Thursday, November 30, 2023
Vol. 158, Issue 48
Decorah, Iowa 52101 www.decorahnewspapers.com
“Holiday Lights WalkThrough Night Has Record Attendance”
One Section email: news@decorahnewspapers.com
Price One Dollar phone: 563-382-4221
fax: 563-382-5949
An artist’s rendering of the entrance to the Gerdin Fieldhouse for Athletics and Wellness. (submitted photo)
Roumel Reynon and Rachel DeCarlo from Twin Springs Supper Club served up tasty soup during the walk-through under the shelter at the campground. Many local businesses provided soups and snacks. LEFT- One of the many Lions Club members driving the Pokey Pete train around the campground Nov. 22 was David Sollien of Decorah.
Gerdin Foundation gifts Luther College historic $10M
Soak up a healthy dose of Holiday Cheer at Washington Street Suites Holiday Open House Friday, Dec. 1, from 3:30 to 6:30 pm. With one stop, explore all the workshops and, of course, the home of Driftless Multimedia (Driftless Journal and Public Opinion newspapers). Santa will be in the house from 4 to 6 p.m. There will be prizes for kids’ coloring, an ornament challenge and Kids who bring in their coloring page Washington Street Suites scavenger hunt! Come one and all, young and old, for some Friday Hol- will be entered into a drawing for prizes. Coloring page inside. iday Fun Dec. 1!
Luther College announced Monday, Nov. 27, the commitment of a historic $10 million gift from Michael and Nicole Gerdin and the Gerdin Charitable Foundation. This is the largest individual gift in the college’s 162-year history, which will serve as the lead gift toward the expansion and renovation of the Regents Center, home to Norse athletics and the center for sports and recreation at Luther College. “Today it’s my absolute joy and distinct privilege to announce this transformational gift to Luther College,” President Jenifer K. Ward said during a public ceremony in the gymnasium at Luther’s Regents Center. “This support is not only historic, it speaks to the strength of Luther’s reputation as a fine Iowa college destination and to our potential for future success.” The Chairman, President and CEO of Heartland Express in North Liberty, Michael Gerdin is a 1992 graduate of Luther who studied management and was a member of the Norse men’s basketball team. Starting his career as a teenager at the company his father founded,
The Decorah Community School District will seek the community’s engagement as it examines and addresses the facility needs at John Cline Elementary School and West Side Early Childhood Center. According to a press release from the school district, among the most pressing and expensive challenges at the schools are infrastructure and maintenance issues. Specifically, sanitary sewer systems must be replaced up to the city’s main. The current systems create plumbing problems that include toilet leaks and sewer backups. In addition, heating systems, which are more than 30 years old, have limited climate control capabilities and are approaching the end of their life expectancy. Leaking roofs need to be replaced and some floors show signs of settling. Asbestos can be found onsite. Additionally, playground drainage issues cause damp, decaying leaves to collect annually in the fall, cre-
Among the numerous issues with John Cline Elementary School, one of the biggest concerns is trouble relating to the sewer system. According to Gregg Schaller, director of buildings and grounds for the school, the main sewer line, made of cast iron, sags and causes frequent backups in students’ bathrooms. Compounding the backups, the main line is riddled with tree roots. The school used to pay a professional company to snake the line and cut the roots out, but the costs became so prohibitive, the school purchased its own rooter machine to have Schaller monitor the lines and clean them as necessary. Over the next few weeks the Public Opinion will discuss some of the other issues at both school buildings. (Driftless Multimedia photo by Denise Lana)
(Driftless Multimedia photos by Roz Weis) Helping Services for Youth & Families hosted the Holiday Lights Walk-Through Night Wednesday, Nov. 22, which opened the 19th annual Holiday Lights event, held at Pulpit Rock Campground in Decorah. Holiday Lights is an annual fundraiser for Helping Services for Youth & Families, a nonprofit organization with pro-
grams that promote healthier and safer families throughout northeast Iowa. The Holiday Lights WalkThrough Night saw 3,150 visitors and raised $9,750 in freewill donations. Both attendance and funds raised were new records. The Holiday Lights DriveThrough event is up and run-
ning and is open nightly, 5 to 9 p.m. until Christmas night. A free-will donation will be collected as you enter the gates of Holiday Lights. All donations benefit Helping Services for Youth & Families. For the complete schedule and list of sponsors, please visit www.helpingservices.org/holidaylights.
The Public Opinion and neighbors to host Washington Suites Holiday Party Friday We’ll have Santa, and photos and cookies made with care! There’ll be spaces to find and services to share!
Gerdin moved up the ranks at Heartland to lead the firm. “I wanted to play college basketball, and I wanted to go to a place that had a good business school. I kept coming back to Luther,” Gerdin said when describing his college decision process in the announcement Monday morning. In recognition of this commitment, the facility will be renamed the Gerdin Fieldhouse for Athletics and Wellness. “We want this project to embody that spirit of bringing all of campus together,” Ward said. “While the Regents Center is home to many Norse athletic teams as a training and competition venue, it is also heavily utilized by students, faculty, staff and community members for recreation and wellness. This investment by the Gerdins and the Gerdin Charitable Foundation not only touches Luther, but contributes to the vitality of Decorah and all of northeast Iowa.” “This is so incredibly exciting for all of us, and we are beyond grateful to Mike and his family for believing in us and this special place,” Athletic Director Renae Hartl said.
“Here at Luther, students are at the heart of all we do, and these gifts are really about them. Our campus becomes their home for four years, and we work hard to provide an environment where we exercise our minds in classes and labs, and we stress and push and exercise our bodies as part of overall wellness and a strong tradition of NCAA Division III athletics.” Aside from serving as the headquarters for the Luther Norse athletic department, the center also houses facilities used by the entire college, including the campus’ student, faculty and staff fitness facility, the college’s aquatics center and the recently renovated indoor track, tennis courts and flexible usage space of the Robert and Ann Naslund Sports and Recreation Center. Among the highlights in the preliminary plans for the Gerdin Fieldhouse are a new entrance space for the public, a team meeting space open for use by all teams, renovation of the locker rooms and a new common area and study space for the 21 Norse athletic teams.
Luther gift
Visit us online - www.decorahnewspapers.com Decorah School District faces two elementary schools Visitchallenges us online -atwww.decorahnewspapers ating a foul smell. “Both John Cline and West Side have served the Decorah community well in the past,” said Dr. Tim Cronin, superintendent. “However, as is the case at many schools throughout the state, these facilities have aged to the point that providing students with a modern learning environment has become a daily challenge for the district at both sites. In the months ahead, we will be engaging our community into these needs as we work to find potential solutions.” The two schools also have architectural challenges that create limitations for students, teachers and staff. Many classrooms have limited setup options due to size, shape and outlet locations. There is inadequate closet space for students to store their winter gear, and there exists an insufficient number of sinks in classrooms and stalls in restrooms. Additionally, the sharing of the gymnasium as a lunchroom impacts
scheduling and staff throughout the district. Moreover, previous construction to an existing building’s core structure created multiple rooms which lack windows as well as areas with poor ventilation. Both schools lack needed space–ranging from community rooms capable of hosting meetings and conferences to shared gymnasium and lunchroom space that will not interfere with indoor activities and recess. Limited storage space in classrooms and common areas also creates challenges, and insufficient space exists for students as they engage in many activities at the playgrounds. District administrators and officials continue to monitor the challenges presented at John Cline and West Side and work towards potential solutions. For information or to share concerns and suggestions, contact Superintendent Cronin at 563-382-4208 or at tim.cronin@decorah.school.
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