Volume One Contributors

Oct. 10, 2013

Haunted House 101

tips for scaring your Halloween guests in the best possible way

Eric Larson

A lot of people are at least mildly claustrophobic, so making them crawl at certain points will make them freak out. Perhaps the most classic laugh-scare utilizes darkness ...

May. 2, 2012

Decisions, Decisions

EC’s next city manager faces some tough challenges

Eric Larson, photos by Andrea Paulseth

In April of next year, the Eau Claire City Council will vote to select a new city manager. The election comes at a particularly crucial time for the city, as the high number of baby boomers working for the city approach retirement age. This ...

Feb. 20, 2012

Reflecting on Detecting

tracking down Angel Eyes, a local private investigator

Eric Larson, photos by Andrea Paulseth

Things were going well, Kathleen Degre thought. The man she was following, two cars ahead of her, seemed oblivious enough. Nothing unusual to see, anyway – just a mess of people driving to work. As the line of traffic stopped for a red light, the ...

Feb. 6, 2012

Back to Basics

UWEC grad making it in the mash-up industry

Eric Larson, photos by Andrea Paulseth

Alex Syse had no idea. As a freshman marketing major, he thought about a potential future with Northwestern Mutual. Cargill might have some sweet benefits, too, he thought, as he walked through UW-Eau Claire’s Internship Mania, collecting ...

Jan. 23, 2012

Rainy Day Shades

student releases sunglasses design to fashion world

Eric Larson

Luis Santiago’s got a reason to smile; a celebratory fist pump would be totally justified, too. Heck, if I were him – and had the gumption, proper footwear and raw leg power to do so – I might even try a backflip. Why so happy? Three reasons ...

Sep. 15, 2011

You're in Lager Country

how Wisconsin and Eau Claire came to be famous world-wide for a celebrated kind of beer

Eric Larson

“The chemical make-up of the water here really makes it an ideal spot to brew. The type of yeast needed works best in a cool, damp environment, which is also readily available with all the caves.” – Tim Kelly, brewmaster at Northwoods

Aug. 29, 2011

Making the Transition

new ‘Transition’ program aims to get smart on crime

Eric Larson, photos by Andrea Paulseth

“I say ‘smart on crime’ to contrast with the ‘tough on crime’ approaches ... that have resulted in the United States incarcerating people at the highest rate in the world.” – Steve McCarthy on Transition’s potential for changing the justice system

Aug. 15, 2011

Digital Democracy

Eau Claire locals to launch online town hall forum

Eric Larson, photos by Andrea Paulseth

Starting in September, the Eau Claire community will now be able to log in to E-Democracy.org, a Minnesota-based nonprofit organization, and participate in an “online town hall” from any location, at any time.

Aug. 1, 2011

Kallenbach Unplugged

after 25 years on the job, WPR honcho talks politics, art, and the future of radio

Eric Larson, photos by Andrea Paulseth

Dean Kallenbach has hosted a lot of discussions during his lifelong career in public radio. Beginning as a part-time disc jockey in Rice Lake during college, he’s worked for various radio stations across the Midwest, eventually getting hired at WPR.

Jul. 18, 2011

New Breed Of Health Care

local doctor’s flat-fee clinic hopes to inspire change

Eric Larson, photos by Leah Dunbar

The steep price increase in health insurance has affected hundreds of thousands nationwide, resulting in many simply not being able to afford it anymore.

Jul. 5, 2011

Boom goes the job market

As Baby Boomers hit retirement, what can the rest of us expect?

Eric Larson

On January 1, the earliest set of Baby Boomers – the most infamous American generation, born between 1946 and 1964 in post-World War II merriment – turned 65. And the timing, some argue, couldn’t be worse.

Jan. 20, 2011

Bottoms Up

historical fiction author has four books, two more on the way

Eric Larson, photos by Trevor Kupfer

“I’d always wanted to write about history. I decided, way back when, that I wanted to write a book. Around that same time, I was working for a magazine and thought to myself ‘This is all current content. You can’t write about history for a magazine."

Dec. 16, 2010

Yare' Darkness Bound

local author releases first book in fantasy trilogy

Eric Larson, photos by Andrea Paulseth

“I had this folder full of ideas, and this one just kind of moved to the forefront over time. I decided to just finally write it.”– writer Travis Ludvigson

Dec. 16, 2010

Smiling Moose Deli

Colorado sandwich shop opens in Phoenix Park

Eric Larson, photos by Andrea Paulseth

Phoenix Park scores again. The downtown area, with its scenic riverside property and stylish new architecture, recently welcomed a new deli to the neighborhood.

Oct. 21, 2010

Hauntings 2010: An Introduction

Eric Larson

I remember my first scary Halloween experience vividly. I was 7 years old, and my best friend invited me to the haunted house ...

Oct. 21, 2010

Haunts of EC Bus Tour

UWEC Players combine scares with improv comedy

Eric Larson

If there was one thing Sam Raimi (director of Drag Me To Hell and the Evil Dead series) did well, it was balance.

Sep. 9, 2010

A Hero in All of Us

international group the Real Life SuperHeroes

Eric Larson

One glance at Rascón Córdova – overweight, middle-aged, and by all means slower than a speeding bullet – and it’s clear that, by traditional standards, he’s far from super.

Aug. 26, 2010

Tour De Noir

locals shoot original film noir called Fedora

Eric Larson

“Everyone has dreams. (Fedora) explores a bad person’s dreams … you know, the bad guy, the anti-hero. He’s just trying to accomplish his goal of working for the mafia.”

Aug. 12, 2010

Gone but Not Forgotten

university removes living Kent State memorial, plans sculpture to replace it

Eric Larson

On May 4, 1970, gunfire echoed across the grassy knolls of Kent State University in one of the most infamous massacres in the country ...

Jul. 29, 2010

Ultimate Man

local Frisbee-er helps U.S. win world title

Eric Larson

During their march to victory, Pat and the CLX played against teams from Luxembourg, Switzerland, Japan, New Zealand, and Canada (the finale).

Jul. 29, 2010

Everything or Nothing

student filmmakers shoot full-length thriller in EC

Eric Larson, photos by Andrea Paulseth

"It’s about a girl who starts getting these creepy letters. She follows their directions and finds a box in the woods. After that, she gets more letters and develops an obsession over finding out what’s inside."

Jul. 15, 2010

A Front Door for Menomonie

city plans downtown “gateway project”

Eric Larson

“All business owners want to see downtown improve ... they want to see development.” – Laura Short, executive director of Main Street Menomonie

Jul. 1, 2010

Jewel of India

Indian cuisine moves into the Ramada

Eric Larson, photos by Andrea Paulseth

With such a high demand for Indian food, he thought, why not turn the buffet into a full-fledged restaurant?