Community News Stories

Aase Haugen residents invite children to Trick or Treat

Aase Haugen residents are excited to invite area children to Trick or Treat at the nursing home on Thursday, October 31 from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.  “It really brightens our day to see the little ghost and goblins,” says Andrea Hexom, Aase Haugen activities supervisor. “Our residents will have pumpkins full of candy to pass out as the children wander through the main dining room and around the hall through Assisted Living to trick or treat with us.”

The children and their escorts should enter through the main entrance of the nursing home where they will be guided to the trick or treat area and end up exiting through the Assisted Living doors. It’s all inside, so come rain or shine!#30#

West Clermont Lutheran Church 3rd Annual Fall Ham Ball Dinner and Silent Auction

Sunday October 27, 2024

Serving from 10:30am – 2:00pm at the Clermont Opera House

Freewill Offering

Menu: Ham balls, Cheesy potatoes, green beans and pie.

Silent Auction during event with bidding ending promptly at 2:00pm.

Please see the attached information for the Humane Society of Northeast Iowa’s current adoption event going on now through the Bissell Pet Foundation.

Thanks!!

Community Presbyterian Church in Postville, Iowa will be hosting their Early Thanksgiving Dinner and Silent Auction on November 3, from 11 am-1 pm. Carry outs are available. Adults $15, Age 10 & under $5, Preschoolers and younger are free! Handicap parking Available, no pre-sales.

Address is 106 S. Reynolds Postville, IA 52162

Join LifeServe Blood Center and the Regional Health Center of Howard County Auxiliary for a community blood drive on Wednesday, October 30, 2024 from 12:00 PM – 5:30 PM at the VFW Hall,  103 2nd Ave SE, Cresco

Walk ins are welcome, appointments are encouraged.  To schedule, call 800.287.4903, text LIFESERVE to 999-777, or click the following link:

https://donor.lifeservebloodcenter.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/184888

Alta Vista Fire Department’s 5th Annual Pancake Breakfast

SERVING PANCAKES, SAUSAGE, SCRAMBLED EGGS, JUICE, MILK AND COFFEE
FREE WILL DONATION
“FILL THE BOOT!”
FOOD WILL BE SERVED DRIVE THRU OR DINE IN!
ALL PROCEEDS GOING TOWARDS PURCHASE OF EXTRICATION TOOLS
GUN RAFFLE DRAWING AT 11AM – CONTACT ANY FIREFIGHTER FOR DETAILS
*WE WILL ALSO HAVE A DRAWING FOR DOOR PRIZES*
DELIVERY AVAILABLE WITHIN THE ALTA VISTA FIRE DISTRICT *Please call 641-229-6523 by 7pm Saturday, October 12*

Christopher Winters, MD, has joined the surgery staff at Gundersen Decorah Clinic. As a general surgeon, he offers a broad spectrum of services including appendectomy, cholecystectomy, colectomy, hernia repair, upper and lower endoscopy, Caesarean delivery plus many more. 

Born and raised in Oelwein, Dr. Winters received his Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from The University of Iowa, Iowa City.  He then earned his Doctor of Medicine from The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City. Dr. Winter completed his General Surgery Residency at Iowa Methodist Medical Center, Des Moines.  

“I chose to pursue a career in healthcare after I started engineering school. I grew up working in my parents autobody repair shop, and I have always really enjoyed complex problem solving as well as working with my hands,” says Dr. Winters. “While I was in engineering school, I really missed interacting with people as a regular part of my day, and I also found myself wanting to move back to a rural community. I found pursuing a career in medicine as a way to help others through complex medical problems while being able to work within a community similar to the one I grew up in. Choosing to pursue training in general surgery was a natural fit as I have always found a lot of fulfillment in working with my hands.” 

In his free time, Dr. Winters enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife, Amanda, and their son, Theodore. He also likes to work on home improvement projects, along with grilling, biking and hunting. 

Dr. Winters joins Gundersen Decorah surgeons Elleson Schurtz, MD; Phillip Yee, MD; and Michael LaBelle, MD, in providing general surgery services in Decorah. In addition, Dr. Winters will provide surgery services in Waukon, West Union and Cresco. 

