His honor is here.
City of Racine Mayor Corey Mason.
I thank you for coming in this morning.
Happy to be here.
You know what to get up this early?
Yeah.
Okay.
I just like to say to people sometimes, I'm glad you had to wake up from me.
Yeah.
I have three teenagers.
So.
Oh, wow.
Oh, you never get to sleep,
right?
You have to stay up late and then
you get home
early.
Yeah.
I mean, it's summertime now, so I don't have to get up so early to get to school.
But yeah, it's that case.
And now you got to worry.
Oh,
yes, there's a worry time starts.
We've got a lot to talk about here.
And by the way, if you have a question for the mayor,
you can text it to us, go download the Civic Media app, click on WRJN on the list of our radio stations.
And when you see that, just text us the question.
If we have time, we'll get to it.
Let's talk about the whole bunch of big holiday season, obviously.
The 4th of July, it's on a Saturday this year, which is no excuse for
anybody that's right.
I think we'll get, I mean, you know, coming out of COVID, the crowds get bigger and bigger every year.
But, you know, this is the best
parade in the Midwest.
It really is.
It's one of the biggest in the Midwest.
It's almost three miles long.
But we're celebrating America's 250th birthday, so we're really excited
about it.
You know what I found out the other day?
This was interesting.
The National Guard is older than 250.
They started 140 years before this country, so they're in the 300s.
And they said, wow, that's interesting.
This National Guard's older.
Went to daughters of the American Revolution had a speak talk at the library last night.
Oh, great and the day they were talking about American Revolutionary War vets that are buried in Wisconsin.
Yeah, there are nine in Racine County.
Yeah, three of them in Mount Cemetery, right?
Yeah, three in Mount and One where I'll be buried in Union Grove.
He's not next to him, but I mean we're the same cemetery and Yeah, that's something it is.
They had the whole history of each one of the nine people
Well, I'm just trying to imagine too when I, you know, when you see that at the Mount Cemetery, sometimes we used to walk in there when we lived in West Racine.
But, you know, you'd see it and you just sort of imagine what was going on where in the 1770s, you were a young soldier, but somehow made your way West
and settled in Racine.
They explained what happened because a lot of them were from New England.
Yeah.
And they decided, you know, they got crowded.
The soil wasn't good enough.
So they moved to Ohio, but everybody was moving to Ohio.
And again, it was too crowded and some migrated to Wisconsin where the soil was good.
And that's, I think there were 43 in Wisconsin, 43 American Revolutionary War vets, nine in Racine County.
It's amazing.
You know, the other day I saw you at the dedication.
Yeah.
To Camp Utley.
Oh, what a great event.
It was.
And in fact, Steve Rockstad is going to be here next week.
Oh, great.
Great.
We're going to talk to him on Monday.
That's a story not enough people know.
Right.
You know what we did?
We went back the next day because I took a picture of the plaque.
Yeah.
The marker.
But I didn't know there was a flip side.
So I had to go back the next day and get the flip side picture.
And what we did was we
It's like 40 or 70 acres or something like that.
75 acres.
75 acres.
And how big is 75 acres?
Well, I know I live on a quarter acre plot, but that you can't picture it.
But we knew that you would go down to Coven to center up to 16th.
And it's a lot of land.
It's a lot.
It's a lot of the south side of the city, really.
I was talking to Steve and they were talking about the artillery practice and they would shoot the cannon from what he can determine.
from people keeping their diaries and logs and so forth.
They would shoot the artillery into the lake.
Oh, yeah.
Because they were right there.
Right.
And they were going to shoot it in somebody's house, so they'd shoot it in the lake.
Those cannonballs must still be in there.
Oh, wow.
I mean, buried under, you know, the hundred.
The hundred sediment.
Yeah, 200 years or 100 and some odd years of sediment under there.
But imagine if you could find them.
Yeah.
That's an interesting trader hunt for someone to try to get to.
So that was really
good to hear about Camp Utley.
So the next... Well, just so people understand.
So in case people don't, I mean, we had a Civil War camp here in the city of
Racine.
Training camp.
Training camp before people would leave.
It was named for Colonel Utley, who was a big abolitionist colonel who fought with the Seventh Brigade here in Wisconsin.
And, you know, it's really...
