Volume One Contributors

Feb. 26, 2016

A Long Wait For Cake

patience is key for those whose birthday is on the rarest of all days: February 29

Allison Puestow

We all love our birthdays. Even if you’re the kind of person who hates getting older and constantly lies about your age, you still love and celebrate your birthday. And why not? It’s the day when you become the center of attention and get showered with cake and presents. But for someone like me, birthdays don’t come every year ...

Oct. 30, 2014

Below the Knees

Eau Claire author pens a cute lost-and-found tale

Allison Puestow, photos by Andrea Paulseth

Summer may have faded into memory, but it’s never too late for a good summertime children’s story. Eau Claire author Joanne Linden offers just that in her new book Ben & Zip: Two Short Friends. Ben & Zip is a cute lost-and-found tale that ...

May. 19, 2014

To The Front Yard!

Allison Puestow

Front porches are cool. All you who grew up in the city might not take notice of them, but from a country girl who had no front porch, they’re one of the best front yard features I see in houses. Front porches bring to mind idyllic, lazy summer ...

May. 16, 2014

Plein as Day

visual artists will descend on Durand for week of outdoor painting

Allison Puestow

Clean off your paintbrushes, grab your easels, and head on over to Durand: It’s time again for the Fresh Paint event May 18-24. Hosted by Imagination Nation, a nonprofit organization in Durand, Fresh Paint centers on what is known as plein air ...

May. 16, 2014

Youthful Spirit

13-year-old pens fantasy novel, plans two sequels

Allison Puestow, photos by Andrea Paulseth

A pair of twin sisters, Amira and Alicia, are plunged into the Spirit Realm – a place of stolen souls and a war over their fate. They are taken in by a group of people fighting to save the entrapped souls. The sisters discover that they were born ...

May. 2, 2014

5 Beginner Level Wisconsin Day Trips

take a drive to see our state’s beauty

Allison Puestow

It’s pretty easy to love the Chippewa Valley. But as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Sometimes you need to take a day off and go see the rest of the great state of Wisconsin. Here are some suggestions for a few easy and short day ...

May. 1, 2014

Look to the Sky

the stars are waiting at UWEC’s annual Astronomy Day

Allison Puestow

Space…the final frontier. These are the voyages of the L.E. Phillips Planetarium and the Chippewa Valley Astronomical Society. Their mission: to teach people about outer space, to seek out new demonstrations to show the public, to boldly go ...

May. 1, 2014

Out-of-This World Sequel

Allison Puestow

Who doesn’t love a good story that challenges traditional beliefs and has a slightly apocalyptic tone to it? That’s what Chippewa Valley author S.E. Meyer offers in his new book, The Crossing. A sequel to his debut novel, Origins, which was ...

May. 1, 2014

UWEC Prof 'Walks' to Victory in Fiction Contest

Allison Puestow

Once again, UW-Eau Claire professors have been proven to be awesome. This time the honors are going to English professor emerita Karen Loeb for her new fiction story “The Walk to Makino.” Loeb won first place in Wisconsin People and Ideas ...

Apr. 30, 2014

Landscapes & Lovecraft

eclectic Servoss excels with pencils, paint

Allison Puestow, photos by Andrea Paulseth

While he is well known for his colored pencil work, artist Allan Servoss is actually a painter by trade. His work has been featured in galleries and museums across the country as well as in several magazines and books ...

Apr. 30, 2014

End Notes

symphony season’s final concert features last works

Allison Puestow

If you haven’t been able to experience the wonder that is the Chippewa Valley Symphony orchestra during its 2013-14 season, then you had better listen up because time is running out. The theme of the symphony’s final concert of the season ...

Apr. 16, 2014

Holy Snowshoes, Eau Claire!

Allison Puestow, photos by Mike O'Brien

I know we’re pretty sick of snow by now, and the mere mention of the word is becoming forbidden, but bear with me for a moment, because this is pretty exciting. The United States Snowshoe Association has chosen Eau Claire to host ...

