Menomonie Minute

Saturday, December 7th

From the Made in Dunn County Facebook page.

Baked Goods, American Girl Doll Clothes, Original Landscape Paintings, Beaded Eggs, Painted Gourds, Diamond Art, Crocheted Items, Dish Cloths, Kitchen Towels, Greeting Cards and more.

From the Facebook event page.

HUNTING for something fun to do? Join us for an exciting and creative Hat Burning Class at BOO'Z Bar and Grill!

In this hands-on workshop, you'll get the chance to customize your own hat by burning unique designs directly onto it. Choose from a selection of stencil designs or bring your artistic vision to life by sketching your own.

I will guide you through the entire process, ensuring you leave with a one-of-a-kind, wearable work of art. Perfect for beginners and seasoned crafters alike!

All materials, including hats, are provided. The price includes 1 hat, 2 bands and 1 accessory (feather, card, charm, etc). Extra embellishments will be available for an add-on charge individually. Hat selection will be on a first come, first serve basis. However, if you would like to reserve a certain style and color you can message ahead of time and choose your hat with a deposit. There will also be premium hats available that are sized, Mexican vegan suede, for an additional $20 charge.

Hat Specifications: Standard Size-22.5 inches or 57cm with adjustable band. 4 inch brim, suede or felt.

****Suede baseball caps will also be available as an option to burn****

COST $ (materials and instruction)

-Wide Brim...$60

-Baseball...$35

-Bring your own hat...$30

Please contact either Burned Brims or Boo'z Bar and Grill to RSVP before the event at any time in order for us to get an accurate count. Thank you!

From the Facebook event page.

Bundle up & join us for the fourth annual Winterlude Market at Brewery Nonic!

It’s our biggest event of the season! Don all the layers and peruse some of the area’s most talented artists, makers, and small businesses across the brewery yard. Find unique gifts and soak up the festive camaraderie with campfires, live music from Birdhouse Duo and Mabis, and the best food you’ve ever had from Chef Stacy - plus other local treats and goodies!

PLUS! Pet and pose with Yule Goats from EB Ranch. Snap some pics with your fam & festive goats.

Saturday, December 7th 2024 | Noon to sunset

Our featured vendors include: Candlesniffer, Blue Lake Beadwork, Stout Bread, EB Ranch Farmstead, Cheebos, Wild Haven Farm, BarbaLynn’s Vintage, Nonsense & Company, Black Kettle Tea, Sarah Try Mosaics, Oxbow Designs, Christopher Bartlett, Whit Stuart Ceramics, Farmer to Farmer, The Wandering Hooker, Once Abarn A Time, Funky Crunchy Mama, Schleicher's Creations, Menomin Carvings, Waletzko Primitive Craft, and Wobblin' Goblin Creations - plus more to be announced!

Tis the season to bundle up and shop small! This event is rain, snow, or shine!

From the Facebook event page.

By David K. Williams

The Menomonie Optimist Club has honored Menomonie High School senior Brooklyn Sterry as October Youth of the Month.  Brooklyn, the daughter of Ryan and Wendy Sterry, was honored at the Optimist’s October meeting.

Brooklyn Sterry is described by school officials as a person of true character, with deep care for others, with knowledge and passion, leadership and effort in her high school career.  Brooklyn has been a three-sport athlete all four years in volleyball, basketball and softball.  She’s also a member of the National Honor Society, and part of the group Health Occupations Students of America.  Brooklyn demonstrates her commitment to health professions as she serves as a Certified Nursing Assistant at the Our House Memory Care facility in Menomonie.  She has set a goal to study toward becoming a nurse practitioner after high school.

In addition to recognizing outstanding youth, the Menomonie Optimists also provide free dictionaries to every third-grade student in Dunn County, have adopted and done work projects at Hoffman Hills for almost 40 years, and sponsor the annual Menomin Meander family-friendly bike ride each summer.

The City of Menomonie is sending out reminder letters to those residents who have not completed the Lead Service Line Inventory survey. Identifying the water service lines in the city is a requirement from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  

Why do we want to know what kind of material is your water service line is made of?  

People living in homes with a lead or galvanized pipe previously connected to a lead service line have an increased risk of exposure to lead in their drinking water. Having this information on record allows us to provide resources for replacing lead service lines. We’re committed to protecting the health of every household in our

community.  

What do we need from your household?  

• If you receive a reminder letter in the mail from the City of Menomonie, we need you to complete the survey by December 20, 2024. 

• If you are unsure how to complete the survey, please contact the Water Utility to request a visit - (715) 232-2395.

  
  

What to do if you’re concerned about lead in your drinking water:  

• Use your filter properly: A filter can reduce lead in water.  

• Clean your aerator: Regularly remove and clean your faucet’s screen.  

