Manitowoc's LaDeDa Books to feature four noted authors for Independent Bookstore Day meet-and-greet and book-signing

MANITOWOC — LaDeDa Books, 1624 New York Ave., Manitowoc, will jumpstart Independent Bookstore Day with a meet-and-greet event featuring four noted authors.

All writers will be available for book-signing and chat from 10:30 a.m. to noon April 20, and books will be available for purchase the day of the event.

Gavin Schmitt is a regional author of several nonfiction books including “The Milwaukee Mafia.” He admits to possessing a stronger-than-average interest in the darker side of history, focusing primarily on Wisconsin historical true crime. Schmitt’s thirst for knowledge has resulted in sleepless nights pouring over research leading to the development of a podcast called “Fox Cities Murder and Mayhem.” Schmitt’s featured book at LaDeDa will be “Midwest Vice”; he will have copies of his other titles available as well.

Well-known Professor Emeritus Kerry Trask has written numerous academic articles and historical accounts including “Fire Within: A Civil War Narrative from Wisconsin” and “Black Hawk: The Battle for the Heart of America.” Trask’s latest work is “Never think you’re better than the workers: 100 years of loyalty, hard work and innovation at the Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry.” This rags-to-riches story examines the industrious mindset of Abe Schwartz detailing his recipe for success. One of the many questions reflected upon is why WAFCO still exists, and continues to grow, while other major area industries have either left the area or closed.

In “Lee: The Tragic Story of a Family Broken by Schizophrenia,” Ken Farmer shares stories of his brother’s illness with stunning honesty. As his illness progresses, Lee becomes a different person — grandiose, delusional and violent. Eventually, Lee is committed, but the family then struggles with the long-term after-effects, and the ineffectiveness of a system that should have offered help. Ken Farmer is a retired public defender who spent a portion of his career in Manitowoc before opening a practice in Madison. He currently resides in Stevens Point.

Retired Special Agent David Eldon Jones uses his professional experiences in criminal investigations, counter-intelligence operations and anti-terrorism missions as the basis for his fictional trilogy about the collapse of the government. The collapse leaves a small Wisconsin town vulnerable to a barrage of crime. In “Abduction of Scorpion 6,” Air Force radar detects a UFO over northern Wisconsin. A Scorpion fighter jet is dispatched to investigate, but once contact is made with the UFO, the fighter jet disappears from the radar.

LaDeDa event information can be found on Facebook or at ladedabooksblog,blogspot.com. Anyone unable to attend the meet-and-greet but interested in purchasing a book can call 920-682-7040 to order.

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Inspection of wooden utility poles underway in Manitowoc

Manitowoc Public Utilities is contracting with Mi-Tech Services, Inc., to do inspections on wooden utility poles throughout the city of Manitowoc.

Poles in the southeast quadrant of the city, east of South 21st Street and south of the Manitowoc River, will be inspected over a three- to four-week period beginning April 15.

Citizens may see Mi-Tech Services, Inc., employees near their homes while they perform inspections, MPU said. Employees will drive white Ford F-150s and will have white-enclosed UTV trailers with Mi-Tech labeling.

MPU said the condition assessment will aid the utility in making reliability upgrades to its system.

LTC spring open house set for April 25 at Cleveland campus

Lakeshore Technical College will host a spring open house at its Cleveland campus from 1 to 6 p.m. April 25.

Adults and high school students will be able to tour the college’s state-of-the-art facilities while exploring more than 70 degree programs.

College representatives will be available to answer questions about application steps, learning options, how to pay for college and variable start dates, as well as academic, financial and personal support resources.

Registration is requested, but not required. Details and registration can be found at gotoltc.edu/open-house.

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Parkinson’s awareness event slated for April 20 at Washington Park

The second annual “Promenade the Park for Parkinson’s Awareness” will be from 10 a.m. to noon April 20 at Washington Park, 1115 Washington St., Manitowoc.

People can walk and pledge to show their support for Parkinson’s disease awareness and research.

A wooden park bench with a Parkinson’s theme will also be raffled off.

Assistance for the event is provided by the Lasallian Student Youth Group of Roncalli High School and the event is sponsored by the Manitowoc County Parkinson’s Disease Support Group, an outreach program of the Manitowoc Senior Center.

Brandon Reid is editor of the Herald Times Reporter. Contact him at 920-686-2984 or breid@gannett.com, or follow him on X at @breidHTRNews.

This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Manitowoc bookstore LaDeDa hosts authors for Independent Bookstore Day