Manitowoc Heating free furnace giveaway: How to nominate someone

MANITOWOC - Manitowoc Heating & Refrigeration Services, Inc., is again offering a free furnace to at least one family in need in the community.

Homeowners can be nominated to receive a new, high-efficiency Rheem furnace. Manitowoc Heating and its employees, along with Rheem and Hubbartt Electric, will partner to donate equipment and time to install the new heating equipment at no cost to the homeowner. This is the fifth year the company has given away a furnace.

Those who qualify to receive a furnace include families or homeowners with a hardship or challenge, who have served in the military, or who help others and are in need of help themselves.

Nomination forms are on the Manitowoc Heating Facebook page or can be picked up in the office at 211 N. 10th St., Manitowoc, or 2400 Mason St., New Holstein.

Submissions are due to Manitowoc Heating by 4 p.m. Aug. 31 and can be dropped off at either office location or emailed to [email protected]. Call 920-686-7378 for more information.

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Welcome to your weekly dose.Here is more news from throughout Manitowoc County.

The Alzheimer’s Association is inviting Manitowoc County residents to join the fight to end Alzheimer’s by participating in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s Sept. 9 at the Manitowoc-Two Rivers YMCA, 205 Maritime Drive, Manitowoc.

The event opens at 8:30 a.m. with the opening ceremony at 9:40 a.m. immediately followed by the walk at 10 a.m.

The walk begins with a poignant Promise Garden ceremony during which walkers hold a colored flower representing their personal connection to the cause. They may have lost someone (purple), be fighting the disease (blue), a caregiver (yellow) or an advocate for the cause (orange).

After the walk, participants are encouraged to head to The Wharf, 606 Quay St., for a post-walk party where 15% of all beverage sales will benefit the walk.

Craig Coshun, sportscaster covering the Brewers and the Bucks, will be the honorary chairman for the 2023 Walk to End Alzheimer’s supporting all 27 Wisconsin walks. Coshun lost his mother to Alzheimer’s and is active in the Sportscasters Against Alzheimer’s initiative.

To register and receive the latest updates on this year’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s, visit act.alz.org/manitowoccounty. Pre-registration is encouraged. For questions or assistance, call 800-272-3900.

The Miss Harbor Cities Scholarship Competition is set for 5 p.m. Sept. 23 at the Capitol Civic Centre, 913 S. Eighth St., Manitowoc.

The show will be hosted by current Miss Harbor Cities 2023 and television journalist Gabriella Premus and Director of Tourism for the City of Manitowoc (Visit Manitowoc) and former Miss Wisconsin 2016 Courtney Hansen.

The Harbor Cities competition is marking its 10th anniversary this year. A number of former Miss Harbor Cities and Miss Harbor Cities’ Teens will be in attendance.

The event will culminate with the crowning of Miss Harbor Cities 2024 and Miss Harbor Cities Teen 2024.

Interested contestants can apply at missharborcities.org/mhc2024/. Women ages 13-28 qualify by living, working or attending school full time in Wisconsin.

Tickets will be on sale Aug. 18 and can be purchased online at cccshows.org or by calling the Capitol Civic Centre Box Office at 920-683-2184.

Established in 2014, the Miss Harbor Cities Organization, which oversees the competition, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides scholarship assistance to young women ages 13-28, fosters mentorship and professional development opportunities, and supports social impact initiatives.

Winners at Miss Harbor Cities will go on to compete in the Miss Wisconsin competition, an official state preliminary to the Miss America Scholarship Competition.

Three Wisconsin writers will be chatting and signing books at LaDeDa Books in August. The shop is at 1624 New York Ave., Manitowoc.

Rural Manitowoc resident Amanda Linsmeier’s recent release, “Starlings,” was published by Penguin Random House in early spring. This young adult novel tells the story of Kit, whose father has always told her that, besides him, she has no family. His sudden death finds her connecting with a grandmother she never knew she had, Agatha Starling. The Starling family is revered in their hometown of Rosemont, but the longer Kit is there, the stranger both the town and her grandmother seem. Linsmeier will be greeting readers and signing books from 10:30 a.m. to noon Aug. 19.

Corey Geiger, international agriculture journalist, pairs his rural roots and lively storytelling talents to capture six generations of life in America’s Dairyland. Jerry Apps, renowned Wisconsin writer and public television personality, wrote in the forward of “The Wisconsin Farm They Built”: “As a lifetime rural historian, I found this Corey Geiger book fascinating, informative, entertaining, carefully researched and well written. This is a very personal book. Corey Geiger tells the story of his maternal grandparents, Elmer and Julia, from the time when they were kids to the time of their passing.”

June Carstens was nurtured and raised on the family farm. Now a grandmother, she still farms and enjoys a large farm kitchen where she continues to create memories with her family. Along with childhood reminiscences, Carsten’s book, “Hey Elaine! What’s for Supper?,” shares generational family recipes such as Mom’s Meatballs and the ever-popular milk potatoes. Many recipes are accompanied by a memory about the individual known for making the featured dish.

Geiger and Carstens will be a LaDeDa from 10:30 a.m. to noon Aug. 26.

Anyone who would like a book but who can’t attend an author’s appearance can call LaDeDa at 920-682-7040 to reserve a signed copy.

Manitowoc’s A.C.E. Building Service, a regional provider of commercial and industrial construction services, celebrated 60 years of business July 15.

The company said in a news release that it has experienced continuous growth since its inception, with pivotal moments like its focus on design/build projects in the 1980s and a longstanding partnership with Butler since 1973.

The company has traversed three succession plans, with the most recent in 2021.

Chris Herzog, president of A.C.E. Building Service, said in the release: “Loyalty is within our company’s backbone, and our success lies in fostering genuine partnerships. Our honesty and integrity have nurtured lasting business partnerships, client relationships and dedicated team members. Keeping pace with technological advancements and investing in our employees’ continuous growth are core values that have been instrumental in moving our company to new heights.”

More than 90% of A.C.E. Building Service’s projects have been completed for repeat clients, the news release said. Learn more at acebuildingservice.com.

The Chamber of Manitowoc County and UW-Green Bay, Manitowoc Campus, will team up for STEM FEST Oct. 16 at the college’s campus.

The Chamber said the event aims to inspire innovation in the future workforce by hosting students in fourth or fifth grade and introducing them to careers that utilize STEM — science, technology engineering and math. The hope is to bring businesses that can offer demonstrations or hands-on activities for the students.

Businesses interested in participating can register online at chambermanitowoccounty.org, or call the Chamber at 920-684-5575 or email [email protected] for more details. Sponsorships are also sought for the event.

Manitowoc County’s Emergency Management office issued the following statement Aug. 8 regarding the sounding of storm sirens in Manitowoc during a thunderstorm Aug. 3:

Following the rapidly developing severe weather in Manitowoc County on Aug. 3, it is important to understand when and why the sirens in the city of Manitowoc and around the county are sounded.

Per policy, sirens in Manitowoc County are sounded only when a tornado warning is issued by the National Weather Service. Sirens in the city of Manitowoc are sounded when a severe thunderstorm warning or tornado warning are issued by the National Weather Service.

During the severe weather in Manitowoc County Aug. 3, a severe thunderstorm warning was issued by the National Weather Service for the second line of storms that impacted the county. Unfortunately, the first line of storms was more severe, especially in the city of Manitowoc, but intensified so rapidly that the National Weather Service did not have time to issue a severe thunderstorm warning.

Though uncommon, it is possible for severe weather to rapidly intensify.

“Last Thursday’s weather is a perfect example of why we stress the importance of preparedness during storms, whether a severe thunderstorm warning is issued or not,” said Kayla Beckerdite, Emergency Services director.

During all thunderstorms, it is important to have a way to receive updates from the National Weather Service, maintain an emergency kit with food, water and medical supplies for your family, and stay away from windows and doors. For additional preparedness information, visit www.ready.gov/thunderstorms-lightning.

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During the early part of 2023, Manitowoc Sunrise Rotary asked its members for and received ideas to support a nonprofit organization in the community to provide funding for a worthwhile project.

Names and causes were discussed by the group’s District Grant Committee. Serving on the committee were members Kathy Bernhart, chairperson; Mike Woznick, treasurer; Patty Lou Pohlmann, foundation chairperson; Peggy Kadow, publicity chairperson; Paul Roekle, president; Marcia Christiansen; and John Bilske.

The committee chose The Crossing of Manitowoc County as a potential recipient. The Crossing’s executive director was then invited to a meeting as a guest March 7. May 9, the full club met at The Crossing to tour and familiarize itself with the organization. It was formally decided to choose The Crossing as the recipient for the 2023-24 District 6270 Grant.

After having the staff from The Crossing present a program about the organization at one of the regular club meetings, members of Manitowoc Sunrise Rotary became interested in one aspect of the organization — its “Babies Ride Safe” program, which offers high-quality child car seats to those in need. So Sunrise Rotary chose to use the grant on supplying car seats as part of the program.

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The Herald Times Reporter earned the top award, Best in Division B, for all newspapers in the state with daily circulation of less than 9,999 in the 2022 Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation Better Newspaper Contest. The Best in Division award came after the Manitowoc paper won 14 individual awards in the contest, including five first place, three second place, five third place and an honorable mention. Read more about the awards and follow links to the award-winning content by clicking here.

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Contact Brandon Reid at 920-686-2984 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @breidHTRNews.