Ripon's 'Birthplace of the Republican Party' gets new director, and more news in weekly dose
FOND DU LAC - Steve Arbaugh has been appointed director of the Little White Schoolhouse, a National Historic Site in Ripon known as the "Birthplace of the Republican Party," to focus on marketing communications, special events and overall visitor experience.
Arbaugh, a news release said, has worked with for-profit and nonprofit organizations, ranging from startups to large corporations. He also brings experience in marketing on the corporate and agency side, the release added.
Arbaugh has been a resident of Ripon for the last six years. He is known for his work at the local historical society, where he made contributions in website development, social media management, fundraising campaigns and fostering member relationships.
The Little White Schoolhouse will be open soon at 1074 W. Fond du Lac St. Regular hours will be 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays-Sundays.
According to its website: "This simple frame schoolhouse, built in 1853, holds a powerful history. In the Little White Schoolhouse a decision made by a small group of Ripon citizens changed the course of our nation’s history. The birth of the Republican Party brought a dedicated following of individuals together who pledged to organize and fight against the spread of slavery. The spark that brought this action to reality came from the introduction of the Kansas-Nebraska Bill, which was brought to Congress in January 1854 by Senator Stephen Douglas of Illinois. The bill threatened to extend slavery into the newly opening territories of Kansas and Nebraska. His bill was based on the 'Popular Sovereignty' theory that would allow settlers to choose whether slavery would or would not exist within a territory. Douglas hoped the bill would satisfy the interests of both the North and the South."
To learn more, visit Little White Schoolhouse on Facebook or go to ripon1854.com.
Welcome to your weekly dose.
Here is more news from throughout Fond du Lac County in your weekly dose.
▶ State Patrol accepting applications; sets open house: Wisconsin State Patrol invites anyone interested in a career in law enforcement to stop in and visit the local State Patrol facility for an open house.
The Fond du Lac Post at 851 S. Rolling Meadows Drive will be open 3-7 p.m. June 7. Visitors can meet troopers, inspectors, dispatchers and technology specialists who serve in each region of the state. Staff will provide demonstrations of the State Patrol’s specialty equipment and vehicles.
Open house visitors are encouraged to learn more about statewide job opportunities available. For more information, visit wisconsindot.gov. Applications are due July 16.
▶ Fond du Lac bank celebrates employee's 50th anniversary: National Exchange Bank & Trust in Fond du Lac will hold a open house to celebrate Janet Johnson’s 50 years of service. The open house, complete with cake and refreshments, will begin at 9 a.m. June 8 at 130 S. Main St.
Johnson joined the bank in 1972 as a messenger; she later transferred to a teller position before joining the marketing department, where she has been for 45 years.
▶ Alumni brings Shakespeare residency to Ripon College: Jessie Lillis, Ripon College Class of 2013, is the co-artistic director of the touring Starling Shakespeare Company. The company, in partnership with Ripon College, will rehearse its new season, present plays in the area, and then take productions on the road.
Local public performances include the following:
“As You Like It,” 6 p.m. June 9 at Benstead Theatre, C.J. Rodman Center for the Arts, Ripon College;
“As You Like It,” 5 p.m. June 24 at Village Green in Ripon;
“Julius Caesar,” 6 p.m. July 7 at Deacon Mills Park, Green Lake; and
“As You Like It,” 7:30 p.m. Aug. 31 at Benstead Theatre, C.J. Rodman Center for the Arts, Ripon College.
▶ Brown Bag Lunch serves Fond du Lac families during summer months: Holy Family Catholic Community and The Salvation Army have partnered again for the Brown Bag Lunch Program. The program offers a free sack lunch to children and families every Tuesday and Thursday throughout the summer months.
The parish leads the program on Tuesdays, with volunteers packing 300 lunches comprised of donations from the community. On Thursdays, Salvation Army volunteers pack and distribute lunches. Meals include a sandwich, water/juice, chips/snack, fruit/vegetable, and a dessert item.
Meals can be picked up June 13-Aug. 24 at the following sites:
Church of Peace, 401 S. Military Road (parking lot), 11 to 11:15 a.m.;
Lakeside Garden Apartments, 409 N. Peters Ave., 11 to 11:15 a.m.;
Maplewood Commons Apartments, 912 Martin Ave., 11 to 11:15 a.m.; and
The Salvation Army, 237 N. Macy St., 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Children can pick up their own lunch, but an adult must be present for any family wanting more than one lunch.
