2010 Top 10 Stumpjackings

I did another end-of-year Top 10 list for last year (2010) but never posted it. Let's get it up here now before 2011 closes!

Here are the Stumpjack Top 10 "big things" of last year:

10. Mixing up the space. It's amazing how much impact "rearranging the furniture" can have on one's attitude and even on business. We're constantly thinking about how we might make the space both more attractive and more efficient, daydreaming about new lighting arrangements or different tables or floor tiles. If we could go back in time to when we were first working on the Stumpjack space the counter, seating and kitchen locations would be quite different than where they are now. But it is what it is and, as such, we're limited in what we can do.  But one of our original layouts included a lounging area at the front of the space, near the front window. We opted for tables and chairs at that time, and that's the way it stayed until later this last year when we set up the couch and lounge chair that's there now. It's become a favorite spot, especially on weekends and evenings, for people to sit and watch the world go by outside while they drink their coffee or beer.

The Stumpjack Society of the Fez hanging out in the front seating area.

9. Cheyenne Art Show. As many of you know, our daughter, Cheyenne, is a very talented young artist. And while she's had her art shown in a number of school-related exhibitions (including one at UW-Milw when she was just a toddler) she had her first real independent gallery showing here at Stumpjack in November. Cheyenne and her friend Sonia Vasquez shared wall space for the exhibition, with the opening reception on November 26th bringing in a very nice crowd of friends and supporters. Their work elicited a great many compliments for the two months that it was displayed. Just as importantly as the positive feedback was the result that Cheyenne sold several pieces. It's a milestone event in her career as an artist (selling work is very important if one wishes to truly be a successfully working artist), and it was a big deal for Stumpjack as it highlighted one of the reasons we got into this business to begin with: to help foster and support talented young artists and promote good art in the community. The fact that the artist in question for this show was/is my daughter and part of the Stumpjack staff is a double bonus.

A painting by Cheyenne Raphael Smith, from her Stumpjack exhibition.

8. Biscotti (Kim stepping up). When Jin and Uniquely Yours Pastry left town for the land of oranges and alligators, we experienced an unfillable hole in our pastry offerings. Nobody in the area made pastries like Jin. She was, imho, simply the best pastry chef in these parts, head and shoulders above the pack. The ingredients she used were of the highest quality and her pastry skills were those of an artist (of course they still are, but you can only enjoy them if you go to Florida…or mail order from her). So, Kim started to pick up the slack by baking cookies, muffins and biscotti.  She decided right from the start that she would use the best ingredients we could afford and that she would only put things out for people if the quality was top-notch. She also realized that she had to learn to become a better baker and pastry chef. To that end she began studying (baking techniques, ingredients, recipes, etc) and baking, baking, baking.

Chocolate Dipped Almond Biscotti

Kim's biscotti became kind of the flagship item in her line of goodies. They're old skool, heavy and rich, made with olive oil, made for dipping, full of healthy and delicious ingredients. Almond, hazelnut, cranberry, chocolate, pumpkin, anise, whole grains, pecan, walnut, pistachio and on and on… Her line is not anywhere near the scope or breadth of Jin's, as she has chosen to add items slowly as she masters one thing (biscotti, for example) before moving onto the next thing (truffles, for example), but it is as quality-driven and visually appealing as anything we've offered. We're again proud to offer some of the best pastry in the area.

7. Coffee Quality (our roasters). We use two or three high quality roasters for our coffee. But our primary roaster is Dillanos, a company out of Sumner Washington. Dillanos does everything right, from their direct work in helping coffee farmers increase crop quality and living standards to maintaining a high quality roasting operation. Their customer service is amazing. They continually go above and beyond in their service and attention with us, providing us with not only some of the best roasted coffee on the planet but also with their willingness to work with and support a small retailer like us during these slower economic times. Our coffee has always been exceptional and, like any coffee retailer, is the result of both quality roasting and quality handling and preparation on our end. We do our part by our attention to detail and excellence, and Dillanos does their part by providing us with the tools and exceptionally high quality coffees that enable us to offer you the best cuppa you can get along the lake.

We have relationships with other exceptional roasters as well, Johnson Brothers out of Madison in particular. But I'm singling out Dillanos here because of our relationship with them and because they were recognized last year by the industry's preeminent publication, Roast Magazine, as the 2011 Roaster of the Year. It's the biggest award a roaster can get and recognizes quality in all areas of a company. The award is also, of course, validation for Stumpjack in that we knew we had an exceptional roaster on our side; we knew that their coffee was excellent when we partnered with them.

6. Better Menu. We decided this year to further emphasize the local/sustainable/organic focus of our food menu. To that end we acquired much more of our grocery list from the local farmers markets, Whole Foods, local gardeners and our own garden. We also increased our knowledge base of sustainability issues, vegetarian cooking, and what products are out there that support what we're trying to do with our menu. It required more work, more travel, more expense to move more heavily in this direction, but I think that in the long run we will be able to continue to shave our expenses and time as we become more proficient and knowledgeable.

We made our own soups and stocks, used herbs picked in the morning for lunch the same day, enjoyed using several varieties of colorful heirloom vegetables, made road trips to get fresh fruits we couldn't get around here, special ordered artisan condiments to replace products with labels that were more "questionable" and did a helluva lot of tasting.

We did pretty well I think, with more positive reviews and comments from our clientele than ever before (and we also received some recognition in several menu categories of the Golden Fork Awards…see below).

A high quality menu, heavy on local, fresh and organic, has been our intent from the beginning and I'm happy that we've been able to continue to increase the emphasis in that direction, more so in 2010 than ever before. No doubt 2011 will prove to be even bigger and better in that regard, as we hope to increase the size and purpose of our own garden in becoming a primary source for the Stumpjack kitchen.

5. Sunday morning breakfast & Jesse as barista. We began offering breakfast on Sunday mornings at the end of last summer. This was kind of a big deal for us, for a couple of reasons. Sundays had always been my "laid back" day, where drinks and conversation were the only things we would do. No food other than pastry. It was a nice, relaxing way to end the workweek. Also, breakfast requires a whole bunch of new stuff (more inventory, equipment, time, prep). But we thought, "What the heck, let's try it and see what happens."

Jesse with wild ramps.

Well, it has turned out to be a significant event for Stumpjack. Our French Toast (with sugared bananas, ice cream & maple syrup), Quiche, Baked Oatmeal and Brown Sugar Bacon have become favorites of a number of folks. The feedback and general success of what started out as an experiment have us thinking of possibly adding a Saturday morning breakfast as well…we'll see.

But even though Sundays are now much more demanding than they used to be, it has become a favorite workday. We come in early, get stuff ready, prep and cook, and enjoy our time doing it. Sundays are also really Jesse's day to run the show. Before we started doing breakfasts Jesse ran the counter and took care of everyone. She became a pretty darn good barista, both with her drink preparation and in the way she served and related to people. So that was very cool to see.  The routine changed a little once we began doing breakfast, with Jesse helping me in the kitchen with food prep and table service, while Cheyenne or Kim ran the counter. I'm very proud of Jesse, how her skills have grown and her more relaxed attitude with guests. She's able to do multiple jobs and do them well. I envision her managing the whole coffee house at times, and increasing her barista skills to where she might be able to compete in barista competitions at some point.

Sunday Breakfast runs from 9-noon. You can check facebook to see what might be on the menu on any given Sunday morning.

