Here’s Menomonie News Net Vol 2, Issue 30. As always you can search for past issues and articles HERE.

Today’s issue includes MHS’ end of the year sports highlights including Lauren McCalla’s history-making showing at the State Track & Field championships -winning three state titles and leading Menomonie Girls to their best ever team finish in Relay. Lauren, you have won our hearts, bursting with Menomonie pride!

Also details about the exciting Murals in Menomonie event starting just two weeks from today!

Editorial Team: Layne Pitt, Becky Kneer, Marsha Biggs; MNN Contributors; Advisory Team Volunteers; Tech Support: Tracy Glenz

Reminder: your donations bring us closer to our goal of hiring part-time staff. Donate online HERE  OR by mail - check to MNN, PO Box 63, Menomonie.

Website: www.menomonienewsnet.org

Submit story ideas to: [email protected]

In this Issue...

• Murals in Menomonie: Making a Lasting Impression …

• Dunn County Dairy Brunch - Sat June 13

• Flag Day Ceremony Returns Sun June 14

• Wear Your Asparagus Crown

• Plans for July 4th Celebration at Wakanda Park Sha …

• Community Foundation Accepting Grant Applications …

• Something New: Seed Art Contest at Dunn County Fai …

• Treatment Court Participants Involved with Communi …

• Public Meetings June 10-17

• Menomonie Events at a Glance Jun 10-17

• MHS Extracurricular Activities June 3-4

• Menomonie Playoff Recap

• Mark Thomas To Enter Superior Hall of Fame

Murals in Menomonie: Making a Lasting Impression (Part 1 of 2)

By Barbara Lyon, MNN Contributor

After two and a half years of intense planning, a significant step toward the revitalization of downtown and beyond will take place within just a couple of weeks when the Murals in Menomonie festival gets underway.

On June 24, more than 200 members of The Walldogs, a professional international group of muralists, artists and sign painters will travel from 30 states and four different countries to fulfill their mission of “painting history, one small town at a time.”

They’ll be reuniting with fellow Walldog veteran Wade Lambrigstsen, owner of Vintage Sign Shop in Menomonie, as well as meeting more than 100 local volunteers recruited to make the five-day event one to remember.

What’s a Walldog?

Advertising billboard artists known as “walldogs” used to travel the country plying their trade. Vestiges of their work, referred to as ghost murals, can often still be seen on historic buildings throughout the country, including several in downtown Menomonie.

Nancy Bennett was long fascinated by the stories of walldogs. When a friend suggested in 1993 that an ugly wall in their hometown of Allerton, Iowa needed a mural painted on it, Bennett contacted fellow sign painters and modern-day wall dogs to help with the project. Seeing a way to improve the town’s image, the booster club proposed six more buildings in need of beautification.

The event attracted artists and muralists from around the region, even as far as Canada. And the community responded as they came together to feed, house, witness and celebrate the artists and muralists who donated their time and talents to beautify their village over the course of several days.

Word spread quickly about the success of the inaugural festival – and with Bennett as their “Queen,” The Walldogs was officially organized. Nearly every year since, Walldogs festivals happen all over the United States. While most take place in small Midwestern towns, some as far flung as both coasts and even a couple in Canada and Australia. Nearby examples of Walldogs’ work can be found in Chippewa Falls which hosted events in 2002 and 2006.

Lambrigtsen’s first Walldog adventure took him to Arcola, Ill. “I’ve made all these new friends,” he said. “The coolest things about this whole thing are the relationships, the community building and getting to know local people and having a shared goal of telling the history of the city through public art.”

He estimates he’s taken part in at least a dozen events, many of them with his wife Rita and his kids, Aaron and Mia in tow, all of them wielding paintbrushes: “My kids grew up with this, too. They were around 5-, 6-, 7-years old, painting Walldog events, when we first started going across the country. We’ve been to New Hampshire, Florida, Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin.”

What happens when The Walldogs come to town?

Once an application to become a Certified Walldog Community is accepted, the number and location of murals to be painted is determined by the municipality hosting the event. Historical background materials – photos, articles, etc. – are provided to a designer to create their vision and, in most cases, act as team leader for each mural project.

Meanwhile the owner(s) of the walls that will serve as the artists’ palettes prepare the surface: cleaning, painting and tuck-pointing brick as needed.

The project leaders arrive the first evening for “Lights Out” Projection Night when they project or transfer a simplified version of their design on its designated wall and use markers to outline the image. (Kind of like a paint-by-number canvas).

Scaffolding, scissor lifts, ladders and overturned buckets are set up to provide bases for the artists to stand on as they paint. Tables to hold lettering enamels, rags, rollers, brushes and containers for water are set up.

The following morning, everything is ready for the project leaders – joined by their teams of registered professional artists and approved amateur volunteers – arrive at their designated locations to begin “killing the white,” the term Walldogs use for painting a stunning new image on the prepared surface.

In addition to 11 walls in and around downtown, visitors can watch the artists at work in Wilson Park, which will serve as the centerpiece for the Murals in Menomonie festival featuring music, family activities and food trucks as well as Saturday’s farmers market. On giant easels holding four large panels will emerge scenes destined to be mounted in Ridgeland, Boyceville, the Rassbach Museum in Wakanda Park, and on the Adoray building downtown.

Stories about the individual project leaders/designers and the locations of the remaining 11 walls around town will be featured in Part 2 in next weeks’ June 17 issue of Menomonie News Net.

Barbara Lyon is a freelance writer and retired editor of The Dunn County News

Murals in Menomonie Event Schedule - Plan Your Visit

View an interactive map of the mural locations/names

Donate to the project

Find more at muralsinmenomonie.com and on Facebook

Dunn County Dairy Brunch - Sat June 13

Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery - 3001 County Rd B, Menomonie

Free will donation ($10/plate suggested)​

Parking Information

• Exit 45 Restaurant/Synergy Gas Station (2100 County Rd B)

• OR Bill's Distributing (5900 Packer Dr NE)

• Free shuttles from Exit 45 and Bill's Distributing to the Creamery

• For disabled parking, please let the parking staff at Exit 45 or Bill's know and they will direct you where to park

• NO general parking at Ellsworth Creamery

Menu

• Grilled Cheese

• Sausage

• Apple sauce

• String Cheese & more dairy favorites

Activities

• Petting zoo​

• Corn pit

• Advanced Dairy booth

• Ves Artex booth

The Dunn County Dairy Promotion Committee actively supports and promotes the local dairy industry with help from the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin:

• Educates the community through outreach and farm visits

• Invests in future dairy professionals with annual scholarships

• Organizes the popular annual dairy breakfast/brunch

• Boosts dairy visibility at local events and schools

To sign up to volunteer at the event click HERE

For more information or to donate contact: [email protected]

Source: Dunn County Dairy Promotion webpage

Flag Day Ceremony Returns Sun June 14

Public invited to honor local veterans and witness new brick inductions at the Dunn County Veterans Memorial

MENOMONIE — The Community Foundation of Dunn County and Downtown Menomonie, Inc. will co-host their annual Flag Day ceremony on Sunday, June 14 from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. at the Dunn County Veterans Memorial, located at 201 6th Avenue East in Menomonie. The event is free and open to the public, with no RSVP required.

The ceremony will honor local veterans and feature the induction of new memorial bricks at the Dunn County Veterans Memorial. The event celebrates Flag Day — a national observance marking the adoption of the American flag on June 14, 1777 — and recognizes the sacrifices of those who have served.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs, as seating at the memorial may be limited. All community members, families, and visitors are welcome. The event is held outdoors, rain or shine.

