YOUR SUPPORT * FALLING LEAVES MOON * PUMPKIN CAROLS * Bill's Coffeeshop Newsletter * Vol. 11 * Oct. 29, 2010

STORY OF BILL AND

THE COFFEESHOPS

WHAT'S the story of Bill? How did the coffeeshops get started? Those

are questions asked by many who have visited WILD BILL'S coffeeshop 

and Uptown Bill's, and by many others who have seen this Newsletter.

Now seems like a good time to retell the story of Bill and the

coffeeshop. Get a cup of coffee and pull up a chair.

Bill Sackter was a Minnesotan who spent his early years in a

tight-knit Jewish neighborhood in north Minneapolis. Diagnosed with a

mental disability, he spent nearly half a century in the state mental

hospital at Faribault.

During the 1960s, there was a movement to deinstitutionalize persons

with disabilities. Bill returned to Minneapolis and worked in several

jobs before ending up employed at the Minikhada Club, a country club

at the western edge of Minneapolis.

It was there that he met Barry Morrow, a student at the University of

Minnesota and a part-time musician. Barry and his wife, Bev, became

good friends of Bill.

When Barry accepted a job at the University of Iowa, Bill followed and

began a small coffee service in the school of social work. A cheerful

man of great goodwill who played the harmonica, Bill became a local

celebrity in Iowa City. In 1977, he was named Iowa's "Handicapped

person of the year." (Bill's life is chronicled in the book "The

Unlikely Celebrity" by Tom Walz, a retired UI social work professor.)

The coffeeshop became famous when Bill was featured in a television

movie about his life (and later a second movie). The first movie,

which received two Emmy awards, was called "Bill"(1981). Barry Morrow

received an Emmy as screenwriter; Mickey Rooney received an Emmy for

his portrayal of Bill. The sequel was called "Bill on his own" (1983).

Bill died in 1983, but the coffeeshop continued. Over the last 30

years, the coffeeshop has provided not only employment opportunities

for individuals with disabilities but also service learning

opportunities for students. Persons with disabilities who staff the

coffeeshop gain work skills and experience through their interactions

with students in a "real-life" work situation rather than as clients.

This supportive and respectful environment creates opportunities for

mutual exchange, in which all are teaching and learning together.

BILL'S Coffeeshop also serves as a center for diversity in the school

of social work, displaying a broad range of books, news articles,

newsletters, posters, art and educational materials about diversity

and various human rights issues. In recognition of these efforts, the

coffeeshop and its manager were honored with the 2002 Small Employer of

the Year award from the State of Iowa Commission on Persons with

Disabilities. In 2004, the University of Iowa presented its Hubbard

Human Rights award to the coffeeshop manager.

Uptown Bill's is an outgrowth of the original coffeeshop. Now located at

730 S. Dubuque, it includes a bookstore, performance venue and other

businesses in addition to a coffeeshop. It's a separate organization from

the original coffeeshop, but the two work together to promote the legacy

and spirit of Bill Sackter. 

    -- Tom Gilsenan

HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT

THESE COFFEESHOPS

Both Wild Bill's Coffeeshop and Uptown Bill's rely on sales and donations to 

continue their work. You can support both with your patronage. You can

also support them with contributions. For Wild Bill's, contributions may be sent to: 

Bill's Coffeeshop Fund, University of Iowa Foundation, P.O. Box 4550, Iowa City, IA 52244. For Uptown Bill's, contributions may be sent to Extend the Dream Foundation, Uptown Bill's, 730 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City, IA 52240. Contributions to both organizations are tax deductible. 

EVENTS THIS WEEK

AT UPTOWN BILL'S

Sunday, Oct. 31: Halloween party, 2-4. Music by Kalimbaman (Scott Hayward)

Wednesday, Nov. 3: Rehearsal for "Good Evening" show

Thursday, Nov. 4: Art & Music Night

Friday, Nov. 5: Open Mic (Sign up during the week at the coffee house)

Saturday, Nov 6: Saturday Night Music

Sunday, Nov. 7: Singer/songwriter concert with Leah Arnold and Frank Schweikhardt

UPTOWN BILL'S HAS
BOOKSTORE, TOO
Looking for a great selection of used books? Including children's books? You'll find literally thousands of books on every subject at Uptown Bill's. Most paperbacks are $1.50; hard cover books at $3.

