Madison Essentials September/October 2018

VISIT US AT THE SPARK! While we’ve loved our time as part of the Capitol Square community, we’ve been dreaming of a bigger and better space for our future — and we’re excited to announce that it’s finally become a reality!

By October, DreamBank will be fully moved in to the brand new Spark building, located just eight blocks down East Washington Avenue from our current spot on the Square.

Our new space at the Spark currently has limited hours for private events, tours, or a cup of coffee. DreamBank on the Square will be hosting events through September 23, 2018.

We can’t wait to see you there!

DreamBank on the Square

AMFAM.COM/DREAMBANK | 608.286.3150

DreamBank at Spark

One North Pinckney Street

821 East Washington Avenue

Full hours through September 23

Limited hours through September

Mon – Thur: 9 am – 8 pm Fri: 9 am – 6 pm Sat: 9 am – 4 pm Sun: 11 am – 3 pm

Mon, Tue & Thur: 8 – 4 pm Wednesday: 8 – 1 pm Friday: 8 – 3 pm

Full hours starting October 1

American Family Mutual Insurance Company S.I., American Family Insurance Company, 6000 American Parkway, Madison, WI 53783 014883 – Rev. 6/18 ©2018

CONTENTS

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

madisonessentials.com

september/october 2018

vol. 57

essential

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

arts Deb Gottschalk.............................50 Woodland Studios.........................14

publication designer Linda Walker

community

senior copy editor

Ho-Chunk.......................................22 No More!........................................44 Self-Improv-ment Level Three.......54 Stoughton Opera House...............10

Kyle Jacobson

copy editor Krystle Engh Naab

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

sales & marketing manager Kelly Hopkins khopkins@madisonessentials.com

graphic designers Jennifer Denman, Crea Stellmacher, Barbara Wilson

dining Athens Grill.......................................6

finance Youth & Money..............................56

food & beverage Chinese Grocery Stores................30 Frabjous Hubs of Influence...........46

landmark Hotel Ruby Marie............................34

administration

nonprofit

Jennifer Baird, Lori Czajka, Debora Knutson

ARCW.............................................26 REACH-A-Child..............................18

contributing writers Sandy Eichel, Jeanne Engle, Curt Fuszard, Josh Heath, Kyle Jacobson, Bill Keeton, Elissa Koppel, Lauri Lee, Monique Minkens, Krystle Engh Naab, Derek Notman, Lori Scarlett, DVM, Missy Tracy, Liz Wessel

pets

photographer

Community Matters when the Goal is Liberation....................................38

Eric Tadsen

additional photographs ARCW, DAIS, Deb Gottschalk, Green Concierge Travel, Ho-Chunk Gaming Madison, Hotel Ruby Marie, Kyle Jacobson, Maureen Cassidy Photography, Sue Moen, REACH-A-Child, Tim Erickson Photography

Diabetes in Cats.............................42

travel New Glarus....................................58

well-being

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

(continued) madisonessentials.com

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all rights reserved. ©2018

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

Watch for the next issue November/December 2018.

Cover photograph—Taken at Stoughton

Opera House by Tim Erickson Photography.

Photographs on page 3: top—taken at Woodland Studios by Eric

Tadsen.

middle—taken at Athens Grill by Eric

Tadsen.

bottom—Provided by REACH-A-Child.

from the editor It’s our first Community and Culture issue, which is the theme that best represents the essence of Madison Essentials. It’s about who we are and where we live.

Diversity of population has been a hot topic this year, and I suspect will continue to be for some time. It surprises me because it seems that the greatness of any community is the result of all those who make it up. I’m fascinated by our differences and relish in the opportunity to learn about and from them. I believe it also helps me to be a better person for myself and everyone around me.

I’ve lived in the Greater Madison area all my life, and I think it’s the best. I used to regularly travel throughout the United States and noticed that, upon each return, I felt like I was home. I used to think I’d live in different cities, but while I enjoyed my travel adventures, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Madison is where I’m meant to be.

While there’s always a legitimate argument as to exactly how diverse any community is and in what way, I’ve always been fortunate to find myself in positions where I can be exposed to it. And those I interact with, be they Madison residents or visitors, express their appreciation for it as well. This is why I’m shocked when I learn of actions of intolerants. How can it happen here?

One example of negative action relates to another local publication which we have always felt a connection with—Our Lives Magazine. When I talk with the publisher, we appreciate our similar business philosophies. We share in the idea that by doing business in a conscientious manner for all involved (clients, subjects, and readers) it will lead to our businesses being successful. That doing good business creates good business.

It brings me great sadness when I learn of incidents where people show disrespect to a publication simply because it represents the LGBT and Allied community. There has been ongoing vandalism at distribution points, and someone threw a rock through the front office door window. Their office isn’t readily apparent, so someone had to make a concerted effort to express this violence. And it is violence.

Actions that are made simply because of people’s differences are disturbing and inexplicable. Perhaps I’ve been fortunate not to have had similar experiences or I’ve just been oblivious to them. Whatever it has been, this is now. And I hope that in this and all issues of Madison Essentials we not only learn about our differences, but we celebrate them. It’s who we are and where we live.

On an additional community note, we would be remiss if we didn’t continue to send our thoughts and support to all in Sun Prairie. #SunPrairieStrong

amy johnson

4 | madison essentials

family crafted wine & spirits Proudly made in Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin.

Tours & Tastings Daily Open Year-round

PRAIRIE DU SAC, Wi wollersheim.com

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e ssential dining

Loaded Gyro - house-made lamb and beef gyro with tzatziki, tahini, cucumbers, onions, and tomatoes.

Mediterranean Comfort Food for Everyone! by Lauri Lee

Athens Grill, a new Mediterranean restaurant on the north edge of Madison in Westport, opened in December 2017 with its farm-to-table menu. The vision to bring delicious and nutritious Mediterranean food to the general populace at affordable prices has culminated in a restaurant that offers a variety of dining options in a new, spacious, freestanding building next to where it all began as Athens Gyros—in a Shell gas station.

Building a restaurant brand before leveraging the business into a brickand-mortar building is a popular trend.

Starting small before opening a full restaurant is a good way to improve the odds of success by growing a loyal customer base. Locating in a gas station provided low start-up costs for Athens Gyros and guaranteed foot traffic as they got started.

The Ladopoulos family had a threephase master plan when purchasing

6 | madison essentials

the Willow Road property in the town of Westport along Highway M, near Highway 113. Phase one was to build apartments and a combined-use building with small business spaces. The intention of phase two was to build a gas station incorporating Athens Gyros and then selling the station to a major gas company in order to build a freestanding Mediterranean restaurant. In 2015, the gas station sold to Kwik Trip Tobacco Outlet Plus, and it was time for phase three. The Ladopoulos family contacted their life-long friend and chef, Andy Ziegler, to become part of the ownership team to continue the brand evolution and move the Athens Grill restaurant plan forward.

Andy met and became friends with Odysseas Ladopoulos in first grade and spent summers with the Ladopoulos family in Greece. They are a second family to him. He has 17 years of restaurant experience, both locally and abroad.

While working on his international relations degree, he developed his sense of world cuisine and culture by immersing himself in the lifestyle of

Grilled Eggplant Gyro - our vegetarian gyro.

Rome, Italy, and Chambery, France, while working in small kitchens. Locally, his culinary experience includes L’Etoile, Cafe Soleil, Kushi Bar Muramoto, The Haze, and helping to open Nostrano on the Square.

Wanting a change, he and his wife moved to Colorado. There he helped open The Laundry restaurant in Steamboat Springs, then settled in as chef for the Steamboat Mountain School.

He transitioned the food preparation

Double smash burger, fries and a pint.

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Metaxa Mule - our version of the classic cocktail, the Moscow Mule.

We make ours with the traditional spirit Metaxa (Greek brandy). landscape architects garden designers site planners 831.5098 zdainc.com

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to from-scratch cooking using local ingredients for this elite private boarding school with a global immersion studies program for competitive skiers and those training for the United States ski team. After starting a sustainable agriculture program, he fundraised to build a campus greenhouse and started a scholarship fund for students pursuing sustainable agriculture after leaving the school.

The restaurant construction was going to take a year, and Andy wanted to keep loyal customers happy by continuing to serve gyros while it was being built.

He found a 30-foot, silver-quilted box truck with a full kitchen to serve as the restaurant’s temporary location.

The doors of the gas station closed one day, and the next day the food truck opened out back to continue serving core clientele. A greenhouse added in front of the food truck provided seating and warmth during winter up until 10 days before the new restaurant opened. The food truck is now used for offsite catering for private parties and celebrations, as well as for business and community events.

Family and friends gathering over good food in good company for decades is how

6/13/18 6:01 PM

this restaurant got to where it is today.

Andy and the Ladopoulos family wanted to build a restaurant where other people feel comfortable inviting their family and friends to dine together. The restaurant was designed to be a place of gathering with a casual, friendly atmosphere.

Building a sense of community and providing a good work culture for the 30-plus employees is equally important to them.

The 3,000-square-foot restaurant feels spacious and inviting due to the high ceilings, yellow walls, and bank of windows that allows natural sunlight to flow into the space. A retractable glass-pane garage door creates a smaller private dining or meeting area at the back of the room. There’s also a patio with table umbrellas.

Athens Grill provides quick-servicestyle ordering at the counter, and the food is brought to customers in the casual, family-friendly space that can accommodate large groups. Andy credits Sarah Vesley, the restaurant front-ofhouse manager since the transition, for making sure customers leave the restaurant happy. Traditional food service is served at the bar. The bar features craft cocktails, tap beer, fine wine, whiskey, and imported Greek spirits. Commuters,

truckers, and those with a short lunch break take advantage of the drivethrough, while boaters and those living nearby often call ahead for carryout.

Jodi is a frequent customer who lives in Cottage Grove and commutes for work between Westport and Middleton. She discovered the eggplant pita, which is her favorite, before the restaurant opened. “They had great food at the food truck, but now they’ve added the atmosphere. It’s a great place for me to enjoy delicious food while I work on my laptop. My husband is from Romania and loves the food. The kids absolutely love the pita bread that I order to go.”

At Athens Grill, they believe everyone deserves to eat affordable, delicious, nourishing food every single day. The Mediterranean comfort food is locally sourced and made from scratch using original recipes. The flavors are rooted in the tradition of Greece and surrounding Mediterranean countries. In addition to gyros, the menu includes burgers, sides, sandwiches, salads, vegetarian selections, and incredible soup. The all-natural gyros are a blend of lamb and beef mixed with Mediterranean spices, without fillers or additives. The gyros’ cones are handcrafted in a USDA facility downstairs in the restaurant.

The cones are also sold wholesale to restaurants throughout Wisconsin and the upper Midwest.

As more and more people discover this welcoming restaurant with delicious Mediterranean food, the odds of continued success are high for Athens Grill.

Lauri Lee is a foodie living in Madison.

Photographs by Eric Tadsen.

Lauri Lee

Mediterranean Grain Salad

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e ssential community

Stoughton Opera House

INDEPENDENT THEATRE ENRICHING COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

by Krystle Engh Naab Over a century ago, the city council of Stoughton looked to make a statement to the importance of the city and have it stand out. Their plan: have a theatre in the upstairs of the Stoughton City Hall with city offices downstairs. It would make everyone happy, establish a community center, and provide profits to afford the building.

The Stoughton Opera House, then known as the City Auditorium, started with the February 22, 1901, opening of The Doctor’s Warm Reception, a lighthearted play with a cast of 11.1 Upon visiting, many understand why the Opera House is dubbed southern

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

Wisconsin’s most charming theatre.

The magnificent original gas/electric chandelier, upgraded with modern wiring, lamps, and frosted tulip bowls, hangs alongside its two-thirds-sized replica above the balcony, and the original curtain onstage was restored, adding character and distinction to productions.1 Such features lead Bill Brehm, director of the Opera House, to describe the theatre as exhibiting “the Doctor Who effect because the Opera House seems too big to fit inside the building from the outside.”

Another outstanding feature is the rich oak woodwork. Though the seats can be a little hard on the posterior, Bill

says, “The professionals bring their own cushions. You are not going to be the only one walking around with a cushion on Main Street.”

