RiverFest is already underway. Event-goers can enjoy cooking classes and learn about what nature has to offer. On Friday, the Foraging Walk Bluebird Hill Homestead takes place at 6:30 p.m. You can read more about RiverFest here.

Here are a few other storylines:

Surrounding areas 

Help Crayola find Kye

Crayola is opening its children’s art archives as part of its new Campaign for Creativity in hopes of creating a new dialogue about the importance of childhood creativity, and it’s turning to area residents for help.   

A former St. Croix Elementary School and from Roberts, Wis., a student named Kye created a piece of artwork in the 90s titled "The Cat" — and Crayola is hoping to reunite the student with the piece.

As part of the campaign, Kye’s artwork was recently selected to be displayed on a billboard in New York City's Times Square and at Crayola’s first children’s art gallery in New York. Kye created the artwork as part of Crayola’s Dream Makers program and has been kept safely at Crayola’s headquarters ever since. Kye’s artwork came with a dream statement that reads,

“This is a cat that likes the Green Bay Packers football team. He is angry because his friends think he stole something, and he didn’t. I dreamed him like the character in the children’s book by Nancy Carlson.”  

We’d love your help in connecting with viewers to find Kye from Roberts, Wisconsin, so we can reunite “The Cat” with its owner. Through the effort, Crayola’s Campaign for Creativity hopes to challenge conventional perceptions about creativity, ignite a new dialogue about its value as an essential life skill that allows children to reach their full potential and help parents integrate more creative moments into their children's lives. 

You can learn more about the Campaign for Creativity and find additional information about the art return at crayola.com.     

Hudson

St. Croix Valley Food Bank Hosts Summer Hunger Busters

The St. Croix Valley Food Bank (SCVFB) is hosting its Summer Hunger Busters Event on July 24 from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at the future home of their new food bank in the St. Croix Business Park at 2181 Jack Breault Drive, Hudson.

“One in four children faces hunger in western Wisconsin,” said Ann Prifrel Searles, SCVFB Food Bank CEO. “The summer season exacerbates this challenge for children, families, and seniors alike. It is imperative that we continue to work towards eliminating food insecurity because hunger-free communities are healthier communities.”

Aimed at curbing summer food insecurity, Summer Hunger Busters brings together community leaders, business sponsors, and local food trucks all united in ending hunger in western Wisconsin. Summer Hunger Busters allows attendees to interact with their neighbors and learn more about the new food bank building project. Food collected from this event will go directly back to western Wisconsin communities in need.

SCVFB Board President, Marc Ruska, said, “Summer is the time when the need is the greatest. Having access to nutritious food sets the table for success, and Summer Huger Busters is part of our multi- faceted, growing response to making food more accessible in our community.”

Summer Hunger Busters

Summer Hunger Busters will be held on Wednesday, July 24 from 11:30am – 1:30pm. All who bring a non-perishable food or other free will donation receive a scoop of Nelson’s Ice Cream. This event will feature local food trucks Hot Mess and Lil Ferrucci’s. Beyond that, attendees will have the unique chance to connect with community partners and learn more about SCVFB’s multifaceted response to hunger.

RiverFest Native American Celebration on Saturday

RiverFest, a “Party with a Purpose” is off to a good start with Tuesday’s River Cleanup. The cleanup is the purpose behind the RiverFest celebration, to build awareness of the St. Croix River and the need to preserve its health and beauty. 

Come down to the river this evening, July 18, for the concert with the St. Croix Valley Community Band, with a variety of uplifting music shared by local musicians. The concert begins at 7pm at the Hudson, Wis. Lakefront Park Bandshell and features Song for the River Croix, composed by Laurie Allmann and Carol Caoutte in 2009. It was scored for the band by Kris Tjornehoj in 2014, when it was first performed for River Fest. Stop by for the RiverFest partner display booths before and during the concert, starting at 6pm.

Saturday, July 20 is the RiverFest Native American Celebration from 1 - 4pm at the Lakefront Park Bandshell. Gather by the river for a cultural celebration. The program begins with Iron Mound Singers and Dancers from the Ho-Chunk Nation, followed by the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin with dancing, singing and drums. There will be Native American food available for sale by the Lisa Mosay family.

Also, on Saturday there is an Indigenous Culinary Traditions: Cooking with Anne Thundercloud at 1pm at Grand Fête. Anne is a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation and an apprentice chef with Wild Bearies, Madison, WI. In the evening from 4-5pm join a meet and greet with Anne at the Black Rooster Bistro. She will share how they are connecting community through indigenous cuisine—striving to bring ancestral foods to communities in a nurturing and nourishing way. Visit Black Rooster Bistro for an indigenous based menu item Thursday, July 18 through Sunday, July 21 (while supplies last).

For a complete schedule of events, visit StCroixRiverFest.org or look for St. Croix RiverFest on Facebook.

United Way in St. Croix Valley, Dunn County merge

United Way St. Croix Valley and Dunn County United Way have completed their merger, effective July 1st, 2024. The nonprofits had previously announced their intent to merge to form a stronger, more unified force for community impact.

The combined organization is “United Way St. Croix and Red Cedar Valleys” (UWSCRCV) and will serve communities throughout Burnett, Dunn, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, and St. Croix counties. The merged website is uwvalleys.org.

“We are excited to start this new chapter,” said Steve McCarthy, Executive Director of the merged organization. “By combining our efforts, we can better serve our communities, more capably mobilize resources, and more ably create lasting solutions to the challenges facing our region.”

The two organizations combined their boards to form a new board of volunteer leaders from throughout the six-county area. “Representation from all of our communities is vitally important,” explained board president Todd Sherman. “Our intent is to listen to local communities, partner with nonprofits doing work that aligns with our data-driven approach, and support select nonprofits’ efforts through our annual campaigns.”

The merger will enable United Way St. Croix and Red Cedar Valleys to streamline operations, eliminate duplication, and maximize the impact of donor investments. Additionally, the organization will leverage the strengths and expertise of a combined board and experienced staff to expand effective programs and services through its annual campaigns.

“Together, we will continue to work hard to create thriving communities where everyone has the opportunity to succeed,” said Tim Bartels, former president of the Dunn County United Way Board and now Treasurer of the merged organization.

United Way will continue to have a local presence, opening a second office location at 800 Wilson Avenue, Menomonie, in addition to its office located in Hudson. A Ribbon Cutting with the Menomonie Area Chamber of Commerce will be held late summer.

For more information about St. Croix and Red Cedar Valleys United Way, visit uwvalleys.org or contact Steve McCarthy, Executive Director at [email protected].

River Falls 

Ava Redmond named to ‘Kids From Wisconsin’

Ava Redmond, 2022 graduate of River Falls High School and current University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Music Education major, has been selected as a performer of the prestigious Kids from Wisconsin, a popular musical group that tours and performs to over 120,000 each summer including twice daily at the Wisconsin State Fair.

Ava was chosen from hundreds of Wisconsin’s finest young musicians who competed in state-wide auditions. She will be part of the group which includes 22 singer-dancers along with a 14-piece augmented stage band that will put on a fully staged Broadway caliber production across Wisconsin.

Ava shared: “I’m honored to tour with Kids from Wisconsin this summer! We’ve put together a high-energy, professional show and are excited to share it with you at our free performance on Friday, July 19 at 7pm at UWRF Amphitheater in River Falls. Please come out to enjoy music and the performing arts - there’s no better way to spend a summer evening in Wisconsin!”

This year celebrates 56 years of Kids from Wisconsin performances and high energy production. Participating in this professional, one-of-a-kind experience has positively affected the lives of our 1100+ alumni and the 10 million audience members that have been inspired by the Kids from Wisconsin shows for more than five decades.

Ava will celebrate her hometown show at 7pm on Friday, July 19 at UWRF Melvin Wall Amphitheater - this is a free community performance. All show locations can be found on the Kids from Wisconsin website (www.kidsfromwi.org). Having a hometown KID in any community is an excellent tribute to your communities’ performing arts programs and social capital.

Ava is being sponsored by River Falls Community Arts Base (CAB). The Hometown KID Sponsors help bridge the gap between a tuition- free, professional performing experience and the cost to prepare, house and transport a Hometown KID for the summer. 

UW-RF’s Kelm, Smith win distinctive faculty awards

Faculty members Steve Kelm and Hiawatha Smith are recipients of distinctive faculty awards by their colleagues at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.

In recognition of his record of going above and beyond, Kelm, chair of the Animal and Food Science Department, is being recognized with the 2024 University Excellence Award in Service. Smith, associate professor of literacy education and one of the most prolific members of the university’s Teacher Education Department, has been awarded the 2024 University Excellence Award in Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity.

Both awards, presented for the second time in UWRF history, will be formally bestowed at the All-Campus Awards Reception in August that kicks off the 2024-25 academic year.

Service award

While serving as chief administrator for one of the largest departments on campus with about 800 students and more than 20 faculty and staff might seem like plenty of responsibility for one person, Kelm tackles many other challenges at the university.

The professor of animal and dairy science also teaches classes, advises dozens of students, participates in numerous university committees, coaches dairy cattle judging teams and serves as co-adviser of the UWRF Dairy Club, faculty liaison for the Dairy Innovation Hub and director of the Farm and Industry Short Course.

The service award is given annually to recognize a faculty member who has contributed extensive service to their department, college, university, community, and/or discipline. Service done without compensation is particularly valued for this award. The selection is determined in collaboration among the provost and deans from a group of college nominees. Each college nominates one candidate for the award annually based on their preferred process. Self-nominations are also allowed.

In a nomination letter, Michael Orth, dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, called Kelm an “ideal candidate” for the award and pointed to his many areas of service outside of his teaching appointment over more than 25 years at UW-River Falls. Kelm has served as his department’s chair from 2004-10, associate chair from 2010-21 and chair again since 2021.

“Being a department chair is a tough position,” Orth wrote. “When you add everything else Steve does, I do wonder why he keeps going periodically. But with Steve, I believe serving is a core value that he lives out and has for over two decades.”

Kelm said he doesn’t necessarily strive to provide service to the university, but just serves as a function of how he believes his job should be done.

“Service is simply part of doing a good job in the position that you hold, regardless of the title or role,” Kelm said. “I believe strongly in the mantra of 'leaders go first.' I am not going to ask others to do something that I would not be willing to do myself. If a task needs to be completed and I am in a position where it can be done by me, then I will step into the void.”

A perfect example came in summer 2023 when the university’s Mann Valley Farm faced a staffing shortage after losing a number of employees and seeing most student workers leave for the summer.

“As a testament to Steve’s commitment to the dairy program, he actually worked in the dairy on the weekends to help relieve the burden,” Orth wrote. “I am not sure how many faculty would do that.”

Later, Kelm was involved in the restaffing process and helped get the dairy center operating much more smoothly.

“I am not sure how it would have survived without his help and wisdom,” Orth wrote.

In a recommendation letter supporting Kelm, Dairy Science Professor Sylvia Kehoe indicated that Kelm has had “an immense impact on many of our alumni that are now working in the industry” through his work as department chair. Kehoe added that Kelm also has been a role model for her and many of her colleagues thanks to his leadership of the department through difficult times and transitions, including countless hours of service outside the traditional workday and on weekends.

On top of all his other duties, Kelm took on the unofficial role of director of the Farm and Industry Short Course last fall. When the course no longer was supported at UW-Madison, dairy farmers and industry professionals asked Kelm to move it to UWRF, prompting the course to move forward as the university applied for funding. When the state Legislature didn’t approve the financial support, Kelm led the department in offering the program anyway because he felt so strongly about the dairy industry sector served by the course.

“To think that Dr. Kelm coordinated and managed all this while working full time as chair of a large department, taught his standard course load and still showed up for his family after work – this is an amazing amount of service for one person,” Kehoe wrote.

For his part, Kelm said he has been fortunate to have had individuals in his life that have led by example.

“Parents, colleagues, my spouse and mentors have demonstrated to me that service is rewarding, and it has become an expectation of myself,” Kelm said. “My goal is to help others and to hopefully have an impact on others so that when they have the opportunity to serve, they take it on gladly. The load becomes much lighter when others are helping to finish a task.”

Research award

For Smith, it’s not enough just to teach future educators. He also devotes a large amount of his time and energy toward research and scholarly activity intended to help teachers be the best they can be.

Since joining UWRF in 2017, Smith has written multiple textbooks, book chapters and journal articles as well as presented at several education conferences.

The outstanding research award is given annually to recognize a faculty member that has made significant contributions to their field or fields of research, techniques, or creative expression. The selection is determined in collaboration among the provost and deans from a group of college nominees. Each college nominates one candidate for the award annually based on their preferred process. Self-nominations are also allowed.

Smith said he was surprised and excited to have his scholarly work recognized.

“As a recently tenured faculty member, this acknowledgment not only validates my dedication and effort, but also inspires me to continue pushing the boundaries of my scholarly work,” he said.

In the past year alone, Smith has been a co-author on six book chapters or textbooks (published or currently in-press) and three peer-reviewed journal publications and has presented at nine international, national or regional education meetings, according to a nomination letter written by Gregory Ruegsegger, assistant professor of health and human performance and chair of the College of Education, Business, and Allied Health’s Research, Creative, and Scholarly Activity Committee.

Ruegsegger noted that among Smith’s best work is his recently published textbook, “Beyond the Basics: Children’s Literature for the Elementary Teacher.” The book, which at the time of Smith’s nomination had been adopted by instructors in seven states, is a foundational text for undergraduate education majors in language arts and literacy and a professional development resource for practicing teachers. It features resources for immediate use by teachers in addition to addressing current hot-button topics related to teaching classic literature, controversial texts and genre study, Ruegsegger wrote.

“I am thrilled that our textbook has been adopted for university classes nationwide,” Smith said. “This textbook is a unique addition to the existing literature as it goes beyond basic content about children's literature. It includes read-aloud lesson plans, guiding questions, discussion questions, extension activities, implications for practitioners and recommended texts for classrooms.”

Smith added that he is looking forward to the release of an edited text this fall that will support faculty success in higher education.

Ruegsegger indicated that Smith routinely collaborates with other UWRF faculty. In fact, three of his recent publications involved UWRF faculty as co-authors. The publications highlight how his broad expertise and scholarly interest can have an impact on the larger field of education, Ruegsegger wrote.

Smith co-authored “Integrating Social Studies Through the Read-Aloud” with Ad Hoc Instructor Mckenzie Rabenn, a published chapter on preparing teacher candidates to teach developmental word study with former Associate Professor of Literacy Education Amy Frederick, and another chapter on the connection between theory and practice in teaching in linguistically diverse settings with Frederick and Teacher Education Professor Dean Vesperman.

“With his colleagues, Dr. Smith has created many best practices used in teacher preparation programs,” wrote Ruegsegger, who characterized Smith as a “phenomenal scholar.”

Smith also has worked with several emerging scholars in the field, including mentoring and supporting numerous doctoral candidates and has served UWRF since 2018 as coordinator of the Master of Science-Elementary Education Program and in 2023-24 as interim coordinator of the Master of Science-Reading Program.

Genuine concern for the teaching profession motivates Smith in his pursuit of research and publishing opportunities.

“My scholarly activity,” Smith said, “allows me to explore impactful practices, disseminate new information and advocate for meaningful change within teaching and classroom spaces."