As winter gives way to spring (seriously, 40 degree weather? At least a few of you are guilty of breaking out the shorts this week), we’d like to revisit some of the ideas we’ve heard most over this past winter, while acknowledging that it’s never too early to start planning out next year’s winter activities and how we make them happen.
This week, the WisconsinEye Public Affairs Network, also known as WisEye, a non-profit State Capitol broadcast organization, announced they intend to implement a paywall on their content. We regard this move as disastrous for open and accountable government at the state level in Wisconsin.
🎶 Do you hear the people sing?
Singing a song of angry men? 🎶
Just kidding… but not really.
Having at least one History minor on our editorial board requires us to differentiate between the anti-monarchist insurrection of Parisian republicans (little ‘r’) in 1832 (as beautifully adapted in song by Les Misérables) and what happened last Wednesday at the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C.
And indeed, what happened?
For most people, the start of this week was the first day back to a regular work schedule following the winter holidays, and despite the holidays looking a little different this year, going back to work is never easy.
Last week the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) announced a new smartphone COVID-19 exposure app which is intended to notify state residents when they have been in close contact with a positive case of the virus.
Doesn’t have quite the same ring we’ll admit, however the sentiment is still important. When we introduced the River Valley Think Tank and River Valley Resolutions initiatives we certainly viewed them as holistic and able to be approached from several angles and possibly while wearing several hats. We still believe that, however it’s important to note several things.
As we head into 2021, let’s take a moment to consider what the goals and resolutions of our area should be. Our area has so much to offer. However, we talk with readers every day about issues and opportunities that face our area: from flooding and groundwater issues, to a rural brain drain, to attracting and retaining young people, creating jobs in our community, ensuring we have workforce housing, creating recreation and leisure opportunities, to properly and adequately fostering the arts and much, much more — all currently in the face of COVID-19.
Later this week Valley Sentinel will be sending out short questionnaires to the villages and their elected officials in the River Valley area. These questions will seek to inspire forward-thinking actions that can be taken to help our area not only thrive, but survive. We would encourage the surrounding municipalities, townships and even residents to engage as well.
It can sometimes be easy to feel a certain line of division between citizens and the public officials that serve them, as it seems there is a strong separation between a person who decides policy and budgets, and a person who doesn’t.
Two weeks ago, we asked you to ask your elected officials and your own selves to put aside political differences and work together on a shared set of values. Last week, we asked you to think of ways to get involved and work together to keep the feedback loop of ideas and initiatives that serve to build community going. This week, we ask that you do your part to keep and boost the cycle of our local economy going by shopping local.