• Interstate 41 Corridor
Brown, Calumet, Fond du Lac, Outagamie, Winnebago Counties
Main Street Awards recognize efforts in Fond du Lac and Green Bay
The Downtown Fond du Lac Partnership and On Broadway, Inc. earned Wisconsin Main Street Awards from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.
The Downtown Fond du Lac Partnership was presented with the Wisconsin Main Street Award for Best Business Development/Retention Program. Its efforts included the “Open Flag,” a successful social media campaign highlighting individual businesses and grants to improve building security.
On Broadway, Inc. earned top honors in the categories of Best Volunteer Engagement and Best Creative Fundraising Effort for its High Five fundraiser held in September 2022. More than 2,300 volunteer hours were tracked in 2022 from individuals helping with events, district cleanup, community art projects and large-scale development projects like the Shipyard and Green Bay Public Market.
The High Five event was a dining experience held on the fifth floor of a vacant building, serving five courses from five different chefs in the Broadway District.
Green Bay’s Copper State Brewing Co. earned the title of Best Business Success Story. Owners Melissa and Jon Martens started the business in June 2017. They currently employ 40 people.
Michael Brodhagen was announced as 2022 Wisconsin Main Street Volunteer of the Year for his time volunteering in the Broadway District. Brodhagen surpassed 100 hours of volunteer service in 2021 and 2022.
Wisconsin Main Street is a community development program administered by WEDC that targets Wisconsin’s historic commercial districts. WEDC provides technical support and training to the 34 Main Street communities to help them revitalize their business districts based on guidelines developed by the National Main Street Center.
Habitat for Humanity “Rocks the Block” in Chilton
The Greater Fox Cities Area Habitat for Humanity kicked off its spring Rock the Block event in Chilton May 11-13. Home improvements and exterior renovations of community spaces were completed at no cost for the first $10,000 of each project, with the support of community donors who wish to remain anonymous.
Those having work done to their homes during Rock the Block were required to help with their home renovation projects or with community projects that are a part of Rock the Block in what Habitat calls “sweat equity.”
“Historically, Rock the Block renovates the exteriors of homes with a zero-interest loan that homeowners pay back once the home is sold,” said John Weyenberg, CEO of Greater Fox Cities Area Habitat for Humanity. “Donors to Chilton’s Rock the Block recognized that in today’s economy, any additional debt may be a barrier to participation for homeowners. Their outstanding contributions have made it possible to cover the cost of these projects, eliminating the need for any loan.”
Not only was this the first time Rock the Block was able to provide exterior home renovations at no cost to the homeowner for the first $10,000 worth of renovations, it is also the first time Habitat for Humanity is bringing its Rock the Block program to the Chilton area.
The Rock the Block program works on both residential and community-based projects providing affordable repairs such as roofing, siding, window and door replacement, porch repairs, exterior repairs and improvements, painting and landscaping. All work through this program is made possible by volunteers and community donations.
• The Northwoods
Florence, Marinette, Menominee, Oconto Counties
Menominee Indian Tribe moves toward renewable energy
The Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin is working to advance the reservation’s transition to renewable energy. Indigenized Energy, a nonprofit that supports tribes in the pursuit of energy sovereignty, hosted a solar energy workshop for members of the tribe at the College of Menominee Nation this spring.
The workshop included energy planning, a summary of existing clean energy initiatives for the Menominee reservation, and a discussion of next steps. Representatives were present from Menominee, Oneida, Potawatomi, Lac du Flambeau, Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council, Midwest Tribal Energy Resources Association, state Department of Natural Resources, Public Service Commission of Wisconsin, Alliant Energy and Focus on Energy.
The Menominee also constructed a 40-kilowatt solar array outside of the college’s Sustainable Development Institute that will provide sufficient energy to power the entire building and sell energy back to the grid. The project was also designed with elements that would offer educational opportunities and options for expansion.
Foundation facilitates improvements to shoreline parking lot
The M&M Plaza parking lot in Menominee, Michigan, will now release less stormwater runoff into the Menominee River and the bay of Green Bay thanks to the actions of local volunteers and community.
The plan of action involves the M&M Plaza and eventual development of the former Kmart property and improvements to the plaza parking lot planned for this summer.
