Wednesday, January 26, 2011
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PRESIDENT OBAMA TO VISIT MANITOWOC TODAY
Obama aware of Orion’s technology for several years BY CHARLIE MATHEWS
Herald Times Reporter
President Barack Obama, who delivered the State of the Union address Tuesday night, is scheduled to tour three Manitowoc companies today. AP
Obama urges unity in State of the Union address Today’s schedule
BY BEN FELLER
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Pleading for unity in a newly divided government, President Barack Obama implored Democratic and Republican lawmakers to rally behind his vision of economic revival for an anxious nation, declaring in his State of the Union address Tuesday night: “We will move forward together or not at all.” The president unveiled an agenda of carefully balanced political goals: a burst of spending on education, research, technology and transportation to make
ã See UNION, A-2
President Barack Obama is scheduled to arrive at Austin Straubel International Airport in Green Bay at about 10:35 a.m. today. From there, he’s scheduled to head to Manitowoc, where he’ll tour and give a speech at Orion Energy Systems at noon. It was announced on Tuesday night that he then will tour two other Manitowoc businesses — Skana Aluminum Co. and Tower Tech Systems. Obama is scheduled to depart Austin Straubel International Airport at 3:30 p.m.
Follow the president online
In addition to our print coverage, the Herald Times Reporter will be covering President Barack Obama online during his trip to Manitowoc today. For the latest, visit htrnews.com. We’ll have blog entries and Live Stream video of Obama’s speech at Orion Energy Systems. Watch the site for stories and photo galleries, as well. And, if you have an encounter with the president, we want to hear about it. Send your stories and photos (along with your contact details) via e-mail to htrnews@htrnews.com.
MANITOWOC — When President Barack Obama visits Orion Energy Systems today he is expected to talk about job creation and promoting spending on innovation, according to the White House. Prior to his remarks, Obama is scheduled to tour the plant and meet employees in Orion’s manufacturing facility and technology center. “We’ve worked diligently for the past two years inviting the president to come to Orion,” said Kevin Crawford, the energy technology Crawford company’s senior vice president of governmental affairs. Obama has known about Orion for a while. At a February 2008 Democratic Party presidential primary campaign stop in Janesville, Obama, then a U.S. senator from Illinois, said, “I believe we can create millions of jobs around a clean, renewable energy future … Orion Energy Systems works with companies to reduce their electricity use and carbon emissions.” Then, in March 2009, Neal
ã See ORION, A-4
Looking back: Manitowoc’s place in presidential history
Carter’s 1976 visit included speech aboard USS Cobia
Kennedy’s 1960 visit ‘not something you ever forget’
BY BENJAMIN WIDEMAN
BY SARAH KLOEPPING
Herald Times Reporter
Herald Times Reporter
M
ANITOWOC — More than 50 years later, people here are still talking about John F. Kennedy’s visit to the Lakeshore. “A few people and I, we were talking about it just the other day, actually,” said Manitowoc’s Carole Schamburek, 67, who met Kennedy when he made a brief stop in Valders en route to Manitowoc on March 30, 1960. President Barack Obama’s scheduled visit to Manitowoc today has Lakeshore residents recalling appearances by other men who became president. Kennedy, a U.S. senator from Massachusetts at the time, was campaigning to be the Democratic candidate for president. He went on to win the
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John F. Kennedy, left, then a U.S. senator campaigning to be president, meets Ralph Schroeder, right, of Two Rivers and Berlin Schroeder of Manitowoc while visiting the Manitowoc shipyards on March 30, 1960. Submitted by Dale Schroeder
Former Georgia governor Jimmy Carter holds on to a child while campaigning for the presidency on March 31, 1976, in Manitowoc. Carter, a former submarine officer, visited the USS Cobia submarine while in Manitowoc. Submitted by the Manitowoc County Historical Society
John F. Kennedy: The 35th president
Jimmy Carter: The 39th president
