Where’s Your Congressman? (Hour 1)

Transcript

Where’s Your Congressman? (Hour 1)

Mornings with Pat Kreitlow · Wed Mar 19, 2025

Kathryn Lake

You're listening to Civic Media.

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Find us in your phone's app store and listen anytime, anywhere.

All across Wisconsin from Civic Media.

This is Up North News Radio.

Now, live from our Lake Minnesota studio, here's the founding editor of Up North News, Pat Breitler.

Pat Kreitlow

Well, hey there, Wisconsin.

Good morning.

It is 6.06 on this Wednesday morning, March 19th, 2025.

It's another beautiful morning to have you here up north.

Live from Lake Wissota from wherever you're listening across the Civic Media radio network, watching us on Facebook or YouTube, catching us on the app or on demand by podcast.

We really appreciate you being here on this Wednesday morning, a day that's going to get rather snowy in parts of the state as the day goes on.

I got one question for you.

Are you ready for a new contest?

One that includes

Brewer's tickets, cash, a trip to Wisconsin Dells, maybe something that'll help you sleep better at night.

Stay tuned because starting Monday, we'll have a new text to win contest.

And the way you text to win all these great prizes is through the Civic Media app.

If you don't have the app on your phone, oh, get ready.

you're going to be hounded for the next couple of weeks because you really should.

I've got it.

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or the auxiliary cord is being able to hear Civic Media wherever we are on the road as well.

So head over to civicmedia.us or your favorite app store to learn more so that you can call into shows, but more importantly for the purposes of this tease, text the show.

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That's all coming up.

Coming up on the program today, we will hear shortly from Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who was in Western Wisconsin last evening, because the Congressman for Western Wisconsin apparently has a tough time finding Eau Claire in order to do a proper town hall.

So we'll hear what he had to say coming to visit the Chippewa Valley last evening.

In our climate check, we will have Melissa Baldoff along to talk about the debate over the transition from fossil fuel energy to cleaner energy.

And what's, whether it's right or wrong to have a transition using a different fossil fuel, one that's not as clearly dirty as coal,

but still has its own issues.

So do you want to be a little bit cleaner?

Do you want to get really clean though?

Maybe that costs more in the short term.

So Melissa will tell us about a particular issue in the Milwaukee area that is triggering that debate.

Then in our second hour in our homeroom segment, we'll look back at last week's forum.

for the state Supreme Court election.

And one of the folks who was going to be a panelist and then had a conflict come up, Julie Underwood will be joining us.

She's the lead plaintiff in a suit that had challenged the voucher school program.

And so she couldn't talk with us on the panel last week about the state Supreme Court race and its potential impact on public schools in Wisconsin.

So she will join us at 730 today with more about that.

All right a winter storm warning is in effect from Winona to Eau Claire over to Wausau, Marshfield into Rhinelander and then there's a winter weather advisory that

borders the warning both north and south into La Crosse, Wisconsin Rapids, the Hurley area.

Here's the state forecast from meteorologist Brittany Merlot and we'll get more from her in less than an hour now about this storm.

Showers and thunderstorms into southern Wisconsin this morning.

The rain flips to snow up north and ramps up during the afternoon, turning quite windy.

Highs today, mid 30s in the north, low 40s in the south.

A north wind at 20 to 30 miles an hour, gusting to 40 miles an hour threatens to create some whiteout conditions at times in areas that are getting the snow.

Tonight, rain in the south may change over to snow, a trace to three inches possible in spots.

The snow will be ending up north.

Final accumulations could range anywhere from five to 10 inches in the heaviest band, local accumulations of up to 12 inches possible.

Lowest tonight, around 20 up north, mid 20s in the south, and still gusty in northwest wind at 15 to 25 miles an hour with gusts to 35 miles an hour.

Temperature is not so bad right now ahead of the storm's arrival.

It's 35 here on Lake Wissota.

Hayward is coming in at 30.

Amory at 33.

Wasaw 36.

It's 38 in Wisconsin Rapids.

It's 41 in La Crosse.

Green Bay at 38.

