Madison Essentials September/October 2020

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CONTENTS september/october 2020

vol. 69

publisher Amy S. Johnson ajohnson@madisonessentials.com

essential

editorial director Amy S. Johnson ajohnson@madisonessentials.com

lead designer

arts Dane Arts Mural Arts......................14 Pranav Sood..................................20

Jennifer Denman

senior copy editor

community

Kyle Jacobson

Joe Parisi........................................28

copy editor

Living in Uncertain Times...............44

Krystle Engh Naab

Owning Our Pandemic.................18

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

designers Crea Stellmacher, Linda Walker, Barbara Wilson

dining Heritage Tavern...............................6

food & beverage We’re Going Hopless....................40

landmark

administration Debora Knutson

Alexander Smith House.................24

contributing writers Sandy Eichel, Jeanne Engle, Dave Fidlin, Kyle Jacobson, Krystle Engh Naab, Lori Scarlett, DVM

photographer

nonprofit Dane County Humane Society Centennial Celebration: Give Shelter................................30

Eric Tadsen

pets

additional photographs Abel Contemporary Gallery, Dane Arts Mural Arts, Dane County Executive’s Office, Dane County Humane Society, Peggy Gunderson - Strategic Brand Marketing, Herbiery, Albert Hu, Operation Fresh Start, Pranav Sood, Wisconsin Athletics

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Aww Rats!......................................34

shopping Booth 121.......................................10

sports & recreation UW Badgers Women’s Basketball...................36

including From the Publisher...........................4 Contest Information......................46 Contest Winners............................46

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Watch for the next issue November/December 2020.

Cover photograph—Grilled Striploin with Potato Bone, Horseradish Cream, Beef Reduction, Seared Snap Peas taken at Heritage Tavern by Eric Tadsen Photographs on page 3: top—Taken at Booth 121 by Eric Tadsen middle—Ancho & Leftie taken at Heritage Tavern by Eric Tadsen bottom—Trinity Lutheran Church Mural provided by Dane Arts Mural Arts

from the publisher Normally this is the time of year we see the Greater Madison area and the rest of the state enter its busy fall schedule, driven by students returning to universities and other school systems. But in the continuing “operations changing daily” fashion of 2020, many will not be returning in person, and those that are will be doing so under very different circumstances. The usual ramp up and bang will most likely be replaced by a cautious ping.

What does this mean for our community? At the time of this writing, many have returned to their jobs in person, some continue to work from home, and some are still waiting to return. While it’s an everyday effort to determine how to best take care of ourselves, friends, and families, it’s also important to look at how we can best take care of our communities.

Our communities are driven by local small businesses, who consistently give back to our schools and community organizations. They’re the businesses that pay the taxes that go toward our schools and the services we rely on, such as garbage pickup, road repairs, and more. They’re not the businesses who hire someone for thousands of dollars to save themselves millions by reducing their potential tax debt through system loopholes. If we want the businesses, organizations, and things we love in our community to remain, it’s imperative we remember that it only happens through our support.

Donations, purchasing gift cards or certificates, making local online purchases, and visiting in person as much as you feel comfortable while following the guidelines in place to keep everyone safe will all help our business community come out of this dark cloud.

While this fall season might look a little different than we’re used to, if your personal situation allows, think about what you can do yourself to ensure the return of a brighter and more familiar future.

Please do what you can to help and be safe.

amy johnson

In Memory of Jane Kinney

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Photograph provided by Jane Kinney

Eric Tadsen

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essential dining Fox Heritage Farms Pork Chop Cherry Reduction, Seared Wild-Foraged Mushrooms

HERITAGE TAVERN To Thine Own Self Crispy Skin Sockeye Salmon | Petits Pois á la Française

by Kyle J acobson Growing up in Wisconsin, I always felt I was afforded this fantastic opportunity to connect with the worlds around me— to nature, to neighbors, those I struggle to understand, and those I bond with straightaway. And I don’t think there’s a day that goes by when I’m not reminded of the importance in maintaining the connection I have with the food I eat— food that presents opportunity for community fostering.

Heritage Tavern, on Webster and Mifflin, is a Madison restaurant focused on bringing in all sorts for an inclusive bar or dining experience.

“We purposefully built a comfortable, approachable restaurant,” says owner Dan Fox. “Wooden tabletops. No tablecloths. Servers are kind of dressed down. A place where I want people doing business of all shapes and sizes, backgrounds. To people coming in

6 | madison essentials

for special occasions to someone just coming into the bar and enjoying a ham sandwich and a beer. It’s a come-as-youare establishment.”

Their “Old Fashioned” Ham Sandwich, aged gouda, stone ground mustard, chili aioli, and pickled red onion, is testament to Dan’s work toward involving everyone in the farm-totable movement, highlighting his hands-on familiarity with pig farming.

Patrons can expect staff and servers to be knowledgeable on where all ingredients used in their sandwich, or any food item, comes from, sort of like the scene in Portlandia involving Colin the chicken, where a couple of foodies ask their server everything concerning the history of the chicken being served short of whether it was hatched under hen or heat lamp.

“We try to develop relationships with farmers. I get excited about a pig, and they might get excited about a green bean. Or they get excited about a tomato, and they’re telling me about 50 types

of tomatoes and all the different uses.

Then we take that aspect and bring it back to the restaurant to create dishes around these beautiful ingredients.”

Dan works hard to ensure everything on your plate was grown or raised by someone who cares a whole awful lot about what went into its production.

It’s the same with his own pigs. “Nine years ago, I bought seven Mangalica pigs; they’re a specific breed of heritage pig. It was an idea for a farming project just to learn to raise pigs and see what

the experience was. So we did that, it went pretty well. Met a few folks who had some underutilized property. We bought a few more different breeds of heritage pigs. We were just continuing the hobby farm. The hobby farming turned into one pig getting delivered that was pregnant. Then we had breeding stock.”

If you’ve ever heard of Willow Creek Farms or Fox Heritage Farms, that’s where Dan raises his pigs using “grandpa’s way of farming. If you think

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of an heirloom tomato, it hasn’t been genetically modified or altered in any sense. A heritage pig is the same way.

It hasn’t been genetically modified or altered in any way, and we use its natural characteristics. It’s getting back to what pigs used to taste like before Summer Tonic

confinement farming. ... Sustainably raised. Pasture raised. No hormones. No antibiotics. We let them create their own natural habitats in a sense, so there’s not really a lot of stress on the animals.”

To further help out other local farmers, Dan has created a menu built around utilizing the whole animal. Choice cuts are nice, but a lot of resources went into raising that animal. “We’re not just tenderloin, tenderloin, tenderloin. We try to balance that out with different cuts and get creative with different cuts of protein.” As I see it, this is much more respectful to the animal and the farmer raising it. Much more in tune with connecting patrons to process.

And Heritage Tavern is much more than pork. Market fish and shellfish star in their Bouillabaisse along with fingerling potato, roasted fennel, tomato and shellfish broth, and garlic sabayon.

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It’s a dish from southern France that goes back to Dan’s culinary education.

“I worked at a French restaurant while I was going to a culinary school called Everest. They gave me an opportunity to work with some folks in Provence, France. I worked in France for a short period of time. Worked in Austria for a short period of time. Then came back to Chicago and worked in another Asianinfluenced restaurant called Spring.”

That also starts to explain why their schnitzel is so popular, braised red cabbage, sour-cream spätzle, pickled aronia berries, mustard cream sauce, all in a red-wine reduction.

Schnitzel aside, I could see myself stopping by just to have their assorted deviled eggs. “We’ve done fried-rice filling to everything-bagel salmon filling to a turmeric curried egg.” That and a German pilsner, something Dan always has on tap due to it being something

his father loves that he’s also become a huge fan of, and I might be booked for the evening. If beer isn’t your thing, they have a fantastic array of seasonal craft cocktails—some variations created on the spot if you’re so spirited.

The need to punctuate sense of place BEST and ENJOYED: When you’re ready to melt 50 or 80 min. Body Treatment is what really ties every ambiance THE MOOD: the heat Toasty Marshmallow Massage BODY is back this September dish together. “The restaurant is very Turn upOur PRODUCT COST: $86 EXPERIENCE: This velvety massage begins with a steaming butter 32 massages @ $2.69 ea. personal to me. It’s definitely an by popular demand!

This velvety massage begins with brulee whole milk and chicory root-infused cocoon wrap to hydrate and You will need: expression of the heritage of Wisconsin. soothe dry winter skin.steaming Once softened,butter you’re drizzled and massaged brulee whole milk1 -and 32 oz. chicory Butter Bruleeinfused Milk Soak (For steaming towels in a buttery rich melt of emollient shea, cocoa and mango butters that My background, my cooking experience, 1 32 oz.

Marshmallow Melt Balm towels soothe.

