Finding Theresia

For many years I have been searching for the home village of my great grandmother Theresia Kamen. Her death certificate from Minnesota identified her birth date and parents (Frank Kamen and Marie Soukup). Her memorial, prayer card, simply said she was from Ujezd, Bohemia. I also had a possible entry record in the US in June 1872 on the ship Koln for a Theresia Kamen. The problem is there are over a hundred Ujezd villages in Bohemia. Today, March 31, 2022, I found her home village and her baptism and birth record. Here is the story.

A few weeks ago I contact the Winneshiek County, IA historical society and got in contact about trying to find Theresia Kamen Pitzenberger's home village and that of her husband, Mathias Pitzenberger. From that I have been in contact with Michael Klimesh of Spillville, IA. I sent Michael the information I had. He then noted that there were three Soukup's and provided varied villages they were from. (As an interesting aside, Michael's 2nd great Uncle was the priest in Spillville at the time Mathias and Theresia were married in Spillville, so he likely was the one to preside at the nuptials.) Since she appeared to be alone on the ship, that made me think of chain migration since a female lone traveler at the time would be highly unusual. This is where it gets interesting.

Ujezd to Dolni Chrastany
Source:  Google maps

I was trying to find a Ujezd near a town where one of the Iowa Soukup's was from. I found Ujezd near that town, but not her birth record. So, wrong Ujezd. Realizing that about 90% of US Bohemian migration was from southern Bohemia, some voice inside me (perhaps St Jude) made me look at a page size photocopy of a map my sister provided to me when she (with my dad and aunt ) went to Bohemia in the 1990's. I decided to use thismap since on Google maps you have to zoom in so much to get a village name for the small villages. I was trying to find that Soukup town wondering if another Ujezd was nearby. Well, that one Soukup town was not on this photocopy of a street map. I thought I was at a dead end, once again. I was delayed by a power outage, no internet on my laptop, and dinner.

There was that voice in my mind, as I picked up the search, that said search the map again, and as I looked north of my highlighted villages of Dolni Chrastany (where my great grandfather Martin is from), and Hlavatce (where Martin's mom is from) I found in print almost crowded out by roads and other villages, a village with the name Ujezd slightly south of Vodnany. I don't think I would have found it on Google maps because of how far you have to zoom in to get that village name. Her village is only an 18 minute drive from Dolni Chrastany. I wonder if the family knew that, because as far as I know, everyone always thought the name was German or Austrian. Theresia spoke Bohemian and I know the Havel's knew German from the prayer book Martin owned.

Theresia Kamen Birth/Baptismal Record
Source: Trebon Archives

I then went to the 1830's indication map to see if there were any Kamen's listed. Right in front of my eyes as I zoomed in was a Kamen listed as an owner associated with house 18. At least I had a surname that matched. Although there could be many Kamen's in Bohemia as there are Havels.

The hard part was finding the proper parish book. I probably spent more time looking for the right book this afternoon than any other part of the search. Finally, under Chelcice parish I found several books for Ujezd, and then located the proper register for births of years from 1820 to 1849. It was nice that Ujezd was the only village recorded in the register as it made the search easy. I worked from the back from 1849 to 1848.

 

House #15 Ujezd, Bohemia
16 is the building plot
Source: Stable Cadastre

As I worked back, I find a record for 13 April (April written in Czech as dub, short for Duben) for 1848. It was hard to decipher the name, but looked as if it could be, and I had it verified by a person who I pay to assist me with translations. What struck me right away, that this was the right person was not just the birth date, but a note by the priest that a copy of the baptism certificate had been issued on 10 April 1872 for emigration to America. That I could easily read. I had a record that a Theresia Kamen came over in 1872, arriving in Baltimore on the ship Koln in June.

She is associated with house 15, not 18, and 15 does not have much property, so it is likely her parents were cottagers. My translator will assist on a full translation later which will give me more information and my search may then continue.


The thing about genealogy is you get this one reward after years and hours of searching, and it makes it worth the effort. I have to thank that small voice in my head to once again check the photo copy map. Perhaps that voice, telling me where to find Theresia was St Teresia but given how hopeless this case has been I am going with St Jude.

