Considerable activity has been taking place at 117 N. Broadway, the business building formerly occupied by Dale Johnson’s Accounting Service. As has been reported before, rumors were that the building had been sold to some folks from Black River Falls that were going to be establishing a Mexican Restaurant. That being rumored, I stopped a while back and asked when they were opening. The answer I got was that there was considerable work to be done and they had no formal date for an opening, but expected it not to be for several months. On Wednesday, November 25, a work crew was putting a new metal face on the upper section of the building, so improvements are taking place. I will be watching the development with interest as this was one of the buildings on Broadway that was targeted for improvements for years. Not that metal facades are designed for old buildings, but in this case any improvement is better than what was exposed to downtown visitors.

A week or so ago, I complained to the Stanley Postmaster how long it took to get mail from Owen to Stanley these days. He reported that COVID-19 has so many postal employees out along the delivery line that the amount of mail received daily is being impacted in a way that the local post office has no control over. So I guess we need to appreciate delivery as it is. *** I observed that the week of November 23-27, the Market and Johnson crew, constructing the new Stanley Community Building at Chapman Park, were totally absent from the work site. Perhaps they take the entire week off for hunting? Not sure about that, but a nice week of winter construction weather was missed. It looked like that week they would have been finishing up getting ready for pouring the floor, and could of even had some part of it poured. From this observation, hunting in our area of this country still seems to be an important part of our lives both as a food source and recreation.

More COVID-19 Lessons; Can everyone please just follow the government instructions so we can knock out this corona virus and be done? I feel like a kindergartner who keeps loosing more recess time because one or two kids can’t follow directions. +++1 swear my fridge just said, “What do you want now?” +++ When this is over … what meeting do I attend first… Weight Watchers or AA? +++ The COVID Quarantine has turned us into dogs. We roam all day looking for food. We are told “No” if we get too close to strangers. And we get really excited about car rides. +++ I need to get back in shape but I’m kind of waiting to see if the world is going to end before I put any real effort in.

Congratulations to all those involved in establishing the Christmas Village in Chapman Park. There was much work involved in bringing it to fruition and a lot of people are enjoying it this holiday season. With that said, I must confess that I was a little taken back by the setting up of these displays in Chapman Park – campground area. My dismay comes from the many hours recently spent in the development of the 2020-2040 Stanley Comprehensive Plan. One of the strategic goals of the plan was an attempt to determine what we might do to improve our downtown. I would like to offer that in another year that these same enthusiastic people develop a plan for decorating Soo Park instead and the site of the old hotel, both the gateway to North Broadway. This location would allow for the bringing together of additional community Christmas promotions in an area that has been designated for improvement in a number of ways.

Did you know? Ten percent of the Russian government income comes from the sale of vodka. It’s very sad. And, if you have ever visited Russia and paid a visit to one of their small grocery stores, you know that the liquor section is twice as large as any other section of the store. On our trip to Russia we were docked in St. Petersburg for three days and we often walked the streets in the vicinity of our cruise ship after dinner. Small grocery stores were located throughout the areas we walked. Further evidence of the popularity of vodka was the park like area that could be observed from our ship's deck was littered with vodka bottles each morning. Very very sad. +++ According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the percentage of Wisconsin adults, age 65 plus, who reported getting a flu shot in 2019 was 63.9 percent. Other Midwest percentages were 62.5 percent in Minnesota, 65.1 percent in Iowa, 61.1 percent in Illinois, and 60.5 percent in Michigan. +++ A study by the Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health concluded that participation in high school sports in Wisconsin has not lead to an increase in COVID-19 infections among high school student athletes.

The pandemic has raised havoc in many ways. Christian Overland, Director and CEO of the Wisconsin Historical Society recently wrote, “…. the pandemic has disrupted operations across the Wisconsin Historical Society. A $2.5 million projected revenue shortfall and (an) additional $1 million budget reduction certainly has created many challenges.” The local historical society and many other organizations could echo the same words, except I expect on a much smaller scale when it comes to budgets. Please continue your support of local organizations that depend on all of us all for support in these difficult times. The support of the Stanley-Boyd Alumni Association, as reported in the November 26 issue of this newspaper, was outstanding.

*** Smile time. Ole graduated from law school and started his career as a young lawyer in a big city law firm. One day he returned to his Alma Mater to visit his old professors and saw a dog attacking a small child on campus. He quickly jumped on the dog and strangled it. The next day the local newspaper wrote a story with the headline, “Valiant student saves boy from ferocious dog.” Indignantly, Ole called the editor of the paper and asked that a correction be put in the next issue, pointing out that he was a very successful lawyer. The next day, the paper issued a correction with the headlines that read, “Pompous lawyer kills school mascot.” +++ A little boy says to his mother, “Can I go outside and help daddy put chains on the car? I know all the words.” +++ At the close of a service, a certain dull clergyman announced that there would be a meeting of the Board. All of the congregation, with the exception of the Board of Trustees and one stranger rose and left. The clergyman waited a little and then addressed the stranger saying, “My brother, perhaps you misunderstood me. This is a meeting of the Board,” “Yes,” replied the stranger, “go right ahead, I was never so bored in all my life.”

by David Jankoski