Two Rivers names new Central Park West stage after these hometown harmony heroes | Monday dose
Welcome to your Monday dose of local community news, weather and top headlines from the past week.
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Here are five stories to catch up on.
1. Two Rivers Central Park West stage to be named after hometown harmony heroes
A new stage to be built as part of the Central Park West 365 project in Two Rivers will be named in honor of the Schmitt Brothers.
The famous quartet is known for putting the city on the map when they won the 1951 Barbershop Harmony Society title.
With performances routinely booked years in advance, the quartet sang together for 35 years, spreading harmony from all the major stages in the country as well as the Ed Sullivan, Arthur Godfrey and Lawrence Welk shows.
The extended family of the Schmitt Brothers, including former Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt, are donating $100,000 to name the stage in honor of the Schmitt Brothers.
Construction of the new Central Park West is likely to take place from fall 2022 through spring 2023 with a dedication planned for summer 2023.
The park, which is by J.E. Hamilton Community House and spans both sides of Washington Street, currently has a bandshell in the center of the west side of the park and is the site for farmers' markets and other seasonal events.
The redesign, which will only affect the west side, plans to move the bandshell to one end of the park, and at the other end there will be a ribbon sidewalk with a splash pad and water jets for people to interact with.
During the winter season, the city plans to use the ribbon sidewalk as a track for artificial ice to create a public ice rink.
The redesign also includes a new pavilion building with restrooms and a seating wall that will face the ice rink and will be built into an embankment along State 42, since that portion of the park will be about 3 feet below the street elevation.
Located on the north end of the park, the new stage will be across the street from where the quartet’s father grew up. It will include a paved area in front of the stage that can be used for seating, as a patio or dance floor. The lawn area for audiences is 50% larger than the current lawn area. Other new amenities will include a pavilion, splash pad, seating walls and an ice rink ribbon.
City Manager Greg Buckley told the Herald Times Reporter Monday that fundraising for the project is more than halfway to its $800,000 goal. That money is in addition to $500,000 in funding from the city and $300,000 in funding from the West Foundation. Total cost of the project is estimated at $1.6 million.
2. LTC scores 13th straight Military Friendly School designation
For the 13th consecutive year, Lakeshore Technical College in Cleveland in Manitowoc County has earned the Military Friendly School designation.
Schools earning the designation were evaluated using public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. Of more than 1,800 schools that participated in the 2022-2023 survey, 665 earned special awards for going above the standard. LTC earned a silver award, which indicates leading practices, outcomes and effective programs for veterans transitioning from military careers to school and satisfying careers as civilians.
3. Roncalli’s Jena Garceau earns Milwaukee Bucks Perseverance Award
Roncalli senior Jena Garceau was recognized last week during Roncalli High School’s convocation as a recipient of the Milwaukee Bucks Perseverance Award.
Senior student-athletes who have persevered through a difficult time to play educational-based athletics were eligible to be nominated.
Garceau, daughter of Tim and Heather Garceau, is one of seven high school student-athletes from Wisconsin recognized this year.
Garceau was recently diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and has been hospitalized this school year to manage her colitis, along with anemia and dehydration.
Throughout the process, she maintained a positive spirit, kept up with her studies and continued to participate in Roncalli High School athletics.
“My condition makes every day a challenge,” Garceau said in her nomination. “I do not know if I will feel well or not, and that can change quickly as the day progresses. Stress can worsen my symptoms, so I must work to keep my mind as calm as possible, even when things aren’t.”
Garceau, who joined Roncalli High School as a sophomore, plays basketball and softball, and runs cross country. She was recognized with a plaque and received a $1,000 scholarship. The scholarship can go toward continuing her education at an institution of higher education or be donated to her high school.
The award was given on behalf of the Milwaukee Bucks, Crisis Prevention Institute, Wisconsin Athletic Directors Association, The Bog Golf Course and Safe Sport Zone.
4. Local group protesting Enbridge oil pipeline
A local group, in unison with efforts in 19 other Wisconsin cities, is gathering at 5 p.m. every Friday until Earth Day, April 22, to protest the expansion of the Enbridge Line 5 oil pipeline.
The local group is from Lakeshore Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and is gathering at Shipbuilders Park in Manitowoc.
The pipeline is planned to go through Wisconsin’s Upper Peninsula, under the Mackinac Bridge, and through both Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.
The local group is asking that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers deny Enbridge’s permit for the project under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act.
5. ‘Spring Baby Fever’ coming to Farm Wisconsin
Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center in Manitowoc will host “Spring Baby Fever” Saturday. Visitors will be able to meet baby alpacas from LondonDairy Alpacas and baby goats from LaClare Family Creamery from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Additionally, guests can engage with multiple agritourism destinations.
Farm Wisconsin, 7001 Gass Lake Road, is open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays. Admission is $8 for ages 18 and younger up to $16 for adults. More info: farmwisconsin.org.
Last week's top headlines
Manitowoc police arrest man on suspicion of stabbing another man at a downtown bar early Sunday
Two Rivers police say they found a 27-year-old woman dead inside an east-side residence Saturday
Sports: Miles Barnstable guides Howards Grove past former team, top-ranked Sheboygan Lutheran
MORE: Company with Manitowoc ties sending 1 million rounds of ammunition to Ukraine
MORE: A mental health court is proposed in Manitowoc County
Your weather forecast
Monday: High 41, low 28, cloudy
Tuesday: High 40, low 33, clouds and sunshine
Wednesday: High 51, low 42, mild with clouds and sun
Thursday: High 50, low 35, a couple of showers possible
Friday: High 42, low 33, cooler with a shower possible
Saturday: High 43, low 32, cloudy
Sunday: High 47, low 36, mainly cloudy
Forecast courtesy of accuweather.com.
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This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Two Rivers' new Central Park West stage named after Schmitt Brothers
