Volume One Magazine, May 2020

www.VolumeOne.org

MAY 2020 • FREE see you again soon!

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MAY 2020 • PULLING TOGETHER WHILE STAYING APART: THE NEW NORMAL

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MAY 2020 • PULLING TOGETHER WHILE STAYING APART: THE NEW NORMAL

MAG INFO OFFICES

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PUBLISHER / EDITOR / ETC Nick Meyer MANAGING EDITORS Eric Christenson + Tom Giffey RESOURCE & LISTINGS EDITOR James Johonnott ADVERTISING Neil Hodorowski + Chase Kunkel + Brian Maki DESIGN Taylor McCumber + Mackenzie Slattery WEB DEVELOPMENT Don Ross PHOTO EDITOR Andrea Paulseth VIDEO / PHOTO PRODUCTION Joel Pearish EVENTS / MARKETING Michelle Rowekamp BOOKKEEPER / OFFICE MANAGER Andy Norrish LOCAL STORE MANAGER Lindsey Quinnies LOCAL STORE STAFF Haley Asuma + Elise Chapin + Maggie Israel + Tori Johnson + Mackenzie Kapral + Bonni Knight + Lindsey Kvern + Hannah Martinson + Jordan Munson + Matt Novacek + Soren Staff DISTRIBUTION MANAGERS Josh Ranft + Andy Norrish DISTRIBUTION STAFF Tom Jannusch + Matt Novacek + Daniel Wewasson FOUNDERS Dale Karls + Nick Meyer ADVERTISING INFO Volume One is the most cost-effective and dynamic print / web advertising and sponsorship option in the Chippewa Valley. Email advertising@ volumeone.org for information about ad rates & sizes, distribution locations, and more. Or call (715) 552-0457.

You’ll be glad you did.

PARTNER CONTENT Volume One occasionally partners with local organizations to create content that may be of interest to thousands of readers throughout the Chippewa Valley and beyond. Articles created “in partnership” are sponsored by the partnering organization and may be created with their assistance or expertise, for informational and/ or promotional purposes. Any content created in this way – which comprises less than 2% of the pages Volume One publishes each year – will always include “Partner Content” indication. Opportunities exist for partners to help readers discover this content in Volume One magazine, and/or on VolumeOne.org via blog posts or videos, or to find it through our robust email lists and social media followings.

BASIC INFO Volume One is locally owned, locally operated, and locally focused. We distribute 14,000 copies to 450+ locations in Eau Claire, Menomonie, and Chippewa Falls, and other area communities every other Thursday.

Though it started small, the magazine has been available in some form since March of 2002.

CONTRIBUTORS & SUBMISSIONS Volume One relies on the work of local creatives to keep the flow of ideas and information going. If you’d like to become an occasional or regular contributor, please contact us to learn how.

We also welcome the submission of ideas or completed works from the community for publication consideration.

SUBSCRIPTIONS Support Volume One with a one year subscription. 26 issues are available for $64. Send a check to the address listed above. Or, you can view the V1 Membership options at www.volumeone.org or by calling (715) 552-0457.

INTERNSHIPS Unpaid internships are available for a number of exciting and interesting positions including writing/editing, photography, sales/marketing, business development, illustration, and more.

PRINTED BY Page 1 Printers, on recycled paper. © 2020 Volume One The writing, artwork, and photography in Volume One remain the property of the authors, artists, & photographers. The opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of the publication or its advertisers.

EDITOR’S NOTE

A COMMUNITY PIVOTS TO THE “NEW NORMAL” EVEN HERE IN THE CHIPPEWA VALLEY, WE’VE ARRIVED AT THAT MOMENT. The one when the shock and confusion over our collective situation has largely fallen into the background, as we’re now forced to move forward, contemplate, and comply with the “new normal” that’s been thrust upon us by this historic pandemic. Of course the methods for how that’s lived out, and the metrics by which it’s measured, still change by the week and NICK MEYER even the day.

But clearly, maintaining public health while finding sustainable paths forward for our community’s small businesses and nonprofits are the shared priorities.

Thankfully the forthcoming phases of our future are starting to appear on the horizon.

Though heavily debated, federal and state-level orders on how and when to “re-open” are starting to roll out, as local health and other officials work hard to maximize the ability for our community – individuals and businesses – to come out of this healthy and intact. To be sure, it can’t come too early. But we also must remember that it can’t come too late –and finding that balance will be the hard part.

Regardless, as these phases draw near, there will be a whole lot of new things to get used to and, as we’ve all heard, possibly some old things that will never be the same.

OU R PUBLI CATI O NS & WEBSI TE

we’re continuing to share these kinds of stories on our robust email lists and social media feeds every day and week as well. Please join us there.

The distribution of this print issue, much like the one we did for April, will span the entire month of May. Which means we’ve temporarily dropped to publishing monthly instead of every other week.

We hope to be back on schedule in the months ahead as the community’s landscape, and hopefully its events, gradually return to normal.

6 0 0 N EW REA D ER MEMBERS Last month I detailed the ways we’re leveraging Volume One’s various tools and resources to build up the community right now, and to offer support in every way we could. We also mentioned for the first time our new Reader Membership Program (more info about that is on page 12 and at A P R I L 2 0 2 0 I SSUE VolumeOne.org/membership) which was launched in the wake of this disaster. The entire staff of Volume One owes an incredible debt of gratitude to the more than 600 of you who rose to the occasion and signed up for memberships. We were in awe. We thank you so much for your interest and support for what we’ve tried to do to inspire and promote this community for more than 18 years. If you’re in a position to be a part of this group, the door is still open, and we’d be greatly appreciative if you stepped through it. You even get a fun little box of local goods and benefits.

As we’ve said before, there are so many ways to be part of the solution to all this. So many organizations and businesses need your support right now to survive. So if you’re currently able, consider what you could do and take whatever action you can. Shop online, order delivery or curbside, buy gift cards for later, make annual donations now, and spread the word. Whatever it is, it won’t go unnoticed. In the meantime, we’ll keep sharing these organizations’ stories and doing what we can to spread the word and step up ourselves. Because more than ever, we want to help serve as a connecting thread to the heartbeat of this community, because that heartbeat hasn’t stopped. So neither will we.

– Nick Meyer, Volume One

So many organizations and businesses need your support right now to survive. If you’re able, consider what you could do and take whatever action you can. ... Whatever it is, it won’t go unnoticed.

Here at Volume One we’re back with the second print installment of our special coverage of how this is playing out in our own community. In late March, in tandem with our ongoing coverage on the re-launched VolumeOne.org, we released our theme issue, “Pulling Together While Staying Apart.” We put it in racks at grocery and convenience stores and delivered it free to the doorsteps of thousands of local residents who requested it. Now we’re here with “The New Normal,” an extension of that effort, exploring more local stories on what’s now become routine, and the even more new routines yet to come. In addition to this issue and our website,

50% RE CY CLE D PAPE R

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I S S U E N O . 4 0 8 • M AY 2 0 2 0 • W W W.V O L U M E O N E . O R G

PA R T I I O F :

S P E C I A L I S S U E S U P P O R T E D I N PA R T B Y

EDITORS

LAYOUT/DESIGN

WRITING

ADS/SPONSORS

PHOTOGRAPHY

ERIC CHRISTENSON TOM GIFFEY NICK MEYER

ERIC CHRISTENSON TAY L O R M C C U M B E R M A C K E N Z I E S L AT T E R Y DON ROSS

C A I T L I N B OY L E ELIZABETH DE CLEYRE OLIVIA KRONER BARBARA ARNOLD REBECCA MENNECKE

NEIL HODOROWSKI CHASE KUNKEL BRIAN MAKI NICK MEYER

LUONG HUYNH JESSE JOHNSON BRANDEN NALL A N D R E A PAU L S E T H ADAM SMITH TAY L O R S M I T H KOOBMEEJ XIONG

So, we’re in it for the long haul...

IN THIS ISSUE

The sun is shining hot, trees are budding, waters gushing – and yet it doesn’t feel right. Nothing feels right.

These past few months have been a rollercoaster of uncertainty, shock, and everyday adjustments. The lives and routines we all used to lead are past us. The “Old Normal.”

We hear a lot of talk about “When this is all done…” or “Once we get back to normal…” – but if we’re being real with ourselves, there likely isn’t going to be a return to the way things were before. At least not quite. The game has probably changed, and we’re all living in this “New Normal” together.

Right now, our “New Normal” is being spread apart, isolated, scared. It’s not face-to-face, it’s camera-to-camera. It’s waves from a window. A chat from a doorstep. Phone calls. We once used these precious warm months to get together, to gather in bigger and bigger ways. Making change, learning, and growing all in the same space. We can do it again, but right now, instead of being a healthy garden, we’re planted in different spots. Trying to make sense of things and survive on our own.

But we’re not alone.

We’re learning that the power of community slices through shaky times like morning light through the trees.

Since this all started, we’ve seen the Chippewa Valley community come together in beautiful and unprecedented ways. We’re looking out for each other now more than ever. Lifting up the most vulnerable, feeding each other, uniting against a shared uncertainty, and finding kinship in a common goal, in a spirit of giving. That’s what we’re seeing.

8 DON’T FORGET THIS IS WHO WE ARE

10 VOLUME ONE MEMBERSHIPS

12 THE NEW NORMAL FOR OUR COMMUNITY

18 THE NEW NORMAL FOR OUR BUSINESSES

24 THE NEW NORMAL FOR OUR C U LT U R E

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So maybe that’s the “New Normal.” It’s not just the ways our lives have been upended by a pandemic. Maybe it’s the way our mindsets change. Maybe it’s the way we evolve and come out the other side. When we’re there – and we will get there – here’s hoping that this “New Normal” of generosity, of concern for others, of giving, becomes standard practice.

SPECIAL SECTION: AT H O M E

A strong community pulls together, looks out for one another, breaks bread together, and shares what we have with folks who need it the most.

SPECIAL SECTION: M E AT !

The “Old Normal”? We won’t see that ever again. This moment in time becomes pivotal. If we play it right here, our future could be a bigger and brighter “New Normal” than we could’ve ever imagined.

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We have the power to do that here together. So let’s keep going.

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THE REAR END

D O N’ T F O R G E T, T H WHILE WE CAN’T BE TOGE T HER NOW, SOON WE WILL GAT HER AGAIN. CRE AT ING,

IS IS WHO WE ARE CELEBRATING, AND LOVING THIS PLACE WE CALL HOME.