HARVESTING DIGNITY
CONFERENCE SET
University of Iowa Labor Center and others host a conference on the rights if immigrants int he workplace on Saturday, Nov. 13. "Harvesting dignity in Midwestern fields and factories" will be held at the Capitol Center (Old Capitol Mall) from 9 am to 4 pm. For details, visit the website of the UI Center for Human Rights: www.uichr.org

SUCH BOO-TIFUL
DECORATIONS
The Halloween decorations at Uptown Bill's are from the collection of the late Del Atkins. He was well-known for his Halloween displays at the small mall.

THIS IS THE MONTH OF

FALLING LEAVES MOON

OCTOBER is the month of the Falling Leaves Moon (Binaakwe-giizis) according to

the Ojibwe calendar. Perhaps most noticeable is the shortening of the days. Each day,

 the daylight shrinks lengthens by a few minutes. Perhaps you have noticed this as

you come and go to the campus. In the coffeeshops, the mornings come a little

later and the evenings a little sooner

MORE quickly now, autumn is nudging aside the summer. The days have still been

warm, but the nights are much cooler. This past week, the harvest moon has been shining over us each evening. In the early morning, it is still there, though it has shifted from

the east to the west side of the sky.

Outside the coffeeshop windows, the leaves continue to turn and fall.. 

We collected some of those leaves and wrote messages on them as part of a recent
Art & Music Night. The leaves were then put out on the tables at Uptown Bill's and
Wild Bill's -- and distributed to various other places around downtown Iowa City. 

All around us, the squirrels are busy gathering seeds and nuts for

the winter. One morning last week a squirrel's nut packing attracted a 

small crowd outside the business school. 

Many, many songs and poems have been written about this annual change of the

seasons. (A sampling appeared a few weeks ago in Coffeeshop

Newsletter.) Here's part of one which goes through my mind each fall. It was in

a book of poems I received long ago. I no longer have the book, but this

excerpt remained with me:

Brown song of fall

Fallen rusted beauty

Crushes underfoot.

Enjoy this season; you know what will be here soon enough.

HOW ABOUT A FEW
HALLOWEEN TUNES

Have you found a sincere pumpkin patch where you can wait for the Great Pumpkin this year? While you're waiting for him to appear, you can sing pumpkin carols. These were originally published in a Peanuts greeting card shaped like a pumpkin. Excerpts from some of the carols appear below. Complete lyrics for these and other pumpkin carols can be found at this website: http://www.nationallonghouse.org/Resources/Songs/Sg-hallo.html

I'm dreaming of the great pumpkin
I'm dreaming of the great pumpkin
with every pumpkin card I write
May your jack-o-lanterns burn bright
when the Great Pumpkin visits tonight

Pumpkin Wonderland
Screech owls hoot, are you listen'in
Beneath the moon, all is glistenin--
A real scary sight, we're happy tonight
Waitin' in a pumpkin wonderland

Pumpkin Bells
Dashing through the streets, in our costumes bright and gay
To each house we go, laughing all the way
Halloween is here, making spirits bright
What fun it is trick or treat
And sing pumpkin carols tonight  

WEEKLY CUP OF

COFFEE QUOTES

Lifts your thickest morning fog -- Caribou Coffee (Minneapolis)

Oh, coffee tastes so good

Lovelier than a thousand kisses

Smoother than sweet wine

 -- From libretto for "Coffee Cantata" by J.S. Bach

If I can't take my coffee break

My coffee break, my coffee break

If I can't take my coffee break

Something within me dies

Lies down and something within me dies

 -- From 'Coffee Break," one of the songs in the musical "How to Succeed in

Business Without Really Trying."

Have a favorite quote about coffee? Why not submit it to the Coffeeshop

Newsletter. Just hit reply and send your quotation. Or write to: tomgilsenan@gmail.com

LOOKING BACK IN THE

BILL'S NEWSLETTER

Eight years ago (2002): Seven ideas for the autumn activist

Nine years ago (2001): Saturday evening filled with memories of Bill.

