(upbeat music)
- Hello and welcome to In Wisconsin.
I'm Patty Law.
Each week we bring you stories about the people and issues
in our state.
This week, not in my backyard as the vote
of the Douglas County Board against a high
voltage power line, a vote that could impact every
energy user in the state.
Meet an artist who's putting a face
to the anonymous world of sweatshop workers
by using the very products they stitched together.
And learn how this mother is turning a tragic loss
into a lasting legacy.
We'll have all this plus a walk next
to a stunning waterfall in Wisconsin.
- Major funding for In Wisconsin is provided
by the people of a lion's energy who bring safe, reliable, and
environmentally friendly energy to keep homes, neighborhoods,
and life in Wisconsin running smoothly,
a lion's energy, offering energy saving
ideas on the web.
The Arrowhead Weston Power Line, connecting electric substations
near Duluth, Minnesota, and Wassa, has been talked
about and debated for years.
This summer, words turn into action,
as construction on the power line is set to begin.
Crews start construction in Marathon County
and work their way west to near Stanley,
then north towards Superior.
It's there in Douglas County that opposition to the
line could force a detour.
Art Hecket reports.
- In common sense, as at a 250 mile transmission line,
it's not the best idea for the people of Wisconsin
or the state of Wisconsin.
- The Arrowhead Weston Power Line
has generated controversy from the beginning.
The line is supposed to provide a backup connection
to power sources to the west by linking a substation near
Duluth with another near Wassa.
- This project is a major boost to the Upper Midwest's
electric infrastructure.
It helps support electric reliability
and in the entirety of the Upper Midwest
from the Dakotas down through Illinois.
- Private landowners and county officials objected
that the route was chosen for reasons that didn't involve
Northwest Wisconsin's needs.
- This line is designed and it's the only option
to get Manitoba Hydro Electricity
to the states on the east coast.
- American Transmission Company Vice President Mark Williamson
says the line will help the immediate area
because it includes a new substation near Storm Lake.
- So their local electric reliability is going to see
huge improvement in reliability.
- Once the state granted approval, the line's owner,
ATC, the American Transmission Company,
gained the power to condemn privately owned land
in the project's path.
Survey work began in the spring of 2002
and early 2005, the new poles were standing tall
along the 12 miles of the route on the Minnesota
side of the border.
- Once the line crosses into Wisconsin,
it will cut a near diagonal swath across Douglas County.
About 13 miles of that router on Douglas County
owned forest land.
That's triggered a debate that potentially has
statewide implications.
- Douglas County owns almost just under 300,000 acres
in County Forest Crop Land.
Biggest forest in the state, number fifth in the country.
- Which may be a stumbling block for ATC,
a utility cannot condemn land owned by a unit of government.
They have to have permission.
The answer from the Douglas County Board was, no.
- What the County Board said was that
we don't want the transmission line in Douglas County,
we don't want it to go across County Land.
- County Board chairman Doug Finns,
as he was in favor of at least talking to ATC
about using the county's land, but he was on the short
end of a 15 to 11 vote.
- The original proposal was to come through this field
and be approximately, I think, 300 feet from where my daughter
lives with her family, three grandkids.
- Supervisor Mark Liebert voted against the line.
He's been fighting the project since he learned
an earlier version of the route since abandoned
would run through his cow pastures.
- But now the line doesn't come here, why do you care?
- Because it don't belong on my neighbor's property either.
What we found is that this line was ill-conceived,
for profit, many alternatives to it.
And we just decided that if it was worth
fighting on our property, it was worth continuing the
fight on somebody else's.
- Other county supervisors like Woody Budnik
of Lake Nebagaman disagreed.
- We feel it will go through, and it would be
better for all of us if it went through
on county on land as opposed to
taking private land.
- This is some of Douglas County's land,
just south of Superior.
There are already lower voltage power lines nearby.
ATC isn't sure if it has to have the county's permission
to build the line here.
The law is unclear.
- We believe we do have the right,
based on the commission's state ordered certificate
of need and necessity that the county can't block that.
In the meantime, the commission knowing that this is vital
to the infrastructure, the state has also ordered us
to reroute on private land on that two and a half miles.
So we're gonna pursue both alternatives.
- But further to the south, there's another nine
miles of county land, ATC wants to cross.
Here there's an existing line exactly
where the new line would go.
We've already had court cases in this project
on the use of existing easements.