The ceremony can be viewed live at facebook.com/downtownmenomonie

Questions? Contact the Community Foundation of Dunn County at 715-232-8019 or [email protected]

About the Community Foundation of Dunn County
The Community Foundation of Dunn County works to improve quality of life in Dunn County, Wisconsin, by connecting donors with causes they care about and building a permanent source of charitable capital for the region.

About Downtown Menomonie, Inc.
Downtown Menomonie, Inc. is dedicated to the revitalization and promotion of downtown Menomonie as a vibrant center for commerce, culture, and community.

Source: News release

Wear Your Asparagus Crown

By John Wilkerson, MNN Contributor

Many years ago, while I was still living in Florida, I made the decision that someday I’d live in one place long enough to grow asparagus. This would entail me leaving the primal heat and seeking a new home somewhere that crisp winters would allow the asparagus crowns to flourish.

A few days ago, I stood in the middle of my asparagus patch and reached down with a pocketknife in hand. I could see the spears piercing the weeds. Little knuckles of deliciousness waiting to be harvested. A life-desire was soon to be lived.

As I plunged forward to cut, my fingers brushed a stinging nettle. The burn was immediate. I gathered my resolve and pushed forward.

Again, the nettles stung me. I withdrew, rubbed my fingers and eyeballed my dilemma.

Apparently, the asparagus wasn't interested in being harvested without a final negotiation.

I looked up the hill at my little red tractor. A few weeks earlier I'd planned to scrape the garden clean and spread fresh mulch around the patch. The tractor had other ideas. She’d decided to take the spring off from work.

Actually, she’d decided to not work for far longer than that. Since the last snow of March, we'd struck a bargain. If I kept pouring coolant into her radiator, she'd provide one hour of work in exchange for two weeks of rest.

So, there I stood. Nettles stinging my skin. Ants crawling over my hands. A broken tractor watching from the hill.

I leaned down through the nettles and cut the spears anyway.

After brushing off the ants, I'd finally done the thing I'd promised myself years ago. I had a fistful of new-season asparagus—raw and dripping with moisture.

I'd won.

Funny how achieving a goal doesn't end a story. It usually starts the next one.

The next morning, I ordered a new water pump and pulled the frontend off the tractor.

Checkmate.

Today’s Writing Prompt

Pick something small from your past desires and name it. Not a promotion. Not a dream vacation. A tidbit of life not yet lived. Write about why it still lingers in your mind and what it would mean to finally experience it.

John Wilkerson writes a monthly column for MNN to share his love of journaling. According to John he “works most days writing and fiddling with his computer. His new, old, home in Menomonie is constantly subjected to DIY mayhem. His background includes ghost writing, newspaper reporting, and a stretch in marketing and advertising.” He may be contacted at [email protected]

Plans for July 4th Celebration at Wakanda Park Shared

Community Foundation Accepting Grant Applications for Aug 1 Deadline

The Community Foundation of Dunn County (CFDC) is currently accepting grant applications from Dunn County area nonprofits, government organizations, and community groups that support the betterment of Dunn County. Eligible areas of interest include the arts, culture, health, heritage, the environment, recreation, education, basic human needs, and other civic initiatives. The deadline to submit an application is Saturday, August 1 by 5 pm.

Community Impact Grants help organizations in Dunn County meet critical needs and opportunities while setting measurable objectives to demonstrate impact. Grants are made possible by CFDC funds created by local families, philanthropists, corporations, and private foundations for charitable investment in the community, which include: The Byron and Catherine Olson Memorial Fund, the Healthy Futures Fund, and the Common Good Fund.

Complete grant details and procedures, including the grant application, can be found on the CFDC website at cfdunncounty.org/grants. The CFDC uses an online application system for all competitive grant requests. If you have any questions about the grant process or a proposal idea, please contact the CFDC at 715-232-8019 or Program Officer Ray Pagenkopf at [email protected].