Searching for Omar

It was over a week ago on Monday, 21 March 2022, by far the most favorable weather day of the last two weeks, I made my way to the Dane County Courthouse to fulfill a summons to report for duty as a potential juror. The massive courthouse structure sits on its site, not far from the grandeur of the State Capitol, like a large ship about to disembark on a journey of discovery. The summons arrived about two months prior to the date I was required to report to provide ample time to arrange your schedule.  As noted in the summons a trial could start that week or even the following week, so I thought best to play it safe and set aside two weeks. Setting aside two weeks caused some things to be delayed more than one would have thought. By the end of the Monday session, I figured out how to get on a jury if you really want to. That is where Omar comes into the picture.

Dane County Courthouse,
The Jail is to the left of the Courthouse

Having to report by 9:15 am, and ever dutiful, I arrived at the courthouse at about 8:50 am. I decided to leave sufficient time for traffic, not being able to walk as fast with my bad feet, and finding a parking space. I parked in what was known as the Dane County Ramp, as recommended, and all the juror spaces were taken, probably by those that reported at a number of varied times before me, so I made my way to near the top of the ramp. Then I had to walk to the pay station and pay for my space. The instructions were pretty clear to set aside about three hours as you will not get time to plug a meter, so I ended my pay at 12:03 pm.

Twice before I had to report for jury duty, both times when the courthouse was at the City-County Building. I can't recall for sure where we waited, but I think it was the county board room. The first time, they read pool numbers and those in that number could leave, and I was lucky to be able to leave fairly early. The second time, twice they excused jury pool numbers and I was not able to leave until just before noon. I was with the last group to be excused. Before excusing pool numbers the first two times, they read off juror numbers, I don't recall it being a name, to depart and take your place with a bailiff for a courtroom.

That Monday I made the short walk to the courthouse from the parking garage.  I was following many others, some jurors, some not.  After going through screening, where you take off your belt, watch, and anything else with metal, except the fillings in my teeth--and wedding band, I made my way the lower level, and arrived shortly after 8:45 am. Some were signing in for the 8:45 time frame, and so was told to wait until they got through first.  I walk in the room, and I was surprised at the number of persons present. I am not sure how many, but I would think over 150 and perhaps over 200. It was a large room with several long rows of chairs facing one long wall. The room had a partial permanent divider, why I don't know. On the Friday before I received a text message telling me the time to report. I also looked at the jury website after 4:00 pm per the instructions received and noted the same thing with some additional requirements, such as wear a mask.

Even though the county removed its mask mandate, they still asked potential jurors to wear a mask, and so I donned a KN95 before entering the building. I found this interesting because the notice indicated if no mask mandate was in place, you could choose not to wear a mask. With that many people, masks made some sense. I was surprised everyone had a mask, but the county jury clerk employees. Although people did have a mask, that does not mean all were wearing it correctly. 

Right before my appointed time, at about 9:13 am, the jury clerk walks in, and sees the large crowd and decides to use the microphone. She reads off a list of names, and one name is Omar (I will leave out his last name). She then asks those people to proceed to the room entrance where a bailiff will meet them and take them to a courtroom. At this point the man right in front of me leaves with others nearby. A number cue up to get clarification on names to see if they were called. Some sat down, most left. My wife says I am hard of hearing, but I heard enough to know my name was not called. A few minutes later the clerk reappears and notes four or five names of people who did not make the trip to the entry and meet the bailiff. This included reading off Omar.  Those present leave with second call, and move to the entrance where a clerk is to take them to the courtroom. My hearing is not as bad as my wife thinks. 

City-County Building
Used to house the Courthouse

Well, several minutes later the clerk comes in again and asks if Omar is present. She looks around asks another time. No response from any one in the room, from what she or I can see.  She then tells the whole group, as if the put the wrath of the justice system in our mind, that Omar was given a reprieve on jury duty, but then missed the makeup date not once, but twice. She then went on to say a warrant for his arrest will be issued. I think there was a collective sigh of relief that none of the many that remained in the room were Omar. Me and the people around me look at each with quizzical eyes. I say to them that they should know if he is here as he would have had to sign in. I am not a sufficient conspiracy theorist to think he had some one sign in for him. Because she asked before 9:15am, he would have been in a prior group.

At about 9:45 am the clerk comes in again, and we are all thinking here comes the next group to be called. But she first says that there the only jury has been called, and we are free from duty for another minimum four years. No one really left at that time, wondering if this was truly the case, after all, we would not want to miss getting called and have an arrest warrant issued. Although, she really did not provide much time to leave, as she continued her statement. She went on to say that nine cases were scheduled for jury trial, some were pled, some where settled, and in one the DA was out with Covid, so we were all excused. I think the word excused is what we all needed to hear. But, she was not done. She then added they found Omar, who was now up in the courtroom. One case, in the paper the next morning, was a teacher sexual assault case where he pled guilty. To think, perhaps I would have been on that jury if the defendant had not pled guilty.

It occurred to me, as I left the courthouse, with all the people present for jury duty, how did it happen that Omar was selected? Was it payback for having missed earlier calls for jury duty?  It seems oddly coincidental. As Omar was finding his way to a windowless courtroom to see if he would actually be selected for a jury the many of us walked out of the courthouse to enjoy, as the clerk said, this nice day. I had the meter plugged until just after noon, and with that cost and my gas, I probably did not come out ahead with the $10 payment I received in a debit card (which as of last Friday still had no money in it), and which may have a fee associated with it. The instructions with this court card are so, well judicial, it is hard to understand what they mean. Given the rest of the week, perhaps jury duty for that part of July may not have been bad. The long and the short of it is, if you want to get on a jury skip your required appearance and chances are they will make sure you get called to the next level. I doubt many of us had any sympathy for Omar.

Grunting

At certain times someone makes a comment which catches you off guard. My wife made such a comment to me a couple weeks ago, on or about March 10, 2022. As we got into bed that night she asked me if I knew I grunted in my sleep.  It just so happens that early that morning I recall grunting as I was moving in the bed, not long before I got up, so I responded, that I recall that I had grunted right before waking up. Well it turns out it, apparently it is more than just that one night.

At the time of the question we had been married 11,458 days, and so it took her 11,457 days to make her comment. I know that in the past I may snore slightly and she gives me shove to shut me up. She hears everything, even when she is asleep. We had a neighbor who used to, until start of COVID, manage a bar/restaurant in Columbus and he would arrive home at after 2:00 am with music playing loudly on his car radio. Perhaps that would drown out part of my grunting. 

There have been a few times that she has asked my girlfriend, Alexa, to play some sleep music. I am not sure why, but a lot of sleep music seems to involve rain or moving water like water falls. Water sounds can be disruptive to sleep. She does not have a 64 year old prostate gland so the water sounds suit her just fine.

Land Girl is a light sleeper, if she is able to get any sleep at all, and therein is the problem. If she wakes up at 1:30 am and does not get back to sleep every little noise will be disruptive. So, my likely very  slight grunt in moving in bed probably is well noticed. Wouldn't it be nice if the neighbor had his old job back and loud car radio to sound out my grunts? What I am trying to figure out is that she likes the start of daylight savings time, because instead of it being light before 6:00 am (sunrise when it occurs in Madison is about 6:17 am, so daylight starts appearing about a half hour earlier) the sun rises later in the morning so it it is dark when we roll out of bed at about 6:30 am. If she is not sleeping anyway, does this give her extra time in bed to just lay there hoping to get back to sleep?  

From "Wisconsin State Journal" March 2022

This may be the first time that she commented on my grunt noise during sleep, but she used to complain about what she termed my pancake flips. She said I had the habit of lifting myself off of the bed flipping around in mid-air and then falling back down on the mattress. This would occur from say stomach to back or back to stomach. Probably age has stopped me from doing this. I think she probably did not care for the bed shaking as I landed my gymnastic tumble on the mattress. She has yet to let me know if I ever scored a 10 on one of my pancake flips. Knowing Land Girl, I would score a negative ten on the flips.

