Community News Stories

The Decorah Parks and Recreation Department invites area families to attend the 4th annual Touch-A-Truck event. This free open house will be held Saturday, October 5, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, in the parking lot behind the Fire Department.

Kids will have the opportunity to explore their favorite vehicles including police, fire and emergency vehicles, construction equipment, and city maintenance vehicles.

This event is hosted with the Decorah Fire Department in conjunction with Fire Prevention Week, and includes a free hot dog lunch.

The Northeast Iowa affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness will host its “Peace Be The Journey” bicycle ride for mental health awareness from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 5, at the Decorah Fish Hatchery, 2325 Siewers Spring Rd., Decorah. The purpose of the ride is to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and raise funds for education, support and advocacy for those affected by mental illness, their families and their communities.

The course for the ride will be the closed-loop Trout Run trail, beginning and ending at the fish hatchery. Welcoming comments and an address from Sheriff Marx will be made at 10 a.m. All riders are encouraged to wear helmets. Additionally, for-purchase concessions from Kymar Kafe, caramel-apple sundae bowls, a “bouncy house” and face painting will be available to all riders and the public. Door prizes have been contributed by numerous regional businesses.

Early registration for the ride, received by Sept. 15, is $25 for adults, $10 for teens and no cost for riders 12 and under. Riders with financial limitations and college students are asked to contribute $10 if desiring a t-shirt. Riders may register online at namineiowa.org. Registration fees increase by $5, and no t-shirts will be guaranteed for riders who register after Sept. 15. Registration is available at the event, and t-shirts may be available that day, depending upon demand and supply.

This event is generously sponsored at the $500 level by Winneshiek Medical Center, DECO Products, Peake Orchards, LetterWerks Sign City, Decorah Newspapers, Decorah Rental and Sales, and Wennes Communications. Generous $250 sponsors include, Decorah Bank and Trust, Rootz Salon, Don’s Sales and Service, Oneota River Cycles, Thrivent  Financial, Families First Counseling Services, and the Ackman/Green families.

All funds raised through the event go directly to NAMI services throughout Howard, Winneshiek, Allamakee, Fayette and Clayton counties.

What will downtown Decorah look and feel like in 25 years? There have been many changes in recent years and will be many more in the future. There is great interest and work being done to create this downtown vision. Some of the key elements are: being walkable, bike-able, maintaining history, having excellent wayfinding signage, and creating outdoor eating and meeting spaces. Roger Brooks, a well-known branding consultant, was contracted in 2007 to look at our downtown and offer suggestions of what would make our downtown an even greater place. One of his recommendations was to have gathering spaces on Water Street. T that time, Downtown Decorah Betterment Association (DDBA) commissioned the design of Water Street Park and raised the funds to make the Park a reality. A Great Places grant of $25,000 was leveraged to help with creating Water Street Park. Today, Water Street Park has become a wonderful gathering place allowing us to enjoy the outdoors while having lunch, a cup of coffee, listening to music, or just relaxing.

DDBA, in collaboration with Decorah Park Rec, Decorah Area Chamber, and Decorah Jobs, is working to establish an additional gathering space. Dry Run Park is a pocket park at the East end of downtown at the intersection of East Water Street and Riverside Avenue. The cost of building this park is $170,000, which includes seed funding for future maintenance. The park will offer similar amenities to Water Street Park and will feature an overlook of the Dry Run Creek flowing below.

DDBA’s goal is to raise all of the funds from business and individual donations, and early efforts have secured over $100,000 in pledges. Please consider helping make this feature of downtown a reality by helping us reach our goal! Pledges can be made over two years, and gifts of $500 or more will be recognized on a plaque at the new park.

If you have questions or would like to pledge, please contact any of the following DDBA volunteers:

• Keith Christensen 380-7453
• Joe Grimstad 382-1558
• Mike Harman 382-2020
• Mark Lovelace 380-1829
• Harlan Satrom 382-4277

Prairie du Chien – On Saturday, September 28th the Prairie du Chien Flotilla, US Coast Guard Auxiliary will hold a brat fry from 10AM to 3PM at Nelson True Value in Prairie du Chien. Money raised at this event will be used to purchase needed public boating safety education materials and to train Auxiliary volunteers in the performance of the many services the Auxiliary provides on the river and to the area boating community from environmental safety to search and rescue and navigation services.

