already made a major impact on this historic Janesville park. Pam is very passionate about the park and its history, and she's not alone.

Discover Janesville with Yuri Rashkin - Pam Van Brocklin

Kay and Neil Deupree are involved in so many different organizations and projects that help make Janesville a better place to live, that I was not even sure how to introduce them. Having people who feel that their involvement in our community matters is so important, and I was glad that Kay and Neil could take a part in Discover Janesville. Especially considering that the patio at Mocha Moments was getting a bit chilly in early April when we filmed this episode.

Discover Janesville with Yuri Rashkin - Kay and Neil Deupree - Part 1

Discover Janesville with Yuri Rashkin - Kay and Neil Deupree - part 2

Air times for the next episode

2009-03-23T20:01:00.000-07:00

The next episode of Discover Janesville with Yuri Rashkin will air this coming weekend, March 28-29, 9:30 a.m., 2:30 & 7:30 p.m.

Discover Janesville at Rock County Historical Society

2009-03-20T07:05:00.000-07:00

Another episode of Discover Janesville with Yuri Rashkin is edited and ready for broadcast! It features interviews with:

Ed Martinez
Jim Lyke
Madge Murphy
and
Geoff Parker

The interviews have been posted on YouTube and the entire program will be broadcast on JATV next week.

Our first interview with Ed Martinez is underwritten by the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board.

Ed Martinez is Employment Training Specialist at Rock County Job Center. Ed has a long history helping workers in Janesville and in Rock County through his many years of working at GM and being active in the community. In the interview, Ed discussed various programs available for displaced workers looking to retrain, but he also shared with us his personal journey, going from working at GM to helping others make the transition.

Ed Martinez 1

Ed Martinez 2

Jim Lyke is a writer, actor and a man about town. He's also a great guy who knows a lot about Janesville's history. We talked about his play "Janesville in Stages", documentary "Janesville in Reel Life", which featured footage shot in Janesville by a traveling film company in 1940.

Jim Lyke 1

Jim Lyke 2

Madge Murphy is the executive director of the Rock County Historical Society. We talked about the Parker exhibit, as well as about some of the upcoming events at the RCHS, celebrating the 200th anniversary of Lincoln's birth.

Madge Murphy 1

Madge Murphy 2

Geoffrey Parker, author, historian, manager of the Parker Family Archives. Grandson of George S. Parker who started the Parker Pen Company in Janesville, Mr. Geoffrey Parker was in town for just a couple of days to help promote the Rock County Historical Society's Parker Pen exhibit. We were able to sit down for a conversation that was both entertaining and educational. For instance, did you know that George S. Parker and Frank Lloyd Wright were involved in a correspondence?

Geoffrey Parker 1

Geoffrey Parker 2

WAPC Award of Merit

2009-03-06T11:59:00.000-08:00

I'm very proud to say that Discover Janesville was awarded an Award of Merit from the Wisconsin Association of PEG Access Channels (WAPC).

I can only presume that it had to do with the great guests, and the professionalism of Robert Jarzen who was handling the cameras, microphones and lights simultaneously.

Thank you!

Discover Janesville at JPAC

2009-03-04T07:15:00.000-08:00

The next episode of Discover Janesville is ready to be broadcast! It was taped at the Janesville Performing Arts Center and features interviews with...

Emily Gruenewald
Edie Baran
Ron Brown
and
Rob Phelps

The interviews have been posted on YouTube and the entire program will be broadcast on JATV this Saturday and Sunday (March 7 and 8) at 12, 5 and 10 pm.

Emily is the new Executive Director of the Janesville Performing Arts Center. The conversation centered on the JPAC, its users group, its history and goals. We also talked about how Emily arrived at this exciting stage in her life, and about what its like to take reigns from the original Executive Director of JPAC - Laurel Cannan.

Emily Gruenewald Part I

Emily Gruenewald Part II

Edie Baran - Freelance Drama Director and Instructor - has been involved in many artistic organizations in Janesville, including founding the Spotlight On Kids. Last year Edie was inducted in the United Arts Alliance Hall of Fame. We talked about the value of the arts to adults and children, and about how each one of us really is an Artist.

Edie Baran Part I

Edie Baran Part II

Ron Brown is an Actor who's been involved in at least 65 different productions. We talked about some of his most favorite parts, about the value of theater and community theater and about the tradition Ron has of giving flowers to all the women in the shows Ron acts in.

Ron Brown Part I

Ron Brown Part II

This part of the show is underwritten by the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board.

Rob Phelps was laid off from the Lear Corporation, and is now attending Blackhawk Technical College, looking to become a professional chef. We talked about the experience of what Rob had to go through, about his determination to make a better life for himself and for his family, and about how everything in life has a purpose and a reason. Rob has a great sense of humor. My favorite was when he said that you can't wait for the "Job Fairy" to come to you. Ain't that the truth!

Rob Phelps Part I

Rob Phelps Part II

Additional broadcast times

2009-02-22T19:16:00.000-08:00

While the 3rd episode of Discover Janesville is now in post-production, the 2nd episode will be re-aired on JATV this Wednesday, February 25 at 9 a.m., 2, 7 & 11 p.m.

Broadcast Times

2009-02-07T10:25:00.000-08:00

The new episode of Discover Janesville will be broadcast on Saturday and Sunday, February 14 & 15, 10:45 a.m., 3:45 & 8:45 p.m. following a Bantam Hockey game taped at the Ice Arena.

New Episode

2009-01-30T17:09:00.000-08:00

Mary Penny, Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board

Katie Kuznacic, Rock County Supervisor

Karen Lisser, ECHO, Janesville

Jim McMullen, KANDU Industries

Episode 1

2009-01-04T17:12:00.001-08:00

Here is the first episode of Discover Janesville

Part I

Part II

Part III

Part IV

Part V

Welcome to Discover Janesville!

2009-01-04T16:50:00.000-08:00

Discover Janesville is an original program airing on JATV. A showcase for people and places that make Janesville what it is, the program's purpose is to promote cultural and historical awareness, community spirit and leadership. Discover Janesville is filmed at various locations throughout Janesville and I plan to have new episodes on monthly basis.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Robert Jarzen, who is taking care of all things technical for Discover Janesville. Until Robert and I met, this program was nothing but a concept. With his help it became a reality.