Madison Essentials - November 2016–January 2017

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MADISON ESSENTIALS m

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CONTENTS november 2016–january 2017

vol. 48

essential

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

madisonessentials.com editor-in-chief Amy S. Johnson ajohnson@madisonessentials.com

arts John Brogan & the Bank of Kaukauna...................................40 Madison Gets Inked......................48

community Line of Fire......................................22

dining

publication designer

Mid Town Pub................................26 Villa Dolce........................................6

Barbara Wilson

senior copy editor

food & beverage

Kyle Jacobson

Balance A Barrel on Your Palate: Barrel-Aged Beers.......................54 Hop Haus Brewing Co...................12 The Rise of Rush Creek Reserve....36

copy editor Krystle Naab

advertising director Amy S. Johnson ajohnson@madisonessentials.com (608) 356-8757x105

advertising coordinator Kelly Hopkins khopkins@madisonessentials.com (608) 445-5556

graphic designers Susie Anderson, Jennifer Denman, Crea Stellmacher

administration Jennifer Baird, Sandy Carlson, Lori Czajka

contributing writers Jeanne Carpenter, Chelsey Dequaine, Jeanne Engle, Kyle Jacobson, Yvette Jones, Amy Mosher-Garvey, Kay Myers, Jessica Pastelin, Lori Scarlett, DVM, Liz Wessel, Elizabeth H. Winston, PhD, Joan W. Ziegler

photographer

home Family Carves a Niche in Lumber....................................30 Garden Sheds, Tools, and Tips........60

landmark Crosse House..................................24

pets Preventing Pet Weight Gain...........34

service Community Living Alliance...........10 DIGS...............................................52

shopping Vanilla Bean..................................16

travel Winter is for the Birds.....................58

well-being How to Be in Therapy.....................46

including

Eric Tadsen

additional photographs Jack and Holly Bartholmai, Brunsell Lumber and Millwork, Uriah Carpenter,

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

(continued) madisonessentials.com

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Community Living Alliance, Copper Key Visuals, Jeanne Engle, Kyle Jacobson, Laurie Kutil, Jonny Mageske, Porchlight, Inc., Made You Look, Mary Santaga, Bill Schiess, Steve’s Tattoo and Body Piercing, Wisconsin Department of Tourism, ZDA, Inc.

additional copies Madison Essentials is available free at

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all rights reserved. ©2016

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

Watch for the next issue February 2017.

Cover photo taken of an american goldfinch and pine siskin by Bill Schiess.

Photos on page 3: top—taken at Villa Dolce by Eric Tadsen. middle—taken at Vanilla Bean by Eric Tadsen. bottom—taken at Hop Haus Brewing Co.

by Eric Tadsen.

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from the editor This is always the most difficult issue for me to contemplate because it signifies the journey into winter and the end of a year. But the end of the year also provides a nudge to think about how far we have come.

Our focus continues to expand into important topics that affect our everyday lives. One in particular that stands out is a new series about guns. I was intrigued by the writer’s proposal to tell the stories of multiple murders that took place in our community in 2016 and to do so from the perspective of the guns, tracing them from manufacturer to owner and even attempting to follow them through legal processing. I think it’s a fascinating perspective, and we both agreed that it would be important to remain nonpartisan in the research. This first article is an overview of the writer’s intent. And while we don’t know exactly where this story will go or even how many more articles there will be since all is driven by the process, I look forward to learning about what she discovers along with you.

We spotlight organizations that build up our community. Included is more information about Porchlight, ending our year-long series about all their great work, and we introduce Community Living Alliance, which provides services and resources to older adults and people with disabilities or chronic illnesses.

Then there are more great places to visit. There is dining to discover at Villa Dolce and Mid Town Pub, cheese at Rush Creek Reserve, a plethora of baking items at Vanilla Bean, beer at Hop Haus Brewing Co., all things wood at Brunsell Lumber and Millwork, and historical landmark Crosse House.

We also talk about how to be in therapy, a follow up to last issue’s article on how to go to therapy. Dr. Lori Scarlett, DVM, gives tips on how to prevent weight gain in your pet through the more sedentary winter. We visit the Bank of Kaukauna to see and learn about their wonderful art collection, and meet the artists in four local tattoo shops.

Finally, we talk garden sheds, tools, and tips; more beer; and we are reminded that there are feathered friends to watch in the winter, too.

It’s a packed issue. I hope it leads you into the new year with renewed energy to learn and explore.

amy johnson

Photograph provided by ZDA, Inc.

additional photographs (continued)

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essential dining

Villa Dolce DOES ITALIAN RIGHT Gourmet Burger

In a city where the average restaurant may not make it past a year or two, Villa Dolce Italian Restaurant in Middleton is not only celebrating 10 years in business, but co-owner Faton “Tony” Lumani plans to update the eatery’s look and menu this fall.

In 2006, Tony and his brother, Jerry Lumani, launched Villa Dolce at 1828 Parmenter Street, specializing in thin crust pizza and homemade gelato.

The Lumani family is a mainstay in Middleton. They’ve run the Bavaria Family Restaurant around the corner on Elmwood Avenue for 25 years, which 6 years ago, they updated to Sofra Family Bistro (Sofra means “family table” in Albanian). The updated menu and 6 | madison essentials

by Jeanne Carpenter change in concept reflects a growing and changing community with modern tastes.

Today, as Middleton continues to expand, the Lumanis are keen to keep up with current flavor trends. With a major new development under construction across the street from Villa Dolce that promises to include hundreds of new apartments, retail, and office space, Tony plans to update the look and menu of Villa Dolce yet this year.

“We are very aware of the changes taking place in Middleton, and want to make sure our menu and our space is fresh and appealing,” Tony says. “You don’t stay in business if you don’t keep

Artistry in

Chocolate

Maria’s Pizza

up with the changes going on around you.”

What won’t change on the menu are the signature dishes that have brought Villa Dolce a loyal following, such as its famous thin crust pizza with dough made from scratch, topped with fresh herbs and toppings such as pear and gorgonzola or prosciutto and arugula, or dishes, such as the Salmon Salad, featuring kale, beets, avocado, quinoa, farro, maple walnuts, goat cheese, and balsamic vinaigrette, topped with grilled salmon.

Another favorite dish is Villa Dolce’s Beef Bolognese, made with homemade beef ragu and tomato sauce, and then finished with a touch of cream and fresh herbs, served over papperdelle noodles.

One of Tony’s favorite dishes, the house special is extremely popular and carries traditional flavors that people who’ve eaten abroad or cook at home truly appreciate.

eggplant, fresh mozzarella, and tomato sauce, finished with provolone and bread crumbs, and can be prepared gluten free.

Everything at Villa Dolce is made from scratch to order in a small, but efficient kitchen that serves a restaurant housed in a former historic home in the heart of downtown Middleton. Before Villa Dolce, the space was home to a few different restaurants, but when the building became available in 2006, the Lumanis knew it would be perfect for an Italian restaurant. With ample outdoor seating and cozy indoor tables spreading out into several rooms flooded with natural light, the restaurant is not

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119 State St. • (608) 448-3900 only a favorite for first dates and special occasions, but has become a community gathering spot for locals looking to enjoy good, homemade food.

“We wanted to make the kind of food we grew up eating,” Tony says. The Lumanis are Albanian and moved to the United States in 1989. Since then,

“Every item on our menu is chosen for a reason,” Tony says. “We started out with just pizza and gelato, and then slowly started adding pasta dishes and salads.

Our pasta dishes are crazy good, and we appreciate it when people complement our cooking.”

Also popular is the Eggplant Parmesan, an old favorite with a new twist.

It features oven-baked (not fried) madisonessentials.com

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Waldorf Salad they’ve never stopped exploring new tastes and modern flavors for their restaurants, and have kept tabs on the changes in American tastes. One of their signature dishes at both restaurants is their Lumani sausage, an old family recipe made from lamb and beef. At Villa Dolce, customers may enjoy a sausage entrée of grilled house-made lamb and beef sausage patties, served with fresh mediterranean salad and feta cream cheese spread.

Open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday, from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., the eatery has also started a successful catering business, serving events of up to 100 people with the same

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Villa Dolce also features an expansive cocktail, wine, spirits, martini, and craft beer list, including its ever-popular “Gela-tini,” made with gelato and spirits.

One of the most popular Gelatini flavors is the Strawberry Sensation, made with Malibu coconut and pineapple rum, Cointreau, and strawberry gelato. It’s the perfect combination of a drink and dessert. Other flavors include Divinity, made with Godiva Chocolate Vodka, Kahlua, and chocolate gelato, as well as Pink Passion, crafted with Absolut Citron Vodka and grapefruit gelato.

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Baked Eggplant food and service customers have come to expect at the restaurant. In addition, Villa Dolce may be booked for special events, especially on Sundays. Its stylish decor is perfect for rehearsal dinners, holiday parties, birthdays, and special celebrations. From live music to custom decorations, Tony says his staff has helped create events that leave guests reminiscing for years. Private events can seat up to 50 people, with room for 75 in a cocktail-style setting.

“Our customers understand we make our dishes in the old, craftsman way: using fresh ingredients and recipes handed down through generations, adding our own modern twist,” Tony says. “We look forward to serving great food to a growing community for many more years.”

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

Photographs by Eric Tadsen.

At the Outreach LGBT Pride Parade we invited attendees to have their picture taken at our booth. This is what Madison pride looks like.

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e ss ential service

Community Living Alliance B R I N G I N G H E A LT H , I N D E PE N D E N C E, A N D D I G N I T Y H O M E

BY JEANNE ENGLE Getting dressed, making dinner, and dusting the furniture is quite easy for someone who is young and able bodied.

But if one is getting up in years or has a physical disability, the simple tasks of daily living may present quite a challenge.

That’s when Community Living Alliance (CLA) can help. This community-based,

nonprofit agency supports people with physical disabilities or long-term illnesses who wish to live with dignity and independence in the community.

CLA is a Wisconsin Medicaid Certified Personal Care Agency.

Serving 1,200 clients in Dane County, CLA offers people the ability to stay in their homes and live a life that any person dreams of. One of the top 100 employers in Dane County, CLA employs nearly 900 personal care workers who are in the field providing a variety of services through four main CLA programs.

Clients in the Medical Assistance Personal Care program receive handson services in their home, such as bathing, showering, or transferring with a lift. The client’s number of daily care hours is authorized by Wisconsin’s

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Department of Health Services. Some personal care workers may be family members who live with their clients.

All are supervised by a CLA registered nurse.

The CLA Care Solutions™ program serves people who are private-pay clients. These clients can use private funds, long-term-care insurance, or Veterans Administration benefits to pay for these services, including personal care, grocery shopping, medical appointment transport, and even helping to learn how to use a computer.

Services can also be provided outside the client’s home—wherever they are needed. People with disabilities and seniors who do not qualify for Medicaid find the extra help makes it possible for them to stay in their own homes, which is less costly than moving to a nursing home or assisted-living facility.

A third program is Contracted Home Care and Personal Care. CLA contracts with Dane County’s Department of Human Services to provide services to elderly individuals. A plan of care is provided by the referring party for personal care as well as for home chores directly needed by the client. The clients are referred through senior centers and focal points throughout the county.

CLA does an assessment in the client’s home to assure a full understanding of the client’s needs, then trains and supervises the personal care workers at no cost to the client.

The final CLA programs are the Community Integration Program (CIP)/ Community Options Program (COP).

People with Medicaid and physical disabilities or long-term illnesses are eligible. These programs are also contracted by Dane County Human Services. Funding through the CIP and COP programs goes to help eligible people stay in the community. CLA also provides a variety of support services to people with developmental disabilities through contracts with Dane County Human Services. Finally, CLA provides personal care and supportive home care services to members of Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) in Dane County.

Studies consistently show that serving people in their own homes is more costeffective than care provided in a nursing home or institutional setting, according to Wisconsin Personal Services Association.

CLA’s intake is a process of getting to know the client, listening, and providing the support the client needs.

“Our service is long-term, changing as a person’s needs change,” according to Theresa Fishler, director of CLA Program Operations. She adds, “Some clients have been with us from our start in 1998, and their support looks different now. We have changed as they have changed.”

As the population ages (the Department of Health Services estimates 24 percent of Wisconsin residents will be over 65 by 2040) and more people wish to remain in their own homes, the demand for personal home care services will increase. The Bureau of Labor Statistics

projects employment for personal care aides will grow by nearly 50 percent in the next decade—much faster than the average for all occupations. CLA faces the challenge of a workforce shortage.

“It’s important that we find caring, competent people to work with vulnerable clients,” Theresa says. Many of CLA’s current employees are parttime workers, among them are University of Wisconsin–Madison and Madison College students and retired nurses. For some it’s a second job.

Oftentimes personal care workers get into this line of work because of family.

“They’ve taken care of grandparents or perhaps a sibling with a physical disability,” Theresa states.

