Generally Speaking – Columns

Guest Columnist

Have you been invaded by hummingbirds lately? Well, I have, so went to the Internet to look up the correct way to make my own hummingbird nectar. Here’s the recipe I use now, and the hummingbirds sure seem to like it. One part sugar to 4 parts water. Boil the water first, then measure and add sugar, at the rate of 1/4 cup of sugar to 1 cup of water. Let cool and store excess in refrigerator until ready to use. Do not add food coloring, honey (which ferments), or artificial sweetener, which has no nutritional value. You will need to clean your feeder about once a week. According to the National Audubon Society, this should be done by rinsing with one part white vinegar to four parts water. If the feeder is dirty, try adding a few grains of dry rice to the vinegar.

Mae Isabelle Maruski, 92, of Cromwell, died Sunday, July 11, 2010, in Villa Vista Care Center in Cromwell. Her memorial service was held at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Wright. Inurnment will be in Lakeview Cemetery in Wright.

Wally Schulke celebrated his 75th birthday earlier this month with the family coming to visit. Those attending were Mark and Janet Schulke from Duluth, Kim and Ray Kallstrom from Alexandrea, granddaughter Amy and her children Landon and Isaac, Lori, Mike and Neil Scheg of Crystal, Minn., Dave and Mollie Schulke and children Anthony and Emily from Round Rack, Texas. The family had…

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Letter to the Editor

After reading the article in the July 6th paper “Seeing everything you never wanted to see,” I felt the need to paint the other picture of Country Fest in Cadott, Wisc. We have attended the Fest for the past six years and want to share our experiences with you.

The first year of the Fest, we headed to town one day to see exactly what size Cadott the city was (1,321). We visited a small tavern to be welcomed by a family that was having their parents 50th wedding anniversary. This family was from Iowa, and they have been attending Fest since its first year in business in 1986. Their parents have thoroughly enjoyed their experiences and friendships that they have made each year at Country Fest that they felt this was where they wanted to have their party. We were welcomed with open arms as if we were part of their family and celebrated the anniversary of two wonderful people. For the next two years we looked forward to seeing them, and when Mom passed away, the girls called us to tell us she had lost her battle with cancer. Six months later Dad died as a result of a farming accident. We felt we had lost members of our own families.

The second year we pulled into our camp sites, we were welcomed by a group of young men from Tomah. Little did we know they would become like our own children. They helped…

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Guest Columnist

As I was letting my mind wander aimlessly through dozens of great topics, I wanted to choose something our readers can really sink their teeth into, make some sense out of their own challenges, and know when to go for help before something blows up. It occurred to me that one of the most frequently addressed issues is “wireless” – routers, Internet, network, printing – the whole array. Although most of us know the basics of what it is, some aren’t really aware of what can be done with a wireless system in our homes.

Wireless is the new “gotta have” in homes. I get calls from parents saying they don’t know what it is, but they know they need it. “What is wireless, and why is it so cool?”

Let’s start by looking at a business operation. Every employee has a computer. Each one needs to be on the Internet and have printing capabilities – all at the same time. How do they do it without breaking the bank? Wireless has become the answer to the question. Since the technology has been around for a while, it is pretty dependable after it’s been set up. Is it affordable for home use? Would we be talking about it if it wasn’t?

Laptops with Windows 7.0 are now available for $300–$400. A good wireless printer will run about $150, and the wireless router (which makes it all possible) will be up to another $150. When that is installed, guess what? You have a wireless network! Now you can…

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