Spirit of the Rivers dedication nears
A massive sculpture will soon appear on the Lake Michigan shoreline between Manitowoc and Two Rivers.Spirit of the Rivers, a tribute to the Woodland Indians of the Upper Great Lakes, consists of three 10-foot-high human figures and a 20-foot birch bark canoe in bronze. Created by sculptor R.T. "Skip" Wallen, the sculpture will be dedicated at 2 p.m. Sept. 16at 4815 Memorial Drive, Two Rivers. The public is invited.
The sculpture is expected to become a major tourist attraction. The monumental bronze group portrays a young Native American man portaging a canoe with his female companion beside him and an Elder welcoming them ashore. The sculpture celebrates the origins and long history of human settlement along these shores.
It also represents the beginnings of the maritime tradition in this region, a tradition that began with the birch bark canoe and continued to the vast ship-building industry of the 19thand 20thcenturies, the manufacture of 28 submarines in World War II, and the luxury yacht business of today.
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Dignitaries from Manitowoc, Two Rivers, Wisconsin and Michigan tribes, and the Wisconsin Department of Tourism will speak, and The Menominee Boys and Girls Drumming Circle will welcome the crowd.
Directed by a 12-member volunteer Board of Directors and privately funded by financial and in-kind contributions from individuals, businesses and foundations,Spirit of the Riverswas created in a donated studio space in downtown Manitowoc. More than 100 volunteers helped with fund-raising, studio improvements and hosting studio open houses. More than 1,000 elementary school students from the area visited the studio to observe R.T. Wallen at work.Each student drew a picture inspired by the visit, and some of these students' drawings are on display at the Rahr-West Art Museum as part of an exhibition of Wallen’s work.
The University of Wisconsin-Manitowoc offered an interdisciplinary course based onSpirit of the Riversfor three years.A book of that title by award-winning author and historian Kerry Trask is in press and will be available for purchase at the dedication and at the museum.
Wallen was born and raised in Manitowoc, but lived his adult life in Alaska, developing an international clientele for his art.His most recent project was a life-size breaching humpback whale sculpture with waterworks for Juneau, Alaska. He returned to Manitowoc specifically to create theSpirit of the Riversproject for his hometown. More details: SpiritoftheRivers.org.
Shoot for Coop Sunday at Reedsville Sportsman's Club
The eighth annual Shoot for Coop fundraiser to benefit Children's Hospital of Wisconsin will be from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at Reedsville Sportsman's Club, 7015 Pleasant View Road.
The benefit honors the life and spirit of Cooper James Beaupre of rural Reedsville, who in 2011 diedat age 4after being found unconscious under logs near a woodpile.
The fundraiser will include an 18- and 20-yard-line 50-target trap shoot and a 30-target 3-D outdoor archery shoot. Youth and adult Lewis classes with youth bows will be available at the event. Don Kiel will perform a flyover at 1 p.m., a celebration of Cooper's life is at 2 p.m., cash raffle drawing at 2:45 p.m., and silent auction closes at 4:30 p.m. All-day activities include kids' events, food and refreshments.
More details:shoot4coop.com.
André Jacque earns Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Legislator of the Year Award
State Rep.André Jacque, R-De Pere, whose district includes portions of Manitowoc County, was honored by the Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Association (WCPA)Aug. 6 as its 2017-2018 Legislator of the Year.
WCPA 2018 PresidentChief Peter Nimmer of Shorewoodsaidan award is not automatically given each session and it "reflects extraordinary effort on the part of Rep. Jacque in stepping up to help the men and women in uniform across our state," according to a press release.
Jacque was also credited with introducing legislation and starting a public conversation about the impact of PTSD on law enforcement officers. “He moved the conversation to a public forum, identifying that this is a real issue for law enforcement,”Nimmer said in the release.
Two Rivers Community Band performs season finale Thursday
Two Rivers Community Band will present its season finale concert at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Central Park in Two Rivers.
"The Star-Spangled Banner" will be sung by DonKonop, Deanna Johnson, Robin Powell and MikeJohanek. Program numbers include "American Patrol," "Taps — Eternal Father," "Andrew Lloyd Weber in Concert" and "Bugler's Holiday" featuring DonKonop, MikeJohanekand DeanKonop. Also being performed are "Washington Post March," "Blue Skirt Waltz" sung by DonKonop, "The Syncopated Clock," "BandologyConcert March," "Just a Closer Walk with Thee" and "Saxophone Rag."
The concert concludes with the traditional playing of "Stars and Stripes Forever March" by John Philip Sousa.
The event is free and open to the public.
Manitowoc County website offers interactive 3-D mapping
Manitowoc County recently added two interactive web applications to its website. The new applications provide high-resolution, three-dimensional viewing of the landscape for any location in Manitowoc County.
The elevation surfaces in the applications are derived from Light and Detection Ranging (LiDAR) data collected in November 2015. Light pulses, combined with other data recorded by an airborne system, generate precise information about the shape of the Earth and its surface characteristics. Because of the high density of the LiDAR data, detailed models of small surface features, such as road ditches, can be created.
The 3D LiDAR Explorer application displays elevations with a three-to-one vertical exaggeration to emphasize minor changes in topography. In navigation mode, users can pan and rotate the landscape elevation model in any direction.
The 3D LiDAR Analyzer application has a measuring tool that allows for vertical measurements of the surface model. Multiple overlay options including 2-footcontour lines, slope rangesand tax parcels are provided in the 3D LiDAR Analyzer.
Both applications are accessible within the Soil & Water Conservation Department section of the “Map Gallery” on the Manitowoc County website, http://www.manitowocmaps.info/.
Final summer Bistro concert Aug. 15
The Gardens at Felician Village will host its final summer concert at 6 p.m. Aug. 15 at the main entrance of The Bistro with musical guest Fox Sounds, a femalefour-part a capella barbershop harmony group whose members also belong to the Fox Valley Chorus.
Tours of The Gardens, the Felician Village independent living condos and apartments, will be available at 4:30 p.m. To schedule a tour,call 920-684-7171, ext. 409.
Brats and hamburgers with the fixings, along with refreshments, will be available for purchase prior to each show from 5 to 6 p.m. A complimentary burger or brat meal will be provided to members of the Two Rivers Senior Center who attend the Aug. 15 concert.
The Bistro isat 1700 S. 18th St., Manitowoc. Those attending are encouraged to bring a chair.
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