Personal care workers are paid upwards to $11.66 per hour. About half of CLA’s employees are family caregivers. Some also work with clients in addition to their own families. All CLA employees, even family members of clients, go through the same employment, training, and evaluation process to assure clients are receiving the personal care they expect and deserve.

can be done to show appreciation? Send flowers to brighten up a caregiver’s day, help decorate their home for the holidays, or give the caregiver a DVD of a funny movie for comic relief. But, most importantly, thank those personal care workers who tirelessly provide support to individuals with disabilities or longterm illnesses in Dane County.

Jeanne Engle is a freelance writer.

Photographs provided by Community Living Alliance.

As clients’ needs change, so does the care they require. Assessments are done at least annually, if not more often, depending on a client’s health situation, for example, after a fall. The CLA registered nurse supervisor has about 50 to 60 personal care workers on his or her team and visits homes every 50 to 60 days.

CLA set up a caregiver assistance fund and hosted its first “Caring for the Caregiver” fundraiser last April.

The event, with music from the band VO5 and a silent auction, raised more than $6,000. Personal caregivers can receive small grants from the fund, such as financial assistance to attend an event with the client’s family or for unexpected expenses that would impact the caregiver’s ability to provide care.

The CLA staff and a board representative approve the requests according to its established guidelines. CLA plans to hold the caregiver event again in 2017.

November is National Family Caregivers Appreciation month, so the community can appreciate the work they do. What madisonessentials.com

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es s ential food & beverage

Hop Haus Brewing Co.

by Kyle Jacobson

With roots almost two centuries deep entangled amongst art and architecture, Madison is a tree from which many have found a branch to trust and a fruit to savor. Restaurants, galleries, the state capital, and a top university to boot, there isn’t much missing if you know where to look. That’s why it shouldn’t be too surprising to learn that the Madison area has over 20 breweries putting out some of the greatest beers Wisconsin has to offer. Who in their right mind would think to put their dog in this fight?

Sara and Phil Hoechst, that’s who. But why? “My husband, Phil, and I are both from this area. I was born in Madison and raised in Verona, and he was actually born in Germany, but raised in Fitchburg.” I could only nod to Sara’s words, as the all-too-common urge to stay put sung in the air. “He and I met at the UW [Madison]…” Ah, of course. “… and then we decided that we wanted to move out to Colorado for a while.”

Wait, Colorado? Where the microbrew industry has been a guiding light for 12 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

states that cast their eyes to its ridges afore the setting sun? It turns out that in the fall of 2010, Phil was bit by the brew bug in Denver, Colorado. The bug must’ve traveled some distance to inspire Hop Haus’ brewmaster to make his first beer ever a Belgian. “We moved to Denver, and I would say at that time Denver was kinda where the Madison area is now with craft-beer stuff and how it’s just everywhere.”

The two had a five-year plan to stay in Colorado before moving back to Madison, but the plan was soon halved.

That isn’t to say they were eager to leave. “We love Denver,” Sara says. “The weather’s amazing, there’s so much to do, but then we had our first son, and my family is in and around Madison. Phil’s family, all of them that are here—there’s some back in Germany—is pretty much in Fitchburg.”

To beer drinkers in the area, I think there is reason to celebrate their return. Hop Haus Brewing Co. brings something familiar to resident indulgers while putting itself in a position to do things a little bit different. The Colorado influence is present in Sara and Phil’s leanings toward the hoppier beers, and the bug that bit Phil leaves intrigue toward Belgian styles.

So what makes this brewery stand out? Phil and Sara are able to do more experimental batches than some of their larger competition, even though they only brew on a three-barrel system. As I’m writing this article, a Barley Wine and Imperial Stout are licking up the flavors in their temporary bourbon barrel homes. Pants Off, Dance Off and Pocket Rocket, respectively, will be available in time for the holidays.

Sara. This is evidenced in their winter seasonal lineup. Speaking of lineup, let’s start with their Milk Stout, Fat Eddie, named after a lumbering version of the running back who changed the Packers offensive game two seasons ago, but I imagine he’s back to his old self by now, plowing through linemen and knocking over linebackers. Then there’s an Old English Ale, Old Teabagger; a Red IPA, Hoppy Hour Hero; and a Robust Porter, BrickHAUS. It’s unfortunate I couldn’t taste these beers before this article, but the year-

round beers are more than enough to put Hop Haus on my radar. First we have their Scotch Ale, Plaid Panther.

The maltiness is there, no question, but it’s made a little less sweet with a hint of smokiness. Then there’s Peace Train, a Pale Ale that Cat Stevens can drink while thinking about the good things to come. Light in color, subtle hops, and no real bitterness to leave you scratching your tongue. Compare that to their flagship IPA, Super Big Time.

Here we get a bit more of that hoppy flavor behind an orange-colored veil.

Double down on that, and taste Magic

Such practices were often left to homebrewers to create and their friends to enjoy, but the times they are a changing. “It’s an exciting time with all the beers and breweries.

It’s an exciting time to be in it,” says

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Dragon, the Double IPA. Some brewers favor the malts in their doubles, but Hop Haus lays on the citrus in their aromatics. A more intriguing choice for a year-round beer is the Spandex Bandit, a Belgian Grand Cru. Orange peel and coriander offer a faint spice that’s just sweet enough. If you’re new to the Belgian style, start here. Last, but not least, we have Sweet Sunglasses, a Blonde Ale. Not to be confused with “Cheap Sunglasses,” this ale is designed for someone looking for something easy to drink. It’s crisp, refreshing, and great on a hot summer day—though that doesn’t stop people from drinking it in the winter.

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If the beer doesn’t get you to Verona, which is often perceived as far away— it’s not—maybe what they stand for will. Sara acknowledges everything the city has done for her and Phil’s business.

“We’ve had an amazing response from Verona. It’s really nice that they support us.” And the brewery gives back, often working with local businesses. Just this past July, Hop Haus joined forces with Fraboni’s to somehow combine beer, pizza, and music in an effort to bring awareness to MS, raising $3,300 for research in the process.

They don’t always need a great cause to throw a party. Keep an eye out for the Ugly Sweater Party in December, where you might not have the heart of Fred Rogers, but you can dress like him and sing “It’s a beautiful day in the brewery.”

While there, pick up a gift basket featuring affairs from local restaurants.

Expect to see bombers of Pocket Rocket and Pants off, Dance off, and don’t forget to grab a hat, shirt, and growler for that special someone.

There’s never a bad reason to check out a new brewery, and Sara and Phil are “always doing something new.” So come on down and have a pint, you deserve it.

Kyle Jacobson is a copy editor for Madison Essentials and writer living in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.

Photographs by Eric Tadsen.

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essential shopping

THIS Cake Decorating Shop is Anything but

Vanilla

by Chelsey Dequaine

Tom and Jane Stunkard left their home state of Minnesota to pursue their dream of opening a store that caters to the do-ityourself home baker. After a Wisconsin statewide road trip, the couple landed in Madison, drawn to the city’s lakes and stable economy. Vanilla Bean opened its doors in 1983 at 6805 Odana Road.

Seeking a location with affordable rent, the store is near West Towne Mall and a major bus line. Vanilla Bean still stands in its original location as a family-owned and -operated business. “It was exciting to open the store,” Jane remembers. “We want our customers to leave our store knowing the easiest and best way to make their creations.”

Jane fell in love with baking after being taught by her mother. She and Tom both took classes in cake decorating and candy making. “It was natural,” Jane says. “I knew about the product, how to use it, and how to teach others to use it.”

So what can you find upon entering the 2,900-square-foot store aside from 16 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

the more than 300 cake pans that line the walls? Vanilla Bean boasts everyday items, from high-quality food colorings, flavorings, bakeware, and a large assortment of shaped pans to unusual and rare cookware and specialty items, such as rosette irons and krumkake makers.

The store carries more than 1,000 cookie cutters, as well as sprinkles, jimmies, and other edible accents.

It doesn’t stop there. Vanilla Bean carries more than 2,000 candy molds, every color cupcake liner and sprinkle you can imagine, tart tins, Bundt pans, round pans, square pans, rectangular pans, bread pans, character pans, pie tins, and donut pans. Excuse me while I catch my breath! And if the store doesn’t carry it, Kelly, Jane’s youngest of three daughters and store manager, says it’s probably because it’s not on the market.

“Our niche has always been finding things you can’t find in a big box store,” Jane says. “Madison is great because there are a lot of smaller independent shops that are unique.”

Even after loyal Madison customers move out of state they continue to inquire about items. In 2005, Vanilla Bean opened its online store to reach customers across the United States.

Tom, who reentered the engineering field in 1984, retired in 2011 from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. It was then when Jane decided it was time for her to also pull back to spend more time with their 10 grandchildren. That’s when the family torch was passed and Kelly took over as store manager. “If my daughter hadn’t taken over, I would still be there,” Jane says. “We talk every day about the business. She has lent a new, fresh look and an offering of fresh products.”

Born and raised in Madison, Kelly recollects on childhood memories at Vanilla Bean. She enjoyed putting away orders, pricing products, and helping

customers. “I also loved the creative side of it: painting candy molds, baking cookies. I always had fun here,” Kelly says.

Kelly worked for other businesses through high school, as Jane wanted all three of her daughters to get other experience outside of the store.

Kelly then attended the University of Wisconsin–Parkside and the University of Minnesota–Duluth, and graduated with a degree in communications. She now lives in Madison with her husband, Kraig, and her two sons, Karsen, 5, and Konnor, 3.

Vanilla Bean’s staff of 10 is made up of some who have worked for the business for more than 20 years and some who are longtime customers. However, the product trends don’t remain as consistent. When the store opened, cupcakes or cookies for weddings were not the trend, but Jane says times have changed. “You have to evolve with the interests,” she says. “Depending on what people want and buy, we seek it out.”

When it comes to keeping the shelves full, Kelly says there are two main

suppliers of cake decorating supplies: Wilton and CK Products. “They show you the trends of the industry,” she says. Kelly also attends international houseware conventions in Chicago and is an active user of Pinterest to seek inspiration.

Top selling items of the store depend on the season. In summer, graduation and wedding cakes are popular, spiking sales in boards, boxes, and clamshell cupcake containers. In winter, products for making candies and cookie-related gift bundles, such as molds, sprinkles, and cookie cutters, fly off the shelves.

Current baking trends include cupcakes and cake pops. Yes, cake pops. Those delicious, chewy tastes of cake on a stick. Kelly says cake pops have taken over. “People come in with a project and a picture and ask, ‘How can I do

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this?’ We have to show people how to put a cake together. I want to make sure customers have everything they need to complete a project.”

Kelly says while staying on top of trends is a priority, ordering can be a challenge because there is no crystal ball. “If a product is advertised in a baking magazine, we notice a surge in it. People still come in with magazine clippings, so we have to stay current and find out what they are talking about.”

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Vanilla Bean’s biggest competitor continues to be online shopping. The store tries to keep prices as low and competitive as possible, but sometimes online sites can pose a challenge. “When you buy online you never really know what you are getting, and you don’t get that personal help,” Kelly says. “We have products that are high quality and easy to use, and we can help customers at that moment in the store.”

Even though she lives in Minnesota, Jane continues to teach candy-making classes in the spring and fall with Kelly. New for the store are royal-icing cookie classes, which run monthly January through October and twice a month during November and December. Cake-decorating classes of all levels run year-round.

So whether it’s a recipe you want to tackle, candy you want to create, or just a new skill you want to learn, Kelly offers the recipe for success at Vanilla Bean. “If you have the right tools, you can create anything.”

For more information on Vanilla Bean, classes, or products, visit vanillabeanonline.com.

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

Photographs by Eric Tadsen.

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THURSDAY

FRIDAY

S S I C A L A Musical Anything Promenade Fantasia Offering Goes E I G H T O ’ C L O C K B U Z Z L K a n d I N T E R N A T I O N A L One Fine Back to the Mud Diaspora Morning Country Acres A P U B L I C A F F A I R T E R S A N D P O L I T I C S Mel & Floyd J A Z Z Who Cooks Fire Journeys Strictly For You? Worship into Jazz Jazz Sounds Dem NOW (4:30) DEMOCRACY NOW! Labor Radio (5:30) WORT LOCAL NEWS Blues En Nuestro Queery Perpetual Notion Machine Cruise Patio This Way Out Radio Literature R O C K a n d E X P E R I M E N T A L The Original Guilty Psychoacoustics Friday Wilson Bros.

