Other Press Release of Local Interest
04/05/12 - 3,700 Letters delivered to Secretary of the Navy by U.S. Representative Reid Ribble...
Photo courtesy of Ashley Olson, Communications Director, U. S. Rep. Reid
Ribble
More than 3,700 signed letters asking the Secretary of
the Navy to name a Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) USS Marinette have been
delivered to the Pentagon.
U.S. Rep. Reid Ribble dropped off eight boxes containing the letters last
week. A Ribble staffer said Navy officials were impressed.
Ribble launched the naming effort during a visit to Marinette last year.
Local business and community leaders, along with local and state
political figures formed a committee to start a letter signing campaign.
The letter asks Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus, to make Marinette the
namesake for one of the Littoral Combat Ships the Navy has contracted with
Lockheed Martin to build at Marinette Marine Corp.
The Navy secretary traditionally selects the names of vessels. Three
cities have already been selected to have Littoral Combat Ships bear their
names including Fort Worth, TX, which conducted a similar ship naming
campaign. Other Littoral Combat Ships will be named Milwaukee and Detroit.
Naming committee officials say naming a LCS USS Marinette would
recognize the craftsmen at Marinette Marine who work hard to deliver
quality ships to the Navy. It would also be a source of pride for the
community.
The letter signing campaign involved union workers and management at
Marinette Marine, people throughout the community and school children.
In addition to the 3,700 plus signed letters that Ribble delivered to
the Navy at the Pentagon, another 1,000 letter were mailed to the Navy
secretary earlier this year.
Members of the naming committee believe there is an excellent chance the
Navy secretary will choose to name an LCS USS Marinette because of the
widespread community support.
Article by Donn Williams
02/28/12 - Navy asked to name Littoral Combat Ship USS Marinette by Donn Williams
U.S. Rep. Reid Ribble (left) and Farmers &
merchants Bank & Trust President Tom Maxwell (right)
stand with with boxes containing more than 3,700 letters asking the
Secretary of the Navy to name
a Littoral combat Ship USS Marinette. Picture by Donn Williams - Director
of Marketing - F&MB&T
More than 3,700 signed letters are on their way to the Pentagon asking
the Secretary of the Navy to name a Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) built by
Marinette Marine Corp. USS Marinette.
The letters were presented to U.S. Rep. Reid Ribble Friday at Marinette
City Hall. The event was attended by members of the local committee to name a
Littoral Combat Ship USS Marinette and management and union leaders from
Marinette Marine Corp.
“Shortly after the christening ceremony for the USS Fort Worth in
December 2010 an idea began that we should start a campaign to have an LCS
Named the USS Marinette,” committee member Tom Maxwell, president of
Farmers & Merchants Bank & Trust told the gathering. “The Navy has a
practice of naming LCS vessels after American mid-sized cities, small
towns and communities.”
Ribble launched the naming effort during a speech in Marinette last year.
Local business and community leaders, along with local and state political
figures then formed a committee to begin a letter writing campaign to ask
Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus, to make Marinette the namesake for one
of these ships.
The purpose is to show the pride people in the community have in the
local shipbuilder.
“The Navy selected Marinette Marine to build these ships because of the
high quality workmanship and work ethic of Marinette Marine’s employees,”
Maxwell said. “The employees and all the people residing in this area are
proud of Marinette Marine and supportive of the veterans and active duty
military personnel.”
Letters were made available in local businesses, schools and at Marinette
Marine for people to sign.
Late last year 1,000 signed letters were mailed to the Navy Secretary.
Now Rep. Ribble will deliver another 3,778 letters to the secretary.
“I’m very pleased to personally take these letters over to the secretary
at the Pentagon, deliver them myself, and make one last pitch for the
Littoral Combat Ship to be named the USS Marinette,” said Ribble. “To the
workers - you guys have earned this. You’re building the finest vessels in
the world.”
The Secretary of the Navy traditionally selects the names of Navy
vessels.
In addition to USS Fort Worth, other city names already selected for
LCSs include USS Milwaukee and USS Detroit. Recently the Navy announced
one vessel would be named the USS Gabrielle Giffords in honor of the
Tucson, AZ congresswoman who is recovering from a gunshot wound.
“We think we have an excellent chance to be successful because of the
widespread community support and the fact that a previous Navy tug, built
by Marinette Marine was named Marinette.
01/18/12 - A Tugboat Named Marinette by Donn
William
Photos courtesy of
www.navsource.org/archives/14/09791.htm &
www.navysite.mil If the Secretary of the
Navy chooses to name a Littoral Combat Ship built by Marinette Marine
Corp. the USS Marinette, it won’t be the first time a Navy vessel
constructed by the local shipbuilder has born the name.
