new beginnings
YOU
magazine december 16, 2015
CYLG!
at Heels, Hopes & Higher Education
Georgia Miller
Marcela Kolarik
Mexico native finds fulfillment in Green Bay
puts down roots at UW-Green Bay DECEMber 2015 | www.greenbaypressgazette.com/you | 1
december 2015 contents 2605 S. Onelda St., Green Bay, Wisconsin 920-964-0249
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YOU Spotlight: Georgia Miller puts down roots at UW-Green Bay. On the Cover: Georgia Miller. Photo by Mike Peters.
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Two Homes, One Heart: Mexico native Marcela Kolarik finds fulfillment in Green Bay
your health
page
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10
Improve Yourself at the Barre Experience the workout called the fastest, most effective way to change your body
14
Environmental Toxins: what you need to know
20
Float On: Weiler Academy debuts float pod therapy for serious relaxation seekers
in every issue page
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18 YOU Picks: A sampling of our favorite things from local merchants 22 CYLG: Heels, Hopes & Higher Education
you magazine staff
Choose your adventure
Publisher Scott Johnson
About 12 months ago, I decided “adventure” would be my word for 2015. This word would guide my decisions, from choosing a restaurant to developing my career. It took a while to land on the right word, but when I did, it felt like coming home. I started by considering what worked well in 2014 and what didn’t. I realized adventure was essential to me being my best and was somewhat lacking in the year prior. Life gets busy and routines turn into ruts. The older I get, the more I need to live with an urgent sense of adventure. I didn’t make any resolutions or set any concrete goals other than prioritizing this one, little word in all facets of my life. The stakes were high. When you hear the word “adventure,” images of brave souls repelling down mountainsides, navigating white water rapids and traversing the globe might come to mind. When the year first started, that’s how I interpreted the word too. What ended up happening was something I didn’t expect. While 2015 did include some traditionally adventurous activities, like an epic road trip to New Orleans, the concept permeated every facet of my everyday life. I started looking at everything adventurously. Adventure didn’t have to include air miles and passports. When deciding between my tried-and-true takeout joint and the new Asian deli, I chose the unknown. When I started doubting my ability to pull off a new hair color trend I wanted to try, I remembered adventure. When presented with an opportunity to step outside my comfort zone professionally, it became an adventure rather than something to be feared. Suddenly simple things became adventurous with just a few tweaks and a new mindset. By choosing adventure, I was actually defying my fears. This past year was filled with adventures big and small, and all it took was a choice. Currently I am trying to determine my new word for 2016. Honestly, “adventure” will be hard to beat. Part of me wants 2016 to be Adventure Year: Part II. But where’s the adventure in that? So, I’m dying to know: what’s your word? What word will you choose to live and thrive by in 2016? Whatever you choose, you’ll be amazed at what can manifest from just one, simple word. To an adventurous New Year,
Follow us on:
Amelia Compton Wolff Editor, Green Bay YOU Magazine
www.facebook.com/Youmag www.twitter.com/YoumagGreenBay www.instagram.com/YOUmagGreenBay
Executive Editor amelia compton wolff Advertising Director Steve Teofilo Graphic Artist KRIsty gnadt Circulation Manager Dave Sielski Contributing Writers Amelia Compton Wolff, Melissa Gorzelanczyk, Meghan Diemel, Colleen Riordan Photography Mike Peters, Kirsty gungor, Press-Gazette Photography Staff
YOU Advisory Board Members Sharon Verbeten Brown County Public Library Patti Schisel The Ultimate Closet Allyson Watson Brown County UW-Extension Amy Bailey Skogen’s Festival Foods Janie Denis Strutt Forte Modeling & Talent Dave Compton Wolff Cineviz Stephanie Schultz, MSM, RDN, CD Skogen’s Festival Foods Lisa Malak Local Five Live, WFRV Tina Quigley Mosaic Arts Inc. lori o’connor Prophit Marketing
YOU Magazine is an advertorial magazine published monthly by Gannett Wisconsin Media. Contents of the magazine are owned by Gannett Wisconsin. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior consent of Gannett Wisconsin. MAIL: YOU Magazine, P.O. Box 23430, Green Bay, WI 54305-3430. email: youmagazine@wisinfo.com. For content information, call 920.431.8213. for advertising information, call 920-431-8213.
