Welcome, everybody, to Midday Magazine for this Tuesday, December 10th, 2024.
Have your host, James J. Maitloff here.
At 430, we're going to welcome in David Farnborough and Reality Radio, looking forward
to talking with David about our local industry and, of course, how housing market is in
the winter.
We'll get into some of that.
But right now, our great friend, Lacey Ailing, events and engagement director, where
the heart of Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce with us, Lacey, how are you?
Good.
How are you?
It's a tough question to ask this time of year.
It really is.
I appreciate you being here, and thank you so much for the time, and, of course, everything
you put into this community, we appreciate you.
Great round of events in the recent months, you know, by you guys.
I just wanted to take a moment to tip my hat to you and your team over there at the Chamber.
I've had nothing but great things about so many wonderful events that we've had going
on in the last couple of months.
Nice work by you guys.
Let's talk about some other events coming up and right around the corner, like small business
showcase.
That's coming up.
Yes.
I'm excited that it's this kind of like the nightmare before Christmas, because it ends
on Friday the 13th, so our small business showcase, obviously, those are our local businesses
that we turned our small business Saturday into a two week of shopping, just because it's
really hard to, we have so many, which it's a great, it's a great problem to have that
we have so many small businesses that want to be a part of this.
So we kind of expanded it so that people can have more of an opportunity to do it.
It's kind of fun to do it with a family member, as well as with this year being sponsored
by Quality Plus Printing.
It's kind of like a little booklet.
So it's laid out a little bit differently, and I think it's a little bit easier to kind
of have like a kind of keeps its structural integrity than just one piece of paper you have
to hang on to for two weeks in your purse.
So definitely support those small businesses.
We, I tried to list a whole bunch on the west side last time, so I'll try to do some
ones not on the west sides.
We have Goodwill, we have Grace's restaurant, we also have Latakaria, and then I also have
like shoe sensation.
So those ones are kind of around each other, so it's really nice to be able to hit some
of those in kind of, you know, get more stamps, but you're not really, you know, driving
around a lot, and you can, you know, ride with people and purple and kind of make it a
little fun thing with friends or family members, but definitely excited.
The raffle baskets that you go in to win, I saw a couple that I am already calling dibs
on, because I've been doing this with my kids, but I collect old, old hot wheels and things
like that.
So I saw trading posts, hot wheels, it had, it was from like the 80s still in the box.
I'm like, yep, dibs, told all my co-workers, dibs.
My dad used to collect those, I want to look and see if he has it out, that's, that's pretty
interesting.
It's trading post shout out to everybody.
Yeah, so they have a lot, they have a lot of those, I mean, I think they have something
for everyone, as well as having, I mean, obviously the guns and the basement and hunting
and things like that.
I think it, you can kind of go upstairs, look for some nicknacks, stuff for you, and then
go downstairs, get some stuff for him.
Cross this off your list, cross that off your list for Christmas shopping.
I think, I think it's smart shopping, and obviously we have Gary's coins, it's right
down there within walking distance, and you can kind of, you know, then cross the river,
go to Jennings, we got Whiskey Rapids Saloon, so a lot of wonderful businesses participating,
and very grateful for their support.
Big thank you to all those businesses too, the great work that they do in the community
and their individual ways and stuff, and taking care of and covering bases that our community
would miss if we didn't have them.
I love this showcase so much, Small Business Saturday, I love all these things.
It is the definition of what you guys do, what we do, that we have such in common, a buying
local, supporting local.
But another fun thing about this Lacey is, and it seems like every year you and I hear
this from community members and everything, oh, I hadn't heard of this place, or oh,
I didn't know this place, and, you know, not for nothing, we've had some new businesses
here in town in recent years too, and so there might be some of that.
This is a great way for you not only to buy local and support local, get out of the house,
have some fun, but find out maybe about some places that you didn't know about otherwise,
or even run into some people you haven't seen in a while.
I mean, there's so many added layers that can happen organically just from doing this
event and just being a part of it.
Absolutely, and I think it's great to note that there's things for all ages.