________________________________________

Bill's Coffeeshop Newsletter is a virtual extension of Wild Bill's Coffeeshop and Uptown Bill's. Published since 2000, it is distributed weekly to more than 500 readers. The Newsletter is written by Tom Gilsenan, a former manager of Wild Bill's and now the director of Uptown Bill's.

Wild Bill's Coffeeshop is a service learning project of the School of Social Work at the University of Iowa. It has been a part of campus life in Iowa City for over 35 years. Open weekdays from 8 am, it is located in North Hall. For more information, check the Friends of Bill's Coffeeshop page on Facebook or call (319) 335-1281.

Uptown Bill's is the crosstown cousin of the original coffeeshop. Now located at 730 S. Dubuque, it includes a bookstore, performance venue and other businesses in addition to a coffeeshop. Uptown Bill's is open every day from 8 am. For more information, check the Uptown Bill's page on Facebook or call (319) 339-0401. 

SOCIAL WORK MODELS: CO-OPS AND UNIONS * NEIGHBORHOOD PLANS * SUFFRAGE STORY * Bill's Coffeeshop Newsletter * Vol. 11 * Oct. 23, 2010

JANE ADDAMS' VISION OF SOCIAL WORK

INCLUDED CO-OPS & LABOR UNIONS

Coffeehouses like Uptown Bill's and Wild Bill's are one of the models for social work

practice pioneered by Jane Addams and the other residents of Hull House.

They tried lots of other things, too, experimenting with many different ways

to improve people's lives and build better communities.

Two models they found particularly effective were cooperatives and labor

unions. Addams and the others helped start several cooperatives, including

one to buy coal in bulk for heating and another to provide housing for single

women working in Chicago. They also helped organize several labor unions,

including one for women in the garment industry.

Addams believed very strongly that individuals and communities should

have a say in their neighborhoods and their jobs. She saw co-ops and labor

unions as ways to extend democracy into the marketplace and the the

workplace. This theme of extending democracy appears in nearly every book

she wrote and in more than a dozen articles.

Addams also saw co-ops and labor unions as organized ways for people to

take care of each other. And she imagined that both could help transform

society in a more peaceful and more equitable place.

STILL A VISION

FOR US TODAY

It's been more than a century since Addams first outlined her vision of

social work: a quest for a society with peace and justice for all. But

it's a vision which still can be applied in our time. Co-ops and labor

unions still have the potential to extend democracy into the marketplace.

The resurgence of co-op grocery stores shows this vision is still

relevant. New Pioneer in Iowa City is one example of this economic

democracy described by Jane Addams. Other examples: Organic

Valley, the farmer cooperative which distributes organic dairy products,

and Frontier Co-op, a supplier of herbs and spices based in Norway,

Iowa. 

There also has been a renewed interest in labor unions. COGS, the UE local

which represents graduate assistants at the University of Iowa, is one

example. This union emerged because graduate students wanted a voice in

their workplace.

Several years ago, there were discussions about the idea of Wild

Bill's Coffeeshop operating as a cooperative. In fact, a study team of 

business students looked at the idea, and concluded that a co-op 

would be possible. At the moment, there are no models for co-ops at the

University of Iowa. But several neighboring universities have cooperatives

on campus. And some years ago, there was a student housing co-op here 

in Iowa City. 

COMING UP THIS WEEK

IN THE COFFEE HOUSE

Here's a look at some of the activities planned during this coming week at Uptown Bill's:

Sunday, Oct. 24

2 pm -- CD Release Party with Gwendolyn Countryman

Wednesday, Oct. 27

6 pm: Chess Club

6:30 pm: Showing of "A Friend Indeed"

Thursday, Oct. 28

6-8 pm: Art & Music Night. Halloween is this week's theme

Friday, Oct. 29 

7-9 pm: Open Mic

Saturday, Oct. 30

7-9 pm: Saturday Night Music

Sunday, Oct. 31

2-5 pm: Halloween Party, Music jam with Kalimbaman

For information on these and other events, visit the Uptown Bill's page on Facebook. 

WE'D LOVE TO

HAVE YOU

Student and community groups are welcome to meet at Uptown Bill's. We have 

a nice community room which can hold groups of up to 50 people. Call for details,

339-0401.

HOW ABOUT 

LIVE MUSIC?