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Winters or one of his colleagues, call the Gundersen Decorah Clinic at (563) 382-3140. 

Allamakee County Sportsman’s Club is having their Fall UTV ride and raffle on Saturday September 28th. Pre-registration is recommended by texting or calling 319-429-3104. Cost is $20 per person (16 and under free with paid driver over 18). Registration is from 8am to 9:30am day of the ride at 450 Hwy 9 Waukon. Ride will leave promptly at 10am riding through farm trails in Scenic NE Iowa. Raffle tickets are available from club members and at Anthem Archery, Sportsman’s Unlimited, River and Ridge, River Run Pub and Grub, Green Valley, Jet’s Cafe, and J-Mann’s Minnkota. Drawing will be done after the ride is completed at the clubhouse.

Jeremy Engrav was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor in April, 2022.  Jeremy is the husband of Betsy Engrav and dad of 4 children- Brayden, Brecken, Brantley, and Blair.

Raffle tickets are $20, or 6 for $100.  You can mix and match red, white, and blue tickets for the $100 deal.

Drawing for prizes is happening October 4th, 2024 during the halftime of the Waukon Indian varsity football game.

Necklace Raffle (white tickets)

-Elliott’s Necklace: 14KT Rose Gold Shimmering Diamond Pendant with ½ ct total weight diamonds -Value $1,700

Tickets are available at these Waukon businesses Elliott Jewelers, Epic Wear, Sportsmen’s Unlimited, or any committee member:

Jamie Phipps 319-415-0304
Jessica Jones 563-380-4789
Stef Perkins 563-794-0756
Rick Langland 563-379-3503
Sara Langland 563-568-1833
Erica Nosbisch 319-432-4941
Morgan Weymiller 319-415-4088
Angela Gibbs 563-380-2358
Alana Gavin 563-568-1932

For more info, search Engrav Family Raffle Benefit on Facebook

Rendezvous 5K Run will be held on Saturday, September 28^th.  We encourage preregistrations so that you are guaranteed a shirt are due by September 20th.   Cost is $25.00.  Registration forms are available at www.fortatkinsoniowarendezvous.com for the registration form. Questions e-mail us at fortatkinsoniowarendezvous@gmail.com or call Lindsay Vsetecka at 563-380-7299.

Rendezvous Chicken Dinner will be held on Friday, September 27^th from 4:30-7:00pm at the Fort Atkinson Community Center.  Carryouts available.   Mark your calendars and join us!

The 48^th annual Fort Atkinson Rendezvous will be held on September 28 and 29^th.   Gates open at 9:30 on Saturday and 9:00 on Sunday.  We will have a special Restoration Dedication with the Iowa DNR at 12:00 on Saturday noting the completion of the restoration work completed this year at the Fort. Questions contact Kay Schmitt at 563-419-3567.

All are invited to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church’s 13th Welcome Friends & Neighbors Picnic, an annual celebration of community, from 5:00-6:30 p.m. at 701 Iowa Avenue, Decorah on Sunday, September 15.

Enjoy a free meal of hot dogs (both regular and vegetarian), chips, salads, desserts, and beverages, including gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options, outside under the Solar Canopy or in the Fellowship Hall. There will be games for kids too!

Founded on November 24, 1958, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), celebrates 66 years of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Good Shepherd is a Reconciling in Christ partner congregation, affirming our welcome to persons of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expression, and we are committed to anti-racism work so that all may participate fully in the life of our congregation. God makes no exceptions. There is a place for you here!

Good Shepherd is also the site of Kinderhaus Preschool, as well as a meeting place for community organizations and support groups. All facilities are ADA accessible. The entire facility is Carbon Neutral and Net Zero Energy use, and is certified as a Cool Congregation by the national organization Interfaith Power and Light. For more information, go to www.goodshepherddecorah.org/ or call the church office at 563-382-3963.