So a lot of kids that are, you know, the teens, they're bored with, you know, with some
of those things, but being able to take them to cravings, obviously going to, you know,
edge VR, or, you know, getting to go and go ex-rowing that when I already showed it all
last week.
But I think there's things that you can do, and you can take the younger kids, and you
can take the older kids, and you can kind of have a little bit of one-on-one time before
the crazy holidays.
So I'm excited to be able to do a little of that, obviously, on the day it ends, because
that's what I want to try to bring mine out and not give them a lot of time to tell me
a million things they want for Christmas, but it's fun to be able to take them to different
places and show them because they are definitely the generation that's like, there's nothing
to do.
I'm bored.
Yeah, right, right.
And then they just stay on their phone for three hours.
So it's like, get out.
There's things to do on each side of town, within walking distance, and they're safe
places that, you know, you can go and have fun with them.
Yeah, which is so cool.
You know, this area having multiple options like that is really unique.
Even when I first came to this town, you had skate city, you had some things, but now
to think of all the different options they have, along with skate city, shout out to them.
They're still around and still doing great things in the community.
It's so cool to see.
So happy about these businesses that are around.
Enjoy them, everybody.
And especially younger people out there, make sure to get out and enjoy them.
There are plenty to do.
One of the bigger events you guys do as well is your annual meeting and awards nomination
form that's coming, or you have the forum out, there's sponsorship opportunities to tag
along with this one.
Absolutely.
So if you go on our website, it's going to be a little bit on the bottom, but there's
some 3D printed little Oscars, and that's where the nomination form is.
So please, please recognize businesses, nominate them.
It does list on the nomination for the ones that have won in the last couple of years, because
obviously we want to try to spread the wealth with it when it comes to that, but definitely
recognize those businesses.
And please fill out those nomination forms and choose, there's five different awards
that are open for you guys to decide.
So that's large business of the year, innovative business of the year, entrepreneur,
small business of the year, community impact of the year, and then business professional
of the year.
So definitely a lot of different, obviously, you know, small business, ten or fewer employees.
There's little niches that obviously I think that sometimes we try to recognize everyone,
but there's probably businesses that have fallen through the cracks and haven't been recognized.
And if you are, if you're reading the ones that have won in the last couple of years,
and you're like, oh, I'm surprised this person didn't win, nominate them.
Please turn in a nomination because I nominated some, and obviously I do get to see a lot
of the inner workings and things like that.
But even the one I nominated, they hadn't been nominated for that before, and that's shocking
to me.
So please nominate, they are due by January 7th, but you can download the forum as well
as if you want.
There is an option where you can kind of do it on there and then just email attach it.
We have paper copies at the chamber as well as we typically have them with us at every
chamber event.
I'm working on getting Lacey to have a category for best radio announcer at a radio station
of 80 years or plus, you know, so we'll see what that worked.
I still would lose to Melissa or Seth, I know I wouldn't.
But more importantly, this is an opportunity for us to support local on a different level
Lacey, where you really are able to highlight some of these individuals that you know that
you have worked with maybe for a long time, and hey, this person deserves a tip of the
hat.
Hey, this person deserves, and it doesn't take long to put these nominations in.
You guys aren't looking for, you know, war and peace.
Just maybe a couple of sentences, maybe a paragraph about the person.
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
I think we have a lot of them that have gotten nominations in the past, and then if they
aren't, you know, if they don't win, we continue to keep bringing them forward.
And then we talk about them.
We won't obviously, our member of their last year ended up being HoChunk, and we went
on their website and spent quite a bit of time kind of seeing everything that they did
in the community as well as how much, you know, how much support that they have.
And I think you don't always think of the little ones or, you know, the ones that, like,
oh, they're always here.
And you don't always, you don't notice until they're not there.
And then you're like, oh, I haven't seen them in a while.
So definitely, if you work for a business, if and if you, you are the, you know, the
head of that business, and you're like, I think you should absolutely advocate for yourself.
Yeah.
Don't feel like you have to, you know, not sit back and kind of, you know, wait, but
I think that it's great to be able to be able to talk about everything that you have
that you bring to the table in this community.
And obviously we want to support you too.
And one of the great ways that you can show your support and be a part of things with
the community is sponsoring and be a part of events like this, having your name attached
to some, any, I say this every chance I get when we have a nonprofit on with us.
If you are a business and you have marketing people and they are not telling you to do
this, they are not good at their job.
And that is just my opinion, but you can go ahead and ask any business major in the world
about that.
And I'll tell you that one of the greatest things you could do marketing wise, more bang
for your buck, all of that associating yourself with a nonprofit and event like this to be
on the sponsorship level.
That's a whole different level of support that the community notices.
The community sees that name associated with these businesses.
And it adds to not only when they're thinking of their community, but putting into their
community.
Absolutely.
And we have a new sponsorship guide that we have been doing more Stacy's been a kind
of pioneer with going to different businesses and sitting down and doing a package.
So that that way, if you're a business that's like, I'd rather just figure it out for
the whole year.
I know what my budget is.
Let me just do everything for the whole year so that I'm not getting asked for each
event that I want to be a part of that just let me just do it right now.
So a lot of our sponsorships are already full just based off of those meetings that she's
been having.
So our presenting sponsor for annual sold out diamond is sold out platinum is sold out
and gold is sold out.
We have silver and bronze left.
They definitely I think they have different little, it kind of depends on what you're looking
for and what you want to get out of it, but a lot of business verbal recognition during
the presentation as well as your logo featured in the marketing and advertising materials.
And then for that's for the silver.
And then as well as the bronze, you have the business logo being featured and then business
name being listed on table 10s event program and then as well as the presentation.
So it's kind of if you want your local, like a little bit of, you know, subliminal advertising
or if you want your actual business name, but those are things that are being, I mean,
obviously people are sitting at that table.
They, you know, they're they're sitting against people that sometimes we try to do it to
where they're sitting and sitting with people that they don't always know when we're
arranging arranging it and then as well as like, Oh, I think this person would really click
with this person.
I think if these two people together, you know, we're seated together, I think that's
we'd have some wonderful ideas.
So Stacy's really, really fun at like trying to play matchmaker.
I can see it.
Yeah.
So she likes doing that.
But I think it's it's a wonderful event.
Obviously, you know, this is our one of our big our biggest signature event of the year.
We have done a lot of elevating of this event, which I am very excited about.
So we will have a live orchestra as well, again, and we and my daughter actually plays
the violin.
And that's how I learned about this group that they have at, you know, they have within
the school district.
And it's actually called the chamber orchestra.
So it was hilarious that my daughter, but I was like, I'm already a part of the chamber.
Okay.
But so she, so she kind of told us about it and they play at a lot of events.
They play it, you know, like nursing homes, assisted living facilities.
And I think that live music, even just playing things, just kind of like a background.
I think that it's, it's so soothing for me and I, I really don't like just silence.
Oh, here you go.
So as well as like if you're talking with someone, then all of a sudden it's just like
quiet.
And then you're the loudest person there.
So I love having a live orchestra as well as we actually orchestrated a tasting because
we had heard that some people were like, oh, well, you know, like the food, you know,
the food is definitely like it's always like the same or it's always, you know, like
we've heard things.
So we are taking people's, you know, like feelings and thoughts into consideration.
So Stacey and I actually sat down and had like a four course tasting of every single
meal and hand picked it based off of what we thought would, would really just be a great
way to elevate the event as well as Stacey and I foraged in the, in this entire community
and went out and literally just got nature items.
We went to different parks, obviously we, we reached out and talked to the parks first
and got permission as well as San Valley.
And we kind of just went around because there's so many beautiful things that are not like
just part of our natural landscape in this area that you don't have to just order all
of your decor items from other countries.
We, I think that it's nice sometimes just to just recognize how beautiful things are
here and that we have the opportunity to look out the window and see trees.
Yeah.
And see, you know, see the river and see things like that.
So we gathered a lot of things.
So a lot of our centerpieces and decor for that event for that night is going to be
just things in this area from pine cones, you know, just to like sticks to sand to pomp
as grass to wheat grass that we, we picked by hand, we found that like we had just growing
naturally at the chamber.
So we were out there with scissors.
We probably saw us and we're like, what are you guys doing?
