My husband and I feel fortunate to be in Madison, a caring, thoughtful, and vibrant community. We moved back after seven years away because we longed for an arts and cultural community, which was difficult to find on the far western side of the state. We are artists, and as such, realize studio practice means you are often alone. Its time and space to undertake creative endeavorssolving problems and working through your process. Some mediums lend themselves to shared spaces where specific equipment is neededlike ceramics or printmakingbut for the most part, artists are loners. This makes an artist community even more valuable.

2016 was a rough year for gun-related crime in our community. It was hard to hop on the internet or turn on the radio or television without hearing something about another incident. It seemed, though, that right on the heels of every newsworthy story followed the inevitable political assault that oftentimes prevented people from being able to engage in the conversation in a meaningful way.

One of Madisons best-known restaurants may very well be one of its best-kept secrets, as its hidden location, tucked behind a grove of trees and office buildings on Mineral Point Road, makes it a perfect setting for dinner every season of the year.

What started as an exploration into Mexicos most notorious spirittequilais today taking Pasquals Chef and CEO Benjamin Roberts on a mission to bring the flavors of blue agave and tequila to Wisconsin.

Let me tell a tale often echoed by beer drinkers and brewers. Dating back to the 1600s, Britain played a large role in trade between England and India, specifically the British East Indies Company. When Britain started to gain a stronger political foothold in the area during the late 1700s, the number of soldiers stationed in India grew. However, their plight for good beer had been in the works for decades. Porters, the preferred beer of the masses back home, didnt fare too well over the long journey that crossed the equator twice, often leaving the beer stale and flat. Allsop brewery had the answer. Hop the beer heavily and the ale will be preserved. It worked, and when soldiers returned home, they demanded India Pale Ales (IPAs) be served. And so it was that the IPA came into fashion.

Local. Authentic. Knowledgeable. Thats Mark McKeown, owner of Bering Bounty LLC, the first seafood company in Wisconsin run by a commercial fisherman. Marks company is based in Verona, but all the seafood is sustainably caught off the coast of Alaska in the Bering Cradle of Storms Sea. Marks fishery was the first in the world to qualify as being fully sustainable under the auspices of the Marine Stewardship Council, an international nonprofit organization established to address the problem of unsustainable fishing and to safeguard seafood supplies for the future.

In Americas Dairyland, many a citys claim to fame is its local cheese factory. But one village in southwest Wisconsin is taking its cheesy reputation to another level, with nearly half the town employed making either brie or goat cheese.

Three years ago, Fitchburg city staff and the state DOT invited Dale Benjamin, president of Benjamin Plumbing, Inc., to a meeting. Hed seen a preliminary plan for the Verona Road highway construction two years before that, and while it affected the office building he owned next door, there was to be no impact on the Benjamin Plumbing building. At the meeting, he anticipated a routine update. Instead he learned Benjamin Plumbings 50,000-square-foot facility needed to come down.

The recipe for joyful gardening starts with dreaming and planning. Then, like a fine meal, preparation and quality ingredients are the keys to success. Work can become play by understanding how to simplify garden maintenance. The actual joy comes from loving care put into a garden and reaping the fruits of your labor: beauty and delight to feed your soul, flowers to grace your table, good food, fresh air, sunshine, and weight-bearing exercise to keep you healthy.

Bill Hastings was looking for an old building to house his advertising agency, the Hastings Group, and its six employees. While perusing a family photo album, he came upon a picture of his great-grandfather in front of a gristmill (grain mill). It turned out the mill was in Paoli, only a few miles from the Westmorland neighborhood in Madison, where Bill had grown up. His great-grandfather managed the mill for a short time in the early 1900s. Bill bought the mill for $29,700 at an auction 36 years ago, when the only other businesses in Paoli were a clay company and a tavern. Bill beat out a scrap dealer who planned to put a car crusher on the site.

Have you ever seen white dogs with rust-colored paws? Maybe you notice your dog licking their paws, particularly during the spring or summer. Does your cat have scabs in the periauricular area (that area just in front of the ears that doesnt have a lot of fur) or on their abdomen? Are you constantly battling an ear infection in your dog?

The mission is the solid trunk at the base of our community. Madison Community Foundation (MCF) uses its local knowledge and assets to inspire giving, support meaningful initiatives, and connect people for the common good. Their vision acts as tree branches stretching toward the sky, growing more beautiful with each passing day; eventually, the Greater Madison area will be a vibrant and generous place where people help each other thrive.

The stories are personal, but familiar. A 47-year-old mother of two, working full time, bleeding for the past three yearsmore days than notwithout an answer or even a place to ask the question. A 34-year-old newlywed, working at a restaurant, her pap test last year was suspicious for cancer, no follow up. A 54-year-old former advertising executive laid off in February has not had her period for five years, now bleeding every day for six months. A 32-year-old part-time student from Uganda lives with fear because of a mass in her pelvis.

More than 20 years ago, Rachel Thorson-Schmied and her husband renovated an old home in New Glarus, transforming the property into a bed and breakfast/gift shop combination. While the gift shop was quaint, Rachel thought it would appeal to overnight guests. It was a simple house, so it was simple to do a Swiss Shaker design.

Looking for peace, tranquility, something to stir your soul? Spiritual connections to the land, water, and human structures can be found from the very first people that lived in the area. Moved by Sacred Sites of Wisconsin , by John-Brian Paprock and Theresa Peneguy Paprock, I started a journey to explore places in and around Dane County that speak to ones spirit.

There are a number of contributors to todays workplace stress. Since the recession, workers have been expected to increase their workload. Technology has made some processes more efficient, but has ushered in the era of multiple passwords, compulsive email checking, and the expectation that workers should be connected 24/7. The presence of multiple generations in the workplace (Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, Millenials) means that workplace norms, expectations, and values vary widely. Many good workers are promoted to management without the necessary training and skills they need to successfully supervise and project manage. Implicit or unconscious bias against women and people of color continues to taint our workplaces, depriving workplaces of talent and limiting workers opportunities. All of these contributors lead to a blend of 21st century workplace stressors.