by Anya Firszt, General Manager
Hello dear Co-op Owners. August is the final month of summer. Now is the perfect time to get outside and enjoy what remains of the season.
We have a significant project planned at Willy East for the third week of August that you should know about. Read on.
Willy East Refrigeration Project Update
Willy East will need to close for a few days for some much-needed refrigeration work. The store will close at 7:00pm on Sunday, August 17 and we plan to reopen at 7:30am on Saturday, August 23. Willy North and Willy West will be open regular hours (7:30am–9:00pm) during this time. Our online store and delivery service will also be available—see shop.willystreet.coop for details.
The work will result in coolers that are easier to shop and offer a wider product selection in multiple areas of the store, specifically the Produce department, refrigerated grocery, and frozen grocery. The new coolers will be more energy-efficient, and the new type of refrigerant will have a significantly lower climate impact than what we currently use.
While the store is closed these days, case pre-orders cannot be placed and pre-ordered products cannot be picked up. Thank you for your patience while we perform this long-awaited work.
An additional note, the Willy East Rain Garden Session scheduled for August 20th is canceled due to the store closure. See you the following week!
Run for a Seat on the Board of Directors
This is a final reminder that the deadline to submit your application to become a candidate for the Board of Directors is 3:00pm on Thursday, August 28. Board candidates must either have attended a Board meeting in the last six months or attend a Board Candidate Orientation Session. There is not another Board meeting before the deadline, and the final scheduled Orientation Session is on Wednesday, August 20, from 4:00pm–5:00pm. (Email BDC@willystreet.coop at least 72 hours beforehand to get an invitation.) If the Orientation Session time is not conducive to your schedule, please contact BDC@willystreet.coop by August 14 with three dates and times when you are available so that we can work to schedule an Orientation Session with you.
There will be three vacant seats in this election cycle. To learn more about the Board, the application process, and the requirements for running, please review the Board Candidate Packet. You can find it at the Owner Resources Area in any of our three stores or visit willystreet.coop/run-for-board.
Once again, please remember that all candidate applications must be submitted by 3:00pm on August 28.
Neighborhood music festivals on the horizon
This month, the Co-op is a proud sponsor of the following events:
- The Sugar Maple Music Festival, hosted by the Four Lakes Traditional Music Collective, is a two-day outdoor music event taking place on August 1 and 2 at Wm G. Lunney Lake Farm County Park.
- The 2025 Magic Pride Festival will be held at Warner Park from 1:00pm to 6:00pm on Sunday, August 17. The festival will feature local LGBTQ+ performers, craft vendors, food, beverages, and more!
- Middleton’s Good Neighbor Festival —celebrating 59 years of “good music, good food, and good neighbors”—August 22–24 at Fireman’s Park.
- Orton Park Festival, hosted by Marquette Neighborhood Association, celebrates its 60th anniversary of outdoor fun and merriment from August 29 to 31.
2025 Owner Perks Passes
The Co-op is once again offering Perks Passes for Middleton’s Good Neighbor Festival! Perks Passes allow Owners to enjoy half-priced meals and beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) on Saturday, August 23, from 2:30pm–5:30pm at most food/beverage vendors.
Perks Passes for the Good Neighbor Festival will be distributed at Willy West starting on August 11 at 10am. Find details at willystreet.coop/owner-festival-perks.
There is one more Co-op-sponsored event this summer season where we will be offering Perks Passes, which is the Northside Festival held on Saturday, September 13. Look for details in the September Reader.
Willy East Mural Update
About a year ago, we started work on a mural project at Willy East, which was completed at the end of September. However, shortly after its completion, we noticed that the latex paint at the expansion joints between the EIFS panels began to peel. This has been a frustrating issue in addition to compromising the integrity of the artwork. We are currently researching to find a solution and will keep you updated.
Special dates to think about
- Sunday, August 17, Willy East: closing at 7:00pm.
- Monday, August 18–Friday, August 22: Willy East CLOSED for East refrigeration project.
- Thursday, August 28: Board candidate applications due no later than 3:00pm.
- Monday, September 1 (Labor Day): all stores are open until 7:00pm.
Hoping to see you out and about before the summer is over! —Anya