Once softened, you’re absorb into skin -- leaving soft notesto of hydrate marshmallow and and a silky-fine and my team have a lot to touch. do with drizzled and massaged in a buttery rich melt of emollient bringing the vision of Heritage Tavern shea, cocoa, and mango butters - leaving soft notes of together. ... We have tempura baconwrapped cheese curds, you know, it’s marshmallow, silky-fine to the touch.

Wisconsin, so you gotta have cheese curds.” You’ll be enjoying those curds Book Your Appointment Today At on Wisconsin Amish-made furniture.

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What Heritage Tavern really captures is this idea in Wisconsin and the Midwest that we’re often more impressed with your character than your bank account.

They consciously raise their animals and produce before they’re harvested, and value their journey all the way to your plate. Upon entering, you’ll feel welcome no matter what you’re all about. As Dan says, “If you like good food, good beverage, and good service, then you’ve come to the right place.”

INFUSE

MASSAGE

Kyle Jacobson is a writer and copy editor for Madison Essentials.

Kyle Jacobson

Photograph by Barbara Wilson

Photographs by Eric Tadsen.

Heritage Tavern 131 E . M if flin Stre et M adison , W I 5 3 7 0 3 ( 6 0 8 ) 28 3 -9 5 0 0 heritageta vern . com

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essential shopping

BOOTH 121 UPCYCLED SPECIALTY STORE

Uniting People Over Novelty Items

BY KRYSTLE ENGH NAAB If you aren’t already familiar with Booth 121, you’ll soon want to learn more.

Some of the items at this specialty craft store can also be found elsewhere, but what makes Booth 121 stand out is the originality and fun that owners Leah Robertson and Rebecca Aide bring to your experience, as well the personal touch and investment they place in each artist’s work.

Leah has a knack for painting furniture, and she loves giving discarded items a fresh, new look. The hobby turned to new venture when Leah’s sister-in-law Rebecca suggested they open a retail store, which they’d name after the antique mall booth where Leah had once displayed her creations. Booth 121 opened in November 2015 to host a variety of vendors, mostly local artists.

They started with 16 artists and have grown to over 100.

“We have a big space to display the different artists’ products,” says Rebecca.

“We don’t do traditional booths, no one rents space, and it’s on a consignment basis. We work with the makers on the displays, but most of the time we handle the staging of the areas.”

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EXPERIENCE

Sauk Prairie

The displays bring artists’ works together, complementing each other, which gives customers ideas about how they’ll look in their homes. “Our products are definitely unique,” says Leah. “We have a lot of humorous items.

Not the normal or what you would picture as a craft store.”

The bright, cheery colors and quirkiness of the store suits Leah’s style. She believes she inherited her warped sense of humor and love of snarky items from her mother, an ER nurse who raised Leah alone. Rebecca relates some of her style from the store’s items, and her kitchen is full of snarky items. She jokingly says, “I’m walking that fine line if my son’s friends can come over or not.”

Snarky items are always popular and keep people coming back for more, as does reasonably priced boutique-style

SAUKPRAIRIE.COM

clothing. Leah and Rebecca try to keep their fingers on the pulse of different trends. They search for functional items with a little twist, which makes a gift from Booth 121 great for others and yourself.

The community has embraced Leah and Rebecca, and the store is a great place to get one-of-a-kind items that support local artists. “It doesn’t feel like work,” says Leah. “We have the best customers.

Lots of laughter. We’re not a store people have to go to, so people don’t come in dreading shopping. They’re excited to be here. A lot of fun to be a part of that.”

Leah’s workshop is on the premises.

She continues to paint furniture for the store and on commission—people give Leah pieces to paint. Occasionally, Leah and Rebecca host workshops in the back room, usually coinciding with an event

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or party. They also promote events that their artists are in. “Our thought is one wins, we all win,” says Leah. And new artists just starting out who don’t have their own brick-and-mortar space are appreciative of the recognition they receive from the Monona community.

Coronavirus threw Leah and Rebecca a curve, just as it did every other local business. “Curbside and online ordering were instrumental in helping us get through that period when we couldn’t have people in the store,” says Leah. “And we saw a lot of support

HOW DO YOU SEE THE WORLD?

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KEEPING YOU CONNECTED

from the community.” They continue to adjust their business model through coronavirus with added safety precautions for in-person visits.

big crowds for anniversary celebrations, with giveaways of donated vendor items. Stay tuned for an announcement and details.

“Right now, we’ll be okay. Rebecca and I will be okay. Our store will be okay,” says Leah. “We’re just really concerned and want people to support the different vendors that we have that depend on these huge craft shows. That’s what they do for a living. And they are really hurting at this point because of coronavirus cancelling events.”

Booth 121 will continue to evolve trends and different artists’ works, listening to what the people really want to see. Let Leah and Rebecca share some happiness and laughter with their products. It’s a little bit of joy we could all use.

Rebecca says, “We carry a lot of items from those particular vendors that do depend on it for their full-time career, so if people do want to get out and shop, this would be the place to come to support them.”

Photographs by Eric Tadsen.

BOOTH 121 6203 MONONA DRIVE MONONA, WI 53716 (608) 286-1230 BOOTH121.COM BOOTH-121.MYSHOPIFY.COM

EAT LIKE A MOCAL

Unsure what the future of events holds, Leah and Rebecca are contemplating how they’ll celebrate their fifth anniversary coming up the first week of November. In the past, they’ve had

Krystle Engh Naab

Photograph by Barbara Wilson

Both Leah and Rebecca emphatically say, “We’re here! We’re not planning on going anywhere.” Visit the store, support the artists, and find homemade, specialty items. You can get inspired and influenced by a new style, and knowing that each purchase is a handmade, original item supporting someone’s livelihood and passion just makes it that much sweeter.

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

1847 at the Stamm House A Pig in a Fur Coat Banzo Bonfyre American Grille Brasserie V Charlie’s on Main CIRC Cow & Quince Crema Cafe Daisy Cafe & Cupcakery Delaney’s Charcoal Steaks Dotty Dumpling’s Dowry Essen Haus Harvest Ian’s Pizza by the Slice - Frances Ian’s Pizza by the Slice - Garver Ian’s Pizza by the Slice - State Imperial Garden West Liliana’s Restaurant Lombardino’s Italian Restaurant Longtable Beer Cafe Mariner’s Inn Nau-Ti-Gal Nitty Gritty - Downtown Nitty Gritty - Middleton Nitty Gritty - Sun Prairie North and South Seafood & Smokehouse - Deforest North and South Seafood & Smokehouse - Madison North and South Seafood & Smokehouse - Verona Old Feed Mill Paisan’s Restaurant Parthenon Gyros Porta Bella Restaurant Quivey’s Grove Rockhound Brewing Company Short Stack Eatery Smoky’s Club The Old Fashioned The Roman Candle - East The Roman Candle - Middleton The Wonder Bar Tipsy Cow - Downtown Tipsy Cow - Sun Prairie Tornado Club Steak House Yola’s Cafe

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Dane County Job Center The Thrive Mural

essential arts

THE BIG PICTURE Dane County Job Center The Thrive Mural

by Kyle Jacobson As long as I can remember, the Greater Madison area has been going through a perpetual identity crisis. I don’t think that’s a bad thing. The area means a lot of different things to a lot of different people, and as many of us strive to adapt to social evolutions in concept, perception, and demonstration, what we showcase as our identity shifts under the magnifying glass. Art, from fine to culinary, has worked to capture these moments, allowing us to close our eyes and hold them before they hollow.

But for the last six years, local nonprofit Dane Arts Mural Arts (DAMA) has been using art to harness community identity in colossal fashion. “We are a community mural painting program,” says aptly named Emida Roller, executive director and lead artist. “That

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

means we, as mural artists, we just don’t go to a wall, paint the wall, and go home.

We use the communities’ ideas to design the murals. We go to that community and ask them what they want. Usually, though, they do come to us when they want a mural, and then we ask, ‘What do you want? What’s the reason? Give us some ideas.’ Then we’ll come up with a few designs. They will vote and decide what they want for the mural—how that mural should speak to the public or people around them about who this community is or who this school is or who this business is.”

Most people view facets of Greater Madison from the outside in, and even those in Greater Madison form strongly held associations with the neighbors they’ve never visited. Because of this, struggling communities have a harder time shining through prejudices. What DAMA has allowed these communities to do is take ownership of their identity.

Wrapped around the corner of the Dane County Job Center is a 20-foot king protea flower. “It’s really cool the county let us do that on the building.

It says something about the north side.

The mural shows an incredible flower breaking through rubble and a lot of rocks and debris, and it’s blooming.

There’re good things coming out of the north side, good things happening. It’s not always the negative.” On the bits of rubble are hardships: depression, forgotten, debt, ignorance. In the sky and on the flower: compassion, breathe, dream, grow.

Mount Horeb High School - Mental Wellness Mural to use polytab cloth. “We paint on that because it is really portable. It allows us to take the mural to the students and community members, and they will come up at the same time and just put

on what’s marked up with color,” says Emida. “And we take it to them. We take it to the community center. We take it to the schools. We work with alternative programs at the high school and some

Not every mural DAMA coordinates is visible to the general public.