When Bill became director of media services for Stoughton and the director of the Opera House in 2007, working both positions seemed manageable. The Opera House only had a few shows a year. Within this last year, however, Bill has been at the Opera House exclusively.

Booking acts is a yearly challenge. The performance series goes from midSeptember through early June, and Bill’s hope was “at some point we would turn a corner, pushed harder and harder, and

When it comes to booking really great acts, Bill says, “Another part of the trick is getting people that are really good before they explode. Every year, when I do booking, I start with Neil Young and back away from there.” Notice the lack of Don Giovani and Carmen? Amusingly, the Opera House doesn’t perform much opera.

And that’s okay with Bill. Though the Opera House is part of the Madison

This magnificent chandelier is pictured against the ornately intricate details of the embossed metal ceiling.

2019

To find what works, he reviews past performances that did well and finds music that people enjoy to fill the 475 seats—shows that are inexpensive but sell well, like the amazing AcroCats featuring their own band, The Rock Cats. These felines demonstrate fantastic feats of musical abilities, and they rock! They’ve been performing two shows a day for five years running, and every season they sell out. “[The Acro-Cats] outsold a lot of really legendary performers.”

2018

it turns out there is no corner—just one long curve.”

Loudon Wainwright Kruger Brothers Brubeck Brothers Trio Music Appreciation Lee Ann Womack Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder Scott Mulvahill Hal Ketchum Words & Music by Dan Wilson Mike Farris Suzy Bogguss: A Swingin' Little Christmas The Lone Bellow (Robert Ellis supports) Playtime Productions: The Prince & The Pauper Michael Perry & the Long Beds Stoughton Festival Choir & City Band Christmas Concert

Thur, Nov 1 Fri, Nov 2 Sat, Nov 3 Mon, Nov 5 Wed, Nov 7 Thur, Nov 8 Fri, Nov 9 Fri, Nov 16 Sat, Nov 17 Thur, Nov 29 Sat, Dec 1 Fri, Dec 7 Sat, Dec 8 Sat, Dec 8

Steely Dane Davina and the Vagabonds Gaines & Wagoner Robbie Fulks Sierra Hull Marcia Ball & Sonny Landreth The Milk Carton Kids Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives Tom Sharpe The Gibson Brothers Eilen Jewell Michael Perry An Evening with Rodney Crowell Trio The Subdudes Tim O'Brien Bluegrass Band Roy Rogers and the Delta Rhythm Kings Leo Kottke Michael Hecht: What I learned from Wendell Berry Robyn Hitchcock Carlene Carter Harp Twins Opera for the Young Chris Smither Rhonda Vincent & The Rage Asleep At The Wheel Asleep At The Wheel Crystal Bowersox The Quebe Sisters Leftover Salmon Living Room Acoustic Tour Playtime Productions: The Red Shoes Riders In The Sky MadFiddle & Highway 151 Del McCoury Band The Steel Wheels Della Mae

Sat, Feb 9 Fri, Feb 15 Sat, Feb 16 Fri, Feb 22 Sat, Feb 23 Thur, Feb 28 Fri, Mar 1 Sat, Mar 2 Fri, Mar 8 Sat, Mar 9 Sat, Mar 16 Thur, Mar 21 Fri, Mar 22 Sat, Mar 23 Thur, Mar 28 Fri, Mar 29 Sat, Mar 30

Sun, Dec 9

Wed, Apr 3 Thur, Apr 4 Fri, Apr 5 Sat, Apr 6 Sun, Apr 7 Thur, Apr 11 Fri, Apr 12 Sat, Apr 13 Sun, Apr 14 Thur, Apr 18 Thur, Apr 25 Fri, Apr 26 Sat, Apr 27 Sat, Apr 27 Sun, Apr 28 Fri, May 3 Sat, May 4 Sat, May 11

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The Opera House is part of the Madison market, Stoughton is distinct.

“This community has its own identity.” market, Stoughton is distinct. “This community has its own identity.” As a member of the arts council, Bill worked to “designate an Arts & Entertainment district in Stoughton. Partially so people recognize it’s something that is happening in this particular area, but it also creates opportunities to apply for funding to do some more substantial development work and bring creative aspects of the community to the forefront.”

Bill muses on how special Stoughton is to have the Opera House. “The city has been very supportive, and as the years 12 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

have gone on it has become apparent to everyone that a strategy for community development has several different aspects. But a major component is the creative economy, and I think a lot of the time it gets overlooked—the importance of arts drawing people to a community to both live and visit.”

Stoughton is conveniently located half an hour outside of Madison, and local businesses benefit from having the Opera House. Many admit to Bill that they opened their businesses where they did because of the close proximity to the theatre. “I think it is important that

people understand about who they are supporting when they go to see shows.

It’s not always just about supporting the artists. You are supporting people who paid the artist to be there. Community involvement has been one of the most important parts about the development of the Opera House for the last 10 years,” says Bill.

The future of the Opera House is unknown, but Bill is confident he can depend on the work ethic of the people he surrounds himself with at the theatre. Their personal fulfillment is seeing people leave the shows happy,

and they take all criticisms to heart. “We have to take personal responsibility, and if [patrons] are unhappy about something, we are the ones to blame for the circumstances that cause them to be unhappy.”

families evolves, as those circumstances change, the kinds of acts we would like to see will change as well. The challenge going forward will be staying in touch with those young families and where do they want to go.”

Bill thinks taking personal responsibility is empowering in a lot of ways, but it’s also a burden because they’ve built personal relationships with their patrons unlike other theatres. “It’s hard to maintain, and you have to keep on growing with this idea that it’s bigger than yourself–it’s about a sense that what you are doing means something to both the community as well as for the people who come here from other communities.

1

Your Adventure Begins Here

Krystle Engh Naab is a freelance writer and copy editor for Madison Essentials.

Photographs provided by Tim Erickson Photography.

Photograph by Barbara Wilson

“Sustaining that is important for the future and as we go forward. There are new generations of people deciding that maybe they don’t want to stand up for two and a half hours to watch a show, don’t need everybody drinking around them, or they only get out a couple times a month. As this new generation of young

Stoughton Opera House. stoughtonoperahouse.com/history

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essential arts

Drawn to Art VISIT

WOODLAND S •T •U •D •I •O •S

By Lauri Lee

Carved gourd by Gary Kvalheim

Woodland Studios is a boutique art gallery with artisan printing and framing.

It’s best described as part store and part gallery for one-of-a-kind types of art.

Prices range from $20 to collectible price points for a variety of art mediums appealing to all types of customers.

It’s also the place to bring a treasured family photograph to have it printed and made into something special, or to have a custom-framed job designed and completed.

The studio carries original local art, printed art, investment art, glass wall art, mosaic glass wall art, metal wall art, carvings, fused glass, blown glass, pottery, sculptural steel, custom-made furniture, jewelry, hand-dyed scarves, 14 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

and Scandinavian folk art artifacts. The gallery has wall sections of individual artists to create a museum atmosphere.

But unlike a museum, the displays are intended to enhance the viewing of the art that can be purchased by an individual, interior designer, or collector. Visit woodland-studios.com for a virtual tour.

In 2016, Alan Sheets opened Woodland Studios in historic downtown Stoughton.

He was living in La Crosse working as an executive of a medium-sized company when a Japanese company purchased it.

He chose to leave corporate management to enjoy his passion for art. When young, he had taken art classes at the Toledo Art Museum, one of top five museums in

the country. Over the years, he collected a variety of original and printed art from famous American artists. With his expertise in art and investment art, opening a studio would give him a place

to display and sell his collection, as well as the work of local artists.

The search for a town known as an artistic community led Alan to Stoughton for his art studio. A town of 13,000, Stoughton is just 18 miles southeast of downtown Madison. The vibrant community has the international vibe of the university, and attracts tourists from Chicago and Milwaukee. The opera house, museums, theatre, restaurants, interesting shops, and beautiful homes with Norwegian architecture give the town its distinct character.

When Alan scouted Stoughton, he discovered a building on Main Street with an existing frame-and-print shop.

While not for sale, the owners took it as an opportunity to retire when he made them an offer. The three-story building was constructed in 1889 and is on the historic register. The lower level of the building once opened to the outside, and ice blocks were delivered there by truck for cold food storage. An original stone fireplace still exists in the lower level. He knew this building had just the right atmosphere for his venture.

The art studio would be located on the 3,000-square-foot main level, while the 3,000 square feet of the lower level would be used for the custom-frameand-printing production area. The third level has two apartments.

Many people are buying highly collectible, museum-quality art of deceased master artists as an investment opportunity. The signed original art, lithographs, etchings, and engravings appreciate in value and could outperform

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Museum Investment Art Gallery

the stock market. These pieces are hard to find as they are much sought after by museums, galleries, and art collectors. A prestige is associated with art that will never change, even if the value changes.

Those who buy a piece of history get to enjoy the art for many years before later selling it for profit. A lithograph signed in 1940 by Works Progress Administration (WPA) artist Grant Wood is just one piece of investment art at the gallery.

He was well-known as the painter of American Gothic, the iconic painting of a woman and man holding a pitchfork. There are around 50 investment art pieces in a 300-squarefoot area of the store.

The heritage of Stoughton draws interest to the Norwegian and Scandinavian folk art artifact collection. Many collectors

purchase these popular heritage items.

After 1957, Norway no longer allowed people to bring artifacts out of the country, which makes them hard to find. The artifacts at the gallery were brought by immigrants to the United States from the early 1800s to early 1940s and handed down through many generations.

To be able to offer a wide range of styles and mediums, Woodland Studios shows and sells the work of local artists on consignment. The artists periodically hold exhibits. Some of the original and printed art currently on display are the works of Cassius J. Callender, Debra D’Souza, Gary Erickson, Sharon Fujimoto, Joe Garza, Laurel Grey, Derek Hambly, Doug Hatch, Peter Herman, Matthias James, Ann Kleckner, Lucy

V isit Woodland-S tudios.com for a virtual tour!

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

Kubly, Gary Kvalheim, Mark LaRowe, Brady Lueck, Mark Pflughoeft, Sara Rezin, Mitch Sigmund, Julie Sutter-Blair, and Karen Watson-Newlin. Local and regional jewelry artists also sell their enamel, fused glass, and metalwork jewelry creations. Local artists can contact Alan for details on having their art considered for the gallery.

Photographers, artists, and those wanting high-quality printing can have their original two dimensional artwork, photographs, or computer-generated art reproduced by Woodland Studios.

The printing process uses fade-resistant, archival inks for small-to, very largeformat printing on a wide variety of canvas and fine art papers. Prints can be ordered online from anywhere in the country. Interior designers often select a print and have it resized to fit into their client’s home or business.

The studio also has a computerized mat cutting machine, full customframing shop, and vacuum press for dry mounting the work of artists. If it’s worth remembering, it’s worth framing.

Over 3,000 wood and metal frames, shadowboxes, and floater frames are

available for high-quality custom framing. Conservation is available to repair and clean an art piece if needed.

Woodland Studios features art from 1799 to present day. Art students or individuals who want to look at or study period art can visit the shop to enjoy what is usually found only at a museum.

If you’re looking for one-of-a-kind pieces of art or to add to your art collection, take the short drive to Stoughton.

Lauri Lee owns Communication Concepts, a marketing communications business in Madison.

Photographs by Eric Tadsen.

Lauri Lee

Mosiac Glass By Debra D’Souza

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essential nonprofit

REACH-A

Child

by Curt Fuszard

REACH-A-Child™ (REACH) is a small, Madison-based nonprofit with a big mission. Since 2007, it has been delivering children’s books and backpacks at no cost to first responders across Wisconsin, and it’s not stopping until every first responder vehicle in the state is equipped with a REACH BAG.

The REACH BAG is a durable backpack maintained in the first responder vehicle. It’s initially equipped with 10 new, vetted children’s books and 10 drawstring backpacks. The REACH BAGs are refilled every six months or sooner if requested.

First responders use the books to comfort children they encounter in crisis situations.

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

Imagine being a child and suddenly experiencing the worst day of your life. It might be a car accident, a fire at the house, or a domestic disturbance.

All of a sudden, strangers in oversized uniforms arrive; people are yelling and confusion reigns. Is someone hurt?

