There's nothing like spending a beautiful day at a Farmers Market, getting to know your local farmers and growers and connecting with community. Although we lost both the Grafton and Fredonia Farmers Markets this year, there are still plenty of great options to choose from, and even more ways to get your local food beyond the markets, which is an excellent sign of a healthy local food system! Port Washington Port's Farmers Market opens Saturday, June 18th and runs every Saturday through October 29th. Main Street is closed between Franklin and Wisconsin Streets from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. with fresh produce, honey, soaps, bakery, live music, and more. Saukville Located at Veterans Park in the center of downtown, Saukville's Farmers Market happens every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., beginning on June 12th and going through October 30th (except Independence Day and Labor Day weekend), with fresh produce, flowers, and arts and crafts. Thiensville Thiensville's Village Market opens Tuesday, June 21st at Village Park, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and will continue every Tuesday through October 11th. Live music and The Best "Dam" Chef Competition are some of the highlights of this market, aside from fresh food, flowers, and more. Cedarburg The Cedarburg Makers & Growers Market, which features a variety of artisans and locally grown produce, has a shorter run, but will be open on Saturdays from 9-1 August 6th through the end of September at Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church, located at W76 N627 N Wauwatosa Rd. Just outside of Oz in West Bend is the amazing West Bend Farmers Market, which is worth a look if you've never been, as it is the largest in the area. Happening every Saturday from 7:30-11 a.m. from May 21st through October 29th, it's an early one, but the Historic District is a sight to see, in itself, plus it puts you in walking distance to the Museum Of Wisconsin Art! If you just can't make it to the market, there are other ways to get your local food! Outpost in Mequon is committed to local and regional produce and products, with several of their items coming from producers within 100 miles of the co-op. The brand new DreamPort Harvest Market in downtown Port Washington is a sweet little shop that brings some of the area's best local food indoors every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. There are also a number of farms in Oz that sell directly to consumers, including Witte's Vegetable Farm and Kay's Home Farm (which has pasture-raised beef) in Cedarburg, Barthel's Fruit Farm in Mequon, Rare Earth Farm in Belgium (which is a CSA, but also has an online store), The Victory Garden Farm, Willoway Farm (which has an amazing flower CSA) and Appleland Farm Market (which is open Wednesdays from noon-6, then opens for the apple season on August 22nd; they have also added a CSA) in Fredonia, and Winterspring Farm CSA in Newburg. One of the best ways to get local food from a wide variety of local growers is to join the Ozaukee Area REKO Ring on Facebook, which was started by The Victory Garden Farm. Growers post their offerings on the site each week and you can purchase/order direct from them, then pick up your order on Thursdays between 6 and 7 p.m. in Grafton. Many of the farms mentioned here are a part of the REKO Ring. Do you see something we've missed? Contact us, and we'll add it to the article! Mary@OzaukeeLivingLocal.com
0 Comments
Memorial Day is a time to honor those who gave their lives in military service to our country, but it wasn't always that way. The tradition began after the Civil War, for honoring soldiers of both sides who had died. After World War I, the tradition was changed to honor all those Americans who died fighting in any war. It was officially made a holiday in 1971, giving us the three day weekend that has come to be associated with the beginning of summer, store sales, and barbecues. In recent years, communities have returned to the roots of this holiday, and it has regained some of the solemn feel of its origins. Oz has several parades and ceremonies to attend -- here are the details: Fredonia The Warren Kane American Legion Post 410 will hold a ceremony at Veterans Park at 9 a.m., with performances by the NOSD band, as well as musician Ann Weiss. Three World War II Veterans will be honored at the ceremony: Norm Jagow, Ken Hypki and Virgil Weinreich. Te guest speaker will be Jim Salamone, a formor Ozaukee High School band teacher. Belgium Memorial Day will begin with Mass at 8:30 a.m. at St. Mark's Lutheran Church at 200 Park St. The parade begins at 10:30 a.m. on Main St. at East Lane, followed by a program at Community Park at 11 a.m., located at 106 Beech St. The key speaker will be Graham Knowlton Ph.D., the lead suicide prevention coordinator at the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center in Milwaukee. A cookout will be held afterwards by the American Legion Melvin Wester Post 412. Saukville The Landt-Thiel American Legion Post 470 will hold a prayer service at Union Cemetery at 8 a.m., then lead the parade which begins at 9 a.m. from nearby Riverside