• Use cold water: Don’t use hot water from the tap for drinking, cooking, or making baby formula.

• Run your water: The longer water has been sitting in a pipe, the more lead it may contain. 

• Have your water tested: Contact the Water Utility for information about how to have a certified lab test your water.  

  
  

For more information on reducing lead exposure head to the EPA’s website. 

City of Menomonie media release.

At the City Council meeting on October 21st, the Council awarded the Phelan Park playground equipment contract to Northland Recreation.

Total cost for the project is $298,929.14. The Council had allotted $300,000 of ARPA (American Recovery Plan Act) funds for improvements to Phelan Park. The project should be completed by July 4, 2025. 

In other business:

• The Council rejected all bids for the construction of a shed at the Christmas Miracle ice rink. Approximately $50,000 had been allotted from ARPA funds for this project. Of the two bids received, one was rejected for failure to provide a bid bond, and the remaining bid exceeded the budgeted amount. The City will look for other ways to complete this project. The shed would be used to house the Zamboni.

  
  

• The Council approved two offers to purchase from Habitat for Humanity for two lots on Brickyard Road. The price for each lot is $10,000, with one lot purchase set to close on November 22nd and the other on December 20th. 

  
  

• The Council approved ordinance 2024-15 which repeals Section 10-3-1-C of the City Code. With a change to Wisconsin Statute 66.10015(3)(a) in 2023, this section of the City Code became unenforceable as written. 

  
  

• The Council approved the contract in the amount of $34,675.19 between the Dunn County Humane Society and the City of Menomonie for animal control services for 2025. The City is required to provide animal control services and each year contracts with the DCHS to house strays and provide other animal related services. 

  
  

• Prior to the regular meeting, the Council met at 6 pm for a special meeting to review the applications from agencies requesting financial assistance for 2025. Requests have been received from the Ludington Guard Band, Stepping Stones, The Bridge to Hope, Mabel Tainter, Hmong Friendship Center, Dunn County Humane Society, Dunn County Historical Society, the Senior Center, Evergreen Cemetery, Downtown Menomonie, Boys & Girls Club, and Dunn County Transit.

  
  

• The Council’s next meeting date will be Wednesday, November 6th to accommodate the setup of the November 5th election which uses the Council chambers. The Council’s second meeting in November will be held on Wednesday, November 20th as the City will not have final information from the state to complete the budget by November 18th.

An opening reception is being held on Thursday, November 7th from 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm for two art exhibits at the Furlong Gallery at UW-Stout. The artwork will be on display through December 17th. The gallery is located at 178 Micheels Hall.

Shared Breath: Navigating Motherhood in the Time of Climate Crisis by the New Mexico-based artist Megan Jacobs

In this deeply personal and timely exhibition, Megan explores the intersection of motherhood and the climate crisis, offering a poignant reflection on the fragile and fleeting nature of both. Her work invites us to contemplate the urgent need for connection, care, and action.

"I have experienced eco-grief first-hand as my family and I witnessed the Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire, the largest in New Mexico’s history. To begin to heal the Earth, we must break down our 'illusions of separateness,' as scholar Naomi Klein states. I collapse images of pyrocumulonimbus clouds, created by the heat of wildfires, with the outlines of my children’s bodies. These works reside in the sublime; there’s a beauty to the form, yet their cause is terrifying."

Megan Jacob’s Artist Talk will be held November 18th from 6:00-7:00pm in Applied Arts 321.

Trajectory Shift, by Stout Alum, Jeweler and Artist Danny Saathoff

This exhibition invites viewers to slow down and engage with the careful assembly of elements, both familiar and unexpected, to reconsider their connections and identities. Danny’s process involves compartmentalizing ideas and examining the history and meaning behind each element. 

"In my process, I often compartmentalize different ideas or scenes and consider the history and meaning of each element, first understanding each component in its expected place and function in the world. The result is a unified whole of individual elements that were never intended to work together. This, for me, is stopping time; it is reconsidering the identity of each individual part and reconnecting it with others."

Danny Saathoff’s Artist Talk will be held November 19th from 6:00-7:00pm in Applied Arts 321.

From the Furlong Gallery website.

Local animal shelters are struggling. They are at capacity and in need of foster care provider and adopters. Here's an article from Volume One with more information.

In need of Christmas gifts? Check out the merch available from the Menomonie Public Library.

Relief Printmaking from the UW-Stout SOAD Facebook page.

A spooky tale close to Menomonie, read about it in this article from Volume One.

50 years ago...

The Friends of the MPL will hold our First Annual Holiday Book Sale December 10-14 during library hours.

It will be located upstairs in the library meeting room and will consist of tables of holiday-themed books and like-new, gift quality books in all genres. Shop for gifts, stocking stuffers, and find something for yourself!

From the Facebook event page.