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In the News

References "In the News or On the Internet" for Kevin Korpela and Observatory Drive.com:

Stevens Point, WI, Conference, 4/15/14
--- Kevin Korpela presented at a conference: A Workshop on The Built Environment: Planning and Design in Small Cities and Towns, April 15-16, 2014, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Kevin presented at the session titled,
"Case Studies in Planning and Design" Moderator, Edward J. Miller, Department of Political Science, UWSP Panelists:
         - William J. Burke, Principal, W.J. Burke & Associates/Davy Engineering, Lansing, Iowa,
           “Lessons Learned: The Stevens Point, WI, Downtown Mall”
         - Michael Ostrowski, Director, Stevens Point Development and Redevelopment Authority,
           “Recent Revitalization Efforts in Downtown Stevens Point”
         - Kevin Korpela, Proprietor, Downtown Grocery Inc., Wausau, WI,
           “An Old-Fashioned Grocery on Main Street in Wausau”
         - Coleman Peiffer, Senior Planner, North Central WI Regional Planning Commission,
           “Issues and Opportunities for North Central’s Regional Livability Plan”
--- Sponsored by the Center for the Small City, Center for Land Use Planning, Department of Geography and Geology, Division of Interior Architecture, and the Colleges of Letters & Science, Professional Studies, and Natural Resources at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
--- Download Conference 2014 Brochure


Wausau, WI, Pecha Kucha Night, 11/5/11
--- Kevin Korpela presented at a
"Pecha Kucha Night: Twenty Slides in Twenty Seconds", Monday, December 5, 2011, UW-Marathon County, Wausau, WI. Several local professionals made a seven minute presentation about their work. Pecha Kucha is a presentation style in which 20 slides are shown for 20 seconds each (six minutes and 40 seconds in total). The format, which keeps presentations concise and fast-paced, powers multiple-speaker events called a PechaKucha Night.
--- Kevin is an Architect, Artist, and Business Leader and creates possibilities by finding patterns in the things around us everyday through experience in design, community building, and business ventures.

Stevens Point, WI, Conference, 4/6/2011
--- Kevin Korpela served on a panel: 18th Conference on the Small City & Regional Community, April 6-7, 2011, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Kevin presented at Session titled,
"Economic Opportunity and Environmental Sustainability". Moderator, Duane Greuel, Stevens Point, WI, with Presenters:
         Tom Wolf, Co-owner, Café 27, Stevens Point, Wisconsin
           “Owning and Operating an Environmentally Sustainable Restaurant”
         Kevin Korpela, Co-owner, Downtown Grocery, Wausau, Wisconsin
           “Owning and Operating a Sustainable Grocery Store in a Small City”
         Steven H. Schinker, Esq. Corporate Counsel, Wausau, WI,
           “Going for the Green: Business Opportunities in Today’s Environmental Climate”
--- Sponsored by: UWSP Center for the Small City and the Wisconsin Institute for Sustainable Technology (WIST).
--- Download Conference 2011 Brochure


Wausau, WI, The Leadership Academy II, 1/14/2010
--- Kevin Korpela served as a panelist for the Leadership Academy II, Wausau, Jan. 13-15, 2010, including the session:
"Leadership & Vision of the ARTSbLock and Downtown Wausau". Kevin served as one of the three panelists alongside Jim O'Connell of ARTSblock, and Jim Rosenberg, Member of the City Council/County Board, to talk about Downtown Wausau over the past 30+ years and for the future.
--- The Academy is designed for faculty and staff working in UW-Extension and UW Colleges whose graduates emerge with a multidimensional perspective needed to meet the challenges of a constantly changing environment, to think strategically, and to act collaboratively to serve needs of Wisconsin.

Wausau, WI, Daily Herald Monday's Frontpage (PDF), 11/30/2009
--- The front page features an article titled Downtown Grocery Cultivates Awareness with a Q & A with Architect Kevin Korpela, Managing Member, Downtown Grocery, 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.

Wausau, WI, City of Wausau Common Council, 11/24/2009
--- Kevin Korpela presented remarks to the Common Council regarding their upcoming vote on reconstruction work related to three-blocks of "Main Street" or called Third Street. A five-page letter accompanied the remarks. Click the "Case Studies" link on menu above for more information.
         Click link to read more: Main Street Conversion


St. Paul, MN, "Heavy Table: Gastro-Tour", 11/23/2009
--- 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 and features a photo of Architect Kevin Korpela inside Downtown Grocery.

