Lynn Marcks of the nIc Foundation is very grateful for grants from United Way of Shawano County that support the character camps her organization holds each summer. “Without the United Way of Shawano County, we wouldn’t be able to provide the wide spectrum that we do,” Marcks said. The anti-bullying group uses the money to purchase materials for kids from kindergarten through fifth grade at the camp. It’s just one of many organizations helped by

“Individual commitment to a group effort — that is what makes a team work.” — Vince Lombardi I chose Vince Lombardi’s quote for today’s article because, looking back over 2013, I realize what a team effort it takes for accomplishments to occur in a community. I thought you might enjoy looking back at some of the significant changes that occurred over the year. A major concern of any community is employment.

The year 2014 has arrived and brought with it some of the coldest weather we’ve had in years. I’m glad I’m retired and I don’t have to go off to a job. I can wear my comfy clothes, sip a cappuccino and read the newspaper, or go online and play Scrabble with one of my friends. My husband has caught the fever, and now has four games going at once.

Kris Vomastic has been on the United Way of Shawano County board for three years. She was born in Shawano, graduating from Shawano High School in 1973. She helped operate a dairy farm for 18 years, and for the past 23 years has been employed at Cooperative Resources International in Shawano, where she oversees accounts receivable and the credit and collections area. Vomastic lives by Cloverleaf Lakes and has five children and nine grandchildren.

I hate to write about the cold weather, because that is all that we have been hearing about and living with for the past few days. If the forecasters are correct, by the time you read this, it should have mellowed a bit and be more normal winter weather, at least for the short-term. I can remember one cold weekend many years past. I wish I could cite the date and year.

“How much winter can a person take?” I wondered as I bundled up yet again to face the outside chores. I had to grab a scarf to add to my overcoat, hat and gloves, just to walk down to the barn that frigid Monday morning. I kept telling myself, “It’s not that cold. It’s just mind over matter.” It didn’t help that the Packers succumbed to the 49ers the day before at Lambeau. That didn’t warm me up at all. They beat us out of the playoff run again!

Gresham dominates Bowler 76-47 The Gresham High School boys basketball team beat Bowler 76-47 in a Central Wisconsin Conference-10 matchup Thursday in Bowler. Christian Haffner had 22 points, Killian Eggert added 17 and Scott Cerveny 10 for Gresham (7-1, 5-1 CWC-10). Aaron Bestul had 10 points to lead Bowler (2-7, 1-5 CWC-10).

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Shawano-Menominee will launch fundraising efforts for 2014 with a rally at 5 p.m. Wednesday at CRI, 117 E. Green Bay St., Shawano. The committee encourages area residents — both volunteers and participants — to attend the kick-off to learn how they can become part of the world’s largest movement to end cancer.

A Keshena man was sentenced Wednesday in federal court in Green Bay to 11 years and three months in prison to be followed by lifetime supervised release for sexually abusing a 4-year-old girl last summer. Jacob J.