PO R

UP We are here SEE

Local T
S

for the community! PAGE 12

We’ll even give you FOR DETAILS
M
JO

UR LI the shirt off our backs!

S
NA

PIERCE COUNTY’S NEWSPAPER

JOURNAL
THE

Weekly
Ad On
Page 2!

$1 WESTERN WISCONSIN’S OLDEST NEWSPAPER - SINCE 1855 NOVEMBER 24, 2021 • VOL. 167, NO. 34

SUBSCRIBE
TODAY! THEY FOUGHT TO THE END PIERCE COUNTY’S NEWSPAPER

JOURNAL
THE

SEE PAGE 12 OR
CALL 715-273-8078 Special Magazine
Insert in this
www.piercecountyjournal.news

Churchill week’s Journal!

market
715-262-0184
1003 Campbell St. • Prescott
SHOP
CHURCHILL MARKET!
connecting
communities
CONVENIENT
LOCATION.
FRESH FOOD!

.
ly
THIS WEEK’S
Specials! on
PRICES GOOD Ellsworth football players gathered after the WIAA Division 4 Championship game on the
THROUGH NOVEMBER 30, 2021
turf at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison Thursday, Nov. 18. After a first-quarter scoring
us l,

barrage from Catholic Memorial, the Panthers fought back but fell 21-12. Senior Max Grand
gripped the state runner-up trophy as players listened to offenisve coordinator Jason Janke, High-Speed, Fiber Optic Internet is Here
who told them they were by far the best public school at their level in the state. Photo by John
al a
e
McLoone Sponsored by
ci on

Italian Sausage
$ 3.99
The Grumpy Old Men NOVEMBER 24, 2021 | A Special Section by
er rs

legacy continues
Lb. THE PIERCE COUNTY JOURNAL

Connecting Communities is a joint project of Pierce Pepin

Cooperative Services and The Journal, highlighting the
m e

importance of expanded broadband service in our com-

munities. The special magazine is inserted in this edition
m rp

of The Journal.
Homemade
Breakfast Sausage
$ 3.99 Lb. Prescott man is
co Fo

charged in string of
Wild Rice UTV, vehicle thefts
Chicken Meatloaf
$ 4.99 Lb. Arrested after
We Offer Curbside Service! high speed
n-

FEATURING
HANISCH BAKERY
chase crash
By Sarah Nigbor
no

Prescott’s Best
Selection of Mel Germanson and Jerry Carter were fixtures downtown River Falls the week after Thanks- A Prescott man is facing a
giving for more than two decades. Their Grumpy Old Men food drive has raised thousands long list of felony charges re-
Wine and Beer! of dollars over the years. Photo courtesy of Craig Miles lated to area vehicle and UTV
thefts, property damage, re-

Annual food drive is

CHURCHILL MARKET
IS YOUR
ONE-STOP SHOP!
back at Veterans Park
By Sarah Nigbor
RIVER FALLS – For the past 30 years, the
Grumpy Old Men Food Drive has been a famil-
iar and beloved sight curbside near Veterans
Park in downtown River Falls the week after
Thanksgiving. It has raised thousands of dollars
for the local food shelf and brought in untold
pounds of food to feed those in need.
While the 2020 edition was a virtual event,
the “new” Grumpy Old Men will return to their
spot by Veterans Park 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday,
Nov. 30.
New Grumpy Old Men? Where does the
“new” come from?
When original Grumpy Old Men Jerry Carter
and Mel Germanson began the food drive 31
years ago, “Grumpy Old Men” was the movie
showing at Falls Theater, thus becoming the in-
spiration for the name. At age 86, they handed
the reigns over to retirees Craig Miles and Rick
Bowen, who with a group of retired River Falls
School District educators, have kept the tradi-
tion alive.
See FOOD
DRIVE, Page 11
ceiving stolen property, reck-
less driving and two
high-speed pursuits in which
he fled law enforcement this
past summer.
Timothy Adam Chambers,
23, is being held in Pierce
County Jail and next appears in
Pierce County Circuit Court
for a status conference at 2:30
p.m. Nov. 29 on all Pierce
cases.
On Nov. 15, Chambers was
ordered to pay $10,000 cash
bail on theft – movable prop-
erty > $5,000-$10,000, receiv-
ing stolen property >
$5,000-$10,000 or firearm,
three bail jumping, two bur-
glary – building or dwelling,
two theft – movable property >
Timothy Chambers
$10,000-$100,000 and two re-
ceiving stolen property >
$10,000 charges. All are
felonies and carry the “as party
to a crime” and “repeater”
modifiers. These charges re-
sulted from incidents July 19-
20 in the town of Salem and
July 29-30 in the town of
Ellsworth. If convicted, Cham-
bers faces up to 10 years in
prison and/or up to $25,000 in
fines.
On Nov. 15, Chambers was
also ordered to pay $5,000
See THEFT Page 10
Page 10 THE JOURNAL November 24, 2021

