Small Street Journal: December 13, 2019

12/13/2019

Northwestern Bank Promotes Smiskey as market president

Northwestern Bank Board of Directors, Chair Darrin Senn, and President Jerry Jacobson, are pleased to announce the recent promotion of Tracey Smiskey as Market President for the bank’s Eau Claire lending activities.

Smiskey, who previously served as the Vice President of Business Development, will be responsible for community outreach, staff development, and generating new business in the Eau Claire market. She will also be joining the Bank’s Senior Management team. "It is always an honor to see team members grow within the bank,” said President Jerry Jacobson. “Tracey has made a significant impact since she joined the team and we look forward to her strong leadership in the Eau Claire market.”

Smiskey has a long history of community involvement. She serves on the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Chair of the Chamber’s Youth Leadership Eau Claire program, Chair of the Eau Claire Community Foundation’s Women’s Giving Circle, serves on the Leadership Team of Polka Dot Powerhouse and serves with several leadership roles supporting the McDonell Area Catholic Schools. Previously she was the Advisory Board Chair of the Western Dairyland and Business Center as well as successfully lead a 10+ year career as the Chief Development Officer at the Boys & Girls Club of the Greater Chippewa Valley. Educationally, she earned an Advanced Leadership Certification (Business) from the University of Michigan-School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in Business and Communications from The Ohio State University.

University of Wisconsin Eau Claire

Math team earns second-place award from American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges
A team of math students and their faculty mentor from UW-Eau Claire – Barron County have earned a national award for their project based in finding financial benefits to converting a home to more sustainable energy sources like solar and wind. Full story.

What’s all the buzz about? 'Thursdays at the U' to focus on honeybees
Dave Smetak will present "Should I Be a Beekeeper?" from noon-1 p.m. Dec. 12 for the final presentation of the fall speaker series at UW-Eau Claire – Barron County in Rice Lake. Full story.

The Wisconsin State Patrol

The Wisconsin State Patrol is at the mid-point of its two-month recruitment period when men and women can apply to serve as a state trooper or inspector. To raise awareness about the recruitment effort and duties of officers, the State Patrol post in Eau Claire is hosting an open house event on Monday, Dec. 16, 2019 from 1 – 6 p.m. at the post in Eau Claire. We would very much appreciate any assistance in helping us get the word out. Feel free to forward the info below and thank you!

Eau Claire State Patrol post to hold recruitment open house on Monday, December 16. To help the public learn more about State Patrol duties and career opportunities, citizens are invited to an open house event at the Eau Claire State Patrol Post on Monday, December 16 from 1 - 6 p.m. State troopers, inspectors, K9 team, drone and aircraft pilots will be available to meet with citizens and discuss the State Patrol recruitment period underway now through January 12, 2020. Men and women from all cultural and educational backgrounds are encouraged to apply to become a state trooper or inspector. More info is available at wistatepatroljobs.wi.gov.

Nodolf Flory, LLP and Richie, Guettinger, & Manydeeds, S.C. Announce Merger

The law firms of Nodolf Flory, LLP and Richie, Guettinger, & Manydeeds, S.C. are pleased to announce their merger in the new year. This merger will build on the expertise and skill of both firms to enhance the depth and breadth of services available to clients.

Service of client needs is at the heart of the merger. “The needs of our clients are ever-expanding on regional, national, and international levels. Our single focus is to advance our clients’ positions and interests through better value, diverse perspectives, and first-class service,” said Jeffery Guettinger, a partner with Richie, Guettinger, & Manydeeds, S.C.

Mutual synergies and strength of common practice areas make this a truly unique and exciting union. “In Nodolf Flory, we have found a partner that matches our dedication to client needs while demonstrating the highest level of excellence and integrity in service,” said Edmund Manydeeds III, a partner with Richie Guettinger, & Manydeeds, S.C.

In addition to enhancing common practice areas, each firm will also be able to offer service areas not previously available to its clients. “In addition to enhancing the breadth and depth in our common practice areas, Nodolf Flory clients will gain access to personal injury, insurance defense, and mediation practices while Richie, Guettinger, & Manydeeds clients will benefit from real estate development, governmental relations, and family law practices,” said Heather Hunt, a partner with Nodolf Flory, LLP.
The merger will occur in the first quarter of 2020 with the firm retaining the Nodolf Flory, LLP name. Edmund Manydeeds III and Jeffery Guettinger will continue as partners servicing clients’ business, financial, and litigation needs while David Richie will lead the firm’s mediation services section.

Royal Credit Union

Annual “Giving Never Melts Away” Toy Drive Helps Families
Royal Credit Union’s (Royal) 22 offices located in western Wisconsin and the Twin-Cities metro area worked together to bring in over 600 toys to benefit families in need this holiday season. Royal partners with The Salvation Army for its Annual “Giving Never Melts Away” toy drive. This year the credit union collected new and unwrapped toys from November 1 – November 30. The Salvation Army distributes the toys to children of families within the communities Royal serves.

Royal’s core purpose is “to make a positive impact in the lives we touch.” The Salvation Army partnership allows members and team members to come together to help families. The impact of the “Giving Never Melts Away” campaign continues to grow as the number of toys donated increases each year.

“I am grateful to work for a company that gives back as much as Royal does”, says Sarah Jaeger, community engagement coordinator for Royal Credit Union. “Being able to see our Members and team members bringing in toys to help the community is rewarding for us at Royal because making a difference in the lives around us is a vital part of who we are.” In addition to collecting toys at the office locations, team members working in Royal’s corporate center in Eau Claire also participated in the toy drive.

Announces New VP of IT Solutions and Development
Royal Credit Union has named Tad Carlson vice president of IT solutions and development. Carlson is based at Royal’s Corporate Center in Eau Claire.

He is responsible for overseeing the applications development, business intelligence and analytics, and application analyst teams at Royal. These teams maintain and enhance many of the systems at Royal including consumer and business online banking, and business intelligence platforms.

Carlson began his career with Royal in January of 2018 as an application analyst. He received a management information systems degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2001 and brings years of experience with him from his previous positions in the manufacturing, pharmacy benefit management, and retail industries in the Eau Claire and Twin Cities area.

Carlson currently resides in Eau Claire with his wife Sarah, stepson Jarrett, four dogs, four cats, 40 chickens, 9 goats, and 1 llama.

L.E. Phillips Memorial Library

HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital offers prenatal classes

Library Holiday Hours
Holiday hours for the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library in Eau Claire are as follows:

Tuesday, December 24: CLOSED
Wednesday, December 25: CLOSED
Tuesday, December 31: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wednesday, January 1: CLOSED

For information, stop at Information & Reference on your next visit to the library, call 715-839-5004, email librarian@eauclaire.lib.wi.us, or visit the library online at www.ecpubliclibrary.info. For a recording of library hours, please call 715-839-5005.

If you’re a soon-to-be parent, you likely have a lot of questions about what to expect during pregnancy, labor and delivery, and more. HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital’s Women and Infants Center is offering free prenatal education classes for first-time parents and those who would like a refresher Mondays, Jan. 6, 13, 20 and 27, at 6:30 p.m. in the Monsignor Klimek Auditorium (lower level) at the hospital, 900 West Clairemont Ave.

The hospital is also offering a prenatal class Saturday, Jan. 18, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Monsignor Klimek Auditorium (lower level) at the hospital.

In addition, the hospital is offering a prenatal siblings class Tuesday, Jan. 21, at 4:30 p.m. in Bishop Treacy (lower level) at the hospital. This class will help prepare three- to 10-year-olds for the changes that may occur in their families.

These classes are free but registration is required by visiting www.sacredhearteauclaire.org/Events-Classes. For more information, call 715-717-4156.

The Community Foundation

Carson Park Baseball Fundraising Group Seeks Funds to Complete Stadium Renovations
Carson Park Baseball Stadium has been standing as a crown jewel in one of Eau Claire’s most beloved parks since 1936. Over the past 83 years, the stadium has been host to some of life’s most important and exciting moments: high school graduations, concerts and festivals, the City’s annual Fourth of July fireworks, and it even saw more than one person shot out of a cannon!