In a band? Would your band like to play at Uptown Bill's? We welcome all styles of music 

to our performance space. In the past few weeks, the coffee house has hosted everything from folk to hip hop and from rock to old time fiddlers. Want more details? Call

Tom G. at 339-0401. 

BIG PLANS FOR THE AREA

AROUND UPTOWN BILL'S

Big things are being planned for the part of Iowa City which includes Uptown Bill's. The neighborhood, which the city has dubbed "Riverfront Crossings," is targeted for a major "revitalization," including more housing and retail stores. The university has a stake in this as well, with plans for a new music building. And there could be train service to Chicago with a stop just a block from Uptown Bill's. Find out about these possibilities and more in the October issue of Little Village. Here's a link to the issue online:

http://littlevillagemag.com/content/2010/10/07/lv-96-october-2010/

WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE:
A STORY FROM IOWA

Iowa has a reputation for fair elections. But there was one during the
early part of the 20th century which still raises a lot of questions.
It's a story worth recalling this year when we celebrate the 90th anniversary 

of the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment.

The year of the questionable election was 1916. That was the year Iowa
voters (then only men) were deciding on a measure which would allow women
the right to vote.

Advocates had been working for years to get the suffrage question through
the legislature and onto the ballot. Their efforts gained new momentum in
1913 when Flora Dunlap, a friend of Jane Addams, was elected president of
the Iowa Equal Suffrage Association. She headed the Roadside Settlement
House in Des Moines.

Dunlap brought new energy and renewed activism to the suffrage movement in
Iowa. In 1915, the state assembly finally approved a state suffrage
amendment and put it on the ballot for the next year. National suffrage
leaders poured a lot of energy into Iowa, hoping to make it the 16th state
to give women the right to vote. Among them was Carrie Chapman Catt. then
head of the National Women's Suffrage Association.

The prospects of approval in Iowa looked good. Key newspapers
endorsed the ballot measure and pro-suffrage crowds were large at rallies
around the state.

But when the votes were counted, the measure had been defeated by more
than 10,000 votes. Supporters were stunned.

They were even more surprised when they analyzed the votes. It turned out
that there were over 29,000 more votes on the suffrage amendment than
there were for all the candidates for governor. A spot check of 15
counties turned up 8,000 more ballots cast than the total of voters
voting. "Victory was literally stolen from the women of Iowa," concludes
Louise Noun in her book "Strong-minded Women" (Iowa State University Press,
1969).

National suffrage leaders decided to turn their attention from the states
to the federal level. Congress approved a national suffrage amendment in
1919; it was added to the US Constitution on Aug. 26,1920 after approval

by two-thirds of the states.

_____________________

Bill's Coffeeshop Newsletter is a virtual extension of the legacy of Wild Bill's Coffeeshop and Uptown Bill's. Published since 2000, the Newsletetr is written by Tom Gilsenan, a former manager of Wild Bill's and now director of Uptown Bill's. A file of selected back issues can be found at the Coffee and Community Blog: http://coffeeandcommunity.blogspot.com.

Wild Bill's Coffeeshop is a project of the School of Social Work at the University of Iowa. Located in North Hall, has been a part of campus life in Iowa City for over 35 years. The coffeeshop is open weekdays from 8 am. For more information, call (319) 335-1281. On Facebook, look for Friends of Bill's Coffeeshop.

Uptown Bill's is the crosstown cousin of the original coffeeshop. Now located at 730 S. Dubuque, it includes a bookstore, performance venue and other enterprises in addition to a coffeeshop. The cofeeshop is open every day from 8 am. For more information, call (319) 339-0401. On Facebook, look for Uptown Bill's Small Mall. Also, look for the website www.uptownbills.org.

DIVERSITY OF IOWA * THIS WEEK'S EVENTS * Bill's Coffeeshop Newsletter * Vol. 11 * Oct. 16, 2010

CELEBRATING THE

DIVERSITY OF IOWA
THERE are many people who see Iowa as a place lacking cultural diversity. On a national level, a debate about Iowa's diversity occurs every four years when dates are set for the political caucuses. Even among friends, there are questions: How can you live someplace where everyone is the same?