Pancake on the patio fundraiser for the Winneshiek county fairgrounds will be held Sunday September 8th from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Proceeds from the fundraiser will go towards Winneshiek County fairground improvements including youth livestock facilities. Free Will offering and Carry outs will be available. The meal will be pancakes scrambled eggs breakfast sausage cheese curds and beverage. It will be held at the community building on the fairgrounds. Thank you

The Iowa DOT is closing the IA 9 Lansing Bridge from 1 PM to 3 PM Wednesday, August 14th, for construction of the new bridge. These short closures are expected to continue daily through this week.

Farm tenants and landowners are encouraged to attend

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach in Allamakee County is hosting a farmland leasing meeting on Thursday, August 22 at 9:30 AM, AT the Allamakee County Extension and Outreach Office, 218 7^th Ave SE Suite #102 in Waukon. The annual meeting is offered to address questions that landowners, tenants, or other interested individuals have about leasing farmland. The average reported in the 2024 cash rental survey for the state is $279 per acre of corn and soybeans and is the first-time rates have not increased in five years.

Topics will include land values and cash rent trends, cost of production, methods for determining a fair rental rate, legislative updates regarding leases and communicating with tenants or landlords.

Registration is $20 per individual or er couple and includes materials. Preregistration is encouraged as an additional $5 fee will be added if registering less than two calendar days before the meeting date. To register contact the ISU Extension and Outreach Allamakee County office at 563-568-6345 or email dahlstro@iastate.edu.

small town celebration on August 31

The 6th Annual Adult and Youth Kickball Tournament, Raffles, Silent Auction, and Free-will Donation Meal will take place at the Festina Parish Hall and Ball Diamond on August 24th.  The youth kickball tournament will begin at 1pm and the adult tournament will follow. There will be raffle and silent auction items in the parish hall to bid on throughout the day. The free-will donation meal will be in the Parish Hall from 5-7pm. Grab the lawn chairs, pack a cooler, and join us for a fun-filled day in Festina. All proceeds from this fundraising event will go to local families facing medical emergencies and illnesses.

The Eitzen Lion’s will be hosting an ATV ride on August 10th. The ride begins at the Eitzen Community Center with a pancake breakfast, eggs, sausage and drink for a free will donation from 730 to 9 and the ride begins at 930 sharp. The cost of the ride is $40 per vehicle, the ride will be in both Houston and Allamakee counties and begins in Eitzen and will end in Dorchester at Dorchester Dog Days. The ride is approximately 35 miles, there will be several stops with rest rooms so plan accordingly. All funds raised will be used to support our Teachers Wish List for area schoolteachers in Allamakee and Houston Counties. For further information contact Ethan Lapham at 507-459-6939 or David Bulman at 319-721-9113.

Assumption Parish of Little Turkey will be celebrating their annual church dinner on Thursday, August 15th. Mass at 3:00 pm. Meal will be served 4:00-8:00 pm. $16 per meal – 3 piece chicken, real mashed potatoes with gravy, homemade dressing, corn, coleslaw, kolache, cookies (outdoor dining only, carry-out or drive-thru).  Music, Games, Bingo, Kolache Sales, Raffle, and Facebook Auction. For more information go to the parish facebook page: Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary—Little Turkey, Iowa

The Canton Minnesota Fire Department is having their Annual UTV ride through the rolling hills and beautiful countryside of the Big Woods in Fillmore County. You won’t want to miss this ride! The ride is Sunday,  August 18, with registration from 10-11AM and the ride is from 11AM to 4PM. Cost per unit is $20.  Join us in the Canton Day Off Fest area on Main ST. in Canton. This is a fundraiser for the Canton Fire Department

Who: Assumption Catholic Church, Canton, MN

What: Assumption Catholic Church Annual Meatball and Salad Bar Dinner

When:  Sunday, August 18,2024   11:00AM to 1:00PM  Cost is $15.00 , carry outs available

Where: Assumption Hall, Canton, MN

Why: Fundraiser for the Church

Who: Canton American Legion, Post 400

What: Canton American Legion Pancake and Sausage Breakfast

When: Saturday, August 17, 7:00-10AM    Cost: Adults $8 , 12 and Under $5, Preschool Free

Where: Fest Tent Area,  Canton Minnesota

Why: Proceeds to Canton American Legion Memorial Fund

Join us for the perfect night to end Summer Break!