4. Steph Davies Art Show. Steph and Matt Davies are a couple of our favorite people. They're so very talented. Matt is a fantastic folk singer; Steph is equally fantastic as a visual artist. When we re-opened after our winter break the first art exhibition we scheduled was with Steph. She has built a devoted group of patrons of her work around here, and she always sells a number of pieces, which is a testament to the accessibility and distinctiveness of her art. But the real reason that Steph and that first exhibition make the year's Top 10 is because Steph's generosity and support gave us a much welcome positive mental boost. She restructured the usual commission arrangement we have with artists to be MUCH more generous to Stumpjack, in order to help us try to get over the financial hurdles we're facing. The thoughtfulness and support she showed by sacrificing a significant portion of her commission meant so much that it reinvigorated our own determination to push on through. And, since we did make it through the year, I'm calling that first exhibition of Steph's a good luck omen, and that's also why the first art show of this year is also from Steph Davies.  Currently she has over 40 pieces on display at Stumpjack, and they'll be up through the end of March. Come in and check it out…maybe some good luck will rub off on you as well.

3. Golden Fork Awards.  Several years ago I learned about the Fox Cities Golden Fork Awards after seeing a framed print of the certificate in a dining establishment in Green Bay. It was a beautiful image. It looked prestigious and classy, and indeed, it was gold. Ever since then I've wanted one of those awards, really just so we could display it like they did. It is a "Best Of" sort of award that targets the restaurant field specifically. Establishments are nominated and voted for by the dining public.

Unfortunately, I never thought we would have an opportunity to get a Golden Fork because the voting area did not include Manitowoc County…UNTIL this last year. The balloting moved to Manitowoc County this year. We put the word out online and asked our friends and customers to cast their ballots for us in categories they thought we deserved. And we were so pleased and grateful when Alison Fiebig, Editor of the magazine, emailed and told us we had won top honors in seven categories! Best in Manitowoc County in Coffee, Café, Sandwich, Soup, Vegetarian Friendly, Live Entertainment and Ambiance.

Thank you, thank you, thank you…all of you good people who voted and gave us your support. I posted story this in greater detail here.

2. Survival.  Well, we made it through the year. I’m not sure how, but I think just plain stubbornness had a helluva lot to do with it. There were so many battles and obstacles, many of which we overcame, many that we were just able to forestall (until this year?). Thank goodness we had a good measure of fun too! More grist for the book.

1. Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby.  This November 20th event was definitely the highlight of the year. We had so much fun and it was such an uplifting and joyous experience that, get this, we also actually felt bad…that more people could not have experienced this evening with us! It was one of those events that was so full of laughter, love and great music that you just wished everybody you knew could have been a part of it too. I'm writing a book about this whole Stumpjack journey and this performance by Eric and Amy is a significant part of that project, so I don't want to get too redundant here.

Amy Rigby & Wreckless Eric at Stumpjack!

Amy and Eric are both superb performers and incredibly talented songwriters, but it was the connection they made with the audience that made the night extra special. Eric has got to be one of the wittiest and most humorously verbose performers I've ever witnessed. His banter and stories between songs elicited a constant cascade of laughter and smiles throughout the evening. The dynamic between Amy and Eric was so charming and endearing that you just felt good watching the two of them work together. It was clear that they both loved and respected one another. And the music! Oh my, what a mix of styles and genres. They went from pop to punk to country to tender love song to psychedelic rock. And they both did it while under the influence of a flu bug, though you would not have known had they not mentioned it (by night's end they were both quite exhausted as we drove them to the hotel, but very satisfied that everyone had such a good time).

Wreckless Eric and Amy Rigby are the third "big name" performers, who have had both chart and critical success, that we've hosted at Stumpjack (along with Pat Dinizio of the Smithereens and Pato Banton & the Now Generation). When I think of a defining moment for 2010 I'll think of them and the performance they gave and what fun we had.

Here's the initial post that announced this show.

TR Main Street Top 10

I'm working on the Stumpjack Scat end-of-year newsletter and the annual Top 10 list. It occurred to me that the Two Rivers Main Street program (TRMS), of which I am a part, also has a viable Top 10 list for this year of 2010. Of course, this list of Top 10 noteworthy items is entirely my opinion. Others associated with the program may have different opinions on what such a list might consist of. But as I was the President for the majority of the year and was deeper in the mix of things than most I think I can fairly lay claim to identifying a valid Top 10 list of accomplishments for the program.