It is the mission of the Community Foundation of Dunn County to promote charitable giving that creates a permanent source of capital to benefit and enrich the quality of life for everyone in the Dunn County Area. For more information about the CFDC or how you can become involved, call the Foundation or email [email protected].

Source: CFDC webpage

Something New: Seed Art Contest at Dunn County Fair July 22-26

Something new at the Dunn County Fair this year: make art from seeds and the Rassbach Museum will show it off at the Dunn County Fair!

Seed art is a mosaic made with all kinds of seeds on a flat surface. You can make your art at home or at the museum. (We'll have some limited supplies for you, and plenty of space to work.)

Your submission should:
Be your own original design.
​Be any size or shape, but not more than 11 inches on any side.
Be 2-dimensional.
Have picture-hanging hardware mounted on the back.
Be turned in to the Rassbach Museum by July 1.
​​
Register online, or in-person at the Rassbach Museum. You can submit multiple entries. Please read the complete rules, guidelines and FAQs.

Source: DC Fair Web page

Treatment Court Participants Involved with Community Cleanup

MENOMONIE — In recognition of May as National Treatment Court Month, participants in the Dunn County Adult Treatment Court joined community partners for a clean-up project that reinforced the importance of recovery through service.

Individuals, including Treatment Court participants, worked throughout May 14 removing trash and debris from abandoned encampments, sorting and hauling discarded materials, and cleaning surrounding public areas.

“This was our second clean-up project,” said Kayla Johnson, Dunn County Treatment Court Coordinator. “The idea really grew from a shared commitment between Project Hope’s Aaron Bergh and me to create meaningful opportunities for participants to give back while addressing real community needs.”

Project Hope, a law enforcement deflection and diversion program, helped identify areas that needed work, and organizers used the opportunity to not only improve the environment but also encourage personal growth among participants. This year, Roundtable Revival — a mentoring organization that supports formerly incarcerated individuals—joined the effort, providing additional peer support and guidance.

“Engaging in activities like this helps build responsibility, confidence, accountability, and a sense of purpose,” Johnson said. “It allows participants to reconnect with the community in a positive way. These events reinforce that recovery is not just about individual progress—it’s also about contributing to the well-being of others.”

The clean-up aligns with National Treatment Court Month, which highlights the impact of treatment court by addressing substance use and mental health challenges through accountability and support.

Fiicials say treatment courts nationwide offer an evidence-based alternative to incarceration, helping break cycles of addiction and crime while improving outcomes for individuals and communities by providing treatment services. In Wisconsin, 61 of 72 counties offer treatment court programs.

Dunn County’s program has served more than 167 individuals, with 79 graduates, and has a 53 percent completion rate, which exceeds the national average.

“Upon graduation, individuals successfully complete substance use treatment, are employed, have stable housing, and are connected to supportive recovery networks,” Johnson said. “Our hope is that they are provided with tools, resources and connections while in programing to use lifelong.”

Together, we are building a strong recovery community through compassion, accountability, and service. Together, we are building a safer and healthier community.

Source: News release

Public Meetings June 10-17

City of Menomonie

Mon Jun 15 City Council, 7pm

Wed Jun 17 Urban Forestry Committee, 1pm; Airport Commission, 6pm  

Click HERE for full calendar.

School District of Menomonie

No scheduled meetings

Click HERE for full calendar

Dunn County

Wed Jun 10 Executive Committee, 3pm; AGENDA

Thur Jun 11 Transit/Highway Committees, 8am, Highway Dept, Highway PACKET; Local Emergency Planning Committee, 9am, Menomonie North Fire Station, AGENDA

Mon Jun 15 Board of Adjustment, 10:30am; Judiciary & Law Committee, 4:30pm;

Wed Jun 17 Dunn County Board of Supervisors, 7pm

Click HERE for calendar, documents, recordings & public commenting

Menomonie Events at a Glance Jun 10-17

Wed Jun 10 Farmers Market, 10am - 4pm, Wilson Park

Thur Jun 11 Music Over Menomin (MadLee Band), 7pm, Menomonie Public Library Lawn; Bingo, 7pm, Moose Lodge

