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Part 2 of my interview with Jeff WrightJeff Wright is someone that I've known for almost 10 years and he happens to be one of those people that, as I've gotten to know him I've learned to not only like him more but also to respect him more.  That respect is based in the job that he does and the way he does it.  Being in the field of Education is no cake walk these days.  Jeff though is able to not only deal with the logistics and political aspects of his job, but he also has never lost his core love and empathy for the families he serves.  He instills HOPE in people who associate with him and his Why Not attitude is down right infectious.  Listen to our conversation for yourself and see how it changes your Frame of Reference about the job today's educators have to do.Jeff Wright is the superintendent of the Sauk Prairie School District.  His family lives on a farm near Plain where they enjoy raising chickens and being outdoors all year round.  Before joining the team in Sauk Prairie in 2012, Jeff served as a high school principal in Chicago and was a Social Studies teacher in Rochester, Minnesota.  Jeff grew up in Stevens Point, Wisconsin and has degrees from St. Olaf College and Harvard University. 

Jeff Wright is someone that I've known for almost 10 years and he happens to be one of those people that, as I've gotten to know him I've learned to not only like him more but also to respect him more.  That respect is based in the job that he does and the way he does it.  Being in the field of Education is no cake walk these days.  Jeff though is able to not only deal with the logistics and political aspects of his job, but he also has never lost his core love and empathy for the families he serves.  He instills HOPE in people who associate with him and his Why Not attitude is down right infectious.  Listen to our conversation for yourself and see how it changes your Frame of Reference about the job today's educators have to do.Jeff Wright is the superintendent of the Sauk Prairie School District.  His family lives on a farm near Plain where they enjoy raising chickens and being outdoors all year round.  Before joining the team in Sauk Prairie in 2012, Jeff served as a high school principal in Chicago and was a Social Studies teacher in Rochester, Minnesota.  Jeff grew up in Stevens Point, Wisconsin and has degrees from St. Olaf College and Harvard University. 

Part two of my interview with John Lehan, Community Education and Recreation Director for the Sauk Prairie Community Center.  John returns to "Frame of Reference" to once again remind us of all the ways that we can pause and celebrate life by just relaxing and recreating.  Recreation is one of those words that can seem super serious or somewhat frivolous depending upon your perspective.  It comes from a late Middle English word which had the connotation of something that provided ‘mental or spiritual consolation’ which in turn came from  an Old French word recreare  meaning to ‘create again, renew'.  Well given the current state of national and global affairs . . . who couldn't use some of that?  But at the end of the day, recreation isn't so much about what we do, as it is about HOW we do it and WHY.  So I caught up with an expert in our area that understands Recreation from just about every vantage point that exists.John Lehan serves as the Community Education and Recreation Director for the Sauk Prairie Community Center. He has served the Sauk Prairie community since November of 2012.  John, his wife Lisa and daughter Azilynn live in the Sauk Prairie community. Family hobbies include board games, visiting local and state parks, bowling, and Mickey Mouse. John also serves as Vice President with the Friends of Sauk Prairie Parks and Recreation group which is developing Culver Community Park.  

John Lehan returns to "Frame of Reference" to once again remind us of all the ways that we can pause and celebrate life by just relaxing and recreating.  Recreation is one of those words that can seem super serious or somewhat frivolous depending upon your perspective.  It comes from a late Middle English word which had the connotation of something that provided ‘mental or spiritual consolation’ which in turn came from  an Old French word recreare  meaning to ‘create again, renew'.  Well given the current state of national and global affairs . . . who couldn't use some of that?  But at the end of the day, recreation isn't so much about what we do, as it is about HOW we do it and WHY.  So I caught up with an expert in our area that understands Recreation from just about every vantage point that exists.John Lehan serves as the Community Education and Recreation Director for the Sauk Prairie Community Center. He has served the Sauk Prairie community since November of 2012.  John, his wife Lisa and daughter Azilynn live in the Sauk Prairie community. Family hobbies include board games, visiting local and state parks, bowling, and Mickey Mouse. John also serves as Vice President with the Friends of Sauk Prairie Parks and Recreation group which is developing Culver Community Park.  

Ok, I admit that I'm being a bit more flamboyant with the name of this week's episode, but that's because my guest for this week and next really stirred in me  a desire to wax poetic.  Curt Meine and I have known each other for a long time but I don't think we've ever had an opportunity to have a conversation that was this long.  Listen closely and you too will get to know him better in this second part of a two episode conversation with him.  Hopefully you will see (or at least hear) how his deep love for humanity and our home drives him more and more to bend the ear of anyone that will listen to his warnings and pleas for more responsible behavior with regards to conservation and preservation. Don't write him off as a "tree hugger".  He is a true scientist with the heart of a poet, and he "knows his stuff".  He never demands that people agree with him, he only asks that you consider the data that is being collected all around the world.  There is no agenda, just a desire to understand and make better decisions based upon our current understanding.Curt Meine is a conservation biologist, environmental historian, and writer.  He serves as Senior Fellow with the Aldo Leopold Foundation in Baraboo, Wisconsin, and with the Chicago-based Center for Humans and Nature.  He is also a Research Associate with the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo and Associate Adjunct Professor in the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology.Over the years Meine has worked with a wide array of non-profit organizations, agencies, universities, and businesses, including the World Conservation Union (IUCN), the U.S. Agency for International Development, the World Wildlife Fund, and the American Museum of Natural History.  He has served on the Board of Governors of the Society of Conservation Biology and on the editorial boards of the journals Conservation Biology and Environmental Ethics.  He also served as Director of Conservation Programs for the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters.  In this capacity Meine oversaw the Academy’s “Waters of Wisconsin” initiative, a comprehensive, state-wide review of the status and needs of Wisconsin’s aquatic ecosystems and resources.In addition to his Leopold biography, Meine has written and edited a number of books on conservation and environmental history, including Wallace Stegner and the Continental Vision (1998), The Essential Aldo Leopold: Quotations and Commentaries (1999), Correction Lines: Essays on Land, Leopold, and Conservation (2004); the Library of America collection Aldo Leopold: A Sand County Almanac and Other Writings on Conservation and Ecology (2013); and the bioregional anthology The Driftless Reader (2017).  Meine also served as narrator and on-screen guide for the Emmy Award-winning documentary film Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time (2011), which continues to be screened in venues around the country and has appeared more than 1,000 times on PBS stations.

Ok, I admit that I'm being a bit more artsy with this week's episode, but that's because my guest for this week and next really stirred in me  a desire to wax poetic.  Curt Meine and I have known each other for a long time but I don't think we've ever had a chance to have a conversation that was this long.  You will get to know him better in the next two weeks and hopefully you will see how his deep love for humanity and our home drives him more and more to bend the ear of anyone that will listen to his warnings and pleas for more responsible behavior with regards to conservation and preservation. Don't write him off as a "tree hugger".  He is a true scientist with the heart of a poet, and he "knows his stuff".  He never demands that people agree with him, he only asks that you consider the data that is being collected all around the world.  There is no agenda, just a desire to understand and make better decisions based upon our current understanding.Curt Meine is a conservation biologist, environmental historian, and writer based in Sauk County, Wisconsin.  He serves as Senior Fellow with the Aldo Leopold Foundation and Center for Humans and Nature; as Research Associate with the International Crane Foundation; and as Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  Over the last three decades he has worked with a wide array of organizations at the intersection of biodiversity conservation, agriculture, water, climate change, environmental justice, and community resilience.  Meine has authored and edited several books, including the award-winning biography Aldo Leopold:  His Life and Work (1988/2010) and The Driftless Reader (2017).  He served as on-screen guide in the Emmy Award-winning documentary film Green Fire:  Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time (2011).  In his home landscape, he is a founding member of the Sauk Prairie Conservation Alliance.

Part 2 of my interview with Kory Hartman.  See Part 1 notes for info about this episode's background.Kory Hartman started storm chasing in 1997 and created SevereStudios in 2006.  SevereStudios.com has become the leading storm chaser live streaming platform and online source for extreme weather news.  Kory coordinates, dispatches, and represents a team of over 60 professional storm chasers who cover severe weather for local television stations and national networks such as The Weather Channel and CNN. Kory and his team chase and cover tornados, floods, blizzards, fires, and every kind of storm, but tornado chasing and forecasting is definitely their specialty. They do this year-round and there is never a dull day on the job.  Kory worked directly for The Weather Channel for almost 2 years before going back to his original love, radio, in 2017 when he purchased Baraboo Broadcasting Corp.  BBC includes an AM/FM radio station ("99.7 MAX FM"), an online certificate store ("MAX FM Big Deals"), a low-power television station ("TV43"), two cable channels, a bi-monthly newspaper ("The Express"), and a digital marketing division.  Baraboo Broadcasting promotes Wisconsin's vacationland of Wisconsin Dells, Baraboo, Reedsburg, Portage, and Sauk City.  They bring awareness to the area's attractions, both natural and man-made, and support local businesses, non-profit organizations, and schools.

