By Margaret Plevak/Contributor

At a time when "fresh" has become the buzz word for everything from coffee beans to sub sandwiches, Katie Bjorkman has the real goods. Bjorkman, who runs Earth Harvest Farm near Lake Geneva, sells her produce at two Walworth County farmers' markets, to a few area restaurants and to 28 subscribers of a community-supported agricultural program (CSA) she started this year.

When subscribers--who pay an up-front fee for 20 weeks of organically grown produce--pick up their weekly share of assorted vegetables from her farm, they know their lettuce, radishes and broccoli were picked only a matter of hours earlier and grown in fields that are mere yards away.

By their participation in a CSA program, subscribers are supporting local, sustainable and small-scale farmers, says Bjorkman, who holds a bachelor's degree in ecological agriculture. That subscriber shares in Earth Harvest Farm's own CSA have already sold out for 2008 is testament to a growing interest in eating locally.

Peg Reedy, agribusiness agent with Walworth County's UW Cooperative Extension, finds buying local makes sense for many reasons, including fresher food. Because most supermarket produce travels an average of 1,500 miles before it reaches store shelves, fruits and vegetables generally get to consumers days or weeks after being picked, losing flavor and nutrition along the way.

"Since the produce has to withstand the long trip, it is often harvested before it's ripe, and a lot of varieties grown for truck shipment have been developed specifically to stand up to shipping and long shelf life," Reedy said. "When you buy locally, you can often purchase heirloom varieties and those bred for great ripe taste."

The high cost of fueling trucks packed with long-distance produce is also taking more cash out of shoppers' wallets, Reedy believes.

"As food prices continue to climb, I think the argument that locally grown food costs more will be a less persuasive one and our local farmers will be more competitive with the mega farms from California who have the mega transportation costs," she said.

For Reedy and others, buying locally makes good financial sense overall, because money is circulated within the community and helps keep neighborhood farmers afloat.

"People really do feel good about supporting their local businesses, especially a family farm," said Colleen Henningfeld, who sells naturally raised beef, chicken and free- range eggs at Romari Farms in East Troy, now in its third generation of family ownership. "We also feel our customers understand they are supporting a way of farming, too, that's more sustainable and less factory-like."

Local producers have long contributed to the menu at Wildflower Café in downtown Elkhorn. Buffalo meat is purchased from Sorg's Meats in Darien and produce comes from area growers.

"We'll even make a run for beets to Michael Fields (Agricultural Institute in East Troy) in the middle of winter," said Wildfower co-owner Margaret Kowaleski.

During the summer, some of the herbs and vegetables featured in restaurant entrees come from co-owner Sandy Fisher-McKee's own half-acre garden. She even sells her organically grown produce to customers under the "Double Hoe Gardens" name.

Jack Kaestner, executive chef at the Oconomowoc Lake Club, uses area producers--including Delavan's Pinn-Oak Ridge Farm, which sells lamb, for about 35 percent of his restaurant's meals on a daily basis. Because he knows many chefs hesitate to take on the work of finding local producers, rather than simply contact a national food supplier like Sysco, he's also co-chairman for the Farmer Chef Connection, an organization which helps restaurant chefs find area farmers with produce or meats to sell.

"The one thing I tell people is that local food means local farms. I think people forget that. We lose that connection," Kaestner said. "But we're building those relationships again, and once chefs make that step, they don't go back."

The Farmer Chef Connection holds educational events for members that highlight local foods, such as a 2004 meal created by Walworth County chefs. At meetings, often held on farms, chefs may learn the differences between cage-free and free-range chickens, or grass-fed and grass-finished beef.

Education is a good idea for consumers, too, said Bob Van De Boom, who raises and sells lamb, chicken and eggs at VDB Organic Farms in Delavan.

Consumers should know how their food is raised, and buying locally lets them question producers directly on hormone or chemical use and livestock confinement.

"These are questions we are asked and can answer," he said. "Try doing that with meat bought at a supermarket."

Van De Boom worries some producers may be jumping on the "buy local" bandwagon for the sake of profit and will end up giving all local producers a bad reputation.

