vol. 79
publisher Amy S. Johnson ajohnson@madisonessentials.com
editorial director Amy S. Johnson ajohnson@madisonessentials.com
lead designer
INSIDE
may–june 2022
what’s
essential arts Bethann Moran-Handzlik................................................... 30
community
Barbara Wilson
senior copy editor & lead staff writer Kyle Jacobson
Kelly Osborn........................................................................ 28 Madison Pipes & Drums...................................................... 24
dining
sales & marketing director Amy S. Johnson ajohnson@madisonessentials.com
Café Costa Rica................................................................... 6 Melted and Taco Local..................................................... 16
designers
nonprofit
Jennifer Denman, Crea Stellmacher, Linda Walker
Getting Out in Nature: Madison Audubon’s Protected Natural Places............................................... 10
administration
travel
Debora Knutson, Olivia Seehafer
contributing writers Chris Gargan, Lauri Lee, Melissa Pierick Anne Sayers, Kaitlin Svabek
Uncovering Wisconsin’s Hidden Gems: Biking.................. 34
well-being A ”National Park” of Hiking Trails in Your Backyard.......... 20
photographer Eric Tadsen
additional photographs Dave Caliebe, Kelly Colgan Azar from Flickr Creative Commons, Cameron Gille, Becky Greiber, Drew Harry, Arlene Koziol, Madison Pipes & Drums, Brenna Marsicek, Heather McEllistrem, Bethann Moran-Handzlik, Kelly Osborn, Diana Rodriguez, Crystal Sutheimer, Travel Wisconsin, Sharon Vanorny, Xiping Wang
subscriptions Madison Essentials is available free at
over 200 locations. To purchase an annual subscription (six issues), send mailing information and $24 to Madison Essentials, c/o Towns & Associates, Inc., PO Box 174, Baraboo, WI 53913-0174. Or sign up for a FREE online subscription at madisonessentials.com.
including From the Publisher................................................................ 4 Contest Information........................................................... 38 Contest Winners................................................................. 38
(continued)
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from the
PUBLISHER
It’s my wish for spring to bring to all of us hope, peace, and kindness toward one another. I welcome it and you.
The Purple Clover by Emily Dickinson There is a flower that bees prefer, And butterflies desire; To gain the purple democrat The humming-birds aspire.
We welcome your questions and comments. Please submit to Madison Essentials, c/o Towns & Associates, Inc., PO Box 174, Baraboo, WI 53913-0174 or email ajohnson@madisonessentials.com.
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To place an advertisement, please call (608) 215-5240 or email ajohnson@madisonessentials.com.
all rights reserved. ©2022
And whatsoever insect pass, A honey bears away Proportioned to his several dearth And her capacity.
No portion of this magazine may be reproduced without prior written permission by Madison Essentials. Towns & Associates, Inc. PO Box 174 Baraboo, WI 53913-0174 P (608) 356-8757 • F (608) 356-8875
Her face is rounder than the moon, And ruddier than the gown Of orchis in the pasture, Or rhododendron worn.
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She doth not wait for June; Before the world is green Her sturdy little countenance Against the wind is seen,
Watch for the next issue July/August 2022.
Contending with the grass, Near kinsman to herself, For privilege of sod and sun, Sweet litigants for life.
Cover photograph—Common Yellowthroats are a popular warbler that can be found around Madison in the spring and summer taken by Arlene Koziol
And when the hills are full, And newer fashions blow, Doth not retract a single spice For pang of jealousy.
Photographs on page 3: left— Dunlin, small shorebirds, might stop in flooded farm fields as they pass through on their journey north taken by Arlene Koziol
Her public is the noon, Her providence the sun, Her progress by the bee proclaimed In sovereign, swerveless tune.
right— Bikng provided by Travel Wisconsin
The bravest of the host, Surrendering the last, Nor even of defeat aware When cancelled by the frost.
amy johnson
4 | madison essentials
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e sse nt i al dining
´ CafE Costa Rica
Mango Man L at i n S o u l F o o d by Lauri Lee Great Latin soul food is inspired and comes from the heart. According to Mango Man Chef Thony Clarke, owner of Café Costa Rica, “The best thing a creative has ever created is what has not been made yet. If you are an artist, chef, or musician at the top of your game, you can’t get too comfortable because then you’re not creating anymore.” Creatives enjoy pleasing others with their works of art but are even more concerned with meeting and exceeding their own standards of performance. Learning to follow his heart and unlock his creative potential has been the journey of Thony’s lifetime since his early teens. Playing and singing music, dance, choreography, and culinary talent are separate strands of one creative thread. Embracing his unique personality and developing his innate musical gifts and talents eventually led him to cultivate his culinary creativity for memorable flavors and delicious food. 6 | madison essentials
“As a middle schooler, I was unable to focus during classes at school. My music teacher sat down with me, and I told him I had so many things in my head that I just couldn’t think straight. He asked me to put on paper what I was seeing in my mind. When I put musical notes on the page, he told me I was a natural musical creative and that my nature wouldn’t let me ignore it. He signed me up for band and chorus to start my musical training.
My mother taught me that good cooking is the art of turning
simple ingredients into something delicious and memorable.
“I’ve always been driven to learn as much as I could, as fast as possible. One priority for me was to learn Spanish. We were an English-speaking family, and I endured ridicule from the kids at school because I couldn’t speak Spanish and understand what they were saying. Being bilingual couldn’t happen fast enough for me. “With dance, it was the same thing—I learned it quickly, so at age 13 I was able to join a dance tour. It came easy for me, so I went on to learn Latin-, jazz-, and Brazilian-style dances, like the salsa, merengue, bolero, and the bossa nova. Along the way, I discovered I had a knack and passion for teaching others to dance. As I gained in experience and ability to produce a show and visualize
a live video, opportunities kept coming my way. I became a choreographer of dance numbers for bands and TV shows, sometimes featuring as many as 50 dancers. My next creative endeavor was writing the music and directing a band that performed jazz, blues, rock, punk, and acid music and becoming the lead singer.” In 1996 Thony married Lora, a woman from Wisconsin. Although pregnant, she made a visit to the states for her sister’s graduation, and while here, she became very sick. Thony came to be with her, and the two began plans to permanently move to this country. Thony held a few conventional jobs before deciding to be self-employed. He was gifted in culinary arts, so operating a food cart would provide self-sufficiency and independence to go wherever people gathered. It was reminiscent of his youth when his mother made Jamaican patís that he sold door to door and at events.
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Great Latin soul food is inspired and comes from the heart.
Photograph provided by Café Costa Rica
“I learned to create simple, traditional, and delicious dishes from my mother. She raised 11 kids on her own, and I was number 7 in the family. We all learned to cook by helping her, everyone learning at the same time. She had to cook big with just a few basic ingredients. Her creative way of cooking made the food taste incredible with so much flavor that you didn’t notice the scarcity of that time and that there wasn’t much money for ingredients. She’d take simple rice and beans and make it taste like glory. She taught me that good cooking is the art of turning simple ingredients into something delicious and memorable. Her influence is present in all of my culinary creations.” Mango Man Latin soul food is a unique blend of Central American and Jamaican cultures and cuisine. The Mango Man concept was inspired by the culture of Limon, Costa Rica, where Thony grew up. The city was mainly populated by Jamaican immigrants brought to Costa Rica as indentured servants and slaves to build the railroad for the Port of Limon. The fusion of the food traditions of these two cultures became renowned for its own style of cooking, known as Latin soul food. It combines the Central American staples of rice, beans, meat, and plantains with a liberal amount of allspice, curry, ginger, anise, and certain peppers which are more associated with Jamaican culture. Patently, tropical fruits, mainly the mango, made their way into Mango Man recipes. The food is not spicy, so the taste buds can fully explore the flavors. Chef Thony is not afraid to experiment with different flavor combinations to create a memorable meal, which keeps people coming back for more. 8 | madison essentials
In 2004, Thony built his food cart with the help of friends and launched Café Costa Rica in 2005. When he couldn’t get a downtown location for the cart, an opportunity opened for him to have a six-table restaurant by the same name on Butler Street, near downtown Madison. He operated it from 2006 to 2011 in conjunction with the food cart. Having a restaurant just a block from the capitol was a good thing. He met a lot of people who worked at the capitol, which is how he eventually landed a food cart spot on library mall. From 2011 to 2013, he operated a restaurant on Williamson Street.
sauces can be purchased through local grocery stores, specialty shops, and at mangomancooks.com. Lauri Lee is a culinary herb guru and food writer living in Madison, Wisconsin. Photographs by Eric Tadsen.
Lauri Lee
A chef with too many pots on the fire and not enough help is a recipe for burnout, so he closed the restaurant. His new passion became the creation of sauces, which brought him to FEED Kitchens at 1219 N. Sherman Avenue, Madison, in 2014. He wanted to take things up a notch and create sauces while continuing to cater through the food cart. The
Café Costa Rica (608) 352-8466 mangomancooks.com
YOU MAKE THE MEMORIES. WE’LL MAKE THEM LAST. Whether it’s a beloved print or family heirloom, give your piece an artful presentation that will stand the test of time. OPEN Tues – Sat, 10am – 5pm Schedule an appointment or drop by
1901 Monroe St Madison, WI | 608.255.7330 | monroestreetframing.com
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Photograph by Drew Harry
e sse nt i al nonprofit
Getting Out in
Nature
by Kaitlin Svabek The great outdoors is great for a reason. According to Yale Environment 360, not only can nature lower blood pressure and reduce stress and anxiety levels, it can also enhance our immune systems, increase our self-esteem, and improve our mood. A study by the University of Exeter found that, as long as people feel safe, only two hours of time in green spaces per week can foster a stronger sense of well-being. Wisconsin has a lot of two-hour (or more) outdoor opportunities with many beautiful parks and natural areas to explore. Madison Audubon is one of many organizations that protects and stewards nature and wildlife habitat in our part of the state. 10 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s
RELATIONSHIP WITH LAND Out of the 450 Audubon chapters nationwide, Madison Audubon is one of the few that is also a nationally accredited land trust. Out of that group, we manage the third most habitat for wildlife, about 2,000 acres. When Madison Audubon purchased its first piece of land in 1968, it accepted the enormous responsibility to take care of that area for birds, wildlife, and people in perpetuity. Our sanctuaries are on land belonging to Wisconsin’s First Nations, including the forcibly and unjustly removed HoChunk Nation, now and since time immemorial. Respecting and honoring this history and connection is necessary,
Photograph by Arlene Koziol
MADISON AUDUBON’S PROTECTED NATURAL PLACES
and Madison Audubon seeks to engage, welcome, and reinstate their presence on the land we steward.
VISIT OUR RESTORED HABITATS From wetlands and woodlands to tallgrass prairies and oak savanna, Madison Audubon’s sanctuaries provide high-quality habitat for all kinds of wildlife: birds, rare plants, and insects. All are welcome to travel the public trails, listen to birdsong, and take in the gorgeous natural beauty of each season.
Goose Pond Sanctuary Madison Audubon’s first land purchase was 60 acres with a house, buildings,
a pond, and some land that became known as Goose Pond Sanctuary. In the 50 years since, members and supporters have helped our organization preserve hundreds more additional acres containing tallgrass prairie and grasslands, wetland scrapes, and potholes. These remaining and restored ecosystems are part of the vast Empire Prairie that once covered the county and is now listed as an Important Bird Area, providing appropriate nesting and stopover habitat for a variety of avian species.
About 10 miles northeast of Goose Pond sits Otsego Marsh, teeming with diverse wildlife. The sounds of frogs, toads, waterfowl, and insects ring through the area. The wetland includes a woodland with a mowed trail and Hawkos Pond, where you put your canoe or kayak into the water along Old County Road F between May 15 and September 1. What you might find: • 146-plus species of birds, including belted kingfishers, nuthatches, pileated woodpecker, great blue heron, spotted sandpipers, sandhill cranes, blue- and green-winged teals • Other iconic Wisconsin fauna, including crayfish and bullhead, plus a variety of rare and common dragonfly species • Native plants, like white water lilies, wild geranium, swamp milkweed, mayapples, Dutchman’s breeches, and bloodroot
Photograph by Brenna Marsicek
Photograph by Kelly Colgan Azar from Flickr Creative Commons
What you might find: • 266-plus species of birds, including dickcissels, purple martins, American golden plover, snowy owls, claycolored sparrows, trumpeter and tundra swans • Other iconic Wisconsin fauna, including badgers, tiger salamanders, and rusty patched bumblebees • Native plants, like prairie dock; compass plant; wood betony; bee balm; wood lily; and uncommon species, such as purple fringed orchid
Otsego Marsh
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THE GREAT OUTDOORS IS FOR A REASON.
