The Colfax-based comedy juggling team of In Capable Hands was featured on Live with Regis and Kelly via video on Friday. As part of the "Wild And Wacky Talent Contest," Steve Russell and Kobi Shaw displayed their rendition of the William Tell Overture by hitting each other on the head with plastic tubes.This wasn't the first time the local couple has had some national noteriety. In 2006, they were featured on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno with the same routine. If they win the contest they will be gaining fame, fortune, and a life-time supply of gum. Voting on their catagory is available until midnight, Friday, August 27th. To vote, go to www.tinyurl.com/wildandwacky. Click on "Vote Now!" and register.

Earlier this week, Volume One got an email from kind reader Amy Alpine, who was sent the above picture from her cousin David Berney. David says, “Walk into Ralph Lauren in East Hampton and Eau Claire is what's in fashion. A 1950's shirt for $450.”

We wondered if that was a reproduction or a vintage shirt, and David replied, “I am not an expert, but I am pretty certain it is vintage. They sell vintage clothes, watches, etc. It felt vintage and had few moth holes, and the tag stated ‘1950.’”

Amy and her family had fun discussing the shirt (over email), and at one point, David (awesomely) commented, “In the Hamptons, someone might buy it because 'Eau Claire' seems European and 'Wisconsin' is real people, so the juxtaposition creates value.”

Indeed! Big thanks to Amy and David! Click on the images above for a closer look!

After a number of years living in Eau Claire, I needed to relocate to a town about an hour south east. For the sake of this blog post I will not name the town, but it starts with "N" and ends in "ville." I am sure the fine readers will figure that one out. Anyway, I was there for a couple of months and I noticed many things. The biggest thing I noticed were the people. It seemed as if everyone and I mean everyone was in a hurry, and wanted to keep to themselves. I asked around (I have a few family members in the area) where are all the community activities, where is the culture in this town? They just starred at me and broke out the overly used title that people associate to persons that are laid back – "Hippie." I laughed it off and kept up my search. It didn't take long for me to find that there just wasn't anything in this town. I did find a farmers market, if you can call it that. A few local people selling a few goods, nothing like the Valley. Now I do realize that yes this is a smaller town and everything, but things have to start somewhere. I started asking around again for people to contact about starting events or what the process was. Nobody knew – this was disappointing. I was just shocked that, only an hour away, people changed in a big way. In the end I came back to Eau Claire, and in only five days, I have done more and met more people then I did in two months in the other town. I missed you Chippewa Valley, thank you for welcoming me back with open arms.

The Eastside Hill’s big neighborhood picnic is on Saturday, August 7. It’s been a few years since the neighborhood’s been able to actually have an annual summer picnic, but this year the steering committee made it a priority – bolstered by older neighbors' hunger for longstanding traditions and younger neighbors' need to connect with a neighborhood they're only starting to know. Here are the details:

• When: Saturday, August 7, 3:00–5:30pm

  Where: Boyd Park on Main Street (map)

  Free food: Brats, hot dogs, tofu dogs, beans, chips, cookies, pickles, sauerkraut, and lemonade.

  Bring: Lawn chairs, lawn games, friends and family

In years past, neighbors have been welcome to bring food to share, but that’s not the case this year. The neighborhood association has worked hard to provide as much food as possible entirely on the  association’s budget. Feel free to bring your own beverages, but all the food will be provided! This is a great chance to hang out with your friends and family for the afternoon, rekindle old friendships, and meet new people. And eat. Volunteers will be grilling and serving the food as long as it lasts.

More about Eau Claire's Eastside Hill neighborhood: www.EastsideHill.com

The Fresh Filmmakers Production Grant will facilitate the production of one short narrative film (ten minutes or less) directed by a filmmaker who has been making films for no more than five years.The winning filmmaker will receive a $1000 stipend, mentorship by some of Minnesota’s most accomplished filmmakers, professional services from casting through distribution, and high-end camera and equipment rental.To apply, you’ll need a 7-page screenplay, a reel, a budget, a production plan, a resume, and other supporting documentation. DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: SEPTEMBER 13, 2010 See the IFP MN website for the details.