After three years of planning, fundraising and partnership building, the M&M Area Community Foundation has facilitated an agreement with the plaza owners and developers to include rain garden catch basins as part of the overall parking lot improvements.
The foundation’s Resilient Future Committee, under the leadership of committee chair John Lee, selected the parking lot, which is next to the Menominee River, as a site to demonstrate the value of rain gardens in the retention of storm runoff and the filtering of surface waters otherwise destined for direct entry into Green Bay.
Funding for the feasibility and design study, as well as the engineering and construction of the rain garden project, is due in part to a grant awarded to the foundation by The Fund for Lake Michigan and an agreement by the plaza owners and developers to provide matching funds for additional environmental and aesthetic improvements.
As well as administering the grant from the Fund for Lake Michigan, MMACF sponsored a public hearing on the importance of water quality in 2019, met with business and local government officials to garner support, and has organized volunteers for the rain garden planting that will take place later this summer.
The parking lot changes will include traffic patterns and safety upgrades for both drivers and pedestrians.
• West Central
Green Lake, Marquette, Shawano, Waupaca, Waushara Counties
Lawsonia to host Wisconsin PGA Pro Championship
Lawsonia Golf Course in Green Lake County will host the Wisconsin PGA Professional Championship Sept. 11-12.
Presented by Cadillac, Club Car, Corebridge Financial and Rolex, the tournament will be played on Lawsonia’s Links Course. Lawsonia is the 79th-ranked course in the U.S. by Golf Magazine.
The tournament is part of a series offered to professionals. As always, championship play will be hosted in the member, assistant and senior categories.
The members and assistants will complete their 36 holes in one day, while the seniors will split up their two rounds between two days.
In addition to the individual stroke play championships, there will be plenty of chances for the PGA professionals in the state to tee it up with their colleagues. The in-state calendar starts and finishes with back-to-back pro-pros featuring the scramble and better ball formats.
• The Lakeshore
Door, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Sheboygan Counties
BBBS Wisconsin Shoreline honors Sargento
Big Brothers Big Sisters Wisconsin Shoreline’s “The Big Draft” campaign saw significant interest in its first year, with more than 50 individuals stepping up to volunteer as mentors.
“We are thrilled to see so many individuals step up and take the chance to be a game changer for young people in our communities,” said BBBS Wisconsin Shoreline CEO Denise Wittstock. “The success of The Big Draft campaign means that we can continue to bring the need for mentorship to the forefront of community conversations. We still have more than 150 young people waiting, so the conversations must go on.”
Held at the Stefanie H. Weill Center for the Performing Arts in Sheboygan, the April 22 draft party welcomed Bigs and Littles of all ages to celebrate mentorship. The honorary “Big Draft Commissioner” was Louie Gentine, CEO of Sargento Foods. Sargento was recognized as BBBS’s 2023 Corporate Partner of the Year for its long-standing and unwavering support of BBBS’s mission.
“At Sargento, we understand the importance of friendship, mentorship and setting a positive example,” said Gentine. “We’re honored to receive this recognition from an organization that is helping children in our community in a real way.”
The “Big Draft Party” also recognized five youth graduating from local high schools and almost 100 mentors who have reached milestones in their service, from five to 30 years.
Plymouth sells Cheese Counter to foundation
After regaining ownership of the Cheese Counter and Dairy Heritage Center, the city of Plymouth announced it will sell the operation and building to a newly-formed nonprofit organization.
The Cheese Counter procures cheeses from companies in Sheboygan County and world champion Wisconsin cheese artisans. All of the cheeses are available for purchase at the Cheese Counter store and online through gift boxes that can be shipped across the U.S. The Cheese Counter also sells cheese-themed gifts and clothing that celebrate Plymouth as the “Cheese Capital of the World.”
The Plymouth Cheese Counter Foundation will purchase the space from the city for $1. Tim Blakeslee, city administrator and utilities manager, said the city has an option to buy the building back for $1 if the foundation ever decides to close or move the Cheese Counter.
The city of Plymouth plans to continue its annual $7,500 contribution to the Cheese Counter and Dairy Heritage Center, located at 133 E. Mill St., Plymouth.
Its development was fostered by a unique partnership. The building was transferred to the Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation in 2016 to qualify for historic tax credits that were reinvested in the site.
