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North Lakes Receives Funding for Dental Equipment

Jenni

Lakewood, Wisconsin – The Leon H. and Clymene Bond Foundation, Inc. generously donated $48,998 toward NorthLakes Community Clinic’s recent purchase and installation of $115,403 in new dental equipment at the Lakewood Clinic. Installed in mid-February, the equipment has allowed the FQHC to update two doctor operatories and one hygiene operatory. Equipment secured through the Leon H. and Clymene Bond Foundation, Inc. includes dental chairs, three dental X-ray units, three dentists’ stools, and two assistants’ stools. Lakewood Clinic Manager, Mary Kay Tallier, states that the “upgraded equipment will assist with efficiency and patient care” and she notes that “there is already a noticeable boost in staff morale, with comments of appreciation coming from not only patients but staff as well. Thank you Bond Foundation for your contribution towards helping us invest in addressing the dental needs of the region!”

This update is part of an ongoing effort to update all dental equipment at the Lakewood Clinic in hopes to attract new dentists to Lakewood to address the dental shortage in the area. NorthLakes has been actively recruiting Dentists for the past several years. To learn more about available job opportunities at the clinic in Lakewood and NorthLakes, please visit: https://nlccwi.org/careers/current-openings/.

The Lakewood Clinic also provides Medical, Chiropractic, and Behavioral Health services along with Patient Supports. Learn more about the services available at the Lakewood Clinic by visiting: https://nlccwi.org/locations/lakewood/.

Oconto Falls Fire Department Receives Grant

Jenni

Oconto Falls Fire Department would like to thank the Bond Foundation of Oconto, for a grant our department received for the purchase of AED’s (automatic external defibrillators). Through this grant we were able to purchase an AED for our 2 Engines, Ladder truck and install one unit in our station. One of the areas Bond Foundation awards grants is for health. By awarding our department this grant for these AED’s, everywhere and everyone we respond to assist, including our own firefighters, will have a much better chance of survival if having a heart attack/cardiac arrest event. One of the leading causes of firefighters’ line of duty deaths is from cardiac arrest/heart attacks. By being awarded this grant and having these AED units closely available gives everyone a much better chance of survival.
Oconto Falls Fire Department can’t thank Bond Foundation enough for being awarded this grant for the health and safety of our firefighters and the community.

Exciting news, ST. Anthony’s is Growing!

Jenni

St. Anthony School has been blessed to receive a grant from the Leon H. and Clymene M. Bond Foundation, Inc. in the amount of $25,192.86. This grant will provide the funds to furnish classrooms to make room for future growth.


St. Anthony’s School makes an effort to embrace each child. It is founded on the Catholic tradition and strives to educate each student in spirit, mind and body. Due to this grant, the St. Anthony School community is excited to have the opportunity to offer more options for its amazing students and families.


Thank you to the Leon H. and Clymene M. Bond Foundation for their investment in the St. Anthony mission. Your generosity is greatly appreciated!


Anyone interested in attending St. Anthony School, please contact school@holy3.org or call the office at 920-846-2276.

Bond Foundation Supports Peshtigo Kayak Launch

Jenni

The Leon H. and Clymene M. Bond Foundation, Inc. (Oconto, Wisconsin) has awarded the Peshtigo School District a $12,000 grant to assist in the installation of an ADA compliant kayak launch on Trout Creek. Kayakers and canoers will have immediate access to the Peshtigo River and the great views it provides. Kayaking and canoeing are already part of the Peshtigo School District’s curriculum and the launch will improve the access and safety for students and community members.

Superintendent Rau stated, “The impact of the ADA kayak launch is enormous as it will provide access to ALL students and community.”

The Bond Foundation grant along with the fundraising efforts of the Peshtigo Chamber of Commerce and Wild Goose Kayak Club will provide funding for the ADA compliant launch, parking, lighting, kayaks, storage racks, and safety equipment.

Rau added, “The district is beyond grateful for the support of the Bond Foundation, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Wild Goose Kayak Club.”

Bond Foundation Gives $50,000 to Oconto Police Department

Jenni

The Oconto Police Department is pleased to announce that we have started a K-9 program. This program was kick-started in April of 2021 when the department was awarded a $50,000.00 grant from the Leon H and Clymene M. Bond Foundation. The Oconto Police Department will use these funds to secure “K-9 Falco,” as well as purchase various equipment the program will need to be successful. The funding will provide the program with various pieces of training equipment such as a bite suit, narcotics detection kit, and a patrol vehicle outfitted for the K-9.
K-9 Falco is a Belgian Malinois, who is currently going through extensive training at Working K-9 headquarters in Canada. Falco is a dual-purpose K-9, trained in Narcotics Detection, Patrol Apprehension, and Search & Rescue. K-9 Falco will descend upon the citizens of Oconto, and begin his life as a Police K-9 in late fall of 2021. The Oconto Police Department would like to thank the Bond Foundation for its continued support of our department, as well as the City of Oconto.

