Opening Letters

Issue #146 February 25, 2010

Delayed Culture Shock

my denial and/or blissful ignorance of our drinking culture stopped when I saw the stats

I typed three words into the Google search box – “drinking culture in” and froze. The auto complete function suggested the following places, in this order: America, China, Wisconsin, Australia, Japan, Korea, Ireland, England, Europe, Russia.

Comments (3)

words by Kinzy Janssen

Opening Letters

Issue #145 February 11, 2010

A Not-Ready-for-Primetime-Player

believe it or not, I actually have a problem with there being so much to do around here

During my college years I could go to bed at 2, get up at 6, and show up to work, all bleary-eyed and not showered. I was even kinda functional. I was working in the cafeteria at UWEC ... so as long as I kept an eye on the salad bar, life was good.

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words by Jodie Berseth

Opening Letters

Issue #144 January 28, 2010

Do Meaters Ever Win?

2010 marks one Midwesterner’s hesitant foray into vegetarian territory

"Everything was going smooth until Day 8. Yes, you read that right. Day 8. I made tacos with red beans and rice instead of meat. I thought they were delicious, my fiancé did not."

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words by Robin Kinderman

Opening Letters

Issue #143 January 14, 2010

Predictions for 0-Ten

V1’s human crystal ball looks into the near future

In 2010, I will continue losing hair, and by the end of the decade I will face difficult decisions about head shaving or hair replacement technology.

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words by Eric Rasmussen

Opening Letters

Issue #142 December 24, 2009

Re-branding Winter

Improving our mental (and physical) attitudes towards winter – there's much to gain.

Clearly, full-on downhill skiing is out of the picture, but after taking stock of what’s already happening (and what easily could happen) – the re-branding of winter in the Chippewa Valley doesn’t seem an unattainable goal.

Comments (8)

words by Nick Meyer

Opening Letters

Issue #141 December 10, 2009

In Good Waste

a local man’s experience with the art of dumpster diving

He was all too excited to take me around town, behind common establishments, to root around for gems amongst the trash. I was skeptical, but then again, aren’t we all.

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words by Zack Gauck

Opening Letters

Issue #140 November 26, 2009

Two Rivers Diverge ...

we chose the one that nobody knows about

The point is not to show how Eau Claire has dropped the ball on these opportunities, but to use The Dells as an example of how a community like ours can gain statewide notoriety.

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words by Trevor Kupfer

Opening Letters

Issue #139 November 12, 2009

What Is Volume One Worth to You?

It’s a magazine and a website. It’s local events and a community vision. All free of charge.

It’s as simple as this: In the same way you can help a local business like a fledgling coffee house, restaurant, or retail space by choosing to spend your money there, you can now help Volume One like that too.

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words by Nick Meyer

Opening Letters

Issue #138 October 29, 2009

Where Are the Wild Things?

they are in Menomonie, and they are wolves – packs of them

Something was rustling around in the grass and making a clanking noise. She got out of bed and peered out the window. There was a bright moon overhead, but a shadow from the building hid the noisy animal. Suddenly she gasped, “Wolf!”

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words by Adam Rockwell

Opening Letters

Issue #137 October 15, 2009

Just Like Home(coming)

times may change but the Water Street lifestyle remains the same

“Oh, to be that careless and carefree,” I thought. “Not to mention getting the party started before noon. I don’t remember the last time we were able to do something crazy like that.” We went home after the parade and took a nap.

Comments (2)

words by Larissa Laber

Opening Letters

Issue #136 October 1, 2009

Expert in the Field

field trips are an essential part of a child’s education

No matter which school you attended or when you grew up, almost everyone that went through the Eau Claire Area School District had the same great experiences. It’s these shared experiences of our local culture and heritage that help tie us together as a

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words by Robert Stephens

Opening Letters

Issue #134 September 3, 2009

Let’s Talk About Trains, Bay-bee

let’s talk about all the good trains, and the bad trains. that. can. be

So, the train climate in the Chippewa Valley really could not be better. We may even see a resurgence in hobos!

Comments (4)

words by Eric Rasmussen

Opening Letters

Issue #133 August 20, 2009

It's Just Like Riding a Bike

hang in there, Eau Claire. you’ll build that cycling culture soon enough

If there are bike lanes, people will use them. Just like if there is cheesy popcorn, people will eat it.

Comments (1)

words by Megan Zabel

Opening Letters

Issue #132 August 6, 2009

An Army of Me(s)

reflections of an apparently common-named person

All of the other Eric Rasmussens are doing fascinating things that make me jealous. One was a professional baseball player, and another is some sort of ultimate fighter. One has written books about Shakespeare, and another is ...

Comments (0)

words by Eric Rasmussen

Opening Letters

Issue #131 July 23, 2009

All’s Fair in State Fairs

exhibiting for those surly judges at the Northern Wisconsin State Fair

I entered a pillow. It took a year to stitch. It was the only entry in its category. It got a Red Ribbon – second place. The note said, “would look better as a framed picture.”

Comments (0)

words by Brenda Brant

Opening Letters

Issue #130 July 9, 2009

Flu Comes Squealing Home

swine flu was pretty funny ‘til it happened to me … then it was only kind of funny

I just disregarded the whole thing as something you “read about in the paper,” like my grandma would say, and moved on to bigger issues like the whole Jon and Kate saga.

Comments (2)

words by Jodie Berseth

Opening Letters

Issue #128 June 11, 2009

"Udderly" Absurd

Get it? Like cow udders! Because this letter is about cheese.

... They assume there had to have been an incident in the past that locked up my ability to enjoy cheese.