Here you go. The Two Rivers Main Street Top 10 of 2010:

10. June 24-25, 2011 Two Rivers will play host to what I understand is the biggest Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Rally in the state each year, the 2011 WI State H.O.G. Rally. Credit for securing this event in TR goes to a number of people, in particular City Manager and TRMS board member Greg Buckley who, by several accounts, made a masterful presentation to the judging panel (I understand that videographer Mark Matthews' video of the community, which was shown as part of Greg's presentation, was also most impressive). There were, of course, several individuals who worked to make this happen, including TRMS Main Street Executive Director Tammy Schinker, who played an important role and whose presence at the presentation in Fond Du Lac was surely a factor in the success of the bid. TRMS will play an important role in the success of this event in 2011.

9. 2011. It might seem odd to include 2011 in a list of accomplishments for 2010, but this is the first year since I've been a part of TRMS that I am aware that the four principle Main Street committees (Design; Economic Restructuring; Organization; Promotion) created detailed work plans for the forthcoming year. This kind of planning and attention to detail is what will help ensure successful events and projects, and, by extension, a successful realization of the program's goals to reinvigorate the downtown community.

8. Losses of key people. With the exception of an Executive Director, Main Street functions as a volunteer group. A board of directors makes decisions concerning projects and events and, along with other non-board volunteers, jumps in to do a lot of the heavy lifting that makes good things happen. Board members serve terms of one or two years (and often quite a few more). The point is that the board is, or should be, in a fairly constant state of transition as terms expire and new people join. But it is always challenging, with any such board of directors, to replace people who are positive forces in the success of the program. 2010 saw the departure of one such person in Bobbi Schuetze, who left the board and the city for a more peaceful & balanced existence in northern Wisconsin. Bobbi was/is one of those people of seemingly tireless energy who made things happen. I wish she was still here and still a part of TRMS.

7. Flowers. Oftentimes it's the "little things" that make a big difference. This year that little thing was the TRMS downtown flowers project. Lead by board member Theresa Schroeder this project placed several dozen large pots of flowers up and down Washington Street and not only added an element of beauty and vibrancy to the downtown but was, I think, very important for a program that was in the process of finding its feet again. We needed a project like this, that was a non-festival type event, to get the pump primed and get the blood flowing again, so to speak. It was fun, it was worthwhile (we'll be doing it again in 2011), and it showed the community that Main Street was active and recharged.

Theresa Schroeder & Carol Schwantes place flowers downtown.

6. Progress Visit. In November the State of Wisconsin Main Street Program made what is supposed to be their semi-regular Progress Visit, wherein they evaluate the condition of a community's Main Street program. Two Rivers had not had a Progress Visit for many years, and considering the status of the TRMS program earlier in the year there was some doubt as to whether such a visit would even take place, and if it did, what unpleasant things might they see.

BUT...the results of the state's Progress Visit was really quite the opposite. They were quite impressed with how far the program had come and the positive progress that had been made in such a relatively short period of time. While the program was not yet firing on all cylinders, we had managed to overcome and correct some major obstacles and were on our way to creating a vibrant and influential program once again. In their final report they offered some great observations and sound advice that, if heeded, will no doubt help propel the program to an even more successful 2011.

