☀️🤝 Good Thursday Morning, Coulee

January 9, 2025

Author

Caleb Lombardo
January 09, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 14 minutes

Hello, superstar ☀️

Welcome to Good Morning, Coulee—where we take positivity seriously.

I’m here to bring shepherd you into your morning with all the latest news, happenings, and inside scoop on the Coulee Region.

Got your coffee? Strap in. 👇

🎶 Song of the Day

Here’s something to nod your head to while you catch up on all things Coulee. 👇

*If you want to listen along as you read, scroll to the top right of this email and click “Read Online”.

💬 Today’s Thought

❝

“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.”

-Ernest Hemingway

🕰 Coulee History

This is a new segment. Do you like it?

Let us know if this has value for you.

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

📰 Quick Hits

  • Four of five candidates file paperwork to run for La Crosse Mayor (WXOW)

  • Vinny Rottino, Brewers TV analyst and former player on Uecker, broadcasting, La Crosse baseball (WIZM)

  • Habitat for Humanity of the Greater La Crosse Region remembers Jimmy Carter (News 8000)

  • 2024 tied for La Crosse's second warmest year on record (News 8000)

Today’s Sunrise Sponsor is La Crosse Painters. This winter, La Crosse Painters is keeping their crew busy by offering steep discounts on interior painting. Interested in premium work at an affordable price? Get in touch.

📆 What’s Happenin’

🧩❓ Puzzles…..Then Trivia (make a night out of it) @ Daily Brew Co. in Westby // Friday, 5pm & 7pm

Put together a team and head out to Westby for what looks like a great time for puzzle lovers. Here are the details:

2-4 people per team
$50 per team

Includes:
• 1 family order of loaded Mac N Cheese + breadsticks
• 4 drinks (pop, beer, or Lotus drinks)
• 1-300 piece puzzle to keep

Start Time:
Between 5:00 and 6:00 pm
Timer will start when staff hands out puzzle and Mac N Cheese
**Teams may start at different times depending on number of teams, their arrival, and food readiness**

Rules:
Must finish the puzzle, the Mac N Cheese, and the drinks to stop the timer

Prizes:
Winning team of the night: $50 gift card
Lowest time of the season (from all dates listed below): $100 gift card

Future dates:
January 10th
February 14th
March 14th
April 11th
May 2nd

Limited to 10 teams per night

Afterwards, they also host Trivia night on the first Friday of every month—which happens to be this Friday! Here are the details:

Test your smarts and enjoy a night of trivia with friends hosted by Trivia Tim, along with a giant pretzel or a variety of other menu items! Trivia begins at 7:00 pm. Teams of 1-6 people, $10/team. Sign up your team at the coffee shop to reserve a spot. Prizes for the winners! Full menu available, including our loaded Mac n Cheese!!

❓ Triva w/ Tim @ Mt. La Crosse St. Bernard Room // TODAY, 7pm

Trivia Tim will be in the St. Bernard Room hosting trivia tonight. We don’t have information on registration or entry fee, but it is usually $10 for a team to enter.

🎥 The Nettle Dress Showing @ Viroqua Temple Theatre // Sunday, 3pm

Textile artist Allan Brown spends seven years making a dress by hand, using only the fibre of locally foraged stinging nettles. This is ‘hedgerow couture’, the greenest of slow fashion and also his medicine. It’s how he survives the death of his wife Alex and how he finds a beautiful way to honour her.

'Grasping the Nettle' is at the heart of this story. The challenge of making zero carbon clothing means relearning ancient crafts: foraging, processing, spinning, weaving, cutting and sewing. Making a dress this way becomes devotional and healing.

‘While making the dress over all these years, I felt like I was being transformed by the nettles rather than the other way around,’ says Allan. ‘When Alex was ill and going through chemotherapy, as soon as I began spinning yarn, I felt calmer. It became much more than just a piece of cloth; it's been woven with the stories of people who know and love you.’

The dress is made up of 14,400 feet of thread, each one representing hours of loving attention. In the film the dress is finally worn in the woods where the nettles were picked, by Oonagh, one of Allan's daughters.

Director Dylan Howitt says: ‘This is a story about the deep value of creativity and imagination, and a slow, mindful craft that is more in tune with the natural world.’

🎟 Tickets for FEBRUARY Film @ Pump House Regional Arts Center // NOW AVAILABLE (Feb 6 Screening)

"February" is a film written and directed by Nathan Deming as a part of the "Year Project"

Miguel (David Duran) is a recent immigrant to a small Wisconsin town and struggling to fit in.  His sister (Nayeli Hernandez) is worried about him, her husband (Erick Inestroza) less so - until a strange man (Ritchie Gordon) offers to take Miguel ice fishing.

