The GreenLifeXpo energy exposition on Saturday, September 17^th is fast approaching.  More than 40 agencies, organizations and businesses will join together at the National Guard Armory and American Legion Post 200 in Black River Falls from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. offering a variety of information on renewable and alternative energy, conservation, recycling and sustainable living.  A list of all the exhibitors can be found on www.greenlifexpo.com.  The entrance fee will be $2.00 for adults 18 and older and ages 17 and under will be admitted free.  A portion of the fee will be donated to the Black River Area Green School (BRAGS).  All attending will be issued wristbands to track attendance.

The majority of exhibitors will be inside the Armory; some will be outside on the grounds, including a Kids’ Green Zone under a large tent.  Here both youth and adults will have the opportunity to participate in hands-on learning activities with 4-H development educators from Barron, Trempealeau, Juneau and Jackson Counties.  Some of those activities will include using pinwheels to harness the power of wind, riding a bicycle to power light bulbs, learning fun ways to reuse recycled materials to make new things, participating in water conservation activities, and more.  Also in the tent, over the lunch hour, there will be a Green Story Time with Jody Hanneman from the Black River Falls Public Library.

In addition to the exhibitors, there will be a variety of presentations throughout the day in the Armory and Legion Hall.   The times, speakers and topics will be: Armory Classroom A  at  9:45 a.m. - Mike Herro, Manager, Community Service & Key Accountant Team, Xcel Energy, La Crosse, WI - “Xcel Energy’s Renewable Efforts and How that Impacts our Rate Payers;” 10:45 a.m. - Max Hart, Composter and Landscaper, Hart Compost, Black River Falls, WI - “Composting Tips;” 11:45 a.m. - Mark Gotta, Outreach Coordinator, Focus on Energy, Madison, WI - “It’s Your Turn…Energy Efficiency and You.  How Focus on Energy Can Help;” 12:45 p.m. - Mark E. Morgan, Owner, Bearpaw Design and Construction, Strum, WI - “Solar Thermal;” 1:45 p.m. - Trisha Wagner, Agriculture Agent, Jackson County UW-Extension, Black River Falls, WI - “Fruit Production for the Home Garden;” 2:45 p.m. - Joe Maurer, Site Assessor and Designer, Next Step Energy LLC, Eau Claire, WI - “Solar Energy for Your Home or Business: Possibilities and First Steps;” 3:45 p.m. Mark E. Morgan, Owner, Bearpaw Design and Construction, Strum, WI - “Sustainable Building.” 

Armory Classroom B at 9 a.m. - Brian Urlab, Sales Manager, Enertech, Inc., St. Paul, MN - “Introduction to Geo-thermal Heating and Cooling;” 10 a.m. - Michael Dearing, Principal, Driftless Solar LLC, Spring Green, WI - “Solar and the Green Life;” 11 a.m. Carol Jacobs, Coulee Region Herbal Institute, Winona, MN - “Local ‘Soda Pop’ Making;” 12 p.m. -Michael Milbach, President/Owner, VTI Energy a Division of Milbach Construction Services, Kaukauna, WI - “Enercept Structural Insulated Panels and TF Systems Insulated Forms;” 1 p.m. - Chris Schneider, President/Owner, “Hybrid Guru,” Honda Motorwerks, La Crosse, WI - “Alternative Transportation Options as it Relates to the Honda Product Line;” 2 p.m. - Phil Manke, Owner, S.P., At The Bridge-Practical Solar, Wautoma, WI - “The Reasons Renewable Energy is a Good Thing and Why We Should Not Wait for the Government to Make It So;” 3 p.m. - Jacob Hundt, Board Member, Driftless Folk School, Viroqua, WI - “The Folk School Movement- Building and Inspiring Community;” 4 p.m. - Michael Milbach, President/Owner, VTI Energy A division of Milbach Construction Services, Kaukauna, WI - “Enercept Structural Insulated Panels and TF Systems Insulated Forms.”