Madison 35.

It's 38 in Milwaukee and 38 at Radio Park and Racine where young Greg Bach stands by to welcome us to his

corner of the state.

Mr. Bach, good morning.

Greg Bach

Good morning, everyone.

My loyal subjects, watchers, and listeners.

Hello, how are you doing?

Pat Kreitlow

Giving the proper wave of the hand where you roll the wrist.

Yes, you roll the wrist, you roll the wrist.

Greeting the commoners.

Hello, hello.

Greg Bach

Come on in, come on in.

The cheese is in the back.

The charcuterie board is ready.

Pat Kreitlow

Yes, but is the snow shovel.

I don't think you'll be okay.

I think I'll be okay.

Greg Bach

Plus, I got a snowblower pad.

Yeah, you're covered

Pat Kreitlow

even though you're ready

Greg Bach

even though this last snowstorm we had in in Kenosha this past weekend by the time you got outside everything was Melted off the sidewalk in the in the on the driveway for that matter.

So

Pat Kreitlow

it's gone now.

It's

Greg Bach

completely gone

Pat Kreitlow

Yeah, so you that might be it for you for the year maybe and then until seven

Greg Bach

o'clock or Britney's like no

Pat Kreitlow

And that's no Greg silly Greg because yeah, she did say something about another one coming.

Maybe Sunday or something.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Oh, yeah.

Wintery.

Greg Bach

Oh, Lord.

What do you got in the coffee cup today, Pat?

Sorry that.

Pat Kreitlow

Oh, that coffee.

No, what's on the coffee cup, though?

Like it's a coffee cup is it?

No, this is the regular one with all the grandkids.

Oh, I don't know.

I know, but that was only, that was only the second sip of coffee I've had all day.

So I'm starting, I'm starting from behind this morning.

Yeah, I had to do a little, had to do some stuff in the kitchen this morning and then getting over here after the long commute, six steps over to the desk here in the home office.

Hey, this working from home thing that a lot of us have been doing now for five years since COVID first hit.

Yeah.

It has a lot of, a lot of pluses, but you're also really dependent upon certain forms of technology.

And so we, we communicate through work in many different ways.

Everybody else does too.

You might, maybe you use Outlook, maybe you use Slack, maybe you use Google Drive.

There's all kinds of

things that we use now, tools that we maybe didn't use five years ago.

And when they work great, it's wonderful.

When they don't, not so much.

And I'm naming Dropbox by name, not because I have any animosity toward them.

I'm just rather puzzled right now as to why the program that we use to upload all of our recorded interviews or sound bites, things like that.

And it's just, you know, the little wheel just continues spinning going, yeah, I'll get to you.

I'll get to you.

Hang on.

I'll get it.

It's not getting.

You're on the list.

Yeah, you're on the list.

So we had to quickly use Google Drive to upload everything and we got it all done, but it's those kinds of hiccups that keep you from just leisurely enjoying that first cup of coffee.

So needless to say, there'll be a lot of gulping during the first commercial break here.

Greg Bach

I'm almost finished with mine and there might be a refill that's happening.

Bridget is out of town.

today.

Pat Kreitlow

Oh, yes.

That's right.

Yes.

She comes home today.

What did you watch last night then?

Greg Bach

I watched the Bill Burr comedy special.

Holy cow.

It was so good.

Oh, good.

You did like it.

All

Pat Kreitlow

right.

I

Greg Bach

did.

I really, really like I feel like this is Bill Burr is becoming like the perfect man.

He's like, he's still grumbly.

He's still crotchety.

He's still curmudgeonly, but like he's

talking

Pat Kreitlow

about his

Greg Bach

feelings.

He's talking about growing up as a man, as a husband, as a father.

Like he's really like, he's just like, there's something about that.

There were still a couple of jokes there.

I'm like, you didn't have to say that, but whatever.

But this version of Bill Burr is what I am most excited to watch.

I mean, it sounds weird to say this, but grow up.

Pat Kreitlow

Yes.

No, I completely agree.