Carson Park Stadium is, of course, best known for being Eau Claire’s home for baseball; from high school to minor league farm teams, Carson Park has seen a lot of great baseball over the years. It was the first permanent home of the Eau Claire Bears. Fans of the Bears got to watch many future star players like Bill Robinson, Denny Lemaster, Chuck Tanner, and Stan Spence. Most notably, Hall of Fame players Joe Torre, Bob Ueker, and Henry “Hank” Aaron also called the Carson Park Stadium home. More recently, stars such as Jordan Zimmermann and Kole Calhoun played at Carson Park.

Carson Park Stadium enjoys the distinction of being on the Wisconsin and National Registers of Historic Places. The Stadium was built in 1936 as one of the Works Progress Administration projects, whose purpose was to create jobs, and was part of an official policy to promote baseball as a morale booster during the Great Depression. While the facility has been well kept and enjoyed some renovations over the years, the Carson Park Baseball Fundraising Group recognizes that to keep the facility in great shape and make it possible for even more people to enjoy this important part of Eau Claire’s history, major work will need to be done.

Fundraising efforts are underway to match the $1.5 million dollars that the City of Eau Claire has already pledged for the project. The renovation will replace the current aluminum bleachers with a permanent structure, concession areas, apparel space, and climate-controlled restrooms. It will also allow the park to better meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards, making it possible for more people to enjoy the Great American Past-Time in our All-American City.

To make a tax-deductible donation to the Carson Park Baseball Stadium Renovation Fund held at the Eau Claire Community Foundation, visit eccfwi.org or send a check to ECCF at 306 S. Barstow St. Suite 104, Eau Claire, WI 54701. If you have questions about donating, please write to info@eccfwi.org or call 715-552-3801.

For more information about the Project, contact Mark Faanes, Chair of the Carson Park Baseball Fundraising Group, at 715-829-8912.

Wisconsin Public Radio

Legislative Roundup on “The West Side” December 16
Two state senators from western Wisconsin provide a roundup of the fall legislative session on Monday, Dec. 16 on “The West Side” on The Ideas Network Stations of Wisconsin Public Radio: 88.3 WHWC-FM/ Menomonie-Eau Claire and 88.7 WRFW-FM/ River Falls.

Host Dean Kallenbach will welcome Sen. Kathleen Bernier (R-Chippewa Falls) and Sen. Patty Schachtner (D-Somerset) to the program to provide a look back at the recently-completed session of the state legislature, reflecting on how new legislation affected western Wisconsin. The senators will also talk about other state issues, including efforts both senators are making to expand the number of mental health beds available at care facilities.

“The West Side” is a call-in program focused on issues specific to western Wisconsin. The show is broadcast at 10 a.m. Mondays on The Ideas Network stations 88.3 WHWC-FM Menomonie/Eau Claire and 88.7 WRFW-FM River Falls and via an online live stream on 88.7 WRFW-FM University of Wisconsin River Falls via wrfw887.com/listen-live.html. Listeners may call in with questions and comments during the program at (800) 228-5615. Archives of “The West Side” are available at wpr.org/programs/west-side.

WNB Financial

WNB Financial is pleased to announce a $5,000 donation to Grace Place to be used in the purchase of a house at 802 W. Broadway in Winona, the future site of a Grace Place transitional shelter for families in the Winona area.

Grace Place has served Winona and the surrounding area since 1992, now providing individual mentoring or group classes such as Morning Music for families with young children or Breaking Bread weekly family meals. The purchase of the 5-bedroom Broadway house will allow for shelter and lifeskills training for families at risk of being homeless. During their stay, which may run for a year or longer, Grace Place will assist families in acquiring steady employment and provide the social, emotional, and spiritual support needed to stabilize families and successfully acquire affordable longterm housing.

WNB Financial is also pleased to announce its gift of $5,000 to the Wabasha Kellogg Area Community Foundation (WKACF).

During the annual fall fund drive, WNB used its gift to match any donations over $100 to the WKACF endowment fund with a $100 match. The drive resulted in over $25,000 in donations, allowing the Foundation to continue in its mission of keeping its communities great places to live, work, and play. The goal of the WKACF endowment fund is to hold $500,000 by the year 2027, allowing the Foundation to provide $20,000-$25,000 grants to important community organizations.

As a community bank, WNB Financial understands the importance of giving back to the communities it serves. In 2018, WNB gifted over $377,900 to the community in the areas of education and youth programs, fine arts and culture, health and wellness, economic development, and community service.

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