Live music, food trucks, a petting zoo, and an outdoor movie are just a few of the activities that you’ll find at Iowa’s Dairy Center on August 2nd. Live music and food trucks will begin the night at 5:30 p.m. and the outdoor movie of The Secret Life of Pets 2 will begin at 8:30 p.m.! Bring your family and friends and join us for an awesome night of fun! This event is weather permitting. Free-will donations are appreciated. We hope to see everyone there!

DECORAH— Guardians of Northeast Iowa, Inc., a provider of legal guardianship and conservatorship services, has announced its upcoming move to a new location in Decorah

Effective July 1, the organization will be operating out of a brand-new office space at 110 Washington Street, Suite 5.

“We are excited to share this important news with our community,” said Anna M. Stamat, Director and Co-Founder of Guardians of Northeast Iowa. “Our new location will allow us to enhance our services and create a more productive environment for both our clients and our staff. This move marks a significant step forward for our organization, and we are confident it will enable us to serve our community even better.”

“We appreciate the continued support from our community and look forward to welcoming everyone to our new office,” Stamat added.

ALL ABOARD FOR FAMILY FUN AT THE 32nd ANNUAL RAIL FAIR
The 4000 Foundation, Limited proudly announces plans for Rail Fair to be held Saturday,
July 13, 2024 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM at Copeland Park, Rose & Clinton Streets, La
Crosse. Since 1991, Rail Fair has grown to become one of the premier summer railroad
events in the Midwest. This 32nd annual event celebrates the area’s railroad heritage while
raising funds to maintain and restore The La Crosse Short Line Railroad Heritage Museum in
Copeland Park.
Raif Fair traditionally hosts vendors from six states offering 250 tables of railroad related
merchandise. Rail Fair patrons will have the opportunity to buy, sell, and trade an
outstanding selection of model, toy and antique trains, books, magazine, railroad
memorability, railroad art, hobby supplies, repairs and replacement parts and accessories,
and many more related items.
The La Crosse Short Line Railroad Heritage Museum will be open for guided tours. The big
steam locomotive whistle can be blown for a small donation. Several railroad exhibits and
displays will also be offered. Concessions will be provided by Frontier-Badget #45 Masonic
Lodge.
Admission is just $5.00. Children under 12 are free when accompanied by an adult.
Raif Fair is a production of The 4000 Foundation, Limited, in partnership with the La Crosse
Parks & Recreation Department. The 4000 Foundation is a non-profit organization formed in
1998.

Brenda K. Massman, of Northfield, Minn., and formerly of Decorah, has recently published her first novel, Yet, Here We Are (Koehler Books). The story is based, in part, in the rural area outside of Decorah.

Set in 1948, the novel tells the story of Elizabeth, a woman who leaves for Chicago in search of a reprieve from Iowa farm life, and while there is met with profound love and tragic loss. Several years later in 1975, an unexpected visitor from her past upends Elizabeth’s quiet life. Meanwhile, her daughters Sage and Louse find themselves caught up in the Twin Cities’ food co-op battles during the emerging environmental movement, and Sage experiences mysterious visions that lead to astonishing discoveries.

Several events are planned throughout northeastern Iowa and southeastern Minnesota and can be found online at brendakmassman.com. Books are available at Dragonfly Bookstore in Decorah.

For more information, visit brendakmassman.com.

Frankville Community Presbyterian Church Women annual Ice Cream Social:  Wednesday, June 26, 4:30 to 7:00 p.m.  Meal of maid-rites, potato salad, orange tapioca salad, homemade pie and angel food cake, ice cream and toppings, and beverages.  $12 per meal.  Air-conditioned; accessible.  Take-outs available.  This is the women’s group’s only fundraiser for the year and enables their good work to continue through mission giving both locally and beyond.   Thank you for your support of our projects!