DECEMber 2015 | www.greenbaypressgazette.com/you | 3
your style
top 10 A glittery New Year’s Eve
1 Ear candy
3 Festive timepiece
By Amelia Compton Wolff
2 Glittered gloves
Bedazzled bag
5
4 Wrist bling
1. Dangle earrings, $29. Lady Savannah, Green Bay. 2. Gloves, $20. Sassy Girl, Green Bay. 3. Rhinestone watch, $40. A Bag Lady, Green Bay. 4. Glitter cuff, $29. Lady Savannah, Green Bay. 5. Purse, $67. Sassy Girl, Green Bay.
4 | www.greenbaypressgazette.com/you | DECEMber 2015
6
New Year’s Eve may
A champagne toast
be the only night a year when there is no limit to the amount of glitz you can don. Sequined dress? Perfect. Sparkly earrings? Totally acceptable. Glittered clutch? Why not? Ring in 2016 with our picks for a festive evening full of sparkle and shine.
7
Silver barware Twinkly toes
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8
Sequins galore
9
Baby bubbly
6. Artland Coppertino Hammer Flutes, $49.99 for set of four. Target, Green Bay. 7. Ice bucket, $12.99. Home Goods, Green Bay. 8. Lucy Paris sequin party cami strap dress, $138. Azure, De Pere. 9. Sofia by Coppola Blanc de Blancs mini, $4.49. Festival Foods, Green Bay. 10. Strappy platforms, $69. Lady Savannah, Green Bay. DECEMber 2015 | www.greenbaypressgazette.com/you | 5
you spotlight
Georgia Miller is like a string of pearls – understated, adaptable and timelessly lovely. She is the kind of woman who sends handwritten thank you notes on monogrammed stationery for simply sharing an afternoon with her. She’s the epitome of what we Yankees imagine a true Southern lady to be. Despite being born in Mobile, Alabama and raised in Jackson, Mississippi, Miller doesn’t necessarily consider herself a Southerner, at least for the moment. This becomes evident when she speaks of her new home in Green Bay and the research she conducted prior to her move here in August of last year. “You can see the influence of the French fur traders who settled in this area with the French names everywhere,” Miller says of Northeast Wisconsin. “Their hardy resilience is something we’ve carried forward here in this community. My husband and I are Wisconsinites, we are part of this community, so when I say ‘we’ I’m speaking of all of us.” Miller is the wife of University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Chancellor Gary Miller who assumed duties on August 1, 2014. The couple has lived all around the country, from California to Kansas, and as such they have developed a fluid philosophy on the idea of “home.” “What Gary and I have figured out is that home is wherever our family can get together. I base that on us having lived so many different places,” Miller says. “While I think of Mississippi as my childhood home, now I think of Wisconsin as my home. This is where our three children and five grandchildren come to visit. This is where we are investing our life energy into.”
Heart & Home
At Home
Miller attributes her home-is-where-the-heart-is mentality in part to her mother and father, a nurse and doctor respectively. “My parents were adventurers,” says Miller, the oldest of four children. “They both left home to go off to work and finish their educations. As children, we looked at that model our parents had.” Miller followed in her parents’ adventurous footsteps. After graduating from the University of Mississippi with a degree in biology, Miller moved to Dallas in 1983 to begin 6 | www.greenbaypressgazette.com/you | DECEMber 2015
her career with Arthur Young as a member of the Management Consulting Division. After years of working in the private sector, Miller returned to her alma mater to study English literature at the graduate level. She studied female writers with southern themes such as Katherine Anne Porter and Eudora Welty. “I began getting this heightened awareness that these women had in telling the stories of very difficult topics. My eyes were open again,” Miller says. “I felt like my calling was to take some of my skills and try to help solve some of those problems and challenges that [Mississippi] was facing at that time.”
