Wal-Mart Supercenter: More Challenges
By Bill Blomberg
Manifest Staff Writer
Note: In March, Manifest staff writer Bill Blomberg examined the economic impacts a Wal-Mart Supercenter would have on our community. This time around, we will be looking at some other sides of this project.
MARINETTE — The construction of a new store always has some impact on the surrounding area, and Marinette’s future Wal-Mart Supercenter, to be opened in the spring of 2008, is certainly no exception.
In addition to the most visible changes such as leveling and clearing the land on the planned site, there are some less apparent but very important issues to consider.
Art professor James LaMalfa, who served on the Marinette city council for 28 years, expressed concern for dealing with the inevitable increase in traffic on Roosevelt Road/County Trunk T.
“There’s an impact not only on the natural environment, but also on the civic environment,” LaMalfa said. “We need to ask: What will be the impact on the total environment?”
The answer is, of course, varied and complicated.
The new Wal-Mart would be located on the curved section of Roosevelt Road/County Trunk T, next to Peshtigo National Bank. The increased activity of a large store would slow down traffic flow in the area, and as a result, proposals for widening the road and adding turning lanes have been considered. However, the fact that a section of the road is located in county rather than city territory tends to complicate decisions.
Former Marinette mayor Doug Oitzinger, who was involved with some of the early negotiations in the Supercenter project, believes that Wal-Mart’s decision to move out of its existing store will have a significant impact on the Pine Tree Mall.
During planning for the Supercenter, Oitzinger proposed a plan to use the old Wal-Mart building as the location for the city’s recreational and convention center. This would allow the Pine Tree Mall to continue to serve the community.
“It would be a viable option, but it requires city leadership,” Oitzinger said.
Oitzinger left office before any serious negotiations with Wal-Mart started. His proposal, along with certain conditions on the sale of the land, have not been pursued by current city leadership.
In considering the changes on the new store’s site, Biology professor Wendel Johnson believes that clearing the land could represent a threat to the biodiversity of the area.
“We reduce our chance to get solar energy and there is reduced cover of the natural plant community,” Johnson said.
Johnson mentioned water runoff from the store as another dynamic to consider.
“With an asphalt parking lot, runoff doesn’t go into the soil — it goes into the sewage drainage system. Then you get solid waste and everything else that goes with the runoff … some is treatable, and some isn’t.”
History professor Dan Kallgren reflected on the historical significance of the sand hill currently located on the land. Kallgren points out that it was sand hills such as this one that helped to protect Marinette from the Peshtigo Fire of 1878. Plans call for the 32-acre site to be leveled to accommodate Wal-Mart and its 957-vehicle parking lot.
“It’s a shame that we’re losing the last sand hill,” Kallgren said.
Despite his concerns, Johnson believes the Supercenter could also be used as an opportunity for beneficial changes in the way retail stores interact with the environment.
“Wal-Mart has the potential to do great things with sustainability — and to influence their competitors,” Johnson said. He listed some possibilities such as using solar energy, using recyclable materials in products, and reducing product packaging to a minimum.
LaMalfa agrees. “Make [the Supercenter] a model store — this would be a much better option,” he said.
Wal-Mart officials appear to be taking some of these feelings to heart. In response to some environmental problems it has had with communities in the past, the company recently outlined some plans that would improve its interaction with the environment by attempting to maximize efficiency while minimizing waste.
Some aims of this approach include improving the fuel mileage of Wal-Mart’s truck fleet, using more renewable energy sources, and cutting down on waste generated by the stores.
In addition to changes to biodiversity, “one-stop shops” such as Wal-Mart tend to affect social and economic diversity as well. While the convenience of one store may allow for less travel and an easier shopping experience, there is sometimes a loss of the “charm” and familiarity present in smaller specialty stores, often from the downtown area.
“This makes everything more homogenous,” Johnson said.
LaMalfa reflected on some of these changes in a broader sense, offering an example of what has happened in other communities.
“The impact on downtowns by suburban shopping malls has been large and pervasive,” LaMalfa said. “In fact, the effect over the last 40 years or so has been to depopulate downtown, although central business districts have been fighting back. One sees this in Appleton, Milwaukee and other cities in Wisconsin and around the US.”
