Coach Will Gillis had a tough start to his Shawano American Legion coaching career. His team was 2-10 in the Fox River Valley League Western Division last year. Gillis says Shawano will win more games in his second year. “It wasn’t a real cohesive group,” Gillis said. “This group is a lot more cohesive; they’ve played together all year round.

Robert “Bob” Sumnicht, 91, of Merrill, passed away on June 11, 2014, at the Artisan Assisted Living facility under the care of Ministry Home Care Hospice. Bob was born on May 1, 1923 to Frank and Augusta (Dittman) Sumnicht in the town of Shawano. Bob attended and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1952. He was in the military and served three years in occupied Japan.

Walter C. “Wally” Hanson, 71, of the town of Wescott, passed away Wednesday, June 11, 2014, at his property in Oconto County. Born on April 30, 1943, in Illinois, he was the son of the late Henry B. and Vivian M. (Dickelman) Hanson. Wally grew up in Illinois and graduated from Chicago’s Fenger High School in 1961. He furthered his education with a full scholarship to Upper Iowa University.

Gordon E. Radtke, 93, of Embarrass, passed away on Friday, June 13, 2014, at Cherry Meadows Hospice, Appleton. He was born on July 3, 1920, in Zachow, the son of the late Henry and Hattie (Schwahn) Radtke. On Dec. 18, 1943, Gordon married Lucille Huebner in Shawano. The couple lived and farmed in the Town of Hartland, Shawano County, until 1953 when they moved to Embarrass.

So much has changed over the 40-some years since my father traveled down to the area he always called home. Highways are now almost all four-lane, and the traffic endlessly going from here to there. Pa would not like that part of the trip. What he would look forward to is sitting down and visiting with his three sisters, who would take pleasure in reminiscing about days gone by. Pa passed away in 1974.

There’s a fragrance in the air. Freshly cut hay abounds throughout the county right now as farmers all over are taking advantage of this amazing haying weather. The conditions are perfect for cutting hay one day and chopping the next. Here at our farm, we went from preparing the fields for planting, to planting oats, peas and oats and corn, to graduation, to haying — all in a span of about three to four weeks.

Lisa Spreeman is a volunteer firefighter with the Shawano Fire Department. The department has 56 volunteers in Shawano and Belle Plaine, along with Wescott, where there is another female volunteer. They meet twice a month and response to an average of 150 calls a year. Spreeman was born and raised in Bonduel. After graduating from high school, she was a caregiver and earned a certified nursing assistant degree from St.

Wittenberg Elementary-Middle School fifth-grade teachers Theresa Shankland and Bethany Grunewald led their students in a yearlong course of writing narratives, friendly and business letters, fables, persuasive pieces and poetry. The course was made possible by funds from the Shawano County Area Retired Teachers Association. “We are so grateful for all the association’s help,” Shankland said. The students practiced presenting their writings before

To the editor: The fact that the Republicans were the first to support the right of women to vote is true, but times have changed. They no longer believe in equal rights for women and the principle of equal pay for equal work. Now there is resistance to paying women the same as men for the same job. Governor Walker doesn’t want the Affordable Care Act.