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PHOTOS BY ANDRE A PAULSE T H + LUONG HUYNH + BR ANDEN NAL L + TAYLOR SMI T H + KOOBMEE J XIONG

PHOTO BY ADAM SMITH

LEARNING FROM A DISTANCE without in-person classes till fall at the earliest, UWEC students adapt to online-only education WORDS BY OLIVIA KRONER

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hen UW-Eau Claire’s online classes started on April 6, I was ready to start learning again.

I spent all three weeks of my extended spring break watching my mom figure out how to make online learning accessible for fifth-graders, listening to my dad take endless phone calls from his home office, and seeing my sister create a desk space in the basement where she would watch video lecture after video lecture. And after they watched me sit around for three weeks, not having to engage in any work or assignments, they were ready for me to start learning again, too.

Knowing that my UWEC education would be finished from the desk in my childhood bedroom where my only classmates were the stuffed animals stowed away on my shelves was a little disappointing. Still, between transitioning to learning from home and coming to terms with the end of my in-person college career, I consider myself lucky to be an English major.

There are challenges for everyone in this shift to online learning, yet I can take solace in the fact that I’m not missing out on time spent in a lab or a rehearsal room that can only be found at my university.

Doing English homework online is kind of like being in an online book club; all of the information I need is still being conveyed as thoroughly as it would be in person.

But no matter what your major, Blugolds of all disciplines are missing out on one critical piece of our education: interaction with our peers and professors.

And according to them, they miss it, too.

MISSING THE ‘GIVE AND TAKE’ Allyson Loomis, an English professor and my creative writing professor, recognizes the “give-and-take” that occurs between students and teachers, and cites this as one of the challenges she is facing during the transition.

“Ideally, in the classroom, I’m being led by student interest and inquiry, just as much as I am leading a discussion,” Loomis said. “As a classroom teacher I’m always busy reading student expression and body language. Are students getting bored? Which individuals seem left out of

UWEC PHOTO

the conversation? How can I bring them into the fold?”

Blake Westerlund, the professor behind my British literature class, has to agree with Loomis’ point, but does not deny the convenience of the online classroom.

“I think online teaching allows ​all ​ students to participate in the day’s discussions, and provides educators with some unique and creative approaches to connect with their students,” Westerlund said. Given the choice between faceto-face learning or online learning, Westerlund added, “I cannot really favor one over the other.”

Online classes are considered a norm nowadays. There are a variety of courses offered over summer and winter sessions, and I’ve taken a class in each of these terms before. H ​ owever, a 300-level literature class does not require the same kind of interaction that those in other majors might need in order to succeed.

Michelle Sheahan is a comprehensive theater major with a dance certificate who said that the switch to online classes has been especially interesting for her. “(My classmates and I) have gone from being together in the light lab programming to a virtual light lab,” Sheahan said.

“Dance Appreciation is dancing Bob Fosse in the kitchen, while my modern dance class involves rolling around on the floor of my bedroom.”

Sheahan commented that her professors have done “an incredible job” in moving their curricula online, but that doesn’t make up for how much she misses out on learning

from her peers in a traditional class.

“What they did to recreate a painting through lighting that I might never have thought of, creating partner dances together, (and) seeing what others are able to come up with while we improvise to the music” are all things that cannot be replicated as easily in an online format, she said.

STUDENT TEACHERS FACE CHALLENGES Interaction is also important for another subset of UWEC students: student teachers. As an education major, Kayleigh Pook is understanding and appreciative of the online format but is facing the same challenge as most students.

“I feel like I’m losing out on some key experiences regarding classroom management because I am not up there teaching a lesson and interacting with my students in person,” she said. Pook has switched her student teaching placement three times since the news broke that UWEC would be closed; one switch was predetermined from her first placement to her second, and then she was moved to a different teacher within the second school.

“It has been an interesting time for student teachers as a whole,” Pook said.

“I really appreciate the prompt communication from the university as well as the hard work of the cooperating teachers in accommodating and working with student teachers during this difficult time.”

Professors and teachers have been receiving a lot of the well-deserved praise for handling the transition so well, but Mary Hoffman, a UWEC communications and journalism professor who also serves as Director of Academic Planning and Assessment, commends students for their adaptability as well.

Hoffman has had her students post videos in their online discussions, spurring them to comment on each other’s videos to create a discussion. This, along with other electronic methods of teaching, are as taxing on the students who must navigate them as they are on the professors who have to create them.

“Students are doing a good job adapting, too. It is a strong team effort,” said UWEC professor Mary Hoffman.

UWEC hopes to have students back on campus for the fall semester. Should that not happen like we expect it to, Blugolds will still be in good hands with their online curriculum, but there will always be something missing from the experience.

“Online teaching feels like a slice of dried apple in comparison to a fresh one, picked from the tree on a cool afternoon in mid-September,” said Loomis, the English professor. “The dried apple is not devoid of nutrients, but it’s not as filling and it’s not as good.”

Hopefully, by the time apple season rolls around, the UWEC campus will be full of fresh faces once more.

Olivia Kroner is a soon-to-graduate English major at UW-Eau Claire and a Volume One editorial intern.

Knowing that my UWEC education would be finished from the desk in my childhood bedroom where my only classmates were the stuffed animals stowed away on my shelves was a little disappointing.

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THE PABL O CENTER TURNS BL UE ON THURSDAY S IN RECOGNITION OF HEALTH CARE WORK ERS

FIGHTING FOR ITS FINANCIAL FUTURE Pablo Center at the Confluence could lose $1M by summer if shutdown continues WORDS BY TOM GIFFEY / PHOTO BY ANDREA PAULSETH

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acing “brutal” financial conditions because of coronavirus-driven shutdowns, 450 venues across the United States – including the Pablo Center at the Confluence in Eau Claire – have formed a new organization to fight for their survival.

The Pablo Center announced April 17 that it is a charter member of the National Independent Venue Association, which includes well-known entertainment venues such as First Avenue in Minneapolis, Pabst Theater Group in Milwaukee, Exit/In in Nashville, and hundreds more across 43 states.

As the coronavirus pandemic hit the nation hard, “We were the first to close and likely will be the last to open,” Jason Jon Anderson said of independent entertainment venues. Anderson, executive director of the Pablo Center, said in a telephone interview that his organization will miss out on an estimated $627,000 in revenue through the end of May because of Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers’ “Safer at Home” order. By July, he said, that figure could grow to $1 million if the Pablo Center can’t begin to sell new memberships and tickets for its third season. At that point, the arts center will have used up its reserves and wouldn’t be able to pay its staff, Anderson said.

Numerous nonprofits and businesses are in the same boat. Legislation that has passed Congress – such as the $2.2 trillion CARES Act – hasn’t necessarily helped entertainment venues because of the nature of their operations. Funds meant to help small businesses continue to pay their employees via the Paycheck Protection Program, which was part of the CARES Act, dried up as of Thursday, April 16. And while Congress gave funds to the National Endowment for the Arts to help arts groups, the NEA is only divvying that money out to entities that have already received NEA grants, which excludes the Pablo Center, which opened less than two years ago.

Fortunately, the Pablo Center qualified for funds through the PPP before that money was depleted.

However, the PPP loan will only allow the Pablo Center to pay its staff through June, Anderson said.

“As a building, we qualified for the PPP, which allows us to maintain our employees,” Anderson said. “But we don’t make widgets, we sell tickets, which is based on consumer confidence” and the ability to hold large events – which are prohibited in Wisconsin until May 26 at the earliest.

Anderson is optimistic that the new organization, dubbed NIVA, will be able to provide a united voice for independent venues that typically operate, well, independently. The new group will advocate in Washington, D.C., on behalf of independent venues as future CARES legislation is written.

According to NIVA, “Independent venues and promoters play a vital role in their communities, influencing travel and tourism. They are a part of the fabric, foundation and pride of cities and towns across America.” The group cited a 2016 study

by IBISWorld that estimated the live music industry created $23.5 billion in revenue annually.

However, that robust stream was cut off by COVID19. “It’s just brutal right now, and the future is predictable to no one,” Dayna Frank, NIVA board member and owner of First Avenue in Minneapolis, said in a press release. “We can’t envision a world without these music

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venues, so we’ve created NIVA to fight for their ability to survive this shutdown, which we hear could go into 2021. Our first order of business is to push to secure federal funding to preserve the ecosystem of live music venues and touring artists.”

Added Gary Witt, CEO of Pabst Theater Group in Milwaukee: “Most of us have gone from our best year ever to a dead stop in revenues, but our expenses and overhead are still real, and many will not make it without help. Our employees, the artists, and the fans need us to act. But we are also an important income generator for those around us, bringing revenue to area restaurants, bars, hotels, and retail shops.

Our contributions to the tax base far exceed our ticket sales.”

For his part, Anderson is trying to maintain his optimism despite the tough circumstances. He knows the Pablo Center is better off than many other independent venues nationwide, which have already had to lay off their employees.

“I can’t wake up every day and be doom and gloom,” Anderson said.

“I just can’t. We’ve got an important mission. … We have time on our side. Other venues do not.”

We were the first to close and likely will be the last to open.

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The Pablo Center at the Confluence is a founding member of Together Chippewa Valley, a fundraising initiative aimed at helping nonprofits in the region during the COVID-19 crisis. Learn more about the National Independent Venue Association at www.nivassoc.org.

MAY 2020 • PULLING TOGETHER WHILE STAYING APART: THE NEW NORMAL

HELPING THOSE IN GREATEST NEED Chippewa Valley charities pool fundraising efforts to fight coronavirus-created shortfalls WORDS BY OLIVIA KRONER

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s the days of self-isolation start to bleed into one another, waiting out the coronavirus pandemic might have you feeling there’s nothing you can do to help. After all, what’s there to do when you can’t leave your house? However, there are plenty of nonprofit organizations in the Chippewa Valley that could use your help. Because nonessential businesses and organizations have had to close their doors for the duration of the state’s “Safer at Home” order, the Chippewa Valley’s nonprofits are struggling; operations have been suspended, fundraisers have been postponed or cancelled, and people who rely on these organizations have been left to go without.

“There is no ‘owner’s manual’ for this unprecedented situation we are all navigating through, but one thing is certain: We will do it together,” said Sue Bornick, executive director of the Eau Claire Community Foundation.

Karen Hebert, interim executive director of United Way of the Greater Chippewa Valley, had to agree: “Nobody has ever faced this before, and nobody knows who’s vulnerable,” she said.

Combining the efforts of the Eau Claire Community Foundation and United Way of the Greater Chippewa Valley, the Quick Response Community Fund was created. True to its name, the Quick Response Community Fund has been rapidly providing grants and resources to nonprofits struggling to keep up with what the pandemic is requiring of them. As of April 17, the Quick Response Community Fund had awarded $223,850 to more than 30 nonprofits in the Eau Claire area after only three weeks of operation. The Quick Response Community Fund is

also accepting donations from the community, which can be made online at eccfwi.org, or mailed to the foundation (Attention: Quick Response Community Fund or QRCF), 306 S. Barstow St., Suite 104, Eau Claire, WI 54701.

Another great resource that was formed to help local nonprofits is Together Chippewa Valley. Announced in a press release on April 2, Together Chippewa Valley is a coalition of more than a dozen nonprofit organizations who have banded together to raise funds for the needs of the community during the COVID-19 crisis. The organizations include staples of the Chippewa Valley such as the Pablo Center at the Confluence, the Children’s Museum of Eau Claire, and the YMCA of the Chippewa Valley, among others. As of April 21, Together Chippewa Valley had raised $46,390, half of which was raised by the community, and half that was matched with a grant from the Pablo Foundation. Donors can contribute virtually at togetherchippewavalley.org, or send checks to Visit Eau Claire Foundation (in care of Together Chippewa Valley) at 128 Graham Avenue, No. 234, Eau Claire, WI 54701, with checks payable to “Visit Eau Claire Foundation.”

CHIPPEWA COUNTY Groups in Eau Claire aren’t the only ones working toward aiding the community during this time.

In Chippewa Falls, the Community Foundation of Chippewa County has created the Response-RecoveryRebuild Fund. Similar to the Quick Response Community Fund, the Response-Recovery-Rebuild Fund aims to provide grants to nonprofits in the area in the midst of the crisis. Should the fund garner more

than what is required of the coronavirus pandemic, that money will be kept in case it is needed for future relief.

Donations to the Response-Recovery-Rebuild Fund can be made online at yourlegacyforever.org or by check sent to P.O. Box 153, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729 (make them out to “Community Foundation of Chippewa County”).

DUNN COUNTY Likewise, in Menomonie the Community Foundation of Dunn County and United Way of Dunn County have partnered to create the United Way Disaster Relief Fund. This fund will not only benefit those in Dunn County, but also the communities of neighboring Pepin County. Like the other relief funds that have been created during this time, all credit card and administrative fees will be waived to ensure that 100% of the funds go to the nonprofits who need the support the most.

Community members are encouraged to donate online at cfdunncounty.org. Checks can also be mailed to The Community Foundation of Dunn County at P.O. Box 498, Menomonie, WI 54751, made payable to “The Community Foundation/COVID 19.”

While donating is a great way to help your community right now, Hebert of the United Way of the Greater Chippewa Valley recommends that you follow your heart when choosing to give back. “People can give confidently in any way that makes sense to them,” she said. “Time, talent, or treasure.”

And to a nonprofit organization in a time like this, truly no gift is too small.

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To mask or not to mask? That is the question, it seems, for most people I’ve run into in the Chippewa Valley.

Ever since March 20, when the office where I work closed, I’ve followed the 6-foot physical distancing guideline. My mask protocol has evolved from “no mask” to “bandana and goggles” to “Easter cat using kitty-face tea towel,

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leopard print hijab, and kitty ears headband” to “an officially handmade sloth cloth mask” that arrived in the mail “sewn with love” by a childhood friend, Eve. What has remained constant throughout this shelter-in-place, stay-at-home, and safer-at-home timeframe, however, is my singing. And I credit another childhood friend, Ingrid, for sharing her idea via Facebook

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video: Rather than us suspiciously staring at each other and furtively darting around each other and giving each other dirty looks to ensure we are 6 feet away, she suggested that we sing that old Motown favorite “Stop!

In the Name of Love” made famous by The Supremes. And not only sing the song but move with the spirit of soul made famous by the Diana Ross-led trio ... –Barbara Arnold

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MAY 2020 • PULLING TOGETHER WHILE STAYING APART: THE NEW NORMAL

PHOTO BY ANDREA PAULSETH

RESTAU RA N TS ST E P U P TO SUP PO R T W I T H H OT M E A L S WORDS BY CAITLIN BOYLE / PHOTO BY ANDREA PAULSETH

A

s Chippewa Valley businesses try to survive during Wisconsin’s now-extended stay-at-home order, a number of them have decided to help the community despite being shut down for several weeks.

Two of the numerous local businesses lending a hand are part of the fabric of Chippewa Falls. Bye the Willow and Catering by Design, 501 N. High St., an event and catering company operating in the downtown area, is offering customers catered home-cooked meals and grazing trays. Adam Kazort, who runs Bye the Willow with his wife, Rebecca, is letting customers order unique grazing trays to be given as gifts to health care workers and nursing homes. He says the company has made and delivered about 10 trays; orders can be placed on Tuesdays

through Saturdays from 4-7pm.

Kazort says while their business is small, he is grateful for the support he has been given from the community. “My wife and I feel very blessed at the community support which has been enough to meet our goals,” Kazort says.

Loopy’s Saloon & Grill and Loopy’s High Shores Supper Club, both owned by Bill “Loopy” Kleich, are another pair of local businesses trying to help Chippewa Vallians through the pandemic. When Kleich had to completely shut down the restaurants in March, he didn’t know how he would bring in income without getting the usual crowds. He says after a night of feeling sorry for himself, he woke up the next morning wanting to figure out a way to give back. He decided to offer free meals to the elderly and sick

people who can’t leave their homes.

In addition to the free meals, the restaurants are proudly offering curbside pick-up, carryout, and delivery for hungry customers within a 10-mile radius. The idea has generated a positive reaction, Kleich said.

“We have a chef at High Shores who makes up the menu every night that offers customers two or three different dishes to choose from,” he says.

“The dishes may include lasagna, other pasta dishes, and a Friday night fish fry.” The saloon offers pretty much everything on its menu.

Kleich says even though money is tight and the income brought in from the service will go towards making payroll, he hopes to continue offering and delivering food for as long as he

can. From having 20 to 25 employees at each location, he is now down to five to seven employees and is making and delivering meals with the skeleton crew he has available.

Another innovation is a special program for long-time and loyal Loopy’s customers. Loopy’s Legacy offers customers a chance to cash in at the restaurant or saloon. Similar to buying GreenBay Packers stock, customers can buy a personalized Loopy’s Legacy Commemorative Certificate for $100 and get big rewards in return: The certificates can be used at any time at either Loopy’s location for a $115 gift card. To make the deal sweeter, a $10 value will be added to all certificates annually on the date they were issued. For example, if a customer holds on to a gift certificate for five years, it will be worth $165 in Loopy’s gift cards.

Loopy is counting on the certificates to get him through the quarantine, but his main focus is survival. The longer he can survive, the sooner he will be able to get his business up and running and see the customers he has missed during the last couple of months.

D E C I ’ S ON L I N E S CAVENGER HUNT W ILL T E S T YO U R KNOWLEDGE OF DOWN TO W N

FE E L TH E LO V E & W E A R I T : A M B I E N T I N K S LA U NC H E S C O M MU N I T Y T E E W E B ST O R E

Do you A) have some time on your hands right now, B) know a bit about downtown Eau Claire, C) like gifts cards, or D) all of the above? If your answer is “D,” we’ve got an online game for you: Downtown Eau Claire Inc.’s Downtown Scavenger Hunt on Facebook. At 8am daily Monday through Friday, DECI posts a clue about a downtown business or site. To play, just reply to the Facebook post with your answer by 5pm; correct answers will be entered into a drawing for a $25 gift card from a DECI member. You can even double your chances of winning by posting a photo of the correct answer! To play, check out facebook.com/DowntownEauClaire.

Local apparel business Ambient Inks normally makes T-shirts for artists like Bon Iver and Sylvan Esso, but through May 15, they’re turning the press over to local small businesses hit by the pandemic. The Give Local Love campaign lets businesses and organizations design a T-shirt for sale on a community webstore. Shirts sell for $25, for which the business keeps $10. Ambient Inks prints and ships shirts on demand with no upfront costs. If you’re looking to support some small businesses, buy a shirt. If you want to submit your design, do so at tinyurl.com/givelocallove. For more info on the project, go to ambientinks.com.

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MAY 2020 • PULLING TOGETHER WHILE STAYING APART: THE NEW NORMAL

G I R O L AM O ’ S C O U RT ’ N H O U S E BA R & G R ILL

G R A ND AV ENU E C A FÉ

IT’S TAKEOUT TIME: CURBSIDE EATS ABOUND PHOTOS BY ANDREA PAULSETH

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hile getting together and dining out is a thing of the past for the foreseeable future, Chippewa Valley restaurants are taking matters into their own hands with curbside pickup, takeout, and other creative ways to get their grub in the hands of the people. Check out a few shots of Girolamo’s Court’n House, Grand Ave. Café, and The District Pub & Grill all bringing food from their kitchens directly to folks across the Valley. This is the “new normal” in the restaurant world, and chances are your favorite spots are offering the same thing. For a comprehensive list of which restaurants are offering what, check out Volume One’s “Save Your Faves” website (VolumeOne.org/SaveYourFaves), and help support the local restaurant biz and the hard workers who keep it going, even during a pandemic.

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T H E D IS T R IC T PUB & GRIL L

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MAY 2020 • PULLING TOGETHER WHILE STAYING APART: THE NEW NORMAL

DOCTORS & NURSES ARE ESSENTIAL. SO ARE WORKERS IN GROCERY STORES WORDS BY CAITLIN BOYLE

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uring this pandemic, I have been called an essential worker. To me, being an essential worker is important. Even though many businesses are closed, essential workers are on the clock helping people through this trying time. Health care workers, emergency service workers, and government workers are being called upon to keep everyone safe and healthy.

My job? I never thought my job was very important, but now I know that it’s essential. I’m a grocery store worker, and I am on the front lines of the coronavirus.

I started working at Woodman’s in Altoona at the end of January. I needed to bring in some income as I was looking for a full-time job. I was a cashier in high school and part of college, so I was pretty familiar with how everything worked and flowed. I also did most of my grocery shopping at Woodman’s, so I thought it would be a good place to work. And it is. I am currently a bagger, and I am working part-time right now. The store is usually busy, which keeps me busy, too. I just wasn’t prepared for how busy we were going to get in March, when the job and policies got completely turned upside down.

When the pandemic took hold across the United States and Wisconsin in March, and local businesses were being told to close along with schools and gyms, I knew in the back of my mind that Woodman’s would be busier than ever.

But I wasn’t expecting what transpired.

Suddenly, I would walk into work and see a line of people that stretched as far back as the frozen foods department.

Customers were waiting as long as two hours to check out as we tried our best to get them through quickly and efficiently.

Some days I would learn about new rules or procedures. One big change was having waiting lines marked so customers could stay 6 feet apart from each other.

Every single person I work with was pushed to the max. We could work as many hours as we wanted to keep up with the constant flow of people stocking up for an unknown length of time. Eventually, plexiglass windows were placed at registers so customers and employees could be separated. At first, only people in certain departments were required to wear masks; then the policy was extended to every employee.

While I feel that some of the policies should be implemented and some not,

the company I work for has shown how important every single employee is, and they are doing everything possible to keep us all safe. I am grateful for this. I am also grateful to have a job to go to, considering that so many people have lost their jobs or have had their hours reduced. Most of the customers I have helped are very appreciative that we are doing our jobs. The gratitude helps make going to work feel important and “essential.”

I don’t know how long the quarantine or this new way of living will last. I hope people will follow the government’s guidelines so we can get back to a sort of normalcy. I encourage people – no matter how they are preventing themselves from getting sick – to practice patience and kindness. That goes a long way for all of us who are working to serve our community. When you go shopping, expect to wait, but know that we are trying to get every customer through as quickly as we can.

I hope that when all is said and done, we are all still practicing our patience and spreading kindness. If this pandemic teaches us anything, I hope it’s that these practices continue. Because if they do, we can make the world brighter and better than ever.

The writer, masked up for work.

Most of the customers I have helped are very appreciative that we are doing our jobs. The gratitude helps make going to work feel important and ‘essential.’

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PHOTO BY TAYLOR SMITH

CREATIVE COMMONS

P RAG M ATI C WAYS TO S U P P ORT WRITE RS how to be a good literary citizen in the time of the coronavirus WORDS BY ELIZABETH DE CLEYRE

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ix months ago I placed three pieces of writing. The first is still in revisions with a lovely editor who is very busy. The second was killed after the editor sat on the first draft for two months and then decided it wasn’t what they were looking for. The third was published and unpaid, and then an editor at another publication offered to re-print and pay me for it (reprints are a rarity). It was slated for publication March 18. On March 17, I received an email saying that they were holding the piece to prioritize coverage of the pandemic.

I write this not to complain, but to demonstrate how even in a booming economy, the economics of writing are erratic at best. When I placed these three pieces around the same time, a friend and small business owner said it must have been nice to receive the influx of income. Ha! They were incredulous when I said I wouldn’t see a penny until the pieces were printed, and possibly not for another month afterward, as most publications have net-30 terms.

I don’t know anyone who goes into writing for the money, and seasoned writers usually advise students to become anything but writers because it can be a long, hard road riddled with rejection.

Writing is a long game. Rejection I was prepared for, but no one told me there’d be a pandemic too.

I hardly need to remind you that the future is a massive question mark for all of us, not just for writers, who often work behind the scenes, supporting and propping up other creatives, entrepreneurs, and businesses. Some of us went from writing press releases, promoting local

events, reviewing albums, concerts, and books, to crafting internal memos telling staff to work from home for the foreseeable future, or editing letters for layoffs.

Publications cut freelance budgets first, and those of us who work in restaurants or retail find our non-writing income either dramatically reduced or dried up.

But there’s a certain shade of irony in the fact that many of us are relying on writing now more than ever: from the latest news articles and updates that keep us informed, to the novels and stories that keep us company and offer a brief escape or respite, either in book form or adapted into binge-worthy shows and films.

“Literary citizenship” is a term loosely describing not just how to be a good writer, but also a good person, namely to other writers. It’s like “Midwest Nice” but for publishing, and we’re lucky to live in a region that has an active community of writers and readers. Now that we’re all practicing physical distancing and selfisolation, we may not be able to support one another in the ways we’re used to.

Thankfully, most of the suggestions for how to support writers (and the people who support them) in the Chippewa Valley and beyond can offer some solace for readers and non-writers alike. Books, essays, articles, and podcasts can be a means of escape, a way to get lost in other lives, real or imagined.

Below are some suggestions with links to further resources. Many of these are free! Some of these apply to other creative industries. And though it’s a lengthy list, meant to cover both writers of books and writers of short-form or online content, it is by no means inexhaustible.

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A PARTIAL LIST OF WAYS TO SUPPORT WRITERS: • First and foremost, do not remind your writer friend that Shakespeare wrote King Lear during the plague.

• Now for some low-hanging fruit: READ! • While libraries are closed, remember that they often have extensive digital resources if you possess internet access.

• Support indie bookstores! Many-a bookstore employs writers, so continuing to buy from local booksellers keeps your money in the community and helps retain their well-read staff.

• More of an audiobook person? While many of us are familiar with Audible (an Amazon company), libro.fm allows you to listen to the same audiobooks and support local bookstores.

• If a writer has a backlist of titles, now is a great time to get caught up!

• Does your favorite writer have a website? In addition to books, some writers, such as Eau Claire’s own Nickolas Butler, sell broadsides, while others sell mugs with clever (expletivelaced) phrases on it.

• Write reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, and other outlets to help authors reach more readers.

• Podcasts! Are you caught up on the Chippewa Valley’s own serialized radio drama, Bend in the River? Or episodes of Oddly Enough? What are you waiting for?! They are all available online at Converge Radio!

• If an author had to cancel in-person readings, check out their social media or website to see if they’re offering any

Writing is a long game. Rejection I was prepared for, but no one told me there’d be a pandemic too. online events.

• Last, and certainly not least, writing guilds exist in many communities, and have databases of local authors to read and support. We’re lucky to have The Chippewa Valley Writers Guild, which pays writers for speaking, storytelling, presentations and panels. If events (which are usually free or by donation) were postponed or cancelled, consider donating or become a member to help the organization continue to offer literary programming in the future.

Elizabeth de Cleyre is a writer and editor. Find her at cedecreative.com. A full version of this article is at VolumeOne.org.

MAY 2020 • PULLING TOGETHER WHILE STAYING APART: THE NEW NORMAL

ARTMOBILE TAKES AN ONLINE DETOUR COVID-driven closure inspires Pablo Center to bring its children’s art program to the web WORDS BY TOM GIFFEY

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or years, the ARTmobile has been a colorful attraction for children and their parents across the Chippewa Valley, popping up at locations from the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library to Oakwood Mall to Phoenix Park. The roaming program – first operated by the Eau Claire Regional Arts Center and now by the Pablo Center at the Confluence – always drew a crowd of kids (and their grown-ups) to create hands-on, educational art projects.

At the moment, WAT C H T H E of course, crowds are a no-no, but V I D E O S AT the ARTmobile has continued to VOLUMEONE.ORG encourage creativity in the virtual world. Even before the coronavirus pandemic, the staff at the Pablo Center had intended to create a stronger online presence for their art education programming. When COVID-19 hit and the statewide “Safer at Home” order led to the closure of the Pablo Center and nearly everything else this spring, the Pablo Center took the opportunity to take the ARTmobile online.

In early April, the Pablo Center debuted its “ARTmobile@Home” series, which features art projects that can be completed with limited supplies by kids ages 4 and up (with a bit of adult help).

So far, projects have included creating a photosynthesis mobile, a wellness banner, and a rainbow fish – all with supplies that families are likely to have on hand, such as construction paper, string, and dried branches.

A supply list is posted on the Pablo Center’s Facebook page each Friday, while video tutorials are shared the following Thursday. The videos are also available on the Pablo Center’s website, and additional non-video ARTmobile content can be found at that website as well as on Pinterest.

“Prior to opening (in 2018), we had envisioned a strong online art and educational component,” Pablo Center Executive Director Jason Jon Anderson said.

“As we have been going through our first 16 months of startup there never seemed to be the right time to launch this. With the current shift in our operating focus due to COVID-19, now seemed like the best time for us to launch this platform. It is the perfect time for us to share, learn, and grow as we go.”

The first two videos were created

by Rose Dolan-Neill, the Pablo Center’s visual and literary arts manager. In the first few videos, those are her hands you

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see skillfully assembling the art projects, while the musical accompaniment was created by Evan Middlesworth, the center’s director of artistic programming (who also happens to be an accomplished musician and music producer).

“Sometimes we need a push to get us moving in a direction that seems unclear, so coronavirus pushed us out of our comfort zone and into our homes where we have had to be intensely creative problem solvers,” Dolan-Neill said. “I mean, I had to muster all of my MacGyver skills to figure out how to turn my phone into an overhead camera.

I’ve never filmed instructional videos before, let alone my own hands creating, so that was a big learning curve.”

Added Middlesworth: “Rose took the idea and ran with it, coming up with how to shoot the videos from home. It’s wonderful to see it all come together from the spark of an idea to having something for folks to watch and participate in.”

While the project is still new, the videos have already been viewed thousands

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of times and have attracted positive feedbacks from parents and educators, the Pablo Center said.

In addition to Dolan-Neill, other ARTmobile educators are also creating online content now, so art-hungry families can expect to see projects continue to pop up on their social media feeds.

And even after the “Safer at Home” order is lifted and the ARTmobile can once again pop up for in-person events, families can expect to see the ARTmobile continue online.

“Our instructors are all really looking forward to when they can safely create with children and families again – making art is a process of connection for children,” Dolan-Neill said. “It is a gift to be able to share our love of art with our community, and ARTmobile thrives on being a conduit for expression through the arts.”

Find ARTmobile@Home projects, including material lists and video tutorials, at pablocenter.org/learn/art-mobile and facebook.com/PabloCenterEC.

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MAY 2020 • PULLING TOGETHER WHILE STAYING APART: THE NEW NORMAL

D OWNLOAD 1 5 LOCA L SONG S O N BA ND CA MP $15 into the pockets of local artists

AD ELYN R O S E

WORDS BY ERIC CHRISTENSON PHOTO BY JESSE JOHNSON

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o you want to support some local musicians during a pandemic.

Sure, you can stream local music a million different ways. Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal (remember Tidal?) …

Go for it, ’cause every little bit helps. But even 1,000 streams on something like Spotify trickles down to mere pocket change for the creators. That’s why when it comes to direct support for musicians, there’s not much out there better than Bandcamp.

Bandcamp lets you buy mp3s and physical merch directly from the artist, and Bandcamp’s cut of the deal isn’t nearly as big as what’s taken by the Spotifys of the world.

For one day on April 1, Bandcamp waived its cut, so 100% of proceeds went into the pockets of artists; response was so huge the site had to temporarily shut down that day. Bandcamp is offering a similar deal on May 1, and hopefully more days in the future. With that in mind, we pulled together a list of 15 songs you can buy from Chippewa Valley artists on Bandcamp, not just on May 1, but anytime:

“WALK ON THE WALLS”

BY ADELYN ROSE adelynrose.bandcamp.com A standout track from a brand-new full length from Adelyn Rose that dropped in March. The album switches from fullband energy to sparse solo offerings from Addie Strei, and it’s fantastic.

“HARD LEARNER”

BY ORENDA FUGUE orendafugue.bandcamp.com The blistering rock vibes of Orenda Fugue are on full-display on “Hard Learner,” a huge track from 2017. The chugging guitars and pummeling drums feel appropriate for a weird time.

“NOTHING CHANGED (FT. BEZZ BELIEVE)” BY MISTAH mistahbigbusiness.bandcamp.com Mistah is one of the hardest-working rappers in the bustling Eau Claire hip-hop scene, and the young talent dropped a 12-track album in March called Executive Class. His collab with Florida rapper Bezz Believe is a clear standout.

“SINNIN’” BY MATT VOLD mattvold.bandcamp.com A brand-new solo effort from Pit Wagon’s Matt Vold has the singular songwriter backed by a supergroup of Eau Claire musicians. Vold leans heavily into some seriously summery country vibes, and the result is really, really great.

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“LIGHTLESS THUNDER”

BY HEMMA hemma.bandcamp.com Late last year, Hannah Hebl (Hemma) put a six-track project out into the world called Tomorrow River, and its penultimate track is the real deal: Shining guitars and fluttering synths swirl around steady brushed drums for a transportive feeling. “You know it’s just a dream, but what really does that mean?”

“BROWN EYES” BY NAALIA

Town,” Orfield extrapolates a great groove for a full-length breezy jazz tune that gives you warm fuzzies even in the strangest of times.

tation into high-energy, even positivesounding, rock songs is never more present than on “It Was the Worst of Times, It Was the Worst of Times” off his 2017 album Buxton II. There’s even a nice drum solo in there. Dig into it.

“THE UNWITTING MAN ABOUT TOWN” BY SUE ORFIELD sueorfield.bandcamp.com Once the opening tune for The Sue Orfield Show, on “The Unwitting Man About

“MY VALENTINE”

BY WESTKOREA westkoreaec.bandcamp.com Eau Claire producer Luc Larson (westkorea) chops up a killer Chet Baker sample, adds his own muted horns and a fuzzy boom-bap beat to make a spacey,

meditative instrumental that’s good for long drives or morning walks.

“I WANT IT”

BY VELVET GROOVE velvetgroove.bandcamp.com Velvet Groove is somewhat of a hidden gem in Eau Claire, but they stay making some of the catchiest DIY pop-rock tunes to come from the Valley. “I Want It” is a mere 90 seconds long, but its lo-fi fuzzy guitars, and doubled vocals make for a pleasant escape.

naalia.bandcamp.com Pay what you want for the Naalia single “Brown Eyes,” which spotlights Aliana Sigala’s blessed vocals around solid gold R&B instrumentation.

“SNOW BLIND”

BY FMDOWN fmdown.bandcamp.com The mainstay Eau Claire rock band FMDown dropped the single “Snow Blind” in November of last year, and it’s a slow burner with hammering drums, driving piano, and soaring guitar work.

“WHAT A TIME TO BARELY BE ALIVE” BY ARMS ALOFT armsaloft.bandcamp.com “What A Time To Barely Be Alive” indeed.

The Eau Claire punk band’s 2016 album of the same name is full of hard-hitting tunes and righteous lyrics that pretty aptly encapsulate the weirdness of existence, even more so in a time like this.

“HIT THE GROUND”

BY CUDLINO cudlino.bandcamp.com Eau Claire rapper Cudlino’s new concept album W.I.T.S (Written In The Stars) has plenty to dig into, but sometimes when you’re stir-crazy, you need a certifiable dance floor banger. If you’re looking to shake some booty during the pandemic, “Hit The Ground” is essential.

“BALLAD” BY NOSTROMO coling.bandcamp.com Colin Grossbier builds crushing ambient loops under the name Nostromo, where piles of guitar lines stack up into dreamy soundscapes that are perfect for getting lost in. “Ballad” is a meditative offering from the young songwriter that should bring you some calm.

“DON’T WORRY BABY”

BY CAIT MCGARVEY caitlinmcgarveymusic.bandcamp.com Songwriter Cait McGarvey does some of their finest work on “Don’t Worry Baby,” a single that dropped last summer.

McGarvey’s emotion-stirring vocals interpolating the Beach Boys’ classic hit are a great reminder that maybe things will be alright.

“IT WAS THE WORST OF TIMES, IT WAS THE WORST OF TIMES” BY THE JOHN BUXTON EXPERIENCE thejohnbuxtonexperience.bandcamp.com John Buxton’s knack for turning devas-

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MAY 2020 • PULLING TOGETHER WHILE STAYING APART: THE NEW NORMAL

YOUR DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO LOCAL HOMES, GARDENS, HOMEMAKERS, AND GARDENERS

PRESENTED BY

+ GARDEN CENTER

PRESENTED BY

CRE ATIVE COM MO NS

gardening is cheaper than therapy (and you get tomatoes!)

NEWBIE GARDENERS: TAKE HEED AND DIG IN

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words by Diana Peterson

ne of the benefits of sheltering at home is having additional time to explore new interests. This is a great time to invest in a garden because we have the extra hours to research and plan. Here are a few things you might want to consider as you design your private oasis.

First, you will want to determine what type of garden you want. Whether you are placing pots on the front porch, building a raised bed, or cultivating a 20-by-30-foot area, you will want to decide what it is you want to grow. Are you interested in vegetables or flowers? Do you want to include herbs? Do you like overflowing prairies or more formal spaces? Do you want to attract

birds and butterflies? Once you know what type of garden you want to create, you can start researching the specifics.

Margaret Murphy, horticulture specialist from the UW Extension office in Chippewa Falls, is always encouraging people to try a vegetable garden.

“I think it is good for the person, the planet, and the pocket book,” she said.

“There are a lot of vegetables that can be grown in a small space.”

Once you have a more definite idea

of what your garden will look like, it’s time to test and amend the soil. This is a step a lot of people skip, and it’s a bad idea. Ben Polzin from Down to Earth Garden Center emphasizes that it’s important to spend the time on improving soil first. “By adding compost, mycorrhizae, and other amendments to your soil, you are improving your soil health and allowing your plants to reach their fullest potential.”

Next comes the fun part: choosing the plants you want to use. Make sure you are buying plants that are Zone 4 for this part of the state. You probably want a mixture of perennial and annual plants. Perennial plants will come back year after year. Annuals are great for containers and to add color to parts of your garden you want to fill for one year. Diagramming the space is an easy way to ensure you have a variety of colors and interesting foliage.

“It is easy to have big dreams of a huge garden but then fall short when all the weeding and care kicks in,” Polzin reminds us. “Start small, learn what you like to grow and care for.

Expand a little bit each year.”

For beginning gardeners, Murphy recommends sunflowers, zinnias, and

marigolds. Polzin likes easy-to-carefor Millennium Ornamental Onion and Little Goldstar Rudbeckia. Mary, one of Klinger Farms’ specialists, encourages the use of grasses for more variety.

Once your garden is planted, you will want to add about an inch of mulch.

This will ensure that more water stays with your plants, and it will make it tougher for weeds to find a new home.

Speaking of weeds, pulling them on a weekly or bi-weekly basis is much easier than letting them get out of hand.

Invest in a few good garden tools.

Most gardeners can get by with a trowel, a pair of pruners, and a quality pair of gloves. When you are not using your tools, protect them by putting them in a pail filled with mineral oil and sand.

Finally, take some time to enjoy your space. Whether you want to start out your day with a cup of coffee or end it with a glass of wine, meditating on the beauty of nature is one of the best benefits of gardening.

To find quality resources about every aspect of gardening, check out the UW Extension’s lawn/garden collection at learningstore.extension.wisc.edu.

Most of their publications are under $5, and many of them are free.

“I think it is good for the person, the planet, and the pocket book.

There are a lot of vegetables that can be grown in a small space.”

–Margaret Murphy, UW Extension, on vegetable gardening at home 2020

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don’t make butterflies flutter by H OW TO M A K E YO U R YA R D M O R E I N V I T I N G F O R B U T T E R FL I ES & OT H E R FLY I N G FR I E N D S

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words & photos Matt Friell

aybe when you were a kid, you dreamed of having a garden absolutely covered in butterflies. Then, after a few years, you abandoned that dream and the one about being the first person to dunk a basketball in space.

But wait, you don’t have to give up on your butterfly dream! There are lots of ways to make your yard more inviting to butterflies and make some awesome butterfly friends. How does one make butterfly friends? Well, probably the most important consideration is what you have in your yard for caterpillars to eat and then for butterflies to eat after they complete their magical transformation from crawling chowhound to beautiful butterfly.

Let’s start with caterpillar food.

Most people are likely already aware of the monarch butterfly and its relationship to milkweed. Lots of other butterflies, as well as skippers and moths, have certain plants that they need as food sources for their young.

An Internet search for “caterpillar host plants” will help you find resources to plant a caterpillar buffet. The best places to find some of these plants will usually be at a greenhouse that carries some native plants or specializes in native plants. Besides flowering plants and grasses as host plants, trees, including but not limited to oak, cherry, willow, and birch, are also very

good host plants for caterpillars.

Butterfly food is a bit more straightforward, as you’ll just need to have flowers available to provide nectar. Again, the Internet will be your friend in finding ideas about what specifically to plant in your yard.

Personally, I try to stick mostly with plants that are native to the Chippewa Valley, as those will likely be the most useful to the butterflies and bugs in my yard. Just to throw a few examples of good butterfly plants: milkweeds, asters, goldenrod, blazingstar, Joe Pye weed, cup plant, or sedum.

Having your garden in full sun will also increase the likelihood of butterflies dropping by. Butterflies need to raise their body temperatures before flying, which they do by basking. This involves them putting their wings out like solar panels to absorb some energy from the sun. A garden in full sun may get more frequent butterfly visits than a shadier garden. Grouping several of the same plants together, rather than just having one sad plant all by itself,

will help to make it more obvious to butterflies where the food is.

Try to spread out the availability of blooms throughout the season. If everything in your garden blooms at roughly the same time, your butterfly pals may ditch you once the food’s gone. Also, something that’s very helpful is to include plants that bloom later in the summer and into fall. This will allow any migrating butterflies to fatten up a bit first before the long journey ahead of them – kind of like the idea of carb loading the night before a marathon.

“Personally, I try to stick mostly with plants that are native to the Chippewa Valley, as those will likely be the most useful to the butterflies and bugs in my yard.” at home 2020

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Avoid pesticide. If you’re trying to be welcoming to butterflies and nature, avoiding pesticide is your best bet.

Some nurseries may treat their plants with pesticide, such as neonicotinoids, and you would likely see this information on the plant label. It’s a good idea to check the label if you’re concerned.

Let’s not forget about moths. Besides everything mentioned previously, one very helpful thing you can do for moths is keep outdoor lighting to a minimum. As we’ve all seen, moths are often attracted to outdoor lights and fly around them for hours when they should be out mingling with other moths. Not a good thing if we want future generations of baby moths.

Generally speaking, a lot of these same tips will help to make your yard friendlier for other flying friends, such as birds and bees. Now get out there, be a social butterfly, and make some butterfly friends!

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indoor plants: the perfect roommates G I V E Y O U R S PA C E S O M E L I F E W I T H G R E E N E R Y, B U T T A K E G O O D C A R E O F Y O U R P L A N T S words by Yia Lor

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emember that time you took a stroll in the park and felt completely refreshed afterward? Part of that is because that greenery all around you is working hard to absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. This process freshens the air you’re breathing while boosting your mood and reducing stress.

Even if you don’t have time to soak in nature, you can still recreate that feeling right in your home with help from indoor plants.

Numerous studies have shown that living with indoor plants comes with many benefits. According to NASA research, your hanging Boston fern can remove up to 87% of air toxins in just a day. Studies also found that patients in rooms with plants had greater chances of recovery, lower blood pressure, and less anxiety.

Doing a bit of research into houseplants you are considering will help determine if your home has the right conditions for them to thrive. Some of our green friends can be toxic to animals and humans, so you just want to be careful depending on who shares your space.

If you’re new to indoor plants or are still working on that green thumb, consider some of the following to start your own mini paradise: • Pothos is a trailing vine known to be the easiest of all indoor plants to

CRE ATIVE COM MO NS

grow. They do well in soil or vases with water, and they also enjoy a variety of light conditions.

• Spider plants aren’t picky when it comes to watering, lighting, or temperature. They will also send

out plantlets when they mature, which can be repotted and gifted to friends.

• Peace lilies are known for being hardy and forgiving. They are great for low-light spaces and will let you know they’re thirsty by drooping their leaves.

• Cacti and succulents come in hundreds of unique varieties and are drought-tolerant making them the perfect companion for forgetful waterers. They do need several hours of bright light so be sure they have access to a sunny windowsill.

The next time you’re looking for simple ways to reduce stress, improve productivity, or just add fresh ambience to your home, indoor plants will definitely do it. They provide a source of great joy and a plethora of health benefits, making them the perfect roommates.

“Even if you don’t have time to soak in nature, you can still recreate that feeling right in your home.” at home 2020

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life is short, grow some food START SIMPLE, AND SOON YOUR GARDENS WILL BE OVERFLOWING WITH FRUITS AND VEGGIES

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words & photos by Paula Bonnin

n crazy times like these, people want to be more self-sufficient, especially when it comes to food.

Planting a garden goes back to ancient times – and in times of crisis, gardening has helped to not only feed people, but to bring people together.

Whether you’re a first-time gardener or a master gardener, there is always something to learn about gardening.

I’m going to touch on a few things that can help you to start growing your own fruit and vegetables.

I would normally start this by instructing you to have your soil tested at your local county extension office before planting anything, however with offices being shut down, soil tests are currently on hold until further notice. So, we are jumping right into step two of starting a fruit and vegetable garden, creating a garden plan.

Here are some questions to ask yourself when starting a garden: What do you want to grow? What plants do well here and which ones do not? Where are you going to put the plants? What type of growing conditions do the plants need?

Do your research online or with a gardening book; research is one of your best friends when you’re going to start planting a garden.

Next, draw out where you’re going to plant each vegetable or fruit you are going to grow in order to help you once the plants start growing. There are three valuable points to remember when you are gardening: Air, sun, and water. Make sure your plants are wellspaced in order for the plant to grow.

Make sure your plant has ample amount of sunlight to help it grow. Lastly, make sure your plants will be watered daily.

The best time to water is in the early morning so that the plants get a good soaking before the hot sun sets in.

If you have decided to start gardening with seeds instead of purchasing plants from local garden centers, the best thing you can do is to make sure you have seeds that are right for the hardiness zone that you live in. The majority of Wisconsin is a zone four; however there are areas that are a zone three, so make sure to research your hardiness zone before

“Start with a few easy plants, rather than starting a garden to feed the entire neighborhood in your first year. A few that work well in this area are spinach, lettuce, beans, cucumbers, potatoes, and strawberries.”

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purchasing seeds. In my experience, I have found that starting a garden is easier with plants that have already been started at local growing centers than attempting to start from seed. To some, that’s “cheating” in gardening, however, if you can’t get a seed to grow in soil indoors, you’re not likely to get the seed to grow outdoors. (That is from my own experience.)

Start with a few easy plants, rather than starting a garden to feed the entire neighborhood in your first year. A few that work well in this area are spinach, lettuce, beans, cucumbers, potatoes, and strawberries. You will find that some of these will be overabundant growers and you will have cucumbers coming out of your ears. With that being CRE ATIVE COM MO NS

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said, I reiterate the point of starting with a few plants to begin your garden with rather than a lot. Remember that your plants will need plenty of space to grow, so remember not to crowd everything in one small space. Some of the plants will also need support systems in order to grow, including beans, tomatoes, and peas. You can use anything from a measuring stick to a garden fence for this.

My best advice for new gardeners is to have patience. Rome wasn’t built in a day, so your lettuce may not sprout for a week.

Paula Bonnin is an Eau Claire County Master Gardener Volunteer and a board member for the Eau Claire Garden Club.

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do it yourself or hire a pro?

SOME TIPS ON WHICH HOME PROJECTS ARE WORTH TACKLING AS AN A M ATEUR, AND WHICH ONES AREN’T words by James Johonnott

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ired of your home’s old paint job or carpet? It might be time to take a crack at it and give your home a facelift.

Maybe, like me, you’ve gotten a little ambitious and want to bite off a bigger home improvement project. As a recent homeowner and an ambitious renovator, I now have a more keen perspective on the difficulty, time, and resources needed for an array of basic home improvement projects. After a year spent as an occasional weekend warrior grappling my own upgrades, here’s what I’ve learned: TI LI N G. I was surprised at how reasonable this process was. Among the most difficult parts were cutting the ceramic tile and ensuring that the grout lines were straight. The process

of applying mastic, tiles, and grout to the wall was a rewarding endeavor that took little more than a weekend. All of the supplies can be easily found at your local home improvement store, and a tile saw can be rented.

PAI N T I N G. Done right, giving your house a new coat of paint on the inside can be an affordable way to quickly provide a DIY facelift. Some poorly painted interiors have high-gloss white paint that shows every imperfection in the wall. Tidying these up with a new coat of evenly done white paint can provide a fresh interior. Painting our old, out-dated wooden trim white was a simple way to modernize our house’s woodwork.

CO NT I NU E D O N PAG E 4 2

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CO NT I NU E D F RO M PAG E 40 D RY WA L L. My relationship with drywall is complicated, but yours probably won’t be. If you’re looking at building new walls or refurbishing old ones in a traditional box-style room, then applying sheetrock and joint compound is worth your time and money. It certainly required a bit of elbow grease and a lot of weekends, but the process itself wasn’t all that taxing or difficult.

However, If you have vaulted ceilings, curves, or strange angles, save yourself the headache and call a professional.

F LO O RI N G. If your carpet, like mine, has overstayed its welcome, you may be surprised at what you find underneath. Beneath mine, we found beautiful hardwood floors that can be easily refurbished with a bit of sanding and

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sealing. Old laminate can be updated in a weekend with modern vinyl plank flooring. In a simple, square room, even engineered tongue-and-groove hardwood installation is an affordable update to old flooring. If your floor isn’t level, or has a lot of complicated twists and turns, you might be in for more than you bargained for.

With all of that said, I had a lot of technical advice and help from friends and family members doing these projects. Always consult with the local Eau Claire County Building Inspector’s office to see what permits you might need, and do plenty of research. In my experience, plenty of professionals in the Chippewa Valley are happy to work with DIY-ers to do parts of the job that require technical expertise.

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MAY 2020 • PULLING TOGETHER WHILE STAYING APART: THE NEW NORMAL

Fire Up The Grill.

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BBQ BASICS FROM THE HAMBULANCE Barbecue expert Ryan Jean-Baptiste from Life Support BBQ divulges his toolkit for beginners words by L A U R E N F I S H E R

• photos by A N D R E A P A U L S E T H

• graphic by T A Y L O R M C C U M B E R

RYAN JEAN-BAPTISTE HAS BEEN SERVING UP LIFE-SAVING BARBEQUE IN THE CHIPPEWA VALLEY FOR THE PAST 5 YEARS as the owner of Life Support BBQ – also known as the Hambulance Mobile Food Truck. But his background in brisket goes back further; he’s been serving up pulled pork for nearly a decade.

“Cooking over a flame is the most basic form of cooking,” Jean-Baptiste said. “Every culture has some kind of barbeque.” He loves to try dishes from every place he travels to and discover the differences between them.

“Barbeque is real personal and specific to the individual,” he said. He prefers to go light on the sauce in favor of the taste of the smoke and meat, while others slather their food in the stuff.

Some places think of barbecue as only ribs, or only a whole pig.

It all comes down to where you’re from and who you are.

For beginners, he offers up some advice: Give yourself enough

time to get it right. Don’t plan a meal with only two hours to smoke your meat. Know your equipment and your environment; everything from the wood or charcoal you use to the humidity in the air can affect the cooking process.

Volume One got a look inside Jean-Baptiste’s barbeque basics kit. From the most important tool to the perfect wood and the best local jellies for sauces, take a look at what give the Hambulance the power to make your mouth water.

“Nobody’s right or wrong,” he said. “But anyone who’s doing it, try to experience as many kinds of BBQ as you can.”

“Nobody’s right or wrong. But anyone who’s doing it, try to experience as many kinds of BBQ as you can.”

