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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2015
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2015 Relay Ambassador: ‘Cancer doesn’t have me.’
News at a Glance
Pony Express Riders
Pony Express Riders of Iowa will collect donations for Easter Seals Camp Sunnyside at Ankeny on Good Friday, April 3. Riders will canvass the business districts of Garner, Klemme and Kanawha. Riders will be at downtown Garner Friday morning. The group will break for lunch at Mat’s Place at 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. From Garner, they will ride to Klemme where they collect for Camp Sunnyside. They will leave Klemme at 2 p.m. and head for Kanawha where they will meet at Johnson Trucking and ride through downtown Kanawha at approximately 4:30 p.m. On Saturday, April 4, a delegation from Hancock County will travel to Ankeny and join other Pony Express Riders from across Iowa in support of Camp Sunnyside. Camp Sunnyside benefits children and adults with special needs.
Understanding Grief & Loss
MASON CITY - The Bereavement Department of Hospice of North Iowa is offering grief support group opportunities. Understanding Grief & Loss is an adult support group that gives the opportunity to learn how grief impacts your life and ways to cope with grief after the death of a loved one. A group will meet seven Monday evenings, April 20 to June 8 (excluding Memorial Day), 6-8 p.m. at the Hospice of North Iowa conference room, 232 2nd SE in Mason City. There is no charge to participate. Space is limited. Call 641-428-6208 or 1-800-297-4719 to register.
Community Calendar
Thursday, March 26 Second session of Hancock County Leadership Development is scheduled at Garner Ed Building from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. West Hancock Community School District will hold an informational meeting for parents of Britt and Kanawha kindergarten-prep and kindergarten children, who are eligible for the 201516 school year, at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, March 28 A fundraiser is planned in support of the Berneman family of Belmond. The event is scheduled for Saturday, March 28. A meal will be served from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., with an auction to follow at the Goodell Community Center. Saturday, March 28 Eggbake, in support of Klemme Public Library, to be held in the Klemme Community Room from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 1 Career Fair will be at NIACC from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, April 4 Wa-Tan-Ye Annual Easter Egg Hunt to be held at 10 a.m. More information to come. Hospice of North Iowa hosts Annual Spring Salad Luncheon The annual Kanawha Easter Egg Hunt will be held at the softball diamond in Kanawha, starting at 10 a.m. Children may arrive early and have their pictures taken with the Easter Bunny and Penny the Panda. Monday, April 6 Hancock County Co-op Oil Annual Stockholders Meeting will be at the GHV High School. Meal will be served at 6 p.m., and business meeting will be at 7 p.m. March 28 April 2 Cinderella
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GARNER – With a total 34 years in law enforcement – 20 years as police chief at Garner – Tom Kozisek knows about the challenges of fighting crime. Today, he supports another kind of fight - the fight against cancer. A survivor of colon cancer, Kozisek is honorary ambassador for the 2015 Hancock County Relay for Life. Relay for Life is a nation-wide fund-raiser for the American Cancer Society. Kozisek was diagnosed with colon cancer on Jan. 13, 2011. He had been feeling sick through the month of December, and his symptoms weren’t getting any better. Tom’s wife, Bon, a member of the Garner Volunteer Ambulance Service, finally called the ER for tests. Tom was dehydrated and his white blood cell count was up, indicating a bacterial infection. “In the back of my mind… I knew it was something a lot more,” Bon said. Tom developed bacterial pneumonia. “He was on multiple rounds of medications and trying four different antibiotics,” Bon recalled. Tom’s symptoms worsened and included blood in his stools. Initially doctors attributed it to bowel irritation from the high doses of antibiotics. He was just 49, with no family history of colon cancer, but doctors decided to do a colonoscopy to be sure. The colonoscopy revealed Kozisek had Stage 3 colon cancer. Stage 3, on a scale of 4, means the cancer was close to going through the final layer of tissue in the colon. Chief Kozisek was determined that cancer would not beat him. “I was like, ‘So now what? What’s
Rebecca Peter | The Leader
The Hancock County Relay for Life Committee recently announced that Tom Kozisek of Garner (center) is the 2015 Honorary Relay for Life Ambassador. Kozisek is survivor or colon cancer. His wife, Bon Kozisek (right) and Linda Webner, Hancock County Relay for Life Chair, are also pictured. the next step?” he said. “I have cancer, but cancer doesn’t have me.” He underwent surgery on Jan. 25, 2011 followed by 52 hours of chemotherapy every other week for the next six months. He finished with chemotherapy on Sept. 1, 2011.
