Waunakee: Arboretum Village • Savannah Village • Westbridge • K ilkenny Farms
Dane: Tanimarah Ridge • DeForest: Savannah Brooks
Sun Prairie Area: Windsor Gardens • Happy Valley Addition
Deer field: Savannah Parks
being together with us for an exciting new season of live music! Your Symphony’s 2022–2023 season begins in September — eight subscription concerts plus Beyond the Score®. View our brochure, discover more, and subscribe online. Visit madisonsymphony.org/22-23
infinite joy | SEPT. 23, 24 & 25
MOZART & BEETHOVEN, SYMPHONY NO. 9
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Marc Fink, Oboe , Laquita Mitchell, Soprano , Kirsten Larson, Mezzo-soprano , Jared Esguerra, Tenor , Matt Boehler, Bass , Madison Symphony Chorus
sublime violin & journeys | OCT. 14, 15 & 16
STRAUSS, BARBER & MENDELSSOHN
James Ehnes, Violin
enchanted piano & personal favorite | NOV. 11, 12 & 13
A multimedia experience with American Players Theatre actors
How
Modern Nest
A couple builds their family haven right on the shores of Lake Monona.
In Full Bloom
A master gardener shares her green oasis away from it all.
Elizabeth Gregg
DWELL
MONEY SMARTS
BY KIM SPONEM
I keep hearing about inflation – how will that affect my budget? What can I do to prepare?
Inflation is a hot topic, but you’re already in a better position than many to prepare because you have a budget. At Summit Credit Union, it’s common for us to hear members say that once they put a budget in place, they feel more in control of their money. Some even find it fun to work with once it’s in place, adjusting for new goals or changes along the way. We see this commonly with our Project Money families each year.* For those without a budget, keeping tabs on weekly expenses makes it easier to adjust where needed too. In times of inflation, most people need to adjust their spending.
Food and energy price increases put the biggest strain on weekly spending. With both up significantly, I’d recommend focusing here first. We all need to eat so there is only so much we can save here. But we find households spend more money than they think on eating out or convenience food. Think about how often you go through a drive thru or out to eat each week. Thinking back on the past week, cutting out just one instance could help cover the rise in grocery prices. Stopping at the grocery store more will help reduce waste and pre-packaged foods are typically more expensive and not as healthy. Batching errands helps reduce fuel costs. It’s spring! Where could you replace driving with biking or walking? Decreasing your
thermostat by just one degree and turning off lights helps off-set increases in gas and electric bills.
Some expenses can be renegotiated.
A cell phone plan and auto insurance are necessary expenses, but you can talk to your providers about ways to save or look for different providers. These actions take some time but can reduce money stress.
If you have debt, loan payments are part of your necessary monthly expenses, and they can be a good place to save.
A financial expert, like a Summit financial coach, can look over your credit situation and often provide options that will save you money monthly, over your loan term or both. This could also include your mortgage or home equity loan.
It may be time to look at any subscriptions you enrolled in during the pandemic. Music and online streaming companies might not seem like much per month but freeing up even $20 a month helps offset higher prices in other areas. The same holds true with mobile applications you signed up for over time. Are you still using them? If not, cancel. You can always sign up again. Subscriptions of products ordered online, like supplements, razors and cosmetic products, can stack up in our cupboards. Cancel them for a while to see if you really want them coming every month.
I had signed up for a meal kit delivery service. These, while convenient, are almost as expensive as eating out. I’ve scaled those back significantly. Reducing and re-allocating expenses are important. You can also rethink options to increase your income.
Inflation is a challenge in the shorter term, but it won’t last forever. Making some changes now will help you and your family get through it and be in a better place when inflation eventually retreats toward 2%.
*In Summit Credit Union’s annual Project Money challenge, participants work with a Summit financial coach to lower debt, increase savings and strengthen their financial wellbeing while they compete for the $10,000 prize. Along the way, they share their experience on WKOW (Channel 27) and online at SummitCreditUnion.com so thousands can learn and take action. Check it out for more ideas on how to change your spending habits. This year’s season starts in June.
Kim Sponem is CEO & President, since 2002, of Summit Credit Union, a $4.9 billion, member-owned financial cooperative with more than 227,000 members. Kim has a passion for empowering people to improve their financial well-being for a richer life.
Ask Kim your money questions at MoneySmarts@SummitCreditUnion.com.
WOMEN MAKING WAVES
Ihave never felt more hopeful in the last two years than recently. We are able to gather again, I can see kids’ smiling faces sans masks when I drop my children off at school and I have heard from health care workers that the health care field has been much less stressful lately. Human connection is so important, and we have all felt the lack of it at different times throughout these last two years. I spoke at three different events recently on behalf of BRAVA and realized how much I’ve missed seeing people all in one room (versus a group Zoom call) learning about their stories and sharing BRAVA’s mission of connecting and empowering women. It also reinforced that BRAVA has had a singular place in Madison’s media landscape for the last 20 years.
Part of that is our Women to Watch legacy. Past Women to Watch pop up in many of our issues, simply because they’re continuing to make waves in their field, or, they're spearheading a new project.
Winnie Karanja, a 2017 W2W, is the founder of Maydm, a Madison-area nonprofit that provides girls and youth of color skill-based training in coding. Karanja stepped away from Maydm in 2021 to start Represented Collective, “a company that’s focused on racial and gender equity in the STEM fields by creating thoughtfully-made campaigns and education products,” she explains.
Midwest Getaways
Want to get away? Then you’ll love our Special Travel Section starting on P. 65 that covers nine different areas from Monroe to Mineral Point that are all just a drive away — and bursting with things to do. Personally, I’m always up for a visit to Stoughton’s historic downtown, and I’d love to take a ride down the Mississippi on the La Crosse Queen —something I’ve never done.
Congrats to Us
BRAVA won two awards at the Milwaukee Press Club Excellence in Journalism awards, held in early May. The Milwaukee Press Club is a statewide professional development and networking organization for the media. BRAVA was recognized for Best Overall Design and Best Single Cover Design ( see left ). We are proud of our staff for their hard work and dedication to making the magazine a captivating, well-designed and thoughtful read!
The company’s Legendary card set features 56 Black, Indigenous women of color that were pioneers and changemakers in STEM fields. It’s women like Karanja that continue to push society to a more enlightening, accepting place. Read her story on P. 11.
And acceptance is a big theme in our “Pride & Progress” feature on P. 54. In honor of Pride Month, we spoke with area experts on how to talk to kids about questions they may have on LGBTQ+ issues. A few takeaways that resonated with me after reading this were to address questions kids might have proactively rather than reactively; to be a “safe” person who listens to your kids in a non-reactive, non-judgmental way; and to reinforce the mantra, “There is nothing that you can say to me that will make me love you any less.” (Thanks, principal Sylla Zarov!)
Our May/June issue is also our annual Home & Garden Issue — a favorite of mine. Who doesn’t love peeking at beautiful homes and gardens, and figuring out how to perk up your spaces? You’ll want to check out our features on pages 35 and 45, plus other content throughout the issue.
Enjoy your spring!
Shayna Mace Editorial Director @shaynamace
Women to Watch Recap
On April 26, we hosted our 2022 Women to Watch Soiree, where we honored this year's class — plus one additional woman. Michelle Kullmann is the former publisher of BRAVA Magazine and started Women to Watch in 2012. After her son, Cade, tragically passed away from fentanyl poisoning in November 2021, Kullmann has focused her efforts on the fentanyl epidemic, speaking with the media and at public events. We are proud to call Kullmann a 2022 Woman to Watch.
Nei-Turner Media Group, Inc. Gary E. Nei, Chairman, William Turner, President.
SUBSCRIBE AT BRAVAMAGAZINE.COM
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BRAVA (ISSN 1934-4317) May/June 2022, Volume 23, Number 03, is published bimonthly (six times a year) by Nei-Turner Media Group, Inc. Periodicals postage paid at 3902 Milwaukee St., Madison WI 53714 and additional offices.
Subscriptions are $12/year. Postmaster send address changes to: BRAVA Magazine, 951 Kimball Ln., Ste. 104, Verona WI 53593-1786.
SHELBY DEERING
Shelby is a freelance lifestyle writer based in Madison. She specializes in home design, wellness, mental health and travel, among other topics — which is why writing the “Modern Nest” cover feature starting on P. 35 was a perfect fit for her. She has contributed to Good Housekeeping, Martha Stewart Living, Domino and more. When she’s not writing, you will find her hiking a local trail, shopping a flea market or spending time with her husband and corgi, Dolly.
KALEIGH KRAUSE
Kaleigh is originally from Lake Geneva, Wis. She is graduating in May from Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida, with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a minor in criminology. She is BRAVA’s resident fact-checker, and has also assisted with projects for other Nei-Turner Media Group publications for the last five years. After graduation, she plans to stick with journalism for a while and see where life takes her. @kaleighkrause
ANNIE ROSEMURGY
Annie is a Madison-based freelance writer who loves to write about health, fitness, food and home. When she’s not working on a story you’ll find her cycling Dane County’s beautiful roads and trails, running through the Arboretum or swimming at Shorewood Pool. She loves to cook (and eat!) and spends months planning her neighborhood-famous summer planters. She lives with her husband, two kids, two grumpy cats and lots of books on Madison’s near West side. In this issue Annie wrote several pieces, including the Wellbeing piece on infertility (P. 13), a Dwell article on backyard trends (P. 29) and the “Pride & Progress” feature (P. 54). @anniemurge
THE VANGUARD VISIONARY
Winnie Karanja’s creative next step.
BY SHAYNA MACE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARLA
BERGH
When faced with a confounding problem such as racial disparities in society or the lack of women in STEM fields, many of us might throw up our hands, wonder what we can do or donate to a cause-related nonprofit. Not Winnie Karanja — she tackles problems at the root cause.
While in a high school coding class, Karanja noticed she was one of only two female students (and the only female of color) in the class. After attending college abroad at The University of Wales for her undergraduate degree and the London School of Economics for her master’s degree, she returned to Madison. And the shortage of technology engineering learning opportunities for girls and students of color still gnawed at her.
“I knew if we were going to address these disparities in our county … you need to equip students with skill sets for high-wage employment. Because that aids how we address larger and related issues of housing, health care, food insecurity, et cetera — [and] this can broaden access to improved services,” explains Karanja.
At just 23 years old, she founded Maydm, a Madison-based nonprofit that provides girls and youth of color skillbased training in coding. To date, Maydm has served upwards of 2,000 students in Winnie Karanja
A break for caregivers
grades six through 12. Because of her work with Maydm, Karanja was named one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneurs in 2019.
She ran the nonprofit until 2021, when she decided to step away to pursue other ideas that had been percolating in her mind. Karanja moved to Houston to connect with the creative scene there and founded a company in summer of 2021 called Represented Collective. (Karanja still travels back and forth to Madison).
“Represented Collective is very much focused on racial and gender equity in the STEM fields by creating thoughtfully-made campaigns and education products,” explains Karanja.
Karanja, who is originally from Kenya (she moved to Madison with her family when she was eight years old), used her home country as inspiration for Represented’s first product. The Nakira’s World ( nakirasworld.com ) product line centers on Nakira, an eight-year-old Black Kenyan immigrant girl and her friends’ everyday adventures with STEM topics. Currently the line has two decoder puzzles.
Karanja’s company also makes the Possibilities Box, a STEM kit for K-8th grades about STEM experiences and literacy via stories and games.
But her eyes sparkle and she becomes more animated when she talks about her third product, the Legendary card collection. The 56-card set showcases primarily notable Black, Indigenous women of color in the STEM field that have “been under-recognized, but made significant waves in the STEM
field. We highlight women throughout the world who were the cornerstones of many of the technologies we use now, from pharmaceutical drugs to GPS mapping to all sorts of inventions. And so, that’s legendary,” says Karanja.
All of the cards feature beautiful illustrations done by five women of color. Karanja says the set makes a great gift or educational tool. Currently the set is available at Leopold’s Books Bar Caffè in Madison and at legendary.com
“This card collection really is a place where anybody can find themselves, whether it’s your racial or ethnic group, or by interest. And it explores themes of sexism, discrimination, racism, identity personality [and] ageism. It’s always been important to me that to know that you don’t need to look like Mark Zuckerberg to be in STEM … you can bring your passion for dance, music — whatever it is — and thrive in STEM.”
With her Represented team (of which includes the talented Madisonbased photographer Marla Bergh, who photographed Karanja on these pages), she has a big vision for the company. She sees Represented creating more STEM-related products, becoming involved in communities all over the U.S., hosting events and furthering her mission of racial and gender equality in the STEM fields.
“I feel like I’m barely getting started,” Karanja says with a wide smile. “I feel like this is what I was created to do. I see Represented Collective being a leader in both the conversation and action towards inclusivity in the STEM fields in so many different ways.”
Similar to many health issues, infertility is something we don’t typically think about unless we’re thinking about trying to get pregnant, actively attempting to get pregnant — or haven’t been able to conceive. But it’s amazing how common fertility issues are for women. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), infertility affects up to 15% of couples.
Infertility is defined as the failure to get pregnant within 12 months of unprotected intercourse or donor insemination in women younger than 35 years, or within six months in women older than 35 years.
This issue has many underlying causes, including hormonal insufficiencies, low egg or sperm counts, or anatomical variables that block the egg and sperm from meeting in the first place.
The leading cause of infertility in the U.S. stems not from the aforementioned medical issues, but because women are delaying having children for personal, educational or professional reasons. That’s because “cycle fecundity,” or the chance that a woman will get pregnant during a single month, begins to drop off precipitously around age 35.
Dr. Bala Bhagavath, infertility medical director at UW Health Generations Fertility Clinic, notes that's why the ACOG changed their definition of infertility in women over 35. (Previously it was 12 months for all women).
“More recently that definition has changed to six months in women over 35, because if you wait a year, you might be losing precious time to intervene," says Dr. Bhagavath.
In general, infertility treatments seek to address the underlying issue, says Dr. Bhagavath. The ovaries can be stimulated with medications to improve the chances of pregnancy. Anatomical and structural concerns of the fallopian tubes or uterus may be addressed through surgery. To increase the possibility of conception, intrauterine insemination is another option, in which sperm is inserted directly into the uterus through a catheter (IUI), increasing the likelihood that sperm and egg will meet. All of these “lower tech” interventions are successful 30-40% of
WHEN FERTILITY IS FRAGILE
Infertility issues can be frustrating, isolating and disappointing for women and couples who experience them — but there are options to address it.
BY ANNIE ROSEMURGY
the time, says Dr. Bhagavath.
When these lower-tech measures prove inadequate over the course of three or four menstrual cycles, in vitro fertilization (IVF) is the gold standard. IVF involves a woman giving herself injections of hormones at home for 10 to 30 days (depending on the protocol used) to stimulate ovulation. Then, her ova (eggs) are harvested, fertilized in a laboratory and implanted in her uterus. “IVF is a remarkable tool against infertility. It’s a beautiful example of technology meeting a human need,” says Dr. Bhagavath.
However, he says, it’s important for people to educate themselves on the realities of IVF treatment. Success for younger women is higher than for women over 35 and the cycles of injections and ova harvestings can be emotionally and physically exhausting. Costs are a big consideration — 17 states mandate insurance coverage for fertility treatments but Wisconsin does not — and many private employers do not include it in benefits packages. While costs are variable, a single round of IVF averages $12,000.
EMILEE’S STORY
Soon after their wedding, Emilee Markiewicz and her husband, Jared, tried to start their family, but things did not go according to plan.
“I just never got pregnant. I have friends who’ve had repeat miscarriages, but that wasn’t my case. I was never able to get pregnant in the first place,” explains Emilee.
The couple began to search for answers to their infertility puzzle, but little did they know how long and arduous their journey would be.
After a thorough medical workup on both Emilee and Jared, there was no apparent cause for the couple’s infertility. Emilee’s doctor suggested they start with the lower-tech, lower-cost approach of IUI first. However, after eight rounds of treatment, the couple still was not pregnant, and the failed attempts began to take an emotional toll.
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MID-CENTURY MODERN DESIGN
The Reverie collection is mid-century modern and perfectly tailored with button-tufted seating and back. It offers a casual and comfortable seating experience for endless relaxing and lounging. Stop by our downtown or west side store to try it out!
RUBIN’S CONTEMPORARY FURNITURE
317 E. Wilson St., Madison 608.255.8998 670 S. Whitney Way, Madison 608.274.5575 rubinsfurniture.com
MCFEE ON MAIN
400 E. Main St. Mount Horeb, WI 53572 mcfeeonmain.com
FUN IN FLORALS & COLOR!
Florals and pops of color are trend right for summer 2022.
Keep your look easy, simple and bright to feel your best.
As always, have fun with your accessories!
SHOP D É COR!
We are so excited to be your destination spot for all of your home accent desires! Stop in or follow us on Facebook (Décor Madison) to see what’s new!
DÉCOR FOR THE WELL-DRESSED HOME
3000 Cahill Main, Suite 215 Fitchburg, WI 53711
608.444.0571 decormadison.com
305 E. Main St. Waunakee, WI 53597
608.849.2426
ciaobellaboutiqueandmore.com
SUNSHINE & SPRING!
Johnny Was here, along with many new fresh, spring designs and accessories! We have fun Mother’s Day and Father’s Day gifts to choose from and some great new shoe styles!!
Come visit us at Ciao Bella and follow us on Instagram @ciaobellaboutiqueandmore
CIAO BELLA BOUTIQUE AND MORE
GORGEOUS GARDEN GIFTS
Unique garden-themed items for the whole family. Open daily! Shop a completely refreshed look and feel, and browse a variety of brand-new products and items.
OLBRICH BOTANICAL GARDENS
3330 Atwood Ave. Madison, WI 53704
608.246.4550
olbrich.org
TODAY IS A GREAT DAY TO MAKE MUSIC!
Heid Music’s team passionately supports music making and expressive arts in our community. Together, let’s explore what’s in store for you!
“The hardest part of IUI was the waiting, counting days till we could try again,” Emilee says.
As the reality sunk in that IUI was not going to be a simple fix, the couple did not hesitate to begin the process of IVF.
“It was intimidating to think about all the costs, but we felt strongly like it was our best bet for having a successful outcome,” says Emilee.
Initially, IVF treatment went smoothly. After her first IVF round and egg harvesting, Emilee was elated to hear she had produced abundant ova, which were fertilized and sent to the lab for genetic analysis. Her happiness was short-lived — just days later she got the call that only two embryos were viable in the group. One of the embryos was implanted, but did not result in pregnancy.
Emilee recalls the heavy emotions surrounding her second round of IVF.
“I was exhausted emotionally, and the recovery after the second retrieval was much worse,” she says.
A second round of successful harvesting resulted in many ova — but only one of the fertilized embryos was viable.
The couple decided to play the odds the second round by implanting both of the viable embryos they had left. Emilee recalls the moment of staring at the positive pregnancy test in disbelief, then promptly taking three more tests to confirm the happy result.
“I couldn’t believe it — I’d never seen a positive [test]!” she says.
These days Emilee experiences exhaustion of a different kind — that of parenting busy five-year-old twins Brynn and Natalie.
“It was such a long journey but it feels long ago now, I almost forget the struggles.”
HEID MUSIC
7948 Tree Ln.
Madison, WI 53717
608.829.1969
heidmusic.com
Annie Rosemurgy is a Madison-based writer, mom of two active kids and a sunshine-loving endurance sports enthusiast who never turns down an adventure.
EATING FOR ENERGY
What you eat before and after your workout makes a difference in your energy levels and how well your body recovers.
BY EMMY BAWDEN
It’s no secret that good nutrition is key to getting the most out of your workouts, but if you’re confused about what to eat and when, you’re not alone. Here are some sciencebacked tips to get you started.
WHAT TO EAT BEFORE EXERCISE
Noshing before working out is a game-changer for energy and performance. Your pre-workout fuel should be carbfocused to help prevent dips in blood sugar that occur during exercise and affect performance. Carbs consumed over two hours before exercise will also replenish stored muscle glycogen, which is released and used for energy (particularly in intense and endurance exercise). Diets that are too low in carbs have been associated with muscle fatigue from depleted glycogen, resulting in negatively impacted performance and recovery.
A general recommendation for eating carbs before moderateintensity exercise such as hiking is to eat 0.5-2 grams per pound of body weight one to four hours beforehand. For reference, a banana is 30 grams and ½ cup of oatmeal has 15 grams.
Workout recovery is optimized if you have some protein before your workout as it allows amino acids (protein building blocks) to be available for your muscles to rebuild and repair. Pairing carbs with about 10-20 grams of protein creates a better muscle refueling and building response, and reduces cortisol (aka main stress hormone that breaks down muscle).
Lastly, if you are exercising within an hour, choose low-fiber and low-fat choices, as these are less likely to cause digestive issues during your workout. (Tip: Watch out for protein powders with high fiber contents from added inulin or chicory root!)
The general rule of thumb is to eat one to four hours pre-workout, giving more time before intense exercise like HIIT workouts and spin classes. Here are some ideas on what to eat if your workout starts in:
• More than two hours: Veggie stir fry with lean protein and soba noodles
• Less than two hours: One to two slices of whole grain bread, one to two tablespoons of nut butter, and a half or whole banana
• One hour or less: 6 oz. of low-fat Greek yogurt and one-half cup berries
If you find yourself struggling energy-wise to get through a workout, you may need to up the amount of pre-workout fuel you’re eating (especially carbs) or try eating a little closer to your workout by keeping energy bites or nutrition shakes in your gym bag for quick fuel (OWYN shakes are my pick for this). Also, if you tend to eat early or small dinners, you may have less energy for morning workouts, and a pre-workout mini-breakfast could help.
WHAT TO EAT AFTER EXERCISE
Afterwards, your body’s goal is to rebuild glycogen stores and repair muscle proteins, and the ideal window for supporting this with post-exercise fuel is within 30-45 minutes. To maximize glycogen resynthesis and muscle protein growth, shoot for 50-75 grams of carbs and at least 10-20 grams of protein. Including antioxidant-rich fruits and veggies also enhances recovery. Try a veggie omelet with avocado and breakfast potatoes; a smoothie with yogurt, banana, berries and flaxseed; or a power bowl with quinoa, veggies, chickpeas and tahini.
WHAT’S FASTED CARDIO AND SHOULD I DO IT?
Fasted cardio is essentially exercising on an empty stomach after waking. While many are interested in its proposed ability to burn fat more effectively, this outcome is not backed by science and instead we see exercise intensity and volume is compromised. On the other hand, exercising in the fueled state first thing has been shown to improve performance and endurance by replenishing liver glycogen, steadying blood sugar and providing energy.
Emmy Bawden, MS, RDN, CD and LDN, is a registered dietitian nutritionist and owner of the Madison-based nutrition therapy practice Real Good Nutrition.
Vaccines are nothing new, and have never been a more important topic than right now as COVID-19 vaccinations are widely available for nearly all ages. Throughout the pandemic, we’ve heard how a vaccine can help prevent the spread of COVID-19, but it isn’t the only star of the show when it comes to preventing illnesses. In the U.S., vaccines are responsible for almost entirely eliminating many illnesses.
Diseases
That
Are Less
Common in the U.S. Because of Vaccinations
Epiglottitis: This disease can cause a severe sore throat, respiratory distress or completely close an airway. Epiglottitis is largely prevented by the Haemophilus influenzae vaccine.
Meningitis: This illness causes inflammation in the linings of the brain and/or spinal cord and is often deadly if caused by bacteria. The Haemophilus influenzae, pneumococcal and meningococcal vaccines are given for meningitis.
WOME N’S
FINANCIAL Vaccine Victories
Rachel
Kelly, PA-C,
CLC
and pediatrician for UnityPoint Health – Meriter explains the importance of vaccines for disease prevention.
Whooping Cough: Symptoms of this illness include a severe, long-lasting cough that can cause respiratory distress, and, especially in younger patients, can develop into pneumonia. DTap and Tdap vaccines help prevent this illness. Chickenpox: This illness is largely prevented by the varicella vaccine. This illness causes an itchy rash and fever, and rarely can cause encephalitis (inflammation in the brain).
Rotavirus: This virus is most common in children six months to two years of age and causes severe vomiting and diarrhea. It is prevented by the rotavirus vaccine.
Diseases That Are Rarely Seen in the
U.S. Due to Vaccinations
Diphtheria: This is a severe throat infection that causes an incredibly sore throat and in extreme cases can cause heart toxicity, which can cause damage to heart muscles or valves. The same vaccines used to prevent whooping cough — DTap and Tdap — are given to prevent this illness.
Measles and Mumps:
The MMR vaccine is used to prevent both illnesses. Measles is an extremely contagious virus that causes fever and rash, and can result in encephalitis, or death. Mumps can cause fever, swollen glands and in severe cases, meningitis.
A Disease No Longer
Seen in the U.S. Due to Vaccinations: Polio: Polio is a potentially deadly virus that can affect the brain and spinal cord and has been entirely eliminated in the U.S. due to the polio vaccine. Infections with all of these diseases can be mild, but without vaccination there is a risk for serious complications. Vaccines help ensure patients have mild symptoms if they contract an illness that they have been vaccinated against. Having a vaccinated population in the U.S. has helped eliminate the commonality of potentially deadly illnesses and creates protection for our youngest or sickest members of the population. Choosing to protect your child helps protect your community as well.
A CELEBRATORY STOP
BY SHAYNA MACE PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHANNA WOLF
At Little Pop Color Shop, candy colors, Instagrammable product and smile-inducing products are all part of the shopping experience. The gift and party goods store is the perfect place for a pick-me-up item or a charming present.
Owner Alli Klingbiel started the business as an online storefront in September 2020 and gained quite an online following (to date she has 30.3K Instagram followers). She opened her downtown Middleton boutique in December 2021 after deciding to go full-time with her side hustle. Although the online business was doing well, she loved the idea of connecting in person with customers.
“I pick products for the store that I would personally love to go in and see — a candle or a tumbler — something that you can hold, which you can’t do online,” says Klingbiel.
The cheery boutique feels symbolic of life returning somewhat back to normal, after spending so much time at home.
Next up for the shop is a balloon bar that Klingbiel is launching this summer that will offer custom balloon garlands and more.
"I love things that are unique, and that you won't get at any other store. That's what sets us apart," says Klingbiel. 1833 Parmenter St., littlepopcolorshop.com
SHOP THE LOOK
An adult or child will get a kick out of Oh Happy Day’s paper rainbow party plates. $7.50 The shop boasts an entire wall of greeting cards to pick from — like this cheery version. $6.50
Use this Sun Jellies tote for a farmers’ market trip. $20
We loved Packed Party’s confetti card holder so much we bought it ourselves. $16
Rifle Paper Co.’s adorable mug will brighten any cat-lover’s day. $20.50
Halie Struck and Alli Klingbiel
Perk up your kitchen with Doe A Deer’s peppy tea towel. $20
In the midst of an “employee’s market,” employers are evaluating how to recruit and retain successfully. One area that deserves more investment is employees’ mental health and wellbeing.
According to a July 2021 report by SilverCloud Health, an employer wellness platform, 84% of employees report that they rarely mean it every time they say they’re “fine” or “good.” Truthfully, two-thirds of employees have clinically measurable mental health symptoms of anxiety or depression.
Jacy Imilkowski, a Madison-based mental fitness coach that helps people recognize and stop unintentional self-sabotage (such as perfectionism and micromanagement), says the old-school concept of leaving your personal baggage at the door when it comes to your career just doesn’t work.
FOSTERING MENTAL WELLNESS IN THE WORKPLACE
More than ever, the work-life line has become blurred these days, with companies and employees being encouraged to be open about personal and mental-health needs.
BY CANDICE WAGENER
[Employers should] honor that it’s a privilege to have them there, and [think about], ‘how can we serve employees?’ instead of, ‘what is the bare minimum we have to do to keep people here?
“Employers need to recognize that employees’ home lives are valid and important. That time they need off to address things at home … is really important, and making people fight for time off, or guilting them about time they need or making them feel like their personal needs are less valid or less important is really going to degrade people’s values [and] their self worth. It’s going to tear them in multiple directions and that is not conducive to good mental health,” explains Imilkowski. She recommends organizations provide training and development to their leaders on how to be more open and vulnerable about their own challenges. Noting that many leaders would prefer to make empathetic decisions, but opt to lean on data instead, Imilkowski encourages managers to view emotions as science, and to realize making decisions without considering emotions is using only half the data.
”
-Jacy Imilkowski
Likewise, Imilkowski says leaders need to promote and respect healthy boundaries. For example, when an employee leaves work at 4:30 p.m. every day to pick up their kids, that decision should be celebrated, not shamed. Or if an employee needs to take a mental health day, whether because of a diagnosed mental health condition or they need a day to recharge, that should be accepted and valued.
Tapping into employees’ values and finding ways to help them do things that are resonant and important to them will help employees feel more fulfilled by the work that they’re doing, says Imilkowksi. An often-overlooked opportunity for mental health cultivation is Employee Assistance Programs, or EAPs. Employers wrongly assume employees understand their EAP.
“Statistics show that only 1% of employees actually utilize that program at all,” says Brandie de la Rosa, CEO of E3 Inspire, an organization using emotional intelligence to transform the impacts of trauma in the workplace. “It’s great if it’s there, but if nobody knows how to use it … it’s irrelevant.”
Since the EAP is typically shared during the onboarding process — a small detail tucked in with a bevy of information — when an employee finds themselves in need of support, they’re unlikely to remember that resource is available.
De la Rosa, whose program works in conjunction with EAPs, recommends employers hold quarterly lunch and learn sessions to revisit the benefits of the EAP. Creating wellness-based initiatives like weekly emails with short articles on wellbeing is another practical way for employers to show they care.
“We don’t have to be touchy-feely, ‘woo woo’ with everything, [but] we have to acknowledge that emotions are real.”
De la Rosa echoes Imilkowski’s sentiment that leaders set the precedent for wellbeing. Mindfulness about body language,
Statistics show that only 1% of employees actually utilize [the employee assistance] program at all. It’s great if it’s there, but if nobody knows how to use it … it’s irrelevant.
— Brandie de la Rosa “ ”
communication style and “listening for understanding rather than listening for correction” can have a big impact.
Shortening meetings to 45 minutes and giving those 15 minutes back to employees for movement, standing in the entryway rather than hovering over someone at their desk when requesting updates on a project, asking “How’s home life?” instead of the general “How are you?” are all ways to foster a more supportive environment.
Both Imilkowski and de la Rosa believe the workplace culture in Madison is starting to shift to include mental health and wellbeing, but the pace needs acceleration, especially given the current job market. For companies that want to build productivity and longevity and compete in the marketplace, it’s a necessity.
“I think a lot of employers are still stuck in this idea of bottom line and productivity, and that employees are being done a favor with their employment,” says Imilkowski. “What a lot of executives and strategic leaders don’t understand — and sometimes they try but they’re in much more privileged positions — is the people that are on the ground doing the work are the ones making the company run. If all of those people disappeared tomorrow, there would be no company. [Employers should] honor that it’s a privilege to have them there, and [think about], ‘how can we serve employees?’ instead of, ‘what is the bare minimum we have to do to keep people here?’”
Candice Wagener is a freelance writer who enjoys telling stories that intrigue, inform and inspire.
Researchinga cure for Type 1 diabetes. Creating tissues to test chemicals on instead of using humans and animals. Developing “smart” pesticides for disease management and crop improvement. These are just a few of the innovative projects happening at biotech companies in Madison. And while the majority of biotech companies call California and Boston home, an increasing number are finding Madison a nurturing community to grow their ideas (and, there’s a 30% lower cost of living here than on the coasts).
Jessica Martin Eckerly, co-founder and CEO at Forward BIOLABS in Madison, gets to see and lead this innovation firsthand. Forward BIOLABS is a fully-equipped, co-working lab and office space for biotech start-ups. Often the cost to purchase or lease equipment can range into the hundreds of thousands of dollars for these companies. Forward removes that barrier and accelerates development by allowing teams to start their work in the lab as soon as they have funding.
Martin Eckerly notes that 18 companies are using the space currently and founders are from diverse ethnicities and four continents. There are a number of women startup founders working at Forward, but Martin Eckerly would like to see more.
THE SCIENCE OF STARTUPS
Examining the local landscape for women-led, biotech startups.
BY EMILY MCCLUHAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY HILLARY SCHAVE
“In general in biotech, the funding for female founders could be improved. The first step in remedying that is awareness,” says Martin Eckerly. “And the next step is creating programs or funds that specifically focus on opportunities for women.”
According to Doyenne Group, a Madison-based organization that serves early-stage, women-led ventures, women received just 2.3% of venture capital funding across the U.S. in 2020. Doyenne’s Investor Accelerator program aims to educate women on smart investing because “women are more likely to invest in women-led companies than men,” according to their website.
While funding is lagging for women-led startups, anecdotally, Martin Eckerly is seeing a shift in more women being hired into executive roles at biotech companies, and more companies are putting a focus on creating boards of directors with at least 50% women. And although Forward isn’t involved in funding startups, Martin Eckerly says their structure helps reduce barriers for women founders when they do receive funding.
“The startup costs are already high in biotech because we’re not just coding an app for phones. There’s advanced diagnostic equipment, safety protocols, refrigeration and redundancy
Lauren Goodrich-Berto
measures in case systems go down,” says Martin Eckerly. “By providing all of that for our companies, they may only have to raise $1 million instead of $1.5 million. That’s a big deal, especially for women that struggle to get funding to start with.”
At Nimble Therapeutics, a Madison-based company that develops molecules for pharmaceutical companies to use in drug development, Lauren Goodrich-Berto understands the complexity and cost of starting up a biotech lab. She planned and implemented the lab space and built out Nimble’s research team when the company started in 2019. Now she leads their research and operations division. As one of five women in a company of 24, she finds herself focusing on how to level the
playing field for women every day.
“As a female leader, I have to fight for equal pay for the females on my team and create opportunities for other women,” she says.
She implements practices such as making sure she has a female coworker on interview panels or includes resumes from female candidates — even though the vast majority are from males. She admits it was jarring to go from the university setting where there is a strong push for equality in labs and research faculty, to the corporate world where she’s often the only female in the room.
“We have to bring each other up and support one another as we move from grad school to the meeting rooms and boardrooms of the biotech industry,” she says.