But events like this weekend's Latino conference illustrate once again that Iowa is a rich tapestry of people with many roots. For those who know our state, there is plenty of diversity.

And this is not new. The roots of this palette of cultures go back a long time.

Did you know that the oldest mosque in North America is her in Iowa? It is in Cedar Rapids. (Click on this link for a history of Islam in Iowa from Saudi Aramco magazine: http://islam.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=islam&cdn=religion&tm=19&f=00&tt=11&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/197606/islam.in.iowa.htm)

Did you know that one of the oldest African-American newspapers in the US is in Iowa. It is the Bystander, published in Des Moines since 1894. (Click on this link to see a recent issue online: http://beepdf.com/doc/33410/iowa_bystander.html)

And did you know that families with Mexican roots have been coming to Iowa for more than a century. The earliest families settled in Fort Madison, Muscatine, Bettendorf and Davenport. (Click here for a link to a link to an article about Latinos in Iowa: http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/exhibits/friends/latinos.html)

Still, it can be hard to find these stories. It has been a struggle to get this history included in the "official" history collected by local historical societies. And it has been a struggle to get this history acknowledged by Iowa colleges and universities, including the University of Iowa. Our history has been "bleached," Malcolm X once said, leaving out the stories of African-Americans, Mexican-Americans and others.

The Latino conference is a sign that more voices are being included in the story of our state. It is a reason to celebrate.

COMING THIS WEEK
AT UPTOWN BILL'S
Sunday, Oct. 17
     3 pm -- Benefit for Sonny Lott
Monday, Oct. 18
     Noon -- AA Meeting (An AA meeting is held each weekday at noon.)
Tuesday, Oct. 19
     1 pm -- Tree planting ceremony
     6 pm -- Live broadcast of Tom's Guitar Show (PATV, Channel 18) from Uptown Bill's
Wednesday, Oct. 20
     6:30 pm -- Rehearsal for "Good Evening" show
Thursday, Oct. 21
     6 pm -- Art & Music Night. This week's theme is autumn
Friday, Oct. 22
     7 pm -- Open Mic
Saturday, Oct. 23   
     1 pm -- Iowa City 'Go' Club. 'Go" is a board game which originated in China
     7 pm -- Saturday Night Music: Scott Cochran
Sunday, Oct. 24
     2 pm-- CD Release Party for Gwendolyn Countryman
For more information on these and other events, check the Uptown Bill's page on Facebook. Or call(319) 339-0401.

COFFEESHOP WASN'T
FIRST IDEA FOR BILL
BILL Sackter didn't come to Iowa to manage a coffeeshop. And when his
friends helped him look for a job, making coffee wasn't the first thing
that came to their minds. In fact, it was at least the third, according to
the people most involved.

Bill came to Iowa from Minnesota with Barry and Bev Morrow. Barry had been
recruited to come to Iowa by Tom Walz, then the head of the UI School
of Social Work. Bill came along when it appeared likely that he would
be sent back to Faribault State Hospital.

Barry's job was to be an audio-visual specialist. But what about Bill?
"Barry and I wracked our brains to come up with a job for him," Tom Walz
recalls in his book the Unlikely Celebrity.

Bills' first job was as a custodian. That was a "fiasco." Then he was
trained to refinish furniture. That appeared promising until a fire
destroyed the room in North Hall where the furniture work was being done.

It was Barry who suggested the third job idea for Bill. He recalled Bill's
love of coffee back when he worked at the Minikahda Country Club in
Minneapolis. He also noted the tremendous amount of coffee Bill drank
while refinishing furniture.

Tom Walz picks up the story from there: "Why not put Bill in charge of the
coffee for the school?...It sounded like a great idea. Barry even thought of
some possibilities for a nook along the main corridor of the school where a
coffee machine could be placed....This, in fact, is how Bill's Coffee Shop
was born."

FULL STORY IN THE
UNLIKELY CELEBRITY
The story of Bill's Coffee Shop is just part of the story of the life of
Bill Sackter. You'll find the complete story of Bill in The Unlikely
Celebrity by Tom Walz. Copies of the book are for sale at Uptown Bill's.