In 1989, Miller founded Family Crisis Services of Northwest Mississippi. The nonprofit supports victims of sexual assault, homicide and other violent crimes, serves as a child advocacy center for child abuse victims and provides family support services to 10 of the poorest counties within the Mississippi Delta. Miller served as CEO for 13 years, but
spotlight continued on page 8 >>>
with Georgia Georgia Miller puts down roots at UW-Green Bay
Story by Amelia Compton Wolff | Photos by Mike Peters Hair and makeup by Rossemary Alcantara of Salon Fifty Four, Green Bay DECEMber 2015 | www.greenbaypressgazette.com/you | 7
<<< spotlight continued from page 6
We still believe good schools lead to good education which lead to better communities.” - Georgia Miller
the organization she founded is still operating today. Miller says people often think massive changes are the only ones that make a difference, however, she sees it differently. “Set your goals high for great big change, but knowing just one person’s life was made whole and healthy again because of the work we were doing is incredible,” Miller says. Throughout Miller’s diverse career, she found her passion kept circling back to youth and strengthening youth programs, whether that was leading the Stockton, California chapter of the American Red Cross or launching the first single sex female public school in North Carolina (set to debut in fall 2016). “I began to realize that our hope for the future is in our young people,” Miller says. “Anything we can do to get them off to a good start is worth the investment.” In 2006, the Millers moved to Wichita, Kansas where Georgia
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worked on Wichita School District’s Strategic Planning Committee which further solidified this passion. At the same time, her husband’s career in higher education continued to grow. “Because of Gary’s work as provost at Wichita State University and my work with the school district, we became closer in what our unified vision was,” she says. “That’s where it crystalized for us about what we would do together. “I think it’s important for couples to have something you do together that you think is big and good. Or at least is good. What are you going to be idealistic about? We still believe good schools lead to good education which lead to better communities.”
50 Years Forward As UW-Green Bay celebrates its 50th anniversary during the 2015-16 academic year, Miller says the dynamic on campus is split between remembering the past and looking toward the future. “It’s so exiting to be here right at this cusp,” Miller says. “It’s a transitional time for a university.” Suzy Pfeifer has gotten to know the Millers since they arrived in Green Bay. Pfeifer was employed by UW-Green Bay as Director of Major Gifts in
you spotlight
Save the Date!
the early 2000s and is The Community Parta past member of the nership for Children Council of Trustees. whose mission is to Her husband, Ronald, ensure all children was appointed as Asare safe, healthy and sociate Chancellor for ready for kinderMay 6, 2016 • 7-9:30 p.m. • Kress Events Center External Affairs and garten. 50 & Forward is the capstone event to the University of Chief of Staff for UWMiller says the Wisconsin-Green Bay’s 50th anniversary celebrations. Green Bay by ChanGreen Bay and uniThis community event will include live music, savory cellor Miller earlier this versity communities hors d’oeuvres and refreshments including GB year. have much to gain by GOLDEN brew crafted by Titletown BrewPfeifer says the Millers working together and ing Co and a fireworks display. Visit are the right leaders for the strengthening their ongo50.uwgb.edu for more anniversary right time. ing partnerships. event information. “In today’s world, you hire a “The university plays a team and Georgia and Gary are very important role in not only a team,” she says. “They are both providing well-educated individureally interested and passionate about als to take jobs or create jobs, but we education. There’s a lot of changes going on in also have great faculty who can partner with education and they have the willingness and energy to businesses to solve problems and do research,” Miller tackle it.” says. “That collaboration will be exciting for the city and university.” Pfeifer says Miller brings not only experience in education, but a history of success in building strong communities everyStarting fresh in a new community often comes with