Page 85 – Wisconsin Life

Zed Kenzo’s music is a reflection of her personality: bold, independent and creative. Zacharia Ruffin, known more commonly by her stage name Zed Kenzo, is a Milwaukee-based musician who has been passionate about music her entire life.

Settling The Controversy Around Civil War Icon Old Abe
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Settling The Controversy Around Civil War Icon Old Abe

Culture & History

Settling The Controversy Around Civil War Icon Old Abe

One of the most well-known figures in Civil War Wisconsin wasn’t a person at all, but a bald eagle named Old Abe. Despite the name and the bird’s fame, though, the eagle’s gender has been in question for more than a century.

Appleton’s Punk Heroes Tenement
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Appleton’s Punk Heroes Tenement

The Arts

Appleton’s Punk Heroes Tenement

Tenement is an Appleton band that’s caught national attention. Frontman Amos Pitsch describes his sound, the importance of structure, and his constant search for new music. For Appleton native Amos Pitsch, playing in the punk-rock band Tenement is both a livelihood and a life-long learning experience.

Wandering Brings Sifting And Winnowing Into Focus
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Wandering Brings Sifting And Winnowing Into Focus

Culture & History

Wandering Brings Sifting And Winnowing Into Focus

Abe Lincoln may draw all the photos from eager grads on UW-Madison’s Bascom Hill… but there’s a plaque nearby with a message that forms a sort of mission statement for the campus.

How Writing Letters Made One Woman a Writer
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How Writing Letters Made One Woman a Writer

The Arts

How Writing Letters Made One Woman a Writer

When was the last time you wrote a letter? Patti See’s mother made her write letters to her older sisters every week. It’s that training that made her the writer she is today.

Songwriter Shane Leonard Blends Diverse Musical Styles As Kalispell
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Songwriter Shane Leonard Blends Diverse Musical Styles As Kalispell

The Arts

Songwriter Shane Leonard Blends Diverse Musical Styles As Kalispell

Kalispell is the solo project of Shane Leonard, a musician out of Eau Claire. Leonard’s has an eclectic musical background, trained in jazz and classical percussion with later forays across Appalachia to learn banjo, fiddle, and traditional folk tunes.

Milwaukee’s Wedding Of The Century
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Milwaukee’s Wedding Of The Century

Culture & History

Milwaukee’s Wedding Of The Century

It’s wedding season and while wedding trends come and go, elaborate, one-of-a-kind affairs have long been in fashion. Milwaukee historian John Gurda tells us about the 1881 wedding deemed the most brilliant in Milwaukee’s social history.

The Incomparable Hildegarde
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The Incomparable Hildegarde

The Arts

The Incomparable Hildegarde

She was a vaudeville performer, fashion icon, radio star, and an exotic musical performer. Norman Gillland brings us the story of the small town Wisconsin girl who became an international celebrity.

Woman Turns Fruit And Vegetables Into Art
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Woman Turns Fruit And Vegetables Into Art

The Arts

Woman Turns Fruit And Vegetables Into Art

Fruit and vegetable carving is a tradition that goes back centuries in Thailand. Monsiri Baird learned to carve as a child in school in Thailand. All the students learned, boys and girls, to carve basic items like cucumbers.

The Political Power Of Fishing
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The Political Power Of Fishing

Culture & History

The Political Power Of Fishing

Politicians do many things to show they are one of us – visiting diners, kissing babies, eating whatever on a stick at the state fair. It’s a story with a long history.

Idle Empress Finds Community In Music
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Idle Empress Finds Community In Music

The Arts

Idle Empress Finds Community In Music

Singer Lauren Anderson began performing as a solo act in house shows around the Chippewa Valley. She then teamed up Josh Frederick and Elliot Heinz to form the indie folk-rock band, Idle Empress.

Wisconsin’s Donated Sewing Machines Empower Women Around The World
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Wisconsin’s Donated Sewing Machines Empower Women Around The World

Culture & History

Wisconsin’s Donated Sewing Machines Empower Women Around The World

Margaret Jankowski sees a common thread between all the services provided by The Sewing Machine Project … making a difference in the community. As a lifelong sewing enthusiast, Jankowski was moved by the story of a woman living in Southeast Asia who lost her sewing machine during a tsunami in 2004.

The Swinging Sounds Of An All-Female Jazz Band
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The Swinging Sounds Of An All-Female Jazz Band

The Arts

The Swinging Sounds Of An All-Female Jazz Band

June Dalton has defied expectations her entire musical career, and the all-female jazz band she founded called Ladies Must Swing is no exception. Based in Madison, Ladies Must Swing is a nineteen-member strong, female jazz musicians that play shows all around Wisconsin.

The Pleasures Of Simple Fishing
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The Pleasures Of Simple Fishing

Science & Nature

The Pleasures Of Simple Fishing

There are many high-tech ways to fish these days. But Ron Weber prefers to fish the simple way his grandfather taught him as a kid. A bald eagle stared at me from a towering white pine as I slid the boat out of my truck.

The Redemption Of Watertown’s Fred Merkle: More Than Baseball’s ‘Bonehead’
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The Redemption Of Watertown’s Fred Merkle: More Than Baseball’s ‘Bonehead’

Culture & History

The Redemption Of Watertown’s Fred Merkle: More Than Baseball’s ‘Bonehead’

We all hope to be remembered for our successes rather than our mistakes. Watertown’s Fred Merkle played on six World Series teams but was remembered not for his admirable career but for one early mistake.