Annabelle Sauer, 88, of Shawano, passed away on Thursday morning, Jan. 16, 2014, at ManorCare of Shawano. Funeral service arrangements are pending and will be announced later. Schroeder-Mickelson Funeral Service of Shawano is assisting the family with the arrangements. www.schroedermickelsonfuneralservice.com

Mary Jane Crowe, 76, of Neopit, passed away Thursday, Jan. 16, 2014, at her home. Born on Aug. 19, 1937, in Keshena, she was the daughter of the late George Wayka and Jane Waupoose. On April 4, 1961, she was united in marriage to Curtis Crowe Sr. in Neopit. The couple made their home and raised their children in the Neopit area. Mary Jane was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother who would do anything for her family.

Years ago, my husband and I used to go snowmobiling. Even way back in high school, we’d get together with friends and hit the trails. It was so fun. As we got older, we went with my sister and her husband, riding through the snow-embellished woods and eventually stopping at a local eatery to unwrap, stretch, fuss with helmet-hair, grab a bite and go again. We had no heated seats, no miked-up headgear, no warmed handlebars.

This seems to be an old-fashioned winter, like we used to have in days of old. If it isn’t a deep freeze, then it’s snowing, or worse, we are getting freezing rain. A week ago Friday, as I was traveling home from Shawano, there was only a slight mist falling. I was a little bit upset that I had wasted money on getting the van washed, not that it wasn’t needed, but now it was getting salted up once again. I questioned why I bothered.

Idell Johnston enjoys volunteering. She was raised in Fresno, Calif., loved the arts and attended Roosevelt School of the Arts, a performing arts high school in Fresno. She attended California State University-Fresno, where she met her husband, Michael. They were married in 1991. They moved to Shawano in 2007 after Michael received a job offer from Seagrave in Clintonville.

Members of the Business Improvement District plan the events held every year in downtown Shawano. Marisa Rycroft is the BID coordinator. Her main function is to promote downtown events and raise funds for them. “I do what the businesses want me to do,” Rycroft said. The district includes Main Street and Green Bay Street along with adjoining streets.

To the editor: With all due respect to Mr. Herbert J. Grover’s recent opinion titled, “Cruz, Rubio cut from same cloth as Batista,” Senators Cruz and Rubio are the very embodiment of the American dream. Born of immigrant parents and modest economic means, both have excelled in their careers and are torch bearers of traditional American values such as self-determination, hard work, economic freedom and minimal government intrusion.

“There is nothing more satisfying than having plans.” — Lalita Tademy Last week a resident asked me what street projects will occur in 2014. The resident also inquired about equipment purchases. I am always happy to provide information to constituents. Believing others also might be interested, I decided to answer the question in this week’s article. The city plans both for the present and the future, as is evidenced by the city’s annual budget.

Shawano County is still looking for public input on its outdoor recreation plan after a lightly attended informational meeting Wednesday. Parks Manager Keith Marquardt said only about a dozen people attended the meeting hosted by the East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission and Shawano County Parks Department at the Shawano County Courthouse. “It’s disappointing, but it’s hard to get people to come out on a Wednesday evening during the