Of course, I am not sure she moves at all in bed. She starts sleeping on her back and in the morning that is how she is once again--laying on her back. I think she lays in the same position all night long, I am surprised she does not get bed sores. While I think I mostly sleep on my side, the pancake flips would show that was not necessarily the case. I used to touch her in the middle of the night to make sure she was still alive, but that ended because she complained about me disturbing her sleep. Every now and then she has a slight snore, or noise she makes which is really disruptive because she is usually as silent as a titmouse. Sunday morning I heard her breath a little bit. So, I guess, she makes noise too.

As it turns out I must not be the only person who grunts in their sleep. The morning following her comment, there was a cartoon in the daily paper which delt with this subject.  What my wife generally calls a Godincidence. Because it is just too coincidental. The comic has a woman telling her friend, while out for drinks in a bar, that her husband is away on a business trip, but that she found a device that you can select a sound which best mimics the missing husband, "so it sounds like he is right there with me."

As of this writing, my sounds, while disruptive have not yet forced me go to sleep in another bed. If that were to happen, she would probably not get any sleep because for many years she has been used to me being the background noise. Just like the woman in the comic strip. I think she will need the background noise I make just so as to disrupt her from the critters she hears on the roof of the house. If she were to look at it from that angle the grunting noise is not all bad.

Protecting our Resources--Density Matters, part 1.

As many regular readers of my blog post know, my spouse and I took a trip to northern Wisconsin in early October of 2021. While we enjoyed the fall colors, I also saw a color that I found very disconcerting, the green algae on the lake adjoining the cabin we rented for a few days.  I wrote about that color in post on October 13, titled "Unexpected Color", which you can see/read here. Many would think that the best response to assisting water quality would be to decrease density with even larger lots. However, I will present the case that the best solution to protecting our resources is to increase density. It may seem counter intuitive, but the logic behind it is sound.  Much of the following, which is broken into a two parts, originally appeared in the Partners in Forestry November 2021 Newsletter. As far as I know, no reader of that newsletter went off the deep end the thesis laid out here.

Lost Lake, between St Germain and Sayner

As the world continues to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, school, work and home may never be back to the life and routines of our pre-pandemic age. We are already seeing some employers allowing people to continue to work remotely from home or any other preferred location. With continued internet enhancements in the rural area of the state, remote working opens up a much larger location for living as one is not tied to a daily commute. The Northwoods, in large part due to its natural features, is one of Wisconsin’s premier vacation destinations, and therefore, is prime for a move to year around living. While this move has been occurring with retirees, the installation of broadband and remote working now make it possible for many others. The question is how will the Northwoods adjust to the population and concomitant building, not to mention an increased desire for lake front lots, by year-round and seasonal populations? I would suggest that proper planning is important to meet the coming challenges in a manner to balance the natural resources, but yet allow for population growth. To do so, there has to be a recognition that density matters. This will require a different way of thinking than most are used to.

Lost Lake, Piers hint at Lake Development

Protecting resources, yet allowing for suitable population growth and construction is always a challenge, but proper planning, recognizing land and water capacities, and planning informed by the community, and enlivened with community values, can assist to safeguard the natural resources while meeting demands of growth. Planning is a balancing of varied community values and concerns, and following a plan can also provide important fiscal benefits to communities. However, new ways of thinking will be required. This article will consider a method, by recognizing density, that could allow for development while also limiting development effects on the natural environment and amenities that create the Northwoods experience. The Northwoods experience is that unique culture derived from the flora and fauna, combined with the unique geography of the Northern Highlands which creates the environment that attracts so many.

Autumn in the Northwoods

Since its founding, and until recently, the United States population often thought of its land resources as inexhaustible. However, as we now know, our land resources, not to mention the carrying capacity of the land, are not limitless. Density can assist in protecting what is important--that Northwoods experience. It can limit forest fragmentation and can assist in protecting water quality.

Cottage on Lost Lake

 
Density is important, as it can help preserve that which is important to us. Often people desire that large parcel on the lake, or in the woods. Large-lot living is ingrained in the American population’s psyche. But, given the carrying capacity of the land, and our resources becoming more finite, density allows for protection of what is best enjoyed, while still accommodating development. Important to the Northwoods are the lakes, the rivers, the forests, its landforms, and the related flora and fauna. The experience of the Northwoods is first and foremost related to these important natural features--it gives the Northwoods experience its feel, its life.

