From Ruth Tschanz
Monroe
To the editor:
Grietzi,
I Love Cheese Days. I'm a farm girl from Monroe, attended school here and was born of good "Swiss" parents. I was away for many years, but once in a while would find myself singing that Cheese Day song, "Cheese Day in Monroe ..."
I returned to Monroe when I retired and could again attend Cheese Days. All the excitement, the preparation, anticipation and then the parade. The "royalty," the New Glarus firemen, tumblers, synchronized drill teams (grocery carts), bands, 4-H floats, Scouts, horses. Listen to the Swiss singers, yodeling, flag throwing and wonderful Alphorns. All of it.
Food. Cream puffs. Swiss cheese. Beef and pork sandwiches. Cheddar cheese. Havarti. And of course Limburger.
I have volunteered to help out - usually in the hospitality tent. But it's not been the same the last couple of Cheese Days. What has changed? People came into the tent Saturday night saying they could not hear the performers on the Main Stage. It seemed every person I saw had a glass of beer in their hand. Now, don't get me wrong, if people want a beer, that's up to them.
Cheese Days was a community celebration. We celebrated our heritage. Our farmers. Our cheesemakers. Everything that made Monroe what it is today. It was family friendly. Kids could have fun as well as their parents and grandparents. We could invite friends and relatives and show them what "down home town life" was really like.
This year, I was little embarrassed. Too much beer.
I hope the people organizing Cheese Days will consider things to make it more family oriented again. What kind of example are we setting for our youth and children? The only way to have fun is with a beer in our hand? You can have your beer, but maybe limited somehow? An area close to but off the square a little? The Main Stage really is the Main Stage and other performances are some distance away so they are not drowning each other out?
Committees spend hours organizing it all and it's extremely difficult (if not impossible) to please everyone. I do appreciate all the work they do. Things do not happen by themselves.
But, please, I really do think we need some serious rethinking on the purpose of Cheese Days. Is the priority to celebrate our heritage or is it solely for making money and short-lived entertainment?
Monroe
To the editor:
Grietzi,
I Love Cheese Days. I'm a farm girl from Monroe, attended school here and was born of good "Swiss" parents. I was away for many years, but once in a while would find myself singing that Cheese Day song, "Cheese Day in Monroe ..."
I returned to Monroe when I retired and could again attend Cheese Days. All the excitement, the preparation, anticipation and then the parade. The "royalty," the New Glarus firemen, tumblers, synchronized drill teams (grocery carts), bands, 4-H floats, Scouts, horses. Listen to the Swiss singers, yodeling, flag throwing and wonderful Alphorns. All of it.
Food. Cream puffs. Swiss cheese. Beef and pork sandwiches. Cheddar cheese. Havarti. And of course Limburger.
I have volunteered to help out - usually in the hospitality tent. But it's not been the same the last couple of Cheese Days. What has changed? People came into the tent Saturday night saying they could not hear the performers on the Main Stage. It seemed every person I saw had a glass of beer in their hand. Now, don't get me wrong, if people want a beer, that's up to them.
Cheese Days was a community celebration. We celebrated our heritage. Our farmers. Our cheesemakers. Everything that made Monroe what it is today. It was family friendly. Kids could have fun as well as their parents and grandparents. We could invite friends and relatives and show them what "down home town life" was really like.
This year, I was little embarrassed. Too much beer.
I hope the people organizing Cheese Days will consider things to make it more family oriented again. What kind of example are we setting for our youth and children? The only way to have fun is with a beer in our hand? You can have your beer, but maybe limited somehow? An area close to but off the square a little? The Main Stage really is the Main Stage and other performances are some distance away so they are not drowning each other out?
Committees spend hours organizing it all and it's extremely difficult (if not impossible) to please everyone. I do appreciate all the work they do. Things do not happen by themselves.
But, please, I really do think we need some serious rethinking on the purpose of Cheese Days. Is the priority to celebrate our heritage or is it solely for making money and short-lived entertainment?
