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Wausau, 5/12/2013, Wausau Daily Herald
--- Amanda Seitz, Daily Herald Media, reported Community garden planned for Wausau's east side - City would give rent-free space for plots

Local leaders are plotting to build the city's biggest community garden on Wausau's east side.

The city is considering lending the Wausau Urban Community Gardens several vacant lots in the 1500 block of Second Street so a garden can be built on the site, Wausau's Community Development Director Ann Werth said. The garden would provide 30 to 40 plots on which residents could grow produce, flowers and herbs.

If the community gardens group strikes an agreement with the city for the lots, officials plan to relocate the community garden near Bridge Community Clinic, at 1810 Second St., to the 1500 block of Second Street. The clinic plans to close the garden, which holds about 17 plots, this summer because of a construction project that is expanding the center. Bridge Clinic will reopen the garden next year. A third garden, the East Towne Garden on Jefferson Street, will be open this summer.

Crews hope to start working on the new garden later this spring and plan for a summer opening, Jamie Kenealy, an AmeriCorps member who works at the clinic to create community gardens, said.

"It's going to be a much bigger garden than we've ever had," said Laura Scudiere, the executive director for Bridge Community Clinic, which helps to launch community gardens in the area.

The community gardens board hopes to create a five-year lease to keep the garden open, Kenealy said. That would allow for the space to get some use while the city markets the vacant lots to developers, Werth said. The lots are one block from the city's riverfront and the Trolley Quarter Flats apartment complex that opened up last year.

"That's a great use of the land temporarily until we sell that," Werth said.

Kevin Korpela, a Wausau grocery store owner who sits on the Wausau Urban Community Garden Board, said the new garden would be a great spot for neighbors to gather. The board also is considering installing picnic areas around the garden for friends and family to gather for outdoor lunches.

Korpela said work is expected to begin on the new garden in mid-June. The United Way Emerging Leaders group has agreed to help build and fund the garden, he said.

"I think there's an ability of community-building (and) of showing what hard work can be about with the lovely outcome of good vegetables," Korpela said.

Wausau, 5/8/2013, WSAW TV-7
--- Ryan Burk, WSAW TV-7, reported Local Businesses Provide Healthy Meals for Food Stamp Recipients

A new bill aimed at limiting the amount of junk foods purchased using food stamps has passed the state Assembly.

While the new bill could toughen regulations, many local business have already taken steps in recent years to get those on food stamps to eat healthier.

"The food stamp program provides an ability for someone during a tough time to still eat healthy." Says Kevin Korpela, co-owner of Downtown Grocery in Wausau.

That's the reason Downtown Grocery wanted to take part in the state's food stamp program. As Korpela sees it, it is a way to keep people making healthy choices even when money is tight.

The reality however is that not everyone uses food stamps to buy healthy products. That is why the state assembly has passed new legislation that would require food stamp recipients to spend at least two-thirds of their monthly allotment on healthy foods. For Kevin, he already sees many families use food stamps on healthier choices.

"There are families who are looking for good nutrition for themselves that our store provides an option for those choices. " Korpela says

Marathon County Public Health Educator Amanda Ostrowski has also seen first hand that many on food stamps are seeking out fresh and healthy foods. That is why she partnered with the Wausau Farmers Market to accept food stamps.

"Three years ago you could use your food share or your EBT card at grocery stores or convenience stores to buy whatever you would like but you could not use it at your local farmers market. That was something we wanted to change." Ostrowski said.

While the proposed food stamp legislation is not popular with everyone, others believe it could be a key in reducing food stamp fraud as well as working to curb the nation's obesity epidemic. As for now, businesses like Downtown Grocery and the Wausau Farmers Market will continue knocking down stereotypes about what foods are bought with food stamp cards one vegetable at a time.

Wausau, 2/26/2013, Wausau Daily Herald
--- Keith Uhlig, Wausau Daily Herald Media, reported 30th annual EATS fundraiser coming to UW Marathon County

If you go
What: EATS - Educational Assistance Through Scholarships
When: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday (doors will open by 6 p.m. for silent auction)
Where: University of Wisconsin Marathon County, 518 S. Seventh Ave., Wausau Cost: $40 in advance; $45 at the door
To learn more: For more information contact Zweck at 715-261-6280.
You should know: Event features food, drink, music and a silent auction

For three decades, Wausau-area chefs have served up their best bites at the University of Wisconsin Marathon County's annual fundraiser.