Writer/Director Nathan Deming (Speaking in Tongues) continues his "Year Project" with DP Leo Purman (The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos) and producer Adam Stunkle (Purity Camp).  Edited by Patricio de la Maza (Heat).​

Winner of the 2024 GOLDEN BADGER AWARD and the AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD at the Wisconsin Film Festival.  Listen to our interview on Wisconsin Public Radio​​​​​​ here.

🧘 Poses & Pints @ Pearl Street Brewery // Saturday, 11am

Join Sara and Jamie for yoga at the brewery. Please bring your own mat and/or towel. Mat rentals $2. Suitable for beginners. All levels welcome! $11 includes Yoga and One Pint!

🌤 Weather

Question…Do You Enjoy this Newsletter?

If you do, please consider sharing it with friends, family, or other community members. Do that 3 times—and I’ll shout out your birthday!

The first milestone in our referral program is a birthday shoutout—pretty sweet, right? Play your cards right and there might be a bumper sticker in it for you somewhere down the line. 😉

🤝 Small Business Highlight: Velvet Couch Candle Co. 🕯

Today, I’m very pleased to feature Velvet Couch Candle Co.

Here’s a little about the owner, Natasha, and her very popular local candle business:

I am a lover of my beautiful daughter, all things vintage and nostalgic, black clothing, a solid pair of look at me shoes, music, self love and of course, candles. I created Velvet Couch Candle Co. as an outlet a couple years after having my daughter. I’ve always wanted to be a Mom, but no one prepares you for how you will change oh so much after bringing new life into the world. Some adapt faster to that than others, and then there are the women like me. I was head over heels in love with my child and also did not know who the hell I was anymore. Finding this outlet to pour my creativity, heart and soul into was just what I needed. I also wanted to show my daughter that you can do hard things, even if that comes with working countless jobs and getting not a whole lot of sleep. But at the end of the day, I’m doing just what I was intended to do.

Natasha’s candles are highly sought-after at all the local markets—and that’s because they are amazing. Her products are hand-poured in small batches with 100% soy wax, lead-free cotton wicks, and Phthalte free high-end fragrances.

In other words, they’re the best candles you’re gonna find. And we all love a good candle.

Interested in buying? Find her online—or, come and see her at one of her upcoming events:

Have a small business and want to be featured here ☝️ for free?

🏈🏀 Local Sports

1/9

Winona Girls Basketball vs. Marshall // 7:30pm

La Crescent Girls Basketball @ Plainview // 7:15pm

Central Boys Basketball @ Medford // 7:15pm

La Crescent Boys Basketball vs. Plainview // 7:15pm

Winona Boys Basketball @ Northfield // 7:30pm

1/10

Luther Girls Basketball vs. West Salem // 6:00pm

Central Girls Basketball vs. Aquinas // 7:15pm

Logan Boys Basketball vs. Holmen // 7:15pm

Logan Girls Basketball @ Holmen // 5:45pm

Onalaska Girls Basketball vs. Tomah // 6:00pm

La Crescent Boys Basketball @ Zumbrota // 7:15pm

Onalaska Boys Basketball @ Tomah // 7:30pm

Luther Boys Basketball @ West Salem // 7:30pm

🎶 Live Music

Thursday 1/9

5:00pm // Starline Lounge // Greg Balfany

6:30pm // Schmidty’s Bar & Restaurant // Maddie and Kenny

Friday 1/10

6:00pm // Footjoy Farm & Brewing (Cashton) // Sharon is Karen (Dylan Harris opens) (classic covers)

7:00pm // Onalaska American Legion Post 336 // BIG LIQUOR (country)

7:00pm // Brick Sip Haus (Tomah) // Blaine Hackett

7:00pm // Alpine Inn // Zeke Fitz

7:00pm // Pump House // Johnsmith ($30 Tickets)

9:00pm // Broncos // BT Band (Bryce Thomaschefsky)

9:00pm // Popcorn Tavern // Kyle Renfro Trio ($10 Cover) (blues rock)

Saturday 1/11

7:00pm // Genzie’s Gameday Pub // Spunky Bumpkins (covers, classics)

7:00pm // Concordia Ballroom // Grumpy Old Men Band hosted by Continental Dancers ($15 Cover, Dancing Lessons @ 7, Dancing @ 8)

7:00pm // Larson’s General // The Nunnery, Dilly Dally Alley, Taylor James Donskey ($10 Cover)

7:30pm // Pump House // Johnsmith ($30 Tickets)

7:30pm // Starlite Lounge // 3rd Charles (jazz)

8:00pm // Robin’s Nest // The B-SideS (60s-90s rock)

8:00pm // Popcorn Tavern // People Brothers Band ($15 Cover) (rhythm, soul)

Sunday 1/12

1:00pm // St. Bernard Room @ Mt. La Crosse // Dan & Mary

1:00pm // Concordia Ballroom // Rhythm Playboys Band ($10 Cover, dancing) (polka)

Join us Friday for #ThatLooksGood and weekend happenings!

See you tomorrow, neighbor! 👋

Have something to say? You know what to do.

📥 👇