LARSON REPORT
NEWSLETTER
August 11, 2016
CONTACT ME
Please feel free to contact me with any concerns or opinions you might
have.
Office Phone: (608) 266-7505
Toll-free Phone: (800) 361-5487
Email:
Sen.Larson@legis.wi.gov
Mailing Address:
State Capitol
P.O. Box 7882
Madison, WI 53707
Website:
Find Me on Facebook and Twitter:
COMMUNITY
EVENTS
Supporting our neighbors and being involved in our community is of the utmost importance. Some community events that might be of interest to you and your family are listed below.
Friday Fish Fry in
the Parks
Date: Every Friday through Labor Day Weekend from 4 p.m. to 8
p.m.
Description: Enjoy your Friday evening with a fish fry at one of
Milwaukee's beautiful county parks.
CLICK HERE to learn more.
Jazz in the Park
Date: Thursdays, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. through September
Location: Milwaukee
Description: Jazz in the Park is a weekly event featuring a wide
array of musicians that takes place in Milwaukee's Cathedral Square
Park. Concerts will start at 6 p.m. on Thursdays, but people are
encouraged to come socialize and enjoy happy hour beginning at 5 p.m.
CLICK HERE for more information.
Cathedral Square Park
520 E Wells St
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Irish Fest
Date:
August 18 at 5 p.m. through August 21 at 10 p.m.
Location:
Milwaukee
Description: Milwaukee's Irish festival offers an
experience that can only be rivaled by visiting the Emerald Isle.
Attendees can enjoy musical performances, traditional Irish dance,
authentic cuisine, a dog show, Gaelic poetry readings, theater events,
and more.
CLICK HERE for more information including an entertainment line-up
and admission deals.
Henry W. Maier
Festival Park
200 N Harbor Dr, Milwaukee, WI 53202
Taste of Egypt Festival
Date: August 22, 23, and 24
Location: Oak Creek
Description: St. Mary & St. Antonious are organizing a great
festival to give a sense of Egypt, from the unique ethnic food and drink
to the unique Coptic music and the sophisticated Coptic history and the
wonders of the camel rides and the beautifulness of the Egyptian
antiquities and souvenirs. The Egyptian ethnic food is made fresh and
served fresh daily. The cookies are all from natural ingredients and
homemade, they are mouth-watering and they melt in your mouth. The
souvenirs are all Egyptian and attractive and unique. The festival,
tour, and parking are free, the merchandise prices are very reasonable.
Come and join us in this one of a kind experience and you will enjoy it.
CLICK HERE for more information, including event times.
St. Mary & St. Antonious Coptic Orthodox Church
(MAP)
1521 W Drexel Ave
Oak Creek, WI 53154
Wine & Vine
Date: Saturday, August 27 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Location: St. Francis
Description: Celebrate the Grape arbor's 100+ years by drinking
wine, beer, tea and coffee, and sample food from participating
restaurants and vendors in the area. All proceeds will go to
refurbishing the 1912 Grape arbor and developing the surrounding green
space.
CLICK HERE for more information.
St. Francis of Assisi Convent
(MAP)
3221 S. Lake Drive.
St. Francis, WI 53235
Meeting on Civil Rights and Hate Crimes
Date: Monday, August 29 from 1 p.m. to 4:30 pm
Location: West Allis
Description: The Wisconsin Advisory Committee (WAC) will be
holding a public meeting regarding civil rights and hate crimes in
Wisconsin. The event will also feature speakers from the Hmong community
who will discuss the impact of the Hmong hunter incidents of the past
few years and how to combat future hate crimes like these.
For more information, CLICK HERE.
Hampton Inn & Suites
8201 W Greenfield Ave.
West Allis, WI 53214
Dear Wisconsin Neighbor,
You wouldn't know it by the hot weather we have been having, but
Wisconsin's summer will soon be coming to a close and our kids will be
headed back to school.
Many families in our state will be
taking the next few weeks as an opportunity to explore Wisconsin, by
going to a favorite picnic spot at a park or checking out an attraction
they haven't been to before.
However, it's not just Wisconsinites that enjoy our great state. Many
people visit Wisconsin with their friends and family to take part in the
wonderful outdoor recreational and other unique opportunities we offer.
This week, the Larson Report will be
discussing our tourism industry and it's importance to our economy.
Plus, I've put together some ides for you and your family as you look to
enjoy a last vacation of the summer.