YOUR REFILL OF
COFFEE QUOTES
Many people claim coffee inspires them. But, as everybody knows, coffee only
makes boring people more boring  -- Honore de Balzac

If you want to improve your understanding, drink coffee -- Sydney Smith

Our culture runs on coffee and gasoline -- the first often tasting like the
second - Edward Abbey

After all, coffee is bitter, a flavor from the forbidden and dangerous realm -
Diane Ackerman

Have a favorite coffee quote? Send it along. Tea quotes welcome, too.
__________________________

Bill's Coffeeshop Newsletter is a virtual extension of Wild Bill's Coffeeshop and Uptown Bill's. Published since 2000, it is written by Tom Gilsenan a former manager of Wild Bill's and now the director of Uptown Bill's.

Wild Bill's Coffeeshop is a project of the School of Social Work at the University of Iowa. Located in North Hall, it has been a part of campus life at the University of Iowa for more than 35 years.Wild Bill's is open weekdays from 8 am. For more information, call (319) 335-1281. Also, check out the Friends of Bill's Coffeeshop page on Facebook.

Uptown Bill's is the crosstown cousin of the original coffeeshop. Now located at 730 S. Dubuque, It includes a bookstore, performance venue and other businesses in addition to a coffeeshop. Uptown Bill's is open every day from 8 am. For more information, check the website at www.uptownbills.org or call (319) 339-0401. On Facebook, look for Uptown Bill's Small Mall.
_________________

BEYOND CARS; IDEAS FOR LIVABLE TOWNS * I LIKE MY COFFEE * Bill's Coffeeshop Newsletter * Vol 11 * Oct. 9, 2010

ONE TOWN WHICH REDUCED

THE 'AUTO ADVANTAGE'

Streets, especially downtown streets, can be recaptured for people instead of cars, writes Beverley Tisdell of Leesburg, Florida. Her town is close to Orlando and has about 80,000 residents.

"Our Main Street was passed by by a highway and many newer residents were unaware of its existence. Several years ago, it was renovated to attract pedestrians, revive small businesses and slow through traffic. The black top surface was broken up by cobblestone crosswalks which are very attractive and allow flower beds at the corners."

A host of activities fill up downtown streets, she adds. "There is local music and non-profit groups have a free booth to promote their programs. Almost every month there is some sort of festival with four or five blocks of Main Street blocked off."

A favorite event is the Scarecrow Sculpture contest. "A wood shop was set up at the Farmers Market and anyone could come and get a Scarecrow frame to build a frame for the Scarecrow Contest. They get more elaborate each year. The figures are used to decorate Main Street."

You can see this activity live, advises reader Tisdell. Go to the Leesburg, Florida website and you can find a camera. It's perched on top of the bank building across from city hall. You can watch all the activity.

I love the Scarecrow idea. I also love the idea of events of year-round outdoor events. Of course, winter weather is a more severe limitation for Iowa City than for Leesburg, Florda. But maybe we could figure out some ways to heat up the Ped Mall during the coldest months. Or put a tent over part of it.

LET'S THINK OF BICYCLES 

AS TRANSPORTATION

The key to more bicycle and pedestrian traffic is "an encouragement to use these forms of transportation for commuting," writes Larry Fitzpatrick. "Once people find out easy and fun it is to commute to work without a car, they will be hooked on it." 

College Avenue would make a great bicycle boulevard, he says. It has "heavy bicycle traffic every business day, more bicycle and pedestrian traffic than cars." A Sunday closing a year or so ago showed the potential for a bike boulevard. "People who lived on the street loved it. We had bicycles, skateboards, kids playing." Reader Fitzpatrick suggested a link to show how bike boulevards work: www.bicyclinginfo.org/faqs/answer.cfm?id=3976.

As for Burlington, Fitzpatrick says the problems is just too many cars. He suggests raising parking rates and maybe even a toll for those who want to drive into downtown. 

SO WHAT DO

YOU THINK

This is a continuing conversation. Do you agree with the ideas suggested here reducing the "auto advantage?" Do you have other ideas. Love to hear from you. You can hit reply and start writing. Or send your comments to: tomgilsenan@gmail.com. 

PLENTY GOING

ON THIS WEEK

A musical duo from Massachusetts on Wednesday; Art & Music Night on Thursday. Plus Open Mic and Friday and a concert on Saturday. Those are some of the activities this week at Uptown Bills'. Find out more by visiting the Facebook page for Uptown Bill's. Or stop by and visit us at the new location, 730 S. Dubuque. 

