Madison Essentials February-April 2017

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MADISON ESSENTIALS m

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CONTENTS february–april 2017

vol. 49

essential

publisher Towns & Associates, Inc. 126 Water Street Baraboo, WI 53913-2445 P (608) 356-8757 • F (608) 356-8875

arts

madisonessentials.com

community

editor-in-chief

Line of Fire: Somebody’s Children......................................22

Amy S. Johnson ajohnson@madisonessentials.com

publication designers Susie Anderson, Barbara Wilson

senior copy editor

Tim O’Neill......................................50

dining Otto’s.............................................24 Pasqual’s Cantina...........................6

food & beverage Alas, Poor IPA!...............................54 Bering Bounty.................................14 Montchevre Goat Cheese...........42

Kyle Jacobson

copy editor

home

Krystle Naab

sales & marketing director Amy S. Johnson ajohnson@madisonessentials.com

sales & marketing manager Kelly Hopkins khopkins@madisonessentials.com (608) 445-5556

Benjamin Plumbing Creates a Splash.......................................39 The Joy of Gardening.....................60

landmark Paoli Mill Terrace & Park.................36

pets Pet Allergies....................................18

service

graphic designers Jennifer Denman, Crea Stellmacher

administration Jennifer Baird, Sandy Carlson, Lori Czajka

Madison Community Foundation.................................28 Share the Health...........................10

shopping

contributing writers

The Gingko Tree............................32

Jeanne Carpenter, Chelsey Dequaine, Jeanne Engle, Kyle Jacobson, Yvette Jones, Mary S. Landry, MD, Amy MosherGarvey, Kay Myers, Lori Scarlett, DVM, Liz Wessel, Elizabeth H. Winston, PhD, Joan W. Ziegler

travel

photographer Eric Tadsen

Mysterious and Special Places That Stir the Soul.........................56

well-being Coping with Stress in the Workplace ..................................46

including

additional photographs Benjamin Plumbing, Inc., Uriah Carpenter, Green Concierge Travel, Kyle Jacobson, (continued)

From the Editor................................4 Contest Information......................62 Contest Winners............................62 madisonessentials.com

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additional photographs (continued) Bill Lemke, M. McKeown, Madison Community Foundation, Paoli Mill Terrace & Park, Share the Health, ZDA, Inc.

additional copies Madison Essentials is available free at

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all rights reserved. ©2017

No portion of this magazine may be reproduced without prior written permission by the publisher, Towns & Associates, Inc.

Watch for the next issue May 2017.

from the editor Thank you!

Because of you we keep growing, which allows us to introduce several new series. To start is Share the Health, a collaboration of volunteers dedicated to improving the gynecological health of underserved women in the greater Dane County area. In this issue, we receive an overview of the organization, and in future issues we’ll provide more detail about what is happening with regard to women’s health in our community and the impact on their role as a result.

The Line of Fire series continues, but is in a bit of a holding pattern while we wait for more information to become available on the guns we are following.

Since our writer is a clinical social worker, she adds to the story by sharing her unique perspective on the impact guns can have—the darker side of easy accessibility.

Food and beverage is big in this issue, with features on local favorites Otto’s Restaurant & Bar and Pasqual’s Cantina, and additional stories about seafood company Bering Bounty, the Montchevre cheese factory, and an article on IPAs. Madison Community Foundation (MCF) celebrates 75 years connecting donors with the causes they care about. MCF assists in creating strategies and establishing funds to fulfill philanthropic goals.

We talk shopping with The Gingko Tree in Verona and learn the story of longtime family-owned Benjamin Plumbing. Our featured artist is the multitalented Tim O’Neill, who not only makes spectacular furniture, but is an accomplished metalsmith and sculptor. There actually was so much to Tim’s story that we couldn’t include it all. You may read the excerpted version here and full version at madisonessentials.com, where there will also be additional images of Tim’s work. And, of course, we have also included other regular topics.

We appreciate you allowing us to visit, and look forward to coming back soon.

Be sure to stay tuned the entire year because we will be making a surprise announcement. And please also pick up our newly released Home Elements & Concepts. There’s finally a local home publication that not only talks about and shows wonderful home projects inside and out, but also provides the means to contact the sources yourself! You can find Home Elements & Concepts in many locations where you find Madison Essentials. See a full list at homeelementsandconcepts.com.

Cover artwork detail from “The Year of Life and Death” by Tim O’Neill. Hand modeled cast bronze, 2016. Photograph

by Bill Lemke.

Photographs on page 3: top—taken at Pasqual’s Cantina by Eric Tadsen. middle—provided by ZDA, Inc. bottom—taken at The Gingko Tree by Eric Tadsen.

4 | madison essentials

Photograph provided by ZDA, Inc.

amy johnson

Family-crafted wine & spirits in a historic setting overlooking the Wisconsin River.

PRAIRIE DU SAC, WISCONSIN wollersheim.com

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essential dining

BY JEANNE CARPENTER

PASQUAL’S CANTINA

BRINGING MEXICAN TEQUILA TO WISCONSIN

What started as an exploration into Mexico’s most notorious spirit— tequila—is today taking Pasqual’s Chef and CEO Benjamin Roberts on a mission to bring the flavors of blue agave and tequila to Wisconsin.

Already boasting decades of success in serving fresh, authentic food inspired by the American Southwest, Pasqual’s is also now honoring the influence of one of Mexico’s richest culinary traditions: tequila. With 387 different varieties available at Pasqual’s Hilldale restaurant in Madison, 130 at the city’s East Washington Avenue location, and 100 more at its Verona eatery, Pasqual’s is reinventing itself with lively cantinastyle tequila bars.

“There are more than 3,000 different tequilas worldwide, but most of them are not widely imported to the United States,” Benjamin says. “I did a bit of research to see what else was out there and worked with local distributors to bring in a wider variety.”

Benjamin’s quest has resulted in a tequila menu longer than most food menus at other restaurants. With flavors and prices ranging from $6 to $55 per drink, Pasqual’s offers a wide range of tequila types and flavors.

Pasqual’s specializes in 100 percent agave—true tequila made exclusively from juices of the Weber blue agave plant and bottled only in Mexico. There are several different types, including Blanco-Silver-Plata Tequilas, which 6 | madison essentials

Nachos Deluxe

are clear or lightly colored and bottled directly after distillation. These “unaged” tequilas showcase the bright citrusy, unadulterated flavors of the agave.

Beginning tequila connoisseurs might drift toward Reposado Tequila, meaning “rested” and aged in oak barrels for a minimum of 60 days, but no longer than one year. Others prefer Añejo Tequila, aged in small-batch oak casks for a minimum of one year to develop a rich body and complex flavors. The highestend (and most expensive) tequila is Extra Añejo, a category reserved for artisan tequilas aged a minimum of three years in small oak casks.

“The change in flavor adjusts with age in various types of wooden barrels,”

Benjamin says. “The longer a tequila is aged in a cask, the more the flavors caramelize and smooth out. It gets sweeter.”

Cocktail menus featuring signature tequila drinks at Pasqual’s change two or three times per year, based on the season. Every month, Pasqual’s offers a different “Miracle Margarita,” with a portion of proceeds donated to a rotating list of community charities.

Pasqual’s growing menu of signature tequilas complements a menu heavy on flavor and famous for its fresh guacamole.

After growing up nearby and working at Pasqual’s for years, Benjamin bought the restaurant in 2001. Since then, he’s opened three locations, tweaked many of the eatery’s signature recipes, and

Artistry in

Chocolate

Madison Off the Square Café EAST WASHINGTON AVE.

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FRESH, AUTHENTIC FOOD INSPIRED BY THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST Enchiladas

reinvented its famous Pasqual’s chips and salsa, made fresh daily and also packaged for wholesale at Madison area grocery stores. All menu items are made with fresh ingredients, and all chiles and powders are sourced straight from the Southwest, mainly New Mexico.

HILLDALE

Benjamin’s favorite dish is Pasqual’s Enchiladas, a Southwestern favorite topped with cheese and green onions and served with New Mexican rice and black beans or pinto bean mash.

Customers have the option to order flour, yellow corn, or blue corn tortillas filled with shredded beef, slow-cooked chicken, pork carnitas, chorizo, garden veggies, tofu sofrito, black beans, pinto bean mash, or cheese, and then topped with red chile, green chile, or mole sauce.

“For me, enchiladas taste like home, but Grilled Chicken Fajitas

8 | madison essentials

VERONA

that may be because I’ve been eating them at Pasqual’s since I was a kid.”

Other favorites include Pasqual’s Fajitas, featuring grilled marinated chicken or fajita steak with sautéed poblano peppers, red peppers and onions, pico de gallo, lettuce, guacamole, sour cream, cheddar-jack cheese, black beans, and rice, served with warm flour tortillas.

When Benjamin and his restaurant managers get really hungry, however, they order the famous Pasqual’s Nachos: tortilla chips layered with tomatoes, black olives, green onions, cilantro, green chiles, jalapenos, cheddar-jack cheese, sour cream, salsa, and a choice of shredded beef, slow-cooked chicken, pork carnitas, chorizo, garden veggies, pinto bean mash, or black beans.

With three different locations, each demanding a fully staffed kitchen, bar, and wait staff, Benjamin says his secret to good service is acquiring and maintaining a “well-taken-care-of staff.

If our employees are taken care of, they take care of the customers.” Pasqual’s also offers catering with crowd-pleasing taco and fajita bars. Pasqual’s on East Washington Avenue features a private dining room in the upstairs of its historic building, which can seat up to 80 people or serve 100 for a cocktail party.

One aspect Benjamin especially enjoys about Pasqual’s is its reputation for being family friendly. “Parents feel comfortable bringing their kids here, and it’s a great place for family gatherings. We see a lot of groups with 12 to 15 people every day at each of the restaurants.”

With its growing cantina-style tequila bars, reputation for fresh and flavorful

Southwestern food, and commitment to taking care of its staff, Benjamin says every reason he bought Pasqual’s in the first place still holds true. “The reason I opened a restaurant was because I loved cooking, entertaining, and seeing people enjoy themselves. And I still get to do all of those things every single day.”

Jeanne Carpenter is a cheese geek and food writer living in Oregon, Wisconsin.

Photographs by Eric Tadsen.

madisonessentials.com

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e ss ential service

Share the Health

by Mary S. Landry, MD

The stories are personal, but familiar. A 47-year-old mother of two, working full time, bleeding for the past three years— more days than not—without an answer or even a place to ask the question. A 34-year-old newlywed, working at a restaurant, her pap test last year was suspicious for cancer, no follow up. A 54-year-old former advertising executive laid off in February has not had her period for five years, now bleeding every day for six months. A 32-year-old parttime student from Uganda lives with fear because of a mass in her pelvis.

While each of these stories is unique, the women have something in common; they have preventable, treatable medical problems, but are uninsured. Some have been uninsured for months, some for years, some for a lifetime, all sharing a similar experience that lack of health insurance has on their ability to seek and receive care that can be life changing and lifesaving. These stories are familiar to those of us who care for our community’s uninsured.

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In 2012, after practicing in Madison for 16 years, I was asked a simple question by an OB/GYN intern. “Dr. Landry, where do women go in Madison who have gynecologic problems and no insurance?” She raised the question after caring for several young women with advanced cervical and endometrial cancers at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics–Madison on the Gynecological Oncology service.

One died less than three months after diagnosis. My answer was, “Nowhere,” a reality I was embarrassed to admit had been the truth for decades. Despite cancer screening programs and free clinics for the uninsured, limited options remained for uninsured women who needed evaluation for abnormal cervical screening tests or vaginal bleeding.

In January 2014, Share the Health Free Gynecology Clinic, Inc. opened its doors as a free gynecology clinic serving Dane and contiguous counties, offering free outpatient specialty procedures for uninsured women referred for care who

are below 300 percent of the federal poverty level. Katherine O’Rourke (the OB/GYN intern above) and I initially tried to join an existing health clinic already serving low-resource patients to provide gynecological services, but for many reasons, we were unsuccessful. We plunged ahead and cofounded a community nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, and did so in a way that brought together a community of Madison OB/GYNs from varied healthcare organizations. Together we created a solution to address preventable cancers and other gynecological conditions to support patients and refer providers caring for them.