The Allamakee County Veterans Affairs Office and the Allamakee County Veterans Museum are sponsoring a PTSD Awareness walk on Saturday, June 29 beginning at 9:00 a.m. from the FREEDMOM ROCK in the Waukon City Park to the COUNTY COURTHOUSE front lawn. There will be an optional extra loop in the beginning to walk around the park for those who want to walk longer.

Following the walk there will be tables set up on the Courthouse lawn with representatives from helping agencies as well as video presentations at the Allamakee Veterans Museum at 105 Allamakee Street, across from the courthouse.

This event is part of VA’s National Center for PTSD program celebrating JUNE as PTSD AWARENESS MONTH.

The event is not limited to Veterans, but is designed to inform the public at large to raise awareness of effective PTSD treatments that are available. PTSD affects people of all ages, backgrounds, and walks of life. It takes a community to help all with PTSD to heal.

Those unable to participate in the walk are also invited to attend events at the courthouse and the Veterans Museum. Shuttle service will be available at the park to assist those who cannot participate in the walk. If there is rain, this event will be postponed.

Contact Allamakee Veterans Affairs Office at 563-568-6135 for info.

Join us Saturday, June 8th for Women & Soil at the Field of Dreams event center in Dyserville, IA from 1-5 pm! The program features a jam-packed event all about soil health, conservation and so much more!

Together with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Impact 7G, Practical Farmers of Iowa, Dr. Elaine’s Soil Food Web School, and the Field of Dreams—Women, Land and Legacy is hosting a one of kind and unique experience this summer for you!

Learn how women can make a difference in conservation, take charge, and impact the land. Get inspired, learn from top-notch female speakers about soil health, engage in network opportunities, and grow your knowledge with the vast resources available from our resource booths.

Additional networking opportunity following the event at Textile Brewery in Dyersville, Iowa (146 Second St NE Dyersville, IA 52040)

Attending this in-person event will provide a unique experience featuring speakers and presenters from a diverse background, resource booths, networking opportunities with other women producers and landowners, and a gift bag.  Light refreshments will be provided.
Seating is limited, so please reserve your spot today! Registration cost is $15. 

Registration and information can be found at this link: https://www.extension.iastate.edu/delaware/women-soil

Scholarships are available by emailing jadeh@iastate.edu.

Northeast Iowa Wellness & Recreation Center will host the annual NEIAWRC Big Four Fair 5k on Saturday June 15th will a 7:30 AM start time at the Fairgrounds
Medals for 1st, 2nd, 3rd place for each age group

Post race refreshments$20 registration – shirt deadline is May 30th

$5 kids run – no shirt included

Register online https://forms.gle/wbs41nRWCg4fyVVH9

Questions contact Melanie at 563-864-9622 or mbauch@neiawrc.org

RSVP of Northeast Iowa and the American Red Cross are holding their “Battle of the Badges” Blood Drive Friday, May 17^th from 12 noon until 5 pm at Stone Ridge Community Church, 1111 Montgomery Street in Decorah. Respond to the call to give blood during this time of critical need and vote for your favorite public service department – EMS, Fire, or Law Enforcement. The American Red Cross and Sport Clips Haircuts are teaming up to ask you to race in to give blood – Make a pit stop to give at this blood drive and we’ll say thanks with a coupon for a free haircut by email, thanks to Sport Clips.

PLUS get automatic entry for a chance to win a trip for two and VIP experience to the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Races at Darlington Raceway Labor Day weekend! Trip includes round-trip airfare for two to South Carolina, up to a three-night hotel stay, entry to the Sport Clips racetrack hospitality tent, plus a $1,000 gift card for expenses. Help refuel the blood supply and we’ll also say thanks with a BONUS $10 e-gift card when you respond to the call to give blood during this time of critical need.

Now is the time to give with your whole heart. Without more blood donors, patient care could be at risk. Donating blood is an act of kindness you can carry with you! For an appointment, call 1-800-RED CROSS or visit redcrossblood.org and enter code DECORAH. Or, simply call Pete at 309-236-2382.

