Manitowoc Chamber will host a farewell for longtime director Karen Nichols May 30: Weekly dose
MANITOWOC - The Chamber of Manitowoc County will host a goodbye celebration for longtime executive director Karen Nichols from 5 to 6 p.m. May 30 at PetSkull Brewing Company, 1015 Buffalo St., Manitowoc.
Chamber members and the community are invited.
Nichols has served as director of the Chamber for 20 years and said she is stepping away for "a new beginning."
A cash bar will be available at the event and people can RSVP online at chambermanitowoccounty.org or by contacting the Chamber at 920-684-5575.
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Here is more news from throughout Manitowoc County in your weekly dose.
▶ Reed Avenue closure starts May 30: Reed Avenue between North Eighth and North Second streets in Manitowoc is scheduled for reconstruction work starting May 30.
According to a news release from the city, the contractor will maintain one lane of one-way traffic in the eastbound direction only on Reed Avenue from North Eighth to the Lincoln Park Zoo entrance at all times during the reconstruction project.
The contractor will begin the reconstruction work on the north side of Reed Avenue first.
Then, near the middle of August, the contractor will begin the reconstruction work on the south side of Reed Avenue.
A detour route for westbound traffic on Reed Avenue will be Bayshore Drive to Waldo Boulevard to North Eighth Street and then back to Reed Avenue.
The project is expected to be finished and road reopened to traffic by around Oct. 27.
▶ ‘The Belles of Baseball’ focus of next ‘Think & Drink’ at Maritime Museum: Wisconsin Maritime Museum, 75 Maritime Drive, Manitowoc, will present its next “Think & Drink” event at 6:30 p.m. June 1.
The event is titled “The Belles of Baseball – Racine’s Champion AAGPBL Team” and will be presented by in-person speaker Kari DeBerg, who will chronicle the Racine Belles, one of the original four teams in the All American Girls Professional Baseball League.
The AAGPBL was started in 1943 by Philip K. Wrigley, owner of Wrigley Field and the Chicago Cubs. The league later grew to 12 teams and inspired the movie “A League of their Own.”
The museum will offer alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks available for purchase at a limited bar. Featured drink for the night will be the Home Run Hooch.
Doors will open at 6 p.m. The talk and live stream presentation start at 6:30 p.m. To access the live stream, register at https://forms.gle/j4h5GciCt7SNo8ix6.
Admission is free both in person and online.
▶ Volunteers sought for annual Invasive Plant Pull-a-Thon at Lower Henry Schuette Park: Friends of the Manitowoc River Watershed are inviting the public to participate in the annual Invasive Plant Pull-a-Thon at Lower Henry Schuette Park from 9:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. June 3.
Volunteers will be removing invasive garlic mustard and dame’s rocket as part of an ecological restoration project in this important habitat along the Manitowoc River. The park is at 3800 Broadway St.
Garlic mustard and dame’s rocket overcrowd native flowers, hindering regeneration of native plants and limiting a habitat’s biodiversity. Their seeds are often spread by hitching rides on hikers’ shoes so it is very important to remove the plants from trail areas before they go to seed.
Volunteers should wear long pants and closed-toe shoes. It is also advised that volunteers take along work or garden gloves, although some will be provided to those unable to take their own. A picnic lunch and refreshments will be provided as well.
The event can also serve as a fundraising opportunity for groups. Use Pull-A-Thon donation forms to garner donation commitments per pound pulled. At the end of the event, organizers will weigh each group’s total amount of plant matter pulled for to report back to donors. For more details about participating as a group, contact Jake Divine at 906-284-0533 or jake.divine@glacierlandrcd.org.
Visa gift cards will be awarded to the participating volunteer groups that remove the most plants by weight. First place will get $200, while second and third places will both get $100 each.
Partners for the event include Friends of the Manitowoc River Watershed, Stantec Consulting Services, Lakeshore Natural Resource Partnership and Glacierland RC&D.
▶ Ascend Services to hold second annual golf outing June 26: Manitowoc’s Ascend Services will hold its second annual Swing Fore Ascend Golf Outing fundraiser from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. June 26 at the Golf Course at Branch River, 3212 N. Union Road, Cato.
Registration is open and people can learn more at ascendservices.org or by contacting Deanna Genske at dgenske@ascendservicesinc.org or 920-682-4663, ext. 111.
The event will include golf, food and raffles.
Funds raised will benefit Ascend in its mission to promote individual growth through community experiences, education and employment opportunities for more than 200 youth and adults with diverse abilities.
▶ LTC to launch manufacturing technology charter school: Lakeshore Technical College has received a $650,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, its fourth and largest NSF grant in four years.
According to a news release, the grant will fund the establishment of a new type of charter school that is expected to help address the continuing labor shortage in the manufacturing sector.
The college will partner with the Cedar Grove-Belgium School District and industry employers to develop an advanced manufacturing technology charter school, the first of its kind in the state, the release said.
“This grant will have a significant impact on the community,” LTC President Paul Carlsen said in the release. “It will provide students the opportunity to embark on a fast-track trajectory for education that will prepare them to graduate as workforce-ready advanced manufacturing technicians and be ready for additional industry-focused college coursework. Graduates entering the workforce will find themselves in high demand, earning much higher wages than the average high school graduate.”
Rocket Academy Dual Credit Advanced Manufacturing Technology Education Charter School, RADCAM TEC for short, will provide an educational pathway incorporating dual credit courses, youth apprenticeships, school-to-work and job shadowing opportunities.
RADCAM TEC will provide advanced manufacturing instruction using LTC’s competency-based education curriculum. Students will progress through courses by demonstrating mastery of competencies aligned within program and course curriculum. They will earn both college and high school credit, which can lead to the attainment of their high school diploma as well as college certificates and technical diplomas. Courses taken to complete certificates and technical diplomas can be applied toward four industry-specific associate degrees at LTC, shortening the time to completion.
For more about LTC’s advanced manufacturing program options, visit gotoltc.edu/programs-and-courses/degree-programs.
Read last week's top stories:
Boys & Girls Club director steps down: Manitowoc Boys & Girls Club director to step down as search begins for next leader
Best burger: Where’s the best place to get a burger in Manitowoc? Here are the top spots according to readers.
Events: Memorial Day Parade, monster trucks and more can't-miss events in Manitowoc this week
Summer tourism: Manitowoc and Two Rivers tourism leaders preview summer of sand-sculpting, Snowfest and more: Q&A
Streetwise: Manitowoc welcomes new coffeeshop and Boat House as LTC breaks ground on $5M health education center
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This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Manitowoc Chamber holds farewell for longtime director at PetSkull
