On Father’s Day, back in June, we had lunch at Sentry World in Stevens Point. My brother was here and was able to join us for this special day, when we met our Appleton kids for lunch.

Being an avid golfer, my brother was quick to note that the U. S.

Senior Open Championship was to be held at Sentry World from June 29-July 2, 2023. I know a number of Stanley folks, who are Arizona snowbirds during the winter, and take advantage of seeing golf championships held in that state. Well, if your a golf enthusiast and want to attend the Senior Open in Stevens Point, you could be one of the more than 75,000 spectators who will be attending this event. If your interested in obtaining tickets you can purchase them at SentryWorld.com. If you need more information you can go to ussenioropen.com. I would doubt such an event will ever be closer for one to attend.

*** You asked! I was recently asked what is going on at St. Mary’s Czestochowa, Junction, as a construction wagon was noticed at the site. The answer is the church is getting new doors. The original doors date back to the construction of the church in 1949-50, so replacement was over due, according to one native. The front door on the parish house, located next door, was also replaced.

The church is a “chapel of convenience” and is available for Catholic weddings and funerals when requested. There is also a Sunday evening Mass, the last Sunday of the each month, at 8 pm.

*** Congratulations to Sheriu Jim and Nancy Kowalczyk who served as Grand Marshal’s of the Chippewa Fall Pure Water Days Parade on Saturday, August13. Sheriu Jim will be retiring as Chippewa County Sheriu come January 2023.

*** Any city/town, that has big dreams of a magic bullet coming their way related to industrial development, has to be more cautious when it learns what the Mount Pleasant experience turned out to be. In case you don’t know, the town of Mount Pleasant is a community with a population of 27,000 in Racine County. This is the community that in 2017 had local, state and federal ov cials celebrating Foxconn’s decision to locate its North American manufacturing plant there. The announced plans in 2017 included 13,000 jobs, $10 billion in planned spending, facilities that would cover 20 million square feet would be built, and in turn the manufacturer would receive up to $4.8 billion in state incentives.

Thus far, Foxconn is far short of what had been announced as their plans back in 2017. So far 1,454 jobs have been created, there is a 1 million square foot warehouse, a 260,000 square foot “smart manufacturing center,” a 120,000 square foot “multipurpose building” and a 100-foot tall glass globe on otherwise emp- ty farmland. Spending in five years since the project began has amounted to $672 million and the project size thus far is 1.4 million square feet. While what has been developed is substantial to the common eye, the town of Mount Pleasant and Racine County have invested nearly $1 billion to fund Foxconn’s incentive package. Now the town depends on Foxconn's tax bill to pay ou that debt. Foxconn’s tax bill is currently $15.6 million, but from 2023 to 2047 the tax bill will soar to $36 million. The question is how will Foxconn pay while generating little apparent revenue.

Time will tell. Back to the statement I made in the first sentence in this segment. Caution, should be the word that our elected of- ficials need to heed when dealing with taxpayer money. *** As you know from reading this column with any regularity, I like visuals related to numbers. Here is a current picture of the locations of the Fortune Global 500 Companies. Greater China has 145, the United States has 124, Japan has 47, Germany has 28, France has 25, United Kingdom has 18, South Korea 16, Switzerland 14, and Canada has 12. The rest of the 500 Global Companies are scattered in countries around the world and have 1-8 Global Companies within their borders. What is interesting, or alarming, is that Greater China had only a few Fortune 500 Companies in 2002 and now has 145. While the United States had nearly 200 in 2002 and now has 124. Europe in 2002 had sightly over 150 in 2002 and now has 127. The rest of the world had around 130 in 2002 and now have 104. While it may seem alarming, what has happened with China’s economic gains, my reaction is that this is a deterrent to China wanting a war that could destroy its economic progress of the last 20 years and that supports jobs for millions of people. Perhaps this is also why China has not been more verbal or openly helpful in Russia’s war in Ukraine.

*** Downtown Eau Claire continues its renaissance with the near completion of the L. E. Phillips Memorial Library, the building of a new Eau Claire Children’s Museum, a new Transit Center, a new co-op grocery store, more apartment complexes, a large new park, and the addition/expansion of Sojourner House, the downtown homeless shelter.

*** Did you know? In a previous article I had questioned if there would be enough charging station if we were going to have all the electric vehicles that the Big Three Automakers plan to have available by 2030. I recently read that the number of high speed electric vehicle charging stations that Xcel Energy wants to install across Wisconsin and Minnesota is 750. That may sound like a large number, but how many would that provide in each community? Certainly not one in each community in both states.

The verdict seems to still be out!

*** Smile time. Instead of cleaning house I just watch an epi- sode of hoarders and think WOW my house looks great.!! +++ Fun fact: There has never been a cave painting of a salad found.

+++ This is the first year we're not going to Hawaii because of COVID-19. Normally, we don't go because we can't auord it. +++ Pro-cooking tip: If you stir coconut oil into your kale, it makes it easier to scrape it into the garbage bag. +++ I don't care how nice the hand soap smells … you should never walk out of the restroom snivng your fingers. +++ If you ever get caught sleeping on the job, slowly raise your head and say, “In Jesus name, Amen." +++ Did you ever realize that Alexander Graham Bell's first telephone was absolutely useless until he made the second one? +++ When I was a kid, my parents taught me to not believe everything I saw on TV. Now I’m teaching them to not believe everything they see on Facebook. +++ Thought is an idea in transit. +++ The leading cause of injury in old men is them thinking they are still young men! +++ The diuerence between dog people and cat people: Dog people wish their dogs were peo- ple. Cat people wish they were cats. +++ Ovcer chatter: "If you want me to give 110 percent, I want a 10 percent raise.”

BY DAVID JANKOSKI