Wausau, WI, "Recapturing Your Downtown 2009", Statewide Conference, October 2009
--- Kevin Korpela (Architect, ObservatoryDrive.com; Managing Member, DowntownGrocery.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


UW-Marathon County, Wausau, Guest Lecturer, 4/30/09
--- Kevin Korpela, Architect, was a guest lecturer at a College:
         
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: Thursday, 4/30/09, 11:30 AM
         Where: UW-Marathon County
         Class: Environmental Science Course on Urbanization and Sustainable Cities
         Instructor: Dr. Louis Pech


UW-Stevens Point, Center for the Small City, Spring Lecture, 4/7/09
--- Kevin Korpela, Architect, gave a public lecture titled:
         
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 Lecture Poster


Wausau, WI, The City Pages "Persons to Watch in 2009 (PDF)", 1/8/2009
--- Kevin Korpela was one of five people featured in the "Cover Feature":
         "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 open after two years in this market."
            - [Plus four more interesting individuals.]


Wausau, WI, "Recapturing Your Downtown 2008", Statewide Conference, October 2008
--- Presentation titled:
         Title:
Downtown Grocery in Nine Parts: How does a Farmer and an Architect...
                   ...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, WI, WAOW Newsline 9 Political Blog, 6/26/2008
--- Producer Katie Rosenberg writes in an essay titled The Young and Restless: Where Do We Go From Here?. In this essay, Katie says that "...the Y&R*** are bent on making society a better place economically, aesthetically and even environmentally, and that young people like Kevin Korpela, Managing Member, Downtown Grocery, can identify with these concerns."
*** Editor's Note: The term Y&R or "Young & Restless" references a demographic name for those individuals identified in 2005 whom are aged 25-35 years old. This group of individuals shares common traits including three things: they are more single, more footloose, and more educated than those of the same age from any previous generation. Editor: Kevin Korpela.

City of Wausau Historic Landmarks Commission, 5/13/2008
--- 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, for the restoration 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:

City of Wausau
Presents this
Certificate of Recognition
to
Downtown Grocery.com
in acknowledgedment of the restoration of
607 Third Street
by the City of Wausau and the
Wausau Historic Landmarks Commission
DATED: May 13, 2008

Wausau, WI, WAOW News Channel 9, 2/21/2008
--- News Reporter Jessica Sirl interviews Kevin Korpela for a report "Environmentally Friendly Grocery Bags" and how Downtown Grocery has designed a series of locally-made reusable grocery bags.

Wausau Daily Herald, 1/15/08
--- Photo of Kevin Korpela is halfway through slideshow of Butch McCartney's 2007 favorite photos

Marshfield News Herald, August 2007
--- Kevin Korpela is quoted in an article about sustainability and communty-building

Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune, August 2007
--- Kevin Korpela is quoted in an article about sustainability and communty-building

Stevens Point Journal, August 2007
--- Kevin Korpela is quoted in an article about sustainability and communty-building

Wausau Daily Herald Progress Section Wausau East, 4/17/07
--- "Downtown grocery puts local first"

Wausau Daily Herald Progress Section Wausau East, 4/17/07
--- "Downtown enjoys $100 million revival"

Wausau WSAW Channel 7, 7/8/06
--- Leaving Their Mark: Chalkfest '06

Wausau Daily Herald, 7/8/06
--- Grocery aims to satisfy home-grown demand

Wausau Daily Herald, 6/2/06
--- Downtown Grocery.com hosts open house

Wausau Daily Herald, 3/31/06
--- Old Wausau East a source of inspiration for artists

Wausau Daily Herald, 3/10/06
--- Downtown grocery store will fill niche

Wausau Daily Herald, 3/7/06
--- Grocery store coming to downtown Wausau

Wausau 12/27/05: le dernier Cri (a quarterly newspaper)

Wausau Daily Herald, 11/15/05
--- Square hearing draws 'openness' advocates

Salt Lake City 2005: University of Utah, Alumni News

Wausau WAOW Channel 9, 7/9/05
--- Kevin Korpela was interviewed by a reporter regarding the two-day event called ChalkFest Wausau 2005

Ironwood Daily Globe, 7/6/05
--- New city hall favored

Wausau Daily Herald, 2/6/05
--- Taking Stock

Superior 2005: Art to Earth Artist

Wausau Daily Herald, 11/1/04
--- Business, "Breaking the Mold" Series

Wausau Daily Herald, 10/24/04

Wausau Daily Herald, 7/29/04
--- 400 block to become gathering place for readings

UW-Superior 6/8/04

Fighting Bob 4/30/04: Supercoalition

Superior Daily Telegram, 2/27/04
--- UWS students approve $1.2 million in improvements to Wessman Arena

Duluth Ripsaw News, 11/26/03
--- Central Junior High: Questionable Leadership, Missed Opportunity

Madison Monroe Street Grocery Co-op, 2002
--- Candidates for Three-Year Terms

IPAE Argentina/Utah: Related Activities

© Kevin Korpela, www.observatorydrive.com™