Construction on the new Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic in Decorah was expected to wrap up last week, but the 17,000 square-foot facility will remain largely empty for a few more weeks as staff wait for the building’s new furniture to arrive next month. Equipment and other items are expected to be moved into the new building this spring. (Photo by Seth Boyes) A full article can found in the January 30 Decorah Leader in print and online at decorahleader.com.
on March 4 opens the door to an opportunity
Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum to hold spaghetti supper
The annual Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum Spaghetti Supper fundraiser will take place from 4:30-7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8 at the Burr Oak Lutheran Church dining hall. The benefit also includes a live auction of items donated by local businesses and homemade pies.
Tickets are available for $15 per person. Meatless sauce and carryout options are also available.
Aase Haugen raising funds for Alzheimer’s walk
Aase Haugen Homes is holding a Valentine Cake fundraiser for Aase’s Angels Walk to End Alzheimer’s team. The public may order a two-person red velvet, frosted cake for Valentine’s day and pick it up with a free will donation. Pre-orders may be placed by calling or texting 563-379-6921 or by emailingandrea.hexom@aasehaugen. com. Cake pickup is scheduled from 3-7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13 at Aase Haugen Homes.
Aase Haugen provides the area’s only CCDI — Chronic Confusing or Dementing Illness — unit for intermediate and advanced dementia, such as Alzheimer’s. Staff are trained to provide specialized care and therapeutic care in a structured environment. The Walk to End Alzheimer’s will be held in Decorah on Sept. 20. The event raises awareness for Alzheimer’s disease, supports families and supports research to find a cure.
Vesterheim Museum commemorates 200th anniversary of Norwegian emigration
In 2025, Vesterheim, the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School, will commemorate the 200th anniversary of Norwegian emigration with activities, classes and a special exhibit. The sloop ship Restauration set sail for America from Stavanger, Norway, on July 4, 1825, with 52 Norwegians aboard, according to the museum, and the ship was the first in a large wave of Norwegian emigration. Within a century, more than 800,000 Norwegians followed these “Sloopers” to the United States.
The museum’s exhibit, “200 Years of Norwegians in America,” features important objects, photographs, themes and stories from 200 years of Norwe-
Photo submitted gians in America and is on view through Jan. 31, 2026. Luther College students in Anna Peterson’s Scandinavian immigration history course have chosen
some of the objects for the exhibit and created a companion podcast, which is available through the Vesterheim website.
Vesterheim Folk Art School offers classes in handcraft and culture throughout the year. Organizers will offer special Cultural Connection webinars with fiber artists from around the world, comparing traditions from various cultures, and Norwegian instructor Marta Kløve Juuhl will be in Decorah to teach weaving. Also, soprano Laura Loge and pianist Steven Luskan from Norway will offer a concert in September at Luther College which will be livestreamed online.
needed to know Everything I ever
By Ole Winter
(Retired Lutheran Pastor Ole Winter reminisces on his 90-plus years of life, sharing past experiences and life lessons with Driftless readers.)
Children are like gelatin ....
Wandering a shopping mall in Onalaska, Wisconsin quite a few years ago I came across a sign in a window that read, “Our children are like gelatin ... we have to put in all the good stuff before their minds are set.”
Having attended more church potluck suppers than Bayer has aspirin, I visualize the mandarin oranges, bananas, carrots and pineapples being put into the appropriate Jello just before it sets. There seems to be a basic truth in that adage. We may argue about the right age before the gelatin of life sets and what is the good stuff to put in, but experience tells us we learn the good and the not so good at a very young age. I once heard this line, “If the father eats lots of onions and the mother eats much garlic, can you expect the children to smell of sweet perfume?”
And from the Bible we read in Proverbs, “Train children in the right way, and when they are old they will not stray.” Like gelatin waiting to set, so are the hearts and minds of our children.
I know of families who,
DINING GUIDE
when they sit down at the evening meal, or some other appropriate time, ask their children to share something about their day. I realize that this ideal setting doesn’t always happen, but when it does, what an opportunity to teach and ‘put in the good stuff’.
When I attended grade school and the report cards were sent home, there was always a line where the teacher could report the ‘deportment’ (behavior) of the child during that semester. The suggestion clearly was that the deportment or behavior of each child was important for that child and those next to him/her in the class. All too frequently, when we read or hear of serious miss behavior and the committing of a crime, the subject of that bad news seemed never to have received the ‘good stuff’ necessary to live a life of good behavior and service to others.
I’ve read somewhere that we Iowans serve more gelatin (Jello) than any other state in the U.S. Why not then put in the ‘good stuff’ in our not yet set gelatin age kids.