You know, I think a lot of people know the Joshua Glover story before the Civil War of this, you know, fugitive slave that we broke out of jail and sent on to Canada for freedom and that sort of playing up to the prelude of the Civil War.
But I don't think enough people know that, like, look, we actually had a training camp here and, you know, people from the area who would train there, you know, and were willing to give their lives, right, and put their lives on the line to keep the union together and, you know, end the scourge and original sin of slavery and
And really, you know, we played a bigger role in that as as an area than I think people realize.
I mean, I think everybody knows about Camp Randall because it's up in Madison and that's the stadiums named after now.
But we played a big role in that too.
And it's an important thing, I think, to acknowledge Colonel Utley in the camp for which it was named.
And the marker is right where Wisconsin Avenue and Main Street meet just north of DeCoven and take a read of it.
Yeah, absolutely.
Now, two days later over the weekend,
My wife and I went to Mount Cemetery to find.
Colonel Utley's grave.
Some people listen to this general Utley, but Colonel Utley, I saw some general listening there.
So we went to go find it and the markers and mounds aren't that easy to find.
The roads are very curvy.
Yes.
And to find out where the blocks and the sections and all that stuff are, it's very hard to find.
So we're about 45 minutes searching for it.
And finally we gave up and we said, we'll come back another time.
We get into the car.
My wife looks, there it is.
There was a giant marker, Utley, and we took a picture of it.
There's Colonel Utley's grave right there with his son is there as well.
The whole family's there.
But she said, there it is.
We're just about to pull out and we found it.
All right, let's talk about the fourth of July parades coming up.
And I just went to the captain's meeting the other day with the two people running it.
And Jake and Anna, we're going to be in the studio here next week.
They're doing a great job.
And it's, it's, I mean, I don't know how they do the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade balloons.
Yeah, I don't know how they do that.
That's big.
This one, it's not as difficult, but it's still a lot of work.
Yeah.
I mean, I would give Jake credit, not this past, whether July, but the one before.
Okay.
Just, you know, the 250th is coming up in a couple of years.
Not when I think about what we want to do to make it extra special this year.
Right.
So, you know, I'm thrilled to hear we're going to see a lot more participation.
I think we might actually see some floats.
You know, people every year is like, why aren't their floats like they used to be?
And I don't think people realize like you don't just.
make a float on the weekend.
Like that is a very long labor intensive thing to do.
So we're thrilled that we're seeing floats enter into it.
And so, you know, we're very excited about it.
We'll have three sister city mayors in town for the parade in the fifth of July celebration as well.
So we'll have a sister city mayor from
So Pat Lene had Mexico and Brantford, Ontario and Montelomar, France.
That'll be that'll be here to just rolled off your tongue.
It took some practice.
You just said that like it was but Caledonia.
Yes.
But we're
really excited to celebrate it.
And then, you know, the fireworks are always special.
But this year, they'll be extra special.
And then if we can move into the fifth, the very next day in the fifth, we're taking part in a national celebration of America's 250th birthday.
So on Sunday,
We're gonna have a whole program there starting from three to eight, and we're gonna do a time capsule.
So we're very excited to imagine putting some things in this time capsule and wondering what it would look like in 50 years.
You know, telling my kids, I probably won't be here, but you will likely be here when we open that up again.
And so we'll be doing that, the concert band and the Racine Symphony will be performing.
We're closing down Main Street, so the stage will be right in the intersection at sixth.
Um, and and main and there's meals there.
So if you want to buy tickets, you do have to buy tickets ahead of time.
You can go to our Facebook page to check that out.
But if you just want to come and hear the concert band or hear the program, you can bring some chairs and set up a monument square.
But, um, I think it would be a lovely way to celebrate the blessings of our liberty as the constitution says.
And, you know, my hope in doing it in part is, I mean, I know these are divided political times, but my, my earnest hope in celebrating America's birthday is that we can maybe
remember what we have in common and what we love about this country and the liberties that we share.
And just for a minute, think about what brings us together and celebrate our country and hope that it's there for our kids and grandkids to enjoy as
well.
And the 5th of July, big celebration at Monument Square.
America's 250th birthday.
So we're going to be part of a nationwide effort to celebrate the birthday of America on the 5th of July.
So we're excited to do that.
You know, my wife and I were talking about all the cannons around.
We're seeing a lot of cannons around here.
Yeah.
Maybe it's because the Civil War training
camp, we camp oddly.
