Tim Ryan, tryan@wolfrivermedia.com
An idea floated during a recent radio interview by Mayor Jeanne Cronce to establish a welcome wagon for newcomers to the city seems to have taken on some legs.
Cronce said she has already heard from people and local organizations interested in helping out.
“Once I get the people, I think we could get it up and running for spring,” she said.
At this point, the key to making the idea work will be volunteers.
“I do need a little assistance with finding some people to help me coordinate it,” she said. “We do have some interest from the library people that they’re willing to help, and a few other individuals in town have also come forward and said they’re willing to help because they think it’s a good idea.”
Cronce said newcomers would be given a welcome basket of items, along with basic information about the city and where things are located, along with a map.
She said the idea could springboard into some kind of newcomer’s club.
“Right now, we’re just trying to put together a group that would be willing to welcome new people into town,” Cronce said.
“We’d probably run it through the city along with the chamber, because they’re willing to do that also,” she said. “There are a lot of entities that want to just be part of it.”
Once it’s organized and up-and-running, the welcome wagon wouldn’t necessarily be a city-driven effort.
“It’s city driven now by me because I feel that there’s a need,” Cronce said. “I can’t say it would always be run through the city. It could get legs of its own and somebody will run with it, which I hope will happen.”
Cronce said she doesn’t envision it as being a lot of work.
“But we do need to coordinate it and make sure we don’t miss people, and we need to go out and get things for the baskets,” she said. “Hopefully the business people will donate something or offer a percentage off or whatever.”
Cronce said her lifelong roots here in Shawano spurred the idea.
“I feel, being a local, we need to welcome people here,” she said. “I grew up here, and that’s where my desire is to stay.”