TEN TOP WAYS I
LIKE MY COFFEE
10. Hot
9. Hair-free
8. Non-crunchy
7. One barrel at a time
6. Doughnut-enabled
5. So caffeinated it jumps out of the cup and slaps me
4. Sucked straight out of the filter
3. Intravenously
2. Strong enough to sit up and bark Rowf!
1. With a 12-course breakfast.

From www.surfersam.com

LOOKING BACK IN THE
BILL'S NEWSLETTER
One year ago (2009): Inspiration from Haight-Ashbury
Two years ago (2008): Bill was just one of many
Three years ago (2007): New Bill documentary is almost done

____________________________________________________

Bill's Coffeeshop Newsletter is a virtual extension of the the spirit and legacy of Bill Sackter, for whom Wild Bill's Coffeeshop and Uptown Bill's are named. Published since 2000, the Newsletter is written by Tom Gilsenan, a former manager of Wild Bill's and now director of Uptown Bill's. You can find a file of selected back issues at: http://coffeeandcommunity.blogspot.com.

Wild Bill's Coffeeshop has been a part of campus life at the University of Iowa in Iowa City for 35 years. Located in North Hall, it is a service learning project of the School of Social Work. The coffeeshop is open weekdays from 8 am. For more information, call (319) 335-1281 or visit the website for the School of Social work: www.uiowa.edu/~socialwk/bills. Look for Friends of Bill's Coffeeshop on Facebook.

Uptown Bill's is the crosstown cousin to the original coffeeshop. Now located at 730 S. Dubuque, Uptown Bill's includes a bookstore, performance venue and other enterprises in addition to a coffeeshop. It is open daily from 8 am. For more information, call (319) 339-0401 or visit the website: www.uptownbills.org. Look for Uptown Bill's on Facebook.

REDUCING THE AUTO ADVANTAGE * DAVE MOORE AT UPTOWN BILL'S * ANOTHER AUTUMN SONG * Bill's Coffeeshop Newsletter * Vol. 11 * Oct. 2, 2010

STREETS BELONG

TO EVERYONE

WE'VE got to change the idea that the streets of our communities belong only to cars. Our streets belong to all of us, whether we're driving or not.

But changing the idea that cars are the top priority won't be easy.  Most city planning is based on the premise that streets belong to cars and that improving the speed and efficiency of auto driving is the top priority.

This has been a topic before in this Newsletter. Over the past decade, there have been a number of conversations about how to reduce the advantage cars have in our cities. For example, two issues in April 2005 included discussions about how to improve the "pedestrian experience" in downtown Iowa City. One reader recently asked me if I'd seen any improvements in the years since then.

Yes, there have been some small changes. For example, two blocks of sidewalk along Burlington have been moved away from the edge of the street. So walking on those two blocks is a bit more pleasant. And "counters" have been added here and there to walk signs. These are more than cosmetic changes, but nowhere near the major changes needed to improve  the climate for pedestrians and bicyclists in Iowa City.

Here are four ideas for reducing the auto advantage:

1. Reset "walk" buttons on traffic lights so they change the light when pushed. This is especially important on streets like Burlington with a significant amount bike bike and pedestrian cross traffic. Right now, the lights are set in a way which gives a significant advantage to cars. Resetting the "walk" buttons would reduce this advantage and have the added bonus of slowing down auto traffic.

2. Build "bike and pedestrian impact" questions into every new project. For example, the university wants to build a new music building at the corner of Clinton and Burlington. What will be the impact of this new building on bikers and pedestrians? Equally important, what steps will be taken to improve the bike/pedestrian experience around this new building? (Will there be adequate bike racks? Will there be awnings or overhangs for pedestrians?)

3. Experiment with closing streets to cars. For example, why not create a much larger "ped mall" downtown on football game days and Sunday afternoons. This zone could be 12 blocks instead of four. There are many other places in the community to try similar experiments.

4. Work on ways to systematically slow down traffic in Burlington and Gilbert. So many projects on those two streets during recent decades have been geared to speeding up traffic. The result is streets which are less safe for pedestrians and bicyclists. Let's start a series of efforts to "calm" traffic.

