A local ‘Embroidery & Screen Printing’ company recently printed one pro-Walker t-shirt for a customer. Green Bay Gazette TWO RIVERS — When a Two Rivers High School student wore a green T-shirt supporting Gov. Scott Walker to school in late February, it set off a dispute involving a local business and the president of the Two Rivers Education Association.
B&D Embroidery & Screen Printing in Two Rivers made the shirt for the student on request, said Bridget VanGinkel, owner of the business with her husband, David. The shirt says “Scott Walker My Hero!” on the front and “He’s Got Nads!” on the back.
On Feb. 24, VanGinkel said the business received what they perceived as a veiled threat of a boycott in an e-mail from Wes Glenna, president of the TREA and chairman of the technical education department at the high school.
Bridget VanGinkel forwarded to the Herald Times Reporter Glenna’s e-mail, sent from his school e-mail address after 10 p.m. It said:
“I was recently informed that you have plans to print pro-Walker shirts for some of the students in the Two Rivers School system. After checking out your website, I noticed that a great deal of your business comes from providing apparel to the Two Rivers, Manitowoc, and Mishicot school systems. I, really, don’t know what you’re thinking of.
“We, all, greatly appreciate the fact that you established your business in our community. However, have you taken the time to figure out how your recent decision could result in the loss of profits to your business?”
It was signed Wes Glenna, President, Two Rivers Education Association.
Glenna also sent the e-mail to all members of the teachers union in the Two Rivers district, VanGinkel said.
The store has been getting mostly negative phone calls and comments on Facebook since Glenna sent the e-mail, she said.
The WI school president tried covering up his error, and said his problem with the shirt wasn’t that it was Pro-Walker but because of the word nads.
I called the embroidery shop and spoke with the owner, Bridget, and she said that a WI teacher told her that Wes Glenna also sent out an additional email telling teachers and school administrators to boycott her business. She told me Wes Glenna has no idea what her political views are and that she may agree with him (let’s hope not), but that she has got two mouths to feed.
At first she got a lot of negative phone calls and emails, but she thinks it was from Glenna’s buddies. Bridget said people from all over the country have been ordering Pro-Walker shirts, and a few Texans have been placed large orders.
B&D has now made the t-shirt, that the lone high school kid ordered, available to anyone who wants to show their support. You can buy it HERE . The shirt says “Scott Walker My Hero!” on the front and “He’s Got Nads!” on the back. And you can have the shirt neutered if you prefer.