where she has lived. certain challenges, however, Miller believes that the right mindset is essential to finding personal and professional “She stands on her own with her own interests, she’s not just success wherever you call home. interested in being the chancellor’s wife,” Pfeifer says. “She’s a leader in her thinking.” “In Green Bay there’s something exceptionally good that I knew was going on here before I came because these peoOver the past year, Miller has focused her efforts on the ple have all chosen to live here together,” she says. “Anyone University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and the greater Green moving to a new community needs to keep in mind that Bay community as a whole. She is especially interested in the whatever they’ve heard or read, it’s the good stuff that will university’s Phuture Phoenix program and the lecture series, be the most important thing. I can’t imagine coming here After Thoughts, which connects women in the community with and not expecting something wonderful.” UW-Green Bay. This fall, Miller began serving on the board of
50 & Forward Celebration
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DECEMber 2015 | www.greenbaypressgazette.com/you | 9
your health
Improve Yourself at the Barre Melissa Gorzelanczyk is a young adult author who lives in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with her husband and family. She believes love is everything and writes love stories like ARROWS, her debut novel coming from Random House/Delacorte Press, January 26, 2016. She is represented by agent Carrie Howland of Donadio & Olson. Online: www.MelissaGorzelanczyk.com Twitter: @MelissaGorzela
Online: purebarre.com/ wi-greenbay/
Experience the workout called the fastest, most effective way to change your body By Melissa Gorzelanczyk Photos by Kirsty Gungor of loveliesinmylife.com
When my editor asked if I’d write a personal experience column on Pure Barre, I leapt at the chance. First, the main character in my book (Karma) is a dancer, and with its nod to ballet via the barre, this was an opportunity to channel my inner Karma Clark while toning my hips, thighs, seat, abdominals and arms (yes, please!). The second reason is my literary agent is obsessed with Pure Barre—she’s always posting statuses about it; now I could see what all the hype was about. The assignment was a perfect match.
An Author Takes the Stage I donned my yoga capris, twisted my hair into a ballet bun and headed to the barre. Inside the studio, the scent of a Capri Blue candle transported me to an exotic world of sugared fruits. The space uses
10 | www.greenbaypressgazette.com/you | DECEMber 2015
minimalist design with soft lighting and Birchwood tones. A wall of mirrors helps attendees keep good form during the workout while black and white dance images hang on the opposite wall. It’s comfortable. Right away, there’s a sense of belonging. I consider myself moderately fit— working out a couple times a week counts, right?—but I am not fit. Pure Barre said so. In fact, my shaking legs and arms and burning stomach kept reminding me throughout the class. Pure Barre is a lot like Pilates, without the awkward part where you beat your heels together. There is flow and balance and of course, the barre, which you use
Brooke McMillan, Pure Barre Green Bay owner.
throughout class for support. The music is modern and loud, which I appreciated. You feel like it’s time to move—time to sweat and get out of breath and no one will hear you, so it’s okay. Each part of your body becomes engaged through tiny, one-inch movements. I loved the low-impact aspect of this workout. Instead of feeling like my body was old and falling apart, I left class feeling like I’d done something good for myself.
Raising the Bar(re) on My Personal Fitness Level
I do have a confession. Halfway through my first class, I had a fleeting moment of regret for ever introducing myself to the owner, Brooke McMillan, as the writer for YOU Magazine. Surely I could have snuck out without anyone noticing. Joking aside, the workout was tough. It pushed my limits in new ways. McMillan offered this comfort for beginners, “Everyone has to start somewhere, so by simply committing to class you have already accomplished so much,” she said. “Smile and have fun with class; see how your body and mind transforms.” Yes, there were moments I struggled, but I wasn’t the only one. Find those women and offer a smile while their
Melissa’s pre-barre selfie.