Park and ends at Veterans Park on East Green Bay Ave. for a ceremony. Lunch will be served following the ceremony at the Legion Post at 601 S. Dekora St. Port Washington The parade begins at 10:30 a.m. from Wisconsin and Main Streets, and continues along Grand Ave. to Veterans Park on the lakefront for a program, where the Port Washington High School and Thomas Jefferson Middle School Band will play patriotic songs, along with a performance by PWHS's a cappella group, Limited Edition. Jim Johnson, the American Legion District 2 Commander and the Ozaukee County Sheriff, will be the key speaker. The Van Ells-Schanen American Legion Post 82 will provide hot dogs and ice-cream at the club house across from the park following the program. Grafton The parade will begin at 10:30 a.m. at the Grafton American Legion Rose Harms Post 335 and continue to Veteran's Memorial Park for a ceremony at 11 a.m.. A luncheon will be served at the Legion Hall following the ceremony. Cedarburg The Cedarburg American Legion will hold their annual parade, starting at 9 a.m. from Firemen's Park. The parade will be followed by a ceremony at the Peter Wollner Post 288 located at W57 N481 Hilbert Ave. Everyone is invited. Mequon/Thiensville The Howard J. Schroeder American Legion Post 457 will lead teh parade beginning at 10 a.m. at Grace Lutheran Church, and continuing to Mequon City Hall for a ceremony. Happy Memorial Day, everyone. The Saukville Historical Society will once again host the Crossroads Rendezvous this May 20-22, 2022 at Peninsula Park in Saukville, in which reenactors from across the Midwest, representing various people of the Fur Trade Era in Wisconsin from 1750-1840, will gather to create a “Living History Experience” for all ages. There are three participants from Ozaukee who are new to the event this year, though they all reside in Ozaukee County. Tom Melville of Cedarburg, a professional cricket player and historian, will be teaching North America’s first ball game, which has been played here since 1709 and in Wisconsin since the 1830’s, on the Friday School Day, as well as Saturday at the event. Melville is the author of two books on the subject of cricket: The Tented Field: A History of Cricket in America and Early Baseball and the Rise of the National League. Melville spends most of his summer travelling to historical reenactments to share his favorite sport. Carol Boettcher, also from Cedarburg, will be presenting “The Dancing Master.” Boettcher was a principal performing dancer with a SE WI colonial era dance group for 20 years and a civil war dance ensemble for 10 years. She was the dance instructor for West Side Victorian Dancers for 3 years, a group which raised money for military veteran charities. Boettcher will explore the early American social scene through the prism of dance and the English Dancing Master, demonstrating a minuet and inviting the public to engage in an easy colonial social dance. Her presentations are at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. in the big tent on the Saturday of the event. Richard J. Gonzalez, M.A., of Grafton, is a member of the Iroquois Confederation, Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, and the Turtle clan. His tribal name “Loliwayntati” means “He Who Brings the Good Word.” He is a Native American scholar/historian/artist and retired school principal who has administered schools within special education, elementary, and middle school levels. Gonzalez will be doing a special lunchtime presentation between 11 a.m. and noon during the Friday School Day on the Fur Trade in Wisconsin. "We are so lucky to have such dedicated and talented people in our own community," said Mary Boyle, Crossroads Organizer. "I am so excited to have them at the event and to share their experience with visitors." The Crossroads Rendezvous is hosted by the Saukville Historical Society, a 501(c)(3) organization. Friday, May 20, is a School Day for area students, and runs from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, May 21, the event is open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, May 22, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to take the free shuttle from U-Haul, located at 835 Green Bay Ave. in Saukville, as parking at Peninsula Park is extremely limited. For more information, contact Mary Boyle, Co-Organizer, at (262) 288-1839 or info@CrossroadsRendezvous.org, or go to the Crossroads Rendezvous website at www.CrossroadsRendezvous.org, or on Facebook.com/CrossroadsRendezvous. By Mary Boyle Live theatre, among all of the things hit hard by the pandemic, was hit very hard, as it truly requires an audience sitting close together in front of the stage to reach its full affect. Traditionally, live theatre is not filmed for mass consumption; it is so rarely done that Hamilton may have been the first filmed live theatre performance even the most ardent theatre supporter has seen. Over the course of the pandemic, many companies worked to use both film and, with some success, zoom to continue their craft, with the goal being to return to live theatre as soon as possible. Thankfully, most of our local theatre companies are fully reopened