Questioning the Locals | Wynne Cook

Wynne moved here 31 years ago from Madison to start the Cook Family Health Center.

WHO: Wynne Cook, 58
WHAT: Director/service coordinator at the Regional Center for Children with Special Health Care Needs at the Chippewa County Public Health Dept.
LIVES: West Hill in Chippewa Falls
IN THE VALLEY FOR: 31 years

Wynne moved here 31 years ago from Madison to start the Cook Family Health Center with her husband Paul and brother Steve, a venture she described as feeling like The Marx Brothers Do Medicine. She has held a variety of jobs working with struggling families and children with special needs in the area.

What frustrates you about the Chippewa Valley? We have excellent health care options here, but often there is too much competition and not enough collaboration between providers offering the same services. This contributes to increased costs, making it one of the most expensive places for some common procedures. It seems shortsighted at a time when we can least afford it.

On your death bed, you get one meal from a local restaurant, what would it be? I’d choose the butternut squash and sage ravioli with the roasted beet, walnut and bleu cheese salad from Mona Lisa’s. I’d have her smile on my face, too.

Leinie’s brewery or Irvine Park? Leinie’s Lodge and brewery in the summertime, and Irvine Park for the beautiful light show during the holidays.

What book, TV show, or movie would you recommend to Mayor Greg Hoffman? I’m concerned about the potential environmental impact of the Sand Mine processing plant coming to Chippewa Falls, so something by or about Erin Brokovich could work.

What sort of economic development would you like to see in our area? Chippewa Falls has a creative plan to develop the downtown entrance to the city at the end of the big bridge. It will be more welcoming with less asphalt and more green space on the Chippewa River. I can’t wait!

You live with three musicians (husband and two sons), how nerve-racking was that?  Honestly, I have loved it, almost all the time. Paul usually practices accordion with Joel at their house in Eau Claire, so I haven’t endured a lot of pain with “Squeeze This.” Their performances are goofy and engaging, especially the holiday bus tour. The best part of our sons being musicians has been watching them play together with their friends and fans. Watching Phil and Brad grow as performers, best friends, and adults who genuinely love what they are doing makes us proud. Now that they live in North Carolina, we are getting to know another part of the country, and because they tour so frequently, we get to see them in their current band, Megafaun, several times a year. 

Which of your sons’ former bands local did you like most: DeYarmond Edison or Amateur Love? Definitely DeYarmond, but mostly because they were close by for several years as students at UWEC. We loved their first high school band, Mt. Vernon, and listen to those first CDs with fond memories. Amateur Love was a short-lived but exciting band with their friend Josh Scott, who attracted a lot of screaming fans.

So you like making jewelry. Tell me, can you ever have too many earrings? Not so far! I started by wanting to repair my broken jewelry, and ended up making it for fun and for other people. I only wear one pair at a time, but it’s a joyful addiction.

Who is the better Winnie: “the Pooh” or “Cooper” (from The Wonder Years)? I was named after my grandmother, but my parents cleverly read me the Pooh stories, which helped prepare me for the inevitable pooh-related teasing from other kids. “Pooh Bear” was a nickname that earned me a “Pooh’s Corner” column in the high school newspaper. As an adult, it’s been nice to have a unique first name that people can remember.