BARRE continued on page 12 >>>
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your health
<<< BARRE continued from page 11
standing leg is shaking like a wobbly chair peg. You might even whisper, “We’re all in this together.” Because what doesn’t kill us…
FAQs What should I wear to class?
After Barre I think we have a way of convincing ourselves that we are doing good enough things for our health. On reflection, I know this isn’t true. My back is often sore due to a sedentary career and lack of core strength. I’m not getting any younger. Good enough isn’t going to cut it if I want to feel healthy and strong. Pure Barre could become a part of that change. And get this—two days after my first class, my skinny jeans fit better than they had in months. That’s a result I haven’t seen in a long time. Ready for another round:
Pants, leggings or capris that you are comfortable in (no shorts) and a top that covers your midriff. You will also want to wear socks—sticky socks are recommended to retain your body’s heat as well as prevent your feet from sliding.
What should I bring? All of the equipment is provided, so just bring a bottle of water and a positive attitude!
How long is class? Each class is 55 minutes. Arriving 10 to 15 minutes early is recommended.
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As a parent, you’d travel to the ends of the earth to find the best doctor for your child. But just how far does that mean? Thankfully, one of the state’s largest pediatrics teams is right here in Green Bay. From little things like check-ups and earaches to expertise in more than 30 pediatric specialties, Prevea and HSHS St. Vincent Hospital have gone the distance to provide the best medical care for your child. We’re big on little patients. Learn more from our patients and see their inspirational stories at prevea.com/pediatric-stories.
DECEMber 2015 | www.greenbaypressgazette.com/you | 13
A
your health
Environmental toxins – what you need to know By Meghan Diemel
Air pollution, BPA in our plastic, and Prozac in our ground water – we see reports almost daily about these types of environmental toxins and how they might be affecting our health. Unfortunately, we’re not immune to the effects of that pollution here in Northeast Wisconsin. “If you look at pollution around the country, we live in a fairly polluted area,” says Dr. Alan James, from Bellin Health Asthma and Allergy. “It comes up lakeside from Chicago and Indiana, and up through the Fox River Valley and into upper Michigan. I have a number of patients, who will leave the area on vacation – out West typically – and when they get out there, they feel great and their nose clears up. When they get back here, within a couple hours they’re stuffed up again, have a headache and are not feeling well.
“It’s in our ground water and it’s in the air,” he adds. Throughout history there has been evidence of toxin-induced illnesses after significant exposure. The acute mercury poisoning that caused Minamata disease in Japan in 1956, and the Love Canal housing development disaster near Niagra Falls, New York of the late 1970s, had direct correlations with pollution. And while there are known links between environmental pollutants and heart and respiratory disease, and indications that ALS, Parkinson’s disease and reproductive difficulties have environmental links,
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it can be complicated to directly implicate toxins in the incidence of certain diseases, Dr. James states. “We can’t do clinical trials and give people these toxic substances and another group a placebo to see what happens, because that’s truly unethical,” he explains. “So, most of the research has been observational studies and comparing different populations.”
Education is key Dr. Manar Alshahrouri, a pulmonologist with Prevea Health, says that with the sheer number of innovations that have come into our lives and improved them
so dramatically, like plastics and cell phones, it’s hard to believe they could do us harm. “Being a citizen in the 21st century, you must assume a lot of responsibility for your own health,” he cautions. “It could be something as simple as reading the labels on things. When you pick up a plastic bottle, read what’s in it. The chemical name to the layperson – it’s a bunch of gibberish. We, the consumer, need to be more in tune to what they are and be a more informed consumer, so we can avoid these kinds of exposure.” Dr. Alshahrouri says it’s important to see environmental toxins as a community-wide issue, not just a problem to try to tackle within your own home. Though industrial progress might have immediate payoffs – like jobs and an improved economy – there can be lasting effects on the next generations. “People need to understand the implications of what this will have on future generations,” he says of environmental pollution. “Certain genes turn on or off depending on what the parent exposed
them to. You have to think, ‘It goes beyond just me.’ Start with that thought and we can make a huge difference.”
