Community

The story of a spunky little girl who knows the sun will come out tomorrow has delighted audiences from Broadway to the silver screen, and now she’s coming to the Byng Community Theatre in Abrams starting Friday night.

The musical “Annie” is the first 2017 production of Abrams Spotlight Productions Inc., whose mission is to bring family friendly plays and musicals to the community. The show will run for eight performances, at 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 1 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through April 9.

“When we were planning this season, we chose ‘optimism’ as the theme for 2017, and what a perfect show for that theme rolling out of the gate,” said Allie Carlson, production coordinator for the troupe.

Based on the comic strip that debuted in 1924 and ran in newspapers for 86 years, “Annie” tells the story of a little orphaned girl who is determined to find her parents who left her at the orphanage years ago.

The Oconto County Fairest of the Fair Committee has announced the contestants for this year’s Senior and Junior Fairest of the Fair competition, which takes place Sunday at Gillett High School.

There are three contestants for the Senior Fairest of the Fair: Danielle Bursa, Victoria Hull and Kaitlin Kramarczyk.

Four contestants will vie for the Junior Fairest of the Fair: Holly Brock, Delaney DeBauch, Macie Reed and Grace Seefeldt.

A reception with light refreshments begins at 1:30 p.m., which gives the public a chance to visit with the contestants before the final judging takes place. The program is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Gillett High School Performing Art Center.

All of the contestants will have the opportunity to speak on stage in front of an audience.

Senior contestants

80 years ago • March 11, 1937 • Gillett Times

LAKEWOOD: A pair of robbers broke into the Isaacson store early Thursday morning, taking from the store a large quantity of food, merchandise and clothing. The sheriff’s department at Oconto was notified about 11 a.m. Thursday and the Sheriff Chas Quirt with Deputy Elliott Flynn traced the two by footprints in the snow for three miles through the woods.

OCONTO COUNTY: The rural electrification administration at Washington has allocated funds for the construction of 305 miles of power lines in Oconto County.

80 years ago • March 11, 1937 • Oconto Falls Herald

MOUNTAIN: The pouring of concrete for two new dams in Oconto County commenced under WPA projects. The largest dam of the two will be at Chute Pond. The other dam is being constructed at Anderson Lake.

KLONDIKE: William Ammerman Jr. made a business trip to Marinette, where he is receiving treatment for a fractured jaw incurred while cutting wood.

Pulaski Polka Days will be featured in a new Wisconsin Public Television documentary taking viewers inside the state’s vibrant polka culture.

“Polka!,” hosted by internationally known polka star Mollie Busta, best known as Mollie B., premiered on March 6 and will have an an encore broadcast at 7 p.m. Saturday on Wisconsin Public Television.

Wisconsin celebrates family, community and life with polka. Polka was designated the state dance in 1993.

Traveling statewide to festivals, music venues and celebrations where the polka community thrives and the rich tradition continues to grow, Busta uncovers how this lively dance arrived in Wisconsin, and why revelers young and old still love it, generations later.

A community came together as one the morning of March 8, 1957 – 60 years ago this week – when the north wing of the Oconto Falls School burned down.

The north wing, built in 1915, housed classrooms for the high school students. The junior high classrooms were located in the original part of the high school, built in 1903. What is now the gymnasium at Washington School was added in 1926.

Fire, later determined to be electrical in nature, was discovered at 7 a.m. in the attic by the janitors, Everett Housner and Bill Delzer.

As news swept through the town, volunteers offered to help the firefighters. Oconto Falls Paper Mill plant manager Gil Heath provided manpower by shutting down one paper machine and making equipment available. The plant’s fire brigade assisted the fire department; they included Ed Marks, crane operator; Bob Johnson, purchasing and traffic manager; and Jim Johnson, window attendant.

CHS Larsen Cooperative, a local agricultural co-op, is gathering donations of money, food and crops to help fight hunger in Oconto County and the surrounding area.

As part of CHS Harvest for Hunger food and fund drive, CHS Larsen Cooperative will accept contributions from March 1 through March 20 at its locations in Oconto Falls, New London, Readfield, Center Valley, Weyauwega, and Larsen, and then deliver all collections to local food pantries.

“Hunger is a reality for more than 40 million people in America, including 13.1 million children. Every dollar we raise through CHS Harvest for Hunger can purchase six pounds of food through our food banks,” said Todd Reif, general manager, CHS Larsen Cooperative. “That’s making a real difference for those in need.”

Marinette and Oconto County University of Wisconsin-Extension offices are sponsoring a workshop March 1 to help producers understand the various types of crop insurance and how insurance interacts with a farm’s grain marketing and risk management plans.

The free workshop will be held at 10 a.m. at the Gillett Community Center, 200 E. Main St. The program will last about two hours.

For information, contact Scott Reuss at the Marinette County UW-Extension office at 715-732-7510, 877-884-4408 or scott.reuss@ces.uwex.edu.

Gillett Public Library volunteer Jean Frank has been awarded the annual Harold P. Heckendorf Volunteer of the Year Award. She plans to give her $250 charity prize to the library.

The award recognizes exemplary community service and volunteerism in Oconto County. It is presented by N.E.W. Credit Union in honor of Harold Heckendorf.

Frank was nominated by teacher Victoria Britton at the Gillett School District, where Frank does reading tutoring. She also is an active member of Friends of the Gillett Library and volunteered for the Community Center/Community Square project.

“She never hesitates to volunteer when asked, whether it be to set up for a book sale with her 4-H kids, or be one of the characters in our haunted house,” library director Kay Rankel said. “We appreciate all that she does for our library and the community.”

Oconto Falls Area Ambulance Service on Jan. 30 donated one of its two sets of hydraulic rescue tools, or “jaws,” to the Lena Fire Department.

The two emergency service agencies have overlapping coverage areas and work together on many traffic accidents, including on busy roads such as U.S. Highway 141 and state Highway 22. Patient care is the top priority for the ambulance service while Lena Fire focuses on extrication in severe accidents.

With the equipment donation, Lena Fire will have the capabilities of starting the extrication process at scenes where their crews arrive before an ambulance. The fire department’s employees also will have the tools they need for improved training of emergency personnel.

Officials said the donation was the Oconto Falls ambulance group’s way of thanking the Lena Fire Department for the services it provides.

Parents of children ages 4 through 7 can get tips for helping their kids become problem solvers during a six-week course being offered at Abrams Elementary School.

The course, called “Raising A Thinking Child,” is being offered by the partnership of Abrams Elementary School, the PTO and the University of Wisconsin-Extension in Oconto County.

The class is scheduled to meet from 6-7:30 p.m. every Thursday from March 16 to May 4.

The cost is $15 a person, although financial assistance is available. Free child care also is provided for those enrolled in the group.

Organizers hope to teach parents and caregivers how to help children think independently, to solve problems, to enjoy learning and to assert themselves. Organizers say these skills can help children later avoid behavioral issues such as violence, depression and substance abuse.

Registration is limited and is due by March 6.