Thursday, June 05, 2025

Juneteenth

 

From the Rivoli

In celebration of Juneteenth join us for a one night only screening of Marvel's Black Panther on Thursday, July 19 at 7:45 p.m. 

Tickets are $5 each and all profits will be donated to B.L.A.C.K. La Crosse. Get tickets herehttps://tinyurl.com/junteenthblkpnthr25


AND

SATURDAY, JUNE 21
NOON TO 7 P.M.
RIVERSIDE PARK

JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION

Join organizations and nonprofits in the La Crosse area to celebrate Juneteenth 2025.

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. More than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, the last group of enslaved people, in Galveston, Texas, learned on June 19, 1865,  that the war had ended and that they were free.

For more information and to sign up to volunteer, please visit the La Crosse Juneteenth Facebook page: https://facebook.com/100083568422627/

Wednesday, June 04, 2025

Cap Times Idea Fest

Cap Times Idea Fest, Sept. 8 - 13, Madison 

Idea Fest 2025 tickets are on on sale now! Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will be the keynote speaker on Friday, Sept. 12, preceded by New Yorker journalist Evan Osnos. Tickets for those sessions are available now, as are others to see Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Eugene Robinson for our Celebration of Journalism on Sept. 11. Tickets for that session include admission to all other festival events. We’ll be making more single-day tickets for those available soon!

Tuesday, June 03, 2025

Volunteers needed!!

Several volunteer opportunities are coming up this month. Here are a few. Help out if you can! Use the comment form to send more ideas!

THIS WEEKEND The Nature Place is hosting a paid parking fundraiser for the WIAA State Track meet this Friday, June 6th, and Saturday, June 7th! We need to have at least 15 volunteers EACH day. Each volunteer shift is 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. They prefer people who can commit to the whole time but will work with you if you can't. Training provided. Will be giving directions, accepting payments (including helping with Venmo payments), selling stuff, handing out lit. Sign up here: https://signup.com/go/mDCCroW

JUNE 15. Volunteers are needed to help out at the Kick Out The Clowns Community Block Party from noon to 2 p.m. at Riverside Park. Sign up here: https://action.womensmarch.com/events/la-crosse-wi-kick-out-the-clowns-end-the-greatest-shit-show-on-earth

JUNE 21.   Volunteer to help out at JUNETEENTH from noon to 7 p.m. at Riverside Park. Shifts vary - help with set up, run games, provide info, maintain the food area, help with entertainment, and more. Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4CA9A92DA3F8C34-56195388-lacrosse

Juneteenth Bike Parking Corral - Need one or two people between 2 and 7 p.m. Easy and green! Email CRSierraClub@gmail.com or call 608-315-2693 to sign up! Make your own shift!

Help plant a "Pocket Forest!" A high school student's Youth Climate Action Fund grant project is a demonstration Miyawaki Forest that will be planted at Summit Environmental School on French Island on Saturday, June 21. Use the contact form to ask for more details. 


Monday, June 02, 2025

Act now before it's too late!

The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act included amazing incentives and supports to move businesses, governments, non-profits, and individuals toward clean, renewable energy. Credits and incentives were set to expire, in most cases, in the next decade, but the Trump regime and its sycophants in Congress have other ideas. Some of these credits may end this year or next. So, if you care about the ever-worsening climate crisis, if you want to save money or ditch the fossil fuel industry as much as possible, act now before these incentives are cancelled.

Grow Solar is a solar group buy program for those in La Crosse County run by the Midwest Renewable Energy Association. Have a solar site assessment and learn the cost of installing solar. The group buy reduces the solar panel price to make it more affordable. In addition, federal credits and rebates are still in effect that can reduce the price of your project even more. Pay back times vary, but the price of electricity continue to rise. The solar credits are expected to end this year if our Republican overlords have their way. Now is the time to take the plunge. 

Attend a Solar Power Hour info session:

  • In-Person Solar Power Hour: Tuesday, June 4th at 5:30PM, at the People’s Food Co-op. Co-Hosted by the City of La Crosse and La Crosse County. REGISTER HERE
  • In-Person Solar Power Hour: Thursday, June 26th at 5:30pm at the Holmen Library. Co-Hosted by La Crosse County. REGISTER HERE
  • In-Person Solar Power Hour: Thursday, July 15th at 5:30pm at the Onalaska City Hall. Co-Hosted by La Crosse County. REGISTER HERE
  • In-Person Solar Power Hour: Thursday, August 7th at 5:30pm at the Nature Place. Co-Hosted by the City of La Crosse and La Crosse County. REGISTER HERE

Still need more convincing? Check out the 2023 Solar La Crosse Tour web site to see a sample of the variety of installations already in our area. Email us if you would like to chat with those who have already gone solar!

Another great program, this one for City of La Crosse residents, is a city partnership with Green Homeowners United, as part of the La Crosse Climate Action Plan. The program helps identify those who are eligible for income-based Focus on Energy credits. Eligible homeowners and landlords will receive

  • free home energy assessment
  • free on-the-spot energy upgrades like free sealing, LED lights, and HVAC duct sealing
  • up to $25,000 worth of additional grants to cover more sealing and insulating, electrification of heating system, and electrical service upgrades

Those already receiving assistance like WHEAP, Medicaid, SNAP, etc. are automatically eligible. Others may qualify by income.

Monthly gross income limits (in most cases, Line 9 of 2024 1040):

  • One person = $55,100
  • Two people = $63,000
  • Three people= $70,850
  • Four people = $78,700
  • Five people = $85,000

See the FoE eligibility page for more information.

To see if you are eligible, visit the program website. Act now - some credits may end soon!

Coming in September: applications will open for another round of Solar for Good grants funded by the Couillard Solar Foundation and administered though RENEW Wisconsin. "Through a generous partnership with the Couillard Solar Foundation, RENEW Wisconsin awards grant funding or solar panels to nonprofit organizations, helping them switch to clean, renewable, solar energy. ... RENEW Wisconsin prioritizes organizations that work in the areas of social justice, low-income communities, people of color, children or seniors, rural Wisconsin, education, and new technology or innovation."

Sunday, June 01, 2025