I was just wondering what late night spots (open after 10pm) are cool that don't involve drinking (or at least don't revolve around drinking), besides Racy's and Perkins. I think that this is a big deficiency in our area; I don't drink, and don't live a life that revolves around it, yet I still don't want to spend every Saturday night at a movie. Sometimes concerts are cool, but a neutral, low-key space is what I crave. How about you?

If you are recovering from an addiction or know someone who is, then you know it's a long, hard road. A Minnesota man named John Overby has chosen to illustrate this literally, with a long walk from Eden Prarie, Minnesota to Washinton DC, filming a documentary along the way. As he walks, he will be stopping in many towns along the way to spread his message of hope; Anyone can find recovery. As a recovering alcoholic himself, John has a first-hand perspective on how hard recovery is. He has known people himself who have succeeded in their recovery goals. He has also known people who have not. He knows also the stigma of shame attached to saying "I am an addict" or "I am in recovery." This walk and the documentary connected to it seek to raise an awareness and understanding in the public, and encourage people to seek recovery. John will be walking through Eau Claire on his way. There will be an opportunity to meet him in Phoenix Park at 8:30am on Sunday, July 11th, followed by a group walk at 9:00am. For more information, please contact Mary Canada at mcanada@thechoosing.org or visit www.thechoosing.org/mcanada.

If you’re like me, you’re a recent college graduate spending countless hours searching for any job that could pay your bills and make use of that several thousand dollar piece of paper that says you hold a degree. If you’re like Carter Franz, you’re doing those things, but you get to blog about it for the Wall Street Journal.

Franz is a Chippewa Falls native and graduate from UW-Madison with a degree in civil engineering and a laundry list of awards and accomplishments. His most recent achievement is his position as one of seven students chosen from around the country to contribute to the blog, Hire Education, sponsored by the Wall Street Journal.

Franz and his fellow bloggers post about job hunting, interviewing, and the self-actualization that occurs in a state of post-collegiate uncertainty. He offers tips, advice, and stories about his own experiences, including mistakes that can help us lesser-achievers save face. If nothing else, the blog is a simple reminder that we are not alone in our desperate struggle to show the working world what we’ve got to offer. Read his posts specifically right here.

On this past Tuesday, June 7th, two young individuals, including myself, were appointed as the new student representatives on the Eau Claire Area School District Board of Education. I, Joe Luginbill will be catering to the students of North High School, and DeLong and Northstar Middle Schools, and Becca Giles will be serving the students of Memorial High School and South Middle School. Our job as the student representatives is to keep the voice of youth strong and heard. While we don't have voting rights, Becca and I will play a valuable role in keeping the Board abreast of the voice of students. To learn more about the school board, how to voice your opinion, or how to contact either board members or the student representatives, feel free to visit the ECASD central office website, and click on the "Board of Education" tab on the left. Looking forward to serving Eau Claire!

I don't know if you've seen any of these yet, but recently we spotted a spray-chalked sidewalk square near the post office with a logo for something called "Seven Five 10." I was baffled on the walk to work, snapped a photo, and pondered its meaning.

Is it a new Sunny Delight-esque soda? Is it a local surf rock band? What the H-E-double hockey sticks?

By the time I got to work and did exactly what the sprayer wanted me to (looked at their website), I realized it's a celebratory plug regarding the statewide smoking ban (it will go forward July 5, 2010 – clever) by a group called FACT (Fighting Against Corporate Tobacco). Looks like a more regional version of The Truth. You know, those people that make ads where someone is in the middle of Times Square showing smokers a blackened lung and shouting statistics into a mega-phone.

It's too bad. I was really looking forward to a Sunny Delight soda.