This is a list to get the conversation started. Now it's your turn. What do you think can be done to give bicyclists and pedestrians equal access to our city streets? Send your ideas to tomgilsenan@gmail.com. Or just click replay and start writing. We'll include your ideas in a future issue.

HOPE IS WHAT

SUSTAINS YOU
Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul.
--Emily Dickinson (submitted by Dave Leshtz)

MENTAL ILLNESS

AWARENESS

Oct. 3-9 is Mental Illness Awareness Week. For information, look for a link on the Facebook page for Uptown Bill's

AUDITIONS WEDNESDAY

FOR 'GOOD EVENING'

Would you like to be in a play at Uptown Bill's? Tryouts for "Good Evening," a radio drama, are being held on Wednesday, Oct. 6

at 6:30 pm. There are more than a dozen roles in the show for both men and women. At the audition, you'll be asked to read from a

scene in the show. For more information, call Tom G. at 339-0401. 

OPEN MIC ON

FRIDAY NIGHT

Do you sing? Play an instrument? Would you like to perform before a friendly audience. Come to Uptown Bill's for Open Mic Night on Friday, Oct. 8. 7 to 9 pm. Sign up beginning at 6:30.

DAVE MOORE PLAYS 

AT UPTOWN BILL'S

Singer songwriter Dave Moore plays Saturday, Oct. 9 at Uptown Bill's. His concert is from 7 to 9 pm. It's one in a series of Saturday Night concerts this fall at Uptown Bill's. For more about Dave Moore, click this link to Red House Records: http://www.redhouserecords.com/Moore.html. For information on other concerts, check the website at: www.uptownbills.org.

ANOTHER SONG

FOR AUTUMN

Thanks as always for the inspiring newsletter. (Sept. 24 issue). 

After many years of enjoying September Song (it was, believe it or not, the first song I ever learned on the banjo), I heard the verse. It has a much simpler melody, is usually sung conversationally, out of tempo, and gives the rest of the lyrics a more specific meaning (though the generalized application is one of its strongest points, as I see it):

When I was a young man courting the girls,

I played me a waiting game.

If a maid would refuse me with tossing curls,

I'd let the old earth take a couple of whirls,

And ply her with tears instead of pearls.

And as time went around, she came my way,

As time went around, she came my way.

Then the "oh" at the beginning of the chorus becomes "But".

The second time through, the second half has these lyrics:

And the wine dwindles down

To a precious brew,

September, November.

And these few vintage years, I'd share with you.

These vintage years I'll share with you.

     -- Kerry Ashmore

COFFEE & TEA
QUOTATIONS
Coffee in England always tastes like a chemistry experiment -- Agatha Christie
Espresso is to Italy what champagne is to France -- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand
There is a great deal of poetry and fine sentiment in a chest of tea -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
I always fear that creation will expire before tea time -- Sydney Smith

LOOKING BACK IN THE
BILL'S NEWSLETTER
Nine years ago (2001): Barry Morrow visiting Uptown Bill's
Seven years ago (2003): Fall moving in like a slow tide
Five years ago (2005): Tales from Mondays at Bill's Coffeeshop
__________________________________________

Bill's Coffeeshop Newsletter is a virtual extension of the spirit and legacy of Bill Sackter and the Bill's Coffeeshops. Published since 2000, the Newsletter is distributed via email to more than 500 readers. 

Wild Bill's Coffeeshop is a project of the School of Social Work at the Unievrsity of Iowa. It has been a part of campus life in Iowa City for more than 35 years. Located in North Hall, the coffeeshop is open weekdays from 8 am. For more information, call (319) 335-1281. Visit the coffeeshop web page at www.uiowa.edu/socialwk~bills. Also check the Friends of Bill's Coffeeshop page on Facebook.

Uptown Bill's is the crosstown cousin of the original coffeeshop. Now located at 730 S. Dubuque, it includes a bookstore, performance venue and other businesses in addition to a coffeeshop. Uptown Bill's is open every day from 8 am. For more information, call (319) 339-0401. Or check the website at www.uptownbills.org. On Facebook, look for Uptown Bill's Small Mall.