It seems that Marinette is growing larger all the time, and with that growth these issues become more important. Will the benefits of a Wal-Mart Supercenter help overcome the challenges that come with it? As with any controversial development, there can be no certain answer. Stay tuned.
The Parent Trap: Single parents offers perspective
By Deborah Collins
Manifest staff writer
How many times can you reschedule things? How much can you juggle? Can you rob Peter to pay Paul, again? Does your life seem like you’re on a treadmill? Running and running and getting nowhere?
For most parents these are everyday issues. Now add on the extra responsibility of school work — your own schoolwork, that is.
Parents who are either returning to school or continuing their education after high-school are brave souls. Leaving your child/children is hard for any parent. I, myself am a single parent. For me, the hardest part of returning to school is the work and discipline involved in getting assignments done in a timely manner.
I miss being involved in my daughter’s life and her activities. It must be so much harder for those with younger children.
Anne Eastman, who is a single mom with a two-year old son, is pursuing a degree in nursing. With three years of schooling under her belt, and two more to go, she plans to transfer to Green Bay in the fall, and make her home there. The extra help afforded her through outside resources has made it possible for her to continue her education.
Eastman plays co-ed volleyball and enjoys spending extra time with her son at the pool.
“The hardest part about returning to school is not being with my son and watching him grow up,” she says.
Of the 441 students on campus, 34 percent are student parents.
One of those is Michelle Wittock. She lives in Oconto with her husband and their three daughters, ages 11, 9 and six. She’s attending college to get her degree in nursing. After earning 60 credits here, she will transfer to Bellin College of Nursing, where she will complete her education and receive her degree in two years.
Wittock’s motivation for returning to school was her family.
“For me the hardest thing about returning to school was believing in myself that I can do it,” she says.
Wittock has given back to U.W. by becoming a member of Student Senate.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, middle-class families will spend over $200,000 in direct expenses to raise a child this year, excluding college. There is help out there in the form of daycare and transportation moneys, tuition assistance and scholarships. On our campus one need only go to Student Services for contact information.
But where does one find time? Is there a tree somewhere where one can go to pluck off a leaf with the corresponding amount of time needed embedded in the leaves? Just pluck it off the tree to activate the time? Would that this tree existed! And what to do with this extra time?
For Wittock and her family it would be spent making the most of her day. For Eastman it would be taking her son to the park.
For me it would be just hanging out and talking with my daughter.
Keep the spring flu bug at bay
By Michæl Paquet
Manifest staff writer
Take a moment to look outside. What do you see? It’s finally spring. And guess what that means? Spring time means that it is time for the flu season.
We normally associate winter with flu. But spring can be equally dangerous. Why? Because our bodies are changing over to the new climate after spending months in a cold winter and we are susceptible to infection.
Flu hit the UW-Marinette campus in late winter. According to instructor Mike Erdman, who teaches bacteriology 101, about this in the BAC 101 class, this strain of flu is, “like nothing I have ever seen before.” Erdman says, “I’ve come across people who have had this bug for six or more weeks.”
In other words, the current flu is not pleasant — at all, believe me, I had it for about a month.
How can we avoid this bug? Can we stop it from infecting us?
First of all, let us look at why we get sick. As we would say way back in our kindergarten years, simply, germs; germs cause sickness. This is partially true. Illnesses are also caused by viruses, organisms that literally infect and grow in your body’s cells.
But what is a germ? A germ is a disease-causing bacteria. An example being, Escherichia coli — or E. coli; the “poop bug,” which causes diarrhea, notes John Christopherson, bacteriologist and lab TA on campus.
Another way to look at a germ is as a bacterial cell that has been infected with a virus — or a cell that already has a virus in it We somehow ingest the cell, which then replicates in our bodies.
We get sick when disease-causing bacteria enter the body, which triggers our bodies to react to them, and drive them out, causing symptoms like diarrhea, coughing, sore throat, fever and other annoying side effects.
So, how do we stop these bacteria and viruses from entering our bodies? Here, are few suggestions:
Carry a bottle of sanitizing agent. Any kind will do. I carry a bottle of “Germ—X” which is made of 62% alcohol. A solution that has a higher concentration of alcohol would work even better; this stuff really kills bacteria. Hydrogen-peroxide is a good disinfectant. Just carry some kind with you, and use it after contact with anyone.
