Baby Bashes Boy Barrier Little girl arrives at just the right moment By Heyda Storck special to the Times Arriving just hours after Dr. Ken Menningen returned from a physics conference in Atlanta, GA, Carolyn Elizabeth Menningen arrived in the world at 6:54pm on Saturday, March 27, 1999. She weighed in at six pounds even and was nineteen inches long. Eight months later she is well over double her birth weight and is keenly interested in learning to crawl. Her parents report she now has use of three teeth, frequently using them to grin at anyone she meets. Abundant evidence suggests she also uses her gums and teeth to chew on every solid object within her reach. Friends of Carolyn report that she is friendly and outgoing although she has an unfortunate habit of grabbing hair as a way of greeting people. Her apparent goal is to eat the hair. Despite this shortcoming, medical experts and sociologists agree that all indicators point to a healthy and happy childhood for young miss Carolyn.

Cheerful Carolyn This baby smiles a lot, winning friends for herself everywhere and allowing for many good photo ops.

Wagon Waxes Wider Family car gets even bigger by Will Travell of the Times staff

The Ford Taurus Wagon GL with a third seat is practically a symbol of the family car, only somewhat less popular than ubiquitous minivan. It boasts ample room for five passengers, up to eight when squeezed into the front and rear seats. It also has adequate cargo space when the third seat is folded down. But one midwestern family found themselves needing more. Ken and Laura Menningen, of Whitewater, WI, discovered that with three child safety seats occupying the back seat, there is no room for any family guests, such as Mrs. Johnson, who joins them on their weekly trek to church. They looked at the popular minivans, but while they boast more room for passengers, the cargo space is inadequate. So they bought big, and I mean big. The Menningens traded their 1995 Taurus wagon for a 1993 Ford Club Wagon Chateau full-size van. It has an eight cylinder engine, two batteries, two heating and cooling systems, and a 35 gallon gas tank. Their garage door opener had to be adjusted so they could even drive the van into their garage! All the space has already come in handy as they run errands and give rides to friends and family. The first real road test will occur after Christmas when they head for the hills of Pennsylvania to visit Laura's sister Lisa Ueda and her family.

Mom Scurries South Warmer weather sends Mom packing by Nora Anyfrost special to the Times Life in Ripon, Wisconsin proved too chilly for Joyce Ledwith, mother of Laura Menningen of Whitewater. She purchased a home in Key Largo, Florida, with convenient access to the beach and no closet space for any winter coats. The extra sunshine and marvelous weather will bring great cheer to her heart as she enjoys her retirement from years of service to Ripon Community Printers. Many residents of these northern climes will miss her, but wish her great happiness down south.

Passing of Kin Matriachs move on by Hope Glory of the Times staff The family of Ken and Laura Menningen were saddened by the passing of two grandmothers this year. Mrs. Lud Menningen, Ken's grandmother, died in April after several years of declining health. Mrs. Marjorie Borden, Laura's grandmother, also succumbed in October to a variety of health problems. Both these dear women loved their families very much and will be greatly missed. The greatest consolation to the Menningen's is the knowledge that for those who put their trust in Christ, death is merely a gateway to eternal life in heaven.

Siding struggle ceases Owner says enough is enough by Aru Nutsowat of the Times staff Following up on a story from last year's edition, home-owner Ken Menningen announced recently that he has completed work on the siding of his home. The last panel was nailed in October 1999, over a year after the project commenced with a huge flurry of action from ten volunteers. After accomplishing much on the first day, however, progress was slow as the panels were cut and nailed on occasional weekends. The project also faced delay from more pressing projects, such as repainting the exterior foundation of the home. Minutes after nailing the last panel, Menningen's wife Laura noticed that the new foundation color didn't fully match the siding. "Why don't we switch to white siding?" she asked. There are conflicting reports about what happened next, but witnesses agree that Mr. Menningen was shouting loudly and hurling hand tools, some as far as 50 yards. There were no injuries.

Two Big Brothers Boys are growing up by Matty O'Time special to the Times While much hubbub was created by the arrival of Carolyn Menningen on March 27, her two older brothers have been busily growing up. Alexander is now five, has excelled in his schooling, grown to love Legos, is enrolled in gymnastics class, and actively pursues learning about space exploration. He is also excited about Star Wars, even though he's never seen the movie itself. Nathan turned two this year, and has great gusto for life. If he knew Latin, carpe diem would be his motto. He likes to tackle and be tackled, play with balls, watch Babe on home video, play with anything Alex is playing with, and eat large quantities of food.

Rabbit Arrives Rex befriends children by Earl Longears Times animal consultant A new resident of the front porch of Ken and Laura Menningen has been identified. The brown and white rabbit, known to family members as Rex, has shown great affection to his owners. This is regarded as an encouraging sign after the aggressive behavior of his predecessor Ruby. There is a pending investigation, however, about why Rex changed his name. Sources close to the investigation state that he previously went by the name Fido, and may have attempted to impersonate a dog. Possible links between Rex's chewing activities and the Swiss cheese black market are under scrutiny.

More Photos Pix aplenty by Flo Tahgraffer Times staff photographer Several photos have recently been released by Ken and Laura Menningen. The photo collection appears to be primarily concerned with their children. At right, Nathan, 2, helps with the cooking. Several other pictures can be viewed by clicking here. It is not known whether there will be any further releases in the near future.

Merry Christmas And a Happy New Year from the Menningens

Late Again

Boys and More Boys

Another Birthday?

Alex Likes Caves

Eyesight is holding steady

Back to the Synchrotron

EAA Museum is a Hit

Digital Piano now in Living Room