Fri Jun 12 Sunsets & Shops, 2-8pm, Wilson Park; Friday Night Races, 7pm, Red Cedar Speedway

Sat Jun 13 Farmers Market, 8am - 1pm, Wilson Park; Dunn County Dairy Brunch, 9am - 1pm, Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery (3001 Cty Rd B); Women’s Clothing Swap, 9am (drop-off) 10am (swap), DC Gov’t Ctr lower level

Sun Jun 14 Flag Day Ceremony, 1pm, Veterans Memorial (2nd St & 6th Ave)

Mon Jun 15  Scramble for the Animals (Golf Fundraiser for DC Humane Society), 10:30am - 6:30pm, Tanglewood Greens

Tue Jun 16 Red Cross Blood Drive, 10am - 4pm, Cedarbrook Church; Red Cross Blood Drive, Noon - 6pm, Christ Lutheran Church (1306 Wilcox St); Kids Rock Painting, 2pm, Public Library; Line Dancing, 5:30 - 8pm, Euchre, 7-9pm, Moose Lodge; Ludington Band Concert, 7:30pm, Wilson Park

Wed Jun 17 Farmers Market, 10am - 4pm, Wilson Park; Carden Circus, 4pm & 7pm, Dunn County Fairgrounds; Sea Shanty Singalong, 7-8:30pm, Brewery Nonic

MHS Extracurricular Activities June 3-4

Compiled from MHS Daily Announcements

Wednesday, June 3

The Mustangs Golf season came to an end Tuesday at the Sectional meet at RiverEdge Golf in Marshfield. The course was playing tough for all teams & the Mustangs finished in 6th place. Team scores with top 2 teams moving on to State: Hudson 304; River Falls 318; New Richmond 319; DC Everest 327; WI Rapids 330; Menomonie 332; Stevens Point 333; Wausau East 343. Leading the way were Tyler Reckin with a 7 over par 79, Wes Miller 82, Trent Wold 83, Quin Rabeneck 88 & Ben Dahms 89. Coach Hastings is very proud of what this team accomplished this year!

 Varsity Baseball won their regional game last night against Marshfield 2-0. Bailey Casey threw a complete game allowing 3 hits and striking out 6 players. Offensively, Oliver Lugo scored both of the Mustangs runs while collecting 1 hit and 2 stolen bases. Landon Mittlestadt and Taylor Mars each had an RBI for Menomonie. The Mustangs travel to Chippewa Falls to take on the Cardinals Thursday at 5.

Thursday, June 4

Boys Tennis singles player Harrison Davis and doubles team of Jacob Rue and Davin Ellis are competing at the state competition at the Nielsen Stadium in Madison.

Varsity Baseball is traveling to Chippewa Falls to compete in the Regional Final game.

Menomonie Playoff Recap

McCalla Takes Two State Titles; Baseball Comes Up One Game Short of State; Tennis at State

By Layne Pitt, MNN Contributor

LA CROSSE — Lauren McCalla made history at the WIAA Division 1 State Track and Field Championships, winning three state titles and leading Menomonie to a fourth-place team finish, the best in program history, at Veterans Memorial Stadium, June 5-6.

McCalla captured individual championships in the 1,600-meter run and 800-meter run Friday before anchoring the Mustangs' winning 4x800-meter relay Saturday alongside Bree Barfknecht, Lauren Ohman and Addison Schuler. McCalla set a state record in the 1,600 and became the first girls track athlete in school history to win a state title.

Barfknecht finished 22nd in the 800 in a time of 2:24.12. Mia Lambrigtsen finished 23rd in the 100-meter dash in a time of 13.08. Bennett Schmitt finished 13th in the 3200m (11:16.18); Isabel Sorensen was 17th in the triple jump (34-feet, 6-inches); and Ellie Arndt was 18th in the discus (112-0).