Aase Haugen Plantpalooza is Saturday, May 11 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (or sell-out) at Aase Haugen Parking Lot.

With your free will donation, you can choose plants and garden seedlings donated by Staff, Families, and area businesses! All proceeds go to the Aase Haugen Garden Fund.

For the second year, Bandmates, Brothers and Friends (BBF) will reunite in Waukon for another night of musical entertainment to benefit the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation. This year will also celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Toe Tappers as part of the musical line-up, all held on Friday evening May 10, from 6-11 pm. The event will be held at the Allamakee Fairgrounds Pavilion. Cash food and beverages sales will be offered throughout the event.

Many of the returning BBF musicians are from Waukon including brothers Bill Withers, Jim Withers, John Withers, who have spearheaded this project the last two years. Oldest brother, Bill, is the event coordinator. Bandmates Gary Hesla, Bob Bechtel, Dave Dougherty, Brad Prestemon, Todd Pickett, Joel Anderson, Keel Clemmens and Jamey Lideen, will reunite with them again this year.

The original idea to attempt both a musical reunion and benefit came to the Withers boys as part of a fishing trip they’ve taken with their father for over 30 years. As many know, their father is Dr. Bill Withers, one of the hospital’s retired physicians in the community. Bill Jr. said, “We were just sitting in the cabin and started working on puzzle pieces that reveal a little bigger picture around rural healthcare, dad’s longtime service to the community, and friends and family coming together again.”

Dr. Withers, who is originally from Oklahoma, attended medical school in Denver, beginning in 1954. He finished school in 1958, marrying his girlfriend Libby Hale, of Waukon, in June of that year. He performed an internship at Denver General Hospital in 1959, then served two years in the Army as a physician in Fort Louis, WA, where his oldest son, Bill was born.

Whenever Dr. Withers visited Libby’s hometown of Waukon, her uncle, Dr. Jeffries, (referred to as ‘Uncle Doc’) was sure to keep in touch, introducing him to both Dr. Rominger, who were all some of the founding physicians of Veterans Memorial Hospital, along with Dr. Lou Bray.

“In 1961, after my military service, they asked me to come for an interview because they were looking for a partner. I accepted and away we went!” states Dr. Withers, who has remained a life-long resident of Waukon where he and his wife Libby raised their four children, the brothers noted earlier, and a daughter, Elizabeth (Jane) who lives in Florida but will also return with her family again this year for the benefit.

Music was in the Withers boys’ blood, thanks to their grandfather, Nate Hale, who was their mother, Libby’s, father. He owned the Hale’s Store in downtown Waukon at the corner of Main and Allamakee Streets, where Bodensteiner Insurance is now. He was a drummer in the Waukon High School Orchestra, pictured here, in 1916. The Withers boys learned of their Grandpa Nate’s love for music through stories passed down by their parents and their grandmother, Eloise Hale, who was also musical. Eloise was known to play the ukulele, an instrument the family has kept and still cherishes.

All three of the Withers boys learned to the play the drums, like their grandfather. Bill, the oldest, started when he was in Junior High as a teen. The first time he knew he was hooked was when he was asked to accompany at an elementary school choir concert where he drummed in front of a large gymnasium crowd.

“I was 15 when a band called ‘The Western Playboys’ came to my folks’ house and simply asked if I could travel with them a bit. I couldn’t drive yet, and I never thought my mom would agree to it, but she did, and the next thing I knew I was playing in a bar in Jackson Junction, Iowa,” explains Bill. “A few of us later named one of our bands by that town’s name, Jackson Junction. I was both surprised and thankful my folks agreed to that, and I never stopped after that!”

“Our parents were always very supportive of our music interest, attending all of our school concerts and later many of our gigs,” adds Bill. “Long after our grandfather Nate passed, Grandma Eloise still wanted to attend our bar and dance hall gigs—well into her 80’s! Our family members took turns taking her for the first hour or so, simply so she could watch and listen. She lived out in the country and was always willing to host band members overnight as we were traveling around the tri-state area – we loved it because she always had Michelob beer in her fridge for us!”