In Service,
Chris Larson
State Senator, District 7
A robust travel and tourism industry is crucial to a strong Wisconsin economy. In 2015 alone, the industry contributed $19.3 billion to our local economy. During my time in the State Senate, I've have strongly believed in the power of promoting and supporting existing resources, industries, and businesses that make Wisconsin a wonderful place to live and visit. Wisconsin has a lot of great things to offer residents and visitors alike, and it is the responsibility of legislative leaders to encourage healthy growth in our tourism industry.
Our
state provides its citizens the opportunity to experience big-city
living or life in a small town; is home to gorgeous natural resources
such as trails, parks, lakes and rivers; and offers exciting
entertainment and cultural events. From kayaking around the Apostle
Islands in Bayfield, WI to enjoying events in the City of Festivals
(Milwaukee), we must make sure that residents and potential visitors are
aware of these amazing opportunities and also encourage them to explore
Wisconsin further.
With the national economy improving and gas prices low, Wisconsin has an
opportunity to promote our state as a prime place to visit. Doing so
generates more money for our communities and small businesses. For
instance, in 2015, for every $1 the Wisconsin Department of Tourism
spent on promoting Wisconsin, we saw $8 in returned revenue. Last year,
the tourism economy generated $1.5 billion in state and local revenue,
saving Wisconsin taxpayers $640 per household.
Ski and snowmobile tourism is a massive industry that fuels our state's
economy as is fishing and hunting. However, a lesser known -- but
quickly growing -- economic driver in our state is bicycling. A recent
study done by the UW-Madison Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies
found that the economic impacts seen with biking is nearly the same as
the aforementioned activities.
Biking is a pastime of out-of-state visitors and residents alike. In
fact, according to a 2006 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
study, 49% of Wisconsinites enjoy biking for recreation, making it one
of our state's most popular outdoor activities. Biking contributes $924
million in tourism annually -- of which $535 million is from visitors.
In
addition to directly benefiting the health of our economy, Wisconsin has
had some of its top attractions receive nationwide attention. Just last
month, Travel Wisconsin highlighted a few Wisconsin places that were
mentioned in various publications, for instance:
- Time Magazine featured Eau Claire's growing music scene in its summer series, "Reasons to Celebrate America."
- Door County was featured in the Wall Street Journal in an article about the "Classic, All-American Summer Vacation."
- Sundara Inn & Spa was named one of the "10 Best Destination Spas in the U.S." and "5 Best Resort Hotels in the Midwest" on Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards for 2106. The American Club at Kohler was also on the list of the "5 Best Resort Hotels in the Midwest."
- Coast Living magazine named Port Washington one of the top 10 harbor communities in the United States.
- Bradford Beach in Milwaukee was voted the third best urban beach in a USAToday.com 10 Best Readers' Choice poll. The city of Milwaukee was also featured on Fodor's Travel, and in the Chicago Tribune for its award-winning restaurants and chefs.
A Comprehensive Approach to
Investing in Tourism
In order for Wisconsin to
remain competitive in tourism and continue to build recognition
nationwide, we must look beyond just the budget of the tourism
department itself. If our roads are in disrepair, our lakes are unsafe
or unpleasant to enjoy, or our parks are poorly maintained, not only
could this cause harm to the health and pocketbooks of the everyday
Wisconsinite, but we will see the negative effects spill into our
tourism industry as well.
Safe Roads for Both Residents and Visitors to Travel on
In response to a letter Governor Walker sent to his Department of
Transportation secretary telling him not to ask for any new money in his
budget request for the anticipated 2017-19 state budget. A Wisconsin
business owner and tourism leader -- Tom Diehl --expressed his concerns
with the governor's reckless transportation record by stating, "99%
of the customers who come to Door County or the Dells are driving here.
So the infrastructure of roads and the highway system is critical...They
want to make sure the area they're going to will be safe and they want
to make sure that getting there is safe."
Wisconsin AAA has backed up these safety concerns through conducting
surveys. Some of these surveys have found that up to 70% of travelers
are concerned about the state of the roadways they will be traveling on.
Preserving
our Parks and Wildlife Areas
Enjoying Wisconsin's beautiful parks and bike trails means we must
invest in preserving and maintaining them. Despite no other state in the
nation having an entirely self-sufficient park system, the governor and
legislative Republicans recklessly slashed all of our state's
investments in our state parks, opening the door to higher user fees,
which could restrict access. Our parks system is made up of 46 state
parks, 14 state trails, four recreation areas and two national scenic
trails.