The Menomonie boys 4x800-meter relay team of Owen Pelzel, Evan Olson, Luke Ray and Noah Winder finished 10th in a time of 7:58.66.

Follow this link to read more details of the 2026 WIAA Track and Field Championship

Baseball Season Closes in Sectional Championship
CHIPPEWA FALLS - Menomonie came up one game short of advancing to the state baseball tournament for the first time since 1993 at the sectional finals Tuesday at Casper Park. The seventh-seeded Mustangs opened the day with a 4-3 win over third-seeded Stevens Point, then saw their season end, 1-0, to fourth-seeded River Falls. The Wildcats, who knocked off top-seeded Hudson in the opening game of the day, scored the only run of the contest in the fourth inning.

Dominant pitching carried Menomonie to a WIAA regional baseball championship as the Mustangs won two postseason games without allowing a run.

Bailey Casey threw a three-hit shutout in a 2-0 victory over New Richmond on June 2, and Max Erickson followed with a two-hit shutout in a 1-0 regional title win over host Chippewa Falls two days later.

Taylor Mars and Landon Middlestadt drove in runs against New Richmond, while Oliver Lugo scored twice and later crossed the plate with the game's only run against Chippewa Falls. Lugo scored against the Cardinals after rapping a two-out single, the stole second before coming home on Max Yaeger’s championship-winning RBI.

Follow this link for more details about the Mustangs’ Regional wins

Boys Tennis Team Ends Season at State
MADISON - The Menomonie boys tennis team saw their season come to an end in the first round of the WIAA Boys Tennis Championship, June 4 at Nielsen Sports Center in Madison.

In singles, Harrison Davis bowed out to Camden Oppener, 6-0, 6-1. The doubles team of Jacob Rue and Davin Ellis lost to Hugo Boyden/Drew Schneider of Whitefish Bay, 6-0, 6-2.

The story “Menomonie Playoff Recap” by Layne Pitt is licensed under a CC BY SA 4.0 International license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Menomonie Mustangs Athletics and Activities | UW-Stout Blue Devil Athletics 

Mark Thomas To Enter Superior Hall of Fame

UW-Stout Women's Basketball Adds to Coaching Staff

By Layne Pitt, MNN Contributor

SUPERIOR - Former UW-Stout women’s basketball coach Mark Thomas has been selected to the UW-Superior Athletic Hall of Fame and will receive the Mertz Mortorelli Coaching Achievement Award.

Thomas, who coached the Blue Devils from 1987-2018, compiled a 472-346 record during the longest coaching tenure in UW-Stout history. He earned six WIAC Coach of the Year honors, two WBCA Division III Coach of the Year awards and led the program to 10 postseason appearances.

Thomas and his father, Robert “Bob” Thomas, become the first father-son duo inducted into the Yellowjacket Hall of Fame. The UW-Superior Hall of Fame induction festivities are scheduled for Saturday, July 18.

Follow this link for the complete story

Blue Devil Women's Basketball Adds Assistant Coaches
MENOMONIE — New UW-Stout women’s basketball coach Sam Clayton has added two assistant coaches with strong Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference ties to her staff.

Mattea Voss joins the Blue Devils after four seasons as an assistant coach at St. Cloud State, where she helped develop multiple all-conference players and an All-American. A graduate of Eau Claire North, Voss was a standout player at UW-Oshkosh.

Bridget Froehlke arrives after a four-year playing career at UW-Oshkosh, helping the Titans win three WIAC regular-season titles and reach the NCAA Division III Final Four in 2025 and 2026.

Follow this link for the complete story

The column “Mark Thomas to Enter Superior Hall of Fame” by Layne Pitt is licensed under a CC BY SA 4.0 International license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

For a detailed Calendar of Events in the Menomonie Area, visit Kathy Weber’s Menomonie Minute Calendar.

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