Established by Congress in 1939 The Coast Guard Auxiliary is the uniformed civilian component of the US Coast Guard and supports the Coast Guard in nearly all mission areas. Area Auxiliarists volunteer their time and purchase their own uniforms and most equipment in their effort to serve their communities. We are always in need of more volunteers.
Come out to Nelson’s, have a brat or a burger meet and support your Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Mentors are needed to spend time with youth in Allamakee, Howard, and Winneshiek Counties. There are 22 youth waiting for a mentor through Youth Mentoring at Helping Services. Mentoring is simple! Mentors are a friend to a youth. They spend a minimum of four hours per month with their youth who are ages 6-16. Mentors that are spending time with youth in the community can be individuals, couples, or families.

School-based mentors that are college-age and older are also needed to meet with a student one hour per week at John Cline School in Decorah. A school-based mentor recently shared, “My mentee and I were shooting baskets outside and he wasn’t having luck making a basket. I showed him how to throw the ball underhanded and as the ball sunk, he leapt with excitement sharing it was the first basket he had EVER made!”

Youth Mentoring at Helping Services for Youth & Families offers group events for their program participants on a regular basis. Recent events have included going to a play, a family picnic, and visiting the Children’s Museum of La Crosse. Group events are great opportunities to offer new experiences to youth. In the last fiscal year, 96% of youth participants agreed that their mentoring experience provides them with new information and new things to do. Some mentees have never been to a high school football game, never been to the Whippy Dip, never ate a meal at Pizza Ranch, or experienced things that many of us take for granted.

Upcoming events include going to Effigy Mounds, doing community service projects, eating a fancy meal together, go-karting, and visiting a farm. Volunteers are needed to spend time with youth at these events. These volunteers are called Mentors For A Day. They notify program staff when they are available to volunteer and find that it is a great way to be involved with mentoring.

For more information on how to become involved in this rewarding experience, contact Kathy or Colinne at 563-387-1720 or visit www.helpingservices.org/mentoring.

Serving families since 1973, Helping Services for Youth & Families is dedicated to responding to current health and safety needs of youth and families through empowerment, support, and education.

Mentors are needed to spend time with youth in Allamakee, Howard, and Winneshiek Counties. There are 22 youth waiting for a mentor through Youth Mentoring at Helping Services. Mentoring is simple! Mentors are a friend to a youth. They spend a minimum of four hours per month with their youth who are ages 6-16. Mentors that are spending time with youth in the community can be individuals, couples, or families.

School-based mentors that are college-age and older are also needed to meet with a student one hour per week at John Cline School in Decorah. A school-based mentor recently shared, “My mentee and I were shooting baskets outside and he wasn’t having luck making a basket. I showed him how to throw the ball underhanded and as the ball sunk, he leapt with excitement sharing it was the first basket he had EVER made!”

Youth Mentoring at Helping Services for Youth & Families offers group events for their program participants on a regular basis. Recent events have included going to a play, a family picnic, and visiting the Children’s Museum of La Crosse. Group events are great opportunities to offer new experiences to youth. In the last fiscal year, 96% of youth participants agreed that their mentoring experience provides them with new information and new things to do. Some mentees have never been to a high school football game, never been to the Whippy Dip, never ate a meal at Pizza Ranch, or experienced things that many of us take for granted.

Upcoming events include going to Effigy Mounds, doing community service projects, eating a fancy meal together, go-karting, and visiting a farm. Volunteers are needed to spend time with youth at these events. These volunteers are called Mentors For A Day. They notify program staff when they are available to volunteer and find that it is a great way to be involved with mentoring.

For more information on how to become involved in this rewarding experience, contact Kathy or Colinne at 563-387-1720 or visit www.helpingservices.org/mentoring.

