Joel Waldinger
Joel Waldinger is a reporter for the “Wisconsin Life” project and considers a sunset over the “big island” on Manson Lake to be a perfect ending to a day of fishing and fun in the Northwoods.
Latest Contributed Stories
January 28, 2021
Snow Makers Keeping Wintertime Fun
When the temperatures drop and the snow flies in Kewaskum, most people hunker down. For Jason Wood and Danny Dorn, it’s a signal to get busy orchestrating a symphony of ...
January 21, 2021
Bridging the “Cold War” Divide
Wisconsin has always been a beacon of German culture. Now, it is undergoing a renaissance at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. Walk across campus with Professors Heike Alberts and Monika Hohbein-Deegen ...
January 14, 2020
Connecting Art, Culture and Two-Spirit Identity
Ryan Young grew up in the Ojibwe community on the Lac Du Flambeau Reservation in northern Wisconsin. Despite this tranquil Northwoods setting, Young had a complicated childhood. “I felt isolated ...
December 24, 2019
Practice Makes Perfect for the Fond du Lac Blades on the World Stage
Sixteen ice skaters, one goal, and three minutes to prove it. Synchronized ice skating is moving in unison while gliding across the ice. That kind of precision and perfection takes ...
December 12, 2019
Randolph Woman’s Passion Propelled Her To Restore Hot Rods
Drive down Cemetery Road in Columbia County near Randolph and you’ll see some old hot rod muscle cars. Judging by the name of the road, you might think this is ...
November 18, 2019
Dina Nina Martinez: Ready or Not, Here She Comes
Comedy can be a risky business and Dina Nina Martinez knows that all too well. Originally from Texas, Martinez along with her dog Gurdy arrived in Madison via Los Angeles. ...
November 13, 2019
Edgar Dairy Farmers Reinvent Their Third-Generation Family Farm Into A Garden Oasis
For three generations, the Bauman family roots have run deep on this land. Dave and Debbie Bauman are not about to let that change. Their name in German means “small ...
November 13, 2019
At Home in the Ten Chimneys Estate
Whimsical, colorful and dramatic are just a few ways to describe the Ten Chimneys Estate nestled in the woods outside Genesee Depot in Waukesha County. The estate was once owned ...
October 31, 2019
Black Bears In Wausau’s Backyard
Tens of thousands of black bears roam Wisconsin and yet to see one up close is rare. Jeff Traska has the good fortune of having bear encounters on a daily ...
October 31, 2019
Stitching A Niche With Stoles
White, green, purple, red. Melinda Halom knows her church colors and the corresponding seasons. Halom is a part-time pastor at Bethel Lutheran Church in New Auburn. However, it’s her other ...
October 10, 2019
Newton Man’s Journey to Honor a Forgotten Daughter of Wisconsin Executed by Hitler: Mildred Fish-Harnack
Mildred Fish-Harnack was a Milwaukee-born, University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate and the only American woman executed on the direct orders of Adolf Hitler. Architect John Dubrow first learned about her from ...
October 1, 2019
Cadott’s World-Class Archer Right on Target
It’s 7:00 a.m. and Physical Education Teacher Scott Christenson has a gym full of teenage archers up early for practice. He brought archery as a sport to Cadott High School ...
January 28, 2019
Irish Road Bowlers Compete on Backroads of La Crosse County
The sound of a two-pound cannonball skipping across the pavement is unique and unmistakable. The cadence grows louder as the ball draws near and drifts into the surroundings shortly after ...
December 24, 2018
Effigy Mound Tour Provides Unique Perspective On First Nation’s History
Aaron Bird Bear is the Assistant Dean for Student Diversity programs in the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin Madison. He gives tours of the campus, described as ...
December 18, 2018
Woodworking Elves in La Crosse Brighten Holidays For Children In Need
Wooden toys are a timeless classic that have appeared under Christmas trees for generations. However, in today’s high-tech world of plastic gadgets, wooden toys are almost a thing of the ...
December 12, 2018
Ghana Carpenter Brings Rich African Art Tradition To Madison In The Form Of Designer Coffins
Sawing, nailing, laughing are the sounds you hear in Eric Adjetey Anang’s carpentry shop. Listen closer and you will hear his family’s legacy. Anang is a third generation craftsman in ...
November 21, 2018
Drum Maker Is Also Community Leader, Environmentalist And Student Of Nature
You’ll find Dylan Jennings out in the woods in all seasons. Hunting and gathering the way his ancestors did centuries before him. He speaks of nature being a powerful place ...
November 9, 2018
Medford Teacher Brings The Farm To The Classroom
Main Street in Medford looks like any other rural Wisconsin community. It’s home to the Taylor County Courthouse and is surrounded by farm country. So, maybe it’s not surprise that ...
