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Calendar: March 12, 2009
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Thursday, March 12

Alcoholics Anonymous, 7 p.m., (Big Book), Congregational United Church of Christ, E 201 23rd St., Brodhead.

Alcoholics Anonymous, 7 p.m. (Big Book Study), Grace United Methodist Church, 326 W. Pearl, Belleville.

Alcoholics Anonymous, 8 p.m., St. John's Church, 1724 14th St., Monroe.

Blackhawk Technical College, Monroe Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Young Professionals of Green County, Speed Networking, 5 to 6:30 p.m., BTC, Monroe campus. Information: (608) 329-8252.

Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin's field representative Helen Forbeck, office hours, 11 a.m. to noon, at Monticello Village hall, 140 N. Main St., Monticello; 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., at New Glarus Village Hall, 319 2nd St., New Glarus. Information: (608) 362-2800 or (608) 258-9800.

Highland Community College Theatre Department, performance of "Anatomy of Gray," 7:30 p.m., HCC Ferguson Fine Arts Theatre in Fine Arts Center, Freeport. Tickets: (815) 235-6127 or www.highland.edu.

Monroe Public Library Teen Link Program, grades 6-12 registered program, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., second floor meeting room, Monroe Public Library.

Monroe Sons of Norway, Ostestaden Lodge, speaker Matilda Grannes, 7 p.m., former Resurrection Lutheran Church building, north of Ludlow Mansion, Monroe.

Monroe Stamp and Post Card Club, 7 p.m., second floor meeting room, Monroe Public Library, 925 16th Ave., Monroe.

Friday, March 13

American Legion Post 84, Friday night fish fry with weekly special chicken dumpling, serving 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., 1627 12th Ave., Monroe. Call 325-4244 after 3 p.m. for banquet and meeting facility reservations.

Green County Farm Bureau's Young Farmer and Agriculturist Committee, hosting a 9-pin bowling tournament, drinks and snacks at 8 p.m., bowling at 9 p.m., Albany Lanes, Albany. Information: (608) 214-4034, (608) 921-1847 or (608) 290-5206.

Highland Community College Theatre Department, performance of "Anatomy of Gray," 7:30 p.m., HCC Ferguson Fine Arts Theatre in Fine Arts Center, Freeport. Tickets: (815) 235-6127 or www.highland.edu.

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2312 Monroe, corned beef and cabbage, 5 to 8:30 p.m., 1428 17th St., Monroe. Hall available for banquets and parties. Information: 325-3338.

Saturday, March 14

Browntown Fire Dept., St. Pat's dance, 8 p.m. to midnight, Browntown Fire Station.

Darlington Community Theatre, Finnegan's Farewell, doors open at 6 p.m., performance at 6:30 p.m., Bridges Banquet Hall, Darlington. Information: (608) 776-2769.

Friends of the Library, Saturday Morning Storytime, 9 a.m., Albertson Memorial Library, 200 N. Water St., Albany.

Freeport Arts Center, student art exhibit opening, noon to 5 p.m., Freeport Art Museum, 121 N. Harlem Ave., Freeport. Information: (815) 235-9755.

Freeport Art Museum and Winneshiek Players, V-Day benefit production of "The Vagina Monologues," Winneshiek Theatre, 228 W. Clark St., Freeport. Information (815) 235-9755.

Highland Community College Theatre Department, performance of "Anatomy of Gray," 7:30 p.m., HCC Ferguson Fine Arts Theatre in Fine Arts Center, Freeport. Tickets: (815) 235-6127 or www.highland.edu.

Juda Fire Department, spring dance, 8:30 p.m. to midnight, Juda Community Center, Juda.

Madison Diocesan Choir, performs during 5 p.m. Mass at St. Victor Church, 1760 14th St., Monroe. Information: 328-4817.

