Chippewa Falls September – October 2015

Chippewa Falls Optimist
September-October 2015
Friend of Youth
Angie Riemer, President
Louise Bentley, Vice President
Nancy Estrem-Fuller, Sec./Trea.
Cathy Greenseth, President Elect
Art Schunk, Past President
Board Members
Deb Braden
Tom Coushman
Jack Halbleib
Mike McGinley
Bob Nelson
Vicki Wilson
Like us on Facebook at Chippewa Falls Optimist Club
It has been an honor to serve
Art Schunk, President
Dear Optimist and Friends,
It has been my honor to serve
you as president the past 12
months. What a fine organization
of women and men where “Gung
Ho” and comeraderie are common
place. Just as it was for me over
a half century ago in the United
States Marine Corps.
Your humble servant,
Art
Upcoming Calendar
Oct 7 - Jerry Verwey
Oct 14 - John Kinville,
Educator of the Year Award
Oct 21 - Rob Gerber,
Hope Gospel Mission
Oct 28 - Angie Riemer,
Goals for 2015-16
Oct 31 - Club hosting a middle
school Halloween dance at the
Chippewa Falls Middle School for all
children in town.
Chippewa Falls August Youth of the Month - Molly Schwandt
Molly Schwandt was named our August
Youth of the Month. She is a Senior at
McDonell Central Catholic High School and
her parents are Dan & Kathy Schwandt.
She is very active in school activities
which include: Student Council, Spanish
Club, Forensics, Math Team and Junior
Achievement Team. Sport activities
include: soccer, cross-country skiing and
coaching Notre Dame volleyball. Molly was
a representative for the Badger Girls State
program and teaches religion education at
her parish. The community service groups
she helps with include Agnes Table and Feed
my People. In her free time, she likes to
read, swim, boat and run, but lately has been
studying for her ACT’s. Molly plans to attend
a four year college and may go to law school.
Congratulations Molly!
Youth of the Month, center, Molly Schwandt with parents Dan and
Kathy Schwandt.
1
Chippewa Falls Youth of the Month for September Carl Krumenauer
Carl Krumenauer is our September Youth of
the Month. He is a Senior at Chippewa Falls
High School. His parents are Rob and Wendy
Krumenauer and he has one brother, Ryan,
who is 13 years old. Carl is on the honor roll, is
a member of the Apollo Club and plays varsity
baseball. Community service activities include
working with the Chippewa County Youth Court
and with his church. Carl plans to attend a four
year college, possibly in Duluth, and wants to
major in Civil Engineering. Carl’s grandpa is
a first cousin to our very own member, Lyle
Krumenauer. Congratulations, Carl, and good
luck with your future endeavors.
Happy Birthday
October Birthdays
Lyle Krumenauer Oct 2nd
Tom Eder Oct 24th
Tom Coushman Oct 28th
Norb Kirk Oct 28th
Nancy Post Oct 31st
Happy Halloween
November Birthdays
CW King Nov 20
Carl Krumenauer and his mother Wendy are pictured above.
Oktoberfest speaker talks of history
On September 9th, the 2015 Chippewa Falls Oktoberfest
Planning Committee Chair, Cheryl Petska was our guest
speaker. She gave a very informative and insightful presentation, which encompassed the history of
the Munich Oktoberfest, which was the
inspiration for our local annual event, and
a variety of interesting facts about both
events.
From her visit, we learned that
Oktoberfest is an annual celebration that
began in 1810, when King Maximillian,
continue to page 4
Secret Handshakers & Winners
Boost Winners
August 5th: Angie Riemer to Norb Kirk
August 12th: Ralph Coushman to Vicki Wilson
August 19th: Cathy Greenseth to Lyle Krumenauer
August 26th: Ed Proue to Rich Estrem-Fuller
August 5th: Art Schunk
August 12th: Nancy Estrem-Fuller
August 19th: Vicki Wilson
August 26th: Gene Merrell
Sept 2nd: Nancy Post to Rich Estrem-Fuller
Sept 9th: Mike McGinley to Cathy Greenseth
Sept 16th: Jack Halbleib to Joanne Bates
Sept 23rd: Norb Kirk to Buni Willi
Sept 30th: Jerry Verwey to Dick Kauphusman
Sept 2nd: Bob Nelson
Sept 9th: Buni Willi
Sept 16th: Jerry Verwey
Sept 23rd: Angie Riemer
Sept 30th: Yvonne Zwiefelhofer
2
State Badger Boys program makes an impact
Mitchell Paukner was our guest speaker on
August 5th. He is a 2013 graduate of Chippewa
Falls High School where he had participated
in the Badger Boys State program. Although
selected as an alternate after his junior year,
Mitchell did get to attend. This event changed
his life. He had a chip on his shoulder but it
didn’t take long for him to realize that it wasn’t
about him. He was one of the final nine boys to
be interviewed for only two Senator spots and
although he did not win one of these spots, he
learned so much from the experience.
Mitchell just finished his third year as a
counselor for the Badger Boys State program.
This program allows the participants to set
up city and state level governments and
learn about leadership and taking care of
their communities. Chippewa Falls sent eight
representatives from our community and there
are no other communities of this size that sends
as many boys. Our Optimist Club contribution
to the American Legion for this program is very
important and Michell would like to see us
continue to contribute. Don’t worry, Mitchell, we
will! Thanks for all the great information and
insight.