The tradition continues with the 30th annual EATS - Educational Assistance Through Scholarships - which will be held Saturday on the UWMC campus. More than 35 chefs and cooks will offer appetizers, soups, entrees and desserts, and the event also will feature live music, a silent auction, local beer by Bull Falls Brewery and a diverse selection of wines from Trig's Cellar 70.

It's a fun party, organizers say, but the purpose is serious. Last year, more than 500 people attended the event and they raised nearly $26,000 to support for students attending UWMC, said Brad Zweck, executive director of the UWMC Foundation. Proceeds from the event have ranged from $20,000 to $26,000 per year for the last decade or so. Attendance has ranged from 400 to 500 over the same time.

That money is important for students such as Blaine Gould, 19, a second-year UWMC student who plans to pursue civil or engineering at either UW-Madison or UW-Platteville next year. Gould received a $250 scholarship that likely was supported by the EATS fundraiser, and he hopes to earn another scholarship for next year.

The money doesn't cover all of his bills, but it "meant a ton," Gould said, "especially with college costs being as a high as they are."

Gould also is a second-year member of the EATS planning committee as part of a leadership program in which he is involved. Last year, he worked as a runner for the program, trying to learn what the event was all about.

"I had no clue as to what it was," Gould said.

After participating, "I thought it was excellent. Just to see how many people came, to help ... my generation of students," Gould said. "It's just amazing to see the support students get. It's a great boost to see that."

Wausau's Downtown Grocery has been participating in the event for at least seven years, said co-owner Kevin Korpela. The store will serve Three Sisters chili and Lumberjack bread - both made with hearty and healthy ingredients - at this year's event. For Korpela, the event offers an opportunity "to assist in a small way to provide a way to help bring more participation in education."

Megan Curtes, the owner of Be Well Bakeshop and an employee of Downtown Grocery, will serve her Denali brownies, a chocolate dessert with blueberries added to it.

"I believe in students being able to have the opportunity to go to school," Curtes said. "It's nice to help raise money for students to continue on. But it's a fun event, it's fun to mingle with other professional and amateur chefs. It's a really nice, warm atmosphere."

The captions for the three photos:
Photo One: Good EATS: Megan Curtes, owner of Be Well Bakeshop and an employee of Downtown Grocery, both participants in Education Assistance Through Scholarships (EATS), talks about her participation in the fundraiser for scholarships at UWMC. / Dan Young/Daily Herald Media A baker works Monday at Downtown Grocery in Wausau, one of the participants in the EATS fundraiser for the University of Wisconsin Marathon County. / Dan Young/Daily Herald Media

Photo Two: A baker works Monday at Downtown Grocery in Wausau, one of the participants in the EATS fundraiser for the University of Wisconsin Marathon County. / Dan Young/Daily Herald Media

Photo Three: Kevin Korpela of Downtown Grocery, center, and Megan Curtes, right, of Be Well Bakeshop talk with Belinda Fechhelm of Marshfield at a wellness event. Both Korpela and Curtes will offer bites at Saturday's EATS event at UWMC. / Daily Herald Media file photo

Wausau, 1/19/2013, Wausau Daily Herald
--- Amanda Seitz, Daily Herald Media, reported "Downtown Grocery expansion debuts"

Alan Henke said it was the best cup of coffee he ever had in Wausau.

Henke, 66, of Wausau sipped java Thursday as he sat in a rocking chair of the expanded section of Downtown Grocery, which was unveiled Thursday and doubled the shop's size to 3,000 square feet.

"Just to sit back and enjoy the moments of (the new store) was very pleasing to me," Henke said. "I told (the co-owner) this was the best cup of coffee I've ever experienced in Wausau, and I’m a coffee shop guy."

Co-owner Kevin Korpela said the Third Street store, which specializes in offering organic foods, now features a bigger kitchen and dining area. The new section of the grocery store has kept the feel of the old part; handcrafted wooden shelves stand tall in the new addition, wood lines the floor and intricate, white tin covers the ceiling.

"We're really excited, all of us, our grocery team, to have space to more competently assist our customers," Korpela said.

