Stories you might have missed from around Wisconsin.
Oshkosh: Grand Opera House prepares for $10M expansion project.
Wisconsin’s oldest operating theater building, which is on both the state and national registers of historic places, is moving forward with a $10 million renovation and expansion in downtown Oshkosh. The Grand Oshkosh, formerly the Grand Opera House, opened in 1883. Its 500-seat auditorium hosts more than 100 performances each year including live music, plays and TED Talks. The 140-year-old opera house is owned by the city, but it’s operated by The Grand Oshkosh Inc. a local non-profit. In December, the city council unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding to split the $10 million construction costs 50-50 with the nonprofit. WPR reported that the project will include expanding the opera house building westward to include a new front entrance with better accessibility for wheelchair users and will double the space used for the building’s lounge and lobby atrium space. The main opera house building will receive some improvements like new seats, wallpaper and doors, but will be “largely untouched” by the project. Construction is unlikely to begin before 2026 and is expected to take 12 to 16 months. Full Story
Kenosha: Arnetta Griffin named Kenosha News 2024 Person of the Year.
You’ve heard the saying not all heroes wear capes. It’s overused but it’s true. Arnetta Griffin doesn’t wear a cape. She usually wears an apron, but she’s no less a hero. Which is why Griffin has been selected as the 2024 Kenosha News Person of the Year. Arnetta Griffin, founder of God’s Kitchen of Kenosha, wakes up every day to make breakfast that she hands out to people in need of a free meal. Then she heads home where she makes free lunches and dinners to also give away.She began handing out sandwiches and water to people experiencing homelessness or financial difficulties in Uptown Kenosha in 2017. Ms. Griffin also hosts numerous free community-wide holiday meals, including at Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas, which have included clothing and gift giveaways along with free haircuts. The Kenosha News quoted Griffin, “It makes me feel good knowing that I came out here and made a difference for everyone,” she said. “I wish I could put (homeless people) in hotels for the winter. Griffin said she had no idea God’s Kitchen would grow as it has or that she’d be getting this type of recognition. ‘It’s really amazing, but it’s not just me getting nominated for Person of the Year,” she said. “It’s God and this community that helps God’s Kitchen all the time with their donations. I don’t do it by myself. Without God and this community, I’d still be serving sandwiches.” Congratulations Arnetta Griffin. Full Story
Waukesha: Les Paul Foundation wants to make music accessible.
His name is synonymous with guitars but Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Les Paul began his musical journey playing piano in his hometown of Waukesha. According to Sue Baker, program director of the Les Paul Foundation, he thought he was a better piano player than his teacher did. His teacher sent a note home saying he couldn’t play the piano. With his mother’s encouragement, he switched to guitar and the rest is history. Paul is the only person to be in both the National Inventors Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame according to his foundation. In an interview, Baker shared stories from Paul’s life and explained the continuing work of the foundation, which includes raising funds for hearing loss research and offering grants to nonprofit groups. Paul quietly established the foundation in his name “quite a few decades ago,” Baker said. He wanted it to stay dormant until he died, which was in 2009. Due to his difficult childhood, Paul instructed Baker to find kids who would really like to play the guitar but lacked the financial means to do so. Paul is buried in Waukesha because he believed the city’s people were always there for him. There’s a road and a middle school named after him. A performing arts center bears his name, too. There are 10-foot painted guitars around the city in his honor. Full Story