Avoid contact with any infected persons. This is difficult on a small campus. Use your sanitizing agent to wash your hands after contact with an infected person. (Now, if you’re kissing an infected person, then I don’t think hand sanitizing would help you!)
Get a flu shot. This one of the best ways to avoid the flu. A weakened version of the flu virus is injected into your system, allowing your body to prepare for the virus when it comes at you full force.
The immune system is an amazingly complex defense machine. Our bodies produce cells, T-cells, and B-cells. The B-cells work a type of marking system; the B-cells produce antibodies, which seek out the antigen (or foreign body) and stick to it, marking it for the T-cells to attack.
There are two types of T-cells; killer T-cells, and memory-T-cells. Killer T-cells produce chemical agents that go and combat the viruses, while the memory T-cells act as scholars — they put the certain disease that the body has fought on file, so that when the disease comes around again the body is prepared. Getting flu shot is a wise decision to make at any time of year.
Can sunblock cause cancer?
By Robert Gates
Manifest Staff Writer
Within the last 100 years humans have been exposed to a whole new array of chemicals and processed foods. So it’s no surprise that cancer rates have been increasing.
There are often simple precautions you can take to help reduce your risk.
Let’s take skin cancer for example. Most people would probably say that the best way to prevent skin cancer is to wear sunscreen.
According to the Sunday Times “The main chemical used in sun lotions to filter out ultraviolet light (Octyl methoxycinnamate) may be TOXIC, particularly when exposed to sunshine.”
There are many natural ways that you can protect your skin. Start sunning in short segments and gradually work your way up. The trick is to never get burned. If you are getting too much sun, use clothing instead of sunscreen to block rays.
According to a review published by the National Academy of Sciences achieving a balanced ratio of omega 6:3 is key to preventing skin cancer development. Most people’s omega 6 levels are much higher than their 3 levels. Increasing your omega 3 levels with fish or fish oils is recommended.
Also consuming whole vegetables will increase antioxidant levels in the body which will provide protection against sun induced radiation damage.
If you can’t live a life without sunscreen try to buy from a company that actually cares if you get cancer or not (they are out there). Avoid tanning booths and remember sunlight is one of the essential ingredients for staying healthy as long as you take the right precautions.
Quick Tips:
Don't burn
Don’t rely on sunscreen alone to keep your skin safe.
Wear cloths to protect skin when feeling overexposed
If you need sunscreen, buy health conscious products
Keep your skin healthy with vegetables and higher levels of Omega 3
25 April 2007
24 April 2007
Student Fiction
The Ghost of Strawberry Fields - Part Two
Kalya Bauer
Manifest staff writer
As I leave school on this snowy winter day, ideas swirl through my head as to how I can cure my case of the “blues.”
Soon these thoughts give way to the repeated questions, “What do I want to do with my life,” “Where I am going,” and “Am I unhappy or happy?”
They may all seem to be rather stupid to everyone else, but this is me and no one else matters to me all too much, except one man. Not a boyfriend, not a friend, and certainly not my father, but John Lennon.
Again this may seem rather absurd, but if that is the case it just shows that people do not know me. Ever since I was little I spent much of my time listening to records and gazing out the window. And sometimes I would go for long walks and admire the beauty as songs replayed in my head.
The Beatles’ music and especially that of John Lennon truly touches me. As I think of this my heart warms and I can tell that I feel happier just thinking of this great artist. And so I turn back to my case of the “blues” and suddenly it comes to me; I am happiest when I think of John Lennon.
Rushing home and heading straight for my room, I open up my laptop to check my bank account. I see that I have more than enough money for my second semester of school. Discovering this, I head online to buy a one-way plane ticket to New York City.
As I wait for the transaction to process, I look above my bed at the Beatles poster gazing back at me. I grab my overnight bag and cram it with a few clothes, my Beatles necklace given to me by my grandmother years ago, a few notebooks, and my journal. I then pack up my camera bag with my extra lenses and film. I print off my boarding pass for the plane I shall board in a few hours.
Settling down in my seat as the plane readies to take off; I gaze out the window at the hustle and bustle around the plane and airport. The plane takes off as I fall asleep and lose myself in a dream.
Screaming swells through my ears and I open my eyes to see around me thousands of screaming girls, looking ahead I see four young men dressed in suits on a stage taking a final bow. A flurry of screaming later I find myself at another destination, that of an extra in a film being shot on location. I sense the roar of screaming and then I realize where I am: London, at the time the Beatles shot their first film, “A Hard Day’s Night.”
I and dozens of other extras chase down our heroes until we hear the director cut the scene. Slowly everything fades away to a recording studio during the “Rubber Soul” session where music history is being made. Gone are the screaming fans. Only the dedicated musicians working on their masterpiece.
And here in my dream I am witnessing history next to my heroes that made it.
But it was only a dream and I awake as a flight attendant shakes me and I look out the window to see the beautiful cityscape of New York City. Grabbing my luggage I head off into the big city.
As I look at my environment, a smile spreads across my face and I can tell that just following this dream is making me feel happier by the minute.
The Opera and The Phantom Thereof
By Mike Paquet
Manifest staff writer
Before we start our story, there are a few main characters with whom you need to be familiar.
The Phantom of the Opera, is a man who wears a mask to hide his facial deformities. He is also in love with his student, Christine Daea, a dancing girl. Raoul, the Viscount de Cagny is the girlish patron of the Opera House, who thinks he is in love with Christine. Andre and Firmin are managers of the Opera House.
At this point in the story, the Phantom has taken Christine away from the rest of the world, and down to his cavernous lair. The Phantom and Christine had just entered the Phantom’s lair (known as “The Phantom Zone”) by boat.
The Phantom gets out of the boat, looks back at Christine, saying, “Christine, I bid you welcome to my humble abode.” He takes Christine’s hand and helps her out of the boat, thereafter leading her around his lair.
“I have brought you here,” the Phantom explains, “to the foot of music’s throne.”
The Phantom and Christine walk past a sign reading, “PHANTOM’S WORD OF THE DAY: MUSIC.”
The Phantom continued, “For this is the kingdom where everyone must pay dues to Music!” Yet again, the same sign appears behind them.
The Phantom continues, “I have brought you here, Christine, because the moment I first heard you sing, I knew that I would need you to help me to sing! For my Music!”
The sign appears again. Christine is confused. The Phantom then explained to her, “My music.”
Again, the sign appears behind him. The Phantom smiles at Christine, and looks behind him. Tuning back to her, he says, “And down here, Christine, you can let your hair down; you can let your dark side give in!”
The Phantom opens a curtain that reveals a room of his lair that was decorated in Darth Vader and Star Wars memorabilia. Christine is amazed.
Rubbing his hands together, the Phantom says, “So, now that we’re done with the tour, anything else you’d like?”
Thinking for a moment, Christine replies, “Actually, I as expecting some kind of song; could you sing?”
The Phantom replies, “Honestly, I thought a song would be a wee bit of overkill, given that this whole tour has been about music and all, so I don’t really have anything prepared.”
Christine sighs in disappointment.
“Is there anything else you would like though?” the Phantom asks.
Christine stops to think, then replies, “Could you recite some kind of poem or a tale?”
Now it was the Phantom’s turn to think. He does not respond.
“Surely you remember something!” Christine implores him.
“Ah, yes!” the Phantom exclaims, “I remember now!” He leads her to a corner of his lair with a small fire-pit and a large comfy chair shaped like a giant peacock. Christine smiled, and sat in the chair. Suddenly, the Phantom explodes, saying, “Listen! We have heard of the glory of the Spear-Danes in olde days, the kings of tribes…”
And the Phantom told his story. And told his story. For four hours, the Phantom told his story.
Finally after the four hours were up, the Phantom finished his story, saying, “It was said
that he was, of all the kings in this world, the kindest to his men, the most courageous man,
the best to his people,” the Phantom sniffled, clearly choked up, “And the most eager for fame.” He pulled out a handkerchief, and blew his nose, also wiping away his tears.
The Phantom became SO involved with telling the story he loved so, that he had forgotten about his guest. After telling his story, he remembered Christine. He scanned the room, looking for Christine. The Phantom found her sleeping in the large chair he had set her in. He walked over to her, gently picked her up, and carried her to another room of his lair, and set her on the bed that lay in the center of the room.
