Bottom Line News & Views

12/04/2023

This is such a wonderful project!!

We are only 100 away from meeting our goal of 220 arrangements! Thank you so much to all the individuals and businesses that have donated so far. Special thanks to Ron's Repair and Towing LLC, The Cypress Center for Life Coaching, Enbridge for their very generous donations. If you would like to make donation you can go to our website https://washburnchamber.com/holiday-flowers/ or you can stop into the Chamber office. You can also make your donations at the Neighborly Bar and at Superior Floral.
This may be the fastest we have ever met our goal the way this is going. Thank you so very much.

11/30/2023

The Ice Fishing season is right around the corner if you, your Ashland High School student or someone you know from the school is interested in participating the deadline to register is Sunday, December 3rd! Register here!
https://forms.gle/yqPRuFZ4JbbUiYpF9

11/30/2023

Congratulations!

✨ A Proud Oredocker Achievement! 🎓💪

We're thrilled to share the exciting news that our very own 2023 Oredocker Grad, Isaac Hasskamp, has successfully completed Marine Corps boot camp! 🏋️‍♂️👏

11/27/2023

If you missed it on the news this morning check it out!

This weekend is Shop Small Saturday, many folks are supporting small businesses in the city of Ashland, Wisconsin with several holiday deals.

11/26/2023

Family of Bill Tomlinson gives $8,000 donation raised through Bill’s Memorial

Every year, across our country and around the world, men and women are killed in the line of service while working in the towing and recovery industry. The International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum Survivor Fund provide financial assistance to the families of our fallen in their time of need.
Pictured above is the family of Bill Tomlinson presenting an $8000 check to the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame Survivor Fund that was raised through Bill’s Memorial. The Tomlinson Family would like to express their gratitude for the generous donations.

11/26/2023

The Nature Corner
Article & photo by Richard Becker

The other day Carol and I were working in the yard trying to get ready for winter. We were greeted by our local group of birds which consists of chickadees, nuthatches, and a few woodpeckers. As we were walking down toward the lake we both noticed some movement in the trees above us. As we looked up we were amazed by a large flock of small birds landing in the treetops. Carol mentioned that the best way to describe what we were seeing was that it looked like a “tornado” of birds. There were close to 100 birds in this flock and they moved up and down in the tree as if they were one. A small, about sparrow or smaller size, finch. This bird is a little bit slenderer than most finches. Brown and streaky with a hint of yellow on the edge of it’s wings and tail. This yellow is more apparent when the bird takes flight. A sharp pointed beak and short notched tail round out this finch’s appearance. In the morning when Carol steps out the door to place the seed for the day she is greeted by “zzshrreee” which is the call of this bird.
This month we are going to take a closer look at the Pine Siskin. The pine siskin is a member of the finch family and they range far and wide on our continent. Its goal in their search is to find the best winter crop of seeds. Their movements are hard to track as one year they may move north to south and other years find them moving east to west. This search for seed may have an impact on their breeding range. If they find an abundant source of food they may choose to stay in the area and breed.
Pine Siskin are normally found in open coniferous or mixed forests, but have found suburban woodlands, cemeteries, and parks suitable to their needs.
As their name implies, Pine Siskin have a fondness for the seeds of pines and other conifers such as cedars, hemlocks, and spruce. Their food source may also include the young buds of willow, elm, and maple trees. As far as drawing them to our backyard feeders, they enjoy thistle seed and black oil sunflower seed. When it comes to them eating sunflower seeds, they will follow some of the heavier-billed birds and dine on the scraps left behind. They may also be drawn to suet although this is not one of their favorite foods. The male’s courtship display may start when they are still in their winter flocks. If successful, the pair will bond and stay together into the nesting season. The male will display by flying in circles over the female’s head, while spreading its tail and wings. He may even throw in a bit of singing and present the female with a bit of food. I have noticed while doing research on birds, that a way to a female bird’s heart may be through her stomach.
The female pine siskin builds its shallow nest of twigs, grasses, leaves, w**d stems, rootlets, bark strips, and lichens. The male, who stays close by may also contribute nest material. The female then lines the nest with fur, feathers, grass, moss, or thistle down. The nest is placed toward the end of a horizontal branch, in the middle heights of a conifer. The placement of the nest aides in it’s concealment. The female then lays 3-5 pale greenish-blue eggs with brown spotting. The female spends most of her time on the nest, where she is fed by the male. After about 13 days the eggs hatch and the male brings food to the nest for both the female and young. As time goes on both parents feed the nestlings, until the young leave the nest in 14-15 days. Cold nights are no problem for the pine siskin. They can ramp up their metabolic rate to 40% higher than a “normal” songbird of their size. If the temperature drops to -80 degrees or colder they may accelerate that rate to five times normal for several hours. These birds also have the ability to put on half again as much body weight as their close relatives, the Redpoll or goldfinch. As mentioned earlier, the female never leaves the well insulated nest which aids her in keeping the eggs warm. A third attribute used by these birds is they can temporarily store seeds in their crop, totaling 10% of their body mass. This additional food provides enough energy to get them through 5-6 nighttime hours of subzero temperatures.
Local woodpeckers, chickadees, and nuthatches round out our visitors.
A nomadic finch….
looking for small seeds to eat….watching Pine Siskins….
C. Becker