Other food programs include Holy Family Catholic Community’s Blessed Bites, which runs Tuesdays. People can receive a free to-go meal, canned/boxed goods, and hygiene/home care items for free at St. Mary Church, 59 E. Merrill Ave. Food is available 4-5 p.m., or until meals are gone.
The Salvation Army of Fond du Lac County offers a pantry. Distribution during the summer is 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays and 10 a.m.-noon Fridays at 237 N. Macy St. Clients can return to the pantry once every 30 days and the amount of food they receive is determined by resources available and household size.
Contact The Salvation Army at 920-923-8220 for more details.
▶ St. Mary's Springs announces new hires for sports administration: St. Mary’s Springs Academy recently announced the hiring of Shannon LaLuzerne as the new director of admission and enrollment management and Mitchell Redig as the new athletic director.
Greg Hoffmann, current AD, announced in August 2022 his intent to retire at the end of the school year. With his retirement, SMSA restructured administration of athletics for grades 5-12, adding a new role, athletic administrator, to serve with the AD and assist in the increasing number of responsibilities and compliance requirements.
Kelly Mueller has accepted the new role of athletic administrator. Mueller has served as the enrollment director since 2017 and has been engaged with athletics at the Springs, having coached both middle and high school volleyball. Her new position will supervise SMSA coaching staff and athletic booster volunteers for grades 5-12, and work in partnership with the newly appointed athletic director.
The restructure led to the hiring of LaLuzerne. She brings more than 20 years of leadership. She has been serving as the administrative assistant in the elementary office. In her new role, LaLuzerne will oversee the planning and implementation of a comprehensive recruitment and retention plan for pre-K to 12th grade.
▶ ADVOCAP honors organizations for aid in servicing communities: 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.
ADVOCAP Community Service Awards are given to community organizations and/or businesses that 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 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.
▶ Sherry Behnke honored with award by Leadership Fond du Lac: Envision Greater Fond du Lac’s Leadership Advisory Committee named Sherry Behnke as the 2023 recipient of the Donald G. Jones Leadership Alumni Award. Behnke was presented with the award during the Leadership Fond du Lac Completion Ceremony May 17.
According to a press release, the Donald G. Jones Leadership Award was created in 2001 and honors the former area businessman who played a major role in founding and supporting the Leadership Fond du Lac program. The award recognizes a past graduate of the Leadership Fond du Lac program for the effort they have put forth in helping improve their community through volunteer service and utilization of their leadership abilities.
Behnke is a consumer study manager at Kimberly-Clark Corporation in Neenah, with more than 38 years at the company. She is active in the community and North Fond du lac School District, and has served on several boards and committees.
Leadership Fond du Lac is accepting applications for the 2023-24 class. For more details, contact Envision Greater Fond du Lac at 920-921-9500, info@envisiongreaterfdl.com or envisiongreaterfdl.com.
▶ Winners of the INCubatoredu Final Pitch event announced: The School District of North Fond du Lac is using INCubatoredu — a national program with specialized curriculum focused on entrepreneurship — to help students learn about business, marketing and finance.
Horace Mann High School students have the chance to develop their own real-world services and products and garner thousands of dollars in funding. Now in its seventh year, INCubatoredu@NFDL has entrepreneurs and business experts serve as volunteer coaches and mentors.
Ahern hosted this year’s INCubatoredu Final Pitch event in May. First place ($2,000 prize) went to Team Bifli (reinventing a fruit fly trap). Members are Maria Abril, Leah Patterson and Violet Hughes.
Second place ($1,000 prize) went to Team Compromise (compost and renewable energy service). Members are Aylah Arndt, Morgan Fowler and Madeline Langolf
Third place ($500 prize) went to Team XCellerate (protecting your running spikes). Team members are Sophia Adlemeyer, Kelsey Forsythe and Jenna Krupp.
▶ Dr. Pizinger has joined SSM Health Fond du Lac, Ripon hospital: Dr. Ryan Pizinger, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, has joined SSM Health Fond du Lac Regional Clinic at SSM Health Plaza A, 421 Camelot Drive, and Ripon Community Hospital, 845 Parkside St.
Dr. Pizinger specializes in sports medicine, joint replacement surgery, anterior hip replacement surgery, shoulder reconstruction, and hip, shoulder, and knee arthroscopy.
For more details or to schedule an appointment, call 920-926-8616 or 920-745-3500.
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This article originally appeared on Fond du Lac Reporter: Wisconsin 'Birthplace of Republican Party' in Ripon gets new director
