There’s a brief but interesting discussion on the Tosa Town Square about watching fireworks on TV. This is something that fascinates me, for no good reason except that I have a strong opinion on the topic.

 

Here’s the thing: I love fireworks. I love TV. (Sad, but true.) So, you would think that combining two of my favorite things would make a new thing that I would like even better. Not so much.

 

I believe that fireworks should never be shown on TV. Never. They just don’t work. To me, fireworks on TV seem like a great idea. You don’t have to battle crowds, look for a spot to sit, or soak yourself in bug spray.* You can sit in your comfy, perhaps air-conditioned, house and enjoy the show.

 

The thing is, there’s nothing less-fulfilling than watching fireworks on TV. Except perhaps watching taped Olympics coverage when you know the results. (Don’t worry. I’ll get on that soapbox later in the summer.) I have no interest in what Mike and Carol think about the fireworks. Zero. In fact, they annoy me to no end.

 

To truly enjoy a fireworks show, you have to earn it. You have to search for parking. You have to lug and carry stuff until you’re sweating. You have to try to get comfortable. And then, hardest of all, you have to wait. And if you have young children, you have to listen to the endless questions and whiny cries: “What time is it?” “When will they start?” “I’m bored!” “I have to go to the bathroom.”

 

But when the fireworks start…when you feel that first gigantic percussion resonate in your chest…it’s so worthwhile.

 

And I agree with the citizens on the Town Square. Skip the music, unless by music you mean the chorus of “oohs” and “ahhs” that you can’t avoid joining in on.

 

While I have your ear, let’s talk a little fireworks etiquette:

 

(1) Leave Fido at home. I’ve seen far too many cowering, trembling pooches at the Tosa fireworks every year. The dogs do not look happy and their owners are clearly not enjoying themselves.

(2) Leave the sparklers at home. Sparklers in your backyard – good idea. Sparklers in a giant crowd of people – very bad idea.

(3) Unless you’re joining in the Oohs and Ahhs Chorus, please don’t talk over my fireworks. It’s only about 30 minutes. Feel free to chat before or after. Definitely not during.

(4) Wait to leave or be nice. The crowds are going to be HUGE. You may as well take your time leaving or accept that it will take you a while. Honking or getting irritated adds nothing to the equation.

 

Here’s wishing everyone a Happy and SAFE 4^th of July! See you at the fireworks!

 

*In my last post, I talked about the shortage of bug spray at local stores. A visit yesterday to the Walgreens at Hwy 100 and North Ave. proved me totally wrong. They had lots of bug spray. Just in time for the fireworks!

Teens these days. They’re so, so, so…willing to sacrifice their time and comfort and….gasp...even their cell phones to do something for other people.

 

Wait…what?! Right now you’re wondering if I’m serious, right? Believe it or not, I am.

 

Saturday morning, at the crack of dawn, more than 50 teens and 15 adult leaders from three Wauwatosa churches gathered in the drizzle at St. Pius XI parish. They loaded gear into a fleet of full-size vans and prepared to drive to Kentucky where they will build and repair homes for some of the poorest people living in the Appalachian Mountains. (Later this summer, other groups will venture to South Dakota and Milwaukee’s inner city to do similar work.)

 

I have heard about The Appalachian Service Project (ASP) for many years. It seems that every teen or adult that has ever gone on this trip has had nothing but great things to say about the experience. This year, my daughter joined the group, as did WauwatosaNOW’s own blogger, Maddie McLennon.

 

I find it pretty impressive that so many teens would give up an entire week of their hard-earned summer to work really hard for someone they don’t know and then sleep on an air mattress in an un-air-conditioned facility. Talk about going outside your comfort zone!

 

Thinking back on my own teen summers, I’m embarrassed to admit that they were largely self-serving, unless my mom finally guilted me into doing something worthwhile. Suffice it to say that I never did anything remotely resembling service to others. I’m pretty proud that my daughter didn’t follow in my footsteps.

 

As a parent, it seems very strange to be out of touch with my daughter for an entire week. (Cell phones are not allowed on the trip, nor would they likely get reception in such a remote area.) Today, we usually have instant access to our kids wherever they go. The idea that I can’t check in on my daughter is a little unnerving…but also somewhat liberating.

 

Maybe this experience changes parents as well as teens. Maybe it was time for us to let go a little and see just exactly what our children are capable of doing on their own.

 

I can’t wait to hear my daughter’s stories and hope that Maddie will also share some with all of us in her next blogpost. If you think of it, say a prayer for safe travels and a meaningful experience for all involved.

Once in a while, I encounter a few things that remind me why I love Tosa. Sometimes it’s something small, sometimes funny, sometimes a little sad. Here are a few:

 

Can there be a more fun bakery experience than Cranky Al’s? If I have overnight guests or need to entertain with breakfast or brunch food, Cranky’s is a sure bet. I stopped in over the weekend and there was Al, greeting every guest. “Whaddya want?!” he playfully teased. I walked out with a giant box of donuts and a big smile – a bargain, if you ask me.

 

My average morning starts out with coffee. Lots of coffee. It also starts out with a trip outside so that Millie the wonder dog can “do her business.” Today, as I stood outside in the warm air under a dark sky littered with stars, I heard an unusual noise. It’s very quiet in the pre-dawn hours so I quickly looked around to find the source. There, galloping across my yard, were two deer. It was really cool. Oh and Millie never noticed.

 

Are there enough ways to express the community sadness over the future loss of Drew’s Variety Store? I loved the store, but I also love how the community is embracing this icon of days gone by and lamenting its loss. I guess it’s too late to save the store, but perhaps it’s not too late to save the feeling and know that we need more of it here in Tosa.

 

Sure, it’s a little more expensive than it used to be and yes, some of the sandwiches are decidedly swanky, but John Sandwich Shop is to Tosa restaurants what Drew’s is/was to Tosa retail. A gem - an adorable and quirky little place where you can watch the world go by and greet neighbors and friends. We’d be wise to keep it busy.

 

My kids have friends from many other communities throughout Milwaukee – Bay View, Brookfield, Waukesha, Menomonee Falls, just to name a few. Without a doubt, the village of Tosa is hands-down the favorite hang-out for teens. (And don’t let that scare you folks – I promise these are nice kids.) Sure, they could go to Mayfair, but when given a choice, these kids would much rather walk down to the village and grab a bite at Noodles or Pizzeria Piccola or walk through Hart Park discussing life. I feel really fortunate for this.

 

Treasures abound in Tosa. Little places or small experiences. What makes you love Tosa?

 

Dear Drew’s:

Say it ain’t so! I heard the news today – oh boy. I can’t tell you how sad I am to hear that you’ll be closing your doors in January. And it’s not just me. When I drove carpool this morning, my daughter and her friend mourned the future loss of one of their favorite local retailers. Yes, that’s right – even teens adore you. We parents can’t get that kind of love.

 

Was it because I haven’t been in recently? I meant to, but we haven’t needed poster board or yarn or buttons or strange kitchen gadgets in the last couple of months. But if I did, I would have been there in a flash, happily wandering your aisles.

 

The thing is, what I loved about you is that you were always there – when I needed you and sometimes when I didn’t. Your kitchiness and eclectic mix of homespun and hard-to-find were exactly what we needed in a town where big box retailers are slowly taking over.

 

It must not have been fun for you these past few months with village streets and various construction projects taking their toll on your bottom line. We appreciate your steadfastness through it all.

 

I’m guessing that you didn’t come to this decision easily, but if there’s still room to reconsider, please do. As someone said so aptly in the Tosa Town Square, you are part of the fabric of Wauwatosa. With you gone, there’s a big hole in our village and in our hearts.

 

If it’s a done deal, then I guess all there is left to say is thank you. Thanks for being there for parents, kids and all Tosans. We will never forget you.

 

Your customer,

 

Karen

 

Well, they did it. Mayfair Mall management got tough. Today they released their PGR (Parental Guidance Required) Policy, and I have to say, it’s gonna bum out a bunch of teens, including the 15-year old that lives in my house. Gone are the days when we can get our teens out of our hair by dumping them off at the mall.

Basically, the policy states that after 2 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, anyone under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult who is at least 21 years old. And each adult can only escort up to four under-18ers. However, mothers who are not yet 21 will be allowed in the mall with young children. (That part still confuses me, but I’m going to assume the mall knows what it’s doing.)

As I mentioned, this will certainly affect my family – specifically my daughter. She and her friends did enjoy hanging out at the mall, especially on Fridays off of school or weekends. She’ll no longer have the luxury of cruising through Forever 21 or American Eagle without me hanging next to her. It’s that last part that is the most torturous in her mind. What could be worse than not be able to go to the mall with your friends? Having to go to the mall with your mother – ugh!

We’ll no longer have the option of dropping my daughter and her friends at the mall on a Friday or Saturday afternoon for something to do. Still, that’s just an issue of convenience, not hardship.

But that’s too bad. It’s the way it is. The few, who were starting to cause lots of trouble, have ruined it for the many. From the looks of the early comments in the Tosa Town Square or on the Journal/Sentinel website (other than the few close-minded and racist comments), people seem supportive. I encourage everyone to take a wait-and-see attitude and give it time to work.

This afternoon, I took my life in my hands and went to a movie…at Mayfair Mall…alone. I am writing to tell you that all went well and I am safe and snug back in my own home. Not once during this outing did I feel frightened, threatened or nervous about being at Mayfair by myself. Perhaps ignorance is bliss, but really, I was just fine.

I can’t help but note the irony in the fact that the movie that I saw today was The Queen, starring Helen Mirren. In the film, Queen Elizabeth seems bewildered by the swirl of attention in the days after the tragic death of Princess Diana. Maybe it’s just me, but I could see a parallel between the people in Britain pointing their anger over Diana’s untimely death at the queen and Wauwatosa residents wanting to blame Mayor Estness for the recent problems at Mayfair Mall. In both cases, citizens want to hear from their leader, even if it is just a statement acknowledging their concern.

For her part, Mayor Estness has said that the proposed policy change over at Mayfair was “another tool” for addressing behavioral problems and that she’ll have to see what the policy looks like when it is unveiled. I guess we’ll all have to adapt that wait and see attitude.

In the meantime, I would think that the most effective course of action would be to address our comments, concerns, anger, frustration and fear toward Mayfair Mall Management rather than the mayor. Some have chosen to use the Tosa Town Square here on www.wauwatosaNOW.com as the place to talk about this. There are some spirited discussions happening in the “Sound Off” forum.

But is Mayfair really listening? I, for one have e-mailed the mall twice through their website and have not heard back from them. They claim that the new policies have nothing to do with the recent events at the mall. If that’s true, and the new policy is a result of other incidents, then the question is: What took so long?

I suggest that if you’re concerned about Mayfair that you send a message, literally, to Stephen Smith, the mall’s general manager. His e-mail address is: stephen.smith@ggp.com. Maybe that will get his attention.
Oh, and by the way, the movie was great.

So, have you put that new bumper sticker on your car? The one that says: “I’m Time Magazine’s Person of the Year.” No? Well, neither have I. Although I am proud of this honor, it seems to lose its impact when I know that we’re ALL Time Magazine’s Person of the Year. But I did read through the issue, or perhaps browsed through it would be more correct. The one thing I did learn was that YouTube had a huge effect on our world this year. Of course, it had a huge effect on the bank accounts of the three unassuming fellows that founded this website that features videos by regular people like you and me. Or should I say, other People of the Year.

And so this got me thinking: I wonder what YouTube offers the people of Wauwatosa? Well, you might be surprised to know that there are 19 videos produced for and by Tosa residents. Some are videotaped performances from Tosa East and West. One enterprising individual made a 6-minute video of a home for sale. (No word on whether it was successful.) There are two videos that give you a behind the scenes look at, well, the life of a teenager. Compelling? Not really, but probably fun for them to watch. Then there’s the video titled: “We got fired from DQ” in which two recently terminated Tosa DQ employees drive past the restaurant and rant about their lack of money and their former employer. (Parental advisory on this one. These kids are upset and don’t hold back on their language.)

One of the truly interesting things you’ll find in a search of Tosa YouTube videos is a 3-part video which shows the Menomonee River Flood of 1997. I think most of us remember this unbelievable event and yet I have always had a hard time adequately describing it to others. This video does a good job showing several areas of Tosa under flood waters. It’s definitely worth a look, unlike a lot of other things on YouTube.