6A • WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2016 GMTODAY.COM The FREEMAN EDITORIAL BOARD Waukesha County’s Daily Newspaper Bill Yorth, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Katherine Michalets, Managing Editor Established in 1859 to fight slavery OPINION GUEST OPINION Feeling like MARK BELLING Now is time to discuss a Grinch? Goodbye, Charlie transportation solutions Remember Sykes’ radio career made Region’s economy requires Seuss’ message By Mark A. Noon Wisconsin better working roads The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS) It’s my fault. Christmas can wear you out, and the stress and You can blame the whole Charlie Sykes saga By Suzanne Kelley way for residents and frayed nerves make you wonder why you go on me. I had just started my talk show on WISN- visitors to attend cultur- through the pretense of it all. Don’t despair, AM and decided to end the week with one of A thriving economy requires work- al events, festivals, sport- though. That yuletide soul-searching can inspire those roundtable discussions that are now ubiq- ing roads. From small coffee shops to ing activities and other — to quote one of the most-loved holiday stories uitous. I didn’t know Charlie but was aware he large manufacturers, businesses of all forms of entertainment. — a “wonderful, awful idea.” had just left Milwaukee Magazine somewhat shapes and sizes are only successful Whether you’re taking in One morning on the day after Christmas, acrimoniously and was a smart and opinionat- when employees can make it work on a Milwaukee Brewers Theodor (aka: Dr. Seuss) Geisel, the author of ed guy. One thing led to another. He started fill- time, or when products and services game, hiking at Lapham “The Cat in the Hat,” “Green Eggs and Ham” and ing in for me as host of my show and was even- arrive in a timely manner. Kelley Peak in Delafield, shop- a host of other children’s classics, felt disheart- ened, convinced he had lost the meaning of the tually given his own 90-minute show. WTMJ The Waukesha County Business ping at Mayfair Mall in holiday. snapped him up and the next thing you know he Alliance is a private, member-drive Wauwatosa or exploring at Wiscon- was a full-fledged talk host morphing from a Geisel realized that his gloomy mood mirrored organization that represents 1,200 sin’s first Total Wine store located in the attitude of a disagreeable creature he created snobby liberal to an “intellectual conservative.” member businesses throughout south- Brookfield, you’re probably travelling a few years earlier — the Grinch. Thus, an idea With Sykes now “retiring” from his radio gig eastern Wisconsin. And while our cen- on I-94 to get there, often through the for another book was born, one that could help it’s time for me to end my 20-plus year policy of ter of gravity is certainly Waukesha East-West section of the freeway. him rediscover the truth about Christmas. pretty much not commenting on County, about 15 percent of our mem- Because our Southeast Wisconsin His work on “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” him. While we worked at compet- bers are located in Milwaukee County. freeway system is so critical to our would not be complete until he joined forces with ing stations, Sykes and I came to I think this points to the inter-relation- region, the Alliance has made trans- animator Chuck Jones, famous for his Looney be viewed by the mainstream ship and interdependence of our two portation one of our top issues. For the Tunes shorts, and the celebrated horror actor media and the political establish- counties. There is an incredible past few years, our Infrastructure Boris Karloff. When “The Grinch” made its tele- ment as ideological birds of a amount of commerce that flows Committee has researched the funding vision debut on Dec. 18, 1966, it became so popular feather who were sort of flocking throughout the region along I-94. challenge and the current state of pro- that a new word was added to the holiday lexicon. together. He was the “smart” one Regardless of where our members jects. We’ve brought in leaders from Even after a half-century, “The Grinch” has few and the “nicer” one. I was the Sykes are located, they recognize the impor- the Department of Transportation as detractors, even when considered in a cultural wild one. Together, we have been context. Take, for example, the annual “war on tance of a modern, efficient and safe well as legislators to better understand credited, or blamed, for the remarkable explo- Christmas” debates, epitomized by arguments the challenges and facilitate discus- sion of conservative power in southeastern transportation infrastructure for our over wishing someone a “Merry Christmas” vs. Wisconsin and the ideological transformation region. sions on what can be done to maintain “Happy Holidays.” In the perceived divide over of the state. There is truth to some of this and In August of last year, the Alliance, and improve our transportation religious and secular holiday celebrations, “The Charlie relished the notion that talk radio was Waukesha County and the Waukesha- infrastructure, including this very Grinch” has a unique ability to satisfy both the driving source of con- Ozaukee-Washington Workforce Devel- important East-West leg of the free- camps. servative power. This anal- opment Board sent a survey to 1,673 way. “The Grinch” is often described as secular. The Charlie departs ysis ignored the very real area businesses. A total of 335 busi- The business community under- program never mentions the birth of Jesus. In the Milwaukee impact of others like Jay nesses, or 20 percent, responded to the stands the importance of a well-main- fact, a direct reference to Scripture would have radio scene as a Weber and Vicki McKenna survey. That survey showed businesses tained infrastructure, and as the voice been out of place among the peculiar, insect-like but the short version is place a high value on infrastructure. A