We're all feeling a little lonely this week; two long-time collaborators at the station are moving on. Both have worked here for decades. Both are brilliant artists. Steve Lukes is WPT's long-time lighting director. His wife, Shirwil Lukes, is one of WPT's scenic designers. Shirwil created so many gorgeous sets over the years: WEEKEND, Auction, Sewing with Nancy, Here and Now, Pledge, Democracy It Is!, 30 Minute Music Hour, and on and on. And Steve lit them. Wonderfully.

Their visual genius is there on tape for all to see. But what I'll remember most is their style of working: creative, industrious, and fun. There is a poem written every day by the way we work with others. Every day, Steve and Shirwil gave us something beautiful.

This poem by Marge Piercy describes them well.

To Be of Use

The people I love the best jump into work head first without dallying in the shallows and swim off with sure strokes almost out of sight. They seem to become natives of that element, the black sleek heads of seals bouncing like half-submerged balls.

I love people who harness themselves, an ox to a heavy cart, who pull like water buffalo, with massive patience, who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward, who do what has to be done, again and again.

I want to be with people who submerge in the task, who go into the fields to harvest and work in a row and pass the bags along, who are not parlor generals and field deserters but move in a common rhythm when the food must come in or the fire be put out.

The work of the world is common as mud. Botched, it smears the hands, crumbles to dust. But the thing worth doing well done has a shape that satisfies, clean and evident. Greek amphoras for wine or oil, Hopi vases that held corn, are put in museums but you know they were made to be used. The pitcher cries for water to carry and a person for work that is real.

Marge Piercy

Wisconsin missed out on the second round of competition for the federal "Race to the Top" education funding. Eighteen states and the District of Columbia were named finalists today for the chance to win a share of the $3 billion dollars. The money is being dispersed to states that have put in place or will implement reforms to improve low performing schools and close achievement gaps. Wisconsin had hoped to receive up to $250 million over four years. In response, Governor Jim Doyle called the decision disappointing, saying he believed Wisconsin's application was strong. He said Milwaukee Public Schools will be given $43 million in Recovery Act funding that is separate from the "Race to the Top" monies. "Here and Now" has an invitation out to Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Evers, to discuss this setback.

As announced on "Here & Now" Friday, we have relaunched the Wisconsin Vote Web site. Each election season, after the candidate registration becomes official, we update our database of candidates. Take a browse through the candidate section to see who is hoping to represent you after this fall's election.

The site will also be regularly updated with Wisconsin Public Television and Radio's election coverage, so bookmark it and return again and again this election season.

It's not often I have the chance to go 'behind-the-scenes' with creative artists. The feature I'm working on now gave me that chance. Julie Lindemann and John Shimon are photographers in Manitowoc. They're working on a wonderful project that looks back at the photo postcard from a century ago. They're creating contemporary studio portrait photographs that "consider the evolution of the individual and self-presentation from the 20th to 21st century." It's fascinating how similar some aspects are and informative to look at how we, media savvy people, have changed.

The Real Photo Postcard Survey is currently on exhibit through October 2nd at the Portrait Society Gallery in Milwaukee.

I've covered numerous prairie burns during my time at WPT but this summer I covered my first piano burning. Say what? Yes, every year The Roxbury Tavern, in the small town of Roxbury, sets a piano aflame. It's an event: well attended and well-loved. The "why" of this yearly ritual will be explored in a story for the upcoming season of "In Wisconsin", I can tell you the visuals were spectacular. Mesmerizing.

Was I working through my feelings re: years of forced piano lessons in elementary school? No matter, neat story. I will add that my dear childhood friend Gwen was mortified at the thought of burning a piano. Her thoughts? "If you're going to set fire to a musical instrument, why not bagpipes?"

So I leave you with the question, if you had to set a music instrument on fire, which one would you choose?

The Wisconsin Supreme Court today pulled the rug out from under a budget balancing move the legislature effected three years ago. The high court ruled that $200 million transferred from the medical malpractice fund was unconstitutional and that the money must be paid back. All three candidates for governor said they oppose "raids" on segregated funds. The Supreme Court ruling bars the state from future transfers from the medical malpractice fund but does not cover other funds.

We spent the first part of today planning our election coverage. There are lots of things on the table.

Reality Checks: we'll be expanding to cover more than just ads. We want to offer checking of comments in speeches, position papers and whatever else is out there.

Another area involves what I call (not intending to reference the Republican Party) "elephants in the room." What are the things candidates aren't talking about? There are many issues that aren't that pleasant to talk about because there's no good (or politically popular) solution.

But we'd like your suggestions too. Do you have any ideas for coverage that you think are being missed? Let us know. Our e-mail address is npa@wpt.org. Thanks.

Our third and last Concerts on the Square airs tonight, 7/16, at 8pm. It was a difficult 3 weeks weatherwise. Last week, for example, it was raining when I woke up at 7am and threatened to continue all day. The production crew began set up at the Capitol during a short rain break but, before they finished, the skies let loose again. The soggy crew got everything set up after this deluge only to find out at 3pm the concert was cancelled.

They took everything down, came back the next day, and did it all over again. I know I'm not the only one breathing a sigh of relief that we've put that weather-dependent production behind us.

Governor Jim Doyle this week announced the "Transitional Jobs Project," designed to give unemployed people skills and work experience. It targets people who are not eligible for working family assistance through the state's W-2 program, according to the Governor's office. The $34 million program is funded by federal stimulus dollars. It is a pilot project starting in 38 counties with possible future expansion. Seventeen local organizations, like Goodwill Industries in Milwaukee and Kenosha and Indianhead Community Action Agency in northern counties will take part. The Secretary of the Department of Children and Families, Reggie Bicha, will appear on "Here & Now" this Friday, July 16, to detail the project.