Date Kennedy visited Manitowoc: March 30, 1960 Date Kennedy was inaugurated as president: Jan. 20, 1961 ã See KENNEDY, A-3 More about Kennedy: www.jfklibrary.org
Inside
The complete Wednesday edition of the HTR can be found inside this section
Coming up
See Thursday’s HTR for complete coverage of President Obama’s visit to Manitowoc
Date Carter visited Manitowoc: March 31, 1976 Date Carter was inaugurated as president: Jan. 20, 1977 More about Carter: www.jimmycarterlibrary.org
ANITOWOC — When Jimmy Carter said while visiting the USS Cobia in 1976 that he was going to be the first submariner to be president, Jerry Pilger scoffed. “I thought at that time, ‘Give me a break.’ But holy cow, he went on to become the president,” said Pilger, a founder of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, which opened in 1970 as the Manitowoc Submarine Memorial Association. Carter made a campaign stop in Manitowoc on March 31, 1976. The former Georgia governor was in the midst of a two-year campaign since announcing his candidacy for president in December 1974. President Barack
ã See CARTER, A-3
Coverage inside this special section
ã Law enforcement prepares for visit / A-2 ã Holy Family Memorial ‘on alert’ / A-2 ã Ryan’s rebuttal to State of the Union / A-2 ã Poll: Where would you take Obama? / A-2
ã Poll: What would you ask Obama? / A-3 ã Manitowoc Mayor Justin Nickels excited
about president’s visit / A-4 ã Poll: What advice would you give? / A-4
www.htrnews.com
A-2&Wednesday, January 26, 2011
HERALD TIMES REPORTER
Law enforcement prepares for presidential visit ²J
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BY SUZANNE WEISS Herald Times Reporter
MANITOWOC — For security reasons, preparations by Manitowoc-area law enforcement agencies for President Barack Obama’s visit today are hush-hush. “Obviously, we’ve met with the Secret Service and spent some time seeing which employees are available so we can assist the Secret Service in any way they need for this visit,” said Sheriff Rob Hermann of the Manitowoc County Sheriff ’s Department. That will involve putting on extra personnel, but beyond that Hermann was not allowed to discuss any
meet those requests.” The police department Hermann Dick also is coordinating with the Department of Public specifics. Works the number of cones, “Pretty much what barricades and traffic we’ve been doing is trying pattern changes required to find out, by working for the presidential motorwith the Secret Service, cade, Dick said. what they expect from us so that we can meet their Patience required “We ask the public to be requests,” said Manitowoc Police Chief Tony Dick. patient,” Dick said. “We “Mostly, that’s going to will have to close certain be manpower, and to do streets down and we may that, we’re going to have to not have the final say in contact neighboring law when they’re going to enforcement agencies so re-open. We want to get the we can call people in and motorcade through town
Holy Family Memorial ‘on alert’
UNION
BY CINDY HODGSON
Herald Times Reporter
MANITOWOC — Holy Family Memorial Medical Center will be “on alert” during President Barack Obama’s visit to Manitowoc today. The Secret Service visited the hospital’s emergency department last week, according to hospital spokeswoman Kay Van Der Vaart. The primary purpose of that visit was to check out the size of the helipad to determine what kinds of aircraft could fly in or out, she said. Mary Coenen, director of critical care at HFM, was scheduled to meet Monday afternoon with Obama’s medical advance officer to go over procedures that would be followed in case of an emergency, according to Van Der Vaart. “To make sure everybody’s on the same page,” she said. There won’t be much change in the way the hospital functions today, according to Van Der Vaart. “We’re just on alert,” she said. She confirmed that means additional staff but said she couldn’t comment on any additional security measures. Having the president visit the city will be a “proud day,” Van Der Vaart said. “We’re very excited as well as all of Manitowoc County,” she said.
as quickly and safely as possible.” That means that some driveways may be blocked and access to certain streets denied to people, he said. For questions, residents can call the Manitowoc police shift commander at (920) 686-6551, he said. “We’ve had big events, but this is probably the largest, having a sitting president visit our community,” Hermann said.
