Written by the Wisconsin Central Time NEWS Editorial Board
If you’ve ever wondered who the team is that decides which stories to run each month in the County’s newsletter (WisconsinCentralTimeNEWS.com), here’s your chance to get a peek into their personalities and preferences as they respond to 5 fun questions reflecting on how they spent their first socially distanced holiday season…
Lance Leonhard
1. Holiday movie watched every year
“National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation — This has been a holiday staple in my family ever since the movie was released. Apart from offering countless laughs, the movie demonstrates an important lesson… Holidays are all about spending time with family, no matter how crazy it gets!”
2. Fun socially distanced holiday activity
“I was really hoping to be able to answer “having a snowball fight,” but we still don’t have any snow. That said, my wife, kids, and I did go on a nice hike around Rib Mountain.”
3. Favorite holiday food
“I’m a big fan of beef, so whether it’s a tenderloin, a ribeye, or a marinated flank steak, each year I spend time at the grill or around the oven helping to make a special meat-laden meal.”
4. Holiday song you never get sick of hearing
“My wife and kids are big music fans, so our house was like a holiday soundtrack for weeks. Our tree had an ornament that played ‘Feliz Navidad.’ When it was turned on, my house went from being a soundtrack to a full-on karaoke parlor!”
5. Best (or worst) holiday gift
“My dad gets everyone a gag gift each year. Two years ago, he got our family a 5-pound Hershey bar. We all like chocolate, so we thought it was great . . . but after a couple days, it was waaaaay too much!”
Karyn Powers
Recreation Superintendent
Marathon County Parks, Recreation, & Forestry Department
1. Holiday movie watched every year
“My favorite holiday movie is Charlie Brown Christmas.”
2. Fun socially distanced holiday activity
“My favorite socially distanced activity was painting Christmas cards and some special Christmas-themed paintings for family and friends.”
3. Favorite holiday food
“My favorite holiday food is peanut brittle.”
4. Holiday song you never get sick of hearing
“The holiday song I never get tired of is ‘Joy to the World.’”
5. Best (or worst) holiday gift
“One of the best holiday experiences was when I got to stand in for Santa Clause and ride on a firetruck through the streets of Seoul, South Korea, to bring gifts and hear Christmas wishes from the children of military families stationed at Yongsan Military Garrison.
My second-best holiday experience was riding in an Army Blackhawk helicopter up to an air traffic control tower on a mountaintop in the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea to deliver a Christmas tree and presents to the service men and women there. The hillsides around the raised metal landing pad (with a narrow catwalk that connected to the main building) were scattered with a variety of sports balls (soccer, football, basketball, etc.). I asked the chopper pilot why the troops didn’t go outside the fence to collect their gear. ‘Mine field’ was his answer.”
Chad Dally
Library Specialist
Marathon County Public Library
1. Holiday movie watched every year
“My favorite holiday movie is Better Off Dead — It’s not a “holiday” movie, but it does take place around Christmas and has become an annual tradition. Just a funny, kind-of-weird movie with solid performances all around (led by a young John Cusack) that I could probably quote backwards. TV dinners, anyone?”
2. Fun socially distanced holiday activity
“My favorite socially distanced activity was spending Christmas morning with my wife for the first time in 10 years. (I know that sounds strange and neglectful, but it’s complicated and there’s more to the story than I’ll get into here.)”
3. Favorite holiday food
“My favorite holiday food is a casserole-type dish we call Christmas Eggs. It’s a pretty basic recipe with sausage, bread, and some other ingredients. It’s easy to make and tasty, but for some reason, we only make it once a year around the holidays.”
4. Holiday song you never get sick of hearing
“The song I rediscovered and listened to the most over the holiday was ‘We Three Kings of Orient Are’ by The Beach Boys. The harmonies, the chorus, a beautiful tune! That said, my nomination for holiday song of 2020: ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ (especially the versions by Frank Sinatra or John Denver and Rowlf from the Muppets.) Christmas obviously isn’t the only holiday around the end of the year, but the lyrics are especially poignant and moving in 2020: ‘Someday soon, we all will be together if the fates allow / until then, we’ll have to muddle through somehow.’ Also, I really hope that ‘…next year, all our troubles will be miles away.’ (Lyrics may vary depending on the version, but you get the point.)”
5. Best (or worst) holiday gift
“One of the best holiday gifts was our family’s decision years ago to stop buying gifts for everybody else. It takes so much pressure off and lets us focus on just enjoying our time together.”
Jessica Meadows
Communications & Marketing Director
1. Holiday movie watched every year
“A Christmas Story has always been my favorite holiday movie, but Elf is quickly approaching number 1 as well. We all need a little more humor in our lives on a daily basis, and what’s more entertaining than Ralphie and the Bumpus hounds and a 6-foot elf?”