I think that it's some of the remnants of it.
I do know when I first became mayor, there was some controversy about.
the Kenosha Civil War Museum, one of the one in Monument Square.
So when I started looking at the list of committees and one of them is the ad hoc committee to defend the cannons of Monument
Square, I'm like,
what
is this?
I don't know, but I got a half million dollars donated to them.
I think we're good.
I don't think Kenosha's invading.
I think we're going to be OK.
It's not it's not pointed to our Kenosha either.
But it took it took it was an indication of how seriously we took wanting to
to keep those cannons.
There's a
whole bunch around town.
Yeah, absolutely.
All right, let's talk about the election ballots.
Yeah.
So believe it or not, the August primary is coming up.
And so while we're still in June, you might think, August, why are we thinking about that?
But do you mind ballots get sent out a month beforehand?
So we got for next, those will go in the mail.
So for people who are on the list to permanently receive early votes or vote by mail, you'll start to see those soon.
So start to think about that.
But then we also have in-person
absentee balloting that's available.
And I just want to make sure people know when they can start doing that.
So you can vote early at City Hall.
And if you live anywhere in the city, you can come to City Hall and vote early.
And those days are regular business days, July 28th to August 7th, 8 to 4.30 AM.
But then also Saturday, August 1st, Saturday, August 9th, and Sunday, August 9th.
will also be in City Hall.
And then we have additional locations that we move around town.
So we'll be at the Tyler Domework Community Center on Tuesday, July 28th to 9 to noon Mount Cemetery from.
So if you want to see, you know, at least a marker there, you can check that
out.
Good luck
finding it from
3 to 6 p.m.
Festival Hall from 9 to noon on Wednesday, the 29th, the John Bryant Center from 3 to 6 on the 29th, Lockwood Park from Thursday, the 30th from 9 to noon.
The
the previously named Chavez Community Center from three to six on the 30th.
Hanchill Park on the 31st from nine to noon.
Humble Park on the 31st from three to noon.
Lakeview Park, that area there by the new playground from nine to noon on Monday the third and at the library on the third from three to six.
The Transit Center on the fourth from three to six.
Wustam from 9 to noon and then Gateway on the 6th from 3 to 6.
So we try to make it.
Yeah, what do they find all these by the
way?
Yeah, so
it's on our yeah, if you go to vote we're seeing that org It has all the hours and stuff that's there So the easiest place if you want to vote early is just come to City Hall those dates that I mentioned But we want to move locations around the city as well So people are in the neighborhood and and want to you know vote early They think they might be out of town or they just want to
not have to wait in line.
We try to create as many opportunities as possible for people to participate.
And it's a great segue coming off celebrating America's 250th birthday.
You know, we are the longest continuously operating democracy in the world right now, in the world, which is such a great country.
And we're such a young country.
Yeah, relatively, right.
We're thousands of years old in
Europe.
We're 250.
250 years strong.
But if there's any way to indicate that you're participating in your democracy, it's that you vote.
It's that you vote and sadly far too few people don't vote at all.
And so we're hoping to see her in particular as we're thinking away.
What's a way that I can celebrate America and be grateful to live in this country?
You know, come to the events, go to the parade, put something in the time capsule.
But if you really want to show your fidelity to to living in a democracy and your love for this country vote, I don't care who you vote for, but vote.
If you don't vote, don't complain.
Well.
Well, I wish that were the rule, but it
is not.
But it really looked...
But you get these people that complain about everything, and I say, did you vote?
No.
Well, then don't complain.
Maybe you had a chance.
But for a democracy
to
work,
we need people to participate.
Especially in spring elections, we get fewer people that vote in the fall elections.
And your ability to govern effectively comes from...
people being willing to participate and go out and vote for you or somebody else.
And so, you know, I make this plea every year, but particularly in America's semi-quin centennial, the fancy
word.
Yeah.
What is
that word?
I saw that printed last night.
Yeah.
Semi-quin centennial.
That's that's the fancy word for 250.
I know.
I saw that.
I didn't know how to pronounce it.
Yeah.
Yeah.
175th, the demi-semi-sepsentennial.
125th, the quizquee centennial.
These are the fancy words that you learn.
when you become the mayor, when you have anniversaries.
But semi-quincentennial, which technically means half of
500.
Semi-quincentennial.
Yes.
I saw that printed last night with the DAR lecture last night.
