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www.driftlessjournal.com | news@driftlessjournal.com | 563-382-4221 | Tuesday, October 24, 2023 | Vol. 5 Issue 43
H ME
&Harvest Edition
Gear Elkader co-owner Kathleen McShane stands with Abby and Paxton Williams in front of the goldfinch mural Paxton recently painted on the back of the store’s building at 201 North Main Street, in Elkader. (submitted)
McShanes honor state bird with mural by Cedar Rapids spray-paint artist By Zach Jensen Many business owners add murals to their buildings’ exteriors to call attention to their businesses or to celebrate art or the artists that paint them. But, Kathleen McShane said she and her husband, Mike, who own Gear Elkader and the Goldfinch Inn at 201 North Main Street in Elkader, added a mural to the second story of the back of their building to give that part of their business a bit of a facelift. The McShanes bought the property in the spring of 2021, and they had to make some significant renovations in order to build their business. “The upstairs, on the back,
The enduring allure of an older home …
An inside look at a Victorian home renovation
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By Roz Weis The Victorian home of Dale and Joleen McCarty is a striking example of success- Dale and Joleen McCarty of Decorah have restored their historic Victorian residence. The interior boasts ful renovation and expansion. Located on Decorah’s East Side, the an airy color palette and mix of modern and vintage historic home boasts the Second Empire accessories. The well-known home, which is of the architectural style with decorative details Second Empire architectural style, was purchased including iron cresting along the roof, a few years ago when the couple returned to Dale’s bracketed cornices and balustrades. The hometown. The year-long renovation was recently most distinguishing characteristic of the completed, and they couldn’t be happier with the results. (Driftless Multimedia photos by Roz Weis) home is the grand, sloping rooflines. This past year, the home has been Indianapolis was their home for 18 years, transformed into a stunning retreat. For Dale and where they raised their two sons, Nick and Jake. Joleen, first came love for the historic home, and Nick is recently married and works in Washingthen came the major undertaking on the brick ton, D.C., while Jake lives and works in Chicago. Victorian at the corner of Montgomery and Main Their decision to return to Decorah came sevStreets. eral years ago. Dale grew up in Decorah and graduated from “My youngest brother, Mike, retired from 30+ Decorah High School in 1980. He met Joleen, a years in the Navy and decided to move back with native of the Iowa community of Vail, while in his new family and set up roots in Decorah,” Dale Minneapolis. They met on a blind date. Joleen said. “My mom has lived here all her life, and we was working as a nurse in Minneapolis at the thought someday it would be great to be closer to time. Various job opportunities for Dale in the her, too.” hotel industry took them all over the country, “We came to visit in 2020, and just got an itch from California to Washington State, Milwauto look around at some houses on the market,” kee, Indianapolis, New Orleans and most recently, Nashville. Renovation They are familiar with Decorah, returning each year for Nordic Fest and family gatherings, continued on page 6 and they’re thrilled to be back permanently.
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had some ugly, brown paint on it, and we had to do some tuckpointing,” Kathleen said. “So, that wasn’t matching anymore. So, for us, it was important just to cover up the ugly back of our building. Pride in the way our building looks. The other side of the building needs to be painted, but that will come later. Mainly, it was just something to brighten up the space.” Through Gear Elkader, which also features a coffee shop, the McShanes met Abby and Paxton Williams of Cedar Rapids and learned that Paxton was an accomplished spraypaint artist. “We’d already decided we were going to do a mural at
e i d Foo Philly cheesesteak pasta skillet
By Jessica Woodward Fall is in the air! After the last heat wave, I’m sure we’re all happy for that. And nothing rings in fall better than comfort food. Who is with me!? I’m here for the carbs, one pot dishes and braised meats. However, with fall, that means the kiddos are back to school, football is in full swing and our time spent together around the table shortens due to the chaos. To make weeknights a bit less hectic, I like to break out all of my (almost) one pan meals. It
makes clean up quicker, prep so much easier and I’m still able to nourish my family with a balanced meal. This Philly Cheesesteak Pasta Skillet was a recipe written by happenstance. We were getting ready to travel back east to visit family, and I was cleaning out the fridge the few days before and throwing together some meals. I had scraps of peppers, some mushrooms I forgot about, 1/2 a jar
some point,” said Kathleen, “and we’d met Abby and Paxton the summer of 2021. We knew what he did, so we stayed friendly, and they’d come to visit whenever they were in town. As we finished our remodel on the second floor, to make our suites, we were playing around with names and ideas on what we were going to call it. The McShanes bounced some of those ideas off Paxton, 21, who has been spray-painting for the last five years, and the two couples decided to not only incorporate “Goldfinch” into the
Elkader Mural
continued on page 2
of leftover Alfredo sauce, and, well, I always have onions in my pantry. So, I whipped this skillet meal up in less than 30 minutes. We sat down to eat and my husband said, “This is one of the best throw together meals you have ever made.” That was solidified by my 1-1/2 year old eating three plates of this dish – no exaggeration. Hey, the boy likes to eat, okay!? Since the first time, I’ve made this a couple of weeknights more. And while it can be done the same night, I do like to prep all of my veggies for this ahead of time, even by a couple of days, to make the night of cooking quicker. I chop it all up, and put it in baggies or containers in my fridge
Foodie continued on page 17
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