FOND DU LAC – October in Fond du Lac news held a number of treats, and not too many spooks.
Top stories in Fond du Lac included upcoming construction on Interstate 41 affecting Fond du Lac County, the arrest of a Campbellsport woman and three teens at the conclusion of a deer poaching investigation, and information about trick-or-treating ahead of Halloween.
For local Streetwise, readers were interested in a range of stories, from baked goods of the city’s past to the reopening of two businesses that were in the works for multiple years.
Here are the six top Streetwise stories from October.
Remember when Everix Bakery had cakes and other treats until 2004?
October’s top “Remember When …” story looked at Everix Bakery, which opened on the corner of Second Street and Military Road in 1934.
Richard Everix built up the Everix name with bread, cakes, donuts, muffins and more each day, passing the business down the family until it reached Richard Everix Jr. and his wife Ellen in the 1970s.
In addition to the main bakery, Everix Bakery sold goods at the city’s two Sentry grocery stores and, starting in the 1990s, the Forest Mall.
Ellen Everix sold the bakery to Prescott’s Supermarkets Inc. — then-parent company of Pick ‘n Save — in 1998, but Roundy’s closed the business in 2004, two years after the company acquired the bakery and several Pick ‘n Save locations.
Fond du Lac wants homelessness addressed with safety and dignity
This summer, Fond du Lac building owners, business owners and residents noticed a number of people appearing to be experiencing homelessness regularly loitering or camping around the Fond du Lac Public Library, the downtown area and other parts of the city.
Several of them spoke in front of city council in the Sept. 11 meeting on their experiences witnessing drug use, harassment and more with concerns about safety and the city’s image.
At that meeting, city council passed an ordinance updating the city code, with one of the updates prohibiting camping on city property.
One of October’s first stories discussed this ordinance, including input from Fond du Lac Police Chief Aaron Goldstein on enforcement and misconceptions, as well as from local non-profits urging the city to address the local homelessness issue with dignity and with research and input from the organizations.
Readers were also interested in a follow-up later in October expanding on some issues faced by local non-profits addressing homelessness and poverty. Mike Breszee, council president of Society of St. Vincent de Paul Fond du Lac County, continued the conversation, saying the non-profits are cost-burdened with an influx of people seeking help this year, and it’s time for local government to step in.
One suggestion he had was for the city or county to look into what other surrounding cities have been doing, from building tiny home villages to buying a hotel or motel to house people experiencing homelessness.
Readers shared their thoughts on the Odyssey Cinemas and Social Fond du Lac 8
As people attended a movie or two during the grand opening month of the Odyssey Cinemas and Social Fond du Lac 8 movie theater, 1131 W. Scott St., we asked readers to share what they think.
The responses were very positive, both for the quality of the movie-going experience and the potential the theater has to be a good gathering spot in the city.
Dick Family Cemetery in Brothertown gets state historical marker
A small cemetery in Brothertown next to Heritage Orchard received recognition from the Wisconsin State Historical Society with a historical marker on the cemetery’s significance.
Representatives of the Brothertown Indian Nation came together with the historical society and the Calumet & Cross Heritage Society, as well as community members and leaders, for the dedication ceremony Oct. 19.
The Dick Family Cemetery dates to the 1840s and is the smallest Brothertown Indian Nation cemetery in Wisconsin, holding a private graveyard for the Dick family, who were descended from the Narragansett tribe of Rhode Island, according to Calumet & Cross Heritage Society.
The walls of the cemetery are an example of the traditional Narragansett stonework from America’s northeast region, which was also reflected in the Brothertown’s sawmill and gristmill of the 1830s, two of the earliest mills in Calumet County.
Second Impressions Thrift Store reaches $1 million in donations to WLA
Second Impressions Thrift Store reached a significant milestone in its seventh year of operation: with a $300,000 donation to Winnebago Lutheran Academy at the end of July, the shop has reached $1 million in donations to the school since the shop opened.
The Christian-based shop opened at 325 Winnebago Drive in 2017 with a mission to provide Fond du Lac access to quality and affordable products in a comfortable atmosphere, all while profits from the store benefit WLA. This money supports programs at the school, which is also raising money for building a new school through the “Forward in Faith” campaign.
Eden Meat Market reopens after two years, and a grand opening is Nov. 9
After a fire significantly damaged Eden Meat Market in late 2022, the meat market has reopened in a new, larger location at 305 W. Main St. in Eden.
Eden Meat Market had continued to offer as many goods as it could in other Eden Meat businesses during the closure, but now, it can offer more variety in its classics, including snack sticks, pizzas, chicken breasts and more.
Grocery items also highlight local businesses, including coffee, Amish candy, seasonings, sauces, maple syrup, tortilla chips and popcorn. Craft beer, liquor and wine are new additions to the store.
The next step for Eden Meat Market is a grand-opening celebration from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 9, featuring a big one-day sale and a giveaway for an overnight condo stay for six at Chula Vista Resort — including waterpark passes — according to the Eden Meat Market Facebook page.
Daphne Lemke is the Streetwise reporter for the Fond du Lac Reporter. Contact her at [email protected].