Luther College’s Nordic Choir to bring musical ‘storytelling’ to audiences in nine states this winter
Luther College announced that its Nordic Choir plans to embark on a nine-state performance tour this month. The tour kicked off on Jan. 18 at Bethesda Lutheran Church in Ames. From there, the choir traveled to Fort Dodge for a performance on Jan. 19 at First United Methodist Church. The choir visited six other locations Jan. 30 through Feb. 4, during Luther’s January Term break. Nordic Choir visited Cedar Rapids, Springfield, Illinois; Indianapolis, Dublin, Ohio; New Lenox, Illinois; and Janesville, Wisconsin.
The choir will return Decorah for a homecoming concert at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 6 at the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall before traveling to Des Moines for a first-of-its-kind concert in collaboration with Iowa State Singers and Des Moines Choral Society on Feb. 15.
Besides performing throughout the Midwest in January and February, Nordic Choir will also give special March 20 performances at the American Choral
Fly fishing workshop to be held
The Decorah Parks and Recreation Department is teaming up with The Iowa Driftless Chapter of Trout Unlimited and Winneshiek County Conservation to host a free fly fishing workshop. The event is open to all ages and will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 1 in the Decorah High School gym. Local casting instructors will discuss equipment, demonstrate basic casting and work with participants on their fly casting skills. No registration is required. For more information visit our website at parks.decorahia.org.
Directors Association National Conference in Dallas. The tour concludes with a March 21 concert in Bentonville, Arkansas, at the Thaden School Performing Arts Center and a March 22 performance at the Village Presbyterian Church in Prairie Village, Kansas. A complete tour schedule with performance times and locations is available online at luther.edu/events.
Audiences can expect to hear music composed by Anto-
nio Lotti, Jacob Handl Gallus, Ruthie Foster, Jennifer Lucy Cook and Marques L.A. Garrett.
“It is our hope to serve as ‘storytellers’ through our music,” said Nordic Choir director Andrew Last. “This year is no different. We embrace the unique opportunity we have to connect with friends, family and folks that will experience their first Nordic Choir concert through music that ‘speaks’ to
them in unexpected ways.” Concert tickets may be purchased in advance online at tickets.luther.edu or by calling 563-387-1357. To purchase tickets for a specific concert, select the corresponding date from the options. Tickets may also be purchased at the door one hour prior to the performance. Some performances do not require a ticket, but a freewill donation will be accepted.
MiEnergy accepting applications for scholarships,
MiEnergy Cooperative is accepting applications from area high school students for the company’s Community Service Scholarships as well as a trip to the nation’s capital.
The company plans to give up to 80 students a $1,000 scholarship in 2025. Applicants must be a high school senior graduating in 2025 with a grade point average of at least a B, with plans to continue their education at an accredited technical school, college or university. The parents or legal guardians of each applicant must be a MiEnergy member with an active electric account, and applicants must
Washington, D.C. trip
demonstrate their community service as part of the application. The scholarships are funded with unclaimed capital credit funds which the company said would otherwise be forfeited to the state. Students can apply online at www.MiEnergy.coop/scholarships. The application deadline is March 3.
MiEnergy is also accepting applications from high school sophomores and juniors for an all-expenses paid trip to Washington D.C. to attend the 2025 Rural Electric Youth Tour in mid-June. Two students, one from Iowa and one from Min-
nesota, will be selected from eligible candidates. Each state’s Youth Tour group will join hundreds of students from across the country as they learn more about electric cooperatives and American history. The contest is open to children of MiEnergy members. The trip will take place June 15-21 for Iowa students and June 16-21 for Minnesota students. Students can apply online at www.MiEnergy. coop/youthtour. The application deadline is March 3. Questions may be directed to Annie Hoiland by calling 800-432-2285 or emailing ahoiland@MiEnergy.coop.
Free tax prep available for qualified taxpayers
The local AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP program cooperates with VITA — or Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program — to provide free tax preparation and filing services to low-income — those with an income of $67,000 or less — seniors, those with limited fluency in the English language, and disabled members of the community.
Beginning Monday, Jan. 27, call the VITA appointment line at 563-277-7246 to request an appointment or email NEIVITA.Assist.@gmail.com. Initial calls may be answered by a recorded answering service, and volunteers ask that callers be patient. Callers may leave a phone number, and a VITA volunteer will return the call as soon as possible. The last date to call for an appointment is March 31.