of these businesses, the Alliance con- residents of Whoville and their Tah Tinkers, Floo legitimate star. more or less accurate. whopping 88 percent rated both local tinues to reach out to local and state Floobers, Bizzel Binks and Dafflers. Geisel even His recent I am forever asked about streets and highways as either impor- officials to ensure it is responsibly commented that he had a hard time finding the course reversal our relationship but the tant or very important to their suc- funded. Just recently I testified on right note to end his Christmas tale because he reality is that we don’t have cess. behalf of our members at a trans- did not want to make it a “religious tract.” Con- has him going one. There are no secret Our employees need to get to and portation hearing in Madison, and cluding that “The Grinch” is theologically silent, however, is a mistake. out with the meetings or strategy ses- from work. If you look at I-94 during described how putting necessary Anyone willing to risk falling into the trap of sions. He very publicly had infrastructure projects on hold will approval of the rush hour, you’ll see an equal amount overanalyzing Dr. Seuss’ books might begin by my back when a bunch of of traffic flow heading in both direc- only hurt the economic momentum noting that they have often been used to teach elitists whose liberals tried to get me ratification he tions. Many residents in Waukesha that we have been seeing since the Christian doctrine, even though Geisel did not fired over my use of an County work in Milwaukee and vice great recession. consider himself a highly religious person. Still, has long craved. inappropriate term a versa. And there are many job open- We are advocating for a funding he was steeped in Christianity while growing up But his program’s decade ago. He asked me to ings in Waukesha County, particularly strategy to be developed by Wisconsin in Springfield, Mass. author a major analysis of legacy will be its in manufacturing, construction, instead of simply delaying projects for Geisel not only attended his mother’s Episco- talk radio in a journal he health care, IT and retail. We need to the next few years. Much of our infras- pal church but his father’s Lutheran congrega- contribution to edited. We’ve never had a be able to tap into the workforce in tructure is beyond the 50- to 60-year tion. His earliest experiences of Christmas came repudiating much significant public tiff and Milwaukee, and an inefficient freeway life expectancy, and the longer we put when he joined the other members of the town’s have expressed mutual system only makes that harder. these projects off, the more of an German-American community to sing “Stille of what that respect for one another. At The goods manufactured here need impact it will have on the local and Nacht” and “O Tannenbaum.” Later, at Dart- establishment the risk of breaking the to get to market, and the raw materials state economy. Now is the time to come mouth and Oxford, he participated in chapel ser- truce what follows is my believes in. necessary to produce them need to be to the table and discuss solutions. vices. honest analysis of him, his He was drawn to church in part by hymns and transported to our member factories show and his impact. their use of rhyme and repetition. One particular (Suzanne Kelley is the president & Charlie has always wanted to be an insider in Waukesha County and throughout hymn seems significant. He memorized “Holy, CEO of the Waukesha County Business and has relished his close access with people the region. Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty,” including the Alliance.) like Scott Walker, Paul Ryan and other Republi- Of course, I-94 is also the main gate- final lines, “God in Three Persons, blessed Trini- can powerhouses. He often seemed like a cheer- ty.” Perhaps Geisel recalled the song’s numerical leader rather than a commentator. He criti- reference when he depicted the Grinch’s conver- cized me when I ripped one of these Republi- sion in the book: cans as if I had some obligation to join him in “And he puzzled three hours, till his puzzler shaking the pom-poms. It often seemed like he was sore. thought of himself as a spokesman for a cause “Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before rather than an independent analyst. Self-serv- “‘Maybe Christmas,’” he thought, ‘“doesn’t ing as this sounds, I feel my influence has come from a store.”’ always been greater than his because our audi- The importance of three hours in the New Tes- ences never considered me to be in the tank for tament goes without saying. Two pages later, the any Republican. Grinch’s heart grows “three sizes” as Christmas’ He has always seemed like a contradiction to true meaning dawned on him, a point magnified me. I’ve seen him stand his ground in a couple — literally in the animated cartoon. of ugly scraps but also seen his need for accep- Geisel was reportedly a perfectionist who tance by the “people who matter.” All of this selected words with extreme care. If he sought to brings us to the recent end of his radio career give his readers and viewers a concise, subtle which has been unfortunately ugly. In fact, all reminder of the spiritual nature of Christmas — of Charlie’s endings seem to be unhappy. that God became flesh and dwelt among men — Charlie ought to be going out in a wave of he called up the right number. In the Bible, three glory. Republicans have taken total control of a represents the presence of God. state that was dominated by liberals when he Christian imagery is used to the same effect in and I got started. Donald Trump is naming the the cartoon. As the Whos sing “Welcome Christ- most conservative cabinet of all time and mil- mas” in the cartoon’s climactic scene, they form lions of disenfranchised Americans are being a circle around a rising star — a clear reminder of empowered in the name of conservatism. Char- the Star of Bethlehem in the