According to Department of Tourism
Secretary Stephanie Klett, research also shows that state parks are one
of the top reasons visitors come to Wisconsin. When the governor
recommended striping funding from our parks, she urged Wisconsinites to
contact their legislators, noting that well-maintained parks are crucial
to our tourism economy.
Investing in our parks not only maintains and enhances Wisconsin's
beautiful landscape, but it provides our residents with a fun, safe, and
clean place to spend their free time. Cutting funding to our parks makes
it harder for residents to enjoy them. Our parks should be accessible
for everyone to enjoy.
Protecting our Shared, Public
Waters
As mentioned in a previous Larson Report, our culture and economy are
intertwined with our water, making preservation and protection efforts
incredibly important. The quality of our waters directly affects
recreation, tourism, public health, and property value.
As a state that thrives on recreation and tourism, a decline in the
quality of our waters means fewer visitors, not to mention limiting our
freedom to be healthy and have a good quality of life. One example is
Long Lake, which was once a trophy largemouth bass fishing lake. Long
Lake has gone from having cool water depths of 20 feet to now being
barely more than a chain of puddles. The good fishing is no more and
property values have plummeted.
With over 100 million people
visiting our state annually, protecting our shared resources and growing
our tourist industry is of great importance. Looking ahead to the next
session, which begins in January 2017, I look forward to working on ways
to make Wisconsin a better place to play, live, and visit. This means
ensuring we have quality, accessible parks, safe water to drink,
pristine lakes and streams for all to enjoy, and safe local roads.
End of Summer Exploration!
As the summer comes to a close, Wisconsin families are getting ready
for kids to go back to school and for the crisp fall air to return. For
many, this means planning one last family vacation before their
schedules are filled with soccer practice, piano lessons, and student
council fundraisers.
I
hope you are able to go out and discover all Wisconsin has to offer! In
fact, Travel Wisconsin has put together a list of "Nine Last Chance
Vacations," which includes:
- Going Tubing on the River -- A full list of rafting and tubing rental locations is included on the Travel Wisconsin website.
- Going to a Drive in Movie Theater -- Did you know that Wisconsin has ten drive-in theaters?
- Catching a Baseball Game in Wisconsin -- Enjoying a Brewer game with friends and family is a Wisconsin favorite, but our state is also home to several semi-professional teams!
- Checking out the Racetrack -- Experience Wisconsin motorsports, including our state's only NASCAR-sanctioned asphalt race track in La Crosse.
- Visiting the World's Greatest Water Parks -- You'll find a complete listing of Wisconsin's water parks on the Travel Wisconsin website, including every Wisconsin kid's favorite: Noah's Ark.
- Visiting the Green Bay Packers Training Camp -- Check out the Green Bay Packers as they prepare for their season and stop by the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.
- Visiting the Ocean-like Beaches of the Great Lakes -- Dig your toes into the sand at one of the beaches along Wisconsin's Great Lakes coastline.
- Hiking Underground -- With the hot weather we've been having, you may enjoy cooling off in one of Wisconsin's caves. Cave of the Mounds in Blue Mounds and Crystal Cave in Spring Valley are some favorites.
- Enjoying Some of Wisconsin's Best Ice Cream -- It's probably no surprise that the Dairy State has a wide array of locally made ice cream and frozen custard to enjoy, including Milwaukee's Leon's Custard.
Don't forget that my office can provide you with a free Wisconsin Event Guide. Email me at Sen.Larson@Legis.WI.Gov with your name and home address to get your Wisconsin Event Guide today!
I want to hear from you! Therefore, I created a 2016-2017 Neighborhood
Survey asking about various issues that are important to our community
and our state. Your input is greatly appreciated and will help me
prepare for session to resume in the coming months.
My staff and I will be working hard to deliver as many surveys
door-to-door as possible during the next couple months. Additionally, I
have also made this survey available online.
Click here to download and print a copy of this survey, which you
can return to my office via mail, email, or fax upon completion.
Click here to take the survey online.
I look forward to hearing your views on these important issues! As
always, please do not hesitate to contact me about any state or
community matters important to you
I
currently have openings for legislative intern positions in my
Madison office. A legislative internship is a great opportunity for
students and recent graduates to learn more about the legislative
process while gaining practical work experience. Intern responsibilities vary, but include policy research, summarizing proposed legislation, and responding to constituent inquires. All interns also assist with general office operations, including answering the phone.
Applicants must be able to work during normal business hours, and dedicate a minimum of 10 hours each week to the internship. All intern positions are unpaid.
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