The courts have appelled existing easements identical
to Douglas County that yes, they give the utility the
right to rebuild the facilities to upgrade it, which is
what this project is about.
- All five lawyers that looked at this said
the laws changed in the late '70s
and they need to address a new easement on that right away.
- We need to get power through here
and we do have to make some sacrifices.
And admittedly, there are people who have concerns
about being an ISOR.
That's why we would like to see most of it on county land
on the existing corridor as we're looking at today
where they'll replace the two lines with actually
three lines in one poll.
- But one person who already has the new polls
on his property in Duluth isn't happy with that trade.
Carl Shitty and Homestead has had not won,
but two power lines crossing it as long as he's owned it.
- That's 110,000 volts.
- Wooden poles, wooden structures that blend in
with the background.
- Shitty and took these pictures of the old power lines
before they were replaced with the new taller steel poles.
- And these are minor.
For to have a power line on your property is normal.
To have an extremely high voltage power line is not.
To comprehend the size is very difficult.
Simply because if somebody tells you the structure's
going to be an average of 140 feet in height,
does anybody really realize what 140 feet is?
- Shudin says Minnesota power which built the line
and will transfer it to ATC offered him $200
for the use of his land.
He's now involved in a condemnation action,
a judge will rule on how much he's actually
entitled to receive.
Douglas County would also be entitled to money
for the use of the land.
ATC mentioned that in radio ads aimed
at motivating the county board to change its mind.
- Good idea.
We need some tax relief here.
And as soon as Douglas County grants the easements
for the use of the county-owned land for the power line,
it gets about $1 million.
- Right, and I think our friends ought to know
that all the power line needs is two and a half miles
of new right of way, most along a railroad corridor.
- Well, be sure to remind them.
- But the ads may not have had the desired effect.
- In fact, anything irritated people.
I mean, I don't want to be totally critical of ATC,
but I told them.
I told them that.
I told, they were corny.
- One way the county gets a transmission line
and prove for reliability and money.
The other way they get a transmission line
and prove reliability and no money.
- Douglas County's already said no to the line.
We think it's checkedmate now.
And why I think we're right.
Why I think the proof is right.
Why is ATC pushing with legislators
by the name of Montgomery to change the law?
- Leabards are referring to a bill proposed
by representative Phil Montgomery of Ashwaabadan.
It would allow utilities to condemn public land
as they already can condemn private land.
- There are certain things that are best done
at the state level and I would say the need for safe,
affordable, reliable energy is a very much fundamental
to the jobs creation and to the quality of life
and so how can you relegate that to 72 counties?
- Can you give condemnation authority
over a government identity?
I mean, it doesn't, it sounds bizarre.
What's next?
Walmart gets the condemnation in the city superior?
- Construction on the line will start in central Wisconsin.
The Marathon County Board has already given approval
to cross through its county forest land.
ATC is now seeking court orders to force the Douglas
County Board to comply.
(upbeat music)
Our next story features the socially conscious work
of Milwaukee artist Theresa Agnew.
Agnew's latest art project deals with sweatshop labor,
a labor force that fuels our clothing industry.
Producer Lori Gorman reports that Agnew decided
to give a public face to those nameless workers
using some very big name brand clothing labels.
Milwaukee artist Theresa Agnew is on her way to get the mail.
She gets a lot of mail.
All right.
I got one of these, the articles too large for your box.
I love those.
This is so fun.
Hey, Australia, Nova Scotia, cool.
How did they find out?
- That was a good day.
- And once in all these letters and packages
from Nova Scotia, Australia, and other locations
across the globe, labels, clothing labels to be exact.
- For customs, contims, little fabric labels, no value.
For US customs, these labels may have
no value, but for Theresa Agnew, they are the precious
raw materials for her latest work of art.
- Wow, very organized.
Great, black, excellent.
This is a little more involved than just like going to the,
Utrecht Arts Applied Store.
It's a lot more fun.
This is just what I need today.
This is like what I need today.
Although she works alone, this piece is an
international collaboration.
Portrait of a textile worker, a quilt made entirely
of garment labels, has been two years in the making
and would not have been possible if not for the hundreds of
these letters and packages filled with labels.
- All right.
Little contrast black.
I'm just kind of floored that people are this generous,
they're time and energy.
But it's so cool.
It's like I want to meet, I feel like I know them, you know?
The last of the labels I have to send you,
thanks for honoring labor.
Cool. Theresa Agnew is no stranger
to what could be called art with a message.
Previous works include the DOT straightness things out.
The Wisconsin Workers Memorial at Zither Union Square
in downtown Milwaukee.
We rebuilt a new gazebo out of salvaged tools and gears
and things that you would associate with the workplace
and practice bomber range in the Mississippi flyway.
Her work can be found in the collections
of the Smithsonian American Art Museum,
Renwick Gallery and the Milwaukee Art Museum.
This latest work, based on a photo by
Charles Kernahan, Executive Director of the
National Labor Committee, is a black and white portrait
of a textile worker in Bangladesh.
Inspiration began with an invitation.
- How would you like to come to this talk at UWM
to women are coming from the Chentex plant
in Nicaragua to talk about working conditions there.
- No, it's just one thing to hear all about
how bad sweat tops are, but it's a completely
different thing to meet the people that we're
talking about here.
And I was so impressed.
I thought they were brave and smart.
And I just thought, these are the hardest
working people on the planet.
They deserve to be treated a lot better
than they're being treated right now.
About six months later, I was walking through
a department store and I was seeing the names
of all these designers, Calvin Klein, Liz Clayborn,
Kathy Lee, Tommy Hilfinger signs.
And I just stopped and I was like,
okay, but what are the names of the workers
that made these things?
And it was just like one of those things
where it popped into my head, hey, I should make a
portrait of a textile worker out of clothing labels.
One of the things about meeting the two women
was that it wasn't a sob story.
I mean, these were like brave smart women
that were working 12 to 17 hours a day
and they were hopeful.
So anyway, I thought this absolutely
cannot be a sob story.
I want an image of a worker that commands respect.
A piece about work, a piece about the hidden
cost behind the label.
Portrait of a textile worker was unveiled in late January
at the Sharon Lynn Wilson Center for the Arts in Brookfield.
How many of these are you gonna sign?
I'm gonna have a real vision to put that all together.
- Why?
Why? - She's put voice to all
those women's whispers of the work that they do
and intertwine the mentor to one voice.
I just can't believe it.
To see pictures of it is one thing,
but to see it up close, the details,
the fingernails, everything is just unbelievable.
- Working on this piece has given Tari Sagnew
a new way of seeing.
- Great.
- Oh, I love these.
These are so great.
- What do you see when you-- - A gradation, a
ready-made gradation.
So if I was doing a drawing, this would all be like
black cross hatching and it moves over
to this light white.
So these are really great for transitions
from light to medium.
This medium has a lot of possibilities.
I mean, one thing that I really like about it
is that it's all about taking pieces
and putting them together.
I runnees in the world that we see all the time
because I think that's what we do in our minds
is we separate them and we put things in categories
and we don't connect them.
And I think that's the most exciting thing about quilting,
really. You see, actually a
very intimate portrait because it's like she's in
her own little space there, concentrating and I always
wonder what she's thinking.
I mean, what I want people to do is just remember her face.
And work for making sure that people that make the things
that we use every single day are treated well
with appreciation, you know.
From small bits of cloth gathered from around the globe,
Teresa Agnew has pieced together an image she hopes
would connect with the viewer, an image of the
face behind the label, a portrait of a textile worker.
Teresa Agnew tells us her portrait of a
textile worker quilt will be on display at the
University of Wisconsin-Mewaki this fall as part of the
Noel Fellowship exhibit.
You can find more information about the dates
by logging on to our website at www.wpt.org/inwisconsin.
Prince of Agnew's previous works will also be shown
at that exhibit.
And Agnew says she hopes to include concept drawings
for her next big project as well.
We move now to a story about another woman working
to make a difference.
Dasha Kelly is a spoken word artist.
One of her most powerful performance pieces
deals with the very raw pain that comes
from personal tragedy.
But Kelly isn't just using words to heal her pain.
She's taking action that will ultimately help others.
Fredrika Freiberg has her story.
I can't help but wonder if people can
read the one-line poem on my face, "The lyrics
of four Waterlogged Words, my son died today."
My son.
It was surreal.
You're being seated by the cardiologist.
And he's a specialist in particular heart defects.
And I want to speak with you.
He's going to need a heart transplant.
And every cliche you hear from novels and from movies
where the room goes still and your heart stops.
And you can hear your blood pulsing in your ears.
All of that happens.
It really happens.
And you're trying to process that I hear in real life.
No, that's an ABC after school special, not me, really.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
But it was her.
