Two downtown businesses go dark | The Weekly Wausonian
Wausau news for the week of Aug. 17, 2023
Two downtown businesses have gone dark, with little explanation.
Last week we reported that Sweets on Third was closed. A sign appeared in the window saying the business was closed until further notice.
Now it appears that Honest J’s, the new version of what was The Ugly Mug, has also closed. This time, with no explanation. Gates were closed on an early afternoon weekday last week, and supplies were piled up in the dining area. On Wednesday, the business still remained closed.
The Wausonian reached out to the business’ owner, and to property manager Mark Craig to ask for more information. As of press time, The Wausonian hadn’t heard from either of them.
Subscribers this week read about the city spending $30,000 on messaging around PFAS:
Wausau spent $30,000 on PFAS messaging
On a cold day in February 2022, city leaders called an emergency press conference. No one exactly knew what it was all about. It turned out, levels of PFAS — chemical byproducts from manufacturing that are linked to adverse health outcomes such as cancer — in the city’s six wells were higher than what the state was recommending.
They also read about a hot new show coming to Lamplight Sessions in Mosinee:
FEATURED EVENT: Mike Clark and the Sugar Sounds that eventually took off
Featured events are sponsored posts paid for by the venue owners. BUT — I don’t take just any events. I work with the venue owner to ensure it’s a show I am sufficiently excited about. Email me at keepitwausome@gmail.com if you’re interested in working with The Wausonian to promote your show. It’s still an experiment.
What else in Wausau?
Iron deal: City leaders got their first look at a new public works building the city hopes to build at the old Wausau Ironworks site. The building would make partial use of some of the buildings on the site and comes with a price tag of more than $25 million. That doesn’t include purchasing the site, which the city does not own.
Alternative farmers market: A new farmers market is opening up on the city’s north side. The new Wausau Alternative Farmers Market was created because it was tough to get into the existing farmers market, and as a reaction to the current market allowing resellers. Founder Debra Weiss says the new market will only allow people selling their own local goods. The first market will be Saturday 9 am-2 pm in the parking lot at Northcentral Technical College.
Around the metro
Student run: A 40-year-old UWSP student originally from India is planning to challenge Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin. Rejani Raveendran announced recently that she is running on the Republican ticket in order to challenge Baldwin. Other potential Republican challengers such as Tom Tiffany have declined.
Cobblestone down south: The new Cobblestone Hotel in Mosinee is now open. The hotel is expected to be a big economic driver for Mosinee’s downtown, which has added Mosinee Brewing Company and Lamplight Sessions music venue in recent years.
New emergency team: County leaders are applying for a grant that would help start a new emergency team. Called the Emergency Medical Corp, the program would employ volunteers to help at hospitals, help plan for emergencies, help administer vaccines, and anything else that would be needed in an emergency. It would replace the county’s tactical response team, which county leaders say is basically defunct right now.
Sponsored by
At Venado Cerveceria, it’s always wine time. Open 4-8 PM Tue - Thur & 4 - 9 PM Fri & Sat. Located at 209 Grant Street, downtown Wausau.
Business
Fat Joe’s closing: After nearly seven years in business, Fat Joe’s Pizza on Wausau’s southeast side is closing. Fat Joe’s specialized in New York style pizza, and at one point offered bicycle delivery to the southeast side neighborhood.
Entertainment
Saturday, Aug. 19: Bradley Sperger is literally a one-man band. Sperger uses live looping to build songs in real time, and it’s a joy to watch him switch from drums, to bass to guitar and he puts together covers and originals. The bluesy musician will make his way to Mosinee Brewing Company at 7 pm. Grab a beer and enjoy some tunes!
Fri-Sat, Aug. 18-19: The Big Bull Falls Blues Fest has been a staple of the Wausau area as long as I can remember. Come see some of the hottest names in all of blues over the weekend, while chilling out with a cool beverage. $60 for the weekend, $120 for VIP tickets. Bring your own chairs, no tents or awnings. Check out Wausau Events for more details, including the schedule.
Thursday, Aug. 17: The Marathon County Historical Society has this cool event they do around vintage board games - but for this game night, they’re doing it a little different! Come check out all manner of vintage video games — we’re talking Pong, Pac-Man, Super Mario Bros. — you name it, they got it, and they have volunteers who will help teach you how to play the games. 5 pm at the historical society in downtown Wausau. See more at the event page.
Looking for kids/family events? Check out the family-oriented listing from The Wausonian’s partner Wausau Mama, who puts together a weekly listing of children/family activities.
Sports
College baseball: The Wausau Woodchucks closed out their season with two losses to the Madison Mallards, ending the second half of the season with a 15-22 record, ahead of only the Lakeshore Chinooks. The Chucks had a pretty strong first half but slumped in the second, finishing with a total season record of 35-37, just below .500 ball. All eyes will now be on Woodchucks owner Mark Macdonald to see if he comes through on his proposal to bring a women’s softball team to the stadium next year.
High school: High school sports are just around the corner. The high school football season kicks off this week, for instance.
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