Altoona Area Girl Scouts participated in a three-day Day Camp at 10th Street Park on August 14-16 from 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. 23 girls from ages five to 16 participated. 12 Brownie level girls and six Junior level girls attended camp, while one Senior level scout and four Cadette level Girl Scouts were program aides and helped to run the camp. The girls earned badges in ecology, science and theatre. They also did crafts, sang songs, played games, roasted hot dogs, made S’mores, and learned to work with others.
Registration for the new year of Girl Scouting in Altoona will be held on Wednesday, September 19 at 6:00 p.m. in the Altoona Middle School Commons. Girl Scouts is for girls in grades K-12.

Happy Hollow, located at 1628 North Hillcrest Parkway, was established in 1942. It has been at its present location since January of 2003, when it moved to make way for the U.S. 53 freeway.
Judi Malone and her husband purchased Happy Hollow in April of 2005. Judi is the acting general manager and Josh Larsen is the night manager; he has been working with the Malones since day one.
“The Happy Hollow Tavern is committed to providing a clean, relaxing, and enjoyable food and drink experience,” Malone said. “We want to provide an experience with the highest attention being on fun and great customer service.”
The Hollow is a fun and lively place because of the great people in the Altoona area, said Malone. “Most of our employees have been with the Hollow for years, even before we took over,” she said. “We feel privileged to have such dedicated and hardworking employees.”
The customer base at the Happy Hollow ranges from 21-66. Most of the customers tend to be hardworking individuals who like the neighborhood feel of the tavern, Malone said. She also said the crowd on the weekend ranges from 21-40; on these nights the Hollow provides a DJ and dancing.
Malone said that the bar brings in a lot of Packer fans during football season to watch the games on the “huge projection screen”. The Hollow also provides drink and food specials during Packer games.
The Happy Hollow is known for great drinks, awesome burgers, fantastic bartenders, and a party that is always going on, according to Malone.
“We have seven pool tables, free pool on Saturdays and Sundays between 9:00 and 1:00, and we also have pool leagues and tournaments,” she said. “Our pool players are the best in the area and have won trophies at regional, state, and Las Vegas tournaments.”
The bar features DJs and karaoke on Thursday through Saturday nights. Matt Hanson’s Best Sound and Light Show hosts the karaoke on Thursday nights, while DJ Shawnzilla, owner of Interactive DJ, plays on Friday and Saturday nights from 9:00 to close.
“The Hollow crowd loves to sing and dance,” Malone said.
The Hollow prides itself on being a neighborhood bar and grill during the day and a fun, party atmosphere at night.
“We host and cater Christmas parties, birthday parties, class reunions, bachelorette and bachelor parties,” Malone said.
The Happy Hollow will give a free drink to all customers who bring in this article by September 15. Limit one drink per person at the value of $3.50. The owners and staff at the Hollow hope to see all Altoona residents soon.
“Remember, if you’re feeling hollow, fill it here,” Malone said.

Grace Home Respiratory has been located in Altoona for the past seven years and offers a variety of equipment and services to assist recovery and boost quality of life and independence.

Owner Mark Brazzale has run the business in Altoona since 2000. They have a staff of 11 members with an average of over 35 years of experience in health care, care-giving, and meeting the needs of those who need medical equipment and services.

Grace Home Respiratory has also helped in supporting the community of Altoona. Charitable donations have been given to the Altoona High School Show Choir, Altoona Athletic Boosters, and many other organizations.

The staff includes registered nurses and respiratory therapists on call 24 hours a day. Out of the 11 staff members, five are Altoona residents. Brazzale has lived in Altoona for over 30 years.

The staff provides a variety of home respiratory equipment and supplies, including oxygen, oxygen concentrators, oxygen-conserving devices, portable oxygen units, gas back-up systems, nebulizer therapy, respiratory medications, suction machines, and home medical equipment.

Grace Home Respiratory also provides medical equipment to help make it easier to move around and be safe at home. They provide canes, walkers, sock and stocking aids, zipper and button pullers, shower chairs, grab bars, and bed accessories.

Grace Home Respiratory is the only locally owned medical equipment provider in the Chippewa Valley.