BJ Hollars

If you happen to be reading this hot off the press (and it is, indeed, March 19, 2026), then congratulations, because you’ve found yourself thrust into a momentous occasion for which our citizenry has long awaited: the 154th anniversary of the incorporation of Eau Claire. Okay, perhaps “momentous” is too strong a word. Nevertheless, it’s here, so someone ought to celebrate it—at some point. Nationally, Eau Claire’s incorporation went entirely unnoticed.

Tomorrow 11am to 7pm Food Trucks @ Phoenix Park Opening Letters COLUMN: Looking Beyond the Rose-Colored Glasses A few weeks back, my family and I pulled into the Big Falls County Park parking lot to find it suspiciously empty. “We lucked out,” I said, festooning myself with bags of beach toys and inflatable animals as I led us on our cheerful walk toward the water. Yet within moments, it was clear our luck had run out.

In the spring of 1976, Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter – vying to become the Democratic presidential nominee – twice made history in Wisconsin. First, he won a squeaker of a state primary victory over Congressman Mo Udall of Arizona (so close that the Milwaukee Sentinel mistakenly published a headline declaring Udall the winner).