Approximately a third are in public schools. Often the messages are about school spirit and identity, and sometimes they tackle bigger issues, like when Mount Horeb High School did a mural on mental health. Such murals can fundamentally change the way students and teachers interact with one another, fostering something that makes uncomfortable topics surrounding emotions more commonplace.

Though murals can be done in different mediums, for example DAMA had once used mosaic tiles, DAMA tends madisonessentials.com

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elementary schools, and we’ll paint with them. After we’ve painted with them and filled in all the spots and places on the mural, we bring it back to the shop and we’ll finesse it, make it look professional, make it look finished. Make it look like one person painted it rather than 250 kids. After that’s done, we take it and we go install it at the wall.”

Hawthorne Tunnel Mural

One of Emida’s favorite installations is at the Hawthorne Tunnel. “It’s a long tunnel that goes under East Wash, and that’s the path the kids walk when they go to school. They don’t cross the busy East Wash, they have to go underneath.

And it was really a scary place. It was dark, dirty, stinky, and the kids would not walk through it to get to school.

Some of them would rather stay home.

So we tried to find a way to use art to solve the problem. The kids helped us design the murals. When you walk through, you see their artwork. We blew up their design; we didn’t recreate it or anything—we used exactly what they designed. The kids all worked together to cover about 240 feet of tunnel space with beautiful artwork, and the kids are so excited to go through this tunnel.

To walk to school, ride their bikes, run through the tunnel, it’s a much happier place to go through.”

Hawthorne Tunnel Mural

Though large installations are still DAMA’s focus, recent events involving a pandemic have provided opportunity for adaptation. One of the largest additions is DAMA’s “mini-murals.

They’re 8 feet by 15 feet. To us, that’s mini.” To get people engaged in the process, DAMA would pose a question on social media for people to respond to. One mural asked people to complete the statement “Slow down and...” Emida says, “We had about 100 comments saying: slow down and smell the flowers. Slow down and make art. Slow down and enjoy your family.”

The mini-murals are available for purchase via donation. For $5,000, DAMA will install the mural on an interior or exterior wall wherever the donor chooses.

My favorite ongoing installation involves storm-drain mini-murals that “educate people about where the rainwater goes

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

when it goes through the drain, and why you should keep it clean. It’s going to the rivers and streams around us. The murals are pretty, and they’re sending a message.”

DAMA is doing what a lot of artists struggle to do, getting art out on the streets for people to experience. Instead of the occasional thought given to monumental and exemplary works of art, audiences are forced to consider these murals as they encounter them in day-to-day scenarios. The layers of meaning begging to be dissected. “It’s a mural,” says Emida. “But the story behind it makes it even more special.”

To support or learn more about DAMA, visit daneartsmuralarts.org.

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

Kyle Jacobson

Photograph by Barbara Wilson

Photographs provided by Dane Arts Mural Arts.

landscape architects garden designers site planners 831.5098 zdainc.com

OUTDOOR CREATIV VE

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essential community

Owning Our

Pandemic

by Kyle Jacobson were then able to build a program from the foundation up. But it took weeks for that money to arrive to communities, and we had already had our program up and going. The framework was in place. ... We really hit the ground running really early on in the pandemic, and it did help get the process going for folks and get money out there quicker than other places were able to.”

COVID-19 was the pandemic everyone saw coming, yet nobody prepared for.

The boogeyman in plain sight. Once the virus came to Wisconsin, County Executive Joe Parisi recognized that if he didn’t act soon, the nightmare would last well past nightfall.

Joe’s first efforts were toward ensuring the homeless would have access to food and shelter. When satisfied that food banks and local shelters were in a better position to handle the ongoing crisis, he addressed Dane County’s small businesses as “part of our comprehensive package to help people through the worst of the economic hardships brought about by the pandemic.”

Things happened fast. Office of the County Executive Chief of Staff Josh Wescott says, “We quickly identified the real difficulties and real challenges that would be born by our local small businesses. Given the well-established, really incredible relationship we have with Dane Buy Local, Joe had asked me to reach out to Colin Murray [executive director of Dane Buy Local] and assess what’s happening. To no surprise, the 18 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

report was not favorable. There were a lot of businesses in really precarious situations, and that’s where we got to work, connected the dots, and built the program.”

Monies allocated to the program started at $250,000. Colin says, “We’ve been working with the Latino Chamber, the Black Chamber, and WWBIC to help get that word out there along with efforts we’ve done on our own.” At one point, applications were coming in at the rate of one every two minutes. Josh checked in with Colin to see how the program was going, and Colin told him that the money wasn’t enough. So the funds were upped to $550,000. Again, Josh reached out, and again, more money was needed.

Josh says, “When we first connected with Colin and talked about a way to build something like this, we were among really the first handful of places in the country that were even doing this because we started the program with county money. Over time, as the federal CARES Act came in and other things to all communities, other communities

By the time this article is in print, Colin anticipates that the program’s entire $10.8 million will have been allocated to small businesses through grant agreements. To put that number in perspective, Colin pointed out that the next closest program he’s seen is on the East Coast at around $5 million. “One survey out there has indicated that up to 42 percent of small businesses will not survive the pandemic,” says Colin.

“I think because of this program, what Joe has done, what the county has done, we’re going to reduce that percentage here. We’re going to have businesses disappear, but we’re going to reduce that number significantly because of this program and Joe’s foresight in understanding the importance of small businesses.”

Joe says, “Dane County is incredibly unique if you look at Mount Horeb, Monroe Street, etc. Throughout the county, a big part of our uniqueness is our local business community and what they bring. We benefit in so many ways. We obviously benefit in a big way economically, but it’s also part of our identity as a community, and it’s important that we not take that for granted and work to maintain that

because it doesn’t just happen. These folks need to be supported.”

Drive My Town

When it comes to the impact of that support, Colin says, “Dane County has exceeded the expectations. I received a phone call about two weeks ago from a dog groomer in Middleton, and she said, ‘The grant will save my business.

This will make a difference.’ And I’ve heard that from a number of different businesses now that this makes all the difference in the world between keeping the doors open or not.”

MERRIMAC, WI

“So even with our program, we’d like to be turning that response rate around quicker. For some of these businesses, I’m sure it feels like an eternity. We’re doing it in less than a month’s time from when you apply to when you get a check, but for a lot of these businesses, that’s still very, very stressful to them.”

Joe says, “It’s important to realize what small businesses do for us every day.

Who’s out there sponsoring the little league teams? Who’s out there every time a community has an event, be it a festival or a fundraiser for a local nonprofit? The people who step up are the folks in our local business community, and they do it every day and often without fanfare.”

Dining and shopping local have long been part of Dane County culture.

Thanks to so many of you, Joe found himself in a position where he was able to take action immediately. The value of this program at this point in time can’t be overstated for our community’s welfare, and if the overwhelming majority of health experts are correct, this virus isn’t going away anytime soon.

“It’s even more important than ever to shop at our local businesses,” says Joe. “It’s part of what we need for our recovery. It’s a direct investment in the community that pays huge dividends.”

Joe’s recovery package also focuses on childcare services and eviction prevention.

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

Photographs by Peggy Gunderson– Strategic Brand Marketing.

Kyle Jacobson

madisonessentials.com

Photograph by Barbara Wilson

People have an idea of what goes into running a small business, but some don’t understand the constant financial struggles experienced throughout the year. Small businesses are started by our neighbors following their dreams and taking a gamble with their finances to provide a service or sell goods they think will enhance the community. Since many Dane County businesses focus on paying their employees a fair wage and investing in quality above all else, their overhead takes up a large percentage of their profits. “A lot of small businesses only have two to four weeks’ worth of cash reserves to survive,” says Colin.

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I Want You Back Soon

PRANAV SOOD Neon Tints and Love Footprints

by Kyle Jacobson Shared meaning is reality’s chimera— multiple truths merged into something concrete. Very distinct and easily understood. But stare at it too long, ask too many questions, and it’ll be picked apart until interpretation uproots meaning from whatever plane of authenticity it found purchase in.

Pranav Sood’s bright, captivating paintings initiate a conversation on love, but the more an individual attempts to determine precisely what’s taking place, the further they stray from their original impression.

“These paintings are very personal,” says Pranav. “They are autobiographical, but also universal because everybody experiences love.” Love itself has a unique purity when we let it happen without defining it. The more barriers we put up between when we are allowed to experience and share our feelings, the less genuine they feel. Recreating intimate moments through detailed patterns and an attractive Warhol-esque use of vivid color, Pranav captures the 20 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

essence of what makes us want to replay our most-treasured memories over and over, putting feeling before detail.

How Pranav found his voice goes back to his childhood in India. “I started studying for art from a very young age. I think I was painting since kindergarten.