Photograph by Brenna Marsicek
great
scientists. These protected habitats are useful places to survey native species, including endangered and threatened ones, like the silphium borer moth.
Faville Grove Sanctuary Established in the late 1990s, Faville Grove Sanctuary showcases the rich geological history and biodiversity in our area. Here you can visit the Lake Mills Ledge, Precambian rock that makes up the eastern edge of the ancient Baraboo range (among the oldest exposed rocks in North America). Sweeping vistas include the Crawfish River floodplain and uplands, centuries-old bur oak on quartzite outcroppings, a small slice of floating tamarack and sphagnum bog, and short grass prairies filled with sedges. What you might find: • 171 species of birds, including red-headed woodpeckers, northern harriers, Henslow’s sparrows, short-eared owls, upland sandpipers, bobolinks, and American woodcock • Other iconic Wisconsin fauna, including otters, grey and red foxes, and Blanding’s turtles • Native plants, like big and little bluestem; prairie blazing star; sky blue aster; valerian; and uncommon species, such as nodding lady’s tresses orchid and prairie milkweed
Much of this year-round work is done with the support of partners, stewards, and volunteers; we always welcome new folks to get involved! Each year, citizen science projects monitor nest boxes for wood ducks, American kestrels, and eastern bluebirds. We also participate in national and international efforts for bird banding and monarch butterfly tagging to track populations and ensure their success for future generations. In the fall, community volunteers assist us with a robust native seed collecting program that preserves local-genotype seeds from remnant and restored prairies.
All of Madison Audubon’s sanctuaries aren’t just wonderful places to be outside: they’re also sites of conservation work that provide crucial data to our community and
Photograph by Kelly Colgan Azar from Flickr Creative Commons
12 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s
Photograph by Crystal Sutheimer
Hope you all have a chance to visit our sanctuaries and enjoy the summer season. We’ll be back next issue to share more ways to join us outdoors. Until then, happy adventuring! Kaitlin Svabek is a communications specialist for Madison Audubon. Connect with the team at info@madisonaudubon.org or follow them on social media @madisonaudubon.
Kaitlin Svabek
General resource lists consulted: e360.yale.edu/features/ecopsychology -how-immersion-in-nature -benefits-your-health madisonaudubon.org/land madisonaudubon.org/accreditation
HISTORIc downtown shops + eateries + Trolls lodging + more
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more in store
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Old Sugar Distillery’s Bourbon will be returning in July. It features aromatic and cherry-wood smoked malt to balance the classic corn-based mash. Old Sugar Distillery 931 East Main St., Suite 8, Madison oldsugardistillery.com
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Duchess Grey loose leaf tea. Bright, floral, and citrusy tasting notes. $5.95–$21.95. Tea infuser for $7.95. Telsaan Tea Downtown Mount Horeb telsaan.com
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3
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We have plenty of stickers to take with you. on FB and IG @Anthology230 Anthology 230 State St., Stop 1, Madison anthologymadison.com
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Photograph by Sharon Vanorny
e sse nt i al dining
by Kyle Jacobson
MELTEDandTACO LOCAL “At the end of the last year of culinary school, I was serving tables part-time, and I was at home with our new daughter. Then the owner of the restaurant I was working at came to me and was like, ‘I got you scheduled at 11:00 on Sunday for Mother’s Day.’ “My availability was Monday, Wednesday, Friday nights. I was like, ‘I don’t have availability on Sundays. I can’t.’ “So he was like, ‘Everybody works Mother’s Day.’ “I was like, ‘Well, I quit.’ “I turned around and bought a food cart that had been on Craigslist. That was the catalyst. I couldn’t work for someone else any longer.” 16 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s
*roll title sequence
WHEELS ON THE GROUND starring David Rodriquez story inspired by Jon Favreau based on real events
David Rodriquez owns a handful of Madison’s favorite food trucks. With Atlas BBQ primed to become David’s next success story, we look to Melted and Taco Local to tell the story of a man abandoned by the conventional restaurant scene at the end of his culinary education. Less dramatically, we look at someone who embraced opportunity as they took the plunge to own their own culinary business. The year: 2015. David had just left his job. He bought Melted, purveyor of specialty gourmet sandwiches, with a partner, who would soon be out the picture due to their own life commitments. A typical day, “I’d be there at 5:00 in the morning,” says David. “I would do all the prep, hitch the cart up, pull it in front of the kitchen, load it all up, drive to the Square, park it, unhitch, park the car, get back to the car,
Photograph by Sharon Vanorny
Madison’s LGBTQ magazine since 2007
fire up the grill, get the register ready, open the door, put the sign up, work the lunch rush by myself.” He joined Let’s Eat Out, and soon found himself serving 10 people at a time until selling out of the roughly 120 servings he’d prepared. “It’s a young man’s game. I definitely couldn’t do it anymore.” But times seemed...manageable. He was his own boss, but the boss was a hard ass.
“
We’re really striving for fresh food, so everything is light and fresh. Made daily. All the picos. All the sauces.
”
Photograph by Sharon Vanorny
“With one food cart doing all of those things, it was $120,000 in revenue that first year. I didn’t pay myself in salary, but I think I made $11,000. I’m doing all this work, but I’m not creating enough revenue to make a living. Two options are to accept that or to grow.”
He chose the latter but wasn’t immediately prepared for how hard winter would be. Though the cash flow slowed, the expenses persisted. David recalls one of his first larger expenses. While in the tow truck he used to pull the food cart, “I got pulled over, and the officer was like, ‘Your rear bumper and that hitch are about to rip right off your truck. You need to turn around, and you need to go buy a truck.’”
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So David went from one cart to a cart and a Toyota Tacoma.
Photograph by Sharon Vanorny
Over the next few years and additional food carts, the need to rent a large kitchen space became more and more important. In 2020, David bought Gaylord Catering with every dime that he had. “I needed it. The owner wanted out. He wanted to sell.” What seemed like a good idea at the time had to face the test of COVID. David again found himself with two options: shutter the business he just bought or drag it through the pandemic. “We kept everybody on, and we found money. We found revenue.” Any way to make a dollar was pursued alongside humanitarian efforts, like packing 100 meals a day for homeless people staying in hotels during the pandemic. So David went from one cart, to a cart and a Tacoma, to a cart and a Tacoma and a catering business and a commissary kitchen.