Tom’s latest check-up this past February was good news. He has now completed four years of being cancer-free. Cancer patients generally are considered cured after five years. What keeps him going? “She keep me going,” Tom said, re-
ferring to Bon. “The kids keep me going Work keeps me going. Life keeps me going.” He added, “You don’t have time to sit back and feel sorry for yourself. When you sit back and feel sorry for yourself, that’s when it’s going to
overcome you.” Early detection is key Chief Kozisek acknowledges his cancer journey is a life-altering experience. “I remember sitting in the cancer center doing my initial phase of chemo, thinking I have it so much better than a lot of these people,” he said. According to the American Cancer Society, despite a substantial decrease in colon cancer death rates over the past two decades, colon cancer remains the third deadliest cancer in the United States among men and women. Routine screening can prevent colon cancer or find it at an early, treatable stage. If found and treated early, the five-year survival rate is about 90 percent. Age 50 is generally recommended as the year to get a baseline colonoscopy. Kozisek is very much an advocate of getting a colonoscopy for early detection. “Colonoscopies are a breeze,” he said. “It’s an inconvenience. That’s is all it is.” The Hancock County Relay for Life is Saturday, June 20 at the Garner-Hayfield-Ventura high school athletic field. It’s not too late to form a team. Contact Linda Webner (641923-2973) or Lois DeLeon (641-8433639). To sign up or support a team, go to the Hancock County Relay for Life website: http://main.acsevents.org/ site/TR?pg=entry&fr_id=66993 More about the work of the American Cancer Society is at www.cancer. org.
Absentee ballots for special election at Garner
GARNER - Michelle K. Eisenman, Hancock County Auditor & Commissioner of Elections, announces that absentee ballots for the Special City Election for the City of Garner to be held May 5, 2015 will be available in the Hancock County Auditor’s Office beginning March 26. Eligible voters residing in the City of Garner will be asked to decide whether or not the city should proceed with a loan agreement for $400,000 in general obligation bonds to help fund the expansion and renovation of the Garner Public Library. Any eligible voter may cast an absentee ballot at the Auditor’s office or may submit a written request for an absentee ballot. Requests should be sent to the Hancock County Auditor’s office, 855 State Street, P.O. Box 70, Garner, Iowa 50438. A request form is also available at the Hancock County Auditor’s office or on Hancock County’s website www.hancockcountyia.org; click on Auditor’s department; then click on Official Absentee Ballot Request link. A request must be signed by the person requesting a ballot. The signed, completed request form can be mailed or brought to the Auditor’s office, 855 State Street, Garner, IA 50438. Absentee ballots may also be voted in the Auditor’s office, Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Anyone having questions regarding absentee voting may contact the Auditor’s Office, 641-923-3163.
Chamber plans activities for Easter weekend Emilie Jenson
leadernews.map@gmail.com The Britt Chamber of Commerce is busy making plans for a day filled with activities on Saturday, April 4. The annual chamber omelet breakfast will be held from 7 to 11 a.m. at the Britt Fire Station adjacent to the Municipal Building. Chamber President Amy Madson said the turn-out for the breakfast is always good as the American Legion/VFW’s Easter Egg hunt takes place at 10 a.m. also on the City Hall grounds and brings in families before and after the event. It is also opening day for the races at the Hancock County Speedway on the Hancock County Fairgrounds. In conjunction with opening day, weather permitting, the chamber will be bringing back Race Day on Main beginning at 12:30 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. The event showcases the cars of local drivers along Main Street and gives an opportunity to get an up close look at the cars. Race Day will once again feature a 3-man tire changing contest for prizes, and new this year, a big wheel race for kids. “Kids will get to register to win a big wheel,” said Madson. Prizes will be awarded to race day participants in best of show and each class; modifieds, sport modified, hobby stock, and sport compact. Judging will be at 1 p.m. “We are looking forward to a big day,” Madson said. In the event of inclement weather, Race Day will be held at the same time on April 11.