VITA volunteers will help determine if individuals are eligible for tax preparation services and the best method for submis-
sion of the individuals tax materials. Each eligible client will receive assistance from a VITA volunteer to process and submit their tax filing information
There is no charge for VITA tax-filing services. However, organizers with RSVP and VITA recommend making an appointment early.
Decorah Public Library, 202 Winnebago St. in Decorah Waukon – ISU Extension office, 218 Seventh Ave. SESuite 102 in Waukon
Cresco – Cresco Public Library, 320 N. Elm St. in Cresco
Postville – Postville Public Library, 235 W Tilden St. in Postville
Elkader – ISU Extension Office, 120 S. Main St. in Elkader
VITA volunteers offer four types of client service:
• Face-to-face – taxpayer cli-
ent and spouse meet with two tax-law certified volunteers who will prepare a return while the clients wait.
• Drop-off – taxpayer client meets with a tax-law certified volunteer, discusses client’s tax documents and an intake form, then leaves. At a later scheduled time, the client picks up the completed tax returns.
• Virtual – client scans all the required tax documents and intake form to the tax-law certified volunteers who prepare the tax return. When completed, the volunteer sends the completed returns to the client online.
• Do it ourself – VITA provides free software access for both federal and state returns to anyone making less than $84,000 adjusted gross income. The taxpayer completes his or her own return. VITA volunteers are available to answer any tax-law questions the client might have as they prepare the return.
Photo submitted
Four memorable moments in the history of the NFL’s biggest game
The National Football League offers no shortage of notable moments over the course of a typical season. Memorable plays and exciting moments begin when the NFL kicks off its season in early September, and the excitement only builds as the season inches closer to the Super Bowl, the league’s muchwatched championship game. The winner-take-all nature of the Super Bowl certainly adds to the gravity of the game, and that has laid the foundation for some unforgettable plays since the first Super Bowl was played in 1967. Any list of notable moments in Super Bowl history could be endless, but the following are four moments that fans of the game won’t soon forget.
1The Seattle Seahawks decide to throw the ball. The Seahawks were trailing the New England Patriots 2824 with 20 seconds left in Super Bowl XLIX in Arizona in 2015 but had the ball at the goal line. Most football fans fully expected Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson to hand the ball off to running back Marshawn Lynch, who scored a rushing touchdown earlier in the game. But Seattle instead chose to pass, and Wilson was intercepted by undrafted rookie Malcolm Butler, a play that sealed the Patriots’ victory and prompted second-guessing from millions of fans.
2David Tyree makes a catch for the ages. Acrobatic catches have become the norm in the modern NFL, but there may still be no more unlikely catch than New York Giant David Tyree’s “Helmet Catch” in Super Bowl XLII in 2008. The Giants trailed the Patriots 14-10
late in the fourth quarter when Tyree and his teammates faced a third down. Tyree leapt in the air to catch an Eli Manning pass with one hand, pinning the ball to his helmet and maintaining possession for a first down and 32-yard gain. The Giants ultimately scored a touchdown on the drive to secure a 17-14 victory.
3Joe
Montana keeps his cool. When the Cincinnati Bengals kicked a go-ahead field goal with a little more than three minutes left in Super Bowl XXIII in Miami in 1989, things were looking bleak for quarterback Joe Montana and his San Francisco 49ers teammates. But Montana kept his cool, even pointing into the crowd as the Niners offense huddled on the field and asking, “Hey, isn’t that John Candy?” Montana’s cool demeanor undoubtedly helped the 49ers pull off a stunning comeback, which culminated when he connected with wide receiver John Taylor on a 10-yard touchdown with 34 seconds to go to cap an incredible 11-play, 92-yard drive.
4Scott Norwood breaks hearts in Buffalo. Memorable plays leave some fans cheering and others lamenting what might have been. Super Bowl XXV in Tampa, Florida, between the Giants and the Buffalo Bills in 1991 certainly featured such a play. Trailing 20-19 with just four seconds to go, the Bills lined up to kick a 47-yard field goal that would have earned the franchise its first Super Bowl victory. But Buffalo placekicker Scott Norwood’s kick sailed wide right, handing the Giants the win and starting a string of four straight Super Bowl losses for the Bills.
