Oshkosh Boys & Girls Club taps director for new community center, and more news in weekly dose
OSHKOSH - Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh has named Katie Talken as director of Hyde Community Center. She will assume the position in the fall.
The community center is part of the club’s $18 million expansion and is expected to open in February.
Talken has been with the Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh for more than eight years. She has served in multiple roles, most recently as director of development and strategic initiatives.
“Katie has always been willing to work hard and try new things to benefit the club,” said Tracy Ogden, CEO of the club, in a news release. “We are grateful for her passion, skillset and how it will help our club’s future growth through the Hyde Community Center.”
Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh has provided young people with a safe place to learn and grow for more than 50 years and currently serves more than 3,000 local youth through membership and outreach. The club offers a dynamic learning environment that includes many age-appropriate programs and mentoring by caring adult professionals, all for an annual fee of $25 per child. People can learn more by visiting bgcosh.org or calling 920-233-1414.
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Here is more news from throughout Winnebago County in your weekly dose.
▶ Oshkosh Area Community Band offers free concert series: The Oshkosh Area Community Band will present a series of concerts this summer. All concerts begin at 7 p.m. at various venues and last approximately one hour. Concerts will be held every other Wednesday through July.
Admission is free, but donations are appreciated. The band is under the direction of David Berndt.
The series will get under way June 14 with Jukebox Wednesday Night at The Grand Oshkosh. This concert will feature songs from the Big Band era from the likes of Duke Ellington, Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller.
Made in America will be featured for the June 28 concert at the Alberta Kimball Auditorium at Oshkosh West High School. All songs are either by American composers or about America.
On Broadway, set for July 12 at Oshkosh North High School, will feature songs from shows that have appeared on Broadway.
A Potpourri Concert with the Children’s Conducting Competition will be held on July 26 at Oshkosh North High School. This concert will feature a little bit of everything: marches, popular songs, show tunes, and classics. The children’s conducting competition will provide one winner with an opportunity to direct the band.
▶ Oshkosh North gets help to add flagpoles to Veterans Courtyard: The Oshkosh North Veterans Courtyard is looking to add flags representing each branch of the military. The courtyard honors the faculty and alumni of Oshkosh North who have or currently serve the country in the armed forces.
Juniors in the Communities Program met with local veteran organizations for help with funding. They were instrumental in helping find sponsors for the installation. Each pole will costs nearly $10,000. With help from the local veterans organizations, the program will now pay around $2,700.
The Communities Program is still in need of help with poles for the Coast Guard, Space Force and Navy.
▶ Verve partners with Oshkosh North to offer students financial tips: Oshkosh North Communities students and Verve, a Credit Union, joined forces to teach students valuable financial tips.
Three “Let’s Talk Money” sessions were hosted by cooperative outreach specialists of Verve, Mitchell Michiels and Shannon Dobberstein. Each session involved food, games, prizes, and, of course, financial tips.
The first session was about saving. Students took part in a game where they had to guess how much money they could save by cutting certain things out of their daily life, such as packing a lunch rather than going out for lunch. Michiels led a discussion about cutting streaming services and reviewing your phone bill to save money.
The second session consisted of tips to buy a car successfully. During the third and final session, students learned about fraud and scams and how to avoid becoming a victim.
▶ OASD announces School2Work class for next school year: The Oshkosh Area School District has announced the School2Work class of 2023-24. Next school year, 11 students from Oshkosh North and Oshkosh West will be part of this learning experience.
The S2W program — in partnership with area manufacturing companies and Fox Valley Technical College — offers an opportunity for high school seniors to earn their high school diploma while immersed in a paid capstone manufacturing experience.
Many students will begin their S2W Youth Apprenticeship position on June 5, while others will start on Sept. 4.
Taking part in the S2W program are: Blake Barber, Oshkosh North, Kingsbury Inc.; Emily Binder, Oshkosh Nort,- Muza Sheet Metal; Jonathon Brown, Oshkosh North, Muza Metal Products; Austin Ewing, Oshkosh West, Muza Sheet Metal; Carter Gruenstern, Oshkosh West, Muza Sheet Metal; Riley Hartman, Oshkosh West, Wald Wire; Janell Kirch, Oshkosh North, Oshkosh Marine Supply; Isaac Koon, Oshkosh West, Regal Rexnord; Gavin Levenhagen, Oshkosh West, Oshkosh Coil Spring; Christian Ross, Oshkosh West, Quality Truck Care Center; and Jesse Zarling; Oshkosh North, Quality Truck Care Center.
Participating employers for the upcoming session are EVCO Plastics, Kingsbury Inc., Muza Metal Products, Muza Sheet Metal, Omni Glass & Paint, Oshkosh Coil Spring, Oshkosh Marine Supply, Quality Truck Care Center, Regal Rexnord and Wald Wire.
For more about the OASD’s School2Work program, visit oshkosh.k12.wi.us/school2work. There is still space for two more students. Incoming seniors are eligible. Students interested, should contact Alex Torres, S2W program lead, at alexander.torres@oshkosh.k12.wi.us.
▶ ADVOCAP honors organizations that boost community: ADVOCAP Inc. recently held its 2023 Annual Board of Directors Meeting and Community Awards Presentation. ADVOCAP serves Fond du Lac, Green Lake, and Winnebago counties.
“We would not be able to provide the services that we deliver to our community without the hard work and dedication of our staff and partners in the community,” said Tanya Marcoe, ADVOCAP executive director. “Over the past year, ADVOCAP has partnered with over 200 organizations who have assisted us in achieving our mission. These partner collaborations are imperative in meeting the needs of those low-income individuals we serve.”
ADVOCAP Community Service Awards are given to community organizations and/or businesses who positively impact the counties ADVOCAP serves. The 2022 awards were presented to Dr. Kristine Nehring, for going above and beyond to assist ADVOCAP’s teaching and coaching staff by providing behavioral health guidance; Second Time Around Shop, for their belief that the low-income community deserves a hand up; and Lakeside Packaging Plus for supporting ADVOCAP’s Home Delivered Meals program by providing colorful, inspirational packaging.
ADVOCAP Volunteer Services Awards were presented to those who go above and beyond to make an impact in the lives of the communities they serve. This year’s awards winners are Lucille Wuest, also known to her students as Grandma Lucille. This is Wuest’s 20th year as a volunteer Foster Grandparent. Mike Griffin was honored this year for his selfless work at the Berlin Food Pantry. Beverly Quella, a volunteer with ADVOCAP’s Senior Friend Program was honored, offering more than 400 hours of her time and driving more than 7,700 miles transporting ADVOCAP clients.
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This article originally appeared on Oshkosh Northwestern: Oshkosh Boys & Girls Club: Katie Talken to lead Hyde Community Center
