Meet your neighbor at the Community Picnic

Each year, our community picnic gets bigger and better, as more and more residents come together to celebrate the many good things in south Wood County. This year, our picnic theme is, “Where one neighbor leads to another.” 

You might ask, “What does that mean?” It means that our community is all about its people, the relationships we build, and the connections we make. Our neighbors make this community a great place to live and work, and we’re celebrating that.

This year, our 3rd Annual Community Picnic is Wednesday, August 6, 4:30-8 p.m. at Lake Wazeecha’s Red Sands Beach. We’re delighted with the number of residents stepping up with supplies and to volunteer. We have more than 100 people and organizations helping out. 

Kids enjoying local ice cream treat at 

2013 Community Picnic.

As always, you’ll experience diversity of local food, local people and local talent. Enjoy a performance of local talent in the Aqua Skiers and Shermalot water ski teams and listen to music by Galynne and Markondrums. Adults and kids can enjoy inflatables and visit with clowns.

As Incourage celebrates our 20th year, we remember our founder, Virginia Brazeau’s vision for a community foundation. Virginia firmly believed in the idea of strengthening partnerships and relationships to reach a shared vision of a thriving community. She and the Richard S. Brazeau Family Foundation understood the true value of a community foundation – unrestricted philanthropy for everyone, focused on the good of the whole, and responsive to changing needs for years to come.

I believe that Virginia would be delighted with the community’s response to this picnic. There is no better way to build relationships than to get to know new neighbors. We believe that when you get to know your neighbors through conversation, it changes the way we understand our community and helps us realize our full potential.

The picnic and festivities are free. And just as Virginia had a vision for our community, we have a vision for this picnic: We hope that in the future, this will be a community-owned picnic and becomes an event where everyone contributes their time, talents, and treasures.

So join us August 6 to enjoy local food, local people and local talent. Start a conversation with someone you don’t know. I’ll bet it leads you to a new neighbor. 

See you there!

Kelly

We Did It!

I’m proud to announce that the Tribune Building Project has been selected to receive a $400,000 2014 Creative Placemaking grant from ArtPlace America. We are one of 55 projects, and the only grantee in the state of Wisconsin, selected to receive a grant out of more than 1,200 letters of inquiry. 

This investment will help to realize the resident-led vision for the future of the Tribune Building.  To celebrate the area’s history and riverfront asset, funding will be utilized for enhancements to the rooftop, expanded exterior landscape, and interior storytelling and signage.

Through the resident-led process, the community envisions a building that will feature space and programming for artists, makers, local food processors, and other creative entrepreneurs. When complete, the Tribune Building will be reinvented as an iconic symbol that serves as a source of community collaboration, innovation and pride. 

It’s an exciting day for south Wood County – thank you to the more than 500 residents who have invested their time in this exciting process, and thank you to ArtPlace America for investing in our community.

Watch the video announcement.
For more information on the Tribune Building Project, visit TribuneBuilding.org.

Here’s to our future!

Kelly

Places Define a Community, But They are Nothing Without People

Think about a place that has had a big impact on you. What was powerful, memorable and special about it?

I remember visiting New Orleans post-Hurricane Katrina. There was unbelievable devastation. But the more powerful sight for me was seeing people come together to support one another and rebuild the places in their neighborhoods that were important to them.

Places are not just a building or a sidewalk. They are what people make them. Please watch this video, which helps to visualize the opportunities that exist when we view spaces and places with an open mind.

Incourage saw potential in the former Daily Tribune building. As a result, we purchased the space with the intent that residents would make it a place of their own. Over 500 community members have been involved in this resident-led decision making process.

The plans for the building’s future, as determined by residents, were revealed at our first meeting of Phase 2 on April 29. For full details, go to TribuneBuilding.org.

Because residents came together and viewed this space with an open mind, soon they will be found sipping locally brewed beer at tables overlooking the Wisconsin River, or hooking into a safety harness for an afternoon climb on an indoor rock wall. They might rent a kayak for a paddle down the river, or participate in experimental learning in the creative workshop.

The Tribune Building will be a dynamic place that has a long-lasting impact in south Wood County. Most importantly, it will serve as an example of what happens when residents come together and exercise their power and ability to shape the future of our community.

Thanks for reading.

Kelly