President Art Schunk thanks Mitchell Paukner for sharing his
experience with the Badger Boys State program.
Mr. Kriegl from Red Cross seeking volunteers
On August 19th, Kyle Kriegl, Executive Director
of the Northwest Region for the American Red
Cross was our guest speaker. Kyle talked to
us about home fires and how the Red Cross
can help to reduce or eliminate them. There
have been five deaths in Wisconsin this spring,
including one in Eau Claire from home fires.
Every home needs smoke detectors so the Red
Cross is partnering with the local fire departments
and donating free smoke detectors to all homes.
The detectors are good for 10 years with Lithium
Ion batteries. They have installed over 100,000
smoke detectors nationally and more than 50
in Chippewa Falls and Eau Claire communities.
They plan to do more and are looking for
volunteers to help canvas the neighborhoods
and leave notes with the information on how
people can get their free smoke detectors. They
also need help with installation of these smoke
detectors, as well. When there is a fire in a
home, the Red Cross is called and provides food,
shelter, clothing, mental health counseling and
replacement medications. Thanks, Kyle, for all
the great information.
Thank you to the American Red Cross for all you do to help people
throughout the world. Above (L to R) Art Schunk and Kyle Kriegl.
3
Gary Garton
Dictionary Project
on its fifteenth year
For the fifteenth year, members
of the Chippewa Falls Optimist Club
have distributed student dictionaries
to over 600 third grade students
throughout Chippewa County.
Throughout the county, 14 schools,
both public and private, were visited
on Wednesday, September 30,
by teams of Optimist members
who presented the dictionaries to
each student at short assemblies
coordinated at each of the schools.
The event is named in memory of
Gary Garton, a past Optimist Club
member who initiated the program
in 2000 and served as both Club
President and District Governor.
Club President Art Schunk, right, and Nancy Estrem-Fuller have the students in
New Auburn look for the longest word in their dictionaries.
Chippewa Falls Optimist Club members finish adding the Optimist Creed to over
600 dictionaries before breaking up into teams to deliver to 14 schools.
Kite-making fun!
Oktoberfest
On Sunday, September 20th our club
sponsored, organized and ran the Kite
Making Workshop at the 13th Annual
Chippewa Falls Oktoberfest. For the second
year, we held the workshop in the Family Fun
Building, which proved to be a much better
venue than the previous location, which was
the Festival Hall or ‘Festsal’. Jack Halbleib
was this year’s chair.
In addition to helping kids assemble kites,
Jack also organized the event and ordered
the kites and supplies. Club members also
helping with expert kite-making instruction
were Ralph Coushman and Buni Willi.
Special thanks to Kelly Coushman, who did
a great job of helping with set-up/clean-up
and working with the kids as they assembled
their kites and David, an international student
from Hungry, who also helped. This year, over
75 kites were made and eight special kites
were given away though door prize drawings
every ½ hour.
continued from page 2
son of Prince Ludwig of Bavaria, threw a grand
party for the wedding of his son to Princess
Theresa. The event included horse races, food
and drink on a meadow outside of the city of
Munich. The attendees enjoyed the festivities
so much, that they decided to make it an annual
event and named the fest grounds of which it will
be held, Theresienwiess, named after the new
bride. The event was eventually moved from
October to September (mainly due to weather),
and was expanded to always include at least 16
days, including German Unification Day, which is
October 3rd.
The first Chippewa Falls Oktoberfest was held in
2003, which was the last year our club served out
of the old Cheese Curd Stand. In Chippewa Falls,
over 320 barrels of beer are consumed during
our three day event, which is usually attended by
approximately 18,000 people. In contrast, Munich’s
continue to page 7
4
Kite-making
Oktoberfest
2015
55
Fundraising for the kids
Oktoberfest Optimist Volunteers 2015
6
Oktoberfest
continued from page 4
6.7 million liters (57,000 barrels) served to 6.5
million people who attend their 16-day event.
In Chippewa Falls, we have three biergartens,
each with their own stage, along with an other
stage, which can be found in the Family Fun
Building (or Famillientreff). Between the four
stages, over 35 entertainment venues perform
throughout the weekend. Each one is sponsored
by one of the original nine breweries in Munich.
Only beer brewed in Munich is allowed to
be served during their event. Each of their
biergartens also has an entertainment stage,
but also have their own kitchen and restrooms.
Although their biergartens are much larger than
ours, they are still temporary structures that are
hauled in, assembled, used and then, taken down
and hauled away every year.
Cheryl also gave us some organizational
information regarding our Oktoberfest. Our
event is non-profit, and is planned, organized,
supervised by a group of 40 volunteers along
with the Chippewa Falls Chamber of Commerce
staff. In addition to volunteers and staff, it
takes over 600 community volunteers from 45
different organizations to run the event. Since its
inception, the Chippewa Falls Oktoberfest has
‘paid back’ the community with over $270,000 in
donations to the organizations that volunteer.
Cheryl was introduced by 2016 Grounds
Committee Chair (and fellow Optimist) Tom
Coushman, who brought another special
guest, 2016 Planning Committee Chair Valerie
Coushman.
The Optimist Creed
Promise Yourself ...
To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.
To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
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