Like I said before, he's not typically my cup of tea, but now as he's kind of mellowing, polishing off some of the rough edges.

Yeah.

He's much more aware of, hey, maybe you don't have to fight your way through your entire marriage.

Yeah.

Maybe you can do stuff together.

Maybe you can take better care of yourself.

Maybe you can have

lampoon your own political biases as easily as you can lampoon others.

Yes.

And if you, if you do all those things, you actually come off as a, as a better person.

I agree.

Yep.

Uh, Jamie Christiansen faucets tuning in by Facebook.

Good morning, Jamie.

Good morning, Jamie.

Hello.

Haven't haven't seen you in forever glad.

Thanks for saying hi.

Roger on Steven's point on Facebook.

One advantage of working from home is I have become completely paperless.

Boy, I wish that were true for me.

Greg Bach

And for other people, one advantage from working at home is they're completely pantsless.

Yeah.

Pat Kreitlow

That's not the issue here.

The issue here is as much as I try to become paperless, I still have a legal pad sitting around and I'm constantly jotting notes to put into the computer.

at some point.

Yeah, maybe I'm, I'm working in one program and I'm like, okay, I'm going to add this to a sauna later.

I'm going to add this to, to, you know, my Google calendar later.

And then pretty soon you're just, you're a wash in papers

all

Pat Kreitlow

over again.

If you can't stay on top of the wave before it completely washes over you.

But it, it is

It is more paper-free than ever before, but boy, the debates you have about whether this technology is the right one or not, Tony saying from Ashland on YouTube, you really have to invest in good skippers if you work from home.

Oh, sorry.

He had slippers.

You know what else yet?

You need spell check when you work from home.

If you're going to be writing in live to a radio show, Tony.

Greg Bach

And I'll tell you this right now.

I've never, I've never worked from home drunk ever.

Skipper.

Slipper.

What?

Skipper.

Pat Kreitlow

Who's here?

Who's here?

and entertainment news tonight.

The Grand Ole Opry will celebrate its milestone 100th anniversary.

The party kicks off with a live television special Opry 100 which will air on ABC or I'm sorry NBC tonight.

Also Selena Gomez and her songwriter fiance Benny Blanco are releasing a joint album on Friday entitled I said I love you

Greg Bach

first.

Those

Pat Kreitlow

put your Taylor Swift jokes in now about, you know, what will the, the post breakup album sound like?

Hey, which I'm not rooting for.

I hope those kids make it.

I do hope those hope they do great.

And,

Greg Bach

uh, pretty special.

Pat Kreitlow

Sing Sing arrives on Max on Friday, inspired by a real life inmates who find a creative outlet through acting and performance.

It earned three Oscar nominations.

So there's your and then of course the Bill Burr special is out and Nora is out on Hulu.

So plenty to watch out there.

When we come back, we will hear what Governor Tim Walls had to say during his stop in Eau Claire during a town hall in the Third Congressional District.

Since the guy representing the Third Congressional District couldn't be bothered to show up.

This is Up North News Radio live from Lake

with

Kathryn Lake

SOTA on the Civic Media Radio Network.

Pat Kreitlow

No, this is not Greg Bach.

This is Michael McDonald.

Here's Greg Bach.

It keeps you running.

There we go.

We will tell you why that track is part of today's history lesson coming up in 30 minutes here on Up North News Radio.

I'm going to get in trouble here with our newsletter editor, Christina Lurik, because it's an editing thing.

Her newsletter starts off with, which sex is funnier?

And it and then like no no Christine don't set me up like that She means which gender is is is funnier funnier so men or women and gets into laughter and gender and all about national let's laugh day and Let's see.

She says based on one survey of 1500 Americans

Most people think they're the funny one in the relationship.

60% of people say they are funnier than their significant other.

68% of the men think they're funnier, while 54% of women think they are.

Rightfully, she adds parenthetically.

So, I don't know, you're the comedian here, are you the funny one in the relationship?

Keep in mind, Bridget might be

Greg Bach

listening.

Yeah, I am the funny one, but not as a way of saying like Bridget's not funny.