Apr. 16, 2014

5 Regional Railways We Turned Into Bike Trails

Allison Puestow, photos by Andrea Paulseth

Apr. 16, 2014

Staging a Tradition

CVTG’s production of Fiddler a family affair

Allison Puestow, photos by Andrea Paulseth

The Chippewa Theatre Guild is putting on a Broadway tradition! This classical musical is filled with catchy songs – such as “If I Were a Rich Man” and “Sunrise, Sunset” – that’ll stick in your head well after the curtains close.

Apr. 15, 2014

An Odd Combination

quirky songwriter Dan Zerr releases solo debut

Allison Puestow, photos by Andrea Paulseth

Guacamole, Macaroni & Cheese. Yup, you read that right. Not only is this one of the most unusual food combos I’ve ever heard of, but it’s also the title of Dan Zerr’s debut solo album.

Apr. 15, 2014

Brain Benders

three EC schools head to Odyssey of the Mind World Finals

Allison Puestow

What do you get when you set up odd problems in need of creative solutions from students of all ages? The answer is Odyssey of the Mind, and international education program designed to help students learn how to creatively solve problems ...

Apr. 7, 2014

Jump Start Your Heart, er, Business

Allison Puestow

An object in motion tends to stay in motion. That motion could be a ball rolling, a student working on a paper, or an entrepreneur looking to start a business. The only problem with this is getting that first major momentum ...

Apr. 4, 2014

Jazz It Up!

47th annual Jazz Fest features outstanding soloists, ensembles

Allison Puestow

It’s that time of year: Get ready for the 47th Annual Eau Claire Jazz Festival! This year it will be held April 4-5. With clinics, master classes, and bands galore, you don’t want to miss this. Check out some of this year’s highlights below ...

Mar. 20, 2014

Showdown Lowdown

Allison Puestow

The year is 1889 in an old gold mining town called Gold Town. Locals spend their day panning for tiny flecks of precious gold, not knowing they’re sitting over the mother lode of all gold veins. In nearby Fandango, greedy railroad baron Bart ...

Mar. 20, 2014

Talking In (Lots of) Tongues

Allison Puestow

Admit it, how many of you – besides the hordes of creative writing majors at UW-Eau Claire – actually read poetry? It’s some scary form of writing that your high school English teacher made you dissect and wring out every possible meaning ...

Mar. 20, 2014

Realityworks Lets Sparks Fly with State Award

Allison Puestow

Eau Claire has another reason to be proud of its businesses: Local company Realityworks Inc. has won the 2013 Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year Special Award for Innovation Excellence for its newest product, the teachWELD Welding Simulator ...

Mar. 12, 2014

Hey, Hey Shillelagh!

celebrate St. Patty’s Day with the Valley’s most Irishy band

Allison Puestow

Want to get the real Irish pub experience this St. Patrick’s Day weekend? Then look no further, for the Shillelagh Lads will deliver. On March 15, kick off St. Patty’s weekend in true Irish style with the Lads’ fifth annual St. Patty’s Party ...

Feb. 19, 2014

Not All Thumbs

glass-blown creations showcased at Black Thumb

Allison Puestow, photos by Andrea Paulseth

Black Thumb Glass is leaving its print on Eau Claire. Yeah, I know, it’s a terrible pun. But Eau Claire’s newest glass blowing shop is anything but a joke. Black Thumb is an in-house glass studio on London Road that features much more than ...

Feb. 5, 2014

Catch This If You Can

famous forgery expert hits UW-Eau Claire

Allison Puestow

One of the world’s most famous con men is coming to Eau Claire. Oh, but don’t worry, he’s a good guy now. Frank Abagnale is one of the leading experts on forgery, a talent he found quite useful as a teenager. If you’ve seen the 2002 ...

Feb. 4, 2014

Music of America

Allison Puestow

Think you know the musical landscape of America? Well, the Chippewa Valley Symphony Orchestra will have you think again with its upcoming concert “American Music, Through the Years.” American music is as diverse and ever changing as our history ...

Feb. 4, 2014

County Recycling Stats Spike

Allison Puestow, photos by Andrea Paulseth

According to the Eau Claire County Recycling Program, county residents have been breaking records! Household recycling increased 15 percent last year to 141.2 pounds per person. Meanwhile, proper hazardous waste disposal increased 43 percent in ...