Moving forward, I went to Chandigarh, it’s the capital for Punjab. I’m from Ludhiana, which is like two hours away from Chandigarh, where I went for studies in art school. I studied there for four years as an undergrad and learned many things. Went on tours to different parts of India to learn ancient skills of arts—traditional painting styles—to find their roots, like what Indian art is.

In art school, they usually teach only the modern, the Western styles. I wanted to see what the Indian style was. So I learned those and started to find my own style.”

The evolution from Pranav’s early works is clear, almost mirroring the path of Picasso. His first body of paintings seek

to capture reality for what it is. “In this, the people actually look like people.

You can understand their age, and they have realistic features.” Over time, exaggerated shapes and static motions akin to hieroglyphics create something to be immediately interpreted. “They are more cartoon like, graphic; they have very simple features. ... When I started painting [Family Time], relatives or people used to come and say, ‘Who is your mother? Where are you? Who is this person?’ I never liked that. I wanted to make paintings that are universal.

People can connect with it rather than trying to find connection with me. So I started finding a way to reduce the physical features and convey a message.”

A message which is appropriately amplified by blending pop art and cubism.

Some paintings, like One for me, One for you, allow the audience to interrupt a moment in time ad infinitum. “In this painting, someone said they couldn’t understand if she’s inviting the boy or

Photograph by Albert Hu

essential arts

saying no to the boy. So the boy came in with the beer, offering beer, like he’s on a date or approaching the girl, and the girl is either accepting it or just saying no. It’s on the perspective of the viewer what they understand from this.”

“I just try to think like a child—simple things. Any age group can enjoy and find different meanings. They can enter from anywhere and exit from anywhere.

There are a million possibilities in the same image.”

Much like abstract art, the paintings aren’t complete without an audience’s perspective. Pranav uses love as his muse, so it’s not surprising to find a range of metaphor in the pieces, from the foundational to the conceptual. The same style of tree, for example, is adorned with different fruit to present the idea of that type of fruit tree. It doesn’t have to remotely look like the real thing, just give a base representation of the idea.

But the metaphors he uses for love, whether it be familial, adventurous, or dreamlike, seek to distinguish what is real and what is forced. You and Only You gives us parties and lovemaking—love that may last for only a moment and is all the richer for it. That same richness is found in The Day Without You, where it seems a person is describing their day without the person they care about. “I tried to find a contemporary version of

Photograph by Pranav Sood

Family Time

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Photograph provided by Abel Contemporary Gallery

The Day Without You

ONE FOR ME, ONE FOR YOU [Indian miniature painting] with a more autobiographical or universal sense. In Indian miniatures, they talk about gods and goddesses, but I wanted to talk about modern love. The love we actually see. I combined it with pointillism and Byzantine art. All the history classes I took, I just combined what I loved.

“I’m trying to bring in the societal pressure couples face. Like in India, couples don’t show affection to each other or love to each other in public, and people usually stare at them or just feel awkward. That makes it very difficult to go out. Even holding hands or kissing outside feels very awkward. When I came to U.S., I realized it’s very common, and it’s easy. Nobody’s judging or making an awkward environment. I felt like I needed to create those moments and show what is different in India.”

Photograph by Pranav Sood

Interestingly enough, Pranav shows how alike love is in our cultures by contrasting those differences. Love isn’t just a shared meaning; it’s a shared concept. The ability to feel, to share compassion, is where his work ties into his audience. “I try to find philosophies, like couple’s philosophies and humor.

Things people make jokes about or talk about and just laugh. It’s very universal.

I remember one time I was talking to somebody, and there was a girl who said, ‘These two are like me and my 22 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

You And Only YOu husband.’” This was her take without applying language to it—without dissecting the moment.

The mosaic quality of the background, almost like intricate kumiko woodwork, and the events taking place give audiences reason to reinterpret Pranav’s paintings upon each viewing. It speaks to a thread woven throughout the works: that though who we are will change over time, love’s potency doesn’t fade—it just takes on new forms.

Photograph by Pranav Sood

Kyle Jacobson

Photograph by Barbara Wilson

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

madisonessentials.com

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e ssential landmark

ALEXANDER SMITH

BY JEANNE ENGLE As a young man, Alexander Smith emigrated from England (or perhaps Ireland, depending on which early census one views) in the 1800s to the township of Blooming Grove outside of Madison. There, in 1848, the same year that Wisconsin became a state and eight years before Madison was incorporated as a city, he purchased a quarter of a section (160 acres) in the northern part of the township.

Smith’s land had been previously owned

by Lucius Lyon, who was contracted years before to survey what would become the Territory of Wisconsin. Lyon had bought several thousand acres in Dane County from the U.S. government.

Smith built a Greek Revival-style farmhouse on his land. Greek Revival architecture was popular from 1825 to 1860 in more-isolated parts of the country, but Smith’s farmhouse was much more than a typical farmhouse of its day. Its walls were constructed

by Cornish craftsmen in the style of authentic centuries-old British tradition. Limestone from a local quarry just a short distance away was used.

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

The house was designated a Madison landmark in November 1971.

House windows] … resulted in the most distinctive indigenous architecture to be found in the area.

According to the landmark nomination: The availability of stratified quarry stone for intermediate wall construction coupled with that of larger cap stone for corner quoins [blocks] and chimney exteriors, as well as dressed stone for lintels and sills [across the tops and bottoms of

At the time it was built, the Alexander Smith house was two stories tall in the shape of a Greek temple. A gable on the house at 5301 Milwaukee Street faces the street and has heavy cornices. The front of the house features an off-center main door set between sidelights with a rectangular transom above, six-over-six

wood sash windows, and a plain frieze (trim board between the top of the stone and underside of the eave).

Four rooms were downstairs and two small rooms plus a large unfinished area were upstairs. Purportedly, travelers stayed in these rooms while going between Milwaukee and Prairie du Chien. With room for a considerable number of dancers, it was also said that the large area was used as a social center for the area. The story goes that one night a brawl broke out, someone was pushed down the stairs breaking a spindle off. It’s a tale that’s been told for many years.

The big surprise about the house for Barbara Furstenberg, the current owner, is how the house was built. Barbara says, “The old style will allow the building to last for centuries, as long as proper maintenance is done. The 18-inch-thick walls were filled with rubble, allowing them to breathe. If water gets in, it can get out, and the walls dry out.”

Smith added a one-story, side-gabled ell to his house in 1861 that was divided into four small rooms and a carriage house. Based on values of land and personal property listed in the 1870 census, the Smith property was worth nearly $250,000 in today’s dollars.

He probably was one of the wealthier farmers in the area.

Alexander Smith’s first wife, Bridget, died in 1873. According to census records, they had four children—three boys and a girl. Smith later married Ellen Conlin in January 1878. Alexander Smith died on April 3, 1888. He left a life interest in the house and farm to his wife and only living son, George, who had been residing with them. A few years later, George probably moved out and Mrs. Smith’s brother, John Conlin, and wife, Clara, moved in. Also, half of the farm (80 acres) was sold at some point to John Sprecher. John Conlin died in 1912 and Ellen Smith in 1920.

Following her death, the land and house passed to heirs of John Sprecher.

After 1920, the house was unoccupied for a time, had a series of tenants, and eventually fell into disrepair. In 1946, the Alexander Smith House, also called the Stone House, was purchased by Donald S. Gray and his wife, Helen, at a sheriff’s sale. Gray had a position with the Farm Credit Administration and had appraised both urban and rural property. He was on the Board of the Dane County Historical Society.

Presumably, he knew the value of the house and the property and could appreciate its specialness. Mrs. Gray was an interior designer and most likely left her mark on the inside of the house.

The Grays combined the four small rooms in the ell to create a sizable living space and installed a Lannon stone fireplace. They also put in a kitchen and mudroom in the old carriage house.

One of the small rooms in the original part of the house was converted into a bathroom. The Grays did not finish the upstairs. Supposedly this was the place Mrs. Gray hung her laundry to dry.

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Gray was successful in getting his property and other nearby parcels annexed into Madison in 1960. Currently, the township of Blooming Grove with a few scattered neighborhoods and individual properties broken into discontinuous sections by Madison and Monona will be dissolved and totally annexed into Madison by 2027.

The second floor was finished by Della and Robert Rancourt, who purchased the house in 1973. They turned the upstairs into three rooms and installed a bathroom on that level as well. The Rancourts also put in more gardens on the property.

In 1997, Barbara and her late husband, Jim, purchased the Alexander Smith House with its two and a half acres of land. They had been living and working in Hawai‘i for nearly 30 years but wanted to move back to Madison, where they met while attending college and had friends and family.

One day while going for a walk on the east side, Jim spotted the Smith House.

He thought it was perfect. An old house didn’t have problems of degassing from new carpeting, cabinets, and paint.

It had desirable radiator heating. The property had gardens—he and Barbara wouldn’t have to take an elevator from their Hawai‘i high rise to get outside and enjoy them. So the Furstenbergs purchased the house and began to update it. Jim’s passion was gardening,

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

and he put in many native plants as well as an English garden.

“It’s a comfortable house to live in,” Barbara says. “From every room, I can look outside and there are trees or flowers to look at.” Mature trees on the property include a black cherry, two ginkgos, mulberry, crab apple, and golden locusts. When the Furstenbergs moved in, there was a hedge of honeysuckles close to the house. Hedges were planted by early farmers to block the sight of the barn. The barn on this property had been replaced by a threecar garage with attached workroom.

The Alexander Smith House has stood the test of time with only five owners on its deed. During the past 70 plus years, three owners have modified the house and surrounding property to suit their particular style, always while honoring the original character of the house.

Jeanne Engle is a freelance writer.

Photographs by Eric Tadsen.

Jeanne Engle

Photograph by MOD Media Productions

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essential community

Climbing Through Three-Way Mirrors

by Kyle Jacobson Tenacity is celebrated as a cornerstone of strong character. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. When at first you don’t succeed, try and try again. We’re sometimes afforded these chances through structure and other times through dumb luck. Structure in that our society is designed around allowing some mistakes to be made and learned from. Oftentimes, juveniles are given lesser sentencing for the same misdemeanors as their adult counterparts. Dumb luck in that I didn’t lose a finger or get pierced by the errant projectile flung when I learned why table saw kickback is so dangerous.

Photograph provided by Operation Fresh Start

Middleton native and Dane County Executive Joe Parisi works to give everyone the same second chances

he was afforded. “There are a lot of important things we learn along the way, often by making mistakes, and that helped me see the potential in other folks. When we look at this through the recent events that we’ve seen that have brought tens of thousands of people out on the streets protesting racism and racial injustices, it’s very clear to me that, as a white American, opportunities were available to me that aren’t necessarily available to young African Americans who were the age that I was when I was getting into trouble.”

Not everyone’s scope perceives these events as Joe does. But it’s also true that, for better or worse, not everyone chooses to spend their time paying attention to what’s going on around

them politically. “I came from a family that was pretty engaged in politics. ... It was just normal for me, paying attention to politics and people voting and being concerned. It was something I assumed we all did.” Which may have made him more comfortable putting politics in the backseat during his adolescence.

“I was probably more focused on politics when I was younger, like grade school and middle school. After that, I wasn’t really focused on actual politics. I was concerned about a lot of issues, but I was never actually engaged through high school. As a matter of fact, in high school, I was a musician. I was a drummer, and that’s all I was focused on. And I also didn’t participate much in high school. I dropped out when I was a junior. I think the thing that kind of really led me to the things that are my passions today politically stem from that time in my life. I got in a little trouble here and there. I quit school.

Then I realized that wasn’t the best decision I ever made. ... Generally, I got to be a real person for 35 years before I ran for office.”

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

Photograph provided by Operation Fresh Start

“When I was going to run for the assembly, I talked with a friend of mine.

I said, ‘Man, I can’t do this. Look at the skeletons in my closet. I dropped out of school. I got in trouble.’

“He looked at me and said, ‘Your life is the American Dream.’

“It really struck me. It’s like, yeah, look at the life I’ve been able to lead despite the mistakes I’ve made when I was young and dumb. But how many kids today are really given that chance? And how many young people of color are given that second chance for mistakes they might make? I think if you look at it objectively, the answer is not as many as their white counterparts.”

Joe spent eight years as county clerk, where he found an opportunity to help others in a way that resonated with him.

“When I got elected, I had an office neighbor who was the county treasurer.

He sat on the board of an organization called Operation Fresh Start (OFS).” The organization is designed to give young people a second chance, including those who’ve dropped out of school and gotten into a little bit of trouble. It wasn’t long before Joe joined the board of directors and regularly volunteered his time to tutor those in the program.

“Being in elected office, for me, has always been a vehicle to pursue my passions in making a difference in people’s lives,” says Joe. After his time as country clerk, he ran for state representative, won, then pursued his master’s degree in criminal justice so he could better identify, understand, and address the root causes of what exactly in the system of governance was

getting young people into trouble. After six years, he transitioned from the state assembly to county executive. “As much as I liked the legislative branch, when you’re in the executive branch, you get to set the agenda. You can pull people together. You can get a lot more done.”

For example, thanks to his position, Joe was able to put together a program to address the growing costs associated with obtaining a driver’s license due to driver’s ed programs being cut from schools (outside courses can cost upwards of $600 per person). “While I was in legislature, what I would’ve done was to try to introduce a bill to increase school funding for driver’s ed—something that could take decades.

As county executive, I was able to put together a program by reaching out to CESA as well as Madison School District, and we put together a partnership through which the county is able to fund a driver’s license program for hundreds of young people whose families can’t afford the driver’s ed fees.”

It isn’t just Joe’s past that inspires him to put his efforts toward those deprived of living by unwritten rules. Joe’s wife and two daughters are a big part of his evolving perspective. “I have a 19-yearold African American daughter. ... I think of the white teenagers, the young people who are children of my white friends, and I think of their experiences versus my daughter’s and her African American friends. They’re extremely different experiences. My daughter

has been called the n-word multiple times by, interestingly enough, usually adult white males out of the blue in public. ... While my white friends are shocked and appalled by it, which is a natural reaction, black parents and black teenagers are appalled by it, but they’re not shocked because that’s their reality too—living day in and day out with racism.”

No two chances are exactly the same, but every chance should be given in good faith. Some people have to work harder than others to obtain the same thing, okay. But nobody should get to play with a corked bat. And nobody should have to run the bases with their shoes tied together. Joe’s politics aside, our community is stronger when the opportunities we recognize and dare to undertake allow us to showcase what we learned playing the first inning.

Mistakes are human, and our world shouldn’t just recognize that—it should embrace it.

Kyle Jacobson is a writer and copy editor for Madison Essentials.

Kyle Jacobson

madisonessentials.com

Photograph by Barbara Wilson

Photograph provided by Dane County Executive’s Office

Through it all, Joe was supported by the people around him, and when he decided to pursue his education, friends and family encouraged the shift in gear. He earned his GED and, when he was 30, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sociology from University of Wisconsin–Madison. Learning what it is to think critically and consider multiple perspectives from a humanitarian view gave Joe something he could attach to his previous life as the drummer for longstanding blues rock band Honor Among Thieves.

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essential nonprofit

DANE COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY Centennial Celebration

Give Shelter

A crisis was in the making as Dane County Humane Society (DCHS) approached the 20th year in its first permanent shelter at 2250 Pennsylvania Avenue. Even with a 1969 addition that doubled its original size, the shelter was experiencing wear and tear—about 600,000 paws' worth, according to 1984 DCHS Director Carter Luke.

DCHS announced a fund drive of which $100,000 would be co-sponsored by The Capital Times newspaper with the tagline “Dane Humane Campaign.”

Work would begin the summer of 1984 and completed in four phases: 1) remodel the kennels and add a ventilation system; 2) build office

space, an admitting room, and adoption counseling room for people to get to know a prospective pet adoptee; 3) add an infirmary, treatment room, food storage, and garage; and 4) remodel the current garage and current office area.

The fund drive kicked off during Be Kind to Animals Week, May 6 through 12. In addition, a photography contest with a theme of Kids & Animals— Forever Friends was featured.

Winning photos were displayed at East Towne Mall.

The community came through, and the DCHS shelter was remodeled and expanded to meet changing needs. More

by Jeanne Engle than $500,000 was raised from local corporations, foundations, individuals, and several large bequests. A January 27, 1985, open house was attended by several hundred people.

Less than 15 years later, the shelter was once more running out of space.

“We had animals housed in closets, hallways, and the bathrooms at one time,” says DCHS Executive Director Pam McCloud Smith. “The facilities were quite worn down and infested with mice and roaches. We remodeled a few times with staff doing the work.

We converted part of the original garage into an office and a medical treatment area, and a closet into a surgery room. We added additional cages to house sick animals so we could quarantine them from the rest of the population. We rented a mobilehome trailer parked on the front lawn that we used for meetings and summer camp kids’ programs. We knew we could do more for the animals and our community with a better facility.”

DCHS announced the capital campaign Give Shelter in 1997 with a $6 million goal. But this time, a brand-new facility would be built on Voges Road in Madison near Highway 51 and the South Beltline—the site of a former

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

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Christmas tree farm. One gift was quite remarkable—an anonymous donor contributed $500,000 in 1998 and promised to match all donations dollar for dollar if $1 million could be secured by the end of 1999.

It was touch and go two weeks before the end of the year, with DCHS short about $200,000. Once again, the community came through. Most of the contributions during the last two weeks were small, including ones from children at area schools. Students at Velma Hamilton Middle School came up with $900 in a penny drive with a competition among the classrooms.

And 11-year-old Ben West was honored as a community asset builder by the Madison Community Foundation for pledging most of his allowance for five years to DCHS’ campaign to build a shelter.

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As a spokesman for DCHS, he cut TV ads for the 1999 holiday season. His Great Dayne poster generated about $15,000 for DCHS. Staff reported that people would come to the shelter to buy the poster and then end up adopting an animal.

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The Pennsylvania Avenue shelter closed on July 15, 2000, and the new location opened to the public on July 20. Animals were moved to 5132 Voges Road in an operation dubbed Noah’s Ark, with volunteers in a caravan of more than 30 vehicles driving about 350 furry residents to their new home.

Set on 29 tranquil acres, the new shelter was more than twice the size of the old one. It had everything: admitting rooms for dogs, cats, and other critters; conference rooms that meant staff no longer had to go offsite to meet; spaces to counsel potential animal adopters; a surgical suite and medical clinic instead of a converted kitchen; a ringworm treatment center; an on-premise barn to house horses and livestock; an education room for children to learn about pets and their care; and fenced dog yards and walking trails for plenty of animal exercise. All in all, the spaces were bright, open, and cheerful.

Dave Zweifel, now editor emeritus of The Capital Times, wrote in a 2000 column, “Compared to the shelter on Pennsylvania Avenue ... well, there is no comparison. This place is a five-star hotel, the old place is a rundown flophouse.”

In 2002, DCHS began taking in ill, injured, and orphaned wildlife from throughout southern Wisconsin in a newly added Wildlife Center, which was formerly known as Four Lakes Wildlife Center. Brooke Lewis, wildlife program manager, remembers a unique situation when not one, but two bobcats were admitted back to back in December 2013. Both had been hit by cars—one from Vernon County and the other from Marquette County—in unrelated incidents. Despite admitting around 150 different species each year, no bobcats have been admitted since.

To inform the public of available critters, DCHS relies on a good relationship with local media. Such has been the case for many years. On January 14, 1954, the first Dog of the Week feature appeared in the Wisconsin State Journal, initiated by its executive editor. The late Ed Stein, long-time photographer for the newspaper, was able to get just the right expression on the dog’s face that made the animal irresistible to anyone who saw its picture. The Capital Times published a weekly Pet Eligibles feature for a number of years highlighting dogs and cats looking for homes, and for a period of time, published the DCHS newsletter Petpourri as an insert, which was also mailed directly to DCHS supporters.

“Today, animals at DCHS are adopted so quickly—an average stay for dogs about one week and cats two—that local TV and radio are most timely for Pet of the Week segments,” says Amy Good, director of development and marketing. “Those features are aired on local channels 3, 15, and 27 at various times during the week. Every year, more than 135 segments are broadcast and include both information about an adoptable animal as well as highlights of something going on at the shelter.

DCHS radio promotions include weekly segments on 94.9 WOLX and 105.5 Triple M—more than 100 appearances every year.”

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In the past, DCHS observed a variety of national events celebrating animal welfare and pet adoption. “Since our dogs are adopted so quickly, we don’t need a national observance to help.

Now our focus is to offer adoption specials, almost always for adult cats, when the shelter is nearing capacity.

These specials usually happen one to four times per year,” says Amy.

Jeanne Engle is a freelance writer.

Photographs provided by the Dane County Humane Society.

Anyone interested in adopting can view available animals at giveshelter.org.

Jeanne Engle

Photograph by MOD Media Productions

DCHS is an open-admission shelter and accepts all animals regardless of age, health status, or temperament. DCHS also has an adoption guarantee—all healthy or treatable animals can stay as long as it takes to find a home.

Review past issues of

Madison Essentials to learn more about DCHS, including “The Introduction” in the March/April issue, “The Beginning” in the May/ June issue, and “The Shelter” in the July/August issue. Watch for the November/December issue, focusing on community response to DCHS needs for funding and volunteers. madisonessentials.com

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e ssential pets

Aww Rats!

When my youngest son was four, a friend asked if we could take care of their rats while they went on vacation. Micah was very excited, so two rats, Whiskers and Squeakers, came to stay with us for a week. Not having spent much time with rats before, I wasn’t sure what to expect.

But they were really fun! They would run around in Micah’s room, sit on his shoulder, and eat pretty much anything he gave them. We were all sad when the rats went back home, so for Micah’s fifth birthday, we added another pet to our household, Jimmy Juper Explorer Rat. I know what most of you are thinking: Eww, a rat. That tail is so gross! Don’t they bite? They are so dirty. Well, I’m hoping to convince you that rats actually make very good pets.

The first thing to know is that pet rats are not the big, brown Norway rat (aka sewer rat) that people generally picture.

It’s thought that albino Norway rats were captured in the wild because they were so unique. These albinos were then bred and raised, eventually becoming the typical lab rat seen in research laboratories today. Whiskers and Squeakers were actually retired lab rats from a psychology project!

So why consider a rat as a pet? First, they have a personality similar to a dog.

They enjoy being around people, they come when they are called, they love to get people food, and they can learn to do tricks. Unlike a dog, you don’t 34 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

need to take them out for daily walks, and they don’t need to be brushed or go to a groomer. You can bathe them, but like many dogs, they don’t appreciate it that much.

They’re independent, like cats, but are much less likely to aggravate anyone’s allergies. They clean themselves frequently. You can leave them for a few days without worrying too much about them as long as they have adequate food and water.

Rats also come in different styles, sizes, and colors. Jimmy Juper was white with brown patches and brown eyes, while Whiskers and Squeakers were larger, all-white rats with pink eyes. There are Rex rats, who have curly hair and whiskers, and Manx rats, who don’t have a tail (so now you don’t have that excuse). Dumbo rats have large ears that make them look like the cartoon elephant. There are spotted varieties called Dalmatians and grey-toned ones called Siamese. There are also hairless rats, but if you don’t like that scaly tail, you probably want to start with one that has fur.

If you’ve not had a pet before, rats are a good way to ease into pet ownership.

They aren’t very expensive and may even be free. Whiskers and Squeakers were adopted from a psychology laboratory after they were used for research projects. The humane society has rats up for adoption too. They do require a

by Lori Scarlett, DVM sturdy metal cage, preferably powdercoated metal and a solid bottom. Rats are chewers, so no plastic sides. Jimmy Juper started out in a small cage, but as he got bigger, we bought him a larger cage with three levels and several ramps.

For their bedding, avoid cedar or pine chips, which contain oils that can be toxic to rats. Aspen chips or recycled paper pellets are ideal. Rats love to make little nests, so provide them with small cardboard boxes and paper tubes, paper towels, and small scraps of towels that they can use to line their nests.

Although they aren’t potty trained per se, rats do tend to pick a few spots in the cage as their bathroom, which makes it easier to keep the cage clean each day.

You will want to clean the entire cage out once every week or two.

Rats are social creatures; it’s best to get them as pairs of the same sex.

Astoundingly, rats reach sexual maturity by about eight weeks of age!

Gestation is about three weeks, and litter sizes range from 8 to 18 pups. If you’ve inadvertently gotten a male and female pair, you will quickly realize your mistake! Males do well together if they are introduced at a young age, but if one of the pair dies, it will be more difficult to introduce another rat later on. First-time rat owners may want to start with a pair of females. It’s possible to have your rats spayed and neutered, which will certainly prevent unwanted litters, and spaying by three months

Most rats are pretty healthy, but like indoor-only cats, they can develop diseases and get sick. Mammary tumors are quite common, particularly in older female rats, but males have a lot of mammary tissue and can develop these tumors too. About 90 percent of mammary tumors in rats are benign, but they can get very large and impact quality of life. These tumors can be surgically removed, and it’s best to have that done before the tumor gets too large.

in the opposite direction when the rat came toward them! Supervision when the rats are out of their cage is a must, as they do like to chew computer cords.

With an average lifespan of one and a half to three years, rats were part of our home for about six years. By that time, Micah became less interested in playing with the rats, so after saying goodbye to our last rat, we dismantled the cage. If my time and space weren’t filled with dogs and cats, I would definitely get more rats. I hope you’ll consider them as a pet too!

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

Lori Scarlett, DVM & Charlie

Photograph by Brenda Eckhardt

Photograph provided by Dane County Humane Society

of age will greatly decrease the risk of mammary tumors later in their lives.

Other rat diseases include a chronic respiratory illness caused by bacterial infection, which can be controlled with antibiotics. There is a coronavirus that infects rats and can cause upper respiratory signs, like sneezing and enlarged lymph nodes. Most rats recover and have good immunity to future infections.

Just like dogs and cats, rats can also be infested with fleas, lice, and mites. If your rat is scratching a lot, losing hair, or has scabs on their body, you should have it examined by a veterinarian.

Other signs of illness include increased drinking, more urine produced, diarrhea, decreased appetite, and weight loss.

Tadsen Photography Drone/Aerial Imagery

After we lost Jimmy Juper, we adopted two female rats from the humane society. Their cage ended up near the kitchen, and my husband greeted them each morning and gave them a small piece of banana. We allowed them to run around the room, during which the cats would watch them closely then run

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essential sports & recreation

UW Badgers Spotlight

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

by Dave Fidlin

While many of the sports programs on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus have gone through ebbs and flows over the years, the women’s basketball team has enjoyed a fairly consistent and stable track record since its inception in the mid-1970s. Strong leadership and, of course, a continuous roster of talented, dedicated athletes have been attributed to the program’s durability over the years.

Head Coach Jonathan Tsipis, who has helmed the team since the 2016-17 season, says the stability he inherited from his predecessor, former Head Coach Bobbie Kelsey, coupled with a strong assistant coaching staff has made regular Big Ten tournament appearances a routine part of the 36 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

experience. “I think we’ve put a good foundation in place,” Jonathan says.

“We’ve had a lot of good years where we’ve come in and seized opportunities.”

Jonathan’s coaching career began at the associate and assistant level at the University of Notre Dame in the 200304 season and advanced nine years later to George Washington University, in Washington, D.C., for four years. The Ohio native says he had aspirations of eventually laying down long-term roots somewhere in the Midwest—a point he says his family reiterated throughout his time at George Washington University.

“You can take your children out of the Midwest, but you can’t take the Midwest out of your children,” he says with a laugh.

While Jonathan had minimal exposure to the UW–Madison campus before being offered and accepting the head women’s basketball coaching job, he quickly found desirables within the Badgers athletic community. “Through networking, I had heard about the possibility of a job opening,” he says. “I had always heard great things.”

Throughout the team’s history, which stretches back to the 1974-75 season, there have been a number of monumental highlights sprinkled in during regularand postseason play. One of the more notable footnotes occurred 20 years ago, when UW won the Women’s National Invitation Tournament, narrowly defeating Florida 75-74 in the final round. The accomplishment made the

Badgers the WNIT champions at the close of the 1999-2000 season.

Numerous NCAA appearances also have taken place over the years, including back-to-back advancements in the second round of play in the 199495 and 1995-96 seasons. The Badgers also have made five appearances in the first round of NCAA tournaments, most recently in the 2009-10 season.

As he looks to the future of the team, Jonathan aspires to maintain the steady approach that has been a hallmark of the program over the years. But knocking at the door of a large-scale championship is another short-term desire. On longterm aspirations, “We definitely want to be in the top of the Big Ten.” The most recent 2019-20 season came to a close in the second round of the Big Ten tournament as the Badgers fell to Rutgers, 55-63, on March 5. It resulted in a 12th place finish in the Big Ten conference. The season-ending tally put the Badgers in a slightly better position compared to recent years.

The team finished 13th place in the Big Ten conference in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons.

At the close of the most recent season, there were a number of individual accomplishments within the 16-player roster, as evidenced by the naming

of three players to this year’s Big Ten honors. The recognition, which reflects performance on the court during the regular season, is an annual tradition at the beginning of March.

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Sophomore Imani Lewis earned secondteam All-Big Ten honor, by media vote, and also received honorable All-Big Ten mentions from league coaches.

Imani’s highlights this past season included scoring 12 points and 11 rebounds in a February 22 game against Northwestern. Senior Abby Laszewski earned an All-Big Ten honorable mention, also by media vote. Abby was UW’s second-leading scorer this past season, averaging 11.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. Rounding out the list of this year’s honorees was senior Suzanne Gilreath, named a Big Ten sportsmanship honoree.

While athletic performance is an often-celebrated aspect of the women’s basketball program, Jonathan says academics are of equal importance. In terms of GPAs and achievement within the classroom, the women wearing a Badgers basketball jersey have a long history of performing at the head of the class within the Big Ten.

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| 37

and milestones. “I think we’ve had great support,” Jonathan says, pointing out it means a great deal to each of the players as they put in long hours training to get out on the court and play each season.

Outside Madison, the Badgers have also enjoyed strong partnerships with high schools across Wisconsin, as collaborative relationships have been forged with coaches in different corners of the state as prospective students consider coming to UW–Madison for academic and athletic reasons. “It’s such a supportive state,” Jonathan says.

“It’s something all of us have come to appreciate.”

Five of this past year’s 16 players hailed from Wisconsin. Others resided in such states as Connecticut, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Two players also had roots in other countries: Julie Pospisilova, from the Czech Republic, and Kendra Van Leeuwen, from Ontario, Canada.

Regardless of where players originate, Jonathan says there’s one common characteristic that binds the team together—a commitment to serve as positive role models, particularly to young girls who look up to the players.

“We believe it’s very important to have those interactions.” The team regularly interacts with the community within and outside the parameters of the regular and postseasons to engage with fans.

Dave Fidlin is a freelance writer who has a special affinity for Madison. Dave’s career spans nearly 20 years, and he’s grateful for the opportunity to learn something new each day through his professional pursuits.

Photographs provided by Wisconsin Athletics.

Dave Fidlin

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

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| 39

essential food & beverage

We’re Going

Hopless

by Kyle Jacobson

Humankind has been brewing beer for almost 6,000 years that we’re aware of.

The first use of hops is thought to have been sometime around the 9th century, that’s around 4,800 years later. Most brewers can tell you the year the famous German purity law, the one that states beer must be produced with barley,

hops, and water, went into effect (1516).

So you ask most any brewer or drinker what the four main ingredients are in any beer, and they’ll tell you grain, yeast, water, and hops.

But why hops? Well, there are a variety of reasons. Brewing Microbiology, edited

by Fergus G. Priest and Iain Campbell, suggests that it could be because beers brewed with hops “were the most resistant to spoilage.” There’s also the sweetness from the sugars in malted barley, maltose, that the acids in hops help to mellow out.

The thing is, hops are not the only way to achieve balance. There are an incredible array of herbs and spices out there with the potential to balance yeast and hop characteristics in ways hops simply can’t. We have attached ourselves to a tradition that takes up around 17 percent of beer’s life. At this point in time, I don’t think it’s a conscious choice, but, to some degree, an unwitting one.

Some of you may be thinking of ancient beer recipes that have been reproduced

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

that turned out...less than impressive.

Nick Ryan, owner and brewmaster of Herbiery Brewing—a brewery that exclusively brews hop-free beer, says, “I think a lot of recreating of old recipes has resulted in not great beer because it’s been to the letter of those old recipes.” If we still brewed with herbs and spices aside from hops, evolutions in process would’ve modified recipes to better balance ingredients. “I’m taking inspiration, but clearly I’m not recreating Ancient Egyptian recipes.”

The established styles of beer that so many know and love didn’t come out of thin air. The majority result from years and years and years of proven track records. But imagine having access to a random house recipe from the 1300s and recreating it today. I’m not so confident it’s going to knock anyone’s socks off.

Something misleading the drinker in the contemporary brewing world is the use of some of these alternate herbs and spices in excess, almost like a chef who just discovered salt. “I think in the past, people who have done herb beers have

gone really in the deep end of herbs and added too much,” says Nick. It’s to be expected, but lack of experience with hop adjuncts is certainly no reason to abandon them completely. Rather, it seems like a great start for thoughtful experimentation. “So balance was something I wanted to strike. My first two beers were a sage Witbier and a ginger Lager. Ginger Lager is very light on the ginger. It’s an intro, and it’s meant really to be an American Adjunct Lager that is just the best American Adjunct Lager you’ve ever had and then a little bit of ginger.”

Nick’s philosophy showcases that getting hopless beers into the mainstream of brewing doesn’t mean abandoning established styles. Quite the opposite.

Embrace what’s come to this point and build from there. “I love that there are traditional styles to play with because it gives you a baseline. So you know if you order a Pilsner you’re going to get something familiar.” Of course, Nick’s Pilsner wouldn’t technically be a Pilsner.

His approach isn’t to abandon the style, but to “just augment it. Make it a little

bit more interesting. ... There’s so many other flavors that can be achieved with these herbs and spices that pair well with the phenols yeasts produce.”

But going a little out there in terms of augmenting styles isn’t off the table. It’s more that a practiced hand is needed to guide beer drinkers into the new.

Looking at when kettle sours started making a comeback some 15 years ago (anecdotal), I was caught off guard.

There was no transition, and it nearly

left me completely turned off. But the opportunity for transition was very much there. If I worked from, say, a Saison to a Meerts and kept going, I might’ve been more open to the explicit tartness when it struck me.

This fall, Nick is hoping to have something out there that’s a little... out there. “I want to do a Hefeweizen with sumac berries and coco nibs. I think Hefeweizen would benefit from a slight coco nib chocolatey, single-

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Something really great about these hopless pursuits would be the net benefit to local agriculture. Often hop farms focus only on growing hops. Duh, right?

But Nick, with a growing background in herbs and their farming, points out the potential harm in this practice. “I think the monoculture of hops is damaging to the land. I think, grow hops beside other herbs and spices and create that polyculture. That’s good. That’s good for the land. That’s good for everyone.”