Quick visit
While some big events in the past have been sched-
Ryan delivers Republicans’ response
ã From A-1
Additional staff required
Cindy Hodgson: (920) 686-2966 or chodgson@htrnews.com
Rob Hermann, Manitowoc County sheriff
uled over the course of several days, the presidential visit will last only several hours, so it’s hard to compare them, Hermann said. “When it lasts a significant amount of time, you have to plan for shift changes and meals, whereas this is a shorter window. It’s easier in the fact that you don’t have to prepare for shift changes and things like that. But you still do tax all of your resources at one time,” he said. “This is not an opportunity that’s going to come around again real soon,” Dick said. “What we’re trying to do is learn from the Secret Service as much as we can so that we can build on
the nation more competitive, alongside pledges, in the strongest terms of his presidency, to cut the deficit and smack down spending deemed wasteful to America. Yet he never explained how he’d pull that off or what specifically would be cut. Obama spoke to a television audience in the millions and a Congress sobered by the assassination attempt against one of its own members, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. Her seat sat empty, and many lawmakers of competing parties sat together in a show of support and civility. Yet differences were still evident, as when Democrats stood to applaud his comments on health care and tax cuts while Republicans next to them sat mute. In his best chance of the year to connect with the country, Obama devoted most of his hour-long prime-time address to the economy, the issue that dominates concern in a nation still reeling from a monster recession — and the one that will shape his own political fortunes in the 2012 election. Eager to show some budget toughness, Obama pledged to veto any bill with earmarks, the term used for lawmakers’ pet projects. House Speaker John Boehner and other Republicans applauded. But Obama’s promise drew a rebuke from his own party even before he spoke, as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said the president had enough power and that plans to ban earmarks were “a lot of pretty talk.” Obama’s proposals Tuesday
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The nation faces a crushing burden of debt and is on course for an economic disaster without dramatic action to wrestle the budget deficit under control, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin said Tuesday night in the Republican response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address. And such spending cuts must start immediately as the price of getting GOP conservatives to cast a painful vote to increase the government’s ability to borrow to pay its bills this spring, Ryan said. Ryan “Our nation is approaching a tipping point. We are at a moment, where if government’s growth is left unchecked and unchallenged, America’s best century will be considered our past century,” Ryan said. “The days of business as usual must come to an end. We hold to a couple of simple convictions: Endless borrowing is not a strategy; spending cuts have to come first.” night ranged across the scope of government: cutting the corporate tax, providing wireless services for almost the whole nation, consolidating government agencies and freezing most discretionary federal spending for the next five years. In the overarching theme of his speech, the president told the lawmakers: “The future is ours to win.” In essence, Obama reset his agenda as he heads toward a re-election bid with less clout and limited time before the campaign consumes more attention. The Senate’s Republican leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, said the president had gotten the message from the November midterm elections and “changed the tone and the rhetoric from the first two years.” Obama entered the House chamber to prolonged applause,
and to the unusual sight of Republicans and Democrats seated next to one another rather than on different sides of the center aisle. And he began with a political grace note, taking a moment to congratulate Boehner, the new Republican speaker of the House. Calling for a new day of cooperation, Obama said: “What comes of this moment will be determined not by whether we can sit together tonight but whether we can work together tomorrow.” On a night typically known for its political theater, the lawmakers sometimes seemed subdued, as if still in the shadow of the Arizona shootings. Many in both parties wore black-and-white lapel ribbons, signifying the deaths in Tucson and the hopes of the survivors. Giffords’ husband was watching the speech from her bedside,
what we know and use their experience and expertise and apply it here in Manitowoc for the future. We’re trying to get a lot of people involved … so that they can gain valuable experience.” The presidential visit is a great opportunity for members of the community, as well, he said. “I think it’s an honor to have him coming here,” Hermann said. “It’s very impressive for our area. As a community, we need to respect that and respect the office that he holds and respect him coming to the area. I think it’s good for the community.” Suzanne Weiss: (920) 686-2140 or sweiss@htrnews.com
as he held her hand. At times, Obama delivered lighter comments, seeming to surprise his audience with the way he lampooned what he suggested was the government’s illogical regulation of salmon. Halfway through his term, Obama stepped into this moment on the upswing, with a series of recent legislative wins in his pocket and praise from all corners for the way he responded to the shooting rampage in Arizona. But he confronts the political reality that he must to lead a divided government for the first time, with more than half of all Americans disapproving of the way he is handling the economy. Over his shoulder a reminder of the shift in power on Capitol Hill: Boehner, in the seat that had been held by Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Obama conceded that everything he asked for would prompt more partisan disputes. “It will take time,” he said. “And it will be harder because we will argue about everything. The cost. The details. The letter of every law.” The president cast the challenges facing the United States as bigger than either party. He said the nation was facing a new “Sputnik” moment, and he urged efforts to create a wave of innovation to create jobs and a vibrant economic future, just as the nation vigorously responded to the Soviets beating the United States into space a half century ago. In a speech with little focus on national security, Obama appeared to close the door on keeping any significant U.S. military presence in Iraq past the end of the year.
