If you have children and live in the Monroe area, sooner or later you are bound to meet the smiling face of Miss Kris.Miss Kris is the heart and soul of the children's room of the Monroe Public Library. She is there with a smile, greeting children by name and quick to remember their interests and personalities. Many young kids happily bounce up the stairs to the children's section to give her an update on their lives. She listens patiently, taking the time to pay attention, ask questions and genuinely care. Older kids play on the computer, read, do homework and chat away on the sofas and beanbags under her watchful eyes. Older kids like to gather after school or on weekends to be with their friends or play on the bank of computers available for their use. The Children's Room is a welco... 04/11/2008

What could be more important than location when selling your home? Maybe the photographs, according to a new study by the National Association of Realtors.  Gone are the days of grainy black and white pictures on photocopies MLS sheets.  Today's home buyer is internet savvy.  Over 80 percent of all home buyers look on the internet for homes, either to find the home they are interested in or to find out more information on a specific home.  Some Realtors may claim "Oh, not around here".  They are wrong.  I have heard that claim from Realtors in our community, yet I have heard the opposite from many of the buyers we work with.  If 80 percent of people are finding homes on the internet, the photographs are the first thing that will grab their interest.  No photograph, the buyer clicks on t... 04/04/2008

Monroe looks pretty spry for its age. Pull on the party hats because our town turns 150 years old on Friday!Join the Sesquicentennial Gala at Turner Hall on April 4 from 7 pm until 11 pm.  Community members will gather for a party featuring "Rocking Dueling Pianos", jokes, entertainment and much more.  There will be an opening ceremony, huge birthday cake, vintage item display, decades of costumes, souvenirs for sale, historical storytime, food, drink and dancing.  Tickets are $10 in advance at Ruf's, Turner Hall or the Chamber of Commerce, or $12 at the door.  The Monroe Theater Guild has put together a living history presentation and party for the area schools for Friday morning.  Homeschoolers are welcome to attend any of the shows, so call the district office for times and locations... 04/02/2008

If you are looking for something new and different to do in the next week, the following events are going on area:~The Gem, Mineral and Fossil show is happening Saturday, March 29 and Sunday, March 30 at the High School. Sponsored by the Badger Lapidary Society, there are hands on activities for the kids like panning gold. It is a fun way to explore earth sciences.~ The Monroe City Band is having a Cabaret Night at Turner Hall on Saturday, March 29. It starts at 8 pm and tickets are available at the door for $6.~ Toffler's Pub and Grill in New Glarus is featuring live music by the Mike Croft Trio on Saturday, March 29.  The opening receptions always feature wonderful nibbles by local chefs.~ A new exhibit opens up at the Monroe Arts Center on Thursday. Called "On A Liquid Planet", it fe... 03/29/2008

2007 has drawn to a close, and we can now see just how the real estate market performed. The media has been making it seem like the market is dead or at least terminally ill. Far be that from the truth. Yes, sales are down for the peak years of 2004-2006. That is true. There is no denying it. However, historical data shows that those were unusual years. Take a look at the following numbers:(for the purposes of this post, I examined residential property, residential income, farm, vacant land and commercial property sales listed in the MLS for Green County)2007 - 491 properties sold2006 - 581 properties soldThere is no question that there was a drop here. What happens when I go back a few years farther though?2002 - 545 properties sold (this was considered a record year at the time)2001 -... 03/20/2008