As always, any questions or
sightings, Rich Becker
PO Box 365 Mellen or
[email protected]

11/26/2023

Social Media:
The new word-of-mouth marketing
By Haley Makela, AADC

You might be wondering what social media and word-of-mouth marketing have in common. In essence, they’re about people sharing information organically, but how does this happen?
Word-of-mouth marketing involves people naturally passing information to others through verbal communication. Think about the last time you found a fantastic restaurant or tried a new type of shoe, and your immediate response was to tell someone else about it. If this sounds familiar, then you’ve already participated in word-of-mouth marketing.
Social media, on the other hand, is about sharing content online through various social networking platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn, and X (formally known as Twitter.) Just as you share recommendations with your friends in person, you also share interesting and funny content with your online community.
Often, when we ask business owners about their marketing efforts, they mention relying on word-of-mouth. It’s not a bad strategy; it’s an organic and effective way, especially in smaller communities like Ashland, Washburn, and Mellen. However, its scope may be limited. Imagine a newcomer in town or a traveler passing through. They typically turn to their smartphones, open Google, and search for “food near me” or “stores near me.” This search reveals businesses that have claimed their online presence on Google, providing vital information such as hours of operation, menu, prices, contact information, and addresses. Without this basic online presence, businesses may miss out on these potential customers.
Here’s where social media steps in. It takes that minimum online presence and transforms it into a potential source of income. By actively maintaining social media profiles, it will take that simple Google search and push the customer towards your page by giving them something to look at. With social media, businesses can engage with a broader audience, show off their products/services, and build an online community just like the community they built in person.
Both word-of-mouth and social media marketing revolve around sharing information. In both scenarios, you only have control over the narrative initially. From there, it is left to grow organically and on its own.

11/26/2023

Volunteers and supporters make significant improvements to Penn Park in Ashland

Thank you to the volunteers and supporters for the work done at Penn Park. With their help, we were able to get a significant amount of work done to bring back youth baseball to Penn Park. Below are the businesses that supported this worthy cause:

• McCoy donated the use of the bulldozer
• Northern Clearing helped with transportation of bulldozer
• Cenex donated fuel
• Eric Brandis donated use of his skid steer
• Lulich Implement donated use of power rake
• Pine Ridge Surveying, Pat McKuen provided the surveying
• Synergy donated the seed and fertilizer
• Ashland Little League donated infield dirt
• City of Ashland donated infield dirt and fill

11/26/2023

THRIVENT GIVES BACK TO THE ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION
ON GIVING TUESDAY

During the season of Thanksgiving, the Alzheimer’s Association, Wisconsin Chapter is extremely grateful to be a recipient of Thrivent’s 2023 Giving Tuesday campaign in Wisconsin. The one-day campaign, branded “Give Thanks. Give Together,” will happen on Tuesday, November 28 on Giving Tuesday, a global day of giving.

For six years, Thrivent has participated in Giving Tuesday by rallying clients and community members across the country to support featured local nonprofits. “We are honored and thankful to have been chosen by Thrivent as a beneficiary of their 2023 day of giving,” said Dave Grams, Executive Director, Alzheimer’s Association Wisconsin Chapter. “The holidays are a time where caregivers and individuals living with dementia need an escalated level of care and support services, and thanks to Thrivent and their member networks, we will be able to make a bigger difference in local communities this year.”

Community members will be able to make their Giving Tuesday donations online at "Alzheimer's Association Wisconsin Chapter" - Thrivent Action Teams (cotribute.co) or by dropping off their check at Alzheimer’s Association offices in Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Wausau or Chippewa Falls. Thrivent will match $1 for every $2 contributed, up to $20,000 per Thrivent Member Network, through Thrivent’s online giving platform, or by check dropped off at Alzheimer’s Association offices, on this one-day only campaign. All online processing fees are covered by Thrivent so 100% of each donor’s gift will make an impact!

About the Alzheimer’s Association®
The Alzheimer’s Association is a worldwide voluntary health organization dedicated to Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Our mission is to lead the way to end Alzheimer’s and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer’s and all other dementia®. Visit alz.org or call 800.272.3900.

11/26/2023

ABC Sportsmen Club held a youth pheasant hunt on October 28th and 29th

Pat Quaintance, ABC Sportsmen Board member and retired game warden coordinated a youth pheasant hunt for Hunter Safety Students under the age of 17. Greg Vernon of White River AG donated the location where the event took place. Starting with a mandatory Hunter’s Safety refresher course on Friday evening with mentors and hunters. After the training session was completed the hunters and mentors enjoyed a dinner together that was donated by the ABC Sportsmen Club with Wanda Hyde, Club Treasurer who had prepared the meal.
Pheasants that were used for the hunt were generously brought by Kevyn Quamme and Jerry Schenck and donated by the Poynette Game Farm.
There was a total of 21 hunters that registered for this hunt, each hunter needed to have a mentor to help guide them during this hunt. This was a wonderful opportunity for youth hunters to learn the techniques of pheasant hunting.
Before the hunt started on Saturday morning, each participant took the opportunity to do some practice shooting at the trap station, which simulated the flight of the bird when flushed. From there they moved onto the different zoned areas, where Rick Nettleton was setting pheasants for each group.
Each group was set up with mentors and dog owners/handlers that were used to point/flush and retrieve the pheasants. There were many happy and successful hunters and bird dogs at the end of the day.
Thank you to all of the mentors for your time and knowledge that was shared with the youth. Mentors and dog owner/handlers were Richard Milner, Paul Bratley, Jennifer Mrnak, Ryan Wiezorek, Scot Cameron, Matt Hyopponen, David Derusha, David Schmidt, Randy Mashlan, Jason Akl. Jason Cook, Robert Weber, Paul Bogart, Mike Peterson, Ryan Bybee, and William Erickson.
The ABC Sportsman Club is planning on doing more mentored youth hunts in the future. The purpose of the club is to promote hunting, fishing, trapping, education, and conservation ethics of Ashland and Bayfield counties.
For more information on the ABC Sportsmen Club visit their website at abcsportsmenclub.com, find them on Facebook, or call 715-373-2088.

11/24/2023

11/23/2023

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. Enjoy your day however you choose and know that we are so very thankful for you support!

11/22/2023

Bay Area Rural Transit recognized for Diverse and Inclusive Hiring Practices

Pat Daoust, transit manager for Bay Area Rural Transit, has expressed a personal connection with the organization’s commitment to hiring people with disabilities, noting: “I’ve had a friend with a disability all my life and it’s nice to see when they can get out and get a job because they want to feel a part of the workforce.”
Because of its diverse and inclusive hiring and retention practices that welcome individuals with disabilities into its workforce, Bay Area Rural Transit of Ashland was presented with an Exemplary Employer award at a ceremony with Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) leadership on Oct. 12. The organization is one of 25 Wisconsin businesses being recognized throughout October, which Gov. Evers proclaimed as National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Last year, more than 2,000 employers created more inclusive workplaces in Wisconsin by hiring people with disabilities.
“We want to help all Wisconsin employers create a workforce that reflects the diversity of our state, and Bay Area Rural Transit is leading the way in the Ashland community,” DWD Secretary Amy Pechacek said. “We believe that when we all work together, we can create a more inclusive and equitable Wisconsin for everyone.”
Bay Area Rural Transit has formed a strong partnership with DWD’s local Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) office over the years, and the organization takes great pride when DVR consumers employed at Bay Area Rural Transit move on to better jobs. In addition to providing employment for DVR job seekers, the organization also partners with the state to provide transportation to and from work, job shadow opportunities, and more.
The award ceremony was attended by local leaders, including Ashland County Administrator Dan Grady and County Board Chair Richard Pufall; Bayfield County Administrator Mark Abeles-Allison; Ashland Mayor Matthew MacKenzie; Mellen Mayor Terry Van Buren; Washburn City Administrator Scott Kluver; and Bay Area Rural Transit Board Member Mike Berlin from the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians.
All Wisconsin employers are encouraged to contact DVR and meet with a local Business Services Consultant who can connect them with a variety of free resources to help recruit and hire people with disabilities, build staff diversity and retain well-trained employees.
DVR helped over 3,350 Wisconsin residents with disabilities find work over the past year. Individuals with a disability looking for ways to find a job, keep a job, or get a better job are encouraged to contact DVR at 800-262-0050, visit a local DVR office, or visit the DVR website.

