There has been considerable news and discussion regarding the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans that have been made across the United States. Businesses in our area received this money to keep Americans employed during the pandemic. The program has been popular, but also controversial. The PPP was designed to help smaller businesses stay open and keep Americans employed. One controversy comes from the public not knowing the identity of more than 85% of the nearly 5 million beneficiaries, as the current administration has refused to release details on loans under $150,000 – the vast majority of borrowers. I have scanned more than 1,000 pages of loans that have been made in the State of Wisconsin. What follows are the names of the businesses that received them in our immediate area. I have also included a number of others to give you an idea of the breath of those who received them. I am making no judgments, one way or the other on the loans made, amounts received, or who received them. They are simply presented as information. Reports are, that while called loans, most will not have to be repaid if certain conditions are met. *** Loans that were between $5 and $10 Million each: Black River Falls Memorial Hospital; Countryside Cooperative – Durand; Weather Shield Manufacturing – Medford; Environmental Reclamation Solutions – Altoona; Northern Reliant Group – Eau Claire; W.B. Manufacturing -Thorp; Grace Lutheran Foundation – Eau Claire; Haas Sons Inc. Thorp. *** Loans that were between $1-$2 million: Ace Ethanol -Stanley; Catalytic Combustion Corp. – Bloomer; Gilman Cheese Corp-Gilman; Markquart Automotive – Eau Claire; Swiderski Equipment – Mosinee; Thorp Equipment – Thorp. *** Loans that were between $350,000 and $1 Million each: Abby Vans – Neillsville; Chippewa Manor Nursing Home – Chippewa Falls; Chippewa Pharmacy – Chippewa Falls; Express Disposal -Thorp; Gross Motors of Neillsville; Haas Transport, Inc. – Thorp; Hanson’s Masonry & Concrete – Owen; Jacob’s Well Church – Eau Claire; John Olynick – Gilman; La Grander’s Hillside Dairy – Stanley; Osseo Ford -Osseo; Senn Blacktop – Chippewa Falls; SFR Industries – Cadott; Smith Restorations (Landscaping Services) – Stanley; Southworth Chevrolet – Buick, GMC – Bloomer; Tallman Mgt. Services (Payroll Services) – Stanley; Thorp Nursing Home -Thorp; Toycen Ford Inc. – Chippewa Falls. *** Loans that were between $150,000 and $350,000 each: Bloomer Nursing Home & Rehab. – Bloomer; Bloomer Telephone – Bloomer; Bowe Trucking & Excavating – Cadott; C& N Manufacturing – Boyd; Carrell’s Country Living – Cornell; Cherry Drywall – Thorp; Chippewa Valley Music Festivals -Cadott; Clay Staffing (Professional Employee Organization) Thorp; Film Tech – Stanley; Holland’s Family Cheese – Thorp; Cloverbelt Construction – Cadott; Cloverleaf Farm Supply – Cadott; Courtesy Auto & Truck Center -Thorp; Joe’s Refrigeration – Withee; Lasker’s (Jewelry Store) – Eau Claire; Mahr Brother’s Farm – Stanley; Skin Garden’s – Cadott; Thorcraft Custom Kitchen's – Thorp; Viking Sink Co. – Cadott. *** The volunteers who put on community festivals are having a very difficult year. The folks who put on the Loyal Corn Festival have had a particular struggle for a variety of reasons. I am not going to dwell on those struggles, but rather the money part of losing a festival opportunity. When a festival is canceled, some community organizations involved have indicated they need to fundraise, even if the festival doesn't get held, or they will cease to exist. That is true to a degree for all organizations, especially when it comes to supporting the many community projects that are supported with donations each year. If the Stanley Lions had no money to give out here are a few of the community beneficiaries that would have to go without – the Boy Scouts, senior housing suppers, a donation to the Stanley Community Fund, Food Pantry, which are just a few examples. Back to Loyal –the Corn Festival is a big event that last year grossed $40,246 and had $35,606 in expenses. The profit was – $4,640. While an event can make money one year, it can just as easily lose money due to bad weather another year. The point is support your community organizations in their fundraising efforts, they feed that money right back into the community. *** Unfortunately, I ran out of space last week and didn’t get to comment on the Rodeo Committees cheese curd sale on Friday, July 17. What an incredible job they did on such a hot and humid day. The line was long at times, but the delectable treat was worth waiting patiently for. And best yet, was the fact the cheese curds came from LaGrander’s Hillside Dairy, who buy much of their milk from local farmers. June was Dairy Month and there was such good work done by all the area FFAAlumni groups. Cheese and milk distributions, cheese curds provided for school kids lunches, butter donations to food pantries, and the list goes on. And it didn’t hurt that Kwik Trip promoted dairy products by selling milk for $1.99 a gallon and butter for the same price during June and well into July. Kwik Trip also partnered with many of the FFA Alumni groups in that they provided some additional milk for the distributions. Thank you to all who work hard to make our community and area a better place to live. *** While some community spirited people are looking to the future of the business community “Downtown,” and trying to determine how that part of our community can be bettered, I suggest the local business owners themselves pull, weed wipe or spray the weeds around their buildings and on the street in front of their businesses. That would be a start. Or, that a weed brigade take on the job. *** I guess I am basically sheltered, even at my age? I can’t tell you how shocked I was on a recent visit to Hobby Lobby and seeing employees filling shelves with Christmas decorations – in July. It’s only July!! Pretty soon, Christmas sales will be occurring year round. It seems it wasn’t very long ago and people were shocked to see Christmas items for sale prior to Thanksgiving. *** Sunday, July 19, found us out and about driving in the countryside. While in Buffalo County we stopped and I took a picture of my wife, with a corn field in the background. While we use to wonder if the corn would be knee high by the 4th of July, this year the earliest planted corn in our area was already shoulder high by July 4th. On July 19, we saw many fields with stalks that were around eight feet tall, already tasseled out and even some fields with cobs already formed. It could be a bumper year. While out and about, we stopped at the Pepin County Historical Society Museum, which is located in the old Pepin County Court House. The wooden court house is the oldest court house in the state of Wisconsin still standing and houses a great collection of Pepin County memorabilia. Well worth a stop if you have never been there. *** Smile time. While shopping for a scale, a lady found one that tracks not only weight but also body fat, bone mass and water percentage. She nixed purchasing that one in favor of a low-tech model. As she told the salesperson, “I don’t need to be depressed four ways; one is quite enough.” +++ To the guy who stole my anti-depressants, I hope you’re happy now. +++ Whenever I try to eat healthy a chocolate bar it looks at me and Snickers. +++ I scream, you scream. The police come and it’s awkward.