Maple & Main

On the List- Recalling Ducks, Dragonflys, and Eggs

Posted by Curt Otto on Aug. 23, 2011

While on a road trip to Madison today, I passed the time taking an unofficial survey. I counted how many people were driving with a cell phone held to their ear. On average, out of every 10 cars I passed, 4 of them were talking on the phone in this manner. And out of 50 cars, 5 were sending text messages- one in a construction zone. Didn’t Wisconsin pass a law…?

I have a technical question… can I buy a dozen eggs in a “10 items or less” checkout line?

Please tell me you have done this- Last week, I made a list of things I needed to get done. While in the course of doing them, I also did four chores that were not on the list. To make myself feel better, I added them to the list at the end of the day and then crossed them off.

If you have been by the Waukesha Dam recently, you may have noticed something spectacular. The dragonfly sculpture that sits atop a lily pad by the falls has been cleaned, repainted, and looks beautiful again. And whom do you ask took on this huge, wet, stinky, thankless, job? My neighbors and favorite downtown residents- Tom and Vicky Hekkers, that’s who. And the city is a better place for it. If you see them out and about, it might be nice to say “thanks”. I think I am going to ask them to fix the streetlights on the 300 block of Main Street next (They have been out for 8 weeks now).

I went to a local “chain” store the other day and when I was finished checking out, the gentleman behind the counter asked if I would complete a survey on the back of my receipt. He followed that request with another- “be sure to give us all fives because only fives count”. Sorry pal, you just earned yourself a three for telling me how to fill out my survey.

This is the final week of the big “City of Waukesha” test. I have a feeling I am going to get in trouble for this one.

Trending now- recalls. It seems that all over the nation right now, the “in” thing to do is recall public officials when they don’t vote the way you want them to. I have an idea for this new craze- if you decide to recall an official, and it doesn’t work, those responsible for the recall should be held financially accountable for it. Just a thought.

And last but not least, I came home to my once “duck free” fountain the other night to find it loaded with well over a dozen ducks of all sizes and shapes. Something tells me my neighbors had something to do with this. The kids at the art school were delighted to see them and all was right with the world- until Saturday night, when someone stole all the ducks again. Really- is this what the city has come too? I don’t know if I want to continue to live in a downtown where innocent waterfowl are abducted without warrant.