Pier from Cottage

Many years ago, I led a workshop on housing for residents of the city in which I worked (it was one of over a hundred meetings for the creation of its Comprehensive Plan). From state and regional planning resources, we knew the population we needed to meet for the next ten years, and from there extrapolated to the number of housing units required for the increased population in this growing area of the state. During the workshop the many participants were broken into small groups and given maps of the current city and different colored overlays reflecting different density levels. Most attendees were from the standard single family subdivisions, and they laid out the maps recognizing their experience in subdivisions of 3 to 4 units per acre - they gravitated to that to which they were most familiar. When we calculated how much land would be needed to accommodate ten years of growth they realized that the rural--or pastoral--land features they all highly valued would be significantly reduced. They then adjusted their development densities, believing that 7 or 8 units per acre would be more suitable. By doing this, they cut land consumption by about half. These people realized the importance of this rural agricultural resource not only to themselves, but to the character of a city. After all, it was the first incorporated municipality in Wisconsin to adopt exclusive agricultural zoning. Forest land of the north is the farmland in the southern part of the state.

Algae on Lost Lake, Oct 5, 2021

 
I am not suggesting this level of density in the Northwoods, since local opinion, local development character, and community values are important. What I am suggesting is that a development that has, for example, one to four acre lots causes a destruction of what is valued (that Northwoods experience), leads to greater forest fragmentation, uses more resources, and is more costly to service than say a development that is twice its density, or more. In a compact, more dense development there are less streets and less utility lines, which lead to reduced maintenance costs and lower development costs on a per dwelling unit basis. As density increases there are more options for green infrastructure to manage runoff and other development effects.

Bike Trail west of Sayner, WI

A future post will further explore these issue of why density matters. Density often gets a bad rap, but a good deal of it comes down to planning, design and the proper management of both. Our resources are too important to not want to think differently than the way the nation has for so many decades. 

A New Feudal Fiefdom?

A few weeks ago I did a blog post on land my Havel ancestors "owned" in Bohemia. Of course, for most of the time, they really did not own the property, rather they had rights to the land like a long-term lease. That is  because they were peasants under the control of a lord. A lord could exercise a high level of control over individuals, personal issues and economically. These controls lessened over time. In Bohemia, the last of the peasant reforms was enacted in 1848, which allowed the farmers to buy the land they had long farmed from the domain. I did not realize until a few weeks ago that there is a provision in the State of Wisconsin Constitution relating to preventing feudal tenures, such as my Havel, Duscheck and other ancestors were subject to in Bohemia.

138 kv line in Fitchburg, WI
Source:  Google Maps street view

The ancestral village of the Havel family was Ratiborova Lhota and it appears about 25 acres was farmed by my fourth great grandfather and perhaps back to my 8th great grandfather, which is as far back as I have it traced. The family farm in Ratiborova Lhota was "bought" by my 3rd great grandfather's brother in 1805, who sold the rights to Johann Mila in 1818. The rights were bought by Johann Havel's daughter Katherina in 1842 and she promptly sold the rights to someone else (Johann and Anna Kozak). In 1796 my 3rd great grandfather, Frantisek moved to Dolni Chrastany where he took over the contract of the Jiral land upon his marriage to Teresia Jiral. In Dolni Chrastany, per the circa 1830 parcel report, Frantisek and then his son, my 2nd great grandfather, Josef, managed the equivalent of about 40 acres of land in Dolni Chrastany. Either with or before my fourth great grandfather the Havel family became sedlack farmers, a higher level of peasant farmer.  With this designation came requirements from the domain.  Sedlack farmers had to provide the highest level of goods and services, including labor (often referred to as corvee or robota system) to the domain. They provided the highest level of service to the domain of any peasant class. This was part of the feudal system. 