Nativity narrative. Ultimately, Christmas morning in Whoville lie ought to be celebrating this. Instead, his provides a lesson for everyone, whether the holi- loathing of Donald Trump has resulted in him day is approached from a religious perspective, a feuding with his own audience and fueling secular one, or, most likely, a combination of speculation his retirement was not entirely his both. All the Whos have faith and know in their choice. hearts that they have something that can never be Rationalization being the second strongest ETTERS TO THE DITOR stolen. And Geisel seems to emphasize their human drive, I’m sure Charlie believes Trump L E diversity — young, old, tall and small. No one is is a goon who will disgrace conservatism. But kept away from the celebration. Even the green it’s undeniable that his recent stand has earned guy whose burglary spree left the Whos’ houses him star status with conservative intellectuals Keep the charm Christmas music. The musicians were with nothing but hooks and wire is welcomed. embarrassed by Trump and the mainstream top notch, as was a vocalist who sang As the Grinch ends his descent down Mount media who is mortified by Trump. Charlie is in downtown Waukesha “White Christmas” and later led a sing- Crumpit, the Whos open their circle uncondition- now a go-to guy for MSNBC, the New York To the editor: along of holiday songs. ally. There is no protest over what he had done. No Times, the conservative magazines and the rest I seem to recall the promotional slo- Besides the fine entertainment, Maj. retribution. No questions asked. This holiday sea- of the “respectable” crowd. I suspect that Char- gan, “Get lost in the charm of down- Nelson De La Vergne described the son could be happier if more people imitated this lie craves their belated approval more than he town Waukesha.” In what way will the amazing charitable work done by the capacity for forgiveness. regrets the animosity he’s getting from his own proposed condo/apartment complexes, Waukesha Salvation Army. I assumed This sense of harmony could be what Geisel audience. one on Main Street and the other across going in that I knew the depth of their was missing on the morning he first imagined Charlie has been saying that much of his from the Fire Station, add to the his- commitment to the needs of others, but “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” He certainly longed for it. One of his earliest commentaries on audience, and people like me who have toric charm of our formerly grand I was wrong. Their efforts and yearlong resort spa town? What happened to the work are incredible. I encourage every- Christmas was an illustrated poem published in embraced Trump despite his public buffoonery, Collier’s Magazine on Dec. 23, 1955. “A Prayer for concept of an inviting river walk lined one to avail themselves of this beauti- are guilty of succumbing to what he calls “bina- a Child” describes a child’s Christmas wish to with cafes and shops where people will ful concert, but also take note of the ry choice.” He can pontificate about all the God: endeavors of the Salvation Army. One algorithms he wants but the fact is that those of want to stroll and linger? Folks “Please tell all men us who support Trump have saved the country throughout the U.S. and Europe are show remains, 7:30 p.m. Thursday at That Peace is good. while dilettante conservatives held their noses drawn to historic town centers that the Waukesha Salvation Army head- That’s all up in the air. That sounds like criticism but it’s retain their charm and authentic per- quarters chapel. That need be understood.” not meant to be. It’s my honest take. sonality. What is deemed contemporary, Hats off to the Waukesha Salvation As a year highlighted by division starts to close Charlie departs the Milwaukee radio scene as cutting edge today may actually be Army and everyone involved with this and we deal with the stresses of the Christmas a legitimate star. His recent course reversal has visually jarring, cold and unwelcoming event. rush, look for those moments of peace. It’s what him going out with the approval of the elitists in context. Let’s keep the charm! Jeff Schlueter the Grinch found as he carved the roast beast. whose ratification he has long craved. But his Lynn Casper Dousman And, no, Dr. Seuss would not mind — not in the program’s legacy will be its contribution to Town of Waukesha least. repudiating much of what that establishment believes in. (Mark A. Noon is an assistant professor of I suspect Charlie’s third act with the coming A terrific concert English at Bloomsburg University in Bloomsburg, book tour and new status as Trump-bashing LETTERS POLICY: Letters should be type- Pa. Readers may send him email at mnoon- bloomu.edu) “conservative” will mean that he’ll be a royal for a worthy cause written, signed and include phone number pain in the butt to many of us who have been To the editor: and address so that we may verify authentici- allies with him these last couple of decades. Last Thursday evening, my wife and I ty. Neither phone number nor address will be But the second act — the radio career — was attended a concert at the Broadlands printed when letters appear. We reserve the TODAY’S INSPIRATION awfully good and helped make Wisconsin a Golf Course that was a fundraiser for right to edit letters for length and clarity. the Waukesha chapter of the Salvation Please keep letters to no more than 300 “There is only one corner of the much better place. words. Generally, letter writers are limited to Army. one letter every 30 days. universe you can be certain of improving, (Mark Belling is the host of a daily WISN The Sterling Brass Quintet, who had Send letters to: Editor, The Freeman, P.O. Box radio talk show. His column runs Wednesdays in played for the president of the United 7, Waukesha, WI 53187. and that’s your own self.” States, provided truly wonderful The Freeman.) Or email: [email protected]. — Aldous Huxley