Evergreen Cemetery Potter’s Field Memorial Project – Stage One Complete

Jenni

Oconto, WI, November 18, 2020. After a summer of pandemic delays, the first portion of the Evergreen Cemetery Potter’s Field Memorial Project has been completed. The Memorial, which is designed to honor the memory of more than 300 people buried in “common ground” unmarked graves throughout the cemetery, was made possible by a $20,525 grant from the Leon H. and Clymene M. Bond Foundation to the Oconto County Historical Society.

The first stage of the project was completed Monday, Nov. 16th, when a bronze plaque honoring the memory of the people buried in the cemetery was permanently attached to a two-ton granite boulder base located in the middle of the South Potter’s Field. The boulder, which is native to our area, came from the Mountain Stonework’s Quarry in Mountain, Wisconsin and was transported to Oconto earlier this summer by Brian Vandenlangenberg. Brian is the owner of the Oconto City Monument Company and has been assisting Pete Gabrielson who is overseeing the project. Several other local citizens have also volunteered their service to make the memorial a reality including Jeremy Wusterbarth and the city of Oconto, and Scott and Brandon Tousey of Scott’s Concrete. Jeremy, Brian, and Scott’s expertise in the positioning of the two-ton boulder and the pouring of the concrete base was critical to the successful completion of this part of the project.

The monument itself is located to the left as you drive into the cemetery on the southernmost road about 200 feet from that entrance. With the exception of the first block, the first 400 feet or so along the left side of that road is a “potter’s field” where as many as 200 or more people are buried in unmarked graves. There are also a couple other “potter’s field” sections in the cemetery, including an area on the same side of that road toward the west end of the cemetery and an area along the north side of the entrance road on the north side of the cemetery. In the future we hope to have memorial markers in these areas as well.

Stage Two of the project will be started this winter and will be completed next spring. It includes the construction of a 16 x 8-foot memorial plaza comprised of granite paver stones each engraved with the names and interment dates of the individuals that are buried there. The granite is slated to arrive sometime within the next two weeks and our goal is to have the project completed by Memorial Day, 2021. A dedication ceremony will be held at that time. A final mention must be made of the contribution that has been made by the Oconto County Genealogical Society, especially Kitty Werner and Vern Mortier whose earlier research in the Oconto cemeteries and expertise in genealogy has saved us an incredible amount of time.

When you get a chance to visit our monument, please do; and as you pause and reflect, please take some time to think about the words on the plaque that, “This monument is dedicated to ensure that the final resting place of these departed souls will remain forever consecrated and their names be forever remembered”. This monument is for them.

OCEDC RECEIVES GRANT FROM THE LEON H. AND CLYMENE M. BOND FOUNDATION FOR $8,000

Jenni

Oconto County Economic Development Corporation is pleased to announce it has received a $8,000 grant from the Leon H. and Clymene M. Bond Foundation, Inc. These funds will support, Winter Wonderland, the popular holiday light display in the City of Oconto.
The grant will allow Winter Wonderland to expand the holiday light display this season. Nothing captures the spirit of the holidays quite like going to see arrays of sparkling lights and ornaments. This expansion wouldn’t be possible without the assistance from the Leon H. and Clymene M. Bond Foundation. This year especially, we could all use a little more holiday spirit.
“It’s spectacular to see families enjoying the lights, time together and the community coming together each year. ” stated Samantha Boucher, Oconto County Tourism Manager, “Even the most bitter of Scrooges can’t resist”.
Don’t miss the opening night of Winter Wonderland scheduled for Friday, November 27, 2020 at 5:00pm at Holtwood Campground, 400 Holtwood Way, in Oconto. See first-hand all the new additions that were made possible by the Leon H. and Clymene M Bond Foundation grant.
Feel the magic this holiday season and stay safe doing it.

Oconto County Historical Society Receives Grant

Jenni

The Oconto County Historical Society (OCHS) is pleased to announce that we have received a grant of $20,525 from the Leon H. and Clymene M. Bond Foundation to fund the creation of a Potter’s Field Memorial in Oconto’s Evergreen Cemetery. The Leon H. and Clymene M. Bond Foundation is a family endowed foundation committed to the growth and improvement of Oconto County and its surrounding areas. To date the Foundation has given over $4 million dollars to support our local community.