Photograph by Diana Rodriguez
Essential Magazine 2022.1 4.75 x 2.25 $540
• Interactive storybooks • Electronic culture stations • Genealogy lab • Build-your-journey map wall • Auditorium with a selection of on-demand films
Norwegian Heritage Center
“Where immigrant stories come alive” 277 W. Main St. Stoughton, WI 53589
See upcoming events on our website or Facebook page • Tues-Sat 9:30-4:30 • livsreise.org • 608-873-7567 • Free Admission • 18 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s
Melted might be best known for its lip-smacking grilled cheese, but its evolving smashburger has sparked a lot of interest in recent years. “It’s really become our best seller,” says David. “You don’t make burger patties. You make balls of beef. Little butter down on the grill, two balls on the butter, salt and pepper on the balls, then you take your spatula and smash the burger down. It gets a crispy, kind of fried outside. It’s cooked through. The juiciness of the burger comes from all the butter. We’re very proud that the burgers we make look just like the pictures we take for the menu.” International and Melted have been working together to create some new and exciting burger flavors. For starters, they’ve done a croque madame burger; burgers with ham, eggs, and bacon; and a burger with a salad on top. Of course, they have the more traditional black and bleus, bacon burgers, and burger burgers as well. The pandemic also saw the opening of Taco Local, where David touts his four-
ingredient taco philosophy. No more than four, otherwise things get lost. “I don’t think there’s a restaurant like it in the city,” he says. “It’s not just about the food there, and the food is great. We’re really striving for fresh food, so everything is light and fresh. Made daily. All the picos. All the sauces.” Get there at 8:00 a.m. for a no-expensespared breakfast taco and your favorite coffee drink. But everything about David’s life isn’t roses and gravy. David shared with me the realities of being a business owner during these times. The numbers he shared sounded impressive until he broke down the costs of everything needed to run his business, including paying his employees fair wages. For him, the right thing and the necessary thing need to overlap. In a sense, David embraces the burden of the roles he takes on. He believes in the importance of the work he’s doing. The food is a great start, and his culinary background has given him the tools to be successful, but there’s a larger lesson he’s teaching his kids. “You’re not just working for your family; you’re working for your community.”
*roll end credits
Tadsen Photography Drone/Aerial Imagery
Kyle Jacobson
Photograph by Barbara Wilson
Kyle Jacobson is lead writer and senior copy editor for Madison Essentials.
MELTED AND TACO LOCAL Follow them on Facebook.
Fully licensed - FAA part 333 Waiver Stunning stills and 4k video
tadphoto.com - etadsen@icloud.com - 608-469-2255 madisonessentials.com
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It’s the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, of course. Traversing the state 1,200 miles, the Ice Age Trail goes from Interstate State Park in the west, down as far as Janesville in the south, and then up to Potawatami State Park in the east. Its route generally follows the path of the last glaciation, with the trail marking (more or less) where the glacial lobes stopped. As a result, the Ice Age Trail is one of the best places in the world to see examples of glacial landforms, like kettles, kames, eskers, moraines, drumlins, and erratics. You don’t have to be a glacial enthusiast to appreciate the trail The Ice Age Trail 20 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s
by Melissa Pierick is designed for everyone to enjoy—all ages, backgrounds, and ability levels. It’s free to hike on; no permits or fees are required (unless you park/camp in a state park, then fees may apply). It’s easy to get to; approximately 60 percent of Wisconsin residents live within 20 miles of the trail. And it boasts varying trail types, from remote and rugged to paved and urban. So whether you’re looking for a multiday backpacking adventure or simply want to take an hour-long stroll, there’s a segment for you. The trail takes hikers to some of the most picturesque parts of the state, including Gibraltar Rock, Point Beach State Forest, Dells of the Eau Claire, and Devil’s Lake. It also goes through many state wildlife areas with sweeping vistas; county and national forests; as well as restored prairies and preserves, like the Swamplovers preserve in the Table Bluff Segment just outside the Village of Cross Plains. In addition to being one of the only national scenic trails to be located entirely within a single state, the Ice Age Trail has another unique characteristic: it specifically winds through Wisconsin communities, 15 of which are officially designated Trail Communities, including Cross Plains and Verona. Considered hiker destinations, these communities are a vibrant aspect of the Ice Age Trail hiking experience.
Photograph by Dave Caliebe
e sse nt i al well-being What runs 41.9 miles through Dane County offering scenic views, a traipse through a golf course, a trail through stunning prairies, and a good look at some glacial kettles?
A “National Park” of Hiking Trails in Your Backyard
The yellow
blaze marks
t he pa th of t he Ice Age Tra i l.
Photograph by Cameron Gille
Ga i n i ng i n Popu la ri ty Although the Ice Age Trail has been a designated national scenic trail since 1980, it has experienced a recent surge in popularity. The COVID pandemic had a lot to do with that. People discovered the trail, which stayed open, and turned to it as a source of safe activity. What tends to happen when someone discovers the trail is they quickly
get hooked. They hike a segment or two, then three or four, then an entire county’s worth of trail. Before they know it, they’re on their way to becoming a “Thousand-Miler.” That’s the term for a person who successfully completes the entire 1,200-mile trail. There’s no time limit for completing the quest. Some people do it over a number of years by segment hiking. Others complete it over a few months doing a thru-hike. This goal is something more and more hikers are achieving. Between 1979 and 1999, an average of one hiker per year completed the trail. In 2020, 31 completed the trail, and in 2021, a record 81 hikers became ThousandMilers. This included hiker Emily Ford, who made national headlines by becoming the first woman to thru-hike the Ice Age National Scenic Trail during
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Volu n teer Su pport is Cri tica l The Ice Age Trail is jointly managed by the National Park System, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and the Ice Age Trail Alliance. However, the majority of the care and keeping of the trail falls to the Ice Age Trail Alliance. Headquartered in Cross Plains, the Ice Age Trail Alliance is made up of 19 22 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s
The Ice Age Tra i l is designed for everyone to enjoy chapters throughout the state. Chapter members and volunteers support the trail through property protection efforts, trail maintenance and creation work, and habitat management activities. Trail maintenance and habitat management activities (like mowing, sawing, invasive weed pulling, and brush-pile burning) take place year-round. New trail is created mainly during the summer and fall. Without volunteers, there wouldn’t be an Ice Age Trail. New volunteers are always welcome; training and equipment is provided. To see a calendar with volunteer opportunities on the trail, visit iceagetrail.org/events/.
