Ideas to Liven, Secure the Future of our City

First, I need to throw out (no pun intended) an idea I had that has been rejected. Then I will modify it somewhat to make it more what ... Pro-jectable.

My idea was as follows:

Port needs some spectacles. I am not talking about the undersized glasses John Lennon wore — I am talking about fantastic events. There is nothing that says "fun" like a good spectacle. If you can part a Red Sea, if you can walk in the air, if you can strap rockets to your motorcycle and launch yourself across the Grand Canyon, you are sure to attract crowds of fun seekers. You also may attract the Roman Army, or the sort of folks who enjoy watching motorcylists die spectacular deaths. What we need in Port is something very special, very unique and very large!

And this brings up thought one: We invite a mass encounter with extraterrestrials.

I think we could call it “Spacestock” as a working title. 

Often with many of my thoughts, the idea is sound but the logistics can be challenging.  Announcing a mass alien landing is one thing, but getting the aliens to show could appear to be more difficult than doing a successful Sly Stone Tour.  Here is where some of my expertise finally comes in. Having interacted with aliens earlier in my life, I can share a key attribute of alien/human meetings. Aliens come when the people are receptive! When I met one in a remote mind scan years ago ... I asked politely, "Why are you scanning my brain?"

Essentially, "Why me?"

And it said, "Because you are receptive!"

That impressed me. Don’t worry about the aliens — if we are open, they will show.

So what we do for Spacefest, is designate a weekend — that should be enough — and start announcing it broadly. We text it, social network it, tweet it, make t-shirts, buttons and what not ... all saying this amazing thing is about to happen in Port.

And aside from droves of aliens (actually the correct term for large groups of aliens is "allies" of aliens) every Tom, Sally, Biff and Sweet Pea will hop into their Vibes and head to the next fun city, Port Washington. And, to hedge our bets, we co-bill this as the largest outdoor costume festival in the Western Hemisphere this side of Mardi-Gras.

This way Port W will most certainly, make the inner map of the citizens of this country.

OKAY.

I still like it but it didn't fly past the editorial board. Not sure why ...

But what I am suggesting is metaphorical. We need, desparately, something interesting and ongoing and calendar worthy in Port Washington. Recent attempts by the Puzzle Group ... (a not so secret motley crew of artists, writers, musicians and regular socialble types) has manifested in small but very interesting events ... an interactive art installation on South Beach, a , a Memory interaction beginning at the Marina and more. But we need something much much larger eventually ... if Port is to become a viable town and if Port is to grow. 

I was talking to a guy the other day, just a guy — and he pointed out that Port Washington's Chair Company, the one that burned down before anyone remembers, was the brain and billfold behind the whole Paramount Blues movement in Grafton. He claimed that Port Washington was on the Paramount labels, not Grafton. At least the original labels. This is huge, if true! This means that our town played a central role in recording some of the fathers and mothers of the most American of all art forms ... The BLUES!

So, why aren't we mounting the Port Washington Blues Festival? Why have we no house of the blues or museum dedicated to the history of what happened here? It is crazy!

Grafton is on this, or Cedarburg. Great festivals there. We are missing the boat on one of the most Port of all things! Let me hear from you if you are behind getting Port up to speed on its own history in this regard and raising some interest in getting Blues culture back into the town in which much of it was born and promoted. 

Need more proof? Check this out:

"Port Washington furniture company, 1888-1954, and pioneer music publisher. After producing phonograph cabinets for the Edison Co. at the turn of the century, the company decided to produce its own records in 1917. It started out making ethnic records under the Paramount label (q.v.) designed to appeal to German, Scandinavian and Mexican immigrants. In 1922 it began producing 'race records' for the African American market, issuing early recordings by such jazz greats as Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton and King Oliver as well as songs by itinerant black blues artists. Its studio was located in a former textile mill in Grafton, along the Milwaukee River."

Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on May 10, 2002. "The Wisconsin Chair Company (1888-1954)" by Alex van der Tuuk (ParamountsHome.org, 2005).