The Friends of the New Glarus Woods State Park will celebrate the latest additions to the park’s trail system from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, with refreshments, updates on future plans, and a group ride...weather permitting of course.
But I also learned they'll be holding a volunteer drive. And that got me thinking.
Volunteers are becoming harder and harder to find. Younger generations don't seem to volunteer quite like their parents and grandparents did. Meanwhile, many older volunteers are stretched thin serving multiple organizations or, understandably, simply getting tired.
And that's unfortunate, because so much of what makes New Glarus special happens because people care enough to give their time.
New Glarus Woods State Park is a jewel in our community, and the Friends of the New Glarus Woods State Park does an enormous amount of work to keep it that way. For those passionate about environmentalism and conservation, sometimes the biggest difference you can make starts right in your own backyard. A few hours of volunteer work can accomplish an awful lot.
I'd encourage you to stop out Saturday, see what they've accomplished and consider lending a hand. You don't have to be a mountain biker to help.
I've always found that volunteering has a funny way of working. You go into it thinking you're giving something of yourself, but more often than not, you come away having gained even more.
And that's a pretty good return on a few hours of your time.
Biggest Stories of the Week
What We’re Working On
Final decisions have now been made about the future of the New Glarus Floral Clock, one of the village’s best-known landmarks. We’ll explain what will be changed, what will remain and what visitors can expect the Floral Clock to look like next summer.
Sugar River EMS is expanding to serve the towns of York, Primrose and Perry, but the cost of that service is considerably higher than what those municipalities paid New Glarus Area EMS. We’re digging into the numbers to find out whether adding more communities creates economies of scale — and whether those higher costs could eventually come down.
Hometown Pharmacy has completed its move into its new location, and we’re checking back in to see how things are going. We’ll talk with the pharmacy about how customers and employees are adapting to the new space and what the move has allowed them to do differently.
Green County is among a relatively small number of Wisconsin counties that does not livestream County Board meetings or make recordings available later online. We’re looking into why that is, what neighboring counties are doing and whether Green County could eventually make its meetings easier for the public to watch.
Oct. 29 marks two years since the groundbreaking for New Glarus Brewing Co.’s roughly $55 million, 60,000- to 65,000-square-foot expansion at its Hilltop facility. We have questions in to Deb Carey as we look for an update on how the project is progressing and what remains ahead.
Before New Glarus Brewing Co. and the Careys, there was Joseph Huber Brewing Co., Hans Kestler and Augsburger beer. We’re looking back at an important chapter in the area’s brewing history and the people and brands that helped keep Monroe’s brewing tradition alive for generations.
What did the new Town of New Glarus garage actually cost? We’re going through the contracts, invoices and additional expenses to determine the final price and how it compares with what town officials originally approved two years ago.
We have more local business stories in the works, including conversations with the people behind New Glarus Hardware and Hoesly’s Meats. We’ll take readers behind the storefronts to tell the history, challenges and personalities behind these longtime local businesses.
Green County and its municipalities have undertaken — or are considering — an extraordinary number of expensive public projects at roughly the same time. We’re pulling those projects together to examine how much is being spent, how they are being financed and what the cumulative impact could mean for taxpayers.
Daylight saving time ends Nov. 1, but clocks were handled very differently when New Glarus’ Swiss settlers first arrived in Wisconsin. We’re digging into the fascinating history of daylight saving time, the creation of standardized time zones and how New Glarus once kept time before the modern system existed.
Every neighboring community has something you occasionally wish New Glarus had, too. We’re putting together 10 Things We Wish We Had from Neighboring Communities, a fun look at amenities, businesses, attractions and ideas from nearby towns that might look pretty nice here.
Photo of the Week
What You May Have Missed
Todd Klassy
Todd Klassy
Todd Klassy
Todd Klassy
Todd Klassy
Something We Noticed
If you're a Wisconsin sports fan, the next 10 days could be something truly special. From the Brewers and Packers to the Bucks, Badgers, Glarner Knights and Sugar River Raiders, there's not a single day between now and Halloween without something worth watching. Some days, we'll barely have time to catch our breath between games.
Of course, our teams will have to do their part to make these 10 days truly memorable.
My only request? If you're at the Glarner Knights football game Friday night, please don't announce the Brewers score to everyone in the stands. Some of us might want to go home and watch the World Series on tape delay without knowing how it ends.
So, instead of me bloviating about what could be one of the greatest stretches in Wisconsin sports history, I decided to do something unusual: Shut up and let the schedule do the talking. Go Brewers, Packers, Bucks, Badgers, Glarner Knights and Raiders!
Past Issues
Need to reference a past issue of Community Update? No problem. We’ve got you covered. Previous editions are easy to find, so whether you want to revisit a local story, catch up on something you missed, or go back and check a link, the archive is there when you need it.
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Thanks for supporting local journalism and for helping us tell the story of New Glarus and the people who make this community what it is.
Todd Klassy
New Glarus 360