Land Register of Georg Hawle (7th g grandfather)
Source: Trebon Archives, Land Register Ordinal 139, Lhenice

What is interesting is that the Wisconsin Constitution, written in 1847 was adopted by territorial referendum in March 1848.  Interestingly, 1848 was the same year of the land reform in Bohemia was implemented. The following is the provision in our state Constitution: 

All lands within the state are declared to be allodial, and feudal tenures are prohibited. Leases and grants of agricultural land for a longer term than fifteen years in which rent or service of any kind shall be reserved, and all fines and like restraints upon alienation reserved in any grant of land, hereafter made, are declared to be void.

Land Register of Jakub Hawle 
Source: Trebon Archives Land Register Ordinal 57, Lhenice

What brought this to my attention was an article a few weeks ago and another the first week of March about a lawsuit filed against power companies establishing solar facilities on agricultural land. This case involves proposed solar installations in Iowa County, and another in Dane County near Cambridge. In this situation the involved utilities have long-term leases on the farm land, probably for the life of a solar panel, so about 25 to 30 years. The plaintiffs, who do not wish the solar power generating projects, have asserted that the long-term lease is a violation of the Wisconsin Constitution given its provision on generally not allowing leases over fifteen years. The defendants, MGE and Wisconsin Energies (WE) have responded that first, they are not an agricultural use, this even though they regularly use the term "solar farm" over say solar power plant, probably because it is more acceptable to the public. When people hear of a farm they think of a bucolic rural setting with chickens, cows, and arable land, with a clapboard house and red wooden sided barn. The utilities are using agricultural land, zoned agricultural and perhaps even exclusive-agricultural. They cite the tax code that means agriculture is growing of crops, and they do not produce a crop. Which of course begs the question of why they are on farmland in the first place?  A farm is a tract of land devoted to agricultural purposes so it appears the utilities desire it both ways--use the nomenclature of solar farm to be more accepting to the public when the actual use is power generation, yet they then claim they are not a farm because the "land will be dedicated to solar panels, batteries, and related equipment will not be used to grow crops."

Transmission Lines (2007) in Fitchburg, WI
Source:  2008 Fitchburg Comprehensive Plan

The defendants also argue it would turn upside down a variety of long-term leases from cell towers, bill boards (which would be OK), turbine, and mineral extraction leases. Well, maybe all these other leases were wrong. Does this practice overturn the wording in the Wisconsin Constitution? What they are saying is even if it is unconstitutional, the long-term leases should be approved because others have done them. They also argue that the language in the constitution was to prevent tenants from oppressive landlords and not voluntary leasing. 

Power companies know that solar can be used by many people and have thus had the legislature enact legislation limiting private solar production, so as to not produce too much that gets sent back to the electrical grid. This way they get to keep their hands in the pot of renewable energy and  continue to have a stake in energy production.  Solar is desirable, but the way they are doing it, in my mind, is has long-term affects for agriculture. 

Agricultural zoning, particularly exclusive agricultural zoning was meant to preserve farmland. Here is a novel idea to those who think farmland is four housing, industry and solar generation, how about trying to preserve farmland for growing crops and animal husbandry. In the 1970's the state recognized how much farm land was being eaten up by suburbanization and exurbanization and they wished to protect the agricultural land in the state. They helped do this in two ways. One they established farmland preservation agreements and then created exclusive agricultural zoning (I will refer to it as A-X). Farm land under A-X zoning had mainly farm uses allowed, but also allowed utilities and some governmental facilities generally as conditional uses, meaning they had a public hearing and local approval with a determination if the uses met certain standards. Obviously, the power companies wanted the ability to place a power generating facility pretty much anywhere they desired, and after all the state has some control over that through the Public Service Commission. Although, the PSC will typically go to the lowest cost option on the idea it is “better” for rate payers. Farmers who had land in a farmland preservation program could get a tax credit, and if it was zoned A-X, even more of a tax credit. Other taxpayers were subsidizing qualified farmers, to a certain degree.  Over time, as is the course, some farmer interests and other interests got this watered down. There used to be a fairly good penalty for a farmer who received a tax credit but then allowed development of their land, but that has pretty much gone away. The result is more land being eaten up once again by sprawl, with no real consequences. The farmer that most benefits are those on the urban fringe who are closer to development, like those in Waukesha County, as an example, where rural subdivisions are the name of the game. 