2. Fun socially distanced holiday activity
“My family got a new puppy the day after Christmas, so we enjoyed socially distancing at home just playing with the puppy. That little fella didn’t quite understand social distancing yet, so we got lots of kisses and snuggles.”
3. Favorite holiday food
“My favorite holiday food has to be leftover mashed potatoes… for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! It’s the only time of year where we can consume a 10-pound bag of potatoes in 24 hours.”
4. Holiday song you never get sick of hearing
“The holiday song I never get tired of is ‘You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.’ Always love it! Did you know that the singer of the original song was also the voice for Tony the Tiger in Frosted Flakes TV commercials for over 50 years?!”
5. Best (or worst) holiday gift
“The best holiday gift I’ve ever received was seeing the smiling cheeks on my kids’ faces as they fall asleep awaiting Christmas morning and when they wake up and squeal in delight to see the gifts under the tree. Best gifts ever… Oh, and the robotic vacuum cleaner I got from my sister is a close second.”
Dr. Kelly Kapitz
Director
Marathon County Special Education
1. Holiday movie watched every year
“My favorite holiday movie is White Christmas. I still cry at the end, even though I’ve seen it 100 times.”
2. Fun socially distanced holiday activity
“My favorite socially distanced activity was making fresh apple cider with my parents and brother outside.”
3. Favorite holiday food
“My favorite holiday food is frosted sugar cookies. I can never have too many.”
4. Holiday song you never get sick of hearing
“The holiday song I never get tired of is ‘Let it Snow.’”
5. Best (or worst) holiday gift
“One of the best gifts I’ve ever received was my grandmother’s “hope chest” lovingly restored by my dad. A bit of her lives with me every day through this piece of furniture.”
Jenna Flynn
Public Health Educator
Marathon County Health Department
1. Holiday movie watched every year
“My favorite holiday movie is The Family Stone. I always make a plan to sit down and watch it with my mom. It’s a crazy, funny, big-family story that reminds us of some of our own roots. And that it’s important to laugh and time is precious.”
2. Fun socially distanced holiday activity
“My favorite socially distanced activity was when my husband, daughter, pup, and I all went to get our Christmas tree from one of our friends who owns and operates a tree farm. We’ve done this in years past, but it was fun to have our small human with us this year!”
3. Favorite holiday food
“Before my grandpa passed away, he made grasshoppers every year for Christmas. They were so good, but I think it’s the tradition and memory of him doing this for us that’s even sweeter. My grandma also has a stellar egg bake recipe that easily had me eating half the pan of it! Her peanut brittle is pretty darned tasty, too.”
4. Holiday song you never get sick of hearing
“The holiday song I never get tired of is, well, all of them all month long! But seriously, my top pick has to be either ‘Happy Xmas (War Is Over),’ by John Lennon or ‘I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas.’ Why? Because hippos are awesome. If anyone needs a pick-me-up, watch The Fiona Show episodes, about an awesome hippo born prematurely at the Cincinnati zoo, who pulled through to become a star.’”
5. Best (or worst) holiday gift
“One of the best gifts I’ve ever received was my nephew, Declan, who was born on Christmas. The memory of going to meet him in the hospital that morning and how magical the holiday felt that year is something I’ll cherish forever. He will be 3 this year.”
Kaitlyn Bernarde
Marathon County 4-H Program Educator
UW-Madison, Division of Extension Marathon County
1. Holiday movie watched every year
“My favorite holiday movie is It’s a Wonderful Life because it is such a feel-good classic that reminds me each year of the important parts of life: family, friends, and treating everyone with kindness.”
2. Fun socially distanced holiday activity
“My favorite socially distanced activity was driving around with my husband and brand-new daughter looking at Christmas lights and decorations. Each house is a little different, and it makes the winter holiday season special from the other holidays throughout the year.”
3. Favorite holiday food
“My favorite holiday food is a cornflake wreath (corn flakes, marshmallows, butter, and green food coloring shaped in a circle). My grandma used to make them each Christmas, and now my mom has taken it over. They are sweet and slightly chewy, but be careful because they can turn your teeth green!”
4. Holiday song you never get sick of hearing
“I never get sick of listening to ‘Do You Hear What I Hear?’ No matter the version, I will always join in and attempt to sing along.”
5. Best (or worst) holiday gift
“The best holiday gift I’ve received is my daughter, Harper, who was born just before Thanksgiving this year. She definitely brought a lot of joy to 2020 and this holiday season. Even though she was too young to participate in most holiday activities, seeing her enamored buy the Christmas tree lights was priceless.
You might also like…
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- I’m Glad You Asked . . . 5 Questions People Ask the Marathon County EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR
- Supervisor Rebecca Buch :: Faith, Family, & Forty Years in Marathon County
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