A couple of Oktoberfest legends, Dave Ring, Brad Quarberg, joined to talk about the year La Crosse's Oktoberfest didn't sell beer. Yes, that was a thing, and it was part of a Top 5 list Quarberg deemed, "Five things you didn't know about La Crosse's Oktoberfest." Others included the time the Oktoberfest medallion was held hostage and that year there wasn't a Festmaster. Ring was the 2013 Festmaster, while Quarberg is our unofficial Oktoberfest historian and was the 2016 parade marshal. He was chief editor of the book The Fest of Times — a history of La Crosse Oktoberfest’s first 50 years.

A couple of Oktoberfest legends, Dave Ring, Brad Quarberg, joined to talk about the year La Crosse's Oktoberfest didn't sell beer. Yes, that was a thing, and it was part of a Top 5 list Quarberg deemed, "Five things you didn't know about La Crosse's Oktoberfest." Others included the time the Oktoberfest medallion was held hostage and that year there wasn't a Festmaster. Ring was the 2013 Festmaster, while Quarberg is our unofficial Oktoberfest historian and was the 2016 parade marshal. He was chief editor of the book The Fest of Times — a history of La Crosse Oktoberfest’s first 50 years.

Listener conversations about the days events in and around the La Crosse area.  Weekdays from 5-6pm on WIZM 1410AM and 92.3FM

La Crosse Talk PM WIZM

Rick Solem talks about the days events in and around the La Crosse area. Weekdays from 5:07-6pm on 1410 WIZM

Rick Solem talks about the days events in and around the La Crosse area. Weekdays from 5:07-6pm on 1410 WIZM

WIZM - La Crosse

The year La Crosse's Oktoberfest didn't sell beer

La Crosse City Council members Erin Goggin and Mark Neumann in studio to help explain and preview one of the city's biggest committees, Finance and Personnel. We discuss some of the budget items, like short-term rentals, what the F&P committee represents and how the public can get involved. Other agenda items we discussed broadly was the fire chief saving the city $800,000, a couple of lease agreements, and "public way vacations." In regards to short-term rentals we dissected, a bit, how both of the city's big committees work somewhat in unison on legislation, such as short-term rentals. The F&P committee meets at 6 p.m. Thursday at city hall and online.  

La Crosse City Council members Erin Goggin and Mark Neumann in studio to help explain and preview one of the city's biggest committees, Finance and Personnel. We discuss some of the budget items, like short-term rentals, what the F&amp;P committee represents and how the public can get involved. Other agenda items we discussed broadly was the fire chief saving the city $800,000, a couple of lease agreements, and "public way vacations." In regards to short-term rentals we dissected, a bit, how both of the city's big committees work somewhat in unison on legislation, such as short-term rentals. The F&amp;P committee meets at 6 p.m. Thursday at city hall and online.

How La Crosse spends taxpayers' money — the F&P committee meet preview

UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, in studio Friday for La Crosse Talk PM to discuss how penguins nap thousands of times a day, a development plan to tear down the old Macy’s for fast food and parking, and how we’ve already started the 2025 campaign season.

Began the show talking about the Valley View Mall, and a proposal discussed Thursday on La Crosse Talk PM to tear down the Macy’s to build a Panda Express, a Raising Cane’s, a carwash and more parking.

After that, an interesting story on demographics, where the city of La Crosse has seen the largest population decrease in Wisconsin. Where are those people going? North. Just a bit north.

Then we had a great call from Karen — not THAT kind of Karen — on WIZM’s Operation Poinsettia and how that brings joy to a lot of seniors like her around this time of year. She also suggested WIZM should bring animal rescues to them, as well. We still need a name for that, though, because “Operation Cat-Dog” doesn’t quite work.

Karen also brought up a funny story on penguins, which we had to get into, in how these animals take thousands of four-second naps a day. We also took a couple of our own “penguin naps.”

After that, we had to ask Chergosky if it’s ridiculous that former Republican Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel has announced he’s running for state Supreme Court … in 2025. So, bypassing that little 2024 election.

That led to a discussion about “The Permanent Campaign," as the Wisconsin state Legislature — a full-time body — is out of session until mid-January and only working 3.5 months in all of 2024, before they hit the campaign trail.

UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, in studio Friday for La Crosse Talk PM to discuss how penguins nap thousands of times a day, a development plan to tear down the old Macy’s for fast food and parking, and how we’ve already started the 2025 campaign season.
Began the show talking about the Valley View Mall, and a proposal discussed Thursday on La Crosse Talk PM to tear down the Macy’s to build a Panda Express, a Raising Cane’s, a carwash and more parking.
After that, an interesting story on demographics, where the city of La Crosse has seen the largest population decrease in Wisconsin. Where are those people going? North. Just a bit north.
Then we had a great call from Karen — not THAT kind of Karen — on WIZM’s Operation Poinsettia and how that brings joy to a lot of seniors like her around this time of year. She also suggested WIZM should bring animal rescues to them, as well. We still need a name for that, though, because “Operation Cat-Dog” doesn’t quite work.
Karen also brought up a funny story on penguins, which we had to get into, in how these animals take thousands of four-second naps a day. We also took a couple of our own “penguin naps.”
After that, we had to ask Chergosky if it’s ridiculous that former Republican Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel has announced he’s running for state Supreme Court … in 2025. So, bypassing that little 2024 election.
That led to a discussion about “The Permanent Campaign," as the Wisconsin state Legislature — a full-time body — is out of session until mid-January and only working 3.5 months in all of 2024, before they hit the campaign trail.

Tearing down Macy’s for fast food and taking penguin naps with UW-La Crosse political scientists, Chergosky

It's the Mac and Mack hour of La Crosse Talk PM, with city council members Mackenzie Mindel and Mac Kiel in studio to discuss legislation to demolish the old Macy's at the Valley View Mall and replace it with other businesses and look at multiple housing items, including an ordinance in regards to Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). Both Mindel and Kiel are on the city's Judiciary and Administration (J&A) Committee. With that we talked about how J&A, which meets the first Tuesday of the month, and the Personnel and Finance Committee, which meets the following Thursday, are the city's most powerful committees and how these are the meetings in which the public should be highly involved.

It's the Mac and Mack hour of La Crosse Talk PM, with city council members Mackenzie Mindel and Mac Kiel in studio to discuss legislation to demolish the old Macy's at the Valley View Mall and replace it with other businesses and look at multiple housing items, including an ordinance in regards to Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). Both Mindel and Kiel are on the city's Judiciary and Administration (J&amp;A) Committee. With that we talked about how J&amp;A, which meets the first Tuesday of the month, and the Personnel and Finance Committee, which meets the following Thursday, are the city's most powerful committees and how these are the meetings in which the public should be highly involved.

The year La Crosse's Oktoberfest didn't sell beer

La Crosse Talk PM WIZM

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