Pleasures HOUR OF SLACK on My Mind Leopard Print Lounge (1st Th.) Rattlesnake Shake *Below The Radar Rock (alternating with) The Vinyl Rob’s en Espanol Kosmik Radiation Resting Place Music Shop Phil Live On the Air Feed Me #NoSleep Punk Kitten (alternating with) Weird Hip Hop Capitol Boombox Things

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

After Hours 5 The After Party Los Hmong 6 Radio 7 Madrugadores The Dusties 8 Musica Storm (R&B) 9 Antiqua 10 Entertainment (Big Band) Her Turn 11 Tropical Her Infinite 12 1 Riddims (Reggae) Variety (11:30) Showtunes 2 PanAfrica On the 3 Horizon 4 La Junta World View 5 Salamat 6 I Like It Like That Pachyderm Parade (6:30) Best of 7 with Rockin’ John Two for Gospel (7:00) 8 The Blues 9 R.T.Q.E. 10 Saturday Night at Smokey’s Joint Weekly 11 Universal World 12 Soul Noise 1 Explosion In 2 Life Music One 3 End 4 With GOTTO

*Below the Radar: 1st Fri - TBA, 2nd Fri - Live and Local, other - Fiction Jones More information on all shows and ARCHIVED EPISODES at wortfm.org madisonessentials.com

| 19

p u o s n a e b k c bla

te wine or beer • ½ cup dry whi cumin y • 1 tablespoon dr Mexico chile powder • 1 quart water black beans ew • 1 tablespoon N ipotle pepper • 2 quarts cooked ch

• 1 teaspoon dry oregano • ¼ cup olive oil rlic-minced y dr ga • 2 teaspoons • 4 cloves fresh ion-diced sil tablespoon dry ba on 1 w • llo ye a of ½ • lt nd slices • 1 tablespoon sa • 1 large carrot-rou liced on bias -s in large • 2 celery stalks ide. Heat olive oil er heat as t Se . er at w of ½ quart t oil; low

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3 sk dry spices - cook . Add the pureed beans and whi to taste. er er m pp m si pe and bring to es. Add salt and ut in m 25 r fo er Return to simm

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

TRUE TEQUILA: A Very Special Spirit Made exclusively from the slow-cooked, fermented, and then distilled juices of the majestic Weber Blue Agave, each bottle is a liquid lineage. The story starts in the rich, volcanic soils of the agave fields at the heart of Mexico’s Tequila Region. It tells a history of men and women, hard work, patience, and the tradition of passion that generations of families have put into perfecting and passing down the art behind crafting some of the world’s most beloved flavors.

At Pasqual’s Cantina, we love flavor…we love Tequila…and we invite you to join us.

Whether it’s the taste of a rare label from a legendary producer or a pour from one of our very own private barrel collaborations, come and celebrate the history and explore the future of this amazing spirit. For over 30 years we’ve been bringing the bold, authentic flavors of the American Southwest to the Midwest…and we’re proud to go a little further South with our famous Margaritas, Contemporary Cocktails, and a truly immense selection of these unique and special bottles hosted at the Tequila Bars at each of our three restaurant locations.

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pasqualscantina.com 1344 E. Washington Ave. • 608-819-8002 Hilldale - 670 N. Midvale Blvd. • 608-663-8226 100 Cross Country Rd., Verona • 608-497-3333 madisonessentials.com

| 21

e ss ential community

Line of Fire:

DECONSTRUCTING THE PATH OF A GUN

by Amy Mosher-Garvey Spring 2016 stands out for me for several distinct reasons. I landscaped my front yard, a greatly overdue project that had been put off for some time. It was when the company I had been working for in a part-time capacity promoted me to a full-time position, which likely enabled the aforementioned project. It was also the spring that six people died in approximately a month’s period, in and around my community, from gunshot wounds.

I am not naïve. I know guns exist. And contrary to what you may be thinking, I’m not a Pollyanna who believes it “can’t happen in my neighborhood.”

In fact, there was a shooting around the corner from my own home about a year or so earlier. Fortunately, no one was killed. The event left bullets in my neighbor’s fence, though, and I suppose for me there was a loss of innocence in recognizing that my neighborhood would not be immune to such an event.

From January 1 through June 1, there were, in fact, 45 weapons incidents in the City of Madison. If you were to overlay a map of shots fired on the city boundaries, you may be surprised. The trajectories of the bullets that pierced Madison’s veil of idealism and tolerance tore a new flesh, 22 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

so-to-speak. Execution-style shootings in Verona, bullets exchanged between moving vehicles on Madison’s west side, and the tragic and unexplainable shooting of a mother while driving on the interstate have caught the attention of many Dane County residents. They certainly caught mine.

Let me be transparent. I’m a social worker. I run left of center socially with a strong proclivity for fiscal responsibility.

Madison suits me. I like the intellectual curiosity of our community. I have spent my entire adult life working in human services and health care. I work with both the people traumatized by the bullets and the people who shot the bullets. Everyone has a story, and they are all worthy of being heard. And if there is one thing I have learned over these many years, nothing happens in isolation. If you want to understand why the shooter shot or how to help the victim, you have to look at the whole darn thing as a system. So when Madison Essentials approached me in June 2016 about writing an article, I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to write about the guns. I wanted to look at how the guns were part of a much larger system that led to the loss of six lives in about 34 days in my community.

Disclaimer: there is no way to discuss the guns without discussing the absolute carnage left in their path. I don’t care what your politics are; a mother of two, a father of two, a father of four daughters…they are all gone. We can’t get them back. Focusing on the guns is not meant to trivialize that loss.

More transparency: I am not a journalist, I am a citizen. When I decided to trace the journey of the guns, I did what any citizen might do—I contacted the Madison Police Department (MPD) and hit the internet. Step one: get the make, model, and serial number of each gun. Step two: trace said guns to the manufacturers as the point of origin and move forward through the journey to present day in the evidence room of the respective law enforcement agencies.

Problem number one: this information is a little harder to come by than I thought. Police reports are released at the end of the investigation. Given the nature of these events, the investigations are still ongoing. That makes sleuthing a bit more cumbersome and tedious.

When I spoke with Joel DeSpain from MPD, he indicated it may get even more complicated than that. Many guns— and likely the ones involved in these incidents—are not all that traceable.

After the point at which a responsible, law-abiding gun seller sells the gun in

accordance with the law to the time the gun is confiscated in a crime, there is relatively no tracking.

Guns are often stolen during burglaries, something Joel says is occurring more in our area. “Smash-and-grab” car breakins have become common, and guns are frequently being taken. In addition, many guns are sold from private party to private party with no requirement for transfer of ownership documentation or background check on the new owner. And sometimes the guns aren’t even sold, but rather shared among a group of friends or associates. As long as one person in the group is felony free and can produce the money and pass the background check, there is unlimited access to legal gun purchases and sharing.

When I spoke with a friend of mine who works with the FBI, he confirmed this.

While the ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms) is the identified authority on all things weapons related, they too are at a disadvantage. Most of what they do is track weapons after they have already been identified as the weapon used in a crime. This tracking is shoddy at best when you consider that in addition to the multiple times a gun may have changed ownership after the legal sale, many of these weapons have long ago had the only real tracking method removed from them: the serial number.

Let’s stop for a minute to take stock.

We don’t know what guns were used.

We don’t know where they came from.

We don’t know how they came to be in the possession of those who used them. While I wait patiently for the copies of the police reports to arrive, still with high hopes that I will find a coveted serial number or even a make and model for at least one of the guns involved in these incidents, I find this whole scenario a little absurd. I can track a property history, including ownership and sale price through a public website.

Without much effort, law enforcement can identify a car’s color, make, and model with just a partial plate. I will soon be unable to get on an airplane without a “real” ID. But there is no mandatory registry system for guns?

A gun has an almost singular purpose.

Yes, I have heard of skeet shooting and target practice. I know about the Olympic Biathalon, where athletes ski across great distances as fast as possible with a gun across their back and then drop to the ground exhausted to try to hit a target. My family grew up hunting and I have aimed a muzzle at a thing or two in my life as well. But what is the actual purpose of a gun? Injury and/ or death. Whether it’s an animal or a person, war or personal protection, law enforcement or crime, the purpose is to use the gun to hurt or kill the target.

This isn’t an issue of civil liberties in my opinion—not yet—this is an issue of personal responsibility. If a person chooses to own something that has that power, there should be responsibility attached to it. And we should help people be responsible by giving them the tools to protect their guns, themselves, and others. We don’t give people options about buckling up, registering their cars, and having flood insurance. Heck, we don’t even give people options about insuring themselves anymore (but that’s another article). Why are we so cavalier about how we treat gun safety?

As I mentioned, when I was young my family owned guns. We shot at bottles and cans on our family property. Some members of my family hunted. It was the only time I saw those guns. I never really paid much attention to it, but later in life I learned that after we returned home my father would retreat to the basement and return the guns to their hiding place in a wall in our basement.

He screwed them inside a wall. We never even knew where they were.

I may change some of my thoughts. I am okay with that. I don’t think clinging to a position in the face of new evidence makes much sense. So I will bide my time waiting for police reports and interviews. More to come.

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).

There are gun locks and gun safes; there are things we can do. In the event that a responsible person is the victim of a crime, though, we need to do more.

Radio tags? Mandatory reporting of stolen guns? User/owner identity match for firing? How about a remote lock feature in the event the gun is stolen, or GPS? My iPhone can do it, can’t Smith and Wesson?

Hopefully I am only at the beginning of this journey. As new information arises

Amy Mosher-Garvey

madisonessentials.com

| 23

Photograph by Jeanne Engle

essential landmark

Crosse

House

by Jeanne Engle

Doctor, city father, politician, newspaperman, education advocate, inventor. These are the many distinctions of Dr. Charles Giles Crosse. Dr. Crosse arrived in Sun Prairie from Sauk County on January 1, 1860, with his wife, three children, and $10 in his pocket. Dr. Crosse set up his medical and surgical practice, established a drug store, and five years later enlisted in the Civil War as a surgeon with the 50th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment.

Upon his return from the West, where his regiment helped prevent American Indians from joining the Confederacy, Dr. Crosse built his Sun Prairie home.

Gingerbread ornamentation and a graceful veranda that wraps around the front and side characterize the home’s design: Carpenter Gothic. This vernacular style is considered typical of middle-class American homes of that era. The Dr. Charles Giles Crosse House at 133 W. Main Street was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. Dr. Crosse and members of his family lived in the home until after his death in 1908.

Celebrating 150 Years In 1976, the year of America’s Bicentennial, preservation-minded residents of Sun Prairie formed Sun Prairie Historical Restorations, Inc. to save the Crosse House, which had been converted into two apartments. In the years that followed, volunteers restored much of the interior, including the original floors and the original clapboard siding that had been covered over by metal siding. They accurately reconstructed the veranda by using historic photos as a guide. The Crosse House bears a passing likeness to the home in Grant Wood’s famous American Gothic painting.

One of the oldest extant residences in Sun Prairie, the Crosse House is also a city landmark. A total of 35 historical landmarks and buildings, which offer

a glimpse into the city’s historical and cultural past, can be found on Sun Prairie’s Main Street.

The Historical Restoration organization faced a challenge in the mid-1990s.

When Sun Prairie’s Water & Light Department wanted to expand, the Crosse House was in the way. In 2000, after successful negotiations with the city, the Crosse House was moved a half block down the street to its present site, at which point an interesting discovery was made. A brick floor was found in part of the cellar. This particular feature would have been unusual for a home of its time. Nancy McMahon, great-greatgranddaughter of Dr. Crosse, thinks the house may have been a stop on the Underground Railroad. She is doing research to confirm the speculation.

Dr. Crosse worked tirelessly for Sun Prairie to become incorporated. He was elected village president and was also a member of Dane County’s Board of Supervisors. From 1878 to 1880, he represented his Assembly District in Wisconsin’s Legislature.

Believing that the city needed a good newspaper, Dr. Crosse, along with his son, Charles Sumner Crosse, published the city’s first paper in his home in 1877.

That paper has evolved into today’s Sun Prairie Star. Charles S. was a journalist

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

his entire life, and a humble one at that. When he died, a simple obituary appeared in the New York Times per his request, “Charlie Crosse is dead.”

Dr. Crosse advocated for education and his passion ran throughout his family.

He is credited with winning the fight for a high school in Sun Prairie and was president of the school board for 25 years. He opposed the Yankees who had relocated to Wisconsin from the Northeast and who didn’t want to educate the children of German immigrants. He even hired a teacher to live in his home to teach his children and his friends’ children.

grandfather, followed in his father’s footsteps. Not only was he a doctor who practiced with his father, but he also served as village president and a supervisor on the Dane County Board.

As an inventor, Dr. Crosse received a patent for his design of a system to tie bales of hay by machine. Because he was less interested in receiving compensation for his work and more interested in seeing that his inventions would be put to practical use, he gave away his designs and devices.

Reading was important to Dr. Crosse.

He and his wife began a family tradition that is still carried on to the present by succeeding generations. Every Christmas, they gave a book to each of their children that was specifically picked out for them.

Today the Crosse House is used as a community and event center. Local residents have used the house for craft shows and specialty markets. Small rooms within the house make it an ideal venue for several vendors to display and sell their wares.

Photography by A & L Kutil Enterprises, LLC, Laurie Kutil, Photographer

A room in the home served as a classroom. These days when Sun Prairie second graders tour the Crosse House as part of a social studies unit, Betty Ness, a member of the Crosse House Board and retired teacher, explains and shows how children in the 19th century used chalk, slates, and quill pens. The children also learn how the family made their own candles since there was no electricity in the house.

Edith Jane married Edward Gleason in the Crosse House, so it was fitting that the first recent wedding occurred in the house two years ago. Receptions are possible now because of the Crosse House’s modern kitchen, installed by Historical Restoration volunteers.

The Crosse House will be open this holiday season. The public is invited to come free of charge for a visit with Santa and a cookie sale on December 3 from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Jeanne Engle is a freelance writer.

