Copy

The gift that keeps giving

(I first wrote this story in the late 1980s when I wrote a weekly column for the La Crosse County Countryman, a weekly newspaper in West Salem where I was editor. It still has a great message today.) 

If ever I wanted a column to be special, this was to be that one.

 With Christmas just six days away, I wanted so much to write a column that would somehow capture all of the magic, joy and wonderment of this time of year. I wanted to write a Christmas classic, my own "Gift of the Magi." 

But what would I write about? I struggled with all the different meanings of Christmas, but I wanted something new. I tried to write, but the words did not seem to come and those that did had no meaning.

 I could not summon the words from my heart.

 I was ready to call it quits and admit defeat, but then I saw my son's mittens. There's nothing special about his mittens -- they're just plain, gray knit gloves, and I've seen them many times. But when I looked at his mittens this time a rush of memories poured into my head with such intensity I had to wipe the tears from my eyes.

 It was then I knew that I would write about the Christmas mittens.

 Every Christmas when I was a child, the family would gather for a special day of celebration. Not just my family, but aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents, all of us packing into one home. It was a day filled with eating, talking, laughing and gift-giving.

 My cousins and I would stare in awe at the pile of presents so large it would not all  fit under the Christmas tree. There were presents of all shapes, sizes and varieties under that tree, but we all knew we would receive at least one special present -- a pair of Christmas mittens.

 These weren't just any mittens. These were hand-knitted mittens made with loving care by Grandma Cecile Hardie, our Norwegian matriarch. The task of knitting mittens for 12 grandchildren must have been enormous, and many of my memories of Grandma are of her sitting in her chair, her hands busy with knitting needles. The mittens, made of colorful yarn, were always the right size and more often than not replaced last year's mittens, which despite a winter of sledding and snowball fights, were still fit wear. 

Among her many talents, Grandma liked to write and often wrote poetry and letters to relatives in Norway. Once I wrote a poem for her, and I remember how proud she made me feel when she read it to family members.

 Grandma died in the fall of 1979. Not long after that, the family Christmases stopped as the grandchildren had children of their own and the family grew too large for a single gathering.

 A few Christmases have come and gone since then and now my wife and I are busy making Christmas special for our own children (and grandchildren now). Although I haven't thought about the Christmas mittens for years, I often think of Grandma, who touched all of us in so many ways.

 Perhaps there is a reason why I thought of the Christmas mittens this year. Because it has occurred to me that Grandma has also given me another gift that I can use to share some of that love that went into making those marvelous mittens.

 Thank you Grandma, for the gift of writing.

 And thank you for a special Christmas story.

Chris Hardie
CEO
 

 

Member of the month: VMH

This is part of a monthly series profiling the members and financial supporters of the 7 Rivers Alliance.

Vernon Memorial Healthcare had its beginnings when the Vernon Memorial Hospital Association was formed in November 1946 to organize a countywide fund drive to build a new hospital. Vernon Memorial Hospital first opened for patient care in September 1951, with a 31-bed capacity. Seventeen more beds were added shortly after, along with a maternity wing in 1956, diagnostic and outpatient wing in 1969, and south wing in 1971.

The 1990s brought considerable expansion and growth, including a three-level addition, the main entrance moving from Main Street to the East side of the building, and an Emergency Department and H.E.A.R.T. Center (housing Cardiopulmonary Diagnostics and Rehab and the VMH Wellness Center). The Physical and Occupational Therapy departments were also remodeled, a Renal Dialysis unit opened, and therapy pool, racquetball court and H.E.A.R.T. Center expansion were completed before VMH’s 50th anniversary.

Through the years, VMH has expanded its care offerings to residents throughout the region, acquiring Kickapoo Valley Medical Clinic in Soldiers Grove in 1993, Bland Clinic in Westby and Hirsch Clinic in Viroqua in 1994, La Farge Medical Clinic in 2003, and Solar Town Pharmacy in Soldiers Grove in 2005.

Vernon Memorial Healthcare provides care and healing through quality healthcare services every day, but its community impact goes much further. VMH also work to address community health and social issues and improve the wellbeing of residents in the region in a variety of ways … by working with schools, community agencies and other local organizations.

In addition, VMH employs more than 400 healthcare workers and has created hundreds of secondary job opportunities through healthcare purchases, ongoing construction projects and employee economic activity throughout the area. 

Thanks to VMH for being a supporting member of the 7 Rivers Alliance.

Please consider becoming a supporting member of the 7 Rivers Alliance. We have various membership levels to select from. Membership support allows us to work collaboratively to improve the 7 Rivers Region! 
 

Take the 7 Rivers Alliance speed test

One of the challenges we have in our region – particularly in our rural parts – is a lack of high speed or broadband internet access. That issue became very clear during the early months of the pandemic when students were unable to connect to schools from home.

The Federal Communications Commission in 2015 set the minimum broadband speed standard as 25 megabits per second for downloading files and 3 megabits per second for uploading. The FCC says 26.4% of rural American lack broadband access compared to 1% for urban Americans.

The 7 Rivers Alliance has partnered with the eight other Wisconsin Regional Economic Development Organizations and Regional Plan Commissions to form a strategic partnership to help bring reliable broadband to the most unserved and underserved parts of the state.

This collaborative effort will promote regional broadband speed testing, a crowdsourced internet speed test implemented by GEO Partners, a Minnesota-based company that focuses on enabling cost effective planning and deployment of broadband. Access to this technology was made possible through a grant from Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), together with a pilot program supervised by New North's Region of Economic Development, funded in part by a grant from the Economic Development Authority (EDA).

Citizen’s National Broadband Map recently added Wisconsin to its expanding list of 16 state participants. 

7 Rivers Alliance will work with our regional partners at the county and local level to provide training and access to the mapping data. We will also encourage as many folks as possible to take the speed test.

Click here to take the speed test.

 


LADCO promoting development properties

 

The La Crosse Area Development Corporation (LADCO) is a not-for-profit, member-driven, economic development organization which has been operating for more than 50 years to assist businesses and our partners in growing the economy of La Crosse County and the surrounding area. One of LADCO’s roles is to facilitate real estate solutions within the La Crosse County region. Below are a few featured properties within the Coulee Region. If you’d like more information, please follow the links or contact Tim Kabat, at tim@ladcolax.com or at (608) 784-5488.

River Point District, La Crosse, WI

Housing and Commercial Developers Wanted! Situated in Downtown La Crosse, adjacent to the La Crosse and Black rivers, bring your expertise, innovation and inspiration to an exciting, new neighborhood rich in opportunities. A development at River Point District gives you lasting impact in a progressive, sustainable neighborhood and a significant presence in a vibrant, forward-thinking city.

Your smart investment brings solid benefits:

  • The entire development is within an already-established Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) district.
  • River Point District is located in a designated Opportunity Zone. You can receive special tax incentives including temporary tax deferral, step-up in basis and permanent exclusion from taxable income of capital gains.
  • River Point District is a turnkey, shovel-ready property, with property engineering and infrastructure provided by the City of La Crosse. You can start your River Point District project immediately. For more information, contact Julie Emslie at the City of La Crosse at emsliej@cityoflacrosse.org or at (608) 789-7393.

2700 Midwest Drive, Onalaska, WI

A landmark Class A office building located off I-90 in the Onalaska/La Crosse corridor. Beautiful setting with a treelined entrance. Grand two-story lobby to greet guests. Three floors of high-quality office arrangement featuring executive offices and open office areas on all floors. Training & presentation areas as well as sunlit cafeteria and patio. For more details, please view the Property Listing. These opportunities don't come often! For more information, contact Chuck Olson at Coldwell Banker River Valley Realtors, chuck@cbrivervalley.com or (608) 780-1666.

Bluffview Business Park, Holmen, WI

Commercial/Industrial sites in the Village of Holmen. 7+ Acres on Main Street, 3.95 Acres on Gaarder Road and 10+ Acres at Rivers Drive. For more details, please contact: Chuck Olson at Coldwell Banker River Valley Realtors.