138 kv line and MGE Substation 
Marketplace Drive, Fitchburg, WI
Source: Google Maps, street view

The use of good agricultural land for a solar power facility is simply wrong-headed. Fifty years ago the value of agricultural land was realized by the state, but economic downturns have a way of changing the course of law. In Dane County, the village of Cambridge is against the plan for the solar farm. Not because they wish to preserve farmland, but they have their own interests in mind--land for future subdivisions.   

Power to the Grid
Source:  Google images

Yes, the world needs clean energy, but would power companies be better off doing it another way? Rather than large solar production facilities on acres and acres of productive farmland, look to smaller scale facilities. When I worked for Fitchburg a large industry was going to be putting in a massive 400,000 one story square foot plant, to add to two other similar sized buildings. The then mayor and I asked them to consider solar, they said no. A couple years later the same company was looking to lease or purchase nearby farmland for--you guessed it--solar because customers are looking for how the company from which they buy is green. If they had spent the few dollars up front to strengthen the metal roof of the building, and it does not take much at construction time, they could have put solar panels on the roof. Think of the marketing to show solar panels on the roof of their production facilities. I suggested they find out if their buildings roof could hold solar panels, and if not what it would take to make them structurally capable but was, of course, rebuffed. Think also of all the parking lots they have to accommodate hundreds of cars, where solar could be constructed on slightly taller structures above the parked vehicles. Think of the benefit, no snow on your car parked under a solar panel. Of course, the land that corporation is looking at is now a solar power production facility for a power company and its developer. How about placing solar panels along our ribbon of highways?

Solar generating facility in Fitchburg, WI
Source:  Google Maps

There are a variety of costs to bring energy from afar, including economic and environmental. Not to mention the loss incurred by those who are required to provide an easement to their property for a transmission line. There is also the loss of energy by transmission, the Joule effect. I once had a farmer in Fitchburg, whose land has a large 138 kv transmission line run across it, that he could feel an effect farming near the line (stray voltage), and one day took a fluorescent tube and saw that it would light up.  I think that shows power loss. Anyway, placing solar panels on factory roof tops and over large parking areas places the generation of power closer to the load, hence less transmission loss, and a more efficient system. 

Look at the industrial roof tops
and 30 acre storm pond that could
have been used for solar panels
Source:  Google Maps

MGE likes the power the Fitchburg company uses and could have suggested that they, that is MGE, would pay to beef up the structure for the solar panels, but no one but the then Mayor and I would think ahead. Of course, because the company did not like it and it was suggested by me and the then mayor, the city Economic Development Dept did not like it. Creative thinking is required, but unfortunately, people look to the most convenient solution, even if it eats up farm land. In Japan they put solar panels over storm water ponds (I suggested that, too since they have many large storm ponds). It does not occur because this nation has a belief that our land resource is inexhaustible. Fitchburg has acres of a solar farm on some of the best farmland in the nation--an out wash glacial plain with deep rich soil, about as flat as flat can be.

The main reason I went in to city planning was to try and control sprawl, and to a large degree I think I was pretty successful, finding the proper balance, even if I pissed off Economic Development, and rural land owners who wished to develop. But, that is another story. What I did was think creatively. I tried to apply it to other areas, like the solar panel issue on a manufacturing roof, or over a 30 acre detention pond, but you always knew the council would do what the manufacturer wanted. Heck, the city even gave them significant Tax Increment District dollars. A subsidy for corporations and others. Why not apply a little more to accommodate solar panels on their roof?  You guessed it, Economic Development and the owner did not like the idea. 

Solar Array
Source:  Google images

In the meantime energy companies, have this love-hate relationship with solar.  They love it when they make the money off of it, hate it when private landowners use solar, and could make money. Then there is American Transmission Company, owned by power companies, which makes, if I recall correctly from when I testified against high voltage transmission lines for the city, a 7% or better annual return on investment. I think most of us would take such a return on investment. With this, they continue to use valuable farmland. At some point, perhaps, the nation will once again realize, like was done fifty years past, the error of our ways. Agricultural land, particularly the high quality land in Dane County, is a national resource. Unfortunately, most people, including local governments, do not see it that way. Land is being used as a commodity and government too many times assists in that use. Of course, the courts will rule with the power companies, there is too much money at stake. When I think of this issue, perhaps we are in a new feudal fiefdom, with power companies being the lord of the domain.  

The Girl Friend

My wife says that I have a girl friend named Alexa. We have two Amazon Echo Dots, one downstairs, and with poor radio reception upstairs we got a second one that we have in our bedroom. These devices work off the name Alexa. 

Alexa

I am not sure why she thinks of them as my girl friend. I tend to mostly use the device to find out the weather. Particularly in the winter when I am about to go outside it is nice to know weather conditions. At times in can be uncannily correct. Last summer for example, I came in from outside to ice my feet, and knowing the forecast was for rain in the afternoon, and I had more work to get done, I asked when will it rain--she said rain is expected in about 15 minutes, and sure enough, it started raining about 15 minutes later. Of course at times she is terribly off, but that is probably based on the forecast from which she works. My wife likes Alexa, too. She even changed some setting so I do not have to say "Alexa" at the beginning of each question when I have some questions in sequence. Thus, with weather, I say "Alexa what is the temperature" to which she answers, and follow with "what is the wind speed, and then after that answer "What is the windchill."

Pretty much everyday I play question of the day. So, those are the two things I use most. When getting into bed at night I may ask a question on what is the forecast for the next day.  I have, at times, asked it to answer more difficult questions, and she responds with something she found on the world wide web, which she refers to simply as the web. In the morning we ask for the news. Just this morning the wife asked her to turn on a news channel and she did not respond, but when I asked she did. Maybe she does like me better.

Alexa in Bedroom
Showing current time

Sometimes she is downright creepy, like a stalker. There was a time when she asked for my name and other information "To get to know you better." She kept asking and I kept refusing. I have not heard her ask that for awhile. I am not going to give such information to Amazon for their algorithm running geeks to get use my personal information some how. I am not sure how they track information, but one always wonders. Although such wondering does not keep me awake at night. 

If we need to be awake at a certain time in the morning we can have the device set an alarm, but the problem is we are usually awake and up before the designated time and we may forget to have her cancel the alarm. There are all sorts of things Alexa can do, and I suspect we use the bare minimum of what the capabilities the device has. For example, I think there is a way to synchronize to the calendar on the I-phone, but we do not have that set up. The newer Alexa has a display screen that will give temperature and perhaps a few other things. Since it is on the wife's side of the bed, I do not see it much.

Ask the weather and you get temperature

The girl friend does, like people, get mixed up at times. We had a problem with it playing one radio station and instead played a station from Minnesota. Another time, she was giving news from a few days prior. The wife changed something in her app to correct the problems. Sometimes she goes on and on, particularly after question of the day to get you to sign up for some more trivia and the related expense. One thing about Alexa is she is not watching you climb a hill in the backyard with snow and ice and when you come in makes a comment to the effect: "Was that a smart idea." 

Alexa can be snarky at times, or nice and polite.  I may say "thank you, Alexa" she may provide a nice response. Being an electronic device, I wonder if she keeps track of the same questions asked over and over again, and gets tired of a response? So, far, at least with the weather she has not, but then the weather is variable every day. 

Think Spring
For years I tried to get a flower and I 
found the secret, for this house

The thing is this is just another element of how we use technology. And, how technology changes and how we change with technology. The 1930 census had question that asked if the household had a radio--an idea for the government to get how people were adapting to this then new technology. I did not get a long census form for the 2020 census so I don't what is asked, but I am sure that Amazon knows how many they have sold, and to whom they were sold. Some may be gifts, but since Amazon is big tech they probably know where their devices are set up. 

The girl friend may be smarter than me--after all she gets the question of the day almost always right (I recall one time where the answer she said was correct was wrong). Getting up in the morning I can clearly hear the news without any static, and for that my girlfriend earns her keep. Of course, we would have a problem if the internet went out. The question form my wife is, do I have two girlfriends or just one?