“Be happy, and a reason will come along.” — Robert Brault
On Monday evening, the Shawano Medical Center reuse task force went on a tour of the facility. Drawings of the various heating/cooling systems and the dates of building additions were distributed to the members. Committee members were able to get a good sense of the size and condition of the entire structure.
Carol Ryczek, SMC community relations manager, said, “Most folks on the tour did not have a sense of how big the building is, but did after the tour. The tour will be a valuable part of the decision making process for this committee, and I look forward to hearing their comments at Monday night’s meeting.”
She added, “Kudos to SMC’s facilities manager, Tony Jagla, for (literally) opening so many doors.”
Task force chairperson Jeanne Cronce commented, “The building is in remarkable shape for how old it is and how many building additions were added.”
She continued, “The tour was very informative. Tony Jagla did a nice job of explaining the heating and cooling systems and answering the questions we had.”
Committee member Elaine Knope agreed. She remarked, “It was a great tour. Although the only visible vestige of the original hospital is one small bathroom with its original marble bathroom stall and terrazzo floor, I was impressed with how well-kept the sprawling building is.”
She added, “Mr. Jagla said the mechanicals are in fine shape. He said the two boilers that operate the whole system are not even considered old in boiler age.”
A 6:30 p.m. meeting of the task force will be held Aug. 19 at CRI’s Resource Center, 117 E. Green Bay St. The center is located to the right as you enter the main doors. Included on the agenda is a web conference call at which time Vandewalle & Associates Inc. will present the building, site and market analysis. A discussion about the recent tour will be held. The public is invited and input is welcomed.
• This week a committee comprised of elected officials, field committee members and staff met with consultants for a first review of the applicants for the assistant city administrator/public works coordinator position. The group selected candidates for further consideration. The committee will meet again Aug. 26 to view videos of the candidates and to discuss their experience/qualifications. A tentative date of Sept. 5-6 has been set to personally meet and interview the finalists being considered.
• In my last article I made mention of the possibility of an available building for a youth center. Things are progressing. The building will be made available if a plan for usage is prepared and approved. I will be meeting with a local group next week to see if they will assist with the development of a plan. I anticipate the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Board will also be involved when school resumes.
• On Wednesday, I had the pleasure of talking with children attending the nIc Character Camp offered to children from kindergarten through fifth grade. The nIc Foundation is a nonprofit charity established in memory of Nicolas Resch, who was a victim of a violent assault. The foundation was established to promote violence prevention strategies through an educational focus.
This week, the camp’s theme was collections. The kids made collections of fairy gardens, nature boxes, drums, fancy shoes they designed and various types of bird suet. Guest speakers, and their topics, this week were: Nancy Schultz, “Healthy Me”; Nikki Schumaker, “Bird Suet; Shawano Lawn & Stone, “Evergreen Forests”; Tim Ewing, “Birds Around Us”; Kim Ikcke, “Folk Art Painting”; Officer Elinor Harris Atkinson of the Shawano Police Department, “Safety”; Amy Kroenke, “Decorating Cupcakes”; and me, “The Joy of Collecting”.
The students made bird suet and will be donating it to the Navarino Nature Center. They also did folk art painting on window boxes, which will be donated to the foundation’s Dance against Violence in October.
I showed the children some of my Raggedy Ann and Andy collection, and told them how much fun collecting can be. They also shared stories about things they collect. I promised the students I would write about their camp and tell you how well behaved and attentive they were. Thanks, kids, you were great and I liked hearing your stories.
• It was nice running into an old friend Tom Mehlberg and his wife, Diane, the other night. Thanks for all the info about South Dakota Tom. As he would say, “Keep it safe out there.”
• The answer to the last trivia question—What local Native American girl won the acclaim (1953) as one of the nation’s six prettiest Native American girls and a movie contract?—is Ada Deer.
This week’s question is: Who owned the Club Continental in 1959?
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