Why is the ambulance here? Why is Mommy crying out? Please, make this bad situation go away!

Virtually every first responder vehicle in Dane County and every State Patrol squad in Wisconsin is carrying a REACH BAG. That first responder, who initially looked scary, is now sitting next to the child holding some books.

One is chosen and they read it together.

The child feels transformed to another place—a safe place.

THE POWER OF A BOOK The power of a book serves to both comfort the child and distract him or her from the immediate trauma.

Research has shown that this diversion can significantly reduce the likelihood of PTSD or other long-term emotional affects.

First responders advise that books are very easy to store and transport.

Stuffed animals are more difficult to transport and to keep clean, and there is the concern that stuffed animals may provide comfort but do not distract the child from the crisis at hand.

FIRST RESPONDERS Chief Mike Koval of the Madison Police Department and a member of the REACH Advisory Council has been a strong ambassador of the organization for many years. He often notes the special challenge facing first responders who are not parents attempting to comfort a traumatized child.

He and his colleagues found that by providing a child with a book, the response in virtually every situation is positive. The child becomes more emotionally stable, and the first responder takes pride in helping to resolve a very difficult situation.

Another member of the REACH Advisory Council, Milwaukee County Deputy Kristine Camarillo reflects

The books included in the REACH BAGs come from a variety of sources, including local authors and book distributors.

Each is carefully vetted to ensure it aligns with the age parameters (2 to 12) and content requirements. Diversity is encouraged, while references to violence or religion are excluded.

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on how the Department views the importance of REACH BAGs. She notes that vehicles are not allowed to leave the garage unless they are carrying a REACH BAG, per instructions from the sheriff.

and includes the durable backpack, 20 new children’s books, and 20 individual drawstring backpacks. Likewise, the employees of Colony Brands funded REACH BAGs for the 27 first responder vehicles in Monroe.

HOW IT WORKS

To complement the money raised in the various communities, REACH hosts four major fundraisers each year.

Proceeds are used to provide REACH BAGs to smaller communities who may not have obvious sources for funding.

With few exceptions, any dollars raised within a community go right back in the form of a REACH BAG to local first responders. When a call was received recently from the Marshfield Fire Department requesting a REACH BAG for each of the four vehicles, the staff and REACH immediately contacted businesses and organizations in the city.

That same day, Culver’s of Marshfield agreed to fund the REACH BAGs. The first-year cost for a REACH BAG is $150

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

THE NEXT ITERATION Officer Tommy Foy spent many years walking the streets of Sun Prairie as part of his patrol. Shortly after joining the REACH Advisory Council, he suggested that books should also be available for noncrisis situations. His routine was

to engage with boys and girls in Sun Prairie by offering them a book to take home and read.

Officer Foy instructed them to provide a summary of the book when they next connected. Upon doing so, the child was offered another book, and so on. Thanks to Officer Foy, children in Sun Prairie are building their own personal library.

We have shared this story with every first responder department receiving our resources. Without exception, they willingly accept additional books, which they may use for formal events, such

as National Night Out or Shop with a Cop. Some are using them, similarly to Officer Foy, as an alternative to a sticker or playing card.

Thanks to the two distribution channels (crisis and routine engagements) and the expansion of our program across the state, we were able to provide 17,132 books to first responders last year—an increase of 78 percent. This year, our goal is to provide 22,000 books, a pace which we are currently exceeding.

WANT TO LEARN MORE? We encourage the public to visit reachachild.org to view the list of

communities we are currently serving.

We still have much work to do as we build awareness across the state.

We also welcome guests to our events posted on the website, especially the monthly Apps & Taps, which are a great way to learn about the organization while spending time with other passionate professionals.

Our request to all interested parties is to take time to sincerely thank our first responders. Their service to our communities is often unnoticed and seldom appreciated. As our clients, we know how challenging their jobs are, and we simply cannot say thank you enough!

Curt Fuszard is the executive director at REACH-A-Child.

Photographs provided by REACH-A-Child.

Curt Fuszard

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e ssential community

by Missy Tracy Since the hunter-and-gatherer days of our tribe, we of the Ho-Chunk Nation, formerly known as Winnebago, have strongly believed in connection. Our ancestors inhabited the Madison area around 11,000 years ago, holding it for safekeeping as stewards of the land to take from it only as needed. Though the connection we have to the land still very much exists, the connection we have to the people of Madison has grown alongside the city itself.

Through efforts to keep the tribe strong, we’ve been afforded unique opportunities that put us in a position to strengthen our participation in local communities while representing ourselves as HoChunk. To spur economic growth in Madison, we’ve spent a lot of time and money on expansion and development that stays true to the spiritual and cultural meaning of our hallowed land and the enduring ecofriendly spirit of Madison.

The Ho-Chunk Nation’s tribal enrollment now numbers over 7,000.

Ho-Chunk Gaming Madison is evolving to create and maintain a destination

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

district that connects to the surrounding areas. We see our facility as a way to enhance the cultural relationships between the Ho-Chunk Nation and the Greater Madison area. Our new design will emphasize collaboration and sustainability, green spaces for active and healthy lifestyles, and our heritage as Ho-Chunk.

There are many benefits in developing a facility like this for both Ho-Chunk Nation and the Madison area, not least of which is enhancing cross-cultural connections. Emphasis will be on

interactive technology, with artifacts and diverse, constantly changing, hands-on programming becoming a center for the community.

This would be a heritage center versus a museum for the Dejope (Four Lakes) region. The hope is to enhance the Greater Madison tourism market while highlighting the aboriginal people, history of the Ho-Chunk, the longstanding history of the effigy mounds, and the beautiful landscape that is Madison. In fact, the effigy mounds left by our ancestors often overlook major rivers, streams, lakes, and large wetlands. They were built to represent our ancestors’ worldviews and religious beliefs. We want our facility to educate the local and touring public about the origins of the mounds and the region.

Local interest through community outreach and relationship development has identified potential opportunities.

Collaboration among public and private entities is critical in making this project successful in maximizing the regional economic benefits anticipated to result from the coordinated effort in developing this district. Feasibility study recommendations include developing a dynamic, interactive space with exhibition area, a flexible Great Room, artist studios, an art gallery, and educational programming spaces in addition to high-quality outdoor programming space.

Ho-Chunk cultural tourism also reflects both historical and physical geography.

The Dejope region’s natural environment is an important tourism resource.

Ecotourism demand is a result of both interest as well as tourist demand, and is a beneficial and sustainable industry.

The effigy mounds are Madison’s niche experience. They along with the four lakes afford an ecotourism opportunity.

Its noteworthy draw is appealing for anthropologists and archaeologists, as

thousands of years of history is still here to share and interpret. Environmental sustainability, healthy development patterns, multimodal infrastructure, and engagement with the natural world is key. It’s truly an opportunity to educate sustainability through the multifaceted interactions of humans and the natural environments, teaching that a resource can be put to human use without threatening its ability to replenish on its own.

Life is better on the water.

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Bringing more tourism to Madison is a great start, and we do a lot to help keep that money in the city. We provide 288 good-paying jobs—our annual payroll is over $12 million. We support the buy local movement. Ho-Chunk Gaming Madison donates over $680,000 annually to local organizations. And we support the university, with Ho-Chunk Nation pledging $650,000 annually to support Badger Sports.

And I can’t stress enough how important connection is to us. When we donate to an organization, we dig into it and see how our values align. We want to be a member, and work together to make a

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

difference. Our time and money go to inspirational events, medical research, hospice care facilities, education, downtown enrichment, the arts, farmto-table initiatives, public health, and other organizations. Sustain Dane is one we’re especially proud to be a part of, as it calls back to how the tribe had survived for thousands of years. HoChunk Gaming Madison Leadership participate in over 26 Madison region boards, committees, and roundtables.

We can’t always give to everyone, but when we do, we want to make it count.

Ho-Chunk is a spiritual name meaning “people of the sacred voice.” A lot of effort has gone into making sure Ho-Chunk Gaming Madison accurately reflects

Ho-Chunk Nation. We work hard as businesspeople and are experienced in what we’re doing. Every decision, business and otherwise, represents HoChunk and instills the spirit of that voice. We’re very proud of that and insist on being a part of the conversations involving political, environmental, social, and economic decisions. Our extended Madison community means too much to us to allow any voice to be silenced or unheard.

It’s no secret that our history had some dark moments. In 1849, the federal government began a series of forcible removals. The Ho-Chunk were round up and put onto boxcars, moving them from Wisconsin territory to Iowa, then

Minnesota, and still later into South Dakota and, finally, Nebraska. The Ho-Chunk continued to return on foot to Wisconsin to live as refugees in their former homelands. In 1875, those in Wisconsin were allowed to settle on lands that were not wanted and are the only tribe in Wisconsin for whom no reservation was ever formally established.

We’re still growing from that past, employing ourselves to bring back a sustainable ecosystem. Having the unique status of a nonreservation Indian Nation, the Ho-Chunk is allowed to purchase land throughout its original homeland and request the Bureau of Indian Affairs put the land in trust status for the purpose of gaming. It’s because of this status we’ve been able to revive and contribute to our communities as the Ho-Chunk Nation.

Through everything we do, we demonstrate the Ho-Chunk way of life, our goodwill, and our sincerity in devotion to social responsibility concerning our homeland and its residents. From the effigy mounds to our traditions, the history of Ho-Chunk is also the history of Madison. It’s heartwarming that we get to welcome all people to our land of origin.

Missy Tracy is the municipal relations coordinator at Ho-Chunk Gaming Madison and a tribal member of the Ho-Chunk Nation. Missy has served on the board for the Wisconsin Council on Problem Gambling since 2009 in addition to serving on five local boards in the Madison community.

Photographs provided by Ho-Chunk Gaming Madison.

OPEN DAILY! 3330 atwood ave. madison, wi 53704

Missy Tracy

olbrich.org

| 608-246-4550

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e ssential nonprofit

AIDS Resource Center

of Wisconsin

by Bill Keeton

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is the virus that can cause Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).

While many advancements have been made in treatment, there’s still no cure for HIV/AIDS. However, with proper treatment, people with HIV can live long, healthy lives. Fortunately for Madison-area residents living with HIV, there’s a clinic that can meet all of their healthcare and social service needs.

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

The AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin (ARCW) is Wisconsin’s largest and fastest-growing HIV healthcare system.

ARCW has 10 offices and clinics in Wisconsin, all of which are easily accessible, including in Madison.

In carrying out its mission, ARCW is committed to helping everyone with HIV regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or economic status.

When Bryan first learned he had HIV, he was overwhelmed. “Since I was diagnosed, I’ve been clinically depressed.” After a friend referred him to ARCW Madison, things began to turn around. “My whole life changed.

They provide me with healthcare and programs, like the food pantry, housing, and case management. They helped me make decisions that were so daunting.

They gave me the tools to make them,

and I started taking ownership over my life. ARCW was a huge help to me.” For several years now, Bryan has had an undetectable viral load, the healthiest a person can be living with HIV. Each person’s HIV disease is as unique as they are, and requires a personalized treatment plan not only to manage their health needs, but to eliminate the other day-to-day barriers they can face that prevent them from taking care of their health. Through its integrated model of care, the ARCW Medical Home offers care designed to meet each individual’s specific treatment needs. Patients have access to doctors, nurses, dentists, therapists, and other healthcare providers with a pharmacy and dedicated social services. Each service is available in one location at ARCW Madison, eliminating the barrier of time off work to visit multiple locations on different days.

The goal of everyone at ARCW is to help every patient achieve HIV treatment success and a healthy life, shown in the 91 percent of our patients who have achieved an undetectable viral load. Comprehensive dental care is an essential part of this success. A team of oral healthcare providers deliver expert care in a welcoming, patient-friendly environment and help provide the best chance of successful HIV treatment.

More than half of all HIV patients confront mental health challenges.

Depression, anxiety, stress, and addiction are some of the conditions common among people living with HIV. The mental and behavioral healthcare providers at ARCW are highly experienced in HIV-related issues. People living with HIV improve mental and emotional health through counseling, psychotherapy, psychiatric evaluation, and alcohol and other drug treatment services. For patients who face transportation challenges, ARCW recently added a telehealth service, allowing for patients across the state to be able to remotely access mental health at their local clinic through a real-time conversation through a secure webcam.