ELLSWORTH Area News

By Melissa Thorud
ELLSWORTH - This holiday season,
Ellsworth High School students are fundraising
and coordinating the annual Ellsworth Gift Box
program that matches sponsors to families in
need. The students are in charge organizing and
finding sponsors and many of them are volun-
teering as a part of their service capstone project.
The group consists of six students who all
participate in finding sponsors and looking over
applications. Each applicant sends their infor-
mation and wish lists and the students look over
the applications and sort them from there.
Senior Carlie Mewhorter said, “We get reg-
istrants as early as August and then we also get
sponsors a little slower, but once we get the
sponsors flowing in we match them together.”
The students use class time to complete what
needs to be done for this project each week.
“My sophomore year is when I started with
this project, and since then it has just been put
into our schedules so we know that we will be
working on this ahead of time during this spe-
cific quarter,” said student Mckenna Minder.
Every year they match about 85 families to
sponsors and when sponsors apply, they usually
specify what age or size of family they want to
sponsor.
“Sometimes sponsors will say ‘I really want
to have school age children’ or’ I want to spon-
sor a larger family,’ and other sponsors don’t re-
ally have any preference so it can be flexible,”
Ellsworth Gift Box
planning in full swing
Students achieve around 50 hours of volun-
teer service each year in this project toward their
capstone requirement. Some of the students who
have been in this program for several years have
contributed 150 hours into this specific project.
Currently they are looking for about 15 more
sponsors to match with families before the hol-
idays.
The students day-to-day consists of a lot of
organizing.
“Each day we go through emails to see if
there are any new applicants or sponsors and
then we match them up and we make phone
calls to those families,” said Mewhorter
But that is not the end of their work.
“That is the beginning of the project and then
the next step is to plan our pick up and drop off
at Pierce-Pepin Cooperative Services and get-
ting that all organized and giving the families
that information,” said Minder.
EHS social studies teacher and project advi-
sor Anne Pechacek, teacher at Ellsworth said,
“We really want to give Pierce Pepin Coopera-
tive Services a shout out for letting us use their
facilities and helping us with extra hands for this
project. We are really appreciative of them.”
The students all agree that the best part of the
whole project is when the families pick up their
gifts with excitement.
Student volunteer Julia Anderson said, “An-
other one of my favorite parts is when we call
the families and tell them that they have been
matched and they are always super happy.”

.
said Minder. To find out more about how to become a

ly
People can also contribute monetary dona- sponsor, visit the school’s website. Donations
tions if they do not want to commit to sponsor- can be sent to the school made out to Ellsworth
ing an entire family. That money goes toward Gift Box or email The students behind the Ellsworth Gift Box program include Ellsworth High School students
other families who don’t have a sponsor so they ellsworthgiftboxprogram@gmail.com.
on (from left): Rylee Tieman-Hoyer, Mckenna Minder, Wyatt Nelson, Juliana Winger, Julia An-
still receive the assistance that they need. derson. Not pictured is Carlie Mewhorter. Photo by Melissa Thorud

THEFT
us l,

the Dodge, it went even faster. The Dodge’s li- The man turned the UTV over to police. it. The thief had also taken a pair of Ray Ban
cense plate matched the license plate of a stolen At 7:17 a.m. July 29, police responded to a sunglasses, a pocket knife and mini maglite
al a

truck. As speeds increased, parts began falling
e
off the truck and black smoke billowed from it.
From Page 1 A white T-shirt flew from the truck into the mid-
ci on
Highway 10 address in the town of Ellsworth, from a truck parked outside the garage.
where a resident reported someone had taken his On July 31, the Corvette was recovered in St.
2021 Polaris 570 UTV out of his garage some- Paul, where someone had applied a dark win-

cash bail on a theft – movable property charge.
On Aug. 26, Chambers was ordered to pay
$5,000 cash bail on felony bail jumping and two
theft – movable property charges. In another
case, he was ordered to pay $10,000 cash bail
dle of the road. The truck reached speeds of
more than 100 mph, passing northbound traffic
in the southbound lane. A gray car traveling
southbound had to swerve into the oncoming
traffic lane to avoid a collision with the Dodge,
er rs
time between 12:30 and 3:30 a.m. The keys had
been left in the ignition and the garage door
closed. The complainant said he didn’t hear it
due to a storm that night. The UTV’s value was
estimated to be $17,000. Other items missing in-
dow tint to the driver’s side window, blacked out
the VIN with a magic marker and spray painted
the rims.
At 8:01 a.m. July 31, a resident notified po-
lice of a UTV found parked in a cornfield near

on felony bail jumping, felony receiving stolen
property > $5,000-$10,000 or firearm, felony
drive or operate vehicle without consent, felony
vehicle operate flee/elude officer and operating
which continued to weave in and out of heavy
traffic at more than 100 mph.
The stolen Dodge headed south on Highway
63 toward Red Wing where it continued to drive
m e
cluded a generator ($329), a Stihl concrete saw County Road D and 410th Street. It turned out
with diamond blade ($1,000), a Craftsman leaf to be the stolen 2021 Polaris, which had no dam-
blower ($160), and other tools valued around age and was missing the keys. A 30-by-30-foot
$720. Police also found two shoeprints on a section of corn had been flattened and ruined.

while revoked. And in yet a third case, Cham- in the oncoming lane, forcing other vehicles off snowmobile seat which didn’t belong to the Other thefts related to these cases include a
bers was ordered to pay $10,000 cash bail on the road. As the truck passed 830th Avenue near complainant. Dodge Ram, Ford Focus, Buick, Nissan Cube,
the Back Channel boat launch, a large cloud of Due to the storm, the soft ground allowed a 1997 Wells Cargo trailer in River Falls and
m rp

theft – movable property, criminal damage to

property, operating while revoked, felony bail
jumping, felony vehicle operator flee/elude of-
ficer, felony take/drive vehicle without consent
and two felony second-degree recklessly endan-
ger safety charges. The charges in the third case
dust kicked up due to the truck driving on the
shoulder. The deputy ended the pursuit when the
Dodge went over the High Bridge into Red
Wing. The truck was located later about five
miles south on Highway 61 in Wacouta, Minn.,
co Fo
deputies to track the UTV’s path out of the
garage, through the yard and east onto Highway
10. After about a half-mile, the tracks led north
along a field drive, around some farm buildings
and east out of a driveway onto County Road
2015 Chevy Silverado in St. Croix Count. Cell
phones seized from Chambers show he had been
at the locations from which a truck and the Nis-
san were taken. The cell phones also contained
photos, texts and Facebook messages tying

stemmed from a high-speed chase July 18 in the
town of Isabelle and a theft July 17 in the town
of River Falls. If convicted, Chambers faces up
to 10 years in prison and/or up to $25,000 in
fines.
In Buffalo County, Chambers is charged with
felony vehicle operator flee/elude officer, felony
second-degree recklessly endanger safety, resist-
ing or obstructing an officer and operating while
revoked. The charges resulted from a high-speed
pursuit Aug. 4 through the city of Mondovi. His
initial appearance is slated for 11 a.m. Dec. 22.
If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison
n-
where it was damaged and smoking heavily. K-
9 units were deployed to find the driver, who
was found hiding under a boat in the vicinity of
the Dodge. Police identified him as Chambers.
Chambers, who was out on a $5,000 signa-
ture bond related to a Prescott vehicle theft case,
was taken to Goodhue County Jail. It wasn’t im-
mediately clear when he was released.
At 1:52 p.m. July 20, police responded to a
370th Avenue address in the town of Salem for
a stolen 2013 Polaris Ranger 500, which had
been taken from a yard sometime between 9:11
p.m. July 19 and 6:43 a.m. July 20. The UTV
DD, where the UTV headed north. The deputies
lost the tracks around 490th Avenue.
Deputies were called at 6:34 a.m. July 30 to
a County Road DD address where a 1994
Chevrolet Corvette had been taken in the night.
The complainant said the car went missing
sometime between 10 p.m. the night before and
5:30 a.m. The car, worth about $12,000, had
been parked in the garage. The homeowners’
barking dog had woken up the couple around 4
a.m., at which time they heard an engine; how-
ever, they thought it was on the road. The
woman looked out the window and saw tail-
Chambers to the thefts.
At 4 a.m. Aug. 4, deputies from Pierce and
Pepin counties were pursuing Chambers into
Buffalo County, after he had rammed a squad
car on Highway 10 while heading from Durand
to Mondovi. A Mondovi city police officer re-
sponded to Highway 10 and County Road A
near Mondovi and set up spike strips in hopes
of stopping the vehicle. When Chambers saw
the spike strips, he locked up the brakes,
swerved to the north side of the road and
avoided them. The officer estimated the vehicle
went past him going more than 100 mph in a 30-

and/or up to $25,000 in fines.
According to three criminal complaints ob-
tained by The Journal:
A complainant called police at 11:21 a.m.
no
had been parked outside the back door when the lights going south down DD. mph zone before heading east out of Mondovi.
complainant went to bed; the keys were in it. The couple said the overhead garage door Several law enforcement vehicles joined the
When she woke up, it was gone. had been locked, but not a side door. Several pursuit, which continued into Clark County.
At 4:12 p.m. July 28, a Pierce County deputy Milwaukee power drills, wrenches and chargers Chambers was eventually arrested after crashing

July 18 to report a driving complaint. The driver
was behind a newer red Dodge pickup that was
swerving all over the road heading north on
Highway 35 into Bay City. A man in his 20s
with dark hair was driving the Dodge and had
nearly hit a guardrail and driven into oncoming
traffic before he pulled into Handy Mart in Bay
City.
A responding deputy came across the Dodge
heading north at a high rate of speed on High-
way 35 near 150th Avenue in the town of Is-
abelle. When the deputy turned around to follow
patrolling Highway 10 east of Ellsworth saw a
Ford Explorer pulled off to the side of the road
pulling a utility trailer. Two men were trying to
re-tarp a red UTV. The Ford’s registration was
current and the men declined needing assistance.
The deputy took a photo of the men and UTV,
which came in handy the next day when the
deputy learned of the Salem theft. The UTV on
the trailer matched the stolen UTV’s description.
The deputy tracked down the Ford’s owner
to a Lake Elmo, Minn., address in late August,
where he learned the man had bought the UTV
for $1,500 from a man named Tim Chambers.
were also taken. In the garage, police found a
white cloth mask with the word “Kentucky” on
Ellsworth man charged with 7th OWI
By Sarah Nigbor
ELLSWORTH – An
Ellsworth man is facing several
charges, including a seventh
OWI, after an early morning
driving complaint that ended
with him tussling with an offi-
cer in his front yard.
Michael Lyle Girard, 56,
posted a $25,000 signature
bond Nov. 2 on felony OWI-
seventh, felony bail jumping,
his vehicle in Wood County.
rrard to stop making it worse. A
Pierce County deputy arrived
P
aand assisted in getting Girard
ssecured in a squad. The officer
hhad a small bleeding wound on
hhis right hand. Girard’s left
ppinky was also bleeding, but he
ddeclined an EMS evaluation.
Police found a 750 ML bot-
ttle of Fireball in the car, which
was about half gone. The car
w
aalso smelled heavily of mari-
jjuana. Inside the car, police

Thank you to our Gala sponsors,
the Ellsworth community, and the
surrounding area for your ongoing
support of our new library project!
For those inspired to support the effort further,
please visit: www.friendsofepl.org
Gala
resisting or obstructing an offi-
cer, possession of THC and
possess drug paraphernalia
charges. If convicted, he faces
up to 12.5 years in prison
Compeer Financial and/or fines up to $25,000.
According to the complaint:
Keith and Julie Lundstrom Pierce County Sheriff’s Of-
& Family ficer received a driving com-
plaint at 6:59 a.m. Monday,
Suzanne Potter
Nov. 1 from a motorist travel-
ing eastbound on Highway 10
River City Stitch
near County Road J in the
town of Trimbelle that was fol-
Rockworks Landscaping
lowing a Chevrolet weaving all
over the road. The motorist re-
Village Pharmacy
ported the vehicle had crossed
the fog and center lines several
WESTconsin Credit Union
times and appeared to be trav-
eling between 55 and 70 mph.
Western Wisconsin Health
Near the David Motel, the ve-
hicle nearly struck a guardrail.
From the license plate, the ve-
hicle’s owner was identified as
Girard.
An Ellsworth police officer
responded to Girard’s resi-
ffound a green leafy substance
tthat smelled of marijuana, a
Michael Girard glass smoking device, a
grinder filled with the plant
dence just as Girard exited the
material and zig zag papers
driver’s side of a Chevrolet
commonly used for rolling
Malibu. As the officer ap-
joints.
proached and asked Girard to
Girard was swaying back
stop, Girard walked quickly to
and forth and had bloodshot,
the home’s front door and at-
glassy eyes. He also smelled
tempted to get inside, but it
strongly of intoxicants. Police
was locked. He continued to
took him to the Pierce County
try to enter a door code to get
Jail garage to perform field so-
in while the officer asked him
briety tests due to the cold
to stop. As the officer grabbed
weather, which he failed. He
Girard’s wrist, Girard began
refused a breath test, so a
banging on the window. As the
search warrant was obtained
officer pulled him off the porch
for a blood draw at River Falls
and attempted to handcuff him,
Area Hospital.
Girard was resisting and
Girard has six previous
screaming. In the scuffle, both
OWI convictions, stretching
men fell to the ground and the
from 1991 in Florida to 2014
officer’s body camera was
in Milwaukee County. He is
knocked off his uniform and
scheduled to next appear in
broken. A woman came out of
Pierce County Circuit Court at
the residence and began
1 p.m. Dec. 7 for a preliminary
screaming at both the officer
hearing.
and Girard, but then told Gi-
 November 24, 2021 THE JOURNAL Page 11

RIVER FALLS Area News

Tattersall Distillery grand opening is Dec. 1
By Melissa Thorud
RIVER FALLS - The River Falls Tattersall
Distilling announced it will be officially open-
ing its doors on Wednesday, Dec. 1. After many
months of construction and preparation, the
owners are excited to welcome the community
into the remodeled 75,000-square-foot facility
housed in the former Shopko building at 1777
Paulson Road.
Founder of Tattersall Distilling Jon Kreidler
said in a released statement, “We couldn’t be
more excited to be a part of the River Falls
community.”
The new facility will have a restaurant, in-
door and outdoor bar, outdoor amphitheater, a
grand ballroom and many more featured
amenities. Once open, there will be self-guided
tours with plans to have guided tours available
next year.
Founded six years ago in the neighboring
state of Minnesota, Tattersall’s portfolio has
grown to more than 30 all-natural spirits and
This rendering from March shows what the completed Tattersall Distilling would look like in liqueurs currently available in 25 states. The
the former Shopko building at 1777 Paulson Road, River Falls. The public can find out for business has grown out of its space in Min-
itself starting Dec. 1. Rendering courtesy of Tattersall Distilling
neapolis and this new location will better fit the
needs of the continuous growth to come.
At this location, they will be able to produce
200,000 proof gallons of spirits with room to
grow with plans to maintain the production and
cocktail room in Minneapolis as well.
This new location also has a heavy focus on
sustainability; the business has always had that
at the forefront of its vision. The facility fea-
tures a 405kW rooftop solar array, making Tat-
tersall the home to the largest solar array of any
craft distillery in the nation.
Another sustainable practice they use is re-
purposing water so that no water goes to waste.
According to a statement from Tattersall, “A
water reclamation system recycles all produc-
tion water, repurposing it into future distilla-
tions.”
Tattersall is now taking reservations and
will serve dinner Wednesdays through Sun-
days. A winter market will be held 11 a.m. to 5
p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11 and Sunday, Dec. 12.
More information can be found at tattersalld-
istilling.com.

Wildcats Marching
Band brings another
state title home

By Melissa Thorud
RIVER FALLS - The River
Falls High School Marching
Band won the AAA division
state championship in October
at UW-Whitewater with its
.
ly
events as well.
Trumpet player Gwen
Adams said, “We will have on
drill weeks and we spend some
of the time on the music and
some on the movements and
those practices are five days
us l,

program “Down the Rabbit during the week for nine hours
Hole.” They not only won their each day and we do that twice
al a

during the season.”

e
AAA division, but brought
home awards for best musical Aside from drill weeks,
they have practices each week, The River Falls Falls Marching Wildcats took home first place in the AAA Division at the Wisconsin State Marching Band
ci on

presentation, visual presenta-
tion, percussion and color
guard.
Many of the students have
been part of the marching band
for their entire high school ca-
Championship in Whitewater on Oct. 16. Photo courtesy of River Falls Instrumental Music Program
sometimes before school.
Being a part of the marching
band can be a big commitment; just the bonding aspect of it,”
said trumpet player Ava Red-
however, the students all enjoy
the intensity of it when they are mond.
er rs

competing. Each senior plans to con-

reer. Senior flute player
Marissa Keller said, “I defi-
nitely think it was one of the
best decisions and I for sure
tinue playing after graduating
“The competition puts more
drive into us and it definitely high school; they all feel that
music has become a big part of
motivates us,” said senior
m e

don’t regret joining when I was
a freshman.”
Mason Chrest, who plays the their journey and lives and
hope to find a way to keep
snare drums.
playing in their futures.
m rp

This year the marching Senior students shared their

band had a great track record
of winning during their compe-
tition season. They won every
competition and completed the
favorite memories from this
year's season, and from the
past four years of being part of
the marching band.
“Since we won state, all the
co Fo
Bryan Jaeckel, in his 18th
year, is the RFHS instrumental
music director. Alex Plum was
co-director of this year’s en-
semble, which boasted about

final state competition with an 95 students.

undefeated year.
The band performed five
songs and the entire show
lasted about eight minutes.
During their performance, the
band goes through about five
movements and prepares
weeks ahead of the competi-
tion.
They start practicing for
their season as early as possi-
ble in August. In between com-
seniors got to ride on the fire
truck down Main Street and
then the underclassmen were
in buses behind us and every-
one lined the streets welcom-
ing us back. That was super
fun,” said Adams.
Another one of their fa-
vorite memories is the bonding
and traditions in which they
participate during their season.
“Before we go on, all the
sections get together and they
n-
The Marching Wildcats
have brought home 22 Wiscon-
sin State Marching Band
Championship titles in the past
35 years. They have also per-
formed nationally over those
three decades, with shows at
the Fiesta, Outback and Gator
Bowls, the Youth In Music
Band Championships in Min-
neapolis and the Bands of
America – Super Regional in

petitions, which number seven
to ten in one season, they are
performing at high school
St. Louis. River Falls High School senior marching band members include (from left) Gwen Adams,
have their own traditions and
that is one of the best parts and Marissa Keller, Eric Luebke, Mason Chrest, Ava Redmond, Ben Ashbach, Jacob Diel. Photo
by Melissa Thorud
no

