In praise of shopping locally: a little foray on Small Business Saturday

It was a quiet day in this city by the lake on Saturday

“...the truth is that Lake Wobegon survives to the extent that it does on a form of voluntary socialism with elements of Deism, fatalism, and nepotism. Free enterprise runs on self-interest. This is socialism, and it runs on loyalty You need a toaster, you buy it at Co-op Hardware even though you can get a deluxe model with all the toaster attachments for less money at K-Mart in St. Cloud. You buy it at Co-op because you know Otto.” Garrison Keillor, Lake Wobegon Days

This past Saturday, I spent about an hour and a half Christmas shopping in Chetek - and loved it. For people who know me (like Linda, my wife of 30 years for example) that sentence should give them pause. Me and shopping go together like oil and water or like Hillary and the Donald. So what was so great about my shopping experience this past Saturday? I can sum that up in one word: people.

Let me clarify. Going to the mall – any mall – is just something most guys learn to do as a concession to the greater good. What I mean is that marriage is about give and take and in my case usually going to a mall is just something I do to make up for all those times I leave Linda for the day to go hiking along the Ice Age Trail. It's only fair, right?

Charlie enjoys mall-ing way more than I do

Okay, maybe it wasn't that bad

This past Friday, my 81-year-old parents from the Madison area who were up for Thanksgiving, wanted to take their son the mayor Christmas shopping. So that's how I ended up at Oakwood Mall on Black Friday. Accompanied by my kids (Linda had to work), we braved the crowds and ultimately my dad, my son, Ed, and I stood in a seemingly endless line at J.C. Penney to pay for the goods. I wouldn't call it an unbearable experience. After all, the three of us talked together for nearly three quarters of an hour while we slowly inched our way forward to the cashier. Having said that, however, in some way it felt like we were three guys clinging to a life preserver surrounded by a sea of unknown survivors of some catastrophic shipwreck. Okay, so I'm probably exaggerating a bit but I don't want to go do that again any time soon.

On Saturday, however, my shopping experience was dramatically different for a number of reasons. Admittedly, the impetus for venturing around town was motivated simply by the desire to be a good mayor. It was Small Business Saturday, after all, and it was important to show support for our local businesses. But I was soon reminded that shopping right here at home has a lot of upside to it that cannot be quantified in the bottom line of your checkbook.

They need our support, too!

A leisurely conversation at our very own Chetek Area Museum

My first stop of the afternoon was at the Chetek Area Museum. Admittedly, not really a business (they do sell a small selection of souvenirs, however) I knew that Bill Waite was the volunteer on duty and since we serve together on the City Council I thought I would pop in for a short visit. When I walked in the front door I was greeted warmly by Bill and our neighbor, Patty Zeis, who was passing the time with him as if they were both sitting out on the front porch watching the cars drive by on a warm summer's evening. A lot of folks know Patty. For years she was a volunteer at Knapp Haven and on her way to the nursing home would usually walk by our house visiting briefly with Linda or myself or any of the kids who happened to be out in the yard. Patty's dad, Dr. Al Zeis, was a dentist back in the day and as she tells it he would play cards with the guy who used to own our house. “Isn't that the berries?” she would chuckle. Bill, Patty and I sat in the foyer of the museum as both of them regaled me with stories of “old” Chetek. After awhile I meandered into one of the rooms and saw Dr. Zeis' dental instruments. “Some of those tools used to be in my mouth!” Bill quipped. It was very pleasant spending a half hour chatting away with both of them. In fact, the only thing that would have made it pleasanter was if one of them had offered me a cup of coffee.

Once Dr. Zeis used to practice with these

From there I drove down the street to the Courtyard, stopping in at Whimsical Wares where, in fact, I have frequently shopped in the past while Linda and I await our lunch being prepared at Hope & Anchor. As I opened the door to the coffee house, however, here was Jodi having coffee with her mother-in-law, her daughter, Nicole, and Sam, a fellow graduate of Chetek High School. So I stood there and caught up with these girls that I remember from their middle school days. Nicole is a dental hygentist, married and living in Madison while Samantha is a physical therapist working in Eau Claire. Talk about time flying!

I was talking too much that I forgot to take pictures!

