By: Anya Firszt, General Manager
Hello Dear Owners,
Welcome to August
The weather this summer has surely been something. I am not sure what the rest of the summer has in store, but I do plan to fire up the grill whenever I get the chance.
Here’s a sunny fact: 60% of Willy Street Co-op’s electricity comes from solar power.
West Refrigeration Project—August 9-14
The Willy West Refrigeration Project is happening this month—be prepared for a bit of disruption!
We will close early at 5pm on Sunday, August 9, and open at 8am on Monday, August 10. Other than those few hours, we will stay open throughout the project from August 9–14, and offer a reduced selection of refrigerated and frozen products during that time.
Willy North and Willy East will keep their regular hours (7:30am–9pm) during this time. Our online store and delivery service will also be available—see shop.willystreet.coop for details. The new coolers will be more energy-efficient, and the new refrigerant will have a significantly lower climate impact than what we currently use. Thank you for your patience while we perform this long-awaited work. For more information, see the article on pg. 8.
Change in the Reader
You’ll see a significant change in our August newsletter. From now on, the Co-op Deals flyer will be produced separately, allowing us to show you more sales! The flyer for the first half of the month will still be included in mailed print copies. Current and upcoming flyers will be available in the stores and online. To receive flyers by email, sign up at willystreet.coop/emails.
Festival Perks Passes—Round 2
This month, Co-op Owners can get Festival Perks Passes for the Middleton Good Neighbor Festival or the Northside Festival. Owners will enjoy half-priced meals and beverages (with or without alcohol) during a three-hour span at the following community festivals near our stores:
- Good Neighbor Festival: Owner perk is valid on Saturday, August 29, from 2:30pm to 5:30pm. These Perks Passes will be distributed at Willy West only starting on Monday, August 17, at 10am.
- Northside Festival: Owner perk valid on Saturday, September 12, from 11am to 2pm. These Perks Passes will be distributed at Willy North only starting on Monday, August 31, at 10am.
For additional information regarding the distribution schedule for Perks Passes, check out the Co-op’s website (www.willystreet.coop/owner-festival-perks).
DMA Sustainability Excellence Award
Earlier this year, I was honored to be nominated for the Destination Madison “Sustainability Excellence” award along with a few other local leaders. The winners were announced in June, and Tim (Pio) Piotrowski, Chief Beer Officer at Delta Beer Lab, received the award, which honors people in the hospitality industry who show outstanding dedication to sustainability. Congratulations, Pio—you truly stand out as a champion!
Don’t forget to mark your calendar:
- Willy West (only): closing at 5pm on Sunday, August 9.
- Willy West (only): opening at 8am on Monday, August 10.
- In recognition of Labor Day: on Monday, September 7, stores will close at 7pm.
In closing, have you ever wondered where the phrase “Dog Days of Summer” comes from? I used to think it meant the hottest days of summer, but it actually refers to Sirius, the Dog Star, which is part of the constellation Canis Major. The “Dog Days” are the 20 days before and after Sirius rises with the Sun, when the Sun shares the same part of the sky as Sirius, the brightest star visible from any part of Earth. Who knew?
Until next month, stay hydrated.
Anya