This is one of those interviews that I've been talking about doing for about 4 years now and just never have gotten around to it.  Well the stars aligned just right and now it's in the can.  When I met Kory over 5 years ago, I thought to myself "Now here's an interesting guy, can't wait to find out more about him".  So why did it take me so long to get this interview done?  Well for one thing I am a SERIOUS procrastinator.  Just ask my wife and she will point to the five million, three hundred and six thousand, four hundred and twenty-eight projects that I've started and never finished if you want a better Frame of Reference.  Suffice it to say that BOTH Kory and I are pretty busy doing urgent stuff so getting IMPORTANT stuff done is pretty hard.  BUT here it is.  In this interview, Kory and I go all the way back to his teen years in Iron River Michigan and trace his roots as a radio personality as well as his fascination with storms and a realization that modern technology could allow tracking of them to be done in a way that could and would save lives.  It's a fascinating story filled with Kory's great sense of humor and inside the studio anecdotes.Kory Hartman started storm chasing in 1997 and created SevereStudios in 2006.  SevereStudios.com has become the leading storm chaser live streaming platform and online source for extreme weather news.  Kory coordinates, dispatches, and represents a team of over 60 professional storm chasers who cover severe weather for local television stations and national networks such as The Weather Channel and CNN. Kory and his team chase and cover tornados, floods, blizzards, fires, and every kind of storm, but tornado chasing and forecasting is definitely their specialty. They do this year-round and there is never a dull day on the job.  Kory worked directly for The Weather Channel for almost 2 years before going back to his original love, radio, in 2017 when he purchased Baraboo Broadcasting Corp.  BBC includes an AM/FM radio station ("99.7 MAX FM"), an online certificate store ("MAX FM Big Deals"), a low-power television station ("TV43"), two cable channels, a bi-monthly newspaper ("The Express"), and a digital marketing division.  Baraboo Broadcasting promotes Wisconsin's vacationland of Wisconsin Dells, Baraboo, Reedsburg, Portage, and Sauk City.  They bring awareness to the area's attractions, both natural and man-made, and support local businesses, non-profit organizations, and schools.

You know how you meet those people in your life when you're young, just out of school and feel like the world is your oyster, and you think "I wonder where they'll be in 40 years?"   Well my guest for this episode, David Lippiatt,  is a person that I met back in my oyster days and we were just sort of figuring out what to do with our lives.  I had just married my wife Ann, and he was dating her sister.  His relationship with her was not to be, but we never lost touch with each other and now FINALLY after all these years . . . we're getting caught up.  And boy do we have a LOT of catching up to do.  While I was out trudging through life and making a bunch of mistakes along the way, my friend Dave Lippiatt was out changing the world.  He's a phenomenal example of what happens when you put your life in God's hands and say "do with me what you will."David Lippiatt is the cofounder, President and CEO of WE International Inc. (Est. 2007). Additionally, he has been invited to speak at the United Nations on several occasions to advocate on behalf of the Sahrawi people. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee with degree in Philosophy and International Relations, and has a certificate in Foreign Policy from Oxford University, England. David is currently enrolled in the Notre Dame University Executive Leadership Certificate Program. His faith, heart of compassion and desire for justice is the driving force behind what causes him to respond to the overwhelming amount of global poverty and injustice issues affecting women, children and men in less developed countries.