Monroe Public Library, St. Patrick's Day Fun, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., children's room; materials for making Shamrock Crowns available from 3 to 5 p.m. in the children's room of the library. Information: 328-7010 or Tracy at 328-4404.

Monroe Theatre Guild, middle school workshops, physical comedy, 10 a.m. to noon; stage combat 1 to 3 p.m., 910 16th Ave., Monroe. Registration forms: www.monroetheatre.

South Central Wisconsin Master Gardeners Association, "Gardening Inspirations for All Seasons-Vegetables from Garden to Table," 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Peppercorn Banquets at Ludlow Mansion, 1421 Mansion Dr., Monroe. Information and registration: 328-9440.

Stephenson County Home Show, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., YMCA/Highland Community College Sports Complex, Freeport. Information: (815) 232-4616 or (815) 238-0878 or e-mail: abcads@comcast.net

Trinity United Methodist Church, Antique and Craft Show, bake sale, lunch stand, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., 2600 W. Pearl City Road, Freeport.

Wiota Fire Department, St. Patrick's Day dance and fundraiser for the fire department, 8 p.m. to midnight, Wiota Schoolhouse.

Sunday, March 15

Alcoholics Anonymous, 6 p.m., Monroe Room, Monroe Clinic, 515 22nd Ave., Monroe.

New Glarus Lions Club, pancake breakfast, 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Flannery Wilhelm Tell Club, New Glarus.

Stephenson County Home Show, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., YMCA/Highland Community College Sports Complex, Freeport. Information: (815) 232-4616 or (815) 238-0878 or e-mail: abcads@comcast.net

Turner Hall of Monroe, Dance 'n' Dine with Greg Anderson Band, 2 to 6 p.m., Turner Hall. Information: 325-3461.
MHS students volunteer to spread holiday cheer
mhs holiday cards
Holiday cards made by student clubs at Monroe High School.

MONROE — As the holiday season gets in full swing, people across Green County are getting involved and giving back. This includes Monroe High School (MHS) students, who have volunteered their time to spread holiday cheer by creating cards for the Monroe Woman’s Club’s Christmas Stocking project.

Four MHS student organizations are currently working together to design and write holiday cards for the project — Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), the National Honor Society (NHS), the Junior Optimists and the Key Club.

In addition to teaching Business and Information Technology MHS, Emily Bartels also serves as the advisor for FBLA, an organization that helps prepare students for future careers in business. 

Bartels stepped in to fill the shoes of longtime MHS teacher and FBLA Advisor, Sherri Hendrickson.

“December was a busy month for FBLA,” Hendrickson remembers. “We have written Santa letters for many years, we have had coat drives and food drives … The students who got involved with the stocking project loved it.”

Bartels said Hendrickson made the original connection with the Monroe Woman’s Club, helping MHS students get involved. 

“We would usually get a couple families and the students would help us do the shopping for the families … that was all pre-COVID,” Bartels said. As the process was adapted post-COVID, so did the way that the students participated. 

MHS students make handmade holiday cards to accompany the cheer boxes and food boxes that the Monroe Woman’s Club delivers to community members. The students have been creating cards for the project for four years.

“We have people who have gotten their cheer boxes several years in a row and since we have started doing the holiday cards, they’ve kept their holiday card each year,” Bartels said. “That’s really cute, you know? It’s just a simple 5-by-7, two-sided card that the kids will draw an image on one side and write just a little element to add into those boxes, to hopefully bring some joy.”

Bartels said the students make around 500 to 700 handmade cards for the project each year. Bartels estimates that 120 students participate in the effort. This year, they started making the cards in early November.

“They do enjoy doing it,” Bartels said about making the handmade cards. “And it’s a nice change in their day to be able to do something like that and to be able to give back.”

When Bartels found out there were recipients who kept the cards they received each year, she shared that with her students — and she said it was clear they felt pride in learning their handmade cards were valued by others. 

“You could just see the looks on their faces, they were just stunned that they would make that sort of impact,” Bartels said.