- R YA N J E A N - B A P T I S T E , L I F E S U P P O R T B B Q MEAT! • 46 • 2020

1ST PLACE: RUMP’S BUTCHER SHOPPE When we published the results of our 2020 Best of the Chippewa Valley Reader Poll earlier this year, it was no surprise that Rump’s (1411 Lynn Ave., Altoona) rose to the top as the Best Place to Buy Meat. Readers (and eaters!) have given that honor to Rumps’ for five straight years. Shoppers rave about Rump’s knowledgeable staff and wide-selection of mouth-watering cuts, including many sourced from local farmers. In addition to locally raised beef, Rump’s is a purveyor of fresh pork, chicken, and lamb, as well as their own hand-crafted brats, sausages, hot dogs, snack sticks, and more. And fortunately, despite our current pan-

THE VALLEY’S FAVES Who’s got the best meat in the Chippewa Valley?

Here’s what readers said in our 2020 ‘Best Of’ poll! demic lockdown, Rump’s remains open because as a grocery story it is considered an essential business.

2ND PLACE: SOKUP’S MARKET Sokup’s Market (624 N. Bridge St., Chippewa Falls) has been a familyowned institution in Chippewa Falls

for 129 years, nearly all of them in the same spot, just kitty-corner from the Chippewa County Courthouse on the city’s beautiful main street. And while stepping into Sokup’s may be a trip back in time, what you’ll find at the meat counter is sure to be fresh. Check out the extra-lean ground beef, –choice

MEAT! • 47 • 2020

steaks, homemade sausages, and other meaty specialties. And Sokup’s burgers are also available as some local eateries (at least when we’re not under quarantine).

3RD PLACE: BLAESER FARMS Located in rural Chippewa Falls, Blaeser Farms is a family-owned business focusing on sustainably raised, grass-fed beef, raising breeds including Simental, Holstein, Angus, and Highland. The Blaesers know their animals by name, so you can be sure that they are well cared-for and produce quality cuts. You can find the Blaeser family selling their meats at farmers markets around the Chippewa Valley as well as online at blaeserfarms.com.

EATING GOOD LOCAL MEAT ON A BUDGET it’s not always easy, but it is always a good call words by N I K N O V A K • photo by A N D R E A P A U L S E T H

GOOD MEAT ABOUNDS IN THE CHIPPEWA VALLEY. But sometimes you have to look for it.

There are the farmers markets, of course. And some of you have friends and relatives just outside of Eau Claire, in the hills and coulees and across the glaciated fields, still working the land, still caring for animals, still participating in the hard-scrabble story of rural stewardship.

Our region has a long-standing ethic of decency, toughness, and ecology that binds us together. But the big-box grocery stores haven’t necessarily caught on. Bright colors, loud signage, rockbottom prices – and low wages – can easily distract us from purchasing quality products.

We need more markets for all that our farmer-neighbors have to offer – and more education on how buying local

meat can be healthy and affordable while benefitting the community and the environment.

This is where places like our little grocery store, Just Local Food Cooperative, succeed. Our sales may account for a small slice of total retail food dollars, but we sell more local and sustainably raised meat than any grocery store in Eau Claire. That’s the truth.

In part, this is because of our standards. All meat at Just Local Food is sourced locally first (within 100 miles of our co-op) and raised in the out-of-doors without antibiotics or synthetic growth hormones. It is good-tasting and good for you. And, as it relates to the title of this article, our meat is fairly priced – for the workers, the farmers, and the eaters.

But how do these prices fit within a budget? Where to start?

If you’re new to all this, and you’re curious, stop in and talk with us. The co-op is a friendly and welcoming place.

We’ll gladly give you a tour and meet you wherever you are at.

If you are a convenience shopper and you like cooking to be easy (and delicious), consider a bone-in pork shoulder roast. If you have a crockpot, you can cook your roast from FROZEN. Add a little bit of broth or stock (or a can of cheap beer), turn your thermostat to LOW for eight hours, and dinner will be ready with stunning simplicity. Add salt, garlic, cumin, and hot peppers to taste.

Pull your pork with forks and you have the makings of some damn fine tacos.

Thinly cut red cabbage, diced onion, a squeeze of lime, grated cheese, and your favorite salsa will certainly add to the experience, but if you can’t wait, go ahead and stand over the pork, fork in hand, moaning freely and without guile as the juices run down your chin.

Pulled pork is one of those gifts that keeps on giving: tacos, sandwiches, scrambled with eggs and bitter greens in a breakfast pan. A bad day quickly disappears when countered with sweet, salty, succulent pulled pork. One hearty crockpot may last an entire week, depending on your household.

If you are a chicken person, get yourself a whole chicken and roast it until the juices run clear and the skin is crispy. A four-pound bird yields one or two nights of chicken dinner, followed by a week’s worth of lunchtime salads. The carcass, of course, should be saved for chicken and dumpling soup – with ample amounts of garlic, onion, carrots, and celery. Make Grandma proud.

Adventuresome eaters might enjoy knowing that Just Local Food maintains a rotating bin of economical organs and delectable weird bits, as we refuse to waste

MEAT! • 48 • 2020

any part of the critter. Cook your hashbrowns in home-rendered lard; do up your own pork liver pâté; roll some kidneys in breading and fry them in a pan; make a big vat of neck-bone soup with chicken feet; braise a velvety beef tongue or sauté some buttery beef heart steak. These things will change your world.

Of course, you may be feeding a small army several times a week, in which case you know that ground meat goes a very long way. Ground pork will always be your most economical option, but we offer plenty of beef, chicken, turkey, buffalo, elk, and lamb, too.

If you’re already planning weekly menus and you have a large chest freezer (or two), perhaps you’d like to buy in bulk.

Meat bundles (quarter and half hogs; quarter, eighth, and sixteenth steers; as well as more creative combinations) are a great way to save money. The co-op receives a discount when purchasing in bulk; the farmer gets paid right away (and doesn’t have to find creative storage space) when selling whole animals; and customers pay less per pound to experiment with new cuts and new recipes often overlooked.

Nobody just eats meat, but meat invariably improves every meal. If you’re willing to prioritize the good stuff, and you take a little bit of time to plan a menu and cook at home, not only will your life be more delicious, but you will find solace having made an investment in our community. Well-raised meat builds soil, improves our water quality, and contributes to rural and urban economies in every possible way.

Be a local food patriot! Eat good meat.

Nik Novak is a writer, teacher, stonemason, farmhand, and a meat-loving storekeeper at Just Local Food Cooperative. He lives in Eau Claire.

MEAT! • 49 • 2020

SELECTIONS FROM THE

CHIPPE WA VALLE Y BULLE T IN BOARD A FREE COMMUNITY COMMUNICATIONS BLOG FOR PANDEMIC AFFECTED NON-PROFITS AND BUSINESSES.

ABOUT THE BULLETIN BOARD

Vo l u m e O n e h a s t u r n e d o u r e n t i r e we b s i te ove r to s to r i e s a n d i n f o r m a t i o n i n s u p p o r t o f t h e c o m m u n i t y d u r i n g t h e C ov i d -1 9 p a n d e m i c . To g i ve l o c a l n o n p r o f i t s a n d a d ve r s e l y a f f e c te d b u s i n e s s e s a d i r e c t l i n e o f c o m m u n i c a t i o n w i t h t h e b r o a d e r p u b l i c , we h ave c r e a te d t h e C h i p p e w a Va l l ey B u l l e t i n B o a r d s o t h e s e o r g a n iz a t i o n s o r o t h e r s l o o k i n g to h e l p m ay d i r e c t l y s u b m i t t i m e l y i n f o r m a t i o n f o r p u b l i c a t i o n o n l i n e . S u b m i s s i o n s a r e r ev i ewe d a n d p u b l i s h e d o n l i n e a t Vo l u m e O n e . o r g , o n Fa c e b o o k , a n d v i a we e k l y e m a i l n ew s l e t te r s . To l e a r n m o r e , a n d r e a d t h e f u l l s l a te o f p o s t s , g o to Vo l u m e O n e . o r g .

PR E VEA VI RT UAL CARE OFFERS F R E E C O V I D - 1 9 SCREENINGS

M E NO M O NIE M A R K E T F O O D C O - O P O FFE R ING C U RB SI D E G R O C E RY P I C K U P

Prevea Health is offering free online screening and evaluation for COVID-19 through Prevea Virtual Care at: prevea.com/virtualcare. Prevea Virtual Care visits for COVID-19 assess the patient’s symptoms and provide information about COVID-19. If additional care is needed, patients will be provided specific directions about where to go for lab testing and follow-up care to ensure they receive the care they need while maintaining a safe distance from others. If a patient needs additional lab tests or follow-up care, it will be billed to the patient’s insurance provider. Prevea Virtual Care is available to anyone in the state of Wisconsin and you do not need to be an established Prevea patient to use it. Those with symptoms of COVID-19 – including fever, cough and shortness of breath – should stay home and use Prevea Virtual Care online or call (715) 717-4582 to receive a free assessment by phone. If symptoms are severe and life-threatening, they should call 911. If they prefer to travel to the emergency room on their own, they should call the hospital prior to their arrival to explain their symptoms. This will provide the emergency department time to prepare for their arrival.

Menomonie Market has made necessary changes to business operations in response to the changing COVID-19 situation. Their store hours have temporarily changed to 10:00am-7:00pm daily. Their deli is no longer offering hot bar meals, hot $4 dinner, Signature Sandwiches, or hot soup until further notice. Until then, the deli serves chilled $4 dinners available for carry out only, rotisserie chickens, grab & go meal solutions such as casseroles and macaroni & cheese, breakfast burritos, and salads. In addition, they have placed signage and markers on the floor at checkout to promote social distancing. They have installed plexiglass barriers to protect our cashiers from exposure and provided masks staff can choose to wear. They have packaged all of our bulk foods and produce items for safety. Order your groceries online for Curbside Pickup at mmfc.coop/order.

S T R ET C H YO UR GROCERY DOLLARS W ITH R U BY’ S PAN TRY IN ELK MOUND

M A R KET & J O H N SO N L A U N C H E S “ C O NS TR U C TI O N C A R E S” P R O G R A M Market & Johnson has launched a "Construction Cares" program to provide support to several area communities and the students that are being impacted by COVID-19. In these unprecedented times, the owners of Market & Johnson want to provide leadership and opportunities for the groups most in need. Market & Johnson's “Construction Cares” program provides support to several key areas, including relief for the students being impacted by this pandemic, necessary food to area communities, and an emergency relief fund for their vital employees.

Does your grocery bill seem to be getting larger? Come and try Ruby’s Pantry! Ruby’s Pantry of Elk Mound holds a monthly distribution on the second Saturday of the month. Shares are $20 each, and there are no income restrictions. If you eat you can come and purchase a share or shares. You’ll receive on average 80-95 pounds of groceries.

