How to Become Part of Your Community, Part 3

The days have grown cooler, and fall's colors are showing.

While many people in our community look forward to this seasons of school sports, football, hunting, hearty meals and natural beauty, there's a sad side to it.

Farmer's markets and farm stands will soon be closing for the year. That means eating locally will be harder to do.

To be sure, there is a winter farm market on the Menominee side, and we applaud our local growers for starting this effort three years ago.

Bu the bounty of summer is behind us now, and it's only a matter of weeks before the markets end for the season.

There is still time to take advantage of buying your fruits and vegetables from local growers. You can do this on Saturday mornings and Thursday afternoons in Menominee, just south of the American Legion Club at Great Lakes Memorial Park, and on Tuesday and Friday mornings in the Merchants Park lot in downtown Marinette. There are still farm stands at several locations across town, too.

We would never discourage you from shopping at local supermarkets, or eating at local restaurants. That's a form of eating local, too. Many restaurant and grocery store owners buy from local and regional sources.

Buy buying produce at an outdoor market creates a bond between grower and consumer. It's a direct relationship. You know who grows what you eat. You know whether they use chemicals, or not. You might get recipe ideas and serving tips.

Shopping the farm markets creates a sense of community you won't find anywhere else. Frequently, farm markets are also community centers, a way of passing along news and harmless gossip. That's part of small-town life.

Want to become a true part of your community. Shop local. Eat local. Hurry.

The Next Steps

As summer fades, it's hard not to feel a little bit nostalgic already.

In another month or so, someone else will be inhabiting my office. They will have a great opportunity to move a dynamic organization in yet another direction.

Our Search & Screen Committee is working hard to identify the right person. I'm excited, because although I will be moving on to other ventures - some of them typical retirement pastimes, like reading, gardening and genealogy - I will also have the opportunity to watch the chamber grow.

Five years ago, we were an events management organization. We were newly merged, too, and sort of feeling our way in the community. Thanks to a lot of people working together, we were able to sort through programs and events from two chambers and create a third business-oriented organization.

None of this diminishes the work of previous executive directors or previous boards. Gary Nadolny and his board did a masterful job of implementing the merger of the two chambers, after decades of conversation about the wisdom of such a merger.  Prior to that, people like Nancy Douglas and Mary Robbins Eickman built solid foundations and reputations. It's been a honor serving after them.

But I'm excited to see what happens next. You should be, too!

I have a great deal of confidence in our Search & Screen Committee. Under the leadership of Paula Langteau, the committee has spent many hours creating a position profile and sifting through applications.

But it's not over until it's over. These things take time.

Meanwhile, I'm wrapping up lose ends and working hard to ensure the next director walks into a streamlined and organized office. There are many challenges ahead.

As for my own future, I've heard lots of rumors of what I'm supposedly doing. It's been fun. For years I had my own little writing and communications business and I hope to start that up again, among other things.

But first I have to clean out my office.

How to Become Part of Your Community, Part Two

There was a time when sending for pickled goat livers from Turkey or a special wheat only grown on an island off the cost of Scotland were the chichi things to do when entertaining friends.

Now it's eating locally, preparing a meal made only from products grown within, say, a 100-mile radius of your home.

Fortunately, we are able to do that fairly often here, especially now when the harvest is nearing its peak. Not only do we have at least five farm stands scattered throughout the community, we also are seeing more locally-grown produce in area grocery stores.

Local restaurant menus are also reflecting an interest in seasonal and local produce. Local chefs know that buying local and preparing seasonal menus is not only smart, it helps create a sense of community for diners.

It's a lot more fun when you know where you food comes from and who grows it.

Which brings me to our local farm markets. The Historic Downtown Menominee Farm Market runs 3-7 p.m. on Thursdays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. Marinette's Main Street Market runs Tuesdays and Fridays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Farm markets have the potential to build community as well as provide local sources of fresh produce. They also provide a marketplace for the exchange of ideas, news, and friendship.

Want to be part of the community? Shop at a local farm market.

Waterfront Festival, a Weekend To Wait For

Only 361 more days until Waterfront Festival rolls around again.

Start counting.

The venerable event - after 30 years, a long time in festival years, it has earned the right to be called "venerable" - continues to draw crowds to Menominee's beautiful Great Lakes Memorial Marina Park year after year. Whether it's the location, the people, the music, the food or the sense of community, Waterfront Festival means something special to our community.

Anticipating it is half the fun. This is especially true on Saturday night, fireworks night. I've volunteered at both the Rotary booth and the wristband booth on Saturday night, and it's fun feeling the excitement build.

Kudos to Tyco for its generous contribution the the fireworks this year. Fireworks and a company that specializes in fighting fires is a perfect partnership.

Big kudos to Nancy Douglas for her longtime management of Waterfront Festival, which began in the early 1980s when Nancy was head of the Menominee Area Chamber of Commerce. When Nancy left the chamber in 2001, she continued to shepherd the festival for a year or so, and then returned in 2010. That she loves this event is as palpable as the pre-fireworks excitement on Saturday night.

Thanks to the more than 300 volunteers, including the Waterfront Steering Committee, who give countless hours to this legendary event. Having worked with them for two years, I know how passionately they care about Waterfront Festival.

The festival may not fit in the with the chamber's current program of work. But it's a good event, and we are pleased that it continues to provide an exciting rallying point for our summers.

Thirty Great Things to Do in Downtown Menominee

When the weather's hot, my husband and I are drawn to downtown Menominee. Each of us spent the better part of our growing up years living nearby. Although we now live in and love Marinette, Downtown Menominee is home to us.

On warm summer nights, Downtown Menominee is hopping! People without air conditioning come here to cool off. Families, people from boats docked at the marina, cyclists, skateboarders, people of all ages seem to flock here to grab a good meal, play on the playground, watch marina life, listen to music or eat an ice cream cone.

A few weeks back, we listed all the things you can do in downtown Marinette. Here's our Things to Do in Downtown Menominee list.

• Admire an historic building.
• Watch other people enjoy downtown.
• Borrow and ride a Yellow Bike.
• Eat a good meal at any of six restaurants.
• Dock your boat.
• Borrow or buy a book.
• Swing on the swings at Sings 'n' Things.
• Find a piece of jewelry no one else will be wearing.
• Take a dance class.
• Buy fresh produce on Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings.
• Get a massage, facial or new hairstyle.
• Eat an ice cream cone.
• Toss back a brewsky.
• Eat a sauteed vegetable sandwich.
• Watch a sailboard race.
• Enjoy a summer concert.
• Buy outdoor gear for nearly any sport.
• Watch a bunch of talented kids every year at Bay Jammer.
• Take photographs of sailboats, turrets on old buildings, or street life.
• Participate in a fishing derby.
• Have a picnic.
• Appreciate Menominee's history.
• Admire Linda's Garden at Stephenson Public Library.
• See a fish sculpture in front of the boater's lounge.
• Rent an apartment.
• Sample great wines.
• Buy flowers.
• Stock up on office supplies.
• Wade in the water.
• Order a thick, juicy steak.

OK, thirty seems like a good place to stop. But you can add your favorite things to do in the comment box below.

How to Become Part of Your Community, Part One

Recently, I was asked a question that was easily answerable, but I was surprised to be asked it. After all, the local news media had run several articles that made the answer to the question very clear.

But of course I answered the question politely, and then added, "There have been several stories in the local news about this issue. It's been in the news for some time, in fact."

I could not resist making that comment. I love keeping up with the news. I'm just plain curious. I grew up in a house that received at least two daily papers because my parents were voracious readers. My best friends today are voracious readers: Reading newspapers and books gives us an endless source of conversational topics. We read electronic links, too, as you can tell from our Facebook pages (I never thought I'd someday be writing that).

I majored in journalism, and worked on two college newspapers, editing both. I taught college journalism for seven years and I spent more than a dozen years in newspaper and radio newsrooms.

But that's not why I read a paper or listen to radio news every day. Like I said, I'm curious. You should be curious, too.

People who care about the community they live in read a daily newspaper. They read it to find out what's going on at city hall, at the courthouse and at the school district. They want to know what elected and appointed officials are doing. They have a right to know this. Open Records and Open Meeting laws give all citizens this right. News reporters ensure those rights are protected and exercised.

This, my friend, is something you need to care about. You need to care about who is spending your tax dollars and how they are spending them. And you need to know whether they are acting in your best interests.

In a world without news, we would not know these things.

When you read a daily newspaper, your are joining a group of other people who are also reading. You are getting the same information they are getting. You might have a different reaction. But if the information is controversial enough, someone will write a letter to the editor to express his or her delight or concern. You can do the same. Maybe someone else will respond. In the newspaper world, we call this "a community's conversation with itself."

Today, Facebook is providing another venue for conversation. This is especially evident now that most of us Baby Boomers have Facebook pages and we use them to communicate, like we used to use e-mail (which we still use, only not so much.)

But Facebook has few controls. Many of us local users are aware of at least one incident during which information was prematurely disseminated on Facebook by someone who did not understand the enormous responsibility that comes with freedom of speech. That incident showed us the downside of social media networking.

With a newspaper or radio newsroom, information is shared only when it has been verified, usually by two sources. It is shared in as objective a manner as possible (of course reporters have personal ideas about how things should work - call them biases, if you like, but good reporters truly make an effort to keep these ideas from showing up in their stories).

If you don't read a daily newspaper, you simply won't know what is happening in your community. You won't know which elected official is not serving you - and which one is. You won't know how your favorite school is doing during basketball season - or how students are faring with standardized tests. You might not know about an important community event that might need your help - last year's Maroon Makeover, for example. You won't know who your community leaders are, or who your elected representative is (I've seen that a lot).

You won't really know your community. So how can you be a part of it?

Try Something New!

We heard a lot of grumbling about the city of Marinette's decision not to have fireworks and a parade on the Fourth of July.

That's understandable. These things are part and parcel of our Independence Day tradition, and they have been part of Marinette's summer event calendar since the day's when Mairnette and Menominee alternated the celebration and called it Homecoming. (For newcomers and anyone who's not at least a Baby Boomer, that was in the late 50s and early 60s.)

The grumbling continued for more than 10 days, right up until the day the city finally unleashed its fireworks, at the tail end of the new, two-day Logging & Heritage Festival. Chamber staffers estimated they received 20-30 calls daily.

Still many people tried the festival, and liked what they saw. We give them kudos for being open to a new idea.

(For the record, the chamber did not make the decision to move festivities from the Fourth of July. The festival is the city's event, not the chamber's. Numerous newspaper and radio stories have made that pretty clear. Still, we do promote all area events. It's part of our mission. But we couldn't possibly run them all!)

It will be interesting to see what happens next. The city has to decide whether it wants to continue a mid-July event, go back the the Fourth of July holiday, or maybe find a sponsor for additional fireworks. There are many possibilities.

In Menominee, dog lovers are disappointed today that the city council rejected a proposal for an enclosed dog park within John Henes Park. Members of our Community Leadership Academy Class of 2012 will be understandably dismayed to learn the profits of their Aug. 18 dog walk in the park (dogs have permission to be in the park on leashes that day) won't got to helping create the park.

We liked Councilman Al Walker's suggestion that the city open the park on a trial basis. It might have worked.

Dog support supporters say they'll try again. We wish them luck.

Try is the operative word. Always.

A Great Opportunity for the Right Person

It might seem a bit strange to be actively recruiting for your own replacement for the job of chamber director.

(I'm retiring in September to fulfill a family obligation and return to what I really love to do: write and teach writing.)

But of course I want to see the best person get the job. And besides, I'm only spreading the word. I won't be playing any other role in the process - that would not be appropriate.

But I've worked hard to follow the mandate I received five years ago to "take the chamber to the next level" and now I want to see someone else take it a higher level.

So our executive committee is seeking someone to take the job. You can read more about it here.

People have asked me what I think it takes to do the job. There are many requirements: The ability to communicate, a love for the community, a whole lot of energy, a vision for the future and mental plan for how to get there, and an understanding and experience in economic and workforce development.

Other pluses are experience in the very unique world of non-profit organizations, an understanding of accounting and budgeting, and an appreciation for the way government functions.

But what it really takes is the ability to get along with people and keep your cool. In this job, you've got to be able to listen to people and give credence to their ideas. Because ideally, you must function as both a team member and a leader. You can't have your own way all the time. Your own ideas have to take a backseat sometimes, and you can't feel bad about that. You have to acknowledge that it doesn't matter whose ideas get the job done, as long as the job gets done.

You have to be a "we" person, not an "I" person. Toot someone else's horn, not your own.

Keeping your cool is equally important. People often vent to the chamber director. Let them. Listen and sympathize. If you can fix the problem, fix it.

Mistakes happen. You make them, staff makes them, members make them. Don't point fingers. Don't get upset. Fix the problem.

At the US Chamber's Institute for Organization Management, instructors will tell you that another priority is to protect your organization. The ability to scope out potential problems and traps is a huge plus - for anyone in leadership.

When I was a department manager at the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, I worked for a very savvy and wise man name Duanne Swift. He once told me that the best thing about chamber work was being able to look back and see where you've made a difference.

Someday, that's exactly what I will do. Meanwhile, it's time for someone else to take the helm. And make a difference.

A Quality Event

We weren't a bit surprised with all the phone calls we received these past few days from people disappointed that the Marinette-Menominee area has no Fourth of July fireworks.

We can appreciate their concern that something is missing from this holiday. Anyone who grew up here remembers how the cities of Marinette and Menominee used to alternate fireworks displays. Back when I was growing up, the Fourth of July festivities were called Homecoming, and they moved back and forth, Menominee one year, Marinette the next.

Oddly enough, when the fireworks were in Marinette - on Stephenson Island - my family went to the West End of Menominee, our mother's family home to watch them. I can recall standing near the Rio Vista Motel with friends and family to see the displays. When Menominee shot them off, we parked somewhere behind the Hotel Menominee to see the show. We sat in traffic for what seemed like hours and then had banana splits when we got home. I still want a banana split after fireworks. Traditions are lovely things; they bring us a sense of comfort and belonging.

We understand that it will feel like something that brings that sense of belonging - and sense of community - is missing this year.

But the truth is: Without fireworks, it will still be the Fourth of July. (As I write this, firecrackers and bottle rockets are being set off to the east and west of me. There is no doubt in my mind which holiday we are celebrating!)

We get the argument that there is a tenuous connection between logging and fireworks. But on the other hand, fireworks have always been part of Menominee's long-running Waterfront Festival and no one seems to complain about that. Quite the opposite!

We would be surprised if fireworks did not return on July 4, 2013. We hope they do, and we've made that suggestion to city officials.

What we ask area residents to do is give the Heritage Logging Festival a chance. From every angle, it looks to be very well organized. From what we have seen - from the schedule to the attractive, four-color marketing materials - this festival bears all the hallmarks of a quality event.

We're going to support it, give it a chance and we hope you will, too.

Have a Glorious Fourth

Because the Fourth of July is a holiday that celebrates our American heritage, we look for old-fashioned, time-honored ways to mark it. Family fun, parades, flag waving, and fireworks are what we expect.

Corn on the cob, meat on the grill, rhubarb and apple pie topped off by a game of horseshoes, or sack races, or even a nap - what a way to celebrate our freedom.

For more people, fireworks is a part the celebration: "The rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air."

This year, the city of Marinette will hold a Heritage Logging Festival on July 14-15 instead of on July 4. There will be fireworks, but they will be 10 days after the Fourth of July.

Because the chamber has received so many calls from people looking for fireworks, we've assembled a list of other community festivals and events, and we've published that list on our Web site.

Please join us Tuesday evening, July 3, on beautiful Stephenson Island as we kick off the mid-week holiday with a 7 p.m. concert, sponsored by the Marinette Menominee Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

Don't Think of it as Retirement

It’s not easy to make the decision to retire, and I have struggled with it for more than a year.  However, since I believe the chamber would benefit from fresh leadership, I have made the decision to retire, with a final work date of Sept. 28.

In the past five years, we transformed this organization from an events management organization into one that focuses on workforce development and building strong relationships between business and education. We have taken two very different chambers that merged in 2005, and made them one. We closed an office, jettisoned several  events that were draining our finances and energy, improved office technology and the chamber’s Internet presence, increased the chamber’s profile in the community and streamlined office operations. We developed policies and procedures, building a stronger organizational framework. We have added programs and benefits, and built new relationships. I feel good about what we have accomplished together!

I am especially pleased with the highly professional and exceptionally savvy people we have recruited for the board of directors in the past several years. I have confidence in their ability to choose a new chamber CEO.

Under President Paula Langteau’s leadership, the search and screen committee will need time to begin a national search (as was done in 2007),  identifying the educational, professional and personal characteristics of the next director.

I’ve enjoyed having the opportunity to serve the chamber and the community. It has been a fascinating experience and I have learned a great deal from it.

But I'm ready to spend more time with my family, especially my husband, who is also retiring on Sept. 28. I have a family commitment to honor, and I want to do more reading, cooking, writing, traveling, maybe some teaching and yes, maybe more working, but in a different area.

I look forward to continuing to work toward the chamber’s success in the next 90 days and beyond.

A Dozen Great Things to Do in Downtown Marinette

It's gratifying to see a group of downtown Marinette merchants joining force to promote the city's former commercial heart. While malls, big-box and stand-alone stores are an important part of our economy, nothing beats the charm of an old-fashioned downtown.

We're lucky that both our cities offer that. Menominee's Historic Waterfront Downtown has garnered lots of attention in the past 10 years. The determined group behind the proposed Menominee Opera House restoration, plus the Menominee Downtown Merchants and the city's Menominee Downtown Development Authority have done much to keep downtown on a front burner.

But in recent years, Downtown Marinette has slipped into the background. Now, with the infusion of new businesses, including several retail outlets and a fair share of firms that work with Marinette Marine, Marinette's once-commercial core is coming alive again.

Those of us who grew up here recall the days when Downtown Marinette bustled. On Friday nights, sidewalks were thick with shoppers and a policeman with a night stick directed traffic at the intersection Main Street and Pierce Avenue. The sound of his whistle is indelibly etched in our collective memories.

We Baby Boomers recall that a trip downtown unescorted by parents was a coming-of-age ritual for us. Buying lipstick at McClellan's, coke at Woolworths and a malt at Lauerman Brothers Department Store are part and parcel of our memories.

While Downtown Marinette may not return to the hustle and bustle of 1960, it continues to offer plenty of opportunities for fun and shopping. I sat down recently with Lori Wolf of DewHill Eatery & Coffee Roasters, who heads the new Downtown Community Action Group, and we came up with this list:

Buy an ice cream cone and eat it while you window shop.

Buy fresh produce at the Main Street Farm Market on Tuesday and Friday mornings.

Borrow a good book from Stephenson Public Library.

Get a great cut and style.

Browse through an antique shop.

Buy a handful of magazines or a few paperbacks.

Have a cup of coffee with a strawberry-rhubarb muffin.

Enjoy a sandwich on fresh-baked bread.

Meet a friend for a drink after work.

Buy vintage or gently-used clothing at an affordable price.

Open a checking account.

Buy gifts you won't find anywhere else in town.

And that's just for starters!

PS, Don't forget the 4th of July festivities at Merchant's Park!

Looking Back as a Community

I'm both appalled and apologetic that I have not yet posted in 2012. This is a busy time of year for the chamber, with numerous programs and events to plan and implement: Life Skills Expo, Career Opportunities Expo, the Empty Bowls Dinner, the Wine Tasting, Mini Business World, the Radio-A-thon and the Annual Dinner and Awards Night. There is also the last few sessions of Community Leadership Academy to wrap up and the Golf Outing and Aurora-MACC race to begin planning.

Of course, we could not do all these things if it weren't for our Business & Education Partnership, our Leadership Academy Alumni, and our committees and sub-committees. UW-Marinette and NWTC play huge roles in many our events, as do many other organizations, including the M&M Area Community Foundation, Aurora Healthcare and Karl Schmidt Unisia.

I am sure I am missing something.

What I am not missing these days is a very cool Facebook Page called You Know You're From Menominee When...  The page was written up recently in the EagleHerald by Mike Desotell, who seems to know everybody and everything there is to know about our community.

But there are scores of people, many of them bearing familiar names, who contribute to this Facebook page, and they all enjoy talking about the good old days of Menominee and often Marinette. (I like to think you can't have one without the other.)

As a weird hybrid who grew up on both sides of the river and went to a high school - Catholic Central - that drew from across the area, I consider myself pretty much a native of both cities. My father's family is deeply rooted in Marinette (1870s) and my mother's in Menominee (1880s). I can appreciate the old days on either side of the river. I hope someone creates a similar page for Marinette, too.

It's comforting in this time of intense change - much of which we cannot control - to look back on the old days, when kids knocked on each other's doors to communicate (instead of using their thumbs on a little keyboard) and actually played the outdoor games their parents played (instead of using computers for everything).

Menominee and Marinette have rich and colorful histories, peopled by hardy pioneers and lumber barons, woodsmen and scoundrels, fancy ladies and clubwomen: The McDonalds, Old Yellow Dog, Mae Dugas, Ike Stephenson, John Henes and so many more.

Why not join the more than 1000 Facebook fans who live in the present but appreciate the past? The Internet has given us one more way to create that precious sense of community that allows us to work together to make our towns even better places to live. That, of course, is what a chamber of commerce is all about.

And would somebody please start a Marinette page?