A Work i n Progress Every day, the Ice Age Trail Alliance works toward its ultimate goal: a completed Ice Age Trail. At the end of 2021, 680 miles of the trail were blazed and ready for hiking. The remaining mileage is on connector routes: rural roads and highways the trail follows until property can be protected or agreements made with property owners to bring the trail off-road. In 2021, the Ice Age Trail Alliance had its most prolific year of land protection in 30 years. Thanks to generous donations, nine new properties were protected across the state. Once property is protected, the work begins to get
Photograph by Heather McEllistrem
Photograph by Xiping Wang
Something else which helped people discover the trail in recent years is the Mammoth Hike Challenge. Held annually in October, the challenge encourages participants to hike a set number of miles on the Ice Age Trail and visit three Trail Communities. In 2021, nearly 7,000 people participated.
Photograph by Becky Greiber
the winter. She achieved even more notoriety when her hike became the subject of a documentary film, Breaking Trail, which debuted at the Banff Mountain Film Festival in November 2021. The 2021 Thousand-Milers also includes a woman who completed her quest after 21 years. On the Ice Age Trail, everyone hikes their own hike, and all are celebrated.
actual trail tread on it. This includes planning, permitting, and securing funds for the trailbuilding effort. It can take two to three years before actual trail building begins. As a renowned trail-building organization, the Ice Age Trail Alliance is committed to creating a good hiker experience on the trail. It takes pride designing and constructing sustainable trail and training volunteers in trail-building best practices. Melissa Pierick is the director of marketing and community relations at Ice Age Trail Alliance. To learn more or get involved with the Ice Age Trail, visit iceagetrail.org.
Melissa Pierick
EEEE E E EE 18th No Crap on Tap More than 40 Local Brews in Rotation thanks to MHTG
FREE ADMISSION Food and Craft Vendors Prize Raffle WORT Boutique
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Sunday May 22 Warner Park madisonessentials.com
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e sse nt i al community
MADISON PIPES & DRUMS BY KYLE JACOBSON
Have you ever heard the bleating skirl of Great Highland bagpipes and thought about your love for Jamaica? No? What about Paris? Madison? In fairness, if you answered yes to any of these, you might need to get out more or maybe watch Highlander. Or you might be familiar with Madison Pipes & Drums, but, I mean, come on, Scotland—right? Ignoring that the origin of using a bag to push air through a reed to make music might go back as far as ancient Greece, few instruments capture a sense of place as well as the bagpipes.
Bruce Gandy, contemporary pipe players and composers. “There’s a lot of modern composing going on for bagpipes,” says David Bradley, Madison Pipes & Drums president.
Meat Loaf, AC/DC, and Dropkick Murphys have all embraced the sound of the pipes for at least one song, and then there’s the likes of Ross Ainslie and
Now some packs of pipers might be content playing together just for the sake of enjoying a shared passion, but Madison Pipes & Drums takes it a step
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Which reminds me that this isn’t an article on the bagpipes. But it kind of is. Madison Pipes & Drums officially became a thing in 2002 when it split off Badger Pipes and Drums, which became a thing in 1997 when a bunch of pipers at Zor Shrine wanted to form a group that wasn’t limited to freemasons.
further with parades and competitions. Maybe you’ve seen them at Stoughton’s Syttende Mai festival, matching kilts, socks, headgear, and all. But it didn’t start that way. David says, “Our first parade that we played as a band, the only thing that matched on us was our neckties. ... The second year, we all had matching sweaters and neckties. It was many years later that we could actually afford kilts that all match each other.” Those matching uniforms certainly make them braw- and bonnie-proper in competitions, but looking the part doesn’t score marks. There, the drummers and pipers have to show their beating and bellowing amounts to something worth echoing across the
Quiraing. On the drumming aspect, David calls it “blatantly modern. The snare drum that we play is super-hightension Kevlar heads.” In addition, the material used in the bagpipes they play only goes back to the early 1800s. “The way that the drumming works at the moment is stylistically 1950s jazz,” says David. “Pipe bands in the ’50s were more military. Some of the main players of the day were doing the Scottish military thing, which is a pretty-standard-issue rope-tensioned drum, very straight up and down. Not particularly interesting. Those drummers were moonlighting on the side playing jazz bands.” But this isn’t an article on Scottish drumming. But it kind of is. Music, all music, is intergenerational. Madison Pipes & Drums alone has members ranging from ages 14 to just over 70. David readily admits that, though the range of ages is nice, “One of the things I think bagpiping suffers from is the lack of diversity. It tends to be something that middle-aged white men do a lot of, so any amount of diversity is good.” There’s a silver lining in the lack of popularity surrounding bagpipes and Scottish drumming. If you really want to learn how to play, you could possibly learn from some of the best players out there. David, himself, takes bagpipe lessons from Bruce Gandy in Halifax, Nova Scotia and drumming lessons from Andrew Hoinacki in Chicago via Skype. Assuming you don’t know Bruce or Andrew, David compared it to learning the cello from Yo-Yo Ma. Madison Pipes & Drums also has educators for those interested in learning to play themselves.
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The rewards of teaching are just as rich as those of learning. Pipe Sergeant Adam Borger of Madison Pipes & Drums has been playing for 23 years, and it’s not just watching his former students grow that puts a smile on his face. Adam says, “It’s also very rewarding to see students that I have taught eventually take on their own students and teach their children as well.” Going niche with musical interests often creates an immediate bond with madisonessentials.com
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Folk, marches, the occasional rock and roll flair, I don’t know where to place the pipes, but they’re really adding to the culture of Madison in a way that’s patently unique. Kevin Hendryx, piper, says, “I feel a link to the past and to all the pipers who came before and are part of the same river of music through the ages. I feel I’m a part of that story now.” Listeners witness the blending of antiquity with modernity in a sound that always strikes me as otherworldly. A fan of Gaelic culture enjoys it as much as someone who just wants to enjoy something they probably don’t listen to
on the regular. “What makes Madison such a cool place is the diversity of what’s going on in such a concentrated spot,” says David. Greg Bruno, piper, adds, “I believe our music provides excitement, joy, a stirring of emotions, chills, a sense of courage, and a sense of pride.” In my brief research for this article, I found fun and technical music being written by contemporary pipe composers and realized there’s something genuine here that’s very much alive and evolving. Madison Pipes & Drums is wound in this creative thread twisted with delightful curiosity and appreciation. “We are the caretakers of history and culture,” says Kevin. “We preserve and teach and pass along all the knowledge and experience that comes before so this treasure can enrich every generation that follows.”
