photo by Ben Russell
The Hays
The Hays are actual people, not hay rolls. Don and Lisa are transplants from Chicago who moved from a high rise building with a population similar to that of Mineral Point. They now live in an old rock house and run a B&B that doesn’t serve breakfast. It’s just a “B.” They feel lucky to be “living the dream” and raising their daughter in a town with such nice people.
Josh Berg
Josh is an employee at High Street Sweets where he gets to interact with all the different and interesting people that visit Mineral Point. This fall he will be attending UW-Madison with the hopes of obtaining a degree in Biology. He is looking forward to the experiences he will have at UW. In his free time Josh likes to play music on his guitar, trumpet, and piano and to run outdoors on the rolling hills of southwest Wisconsin.
Julie Stephenson was born and raised in Southwest Wisconsin. Her home sits just outside of Mineral Point in what she refers to as “The Compound.” She is continuously captivated by the beauty of this area and has a camera in hand at all times. She stays busy as a social media consultant, school board member, community organizer, and proud parent of 2 adorable children.
I came to Wisconsin via Illinois via the Philippines. Growing up on my grandparents’ farm I was spoiled with tropical fruits, indigenous vegetables, and freshly caught fish from the nearby river. Southwest Wisconsin is special to me because just like where I grew up, there is a strong cultural identity and a passion for local foods. I am a music teacher, singer, photographer, fashionista, gardener, not quite a baker, and generally a lover of life!
Susan Webb
Susan Webb is “The One with the Triplets.” When you live in a small town, that – and whose house you bought – is enough to identify you. Susan has other occupations, such as a freelance designer and library worker, but her biggest job is getting out of the house and having fun with her kids.
Molly Palzkill
Originally hailing from Mineral Point, Molly Palzkill is a junior at UW Madison currently studying Child Development and Psychology. At 20.7 years old, she enjoys apple pie, thunderstorms, warm socks, her dog Patsy, and Parks and Recreation. Molly loves doing street photography, or what she calls “creeptography,” and currently runs a photo blog called “People of Madison.” If you want to chat with her about the meaning of life or just the weather, you can find her working at the front desk of the Memorial Union.
John Wunderlin
John Wunderlin and his family moved to Mineral Point nearly 20 years ago. John is a founding member of the Iowa County Astronomers club and is frequently found in his backyard observatory taking pictures of the night sky on clear nights. John and his wife Nancy own All-Pro Software. John also plays French Horn with the Beloit-Janesville Symphony Orchestra.
Mike Mitchell
Mike is a true local. Like his parents and grandparents, Mike was born and raised in Mineral Point and runs the local hardware store at the top of High Street. While everyone in town already knows Mike, visitors are likely to meet him as well. You can find him in the window of his shop, or you’ll see him in a play or singing on stage. If he’s not performing then he’s in the audience laughing louder than anyone else. He’s sort of like the Master of Ceremonies for the town, especially on the 4th of July. He’s hard to miss, actually. He’s a big man in a small town and he has a few stories to tell.
Lily Bragge
Lily Bragge is an Australian journalist, author and musician who, in late 2009 married an American drummer and found herself living in the wilds of Wisconsin (Mineral Point). She is the author of My Dirty Shiny Life, a memoir published by Penguin. Lily and her husband, Gregory Merrick play in the band Cupola together with Mineral Point local, Jesse Bauman.
Megan O’Connell
Megan O’Connell was introduced to Mineral Point through an internship at Shake Rag Alley Center for the Arts as part of her academic career in 2012. At the end her internship, she stayed on as an office assistant until her college graduation in 2013. After a brief hiatus to the big city of Appleton, Megan rejoined the Shake Rag crew full-time. She loves the rolling hills of Mineral Point and the heart-warming paths of Shake Rag Alley. When not nestled in the Shake Rag Alley office, you can find her adventuring in the great outdoors with her fiancé and their dog, Pip.
High Street Beat 