Joan Eckert of Wausau was happy to find Thursday a new seating area at the store with several additional chairs and tables, because in the past, she had not been able to find seating during lunch. Eckert said she visits Downtown Grocery every weekday to pick up a salad or bowl of soup.

"Lots of times, I had to take the food that I bought and eat in my car," Eckert chuckled.

"The new area, there's more tables and they're spread out. It feels expansive."

Additional food selections, from more cheese to dried fruit, will pop up in the store during the next year, Korpela said.

"We're looking at every department in a thoughtful way to expand the selection," Korpela said.

Wausau, 1/19/2013, Wausau Daily Herald
--- Amanda Seitz, Daily Herald Media, reported "Students create art for Downtown Grocery"

Wausau East High School art students are getting the chance to work with a real client while helping the crew members of Downtown Grocery transform their store.

Desiree Spoores, an 18-year-old senior at Wausau East, worked with 14 other junior and senior classmates to paint a mural of vegetables on the window front of Downtown Grocery in October, which covered up ongoing construction in the store's new addition. Some of that window mural will stay up for weeks or months, store co-owner Kevin Korpela said.

Spoores said it felt good to create art for somebody else and she was happy that her work was on display for downtown Wausau passers-by.

"I’ve never had anybody ask me to paint them anything before" Spoores said. "It was nice to know that my paintings and all of the other student paintings were appreciated and wanted in the store."

Wausau East Art teacher Joel Pataconi said he partnered with Korpela last spring when students created different paintings to hang around the store. Now, Korpela will ask the Wausau East art students for help again to come up with creative decor for the walls of the 1,500 square feet of store he opened up earlier this week. Pataconi said partnering with a Wausau business such as Downtown Grocery gives students the chance to work for somebody else, instead of just creating art for their own pleasure.

"High school students are pretty self-absorbed into what they want to do," Pataconi said. "I think this kind of opens up their eyes to try and make work for a different audience."

Spoores, an aspiring art teacher, said she’s already thinking up ideas for her next creation to hang on the walls of the grocery store.

"I'd like to be able to stretch my abilities even more. It depends on what Kevin wants us to do, but I really like to paint vegetables," Spoores said.

Wausau, 12/10/2012, Wausau Daily Herald
--- Jeff Starck, Daily Herald Media, reported Downtown Grocery plans to double in size

The article announces Downtown Grocery's plan to expand into the adjacent storefront to double its size.

Wausau, 10/24/2012, Wausau Daily Herald
--- Amanda Seitz, Daily Herald Media, reported Downtown Grocery cooks up success in the Special Report "Made in Central Wisconsin"

The Special Report titled "Made in Central Wisconsin" features stories about Downtown Grocery and the gluten-free bakery by Be Well Bakeshop.

Wausau, 3/5/2011, Wausau Daily Herald
--- Jake Miller of the Wausau Daily Herald reported "Plans for community food garden growing in downtown Wausau". Living in a cramped city block can make it hard to garden, but that could change in Wausau this spring. A downtown community garden with 18 plots is planned for the 1800 block of Second Street, where organizers hope residents can plant, nurture and harvest fruits, vegetables and flowers. The Wausau Second Street Community Garden is the brainchild of several people and organizations, including Downtown Grocery co-owner Kevin Korpela and Bridge Community Health Clinic Executive Director Laura Scudiere.

Scudiere and Korpela said the garden is for anyone, but a primary goal is to make it accessible to low-income residents and to provide education about how to grow food and cook it. "Under guidance, most people can have a successful garden," Korpela said. The garden's organizers have raised about $10,000, but they'll need another $10,000 for supplies, tools and labor, Scudiere said.

The garden will be next to the Bridge Clinic. Scudiere said the clinic won't be building on the vacant lot anytime soon, so it's the perfect place for the garden. The sustainable garden will include rain barrels, a water cistern and compost bins. "When we are successful, we'd like to replicate it throughout the city," Scudiere said. "We'll start here at Bridge Clinic, but there are other places that could use some (gardens).

Plots will be available on a sliding-fee scale to make them affordable for anyone, Scudiere said. Also, volunteers or businesses can sign up to garden and then donate the harvest to The Neighbors' Place, which will have its own plot. Master gardeners, nutritionists from Marathon County Health Department and other experts will provide education to gardeners. Korpela said the garden also is a city beautification project that ultimately can bring people from the community together. "It's welcome to all and allows for (people from) various income levels to share the same space and learn from each other," he said. Anyone interested in donating to the garden can call the Garden's AmeriCorps member, at 715-848-4884.

Wausau, 7/07/2010, WSAW News Channel 7
--- WSAW TV-7 featured Downtown Grocery in 'Grocers Seeing Increase in Demand for Ethnic Foods'. DG Co-owner Kevin Korpela stated "...people are looking for fun and exciting foods." Reporter Jennifer Kliese wrote:
--- Grocers say they've seen an increase in demand for ethnic foods in the past few years. The owner of Downtown Grocery in Wausau says customers come in asking for specialty ethnic foods quite often. They've worked with local farmers who have started to grow a broader range of products, like celery root or a Native American vegetable called sunchoke. "I think people in general are looking for fun and exciting foods. It also happens to be that most of our ethnic or family foods are often interesting and unique vegetables that often perhaps haven't been as popular as in years past," says Kevin Korpela, owner of Downtown Grocery. The store holds ethnic cooking classes, and offers a lunch menu of foods from all over the world.

Wausau, 6/19/2010, Daily Herald Frontpage (2 page PDF)
--- The front page (and page 4A) features an article titled "Residents revel in downtown revival" on the Downtown Wausau Third Street three-block reconstruction where the 400, 500, and 600 Block were demolished and rebuilt with details and furnishings similar to the 300 Block reconstructed three years ago. Several residents and business owners were asked about the project, and Kevin Korpela, co-owner of Downtown Grocery, said, "For the past seven weeks, we've just had to be careful where we walked and listen for beeps."

Wausau, 11/30/2009, Daily Herald Frontpage (PDF)
--- The front page features an article titled Downtown Grocery Cultivates Awareness with a Q & A with one of its co-owners, Kevin Korpela, about how it recovered from a downturn in sales in late 2008 along with much of the rest of the economy while continuing to push "buy-local" movement.
--- Also, the article above was published on 11/30/09 in the following newspapers: Appleton Post Cresent, Marshfield News Herald, Stevens Point Journal, and the Wisconsin Rapids Tribune.

Wausau, 11/29/2009, WAOW News Channel 9
--- In report titled, Shoppers attended alternative holiday market featured the Alternative Holiday Market taking place in Downtown Wausau over the Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend at two downtown Wausau churches, Unitarian Universalist and First Presbyterian, to provide a market for local non-profits, artisans and businesses that offer gifts that follow Fair-trade, Humanitarian, Local, and Sustainable practices that follow a long-view approach, "Don’t just make a purchase - Make a difference!"
--- Background video included the vendor stand for Downtown Grocery staffed by co-owner, Kevin Korpela.

St. Paul, Minnesota, 11/23/2009, Heavy Table, Gastro-Tour
--- An article titled, If You Find Yourself to be in the Wausau Area, features The Mint Cafe and Downtown Grocery. Heavy Table is a Twin-Cities Magazine about food & drink in the Upper Midwest.

Wausau, 11/08/2009, Daily Herald Sunday, Section C1, Community Conversation
--- The front page of Section C features an article titled, Downtown moves toward full-time, about past efforts and the potential future to offer downtown Wausau visitors more evening and weekend hours. Downtown Grocery is one fo the several shops open on Sunday, Co-owner Kevin Korpela states, "We wanted to be open on Sunday because that was just an important thing to do for a grocery store."

Wausau, 10/22/2009, Conference Presenter: "Recapturing Your Downtown 2009"
--- Kevin Korpela (Co-owner, DowntownGrocery.com; Architect, ObservatoryDrive.com) presented a lecture:
         Title: Small City Downtowns. Once Forgotten, Now Found - Downtowns are the historic city...
                   ...centers but they need “more feet on the street” to return these centers to the city."
         Sponsors: Wisconsin Main Street, Wisconsin Department of Commerce, Wisconsin SBDC Network,
            Wisconsin Downtown Action Council, UWSP-Continuing Education, Vierbicher Associates,
            Wisconsin Public Service, Jefferson Street Inn.
          Download Conference 2009 Brochure

Wausau, 8/18/2009, WSAW News Channel 7
--- Architect Kevin Korpela, Co-Owner, Downtown Grocery.com, is interviewed in a Channel 7 News Report titled, Buying Locally Can Boost Your Local Economy, on how you can help your local economy get into an upswing through buying from independently owned stores pumps 20 percent more money back into your community than buying from a big box.

Wausau, 8/02/2009, WAOW News Channel 9
--- Architect Kevin Korpela, Co-Owner, Downtown Grocery.com, offers information in a Channel 9 News Report titled, Organic food no healthier than conventional? , on a new study suggesting organic is no healthier than conventional. Korpela disagrees. The study didn't look at the big-picture, such as pesticides or key nutrients. When organically-grown plants de...fend against stress and disease, they "...build higher levels of antioxidants and polyphenols...Then of course the humans benefit."

Wausau, 4/19/2009, Daily Herald Front Page
--- In the Sunday front page story, Green's changed since first Earth Day, Downtown Grocery is mentioned as one of the signs of the growing green movement in Central Wisconsin.

Stevens Point, 4/7/09, UWSP-Center for the Small City, Spring Lecture
--- Kevin Korpela, Co-owner, Downtown Grocery and Owner, Observatory Drive.com, presented a lecture:
         Title: Small City Downtowns. Once Forgotten, Now Found - Downtowns are the historic city...
                   ...centers but they need “more feet on the street” to return these centers to the city."
         When: Tuesday, 4/7/09, 7-8 PM
         Where: Rm 227, Collins Classroom Ctr, 1801 4th Ave, UW-Stevens Point
         Sponsor: Center for the Small City, UW-SP
         Download poster: Click link above

Wausau, 3/10/2009, Thanks Kevin! from Buy Local Central Wisconsin
--- Photo of Kevin Korpela preparing for a race. Also, "Thanks, Kevin" for supporting "Buy Local" movement.

Wausau, 3/4/2009, Educational Assistance Through Scholarships from Buy Local Central Wisconsin
--- A new "Buy Local" website reports on the forthcoming 2009 UW-MC "EATS" event to be held March 7, 2009, to raise funds for student scholarships. The event will feature culinary samples prepared by various "Guest Chefs" from local businesses and citizens. The report also called attention to "Downtown Grocery" being a local source for Indian food such as the Indian-style samples they'll prepare for the event.

Wausau, January 8-15, 2009, The City Pages, Cover Feature " Persons to Watch in 2009 (PDF)"
--- Kevin Korpela, Co-owner, Downtown Grocery and Owner, Observatory Drive.com, was one of five people featured in the 1/8/09 issue. The "Cover Feature" stated:
        "They might be considered fascinating people, or up-and-comers, or spirited personalities.
       But most of all, they're simply interesting individuals making a mark in the Wausau area.
       The array includes:
          - A young architect who co-founded an organic grocery store that
            some are amazed is still after two years in this market."
          - [Plus four more interesting individuals.]

Wausau, October 2008,Conference "Recapturing Your Downtown 2008"
--- Downtown Grocery presented a lecture:
         Title: Downtown Grocery in Nine Parts
                   Build Community by Growing a Local Food Economy?
         Sponsors: Wisconsin Main Street, Wisconsin Department of Commerce, Wisconsin SBDC Network,
            Wisconsin Downtown Action Council, UWSP-Continuing Education, Vierbicher Associates,
            Wisconsin Public Service, Jefferson Street Inn.

Wausau, September 2008, The City Pages, Best of Survey
--- Downtown Grocery was voted by the readers as their "Favorite New Store" and "Best Vegetarian Deli."

Wausau, 6/26/2008, WAOW Newsline 9 Political Blog
--- Producer Katie Rosenberg writes in an essay titled The Young and Restless: Where Do We Go From Here? that "...the Y&R are bent on making society are better place economically, aesthetically and even environmentally, and that young people like Kevin Korpela, co-owner of Downtown Grocery, can identify with these concerns."

Wausau, 5/13/2008, City of Wausau Historic Landmarks Commission
--- At the beginning of the City Council Meeting this day, the Historic Landmarks Commission of the City of Wausau presented a Certificate of Recognition to Kevin Korpela, Architect /for Downtown Grocery's efforts to restore of the 1500 SF interior storefront during the Spring of 2006 for use as the new Local-Organic Grocery Store called Downtown Grocery that opened in July 2006. The Certificate stated the following: