Pewter Gryphon Receives Well-Earned Accolades

A quilt that honors all of
Diane's interests and
accomplishments.

Two weeks ago, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin put out a video celebrating the grassroots groundswell which has become the move to recall Scott Walker.  At the time of the showing, I noted that one of #wiunion's own heroes, Diane Echelberger, aka The Pewter Gryphon, had a cameo appearance in the video.  I went on to explain what a special woman Diane is and how she has given and continues to give Wisconsin her all.  Only thing is, I unintentionally gave her short shrift in exactly how amazing she is.

Graeme Zielinski, Communications Director for DPW, saw what I had written about Diane and felt that she deserved some sort of recognition.  Or as he later quoted to me:

"I'm a man of faith. And, with apologies to my non-religious friends, I believe that the Holy Spirit is alive among us. Clearly, she has been given breath by the Holy Spirit to do what she did over her remarkable life. This is a humble woman whose example we should exalt and which should humble those that exalt themselves."

And exalt her they did.

Steve and Ryan at DPW worked with Senator Jon Erpenbach and two of Diane's closest friends, Mariah Clark and Sarah Zepnick, in order to quickly arrange an opportunity to give Diane the credit she is due.

From left: Senator Jon Erpenbach, Sarah Zepnick,
Diane (Pewter Gryphon) and Mariah Clark.

On Thursday, Senator Erpenbach spent the better part of an hour with Diane, Mariah and Sarah.  During the visit, he presented her with a plaque of recognition from the Committee to Recall Scott Walker.  Even more impressive, at least to me, was an official Citation by the Senate* recognizing Diane for her "more than 30 years fighting for and upholding the values, interests and traditions of the State of Wisconsin and its residents."**

All of the people I've spoken with expressed how moved they were by the event and how wonderful Diane is.


I'll let Steve Potter tell you the story of how wonderful and truly remarkable Diane is.

I want to take this time to publicly thank Graeme, Steve, and Ryan for their hard work in organizing this so quickly and making it a beautiful event.

I also want to thank Mariah and Sarah for all the support and friendship they have given to Diane, as well as to me.

I also commend Senator Erpenbach for taking the time during the hectic holiday season to present this honor to Diane and doing it with such poise and dignity and compassion.

But most of all, I'd like to congratulate and thank Diane for all she has done for this state.  She truly is an inspiration for us all.

*Diane's Citation:
Diane's Citation

**It may be inappropriate, but I can't help but snicker at something that Mariah pointed out to me.  Diane's citation was signed by Republican Senator Mike Ellis, President of the Senate.  I wonder how Scott Walker feels about him endorsing a Citation honoring one of the most active volunteers in the recall efforts.

A Guide To All Things Recall - Milwaukee Style

If you're in the Milwaukee area and want to help with recalling Scott Walker, here is the website to go to, whether you want to help collect signatures, drop off some that you've already gathered or do some phone banking.  (I'd bet they'd appreciate anyone dropping off Christmas cookies as well!)

The Blood Center Needs Your Help

Summers are always rough on the Blood Center of Wisconsin. Regular donors are busy with vacations and other things, and lose track of when they can donate, so their supply levels drop.

To make things worse, because people are out doing things that are more physical, there is a higher percentage of injuries.

Higher demands and lower supplies puts them in a rough spot. Now, with last week’s flooding, things are even tighter for them.

They are asking for people to help by donating whole blood. They also especially need help with getting platelets, which help clot wounds. There need is so great that they have expanded their hours to Sundays for platelet donations. (My appointment to donate platelets is Saturday afternoon.)

So, if you can squeeze an hour or two from your busy schedules, please take the time to donate. You will be helping more people than you realize, you’ll feel good about yourself, and you get cookies and coffee afterwards. It’s a win-win-win for all involved.

You can schedule your appointment to donate by visiting their website or by calling 1-877-BE-A-HERO (1-877-232-4376).

(Cross-posted where I can.)