(From the Janesville Messenger, 1-20-08)
When you walk into Dave Warren’s Ace Hardware store in Milton, you see a lot of red. It’s in the Ace logo, and it’s the color of the shirts worn by all of Dave’s helpful staff.
But lately, Dave has been seeing a lot more red than he would prefer.
Specifically, it’s in the form of red tape. And it all began because of his self-described fanaticism about customer service.
How serious is Dave about customer service? He’s written a 50-page manual on the subject. He makes sure his employees are thoroughly schooled on providing it. And his efforts have been noticed, even meriting a cover story on a national trade publication titled “Wow! Service that exceeds expectations!”
In that spirit, Dave decided to add a cappuccino machine for his customers. Dave had always offered free coffee, but now cappuccino, hot chocolate and spiced cider were also provided free. Even better, any donations you made for enjoying your hot drink were turned over to the Milton Food Pantry.
Enter the Rock County Health Department, who decreed that Dave couldn’t provide these warm fuzzies without something called a three-compartment sink.
Apparently, you need one part of the sink for washing, one for rinsing, and one for sanitizing. That sounds fine for commercial applications like restaurants, but for providing free cups of cappuccino? Well, Dave discovered in a hurry that when it comes to government, resistance is futile. So rather than spend $1000 to remodel the store for a three-compartment sink, the cappuccino maker was history.
A year later, the Health Department struck again, this time at Dave’s other Ace Hardware store in Evansville. Apparently disappointed that a cappuccino maker didn’t turn up on the premises, the inspector instead focused on the air pots used to serve the free hot coffee. The pots couldn’t be used unless the store had a three-compartment sink. Residents of Evansville, say goodbye to your free hot coffee.
Apparently, these three-compartment sinks are the answer to the world’s problems. Maybe if we sent one to Iraq, the Sunnis and Shiites would sit down over a cup o’ joe and agree to live together in peace and harmony. Indeed, I feel very fortunate to be alive, having drank coffee for the past 20 years in a filthy, disease-ridden, one- or two-compartment world.
Not content with a mere spanking at the hands of the authorities, Dave decided to incur yet more governmental wrath. This time, his crime wasn’t customer service; it was environmentalism.
A few months ago, Dave placed an automatic aluminum can recycling center in his parking lot. It’s a pretty slick device. You insert your empty cans, and the machine weighs them and pays you cash on the spot. It’s kind of like a big vending machine, only in reverse.
There was only one problem. It wasn’t that there was a city ordinance prohibiting such a machine. There was no city ordinance at all. Basically, nothing in the city’s code says what to do about a red-and-white mini-silo that rewards your recycling efforts. So until it is addressed, the recycling center sits idle, a quiet monument to the greatness of America, the country with the world’s cleanest, most sanitary coffee makers (Caution: Hot!).
I sit on the Milton Plan Commission, charged with the task of figuring out how to let Dave run his recycling center. For two months, everything from this center’s placement on the property to its treatment in other cities to its visual appeal - or lack thereof – has been debated. If we continue along the current path of amending the city ordinance to allow Dave’s machine as a conditional use, it could take another two months. I’m a member of this government body, and I’m frustrated. I can’t imagine how Dave feels.
He probably feels a lot like his brother Mark. Mark also owns a Milton business, American Awards and Promotions. The front of Mark’s store had a swell awning with the company logo on it, until a nasty wind gust came along last year and shredded it.
No problem, right? Just put up a new one. Uh, not so fast, Sparky. Since the previous awning installation, the city sign ordinance had changed. Before Mark could replace his awning, he had to clear more hurdles than an Olympic athlete.
By the time it was over and his new awning was up, four months had passed. An ordinance intended to ensure a more pleasing appearance for city businesses had instead done just the opposite, subjecting Milton residents to a season of viewing the hideous skeletal frame of an awning. Personally, I have yet to recover.
But maybe a nice cappuccino would do the trick.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Ken Hendricks' Death Leaves a Huge Hole in Community
(From the Janesville Messenger, 1-6-08)
Sometimes a person is so much larger than life that it seems unfathomable that he could suddenly not be there.
The person I’m speaking of, of course, is Ken Hendricks. The reaction to his sudden and tragic passing was unlike anything I can recall in the Rock County area. This was no wealthy, miserly Scrooge who in Christmas Future saw no one moved at all by his passing. This was someone who used his hard-earned gains to better the people and community that he loved so much.