 

Lakeview Business Park – West Salem

The Lakeview Business Park is a unique high-end commercial and industrial development in West Salem, Wisconsin.
The park features low utility and tax rates, an attractive, professional design, and comprehensive transportation access, including Interstate Highway and rail service.
Also, fiber optic communications and three-phase electric infrastructure are available at this site.
In addition, the West Salem area boasts a high quality of life, with short commutes, affordable housing, and abundant recreation.
For more details, please view the Site Details.
Property Contact: Seth Hudson at Cedar Corporation



SBDC hosts webinars on LLC changes

The Wisconsin Small Business Development Center (“SBDC”) at UWL is hosting a free webinar to identify the new LLC changes and how the changes might impact your business. This new law made changes to the statute governing limited liability companies (LLCs) organized in Wisconsin. The new law (Chapter 183) replaces the existing statute and is based on the Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company Act already adopted in some form by other states.

Owners with existing LLCs have the option to: (i) by December 31, file a statement of nonapplicability with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (WDFI) to continue the status quo and have your LLC governed by current LLC law; or (ii) do nothing, and on January 1, 2023, your LLC will be governed by the new statute by operation of law. If you wonder what is changing and how the changes might impact your LLC and its owners/managers, come learn more about the changes and the options/actions you should consider taking to get your intended result. The webinar will be facilitated by attorneys familiar with the new LLC statue and will be offered on multiple dates/times.

The dates and times of this webinar are:

December 7 from 4:00 p.m.-5:30 p.m.     TO REGISTER, CLICK HERE

December 15 from 12:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m.    TO REGISTER, CLICK HERE
 


 

WEDC to host vacant buildings webinar

First impressions are important, and the face of your downtown has a huge impact on perceptions. If a district looks well cared for and active, people see it as vibrant and prosperous, encouraging customers to shop and businesses to invest.

But vacant and poorly maintained properties give the impression of an area in decline. Districts with multiple poorly-maintained or chronically vacant properties often experience broader negative economic impacts. These impacts can range from decreasing property values to reduced foot traffic, which hurt adjacent properties and businesses.

Planning to address these ‘problem’ properties requires support and alignment from many community partners. It can take years to fully reverse what is often the result of decades of apathy and disinvestment.

Using short-term strategies and setting the stage for long-term revitalization will ultimately create a lively, welcoming downtown district. 

Read more

Vacant Buildings Webinar Registration

One of our most frequently asked questions is 'How do we deal with vacant or problem properties in our district?'. This webinar, held over the noon hour on Tuesday, December 13th attempts to answer that question. Covering the financial, psychological and other reasons that a property might be vacant and offering potential short and long term strategies to increase occupancy and improve the appearance of properties in your district, this webinar is open to all representatives from Main Streets and Connect Communities.
 



Health care action accelerator session held

The 7 Rivers Alliance was one of the co-conveners of the Competitive Wisconsin Health Care Action Accelerator session held Nov. 3 at Western Technical College in Madison.

Session recording: 
 


 

BCC students tour area businesses 

Behind the storefront of a business, many careers make a company run smoothly. 
On November 9, students from six Bluff Country Collaborative schools toured Harmony Enterprises, Harmony Kid Learning Center, and POET Biorefinery in Preston.
That’s more than 42 careers and positions highlighted to 55 students, including welding, marketing, manager, engineering, sales, child care director, food service/cook, fabrication, scale master, and environmental, health & safety specialist.
Read more 
 


 

Wis. allocated more ARPA funds to eco devo

Wisconsin allocated a bigger chunk of federal money from the American Rescue Plan Act to economic development than any other state, according to a study by the Center on Budget and Policy.

Of the $1.1 billion Wisconsin allocated toward the economy, $363.3 million was spent on general economic development, $130 million for workforce development and $641.7 million for assistance to businesses, the study said.

Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. CEO Missy Hughes said the spending was deliberate by Gov. Tony Evers throughout the pandemic.

In the early days of the COVID-19 emergency, Hughes said Evers focused on using federal funds for helping small businesses survive. But as the pandemic continued, she said the governor began thinking about the long-term economic vitality of the state.

“As the governor deployed the federal dollars,” Hughes said, “he recognized that there was immediate need, and then there was, ‘What can we do to lay the groundwork for the future?'”

Two of the main programs the administration invested in were the Main Street Bounceback and Workforce Innovation grants.

The Main Street program focuses on revitalizing downtowns, while Workforce Innovation grants look for local solutions to the labor shortage.

Both programs were aimed at helping local leaders to find solutions to the problems facing their communities, Hughes said.

“It’s our job at the state-level to empower these local organizations,” she said. “The empowerment comes by trusting them, by having them demonstrate that they’re collaborating among themselves and then giving them resources and letting them run with it.”




Rushford hosts downtown building tour

Fillmore County Journal

On a blustery, snowy November evening, buildings in downtown Rushford had their doors open for visitors in the Open Doors, a Tour of Business Opportunities, event. From 5:30-8 p.m., November 17, interested parties could tour the entire buildings including the “behind the scenes” areas of 10 available businesses and buildings.

Open Doors was the brainchild of Jen Hengel of the Rushford Peterson Valley Chamber of Commerce. Jen related that she subscribes to the Save Your Town website. Becky McCray and Deb Brown give ideas for rural and small town development on their site. They note that “small towns can best be served by their own people using their own resources.” Last summer, Jen saw that a town in Iowa had held a similar event and decided Rushford needed to do it as well.

Full story


 


 

Second Winona Amtrak train service 

Winona Post

The planned second Amtrak train service took another step forward this past Wednesday, as spokespersons for the project talked with Winonans about what’s coming next and how soon a second daily passenger train could be running.

The $53 million interstate project between Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois, called the Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago Intercity Passenger Rail Project (TCMC), spans 411 miles within the current Empire Builder train route. The project would see a second daily round-trip train between the Twin Cities and Chicago, Ill., for more flexible hours for riders. The project would see many upgrades to existing train infrastructure, including in Winona and the surrounding Driftless Region. The project’s construction could start as early as July 2023, according to HTNB Corporation Project Manager Aaron Bowe.

Full story

 


 


Briefly speaking:

 

  • The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Regional Outreach team recently surveyed construction firms across the Ninth District to gauge construction activity and the near-term outlook in the sector. Join Regional Outreach Director Ron Wirtz from 9 to 9:30 a.m. Dec. 16. for a live webinar discussing the latest results from a mid-November survey of activity levels, challenges, overall conditions, and outlook in the construction sector. Register here
  • Presented by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, MARKETPLACE is the Governor’s Annual Conference on Diverse Business Development on Dec. 6.  This event connects business owners from across Wisconsin seeking to do business with state, federal and local governments as well as the private sector. The conference provides the opportunity for established minority-, woman-, veteran- and LGBTQ+-owned businesses and small businesses to learn from and connect with resource providers, government representatives, corporate buyers and business professionals to lay a foundation for new partnerships and business opportunities.

  •  The Valley Stewardship Network will hold a Conservation on Tap at The Historic Fortney, 100 N. Main St., in Viroqua on Tuesday, Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. Peter Allen of Mastodon Valley Farm will discuss how indigenous cultures worldwide have embraced their role as keystone species, creating healthy ecosystems as the basis for their sustenance and livelihoods. For additional information, www.valleystewardshipnetwork.org
  • VARC Foundation is hosting a New Year's Eve Gala on Saturday, Dec. 31 at 6 p.m. in support of VARC Child & Youth Programming. Reserve your tux, dust off your evening gown, and ring in the New Year at The Cargill Room with formal dining, dancing, auctions, and plenty of champagne. Reserving your tickets ($100/each) at The VARC Foundation Gala  www.varcinc.com/gala

  • The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) is calling for Congressional action to expand opportunities for legal immigration and to allow more immigrants to become permanent residents or citizens of the United States of America.

  • The Viroqua Chamber Main Street will hold its annual meeting Dec. 15 at 5:15 in the City Hall Community Room. There will be a Board of Directors election, the end of year report, and a question and answer session about all things to do with the Viroqua Chamber Main Street.
  • The City of Waukon has begun working with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach on a program to help improve housing in the area. The Rural Housing Readiness Assessment program, or RHRA, has been implemented in over 40 rural communities across Iowa and has won numerous awards for assisting communities in the development of housing action plans.

 


 

Copyright © 2022 7 Rivers Alliance 
Our mailing address is:
601 N. 7th St., La Crosse, WI 54601

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

 






This email was sent to <<Email Address>>
why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences
7 Rivers Alliance · 601 7th Street N #400 · La Crosse, Wisconsin 54601 · USA

Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp