Menomonie Minute

From the Durand Improvement Group Facebook page.

Join the Menomonie Area Chilly Checklist this winter! From November 2024 to March 2025, submit photos of you doing your favorite winter activities around Menomonie and Dunn County for a chance to win exciting prizes. Every two weeks, we’ll draw lucky winners for a $50 Chamber Check and Explore Menomonie merchandise. Get outside, explore, and snap your way to victory.

Submit your entry HERE.

Winners will be announced via the Explore Menomonie Facebook page. Follow along to stay updated!

Chill Out, Snap In, Win Big with the Chilly Checklist! (printable sheet)

• Snow tubing at WoodWind Park

• Ice skating at Wolske Bay Park

• Ice fishing on a local lake

• Snow Shoeing

• Sledding at the Dunn County Rec Park

• Cross Country skiing (Try out the Red Cedar State Trail or Hoffman Hills)

• Walk the Menomin Loop

• Visit the Parade of Lights

• Go bowling

• Try Axe Throwing

• Build a snow fort

• Build a snowman

• Explore the Devil’s Punch Bowl

• Attend a show at the Mabel Tainter

• Visit the Winter Farmers Market at the Raw Deal

• Learn to cook/bake something new

• Tour a local Museum

• Check out Wakanda Wonderland

• Walk along the Story Walk at the Menomonie Public Library

• Take a shopping trip in Downtown Menomonie

• Go on a snowmobiling excursion

From the Explore Menomonie website.

By David K. Williams

For over 30 years Menomonie Optimists have been recognizing Dunn County high school students who are exceptional role models for their schools, good students and great citizens.  At the Optimists’ November meeting, Samantha Cunningham of Menomonie High School was honored as the Youth of the Month.

Samantha Cunningham has been a part of the Menomonie High School Academy through the Chippewa Valley Technical College Nursing Assistant program.  It is her dream to pursue coursework at CVTC in the Sterile Processing Technician area.  Samantha greatly enjoys her classes in Medical Terminology and Psychology.  In addition to her academic work, Samantha serves as a commissioner for the Link Crew, where she enjoys helping students new to Menomonie High School.  Outside of school, Samantha has served as a receptionist at the Family Hairstyling Salon for the last two and a half years.  Teachers and counselors describe her as dependable, kind and respectful.  Samantha is the daughter of Sara Person and Greg Cunningham.

Honoring Dunn County youth is one focus of the Menomonie Optimist Club.  Other programs are work efforts in conjunction with area middle and high school students at Hoffman Hills State Recreation Area, a dictionary project which supplies every third grader in the county with a dictionary, and the summer Menomin Meander, a family-oriented bike ride around Lake Menomin.  Optimists meet monthly at the Exit 45 Restaurant—visitors are always welcome.

Dunn and Pepin Counties, WI – United Way St. Croix and Red Cedar Valleys (UW Valleys) is proud to  announce the approval of $50,000 in Community Impact Grants to local nonprofits in Dunn and Pepin  counties. These grants, which will be disbursed by the end of the year, will provide crucial support to  organizations focused on improving the lives of area ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained,  Employed) families.  

The Community Impact Grants are part of UW Valleys’ ongoing commitment to advancing health,  education, and financial stability within local communities. ALICE families, who are working but  struggling to make ends meet, will directly benefit from these funds through nonprofit partners,  which are aimed at providing long-term solutions in critical areas of need.  

“The ALICE population is one of the most vulnerable groups in our communities,” said Steve McCarthy,  Executive Director of UW Valleys. “We’re excited to partner with local organizations to help ensure  that these families have access to the resources they need to thrive. These grants will make a  significant impact on the well-being of individuals and families in Dunn and Pepin counties.”  

“We are so grateful that your organization will help us” said a director of one of the grant recipients.  “What a boost to our morale around here. Sometimes when we meet with challenges our greater  community rises up to help. That's what this feels like. I will definitely share the good news with the  community repeatedly.”  