Martin Eckerly also wants to do more at Forward to not only get more women in the lab, but keep them there. Right now, she says her team of two focuses on managing onboarding and day-to-day support for 17 startups during a pandemic and all of the supply chain challenges that come with that. But as her team expands and in-person programming becomes an option, she wants to explore education programs and networking opportunities focused on women.
“Having perspectives from different backgrounds in this industry is critical,” she says, and adds that watching science transition from the university setting out into the world where it can impact lives is inspiring and infinitely rewarding.
BY THE NUMBERS
The biotech industry is broad and includes companies that focus on pharmaceuticals, therapeutics, medical devices, stem cell research, food science, agricultural research and more. Here’s what the landscape looks like in Madison and across the nation.
Women representation at the CEO level of biotech companies across the nation 8%
Women representation at all levels of biotech companies across the nation 47%
Number of biohealth companies in Wisconsin 1,709
46,160
Biohealth industry employment
Emily McCluhan is a Madison-based freelance writer.
Jessica Martin Eckerly
BALANCED MOM, BETTER PARENT
Families with young kids are in an undeniably busy season of life. It’s common for moms to feel depleted, overwhelmed and on the verge of burnout. But it doesn’t need to be this way.
“Where is it written that moms have it do it all?” asks Jamie Mamerow, life coach and owner of Dot Your I, LLC. Being a mom should not be synonymous with being exhausted from doing all the things for everyone, she says. Mamerow teaches clients first to identify the problematic mindsets that can lead to overwhelm (“I’m the only one who can do this” or, “being exhausted after a day of caretaking is part of being a good mom”).
Next, she helps clients build systems that lift the burden off mom, leaving her more time and energy for activities that replenish her. Communication is the heart and soul of Mamerow’s method. Mom learns to set boundaries and ask for help (without guilt!), which allows her to teach the value of teamwork within the home. Building a teamwork mentality strengthens the family unit and teaches children lifelong skills, says Mamerow.
Essential to Mamerow’s teachings is the notion that children are keen observers of their first and most important teachers — their parents. “We have to remember that our girls are future mothers — we’re the [role] models,” she says.
Moms who practice self-care (which can look different for everyone) embody those values for their children. “When Mom leads by example, she’s an amazing role model for a strong girl,” Mamerow says.
Annie Rosemurgy
•
The standard advice you’ve read about financial planning is true: It’s great to start saving early, max out your retirement account and diversify your portfolio. But for many, establishing a financial legacy through estate planning also is imperative. By planning in advance, you can develop a fail-safe plan to ensure that you spend your golden years in comfort and better implement your wishes in the future.
PLANNING AHEAD
Proper estate planning is very important in order to build, maintain and preserve assets for your family and to provide for the security and support of family members in the event of your incapacity or death.
According to Stephanie Thompson, attorney at Krueger Hernandez & Thompson SC, generally speaking, an estate plan consists of documents where you name who will control your assets if you are unable due to incapacity or death, and who will inherit your estate upon your death. It also can include documents that allow you to decide who will make health care decisions for you if you are unable.
“We always encourage clients and prospective clients to consider and plan for all of the ‘what-ifs’ life can throw at you,” Thompson says.
Estate planning is a niche area of law. There are federal and state rules and regulations to be aware of, and a plethora of IRS rules and tax consequences to understand, so it’s important that the attorney you work with specializes in this area.
Thompson also recommends determining what happens when your estate plan is finalized. Is the attorney building a relationship with you so that your plan is always current and reflects your wishes? Or do they disappear until you reach out to them in the future?
GETTING YOUR AFFAIRS IN ORDER
It’s not the most delightful topic to talk about, but keeping your assets organized if something happens to you is crucial.
BY MAURA KELLER
“Finding an attorney who will stay in touch with you is a key component to your estate plan,” Thompson says. “Life tends to change over the years — it is important to make sure your estate plan reflects those changes, if needed.”
ESTATE PLANNING IS FOR EVERYONE
Unfortunately, there is a common misconception that estate planning is only pertinent to those who have a lot of assets. In fact, the value of your assets should not dictate what, if any, estate plan you have.
“It can be a factor, but should not be the only factor,” Thompson says. “The value of your assets has no relevance if you are in a car accident and are now incapacitated. Who will pay your bills? Manage your investments? Make your health care decisions? There are many situations besides death that can throw a wrench in your life. All can easily be avoided by having a robust estate plan.”
Dera L. Johnsen-Tracy, attorney and co-founder at Horn & Johnsen SC, says that, “in the value of your estate, we’re including the value of your retirement accounts, whether or not you’re taking distributions yet. The death value of your life insurance policies, jewelry, vehicles, household goods and furnishings, electronics and your investments are also included.”
In general, if you don’t have an estate plan, you’re leaving not only your loved ones, but yourself at the mercy of the court. As Thompson explains, without an estate plan, if you are incapacitated, there will be a guardianship proceeding to decide who will handle your assets and health care decisions. Upon your death, the state in which you reside will dictate what happens to your estate under their intestate succession laws.
“The court will have to decide who your personal representative should be — the person that will handle the administration aspects of your estate — and will decide who in your family tree will be your
beneficiaries,” Thompson says.
And for people who have no children, it can be even more important for them to have a good estate plan in place.
“Under the laws of intestacy (dying without a will), when the first spouse dies, the estate will most likely pass to the surviving spouse. Then, upon the survivor’s death, the entire estate would pass to the surviving spouse’s parents, if they are living; otherwise, to his or her siblings, then nieces, nephews, et cetera, thereby disinheriting the first spouse’s family,” JohnsenTracy says. “Further, many people without children have young family members they may wish to provide for, and/or to make distributions to their favorite charities.”
Estate plans in Wisconsin can also have an Authorization for Final Disposition document which is legally binding, and details who would take care of planning a funeral or memorial service and who would handle your remains upon your death. “In many families, there could be some argument about who is supposed to be handling your funeral,” Johnsen-Tracy says. “It’s nice to know that you’ll have the very succession that you want.”
Maura Keller is a writer, editor and published author with more than 23 years of experience.
ESTATE PLAN BASICS
In Wisconsin, there are some essential estate planning documents everyone needs to have in place.
• Will: Names a personal representative (also known as an executor) to administer your estate when you’re gone. It also designates guardians for minor children. A will is active only upon your death and tells the probate court what your wishes are.
• Trust: An alternative to a will, a trust plan (revocable or irrevocable) provides a way to bypass probate. In a trust plan, your assets are retitled under the trust rather than you individually. You are the controlling party (the “trustee”), but because the assets belong to the trust, rather than you, they don’t pass to your estate after death. Revocable living trusts, also called “living trusts,” are created during the person’s lifetime, and the grantor serves as its initial trustee and can make changes during their lifetime. When the grantor dies, the revocable living trust becomes an irrevocable trust, which can’t be changed once they have been established.
A trust can also protect against loss of benefits if a beneficiary has special needs or is differently-abled, or ensure that beneficiaries with financial or substance abuse issues are provided for.
Mike Leckrone , UW Band Director emeritus, will join our 2022 event as Honorary Golf Chair! He will be on the golf course throughout the day for photo opportunities. The evening includes a cocktail hour, a private concert by the Madison Symphony Orchestra led by MSO’s Associate Conductor Kyle Knox , under a large lakeside tent, and a gourmet picnic dinner. The annual concert highlight is a stunning solo performance by a winner of the MSO’s Bolz Young Artist Competition, violinist Clark Snavely . As a special treat, Professor Leckrone will conduct one piece on the concert program. Learn more and register: madisonsymphony.org/cog
US!
11:00 AM: Golf, scramble format, $375 per person Includes golf, lunch, cocktail party, dinner, and concert.
4:45 PM: Evening only, $175 per person Includes cocktail party, dinner, and concert
Proceeds benefit the Education and Community Engagement Programs of the Madison Symphony Orchestra. Program, dates, and artists subject to change.
Mike Leckrone
Clark Snavely
PHOTO: JAMES GIL
PHOTO: PETER RODGERS
PHOTO: STUTZ PHOTOGRAPHY
Kyle Knox
PHOTOS: AMANDALYNN JONES
Health Series
THRIVE AFTER 55
SHealth Series
evere acid reflux, or gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD), is a chronic disease that occurs when acid from the stomach flows into the tube connecting the mouth and stomach and irritates its lining. Symptoms include heartburn, regurgitation and belching.
According to the National Institutes of Health, your risk for GERD increases with age, family history, a high body mass index (BMI) and low physical activity levels. Nationally, it affects about 66 million Americans, 63% of which are women.
When we’re healthy, the lower esophageal sphincter serves as a one-way valve to allow foods and liquids to travel to the stomach, but prevents stomach contents like acid and bile from flowing back up. In GERD, this lower esophageal sphincter muscle is weak.
Taking antacids and making lifestyle changes like reducing stress, limiting spicy foods and caffeine and alcohol intake can help GERD, says Aaron Schwaab,
Finding Relief from Acid Reflux
Aaron Schwaab, MD, FACS, at Stoughton Hospital, explains how to manage symptoms of GERD for long-term relief.
Health Series
MD, FACS, and board-certified general surgeon at Stoughton Hospital. Dr. Schwaab graduated from the University of Wisconsin Medical School in 1997 and did his residency at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. He does surgeries for breast and colon cancers, hernias as well as many other procedures.
He also performs the LINX procedure, which is ideal for those who need long-term relief from GERD. LINX has been performed at Stoughton Hospital for three and a half years, with no removals or complications. A large group of Dr. Schwaab’s patients are now off of their heartburn medications.
The LINX Reflux Management System is a metal ring the size of a quarter. Its flexible shape of magnetic titanium beads allows food and liquids to go down, but prevents stomach contents from moving up. The surgery takes about an hour to complete, and patients typically return home the same day. It is also less invasive than other GERD surgeries.
“With other surgeries for GERD, a common side effect is gas, bloating and feeling uncomfortable — without
being able to belch,” says Dr. Schwaab. “LINX does not have that side effect. It comes in multiple sizes, so it doesn’t change the stomach’s anatomy [functioning].”
Prior to surgery, patients see Dr. Schwaab for a consultation and discuss what they’ve done to manage their acid reflux. Then he does an upper endoscopy to look at the upper digestive tract. A pH study is done to measure the amount of acid in the esophagus to see if it’s well enough to tolerate surgery. The tests, insurance approval and scheduling process take about two to three months.
Stoughton Hospital’s intimate size means they can also provide highly individualized care to patients.
“It’s easier for patients to get a hold of us,” says Dr. Schwaab. “Patients can have one-on-one conversations with me, and I can support them through the whole process.”
Find information about the LINX procedure at stoughtonhealth.com/ health-services/gerd . To make an appointment with Dr. Schwaab or to learn more, call Stoughton Health General Surgery Clinic at 608-873-2266.
Design. Build. Sustain.
An eco-consious construction firm.
Aldo Partners is a southern Wisconsin construction firm focusing on high performance, sustainable design and construction.
We believe that growth and development are an essential part of our society, but sustainable development and smart design are an essential part of our future. To create a project that reflects your beliefs, lifestyles, and dreams. Aldo Partners invests in the design and the construction of your property.
YOUR OASIS AWAITS
Invest in a beautiful backyard.
BY ANNIE ROSEMURGY
The ongoing pandemic has been rough for everyone, but one result is that people are continuing to get creative with their outdoor spaces — whether they have a sliver of back or side yard, or an entire acre.
Back in the summer of 2020, there was a huge increase in consumer investment in outdoor living spaces. Forbes reports that in 2020, 78% of Americans said that they upgraded their outdoor spaces. In 2021 (which Forbes named the “The Year of The Yard”), the publication reported that 88% of homeowners were dissatisfied with their outdoor spaces.
In other words, the outdoor improvement trend isn’t going anywhere, says Lisa Briggs, garden coach and community outreach specialist at The Bruce Company in Middleton.
“What began in 2020 with people really looking to capitalize on their outdoor spaces … is absolutely still full steam ahead in 2022,” she says. “With uncertainty about new variants or [COVID] case numbers, we see people wanting to create spaces they know they’ll love to spend time in.”
Rene Huston, president of Patio Pleasures, agrees. “There is still a strong demand in [improving] outdoor living [spaces]. I am seeing that people want their outdoor spaces to become extensions of their interiors, with all the aesthetics and the comforts that you would find inside.”
GET GROWING
A gardening revolution also started during the pandemic. People had the time — and sometimes, kids — on their hands.
“People took on home gardening as a way to be outside, or sometimes as an educational project for kids home from school. They found they just love it, and are now looking for ways to expand this hobby,” says Briggs.
Uncertainty coupled with current inflation concerns mean vegetable and fruit gardens are especially popular this season. “Starting with a small, raised garden bed and some easyto-grow vegetables like lettuces and cherry tomatoes is really rewarding for all members of the family,” says Briggs. Container gardens with a theme, such as an Italian herb garden planted with basil, oregano and thyme, or an aromatherapy pot brimming with mint and rosemary, will appeal to all the senses.
Briggs says there is also increased interest in planting pollinator-friendly
native plants that are low maintenance and thrive in our varied Wisconsin weather.
FRESH FURNISHINGS
Along with developing their greenthumb skills, people want to spend time comfortably relaxing outdoors.
“Plush and comfortable seating is an ongoing trend,” echoes Huston. “Fire tables are also popular right now. Basically people want to create a very cozy and warm atmosphere, bringing the level of comfort you expect inside — but outside.”
Briggs notes one of the biggest trends she sees in furnishings is the interest in deep seating. This means a departure from the metal or plastic chairs of the past and replacing them with comfortable, all-weather furnishings with weatherproof cushions and more of a sophisticated, “living room” look.
Gloria Stagmer, manager of the furnishings department at The Bruce Company, says she’s seeing an increase in demand for high-quality, high-end outdoor furnishings.
“People are looking for style and durability, and they are willing to invest in pieces that are both beautiful and functional to create the look they want,” she says.
Huston says her customers are taking
an investment-minded approach as well in regards to their outdoor furniture.
“Previously consumers might be comfortable spending $50-$100 on a simple stand umbrella. But now that many are working from home and doing more of their entertaining outside, they are more interested in investing in a cantilevered umbrella that can be moved and adjusted throughout the day,” she says.
The care and maintenance of the new outdoor furnishing sets on the market is quite simple, says Huston. Many outdoor upholstery sets now feature quick-drying, anti-mold technology.
“Slipcovers and some storage for those all-day rains are certainly nice, but the truth is that these pieces are designed to get wet and be exposed to all kinds of weather,” she says.
AL FRESCO ALLURE
Along with comfortable seating areas, outdoor kitchens are a trend with staying power. Today’s custom-built outdoor kitchens reflect a wide range of styles and can include luxurious details like pizza ovens and wine refrigerators. While a fully equipped outdoor kitchen is a wish-list item for many, there are creative, lower-budget ways to bring your cookery outside and up the cozy vibe at the same time. A portable fire pit provides not only the warm glow of a crackling fire, but can be accessorized as a capable open-fire cook station. A simple weather resistant sideboard stands in for prep space. And, even the smallest apartment patio can accommodate a small butane fire bowl — perfect for roasting s’mores.
As for palette and style, Stagmer says this spring buyers are loving neutral furnishings and using decorative elements for pops of color.
“With this approach people have the flexibility of [doing a] red, white and blue [theme] for summer, and bittersweet and orange accents as we head into fall. Consumers want that
seasonal element,” says Stagmer. Huston says that the farmhouse look for outdoor décor and furnishings remains on-trend this season. (Think: rustic wood accents and earthy tones). She is also seeing customers gravitate toward a black and white motif and more “dark and stormy” palettes that incorporate rich blue and gray hues.
MADISON OUTDOOR STORES
Check out these stores for outdoor furnishings, garden goods and more.
AN INTERSECTION OF HUMANITARIAN IMMIGRATION LAW AND FAMILY LAW
The United States immigration system is a labyrinth of networks that span across several federal agencies and departments. Navigating the pathways to obtain legal immigration status can be daunting, especially for a young person who may not have the legal, financial or emotional support needed to go through the complex processes. Some minors arriving in the U.S. are victims of violence or abandonment in their home countries. To provide some protections for undocumented young persons, Congress created a unique immigration classification known as the Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS). The SIJS process crosses both state and federal legal systems, placing immigration and family law attorneys in a unique position to assist with each stage of the SIJS process.
What is SIJS?
SIJS is a humanitarian relief effort that Congress made available to eligible undocumented immigrant minors living in the U.S. who have suffered abuse, neglect or abandonment by a parent or legal guardian. SIJS not only helps to protect vulnerable youth from further harm, but it also avoids the risk of deportation. Importantly, minors granted SIJS will have a pathway to legal permanent resident status and may eventually apply for U.S. citizenship.
Who is eligible to apply for SIJS?
There are very specific requirements to qualify for SIJS. The criteria are:
• The applicant must be under 21 years of age;
• Unmarried;
• Present in the United States;
• And there must be a juvenile state court order:
° Declaring that the minor is dependent on the court or placed under the custody of a state agency, department, individual or entity appointed by the court
° Determining that reunification with one or both parents is not viable due to abuse, neglect, abandonment or a similar basis under state law; and
° Determining that it is not in the minor’s best interest to return to their home country. A juvenile court must enter its order before the affected minor turns 18, although they may apply for SIJS after their 18th birthday.