You know how you meet those people in your life when you're young, just out of school and feel like the world is your oyster, and you think "I wonder where they'll be in 40 years?"   Well my guest for this episode, David Lippiatt,  is a person that I met back in my oyster days and we were just sort of figuring out what to do with our lives.  I had just married my wife Ann, and he was dating her sister.  His relationship with her was not to be, but we never lost touch with each other and now FINALLY after all these years . . . we're getting caught up.  And boy do we have a LOT of catching up to do.  While I was out trudging through life and making a bunch of mistakes along the way, my friend Dave Lippiatt was out changing the world.  He's a phenomenal example of what happens when you put your life in God's hands and say "do with me what you will."David Lippiatt is the cofounder, President and CEO of WE International Inc. (Est. 2007). Additionally, he has been invited to speak at the United Nations on several occasions to advocate on behalf of the Sahrawi people. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee with degree in Philosophy and International Relations, and has a certificate in Foreign Policy from Oxford University, England. David is currently enrolled in the Notre Dame University Executive Leadership Certificate Program. His faith, heart of compassion and desire for justice is the driving force behind what causes him to respond to the overwhelming amount of global poverty and injustice issues affecting women, children and men in less developed countries.

Part 2 of my extremely enjoyable and educational discussion with Jeff Jelinek.  Jeff and I have "known of" each other via an organizations and friends that are near and dear to my heart.  Everytime his name would come up people would speak VERY highly of him and his competence.  So much so that i thought to myself "I wonder if he'd come and join me on this podcast".  Well, lo and behold, he agreed to do so in a heartbeat!  To meet Jeff in person though is to meet someone seasoned by trials and ready for whatever the future may hold.  As Mark Twain once wrote "the weakest of all weak things is a virtue that has not been tested by fire".  Jeff's virtues HAVE been tested, and they have come out on top.  What is most amazing to me is that Jeff Jelinek, who you met in last week's podcasts, works in a field which is fraught with stress and yet he is one of the funnest people to talk with that I have ever met.  He is a zen master in emergency management both personally and professionally.  He prepares for emergencies and disasters and yet instead of being a nervous wreck (like I would be) he is straightforward and calm.  Things that most of us want to pretend will never happen to us are part of Jeff's daily life and thinking almost continuously.  In Jeff life, everytime there's a storm he's got to be on alert.  Oh joy, oh rapture, oh bliss.  But trust me, he's the type of guy you want at the helm when a mother nature or any other life threatening event occurs.  Jeff Jelinek has been the Emergency Management Director for Sauk County for the past 16 years. His responsibility is to prepare Sauk County for any and all possible emergency events with planning, training, and coordination between agencies. Prior to his current position, Jeff was the Bioterrorism Education and Training Officer with the State of Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services. Jeff also spent 13 years working for the Wisconsin Department of Corrections in numerous positions. He has been involved in numerous emergency response operations giving him the knowledge and experience to train others on effective command and control. 

Every time I meet someone new on this podcast, it's always a treat.  Everyone has a story and I'm usually amazed at the experiences they've had.  This week's guest is no exception.  Especially when one considers the type of professional experiences this guest has had.  What is most amazing to me is that Jeff Jelinek, who you'll meet in this week and next week's podcasts, works in a field which is fraught with stress.  He prepares for emergencies and disasters.  Things that most of us want to pretend will never happen to us.  But in Jeff life, everytime there's a storm he's got to be on alert.  Oh joy, what fun.  Jeff Jelinek has been the Emergency Management Director for Sauk County for the past 16 years. Jeff’s responsibility is to prepare Sauk County by planning, training, and coordination between agencies. Prior to his current position, Jeff was the Bioterrorism Education and Training Officer with the State of Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services. Jeff also spent 13 years working for the Wisconsin Department of Corrections in numerous positions. He has been involved in numerous emergency response operations giving him the knowledge and experience to train others on effective command and control. 