The single most important biomedical factor in treating HIV is medication

therapy. Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) slows the progression of the virus in the body. When taken every day, it can lead to an undetectable viral load and reduce the risk of further transmission.

The ARCW Pharmacy specializes in

HIV care and is dedicated to meeting all patient medication needs. It provides the most advanced HIV medications and outstanding personal support for successful HIV treatment. ARCW pharmacists are HIV experts and offer

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| 27

rights and making sure everyone with HIV is treated fairly.

Having a place to call home is one of the most important reasons patients succeed with HIV treatment. With safe and affordable housing, it’s easier to focus on a treatment plan, medication adherence, and health improvement. ARCW offers comprehensive housing services designed to meet the many different housing challenges HIV patients confront. ARCW housing specialists work with clients to assess their needs and provide an array of services to assist in securing safe and stable housing, including financial assistance, housing case management, intensive housing counseling, transitional residential housing, and family residential housing.

ongoing counseling to help individuals manage and adhere to medications.

Pharmacy staff work closely with healthcare teams of patients and clients to find the best ART regiment for each person.

Additionally, in order to assist patients with their medication adherence and reduce wait times for refills on prescriptions, the pharmacy offers hassle-free delivery and shipping.

Treating HIV is expensive, and outof-pocket costs can exceed $1,500 per month for medications alone. For patients who can’t afford their HIV medications, the ARCW Medication Assistance Program provides financial help to assure all patients receive the medications they need, even if they are living in poverty or do not have insurance.

Oftentimes it can take more than medication to successfully treat HIV. ARCW helps eliminate serious barriers to successful HIV treatment, such as homelessness, poor nutrition, 28 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

discrimination, benefit denials, and poverty, which are common problems that can overwhelm patients. These problems can become so severe that it’s impossible for patients to give the attention needed to their HIV treatment plans.

No one should face the difficult battle against HIV disease on an empty stomach. It’s important to have fresh, nutritious food to gain the strength needed to overcome HIV and gain a healthy life. That’s why ARCW created the largest statewide network of HIVdedicated food pantries in the country.

People living with HIV have legal rights designed to protect people from discrimination, assure their confidentiality, and guarantee they cannot be denied healthcare. However, even with strong Wisconsin laws, many HIV patients still face discrimination, denial of benefits, and even the refusal of healthcare providers to provide them with treatment. Attorneys at ARCW are dedicated to fighting for individual

Nothing is more important for people with HIV disease than having access to quality healthcare. For some HIV patients, the healthcare system is complex and often difficult to navigate.

Adding to this frustration is the complicated system of health insurance and government health programs that provide the benefits to pay for healthcare. Social work case managers are partners in planning the best way for our patients and clients to have their

or eliminate risk of infection. HIV prevention services will help stop the spread of HIV, especially for sexually active persons or injection drug users.

The newest tool in preventing the spread of HIV is PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis). It’s an HIV prevention strategy for people who are at high risk for HIV infection. People using PrEP take a pill every day to help prevent infection. In 2017, ARCW prevention staff distributed 443,340 condoms, which we use to promote the usage of PrEP.

needs met. Case managers work together with clients, healthcare providers, and others involved in the continuum of care for a complete approach to meeting patient needs. ARCW social work case managers’ top priorities are to help clients get enrolled in quality HIV healthcare and to make sure their healthcare benefits are secured.

All of these social services are integrated with the medical, dental, pharmacy, and mental health services to create the ARCW Medical Home model of care.

Together these comprehensive services provide the highest quality of care and the greatest opportunity for HIV treatment success.

The outcomes for ARCW patients speak to the success of the model that they have built. People with HIV live longer, healthier lives in Wisconsin than any other state, and ARCW patients have less emergency department visits, shorter and fewer hospitalizations, and have fewer health-related costs when compared to patients receiving care elsewhere. More than 97 percent of ARCW patients would recommend ARCW to a friend or family member living with HIV. Until a cure for HIV is found, preventing the spread of HIV is our greatest challenge. Saving lives from HIV requires aggressive strategies to reach people at high risk with information and materials they can use to prevent HIV infection. ARCW prevention services are designed to provide information and materials people can use to reduce

The life-saving work ARCW provides would not be possible without ongoing community engagement and support.

To learn more about services or how to support ARCW in the Madison area, please visit arcw.org. *name changes have been made for privacy

Bill Keeton is the vice president and chief advocacy officer at AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin.

Photographs provided by ARCW.

Getting PrEP through the ARCW PrEP Clinic is simple. Patients start by taking a free and confidential HIV test at ARCW, as PrEP can only be used by those who are HIV negative. After test results are confirmed, the patient receives a health exam from an ARCW provider.

The provider will then prescribe PrEP, available to be filled through the ARCW pharmacy or the patient’s pharmacy of choice.

Connecting Madison’s

Community Since 2007

Connecting you to our local community The LGBTQ population in Dane County: 50-60,000

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essential food & beverage

by Kyle Jacobson Defining the word culture is rather simple. Generally, it’s agreed that the art, food, and intellectual pursuits of a community make up part of its culture.

But larger cities, like Madison, are difficult to confine to homogony. An effort is made to describe the area as multicultural, but that in itself is only an aspect of a city’s culture and not the complete picture.

Madison observably favors the predominant Western value of convenience. But also a part of Madison culture is a buy local effort to keep dollars spent in the community. For some, this extends to beer purchases.

Others take care in making the decision to buy clothing from resident retailers.

There’s something that’s inherently unique, though, about shopping at local ethnic grocery stores. Patrons prop up another culture while simultaneously buying from a local business.

While the university-student customer base fluctuates, Ken Yan, owner of Garden Asian Market, says that business 30 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

since he’s owned the Market is “pretty steady. Pretty much same customer.”

This makes sense when considering Madison’s Asian population numbers over 18,000. According to a 2015 census

by Statistic Atlas, the next highest demographic after White is Asian. Ken says that first- and second-generation immigrants are his main customers.

Kien Ma at Yue-Wah Oriental Foods, in business for 34 years, echoes these sentiments. Through some rougher times in Madison economically, Kien’s store has done well because of their very consistent Chinese customer base.

The city has taken note of the value concerning its largest minority. Kien mentions the city’s efforts to give the south side, where Yue-Wah is located, a facelift. “The city spent a lot of time and energy trying to make it nicer.”

The benefits of Madison retaining and helping to enable these grocery stores pays off. I asked Kien about his American customers, and he says, “We have a lot now compared to when we first started.” And that growth can be attributed to word of mouth and a growing store front, starting at only 500 square feet and now exceeding 7,000.

curious,” says Kien. We talk about people having a strong impulse to try new recipes they find online. That’s when they realize that Chinese food goes well beyond what they might be accustomed to seeing on menus. “[At] restaurant, you are limited to a couple dishes. ... They will try new things, instead of eating their own food all the time.” That adventurous attitude seems more than a subculture in Madison.

“We have a lot of classes that come here,” says Kien. “Cooking classes like to bring their whole class, walk around, and tour the place.” Access to ideas and a way of life through food creates a tight bond between groups of people from various backgrounds. Simply walking through the grocery store and considering different products tells a story. From specialized ingredients to the packaging of different candies, it’s impossible to avoid putting together a larger picture of not just the Chinese people living in Madison, but Chinese culture across the world.

Having a Chinese extension of culture in Madison has allowed all sorts of residents with different backgrounds to access food they’d not get otherwise.

“People are more informed now—more

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Independent, locally owned businesses keep our economy strong.

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

As Ken points out, “We play a huge role in keeping China’s culture here.” It starts with giving the Chinese population of Madison access to the food they grew up with. Not just rice dishes, but fish, sauces, and vegetables uncommon in Midwestern cooking. Brats and corn on the cob make me feel comfortable, like eating a piece of home, and these grocery stores grant access to that same feeling, which is something any reasonable person would not want to limit another from just because it isn’t their preference.

There’s also the added benefit of having access to some amazing fish. Pompano, red snapper, grouper, and flounder to name a few. Even those that aren’t fans of Chinese food can find something they might want to fillet and grill for a special occasion or to remind themselves of a favorite vacation.

Community isn’t just exemplified by how a business interacts with its customers, but the relationship businesses have to one another. Grocery stores, like YueWah and Garden Asian Market, play a

role in helping out local restaurants. Ken talks about how the Chinese restaurants come to his store sometimes when they run out of ingredients. It’s not his main customer, but it’s something that he can provide that boosts the community as a whole.

breakdown where dropping what I’d managed to find and running out the door seems a logical response. The thought of choosing from a wide variety while guided by an expert would cut the frequency of my trips to the psychiatrist exponentially.

What it all comes down to is connection.

“We are here to help, too, in case [customers] have questions,” says Kien.

As the amount of interest from American customers grows to experiment with food, there’s often a learning curve with navigating new ingredients. “We have a bigger selection. For every kind of food, we have almost a full line of everything.”

I’m having flashbacks of looking for ingredients in a larger grocery store, not being able to find anything due to lack of selection, then having an internal

For Ken, the experience is important, and he runs all his businesses with three things in mind to keep customers coming back: service, quality, and price.

I’m sure he’s right, and both Yue-Wah and Garden Asian Market exemplify these qualities in their own way, but I like to be perhaps unsubstantiatedly optimistic. Madison has an interest in in-person access and opportunity, with the worldwide web acting as a means rather than an end. I’ve no doubt we’d lose these grocery stores and the opportunity to expand the idea of Madison without a Chinese demographic, but it’s also fair to say that without the university and accolade of capital city, the opportunity may never

have presented itself in the first place.

Poetic interdependence: sometimes thin, sometimes full of holes, but it’s the umbrella I think Madison takes pride in holding up.

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.

Kyle Jacobson

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Photograph by Maureen Cassidy Photography

essential landmark

HOTEL

RUBY MAR IE

by Jeanne Engle

Railroads were the most important mode of transportation in the mid-19th to the early 20th centuries in Madison.

Hotel Ruby Marie, at 524 E. Wilson Street, stands today as a significant example of a building in the commercial area that grew up around two depots constructed to serve the railroads and their customers. In fact, the hotel is one of only four 19th century hotel buildings remaining in Madison and is located in the East Wilson Street Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

The Milwaukee & Mississippi Railroad ran the first train into Madison in 1854, 34 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

and the city remained dependent on this one line for the next decade. Difficult economic times crushed hopes of more railroads coming to the city until 1864 when the Chicago & North Western Railway rolled into town. Several years later, from 1869 through 1871, three new rail connections with Madison were established.

Two depots were constructed on Madison’s east side—one for the Chicago & North Western and another across Blair Street called the Milwaukee Road Depot. The commercial area around the depots flourished. The building activity at that time was attributed to “railroad

prosperity” as reported in the Wisconsin State Journal.

Interestingly, almost every builder in this area and nearly all of the merchants and innkeepers on East Wilson Street were of German heritage. One of them, August Ramthun, built his hotel in 1873, naming it the Ramthun Saloon and Rooms, soon to be called the East Madison House.

The depot areas in Madison were among the busiest places during the 1890s. Many residents on the east side complained about the trains that often blocked Wilson and Blair Streets. A

“Elver advertised steam heat, baths, and electric lights in his hotel, the Elver House. The name lasted until 1939.”

Photograph provided

by Hotel Ruby Marie

Hotel Ruby Marie, Present day.

Photograph provided by Hotel Ruby Marie

subsequent owner of the East Madison House hotel, Charles Elver, member of a prominent Madison family, benefited from the train traffic. He undertook a major expansion of the hotel in 1891, giving the building an updated Queen Anne facade. The wooden exterior was rebuilt entirely in 1897 and encased in brick. More rooms were added, creating a courtyard in the center. Elver advertised

steam heat, baths, and electric lights in his hotel, the Elver House. The name lasted until 1939.

The hotel is architecturally significant.

According to the National Register nomination, “It is an interesting amalgam of earlier Italianate design motifs and the Queen Anne style.”

Italianate was a favored style during m a d i s o n

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| 35

Photograph by Maureen Cassidy Photography

the last half of the 19th century and was characterized by low pitched roofs, imposing cornices at the top of the building, and tall first floor windows.

The Queen Anne, or Victorian, elements that were added include a round corner tower, decorative wrought iron fire escapes, molded brickwork, and a basement of stones that were cut cleanly on the edges but retained rough faces.

These elements were “combined in

a way pleasing to modern eyes” and serve as “interesting reminders of local architectural design from the 1890s,” as stated in the nomination.

In the 1920s through 1940s, the two train depots competed fiercely, and the hotels serving the depots thrived.

Between 1940 and 1946, the hotel was called the Lake View Hotel. When World War II ended, the number of

passengers traveling on the railroads decreased. Competition from expanded bus lines, automobiles, improved roads, and commercial airlines did in the railroad business.

The Lake View Hotel became the Wilson Hotel and held the name for more than 50 years. It, along with another hotel in the area, began to serve mostly weekly and monthly lodgers. The hotel was even featured in several scenes in the 1980 made-for-television movie The Boy Who Drank Too Much, starring Scott Baio.

It was fitting that an entrepreneur of German descent, Bob Worm, spied the Wilson Hotel and other buildings on the same block when he was stopped in traffic on the corner of Wilson and Blair Streets in 1982. In 1988, he bought the Wilson Hotel. A decade later he closed it for renovation. “I wanted a place my friends could stay rather than having them in my house when they visited,” Bob says.

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

In 2000, the overhauled hotel was opened under its new name, Hotel Ruby Marie, after Bob’s mother. “My father’s name, Lee Worm, was on the barn on the farm, and I wanted to honor my mother by putting her name on my revamped hotel.” Some in the local media thought the hotel was named after a prostitute who supposedly frequented the East Wilson Street area. Bob’s mother was amused by that story. Even though she had no idea that a hotel was being named after her, in the end “she was quite pleased,” Bob says.

“People ask if there are ghosts in the hotel,” Bob jokes. “Yes, some people may have passed away while residing in the hotel, but we’ve not had any reports of ghosts. There was one resident who went to prison for bank robbery. Whenever he went outside and went about his business, he wouldn’t expose his back.

Now when I see someone walking close to a building, I wonder what he might be paranoid about.”

An amenity offered by the Hotel Ruby Marie includes a complimentary breakfast at the Lakeview Bakery & Deli, located in the hotel. A regular customer at the Bakery & Deli said she stops there daily for breakfast on her way to work. “It’s quiet, a nice way to begin the day, and one of Madison’s best-kept secrets.” But maybe not for long once the community discovers this gem in the Hotel Ruby Marie.

As for the future, Bob says he will need to redevelop some of his properties on the Hotel Ruby Marie block while preserving its historic character. “The City wants me to keep the hotel,” he says.

“Picking a developer is the dilemma. I want someone with imagination who is willing to take a risk. And, above all, who is energetic and wants to have fun.”

In the meantime, the City’s Engineering Division has proposed a design for the hazardous intersection where John Nolen Drive and South Blair, East Wilson, and Williamson Streets meet, adjacent to the Hotel Ruby Marie.

Jeanne Engle is a freelance writer.

Photograph by M.O.D. Media Productions

Bob did not change the exterior of the hotel and kept the hallways and stairwells original. The doors to the rooms that made up the historic hotel remained, but about half are not used today. Thirty-six rooms were gutted and became 15 spacious rooms done with a Victorian flair. In the past, hotel guests shared bathrooms. Today, two rooms have Jacuzzis, four have fireplaces, and all have a wet bar. “All the rooms are different,” says Bob.

Jeanne Engle

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essential well-being

Community Matters When the Goal is

LIBERATION

by Monique Minkens

The shelter at Domestic Abuse Intervention Services (DAIS) is a community comprised of shelter residents, staff, and volunteers.

This community is fundamental in providing services to domesticviolence victims and their children while staying in an emergency shelter.

Community development and engagement are guided by emotions, and how one feels about the environment influences how a person interacts as a member. It determines whether the person embraces shared community values, how the person contributes, and how the person informs others about the community.

Each person in the community plays a part, and it’s important to recognize the strength of all individuals using those strengths to enhance the community and keep it functioning and well. This is how we approach community at the shelter as we gradually develop and implement the Liberation Model.

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

Liberation is defined as connecting individuals to life-changing, lifesustaining options, and choices that will allow them to live their best lives. It’s about life after shelter and sustainability as well as partnership. We look at partnership when working with clients, as opposed to helping. In a partnership, advocate and client are on a level plane, each bringing their expertise and strengths as the advocate follows the lead of the client to connect the client to resources that will support the client in attaining liberation. If we do want to use the term help, we want to make certain we are helpful helpers who recognize and support the individual strengths of the clients. Our clients are adults and experts of their own lives who happen to be in need of resources that will allow them to liberate themselves.

The Liberation Model focuses on five areas: healing community, housing, financial literacy, Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (AODA), and mental health. The healing community guides

the model and focuses on relationships, which include residents and staff at DAIS. It’s supported through the scheduled weekly gathering points we’ve created to foster community and the healing support groups and exercises provided by Sagashus Levingston of Infamous Mothers and Lilada Gee of

Black Women Heal. Both bring their years of expertise, experience, and research to the community members.

We provide supportive information that will allow shelter residents to make informed decisions as they plan their next liberating steps, and bimonthly house community meetings to share feedback and gather information. Some of the information gathered tends to the day to day of living in the shelter, while the rest informs the model we are creating. Most importantly, we look at how we interact with residents, having honest and intentional conversations that demonstrate respect, support, and confidence in the client. An added bonus is seeing the connectedness among residents as they support one another through tough situations, celebrate individual successes, and share information.

The healing community is important and necessary as it fosters healing and creates a community atmosphere for individuals to thrive and do their best work. Without the development of this community, the other areas

of the Liberation Model are tough to address for both residents and staff.

We gather monthly as a staff to process and plan. When considering new initiatives and procedures, we always consider how the newness will influence the liberation of the client.

We often refer to the client as Ophelia, as it feels more poignant to consider Ophelia instead of “the client.” The name Ophelia means “help,” and “help when one is most vulnerable.”

Through our support and partnership with Ophelia, she will be able to access her strengths and help herself attain liberation. This only happens through the atmosphere of community, and it helps if that community is a healing one.

Monique Minkens is the director of residential services at DAIS. She has spent most of her career facilitating the building community in residential settings.

Photographs provided by DAIS.

End The Pain Live Life To The Fullest • Sports Medicine • Knee • Shoulder • Hip • Cartilage Restoration • Platelet Rich Plasma Injection (PRP) Ashish M. Rawal, M.D. Board Certified Orthopedic Surgery & Sports Medicine

Stoughton Hospital accepts over 160 area insurance plans. Please check your individual plan regarding coverage of services at Stoughton Hospital.

OrthoTeam Clinic Excellence in Orthopedics 608-231-3410 2 Science Court, Madison

orthoteam.com madisonessentials.com

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Spotlight

Classics that always entertain!

Not just the latest games, but also the greatest!

Let our helpful staff help you find your perfect pastime.

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Make every sip an experience

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Unsnobbing the Wine Bar one glass at a time Have fun trying small pours of a variety of wines, or enjoy medium or full pours...you are in control with our self-service wine dispenser system featuring 16 wines on tap. Happy Hour, tasting events, and more. See website for details. grapewater.wine 7466 Hubbard Ave. Middleton • (608) 692-6778

Live All Your Dreams, Love All Your Chocolates Fine chocolates made right here on Madison’s east side. Taking inspiration from the finest single-origin chocolates, Gail and her staff are constantly tasting, adjusting, and concocting signature truffles and treats to create the ultimate chocolate experience!

2083 Atwood Ave. • (608) 249-3500 gailambrosius.com

Shop Outside the Box

Contemporary American folk art by regional artists, books that inspire, rustic home décor and gifts you won’t find at the mall. In beautiful Paoli, just 10 minutes south of Madison.

6904 Paoli Rd. • (608) 848-1200 cluckthechickenstore.com

The Good Taste of Wisconsin…Since 1981 Our chefs use only the freshest locally sourced ingredients to create unique flavor profiles and artful presentations. Come enjoy USDA Prime Wisconsin steaks, grass-fed Angus tavern burgers, authentic Neopolitan brick oven pizza, and hearty farm-fresh breakfast delights.

200 Phillips Blvd., Sauk City (608) 643-2004 • sauk-prairiegrill.com

Step Out in Comfort this Fall!

Now carrying comfort footwear by: Jambu, Rieker, V-Italia, Zee Alexis...and more!

Plum Crazy is located between Metro Market & Great Dane Pub on Cottage Grove Rd. 6079 Gemini Dr. Madison (608) 283-9868 | shopplumcrazy.com Like us on Facebook at Plum Crazy Madison

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e ssential pets

by Lori Scarlett, DVM When my family and I lived in North Carolina, we had minivacations on the Outer Banks. One night, as we were leaving a restaurant, we saw a little kitten trying to hide under a bush. Of course, we coaxed him out. He was a stray with fleas, ear mites, and a round little belly. He got his first bath in a hotel bathtub and rode the three hours home with nary a peep. We named him Flip because we found him under a restaurant called Flipperz. A week later a hurricane hit that area of the Outer Banks, but that’s another story.

Flip was a pretty good cat and maintained his rotund shape no matter what he was fed. He was a small, fluffy basketball! When he was about eight years old, we moved to Madison. He and our other cats adjusted to the new home and all seemed well. We were then happy to discover that Flip was losing weight. We assumed more exercise in a bigger house and the weight loss diet were finally working. He went from chubby to normal to skinny before I started thinking the weight loss wasn’t appropriate. He was hungry all the time and eating at least as much as the other cats.

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While I hate to admit this to a large audience, I’m not a good litter box cleaner. We have two very large litter boxes and scoop only twice a week.

Thus, there’s always a lot of urine in each box. I started to notice that the litter clumps had become much bigger, and there were more concretions of litter rather than clumps. What was going on?

Cats are masters at hiding illness. They sleep a lot, so it can be difficult to tell if they’re lethargic, running a fever, or in pain. And if food is left out all the time, it takes a while to notice if one cat in a household isn’t eating much. Until their collar falls off because it’s loose, weight loss can be missed.

It eventually dawned on me that something was going on with Flip. He was always the first one to his food bowl, and we were giving him betweenmeal snacks because he was begging so much. I noticed him at the water bowl more frequently than the other cats. He hung around on the main floor rather than going upstairs to sleep. His normal routines were just off. Into the cat carrier he went to spend a day at the office with mom.

When weighing Flip, I found he had lost about three pounds. Since I hadn’t changed his diet and he wasn’t exercising much, it was definitely significant. Blood was drawn, urine and feces obtained, and all sent off to the lab. There were a number of things that could be causing Flip’s symptoms.

Unexpected Weight Loss Veterinarians consider several causes, including diet change, an overactive thyroid gland, kidney failure, lymphoma (or other cancer), chronic pancreatitis, diabetes mellitus, intestinal parasites, and inflammatory bowel disease.

Increased Drinking and Urination We think about a urinary tract infection, crystals in the urine, increased drinking due to a salty diet, fever, overheating, diabetes, and kidney disease.

Increased Appetite Could be from an overactive thyroid gland, the pancreas not producing digestive enzymes, a more palatable diet, intestinal parasites, or diabetes.

It was important to get all the samples to get a complete picture of what was

Since the glucose can’t get into the cells without insulin, the cells don’t function normally, and the tissues starve. This leads to the body breaking down fat and muscle, which is converted in the liver to sugar. This breakdown of fat and muscle leads to weight loss.

Unfortunately, insulin injections are the only way to treat pets for diabetes.

I started Flip on twice-a-day insulin injections, which didn’t bother him at all. Diabetes in cats is often due to obesity and a high carbohydrate diet, which can cause insulin resistance— the cells in the body don’t respond to insulin like they should. I also fed Flip a canned food diet that was very low in carbohydrates and high in protein.

Flip responded very well to treatment, and his glucose level stabilized. He stopped being so ravenous, put on weight, and the litter box output went back to normal. Then, a couple months later, he seemed lethargic again—he just wasn’t active. I checked his glucose level and found it very low. Because of the change in diet and getting the diabetes under control with insulin, he went into diabetic remission. His body was producing and responding to his insulin again. I stopped the insulin injections and kept him on the diet, and he stayed in remission for about six months. Just long enough for me to decide I could throw away that expensive vial of insulin in the refrigerator.

