 Oscar Grady Library in Saukville opened in 1972, but was moved to its current location in the 1925 school house in 1987. February is National Library Lover's Month, so what better time to shine a light on Ozaukee's wonderful libraries? Offering classes, events, speakers, services, and more to all members of the community, the libraries of Ozaukee County have become so much more than just places to check out books (though they still do that, too!). February is a great month to take a tour of your local library and see all that they have to offer, and to get a library card if you have yet to do so. The really great thing about Ozaukee's libraries is that they're all connected through the Monarch Library System, which means your card will work at any of the libraries in Oz! Oscar Grady Library in Saukville Located at 151 S. Main Street in Saukville, Oscar Grady is a charming little library housed in an old school house, and is known for their Digital Media Conversion Lab, where patrons can turn old photo negatives, film, and video into digital files. The library also houses the Jim & John Peterson Photo Collection, which contains many images of Saukville's past. WJ Niederkorn Library in Port Washington Located at 316 Grand Avenue, the WJNL's claim to fame is their amazing Seed Library, where patrons can check out seeds for their gardens in the same way they'd check out books! Recently, the library upped their game by adding a Library of Things, which has items such as life jackets, sleds, sand toys, party supplies, and even a portable record player! Frank L. Weyenberg Library in Mequon Located at 11345 N. Cedarburg Rd., the FLW Library has a lovely park adjacent, as well as the outdoor pool across the parking lot, so it's a great place for families with young children. The library, itself, has many offerings for children, including Children's Discovery Kits, which contain items such as musical instruments, coding toys, hobby items, or learning toys that can be checked out just like books. Cedarburg Public Library The CPL moved into its newly built home on W63 N589 Hanover Ave. in 2014, so it is the most modern library in the system, and it has some unexpected resources, such as a 3D Printer Maker Lab, another Library of Things, their own Radio Station, and the recently added StoryCorps DIY, which aims to collect stories of Cedarburg from residents. They have an Open Evening coming up on Tuesday, February 13th, when the community is invited to stop in and learn more about the program. USS Liberty Memorial Public Library in Grafton The Grafton Library was named by Benjamin and Theodore Grob, who were the primary donors when the current building at 1620 11th Ave. was built in the late 1980s. The brothers named it after the USS Liberty, a United States technical Navy ship that was attacked by the Israeli Navy on June 8, 1967, in international waters off the Sinai Peninsula. The dedication ceremony in June 1989 was attended by sixty survivors of the USS Liberty. The library has a Telescope that can be checked out, as well as a Makerspace Room, which provides state-of-the-art technology for community members to explore. Learn how to publish a book, make a podcast, create digital art, preserve your family history, and much more. For the communities that don't have a library, there's also the BookMobile! This bus turned into a library has been serving Ozaukee and Sheboygan counties since 1979 and makes regular stops in Fredonia and Belgium, among other places. No matter where you live in Oz, you're not really far away from any of the options in our amazing library system. Libraries offer a place to get warm in the winter, cool in the summer, and are one of the few places people can go where they're not expected to purchase anything. Best of all, libraries are places where you can find community. Check out one or all of the libraries in Oz this month and become a library lover yourself!
0 Comments
  February 14th is Valentine's Day and, though many consider it a "Hallmark" holiday, the celebration actually dates back to Roman times; a fertility festival called "Lupercalia." Times have certainly changed. Today, Valentine's Day is celebrated by friends, family, and lovers, alike, and whether you need a treat for your kids or a romantic gift for your significant other, there are plenty of great, local choices in Oz. Chocolate is the most common Valentine's Day gift, and Oz is home to several very fine chocolate shops! Chocolate Chisel in Port Washington always has fresh, chocolate covered strawberries available for the occasion, as well as a wide variety of milk and dark chocolates to choose from. A beautiful caramel apple from Amy's Candy Kitchen in downtown Cedarburg makes a wonderful Valentine's gift and, while you're in town, make it a gift from Cedarburg with something from Ashley's Confectionery, too! If you're in the Grafton area, stop into Sweet Trio or Handmade with Love for a delicious variety of chocolates, candy and caramel apples, or, if you're in the southern Ozaukee neck of the woods, Mequon has the Cocoa Tree Confectionary. Flowers is another Valentine's Day favorite and Oz has the goods! In Saukville, try Lighthouse Florist; in Grafton, there's the Bloomin Olive. Cedarburg has Rachel's Roses, while Mequon has La Terre at the Mequon Public Market. Perhaps the lovely lady in your life has Jewelry in mind? You can't go wrong with Armbruster Jewelers in Cedarburg or Sharbuno Jewelers in Port Washington; both family businesses who have been in their community for many years. Wyndrose and Pagoda Fine Jewelry in Cedarburg are also local favorites. Really, though, does anything say "love" better than Coffee? Check out Java House or Cedarburg Coffee Roastery in Cedarburg, Java Dock or Banjole's Brews in Port Washington or Colectivo in Grafton or Mequon. Also in Mequon is the delightful Cafe 1505, which has treats, breakfast and lunch, and is also a full service coffee bar. Looking for a special Dinner out? In Port Washington, Twisted Willow has a special dinner from the 9th through the 10th and the Moonlight Tavern has theirs just on the 14th or 17th, or hit up Beanies Mexican Restaurant for a Cupid Margarita! Brandywine in Cedarburg is always a good bet on the 14th or you could try Brunch Cedarburg, who has a three course Valentine's Brunch from the 12th through the 16th. Another option is the Sweetheart Trio Tasting at Cedar Creek Winery on the 10th or 11th, where you can get a nice wine tasting paired with cheese, chocolate, and other snacks, no reservation required. Shully's Cuisine in Thiensville is offering an amazing 7-Course Dinner on the 9th that looks hard to pass up. Bistro de Renard and the Foxtown Annex both have Valentine's Day Dinner options on 14th. No No's in Newburg or Messina Italian Restaurant in Saukville are other considerations. What about the littles in your life? Try Art of Joy's School's Out Valentine's Party on the 9th or the Valentine's Cooking Class for Kids at the Mequon Public Market. For something really different, you might want to attend the Ozaukee Food Alliance's "For the Love of Meat" Raffle at Sahale Ale Works in Grafton. Nothing says love like a meat raffle, am I right? Finally, for you crafty types, there's a Valentine's Day themed Sip & Paint at Gallery 224 in Port or a Valentine's Day BOGO at Board & Brush in Mequon. However you share the love, put some Oz into it! Happy Valentine's Day, everyone.  The end of Winter in Wisconsin means one thing: Fish Fry! With Lent going on, your local Catholic Churches (St. John XXIII in Port, St. Joseph's in Grafton and Divine Savior in Fredonia) become a great place to get your fix! The American Legion in Cedarburg offers a Fish Fry the third Friday of each month from 4-8:30 p.m. Of course, Oz has plenty of great restaurants serving up Wisconsin's favorite Friday (and sometimes Wednesday, during Lent) dinner. Here are some of the best options in Oz to get your Friday Fish Fry! Port Washington Fork & Tap In the heart of Downtown Port Washington, located behind Sherper's at 203 E. Main St., is offering their gluten free Potato Chip Crusted or Beer Battered Cod Fish Fry on Wednesdays as well as Fridays through Lent. Twisted Willow Port Washington's Farm-to-Table restaurant, located at 308 N. Franklin St., offers breaded or baked cod, buttered rye bread, house slaw & tartar sauce, potato pancakes or french fries, and clam chowder. Plier's Full Circle Pub & Restaurant in Port Washington, just across the freeway into Knellsville, probably has the most diverse selection for a Friday Fish Fry, including bluegill, walleye, haddock, tilapia and grouper. Schooner Pub at 114 N. Franklin St. in Downtown Port serves up cod, perch or shrimp baskets, along with the classic clam chowder. Yummy Bones BBQ is more known for their barbecue, but they serve a Fish Fry during Lent, only available on Fridays. 5 pieces of fried Cod, fries, a side of cole slaw and a corn bread. The Beacon, located on the first floor of the Harborview Inn in Dowtown Port Washington, serves up perch, cod or poor man's lobster on Fridays, with a great view of the Lake Inventors Brewpub is directly across from Veterans Park inside the American Legion (for now - they're building a new site behind the Harbor Center), where you can get unusual craft beers along with your fish fry! Toucan Custard offers both cod and lake perch fish fry options, as well as buckets of each, if you're feeding a large crowd. Saukville The Bog Reservations are recommended for this restaurant on the golf course located at 3121 County Road I in Saukville. Call (262) 988-1113. MJ's Bar & Grill Although it's not on their menu online, MJ's offers a classic Friday fish fry, including 2 or 3 piece panko crusted, beer battered or baked option with fries or potato pancakes, rye bread, and tartar sauce. Riverview Inn in Saukville is best known for their pizza, but they also offer a great Friday Fish Fry Special. Located at 3172 N Riverside Drive along the Milwaukee River, this little log-cabin themed restaurant can get pretty crowded, but carry-out is available. Call ahead, as they are not open on a consistent basis. Newburg No No's A traditional supper club on the corner of Highway 33 and County Road Y in Newburg, No No's serves a Friday night Fish Fry, as well as All-You-Can-Eat Smelt every Tuesday and Wednesday from 4-9 p.m. Call (262) 675-6960 for reservations or more information. Cork n' Barrel Bar & Grill, at 503 W. Main St. in Newburg, has baked or breaded cod, perch, jumbo shrimp and a choice of fries or potato pancakes. Grafton Juice's Ghost Town Restaurant, located at 990 Ulao Rd. in Grafton, offers a very traditional Friday Fish Fry with a choice of Perch, Haddock, or Walleye and either breaded, beer-battered, pan fried, or broiled. Children's portions are also available. Flipside Cafe and Grill at 2074 Washington St. in Grafton serves a very diverse all-day Friday Fish Fry, but they're not open late, so get on it. The Stillery, located at 1304 12th Ave. on the corner of the Paramount Plaza, is Grafton's newest restaurant, but many in the area have been going to the original Richfield location for years. The Stillery offers both a Wednesday and Friday Classic Fish Fry, as well as baked cod and other options. Waubeka Stony Hill Pub & Grill's menu says they are voted the best fish fry in Ozaukee County, but it doesn't give the source, so you'll have to be the judge. They do have a good offering of Walleye, Perch, Blue Gill and Cod, but also have an All You Can Eat Smelt option on the menu. Nothing says Oz like that. Belgium Luxembourg Cafe, right off the freeway in Belgium (formerly Hobo's), offers a perch or cod Friday Fish Fry until 8 p.m. Friestadt The Landmark in Friestadt is such a local gem it doesn't even have a website or social media, but they have a worthy Friday Fish Fry and they are the stuff of Ozaukee legends. Located at 10634 W. Friestadt Rd. Thiensville Remington's River Inn, right on the Milwaukee River in downtown Thiensville, offers beer battered cod or poor man's lobster with the usual sides. Daily Taco doesn't seem like the place to get a fish fry, but if you liked the award-winning fish fry from the cheel, this is it: lightly fried in a chickpea & rice flour gluten-free batter, served with golden raisin slaw, Mexican basmati rice, side of house tartar and a wedge of lemon. Skippy's Burger Bar is known, of course, for their burgers, but they do offer a Friday Fish Fry, including a Breaded Lake Perch and a Southern Crusted Blue Gill option, as well as a beer battered, grilled or Cajun option. Libby Montana, located at 5616 W. Donges Bay Road, offers a Friday Fish Fry with hand breaded lake perch, cod, cornmeal crusted catfish, or shrimp, and broiled fish is also available. Mequon The Range Line Inn in Mequon was once a stagecoach stop in the early 1800's, but its been serving a good Friday Fish Fry at 2635 W. Mequon Road for a long time. Open 4:30-10 p.m.Walleye Pike, Perch, a Cod/Perch/Shrimp Combo, Fried or Baked Cod, or the Catch of the Day, which is often flown in fresh. Spanky's Hideaway at 5208 County Line Rd. offers a plethora of Friday Fish Fry options, including Cedarburg C. Weisler's is as historic as historic downtown Cedarburg can be, and they serve up a special Fish Fry, including a 3 piece Haddock Plate, a Tilapia Plate, a Lake Perch Plate, and more, from 4:30-9 p.m. every Friday at W61 N493 Washington Ave. in downtown Cedarburg. The Farmstead in Cedarburg is normally the place to go for steaks, but they do serve a classic Friday Cod Fish Fry, as well. Located at W61 N493 Washington Ave. and housed in a beautiful old farmhouse, The Farmstead is a local favorite. Settler's Inn in downtown Cedarburg offers pan fried or baked cod and pan fried walleye or perch for their Friday Fish Fry from 10 a.m. - 2:30 for dine in and 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. for carry-out. Call ahead to reserve your time slot at (262) 377-1191. Know of a great Fish Fry in Oz that we missed? Contact [email protected] and tell us all about it! Then, take our Best Fish Fry in Oz Poll! |
Archives
June 2024
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed
Published By:
|
|