Nominations being accepted for Uncommon Public Service Award
The Hoover Presidential Foundation is currently accepting nominations for the 2025 Uncommon Public Service Award. Nominations can be submitted at hooverpresidentialfoundation.org/uncommon-public-service-award. Nomination forms may also be printed from the website and mailed to Hoover Presidential Foundation, PO Box 696, West Branch, IA 52358. The due date for submissions is Feb. 28. The awards are presented during the last week of March in the Iowa House and Senate chambers during the morning session. Additional recognition is given
Driftless Area Wetlands Centre to offer Family Astronomy Night
The Driftless Area Wetlands Centre will be hosting Family Astronomy Night from 6-9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7. The public is invited to spend an evening learning about the universe with digital planetarium programs and guided exploration of the night sky through telescopes. This all-ages event will be hosted by MFL MarMac science teachers, volunteers from the Starsplitters of Wyalusing, local science enthusiasts, and the Friends of the Marquette Driftless Area. Planetarium programs will take place every 30 minutes throughout the evening. Attendees are encouraged to dress for the weather in order to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by the local guides.
The Driftless Area Wetlands Centre is located at 509 Highway 18 in Marquette — a half-mile west of the Marquette-Joliet Bridge. For more information, visit website www.driftlessareawetlandcentre.com or contact the Driftless Area Wetlands Centre at 563873-3537.
Registration open for South Bear School’s summer pottery retreat
South Bear School in rural Decorah is inviting students to join a pottery workshop retreat for two weeks in early June. Registration for the program opened Jan. 15 and can be found online at southbearschool.org. The program will run from June 9-20, and participants may sign up for a one-week or two-week workshop, or join for just the weekend — June 14-15.
Participants may camp on the property at no extra cost for the full retreat experience, or commute to campus from the nearby town of Decorah. Work and learning are based primarily on demonstrations, observation and practice on the kick wheel. One-on-one and group instruction will be provided by various alumni from the first iteration of South Bear School which ran from 1970-1987. Limited scholarships are available. Questions may be emailed to Info@southbearschool.org.
at the annual Foundation Celebration Banquet. One winner is selected from both the Iowa Senate and House of Representatives. The Uncommon Public Service Award was created by the Hoover Presidential Foundation to honor those public servants who demonstrate uncommon service to the people of Iowa above and beyond their legislative responsibilities. The nominees are judged on their public service and humanitarian projects. The Hoover Presidential Foundation has been recognizing outstanding public servants since 2007.
Pinterest projects class to be offered at Robey Memorial Library
A Pinterest Projects Class will be held from 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13 in the lower level of Robey Memorial Library in Waukon. The session will include step-by-step instructions to craft decorative birds from yarn. Registration is strongly encouraged to guarantee needed supplies are available. The Pintrest Projects Class is a bi-monthly event, featuring projects found on Pinterest — an online visual bookmarking tool designed to help discover and save creative ideas. Interested parties may register at www.waukon.lib.ia.us or call the library at 563-568-4424.
4-H to celebrate centennial during omelet breakfast
The public is invited to celebrate 100 years of 4-H in Winneshiek County during an omelet breakfast from 8 a.m. to noon on Sunday, March 2 in the Community Building at the Winneshiek County Fairgrounds. Tickets will be sold at the door for $10. Youth ages 9 and under will be admitted for $5. Participants will be able to learn more about 4-H in Winneshiek County during the event. Silent auction items will be available for bidding throughout the event. Proceeds from the event will be used to offset direct expenses and to support the 4-H Youth Development County Extension Program. 4-H organizers also also creating a commemorative 4-H cookbook, which will feature recipes from 4-H members, alumni, and volunteers. Officials are seeking recipes for the book, and submissions will open at the 4-H omelet breakfast.
LifeServe to host trio of area blood drives
LifeServe Blood Center will be focusing on heart health in February, and the organization is inviting the public to give back to their communities through blood donation. LifeServe will be holding three blood drives in Winneshiek County next month. To schedule an appointment, visit lifeservebloodcenter.org or call 800-287-4903.
The first of the three area blood drives will be held from 1-5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4 at Calmar Lutheran Church — 200 North East St. in Calmar. The second will be held from 12:30-5:30 p.m. Monday, Feb.
10 at the Fort Atkinson Community Center — 303 Third St. NW in Fort Atkinson.
third will be held from 12:30-5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27 at Stone Ridge Community Church — 1111 Montgomery St. in Decorah.
LifeServe Blood Center is a non-profit, community-based blood center that has served the needs of local hospitals and patients in our regions since 1947. As one of the 15 largest blood centers in the country, LifeServe provides blood products to 175 hospitals primarily in Iowa, South Dakota, Nebraska and Illinois.
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Trivia fans may know that American president Benjamin Harrison, who served from 1889 to 1893, was both preceded and succeeded in office by Grover Cleveland. But Harrison has another notable distinction on his presidential résumé. Harrison was the country’s 23rd president but the first to hire a woman White House staffer upon his selection of Alice Sanger as his presidential secretary on Jan. 2, 1890. History. com suggests Harrison’s appointment of Sanger might have been an effort to extend an olive branch to the women’s suffrage movement, which was gaining momentum during the time Harrison spent in the White House. Though Sanger was named to the White House staff 135 years ago, the United States has still not seen a woman elected to the office of the president.
