Learn something new

If you are looking for an interesting way to spend an evening this fall, consider the new cooking classes at Kookaburra's!

Laura hosted a few classes over the summer, and these events were very popular. She is expanding the class offerings to be a weekly event all through the fall.

• Sept 8th 5:30-7pm Chinese Hors’douvres
  Menu: Crab Rangoon, egg drop soup and Teriyaki beef sticks. Fee $20
  
• Sept 15th 5:30-7pm Knife/cutting/Prep Skills
  Hands on class for any cooking level, learn basic techniques. Fee $15
  
• Sept 22nd 5:30-7pm Tailgate Menu Ideas
  Menu: Roasted Garlic Onion Jam Pizza, apple jalapeno meatballs and Buffalo Chicken and Blue Cheese Pizza. Fee $15
  
• Oct 6th 5:30-7pm Authentic Oktoberfest
  Menu will feature authentic German cooking with Stef Culberson of the Goose Chaser Farm. Fee $15
  
• Oct 13th 5:30–7pm Soups and Stews
  Learn how to make broths and bases for stews and soups. We will be making French Onion soup as well as others from seasonally available ingredients. Fee $15
• Oct 20th 5:30-7pm Fall Harvest Menu
  This menu incorporates all the wonderful benefits from the fall harvest. Fee $15
  
• Oct 27th 5:30-7pm Trick or Treat for kids
  Parents can learn tips and tricks to get kids to eat healthy foods. Fee $15

Kookaburra's is hosting some additional special events happening this fall.

• Woman to Woman. This is a 4 part series focusing on how we as women care for those in our lives. Dates for this series are Sept 14th , Oct 12th, Nov 9th, and Dec 14th, from 7-8 pm. Cost for is Free. Pre-Registration is required due to the limited seating available.
• Holiday Open House November 7th and 8th
• Freeport Cooking Show Nov 10th
• Gifts from the Kitchen November 17th
• 2nd Annual Christmas Cookie/Fudge Contest on December 5th.

Come on over to the north side of Monroe's Square to learn some new skills and have a fun evening with old friends or new. I have signed up for the knife skills course, and Luis is thinking about taking the Chinese Cooking class. Will we see you there?

Don't miss out on the tax credit

August 28 already. Back to school time is here. Labor Day is just around the corner. How quickly this year has flown. Four more months left in the year.

Three more months before the $8000 first time home buyers tax credit expires.

Three months. That is about 90 days. 95 days including today to be specific.

Are you or someone you know hoping to take advantage of this tax credit? Time is running out. You must close on a home on or before November 30, 2009 in order to claim this credit.

Considering that the average closing happens about 30-45 days after an offer is accepted, there is not a lot of time left to find the perfect first home. If you are writing an offer on a short sale home, it can easily take 60-90 days to close, sometimes more.

Now is the time to be looking for your home if you want to take advantage of this offer. There are great homes out there, and with inventory very high right now, local sellers are willing to negotiate considerably more than they ever have in the past.

Give me or Luis a call if you are thinking of looking for a home. We will be happy to show you what is currently available in the area, and we can help you connect with a reputable mortgage banker who can help you figure out what you can afford in a home. Our market has houses from under $75K to hundreds of thousands, and everything in between. People start at all price points, and each buyer is valuable to us.

95 days and counting. Don't miss out on this credit; call us.

Things to Do Around Monroe

Here is a look ahead at area happenings in the upcoming week:

~ Do you have your tickets for the Beef Producers Steak Fry Dinner this evening? You can still buy them at the door at the SLICE.

~ If your children are attending a Monticello school this year, remember that the open house night is on Friday at 6 pm.

~ Also in Monticello this weekend, Habitat for Humanity is working on this year's home. Come out to the site on Summet Avenue to help out or call Cathy at 513-1626 for more details.

~ There is a concert at the Piazza on Saturday evening. This is a private party concert, but the hosts love meeting new friends so gate crashers and new people are always welcome. Andrew Calhoun and Campground are performing folk music spanning spirituals to prison ballads. The potluck theme is 'Tis a Gift to be Simple. Call Terry or Nancy for details at 608-328-4023

~ Stef at Goose Chaser Farm between New Glarus and Blanchardville is having a tomato party on Saturday. Bring your ripe tomatoes and your canning jars. Together, attendees will boil, peel and puree their way to the scarlet jars of tomato sauce. Work like this is more fun with a group, so come out and participate. No canning knowledge or experience is necessary, so come learn. RSVP to Stef at 608-523-4165.

~ The Green County Entrepreneurs and Inventors Club meets on Monday evening at 6:30 in the New Glarus room of the Monroe Hospital. This month's topic is "Legal Aspects for Small Business. This meeting will be the September meeting due to the Labor Day holiday.

Monroe Theatre Guild Capital Campaign

The Monroe Theatre Guild officially announced plans to conduct a major $750,000 capital campaign for the purchase and renovations of the Stage Building located in downtown Monroe. Earlier The Swiss Colony announced a challenge grant of up to $100,000 if the community pledges reach certain levels during the effort. The announcement of the community campaign and plans for the building were revealed at a dinner for the Guild’s Inner Family. The “Inner Family” includes members of the Theatre Guild’s board of directors, committee members and campaign leaders.

The campaign is divided into four phases: Inner Family Gifts, Pacesetting Gifts, Major Gifts and Community Teams Gifts. Rick Maliszewski, owner of Ekum Abstact is the Chair of the campaign.

The goal of the Inner Family campaign was to raise $75,000 and to receive 100 percent support from the board and committee members. , Maliszewski, stated that he is extremely happy that the Theatre Guild’s “Inner Family” has reached its goals as he announced that the Inner Family has pledged a total of $92,700. He adds, “It demonstrates to the people of Monroe and Green County and the surrounding area that the Inner Family of the Monroe Theatre Guild supports this tremendous project; our first capital campaign ever.”


Additional campaign leadership was also announced. Jeff Ingebritsen will chair the Major Gifts Committee, Joe Peters will chair the Community Teams effort, Mary Soddy will chair the Prospect Committee, Stephen and Katee Eliasson will chair the P.R. Committee and Suzanne Miller will chair the Speakers Bureau. The campaign is scheduled to begin quietly over the next few weeks and conclude with the Community Phase which well begin in October and run through November.

The funds raised during the campaign will assist in renovating The Stage. Specific plans call for a flexible performance space and theatre, full modern lighting and sound system, large scale rehearsal area, costume storage and work area, full scene shop, prop storage, rehearsal space for youth theatre programs and workshops, conference room and offices.

The Monroe Theatre Guild offers performances, workshops, seminars and artistic opportunities for local constituents throughout Green County and the surrounding area.

Truck'in Downtown

Hey scavenger hunt fans! Come to Downtown Monroe during the rest of the construction process and do some searching.

Monroe Main Street and the Downtown Businesses are sponsoring Truck'in Downtown, a contest starting now that will run through the end of the construction time. Every day, a different Downtown business will have a yellow dump truck on display around the Square. Find the truck and you can fill out an entry for the prize basket of the week donated by Downtown businesses.

The drawings will start on Friday, August 28 and happen every Friday until the construction is finished. At the end, all entries will be eligible for a grand prize drawing as well.

Happy hunting!