A Joint Initiative Between     Heart of Wisconsin     Business & Economic Alliance and     Community Foundation of Greater     South Wood County

Home About Us B2B Club Breaking News Contact Donate Events / Programs Feedback Ideas Incubator Industry Clusters Links / Resources Progess Funds Progress Teams Public Art / Murals Publications		Breaking News June 29, 2005 - Bring your appetite to Community Picnic By Deb Cleworth, Daily Tribune Staff GRAND RAPIDS - A community leadership team is throwing a picnic, and everyone in Biron, Grand Rapids and Wisconsin Rapids is invited. Members of the Wisconsin Rapids Community Progress Initiative team - including Biron and Grand Rapids - hope to better unite the three communities through the picnic set for 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at the Grand Rapids Lions Park. "This is a nice way for all members of our community to visit and get a chance to know each other better," said Mary Jo Carson, 64, co-chairwoman for the event. "All we're trying to do is break even," Carson said. "This is not intended to make money. This is for fellowship, and a lot of laughter." The major goal is to continue the development of the economy and recreational areas of the community - "and to have fun," said Lonnie Reetz, 39, an organizer from Grand Rapids. There'll also be hamburgers, hot dogs, beverages and live music. Organizers hope the event is as successful as another Community Progress Initiative event - Vesper's community celebration, which was held in May. "Our hopes were to bring the business communities and surrounding areas together," said Ruth Cline, a 61-year-old Vesper resident who has lived in the community since she was 2. Part of the Vesper event included a brat fry at the fire station. "We normally go through about 600 brats (at a brat fry). We went through over 1,000 at the event," said Todd Eckes, 44, a Vesper resident and member of the volunteer fire department. "It was nice to see a lot of people who normally probably wouldn't have been in Vesper," Eckes said. Organizers of this Friday's Community Picnic want to make the picnic an annual event.
		Copyright © 2005, Community Progress Initiative, South Wood County & Town of Rome