#1 - 72 Acres, 36-97-12 Jackson Township
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Outrageous Barbecued Nachos
Chips and dip always work when entertaining, and the potential flavor combinations of this classic party offering are endless. When it comes to nachos, the dip and the chip are melded into a single dish for a convenient and tasty offering that works as a snack, appetizer or even a main course. Of course, nachos also are a goto dish while watching the big game with friends.
Nacho flavors run the gamut from Latin-inspired to chili-covered to everything in between. These “Outrageous Barbecued Nachos,” courtesy of “Virgil’s Barbecue Road Trip Cookbook” (St. Martin’s Press) by Neal Corman, pair the smoky flavor of slow-cooked barbecue with the zip of some nacho standards like jalapeño peppers and cheese.
Sports fans across the globe tune in when the National Football League hosts its annual championship game each winter. And that already robust viewership is growing, as figures from Nielsen Fast National and Adobe Analytics indicated Super Bowl LVIII between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers garnered 123.4 million viewers who tuned in to watch Patrick Mahomes orchestrate a 25-22 overtime victory over Kyle Shanahan and the Niners.
Super Bowl Sunday has become an unofficial holiday in the United States, where fans ranging from the diehard to the casual to those simply tuning in for the commercials and halftime show gather to enjoy a few fun-filled hours. Seasoned party hosts know that food features as prominently as football and fun come Super Bowl Sunday.
Guests may expect a few staples, including chicken wings. With that in mind, hosts can impress their guests by serving up this recipe for “Virgil’s Smoked Chicken Wings With Blue Cheese Dip” from Neal Corman’s “Virgil’s Barbecue Road Trip Cookbook” (St. Martin’s Press).
Virgil’s Smoked Chicken Wings with Blue Cheese Dip
Serves 4 Blue Cheese Dip
2 cups blue cheese crumbles,
3. Mix all the marinade ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Place the wings in a large container with a lid and pour the mixture over the wings. Toss until the wings are thoroughly coated. Cover and refrigerate for 2 days.
4. Preheat the grill or smoker to 245 F.
5. Spread out the wings on a sheet pan and wipe away any excess marinade. Sprinkle liberally with the dry rub, coating the wings all over.
6. Position the wings on the grill away from the direct heat of the coals or burners, and add hickory to the smoker or hickory chips on the coals or gas burners.
7. Cook the wings for about 3 hours, flipping every 30 minutes (their internal temperature should be about 165 F when cooked).
8. While the wings are cooking, cut the butter for the sauce into 1-inch cubes and refrigerate. Whisk the cornstarch into the white vinegar in a small bowl.
9. In a medium sauté pan over medium heat, bring the hot sauce to a simmer and whisk in the thickened vinegar. Return to a simmer, cook for 1 minute, and remove from the heat.
10. Add the cayenne and slowly whisk in the cold butter. Keep warm until serving.
11. Remove the wings from the smoker or grill and put half of them into a bowl, cover with the sauce, and toss. Repeat with the remaining wings and serve on a platter, with the blue cheese dip on the side.
1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese 15 pickled jalapeño slices
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
2. Combine the meats and barbecue sauce in a small saucepan over medium heat.
3. Spread half of the tortilla chips on a small cookie sheet. Cover the chips with half of
the meat and sauce. Top with half of each cheese.
4. Repeat the process on top of this layer, using the other half of the ingredients.
5. Bake until the cheese is completely melted, about 10 minutes. Remove and top with the jalapeños.
Serves 4-6
cup hot sauce
1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1. To make the dip, combine 1 cup of the blue cheese, mayonnaise, buttermilk, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and blend on low until smooth.
2. Remove to a medium mixing bowl and fold in the rest of the blue cheese, scallions and celery, being sure to break up the larger blue cheese crumbles.
Place in a covered container and refrigerate overnight.
Virgil’s Dry Rub Makes 5 to 5-1⁄2 cups
2-1⁄2 cups sweet paprika 1 cup granulated sugar 1⁄2 cup Texas-style chili powder 1⁄2 cup minced onion
1⁄2 cup granulated garlic
1⁄4 cup dried parsley flakes
6 tablespoons kosher salt
Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk together until completely incorporated. Transfer to a covered bowl with a tight-fitting lid. Store in a cool, dry place.
