Hometown Broadcasting News Friday 12/18/20
18 December 2020 News
Firearm Safety Kits Available At Ripon PD Starting Monday
The City of Ripon Police Department and Ripon Area School District are partnering to provide 200 free gun lock kits and safety materials to be distributed to the Ripon community through Project ChildSafe. Community members can pick up a free firearm safety kit from the Police Department at city hall during normal business hours beginning next Monday. Ripon School Resource Officer and Community Liaison Lindsey Michels commented, “Secure gun storage-storing guns locked, unloaded, and separate from ammunition can save children’s lives.” Project ChildSafe has additional free resources available on their website at projectchildsafe.org.
COVID Vaccine Optional
Not everyone who will be offered the COVID-19 vaccine will be willing to get vaccinated. The first round of the vaccine produced by Pfizer is going to health care workers and those on the front line in treating COVID patients. Envision Greater Fond du Lac President and CEO Sadie Parafiniuk says as with any vaccine some are going to need more education about its benefits before they decide whether they want it. She notes at this point there is no mandate forcing anyone to get it. “Well at least from on high the Federal Government or the state hasn’t made it mandatory and so health care professionals and business professionals it’s an option.” Moderna’s version of the vaccine is likely to get FDA approval soon. It has proven to be 94 percent effective.
UW Tuition Credit Opportunity
With a shortage of health care workers specifically in nursing homes and long-term care facilities during the pandemic; the University of Wisconsin is offering students a chance to pick up some tuition credit for working in one of those facilities. Robin Wolzenburg is the Director of Housing and Clinical Services for LeadingAge Wisconsin a senior living advocacy agency. She says the opportunity is available to students who work at least 50 hours in such a facility between December 1st and February 1st. “You go through the training you now they are obviously not going to send you in to take care of somebody without training , but they would train you if you are willing to commit to 50 hours of work. Obviously you get paid by your employer, but in addition to that you would receive a $500 tuition refund if you are enrolled in the Spring Semester at any U-W campus.” She says if you are a U-W student already working in one of those facilities you can have your employer write a letter to your U-W school to get the credit. The credit is also available to students working in an assisted living facility, Home Health or an adult family home. The credit is not available for tech school students. Wolzenburg is also a member of the Ripon Community COVID-19 Task Force.
Ripon School District Long Winter Break Begins
The Ripon Area School District’s 16-day Winter Break starts after school today with three extra days built in. District Superintendent Mary Whitrock says with the current pandemic everyone could use a longer break and it will also give them a chance to do some deep cleaning and give students and staff a chance to get the rest they need. “There may be an opportunity for families to spread out and schedule those opportunities with the other family members and not maybe have to have such large group gatherings and be able to hopefully practice the social distancing and masking as they see fit to keep everybody safe and healthy.” She says their focus this fall has been to keep the schools open during the pandemic to prevent the necessity for families to have to double and triple up for child care which could be a financial hardship and also spread the virus. The Winter Break runs through January 3rd.
Grants Help Childcare Centers Dealing With COVID Hardships
As part of the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation’s efforts to provide COVID-19 hardship relief, grants totaling $26,650 are helping to sustain nonprofit childcare centers in the Green Lake County area. Grants were funded by the COVID-19 Green Lake Area Relief Fund and the Basic Needs Giving Partnership within the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation. Nonprofit recipients include Berlin Community Daycare & Preschool, Discovery Preschool, Grace Preschool, and Ripon Children’s Learning Center. Janice Burton is the administrative director at Berlin Community Daycare & Preschool. She says, “Our Board of Directors voted to not charge families tuition fees when children are quarantined due to contact or exposure here at our center.”
Santa Tours Continue In Ripon
Santa Claus will continue his tour of Ripon neighborhoods this weekend via firetruck. He will be touring neighborhoods in Ward 2 from 10 am to Noon Saturday and Sunday Wards 11 and 5 from 1 to 3 pm. Sunday’s tour is a makeup date from last Saturday, which was cancelled because of a snow storm. Ward maps are available at the Ripon Area Chamber of Commerce website under the Dickens of a Christmas tab. The Chamber and Ripon Area Fire District are making Santa’s mode of transportation and the tour possible. Kids are asked to stay socially distant waving to Santa from their front porch or a sidewalk.
Oshkosh Chamber Singers Concert
The Oshkosh Chamber Singers will present a gift of hope and music through a virtual version of its traditional “A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols.” The concert will premiere tomorrow and will be available throughout the holiday season online at the Oshkosh Chamber Singers.org YouTube site, Oshkosh Chamber Singers Channel; and the Oshkosh Chamber Singers Facebook page. It also will be broadcast on Oshkosh Media Spectrum Channel 2. The concert was recorded in the Historic Trinity Episcopal Church.
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