These Community Impact Grants are part of UW Valleys’ mission to fight for the health, education and  financial stability of all people in Western Wisconsin. By supporting local nonprofits that are directly  addressing community needs, UW Valleys aims to foster a stronger, more equitable region.  

UW Valleys is committed to ensuring that all individuals and families, regardless of their economic  status, have access to the tools and resources they need to succeed.  

For more information about the Community Impact Grants and how United Way St. Croix and Red  Cedar Valleys is making a difference in the community, please visit uwvalleys.org. 

Submitted article.

The 2025 Dunn County budget reduces the tax rate and includes borrowing to install a geothermal and solar energy project for the Judicial Center and Central Campus area. 

“This budget is fiscally responsible and still makes a significant improvement in our energy infrastructure,” said Kris Korpela, Dunn County Manager.  “The taxpayers will benefit for years to come from the energy-saving projects supervisors have approved.” 

The Dunn County Board of Supervisors on Nov. 12 approved the 2025 county budget that continues the recent trend of reducing the property tax rate for the next year.   The 2025 tax rate will go from $4.83 for each $1,000 of equalized value to $4.53, a reduction of 6.2 percent. The 2024 budget reduced the tax rate by 14 percent as well.  The tax rate was $7.10 in 2020. 

Even though the 2025 tax rate may be less than 2024, that doesn’t necessarily mean a property’s tax bill will go down; changes in a property’s assessment and the impact of other taxing entities such as school districts, cities, villages, etc., also affect the final tax bill. 

The budget includes $11 million in borrowing for a geothermal and solar project for some Dunn County buildings.  The project will install a geothermal heat pump system for the Judicial Center, 615 Stokke Parkway in Menomonie, as well as adding to the current geothermal system serving the Government Center and Neighbors of Dunn County.  The project will add a solar system on the central campus property on Stokke Parkway that will be used to power all three campus buildings.   

"The current boiler and air conditioning system at the Judicial Center are outdated and inefficient,” said Dan Dunbar, Assistant County Manager, adding that a consulting firm was utilized in January to survey all county buildings for their energy efficiency ratings and proposed the geothermal and solar project. 

“While the county is more energy efficient than other counties our size,” Dunbar said, “the study showed we can save money by producing our own energy.” 

Combined with the heat pump system, Dunbar said, geothermal wells will provide for heating and cooling at the Judicial Center. 

The solar installation will provide electricity for the Judicial Center, Government Center and the Neighbors of Dunn County.  The final location of the solar panels has not been determined, Dunbar added. 

The estimated cost of the combined project is $11 million, with the county in line for $3.4 million in rebates and incentives. 

“The estimated 25-year savings for county taxpayers is nearly $20 million,” Dunbar said.  “We think that is a good investment. All the money to pay for this debt will come from money previously allocated to pay electric and gas bills for our facilities.” 

The budget calls for total county spending of $111.2 million.  The tax levy – the total amount of property taxes the county will levy in 2025 – will increase less than 1 percent to $24.78 million. The levy is made up of a portion for libraries and bridges, $925,674; debt obligations, $5.17 million; and operations, $18.69 million. 

The County Board approved $3 million of borrowing for highway projects and used about $2.5 million from the fund balance to create a balanced budget. 

Submitted article.

SAVE THE DATE!

You are invited to audition for this fantastical, magical, surreal, tender, sweet, and essential story! The auditions will be held on Wednesday, December 11th and Thursday, December 12th, from 6-8 PM at the Menomonie Theater Guild studio, located at 502 West 2nd Street in downtown Menomonie. Please come prepared for movement and for reading selected sides. No other preparations needed Actors are encouraged to audition for any of the roles regardless of their gender, age, ability, etc.

Synopsis: The fable of The Little Prince is beloved by children and adults. As a child, an Aviator became disillusioned with the lack of imagination in grown-up life. He now prefers to keep his own company, which he does until his plane goes down in the Sahara desert. Miles from human habitation, he is surprised to encounter a Little Prince who claims to be from another planet, who comes from a planet barely bigger than he is, on which there are baobabs and a very precious flower, a rose. As this chance encounter unfolds, the story follows the Little Prince as he shares his travels via a flock of birds to various planets, including Earth, and addresses themes of loneliness, friendship, love, and loss. Despite its style as a children's book, The Little Prince makes observations about life, adults, and human nature.