November 1, 2018
Wisconsin Rapids Woman Is Known As The Alpaca Whisperer
Ask Audrey Hackbarth about her alpacas and you’ll get quite an answer. She will tell you about Terracotta, and the daughter she had, Saturn-Lee, and her daughter Jupiter-Lee. There is ...
October 10, 2018
St. Cloud Farmer Unlocks Secrets To Growing Giant Pumpkins
Round the corner when arriving at the Sippel farm and you might hear a rooster crowing in the distance or see a cat cross your path. This is rural life ...
September 20, 2018
Darlington Man Preserves Historic Downtown, Collects History
Along historic Main Street is where you can find life-long Darlington resident Ted Thuli driving his 1927 Franklin Limousine. It’s just one of his many collectibles. Thuli started collecting as ...
September 12, 2018
Retired Architect Creates Models Of Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Structures
In his retirement, architectural draftsman Ron Olsen was looking for something to keep him busy. At least his wife Judy was looking to keep him busy. They’ve been married for ...
September 12, 2018
Art Is Eye-opening Life Journey For Milwaukee Woman
Enter Milwaukee’s Lindsay Heights Neighborhood on the near north side and you’ll find abandoned houses, vacant lots and sometimes the sound of gunfire and violence. This is also the neighborhood ...
June 19, 2018
Volunteers Make Lake Michigan Trail Bloom
Mariners Trail is a public recreational path that runs between Manitowoc and Two Rivers. The five and a half miles stretch out along the Lake Michigan shore. On any given ...
May 17, 2018
Young Conductor Keeps Oldest German Men’s Choir Singing
At the end of the day inside Jefferson Middle School in Madison the hallways are filled with the acapella version of Zedd and Allesia Cara’s smash hit “Stay.” Choir director ...
March 14, 2018
Madison Woman Makes, Plays Unique Musical Instruments Called Handpans
The sound is unique and captivates the ear. Shaped like a UFO the handpan is a relative newcomer to the music scene. The music sounds ancient but was first created ...
January 12, 2018
Wisconsin Native Plays With The Rock Music Group Badfinger
As a content producer for “Wisconsin Life, I am often asked how I find stories in all corners of Wisconsin. Sometimes it’s by word of mouth, an article in a ...
January 5, 2018
Fiber Arts Designer Developing Fabric That Can Harness Sun’s Energy
Cellphones, laptops, battery-operated flashlights, our electronics are getting smaller and our need for energy is getting larger. So what if there was a way to take those items and mix ...
January 5, 2018
DNR Wildlife Biologist Shepherding Comeback Of Wisconsin’s Elk Herd
Trekking into Wisconsin’s great Northwoods you never know what you might encounter. A deer, a bear or perhaps Department of Natural Resources Biologist Laine Stowell covered in camouflage from head ...
December 29, 2017
High School Phenom Exceeds Expectation On Stage And Off
In many ways Zaria Roller is a typical Wisconsin teenager who enjoys her friends, a good laugh and checking out social media. But that is where the typical teenager title ...
December 22, 2017
Retired Milwaukee Teacher Plays Latin Music In Grupo Renacer
Margarita Sandoval Skare is a second-generation Mexican-American who loves to call Milwaukee home. She was born and raised just a few blocks from the United Community Center that serves Latin ...
December 15, 2017
Commercial Ice Fishing Has Door County Resident Hooked
Door County, Wisconsin can be a tourist hot spot in summer, but in the dead of winter the frigid temps send snowbirds south. For commercial ice fishermen Will Henriksen and ...
November 10, 2017
Wounded Warrior Makes Logrolling Championship Comeback
Travel to Hayward, Wisconsin in Sawyer County and two things standout. The giant muskie at the local fishing hall of fame and the locals are fanatics about their timber sports. ...
November 10, 2017
Milwaukee Musician Brings Wisconsin’s History To Life In Song
For more than 35 years David HB Drake has been traversing Wisconsin performing a vibrant musical history of our state called “Wiscon-Sing.” Drake is a folk singer, storyteller and historian. ...
November 4, 2017
Eau Claire Woman Considered One Of Africa’s Leading Female Playwrights
Born into African culture, your name, your family and your sense of place are highly valued. For Osonye “Tess” Onwueme, the name “Osonye” means, "If you like me, accept me ...
November 3, 2017
Madison The Mecca For German Wheel Gymnastics
Just over a decade ago, a niche sport rolled into Madison. In Europe and specifically Germany, it has become a national phenomenon. Here in the United States, not so much. ...
January 18, 2017
Polo Star Swings Into Action For The UW Polo Club Very Few People Even Knew Existed
Alyssa Daniels started attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison assuming she would spend her college years as a normal student. Then everything changed when horses entered the picture. Alyssa had been around ...January 12, 2017
High School Phenom Exceeds Expectation On Stage And Off
In many ways Zaria Roller is a typical Wisconsin teenager who enjoys her friends, a good laugh and checking out social media. But that is where the typical teenager title ...
November 24, 2016
The Art Is In The Details
If art is in the eye of the beholder, Manabu Ikeda's mind boggling art is a reflection of his imagination. “As a child I really liked penciling, just drawing lots ...
November 24, 2016
Stevens Point Woman Is On A Mission As A Matchmaker of Unwanted Stuffed Animals
In Stevens Point you’ll find Pat Hilpert, a woman on a mission. She collects critters, critters she has no plans to keep. When her husband of 53 years died Hilpert ...
November 10, 2016
Madison Artist’s Canvas Is The Human Body
Dawn Marie Svanoe is an artist with a flair for the dramatics and who is known for her black-light makeup artistry. She applies her craft for haunted houses like Screamin’ ...
November 3, 2016
Winemaker At Successful Wisconsin Winery Began As A French Exchange Student
The road to Wisconsin and Wollersheim Winery was an unusual one for Philippe Coquard. As a 13th generation winemaker the Coquard’s family vineyards date back to 1490. Coquard says, “It's ...
October 27, 2016
Guitars For Vets: The Healing Power Of Music In The Hands Of Heroes
His entire life Patrick Nettesheim knew what he wanted to be. Even at just four years of age Patrick knew. He wanted to be a guitar player and at the same ...
October 20, 2016
Explore A Rare, Behind-The-Scenes Tour Of The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame
Drive up to the iconic Lambeau Field on game day and you cannot help but feel the energy in the air. Brent Hensel gets that adrenaline rush every day after he ...
October 20, 2016
Former Ho-Chunk President Shares His Story Of Struggle And His Search For A Positive Life
Jon Greendeer is a self-taught man. After struggling with addiction and an unhealthy lifestyle, Greendeer looked to his Ho-Chunk roots to turn his life around. His current lifestyle stands in stark ...
October 13, 2016
The Largest Lavender Farm In The Midwest Calls Washington Island Home
When Martine Anderson and her husband Edgar arrived on Washington Island it was love at first site. Anderson can remember the lilac bushes in bloom and the fragrant smell across ...
October 13, 2016
Heartland Farm Sanctuary Rescues Animals and People
Nestled in the hills west of Madison is a barn like no other. Walk inside and you’ll see organized chaos that includes critters and caretakers. One of the animals, Lily ...
October 6, 2016
Glass Blowers Use Ancient Technique To Create Their Glass Art
Oulu is a small town sandwiched between Highway 13 and Highway 2 in northern Wisconsin, just north of Brule. Originally it was settled entirely by Finnish immigrants, including Sue Vojacek’s grandfather. Sue met her husband ...
September 29, 2016
DNR Educator Highlights Crane Migration At Sandhill Wildlife Area
In the backwoods of central Wisconsin, Britt Searles is in her environment and has an eagle eye for spotting wildlife under the forest canopy. Searles is a teacher by training ...
September 22, 2016
Beekeeper Finds Russian Honeybees Uniquely Suited To Wisconsin
It is unusual to find Russian honey bees in the United States, but Sue Dompke found a way to turn heartache into honey as a Russian honey bee breeder on Washington ...
January 26, 2016
Students Take Dance From The Street To Competition
It takes exercise, skill and a lot of practice to move from the streets to a break dancing competition. These middle and high school students in Madison are putting it ...
January 1, 2016
Green Bay Native Becomes Pageant Prodigy And Medical Marvel
In the Green Bay area and across Wisconsin Tina Sauerhammer isn’t a household name just yet, but don’t bet against it. She first competed for Miss Wisconsin in 2001 after ...
December 24, 2015
Green Bay Man Leaps Into Dream Job, Tending The Lambeau Turf
Game day at Lambeau Field in Green Bay has a party atmosphere. There is a sea of fans, a few bands playing the “Packers Polka” and tailgaters as far as ...
December 24, 2015
Farmer Finds Niche That Has Him Tending Crops All Year Round
Driving through Crawford County, Wisconsin you almost need to be lost in order to find Star Valley with a population of 21 and the home to John Zehrer’s farm. Zehrer ...
December 17, 2015
Rice Lake Man Throws Everything Into Achieving Olympic Dreams
“It's kind of funny because my mom is 5'5'', my dad's 5'7''. My brother is 5'9'' and I'm 6'5''. I came out of nowhere. I'm a freak of nature. I ...