If you’d like to know more, follow Madison Pipes & Drums on Facebook, and check out this article on madisonessentials.com for more from David, Adam, Greg, and Kevin. Kyle Jacobson is the lead writer and senior copy editor for Madison Essentials. Photographs provided by Madison Pipes & Drums.
Kyle Jacobson
Or, as Greg puts it, “I ultimately put the guitar away because everyone played
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guitar. The world didn’t need more guitarists. It needed more bagpipers.”
Photograph by Barbara Wilson
someone else that shares your interests. True, that feeling is present when you find someone who digs the same band/ artist you dig, whether it’s Bon Jovi, Social Distortion, or Miss Tony, but the smaller the following, the more intimate the bond.
MARCH–AUGUST 2022
we make a difference
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e sse nt i al community
kelly
When discussing the environment in our state, everything ends up feeling like a call to arms or an us versus them. It’s easy to feel that those who don’t agree with you on everything won’t stand with you for anything. But when the rhetoric of politicians with cheddar-stained pockets is ignored and good-faith ecological studies are upheld, even the most disillusioned skeptic finds allies across the aisle. Still, the ecologist showing how some of today’s luxuries and comforts come at the cost of tomorrow’s environment can feel analogous to explaining to your dog why a Mounds bar isn’t a good option for dessert. In my conversation with wildlife rehabilitator Kelly Osborn, two things made themselves clear: a onesize-fits all solution is not a mindful solution and the only right solution is the mindful one. Kelly wants to change our behavior when it comes to removing animals from, say, our attics. Many might start thinking about hiring a trapper or exterminator, but contacting Wisconsin WildCare, a sort of coalition of rehabilitators founded by Kelly, or a rehabilitator in your area is almost always a better starting point.
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You’ll not only save hundreds of dollars, but you’ll also create a solution that’s beneficial to both you and the animal. One example Kelly describes is when hiring a trapper to get a racoon from your attic, it’s better to ask yourself why the racoon is there in the first place. If it’s around springtime, it’s probably a mother finding a place to have babies. Where a wildlife rehabilitator will get the raccoon to go to its backup den (they always have a backup den), a trapper may capture and kill it only for you to later realize there are babies still up there. As more people move into areas where wildlife exist, it’s important to develop a nonhostile relationship with local fauna. “There are a lot of people that are moving into areas where wildlife were,” she says. “And they’re people who aren’t used to that. They’re used to living in the city and not seeing coyotes in their backyard.” Kelly, herself, grew up in Chicago and now lives on a 20-acre farm. “I moved up here; went to school in UW– Madison; and met my husband, who’s a farm boy. He owned this property long
before I met him.” But she didn’t come to Wisconsin to spend her spare time as a wildlife rehabilitator. With an undergrad in political science and masters in urban and regional planning, she wanted to make an impact on energy policy. The push came when “I was out [on the farm] and I heard this animal crying for an entire day, and then the next day, it was still going. “Typically, I’d think, ‘Oh that cat’s got a bunny, and I don’t want to see it.’ So I walked along the edge of the woods until I found it. It was a poor little fawn. He was only less than a week old. I picked up the fawn, carried him back. His dead twin was right next to him, so I knew he needed help. There wasn’t a mom around. I spent the entire weekend, it was Memorial Day weekend, trying to find somebody to help.” After calling the DNR and her vet, she found a woman in California, Marjorie Davis. Marjorie, who was in her 80s at the time (she turned 101 last November), is the founder of Fawn Rescue of Sonoma County, and she walked Kelly through what she’d need to do to find local help. That’s when she met one of the most influential people to her in her
Photo by Kevin Sink
rehabilitation work, Pat Comfort, founder of Dane County Humane Society’s Wildlife Center. “He encouraged me to get my wildlife rehabilitation license, and that was the beginning of 20 years of this.” What Kelly has learned over the years is that her work really involves a lot of communication. Not just being clear with her words, but reaching out and having discussions with people she might normally avoid.
Kelly co-founded Wisconsin WildCare, which specializes in rehabilitating small mammals, in 2011. “We started with like 12 people at a meeting at a coffeeshop in Madison. Cargo Coffee at Park Street. Now there’s over 60 volunteers, and Wisconsin WildCare helps over 1,000 animals every year.” Through her work as a wildlife rehabilitator, Kelly finds she’s sometimes learning things about different animal
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species that go beyond what’s understood in the field. “There’s so much we don’t know,” she says. “Granted they’re in captivity when they’re with me, but I really watched [squirrels] in my yard. Then I picked up a book written by a wildlife biologist about squirrels, and a lot of it was just like—that’s not true; they don’t do that. They are social. They will share nests with their siblings in the winter.”
Experience is a heck of a teacher, and even in the most urbanized areas of the state, we have ample access to nature. Kelly wants those with the most experience in nature and those involved in nature’s silent sports to be heard. With so much work to be done ecologically in our state, it’s important to recognize that the likes of Aldo Leopold weren’t asking us to live in his shadow, but to stand on his shoulders. Kelly says, “We have the power, and we have the responsibility.” Kyle Jacobson is lead writer and senior copy editor for Madison Essentials. Photographs provided by Kelly Osborn.
Kyle Jacobson
madisonessentials.com
Photograph by Barbara Wilson
“Growing up in Chicago, [my mom] didn’t drive, so we took the bus everywhere. I would get annoyed with her because she’d always talk to everybody who’s all around, and it didn’t matter who they were. I’m glad she did that because it taught me not to be afraid of talking to anyone. When you’re in wildlife rehab, I get calls from people who normally I would never associate with: hunters and trappers. One of my favorite rehabbers is about as politically opposite me as we could possibly be, but we get along because we have this common bond.”