as we near the end of this year's season, and Forward Theater in Madison is one of them; however, they are also one of the few companies who understood that the filmed version of a live theatre performance might still appeal to some audiences, and may have the additional affect of broadening their audience base. Their last production of the season, Russian Troll Farm: A Workplace Comedy by Sarah Gancher, may be viewed from wherever you have a screen and an internet connection and, though it's still not quite the same as being in the audience, it's the next best thing (and you don't have to dress up or find parking). Directed by Jennifer Uphoff Gray, Forward's Artistic Director, Russian Troll Farm is a story of one possible version of the events that led up to the 2016 presidential election in the United States. The story takes place at the Internet Research Agency in St. Petersburg, a real organization run by Russian oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin, where we meet some of the employees: Egor (Casem AbuLughod), Steve (Andrew Rathgeber), Nikolai (Scott Haden), Masha (Cassandra Bissell), and their supervisor, Lluba (Sarah Day). Their job? To get Donald Trump elected in the 2016 presidential election in the US through the use of fake social media accounts and propaganda. Under the watchful eye of Lluba, Egor, silent and diligent, is driven to meet his quotas and win a microwave, while Steve is loud, obnoxious and convinced he is "rescuing Russian culture from Western corruption." Nikolai, meanwhile, takes a different view and can't help but feel that his storytelling work is an art form. Their office life changes when a new employee, Masha, a former journalist who believed in telling the truth, joins their ranks. Like THE AMATEURS earlier this season, Russian Troll Farm is filmed in front of a live theatre audience, so you are experiencing it as they are in terms of sound, but it's as if you had the best seats in the house because you get a closer view. Audiences need to know that there is a lot of strong language in this production; you will be comfortable with the "F" word by the time you are done, if you weren't already. By and large, the play is a comedy with plenty of laugh out loud moments, but there is an undercurrent in the show that isn't funny, at all. In part, this is because the playwright is trying to not so subtly demonstrate the lack of certain freedoms in Russia that we take for granted, here, but also because the playwright is suggesting that Russian propaganda is solely what caused Trump to win the 2016 election, which makes the play, itself, feel a bit like propaganda. Forward Theater is known for choosing culturally relevant productions that create important dialogue and conversation, which is something I truly respect about them. I see a lot of live theatre, and plenty of it that has made me uncomfortable, which can be a good thing. We all need to take a close look at our beliefs and assumptions, now and then. This play made me uncomfortable in a very different way, though. The production, from a technical standpoint, was great: the actors all delivered amazing performances; the set design, costumes and lighting were all very good; but, in our country where everyone is increasingly divided, particularly by political lines, this play seemed to increase that divide instead of seeking to bridge the gap. Ultimately, the audience will need to be the judge of that; to judge it, you need to see it. RUSSIAN TROLL FARM: A WORKPLACE COMEDY runs through May 8th at The Playhouse at Overture Center, located at 201 State Street in downtown Madison. Tickets may be purchased online at www.ForwardTheater.com or by calling 608-234-5001. Purchase digital tickets for the filmed version here. About Forward Theater Forward Theater Company is a not-for-profit professional theater company founded to provide exceptional theater experiences for area audiences and give professional actors, designers, and directors an artistic home in Madison, Wisconsin. Forward Theater was founded on a commitment to the civic and cultural life of our community and works to support area artist, theater students and Wisconsin playwrights. Forward Theater Company is proud be a resident organization in the beautiful Overture Center for the Arts, providing opportunities for artists and audiences to explore great dramas and provoke conversations about the issues that matter the most. We are proud to partner with groups like Wisconsin Wrights, Overture Center for the Arts, the University of Wisconsin , Madison Department of Theatre and Drama, American Players Theatre, The Wisconsin Story Project, Wisconsin Public Radio, Dane County Libraries, the Wisconsin Historical Society, and Milwaukee Chamber Theatre to bring exciting, engaging, and challenging theater experiences to an ever increasing audience. By Mary Boyle When my children were young, we heard the story about a little girl named Alex who had cancer. Alex spent most of her young life with doctors and in hospitals; she knew that they needed money to fund research to help find a cure, so she decided to help them. Because she was just very young, the way she decided to