Celebrando Story Time

Miss Kris and the Monroe Public Library will be presenting Celebrando story time once again this fall and winter.

Celebrando story time is an evening presentation of stories in both Spanish and English. Songs or flannel board games may be presented, and a craft and snack follows the stories. Children do not need to be bilingual in order to attend as everything will be presented in both languages.

This story time event happens the second Tuesday evening of the month and starts at 6:30 pm.

The first of this season's series will be on November 11. The stories will be Ana Cultiva Manzanas (Apple Farmer Annie), Nuestro Autobus (The Bus For Us), and Gracias, Día de Acción de Gracias (Thank You, Thanksgiving). There will be flannel board games about colors and a craft featuring making turkeys. Miss Kris will be reading the English versions of the stories, and I (Brenda) will be the reader for the Spanish stories.

Please bring your family to enjoy the evening and say hello!

Property of the Week

This week's featured property is a two bedroom home in Monroe.
You will be snug as a bug in this updated two bedroom home!

Entertain all summer long with the large deck and back yard. Come winter, you are sure to appreciate the fact that there are some newer, high efficiency windows. The furnace was new in '05, water heater in '06 and there is newer 100 amp service.

Whether you are buying your first home or downsizing, this one is priced right at only $58,000. It could also make a great investment property.

Call Brenda Carus at 214-5796 for more information.

Meet me at the YMCA

The Green County YMCA has long been a popular place for Monroe area residents. The facility has done a great job with keeping up with our community's needs. Their latest project was another renovation.

Started mid-summer, the project is now complete.

Members have often questioned why the main entrance was not the doors by the parking lot, and the YMCA has listened. With this renovation, the front and back spaces have been flipped. Members and guests now use a bright and airy entrance that is right next to the main parking lot. The offices are here, along with a large window into the gymnastics room. Parents can sit on the comfortable sofas while while waiting for children in gymnastics instead of making due with spots on the floor at the edges of the room.

The youth center and childcare rooms have been moved to the former front of the YMCA. The babysitting room is in the same place, but now the childcare room is right next door, a much more logical set-up. The youth center is called the Y Lounge, and it now occupies the entire space once devoted to the front entry and offices. This expanded space has air hockey, foosball, games for youth, a Wii, Net Nanny protected internet access, a homework area, and sofas to lounge on. The doors to the gym are still there, which is a great idea given the way that many teens utilize both spaces.

This remodel has made the Green County YMCA a much more intuitive space and more user-friendly for those of us living and working in the Monroe area. All the great Y programs for children and adults are still in place, including partnerships with many of our local employers and health insurance companies.

Mum's the word

Fall is here, and this season showcases the beauty of the mums and the sedums. It seems winter is overtaking fall later each year. While we know these sunny and warm falls days are numbered, we are still able to get out, crunch in the leaves and enjoy the fall flowers and foliage in the area.


The peak time to see the fall colors in the Green County area has probably already passed by, but still I thought I would take a moment to share a couple of glimpses of this year's fall display. My apologies for not having full trees to share; I was not able to find one that seemed just right for photographing that day.

The green tree right behind this golden one is one of the few in the area that have not fully turned yet. It must be confused by the unseasonably warm weather we have been having. Still, most of the trees are gorgeous shades of gold, yellow and crimson.


If you are thinking of sneaking in a few final fall hikes, the leaves are superbly crunchable right now. Cadiz Springs State Recreation Area, New Glarus Woods State Park and Yellowstone Lake State Park all have hiking trails for any ability.

Go Green Team, Part 3

If a property has green options that increase the energy effiency of the home, the buyer might consider looking into the option of energy efficient financing. Also, if buyer is putting into place systems that will further increase the efficiency of the property, it is possible to include the cost of these upgrades in the mortgage without increasing their down payment.

Many buyers are unaware of the existence of energy efficient financing options. There are a number of banks and private mortgage lenders that offer these options. Locally, there are banks that have policies in place for energy efficient mortgages. Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHA also offer energy efficient mortgage options. Energy Star has a special mortgage option, and you can see a list of partner banks on their website.

FHA's energy efficient mortgage program has historically been the most widely used. It allows homeowners to roll the cost of energy efficient upgrades into their mortgage. The total cost of these upgrades cannot exceed 5% of the total loan value and they must be between $4000 and $8000.

Energy efficient mortgages can offer other benefits for buyers as well. If a home already has energy efficient systems in place, it can result in a lender offering a different interest rate, lower closing costs, or a different debt to income ratio requirement. The rationale behind this is that buyers will be spending less than the average amount on utility costs, freeing additional income for the mortgage payment. This type of financing will require the home to be certified in some manner (please see Go Green Team Part 2 for information on green home certifications).

Improving energy efficiency is not only good for the environment, but it can benefit the pocketbook as well.