New Job Accommodations
Training
To help provide employers with educational resources to diversify their workplace and create work environments that help retain employees, and to give employees information about their rights and responsibilities in the workforce, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) has created new online accommodation trainings for employers, workers, and job seekers.
The Accommodation Training Library consists of brief, informational videos that cover topics, including hiring people with disabilities, the reasonable accommodation process, disclosing a disability, disability discrimination, and other topics related to employment law. The new accommodation training videos can be found on the DWD Career Pathways website.
The videos were created as part of a U.S. Department of Education Career Pathways Advancement (CPA) Initiative grant awarded to DVR in 2021. The CPA Initiative is allowing DVR to create resources and opportunities to support DVR consumers as they advance in their careers.

11/22/2023

Thoughts From A Treestand
By Joseph R. Lange

A Mother’s Love
Most of my short stories deal with me growing up and somehow surviving to be 62 years old. Finding the humor in an oftentimes not to humorous world. Being able to see my daughters grow up and get married. See my grandsons grow and go on to college. A full life. A beat the odds life. A no regrets life.
With hunting season here I was thinking about the happy times that I have experienced over 47 years of hunting afield. I also thought of a time in my life that I will recall for you in the hope that you maybe find time in your busy lives to read it to your loved ones.
About 33 or so years ago, I was working in security at the hospital in Marshfield. Working nights and stationed at the main entrance. Long crazy nights. I saw a lot of things come through those doors.
One evening, I noticed a young girl walk past my office pushing a little stroller. She just looked into my office and I noticed her face was one of quiet anguish yet she managed a slight smile and continued down the hall. The next evening and then the next I noticed her walking the stroller that contained a little boy. I finally got up and opened the door as she went past and asked her if she needed a cup of coffee or if I could be of assistance in any way as watching her walk past so lonely pushing that little child was breaking my heart.
She was from out of town, which made it doubly hard for her, from a tiny town “Up North” she said, and her little boy had cancer. She was at the hospital for him to undergo the series of treatments and as one could imagine the emotional stress of a young mother dealing with her child going through this horror, being away from home, the expense and stress was incredible.
We had coffee and I sat and listened to this young mother relate the trials and the hard moments and how much she loved her little man. I had one of my, “didn’t like God too much” moments and with all the not so nice folks I often dealt with in my job I wondered why God does things like give little kids cancer.
I didn’t see this young mother after that and just hoped things worked out for her and her little man.
Fast forward many, many years later.
I did most of my bow hunting along the Hiway 8 corridor area and one day stopped into the local gas station and as I was exiting I saw, hanging on the wall, a photo of a young man that appeared to be around 25 or so kneeling by a nice deer. The caption stated, In Memory of Shaun Winter.
Immediately I remembered the young mother so many years ago and her last name and recalled that her son’s name was Shaun. I turned to the teller and asked, “So, he didn’t beat that damn cancer?”
She stated, “No, he beat it. He was killed in a hunting accident during gun season.”
I actually felt the blood run from my face. I was just floored. What the hell! “Does his mom still live around here”, I asked. The teller didn’t know but stated she thought that his mom had moved away and that was that.
I didn’t hunt that day. I turned around and went home but over the next few weeks I was haunted by the memory of that young mother and how in God’s Holy name her son could beat cancer and then have this happen. What kind of God would let that happen? I simply had to find her and have her tell me what happened. I couldn’t explain it, since I had just known her for about 4 days, but I just had to know.
I finally located her after much effort, and a bit of luck. Surprisingly she remembered me.
I was at that time, Director of Facilities at the hospital and she said that she had a clinic appointment soon and would stop and tell me what happened.
When I saw her coming down the hall the memories of this young mother and her little son came flooding over me.
She told me that she had spent many hours at the hospital, many long trips and that her son had finally beaten the dreadful cancer. He had grown to be a strong young man, and gotten married. I saw a photo of him holding his mom’s hand at the top of Rib Mountain on his wedding day and the look of love they were exchanging was just heart wrenching.
That day of the gun deer season came as all do and although the young man wasn’t a gun hunter as much as he was a very fine bow hunter Shaun decided to join the group that day for the camaraderie of being with his family. Gun hunting is a family tradition up north and Shaun was all about family.
Apparently a deer ran between Shaun and another member of the hunting party and Shaun was struck and killed.
He had graduated from UW Madison with a Degree in Biochemistry and was studying for his MCAT’s so that he could enter medical school. He was considering a specialty in Pediatric Oncology so that he could help other children survive cancer.
The finality of it. The entire mother’s love in the whole world could not do anything. All the tears, all the prayers, nothing. My heart just sank.
He was 26.
This month he would have been 35.
“In Loving Memory of Shaun Winter” is a Face Book page that his mom started to keep the memory of her beloved son alive. I would ask all of you who consider me a friend to go to that site and see what pain looks like.
Real pain. Break your heart pain. Look at the photos. Read her comments. Just sit in a quiet place…and read them. A mother’s love is legendary; I know my ma loved me very much. I cannot imagine a mother loving her child more than this one. Or a mother’s pain of losing a child ..Being deeper.
A scholarship established in his name is at UW Marathon County. I again ask anyone that considers me a friend to give thought to donating to this scholarship. Any amount is welcome. This name needs to be remembered so that this story can go on being told.
Mothers, please, take time this fall to not just mention it. Sit your family down. Look them in their eyes. Get their attention. Tell them this story.