What does the SIJS process look like?
Obtaining SIJS is a two-step process and often requires collaboration among family law and immigration attorneys. Unlike other forms of immigration relief, state courts play a significant role early in the SIJS process. State courts do not make immigration determinations. However, in juvenile and family cases, State courts can make the findings that are necessary for a child to meet the SIJS criteria and ultimately be granted immigration protections through the federal processes.
The first step begins with an attorney or petitioner initiating a juvenile or family law action in state court. This may be a case to establish physical placement, legal custody, guardianship or other domestic relations order in state court. The petition would include facts about the minor’s life, what they endured, and why it is not in their best interest to return to their home country. After a successful hearing, the judge would then issue an Order reciting the facts that will ultimately be necessary for the child to meet the SIJS eligibility requirements.
The second step takes place at the federal level. The petitioner or attorney files for SIJS by submitting a petition with the state court Order to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office. The process can take about six months before the applicant receives a decision.
What happens after the SIJS petition is approved?
SIJS does not grant legal permanent residency. However, it protects the minor from being involuntarily returned or deported to their home country. In addition, the minor becomes eligible to apply to become a lawful permanent resident of the United States. The legal permanent resident process is lengthy in and of itself and involves significant waiting periods. By initiating the SIJS process correctly beginning with the appropriate state court order, legal counsel can advance an undocumented minor’s path toward becoming a permanent resident.
Attorney Mai Chao Chang
Mai Chao is an associate with the firm’s labor and employment, family law, and litigation groups. mchang@boardmanclark.com
(608) 286-7240
Modern Nest
A couple builds their family haven right on the shores of Lake Monona.
By
Shelby Deering | Photography by Shanna Wolf
SERENE SPACE ↓
Simpson explains that she helped guide the homeowners with all the plumbing selections, including this artful brass faucet quietly taking center stage in the powder room. A tall backsplash was added for visual interest and to protect the grasscloth wallpaper.
On a plot of land nestled alongside Lake Monona, Tom and Anne Conti brought their slice of California wine country right to Wisconsin.
During a trip to Napa Valley, the couple looked around at all the modern, sophisticated residences that dotted the region and realized that this was exactly what they wanted in their “someday” home — the generous use of wood finishes, the slightly industrial feel of the steel accents and
DINING IN STYLE
A black walnut table, cut from a tree in the backyard and custom-built by Aldo Partners, lends warmth to the dark-hued dining room.
“Everything else needed to be in service to this special piece,” Simpson says. The accompanying design details include a modern light fixture that’s “impactful without distracting from the lake view,” she notes.
a bright white exteriors with black detailing.
Coining the term “Napa Modern” as their vision for this home, the two purchased a lot with a house on it just three-quarters of a mile down the road from their previous home, tore down the home and started their new build on what they consider to be a nicer lot in a neighborhood they still love.
Across the street from a park with a playground, Tom and Anne could
envision their young family in this location. With three children in tow (Will, 10; Claire, 8; and Charlotte; 5) and their dog, Roxy, they wanted to build a house for the long run with their family in mind.
“We thought about the different ages of our kids now and into the future and wanted to design a house that all of us loved living in,” Tom shares.
Situated on property that’s elevated
LIGHT AND FRESH
Looking bright and airy, the Instagramworthy kitchen acts as a focal point in this home. Since Anne and Tom love to cook, they desired a kitchen where their entire family could congregate while whipping up meals together.
from the lakefront and perfectly flat, they knew they could build the home of their dreams. It didn’t hurt that the lot also had an idyllic view of the Capitol and came with a boathouse built into the shoreline.
Carrie Simpson, owner and lead designer of Vault Interiors & Design, helped the Contis bring their dream to life. Before construction, the designer met with the couple to conceptualize the full home, which included
furniture planning and selections, material and finish choices, and cabinet design.
Working with Aldo Partners and Tepper Architects, the process took 18 months from start to finish. Simpson explains that the planning took several months before construction began.
The timing for the Contis’ move-in couldn’t have been better.
“We moved in three months after the pandemic hit and we feel very
fortunate we were able to get into our new house at the start of COVID,” Tom says. “It gave us the space we needed at a time when everyone was staying safe at home and allowed for us to hang out all together, enjoying each other.”
With 6,000 square feet of space, including a finished basement, the family has plenty of room to stretch their legs and then some. The couple continues to work from home
COZY SEATING
The living room doubles as the headquarters for playtime sessions and board game marathons. Toys and games are all neatly stored under the stairs to take advantage of “what would otherwise have been dead space,” Simpson notes. The couple wanted to accommodate several people in the living room without overwhelming the space with too much seating — that’s where the compact sectional and stylish swivel chairs come in.
↑ Punctuated with a gleaming chevron-patterned backsplash alongside classic light wood cabinetry, the bar, with its decorative metallic touches and glasses standing at the ready, is “a natural part of our living room where we like to entertain,” Anne says. “The textured metal tile is an awesome detail that made the bar really stand out.”
full-time, which gives them plenty of opportunities to further soak up their abode.
The children also maximize the spaces. The three particularly adore a room just off the kitchen that’s become a hub for homework, crafting and LEGObuilding. Anne says the kids are in there constantly, calling it, “a place to land.”
When they’re not in this space, the kids can be found in their personalized bedrooms.
“I loved that Anne and Tom wanted each of their kids to have a space that was reflective of their unique personalities,” Simpson says.
While family-friendly, the house has no shortage of luxe touches, from the swanky living room bar to the quartzbedecked bath to the cozy primary bedroom that overlooks the Madison skyline.
The couple is hoping to share their home with more friends and family “as we get back to normal times,” as Anne puts it, although they have had some opportunities for gatherings, including hosting Tom’s large family last summer. That’s when they utilize their sizeable outdoor areas filled with seating.
While the home can certainly stand on its own, the surroundings really can’t
CAPTIVATING EXTERIOR
The black-and-white modern farmhouse exterior is marked by plentiful outdoor seating. “We liked the idea of creating multiple outdoor spaces,” Anne says. “The sun sets directly across the lake in the summer, so it’s great view.”
be beat. The boathouse provides the best views of the lake, which Tom says makes you feel as if you’re “right on top of the water.”
“In the spring, summer and fall, we can set up a movie screen and an outdoor projector to watch movies and sports down there,” he says. “We all love doing that.”
Additionally, the family enjoys watching bald eagles fly over the lake “and all the random critters that play in our yard,” Anne says, adding, “the significant amount of windows and natural light make even Wisconsin winters tolerable.”
While Napa may be thousands of miles away, the Contis have their own serene oasis right here in Madison.
Cont. on P. 42
WORLDLY MURAL
A grayscale map of the world shows off plenty of personality in 10-year-old Will’s room. The couple styled it to be cool when he’s 10 and “hopefully when he’s 18 as well,” as Tom says.
↑ The primary bath features a large steam shower, which Tom says is particularly welcome in the winter. The quartz waterfall countertop and herringbone flooring continue the luxe feel.
← Featuring wood beams and a contemporary light fixture, Anne had a clear vision for the primary bedroom from the beginning. The 10-foot-tall windows take advantage of the view, which centers on the Capitol.
DREAMY SPOT
This pink bedroom belongs to the couple’s five-year-old daughter, Charlotte. The hanging chair has become a beloved place to daydream, while the spacious room allows for a queen-sized bed and desk — things that are in each child’s room. The closet with built-in drawers removes the need for a dresser, which gave Charlotte enough space to include a fun playtime feature — a make-believe vet office.
↑ The reading nook in eight-year-old Claire’s bedroom was a bonus when the couple discovered they had more room than they thought under the roofline. Originally intended to be a bookcase, it’s now a delightful reading spot instead.
← Tranquil nooks populate this house, like this tucked-in seating by the stairs. “This was a unique space as it was much deeper than most landings,” Simpson says. Anne is partial to the on-trend channeled upholstery.
Shelby Deering is a freelance lifestyle writer living in Madison.
TAKING THE LEAP INTO ENTREPRENEURSHIP
When Chloe Homan decided to quit her job and turn her side hustle, Frizz and Frillzz, into a career, she found support from her husband, Ryan. Three years later, the two have built her website and social media channels about curly hair into a lucrative business with such partners as Ulta Beauty and L’Oreal, and they’ve founded Curlfriend Collective, a new line of silk hair accessories.
In that time, they’ve amassed more than 450,000 followers across various social media platforms. But it wasn’t until recently that the Homans realized they needed a financial advisor that could look at their long-term picture. They share how holistic financial planning with Joanna Burish allows them to focus on their priorities: building their business and also giving back.
Tell us about your two companies.
Chloe: Frizz and Frillzz is where I focus on curly-haired content, tutorials, tips and tricks, and a lot of video-based content. With Curlfriend Collective, I wanted to create products that really speak to that community and are also beautiful and really good quality for thick, curly hair. We currently offer silk scrunchies and silk scarves. We will continue to drop new items this year.
When did you realize Frizz and Frillzz could be a full-time business?
Chloe: I wanted to get back to my creative roots, even if it was a side hustle. Then, I realized I could make extra money. About six months in, I said, I’m going to make this a business. A year in, I quit my corporate job.
Ryan, when did you know to quit your corporate job?
Ryan: I had been very hands-off because I wanted it to be Chloe’s business. Then we sat down with our accountant, and I really understood what her time is worth. So, how do we give her more time? If I quit my job, the flexibility is immediately there.
Chloe: And, we were in a financial place where we felt comfortable enough. As an entrepreneur, you do have high and low months. We knew, based on our trajectory, that we could forgo his income and still be OK.
How did you two establish a great working relationship?
Chloe: I have the overall vision of
where I want to take the business and handle the creative. And then he takes my vision there.
Ryan: I do the operations side. I also try to pick holes. Sometimes it makes us butt heads, but you need to talk through ideas to figure out if they’re viable.
When you look at financial planning, how have the conversations we’ve had been different than what you’ve had with past advisors?
Chloe: We were driving the conversations [before]. Whereas you are now leading the charge, and we work together to make sure we’re heading in the direction we want to go. You’re helping us in more ways than we thought financial planning could be. When we have a sale, our phones chime, and we “woot woot” to each other .... holistically!
Ryan: Before, we were reactive. Now we’re looking at it as, what other buckets do we want to fill, how those affect taxes and other aspects we had not considered.
We talk a lot about giving back, and that there are creative options, such as gifting stocks versus cash — that are beneficial to you and the nonprofits. What are some causes you want to empower?
Chloe: Women in business. I would like to help mentor women who have big ideas and give grants toward those missions, even on a small basis.
Ryan: My brother is a firefighter in Madison, and we’ve learned through you that there’s a smarter way we can give and the tax advantages, so we’re giving and getting the most value for the donation.
Contact Joanna Burish directly at 608-658-3482 or Joanna.burish@nm.com
Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (NM) (life and disability Insurance, annuities, and life insurance with long-term care benefits) and its subsidiaries, including Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (NMIS) (investment brokerage services), a registered investment adviser, broker dealer, and member of FINRA and SIPC. NM and its subsidiaries are in Milwaukee, WI. Joanna Burish is an Insurance Agent of NM. The testimonial presented may not be representative of the experience of other clients and are not a guarantee of future performance or success.
IN FULL
Bloom
A master gardener beautifies her yard with a riot of tropical-inspired plants and comfortable sitting spots, for an oasis away from it all.
By Hannah Wente
and
Photography by Shanna Wolf
Melissa Tracy’s Madison backyard is transformed with a fire pit
plants that give a jungle vibe, including hydrangea limelight, arborvitae, banana plants, elephant ears, coleus and Persian shield.
Located on Fox Avenue in Madison is a green paradise, filled with lush plants and flowers, transformed by a garden enthusiast. Not surprisingly, homeowner Melissa Tracy runs a local gardening business, owns the blog Mel’s Green Garden and is the author of two gardening books.
Her first book, “Mel’s Green Garden: Tips and Stories from a Happy Gardener,” was published in March 2014. Her second gardening book, “Mel’s Monthly Garden Guide,” will be available on Amazon later this year.
“Gardening has brought me so much joy and happiness,” Melissa says. “I want to share it with other people.”
Her grandmother, Betty, and father, John, were strong influences on her becoming the passionate horticulturalist she is today. She grew up working alongside her grandmother picking raspberries, planting flowers and weeding around perennials. Her dad planted a large garden in each place the family lived. (Currently, his garden is home to healthy eats, including asparagus, lettuce and blueberries). Melissa’s mom, Patty, edits her blog and books. In other words, the whole family loves exchanging secrets of the trade.
“It’s fun on family trips — we pore over the latest [seed] catalog,” Melissa says. “We talk about what works, what doesn’t work and what our plans are for the next season’s [garden].”
But caring for plants didn’t always come easy for Melissa. She once bought about 30 houseplants for her Boston apartment — and they all died. When she and her husband, Greg Tracy, moved from Naperville, Ill., to Madison in 1999, their first home in the Dudgeon-Monroe neighborhood came complete with a
Melissa is shown in her backyard with banana plants, coleus, purpleheart and Gomphrena in the background. Her backyard lights are by Smith & Hawken from Target.
Left: Café lights twinkle in Melissa's backyard amongst arborvitae, black elephant ears and a palm plant from Urban Garden & Greenhouse in Waunakee. “I love using a giant tropical plant from May to October in the ground to fill a large spot,” says Melissa. Top: These vibrant dinner plate dahlias are from Felly’s Greenhouse. Middle: Melissa’s black Labrador retriever puppies, Fred and Lewis, love being next to her when she’s gardening. Bottom right: Persian shield plants peek out next to a banana plant. Bottom left: Melissa’s window boxes are filled with red geraniums from Felly’s Greenhouse.
"Gardening has brought me so much joy and happiness. I want to share it with other people."
well-cared-for garden. Neighbors and family members helped teach her how to manage the garden.
“I inherited the most beautiful garden,” she says. “It had a bleeding heart [plant], and I divided it and gave it to people. The more you divide a plant, or share the love, the better it grows.”
When the couple’s oldest daughter, Emma, was born, she wanted to be outside all of the time — resulting in Melissa spending even more time in her garden. After gardening for a decade, Greg suggested she start a blog. That evolved into a weekly flower share and full-service gardening business, where she mulched, weeded, planned and planted for clients. But, a severe bee allergy triggered by a run-in with a wasps’ nest in a client’s yard led her to discontinue working with other homeowners’ gardens.
Today, she creates portable window boxes and planters. She sells the planters year-round and they change with the seasons. Winter planters feature white birch branches and holly sprigs. Spring bursts with pansies, sweet alyssums, snapdragons and ranunculus. Summer brings palm trees, hot pink geraniums, elephant ears, petunias and grasses. Fall planters have mums, ornamental cabbages and pansies.
In addition to her planters, Melissa still offers weekly organic flower shares, cut from her garden. Peonies, tulips and hyacinths bloom in the spring; followed by lilies, hydrangeas, dinner plate dahlias, sunflowers and snapdragons in the
In Melissa's screened porch, hot pink petunias are nestled in gray terracotta pots, both from Klein’s Floral & Greenhouses. Her table is from Zander’s and the birdcage light fixture is from RH. Hydrangea Limelight, elephant ears and arborvitae from Jung’s Garden Center surround her porch.
2022
Women
Beth Norman, AWM, CFP®
Managing Director – Financial Advisor
Senior Portfolio Manager – Portfolio Focus
The Norman Fletchall Team 10 East Doty Street, Suite 1000 | Madison, WI 53703 (608) 252-7525 elizabeth.norman@rbc.com www.normanfletchallteam.com
Beth and her team provide approachable, creative and personalized advice to help their clients optimize their lives now, while planning for a financially secure future. They are passionate about helping their clients thrive and community prosper.
Please join us in congratulating Beth on this noteworthy honor.
Investment and insurance products offered through RBC Wealth Management are not insured by the FDIC or any otherfederal government agency, are not deposits or other obligations of, or guaranteed by, a bank or any bank affiliate, andare subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.
Flowering shrubs are the easiest to maintain for gardening newbies. Try these recommendations from Melissa.
Limelight Hydrangea
“They
Snowball Viburnum
“It
“Plant
summer. Shares last 13 weeks, and pickup or delivery in the Madison area is available. She also creates custom-cut floral arrangements for any occasion.
Beyond her own business and managing her garden, Melissa beautifies other spots throughout the city. She pinpoints an influential 2010 trip she took to Alice Waters’ Edible Schoolyard, a oneacre organic garden at a Berkeley, Calif. middle school as “unbelievable.” The garden provides organic produce and educational opportunities for kids, adults and educators.
That trip, along with her middle child, Anna, spurred her to work with the city of Madison in 2011 to get approval to create a school garden at
Essential Tools
Blessed Sacrament school, where all three of her children attended. The school’s 3K through eighth grade students continue to enjoy an array of Sungold tomatoes, scarlet runner beans, kale, lettuces, herbs, parsley, beets, carrots and mint. The garden is also home to perennials like asparagus, strawberries and flowers. Although her youngest, Charlie, is now an eighth grader, Melissa says she’ll continue to help with the garden forever.
Read her book!
Melissa has written two books, “Mel’s Green Garden: Tips and Stories from a Happy Gardener” and “Mel’s Monthly Garden Guide.” The latter book will be available on Amazon later this year.
“I became a master gardener to see how to grow fruits and vegetables in a colder climate,” she says.
“The kids say they don’t like tomatoes — but then they eat the ones they helped grow in the garden, and say, ‘I really like tomatoes, what can we grow next?’ It’s so fun.”
Reusable Velcro One-Wrap Garden Ties
“I use this when I’m planting my garden in the fall to stake dinner plate dahlias. In the summer, it can help your Sungold tomatoes stay upright. Wrap Velcro around the stem and support.” $3.54, Menards
CobraHead Weeder & Cultivator
“[This is] really great for weeding because it gets to the root for more stubborn weeds or weeds that shoot sideways. It helps when planting to loosen soil in a pot ... it goes deep fast, and you can dig a hole.” $27.95, cobrahead.com
Bug-Free Cruiser Net Hat
“Once June hits, it’s hard to garden without getting eaten alive. I wear [this] to mow my lawn and for sun protection.” Hat, $58, sundayafternoons.com; bug net, $13.95, rei.com
Artichoke, purpleheart and coleus are all fixtures in Melissa’s yard.
PRIDE& PROGRESS
How to talk to kids of all ages about LGBTQ+ issues.
BY ANNIE ROSEMURGY PHOTOGRAPHY BY HILLARY SCHAVE
Elizabeth Gregg of Golden Vibes Counseling Center
It’s a common question that every parent has asked themselves: “Am I doing this parenting thing right?”
Parenting is especially tricky in situations where you don’t feel like you have all the answers. For many of us, one of these moments can be as kids start to become aware of and explore gender and sexuality.
Awareness of differences in sexual identity can take many forms. Kids might notice that a playmate’s family looks different than their own or that a classmate prefers to dress in both traditionally masculine and feminine clothes, rather than one or another. Kids may feel confused about their own feelings regarding their burgeoning gender and sexual identity, or need guidance to support a friend who does.
Area experts say it’s best to address these types of questions proactively, rather than
reactively, and in a spirit that celebrates diversity. As Pride Month approaches, we talked to a breadth of local experts to guide us through common questions and concerns when it comes to talking about sexual identity and LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transexual, queer, +) equality with kids of all ages.
By helping our kids understand that everyone is different and that everyone has value, we’re helping them to appreciate and accept themselves — and others.
Communication is Key
Culturally we’ve come a long way in terms of recognizing and accepting the spectrum of sexual identities that people embody. Some local schools have programs that address sexual identity and inclusivity. Area high schools, including Madison, Middleton, Verona, Sun Prairie and McFarland, all support active GSAs, or Gender and Sexuality Alliance clubs.
Here, students come together to educate the student body about gender inclusivity and raise awareness about how homophobia and other forms of intolerance impact gender-diverse students.
Amie Pittman, Verona school counselor and advisor to Badger Ridge Middle School's GSA, says that these clubs are crucial in creating a welcoming space for students to be themselves, building a “brave and safe school community for LGBTQ+ students and their allies.”
Wendy Pliska, alternative education teacher and GSA co-advisor for the McFarland district, says GSAs provide
a space where kids can “share struggles they’re having with people who understand and support them,” and provide students a relationship with a faculty member that affirms their identity.
The Madison Metropolitan School District implemented the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Welcoming Schools program district-wide. The initiative is a comprehensive antibullying, LGBTQ+ and gender-inclusive professional development training program. Teachers in MMSD undergo ongoing education about how to build a safe and affirming classroom and curriculum.
These programs and initiatives are not only “invaluable for self-esteem and self-worth” of individual kids, but they’ve given kids a language to speak respectfully to one another and about their identity, says licensed professional counselor Elizabeth Gregg of Golden Vibes Counseling in Madison, who has extensive experience in private practice with LGBTQ+ youth.
As Sylla Zarov, principal of Northside Elementary School in Middleton (and former principal at Franklin Elementary School, which implemented the Welcoming Schools program) says, the goal of these programs is to make each student feel “their inherent value as a human, that they belong here no matter what.”
As parents, we may want to extend these conversations and teachings into our homes, but might be unsure about how to do it in an age-appropriate way.
Each of the experts we talked to say there is one important, guiding principle that all parents can do when talking to kids about sexual identity issues: listen.
“For kids of any age, I think one of the most important things a parent can do is to be a safe person who listens in a nonreactive, non-judgmental way,” says Katie Rickert, MMSD’s LGBTQ+ district lead. “We have so much knowledge, we want to offer them so much support, but often the best thing to do, the thing a child needs most, is to be heard. When you are talking with kids, a good rule is to listen more than you talk.”
But, you say, my child never talks to me about squishy things
like feelings and identity! While you can’t make a child talk, you can establish yourself as a safe person that your child feels comfortable confiding in or seeking information from.
Zarov recommends a simple, yet powerful, statement of unconditional love that parents can make, again and again, to their child of any age: “There is nothing that you can say to me that will make me love you any less. There is nothing about you that will shock me.”
“There is nothing that you can say to me that will make me love you any less. There is nothing about you that will shock me.”
Helpful Terms to Know
Although most know what the letters and terms in “LGBTQ+” mean (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer or questioning. The plus sign indicates inclusion of all other gender identities and sexual orientations, plus allies). there are other terms that are good to know when talking to kids about these topics.
Cisgender: Identifying with the gender you were assigned at birth. (i.e., you were born a girl and identify as a woman).
Gender expression: How a person expresses their gender identity to the world using clothing, names or pronouns.
Gender identity: A person’s understanding and experience of their own gender. Some identify as the gender they are assigned at birth, while others do not.
Nonbinary: Someone whose gender identity isn’t exclusively male or female.
And, take your child’s lead when it comes to communication.
“Welcome curiosity and questions, use straightforward, developmentally-appropriate language and pronouns,” says Gregg.
Queer: Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender may all identify as queer. This term also signifies that sexuality and gender are complicated and fluid, and may change for a person over time.
The + sign in LGBTQ+: This stands for all gender identities and sexual orientations that aren’t included by the other five letters. It’s also used to symbolize that all are welcome, and includes straight allies and general supporters of the community.
Sylla Zarov
Listen to the words your child uses and echo them back. Simple acts of validation can have profound consequences, and can indeed be lifesaving for kids working through an identity struggle.
Baggage Check
The first step toward helping your kids talk about LGBTQ+ issues is to educate yourself.
“We have to give ourselves as parents the grace that we don’t have all the answers and we are still learning and evolving,” says Zarov.
Happily, this is a topic that is coming out of the shadows into the mainstream so resources for parents are increasingly abundant. Books, podcasts, internet resources and local support groups all
Someone being trafficked may:
Show indication of physical abuse
• Appear overtired or malnourished
• Avoid eye contact & are fearful or nervous Are without identification
May have a tattoo used to “brand” them to trafficker
• Have few possessions
• Are not in control of their own money
If you suspect the person is being trafficked, call 1-888-373-7888 or text “HELP” to 233733.
A universal symbol that someone is seeking help is 4 fingers up, thumb in, then folding fingers down. If you see this, don’t interfere but call 911, and make note of the situation, such as identifying characteristics of individuals, and make/model of car.
offer help to parents who are figuring out how to support kids. Better yet, the professionals that parents have always trusted for their children’s health — pediatricians, teachers and school social workers — are increasingly being trained on issues of sexuality and gender. Ask for the help and guidance that you need. As Zarov says, it all begins with education, and as “we know better, then can we do better.”
Katie Larsen-Klodd, school social worker at Randall Elementary School in Madison, says that simply becoming aware of our own implicit assumptions can be a powerful tool.
“Things like the old ‘how many boyfriends do you have after blowing out the birthday candles’ have so many toxic assumptions in them and can easily make a child feel excluded or unvalued,” she says.
Dr. Britt Allen, UW pediatrician and co-medical director of UW Health’s Pediatric and Adolescent Transgender Health (PATH) clinic, which provides
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medical support for gender-diverse youth, recommends that parents spend time building their own anti-bias toolkit.
“Anti-bias work is work; it is a practice that will feel uncomfortable at times when we confront our own loaded assumptions,” she says.
Language is especially important here. “Use available resources such as The Human Rights Campaign website to learn affirming language. Model inclusive language and be willing to make errors and be corrected, even by your kids.” She continues, “We know that at every stage having parents who affirm a child’s gender and sexuality choices and use supportive language with proper pronouns is incredibly important for kids’ mental health,” she says.
Next, here are some agespecific techniques for supporting and talking to kids about sexual identity and LGBTQ+ issues.
Preschool and Younger: Play and Learn
Younger children learn through play, so take advantage of this.
“Be conscious of the toys and books you bring into the home, and give opportunities for children to play with toys and do activities outside of gender stereotypes,” says Rickert. Become aware
For many parents a big question is when to start these conversations. Can a child be too young to start talking about LGBTQ+ issues? Every expert we spoke to for this article answered this question with an emphatic “No.” By age three, in fact, children have a burgeoning gender identity with strong associations about what it means for their behavior. Unpacking traditional gender stereotypes early lays a strong foundation for becoming LGBTQ+ affirming later.
Local Youth Resources
The Madison area has many resources for kids who need support or want to learn about LGBTQ+ identities. Here are a few of the best:
Briarpatch Youth Services: Offers a weekly Zoom support group for LGTBQ+ youth ages 13-18. youthsos.org
Trans Clothing Closet: Transitional wear available for transgender and nonbinary youth in the Madison area. transyouthclothingcloset@gmail.com
“Be conscious of the toys and books you bring into the home, and give opportunities for children to play with toys and do activities outside of gender stereotypes.”
of your own assumptions and biases as you build your child’s play space. Never limit a child’s choice of play because of gender — provide sports equipment, dolls, dressup clothing, blocks and vehicles equally to boys and girls — and let the child’s curiosity and imagination guide their play. Characters are especially important to the youngest kids. Find characters that behave in non-stereotypical ways and use this as an entry point for conversation.
Elementary School: Heads and Hearts
For early elementary-aged kids Zarov recommends an approach of “affirming, teaching and normalizing” LGBTQ+ issues. The family structure is still the central organizing feature of their young lives, and many kids are inherently interested in different family compositions and dynamics. A little gentle emphasis on the diversity of families can go a long way with these young minds. Reading books together that depict families with LGTBQ+ members and purchasing or assembling toy sets that represent a spectrum of families are recommended.
In addition to a unit on families, Amy Turkowski, first grade teacher at Franklin Elementary School in Madison, uses the language of “the head and the heart” to give voice to how kids feel about their own gender identities.
“By acknowledging that a child may feel one way in their head and another way in their heart or body, we break the binary
Trans/Nonbinary Youth Virtual Support group: All school-aged and teens are welcome. Contact Katie Rickert, MMSD LGBTQ+ district lead (kfrickert@madison.k12.wi.us) for Zoom link.
GSAFE: Creating just, safe schools for LGBTQ+ youth. Scan the QR code to read an online exclusive on bravamagzine.com about GSAFE. gsafewi.org
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‘I’m this or I’m that.’ You allow the child to talk about their whole self, their whole reality,” says Turkowski.
Crucial to the creation of this safe space for kids — which draws upon the Welcoming Schools initiative — is acceptance and normalizing of any combination of how head and heart articulate.
“There is no wrong answer here. If you feel differently than a classmate, then it’s not for you. But everyone gets to say the truth of their head and their heart,” says Turkowski.
With several years of education normalizing LGBTQ+ issues under
their belts, older elementary school students might actually surprise their parents by openly talking about their own budding sexual identities.
“This can be a source of alarm for some parents, who did not grow up with these same skills themselves or education [on this]. Parents can feel worried that kids are talking about this too early or too openly,” says Gregg. This worry, though, is misplaced. “Kids intrinsically know who they are, and these programs are simply giving a voice to the reality that kids have always lived with, but often struggled in silence,” says Gregg. Rather than
Amy Turkowski
being anxious if your elementary student wants to talk about LGTBQ+ issues, Gregg recommends seeing it as an invitation into their inner world.
Dr. Allen agrees: “Reframe this fear by understanding that your child is trusting you enough to bring you this delicate and important part of themselves.”
Middle School: Testy Tweens
Much to our collective parental chagrin, talking to middle school-aged kids about these sensitive topics can present new challenges for parents. Middle school is a time of balance where communication is concerned.
“It is developmentally appropriate that middle schoolers push their parents away as they try out increasing independence,” says Gregg. “Parents should not take it personally if their middle schooler is less open to talking, or even hurtful, in their communication style.”
However, if even trying to chat with your tween feels like a daily battle, parents need to pay attention, being watchful for troubling behaviors such as withdrawal
or social changes. “Now more than ever, older kids still need parents to create safe spaces,” says Gregg.
It is particularly important at this age to model the values you espouse.
“Kids of this age are very tuned in to what they see as inconsistencies between what their parents say and what they do,” says Gregg. “For instance, if you talk about supporting LGBTQ+ equality but you don’t watch anything with gay characters, kids of this age will notice. At this age actions can speak louder than words.”
Take advantage of this stage by going the extra step to show your support for LGBTQ+ rights. Zarov says that these signals, whether it’s a rainbow T-shirt, a sign in your yard or bringing your kids to events that celebrate social causes, can create a tangible feeling of safety, and might just be the little nudge kids need to feel comfortable talking.
High School: You’re Still Needed, Mom
Finally, with such an emphasis on early education surrounding LGBTQ+ issues, it
can be easy for parents to worry less about talking with high school students about these topics, but this would be a mistake.
“High school kids still need their parents as advocates, as allies, as creators of safe spaces,” says Gregg. Bullying remains a significant issue in high school, especially for LGBTQ+ kids, and kids of this age can actually feel less equipped to ask for the help they need because of shame.
“High school kids today are dealing with unprecedented pressures from social media to climate change to political stress and they need to know they have a strong support structure at home.”
A simple consistent reminder that you are there whenever your high schooler needs you can be a welcome anchor in a sometimes overwhelming stage of life.
Bravery and Boundaries
We celebrate the progress that we’ve made toward building a more inclusive society through LGBTQ+ education, both in schools and at home. But the reality is that not everyone is on the same page, and it is
“High school kids today are dealing with unprecedented pressures from social media to climate change to political stress and they need to know they have a strong support structure at home.”
likely that at some point your child will be confronted with situations or people that threaten these values. There is, however, a playbook for parents navigating these tough situations.
If the behavior is anticipated, Dr. Allen says it can be helpful to practice how you will respond.
“We’ve all been there where someone said something that we find offensive and later we go over it in our heads and think of what we could have or should have said in response,” she says. She recommends setting an intention for being brave and practicing how you’ll respond in the moment. “Literally practicing the words
Check These Out
Here are some of the experts’ recommendations for great books and websites that can help families navigate LGBTQ+ topics and make kids feel comfortable.
Elizabeth Gregg, licensed professional counselor at Golden Vibes Counseling Center: The Trevor Project, which is a national crisis support center for LGBTQ+ youth. thetrevorproject.org
Katie Larsen-Klodd, social worker at Randall Elementary School:
can help navigate tricky situations and find our voices.”
She also recommends that if you have a repeat offender in your life that you address it head-on.
“This is one of those situations where you would ideally have an adults-only conversation with this individual. Articulate the values and the language that you are choosing for your home. If they still can’t respect those values, a boundary may need to be drawn to protect a child’s physical and mental safety,” says Dr. Allen.
A Final Piece of Advice
Don’t go it alone! Parenting is not for the
Give yourself the grace that you don’t need to have all of the answers, all the time. We are all on this journey of progress together.
faint of heart, it is a self-renewing challenge at every life stage. Nothing means more to parents than their children’s safety and wellbeing, so it is worth your time and energy to assemble your own trusted support system to lean on when times get tough or big questions arise. Having other “been-there, done-that” parents to call upon can be a lifesaver. If you’re unsure about how to show up for your child on these issues (and this will happen from time to time) ask questions and seek the guidance of friends and experts. Give yourself the grace that you don’t need to have all the answers, all the time. We are
Amy Turkowski, first grade teacher at Franklin Elementary School: “Introducing Teddy: A Gentle Story About Gender and Friendship” by Jessica Walton. Dr. Britt Allen, pediatrician and comedical director of UW’s PATH clinic: “What Makes a Baby” and “You Know Sex: Bodies, Gender, Puberty, and Other Things,” both by Cory Silverberg.
Real Talk Showing Support for LGBTQ+ Kids
Parents may face tough conversations with loved ones about a lack of support for their kids who may identify as LGBTQ+. Here’s how to back up your child.
“Tell family members what your expectations for language and behavior around these topics are. It can be hard if a loved one isn’t on board, but for many families there is a huge amount of goodwill and love that promotes change. People can grow over time.”
– Katie Larsen-Klodd
“Explore whether friends or loved ones are willing to learn more and become educated on LGBTQ+ topics and proper pronoun use.”
– Dr. Britt Allen
“Remember that it is your first priority to protect your children and create safe spaces for them. Drawing firm boundaries with friends and loved ones who invalidate or demean LGBTQ+ people is part of your job and should be treated as any other threat to safety.”
– Elizabeth Gregg
“Be aware of toxic microaggressions and non-affirming language and think about using outside mediation if problems persist.”
– Sylla Zarov
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation Welcoming Schools initiative is "the most comprehensive bias-based bullying prevention program in the nation to provide LGBTQ+ and gender-inclusive professional training," for educators and those who serve youth, according to the website.
Currently, Madison Metropolian Schools has implemented Welcoming Schools' programming district-wide. The website offers a wealth of resources for anyone — including a robust, inclusive book list for kids grades K-3, tips on how to support transgender and nonbinary students and other great resources for families and those interested in supporting all kids. welcomingschools.org
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Fun in Merrimac
Although the community of Merrimac may be small, it is a large player in drawing visitors to the Sauk Prairie Riverway. Home to slightly more than 1,500 people, Merrimac features picturesque parks, charming small businesses and a handful of eateries that offer memorable homestyle fare.
Located on the Northern shore of Lake Wisconsin, Merrimac is home to Wisconsin’s only free ferry. Service started in 1848, and the ferry ushered passengers,horses and oxen teams across the Wisconsin River. Eventually the wooden ferry was entrusted to Sauk and Columbia counties to bring passengers across Lake Wisconsin. Over time, the ferry’s management and operation were taken over by the State of Wisconsin Department of Transportation, which ferries cars across the lake free of charge. Today, the ferry routinely ushers 15 cars across the lake at a time from April 15 to Nov. 30.
No visit would be complete without a visit to Devil’s Lake State Park. Known for its incredible hiking opportunities, the state park also highlights stunning rock formations, high cliffs and small waterfalls, including Black Bear Falls and December Falls. Water lovers will delight in the park’s pristine swimming beaches, as well as the ample opportunities for standup paddleboarding, boating, canoeing and kayaking. Wildlife and birdwatching are also a popular pastime in the park. If you are interested in trying rock climbing, this state park is your destination. Guided rock-climbing programs are available for climbers of all skill levels.
After a day of adventures at Devil’s Lake State Park, head back to Merrimac and enjoy delicious food at any of the great eateries. Visit townofmerrimac.net/attractions for a full listing of things to do in the area.
your visit at townofmerrimac.net
A Mecca for Foodies
Stunning Natural Resources
Many visitors enjoy the majestic solitude of Riverland Conservancy’s Merrimac Preserve, which boasts over 1,600 acres of wetlands, savannas, forests, prairies, streams and lakes to explore. Surrounded by the beautiful Baraboo Hills, the preserve is open to visitors looking for a unique nature experience with hiking, fishing and birding.
What is most fascinating about the Merrimac Preserve is the conservation efforts being put forth to restore the region. Visitors can view rare species of plants that were there long before humans, including in the savannas, meadows and prairies within the preserve. In addition, a visit to Merrimac would not be complete without a visit to the beautiful Parfrey’s Glen State Park (see above), which is Wisconsin’s first state natural area. This spectacular gorge is deeply incised into the sandstone conglomerate of the Baraboo Hills and is a geologic wonder not to be missed.
Throughout the Merrimac and Sauk Prairie area, local eateries pride themselves on serving items featuring locally sourced ingredients. From seafood to classic pub food, to vegan to authentic international cuisine, the variety of restaurants dotting the area means visitors can enjoy eclectic dining throughout their entire stay. Relax on an outdoor patio overlooking the region’s stunning bluffs, take in a beautiful sunset on the lake while you sip your favorite beverage, or enjoy dining at a restaurant with goats on the roof. Yes, goats. On the Rox restaurant in Roxbury is one of the area’s favorite places for pizza and visitors are greeted by the goats, Rox and Bury. If the goats aren’t your idea of fun, visit Wollersheim Winery, Distillery & Bistro where you can enjoy guided walking tours of the winery and distillery and enjoy seasonal fares from the bistro while enjoying flight tastings.
find Your HAPPY PLACE mytown #
every season, has a new reason
From the Baraboo Bluffs to Lake Wisconsin, from Devil’s Lake State Park to Devil’s Head Resort, there is a variety of things to do year-round. Whether you are an avid outdoorsman or looking for a relaxing getaway the Town of Merrimac has something for you.
During spring, summer, and fall, enjoy boating on Lake Wisconsin, fishing the Class I Trout streams at Manley Creek or Parfrey’s Glen Creek, taking a ride on the FREE Merrimac Ferry, or golfing at Devil’s Head Resort. If adventure is more your style, try mountain biking the slopes of Devil’s Head Resort, visit Merry Mac’s Campground for watersport fun, or hike many of the local state parks.
During the colder months, things definitely don’t slow down! From skiing at Devil’s Head Resort to snowshoeing and hiking the Riverland Conservancy trails. Be sure to try ice fishing on Lake Wisconsin and should you get hungry, snowmobile delivered pizza is at your service!
When it is time to relax, choose a cabin at Rustic Ridge Cabins, a camp spot at Merry Mac’s Campground, or a room at Devil’s Head Resort.
Stunning Sauk Prairie
When most people think of Sauk Prairie, the twin villages of Sauk City and Prairie du Sac, the plethora of outdoor adventures and eagles come to mind. But the area is also home to the American white pelican, and features a wealth of waterways and trail systems that allow visitors to find adventures naturally. Hikers, canoers and boaters flock to the region to enjoy a day on the water, traverse rugged trails or paddle to their heart’s content. Anglers are apt to call Sauk Prairie “a fisherman’s paradise,” thanks in part to the many varieties of fish found in the Wisconsin River and Lake Wisconsin. For bikers and hikers alike, The Great Sauk State Trail offers riders a 13.1-mile paved trail along the Wisconsin River, through the Sauk Prairie Recreation Area and on to Devil’s Lake State Park, the second most visited park in Wisconsin. Bikers and walkers can learn about the history and ecosystem of the area, and history and environmental signage and art sculptures add a unique flair to the experience of this trail system.
For those looking for a less outdoor-focused experience, the Sauk Prairie Riverway features unique retail boutiques, artisan and antique shops, one-of-a-kind eateries and live music and festivals throughout the summer season.
Summertime Events
Visit saukprairie.com to learn more.
June Tunes
Tuesday nights in June
Head to Meyer Oak Grove Park for this free music event and great local food options.
Summer Solstice Festival
June 18
Celebrate the longest day of the year at Jaycee Park in Sauk City with live music, a kid’s area, sporting events and food trucks.
Fire on the River
July 1-2
Fourth of July festivities in Sauk Prairie occur with fireworks reflecting on the Wisconsin River. Experience a great festival and fireworks show.
Witwen Concerts
Witwen Park & Campground hosts free summer concerts with local, regional and national musicians — plus homemade pie
Wisconsin State Cow Chip Throw & Festival
September 2 – 3
The best chips come from Wisconsin’s Dairy-Air! This wacky festival is one you do not want to miss. Join us to throw a cow chip, Wisconsin’s Unofficial State Muffin .
Visit the La Crosse Region’s Waterways
Looking for a unique getaway option that is filled with historic gems, beautiful scenery and charming shops and eateries? Consider the La Crosse region, a bustling area that celebrates its many water activities, thanks in part to being on the Mississippi River, the Black River, the La Crosse River, the Root River and Lake Onalaska.
The delightful municipalities dotting the region, including Holmen, West Salem, Campbell, Onalaska, La Crosse and La Crescent, Minn., are filled with an array of activities that water enthusiasts will enjoy. From enjoying a paddle boat ride down the Mighty Mississippi to kayaking along Lake Onalaska backwaters to fishing in the channels and deep pools of the many tributaries gracing the area, the La Crosse region is a water lover’s paradise.
Must-See Outdoor Attractions
Grandad Bluff
Ascend up the region’s legendary 600-foot Grandad Bluff via trail or winding highway. The ancient bluff offers views of the city of La Crosse, the Mississippi River Valley, and the adjacent states of Iowa and Minnesota.explorelacrosse. com/the-grandad-bluff
La Crosse Queen Sightseeing Cruise
Step back in time to the great riverboats of the early 1900s and experience a Mississippi River cruise aboard this paddlewheeler. Operating May through October, there are plenty of cruise options available, including luncheons, dinners and more. explorelacrosse.com/ project/la-crosse-queen-paddlewheeler
Great River Landing
If taking a swim is more your style, check out Pettibone Beach, which offers views of the Big Blue Bridge overhead, Riverside Park and the historic downtown area.
In addition to hosting the trailhead for the state’s beloved Great River State Trail, Great River Landing offers shore fishing opportunities, as well as great kayaking and canoeing spots. explorelacrosse.com/ great-river-landing
Outdoor Adventures in Green Bay
When considering outdoor activities within the Green Bay area, most people immediately think of football and the outdoor environs of Lambeau Field. While football is certainly a favorite pastime in Green Bay, the city offers a wealth of outdoor recreation areas to explore.
Green Bay has a splendor and peacefulness that is apparent in almost every one of its outdoor localities. From biking along relaxing trails at the Cofrin Memorial Arboretum to wandering through 47 glorious acres at the Green Bay Botanical Garden to exploring the scenic hiking trails at Bay Shore County Park, the Green Bay region has outdoor adventure options for people with a variety of interests and all skill levels.
Slightly south of Green Bay is Fonferek Glen Conservancy Area, which has towering cliffs, rugged terrain and an awe-inspiring 30-foot waterfall. While the waterfall is an active water source in spring and summer, hiking enthusiasts can walk through the “dry” waterfall in the fall, when the water dries up.
Do you enjoy watching birds at your backyard feeder? Imagine watching majestic hawks perched in high tree branches, or swooping down to meadows and marshes while hunting. The Barkhausen Waterfowl Preserve offers a close-up view of more than 200 species within its 920 acres. Filled with meadows, wetlands and forests, Barkhausen also features a unique “Sensory Woods” experience that helps people of all abilities get up close and personal via sensory experiences in nature.
Of course no visit to Green Bay would be complete without a visit to Ashwaubomay Park, a favorite spot for those looking to enjoy lake swimming and beach relaxation. The manmade lake in the park overlooks the beautiful Fox River. Complete with an expansive picnic area, playground equipment and a relaxing beachfront, Ashwaubomay Park is an ideal place to spend a summer day in the great outdoors.
What’s Happening
Children’s Story Time at Green Bay Botanical Garden | Tuesdays through Oct. 25
Families can enjoy nature-themed stories and activities celebrating the great outdoors. gbbg.org
Teddy Bear Hunt | June 5, 2-4 p.m.
This fun event at Osprey Point lets families learn about conservation issues while “hunting” for teddy bears along trails. Each family purchases a “hunting license,” which covers lunch, a teddy bear for each child and other nature-themed activities. sites.google.com/view/browncountyiwla
17th Annual Walk for Wildlife
Sept. 17
Each year, Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary plays host to its annual Walk for Wildlife, a key annual fundraiser for the sanctuary’s animal rehabilitation programs. Participants can enjoy walking 2.5 miles of scenic trails and visiting various live animal stations along the way. baybeachwildlife.com
Get Back to Nature
Teeming with more than 600 acres dedicated to wildlife, the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary is a huge draw for nature lovers. Its mission is quite simple: To be an urban wildlife refuge where visitors can interact with wildlife, plants and other natural resources through environmental education and recreation.
In addition to various educational displays and live animal exhibits, visitors to Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary can also explore the area through the miles of hiking trails, which offer a change for wildlife viewing. Pack a picnic lunch and make a day of it! Each spring, Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary features the ever-popular Midwest Crane Count. In addition, on May 18, visitors can join the local bird club to look for returning migratory birds. Be sure to bring binoculars! Throughout both May and June, the Sanctuary offers different educational programming focusing on otters, eagles, wolves, snakes and other animals. Be sure to check the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary calendar for listings of their daily activities. baybeachwildlife.com
To visit in Green Bay means to pull up a chair, pour a drink and tell a story, or two or three. There’s no subway to catch or traffic to beat. But there’s plenty of places to explore, from unique restaurants and cozy coffeehouses to walking along our miles of shoreline or visiting a unique boutique.
We’re a friendly place where you will feel at home. Discover for yourself all that Green Bay has to offer.
Celebrate Stoughton’s Norwegian Heritage
For a taste of Norwegian arts, culture and food, you don’t have to go far — visitors can experience it close to home in Stoughton.
Historically speaking, Stoughton has been a hub of Norwegian activity since the first Norwegians settled in the area from the late 1800s to the early 1900s. At one point, the majority of the town’s residents spoke Norwegian. Thanks to their strong cultural influence, the Norwegian culture is alive and well in the town over a century later.
One of the Stoughton’s first festivals of the year, Syttende Mai, is held the weekend closest to May 17 (Norway’s Constitution Day). This year, the fest will take place on May 13-15. Celebrated each year since the 1950s, it’s a wonderful opportunity to get outdoors and learn more about the Norwegian heritage, enjoy Norwegian delicacies and enjoy Norwegian art and language.
Visitors to Syttende Mai can enjoy watching the Stoughton High School Norwegian Dancers, a group that performs four times throughout the weekend festival. Attendees can enjoy decadent cream puffs, lefse and cheese curds, and food sales benefit area nonprofits. Stoughton’s local eateries often feature Syttende Mai specials throughout the weekend as well.
While every day of the festival is filled with attractions aplenty, many locals revel in the Sunday parade, which features bands, local artilleries and the festival’s King and Queen — both current and past — who don the traditional Norwegian bunads.
Syttende Mai’s Athletic Competitions
Treasuring a Traditional Art Form
It’s a long way from Stoughton to traditional Norwegian farmsteads, which boast hand-painted flowers, scrolling vines and delicate leaves on walls, ceilings and wooden décor pieces. But with paintbrush in hand, artists from the Wisconsin State Rosemaling Association as well as other community artists detail the resurgent Norwegian folk art of rosemaling onto pieces of art for all to enjoy.
Tracing back to Norway in the mid-18th century, this artistic process was introduced to the Stoughton area by Norwegian immigrants over 100 years ago. In fact, Stoughton is considered to be the birthplace of rosemaling in North America. The rosemaling exhibit during the Syttende May festival (May 13-15) features items for sale as well as items on display to view. Local rosemaling artists will also be demonstrating the process of this beloved art form. On May 14, visitors can also enjoy Norwegian cultural demonstrations including rosemaling, weaving, carving and embroidery at the Stoughton Opera House. stoughtonfestivals.com/arts
One key component of Stoughton’s Syttende Mai celebration involves athletic competitions, all taking place on May 14 this year. These traditional events include:
The annual Strongman Competition, which is a U.S. Strongman-sanctioned event drawing participants from across the country.
The 50th Syttende Mai Classic 20-Mile Run from Madison to Stoughton is a favorite among runners. Top finishers receive unique hand-painted items in the Norwegian rosemaling style.
For those looking for a shorter run, check out the Syttende Mai Classic 10-Mile Run from the town of Dunn to Stoughton. Top finishers also win rosemaling.
Non-runners can enjoy the Syttende Mai Classic 17 Mile Walk from Madison to Stoughton, which is untimed. Or if a shorter distance is more your style, consider participating in the two-mile Lil’ Run, which is open to all ages. stoughtonfestivals.com/athletic-competitions
Explore Mineral Point
If you are looking for the quintessential historic town to visit, Mineral Point, the third-oldest city in Wisconsin, won’t disappoint. From creative artists’ studios to independent shops featuring unique finds to historic architecture gracing the buildings of Mineral Point’s downtown district, this historic town is an idyllic spot to explore. One historic site that visitors to Mineral Point thoroughly enjoy is the Pendarvis Historic Site, which includes stone buildings that were originally constructed by Cornish immigrants who settled in the area during the early 1800s. A fascinating part of the Pendarvis Historic Site is the Merry Christmas Mine Hill. Traverse along a 43-acre prairie trail that educates visitors about the mining of zinc deposits and galena on the site. So, why was the hill named after a cherished December holiday? Quite simply, the name came from the zinc deposits discovered on the hill around Christmas in 1905.
Another outdoor attraction in Mineral Point is the Cheese Country Trail. The trailhead is located here, and spans 47 miles down to Monroe. It’s popular for running, hiking, mountain biking,UTVs and snowmobiles. The community of Mineral Point is also filled with artisans and craftspeople that offer everything from pottery to woven goods, from handcrafted wood treasures to glass artistry. Mineral Point is a major attraction for art enthusiasts because they can add a piece of pottery, glass work, painting or jewelry to their collection and talk to the artisan to learn more about the art or craft itself. That’s why many galleries and studios in the area offer classes, retreats and demonstrations to further pique the interests of visitors.
While there, you can sample Europeanstyle pub fare, scratch-made breakfast items and nationally-recognized wine produced in the region.
Get Your Toes Tappin’
Each summer visitors gravitate to Mineral Point to enjoy its many live music options.
Jammin’ On the Porch
June 10, July 8, Aug. 2, Sept. 9
Bring your favorite chair or blanket and settle in on Orchard Lawn to listen to free live music concerts by local bands. mineralpointhistory. org/events/jammin-on-the-porch
Mineral Point Blues & Roots Festival
Aug. 19-20
Orchard Lawn is the ideal location for this second annual festival, hosted by the Mineral Point Historical Society. Local and regional musicians will share their musical talents to help raise funds to support the Mineral Point School Music Boosters and the Mineral Point Historical Society. Tickets can be purchased at the event or at mineralpointhistory.org.
Arts & Crafts Galore
Mineral Point is a haven for arts enthusiasts. Because of this, there is a wonderful array of activities, demonstrations and events put on by the many artisans who call Mineral Point home.
Gallery Nights
First Saturdays in April, June, August and December
While most galleries and shops are open throughout the day, on the first Saturdays of April, June, August and December, various shops and galleries feature extended shopping hours until 9 p.m. Gallery Nights are a wonderful way for visitors to extend their cultural experience here and find beautiful, handmade artwork and crafts.
Paint the Point
Aug. 10-13
Over 40 artists will share their talents with the Mineral Point community as they capture various scenes and points of interest around Mineral Point and Dodgeville over three days in August in their works. This ninth annual show celebrates the region and offers visitors the opportunity to purchase these newly created artistic works on Aug. 13. artsmp.org/paint-the-point
Cornish Festival
Sept. 23-25
The Mineral Point region is proud of its Cornish heritage. To fully embrace the town’s original connections to Cornwall, England, each September the town celebrates the music, food, arts and cultural traditions brought to this small Wisconsin town by immigrants in the 1800s. The annual festival, organized by the SW Wisconsin Cornish Society, gives locals and visitors alike a chance to learn more about the Cornish heritage through tours, workshops, food, music and more. cornishfest.org
S pend a D riftle ss Wee kend with u s .
Dine and lodge safely in Mineral Point. Tour our historic architecture, enjoy our small shops, and experience all the outdoor activities of the Driftless area.
Photos:
Meander Down Main Street Monroe
The warm months of summer are a great time to visit Monroe. Thanks in part to Main Street Monroe, Inc., a locally focused and funded, volunteer driven 501(c)3 nonprofit that works to promote the historic downtown district of Monroe, this charming town is a major draw for those looking for a unique shopping, local events and memorable dining experiences.
The historic downtown district of Monroe is the hub for shopping, and every Saturday starting in May through October, visitors can enjoy a wonderful farmers’ market before wandering along to discover the various boutiques within the downtown area. From home décor to specialty foods to clothing to antiques, the various shops gracing Monroe’s downtown beckon shoppers from near and far.
After working up an appetite shopping the many boutiques, check out the wealth of eateries that range from farm-fresh eats to classic homestyle cooking to pubs and taverns offering hearty fare.
The Monroe Arts Center, which underwent a $5 million-plus renovation and expansion, occupies the historic First Methodist Church building. It was designed by architect Edward Townsend Mix, who is perhaps best known for making use of Milwaukee’s Cream City brick. The building, as well as its adjacent parsonage, are both on the National Register of Historic Places. The church was completed in 1887.
Live music fans will enjoy Main Street Monroe’s summer Concerts on the Square series that runs from June through September. From bluegrass to rock, polka to jazz, these live concerts are local favorites. Live music fans also enjoy the artists who perform throughout the year at Bullquarian Brewhouse — a venue that offers refreshing brews and great eats.
Historically Speaking
Sweet Eats
Considering that Monroe is known as the Swiss Cheese Capital of the U.S., it’s not surprising that the city offers unique dairy delicacies that surprise and delight. If you are looking for some of the state’s finest cheeses, as well as imported cheeses and specialty foods, head over to Baumgartner’s Cheese Store & Tavern. Since 1931, this store, which is Wisconsin’s oldest cheese store, has been offering some of the most delicious cheeses in the area thanks to the cheese-producing community of Monroe. For sweet treats, Rainbow Confections, a classic candy store that has a 30-foot-long marble countertop dating back to 1930, offers fresh fudge, gourmet popcorn and candy galore. At Bäckerei Kline, located within Orange Kitten Yarns, Swiss-style baked goods are a must-try for visitors looking for a unique sweet treat. For those looking for healthier options, check out Everest Nutrition, a shop that specializes in energizing teas, protein shakes and coffees.
mainstreetmonroe.org/coffee-sweets
Walk down Main Street Monroe and you’re bound to see beautiful historic buildings and features that really wow. A historic walking tour of Monroe is a favorite among locals and visitors. The cornerstone of Monroe’s downtown since 1891 is the architecturally elegant Green County Courthouse. This historic gem boasts a 120-foot clock tower and polished marble pillars. Visitors can also view the original Green County Jail (which is now home to a tavern) and Suisse Haus, a former furniture manufacturing factory built in 1854 that is now one of the area’s most popular restaurants. Celebrating the Swiss heritage of the region, Turner Hall continues to be a cultural touchstone and host to community activities. The 1869 building is listed on both the National and State Registers of Historic Places. mainstreetmonroe.org/virtualtour
Delight in Chicago North Shore’s Hotspots
Bordering the City of Chicago, the North Shore area provides visitors a wealth of opportunities to explore all the region has to offer, while remaining connected to the city by the area’s elevated train service. Enjoy strolling through the charming shops of Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka and Glencoe, and delight in their wonderful dining and shopping options, while taking in vistas of Lake Michigan. The North Shore offers easy access to Wrigley Field, and all of downtown Chicago’s attractions. For shopping enthusiasts, it doesn’t get much better than Westfield Old Orchard Shopping Center, a beautifully landscaped outdoor shopping center offering a lush setting filled with hundreds of stores, including favorites Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s. Old Orchard also boasts a movie theater and dozens of restaurants.
Head over to the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe for spring and summer visual delights. The Botanic Garden allows visitors to savor their 27 gardens and four nature areas. From a charming English walled garden to a stunning Japanese garden and even a model railway garden, the vast array of flora and fauna will delight at every turn. Explore all of the gardens on foot, or, if you prefer, via tram. Either way there are ample opportunities for families to explore nature or discover more at the many demonstrations throughout the gardens. To learn more about what’s going to be in bloom during your visit, check out chicagobotanic.org
Be sure to follow Chicago North Shore on Facebook and Instagram (@chicagonorthshore) for information on deals, hidden gems and pop-up events.
Listen to the Music Scene
Ravinia Festival
June 15-Sept. 18
As North America’s oldest music festival, Ravinia features more than 140 different concerts spanning the summer months. From pop legends, to classic music to rock to kids’ favorites, Ravinia truly offers something for everyone. ravinia.org
Winnetka Music Festival
June 18
The award-winning Winnetka Music Festival will feature the indie/alternative rock band, Guster, with blues-influenced American rock band, The Record Company opening. Before the bands start playing, visitors can enjoy music and interactive experiences. winnetkamusicfestival.com
Backlot Bash
Aug. 26-28
Downtown Skokie will play host to the Backlot Bash, which features 17 live music acts on two street festival stages. For 15 years, the three-day Backlot Bash festival has boasted rock, folk, indie rock, soul and many other music genres. Other activities include a carnival, 5K run and half-mile youth fun run, bingo tent and farmer’s market. backlotbash.com
Baha’i House of Worship
Designated on the National Register of Historic Places, the stunning architecture of the temple has lace-like white walls and a towering, 135-foot dome. The welcome center provides the opportunity to learn more about the temple community, as well as the history and symbolism of the building. Outside, the temple’s vast gardens and fountains offer the perfect respite. The welcome center is open Wednesdays, 1-6 p.m. and Thursdays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. bahai.us/bahai-temple
llinois Holocaust Museum
As the third largest Holocaust museum in the world, the Illinois Holocaust Museum is a place of honor and education, allowing visitors to explore all facets of the Holocaust, including powerful displays and galleries, contemplative spaces — both indoors and out — as well as the awe-inspiring Take A Stand Center, an immersive exhibition about social justice. Open Wednesdays to Sundays, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. ilholocaustmuseum.org
EXPLORE CHICAGO’S NORTH SHORE
Let’s spend our summer outside!
Chicago’s North Shore takes advantage of ourprime location with easy access to Wrigley Field and Downtown Chicago.
Check out our beaches, attractions, and these summer festivals: Skokie Festival of Cultures, May 21-22; Vintage Garage Evanston, May 22, July 17, September 18, October 16; Northbrook Art in the Park, May 21-22; Winnetka Music Festival, June 18; Glenview Summer Fest, June 25; Run the Runway, June 25; Glencoe Festival of Art, July 23-24; Artat the Glen at The Glen Town Center, Glenview, July 30-31; Evanston Maker’s Market, August 7, October 2; Evanston Art Fest, August 19-21 and Skokie’s Backlot Bash, August 26-28. Love farmers markets? We have plenty.
Illinois Holocaust Museum
Opening June 16, Ghost Army: The Combat Con Artists of World War II, tells the heroic tale of the top-secret U.S. Army’s 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, known as the “Ghost Army,” and their covert operations across Europe that helped win the war. ilholocaustmuseum.org
Chicago’s “sound of summer” is the place to join friends, savor a picnic dinner, watch day turn into night, and enjoy some of the greatest music in the world under a star-filled sky! ravinia.org
Chicago Botanic Garden
Explore 27 gardens and four natural areas surrounded by nine islands. Summer activities for all ages, the Model Train Garden, tram tours and events. chicagobotanic.org
Ravinia
Evanston Beaches
Discover Edina
For a fun road trip, consider Edina, Minn., a centrally-located gem in the heart of the Twin Cities. Considered by locals and visitors alike to be a prime shopping destination, Edina offers many different unique and upscale shopping experiences.
One of the city’s favorite neighborhood shopping districts is 50th & France. Considered to be Edina’s downtown, this charming area is filled with quaint shops and wonderful eateries.
A few miles away, shoppers will revel in the offerings at the Galleria, an upscale shopping area that provides a wonderful array of unique boutiques and national favorites. Of course, no visit to Edina would be complete without visiting Southdale Center, a classic shopping mall that boasts wonderful shopping and dining options.
After shopping, relax and unwind at one of Edina’s parks. Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy Centennial Lakes Park, which has walking trails, water features, public art, an 18-hole putting course and 24 acres of park space. If the weather is not conducive for outdoor adventures, check out Edinborough Park, an indoor park space featuring a track, pool and children’s play area.
Calling All Art Lovers!
Edina Art Fair
June 3-5
The Edina Art Fair is a notable art fair that is truly one-of -a- kind. Having won a series of awards, including being rated one of the top 50 best art fairs in the country, and ranked the best art fair in Minnesota, it simply can’t be missed.
This three-day fine arts festival features art by over 250 local, national and international artists, drawing 250,000 to 300,000 visitors each year. edinaartfair.com
Edina Fall Into the Arts Festival
Sept. 10-11
Held at beautiful Centennial Farms Park, this fest features about 225 artists and exhibitors, along with delicious food offerings. Find glass works, pottery, paintings, jewelry and more. The festival raises money for the Edina Crime Prevention Fund. edinafallintothearts.com
Enjoy Beloit’s Music
Live music aficionados from near and far are drawn to Beloit’s eclectic offerings, and summer is the perfect time to take in all that Beloit has to offer music lovers. From weekly lunchtime music events at First National Plaza to the four-day Old Settlers Days music festival to the annual Downtown Beloit Street Dance, Beloit is teeming with live music opportunities aplenty.
New this year is Deviate!, a collaborative expression of art and live music that will take place in downtown Beloit under the lights of the Ironworks Campus Spine.
Below is a selection of live, outdoor music events this summer. For more information, check visitbeloit.com/calendar for schedules.
The Rooftop at Hotel Goodwin
The only rooftop bar in the area; live performance dates vary. visitbeloit.com/calendar
Fridays in the Park Fridays, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., May through September visitbeloit.com/fridays-in-the-park Music at Harry’s Place
June 17-August 26 visitbeloit.com/music-at-harrys-place
Old Settlers Days
June 16-19, visitbeloit.com/hear Downtown Beloit Street Dance
August 5, 5:30-11 p.m. visitbeloit.com/street-dance Oktoberfest
September 16, 5:30-11 p.m. visitbeloit.com/oktoberfest Deviate! October 15, 6 p.m., deviatebeloit.com
Plan your visit at visitbeloit.com
FAMILY FAVORITES
Buoyed by memories of growing up and helping out in the kitchen, local chefs pepper in dishes on their menus learned from the matriarchs of their families.
BY CANDICE WAGENER
Hong Gao
For many of us, our experiences with cooking started at home. Maybe we were a curious kid who asked to help with dinner, or maybe we were just folded into the mix of the family kitchen. While restaurant chefs often spend years honing their craft between culinary education and working their way up the ranks in commercial kitchens, for many of them the journey through cooking also began at home, influenced by family. Check out these three local spots who are giving a nod to their parents and grandparents on their menus.
HONG GAO, OWNER, TAIGU
Hong Gao introduced something special to the Madison dining scene with her Shanxi-style, handmade noodles. The thick, hearty noodles are comfort food at its best and are found throughout Taigu’s menu.
Gao, who grew up in the Shanxi province of China, was close to her grandma Suzhen Hu, and often watched her cook. “Almost everyone in Shanxi only eats noodles and
not rice,” says Gao. “In summer, my grandma would make scrambled egg and tomato noodles. Then, in winter, we often ate oil-splashed noodles, boiled dumplings and steamed buns. Many of these foods are now on Taigu’s menu!”
A favorite on the menu, the Tomato and Egg Cat Ear Noodles is inspired by the dish Gao ate most growing up, which her grandma so frequently made. While the restaurant serves them with beef, Gao and her family usually ate the dish meatless.
“Meat was typically only eaten during Chinese New Year and other festivals,” says Gao. “Of all things that my grandma cooked, the noodles were definitely my favorite, and I am often reminded of her when I eat [this dish].”
As a fun sidenote, Gao’s mother, Xiuhua Yang, makes the scallion pancakes for the restaurant.
LETICIA AND DANIEL HERNANDEZ, OWNERS, TAPATIOS
To say that Leticia and Daniel Hernandez were influenced by their mothers is an understatement. “We’re definitely here because of both of them,” agrees the couple.
Leticia’s mother, Maria Garcia — who owns Mercado Marimar on Park Street — encouraged the duo
Leticia and Daniel Hernandez
to dabble in the restaurant industry after Daniel experienced a serious accident working in construction. “Knowing how to approach a business comes from her,” says Leticia.
When they opened Tapatios, they were quick to add birria to their menu, a dish with origins in the Jalisco region of Mexico. Daniel’s mom Guadalupe made the dish often during his childhood.
Traditionally made with goat meat, Tapatios uses the highest-quality black Angus chuck instead, braising it for five hours in a big stock pot filled with spices and an assortment of chiles (ancho, guajillo and red chile). Tapatios serves the birria with the rich consommé it’s simmered in.
“That’s our main dish, that’s the one that we’re most proud of,” says Daniel.
Customers have several “vehicles” to get the birria in their mouths, choosing between tacos (the most
popular), quesadillas, burritos or the emerging trend (thanks to TikTok) of quesa tacos, dipped in the consomme.
GIOVANNI NOVELLA, EXECUTIVE CHEF, BAR CORALLINI
“In Italy the food culture is so intense,
you learn how [to cook] the food that is hard to cook at a young age,” says Giovanni Novella, who grew up in Torre del Greco, which is near Naples. “I always had a natural love to be in the kitchen and see what [my mom] was doing.”
His mom, Teresa Paolinio, was the inspiration for the polpette di
Giovanni Novella
melanzane (eggplant fritters), served as an appetizer at Bar Corallini. “I adapted it a little bit [and] it became a staple on our menu,” says Novella.
Similar to a traditional meatball, Novella’s recipe uses fried eggplant in place of the meat. The eggplant is chopped and soaked in salt water to eliminate the bitterness, then dried and deep fried, and placed in a covered container so the steam can soften it. The eggplant is mixed with garlic, shallots, herbs and bread soaked in milk. Next, several cheeses are folded in and the ingredients are shaped into round fritters, chilled for a day, rolled in panko and deep fried. They’re served over a base of San Marzano tomatoes slow-simmered with celery, carrots, onion, garlic and lots of basil.
Novella’s mom recently paid a visit to the restaurant and approved of his version of her recipe.
“When I have a good product, I like to make it shine,” says Novella. “I’m lucky to grow up in a family of foodies, people that really love food, really go out of their way to find the right product.”
IMBIBE SOME GOOD VIBES
Looking to sip a craft cocktail or a delicious mocktail? These newcomers are ramping up Madison’s sipping scene.
BY HANNAH WENTE
Several new cocktail bars have popped up lately, and they aim to fill a need we’ve sorely missed: social connection. And, they offer more to do than just hang out; some feature classic bar games, while others take it up a notch with golf simulators that transport you to world-class courses. Here are six lounges worth exploring.
THE BOTANIST SOCIAL
Touches like vintage gold candles, glass jars of greenery and a ruby velvet suede booth transform the former Icon space into a 1700's-era botany lab, which The Botanist Social owner Valbon Beqiri wants to feel intimate and cozy. This spot specializes in gin-forward cocktails and offers over 65 American, English, Italian and Japanese gins. Try an original recipe like Summer Vibes (gin, lavender, lemon, honey) and Death in a G5 (gin, lemon, crème de cassis and bitters). Or, sip a classic Tom Collins or on-tap house Moscow mule. Pair it with a forest mushroom flatbread or the mezze plate — they offer a late-night menu from 10 p.m. to midnight on weekdays (and until 1 a.m. on weekends) and a tasty weekend brunch. 206 State St., thebotanistsocial.com
BLIND SHOT SOCIAL CLUB
Blind Shot Social Club on Madison’s east side is home to five Trackman Golf simulator bays that feature world-class golf courses, plus, a full kitchen and bar. Newbie? Get a single or five-pack of lessons from their in-house expert
and co-owner Brent Mann. After your golf sesh, dive into the extensive non-alcoholic menu — both Mann and his wife and co-owner Michelle Duvall are nondrinkers. The Game…Blouses mocktail is a blackberry margarita made with Ritual zero-proof tequila, non-alcoholic Lyres triple sec, honeythyme syrup and lime. The Mule Hand Luke is a red-orange concoction of Figlio Fiore Non-Alcoholic Apertivo paired with Seedlip Spice 94, an NA spirit. The best-selling Fear and Loathing cocktail has Ford’s gin, Central Standard Door County Cherry Vodka, pineapple, lime, bitters, grenadine and elderflower liqueur. The Blind Shot Mule has Central Standard Door County Cherry Vodka with lime and ginger, all dropped into a Spotted Cow. 177 S. Fair Oaks Ave., blindshotsocialclub.com
HOOK AND FADE
Another way to enjoy golf and a cocktail is at Hook and Fade, a golf lounge located just off the Capitol Square in The Pressman building. The space has suites equipped with Golfzon simulators for four to six people. The multi-surface hitting mat simulates the terrain and automatically restocks balls so you don’t need to tee up. Bring your own clubs, or get them at the bar. And, first-time
visitors get 30 minutes of free play with a beverage purchase. Enjoy the namesake cocktail with Korbel brandy, lemon, cherry syrup, bitters, cinnamon, cherry cola and cherries. 113 S. Hamilton St., hookandfade.com
LEOPOLD’S BOOKS BAR CAFFÈ
Book lovers, coffee nerds and cocktail purists unite at this quaint bookshopcafé on Regent Street. Peruse 5,500 titles arranged by country of origin in the bookstore. Sip Italian-inspired drinks made on an Elektra espresso machine, alongside pastries from Madison Sourdough. Or pull up a seat at the white marble bar and enjoy the Oaxacan Negroni, crafted with Del Maquey Vida mezcal, Campari, sweet vermouth and
chocolate bitters. The Sherried Old Fashioned has bottled in bond bourbon, mulled orange and cherry with an ounce of Pedro Ximénez sherry in place of simple syrup. The former Greenbush Donuts locale hosts live music and talks with authors and artists. Rent the lower-level Book Nook for book clubs or meetings of up to 12 people. 1301 Regent St., leopoldsmadison.com
MUSKELLOUNGE AND SPORTING CLUB
If Northwoods fishing decor doesn’t get you in the mood for supper club cocktails, we don’t know what will. Located between Madison and Monona is this urban-meets-rural fishing tavern run by owners Sean Pharr and Chad Vogel of Mint Mark, Robin Room and Cork ’n Bottle. The tavern has classic Sconnie games, including shuffleboard, darts, ping-pong, foosball, Hook It and Big Buck Hunter. Get one of eight weekly draught cocktails such as the Stout & Sensitive made with Jefferson Bourbon, Aperol, Lillet and peach or Cinnamon Girl with bourbon, lemon, cinnamon, passion fruit and Aperol. They also offer frozen margaritas and seasonal slushes such as the Penicillin, made with Auchentoshan scotch whiskey, lemon, honey and ginger. Dine on the large
(L-R) Blind Shot Social Club
patio as the weather warms up with The Musky pizza — a pie made exclusively for the tavern by the Monona Fraboni’s, with hot coppa soppressata, mushrooms and pepperoncini peppers. 4102 Monona Dr., muskellounge.com
OZ BY OZ
This eclectic King Street hangout seems to be Madison’s best-kept secret, hidden in plain sight between mainstays the Majestic Theater and Ancora Café. Those who make the trip will revel in the mystical décor mirroring the fortuneteller’s wagon in the “Wizard of Oz,” and the bar features local art on the walls. Try the Honey Coffee (espresso) Martini with State Line coffee, vodka, honey liqueur and almond. Snack on maple coffee candied pecans, honey wasabi peanuts or pickled salty cockles with Potter’s Crackers. 113 King St., ozbyozmadison.com
Bye, bye dry… healthy summer skin is in! Cleansing,
WELCOME, SPRING
It's time for outdoor music events, standout arts performances and enlightening festivals.
BY JESSICA STEINHOFF
CONCERTS AND MUSIC FESTIVALS
FESTIVAL CHOIR OF MADISON WITH WISCONSIN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
May 21, UW Hamel Music Center, Mead Witter Hall
Two groups of elite local musicians team up to present Mozart’s “Requiem,” a choral masterpiece steeped in mystery. A secret patron commissioned the work, and Mozart died soon afterward. One of his students finished the project, raising questions about who composed which parts of the masterpiece. festivalchoirmadison.org, wcoconcerts.org
MAKE MUSIC MADISON
June 21, see website for concert times and venue list
Musicians of all stripes, from first-time performers to seasoned professionals, share their talents throughout Madison for this annual celebration of song and summer, now in its tenth year. Fitchburg and Waunakee are also in on the action in 2022, as well as nearly 100 Madison venues, including Lisa Link Peace Park and the Parched Eagle Taproom. makemusicmadison.org
BASTILLE
June 1, The Sylvee
Nearly a decade after their 2013 hit “Pompeii,” this band of Londoners are back with “Give Me the Future,” a synth-driven concept album that nods to ’80s pop culture while imagining what the future might hold. thesylvee.com
LADY A, BOYZ II MEN, EDWIN MCCAIN
June 10, Breese Stevens Field
This concert helps kick off the American Family Insurance Championship, a three-day charity golf tournament at University Ridge. Two ’90s hitmakers — Boyz II Men and Edwin McCain — open the show, which concludes with a performance by Grammy-winning country act Lady A. amfamchampionship.com
NATIONAL WOMEN’S MUSIC FESTIVAL
June 30-July 3, Madison Marriott West, Middleton
This fest pays homage to women’s creativity with performances of all kinds, including comedy, theater and a ukulele chorus. Hardened and Tempered, a folk duo known for their plaintive harmonies, hit the SheRocks stage on the first day. nwmf.info
THEATER AND VISUAL ART
INVISIBLE WONDERS WITH ANAND VARMA
May 24, Capitol Theater, Overture Hall
For photographer and TED Talk presenter Anand Varma, a camera is a tool for
21 22 SEASON FINALE
documenting what our eyes often can’t see. Marvel at the hidden life of honeybees, the habits of hummingbirds and more as he shares his photos and the stories behind them at this National Geographic Live presentation. overture.org
"NATASHA,
PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812”
June 3-5 & 9-12, The Loft at Four Winds Farm, Fitchburg
A 19th-century Russian tavern is the setting for this Tony-nominated “electropop opera” based on Tolstoy’s “War and Peace.” Impulsive Natasha Rostova arrives in Moscow to wait for her fiancé to return from the front lines but falls under the spell of Anatole. Pierre, a family friend, must pick up the pieces of her shattered reputation. Presented by Capital City Theatre, this tale unfolds in every corner of the theater for an immersive story of action and intrigue. capitalcitytheatre.org
“MEL
CHIN: THERE’S SOMETHING HAPPENING HERE”
Through July 31, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art Featuring 43 years’ worth of conceptual works by Mel Chin, this exhibition explores how different forms of justice — social, political, environmental and more — intersect with art and each other. mmoca.org
GREG ZELEK , WITH THE DIAPASON BRASS AND TIMPANI
In my first of many collaborations with fellow Madison musicians, I am excited to perform alongside The Diapason Brass quintet and timpani in a concert that will pair our Mighty Klais with some of the loudest instruments in the orchestra. – Greg Zelek
All tickets $20! Discover more: madisonsymphony.org/organbrass
Gigout, Grand Choeur Dialogue Rachmaninoff, Vocalise
Elgar, Pomp and Circumstance
DiLorenzo, Fire Dance
Dinda, Nocturne
7:30 PM
J.S. Bach, Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565
Sullivan, The Lost Chord
Guilmant, Final from Symphony No. 1 in D minor
SPONSORS
William Steffenhagen
Elaine
John Aley, Trumpet
Mark Hetzler, Trombone
Linda Kimball, Horn
Matthew Onstad, Trumpet
Joshua Biere, Tuba John Jutsum, Timpani
and Nicholas Mischler
Greg Zelek, Organ
Greg Zelek is the Madison Symphony Orchestra’s Principal Organist and the Elaine and Nicholas Mischler Curator of the Overture Concert Organ. Programs, dates, and artists subject to change.
WATCH THESE WOMEN MAKE HISTORY AT LUNART
Iva Ugrcic (above) left her home in Serbia when political and economic turmoil threatened to derail her career as a flutist. She landed at UW-Madison, where she earned her doctorate and drew attention to the extraordinary works of Doina Rotaru, a Romanian composer long overlooked because of her gender. Determined to shine the spotlight on more women in the arts, she founded the LunART Festival, which returns to Madison for its fourth year, May 31-June 5. Here are four groundbreaking artists who’ll be featured at the festival. lunartfestival.org
ELLEN ROWE, MARION HAYDEN AND ELIZA SALEM
Musical fireworks happen when pianist and composer Ellen Rowe (above), bassist Marion Hayden and drummer Eliza Salem get together to perform. You’re in for a treat if they share some of Rowe’s original jazz compositions, which often reflect the essence of women who have moved her.
STACY GARROP
In addition to being the festival’s composerin-residence, a job that includes mentoring up-and-coming female composers, Stacy Garrop is a prolific creator. Orchestras and choirs across the country will premiere at least six of her new works in 2022, proving that she is a star on the rise. Each of her musical creations tells a story. Sometimes it’s dark, with many twists and turns. Other times it’s light, filled with pure and simple beauty.
Jessica Steinhoff is a Madison-based freelance writer who
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HAPPY TRAILS
Madison’s best paths for pedalers.
BY KEVIN REVOLINSKI
From its green painted bike boxes and bicycle lanes to its bike repair stations and a constantly developing trail system, Madison is a cyclist’s city. If you haven’t given our trails a go yet, or if you’re looking for new ones to explore, here are a few options to consider.
CAPITAL CITY TRAIL
Stretching more than 20 miles, the Capital City Trail is the backbone of a citywide system which often parallels (or even takes over) railroad lines. Starting from Cottage Grove Road near the Pinney Library, the path runs between Olbrich Gardens and the historic Garver Feed Mill, skirts the Atwood and Willy Street neighborhoods, and then heads south along Lake Monona past the Monona Terrace. Crossing under the Beltline, the trail enters the Nine Springs E-way inside the Capital Springs State Recreation Area, where it becomes a state trail and requires a pass.
BICYCLE ROUNDABOUT
Busy intersections call for roundabouts to keep traffic moving. And so it goes at the Velo Underround where the Capital City, the Cannonball and Southwest Commuter Paths meet the much longer Badger and Military Ridge State Trails. Five arrows and a map board show you your way, ramps lead up to a bike overpass and a self-pay kiosk offers state trail passes.
SOUTHWEST COMMUTER PATH
From the Capital City Trail, cross John Nolen Drive on Brittingham Park Path to reach the start of this rail trail along the southern
Capital City Trail
edge of the UW Campus. Once past Camp Randall it enters a long greenway, with several off ramps for access to shops and eateries along Monroe Street. The path runs along Odana Hills Golf Course, then crosses over the Beltline before it reaches the Velo Underround a mile later.
ALONG CREEKS AND RIVERS
The Yahara River Parkway Path begins at the locks at Tenney Park and crosses the isthmus to the Capital City Trail near Mickey’s Tavern. (Hint: good Sunday brunch.)
Wingra Creek Path follows its namesake to connect Lake Wingra to Olin Park and the Cap City Trail. Also connected into the mother trail is Starkweather Creek Path, a surprising greenway passing five small parks on its way north to Madison College. Spiraling ramps take cyclists up onto bridges over busy East Washington and Aberg avenues.
A one-mile scenic boardwalk bridge is the centerpiece of the Lower Yahara River Trail. This 2.5-mile segment of a longer planned trail links to the Cap City at the entrance to Lussier Family Heritage Center then crosses Lake Waubesa to McDaniel Park in McFarland. The bridge offers places to pull over and stop for lake views.
ROUND TRIPS
Much like when you're hiking, don’t you love a good loop? Here are a couple options:
MONONA LAKE LOOP
This 13-mile ride includes the Capital City Trail segment along John Nolen Drive, but then follows rider-friendly residential roads in east-side Madison and Monona (with a recommended stop at Monona Bait & Ice Cream) until the route comes back west to return to the Capital City Trail just south of Olin Park.
LAKESHORE PATH
While it’s hikers-only for Picnic Point, bicycles are otherwise allowed on UW’s Howard Temin Lakeshore Path, all the way out to its western end along University Bay Drive. An out-and-back ride totals 4.2 miles and leaves you at the Memorial Union Terrace, never a bad place to stop when you’re thirsty.
ARBORETUM LOOP
This 8.2-mile route includes the bikefriendly Arboretum Drive through the heart of the park, connects to Seminole Highway with its dedicated bike lanes, then follows the Cannonball Path 2.8 miles — along the southern edges of the Aboretum — up to Fish Hatchery Road. From there either use the bike lane or the sidewalk path along Fish Hatchery to connect to the Wingra Creek Path for a return to the Arboretum entrance.
Kevin Revolinski is an outdoors writer and author of "60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Madison."
A VENDING MACHINE FOR BIKES
Need to rent a bike? BCycle has 45 docking stations throughout Madison, stocked with Trek electric-assist bicycles. You still pedal, but a boost is available for hills and speeds up to 17 mph with a range of about 30 to 40 miles. You can rent at one docking station and return the bike to a different station. An online and in-app interactive station map shows real-time data for available bikes and vacant docks for returns. Rental options range from $5 for 30 minutes up to $15 for a day pass (unlimited 60-minute rides for 24 hours). Purchase passes at dock kiosks, on their app, or via their website at madison. bcycle.com . Bring your own helmet!
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Maria Henry Founder
THE IMPORTANCE OF STRENGTH TRAINING FOR WOMEN
DO YOU WANT TO ENHANCE YOUR LIFE?
It may sound cheesy or obvious, but truly, are there areas of your life that you want to show up more in? To live fully in? To feel better in? There’s no shortcut, but strength training can enhance your wellbeing. And, it’s key to living a better life!
We all want to be able to try new things, stay active with our family and friends, and not have everyday tasks become more difficult as we age. Strength training helps women of ALL ages do just that and more! Let’s start with the basics of how strength training can benefit you:
• Increases lean muscle mass and strength
• Reduces risk of diabetes, stroke and heart disease
• Improves joint stability, balance and range of motion
• Protects the brain from degeneration and increases attention
• Increases bone density, helping reduce the risk of osteoporosis and osteopenia
• Better sleep
• Decreases anxiety, improves mood and boosts confidence
READY TO START STRENGTH TRAINING?
Here’s how to make it happen. Consistency is QUEEN when it comes to strength training! Begin by blocking 30-45 minutes in your schedule two to three days a week for a strength workout. This allows you to work your muscles regularly, but also give them proper rest to recover.
For what to do, start by thinking about simple movements you use every day, and the big muscle groups needed to accomplish those tasks. For example: Getting up off the ground. You need good leg strength, so you can start by working your quadricep and hip muscles with bodyweight squats and hip abduction/ adduction movements.
Another example: Picking up a bag of mulch or groceries. You can work on your back and bicep muscles with a seated row and bicep curls. As you gain strength and become more confident, you can gradually increase the weight, intensity and length of your workout, and even add another day or two to your exercise regime.
COULD WORKING WITH A PERSONAL TRAINER BENEFIT YOU?
Starting a strength training routine can feel intimidating and overwhelming. As personal trainers, our job is to find what is best for YOU. We understand everyone has varying experiences with exercise, individual goals, and different health and
injury histories. As personal trainers, we design a specific, individualized training program to help you improve your strength through effective exercises while decreasing the risk for injury. We know what it means to make progress and how to do that on a timeline that’s appropriate for your body.
Having a trainer keeps you accountable and motivated along the way, and ensures you get the most from your workouts. Plus, you will get familiar and comfortable with strength training, and feel confident lifting weights. Are you ready for the challenge to enhance your life?
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TAKE A SECOND LOOK | With so much to read about in this issue and a wealth of things to do now that life has started to return back to normal, this edition should give you plenty of inspiration to get out and about. Top: Hong Gao owns Taigu restaurant, which serves up Shanxi-style, handmade noodles. The thick, hearty noodles are comfort food, and are found throughout Taigu’s menu. Gao grew up in the Shanxi province of China. “Almost everyone in Shanxi only eats noodles and not rice,” says Gao. Right: Anne and Tom Conti’s home on Lake Monona has a beautiful boathouse decked out with an oversized Connect 4 game and Acapulco chairs. The family uses the space as a gathering place for games, movies and watching their kids ice skate on the lake. Middle: Blind Shot Social Club on Madison’s east side has golf simulators and a full kitchen and bar for a well-rounded experience. Breakfast is offered daily, or dive into their weekend brunch. Pair your meal with a craft cocktail or a nonalcoholic selection from their extensive NA drink menu. Bottom: Alli Klingbiel’s Little Pop Color Shop opened in Middleton in December 2021. The uplifting gift and party goods shop offers delightful finds, such as trinkets for kiddos, cute indulgences for adults and a smattering of sweets throughout the boutique.
