Stevens Point Journal from Stevens Point, Wisconsin • Page 10

Ooi nion YOUR CONTACTS Email: newsstevenspointjournal.com -2L STEVENSP0INTJ0URNAL.COM YOUR LOCAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1873 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2011 10A 11 Editorial Board Mike Beck, General Manager Linda Taylor, Managing Editor Doug Wojcik, Photographer Jim Dowling, Terry Arnold and Jim Stokes, citizen members BSNEEMEVEHN) TO WeVEHADTOLET- PEOPLE GOI rmyf mm Our View Dozens of local businesses, all connected II TlrO I -5 I f) AN16ETNEW ACcoWWfe WHP WlLRHDUWflPlB SOWEVWTW TAXES When we began work on the first "Made in Central Wisconsin" special section last year, we quickly were amazed by the breadth and variety of products and businesses that are thriving here. It's the sort of thing that you know without really thinking about it: There are a lot of businesses here, including some that have found a surprising or unique niche. But when you really start to dig into the details of how, for example, Marshfield's The Hearing House connects its customers with the newest, most advanced computer for enhancing hearing, you can't help but be struck by the unique and fascinating ways people make their livings here in central Wisconsin. With the print edition of today's paper, we've included a new special section, "Connections: Made in Central Wisconsin." This publication continues our project of fanning out across the region in search of all the we CONNECTIONS fascinating stulfthat -a-K comes from here. This year we've put a special emphasis on the interdependence of the region's economy.

It's really CENTBAl LETTERS the Muslim faith, to our friends from Baha'i faith who shared a reading from their founder given in 1912, to a Taoist prayer offered by our Unitarian Universalists friends, I heard the same message. And the message I heard was that every faith hears God's desire for love, peace and justice for all, not just for some. Not one group has the corner on the market not even us Christians, who can be a bit arrogant about our religion at times. Father Lindner from the Newman Center on the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point campus spoke of hope, and I realized the hope I experienced Sept. 11 was when that's calling somebody a liar).

In short, he's mad because collective bargaining is gone. Well, Mr. Reindl, rewind to the day when you were SPAEA president, and you told the board you and your membership had a contract and did not have to bargain. I am sure it is hard to have had it all and now WISCONSIN 911 event shows God hears all faiths There certainly was no doubt what Sunday, 911, was. The documentaries on TV were countless, reflections on 911 from what seemed to be every conceivable perspective.

I watched one that kept switching from the Twin Towers to the Pentagon to the farmland of Pennsylvania, chronicling the details of the horrible morning. I must admit, it still leaves me unable to fathom it all. But, something I can fathom occurred late in the afternoon on Former school union leader must move on Please take the time to watch (the Sept. 12) school board meeting. Watch the exchange between former Stevens Point Area Education 1t if OPEN Sept.

11, 2011, at Frame Memorial Presbyterian Church. A community, inter-religious, (not inter-Christian) commemoration of 911, grounded in a hope nurtured by a unity of faith in God brought us together. The "scandal" of course was that we dared to believe we could worship together: Muslims, Jews, Christians, Unitarian Universalists, Baha'i and anyone else who chose to be there. For me, it was an extremely heart-warming experience. In a way I have never experienced before, it became real that God does not favor one group of people.

As I listened to the rabbi from the Jewish community, to a woman from Association President Glen Reindl and Board President Renae Sheibley and Superintendent Attila Weninger. Mr. Reindl started with a diatribe about lost prep time, too-heavy teaching loads and ended with the off-handed comment he did not believe the school board's budget estimates (in my world, for People in Stevens Point) the ability to serve many more people by incentiv-izing private investment into these Louis Molepske financial institutions. Wisconsin has 21 CDFIs, including one operating through Stevens Point-based CAP Services. CDFIs have enormous positive impacts on the communities they serve.

The passage of Assembly Bill 211 will no doubt spark more development throughout the state. Under Assembly Bill 211, individuals would receive tax credits for making long-term private investments in Wisconsin-based CDFIs; this will help offset the reduction in public dollars. CDFIs have a primary mission to provide financial products and services such as entrance counseling and financial training for people who borrow money to low-income individuals and families. The services CDFIs provide will help the entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout Wisconsin use their financing effectively. This in turn will help stabilize our communities and alleviate economic stress.

"Increasing investment in CDFIs will have a positive and meaningful impact on our communi Jobs must be priority in fall session I recognized worshiping together was far more important than thinking I as a Christian had the sole corner on truth. God, Allah, Adonai, He, She, the holy one, the ground of our being was present, and if that presence was not recognized, it was by choice. The musical selection provided by the community choir was enough to confirm that God was present and was pleased with our coming together. How sweet it was how sweet hope is, when manifested in the gathering of all God's people. Howard Hintzman Co-pastor of the United Methodist people of the greater Stevens Point area to be forced to pay a portion of your own retirement, but this is the new reality.