help them was by having a lemonade stand. While it may seem a futile gesture, word about Alex's lemonade stand grew fast. Alex made a lofty goal: to raise one million dollars for childhood cancer research. Her and her family hosted the first Lemonade Days, where people from across the country held lemonade stands to help the cause, and in 2004 they did it: they raised one million dollars. Shortly afterwards, Alex passed away. She was only 8 years old. After my children heard that story, they wanted to hold a lemonade stand for Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, so we held a stand of our own during Lemonade Days for two years in a row, and it was a great experience. When people hear Alex's story, they are inspired to help, so I was very excited to hear that author, actor, and Resident Playwright at First Stage, James DeVita, had written a play about Alex, which is making its World Premier here in Milwaukee. The play is called THE AMAZING LEMONADE GIRL, and it is as amazing and powerful as the little girl who inspired it. DeVita, a core member at American Players Theatre in Spring Green, has been seen on many a Milwaukee stage, and so has his writing; in fact, his brilliant play, A MIDNIGHT CRY, was also a World Premier with First Stage in 2014. Both plays are a testament to what Youth Theatre can be: stirring, emotional and fearlessly tackling tough subjects, such as slavery and death. While this topic, on the outside, may seem too heavy for a young audience, I would argue that it does exactly what live theatre was designed to do: to create empathy; to help guide audiences through these tough emotions by allowing them to experience those emotions through the characters on the stage. Please don't think that you need to have a child with cancer, to know a child with cancer, or to have any close contact with cancer to benefit from seeing this play; while people in those situations will very likely find this play to be therapeutic, this is a play for everyone. Directed by Molly Rhode, THE AMAZING LEMONADE GIRL features an adult cast of three of Milwaukee's favorites, including Rick Pendzich and Karen Estrada, who were just recently in The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors with First Stage, and James Carrington, who families may remember as Gerald the Elephant from Elephant & Piggie's "We Are In A Play!" with First Stage First Steps. The role of Alex is double cast and played by Pietja Dusek in the Blue Cast and Maia Scherman, of Grafton, in the Purple Cast. There are two other young performers in each cast, including Andrew Kindler and Nala Patel, who is from Mequon, in the Blue Cast and Sanaiah Hibbler and Liam Jeninga in the Purple Cast. I cannot lie: you are going to want to bring tissues with you for this one. This play will break your heart, but you must let it, because we think we already know the story of Alexandra Flynn Scott and we think it's all bad, but that isn't true. Near the beginning of the play, the actor who plays Alex explains that everyone has a story and all stories have the good and the bad; telling all the good or all the bad doesn't do the story justice. There is a lot of bad in the beginning of Alex's story, but her story didn't end when she left this place – her story is still being told: with every play, with every lemonade stand, with every child who has been helped by the research that ALSF has funded. The story just keeps getting better. Best of all, anyone can be a part of it. THE AMAZING LEMONADE GIRL runs through May 15th at Marcus Center’s Todd Wehr Theater, located at 929 N. Water Street in Milwaukee. Tickets start at $21 and may be purchased at firststage.org or through the Marcus Center Box Office, in person at 929 N. Water Street in downtown Milwaukee, or by phone at (414) 273-7206 or toll free at (888) 612-3500. The number for TDD (for deaf and hard of hearing patrons) is (414) 273-3080. Special events for THE AMAZING LEMONADE GIRL Pay What You Choose Performance: Friday, April 29, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. Pay What You Choose tickets are available on a first come, first served basis with a minimum suggested donation of $5 per person. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. on the day of the performance. Patrons are encouraged to arrive early. firststage.org/events-tickets/tickets-offers/pay-what-you-choose/ ASL Interpreted Performance: Sunday, May 15, 2022 at 4:00 p.m. This performance will be sign language interpreted for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing. Assistive listening devices are also available at the Todd Wehr Theater. firststage.org/plan-your-visit/accessibility/sign-language-interpreted-performances/ Sensory Friendly Performance: Saturday, April 30, 2022 at 4 p.m. A Sensory Friendly Performance with accommodations for families with children on the autism spectrum will take place on Saturday, April 30 at 4 p.m. Sensory accommodations include lower sound, house lights up, a quiet area staffed by an educator experienced with the care of students on the autism spectrum and other developmental differences, and more. Tickets for Sensory Friendly Performances are $10. Order