Character Synopsis:

Main Roles:

The Aviator (age range 30's +)

A pilot stranded in the desert, they encounter the Little Prince and share their own struggles with loneliness and the complexities of adulthood. Through their friendship, they learn to reconnect with their childlike wonder and imagination. NOTE: Those wishing to audition for The Aviator should expect a lot of physical movement for the show

The Little Prince (age range 16-20’s)

A curious and innocent child from a distant asteroid, they seek to understand love, friendship, and the nature of adulthood. Their journey reveals profound truths about human relationships and the importance of seeing with the heart. *NOTE: Those wishing to audition for The Little Prince should expect a lot of physical movement for the show

Featured Roles:

The Rose (female presenting, age range 20's-40's)

A beautiful and vain flower, she represents love’s complexities and the challenges of vulnerability. Though demanding, her unique bond with the Little Prince teaches him valuable lessons about responsibility and devotion.

The Snake (age range 20's+)

A mysterious and enigmatic creature, the Snake embodies wisdom and the themes of life and death. Though initially appearing threatening, they ultimately guide the Little Prince toward understanding the deeper meanings of love, sacrifice, and the cycle of life.

The Fox (age range 16+)

Wise and playful, the Fox teaches the Little Prince about relationships, loyalty, and the meaning of true friendship. Their advice emphasizes the importance of taming and the depth of connections we create. *NOTE: Those wishing to audition for The Fox should expect a lot of physical movement for the show.

Cameos (age range 16+)

King

Conceited Man

Lamplighter

Geographer

Desert Rose

Note: Cameos are a dynamic group of characters who bring to life the various inhabitants of the Little Prince’s universe. They highlight key themes of the story, emphasizing the importance of connection, imagination, and the wisdom found in everyday encounters (and present different varieties of adult!).

Movement Ensemble (age range 16+)

This ensemble will become “human scenery”, moving in subtle, stylized fashion and using various simple props. The idea is to inspire the audience to see the illusions they create without drawing attention to themselves as individuals. Flight, sunsets, starry skies, and wind-swept sand dunes. Ensemble cast members will be on stage much of the time, their bodies creating the scenic elements in unique and creative ways.

NOTE: Those wishing to audition for Movement Ensemble should expect a lot of physical movement for the show. Movement or dance experience/interest is wonderful, and not required

NOTE: Overlap between the Cameos and Movement Ensemble is possible. Please indicate on your audition form your interest in both.

From the Facebook event page.

Menomonie High School sophomores have hands-on experiences in workshops across campus

By Abby Goers, UW-Stout

The Menomonie High School sophomore class glimpsed the possibilities open in STEAM careers – science, technology, engineering, art and math – during hands-on workshops at UW-Stout recently.

The 225 students broke into small groups and attended workshops led by faculty and instructional staff, including activities in anatomy, automation, psychology, physics, proteins, thermodynamics, natural history, the biology and behavior of honeybees, testing water and food quality, nonfiction comics, packaging, construction, design and more.

“Each workshop was designed to inspire curiosity and highlight UW-Stout’s unique polytechnic focus, blending creativity with practical, applied skills. This inaugural event offered students an authentic glimpse into STEAM disciplines, illustrating their relevance to future careers and academic opportunities,” said biology Lecturer Tiffany Hoage, College of STEMM project coordinator.

The field trip on Nov. 8 aligned with National STEAM Day. STEAM Day is a part of Menomonie High School’s Academic and Career Planning process, which encourages students to investigate a variety of potential career pathways, said Principal Casey Drake.

“UW-Stout has been very willing to work with our vision of what the STEAM Day structure could be so that the students experience a dynamic and hands-on set of activities. We believe having a full understanding of potential next steps is critical,” Drake said. “We appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with UW-Stout. We have the same goal of providing outstanding learning experiences for our area’s youth and encouraging them to think about their post-secondary options.”

UW-Stout also offers summer STEAM camp experiences for middle and high school students to discover career paths in science, technology, engineering, and art and design, while nurturing creativity and critical thinking skills through lab workshops led by faculty and university students.

The Body Electric

Students learned how muscles, nerves and the heart use electricity to send signals throughout the body in the Body Electric workshop.

Led by Dr. Alex Hall and biology Lecturer Shelby Saenger in the university’s Cadaver Lab in Jarvis Hall Science Wing, students saw how this happens at the cellular level and then tested the process on their own bodies using a simple electrode and software system.

“They got to see their own body electricity at work and how the ‘wiring’ for our bodies is set up,” Hall explained. “They saw the electrical impulses from their muscle contractions and heartbeats – like in an EKG – and timed the nerve signaling to their muscles in reaction to a stimulus.”

Students saw a brain, spinal cord and nerves from one of the lab’s body donors to observe sensory versus motor neuron axons coming into and out of the spinal cord. They saw a heart with a pacemaker attached, used when a patient’s own cardiac electrical system isn’t working properly.  

“We hope that the students were able to see that the things they learn about in school have direct connections to how even their own bodies function, as well as to learn that our body systems are amazing,” Hall said. 

“The key to learning is to always stay curious. There are so many incredible things at work in our bodies and our world,” she added.

Testing of Food and Water Quality

Students in a food science lab in Heritage Hall engaged in a Testing of Food and Water Quality experiment. They tested tap water, fountain water and environment samples using rapid, ready-to-use, low-cost test kits for the detection of indicator microorganisms, such as coliform or E. coli pathogens, in water and food.

“I believe we keep young students curious to learn more if we provide them with hands-on, engaging activities and experiments that allow them to explore concepts directly, ask questions, and discover answers through trial and error, while connecting scientific concepts to real-world application,” said food science and technology Program Director Taejo Kim.

Kim provided students with easy, step-by-step manuals to walk them through the rapid test kit process and techniques, explaining the principles of the test, its benefits, sensitivity and specificity, safety and precautions.

The manuals also helped them understand the chemical and biological principles of the test kits and how research in rapid testing techniques is important to ensure food quality and safety in the food industry.

A Look at Automation

Across campus in Fryklund Hall’s Motion, Controls and Instrumentation Engineering Lab, engineering technology Program Director Mike Miller helped students to understand what automation is, how circuits are set up and how devices interact with each other. 

“Overall, what makes things operate,” Miller said.

Equipment in the lab includes controls trainers, hydraulics trainers, power electronic trainers and Rockwell digital twin software.

Students first learned the function of each trainer and then hooked up their own circuits to watch its operations.

“If you like to build, fix, or simply understand things, engineering is a field to consider,” Miller said.

More than 65 UW-Stout faculty, staff and students were involved in STEAM Day. It was organized by Hoage and Drake, Senior Admissions Counselor Jeanie Albricht, College of Arts and Human Sciences Associate Dean Jennifer Astwood, Educational Pathways and Outreach, and MHS counselors Kayla Hundt and Lee Vang.

UW-Stout and Menomonie High School also collaborate on Direct Admit, the Early College Credit program, the transcription of high school courses for dual credit, and providing students with leadership opportunities in conjunction with the Menomonie Area Chamber of Commerce and in the community.

UW-Stout is Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University, with a focus on applied learning, collaboration with business and industry, and career outcomes. Learn more via the FOCUS2030 strategic plan.

Please consider supporting our Gymnastics and Cheer athletes by dropping your children off for some play time, and you can have some child free time this coming Saturday!

$10 per child.

From the EXA Sports Facebook page.

Inner Peace Press will have a table with all 24 books we've published over the last three years. Join us, and patronize TWO small businesses on Small Business Saturday.

Benefits of making time to attend:

FREE Bookmarks

Enter Book Raffle

Meet Heather

Patronize a cool local store!

From the Facebook event page.

Wanted - Alex A. Shearer. See below for details. Information can be reported to the Dunn County Crime Stoppers website or call 1-855-847-3866.