Dr. Crosse’s daughter and Nancy’s greatgreat-aunt Edith Jane was educated at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

She graduated in 1881. Edith’s niece and Nancy’s grandmother, Edith Chase, used Edith Jane’s example and exhorted her grandchildren, “If Edith Jane could get a degree, then any of you can, too!”

Dr. Theodore Parker Crosse, the first of Dr. Crosse’s children and Nancy’s greatmadisonessentials.com

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essential dining

MID TOWN PUB

by Jeanne Carpenter

mid town pub 2405 Allen Blvd. Middleton, WI.

Full Menu: 11a.m. - 1a.m. 7 days a week!

Daily Lunch & Dinner Specials Prim dwiches ers - Mini prime rib san

608.826.5129 Fish Fry

midtownpub.com

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

Neighborhood Bar

If Mid Town Pub in Middleton were a novel, it would be the textbook example of why you should never judge a book by its cover. Anchoring a mostly abandoned strip mall with a liquor store on one end, this locally owned eatery boasts some of the best food in the city, despite its outward appearance.

“Yeah, we get that a lot,” says Mid Town Pub General Manager Lacey Drury when asked if people ever express shock after walking into her friendly, colorful, hometown-style tavern after viewing it from the dreary parking lot on Allen Boulevard. “It’s fun to watch people’s faces when they come in the door. Their expectations completely change.”

Owned by Joel Egan since 2006, Mid Town Pub is the Middleton equivalent of the 1980s television series Cheers. It’s the place where everybody knows your name, and if she doesn’t when you first walk in, Tina, a rock star bartender and day shift leader, will remember it when you return. With a healthy mix of weekday regulars, business lunches, and families going

out for dinner, Mid Town Pub is the place everybody wants to be.

Lacey started working at the pub as a bartender and waitress when she was just 19 years old, and today, 10 years later, she manages the place. When Lacey and Joel hired Chef Jesse Matz two years ago to run the kitchen, the trio tweaked an already-successful menu and turned it into an award-winning establishment.

In 2015, Mid Town Pub was voted the Half Sandwich & Cup of Soup

Choose from our list of deli sandwiches and we’ll half it and pair it with your choice of daily soup.

You can help homeless pets of

tomorrow

by doing something

Chef Jesse’s Lump Crab Cake

Served over a bed of field greens, drizzled with chipotle aioli, and garnished with a lemon slice.

Best of Madison Neighborhood Tavern and the Best of the Burbs Fish Fry. It’s easy to see why as the food speaks for itself.

There are two menus at Mid Town: one for Friday nights and one for the rest of the week. Friday nights rule at the eatery—just try finding a parking space in the expansive lot and it’ll be clear the seafood here is second to none. Customers may choose from cod, shrimp, crab cakes, or walleye, with many a choice in between. Most popular is the Beer Battered Icelandic Cod, fried in New Glarus Spotted Cow batter and served with slaw, garlic toast, tartar sauce, lemon wedge, and choice of side.

today!

Adopt

Donate

Volunteer

Dane County Humane Society giveshelter.org 608.838.0413

“People come in the first time because they’ve heard the beer battered cod is so good, but once they try the grilled cod, they never order anything else ever again,” Lacey says, referring to the restaurant’s Lemon Pepper Grilled Cod— yes, grilled on an actual grill. Customers

madisonessentials.com

| 27

Tuna Stuffed Tomato

House-made and served on a bed of lettuce with a seasonal assortment of fresh fruit.

may also choose from battered or coconut shrimp, hand-breaded walleye, or Chef Jesse’s famous Lump Crab Cakes. The cakes are served on a bed of greens with chipotle aioli, vidalia slaw, lemon wedge and choice of side. Clam chowder and French onion soups round out the special Friday menu.

Friday nights are not the only unique night of the week. In fact, every day has a house lunch and dinner special.

Monday night is home to Grandma

Drury’s Scalloped Potatoes and Ham. Recognize the last name? Yep, that’s Lacey’s grandma. “My grandma made the best scalloped potatoes and ham,” Lacey says. “Back on the farm, we used to make them with cream straight from the bulk tank.”

Tuesdays are Chef Jesse’s choice, with diners able to find the nightly menu on Mid Town Pub’s Facebook page, and spaghetti and meatballs are also available. Wednesday night features St.

2016-17 Season

BY

CHARLES GOUNOD

NOVEMBER 4 & 6, 2016 OV E RT U R E H A L L

MU SI C B Y

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APRIL 21 & 23, 2017 OV E RT U R E H A L L

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Season tickets: 608.238.8085, or online at madisonopera.org | Single tickets on sale September 2: 608.258.4141, or online at overturecenter.org 28 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

Louis-style ribs, seasoned with special dry rub and slow cooked until fallingoff-the-bone tender. Ribs are served with a choice of three sides plus corn bread or baked beans. Thursday nights are Ma Pott’s Meatloaf, with the recipe coming from the former Pott’s Inn in Cross Plains, served with grilled asparagus, mashed potatoes and gravy, and a dinner roll.

Saturdays and Sundays feature the pub’s most popular dish: fish tacos. Three flour tortillas are served with Chef Jesse’s famous pico de gallo, as well as his signature chipotle aioli and a choice of side. “Our fish tacos are our best sellers, and I know it’s because of the kitchen’s homemade pico de gallo and our chipotle aioli, both of which Jesse and his crew created from scratch,” Lacey says.

For a “pub,” Mid Town focuses just as much on food as it does beer, but it does both equally well. With 10 draft lines, more than 100 bottled craft beers, and 200 spirits, no one goes thirsty.

Combine that with the weekend Bloody Mary Bar, with 30 different juice mixes and a buffet of fixin’s, and it’s likely you may have found your new home every night of the week.

The full menu, including one-thirdpound burgers, brats, sandwiches, appetizers, wraps, pitas, and salads, is available open to close seven days a week. In the summer, Mid Town Pub also delivers on water! It is the only restaurant to deliver its full menu anywhere to boaters on Lake Mendota.

Pub staff take orders, find out the make and color of the ordering boat, and its approximate location, and then deliver food in the Mid Town Sea Ray, right on the water. The restaurant also has a food stand at Three Foot Bay, where they sell prepared deli items to go.

FOR THE HOLIDAYS Create your holiday masterpiece at Metcalfe’s Market!

Let us do some - or all - of the cooking.

Visit shopmetcalfes.com for catering menus and weekly specials.

HILLDALE 726 N. Midvale Blvd.

WEST TOWNE 7455 Mineral Point Rd.

“We have a great team who really pride themselves in creating good food and treating customers well,” Lacey says.

“We’re a place where anybody can meet their friends or make new ones.”

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

Photographs by Eric Tadsen. madisonessentials.com

| 29

e ss ential home

Andrea Brunsell Parks is following the path her great-grandfather started in 1938. Four generations of her family have concentrated their skills on providing the Greater Madison area with premium-quality building materials, and although this is not the career path she originally envisioned, she is now fully engaged.

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

William Brunsell Sr. began with a mill shop and a few bunks of lumber.

He was a builder himself, with several area houses under his tool belt, and understood the needs of building professionals. For 50 years, the business was contained in a building on the rear portion of the current Madison lot, which is near the intersection of the Beltline and Verona Road. With no retail presence, they catered mostly to builders and a few homeowners needing specialty items, like big curved stairway banisters, custom fireplace mantels, and reproductions of historic moldings.

A mill shop is an amazing establishment.

Imagine arched and angled knives sharp enough to cut across a board and create decorative wood trim. You might be

surprised to learn that many homes have a signature cut to their moldings—a distinctive pattern reflecting the care a builder put into the home’s creation.

Even now some builders have their own knives created and stored at the Brunsell mill shop. In the shop, dividers spaced across long shelves carefully separate moldings with names scribbled across their ends.

You won’t need to go far to see examples of Brunsell millwork. During the 2008 refurbishment of Olin House, the chancellor’s residence in Madison, the millwork team machined knives to recreate the moldings and mantels.

Many other older homes in the area benefit from the replacement skills Brunsell workers provide.

After the original two brothers started the business, William Brunsell Jr. followed, then Craig Brunsell took over and now serves as the CEO. Craig was the visionary who moved beyond serving only building professionals by expanding into hardware and paint and establishing a retail presence that welcomed homeowners. Andrea took this one step further when she became store manager by moving the Madison showroom to the front of the store and making sure every customer who entered walked by displays of their major offerings. They also opened a large showroom in Hartland.

While their primary customers continue to be builders and contractors, madisonessentials.com

| 31

homeowners visit the store constantly.

Contractors, or big box stores unable to fill higher-end requests, send customers, and the extensive selection of products for kitchens, closets, decks, doors, and windows available at this well-rounded establishment draws in many new customers. Andrea laughingly says, “I’ve seen homeowners look around and say, ‘There’s almost too much to choose from.’”

One popular use for specialty woods is custom wood tops for counters. While we may think all butcher-block counters look the same, the Brunsell team knows better. On display in the showroom are bespoke butcher-block counters, rich with inlays; thick and thin cuts; custom depths; and lush, varied colors and finishes. These works of art serve as the centerpiece of a kitchen and complement granite countertops beautifully.

When someone visits the showroom to consider kitchen cabinetry, for example, they can choose from framed lines, such as StarMark, or more contemporary frameless (or European) cabinetry, such as UltraCraft. The millwork shop on the premises can also create specialty cabinets or sections to complement other selections. What continues to draw people to Brunsell are both the extensive product lines and the knowledgeable sales staff, many of whom started by working in the field.

Brunsell has a plant in Mt. Horeb that creates roof and floor trusses and wall panels for larger construction projects.

Manufactured in a controlled environment, the preconstructed products optimize materials and provide durable, high-quality components.

Among the projects completed with these materials are hotels, apartment buildings, homes, and even the carousel building at the Henry Vilas Zoo. When faced with a structure fire at the Mt. Horeb location in August 2016, Brunsell employees pulled together to make

The inside sales team helps match needs and wants with the latest products and designs. Recognizing their responsibility to builders and contractors, showroom personnel ask who a homeowner is working with. When a homeowner has not yet made a connection, they provide referrals and suggestions to ensure successful completion of the project.

Brunsell Lumber and Millwork serves as the area’s leading source of quality lumber, offering specialty wood species and plywoods. Walnut, cherry, alder, various maples, hickory, mahogany, and the hard-to-find white oaks are all here, and the millwork shop can craft them into cabinets, mantels, flooring, and more.

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

sure that products and service were uncompromised. Despite the small setback, it was business as usual within a few weeks.

Andrea Parks started working in the family business in high school then studied police work and worked as an officer in Mt. Horeb before her return to Brunsell. As the company’s vice president and manager of the kitchen division, and working closely with her father, she has learned to thrive in what remains a male-oriented business. She eagerly gives back to the community that has supported her family’s enterprise for generations. She is a volunteer cuddler at the Meriter Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and serves on the board of the Henry Vilas Zoo. Speaking with her, you hear her pride in Brunsell’s products and services and recognize her commitment to the work her great-grandfather began almost 80 years ago.

Yvette Jones is the owner of designCraft Advertising, a Madison agency focused on local businesses and nonprofit organizations.

Give the gift of Overture!

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Brunsell Lumber and Millwork www.brunsell.com (608) 275-7171

The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) represents people who work in and with the remodeling industry.

NARI professionals are expected to be licensed and insured, educated about current industry standards, ethical, and dedicated to excellent customer service.

Contact the NARI Madison office at (608) 222-0670 or at narimadison.org.

FEB 28 Spinosaurus: Lost Giant of the Cretaceous

JAN 3 – 8 | ON SALE NOW Jersey Boys

Community Partner: Park Bank

APR 4 Rhinos, Rickshaws & Revolutions: My Search for Truth

JAN 25 – FEB 5 | ON SALE NOV 19 The Phantom of the Opera

MAY 2 Among Giants: A Life with Whales

MAR 21 – 26 Cabaret

MUSIC

Community Partner: Rare Steakhouse

MAY 9 – 14 | FEB 11 The Book of Mormon JUN 13 – 18 | ON SALE APR 8 Beautiful: The Carole King Musical

CELEBRITY

Series sponsored by Investment Services at UW Credit Union

APR 29 Itzhak Perlman

Series sponsored by Bell Laboratories

NOV 10 The Hillbenders present The Who’s TOMMY: A Bluegrass Opry NOV 28 Mannheim Steamroller Christmas

Sponsored by State Bank of Cross Plains

FEB 12 Boyz II Men Sponsored by The Burrish Group of USB Financial Services, Inc.

MAR 1 Drumline Live MAR 16 Jazz 100

COMEDY

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e ss ential pets

Preventing

Pet Weight Gain

by Lori Scarlett, DVM

This past summer was absolutely wonderful for spending time outside with your dog. Plenty of daylight to take walks morning and evening, and great weather for hiking on weekends, visiting the local dog park, and swimming in the lakes. If your dog gained a few extra pounds over the winter, hopefully the increased activity throughout the summer meant slimming down. But, like people, as your dog ages, it becomes harder to lose that weight. Being overweight is hard on an aging dog’s joints, as well as on the heart. Becoming more sedentary because of weight gain means less mental stimulation to help ward off signs of cognitive decline (senility). It would be great if we lived somewhere conducive to daily outdoor activity, but that isn’t always possible during the Wisconsin winters.