Share the Health is a collaboration of volunteers: receptionists, RNs, medical assistants, lab technicians, ultrasonographers, medical interpreters, pathologists, physical therapists, fundraising professionals, Meriter Hospital anesthesiologists, Meriter electronic health record support, social workers, and lawyers. Madison Women’s Health hosts our monthly evening clinics, providing space, staff, and electronic medical chart resources along with all the equipment and supplies to perform colposcopy, LEEP, endometrial biopsies, hysteroscopy, and ultrasounds.

We see 8 to 15 patients a night, have diagnosed one early and one advanced uterine cancer, and prevented dozens of other cases of cervical and uterine cancers. For our patients with cancer, care was arranged at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, a community partner that also delivers care to these women free of cost.

In addition to providing direct patient care by board-certified OB/GYNs, Share the Health includes as many learners—medical students, OB/GYN residents, and public health students— of women’s health and public health as possible. Whereas our goal for patients

is to address difficult and frightening gynecologic health problems, our goal for learners is to encourage and support a sustainable women’s health workforce of future healthcare providers with hearts for caring for under or uninsured patients in low-resource areas.

The most common reasons for referrals to Share the Health include abnormal uterine bleeding, abnormal pap smears, and pelvic pain. The most commonly provided procedures are colposcopy, endometrial biopsy, and pelvic ultrasound. Each would have a price tag of over $1,000 if the patients had to pay for the services. We deliver over $100,000 of free medical care a year to patients in the communities we serve.

To patients and their families, the care is priceless. To our community, $100,000 of prevention is worth millions when compared to the monetary and emotional cost of cancer care. madisonessentials.com

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available. After free consultation or treatment, we reconnect patients with their community providers, who receive guidance and recommendations for providing ongoing care.

Volunteers also include undergraduate students with Spanish language proficiency to assist with patient check-in and exit interviews to assess areas of need beyond medical care.

University of Wisconsin Masters of Public Health students assess patient and referring clinic resource needs, and arrange education talks and update the ShareTheHealthWI.org website with gynecologic screening resources for uninsured patients, including the Wisconsin Family Planning Waiver and the Wisconsin Well Woman Program.

Some patients are referred from providers or organizations that have not provided a basic gynecologic exam and assessment of a problem for a variety of appropriate reasons from no trained providers to no private exam rooms. Share the Health does not have the capacity to perform basic gynecologic evaluations on all patients and instead we refer these patients to Planned Parenthood, where they receive excellent care and appropriate referrals for consultations and procedures with a gynecologist.

It’s a true privilege to support the care that longstanding area clinics have provided to low-resource patients in our community for decades. In the Madison area, the clinics that provide excellent women’s healthcare and referrals include Access Community Health Centers, Planned Parenthood, Benevolent Specialists Project, Good Neighbor Clinic, and a handful of others.

Share the Health provides outpatient procedural care otherwise not available at these clinics to uninsured women without duplicating services already

Often I hear members of our community discussing Planned Parenthood from the narrow perspective of birth control and abortions. This perspective diminishes the profound impact that this organization of outstanding women’s health providers has on the health of women in our community. I cannot emphasize enough the insurmountable problems of access for cancer screening, cancer prevention, and follow-up care that the loss of support for Planned Parenthood would have in Dane and neighboring counties. There is simply

12 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

not a viable safety net of care to replace the gynecologic care that Planned Parenthood provides in our community and, similarly, in many communities throughout the country. But even if fully funded, there remains a gap for uninsured women in Madison between abnormal screening tests and cancer prevention.

From my perspective as cofounder, president, and OB/GYN volunteer provider, Share the Health is an amazing collaboration of medical and nonmedical community members who heard our call for change and jumped into action to support members of our community in need of access to healthcare.

Appreciative referring clinics make improved health and

health costs in our community possible, while appreciative patients make every minute of the work worth it.

Our impact is reaching those from North Freedom to Beloit. The resources available in each county are vastly different, but what we are doing is offering a small change that fills an unmet need in all communities to improve the lives of mothers, sisters, daughters, and neighbors. We provide very costly procedures at no charge to prevent cancer and manage gynecologic problems while supporting the providers and programs committed to screening for these cancers. A unique collaboration of community members and health organizations, Share the Health is reducing fears, barriers, costs, and cancer.

The health of our community is the aggregate health of all who live in our community. If we care about health in this broad sense, we need to care about the health of all who live here, including those we don’t know—the insured and uninsured—without judgement as to why. Healthcare access to cancer prevention care is lifesaving as well as cost saving. Cancer is costly and our clinic procedures are cheap in comparison. If we improve access to preventative care and lower the amount spent on treatment in our community, we all will benefit in ways extending far beyond the gains of the medical treatment.

We are proud to “Share” hope and health with our patients, families, and communities in southern Wisconsin. It’s a privilege to be part of this grassroots community solution in my hometown of Madison and to address an unmet need in my backyard. Please “Share” with us in 2017 through Madison Essentials and at ShareTheHealthWI.org.

Mary S. Landry, MD, is president and cofounder of Share the Health Free Gynecology Clinic, Inc., and is an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at University Health Service Women’s Clinic at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Photographs provided by Share the Health.

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e ss ential food & beverage

North Pacific octopus are sometimes used to bait cod pots.

BERING BOUNTY

by Jeanne Engle

Local.

Authentic.

Knowledgeable.

That’s Mark McKeown, owner of Bering Bounty LLC, the first seafood company in Wisconsin run by a commercial fisherman. Mark’s company is based in Verona, but all the seafood is sustainably caught off the coast of Alaska in the Bering “Cradle of Storms” Sea. Mark’s fishery was the first in the world to qualify as being fully sustainable under the auspices of the Marine Stewardship Council, an international nonprofit organization established to address the problem of unsustainable fishing and to safeguard seafood supplies for the future.

The first fisherman in his family in 500 years, Mark hails from Wales. He’s been in the United States for 30 years, fishing commercially for 14, and in business for more than 8 with Bering Bounty. Mark is now a U.S. citizen. Bering Bounty 14 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

supplies family-owned restaurants, supermarkets, and private individuals in southwest Wisconsin with wild-caught salmon (king or chinook, sockeye, coho, and pink), cod, halibut, and sablefish (black cod).

Mark believes in the slow growth of his company, preferring “strong relationships with clients we like.” He will meet with a restaurant’s chef, talk with the staff about his products, or hold Meet the Fisherman events at markets.

Some may think commercial fishing is adventure filled with romance—the call of the sea, the magnificent wildlife, the star-filled sky at night unpolluted by light from the land. Mark says, “It is a great privilege to fish the Bering,” but the life of a fisherman is anything but romantic. Life on the sea involves a great deal of hard work, sometimes in

extreme weather conditions all around being fairly uncomfortable. During salmon season, Mark can lose 12 to 25 pounds, even more when he fishes cod!

“It is staggeringly beautiful where I fish in western Alaska,” Mark says. “Largely untouched by the hand of progress, it is very remote, only accessible by air or sea. I take a series of flights to get from my home in Wisconsin, which can easily take up to 24 hours.”

Two other fishermen comprise Mark’s crew aboard his 32-foot salmon vessel.

The crew can be out at sea for as much as six weeks at a time, and often fish around the clock depending on the tide, weather, clarity of the water, and how the fish are running. The prime fishing months for salmon are June through September, with exact days and times set by the Alaska Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G). Mark crews for cod farther along the Aleutian Chain. Being a member of a crew “gives balance to my sea life.”

Commercial salmon fishing is exceptionally competitive. Every fishing vessel is a floating, capital-intensive small business. Out on the water, boats can be as close as a swimming lane apart—other times miles away from each other. The salmon runs are monitored closely by the ADF&G. Their rules and regulations are enforced by Alaska State Troopers in planes, helicopters, and skiffs. U.S. Coast Guard ships are also present to enforce safety regulations and to assist a vessel in distress. It’s these regulations and their strict enforcement that keep Alaska’s fish populations sustainable.

All five of the salmon species found in Alaskan waters are wild. The salmon range free for thousands of miles and complete their natural life cycle without interference from humans. They are not penned nor fed any artificial food, as farmed salmon can be. In fact, it’s illegal to farm salmon in Alaska.

Mark and his crew use drift gillnets to catch the salmon. Gillnets are vertical panels of mesh about 300 feet long by 6 feet deep held between cork and lead lines. The net is tightly wound onto the madisonessentials.com

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Life on the sea involves a great deal of hard work, sometimes in extreme weather conditions all around being fairly uncomfortable. reel in the middle of the fishing vessel with a buoy attached to one end. The buoy is thrown over, the net is fed out as the vessel moves forward, and then the vessel drifts with the tide. Salmon are caught in the net by their gills. The bycatch (everything that’s caught other than the salmon) amounts to about 1 percent of the total catch. The net can be pulled in at any point—sometimes by hand and usually when it contains some fish!

The next step is for the crew to carefully pick the fish out of the net, snap the fish’s gills with their hands, and immediately immerse the salmon into slush ice to fully bleed out. Quality controls are employed throughout the process. Any bycatch is thrown back live into the sea.

A tender (another boat used to support 16 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

other vessels by transporting food and fuel to and from shore) supplies the slush ice and carries the salmon to a processor on land. The processor flash freezes the salmon, then individually vacuum seals each fish. Nothing is added to the salmon except for a thin glaze of water.

The processed frozen salmon is then shipped by sea to the West Coast. From there it’s trucked to Bering Bounty’s cold storage facility in southwest Wisconsin.

Pots that look like cages are used for cod fishing.

The stunning Aleutian Islands as seen from the air.

“Sea freight is more economical and more environmentally friendly than shipping by air and doesn’t leave as big a carbon footprint,” says Mark.

If prepared correctly, fresh frozen salmon that comes from Bering Bounty is as good as fresh. According to Mark, baking or steaming the salmon directly from frozen gives the diner a “tremendously moist finished product.”

Not only is wild-caught salmon tasty, it’s one of the most healthful foods—high in protein and omega-3 fatty acids.

Wild-caught cod, another offering from Bering Bounty and its biggest seller, can be found on the menu in several Madison area restaurants, including Daisy Café & Cupcakery, Dexter’s Pub, and Jordandal Cookhouse.

“Ultimately what makes Bering Bounty different is we know our fish backwards and forwards, and we have scales behind our ears to prove it,” Mark exclaims.

Orders for wild Alaskan seafood can be placed through Bering Bounty’s website, beringbounty.com, with more great pictures found there and on Facebook at Bering Bounty LLC. Jeanne Engle is a freelance writer.

Photographs courtesy of M. McKeown. madisonessentials.com

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e ss ential pets

Pet Allergies Have you ever seen white dogs with rust-colored paws? Maybe you notice your dog licking their paws, particularly during the spring or summer. Does your cat have scabs in the periauricular area (that area just in front of the ears that doesn’t have a lot of fur) or on their abdomen? Are you constantly battling an ear infection in your dog?

The answer to why these things are happening and what they have in common: allergies. Itching, licking, scratching, and ear and skin infections all point toward this. While some pets can have red eyes or sneezing, the

vast majority show other skin or ear problems. Allergies can occur at any age, but those with atopy, a genetic predisposition to allergies, will show clinical signs at as early as six months of age.

The most common clinical sign of allergies in our pets is probably licking the paws. Animals are exposed to environmental allergies through their skin, and their paws are in constant contact with dust and pollen on the ground. The allergens can cause the allergic response. As they lick, an organic compound in the saliva called

by Lori Scarlett, DVM

porphyrin stains the fur. Porphyrins are also found in tears, which is why many white-faced dogs have brown staining around their eyes. The moistness that occurs breaks down the barrier in the skin, allowing the normal bacteria and yeast to multiply. Yeast infections, in particular, are very itchy, so the animal continues to lick. Yeast can also cause brown staining to the toenails.