The Memorial is designed to honor the memory of the more than 300 people buried in unmarked graves in the cemetery; people that for too long have remained unknown and unrecognized. The proposed design includes a granite boulder monument with a bronze plaque mounted on it and a plaza of granite paver stones engraved with the name and interment date of each person buried there. In addition, two small gray granite columns will be set into the ground to mark the boundaries of the original potter’s field.

Potter’s fields were common in the 19th and early 20th centuries, but today, the location of most of them is unknown to the public. They were common ground sections for burial of the poor, destitute and disenfranchised; the people who had no one to pay for their burial and most of whom are buried there without a marker or stone. The Evergreen Potter’s Field, is located in an area that appears as if it is just vacant space but current records at Evergreen show that beginning in the 1850’s, over 200 people have been buried there while scores more have been buried in other “poor ground” areas located throughout the rest of the cemetery.

This “Potter’s Field Memorial” will be a blessing for our entire community, says OCHS member Peter Gabrielson who has done considerable research on the potter’s field in Evergreen Cemetery. Pete stumbled on to its existence while doing research for another article he was working on and was completely surprised. “My reaction was; a potter’s field, you mean we have a potter’s field here in Oconto?” Since then almost everyone else he meets has had the same reaction. “I thought, this is something people need to know about.”

Our hope is that the Potter’s Field Memorial will be completed by this autumn. We know that under the current conditions there may be some uncertainty in the timeline as we move forward but we have no doubt that it will be completed. It is our belief that this project will be a great benefit to the people of Oconto and that it is an opportunity for us in this day and age, to affirm our empathy and compassion; values that show our humanity and are a reminder that we need to treat all people as equal in the eyes of God. The time has come for us to give these individuals the recognition and respect that they deserve; in fact, have deserved for a long time.

Rainbow House Domestic Abuse Services Receives Crisis Grant

Jenni

Rainbow House Domestic Abuse Services is pleased to announce an award from the Bond Foundation. The LEON H. AND CLYMENE M. BOND FOUNDATION, INC. is a family endowed Foundation committed to the growth and improvement of Oconto County and its surrounding areas. The Foundation was established in 1993 by Leon Bond (benefactor of the Foundation and founder of the Bond Pickle Company) and Earl DeCloux, residents of the City of Oconto. To date the Foundation has given over $4 million dollars to support our local community.
Those experiencing domestic violence are now, more than ever, unable to escape abuse as a result of coronoavirus. Survivors and their children may be trapped in homes with abusers, unable to call for help. Usual resources for seeking help are limited. Children can no longer communicate concerns with a teacher or school counselor. Family and friends who might have provided a safe place to stay may now be sheltering in place themselves, often with limited resources and an insistence on maintaining social distancing. Many survivors may feel as though they have no place to turn. Rainbow House remains open. Our Advocates are staffing the crisis line 24/7. We’re still responding to survivor needs for shelter, food, legal assistance, and safety planning around the clock. However, the model by which we provide services has changed. We are now housing each family in their own separate housing units. This model creates greater safety for survivors as well as staff by reducing the risk for communicable disease transfer. It is a more expensive model of providing shelter, but a far safer approach. The Bond Foundation has provided $11,440 for three months of off-site shelter and crisis-line coverage for survivors in Oconto “We’re well on our way towards providing greater safety and access to resources for survivors. We can’t thank the Bond Foundation enough for their support of our mission”, says Courtney Olson, Rainbow House Director.
If you are involved in a domestic violence situation, the number for Rainbow House is 715-735-6656. Please call 24 hours a day for free and confidential services.

OCEDC Receives Leadership Grant

Jenni

The Leon H. and Clymene M. Bond Foundation recently awarded a $2000.00 grant to Leadership Oconto County. Leadership Oconto County (LOC) aims to expose participants, through a nine month curriculum, to a broad range of opportunities/concerns specific to Oconto County, develop confident leaders, prepare participants for positions of influence, improve decision-making skills, build networks, and develop personal and interpersonal skills. LOC was designed not only to improve the individual participant, but also to impact Oconto County. As a program requirement, participants are tasked with the creation and fulfillment of an impactful community project. To truly achieve the future desired outcome for the community, the project must create social, cultural, and community benefit for all residents, and fulfill needs not currently being met. The grant funds from the Bond Foundation will be used for the class project and are greatly appreciated as they advance the potential scope and impact of this year’s project.

For more information on Leadership Oconto County please visit https://www.ocontocounty.org/grow-here/leadership-oconto-county/

Picture Left to Right: Bond Foundation Representatives Mary McMonagle, President; Chris Augustine, Director; and Jenni Hanna, Executive Director and Leadership Oconto County Representatives Paul Ehrfurth, OCEDC Executive Director; Kim Pytleski, Oconto County Clerk; and Katie Daul, HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital