LifeServe Blood Center will be holding a blood drive from 1-5 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6 at 200 North East St. in Calmar. Appointments can be scheduled online at lifeservebloodcenter. org or by calling 800-287-4903. Organizers said the need for blood rises during the summer, but the number of blood donations seems to decline, creating what they called a scary situation for the community blood supply. All blood donors are being urged to donate as soon as possible. Someone requires a blood transfusion every two seconds.
Specials SUMMER
will share how the Vietnam War affected her family. A free lunch will be offered at 11:30 a.m. For information, call 563-419-8318.
Peggy Larson demonstrated kulokk — a traditional Norwegian method of calling in livestock using song during Nordic Fest.
New Minowa Players announces coming season
New Minowa Players is excited to announce their 20242025 season, which starts in August with the Young People’s Production.
“Zombie Prom” by John Dempsey will be the Young People’s Production and will be directed by Libby Phillips and Jensen Korsness. The Young People’s Production is open to actors in junior high, high school or college age. This girl-loves-ghoul rock ‘n’ roll off-Broadway musical is set in the atomic 1950s at Enrico Fermi High, where the law is laid down by a zany, tyrannical principal. Pretty senior Toffee has fallen for the class bad boy. Family pressure forces her to end the romance, and he charges off on his motorcycle to the nuclear waste dump. He returns glowing and determined to reclaim Toffee’s heart. He still wants to graduate, but most of all he wants to take Toffee to the prom. The principal orders him to drop dead while a scandal reporter seizes on him as the freak du jour. History comes to his rescue while a tuneful selection of original songs in the style of ‘50s hits keeps the action rocking across the stage. Zombie Prom will be performed Aug. 8-11 at the New Minowa Players Theatre.
The second show of the season, the Children’s Show, features actors in first through eighth grade. “How the Cam-
el Got Its Hump” is a onehour musical based on one of Kipling’s “Just So Stories.” The musical was written by Rick and Sheryl Scheffert, who will also serve as director and music director. In the beginning, when most animals began to work, the camel was idle and refused. The dog, the horse, and the ox all told him he should join in the work, but the camel only answered, “Humph!” Auditions for “How the Camel Got Its Hump” will be Aug. 23. The show will be performed Oct. 24-27.
November brings a play
“Twelve Angry Men” by Reginald Rose, directed by Alex Rosenow. A 19-year-old man has just stood trial for the fatal stabbing of his father. “He doesn’t stand a chance,” mutters the guard as the 12 jurors are taken into the bleak jury room. It looks like an open-andshut case — until one of the jurors begins opening the others’ eyes to the facts. “This is a remarkable thing about democracy,” says a foreign-born juror, “that we are notified by mail to come down to this place—and decide on the guilt or innocence of a person; of a man or woman we have not known before.”
“Twelve Angry Men” will be performed Nov. 7-10 at the New Minowa Players Theatre.
“Doctor Dolittle” by Leslie Bricuse will be the January family-friendly show, directed
by Sheryl Scheffert. The musical tells the classic tale of a wacky but kind doctor who can talk to animals. The show takes the audience on a journey from the small English village of Puddleby-on-the-Marsh to the far corners of the world. Doctor Dolittle is wrongly accused of murder and, once pronounced innocent, continues with his search for the Great Pink Sea Snail – the oldest and wisest of the creatures on earth. Doctor Dolittle will be performed Jan. 16-19 and 24-25, 2025, at the New Minowa Players Theatre.
The Spring Show will be Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” directed by David Mendez. A group of four Athenians run away to the forest only to have Puck the fairy make both of the boys fall in love with the same girl. The four run through the forest pursuing each other while Puck helps his master play a trick on the fairy queen. In the end, Puck reverses the magic, and the two couples reconcile and marry. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will be performed at the New Minowa Players Theatre April 10-13, 2025.
The 2025 Summer Musical will be Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Pirates of Penzance,” directed by Sheryl Scheffert. Frederic, in his youth, was accidentally indentured to a band of pirates. Now celebrating his 21st birthday, he feels ready to
leave piracy forever and find a suitable wife. He soon learns, however, that he was born on Feb. 29, and since his indenture specifies that he remain a pirate until his “21st birthday,” he must serve for another 63 years. Performances of “The Pirates of Penzance” will be performed June 23-26, 2025, at the Decorah High School Auditorium.
Tickets for all performances are available at newminowaplayers.org/tickets.
Zombie Prom Directors Libby Phillips (at left) and Jensen Korsness are pictured behind the scenes. Zombie Prom runs Aug. 8-11 at the New Minowa Players Theatre, Decorah. (Decorah Leader photo by Roz Weis)
Lansing Fish Days
this weekend
Lansing will celebrate FishDays Aug. 9-11. Festivities include fireworks, parade, softball games, live music, kids carnival/inflatables, fishing tourneys, food vendors, youth pedal pull, walk/run, big wheel races, face painting, bags tourney, soap box derby, balloon artist, pickleball tournament and more Lansing Fish Days will have police coverage for everyone’s safety. The Allamakee County Sherriff’s Office and the Iowa State Patrol have committed to patrolling Lansing and the Fest Grounds over the weekend of Fish Days.
Welcome a lifelong friend
Open your home to a foreign exchange student
World Heritage International Student Exchange Program (WH), a non-profit, public benefit organization, is seeking local families to host foreign exchange students this coming school year.
World Heritage students come from a variety of countries worldwide: Italy, Denmark, Spain, France, Germany, Ukraine, Japan and Australia, to name just a few. They are between ages 15-18 years, and are enthusiastic and excited to experience American culture, family life, school, sports, etc. They also love to share their own culture and language with their host families who wel-
AUCTION CALENDAR
TUESDAY, AUGUST 6 - 199 Acres M/L Chickasaw County Real Estate Auction. Sostak Farms LLC, Fredericksburg, IA Sweeney Auction Service, Waukon IA, 563568-2464, www.sweeneyauctionservice.com
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7 - Lots start closing at 4:30 p.m. Online Only Antique, Collectibles & Household Auction. Jane Butler, 309 East Main St., Waukon. Sweeney Auction Service, Waukon IA, 563-568-2464, www. sweeneyauctionservice.com
TUESDAY, AUGUST 20 - Machinery Consignment Auction, Call now to consign 563-568-2464. Sweeney Auction Service, Waukon IA, 563-568-2464, www.sweeneyauctionservice.com
come the students into their home not as a guest, but as a family member, giving everyone involved a rich cultural experience. Host families may be single parents, couples or single persons.
The exchange students have pocket money for personal expenses and full health, accident and liability insurance. World Heritage students are carefully selected based upon academics and personality, and host families choose their student from different backgrounds, countries and personal interests.
World Heritage also offers qualified American students the opportunity to learn another
Leaf-casting
language and culture by spending a school year, semester or a summer with a host family in another country. Students are eager to learn about their American host family, so begin the process of welcoming your new son or daughter today.
If interested in hosting an exchange student or becoming an exchange student abroad, contact Debra Garbon, World Heritage Program Director, at 1-800-888-9040 or send an email to info@world-heritage. org to request more information or to start the application process.
workshop to be held at Lake Meyer
Leaf casting, a process which uses a real leaf to make a concrete mold, will be the focus of two workshops being offered by Winneshiek County Conservation at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 7 and 14 at the Lake Meyer Campground shop. On Aug. 7, participants will prepare and pour their castings, while the Aug. 14 workshop will include a revealing of the castings and painting or sealing them to take home for outdoor use. Participants must attend both sessions. This pro-
gram is for ages eight and older, and youth between the age eight and 15 must attend with an adult.
Materials are limited and registration is required. There is a materials fee of $20 to create a leaf cast as part of this workshop. Payment must be made at the first session. Call Winneshiek County Conservation at 563-534-7145 to register and for more information. Participants are advised to dress in clothing which can get dirty.
P ZZLE
5. U.S. President Hoover was born in this Iowa town.
Center for Rural Affairs releases guide to assist rural communities with grant application process
7. One of the two rivers that border Iowa.
8. Official state rock
11. Iowa’s southernmost county.
12. Iowan’s largest source of personal income.
13. Iowa’s nickname, the ______ state.
14. The world's first electronic digital ___________ was built and operated by researchers at
P ZZLE
While the Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act offers an unprecedented amount of funding to rural communities for infrastructure, energy, and conservation projects, applying for the grants can be challenging.