Doctors had told Dasha Kelly that her plump
and outwardly healthy newborn had a rare and
serious heart defect.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
He was such a big, well-grown young man.
It was very difficult to-- and certainly for the parents
to comprehend that he had this degree of heart abnormality
that required immediate listing for heart transplantation.
Even with their newborn on the heart transplant list,
Kelly says the family concentrated on
just being hopeful.
And they had reason to hope.
Baby Chase sailed through tests and surgery
to maintain him while he awaited a donor heart.
Doctors too believed he handled the stress of surgery well
and was out of immediate danger.
And so while waiting for a new heart,
he was flourishing at home to the point
where the family started trying to return to a normal schedule.
But that was not to be.
When he died suddenly, really at his daycare,
it was quite a shock.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Chase died of a sudden cardiac arrest,
a risk everyone knew about, but hoped
would not happen before an organ became available.
He was just over four months old.
My son, he was four months too young to sing with angels
or dance inside the circle of the ancestors.
And I looked into my palms and see what stretches to the sky.
And I had four water-loved words.
And these are the words that scratch tick
marks into my tongue just to see how many times
my soul might fall apart and slap itself back together.
Dasha Kelly is a writer.
She put her grief into words before a recent audience
that the club she owns with her husband.
I also signed my name into a lifetime membership
whose dues are burned into my flesh.
They're burned into my flesh.
Amoresco tapped into the heavens series of numbers and symbols
to 18-628-2004.
Dash, I love you.
Dash, I'll miss you.
Dash, I wish you could have stayed.
Period. Chase's doctor says a heart
transplant would have saved him.
We're in the business of trying to help families.
And when you disappoint a family in this fashion
and feel that your hands are tied because of the inadequacy
of donor organs, it leaves you feeling very empty.
Pluck the fox on my lifeline that stretch
my skin into my dreams.
Dasha Kelly tries to fill and heal that emptiness,
not just with words, but action.
It fuels me because it gives me--
it gives my grief a sense of purpose.
It gives-- it makes it for nothing.
It makes it for nothing.
It makes the pain and the tragedy and the tear,
then the fears, and all the things that came
with that experience.
It made that into nothing because this one opportunity
is greater than all of that.
And I just am grateful.
The opportunity that helps erase this mother's grief
comes by way of helping others, working with children's
hospital of Wisconsin.
Kelly established Chase's gift, a memorial fund in his name.
Money raised will help spread awareness about pediatric organ
donation. No matter what we're doing and
no matter how good we're trying to do it, we still lose about
a third to a fourth of the kids because they are so sick.
There's not enough organs to go around,
and they're not going to get an organ in time
to prevent something bad from happening.
Dr. Berger says right now in Wisconsin,
five children are waiting for a donor heart.
He says awareness programs get parents
thinking about how they could help others if their own child
were to die unexpectedly.
This thing very cold, and it seems very grotesque.
Especially when you're looking at an infant,
but the reality is there are children that
are literally dying for those organs.
I think it's phenomenal that she's doing this.
Her efforts will certainly save other lives,
and I think it's just fantastic.
Kelly's work will not, of course, help her own child.
But for her, it means through Chase's gift,
he will live on to help other children.
(soft music)
Burying your own child moves you to the front
of that grown-up line.
In fact, it kind of moves you off the side
where you find other silent members of this secret club
dapping each other with their eyes,
wearing uniform undergarment that have
been stitched in grief.
And together we hum harmonies of a fight song
that we go into whenever we find our daydreams,
fracturing to a mosaic of that one nightmare memory.
But we still keep walking, keep praying,
keep dancing, keep believing, keep trying,
not to let those tears be shed in vain.
We make a pledge to keep on living.
And I keep those four words forever
tucked beneath my tongue.
I recognize that my son, he was not at this place.
He came the same way he left, an angel.
So I have to smudge away the lyrics of my one line poem
and change it so it reads, my son did not die today.
He just went home.
- Do that.
(audience applauding)
- Dasha Kelly held a slumber party fundraiser
a few months ago.
The event raised a total of about $6,500
for the Chase's Gift in Downman Fund.
Kelly plans to make the slumber party
an annual fundraising event.
You can get more details about the Chase's Gift
in Downman Fund by checking out our website at
www.wrg/inwisconsin. And that's our
program for this week.
Thanks for joining us.
We leave you with a walk next to a lush waterfall
in Governor Dodge State Park in Iowa County.
For Inwisconsin, I'm Patty Low.
See you next time.
(water flowing)