"I wouldn't buy local knowing that producers use genetically modified organisms, spray for weeks, abuse the land and mistreat their animals," he said.

"We started our farm to educate consumers. We arm them with what questions to ask other producers as to how they produce their products."

Reedy said consumers benefit by talking to growers at farmers' markets or even arranging to visit a farm where they buy meat or vegetables.

"With all of the food-borne illnesses, like the salmonella scare in fresh tomatoes, I like knowing my local farmer and how he raises my food," she said.

For more information, call 308-0335 or visit www.earthharvestfarm.com.

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People in Walworth County should be able to use their home phones and cell phones by 3 p.m. this afternoon, officials said.

Residents in parts of the county have been without phone service since a construction crew on Highway 50 damaged an AT&T Corp. fiber optic cable this morning, Walworth County Sheriff's Capt. Jay Maritz said.

Most of the home phones affected are in Delavan and Elkhorn, Maritz said. Phones in Whitewater, Lake Geneva and Pell Lake are working.

Depending on where a person is located and which company provides them with service, cell phones in Walworth County also are affected, he said.

"It's real hit and miss right now," Maritz said.

People can call 911 from their cell phones if they're getting service, he said.

Residents with land lines can call 911 from Elkhorn and Lauderdale Lakes -- even if their phones can't call anywhere else -- but the call is routed to the Walworth County Sheriff's Office, Maritz said.

Delavan residents can only call 911 from their cell phones, if they're working, he said.

Walworth County's 911 center uses Delavan's center as a backup, but Delavan also is down, Maritz said.

"It's kind of a double whammy," he said.

Dan Plutchak/Editor

George Carlin, the stand-up comedian who made legal history with his trademark seven dirty words, died last Sunday at the age of 71.

But those seven words weren't the only ones that got him in trouble during his long career, according to Fontana resident Jerry Pawlak.

Pawlak was the maitre d' at Lake Geneva's Playboy Club, now the Grand Geneva Resort and Spa, when Carlin was nearly thrown out of town after a show.

It was in 1974 or '75, Pawlak says, and Carlin was hired to perform in the Penthouse Room.

Carlin was still a relatively unknown comic, and as the story goes, he made a string of jokes about the Vietnam War that were not going over well with the predominantly conservative crowd.

Pawlak says he wasn't really paying attention to the act when someone came up and told him the audience wasn't responding well to the show.

Pawlak says he turned around just in time to see Carlin flip off the group and leave the stage.

"I've only had three people walk off stage on me," Pawlak said. "Joan Rivers, Buddy Rich and Carlin."

It got really nasty, Pawlak remembers. He says there was a Marine who wanted to go back stage after Carlin. Pawlak had to intervene to settle the serviceman down.

That night, Pawlak says, Playboy fired Carlin and he was never hired to play a Playboy Club again.

"It was terrible," Pawlak said. "We had to comp everyone for the show."

During its heyday in the 1970s, the Playboy Club's Penthouse Room hosted performers from Bob Hope to Sonny and Cher.

Pawlak, who is originally from Milwaukee, got his first job at the Playboy Club in 1968 as a bartender.

He worked his way up to become maitre d' of the Penthouse Room where he would make sure the right people got the 'ringside seats" to the stage show.

After leaving the Playboy Club, Pawlak worked at the Abbey for a while.

Now retired, he helps beautify Fontana by planting flowers.

Carlin's famous monologue, "The Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television," led to a 1978 Supreme Court case that affirmed the government's right to regulate indecent material on public airwaves.

Carlin's underground comedy eventually thrust him into the mainstream.

In later years, he was known for such gems as when he wondered,"If the black box in an airplane always survives a crash, why don't they make the whole thing out of the same material?"

Or, "What was the best thing before sliced bread?"

For his part, Pawlak says he doesn't like to speak ill of the dead, but he was no fan of Carlin's that night over 30 years ago. But he does wonder who else in the packed Penthouse Room remembers the show.

If you were there, add your recollection as a comment below

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As you read this issue of The Week, there's a better than average chance you are in sitting somewhere in Walworth County.