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e sse nt i al arts
Petrichor
On Site
moran-handzlick “No ideas but in things” —William Carlos Williams, “A Sort of a Song”
A Mind of Winter
Every artist has antecedents. The very best of artists understand that a ruthless search for absolute originality will be fruitless. Viewers need a touchstone, a place of entry to begin the dialogue that any successful work of art provokes. “Great artists steal” has become a clichéd notion often ascribed to Picasso or, in modified form, to T. S. Eliot. Conversely, weaker artists often fail to do little more than imitate their betters. But once in a great while, an artist emerges who presents us with a gift of magisterial synthesis. An artist who understands and lives in their present while creating an alchemy of past artistic realizations coupled with a totally modern sensibility. Bethann Moran-Handzlik is an artist for whom the genius of the past finds expression in works of contemporary beauty, grace, and emotional depth. At the last third of the 19th century, a movement of painters emerged in Europe, beginning in France and finding depth of intensity and style in Holland with the Hague School and Scotland with The Glasgow Boys. The best exponent of this was a Frenchman named Jules Bastien-Lepage. Known as the naturalist branch of the realist movement, these artists sought to find emotional,
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transcendent, and intellectual truth in what others dismissed as the ordinary and the pedestrian. Bethann is their corporeal and spiritual heir. For her, paint, specifically oil paint because of its unique properties of transparency and opacity, capacity to be reworked, resistance to instantaneity, and its very physicality, informs the slow, intense observational and meditational approach to her subjects. In her words, “Painting acts as a prosthetic of vision.” It enables all of the attendant characteristics of vision, not just seeing. Vision as a means of understanding. It allows her to enter into the polarized mystery of both what is and is not present in the objects and subjects of her work. There exists a deception, not with ill intention, designed to ask the viewer to seek out what’s being created with the presentation of just a few seemingly unremarkable, even mundane, objects arranged with subtlety and suggestion in a landscape both conditioned and wild. Every painting is a conflation of different aspects or qualities. Of course, it begins
with an idea, a subject for investigation and rumination, accompanied by an object or set of objects which best give voice to the expression of the idea. Object becomes subject which creates an opportunity for both the artist and viewer to use the visual world as a means to something deeper and more meaningful. And this is all measured and mediated through process: the design— abstract elements and principles that govern successful visual organization— and the manufacturing—the act of manipulating material in such a fashion to maximize the expressive intention, the visual fealty, and the full potential of a medium to act upon the viewer both as a lens to the artist’s mind and the greater insight into the painting’s potential for transformation and insight that cannot be otherwise intuited or spoken. Bethann uses images in much the same way as a poet uses words. Metaphor, analogy, description, sentiment, insight, all of the techniques that transport a reader of poetry become the visual tools she uses to move the viewer into a realm
Community Garden New Year’s Day
On Site madisonessentials.com
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The Work and The Wonder
...offering us a glimpse of true reality. On Site
Detail beyond conscious thought—a realm of intense feeling and optical immersion. More importantly, as Bethann emphasizes, it’s the physicality of oil paint which provides the current which sweeps the viewer along. She’s a plein air painter, one who works outside in observed nature. But unlike many of the artists who are part of the plein air movement, Bethann does not present as an a la prima painter, one who relies on quick decision making and wet into wet techniques for dramatic effect. Hers is a contemplative engagement, sometimes taking weeks to complete even in the bitter cold and stinging winds of Wisconsin winter. Her painting of a bee box in the snow, done in her backyard with her brushes taped to her gloves because her fingers become too numb to grip, or the remains of clumps of brussels sprouts lying in the frozen ground stubbornly clinging to their fading greenery are the product of hours and days of careful, reimagined, and reexamined attention to all aspects of the visual sensation. The process by which the image emerges does not conform to any single strategy for its making. The dense tapestry of marks, blended, scraped, flickered, dragged, stippled, and thickly impastoed upon the surface, cannot be simply unwoven. The Gordian knot of marks and brushwork adds to the visual and poetic mystery and intention of her painting. An observer of her work will soon realize a number of things; her early 32 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s
training and output as an abstract painter has left her with an unusually deep sensitivity to the surface qualities of her paintings. There is nothing hurried or glib about the patina of her work. Furthermore, it becomes apparent that she is comfortable challenging the viewer’s assumption about the translation of three-dimensional space into the optical frisson of losing one’s balance, falling into the work because Bethann has managed to tip the picture plane down towards the viewer’s feet and then gradually sweep up to a far horizon presented at the viewers eye level. And finally one must apprehend her use of repeated objects and elements. In particular, she’s a master of elliptical form, the ellipse being the visual description of a circle in perspective as seen from changing points of view. These circles, as properties of urns or flower pots or plates or reflective ponds or discarded children’s toys, serve as reminders of her search for clarity, unity, purity of form, divine symmetry, or even suggestions of the infinite. In her paintings, the most salient quality is truth—the truth of her engagement with her subject and the truth of her integrity as an artist of exquisite faith. She is simply a master painter offering us a glimpse of true reality.
Before the Snow
Detail lower middle, Advent
See more of Bethann’s work and inprogress images at bethannmoran.com, her Instagram @pasmeche, and Edgewood Orchard Gallery in Fish Creek, WI. Chris Gargan is a landscape artist and freelance writer working from his farm southwest of Verona. You can find his work at Abel Contemporary Gallery in Stoughton. He is seen here with his dog Tycho Brahe.
Chris Gargan
Photograph by Larassa Kabel
Photographs by provided by Bethann Moran-Handzlik.
SGAF-Madison Essentials.qxp_Layout 1 1/28/22 3:41 PM Page 1
A C &
RTS Spring Green WI RAFTS FAIR •
June 25th & 26th Last Full Weekend
Over 200 Exhibiting Artists Food, Entertainment & More! Find Details and More at
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Saturday 9am–5pm and Sunday 9am–4pm Downtown Spring Green West of Madison on Hwys 14 and 23
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e sse nt i al travel
UNCOVERING WISCONSIN’S HIDDEN GEMS
Wisconsin is truly a world-class destination for those who love a good bike ride, whether they’re just off training wheels or on their way to the Tour de France. It isn’t an accident that we’ve come to be known for biking. It’s actually tied to our unique history as the dairy state. Many of our state’s first rural roads were paved early to make it less likely for the glass milk bottles to break in transit. Now, these hilly and winding country roads make for some of the most tranquil and scenic road biking routes one can find. How Wisconsin is that?