Serving families since 1973, Helping Services for Youth & Families is dedicated to responding to current health and safety needs of youth and families through empowerment, support, and education.

The characters of The Queen of Hearts, The Cheshire Cat, and The Mad Hatter are all classics in children’s literature. These characters and many more will come to life in New Minowa Players children’s show “Alice In Wonderland” being performed at New Minowa Players Theatre in Decorah October 24-27.

Local playwright, Rick Scheffert, has written the show’s script with the storyline based on Lewis Carroll’s novel “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”. Rick is also the director of the show. Catchy tunes and their lyrics were written by Sheryl Scheffert. This dynamic team is excited to be working together with vibrant performers ages 6-12. A record number of 47 children, are singing joyfully, learning lines, remembering where to stand, and bringing this wonderful tale to life.

Alice (Nora Lesmeister) is sitting with her sister (Annika Keefe) who is reading a boring book, when a rabbit (Greta Jones) goes running by. Alice follows the rabbit down the rabbit hole, and nothing is as it was before. She meets up with Mouse (Nessa Kane) who helps her find her way to a strange new world. She gets advice from Caterpillar (Hannah Arendt), learns about doors from an odd person (Colin Thompson), who is invited to play croquet by another person (Sara Brown).

Alice is invited to play croquette by the heralds (Cecilia Harriman, Kaya Johnson, Annika Keefe, and Opal Wankerl). She gets directions from Cheshire Cat (Elsa Johnson), has tea with the Mad Hatter (Margret Zook), the March Hare (Mara Branum) and the Dormouse (Savannah McCann) along with the partiers (Mary Brown, Emma Cline, Nathan Rhodes, Olivia Rissman, Adina Scardina, and Grace Stockman).

She meets up with the gardeners (Lulu Bellrichard, Annika Keefe, and Addison Wicklund) who are painting white roses red, so the queen won’t find out they planted the wrong color. Alice is introduced to the Queen (Adina Scardina) and King of Hearts (Ezra Harmon-Wood) and plays a game of croquette where the balls are hedgehogs (Taylor Vick, Viola Vrtis, Aubriana Moloken, Sally Edison-Albright, Jennifer Houdek, and Niva Anderson), the guards (Kylie Cord, Maggie Gavle, Liv Anderson, Dahlynne Borsheim, Poppy Bellrichard, Anders Wicklund and Mikayla Hiner) are the hoops and the croquette players (Walter Edison-Albright, Iantha Miller, Hazel Wankerl, Justice Nelson, Shepard Harmon-Wood, Violet Martensen-Burrell, and Maddy Johnson) and an unwilling executioner (Olivia Rissman) are all part of the queen’s court.

Alice goes to a trial where the Knave of Hearts (Clarence Nimrod) is accused of stealing tarts from the Queen. One of the main witnesses at the trial is the cook (Jillian Volz). The jurors at the trial are Opal Wankerl and Elsa Christman.

Performances will be October 24, 25, 26 at 7:00 p.m. and October 27 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are on sale at Oneota Community Food Co-op and online at newminowaplayers.org.

Sponsors for the show are Decorah Bank and Trust, Family Table Restaurant, Iroc Web Design Services, Pizza Ranch, RocketDog Books, Rockweiler Appliance &TV, Rick and Sheryl Scheffert, Sogo Snacks, and Singing Hammer’s Construction.

2019 Fort Atkinson Iowa Rendezvous The Theme for the Fort Atkinson Rendezvous, scheduled for September 28th & 29th 2019, is “Frontier Blades”

Frontier Blades were an essential part of the Army and the early settlers, they included the Sword, the Bayonet and the Bowie Knife. These were standard items that no one would be without, even though the
Army Soldiers and the Frontier Trader’s and Explorer’s carried guns, an edged weapon was an integral part of their lives.

They were utilized for combat, defense and hunting, as well as the everyday use of a knife which involved skinning, fire starting and cutting of various items.

Various other renditions of Frontier Blades were commonly made by blacksmiths for specific reasons, Knifemaking is an art in itself involving knowledge and skill, many examples will be on display and some examples for sale to the public.

