Mental health nonprofit announces Ethics in Action Award recipients
GREEN BAY – Foundations Health & Wholeness, a Brown County-based mental health nonprofit, announced its 2022 Ethics in Action Award recipients at its annual Ethics in Action Honors Event Oct. 20 at Lambeau Field:
Rick Brunner, for his selfless work making toys and supporting children both in Brown County and worldwide; Rhonda Chandler, for her work celebrating and giving a voice to black and brown girls and founding Lovin The Skin You’re In; and Justis Tenpenny, for challenging the status quo to create a just and inclusive community for people who identify as LGBTQ+.
Ethics In Action Awards are presented at the annual evennt, but nominations are accepted year-round and community members are encouraged to nominate people who are creating healthier workplaces, schools and neighborhoods at wearefoundations.org/ethics-in action/award-nominations/.
This year’s event raised over $134,000 to support mental health care for children, teens, adults and families in financial need.
GBPD recognizes crossing guard
GREEN BAY – The Green Bay Police Department (GBPD) would like to recognize a local crossing guard, who recently helped an officer reunite three lost siblings with their mom.
Tony Helminger, a crossing guard employed by Cross Safe, who was stationed at Edgewood Drive and Robinson Avenue, near Wilder Elementary School had an unusual day on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022.
After school let out, Mr. Helminger was approached on Oct. 20 by three students who had forgotten the direction of their new home.
“Their mom had dropped them off in the morning and felt comfortable letting them walk home once school was out, since she had talked to them about it on numerous occasions. Then, when it came time to do so, the kids couldn’t remember their address or which direction to go. So, I had called law enforcement for help, and it was important to me to keep them occupied while we waited for an officer, as I could sense that they were a bit scared,” Helminger said.
“I want to personally thank Mr. Helminger for contacting us. With his help, we were able to get these children back to mom rather quickly,” Officer Courtney Ainsworth, Green Bay Police Department, said.
Olejniczak awarded Golden Strength Award
DE PERE – Sarah Olejniczak, Title IX and compliance coordinator at St. Norbert College (SNC), was honored with a Golden Strength Award by Golden House in Green Bay on Thursday, Oct. 20, at the organization’s annual “Show of Strength” program.
Golden House’s mission is to provide safety and support for victims of domestic abuse while leading efforts to end domestic violence in our community.
The Golden Strength Awards highlighted seven individuals who have overcome obstacles while displaying fortitude, tenacity, courage, bravery and perseverance and, in doing so, continue to make a difference in our community each day.
Olejniczak oversees St. Norbert College’s response to sex and gender-based harassment and discrimination, is a core-team member of SNC’s Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) campus grant and is active in several of its committees, is working to organize the college’s inaugural symposium on gender-based violence, is co-leading the implementation of the SPACE (Sexual Assault Prevention and Community Equity) toolkit, and sits on the Brown County Coordinated and Community Response team to domestic abuse and sexual assault.
Ensure you have an ID to vote in fall election
BROWN COUNTY – The Wisconsin Department of Transportation Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) reminds voters to make sure that they have the proper identification needed to vote in the Nov. 8 election.
Wisconsin driver licenses or IDs are the most common forms of identification used for voting purposes.
A federally compliant REAL ID card is not required to show at the polls.
Other forms of identification, such as military or student ID cards are also valid for voting.
To see if your ID meets the requirements, visit the Wisconsin Elections Commission website at bringit.wi.gov/.
If you are in need of an official ID, the Wisconsin DMV is able to help.
Call the DMV’s toll-free hotline at (844) 588-1069 with questions on obtaining an ID for voting purposes or visit trust.dot.state.wi.us/cscfinder/cscsearch.do to find a DMV location near you.
Festival of Lights needs a tree
GREEN BAY – The Green Bay Packers and Festival Foods are set to host the 16th annual Festival of Lights at Lambeau Field, Saturday, Dec. 3.
The Packers are once again seeking assistance in finding a tree.
Anyone from Wisconsin or the Upper Peninsula of Michigan who has a 40-50 foot evergreen tree and wants to donate it to the event is asked to submit a proposal, in 100 words or less, on why their tree should be selected for this year’s Festival of Lights and be displayed at Lambeau Field through the holiday season.
Proposals should include a photo of the tree, and can be submitted through Wednesday, Nov. 9, online at packers.com/fans/festival-of-lights.
The winning tree will be harvested and transported to Lambeau Field on Monday, Nov. 28, and the owner of the selected tree will receive four tickets to the Packers-Lions game on Jan. 7 or 8, 2023.
WPS and law enforcement team up to put a stop to scams
GREEN BAY – On Oct. 20, law enforcement across northeast and north central Wisconsin joined Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) to protect customers from con artists running utility scams on social media.
Be aware, scammers may pretend to be from WPS, threaten to rutn off your electricity or demand immediate payment through unusual payment methods such as prepaid debit card or third-party apps like Zelle or Venmo.
If you think a scammer is targeting you, hang up. It’s not rude — it’s safe.
Call WPS at 800-450-7260 if you have questions about a call, email or text you’ve received.
Contact your local law enforcement if you’ve fallen victim to a scam.
Green Bay and De Pere Antiquarian Society’s 65th Annual Antique Show and Sale
GREEN BAY – The Green Bay and De Pere Antiquarian Society will host its 65th Annual Antique Show and Sale at the Rock Garden Conference Center on Friday, Nov. 18 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The event will feature a variety of quality dealers from across the Midwest, free identification of antiques and collectibles, a raffle and a holiday café and bakery.
All proceeds from the event will fund grants awarded to preserve and restore cultural artifacts pertinent to the community.
“This event is a great tradition in Green Bay and a fabulous way to get started with your Holiday shopping,” commented Debbie Scray, chairperson of this year’s show.
“At the same time, local historical organizations will continue to benefit from grants received from the Green Bay and De Pere Antiquarian Society. We hope that antique show goers will take advantage of this opportunity to add to their collections or purchase holiday gifts.”
For additional information visit antiquariansocietygbdp.org.
De Pere boutique finalist for business makeover
DE PERE – Market Street Boutique in De Pere was recently named one of six Main Street businesses from around the state as a finalist in the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation’s (WEDC’s) annual Main Street Makeover Contest.
Two of the six finalists will receive funding and assistance to upgrade their storefronts next year.
The winning businesses will receive personalized technical assistance and up to $10,000 for interior and exterior design improvements or personalized assistance to boost their image and operations.
Finalists were selected based on their business track record, the vision for their business and the potential for the makeover to have a positive impact on their downtown district.
The winner will be announced in early November.
The world unites to defeat Stroke on Oct. 29
BROWN COUNTY – A stroke can happen to anyone at any point in their lifetime.
Oct. 29 is World Stroke Day and the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association, has lifesaving information about the stroke warning signs everyone should know.
The American Stroke Association wants everyone to learn how to spot a stroke F.A.S.T.:
Face Drooping – Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile. Is the person’s smile uneven?
Arm Weakness – Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
Speech Difficulty – Is speech slurred? Is the person unable to speak or hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence, like: “The sky is blue.”
If someone shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 911 and get them to a hospital immediately.
SNC announces Founder’s Day Award recipients
DE PERE – St. Norbert College (SNC) has selected Chrystal Woller, Mike Counter and Faith Mertzig as recipients of its 2022 Founder’s Day Awards.
The awards recognize dedication to the Norbertine traditions, committment to service, peace-building and reconciliation, prayer, and radical hospitality and were presented at the St. Norbert College Founder’s Day prayer breakfast Oct. 11.
Chrystal Woller is the director of health and wellness and has served the college since 2016 with 16 years of governmental public health experience, including serving as health director for the city of De Pere.
According to her nominator, she “exemplifies communio” and is “respectful of everyone — faculty, staff, students and family members — regardless of their opinions and how they approach her.”
Mike Counter is the director of media relations, has taught courses in the Master of Business Administration program through the Donald J. Schneider School of Business and Economics and joined SNC in 2003 with 21 years spent in both television and radio broadcasting.
One of his former interns wrote, “Mike is the reason I love marketing and communications… Mike treated me as an equal who he could teach and who he could also learn from.”
Faith Mertzig is an education major representing the class of 2024 who runs cross country in the fall and track and field in the spring and was elected as team captain for cross country.
One of her nominators shared, “Faith’s love for her teammates is unmatched. She wants to see them succeed as runners and in all the other areas of their lives.”
Dillon donates to Bellin Health Cancer Team
ASHWAUBENON – Green Bay Packers running back AJ Dillon made treatment day a little brighter for Bellin Health cancer patients recently, visiting patients and staff before presenting the Bellin Health Cancer Team with a generous $100,000 donation on Tuesday, Oct. 18.
The gift, from AJ and his wife Gabrielle, will benefit the Cancer Team and its patients tremendously, and further underscores the ongoing support from the Dillons, said Alicia Caldwell, Bellin Health Team Leader, Oncology and Hematology Services.
“From his visits with our patients to his support of the Packers vs. Cancer initiative and now this generous donation, we can’t thank him enough for all he has done for our team and for this cause,” Caldwell said.
Dillon has spoken openly about his mother-in-law’s breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, and was on hand at the Cancer Team when she had her final treatment in June.
“We are so grateful to the Bellin Health Cancer Team for taking such great care of my mother-in-law, and it feels good to be able to give back in this way,” Dillon said.
“It meant so much to me to meet with patients, hear their stories and hopefully make treatment day a little brighter for them and their loved ones.”