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Wisconsin was also one of the first states in the country to convert a railroad bed into a bicycle trail, offering miles of smooth and level riding. And, of course, riders can experience our gorgeous outdoor landscape from north to south on thousands of miles of great off-road bike trails. With our beautifully diverse landscape perfect for biking, it’s no coincidence Wisconsin is home to so many bicycle and bike accessory brands, including Trek, Pacific Cycle, Saris, Planet Bike, and more. Being able to get outside and use the products that are being designed and manufactured right in their backyard keeps employees passion filled and businesses competitive in the long term. So with a newfound appreciation for Wisconsin as a biking destination, pump up the tires and strap on your helmet— here are some hidden gems to explore from the seat of a trusty bicycle.
WEST BEND: EISENBAHN TRAIL Named after the German word for railroad, the Eisenbahn Trail is a perfect example of Wisconsin’s many rail-to-trail networks. This 25-mile trail extends from the historic city of West Bend into the scenic countryside of eastern Wisconsin past the glacial landscape of the Kettle Moraine State Forest. It truly offers something for everyone, including community parks; bucolic farm views; a main street area in Campbellsport; and the 136-acre Lac Lawrann Conservancy in West Bend, which has recorded sightings of more than 200 bird species. After a day on the trail, enjoy dinner in West Bend at the rustic and lively Timmer’s Resort. This beautiful lodge boasts cozy fireplaces in each dining room, as well as beautiful views of Big Cedar Lake that you can enjoy from the dining room, on the patio, or around a firepit.
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where you can reward yourself with a Juicy Lucy style burger (two patties with melted cheese in the middle) and a craft beer. You’ll need a good night’s sleep after all that, so why not a luxury bed and breakfast? The Inn at Pine Terrace is housed in a beautiful mansion built in 1879 with a unique and luxurious lodging and dining experience, perfect after a long day in the fresh air.
MILWAUKEE: BEERLINE TRAIL
If you’re like me and believe that geology rocks, you know how fun it can be to explore Wisconsin’s unique geological features from the seat of a bike—like the drumlins along the Glacial Drumlin Trail. A drumlin is an elongated, teardrop-shaped hill of rock, sand, and gravel that formed under moving glacier ice. The 52-mile-long trail runs between Cottage Grove and the Fox River Sanctuary in Waukesha, with easy connections to Madison and Milwaukee.
When you think of activities in Milwaukee, biking may not be the first thing that comes to mind, but it’s such a fantastic way to enjoy the city. Make sure to check out the Beerline Trail, located near the area where all of Milwaukee’s first breweries were built. The trail runs alongside the Milwaukee River, so your bike ride will include both fantastic riverside and city skyline views. Plus, if you don’t want to bring your own bike, you can rent Bublr Bikes from stations all over the city, including one located on East North Avenue right next to the Beerline. Standard and electric bikes are available, and I love that the electric bikes can help make a bike ride more accessible for anyone who would benefit from a little assist while they pedal.
If you want a place to stop off the trail, Oconomowoc is the perfect city to take a break and grab a bite. The Crafty Cow is a great family-owned and -operated restaurant
Of course, you’ll want to honor the namesake of the trail with a great
For a great night’s rest, check out the Hidden Serenity Bed and Breakfast. Tucked in the woods, this charming bed and breakfast offers cozy beds, a delicious breakfast, and even has a tennis court and some walking trails on the property. Check out their Kettle Moraine Suite and soak your tired muscles in the two-person jacuzzi.
DANE, WAUKESHA, AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES: GLACIAL DRUMLIN TRAIL
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local brew at Stubby’s Gastrogrub & Beer Bar at the southern end of the Beerline, which offers elevated pub food. Immerse yourself in more Milwaukee beer history when you check
in at the Brewhouse Inn & Suites, a boutique hotel housed in the original Pabst Brewery.
LANGLADE: WOLF RIVER TRAIL For riders looking for more of a challenge, the Wolf River Trail is six miles of tight corners, challenging climbs, and rough terrain. The trail is a technical one, so beginner beware! After a technical ride like this, a good meal at Crab n Jack’s is in order. The updated, yet traditional, supper club has spectacular views of the scenic ledge, rocks, and rapids of the flowing Wolf River. Expect a fantastic fish fry and refreshing old-fashioned to cap off the night. To truly take advantage of the outdoor beauty of the area, stay in a gorgeous cabin at River Haven on the Wolf. Stunning views of the wildflowers flourish on the property. The cabin boasts great amenities, including two indoor gas fireplaces, outdoor fire pits, and an outdoor hot tub overlooking the scenic river. For more inspiration, be sure to visit travelwisconsin.com. Here’s to
riding into summer in Wisconsin on two wheels! Anne Sayers is the secretary-designee at Wisconsin Department of Tourism. Photographs provided by Travel Wisconsin.
Anne Sayers
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advertiser
INDEX
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Tornado Steak House......................... 21
Baraboo Chamber of Commerce................................. 14
The Village Green............................... 31 Vintage Brewing Co. ...........................5
Dane Buy Local...................................32 Dane County Humane Society..............................39 Green Lake Chamber of Commerce................................. 37 Livsreise................................................ 18 Mount Horeb Chamber of Commerce................................. 13
dining, food & beverage Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream..........5
Lingonberry Llama.............................35 Lombardino’s........................................5 Nitty Gritty...........................................25 The Old Feed Mill Restaurant............ 37 Old Sugar Distillery............................. 15 Otto’s Restaurant & Bar.....................26
Pedro’s.................................................. 37 Sugar River Pizza Company.............. 11
Brat Fest..................................................2 Fitchburg Center Farmers Market....40 Olbrich Botanical Gardens...............29 Our Lives Magazine............................ 17
Question:
Spring Green Arts & Crafts Fair.........33
“Which local chef is the Mango Man?”
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services Coyle Carpet One............................. 19 Four Lakes Veterinary Clinic.............. 12 Monroe Street Framing........................9 The Petinary...........................................9
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Abel Contemporary Gallery.............33
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Stoughton Health............................... 14 Tadsen Photography.......................... 19
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Winners Thank you to everyone who entered our previous contest. The answer to the question “What restaurant family came to the United States as Laotian refugees before opening their Madison restaurant in 1990?” is Bounyong and Christine Inthachith of Lao Laan-Xang. A $50 gift card for Nitty Gritty was sent to our winner, Christopher Frank of Arlington, WI.
CONGRATULATIONS! 38 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s