HERALD TIMES REPORTER POLL QUESTION: If you were President Obama’s tour guide, what would you show him in Manitowoc?
“He should go to either Washington House in Two Rivers or Beerntsen’s in Manitowoc to have a treat and kind of go back in time with both of those places.” Donna Reilly, Two Rivers
“The (Wisconsin) Maritime Museum. The facility has a lot to offer, and it’s something he should see.” Douglas Koch, Manitowoc
“The Maritime Museum. It’s an educational facility in Manitowoc and a stateof-the-art museum.” Adele Koch, Manitowoc
“The most notable things are Tower Tech, Manitowoc Crane and the Maritime Museum.” Andrew Kelliher, Manitowoc
“Neshotah Park (in Two Rivers). It’s pretty down there by the lake.” Sue Ploor, Two Rivers
“Maybe Orion Energy.” Dan Golner, Two Rivers
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HERALD TIMES REPORTER
CARTER
KENNEDY
ã From A-1
election and was sworn in as the nation’s 35th president less than 10 months after his visit to Manitowoc County. The morning of March 30, 1960, Kennedy’s plane was grounded by fog in Milwaukee, so his entourage traveled by bus to Kaukauna, where he gave a speech to about 1,000 people, according to an article in the Manitowoc Herald-Times that same day. Then, he headed east to Manitowoc County. Schamburek, a 16-yearold junior at Valders High School at the time, knew that Kennedy would be traveling through Valders, so she and about 30 other people eagerly waited on a street corner to catch a glimpse. “And then, next thing we know, his car stopped by us,” Schamburek said. “We were all very interested in him. He was very tall, very handsome, and he had a cashmere coat on. I was just in awe of this man. He said hi to us and told us that he was happy to be there.” Schamburek said she lightly held onto Kennedy’s coat as he crossed a street. “Then as he was leaving, he got out of his car again and gave me a handful of campaign buttons and told me to pass them out to my friends,” said Schamburek, adding that she still has the buttons tucked away safely in her attic. “It all came so fast, he stayed maybe five or 10 minutes,” she said. “But it’s something you never forget.” Upon his arrival in Manitowoc — which was 45 minutes late because of the earlier fog delays — Kennedy headed to Hotel Manitowoc on North Eighth Street, where a crowd of 400 people greeted him. According to the Manitowoc Herald-Times newspaper article that was published later that afternoon, as Kennedy got out of his car the door banged into a “No Parking” post and momentarily prevented him from stepping out. He proceeded to shake hands with supporters for 10 minutes before entering the hotel lobby, where 175 people squeezed in to
Nov. 2, 1976, and served from Jan. 20, 1977, to Jan. 20, 1981. Pilger said he will always remember the day Carter came to Manitowoc. “Things like that you always remember where you were,” he said. “You always remember very significant days. If he wouldn’t have become president, it probably would have passed over as just another day.”After visiting the Cobia, Carter went to the Manitowoc Senior Citizen Center and was greeted by a crowd of about 300 who sang “On, Wisconsin” to the accompaniment of organist Milton Detjen. “The eyes of the nation are focused on Wisconsin and not New York because you have that type of government that is open and free and truly democratic,” Carter said while at the center, according to the HTR article. He called for the establishment of a comprehensive, mandatory national health program that
would be available to all citizens and said that the Social Security Administration was in sound condition, despite recent high unemployment and inflation. Carter told the crowd that Social Security “will not default on its payments.” The program at the MSCC closed with the audience singing “God Bless America.” Carter’s wife, Rosalynn, came to Manitowoc two days later and planned to visit the Mid-Cities Mall shopping center in Manitowoc. Carter, now 86, has written 25 books, including one released in 2010 called “White House Diary,” a collection of excerpts from his diary while he was president. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 and is still called on by governments around the world to help mediate conflicts and monitor elections.