Be Careful out there.

Dick Lange, Colby, WI
Avid hunting enthusiast
promoting our youths’ hunting

11/22/2023

Tailgate Classics
By Al Subera

Enjoying picnic style food and consuming beverages before a football game is an iconic fall tradition. The weather has cooled and you can enjoy outdoor events without the heat and mosquitoes of summer. Tailgating has become a tradition and art form before, during and after high school, college and pro games. Wikipedia defines tailgating as “a social event held on and around the open tailgate of a vehicle.” This outdoor party is practiced in parking lots during concerts and festivals, however probably most often associated with college football in Madison and Packer games at Lambeau Field. Historically tailgating was an outdoor meal celebrating an ex*****on. (Wouldn’t want to be the guest of honor at that one.)
Currently typical food fare includes brats, burgers, steak, baked beans, potato salad, cheese and coleslaw with beer and Bloody Mary’s.
Be sure to include choices of non alcoholic drinks like coffee, hot cider and flavored water. Unfortunately too much emphasis is placed on drinking alcohol to the point of inebriation. Control alcohol consumption and show respect for yourself and others. To quote Dean Wermer from the movie Animal House “…Drunk and stupid is no way to go through life son.”
Madison pals Jo Ellen and Dean have attended UW Football tailgate parties more than 30 years and offered these observations:
*Their favorite foods are brats, burgers, hotdogs, cheese and crackers although they sampled roasted pig done in a cooker in a parking lot.
*Tailgaters range in age from infants to grandparents.
*Some tailgate parties number more than 100 folks.
The beer b**g, a popular activity clearly demonstrates not all tailgate behavior makes sense. Folks on a second story balcony pour beer through a funnel into a garden hose into the mouth of a party reveler 20-30 feet below. Go figure.
Try this menu in your backyard, park or favorite cool weather athletic event.

Grid Iron Sandwiches
Ingredients for Sandwich
1 1/2 # deli roast beef
3-4 tomatoes sliced
Greens
1 red onion sliced thin
Pickled sweet banana pepper rings (optional)
Loaf of French bread sliced lengthwise
Ingredients for Dressing
1/2-3/4 C mayonnaise
1/4 -1/2 C horseradish
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 – 3/4 tsp. dry thyme
1/2 tsp. granulated garlic (optional)
Procedure
1. Mix dressing ingredients.
2. Slather top & bottom slices of the French bread w/ dressing.
3. Arrange sandwich ingredients on 1/2 of the bread, cover w/ the other 1/2 & cut into
individual serving portions.
4. This is an adaptation of a recipe from “Tailgating Essentials Cookbook” by Anne Schaeffer.

Corn Salad
Ingredients for Salad
1 12 oz. pkg. frozen or equivalent of fresh corn
1 colored bell pepper chopped
2 stalks celery finely chopped
3-4 green onions chopped (include tops)
1 C cherry tomatoes cut in 1/2 & blotted on a paper towel
1 small cucumber seeded & chopped (optional)
Chopped parsley (optional)
Ingredients for Dressing
2 T olive oil or as needed
1 T lemon juice
1 T honey
Sea salt & pepper to taste
Procedure
1. Combine salad ingredients in a bowl.
2. Mix all dressing ingredients except oil then whisk in oil & toss w/ salad.
3. Chill 2 hours & serve.

