MANITOWOC – Here’s a look at some of my most well-read stories for the month of October, which oddly feels farther away than just a few days ago!
Readers ate up my story about Lakeshore area residents’ opinions about where to find the best chicken in Manitowoc County. We asked readers in early October to share their favorite spots for chicken — whether fried, broasted, grilled our barbecued.
And while Manitowoc folks seem to have a variety of favorites, Montana Rae’s Pub (formerly Tippy’s), 1713 East St., Two Rivers, came out on top.
Late’s, Pizza Ranch, the Manitowoc Piggly Wiggly, Fork & Knife Restaurant, The Dugout Bar & Grill and Broken Plate Catering and Diner were also fan favorites.
Another foodie favorite was the Savor Manitowoc column about Cozy B’s Family Diner. This 1950s-style diner in Two Rivers was the latest stop on my and co-worker Alisa Schafer’s quest to sample every locally owned restaurant in Manitowoc County.
The diner was opened in July by Christina and Jacob Schuster, the same pair who run Christina’s Cakery and Baked Goods.
Alisa and I sat at a comfortable high-top table by the window. I often order a tuna melt when I see one on the menu, and this was no exception. The sandwich was mounded with yummy tuna salad between two perfectly toasted slices of bread. A hardy side of fries made for a meal I definitely plan to enjoy again.
In addition to free food, a perk of my job is talking with community members who make a difference in their corner of the world.
Readers turned to a story I wrote about Brian Rasmussen and his wife, who started The Harper Group 14 months ago. Their goal was to fill a need in Manitowoc County — a nonprofit that focuses on families with kids or young adults struggling through critical illness.
The idea came nearly a decade after their young granddaughter went through treatments for lymphblastic leukemia.
“We felt so strongly that we needed to give back,” Ramussen said. “We are givers, and we see this as a way to pay back the help and support our family received when our granddaughter was in the hospital.”
The nonprofit has assisted Manitowoc families with $16,401 so far.
I love that this couple saw a need and found a small, doable way to make a big difference for families in the community, such as giving a girl who uses a wheelchair funds to buy a portable ramp so she can visit her grandparents and other relatives.
In other feel-good news, I wrote a story about Lakeside Foods playing a part in sending food to help those impacted by Hurricane Helene.
Members of the Midwest Food Products Association, including Lakeside Foods, banded together to collect and deliver shelf-stable groceries as part of a relief effort to help areas in the southeastern part of the U.S. hit hard by Hurricane Helene in late September.
Riffey Transload and Lakeside Foods worked on the collection of 14,000 pounds of canned vegetables (12,240 individual cans), picked up at the Lakeside Foods warehouse in Poynette.
Frosty’s Festival of Lights to benefit Shop with a Cop in Manitowoc
Frosty’s Festival of Lights, a holiday light display that benefits Shop with a Cop. Located at 1434 Daisy Dr. in Manitowoc, Wis.
Finally, I also wrote about an event that has been raising funds for the Shop With a Cop program, now in its 19th year.
Each fall, Jeremy Kronforst, a captain for the Manitowoc Police Department, sets up intricate and elaborate light displays for both Halloween and Christmas at his home and property at 1434 Daisy Drive.
He uses the display to collect donations for Shop With a Cop, which has helped provide Christmas gifts for 295 families in need for the past 18 years.
This year, the program hopes to pair 25 kids or families with an officer from the Police Department, Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Office, Wisconsin State Patrol, Probation and Patrol, and the Manitowoc County Joint Dispatch Center.
The children are paired with officers to shop at Walmart. After, they wrap the gifts and enjoy games and refreshments.
The program helped 27 families, provided gifts to 144 individuals, with about $8,500 spent on kids, families and a few family pets in 2023.
Contact reporter Patti Zarling at pzarling@gannett.com and call 920-606-2575. Follow her on X @PGPattiZarling and on Instagram @PGPatti.