That should come as no surprise, because The Week is Walworth County's newspaper. We've covered Walworth County happenings and the people who live here for 30 years.

This past Monday, June 9, at 7 p.m., The Week launched another addition to our family of publications that includes our twice-weekly newspaper, seven magazines, four special sections and a Web site.

Our new site, WalworthCoGetaway.com, has taken nearly a year to create. WalworthCoGetaway.com is all about Walworth County: events, lodging, dining, things to do, communities and trip planning.

Trip planning?

Yes, trip planning--to Walworth County.

Consider this:

Only five other Wisconsin counties have more tourism revenue than Walworth County: Milwaukee County, Dane County, Waukesha County, Sauk County (Wisconsin Dells) and Brown County (Green Bay). Think about these areas and their draw. Do you know what attracts so many to Walworth County?

Research done during the process of building WalworthCoGetaway.com showed that nearly 85 percent of those who travel begin their planning online. They want a simple and complete tool to make their plans. How do you make your travel plans?

How have gas prices changed your plans? How do you think they will change the plans of others?

The results of a Walworth County economic impact study from 2007 further emphasize the importance of a county-wide approach to promotion.

The Week has the photography, the news gathering resources, the financial resources attached to the advertising resources and a significant interest in Walworth County, making us uniquely qualified to tell this area's story.

Putting all of the facts together, revenue opportunities became apparent. Conversations with most area chamber and visitor bureau leaders early in the process generated additional support for a unified approach to tourism.

The Week will now tell Walworth County's story to those outside our borders.

Overseeing this project for the last 10 months has been an incredible adventure for me.

The launch on Monday was only the beginning. There's plenty of work still to be done to keep the site fresh and increase the number of advertising partners.

WalworthCoGetaway.com will be a tool to create and share an itinerary, write and read reviews, send e-cards, request additional information, view photo galleries and more. Go to WalworthCoGetaway.com. It's simple, it's complete and it's attractive. When you find a local getaway online, take the next step. Go! Be a tourist in one of the top six destinations in the state, Walworth County. I'll see you there.

The author is director of sales and marketing for The Week.

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--- Altercation involved roommates

By Ted Sullivan/The Week

Two men remained in Walworth County Jail Thursday after two teens were stabbed in Whitewater earlier this week during an alcohol-infused argument that escalated throughout the night.

Jesus Hernandez Vargas, 25, and Orlando Loyo Montes, 26, appeared in Walworth County Circuit Court and were ordered held in jail on $10,000 cash bail. Both men are accused of attacking their roommates Tuesday night near their duplex on 214 S. Esterly St.

Officers went to their home at about 7 p.m. for a reported dispute, Whitewater Police Chief James Coan said Thursday. After the officers left the home, the roommates continued arguing.

One suspect grabbed a large butcher knife and speared an 18-year-old man several times in the chest and back, then stabbed the 16-year-old boy in the thigh and upper back, Coan said.

The second suspect is accused of beating the 16-year-old boy, Coan said.

After the attack, the alleged victims fled the duplex and went to a gas station on East Milwaukee Street near their home, Coan said.

Police went to the gas station at about 9:50 p.m. and found the 18-year-old man with wounds that appeared life threatening, Coan said. The 16-year-old boy had stab wounds and bruises on his face.

Both teens were taken to Fort Atkinson Memorial Hospital, Coan said.

The suspects also fled the duplex, Coan said, and Hernandez Vargas and Loyo Montes were arrested in a nearby backyard a short time later.

In court Thursday afternoon, Hernandez Vargas and Loyo Montes appeared on video from the nearby jail. Both men spoke to the judge through a Spanish-speaking interpreter.

"I didn't grab any knife," Loyo Montes said through his interpreter. "I didn't do anything."

Este Hart, with the Walworth County District Attorney's Office, told the judge the four roommates involved in the incident had lived in the duplex for a week. She said witnesses saw the attack, including men throwing kitchen pots at one another.

The attack remains under investigation, Coan said.

Hernandez Vargas and Loyo Montes face possible felony battery charges, and are expected to enter pleas after complaints are filed at a future date.

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--- Community support upgrades new facility

By Ted Sullivan/The Week

When the new Lakeland School of Walworth County opens for summer school in July, the generosity of the community will be felt throughout the building.

Sure, a pool is nice, but how about a therapy pool for students with physical disabilities? A gymnasium scoreboard is a necessity, but wouldn't it be great to give the kids a first-class wireless scoreboard like those at universities?

Lakeland School's $16 million budget is enough to provide the basics, but donations from area businesses and foundations are what provide the students with the extras, said Tracy Moate, director of special education for Lakeland School.

On Tuesday night, when the Walworth County Board of Supervisors met for their monthly meeting, more than $356,000 was donated to Lakeland School.

The supervisors, two of whom thanked the donors and the school for their outstanding work, voted unanimously to accept the money.

The donations included televisions, scoreboards, a recumbent bicycle, a therapy pool and a voice and data communications system. Many of the items will be used in the new school.

"I think this is another example of the outstanding support for Lakeland School," said Supervisor David Weber, who recently toured the school and called it "outstanding."

Nancy Russell, chair of the board, thanked the donors for supporting the school.

"That's one of the things I really love about Walworth County," she said. "All the people have a really generous heart."

Jim Drescher, president of the Geneva National Foundation, said Lakeland School is extraordinary.

He said the foundation supports organizations that provide help for people with disabilities. He added that people all over the world might someday look at Lakeland School to learn how to build a facility for children with disabilities.

"It's truly amazing," Drescher said.

In recent years, donations have helped the school add new technologies, benches, a courtyard and other perks, Moate said.

"It gives our kids the opportunity to have the extras in life," she said.

The donations for Lakeland School presented at Tuesday's meeting included the following:

--- The Geneva National Foundation donated $257,078 to expand the aquatic center to include a therapy pool.

--- The foundation donated $75,805 to upgrade the voice and data communications system at the new school.

--- The foundation also donated a recumbent bicycle to the school. The bike is worth $4,780.

--- The Friends of Lakeland School and the staff at Lakeland School donated $11,600 to upgrade the televisions at the new school.

--- All American Scoreboards, A.J. Phillips and the Kachel Family Foundation donated two scoreboards to the school. The scoreboards are worth $7,200.

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--- Eastview teacher scores big

By Donna Lenz Wright/The Week

Eastview Elementary teacher Karie Huttner hit a home run with her idea of using MP3 players to bridge the language and literacy gap for English language learners and their families.

Her idea, Cuentories, is so noteworthy that it was awarded the Murdock-Thompson Center for Teachers Summer Fellowship for Innovative Teachers Award and a $2,000 scholarship to take it to the next level.

"This has a lot of potential for students whose parents speak Spanish and students whose parents want them to learn Spanish," Huttner said.

Huttner's program uses MP3 players, slightly larger than credit card-sized digital audio recorders especially popular with kids and teens because they can listen to music through headphones without disturbing those around them.

Here's how it works:

Huttner's second grade students record stories in Spanish and English. Huttner uploads them onto MP3 players that kindergarten students take home and listen to with their parents through headphone splitters.

"MP3s are what kids are using," she said. "It's very important that parents be active in their children's education and this makes that possible with parents who speak only Spanish."

While the program was designed to help kindergarteners develop their reading skills, an unintentional benefit emerged when Huttner realized that Cuentories were also helping the second-graders' reading skills.

"The process also showed me what my students needed in their reading levels.

"They really enjoyed helping the younger students learn. It made them feel important that they were really helping them. Many times they were recording stories for their own younger brothers and sisters, and they really liked that too."

By the end of the year, Huttner had acquired 45 MP3 players and a bank of about 60 stories, some written by students themselves.

Rather than taking the $2,000 scholarship and buying more MP3 players, Huttner has opted to put it into savings and give it some thoughtful time before deciding where to spend it.

"I like to see this program expand to other schools," she said. "This has been one of the most inspirational programs for me as a teacher.

"And it's important knowing that what we're doing will be there for many years."

For more information, visit www.lakegeneva.eastview.groupfusion.net.

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