Comments (6)

words by Kinzy Janssen

Opening Letters

Issue #127 May 28, 2009

The Age of Yargriculture

waiting for my life to change now that I have constructed my own raised garden bed

We all are a few years into the local food movement, and everyone that hopped on the bandwagon early and planted asparagus is finally ready to harvest a crop.

Comments (1)

words by Eric Rasmussen

Opening Letters

Issue #126 May 14, 2009

Murky Memories

hoping for a glimmer of the Half Moon Lake of my childhood

When I was a kid growing up on Vine Street in the 80s, the train tracks that bisected my lower west side neighborhood led straight to ...

Comments (0)

words by Robert Stephens

Opening Letters

Issue #125 April 30, 2009

You've Never Been There?!

are my entertainment choices out of habit, laziness, or generational differences?

Gemini Drive-In?!?...Tower Ridge?!?...Hobbs Arena?!?...Action City?!?…The Pickle?!? No.

Comments (0)

words by Rob Reid

Opening Letters

Issue #124 April 16, 2009

If You Don't Vote, Don't ...

if you sit around on election day, don’t expect your view to change

20% of you will vote in the election. I'd bet the other 80% are the people I hear complaining.

Comments (3)

words by Robert Stephens

Opening Letters

Issue #123 April 2, 2009

An Elevating View

how the city’s oldest elevator changed the way I see this place

I was the guy who scoffed at the very idea of living in Iowa, let alone the rest of the Midwest.

Comments (2)

words by Zack Gauck

Opening Letters

Issue #122 March 19, 2009

Talkin' Beards

contemplating facial hair as a sign of the times, or just a fad

Beards are the new pierced ear, the new rat-tail, the new soul patch ...

Comments (12)

words by Leah Rule

Opening Letters

Issue #121 March 5, 2009

Playing Pick Up

trash reflects a throwaway society obsessed with upgrades

I never liked seeing that trash on the sidewalk, but I hate seeing “wireless waste” even more.

Comments (3)

words by Kinzy Janssen

Opening Letters

Issue #120 February 19, 2009

Slippery Sidewalks Make Me Cross

I have become the cantankerous neighbor that frightened me as a child

I’ve become critical of poorly shoveled sidewalks ... I have taken to shaking my fists.

Comments (0)

words by Jodie Berseth

Opening Letters

Issue #119 February 5, 2009

Breaking the Post-Holiday Taboo

it’s OK to talk about Christmas in February; we’ll get through it together ...

... talking about it reminds you that you will not be getting presents anytime soon.

Comments (0)

words by Eric Rasmussen

Opening Letters

Issue #118 January 22, 2009

Everyone’s Watching

a unique position as the music scene hits another high note

Now that Mr. Vernon has blazed a trail, all sorts of people are asking about the music scene.

Comments (0)

words by Nick Meyer

Opening Letters

Issue #117 January 8, 2009

A Tale of Two Cities

students and locals need to break from their insularity

Last year’s university enrollment was 10,346. That’s 15 percent of the city’s population.

Comments (0)

words by Trevor Kupfer

Opening Letters

Issue #116 December 18, 2008

Taking Back Christmas

you don’t need to spend money on my gifts, you just need to rhyme

I will have my poem. And if I do not get my poem, my holiday season will be completely ruined.

Comments (0)

words by Tyler Griggs

Opening Letters

Issue #115 December 4, 2008

Time to Love Wisconsin

mauls, oak logs, and a reason to stop complaining about the cold

Comments (0)

words by Eric Rasmussen

Opening Letters

Issue #114 November 20, 2008

Post-Election Blues

now what am I supposed to look forward to?

This “now what” feeling is still plaguing my existence.

Comments (0)

words by Heather Brunner

Opening Letters

Issue #112 October 23, 2008

Moles Make a Mountain of East Hill

those peksy burrowers keep digging holes in my garden

“Oh my god! These ugly rodents are living in the yard designated as my gardening area?!”

Comments (0)

words by Jodie Berseth

Opening Letters

Issue #111 October 9, 2008

Baby Steps

learning about the next generation, one coworker at a time

I pity the young ones forced to eat any meat-based baby food. Seriously, it was gross.

Comments (0)

words by Tyler Griggs

Opening Letters

Issue #110 September 25, 2008

Holy Crap. Is It 5:30 Already?

beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep

You will never guess what time first hour starts at Eau Claire’s public high schools. 7:35am.

Comments (0)

words by Eric Rasmussen

Opening Letters

Issue #109 September 11, 2008

Free Fallin'

with serious seasons ahead, one last look at summer foolishness

Autumn brings on the serious temperature drop that makes water lose its fun.

Comments (1)

words by Ken Szymanski

Opening Letters

Issue #108 August 28, 2008

Get Connected

the VolumeOne.org launches with articles, calendars, blogs, podcasts, photos, videos ...

More than a year later, our newest project is finally ready to unveil ...

Comments (1)

words by Nick Meyer

Opening Letters

Issue #107 August 14, 2008

Song and Dance

opening up to Midwestern cultural possibilities

Whenever I complained about this, locals would scold me saying, "Eau Claire is a great place.

Comments (2)

words by Claire Jeffries

Opening Letters

Issue #106 July 31, 2008

Adopt-A-Metropolis

why love or hate the Twin Cities when you can do both?

At Rock Fest a few years back, Sammy Hagar was telling the crowd ...

Comments (0)

words by Ken Szymanski

Opening Letters

Issue #105 July 17, 2008

Growing Out of Our Cars

changing the way we move takes help from everyone

I know we kind of greeted each other on the street, you in your car, me on my moped ...

Comments (1)

words by Eric Rasmussen