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CooperaN

COOPERATIVE

News

Wisconsin

ENERGY Cooperative

contents February 2019

News

Anxious about ADEQUACY

Reliability watchdog eyes plant retirements.

4 6 15 28 30

Past and FUTURE

Co-ops cultivate a sense of community.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Old photo prompts gratitude.

NEWS BRIEFS

New PSC chair named.

MY CO-OP

Find out whatâ€™s happening at your local electric cooperative.

Wisconsin

FAVORITES

Museum explores Birkebeiner ski race history.

RECIPES

Warm up with these breakfast dishes.

Kids and

CRITTERS

Cute co-op kids get cozy with their critters.

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

With face time, elected officials learn unique co-op needs.

Consumers per mile of power line

CLASSIFIEDS

Buy, sell, and trade with readers from across Wisconsin.

EVENTS

Find your February fun.

cooperative-owned power lines

investor-owned utility power lines

municipal utility power lines

February 2019

WECN Feb19TOC.indd 1

1/18/19 11:44 AM

LETTER FROM

THE EDITOR Ice-sock-les

The stomach flu recently swept through our house, and with a family of five, the piles of laundry were more mountains than piles. I assured myself that the “saniDana Kelroy, Editor tize” setting on both my washer and dryer would end the scourge, as the combo whooshed and tumbled continuously for days. I am fortunate to have always had a clothes dryer in my life. Sure, I’ve opted for the clothesline on breezy summer days, but the speed and convenience of the dryer has always been an option for me. But many readers will remember the days when the first clothes dryer entered their home. I can only imagine how that, and many other electric appliances, transformed the scope of housework when first introduced into the rural Wisconsin home. This, of course, was all made possible by electric cooperatives stringing lines where no investor-owned utility could be bothered to go, and bringing power to these new, time-saving appliances. In the January 1962 edition of this publication, a story titled “How to get your husband to buy an electric dryer” appeared on the Bayfield Electric Cooperative local pages. With it ran a photo of a Wisconsin housewife hanging a sheet on a frigid clothesline, with (presumably) frozen socks spelling out an S.O.S. of “HELP.” Occasionally, we run “Throwback Thursday” pictures on our Wisconsin Energy Cooperative News Facebook page because it’s fun—and often enlightening— to look at snapshots of life in the 1940s, ’50s, and ’60s. But sometimes these pictures also provide a healthy dose of gratitude for the conveniences of today’s world, many of them courtesy of electric co-ops. Follow us on Facebook to see more historical photos, energy efficiency tips, and information of interest to Wisconsin readers.

February 2019 Vol. 79 No. 8 The Wisconsin Energy Cooperative News (Formerly Wisconsin R.E.C. News) has been published monthly and distributed since July 1940 to members of Wisconsin’s non-profit, consumer-owned rural electric cooperatives. It is available to non-members for $10 per year or $28 for three years. Members pay $6.93 per year. Published by the Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association, 222 W. Washington Ave., Ste. 680, Madison, WI 53703. Steve Freese, president & CEO. USPS number: 688-480. Postmaster: please send address changes to Wisconsin Energy Cooperative News, 222 W. Washington Ave., Ste. 680, Madison, WI 53703. Periodicals postage paid at Baraboo, Wis. Send correspondence to Wisconsin Energy Cooperative News, 222 W. Washington Ave., Ste. 680, Madison, WI 53703. Phone (608) 467-4650. Web site: www.wecnmagazine.com. Co-op Members: Please send address changes to your local electric co-op. Contact information can be found on page 18. Steve Freese Dana Kelroy Mary Erickson David Hoopman Ann Bailey Dylan Pingitore Geri Miller

This photo ran in the January 1962 Bayfield Electric Cooperative pages of this publication with a story titled, “How to get your husband to buy an electric dryer.” If you recognize this Wisconsin housewife, please comment on our Facebook page.

WECA president & CEO editor associate editor contributing writer graphic designer editorial assistant advertising consultant

For advertising opportunities please email ads@weca.coop. The appearance of advertising does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services advertised. We reserve the right to refuse advertisers. Please recycle

Wisconsin Energy Cooperative News

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12/20/18 12:27 PM 1/4/19 8:29 AM

NEWS BRIEFS EPA DISAVOWS MERCURY RULE RATIONALE

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to scrap its finding that regulating electric generating units under its Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) is “appropriate and necessary.” It took that position in 2016 after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the agency adopted the rule illegally four years earlier without properly considering costs of compliance. In the 2012 rulemaking, the EPA said compliance would cost $9.8 billion annually—as much as 2,450 times the claimed $4 million to $6 million benefit from mercury reduction. The agency sought to justify the disparity by claiming annual “co-benefits” of $37 billion to $90 billion attributed mainly to reducing particulate emissions already covered by other regulations. The American Public Power Association, Edison Electric Institute, and National Rural Electric Cooperative Association have urged retention of the existing MATS rule, citing $18 billion already spent and all affected plants now retired or compliant.

NEW PSC CHAIR NAMED

Governor Tony Evers announced he would nominate Milwaukee attorney Rebecca Cameron Valcq to fill a vacancy on the state’s Public Service Commission (PSC) upon taking office last month. Once confirmed by the state senate, Valcq will succeed Ellen Nowak chairing the three-member utility regulatory panel. Nowak, who returned to the PSC in November after a stint as secretary of the Department of Administration, previously chaired the commission between 2015 and last February. She is serving a term that runs until 2023, but appointment of the chair is the governor’s prerogative and the change of administration will also change who holds the chair. Valcq has served 15 years as regulatory counsel to Milwaukee-based WE Energies and has represented the utility before the PSC and advised management on regulatory compliance. 6

COUNCIL FAULTS SECURITY PLANNING

Business and government leaders evaluating infrastructure security advised the White House in December that the U.S. power grid’s vulnerability to cyberattack represents a “profound risk [that] requires a new national focus.” The National Infrastructure Advisory Council said existing response plans “would be outmatched by a catastrophic power outage” with large parts of the nation lacking electricity for weeks or months, and cascading failures of water utilities, com-

NEW TRANSMISSION LINE ENERGIZED

The Badger Coulee transmission line between the La Crosse area and Dane County was energized in December as part of the regional electric system, the American Transmission Company (ATC) announced. The 345-kilovolt line will help ensure electric reliability and provide access to lower-cost power and renewable energy, ATC said, noting that along with other projects in a related portfolio, Badger-Coulee will help enable delivery of 25 gigawatts of renewable power. The project is one of 17 designated as multi-value projects by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO).

munications, fuel, health care, and financial services. The report recommended greater “individual preparedness,” suggesting people keep sufficient essentials on hand to survive 14 days in their homes. It called for intensified planning by government and private sector entities to improve capabilities for recovering from a cyberattack or natural disaster such as a geomagnetic storm disabling portions of the grid.