But in promise going and finding stuff at the gas station and asking the clerk if we could
pick some, but it's just, I think, I think it's great to be able to kind of put a spotlight
on how beautiful it is to be here.
We don't always recognize things and sometimes we take things for granted.
And I definitely am guilty of like, oh, look at all those beautiful stuff, you know, at
the store and I'm like, oh, it's right there outside growing naturally.
So we're really excited to have some like wood cookies from this area.
And I'm just really, really, really excited at just how it's kind of came together and
the support that the community has had.
And at first they were like, why are you guys out here with gloves on picking grass, but
we weren't sure if we were going to be allergic to it or not.
But I'm just really excited to be able to, you know, obviously, you know, put a spotlight
on these businesses on this community.
And then as well as all of the wonderful businesses and people that we have that live here
and they want to give, I think they just, sometimes they don't always know where when, you
know, how to, but I think if we, if we definitely educate them, I think that it just kind of
helps us bring, you know, bringing all together.
Just like what you were saying about nature in this area, sometimes the people, the businesses
are a little like that.
We get, we don't take them for granted.
We don't mean to take them for granted, but that's just human nature.
But this event, things like this give us just a chance to appreciate these things.
And again, this annual meeting and awards nominations ceremony will be taking place in March
next year.
So we'll get to talk about it, of course, closer to that.
But the nominations are due by January 7th.
And Lacey, if people want to make nominations, how can they do that again?
Absolutely.
So they can either go on our website, it's also on our Facebook page.
They can come into the chamber or they can come to a chamber event.
They can also email me at communications at Wisconsin Rapids Chamber.com and I can just
send you a copy of that as well as you can give us a call 715-423-1830 and we can send
you in that way.
Networking at night coming up, it's going to be right around the, oh, actually next Monday
it looks like it.
Yeah, we're less than a week away already.
And I've already got my ugly sweater picked out.
Next one.
Is it a real ugly sweater?
I mean, it's got a French bulldog on it, but I did, like, I bought it in the kid aisle
because I was like, I really want this one and they didn't have one of the adult sections.
But wear an ugly sweater or a holiday attire for a free raffle ticket.
Obviously, it's going to be at Lyshito, the manor B&B at 840 for street north in Wisconsin
Rapids.
It will be raffle prizes and then some appetizers as well as she is going to be wrapping.
She's going to wrap the Chamber gift certificates, which we give away at every single one as well
as some free night stays.
So then you will, and obviously you get a free raffle ticket if you're dressed up.
And then you don't even have, you know, you could win potentially win a free night
stay as well as get some, you know, some free food as well as, you know, get a tour if
you've never been in there and maybe you're a little bit intimidated to just kind of
like walk up to someone, you know, walk up to B&B like, hey, I've never been here, but
I live here.
And I have never actually been in there.
So I'm excited to get to go in there as well as she's going to have a whole bunch of
Christmas trees decorated for that, you know, for the event.
Last year she did a bunch this year.
She's kind of tailored it down a little bit, but, you know, just taking more time with
each tree.
But I think it's, I think it's wonderful to have businesses like this.
I think that the, that the manor, I think when you drive past it, it's, it's just
like, oh my goodness, like you think of like a gigantic, like I'm excited to see what
it looks like inside based off of how big it looks outside.
Like a lot of people, I've lived here, have my life and gone past that building and wondered
so many times what's in there.
Here's your opportunity to check it out.
Yeah, I think do a nice job with that place too.
Yeah, I think that Rachel's doing a wonderful job in that and as well as, I mean, we went
for walks.
I saw them doing like a drone.
They made it, they were able to make it in some kind of B&B magazine and they had, they
literally had a drone flying over and I'm like, oh my goodness, what is going on.
But I think to even have that kind of, we have something like that here and definitely,
I think that, you know, staying in hotels, great, but I think the, the B&B where she's
making homemade breakfast for you and I think it's a wonderful idea.
So definitely excited.
Please attend.
Hopefully it's five to seven Monday, December 16th, that working at night for December.
Wear the ugly sweater, a holiday attire for a free raffle ticket.
We are very excited about this.