hear him speak. Kennedy was believed to have been suffering from laryngitis a day earlier, but he addressed the crowd without any problem. Kennedy was quoted as saying it was the first time he “ever made a political speech in a hotel lobby,” but he was “glad to do it because of the great political significance” the Wisconsin primary had on the nominating convention in Los Angeles. “Wisconsin is the most important state of all states in the primary,” he said. Kennedy went on to tell the Hotel Manitowoc crowd that the upcoming years were going to be the “most difficult in history … not excepting the New Deal years, and at stake is the survival of the freedom of the entire world. … This freedom depends on the United States, it depends on the next president (and) the next president should be elected for his confidence, his ability and his judgment — and I repeat, his judgment.” While in Manitowoc, Kennedy received a key to the city from Alderman Herbert Ansorge, president of the city council. Mayor Walter G. Koepke wasn’t in town when Kennedy visited; he was stuck in Milwaukee because of fog. The Manitowoc HeraldTimes went on to state that after Kennedy left Hotel Manitowoc he traveled to Two Rivers, where a crowd of about 500 people awaited him at the Community House. Norman E. Carron, a Two Rivers manufacturer, introduced Kennedy to the crowd by calling him “the most outstanding man in our nation.” A picture in the Manitowoc Herald-Times the next day showed Kennedy being presented with a copy of the annual report of the city of Two Rivers by City Manager Robert Broucek. Also in the photo were Carron and Ted Wallis, treasurer of the Manitowoc County Democratic committee. “I am grateful for the city manager’s welcome and for this reception,” Kennedy said. Kennedy added that he was told that Two Rivers — also known as Cool City — was the coldest place in the United States, to which he replied: “I don’t
think from the size of this gathering that it is so cold.” Kennedy began his speech in Two Rivers by recalling his years in Congress and declared that opportunities for America have never been greater. It is in the presidency, he said, wherein lies the opportunity to take action. Kennedy concluded his Two Rivers speech by saying that people over age 65 should be receiving better Social Security benefits. Kennedy then returned to Manitowoc, where he visited workers at several plants. At the shipyards, he greeted Berlin Schroeder of Manitowoc and his brother, Ralph Schroeder of Two Rivers, who were arriving at work. A picture of the brief encounter hangs in the Manitowoc home of Dale Schroeder, Berlin’s son. “I heard them talking about it a few times — how young they thought Kennedy was when they met him,” said Dale, 66, noting that both his father and uncle are now deceased. “But they thought he’d make a good president.” Kennedy was sworn in as president on Jan. 20, 1961; at the age of 43, he was the youngest man elected president. In his inaugural speech, Kennedy mentioned that all Americans should be active citizens, saying, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” On Nov. 21, 1963, Kennedy flew to Texas to give several political speeches. The next day, as his convertible car drove past cheering crowds in Dallas, Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald. “It was a horrifying day, a very somber day,” Schamburek said. “I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I heard the news.” But Schamburek chooses to focus instead on the day in 1960 she met Kennedy and lightly held his coat while crossing a Valders street. “I’ll never forget meeting him,” she said. “It’s just not something you ever forget.”