Embrace it, drive on and have a good year teaching. Please do not use precious school board meeting time to re-negotiate a contract you no longer have. Dave Dailey Plover of the damage done by this year's divisive agenda. People need good-paying jobs, high-quality public schools, quality services, and prospering communities. We as state legislators would be wise to take the lessons we have learned from these past few months and use them to confront the challenges we face as we fight for what our constituents want and need.

I am proud to say that my representation is focused on our economy and your individual success. I am very hopeful that the Legislature will come together and work overtime to create family supporting jobs and boost economic security for the people of Wisconsin. I am working on a new statewide development opportunity zone initiative, a venture capital and revolving loan fund and a proposal to reduce the time and cost of complying with state regulations for new and existing businesses. I hope you will continue to contact me with your thoughts, ideas and opinions so that I can effectively serve the 71st District and all of Wisconsin, especially on getting people back to work. State Rep.

Louis Molepske, D-Stevens Point, represents the 71st state Assembly District, which includes including much of Portage County and northern Waushara County. true: A strong local economy depends upon a strong local economy. There is a web of connections and self -reinforcing symbiotic relationships among many of our local businesses. You can play "six degrees of separation" among local businesses, and it doesn't take long to realize how connected we all really are. Employees at manufacturers like the Domtar paper mill in Rothschild or Rib Mountain's TC Teardrops, which makes trailers, will take their wages and head to Townline Market in Wausau or Cafe 27 in Stevens Point.

The engineers at REI Engineering in Wausau design bridges, while construction companies like Wausau's County Materials Corp. supply the concrete to build them. We've featured dozens of local businesses, and tried to find some of the connections among them, from manufacturers, service companies and retail outlets. We can barely scratch the surface here of all the businesses that are featured in this year's "Connections Made in Central Wisconsin" special section. But because we can't resist, here's a taste from another fascinating feature within the section, a long list featuring when some popular local retailers and other businesses opened.

Did you know Delta Dental was founded in 1962? Did you know that the Stevens Point Brewery has been at work since 1857? A few more: Marathon Savings Back was founded in 1902. Grebe's has been around since 1946. Mall Furniture started in 1974, and Rib Mountain Cycles opened its doors in 1996. We think you'll enjoy learning more about the history, the connections and the products made here in our own backyards. Some will be familiar but we bet there are more than a few businesses featured here that you didn't even know about, that you're connected to whether you know it or not.

We always hear that "America needs to make things again." These companies forgot the "again" part they've been making things all along. his summer, I spent time throughout central Wisconsin, listening to the concerns and opinions of many residents. These one-on-one dialogues with individual citizens were particularly important this summer, given everything that has happened since January. As I spoke with central Wisconsin residents, the message was loud and clean the people of Wisconsin need jobs. That message deserves our primary attention in the state capital, so that we can rebuild our economic security and move Wisconsin forward.

I also heard, loud and clear, that you want your legislators to work together. Extreme and polarizing agendas must be left in the past. Instead, Wisconsin needs its legislators to work together to create stability for all individuals and families. Even though Assembly Republicans only scheduled one session day this month, Rep. Mary Williams (R-Medf ord) and I teamed up to pass the bipartisan Assembly Bill 211, which aims to create a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) tax credit to increase private jdixre-ating investments in our communities.

Assembly Bill 211 will give Wisconsin CDFIs (like Community Assets ties and thousands of Wisconsinites," said Mary Patoka of CAP Services. "The services provided by CDFIs will enable small business owners to start or expand. When businesses prosper, employees in turn spend at the local groceries and other area businesses, building community wealth." CAP Services helped Central Waters Brewery Company in Amherst and also Intevation Food Group, LLC in Plover create jobs both of these businesses, initially, looked to non-traditional financing to start their businesses. With greater investment, CDFIs will help people start or expand businesses, upgrade machinery and buy homes. This is just one step forward to enable the people of Wisconsin to change their economic circumstance for the better.

Rep. Williams and I put the interests of our constituents ahead of partisan politics, and hopefully this glimmer of bi-partisanship can light a bigger economy focused spark in the Legislature. In the spirit of bipartisanship, we also recognized the bill's original author, Rep. Steve Hilgenberg (D-Dodgeville) who passed away earlier this year after a long battle with cancer, by naming the tax credit after him. It is so important that we slow down and repair some SHARE YOUR VIEW Open Letters must be signed and include the writer's name, address and a phone number where the writer can be reached during the day for confirmation.

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