I knew Ken, though not well. We had crossed paths several times, mainly through our association with Forward Janesville. I found him to be exactly as every other writer has described him in the last couple of weeks. Driven, unpretentious, visionary, down-to-earth, remarkable.
Ken once told me that if I ever ran for political office, he would contribute to my campaign. To this day, that comment floors me. I suspect that Ken may not have been so eager to back my candidacy if he was aware of some of my political opinions. Still, to even have him think that of me was an incredibly high compliment.
In the end, I wish circumstances had allowed me to know Ken better. When you’re around people like him, it inspires you to do more, be more. And Ken was an incredibly inspiring individual. He encouraged people with his example, claiming that if he could do it, anyone could. Despite his enormous success, he never forgot who he was and where he came from. Instead, he reveled in it. How many billionaires do you see at the local Friday fish fry?
Ken’s success could not be stopped, as Janesville’s business community found out. Early in his career ascent, some local business leaders didn’t like this young non-Country Club upstart muscling in on their territory and tried to thwart his budding success. Beloit, on the other hand, welcomed him with open arms. It was one of the best decisions that community ever made, leading to a grateful Ken paying Beloit back a thousand fold with his various economic development projects and acts of philanthropy. Eventually, Janesville reached out to Ken and massaged the wounds of the past, after missing out on 20 years of what might have been.
There is a saying that states, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Ken used his power to create jobs, revitalize buildings, and help people make their way up. But he didn’t do it because he had to; he did it because he wanted to.
Last year, I was at the Greater Beloit Chamber of Commerce dinner when Ken received an honor from the chamber. Here’s a guy who has a room full of accolades, including Inc. Magazine’s Entrepreneur of the Year. To a lot of folks, a little chamber honor would be meaningless compared to all of the other honors he had received. But not Ken. Not only was he there, but he also seemed genuinely touched by the award.
After the event, I had my last real conversation with him. As I sometimes do with people I greatly respect, I addressed him as “Mr. Hendricks,” which he put the kibosh to in a hurry. The gist of our talk was that I thanked him for everything he had done for the community. Not surprisingly, he was extremely humble in accepting the compliment.
If there is one lesson we can take from the life of Ken Hendricks, it’s that we should use what we have to make things better. Ken was able to do much because he had the financial resources. But Ken didn’t just throw money at a problem; he got personally involved.
Even if we never achieve the financial success that Ken did, we can still find ways to help others in our community. Sometimes, all we can afford is our time. Sometimes, that’s enough.
Sometimes a person is so much larger than life that it seems unfathomable that he could suddenly not be there.
The person I’m speaking of, of course, is Ken Hendricks. The reaction to his sudden and tragic passing was unlike anything I can recall in the Rock County area. This was no wealthy, miserly Scrooge who in Christmas Future saw no one moved at all by his passing. This was someone who used his hard-earned gains to better the people and community that he loved so much.
I knew Ken, though not well. We had crossed paths several times, mainly through our association with Forward Janesville. I found him to be exactly as every other writer has described him in the last couple of weeks. Driven, unpretentious, visionary, down-to-earth, remarkable.
Ken once told me that if I ever ran for political office, he would contribute to my campaign. To this day, that comment floors me. I suspect that Ken may not have been so eager to back my candidacy if he was aware of some of my political opinions. Still, to even have him think that of me was an incredibly high compliment.
In the end, I wish circumstances had allowed me to know Ken better. When you’re around people like him, it inspires you to do more, be more. And Ken was an incredibly inspiring individual. He encouraged people with his example, claiming that if he could do it, anyone could. Despite his enormous success, he never forgot who he was and where he came from. Instead, he reveled in it. How many billionaires do you see at the local Friday fish fry?
Ken’s success could not be stopped, as Janesville’s business community found out. Early in his career ascent, some local business leaders didn’t like this young non-Country Club upstart muscling in on their territory and tried to thwart his budding success. Beloit, on the other hand, welcomed him with open arms. It was one of the best decisions that community ever made, leading to a grateful Ken paying Beloit back a thousand fold with his various economic development projects and acts of philanthropy. Eventually, Janesville reached out to Ken and massaged the wounds of the past, after missing out on 20 years of what might have been.
There is a saying that states, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Ken used his power to create jobs, revitalize buildings, and help people make their way up. But he didn’t do it because he had to; he did it because he wanted to.
Last year, I was at the Greater Beloit Chamber of Commerce dinner when Ken received an honor from the chamber. Here’s a guy who has a room full of accolades, including Inc. Magazine’s Entrepreneur of the Year. To a lot of folks, a little chamber honor would be meaningless compared to all of the other honors he had received. But not Ken. Not only was he there, but he also seemed genuinely touched by the award.
After the event, I had my last real conversation with him. As I sometimes do with people I greatly respect, I addressed him as “Mr. Hendricks,” which he put the kibosh to in a hurry. The gist of our talk was that I thanked him for everything he had done for the community. Not surprisingly, he was extremely humble in accepting the compliment.
If there is one lesson we can take from the life of Ken Hendricks, it’s that we should use what we have to make things better. Ken was able to do much because he had the financial resources. But Ken didn’t just throw money at a problem; he got personally involved.
Even if we never achieve the financial success that Ken did, we can still find ways to help others in our community. Sometimes, all we can afford is our time. Sometimes, that’s enough.
Friday, January 4, 2008
The Year in Advance
(From the Janesville Messenger, 12-30-07)
A preview of 2008 highlights.....
January:
Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton and Republican Mike Huckabee win the Iowa Caucuses. Immediately after the results are announced, all the other candidates drop out of the race and throw their support to the victors, rendering all of the remaining presidential primaries moot.
Fox Television announces a new game show called “Are You Smarter Than Kellie Pickler?”
February:
The Green Bay Packers upset the New England Patriots 37-31 to win Super Bowl XLII. A tearful Brett Favre announces his retirement on the field during the trophy ceremony.
Descendants of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln sue the federal government for merging their ancestors’ birthdays into one holiday. Attorneys for the plaintiffs demand a return to separate commemorations and punitive damages retroactive to 1732.
March:
March 20 marks the 5th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq by the United States. The US forgets the anniversary, hurting Iraq’s feelings and leading to very awkward dinner conversation. The next day, the United States sends flowers to Iraq’s office with a sincere note of apology.
Major League Baseball Opening Day at Wrigley Field is marred by a new version of the Mitchell Report detailing former announcer Harry Caray’s use of Budweiser laced with Human Growth Hormone. Caray’s descendants claim that the HGH did not enhance his on-air performance, it simply led to progressively larger spectacles.
April:
In a major upset, a write-in campaign results in Janesville’s famed Oasis Cow winning a seat on the Janesville City Council. Representatives for the Cow state that their candidate does not intend to milk the public for more taxes. The losing candidates react with udder contempt. Later, the Council adopts an ordinance prohibiting fiberglass bovines from running for elective office.
Brett Favre refuses to comment on speculation that he is not really retiring, but is in fact returning to the Green Bay Packers for his 18th NFL season.
May:
A young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.
Santa Claus arrives at center court in the Janesville Mall.
June:
Frustrated about the lack of progress in labor negotiations, the Janesville Education Association announces that its teachers will not report to their schools for the next two months.
The longest day of the year occurs when a public hearing on sidewalk projects tops the Janesville City Council agenda.
July:
As the Green Bay Packers report to training camp, Brett Favre announces that “any day now,” he will make a decision about returning to the team for one more season.
The grand champion swine at the Rock County 4-H Fair is spared from his fate at the butcher’s shop when his pen is adorned by a mysterious spider web in which the words “Some Pig” seem to be woven.
August:
7-year-old Tommy Tebbertson is found alive and unharmed after being lost for two days in the unmowed grass of Janesville’s Lustig Park.
Retailers report flat sales during the first three months of the Christmas shopping season, but express confidence that the remaining four months will result in record profits.
September:
In order to accommodate political advertising for the November elections, 10 p.m. newscasts are trimmed to 11 minutes.
The public is urged not to panic when it is announced that scientists now believe the Avian Bird Flu can be transmitted to humans by Africanized Killer Bees.
October:
In their final televised debate before the presidential election, Mike Huckabee wins a narrow victory over Hillary Rodham Clinton by invoking the name of Ronald Reagan 47 times, compared to Mrs. Clinton’s 44 uses of “Bill.”
The latest holiday decorating fad: jack o’lanterns wearing Santa hats.
November:
The next president of the United States will be determined by the Supreme Court after a shocking and unprecedented first-place tie between Libertarian Party candidate Ron Paul and Green Party candidate Al Gore.
Americans take the fourth Thursday of the month off to overeat and watch football, but nobody can quite remember why.
December:
Brett Favre announces that he will make a decision “soon” about returning to the Packers for the remaining three games of the 2008 season.
An official proclamation in the Wisconsin State Legislature renames the large evergreen tree in the capitol rotunda the “December Multi-Cultural Religious and Non-religious Celebrations Tree.”
A columnist for the Janesville Messenger fails in an attempt to write a humorous piece predicting events of the coming year.
Oops. A year early on that last one.
A preview of 2008 highlights.....
January:
Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton and Republican Mike Huckabee win the Iowa Caucuses. Immediately after the results are announced, all the other candidates drop out of the race and throw their support to the victors, rendering all of the remaining presidential primaries moot.
Fox Television announces a new game show called “Are You Smarter Than Kellie Pickler?”
February:
The Green Bay Packers upset the New England Patriots 37-31 to win Super Bowl XLII. A tearful Brett Favre announces his retirement on the field during the trophy ceremony.
Descendants of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln sue the federal government for merging their ancestors’ birthdays into one holiday. Attorneys for the plaintiffs demand a return to separate commemorations and punitive damages retroactive to 1732.
March:
March 20 marks the 5th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq by the United States. The US forgets the anniversary, hurting Iraq’s feelings and leading to very awkward dinner conversation. The next day, the United States sends flowers to Iraq’s office with a sincere note of apology.
Major League Baseball Opening Day at Wrigley Field is marred by a new version of the Mitchell Report detailing former announcer Harry Caray’s use of Budweiser laced with Human Growth Hormone. Caray’s descendants claim that the HGH did not enhance his on-air performance, it simply led to progressively larger spectacles.
April:
In a major upset, a write-in campaign results in Janesville’s famed Oasis Cow winning a seat on the Janesville City Council. Representatives for the Cow state that their candidate does not intend to milk the public for more taxes. The losing candidates react with udder contempt. Later, the Council adopts an ordinance prohibiting fiberglass bovines from running for elective office.
Brett Favre refuses to comment on speculation that he is not really retiring, but is in fact returning to the Green Bay Packers for his 18th NFL season.
May:
A young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.
Santa Claus arrives at center court in the Janesville Mall.
June:
Frustrated about the lack of progress in labor negotiations, the Janesville Education Association announces that its teachers will not report to their schools for the next two months.
The longest day of the year occurs when a public hearing on sidewalk projects tops the Janesville City Council agenda.
July:
As the Green Bay Packers report to training camp, Brett Favre announces that “any day now,” he will make a decision about returning to the team for one more season.
The grand champion swine at the Rock County 4-H Fair is spared from his fate at the butcher’s shop when his pen is adorned by a mysterious spider web in which the words “Some Pig” seem to be woven.
August:
7-year-old Tommy Tebbertson is found alive and unharmed after being lost for two days in the unmowed grass of Janesville’s Lustig Park.
Retailers report flat sales during the first three months of the Christmas shopping season, but express confidence that the remaining four months will result in record profits.
September:
In order to accommodate political advertising for the November elections, 10 p.m. newscasts are trimmed to 11 minutes.
The public is urged not to panic when it is announced that scientists now believe the Avian Bird Flu can be transmitted to humans by Africanized Killer Bees.
October:
In their final televised debate before the presidential election, Mike Huckabee wins a narrow victory over Hillary Rodham Clinton by invoking the name of Ronald Reagan 47 times, compared to Mrs. Clinton’s 44 uses of “Bill.”
The latest holiday decorating fad: jack o’lanterns wearing Santa hats.
November:
The next president of the United States will be determined by the Supreme Court after a shocking and unprecedented first-place tie between Libertarian Party candidate Ron Paul and Green Party candidate Al Gore.
Americans take the fourth Thursday of the month off to overeat and watch football, but nobody can quite remember why.
December:
Brett Favre announces that he will make a decision “soon” about returning to the Packers for the remaining three games of the 2008 season.
An official proclamation in the Wisconsin State Legislature renames the large evergreen tree in the capitol rotunda the “December Multi-Cultural Religious and Non-religious Celebrations Tree.”
A columnist for the Janesville Messenger fails in an attempt to write a humorous piece predicting events of the coming year.
Oops. A year early on that last one.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)