In addition to yeast, many allergic dogs will have a staphylococcus infection on their skin, often on their lower abdomen or inner thighs. Like yeast, staph organisms are normally found on the skin, but a change in the skin barrier allows them to multiply.

Another common presentation of allergies in dogs is an ear infection that just keeps coming back. Dogs can get ear infections after grooming or swimming, but those are usually one and done. If your dog is treated for an infection, especially if the diagnosis was yeast or Malassezia, and it comes back, then allergies are likely the culprit.

Some dogs will have the trifecta of allergy symptoms: paw licking; itchy,

18 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

smelly, painful ears; and a bacterial skin infection. Please don’t let your pet suffer with all three problems before you take him to your veterinarian. If you have a mosquito-bite sensitivity and scratch incessantly at one bite, consider that is how your dog feels all over his body.

Cats can suffer from allergies too. They don’t generally lick their paws, but they may lick the fur off their abdomen or legs. Some cats develop plaques—flat areas that are red and sort of scabbed over. Ear infections can occur and, particularly with a food allergy, scabs appear right in front of the ear.

Ragweed pollen is often a cause of hay fever in humans, but what can cause an allergic reaction in our pets? Just about anything! Fleas typically cause itchiness.

It can be difficult to find fleas on cats because cats are effective groomers, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have them.

Pets with an allergy to the flea’s saliva will often lose fur on the lower back and develop scabs in that area. One flea bite in a sensitive dog or cat is enough to bring on the clinical signs of allergies.

Fleas can be found year-round and can quickly infest a house, so it’s good practice to treat your pet every month with a product recommended by your veterinarian. There are many effective products available for preventing fleas.

Food allergies are also very common.

Some food manufacturers would like consumers to think every pet is allergic to grains, but that is not the case.

For both cats and dogs, the top food

offenders are beef and dairy. Cats can also have allergies to other proteins: fish, lamb, and chicken, followed by wheat and corn. Common allergens for dogs include: wheat, chicken, egg, lamb, and soy. It can be very difficult to find a limited-ingredient diet to try if you think your pet has a food allergy because some foods contain so many different ingredients. As foods incorporate more ingredients, allergies can develop to those items as well.

Environmental allergies, such as house dust mites and storage grain mites, are very prevalent and difficult to control.

These mites are ubiquitous and present in all our homes and in food products.

Pets with this type of allergy are often symptomatic year-round. Grass or pollen allergies, on the other hand, tend to cause problems only during certain seasons of the year.

What can be done for our suffering pets? First, any skin infection needs to be treated, as bacterial and yeast infections are itchy and perpetuate the problem. As in human medicine, your pet can undergo allergy testing. Testing is generally done through a blood sample. Once the allergens are known, desensitization can be done with weekly injections under the skin or daily oral drops. About 75 percent of pets respond well to the desensitization. Diet changes can be very helpful if the problem is a specific food. There are hydrolyzed protein diets, where the protein is

broken down into very small particles from which the body shouldn’t react, available through your veterinarian.

In the past, veterinarians often had to prescribe steroids to stop the immune response and make the dog or cat comfortable. There are better, safer medications now, with more options soon to be available, including monoclonal antibody therapy. Your pet doesn’t need to suffer with allergies.

Please talk with your veterinarian about what is the best therapy for your itchy pet.

Lori Scarlett, DVM, is the owner and veterinarian at Four Lakes Veterinary Clinic. For more information, visit fourlakesvet.com.

Lori Scarlett, DVM

madisonessentials.com

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ette r ig a in V o n e p Orange Jgeajulicae • 3 T. local honey

• 1 T. ginger juice • 1 cup fresh oran ce di l al sm • 1 t. sea salt • ½ cup red onion— e ic ju • 1 t. black pepper • 2 T. fresh lemon rd ta us m n jo di ed • 1 cup olive oil • 2 T. whole se d ce in —m • 2 T. fresh jalapeno • 3 T. rice vinegar r. r or food processo de en bl a to in s edient olive oil Place first 10 ingr slowly drizzle the ” h, ig “h on le hi th. W ther.

Puree until smoo rette comes toge ig na vi l ti un r de into the blen 20 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

AN AMERICAN ORIGINAL Southwestern Cuisine has been described as an “indigenous precursor to modern fusion cuisine.”

The Melting Pot of the Southwestern population and cooking traditions led to the reinvention of American food staples. Misshapen, rejected tortillas became tortilla chips. Nachos were a beautiful accident when a waiter was confronted with hungry customers and the Chef was out to lunch.

Salsa is the new ketchup.

Tortillas outsell hamburger and hot dog buns regularly.

Pasqual’s Cantina continues this revolutionary tradition in Madison.

Perfect for bringing in spring: The Kalefornian Salad with Orange Jalapeno Vinaigrette.

Join the Tastebud Revolution and try something deliciously innovative today at any of our three convenient locations.

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e ss ential community

Line of Fire:

by Amy Mosher-Garvey

SOMEBODY’S CHILDREN

2016 was a rough year for gun-related crime in our community. It was hard to hop on the internet or turn on the radio or television without hearing something about another incident. It seemed, though, that right on the heels of every newsworthy story followed the inevitable political assault that

oftentimes prevented people from being able to engage in the conversation in a meaningful way.

In the spring, I set out to do a little investigative work and track the story from a different angle: the angle of the guns themselves. I am an addictions therapist by training, and I hear this argument in that world too. “It isn’t the drugs or alcohol [guns] that are the problem, it’s the people who use them.”

Is it that simple though? It’s not the guns? Clearly they must play a role. And that was what I set out to learn about.

There had been six murders by gunshot in just 34 days in and around Madison, which seemed like a reasonable place to start. Track the guns, learn their story.

I had a boyfriend in high school who was quite a talented writer. He used to write amazing letters that provided an epistolary history of our teenage romance. One of the letters contained a brief story of how he would “camp out by the mailbox in his arctic ski cap waiting for a letter from [me].” It seems

22 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

that is what I am relegated to at present as I wait for word from the Madison Police Department. The investigations are incomplete, so no records are available. If the waiting period for these reports and impending Wisconsin weather are any indication, arctic ski cap recommended.

Speaking of that, have you ever had one of those moments where you say something and then—voila!—your words seem to have had some kind of otherworldly connection to events you had no idea would unfold? That is exactly the experience I had when part one of this series hit the stands.

My last words: more to come. June 12, 2016. Forty-nine people were killed in an Orlando nightclub shooting. I won’t go into details; it was clearly well publicized. Forty-nine people. In my head, I kept trying to visualize them.

Who were they? Almost before I could ask the question, TIME Magazine had published the answer complete with their pictures. Forty-nine Latino people.

Beautiful. Youthful. Gone. I don’t care

TRACK THE GUNS, LEARN THEIR STORY what your politics are or your morality.

Let me emphasize this in the way the youth of today’s America would: Those.

Were. Somebody’s. Children.

Spend even a few moments sinking into the misery of a Sandyhook or Orlando, and it’s difficult not to feel the weight of the urgency to understand what is happening here.

It’s estimated that roughly 34 percent of U.S. homes actually own some kind of gun. The most common reason?

Personal protection. My friend Patrick, a coworker who lives and works out of Arkansas, agrees. I asked him about his gun ownership, and he was clear that this was for personal protection. “A gun is just a longer reach than a knife or a bat or a fist. If I didn’t have a gun on me, I would pick up whatever I could find. A gun would be preferred...nix that. Run away and live to fight another day would be preferred.” This seems to be the prevalent argument. A gun is a safety device.

But of the 30,000 people every year who are killed by guns, two-thirds of those are self-inflicted gunshot deaths.

Suicide. So it seems that the person we are really protecting ourselves from is… ourselves?

If you read the first article, you may recall that I am a clinical social worker.

That means that suicide is an important issue for me. When our governor signed the papers to remove the waiting period on gun purchases, it was a big deal—it had an impact on my work. More people kill themselves with guns than kill other people. And more people who kill themselves do so impulsively, so a waiting period is critical. Removing it greases the skids. That is meaningful to me.

Means restriction, the practice of restricting an individual’s means of completing a task, is the most effective way of preventing that action. When that is taken away and people have access to means, I lose my best access to intervention. By the way, it isn’t

true that a person who is going to kill themselves will just find another way.

Guns remain among the most impulsive, most expedient, and most deadly way to end one’s life. In countries where the number of guns has been diminished, so have suicides overall.

Let’s bring this back home. Literally. It’s very easy to detach from tragedies when they are not in our own backyard, so let’s go to our own backyard. Through October 8, 2016, there were 98 reports of shots fired in Madison, 11 more than the total reported in all of 2015.

Police have also recovered more than 200 firearms—a figure that also tops the previous year with 80 days left in the calendar year. Through May 2016, homicides by guns had already tied the annual total for the same in 2007 and surpassed the total for any other year since 2004. That does not include suicides. Every time I speak to a law enforcement officer, they tell me the same thing. It didn’t used to be like this.

There are more thefts of guns, more unregistered guns, more shots fired, and just more guns in general.

When it comes to the cases I’m following, I still have no reports and no serial numbers (the only way to actually track a gun) and am no closer to understanding anything about the guns themselves. From all of my discussions with law enforcement and all of my research, it seems that this is simply the new normal in our beloved Madison. At least for now.

So as I wait, patiently, for some information to arrive on the guns themselves, I can’t help but reflect on the events in my community. I am struck by the fact that my friend Patrick and I both want the same thing. At some level I think we all want the same thing: safety and security. Patrick wants to know he can protect his family. I want to think I shouldn’t have to. Who is the wiser party—the one who thinks that having a gun makes one safer or the one who believes not having guns

makes everyone safer? Somewhere in the middle of all that is a gun. I’ll keep working on that one, arctic ski cap at the ready.

Amy Mosher-Garvey works with clients at Open Door Center for Change, LLC in Madison (opendoorcfc.com) and is the Director of Account Management for Forward Health Group (forwardhealthgroup.com).

Amy Mosher-Garvey

madisonessentials.com

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essential dining

Otto’s

Hidden Fine Dining

by Jeanne Carpenter One of Madison’s best-known restaurants may very well be one of its best-kept secrets, as its hidden location, tucked behind a grove of trees and office buildings on Mineral Point Road, makes it a perfect setting for dinner every season of the year.

Named for Otto Toepfer, a German immigrant who built the 1870s farmhouse, Otto’s Restaurant and Bar opened in 1987 after extensive restoration of the home’s original two-

foot-thick foundation and brick walls.

The Toepfers once farmed property from present day Whitney Way to Gammon Road, and from the Beltline to Mineral Point Road. The land has been completely developed, with Otto’s Restaurant the lone remnant of a bygone era.

Today, Otto’s is a casual, elegant dining destination specializing in fresh, creative Mediterranean-inspired cuisine and warm Midwestern hospitality. Executive

Wisconsin Artisan Cheese Plate

Chef and General Manager Karl Granberg features small-batch cooking using local and fresh ingredients.

“We have an incredibly loyal customer base who appreciate high-quality seafood, steaks, and produce,” Karl says. “People have their favorite dishes, and we respect that by keeping a menu stocked with customer favorites, and then also offering a chef’s tasting menu that changes weekly.”

Chef Karl’s special tasting menus run from Tuesday through Friday each week, and are posted on the restaurant’s Facebook page and on their website.

The three-course meal costs $30 or $45 with wine pairings, and features seasonal ingredients and special wines

24 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

Belgian Endives & Herb Goat Cheese Salad

Charcuterie Plate

that Karl personally selects. The menus are a perfect outlet for Karl’s creativity in the kitchen and keep staff engaged in seasonal foods. Karl says customers love having the choice between the traditional menu and a weekly changing menu.

Another popular dish is the Grilled New Zealand Lamb Chops, served with roasted red potatoes, sautéed French green beans, and almond-mint pesto.