Bridget's hilarious, but she chooses her moments.

I can't shut up.

So it's more of like a...

Pat Kreitlow

So if you go by volume of ha ha's, it would be you.

Greg Bach

Both volume tone and volume quantity, yes.

Pat Kreitlow

Yes, okay.

Tony, you know, it sounds like a lot of people are laughing at their own jokes.

Yeah, it could be.

Oh, God.

Same thing.

I definitely make more of the wisecracks, which means a lot of them really flop.

Yeah.

Badly.

Greg Bach

Same here.

Pat Kreitlow

But I marry the funniest woman I know.

Yeah.

And I mean, I've known her for 40 years now, and I've never met a funnier woman than Sherry, but part of it is because she is this very

very serious, compassionate, physician, very caring.

So when she chooses to let loose on something, it lands.

Yep.

Uh, yeah.

So that's, that's the magic right there.

So we're more about, I was

Greg Bach

just going to say, and

Pat Kreitlow

being a

Greg Bach

comedian, it really makes me mad when she makes a joke that's really funny.

Cause I'm like, I didn't, I should have thought of that.

Pat Kreitlow

Uh, yeah, Sherry's done that once or twice or I'm like, I'm stealing that for the show because I know that if you said it all out on the radio, you'd get in trouble.

So I'll take it.

So yes,

Pat Kreitlow

that has definitely happened.

Uh, you can read that story and more in our newsletter, sign up for it over at UpNorthNewsWI.com.

Click subscribe in the banner on top of our homepage.

All right.

Uh, Governor Tim Walz was in the Chippewa Valley.

Uh, he has been around the country lately showing up in districts represented by Republicans.

in part helping Democrats spread a message to Americans that somebody is listening to them and that somebody understands that even for folks who voted for Donald Trump, they did not vote for this level of chaos and carnage.

So Governor Walz appeared at the Pablo Center in downtown Eau Claire yesterday.

and talk to a crowd there.

Selena Heller was there and she has this sound bite from the governor here talking much more about why he's traveling around the country this way.

the most unsatisfactory I told you so to her in the history of the world but they made it easy for me they wrote it in that damn playbook that I got tired of using that line I'm a football coach and I know if you make a playbook you're gonna use it yes they were gonna use it and that's what they're doing as they try and strip those rights away from folk but you came here as I said you could have been anywhere you came here because you know the fight's still on and you know that you love your country

and I

talked about this

You want it to be here in front of your member of Congress because the First Amendment to the Constitution gives you that right and responsibility to address your government.

They talk about how much they love freedom, which that's fine.

So do we.

But we have a little bit different definition.

When we talk about loving freedom, we mean freedom for everyone.

for everyone.

Because if you say you love freedom and it's not for everyone, you don't love freedom, you love privilege.

And that's a big difference.

Pat Kreitlow

I like that line.

Biggest I told you so tour in history.

The crowd was also greeted by Democratic State Party chair, Ben Wichler, who also explained a lot of the stakes out there these days.

My wife and I have a known news before bed rule now that we visited.

And then when you wake up, you dread to look at the weather because there might be a news alert there about some horrible thing that's happening in the country.

In the rest of the country, people are protesting, which is great.

But essentially, they don't have a way to fight back at the ballot box in this moment.

In Wisconsin, uniquely in this country, we're the only state with a statewide election.

all the way until November of this year, we're the only state where we can go to the polls and recruit everyone we know to go to the polls and send a message to the GOP that this extremism is assault on the foundations of our democracy has to end.

It is not okay that we're going to fight back and take our democracy back in this moment.

We have that gift and we're going to use it.

Pat Kreitlow

I think I had the wrong nose for us what the LQ would be.

That's why there was that uncomfortable pause there.

But there's Ben Wickler in Eau Claire talking to the crowd there about again, the election coming up and how Wisconsin voters will be the first in the country.

to cast any kind of ballot since Donald Trump's inauguration and to be able to send a message as far as whether somebody like Brad Schimmel, who recently stood under like a 30-foot inflatable Donald Trump, is the right choice for Wisconsin Supreme Court.