Bill and Jim were close in age so shared many of the musical instruments and band experiences, as witnessed in the picture of them “doing a show“ for their parents in their living room.

“Music was a part of our lives from a very early age,” shared Jim. “I remember taking piano lessons from one of the sisters at St. Pat’s convent back then. Middle School and High School were awesome and included playing saxophone and drums in marching, concert, jazz and pep bands – Jack Robinson and Merlyn Finley were awesome teachers. Then in college, I played drums and bass in several iterations of the band and played bars and wedding dances. Those gigs created so many memories that I talk with the guys and my family about to this day.”

Jim adds, “BBF feels like we’ve come full circle with the music. I am so thankful for the opportunity to be a part of the show – it’s a great opportunity to create yet another memory.”

John Withers came along after Bill and Jim were established in both Jr. High and High School. He carefully watched and learned how much they enjoyed their music and loved to play the drums and other instruments, becoming a very accomplished drummer who still performs regularly today.

“Some of my earliest, and most treasured memories center around me running home after 1st or 2nd grade in order to get there before Bill and Jim,” explains youngest brother, John. “Mom would almost always be in the kitchen preparing the evening meal. I would ask the same three questions daily:’ Is Bill home?’ ‘Is Jim home?’ ‘Are any of the brothers home?’ After Mom would answer ‘No’ to all three questions with a smirk on her face….OFF TO THEIR DRUMSET I WOULD GO!!! I had to get my reps in ’cause the older boys were NOT fond of me messing with their stuff! As always, Mom had my back.”

All three of the Withers boys have had children who also played percussion or went on to other elements of music as part of their own childhoods, keeping the family tradition beginning with their grandfather, Nate Hale, going strong decades later.

The three Withers boys, along with the eight other members of the former bands they were apart of, will once again be reuniting to benefit the Veterans Memorial Hospital Healthcare Foundation at their second annual event on May 10. The Toe Tappers will take the stage first, at 6 pm, followed by two different sets of these 11 musicians from the four past local bands including Rising Sun, Horizon, Jackson Junction and Deep River.

Doors will open at 5 pm with free-will donations being taken at the door. All proceeds will be used to purchase a new Pyxis medication dispensing system for the hospital’s emergency rooms.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Joe Jayjack, jjayjack@inhf.org, 515-288-1846

Public invited to volunteer at Heritage Valley

The public is invited to join Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation on Saturday May 4, at Heritage Valley, a 1,200-acre private preserve near Decorah, for Into the Wild, Out with the Mustard!

Volunteers will hand-pull garlic mustard, one of the most invasive non-native plants in Iowa, from Heritage Valley’s woodlands. This is a great activity for everyone of all ages as garlic mustard is very easy to pull.

INHF will have fun items and tools for youth and families to enjoy while you pull garlic mustard including bird watching, sensory items and tools like magnifying lenses to help explore.

Two volunteer shifts are available, from 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1-4:30 p.m. Sign up for one or spend the day with us. A bag lunch will be provided. An RSVP is required. People are encouraged to arrive early to park and check-in.

EQUIPMENT & ATTIRE

• Work gloves and water bottle
• A hiking stick, binoculars, field guide and/or camera, if you like
• Sturdy shoes or hiking boots, long pants and layers

DETAILS

• There is no experience necessary.
• Families are welcome.
• Attendees will be asked to sign a liability waiver.
• There will be a port-a-potty on site.
• Terrain at Heritage Valley can be hilly and uneven. Volunteers are encouraged to work at their own pace and comfort level

ABOUT HERITAGE VALLEY

INHF purchased and permanently protected Heritage Valley in 2007 and has been actively restoring and stewarding the land ever since. The property is not open to the public, but there are occasionally public events held there. Oak-hickory woodlands, secluded hills and bluffs, sun-soaked goat prairies and three miles of the Upper Iowa River are some of the amazing natural features of Heritage Valley.

QUESTIONS

Learn more and register at inhf.org/events or contact Senior Land Stewardship and Blufflands Director Brian Fankhauser at bfankhauser@inhf.org or 563-382-2008.