5. Theresa Schroeder. It's my list and I can single out individuals if I wish! One of the more pleasant surprises to me personally has been watching the growth and blossoming of board member Theresa Schroeder. My initial impression of Theresa was that she was a thoughtful and sweet woman (which she certainly is) but that she was also too "quiet" and willing to stand on the sidelines. I didn't think she was someone who had leadership qualities. Turned out that while my initial impressions were probably fair at the time (I think she would also affirm that it took her a little while to get comfortable) I was shown to be very wrong in the end. She is not only a thoughtful and intelligent individual who possesses an enviable ability to observe and analyze situations, but also has an energy and willingness to step forward when no-one else will. Her ideas are creative and sound, and she has earned the respect of every board member for her fair-mindedness and hard work (she also manages Schroeders Department Store in Two Rivers, successfully carrying on a family business that has been a fixture in the community for many decades). It's been a pleasure to come to know her as a friend as well.

When officer elections came up last month I resigned my position as President and quickly nominated Theresa, who had been the Vice-President until then. She was easily and unanimously approved. While officer elections are again slated to take place in, I believe, March of 2011 (they got postponed until November this year) I would hope and expect the board to reaffirm Theresa's position as board President for the entirety of 2011.

4. Ethnic Fest. Ethnic Fest is the biggest event every year. It draws the most people, is the most financially successful day for many downtown businesses, and is a helluva lot of fun with a ton of live music, food and vendors up and down Washington Street, which closes to auto traffic for the day. This was TRMS' new Executive Director Tammy Schinker's first big event as Exec. Dir., and she did a fantastic job. We had four headlining musical acts this year, a second entertainment stage at the north end of the street, and just more "stuff" all around. Pulling off a successful Ethnic Fest is very important for the program, and that goal was accomplished, in spades.

The Omo-Ana group at Ethnic Fest.

3. Full Board. It seems like it's been a good long while since TRMS has had a board of directors with every seat filled. It took no small amount of work and persistence but for the first time in over a year we have a full board. It was not uncommon at many meetings prior to today to have to take a moment to figure out if we even had a quorum at hand. Also, not only do we have a full board, but we have a full board of active and engaged members, people who are eager and motivated to make a positive difference. It's really quite nice to walk into a board meeting, like I did yesterday, and have to pull an empty seat up to the table and have people "scooch" in to make room. This is no small thing and bodes well for a successful 2011.

2. It's Alive! The first few months of 2010 were a very shaky time for TRMS. We had no Executive Director, a half-filled board of directors, no solid work-plan agenda for the year (other than to hire an Executive Director), committees that were meeting sporadically, and a fairly uncertain future. A few of us did double and triple duty to try to keep the ship afloat, and I think we did an admirable job in spite of often largely feeling like we were finding our way in the dark along with having full-time-plus regular jobs. We not only survived but we kept the fire burning while fending off assaults from some corners who seemed more interested in using the faltering program to enhance their own personal political agendas. It was a hairy, irritating and oftentimes discouraging time. But all's well that ends well.

1. TRMS Executive Director Tammy Schinker. The program's most urgent and important task this year was to find and hire a qualified and competent Executive Director. As I mentioned above, the first several months of the year the program functioned without this very vital component. A program like Main Street cannot function optimally or even "satisfactorily" without an effective Executive Director, someone who is able to wear several hats, deal effectively with all sorts of different personalities, and devote him- or herself to the myriad tasks that running a Main Street program demands. It is, I believe, the hardest and most under-appreciated job in the entire city.

After many weeks of placing announcements for the position out into cyberspace and via other media, interviewing and debating the merits of numerous candidates, and then doing it all over again, the board finally settled on someone whom I believe is going to help the Two Rivers Main Street program become a viable candidate for the Great American Main Street Award.

Tammy Schinker is proving to be a dynamic, fearless, thoughtful and effective leader for TRMS. She is the face of the program and is someone that both the program and the entire community can be very proud of. She has conducted herself with grace (very often under a good deal of pressure), intelligence and kindness. She was able to quickly organize a chaotic office and informational system, get the committees on track, effectively address various issues that had needed to be addressed, and is leading the way to what I believe will be a very impressive and successful series of projects and events in 2011. The final piece of the puzzle is in place with Tammy, and that's why it's number one on my TR Main Street Top 10 list.