FOOD DRIVE From Page 1

“When he (Carter) decided to quit, we decided to keep it

going,” Miles said.
Bowen, a retired UW-River Falls basketball coach and athletic
director, and Miles, Carter’s nephew and retired Unity School
District teacher and coach, have recruited their fellow coffee
clutch members Denny Burich, Jay Whalen, Keith Rodli, Bill
Hendrix, George Baumgartner, Bill Halverson, Dave Cronk, Don
Richards and Dave Linehan to raise money and collect food do-
nations for the River Falls Community Food Pantry. You can find
them many mornings joking and chatting over coffee at the Cari-
bou in Family Fresh.
“Jerry gave us a hard time,” Bowen said. “’It takes a lot of you
to pull off what I used to do by myself,’ he’d say.”
Carter, a lifelong community activist, veteran, coach and
American Legion Post 121 member, died Dec. 20, 2020. Keeping
the food drive going is a way to keep Carter’s legacy alive in the
community he loved dearly. The original Grumpy Old Men Jerry Carter and Mel Ger- Jerry Carter and his son Greg Carter (who will be at this
Germanson, a retired UWRF registrar, lives in town and tries manson (seated) passed the reigns to successors Craig Miles year’s food drive) pictured at a past Grumpy Old Men food
to make a cameo appearance each year, Bowen said. and Rick Bowen after their last food drive in 2018. Photo drive in Veterans Park. Photo courtesy of Craig Miles
“In a nutshell, Jerry was service-oriented,” Bowen said. courtesy of Rick Bowen
While the exact inspiration for the food drive’s beginnings is
unknown, Miles recalled Carter telling a story about a little girl
who wondered how people in need would get food for Christmas. resolve to continue helping the food pantry. A virtual event was “When you do an act of kindness like that, you never walk
He gathered blankets, socks, coats, anything he could collect to held and the community was encouraged to mail or drop off do- away feeling bad,” Miles said. “It gives back to you 10-fold. You
help those in need, Miles said. It morphed into a food drive. nations at the food pantry during the month of November. In never hear anyone say they feel bad for doing a good deed.”
“The food pantry moving forward seemed a natural way to 2019, the group raised $12,500 in cash and more than 600 pounds Those wishing to support the Grumpy Old Men food drive
continue,” Carter said. of food. have two options:
Traditionally, each year the group raises about $10,000 in cash “With Jerry passing in December, we just wanted to make sure 1. Drop off donations of food or money at the Veterans
and donates seven pickup loads of food to the food pantry. While this continues,” Miles said. It’s all about what he started. It’s his Park flagpole 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 30.
food donations are always appreciated, money can help people’s legacy and I think he would be happy.” 2. Mail a check to:
kindness stretch further, the men said. For each $1 someone do- The Grumpy Old Men live by the mantra that if you’re kind River Falls Food Pantry
nates, the food pantry can get $6-7 worth of food at a local ware- and do for others, kindness and service will spread. This fall, c/o Grumpy Old Men
house food supplier. Miles challenged the UW-River Falls football team to bring in 705 St. Croix St.
However, Miles said he understands that some people, espe- their spare change for the food pantry. He told them if they PO Box 341
cially children, enjoy donating something tangible. A little girl brought in $100, the W.I.N.G.S. Foundation (which he started River Falls, WI 54022
stands out in his memory who brought down canned food two with his wife) would match it. Emery Driving School said they’d Please make checks payable to “River Falls Food Pantry” and
years ago and was so proud to donate it. match $100 too. Imagine his surprise when the team brought in write “c/o Grumpy Old Men” in the memo line.
Last year, the pandemic didn’t hinder the Grumpy Old Men’s $1,000. He was delighted. The new generation of Grump Old Men appreciates the com-