Legion Hall at 10 a.m. - Tom Stolp, Field Director, American League of Conservation Voters, Eau Claire, WI - “The Politics of Conservation;” 11 a.m. - Woodrow G. White, Ho-Chunk Nation Organic Gardening Cooperative, Black River Falls, WI - “Organic Gardening;” 12 p.m. - Scott Niesen, Waterfurnace Territory Manager WI/MI, Waterfurnace International, Cambridge, WI - “Geo-thermal Heating, Cooling, and Hot Water for Everyone.”

Also offered at the exposition will be bus tours, one in the morning departing from the Armory at 9:45 a.m. and one in the afternoon, departing at 12:45 p.m. Stops for both tours will include a view from the bus of the BRAGS Photovoltaic Project (solar panels at high school) and the Foundation Trail Project of Interpretive Signs to enhance the trail (geology, flora/fauna, prairie planning, etc.) and the home of Tom and Verona Chambers in the Township of Brockway.  In 2007, the Chambers partnered with WPPI Energy to pilot the first GreenMax Home in Wisconsin.  Their 3,100 square-foot, net-zero energy home was completed in the spring of 2009.  It is a contemporary, European-inspired home.

The morning tour will include a stop at the new Western Technical College, Black River Falls Campus, which is designed to be 40% more energy efficient than standard buildings.  It is designed to achieve a minimum of LEED™ Silver Certification, which will take place in 2012 when the entire building project is complete.

The afternoon tour will include the Hoffman Construction Company Building and 1906 Steam Engine Train, Black River Falls.  This geothermal building, built in 2003, has 20,000 feet of piping 6 1/2 feet down with seven heat exchangers on seven zones on the building.  There is also in-floor heating.  The geothermal has paid for itself and they have never had to use the electric backup. The 10-Wheeler Steam Engine Train was built by Baldwin in 1906 for the Warren and Ouachita Valley Railroad.  It was purchased by the Hoffmans in 2002 and is located on the building grounds along with other historic train cars.

From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking area at the Legion Hall, there will be free, secure destruction of sensitive, but outdated documents by Shred Safe of Marshfield.  This service is sponsored by Co-op Credit Union.  To serve the maximum number of people there will be a limit of three boxes per person.    Also, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking area at the UW Extension Office at 227 South 11^th Street, there will be electronic recycling by 5R Processors, Ltd.  This service was made possible by Jackson Electric Cooperative.  Many items will be accepted at no cost; however there will be a small fee for monitors, televisions, microwaves and loose batteries.  A list of items accepted and items with a fee is on the GreenLifeXpo website at www.greenlifexpo.com.

Throughout the exposition, the American Red Cross will be available to provide first aid services.  Also, there will be a private area in the Armory for infant care services.  Jackson County 4-H families will be involved in recycling, compost and waste efforts at the exposition as part of their on-going service project to divert biodegradable and recyclable waste from landfills.

Food will be sold in the Armory by members of 4-H who will be promoting local products.  Outside will be Brenda’s Fry Bread and Sandberg Valley Meats.  In the Armory from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Garrett Gilbertson and Jim Wall will entertain with acoustic rock music and from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Ron Liptow with country music.

There will be door prize drawings every ½ hour and, during the morning, WWIS radio will be broadcasting live from the exposition.  Parking will be available at the Health and Human Services lot across from the Legion Hall and at the Black River Falls High School with transportation to the Armory in horse-drawn wagons.  Handicap parking will be designated in the west parking lot at the Armory.  Parking signs will be posted.

Since you are reading this on your computer or smart phone, I wanted to take the opportunity to update you on what has been happening with internet search competition. As Chairman of the Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee, I convened a hearing today to examine the role of Google’s search engine on on-line competition and consumer choices. I had the opportunity to question Google’s Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt and wanted to share with you my comments at the hearing. 

Statement of U.S. Senator Herb Kohl

Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy & Consumer Rights

The Power of Google: Serving Consumers or Threatening Competition?

September 21, 2011

Today our Subcommittee meets to consider an issue that affects everyone who searches or does business over the Internet – in other words, almost everybody.  We will examine how the world’s dominant Internet search engine – Google – presents its search results to consumers and treats the businesses it competes with.  Our inquiry centers on whether Google biases these results in its favor, as its critics charge, or whether Google simply does its best to present results in a manner which best serves consumers, as it claims.            