1. Iowa’s most populated county, with a population of 509,326 in 2024.
2. Heeeeeere’s Johnny Carson’s birthplace.
4. Official state bird.
6. Official state flower.
8. One of Iowa’s Olympic gold medalists.
9. The Duke’s Iowa birthplace.
10. Iowa’s northernmost county.
Find answers at DecorahLeader.com
Preschool - 8th Grade School Principal
classroom waste baskets; grounds maintenance; and seasonal snow removal. Hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays and as needed/ available. 8am-3pm summer month and break hours; 4-8pm school year hours. Hourly wage rate is negotiable based on experience and adjustable based on quarterly performance reviews.
If interested, please contact Justin Johnson at jjohnson@st-ben.pvt.k12.ia.us or 563-382-4668. 31-4-DL-12
“Rural communities have the desire and the need to make improvements,” said Lindsay Mouw, senior policy associate with the Center for Rural Affairs. “But, the application process can sometimes be an intimidating and time-consuming process for communities that have limited staff, time, or expertise.”
partisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act. She hopes the guide serves as a valuable tool in their planning efforts. Mouw said the Center plans to host a webinar to walk communities through the guide and answer questions they may have concerning grant applications. Information on the webinar will be available at cfra. org when details are finalized. To learn more, view and download “Grant Application Guide for Rural Communities” at cfra.org/publica-
A new resource from the Center for Rural Affairs seeks to demystify the process by walking community leaders through the various stages of federal grant application.
The new “Grant Application Guide for Rural Communities” provides tips and information for identifying grant opportunities, preparing to apply, setting a timeline, and writing and submitting an application.
Mouw said it’s important that rural communities don’t miss out on funding opportunities through the Bi-
Guidance Counselor
St. Benedict Catholic School in Decorah, IA is seeking a part-time .2 - .5 time guidance counselor for the 24-25 school year. Appropriate State of Iowa licensing is required.
If interested please contact Justin Johnson at jjohnson@st-ben.pvt.k12.ia.us or contact the school at 563-382-4668.
29-4-DL-12
Position
Home Health Aide
St. Benedict Catholic School in Decorah, IA is seeking a .8 time 6-8 grade science teacher for the 24-25 school year. A State of Iowa teaching certificate is required. If interested please contact Steve Haluska at shaluska@st-ben.pvt.k12.ia.us or contact the school at 563-382-4668.
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Provide social, environmental and personal care services in a home care setting. 32 Hours Per Week; Monday - Friday Comprehensive Benefits Package Requirements:
Reading/Language Arts Teacher
St. Benedict Catholic School in Decorah, IA is seeking a .8 time 6-8 grade reading/language arts teacher for the 24-25 school year. A State of Iowa teaching certificate is required. If interested please contact Justin Johnson at jjohnson@st-ben.pvt.k12.ia.us or contact the school at 563-382-4668.
• Nursing Assistant Certification Meet Federal Home Health Aide Training & Competecy Requirements
• American Heart Assoc. BLS Certification
• Valid Driver’s License, vehicle, proof of insurance, and a good driving record Excellent communication skills
Decorah natives David Kirkeby (left) and Kyle Elsbernd make up “Norwegian Bachelor Farmers”, which has performed at every Nordic Fest in the last 25 years. Feature story in the Aug. 1 Decorah Leader, available online at decorahleader. com. (Decorah Leader photo by Zach Jensen)
Winneshiek Co.
Conservation to host adult
The Winneshiek County Conservation Board will hold a fly-tying/fly-fishing workshop for adults at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18 at Walden Pond, which is located at 1432 130th Ave. in Castalia. The event will start with fly tying in the enclosed shelter at the pond. Participants will learn to tie a fly pattern and practice fly casting with fly rods. The program will finish up with fly fishing in Walden Pond. Fly-tying vises, materials and fly rods will be provided. The program is free and limited to 10 participants. Registration is required by calling Winneshiek County Conservation at 563534-7145.
