Cap Times: Carl Bernstein with David Maraniss Coming to Idea Fest Sept. 15

Read Paul Fanlund’s full column here

Early in his memoir about his entrée into newspapering, Carl Bernstein recalled his first time a big story broke — an “eruption” he called it — at the now-defunct Washington Evening Star.

“A police call on the city desk squawk box reported the possible electrocution of at least two victims at one of the city’s public swimming pools,” Bernstein wrote. The supervising editor motioned over a team of reporters and gave them instructions. Bernstein watched as they tore out in separate directions — to the scene of the accident, to two local hospitals and to police headquarters. A 10-year-old boy and a lifeguard who tried to save him had been electrocuted. An electrician had been repairing wires on the pool and his 9-year-old son, who was with him, had tragically turned on a switch.

Seventy-five minutes or so after the police dispatcher’s first call, the last paragraph of an extensive story was reaching the newspaper’s composing room to be set into type.

“I felt, for the first time, the adrenaline rush of a newspaper rising to a story,” Bernstein wrote.

He was 16 at the time and barely paying enough attention to his formal education to finish high school, but he was getting his preferred education as a newspaper copy boy, the first rung on a ladder that would lead to immortality as co-author of the Washington Post’s reporting on Watergate, arguably the most consequential investigative journalism in U.S. history.

Next month, people in Madison will get the chance to hear Bernstein talk in person about his colorful early career, his Watergate recollections and the ongoing era of Donald Trump.

And it won’t be just any conversation with an ordinary interviewer.

Bernstein will be interviewed by his longtime friend and fellow Washington Post icon David Maraniss. Both are Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists and acclaimed authors.

Any interview by Maraniss is special. He is perhaps Madison’s most accomplished author and journalist, a West High School graduate whose father, Elliott, was once editor of the Cap Times. A fixture of Cap Times Idea Fest since it began in 2017, Maraniss has invited many national figures to Madison, starting in the first year with Marty Baron, then the Post’s top editor.

Through the years, I have personally thanked Post notables such as Baron, Dan Balz, Amy Goldstein, Carol Leonnig, Alexandra Petri, Catherine Rampell and Phil Rucker, among others, for making the not-all-that-easy trip to Madison. They often cite their admiration of Maraniss as a colleague, friend and, in some cases, as a mentor.

The Bernstein-Maraniss conversation will be a limited-capacity weeknight session of Idea Fest, new for us, that requires a separate ticket to benefit the independent local journalism of The Capital Times.

The $125 price (discounted for Cap Times members and for those purchasing tables) includes drinks, appetizers and a copy of Bernstein’s latest book, which was quoted above: “Chasing History: A Kid in the Newsroom.” It’s not about Watergate, but about Bernstein’s 15-year apprenticeship in the newspaper business.

The event is at 7 p.m. on Thursday night, Sept. 15, in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, and you can purchase tickets here.

I am biased, of course, but I think this will be one of the most memorable, even historic, conversations we have hosted in what is now our sixth annual thought festival.

For me, that’s in part because Bernstein and reporting partner Bob Woodward (whom Maraniss interviewed for Idea Fest in 2020) inspired a generation of baby boomers to enter journalism after Watergate in the late 1970s. The romance and public service of what they did contributed to a glut of would-be journalists trying to elbow into the profession. Trust me, I recall that part all too well.

Bernstein’s account of big, breaking stories also struck a chord, reminding me of some of Madison’s biggest local stories in recent decades that I was part of as a reporter and editor at the Wisconsin State Journal. One was the tornado that terrorized tiny Barneveld in the overnight hours in June 1984, killing nine; another was a shattering double homicide at the City-County Building by a young man named Aaron Lindh in 1988; and a third the 1993 post-game stampede at Camp Randall Stadium after the Badgers defeated Michigan that injured and nearly killed scores of fans.

Those stories, like Bernstein’s many examples, involved all-hands-on-deck journalistic teams making sense of chaos and providing depth, breadth and context for next-day print newspaper readers before the internet changed the delivery of news.