One more quick note.

The assembly passed a bill that micromanages sheriff's departments in terms of how they enforce regulation.

threatens to cut a community's funding by the state 15% if they don't go along with enhanced ice standards for finding people who are undocumented.

Here's Representative Francesca Hong talking about that bill.

I want us to prioritize legislation that doesn't weaponize discrimination for political gain.

Laws like AB 24 don't just harm.

immigrants, they also expand the surveillance and policing of communities under the guise of public safety, forcing officers to play the role of federal immigration agents and then expecting them to navigate the very complex areas of federal immigration law.

It only shows confusion.

It weakens community trust.

Pat Kreitlow

Especially in the case where crime victims are going to be less likely to report crimes and ask police for help if they see the police as an extension of federal immigration policy that has been ramped up exponentially and so harmfully by the president of the United States.

Climate check is coming up next on Up North News Radio.

And welcome back.

It's time for climate check for this Wednesday morning.

Melissa Baldoff is here joining me virtually again, unlike last week when we finally got to see each other in person for the first time in a while at our special Supreme Court event in Madison.

Melissa, how

are you?

Doing well.

Thanks.

How about you?

Pat Kreitlow

Great.

It was so nice to see you and Joe at the event.

Thank you again so much for being part of the panel.

You both run the panel about the impact of the Supreme Court election on the economy, on jobs, on climate, of course, and a host of other things.

And I wondered if we could start by just giving your impressions of the discussion and if there's anything you want to convey that you did last week about how it's so important that people vote on April 1st in this race.

Yeah, well, I mean, I'll start off by saying incredibly, incredibly important election coming up on April 1st.

And right now, early voting has started.

We know that there is so much at stake when it comes to continuing to have a fair and impartial majority on the court, the majority that gave us...

fair maps and the ability to have things like drop boxes for voters really to protect our voting rights and to, you know, that's going to be hopefully the majority that is going to, you know, decide on the legal status of abortion and whether women are going to be able to make our own decisions for our bodies and going to make really, really big decisions potentially about things that are going to impact the economy, impact

our workers and our environment.

So it's incredibly important that people are going to be able to get out there and vote and also vote for Jill Underly in the state superintendent race because we know that our public schools are at risk when we have Donald Trump and President Musk out there talking about defunding and

already beginning to defund the Department of Education.

And we've got, you know, you know, private school advocate running to defund our public schools.

And it's really incredibly important that we keep Jill underly there.

So yeah, there's a lot at stake.

We know that, you know, that there's a lot on the line, especially with this court race, if conservatives are able to

take the majority on the court again it'll be just like before where despite having you know governor evers you know republicans can just run right to the court and get that rubber stamp on anything they want and that can set us back on our goals when it comes to climate and cause harm you know in the short term when it comes to our economy our caregivers our workers

So, yeah, there's really a lot at stake here.

Pat Kreitlow

Well, and some of it was put very well by the other members of the panel, state representatives, Supreme Moro Mukundi and Francesca Hong, in that sometimes we forget the economy is based on health.

And if you have courts or a legislature or president or a Congress, but if you have a court that is hostile to things that

enhanced public health, whether it's anything from the quality of our air to family and medical leave.

These are the kinds of things that

can make people healthier or less healthy and if you don't have a healthy population, you're not going to have a healthy economy.

There's so much more that is interconnected in public policy and in basic economics than people want to believe and these are all great points that were brought up and Dan Schaefer was the moderator of the panel and just did a fantastic job on it.

We are very grateful for that.

So let me start with this point about health and about air quality.

and make the transition over to something that's happening in the...

Milwaukee area, Oak Creek to be specific.

And it's about the parent company of we energies and what they're going to be doing.

Now, if you're not listening in the Milwaukee area and you think, well, you know, does this really matter?

Yeah, it does.

Because for all the talk that we've made about embracing new and cleaner forms of energy, solar, wind, things like that, the way that this particular proposed project goes might have an impact on whether

you see cleaner energy sources used in your part of the state in the future or not.