At the outset I wish to stress that I come to this hearing with an entirely open mind and without any pre-judgment of these issues.  My goal is to provide both Google and its critics with a forum to air their views.  In examining these issues, we recognize the incredible technological achievements of Google and the need to avoid stifling its creative energy.  At the same time, we need to be mindful of the hundreds of thousands of businesses that depend on Google to grow and prosper.  We also need to recognize that, as the dominant firm in Internet search, Google has special obligations under antitrust law to not deploy its market power to squelch competition.            

 There can be no question of the astounding achievements of Google’s search engine.  Through the magic of its search technology, Google – a company literally started in a garage by two Stanford students less than 15 years ago – has done nothing less than organize all of the billions of Internet web pages into an easily accessible listing on the computer screen.  Sixty-five to 70% of all US Internet searches on computers, and 95% on mobile devices, are done on Google’s search engine.  Millions of people everyday run Google searches to find out the answer to nearly every question imaginable, including for the best and cheapest products and services, from electronics to clothing to hotels to restaurants, to give just a few examples.  And businesses equally rely on Google to find customers.                

 The basic premise of Google at its founding was that it would build an unbiased search engine -- that consumers would see the most relevant search result first, and that the search results would not be influenced by the web page’s commercial relationship with Google.  Its goal was to get the user off Google’s home page and on to the websites it lists as soon as possible.  As Google’s co-founder and current CEO Larry Page said in 2004, “We want you to come to Google and quickly find what you want. Then we’re happy to send you to the other sites. In fact, that’s the point.”           

However, as Internet search has become a major channel of e-commerce, Google has grown ever more dominant and powerful, and it appears its mission may have changed.  For the last five years or so, Google has been on an acquisition binge, acquiring dozens of Internet-related businesses, culminating most recently with its proposed acquisitions of Motorola Mobility and Zagats.  It now owns numerous Internet businesses, including in health, finance, travel, and product comparison.  This has transformed Google from a mere search engine into a major Internet conglomerate.  And these acquisitions raise a very fundamental question -- is it possible for Google to be both an unbiased search engine and at the same time own a vast portfolio of web-based products and services?  Does Google’s transformation create an inherent conflict of interest which threatens to stifle competition?           

In the last few years, Internet businesses that compete with Google’s new products and services have complained that Google is now behaving in a way contrary to free and fair competition.  They allege that Google is trying to leverage its dominance in Internet search into key areas of Internet commerce where it stands to capture from its competitors billions of dollars in advertising revenue.  Rather than fairly presenting search results, these critics claim that Google has begun to subtlety bias its search results in favor of its own services.  This conduct has the potential to substantially harm competition for commerce on the Internet, and retard innovation by companies that fear the market power of Google.                 

Antitrust scrutiny is not about picking winners and losers, but is about fostering a fully competitive environment so that consumers can fairly pick winners and losers.  As more and more of our commerce moves to the Internet, it should be the highest priority of antitrust policymakers that the Internet remains a bastion of open and free competition as it has been since its founding.  We need to protect the ability of the next Google to emerge, the next great website or application being developed in a garage in Silicon Valley or Madison, Wisconsin.  

Sincerely,

Senator Herb Kohl

From the website Reactual, here’s a master list of well-designed products still made in the United States. If only certain products are U.S.-made, you’ll see a “(only selected products)” note.
This list is compilation of similar lists on A Continuous Lean, Reddit, United States Of Design by Fast Company and American Obvious. 

You can find the list at REACTUAL durable,well designed tools

The regular meeting of the Common Council was held at City Hall in the City of Black River Falls on January 3, 2012 at 6:00 P.M.  Alderpersons Olson, J. Eddy, Gearing-Lancaster, Chojnacki, Johnson, Herman, R. Eddy and Rahmlow were present.  Mayor Danielson presided.

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It was moved by Alderperson Gearing-Lancaster, seconded by Alderperson Chojnacki to dispense with the reading of the minutes of the December 6, 2011 Council meeting.  Motion carried.

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