After visiting with them for a bit, I then ventured into Whimsical Wares which was full of customers, most of whom I knew. So as I meandered around her little shop, I moved in and out of brief conversations with several of Wendy's patrons. At the same time, I noticed a scarf that would look great on our daughter, Emma, a book that I know our other daughter, Christine, would enjoy reading to the 1-year-olds she cares for at the day care where she is employed and some earrings that I think that Linda would appreciate. At the register, I enjoyed a nice visit with Wendy and her grandson, Parker, who was learning how to run the thing. “Parker,” I said to him, “husbands don't usually pay attention to the right things. When you get a wife one day, make sure you pay attention and remember her size in clothing. It might be important one day.” Parker looks to me to be a young teenager and a long way away from having a wife. But to his credit he demonstrated one of the first rules of working in retail: always humor the customer.

Following my little shopping spree there I moved on down Second Street and turned onto Douglas and stopped at Carpe Diem, a store I confess I had never been into before. Here too the shop was full of people I knew and so I repeated the same routine I had already done twice before in the last hour: I moved slowly around the store and passed the time with several of their customers while noticing a wonderful shawl that I think will look great on Emma. I noticed that Kendyl Johnson was in Carpe Diem as well. Kendyl's older sister, Kayln, ran Cross for me this past fall and Kendyl herself ran middle school track for us last spring. What I did not know is that she is also a young enterprising young lady who has a selection of earrings she has made which can be bought exclusively at Carpe Diem. Who knew? I bought a pair that I thought would go with the shawl and bought them both.

Char's been at it a long time!

From there I drove back up Second Street to Char's at the corner of Dallas and Third Streets. She's got the little place across from Horton's with the child mannequins outside her door that some folks in town find a bit creepy. In any case, Char's little place was full as well – and yes, once again I knew most of her shoppers as well (as a matter of fact, Jodi and her crew that I had hobnobbed a bit with at Hope & Anchor were now doing a little after-coffee shopping themselves). Char has a wonderful selection of Chetek hoodies, crew and t-shirts as well as all kinds of crafty things. Because it was Small Business Saturday, I got 25% off the Christmas stuff she was selling. I picked up a hoodie for our son, Ed, a lavender crew shirt for Christine (she loves purple) and a little snowman in a globe that when you turn the little switch lights up in various LED colored lights.

Some time during my gad about town I received a text from Linda: “Where are you?” to wit I replied, “Shopping.” At first she thought I was being sarcastic but when I insisted that she had actually caught me in the act, she replied: “But you don't even like shopping.” “I know,” I replied, “but I do now” (wink emoji).

In Chetek we don't have a Best Buy or a Target or, heaven forbid it, a Walmart. Nope, you have to drive north or south aways to find those magnets of holiday shoppers. But we've got the one and only Chetek Bakery where besides your pastries you can now enjoy fresh soup served up in a bread bowl if you want it that way. We have the aforementioned Whimsical Wares, Carpe Diem and Char's. There's Rod and Gun Sport Shop, Time & Again as well as Horton's Hardware, Gordy's and Family Dollar. We may not have it all but we also don't have long lines and unfriendly cashiers. And we've got company. Lots of company. So, if you haven't started your Christmas shopping as far as I'm concerned right here at home is a good place to start it.

For a guy like me with a shopping phobia, that's a pretty good haul

Stranger things...

Read all about it

The other night at November's City Council meeting I made history. In a rare moment when the council was deadlocked, I cast the deciding vote on a motion that granted Kwik Trip a Class A liquor license (see Mayor breaks tie). According to City Clerk/Treasurer Carmen Newman, who has served in that capacity since 2003, this was the first time the mayor has had to vote in all these years. And according to Third Ward Aldermen Bill Waite, whose municipal memory goes back even further, it's probably been longer than that.

One of the principles I live by is Solomon's sage council found in Scripture: “Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips” (Proverbs 27:2, NIV). In other words, don't thump your chest and brag about the stuff you've done. Let other people talk it up. And if they don't, well, it must not be worth talking about. Having said that, why then dedicate a post to something that no doubt will be a forgotten footnote in Chetek history? Well, frankly, because it's funny.

