2021 Year In Review

PHOTOS BY ANDREA PAULSETH AND BRANDEN NALL

We can almost year you shouting, “Well, at least it wasn’t another 2020!” We don’t disagree: If 2020 was a total dumpster fire, 2021 was at least an improvement. Maybe it was a single burning trash can, or perhaps a slightly charred but still usable wastebasket. Not the best, mind you, but not a total disaster. We here are Volume One tend to look at the lighter, brighter side of life, so on the following pages you’ll find our not-so-serious (but not-entirely-unserious) review of interesting local happenings from the past 12 months. And rather than simply reciting a bunch of stuff that occurred in 2021, were continuing our tradition of providing our Year in Review in the form of a quiz. (Can you say “fun”? Say it. Please!) If you’ve got a bit of downtime during this New Year’s season, peruse the following pages and see how much you remember (or wish you didn’t!) From 2021. The answers are upside down below the questions, so no peeking!

rising above

D. L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library remodeling

ANSWERS: A-4, B-1, C-3, D-2.

The UW-Eau Claire volleyball team won its first-ever NCAA Division III Volleyball Championship in November with a 3-0 sweep of the Calvin University Knights in St. Louis. The Blugolds ended the season with an impressive 34-3 record and a 15-game winning streak. The championship is the latest feather in the cap for the UWEC athletic program. Which team from the university has won the MOST national championships?

A. Women’s swimming and diving

B. Men’s ice hockey

A. The UWEC Women’s Swimming and Diving team has won the NAIA national championship three times: 1982-83, 1986-87, and 1987-88.

The downtown Eau Claire skyline underwent evolution during 2021 as numerous major public and private building projects took shape. Match the project with its location on the map.

PHOTO BY BRANDEN NALL

4.

Beloved Eau Clare pizza buffet Pizza Del Re went up for sale after decades of slinging tasty Italian pies. The ownesr are selling the business “as is,” hoping a new owner will purchase the restaurant and keep it largely the same. What of the following was NOT a feature at Pizza Del Re?

A) Opaque red cups which cleverly conceal diners’ greasy handprints B) Pizza slices cut so square they’d make SpongeBob SquarePants himself blush C) A sign in the dining room proudly declaring “Est. 1976”

Boyceville native and YouTuber Madilyn Bailey got a shot at bigger stardom over the summer when she sang her way through several rounds of competition on NBC’s America’s Got Talent. She caught the attention of the talent show’s panel of celebrity judges during her audition with a unique tune. Where did the song’s lyrics come from?

A. Insults thrown by Simon Cowell during his year on TV.

I just unsubscribed.”

sorry

C. Bailey’s song takes select quotes from her trolls, -includ ing “they hauled this song away in a body bag” and “I’m

B. The microphones didn’t work, and no one could be heard because they were double-masked.

C. Protesters refused to allow school board members to enter the building.

D. Members of the public who came to speak at the meeting refused to wear masks.

The parents were there to speak out against the district’s mask requirement for students.

11. she’s

Things started to move fast in the redevelopment of the so-called Cannery District on the west side of the Chippewa River. In addition to formulating plans for a new park, creating a roundabout, and negotiating proposals for several other projects, city officials approved a major apartment development. The Cannery District Apartments will consist of two five-story buildings including a total of 266 units, some of them intended to be affordable to people earning 60% of the county median income. The development is possible in part because it is located in a TIF district. What does “TIF” stand for?

A. Taxable Initiative Fund

gotta see the hy-vee

Famed grocery store chain Hy-Vee came to Eau Claire in 2021, bringing in a fresh batch of products, food options, and other attractions. What option is not available at the fancy new grocery store on Clairemont Avenue?

D) Delivery of their signature pies in a three-city area A) A burger chain owned by a famous actor’s family

beasty eats

10.