The next step forward With toxins surrounding us daily, it’s overwhelming to think about the number of changes that need to be made. Dr. James says that avoiding drinking water from plastic bottles is a start, as is the consumption of organic food. Try avoiding eating canned foods or drinking fluids out of cans, because the insides of aluminum cans are coated with plastic – often containing BPA. Drinking milk out of glass instead of plastic jugs is also something that can be done, as is the use of reverse osmosis systems in the home for drinking and cooking water. “A lot of people might not be able to afford a reverse osmosis system, so you pick and you choose and change some of your habits,” he adds. In areas where air pollution is an issue, Dr. James recommends time spent outside is done before the wind picks up. Exercise early in the morning, not late in the day. If it’s a particularly bad day and you have asthma, stay indoors. “We live in a fairly polluted world, and you have to be smart,” adds Dr. James. “Just because it doesn’t happen to you, doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. And you have to have a healthy skepticism for what you hear.”
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Two Homes, One Heart
<<<
your life
Marcela , age 7, with her mother Lety, father Victor and brother Victor Manuel who still live in Mexico City.
Mexico native Marcela Kolarik finds fulfillment in Green Bay By Colleen Riordan
When Marcela Kolarik talks about taking her citizenship test this February, she glows with pride. “I’m so blessed. My heart will be in two countries.” Green Bay, where Kolarik has lived for the last decade, is much smaller than where she grew up in Mexico City. The capital of Mexico has more than 8.85 million residents and is 84 times larger than Green Bay. “It’s crowded in Mexico, and…I love the feeling of Green Bay being an open area. It’s a very small town for me, but it has good people. It’s a nice city to raise your children. It’s a good quality of life. I love it. “We travel at least once a year to see my family, and every time at the end of the trip we are all ready to come back. It’s that feeling - how people are so welcoming here. Those things you don’t see in bigger cities.” Kolarik was studying international business and foreign affairs at Tec Monterrey in Mexico
City when she met her best friend and the catalyst to the rest of her life. Her family hosted Tammy Jennerjohn, a St. Norbert College exchange student. The two girls became fast friends, so when Jennerjohn asked Kolarik to be her maid of honor, Kolarik traveled to Wisconsin for the wedding. Here, she met the love of her life and future husband, Phillip. Today, Kolarik is a bilingual 4-year-old kindergarten (4K) teacher with a master’s degree in education and teacher leadership. She and her husband have two wonderful daughters, Renata, age 2, and Camila, age 6. Leaving home and moving to the United States was not an easy journey. Aside from the rigorous official immigration process, finding your place in an entirely new culture and community is a huge challenge. “It was a bittersweet kind of feeling. You leave your family, friends, culture, food, world, and you come to a place where everything is different,” Kolarik says. “It gets very tiring trying to fit in 24/7 and trying to please everyone. It’s tiring trying to act Americanized sometimes.” There were times, she admits, when she wondered whether she should stay or return to Mexico. Most people were friendly and helpful, but immigration
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... I thought â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;You could be a great link between the [school] district, the families youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re working for, and the students who need you.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;?