We've been talking about it quite a bit.
We have an upcoming ribbon cutting at the Wood County Jail for their completion Tuesday,
December 17th, 11 a.m.
I'm going to try to wrap up midday here and get on over there to check that out.
We are so proud of this event.
Absolutely.
So I'm trying to make sure that I let everyone know about ribbon cuttings.
We haven't always done that on radio, but I think that it's important to kind of have
the public be aware of things that are happening and changes in our area.
So there will be a tour of that, like an open house, but it's going to be from 11 to two
is the entire day, kind of, of events, but I think 11 to 11, 15 is going to be the ribbon
cutting time.
And then obviously go in there, take out, you know, take a look, check it out, see the
new facility.
Obviously it's not, right now they're training for it, but I know it's going to be
early next year.
They're going to move in there.
And I think I've got, I've got to see it a couple times from being a part of community
leadership.
And I got to tour the old jail.
And I think getting to go in the old one and then getting to go in the new one, it is
completely different.
I definitely have a different kind of upbringing to where like I think, I think I put myself
in the shoes of like, oh my goodness, something could happen and I could be in here.
So I'm always like, oh, this is crazy to get to go in here and kind of see because that's
not something you get to do.
Unless you're either, you know, part of some kind of program or you're, you're an insider
in that way.
So I think to be able to go in there and let the public kind of see what we've been doing
the changes.
And I, I think it's wonderful, you know, for, for everyone to be able to kind of have
an open, be like an open book.
And I think that there has been some negative stuff about that, you know, just having a jail
in the middle of the town.
And I think that you should, if you're saying things like that, you should come and see
it for yourself.
Be sure that you see it.
You see the plans.
You see what they're trying to do.
And I think that it's, it's very techy.
So if you're into tech, tech stuff, I think that even that part of it alone is very interesting.
It is interesting.
It's another opportunity for us to create some empathy not only for our community members,
but our, our, our people out there wearing that badge and doing such great work.
Sean and I have talked about this a lot leading up to it where you're finally here.
I encourage you to listen to any of those Sheriff Becker interviews regarding this too.
And at least you hit it on the head.
If you have questions or you've been hesitant about this, here's your opportunity to understand
a little bit more of why this is so important and why this is something that the whole community
can take pride in.
Your community is going to be that much safer because of this.
Your community is going to be saving a lot of money because of this facility.
There's a lot of positives to this building.
And the ribbon cutting again taking place Tuesday, December 17th at 11 a.m.
Let me see it real quickly as wrapping up with one of the mentioned December's member of the month.
Yes, so show it out to Van.
I'm going to again at Rapids Awards and more.
Definitely check them out.
They have wonderful Christmas stuff.
I mean, for your Taylor Swiftie of the house as well as if you're a very political.
There's gigantic Donald Trumps everywhere.
So please check that out if even if it's a little funny gag gives.
A lot of poker, different items, things that even San Bailey is purchasing I heard.
So a lot of fun things there.
Definitely don't forget to support local.
Obviously they are as well, you know, a part of that small business showcase.
And then please reach out if you need any chamber gift certificates.
I think it's a wonderful gift.
Obviously, you're not putting yourself in a box where it's just one gift card.
They can use this at different, over 400 different places in our area as well as your supporting
local, that money staying local.
And then you're showing that that's what's important to you.
I was wondering, I thought it was over 400 businesses you can get with that.
That's amazing.
Yeah.
And with a gift card, as I have found out, if you can never get the wrong gift that way,
but it's going to be your safe.
You're safe that way.
They're going to get exactly what they want there.
Exactly.
We encourage you to find out more by going to WisconsinRapidsChamber.com.
Be sure to bookmark that web page and follow our Wisconsin Rapids Chamber on social media.
It's great way to keep up to date and everything that's going on over there.
And communications at Wisconsin Rapids Chamber is the website to reach out to you guys, right?
Yes.
Lacey Holling Wisconsin Rapids Chamber.
Thanks, Lacey.
Appreciate the time.
We'll have more Midday Magazine coming up for you right here at 975 FM 1320 AM, WFHR.
We are locally grown radio.