So Melissa, can you kind of give a summary of what it is that we energies wants to do that I think some see as a step backwards in terms of just embracing fossil fuels?

Yeah, absolutely.

So we energies is looking to invest $1.2 billion to convert

the power plant in Oak Creek from coal to natural gas.

And that is something that, you know, while a lot of folks would say that, you know, natural gas is cleaner, you know, it's one of the cleaner fossil fuels, you know, and it's going to be, you know, kind of transition as we

go to you know more renewables and people would say oh we

can't

do you know solar and wind won't do it all um what we do know is that um there are a lot cleaner options and that uh going to these gas plants um would cause a whole lot of healthcare problems for the people in these communities

and would really have a very negative impact on air quality.

And there has already been significant problems for public health because of these coal plants.

We know that the coal plants have caused a lot.

The emissions there have caused a lot of health problems for folks, things like asthma, heart conditions.

premature birth have been some of the kinds of conditions that are caused or worsened by exposure to that kind of harmful material that's released into the air.

And this shift would still be causing some really significant health issues.

And in fact, there was an analysis

recently completed by the Union of Concerned Scientists, Healthy Climate Wisconsin, and PSE Healthy Energy that showed that this plan to build gas plants in both in Oak Creek and in Kenosha County would cause about $200 million in health care costs annually.

everything from emergency room visits to premature deaths because of that impact on air quality.

Pat Kreitlow

Yeah, because I mean, again, there's this talk of it.

It's a bridge.

It's, you know, it's not as bad as coal.

Well, I mean, again, come on, coal is, you know, we understand just about everything can be an improvement on coal.

But the news reports told me something I didn't know before that natural gas plants are known to leak methane.

And methane is a greenhouse gas that is much more powerful at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.

So yeah, it would certainly appear on its face that natural gas is this alternative to coal, but nobody should be confused into thinking that natural gas is like the final step and that if you can make

more progress toward cleaner energy sources that maybe that's what you should look into first and does that seem to be the the gist of the arguments there is that we energy parent company how do I put this like they're they're taking an easier way out instead of you know embracing something that might be more expensive might take longer to build but obviously is going to be healthier in the long run.

Yeah, well, you know, I think that there's been, you know, a lot of, you know, there's been a lot of conversation about, you know, the need for more capacity, you know, the need to have a more reliable grid, the need to, you know, greatly expand, you know, there's even been people saying, you know, we're, you know, we're getting close to an energy crisis, right?

And what

I think other experts are saying, and I would also say, even renewable advocates saying, wind and solar can't do it alone, right?

We have, as we're having these big data centers come online, right?

Those are using up a whole lot of energy.

But even some of these same

Experts are saying, okay, let's maybe slow down on that conversation a little bit because we're not quite there on this energy crisis.

People seem to think that we are in and we don't need to rush to do it so fast that we do it poorly.

We have enough time to do this right and not rush into these solutions that would just be, you know,

you know, creating a new set of problems.

So we do have, we have time to do this in the right way that can really set up a, you know, a long-term vision, you know, vision that includes renewables.

We can phase out coal and we don't have to have an interim fossil fuel solution.

So,

Yeah, I think that we don't have to we don't have to rush into this other This other fossil fuel as a way to phase out coal

Pat Kreitlow

It was about a year ago the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel notes that we energies announced conversion plans and so you know to to to be clear here We energies is moving in that direction.

The company has planned to invest at least nine billion dollars

in solar, wind and battery storage projects as well.

And I'll be clear, I don't I don't envy anybody that is trying to time out the right time to do these transitions from coal to something more like solar or wind.

It's not easy.

But it's very clear that there are people in that area that think that maybe this particular gas plant is is being rushed along.

unnecessarily so.

And so that's the thing that we wanted to bring up.

Is this something that we think is going to be lingering as an issue for some time to come here?

I ask that as somebody who's not very familiar with what stage this whole proposal is in at this point.

It is, yes.

So this is definitely something that is, there's time for some action now.

for folks in Wisconsin.

So this is something that is going to be considered by the Wisconsin Public Service Commission.

And it is something where we as the public have the opportunity to make our voices heard on this issue.

And there will be opportunities for, there will be a public hearing in Oak Creek on Tuesday.

March 25th.

So folks would be able to go and attend that in person, or they're also able to attend that virtually.

The PSC does offer a virtual option for people to attend their public hearings.

And people can also submit a comment to the PSC and let them know how they feel about this.

proposal, they can submit that to the PSC as well, submit a written comment up through March 27th about the gas plant.

And

Pat Kreitlow

is there another way for folks to learn more about the project?

Yes, another way folks can learn a whole lot about what's going on, a little bit more about the background of the proposal, how they can take action.

is the website powerwisconsinforward.com.

The coalition has come together, Power Wisconsin Forward, a number of organizations and partners that have come together to share more of this information, help folks understand about the impact on public health, on how this is going to affect their bottom line even too.

and share how they feel.

So this is something where it is an opportunity for folks to be able to make their voice heard and, you know, get a chance to really let our decision makers on this important issue know what they think about it.

Pat Kreitlow

Melissa Baldoff is always good to see you.

Thank you so much.

Have a great day.

Thanks.

You too.

Pat Kreitlow

We will have today's history lesson right after this.

You're up there.

Kathryn Lake

You're listening to Civic Media.

Find the latest news, information and archives of all your favorite shows on the Civic Media website, civicmedia.us.

Pat Kreitlow

1976 on this day, Greg Bach recorded this album.

I really do just want to do an air band or a lip sync band with Greg.

We're just going to do the entire doobies taking it to the streets.

Greg Bach

Oh,

Pat Kreitlow

yeah.

Their first album with Michael McDonald released this day in 1976.

He was brought into the group just to be a keyboard player and then sang this song and the rest of the group was like, nope, you're our new lead singer.

Congratulations.

Greg Bach

Steely Dan can't have you anymore.

Pat Kreitlow

That's right.

Kind of the way the Wisconsin Rapids Community Theater treated Melissa Kay when she first showed up on the scene and she still takes time to talk to us on Wednesday mornings as well.

Melissa, good morning.

Melissa Kaye

How are you?

Good morning, Pat.

You are so sweet.

We're not

Greg Bach

worthy.

We're not

Melissa Kaye

worthy.

Stop it.

Stop it.

Pat Kreitlow

You can hear Melissa at 97.5 WFHR and 105.5 WIRI and her production at the Wisconsin Rapids Community Theater noises off.

Melissa Kaye

What's the

Pat Kreitlow

latest on that?

Madam Director.

Melissa Kaye

Our set is built.

Our set is built.

Greg Bach

Damn.

Noises outside is a set too.

That is

Melissa Kaye

a... It is.

It's a character in the show.

Greg Bach

Yeah.

Melissa Kaye

Yeah.

A cool fashion

Greg Bach

farce.

Melissa Kaye

It's gonna have its own bio.

The whole thing turns and it's in three pieces.

Two pieces come off, the middle piece turns, and the other pieces swap sides.

Pat Kreitlow

There

Melissa Kaye

you

Pat Kreitlow

go.

Ow.

That's

Melissa Kaye

crazy astonishing.

Yep.

We are already blocking.

We're already way further than I thought we'd be.

My cast is amazing.

Oh my gosh.

I can't wait.

I hope you guys come see the show in May.

Tickets

Pat Kreitlow

are already on sale.

Yep.

Where's the

Greg Bach

where's the show?

Melissa Kaye

Wisconsin Rapids.

Pat Kreitlow

Okay.

How far is that for you?

And to learn more about Wisconsin Rapids Community Theater, go to WRCtheatre.org.

And I say theater because you spell it T-H-E-A-T-R-E, not E-R.

That means when you buy the tickets, put your pinkie out.

Put your

Greg Bach

pinkie

Pat Kreitlow

out as

Greg Bach

you're typing the UIL.

Pat Kreitlow

And the show will be May 1st, 2nd, 3rd, May 8th, 9th, and 10th.

Melissa Kaye

So head over to the website.

Okay.

Yeah.

Pat Kreitlow

So learn more there.

All right, let's jump back into the history lesson for today.

This is the anniversary of, oh no, this is the birthday of Ruth Pointer.

She is 79 today, the oldest pointer sister.

Greg Bach

Okay,

Pat Kreitlow

apparently we picked the long intro today.

Ruth is the only surviving pointer sister.

The other pointer sisters were June, Bonnie, and Anita.

Happy birthday to Glenn Close.

She is 78 years old today.

And a melancholy happy birthday to Bruce Willis.

He turns 70 years old today, suffering from a particular form of

dementia, I believe it is.

But boy, when he was when he was in his prime, coming off of moonlighting, I mean, when you were a star in the 80s, you know, I'm looking at you, Don Johnson and Bruce Willis and the others, Eddie Murphy, you could make records.

Here was Bruce Willis hitting the charts with June pointer back in the day.

Greg Bach

And for those who don't know, the name of the album was called The Return of Bruno.

Yes.

Pat Kreitlow

And no

Greg Bach

one knew what that meant.

Pat Kreitlow

Well, that's because we don't talk about Bruno.

Fair.

Happy birthday to C-Span.

The House of Representatives began broadcasting its day-to-day business on this day in 1979.

On this day in 1974, Jefferson Airplane reformed with most of their members, kicked off their new tour at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, and changed their name to Jefferson Starship.

Again there we go Crippin the long intro again somewhere in there that was at

Greg Bach

25 this song is seven minutes long

Melissa Kaye

Yeah,

Pat Kreitlow

we what we need is a needle skip sound effect jump to the next part of the song or just a turntable Anyway, the group they changed from Jefferson airplane to Jefferson Starship this day in 1974 then in 1984 they simply became Starship

I'm sure if you ask him right now, their name is just Star.

On this day in 1831, the first documented bank heist in US history, when burglars using copied keys got into Citibank, yes that Citibank, on Wall Street and removed $245,000, which would be the equivalent of stealing $9 million today.

Most of the money was recovered

but not around 400 doubloons.

You just don't see doubloons around today like you used to.

Doubloons.

Doubloons.

Dubloons.

Two men were arrested and they were sentenced to Sing Sing Prison, which coincidentally, Sing Sing arrives in Max on Friday and inspired by real life film about inmates who find a creative outlet through acting and performance at earned three Oscar nominations.

That was

Greg Bach

an amazing tie.

That was like you were almost being paid by Max to do it.

Pat Kreitlow

I worked so hard on that callback.

Let me tell you.

This is certified nurses day.

We love nurses.

Yes.

Oh, yes.

This is a chocolate caramel day for those of you who like to combine two of the best things.

This is a poultry day.

This is also bring your 11 herbs and spices.

This is automatic doors day.

Love automatic doors.

Small business development center day.

So, so much to

Melissa Kaye

do.

All right.

Pat Kreitlow

So the set is built.

What's your next big challenge, Melissa?

Melissa Kaye

Um, act two, because act two for blocking is going to be absolutely great.

Crazy bananas.

Pat Kreitlow

Crazy bananas.

Melissa Kaye

Cause act two is when the set turns around and so the action that, you know, normally the audience would see is happening behind the set and the audience gets to see all of the action that happens backstage during a production.

So it's all silent.

There's so much drama going on.

Greg Bach

Oh, wow.

Melissa Kaye

That's so cool.

Greg Bach

Working so

Melissa Kaye

hard.

How far is it?

There's a drunk guy.

There's a chase with an axe.

There's a love triangle that's going on.

There's just so much.

I'm so

Pat Kreitlow

excited.

Well, we're just going to keep hearing about this until showtime in May.

Melissa K from 97.5 WFHR.

Thank you, ma'am.

Talk

Melissa Kaye

to you

Pat Kreitlow

later.

Thank you guys.

Much more ahead in the second hour of Up North News Radio, live from Chippewa Falls on the Civic Media Radio Network.

Kathryn Lake

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