A tug boat named Marinette was constructed by Marinette Marine Corp. for
the Navy and launched on April 10, 1967. A sister tug named the Menominee
was also built by the company and launched seven days earlier.
Both the original Marinette (YTB-791) and its sister Menominee (YTB-790)
were Natick Class District Harbor Tugs.
The keel of the Marinette was laid on Sept. 8, 1966 at Marinette Marine
Corp. The 109 foot long tug was delivered to the Navy two months after its
launch on June 10, 1967.
Both the Marinette and the Menominee were assigned to the 5th Navy
District, which is headquartered at Norfolk, Va. There, both tugs served
the Navy with crews of 12 sailors.
Jerry Steppke of Marinette had the good fortune of seeing the Marinette
at work two decades ago. He and his brother Jim of Fort Atkinson, Wis.,
were invited aboard the famed battleship USS Wisconsin, along with 1,300
other dignitaries, for that vessel’s final voyage on June 14, 1991.
As the battleship was returning to Norfolk Naval Base, Steppke was
surprised to see the name Marinette on the stern of a tug aiding the
Wisconsin back into port. “It was a thrill to see,”
Steppke recalled. “We never expected the tug would be named Marinette,
after the town we came from. It was neat.”
The Marinette continued to be a Navy workhorse until she was taken out of
service in 2005.
In August 2006 the Marinette was sold to Savanah Marine Services Inc.
Her fate following the sale is unknown.
Now a letter signing campaign is underway to have the name Marinette
appear on the hull of one of the Navy’s Littoral Combat Ships built by
Marinette Marine. The letters are addressed to Secretary of the Navy Ray
Mabus.
More than 3,000 signed letters have been collected thus far.
“Since we started this effort we have been overwhelmed by the
widespread support it has received,” said Farmers & Merchants Bank & Trust
President Tom Maxwell. “Retirees, students, Marinette Marine employees and
people from all walks of life have signed thousands of letters.”
Maxwell is a member of the USS Marinette Committee, a group of area
business people, educational leaders and elected officials who lead the
ship naming effort that was started by U.S. Rep. Reid Ribble.
They say naming one of these fast moving war ships USS Marinette would
honor the men and women who build them at Marinette Marine, and all the
people who live and work in Marinette County.
The form letters are available for signing at the following Farmers &
Merchants Bank & Trust locations: 1644 Ludington St. in downtown
Marinette; 2811 Roosevelt Rd., near the mall, in Marinette; and 114 S.
Highway 141 in Crivitz. All members of the community, workers at local
businesses and industries, and students in area schools all encouraged to
sign letters. The letters will be presented to Ribble when he visits
Marinette on Feb. 24. He will then deliver them to Secretary of the Navy
Ray Mabus.
11/09/11 - USS Marinette "name the ship campaign" begins today...
 U S S M A R I N E T T E |
EagleHerald
– Marinette/Menominee |
|
07/06/11 -
Chet Krohn Lions Club Trust Awards
$5,000 in scholarships |
|
| Shaniece Carviou of Marinette
High School. The daughter of David and Laura Carviou will attend Bellin College and UW Marinette, and major in radiology technology. After graduation she plans to work as a radiology technician. |
 |
| Jamie Kaster of Saint
Thomas Aquinas Academy. The son of Don and Joan Kaster will attend UW Milwaukee and major in graphic design. His goal is to become the art director at a major magazine. |
 |
| Elisabeth Gignac of
Menominee High School. The daughter of Tim and Sharon Gignac will attend Northeast Wisconsin Technical College and major in dental hygiene assisting. She plans to work as a dental hygienist. |
 |
| Kelsey Pickl of Peshtigo
High School. The daughter of Ken and Luann Pickl will attend UW Marinette and major in biology. After she obtains her degree, Pickl plans to attend medical school and become a doctor. |
 |
| Summer Hoskins of
Stephenson High School. The daughter of Christopher Hoskins and Ann Cluett will attend UW Marinette and major in finance. Her goal is to become a loan officer. |
 |
The late Chet Krohn, a former teacher, feature
newspaper article writer and Marinette Lions Club member established the
trust fund that provides money for the scholarships and other worthwhile
projects in Marinette and Menominee counties.
An advisory committee consisting of representatives from the Marinette,
Menominee and Peshtigo Lions clubs decides how funds from the trust are to
be used to benefit the community. The trust is managed by Farmers &
Merchants Bank & Trust.
Recently the Chet Krohn Trust also donated $1,000 to the Milwaukee
Symphony children’s program; $1,000 to the Children’s Theater at UW
Marinette; and $500 to the Northernaires for uniforms.
Last year the fund contributed $2,500 to Merryman School for computer work
stations and $1,400 to the Marinette County Sheriff’s Department General
Education Degree program for text books.
06/01/11:
Hoagland Trust Co-Sponsors Kids Fishing Derby - Year 2
Story by Donn Williams - Director of
Marketing - FMBT
The Hoagland Trust has donated $1,500 to the M&M Great Lakes Sport Fishermen to co-sponsor the Kid’s Fishing Derby. The 26th annual derby will be held June 11 at the Menominee Marina.
This is the second consecutive year the Hoagland Trust has co-sponsored the Kid’s Fishing Derby.
The trust was established by Joseph “Shorty” Hoagland of Marinette who died in 1985. Farmers & Merchants Bank & Trust is the trustee of the fund.
Hoagland was an avid fisherman who had a soft spot in his heart for children, despite having none of his own. He left behind a trust of $90,000 with the wish that interest earned by the money be used every year to provide fun activities for children.
The donation from the Hoagland Trust will be part of the $6,000 the M&M Great Lakes Sport Fishermen will spend to purchase144 fishing rods and reels that will be given as prizes.
The M&M Great Lakes Sport Fishermen’s Kids Fishing Derby is totally free for the children who participate. The event annually attracts close to 400 kids, along with their parents and guardians.
Fishing will take place from the Menominee Marina dock walls from 8-11 a.m. on June 11. A free lunch for participants will be served at 11 a.m. followed by the awarding of prizes
05/18/11:
Dedication of the new sign at UW Marinette
Story and photo are by Donn Williams - Director of
Marketing - FMBT
Farmers & Merchants Bank & Trust President Tom
Maxwell (left) is pictured here talking with UW Marinette
Dean Paula Langteau (center) and UW Colleges and UW Extension Dean Ray
Cross (right)
prior to the dedication of the new digital sign at UW Marinette on May 18.
A donation from Farmers & Merchants Bank & Trust covered a major portion of the cost to erect the sign.It is located on University Drive near the Max E. Peterson Field House. The 11 foot high digital sign will be used to promote campus events.
04/04/11: Story
about the bank's donation for the new sign at UW Marinette
Story and photo are by Maureen Frawley, University
Relations Director, at UW Marinette
UW-Marinette Dean Paula Langteau looks over the
plans for the
new digital sign for the campus with Tom Maxwell, President of Farmers
and Merchants Bank and Trust whose major contribution made the digital
sign purchase possible.
Farmers & Merchants Bank & Trust donates money
for new sign at UW Marinette
UW-Marinette is set to replace its long-standing field house marquee this
May thanks to a generous donation from the Farmers and Merchants Bank and
Trust covering a significant portion of the cost for a new digital sign.
Campus CEO/Dean Paula and Assistant Campus Dean for Administrative
Services Kurt Willmann have worked closely with Farmers and Merchants Bank
President Tom Maxwell for the past several months regarding the plans and
design of the structure. The sign has been approved by the Marinette City
Council, the Campus County Working Group, the County Board’s Building and
Property Committee and finally by the full Marinette County Board on March
29.
“We are very excited and appreciative of Farmers and Merchants Bank and
Trust for their ongoing support for education in our community and, in
particular, for this opportunity to bring our campus sign into the 21st
century,” said Langteau. “The current sign has served us well since it was
installed in 1971 when the Field House was built, but the plastic letters
are cracked and broken now. It is time for a new sign. ”
"We're very happy to provide funds to update the sign," Maxwell said.
"UW-Marinette provides an affordable quality education to area residents
and is an asset to this area."
The current marquee located on the corner of Shore Drive and University
Drive will be replaced by a digital sign constructed by Poblocki Sign
Company for Badger State Industries.
The sign is 11 feet high and 8’10” in width and will be installed between
the Field House parking lot and University Drive. It will be used to
market multiple campus events from basketball games to Theatre on the Bay
productions, to orientations to commencement. Digital messages will be
programmable from the University Relations Office, which is located on the
main campus at 750 Bay Shore Street, a considerable change for the better,
especially in winter, according to University Relations Director Maureen
Frawley who has been in charge of changing the Field House marquee for the
past 21 years.
The sign is scheduled to be erected by May 18.
12/22/10:
Marinette Marine Corporation
Marinette Marine Corporation is part of the Fincantieri Marine Group, a
subsidiary of Fincantieri, one of Europe’s
largest shipbuilders with a history dating back 200 years and a track record
of producing more than 7,000 ships.
12/08/10: Lockheed Martin LCS Team pages - see the launch of LCS 3 - Fort Worth on 12/04/10 and much more.
12/08/10
Navy News Service - Eye on The Fleet (thumbnail
images below.
Click thumbnails below for link to USN picture and article...
Thumbnails courtesy of
Navy News Service - Eye on The Fleet 12/04/10
11/09/10: Navy Seeks To Build More Littoral Combat Ships Sooner
11/08/10: Crivitz Financial Literacy Initiative