The regional grid overseer anticipates those projects delivering as much as $52.6 billion in net economic benefits over the next 20 to 40 years while enabling use of as much as 41 million megawatt hours of wind generation annually, ATC said. Construction of the 180-mile, $580 million line started in 2016 following Public Service Commission approval in April 2015. The project was developed jointly by ATC and Xcel Energy. Dairyland Power Cooperative, Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency – Wisconsin, and WPPI Energy are part-owners.

REGULATORS ENDORSE REVISED WATER RULE

The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) has voiced approval of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers joint proposal to rewrite the definition of “waters of the United States” regulated under the Clean Water Act. NARUC President Nick Wagner issued a statement saying his organization had called for withdrawal of the 2015 version of the rule, asked for a “less expansive rule that respected state authority,” and asked for changes based on a cost-benefit analysis. The revised rule “responds to each of those concerns,” Wagner said. An earlier NARUC resolution said the 2015 version of the “waters” rule would obstruct power providers “implementing necessary infrastructure improvements” and cited a Government Accountability Office finding that the EPA violated anti-lobbying

provisions of federal law by using social media to suppress criticism of its 2015 rulemaking. Electric cooperatives objected to the 2015 rule over concerns that it would regulate vast areas of dry land as “waters of the United States” and could require federal permitting for routine maintenance over ditches where water may flow intermittently. A 2015 analysis by the American Farm Bureau Federation found that under the then-current version of the rule, 92 percent (32.9 million out of 35.9 million acres) of Wisconsin’s entire landmass could be brought under federal regulation as “waters of the United States.” Inconsistent rulings by various federal judges prevented enforcement of the rule in about half the states, while allowing its implementation in the remaining half.

Wisconsin Energy Cooperative News

WECN Feb19NewsBriefs.indd 1

1/11/19 2:23 PM

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oon after last November’s elections Consumers per mile of power line the Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association, along with Dairyland Power Cooperative and local electric cooperatives, organized a series of informal meetings with the men and women chosen by voters to represent us in Madison. We also met with Wisconsin’s only new member of Congress, Bryan Steil, who succeeds Paul Ryan in Southeastern Wisconsin’s 1st congressional district. Our goal in these meetings is not to lobby on a legislative agenda, but to introduce and in some cases reintroduce the freshly elected lawmakers to their cooperative-owned investor-owned utility municipal utility local electric co-ops and the people who power lines power lines power lines work for them and those who lobby on their behalf in Madison and Washington, D.C. Experience shows that such meetFor example, when legislative bodies considings, held early in a legislator’s career, present er policy choices that would increase the cost of an opportunity for us to get to know each other using energy for Wisconsin farmers, businesses, when no one is asking for anything. and rural families, it’s important that they know That kind of setting helps build trust. And at household income in areas served by electric cothe same time, helping lawmakers understand ops is 12 percent below the national average. how our co-ops serve the energy needs of their This challenge is further complicated for constituents helps them later on, when the time co-op members because cooperatives—necescomes for making informed decisions. sarily—own 43 percent of the nation’s power Our goal in representing your cooperatives lines but serve only about 11 percent of the is to help keep your electric rates affordable and population. On average, cooperatives serve your service reliable. Building a lawmaker’s un- seven members per mile of line, compared with derstanding of the unique character of the areas investor-owned utilities which have 35 customand members our co-ops serve is an essential ers per mile of line and municipal utilities with part of carrying out that mission. 47 per mile of line. This adds up to significantly higher costs to serve sprawling co-op territories, far fewer consumers to share those costs, and far less revenue to cover the expense of building and maintaining the necessary infrastructure. It’s incumbent on us to help lawmakers understand these realities. Meetings for the purpose of getting to know one another will continue through this month. March and April will find your association lobbying actively when issues warrant, in both Madison and Washington, D.C. But the early priority has been to make sure the door is open for grassroots networking with the men and women who represent you in state and national government. I encourage you to do the same with your elected officials.

Steve Freese, freshman Congressman Bryan Steil, Rock Energy Cooperative CEO Shane Larson, and NRECA board member Larry Becker get acquainted at the Rock Energy Cooperative office.

Wisconsin Energy Cooperative News

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n its modern form—the one with regulatory teeth belatedly installed—the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) is the product of an Act of Congress adopted in response to the August 2003 grid failure that darkened seven eastern states and part of Canada; inconveniently, the part where most of our northern neighbor’s populace lives. The 2003 blackout, its westward progress halted at the edge of Illinois’ Commonwealth Edison system—one utility short of Wisconsin—was initiated by the garden-variety mishap of a FirstEnergy transmission line, ever so slightly lengthened by summer heat and heavy air-conditioning loads, sagging into indifferently-trimmed Ohio treetops and triggering outages cascading all the way to the East Coast, leaving some 55 million people in the dark for two days. Whether NERC ofﬁcials now yearn for happier times when poorly managed vegetation was the most fearsome threat to a reliable electric grid, no one has said. But the organization recently issued a report on a theme raised more than once during

Photo courtesy of Jolene Neisius, Dunn Energy Cooperative

ANXIOUS about ADEQUAC Y

America’s transition between different ways of producing and delivering energy. That would be the question of what pace can be considered safe in sidelining key components of the energy system we’ve long counted on and still do, for power exactly when it’s needed or wanted, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

A Receding Goal Line Last December 18, NERC issued its “Generation Retirement Scenario,” a report it referred to as a “Special Reliability Assessment.” An implicit conclusion to be drawn from the assessment is that the harder state, local, and federal policy makers try to make good on increasingly common promises to mandate “zero-carbon” electricity, the more natural gas-ﬁred generation capacity they’ll need to see added as insurance against system reliability problems. “Large-scale retirements would likely create the need for electric and natural gas infrastructure, expedited buildout of new generation and increased use of demand-side resources,”

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according to the assessment, referring, in the last instance, to coordinated reduction of power usage by retail energy consumers to bring consumption in line with production. The assessment does not portray the challenges for power providers as unmanageable. It examines coal-fired and nuclear generation retirements by 2025 already identified by NERC and the Energy Information Administration (a statistical arm of the Department of Energy,) and forecasts that were those retirements accelerated by just three years, all or parts of 14 states could fall below planning reserve margins and face “resource adequacy issues.” A NERC statement accompanying release of the assessment characterized the need for “risk-informed planning” as a normal part of managing power plant retirements, but added that “The pace of current change creates potential challenges to reliability that should be understood and addressed.” “Transmission upgrades or reinforcements, combined with new generation dispatch requirements and operating procedures, could be necessary to maintain the reliability of the bulk power system during the transition,” the NERC statement said. Regulatory flexibility will also be called for “to facilitate timely construction of new infrastructure or to accommodate short-term extension of generating units scheduled for retirement,” NERC said. The assessment did not find Wisconsin among the states most at risk from accelerated plant retirements. It indicated resource adequacy challenges were most likely to occur in the Carolinas, the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, Arizona, and parts of Arkansas, Missouri, and Texas. Were a reliability problem to occur in Wisconsin, the most probable instigator would be a repetition of the 2013-14 Polar Vortex episode, the assessment indicated, as the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) that oversees Wisconsin’s (and the region’s)

wholesale power market could expect to see its demand rise to 107 percent of normal, even after all load-control strategies were implemented. Under that scenario, the assessment projected, MISO could expect to see its coal-fired capacity derated by 15 percent in the bitter cold conditions, its gas by 30 percent, and all of its wind and solar capacity unavailable.

Criticism Abounds

The assessment’s release was greeted with scorn by a number of interest groups, who tended to characterize it as unrealistically based on assumed scenarios that are exceedingly unlikely to occur, and unworthy of consideration in any serious utility resource planning process. The most intense objections, however, appeared to be driven by concern that the assessment would be used to justify proposals for a federal bailout Morton_WIEnergy_2.19.qxp_Layout 1 12/21/18 of baseload coal and nuclear plants, an

idea that’s run into strong opposition even within the Trump administration where it originated. Utility Dive, an online industry newsletter, quoted Devin Hartman, CEO of the Electricity Consumers Resource Council, characterizing NERC’s accelerated retirement projections as a “dream world scenario” that’s impossible, given resource planning programs that are standard in most regional wholesale power markets. Ironically, even interest groups whose membership would presumably benefit from building infrastructure to ward off potential generation shortfalls found fault with the assessment. Utility Dive quoted an official of the Natural Gas Supply Association calling NERC’s retirement scenarios “too extreme to offer useful takeaways about reliability,” but adding, in an apparent reference to feared bailouts for competing coal or 9:54 AM Page 1

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nuclear plants, “Certainly, there is nothing here that warrants or supports the use of out-of-market actions.” Nevertheless, as far back as September 2014, long before anyone brought up the idea of federal market interventions aimed at rescuing the coal or nuclear industries, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) announced that retirements of coal-fired generation capacity were already occurring or scheduled at a faster pace than the upper limit of projections the agency reported just two years earlier. The trend continues. In the past few years, seven (emission-free!) U.S. nuclear units have closed well ahead of their scheduled license expirations, and roughly a dozen eastern and Midwestern nuclear units are either currently obtaining or are lobbying for taxpayer or ratepayer subsidies as the only alternative to early shutdowns. It can be vigorously debated how much of this is legitimate economics and how much is political rent-seeking, but it’s certainly true that a lot of generating capacity might cease functioning years before anyone involved in resource planning thought that would happen. Along with its overly modest plant retirement expectations back in 2012, the GAO issued recommendations that federal agencies with energy oversight responsibilities apply coordinated scrutiny “until at least 2017 to monitor the complexity of implementation and extent of potential effects on price and reliability.”

“In the past

few years,

December assessment report might well prove as unrealistic as the critics contend. But regrettably, so might some of the common and surprisingly carefree assumptions regarding the ease with which renewable generation can displace coal, gas, and nuclear in the nation’s energy mix. Energy production is not magic. Renewables, chiefly wind and solar, are usable when the weather or time of day (or night) permit—or not. That, and the problem of limited travel range for electric vehicles, is pretty much the whole reason for the quest to develop better battery storage. Pending some breakthrough no one has yet foreseen, it remains an uphill quest. Last summer, in an article whose first sentence clearly depicts natural gas-fired generation as a blight on the landscape, MIT Technology Review conceded that “Fluctuating solar and wind power require lots of energy storage, and lithium-ion batteries seem like the obvious choice—but they are far too expensive to play a major role.” At scales larger than the replacement of small, natural gas-fired “peaker” plants that run only when demand is highest, the MIT article says, “batteries run into real problems.” It cites a study that found “steeply diminishing returns” from coupling battery storage with renewables, calling the method a “weak substitute” for coal or gasfired combined-cycle plants “that can be tapped at any time, run continuously, and vary output levels to meet shifting demand throughout the day.” Feel free to take coal out of the equation; gas is supplanting it anyway and that seems unlikely to change. But before dismissing the need to make accommodations for reliability’s sake, remember that the Massachusetts Institute of Technology headlined its article, “The $2.5 trillion reason we can’t rely on batteries to clean up the grid.”—Dave Hoopman

seven (emission-free!) U.S. nuclear units

have closed WELL AHEAD OF

their scheduled

license expirations”

No Magic Answers

Key assumptions behind NERC’s

Nuclear Plant Early Retirements through 2019

-3,576 Mw -620 Mw -478 Mw -625 Mw

2013 2014 2016 2018

-1481 Mw 2019

Crystal River 3, FL -860 Mw San Onofre 2 & 3, CA -2,150 Mw Kewaunee, WI -566 Mw Vermont Yankee, VT -620 Mw Fort Calhoun, NE -478 Mw Oyster Creek, NJ -625 Mw Three Mile Island 1, PA -803 Mw Pilgrim, MA -678 Mw

6,780 Mw Total Lost Capacity Each Megawatt (Mw) is estimated to power 750 to 1,000 homes, so the early-retired nuclear capacity could power 5,085,000 to 6,780,000 U.S. homes.

Wisconsin Energy Cooperative News

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PAST AND FUTURE, A

Always Present CO-OPS CULTIVATE SENSE OF COMMUNITY

s much as we like to believe we can do something good and make it permanent, the world doesn’t work that way. Every day, fewer people remember when the only way to get electricity in rural America was to band together with neighbors—maybe a half-mile away in any direction—and organize an electric cooperative, putting down some of your own scarce cash and applying for a federal loan that—history conﬁrms—would surely be repaid. With the number of people holding those memories dwindling, electric cooperatives are challenged to maintain their relevance for generations who grew up already connected; to remind younger people why their co-ops are something special without becoming tiresome; to school future leaders in a vision of why their organizations exist—as one co-op manager often put it—to “look out for the little old lady down at the end of the line.” Some cooperatives are especially good at meeting this challenge. Every cooperative can be.

Connecting with the Connected

One way the Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association (WECA) and its member co-ops go about staying relevant in today’s more comfortable world is through the organization, sponsorship,

and presentation of the annual WECA Youth Leadership Congress, a three-day event held every July since 1964 at the University of Wisconsin–River Falls. Participants hear from motivational speakers, learn about co-op history, delve into cooperative business and governance issues, and perform team-building exercises, all with an eye toward understanding the co-op business model and its core value of community service. Many congress (YLC) alumni have gone on from that brief immersion in co-op lore to become long-term leaders among Wisconsin’s electric cooperatives. But with the swelling tide of babyboomer retirements affecting electric co-ops just like other businesses and industries, cultivating the successors to those leaders—successors grounded in an appreciation for the history and philosophy of the co-op movement— brings new importance to the YLC and other cooperative youth and education programming.

Upping the Outreach Much media attention is given nowadays to divisions between rural and urban America. No day passes without a few articles about disparities in internet access and career opportunities, and young, new graduates departing rural hometowns for cities, searching for economic advantage.

Rural electric cooperatives increasingly are focusing efforts on promoting co-op careers for young people, not to discourage their mobility but to help enhance the economic viability of the communities the co-ops serve. Last November the WECA annual meeting featured a panel sharing insights into methods of reaching out to young rural people, in the interest of attracting them to co-op employment and retaining their talents and commitment in the places where they grew up. One panelist was Deana Protz, public relations and communications specialist at Oakdale Electric Cooperative. Oakdale Electric is a key YLC participant, offering sponsorships to the event for up to six students from each of 12 high schools in the co-op’s service area. If a school has more than six students applying for its allotted sponsorships, an alternate can be picked from a waiting list to attend the YLC in the event of someone dropping out. About 35 Oakdale-area students have attended the congress in recent years, adding up to roughly one-ﬁfth the annual number of participants. And the Oakdale-sponsored students have made their mark. Every year, YLC attendees are encouraged to write essays on co-op themes, to be entered in a scholarship competition. In 2018, February 2019

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Oakdale Electric Cooperative students swept the 2018 WECA-sponsored essay contest, offered to students who attend the annual Youth Leadership Congress at UW-River Falls. Left to right are Clara Krause (left), a senior at Tomah High School, who took first place; Lizzy Patton (left), a senior at Mauston High School, took second place; and Adrian Rodriguez (center), a senior at Nekoosa High School, took third place. Deana Protz, public relations and communications specialist at Oakdale Electric Cooperative, shared Oakdale Electric’s youthengagement strategies during a panel discussion at the at the WECA annual meeting in November.

with entries from students sponsored by six electric co-ops, Oakdale students swept the three available awards. The winners had their sponsorship in common but came from three different schools. In her first-place essay, Tomah High School Senior Clara Krause wrote about the co-op principle of concern for community, reporting on specific activities of six individual cooperatives helping local civic institutions and people in need. Second-place winner Lizzie Patton, a senior at Mauston High School, also focused on concern for community, noting the strong connection of cooperative business principles with social responsibility. Adrian Rodriguez, a Nekoosa High School senior, earned the third-place award, crediting the YLC with putting the community role of cooperatives into an educational platform. Funded by the Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association, the awards are unrestricted: Winners can collect their scholarships upon proof of registration at any accredited college, university, or technical school, anywhere. Deana Protz told Wisconsin Energy Cooperative News Oakdale’s notable success in attracting students to the YLC is in part a result of the use of multiple media to promote participation. But she emphasizes that word of mouth and the co-op’s strong relationships with local schools have been the most effective tools in the box. 14

“Past attendees who are still in school are asked to talk up the YLC with younger students,” she notes, adding that promotions are placed in the co-op’s local pages that she prepares for this magazine, “on the co-op’s Facebook page, in monthly bill stuffers, on the co-op website and with our online bill-payment feature, and at the annual meeting.” Oakdale Electric also awards its own scholarships for winning essayists in the annual competition, along with other scholarships for non-traditional students, for people intending to pursue careers as electric lineworkers, and for one “at-large” student not attending an area school but from a family served by the cooperative as a seasonal member. In the weeks following her annual meeting presentation, Protz confirmed, at least two additional cooperatives—not among those that had students active in last year’s scholarship competition—inquired about adapting Oakdale’s methods to their efforts at promoting involvement in co-op youth and education programming.

The History We Know If the affairs of civil society grow increasingly chaotic, surely it is in part because we have paid insufficient attention to how we have conducted those affairs, and why. If electric cooperatives can better inform the next generation of leaders why they—the co-ops— exist and why they conduct themselves as they do, it isn’t unreasonable to hope positive effects will be felt far beyond the business of delivering energy.—Dave Hoopman

Wisconsin Energy Cooperative News

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1/4/19 2:43 PM

Winter Warming

Homemade Healthy Pancake Mix Basic Mix: 4 cups whole wheat pastry flour 1/2 cup of any or all of the following: powdered milk, corn meal, wheat germ, bran 1/4 cup of any or all of the following: potato flour, oat flour, coconut flour, buckwheat flour, sesame seeds In a large bowl, whisk together basic mix ingredients. Store in an airtight container in the freezer or refrigerator.

Pancakes: 1-1/2 cups basic mix 1 cup milk 1 Tbsp butter, melted 2 eggs 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt

Recipes and photos provided by Meggan Hill. www.culinaryhill.com.

BREAKFAST

To make pancakes, coat a skillet with nonstick spray, oil, or butter. Preheat skillet over medium-high heat. In a medium bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups basic mix, milk, melted butter, egg, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until smooth. Pour approximately 1/4 cup at a time onto skillet. When batter begins to bubble and the skillet-side of pancake is lightly browned, flip. Continue cooking until the second side is lightly browned, then remove to a plate. Repeat with remaining batter.

Wisconsin Energy Cooperative News

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Biscuits & Gravy Biscuits:

3 cups all-purpose flour 1 Tbsp sugar 1 Tbsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 8 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled 4 Tbsp vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled 1-1/4 cups buttermilk Gravy:

Recipes and photos provided by Meggan Hill. www.culinaryhill.com.

1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 tsp ground fennel seeds 1 tsp ground sage 1-1/2 tsp black pepper 1-1/2 lbs pork sausage 3 cups whole milk Salt

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, butter, and shortening together until mixture resembles coarse meal, approx. 15 pulses. Transfer to large bowl and stir in buttermilk until combined. On a lightly floured counter, turn out dough. Knead until smooth, approx. 8–10 times. Pat dough into 9-inch circle, approx. 3/4-inch thick. Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter dipped in flour, cut rounds of dough (do not twist cutter) and arrange on prepared baking sheet. Gather remaining dough, pat into 3/4-inch thick circle, and cut out remaining biscuits. (There should be 8 biscuits total). Bake until biscuits begin to rise, approx. 5 minutes, then rotate pan and reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees. Continue baking until golden brown, approx. 12–15 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and let cool. (Biscuits can be stored in zipper-lock bag for up to 2 days). In a small bowl, combine flour, fennel, sage, and pepper. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook sausage until no longer pink, approx. 8 minutes. Break up any clumps with a wooden spoon. Sprinkle flour mixture over sausage and cook, stirring constantly, until flour has been absorbed, approx. 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk and simmer until gravy has thickened, approx. 5 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Serve over split biscuits.

Sweet Potato Hash with Bacon 8 oz bacon 1 onion, diced 1 red bell pepper, diced 1/4 tsp salt 1/8 tsp pepper 2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch cubes 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme 1 loaf crusty bread or challah, sliced 3 tsp butter, softened, divided (plus additional for frying eggs) Eggs

In a large skillet, fry bacon until crisp, approx. 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a napkin-lined plate. Leave bacon fat in the skillet. Add onion, red pepper, salt, pepper, and sweet potatoes. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and the sweet potatoes begin to brown, approx. 10–15 minutes. Finely chop fried bacon. Stir chopped bacon and thyme into skillet. Taste for seasonings and add additional salt and pepper if desired. Turn heat to low and cover to keep warm. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Spread each slice of bread with 1 teaspoon butter on one side and place butter-side down in the skillet grill. Heat until lightly golden brown. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm while preparing the eggs. Heat butter in a nonstick skillet and fry eggs to desired doneness. This may be done with all eggs at once or in batches. Season eggs to taste with salt and pepper. To assemble, place grilled bread on a plate. Spoon approx. 1/2 cup sweet potato and bacon hash on top of bread, then top with a fried egg. Serve immediately.

Denver Omelette Breakfast Wrap 4 flatbreads 4 Tbsp butter, divided 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup diced ham 8 eggs 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. On a baking sheet, arrange flatbreads in a single layer and place in oven to warm. In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons butter until foaming. Add peppers, onions, and ham; cook until vegetables have softened, approx. 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and wipe out skillet. Meanwhile, whisk eggs, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Melt remaining butter in a skillet over medium heat until foaming. Add eggs and gently stir until the eggs have set, approx. 2–3 minutes. To assemble wraps, remove warmed flatbread from oven. Divide the scrambled eggs and ham mixture among all flatbreads. Top each wrap with 2 tablespoons shredded cheese. Roll and slice in half to serve. February 2019

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RECIPE EXCHANGE Submit your favorite recipes to be featured on our reader recipe page. Email to dylan@weca.coop. For bonus recipes, go to http://wecnmagazine.com/recipes/.

Refrigerator Kosher Dill Pickles Sue Haake, Colfax

6–8 cloves garlic, sliced almost through 1 tsp pickling spice Medium-sized cucumbers, sliced lengthwise or chunked, enough to ﬁll a 1 qt glass 1 bundle dill (per jar) 3–4 oz white vinegar (per jar) 1 tsp salt, per cup of boiling water 1 cup of boiling water (per jar) This recipe can vary depending how many cucumbers are at hand. Place 1 bundle dill, garlic, and pickling spice in each jar. Add cucumbers and vinegar. Add salt and boiling water in proportions of 1 tsp salt to 1 cup water until jar is full. Cover and let sit at room temperature, refrigerate after 2 days. Good for approximately 5 months in refrigerator.

Bierocks

Sharon Flintrop, Lac du Flambeau

1-1/2 lbs ground beef 3 cups chopped cabbage 1 cup chopped onion (more or less, to taste) Salt and pepper, to taste Yeast dough (your favorite) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a skillet, brown ground beef for approximately 4 minutes; add cabbage and onion. Cover and cook slowly for 15 minutes, or until cabbage is tender, stirring often. Add salt and pepper. Prepare yeast dough using approximately 6 cups ﬂour, and let rise once, preferably beginning the beef mixture. Roll dough one-fourth inch thick or a bit thinner. Pinch dough into four parts, then roll each out in a 10 to 12-inch square, and cut each square into 4 parts. Place some of the ﬁlling on each square; bring the corners together in a bunch and pinch edges together to close. Place upside down on a greased baking sheet. Let rise for 20 minutes. Bake for 20 minutes. 22

Whole Grain, Gluten-Free Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies Philip & Rosann Beachy, Athens

2 cups butter, melted 2 cups raw sugar (or brown sugar) 2 Tbsp peanut butter 4 eggs 1 peach, mashed 2 tsp vanilla 1 cup almond meal (or flour) 5 cups brown rice flour 1 cup oat flour 2 tsp baking soda 2 tsp xanthan gum 1 tsp flax meal 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together butter, sugar, and peanut butter. Blend eggs and peach together in a blender. Add egg mixture to peanut butter mixture. Mix in remaining ingredients and mix well. Drop large spoonfuls of mixture onto ungreased pan. Bake for 10 minutes or until edges are nicely browned. Makes 50 cookies.

Mom’s Refrigerator Pickles Marny Maletzke-Krueger, Montello

2 medium cucumbers, sliced 1 green pepper, cubed 1 onion, sliced 1/2 cup salt Boiling water 3 oz white vinegar

Swedish Meatballs Rena Rutlin, Wyeville Meatballs:

2 lbs ground beef 1 lb ground pork 2 beaten eggs 1 cup bread crumbs, fresh dried bread 1 cup mashed potatoes, can use instant 1 tsp brown sugar 5 tsp salt 1 cup milk 1/4 tsp pepper 1/4 tsp each of ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cardamom, cloves, and marjoram Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix together ingredients and form into balls. Bake until meatballs brown, approximately 30 minutes. (Meatballs can also be fried). Roux:

1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup flour 1 qt half & half (or 2 cups cream and 2 cups milk) 1 tsp salt In a sauce pan, melt butter and add flour. Mix together flour and butter until thick. Add cream and salt until mixture thickens. Pour over meatballs and heat in oven. Makes a lot and freezes well.

Mix ingredients together in glass jar and let stand for 10 minutes; then refrigerate. Will keep for 3 months.

Pat Thomson from Summit is looking a scalloped potatoes recipe where “the potato layers are dotted with butter.” If you can help, have a request of your own, or would like to submit a recipe for publication, please write to Wisconsin

REQUESTS from our

READERS

Energy Cooperative News, What’s Cooking? 222 West Washington Ave., Suite 680, Madison, WI 53703-2719 or contact us via our website, www. wecnmagazine.com. Thanks!

Wisconsin Energy Cooperative News

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ALL ABOUT

the Birkie

MUSEUM EXPLORES HISTORY

OF RENOWNED SKI RACE

emperatures might be a little chilly in northern Wisconsin this time of year, but around the Hayward area things are heating up as “Birkie Fever” sets in. The American Birkebeiner, North America’s largest cross-country ski race, transforms this small Sawyer County community into a world-class ski gathering each February. On race day, approximately 13,000 skiers from all over the globe skim over the 50-kilometer course, their bright racing gear creating a kaleidoscope of color as they speed down Hayward’s snow-covered Main Street to the ﬁnish line. Throngs of spectators line the course, cheering and ringing cowbells throughout. It’s a sight to behold, whether you’re a ski enthusiast or not.

Elite Experience

The American Birkebeiner has evolved over its 40-plus years into an extended weekend of activities accommodating all ages and skill levels. Known today as the Slumberland American Birkebeiner, Powered By

Swix, the main race will be held on February 23, the third of four days’ worth of Birkie festivities. Leading up to the main event are a variety of activities including shorter races and noncompetitive tours for beginners and children; a race for adaptive ski athletes; and a Barkie Birkie Skijor, based on the historic Norwegian sport of skijoring, for which a skier would be pulled along the snow by a reindeer. In today’s version, dogs replace the reindeer. Events build to the traditional Kortelopet Classic on February 22, a 29-kilometer race, and ﬁnally to the iconic Birkebeiner race, with its punishing distance of 50 kilometers for ski skaters and 55 for classic skiers. Part of the Worldloppet circuit of 20 international ski marathons, the American Birkebeiner attracts the best Nordic skiers from around the world. Last year’s race included skiers from 49 states and 36 countries. Competing alongside these world-class athletes are plenty of “citizen” skiers, many of them from the surround-

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ing area. Jump River Electric Cooperative member Larry Huseth is one such local skier for whom participating in the Birkebeiner is an annual tradition. “I have completed 14 Birkebeiners and four Kortelopet races and look forward to skiing the race each year,” he said. “The Birkie Trail is challenging to ski, and when you complete your race you get a great feeling of accomplishment. It is great to have the American Birkebeiner trail in Hayward and be able to get out and enjoy the winter season.”

To Inspire and Honor You don’t have to wait for Birkebeiner weekend—or even for winter, for that matter—to appreciate this event. The Birkie is woven through Hayward’s culture. Many of the

A Wise Vision

The American Birkebeiner was founded by Tony Wise, a World War II veteran whose grand vision for, and tireless promotion of, his native northern Wisconsin resulted in the creation of some of the area’s most recognizable features and events. Wise launched the Telemark ski resort in nearby Cable in 1947 upon returning from Germany after World War II. While in Germany, Wise discovered skiing and learned of the Birkebeiner Rennet ski race, held each year since 1932 in the forests of Norway. The Birkebeiner Rennet commemorates the successful rescue across the snowy mountains of young Prince Haakon, who would become Norway’s king in 1217 and reign for 46 years. Wise brought the Birkebeiner Rennet

commemorates legacy

inspire future generations…

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American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation

concept to his ski lodge in northern Wisconsin, hosting the ﬁrst American Birkebeiner in 1973 for 35 skiers. Over the years, the race grew in numbers and prestige under Wise’s guidance. In 1978 he formed the Worldloppet League, connecting the American Birkebeiner with the world’s most prestigious races. Telemark Lodge would struggle ﬁnancially in later years, but the Birkebeiner kept going strong. The museum When Wise lost Telemark the of to bankruptthe race and helps cy in 1985, the ABSF was formed to assume leadership over the race, maintain the Birkebeiner Trail, and preserve Wise’s rich legacy in the Hayward/Cable area, in part by opening the museum. The organization has built on Wise’s vision by promoting cross-country skiing, particularly among youth, and offering year-round activities that promote healthy lifestyles. Exhibits inside the museum tell Wise’s story as well as the story behind the Birkebeiner race itself, with plenty of historic photos and race memorabilia displayed throughout. Among the artifacts that can be seen there are the St. Olav Medal presented to Wise by King Olav of Norway in 1975; a congratulatory message from President Ronald Reagan to American Birkebeiner race organizers in 1988; and the classic ski (longer than the skate ski) worn by John Bauer in the men’s 10K classic race in the 1992 Olympic Games in Albertville, France. In another exhibit, a collection of ski equipment and clothing shows how the

city’s establishments tout the race’s history and sport a Norwegian ﬂair within the décor. You can learn plenty about the Birkebeiner simply by walking down Main Street and visiting the local businesses. If you really want to catch some of that Birkie Fever, however, make sure your walk down Main Street takes you to the Tony Wise Museum of the American Birkebeiner, located in the front portion of the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation (ABSF) ofﬁces. Opened in 2016, the museum commemorates the legacy of the race and helps inspire future generations of skiers. It also presents the stirring history behind the famous race, which got its name from the story of two Norwegian Birkebeiner warriors—so named for the birch-bark leggings they wore—who famously skied 55 kilometers across the snowy mountains of Norway’s Osterdalen Valley in 1206, smuggling a baby prince to safety during the Norwegian Civil War.

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American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation

The Tony Wise Museum of the American Birkebeiner in Hayward features exhibits showcasing the history of the world-renowned cross-country ski race and its founder, Tony Wise. A statue at the museum’s entrance depicts one of the Birkebeiner warriors who whisked the young Norwegian prince on a long, treacherous journey through the forests to safety in 1206 during the Norwegian Civil War.

sport has changed over the years. Special hands-on exhibits include a three-dimensional model of the Birkie Trail, a recreational trail system for silent sports spanning more than 100 kilometers from Bayfield to Sawyer County. The Birkie Trail also provides much of the American Birkebeiner’s race course. There’s also a collection of replica Birkebeiner costumes for young visitors to try on as they re-enact the young prince’s rescue in front of a diorama of the Norwegian mountains.

Hit the Trails A visit to the American Birkebeiner museum may even inspire you to strap on some cross-country skis and take to the trails yourself. If so, there are plenty of places in the area to pick from. Sawyer County is a winter playland, with more than 200 kilometers of cross-country 26

ski trails in the Hayward area alone. With a trail pass, required during the winter months, visitors can explore the Birkie Trail’s groomed trails, traversing some of the same kilometers that the world’s best skiers race over during Birkie weekend. During other seasons, the Birkie Trail is available for hiking, running, and some mountain biking. Whether you choose to visit during American Birkebeiner week or not, a visit to Hayward just might make a Birkebeiner out of you. Just be aware of that well-known Birkie Fever—it’s catching.—Mary Erickson The Tony Wise Museum of the American Birkebeiner is located at 10527 Main St., Hayward. It’s open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information about the American Birkebeiner and other ABSF activities/ events, visit www.birkie.com or call 715-634-5025.

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YOUNG MEMBERS

Kids and Critters February 2019 1. Lindsey holds a triplet lamb. She loves to sit with the lambs for hours to interact with them. Photo submitted by Lindsey’s parents, Patrick and Tammy Nolan, who are members of Scenic Rivers Energy. 2. Bradly, Buckly, and Brinly rest on Midnight at the Grant County Fair. Photo sent in by Sadie and Ben Retallick, members of Scenic Rivers Energy.

3. Hayle meets a mini donkey. Photo submitted by Emma Palmer of Oakdale Electric.

4. Dorian and Damian lounge with Grandma Lou’s cat, Moki. Photo submitted by Lou Hagen, a member of Oconto Electric.

Upload photos directly

to the new wecnmagazine.com through the “Submit a photo” tab. Send photos of kids with animals, along with a brief description, to WECN Magazine, 222 W. Washington Ave., Suite 680, Madison, WI 53703.

Please include the name of your electric co-op. Photos will be returned. If in good-resolution, electronic format, photos may also be uploaded via wecnmagazine.com through the “Submit a photo” tab. By submitting, sender implies that he/ she has rights to and owns the image, and grants WECN permission to use the image. By submitting, the parent or legal guardian also authorizes us the right to publish the image.

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CLASSIFIEDS MISCELLANEOUS

COLLECTOR BUYING WAR SOUVENIRS: German, Japanese, U.S. weapons, medals, helmets, daggers, swords, military items. 715-213-4565. WANTED: DEER TAGS, BACK TAGS. Trapping, bear, hunting, and fishing licenses. Otter, bobcat, fisher tags. Any old traps. David Schober, W4234 Rock Creek Rd., Loyal, WI 54446. 715-255-9284.

WANTED: Jukeboxes, Speed Queen wringer washers. Dead or alive. Cash paid. Please call David. 920-496-9896. FOR SALE: Frabill fabric two-person fishing shanty, never used. 55 Olds 4-door. Two pair 9-1/2 cowboy boots. 18’ Trailer 3-1/2 ton gross wt. call: 715-535-2098.

REAL ESTATE

WANTED: PAYING CASH FOR WW-2 GERMAN, JAPANESE FLAGS, DAGGERS, SWORDS, GUNS. ETC. 715-340-1974.

VACATION RENTAL. Cape Coral, Fl. Beautiful 3 bedroom home on gulf access canal. 10,000 lb boat lift. Weekly rental or more. Call Al. 608-295-7433.

USED BILLBOARD VINYLS/TARPS: Sizes available: 14x48=$50, 10x36=$28.80, 10x30=$24. Expired billboard faces, hemmed. Shipping and tax not included in listed price. Vinyls can also be picked up at Jones Sign, 1711 Scheuring Road, De Pere, WI 54115. PLEASE CALL FOR AVAILABLITY PRIOR TO PICK UP 800-536-7446.

FOR SALE: IDEAL HUNTING BASE: 3 bedroom lake cabin on Upper Clam Lake, Ashland County. Center of the Chequamegon National Forest. Includes furnishings, appliances, fireplace, boat, dock, and more. 23501 Nyberg Rd. Clam Lake, WI. See Craigslist Northern Wis. Lake cabin for sale. Call Tim 715-572-2632 or timgapen@ wctc.net. $82,000.

GOT WOOD! NEW PORTABLE SAWMILLS. We sell Forestry Equipment for the hobbyist to the professional. Band Sawmills, Firewood Processors, Skidding Winches & more. A-F County Market an authorized Hudson Forest Equipment Dealer. Adams, WI 53910. Phone Joe or Rich 608-339-6703.

NORTH WISCONSIN REMOTE FORESTED 80 acres in Bayfield Co, 12 miles west of beautiful Bayfield. Two sides adjacent to thousands of acres of county forest land, laced with ATV, walking, hunting trails. Priced below similar properties in area. Near Cornucopia, WI, northernmost village on Lake Superior, 5 miles from winter ice caves. $1,000/acre. Please call 715-373-5252.

SEPTIC PROBLEMS: Do you have standing water on your drain field? Have you been told you need a new expensive septic system? I have an alternative that works, also comes with a warranty (no digging). Call toll free 855-7976072 or email mmtagm@yahoo.com.

ADVERTISE WITH US

LAND STEWARDSHIP PLANS AND MONITORING: Ecologist working in the Driftless Area will conduct an assessment of your land and develop a management and monitoring plan. Find out if you have areas to restore, invasive species that need attention. trilliumlax.com; 608-615-8692. zip=54650.

PLANTS & SHRUBS

PREMIUM SPRUCE TREES 7-8 FOOT TALL when planted. Balled & burlapped and ready to plant. Perfect for a manicured yard or a natural fence or along a driveway. These are nicely shaped and full from all sides. $79.99 call 608-981-2169. COVER SPRUCE TREES 8-10 FOOT TALL random sizes. Balled & burlapped and ready to plant. These trees are nice but they are not perfect. Great for wildlife or blocking a messy neighbor or even making a windbreak. $59.99 Call 608-981-2169. HARDWOOD AND CONIFER SEEDLINGS AND TRANSPLANTS. Thousands available, Oaks, Maples, Highbred Poplar, Hickory, Cherry, Dogwoods, Ninebark, Cranberry, Balsam Fir, Fraser Fir, Spruce, Pine, Cedar, Food plot and grafted apple trees too, Large bareroot shade trees including Autumn Blaze Check us out on the web at www.paintcreeknursery.com, Facebook and Youtube also. Paint Creek Nursery, Cadott, WI 715-723-2072. FRUIT, NUT, SHADE, & ORNAMENTAL TREES AVAILBLE FOR SPRING PLANTING Also evergreens & deciduous seedlings and transplants, strawberries, blueberries, asparagus, rhubarb, and much more. For additional info: Call Toll Free 888803-8733 or write to Woodstock Nursery, N1831 State Hwy 95 Neillsville, WI 54456. Also check us out at Wallace-Woodstock.com. FOR SALE: Bare Root fruit and shade trees, small fruits, perennials and shrubs. For varieties visit sunriseraspberryfarm.com. Stevens Point, WI 54484. 715-572 5381.

LOOKING FOR A GIFT IDEA? Consider giving a gift subscription to Wisconsin Energy Cooperative News! The price is just $10 per year for 12 issues or $28 for three years (36 issues). Include subscriber’s name, address, city, state, Zip Code, and check payable to WECN. Mail to: WECN, 222 W. Washington Ave., Ste. 680, Madison WI 53703.

WANTED: Pre 1970 metal signs, old leather motorcycle jackets, helmets, parts, and memorabilia. Bell helmets. Call 920-373-3515 or email jefish@bayland.net zip=54154.

Contact ads@weca.coop

Classified ads reach more than 171,000 mailboxes. RATES: For non-members of Wisconsin rural electric co-ops: one insertion, $25 minimum (up to 20 words); additional words, $1.25 each. For members of Wisconsin rural electric co-ops: one insertion, $14 minimum (up to 20 words); additional words, $.70 each. Count name, address, and phone number as part of ad. Please include zip code. FOR PROOF OF MEMBERSHIP, please include your address label from your copy of the magazine. FREQUENCY DISCOUNTS: 2% discount for 3 months; 5% for 6 months; 10% for 12 months. DEADLINE: 1st of the month prior to the month in which the ad is to appear. All classified ads must be paid in advance. There is no agency discount on classifieds. Make check or money order payable to: WECA. Mail to: WECN, Attn. Dylan Pingitore, 222 W. Washington Ave., Ste. 680, Madison, WI 53703. Ph: 608-467-4599. Email dylan@weca.coop. We reserve the right to refuse ads.

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WISCONSIN EVENTS 2 Snowmobile Ride—Hayward. Trails End Resort, 9 a.m. All sleds are welcome. Two groups: 45 miles & 27 miles. Vintage trivia, prizes, raffles, tow sleds, trophies for vintage riders. Registration is $25. 608-295-5795. 2 Vintage Snowmobile Show & Ride—Medford. Chelsea Conservation Club, 8:30 a.m.–3 p.m. $5 per sled. Food and refreshments all day. Raffles and contests; awards at 2 p.m. followed by trail ride. 715-427-5441. 2 Garden Seminar—Eau Claire. Chippewa Valley Technical College, 8:30 a.m.– 3:15 p.m. $35 in advance or $40 at the door. Lunch included. 715-839-4712. 2 Cash and Carter Tribute Show—Beaver Dam. High School. Recreation of the famous country duo. Shows are at 2 and 7 p.m. 2 Wild Game Banquet & Seminar—Oconto Falls. High School, 4–8:30 p.m. Display of 20 replica huge trophy whitetail mounts from the Northern Division of Trophies of Grace and seminar from featured speaker Randy McPherson. 3 Central Wisconsin Farm Toy Show—Marshfield. Senior High School Field House, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Adults $3; ages 10–17 $1; children under 10 are free. Kids pedal pull at 12 p.m. Lunch available. 715-743-7152. 7 Ventriloquist Show—Park Falls. Chequamegon High School Auditorium, 7–9 p.m. Todd Oliver, 2012 America’s Got Talent top 4 finalist. Tickets available at the door.

February 2019 9 Valentines Bake Sale—Montello. Historic Preservation Society, 9 a.m.–12 p.m. 9 Ice Fishing Contest—Menomonie. Lake Menomin, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Lucky ﬁsh drawing, youth bake sale, euchre tournament, and gun rafﬂe.

17 Deer Show—Prairie du Chien. National Guard Armory, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. 608-326-2718. 17 Ice Fishing Contest—Ladysmith. Dairyland Flowage, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Tickets available by calling 715-403-0316.

9 Fishing Jamboree—Mercer. Carrow Park, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. $5 entry. Money prizes for largest fish; ice fishing rod for smallest. Raffles, paddle wheel games, food, and fun. 715-476-7655.

17 Homemade Chili Contest—Holcombe. United Methodist Church, 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. Chili contest, pie sale, and cake/pie walk. Free lunch includes bread, drink, and cookie.

9 Youth Ice Fishing Contest—Stanley. Otter Lake south boat landing, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Free entry. Prizes awarded for largest ﬁsh in each category. Door prizes, 50/50 rafﬂe, and participation prizes. Lunch available. Open to youth ages 15 and under (must be accompanied by an adult). 715-644-1099.

17 Ski Jumping Tournament—Town of Rome. Tri-Norse Ski Club, 12–3 p.m. Medals awarded. Concessions available.

10 Ice Fishing Contest—Cadott. Pike Lake, 12:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Prizes for the top 3 ﬁsh in 5 categories. Special drawing for kids. Rafﬂes throughout the day. Lunch provided.

23 Ice Fishing Contest—Willard. Rock Dam Lake, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

10 Ragtime Concert—Superior. Lutheran Church, 1–4 p.m. Free ragtime piano by area musicians. Open to public. 14–24 Theatre Production: The Tin Woman— Tomah. Area Community Theatre, 7–10 p.m. Box ofﬁce hours are Mon.– Fri. 2–5 p.m. Call 608-374-7469 for show times and more information. 16 Family Fun Day—Ladysmith. Leonhard Lane & Dairyland Flowage, all day. Outdoor activities. Dance with the Lincoln Boys from 6–10 p.m.

9 Ice Fishing Contest—Chippewa Falls. Lake Wissota, 7 a.m.–3 p.m. Over $80,000 in cash and prizes. Participants may register one ﬁsh per ticket, tickets are $25. Weigh-in locations are The Edge Pub & Eatery and The View on Lake Wissota. 715-836-3377.

16 Fisheree—Amherst Junction. Lake Emily, all day. Look for the huge tent; food, refreshments, and rafﬂes.

9 Beekeeping Workshop—Menomonie. Alliance Church, 8 am.–4 p.m. A workshop designed to provide the basic information necessary to start beekeeping in Wisconsin. 715-465-5587.

16 Fun Night Fundraiser—Wilton. Community Center, 7–10 p.m. Games, rafﬂes, door prizes, and fun for everyone. Food and refreshments available with a ticket.

16 Valentine’s Supper—Gilman. Jump River Community Center, 4–9 p.m. 715-668-5360.

23 Polar Plunge—Cazenovia. Lee Lake, 11:30 a.m.–3 p.m. Auction, rafﬂes, and food. Plunge at 2 p.m. 608-983-2397.

23 Chili Cook -Off—Millston. Buck’s Stop Here Saloon & Grill, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Enter chili or soup by 11 a.m. $6 all you can eat tasting/judging. Bake sale and silent auction. 23 Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fundraiser— La Crosse. Brickhouse, 3–11:59 p.m. Silent auction, meat & gun rafﬂes, tip boards, food & drinks, and live music. 608-799-7524.

Upload events directly to the wecnmagazine.com through the “Events” tab.

Upload your March events by February 7. Wisconsin Events is a public service for our readers. Submissions should be received early in the month prior to the month in which the event will occur. Due to space limits, we may need to eliminate details, so be sure to include a phone number (with area code) where callers may obtain more info. If we receive more listings than space allows us to print, we reserve the right to select those we believe will be of interest to the greatest number of readers. Please no virtual events.

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