Part 2 of my interview with George done in the offices of the Wisconsin Arts Board in Madison WI.  As I did last week, I apologize to him and to listeners for getting a bit too enthusiastic in our interview at times and overloading my mic.  That buzz you'll hear occasionally is just me being a loud and unruly Frenchman.The 2019 recipient of the Michael Newton award, George  Tzougros, has been the Executive Director of the Wisconsin Arts Board since 1996. I have known him, and proudly held him as one of my most cherished friends since 1979.  So we go . . . WAY back.  It has been such a joy, as I've gotten older, to watch the careers of my closet friends from our Carroll College days, achieve high levels of success and prominence in their fields.  George is one of those that I am particularly proud of, because he has attained a high level of success and retained his integrity, compassion and desire to continually learn through it all.The Wisconsin Arts Board is the state agency which nurtures creativity, cultivates expression, promotes the arts and supports arts in education, stimulates community and economic development, and serves as a resource for people of every culture and heritage. George works regularly with the Governor’s Office and WI legislature as well as the Cultural Coalition of Wisconsin, Governor’s Council on Tourism, Robert E. Gard Wisconsin Idea Foundation, Wisconsin Alliance for Arts Education, and the Wisconsin Foundation for the Arts. He is also a co-founder of the National Creativity Network and has served as Board Chair since its inception in 2010. He earned a BA in theatre arts from Carroll University and an MA in arts administration from the University of Wisconsin at Madison School of Business where he also served as Director of Research for the Center for Arts Administration. He was a co-founder and former Managing Director of the Rankin Theatre Guild and is a seasoned choir director at a Greek Orthodox church.

I've interviewed a LOT of people for this podcast.  Literally people from all over the world, but none have been as personally rewarding for me as this one, for one simple fact.  The interviewee is someone I have known for so long, that he and I are family in the most profound ways.  He is my dear dear friend for over 40  years, and we have gone through thick and thin together.  Had I NOT met him all those years ago, my life would only be a shadow of what it is today.  It is an honor, a privilege and just oodles and oodles of fun to have had this conversation with him and to now offer it to all of you.  I also want to apologize to him and to listeners for getting a bit too enthusiastic in our interview at times and overloading my mic.  That buzz you'll hear occasionally is just me being a loud and unruly Frenchman.George  Tzougros, the 2019 recipient of the Michael Newton award.  has been the Executive Director of the Wisconsin Arts Board since 1996. We have been friends since 1979.  So we go . . . Way WAY back Mr. Peabody.  It has been such a joy, as I've gotten older, to watch the careers of my closet friends from our Carroll College days (yeah, I know, it’s a University now), achieve high levels of success and prominence in their fields.  George is one that I am particularly proud of, because he has attained a high level of success and retained his integrity, compassion and desire to continually learn through it all.The arts board is the state agency which nurtures creativity, cultivates expression, promotes the arts and supports arts in education, stimulates community and economic development, and serves as a resource for people of every culture and heritage. He works regularly with the Governor’s Office and WI legislature as well as the Cultural Coalition of Wisconsin, Governor’s Council on Tourism, Robert E. Gard Wisconsin Idea Foundation, Wisconsin Alliance for Arts Education, and the Wisconsin Foundation for the Arts. Tzougros is a co-founder of the National Creativity Network and has served as Board Chair since its inception in 2010. He earned a BA in theatre arts from Carroll University and an MA in arts administration from the University of Wisconsin at Madison School of Business where he also served as Director of Research for the Center for Arts Administration. He was a co-founder and former Managing Director of the Rankin Theatre Guild and is a seasoned choir director at a Greek Orthodox church.

I've had the pleasure of interviewing Cathy before and I always feel so inspired after talking with her.  Not only is she passionate about the work she does but she's a walking, talking testimony to the power of faith in restoring the deepest wounds to our emotional, psychological and physical well being.  She is a SURVIVOR in every sense of the word and she has not only survived her own trauma but now she works tirelessly to help others survive their own.   Join Cathy and I as we explore the nature of trauma and the nature of the denial that is perpetrated by those responsible for causing trauma in others.  Cathy is not only a wealth of knowledge but also a powerful advocate for victims of abuse and a persecutor of those who would prefer these sorts of problems stay buried instead of being brought out in the light.Cathy worked as a consultant for many years by assisting numerous not-for-profit organizations to raise money to do work in communities that fills a desperate need.  She has also given speeches and conducted workshops around the country specializing in fundraising techniques as well as help trauma survivors recover.  Her current full-time project is Gather My Lost Sheep, which focuses on helping trauma survivors return to Catholic parishes and to restore their faith in Christ.  She did this as a result of realizing that Priests aren't always trained in this and aren't sure what to do.  In addition, stigma keeps the laity from talking about mental health issues. This results in Impacted families feeling isolated.  Cathy became convinced that this isn't who the Church is meant to be.   Gather My Lost Sheep strives to teach people to ask "How do I accompany someone who is hurting? How can I be Christ to them?"Over 70% of the population has experienced trauma. The events and isolation in 2020 have simply added to the strain on our mental health. Cathy decided to rethink evangelization and pastoral care when she saw the impact on people living with trauma and their mass exodus from the Church. As a national speaker working with US bishops and priests, she has talked about leadership in the Church at the parish and diocesan level. She brings technical knowledge and lived experience to this conversation.Oh and by the way, the icons for this week's and next week's shows are both pieces of Art that Cathy painted as part of her journey to health and well being.  If you'd like to see more paintings from Cathy check out this link:  https://www.dropbox.com/sh/0lvzlrbgo7ufzvg/AABDJucrJRBX4_csVOtuiQoua?dl=0

I've had the pleasure of interviewing Cathy before and I always feel so inspired after talking with her.  Not only is she passionate about the work she does but she's a walking, talking testimony to the power of faith in restoring the deepest wounds to our emotional, psychological and physical well being.  She is a SURVIVOR in every sense of the word and she has not only survived her own trauma but now she works tirelessly to help others survive their own.   Join Cathy and I as we explore the nature of trauma and the nature of the denial that is perpetuated by those responsible for causing trauma in others. Cathy is not only a wealth of knowledge but also a powerful advocate for victims of abuse and a persecutor of those who would prefer these sorts of problems stay buried instead of being brought out in the light.Cathy worked as a consultant for many years by assisting numerous not-for-profit organizations to raise money to do work in communities that fills a desperate need.  She has also given speeches and conducted workshops around the country specializing in fundraising techniques as well as help trauma survivors recover.  Her current full-time project is Gather My Lost Sheep, which focuses on helping trauma survivors return to Catholic parishes and to restore their faith in Christ.  She did this as a result of realizing that Priests aren't always trained in this and aren't sure what to do.  In addition, stigma keeps the laity from talking about mental health issues. This results in Impacted families feeling isolated.  Cathy became convinced that this isn't who the Church is meant to be.   Gather My Lost Sheep strives to teach people to ask "How do I accompany someone who is hurting? How can I be Christ to them?"Over 70% of the population has experienced trauma. The events and isolation in 2020 have simply added to the strain on our mental health. Cathy decided to rethink evangelization and pastoral care when she saw the impact on people living with trauma and their mass exodus from the Church. As a national speaker working with US bishops and priests, she has talked about leadership in the Church at the parish and diocesan level. She brings technical knowledge and lived experience to this conversation.Oh and by the way, the icons for this week's and next week's shows are both pieces of Art that Cathy painted as part of her journey to health and well being.  If you'd like to see more paintings from Cathy check out this link: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/0lvzlrbgo7ufzvg/AABDJucrJRBX4_csVOtuiQoua?dl=0

Part 2 of my interview with Jamie Sathasivim and Alex Austin from Hope House of South Central Wisconsin.  The first episodes in my series of "New Year's Resolution" Podcasts.  I wanted to start 2022 with shows that focus on important issues that need to change in our communities, if we are going to be the best we can be.  One of the goals of this effort is to elevate our awareness of the size and scope of problems like Domestic Abuse and to point out educational resources, and ways to be part of restorative support programs for victims in our area and, hopefully, WAY beyond. The New Year is a time to reflect on the personal and communal things that we can do better, and to find ways to accomplish those things.  My guests for this week's and next week's podcasts can help us all do better at helping those caught in a domestic abuse situation, by knowing what it looks like and helping victims  to find a way out.  One way out is through the services offered at Hope House of South Central Wisconsin.Jaime Sathasivam is the Co-Executive Director for Hope House of South Central Wisconsin. Hope House serves survivors of intimate partner violence, child abuse and sexual violence in Sauk, Columbia, Juneau, Marquette and Adams Counties. Following graduate school Jaime worked with runaway and hopeless youth and found a desire to stay in trauma-based support work. Other professional experience includes working at the Director of Client Services at Rape Crisis Center in Madison for five years, and working at the State Department of Justice on the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) project for a year before coming to Hope House in late 2019. To decompress from work Jaime spends time with her children and enjoys traveling, and crafting.Alex Austin has been an Outreach Advocate with Hope House of South-Central Wisconsin since November of 2020. Prior to that, Alex worked in a residential treatment center for kids and adolescents with significant mental health diagnoses. Alex has an undergraduate degree in Human Services and is currently working toward a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. In her free time, Alex enjoys spending time with her young daughter, reading and writing, spending time outside, and planning adventures.If you want to learn more about Domestic Abuse check out these sites for more resources, information and educational opportunities: www.theduluthmodel.org www.endabusewi.org www.nrcdv.org

This is the first in my series of "New Year's Resolution" episodes.  I wanted to start 2022 with shows that focus on important issues that need to change in our communities, if we are going to be the best we can be.  The topic for these first two episodes is Domestic Abuse.  Not a "fun" topic in any way.  The goal is to elevate our awareness of the size and scope of this blight on families.  Also to point out educational resources, and possibilities for preventative action in our area and, hopefully, WAY beyond.  The New Year is a time to reflect on the personal and communal things that we can do better, and to find ways to accomplish those things.  My guests for this week's and next week's podcasts can help us all do better at helping those caught in a domestic abuse situation, by knowing what it looks like and helping victims  to find a way out.  One way out is through the services offered at Hope House of South Central Wisconsin.Jaime Sathasivam is the Co-Executive Director for Hope House of South Central Wisconsin. Hope House serves survivors of intimate partner violence, child abuse and sexual violence in Sauk, Columbia, Juneau, Marquette and Adams Counties. Following graduate school Jaime worked with runaway and hopeless youth and found a desire to stay in trauma-based support work. Other professional experience includes working at the Director of Client Services at Rape Crisis Center in Madison for five years, and working at the State Department of Justice on the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) project for a year before coming to Hope House in late 2019. To decompress from work Jaime spends time with her children and enjoys traveling, and crafting. Alex Austin has been an Outreach Advocate with Hope House of South-Central Wisconsin since November of 2020. Prior to that, Alex worked in a residential treatment center for kids and adolescents with significant mental health diagnoses. Alex has an undergraduate degree in Human Services and is currently working toward a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. In her free time, Alex enjoys spending time with her young daughter, reading and writing, spending time outside, and planning adventures.If you want to learn more about Domestic Abuse check out these sites for more resources, information and educational opportunities: www.theduluthmodel.org www.endabusewi.org www.nrcdv.org

When you have a full-time job it can be really hard to find the energy to get involved as a volunteer for any type of organization, not to mention the energy.  But thankfully some people do and in fact they make it possible for most organizations and events to continue.  The Ferry Bluff Eagle Council in the Sauk Prairie area is one of those groups and their annual Eagle watching days is one of those events, now in its 35th year, and is coming back this year as both a live and virtual event. It's an opportunity to see up close the bird that has been on the emblems of our nation since its beginning and to understand what makes it so special.Jennifer Lazendorf is a full-time supervisor in the Accounting department at Compeer Financial Services as well as the co-chair of the Ferry Bluff Eagle Council's Eagle Watching Days committee (Try saying that 10 times fast) and talks about her own passion for birding, the outdoors and helping to make important community events like this one happen.

Every once and a while you meet someone that just seems to "have it figured out".  Bill Harris is one of those people to me.  Every time I see him or talk to him and ask how he's doing he always responds the same way.  "Best Day Ever!"  HE MEANS IT TOO!  It's even on the door leading into PHP World Headquarters in Baraboo Wisconsin.  Bill has spent the Lion's share (Think Daniel) of his life helping others to have hope in their lives.  Whether it's backpacks with School supplies, food for folks struggling, or assistance for families with dad or moms serving in the armed forces during the holidays, Bill's heart is wherever God tells him to go.  In more recent years he has been working to help people that have been released from Jail, to develop job skills that can help them build a new life financially and relationally.  For the past several years he has run a car detailing business that teaches skills that translate into real jobs after their training is complete.  Now he's ready for the next step.Join me as I talk with Bill and County Administrator Brent Miller about a new Career center that is being developed in Sauk County to help teach trade skills to people that have been incarcerated and need a second chance.  The new program will offer labs for carpentry, HVAC, Electrical, and plumbing skills that can be learned and mastered so that participants can truly make a new life for themselves.  It's a slam dunk win/win for them, Sauk County (decreased recidivism) and local contractors that face a shortage of workers.Bill will inspire you and perhaps strike a bit of awe in you, because he is a walking talking man of God, and the fruits of that are all over the place in Baraboo and beyond.