Yearly checkups are also very important so you can monitor for weight loss and other changes. If you notice your cat losing weight quickly, drinking more, or you’re finding litter box scooping more onerous, please make an appointment to see your vet. The sooner diabetes is diagnosed and treated, the more likely your cat could go into remission.

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

Photograph by Brenda Eckhardt

going on internally in Flip. When the results returned, the diagnosis was diabetes mellitus. As most people know, diabetes occurs when the body cannot use glucose (the main source of energy for the cells in the body) normally.

Glucose levels in the blood are primarily controlled by insulin, which is made by the pancreas. Normally, as food passes through the intestines during digestion, glucose is absorbed into the blood and delivered to all the cells in the body.

Insulin is needed for the glucose to get out of the blood and into the cells. When there isn’t enough insulin, glucose builds up in the blood stream—this is called hyperglycemia. When the blood glucose reaches a certain level, the sugar overflows into the urine, taking lots of water with it. Thus, diabetic pets drink a lot of water and urinate large amounts frequently.

I knew he was no longer in remission because he started having the same signs of diabetes. We restarted his insulin injections, and he stayed diabetic the rest of his life.

Diabetes is treatable but can be expensive and requires injections about every 12 hours. It’s estimated that about 1 percent of cats are diabetic, but I think the percentage is a bit higher for indoor cats—they tend to be overweight or obese because they don’t get as much exercise. To help decrease your cat’s risk of diabetes, the most important thing is to keep them at a normal body weight. You should be able to easily feel their ribs, and there shouldn’t be a big paunch hanging down off their stomach. Your favorite veterinarian can help you determine the best food to feed your cat and the correct amount to help keep them at an ideal weight.

Lori Scarlett, DVM & Charlie

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e ssential community

Throughout this series, I’ve shared my personal journey of leaving behind a life of “should” to find happiness and fulfillment as my authentic self. It’s an ongoing process, and I recently made a startling discovery about a powerful should that I’ve harbored unwittingly for years. Previously, I wrote about how I was vulnerable to rape at a young age because of my belief that I should do whatever men expect of me.

With this segment, I want to shatter another should and talk about being in an emotionally abusive marriage. I got out and never discussed the abuse in my first marriage. The should kept me silent, and I’ve protected my ex all these years. Worse yet, the same sense of should extended well beyond my ex to other people—especially men—who mistreated me.

I made excuses for them, blamed myself, and blamed circumstances to explain it away. But no more. I was emotionally abused for decades. But unlike physical abuse, there were no scars or bruises to reflect the daily abuse. I was belittled, demeaned, and made to feel small and powerless. I couldn’t bring myself to ask the police to arrest my spouse even though the wounds ran deep. I stayed with him for years because I thought I deserved it, and I was convinced that if only I could learn to do things perfectly, then maybe he’d treat me better— maybe he’d be kind.

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In an emotionally abusive relationship you’re trained over a course of time to think it’s what you deserve—you’re programmed to doubt yourself to the point of not being able to leave. It’s a perfect spider web of love—you’re the prey tapped for emotional energy for the spider, all while you’re stuck in the web, unable to move. Thankfully, I had friends, who witnessed the abuse, felt it, and even tried to do something about it before I eventually left. I couldn’t express this publicly without them and their support.

The reality of emotional abuse is that it’s more likely to happen than physical abuse, and often when people try to leave the relationship, the abuse ends up turning physical with threats of violence. I was an ideal candidate for an abusive relationship because of how I felt about myself. I was a people pleaser with low self-worth, which made me the perfect person who’d be attracted to someone that would abuse me. I had also been abused before—I had previous relationships with emotional abuse and control elements. My brain already knew the pattern.

When I met my ex, I was in a vulnerable place and yearned to be loved and accepted. In him, I found all of that and more. I was the focus of his life and he showered me with gifts and attention.

I felt special. But that attention turned

into control, and little by little, the walls closed in on me. Over time, I became more and more isolated. I had few friends because everyone was a threat.

I was regularly criticized—I walked on egg shells. I was molded into what he wanted me to be. Year by year, I lost more of myself and my desires, thoughts, and ambitions. I was absorbed by what WE were, and I fell in line with how I was to behave. I started hiding a part of my life from my spouse—stolen moments of friendship and joy—for fear he’d tighten the reigns even more.

Most of the people that knew and interacted with me would have told you that I was very happy in my marriage because that’s what I portrayed. I was not. A few friends who saw how my life really was tried to talk to me about it and had even begged me to move in with them to escape the abuse. But still, I did not leave. Should had a firm grip on me. I felt trapped, like I could never get out.

After years, I was finally able to say no more. The veil fell from my eyes and

for the first time I saw what my life had become and I was ready to leave. It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, and I’ve done some hard things. It’s also what I’m most proud of. Leaving the abusive relationship was me choosing me over should. For the first time, I decided that I mattered and had worth, even if I lost everything. I had myself and that was all I needed. I found the keys to my shackles.

People in my own family have said there’s no such thing as emotional abuse. That abuse can only be defined by physical wounds. I’m sure a lot of people believe the same, and that’s one of the many reasons why they stay in emotionally abusive relationships. No one believes you and then you doubt yourself. You’re trained to think the treatment is normal. People begin to believe once they see physical abuse, but often that can be too late, and the person trying to leave is wounded or worse. It’s something we need to start talking about, and we need to talk to our children. It’s real and harmful.

If you’re in a relationship that sounds like spider love, know that you’re not alone and you don’t deserve it. That the someday when they’ll treat you better will never come. Rally your support network and get out now. You should be treated well and you deserve happiness.

And if you think someone you know is in an emotionally abusive relationship, speak up. If my dear friends hadn’t talked to me—and it took years—I don’t know if I would have had the strength to leave. For me, leaving that relationship was a huge part of leaving a life of should.

Sandy Eichel is a happy ex-should-er.

SEPTEMBER IS

Eat Local Month Look for tips, samples, sales and more to make it even easier to eat local food.

We define “local” as within 150 miles of the State Capitol building or anywhere in Wisconsin.

Our 3 levels of local: Grown or raised in the state of Wisconsin, or within 150 miles of the Capitol building in Madison.

Completely and truly local.

At least 50% of the ingredients are grown or raised in the state of Wisconsin, or within 150 miles of the Capitol building in Madison.

There may be ingredients grown elsewhere, but this food was processed or assembled by a company in the state of Wisconsin, or within 150 miles of the Capitol building in Madison.

Everyone Welcome!

www.willystreet.coop

Sandy Eichel

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e ssential food & beverage

Hubs of Influence Lewis Carroll’s “Jabberwocky” is a poem known for its utter nonsense. But in the counterintuitive logic of Wonderland, it further illustrates a world full of adventure appropriately laced with confusion. When taking something as all-encompassing as poetry and applying it to Carroll’s world, it almost seems Wonderland would be incomplete without it. And, in the end, the poem is understood as a poem.

Every brewery is the same, until it’s not.

Time, place, and prevailing ideas shape what can exist in a space. And where the less creative see limitation, the receptive see potential. Many cities have taken to embracing the onslaught of craft brewers. When done well, each brewery brings something distinct to the area in both beer selection and culture. A great brewery imparts their vision onto the 46 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

existing landscape, demanding more of its patrons and the community.

with a working draft actively shapes ideas to cohesive fruition.

Take, for instance, Willy Street in Madison. The atmosphere is distinct from other parts of the city. Many who have yet to visit often assume it’s the bastion of something too extreme.

There’s a lot of passion on Willy Street, no doubt, but whether as outrage or compassion, the manifestations of that spirit derive from an ingrained sense of community.

Ryan Browne, a poet and co-owner of Working Draft Beer Company, says, “The idea of embracing process, whether it’s the brewing process, what’s happening back there [referring to the brewery], how that connects to what’s coming out of the tap to your glass, making the travel, or that journey, or that process transparent, we’re embracing it.” This isn’t something unique to Willy Street, but the application is. It has to be. Creating a place that patrons want to spend time in and tailoring the environment to the landscape places the burden of manufactured desire on the business, the brewery, the artist.

Working Draft Beer Company, with a hand resting on the heart of Willy Street, finds a way to reflect value and project direction, insisting groundwork be laid for thoughtful interaction. From a group arguing to impugn reality to an artist creating what will become their magnum opus, the fluidity that comes

Thinking about constructing worlds within worlds isn’t something that

comes naturally. I once heard the work of Bob Dylan described as “genius because everyone that’s exposed to it believes they could’ve done it just as well.” Powerful, often complex vision delivered in a way anyone can unpackage. Succinct moments conglomerating into a present, perpetual by nature, where an individual’s inertia carries through. Breweries that inject this spirit into everything, from the beer to the taproom, partake in the social experiment of civilization in a meaningful way.

The starting point is not coercing more from others. It’s expending the otherworldly amount of energy required to assert yourself as a prescient force.

What better way to know what’s to come than to exhibit the future you strive to create? In this vein, Working Draft exalts the arts. “Our mural here,” Ryan talks of a 200-square-foot piece showcasing

what links all beer and known life together—water, “is by Jenie Gao, who’s a local muralist. ... That was really thrilling. We get to work on something for so long and hand it over to someone, to an artist, and say ‘we trust you to shepherd this to a completed product.’”

Results, by themselves, don’t change the world, and where some see every path as a means to an end, the more practiced see an interwoven reality, everchanging and never ending. Every patron who enters sees the mural, and once that happens, they change. The image can’t be unseen, and the individual can’t remove what they felt in that moment.

As for the artist, Ryan and the team at Working Draft have conveyed value.

“Carving out space in our budget to pay her to do it—to help an artist to live.”

In a very tangible way, injecting beer into the arts delivers experience.

Working Draft Beer Company is a

“You gotta know the rules before you break ‘em.

You just gotta know, and then when you break a rule, you gotta know why you’re breaking it, and, even if it’s just for yourself, you gotta be able to justify it.”

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brewery and art gallery showcasing rotating exhibits by local artists. If they haven’t yet, an artist residency program is soon to be implemented. I think of a painter I know who has been working hard on capturing the movers and shakers in Milwaukee in a meaningful way, highlighting not only who they are, but the waves they’ve tsunamied onto the shores of society, eroding the temporal to find truth and build upon it a collective of their visions. Creating the right beer to drink while taking in all this artist’s current body of work has to offer is a concerted way to create mood: the tour guide who doesn’t care where you end up as long as you’re going in the right direction.

Sometimes when a beer drinker walks into a brewery, they react to the space, to something beyond the beer. Why this look? Why this music? Why no televisions? Why here? Why now? The poet’s spirit shines through in Ryan’s words. “You gotta know the rules before you break ‘em. You just gotta know, and then when you break a rule, you gotta know why you’re breaking it, and, even if it’s just for yourself, you gotta be able to justify it. Clint [the brewmaster] holds true to that in the brewhouse. And we try to do that when constructing this space too. You know, when we’re breaking the rules—why? What’s the strategy behind it? What’s the audience impact?”

When a brewery recognizes what it is in the zeitgeist and knows what rules it’s breaking, it delivers beers created around that understanding to become a hub of creativity in all scopes of reality. Each patron unwittingly grabs 48 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

a rope upon entering the establishment and pulls it until it’s tight as a spoke.

Callooh! Callay! Our love for beer is shaping reality. Let’s be conscientious seeking out those that have taken the time to structure their influence.

May tonight’s truth be tomorrow’s impetus.

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.

Kyle Jacobson

BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE EXPERTS AT WINE AND HOP SHOP, CHECK OUT

(workingdraftbeer.com) for rotating taps and beers being forever tweaked as working drafts.

A few shout-outs to breweries Ryan sees as integral to shaping Wisconsin’s beerscape.

(Gluten-free Beer)

Limitless creativity.

Timeless video.

To learn more about wedding videos or to see a SLO-MO Video visit:

www.redarrowproduction.com

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C L A S S I C A L Los Free Your Mind 5 Back Porch A Musical Anything Hmong 6 Madrugadores Fantasia Serenade Offering Goes (en Español) Radio 7 E I G H T O ’ C L O C K B U Z Z Soul 8 Musica L K a n d I N T E R N A T I O N A L 9 Sessions (R&B) Antiqua Another Back to the Mud 10 Entertainment Diaspora Green World Country Acres (Big Band) Her Turn 11 A P U B L I C A F F A I R Tropical Her Infinite 12 T E R S A N D P O L I T I C S Mel & Floyd Riddims Variety (11:30) 1 J A Z Z Who Cooks Showtunes 2 PanAfrica Fire Journeys Strictly For You? On the 3 Worship into Jazz Jazz Sounds Horizon Dem NOW (4:30) 4 La Junta DEMOCRACY NOW! Labor Radio (5:30) World View 5 WORT LOCAL NEWS Salamat 6 Blues I Like It En Nuestro Queery Perpetual Notion Machine Pachyderm Parade (6:30) Cruise Like That Patio (Español) This Way Out Radio Literature Best of 7 R O C K a n d E X P E R I M E N T A L Two for Gospel (7:00) 8 The Original Guilty Psychoacoustics Friday The Blues 9 R.T.Q.E. Wilson Bros.

Pleasures HOUR OF SLACK on My Mind 10 Saturday Night at Punk Kitten (1st Th.) Rattlesnake Shake *Below The Radar 11 Smokey’s Joint Weekly Rock alternates with The Vinyl Rob’s Universal World 12 en Español Not Too Shabby Resting Place Music Shop Soul Noise 1 Leopard Print Lounge Phil Live On the Air Feed Me Explosion In One End 2 alternates with alternates with Weird The EI8HT alternates with 3 Free Your Mind Kosmik Radiation Capitol Boombox Things Graveyard Shift 4 *Below the Radar: 1st Fri - Music Shop, 2nd Fri - Live and Local, other - Fiction Jones More information on all shows LIVE STREAM and ARCHIVED EPISODES at wortfm.org plus Podcasts and More!

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es s ential arts

Answering the Sky

Deb Gottschalk

by Elissa Koppel

“If you keep going down the end of Sherman, there’s a nice park with good walking trails. There’s actually three parks around here. There’s canoeputting off of Wheeler that you can put in to Cherokee Lake and go up the Yahara. It’s a really nice place to canoe.

You go just a little bit up the river, but there’s no houses. You don’t feel like you’re in the city anymore.”

Madison, she has built a life that enables her to spend all her time in rich, natural places or making art. Half of our time together is spent discussing the marsh near her home and the rocks she has collected during trips up north and brought home to polish. Art is clearly a part of Deb, but in a way that honors her connection to natural spaces. The affinities are indivisible.

I’m sitting with Deb Gottschalk in her kitchen, watching the house finches vacillate between the multiple feeders in her backyard. Living on the outskirts of

Deb has been painting since childhood in Waterloo, a small town built on a marsh near Madison. “My mother was a very creative person. She did a lot of

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art. Taught adult vocational classes in flowering arranging and crafts. And she also painted. So when I was a kid, I always got paints, and it seemed like a natural thing to always do for as long as I can remember.” She recounts how when her mother would sit down to paint, she would give her an extra tray of paints and some paper. It was a way to keep Deb, a curious kid, well-behaved. “Keep ‘em quiet, here have some paints,” she fondly conveys her mother’s reasoning.

By the time she entered high school, Deb had embraced painting.

Nurtured further by a highly engaged, multimedium art teacher in high school, she went on to pursue a Bachelors of Fine Arts from University of Wisconsin– Whitewater, graduating in 1984. It was at Whitewater that Deb began to investigate her ideology of art. She had started to differentiate herself from the philosophy of art she was provided.

“When you’re in college, you’re taught that your art has to have ideas. You have to be conveying a message. And I always felt figures and people would be more

conducive to doing that. But I realized that’s not what I really wanted to do. I just really wanted to capture landscape or capture a beautiful image. That is what I wanted to say. That is what I wanted to do. It took a lot of time to figure that out. To find it.”

Deb’s self-discovery did not stop at finding what she loved to depict and why she wanted to depict it. While she had painted from childhood on, Deb was not entirely set in her painting.

Persistence

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Like a Bell

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

Even through the early 2000s, she was working with a variety of mediums.

Nonetheless, by 2005, Deb had come to terms with her deep appreciation of oil paints, one that had been cultivating for decades. “I had tried other things.

I’d do some drawing. Generally don’t finish them—just some practice. I’d tried watercolors, acrylic, pastels, and other things, but I always come back to painting. I get about halfway through something in pastels and just wish I was doing it in oils because then I could get the exact color I want or the exact feel I want. Painting with something else just doesn’t feel quite adequate.”

The exactness that Deb refers to when she describes her fondness for oil paints is absolutely visible in her work. Though Deb’s expertise is broad in landscape painting, her current passion is in skies and the objects reflected in bodies of water. The nuance inherent in her work on skies and water is astounding, with the slightest variances in shade required for realistic depiction. The necessity for precision carries further for Deb, as her

latest work features scenes of muted color palettes, necessitating clear focus on shadow and light. Works such as Geometry, Retention, and Like a Bell embody this phenomenon; each of these shows us the skeletons of winter and spring trees captured only in reflection of foreshortened pools of water.

The trees, skies, and waters Deb chooses are the mechanism that pushes her work forward. These outdoor excursions, whether to Cherokee Lake or Lake Superior, make up the vast majority of Deb’s time. From the excursions themselves to discussing them afterwards, from savoring objects collected to documenting landscapes witnessed through digital photography for later painting, this artist has given herself to these spaces. She has entered quietly into an agreement with the land, a cycle where she is given to and then gives back. Deb, pensive and deliberate, takes her time in explaining the relationship to me. “When you see that image, or that pattern, or that sky—to hold the memory of how wonderful that

is. It’s such a momentary thing. You want to remember that was there. That beauty is around us even just out the window, out the door, down the street.”

Deb Gottschalk’s work can be found at Abel Contemporary Gallery (abelcontemporary.com).

Elissa Koppel is a freelance writer and a local artist.

Photograph by Olivia Loomis

Photographs provided by Deb Gottschalk.

Elissa Koppel

Sentry

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es s en tial community

Level Three Every story has a beginning, middle, and end. Atlas Improv Co.’s level three class is the end of my formal educational journey with improvisational theatre.

Having spent a school year’s worth of Wednesday nights in the confines of the theatre space, I think about the growth and change I’ve experienced. Everyone knows stories are only good if the protagonist grows or learns something.

I have to confess—my confidence was shaken starting level three. Stage nerves tend to make me focus on trying to remember the plot, and sometimes I get caught up and can’t make a decision. I was so worried about ruining a scene that I didn’t try to put myself in any, even with the loving support of my amazing classmates. I just wanted to do well all the time, but as a wise woman told me partway through class, “Pobody’s nerfect.”

Level three is all about constructing narratives in a longer format than students have grown accustomed to.

Sitting backward in a chair, Daniel Row, the artistic director of Atlas Improv Co. and level three’s primary teacher, started 54 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

by Josh Heath off telling us, “It’s different than every class you’ve taken so far … I’m sure you’ve heard lots of stuff that improv is or isn’t, but there’s a lot more to it than just the rules you know.” We went over formerly established guidelines, which Dan then threw out of a pantomimed window.

“In level one and two, it’s important to instill those basic rules. Don’t do this, don’t do that. In level three, it’s important that these rules you’ve been told aren’t rules.”

To fully embrace this new rulelessness, we started with a game called Ruin That Scene! It plays just like it’s named—a few performers try to carry on a scene while one or two rogue agents attempt to derail the proceedings by any means possible.

Some people just said no defiantly; others scene-cut inappropriately. I decided to shimmy across the stage midscene, yelling expletives, before going meta and addressing the audience directly, breaking down the rules of the stage.

After the liberating act of breaking old rules, we sat down to learn the new guidelines for our long-form narrative structures in the form of the Story Spine.

The Story Spine is the criterion our stories should aim to meet. It’s a simple set of events—once upon a time—that describe the life of the protagonist, who should be relatable, which leads up to an inciting incident, typically a “you know what your problem is?” trope-ridden statement that sparks a journey, where there will be a few obstacles until the resolution of the story and a conclusion.

Simple enough, right? Making that up with five other people at the same time?

Less simple.

By the end I was feeling just dandy about being in long scenes with my highly capable associate contemporaries. Our stories were varied and always funny.

We had a horror story involving a Target store that possessed people to become zombie-like wage slaves, a western involving the decimation of the local raccoon population, and a romantic comedy centered around a guy who cared more about antique baseball cards than finding love.

After our final long-form performance, the second half of level three shifted to a particular format of game-focused

improv called Spokane. The best way I can describe it would be a hub scene that is grounded in reality, lacking wackiness, where others find funny things to spring off from within that scene. Someone in the hub scene (a hubber) would say something open ended, like “I used to spend a lot of time working on inventions.” One of the offstage Spokers would come and tag out the others in the scene and make up a weird invention with the hubber. Other Spokers would ramp up his inventions, getting wackier with each incarnation.

That’s the Game of the Scene, which is

Spokanes aren’t that easy to grasp.

Luckily our class, with the solid majority of us having come directly from level two together, already had a connection.

We knew how we worked as a squad, and we knew everyone’s strengths and weaknesses. This helped make the transition from long-form narratives to Spokanes much, much easier. It also made for an amazing final set of spokes, where I hubbed as an ill-trained surgeon.

A year ago I went into this whole thing thinking I might come out a little funnier or easier to talk to. I didn’t expect to come out of this with a bunch of friends and things to look forward to. My classmates and I have started talking about making our own Atlas-approved Indie Team. It’s been awhile since I’ve been so excited to tackle a new endeavor. My story is still being written, and the chapter numbers

grow every year. Thanks to Atlas Improv and their classes, I have a new, fun chapter in my journey through life.

Josh Heath is a Madison-born-and-raised writer. He loves comedy, but “can be a bit much” according to strangers at parties and ex-girlfriends. Read his work in Isthmus or online at CutPrintFilm.com.

Photograph by Kelly Kittle

“In level one and two, it’s important to instill those basic rules. Don’t do this, don’t do that. In level three, it’s important that these rules you’ve been told aren’t rules.”

what is funny about the interaction and what audiences and members would like to see again and again and again! After the Game of the Scene is over, everyone resets back to base, and the hubbers continue on.

Josh Heath

Atlas Improv Co. 609 E. Washington Avenue Madison, WI 53703 (608) 259-9999 atlasimprov.com

2018/19 SeaSon

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Season tickets: 608.238.8085, or online at madisonopera.org Single tickets on sale September 1: 608.258.4141, or online at overturecenter.org madisonessentials.com

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e ssential finance

Teaching Kids About Money, Taxes, Budgeting, Credit Cards, Investing, Retirement, & Business

&

by Derek Notman Face it, most adults don’t like discussing money. We all use it, but most stop there. I would venture to say it’s an attitude our culture has embraced to help us deal with the anxiety many feel when the subject of money comes up.

Although this appears to be the norm, it doesn’t mean we should pass this attitude on to our children. I realize this is much easier said than done, but educating adults on the basics of money makes a conversation of money with kids easier and more enjoyable.

The following examples are things I’ve done with my son and wife to make sure the topic of money is not taboo and that my son learns early on how it all works together.

Why is teaching our kids about money and all things related important?

Because money, taxes, retirement, starting a business, etc., are all interconnected and have a direct impact on our local and national communities.

Teaching kids about all of this will 56 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

have a direct positive impact on our communities in the future.

Teaching our kids about money should be fun.

It has been shown time and again that one of the best ways to teach kids and adults new things is through games and experiences. There are a number of board games (Pay Day, Cash Flow, Monopoly, Life) that introduce and teach kids about money, budgeting, and investing. I have played these games a bunch with my son. Each time we play, we both learn something new.

Just the other day my seven-year-old son played Pay Day with me and my wife. He was able to add up his monthly bills in his head and pay the bank. He understood the cash flow coming in and going out, and did it totally on his own.

It was great to see him grasping not only having to pay bills, but in the context of cash flow and budgeting. If I used these terms with him in general conversation, he would have no idea what I was

talking about, but in the context of the game, he totally got it and was having fun figuring it out.

Starting and running a business.