Smoked Tailgate Baked Beans
Ingredients
*Either 1 15 oz. can ea. of black, kidney and cannellini beans or
6 C hydrated & cooked Great Northern, cannellini & or navy beans
* 1/2 C of your favorite BBQ sauce
1 onion chopped
1 colored bell pepper chopped
6 thick strips of bacon chopped
Molasses or maple syrup to taste
1/4 C cider vinegar
4 cloves garlic chopped
1 T ground sage (optional)
Red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
1/3 C bourbon or to taste
Procedure
1. Heat grill to 250 degrees.
2. Heat a iron Dutch oven on a stove, add bacon & cook off some of the grease. Remove all
but 2 T of the grease then sauté garlic & onion.
3. Mix remaining ingredients w/ the bacon mixture & place on grill.
4. Grill about 3 hours or until beans are done.
Note
*Canned beans contain a lot of sodium. Make your own from dry beans & control all of the
ingredients.
*Make your own BBQ sauce if you are concerned about the amount of sugar & sodium in commercially prepared products.

Grilled Pineapple Sticks
Ingredients
1-2 pineapples peeled & cut lengthwise into pieces 1” thick & 5-6” long
Skewers
Ingredients for the Marinade
1 C coconut milk
1-2 T maple syrup (if needed)
1 T vanilla or to taste
Procedure
1. Mix marinade ingredients & place in a plastic bag w/ pineapple.
2. Refrigerate over night.
3. Heat grill to 375 degrees & spray grates w/ oil.
4. Grill & turn pineapple 3-4 minutes / side.
5. This is an adaptation of a recipe from the “Tailgating Essentials Cookbook” by Anne
Schaeffer.

If you go plan to have fun, bring a camera and get swept up in a very old tradition. Be careful, respectful and responsible. You may want to reconsider the beer b**g idea.

This information is courtesy of your friends at the Extension of Lac Courte Oreilles
Ojibwe College 13466 W.
Trapani Rd. 715.634.4790
Ext. 156 & Farm 13457 W.
Froebel Rd. 715.634.9666
Hayward, WI. 54843.

11/21/2023

The Mayberry Guru
By Ken Anderson

Thankfulness and Wastefulness
For Americans, the month of November can mean different things. For many, especially in Wisconsin, November means deer hunting and the great outdoors. And, of course, November means Thanksgiving. A national holiday set aside to give thanks for our many blessings. But contrary to popular belief, Thanksgiving is not unique to America. A day of Thanksgiving is observed in Canada, Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Japan, and many other countries worldwide.
In Japan, Thanksgiving is called “Kinro Kansha no Hi,” which means Labor Thanksgiving Day. In the United States, we celebrate Thanksgiving Day every third Thursday of November, while Japan celebrates Thanksgiving every November 23rd. Japan’s Thanksgiving is a day set aside to honor the hard work of laborers.
According to the German Way & More, in German-speaking countries, Thanksgiving is an autumn harvest celebration called Erntedank or Erntedankfest (“harvest thanksgiving festival”). The observance usually occurs in September or October, depending on the region. The typical German, Austrian, or Swiss Thanksgiving celebration (Erntedankfest) is usually a rural harvest time observance with church services, a parade, music, and a country fair atmosphere.
Although countries worldwide have unique ways of celebrating Thanksgiving Day, America’s Thanksgiving practices are significant. We use Thanksgiving Day as a day set aside to give thanks for our many blessings as Americans. We sit around the family table laden with all kinds of delicious foods. At least, that is how Thanksgiving Day is perceived to be for all Americans.
But for many, food scarcity is a reality. Yet, our supermarkets have enough food to feed everyone. RTS Waste Services, a company that helps businesses and communities manage waste more responsibly using technology, estimates that nearly 35 million people across America, including 10 million children, suffer from food insecurity. At the same time that so many people are hungry, Americans, each year, discard more food than any other country, nearly 40 million tons or 30-40 percent of the entire US food supply. According to Forbes.com, 30 percent of the food we see in supermarkets is wasted.
I have difficulty processing all these statistics about hunger in the wealthiest country in the world. All that food ends up in landfills, only to be eaten by rats rather than those who desperately need it. Take a few moments on this Thanksgiving Day to think about those who are so desperately hungry. Especially the children. I will try to remember all this the next time I tell my wife, “I’m starved.”

[email protected]