“When is the employee free choice act going to be passed into law?” Amy Jandrey, Reedsville
“When are we going to get more work?” Gerald Lyons, Two Rivers
“What changes in the health care bill would he be willing to support?” Deb Runnoe, Little Chute
“How could we get people back working and get the economy back in shape?” Karen Kiesow, St. Nazianz
“Is there something you can do about controlling the price of gas and oil? I think it’s getting out of hand.” Richard Kieffer, Manitowoc
“How are we all going to get the workforce and economy back on the right track?” Kathy Eldred, Manitowoc
Welcome to the city of Manitowoc, Mr. President. Thank you for choosing our area for this historic visit.
Sarah Kloepping: (920) 686-2105 or skloepping@htrnews.com
Benjamin Wideman: (920) 686-2139 or bwideman@htrnews.com
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Obama’s scheduled visit to Manitowoc today has Lakeshore residents discussing appearances by other men who became president. While in Manitowoc, Carter, an ex-submarine officer, spoke to a crowd of about 300 people from the deck of the Cobia, according to a HeraldTimes-Reporter article published the following day. Many of those in attendance were schoolchildren. Pilger, a Manitowoc resident, was among those who greeted Carter. He was responsible for the Cobia at the time of Carter’s visit. “When we found out that Carter was coming here, (former Manitowoc mayor Tony Dufek) called me up and said Jimmy Carter was coming to campaign for presidency and the Secret Service would be here a day or two before,” Pilger said. “He knew I was in charge of the Cobia and that I would be responsible for taking the Secret Service and Jimmy Carter to the sub. “So that all transpired, and they checked the boat out from one end to the other.” Carter placed a commemorative wreath at the base of the U.S. flag aboard the Cobia following his short speech, when he made the comment about becoming the first submariner to be president.Carter was elected as the 39th president on
HERALD TIMES REPORTER POLL QUESTION If you could ask President Obama one question, what would it be?
Former Georgia governor Jimmy Carter greets supporters during a campaign stop in Manitowoc on March 31, 1976. Later that year, Carter was elected president. Submitted by the Manitowoc County Historical Society
ã From A-1
Wednesday, January 26, 2011&A-3
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A-4&Wednesday, January 26, 2011
HERALD TIMES REPORTER
Manitowoc deserves time in national spotlight D ear President Obama: Welcome to the city of Manitowoc! On behalf of the citizens of Manitowoc, it is my pleasure to invite you to our charming and historic community located directly on stunning Lake Michigan. Being Wisconsin’s maritime capitol, we take great pride in being the home of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum. Our
ORION ã From A-1
Verfuerth, Orion’s founder and CEO, was invited to the White House as a cleanenergy solutions provider. Again, Obama tooted Orion’s horn, declaring, “Innovators like Orion Energy Systems are creating the jobs that will foster our recovery, and creating the technology that will power our long-term prosperity. Verfuerth and Obama renewed acquaintances in August in Milwaukee. “I think the president is interested in our kind Verfuerth of technology that works without incentives,” said Crawford, the former mayor of Manitowoc who joined Orion in April 2009. “I truly believe the president has an interest in our workers and what they do,” Crawford said. “We have a marvelously skilled and diverse workforce.” Among Orion’s products are high-performance compact modular fluorescent lighting, InteLite intelligent energy man-
JUSTIN NICKELS
Manitowoc Mayor
museum captures the history of Manitowoc on Lake Michigan and the entire Great Lakes region. It highlights our history in World War II and the building of 28 submarines for the war effort. Along
agement controls, Apollo Light Pipes, and with California partner, Solyndra, solar photovoltaic panels.
Policy initiatives
Crawford knows what he’d like Obama to support in terms of any new policy initiatives. In addition to energy efficiency requirements, Crawford would like “the president propose that every company generate as much electricity at its own site as possible.” From his own office, Crawford can look at the roof of Orion’s plant and see 375 Apollo Light Pipes, as well as 270 photovoltaic solar panels, and if he walked out the front door of its technology center, view two wind turbines. On many days, with the right atmospheric conditions, Crawford said Orion operates its Manitowoc offices and manufacturing plant at “grid parity.” If more companies could, it would reduce the need to build additional power plants and install billions of dollars of new transmission lines, Crawford said.
