When we first started Volume One, it was very important to us that our coverage area included Menomonie. Between its busy little downtown, the Red Cedar Trail, and tons of great stuff at UW-Stout, there’s a serious heartbeat to that place. But for some reason all the great things that happen in Menomonie are too often off the radar of people in Eau Claire. And that’s unfortunate. Frankly, we at Volume One could do a bit more to help correct that. Telling those stories is part of our responsibility, and the narratives of those stories are universal and inspiring no matter what town you’re in. Because whether you’re talking about Eau Claire, Menomonie, or Chippewa Falls – towns are driven forward by dynamic individuals. In Menomonie, one such person is Crystal Halvorson. Crystal is at the head of the homegrown effort behind the Menomonie Market, a highly successful local food co-op that just this week is opening the doors of a brand new building after a major expansion and investment from the community (read more on page 10). While the success of the Menomonie Market is certainly a community-wide effort, the impact of a person like Halvorson cannot be underestimated. For our towns to be successful, we need to find ways to not only attract and retain these sorts of people, but to help them inspire the next wave of similar action agents. And not to just help the next wave dream big, but to help them take serious and meaningful action toward their own goals and those of their community. Help us tell those stories and let us know if you know of similarly inspiring people who more people need to know about. Email us at mail@volumeone.org.