A popular pop-up fast food choice around the country this year was MrBeast burger, a line of specially named burgers, fries, and other food items. While the food itself was offered in Eau Claire through Red Robin, who or what was the inspiration behind the social media juggernaut food trend?

A) A promise that eating on of their burgers would make you “a beast.”

B) Charitable YouTuber MrBeast looking for yet another revenue source.

C) McDonald’s trying to sell a modified BigMac under an alias.

D) Pewdiepie trying to capitalize on MrBeast’s popularity and make a quick buck.

eminent alumni

UW-Eau Claire alumni John and Carolyn Sonnentag love their alma mater – like really, really love it. In early December, the university announced that the couple would donate $70 million worth of cash and property to build the Sonnentag Event Center on Menomonie Street. The complex – which will include an arena to hold 5,000 people, a center for health and wellbeing, athletic department offices, a 100-yard field house, and a Mayo Clinic Health System sports medicine and imaging clinic – is slated to start construction in early 2022 for completion by 2024. How did the Sonnentags build their wealth?

A. They were early investors in Menards.

B. John Sonnentag’s great-grandfather was lumber baron Daniel Shaw.

C. Through their family business, County Materials.

D. They were early executives with Cray Computer.

9. 12.

D. In fact, County Materials still has buildings on the Menomonie Street site.

high bridge, low blows

The iconic “High Bridge” over the Chippewa River in Eau Claire was closed because of structural problems identified in June, and $2.5 million in repairs are expected to be finished by January. The pedestrian bridge was first closed because of damage to a railing, but a crack in a pier supporting the bridge, as well as a heave in the bridge deck, were soon noticed. The 900-foot iron lattice truss bridge was built for the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Omaha Railway. What year was it built?

MrBeast virtual kitchens.

B. As of September, there were more than 1,000

The food truck trend continued to swell in the Chippewa Valley, with new mobile food options seeming to pop up on every corner. Which of the following choices consists entirely of food trucks that actually exist in the Valley?

A. 1901 B. 1837 C. B1946 D. 1881

D. The historic High Bridge in Eau Claire officially completed construction in 1881! We guess you could say it was in need of a few upgrades ...

PHOTO BY ANDREA PAULSETH

PHOTO BY TINA ECKER

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15.

robotic wait staff?

While gorging on delicious sushi rolls and Lo Mein noodles at Eau Claire’s Shanghai Bistro, you might spot a rather unusual and extraordinary addition to their wait staff: a state-of-the-art robotic server. Specifically, it’s a Bear Robotics Servi – a high-capacity, multi-purpose, versatile robot that – as of Oct. 28 – serves lunch and dinner at Shanghai Bistro. What is the name of this robot?

A. Tom Servo, named after the bot from ‘Science Theater 3000’ (1988)

In October, the latest proposal for redeveloping downtown Eau Claire’s so-called “Block 7” was unveiled. Eau Claire developer Geoff Moeding’s plans for the site, which is now a parking lot, include a four-story, 109-unit apartment building with underground parking and two first-floor commercial units facing North Barstow, and a free-standing, 9,800-square-foot home for Menomonie Market Food Co-op (the new, post-merger name of Just Local Food Co-op). Eau Claire residents have long called out for a downtown grocery store, and in fact had one briefly a few years ago in the space that is now occupied by the U.S. Post Office. What was that grocery store called? A. Kerms B. Charley’s Market C. Ron’s Castle Foods D. Mega Pick’n Save B. I mean, all of them are grocery stores, right?

get ready for this dedicated designer

UW-Stout graphic design grad Emily Zugay gained viral stardom in 2021 thanks to TikTok videos of her intentionally cringeworthy redesigns of iconic company logos. After millions of views in which she gave deadpan explanations of her questionable design choices, big brands were clamoring for her to tackle their logos. Which of the following was NOT a logo redesign made by Zugay?

you go, girl!

14.

B. HAL 9000, named after the robot from ‘A Space Odyssey’ (2001)

C. R2D2, named after the droid from ‘Star Wars’ (1977)

D. Jonny 5, named after the robot from ‘Short Circuit’ (1986)

D. Jonny 5 happily chirps “Hello!” and “Happy Birthday” when serving your food.

A. Go-kart racing

B. Crokicurl

C. Wrestling D. Automobile dirt racing

Kennedy Swan, an the Chippewa Falls teen who gained notoriety for her athletic accomplishments this past year, made headlines for her involvement in an exciting sport. What sport is Swan making a name for herself in? D. At one point, Kennedy Swan was ranked among some of the top 5 racers in the Midwest Modifieds division across the nation – ranking over 500 other racers!

A. Putting the H&R Block name inside a circle rather than a block.

B. Ditching Starbucks’ mermaid in favor of pastel stars.

C. Inserting “Home of the Whopper!” in the McDonald’s logo.

D. Putting a photo of “George W. Washington” (actually George W. Bush) in a logo for The Washington Post.

C. We didn’t say it can’t happen, only that it hasn’t happened yet ...

PHTOO BY ANDREA PAULSETH

PHTOO BY REBECCA MENNECKE

17.

antiquated attractions

Lovers of antiques, oddities, and exotic taxidermy creatures were saddened to learn that the Antique Emporium, 306 Main St., will close next year. Owner Hugh Passow, who has operated the business at that location since 1985, is selling the building to Pablo Group, which plans to begin a two-year renovation process in 2022 to rehab the structure for new tenants. The towering brick building at the corner of Main and South Barstow streets in 1899 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. What was its original use?

18.

One of Volume One’s most popular stories of the year was about the so-called “Turf House” on Eau Clare’s Eastside Hill going onto the market. This mid-century gem was well known to residents because of its unique exterior, and online readers were surprised to see what it looked like on the inside – both before and after an extensive remodeling. Online, the article drew tens of thousands of views and hundreds of comments. Why was this Margaret Street home nicknamed the “Turf House”?

A. Because it had a sod-covered roof like a pioneer prairie home.

B. Because instead of grass, the lawn was covered in synthetic turf.

C. Because it was built by former Packer (and car dealer) Jim Carter, who competed on the Lambeau Field turf.

D. Because the home was first owned by lumber tycoon Samuel B. Turf.

B. While the AstroTurf lawn was eye-catching outside, inside the house once boasted a green-carpeted spiral staircase, a wallpapered “moon room,” a mirror-walled

the house on our turf to tip? or not to tip?

Eau Claire’s own Justin Vernon grabbed attention in early 2021 when he took to Instagram Live to play a clip of a new song by frequent collaborator (and mega star) Taylor Swift. The tune ended up being part of How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last?, a new album released later in the year by Big Red Machine, a side project of Vernon and Aaron Dessner. Both indie rockers had been part of Swift’s big 2020 albums, folklore and evermore. Taylor Swift is one of numerous Grammy winners Vernon has worked with.

Which of the following Grammy winners has Vernon NOT released a recording with?

A. Lizzo B. Kanye West C. Chance the Rapper D Adele D. We bet that collab would sound just as good ...

A. Masonic Temple

B. Eau Claire’s first high school C. A shoe factory D. A vaudeville theater

too, including a music school.

A. You better believe it! Though, it has been a handful of other things

A handful of local restaurants were among the first in Wisconsin to slightly raise their menu prices in order to pay their servers more. This upcharge lessened the urge for customers to tip their hosts after eating. Of these local restaurants, which one of these no longer asks you to tip your server(s)?

A. The Dive B. The Joynt C. Culver’s D. Pizza Ranch

part of the Pablo Group’s tipping initiative earlier this year.

The Dive was among several area restaurants

A. Culver’s and Pizza Ranch never ask you to tip.

a Specif-serves Bistro.

PHTOO BY ANDREA PAULSETH

PHTOO BY ANDREA PAULSETH

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