can mean starting over personally and professionally. She is grateful for groups like the Catholic Charities of the Green Bay Diocese who worked hard to help her settle in. They provided immigration assistance and a link between the communities. After moving to Wisconsin, Kolarik began working as a bilingual paraprofessional for the Green Bay Area Public School District. She translated during lessons to help teachers communicate with His- Marcela Kolarik panic students. She had found her calling. Kolarik went back to school to pursue a degree in bilingual education before going on for her masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. â&#x20AC;&#x153;[One of] my first majors was foreign affairs,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s helping communities to build up a connection between languages, culture, ideologies, and differences. So, I thought â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;You could be a great link between the [school] district, the families
youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re working for, and the students who need you.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? Most of her students were born to immigrants who want their children to learn English, but the families speak only Spanish at home. When they arrive in her classroom, many of these children have a nonproficiency in both languages. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is our job to help them build up on those previous experiences and knowledge, which is in both languages,â&#x20AC;? Kolarik says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what a bilingual program is about - to honor both languages without excluding either.â&#x20AC;? Language, in Kolarikâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opinion, can be a major barrier between communities. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s far more difficult to learn a new language later in life. Immigrants struggling with English may prefer to remain in their own communities and have trouble integrating into broader society. It is up to individuals like Kolarik to help knit our communities together and be role models for the rest of us. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My goal is to keep supporting the Hispanic community wherever it is needed. If itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in the education field, I hope to stay here,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in some other field, I will be more than happy [to pursue it]. I already changed my world once, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m willing to change it again.â&#x20AC;?
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DECEMber 2015 | www.greenbaypressgazette.com/you | 17
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sponsored feature Dress To Impress This Holiday Season!
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920-661-9022
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It’s the perfect time for her favorite gift of all! A gift certificate to Thornberry Cottage in Howard...Gift wrapped of course!
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Cute & Comfy Socks These Darn Tough socks are made with super soft Merino wool. Excellent for year round wear. Available in a variety of styles, sizes and colors. Customer Favorite. Guaranteed a Lifetime! Available at Vanderloop Shoes in Green Bay.
*L &HԫL£FDWHV $ YDLODEOH 1593 Western, Green Bay (920)496-0505 MON-FRI 9am-6pm SATURDAY 9am-4pm 127 E. Main St, Little Chute (920)788-1061 MON-FRI 9am-7pm SATURDAY 9am-4pm 1861 N Casaloma, Appleton (920)882-8585 MON-FRI 10am-7pm SAT 10am-6pm SUN 11am-4pm
DECEMber 2015 | www.greenbaypressgazette.com/you | 19
your health
float on
Wolfgang and Carlyn Weiler
Weiler Academy debuts float pod therapy for serious relaxation seekers By Amelia Compton Wolff If you’re like me,
you probably drive right by it and don’t even know. Tucked in the back of 2100 Riverside Drive in Green Bay is the Weiler Academy, a learning center focused on a holistic approach to overall health and wellness. In other words, a little piece of utopia for your mind, body and soul. A place where removing your shoes at the door is mandatory (i.e. wear cute socks), but there’s nothing hippiedippy about it. “We try to help people find their place,” says Carlyn Weiler who co-owns the academy with her husband, Wolfgang. “Our method incorporates several aspects to make a complete wellness plan: movement, balancing energies, skin care, posture and relaxation therapy.” That last one, relaxation, is a big one – we could all use more of it. In September, the Weiler Academy debuted two floatation pods
as part of their relaxation therapy offerings, making them one of just several hundred float centers in the country. Relaxation pod or float pod therapy combines the sensation of weightlessness with a technique known as Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy (R.E.S.T.). Each egg-shaped pod contains 200 gallons of water and more than 1,000 pounds of Epsom salt which makes the solution 29 percent denser than the Dead Sea. You are able to float in about 10 inches of water with absolutely no effort. It’s about as close to a zero-gravity sensation as us non-astronauts are going to get. The water temperature is a perfect 98 degrees, so it’s difficult to discern where your body stops and the water begins. The therapy was originally designed to help professional athletes in sports recovery, but the mainstream has more recently embraced floating for its varied, and sometimes surprising, benefits. “It’s a great way to regain sleep patterns, eliminate fatigue and rejuvenate the body,” Weiler says. “Sufferers of migraines, arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis and pregnant women have all experienced the benefits of
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Tips for a successful first float floating.” (P.S. to all you New Year’s Eve revelers: Weiler reveals the best hangover cure is a float because it totally detoxifies you. Duly noted.) Regular “pod people” report feeling increased mental clarity, alertness and creativity while also feeling less depressed and anxious. My first hour-long float concluded at about 2 p.m. on a Friday afternoon which is typically when I start to mentally check out for the weekend. Not that day. I felt energized and focused for the rest of the afternoon. “An hour in the pod is equivalent to four to five hours of deep REM sleep,” Weiler reveals. “Your muscles and mind can completely relax. The best way to relax is not see, hear, feel or touch anything. There’s no form of relaxation like that except for [the pod]. You are completely sense-free.”
If that sounds slightly terrifying to you, you are not alone. The idea of being alone with nothing but your thoughts in an enclosed pod can be a bit intimidating. Not to fear. The pods are equipped with speakers for music – so bring your device with a playlist ready to roll – and multicolored LED lights to keep you company. Float with the pod hatch closed completely, left ajar or wide open. Lights and music can be turned on or off. Your choice. For those of us who try to do it all, being sensory deprived for an hour is challenging. But after one float, I can safely say there’s something pretty amazing about nothing. “You’re teaching your body to relax,” Weiler says. “When you are able to lose time, you’ve made it. The trick is to really commit.” To learn more or schedule a float session, call 920-288-2123.
First steps. Avoid shaving right before a float. (Even microscopic cuts will burn in the salt water solution.) Eating heavy foods before a float is not recommended, but don’t go in hungry either. Give it time. Your mind will race for the first few minutes in the pod. Maybe the first 30. Perhaps for the entirety of your float. That’s normal. Give your mind and body time to relax and let go. Try focusing on your breath if you feel anxious. Stretch, just don’t splash. Wiggle your fingers and toes. Try floating with your hands behind your head. Change positions as often as you like as long as you remain on your back and don’t get salt water in your eyes.
115 S. Erie St., De Pere • 336-8611 Monday-Friday 9-5 • www.wmsjewelersinc.com DECEMber 2015 | www.greenbaypressgazette.com/you | 21
your life
cylg!
1
caught you looking good!
Heels, Hopes & Higher Education
2 3
4
photos and text By Mike Peters
As part of its mission “to promote professional growth and development of women, by women,” Management Women, Inc. held its annual Heels, Hopes & Higher Education scholarship fundraiser at the Radisson Hotel & Conference Center in Green Bay on October 21. Fourteen women received Management Women scholarships in 2015, bringing the total amount awarded over the years to nearly $260,000. Check out www.managementwomen.org to find out more about upcoming events and meetings. Check out facebook.com/youmag for more photos from this event. 22 | www.greenbaypressgazette.com/you | DECEMber 2015
5
1. The Green Bay YWCA’s Womens Empowerment Center director Joan Johnson says their new life coaching group is a great way for women to find a new beginning. 2.Lydia Bessert of event sponsor Baylake Bank, carrying a basket she bid on, and won, in the silent auction, the proceeds from which are used to fund scholarships for women pursuing higher education. 3. Stacey Seedorf shares a laugh with event sponsor Nature’s Way coworkers at Management Women, Inc.’s Heels, Hopes & Higher Education scholarship fundraiser. 4. Kari Fraser, a project manager at Humana, is looking forward to receiving a business management degree from another event sponsor, Concordia University! 5. Management Women, Inc. members Yulia Barstow (Nature’s Way) and Inna Schimmel (Schneider National).
DECEMber 2015 | www.greenbaypressgazette.com/you | 23
Chad V. Yenchesky, DDS Green Bay’s ‘Smile Maker’ Chad V. Yenchesky, DDS Green Bay’s ‘Smile Maker’
Call today for your
Call today for your complimentary consultation complimentary 920-336-4201 or visit consultation us online at
920-336-4201 or visit us online at www.foxviewdental.com www.foxviewdental.com
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24 | www.greenbaypressgazette.com/you | DECEMber 2015
2310 Oak Ridge Circle | De Pere, WI 54115 | 920-336-4201 | www.foxviewdental.com