So much can be learned from this educational experience. With my son, it started when he commented how he wished there was something he could do to make our 15-year-old dog, Murphy, feel better since he suffers from arthritis. His idea: an all-natural dog treat that not only tastes good but helps dogs feel better. Although this was a fun and exciting start, the real learning happened when he proceeded, with help from me and my wife, to understand how to make a business out of it and what that meant.

He came up with a name, MurphyBites; drew the company logo; and then wanted to make the first batch of treats.

Instead of our paying for everything for him, we discussed how if he really wants to help dogs feel better, he’d need money to make it happen. To fund his

At the store, he found what he needed, compared prices, and paid the cashier with the money out of his wallet. After perfecting the dog treat, he signed up for a kid’s business fair, where he set up a pop-up shop alongside other kids and was responsible for interacting with customers, explaining his product, and conducting sales transactions. We, as parents, were only allowed to watch.

Although my son was nervous, he learned about starting a business, using money to buy raw materials to turn it into profit, and how he can save some of the money for things he wants in the future.

Keep in mind that I never force any of these topics on my son. I want to make sure his mind is open and that he is eager to learn. If I forced it, he would want nothing to do with it.

LEARN

Recently he was given an assignment from his teacher to write about a current event. The report was due around the same time as taxes (April). I suggested he write about the history of taxes. His first question was “What are taxes?” This led to a fun, informational conversation about taxes—how they are generated and what they are used for.

He thought the idea of taxes was really interesting since it paid for things in the community, like roads, police and fire departments, and libraries. Since he was familiar with these things, he was interested enough to learn about taxes. He ended up writing about the history, and even used the example of how when he wants to buy a toy at the store, he must remember that the cost on the shelf does not include sales tax.

He never stops talking about it now.

There are plenty of other examples of how to teach our kids about money. The point is that the topic of money should be embraced. Instead of just glossing over anything related to money, make a point to chat about it in a way that

C E L E B R AT E

promotes learning. By making it fun, my son is learning things that will benefit him and those around him for the rest of his life.

Unsure where to start? Buy a board game about money or check one out at the library, and have a fun family afternoon or evening playing the game. Who knows, maybe you’ll learn something too.

Derek Notman is a Certified Financial Planner® and Founder of Intrepid Wealth Partners LLC. intrepidwealthpartners.com.

Photograph by Eric Tadsen

business, he agreed to sell toys he no longer used. He took the money, put it in his wallet, and went with us to buy all the ingredients and supplies to make the dog treats.

Derek Notman

G I V E BA C K

book a tour, presentation, field trip, scout workshop or day camp today

Dane County Humane Society

giveshelter.org

(608) 838-0413

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Photograph by Sue Moen

e ssential travel

by Liz Wessel Driving through New Glarus on Highway 69, you’ll notice something immediately. Chalet-styled buildings with sloping roofs and balconies, which are often decorated with colorful flower boxes in the summer. If you think it looks a bit like Switzerland, then the locals got their message across. New Glarus’ roots and origins are in the canton of Glarus, Switzerland.

In 1845, two agents set out from the canton of Glarus to find land in America for immigrants from this Germanspeaking region. The industrial revolution had hit hard. The new factories undermined the local economy that relied on family-sized gardens and weaving. The citizens of Glarus were looking for a chance at a new life.

Making their way to the Midwest, the agents searched for suitable land in Illinois, Missouri, and Iowa, eventually exploring parts of the Wisconsin Territory. Coming across unclaimed land along the Little Sugar River Valley, they purchased 1,200 acres of land and 80 acres of timber.

The main body of migrants set out for America before they even knew 58 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

where they were headed. Despite this, on August 15, 1845, they arrived and established New Glarus. The last immigrants from Switzerland arrived in 1925, but the colonists’ German Swiss heritage lives on in New Glarus’ current residents, including those who have no direct Swiss lineage.

beekeeping, and a blacksmith, in addition to the history of the settlement of the village and township. During the Harvest Fest, in October, the historic village comes to life with living demonstrations of the essential jobs within the community.

Gone are the days when 4.2 million pounds of limburger cheese were produced. The village no longer has a working dairy, yet cheesemaking is still a main staple of the area with some of the finest Swiss cheese in the state. In a nod to Switzerland’s, the town’s, and Wisconsin’s love affair with cheese, painted cows can be found throughout New Glarus—great for posing for selfies.

The local restaurants offer traditional Swiss food on a daily basis. If visiting the New Glarus Hotel Restaurant in the spring, ask to be seated on the wraparound, glassed porch. You can view the tree blossoms and main street activities while reviewing the Swissinspired menu. Fondue is a daily dish here, as is raclette—melted cheese over boiled potatoes. The chef offers different versions of raclette as well as rosti—a dish traditionally made for breakfast with coarsely grated potatoes and Swiss cheese. A diner can choose from a traditional version to rosti with bacon or bratwurst or chicken or sautéed vegetables. Small pickled vegetables often accompany the dishes.

The vegetarian rosti is delicious!

Today, the town’s Swiss Historic Village captures all of this pioneering development, including a dairy,

Once you have finished, explore this original 1853 building with its mountain-based décor. A large room

The original colonists knew little about farming this type of land and struggled to grow wheat. They decided to switch to dairy when the soils became depleted and crops failed. This started the era of cheesemaking and signaled the spread of the dairy industry across Wisconsin.

Photograph provided by Green Concierge Travel

with tables and wood floors invites patrons to dance. Bands are a regular fixture here on Friday and Saturday nights with polka music. And don’t miss the cozy sunken bar near the entrance.

The Hotel is in name only, honoring the building’s early years when it served as a hotel and a center of village life with performance space used for theatre and vaudeville.

Both groups feature in the annual Volksfest, which celebrates the founding of the Swiss federation in 1291. August 1 is the official day, and the celebration usually is held on the weekend closest to it. These singing groups keep faith with the original colonists who, while traveling to the Midwest, sang to the residents of then Pittsburg.

“As we floated into the city our singers sang several Swiss songs which attracted hundreds of people to the border of the canal and to the windows of adjoining houses” –Mirror of Switzerland quoting the writings of colonist Mahias Duerst.

Outdoor recreation has become the new New Glarus industry. In the 1930s,

Photograph by Sue Moen

The Jodlerklub New Glarus was started in 1928 and found a home at the Hotel for a brief time. The Club keeps the alpine art of yodeling alive.

Performing at festivals in New Glarus, other Wisconsin locations, and beyond, the Club includes alphorns; flag throwing; and, of course, yodelers.

Another traditional singing group, the Mannerchor New Glarus, was also established in 1928. This traditional all

men’s choral group features German and Swiss dialect songs.

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78 acres of the colonists’ original 80 for timber were purchased by the Wisconsin Conservation Department, becoming the foundation of the now 435-acre New Glarus Woods State Park.

The park connects with the Sugar River State Trail, a multiuse trail along the old railroad which served as the main connection for New Glarus to markets for cheese and other local products.

The old depot serves as the trail headquarters and a good place to stop for refreshments.

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

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Today, people come to New Glarus for recreation, the many festivals, and the ambiance. Oktoberfest plays a large role in the fall calendar supported by the New Glarus Brewing Company. Not surprising as the original immigrants were from the German-speaking region of Switzerland. Early in the year, Swiss heritage is put on stage in the retelling of two tales: Wilhelm Tell, a folk tale about the origins of the Swiss people’s rebellion against tyranny, and Heidi, the story of an orphaned girl sent to live with her grandfather in the alps.

New Glarus’ community transforms

these stories into their own festivals and opportunities to showcase the village’s Swiss roots.

So come to New Glarus and steep in Swiss heritage and culture. And if you meet someone with the last name Streiff, Kundert, Duerst, Tschudy, Egger, and others, you just might be meeting someone who can directly trace their history back to the original immigration from canton of Glarus.

Swiss Historic Village and Museum, New Glarus, Wisconsin.

Tschudy, Kim D. (2014). Images of America New Glarus. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing.

Tschudy, Millard. (1995). New Glarus, Wisconsin.

Mirror of Switzerland 1845 – 1995.

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

New Glarus Festivals and Celebrations • Heidi Festival June • Annual polkafest June • Swiss Volksfest (Swiss Independence Day) - August • Wilhelm Tell Festival weekend at the end of August • Oktoberfest end of September (varies) • Swiss Historical Village Harvest Fest October Photograph by Sue Moen

Liz Wessel

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advertiser index association

Vintage Brewing Co. ...................................... 35

Aldo Leopold Nature Center........................ 24

Willy Street Co-op........................................... 45

Dane Arts.......................................................... 23

Wollersheim Winery & Distillery....................... 5

Dane Buy Local............................................... 32 Dane County Humane Society.............. 32, 57 Sauk Prairie Riverway...................................... 13

entertainment & media

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Back of the House Online Video Series....... 39 Ho-Chunk Gaming Madison......................... 64

dining, food & beverage

Home Elements & Concepts......................... 25

Athens Grill......................................................... 7

Journey of Aging............................................. 28

Bavaria Sausage Kitchen, Inc....................... 32

Madison Opera............................................... 55

Blue Agave Restaurant and Lounge........... 53

Olbrich Botanical Gardens........................... 25

Bunky’s Catering............................................. 61

Our Lives Magazine........................................ 29

Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream..................... 19

Red Arrow Production.................................... 49

Clausen’s European Bakery.......................... 33

Stoughton Opera House................................ 63

Dorf Haus.......................................................... 61

WORT-FM........................................................... 49

Drumlin Ridge Winery..................................... 33 Fisher King Winery........................................... 20

home & landscaping

Fraboni’s Italian Specialties &

ZDA, Inc............................................................... 8

Delicatessen............................................... 49 Fuegos............................................................... 17

services

Gail Ambrosius Chocolatier.......................... 41

American Family Insurance DreamBank...... 2

Grape Water Wine Bar................................... 40

Capital Fitness................................................. 37

Imperial Garden.............................................. 31

Elevation Salon & Spa.................................... 39

Metcalfe’s........................................................... 8

Four Lakes Veterinary Clinic.......................... 43

Mid Town Pub................................................... 61

Hotel Ruby Marie............................................. 35

The Mixing Bowl Bakery.................................. 31

Monroe Street Framing................................... 60

The Nitty Gritty................................................. 37

Stoughton Hospital......................................... 39

The Old Feed Mill Restaurant........................ 24

Tadsen Photography...................................... 27

Oliver’s Public House...................................... 60 Otto’s Restaurant & Bar.................................. 21

shopping

Paoli Schoolhouse Shops & Café................. 43

Abel Contemporary Gallery......................... 51

Pizza Brutta....................................................... 20

CLUCK the Chicken Store.............................. 41

Porta Bella........................................................ 36

Deconstruction Inc........................................... 9

Quivey’s Grove................................................ 53

The Gingko Tree............................................... 40

Riley’s Wines of the World.............................. 59

John/Christine Designs................................... 51

Samba Brazilian Grill....................................... 59

Karen & Co......................................................... 5

Sauk Prairie Grill............................................... 41

Kessenich’s Ltd................................................. 21

The Side Door Grill and Tap........................... 59

Lidtke Motors.................................................... 13

State Line Distillery.......................................... 23

Luceo Boutique & Styling Co........................ 19

Sugar River Pizza Company........................... 25

Pegasus Games.............................................. 40

Tempest Oyster Bar......................................... 48

Playthings......................................................... 31

Tipsy Cow............................................................ 5

Plum Crazy........................................................ 41

Tornado Steak House..................................... 48

Rutabaga Paddlesports................................ 23

The University Club.......................................... 19

Wantoot............................................................ 52 Woodland Studios........................................... 15

Gift Card!

Question: “What restaurant first opened in a Shell gas station in Westport?”

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 cards. Contest deadline is August 20, 2018. Gift cards will be honored at all Food Fight® Restaurant Group restaurants (see foodfightinc.com).

Good Luck!

Winners Thank you to everyone who entered our previous contest.

The answer to the question “Which local chef’s heritage is Aztec, Mayan, and Tejano?” is Oscar Villarreal of Fuegos. A $50 Food Fight Gift Card was sent to each of our winners, Keven Kelliher of Mount Horeb and Michael Tiber of Dodgeville.

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