Key legislation
Orion officials were pleased when former Gov.
our shores are the Manitowoc Marina and Mariners Trail, which stretches between Manitowoc and Two Rivers and offers wonderful recreational opportunities. Our historic downtown has several shops for everyone’s satisfaction. The State of Wisconsin designated Manitowoc a “Main Street Community” in 2008. From downtown, you can walk to the Rahr-West
Art Museum, which exists as an 1890s mansion on the National Register of Historic Places. The museum was given to the city of Manitowoc in 1941 by its owner, Mrs. Clara Rahr, with the purpose to be used as a museum and civic center. Just recently, USA Today named it one of the top 10 best places to see art in a small community. Our community has thrived on our manufac-
Jim Doyle signed legislation declaring the sun to be a renewable energy resource and awarding tax credits for purchases of technology like its light pipes. Crawford and other Orion executives have lobbied for similar federal legislation. “We’ve been working in Washington for some time, and there is a bit of a buzz about us,” Crawford said. Today, Washington, in the form of Obama, comes to Manitowoc. “I called (Manitowoc) Mayor (Justin) Nickels and said, ‘If anybody asks you, put us first on the list,’” Crawford said. He believes the presidential visit “was pretty much ordained by the long relationship-building process Neal has had with the president.” Crawford said Obama’s visit, part of the president’s “Main Street Tour” visits to various cities since December 2009, “shines a spotlight on Manitowoc and Orion and a floodlight on Wisconsin.” æ In 2004, Crawford met Verfuerth and introduced him to the vacant Mirro distribution facility. æ From 2004 to January
2011, Orion has increased the Manitowoc workforce from zero to 240 and anticipates 325 employees in Manitowoc by year-end. æ Earlier this week, Orion announced it had achieved a record level of revenues, $29.7 million, for its most-recently completed December quarter, representing a 54 percent increase compared to the prior-year period. It also achieved the highest quarterly operating income in the company’s history. æ Orion officials state their business is built around a simple goal — significantly reduce the amount of electricity demand at the customer’s point of use and, at the same time, help to reduce the required investment in power plants and the electrical grid. æ Orion officials state that since 2001, its products have been installed in more than 6,000 facilities, including 126 of the Fortune 500, saving customers more than $1.02 billion, and reducing indirect carbon dioxide emissions by 8.7 million tons. Charlie Mathews: (920) 686-2969 or cmathews@htrnews.com
turing foundation. From building boats for the government when Abraham Lincoln was President to mega-yachts at our world-famous Burger Boat Co. From cranes and ice machines at the world-renowned Manitowoc Company to new “green” companies like Orion and Tower Tech. Manufacturing is what made Manitowoc what it is today, and we will never forget that.
Our commitment to, and investment in, our community is what gave us the recognition by Forbes magazine as the second best place in America to raise a family. We are proud of our past, hopeful for the present and optimistic about our future. I hope you enjoy all that Manitowoc has to offer. We are proud of our community and overjoyed that you chose to visit us.
HERALD TIMES REPORTER POLL QUESTION What should President Obama do to stimulate the economy and job growth?
“At the collegiate level, encourage more students to be entrepreneurs and foster more efforts to encourage new business creation.”
Brian Collins, community development director for The Y
“Help more businesses gain access to capital to enable them to make technology purchases and upgrades.” Mike Forst, financial services officer for Greenstone Farm Credit
“Help find ways to encourage businesses to fill vacant commercial properties — for example, in Manitowoc, the J.C. Penney store and the old downtown Mirro plant. The president could also re-institute the $8,000 new homebuyers credit to stimulate business growth.” Marissa Holst, commercial account manager for Ansay & Associates
“Increase awareness of various federal programs, such as mortgage assistance programs that can help you move forward with, for example, a home purchase at a lower interest rate. Activity in the housing market leads to job creation.” Bobbie Yauch, L.P.N. and admissions coordinator for North Ridge Medical & Rehabilitation Center
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