In Elk Mound, Ruby’s Pantry distributes at Shepherd of the Hill Lutheran Church, 207 University St., on the second Saturday of the month (including this Saturday, April 11). Registration begins at 7:30am and food bundles are available from 8:30-10am. Learn more online at rubyspantry.org.

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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PROGRAM: • Pro vi d i n g 150, 000 me a l s to th o se i n n e e d th ro u g h o u t We ste rn W i sc o n si n • $ 15, 000 d o n a ti o n to th e E a u Cl a i re Co mmu n i ty Fo u n d a ti o n COVID R e sp o n se /R e l i e f Pro g ra m • $ 15, 000 d o n a ti o n to th e L a Cro sse Co mmu n i ty Fo u n d a ti o n COVID R e sp o n se /R e l i e f Pro g ra m • $ 10, 000 d o n a ti o n to th e S t. Cro i x Va l l e y Fo u n d a ti o n COVID R e sp o n se /R e l i e f Pro g ra m • $ 5, 000 d o n a ti o n to th e UW -E a u Cl a i re Fo u n d ati o n S tu d e n t E me rg e n c y F u n d • $ 5, 000 d o n a ti o n to th e Ch i p p e w a Va l l e y Te c h n i c a l Co l l e g e Fo u n d a ti o n S tu d e n t E me rg e n c y Fund • D o n a ti o n o f o ve r 1, 700 N95 Ma sk s a n d 200 h o me ma d e ma sk s to a re a h o sp i ta l s, n u rsi n g h o me s, a n d fi rst re sp o n d e rs

MAY 2020 • PULLING TOGETHER WHILE STAYING APART: THE NEW NORMAL

SELECTIONS FROM THE

CHIPPE WA VALLE Y BULLE T IN BOARD V O LU NTEE R S N E E D E D F O R T E M P O R A RY H O M E LE S S S HE LT E R I N E A U C L A I R E

FEED MY PEOPLE FOO D PO P- U P FOOD PANTRIES PROV ID E HOPE & GROCERIES

Sojourner House and Positive Avenues have temporarily relocated and are collaborating to provide 24-hour services at the Hobbs Ice Arena for community members experiencing homelessness. Community volunteers are needed to assist at this location. Volunteers would be serving meals, assisting with activities, and providing general support. Volunteers can also reach out to provide meals that may be needed. All guests, volunteers, and staff are screened prior to entry and the arena is set up for social distancing for the safety of all. Sojourner House and Positive Avenues staff are assigned to each shift so if someone has never volunteered with us before they will be there for support and explain any responsibilities you would be assisting with. If you are interested in volunteering during the daytime (9:30am6:30pm) contact Kim Campy at Lutheran Social Services (Positive Avenues) at (715) 836-5689 or kim.campy@lsswis.org. If you are interested in volunteering in the morning, evening, or overnight contact Clare Nelson at Catholic Charities (Sojourner House) at (715) 450-1457 or cnelson@cclse.org.

In need of extra groceries? Feed My People Pop-Up Food Pantries are free grocery distribution events available to you and your family. Pick up groceries right from your vehicle at our next Pop-Up Pantry near you. Receive non-perishable food, produce, dairy, meat, and some non-food items. No ID is required.

HERE’S WHERE & WHEN YOU CAN FIND POP-UP FOOD PANTRIES: AU G U STA SENIOR CENTER PAR KING LO T (61 6 W Was hington S t, A ugus ta) Ev ery f ourth Tues day from 1:4 5 – 2: 3 0 PM .

FAIR C H ILD C O M M U N I T Y C E N T E R ( 1 21 Far me r S tr eet, Fa i rc h i l d ) E v e r y f our th Tues d a y f ro m 3 : 3 0 – 4 : 3 0 P M .

TH E BR EWING PROJEK T (1 807 N Oxford A ve, Eau Claire) Ev ery t hird Wednes day from 2 – 3 PM .

LA KES H O R E E LE M E N TA RY ( 7 1 1 La ke S tr e e t, E a u C l a i re ) E v e r y Fr i day f r o m 2 : 3 0 – 3 : 3 0 P M

EL EVA/ S TRUM SCHOOL (W23597 Hw y 10, Strum) Ev ery second and fourth Tues day f r o m 1 2 – 1 2:45 P M. (Note: Second Tuesda y w ill o n ly h a v e n on -p eri shable groceries.)

S T. J A M E S TR INITY ( 30 5 S S ta te S t, Fa l l C re e k ) E v e r y f i r s t a n d th i r d We d n e sd a y f ro m 3 : 3 0 – 4 : 3 0 PM .

Visit their website, www.fmpfoodbank.org for a full list of hunger-relief pantry partners in 14 counties to find all food resources available near you year round.

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MAY 2020 • PULLING TOGETHER WHILE STAYING APART: THE NEW NORMAL

H O P E I S T H E T H I N G T H AT BLOSSOMS ON TREES A POEM BY REBECCA MENNECKE

If gravity is a force of attraction, why does it keep us all so far away from each other? When Isaac Newton formed theories of motion, he was alone at home, avoiding the Bubonic Plague, the Great Plague, the Black Death Plague, the Bring Out Your Dead Plague

refractions of colors—signifying promise—to determine optics, lazing beneath a tree and thinking how all motion leads downward or repels. Infinitesimal calculus is the study of continuous change, so what Newton really

because that’s all anyone was back then before vaccines and hand soap and Purell that’s out of stock anyway. It would be two hundred years before scientists determined what bacteria plotted such a diabolical illness: skin turning black with blood, filling pores, pouring

hypothesized is a theory of life because everything is changing: plane fumes aren’t soaring so high above ground like they used to, the rivers in Italy look like water, real water, & less gas in the sky from cars mean people can breathe,

onto rat fleas to infect the next victim. But no one knew that, back then. Talk about living in uncertain times. Back then, there was no twenty second rule, no six foot rule, no limit one toilet paper pack per customer rule, only the rules

and everyone applauds the guy who works at Wal-Mart because finally, finally, we all see how his work is good too, & I have to wonder, sitting at home like Isaac Newton, quarantined and selfisolated in self-pity while new plagues ravage cities where I grew

of physics we call laws because they created order from disorder, which the world probably needed. And Newton made lots of laws: creating early calculus while his room was lit by candles instead of electricity, looking through prisms to study

up, eating everyone in the world whole: if every action has an equal and opposite reaction, then the budding growths on the trees outside my window— as the sky pours down my windowsill—well, they must be the Earth’s form of balance.

REBECCA MENNECKE IS THE EDITOR OF NOTA, AND A WRITER AND STUDENT IN EAU CLAIRE. “HOPE IS THE THING THAT BLOSSOMS ON TREES” WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED BY THE CHIPPEWA VALLEY WRITER’S GUILD AS PART OF THEIR “HOPE IS THE THING” SERIES. TO READ MORE PIECES FROM “HOPE IS THE THING” GO TO WWW.CVWRITERSGUILD.ORG.

THE REAR END A PRODUCTIVE PANDEMIC thanks oh so much for all the great quarantine advice!

WORDS: MIKE PAULUS / ILLUSTRATION: EVA PAULUS

H

kindly to all this cheery, unsolicited ow’s it going, Chippewa Valley? advice. And the people whose lives Anything new happening? weren’t going so great before COVID-19?

Any world-shattering current Well they really didn’t want to hear it. events affecting us here at home?

Soon I saw new messages telling me Any paradigm-shifting incidents gripto not worry about being productive. ping the planet, making things weird I’m fine just feeling what we feel. Doing here in Eau Claire, Chippewa Falls, what we do. This is hard. Don’t pretend Menomonie, and parts inbetwixt? it’s easy. More advice.

Ha! I kid. I’m aware of the For my part, I quickly assumed pandemic. that people who are actually being Like you, I’ve been dealing with it productive aren’t making and for months, trying to figure out life in sharing Facebook memes about being quarantine. Lucky for me, as soon as productive. Because they’re too busy. social distancing and school closures Being productive. and layoffs and Wisconsin’s “Safer at To all those people peddling Home” order went into effect, I got all productivity via social media, here’s kinds of advice. From the internet. a question: How many globe-crushing Suddenly, Facebook was flooded pandemics have you lived through? with memes telling me how to handle How many soul-wrenching, economymy life. “Don’t be negative!” they said. crashing, health system-overwhelming “This is an opportunity!” they shouted. pandemics have Instead of feeling you lived through? down, I should To all those people peddling What was see this as a rare that you say? chance to focus productivity via social media, Zero? Zero on art or writing here’s a question: How many pandemics? So all or home repair or globe-crushing pandemics have that unsolicited finally learning to advice about speak Chinese! you lived through? How many introspection Play music! soul-wrenching, economyand home repair Start that side and taking up business! Bake crashing, health systemwatercolors is bread! Record a overwhelming pandemics have really just a shot podcast! Whittle a into a pitch black friggin’ duck! you lived through? What was sky? Because you And that you say? Zero?

– like me – have no underneath it idea how to handle all, anonymous this, and we’re all desperate to grab internet friends whispered, “If you’re onto any shred of control, and we’ll not taking this time to get your life click SHARE on anything that makes together and fix all your problems, us feel even slightly happy as we sit at then you’re doing it wrong.” the kitchen table each night unable That was day one. On day two, the imagine what tomorrow will bring? backlash began.

Perhaps I’m being over dramatic. So Predictably, the more cynical and/ let me say this a different way. or rational among us didn’t take too

I have a feeling the people pushing you to be productive are just ... coping.

And as we complain about all this advice, we’re just coping. We’re all doing our best. And yeah, I know, other people’s “best” is sometimes “really, really annoying.”

But I get it. If sharing an idealistic meme neither you nor anyone else on Instagram will truly take to heart – if that makes you feel a brief moment of relief – I get it. I’m not going to tell you to stop posting that stuff.

I’m also not going to take up the pan flute, but hey, I see you out there doing your best to help. Thank you for sharing.

And if you’re sick and tired of

people gently guilting you into living a different life, I get that too. Scroll by.

Maybe I’m too cynical, but I think most people offering unsolicited advice are probably just eager to explain their own thoughts out loud – to make themselves feel better. Because they really don’t know what else to do.

And we all need to feel better. And we all don’t know what else to do.

All of this – everything I’m babbling about – stems from a basic instinct to help each other out. Humans are a social species, and caring for each other got us this far. I think it’ll get us through COVID-19, as well.

Be safe.

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Hang in there, Chippewa Valley.

We’ll be together again soon.