One advantage of attending a school with a swimming pool, like Stanley-Boyd, is learning how to swim in physical education classes. Swimming is a lifetime sport and once learned is not forgotten. The fact is most people cannot swim. It’s sad but 55 percent of those 15 and older cannot. *** In a recently released report, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Traffic and Safety Lab has found that use of liquid brine cleared Wisconsin highways faster, provided better friction and reduced overall salt usage. Research took place from 143 storms in 10 counties across Wisconsin. Data from the highways that were treated with brine indicated that the highways were cleared more that two hours faster, were more likely to show higher friction and that it was a more efficient material, thus reducing salt use on an average of 23 percent. Liquid brine is a mixture of salt and water. Using less salt also helps stretch highway budgets. Reduced salt use also means less likelihood that salt ends up in streams and lakes. The data came from these counties: Brown, Dane, Jefferson, Marathon, Marquette, Outagamie, Price, Shawano, Washington and Wood. *** Some politicians are heard talking these days about the need to cut Social Security and Medicare benefits. Do you know that 1,275,932 individuals in Wisconsin receive Social Security? Nationally 65 million people get Social Security. In 2020, it was reported that Social Security pumped $22.2 billion into Wisconsin’s economy. Sounds like political suicide to try to reduce benefits from that many people. The sad part is those who talk about reductions are not specific about their plan(s). Perhaps cutting or reducing benefits at an upper income level has some merit. The fact is that for many lower income folks, if you reduce or take away their Social Security you have impoverished them or impoverished them even more than they are now. *** In the category of worth thinking about: Justice doesn’t just happen. It requires action on our part. Kindness should be a way of life. Humility is knowing God is God and we are not. Authorship unknown. *** I sensed an excitement when I first heard people talk about Costco’s announcement that it is opening a store in Eau Claire. According to what I have since read, there are more than 800 Costco stores worldwide, with 572 located in the United States. Like Sam’s Club, Costco is a membership only store. Costco has a general rule that no item is more than 14% over cost. Costco keeps its prices low through private label brands and efficient distribution. In store efficiencies, like use of skylights reduces electrical costs and plays a role in keeping costs down. We have only been in the Costco store in Woodbury, MN, with a friend, so we have had little exposure to the company. A friend from Madison has provided us some Costco bakery items and they have been very tasty. So we, like many others are looking forward to a new shopping experience. It remains to be seen if a membership will be in our future. I expect when Costco opens in Eau Claire there will be an opportunity to visit and see what the store has to offer.

*** Did you know? According to Wisconsin Workforce Development, the number of people employed in Chippewa and Eau Claire Counties in November 2022 was 87,400. This was reported as 1,400 more people working than one year earlier. +++ According to Mastercard SpendingPulse United States retail sales, for the 2022 holiday shopping season, increased 7.6%, when compared to 2021. The growth came from increased spending on restaurants, apparel and online purchases. Electronics and jewelry sales were reported as being down. +++ Wisconsin’s best sandwich has been reported as a “beer brat.” After being boiled in beer and onions, then grilled and finally being piled full of sauerkraut, it’s ready to eat. The sandwich dates back to 1954, when it was introduced at a Milwaukee Braves (yes Braves not Brewers) baseball game. It’s now a standard at tailgate parties. *** Do you know and realize that the number one killer in the United States is heart disease? I have often heard it called the “silent killer.” Some of the statistics connected with heart disease are staggering. The disease was expected to kill more than 650,000 Americans in 2022. Cholesterol lowering drugs are taken by more that 35 million Americans. Men are more at risk from heart disease when they are younger, by the time women reach their 70’s and 80’s, their risk of heart disease exceeds that of men. How prevalent is heart disease? 77.5 percent of men and 75.4 percent of woman age 60 to 79 have some form of cardiovascular disease. Among those 80 and older, 90 percent have it. We are fortunate with the treatment advances that have been made in the last 20 years. New drugs and procedures are saving many lives every year. I’m hoping that my eating a banana every day not only helps in preventing of charlie horses, but also reducing my chance of heart disease. In a 2020 study, involving more than 4 million people, bananas were associated with a 24 percent lower risk of heart disease. Eating a banana is simple, low cost and its not another pill! *** According to the Institute for Marketplace Trust, a division of the Better Business Bureau, online scams rose 87% between 2015 and 2022, while phone scams dropped 42%. In 2022, online scams were most prevalent, with 75% of the people targeted this way. Eighty-three percent (83%) of those targeted online paid the scammers with a credit card, on line payment or bank account debit. People targeted by scammers are those using social median (25%) and online shopping (24%). Text messaging is also risky, as an $800 median dollar loss was experienced during most of 2022. Watch out for supposedly trustworthy impersonators and trustworthy businesses, as people who lose money are exposed to these type tactics. *** Congratulations to Gilman’s Brian Phelps, who will be inducted to the Wisconsin Softball Coaches Hall of Fame on February 11. Since the 1994 season, when he began coaching at Gilman, Phelps has left behind an impressive record of 12 WIAA regional championships and three sectional championships. All along the way, he has had great support from the school administration, parents and the community. And of course great student athletes. *** Smile time. A car pool pulled up to the driveway of its final passenger. The driver honked and waited, honked and waited, honked and waited again. Finally, the coworker came out. Climbing into the car she said, “I’m sorry I kept you waiting. But I only heard the third honk.” +++ Nothing says more about your turning 40 than sending a text the next day that reads, “Oh, here’s the soup recipe I was talking about.”