Community

Abrams Spotlight Productions Inc. invites the community to its fall show, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.”

The show is presented through an arrangement with After Dark Productions, established as a division of Abrams Spotlight Productions Inc. to bring edgier material to the stage. Due to adult themes and language, the show is rated PG-13 and is suitable for mature audiences only.

Winner of the Tony and Drama Desk awards, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” has charmed audiences across the country with its wit and humor. It is based a book by Rachel Sheinkin and features a score by William Finn.

“If you really want to get away and remember what it was like to be kid, this will allow you to go back in time and put yourself back into a spelling bee,” director Kari Devine said.

She said the musical provides a great afternoon or night out for adults looking for high quality and highly enjoyable live entertainment.

The Forget Me Not Fund was established by the Wolf River Region Dementia and Caregiver Network to support causes that are dedicated to educating caregivers and providing training events for families touched by Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.

The Forget Me Not Fall Fashion show was started by the Wolf River Dementia Network in 2007 as a fundraising effort. It became so successful that in October 2016 it became a nonprofit organization, Forget Me Not Fund Inc.

“The effort got so big we needed something to take care of the funds,” President Cara Peterson said.

The first five fashion shows were sponsored by the Arc Angels out of Clintonville. The Cottages then took over the shows.

This year’s show will be presented on Oct. 17 at the Menominee Casino Resort in Keshena. Fashions will be provided by Body Essentials, Dreier’s, Generations, Gentlemen’s Quarter, Maurices and Tumbleweed.

S.T.E.F. recently donated $750 to the Oconto River Kids, an organization in Mountain that provides hunting and fishing adventures for kids with life-threatening illnesses.

“This was one of our goals to do something with kids in the hunting field, which was one of our daughter’s passions,” said Joe Kanack, the organization’s president. “This is truly a great service they are providing.”

Special Thoughts Everyday Forever was formed after the death of Stefanie Kanack in July 2015. Through funding, educating and supporting community needs, her family hopes to impact those in need.

Kanack said S.T.E.F. is also planning to take one of the Oconto River Kids on a whitetail hunt during the youth hunt Oct. 7 and 8 on the family’s land.

The third and final installment of this year’s Summer Sunset Music by the River series features an acoustic 1960s, ’70s, ’80s and ’90s rock cover band, Johnny Wad Unplugged, aka Bazooka Joe, on Friday.

The Sunset Music by the River series features concerts at the East Side Beach on North Main Street in Oconto Falls. The events, sponsored by the Oconto Falls Area Chamber of Commerce, are free to the public from 6-9 p.m. People are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, purchase food and beverages from local vendors on the grounds, and enjoy live music from popular Green Bay-area bands as the sun goes down.

The Cougars kicked things off in June, followed by BoomBoxx in July. On Friday, Johnny Wad Unplugged, aka Bazooka Joe, will play the final performance just like the band did last year.

Here is what lead singer and guitarist Chris Dame has to say about it.

Q: What was your reaction when you were asked to return of the Summer Sunset Music Series of concerts?

Jensen-Carlson

Allen and Cindy Jensen, of Tigerton, are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Angela Jensen, to Dan Carlson, son of Dale (Kathy) Carlson and Deb (Dave) Bunker, all of Gillett.

The bride-to-be is a 1998 graduate of Tigerton High School and is an in-plant supervisor with Premier Ink Systems.

The future groom is a 2002 graduate of Gillett High School and is a heavy equipment operator with Jackie Foster Inc.

An Aug. 25, 2017, wedding is planned.

Area residents are invited to learn more about health and wellness resources available in Oconto County at the Community Wellness Fair from 8:30-10:30 a.m. Sept. 8 at the Bond Community Center, 1201 Park Ave., Oconto.

Dr. Paul Hudson, interventional cardiologist with Bellin Health, will speak about advances made in heart surgeries at 11a.m. Registration is required to attend the presentation; call the Bond Community Center at 920-834-5585.

Oconto County Public Health and the Oconto Police Department will hold a medication disposal. Balance, blood pressure, hearing, memory and skin cancer screenings will be performed by representatives of Bellin Health Physical Therapy, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, Bellin Health Ear-Nose-Throat, Aging and Disability Resource Center and Forefront Dermatology.

Greetings, Morgan!

I had an interesting opportunity a couple of weeks ago to see our very own firefighters hone their skills at a propane fire training session. The Green Valley-Morgan Fire Department hosted the event on the evening of July 18, in conjunction with the Wisconsin Propane Education & Research Council.

Fire LLC certified instructors Luke Vannoie, Logan Simkowski and Taylor Noe led the training, which began with a classroom session. Then, over 60 firefighters from Green Valley-Morgan, Bonduel, Underhill, Pensaukee, Gillett, Shawano and Tri-County had the opportunity to practice controlling fires with each of the available props, such as a gas grill, forklift tank, household size tank and propane terminal piping.

The second installment of the Sunset Music by the River series Friday will showcase BoomBoxx, an energetic band that covers classic rock and pop hits.

The Sunset Music by the River series features concerts at the East Side Beach on North Main Street in Oconto Falls. The events, sponsored by the Oconto Falls Area Chamber of Commerce, are free to the public from 6-9 p.m. People are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, purchase food and beverages from local vendors on the grounds, and enjoy live music from popular Green Bay-area bands as the sun goes down.

Here is what lead singer Jeff Czerniejewski says about the event.

Q: What was your reaction when you were asked to be a part of the new summer series of concerts?

Abrams Spotlight Productions invites the community to its summer show, “Steel Magnolias,” a production full of sass, style and sisterhood.

Written by American playwright Robert Harling and based on his experience with his sister’s death, the show is set in Louisiana in the 1980s and is equal parts hilarious and heartwarming.

“It is a rare treat to find a production as emotionally provoking as ‘Steel Magnolias,’” said Abrams Spotlight Productions director Cate Kopkey.

Bringing the Southern sisterhood to life are six seasoned actresses: Ali DeWilde as Shelby Eatenton, Nan Macy as M’Lynn Eatenton, Breanna Gusick as Truvy Jones, Janet Koehne as Annelle Dupuy-Desoto, Pam Loberger as Clairee Belcher, and Julie Muenster as Ouiser Boudreaux.

“What these women are able to convey is that friendship, in its true form, which follows no guidelines, breaks down all barriers, and heals the aching heart,” Kopkey said.

Auditions for the Machickanee Players’ October production of “The Case of the Fatal Farewell” are scheduled for 6 p.m. Aug. 7-8 at the Park Avenue Playhouse, 408 Park Ave., Oconto.

The murder mystery, which requires a cast of six men (age 20 and older) and five women (age 30 and older), will be performed the last two weekends in October. The play’s story line focuses on a long-absent husband who returns home to his wife and their hobby farm, only to be murdered the very next day.

The list of suspects includes the wife, the neighbor, the family attorney, the wife’s childhood friend and a simple-minded farmhand.

The play will be directed by the playwright, Kathy Campshure. For information, contact Campshure at kcberg1@centurylink.net or 920-373-5477.