Plans moving ahead on Main Street bank building, see page 2 SHOW TIMES Mon.-Sat 7 pm Sunday 4 pm & 7 pm Adults $4 Children $3 (under 12) 3D + $2
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Avery Theatre 495 State Street, GARNER, Iowa www.averytheater.org 641-925-AVRY (2879)
Volume 143 Number 12
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Easter Egg Hunts
Rebecca Peter | The Leader
Trent Loos, chats on stage with FFA President Tucker Barickman. Loos was the guest speaker for annual Agriculture Breakfast, March 18 at Garner. The Garner Chamber of Commerce, Hancock County Farm Bureau and local businesses hosted the event.
Humorist is advocate for agriculture
GARNER – Trent Loos, humorist and agriculture advocate, wants to set the record straight about today’s agriculture. A sixth generation rancher from Nebraska, Loos was the guest speaker for the Eighth Annual Agriculture Breakfast, held Wednesday, March 18, at Garner. Loos used humor with facts to convey a serious message: agriculture has a story to share, but those involved in production agriculture need to make their voices heard. “Why do we need a week or a day to celebrate agriculture when it’s something we should do on a daily basis?” he asked. “I eat everyday! How many would like to take the day off?” “So here we are in 2015 and I’m telling you the great challenge we have is no longer that people don’t know where their food comes from – it’s they know too much. The problem is too much of what they know, isn’t so.” “How do you educate someone
who doesn’t understand the first thing about the cycle of life?” Loos is of the opinion there are too many people in the educational system, elected officials, “even the occupants of the White House,” who do not understand a basic premise: “Everything lives. Everything dies, and death with a purpose gives full meaning to life,” he said. “And that’s what we’ve been doing in agriculture. We’ve been managing life. We’ve been creating death. And in creating a respectful death, we’ve been improving other living things.” He continued, “You know all about animal rightist [groups]. We now have people worried about whether or not corn has feelings. They’re doing this in the name of science. Do you think the kid in Ethiopia cares if the corn has feelings?” Communication is key Loos said today, people turn almost exclusively to the Internet for informa HUMORIST to page 2
Community events over Easter weekend include the following: Garner The annual Easter egg hunt, sponsored by the Garner WA TAN YE Club will be held 10 a.m. Saturday, April 4, 10 a.m. at the elementary school playground in Garner. Children, ages 3-4, will hunt for eggs on the northeast side of the playground. Children, ages 5-6, will hunt on the northwest side. In the event of inclement weather, the Easter egg hunt will be held in the gymnasium. Bring a sack or a basket to hold your eggs. There will be prize of Easter gift baskets for winners of marked eggs in each age group. Kanawha The annual Kanawha Community Easter Egg hunt will be Saturday, April 4, 10 a.m. at the softball diamond uptown in Kanawha. Come early and have your picture taken with the Easter bunny and Penny the Panda. The event is sponsored by the Kanawha Swimming Pool Committee. Britt The Britt Community Easter Egg hunt will take place Saturday, April 4, 10 a.m. for children in first through fourth grades. The Easter bunny will also be present in the Community Center for photos and to hand out candy. The Britt Chamber of Commerce will also be serving an Easter omelet breakfast from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Britt Fire Station. Corwith The Easter egg hunt at Corwith will be Saturday, April 4, at 10:30 a.m. at Corwith High School. Bring your camera. The Easter bunny will be there! Wesley The Easter bunny will be at Wesley at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 28 at School Park. The bunny will be there for photos. A pancake breakfast, served by a local youth group, will be served at the Wesley Community Church before and after the egg hunt.
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