What is this?
Yeah, it's the five dollar word for the 250th.
That's good.
Let's talk about the bridge snafu.
Oh, now I didn't hear about this till you mentioned it.
Yeah, it I mean, looks so the city owes the community an apology for, you know, the 50th year of doing the lighthouse run.
So we started at the downtown, run down Main Street, they go up to the lighthouse, they come back.
And it's one of these events that's, you know, a certified time sort of thing.
So people come from the region because they want to get a set time, you know, that
you know, whether they do it on an amateur basis or a more competitive basis.
But, you know, we set these parade routes.
City Council passed the resolution just before to close the street down as we do every year.
We get permission from the Coast Guard to not open the bridge for the three hours that we're doing the event.
And unfortunately, the bridge tender at the time opened the bridge not once, but twice.
Even after he said yes, I know I wasn't supposed to open it.
Yes, I know that these were the rules Yes, I know the Coast Guard in the city council said not to do it, but he did it anyway So he is no longer a bridge tender But we owe the community an apology for what happened there the lighthouse run is a signature Racine event right it happens every year and we want to continue so our
sincere apologies to people who participated in the run.
It will not happen again.
It screwed up the timing.
It did.
It did.
And so we owe everybody an apology for that.
And so on behalf of the city, we are deeply sorry to let House run and the participants and it will not happen again.
Moving forward.
Do you say why he opened it?
And there's an investigation that they've got to go through with HR at this point.
So I can't say much more than that.
I can only say he is not a bridge tender
anymore.
Okay.
One last thing.
Last time we hear, we talked about the management of
Festival Park, Rotary Park, Festival Hall, Memorial Hall, with 5K events.
What's the latest?
Sign, seal,
ready
to go.
It's a done deal.
They continue.
They continue.
Their contract goes.
Initially, they were saying, well, we just want it through the end of the year.
I'm happy to say we reached an agreement to go to the end of next year.
Oh, great.
Get a little more certainty on it.
Yeah.
I mean, they've got some great events that they've got going on, the farmers market.
is a nice addition to the
event.
Yeah,
it's been great.
And so look, we need them to succeed.
It's been a little bumpy on some on some issues, but I will tell you, you know, there's more people coming down there and doing more events than we've had before.
And, you know, that's why we built it 40 years ago, right?
As we wanted to have community events and opportunities for the public to enjoy the beautiful lakefront.
So we're excited.
We're excited.
So it is, yeah, sign sealed.
Just Patrick signed it and I signed it yesterday.
So it is
Science sealed
and delivered.
Yeah, we had Patrick in here about two weeks ago talking about it.
He wanted it to continue.
Yeah.
Yeah.
In fact, if you look on the wall here, see, they don't have the events written in.
Oh, yeah.
Because he wasn't sure if he'd be here.
Right.
Right.
Now we're going to fill it in.
Yeah.
Absolutely.
Oh, that's great.
Anything else that we
miss?
I mean, I'm sure there's always things to talk about, but I will say we're making really good progress on the new King Community Center.
So if you were on Martin Luther King Day, drive next to Julian Thomas School there, you'll notice a
a new facility going up.
That is going to be the home of our new health clinic and the new King Center.
And we're super excited.
It's really taken shape.
That should be open early next year.
But we're really excited to see that come to fruition.
But there's also 33 townhomes that we're building around the new community center.
And so those will be filled with owner occupants for people to have an opportunity to be homeowners.
So we're excited to see that take shape and come along.
Nice place to live here.
It is.
I've lived in...
Different cities around the country and I stayed here the longest.
Yeah.
There's a lot of great stuff going on.
Yeah.
Thank you for coming in.
My pleasure.
Thank you and thank you to all the residents that are, you know, happy 4th of July.
I won't be here till after but come to the event on the 5th to celebrate America's birthday and let's have a great 4th of July, everyone.
Oh, please no rain.
Yes.
Yes, please.
Now, I know the 4th of July parade goes on rain or shine.
It does.
Not lightning.
Then they delay it if there's lightning, but other than
that, what the best for the 5th is Memorial Hall.
So good, good thing to ask.
But if it happens to be pouring rain on the fifth, we will be in the
morning.
Please don't even
say it.
Yeah.
Yeah.
All right.
Thank you, Mayor.
No, thank you.
Happy Independence Day, everyone.