November 26, 2015
Broadway Shines Bright Due To A Middleton Company
From the world’s tallest building in Dubai, to Main Street Disney in Orlando, to the lights on Broadway in New York City a Middleton, Wisconsin company is lighting the way. ...
November 19, 2015
Exotic Animals, Once Abused and Abandoned, Get Second Chance
Lions and tigers and bears…oh, and wolves, cows, llamas, and even a tortoise! All of these animals have found their way to the Valley of the Kings Sanctuary and Retreat ...
November 5, 2015
It’s No Fish Tale… Charter Boat Captain Is Living His Dream
The sky blue waters surrounding the Door County provide some of the best fishing in Lake Michigan. Just ask Charter Fishing Captain Don Grasse who grew up on the northern ...
October 29, 2015
Retired Teachers Raise Kids – The Nigerian Dwarf Goat Variety
Drive by this quintessential Door County farm and you’ll discover goats under the giant willow tree and if you look a little closer you are most likely to spot Lynne ...
October 23, 2015
Wisconsin’s First Female Brewmaster Crafts Her Way
Jamie Baertsch brews beer and she would say, “It’s a lot better than sitting at a desk all day.” If you ask Jamie how she became a brewmaster she will ...
October 23, 2015
Manitowoc Man Realizes Dream Of Running S.S. Badger
They come on motorcycles, semis and buses to experience another transportation tradition. As the horn sounds, passengers with tickets in hand climb onboard for a maritime experience. The S.S. Badger ...
October 15, 2015
Collectors Dream Of Creating National Bobblehead Museum
Phil Sklar and Brad Novak have known each other since middle school. They are both sports fanatics and now they will also be business partners. The two UW-Milwaukee grads are ...
October 15, 2015
Women Learn Life Skills While Preserving Maritime Landmarks
“It's a big dream”, Mary Beth Vollmer said as she approaches Plum Island for the last time this season. On this day, Vollmer arrives on the Northern tip of Door ...
October 8, 2015
You Must Be A Hotdogger To Drive The Wienermobile
Driving the streets of Madison, Becca Ream “relishes” the fact that her hot wheels turn heads. Ream says she can’t help but notice the attention, “We get people waving, honking, ...
October 2, 2015
Native American Artist Draws Attention To Mascot Controversy
"My name is Bedobin, my clan is Bear and I am artist Rory Erler Wakemup." Art is a process for Wakemup. He was raised in Minnesota but moved to Wisconsin ...
October 2, 2015
Passion For Photography Means Sky-High Adventures
Early in March and it’s a perfect morning to go flying. Marc Amenson would be the first to tell you, “No wind, had a couple of cups of coffee, my ...
November 11, 2014
UW-Madison Basketball Player Takes Pride In His Native American Heritage
Bronson Koenig is a standout basketball player with the UW-Madison Men’s Basketball team. He is also a proud member of the Ho-Chunk Nation and takes pride in his Native American ...
October 28, 2014
Appleton Native Pursues Her Dream Of Singing Opera
Ariana Douglas has the gift of music and in high school was known as the “girl who can sing”. This Appleton native soared to new heights at the UW School ...
October 21, 2014
DNR Biologist Uses Radio Transmitters To Track Wood Turtles
Carly Lapin is a Department of Natural Resources Conservation Biologist assigned to study wood turtles in northern Wisconsin. She will use radio transmitters to track approximately thirty wood turtles on the ...
October 14, 2014
Man Goes Deep To Explore, Preserve The Hidden Treasures Of Door County’s Caves
Gary Soule discovered caving as a teen. He has had a lifetime of discovery and adventure exploring Door County’s hidden, underground treasures. Gary has had run-ins with skunks, taken a ...
October 14, 2014
Man Turns Heads Cruising The Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal In His Amphicar
Russ Cihlar’s pet project is part car, part boat… 50-50 surf and turf. He discovered his first Amphicar as a teenager and 10 years later had a dream about it. ...
October 14, 2014
Dresses Designed By Holocaust Victim With Family Ties To Milwaukee Are Finally Brought To Life
In 1939, Paul Strnad sent a desperate letter to his cousin in Milwaukee in hopes the relative could help them emigrate from Prague after the Nazi invasion. The letter contained ...
October 7, 2014
DNR Researcher Bands Baby Eagles For Research On The Bird Population
Mike Meyer is a state Department of Natural Resources researcher who works with bald eagles. Each year, in early summer, his job is to band the state’s newest eaglets. With ...
July 29, 2014
Ecologist Researches Birds, Mammals And Aquatic Life On St. Martin Island
The Nature Conservancy’s Mike Grimm regularly walks this island sanctuary where most people will never step foot. Mike explores this newly acquired island for the National Fish and Wildlife Service ...
July 29, 2014
