Milwaukee Public Television

Tuition hike approved by regents

The University of Wisconsin Board of Regents has voted to increase tuition at the system's 26 campuses by 5.5 percent, despite some opposition. The decision to raise tuition at UW schools was not unanimous.

Regent John Drew called the hike unfair, saying the UW System was becoming public in name only. Drew says, "Working people are not getting 5.5 percent pay increases. It is not fair to ask them to shoulder the burden of more costs for education."

But UW System president Kevin Reilly echoed the sentiments of the majority of regents who voted in favor of the tuition increase. He says, "The 5.5 percent base undergrad tuition hike proposed covers only 30 percent of the $250 million dollar, so I think it's very important for students and families and all of us to realize we're not putting the burden so to speak of that full $250 million cut on the backs of our students and families."

The hike works out to about a $400 increase for the Milwaukee and Madison campuses. Tuition at the two-year UW colleges will increase for first time in 5 years by $235. Tuition revenues account for one-fifth of the operating budget.

One recent UW-Madison graduate said after the meeting that he didn't support the hikes. He said a few hundred dollars might not seem like a lot, but that for many students, increased tuition and other fees could mean the price of a couple months' rent.

The regents also talked about new flexibilities the system would have thanks to the recently passed state budget, including more independence for deciding how certain funds are spent.

Proposal would restore forestlands that were once near the Mississippi River

The Army Corps of Engineers wants to restore the forest ecosystem along the Mississippi River. Logging, agriculture, urbanization, and the locks and dams have contributed to a decline in forests along the Mississippi River. Aging stands of silver maples aren't replacing themselves, and the invasive reed canary grass is taking over the floodplains.

So the Army Corps of Engineers has developed the Systemic Forest Management Plan to restore and maintain the ecosystem along the upper Mississippi River and its major tributaries, stretching from Minneapolis to Cairo, Ill.

It's working with U.S. Fish and Wildlife, and Upper Mississippi River Refuge District Manager Tim Yager says it would help the animals. He says,"The thread of forest that's found along the Mississippi River and along the bluffs and valleys of the river is a continentally significant migration corridor for a lot of species. So we're concerned about the importance of that migration corridor potentially declining as we transition out of the forested ecosystem to more of a grass and meadow ecosystem.

Cyril Colnik / Man of Iron « Bighorn Forge's Weblog

Milwaukee, WI I am pleased to announce that finally, a book on famed master blacksmith, Cyril Colnik (1871-1958) has been published, and is available for purchase.

Alan J. Strekow , of Hales Corners, WI, has compiled a plethora of fine images of Colnik’s works, drawings, sketches and blueprints, along with commentary for a truly fine 200 page hardcover book.

Strekow, a graphic designer, has been associated with “Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum” (VTDAM) for decades, and is a co-founder of the “Friends of Villa Terrace.” VTDAM is home to two galleries of Colnik’s works, including his famous “Masterpiece” (below.)

The “Forward” to the book was written by John C. Eastberg , Director of Building Development and Senior Pabst Historian at the “Captain Frederick Pabst Mansion” in Milwaukee. This Flemish Renaissance style mansion was home to brewmaster Captain Frederick Pabst, of Pabst brewing fame, and is also home to several works by Cyril Colnik. (The mansion is open to the general public. See the links at the right side of this post for their web-site.)

Another section was written by blacksmith Dan Nauman, owner of Bighorn Forge, Inc. Nauman writes about Colnik through the eyes of a 20th century blacksmith. Nauman has also contributed numerous professionally shot images of Colnik’s works, obtained through a grant from the “Francis Whitaker Blacksmith’s Educational Foundation” in 1993. He has also reproduced and restored numerous works by Cyril Colnik over the years.

In 1996, Nauman enlisted the help of Strekow, along with several others, to produce a video on Colnik entitled “Forged Elegance/ The Lifework of Master Blacksmith Cyril Colnik” , which aired on Wisconsin and Milwaukee Public Television in 1998. (Available for purchase through VTDAM.)

To obtain a copy of this fine book, ($45.00 plus tax, shipping, and handling) contact Allen Strekow by e-mail at strekow@strekow.com, or contact VTDAM (see link for their web-site at the upper right of this post.)

….Dan Nauman

“Words are plentiful, but deeds are precious”….