Weight gain doesn’t have to be inevitable.

The first thing to do is evaluate your

dog’s food. It is not yet a requirement for companies to list calories on dog food bags, but a good pet food company will have that information readily available on their website. The average overweight labrador retriever should be eating about 1,000 calories per day; a pudgy pug needs about 350 calories per day. Some dog foods contain 400 or more calories per cup. How many cups are you feeding your dog each day? Add in a couple large Milk-Bone treats at 120 calories each, not to mention that pizza crust or piece of chicken that fell on the floor, and you can see why pet obesity is the number one disease in our dogs today.

Choose a food that has 300 calories or less per cup and use a measuring cup to scoop each day. Look up the calorie counts—a food labeled “light” just means it has fewer calories than the regular food of that brand, not that it is particularly low in calories. Don’t just

reduce the amount of regular food, as your dog may be losing out on nutrients if he isn’t eating the recommended amount on the bag. If your dog (or cat) is really overweight (more than 5–10 pounds depending on the size of your pet), talk with your veterinarian about a prescription weight loss diet to help him lose the weight safely.

If you are serving a low-calorie food and your pet still isn’t losing weight, evaluate the number and kind of treats you are giving. Contrary to popular belief, your adult dog does NOT need to get a treat every time she goes potty. Once a pet knows a command, intermittently rewarding the good behavior will keep the pet doing the behavior, thinking, “Maybe this time I’ll get the treat!” Pig ears contain around 185 calories each, and medium rawhides have up to 600 calories each.

Vegetables are great treats. Baby carrots are crunchy and sweet, and regular carrots make a good bone or chew substitute. Canned green beans (ideally low-sodium or rinsed) mix well with dry kibble or can be fed as a treat from the table instead of whatever is on your plate. Almost any vegetable your pet likes can be used as a treat. Frozen mixed vegetables are a lot of fun to slide across the floor! Avoid onions and garlic as they can cause the red blood cells in your dog to burst. Starchy vegetables, like potatoes, corn, and peas, are much higher in calories, so use in moderation.

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

Cheerios and 94 percent fat-free microwave popcorn are low in calories and can be thrown across the room to get your dog a little exercise too.

Fruit, like apples or bananas, have more calories than vegetables, but are healthier than cheese, peanut butter, or most dog biscuits. Just be sure to give all treats in moderation; consider them a candy bar for your dog.

Tadsen Photography Drone/Aerial Imagery

If your significant other is the culprit for overfeeding or overtreating your pet, try portion control. Measure out the dry kibble in small bags to make it easy to put in the bowl each day. Don’t buy large dog treats, and stick with the low-calorie (one and a half to three calories each) training treats or none at all. Have a can of green beans or cup of popcorn on the table at dinnertime so there is something to give the begging dog. Leave out research articles showing lean dogs live longer, have less arthritis, and are less likely to develop chronic health issues.

Exercise is also very important for weight loss. If the weather is too awful to go outside, spend some time tossing a soft toy in the house or rolling a whiffle ball down the hall. You can play hide and seek by having one person call the dog from a room on the other side of the house. Once your dog has gone to the other person, call her back. Chasing toys up and down stairs is great exercise.

You can have your dog do squats by making him sit, stand, then sit again.

Obedience, agility, or fly-ball classes are all taught inside and will stimulate both your dog’s muscles and brain.

If you have a treadmill at home, you can train your dog to walk on it. Start at a very slow speed, offering small treats to encourage your dog to stay on and walk. Gradually increase the speed of the treadmill and the amount of time.

Ideally your dog would walk for 30 minutes twice a day, just like when the weather is nice.

If your dog already is showing signs of arthritis, stiffness, or tiring more quickly on walks, you will need to alleviate that pain before increasing exercise. Talk to your veterinarian about supplements, diets, pain medication, and/or other treatments that can make your dog more comfortable and more willing

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

tadphoto.com - etadsen@icloud.com - 608-469-2255 to move. As your dog loses weight, he will feel better, become more active, and often require fewer medications for the arthritis.

Hopefully the combination of fewer calories and increased activity will keep your dog from putting on those winter pounds. When spring rolls around again, your dog will be full of energy to go for long walks outside, and you won’t have to listen to your veterinarian talk about weight loss.

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

Lori Scarlett, DVM

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e ss en tial food & beverage

THE RISE OF

Rush Creek Reserve

BY JEANNE CARPENTER

Between September and November, the cows in the dairy barn at Uplands Cheese near Dodgeville get more sleep than their owner, Andy Hatch, maker of two of the most famous cheeses in America: Pleasant Ridge Reserve and Rush Creek Reserve. That’s because autumn is peak cheese-making season.

Every morning, Andy and his crew make Pleasant Ridge Reserve, the farmstead cheese that put Wisconsin on the map with triple American Cheese Society Best in Show wins between 2001 and 2010. Then, from late afternoon until long past sunset, he crafts a soft, barkwrapped cheese, Rush Creek Reserve.

For three months, Andy makes cheese 17 hours a day.

As co-owner and lead cheesemaker, Andy is the dutiful caretaker of Uplands Cheese, founded in 1994 by Mike and Carol Gingrich and Dan and Jeanne Patenaude. More than 20 years ago, the farming couples joined their herds and transitioned to a seasonal, pasturebased system. Three years ago, Andy and business partner Scott Mericka 36 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

purchased the operation. Scott oversees 244 acres of grass and is the herdsman for 150 milking cows. Cows eat the farm’s grasses and produce milk that Andy makes into seasonal cheeses.

For a city boy who grew up in the suburbs of Milwaukee, Andy is a born farmer who didn’t realize it until arriving at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. While studying anthropology and environmental science, he became engrossed with the science of agriculture, working on area vegetable farms, starting a community garden, and writing a thesis on urban agriculture.

“I found I really liked working on farms,” Andy says. “If I could have figured out a way to start a farm, that’s what I would have done. But unless you grow up on or inherit a farm, it’s virtually impossible to hurdle the capital investment that starting a farm takes.”

With farming still in the back of his mind, Andy returned to Wisconsin

to work at the Michael Fields Institute in East Troy. For one year, he assisted famed Dr. Walter Goldstein on a groundbreaking corn breeding program. While the work satisfied Andy’s scientific side, it didn’t get his hands outside and in the soil. He regretfully gave his notice.

Instead of accepting his resignation, Dr. Goldstein sent him to live with his mother-in-law in Norway.

suited him. Andy learned how to make cheese via sight, smell, and touch. He made hard, aged goat’s milk cheeses, which Unni sold to tourists at the ferry landing. After the daily dose of cheesemaking, Andy spent the afternoon in a hut stirring the day’s whey in a pot over a fire to make geitost. By evening, it was time to milk the goats again, eat a

“Working with Dr. Goldstein was an incredible experience, but what I really wanted to do was farm. He knew that.

So he sent me to Norway to stay with his recently widowed mother-in-law and help her get the family farm in shape to sell. I really had no idea what was in store for me,” Andy says.

He had traveled to Europe twice before with his parents, both wine enthusiasts, but he had never been to Norway.

Immediately, the remoteness of staying with a 70-year-old woman named Unni on a fifth-generation goat dairy farm with no car, no computer, and no phone in the fjords of west Norway cleared his mind. He spent mornings hand milking 14 goats, never having milked an animal before. “For the first week, the muscles in my forearms were so sore I couldn’t grip a fork at supper,” Andy says.

After morning milking, Andy helped make cheese in a tiny, but surprisingly modern stainless steel vat in a small building 300 yards from the ocean. The routine of milking and making cheese madisonessentials.com

| 37

simple supper, and collapse into bed on a mattress stuffed with straw.

He stayed three months, long enough to help Unni settle affairs to sell the farm and make him a pair of socks from the hair of the farm dog, a Norwegian reindeer-herding pup named Knatchean.

“It took me a month to learn how to say the dog’s name,” Andy says. He still has the socks.

From Norway, instead of going home, Andy headed to southern Europe. He had caught the cheesemaking bug. He roamed two years, making mountain cheeses in Austria, sheep cheeses in Tuscany, and goat cheeses in Ireland. He stayed a season or two in each location, earning his keep during the day with his cheesemaking labor, and earning a few coins at night by playing mandolin and fiddle in local taverns. For two years, he couldn’t decide which path to take: musician or cheesemaker. And then came a call from home.

“My mother called with the news that my dad was very ill, so I got on the first plane home and spent the summer with him in the hospital,” Andy says.

That fall, his parents spent time recuperating at the family cottage in Door County. Andy followed and met Caitlin, an artist who became his wife.

He took an agricultural short course at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, milked cows on area dairies, and apprenticed with cheesemakers to earn his Wisconsin cheesemakers license. He accepted a cheesemaking job at Uplands in 2007, married Caitlin in 2009, and, with her, copurchased Uplands Cheese three years ago, moving into a house on the Uplands farm. It’s where they are now raising their two children.

“Cheesemaking is the vehicle that allows me to stay on the farm,” Andy says. “It also satisfies my creative impulses, which is one of the reasons I spend so much time working on Rush Creek Reserve.”

Inspired by his experience of making Mont d’Or in the Jura region of France, Rush Creek Reserve is a serious, allconsuming labor of love. Andy cuts and stirs large curd by hand to protect its 38 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

soft and delicate nature, and hand ladles curd into forms. It is then flipped, and drains overnight. The next morning, wheels are brined and handwrapped by spruce bark that’s been boiled and soaked in yeast and molds. As a raw milk cheese, Rush Creek is aged 60 days and then immediately shipped to retailers. It’s the type of cheese that, when eaten, is designed to be warmed with the top removed, and enjoyed with a spoon or bit of bread.

In Madison, Rush Creek Reserve is available from Thanksgiving through January at several outlets, including Fromagination, Whole Foods, Willy St. Co-op, and Metcalfe’s Markets.

Andy and Caitlin are eagerly looking to the future, wondering if either of their little ones will want to be cheesemakers.

Andy is planning on teaching them to play the violin and mandolin, his second great love to cheesemaking. His band, Point Five—a local group of musicians playing traditional, acoustic Americana music—plays numerous gigs in the region. “We’ve got enough instruments in this house that the kids will be able to play whatever they want to,” Caitlin says. “And if they’re lucky,” Andy adds, “I’ll even sing along.”

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es s ential arts

John Brogan & the Bank of Kaukauna

Social Justice and Equality for All

by Kay Myers Election season is almost over and it seems, among many other things, a large focus has been placed on smalltown America, where industry left town and the need is significant for jobs and better resources. Candidates make big promises, but folks in these towns realize they must do for themselves and provide what the community needs.

At some time or another, we’ve all

driven through these towns, but more frequently they are being bypassed by new roads and highways. They are now places to be sought out. Kaukauna, Wisconsin is one such place.

The paper mill industry is still going strong, but Kaukauna is a small community that can easily be bypassed when traveling between Appleton and Green Bay on Highway 41. It’s rich in commerce and trade history, and the site of the first land purchase in the state of Wisconsin (in 1793). It is also a place that is undergoing revitalization and transformation. I met with John Brogan, chief executive officer of the Bank of Kaukauna, to discuss the bank’s recent transformation and John’s passion for, and commitment to, building the bank’s art collection and giving back to the community.

“My family bought the bank in the 1970s and my dad ran it for many, many years,” John informs me. “He died in 2005, and we had a different president in place to run the bank. Then in 2011, in the middle of the financial crisis, I left my law practice in the Twin Cities to come back and do what I could to help.

We weathered the financial crisis and

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

started to grow quickly, which meant that we needed more and better space to work in.

“Other than a piece or two, the work we had was pretty run-of-the-mill commercial art, and all of it had faded badly. I mean, everything fades, I know, but the commercial work had not stood up well, and it was expensive and uninspiring. It was obvious that we were just going to throw the existing work away, and it felt incredibly wasteful to me, and I committed to not do the same thing again.”

So John finds himself with an outdated building footprint, outdated interior design, and crumbling artwork. He was raised in a family where the arts were deemed important. His mom is an artist, as well as his sister and cousin. Besides banking, it’s the family business. He grew to be an appreciator of art and a collector. Facing the need for a remodel at the bank and a need for new artwork to display in that space, he decided to create an environment that would feel like a gallery and purchase art that would not only be beautiful to look upon, but would also retain, and hopefully gain, value moving forward.

“Going into it there were a couple of things I focused on; I wanted to buy pieces that would hold intrinsic value.

I was looking to collect people who I felt were producing exceptional work and were already recognized, or were climbing, or who were producing work that I just adored. And so the standard was, ‘OK, are these people collected?’

And also, ‘Do I love what they do?’

“Although I wasn’t specifically focused on creating a regional collection, many of the works are from artists who live in or have connections to Wisconsin. The goal was to create a great collection, and it turned out there’s a lot of wonderful work being produced here. So that was sort of the second thing.

“And then the third piece of it was that I wanted to make sure that the collection was available to the community. People don’t come into banks anymore. When was the last time you were in a bank, right?” John asks and shrugs, laughing.