There was always a six pack
of  PBR in the fridge

I grew up in a home of social drinkers. In the '60s and '70s every home seemed to have a liquor cabinet and when company was over, out poured the libations. I don't recall drunkenness (except when at my uncle's home where their priest always seemed a little too...er...enthusiastic for what the moment called for). My parents never locked the cabinet and I, for one, never was tempted to sample the beverages (I found out just last year at my mom's 80^th birthday party that my sister did not share the same conviction). Now and again, I like to tell the story of one hot summer day when I was 12 and my dad was cutting the grass in our backyard. He was nursing a PBR (Pabst Blue Ribbon) and I asked him if I could have a sip. He said, “Sure,” and that one swig cured me forever it seems from beer. It tasted so foul I immediately spit it out. At 54 I'm not pulling anyone's leg when I say that is the last time I've ever sampled the stuff no matter what variety you can get it in today (I've had more than a few guys who have heard me tell that tale come up to me afterward and remark, 'If he had been drinking a Leinie's, you wouldn't be saying that...' or 'If he had been drinking a Budweiser...') I'll take their word for it but as rule I don't touch the stuff.

Here's lookin' at you, Bogie

As far as wine goes, in a given year I may imbibe at most three glasses total and always at home and always with my wife or on occasion with my parents. And as for hard liquor, well, I know enough to know that a Grasshopper is something you drink and Scotch-on-the-rocks or brandy was standard fare in all the film noire genre of the 1950s. I couldn't tell you if the stuff was good but Bogart and those guys drank gallons of the it.

People may be tempted to think this abstinence of mine arises out of some religious conviction I must have against drink in general. As far as I understand the Bible, drunkenness is what is condemned and the rest can pretty much be summed up in the phrase common in a lot of commercials these days: “Drink responsibly.” But reality is, it's never been a 'thing' with me. If you enjoy a Leinie's on a hot day (or, for that matter, a PBR), well and good. Brisk Raspberry Ice Tea is what I have to pace myself with – too much of it and I won't sleep well that night.

Which brings me back to November's City Council meeting. I did not see that moment coming. Chetek Kwik Trip manager Cindy Blaeser had appeared before the council back in the spring for the same reason and had been denied in an unanimous vote. I just figured it was a routine procedure that would result in the same end. Carl did a good job of summing up the conversation that occurred at that point of the meeting. First Ward Alderwoman Shirley Morley, whose ward Kwik Trip resides in, simply believes that we already have plenty of venues in town where people may purchase wines and liquors. Third Ward Alderman Bill Waite concurs with Shirley but is concerned that a large corporation like Kwik Trip can undercut a small local business like Keg 'n Kork. Their reasons were the same as last time. But when I announced, “All in favor,” all I heard was Bill's and Shirley's “yea” (note: it's a little confusing. We allowed a negative motion to go forward; so the 'yea' was, in fact, a 'nea' against issuing them a license). A roll call vote was necessary and during that we learned that both Second Ward Alderman Cliff Bronstad and Fourth Ward Alderman Mark Edwards were in favor of granting them the license. Suddenly we had a 2-2 tie and all eyes were on the mayor – the mayor who is a pastor, the mayor who spends a lot of time working with individuals whose lives have been ruined by the abuse of alcohol, the mayor who hardly touches the stuff himself. How would he vote?

Well, you already know how. I did vote in favor of granting them a Class A liquor license and here's why: They run a reputable business which regularly gives back to our community, that employs many local individuals and I am certain they will display their selection responsibly. Besides, as Cliff pointed out, if Gordy's can do it and Keg 'n Kork, why not them as well? It's only fair.

I slept fine that night. My mom and dad, who subscribe to the Alert, are going to have a chuckle when they see that headline when they get their edition later this week. I can almost hear my dad tongue-in-cheek say it now, “How is the pastor who voted to allow more booze in town?” Enjoy your laugh, Dad. I think it's funny, too.

My father-in-law, who passed away a month ago, would have been

It really is a book

disappointed to learn what his son-in-law, the mayor, has voted in favor for. He was death on the stuff and I can still remember years ago when he handed me a book titled “Sipping Saints” (I don't know why he did so other than maybe he thought I needed a reminder just in case). Sorry, Dad. But my guess is that the “fruit of the vine” of heaven is a finer selection than what you can get down here.

So like voice-over in the commercials goes, if you choose to pick up a six-pack or a bottle of wine tonight - be it at Kwik Trip or any other store in town where you may purchase it - remember to drink responsibly. Please.  

Plenty to be thankful for

It's the season of giving thanks and on the premise that's easier to be cranky and whiney, here's a number of things, in no order in particular, that I'm personally thankful for with regards to living in this city on the Chain:

1. The Chetek Area Museum
   
   As local, privately funded museums go, this one is tops. I mean whether your interest is Native American artifacts or military memorabilia, the history behind companies such as the Chetek Boat Corporation or the Tronick Tackler (creators of the Nonsinkable Fishing Tackle Box) or the wonderful collection of pictures of days gone by, this place has it. And the price of admission is right.

2. The new playground equipment at Philips (Beach) Park

Credit goes to the Parks & Rec committee

Kids love the new playground set (and I think a lot of parents, too). Frankly, “Beach” park is a wonderful asset for our community – the pavillion on the hill, the band shell, and the beach itself are frequently used during the summer months.

Big kids like it too!

3. The new Chetek Dog Park in Gotham Pioneer Park

They've worked hard to bring
it about

Thanks to the efforts of a dedicated group of volunteers, Chetek's dog population now has a place to call their own.

4. No one got hurt!

Imagine if it had fallen
on a car!

This past summer, one of the light poles on the Long Bridge simply fell over. Built in the 1970s, the footings of the poles just wore out. Fortunately, no one was on the bridge at the time and therefore no one got hurt. It precipitated us special ordering four brand new poles which hopefully will be placed before the new year.

Everything falls apart

5. New youth center

Back in January, after fifteen consecutive years of operation, The Garage officially closed their doors. Recently, a new group has organized and is presently using the Pool Hall on Friday and Saturday nights to provide a safe, healthy place for the kiddos to hang out.

It's a good read and I read mine
front to back every week

6. The Chetek Alert

Not every small town has a local paper but we do. Since 1882, the Alert has been and continues to be a great source of local news and sporting information. My folks who live downstate subscribe to it just so they can track the exploits of their grandchildren and their son the mayor.

7. The EcoHarvester (a.k.a., “the Skimmer”)
   
   
   
   
   
   

Just like with the dog park, due to the efforts of a lot of volunteers the Chetek Lakes Protection Association finally put their new skimmer to work this past summer collecting algae out of some of our bays. I'm told that for the most part it works like a charm except in their estimation they need 10 more of them. Still, I'm thankful for the people who worked and donated time and money to see this idea become a reality.

8. City Council Members – Shirley Morley, Mark Edwards, Bill Waite, Cliff Bronstad.

2015 was a difficult year for those who serve as alderpersons in our town. A handful of local citizens brought a lawsuit against the Community Center and the City of Chetek and, even more challenging, was the decision to sell Knapp Haven (now Atrium Post Acute Care of Chetek). But after serving alongside these individuals for the past seven months I have found them all to be people who love our town and are trying to do the very best by her. While stipened for their efforts, considering the time they invest by serving on various committees while tending to city business they are essentially volunteers. I am grateful for their patience with me and their assistance in helping me get up to speed with things.

L to R: Shirley, Mark, former mayor Mike Linton, former Chetek Lt Ray Parr,
Chief Mark Petersen, Carmen Newman, Cliff Bronstad, Bill Waite

9. Plan Commission Members – Mark Etten, Del Wacker,

 I think they prefer it this way

John Hunsinger, Sarah Knepper, Jim Fults and Bill Waite.

Honestly, before becoming mayor, I never knew this committee existed. Cities, villages and towns in Wisconsin are authorized by state statutes to establish a plan commission. In our case, this group of people advise the city council on zoning matters, land use issues and administering a comprehensive plan. While not as authoritative as, say, the Bible, that plan serves the council as a general road map for us to follow. All these folks (except for Bill, who as a council member, receives a small monthly stipend) are volunteers and convene monthly. I have found them to be a great source of encouragement in my rookie year.

10. Donna Bachowski

That winning smile

There's more to come!

Donna became the new director of the Chetek Community Center (now officially, “The Center”) back in February. She has brought new energy and vision to help us transform the way we all look at this wonderful municipal asset. Instead of being viewed as a place where the “old folks” hang out, it is a center which is truly serving the entire community.

  11. Jennifer Blatz, Chetek Chamber of Commerce Event      Coordinator

There are a lot of people who work hard behind the scenes to make Liberty Fest the smooth running annual event that it is including the guys from the Public Works Department, the Chetek Police Department and a lot of unsung volunteers. But coordinating everyone like a maestro before a hometown orchestra is Jennifer Blatz. I'm thankful for her efforts in putting this altogether every year. Of course, this isn't the only rodeo she oversees.

12. City Building Inspector Joe Atwood.

If your job includes informing individuals that they have to move an old unlicensed car sitting in their yard or paint their house that is sorely in need of it, you're likely to encounter the ire of certain members of the public. But Joe is a consummate professional and is always calm and collected. Thank you, Joe.

13. The members of the Chetek Area Volunteer Fire Department and the Chetek Area Ambulance Service.

They are a small yet dedicated force of highly trained individuals who run toward fire and mayhem instead of away from it. Several years ago, the house that our oldest daughter was renting was struck by lightning. The cavalry was there within minutes of her 9-1-1 call and I have forever been grateful.

14. Dan Knapp, Director of Public Works.

Camera shy

Dan is content to remain in the background diligently overseeing the work that we simply take for granted – cutting grass at our local parks, plowing the streets, picking up our trash, replacing light poles that inexplicably fall down, you name it he and his guys are on it. He even turns a profit on our old cement by having it ground into fill.

15. Carol Burnham and the Calhoun Memorial Library.

The Calhoun Memorial Library is open six days a week and serves people from Barron, Chippewa and Rusk County. It is always busy and provides free Wi-Fi, access to the internet, DVDs and videos and, oh yeah, books.

16. Chief Mark Petersen and the Chetek Police Department.

He doesn't smile much but he's a good cop

Regrettably the atmosphere that police are forced to work in these days is increasingly hostile and yet Chief and his crew continue to provide 24/7 protection. Sure they write tickets when they must and do drug busts as well. But they don't just bring the hammer. You can also find them conversing with kids at our schools or at the new youth center. They work hard to keep us all safe and I am thankful for their dedicated service.

17. Former mayors of Chetek John Banks and Dianne Knowlton.

Over the past seven months, both John and Dianne have offered their encouragement and lent an ear when I needed it. I'm grateful for the support I have found from both of them as I work to earn my wings as mayor.

18. Waste Water Treatment Operator Mike McGuiness.

Mike's got an odd job: make sure our dirty business gets cleaned up so that we never even think about it. And he does so effectively. Even though our aging plant is often pressed beyond its capacity, he quietly goes about his work without any fanfare. We should all be so very grateful.

19. The rest of the Public Works Crew: Tim Berning, Joe Fostvedt, Rod Rhodes, Brandon “Tank” Davis and Aaron Robert.

These guys show up, day in and day out, doing good work that benefits us all. Did you know that at Christmastime our garbage guys are known to be gifted by grateful patrons with cookies and other holiday refreshments? To me, that says something of the kind of service they bring to our community.

20. Karen Zimmerman, Cassandra Larson and Carmen Newman.

These three ladies make City Hall the welcoming, hospitable place that it is. They are ever so capable and good at what they do. Everybody knows that mayors come and go but Carmen, our City Clerk/Treasurer, is the mainstay. I can't tell you how much she has helped me get acclimated to serving as mayor as well as navigate the sea of city ordinances she always seems to have at her fingertips.

These two make quite a team!

There's twenty reasons that come to mind in one sitting that make me grateful that I live here. There are others – the people of the fellowship I serve as pastor, the athletes I get to coach on C-WHS' Cross Country team, and the kids I get to read to every week at Roselawn. All of them remind me in one way or another that I live in a good place, made up of good people who regularly make me feel thankful for God's goodness in my life.

A Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving to you and yours!

Swimming upstream in 2017: The 2017 Proposed Budget

Well, it's time. The big reveal, the bottom line, full disclosure. This Tuesday evening, the 2017 Budget for the City of Chetek will be presented at the budget hearing held in council chambers at 6:30 p.m. prior to our regular monthly city council meeting. For the past two months the budget committee comprised of Carmen Newman, City Clerk/Treasurer, Cassandra Larson, Deputy City Clerk/Treasurer, 2^nd Ward Alderman Cliff Bronstad, 4^th Ward Alderman Mark Edwards and myself, the mayor, has met a couple of times, crunched some numbers and had many an informal discussion in search of a budget we can live with. I even presented it to the folks at the Chetek House of Prayer to pray for us during this process (which they did.) As I noted in an earlier post (see The Bottom Line), I was hoping a relatively painless solution would emerge. Unfortunately, it hasn't. Like the old saying goes, “if wishes were fishes we'd all swim in riches” and it looks like in 2017 we'll all be swimming upstream a bit.

The most significant change the general public will experience next year is that beginning January 1, 2017 (assuming the full council will approve the budget this Tuesday night) the City of Chetek will reduce its full-time police force by one full-time officer. That's a big deal. But in stating as such, the commitment remains to offer 24/7 protection. How so? I'm assured it's how we work our schedule as well as offering more regular hours to part-time officers. I'll defer to Chief on that one. Clearly, he and the department would rather stick with the force we currently have but “if wishes were fishes...” er...you get what I mean. Otherwise, city residents will continue to be offered all the regular services they are used to receiving – weekly garbage pick-up, friendly and personable service at City Hall open Monday thru Friday, a small but capable crew of public works' guys who diligently go about repairing and maintaining city property and a dedicated unit of police officers who work hard to keep us all safe.

Rod and Mike - the two guys on either side
of me - have 65 years of service to this city between them!

These same people who answer our questions or plow our streets or pick up our trash or make sure our sewage continues to be treated properly or respond to a 911 call were all informed in October that their health insurance premiums would be going up and they would only be receiving a 1% increase in pay in 2017. It wasn't the result of extended negotiations. It was just the hand they were dealt reluctantly – but dealt all the same. Still, I'd be surprised to learn of a drop-off in the quality of the service they will, no doubt, continue to provide. They are that kind of people.

This picture tells a story of the rising costs of health care

If you subscribe to The Chetek Alert and read the lead story in the October 26, 2016 edition (see Committee votes to reduce police force), I thought Carl did a good job of summing up the issue pretty succinctly. In fact, that little graph they ran pretty much tells it all. The biggest culprit behind our budget woes is the Affordable Care Act. An employer must provide health care to their employees or face stiff penalties. In 2017 alone we will experience an increase of 70% in our health care costs. If you're a fish, that's a big worm to swallow. After only presenting a 1% pay increase as a token gesture to our employees who will be paying higher premiums next year, after cutting back on outlay accounts such as replacement monies for a new squad car for the police department as well as new equipment for the City Shop, that still left us $80,000-some in the hole. Given that we are already working with a skeleton public works' crew we are reluctantly recommending we lay-off one full time officer come December 31.

There are other ways to fix the current budget dilemma but none of them are smart ones. You could use outlay accounts or fund balance or even what monies we hope to realize because of the sale of Knapp Haven. But using those monies is something like paying your water bill with a credit card. Sure you paid this month's bill but by next month you're really two months in arrears – with interest accruing. That is financially dumb. Fund balance is really for emergency needs or one-time purchases not ongoing expenses.

To the person who sent in a letter anonymously begging us to raise their taxes so we would not have to lay off anybody I'm afraid to inform you it doesn't work that way. Since 2006, the State sets the limits on how much a municipality can levy. Even if we wanted to raise your taxes, we couldn't. Well, that's not totally true. The max the State is allowing us to levy for 2017 is $4,200 spread out over the tax rolls. That's it. No foolin'. So if you can't raise taxes and you can't print money then the only thing you can do is pull in your belt another notch and do the best you can with what you have to work with. It's not anything we're doing wrong as far as I can see it. It's what all small towns like ours have to do to continue to provide the quality of life we enjoy here.

The budget hearing is open to the public at which time we will field any questions or clarifications anyone may have about the 2017 Budget. It may not be one that you personally like. It's not necessarily one that we like either but it does balance and it does come with a promise that life as we know it in these here parts will continue to go on pretty much as usual.