A light Porter and a stout Blonde walk out of a brewery, so why not a hopless variety? Nick and I share in the vision of every brewery having a hop-free option on tap. It makes more sense than trying to get everyone to make their favorite Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream flavor into a beer, and it has strong historical

significance. In the case of Herbiery Brewing, it also means using things grown locally. No one here is trying to reinvent the wheel, we’re looking at how we got the wheel in the first place. And I think we’re seeing more and more that there’s something to that foundational perspective.

To our collective health and good fortune.

May it afford us opportunities to give time to the present and presence to the times.

Kyle Jacobson is a writer and copy editor for Madison Essentials.

Photographs provided by Herbiery.

Kyle Jacobson

Photograph by Barbara Wilson

origin, really specific-flavor coco nibs.”

It might muddy the distinction between celebrating the idea of a Hefeweizen and throwing out the wort with the spent grain, but it’s the next step toward making hopless beers less gimmicky and more their own thing.

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THE MUSIC CONTINUES: MADISON OPERA’S DIGITAL FALL Learn more about upcoming online and in-person experiences at madisonopera.org/Fall2020 42 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s

WE REMEMBER

by Amy Johnson Creatives see the world a little bit differently—a little more boldly. They take it in then turn out something equally beautiful: a painting, song, theatrical performance, or even a breathtaking bouquet of flowers. The latter is how Jane Kinney created and gave beauty to us.

Perhaps you met Jane at her shop on King Street or after she moved it to Monroe Street. Or maybe it was after she closed those doors and later began creating designs at Metcalfe’s Hilldale.

I first knew Jane as one of my favorite clients and someone who would wow me and my recipients with exquisite floral explosions. Local flower growers surely loved Jane as a supporter and admirer of their blooms. Jane preferred their locally grown flowers because they made the most beautiful arrangements through Jane’s vision. I saw this firsthand when Jane agreed to work with me on a creative project spanning over two years. She created over 160 arrangements during that time period. Not one looked like another, and each was a work of art.

Photograph provided by Anne Kinney

With our project over, we communicated less frequently. I sent a note each month, and I’d intermittently text about something, often flowers. My last communication with her was in March. I didn’t know she was sick, just that she wasn’t working. I assumed she was simply staying home with her dog and books to remain safe, and I felt good about that. With the chaos at work that occurred those first few months, time flew by. When I did text again a few months later, it was Jane’s sister, Anne, who responded and shared the news that Jane passed away in May. I was stunned and heartbroken. A beautiful and creative life had slipped away without me even knowing it. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons the world seems darker.

Jane, thank you for all you gave to me and the many others through your creations and kind spirit. We will forever be grateful and feel fortunate to have been touched by you. I picture you now sitting peacefully in a beautiful, sunny field of flowers, listening to music, reading books, and surrounded by canine friends.

May your adventures not have ended, but expanded beyond anything you could have imagined.

Photograph by Jane Kinney

Photograph provided by Anne Kinney

Jane with her sister, Anne; family friend Minerva; nephew Archie; and brother David.

e ssential community

LIVING IN

by Sandy Eichel

Uncertain Times

We’ll remember this pandemic the rest of our lives. There’s a lot of talk about when we’ll get back to “normal,” as in life before the virus, and the answer maybe never. We’ve all dealt with a trauma: anxiety over our own health and the health of our family and others, some with major financial stresses involving the loss of jobs, the political climate charged to a fever pitch, leaders in our country unprepared and unwilling to make decisions that keep people alive, and then the death toll here and around the world. The trauma has been both individual and collective, and then on top of it, we’ve experienced major inconveniences, like the inability to travel or move about freely. Many are trying to work from home while educating their children and keeping them occupied and so many other issues all stacking on each other. It can feel overwhelming.

How will we ever go back to normal after a situation like this? What will happen next? Will we be shutting down again? Will the virus come back and be worse? All of these thoughts are swirling through our heads as we live in uncertainty, whether we like it or not. Humans are hardwired to crave certainty. Having control over one’s life equates to a sense of well-being. In fact, psychologists have a term for how we react when we lose control. Reactance.

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

Reactance is why we struggle with losing control and how we react to losing that control—the emotional and cognitive stress it causes. We see examples of reactance everywhere, from people refusing to wear masks out in public to the spring protests to reopen states. The feeling of losing control is akin to a personal attack because it’s so immediate.

As far as real control over our lives, the truth is we never really had it; we just thought we did. Sure, we had more control over some things before the pandemic, but in the big picture of life, not really. An example of fictitious control is that I feel safer driving my car than flying in an airplane because I’m controlling the car. When I’m on a plane, I feel powerless. But the fact is that I’m much more likely to die in a car crash than in a plane. So, do I really have control after all? Not really, but I like the feeling of having power over my life. We all do.

I used to hold on to what little control I had with an iron grip. When I sensed a loss of that control, I became very stressed and anxious. Byron Katie, author of Loving What Is, describes three circles in life: my business, other people’s business, and God’s or the Universe’s business. She reminds us that all we can control is our business,

what we decide to do; if we’re in one of the other two circles, we’re creating our own suffering. Personally, when I focused on the things I could control during a more traumatic time of my life, I felt more at peace than in times that seemed calmer and “normal.” Letting go is challenging for the human brain.

We’re wired not only to want control, but to write a story about how it should go and what will happen in the future as opposed to taking things as they come.

In the next segments and accompanying videos, we’re going to talk about how we not only survive, but how we move forward and heal from trauma we go through. It’s raw and messy and real.

And we’re here for it, for each other, and for our world. So let’s show up just how we are, in the healing process. Let’s stop and notice the things we’re doing that work for us and those that don’t.

Be your own meteorologist and observe your internal weather systems to learn about how you heal—about how you surrender to a situation where you don’t have control. See if it helps you feel better. If not, try something else, but be mindful of yourself and those around you. What works for you may be very different for them. We can support each other through the process even if our techniques vary. Forgive your mistakes and forgive others.

We’re living through hard times that we’ll certainly never forget. These times are uncertain, but they always are.

How we move through them can allow us to heal, learn, and grow. Don’t give up; we’ll get through this. You can do hard things.

Sandy Eichel is a happy ex-should-er.

Sandy Eichel

Check out our video podcast series with Sandy, Living in Uncertain Times, at madisonessentials.com.

Madison’s LGBTQ magazine since 2007

madisonessentials.com

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advertiser index association

Olbrich Botanical Gardens........................... 31

14 South Artists................................................. 15

Our Lives Magazine........................................ 45

Dane County Humane Society...............31, 41

Simply Creative Productions......................... 45

Madison Originals........................................... 13

WORT-FM........................................................... 12

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Sauk Prairie Area Chamber of Commerce.................................................. 11

home & landscaping

Town of Merrimac........................................... 19

Cabinet City..................................................... 25 ZDA, Inc............................................................. 17

dining, food & beverage Bavaria Sausage Kitchen, Inc....................... 11

services

Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream..................... 11

All Saints Neighborhood Spirited Senior Living.................................... 47

Clasen’s European Bakery............................. 16 Firefly Coffee House & Artisan Cheese....... 32

American Family Insurance

Fraboni’s Italian

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Specialties & Delicatessen......................... 32

Bergamot Massage

Lombardino’s..................................................... 5

& Bodywork................................................... 9

The Nitty Gritty................................................. 32

Four Lakes Veterinary Clinic.......................... 35

The Old Feed Mill Restaurant........................ 17

Monroe Street Framing................................... 23

Otto’s Restaurant & Bar.................................. 17

SSM Health at Home....................................... 48

Paisan’s............................................................. 19

Stoughton Health............................................ 33

Paoli Schoolhouse American Bistro............... 5

Tadsen Photography...................................... 35

Quivey’s Grove................................................ 17 Sugar River Pizza Company........................... 37

shopping

Tempest Oyster Bar......................................... 26

Abel Contemporary Gallery....................21, 39

Tornado Steak House..................................... 26

Anthology......................................................... 39

Vintage Brewing Co. ........................................ 5

Community Pharmacy................................... 39

Wollersheim........................................................ 7

Community Wellness Shop............................ 39 Deconstruction Inc........................................... 7

entertainment & media

Goodman’s Jewelers........................................ 9

After Should Online Video Podcast............. 45

JNJ Craftworks................................................. 39

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Little Luxuries.................................................... 39

Video Series................................................ 46

Plum Crazy........................................................ 31

Madison Opera............................................... 42

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Gift Card!

Question: “Which Madison restaurant owner raises pigs at Willow Creek Farms and Fox Heritage Farms?”

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. PO Box 174 Baraboo, WI 53913-0174 All entries with the correct answer will be entered into a drawing for one of two $50 gift cards. Contest deadline is September 28, 2020. Gift cards will be honored at all Nitty Gritty locations.

Good Luck!

Winners Thank you to everyone who entered our previous contest.

The answer to the question “Which Madison restaurant owner previously owned and operated the Silk Road food cart?” is Mahamadou Tunkara of Kingdom Restaurant. A $50 Porta Bella/Paisan’s gift card was sent to each of our winners, Max Fieschko of Middleton and Penny Rollins of Verona.

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

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