This Year’s Rendezvous Days is the 43rd Annual and is held in September on Saturday the 28th & Sunday the 29th, admission is free and open to the Public, the School Day will be held on Friday the 27th

For Information:

• Visit Fort Atkinson’s Facebook

Winneshiek County Celebration of Life will be hosting the Corey Farley Band on Saturday Oct 26th at the Inwood Ballroom in Spillville!!! Doors open at 6pm, Cory will on stage at 8pm!. It’s a $30.00 donation to get in the door – your can get your tickets the night of the show!

Winneshiek County Celebration of Life will also be selling raffle tickets which can be purchased from Winneshiek County Celebration of Life committee members Tickets are $5.00 per ticket or get 6 for $20.00!

Cory Farley Band Concert & Dance Raffle Packages are as listed below!

Name: Welcome Friends Package

• Iowa Rotocast Plastics – Grizzly 40 Cooler
• Firemen’s Inn – Gift Certificates
• Polashek’s Locker – Gift Certificate
• Pulpit Rock Brewing Company – etched glasses & t-shirts
• PIVO Brewery – Growler

Name: Family Togetherness Package

• U-2 BBQ & Catering – your “choice of meat” roaster
• Joyce Meyer – 11×14 Sunflower photo
• Appearances Salon & Spa – gift basket and Airbnb weekend stay at Springer Shadyrest on Broadway
• Blepta Studios – jewelry

Name: Ladies Spa Package

• Hammel Jewelers – Diamond ring
• Eclips Salon and Day Spa – “Bless Your Heart” facial with lip & hand treatment
• Iowa Skin Care Medical Spa – “Med Spa” gift certificate
• Hotel Winneshiek – gift certificates

Name: Cory Farley Signed Guitar

• Washburn acoustic guitar — Played at event and signed by Cory Farley

TICKET locations:

• Fidelity Bank & Trust – Calmar
• Fidelity Bank & Trust – Ossian
• PIVO Brewery & Blepta Studios – Calmar
• Hovden Oil – Ridgeway
• Margaret’s – Decorah
• Eclips Salon & Day Spa – Decorah
• Appearances Salon & Spa – Decorah
• Hammel Jewelers – Decorah
• Modish – Decorah
• Viking Bank & Trust – Decorah
• KVIK Studios in downtown Decorah
• WCCOL Board members
• WCCOL Friends

Winneshiek County Celebration of Life provides funding for mammogram screenings for non-insured or under-insured women in our area. They also have added fuel/food cards for community men and women who are in active treatment for cancer. Over the years they have helped THOUSANDS of your friends, family and neighbors!

Auditions for New Minowa Players’ Fall show, “Grand Tally” are Friday, September 20th, beginning at 6 p.m. and again Saturday, September 21st beginning at 11a.m. at New Minowa Players Theatre, 906 South Mill Street, Decorah.

Auditions will last approximately one hour. Actors will be asked to perform a cold reading. Please bring a list of conflicts between the first rehearsal September 23rd through the final performance November 24th.

“Grand Tally” is written by local author Robert Wolf, a stage play adaptation of his novel of the same name. Written prior to the events of the 2014 Bundy Standoff in Clark County, Nevada, but sharing remarkable similarities, Grand Tally evokes a farcical examination of personal idols, media consumption, and corporate accountability. The show features original compositions by Decorah connected musicians, Brooke Joyce, Jonah Elrod & Ben Hippen.

Rehearsals will take place weeknights from September 23rd through November 24th, with occasional weekend rehearsals if necessary. A more detailed schedule will be composed when conflicts may be accounted for. Performance dates are November 21-24, with evening performances Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7, and a Sunday matinee at 2.

Questions should be directed to Sam Whitehead, director, at samuelawhitehead@gmail.com.

Sponsors for Grand Tally are Decorah Bank and Trust, Family Table Restaurant, Gallery of Tops, Iroc Web Design Services, Pizza Ranch, RocketDog Books, Rockweiler Appliance &TV, Rick and Sheryl Scheffert, Sogo Snacks, Singing Hammer’s Construction.