“I mean, with mobile banking, unless you specifically need to come into a bank because you need to close a loan or pick up cash for traveling, that’s just the trend. And that’s where we’re heading.

We’re a single branch and we’re focusing on things like web banking and remote

products, but I still wanted the bank to be a space where people would want to come because it’s beautiful, and have it be a gift to the community.”

And a gift it is. From the elegant furniture and light fixtures to the dazzling prints and sculpture, the Bank of Kaukauna’s museum-quality presence does not disappoint. The artwork takes center stage and commands attention from the viewer. The surroundings let you know that you are somewhere modern and notably nonbankish. I had heard from friends that the collection was beautiful, but I was admittedly overwhelmed once immersed in the space. John tells me that some people still don’t seem to notice the artwork, but it doesn’t bother him.

Mexican American artists, younger black artists, older black artists, female and male artists, and even though our clientele isn’t terribly diverse, I think it’s important to display a collection that’s inclusive. Given where the country is with race and social justice issues right now, I want to emphasize what brings us together rather than what tears us

“When I started looking for art, I didn’t have a particular focus in mind, but it turns out that there is a strong social justice theme running through the work,” John says and puts his hands in the air with a shrug. “For a collection in little Kaukauna, we’ve got a lot of diversity. We have Asian artists, Asian American artists, Mexican artists, madisonessentials.com

| 41

me through the bank and relays the story behind each piece, I come to realize that he is not only deeply invested in each piece the bank has purchased, but also acutely aware of the statement the collection makes as a whole. His vision for not just the here and now, but also for the future is loud and clear: social justice and equality for all.

apart. Some of the people in their offices, maybe they didn’t like the pieces at first or didn’t understand why those pieces were chosen, but now they really love the work, and they get the pleasure of telling other people about it. And then those people come in and tell others.

That’s the goal. The collection is just getting started, but we’ll keep looking for pieces to add, as well as placards so there’s an educational element too. The people who work in the bank know the stories behind the pieces in their offices, but it’s important to me that the public gets to hear those stories too.”

The moment you walk in the door you see the incredible Judy Pfaff print that John dubbed Money Tree. “I don’t know what the actual title is,” says John.

“We’ve just always called it Money Tree, which is kind of ironic for a bank. My cousin Anja studied with Judy at Bard [College]. This was the first piece we

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

bought for the collection because of that connection.”

In the mortgage lending office, another ironically placed piece shows up: the systematically constructed Foreclosure Quilt: Chicago, by Kathryn Clark. John says, “We don’t want people to foreclose on their homes, but it is a reminder about what can happen—and did.”

Back in the reception area of the lobby, Johns points out a Robin Grebe glass sculpture, titled Tempest. “This reminded us of sailing safely through the 2008 financial crisis.”

The collection is not just beautiful, but insightful and inspiring. As John guides

There is a Fred Stonehouse painting that hangs in the Board Room, titled Search for a Cure. John purchased it after visiting the University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty show at the Chazen Museum of Art. “I love this piece,” John tells me.

“I assume it has something to do with zika or AIDS or some other modern plague—I mean I haven’t actually spoken with Fred to find out what he was thinking, but I love the metaphor of the plague doctor in the Board Room.

The false consciousness of thinking you are protecting yourself when, in fact, you are not. Taking the reigns of these imagined beasts, tattooed with excuses.

I love that the Board has to think about that message every time they meet.”

Back in the lobby, we look at a mixed media sculpture by Margarita Cabrera, titled Coffee Maker (Yellow). Margarita’s work focuses on Mexican labor that happens just across the border. This

series of small appliances was picked up by the Smithsonian, and Cabrera collaborated with Mexican women who helped her build out and sew this work. It is a simple, almost understated piece that continues to challenge your thoughts after you realize what the work is really about.

In another section of the bank hangs a set of three sugar sack prints by Allison Saar, titled Sweet. She often prints on fabric, and also paints and makes sculpture.

Her work discusses being African American in the United States today, and harkens back to the oppression of African Americans with many historical references to the products created through the forced labor of these people.

The prints at the bank show three darkfaced girls confronting the viewer with blank eyes. Like the Cabrera, it is simple yet powerful. It sticks with the viewer after they have left it.

It’s amazing that this collection exists within a small bank in Kaukauna, Wisconsin. Furthermore, it’s impressive that John is filling this void in the community. “Really, I don’t care if the work

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“But I thought, why buy something that will only be thrown away in 20 years?

Now I come here and I just feel happy every day. There’s something about the natural beauty in Kaukauna. The river forged this community, in fact the whole area, through the fur traders and then industry. It’s why this is where the first deed of the state was taken out. But I think we’re all just starting to appreciate what a wealth of resources we have here. We have a community-improvement mindset here at the bank, and I’m just trying to do my part to get involved.”

The Bank of Kaukauna is open for business Monday through Friday, 8:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. They are located at 264 W. Wisconsin Avenue in Kaukauna and available on the web at bankofkaukauna.com.

Kay Myers is a local artist and freelance writer.

Photographs by Mary Santaga provided by Bank of Kaukauna.

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e ssential well-being

How to Be in Therapy

by Elizabeth H. Winston, PhD In the previous issue of Madison Essentials, I talked about how to go to therapy. You’ve found a solid licensed psychotherapist who is a good fit for you and your needs. Now what?

The Intake The Intake You will begin with an intake appointment. During this appointment, you will be asked questions about what brings you into therapy, your current life situation, and your personal

history. Topics range from childhood experiences to your education and work history to your mental health and substance-use histories. The therapist will want to know about any symptoms you may be experiencing and what you would like to see change or improve in your life. There is a lot to cover in an hour, so it’s best to answer questions as succinctly as possible. You will have the opportunity to elaborate in future sessions.

During the intake, you should get an idea of whether the therapist seems to be understanding your point of view, has sufficient empathy, and is beginning to get a picture of how and why you are suffering. The therapist may offer brief summaries of what you have said and may even observe connections, have insights, or wonder about something you have not thought of before.

Treatment Treatment PlanningPlanning After the initial session, you and your therapist will develop a treatment plan to help you collaborate and work toward mutually agreed upon goals.

This helps you know what to talk about during each session and keeps you on track. You should expect therapy to 46 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

focus on your thoughts or cognitions, behaviors, emotions, relationships, and your sense of self. Common topics include relationships, low self-esteem, perfectionism, work dissatisfaction, motivational problems, attention and concentration difficulties, worries/ obsessions, trauma, and grief.

Therapy Therapy Sessions Sessions Psychotherapy treatment is conducted in weekly or biweekly sessions between the therapist and client to discuss problems presented. This is why it is often called “talk therapy.”

How does just talking to a stranger about your problems help? We’ve probably all had the experience of unloading our burdens on a family member or friend. It’s a big relief to get something off of our shoulders. Sharing concerns and having your perspective validated is instrumental in beginning the change process. Few of us are motivated to change if we don’t first feel our perspective has been understood and is legitimate.

Through talking and being asked the right kinds of questions, a therapist leads their client to experience feelings

associated with the dilemmas they are facing. Experiencing and processing these feelings can make a stuck person feel unstuck and able to move forward.

Processing feelings involves deeply experiencing the emotion associated with an unresolved issue, accepting the emotions, and coming out of the issue with a different perspective.

Sometimes talk therapy involves changing how we think about things.

For example, a client with perfectionistic tendencies may think that the only way to do a project is to do it exactly the right way. The therapist may challenge the client to consider what the worst thing that could happen would be if a particular project was not performed perfectly. The therapist might even come up with a challenge for the client to deliberately not perform up to usual standards and face the consequences to learn that nothing terrible happens.

Another area of exploration is noticing patterns and themes in one’s life. Having the perspective of an outsider who is trained to notice patterns can lead to new discoveries. One common pattern is to find yourself with friends, romantic partners, and co-workers who treat you the same way or make you feel the way you did while growing up, for better or worse. For example, you may have had a parent who was often sick and relied on you for caretaking, and then in your adult life, you partner with or marry someone who is also quite dependent on you, perhaps just in a different way.

Another example of a pattern could be engaging in all-or-nothing thinking and behaviors. A good example of this would be a person who is working on sobriety having one drink, which leads to a binge. “If I had one, I obviously can’t do this, so I should give up.” At another point in their life, they may have done poorly in a class and decided that school or a certain college major was a poor fit and dropped out or switched majors.

Thus, we see a pattern.

You can see how observing and understanding these patterns can be helpful for initiating change. Instead of putting out fires each time a problem comes up, a client can collaborate with

the therapist to notice when the pattern arises, catch it sooner, and make a conscious, informed choice about how to handle the situation.

Psychotherapists can teach clients new coping skills that are more adaptive than the ones they have been using.

For anxiety, practicing deep breathing, meditation, imagining a peaceful place, exercise, and problem-solving can be helpful tools. For depression, changing negative thoughts to more positive ones, recalling happier times, spending time with loved ones, engaging in meaningful work, and journaling can all be of use.

Strategies for coping with grief might include setting aside a time each day to grieve; creating traditions and rituals for acknowledging the loss; and taking life one day, hour, or moment at a time.

Psychotherapists have a lot to offer to a wide range of people and variety of problems. Potential clients should not hesitate to seek professional help when usual methods of coping with the stresses of daily life are not sufficient.

Asking for help can be hard, but it could be the first step on your way to a happier, more fulfilling life.

Elizabeth H. Winston, PhD, is a Madison psychologist who provides psychotherapy, psychological assessment, and consultation. elizabethwinston.com.

Elizabeth H. Winston, PhD

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M adison

G ets Inked

Tattoo Shops that Make Madison Buzz

by Chelsey Dequaine “Thought I would drop a line.” The simple sentence, in my grandfather’s handwriting, is tattooed on my left forearm in black ink. It’s from a letter he wrote in 1945 while at sea serving for the United States Navy. The sentence

is placed next to the stamp used on the envelope for the letter. There are plenty of reasons why someone gets a tattoo— sad, funny, beautiful reasons, such as remembering your grandfather. But what are the stories behind the artists

who create the tattoos? Madison is full of rich history, and its tattoo shops are no exception.

Great Whale Tattoo and Piercing Co.

Great Whale Tattoo and Piercing Co. When Tim Bradley was a senior at River Ridge High School in Patch Grove, his guidance counselor told him to write a report on what he wanted to do with his life. Tim responded with a paper about becoming a tattooer. “It was handed back to me,” he laughs. Now the owner of Great Whale Tattoo and Piercing Co., located at 408 E. Washington Avenue, Tim is living his dream.

After a move to La Crosse and touring with his metal band, Tim was 24 when he began his apprenticeship in Wausau.

He later relocated to Madison and completed some guest spotting before opening Great Whale in 2014, when he was 27.

Tim says Great Whale may feel more laid back than other shops. “Our main vibe here is relaxed and comfortable.”

The staff consists of Tim, piercer Will Strickland, and tattooer Jon Jenkins.

“It’s been awesome being in Madison because I’ve gotten to do a lot more of what I like,” Tim says. “People collect the art instead of being overly concerned with representing an image in their head. That gives an artist more leeway

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Photograph by Copper Key Visuals

e ssential arts

Photograph by Jonny Mageske

to create.” Lately, Tim has been focusing on blackwork and Japanese-style art.

“Madison is my first experience where I displayed a lot of peonies in the shop, and now I have a lot of appointments for that.”

Steve's Tattoo and Body Piercing

Steve’s Tattoo and Body Piercing Steve Gold began tattooing in 1975.

Born in Madison and an East Madison High School graduate, the 65 year old is the owner of Steve’s Tattoo and Body Piercing at 1205 Williamson Street and co-owner of Spike-O-Matic Tattoo at 651 S. Park Street.

been tattooing for 13 years. By the time Jes was 17, he lived in four different states, and before moving to Madison, tattooed in Wausau. Jes never thought becoming a tattoo artist was a possibility. “It was a secret society of mysterious biker dudes.

It was hard to get into when I wanted to get an apprenticeship.”

But he did. After an apprenticeship in Wausau, Jes moved where he saw a future for himself as a tattoo artist.

“Madison worked out perfectly.” In 2014, Jes became co-owner of Iron Quill with Travis Smith. Iron Quill now has seven tattoo artists.

“Tattooing at the time was more or less cartooning,” Steve says. Steve, who worked in numerous shops from Rockford, Illinois, to Corpus Christi, Texas, opened the Williamson Street location in 1985. “For me, I like Wisconsin. Madison’s tattoo scene has gone through so many transitions.

When I started it was more traditional.

It’s gone from primitive cartooning to a painter style.”

Tattoo art is being inspired from oil painting and acrylics. “We are a breed of experimenters,” Steve says. “I’ve seen tattooers get stuck in a certain style, but you have to be open to everything.”

Looking back at his career, Steve feels grateful to be doing what he loves and creating art people get excited about.

“It makes you feel good. Even after 40 years, I can still sit in a chair and my fingers work well. It’s been quite a ride.

When I turn 80, I might stop.”

Iron Quill Tattoo

Iron Quill Tattoo Jes Strickler, co-owner of Iron Quill Tattoo at 525 N. Sherman Avenue, has madisonessentials.com

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Photograph provided by Steve’s Tattoo and Body Piercing

THE

UNIVERSITY CLUB

Over the past 10 to 15 years, Jes has seen a growth in female tattoo artists.

Iron Quill recently had someone from Peru do a guest spot at the shop. “She was amazing,” Jes says. “Female tattoo artists will put in the extra effort to show they want to be the best.”

Overall, Jes says the Madison tattoo scene is positive and forward thinking. “I see other artists, in other cities, who are better than me struggling solely because of where they are located. Everyone is super progressive, and that carries over into the art scene, not just tattooing.”

Made You Look Custom Tattoo

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Made You Look Custom Tattoo Made You Look Custom Tattoo opened in 2013 at 1440 E. Washington Avenue.

Owner and tattoo artist John Brown moved to Madison in 2007 and began tattooing in 2012. “I found something in art I loved doing,” he says. “Tattooing is another medium.”

John sees more people learning the definition of a tattoo, “which is self expression,” he says. “People are understanding the quality of this art.

You take it with you instead of leaving it at home.” Another ongoing trend at Made You Look is memorial tattoos. He also sees customers becoming more educated with tattoos. “People are putting more thought into the work they want.”

Recently, John says the attitude toward tattoos in the workplace has changed.

“People might’ve looked down on those who have tattoos, but now you go to work with someone who has a tattoo and you are more comfortable. It connects professions, races, and ages. Art is always a different way to look at life.”

Continuing to set standards with cleanliness, overall experience, and quality are some of the ongoing goals for Made You Look. “When someone comes in and wants something for the rest of their life, that’s a big responsibility,” John says. “There are those in Madison constantly pushing toward that. This is a city hard to be reckoned with when it comes to talent.”

In the future, John would like to see more tattoo conventions in Madison.

“It’s good to be around like minds. No matter where you are, there is always room for growth. If you run out of growth, it’s time to innovate.”

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

Photograph provided by Made You Look

In Madison, Jes doesn’t see trends as much as different crowds of tattoo collectors. He says there are shops that cater to college students who might get smaller, Pinterest-style tattoos; watercolor; or writing. Then there are shops that focus on traditional Sailor Jerry-style of tattooing. Iron Quill has focused on custom art. “More than half of our team does all custom art. I do a lot of sleeves and multisession pieces, not just one-day sittings.”

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e ss en tial service

DIGS

by Jessica Pastelin

The phone begins to ring at 8:30 a.m. with calls from single mothers, fathers, sons, and a couple expecting a child. All are making one last effort to avoid eviction from their housing. With the help of over 25 faith organizations, businesses, and individuals, Porchlight is there for those who need it. The Dwelling Intervention Grants and Sustenance (DIGS) program receives these calls, aiming to prevent homelessness in the wake of a short-

term financial emergency by providing counseling and small one-time grants of financial assistance. Reflecting on the work he has done for the past decade, Hasan Mohr says, “The best part is being able to come through for these people.”

Hasan has been the coordinator of DIGS since it’s inception in 1999.

After working at Hospitality House as a resource specialist, he noticed the

gap in services surrounding funding for security deposits and utilities.

Through his work, he developed great relationships with many faith-based organizations and their missions to help those in need. It was then that he came up with the idea of starting this grassroots project. Unfortunately, no formal funding was available to support such a program. “That first year we were 100 percent funded by the faith communities,” Hasan explains. “We had a basic, one-page intake form, and it has remained one page for the past 17 years.”

Shantay had a home, a job, and stability. Then in 2016, she fled an abusive relationship, taking her three teenagers with her. In the beginning, she stayed at The Salvation Army, then The Road Home, then moved to the Domestic Abuse Intervention Services shelter. She searched for housing for her family, but found the rental rates in Madison unaffordable. She ended up bouncing from place to place with family and friends. She thought she was out of options until she met with DIGS staff, who assisted her when an affordable apartment became available in Porchlight housing. With help from the DIGS program, she was able to provide the security deposit and move her family into a new home. She has recently become a resident manager, which involves maintaining the housing property she lives at with three other families. Shantay explains, “I met Hasan years ago and he told me to give him a call if I needed help, and he did help me.”

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In 2015, the DIGS program counseled 1,260 households and provided grants to 1,020 households in the Dane County area. DIGS kept 76 percent of those accessing services in their housing for 12 months and 72 percent at 18 months.

Hasan is proud of DIGS success rate. “If not for DIGS, these people would have been evicted, out on the streets, or in the shelters using other limited resources.”

Approximately two-thirds of the households who accessed the DIGS program in 2015 were families. There is limited capacity in emergency shelter, and homelessness is incredibly disruptive and stressful for families, especially for children. It is disruptive to their education and maintenance of any otherwise healthy lifestyle. Hasan sees it as his mission to keep kids from sleeping on the street, or worse, in a home where they are in danger. United Way of Dane County strongly supports the DIGS program as it encourages providing housing stability to prevent downward spirals into homelessness with all of the debilitating consequences to the family and the children.

Preventing homelessness for these families is actually simpler and less expensive than one may imagine. With vacancy rates at less than 2 percent, Madison rental rates are really high.

Estimates are that 40 to 50 percent of renter households pay more than 30 percent of their income as rent, creating a financially stressful situation for these households. Hasan describes the DIGS model, “Sometimes it’s just working with the landlords or the utility companies,

getting them to give the families more time to pay.” If families are granted an extension, DIGS staff will counsel the family on how to budget and save for repayment. When landlords or utilities demand immediate payment, Porchlight works in partnership with St. John’s Lutheran Church to offer financial assistance.

“We use a self-matching technique where households have to provide some funds required to prevent eviction.

Porchlight and St. John’s provide the other portion through a one-time grant of three hundred dollars or less,” says Hasan. The average grant for rental assistance is approximately $185, and for utility assistance, the average grant is $125.

For individuals and families who are already homeless, the DIGS program most commonly assists with first-month rent, but they also help with security deposits and utilities. Porchlight funding allows us to serve about 60 percent of the requests we receive each year. For the other 40 percent of

people in need, DIGS staff work with them to figure out other options, but the resources are slim, especially for rental assistance. “If DIGS can’t help them, I connect them to places, such as Community Action Coalition and Joining Forces for Families,” says Hasan.

These organizations also have a small amount of funding to assist in eviction prevention and move-in expenses.

DIGS is an excellent example of a program that provides a tremendous impact for each dollar spent. When the costs of family homelessness in terms of shelter, returning to housing, and impact on the family and the children are compared to the average grant of a couple hundred dollars, there is simply no question in the value of this program to the community.

To make your own gift of support to the Porchlight campaign, please contact Jessica Pastelin at jpastelin@porchlightinc.org or go to porchlightinc.org.

Photographs provided by Porchlight, Inc. madisonessentials.com

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es s en tial food & beverage

BALANCE A BARREL ON YOUR PALATE

Barrel-Aged Beers

BY KYLE JACOBSON

I recently engaged in discussion with a well-traveled brewer on beer palates in the United States. He told me there exists the perception that the Midwest beer palate is behind when compared to the West Coast. Immediately, I brought up German styles and argued that the West seems so focused on IBUs and blasting the tongue with unexpected flavors that something seems lost in the process. I find accentuating flavors that already exist in the malt, hops, yeast, and water to be the primary concern for a good beer before forcing a controlled outbreak of lactobacillus or pediococcus.

Each barrel brings something different to the game. Brewmaster Matthew Gerdts of One Barrel Brewing discusses, “Oak will give a smooth vanilla character depending if you’re using toasted oak or straight American oak.” This flavor allows a bit of play with ingenuity on malt bills and aroma hops with fruitier notes. Then we have hickory, which most describe as woody in flavor, and other woods, like apple and alder, that make for a splash of charm. I struggle to understand how someone who sees the beauty of flirtations in flavor has an inferior palate to someone who craves lip-pursing tarts.

To my friends across the Mighty Mississippi, my point is not that your beers lack superb. Plenty of my favorites have come out of Colorado and Oregon.

But for every great brewer there are hundreds of mediocre ones, and when it comes to big flavors, even the most experienced mash paddlers struggle to find balance. But if it’s unadulterated flavor you seek, you don’t have to be trendy. Some of the biggest flavors in beer today come from something so sexy that even the most enthusiastic Cerevisaphile (thanks Gregg Smith) grows weak in the knees at its mention.

Supple curves, sweet aromas, and wrinkles of grain—imperfections accentuating beauty inherent—shape the barrels that bear the potent beers of vanilla sips and spicy accents.

Back on barrels, these ancient practices go in and out of fashion regularly since aging in barrels isn’t something everyone, including well-known breweries, has the resources for. “It’s a lot of extra work for a brewery to really have a good barrel program…You gotta store these things for months to years,” says Matthew. His point is only half the battle. Though there are workarounds, a one-gallon oak barrel goes for almost $100. Most homebrewers are working with five-gallon batches, but they can split their wort to compare the flavors of carboy fermentation to the barrel.

Now take into consideration that with each beer produced, the oak flavor will exponentially decrease, and you can see why beers that come from a barrel’s first spin cost as much as they do.

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Let’s move on to the heavy hitters. As I was saying, I discussed the Midwest beer palate with a brewer who has worked with some recognizable names in the biz. I went out to visit him in Colorado only a few years ago, and had my first sour beer at Avery Brewing Company.

My reaction to the unexpected tartness was less than favorable, though I’ve grown to appreciate the practice and find fondness toward the handful of brewers who have learned to balance the flavor with the beer. If shock value is what we aim for, then who can argue that Greg Hall of Goose Island Brewing in Chicago didn’t produce one of the biggest booms in the industry with his Bourbon County Stout in 1994.

Now no one is saying that Greg was the first to age beer in a bourbon barrel, simply because it’s difficult to determine whether it wasn’t attempted a few times since the mid-1700s. However, when Greg blew his keg, voices cried for more.

Those voices echoed loud and clear, and soon enough, far and wide.

Have you ever had a bourbon-barrelaged beer? If you have, I’m sure you remember the flavor, and if you’ve had several, I’m sure you remember your first time just as you remember your first love. The gamut of flavor ranges from nothing short of boozy to something subtle that plays well with maybe a willamette hop and chocolate rye malts.

I have to agree with Matthew when he says, “I don’t usually tend toward beer that’s too boozy. I like beer to taste like beer, not whiskey or bourbon. But I think those flavors do play well with different beer flavors.” As has been an ongoing theme is these articles, like life, beer is all about balance.

Today, you may very well find yourself disrupted by the new-world coliseum we’ve dubbed Washington D.C. Deep breath, sip a beer, balance. Aristotle’s golden mean, the desirable medium of two extremes. With beer as my guide, I see that the extremes do not work independent of other extremes, nor are they mutually exclusive. Corruption, ignorance, brashness, blatant disregard for the rules: a great beer has all these things, but you’d never know it. When a new rule is introduced, such as a bourbon barrel, we struggle with our initial experience. This isn’t right. It’s too much. How can anyone accept this?

is more right, and the moment guides the individual to find their balance in their present.

Na zdrowie!

But something happens, and our perceptions mold to the new reality.

Though born out of necessity, it’s akin to a new idea. When cognitive dissonance occurs, we are left with four options to correct the disruption in what we know and what we are experiencing. We can change, we can justify, we can ignore, or we can balance. Cognitive dissonance is not holding two contradictory views, it’s the mental disruption felt when acknowledging that fact. Barrel-aged beers are “almost always the really big beers,” and they are not going anywhere.

As for the well-traveled brewer, we are still friends. And when it comes to proving the world wrong on the Midwest beer palate, I say we continue onward.

I think of John Donne’s “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning.” Our love of beer is understood, not a passing lust to swing from one passion fruit to the next. Unlike Donne’s poem, neither love

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.

Matthew Gerdts’ favorite barrel-aged beers Anything from Central Waters Other great barrelaged beers Barrel-Aged entries in Tyranena’s Brewers Gone Wild series KBS – Founders Brewing Company madisonessentials.com

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Winter is for the Birds

by Liz Wessel

celebrate eagles, and design your own bird trail through a part of Wisconsin.

Feeders in my backyard mean my kitchen window offers a great view of visiting birds. I really like the cardinals because they brighten up the shrubs and trees. Maybe you already have a list of fun birds you have seen from outside your home or in your neighborhood.

With two national bird counts each winter, you have an opportunity to become a citizen scientist from your own yard. Using the observations of professional and amateur observers, these counts document how birds are doing in Wisconsin, throughout the country, and around the world.

Great Backyard Bird Count

The Great Backyard Bird Count is a chance for anyone with an interest in wildlife to contribute to our scientific understanding of birds. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society have partnered to organize this annual event since 1998.

February 17 through 20, they invite you to participate from your yard or anywhere in the world. Participation is easy. You need to count for a minimum of 15 minutes or as much as you like during the four-day period. You will register your counts online through an international website called eBird.

Counts from across the country and the world provide scientists with a 58 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

snapshot of the status of birds. In 2015, people from across the world recorded sightings of over 5,000 species, which is almost half of all the species in the world. No single scientist would be able to get such a broad picture without the help of citizen scientists. The best part is you can participate wherever you are, and everyone is welcome. You don’t need to be an expert.

The Christmas Bird Count: Wisconsin Society for Ornithology

The Christmas Bird Count organized by the National Audubon Society is the longest running citizen-scientist survey, held for over 100 years. Wisconsin’s participation is organized and coordinated by the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology and takes place every year December 14 through January 5.

The Christmas Count provides critical scientific data over time and engages citizen scientists, empowering them to protect critical habitats for local bird populations and do conservation work in a social setting. Thousands

Photograph provided by Wisconsin Department of Tourism

Nature can be at its best in winter. Snow reveals backyard neighbors through the tracks and other signs of activity left behind. While many birds migrate, those that stay around can be a joy to watch. Here are some ways to get out and enjoy our feathered friends during the winter months. Be a citizen scientist,

Photograph provided by Wisconsin Department of Tourism

e ss ential travel

Sauk Prairie’s Bald Eagle Watching Days

The celebration of eagle days has spread across Wisconsin. In summer, eagle populations spread out across Wisconsin and take advantage of the lakes and rivers for food and large trees for nesting and perching. You may have seen them along the Wisconsin River or in the tops of great white pines lording over everything below.

In the winter, eagles congregate together at places where food can be found, particularly open water. So right below dams and on rivers, where the water does not freeze, are prime locations for winter eagle watching and celebration.

Wisconsin has at least six different eagle day celebrations, with one of the biggest in Sauk Prairie.

Sauk Prairie Eagle Watching Days is usually the third weekend in January.

Organized by the Ferry Bluff Eagle Council and supported by a variety of local sponsors, the pancake breakfast at the River Arts Center provides an opportunity for you to make a day of eagle viewing at the river overlook, kids’ activities, wine tasting at Wollersheim Winery across the river, and a bus tour to other viewing spots. To get a closer look at birds, attend an eagle release (eagles recovered from injury) or a live birds of prey show.

Photograph provided by Wisconsin Department of Tourism

To participate, you need to visit the Society’s website and sign up for one of the scheduled counts. Observers take notes that are submitted, reviewed, and ultimately the data is made available to researchers. So whether young or old, if you are a budding scientist, this may be the right activity for you.

Photograph provided by Cornell University, Photograph by Jack and Holly Bartholmai

of amateurs take part every year with experienced ornithologists.

Great Wisconsin Birding & Nature Trail

Still not sure where to go to see birds or you want to learn more about the variety of habitats in Wisconsin? The Great Wisconsin Birding & Nature Trail website serves as a guide to locations.

Organized by regions, you can design your own route or, better yet, design a bird treasure hunt. The website notes let you know what birds and wildlife you can expect to find at various locations, many of which are wildlife refuges or nature preserves specifically set aside for birds. Learn about the variety of Wisconsin’s habitats and the birds that call Wisconsin home. And in case you don’t want to design your own tour, the Wisconsin Department of Tourism has color brochures for each of the five regions. Locations included in the trail are identified with a special sand hill crane logo.

National Eagle Center

On a final note, add the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, Minnesota, to your itinerary. Located on the Mississippi, the Center is open year-round, although closed on Tuesdays in the winter. They

offer daily education programs that feature eagle ambassadors.

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

The Christmas Bird Count: Wisconsin Society for Ornithology (wsobirds.org/christmas-bird-count) December 14 through January 5 Sauk Prairie’s Bald Eagle Watching Days (ferrybluffeaglecouncil.org/bald-eagle -watching-days.html) January 2017 Great Backyard Bird Count (gbbc.birdcount.org) February 17 through 20 Great Wisconsin Birding & Nature Trail (wisconsinbirds.org/trail) Maps (wisconsinbirds.org/trail/maps.htm) National Eagle Center (nationaleaglecenter.org) Closed on Tuesdays in the winter

Other eagle days:

• A Day with Eagles Along the Fox River in the Fox Cities area (January) • Kaukauna Eagle Days in Kaukauna (January) • Bald Eagle Days in Cassville (January) • Bald Eagle Appreciation Days in Prairie du Chien (February) • Bald Eagle Day in Ferryville (March) madisonessentials.com

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es s ential home

Garden Sheds, Tools, and Tips

BY JOAN W. ZIEGLER

GardenGARDEN Sheds SHEDS Garden sheds can be much more than a place for storage. They can be a gardener’s respite or hideaway. They

may define and enclose a garden as either the background or focal point.

But for the organizationally challenged, a well-laid-out garden shed with a place to hang tools is a blessing. I love my linear shed with specific pegs for garden forks, hoes, shovels, rakes, edgers, and brooms. Its narrow design keeps me from piling stuff up and allows me to quickly see and grab the tools I need.

Whether you plan to build a humble shed or one elaborate enough to move into, remember to think about how it will add to your landscape as well as how you plan to use it. photo Marcia Timothy Hughes Photographic s Hansen

Garden sheds and good garden tools may be worth their weight in gold for the time and aggravation they can save.

Selecting the proper tools for the job and knowing when and how to use them also helps to reduce wear and tear on your body. The right tools and a convenient place to store them can turn the battle of the bushes and war of the weeds into the joy of gardening.

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

GardenGARDEN Forks FORKS Soil preparation is paramount to reducing future weeding, and there is nothing like a good forged, Made in England digging fork to do the job. Their strong tines can penetrate even the mostcompacted soils and can incorporate added organic matter deeper into the soil than most tillers. Digging forks also work to lift and divide perennials without slicing their roots.

The border fork is the digging fork’s smaller, but mighty companion. Use it with the digging fork to divide perennials by inserting the border fork and the digging fork back to back in the middle of a perennial clump. Then push the handles together and apart to break the clump into two. Resist the temptation to buy inexpensive garden forks; they usually bend with the first challenge.

TIP: To keep from puddling your soil, only work in the garden when the soil is dry enough to pick up a handful and squeeze it together without turning it into a mud pie.

BOWL OF HEAVEN CAFÉ HOLLANDER CAFÉ PORTA ALBA DUMPLING HAUS FLEMINGʼS STEAKHOUSE GREAT DANE PUB & BREWING CO. PASQUALʼS CANTINA Hoes HOES The Dutch hand hoe is my most-used garden tool and comes in both left- and right-handed options. If you are able to get down on your hands and knees, it’s a fast and easy way to thoroughly weed a garden in spring. Use it before weeds get big to quickly and systematically scrape the soil surface in between and next to garden plants. This will kill germinating and small weeds by severing or disturbing their roots. As I weed through the garden, I lift the foliage of the plant I am weeding around with one hand then scrape as close as possible to kill weeds at the base of the plant with the hoe in my other hand.

Pruners PRUNERS Size matters when it comes to selecting pruning tools. Hand pruners work to cut flowers and branches less than an inch in diameter. The best hand pruners have left- and right-handed options, and have blades that can be replaced or removed for sharpening. Loppers are a better choice for making clean cuts on branches an inch or two in diameter.

For pruning bigger branches, a sharp pruning saw is the best tool for the job.

Using a pruning tool too small for the job tends to rip bark, crush branches, and makes it hard for the plant to heal over the wound.

If you prefer to work standing, try the long-handled diamond Dutch hoe.

This hoe is designed to work without bending over. Its sharp blade cuts on both the forward and backwards strokes and works in the same way as the Dutch hand hoe to kill weeds. But be careful, it is easy to cut off the wrong plant, especially plants that are late to emerge in spring.

cut back or deadhead flowers.

TIP: Try using hedge shears to quickly These are some of my favorite tools and garden shed ideas, but there are many more available to suit your needs and

SUSHI MURAMOTO

726 N. MIDVALE BLVD MADISON HILLDALE.COM

complement your landscape. Take the work out of gardening with quality, sharp tools and a place to keep them ready and waiting.

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.

TIP: Remember to look under the plants for weeds. Repeat hoeing or mulch after hoeing to keep future weeds at bay.

madisonessentials.com

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advertiser index association

Arts Wisconsin.................................................31 Dane Buy Local............................................. 42 Dane County Humane Society...................27 Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce................................................ 59 Madison Originals......................................... 38 Oregon Area Chamber of Commerce..... 63 Share the Health............................................15

entertainment

Fantasy in Lights............................................. 64 Ho-Chunk Gaming........................................51 Madison Ballet..................................................8 Madison Opera..............................................28 Olbrich Botanical Gardens......................... 56 Overture Center............................................ 33 Pride Parade.....................................................9 The Wild Dandelion........................................24 Wollersheim Winery & Distillery......................5 WORT................................................................19

home & landscaping

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

dining, food & beverage

Bavaria Sausage Kitchen, Inc..................... 55 Bering Bounty LLC..........................................15 Bonfyre American Grille..................................9 Brickhouse BBQ...............................................23 Calliope Ice Cream..............................36 & 44 Charlie’s on Main..................................43 & 63 The Chocolate Caper.................................. 63 Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream....................18 City Tins..............................................................2 Clasen’s European Bakery........................... 53 Daisy Cafe & Cupcakery..............................13 Fraboni’s Italian Specialties & Delicatessen..............................................18 Fromagination............................................... 43 Gail Ambrosius................................................13 Gates & Brovi..................................................15 Hilldale.............................................................61 Hop Haus Brewing Co....................................12 Imperial Garden.............................................14 La Rocca’s Restaurant & Pizzeria................ 63 Lil’ Buddy’s Popcorn..................................... 63 Liliana’s........................................................... 43 Lombardino’s Italian Restaurant & Bar.........................................5 Manna Café & Bakery..................................13 Metcalfe’s Market......................................... 29 Mid Town Pub..................................................26 National Mustard Museum.......................... 46 Nick’s Restaurant..............................................9 The Nitty Gritty................................................41 Nonno’s Ristorante Italiano..........................37 Norske Nook Restaurant & Bakery...............10 North and South Seafood & Smokehouse..............................................28 The Old Feed Mill Restaurant.......................25 Old Sugar Distillery........................................ 52 Oliver’s Public House.................................... 55 Opus Lounge..................................................41 Otto’s Restaurant & Bar................................ 29 Pasqual’s Cantina.................................20 & 21 Pizza Brutta..................................................... 50 Porta Bella.......................................................17 Quivey’s Grove...............................................37 R.P. Adler’s Pub & Grill....................................39

Riley’s Wines of the World.............................25 Sa-Bai Thong.................................................. 58 Samba Brazillian Grill.................................... 32 The Side Door Grill and Tap......................... 32 Stalzy’s Deli & Bakery.....................................13 Sugar River Pizza.............................................47 Tempest Oyster Bar........................................39 Toot & Kate’s Winebar.................................. 40 Tornado Steak House....................................39 Tutto Pasta.......................................................25 The University Club........................................ 50 Villa Dolce.........................................................6 Vintage Brewing Co...................................... 42 Wollersheim Winery & Distillery......................5

services

Elizabeth H. Winston Ph.D., LLC................... 38 First Weber Realtors....................................... 63 Four Lakes Veterinary Clinic........................ 34 Madison Taxi...................................................10 Miracles In Massage..................................... 63 Monroe Street Framing................................. 48 Open Door Center for Change, LLC...........31 Oregon Community Bank........................... 63 Oregon Hometown Pharmacy................... 63 Renu.................................................................17 Stoughton Hospital....................................... 63 Tadsen Photography.................................... 35 Towns & Associates, Inc................................61 Union Cab of Madison................................. 30

shopping

American Provenance................................. 45 Anthology....................................................... 56 Arcadia Books..................................................7 Artisan Gallery............................................... 49 Bergey Jewelry.............................................. 63 Burnie’s Rock Shop........................................ 56 Cluck the Chicken Store...................... 11 & 45 Convivio.......................................................... 35 Dykman’s Time Shop......................................57 Farley’s House of Pianos................................57 Gallery Marzen...............................................13 The Gingko Tree............................................. 44 Hilldale.............................................................61 Iconi Interiors & Consignment..................... 30 I’m Board! Games......................................... 56 The Interior Statement...................................57 Jazzman.............................................................8 John/Christine Designs..................................11 Karen & Co./Sassafras.....................................5 Katy’s American Indian Arts.........................57 Lidtke Motors...................................................27 Little Luxuries.................................................. 56 Mystery To Me................................................ 44 National Mustard Museum.......................... 46 Paoli Gallery & Print Shop.............................11 Pieces Unimagined........................................57 Playthings..........................................................7 Red Elephant....................................................7 ReThreads........................................................14 Rutabaga........................................................57 Stone Fence...........................................13 & 45 Table Wine.......................................................13 The University Book Store..............................57 Vanilla Bean....................................................16 Vault Interiors & Design.................................13 The Vinery........................................................57 Wine and Hop Shop...................................... 56 Wollersheim Winery & Distillery......................5 Zazen Gallery..................................................11

CONTEST Win a $50 Madison Originals® Gift Certificate!

Question: Name the two restaurants that brothers Tony and Jerry Lumani own.

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 December 16, 2016. 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 “What local Madison restaurant was previously the franchise Joey’s Seafood and Grill?” is North and South Seafood & Smokehouse. A $50 Madison Originals® Gift Certificate was sent to each of our winners: Kathy Gifford and John Tantillo, both of Madison.

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