Official Paper of Calmar, Fort Atkinson, Ridgeway, Spillville, Waucoma, Winneshiek County & Turkey Valley Community Schools
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HAPPY MONDAY, OCT. 31
Volume 38, Issue 43 USPS: 335-690 | P.O. Box 507, Calmar, IA 52132 | (563) 562-3488 | www.calmarcourier.com | calmarnews@midamericapub.com | Tradidi quod et accepi
LEFT: Friederike Backer, a German exchange student visiting America, takes a chance to get a photo inside the historic St. Luke Catholic Church in St. Lucas.ABOVE: Hans Juergen-Borde, a teacher of German and English from Gymnasium Uberlingen, poses beside a tombstone with the text in German, the language of many of the residents of early St. Lucas. Juergen-Borde is helping to lead German exchange students as they visit Iowa. Photos by Michael Hohenbrink
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Juanita Andersen holds a figure of St. Joseph while a few of the pieces of the nativity scene from Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Lawler can be seen beside her. These pieces and the rest were recently restored. Photos by Michael Hohenbrink
Nativity Scene Reborn
Making Connections German Exchange Students Visit St. Lucas
By Michael Hohenbrink Editor The voices sang out in conversation, in a tongue that once graced the streets and homes of the community. Now, generations after German faded from daily use in St. Lucas, the language returned to her streets, if only for a few hours. With 22 students and some adults as well visiting Friday, St. Lucas, a community founded by German speakers, saw a resurgence of that speech which had once been so common. Mostly from youths, the German conversations took place as students visiting North Fayette Valley as part of an exchange program toured an Iowa community that boasts a unique heritage, home to a settlement carved out of the wilderness by German
▪ Artist Restores Half-Century Old Figures
By Michael Hohenbrink Editor A small army stands on the steps of the altar. Picking up one, Juanita Andersen notes what has been done with one of the figures. “When he came in he had half a nose,” Andersen explained, showing off a statue of St. Joseph. Then came surgery. Now, with some tender care, St. Joseph is ready to face the world again. Sitting on the steps to the altar at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Lawler, Andersen can tell some stories about the rest of his brethren. Missing horns on the ox, dings and chipped paint – Andersen got to see a number of figures from the parish’s nativity
I would say that many of [the figures] are well over 50 years old. They hold people’s memories. They hold people’s hearts. - Juanita Andersen scene in real need of some work. Yet, with a lot of long hours spent with them, Andersen has the entire collection ready for use again, with some time to spare before the Christmas season. Andersen is a veteran of a number of artistic projects and has done restoration work before. The nativity scene at Mercy Medical Center in New Hampton received her TLC a few years ago. Indeed, it’s thanks to that previous work
that Andersen received her commission to restore the nativity scene with OLMC. Shirley Murray, a parishioner at the church who volunteers with both the hospital and the Carnegie Center in New Hampton, noticed the work with the hospital’s nativity scene and learned Andersen had done the work. Murray approached Andersen about doing something similar with the parish’s collection. Andersen undertook the project, adding parts that had fallen off, touching up the paint where needed and adding some more realistic detail, for example fingernails, something the original figures never had. It’s a small touch, but one that gives the figures a more natural appearance. NATIVITY to page 3
GERMAN STUDENTS to page 4
NICC Enters CDL Skills Testing Agreement Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) will offer third-party Certified Driver’s License (CDL) skills testing following approval of a memorandum of agreement between the college and the Iowa Department of Transportation.
This agreement will allow us to expand our CDL program training and complete skills testing to ensure our students’ career readiness. — Dave Dahms, NICC vice president for finance and administration
Approval was granted by NICC’s Board of Trustees Oct. 17. As part of the agreement, NICC will contract with Northland CDL Training, a division of Northland Distributing Group in Mason City, to provide classroom instruction, NICC to page 3
IN THIS ISSUE: Local News .................2-3 Worship .........................5 Opinion .......................6-7 Legals .........................8-9 Classifieds...................10 Sports .....................11-12
A grant from South Winn Thrift has helped to secure a new LEGO play area for youth at the Calmar Public Library, one of the renovations unveiled for the library, which recently saw upgrades. Pictured are (left side, front to back): Landon Peters, Peyton Elsbernd, Sadie Wermers and Avery Peters; right side: Lane Elsbernd, Greyson Gerleman and Ali Schmitt. Photos by Michael Hohenbrink
Calmarʼs Library Has New Look Little Michelangelos
Recent Upgrades Include New Carpeting, Fresh Paint, New LEGO Play Area By Michael Hohenbrink Editor Renovations were undertaken recently at the Calmar Public Library. With carpeting dating back 25 years and no painting done since 2003, the library was ready for a new look. “It just needed to be updated with new colors to give the library more warmth and appeal,” said Linda Crossland, the library’s director. During the work, the library tried to be open as much as possible. “In spite of some challenges and on-going painting, we were able to remain open as much as possible, except for the one week while the old carpet was removed and new carpet tiles laid,” said Crossland. Among improvements, a grant from South Winn Community Thrift helped to secure a new LEGO activity table. LIBRARY to page 3
Kindergarten students at CFS recently had a chance to become more familiar with the work of Renaissance artist Michelangelo. Standing in for the Sistine Chapel were the students' desks as the students got a taste of how the artistic giant tackled his famed work on the chapel's ceiling. Shown here are (l-r) Britlyn Boyer and Louis Andera. Photo courtesy CFS
Many Absentee Ballots Unreturned
Pictured are (front row, l-r): Linda Crossland, director of the library, and Vernelle Holthaus, library assistant; back row: Terry Linderbaum, the painter contracted by the library, and Jim Huber, former president of the library board of trustees.
By Michael Hohenbrink Editor Winneshiek County voters requested absentee ballots in droves, but many of those ballots have yet to make their way back to be counted. As the election comes down to its final two weeks, nearly one-third of all absentee ballots requested have not actually been received, the Winneshiek County Auditor’s Office has said. By the beginning of the day Oct. 24, absentee ballots either voted in person or sent out by mail numbered 3,949. Democrats enjoy a lead in these, but Republicans are not far behind with totals of 1,639 and 1,306 respectively. There were 1,004 ballots marked as
no party or other. So far, 2,673 ballots have made their way back to the auditor’s office. With over 1,200 ballots still out, that has the auditor’s office urging voters to return those ballots soon. In addition to regular office hours, the auditor’s office will host additional hours including: Saturday, Oct. 29, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday, Nov. 4, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 5, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Monday, Nov. 7, until 5 p.m. Voters who want to register or change an address may do so through Oct. 29 without additional requirements. After Oct. 29, additional documentation including identification and proof of residency is needed.