After laying her in the bed, the Phantom whispered to her, “Help me, Christine, to make the music of the night!”
Behind the Phantom appeared another sign, reading, “PHANTOM’S WOR? OF THE ?AY: MUSIC.”
As the Phantom backed away from Christine’s bed, and drew the curtain, he tripped over the
sign, thereafter knocking it over.
Now that his guest was asleep, the Phantom was bored. So, he decided to order pizza. Being as he did live in the sewer, the Phantom knew that his home would be hard to find.
After a time, the Pizza guy finally arrived above ground, looking for the Phantom Zone. “432, 433, 434, 435, 435 and an 8th?” The Pizza Guy read his directions from a slip of paper.
He double checked his directions, and took a few steps back. “433, 434, 435, 435 and an 8th?”
He repeated, and then pondered for a few seconds. “Where is 435 and an 1/8?” he asked seemingly no one.
“You’re standing on it, dude,” the Phantom’s Voice replied from the sewer grate the Pizza Guy stood on.
The Pizza guy jumped away from the sewer entrance that the Voice had erupted from.
“Okay, now just slip the pizza down here,” the Voice ordered.
The Pizza Guy hesitantly slipped the pizza through the sewer entrance grate, and something sucked the pizza into the sewer. A coin popped out of the sewer.
Puzzled, the Pizza guy, looking around to see if he was being watched, but, non-the-less picked up the coin, and started to walk away.
The Pizza guy stopped dead in his tracks, examining the coin, saying, “Hey, this is only a ten!
The bill’s 13!”
“You’re 10 minutes late, dude!” the Voice replied.
The Pizza guy bent down to plead with the Sewer Voice, “Oh, come on, I couldn’t find the place!”
Yet, the Voice replied, “Wise man say: ‘Forgiveness is divine, but never pay full price for late pizza.’”
“I’ve gotta get a better route…” The Pizza guy said as he walked away from the stubborn Sewer grate.
Now that the Phantom had his pizza, he was happy, and returned to his lair to compose some music.
After a time, Christine awoke from her deep slumber, opening her large, blue, beautiful eyes. Yet, when she awoke, she was met with a puzzling sight; above her bed was a sign that read, "DO NOT TOUCH THE MASK!!!” in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, German, Latin, Dutch, Swedish, Hebrew, Flemish, Japanese, Pig Latin, Anglo-Saxon, Aramaic, Runic, Korean, and Norwegian.
When she reached the main room where the Phantom was composing, she saw that he too was surrounded with signs that read things to the effect of, “Touching the Mask: Just say “NO!” and THE MASK: DON’T BE STUPID!!!”
When the Phantom realized that Christine had entered the room with him, she said, “Oh, hey Christine.
Sleep well?”
She smiled in reply.
“Good, I am glad to hear it. There’s some pizza over on the table if you’re hungry, I think
it’s still warm.”
He turned back to the organ, and continued to compose. Christine smiled and continued to approach
the Phantom.
Almost out loud, she said, “That’s a pretty mask…I want to touch it…”
She put her hand on the Phantom’s back…and…She tore the mask off!
The Phantom cringed, and sunk the floor, but when he finally turned back, he had a
large inflatable skull in the place of his face.
Christine shrieked, terrified
The Phantom put down the skull, revealing that he has another mask on under the first mask,
the mask has “Ha, ha, fooled you” and “Sorry, please don’t try again!” written all over it.
“Ha, ha, thought you had me, didn’t you?” the Phantom laughed.
Christine tore the Phantom’s second mask off!
The Phantom covered his face and shot from his seat.
Christine shrunk back from the Phantom, very scared.
The Phantom yelled, “AH! You stupid dancing girl! I told you, NEVER TOUCH THE MASK!!! For crying out loud, I wrote it in seventeen different languages! As well as a freaking dialect! ?o you have any idea how long it took me to do that???”
After he was done with his rant, the Phantom regained his composure, straightened up,
and slicked his hair back.