by phone at (414) 267-2961, weekdays 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. to reserve tickets. To learn more visit: firststage.org/plan-your-visit/sensory-friendly-performances/. About First Stage First Stage is one of the nation’s leading theaters for young people and families. First Stage touches hearts, engages minds and transforms lives by creating extraordinary theater experiences through professional theater productions that inspire, enlighten and entertain. Its Theater Academy, the nation’s largest high-impact theater training program for young people, fosters life skills through stage skills and serves nearly 2,000 students each year. As Wisconsin’s leader in arts-integrated education in schools, First Stage’s dynamic Theater in Education programs promote literacy, character building and experiential learning throughout the curriculum, serving over 20,000 students each year. First Stage was selected to participate in the Partners in Education program of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (2012) and was the recipient of the Milwaukee Business Journal’s Eureka Award, recognizing creativity and innovation in business, education and the arts for its Next Steps program for students on the autism spectrum (2013, 2015). First Stage is a member of TYA/USA, the American Alliance for Theatre and Education, the Wisconsin Alliance for Arts Education, Milwaukee Arts Partners and is a cornerstone member of the United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF). firststage.org The first Earth Day was April 22nd, 1970, and it was the beginning of the modern environmental movement. The passage of the landmark Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act and many other groundbreaking environmental laws soon followed. Twenty years later, Earth Day went global, mobilizing 200 million people in 141 countries and lifting environmental issues onto the world stage. More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world, but you don't have to participate globally -- there are many ways to do it locally! To kick off Earth Day in Oz, Traditions on the Green is hosting Earth Day at the Mequon Public Market on Sunday, April 10th from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Enjoy a water bar, live music, prizes, and kids can take home a pea plant. The Mequon Nature Preserve has a whole week of Earth Day events, beginning with two events for young children: a screening of the movie The Lorax on Monday, April 18th at 10 a.m. and followed by a craft, hike and storytime for kids at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, April 19th. Wednesday, April 20th, as part of the Brown Bag Lunch Series at MNP, Kat Erickson, Professor at MATC, will present "Environment is Where We All Meet: The Beginning of Human Connection to the Earth." On Earth Day, Friday, April 22nd, anyone ages 12 and up can participate in a Land Restoration Work Day at MNP. The Milwaukee Riverkeeper has their 27th Annual Spring River Cleanup from 9- noon on Saturday, April 23rd in locations all over southeastern Wisconsin, including Grafton, Saukville, Newburg and Fredonia. Milwaukee Riverkeeper provides the gloves, trash bags, and amazing FREE T-SHIRTS, and you provide the hands and energy to pick up the interesting and sometimes bizarre trash that finds its way into our beautiful river system. Afterwards, attend Rock the Green at the Harley Davidson Museum in Milwaukee for live music and more. In Port Washington, the WJ Niederkorn Library is hosting a Native Tree Giveaway from 9 a.m. - noon at the library and 1-4 p.m. at upper Lake Park. In Saukville, Riveredge is hosting an Earth Day Summit for Teens on Saturday, April 23rd from 2-5 p.m. Groups and organizations are encouraged to sign up, but individuals may, as well. Also in Saukville on Saturday, dumpsters will be available for a Spring Clean Up at 649 S. Main St. between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Residents may drop off one large piece of furniture, carpeting, small amounts of construction debris, one box spring and mattress and appliances such as air conditioning units, microwaves, dehumidifiers, dishwashers, ovens, refrigerators, freezers, washers, dryers and water heaters. They cannot accept cardboard, batteries, waste oil, paints, liquids, hazardous waste, recyclables, lawn waste, iron, tires, concrete, bricks or electronics, such as computers, monitors, printers, or telephones with video displays. It's not exactly for Earth Day, but Ozaukee residents should know that Ozaukee County will also have a Community Recycling Event on Saturday, April 30th at Firemen's Park in Cedarburg and the Ozaukee Land & Water Management offers the Clean Sweep Program on May 14th from 8 a.m. - noon at the Ozaukee County Highway Shop, located at 1221 Hilltop Drive in the Town of Cedarburg. This program allows residents a chance to properly dispose of hazardous waste, old tires, electronics, and appliances. There is a $20 registration fee per vehicle for hazardous waste, but registration is not required for other items, though some disposal fees may apply. Happy Earth Day, Oz! Whether you're looking for a place for Easter Brunch, the best local places to fill your Easter Baskets, or for a chance to meet the Easter Bunny, we've got you covered! Easter Events Port Washington has their annual Hippity Hop Easter Egg Hunt and Downtown Treat Hop on Saturday, April 9th from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Kids 12 and under and their families can join in the egg hunt, get their photo taken with the Easter Bunny, participate in a Story Walk or Sing Along at Upper Lake Park anytime between 10 a.m.and noon. Then, "hop" to downtown Port, where many of the local businesses will be handing out additional treats between 11 and 1 p.m. On Saturday, April 9th, Grafton Park & Rec has their 28th Annual Egg Hunt at Centennial Park. Pictures with the Easter Bunny will available between 12:30 and 1, and the hunt will begin at 1 p.m. sharp — don't forget your basket! Adults can join in on a Festive Easter Candy Class in Cedarburg on Wednesday, April 13th from 6-8 p.m. Suburban Motors Harley-Davidson are having an Easter Egg Hunt in Thiensville on Saturday, April 16th from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Belgium will have their Easter Egg Hunt at Heritage Park, 11 a.m. sharp, on Saturday, April 16 for children 10 and under. Bring your Easter Baskets and meet the Easter Bunny! Saukville will have their annual Easter Egg Hunt at Grady Park on Saturday, April 16th from 10 a.m. - noon. Easter Brunch Easter Brunch is a time-honored tradition, yet they're harder to find in post-pandemic Oz. In Saukville, The Bog is having an Easter Brunch in The Barn between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. In Port Washington, the Singing Salmon Saloon is having Easter Brunch on Sunday, April 10th from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. with hot ham and rolls and photos with the Easter Bunny, himself. Easter Candy If you're in need of Easter Candy, you're in luck! Amy's Candy Kitchen and Ashley's Confectionary in Cedarburg have great selections. Sweet Trio in Grafton and The Chocolate Chisel in Port have plenty of chocolate bunnies to go around, as well. In Mequon, you want to check out the Cocoa Tree Confectionary. Happy Easter from Ozaukee Living Local! National Library Week (April 3 - 9, 2022) is a time to celebrate our libraries, and we are very lucky to have so many great libraries to appreciate in Oz! First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and observed in libraries across the country each April. All types of libraries - school, public, academic and special - participate. There are some people who believe that libraries are no longer useful, now that most people have computers; why, who needs physical books when they can be read digitally on devices such as tablets and even our phones? Thankfully, that idea couldn't be further from the truth. Despite all of our technology, libraries have become the heart of communities; one of the last places where citizens of all ages can spend time and get resources without the need to purchase anything. In fact, assisting people with technology is just one of the many resources our libraries provide. In Ozaukee County, our libraries offer so much more than books. Events such as storytimes for young families to book clubs for adults, as well as movie screenings, speakers, concerts, workshops, and clubs for all ages are just some of the offerings. You can check out movies, use computers, get free Wi-Fi; in fact, at the Port Washington library you can even get seeds for your garden, and at the Cedarburg Library you can use a 3D Printer and neither will cost you anything! Free tax help, art galleries for our local students, and a massive amount of online resources, from learning a new language to auto repair, as well as being a community gathering space; honestly, we need our libraries more than ever. Not familiar with your local library? This is the week to correct that. Click on the links below and see what the Libraries of Oz have to offer! Are you living in a place in Oz that doesn't have a local library? Luckily, Ozaukee is part of the Monarch Library System, which means we have the Monarch Bookmobile, a library that comes to you! View the Monarch Bookmobile schedule here. W. J. Niederkorn Library in Port Washington Grafton Public Library Frank L. Weyenberg Library in Mequon Oscar Grady Library in Saukville Cedarburg Public Library CPL will be celebrating Library Appreciation Week with a photo op in the Maker Lab! Take a "shelfie" with your favorite book while posing in the hanging picture frame and share it with us at #CedarburgPublicLibrary or #NationalLibraryWeek. Be sure to fill out a notecard while you're here and tell us how you connect with the Cedarburg Public Library. Also, don't forget that replacement library cards at the Check-Out Desk will also be FREE the whole month of April (normally cost $3 for a replacement card). Come join in the fun! By Mary Boyle Almost exactly two years ago, I headed off to the Todd Wehr Theater in Milwaukee, as I had done countless times over the prior five years, to review a performance by First Stage, Milwaukee's premier theatre company for young people and their families. Little did I know that it would be the last major indoor theatre performance in Milwaukee I would be seeing for the next two years. The production I saw was the World Premiere of THE LEGEND OF ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS, and I thought it was brilliant; but, before I could write the review, First Stage announced, like so many other theatre companies, that it was shutting down the production because of the pandemic. Two years later, almost to the day, I finally made my way back to Todd Wehr Theater to see this hysterical little musical, based on the book by Drew Daywalt (author of The Day the Crayons Quit), and I still think it is brilliant. The story is the imagined origin of a game we all have played: Rock, Paper, Scissors; as told by the narrator and the three "warriors" who long to meet their match and worthy opponent in battle. John Maclay, who wrote the book and lyrics and is a Resident Playwright at First Stage, is a master at turning children's books into children's theatre, several of which have been produced at First Stage, including Anatole, Nancy Drew and her Biggest Case Ever, and Nate the Great. In the case of Rock, Paper, Scissors, Maclay and partner, Eric Nordin, who wrote the music and lyrics, kept all of the brilliant pro-wrestling drama and butt-joke humor of the book and brought it to life on the stage (complete with giant underpants), but added plenty of dad jokes and nods to adult pop culture that make this children's musical every bit as entertaining to the parents and grandparents in the theater. Thankfully, much of the original cast and crew from the first run were able to return to this season's production, including Director Kelly Doherty, who you may remember as Miss Trunchbull in the First Stage production of Matilda the Musical. I really can't tell which actor I love more, but both Rick Pendzich, as Rock, and Karen Estrada, as Scissors, are Milwaukee gems who give absolutely inspired and hysterically funny performances. Each warrior (Rock, Paper, and Scissors, as well as others) has a musical genre attached to them and, of course, Rock is what might happen if Gene Simmons of Kiss and a boulder had a love child. Scissors, meanwhile, has a Flamenco flair and Paper, played this season by Austin Nelson, Jr., is straight R&B. I would be remiss if I didn't note Sidney Kirkegaard's performance as Roll of Tape in Plastic Dispenser. You just have to see it. As our warriors search out worthy opponents through such places as the Land of Backyard and Mom's Home Office, their story is helped along by the Announcer (Eloise Field in the Chicken Nugget Cast and Max Larson in the Trail Mix Cast, who were both in the original), as well as a cast of young performers (Young Performer roles are double cast. Trail Mix Cast includes: Aiden Toth, Daisha Lafford (as Peach), Rebekah Michel, Costello Mylott, Sailor Ames, Greta Carlson, Vivian Madson and Evie Patrick. Chicken Nugget Cast includes: Abram Nelson, Naima Gaines (as Peach); Josephine Van Slyk, Kyra Mathias, Annie Sturtz, Ryan Bennett, Lucy Irwin and Eloise Bejma.). THE LEGEND OF ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS is a delightful introduction to musical theatre for kids between the ages of 4 and 12 and the perfect performance for the whole family to enjoy. This production runs through April 3rd at the Marcus Center's Todd Wehr Theater, located at at 929 North Water Street in downtown Milwaukee. Tickets are available at https://www.firststage.org/ or by calling (414) 267-2961. Special events for THE LEGEND OF ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS Pay What You Choose Performance: Friday, March 11, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. Pay What You Choose tickets are available on a first come, first served basis with a minimum suggested donation of $5 per person. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. on the day of the performance. Patrons are encouraged to arrive early. To learn more visit: firststage.org/events-tickets/tickets-offers/pay-what-you-choose/ Sensory Friendly Performance: Saturday, March 12, 2022 at 4 p.m. A Sensory Friendly Performance with accommodations for families with children on the autism spectrum will take place on Saturday, March 12 at 4 p.m. Sensory accommodations include lower sound, house lights up, a quiet area staffed by an educator experienced with the care of students on the autism spectrum and other developmental differences, and more. Tickets for Sensory Friendly Performances are $10. Order by phone at (414) 267-2961, weekdays 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. to reserve tickets. To learn more visit: firststage.org/plan-your-visit/sensory-friendly-performances/. ASL Interpreted Performance: Sunday, April 3, 2022 at 4:00 p.m. This performance will be sign language interpreted for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing. Assistive listening devices are also available at the Todd Wehr Theater. To learn more visit: firststage.org/plan-your-visit/accessibility/sign-language-interpreted-performances/ About First Stage First Stage is one of the nation’s leading theaters for young people and families. First Stage touches