Bernstein’s book describes his many early-career experiences on stories from the Kennedy administration to the civil rights movement, but he writes most colorfully about a spellbinding array of crimes and accidents and explains how he and more veteran reporters somehow managed to wrangle information.

Woodward, his Watergate-era partner, described Bernstein on the book’s jacket as “one of the great reporters of all time. He taught himself the genius of perpetual engagement that led us to Watergate: watching, looking, questioning and overwhelming the moment. His rules — go anywhere, listen hard, push and push some more — are, to this day, the touchstone of investigative reporting.”

Two months ago, to mark the 50th anniversary of the break-in at Democratic headquarters in the Watergate office building that culminated 26 months later in President Richard Nixon’s resignation, Bernstein and Woodward co-authored an opinion page reflection for the Post comparing the Nixon era to the years of Donald Trump.

“Both Nixon and Trump have been willing prisoners of their compulsions to dominate, and to gain and hold political power through virtually any means,” they wrote. “In leaning so heavily on these dark impulses, they defined two of the most dangerous and troubling eras in American history.

“As (George) Washington warned in his Farewell Address more than 225 years ago, unprincipled leaders could create ‘permanent despotism,’ ‘the ruins of public liberty,’ and ‘riot and insurrection.’ ”

So please join us for an evening with two of the country’s foremost observers and commentators. You will support a good cause, and it will almost certainly be a night you’ll remember.

Kraus-Anderson completes Rolling Hills Senior Living & Rehabilitation Center in Sparta

SPARTA, Wis. (August 2022) – Kraus-Anderson Madison has completed construction on Rolling Hills Senior Living and Rehabilitation, a $24 million retirement community located at 14400 County Highway B in Sparta, Wis. 

Designed by Community Living Solutions, LLC, the 80,000-square-foot senior living and rehabilitation center features 50 skilled nursing beds, 24 residential care (CBRF) assisted living units, and 24 (RCAC) assisted living apartments with nursing, medical visits, therapy and short-term rehabilitation services available on site.

The new state-of-the-art, one-level complex, which is fully handicap accessible, includes a safe outdoor courtyard, hospital grade ventilation system and other thoughtful design elements to address current COVID challenges and provide a safer and healthier home now and into the future.  Indoors, residents can enjoy choice menus of health conscience and homemade food, a variety of activities directed by Therapeutic Recreation Specialists, a beauty and barber shop, and bistro.

About Kraus-Anderson

Established in 1897, Kraus-Anderson (www.krausanderson.com) is one of the nation’s premier commercial general contractors and construction managers, which has been leading the charge in sustainable design and construction for the last 25 years. With deep experience in healthcare construction, the company is currently ranked 16th in the nation among the top health care general contractors in the U.S. by Modern Healthcare magazine. Kraus-Anderson, an EEO/AA employer, is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn. and has regional offices in Madison and Milwaukee, Wis., Bismarck, N.D., and Duluth, Bemidji and Rochester Minn.

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National Guardian Life Insurance Company donates $100,000 for The Center for Black Excellence and Culture

National Guardian Life Insurance Company (NGL) is pleased to announce a $100,000 gift to support The Center for Black Excellence and Culture. NGL values diversity of thought, background and beliefs which are key to living our cultural values of integrity, dependability, collaboration, compassion and growth. Creating a welcoming, inclusive environment is integral to ensuring everyone feels a sense of belonging.

“We are proud to join other leaders in the community in support of this important project to inspire and advance the Black community. The Center will have a transformative impact for everyone in Madison because we all benefit when we create opportunities and empower others to thrive and succeed,” said Knut Olson, President & CEO at NGL.

Expected to open in 2024, the 65,000 square foot Center will be a valuable resource that is inspired, designed and led by members of the Black community. The Center’s areas of focus include health and wellness, leadership and innovation, performing and arts visuals, and youth and families.

“This fantastic gift sends a message of affirmation to us, and it reverberates in the Black community. NGL’s support helps demonstrate that The Center is becoming a reality, and the business community embraces a solution that helps Black people feel at home in greater Madison. We are so grateful for this impactful investment in The Center,” said Reverend Dr. Alex Gee, The Center’s Founder and CEO.

About NGL

Established in 1909 National Guardian Life Insurance Company (NGL) is an insurance company headquartered in Madison, Wis. Licensed to do business in 49 states and the District of Columbia, NGL markets preneed and individual life and annuities, as well as group markets products. Information about NGL can be found at www.nglic.com; Facebook: Facebook.com/NGLIC and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-guardian-life-insurance-company.

National Guardian Life Insurance Company is not affiliated with The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America a/k/a The Guardian or Guardian Life.

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WPS Health Solutions: Army veteran Mike Colligan saluted for Operation Fan Mail

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
DeAnne Boegli
Vice President of Communications
608-512-5754
deanne.boegli@wpsic.com

Army veteran Mike Colligan saluted for Operation Fan Mail
Program is sponsored by WPS Health Solutions and the Green Bay Packers

MADISON, Wis.—Aug. 23, 2022—The Green Bay Packers and WPS Health Solutions paid special tribute this week to Army veteran Mike Colligan and his family in conjunction with the Aug. 19 game against the New Orleans Saints. Operation Fan Mail, the program that recognizes military families and veterans at each Packers home game, marks its 16th season in 2022.

Colligan, originally from Wild Rose, Wis., was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1970 and spent two years serving, including 11 months in an infantry unit in Vietnam. He was a machine gunner for his first three months in Vietnam and was then promoted to a squad leader, eventually earning the rank of specialist 4th class.

After leaving the service, Colligan returned to Wild Rose and worked for FedEx and started a storage unit business. The lifelong Packers fan also survived cancer and multiple heart surgeries. Colligan was nominated by a fellow veteran who served with him in Vietnam, Dr. John Hofer.

“I know he’s a big Packers fan and that’s why I wanted to do this for him,” Hofer said. “He just deserved it.”

Colligan attended the Aug. 19 game with his wife, Genny, and his two daughters, Molly and Caitlin. He and Genny also spent 23 years as devoted foster parents to 60 kids.

As the honorees for Operation Fan Mail, the Colligan family also received a $150 Packers Pro Shop gift card, courtesy of WPS.

The program, which debuted in 2007, is designed to honor families with a member who is on active duty or a member who is a veteran. The Packers and WPS Health Solutions will host a family at each 2022 season home game and recognize the members on the video boards during pregame activities. A total of 149 individuals, families, or groups have been recognized through the program since it began.

The Packers and WPS Health Solutions invite interested families, or friends of eligible families, to submit an essay, 500 words or less, on why a particular family should be saluted this year. Families intended for recognition are those that have a member serving on active duty, or a member who is a veteran. The family member can be a spouse, mother, father, son, daughter, or sibling.

Essays can be sent to Operation Fan Mail, P.O. Box 10628, Green Bay, WI, 54307-0628 or online at operationfanmail.com.

About WPS Health Solutions

Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation (WPS Health Solutions), founded in 1946, is a nationally regarded benefits administrator for a variety of U.S. government programs and a leading not-for-profit health insurer in Wisconsin. WPS Health Solutions serves active-duty and retired military personnel, seniors, individuals, and families in Wisconsin, across the U.S., and around the world. WPS Health Solutions, headquartered in Madison, Wis., has more than 3,100 employees. Within the enterprise, there are three divisions: WPS Government Health Administrators, WPS Military and Veterans Health, and WPS Health Insurance/WPS Health Plan/EPIC Specialty Benefits. For more information, please visit wpshealthsolutions.com.

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KW2 Makes 2022 Inc. 5000 Annual List, Named Number 22 in Wisconsin

NEW YORK, August 23, 2022 – Inc. Magazine revealed that Madison-based digital and advertising agency KW2 (Knupp & Watson & Wallman, Inc.) is No. 2254 and No. 22 in Wisconsin on its annual Inc. 5000 list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America. The list represents a one-of-a-kind look at the most successful companies within the economy’s most dynamic segment—its independent businesses. Facebook, Chobani, Under Armour, Microsoft, Patagonia, and many other well-known names gained their first national exposure as honorees on the Inc. 5000.

Read more here