Taking a deep breath, he said, “Wierder than you thunk it? Can you even dare to stare, or take a think of me: This icky gargoyle, who burns in Hell, but secretly yearns for heaven, secretly…” Another sign appears, this time reading, “PHANTOM’S WOR? OF THE ?AY: ‘SECRETLY’”
And he continued, “Christine...Fear can turn to love - you'll learn to see to find the man behind the monster: This repulsive carcass, who seems a beast but secretly dreams of beauty,” the sign appears again, “Phantom’s Word of the day: ‘SECRETLY.’”
”Secretly…” he repeated, and passed a phonograph that skipped on the word “secretly. The Phantom looked at the phonograph, at Christine, back at the phonograph, and kicked the machine, making it sputter, and erupt a plume of smoke that read, “OUCH.”
The Phantom approached Christine, and sighed, “Oh, Christine…” he took another deep breath, and said, “I’m sorry for my harsh response to your,” he cleared his throat, “lapse in judgment.”
Christine gently picked up his first mask and gave it back to the Phantom.
“Please forgive my stupidity, Phantom?” Christine asked.
“Please, my dear, call me Erik?” he replied.
“Of course…” she smiled, “Erik.”
He took the mask from her, and held it up, “Please do not touch this again?”
Christine smiled, and he put the mask back on.
“Well, I guess we’d better get you back to those idiots who run my theater, they’re probably missing you,” the Phantom paused and looked behind him. Turning back to Christine, he asked, “But first, d’ya want some pizza?”
Wanna know what happens next? Read the next Manifest to find out!!!
…To be Continued…
Kalya Bauer
Manifest staff writer
As I leave school on this snowy winter day, ideas swirl through my head as to how I can cure my case of the “blues.”
Soon these thoughts give way to the repeated questions, “What do I want to do with my life,” “Where I am going,” and “Am I unhappy or happy?”
They may all seem to be rather stupid to everyone else, but this is me and no one else matters to me all too much, except one man. Not a boyfriend, not a friend, and certainly not my father, but John Lennon.
Again this may seem rather absurd, but if that is the case it just shows that people do not know me. Ever since I was little I spent much of my time listening to records and gazing out the window. And sometimes I would go for long walks and admire the beauty as songs replayed in my head.
The Beatles’ music and especially that of John Lennon truly touches me. As I think of this my heart warms and I can tell that I feel happier just thinking of this great artist. And so I turn back to my case of the “blues” and suddenly it comes to me; I am happiest when I think of John Lennon.
Rushing home and heading straight for my room, I open up my laptop to check my bank account. I see that I have more than enough money for my second semester of school. Discovering this, I head online to buy a one-way plane ticket to New York City.
As I wait for the transaction to process, I look above my bed at the Beatles poster gazing back at me. I grab my overnight bag and cram it with a few clothes, my Beatles necklace given to me by my grandmother years ago, a few notebooks, and my journal. I then pack up my camera bag with my extra lenses and film. I print off my boarding pass for the plane I shall board in a few hours.
Settling down in my seat as the plane readies to take off; I gaze out the window at the hustle and bustle around the plane and airport. The plane takes off as I fall asleep and lose myself in a dream.
Screaming swells through my ears and I open my eyes to see around me thousands of screaming girls, looking ahead I see four young men dressed in suits on a stage taking a final bow. A flurry of screaming later I find myself at another destination, that of an extra in a film being shot on location. I sense the roar of screaming and then I realize where I am: London, at the time the Beatles shot their first film, “A Hard Day’s Night.”
I and dozens of other extras chase down our heroes until we hear the director cut the scene. Slowly everything fades away to a recording studio during the “Rubber Soul” session where music history is being made. Gone are the screaming fans. Only the dedicated musicians working on their masterpiece.
And here in my dream I am witnessing history next to my heroes that made it.
But it was only a dream and I awake as a flight attendant shakes me and I look out the window to see the beautiful cityscape of New York City. Grabbing my luggage I head off into the big city.
As I look at my environment, a smile spreads across my face and I can tell that just following this dream is making me feel happier by the minute.
The Opera and The Phantom Thereof
By Mike Paquet
Manifest staff writer
Before we start our story, there are a few main characters with whom you need to be familiar.
The Phantom of the Opera, is a man who wears a mask to hide his facial deformities. He is also in love with his student, Christine Daea, a dancing girl. Raoul, the Viscount de Cagny is the girlish patron of the Opera House, who thinks he is in love with Christine. Andre and Firmin are managers of the Opera House.
At this point in the story, the Phantom has taken Christine away from the rest of the world, and down to his cavernous lair. The Phantom and Christine had just entered the Phantom’s lair (known as “The Phantom Zone”) by boat.
The Phantom gets out of the boat, looks back at Christine, saying, “Christine, I bid you welcome to my humble abode.” He takes Christine’s hand and helps her out of the boat, thereafter leading her around his lair.
“I have brought you here,” the Phantom explains, “to the foot of music’s throne.”
The Phantom and Christine walk past a sign reading, “PHANTOM’S WORD OF THE DAY: MUSIC.”
The Phantom continued, “For this is the kingdom where everyone must pay dues to Music!” Yet again, the same sign appears behind them.
The Phantom continues, “I have brought you here, Christine, because the moment I first heard you sing, I knew that I would need you to help me to sing! For my Music!”
The sign appears again. Christine is confused. The Phantom then explained to her, “My music.”
Again, the sign appears behind him. The Phantom smiles at Christine, and looks behind him. Tuning back to her, he says, “And down here, Christine, you can let your hair down; you can let your dark side give in!”
The Phantom opens a curtain that reveals a room of his lair that was decorated in Darth Vader and Star Wars memorabilia. Christine is amazed.
Rubbing his hands together, the Phantom says, “So, now that we’re done with the tour, anything else you’d like?”
Thinking for a moment, Christine replies, “Actually, I as expecting some kind of song; could you sing?”
The Phantom replies, “Honestly, I thought a song would be a wee bit of overkill, given that this whole tour has been about music and all, so I don’t really have anything prepared.”
Christine sighs in disappointment.
“Is there anything else you would like though?” the Phantom asks.
Christine stops to think, then replies, “Could you recite some kind of poem or a tale?”
Now it was the Phantom’s turn to think. He does not respond.
“Surely you remember something!” Christine implores him.
“Ah, yes!” the Phantom exclaims, “I remember now!” He leads her to a corner of his lair with a small fire-pit and a large comfy chair shaped like a giant peacock. Christine smiled, and sat in the chair. Suddenly, the Phantom explodes, saying, “Listen! We have heard of the glory of the Spear-Danes in olde days, the kings of tribes…”
And the Phantom told his story. And told his story. For four hours, the Phantom told his story.
Finally after the four hours were up, the Phantom finished his story, saying, “It was said
that he was, of all the kings in this world, the kindest to his men, the most courageous man,
the best to his people,” the Phantom sniffled, clearly choked up, “And the most eager for fame.” He pulled out a handkerchief, and blew his nose, also wiping away his tears.
The Phantom became SO involved with telling the story he loved so, that he had forgotten about his guest. After telling his story, he remembered Christine. He scanned the room, looking for Christine. The Phantom found her sleeping in the large chair he had set her in. He walked over to her, gently picked her up, and carried her to another room of his lair, and set her on the bed that lay in the center of the room.
After laying her in the bed, the Phantom whispered to her, “Help me, Christine, to make the music of the night!”
Behind the Phantom appeared another sign, reading, “PHANTOM’S WOR? OF THE ?AY: MUSIC.”
As the Phantom backed away from Christine’s bed, and drew the curtain, he tripped over the
sign, thereafter knocking it over.
Now that his guest was asleep, the Phantom was bored. So, he decided to order pizza. Being as he did live in the sewer, the Phantom knew that his home would be hard to find.
After a time, the Pizza guy finally arrived above ground, looking for the Phantom Zone. “432, 433, 434, 435, 435 and an 8th?” The Pizza Guy read his directions from a slip of paper.
He double checked his directions, and took a few steps back. “433, 434, 435, 435 and an 8th?”
He repeated, and then pondered for a few seconds. “Where is 435 and an 1/8?” he asked seemingly no one.
“You’re standing on it, dude,” the Phantom’s Voice replied from the sewer grate the Pizza Guy stood on.
The Pizza guy jumped away from the sewer entrance that the Voice had erupted from.
“Okay, now just slip the pizza down here,” the Voice ordered.
The Pizza Guy hesitantly slipped the pizza through the sewer entrance grate, and something sucked the pizza into the sewer. A coin popped out of the sewer.
Puzzled, the Pizza guy, looking around to see if he was being watched, but, non-the-less picked up the coin, and started to walk away.
The Pizza guy stopped dead in his tracks, examining the coin, saying, “Hey, this is only a ten!
The bill’s 13!”
“You’re 10 minutes late, dude!” the Voice replied.
The Pizza guy bent down to plead with the Sewer Voice, “Oh, come on, I couldn’t find the place!”
Yet, the Voice replied, “Wise man say: ‘Forgiveness is divine, but never pay full price for late pizza.’”
“I’ve gotta get a better route…” The Pizza guy said as he walked away from the stubborn Sewer grate.
Now that the Phantom had his pizza, he was happy, and returned to his lair to compose some music.
After a time, Christine awoke from her deep slumber, opening her large, blue, beautiful eyes. Yet, when she awoke, she was met with a puzzling sight; above her bed was a sign that read, "DO NOT TOUCH THE MASK!!!” in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, German, Latin, Dutch, Swedish, Hebrew, Flemish, Japanese, Pig Latin, Anglo-Saxon, Aramaic, Runic, Korean, and Norwegian.
When she reached the main room where the Phantom was composing, she saw that he too was surrounded with signs that read things to the effect of, “Touching the Mask: Just say “NO!” and THE MASK: DON’T BE STUPID!!!”
When the Phantom realized that Christine had entered the room with him, she said, “Oh, hey Christine.
Sleep well?”
She smiled in reply.
“Good, I am glad to hear it. There’s some pizza over on the table if you’re hungry, I think
it’s still warm.”
He turned back to the organ, and continued to compose. Christine smiled and continued to approach
the Phantom.
Almost out loud, she said, “That’s a pretty mask…I want to touch it…”
She put her hand on the Phantom’s back…and…She tore the mask off!
The Phantom cringed, and sunk the floor, but when he finally turned back, he had a
large inflatable skull in the place of his face.
Christine shrieked, terrified
The Phantom put down the skull, revealing that he has another mask on under the first mask,
the mask has “Ha, ha, fooled you” and “Sorry, please don’t try again!” written all over it.
“Ha, ha, thought you had me, didn’t you?” the Phantom laughed.
Christine tore the Phantom’s second mask off!
The Phantom covered his face and shot from his seat.
Christine shrunk back from the Phantom, very scared.
The Phantom yelled, “AH! You stupid dancing girl! I told you, NEVER TOUCH THE MASK!!! For crying out loud, I wrote it in seventeen different languages! As well as a freaking dialect! ?o you have any idea how long it took me to do that???”
After he was done with his rant, the Phantom regained his composure, straightened up,
and slicked his hair back.
Taking a deep breath, he said, “Wierder than you thunk it? Can you even dare to stare, or take a think of me: This icky gargoyle, who burns in Hell, but secretly yearns for heaven, secretly…” Another sign appears, this time reading, “PHANTOM’S WOR? OF THE ?AY: ‘SECRETLY’”
And he continued, “Christine...Fear can turn to love - you'll learn to see to find the man behind the monster: This repulsive carcass, who seems a beast but secretly dreams of beauty,” the sign appears again, “Phantom’s Word of the day: ‘SECRETLY.’”
”Secretly…” he repeated, and passed a phonograph that skipped on the word “secretly. The Phantom looked at the phonograph, at Christine, back at the phonograph, and kicked the machine, making it sputter, and erupt a plume of smoke that read, “OUCH.”
The Phantom approached Christine, and sighed, “Oh, Christine…” he took another deep breath, and said, “I’m sorry for my harsh response to your,” he cleared his throat, “lapse in judgment.”
Christine gently picked up his first mask and gave it back to the Phantom.
“Please forgive my stupidity, Phantom?” Christine asked.
“Please, my dear, call me Erik?” he replied.
“Of course…” she smiled, “Erik.”
He took the mask from her, and held it up, “Please do not touch this again?”
Christine smiled, and he put the mask back on.
“Well, I guess we’d better get you back to those idiots who run my theater, they’re probably missing you,” the Phantom paused and looked behind him. Turning back to Christine, he asked, “But first, d’ya want some pizza?”
Wanna know what happens next? Read the next Manifest to find out!!!
…To be Continued…
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