In a town full of steakhouses, Otto’s delivers when it comes to good beef.

Chef Karl’s certified Angus beef steaks

are grilled to order and served with garlic mashed potatoes and fresh vegetables.

Options include an 8-ounce Filet Mignon, a 12-ounce Ribeye, 10-ounce New York Strip, and a 4-ounce Petite Filet with three grilled shrimp. Ala carte extras include grilled asparagus, sautéed mushrooms, crispy angel hair onions, and grilled shrimp.

Another house favorite is the Mediterranean Grill—a dish featuring fresh lamb chops, marinated chicken, kofte, wheat pilaf, cous cous salad, red onion relish, yogurt mint sauce, and

Of course, that choice is often a hard one to make. With a regular menu stocked with a variety of famous house specialties, including sea bass, lamb chops, and certified Angus beef steaks, there are literally no wrong choices when selecting an entrée at Otto’s.

Perhaps best known for his Roasted Chilean Sea Bass, Chef Karl prepares the iconic dish with artichokes, shitake mushrooms, capers, and red onion relish, and then serves it with garlic mashed potatoes and citrus buerre blanc. madisonessentials.com

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Grilled Salmon with Tapenade

pomegranate reduction. Other entrées include seared scallops, duck, and spinach artichoke pasta. All entrées offer a choice of mixed baby greens with basil vinaigrette, a Caesar salad, or Roasted Tomato Bisque.

Otto’s Bar is also a popular gathering spot for locals and area professionals, and starters, such as bruschetta, grilled shrimp, crab cakes, a charcuterie plate, and a Wisconsin cheese course, are available at both the bar and as appetizers for dinner. Otto’s also offers a variety of entrée salads, including a Coriander-Crusted Salmon Salad with fresh strawberries, spinach, gorgonzola cheese, spiced walnuts, and roasted shallot-gorgonzola vinaigrette.

An extensive wine list, champagne cocktails, specialty martinis, single malts and blends, and after-dinner drinks round out the menu. A nightly dessert course is also available, often featuring house-made crème brûlée, chocolate truffle cake, gelato, and more.

26 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

Chef Karl says one of the secrets to Otto’s longevity is its superior wait staff. The average server has worked at Otto’s for between 12 and 15 years. A bevy of loyal customers often ask for their favorite server and to be seated at their favorite table in one of the many dining rooms inside Otto’s. Outside, a seasonal dining patio seats 45 people in the summer and fall, and remains one of Madison’s most popular outdoor dining destinations, with mature trees and changing seasons providing an ever-scenic view.

Otto’s is also home to many a private party, with a popular private room upstairs that can seat 35 people for rehearsal dinners, retirement parties, and special event celebrations.

Braised Short Rib Pappardelle Pasta

Otto’s bar opens Tuesday through Saturday at 3:30 p.m., with half-price appetizers weeknights in the bar until 6:30 p.m. Dinner service begins at 5:00 p.m., with seating until 9:00 p.m.

Tuesday through Thursday, and until 9:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Otto’s is closed Sundays and Mondays.

Reservations are not required, but are

recommended, especially on weekends, for summer dining on the deck and for groups of five or more.

Jeanne Carpenter is a cheese geek and food writer living in Oregon, Wisconsin.

Photographs by Eric Tadsen.

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essential service

MADISON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION CELEBRATES 75 YEARS

by Chelsey Dequaine The mission is the solid trunk at the base of our community. Madison Community Foundation (MCF) uses its local knowledge and assets to inspire giving, support meaningful initiatives, and connect people for the common good. Their vision acts as tree branches stretching toward the sky, growing more beautiful with each passing day; eventually, the Greater Madison area will be a vibrant and generous place where people help each other thrive.

“At our foundation, we focus on everyone,” says Tom Linfield, vice

president of community impact, MCF. “Diversity is to be embraced. That’s one of the biggest challenges in our town right now. How do we make everyone feel like this is place of opportunity?”

Born in Boston, Tom relocated to Madison 22 years ago after living in Paris. He’s worked his entire career in the nonprofit world, from public television to higher education. Now, dedicating himself to community work, Tom feels most satisfied with what he’s accomplishing. “I get to work with passionate people who are doing good.

Every day someone walks through the door with a positive vision to do good in our community.”

Tom’s main job is to coordinate grantmaking. One of MCF’s grant award lists consists of 18 Dane County nonprofits and totals $564,000. And that is just for fall 2016. Grants were given to Aldo Leopold Foundation, East Madison Community Center, Gio’s Garden, Literacy Network, Operation Fresh Start Inc., and Theatre Lila, to name a few.

MCF funds areas such as basic needs work, arts, environment, homelessness issues, educational issues, and affordable housing. “As the community changes, we also think about the large amount of baby boomers who will be retiring, solving the racial equity gap in the school system, and growing the bike trails so you can bike across the state,” says Tom. “We brainstorm ways to help Dane County be a rich part of that.”

Beginning as the result of war bonds by forward-thinking residents in 1942, MCF was founded in the midst of World

28 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

War II. Returning soldiers needed education, employment, and housing.

The community set aside money for just that. “Here we are 75 years later, and the key things we are talking about in the community is employment, education, and housing,” says Tom. “The community has transformed in the last 75 years, but MCF wants to fund the strengths.”

Even through transformation, MCF continues to ask one question: how do we make Madison an amazing place for everyone to live? Since the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families’ Race to Equity project released its report, Tom says the dialogue is that Madison is a tale of two cities. The report discusses the state of racial disparities in Dane County. “For some, we have the best schools in the nation, and for some, we have the worst. That can depend on race, class status, or economic status.”

cost wifi, and free training and repair service,” says Tom. “They want to level the digital divide.”

MCF funds a high amount of parks and educational programs because they are assets that should be free and accessible for everyone. “Those are important when we look at what kind of community and opportunities we have,” says Tom. “We help build their capacity and their ability to help everyone, advantaged or disadvantaged, so all boats rise.”

Out of the $8 to $10 million per year MCF gives away, $1.8 million of that comes from grantmaking. The rest comes from agencies or individuals. “We’ve seen a huge proliferation of nonprofits, which is great because that’s energy and passion,

but challenging because that may lead to duplication,” says Tom. MCF works to bring similar organizations together.

A recent accomplishment was getting all 28 of the public libraries around a table to collaborate. “It’s true in every area that working together makes them stronger.”

The path to the solution started with funding community schools, community parks, and working with Alex Gee at Nehemiah to fund the Justified Anger Coalition. But it didn’t stop there. In addition to holding an educational endowment for each of the 50 Madison public schools, MCF funds a wide array of projects at schools, community centers, Boys and Girls Clubs, the YWCA, and others to promote educational enhancement.

The foundation also recently funded DANEnet for digital inclusion. “They are working with the city and providers to offer 1,000 free computers, lowmadisonessentials.com

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When thinking about the journey and years of success MCF has already had, a smile stretches across Tom’s face. “We are always in it for the long game. The nature of what we do, the fact we are an endowment, is that we are here forever.

We are looking back with pride about where Madison is today, but we are

looking forward with anticipation about where Madison will be in the next 75 years.”

and lights. MCF also wants to set up small repair stations at community centers and schools.

During their 75th anniversary, MCF will announce 12 new projects, giving one $75,000 every month. Tom says one of the most exciting projects is MCF will try to collect, refurbish, and donate 1,000 bicycles and give them to families in need. “Our hope is about permanence.

Can we seed something and set it up for success so it can continue?” MCF is following a model done in Minneapolis where they give out 6,000 to 7,000 bikes a year. The foundation has been working with a bike equity committee to move forward. In addition to the bikes, this project would include helmets, locks,

MCF’s celebration will begin May 16 at its annual event and will end May 18, 2018, with its annual event. At its birthday in December, MCF hopes to celebrate what’s great about Madison and the people who contribute with a party on State Street. “We hope to increase philanthropy and the visibility of philanthropy to do great work,” says Tom. “The goal is for everyone to be part of the solution. Philanthropy is for everyone.”

Another way you can help is by liking MCF on Facebook. The organization shares an inspiring story daily about what’s happening in the community.

And you can learn more, donate, get involved, and volunteer for the nonprofit community. MCF is happy to advise anyone about where they should put their time and money.

“Emotionally and physically, it’s been proved that giving money away makes people happy,” says Tom. “That’s what we do and what we help people do.

We’ve done it for 75 years, and we plan to keep doing it better.”

Chelsey Dequaine works as a social media/community specialist for designCraft Advertising and is a freelance writer.

Photographs provided by Madison Community Foundation.

30 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

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madisonessentials.com

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e ss ential shopping

Gifts Waiting to be Discovered

The Gingko Tree Finds a Home in Verona

by Chelsey Dequaine

More than 20 years ago, Rachel ThorsonSchmied and her husband renovated an old home in New Glarus, transforming the property into a bed and breakfast/ gift shop combination. While the gift shop was quaint, Rachel thought it

would appeal to overnight guests. “It was a simple house, so it was simple to do a Swiss Shaker design.”

Since 2015, and still warmly quaint, The Gingko Tree can be found at 107 S. Main Street in Verona. The shop’s cozy atmosphere invites all to discover the gifts inside. However, much like any locally owned shop in Greater Madison, the journey from what was once a Swiss home to a Verona shop is an inspiring story.

The space was first expanded in 1995 inside the bed and breakfast. Two years later, the shop, Simple Gifts Gallery, moved to its own building in New Glarus. In 2005, Rachel moved the shop to Monroe Street in Madison and renamed it The Gingko Tree.

“It’s a stunningly beautiful tree. It has a distinctive leaf shaped like a fan,” says Rachel. But the name holds more weight than just its leaf or history. “It’s my mother’s favorite tree, and there’s a

32 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

tie to my son as well. It’s personal and meaningful.”

Rachel’s background in retail began in 1970. West Towne Mall had just opened, and she began working part-time retail.

“When I was younger and on a budget, I loved going into shops and seeing pretty

things. But if I ever went into a store where I felt there was nothing I could afford, that wasn’t a good feeling. I’ve always felt strongly that, in my shop, I would have things in all kinds of price ranges.”

to Verona and had to downsize. “That’s more challenging. I’ve managed to put a decent amount of merchandise in the space, and customers say it’s just as wonderful as it was on Monroe Street. It felt good to hear that.”

Rachel grew up in Verona when the population was around 748 people and a traffic light was yet to be installed. “It’s not at all like it was, but it still feels like home.”

When Rachel moved the shop to Madison, it increased in size, which she says was easy. Then the building was sold. Rachel relocated The Gingko Tree

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The Gingko Tree. “People come in and spend a long time reading cards,” Rachel says. “It might be a dying breed, but I sure hope we don’t lose the desire to hold books and shop in person to buy something special for someone special.”

The Gingko Tree is still stretching its limbs for new shoppers to find it. Park in the rear parking lot, load up the car, and make this shop part of your Sunday funday. Inside the shop, you’ll find a children’s corner, a kitchen/gourmet department, puzzles, games, stationery items, and a section near the front of the store that changes seasonally.

The key to keeping The Gingko Tree true to how Rachel envisioned it more than two decades ago? Keeping it personal. “Small shops are very personal expressions. Gift shops, by nature, are so aesthetically involved. You are constantly picking things out you like,

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and you hope your customers will like too.”

Even in these technologically focused times, Rachel believes gift giving will always remain a personal experience.

“Seeing something in person and touching something I am thinking of gifting is important. I’ve talked to people in the shop who have trouble with buying online. It’s more of a challenge with gift items.”

Even an errand, like buying a card (where some might flee to a drug store, grab the first relevant card they find, and go on their way), turns into an enjoyable, heart-warming experience at

No season is as prominent in a local gift shop than the holiday season. Rachel starts shopping for the Christmas season in January of each year. She begins ordering in March and July.

However, unlike most stores, you won’t see Christmas gifts and décor on display until the day after Thanksgiving. “It’s true, I haven’t spent a Thanksgiving with family in about 10 years. But I just know people appreciate waiting instead of overloading them with early Christmas items.”

The Gingko Tree stocks ornaments, table top décor, place settings, and popular brands, such as baggallini, Baby Aspen, Tea Forte, Sweet Shop Truffles, Pomegranate jigsaw puzzles, and Vilmain pewter. The shop also is a retailer for Meissenburg Designs, a Montana company that specializes in vintage signs that can be personalized

with names, images, addresses, and more.

“My shop is distinctive,” Rachel says.

“You should be able to walk into any gift shop and not find another one like it. You can walk into my shop and be pleasantly surprised.”

Rachel also says she enjoys having a theme to her items. She tends to not sway with retail trends unless she is fond of the items, such as the trending fox. “I happen to love that animal. When I’m at a market, I’m constantly looking for things to fit into themes. It’s a lot of fun to just be as creative as you can be.”

breakfast. I do it because I thoroughly enjoy it. It gives me a creative outlet, and that feels good.”

Chelsey Dequaine works as a social media/community specialist for designCraft Advertising and is a freelance writer.

Photographs by Eric Tadsen.

At the end of each day, Rachel looks back at her years of owning The Gingko Tree. There was something in her that wanted to keep it moving. “Whether it’s a small or large business, there is a lot to it. This is a way to express yourself and to be able to use your own thoughts on a daily basis. There was something about that idea that always made me interested in having the shop and the bed and

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e ss ential landmark

Paoli Mill Terrace & Park

by Jeanne Engle

Bill Hastings was looking for an old building to house his advertising agency, the Hastings Group, and its six employees. While perusing a family photo album, he came upon a picture of his great-grandfather in front of a gristmill (grain mill). It turned out the mill was in Paoli, only a few miles from the Westmorland neighborhood in Madison, where Bill had grown up.

His great-grandfather managed the mill for a short time in the early 1900s.

Bill bought the mill for $29,700 at an auction 36 years ago, when the only other businesses in Paoli were a clay company and a tavern. Bill beat out a scrap dealer who planned to put a car crusher on the site.

Bill credits his father for his interest in history and historic buildings. After winning a Coleman stove and a tent in a contest, Bill’s dad packed up the family and began the station wagon summer camping adventures that took the family to historic sites all over the country.

Today, Bill has retired his advertising business, but the complex of four buildings that make up Paoli Mill Terrace & Park are home to seven other

36 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

Wedding reception in the park.

businesses. The first floor of the mill has Cottage Goddess, a retail vintage gift shop run by Lori McGowan for the past 13 years. McGowan Architecture, managed by Patrick McGowan, has been in the mill for three years. One can pick up breads, pastries, soups, sandwiches, and University of Wisconsin–Madison Babcock Ice Cream at the Bread & Brat Haus, operated by Cherri Bell for six years. The Bread & Brat Haus is in the original flour house where mill customers picked up the flour that was ground from the grain they brought to the mill.

Housed in another building is the Paoli Secret Garden, featuring handmade hammocks and botanical gifts. Realtor

Paoli Mill prerenovation.

Newly renovated gathering room and bar in the Mill.

at the mill are ready to book weddings for 2018.

With room enough for 300, the natural outdoor setting along the Sugar River makes the Paoli Mill Terrace & Park an idyllic place for private parties, corporate events and meetings, conferences, retreats, and stage performances. Last year a flea market and an art fair were held at the facility.

Tyler Sweeney with ReMax Real Estate and Bumblebee Photography are in the scale house that was a cheese shop until the fall of 2015. Hop Garden Taproom, operated by Belleville hop farmer Rich Joseph, is a newer business located on the back side of the mill.

The Paoli Mill Terrace & Park operates as an event venue from mid-May through mid-October and is especially picturesque for weddings—14 were held there in the summer of 2016. A groundlevel gathering room in the mill, with an indoor bar and catering area, was completed recently. Another renovation, in the area below the Bread & Brat Haus, is used as a bride’s dressing room. Staff

The hamlet of Paoli owes its existence to the location of the mill and the plans laid out in 1848 by Peter Matts, then sheriff of Dane County. Peter bought land on the Sugar River and a year later constructed a dam; a race, a channel diverting water from the river to the mill’s water wheel; and a sawmill. Paoli grew up around his mill during the next 15 years. Newcomers to the area bought land from Peter and constructed their buildings with lumber from his sawmill.

Bernhard and Francis Minch took over mill operations in the 1860s and purchased the site and mill privileges.

By the end of the decade, the brothers had constructed the three-story stone gristmill. Both the gristmill and the sawmill were going concerns until 1877, when the sawmill closed. Cheaper pine lumber from the north that could be transported via railroad beat out the more costly southern hardwoods. madisonessentials.com

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Summer at the Mill with the former cheese shop (scale building).

The Minch Brothers were able to keep the gristmill operational well into the 20th century by providing customized milling for their customers even though wheat production in the state had declined by the end of the 19th century and dairy was taking its place. In 1938, Paul Fetherston bought the mill from a Minch descendant and ran it through the end of the Second World War. The Paoli Mill was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

When it was built, the mill was considered to be a modern structure.

Paoli Mill as seen from the park; the flour building is on the left.

It’s a sturdy building with three-and-ahalf-foot-thick yellow limestone walls in the basement that taper to one foot thick on the third floor. Interior structural framing is massive to support heavy milling machinery. Some of the interior pillars are whole tree trunks that have been hand hewn. The mill is also a steadfast building, holding on to its roof through two tornadoes in years past.

When Bill went to work restoring the mill, the first project he tackled was the roof, replacing its cedar shingles. He also removed a number of additions that had been built onto the mill over the years.

Bill has found a number of challenges to owning a historic building. For example, “Renters want to ‘festive up’ the buildings.’” But Bill asks, “Are flower boxes historically accurate?”

Even though he has much renovating experience, Bill learns by doing. “When you renovate a historic building, you never know what to expect.” His other restoration projects include log homes and two other buildings in Paoli: the Paoli House Inn and the Paoli Schoolhouse. Farmers who dropped off their grain at the mill in the past stayed overnight at Paoli House and picked up their finished milled flour the next day.

Today it operates as a bed and breakfast.

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Finally, bringing a building up to code and accessibility requirements can be challenging. But by working with the various agencies involved with codes and accessibility, Bill has successfully saved a structure where businesses are thriving. As a result, the whole town has benefited. Today Paoli is a destination and not merely a crossroads in the countryside.

Jeanne Engle is a freelance writer.

Photographs courtesy of Paoli Mill Terrace & Park.

e ssen tial home

Benjamin Plumbing

Creates a Splash

by Yvette Jones Three years ago, Fitchburg city staff and the state DOT invited Dale Benjamin, president of Benjamin Plumbing, Inc., to a meeting. He’d seen a preliminary plan for the Verona Road highway construction two years before that, and while it affected the office building he owned next door, there was to be no impact on the Benjamin Plumbing building. At the meeting, he anticipated a routine update. Instead he learned Benjamin Plumbing’s 50,000-squarefoot facility needed to come down.

Exhibiting the family’s trademark resilience, Benjamin Plumbing opened in a brand-new building at 2870 Commerce Park Drive in Fitchburg in December 2016. Although the move was unexpected, Dale and his staff took the opportunity to create a new space better suited to the needs of today’s customers.

In addition, the facility features wellequipped workspaces for the staff and an extensive service fleet.

master plumber Ralph M. Benjamin, founded the business in 1962 with one truck and a kitchen table office. He was a hardworking role model for Dale and his seven siblings. At one point there were nine family members involved in the operation. Everyone started at a young age and most put in long hours.

Ralph changed his role in the company as he hit retirement age, but came in to help around the warehouse until he passed away in 2013.

Progressing through many jobs at the family business, Dale dug ditches for the

crews, and worked in the pre-fab shop.

Being a car enthusiast, he put in time working in the garage, where he washed trucks and helped with light mechanical services and bodywork for the fleet.

Eventually Dale ran the warehouse, receiving and stocking inventory. He followed that with a several-year stint as plumbing estimator for new construction, which meant he ordered parts and wrote up installation instructions.

“You’re given an opportunity in life to do things,” Dale says. “Some things you like, some you don’t. Over time I found I

Dale began hanging around Benjamin Plumbing in the summer of 1972, when he made himself useful by working around the warehouse. His father, madisonessentials.com

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was more intrigued by management.” At some point, and it’s typical of Dale that he downplays the actual date, he took over the presidency of the company from his older brother. It remains a family-run business, and Dale still has two sisters and a brother involved in the operation.

The Verona Road construction and forced move was not Dale’s first test as president of the company. He views the 2008 recession as his biggest challenge, which hit his business in mid-2006 when commercial construction projects started pulling back. The impact on Benjamin Plumbing was significant and lasted almost eight years. “How do you prepare for something like that? We had to lay off people who’d been here for decades,” Dale says, shaking his head.

“Some retired, some found different jobs. Now we’re rebuilding our fleet and can’t find enough qualified plumbers.”

The lack of job openings in the building trades during the recession caused young applicants to choose other professions, and since plumbing requires a five-year apprenticeship, Benjamin Plumbing is 40 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

working to encourage and train young prospects. This is important to Dale because it’s the best way for him to serve the needs of his loyal customers.

Families in the Dane County area have relied on Benjamin Plumbing’s services for over 50 years, and their large fleet of service trucks ensures plumbing repairs and installations are performed promptly. In addition, Dale counts remodeling contractors among his firm’s loyal clients. Remodeling work offers significant challenges to plumbers, and Benjamin Plumbing is known for clean, quality solutions. Dale has served as president of the NARI Madison chapter, and held roles in NARI National as well.

The firm also has strong relationships with commercial contractors and is involved with commercial projects throughout the area.

Benjamin Plumbing continues to sell a full range of products and provide professional advice installation expertise.

The internet offers a dizzying selection of plumbing products, making choices difficult. Some consumers make purchase decisions without the advice of plumbing professionals, and Dale’s crews often deal with the poor results.

He points out that it’s very difficult for the average consumer to recognize substandard manufacturing materials or poorly made internal mechanisms.

Informed consumers choose betterquality fixtures that use water carefully and meet the requirements of universal design. Also trending well are ondemand water heaters, radiant floor heat, and snow-melt systems. Large soaking tubs and whirlpools are falling out of favor as quality walk-in showers

become popular. Besides being more functional, these showers have zero threshold entrances and the generous space needed to accommodate special needs.

of the profession and recognizes the role plumbing plays in protecting the quality of the water we use daily. “Water is a limited resource,” he points out. “We have a responsibility to use it wisely.”

Dale installed universal design features in his own home 16 years ago and thinks they should be standard practice.

He recommends minimal-cost updates, such as wider doors, no thresholds, and walk-in showers. “Too often people wait until the need for accessible fixtures becomes an emergency and are forced to make choices under stress.”

Yvette Jones is president of designCraft Advertising in Madison, and serves on the board of NARI Madison.

Until fairly recently, Dale worked six days a week. Now he’s inspired to establish a better balance. He still likes to come in on the weekends when it’s quiet and work in the shop, like his father once did, but he tempers that with hobbies and visits with his young grandchildren. “As you age, you reflect.

My time has more value than it did earlier in my career.”

Although he has no immediate plans to retire, Dale does look ahead to changes in the business and is actively grooming future leaders. He sees the importance

Photographs provided by Benjamin Plumbing, Inc.

NARI members mentioned in this article: BENJAMIN PLUMBING, INC. 2870 Commerce Park Drive Fitchburg, WI 53719 (608) 271-7071 benjaminplumbing.com

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es s ential food & beverage

Montchevre

GOAT CHEESE from FARM to FACTORY to TABLE

by Jeanne Carpenter In America’s Dairyland, many a city’s claim to fame is its local cheese factory.

But one village in southwest Wisconsin is taking its cheesy reputation to another level, with nearly half the town employed making either brie or goat cheese.

In Belmont, Wisconsin, population 986, more than 250 people work at Montchevre, an ever-expanding goat cheese factory, while just down the street another 200 are employed by the Lactalis President Brie plant. In fact, French-style cheeses have eclipsed Belmont’s one-time claim to fame of 42 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

being the state’s first capital. Even the village’s homes are powered by methane gas from Montchevre’s anaerobic digester—the first digester installed at a goat cheese factory in America.

But Montchevre isn’t your average cheese factory. It’s the largest goat cheese factory in America and makes an astounding number of different types of cheese, including fresh chèvre, goat brie, goat cheddar, and a variety of aged specialty cheeses. French cheesemaker Jean Rossard and Arnaud Solandt founded the company in 1989 in Preston, Wisconsin, but then moved

operations to Belmont in 1995, when they took over the old Besnier America factory on the southeast side of town.

When the pair started, the Belmont factory was a small, outdated cheese plant. Now, it takes up nearly an entire city block.

Today, Montchevre is making headlines by being the first goat cheese manufacturer in the United States to produce non-GMO chèvre, or fresh goat cheese. Attaining non-GMO status starts with the animals. All feed certified non-GMO must be sourced from non-GMO seeds, which is difficult because in North America 88 percent of all corn, sugar beets, soybeans, canola, and cotton are GMO grown, and more than 70 percent of all packaged foods contain GMOs. To meet a growing public demand for non-GMO cheese, Montchevre worked with heritage seed companies and feed mills to source non-GMO seeds, provided those seeds for farmers to grow, and then worked with feed mills to separately process harvested nonGMO crops into protein pellets (soy based with minerals) that goats are fed at milking time. Eighty percent of a goat’s diet is alfalfa hay, which must also be grown from non-GMO seeds.

All of Montchevre’s non-GMO milk is produced by a group of farmers in central Iowa. The milk is trucked and processed separately at the Belmont cheese factory. The Iowan farmers

are part of a vast network of 360 farms Montchevre supports in the Midwest, most of them in Wisconsin.

That means 360 farms depend on Montchevre for their livelihood, and that’s a responsibility Jean does not take lightly. He visits farms regularly, and the company employs three full-time field employees to work directly with dairy

goat farmers to troubleshoot problems and solve challenges.

Dennis and Elaine Schaaf are dairy goat farmers who ship their milk to Montchevre. The pair farm near Mineral Point and got into the dairy goat business nine years ago. Before taking on goats, the couple milked cows for 30 years. “Physically, there’s no comparison in milking a cow versus a goat,” Dennis says. “A cow steps on your foot, you’re going to hurt in the morning or take a trip to an emergency room. A goat steps on your foot and you just shoo it off.”

The Schaafs have successfully converted their former cow barn into a goatmilking parlor and, last summer, built a new open-air free-stall goat barn, where goats are free to roam large, open pens filled with fresh straw bedding. Free choice alfalfa hay and fresh water are always available. Goats also have access to pasture, but Dennis says they hardly ever go outside. “Goats don’t like sun and they don’t like water. That means if it’s raining, they stay inside. If the sun’s madisonessentials.com

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out, they stay inside. About the only time you’ll see them in the pasture is at night when it’s not raining.”

The Schaafs milk 240 goats twice a day, and bred 350 goats last fall in anticipation of expanding this year.

Goats milk seasonally, so the Schaafs generally have a break from milking in December and January, but are trying to shorten that window by breeding females year-round. This also helps Montchevre maintain a more consistent flow of milk to make into cheese yearround. The Schaafs’ herd is made up of a cross of Saanen, Toggenberg, and Alpine breeds of goats.

In a young industry, Dennis and Elaine have milked goats long enough to serve as mentors to up-and-coming goat dairy farmers. They say three farmers in their neighborhood switched from milking cows to milking goats last year, with one farm turning operations over to their child to become the first secondgeneration dairy goat farm in Wisconsin.

Milk is picked up about every three days from the dairy goat farms and hauled to Montchevre, where three shifts of employees make cheese around the clock 363 days a year. The current pay price for goat’s milk in Wisconsin is about $38 per hundredweight (100 pounds of milk). That price is holding steady because of a constant growth in demand for goat cheese. In comparison, the pay price for Class III cow’s milk (milk processed into cheese) ranges from $12 to $22 per hundredweight, and is set by a federal milk marketing order. It takes about 10 goats to equal the milk output of one cow, hence the higher pay price for goat’s milk.

Jean says more farmers are becoming interested in switching from milking cows to milking goats, and the demand for goat cheese is increasing every year.

“We’re already planning another factory expansion,” Jean says. “Our goal is to process 100 million pounds of milk this year, and we’re well on our way to meeting that goal.”

Jeanne Carpenter is a cheese geek and food writer living in Oregon, Wisconsin.

Photographs by Uriah Carpenter.

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e ss ential well-being

Coping with Stress IN THE WORKPLACE

by Elizabeth H. Winston, PhD There are a number of contributors to today’s workplace stress. Since the recession, workers have been expected to increase their workload.

Technology has made some processes more efficient, but has ushered in the era of multiple passwords, compulsive email checking, and the expectation that workers should be connected 24/7.

The presence of multiple generations in the workplace (Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, Millenials) means that workplace norms, expectations, and values vary widely. Many good workers are promoted to management without the necessary training and skills they need to successfully supervise and project manage. Implicit or unconscious bias against women and people of color continues to taint our workplaces, depriving workplaces of talent and limiting workers’ opportunities. All of these contributors lead to a blend of 21st century workplace stressors.

When workers are expected to carry a heavy workload, it’s important to keep the lines of communication open with supervisors, as workers sometimes

46 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

mistakenly assume their supervisor knows their workload. Take the opportunity during meetings or checkins to convey this by making a list of projects and updates on progress. Even if your manager does not invite checkins, email your status update each week or month. When overwhelmed, let your manager know and ask for help. Also, ask which items are top priorities and then let your manager know that you are spending the majority of your time on those projects and that means that others will get little to no time.

Many of us compulsively check our email throughout the day. Interrupting our workflow, switching tasks, and being distracted by new stimuli are all counterproductive. If you want a break or a distraction from your current task, it’s better to take a walk, stretch, or take some deep breaths or meditate. This gives your brain time to rest. Checking email should be a regular and scheduled

TAKE A WALK, STRETCH, OR TAKE SOME DEEP BREATHS OR MEDITATE part of the day. Perhaps check it at 8:00 a.m., noon, and 3:00 p.m. You can even notify others that this is when you check and advise them to contact you directly if the matter is more urgent. If you are confident no one is expecting an immediate response, you can train yourself to check email less frequently.

For some, there is an expectation that they are connected and available all of the time. This can be exhausting and lead to chronic stress. It’s important to have a clear boundary between work and the rest of your life. Otherwise, it will feel like there is nothing else in your life but work.

An all-encompassing work environment is self-perpetuating. Workers model constant availability for one another and this becomes the workplace norm. Except for matters of life and death, no one should feel compelled to be available all the time. Everyone, including healthcare workers, needs designated times each week when they have protected time away from workplace demands. If it seems like your workplace does not allow for this, try setting some limits, talking to your manager or human resources, or asking your friends and family about their workplace culture. It’s easy to lose perspective when you are entrenched in this kind of environment and can be helpful to be reminded that this is not normal or okay.

Although there is likely more heterogeneity within groups than across them, workers of different generations may notice some cultural differences across groups. Workplace etiquette, electronics usage, and ways of conveying respect may vary.

Wherever we come together, it’s best to communicate our expectations clearly, not make assumptions and interpret others’ behaviors in the best possible light. Acclimating new workers means

informing them of workplace norms and values, modeling good workplace behavior, and setting a high bar for behavior and performance.

Everyone has strengths and areas for growth. Offering training in such topics as assertive communication, balancing work and family, and electronic etiquette may draw more from one generation or another, but offers nice opportunities for everyone. More importantly, structuring the workplace to accommodate the different work-life stages of workers (for example, early, mid, and late career) with flexibility of schedules, measuring actual performance instead of face time, and creating time and space for transfer of knowledge from more-experienced workers to newer ones is critical.

From the hiring process to promotion, people of color and women encounter barriers. Often, no one is aware that anything is even happening. For example, identical resumes with only the name of the applicant changed lead to many more interviews when the name is perceived as Caucasian than when the name is perceived as African-American.

Additionally, women are less likely to be seen as leadership material and less likely to be promoted. American businesses are slow to offer maternity and family-care leave, with little in place to allow for women being away from the workplace to have children and return to their careers.

Women and people of color continue to encounter workplaces where their

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ideas are literally not heard until repeated by a white man, who then receives credit for the idea. There needs to be a minimum of three women in a boardroom for their input to be noticed.

In order for this to change, everyone needs to be aware of these problems and work toward change. Unconscious bias is something we all experience and, therefore, does not need to be a basis for feelings of shame or a topic to avoid. The more we can acknowledge it, the more opportunity we all have for change and growth.

How do we deal with the stress of implicit bias in the workplace? First, acknowledge it exists. Workers and management should work to make their implicit biases known to themselves and others, accept these biases as a part of living and working in our society today, and try to not be ashamed. Leaders should model working on their own process to notice and acknowledge their own biases. We should move away from occasional diversity trainings and move toward incorporating an awareness and questioning of our own assumptions as a regular part of our experience at work.

Managers should be encouraged to assess and leverage their strengths, and notice and get help for areas where they have room to grow. Supervision and project management are a completely different job than manufacturing, nursing, or financial planning, for example.

Management requires some different (and sometimes overlapping) skill sets, including people skills, empathy, ability to delegate and set expectations, follow through, organization, planning, nondefensiveness, and confident decision-making. None of us naturally has all of these skills. We would do well to acknowledge this and work to develop some more skills in managers or staff teams with people who possess complementary skills.

Today’s workplace is a fast-paced, technology-infused, quickly evolving setting. It is imperative that we acknowledge and address these contemporary work stressors in order to maximize productivity and, more importantly, individual and workplace well-being and satisfaction.

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Elizabeth H. Winston, PhD, is a Madison psychologist who provides psychotherapy, psychological assessment, and consultation to businesses and organizations. Find her at elizabethwinston.com and consultingcollaborative.org.

Elizabeth H. Winston, PhD

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e ssential arts DOUBLE ARC COFFEE TABLE Macassar ebony, mottled makore, glass, ebonized mahogany 2008

TIM

O’NEILL

Crafting a Life in the Arts and Building Community

by K ay Myers My husband and I feel fortunate to be in Madison, a caring, thoughtful, and vibrant community. We moved back after seven years away because we longed for an arts and cultural community. … for the most part, artists are loners. This makes an artist community even more valuable.

I sat down with Tim O’Neill to discuss his life in the arts and the role he plays in our local arts community. Tim is a furniture maker, metalsmith, and sculptor. He works at the University of Wisconsin–Madison as a 3-D technician for sculpture, glass, and digital fabrication, and is part of the academic staff. He co-owns the Artisan Gallery with his partner, Theresa Abel, an artist, painter, gallery art director, and taste maven for Madison.

50 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

… Tim tells me[,] “1990 was a pivotal year. I met Theresa, as well as two important mentors: Richard Judd and Ron DeKok, both accomplished furniture makers that were respected by their peers locally and nationally. The effects were profound and immediate.

Richard took me under his wing. As he taught me woodworking, I witnessed his incredible work ethic and passion for fine craft. He immediately saw my potential as a designer and encouraged me to hone my skills so that my craftsmanship would support and complement my designs.

“A few weeks after I started working for Richard, he introduced me to Ron DeKok. ... Even though he didn’t know me, he offered a third of his shop to make a studio apartment. Like Richard,

he was very generous with his time and knowledge. We agreed he would teach me building construction and I would work evenings and weekends to pay off my rent.

“That agreement also brought me into his shop to help with furniture making. His approach was somewhat unorthodox—a very sculptural process and more spontaneous. Most of the designs were in his head—not a lot of drawing to go by, and very unusual methods of woodworking. Unlike Richard, whose work was very process driven and disciplined, Ron creates amazing things from a very chaotic and frenzied work environment. It was crazy and interesting being in the middle of two people that were so talented and skilled with such divergent methods to making art.

“The year was capped off by meeting Theresa … [an] intelligent and beautiful [woman who] smoked cigarettes, swore a lot, and was a vocal feminist. We were drawn together by the shared goal of life as an artist. …

“The early 90s I was living outside Madison, renovating an apartment with Ron, learning my trade with Rick, and visiting Theresa in Madison. … I was soon bitten by the metalsmithing bug. …

After a quarter century of making, Tim has been awarded top prizes at art fairs across the nation for his beautifully crafted furniture, and has work in private homes and public collections. …

“I had the influence of these people.

I was learning new techniques and materials, furiously drawing my ideas, and it all converged. Soon I began to develop and sell work. At that same time, Theresa, myself, and a group of local artist friends helped found the artist collective Artbite. Artbite put together art shows in vacant spaces throughout the Madison area from 1994 to 2008, like what are now known as pop-up galleries. …”

In the winter of 2016, one of Tim’s pieces was included in the University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty show at the Chazen Museum. His sculpture, The Year of Life and Death, garnered much attention and was purchased by the Bank of Kaukauna. Under the tentative call of a life-size cast-bronze crow, the sculpture is a seven-foot-tall tapering octagonal obelisk surfaced with Tim’s own creation of hieroglyphics and symbols that are carved and burnt wood. … “It was always about language to me—those hieroglyphics—floating around in my imaginary lost culture.

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SIMON CABINET Macassar ebony, curly cherry, carved and burnt poplar 2009

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I wanted to push that point further to explore what it means to incorporate words into language and how we lose words from a language structure.

“The complement to the tower was the crow. For me, the crow became a more overt metaphor for this idea about language influx. I find crows fascinating—highly intelligent. Their caw is one of the most pleasurably gratifying sounds I know. It’s amazing LET THEM EAT CAKE IN GOD WE TRUST 18k gold, sterling silver, U.S. currency 2009

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how they pass language and words along to their offspring. They can teach their young to use tools through their vocalization and to warn their offspring of enemies that will try to harm them.

I found that interesting and brought those two divergent forms together, one symbolic the other gestural. …”

It seemed to me there should be some connection between Tim’s two chosen mediums, but Tim says no. …

“The furniture has always been about aesthetics—pure design and making things the best that I could—whether it’s a table, cabinet, or whatever. And wood is so inherently beautiful. When the jewelry happened, I found it was more personal, more about my political ideals and how I stood in this world

socially. It became a good outlet for that.

I created some work that really, point blank, hit some issues for me, and was happy to have people experience them at different levels. … “I’ve managed to get some things out there to add to the larger dialogue, like the financial crisis rings, which were important to me even though it was a small body of work. …” … For Tim, it’s not just about creating beautiful or poignant work, it’s about crafting his life.

“You’re always doing different things, but you realize it’s about something bigger than just us and our individual work. … I get to help students develop their ideas and work on their skills.

I talk with them about my career and life just to let them know it’s possible to pursue a career in the arts, especially as a studio artist. …

“It’s hard work if you want to benefit from it … I created a repertoire, a signature body of work, and a position within my group of artist friends and colleagues. That was incredibly helpful, and I kept going because I liked it.

“It’s fortunate that both Theresa and I have a keen eye, and what I think is a good understanding of the arts … We share our point of view in the larger arts community … The relationships that we developed with artists and clientele have been the greatest thing we have gained. They have become the bedrock of the gallery … That’s what really keeps us going.” … To join the Artisan Gallery community and to view Tim’s work, visit the gallery in Paoli or go to artisangal.com.

Kay Myers is a local artist and freelance writer.

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Photographs by Bill Lemke. *This is an edited version of the original written article. To read the complete story—and we encourage it—go to madisonessentials.com.

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es s en tial food & beverage

Alas, Poor IPA! I KNEW HIM A FELLOW ALE

by Kyle Jacobson Let me tell a tale often echoed by beer drinkers and brewers. Dating back to the 1600s, Britain played a large role in trade between England and India, specifically the British East Indies

Company. When Britain started to gain a stronger political foothold in the area during the late 1700s, the number of soldiers stationed in India grew.

However, their plight for good beer had been in the works for decades. Porters, the preferred beer of the masses back home, didn’t fare too well over the long journey that crossed the equator twice, often leaving the beer stale and flat. Allsop brewery had the answer.

Hop the beer heavily and the ale will be preserved. It worked, and when soldiers returned home, they demanded India Pale Ales (IPAs) be served. And so it was that the IPA came into fashion.

Think about how we live with a working knowledge of the Truth. To believe what is perceived is the necessity by which we go about our daily lives. Of course, Truths are often shattered, and the story above is no different.

There is much dispute about how the IPA came about, and we may have to bow to Ockham’s Razor, a problem-solving principle which states that the theory with the least assumptions is likely the correct one. Sailors like to drink; soldiers like to drink. When a brewery tried something new, drinkers enjoyed something different and celebrated it. I doubt Porters lost their prestige in India

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even after the introduction of the IPA, though there will be contention there as well.

To hit this point a little harder, the preservation properties of hops, though present, are not some miracle fix. Beers that are higher hopped aren’t going to survive longer than their maltier brethren. Major factors concerning a beer’s flavor over time involve how it is stored and contained. Light pollution and loss of pressure will surely hurt flavor in the long run, as will infection.

So what is an IPA? Sam Green, brewer at Third Sign in Waunakee, says, “If you asked 10 or 20 years ago, the answer would’ve been a lot different.

Nowadays, all the barriers of style are getting slowly and slowly eroded.” Ryan Koga, brewmaster of Karben4, adds, “I think IPAs in particular are ‘the beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.’ It’s subjective. It’s like artwork.” In fact, IPA has almost become a blanket term to mean hoppy. Most of the IPAs you’ve had are not IPAs. Consider that one of the most popular hops in IPAs is the Cascade hop, which wasn’t created until 1971 at Oregon State University. That’s an American hop, my friends. American Pale Ale would be more fitting, but, as Sam said, the lines have eroded.

I want to go back to the tale of the IPA. If you were one of the people who loved this story and found something intriguing in the telling of it, that speaks to something very human. We have our idea of the past and how it created the world, and we hold pieces of that past close to our hearts. This lends itself to what we look for in something like an IPA. Ryan told me about how much he liked juice when he was little, and then he raved about his favorite IPA. “I want it frickin’ juicy. I want a big bouquet up on my nose. I want it to be full, oily, citrusy on my mouth.

And then I want a nice sweet kind of backbone to it that fights some of that bitterness and maybe masks a little bit of the alcohol.” He goes on to discuss one of his favorite hops. “For me, Citra is a great sound, like the most beautiful bass drum or snare you’ve ever heard.

But you gotta have a full kit to play a rhythm.” This is becoming a staple for what drinkers expect when they hear West Coast IPA. Though I can certainly appreciate a juicy IPA, I’m not the type of person to bite into a grapefruit and think juicy. I’ve always preferred an IPA with a morecomplex malt bill, as is closer to what an East Coast IPA tends to be, though they are still very much hop forward.

Sam says, “As far as malty backbone is concerned, usually what I like to see is a lot of wheat characteristic. I think that really emphasizes a lot of the hops.

Maybe anywhere from 10 to 20 percent kind of accentuates that head retention mouth feel, really compliments a lot of that hop profile bitterness, kind of counteracts it just a little bit.

“Everybody’s on their own search to get the newest and greatest and most

extreme, and I think it’s kind of not becoming great. There should be a new movement to get to representation of what used to happen. That’s just wishful thinking…it’s getting kind of out of control now.” And that’s true for the majority of breweries in the nation, but something is popping up now called the Midwest IPA. This works to balance the alpha acids of the hops with the sweetness of the malt in a more even fashion, typically leaving the hops as the hi-hat cymbal on the palate that plays in rhythm to the malt. They have the hop profile expected in IPAs, but that profile isn’t necessarily center stage.

Historically speaking, Midwest IPAs are getting closer to what IPAs used to be alongside Session IPAs. Drinking an IPA wasn’t a hot-sauce guzzling competition, but something to be enjoyed without worry of waking up the next morning in your neighbor’s flower garden spooning a rather attractive garden gnome. Call me a traditionalist, but I’m looking forward to new-school brewing taking some tips from the old dogs. That isn’t to say your preference for something with a bit more bite is wrong. It’s the beer you dig. But when everyone is doing the

same beer just to see how hoppy they can go, it’s not only uninteresting, it’s stagnant.

Here’s to moving forward. Cheers!

Kyle Jacobson is a copy editor for Madison Essentials, and a writer and beer enthusiast (sometimes all at once) living in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.

Photographs by Kyle Jacobson.

Check out Tokyo Sauna and Fantasy Factory from Karben4 and Hausgeist and Sauer Kirche from Third Sign.

Ryan Koga’s favorite IPAs in the Midwest: • TODD THE AXE MAN – Surly Brewing Company • 3 FLOYDS BREWING COMPANY IPAS • ANTI-HERO – Revolution Brewing

Sam Green’s favorite IPAs in Wisconsin: • CITRUS HAPPY –MKE (one of the best in

Wisconsin to date)

• ILLUMINATION – Central Waters

Other Wisconsin IPAs: • BUNNY GREEN TOE

–Lake Louie (A true-blood IPA)

• TWELVE BOTTOM –Port Huron (A stand-up Midwest IPA)

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e ss ential travel

Mysterious and Special Places that

St ir t he Soul

by Liz Wessel

Looking for peace, tranquility, something to stir your soul? Spiritual connections to the land, water, and human structures can be found from the very first people that lived in the area. Moved by Sacred Sites of Wisconsin,

by John-Brian Paprock and Theresa Peneguy Paprock, I started a journey to explore places in and around Dane County that speak to one’s spirit.

Ancient residents developed a rich culture often inspired by nature and the Wisconsin landscape. What we experience today are remnants. These

early cultures built sophisticated mound communities, such as Aztalan in Wisconsin and Cahokia in Illinois, and mysterious effigy or animal shaped mounds.

Mounds Secretary Jewell of the Department of the Interior designated Man Mound a National Historic Landmark on November 2, recognizing its exceptional value and quality. This mound, which stretches 214 feet in length and 48 feet in width, depicts a manlike figurine with a hornlike headdress and is thought to

represent a god or super being. Few man mounds exist, so it is striking in both its shape and size.

Nearby, the Kingsley Bend Indian Mounds have been designated a sacred site by the Ho-Chunk Nation. This mound group provides a representative sample of barrow, conical, and animal mounds grouped together. Not all mounds contain burial remains, but all mounds are considered sacred and unique cultural sites. Please treat them with respect and walk around, not over, them.

Springs Springs are also considered peaceful, restorative, and inspirational places. For some indigenous nations, springs are considered sacred, and the Ho-Chunk stories tell of springs as the watery entrance to the underworld. In addition to being somewhat mysterious or sacred, springs play an essential role in sustaining the lives of those dependent on them by being both healing and life giving, and are a critical natural resource, supplying water for streams and wetlands. Wisconsin is blessed 56 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

with over 10,000 springs of different sizes that surface, creating some very beautiful places.

Look for springs across Dane County, from Frederick Springs in the Pheasant Branch Conservancy in Middleton to the springs on the south side of Lake Wingra in Madison and the springs of Donald Park in Mount Horeb. Take the peaceful walk along the Springs Trail from the south end of Donald Park. You will become mesmerized by the waters boiling up through the creek bottom.

Look for watercress and a rich variety of water life where cool spring waters emerge. Or fill up a jug at Rock Springs in Sauk County and sample some direct ground-to-table water courtesy of the Rock Springs Artesian Water Corporation, who owns the land. For more on springs and their importance in the history of the area, visit wgnhs .uwex.edu/water-environment/springs.

Angels Unattached to a specific religion or theology, angels represent special people or beings of exemplary conduct or virtue. Beloit hosts the Angel Museum in a repurposed catholic church. The

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museum collection emphasizes angels as symbols for what is joyful, noble, and good in this life.

The guided tour of the collection provides the stories and intent behind many of these figurines. They are organized together by style and type.

A section holds the donated Oprah Winfrey collection of black angels. The figurines are not just human, but include animals and more fantastic characters.

The church itself adds to the ambiance.

This historic building is constructed of brown brick in a simple Romanesque style, typical of churches in Italian villages in the 1900s. The stained glass windows and interior stone grottos add charm to the museum inside and out.

Visit the Angel Museum and you will certainly find at least an angel or two that will make you smile or possibly cry.

Labyrinths Labyrinths serve as a spiritual tool and metaphor for the path of life we walk.

Use of labyrinths date to ancient times in Crete, Tibet, and Greece; Celtic spirituality; and the Christian tradition.

There are several labyrinths open to the public in our area.

The most significant outdoor labyrinth can be found at the Sinsinawa Mound Center. Through its programs and retreats, the Center offers experiences of “intellectual, spiritual, and aesthetic awakening.” The Dominican Sisters, who run the Center and the labyrinth, invite you to walk the labyrinth and discover a new, yet ancient, way to pray and meditate. Built in 1999, the outdoor labyrinth consists of 6,000 limestone bricks forming a circle with walkways leading to the center. The labyrinth is open at all times, weather permitting.

58 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

You can walk a labyrinth closer to Dane County at the Madison Christian Community Church grounds. In addition to prairie paths and other outdoor features, the congregation built a labyrinth with grass paths outlined with brick. Walking slowly through the paths, you will find a way to focus inward and quiet your mind. The setting embellishes this outdoor spiritual experience. Take your own walk or take a workshop to guide you through the labyrinth.

Structures Wisconsin is blessed with numerous structures representing a variety of faiths, many with historic and spiritual significance. Two caught my attention.

Every day people drive by the Gates of Heaven Synagogue, located in James Madison Park in Madison. Built in the Romanesque style in 1863, this is the fourth-oldest surviving synagogue building in the nation. It has also served as the First Unitarian Society Meeting House and the Women’s Christian Temperance Union among other uses.

After being preserved and moved to its current location, this historic public structure has become popular for weddings and other events.

In Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison, the Thai Pavilion & Garden offer a uniquely mysterious experience.

The garden that surrounds the pavilion features hardy plants, including bamboo, ornamental grasses, and

others that provide a tropical feel.

The open building, not intended as a spiritual structure, sits alongside a pond and exudes tranquility and reflection. A gift from the Thai chapter of University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni and the Thai government, the pavilion was placed here because of the garden setting and proximity to water, important for good health and prosperity.

Take your own journey and seek out some of the mysterious and special places. You will appreciate the simplicity and time you spend in the midst of our busy and fast-paced lives.

Liz Wessel is the owner of Green Concierge Travel, which has information for honeymoons and other ecotravel at greenconciergetravel.com.

Tadsen Photography Drone/Aerial Imagery

Photographs provided by Green Concierge Travel.

Angel Museum in Beloit Thursday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Sunday through Wednesday, CLOSED Museum is closed December 22 through March (except for tours or special events) angelmuseum.org

Fully licensed - FAA part 333 Waiver Stunning stills and 4k video

tadphoto.com - etadsen@icloud.com - 608-469-2255 madisonessentials.com

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es s ential home

Joy Gardening

of

The recipe for joyful gardening starts with dreaming and planning. Then, like a fine meal, preparation and quality ingredients are the keys to success. Work can become play by understanding how to simplify garden maintenance. The actual joy comes from loving care put into a garden and reaping the fruits of your labor: beauty and delight to feed your soul, flowers to grace your table, good food, fresh air, sunshine, and weight-bearing exercise to keep you healthy.

Dream Dream andand PlanPlan

Think about what you love, what you wish you could have, what you wish

by Joan W. Ziegler

you could get rid of, and what problems you would like to solve. Thoughtful bed placement and design can help to reduce maintenance. Trellises, shrubs, and focal points show off a garden just as beautiful tableware, centerpieces, and candles enhance a dining experience. The more beautiful the garden, the more fun it is to work in. Site the garden in a place of prominence: near an entrance or as the focal point for a window in your most used room so that you are drawn to take care of the garden. Include good access with paths or stepping stones to make it comfortable to work. Make the beds a minimum of six to eight feet deep to photo Marcia Timothy Hughes Photographic s Hansen

The

site planners landscape architects garden designers 831.5098 zdainc.com

OUTDOOR OUTDOORCREATIVE CREATIVE 60 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

August

give garden plants enough room and reduce competition from lawn edges.

Prepare Ahead Prepare Ahead

Simplify maintenance by starting with a well-prepared weed-free bed. For new garden beds, kill or remove sod at least two weeks before planting. Till or fork three to six inches of organic matter into the soil to remediate droughty or clay soils and to build nutrient levels. Once the soil has been worked, allow weed seeds to germinate for 7 to 10 days.

Then scrape through the bed to chop off their heads. This process, called staling the soil, helps to reduce future weeds.

Be careful to only work the soil when it’s friable to avoid compacting it. To determine if your soil is friable, squeeze a handful. If it crumbles into granules, it’s friable and you can start bed prep; if it becomes a mud ball, then wait for the area to dry out.

If you already have a garden full of weeds, now might be the perfect time to renovate. Salvage what you like, dig and divide (if needed), and pot up or heel in the plants you want to keep until you are ready to replant. Then clean the slate with the same bed prep as if you were starting from scratch.

April Plants andand Planting Plants Planting

Choosing the right plant for the right place is a key ingredient to success.

Match your plants to their needed sun exposure and soil moisture. Happy plants hold their own space and can outcompete weeds. Limit your plant selections to plants with good foliage and long seasonal interest, and plant in groups so that it’s easier to identify weeds. Plan to plant in the spring or fall to reduce the need for watering.

If you are using transplants, gently clean to bare root by dividing and teasing roots apart so that you can find and eliminate perennial weed and grass roots. Place divisions in a bucket of water with a dash of fertilizer to reduce transplant shock. Then plant directly into prepared beds or pot excess plants to share with friends and family.

Love and Care

Love and Care To reap the rewards of gardening, you have to make time to love and care for

your garden. Aligning with the natural rhythms of the season can make garden chores a pleasure. Start in March, when the snow is melted, by cutting back old plant growth and looking for signs of spring. Spend a few moments in April looking at what is coming up in the garden and popping out dandelions and other visible weeds. After your plants are up and growing in May, quickly eliminate germinating weeds with a thorough, shallow hoeing between the garden plants. Applying an organic weed and feed (corn gluten) by scraping it into the soil followed by a light application of mulch in early June will control 85 percent of the weeds for the rest of the season. Spot weed, deadhead, and dead leaf to stimulate healthy new growth throughout and relax through the heat of the season. In the fall, clean up diseased or ugly foliage and plant bulbs. Then dream some more over the winter. The true joy of gardening is imbibing and sharing the bounty and beauty of nature.

May

Joan W. Ziegler is a horticulturist, garden designer, and winner of the 2015 Perennial Plant Association Merit Award for Residential Landscape Design for ZDA, Inc. Landscape Architecture, 4797 Capitol View Road, Middleton.

Call (608) 831-5098 or visit zdainc.com.

Photographs provided by ZDA, Inc.

September madisonessentials.com

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advertiser index association Arts Wisconsin................................................ 33 Dane Buy Local............................................. 55 Dane County Humane Society.................. 38 Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce................................................ 56 Madison Originals......................................... 63 The River Food Pantry....................................17 Share the Health............................................11

entertainment Ho-Chunk Gaming....................................... 64 Madison Opera..............................................27 Olbrich Botanical Gardens......................... 58 The Wild Dandelion........................................25 Wollersheim Winery & Distillery......................5 WORT............................................................... 49

dining, food & beverage Bavaria Sausage Kitchen, Inc......................61 Bering Bounty LLC..........................................14 Bonfyre American Grille............................... 44 Brickhouse BBQ...............................................23 Calliope Ice Cream.......................................41 Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream....................10 Clasen’s European Bakery........................... 38 Fraboni’s Italian Specialties & Delicatessen............................................. 34 Fromagination............................................... 48 Hilldale............................................................ 53 Hop Haus Brewing Co....................................25 Imperial Garden.............................................16 Lombardino’s Italian Restaurant & Bar.........................................5 Manna Café & Bakery....................................6 Metcalfe’s Market..........................................13 National Mustard Museum.......................... 58 Nick’s Restaurant........................................... 50 The Nitty Gritty............................................... 43 Nonno’s Ristorante Italiano......................... 40 Norske Nook Restaurant & Bakery.................9 North and South Seafood & Smokehouse............................................. 29 The Old Feed Mill Restaurant...................... 22 Old Sugar Distillery.........................................26 Oliver’s Public House.....................................51 Otto’s Restaurant & Bar.................................24 Pasqual’s Cantina.................................20 & 21 Pizza Brutta..................................................... 35 Porta Bella.......................................................15 Quivey’s Grove.............................................. 35 R.P. Adler’s Pub & Grill....................................31 Riley’s Wines of the World.............................57 Sa-Bai Thong.....................................................7

Samba Brazilian Grill......................................37 The Side Door Grill and Tap..........................37 Sofra Family Bistro.......................................... 59 Sugar River Pizza............................................ 53 Tempest Oyster Bar........................................47 Toot & Kate’s Winebar.................................. 42 Tornado Steak House....................................47 Tutto Pasta.......................................................19 The University Club........................................ 30 Villa Dolce...................................................... 59 Vintage Brewing Co...................................... 48 Wollersheim Winery & Distillery......................5

home & landscaping Home Elements & Concepts....................... 49 ZDA, Inc........................................................... 60

services American Family Insurance DreamBank.....2 Bunky’s Catering............................................28 Elizabeth H. Winston Ph.D., LLC................... 44 Four Lakes Veterinary Clinic.........................18 Madison Taxi.....................................................9 Midwest Komputers & Phonelab................ 46 Monroe Street Framing..................................57 Open Door Center for Change, LLC...........31 Red Arrow Production...................................27 Sofra Family Bistro.......................................... 59 Tadsen Photography.................................... 59 Towns & Associates, Inc................................17 Union Cab of Madison................................. 36

shopping Arcadia Books..................................................8 Artisan Gallery................................................51 Ashley Sheridan Pet Portraits........................19 Bauer Jewelry Designs................................. 45 Citrine.............................................................. 45 Cluck the Chicken Store.............................. 45 The Conscious Carnivore............................. 52 Convivio.......................................................... 54 The Gingko Tree............................................. 32 Hilldale............................................................ 53 Iconi Interiors & Consignment......................39 Karen & Co./Sassafras.....................................5 Lidtke Motors...................................................15 Mystery To Me................................................ 33 National Mustard Museum.......................... 58 Playthings..........................................................8 Red Elephant....................................................7 ReThreads........................................................12 Vanilla Bean....................................................26 Wollersheim Winery & Distillery......................5

CONTEST Win a $50 Madison Originals® Gift Certificate!

Question: What country is commercial fisherman Mark McKeown from?

Enter by submitting your answer to the above question online at madisonessentials.com, or by mail with your name, mailing address, phone number, and email to: Madison Essentials c/o Towns & Associates, Inc. 126 Water Street Baraboo, WI 53913 All entries with the correct answer will be entered into a drawing for one of two $50 gift certificates.

Contest deadline is March 17, 2017. Gift certificates will be honored at all current Madison Originals® member restaurants (see madisonoriginals.com— subject to change).

Good Luck!

Winners Thank you to everyone who entered our previous contest.

The answer to the question “Name the two restaurants that brothers Tony and Jerry Lumani own” is Villa Dolce and Sofra Family Bistro. A $50 Madison Originals® Gift Certificate was sent to each of our winners: Marirose Huebscher of Madison and Deb Fingerhut of Plain.

CONGRATULATIONS! 62 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

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