hearts, engages minds and transforms lives by creating extraordinary theater experiences through professional theater productions that inspire, enlighten and entertain. Its Theater Academy, the nation’s largest high-impact theater training program for young people, fosters life skills through stage skills and serves nearly 2,000 students each year. As Wisconsin’s leader in arts-integrated education in schools, First Stage’s dynamic Theater in Education programs promote literacy, character building and experiential learning throughout the curriculum, serving over 20,000 students each year. First Stage was selected to participate in the Partners in Education program of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (2012) and was the recipient of the Milwaukee Business Journal’s Eureka Award, recognizing creativity and innovation in business, education and the arts for its Next Steps program for students on the autism spectrum (2013, 2015). First Stage is a member of TYA/USA, the American Alliance for Theatre and Education, the Wisconsin Alliance for Arts Education, Milwaukee Arts Partners and is a cornerstone member of the United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF). By Sara Dahmen Did anyone celebrate Imbolc earlier this month? We did, but barely – it’s a tricky fire feast here in Wisconsin because other than the slowly lengthening days, it’s still basically the deepness of winter around here. Sometimes I think these fire feasts were developed on some land that had a completely different understanding of “winter” months. Ha! And since we’re still in the thick of it, I’m sending you all my very favorite potion for telling a cold to ‘take a hike’ once you feel symptoms coming on. I’m guessing it will help with Covid-like symptoms, too. And then, I’m also including our family cut-out cookie recipe. It’s one from Old Germany and includes nutmeg and sour cream – it makes outstanding cookies. And since it’s February, we may as well make hearts to celebrate Valentine’s Day, even if it is just past – we could all use a little love! SOUR CREAM CUT OUT COOKIES This recipe is also available in my book, Copper Iron & Clay: A Smith’s Journey (available anywhere books are sold), and it has been in the family a long time – one of those recipes I have handwritten down from my mother’s handwritten recipe, which she got from HER mother’s handwritten recipe. These are the things we all try to preserve, is it not? They are quite fail-proof, and I always add a tad bit more nutmeg than it calls for. Makes about 3 dozen cookies (but honestly it feels like five, LOL;) I also bake these on my tin-lined copper cookie sheets because the even heat is awesome sauce. 1 cup shortening 2 cups sugar 1 cup full-fat sour cream 2 eggs, at room temperature 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg ¼ teaspoon kosher salt 4½ cups all-purpose flour, more as needed for rolling out the dough Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, cream the shortening and sugar. Add the sour cream and eggs to the shortening/sugar and mix until there are no lumps. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and mix together until smooth. Refrigerate the dough (covered) for at least 1 hour. (Sometimes I leave it overnight.) When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. On a heavily floured surface, roll out the dough to ¼-inch thick. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes of your choice. Place them on the baking sheet and bake for 9-12 minutes – watching to make sure you don’t overbake (unless you want crispy cookies, then let the very bottoms get medium-brown in the color). Cool cookies completely before frosting them! DENY-A-COLD TEA This concoction actually tastes pretty darn good – it’s like the healthier version of a hot toddy (and I suppose you totally could add whiskey or brandy to this, too!). This tea is NOT safe for children ages 12 and younger, as the garlic is too powerful for them. Drink 1.5 cups of this per day while cold symptoms exist – it’s especially effective if you can start drinking it right when you first get that itchy tickle in your throat or nose! 1 crushed garlic clove 1 Tbsp crushed fresh ginger root 1 tsp honey ¾ cup very warm water The juice of 1 freshly squeezed lemon Combine all ingredients, let sit for 5 minutes to combine, strain, and drink while still warm. About the Author Sara Dahmen is a coppersmith, award-winning author and novelist, and entrepreneur. Her expertise is of vintage and modern cookware; she manufactures pure metal kitchenware in her Port Washington, Wisconsin garage for her company, House Copper & Cookware. All of her current designs are based on American traditions and wares and are sourced in the USA. When unable to recreate traditional elements, she uses only small family owned and operated makers or Armed Forces veterans to help with the production of her cookware pieces. Her work also includes refurbishing and restoring old and damaged copper using vintage tools. Learn more about Sara at: https://www.saradahmen.com/ Order Sara's book! Full color, hard-cover COPPER IRON AND CLAY (Morrow/HarperCollins) |
Archives
March 2024
Categories
All
|