Josh Risler - Menomonie Advocate

Y’all need to put Wilson Park on your calendars on Tuesday nights. Ludington Guard Band is back! (No pie or popcorn so bring your own snacks). Beautiful night in Downtown Menomonie.

Today we vote for local positions and a few others. I’ll be heading to the polls later this evening and have been thinking a lot about the school board election. I keep seeing posts about this slate of 3 or that slate of 3 and I don’t plan to vote for either set.

I’m not completely sure when it became common place for those running for non partisan office to align themselves with those who share similar political ideals and to attempt to run as one but it is a bummer in my book.

I think it’s important to have balance and diversity on our school board. To me, voting for a group of people who seemingly see the world through the same lens doesn’t help our kids or community.

Our school board has been dysfunctional for a number of years now. Part of me wonders if an injection of brand new school board members will help force some change...I guess we’ll see.

Best of luck to those on the ballet and thank you for your willingness to be involved.

Pretty easy to request one online!

This is your reminder to hang up your new 2021 Solid Waste & Recycling Permit in your vehicle before coming out to the Solid Waste & Recycling Site.

Still need a permit? Request one here 👉www.menomonie-wi.gov/solidwastepermits

⭐The Solid Waste & Recycling Site is open to City of Menomonie residents only⭐

Happy New Year!

Options for tree pick up or drop off.

Note your options for Christmas Tree drop off for City residents.

Earlier this year, representatives from various non-profit youth sports programs made the decision create a centralized website for youth sports in Menomonie. The idea being that it would make it easier for parents and the general community to keep up with what is going on with the various participating organizations. While COVID put a damper on many of our programs, we're starting to look ahead to 2021! If you haven't already, be sure to check out

Home Hello and welcome to the new SportsEngine website for youth sports in Menomonie. Menomonie Youth Sports is a loosely formed collective of representatives from various non-profit youth sports organizations throughout Menomonie.

This document is not any of my personal work but I know a lot of people who have been meeting multiple times a week for MONTHS to put this and so much more together. I think there have been at least 6 public forums, an entire website created, and lots of Q&A behind the whole process to arrive at this Plan.

I'm very impressed by Administration at Stout in their commitment to bringing students back to our community as safely as possible.

Return to Fall 2020 | UW-Stout Information for students and families on COVID-19 planning and preparedness.

I am disappointed to hear about the verbal assault that took place at the school board meeting last night. As a community, I think it is important to talk about what happened. I have chaired public meetings that become very contentious, I did not like doing so. I have cast votes in meetings where I was the only person opposed, it is not a comfortable position to be in. I have sat in meetings where the tension and animosity were ubiquitous; I have questioned why I volunteer my time to endure this. And at times I have resigned.

Much of my life experience thus far has been in the realm of leadership, management, and public service. One of the mantras that I have picked up over the years is the saying “What you’re willing to accept will become the new standard.” As a member of this community, I refuse to accept the behavior of last nights’ school board meeting. Any attempt to justify or rationalize that kind of behavior is indefensible and shortsighted in my opinion.

People are more than the sum of one action, I firmly believe that. I live my life that way and raise my kids to understand that as an increasingly nuanced perspective. Yet all it takes is one action, especially in the public realm, for a lifetime of dedication to void it all. It is a burden that everyone in a position of public trust carries, and I believe they should. As community ambassadors, we hold ourselves to a higher standard and embrace a level of ethics and accountability that many do not embrace or seem to even understand. At least that is the way I approach it, with a bit nostalgia and touch idealistic.

I hope that level of self-accountability is recognized in this situation and the appropriate action is taken. If not, we as a community, need to decide if this is going to become our new standard. You know where I stand, and I hope some of you will join me.

This recent warmer weather has me dreaming of popcorn, pie, and the Ludington Guard Band. I hope they are able to have at least a few performances this summer.